In A Nutshell

This is one of my favorite sandwiches ever; I LOVE the tapenade and all the cured meats. It's a great sandwich to take on a picnic because it's actually better when the tapenade soaks into the bread a bit. You need to ask for the meats to be sliced really really thin. I like to use the Trader Joe's tapenade found in the refrigerator section; I also used some artichoke tapenade from a jar in this sandwich although I think next time I will stick to only the olive. 1 round loaf of Italian bread (about 1 1/2 lbs) 2 oz. very very thinly sliced mortadella 2 oz. very thinly sliced smoked ham (such as Tavern or Black Forest) 2 oz. thinly sliced Genoa or hard salami 2 oz. very thinly sliced capicola sliced provolone cheese olive tapenade (artichoke as well if you want to add it) sliced red onion Slice the loaf horizontally and hollow out the top (you can use that bread for fresh bread crumbs or bread salad... don't throw it out!). Put a layer of tapenade on the bot

This ice cream is definitely for bourbon lovers, not for the faint of heart or children (unless said children are bourbon lovers). I think this would be fabulous with pumpkin pie or sweet potato cake. This is another recipe from Jeni's Ice Cream.   I don't think I will ever need to look at another ice cream recipe book again. For the buttered pecans : 3/4 cup pecans 1 T unsalted butter, melted 1/2 t fine sea salt Combine ingredients and bake in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350º for about 10-15 minutes, stirring once. Let cool and coarsely chop. For the ice cream : 2 cups whole milk 1 T plus 1 t cornstarch 3 T cream cheese, softened in a stainless steel bowl (one size smaller than your ice bath) 1 cup heavy cream 2/3 cup sugar 2 T light corn syrup 1 t vanilla bean paste 1/4 cup bourbon Mix about 2 T of the milk with the cornstarch to form a slurry. Fill a large stainless steel bowl with ice and water. Combine the remaining milk, cream, sugar, corn sy

I absolutely LOVE green zebra tomatoes- the chipmunks seem to prefer my red tomatoes so I've had an abundance of these green ones. Normally I would put a bit of basil leaf between the slices but there was a monsoon-like rain yesterday so I skipped going outside to pick basil. tomatoes of different colors (definitely include the green zebra) sliced fresh mozzarella, preferably buffalo top quality extra-virgin olive oil fresh pepper Maldon sea salt Layer and drizzle.

My friend Carol was kind enough to bring me some delicious sour cherries from Door County; it seems impossible to find them around here so it was quite a treat to have a real cherry pie. Double Pie Crust (store bought or homemade ) For the filling : 1 cup sugar 1 T lemon zest 3 T cornstarch 3 lb pitted sour cherries (I love this cherry pitter ) 1 egg beaten with 1 t water for egg wash  Roll out the dough to fit the pie pan and let that rest in the fridge for about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425º. Mix the filling ingredients and load into the pie pan. Roll out the other disc of dough and either do a lattice top or a regular top with a couple of cutouts to vent steam. Brush with the egg wash---you can put coarse sugar over the top if you like. Chill the assembled pie for about 30 minutes to relax the gluten. Place the pie on a foil or parchment lined rimmed baking sheet (it will overflow) and bake on the lowest rack (preferably on a preheated pizza stone) for 30 minutes; cover

This is very fresh, very good with garden tomatoes and garden cucumbers (thanks Mom!). Comes from Rachel Ray magazine. 1 cup quinoa, rinsed 1/4 cup lemon juice 3 T EVOO 1/2 t allspice salt and pepper 1 diced and seeded cucumber 1 cup chopped garden tomatoes 1 large bunch parsley, washed well and finely chopped 5 radishes, small diced 4 green onions, sliced Cook quinoa in salted boiling water for 12 minutes; drain and cool somewhat (I'm never patient enough to wait until it's completely cool) . In a salad bowl whisk the lemon juice with the EVOO, allspice and plenty of salt and pepper. Add the remaining ingredients. This salad is really best eaten the day it's made.

This recipe is adapted ever so slightly from Fine Cooking magazine; I use beef instead of lamb-- it's just a personal preference. I served the kebabs with  quinoa tabbouleh naan and grilled slices of eggplant (I used the leftover grilled eggplant for eggplant caprese salad ). Washed it all down with French rosé (as per the magazine's pairing recommendation). For the spice mix : 1 T ground cumin 1 t dried oregano 1 t sweet paprika 1 t hot paprika 1 t black pepper For the yogurt sauce : 1/2 cup plain or Greek yogurt 1 T pomegranate molasses 2 T chopped mint or parsley 1 t ground sumac (or 1/2 t lemon juice) For the kebabs : 1 lb ground lamb or beef 1 T spice mix 1 plum tomato, seed and finely diced 1/4 cup finely chopped red or white onion 1 t pomegranate molasses 3/4 t kosher salt Mix kebab ingredients together and divide into 8 portions. Press the meat portions around (Pam sprayed) flat skewers (I like to use metal skewers because it seems no matter h

(with a couple of teeny tiny little anchovies)... I would not describe myself as an anchovy fan, frankly they gross me out a little. But... I think they really add a depth of flavor to foods; in this pasta, you would never guess that there are a couple of little anchovies in there.  If you want to do a vegetarian version, leave out the anchovies but bump up the garlic to intensify the flavor. Not the greatest picture but the pasta was absolutely delicious (surprisingly so given the few ingredients). Adapted from Bon Appetit. 2 T butter 2 T extra-virgin olive oil 4 large garlic cloves, sliced hearty pinch of crushed red pepper (optional yet recommended) 2 anchovies 2 lbs garden tomatoes 8 oz. spaghetti mixed chopped herbs of your choice (I used chives and parsley) While the spaghetti is cooking, heat the butter, EVOO, anchovies, CRP and garlic. Cook over medium high heat until the anchovies have broken down (the house will smell delicious at this point!); add the tomatoes

