Rosemary Nuts w/a Pinch of Sass

My friend Jenny walked in the door last night, and I began to babble on about the nuts ... did she bring the nuts? ... oh, I love those nuts ... they are nuts like no other nuts ... on and on. Did I take her coat, give her a holiday hug? I don't know. I can't recall. The presence of the special holiday nuts had captured me. I wait for them every year.

And Jenny has a special knack with them. Hers are perfect every time. I tend to try to overcook and overwork them. Here is the recipe so that you, too, may be addicted and mindless of all else except whether there are nuts ... when will you have the nuts again ... has anyone seen the nuts? 

Jenny's Special Rosemary Mixed Nuts

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Tbsp fresh, minced rosemary

1 1/2 tsp.  salt

1/2 tsp.  cayenne (the sass) to taste

3 cups mixed nuts (pecans, almonds are best; add in some hazelnuts and cashews if you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt rosemary with butter, salt, and cayenne.  Spread nuts on cookie sheet and pour mixture over them, tossing to coat. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Tips from me to you

• If you use salted butter or salted nuts, scale the salt w-a-a-a-y back. 
  
• They won't look done, but they are. If you overcook them, it won't  be pretty.
  
• You can TRY to make large batches of this, but it really works best in smaller ones.
  

"I Just Don't Want to Deal With That"

Okay, so I must not be a true gourmet. I stared at the emaciated carcass of Thanksgiving's darling in the refrigerator for three days, knowing I should make a delicious, homespun stock ... and putting it off. Finally, I bolted for a trash sack, flung the turkey bones into it, and rushed it out to the garage, muttering under my breath, "I just don't want to deal with that."

To make myself feel better about not maximizing my leftovers, I adapted Ina Garten's chicken pot pie recipe for turkey. (I say I "adapted." Read: turkey=chicken.) I am afraid of pie crust, and Cook's Illustrated rated Pillsbury pie crust (sold in rolls) as close to homemade. That's what I use. Here is the recipe:

Turkey Pot Pies

4-6 cups of cubed turkey meat

Kosher salt

Black pepper

5 cups chicken stock

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 1/2 sticks butter (ouch!)

2 chopped onions

3/4 cup flour

1/4 cup half and half (it's just a quarter cup; don't stress)

2 cups medium-diced carrots

2 cups frozen peas

1 1/2 cups frozen pearl onions

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

4 Pillsbury pie crusts, cut to fit your dish or ramekins

Egg wash: 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon water (whisk)

Preheat oven to 375. Heat stock and bouillon in small saucepan. In a large pot or Dutch oven,  melt butter and saute onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes. Add flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add hot chicken stock to sauce. Simmer 1 minute until thick. Add 2 tsp salt, pepper and half and half. Add turkey, carrots, peas, onions, parsley. Mix well. 

Butter ramekins or oven-proof bowls. You could also just use a pie plate. Cut pie crusts to fit (big on bottom, only slightly bigger than container for top). Place bottom piece of dough in container. Fill with turkey mixture. Overlay with pie crust top. Crimp edges together. Brush with egg wash. Vent with fork. 

Place on baking sheet and bake for one hour or until top is golden brown and filling bubbles.

Gobble, gobble!

I have a chicken. Now what?

We got in late one Sunday afternoon, tired and hungry with little desire to go out, but even less desire to cook. I reviewed my one available main ingredient: rotisserie chicken. Now what?

I did a search on epicurious.com for "rotisserie chicken," and this little gem popped up. We just happened to have the other ingredients, so I gave it a try. The recipe sounds a little odd, and it is NOT lowfat (a whole bag of tortilla chips!), but it WAS very good. And easy.

Chicken and Chilaquiles and Salsa Verde

1 cup sour cream

3-4 Tbsp milk

1 3/4 cups Mexican salsa verde (green stuff, for those of you who will call me!)

1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 oz)

2 1/2 to 3 cups coarsely shredded chicken (rotisserie fine)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

6 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips (not low-fat, baked, or flavored), plus broken chips remaining in bag (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup crumbled feta (2 oz)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Stir together sour cream and milk to get a thick, pourable consistency.

