Mexican-Style Grilled Corn

Usually, on the side of the street in Mexico City, there is a man or a woman grilling ears of corn over hot coals. The elote's sweet, roasty aroma wafts across plazas, tempting you to buy one even when you aren't quite hungry. Should you indulge in this cheap and tasty treat, the proprietor will offer to slather your corn with crema or mayo, roll it in salty crumbled cotija cheese, dust it with spicy chile powder, and drizzle it with lime--or whatever particular combination appeals to you.

Indulge in this treat. Trust me.

Not just once, but almost every time you have the chance. This type of corn is a Mexico City tradition, and you just are not living life to the fullest if you pass it up. This is a little difficult, because there are so many delectable food traditions like this in Mexico City--if you aren't careful you will end up neglecting the myriad other joys of one of the best cities on Earth.

If you are not going to be in Mexico City any time soon (it has sadly been 12 years since I lived there and at least 10 since my last visit), this recipe will help tide you over. Now, this is not exactly a traditional Mexican recipe--it came from Cook's Illustrated. It adds a lovely garlicky dimension,  uses Pecorino Romano and cilantro. Yet somehow it captures the essence of Mexican grilled corn while becoming something completely new and undeniably delicious.

Like a fading memory or a feeling of nostalgia, this recipe manages to make the street food of Mexico City taste better than ever.

Mexican-Style Grilled Corn

~Print Recipe~

• 1/4 cup regular or light mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt (regular or non-fat)
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder, separated
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 teaspoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
• 1 ounce Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, plus more for grill
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 6 large ears of corn, husks and silk removed

1. Start your grill and heat until hot. Scrape grill clean. Dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil. Holding wad with tongs, oil the grate.
2. While grill is heating, combine mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt, cilantro, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, black pepper, cayenne, lime juice, and cheese in a bowl. Set aside. 
3. In another bowl, mix vegetable oil, salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder. Add corn and toss until evenly coated OR brush oil mixture evenly onto corn.
4. Grill corn over coals, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides--7 to 12 minutes. Removed from grill and place in a bowl with mayonnaise mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Alternatively, spread mayonnaise mixture on individual ears with a knife. Serve immediately.

GF Fudge Chip Cookies

In exchange for picking me up from the airport, I offered to bake a friend some cookies. Any cookies, take your pick. Chocolate chip? Peanut butter? Really, anything you like.

"Great," he said, "Doesn't matter, as long as they're gluten free."

Me, on the outside: "Oh, cool! I've never made anything gluten free before. It will be a challenge!" (On the inside: "Oh shit. I don't have any of the crazy ingredients you need to for gluten free baking. This is going to be a much more difficult and expensive project than I anticipated.)

Next step: Message Libby, my undisputed queen of gluten free baking. What should I do?! I don't know anything about baking without gluten. Help!

Libby immediately sends me a well-researched reply with some easy alternatives. Yes! I knew Libby would come through. Super easy and quick cookies--perfect!

These cookies are wonderful because instead of having to purchase wheat flour substitutes and other ingredients that I am not likely to use often, they just omit the flour entirely. They are quick, easy, sweet, crispy-chewy, and extraordinarily chocolatey. Next time I'll mix in walnuts, too, so that the bitter nuttiness can balance the sweetness for an even more complex gluten free cookie experience.

GF Fudge Chip Cookies
~Print Recipe~

• 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup cocoa powder, Dutch-process preferred
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• Chopped walnuts, to taste 

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line with parchment/Silpats.
2. 
   Stir together ingredients through the vanilla, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until smooth. Add chocolate chips and walnuts, if using, and stir until incorporated. The mixture will look quite runny.
3. Drop batter onto the prepared baking sheets in 1 1/2" circles--use a cookie scoop if you have one.


4. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes; they should spread, become shiny, and develop crackly tops. 
5. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the pans set on cooling racks.

Polenta

     There is a restaurant on NE 28th Ave in Portland called Tabla. I lived here for 5 1/2 years, and walked by the place innumerable times, before stepping in the door. It is a higher-end, small plate place--the sort that is usually out of our price range. You know, the kind of restaurant where the more you are paying, the less food you actually get.

     But, we were celebrating and so we decided to give it a try. It was definitely pricey, but it was also an extraordinary and memorable meal. The food was worth every penny and the service was among the best I've ever had. I don't think we will go back often, but I certainly hope we go back. I especially liked the creamy polenta that was the foundation of my meal. I had another delicious bit of polenta at Tasty and Sons a few months before, so now I was really sold on the idea.

     See, I used to hate polenta. A church in the small town where I grew up used to do these fundraiser dinners where they sold polenta, and I just did not like the stuff-- no matter how much my mom tried to make me eat it. It was just too mushy and bland. THIS stuff, on the other hand was deeply satisfying and savory, and a wonderful base for the rest of the dish.

