New Stuff from The Cook's Corner

I am incredibly grateful to all my readers, and especially to so many of the Boys [who] Do Bumps, for their continual support.

It does surprise me how many of these folks are also interested in good food! "The Cook's Corner" has always been just that-----a little corner of this web site. Now I'm being asked by Bates friends to organize it better.

OK, OK, I'm trying! It's not first on my list of things to do, but in the meanwhile I'll experiment with this new page.......

Hedgehog cupcakes march across my kitchen counter.

My husband loves chocolate cake. But with (generally) just two of us in the house, making a cake seems like such a waste of time (and half will go into the garbage, because cake after a few days is no longer very good)

So I make him chocolate cupcakes. And as I've mentioned before, if you are making cupcakes it's not just a matter of cutting down a cake recipe-----baking is chemistry, and you need to use some slightly different ratios for cupcakes (use the Contact Form if you'd like my perfect recipe).

I get bored making plain old cupcakes, so I decorate them-----animals and flowers are my favourite ways to do so. These hedgehogs are easy to make with a smear of Swiss meringue buttercream, then a multi-tip for the "hair". Sliced almonds work for the spines, some chocolate-covered sunflower seeds for the eyes, and a black jellybean for the mouth.

My portfolio of photos and techniques to decorate cupcakes with cute animals and beautiful flowers is available FOR FREE from this web site. Use the Contact Form to get my super-easy ways to make the cutest cupcakes ever!

It surprises me how many people in the U.S. are not familiar with arborio rice, the building-block of risotto. It has a creamy texture (very unlike regular rice) that takes to other ingredients very easily. Use it as a nice change from pasta.

Risotto is one of my go-to dishes when i'm standing in front of the fridge wondering what to make for dinner. You can put just about anything in it; you just need the pantry-staples of chicken broth, parmesan, and a bit of white wine.

I recently made it with some lobster------and because it was lobster, I changed out the parmesan for mascarpone. I also added a bit of lemon zest. Just look at what a creamy, decadent dish this is.

3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 TBSP EVOO
2 small shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup arborio
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup mascarpone
1/2 lb cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 frozen peas, thawed
1 1/2 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 TBSP chopped fresh sorrel
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper

1. Bring chicken stock to a boil, then cover and keep warm.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until just tender. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add rice and cook until it becomes a bit translucent. Add wine and cook until almost absorbed, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add hot stock about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly. Only add the next ladle-full of stock when the prior one is almost completely absorbed. Stir, stir, stir!!!!! Keep at this until the rice is tender and creamy-----this will take about 30 minutes.
4. Add mascarpone and stir until melted. Remove pan from heat.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir to combine. Enjoy!

Here's another recipe from the U.S. South. These sausage meatballs have an easy apple butter dipping sauce, and are baked not fried so clean up is much easier.

These make a great addition to a brunch buffet (easier to eat than sausage patties) but are substantial enough to be served as a dinner main course, perhaps with some egg noodles on the side. Or spear them with fancy toothpicks and serve as an hor d'oeuvre.

Shred the onion using a box grater over a soup plate, in order to capture the juices.
This recipe is adapted from Southern Living.

1 pound hot ground sausage (e.g. Jimmy Dean's----NOT "Italian" sausage)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup shredded apple
1/4 cup parmesan
1/4 cup grated onion
2 tsp finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs (NOT panko)
cooking spray

Combine first 6 ingredients plus 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs. Form into about 24 1" balls, and roll balls in remaining breadcrumbs until coated. Spray a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray and place a meatball in each cup. Cook at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, then flip the meatballs over in their cups (to brown other side) and cook about 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile make dipping sauce:

1/2 cup apple butter
3 TBSP honey mustard (I use the hot kind, i.e. Honeycup brand)

Combine the two ingredients and place in small bowl for dipping.

I make French Onion Soup a few times a year. I prefer it the classic way------which is with sherry. However some people prefer it with non-fortified wine instead. This recipe is quite good, and uses a combination of white and red wines.

This recipe will make about 3 crocks.

3 TBSP unsalted butter
4 (medium size) onions , thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 big sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chardonnay
1/3 cup dry red wine
4 cups beef stock
3 thick slices of crusty bread
1 1/2 cup shredded gruyere

Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until golden but with no burned spots (lower heat if necessary) about 20-30 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and cook about 5 minutes more, adjusting heat so as not to burn. Add wines, and cook about 1 minute. Add beef stock, bring to a boil, and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into individual crocks. Place a slice of bread on top of each crock, and place 1/2 cup of cheese atop each slice of bread. Broil about 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly browning.

I'm such a fan of the cuisine of the U.S. South. One pillar of that Southern breakfast table is biscuits with "sawmill" gravy. This is a thick, creamy gravy studded with sausage (and often bacon too).

The gravy is easy to make, but you really need a good biscuit underneath it. Here's a recipe for that really perfect foundation:

This recipe makes two servings of the gravy, with several extra biscuits for another use------or, you can just increase the gravy to serve 4 to 6:

2 1/2 cups flour (plus a bit more for dusting)
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter (very cold, and cut into pieces), plus 2 TBSP melted
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush pie plate or 9" cake pan with melted butter. Whisk dry ingredients together, then cut in cold butter. Add buttermilk and stir to combine. Roll out to about 1" thick, then, using a 3" cutter, cut out 6 rounds and place in prepared pan. Brush tops with more of the melted butter, and bake for about 25 minutes.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE GRAVY:

1 slice bacon, finely chopped
4 oz breakfast sausage, crumbled
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/8 tsp cayenne
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
hot sauce, for serving

In a saucepan, cook bacon and sausage until brown. Add flour and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add milk and cream and cook gently until thickened. Add vinegar, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Split bisuits in half and cover one side with gravy; top with the other half of the biscuits. Serve with hot sauce on the side.

If you've got little kids around as we do here, this is a great way to get some veggies into them. Kids LOVE this soup!
And once again, it's an easy crock-pot recipe....and totally vegetarian.

3 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 TBSP dried basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
about 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, minced
a can diced tomatoes (do not drain; add the whole can)
3/4 cups dry rotini (about 2 1/4 oz)
Parmesan, for serving

Place all ingredients except pasta and cheese in crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours. Increase heat to high, add pasta, and cook until pasta is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve in soup bowls and pass the cheese.

This comforting soup is a heart attack in a bowl.....but oh so good. Be sure to use only salt-free chicken broth------the bacon and cheeses add plenty of sodium. Also be sure to use Yukon gold or other waxy potatoes-----these will hold their shape, whereas russets will turn into mashed potatoes.

It's an easy recipe to do in your crock pot.

6 slices bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 32 oz carton zero-sodium chicken broth
1 1-oz packet of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning/dressing mix
3 Yukon gold type potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
2 TBSP cornstarch
2 TBSP water
8 oz Velveeta, cubed
6 oz shredded cheddar, plus more for garnish

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Crumble the cooked bacon, and place half in crock pot. Set the rest aside for garnish.
2. Remove all but 1 TBSP bacon grease from skillet. Add onions and cook until just tender but not brown. Add to crock pot.
3. Add ranch mix, potatoes, and broth to crock pot. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.
4. Mix cornstarch and water together. Add to crock pot, along with heavy cream. Increase heat to high and cook for about 15 minutes, or until thickened.
5. Add cheeses to crock pot, and continue to cook on high another 15 minutes, or until cheeses are melted.

I don't usually make chicken meatballs, because I think they are somewhat tasteless. But that's why God invented buffalo sauce.....

I had a late-day meeting so I started these on the stove early in the day, then finished them in the crock pot. That way I didn't have to think about dinner when I got home. But there is no reason not to simply do them on the stove.

1 lb ground chicken
3/4 cup panko
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 small scallions, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 buffalo wing sauce
Blue cheese dressing, to taste

1. Combine everything except sauce and dressing. Form into 1" balls. Place in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.
2. Place the meatballs in the crock pot, and pour buffalo sauce over, tossing gently to combine. Heat on low for about 2 hours, or until done. Serve with blue cheese dressing for dipping.

People seem to be afraid of using a pastry bag. They go to the store and buy cakes with designs, feeling they can't do it themselves. But decorating cakes is so easy to do!! Roses in particular are easy and pretty.

These are plain yellow butter cupcakes with basic buttercream frosting. So they are easy to make, and might otherwise look a bit pedestrian.
So instead I dyed the frosting a lovely pink (using my usual Americolor "Nifty Fifty" gel food colourings, but a tiny bit of plain red colouring from the grocery store would be fine-----just add it slowly and carefully).
Make the buttercream the day before, and immediately use some to make the roses and let them sit overnight in the fridge. The reason for this is because the buttercream needs to be pliable to pipe the roses, but then they are too fragile to transfer to the top of the cupcakes.
I find it easiest to pipe the roses onto a "flower nail", which is available in any kitchen store. I then secure the nail in a potato, though a piece of styrofoam would work:

The nail simply raises the working area, so that you aren't bent over the kitchen counter while piping the frosting. If your back is better than mine, you can do this without a flower nail.
You will need parchment paper, as well as two tips for your pastry bag----I use a number 10 for the "bud" of the rose, and a number 103 for the petals.
Make the bud of the rose, the change to the 103 tip and slowly work outward. Easy peasy!

Traditionally this dish is from Barbados, but we see it a lot in Antigua. It's a sweet potato and coconut "bread" that makes a lovely side dish at brunch.

It's really important to use white sweet potatoes for this. I also only use fresh coconut-----this is also a pain in the butt, so I understand if you don't want to use it. But if you must use the bagged stuff, DON'T use sweetened coconut!

There is no flour in this "bread"------it's the sweet potatoes that hold it together. They should be very well grated, or put through a food processor. However as you can see, I save a bit of the potato and shred it quite coarsely------this forms a great crunchy "crust" on the bread.

This recipe is courtesy of Marilyn Cornelius, who has worked for my family in Antigua for over 40 years:

1 lb white sweet potatoes, finely grated/process (or with some shredded as described above)
1/4 lb finely grated fresh coconut
1 TBSP unsalted butter, very soft
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
2 well-beaten eggs
1 1/2 oz raisins
1 1/2 oz finely chopped crystalized ginger
1 1/2 oz candied fruits and peels (sometimes called "glace" or "holiday fruit")
3 TBSP dark rum

Mix together everything except rum. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Pour rum over loaf as soon as it comes out of the oven, to allow it to soak in.

In the U.S. South, Coca-Cola is often used with slow-cooked meats. This is how the restaurant chain "Chili's" cooks their baby back ribs.
It's an easy recipe, it just takes some time in a slow oven. But you can get your Chili's baby-backs for half the price you'd pay at the restaurant. And if you cook them in foil, there will be no clean up!

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 rack baby backs
1/2 cup Coca-Cola (regular Coke, not no sugar)
2/ cups ketchup
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP plus 1 tsp molasses
1 TBSP white vinegar
1 tsp yellow mustard
1/8 tsp Liquid Smoke

1. Stir together first 7 ingredients (through cayenne). Rub 3 TBSP of this mixture all over ribs (both sides). Place ribs on a double thickness of foil (or use heavy-duty foil). pour Coke over ribs. Wrap very securely. Put the foil package on a baking sheet and place in a very slow (275 degree oven) for 2 1/2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make sauce: Stir remaining ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a light simmer. Cover, and cook about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.
3. Remove ribs from foil. Line another baking sheet with foil, and put the ribs on it, meaty-side-down. Preheat broiler. Brush ribs with sauce. Broil for about 2 minutes. Flip ribs, brush the meaty side with sauce, and broil that side for about two minutes. Serve with the extra sauce on the side.

Americans sometimes call this dish "Pasta Fazool", a pronunciation that drives me nuts.
Technically it's Pasta e Fagiole, which literally means "pasta with beans".
But I suppose no matter how you pronounce it, it's a good and very classic dish...a cross between a soup and a stew.

Thick soup? Thin stew?
But just very good.