Bring salsa and broth to boil in a heavy pot over moderately high heat. Add chicken, salt and pepper and cook until chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in 6 cups of crushed tortilla chips. Cook about one minute until chips are softened but not mushy. 

Transfer chilaquiles to plates. Sprinkle with feta, cilantro, and the 1 cup of broken chips. Drizzle with sour cream mixture. (Gourmet, 2005)

About the Recipe:

• Make sure not to stir the mixture too hard after you add the chips. It can turn to mush fast (tasty mush, though). 
  
• You really don't have to add the milk to the sour cream mixture if you don't want to. A dollop on top would be just as good. 
  
• I would layer the bottom of a serving bowl with tortilla chips and then serve the chilaquiles mixture on top of them. It looks pretty, and you can kind of scoop it like taco salad.
  
• You really do need all of the toppings to get the right flavor. I think cotija cheese would also be good instead of the feta. Feta was great, though.
  

Weekend O' Parties

This weekend was a non-stop party in my world. Yesterday, Melanie and I hosted a bridal shower at the pool for our friend Denise. We had a great time sipping mimosas, catching up and snacking poolside. (As I write this I'm trying to ignore that my back is ridiculously sunburned.) I tried my hand at making my favorite sandwich from Dean & DeLuca to share:

Smoked Turkey, Brie, and Apricot Mustard Sandwiches

Makes 10 small sammys

3/4 pound smoked turkey

1/4 cup aprictot preseves

1/4 cup any kind of Dijon mustard

1 small head Bibb lettuce

1 8 oz wedge of brie; scrape off white stuff and slice

2 small, ripe pears, sliced thinly

1 bag mini French rolls (I think I used Pepperidge Farms; but you can really use any white bread)

Whisk together apricot preserves and mustard. Paint top and bottom of each roll with mixture. Layer 2 slices of turkey, 1 slice of brie, one slice of pear, and one piece of lettuce. Enjoy!

We also celebrated Father's Day with both sides of the family. Today Dave and I hosted my side of the family at our house. We had simple plans to grill, since the family was following us back home from church, so there was no time to really prepare. Too bad the downpour was timed right when we needed the grill. Dave was a champion and got the job done, but definitely sacrificed comfort and outfit for our dining pleasure! Genny was reminiscing about past celebrations and asked for the following recipe:

Broiled Salmon and Mustard and Crisp Dilled Crust

serves 2

1 slice high-quality sandwich bread, crusts removed

1 oz plain, high-quality potato chips, crushed into rough 1/8-inch pieces, about 1/4 cup (thick-cut and kettle-cooked are best)

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill leaves

2 skin-on salmon fillets, each about 8 oz. and 1 1/4-inches thick

1/2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp table salt

Ground black pepper

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Adjust one oven rack to top position (three inches from heat source) and second rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees

Pulse bread in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade until fairly even 1/4-inch pieces (about like Grape Nuts cereal; about 1/3 cup), about 10 one-second pulses. Spread crumbs evenly on rimmed baking sheet; toast on lower rack, shaking pan once or twice, until golden brown and crisp, 4 or 5 minutes. Toss together bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, and dill in small bowl; set aside.

Increase oven setting to broil. Line baking sheet with foil and place salmon on foil. Rub each fillet evenly with 1/4 tsp oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil salmon on upper rack until surface is spotty brown and outer 1/2 inch of thick end is opaque when gently flaked with paring knife, 7-9 minutes. Remove fish from oven, spread each fillet evenly with mustard, and press break crumb mixture onto fillets. Return to lower rack and continue broiling until crust is deep golden brown, about 1 minute longer. Use spatula to transfer salmon to serving plates, leaving skin behind on foil.

About the Recipe:

• Make extra of the crumb mixture and freeze it. It's so nice to just pull it out next time without any fuss. 
• Also, I often make this with a large fillet of salmon and cut it afterward. When I do this, I ask the butcher to take the skin off. 
• Watch the fish closely when you put it back in with the crumbs. It burns fast. If the worst happens, just brush the burned topping off and keep going!

