In A Nutshell

I'm sure a real Colombian person would shudder at my interpretation of this soup; I should really just call it chicken and potato soup but Colombian makes it sound more exotic and interesting. You can use leftover chicken from a roasted chicken or if you make your own chicken broth, use the chicken meat from there. 1 large white onion, chopped 1 T olive oil, veg oil or butter 1/2 t dried oregano 1 potato, shredded coarsely on a box grater 2 potatoes, peeled and diced 6 cups chicken broth 2 cups leftover roast chicken meat 1 cup corn (frozen is fine) chopped cilantro vegeta seasoning or chicken bouillon salt and pepper to taste accompaniments:  diced avocado capers, drained limes Saute the onion in the olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, oregano, 1 t salt, vegeta to taste, pepper and both the shredded potato and the cubed potato. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes; add the corn and cook another 5-10 minutes or so until t...

This is my favorite cookie ever; it is really more like a pastry than a cookie-- light, crisp and not too sweet. I am forced to admit, however, that they are a pain in the ass to make. They are time-consuming and don't yield a lot of cookies. The method I'm about to describe is imprecise and vague, but despite all this, I hope you'll try them anyway.... 8 oz. 4% fat, creamed or small curd cottage cheese 2 sticks (8 oz.) cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes 2 cups flour 1/4 t salt sour cherry and apricot preserves In a food processor, combine cottage cheese, salt and flour (or with a pastry blender); add the butter and process just until the dough comes together. This is a lot like a pie dough or pastry dough so you don't want to overwork it. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape into squares; wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more. I like to take out the dough for maybe 30 minutes before I'm going to roll it out so that it ...

I love this granola as a snack, on yogurt or with milk eaten like cereal; it's simple and very delicious. The recipe comes from a long long ago issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. 4 cups old-fashioned oats 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds (I usually use the toasted slivered almonds from Trader Joe's) 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/4 t salt 1/2 t cinnamon 1/4 cup vegetable oil or canola oil (although, it has just occurred to me that almond oil might be yummy) 1/4 cup honey 1 t vanilla 1 1/2 cups dried tart cherries (I love the ones from Costco- Montmorency dried cherries) Preheat oven to 350º.  In a large bowl mix oats, nuts, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a small saucepan warm the oil and honey until the honey is melted into the oil- a little tip: pour the oil in the measuring glass first and then add the honey so that it will all pour out easily together; add the vanilla and stir. Pour the liquid over the oat mixture and stir until well-coated. Spread the gr...

This is an unholy delight; I think you can never make enough of these. I use a cast iron round griddle type thing. It's about 14" or so in diameter (just guessing)- pretty big. 6 T unsalted butter, divided- melt 2 T first and brush griddle 4 large Idaho potatoes (around 3 lbs, give or take) kosher salt ground pepper Preheat oven to 425º. Brush the cast iron griddle with 2 T of the butter. Peel the potatoes and trim the ends off; cut potatoes into 1/8" slices (using a mandoline is easiest but alas, it can be done by hand!). Arrange the slices concentrically, overlapping them slightly. Brush the whole thing with the remaining 4 T melted butter (don't be tempted to skimp here on this part- after all, Julia Child lived well into her 90's and consumed astonishing amounts of butter and cream-- just have a glass of red wine alongside!). Sprinkle generously with salt (see previous parenthetical- same argument applies) and pepper and bake for about 1 hour, turnin...

This recipe comes from Barefoot Contessa Parties ; after trying many different recipes, I have to say that this is my favorite; they are tender and perfect. If you like raisins in your rugelach, you can add them in with the filling- I'm not a fan. 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/4 cup sugar plus 9 T 1/4 t salt 1 t vanilla 2 cups flour 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 1/2 t cinnamon 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped 1/2 cup apricot preserves, pureed smooth in the food processor 1 egg beaten with 1 T milk for the egg wash Cream the butter and cheese until light; add 1/4 cup sugar, salt and vanilla. Add the flour on low speed and mix just until combined. Form the dough into a ball and cut into 4; flatten each piece into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. For the filling: combine 6 T sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 t cinnamon and the walnuts. Roll each disc of dough into a 9" circle; spre...

