What to Bake During a Hurricane

Funnel Cakes!! Just one of the many desserts made for my first cookbook photo shoot, Summer 2011.

This is the third hurricane I've weathered in that last 14 months (thank you, Irene, Isaac, and now Sandy). And I am now quite the master of baking up a storm...during a storm!
Hurricane Irene -
While under threat in NYC two summers ago, I was in the midst of baking 30 different desserts for my cookbook's first photo shoot, which was scheduled the day Irene was supposed to hit. Luckily, the hurricane downgraded to a tropical storm and I didn't lose power. But if I had...I would have opened a pop-up bakery on my Brooklyn block.

Prep for Peach Hand Pies, Summer 2011.

Hurricane Isaac - 
In New Orleans this August, I planned to finish my cookbook manuscript. Well, that didn't happen on time due to the Category 1 storm that took the entire city out of commission. The weather was an unbearably hot and humid 90 degrees, but softening butter took no time at all. When combined with some seriously overripe fruit (that's what happen when you don't have A/C for several days in New Orleans), a breakfast of freshly-baked Banana Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel made me feel civilized.

Blueberry-Almond Tart, Summer 2011

Hurricane Sandy -
As I am working on my latest round of my cookbook edits (again, I am past due...), the Hurricane, named after my editor (Oh the irony!), has stormed in and set me back. Oh well. I'm going to go bake some of my Double Chocolate Chip Cookies...