Quick Grill on a Windy Night

I eyeballed some ridiculously expensive fish called Copper River salmon at the grocery store last weekend and bought it, much to the detriment of my grocery budget. It did not disappoint. 

The Copper River flows in the state of Alaska, and salmon that originate there are challenged by its length (300 miles) and its strong, cold rapids. As a result, Copper River salmon are strong and robust with a healthy store of natural oils and body fat, making them among the richest, tastiest fish in the world.

I used one of Ina Garten's recipes for an easy, tasty marinade and grilled the salmon up quickly right before the storm hit on Sunday night. 

Ina's Asian Salmon

One side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (three pounds)

Marinade:

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp. soy sauce

6 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

Light charcoal briquettes or turn gas grill on high. Brush grill rack with oil to prevent sticking. While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin-side down on a cutting board and cut crosswise into four equal pieces. Whisk together mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. 

Place the salmon skin-side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4-5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4-5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the middle, but will continue to cook as it sits. 

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin-side down, and spoon the reserved marinade on top. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Notes on the Recipe:

• Any dijon mustard will work great—even country style with the mustard granules. 
  
• I halved the recipe. 
  
• Keep an eye on your salmon if it's thin! 
  
• Do not confuse this with another Ina recipe called "Eli's Asian Salmon." I made it once, and it was a little strange.
  

Yahoo! Cowboy Caviar!

I can never keep Memorial Day and Labor Day straight, but I do know they are both weekends for making dips of all sorts. When offered an extra day to play, we tend to cram in parties and family get-togethers—perfect dip-making opportunities.

Last weekend, our friends Marci and Steve had a fabulous party ... casual, fun environment (that would be their house and patio), interesting, talkative people (that would be the host and hostess, their friends, Dave, and then me giving it a shot), and the very best weather KC has to offer. They fired up the grill, and we had amazing pork tenderloin and tilapia in a secret rub and a wide variety of side dishes and appetizers. Delicious. 

My contribution was Gretchen Ford's now famous "Cowboy Caviar," a tried and true crowd-pleaser, and once again a big hit. It makes a large batch, so you'll have enough to keep a little when you take it somewhere else—always important! 

Cowboy Caviar

2 avocados, cubed

2 tomatoes, cubed

1 8 oz. can white corn

1 8 oz. can yellow corn

1/4 cup cilantro

1 bunch green onions, white and light green sections chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced or run through a garlic press

1 t. cumin

3/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Mix together and serve with tortilla chips.

Notes on the Recipe:

• I truly just throw it all together in a big bowl and mix it up. No need to make the dressing separately unless you want to.
  
• Recipe is best if it has 30 minutes or so for the flavors to meld after assembly. Give the whole thing a good stir before serving to redistribute the dressing.
  
• You can use petite diced tomatoes in a pinch, but fresh are better. 
  
• Use a knife to cut around your avocados from top to bottom. Give them a twist, and they come right apart. 
  
• Feel free to add other items to this base recipe.Black beans are also good, as are black-eyed peas. It just depends on what you like. 
  
• If you have leftovers, put them in a deep container with the least amount of surface on the top, then place saran wrap right on the surface of the dip, pressing down so there's no air. It's air that makes the avocados turn a darker color, so they'll stay fresh longer if you minimize exposure. (It still tastes good when the avocados are darker; it just doesn't LOOK as nice.)
  

Have a great holiday weekend (Memorial Day, Labor Day, whatever)!

Meatballs: Basic Building Blocks

When Dave and I were first married, I couldn't even make a hamburger. I didn't know how to pick a good recipe. I had no idea about substitutions or what I could get along without. I didn't know how to clean up as I went along or start more than one dish at a time. As a result, dinner was much more than fashionably late. The  kitchen was a shambles. I ran myself ragged back and forth to the grocery store ... and the results weren't even all that good.