This is another one of my sister-in-law Caroline's salad recipes. It is absolutely delicious and perfect for the festive holiday season. The genius of this salad lies with the dressing; you can improvise on the salad ingredients with whatever you like, such as pears, dried cranberries etc. For the dressing : 1/4 cup fresh cranberries 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 T red onion, chopped 1 T sugar 1 t Dijon mustard 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 t salt pepper For the salad : mixed greens diced apples avocado walnuts (I used candied) gorgonzola cheese crumbles dried cherries or cranberries Puree the cranberries in the food processor until finely chopped. Add all the ingredients except the oil; gradually add the oil with the processor running. Toss salad ingredients with dressing to taste.

I can even make carrots decadent! This recipe comes from Fine Cooking; I used the multi-colored carrots from Trader Joe's but any carrots will work. 1 1/2 lbs carrots 1 parsnip (that hated white thing that looks like a carrot) 2 shallots, chopped or cut into wedges 2 slices bacon, snipped into small pieces with scissors 1 T orange juice 2 t red wine vinegar 2 t honey 2 T EVOO Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat; add the carrots, parsnip, shallots and bacon along with 1 t salt and some freshly ground pepper. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Uncover and lower the heat a bit. Stir the vegetables and try to have them in a single layer across the pan (as best you can). Brown for another 12-16 minutes. Remove from heat and add the juice, vinegar and honey. The recipe calls for fresh thyme which I don't like and never have but if you like it, add that at the end as well.

A gorgeous and festive holiday drink that tastes divine!  I tore this recipe out of a magazine and can't identify where it came from but I'm thankful with every sip. This drink is not super sweet so if you like it sweeter, add a few tablespoons of sugar to the mixture. Note added 12/22/13: I realized that the blending instructions were not very good so I have revised them a little. 1 can frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate (or cranberry-pomegranate), thawed 1 1/2 cups tequila 2/3 cup orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec or Grand Marnier 1 can jellied cranberry sauce 10 T fresh lime juice Blend all the ingredients except the alcohol in a blender; pour out the margarita base into a pitcher and add the tequila and triple sec; stir well. Blend 2 cups of the margarita mixture along with 3 cups of ice until it's frozen like a Slushy. Pour into (salt-rimmed, if you like) glasses and repeat until the mixture is gone. There are about 5 cups total of the mixture, s...

This is inspired by another Rachel Ray recipe but I made it even easier and faster. The only part that takes a little time is roasting and peeling the peppers, but I feel it's worth it. If you want to make it healthier, you can leave off the chips and cheese. Great for a cold day and also for the busy holidays. 2 lbs ground chicken 1 can white beans 2 T olive oil 3 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and diced 1 onion, diced 1 garlic, minced 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 2 envelopes Frontera Grill green enchilada sauce (found in any supermarket; I used one envelope green enchilada sauce and 1 green skillet sauce) 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese crushed tortilla chips Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof or cast iron skillet and saute the onion and garlic in it until softened. Add the ground chicken and cook over high heat until cooked through, breaking up with a spoon. Add the beans, poblano peppers and Frontera sauces; simmer for about 15 minutes until wa...

This recipe is adapted from Food and Wine magazine; I made a couple of changes, the biggest one being the baking time. Sometimes I wonder if anyone tried out the recipe over there at F&W prior to publication because the 30 minute baking time they suggest seems absurd.  Conveniently, you can freeze the cookie dough logs and thaw them in the fridge the night before you want to bake them. This allows you to have freshly baked cookies at your leisure during the busy holiday season. 2 sticks (8oz.) unsalted butter 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 t salt 1 t vanilla 2 cups flour 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped sugar for sprinkling With the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar, salt for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping once or twice.  Add the vanilla and then the flour on low speed and mix just until the dough comes together. Add the pecans and mix on low speed only until incorporated. Divide the dough in half and form into 2 inch diameter logs. This sound...

We had this drink at Prasinos in La Grange and made an honorable imitation at home. It's fresh to death and so so so yummy. Plus think of the health benefits of grapefruit juice... all that vitamin C! 1 1/2 oz. Hendrick's gin 1/2 oz. St. Germain (elderflower- no idea what that actually is) 1 t agave 1/2 small lemon, squeezed hearty splash of Simply Pure or freshly squeezed grapefruit juice Stir the agave and lemon juice in the bottom of a glass. Add the liquors and then ice; splash the grapefruit juice over to taste. I don't know if this drink would benefit from being mixed in a shaker and then poured over ice- they served it over crushed ice at the restaurant but unfortunately our refrigerator does not have the space age ice crushing technology that I've heard other fridges have.