     I am officially a polenta convert. Since Tabla, I've started making polenta at home. It is sold very inexpensively in many bulk food sections. Polenta is easy to make and goes with all kinds of meat and vegetable dishes. It's nice to have something a little different to swap for the usual rice or potatoes.

Polenta

~ Print Recipe~ 

• 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth, additional as needed
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup polenta
• 1 to 4 tablespoons butter 
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste
• Pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan, bring broth and a pinch of salt to a boil over high heat. Whisk or stir in polenta, until completely incorporated.
2. Turn down the heat to low. Add the butter and cook the polenta, stirring occasionally, for up to 30 minutes (cooking time will depend on the type of polenta you are using). When it's ready, the polenta will be soft and the broth should be fully absorbed. If you want a thinner consistency, add a little more broth.
3. Add grated Parmesan, adjust salt and add pepper to taste. 
4. Serve immediately.

Easy Garbanzo and Sausage Stew

     It may be warm and sunny where you are, but it is--surprise-- cold and rainy here in Portland. A hearty stew still sounded good a few nights ago.

     I had garbanzo beans and I wanted to use them. I searched, I googled, and most of the recipes I found called for lemon. Well, I didn't have a lemon and I didn't feel like going out into  the cold, rainy dusk to get some. So I kept on searching.

     What I ended up finding is the inspiration for this stew. It reminds me quite a bit of gumbo, with chickpeas instead of rice. It has the roux, it has the sausage. It is delicious. Velvety, hot and savory. If you are in the Pacific Northwest, you might give this a try soon. If you happen to be in a very strange heatwave (like a lot of the country), maybe save this recipe for next fall or winter. You will be glad you did.

Garbanzo and Sausage Stew

~Print Recipe~

• 1 tablespoon, plus 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 links andouille sausage, chopped
• 1 whole white onion, chopped
• 1 orange, yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced, fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried basil, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning. or to taste,
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cans of garbanzo beans
• 1/2 cup orzo, or other pasta
• 2 cups baby spinach, torn

1.  Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown. Remove sausage, draining any oil back into the pot. Set aside.
2. Add remaining 1/4 cup of oil. Turn heat to medium. Add onions and bell pepper to oil and cook until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic and cook a couple of minutes more.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Sprinkle flour all over and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and a light golden brown. Gradually add the tomatoes, stirring to combine. Add the chicken stock and stir. Turn heat up to medium, bringing the stew to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
4. Stir in the basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir in sausage. Cook over low heat for an hour or two, until the flavors have a chance to combine. Add garbanzo beans and stir. 
5. About 10 minutes before you plan to eat, return stew to a simmer and stir in orzo. 5 minutes before eating, add torn spinach leaves. Adjust seasonings, stir well and enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Genius Bars

     Seven-layer, magic, hello dolly bars--whatever they happen to call them where you live... The point is they are outrageously rich, sweet, gooey bars of goodness. And surprisingly fast and simple at the same time. Genius!

     I would argue that there is not much magic here. I mean if you put a crap-ton of tasty goodies together and douse them in sweetened condensed milk, the result is going to taste good. These are out of control decadent, so make sure you cut the pieces nice and small or people won't be able to finish them. I borrowed the mini-muffin liner idea from Deb at Smitten Kitchen. That woman knows what she's doing.

     I particularly liked these bars because not only are they going to make you lots of friends at work, you do not have to slave away for hours to impress them. People will like these, and you will only have to spend about 10 minutes making them. This is perfect for me, because as a first year public school teacher--you may have noticed--I do not have an abundance of free time.

     Ok, that's it. I am officially renaming these Genius Bars. You don't have to be a genius to make these, but you will sure look like one when you bring them anywhere.

Genius Bars

~Print Recipe~

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk, separated (try nonfat!)
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or semisweet)
• 1 cup peanut butter chips (or butterscotch)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• 1 1/3 cup shredded coconut, separated
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Pour half a can of sweetened condensed milk over the crumbs.
3. In a large bowl mix chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, pecans and 1 cup coconut. Spread mixture evenly over the crumb and condensed milk layer. Press down to combine. Drizzle evenly with more sweetened condensed milk, leaving a couple of tablespoons for a final layer.
4. Spread slivered almonds in a thin layer on top. Sprinkle lightly with 1/3 cup shredded coconut and top with the remaining tablespoons of condensed milk.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until coconut and almonds are toasty, golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack, loosening sides while the pan is still warm. Cool completely. For easiest cutting, chill in the refrigerator for about an hour (and up to over night) before slicing into 1 and a half inch squares. Bring to room temperature and serve in mini-muffin liners.

Makes about 30 servings

Cinnamon Cocoa Candied Almonds

These are addicting. They are easy and quick, but look out--the cayenne gives them a nice kick to them. 

Cinnamon Cocoa Candied Almonds

• 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for coating
• 2 cups raw almonds
• 3/4 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 3/4 tablespoons powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Bring maple syrup, sugar, salt, and spices to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add almonds and stir to coat.
3. Spread almonds in a single layer on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes. Cool almonds completely, then break them apart.
4. Mix cocoa, powdered sugar and cinnamon in a large ziplock bag. Add almonds and shake until evenly coated.