This was not all in efforts to please my husband. Dave was as laid back as they come about all of it. He tried to eat the hamburger with the ketchup and mustard combined with the burger meat (bad recipe!). He even cleaned up much of the time. No, I was just frustrated. I am a reasonably smart person, I told myself, I should be able to do this.

Finally, one Saturday morning I showed up at the side door of my sister-in-law who is a fabulous cook. "Teach me, mold me, make me you," I moaned. "Give me your ten easiest and best recipes." She took pity on me, and this is one of the first successful meals I cooked. Ten years later, it still makes a weeknight appearance now and again. It's just good.

Meatball Sandwiches

1 pound lean ground beef

1/4 cup bread crumbs (seasoned or unseasoned from the round containers, like Progresso)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (more if you like)

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. garlic powder (not garlic salt)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together loosely and form golfball-sized meatballs. Place two inches apart on a cookie sheet and place in oven. Cook for 20 minutes (check for doneness).

While meatballs are cooking, heat a 16 oz can of tomato sauce with 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/2 tsp. basil, 1 bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp salt (less if the tomato sauce is not sodium free). Throw meatballs in with the sauce to cover.  

Toast hoagie buns under broiler and melt cheese (monterey jack or mozzarella) on the top-inside top of the bun. Place meatballs and sauce on buns and serve.

Notes on the Recipe:

You can use half of the meatballs for sandwiches, then serve the rest with spaghetti and sauce later in the week. They  also freeze well.

Chocolate Chip Cookies for Lora

I always though Toll House was the undisputed best chocolate chip cookie recipe. Until I met this one. That's the beauty of Ina Garten. She takes the simple recipes we know and love so well, then somehow makes them the absolute best they can be. Lora was over today, and commented that something was missing from my countertop – the huge plate of these chocolate chip cookies that had been there earlier this week. Here's the recipe for Lora and anyone else who wants to try it.

Ina's Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1/2 pound unsalted buter at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 extra-large eggs at room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1 1/4 pounds semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy in bowl of electric mixer fixed with paddle attachment. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter with the mixer on low speed, mixing only until combined. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chunks.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using a  rounded tablespoon. Bake for 11 minutes (just until the edges begin to look slightly brown). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

About the Recipe:

Don't worry if your eggs aren't extra-large or room temperature; it's really no big deal. Be sure to use chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips. The chips have more wax in them and don't melt as well. If you don't have an electric mixer, then just beat the dough hard with a handheld mixer. Ina's recipe says to bake for 15 minutes, but mine came out too crispy that way the first time. Eleven minutes was just right. Just keep an eye on the first batch to make sure they are still soft in the middle, but beginning to firm up and brown ever so slightly around the edges. Don't worry if you don't have parchment paper, although it is best. Any nonstick cookie sheet will do. 

Buy the Bird

By popular demand, here is a super-easy, quick dinner for a weeknight. It's compliments of Real Simple magazine and is all about cheating.  The whole thing comes together in 15 minutes total, and it warms up well for the next day's lunch. No tricks. No special kitchen tools. Easy as it gets.

Parmesan Pasta with Chicken and Rosemary (serves 4)

12 oz. (3 cups) orecchiette pasta (in the shape of little ears, but bowties would work well, too)

1 rotisserie chicken

2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary,  chopped

3/4 cup grated Parmesan (you can get by with Kraft, but a block of real Parm or at least Di Giornio's grated tub is better)

Kosher salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, but RESERVE 1 1/4 CUPS OF THE PASTA WATER.  Return pasta to the pot.

Shred the chicken using two forks. Discard skin, bones, and anything else in there you don't like. (I usually stick to the breast meat.)

Add the reserved pasta water, chicken, rosemary, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper to the pot. Stir over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.

Divide among individual bowls and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.

Notes on the Recipe:

If you cook it much longer than two minutes at the end, the shredded chicken will clump together with the Parmesan. That's okay. Just pull it apart with your fork. Still tastes great. Serve with garlic bread and a green salad.

