baked cod

I know that just hearing the word “casserole” probably makes your stomach gurgle with the thought of cream of chicken soup and mayonnaise (I’m already nauseous) but this is no casserole. There’s no cream, no canned soup and certainly no mayonnaise. There is, however, some delightful Gruyere cheese baked on top and I just can’t say no to Gruyere cheese. I served this up with some Haricot Verts (French green beans) lightly steamed and then finished off in a sauté pan with a swirl of olive oil, garlic and sea salt. I am making this one again and again.

Baked Cod


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine (I used non-alcoholic wine from Whole Foods which is the greatest thing ever)
1 1/4 pounds cod, cut into 4 pieces (Trader Joe’s is a great place for this – frozen)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups finely chopped whole-wheat artisan bread, (about 2 slices)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup finely shredded Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until just starting to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine, increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, until the wine is slightly reduced, 2 to 4 minutes.

Place cod on the onions and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cover the pan tightly with foil; transfer to the oven and bake for 12 minutes.

Toss bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, paprika and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Spread the bread mixture over the fish and top with cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the fish is opaque in the center, about 10 minutes more.

french breakfast puffs

When I was growing up my older sister, Alice, made French Breakfast Puffs on special occasions – and heavens, I loved them. I mean, who doesn’t love muffins with cinnamon sugar stuck to melted butter on the tops? Mmmm, muffin tops. Have you seen that episode of Gilmore Girls when Sukie brings Loralei a basket full of muffin tops to request a favor? I bet they were so good . . . I just confessed that I have seen every episode of Gilmore Girls . . . well, actually NOW I have.

ANYway.

Even though I planned on making cinnamon rolls during General Conference this weekend (and then realized I only had 3 cups of flour left) I decided to make these. They did not disappoint. It’s been a while and this isn’t the original recipe my sister uses but I personally love the tanginess of the buttermilk.

French Breakfast Puffs


7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the heavenly TOPPING:
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the muffins, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. NOTE: Never overmix muffin batter – just barely wet or incorporate the ingredients. Overmixing is the biggest mistake for “cone shaped” muffins.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.

To make the topping, in a small, shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon (I usually do extra cinnamon because that’s how I like it). Put the melted butter in another small bowl. Holding the bottom of a muffin, dip the top into the melted butter, turning to coat it evenly. Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating it evenly. Transfer the muffin, right side up, to the rack. Repeat with the remaining muffins. Let cool completely before serving.

Makes 12 muffins.

bruschetta

I know I’m, like, way behind the times in terms of popularity here but I can’t deny the fact that Julie & Julia was fantastic. So, so fantastic.


Since you’re here I assume you’re a food lover as much as me. I don’t know if it was just my pregnancy hormones or just simply the delicious appearance of the bruschetta that they ate in the movie, but I knew I just had to make it. Bruschetta is so easy, makes a pretty plate and always tastes good with fresh ingredients.

I don’t really have a “recipe” but here’s what I did, which will inevitably convince you of the simplicity of this divine meal, snack, appetizer, whatever you like.

step one: I sliced up four pieces of Rosemary Sourdough bread.
step two: Heated a couple of swirls of olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat.
step three: “Browned” the bread until nicely toasted.
step four: Cut one clove of garlic in half and rubbed it on the bread just for a little flavor.
step five: Sliced small heirloom and cherry tomatoes (and de-seeded when needed – a rhyme!), fresh basil and seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
step six: Spooned tomato basil mixture on top of bread and promptly devoured.

It was yum.

fajita burgers

Summer is coming to a close. It seems this summer was extra long. I’m excited for long cardigans, scarves and stylish boots with skirts.

Before summer’s end though, David and I cooked up some Fajita Burgers the other night. They weren’t hard to make and I whipped up some fresh Hoagie Rolls to go with it which were quite good. Put together with some Grapefruit Sparkling Soda from Trader Joe’s and watermelon while sitting outside on the patio made for a nice, quiet, cool evening.

Fajita Burgers





1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup shredded or 4 slices Monterey Jack cheese
4 Hoagie Buns (see recipe below) split and toasted
2 Anaheim Peppers
1 cup shredded green cabbage
4 slices tomato
4 thin slices red onion

Preheat grill to medium-high and turn on oven broiler to high.