Still the Best Oatmeal

Teaching fifth grade is exhausting. And time consuming. I don't have much time left over to cook, let alone post blogs. Besides all that, my best friend and (RFL's co-creator) got married (!), so as you can imagine, we've been a little preoccupied.

I still make oatmeal every day, though, and I still think this is the best way to do it. SO, now that the weather is getting cooler, I wanted to re-post and update this recipe with the hope that you will give it a try sooner or later. I swear by it.

Thanks for your patience. I hope to be back in the kitchen soon!
___

I don't know about you, but I love oatmeal. I eat it nearly every day. It's so warm and comforting and delicious. It's the perfect winter-morning breakfast.

Before this, I'd always made my oatmeal the same way. The standard way. Old fashioned rolled oats, stirred into boiling water, cook, add toppings. It's good that way, and why mess with a good thing?

Well, one day last fall I came across a food blog that suggested something that sounded insane--adding a raw EGG to the cooked oatmeal. WHAT?! It sounds crazy. I imagined scrambled egg mixed into my oatmeal and got a little freaked out.

But, wait a minute! She assured her readers that this was not so. When you quickly stir the egg into your oatmeal, it disappears. It's not eggy. In fact, the egg makes your oatmeal into the creamiest, richest oatmeal ever. It becomes divinely custardy and, with the added protein, even more sustaining for a day of playing in the snow...or going to work.

I know you are probably skeptical. It took me three or four months from the time I read about this oatmeal to the day I finally decided to try it. Hopefully it won't take you that long.

But, even if it takes you until next fall---try this one day. I bet you'll never go back.

Creamiest Oatmeal Ever

~Print Recipe~

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 egg
• Vanilla extract
• Cinnamon
• Toppings: brown sugar, nuts, blueberries, banana, etc

1. Bring water/milk (add sugar/spices to taste--optional) to a gentle boil. Stir in oats. Return to a boil, then reduce heat medium-low. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon; stir.
2. Remove oatmeal from heat. In a small bowl, scramble an egg. Stir a spoonful of oatmeal into the egg (to temper it).  Add egg mixture to oatmeal and rapidly stir for about a minute. The egg will mix in completely and turn your oatmeal fluffier and creamier. Return oatmeal to heat for a minute or so.
3. Stir again and pour into a bowl. Top with brown sugar, sliced banana, blueberries, etc. Enjoy immediately.

Serves 1

VARIATION: BANANA NUT OATMEAL:

Add vanilla and cinnamon, then add one mashed banana--the kind that have turned extra ripe/brown that you keep in the freezer for banana bread. (Defrost it first in the microwave.) After everything is mixed in and hot again, take the oatmeal off the heat and add the egg. Serve with brown sugar and pecans. Mark said it was the best oatmeal he's ever had!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Wedding Edition

There is something about this combination that gets me every time. White chocolate is my favorite, because the chocolate is so sweet next to the salty crunch of the pretzel. Semi-sweet and milk chocolate work great, too, though.

Of course, the sprinkles are not essential, but they do make things a lot more festive with just a few easy shakes. Worth it, I'd say.

We made probably 130 or so chocolate covered pretzels to serve with the other desserts at my wedding. It seemed like an easy enough task--I mean you just dip the pretzels in chocolate and cool. But, 130 pretzels is really quite a few. We had three people working on this and had to call in reinforcements, because we weren't moving quickly enough.

It all came together, though, and these were really a hit!

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

~Print Recipe~

• 1 bag of chocolate chips--either white, milk or semi-sweet depending on your preference
• 2 bags pretzel rods
• Sprinkles, optional

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Pour as many chocolate chips as will fit into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for about a minute, stirring as needed. Continue to microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate  is completely melted. 
2. Hold pretzel rod vertically over the bowl and spoon melted chocolate evenly over the entire pretzel, leaving just enough uncovered to serve as a handle. Let the excess chocolate drip off.
3. Hold the chocolate covered pretzel over a plate and cover evenly with sprinkles. Set on the prepared baking sheet to cool. Place the full baking sheet in the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden, making them easier to store. (Serve at room temperature.)
4. If the chocolate in your bowl gets to hard, microwave it for a few seconds until it is melted again. Add more chocolate chips to your bowl and repeat step one as necessary.

Pesto

There was a time in my life when I refused to eat pasta with "red sauce." I would only eat pasta with pesto. While I have become much less picky about my pasta sauces as I've, um,... matured, I still think pesto is delicious. I would eat it with a spoon if I could get away with it.

Pesto is usually quite expensive to buy at the grocery store. As you can imagine, I've often entertained the idea of making my own. The problem is that it is also expensive to make. Pine nuts are expensive. Basil can be expensive. Good olive oil is expensive. Good Parmesan is expensive. It can add up. And while not exactly cheap, pesto is less expensive to buy at Costco than to make from scratch. Or so I have told myself.