2 tsp EVOO
1 small onion, chopped
1 or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/8 cup elbow macaroni
14.5 oz can canellini beans
14.5 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed, undrained
1/4 lb ground italian sausage, browned and drained
Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until just tender, 3 minutes or do. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
2. Add thyme, rosemary, and most of broth (about 1 1/2 cups). Add pasta and cook until pasta is nearly done, about 5 minutes
3. In blender, place the last 1/2 cup or so of broth along with half the can of beans. Process until smooth. Add the can of tomatoes and process again until smooth.
4. Pour contents of blender into soup pot. Add the rest of the beans and the sausage. Heat through. Serve with lots of parmesan!

Jianbing is a spicy and crunchy street food that one finds in the major cities in China. I decided to try to make it using the pre-prepared crepes that are available in my local supermarket. They were difficult to use for this classic street food----the taste was great but they were very difficult to work with and came out messy because the pre-prepared crepes are too thin to hold together well.

Those pre-prepared crepes were so difficult to work with that I doubled them up----yet they still were nearly impossible to roll. Next time I'll go back to doing this my usual way------just make the crepes myself, which is such an easy process.

Crepes (and risotto) are my go-to meals around here on those occasional nights when I am standing in front of the fridge, wondering what to make for dinner. They are very easy to make with ingredients you almost certainly have on hand, and can be filled with almost anything. Use the Contact Form if you'd like to learn how to make your own!

In the meantime, to make the jianbing (2 servings):

Canola oil
2 homemade crepes or 4 pre-prepared ones
2 eggs, beaten
a small bunch scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 TBSP black sesame seeds
4 tsp hoisin, divided
4 tsp chili-garlic sauce, divided
3/8 cup kimchi (drained)
3.5-oz package crispy wonton strips (usually sold in the produce department, as salad crisps)
sriracha, for drizzling

1. Heat a griddle pan (preferably non-stick) over medium. Brush with a bit of the oil. Place a crepe in the pan (or stack 2 if using the pre-prepared type). Add half the eggs, spreading to cover crepe. Add half of the scallions, half the sesame seeds, and half the cilantro. Cook until egg is set, about 2 minutes.

2. Flip the crepe(s) and fold up bottom third. Spread this fold with half the hoisin, half the garlic sauce, half the kimchi, and half the wonton strips. Fold the other third over, and remove from pan. Keep warm while you repeat process with remaining ingredients.

Classic Veal Piccata is an elegant yet simple weeknight dish

1 lb veal scallops, either very thinly sliced or pounded to 1/4" thick
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 TBSP unsalted butter, divided
1/4 white wine
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP chicken stock
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 TBSP capers
about 1 TBSPO chopped fresh parsley

1. Season veal with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Melt 1 TBSP butter with the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook veal, turning once, until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove to a serving platter and keep warm.
2. Add wine to skillet and deglaze. Add chicken stock, lemon, and lemon juice, and cook until reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes. Add capers, and pour over veal. Garnish with parsley.

Eat like Downton Abbey (or How To Cook a Custard Garnish)

In Great Britain, particularly in England, it was very common to be served soups with custard "garnishes". In other words, the custard was cooked separately, then placed in the soup plate (never a bowl back then) and the soup spooned around it.

These custards were sometimes served as a main dish, especially during the Lenten season in Catholic households. Sometimes they were cut into fancy shapes. These custard garnishes are never sweetened, but simply seasoned with salt, pepper, nutmeg,, and sometimes other common seasonings.

The common cause of custard failure is cooking too long and/or at too high a temperature. The custard should be set in a pan of hot, but not boiling water, and cooked in a very slow oven (250-275 degrees) until just set, about 15-20 minutes.

Feeling nostalgic for England, I recently made these pimento garnishes and served them under a simple tomato soup:

In a food processor, finely chop a 6.5 oz jar of pimentos with 3 TBSP of cold light cream. Beat in 1/2 cup of whole milk alternately with 1 egg beaten with 2 egg yolks. Season with salt, white pepper, and a dash of nutmeg. Turn into 2 buttered baking dishes and cook as directed above.

This classic Chinese salad works well as a main course when you are looking for a lighter meal. Carrots and cucumbers add crunch to the silky texture of the noodles, made with peanut butter and tahini along with rice vinegar. (And thank you once again Valentine for the gorgeous flowers)

If you have a nearby Asian market that sells fresh or frozen Chinese egg noodles, this dish can be made in a flash. The dry egg noodles will of course also work; use about 6 oz. and cook according to package directions.

1 lb fresh (or frozen) Chinese egg noodles
1/4 cup sesame oil
3 1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 TBSP rice vinegar (plain, not seasoned)
2 TSP tahini
1 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP creamy peanut butter
2 1/2 tsp sambal oelek
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber (such as a pickling cuke), peeled, seeded, and julienned
1 carrot, peeled and julienned
fresh ginger, about 1 1/2 inches by 3/4 inch, peeled and minced
Peanuts, for garnish

Whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, tahini, sugar, peanut butter, sambal oelek, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and scallions. Toss with noodles. Add cucumber and carrot and toss again. Garnish with peanuts.

Do you like bloody marys? Then these burgers are for you!

1/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp horseradish (prepared-type, from a jar)
2 tsp vodka
1 lb ground sirloin (90% lean)
2 TBSP worcestershire
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3/8 tsp kosher salt
whole-grain burger buns
several leaves of romaine
dill pickle "stackers"
cooking spray

1. Combine ketchup, horseradish, and vodka. Set aside.
2. Combine ground beef, garlic powder, celery salt, kosher salt, and pepper. Form into four burgers.
3. Spary a cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high, and then add burgers to pan. Cook about 3 minutes per side until desired degree of doneness.
4. Coat bun bottoms (hmm, did I just say "bun bottoms"? LOL!!!) with the ketchup mixture. Place a burger on top of that, and then top with lettuce, pickles, and bun-tops.

This cheesy broccoli soup is easy to do in your crock pot-----set it and forget it. It's a real classic, but uses easy-to-find ingredients. And it takes an afternoon in the crock pot; it doesn't need to cook all day.

Each of the three cheeses plays a different role, so be sure to use all three. The Velveeta adds creaminess, the cheddar adds the flavour that one expects, and the parm adds a umami aspect that makes this recipe special.

Cooking spray
4 TBSP butter
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup flour
12 oz can evaporated milk
32 oz box chicken broth
1 6-oz bag baby broccoli florets
8 oz Velveeta, cubed
6 oz extra sharp cheddar, shredded
4 oz grated parmesan

1. Spray a crock pot with cooking spray. In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onions, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until onions are tender but not brown, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add flour and cook, stirring, until flour no longer has a raw taste, about 1-2 minutes. Add milk and whisk until smooth and thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Pour into crock pot, and add broth and the broccoli. Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 hours.
3. Add the cheeses, stirring until melted.

Here's another boiled dumpling totally different from last week's. This dim sum is beef-based and has a less prominent Chinese flavour. The peanut dipping sauce is absolute perfection, and of course each guest can make their dumplings much more Asian or less so, depending on their preference, by using more or less dipping sauce.

FOR THE DUMPLINGS:

3/4 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 TBSP sugar
1 1/2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP vegetable oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1 egg white, beaten
square wonton wrappers

Mix together first 5 ingredients (beef through pepper). Refrigerate for about half an hour. Remove from fridge and one at a time, brush edges of wonton wrappers with beaten egg white. Place about 1 TBSP of beef mixture in each wonton wrapper. Bring edges of wrapper together (forming a triangle) then bring two other points of the triangle together (that is, the two points along the long base of the triangle). Place in boiling water for about 3 minutes until firm. Remove with slotted spoon or spider. Serve with peanut sauce.

FOR THE SAUCE:

1/4 cup boiling water
2 TBSP sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Pour water over sugar and stir until dissolved. Addthe rest of the ingredients and mix well.

This is another darn good mac & cheese; this one with a tiny bite of poblanos. It of course uses cavatappi, which has such a good mouth-feel as opposed to elbow macaroni.

Mexican crema is ESSENTIAL to this recipe!!!! There are suggestions for substitutes for Mexican crema on the internet, but don't believe them. Mexican crema is a blend of heavy cream, cream cheese, and sour cream; it has a unique flavour. You may also find in your local bodega things like "Guatamalan crema"------I'll admit I don't know much about the differences among those other Latin cremas and the Mexican kind. I only do this recipe with the Mexican crema.

1/2 lb cavatappi
1 cup chopped poblanos
3 TBSP butter
3 TBSP flour
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups whole milk
4 oz Oaxaca sheese, shredded
3 oz shredded Mexican shredded cheese blend
1/4 cup Mexican crema
1/2 cup panko
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
small fresno chili, thinly sliced

1. Cook cavatappi according to package directions.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add poblanos and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add flour and cook until flour is no longer raw, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Add milk and cook until thickened but not boiling. Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring to melt. Stir in cooked cavatappi. Stir in crema. Pour into casserole dish.
3. Mix together panko and chili powder. Spread over top of casserole. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes until pasta is bubbling and panko is browned.
5. Remove from oven and top with cilantro and fresno chilis.

Yummy Date Bran Muffins----one of our favourites. You can even make the batter up to several weeks ahead of time, and have piping hot muffins on the table in 20 minutes!

1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup All Bran cereal
1/2 cup 40% Bran flakes
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk

1. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Cool.
2. Cream shortening and sugar.Add eggs, dates, salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Add baking soda/water mixture, and beat thoroughly.
3. Put batter into muffin cups (filling about 2/3 full). Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Crispy pancetta, a pear, some feta and some honey-----an easy and wonderful hor d'oeuvre for Friendsgiving.

Makes 12 pieces. Obviously the recipe multiplies very easily.

12 very thin slices pancetta
1 bartlett pear, cored and cut into 12 thin slices
2 oz feta
Fresh ground pepper
honey
thyme sprigs

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pancetta on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Remove from pan and let cool on paper towels until crispy.
2. Place a slice of pancetta on each slice of pear. Top with the feta and pepper. Drizzle with honey (best to do this step right before serving). Garnish each with a thyme sprig.

Ahhh, the Dutch Baby; the perfect brunch dish. It's easy to make, and has the consistency of a giant popover. It emerges from the oven puffed and golden, with a deliciously creamy interior.

4 TBSP butter
1 cup milk
2 TBSP sugar
3/4 cup flour
4 eggs
zest of one lemon
blueberries, for serving
2 tsp confectioner's sugar, for serving
lemon curd, for serving

1.Preheat oven to 425 with rack in middle. Place butter in cast iron skillet and place skillet in teh oven for about 3 minutes until butter is melted.
2. In a blender, combine milk, sugar, eggs and lemon zest, blend until smooth. pour batter into buttered skillet. Bake for 17-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Garnish with blueberries and confectioner's sugar, and serve with lemon curd.

An entire week's worth of sodium and fat, all in one meal. These doctored-up hot dogs might have killed us, but we'd have died happy!
Cheddar cheese---check. Mayo----check. Caramelized onions----check. Bacon----check, check, and CHECK!!!!!

Caramelize the onions in about a TBSP of EVOO over medium heat. This can be done on the grill. The hot dogs are best grilled, and it's easy to toast the rolls on the grill, too. So this can actually be a campfire meal!

Here are the ingredients, for four servings----I dare any one to eat more than one of these!

1 TBSP EVOO (to caramelized the onion)
1 medium or large onion, cut in half then sliced
4 hot dogs
4 potato hot dog rolls
6 TBSP mayo
2 TBSP spicy brown mustard
4 TBSP BBQ sauce
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
6 slices crisply-cooked bacon, crumbled

This particular dim sum is called Chao Shou. They are boiled, not fried; and if you like spicy hot Chinese dumplings, these are for you!