Twice Baked is Twice as Good

Most baked potatoes are bland in my book. Some twice-baked potatoes are just bland to the second degree. These twice-baked potatoes are the best I've ever had. Drop in a little broccoli to make yourself think they're somewhat healthy. My friend Rach and I each scarfed one down as a meal tonight, but David had a bowl of chili with his.

Baked Potatoes for Twice-Baked Potatoes

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub, dry, and lightly rub 4 russet potatoes with veg oil. Bake potatoes on foil-lined baking sheet until skewer can be inserted into and removed with little resistance, 60-70 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 10 minutes. 

Twice-Baked Potatoes with Broccoli, Cheddar, and Scallions (serves 4 as main course or 8 as a side)

1 recipe baked potatoes (above)

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter (melt 2 Tbsp)

6 cups broccoli florets (from 2 pound bunch), stems discarded

Table salt

1 tsp. juice from 1 lemon

1/4 tsp. powdered mustard

6 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded (two cups)

3-4 scallions, sliced thin (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup sour cream (light is okay, too)

1/4 cup half and half

Ground black pepper

1. While potatoes are baking, heat 2 Tbsp. butter in 12-inch skillet over med-high heat until foam subsides; add broccoli and 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. water; cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Uncover and continue to cook until water evaporates, about 1 minute. Transfer to bowl and stir in lemon juice.

2. Halve each potato lengthwise. Using soup spoon, scoop flesh from each half into bowl, leaving about 3/8 inch thickness of flesh. Place shells cut-sides up on baking sheet and return to oven until dry and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. 

3. Meanwhile, mash potato flesh with fork until smooth; stir in melted butter, 3/4 tsp salt, powdered mustard, 1 cup cheese, scallions, sour cream, half-and-half, and pepper to taste, then stir in broccoli. 

4. Remove shells from oven; heat broiler. Mound filling into shells; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and broil until spotty brown, 6-10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; serve.

Notes on this Recipe: 

If you want to bake the potatoes the day before and do the rest the next day, it'll go faster. These microwave well for lunch at work. I like to use extra-sharp cheddar for more flavor.

Grilling Weather

Sunday afternoon was one of those early spring gifts. Around mid-afternoon the clouds parted, the sun shone, and the brightened greenery was all that remained of the morning showers. Perfect for the season's first grilled burgers.

I've been on an Ina Garten kick for a while, so I treated myself to her Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook. Along with our burgers, I made her Caesar Salad with Pancetta and Real Margaritas. The recipes are below. I halved both recipes for the two of us.

Caesar Salad with Pancetta (serves 6-8)

3/4 pound pancetta, sliced 1/2-inch thick (deli counter)

2 pints cherry tomatoes

olive oil

kosher salt

ground black pepper

2 heads romaine lettuce

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Dressing

1 egg yolk at room temp (I leave this out, and it's still good)

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

8-10 anchove fillets (optional)

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)

2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 1/2 cups mild olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut pancetta into cubes or strips and cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until browned and crisped. Remove to paper towels and drain.

Sprinkle tomatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast on baking sheet for 15 minutes until soft.

Wash lettuce and spin or pat dry. Stack leaves on cutting board and cut cross-ways into 1 1/2-inch slices. Place in mixing bowl.

For dressing, place (egg), mustard, garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in food processor. Process until smooth, then add olive oil in a steady stream through feed tube until thick. Add grated Parmesan (1/2 cup) and pulse 3 times.

Toss lettuce with enough dressing to coat well. Add 1 cup grated Parmesan and toss. Divide lettuce among plates. Add tomatoes and pancetta. Serve immediately.

Notes on the Recipe:

I don't think you really have to roast the tomatoes unless you want to. Since I don't use the egg, I don't care if the dressing is perfectly blended. I just put it all in a tupperware container and shake it well. 

