This book immediately caught my eye, so I knew it belonged in my OpenSky shop. CLICK here to purchase or browse. Use the coupon code REDESIGN for 10% off through January 31! The book feels so right to me because it seems to sense my mood just right.

You might not know it (by the way I am dressed) but Sup! can be quite the fashionable devil. I am pretty good at whiffing out the "now" and the “hot”. I immediately know what the next "new black” is just by looking.

I am here to proclaim the "new black” in cookbooks focuses on books that have a specialized niche. You can thank the web for this trend because there is so much information available to us now and with just a few quick keystrokes we can edit out all that is superfluous.

Which is why Stonewall Kitchen Winter Celebrations is the next must have kitchen accessory of the season. Because these guys were smart enough to make it perfectly seasonable. It is the au courant little book of fashionable self-indulgence. It’s filled with recipes that make you want to (yes!) celebrate the season in style.

For today’s Market Matters at the Hollywood Farmers Market I brought home adorable little mini-sized apples. This is the 5th recipe in my An Apple A Day series and it is an entirely original recipe. I am calling it Pecan Stuffed Tempura Apples.

The thing about making up a recipe and posting it on a blog all in one day is that you have to realize it is a work in progress. I had to make this recipe one apple at a time, changing my method slightly each time until I got something I was happy with.

There may still be room for improvement here and I am open to your suggestions.

Although this recipe was delicious and I am very happy with the flavor combination. I will admit I had some trouble with the texture. My first attempt I stuffed a raw apple then battered and fried it. But the apple did not quite get cooked enough. As I had hoped, the interior stuffing got hot enough so that when I cut into the apple the pecan stuffing oozed out in a very satisfying manner. But there was just too much crunch left in my apple.