3/4 lb ground pork
1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch
1 TBSP dry sherry
2" piece of ginger root, peeled and minced
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp shao xing (Chinese cooking wine)
2 cloves garlic, minced
square wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup hong you (red chili oil)
1 TBSP Chinese black vinegar
kosher salt

1. Mix together first 7 ingredients (pork through garlic). Put about a TBSP of the mixture in each wonton wrapper. Brush the edges of the wrapper with egg (i.e., a "frame" of egg around the the edge of the wrapper). Bring two corners together to form a triangle. Then take the two farthest corners fo the triangle and bring them together, pressing to seal.
2. Mix together the hong you and the black vinegar. Set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt to taste. Boil the wontons until firm and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Drain.
4. Place wontons in serving bowl and toss with oil and vinegar mixture. Salt to taste.

This huge mess was actually delicious. Whole wheat elbow macaroni is mixed with eggs and carrots and cooked like pancakes. Then vegetables are layered within, and it's baked like lasagna. It's heart-healthy, low sodium, and clocks in at a mere 260 calories per serving.

1 1/2 oz whole wheat elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 1/2 tsp EVOO, divided
7 oz can diced tomatoes
3/8 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/4 tsp pepper, divided
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning, divided
5 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
5 oz frozen spinach, thawed
3 eggs
1/2 cup lower-fat mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup finely shredded carrots

1. In a medium skillet, cook garlic in 1/2 tsp of the oil for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, 1/8 tsp of the Italian seasoning, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms in another 1/2 tsp of the oil until most of the mushroom liquid has evaporated, about 2 1/2 minutes. Add spinach, the rest of the Italian seasoning, and a pinch each of the salt and pepper. Cook until most of the spinach liquid has evaporated.
3. Beat one of the eggs and add 1/3 of the carrots and 1/3 of the macaroni, along with another pinch of salt and pepper. In a non-stick skillet, cook the pancake over medium-low heat until set. GENTLY lift the pancake [that's where I went wrong!] and turn it (flipping it by using a plate and sliding it off the plate would probably work). Cook until lightly golden brown, then remove it to a greased baking sheet. Repeat process 2 more times, for a total of 3 pancakes.
4. Spread the spinach-mushroom mixture over one pancake. Top with 1/3 of the cheese. Top that layer with the 2nd pancake, spread it with the tomato mixture and another 1/3 of the cheese. Top with remaining pancake and top that with remaining cheese.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes, until hot throughout and cheese is melted. Like a lasagna, it should sit a few minutes before cutting into it.

"Asian Sloppy Joes"??? These just didn't work for us.

I like sloppy joes.
I like Asian food.
But these? To me, not a great fusion.
But some people really like them, so you can decide for yourself. Find the recipe for "Asian Sloppy Joes" on Delish.com

Lamburgers are not usually my favourite thing. But these were quite good, doctored-up as they are with great Mediterranean ingredients.

3 oz feta
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
3/4 lb ground lamb
1 1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

Combine all above ingredients. Form into 2 1" thick patties.

1/4 cup chopped kalamata olive
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
1 1 /2 tsp chopped fresh dill
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/8 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 1/2 tsp EVOO

Combine all above ingredients in a blender to make a paste.

Poppyseed Kaiser rolls, split
tomato, sliced
red onion, sliced
English cuke, sliced
Romaine lettuce
about 1 1/2 tsp EVOO, brushed onto the cut side of the split rolls

Heat a bbq grill to medium-high. Grill the burgers, turning once, about 10 minutes. Toast the rolls, cut side down, until lightly toasted, about 30-60 seconds. Spread the kalamata olive mixture on each roll. Top with a burger, onion, tomato, suke, and romaine.

O.M.G. GOOD does not even BEGIN to cover how amazing these filled doughnuts are. Are they a bit complicated to make? Yes, a bit. But if you break it down into small tasks, they are actually pretty easy to make.
They are just so fluffy and good. The chocolate ganache filling, infused into each doughnut with a pastry bag, is to die for.

The recipe for these amazing filled doughnuts is courtesy of Paul Allam and David McGuinness. They own a bakery, so make 30 at a time. That's about 25 too many for us normal people. However the recipe easily breaks down to make just 6. The leftovers kept well for 2 days.
Find this amazing recipe at https://www.saveur.com/cinnamon-sugar-donuts-chocolate-filling-recipe/

BAKED Crab Rangoon? These are pretty good, but crab rangoon they are not. (We did actually shallow-fry the leftovers, and that way they were fabulous)

Try them---they aren't bad. Here's the link: https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/baked-crab-rangoon

OMG-----this is the way a Tuna Melt needs to be.

Oh, I hate tuna melts, but this one made me into a convert. You NEED decent sourdough bread! You NEED a good tomato!!!!

1/3 cup mayo
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 cans tuna
finely chopped stalk of celery
1/4 finely chopped red onion
2 dill pickles, chopped
2 TBSP finely chopped celery
kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Slices of sourdough
2 TBSP butter
slices of tomato
at least 8 slices cheddar

1. Mix together first 10 ingredients.
2. Butter sliced sourdough bread on one side. Spoon tuna mixture onto unbuttered side.
3. Top with tomato and cheese. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 6 or 7 minutes (longer if necessary) until the bread is lightly toasted (and cheese looks melted).

This is a very decent Sweet & Sour Chicken that is indeed better than take-away. And it's not difficult to make.

This chicken is fried, but lightly. Because it's lightly fried, leftovers work OK in the microwave the next day.

1 beaten egg
2 TBSP corn starch
2 TBSP flour
1/2 lb boneless chicken (your choice of white or dark meat) cut into bite size pieces
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 cups canola oil

Combine all ingredients except oil. Let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet to 350 degrees. When the oil is ready, cook the chicken until done, about 4 or 5 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Throw away the oil, and get out another skillet.

1 TBSPcanola oil
1 clove garlic, smashed then minced
about 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/2 of a medium bell pepper, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup bite-size pieces of onion
3/8 cup water
1/4 cup bite-size pineapple
3 TBSP pineapple juice (you can use the juice from the container, if you've bought cut-up fresh pineapple)
about 2 1/2 TBSP rice vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP ketchup

Heat oil and saute garlic, ginger, onion, and bell pepper until just a bit soft and the onion and bell pepper still have some bite(don't brown anything) about 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients.

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
a bit of water

Mix together the cornstarch and water. Add to the sauce in the pan and heat to thicken. Put the fried chicken into the sauce and heat through for a few minutes.

This buttery braided pastry makes a nice appetizer------with prosciutto, asparagus, and boursin it is just the most wonderful combination. And there is a way to avoid doing the labourious process of lamination.

"Lamination" is a technique of repeatedly rolling and folding sheets of dough and cold butter to form hundreds of layers. When they hit the oven, those layers rise into a matrix of flaky pastry. Think about croissants-----laminating is how they get their wonderful texture.

I've always made my own puff pastry, because the Pepperidge Farm brand is just not good. It is made with various oils, not butter. But having to make puff pastry myself meant I didn't make it too often------one has to have a load of time on one's hands. Then one day in Whole Foods I found the French brand Dufour. Hallelujah, it's all butter!!!! This stuff is a wonderful thing to keep on hand (it's sold frozen).

Don't use anything but all-butter pastry for this recipe (whether you make your own or buy it)------the buttery flavour is essential, and you want it to practically shatter with your fork when you bit into it.

1 14-oz sheet all-butter puff pastry
1/4 cup herb Boursin
4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
3/4 lb asparagus, trimmed
2 TBSP parmesan
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

1. On parchment paper, roll dough out to a 12" by 16" rectangle. Gently score dough into 3 rectangles, being careful not to cut through dough. Then cut 1" strips on each of the two outer triangles (leaving the center rectangle uncut).
2 Spread boursin on the uncut center triangle. Then arrange prosciutto over the cheese, and top with asparagus spears. Sprinkle spears with the parmesan, salt, and pepper.
3. Alternating sides, fold the cut strips of puff pastry over the filling, criss-crossing them slightly. Brush the dough with the egg wash.
4. Pick up the parchment paper (carefully!) and transfer it, braid and all, to a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about half an hour.

More Maine lobster------this one in a dreamy, creamy, mac & cheese. This is mac and cheese for grown-ups!! Use cavatappi for a much better mouth-feel than plain macaroni.

Be sure to use fresh grated cheeses!!!!!

1/2 lb cavatappi
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
pinch ground nutneg
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar
1/2 cup shredded fontina
3/8 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 lb Maine lobster meat
1/4 cup panko
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
fresh parsley, chopped

1. In boiling, salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Make a roux, and cook for about 2 minutes to get ride of the raw flour flavour. Add milk and at nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until thickened. Add cheeses and stir until melted.
3. Remove sauce from heat and fold in lobster and pasta. Pour into a baking dish.
4. In a small bowl, combine panko and EVOO. Sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Top with parsley and serve.

If you like General Tso's chicken, you'll also like it with ground beef.......skip the take-out and make this easy dish at home.

1 lb ground beef
1 egg, beaten
4 scallions, thinly sliced and divided
1/2 cup panko
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
kosher salt
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil, for frying
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBSP hoisin
2 TBSP cider vinegar
1 TBSP honey
2 tsp sesame seeds

1. Combine ground beef, eggs, 2 scallions, panko, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Roll into balls about 1" in diameter. Roll balls in corn starch to coat.
2. Heat vegetable oil (about 1/2 inch) in a skillet over high heat. Add meatballs and sear on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
3. Remove meatballs from heat and set aside. Drain oil. Add broth, soy sauce, hoisin, vinegar, and honey to skillet over medium heat. Whisk until smooth and add meatballs to sauce. Simmer gently until meatballs are cooked through, about 6 minutes. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle with remaining two scallions and sesame seeds.

Maine lobster (and a few shrimp) star in this fabulous Seafood Salad that also features honeydew melon and a sherry dressing. I just won a First Place prize with this dish at a Maine county fair!!!!!

If you avoid alcohol, this is not a recipe for you-----the sherry in the dressing is essential for the lobster.

MAKE THE DRESSING:
Shake all of the following together in a jar:
3 TBSP sherry
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
1 TBSP EVOO
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp celery salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

MAKE THE SALAD:
Combine the following, and chill for about 2 hours:
1 3/4 finely shredded green cabbage
1/4 finely chopped green pepper
about 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 TBSP minced fresh parsley
7 oz artichoke hearts (canned is fine, and easiest) quartered
about 1/3 lb cooked Maine lobster meat
the Dressing (recipe above)

PUT IT TOGETHER:

Several large slices of honeydew melon
several large shrimp
watercress sprigs

Place the melon slices on a platter, top with the salad, and garnish with the shrimp and watercress.

These work for a light supper or a luncheon. They are reminiscent of spanakopita, but much easier!!!

10-oz package chopped frozen spinach
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1 TBSP EVOO
1 tsp dill, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1 sheet puff pastry
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In medium bowl, beat egg. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the puff pastry and cooking spray.
3. Roll out puff pastry sheet to a 12" by 12" rectangle. Cut 2/3 of the pastry into six 4" by 4" squares (discard the other third of the pastry, or save for another use).
4. Spray a 6-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Fit a square of puff pastry into each cup. Divide filling among the prepared cups. Pinch corners of puff pastry squares together slightly.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.

This light lemon-ricotta pasta dish does not photograph well. But geez, it's just so dang good that I need to give you this recipe!!

Bucatini is my absolute favourite pasta-----such a good texture as opposed to spaghetti.

1/2 lb. bucatini
1/4 cup EVOO
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
1/4 cup pecorino, grated
zest of half a lemon
juice from half a lemon
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of crushed red pepper
fresh basil, sliced or chopped

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta, but reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot.
2. In a bowl, mix next 7 ingredients (EVOO through red pepper). Add about 1/8 cup cooking water, then add to pasta and toss.
3. Add a bit more pasta water (up to another 1/4 cup) to get the texture of the sauce to your liking. Add fresh basil and toss again.

More delicious dim sum: Pork and Kimchi Potstickers

These are better if you let the filling marinate overnight!

MAKE DUMPLING DOUGH:
5 oz flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
3/8 cup boiling water

Mix the above ingredients until the dough just comes together. Knead on a floured board until smooth. Cover and let sit at room temperature for about half an hour.