Real Margaritas (serves 6)

1 lime, halved

kosher salt

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (5 limes)

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon (1 lemon)

1 cup Triple Sec

3 cups ice

1 cup white tequila (I used Cuervo Gold instead)

If you like salt on the rim, dip your cup in a saucer of lime juice or rub edge with cut lime and dip in kosher salt. 

Combine lime juice, lemon juice, Triple Sec and ice in blender until completely blended. Add tequila and puree for 2 seconds more. Serve over ice with a lime. 

Notes on the Recipe:

I can't find my blender, so I used my food processor. It got a bit messy, but worked fine. If you like your margaritas frozen, halve the ingredients, double the ice, and blend in two batches. Serve with lime.

P.S. When using tequila, you may omit the sass. 

Liam's Lemon Cake

My friend Susan called today for a cake recipe. Her sweet babe Liam will be baptized in a couple of weeks, and she is looking for a fresh, light cake recipe for the celebration with family and friends afterward. I immediately thought of Maida Heatter's East 62nd Street Lemon Cake. Maida is truly a dessert maven, and her lemon cake has been lauded by the likes of Bill Blass and Nancy Reagan—not to mention the Knight family. Light and lemony, this recipe has become synonymous with Easter and Spring to me. Perfect for celebrating little Liam's new life in Christ. (And what says spring like Nancy Reagan's cute little suits?)

Maida Heatter's East 62nd Street Lemon Cake

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 pound (that's right, two sticks) butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup milk

Finely grated rind of 2 large, firm lemons

Adjust a rack one-third up from the bottom of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a plain or fancy tube pan with an 11- 12-cup capacity and dust it with fine, dry bread crumbs (purchased). 

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In larger bowl of electric mixer beat the butter to soften it a bit. Add the sugar and beat for 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs individually, scraping the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula to keep mixture smooth. On lowest speed, alternately add the dry ingredients in three additions and the milk in two additions, scraping the bowl with the rubber spatula as necessary and beating only until incorporated after each addition. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Stir in lemon rind. Turn the batter into prepared pan. Level top by rotating pan briskly back and forth. 

Bake for 1 hour and 10-15 minutes until a cake tester comes out dry. 

Let cake stand in the pan for about 5 minutes and then cover with a rack and invert. Remove pan, leaving the cake upside down. Place over a large piece of aluminum foil or wax paper and prepare glaze.

Glaze

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup sugar

The glaze should be used immediately. Stir the lemon juice and sugar and brush all over the hot cake until absorbed. 

Let cake cook completely. Use two wide spatulas or a cookie sheet to transfer it to a cake plate. Do not cut for several hours. 

Notes on the Recipe:

If you don't have breadcrumbs to coat the pan, flour will work. Shake flour into the pan, swirl around until coated, and toss out excess. Lemon juice must be freshly squeezed. That's the secret to this recipe.

Heart-Healthy and Tasty to Boot

"When eating tomatoes, heat them up a little and put a little oil in them. It makes it easier to absorb the lycopene," Dr. Oz says. "Lycopene is another antioxidant, but it has additional benefits as well, which are particularly valuable for the heart."

Now don't try to tell me you don't know who Dr. Oz is. Unless you've been under a rock, you know that he is one of Oprah's pet protegees, a health and wellness doc with stellar credentials, including performing quadruple bypass surgery on former President Clinton.

This soup follows Dr. Oz's directions and is scrum-dilly, too. It would be perfect for a new mom meal. And my pregnant friend at work isn't too hip on a lot of flavors right now, but she makes a batch of this once a week for her lunches. It's a flavor you just won't tire of. A bit of zing, but not too hot for the sensitive. (This picture is BEFORE it goes through the food mill.)

I made a batch of this last night and brought some to work today. I offered some to my pregnant friend, but she already had some! The extra soup went to the bachelor dude on our team who, when pressed for a quote, said,  "This soup is the best thing that ever happened to tomatoes. It's spicy ... it's tasty ... it's zesty ... (words failed him here)."

As you may see, I'm on a bit of an Ina Garten kick right now.

