24 Comments
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Betty Williams's avatar

Omg the sesame oil 🙈 That is so so funny! I mean…there is the trend of olive oil poured on ice cream, but sesame oil? Love everything in this post!

Ruth Stroud's avatar

The story of the chocolate dessert with the accidental sesame sauce in Paris was hilarious. Les chefs français don’t often make erreurs, but they’re human like the rest of us, even though some of them would probably have you believe otherwise! But sesame and chocolate is nothing new, as you discovered (your cookie recipe is a testament to that and I’m definitely planning to try it!). There’s also a delicious savory salty chocolate tahini spread from Soom that’s addictive. I just went to the fridge to grab a spoonful and realized I finished it long ago.

Kerry Faber's avatar

Love that your sesame mishap in Paris inspired a new recipe! My kids and I adore tahini in chocolate chip cookies (since my son got home from college, I’ve made two different versions already in less than 2 weeks!). I’m very excited to try yours next!

Seth Diamond ✦ Road Feast's avatar

If I'm ever served caramel sauce again, I'll be taste testing it before wholeheartedly diving in. What a great story, Rebecca -- and I'm glad you enjoyed Paris! :) - Seth ✦

Wendy Hawkes's avatar

Tahini + chocolate is a discovery I made while living aboard our boat. One of my fav recipes was a chocolate-covered tahini date bomb, mostly because it set in the freezer which meant no baking. Tasty dessert without heating the galley was a huge win. I'll have to try these choco chip cookies some day.

As for the blue stripey shirt...love it! I commandeered an old one of my husbands and use it as a lighterweight-than-sweater-or-jacket cover, when I need something over my shoulders. I already had a boxy white linen shirt (from a women's store), but I love the pinstripes, especially for spring/summer. My recommend for the boat may not fit exactly within the capsule wardrobe definition, but don't overlook a good 50 SPF long sleeve rashguard or something. The sun reflecting off the water is no joke! Sorry you couldn't find the right size wooden shoes to bring home (lol).

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

Chocolate covered tahini date bombs sound delightful. Especially when it's hot and you don't have to turn on the oven! I wear that blue striped shirt so often! I've been looking for a lightweight, open weave, blue and white striped sweater... one that's not too heavy but that provides a little bit of extra warmth when we're on the boat and it's cool-ish. Haven't found the right one yet. And, yes to the sun protection! Steve and I have several sun protection shirts and love them. Question about the tahini date bombs: did you stuff them with any kind of nut?

Wendy Hawkes's avatar

I'll be super transparent about NOT being a recipe developer--I got the recipe off Pinterest (my go-to "cookbook" when I lived aboard). The pitted dates were covered in tahini, dipped in chocolate, rolled in desiccated coconut. Not my invention, but def one of my favs. I never thought to add nuts...brilliant! Almond? Walnut?? What would you suggest?

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

Yum! I would stuff the center of the date with one or two roasted almonds because roasted almonds and dates are one of my favorite combinations ever. Also, the salty crunch with all that creamy decadence would be fabulous. I am definitly making these.

Jackie Pick's avatar

That Bolognese sauce is absolutely stunning!

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

Thank you Jackie! We ate the leftovers for lunch today and it was delicious!

Lolly Martyn's avatar

I am crying laughing over that comment! Have you told us the full story somewhere and I missed it? You look adores in all your Paris pics and my fave ensemble is the cargo pants, blue striped shirt and jean jacket! (With or without the giant yellow shoes 💛)

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

That was also my favorite outfit! And, seriously, if they made those pants in other colors, I would buy every single one! Glad you found the story entertaining! 😂

Sophia Real | Real Simple Food's avatar

Thank you for the shoutout! That cake is an absolute crowd favourite over here!

And love that restaurant story!

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

It looks sooooo good! I’m excited to try it!

Shell Plant's avatar

Oh no! The sesame! I can totally see how that could work though.

Kelsey Erin Shipman's avatar

That cupcake photo is just perfect!!

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

Thank you! I do a lot of photos with a bite taken out of the subject… it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to put myself through for the sake of the shot.

Kelsey Erin Shipman's avatar

Ha! Love it.

Sarah Frison's avatar

Hahaha, how awful!

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

It was so funny! And actually, kind of worked! Almost… :-)

Mira Dessy's avatar

Oh my goodness, what an adventure 🤣

Rebecca Blackwell's avatar

Haha! So funny, right? The pastry chef was probably 25 and adorable. She was so horrified when she realized what she had done. We found it quite funny and I was like, “I mean, it kind of worked… maybe add some sesame to the recipe!”

Mira Dessy's avatar

And how funny she did that for a recipe developer. Because your brain immediately went to, "how can we make this work?" 🤣