MAKE FILLING:
1/4 lb ground pork
1/2 cup kimchi, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
3/4 tsp grated fresh ginger
3/4 tsp sesame oil
3/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp shaoxing wine
small clove garlic, minced
1/2 scallion, minced
1 1/2 tsp corn starch
1 1/2 TBSP vegetable oi.

Combine all above ingredients except oil. Let marinate for 1 hour and up to overnight.

MAKE DIPPING SAUCE:

4 1/2 tsp Chinese black vinegar
1 tsp chili-garlic sauce
1/ tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp sesame oil

Combine above ingredients and set aside for serving.

PUT IT TOGETHER AND COOK:

Divide dough into two balls. Roll a ball of dough into about a 10" circle, about 1/8 inch thick. Using a drinking glass or round cutter, cut out circles of dough. Fill each circle with some filling, pinch to crimp edges. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Heat oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Cook pot stickers on one side until brown and crunchy, about 2 minutes. Add 3 TBSP water, cover, and let steam until pork is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Serve with dipping sauce on the side.

Oh my, this is good-----a BLT salad with an olive vinaigrette (and that wine cork didn't hurt!)

This is just a delicious light dinner. And Greek olives? YUM!!!

FIRST, MAKE THE KALAMATA VINAIGRETTE:
Shake together in a jar: 1/4 cup EVOO, 2 1/2 TBSP finely chopped kalamata olives, 2 TBSP red wine vinegar, 1 TBSP chopped fresh basil, 1 TBSP chopped fresh oregano, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1 garlic clove, minced, and salt and pepper to taste.

THEN, PUT TOGETHER THE SALAD:

Toss 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved) with 2 TBSP of the vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let stand about 1 hour.
On a platter, place romaine hearts, half a handful of fresh basil, a couple of hard boiled eggs, about 2 ounces of good gorgonzola cheese, and four slices of bacon (crumbled). Add the tomato mixture, and toss. Serve with the additional vinaigrette.

Another variation on our favourite French cookies-----the buttery, yummy sables, this time with Turkish Coffee and Cacao Nibs

Cacao nibs are actually good for you. I buy mine at Whole Foods.

1. In a small saucepan, simmer 1 cup double-strength brewed coffee with 2 TBSP sugar. Boil until coffee reduces to a thick syrup, about 10 minutes.
2. With an electric mixer on medium, beat 11 TBSP high-fat, unsalted butter (such as Plugra brand) until soft and whipped, about 2-3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup sugar and beat until well-incorporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt and beat until combined. Add 1 3/4 cup flour and 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, and coffee syrup. Beat until combined.
3. Divide dough into 4 sections, and roll each section into a log (about the side of an empty toilet paper cardboard-----in fact for perfectly round cookies you can insert the logs into a toilet paper cardboard). Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm and sliceable.
4 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Arrange racks on upper third and lower third of oven. Slice each log into 6 cookies. Mix a pinch of ground cardamom with 1/2 cup sanding sugar, such as Demerara and coat each side of the cookies with it. Bake until cookies are firm and undersides are lightly toasted, 18-22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.
5. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for a minute or two, then transfer to wire racks to let cool completely.

Maine's autumn perfection: Deep Dish Cinnamon Apple Pie

This is one of Food & Wine's "40 Best Recipes of the Last 40 Years". The recipe is very fussy------as I was making it I was thinking, "Man, this had better be REALLY good, for all this work".

And oh my goodness, it exceeded my expectations. This is an elegant dessert, with a beautiful presentation. You can find the recipe on this link: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/deep-dish-all-american-cinnamon-apple-pie

Even though the frost is claiming the last of the fresh corn, you can still make a nice, creamy corn chowder that's perfect for fall

Using the proper technique, you can achieve "creamy" without a lot of extra fat from cream or whole milk. This soup contains about 250 calories per (1 1/2 cup) serving.

If you like, you can puree it with an immersion blender for a Cream of Corn Soup instead of a chowder.

2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBSP flour
2 cups 1% or 2% milk
1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (for garnish)
black pepper (for garnish)

1. Melt butter in a dutch oven. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened; about 10 minutes.
2. Add flour and stir for about a minute. Add milk, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, and corn. Bring to a boil, then cook, covered and stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
3. If you plan to make it a creamy soup instead of a chowder, now is the time to do so-----BUT REMOVE THE BAY LEAVES AND THYME SPRIGS FIRST!!!!. Garnish it with the bacon in either case.

And after that brief pause for dessert, let's go back to arepas.....this time "pabellon", which is a filling of shredded beef served with fried plantains.

Scroll down, just below the cupcake recipe, for the master recipe for the arepas. Be sure to use masarepa, NOT masa harina!

FOR THE FILLING:

2 TBSP EVOO (divided)
6 oz flank steak, cut into 3" strips
kosher salt
pepper
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 of a 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
small bay leaf
1/2 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
Quesa fresco
Arepas (recipe below, beneath the cupcake recipe)
Fried plantains (recipe below)

1. Heat 1 TBSP oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. season steak with 1/4 tsp each kosher salt and black pepper. Brown meat, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
2. Lower heat to medium and add 2nd TBSP of the oil. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook about 30 seconds more.
3. Return steak to pot along with tomatoes, bay leaf, 1/4 cup water, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and slowly simmer until steak is tender and shreds easily, about 75 minutes.
4. Discard bay leaf, and shred meat. Stir in beans and heat through, about 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar.
5. Fill arepas with beef mixture, quesa, and plantains.

FOR FRIED PLANTAINS:

Heat about 1/4 inch of canola oil in a heavy skillet on medium-low. Slice a couple of very ripe plantains (skin should be very black and soft) in 1/2 pieces. Fry plantains until golden brown and caramelized, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and season with 1/2 tsp kosher salt.

In Maine, from about mid-September until the first frost, we get the most delicious "second crop" of fresh strawberries. I tend to like them even better than the early July ones.

We eat them on breakfast cereal, we eat them out-of-hand as snacks. But of course strawberries make delicious desserts. Especially at this time of year we like to get away from the shortcake-thing, and use the strawberries for baked goods. These charming little Strawberry Cupcakes are the perfect example------fresh strawberries in both the cake and the frosting!

MAKE SURE ALL INGREDIENTS ARE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE-----ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING THE FROSTING.

2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup flour
2 TBSP plus 2 tsp cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
heaping 1/4 tsp salt
Combine above ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.

5 TBSP plus 1 tsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup plus 4 tsp sugar
1 egg (if you also add a bit of another egg white or a small amount of Egg Beaters, will will get more loft)
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup finely chopped strawberries.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat in, Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, beat in, and add half the milk. Add another third of the dry ingredients, the rest of the milk plus the vanilla, and finally the rest of the dry ingredients. Add chopped strawberries and mix well. Pour into cupcake liners (inside a muffin tin, obviously). Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 mintutes.

FOR FROSTING:
2 egg whites
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup strawberries

1. Puree the strawberries, Set aside.
2. In heatproof mixer bowl over a pot of simmering water, whisk together Egg whites and sugar until sugar has dissolved and temperature reaches 160 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, and attache bowl to mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk at medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes.
3. Reduce mixer speed to medium, and add butter, one small piece at a time, making sure it is incorporated into the frosting before adding more.
4. Switch to paddle attachment. Add strawberry puree and beat until smooth, about 4 minutes.

What is an arepa?

Arepas are one of the most popular foods in Columbia and Venezuela, and are served in every home there. They are the equivalent of tortillas in Mexico or bread in Italy. They are always made with masarepa, which is a type of precooked cornmeal.

We like ours filled. The other night I filled them with Reina Pepiada (a chicken and avocado salad that's popular in Venezuela). It's easy to make----this recipe will serve 4.

1 ripe avocado
4 1/2 tsp mayo
1 TBSP lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup shredded cooked chicken (a good way to used up leftover rotisserie chicken, or by a bag of the Perdue brand)
1 scallion, finely chopped
about 1/4 of a jalapeno, finely chopped
2 TBSP finely chopped cilantro
arepas (recipe below)

Mash avocado with may, lime juice, and salt. Fold in the rest of the ingredients (through cilantro), and fill the arepas.

MASTER RECIPE FOR AREPAS:

2 cups masarepa (NOT masa harina)
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp kosher salt
1 TBSP canola oil (More if frying in batches)

Combine masarepa, salt, and water. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken. Divide dough into 8 balls, and flatten each to make a 3" disk, about 1/2" thick. Fry in oil in a nonstick skillet, covered, for about 6 minutes on medium until golden brown on one side. Uncover, flip the arepas, and cook until the other side is golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on rack
[NOTE: If frying in batches, add another TSP oil to skillet between each batch].

This is a way of cooking beef tenderloin filets for just two people, in a way that Chateaubriand is classically served. It's elegant and excellent and easy to do.

The toasted bread in this recipe is essential, as it soaks up the butter and makes a melt-in-your-mouth topping for the beef. In Paris I've often eaten this dish, with the tenderloin sliced at the table, and then topped with the toast.
If you are unfamiliar with the French method of cooking filets mignon, please use the Contact Form.

2 filet mignon
2 slices of bread (cut to fit top of filets)
2 TBSP butter
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
1 small onion, sliced into rings
1/4 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 oz ham, julienned
salt and pepper
chopped parsley

1. Toast the bread. Set aside.
2. Melt butter and EVOO. Saute onion and mushrooms. Add ham and season. Keep warm.
3. Cook filets by the French method. Top with toast, and then the sauteed veggies and ham.

Is this good for you? No. But it's super, super easy to make Mac & Cheese that tastes just like Panera's.

Don't even THINK about making this with anything except good white cheddar.

1/2 lb small shells (or substitute orecchiette-----or any pasta that is small and cup-like)
2 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBP flour
1 cup WHOLE milk (important to use whole milk, if you really want to copy Panera)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 oz shredded white cheddar
2 oz shredded processed American cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt.

Cook pasta. While pasta is cooking, make a roux with the butter and flour. Be sure to cook the roux for 1-2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. Add milk, Dijon, and cream and cook until thickened. Add cheeses and salt to taste. Drain pasta, add pasta to the sauce, and serve right away.

Caribbean-style fish with peppers-----my husband just loves this dish (and gives me extra love when I make it! Tonight the most beautiful gold and diamond bracelet!)

This typical Caribbean recipe for fish is generally made with wahoo or mahi-mahi. However it can also work well with any mild white fish such as cod or haddock if you are in a place where you can only get colder-water fish.

3/4 pound white fish
1/2 tsp salt-free jerk seasoning (such as Spice Hunter brand)
1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 TSP EVOO
1 small garlic clove, pushed through a press
1/2 each of a green, yellow, and red pepper, sliced
1 carrot, matchstick-julienned
1/2 a small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 habenaro, seeded and very thinly sliced
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp allspice
2 TBSP cider vinegar
1 TBSP lime juice
cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place fish on a parchment paper-lined baking pan. Sprinkle with jerk seasoning and salt. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until just cooked through.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add all the veggies aoong with the salt and allspice. Cook about 6 minutes, until tender. Add the vinegar and cook 1 or 2 minutes until evaporated.

3. Place fish on a platter and cover with veggies. Sprinkle with lime juice and cilantro.

These yummy little meatballs clock in at only 325 calories per serving (i.e. 8 meatballs, snow peas, and generous amount of sauce). They have no added sugar, almost no sodium, and are low in fat.

1 beaten egg, minus about 1 TBSP
3/8 cup scallion, finely chopped
3 TBSP 3-minute oats, preferably steel-cut
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
pinch salt
pinch crushed red pepper
3/4 lb 91% lean ground beef
Original PAM nonstick cooking spray

Combine all ingredients (except spray). Form into 1" meatballs. Spray a skillet with the PAM, then cook meatballs over medium-high until browned on all sides. Remove from heat. Spray a small crock pot (1 1/2 quarts if possible) with cooking spray, and add meatballs.

3/8 cup apricot spreadable fruit
3 TBSP water
2 1/4 tsp soy sauce
2 1/4 tsp lemon juice

Combine above ingredients and pour over meatballs in crock pot. Cook on low heat for 3 hours.

