Buttered Cabbage with Caraway

Gobsmacked. I thought I was pretty well versed in what one could do with cabbage, addicted to the stuff as I am.

Whether it’s braised, in stewed, stuffed, boiled, or made into coleslaw, we eat cabbage in every which way around here.

But this my friends, this has to be the easiest way to prepare cabbage and still have it taste great. (Boiled cabbage is probably the easiest, but then what you have is just boiled cabbage.)

My mother made something like this the other day with curly cabbage. You just simply blanch the torn or roughly cut cabbage leaves in boiling salted water, drain them, and toss with butter, and seasonings.

Butter and cabbage together? A dream team. And caraway and celery seeds just make them dance.

Buttered Cabbage with Caraway Recipe

Ingredients

• One 2-pound head of green cabbage
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

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Caramelized Onion English Muffin Pizzas

Back in 7th grade home-economics, the cooking segment consisted of learning how to make pizza with English muffins, some spaghetti sauce, a little cheese and a toaster oven.

Relax. These aren’t those pizzas. These are cool, a little fancy, English muffin pizzas. When my father came home with a bag of English muffins announcing that he was going to make pizzas with them, I sort of rolled my eyes and stepped away. (Okay, dad, whatever you want.)

But when the aroma of caramelizing onions, ham, bubbling Mozzarella wafted through the house, I got my plate ready. We’ll be having these again soon.

Caramelized Onion English Muffin Pizzas Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 English muffin halves
• 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese, packed
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup diced ham
• A pinch of chopped fresh sage
• 1/4 teaspoon stoneground mustard
• Optional: A few slices of fresh tomato

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Caramel Sauce

Making your own caramel sauce from scratch is a lot easier than you might think, and it takes practically no time at all. This recipe comes from my friend Suzanne who is a baking genius. I’ve watched her make caramel sauce many times and finally got around to doing it myself.

My one note of caution is to be extra careful while you are cooking the sugar, as with any candy making process. Once the sugar has melted it has a much higher temperature than boiling water. Also, when you add the cream, the mixture will foam up, so use a pan with high sides.

Caramel Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup (210 g) of sugar
• 6 Tbsp (85 g) butter
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream

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White Bean Soup with Ham, Pumpkin, and Chard

Years ago my doctor advised me to “eat colorful foods”. “When you look at the foods on your plate, there should be lots of color and variety,” he explained.

Great advice, and easy to remember. Colorful fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients.

Here’s a warming fall and winter stew that is so alive with color, it makes me smile just to look at it. Just take your basic white bean and ham soup, and rev it up with tomatoes, fresh pumpkin, and chard.

My father came over to try some for lunch and went home with half the batch (I wouldn’t let him take it all). Enjoy!

White Bean Soup with Ham, Pumpkin, and Chard Recipe

This recipe calls for a sugar pumpkin (the kind you use to make pies). You can easily substitute the same quantity of butternut squash or almost any winter squash.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• One 2 pound whole sugar pumpkin, halved, seeds scooped out, flesh peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks (resulting in 3 1/2 cups or 1 pound of chunks)
• 1/2  pound ham hock
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 15-ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes, drained OR 1 large fresh, ripe tomato, peeled and chopped
• 6 sprigs of thyme, tied with string (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 2 15-ounce cans of cannellini white beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 large Swiss chard leaves (can substitute kale), center rib removed, leaves roughly chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

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Tuna Patties

Tuna patties!

All you have to do is say these two words and I’m flooded with childhood memories. We kids are only a few feet high, have tiny feet, scabbed knees, and boundless energy.

In between chasing each other around the dining room table we are squealing to our mother, “We’re having tuna patties!”

We were enthusiastic about food, to say the least. And always hungry.

Back then, this was one of my mother’s go-to dishes. No idea what her recipe was, and it’s been so long since she’s made them, it’s long forgotten.

This recipe is as close as I can come to what I remember, probably with a few added flourishes.

What I love about the recipe is that I almost always have the necessary ingredients in the pantry and fridge, the patties are incredibly easy and quick to make, and they’re budget friendly too. Oh yes, and they taste great! (At least to us. Big fans of canned tuna here.)

