< Back Pane Pugliese Bread of Puglia Prep Time: 15 minutes to make but four hours for both rising times Cook Time: 35 minutes Serves: makes 2 large loaves, 3 bread loaves and 4 small loaves pictured here Level: About the Recipe Ingredients 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast or ½ small cake (9 grams) fresh yeast 1/3 cup warm water 3 cups water, room temperature 4/5 cup (200 grams) Biga 7 ½ cups (1000 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (20 grams) salt Preparation By mixer Stir the yeast into the warm water in a large mixer bowl; let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add 3 cups water and the starter (biga) and mix with the paddle until well blended. Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together and pulls away from the side of the bowl, 1 to 2 minutes. You may need to add another 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Change to the dough hook and knead at medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes. The dough will be very soft and elastic but will never pull entirely away from the bottom of the bowl. If you want, finish kneading by hand on a floured surface with floured hands until the dough loses it stickiness and is soft and velvety, about 1 minute. First Rise Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl or plastic tub cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise until tripled, about 3 hours. Do not punch down. Shaping and second rise Flour your work surface generously, flour a dough scraper and have a mound of flour nearby for your hands. Pour the dough out of the bowl, flour the top, and cut into 2 or 3 equal pieces, depending on how many loaves you are planning. Flatten each piece of dough and roll it up lengthwise, using your thumbs as a guide for how tight the roll should be. Turn the dough 90 degrees, pat it flat, then roll up again still using your thumbs as a guide. Shape each piece into a ball by rolling the dough between your cupped hands and using the surface of the work table to generate tension and pull the dough taut across the skin of the dough. Place the loaves on a floured parchment paper set on baking sheets or peels cover with a heavy towel or cloth and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Baking Thirty minutes before baking, heat the oven with baking stones in it to 450 degrees F. Five to ten minutes before baking, flour the tops of the loaves and dimple them all over with your fingertips. The imprints will disappear but will keep the bread from rising crazily in the oven. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes. The loaves will feel as soft as a baby’s bottom when ready to bake, although you will notice a bit of resistance in the dough. Sprinkle the stones with cornmeal. Italian bakers turn the dough over into the oven very carefully with a swooping motion that scoops up some of the flour on the peel. You may prefer to slide the loaves onto the baking stones without turning them over, or, if they are on baking sheets, the loaves can be baked directly on the pans. Bake until golden brown and crusty, about 50 to 60 minutes for the larger loaves, 30 to 35 minutes for the smaller ones. Check by knocking on the bottom of each loaf and listening for the hollow ring that indicates it is cooked through, but if you’re in doubt, bake for the longer time indicated. Cool on racks. Variation To make puccia, the traditional olive-studded bread of Puglia, knead a scant 8 ounces pitted small salty black olives into the dough after it has been mixed. Let the dough rise until triples. Divide into pieces the size of a lemon (7 ounces or 200 grams) and roll each piece into a ball. Let rise again covered until doubled and bake at 425 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes. Or I mix in 25 grams each of wheat bran and wheat germ, 75 grams of ground flax seed and 200 grams of whole wheat flour then enough of all purpose flour to equal 1000 grams. I am not real picky on being exact except I want at least 600 grams of all purpose flour. Previous Next

< Back December 2025 Kimberly Caristi Dec 15, 2025 This Christmas party table is just a small part of our party celebration. We got into having a Christmas party when we were dating. When we were in college we took ashtrays from Arby’s to make ornaments. We bought store bought cookies and I made a couple of cookies that I knew by heart. We gathered our friends the first Saturday after the Thanksgiving weekend. Had a few friends bring their guitars and we say sang Christmas songs. We continued having it on that first Saturday after we got married until my body gave out. I miss making as many candies, cookies, dips and appetizers in one week as I could. The only item I started before that week was I soaked my stemmed cherries in rum for a couple of weeks. People couldn’t believe I did everything in a week. I couldn’t have done it without my kids and husband taking up the slack and helping me or doing my duties around the house. We would get our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving and started decorating our tree and home. We cut down a tree if we could find a tree farm; if not it was a non-profit place. The last thirteen years we have decorated an artificial tree. I always was sick when we had our party and it took forever for me to realize it was the Christmas tree making me sick. I would get a sinus infection that always turned into bronchitis or worse. Previous Next

The site is about Kimberly Caristi's books, travel, recipes and photography. Welcome to my heart. Let me open the door. “Cooking is a caring and nurturing act. It’s the kind of the ultimate gift for someone to cook for them.” -Curtis Stone “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” – Ibn Battuta “So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.” – Paulo Coelho Kimberly's Bio