1 1/2 tsp corn starch
2 1/4 tsp lemon juice
2 1/4 tsp soy sauce
3/4 tsp grated lemon zest.

Combine above and add to crock pot. Raise heat to high, and boil for about 10 minutes until thickened. and the sauce coats the meatballs.

Serve with steamed snow peas and lemon wedges [I added rice at my husband's request].

Pasta usually doesn't like being crowded, and normally should be cooked in a huge pot with lots and lots of water......

.....but this easy, garlicky spaghetti with olives and toasted almonds is an exception. I adapted this recipe from Cooks Illustrated. Their method in this case is to use very little water to cook the pasta, which makes the water intensely starchy. A bit of the cooking water is then incorporated into the sauce, thickening and smoothing it. This has the additional benefit of allowing you to cut down on the oil.

1 TBSP minced garlic
2 TBSP EVOO
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 quart water
1 tsp salt
7-8 ounces spaghetti
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup finely chopped castelvetrano olives
1/4 cup (firmly packed) freshly grated pecorino romano
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil
1/8 cup sliced almonds, toasted

1. Cook garlic in in oil small skillet (such as an omelet pan) over low heat until just golden, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pepper.

2. Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pasta, and cook until pasta is just done, about 9 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain pasta.

3. Return pasta to pot and toss with the garlic/oil/pepper mixture, the lemon juice, and the reserved cooking water. The sauce will quickly thicken slightly. Add olives, basil, cheese, and almonds and toss. Serve right away.

Summer isn't over yet, and this is a wonderful refreshing cocktail in hot weather. It's made with cachaca, which is a little like rum in that it's derived from sugar cane.

I think this is actually the national drink of Brazil!!! It's so, so good in hot weather.

For each: Muddle half a lime (cut into wedges) in a cocktail shaker with 2 tsp sugar. Add 2 oz cachaca and pour over crushed ice. Garnish with more lime wedges.

This Indonesian way of cooking ribs uses a very slow oven and a long cook time----you just finish them on the grill to glaze them. You'll get fall-off-the bone tenderness, but with a sweet/hot crispy glaze.

about 2 pounds baby back ribs
1 tsp five-spice powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup tamarind paste (sometimes called soup base or tamarind concentrate)
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP honey
1 TBSP chili-garlic sauce
sesame seeds
cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with foil. and place ribs on foil. Rub with the five-spice powder , salt, and pepper. Tightly cover with another piece of foil, and roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until meat is very tender and easily pulls from bone.

2. Light a grill on medium-high. Combine ketchup, tamarind paste, honey, and chili-garlic sauce. Grill ribs, basting with the glaze, and turning occasionally, until beginning to char, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Transfer to cutting board and cut into individual ribs. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro and serve.

A NICE THING TO SERVE WITH IT IS THIS GARLICKY POTATO SALAD.......the recipe for which I learned in Spain (to use as a tapa)

2 lbs red skin 'taters
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 cup mayo
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 TBSP chopped parsley

1. In a large saucepan, place potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tsp salt, lower heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave potatoes in the water until they are tender, about 15 minutes longer.
2. Reserve 1/4 cup of the potato water, then drain the potatoes. While they are still hot, peel them by piercing them with a fork while you slip off the loose skin with a paring knife. Cut into 1" chunks, return them to the pot, and sprinkle with 2 TBSP of the vinegar and mix.
3. Whisk mayo, garlic, remaining vinegar, and pepper in a large bowl. Add 2 TBSP reserved potato water and whisk (texture should be like applesauce).....add more potato water if it's too stiff. Add potato chunks and fold gently. Add parsley, and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I just got back from a quick trip to Texas, where my friends reminded me of this classic State dish known as "Texas Caviar". It comes together super-quickly, and is good either warm or at room temperature.

For vinaigrette:

1/2 cup EVOO
1/4 cup lime juice
2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1 TBSP (yes, really!!!!!) hot sauce, such as Frank's
kosher salt
black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder

Shake all ingredients together in a jar.

Put it together:

1 15 oz can black-eye peas, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup poblano, chopped
Cooked basmati rice (Uncle Ben's microwavable pouches work well here)
grape tomatoes, halved
cilantro
sliced celery
thinly sliced scallions
pickled jalapenos, sliced
pepper jack cheese, shredded
good quality tortilla chips

Combine first 4 ingredients with 1/4 cup vinaigrette. Microwave about 2 minutes, stirring about every 30 seconds. Arrange all the ingredients on a platter and serve with the extra vinaigrette on the side.

Pisco is a little-known brandy from Peru. It's made from muscat grapes.

The "Pisco Sour" is a mixed drink that is just delicious. It's quite strong, so be careful! But so, so good.

ice
2 1/2 oz pisco
1/ oz lemon juice
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1 egg white, beaten
a few drops bitters

Shake the first 5 ingredients together......really hard shaking. Strain into a glass, and top with a few drips bitters.

Cast iron pan-pizzas are back in style. This one is a real classic, with sausage, pepperoni, and onion piled on a sourdough crust.

Sourdough pizza-crust-dough can be hard to find. If you're lucky enough to have some sourdough starter in your fridge, you can easily make the crust yourself. We have a local pizzeria (Portland Pie Company) that packages their dough and sells it in local supermarkets.

This pie is especially good at this time of year, with fresh local tomatoes.

1 1/2 lbs tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 TBSP EVOO, divided
2 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 tsp black pepper, divided
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
6 oz hot Italian sausage (either bulk, or with casing removed)
cornmeal
12 oz sourdough pizza dough
1/2 lb mozzarella
1 oz thin sliced pepperoni
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
fresh basil

1. Cut tomatoes in half. Toss with garlic, crushed red pepper, 2 TBSP EVOO,1 tsp kosher salt, and 1/2 black pepper. Place cut side down on a rack over a jelly roll pan. Roast at 450 degrees about 10 minutes or until skins loosen. Peel the tomatoes and discard the skins. Return to oven and decrease oven temp to 325 degrees. Roast until a bit dehydrated and beginning to brown, about 90 minutes.

2. Allow tomatoes to cool before processing. In a food processor, combine with 1 more tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, the fresh oregano, and the vinegar. Process until nearly smooth.

3. Preheat oven to 550 degrees. In a 12" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until done. Remove sausage from skillet and wipe out skillet.

4. Sprinkle skillet with a bit of cornmeal, then place the dough in skillet, quickly spreading it out to cover bottom and a bit up the side of the skillet. Brush with 1 TBSP EVOO, and sprinkle with about 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Cook until dough is just beginning to bubble, about 1-2 minutes. Spread tomato sauce (as much or as little as you like) over dough and top with cheese, sausage, pepperoni, and onion. Place skillet in oven and bake until brown and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Top with basil.

This Not-Quite-Beef-Wellington can easily be made for two people with one large-ish filet mignon (11 or so ounces) or if you have smaller filets, you can make individual wellingtons. Either one is a lovely presentation, and not difficult.

I slightly knocked down the heart-attack-quotient of regular Beef Wellington by substituting thyme-infused sauteed baby bella mushrooms instead of pate. But the brandy sauce is not negotiable!!

11 to 12 oz filet mignon, or 2 six-ounce filets
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP finely minced shallot
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup minced baby bella mushrooms
2 slices proscuitto, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 lb. all-butter puff pastry
1 eggs, beaten with 1 TBSP water
2 tsp Dijon mustard

For Sauce:
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP finely chopped shallot
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3/4 cup beef broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
2 TBSP brandy
1 TBSP minced Italian parsley

1. Season steak(s) with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Brown steak(s), 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plaste and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. In same skillet heat butter over moderately high heat. Add shallot and garlic, cook until softened. Add mushrooms, ham, and thyme; cook until liquid evaporates, about 4 minutes. Cool.
3. Roll out puff pastry, cutting into two pieces if you are using 2 filets. Brush with Dijon mustard. Place a couple of TBSP of mushroom mixture on pastry, then place a steak on top. Fold pastry around, forming a package. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden brown and meat is 135 degrees (for medium-rare). Place on rack and let sit for 10 minutes.
5. While steak(s) is/are resting, make the sauce: In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in Dijon, broth, cream, and brandy. Cook until reduced and slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Stir in parsley.

Chocolate crusts under these mini-cheesecake cupcakes will make you swoon. The apricot jam on top is not only lovely but a perfect foil.

Super, super, super good:

For crust:
3/8 cup chocolate wafer cookies (about 9 cookies), crushed to crumbs in a food processor
2 1/4 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together. Press about 1 TBSP mixture into each of 9 paper-lined muffin tins. Bake until set, about 7 minutes. Let cool.

For cupcakes:
1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vanilla
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup sour cream
small pinch salt
1/4 cup apricot jam

Beat ingredients together. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Divide batter over prepared chocolate crusts. Bake about 20 minutes, until slightly set but still wobbly in the middle. Cool. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate over night.

The next day, heat jam until liquid. Strain out any large pieces. Place a spoonful of jam on each cupcake, and chill until set.

The sailors' classic summer drink: The Dark and Stormy

This is super refreshing on a hot summer day:

Mix over ice:
2 oz black rum (such as Bermuda's Black Seal)
1/ oz lime juice
3 oz ginger beer

Garnish with crystallized ginger.....delish!

I often make "boards" when I need a quick hors d'oeuvre. This one has a slight southwestern bend to it. It contains a good homemade avocado/black bean/corn dip, roasted red peppers, a variety of grape tomatoes, colby jack cheese, and sliced fresh mango.

Here's the recipe for the easy dip:

1 large green avocado (marketed as "slimcados"), or 2 Haas
2 TBSP lime juice
3/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp pepper
3/8 cup no-sodium black beans
3/8 cup fire-roasted corn (available frozen at Trader Joe's)
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1 TBSP chopped cilantro

Simply mash the avocado(s) then stir in the other ingredients.

This is a really good copycat of Popeye's fried chicken. Remember you need to marinate it overnight! It's satisfyingly crunchy, with that Popeye's kick!

1 cup buttermilk
1 TBSP Tabasco
1 lb bone-in chicken (our family prefers breast pieces----because they are large, I cut them in half)

Combine buttermilk and Tabasco, and pour into a zip lock bag. Put chicken in the bag, shake to coat, and refrigerate overnight.

1 egg
1 TBSP water
1 1/3 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne
3/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
peanut oil

1. Beat egg and water together in a shallow bowl. Combine dry ingredients in another shallow bowl.
2. Remove chicken from marinade, (and discard marinade).
3. The secret is double dipping! Dip each chicken piece in egg mixture, then in flour mixture, then back in the egg, then back in the flour.
4. Heat oil to 325. Fry chicken for about 8 to 10 minutes, until cooked through.

"French Dip" on a pizza? This was really, really good.

This pizza does take a bit of time. There's a great cheese sauce involved, as well as the famous "jus" for the meat. But it's just so very good.

Use the Contact form for this great recipe!

This recipe for "Double Crunch Glazed Chicken" is from Delish.com. I'm a big fan of Chinese-style orange chicken, for which I have posted authentic recipes from when I lived in Asia. This dish is slightly different (and for that matter isn't "orange") but is just terrific.
Crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside.......YUM!

I didn't change a thing from this recipe, originally published in Delish: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a57859/double-crunch-glazed-chicken-recipe/

The Sally Lunn Bun......which is a fixture in the British Isles. These days we see it much more often in Australia. This is not a cake, it's an egg-based yeast bread which is very similar to brioche. It's often made in a kugelhopf mold.

I'm not sure there ever was a person called "Sally Lunn". I think it's much more likely that the name derives from "soliel et lune" ["sun and moon"] and perhaps has to do with the colour and shape.

Not happening to own a kugelhopf pan (really, who does?) I made this in my little 6-cup bundt pan.

It's a delicious, buttery, bread. Here are the proportions for the classic bun. As usual, if you are new to bread-baking give me a shout on the Contact Form and I'll walk you through this!!!!