So, all my good intentions of making my own pesto over the last couple of years have been thwarted. Until now. I have recently found out that you can make pesto with nearly any kind of nut--not just pine nuts. Break through! I usually have pecans and other nuts on hand, so that is no extra cost. I used a pecan and walnut combo in this version, but feel free to substitute whatever kind of nut you have available. I have heard that almond pesto is also very good.

Also, it is prime basil season out there, at least up here in Portland. I was at the farmer's market and I could not get away from the sweet, herb-y smell of fresh basil. One stand was selling three bunches of basil for $5. (The equivalent of at least 5 cups of basil leaves.) I couldn't resist--especially because I just happened to have some Parmesan in the fridge. I was pesto ready and I couldn't deny it any longer.

I first tried to use the Magic Bullet that I had recently received as a gift, but no dice. I whipped out my mini-food processor and turned my basil into pesto in no time. This is an easy and quick recipe that is very flexible. I tried to use as little olive oil as possible, since I find the store-bought kind too greasy. That is the added benefit of making your own--you get to make it precisely the way you like it.

I used a cup of this freshly made pesto to make a pesto potato salad for a Fourth of July barbecue, which I will post shortly. I have a ton of pesto left, too, so I see some pesto pasta in my near future. For the quantity of pesto this makes, it definitely ended up being cheaper than buying it at the grocery store in the end.  Worth it, for sure.

Happy summer!

Pesto

~Print Recipe~

• 4 cups packed fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
• 2/3 cup to 1 1/2 cup olive oil, depending on your preference (use olive oil that tastes good on it's own)
• 1 cup toasted nuts, chopped (walnuts, pecans, almonds, pine nuts)
• 5 or more cloves of garlic, or more to taste
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1. Put basil, olive oil, nuts and garlic and salt in food processor.
2. Blend until combined
3. Add Parmesan and blend for a few seconds until incorporated.

Makes at least 2 cups. You can easily half this recipe for a smaller batch.
To store: cover with surface completely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a week.

Pork Loin with Honey Mustard Glaze

The closest we have to a picture of the pork loin! (Thanks for modeling it for us, John.)

We grilled this pork loin last weekend for Alexis' bachelorette party weekend, and it came together beautifully, considering Andy and I didn't have a specific plan for the loin. Luckily Alexis brought a generous jar of her homemade mustard, which reminded me of an article I read a month or so ago in Bon Appetit magazine about homemade mustards, and how they are delicious with pork. Because we assembled everything on the fly, I don't have exact measurements, so use your best judgement.

What's in it

one pork loin (size depends on how many people you are feeding)

equal parts: homemade mustard, honey, olive oil

salt to taste

homemade mustard for serving

How it's made

Whisk together enough glaze (mustard/honey/olive oil/salt) to cover your pork loin, which is probably about 1/4 C per pound. You'll want the glaze to be thick enough to spread over the roast without running off, so please adjust as necessary. Place the loin on a pan or plate, and brush on the glaze, covering the entire surface evenly. Let marinade 30 minutes.

Heat up your grill (BBQ), and clean it as necessary. Using high heat, sear the pork loin on all sides, in order to keep the juices in. Then turn the heat to low/medium low and cook for about 30-60 minutes, depending on size, turning every so often for even cooking. You can use a thermometer to check temperature to decide when it is done cooking, or use the jiggle test if you have experience BBQing. Jiggle test: With your tongs, poke at the loin, and if it gives only slightly, or doesn't jiggle a bunch, it is probably done. If it jiggles quite a bit, then it needs more time. When you poke the loin, it should feel like the part of your palm below the thumb.

When done grilling, remove the loin from heat and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. This will allow the loin to keep cooking a bit, and the juices will have time to reabsorb back into the meat fibers, so they don't run out when you slice it.

Slice the loin in 1/2" slices, and serve with homemade mustard on the side.

Recommended side dishes: Broccoli Salad, Baked Beans, Cornbread

Blue Cheese Scallion Biscuits

 There must have been a time when I did not like blue cheese, but if there was I cannot remember it. The ripely pungent, extremely boldly flavored moldy cheese doesn't seem like it would appeal to young children and I admit that it is something of an acquired taste. Yet I only know that the first time I remember eating blue cheese--smeared on crostini with roasted garlic--I couldn't get enough.

Blue cheese is good in salads, in mac n' cheese, on crackers--well, when isn't blue cheese a good idea? Now I know that it is also fantastic in these biscuits from Smitten Kitchen. The salty, savory flavor of blue cheese really shines in these craggy drop biscuits, but is not over powering. I served these biscuits with a subtly spiced roasted red pepper soup, but they would be a great accent to any dish that could use a hint of blue cheese. These are so quick and easy you can throw them in the oven right before you serve dinner. You will not regret it.