This is without a doubt the best burger I have ever eaten (through no particular skill of my own, I might add). It is inspired by a recipe in a Rachel Ray magazine which is an adaptation of the Graze Burger from Graze in Madison, Wisconsin. You were supposed to ask your butcher to grind 1/2 lb of bacon for you (as if we all naturally have our own butchers) but when I asked them to do that at Whole Foods, they stubbornly refused, citing sanitary issues. I got around this issue by cutting up the bacon at home and chopping it very fine in the food processor. The burger is decadent and delicious beyond belief. 1 lb ground sirloin 1/2 lb ground bacon 1/2 lb ground ribeye steak (I got one smaller steak ground and it was closer to 3/4 lb) 2 large onions 4 slices white cheddar 4 slices yellow cheddar 4 eggs 4 pretzel buns (or brioche) Mix all the meats together with your hand to distribute evenly without overworking it. Form into 4 giant patties if you're feeling piggish (whic...

I absolutely love posole (and pretty much all Mexican cuisine) but the preparation can be time consuming. I decided to try a quick version (title courtesy of Leksa) and it turned out to be delicious.  Some heat on a cold day... 6 cups chicken broth 1 large can hominy, drained and rinsed 1 jar Frontera Guajillo Salsa 2 t guajillo chili powder (available in ethnic grocery stores) 2 cups shredded leftover roast or rotisserie chicken Heat all ingredients together thoroughly and serve with your favorite accompaniments: small diced radishes shredded lettuce or diced cabbage small dice red onion crushed tortilla chips (I like the blue ones for visual gratification) crumbled añejo cheese, or ricotta salata (or any cheese you like, for that matter) limes

This is our health drink- all that vitamin C to ward off evil germs... The Paloma is adapted from Bon Appetit. salt the rim of a glass 1 t agave syrup juice of 1/2 large lime Mix these in your salted glass. Add ice and then: 1 1/2 oz. tequila 3 or 4 oz. grapefruit juice (Simply Pure is very good)

This festive dessert is sweet and tart at the same time; it is adapted from Fine Cooking magazine but I think that next time I make it, I will make it in a 9" square pan lined with oiled parchment and cut it into bars for a bite size dessert you can pick up. For the cranberry filling : 12 oz. fresh cranberries 1 cup sugar 2 T fresh lemon juice 3 T apricot jam Combine cranberries, sugar, lemon juice and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. The cranberries will pop and spit so watch out. The mixture should be syrupy. Add the apricot jam and let this cool completely (I made this the day before making the tart). For the shortbread : 1 cup sliced blanched almonds 9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 c plus 2 T fine yellow cornmeal (1 3/4 oz.) 1/2 t kosher salt 1 cup sugar zest from one lemon 1 t vanilla 1 egg yolk 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened In...

This is a great dish to make with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving or leftover roasted chicken anytime. My mom does an incredible Thanksgiving dinner each year and without a doubt, the leftover gravy is the most precious commodity; my brother and I are in a shameless competition when packing up leftovers at the end of the night-- whoever is crafty and quick enough takes home the most gravy. If you can get your hands on some of the gravy, it will make a tasty addition to the pie mixture. It's the ultimate in cold weather comfort food and the mashed potato part is an excellent side dish as well. The recipe is adapted from Rachel Ray. For the potatoes : 2 1/2 to 3 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into fourths 1- 5 oz. package garlic and herb Boursin cheese 1/2 stick butter about 3/4 cup milk salt and pepper 2 egg yolks Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 20-25 minutes or until very very soft. Drain and add all the ingredients except the egg yolks. Mix with a hand mixe...

This quick bread is deliciously moist, not too sweet and a little tart. It is adapted from The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum ; I also own The Pie and Pastry Bible and both books are incredible. She is a very particular baker and gives detailed explanations as to the whys and what-fors.  When I saw in this recipe that she wants you to cut the cranberries in half, I seriously balked. But after reading the explanation (so the cranberries don't burst and lose their shape and also so that they absorb the sugar from the batter), I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. I suppose if Rose tells you to cut the cranberries in half, you cut them in half! I plopped myself down in front of the t.v. with my cranberries and found that this task took about 10 minutes--not even enough time to watch anything. I think it's worth the effort. This bread is better the day after it's baked. If you have a kitchen scale, I recommend using the weight measurements. 3/4 cup walnuts, ...