1 1/8 tsp dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 TBSP sugar
3/4 tsp salt
about 2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 beaten eggs

An easy meal for August----Caprese Steak (using filets mignon)

Generally I think it's a high crime to cook filets on the grill-----they should only be cooked in the French method of a cast iron pan first on the stove and then into the oven. But sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do....

Marinate overnight 2 filets mignon in 6 TBSP balsamic vinegar mixed with 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 TBSP honey, 1 TBSP olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme, and 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano.

The next day, grill steaks over high heat, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes. Slice a beefsteak tomato and season the slices with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the tomato slices on the steaks along with thick slices of fresh mozzarella and grill about two more minutes until the cheese starts to melt. Top with fresh basil and serve.

Greek-style Turkey Burgers------I never think of turkey burgers as a substitute for hamburgers; they are just a nice meal in the summer.
These are especially good with the homemade tzatziki-style sauce and some crunchy veggies.

For 2 servings:

FOR THE BURGERS:
1/2 lb 93% lean ground turkey
2 TBSP canola mayo
1 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/16 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Mix all together, and form into 2 patties.

FOR TZATZIKI:
1/3 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/3 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mix all together.

PUTTING THE BURGERS TOGETHER:
Whole wheat burger buns
handful of baby arugula
several very thin slices of red onion
several thin slices of cuke

1. Cook burgers over high heat in a non-stick pan until done----about 4 mintues per side.
2. Spread tzatziki on both sides of buns. Put a handful of arugula over b ottom half of tzatziki-smeared bun. Top with burger, then onion and cuke.

There is probably no dessert with more horrifying recipes than carrot cake.
So many yield dense, soggy cake-----which is also often oily.

I've never been a fan. Though the carrots do add some sweetness, they also add too much moisture. And in the interest of being a "healthy dessert" (which is how it was touted when the first recipes for it appeared in the 1970s), I doubt it ever was-----the use of oil instead of butter makes most carrot cake recipes dense and oily.

But I was charged with making one, and so once again turned to Cooks Illustrated. They call their recipe "Very Good Carrot Cake" and indeed it is.

They also make it simple------no layers, no bundt pan. They also are true believers in the virtues of a lot of cream cheese frosting.

Their recipe can be done in your food processor in about 10 minutes.

Use the Contact Form for a copy of this easy and very good recipe! If you don't like carrot cake, this recipe may make you like it. If you already like carrot cake, this is likely the best one you've ever had. Moist but not soggy, with a beautiful crumb.

This is the authentic recipe for the famed Alice Waters' Baked Goat Cheese Salad.

My younger readers may not know who Alice Waters is, in which case I say "Google her"! She is arguably the founder of the organic and fresh ingredients movement in the United States. She still owns Chez Panisse.

She calls this salad her favourite dish of all time. It makes a perfect light yet filling dinner. This is what Food & Wine Magazine had to say about it::

In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best: Alice Waters used to say that she would rather make salads than almost anything else, which explains how she is responsible for one of the most iconic dishes of the decade, her baked goat cheese salad. In its essence, it’s a harmonious blend of lettuces combined with softly baked thyme-and-breadcrumb-coated goat cheese, served alongside crunchy garlic croutons. As with so much of Alice Waters’ seasonal, ingredient-driven cooking, this simple dish is all about the quality of the raw materials. Waters once said, “Only the best is good enough.” So use the very best you can find.

Yes, it really is a best-ever dinner. Here's the link:

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/baked-goat-cheese-salad

Finally, it's peach season! And they are super juicy and good this year.
And that's the problem......

Sugar is hygroscopic-----meaning it attracts water. So if you toss your peaches with sugar, it will pull the juices out of the peaches, which makes the whole mess watery. Sometimes it can simply make what would be bites of peaches into a mushy mess. Most people thus use cornstarch, which makes a gummy pie.

Once again I turned to Cook's Illustrated, and found a method for making a truly great peach pie. Their methodology uses pectin (think apple pie)------pectin keeps the fruit whole with that great texture, but doesn't coagulate the juices as cornstarch does.

This pie was not just lovely to look at, but had a great bite of fruit with just the right texture. Use the Contact Form to learn how to turn this year's bumper crop of peaches into an astoundingly good pie!!

A few herbs kneaded into the dough make this bread really special. And while I generally only recommend using fresh herbs, in this case you don't need (knead??) them!

You'll want to bake this bread often just to enjoy the tantalizing aroma that fills your kitchen. Here are the proportions:

4 cups flour
3 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP salt
2 packages dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp)
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme

If you are new to bread baking, please use the Contact Form and I will send you instructions that will work for this-----or any other-----yeast bread.

Happy baking!

The Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes: As with most great cooking, you need to understand the chemistry here.

You want full flavour but fluffy. But pancake making is fickle work.

The proteins in the flour combine with the water in the milk and buttermilk to form gluten, the network of proteins that give pancakes their basic structure. Eggs add more structure-reinforcing protein, along with the moisture that evaporates as the pancake cooks. Other ingredients create carbon dioxide for aeration. If too much carbon dioxide is created early in the grilling process, the pancakes will collapse and become dense. Then there's the combination of acid and baking soda. The acid in the buttermilk makes overinflated pancakes that also collapse and become dense.

So changing any one of these ingredients, even a little, has consequences.

And don't forget, mixing encourages gluten to form (which is why we knead yeast breads). But you want tender pancakes! So don't mix very much (leave a few lumps) and let the batter rest at least 10 minutes to let the gluten relax.

The following proportions work perfectly, and are courtesy of Cook's Illustrated:

10 oz flour
2 TBSP sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 TBSP unsalted butter, slightly cooled

These will be the best pancakes you've ever eaten-----I guarantee it.

All of you loyal readers know that I am not a fan of thick-crust pizza. But I do love focaccia. So this is not really pizza, but a focaccia with stuff on top. It will feed a crowd-----10 or more people.
If you're not into the pizza-style toppings, the focaccia by itself is simply delicious.

Focaccia has so much flavour all by itself. It's so crispy-on-the-outside, yet tender on the inside-----perfect texture.

I made this "pizza" with a simple homemade tomato sauce, sopressata, and fresh mozzarella (and basil). But if you'd like to take this classic over the top, drizzle the slices with hot honey. Yes, hot honey------it's a thing!

This brand is available at Whole Foods. It takes this dish to a whole new level!
Please use the Contact Form to get the recipe for this great casual snack for a crowd!

I get my smoked brisket at Buck's Naked BBQ in Freeport, Maine. There just is nothing like great smoked brisket----but I just don't have the patience to smoke my own. However shrimp would also be great (though quite different) with this salad's combination of flavours.

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 oz thin rice noodles
about 1/4 of a pineapple, cut into bite-size chunks
kirby cucumber, seeded and sliced
a few thin slices of red onion
about 1 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
2 1/4 tsp seasoned rice vinegar (sushi vinegar)
1 1/2 TBSP hoisin
1 TBSP peanut oil
1 TBSP lime juice
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp sriracha
1 TBSP water
2 cups shredded romaine
1/2 lb. thin sliced or shredded smoked beef brisket
1/4 cup sliced pickled peppers (such as Peppadew)
1/4 cup mixed herbs, such as mint, cilantro, and basil

1. Boil 1 qt water with kosher salt. Remove from heat and submerge noodles. Let stand 1bout 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
2. Toss together pineapple, cuke, onion, cilantro, and rice vinegar. Set aside.
3. Whisk together hoisin, oil, lime juice, fish sauce, sriracha, and water. Combine with noodles, tossing to coat.
4. Put romaine on a platter. Top with noodles. Arrange pineapple mixture, brisket, peppers on top. Top with the fresh herbs.

Food truck cuisine: These smokey, Korean inspired dogs are so good, and just like you'd get off our local food truck for twice the price.

FOR THE SLAW:
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
1 small scallion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss everything together. Set aside.

FOR THE MAYO:
1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup mayo

Combine. Set aside.

FOR KIMCHI:
1 1/2 tsp oil
1/2 cup kimchi, chopped

Heat oil over high heat. Add kimchi and fry until slightly brown, 1 1/2-2 1/2 minutes. Set aside.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER:
Oil, for brushing
4 hot dog buns (NOT the Maine top-split kind-----true American hot dog buns)
4 all-beef hot dogs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded romaine
thin slices of purple onion
handful cilantro sprigs
sriracha (optional) for drizzling

1. Light a grill. Brush buns with oil. Grill over medium-high heat until slightly charred, about 20 seconds per side. Spread the insides of the buns with the sesame mayo.
2. Grill dogs until nicely charred, about 3 minutes. Place in prepared buns.
3. In this order, layer on fried kimchi, cheddar, romaine, a bit of onion, and cilantro. Top with sriracha.

That's Tahitian vanilla bean dotting the glaze on these yummy little cupcakes. The little cakes themselves are like buttery pound cakes, redolent of brown sugar. And that brown butter glaze? Incredible.

These are special, and have the most tender crumb. Use the Contact Form for the recipe!

This nice quiche has a slight southwestern tang to it. The key is to treat the zucchini properly-----you need to get all the water out. You can make the crust very easily in your food processor, just be sure to allow enough time for it to chill. Call it "Zucchini and Green Chili Quiche", or just call it "Delicious"!

CRUST:

1 1/4 cups pastry flour, or sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, very cold and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water

Place flour, salt, and butter in a food processor, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water, about one TBSP at a time, and pulse until the dough just starts to pull away from the sides. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least one hour. Once the pastry crust is well chilled, roll it out and line a 9" pie plate. Chill the pie plate while you prepare the fillng.

FILLING:

3/4 lb zucchini (2 small ones)
salt and pepper
4 oz can green chilis, chopped
1 1/2 TBSP butter
3/4 cup sliced scallions
1 TBSP flour
1 cup cheddar, grated
1/2 cup monterey jack cheese
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk or light cream

1. Coarsely grate zucchini onto a sheet of foil. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Squeez out moisture from zucchini and blot dry.
2. Heat butter in a large skillet. Very slowly cook the scallions until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, heat for a couple of minutes, and then stir in flour.
3. Spread zucchini micture in botton of the pie shell. Sprinkle on the chilis, then sprinkle on half the cheeses.
4. Beat the eggs with the milk or cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. our over pie shell.
5. Top with the rest of the cheese, and bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven door lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

This beautiful bread is chock full of Maine maple syrup, oatmeal, and apple cider.

I'm just going to give you the proportions for 1 loaf, because I assume you know how to make yeast bread. If you are new to baking, please use the Contact Form and I will give you detailed directions!

Here are the proportions (again, just one loaf, not two)

1/2 cup plain, cooked oatmeal
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 1/2 TBSP melted butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 TBSP dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup apple cider
3 cups flour

These little negimaki are quite difficult to make, but are really worth the effort. Use very good tenderloin, and you too will find them to be an excellent appetizer or even a light main course.

These are just so good. I did have difficulty pounding the tenderloin evenly and cutting it into similar sizes, but otherwise it's not a difficult recipe.

FOR MARINADE/GLAZE:

1/8 cup mirin
1/8 cup tamari
2 1/4 tsp red miso
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp sesame oil

Whisk above ingredients together.

FOR NEGIMAKI:

4 1/4" slices of beef tenderloin, pounded 1/8" thick
1/4 pound kale, tough stems removed
4 scallions, quartered lengthwise
vegetable oil
sesame seeds, toasted

1. Cook kale in boiling salted water until bright green, about 2 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water.
2. Spread 1 tsp of marinade on beef, refrigerate 1 hour.
3. Place a slice of beef on a work surface. Top with some scallion slices, and 1/4 of the kale. Roll up very tightly and secure with toothpicks. Repaeat with remaining meat, scallions, and kale.
4. Light a grill, and oil the grate. Brush oil on the rolls. Grill the rolls over high heat until charred, about 2 minutes. Brush with more marinade and continue grilling until glazed, about 30 seconds.
5. Remove from heat. Cut into 1" sections and pour the rest of the marinade over rolls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

The #1 drink in the British Empire (after tea of course)-----or at least the official drink of summer-----is Pimm's Cup. Low in alcohol, and just so refreshing on a summer day.