< Back Gougères Prep Time: twenty minutes Cook Time: 24 to 30 minutes Serves: 22 Level: easy About the Recipe Gougères are the perfect appetizer. It might be daunting to make if it is your first time to make a choux or cream puff pastry but after you make them you will say why haven't I been impressing my family and friends with these before. Ingredients 1 cup water 1/2 cup butter 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 eggs 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated cheese, such as Gruyère or another Swiss cheese (about 6 ounces, to be honest any cheese you can grate would be good.) Save a little of the cheese to sprinkle on top or if you are like me grate a little more cheese to sprinkle on top. Preparation Heat oven to 400°F. In 2 1/2-quart saucepan, heat water and butter to rolling boil. Stir in flour; reduce heat to low. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Cool, slightly or you will get scrambled eggs when you add the eggs. Beat the eggs, then add all at once. Beat with an electric beater for about a minute then add cheese and nutmeg and continue beating until smooth. Using about 1 tablespoon of dough for each gougère, drop the dough from a spoon onto the lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of puff space between the mounds. Wet your finger with water to pat down the little spikes of the dough. They don't have to be smooth. Sprinkle with extra cheese. Slide the baking sheets into the oven and immediately. If you have an oven that heats unevenly you can rotate after 14 minutes. Don't open the oven before then or your gougère will deflate. Total time for the bake is 24 to 30 minutes. Bake until the gougères are golden, firm, and, yes, puffed. Serve warm, or transfer the pans to racks to cool. I serve with jams (I love cheese and jams together), mustards and just plain. Enjoy. Previous Next

< Back Blueberry Scones Prep Time: 40 Cook Time: Serves: 8 Level: About the Recipe Ingredients 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), frozen whole (see note above) 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (about 7 1/2 ounces), picked over (see note) 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2 cup sour cream 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces), plus additional for work surface 1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces), plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest Preparation It is important to work the dough as little as possible—work quickly and knead and fold the dough only the number of times called for. The butter should be frozen solid before grating. In hot or humid environments, chill the flour mixture and work bowls before use. While the recipe calls for 2 whole sticks of butter, only 10 tablespoons are actually used (see step 1). If fresh berries are unavailable, an equal amount of frozen berries (do not defrost) can be substituted. An equal amount of raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries can be used in place of the blueberries. Cut larger berries into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before incorporating. Refrigerate or freeze leftover scones, wrapped in foil, in an airtight container. To serve, remove foil and place scones on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven. Heat until warmed through and recrisped, 8 to 10 minutes if refrigerated, 16 to 20 minutes if frozen. See final step for information on making the scone dough in advance. directions 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Score and remove half of wrapper from each stick of frozen butter. Following photo at left, grate unwrapped ends on large holes of box grater (you should grate total of 8 tablespoons). Place grated butter in freezer until needed. Melt 2 tablespoons of remaining ungrated butter and set aside. Save remaining 6 tablespoons butter for another use. Place blueberries in freezer until needed. 2. Whisk together milk and sour cream in medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest in medium bowl. Add frozen butter to flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated. 3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; fold with spatula until just combined. With rubber spatula, transfer dough to liberally floured work surface. Dust surface of dough with flour; with floured hands, knead dough 6 to 8 times, until it just holds together in ragged ball, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking. 4. Roll dough into approximate 12-inch square. Following illustrations, fold dough into thirds like a business letter, using bench scraper or metal spatula to release dough if it sticks to countertop. Lift short ends of dough and fold into thirds again to form approximate 4-inch square. Transfer dough to plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in freezer 5 minutes. 5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and roll into approximate 12-inch square again. Sprinkle blueberries evenly over surface of dough, then press down so they are slightly embedded in dough. Using bench scraper or thin metal spatula, loosen dough from work surface. Roll dough, pressing to form tight log. Lay seam-side down and press log into 12 by 4-inch rectangle. Using sharp, floured knife, cut rectangle crosswise into 4 equal rectangles. Cut each rectangle diagonally to form 2 triangles and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. 6. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon sugar. Bake until tops and bottoms are golden brown, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving. To Make Ahead: After placing the scones on the baking sheet, either refrigerate them overnight or freeze. When ready to bake, for refrigerated scones, heat oven to 425 degrees and follow directions in step 6. For frozen scones, heat oven to 375 degrees, follow directions in step 6, and extend cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes. Step-by-Step: Grating Butter Use the wrapper to hold the frozen butter while grating it on the large holes of a box grater. Grate 4 tablespoons from each stick of butter. Step-by-Step: Folding and Shaping the Scones 1. Fold dough into thirds (like a business letter). 2. Fold in ends of dough to form 4-inch square. Chill dough. 3. Reroll dough into 12-inch square. Press berries into dough. 4. Roll dough into jellyroll-like log to incorporate blueberries. 5. Lay log seam-side down and press into even 12 by 4-inch rectangle. 6. Cut dough into 8 triangular pieces. I make them with whatever frozen berries I have. Previous Next