This is another variation in the caprese salad series; it's a great starter and I feel could be eaten as a meal itself with a nice crusty bread. Very delicious and very easy. eggplant tomatoes, sliced buffalo mozzarella (available at Costco or use regular fresh mozzarella), sliced extra-virgin olive oil Maldon sea salt Using a paring knife, cut some narrow strips of skin off of the eggplant lenghtwise (to create a striped pattern). Cut into 3/4" slices and brush both sides with EVOO; sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Grill using a grill pan over high heat for about 5 minutes per side. Let cool to room temp.  Layer the eggplant, mozzarella and tomatoes and drizzle with EVOO. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

I can't even believe how much I LOVED this dish-- it's a fresh to death explosion of delicious flavor. It makes a great entree (throw a fried egg on top to make it more substantial) or can be a loving companion to grilled salmon (in my case, tandoori salmon ). The recipe calls for ordinary curry powder but I can't stand the stuff so I used tandoori spice (a premixed version). I will also give you a recipe for tandoori spice if you would prefer to make it yourself. If you like curry powder, still use the tandoori spice because I like that better. Best of all, the entire recipe, start to finish, takes about a total of 10 minutes! What could be better??? 3 T canola oil 1 small red or white onion, sliced 2 T finely chopped fresh ginger 1 T tandoori spice 1 t garam masala 1/8 t cayenne pepper 1 1/4 t salt 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, preferably Muir Glen fire-roasted (do not drain) 8 oz. baby spinach 1/4 c chopped cilantro

There was a recent Bon Appetit issue that did a page on various "caprese" salads you could make- there are good ideas to get you thinking outside the box. This one was very easy and tasty. red peppers feta cheese extra-virgin olive oil Maldon sea salt Roast the peppers on the grill until charred; put them in a bowl and cover them until they cool. Peel the peppers and layer them on a little plate with feta cheese. Drizzle EVOO over them and some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. A little parsley would be nice on here too- I just happened to run out.

I made two back-to-back pies- one with a lattice crust and one with these cutesie little stars cut out of the pastry. I think I preferred the lattice crust. This recipe is a marriage of  Julia Child's Nectarine and Blueberry Pie recipe with Fine Cooking's Classic Blueberry Pie. I borrowed Julia's technique of cooking half the blueberries on the stove top and then adding the remaining fresh in order to reduce the baking time from 1 hr. 30 minutes to 50 minutes. Also, there was much less filling overflowing with Julia's method. It seems that I am missing the crucial lattice making gene- I am incapable of doing it right no matter how detailed the instructions. Here are some instructions for making a lattice pie crust -- maybe you'll have better luck! The pie is delicious served with Sweet Corn Ice Cream Double Pie Crust Recipe from Smitten Kitchen For the Filling : 6 cups blueberries (30 oz.) 2/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup flour zest of one lemon plus 1 T juice

This salad is stealth delicious. The flavor combination is simple yet perfectly balanced. It is adapted from Fine Cooking. 5 oz. arugula (I also threw in a handful of baby spinach because I had only a 4 oz. bag of arugula) 2 dark plums, cut into wedges 2 T EVOO 1 1/2 T white wine vinegar good pinch of salt 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly toasted slivered almonds crumbled feta Whisk the EVOO, vinegar and salt in a bowl. Add the red onion and let it macerate for about 10-15 minutes to take the bite out of it. Add the remaining ingredients and toss.

The recipe is ever so slightly adapted from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home which is indeed a splendid book. There are a lot of unusual flavors but what I love is that she gives you a great base with which to work and many good ideas to come up with your own flavors and combos. Use good quality milk and cream- it really does make a difference. Give yourself two days for chilling time. This ice cream goes really well with  Blueberry Pie (or any blueberry cake); it also goes well with Smitten Kitchen's Cherry Cornmeal Cake (in this case I leave out the blueberry swirl). 1 ear sweet corn, husked 2 cups whole milk 1 cup (half pint) heavy cream 1 T plus 1 t cornstarch 3 T cream cheese, softened 2/3 cup sugar 2 T Karo light corn syrup 1 T vodka Blueberry Sauce (recipe follows) Have ready a large stainless steel bowl of ice water. Put the cream cheese in a medium stainless steel bowl. In a small bowl, mix about 2 T of milk with the cornstarch and set aside.

I had told my good friend Julie about making these shrimp and how the recipe advised using a cazuela; not having one, I used my trusty cast iron skillet, but lo and behold-- Julie gave me a cazuela for my birthday! So the next time I make this it will be in my brand new, beautiful cazuela. Thank you Julie! Adapted from Saveur magazine. 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 10 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 4-6 fresh red Thai chiles (I couldn't find these fresh so I used Fresno peppers and chopped them) 1 1/2 lb raw medium shrimp, peeled and with the tails removed (I forgot to follow this direction) 2 T chopped parsley good crusty bread for dipping into the yummy, garlicky, shrimpy oil Heat the cazuela or large cast iron pan on the grill over high heat; add the EVOO, garlic and chiles. Cook until garlic is fragrant. Add the shrimp, salt and pepper and cook, stirring until shrimp are no longer pink (2-3 minutes). Stir in the parsley and serve with the best bread you can find a

A very flavorful chicken marinade- the leftover grilled chicken works really well chopped up in quesadillas or salad with a Latin flair. This quantity of marinade was enough for 4 chicken breasts. 2 T EVOO 1 T Maggi sauce 1 t chili powder (I used McCormick) 2 T lime juice 1/4 t chipotle flakes 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 t salt Whisk marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight. Grill over medium high heat for around 6 minutes per side, depending upon how thick the chicken breasts are.