Wash Anaheim Peppers well and place on small cookie sheet. Place in the oven on the highest rack closest to the heat. Broil until charred (about 4 minutes), then flip over and broil until charred on the other side (about another 4 minutes). After fully charred on both sides, take out of oven and immediately place in a plastic bag. Close and let steam for about 5 – 6 minutes.

Meanwhile place beef, 1/4 cup cilantro, onion, scallions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated. Form into 4 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick and oval-shaped to match the rolls.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, mayonnaise and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with some salt and pepper.

Peel the roasted peppers, halve lengthwise and remove the seeds.

Oil the grill rack. Grill the burgers until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, about 6 minutes per side. Top with cheese and cook until it is melted, about 1 minute more. Assemble the burgers on toasted rolls with the mayonnaise, half a roasted pepper, cabbage, tomato and onion.

Hoagie Buns

2 cups warm water
4 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
4 ½ - 4 ¾ cups flour, or as needed

Dissolve yeast with water and sugar, add butter, salt, and flour. (It says to make a soft dough, but I don’t think it works well if it is too soft—the rolls flatten too much). Knead 8 - 10 minutes, rise 45 minutes, punch down and shape into a long loaf. Cut into 12 equal portions and roll into neat balls.

Place on greased baking sheets, score tops with a knife. Cover and rise about 30 minutes or until doubled. Brush tops with egg white wash (diluted with a little water), and bake 400 for 25 - 30 minutes. I bake them with steam to make them crunchy on the outside (place your broiler pan on the lower shelf while preheating the oven, and then pour a cup or so of water into it when you start to bake). Cool on wire racks if you want the bottoms crunchy as well.

caesar chicken wrap

I know I’ve been out of commission for a long while on this food thing. And believe me, it’s not just on my blog that I’ve been “out of the kitchen”. Poor David has been suffering through a summer of quick pastas, sandwiches and lame leftovers – none of which are very exciting.

I’m really hopeful that once this baby comes, my appetite will return to normal. However, I’m not so hopeful that I’ll have the time or energy to create special meals like I did when it was just the two of us. But with or without the time, I’m dedicated to making this new balance between motherhood and wifehood a success.

I’m also dedicated to saying “so long” to the 30 pounds that pregnancy bestowed on me, so I hope to post more healthy and vegetable laden meals. I’m not going to lie and say that I won’t post the occasional treat here and there (because I can’t completely omit those – I’ve tried) but cutting back never hurt anyone.

Without further ado, let’s start with a delicious meal I made tonight – Caesar Chicken Wraps with Zucchini, Lettuce and Tomato. First of all, my sister (who claims she’s a horrible cook but is quite an accomplished baker) sent me the recipe for these wraps. I believe she adapted it from a King Arthur recipe. She spent a semester of college in Jerusalem and fell in love with the pita type bread they sold on the streets. These wraps remind her of them and I’m going to take her word for it. Two Notes: This a rather strange recipe but follow it. Also, the recipe may seem intimidating but if my sister – who has 4 rambunctious boys, a picky-eater husband, teaches piano lessons, designs custom garden landscapes and dislikes cooking – can do this, then so can you. She recommends making the dough before hand and keeping it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use. I think that’s a great idea. She also had a bunch of other filling ideas (but more on that another time).

Caesar Chicken Wraps

Wrap Bread
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup potato flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast

Place 2 cups of flour in mixer. Pour the boiling water over the flour and stir till smooth. Cover and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for about 5 minutes to form a soft dough. The dough should form a ball but will remain somewhat sticky. Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled.

Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

Roll each piece into a 7" to 8" circle, and dry-fry them (without oil) over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly (cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center while too slowly will dry them out).

Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.

Caesar Dressing
1 to 4 large cloves garlic, to taste, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or aged Asiago cheese
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Grilled Chicken-Vegetable Filling
1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 large onion, peeled and sliced in 1/2" slices
1 medium zucchini, sliced crosswise into 1/4"-thick slices
Romaine Lettuce

To make the dressing: Stir together the minced garlic, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and sour cream. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper. You may do all of this in the food processor by processing together the garlic, lemon juice, anchovy or Worcestershire sauce, and sour cream. Drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube with the motor running, then gently pulse in the Parmesan and black pepper. Set the dressing aside. Refrigerate it if you're not going to use it within an hour or so.