What a second, did I just say BISCUITS? Savory, cheesy biscuits?! So fluffy, so flaky, so rich and toasty!  Honestly, who doesn't love biscuits?!  I love them a bit too much, so I must very intentionally limit my biscuit making or things would very easily get out of hand. (And by things, I mean my girth.) Luckily, I had some friends over for dinner who love biscuits maybe even more than I do. They took the remaining biscuits safely out of my reach. (My scale and I thank you, D & K.)

One year ago: homemade tortilla chips, guacamole
Two years ago: chocolate cream cheese cupcakes, easy d.i.y. sushi
Other blue cheese recipes: roasted pear salad with blue cheese and walnuts,  stuffed burgers

Blue Cheese Scallion Biscuits

~Print Recipe~

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 of a stick) cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to blend in the butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in blue cheese and scallions. Add buttermilk and stir until just combined. 
3. Drop dough in 12 equal portions about 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven until golden, 16 to 20 minutes.

Makes 12 biscuits

Garbanzo, Herb and Spinach Salad

Day off + reading food magazines + sunny weather (finally!) + impromptu barbecue = garbanzo, herb and spinach salad. You know, sometimes these things just come together. I'm glad these confluent factors led to this dish!

This salad is easy, slightly exotic, and combines really powerful flavors in an absolutely perfect balance. The garlic, basil, parsley, Parmesan and lemon juice combine fantastically complementary notes, and the toothsome garbanzo beans add texture, protein and heft. This salad has flavors reminiscent of a good pesto, but at a much lower cost. (Especially if you pick up a whole basil plant at Trader Joe's for only $2.99 instead of buying the cut herb at the store.) This salad could be easily adapted to include whatever else you happen to have in your fridge.

I found this recipe in Molly Weizenberg's (aka Orangette)  Bon Appetit column. I wanted to make it more of a salad salad, so I added a bed of spinach tossed with an easy olive oil and lemon juice salad dressing. The result was perfect for pairing with barbecue, or serving at a picnic, or eating whenever and wherever on a lovely spring or summer day.

P.S. It was possibly even better the next day.

Garbanzo, Herb and Spinach Salad

~Print Recipe~

• 2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 gloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 2/3 cup packed freshly grated Parmesan and/or Romano cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound or more baby spinach
• Lemon and Olive Oil Dressing, to taste

1. Combine chickpeas, basil, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic in a medium bowl. Add cheese and toss gently to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Toss spinach with dressing. Top spinach with garbanzo mixture to serve, pass remaining dressing if anyone wants more!

Easy Salad Dressing

I needed a salad to bring to a dinner party. The main course was clam chowder, so I wanted something light for the salad dressing. I love clam chowder,  but I didn't want the whole dinner to be too rich and creamy. I found a quick, easy and "bright" dressing online and made minor adjustments. Lemon juice replaces vinegar in this dressing which makes it just different enough than a vinaigrette to keep things nice and interesting. The garlic adds a great depth of flavor. (If you are not into garlic, substitute with something you like and post the variation in the comments!) The salad was a hit!

Lemon, Garlic and Olive Oil Dressing

~Print Recipe~

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)
• 2 tsp salt

1. Add all ingredients to a container with a tightly sealing lid.
2. Shake contents vigorously until the oil is well-incorporated, about 1 minute.
3. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat.

This recipe makes a large batch. Store remaining dressing in the refrigerator.

Pan de Elote

The time: summer 2000. The place: a leafy neighborhood in Mexico City. The food: pan de elote.

It can be a little hard to think all the way back to when I was 17 years old and first ventured into a foreign country. But it is not hard to remember how my friend bought a slice of this tasty treat from an old lady seated at a folding table in the middle of a mercado sobre ruedas--something like a Mexico City version of a farmer's market. As we wound our way through the narrow aisles, between stalls cluttered high and low with everything from fresh produce to beauty products and brooms, Giovanna stopped me and handed me a slice of this pastry.

I had never even heard of  pan de elote (which somewhat misleadingly translates as corn bread), let alone tasted it. Elote? I thought to myself, isn't corn suppose to be called maiz? But as soon as I took my first bite I had an overwhelming feeling that this was something familiar, something I'd had long ago. I really can't explain it--I guess I don't need to, but I might just have to have another slice while I try to figure it out.

Pan de elote is a sweet (but not too sweet), dense, rich "bread." That's in quotation marks because there is very little flour in this bread, and there are lots of eggs which make it creamy and custard-y. There is no corn meal, just blended, fresh corn kernels--which give it a delectably toothsome texture. When it bakes, it turns a deep caramelized brown at the edges, and that is definitely the best part. Pan de elote is not your average corn bread. It is something special. I have not found anything like this in the United States. I did come across a recipe online once, but when I tried to make it, I ended up with something like corn pudding--nothing like the pan de elote I'd eaten all those years ago.