Isn't it irritating how magazines use fake food and food stylists so that then your finished product never even slightly resembles the photo? This dessert was actually prettier than the photo!  Woo hoo!!!! The recipe is ever so slightly adapted from Fine Cooking. For the Crust : 6 oz. chocolate wafers 2 T sugar 5 T unsalted butter, melted Finely crush the cookies in a food processor; add the sugar and butter and pulse until well-mixed. Press the crumbs into a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom and bake at 350º for 8 minutes. For the Cherry Swirl : 3/4 cup pitted sweet cherries (I used frozen Bing cherries) 3 T cherry jam 1 T kirsch Puree in a blender; transfer to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly, about 7 or 8 minutes. Stir in the kirsch. For the Filling : 12 oz. cream cheese, softened 4 oz. sour cream, room temp. 1/3 cup sugar 1 T flour 1 t vanilla 1/2 t kosher salt 2 eggs, room temp. Reduce oven heat t...

Clearly, forming a pretzel knot is not my strength but nonetheless, these were pure heaven. They taste like a certain mall pretzel but without the gross fake butter flavor. The recipe is adapted from foodnetwork.com. 1 cup milk scant 2 t instant yeast 3 T packed light brown sugar 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 T butter, diced plus about 4-6 T butter melted for brushing on the finished pretzels 1 t fine sea salt coarse salt or pretzel salt for sprinkling before baking 1/3 cup baking soda 3 cups warm water Mix the flour, salt, yeast and brown sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Warm the milk and butter in a small  saucepan until it bubbles around the edges.  When the milk is still very warm but not scalding (use your finger-- if you don't sustain third degree burns, it's ready to use) add it to the flour mixture and mix with the dough hook for about 5 minutes. The dough should stick to the bottom of the bowl but not the sides; it will be soft and tacky. Put the dough i...

My lovely daughter made this delightful beverage for us recently- it's gorgeous to look at and even better to drink. The recipe is adapted from Epicurious. I recently bought rye whiskey for these drinks though I have no idea whether it tastes any different from bourbon whiskey. The original recipe has a one to one proportion of whiskey to sour mix but I found that to be a little too strong so I put about 3 oz. sour mix for every 2 oz. of whiskey. 2 oz. rye or bourbon whiskey 2 oz. - 4 oz. sweet and sour mix (recipe follows), depending upon whether you like your whiskey drinks as strong as you like your men red wine Combine the whiskey and sour mix over ice. Float a little red wine on top of the drink by gently pouring it over the back of a spoon. Garnish with a cherry. Sweet and Sour Mix : equal parts lemon juice (fresh, please) and simple syrup Simple Syrup : equal parts sugar and water; melt the sugar in the water over low heat until it is completely dissolved

This recipe comes from my sister-in-law Caroline (still waiting for some guest posts, by the way...); it is divine. I personally feel that one need not ever purchase bland pre-made hummus as long as "one" keeps a few cans of chickpeas, a working food processor and some tahini around the house. I sometimes like to top the hummus with drained giardinera, paprika and olive oil (which I learned from a Lebanese woman during a cultural fair at my son's school). 2 cans garbanzo beans, drained 1/2 cup tahini, well-stirred juice of 2 lemons 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 1/2 t salt 1-2 t cumin (to taste) 1/3 cup warm water 1/3 cup best quality extra-virgin olive oil Combine everything in the food processor except the oil and water; process until pasty and then add the water followed by the oil through the tube while machine is running. Top with EVOO (be generous here!), chopped parsley and paprika (or giardinera if you like that) and serve with pita bread or pita chips. ...

I LOVE having different soups in the winter; this is adapted from Fine Cooking magazine. 2 T olive oil 2 ribs of celery, sliced 1 onion, chopped 1 cup frozen corn 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (whatever you have from a leftover roast chicken) 1/2 cup orzo 1/4 cup chopped parsley 3 T lemon juice 2 quarts chicken broth or homemade chicken stock (preferred) vegeta or chicken bouillon, to taste white pepper, to taste Saute the celery and onion in the olive oil until softened, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the chicken stock, seasonings and corn; bring to a boil and add orzo. Reduce heat and cook orzo according to package directions for al dente. Add the chicken, lemon juice and parsley and heat through; taste and add more salt/vegeta and pepper as needed.  The pasta will really plump up the longer it sits. Easy peasy. Note: the directions in the magazine would have you cook the orzo separately and then put the cooked pasta into the soup-- because I don't like doing dishe...