To make the filling: Grill the chicken and vegetables over medium coals until done (or sauté them in a skillet). Cool, then slice the chicken and cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces. Place a lettuce leaf on each bread. Spoon some of the filling down the center, atop the lettuce. Top with dressing, wrap and serve immediately.

greek quinoa burgers

Kelly over at my happy life is working on a goal to eat healthier (shouldn’t we all?) and she requested a few recipes to help her get inspired. One of my favorite healthy recipes is for Greek Quinoa Burgers. They are so good they shouldn’t count as “healthy”. I don’t care if you don’t like quinoa because you’ve never had it like this before. It is super good for you since it’s a complete protein filled with iron, zinc, magnesium and other vitamins. Plus, it’s super easy to cook. It’s a super food! So, without further ado, here’s the recipe:

Greek Quinoa Burgers

1/2 cup rinsed quinoa
1 medium carrot, cut in chunks
6 scallions, thinly sliced
15 ounces great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 pitas (each 6 inches)
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced diagonally

In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil; add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, 12 to 14 minutes; set aside.

In a food processor, pulse carrot until finely chopped. Add cooked quinoa, half the scallions, beans, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; pulse until combined but still slightly chunky.

Form mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties (dip hands in water to prevent sticking). If too soft, refrigerate 10 minutes to firm. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium; cook burgers until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, and the remaining scallions; season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers in pita topped with cucumber and yogurt sauce.

chicken & dumplings

when david and I went to hawaii for our first anniversary we took a shuttle to and from the airport. it was an adventure in, and of, itself but that story is for another day. we met a few interesting people on these shuttles, including a middle-aged man and his wife from canada. they were very nice and we started to chat about this and that . . . and then they found out I went to culinary school. immediately they turned to david.

man: "so, what's your favorite thing that your wife cooks?" (classic question)
david: "everything she makes is good." (good answer)
wife: "don't you have a favorite? something that you like the best?" (very eager for tips)
david: "well . . . she makes really delicious chicken and dumplings."

I. was. shocked.

I mean, really? really? I made chicken and dumplings once in our year of marriage and I didn't even know he really liked it. needless to say, I started making chicken and dumplings a lot more. and by golly, they are good!

behold - the perfect comfort food.
chicken and dumpling
3 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, large dice
5 medium carrots, large dice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas

In a Dutch oven (or a heavy 5-6 quart pot), heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and thyme. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken in pot; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup flour, dill, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With a fork, gradually stir in 1/2 cup milk to form a moist and soft batter. It should be just a little thicker than pancake batter and should easily drop from the tip of a spoon. (Add additional 2 tablespoons milk if too thick.) Set aside.

Stir peas into pot. Drop batter in simmering liquid in 10 heaping tablespoonfuls, keeping them spaced apart (dumplings will swell as they cook). Cover, and simmer until chicken is tender and dumplings are firm, 20 minutes. Serve.

the ungreasy taco

you guys, you guys! I'm so excited about this little trick I learned today from eating well. so, david loves greasy tacos. gross right? but then again, not really because they're really good sometimes. he's from southern california which pretty much equals greasy mexican food, hence the loving of greasy tacos. unfortunately, the devotion to this oily delicacy is not exactly conducive with our plan to lose weight . . . enter a baked alternative.
here's how it works. instead of firing up the old frying pan and filling it with canola oil, you heat your oven to 375 and spray those corn tortillas with canola oil cooking spray. then sprinkle it with chili powder and some kosher salt and drape them over a bar of your oven rack so that it creates a taco shell (bake for 7 - 10 minutes). so genius!

the ungreasy taco

12 Crispy Taco Shells (recipe above)
Lean & Spicy Taco Meat (recipe follows)
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
3/4 cup prepared salsa
1/4 cup diced red onion

To assemble, fill each taco shell with (in any order): a generous 3 tablespoons taco meat, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon cheese, 1 tablespoon tomato, 1 tablespoon salsa, 1 teaspoon onion.

lean & spicy taco meat

8 ounces 93%-lean ground beef
8 ounces 99%-lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, preferably Rotel brand (see Shopping Tip), or 1 1/4 cups petite-diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile or 1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Place beef, turkey and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain off fat. Wipe out the pan. Return the meat to the pan and add tomatoes, cumin, ground chipotle (or chili powder) and oregano. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 6 minutes.

pumpkin bread + mulled cider

so here’s the deal. it is 83 degrees today because I live in a barren wasteland. I should be “grateful” you say because I don’t have to deal with snow or ice or scraping windshields? well, tell me that in february when you’re all sick of the snow and it’s still 80 degrees here in arizona. the holidays are supposed to be cold so you can feel warm inside from all the holiday love and cheer. that was cheesy but I don’t care! I mean it!