This recipe comes from My Sweet Mexico, one of the latest and greatest additions to my cookbook collection. The author, the pastry chef Fany Gerson, is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a veteran of three-Michelin star restaurants. She spent years traveling around her native Mexico collecting the best dessert recipes she could find. You have no idea!

Pan de elote is among them. And thank god for that. This easy recipe captures the sweet corn essence of that first slice all those summers ago. Though this version is slightly richer and more custard-like than I remember, I am definitely not complaining.

Try pan de elote as a morning pastry with a cup of hot coffee or a glass of cold milk. Eat a slice as a snack or even as dessert. Warning: eating pan de elote may cause you to relive past adventures in Mexico. Even if you have never been to that lovely country, eating this you might experience a pleasant sensation of deja vu. You'll see.

Pan de Elote

~Print Recipe~

• 5 ears of corn, shucked, or 2 cups of corn kernels (I used the really good cans of corn from Trader Joe's. Don't believe canned corn could be good? Try it!)
• 3 tablespoons rice flour or all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 1 (14 oz.) can of condensed milk
• 1/3 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for the pan

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and four a 9-inch cake pan. Slice the kernels from the corn, or drain the canned corn.
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Put the eggs, condensed milk, crema/sour cream, and vanilla in an electric blender or food processor and mix to combine. Slice the butter into small pats and add to the blender. Add the four mixture and the corn kernels and blend until well-incorporated. (The mixture will not be completely smooth!)
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toopick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly, then invert onto a wire rack to cool. Cut into slices and enjoy slightly warm or at room temperature.

Toasted Pecan Spread (Pecan Butter)

I quite accidentally stumbled upon this tasty treat. A last minute attempt at a peanut candy recipe from Fany Gerson's fantastic My Sweet Mexico somehow led to this sweet pecan butter. I am still going to make the peanut mazapanes soon, but this discovery was worth the detour.

This spread consist of nothing more than toasted pecans and powdered sugar. Besides roasting the pecans, all you have to do is blend the two ingredients in a food processor until it is the desired consistency. This fortuitous discovery makes me want to try making my own almond butter, too. So easy! So delicious! This spread tastes just like sweet toasted pecans, just like pecan pie, just like pecan shortbread cookies! Just like some of my very favorite things.

This spread would be mind-blowingly good on anything you normally put peanut butter on or in: waffles, pancakes, toast, cookies, bananas, anything! (Mix it with melted chocolate to make a pecan/chocolate spread like a pecan version of Nutella?!) I even added some to my oatmeal this morning. Divine.

Sweet Pecan Butter

~Print Recipe~

• 2 cups pecans
• Powdered sugar to taste (somewhere between 1/2 cup and 1 1/2 cups)

1.  Toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes. This really brings out their flavor, but they'll easily burn, so keep an eye on them! Let pecans cool.
2. Blend pecans in a food processor for 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and continue blending until the pecans release their oil and the mixture becomes the consistency of peanut butter.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Molly Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook and my childhood are inseparable. My mom religiously cooked its vegetarian recipes--in fact I don't remember her ever cooking from any other cookbook. She had some recipe cards, for sure, but as far as I know the Moosewood was the only book.

And you can tell from looking at the copy I inherited it that it has been lovingly used for the past 35 years. The title page contains page numbers of favorite recipes, there are notes in the margins and--the best indication of a cookbook's worth--stained pages from years of use. If those stains are any indication, the soup section of Katzen's book is the best. In my mother's house at least, they were the most often used. I grew up eating lentil soup and Hungarian mushroom soup. I would ask for the white bean and black olive soup as my special birthday meal.

The Moosewood mushroom barley soup is as simple as it is delicious. It is very savory and it lets the flavor of the mushrooms really come through. Barley is an under-utilized grain. It is inexpensive to buy in bulk, it cooks easily like rice, and adds a distinct flavor and depth.

For how delicious this soup is, the recipe is surprisingly easy and not at all labor intensive. It does take around an hour to cook, but most of the time it is simmering and does not require you to slave over it. The ingredient list is shorter than many (less flavorful) soups and therefore prep-time is minimal.

We had this soup on a cold mid-winter night with a glass of red wine (thank you, Libby!) and hunks of crusty La Brea sourdough bread. It was, in Starbucks speak, "a perfect pairing," and one I would highly recommend. I have a feeling my future kids will be as familiar with the Moosewood Cookbook as I was.

Mushroom Barley Soup

~Print Recipe~

• 1/2 cup raw pearled barley
• 6 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, vegetable stock (or water)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 or 4 tablespoons tamari (a type of soy sauce)
• 3 or 4 tablespoons dry sherry
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 heaping cup chopped onion
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a soup pot, bring 1 1/2 cups of stock to a boil. Stir in barley, cover with a lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer until barley is tender, about 35 minutes. (Note: If you soak the barley over night in a cup of water or stock, you can reduce cooking time to around 15 minutes.)
2. Add the remaining stock, tamari and sherry.
3. Saute the onions and garlic in butter over medium heat. When they soften, add mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt. When all is tender, add to the barley--making sure to include all of the liquid in the pan.
4. Generously sprinkle with black pepper and simmer for 20 minutes, covered, over the lowest possible heat. Taste to adjust seasonings. Serve hot.