This recipe came to me through my friend Mary and it is a beloved stand-by in our house.  I always have tomato paste on hand and the meatballs are very easy to make. You can also purchase meatballs to save time. I usually double it and freeze a batch to have on some lazy winter day. For the meatballs : 2 lb ground turkey or ground sirloin (I prefer turkey) 1 egg 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/2 grated parmesan cheese 1 t garlic salt 2 T chopped parsley Mix all ingredients gently and form into 2" balls. Bake at 375º for about 10-12 minutes. They don't need to be cooked completely through as they will continue to cook in the sauce. This makes a lot of meatballs; I usually either use half and freeze the rest or double the sauce recipe and use all the meatballs. It depends if you like lots and lots of meatballs or prefer a less meaty sauce. For the sauce : 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, chopped 6 cloves of garlic, minced pinch of crushed red pepper 3 t salt 4...

This recipe is from Bon Appetit; the main thing I changed is the baking time (original is way too long). Crust : 1 cup flour 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 t salt 1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced 1 cup pecan halves 2/3 cup oats In a food processor, pulse the first four ingredients until coarse meal forms. Add the pecans and oats and pulse until incorporated. Butter a 9X9 metal baking pan. Press 3 1/2 cups of the crumbs into the pan and bake at 350º for about 15 minutes until golden. Watch the crust carefully because it's not good when over-baked. Keep the food processor out for the filling (you don't need to wash it). On a rimmed baking sheet, bake the remaining crumbs for about 10-12 minutes, stirring once. Filling : 8 oz. cream cheese softened 1 egg 3/4 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup sugar 1 t cinnamon 1/4 t ground ginger (or more if you like a lot) Pour filling over crust and spread as evenly as possible; bake for 20 minutes (the sides should start to rise a bi...

This recipe is adapted from Emeril; I like to use Italian turkey sausage but you can use regular Italian sausage if you like- either one will be delicious. 1 large butternut squash 2 T veg oil 1/2 lb Italian sausage (spicy or mild), crumbled and cooked 1 yellow onion, chopped 6 cloves of garlic, minced 1 T chopped fresh sage (if you like sage) 6 cups chicken stock 1 t cider vinegar 1/2 cup heavy cream Preheat oven to 400º. Bake the squash until very soft in the thickest part (about 45 minutes). Let cool and scoop out the squash stuff (getting rid of the seeds and stringy business). In a large pot, heat the oil and cook the onions for about 6 minutes until soft; add the garlic and sage and cook for a minute or so. Add the chicken stock and squash and bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and vegeta (optional) or a good chicken bouillon. With an immersion blender, blend the soup until nice and smooth.  Add the sausage, ...

This is adapted from Giada De Laurentis; super delicious and easy. You could make it vegetarian by leaving out the bacon (duh!) and using vegetable broth rather than chicken. I was just thinking that maybe you could do a dessert pumpkin risotto pudding using milk, sugar and cinnamon.... hmmmm.... something to try soon. 4-5 cups chicken broth 1 cup canned pumpkin 4 slices bacon, chopped, cooked and drained on paper towels 2 T butter 1 leek, white and pale green parts sliced thinly 1 t kosher salt pepper 1 1/2 Arborio rice 2/3 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 1/4 cup chopped parsley 1 oz. cream cheese, softened Whisk together 4 cups of broth and the pumpkin and heat to simmer. Reduce to low and keep the broth warm. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and cook the leek and 1 t salt until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute.  Add the wine and simmer until wine is almost completely absorbed- about 2 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup p...

This recipe is adapted from Bon Appetit; the bars are actually better the next day after making them (although delicious warm out of the oven as well).  A bit of work but worth it... For the crust : 3 sticks unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 3 cups flour 1/2 t kosher salt Preheat the oven to 375º and line a 12 X 17 rimmed baking sheet (a half-sheet pan) with parchment paper. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes) and add in the flour and salt at low speed just until a soft dough forms. Press into the prepared pan- this part is fussy and it will seem as though there is not enough dough. Bake for 20 minutes until the crust is light golden. For the filling : 12-14 tart, firm apples- about 6 lbs (I used Zestar and Honeycrisp but the instructions say to use Granny Smith), peeled and thinly sliced 6 T butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 T cinnamon a good squeeze of lemon In two large skillets (or you can do this in two batches), melt 3 T of ...

This recipe comes from my friend Mindy; you can use pork if you like that better. It's delicious and easy. 3 -3 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (don't be tempted to use chicken breast- I've tried it and it's dry and tasteless) 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 T chili powder 2 t Worcestershire sauce 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 can tomato paste 1/4 c cider vinegar 2 t salt 1 t dry mustard optional: crushed red pepper or some other hot sauce if you like it spicy Mix everything but the chicken in a crock pot; add the chicken thighs and stir to coat. Cook on low for about 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and serve on a bun with coleslaw.