(deep breath)

in any case, the smell of pumpkin baking always puts one in a cheerful holiday mood (which I apparently need badly) - that and the smell of hot mulled cider. so here’s both:
pumpkin bread
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
3 cups granulated sugar
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray three (medium/smallish) bread loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and sugar. Sift in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda. Beat gently until batter is smooth, then gently add chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated. Pour batter into loaf pans until halfway full. Bake in preheated oven for one hour or (depending on your loaf pan – see note) until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely before slicing. Optional: You can also lightly butter the tops and dredge with powdered sugar.

note: if you don’t have small loaf pans, you can use two medium or one large loaf pan. just be sure that the batter only comes halfway up the sides of the pan. you should also increase the cooking time a few minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
mulled cider
1 orange, washed
4 cups (1 quart) apple juice or cranberry juice cocktail
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves

Peel the orange by slicing into strips. Combine your juice of choice, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and warm the juice until tiny bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, reducing the heat as needed to keep the juice from boiling. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour into mugs and serve immediately.

oatmeal cookie cinnamon ice cream

so, basically, it’s november and I’m blogging about ice cream. but this is no ordinary ice cream, sister. it's actually perfect fall ice cream. for example, don’t you make oatmeal cookies in the fall more than any other time? I do. don't you also love things with cinnamon in the fall more than any other time? I do. so, without further ado, I give you my version of the best ice cream on the planet:oatmeal cookie cinnamon ice cream

4 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
Pinch of Kosher salt
5 egg yolks
2 teaspoons freshly ground cinnamon
4 oatmeal cookies (need to be homemade and soft), crumbled

In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the half and half, sugar and salt over medium heat. Bring the cream to a boiling point and scald it. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the half and half mixture, about ¼ cup at a time, to the beaten eggs, whisking in between each addition, until all is used. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and cool completely in an ice bath. Pour the mixture into the ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning time.

While the ice cream is churning, crumble the cookies into small bite-sized pieces. After the ice cream is thick and finished churning, gently add the pieces of cookies.

note: I also suspect that you could use your leftover gingersnaps in this recipe instead of oatmeal cookies and it would be fab. whoa, I might have to try this!

spooky finger pretzels

some people have been asking for the "lady finger" pretzels I made for the halloween spook fest. they were surprisingly easy and tasted great! they definitely should be eaten the same day though. I served them with warm queso and marinara sauce - they were a halloween hit!

if you need extra help, you can watch martha's tutorial here.

spooky finger pretzels

red or green food coloring (optional, for fingers)
24 blanched almonds, halved lengthwise
2 cups warm water (110 degrees), plus 3 quarts, plus 1 Tablespoon
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
Vegetable oil
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 Tablespoon coarse salt
2 Tablespoons baking soda
1 large egg
Sea salt
Fried rosemary (optional, for toes)

Place a small amount of food coloring, in a shallow bowl, and, using a paintbrush, color the rounded side of each split almond; set aside to dry.

Pour 2 cups water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. Add sugar; stir to dissolve. Sprinkle with yeast, and let stand until yeast begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Beat in 1 cup flour into yeast on low speed until combined. Beat in coarse salt; add 3 1/2 cups flour, and beat until combined. Continue beating until dough pulls away from bowl, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour. Beat 1 minute more. If dough is sticky, add up to 1 cup more flour. Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, 1 minute.

Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; let rest in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 6-quart straight-sided saucepan over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Add baking soda. Lightly coat two baking sheets with cooking spray. Divide dough into quarters. Work with one quarter at a time, and cover remaining dough with plastic wrap. Divide first quarter into 12 pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece back and forth with your palm forming a long finger shape, about 3 to 4 inches. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Or, to make toes, roll each piece so that it is slightly shorter and fatter, about 2 inches. Pinch in 1 place to form the knuckle. When 12 fingers or toes are formed, transfer to simmering water. Poach for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fingers to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, blanching each set of 12 fingers or toes before making more.