Every year over 80,000 pints of Pimm's Cup are sold to spectators at Wimbledon.

Stir together 2 oz Pimm's No. 1, sliced cucumber, sliced strawberries, a bit of sliced lemon, a few fresh mint leaves, and ice. Top with 3 oz sparkling lemonade.

Preserved lemons, green olives, toasted almonds, apricots. It's chicken, Moroccan style!

1 TBSP EVOO
kosher salt and ground pepper
4 small chicken thighs, or 2 breasts cut in half
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup pittted green olives (I use Castelvantro)
1/4 cup dried apricots, halved
1 TBSP preserved lemom, chopped
1/8 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Sliced toasted almonds

1. Heat oven to 425F. Heat oil in oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with 1/4 tsp each of the salt and pepper and cook, skin side down, until golden brown and crisp, about 10 minutes.Flip and cook 1 minutes more, then transfer to plate.
2. Add onion and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Uncover and stir in garlic, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, 1nd 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Cook. tirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, about 2 minutes
3. Stir in broth and deglaze pan. Return chicken, along with any juices, to skillet with olives, apricots and lemon. Transfer to oven and roast until chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to serving platter and scatter parsley and almonds over ti.

This is like....Asian spaghetti and meatballs? It has all the comfort of its Italian cousin, and is a quick weeknight dinner.

FOR MEATBALLS:

1 TBSP soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 TBSP rice vinegar (plain)
1/4 cup scallions
2 TBSP dry bread crumbs
1 lb ground chuck
1/4 cup kimchi
1 TBSP vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients except vegetable oil. Form into ping-pong-ball-size meatballs. Heat oil in a skillet, and cook meatballs until no longer pink, about 11-12 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

FOR SAUCE:

1 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP sesame oil
2 TBSP rice vinegar (plain)
1/4 cup scallions
1/4 cup juice from jar of kimchi
1 TBSP chili garlic sauce

Combine all of above. Set aside.

NOODLES AND ASSEMBLY:

1/2 lb pad thai noodles
rest of the jar of kimchi, or to taste
1/4 cup scallions, for garnish
1 TBSP toasted sesame seeds.

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.
2 Toss with sauce, along with about 1 cup of the kimchi.
3. Top with meatballs and garnishes.

Food & Wine magazine named this one of their best 40 recipes ever.
It's truly a wonderful explosion of texture and flavour. There is a phenomenol balance among the nuts, the fruit, the briny castelvetrano olives, and the sweet-and-spicy dressing.

This fabulous main course salad can be (mostly) made ahead----as long ahead as the day before. Talk about an easy dinner!
If you do make it ahead, be sure to pull it out of the fridge in time for it to come to room temperature.

Find the recipe at https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/farro-and-green-olive-salad-walnuts-and-raisins

Apple Crisp Cheesecake? Oh yes yes yes!

This is an amazing, rich dessert that will serve 10 or 12 easily. The classic combination of apples and cheese will have your guests raving.

FOR THE CRUST:

12 graham crackers, crushed
6 TSP butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Mix crust ingredients together. Press into the bottom and part way up the side of a 9 inch springform pan.

FOR THE CHEESECAKE:

2 lbs. cream cheese (4 blocks)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup caramel sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Beat cream cheese, caramel, and sugar until slightly fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients. Pour into crust.

FOR THE TOPPING:

1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup steel cut oats
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 TBSP butter

Scatter apples over cheesecake. Mix next 5 ingredients together. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Scatter this micture over apples.

TO BAKE:

Wrap bottom of pan in aluminum foil. Place in water bath. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes, until still a bit jiggly. Turn off oven. Partially open oven door and leave in oven for another hour.

Refrigerate until cold (6-plus hours). Serve with additional caramel sauce and whipped cream.

This is an easy spinach lasagna that you can make ahead!

This serves 4 people generously. It's a recipe that's easily doubled.

1 1/2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
1 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup heavy cream (preferably not ultra-pasteurized)
5/8 tsp salt
dash ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp EVOO
8 oz sliced crimini mushrooms
1 very large (or 2 smaller) cloves garlic, minced
1 5 oz bag spinach
8 oz whole milk ricotta (half of a small container)
6 oz mozzarella, shredded
1 1/2 oz grated parmasan
2 TBSP beaten egg (that's about half an egg----give the rest to your pup!)
6 no-boil lasagna noodles, e.g. Barilla brand
1/8 tsp ground pepper
Cooking spray

1. Melt butter, then add flour to make a roux. Cook for a minute or two in order to get rid of the raw flour taste. Add broth, cream, and some of the salt, and the nutmeg. Cook until thickened. Set aside.
2. Heat oil. Add mushrooms and cook until browned and the liquid has evaporated. Add garlic and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted. Stir in about 1 cup of the cream sauce.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta with most of the mozzarella, the egg, the parmasan, the rest of the salt, and the pepper.
4. Assemble the lasagna this way: Spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray. Coat the bottom of the dish with a bit of the cream sauce. Put 1 1/2 of the noodles on top, then cover with some of the cheese mixture, then the spinach mixture. Repeat twice.
For final layer, top with 1 1/2 noodles, the remaining sauce, and the remaining mozzarella.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes until browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 mnutes or so before cutting.

One more schnitzel-----this one with classic creamy dill cucumbers

For the master recipe for the pork schnitzel, scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, where I show it paired with a tomato-basil salad.

This accompaniment, using dill and sour cream, is more traditional. (On the original Cook's Corner page, you can also find the most traditional accompaniment of all, bitter greens). I used Persian cucumbers in this salad, since they hold their crunch better and don't need to be peeled (and therefore add colour). Fresh dill (not the dry junk) is essential. Use the Contact Form if you'd like to find out exactly how to make this.

A New England classic: Anadama Bread

Anadama is an old New England yeast bread that contains molasses, as well as a small amount of corn meal (you really can't taste the corn meal). Molasses of course was the most common sweetener in colonial times, and was made in places like Portland Maine from cane that came here on ships from the Caribbean (the unfortunate Triangle Trade).

It's a really nice all-purpose bread with just a hint of sweetness. It's great for sandwiches, or just with some butter for toast.

Make it as you would any other yeast bread, using these ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast (1 package)
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 TBSP butter
1/4 cup molasses

If you aren't familiar with making yeast breads, use the Contact Form for step-by-step instructions.

An apple pie with a pie crust made like cinnamon rolls? You will not believe how good this is.

Yes, this takes longer than simply rolling out a pie crust. But may very well be the best apple pie I've ever made. Whoever thought of putting cinnamon roll filling into a pie crust is a genius!!!!

This is not my recipe. You can find it on this link:

https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/thanksgiving/a22646748/cinnamon-roll-apple-pie-recipe/

These turkey burgers are elevated to another sphere by the addition of a simple-to-make sauce, smoky gouda cheese, and by grilling the onions (since you're standing at the grill anyway......)

This sauce makes enough for 4 burgers

3 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 TBSP whole grain mustard
1 TBSP horseradish, drained
1 TBSP honey

Combine this, and use it on the botton halves of oiled and grilled hamburger buns. For the turkey burgers themselves, form 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey into 4 1" thick burgers. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, and brush with oil. Grill over high heat for about 10 minutes, turning once. As you are grilling the burgers, also grill a few thick slabs of red onion, for about 5 minutes. Abour a minute before serving, top burgers with 1 oz of smoked gouda on each burger. Close the grill cover and let the cheese melt slightly. Top burgers with rings of the grilled onions and a few slices of cucumber.

A very non-Asian egg roll.....it's like a Big Mac on the inside! (so low-calorie they are not!!!!!!!!)

Yes, these things are insanely bad for you. But oh, so good when you are craving fried food!

1/4 cup mayo
1 TBSP yellow mustard (you know, the cheap stuff-----like Heinz or French's)
1 1/2 tsp ketchup
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 lb ground beef
1 TBSP yellow mustard
1 TBSP ketchup
1/2 tsp worcestershire
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
6 egg roll wrappers
6 slices American cheese
1/4 cup dill pickles, chopped fine
oil for frying
sesame seeds

!. Mix together sauce ingredients (mayo through paprika). Set aside.
2. Cook beef, mustard, ketchup, worcestershire, salt and pepper together in a skillet until meat is no longer pink. Drain off fat.
3. On each egg roll wrapper, place a folded slice of cheese, some of the meat mixture, and some dill pickle. Fold up.
4. Heat oil (about 1 inch) in a cast iron skillet to 350 degrees. Fry egg rolls about a minute per side and remove from oil and to drain on paper towels. As the rolls are removed from the oil, immediately sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with the mayo mixture as a dipping sauce.

This very easy Italian Sausage Lasagna makes just enough for a dinner for two, with leftovers for lunch. Is it your Nonna's lasagna? No, but it's very good, and very easy!

Cooking spray
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1/2 lb bulk sweet italian sausage
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups tomato-basil pasta sauce
4 no-boil lasagna noodles
1/4 cup grated parmesan

1. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside
2. Mix mozzarella and ricotta. Set aside.
3. Heat butter, then add the sausage, onion, and red pepper flakes. Cook until sausage is no longer pink and onions are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add pasta sauce and remove from heat.
4. Coat bottom of loaf pan with a bit of the sausage mixture. Top with a noodle. Then top the noodle with about 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
5. Top that with about 1/2 cup of the sausage mixter mixture. Place another noodle on top of that, and then another 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
6. Top that with another 1/2 cup or so of the sausage mixture, then another noodle, followed by the last of the cheese mixture.
7. Top that with the last noodle, then the last of the sausage mixture. Sprinkle on the parmesan, and cover with foil.
8. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 15 minutes or so until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Chip Buttercream Icing----so yummy! The big chocolate chips give a great mouth-feel to the creamy icing and delicious vanilla cake.

These are really nice------a chocolate crunch in every bite! use the contact form for this delicious recipe!

In Japan, places that serve yakitori always have a red paper lantern hanging outside, and you'll want to hang one outside your kitchen after making this! Yakitori is one of Japan's favourite snacks, and is always found at festivals and such.
These chicken yakitori are the real thing-----precisely like the street-stall food and "yakitori joint" stuff you'd get in Japan

I made it for dinner, so used long metal skewers for convenience. To make it authentic walking-around food such as you'd eat at a festival or on the street, use 6 or 8 inch bamboo skewers.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken---thighs or breasts, your choice
4 scallions cut into 2" lengths (white and light green parts only)
a handful of mushrooms, cut bite-size if necessary
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
2 TBSP kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
2 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP minced fresh ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sriracha
a bit of vegetable oil

1. Place chicken, mushrooms, and scallions on skewers.
2. Combine next 8 ingredients (soy sauce through sriracha) in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened (about 8 minutes).
3. Light a grill. Brush skewers with oil and grill, turning, until almost cooked through (5 minutes). Brush with the glaze and cook, turning, until chicken is done and nicely glazed (3 minutes).

When I lived in Tokyo I had a Filipena maid who taught me how to make these delicious spring rolls. In the Philippines these types of rolls are called "lumpia" and often can be found with crepes for wrappers.

We like a vinegar-based sauce with these; one that's spiked with garlic, bird chilis, and just a bit of soy.

For the lumpia:

1/2 lb ground pork
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup carrot, fine julienne
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
1/8 tsp pepper
12 spring roll wrappers
oil, for frying

Simply mix the filling ingredients together, roll up the wrappers, and fry until the filling is cooked.

For the dipping sauce:

1/2 cup WHITE vinegar
1 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bird chili, thinly sliced

Put it together and whisk very well until blended.

These burgers taste just like fajitas!!!!

One of the great things about this recipe is that you can use 90% lean ground beef. This means that they come in at a healthy 275 calories per serving. This recipe makes two servings.

1/2 lb. 90% lean ground beef
2 TBSP finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 TBSP chopped scallions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp New Mexico chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp Mexican oregano
1/4 tsp fresh gournd pepper
1/8 tsp salt

GENTLY combine above ingredients (just until they hold together----never overmix burgers!) and form into two oblong burgers.