Ina's Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 Tbsp kosher salt (or 1 tsp. table salt)

1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

6 garlic cloves (or 6 scant tsps. jarred garlic)

2 Tbsp unsalted butter (don't sweat it if it isn't unsalted)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (otherwise known as "sass")

1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes with juice

4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (buy two packs of the "living basil" at Hen House)

1 tsp fresh thyme (dried fine, but use 1/2 tsp)

1 quart chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper  in one layer on rimmed baking sheet. Roast 45 minutes. 

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute onions and garlic with 2 Tbsp. olive oil, butter and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes until onions begin to brown. Add canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, chicken broth, and oven-roasted tomatoes, including liquid on baking sheet. Bring to boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through food mill fitted with coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings (usually doesn't need any). Serve hot or cold.

Notes on the recipe:

• Doesn't matter if you use big tomatoes or small ones as long as they equal the correct poundage. Big tomatoes may need another slice or two or a bit longer in the oven. 

• If you don't have a food mill, Martha Stewart has a decent one at Kmart on the cheap. Keep cranking the stuff through the mill until it's gone. It isn't a strainer; it's supposed to puree the solids a bit. Scrape off the bottom of the food mill to get all the yummy stuff in your soup. 

What is blanching?

Okay, so funny. Many of you are emailing me directly instead of commenting on the blog. That's the point, friends ... so we all get the convo going! 

Anyway, some of you want to know what blanching is. It's when you boil up (usually) veggies in a big pot of salted water for just a couple of minutes (colors are still very bright) and then pop them into ice. They soften up a bit, but remain crunchy.  

Go here to see a more detailed description: http://www.ehow.com/how_13887_blanch-vegetables.html

Dinner Tonight

Okay, it's leftovers. What an inauspicious beginning to a blog about recipes and cooking. I have a friend who shudders at leftovers. In fact, he will not even take home leftover pizza from a restaurant. I am thankful for leftovers, though, and I am thankful to have a husband who likes them. Leftovers provide a welcome respite between recipe adventures. When properly planned, they accommodate the late night at work,  quick lunch at my desk, or the evening when I just want to veg out and watch American Idol without reading a recipe. (Unfortunately, my husband likes leftovers more than he does American Idol.)

Tonight's leftovers: 

Barefoot Contessa's Chicken Stew with Biscuits (serves 12)

Stew:

3 whole chicken breasts

3 Tbsp. olive oil

Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

5 cups chicken broth

2 chicken bouillon cubes

12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) butter

2 cups chopped yellow onion (2)

3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots) blanched for 2 minutes

2 cups frozen peas (10 oz. pkg)

1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions

1/2 cup mined parsley

Biscuits:

2 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/4 pound cold unsalted butter (1 stick) diced

3/4 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 egg mixed with 1 Tbsp water for egg wash.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breasts on sheet pan and rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 35-40 minutes until cooked through (no pink). Set aside until cool enough to handle, then discard skin, remove meat from bones and cut into large dice—4–6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat chicken broth and dissolve bouillon cubes in broth.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over med-low heat for 10-15 minutes until translucent. Add flour and cover over low heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add hot chicken stock to sauce. Simmer 1 minute more until thick. Add 2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and heavy cream. Add chicken, carrots, peas, onions, parsley.

Mix well. Place stew in 10 x 13 x 2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, make biscuits. Combine flour, baking power, salt, and sugar in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle. Add butter and mix on low until butter is size of peas. Add half-and-half and combine on low speed. Mix in parsley. Dump dough on floured board and roll out to 3/8-inch thick with rolling pin. Cut 12 circles with 2 1/2-inch round cutter. Remove stew from the oven and place biscuits on top. Brush with egg wash. Bake another  20-30 minutes until biscuits are brown.

Notes on this recipe:

You really do have to blanch the carrots for 2 minutes—they'll be a little crunchy if you don't. I cut the recipe in half for us. It's plenty for two big meals in a row. Any more, and we'd be throwing it out. Make sure the butter diced for your biscuits is cold. If you get the biscuits done early, pop 'em in the fridge so they stay chilly.