The recipe for the tomato-pepper jam comes from my friend Lee who is an extraordinary cook that grows all her own vegetables to boot. The jam recipe makes a lot so I've been trying to think of ways to use it; it is good over goat cheese served with crackers or baguette slices as well as on turkey burgers. For these tartines, use a delicious and hearty bread such as a multi-grain from Labriola Bakery (or whatever good artisan bakery you have locally). For the jam : 1 lb red tomatoes, blanched for 1 minute and peeled 5 Fresno chiles, roughly chopped 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar, divided 1/4 t salt 1 package Pomona's Universal Pectin Chop the tomatoes and place in a saucepan with the chiles, 1 cup sugar, salt and vinegar. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes. Follow the instructions on the Pomona's box to make calcium water. Combine 1 t pectin powder with 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. After the tomatoes have cooked for 20 minutes, add 1 t calciu...

My Dad has become a rather awesome cook in his retirement; this is one of his specialties that is always a hit. It's very easy and you get to use your crock-pot! Yay!! 1 3 lb beef roast (anything is fine-just not too gristly) 1 packet Italian dressing seasoning 3 cups beef broth 2 t vegeta (optional) 1 jar giardiniera* sturdy rolls Put all these things in a crock pot and cook on low all day (8-10 hours); shred meat with a fork and serve on rolls. * My Dad puts the entire jar of giardiniera in (oil and all) and I can tell you that it's phenomenal! I, however, can't bring myself to dump all that oil in there so I either drain it before putting it in the crock pot or I leave it out entirely and we add it individually. This way those of us who don't like it can skip it and those of us who do can load it on like crazy. Sliced pepperocinis are also good on these sandwiches.

Creamy goodness.... 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 1 large onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, chopped 2 celery stalks 1 T butter 2 T olive oil 4 (or more) cups chicken broth 1 bottle of ale 2 t vegeta (a bouillon-like seasoning-- use a granular but high-quality chicken bouillon if you can't get vegeta) 1 cup milk 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (medium or sharp) salt and white pepper to taste Melt butter along with the olive oil and add the onions, garlic and celery. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until well-softened.  Add the potatoes, increase heat and stir until coated. Add the chicken broth and the ale plus 1 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, reduce heat and cover. Cook for 30 minutes (potatoes should be very soft). Blend with an immersion blender (or in a regular blender) until smooth. Add the vegeta and then the milk and simmer until heated through. Throw in the cheese; after the cheese is melted, add a bit of white pepper and ...

This is a family favorite, a very cake-like bread. The recipe is adapted from Bon Appétit magazine which originally calls for ground cloves (which I absolutely can't tolerate) and walnuts (which I love but for some reason not in this particular recipe). Feel free to add them or chocolate chips if you like; we, however, are pumpkin purists. 2 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 16-oz. Libby's solid pack pumpkin 3 cups flour 1 t ground cinnamon 1 t pumpkin pie spice (I use McCormick because it doesn't have the hated cloves) 1 t baking soda 1/2 t salt 1/2 t baking powder Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly oil 2- 9X5 loaf pans. Beat sugar and oil to combine and add in eggs and pumpkin. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined (do not over beat). Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, depending on your oven. The center should be firm and a tester comes out clean. This is best eaten the following day....

Chicken pot pie... it conjures up images of trailer parks and t.v. dinners. I loved pot pies as a kid- we always had Swanson; my brother and I would inevitably sustain 3rd degree burns over our tongues and the roof of our mouths from eating it straight out of the oven.  I loved! how the bottom crust was always a little gummy. I have seen many recipes for fancy pot pies involving things like snow peas and chanterelle mushrooms but by golly, what I really wanted was a GOOD version of a Swanson pot pie with uniformly diced carrots and potatoes. This is absolute comfort food- get your sweat pants on, park yourself in front of the t.v. and dig in! I save the drippings from when I roast the chicken, refrigerate overnight and take the fat off the top; this pan jelly, as it's known, is a delicious flavor boost for the pot pie which would otherwise be bland. If you don't roast your own chicken for this recipe, you will have to use something else-- I've seen these flavor b...