1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tsp lime juice
3 TBSP mayo
1 1/2 tsp chopped chili in adobo

Combine above ingredients and set aside.

1/4 cup shredded Jack cheese
2 whole wheat hoagie rolls
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1 Anaheim pepper; roasted, peeled and seeded
sliced red onion
sliced tomato

Light your grill, and oil the grate. Grill burgers until done, about 12 mintues total. Put cheese on top, cover grill, and cook about 1 minute more until cheese is melted.
Spread mayo mixture on bottom of each roll, then top with tomato, burger, a slice of pepper, cabbage, and onion. Serve right away.

More yummy sables (pronounce "sah-BLAY")----this one with matcha and white chocolate!

As I said when I posted this recipe a couple of weeks ago, my daughter thinks these "are basically crunchy butter"

Matcha is only beginning to be known outside of Japan. When I lived there it was only used for the highest-level of tea ceremonies. In that context, it's not at all like the tea that the western world (as well as the middle east and India) is accustomed to----it's chartreus in colour, a bit thick, and kind of foamy. Many westerners don't like it----I always did but perhaps that was because I was so honoured to be included in a few of these ancient rituals with the women in beautiful kimono preparing and serving tea in a fashion that is unchanged in centuries.

In recent years matcha is being used by chefs for all kinds of dishes, including candy and snacks. Because you'll be using it to make cookies, not tea for a traditional tea-ceremony, you can use culinary-grade matcha which is much cheaper.

It has very real health benefits-----so while you're eating these buttery, buttery cookies, you can perhaps imagine that the matcha is doing your body good!!!!!

Scroll down just a bit to find the master recipe for sables. Then change it as follows:

Beat 4 tsp matcha into the butter-sugar mixture. Proceed with recipe, reducing amount of flour to 1 1/2 cups. Beat 1/2 cup finely chopped white chocolate (use the good stuff) into the dough. Combine the sanding sugar with 1/2 tsp matcha before coating cookies

Once in a while we like a dinner where everyone creates and assembles their own plate. These "Korean-Mexican Tacos" were like that, and are pretty good.

I first ate this dish at one of Chef Judy Joo's restaurants in London. I was delighted when I saw that she shared it with Food & Wine. It's a delicious combination of pork tenderloin, and Asian slaw, kimchi, and fresh veggies.

This recipe is available at:

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/korean-mexican-tacos

Here's an easy dinner that's a mash-up of cuisines----quesadillas with a Mediterannean twist. Fewer than 350 calories per generous (4 wedges) serving!

This recipe for these Steak, Feta, and Olive Quesadillas is available on line at:

https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/steak-feta-olive-quesadillas

I don't usually post recipes for alcoholic beverages, but thse were just SO good! The recipe was given to me by the barman at the Sheraton-Molokai Hotel in Molokai, Hawaii.

Makes one:

1 1/2 oz light rum
1/2 oz dark rum
1 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
dash corn syrup, or to taste

Place everything in a blender with an handful of ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Place in a chilled glass

Everyone LOVED these simple little cupcakes with pistachios and raspberries----so good, with the combination of flavours, that they don't even need frosting. The texture is very much like that of a torte.

These come together in no time flat! This recipe makes 7.

1/2 cup whole unsalted pistachios, plus 1/8 cup slivered
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 TBSP unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 cup raspberries

1. In food processor, process whole pistachios, sugar and salt until a flour-like consistency. Add butter, eggs, and vanilla and process until well combined. Add flour and process until just combined.
2. Place cupcake papers in a muffin tin and fill about 2/3 full. Sprinkle tops with slivered pistachios and raspberries.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Portobello mushroom caps instead of pizza crust? Its like an additional topping, only better!

These are easy and delicious. Gluten-free, too, if you're into that.....

Cooking spray
4 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned of gills
4 1/2 tsp EVOO
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup pizza sauce
3/8 cup shredded mozzarella
3 TBSP parmasan
3/8 cup mini pepperoni slices
rounded 1/4 tsp dried oregano
red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
fresh basil

1. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Cost mushroom caps with EVOO, salt, and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
2. Remove from oven and fill caps with sauce, mozzarella, parmasan, pepperoni, oregano, (and pepper flakes, if using). Return ot oven and bake another 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Top with fresh basil.

Craving ground beef but not wanting the calories? [especially after those chicken tenders and fries last night!] This easy dish with Asian flavours and a delicious pan sauce will do the trick nicely at only about 300 calories per serving.

You will need:

FOR PATTIES:
Cooking spray
12 oz 90% lean ground beef
3/4 cup finely diced bell pepper (use your best knife skillls to dice it as small as you can)
3/4 cup finely chopped scallions
3 TBSP hoisin sauce
2 TBSP minced fresh ginger

1. Place the oven rack about 6" from the broiler, and spray a broiler pan with cooking spray.
2. Mix remaining ingredients, and form into patties. Brush patties with a bit of canola oil and place on broiler pan.
3. Broil about 4 minutes per side, While the meat is cooking, make the watercress.

FOR WATERCRESS AND PAN-SAUCE:
2 tsps canola oil
1/2 lb watercress, trimmed of tough stalks if necessary (I use baby watercress instead of trimming)
1 TBSP hoisin
1/2 cup shaoxing wine

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add watercress and toss until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove to platter.
2. Put hoisin and shaoxing wine into the pan and cook, stirring,until slightly reduced, about one minute. Serve over met and watercress.

I've said it before-----it can't ALWAYS be healthy eating. Sometimes, only fried will do.

These crispy chicken tenders, served along with blue cheese dressing and ketchup, are really delicious and not very fussy to make. And if you're using store-boat frozen fries out of a bag, why are you bothering to eat them? They're full of calories but low on crunch and flavour.

Make your own fries-----it's very easy. They require stuff you already have on hand-----potatoes, oil, ice cubes and salt. For great flavour and texture it's all about technique! Use the Contact form if you'd like to learn to make this wonderfullly comforting meal!

Sables (pronounced "SAH-blay) are delighful little French cookies that can be made in a variety of ways. As my daughter growing up in Paris says, "These cookies are really just crunchy butter!". Yes, they do melt in your mouth.

For this particular batch, I made the sables orange-ginger flavoured. Here is the basic recipe:

11 TBSP high-fat, unsalted butter (such as Plugra brand), softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
1/3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup turbinado sugar, for coating.

1. Beat butter until very soft and whipped. Add white sugar and beat until very well combined.
2. Add flour and beat. The dough is very crumbly. Wrap 1/4 of dough in each of 4 pieces of saran wrap, and push togher hard to form logs. Refrigerate until firm.
3. Cut each log into 6 pieces, squishing each piece together to form a disk. Coat disks with the turbinado sugar, and placedon an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Let sit on baking sheets for about 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

FOR MY ORANGE-GINGER VARIATION:

Combine 1 TBSP finely grated orange rind into white sugar before adding to butter.sugar. Add 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger to butter-sugar mixture. Toss 1/4 cup crystalized ginger to flour before beating into dough.
Combine about 1/2 tsp orange zest to the turbinado sugar before coating the unbaked cookies.

Plantains, the Antiguan way!

I haven't been able to get to this web site for about a week, as I needed to go back to Antigua briefly. While down there, Marilyn made me these wonderful plantains. Plantains are great as a side dish (I had them with a grilled steak) and can stand alone as both your starch and your vegetable. They have more Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6, and potssium than bananas. They are of course rich in fiber.

This is a delicious way to prepare them. Use ripe plantains-----you want ones that have a lot of black spots. The green and yellow kind are not ripe yet.

Slice several (2-4, depending on size) ripe plantains. Toss with 1/4 cup coconut oil and about 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt. Place on parchment-paper-lined baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then flip them and bake another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and finish with more sea salt, if desired.

I've previously discussed the French method of using butter and butter-based sauces on filet mignon. This herb-infused butter is a quick way of dressing up a steak. I served it on grilled, whole-grain garlic bread.

I'll admit to cooking these steaks outside on the grill. This is not ideal for filet mignon, which really should be cooked the French way (seared in a blazing hot cast iron pan, and finished in a fairly hot oven). However I needed to get done in a hurry, particularly wanting zero clean-up. Doing them on the grill also allowed me to grill the bread (just rubbed with garlic) which was a another time-saver.

I gave the steaks an herb rub before grilling. The compound butter can be made far, far in advance.

For the steaks (the herb rub), combine:
1 tsp EVOO
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp fresh marjoram, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 TBS minced fresh rosemary

For the herb butter, combine:
2 tsp EVOO
1 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP snipped chives
1 TBSP capers
1 tsp fresh marjoram, minced
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

It fascinates me how versions of quiche crop up in other countries. The British have a bacon and egg tart, first cousin to a quiche Lorraine. The Welsh have a leek tart.

The leek has a long history in Wales, and great historic significance. It is said that at the battle of Agincourt the Welsh went into battle with a leek proudly pinned to their tunics.

This is a nice, very old Welsh recipe that is like a quiche and contains bacon and parmesan cheese.

"Now wait a second" I can hear you saying, "parmesan cheese isn't Welsh". But though it may not have been invented there, if you go back as far as the 17th century you will find Welsh, English, and Scottish recipes that use it. It's wonderful in this easy pie.

First, bake a pie shell in a 9" tart pan (with removeable bottom). Then finely chop 3 leeks (white part only) and saute them in 3 TBSP butter until tender but not brown. Then broil 3 or 4 slices bacon, until cooked through but not crisp and crumbly, or the bacon will lose its flavour when recooked in the pie. Cut the cooked bacon into small pieces, combine with the leeks, and place in the bottom of the pie shell.

Beat together 1 cup half and half, 3 eggs, 1/3 cup grated parmesan, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. pour into pie shell and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before cutting.

If you like Panera's Broccoli and Cheddar Soup, you'll love this easy to make rendition at home. Served with a Mixed-Grain Corn Bread, it's a perfect Sunday night supper.

Low fat, this is not........

2/12 TBSP butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 TBSP flour
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cups heavy cream
scant 1/4 tsp black pepper
scant1/4 tsp white pepper
scant 1/4 tsp turmeric
scant 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 cups broccoli florets, cut bite size
3/8 cup shredded carrot
6 oz. shredded extra-sharp cheddar

1. Cook onion and garlic in butter until tender but not brown. Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes.
2. Add broth, milk, cream, and spices. Slowly bring to a simmer, until thickened.
3. Add broccoli, carrots, and cheddar. Cook until broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes.

The corn bread is made the traditional way, in a cast-iron skillet. It features the usual cornmeal, but also whole wheat flour, wheat germ, sesame seeds, and naturally fat-free buttermilk. Use the Contact Form for the easy recipe!

Here's another Pork Schnitzel, this one less classic than the one served up on The Cook's Corner page, because I served this one with a tomato-basil salad. My husband just loved it, and preferred it to the usual schnitzel-accompaniment of bitter greens with lemon and parmesan. This nice and colourful salad is a bit sweeter from the tomatoes, but still has enough ooomph to stand up to the schnitzel.

As I've previously mentioned, any pounded, breaded, and fried meat is called "schnitzel" in Europe. Here's an easy master recipe :

Boneless pork chops----about 5 ounces each, and 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
about a TBSP lemon juice
kosher salt
pepper
flour
1 egg, beaten
panko
1 TBSP unsalted butter
2 TBSP olive oil

1. Pound chops with meat mallet (between sheets of wax paper) until about 1/4 inch thick. Place on a plate and pour lemon juice over.
2. Season meat with salt and pepper. Set up a dredging station. Coat meat in flour, then egg, then panko. Set on a rack----this dries out the coating a bit.
3. Heat butter and oil in large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Fry the schnitzels about 2-3 minutes per side.

And here's the nice recipe for the salad:

2 TBSP EVOO
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
kosher salt
pepper
1 small shallot, sliced
1 pint mixed-colour cherry and/or grape tomatoes, cut in half
toen fresh basil

Whisk together EVOO, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add shallots. Add tomatoes and toss. Add basil to taste.