Serves 6

Pate a Choux

Cinnamon-and-sugar-dusted pate a choux puffs.

Pate a choux. First of all, the word just looks fancy. (Well, it definitely does if you have all the proper accents, but I'm sadly not aware of how to render them on my computer.) Say it--it surely sounds fancy. It even tastes fancy. Why, then, is pate a choux so easy to make?

I first came across this recipe in Michael Ruhlman's book Ratio. I was struck by the way he described it: "Choux paste can be made start to finish using a saucepan and a sturdy wooden spoon," though he recommends a stand mixer for a better puff. "Either way," he continues, "the water takes longer to boil than it does for you to actually make the choux paste, so there's no excuse for not making pate a choux preparations at home."

That there is no excuse becomes even more obvious when you realize that once you have your choux paste, you can make eclairs, cream puffs, profiteroles, churros, gougeres, even gnocchi and more. In the book, Ruhlman gives a general ratio for each basic recipe, whether it's pancake batter, bread, or mayonaise. Working from that ratio, you can easily scale the recipe for how many servings you want AND, my favorite part, tailor the recipe to fit your taste.

You can fill the airy inside of the puffs with cream or ice cream!

Ruhlman also gives you tons of ideas of how to adapt the basic recipe. I like the idea of knowing what exactly makes a muffin a muffin, so that I can tweak that muffin recipe however I so desire. There is a great freedom in that knowledge. I think most professional and advanced cooks have this understanding of ratios within them. And now, with this handy book, we all can work from that place.

I think it's all very exciting---especially the pate a choux. I've been thinking about it since I first read the recipe months ago. I finally got around to making it last night and it certainly is easy. I wanted something quick, so I made the basic sweet preparation and dipped the dough in cinnamon-sugar before baking. This was my cheater version of churros. Cutting corners has never tasted so delicious.

Now that I've familiarized myself with the basic prep, I'm dying to make gougeres (cheese puffs), cream puffs or profiteroles. I can't wait to knock the socks off some dinner guests with a fancy dessert that really was a cinch to make. Next time I'm definitely taking it to a higher level.

Ruhlman's basic ratio for pate a choux is 2 parts water: 1 part butter: 1 part flour: 2 parts egg. That translates to:

Sweet Pate a Choux

~Print Recipe~

• 8 ounces (or 1 cup) water
• 4 ounces (or 1/2 cup or 1 stick) butter
• 1/8 teaspoon salt*
• 1 tablespoon sugar*
• 4 ounces (or a very scant cup) flour
• 8 ounces (or 4 large) eggs

Dough after incorporating the flour.

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt and sugar to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour. Sir quickly. The flour will absorb into the water to form a dough. Continue to stir for 1-2 minutes, to cook the flour and cook off some of the water.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Let the pate a choux cool slightly--we don't want the eggs to cook when we add them, though the choux should still be pretty warm. 
4. Add the eggs one at a time-- quickly stirring until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. It will seem at first that the eggs will not incorporate, but keep mixing until they do. You can do this in the saucepan, or you can transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. (The last method results in more dishes to wash, but will produce a superior rise in the pastries.)
5. On a baking sheet (lined with parchment for easier clean up), drop small (tablespoon to golf ball-sized) portions of dough spaced about 2 inches apart. I rolled the balls in cinnamon-sugar, but if you are making profriteroles or cream puffs, you may not want to do that.
6. Bake for 10 minutes in your preheated 425 degree oven. Turn the heat down to 350 degrees and cook 15-20 minutes more, until they are a toasty, golden brown and are cooked all the way through. Cool on the pan or a cooling rack and serve room temp (or chilled and filled with ice cream!) 

Makes 20-24 puffs, or about 8 servings

 *For savory pate a choux, increase the salt to 1/2 teaspoon and skip the sugar.

Fruit and Nut Trail Mix

About a month ago, I decided to make my own trail mix. I kept my eye on nuts and dried fruit every time I went to a grocery store, looking for good deals. I slowly accumulated the ingredients I wanted to use and finally got everything together to make it today.

Now, I wasn't totally sure that this is a good idea. I mean, it's easy enough to get some pre-made trail mix from the store. But, most things are better homemade and this is no exception. You can control the ingredients, so you don't have to have any cheap filler---just all of your favorites. You can control how sweet or how salty it is. You can decide whether or not to include chocolate...


I started with raw almonds from the Chico's Farmer's Market, raw pecans and roasted cashews from Costco, and dried blueberries and dried cherries from Trader Joe's. I just roasted my raw nuts, then tossed everything together for a filling, portable snack. I even pre-packed some so that I can throw this in my purse to nibble on when I'm running errands.