< Back No bake Peanut Butter Balls (from my great aunt Izzy…Isabelle Keith) Prep Time: If you are more organized than me it will take less than a couple of hours and the amount of times you doubled the recipe will take longer. Cook Time: Serves: depends on the size of the balls you make Level: medium About the Recipe No Bake Peanut Butter Balls are worth the work. It's not difficult it just takes some patience. Ingredients 1 cup peanut butter (2 cups weight 19 oz) 2 Tablespoons butter 1 cup powdered sugar (4 ¼ oz) 1 ½ cups rice crispies 6 oz. chocolate pieces ¼ of a stick of paraffine Preparation Combine peanut butter, powdered sugar and butter mix well. Gently mix in the rice crispies. I usually do this with my hands so I don’t crush the rice crispies. Shape into small balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet and refrigerate for a while makes it easier to dip into chocolate. You might have to reroll the balls before you dip them. Melt chocolate pieces and paraffine in double boiler until smooth. Use a tooth pic to dip balls into melted chocolate set on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Previous Next

Find pictures taken by Kimberly Caristi from her travels around the United States, Italy, Slovenia, and Greece. Charleston, SC Italy 2022 Greece 2022 Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park 2023 The beautiful Meteor Crater rest areas in Arizona Central Park, Chesterfield, MO Sunset Hotel in Moriarty, NM Lake Oconee, GA Lake Norman, NC Waterfalls in Franklin NC Slovenia Graz, Austria Italy 2025 Mims, Florida Hollywood, FL

Get to know Kimberly Caristi, the author, traveler, cook and photographer. Kimberly, originally from St. Louis, embraced her move to the countryside at thirteen. It was the start of her looking forward to change. Throughout her life each significant event has contributed to her growth, shaping her into the person she is today. Especially her marriage to a wonderful man and the births of her son and daughter. Having lived in several places in the Midwest and spending enriching months in Slovenia, Italy, and Greece, she still holds St. Louis close to her heart. Raising two independent children was her main career, which she loved. Her side careers were working as an artist, fundraising, and working for non-profit groups while volunteering her time in the community. Her husband said she was a stay-at-home mom who was never home. With a passion for cooking and baking, Kimberly has made a name for herself in each community she has lived in. Kimberly’s favorite comment came from her Italian born mother-in-law when she said Kimberly was more Italian than her. Since 2020 she has channeled her creativity into her writing. If you can't guess Kimberly loves sunsets especially over the sea.

< Back Biga Prep Time: ten minutes Cook Time: Serves: Level: beginner About the Recipe Many of the recipes for the classic regional breads begin with starter dough made from small amounts of flour, water and yeast allowed to initial fermentation and then used to infuse the actual bread dough. The starter, known as biga in Italy, not only gives strength and force to what in Italy are weak flours but also produces a secondary fermentation from which comes the wonderful aroma, natural flavor and special porosity of the final loaves and wheels of bread. I keep some biga on hand at all times—the contents of our refrigerator and freezer are definitely not the typical American vision with more inedible than edible contents. Still, by having it on hand, I can decide to make pane pugliese or ciabatta in the morning and have it for dinner that night. In Italy, bakers save saltless dough from the previous day’s bake to start a new dough. Because the first biga must come from somewhere, you may make it following the instructions below. This biga is remarkable. It freezes very well and needs only about three hours at room temperature until it is bubbly and active again. It can be refrigerated for about a week; after that it gets a bit strong. When using it in recipes, it is best to weigh it rather than measure it for it expands at room temperature. The bakers I admire most advise ten to eleven hours for the first rise and then another three hours after adding more flour and water, but others are very happy with the twenty-four hours it takes for dough to become truly yesterday’s dough. If you like sour bread, allow your biga to rest for twenty-four to seventy-two hours. The important point about a starter dough is that it is very close to natural yeast and the bread made with it develop a wonderful taste because their risings are long and bring out the flavor of the grain. Another benefit is that the loaves remain fresher and taste sweeter than those made with large amounts of commercial yeast. Ingredients Makes 2 1/3 cups (about 585 grams) ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast or 1/10 small cake (2 grams) fresh yeast ¼ cup warm water ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon water, room temperature 2 ½ cups (about 330) unbleached all-purpose flour Makes 3 ½ cups (about 750 grams) ½ teaspoon active dry yeast or 1/5 cakes (3 to 5 grams) fresh yeast ¼ cup warm water 1 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons water, room temperature 3 ¾ cups (500 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour Preparation Stir the yeast into the warm water and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining water and then the flour, 1 cup at a time. By hand Mix with a wooden spoon for 3 to 4 minutes. By mixer Mix with the paddle at the lowest speed for 2 minutes. By processor Mix just until a sticky dough is formed Rising Remove to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at a cool room temperature for 5 to 24 hours. The starter will triple in volume and still be wet and sticky when ready. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. When needed, scoop out desired amount. Both recipes can easily be cut in half. Previous Next