Tuna Patties Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 6-ounce cans tuna
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup white bread torn into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp water (or liquid from the cans of tuna)
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives, green onions, or shallots
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• A couple squirts of Crystal hot sauce or tabasco
• 1 raw egg
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon butter

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Frutti di Mare Seafood Salad

Please welcome Hank Shaw as he shares a favorite summer seafood salad. ~Elise

Frutti di mare, the Italian mixed seafood salad you see in deli counters all over the country, can range from appalling to sublime. Back when I was living on Long Island, there was an Italian deli in Babylon that made such a fantastic frutti di mare that it has lingered in my memory for decades.

What made it so great? It’s all in the freshness of the ingredients, and the choice of seafood. I remember calamari that melted in your mouth, flakes of crab, briny, firm shrimp, and a mix of tiny clams and scallops so buttery I always saved them for the last bite.

Which seafood you use is up to you. Lobster would be the high end, of course, but crab, scallops, shrimp, crawfish, clams, mussels, calamari, octopus, cuttlefish — really anything you like. A mix of seafood is what is important here, not any specific ratio or variety.

Bring out your good olive oil for this salad, and if you have any fancy salt, use it here, too. A little crunchy finishing salt sprinkled over the salad right before you serve is a nice touch. You can also add a little black or red pepper if you want to jazz things up.

Think of this as a main course salad on hot summer days. It is best served chilled with a loaf of good bread, along with an easy drinking white wine, rose or pilsner beer.

Frutti di Mare Seafood Salad Recipe

Be sure to follow the steps in order, so all the seafood is properly cooked and the broth becomes nice and flavorful.

Ingredients

Poaching Broth:

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup white wine or chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped

Salad:

• 2 celery stalks
• 1 large yellow or orange bell pepper
• 1 pound tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chives
• 1 pound small cocktail shrimp
• 1 pound small clams in shell
• 1/2 pound bay scallops
• 1/2 pound calamari, cut into rings
• 1/4 cup high-quality olive oil, or more to taste
• Juice of 1-2 lemons
• Salt and black pepper to taste

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Pumpkin Cheesecake

Move over pumpkin pie, and say hello to pumpkin cheesecake! If you really truly want to impress your guests this holiday season, I recommend this cheesecake. Tall and proud like a classic New York style version, this one has a pumpkin cream cheese filling with a splash of bourbon, all sitting atop a pecan graham cracker crust.

And if that wasn’t enough, we bathe it with homemade caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Yes, it is good. Better than good. Downright fabulous.

I first made this pumpkin cheesecake for my mother years ago. She’s a “cake girl” in family of people who prefer pies, and cheesecake is her favorite cake. A pastry chef reader sent me his recipe (thank you Glen!) which I adapted to this one.

Like a proper NY cheesecake, this one is tall and requires a high sided springform pan. You may be able to halve the filling and cook it in a standard pie tin (if you do, let us know how it works out for you) with less cooking time.

It also requires cooking in a water bath, which can sometimes be problematic. My recommendation is to use 3 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil, and make sure that when you are wrapping the pan you do so gently, so you don’t introduce any holes that would cause the pan to leak. Several people have also suggested using a turkey roasting bag as a way to keep the water out of the pan.

If you are a fan of cheesecake and pumpkin pie, this cake is so worth doing. Just be warned that it serves a small army, which might be just what you need for the holidays.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 4 graham crackers)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg yolk

Filling

• 2 15-ounce cans pumpkin puree*
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons bourbon or other whiskey
• 5 large eggs
• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups (1 pound) brown sugar

Pan

• 1 9-inch diameter, 3-inch tall springform pan

* You can make your own pumpkin purée by cutting a sugar pumpkin in half, scooping out the seeds, placing the pumpkin halves cut-side down in a roasting pan with a 1/4 inch of water in it, and cooking it in a 350°F oven for an hour, until soft. Scoop out the flesh and purée it in a blender or food processor. Strain out excess water.

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Cactus and Corn Salsa

Please welcome Amber Stott, founder of the Food Literacy Center, as she shares this truly delightful salsa made with nopales cactus paddles. We made it together the other day, so good! ~Elise

I’m a regular at my local farmers market. Farmers near Sacramento, California grow an impressive variety of food and every visit yields something new and tempting. A few years ago, I found a new favorite.

Tucked away in a quiet corner behind mile high piles of pearly grapes and fat figs sat a man working quickly with a knife, sliding his blade across apple green paddles—cactus! (Also known as nopales, the young pads of the prickly pear cactus.)

The farmer sent me on my way with several crisp paddles and some cooking suggestions. I’ve been addicted to nopales ever since.

Cactus has a crisp texture and tangy vegetal taste. Some folks compare it to green beans, but I disagree. It’s got a wonderful bright, citrusy note all its own. It’s also a slimy food, but don’t worry. It never feels sticky when you bite it.

When pairing cactus with green tomatoes, which also have a tart acidic flavor, you get an impressive salsa. This easy recipe combines several Southwestern flavors: chili peppers, cilantro, white onion, roasted corn, and even a splash of tequila (optional).

The salsa is best when left to rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes to 1 hour after it’s made, and then eaten fresh. It will keep in the fridge for about a week.

Cactus and Corn Salsa Recipe

If your farmers market doesn’t sell cactus, you can find it in most Latin grocery stores in the produce aisle, either whole or already prepped and chopped.

You can also buy it in a jar in the Mexican food aisle of your grocery store, but fresh paddles taste far better. You’ll want fresh paddles for this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 nopales cactus paddles, spikes removed*
• 2 green tomatoes, cored and cut in half
• 1/2 large, white onion, peeled and cut into 4 chunks
• 2 jalapeños, red or green, more or less to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup frozen corn**
• 1 cup cilantro, stems removed
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 2 hot chili peppers, stems removed, more or less to taste
• Juice from 1/2 a lime, about 1 Tbsp
• 2 Tablespoons tequila, optional
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• Salt to taste

*This recipe is designed for the whole paddles, but you may be able to make it with bagged cut cactus for nopalitos if that's all that is available in the market. Just arrange them close together on the roasting pan while you roast the vegetables so they don't dry out.

**You can also use freshly cooked corn or grilled corn, stripped from the cob. In this case, skip the corn roasting in step 2, and just add to the salsa in the last step.

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Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken)

Chicken cacciatore is an Italian dish of chicken braised in a tomato-based sauce and often includes wild mushrooms. It is frequently referred to as “hunter style” as the word cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian.

Why “hunter” style? One story is that if a hunter came home empty-handed, his wife would kill a chicken for the meal instead.

When I first experimented with this recipe, I made it without mushrooms or bell peppers, which are often included in chicken cacciatore. Since then, I’ve come to enjoy the dish with mushrooms and bell peppers so have updated the recipe to reflect those additions.

If you prefer it without one or both of these ingredients, please feel free to leave them out. Many people also add green olives or capers which would be great additions as well.

Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken) Recipe

This recipe calls for added wine, which is traditional. It does add to the flavor. If you have a dietary restriction that prohibits wine, just omit.

Ingredients

• One 4 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces, trimmed of excess fat (or 3 1/2 to 4 pounds of chicken thighs, bone in, skin on)
• Salt
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced root to tip, about 1 1/2 cups
• 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded, sliced into 1/4-inch wide slices
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup white or red wine
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups peeled and chopped, firm ripe tomatoes, with their juices,  or 1 28 ounce can of plum tomatoes in their juice
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped)
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped)

Read More: Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style Chicken)

Cabbage Soup

Cabbage, the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables. It just can’t seem to “get no respect”. While under-appreciated, cabbage really is a wonder vegetable. Not only is it relatively inexpensive, but it lasts two or three times as long as any other vegetable in the fridge. Whether raw in a coleslaw, blanched with butter, or stuffed and wrapped, cabbage is a work horse.

After a week with the flu, when I looked in my fridge to see what I could make, the only vegetable in good shape looking back at me was a lovely head of cabbage. Thus the spark of inspiration for this cabbage soup.

When you’re sick, if you’re up for making anything at all, you want it to be easy, nourishing, and light. Which is exactly what this cabbage soup is. It’s also incredibly good!

All you need is some fresh cabbage, onions, canned tomatoes, chicken stock, and a few spices. Of course with so few ingredients the quality of the soup relies on the quality of your ingredients. Homemade chicken stock is the best, and a good quality canned tomatoes makes all the difference (we use Muir Glen).

Cabbage Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds (or 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander)
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (or 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel)
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 4 to 5 cups, packed, 1/4-inch wide sliced green cabbage (from about 1 small cabbage or 1/2 large cabbage)
• 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon salt (more or less depending on the saltiness of your stock)
• 1 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken stock
• Freshly ground black pepper

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Butterscotch Cookies

Dear God, please let there be a diet in which I have permission to eat dozens of guest author Garrett McCord‘s butterscotch cookies at a time without any consequences beyond a happy smile on my face. Thank you. Amen. Elise.

Butterscotch is a classic dessert flavor that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. The key flavors that make up butterscotch are brown sugar and melted butter, preferably brown as well. When combined these two ingredients create a rich, old school flavor that most people associate with butterscotch pudding or candy.

I learned to make these cookies during my internship at the Grange restaurant in Sacramento under the tutelage of pastry chef, Elaine Baker. Buttery, nutty, and rich with a slight caramel flavor these cookies are horribly addictive.

Before baking these cookies are rolled in brown sugar and then get a little bit of salt sprinkled on top to punctuate the sweetness.

This crispy, crunchy cookie is easy to make (you probably have all the ingredients on hand) and guaranteed to make your usual cookie rotation. Best served to friends and family with tall glasses of cold milk or mugs of hot coffee for dipping.

Butterscotch Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon sized slices
• 1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Sugar Dredging Mixture

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar

Sprinkling salt

• Fleur de sel, Maldon, sea salt, or Kosher salt for sprinkling*

*Do not use fine grain table salt (aka: iodized salt) as the flavor will be way off and unpleasant.

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Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake

There are two approaches to holiday cooking – fancy and complicated, and simple and easy. (Guess which camp we’re in?)

Here is a colorful, simple harvest bake, with chopped butternut squash, tart apples, and cranberries. The hardest part is cutting up the butternut squash (see our how-to on cutting butternut squash). But then all you have to do is toss everything in a casserole and bake it in the oven for an hour.

The best part about this recipe is that you can easily make it a day ahead, and put it in the oven (while the turkey’s resting). We loved this, next time we may want to add maybe half a cup of toasted walnuts or pecans.

Thanks Heidi H of Carlisle, MA for the recipe!

Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 large tart cooking apples (like Granny Smith), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace

Read More: Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Did you know that ranch dressing is the number one most popular type of salad dressing sold in America? Overtaking even the omnipresent Italian.

According to Robb Walsh of the Houston Press Ranch likely got its start as buttermilk dressing, a cowboy favorite because buttermilk was widely available in the early part of the last century.

Ranch dressing is essentially a buttermilk mayonnaise dressing spiffed up with herbs. It was popularized by Clorox, when they figured out a way to make their Hidden Valley brand shelf stable. (According to Slate, the dressing is shelf stable to 150 days or about 5 months. A rather scary thought.)

Ranch dressing is very easy to make, especially if you have leftover buttermilk from baking, or making pancakes or soda bread. The base is just buttermilk and mayonnaise. Everything else you essentially just add to taste — some dry mustard, salt and pepper, a little paprika, herbs like chives, onion greens, parsley and/or dill. Add some crumbled blue cheese, and you have a luscious blue cheese dressing.

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon of dry dill (or a teaspoon chopped fresh)

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Butter Pecan Ice Cream

An ice cream loving friend was in town this weekend, giving me the perfect excuse to make this batch of butter pecan ice cream. Butter pecan is one of my all time favorite flavors. In this recipe the butter flavor comes in the custard base, achieved by browning the butter first before adding the other ingredients.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 large egg yolks
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pecans

Special equipment needed
An ice cream maker, or a KitchenAid mixer with an ice cream attachment

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Cilantro Lime Compound Butter

A compound butter or herb butter is a great way to dress up corn-on-the-cob, veggies of all kinds, chicken, fish, prawns, pork, steak, you name it.

What’s a compound butter? It’s just butter mashed up and mixed with herbs or spices which then flavor the butter. You can either use it right away, or roll it up in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for later. Just cut slices from it to flavor steaks, chicken, shrimp, veggies or pasta.

Here’s one of my favorite compound butter recipes, Southwestern style, with cilantro and lime. Do you ever make herbed butters? If so, what’s your favorite combo?

Cilantro Lime Compound Butter Recipe

Ingredients

• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (slightly softened)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, packed
• 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt

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Grilled Beef and Mushroom Burger

“Hey dad, wanna come over for lunch? We’re making mushroom burgers.” Radio silence. That’s weird. Usually an invitation for free food and the company of his firstborn is met with gleeful enthusiasm.

“Don’t worry, it’s a beef burger, with lots of mushrooms, you’ll love it.” Bingo, that was it. “Okay, sure! We’ll be right over.”

It used to be, “mushroom burger” just meant a hamburger with lots of mushrooms piled on top. These days it usually refers to a burger in which a portobello mushroom takes the place of the patty.

Nothing wrong with that, but it wasn’t what my father wanted. A grilled beef patty with melted Swiss, and slathered with sautéed shiitakes and onions? Hard to resist.

So, this one was a big hit with my dad, and with my mom too, for that matter. The things that make it a step up from your typical retro mushroom burger are the dried mushroom powder mixed into the ground meat, intensifying the mushroom taste, and using shiitakes for the topping, which are highly flavorful mushrooms.

You can easily skip the dried mushroom bit it you don’t have any on hand, and you can easily sub button mushrooms, or any other mushrooms, for the shiitakes if you want.

Grilled Beef and Mushroom Burger Recipe

We call for fresh shiitake mushrooms, but only because they are so much more flavorful than regular button mushrooms. Feel free to use whatever mushroom you want, buttons, cremini, morels, etc. Although this recipe calls for using a grill, you can easily pan fry them on your stovetop. I would recommend using a large cast iron pan for pan frying.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• A 1-ounce package of dried mushrooms (porcini, morels or other mushrooms)
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (add more if you like burgers a little saltier)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms (can substitute button or cremini), sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced thin (about 2 cups)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• 4-6 slices of Swiss cheese
• Burger buns

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Eggnog Pound Cake

Have extra eggnog? (Is that even possible? It takes every ounce of self control I possess to not drink the entire quart if there is one in the fridge.)

If you do have some eggnog, here is a wonderful pound cake to make with it, a cake that celebrates all things eggnoggy (new word, just made it up). Like eggnog, it is well spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice. It has flecks of sweetened dried cranberries and orange zest.

Like eggnog, it can be made virgin (not alcohol), or spiked, with brandy or rum.

Recipe updated, first posted 2007

Eggnog Pound Cake Recipe

Eggnog can be frozen if you don't have time to bake the cake and the eggnog is in danger of going sour.

To make the cake in a standard loaf pan, cut the ingredients in half (use 3 eggs), use a 5x9 or 4x8 loaf pan, and bake for about 50 minutes. It helps to line the loaf pan with buttered parchment paper. You'll only need about 1/3 of the glaze ingredients.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
• 1 Tbsp orange zest
• 4 Tbsp brandy (can sub orange juice or water)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups white granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup eggnog
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 to 4 Tbsp brandy for drizzling on the cake (optional)

Glaze:

• 1 to 2 Tbsp orange juice
• 1 Tbsp brandy or dark rum
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Read More: Eggnog Pound Cake

Hot Cross Buns

Have you ever made hot cross buns?

They’re an Easter tradition, a soft, slightly sweet, spiced yeast roll speckled with currants and often candied citron.

They’re marked with a cross on top (hence the name), signifying a crucifix, and are typically served on Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday.

Hot cross buns are a rather old English tradition, dating back to the Saxons who marked buns with a cross in honor of the goddess Eostre, the goddess of light, whose day of celebration eventually became Easter.

Inspired by a nursery rhyme, Garrett McCord and I got together over the course of several weeks to try to come up with the best hot cross buns recipe we could make. Our first attempts were surprisingly bad—dry, hard, and tough.

After several iterations (many eaten, many thrown out), and consultation with chefs, websites, and cookbooks (thank you Elizabeth David, Shirley Corriher, and Bernard Clayton), we finally hit gold with this one.

The trick was actually to reduce the amount of sugar and fat in the dough. I’m used to thinking that adding sugar or fat will make a baked product more moist, but when it comes to yeast doughs, both sugar and fat can have the opposite effect, making the result tough.

So if you limit the sugar and fat, which we are doing in this recipe, the bun turns out tender and lovely.

Updated recipe and photos, first published 2010

Hot Cross Buns Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
• 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground spices (for example, 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 Tbsp butter, softened
• 2 eggs, room temperature (if taking right out of the fridge, let sit in warm water for a few minutes to take the chill off before using)
• 3/4 cup currants (can sub half of currants with chopped candied citrus peel)
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Glaze

• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp milk

Frosting

• 1 1/2 teaspoon milk
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts

Have you started your holiday meal planning yet? If you have, bravo! If you haven’t, don’t despair, neither have we. Typically that happens about two days before the event.

But if I have anything to do with it this year (and that’s a big if, as my dad is usually the one who decides what we eat for the big family meals) these brussels sprouts with chestnuts and bacon will be on the menu.

Chestnuts and brussels sprouts are a natural combination—earthy and strong, warm and filling. Add bacon to the mix and you have a match made in heaven.

Whatever you do, don’t overcook the sprouts! Overcooking them will give them a somewhat sulfuric taste. But cooked just enough? Perfect. Especially with the chestnuts and bacon.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts Recipe

Chestnuts are delicious, but a major pain to roast and shell (have you ever exploded chestnuts all over your kitchen? I have). Canned (jarred more like it) chestnuts actually work better in recipes than the kind you roast and peel yourself. The texture and moisture content is more consistent. So, we suggest using canned roasted chestnuts for this recipe. You can of course roast and shell your own if you prefer.

Ingredients

• 1 pound brussels sprouts
• 1/3 pound thick-sliced bacon or slab bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces or batons
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 20-25 canned roasted chestnuts, quartered or roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon wedges to serve

Read More: Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts

Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Cutlets

This is a fast-as-it-gets weeknight dinner, perfect for those midweek nights when you’re ready to cave and order a pizza instead of cooking.

Put the phone down, open the pantry, and you’ll have these cheesy bruschetta-topped chicken cutlets ready in about fifteen minutes!

Bruschetta chicken cutlets are just what they sound like: thin cuts of chicken breast, seared and topped with diced tomatoes and lots of melty cheese.

The recipe makes use of a convenient pantry staple: canned diced tomatoes. Doctor them up with some olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning, and they make a great stand-in when fresh tomatoes are out of season.

Use chicken cutlets for this recipe because they cook so quickly. Look for them next to the chicken breasts and tenders at the grocery store. If you have trouble finding cutlets, you can also make your own by butterflying chicken breasts in half and pounding them flat.

With its warm topping of tomatoes and cheese, this dinner is plenty rich and flavorful. Serve on top of fettuccine or zucchini noodles, or alongside steamed rice and vegetables. I actually like these more than their fussier cousin, chicken parmigiana!

Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Cutlets Recipe

Look for chicken cutlets next to the chicken breasts and tenders at the grocery store. If you have trouble finding them, you can also make your own by butterflying chicken breasts in half and pounding them flat.

Serve this chicken on top of fettuccine or zucchini noodles or alongside steamed rice and vegetables.

Ingredients

For the bruschetta topping:

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed in a garlic press
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or 1/4 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the chicken:

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cutlets (about 4 cutlets)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Read More: Cheesy Bruschetta Chicken Cutlets

Smoked Salmon, Dill, and Goat Cheese Quiche

One of my favorite recipes on this site is the smoked salmon and goat cheese toasts; I just love the blending of flavors of the herbed goat cheese, the salmon, and lemon zest on crunchy buttered toasts. When trying to come up with a good quiche to serve for a Mother’s Day brunch, I spied some smoked salmon in the fridge and here you have it – an appetizer morphed into a custard. Fresh dill is added because, well, dill just tastes good with salmon. But feel free to use another favorite herb if dill’s not your thing.

For the filling, I followed Michael Ruhlman’s basic ratio for quiche filling, which is essentially 1/2 cup of milk or cream for every large egg. This produces a delicate, creamy custard for your quiche. If you want something sturdier, feel free to add another egg. We like it as is. In fact, when I asked if my mother or father thought it could use another egg, I got a clear “it’s perfect as it is, don’t mess with it.” High praise from those two!

Do you have any particularly favorite quiche combinations? If so, please let us know about it in the comments.

Smoked Salmon, Dill, and Goat Cheese Quiche Recipe

The filling recipe makes enough filling for a tall quiche in a 9-inch wide by 2-inch tall tart pan. If you are using a commercial frozen crust, you may find you have enough filling for 2 quiche pies.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 Tbsp (1 1/4 stick, 5 ounces) butter
• 2 to 2 1/2 Tbsp of water
• One 9-inch x 2-inch high tart pan with removable bottom (or can use a 10-inch pie pan)

 

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 6 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cup milk
• 1 cup cream
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Read More: Smoked Salmon, Dill, and Goat Cheese Quiche

Brownie in a Mug

Oh my. We’re doomed. My young friends Reilly and Alden just showed me how they make single serving brownies, in a mug, in a microwave. Takes 5 minutes.

We did experiment a bit. Turns out that you really should not use extra virgin olive oil for this recipe, it’s too strongly flavored. Corn oil or canola oil work best.

A pinch of salt helps make the chocolate more chocolate-y. I’ve added some vanilla and a tiny bit of cinnamon; you could also add a speck of instant coffee to take it up a notch.

The brownie lacks for structure (no egg) but that’s okay because it’s contained by the mug. When it’s done, it’s HOT. Perfect for topping with a little vanilla ice cream or whipping cream.

The trick is getting the cooking time right for your microwave. Every microwave oven model is different.

One 1000 watt microwave we tested cooked these brownies in a mug perfectly at a minute 40 seconds. Our 1650 watt microwave cooked them in 1 min 10 seconds. So you may need to adjust the time to get the brownie to cook properly with your microwave.

Enjoy!

I made a quick little video to show how to make the mug brownie, check it out!

Brownie in a Mug Recipe

Some mugs don't microwave well because there is metal in their ceramic glaze. They'll work but they may get very hot. Best to use a plain old everyday un-fancy mug. A regular 8 ounce mug will do fine.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup flour (30 g)
• 1/4 cup sugar (50 g)
• 2 Tbsp (13 g) cocoa (natural, unsweetened)
• Pinch of salt
• Tiny pinch of cinnamon
• 1/4 cup water (60 ml)
• 2 Tbsp canola oil or vegetable oil (NOT extra virgin olive oil, it's too strongly flavored)
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 small scoop of ice cream or 1 or 2 teaspoons heavy whipping cream to serve

Read More: Brownie in a Mug

How to Make Brown Butter

Have you ever browned butter? It’s an easy way to take a recipe that relies on butter up a notch in flavor. Just by cooking the butter a little past the melting point results in the milk solids in the butter browning, and creating a wonderfully nutty aroma.

It’s fun to do with butter-based sauces (check out these scallops in a browned butter caper sauce), baked goods that call for melted butter (like these brown butter chocolate chunk cookies), or with vegetables such as winter squash that you sauté in butter. Just be sure to keep your eye on it while cooking; it’s pretty easy to go from browned to burnt.

What do you like to make with browned butter? Let us know in the comments.

How to Make Brown Butter

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter

Read More: How to Make Brown Butter

Roasted Broccolini with Creamy Mustard Sauce

This simple veggie side dish is a staple in our house because it’s really quick to throw together and super tasty.

When you roast slender stems of broccolini, they become tender, slightly crispy, and even a touch sweet!

Broccolini is a cross between regular broccoli and gai-lan, a Chinese green that is also in the brassica family. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals, and great for rounding out a healthy meal.

The creamy mustard dressing makes the dish feel special. It’s also a fabulous dipping sauce for any other vegetables that take your fancy.

Roasted Broccolini with Creamy Mustard Sauce Recipe

Look for broccolini near the broccoli and other leafy green vegetables in the produce section of your grocery store. Substitute regular broccoli if you can't find broccolini.

You will likely have leftover sauce. Store for up to a week and serve over any other roasted vegetables, or use as a dipping sauce.

Ingredients

For the sauce (makes 1 1/4 cups):

• 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (or regular salt)
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the broccolini:

• 1 pound (460g) broccolini
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more to taste

Read More: Roasted Broccolini with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions

Have you ever cooked with broccoli rabe (usually pronounced “rob”, also known as rapini)? It sort of looks like broccolini or Chinese broccoli, with longish stems, small green florets, and lots of leaves. It’s actually more related to turnips than to broccoli, and tastes a little like mustard greens, slightly bitter but more nutty.

Slightly bitter usually that is.

The first time I cooked broccoli rabe it must have been really late in the season, because those greens were so bitter none of us (hardened bitter greens eaters that we are) could take more than one bite.

Several chefs I questioned about the bitterness suggested blanching the rabe first to take the edge off the bitterness. So I’ve done that here, though if you like the bite of rabe, or you are working with tender young plants, you can skip that step.

I also mixed in some slightly caramelized onions, to add some sweetness to balance the bitter of the green. Hmm, all this talk of “bitter”, I’m not doing a great job selling you on rabe am I!

We love greens, and we loved this. Not only did I serve this rabe to my parents and they gobbled it right up, but I had a bunch leftover which I ate cold, for lunch, the next day. If something tastes just as good cold as it did hot, you know it’s good.

Do you have a favorite way of preparing broccoli rabe? Please let us know about it in the comments.

Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions Recipe

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced into slivers, lengthwise (with the grain)
• 1 large bunch of broccoli rabe (raab, rapini), rinsed and cut into 2-inch long pieces
• 2-3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Read More: Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions

Broccoli Slaw with Cranberry Orange Dressing

Have you ever had broccoli slaw? Years ago I made a stupendous discovery (practically every cooking discovery was to me then, as is still now, a revelation).

Broccoli stems, which I usually cut away and discarded when preparing broccoli florets, were perfectly delicious raw.

Broccoli florets I can’t stand raw, neither the texture nor the taste (why do people insist on putting raw broccoli florets in salads? shudder).

But the stems? All you have to do is cut away the tough, outer peel. Slice up the peeled stems and they are wonderfully cool and crunchy. Like carrots or celery, great for dipping.

Broccoli stems taste a bit like cabbage, unsurprising given that they are both of the brassica family of vegetables. So naturally, the shredded stems work well in a slaw, especially tossed with grated cabbage and carrots.

Someone at the grocery head office must have figured this out too because these days it’s pretty easy to find pre-grated “broccoli slaw” mixes in the bagged lettuce aisle. Though it’s easy enough to grate your own, just like carrots, peel and grate.

The following recipe scales up easily, if you are feeding a crowd. The dressing is wonderfully tangy and slightly sweet with the dried cranberries, balsamic, honey, orange juice, and orange zest. Perfect for serving alongside pulled pork or with seafood. Enjoy!

Broccoli Slaw with Cranberry Orange Dressing Recipe

Ingredients

Dressing (makes about 1 cup)

• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp dried sweetened cranberries, plumped up in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes, then drained
• 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, more to taste
• 6 Tbsp vegetable oil (or canola, peanut, or rice bran oil)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

Salad

• 4 cups peeled and grated broccoli stalks (from about 6 stalks of broccoli, or you may be able to buy already grated, packaged)*
• 2 cups grated carrots (from 4 to 6 carrots)
• 2 cups shredded cabbage (Napa cabbage, green, or red cabbage)
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon (or more to taste) of Kosher salt

Read More: Broccoli Slaw with Cranberry Orange Dressing

Easy Beef Brisket

Looking for an easy way to prepare beef brisket and still impress your friends? This is it! What’s crazy is how good it is given how ridiculously easy it is to make.

All you do is mix together some barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and water, slather the brisket with the sauce, wrap it in aluminum foil and bake it for several hours, until it’s falling apart tender.

Easy Beef Brisket Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 lbs of a brisket cut of beef
• 3/4 cup barbeque sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup of water

Read More: Easy Beef Brisket