Beat egg with 1 Tablespoon water. Brush pretzel fingers and toes with the egg wash. Using a sharp knife, lightly score each knuckle about three times. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary, if using. Position almond nails, pushing them into dough to attach. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

macaroni & cheese gratin

for my halloween spookfest last weekend, I decided that appetizers just weren't hearty enough for my guests, so I made macaroni and cheese gratin. that's one of those things that looks pretty when dolled up with herb broiled tomatoes and buttery breadcubes on top. besides, the crunch that comes from the crust mixed with the smooth sauce is perfection.

macaroni & cheese gratin

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/2 inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (note: Tillamook or Cabot is best)
1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound large elbow macaroni

3 hothouse tomatoes, sliced

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk (note: this step is important). Melt remaining 6 Tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick (note: cook over medium-low heat. I think the sauce will be more smooth if you don't rush the thickening process.)

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top.

Lay sliced tomatoes on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, coarse salt, freshly ground pepper and thyme leaves. Broil for about 10 minutes until softened. Let cool for a few minutes and then arrange on top of the gratin (over the breadcrumbs).

Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

gingersnaps

you all know how I feel about fall. true love.

with fall comes fall food, such as pumpkin bread, warm soup with crusty bread and . . . gingersnaps. there's something about the smell of warm, chewy gingersnaps that kills me. my sister, alice, is the master of gingersnaps - her recipe always results in long-term chewiness and strong flavor.

gingersnaps

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup blackstrap molasses

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Slowly add eggs, molasses and vinegar and combine well until fluffy. Sift in flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Mix until just combined.

Pour approximately 1 cup of granulated sugar in a flat bowl. Roll dough into 1" balls and gently roll again in the granulated sugar until completely coated. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (or until cracks start to appear on top). Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan.

note: if you ever find yourself at pike place market in seattle, buy a giant gingersnap at the stand next to beecher's cheese. you'll thank me later (by mailing me a box).

peanut butter popcorn

nearly every time we go to my family cabin in Pinetop someone ends up making peanut butter popcorn. I don’t recall who started this tradition (or who shared this recipe first) but I’m happy they did. just thinking about it makes me think of sitting on one of the soft leather sofas at the cabin in front of a roaring fire. we’re all gabbering about this and that, while the kids do gymnastic tricks on the wood floor. then, thankfully, one of my sisters announces that it’s bedtime for the kids and the whining begins. nevertheless, thirty-ish minutes later, the kids are asleep and we’re all back on the sofas except one person who’s at the stove (for approximately 10 minutes) making peanut butter popcorn. it’s a yummy, gooey, easy treat that’s great for sharing (with adults) while you sit around talking, playing cards, watching movies – whatever. mmmm, finger lickin’ good.
peanut butter popcorn
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels

Pop corn in an air popper and place in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup over medium heat. Stir until bubbly and sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the pan from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth. Evenly pour the mixture over the popcorn and combine well. Let cool for 2 minutes before serving (best eaten with fingers).

peach cobbler

it seems like everyone in the world "knows" my lovely sister-in-law, NieNie - since she and my brother were in a horrible plane crash, especially.

the first time I met stephanie I remember thinking she was practially perfect in every way. it seemed like everything she touched was beautiful and sweet. I was 16 and desperately wanted to be like her when I grew up. when she and my brother got married a few short months later, we went to utah to meet the family. at her parent's home on fir avenue, we had a delicious dinner which ended with stephanie's famous peach cobbler. it was so beautiful and though I had never been a "baked fruit dessert" type of gal, I tried some. that's when I fell in love with peach cobbler. I can't wait for stephanie to get back into the kitchen and make her yummy food again, encouraging so many people to make beautiful dinners, beautiful homes, beautiful lives.

two rules for peach cobbler:
1. fresh peaches only
2. vanilla bean ice cream on top


nienie's peach cobbler

8 fresh peaches
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder

Grease an 8" square pan (or pie pan). Peel and slice peaches into the pan. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Crumble on top of the peaches. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top.