I am having my own Julie & Julia experience with Rachel Saunders’  Blue Chair Cookbook. Professional cooks refer to her as the Czar of Jam.  I purchased her book last year as a Christmas gift for a friend. I realized upon opening it that I had to have my own copy.  Rachel is a local girl and she teaches — lucky me. I took her marmalade class and haven’t looked back. During the winter I made Cranberry-Pomegranate, Strawberry-Blood orange, Lemon and Pink Grapefruit and Rangpur Lime marmalades and Cranberry-Pluot conserves.

The book is organized by season so it coordinates easily with my buying habits at the local farmer’s market. This spring I made Strawberry-Rhubarb, Rhubarb-Cherry, Cherry,  and Rhubarb with Candied Ginger jams. Here’s the beginning of Rhubarb-Cherry jam. The copper preserving pan is one of the keys to successful jam making. When not in use, it’s great eye candy in the kitchen.

I have a navel orange tree and recently used her recipe for candied orange rind.

The texture and color of this orange rind is inspiring in many ways: stir my cappuccino? Dice for my next jam-making session? Or how about a quilt! Now we’re cookin’.