Fruit and Nut Trail Mix

~Print Recipe~

• 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 2 cups almonds
• 2 cups pecan halves
• 1 1/2 cups cashews
• 3/4 dried blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups dried cherries, roughly chopped

1. If your nuts are already roasted, you can skip this step. If your nuts are raw: preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, drizzle nuts with olive oil and toss to coat. (I used 1 tablespoon of oil for 4 cups of nuts.) Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Cool on sheet.
2. In a large bow, mix together fruit and nuts. Taste to see if you want to add more of any ingredient for a different taste or texture combination. Enjoy!

Candied Espresso Pecans

On a whim one night not long ago, Mark and I invited some friends over for dinner. After the four of us finished off some homemade chips and slurped down the last of our tortilla soup, I realized I hadn't thought at all about dessert. While we were sitting at the table finishing some Pacificos, I flipped through my hodge podge recipe books--scraps I've cut out and collected from anywhere and everywhere. I was hoping to find something I could whip together quickly with ingredients I had on hand. Apparently most of the recipes I cut out are a little bit more on the elaborate side: almond-macaroon torte with chocolate frosting and orange compote, milk chocolate souffles with nougat whip, roasted pear tarte tatin with brown sugar-balsamic swirl ice cream (?!). Not going to happen.

I started with the most recent recipes and began flipping back to the beginning. Just before I gave up, I found a recipe for candied espresso walnuts. I had enough on hand to make it work---well, I subbed the pecans for the walnuts, obviously, but pecans are way better than walnuts anyway. That night I cut the recipe from 4 cups to 1 cup and made a few other adjustments. I threw this together in a grand total of about 15 minutes. One of our guests didn't even realize that I'd made them!

Candied Pecans

~Print Recipe~

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 packets of Starbucks VIA (or about 1 heaping tablespoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg white
• 2 cups pecan halves

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray the sheet with non-stick spray).
2. In a small bowl, whisk sugar, VIA, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, whisk egg white until frothy. Add pecans to egg whites and toss to coat. Sprinkle VIA mixture over pecans and toss to coat.
3. Spread coated pecans on prepared sheet in a single layer. Bake 5 minutes. Use a spatula to stir the pecans, rearranging them in single layer. Bake for about 5 minutes more, or until pecans are dry to the touch.
4. Loosen pecans from the baking sheet. Cool on sheet, then enjoy!

Can be made up to 2 weeks ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Makes 2 cups.

Chocolate Covered Honey Florentines

In Cuba, there is not much to eat. When I was studying there for a month, we had a weekly rotation of dinner menu items that repeated itself over and over. We also had eggs for breakfast every day, though we could chose a variety of egg preparations--omelet, scrambled, fried, hard cooked. (We also had a beautiful array of fresh tropical fruit, though, which helped.) 

For lunch, between classes, my friends and I would walk down the street to one of the recently legalized paladares, a restaurant (in this case take-out window) operated out of someone's house. The menu was very limited and every day I would order pollo asado, a huge piece of roasted chicken served with moros y cristianos, a savory mixture of white rice and black beans, and a "salad" of un-dressed shredded green cabbage. (All of this for criminally low price of less than a dollar's worth of Cuban pesos.) The food was very good, but very basic. Cuban food is not spicy and this dish was hardly spiced at all for that matter. (Fancy ingredients and fresh vegetables are hard to come by in Cuba--except at expensive tourist resorts---due to our stubborn embargo. Boo.)

Imagine my surprise then, when I first dined at Pambiche, a lively, vibrant and bountiful Cuban restaurant in Portland. They had my moros y cristianos, but everything else seemed much too elaborate and fancy. Of course it is delicious, but I hardly recognized the food given what I had eaten everyday in Cuba.

Regardless, the best thing about Pambiche is the dessert. When I am there I usually eat as little as possible for dinner and save my appetite for the good stuff. They serve some of the best cakes--and most inspired dessert flavor combinations--- I've ever eaten. That first evening,  I had the arroz con leche---rice pudding. One of my favorite aspects of the dessert was the edible bowl it was served in---my first encounter with a Florentine cookie--- that delicate, crunchy, lacy caramelized sugar goodness. I've been thinking about it ever since.

Chocolate Covered Honey Florentines

(adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies)

~Print Recipe~

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar (I only had dark and it was fine)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons flour
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 4 oz good quality chocolate

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt Butter, brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in four and salt until smooth.
3. Working quickly, drop 1/2 teaspoons of batter onto lined baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake cookies until they spread and turn golden brown,  about 6 minutes.
4. Let cool completely on baking sheets on wire cooling racks. Carefully remove cookies from sheets with your fingers.
5. Melt chocolate in a double boiler [or a bowl set over (not touching) a saucepan of simmering water], stirring often. Remove from heat as soon as chocolate is mostly melted, continue stirring until it is fully melted.
6. Dip Florentines in chocolate, make chocolate Florentine sandwiches, or use a knife to spread half of each Florentine with melted chocolate. 
7. Cool and serve.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies