In A Nutshell

I find that chicken chili recipes tend to be a bit bland and watery; however, I thought this was particularly delicious--the tortilla pieces cooked into the chili serve not only to thicken but also add flavor. It helps to have good toppings as well. This is adapted from the Food Network magazine. 2 T EVOO 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 jalapeño pepper, small diced 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced 1 T ground cumin 1 t ground coriander 1 t dried Mexican oregano 1/4 t ground allspice 2 lbs ground chicken thigh 2- 15 oz. cans white navy beans with their liquid 2 cups chicken broth 3 corn tortillas, cut into small pieces 1 bunch cilantro, chopped For toppings: corn salsa or plain corn pickled jalapeño slices shredded cheese sliced radishes avocado lime cilantro sour cream whatever else you can think of that you like Sauté the onion, garlic, both peppers and all the spices for about 5 minutes or so over medium heat. Add the chicken and 1 1/2 te...

I only ever make this salad for the holidays (and only if my niece Abby is coming, who once as a child told me she loved the salad and is now under a lifetime obligation to continue loving it!). It's creamy and fattening and good and I can't get enough of it... it's very dangerous for the waistline! This should be made the day you are planning to serve it. 3-4 lbs green grapes 8 oz. cream cheese, well-softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 t vanilla 8 oz. sour cream Mix all the ingredients together until well-blended (except the grapes) in a large bowl and stir in the grapes. Top with: 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans

This recipe comes from my neighbor Jen; they are guaranteed to be a HUGE hit with everyone. I served them several times over the holidays and people couldn't get enough of them. You could fancy them up a little by putting a dollop of sour cream or guacamole on top. 1 lb ground pork, browned and drained 1 fresno pepper, very small diced small can of chopped black olives 1/2 package of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 6 oz.) buttermilk ranch dressing  Tostitos scoops Mix all ingredients, using enough buttermilk ranch dressing to moisten the mixture. Scoop the sausage mixture into to the tortilla scoops and bake in a 375º oven for 8 minutes.

This recipe is adapted from The Kitchen is My Playground ; I like to make the caramel sauce myself (the best caramel recipe ever!!! from The Pie and Pastry Bible ) rather than use the candies and also I leave off the chocolate drizzle from the original recipe because it seems downright superfluous. A sprinkle of Maldon flaked sea salt takes these to beautiful and dizzying heights! The leftover caramel sauce is great on ice cream. Cookie : 1 cup flour 1/3 c cocoa powder- (I like Valrhona) 1/4 t salt 8 T (4 oz.) unsalted butter, softened 2/3 cup sugar 1 large egg, separated plus one additional egg white 2 T milk 1 t vanilla 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped Combine the flour, cocoa and salt (being lazy, I skip this step-- but this is what you're supposed to do). Beat butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy- this takes a few minutes. Add the egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Add the dry mixture and mix until combined. Form the dough into a ball and refrigerate for 1 ho...

I really wanted to post this before Christmas as it is a rather festive holiday cocktail, but it's o.k. to drink it any time of year! This recipe requires blueberry juice which I buy in an ethnic grocery-- it shouldn't be too hard to find. 2 oz. pear vodka 1 oz. St. Germaine 1 oz. sweet and sour mix (which consists of equal parts of lemon juice and simple syrup) 2 oz. blueberry juice 1 egg white, room temperature a dash of rhubarb bitters Combine everything except the bitters in a shaker full of ice and shake vigorously with enthusiasm. Strain into the prettiest cocktail glass you have and add a dash of bitters.

I had never eaten persimmons before and discovered that they are rather delightful though a little strange because they are reminiscent of tomatoes in texture and appearance. This is a delicious flavor combination-- I will have to remember to use the crisp prosciutto in other recipes as well. Unlike most salads, this is quite good the next day as well (although if you plan to make enough for multiple days, only add hazelnuts and prosciutto to what you are using right away). Adapted from Epicurious.com 3 oz. prosciutto 1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped 1/4 cup plus 2 T fresh lime juice 1 t Dijon mustard 1 T finely chopped shallot 1 t honey 1 small garlic clove, pressed 1 t salt freshly ground pepper 3/4 cup EVOO 2 bunches of kale, stemmed and thinly sliced 2 Fuyu persimmons, halved and thinly sliced goat cheese crumbles Preheat oven to 350º. Lay out prosciutto in one layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until crisp, around 20 minutes or so. Let it completely c...