This is a free-form version of the heavier, more traditional eggplant parmesan; it is adapted from Food and Wine magazine. The tomatoes and eggplant are lightly brushed with olive oil and grilled; then the meal is assembled on a rimmed baking sheet. I realize my photo leaves a lot to be desired, but the meal was fabulous. 1 large eggplant, sliced in 1/4" slices 3 medium tomatoes, sliced in 1/4" slices EVOO for brushing the veg coarse salt and pepper 3 Calabrian chilies packed in oil , chopped into little pieces 1/4 cup sliced black olives 1- 4oz. ball fresh mozzarella 1/3 cup shredded parmesan optional: a smidge of leftover fontina found in your deli drawer, sliced or cubed Brush the eggplant slices lightly with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill over high heat on a grill pan for about 5-7 minutes per side (until nicely browned but not falling apart). I had to do this in two batches. Arrange half the eggplant in a square shape, slightly overlappin...

This is a wonderfully hearty vegetarian soup; excuse the messy picture please!  The recipe is adapted from Food and Wine magazine. The original recipe had zucchini in it which I put in the soup, but I didn't like how it got mushy and watery tasting. Maybe green beans would be a good substitute or perhaps spinach?? Surprisingly delicous and simple... 1/8 cup EVOO 1 onion, chopped 1 1/2 lbs mushrooms, baby bellas and white button (or your favorite blend) 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/8 cup sweet Hungarian paprika 1/2 T hot Hungarian paprika 1 14 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 Yukon Gold potato, diced 4 cups vegetable broth 1 bay leaf Cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and a hearty pinch of salt and cook over high heat until the mushrooms are nicely browned and the juices released have thickened somewhat (so that it's not watery in the pot but rather gravy-like). Add the paprikas and stir for a minute ...

Another hit from Julie; pure deliciousness... pitted dates softened cream cheese bacon Put a small amount of softened cream cheese in each date. Cut the bacon slices in half and wrap each date in the bacon, placing it seam side down on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 375º for about 40 minutes or until bacon is crisp. I bet an almond jammed in there along with the cream cheese would be good too.

I will be the first to admit that our go-to birthday cake is lovingly known in our house as "puddin' cake" which consists of a box cake along with a box of vanilla instant pudding. It goes against everything I believe in to use a "box" anything but damn! that cake is good-- moist and unnaturally yellow in color. However, I draw the line at canned frosting... it's just wrong and not good and wrong. Please try this recipe- it is so easy and only uses one pan!  You'll never return to the canned stuff, I promise!! 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate 3 T cocoa powder (nothing fancy- just regular cocoa) 3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar (depending on how sweet and soft you want the frosting) 3/4 cup sour cream In a large enough saucepan over low heat, melt the butter along with the chocolate and cocoa powder, stirring with a heatproof rubber scraper. When it is smooth, remove from heat and whisk in most of the powdered sugar; I onl...

I LOVE pumpkin in just about any form; this chili is the perfect fall food and is actually very healthy. I like to serve this with Zucchini Cornbread and a nice cold beer. You can add cheese on top if you want but it doesn't even need it. This recipe was given to my friend Julie (as in Power Muffin Julie) and she modified it a bit; the only change I made was to use chicken broth rather than water. It is ridiculously easy to make;  I usually double the recipe-- the leftovers (if there are any) freeze well. 1 lb Italian chicken or turkey sausage (I like spicy from Whole Foods), casing removed 1 T olive oil 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree 1 cup chunky style salsa (see note at the end about salsa) 1 cup chicken broth In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the sausage; fry over high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes to let the flavors m...

This recipe comes from my sister-in-law Caroline who makes the best salads ever! This is a great way to use up leftover stale French or Italian bread and a delicious way to enjoy summer tomatoes. Though I've given precise measurements, they should be used as guide- a little more or less of anything is fine. You can also improvise and add cucumber, black olives, green onion, fresh mozzarella... whatever sounds good. 2 cups bread cubes 2 garlic cloves, chopped 3 T extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes minced basil 1/2 T balsamic or red wine vinegar salt and pepper to taste Put 1 T EVOO in a bowl along with the vinegar and whisk. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil and let sit while you prepare the bread. You want the tomatoes to release their juices. In a frying pan, heat the remaining 2 T oil and cook the garlic until softened (just a few minutes); remove with a slotted spoon and add to the tomatoes. To the heated oil, add the bread cubes and...

And the crowd goes wild..... For the dressing : 3 oz. extra-virgin olive oil 2 T white wine vinegar 1 T drained capers 1/2 cup Italian parsley, washed and dried 1/2 t salt freshly ground pepper Puree all the ingredients in a small food processor or mini-blender except the EVOO until coarsely chopped. Add the EVOO in a steady stream.  I don't know why you have to do it this way- next time I make this I'll probably just blend it all at the same time-- what's the worst that could happen?? For the salad : 3 cans white beans (I used Goya small white but you can use Cannellini), drained and rinsed 7 or 8 radishes, sliced very thinly 2 green onions, sliced 1 small can sliced black olives Mix all the ingredients along with the dressing; you could always add a can of tuna to this or some leftover sliced chicken to turn it into a more substantial meal. Adapted from Bon Appetit.

Guest Post by Favorite Daughter Leksa I was looking for the perfect granola bar recipe: I wanted something healthy, that I could take on the road, and easy to make. I found a great recipe on The Minimalist Baker . I basically stuck to her original recipe, which can be found here . I didn't have dates, so I used dried cranberries and cherries instead. I also added some chocolate chips. The end result is a tasty and very healthy bar that makes a satisfying snack or light breakfast. Ingredients 1 cup dried fruit (I used 1/2 cranberries and 1/2 cherries) 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup salted peanut butter 1 cup roasted almonds, loosely chopped 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1/4 cup chocolate chips any other optional add-ins Heat oven to 350 degrees and toast the oats spread out on a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes, shaking the pan a bit once or twice. Food process the dried fruit until it's in really small pieces- it forms a sort of paste. Put the honey and peanut butter in a smal...

I consider this to be the king of salads- totally old school, definitely not diet food.  I could have probably hunted down a large game animal, field dressed it, smoked it and made sausage out of it in less time than it takes to make this salad, but heck- it's worth every second of prep work! This is adapted from Food and Wine magazine. You could always save time by buying the dressing of your choice rather than making it. You can do this on one large platter or on individual plates- I won't give you specific amounts for the salad ingredients- just use what you need to fill the rows. For the dressing : 1 Vidalia onion, peeled, cut into quarters and lightly brushed with EVOO 4 garlic cloves (I used already peeled ones and wrapped them in foil) 3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil 1/4 cup cider vinegar 2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 t kosher salt freshly ground pepper Preheat oven to 425º and roast the onion and garlic together; take out the garlic after 30 minute...

This is adapted from Rachel Ray's magazine. They make a nice appetizer or you can serve them over rice or an Asian noodle dish. 1/2 cup lime juice 1/4 cup light brown sugar 2 shallots, finely chopped 4 scallions, sliced 2 minced jalapenos or serranos 1 T fish sauce 1 T soy sauce 2 cloves of garlic, pressed 1 t sesame oil 4 t canola oil salt and pepper to taste 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined Whisk together all the ingredients except the shrimp. Put 1/2 cup of the marinade over the shrimp and reserve the rest separately. Let this marinade for at least 30 minutes (mine sat in the fridge for about 3 hours). Grill the shrimp over high heat about 2 minutes per side. Drizzle with the reserved marinade (the stuff you set aside- untainted by the raw shrimp).

Finely chopped parsley is a challenge for me-- my knife skills are non-existent; I'm afraid of sharp knives so I basically use the equivalent of kitchen putty knives. I tried using the food processor but it turned the parsley into green mush so I used the IKEA version of the  herb chopper thingy . In any event, this salad, adapted from  Jerusalem , is delicious, fresh and lemony; it is worth the annoying chopping process.  The original recipe also calls for chopped fresh mint which I'm not crazy about but if you like it, by all means add it to the salad. 1/2 cup fine bulgur wheat 2 large tomatoes or one basket of cherry tomatoes, chopped 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and small diced 2 green onions, sliced 1 shallot, chopped fine 2 large bunches parsley, chopped fine (the recipe calls for 4 but I ran out of steam after chopping 2) 4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice 4 T EVOO 1 t  Baharat spice mix 1/4 t ground allspice salt and pepper to taste 3 oz. feta...

Since there are really only two key ingredients to this salad, I recommend using the sweetest sweet corn you can find (definitely not frozen) and homegrown tomatoes if possible (or the nearest thing approximating homegrown such as farmer's market tomatoes). 3 ears sweetest sweet corn, husked and grilled for about 10-12 minutes (turning frequently) and cooled 3 tomatoes, preferably three different colors (I used a green zebra, an orange colored-tomato and a red brandywine) 4 fresh basil leaves (or to taste- I think too much basil can overpower other flavors so I like to use just a little), cut into a chiffonade (love an excuse to use that word) 2 green onions, white and green parts sliced thin 1 T sherry vinegar 2 T EVOO about 1/2 t Dijon mustard salt and freshly ground pepper to taste In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar, Dijon and EVOO along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cut the corn off the cob (I did this directly into the bowl with the dressing so as to avoid ma...