Buttermilk Cake with Mocha Frosting

Buttermilk Cake Preheat the oven to 350 F and make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before beginning. Grease and flour two 9" cake pans (I like to cut circles of parchment paper to line the bottoms with to ensure I have a perfectly flat surface to frost once the cake is baked and cooled.). Sift together in a large bowl: 2 1/3 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt In another large bowl, beat 12 Tb (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 1/3 cups sugar, and beat on high speed for about 4 minutes, or until the mixture has lightened in texture and color. Whisk 3 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla together in a small bowl, and gradually beat into the butter/sugar mixture. Making sure each addition is incorporated before continuing, alternately add the flour in three parts, and 1 cup of buttermilk in two parts (i.e. 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the buttermilk, 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk, the rest of the flour), beating on low speed and scraping the sides of the bowl. Pour the batter into the two prepared pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool completely on wire racks, and frost. Mocha Frosting (makes about 1 1/4 cups; enough to frost a 2 layer cake) Melt 6 Tb of butter in a small saucepan and whisk in 1/2 cup plus 1 Tb cocoa powder (you can use 3 oz unsweetened chocolate and reduce the butter by half. All I had was cocoa powder). Remove from the heat and add 1/4 cup coffee and 1 tsp vanilla. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar while beating the mixture to keep it spreadable.

Sauteed Pork Medallions

Take as many 1" thick pork medallions or bone-in chops as you are serving and season with salt, pepper, and whatever herbs you like (I used a little thyme, oregano and sage here). Heat a Tb of oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the pieces of pork for a minute on each side. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low and cook for a few more minutes on each side, until the inside of the medallions are just barely pink.

Buttermilk-Apple Blintzes and Potato Kugel

Blintzes: (makes about 15 blintzes) 1.5 cups flour 1.5 cups buttermilk 4 large eggs 3 Tb melted unsalted butter 3 tsp sugar 1/8 tsp salt Whisk together the ingredients in a large bowl, and let sit for a half hour, covered with plastic wrap. Meanwhile, make the filling. 2 Tb butter 4 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 Tb lemon juice 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp vanilla Melt the butter in a medium sized skillet over low heat. Meanwhile, toss the sliced apples with the remaining ingredients. Raise the temperature of the skillet to medium-low and cook the apples until tender, stirring often (10 minutes or so). To cook the crepes for the blintzes, heat a nonstick or seasoned cast iron pan with a flat bottom over medium heat, and melt a small amount (1/2 Tb or less) butter in it, turning the pan so that it is coated with the fat. Pour about 1/4 of a cup of batter into the pan at a time, tilting the pan to make crepes about 6" in diameter. Cook each until it is golden brown on the bottom, and the batter on top is set and dry , and place between sheets of waxed paper. You can make the crepes ahead of time and refrigerate (short term) or freeze (long term) until you want to fill and fry them. Fill the blintzes as illustrated above - Place a few Tb of filling along the bottom aof a crepe, fold the sides and then the bottom in, and roll up. Fry seam side down, in a medium skillet with 2 Tb of butter and 1 Tb oil over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides. Potato Kugel: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grate 3 large peeled potatoes and 1 medium onion. Stir together in a large bowl with: 1 minced clove of garlic 1 egg 3 Tb flour 1.5 Tb oil 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp paprika and smooth into a 1.5 Qt casserole (a loaf pan would probably work, too). Sprinkle with a little more paprika and bake for 45 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top.

Chicken Nuggets

Cut about a pound or so of boneless chicken breasts into small (1.5" or so) chunks. Combine: 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 Tb lemon juice 1 tsp garlic powder salt and pepper and coat the pieces of chicken with it. Dredge the coated chicken pieces in breadcrumbs or matzah meal, and brown lightly in oil in a skillet over medium heat. Bake for about 15 minutes at 350F until fully cooked.

Something resembling an Indian curry.

This is something I make when I have veggies or meat I want to use up. Serves two, generously. Cut one or two boneless chicken breasts into small chunks. Saute until thoroughly cooked in a large skillet with a lid. Take the chicken out of the pan and reserve in a bowl to add back in later. Add a bit more oil, and add 1 chopped onion and about 3 Tb of curry powder (or an equivalent amount of your favorite curry spices), and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens a bit and the spices start becoming aromatic. Add about a cup of chopped red bell pepper, and cook for a few minutes. Add a few cloves of minced garlic and about a Tb or so of fresh grated ginger. Cook and keep stirring for another minute or so, and then add about 1.5 cups of chicken stock, 2 cups or so of cauliflower florets, and the reserved cooked chicken, scraping the bottom of the pan as you add the stock. Bring to a simmer, and let it cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, then add about a cup of peas (I use frozen ones), and let everything heat through. I like to add a little bit of lemon juice or lime juice, too. If the sauce is not thick enough, stir in a slurry of a few tsp of cornstarch with an equal amount of water, and add gradually to the simmering sauce, until it reaches the consistency you like. Serve with rice. Chopped green onion, cilantro and peanuts are nice on the side, too.

Pear- Raspberry Crisp

Same recipe as here, but I substituted 3 medium peeled, cored, and sliced pears and about 3/4 cup of frozen raspberries for the apples, and used some almond extract along with the vanilla. It was a bit too liquid, which could maybe be remedied by letting the raspberries thaw and drain for a bit before adding them, or sprinkling in a Tb of flour or a little cornstarch before mixing up the fruit.

Lemon-Garlic Potatoes

Preheat oven to 350F. Scrub 3 large red potatoes. Cut them into 1.5" chunks, and toss with a few Tb of oil, a few Tb of lemon juice, 2 cloves of minced garlic, salt, pepper, and some dried oregano. Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring a few times during cooking to keep them from sticking to the pan. Stir in a few Tb of minced parsley before serving. Parsley is dirt-cheap and makes things look and taste pretty, as long as you don't go overboard with it. Don't forget to rinse it first!

Oven "BBQ" Chicken

Take 3 chicken leg quarters (about 2.5 pounds of bone-in chicken), and rub with: 1 minced clove of garlic 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp dried oregano salt and pepper Refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the chicken for about a half hour, then baste with about 3/4 cup of bottled barbeque sauce, and bake for another 20 minutes or so, basting with barbeque sauce again after 10 minutes.

Lazy Chocolate Pie

You can make this ahead of time, but unless you stabilize the whipped cream with gelatin, that step should be done the day that it is served. Graham crust: Preheat oven to 350 F. 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup (5 1/3 Tb) softened butter 1/4 cup sugar Mix the graham crumbs with the butter and sugar and press into a 9" pie pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes and set aside to cool. Chocolate Filling: Heat 1 package "cook and serve" chocolate pudding mix and 2 cups of whole milk over medium heat, stirring constantly (preferably with a whisk) until it comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, smooth the cooked pudding into the graham crust. Refrigerate for 3 hours to set. Orange Whipped cream: Put a metal mixing bowl and the beaters from a mixer (heavy duty or handheld) in the freezer for about 15 minutes. On high speed (assuming a handheld mixer here. For a heavy duty Kitchenaid type, medium high should do), beat 1 cup (1/2 pint) of heavy whipping cream (the highest butterfat content possible, preferably not ultra-pasteurized) until thickened somewhat. Add: 2 Tb sugar 1/4 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp orange extract 2 drops of red and 3 drops of yellow food coloring (This will produce a pale orange color. If you want a brighter orange, just use more, keeping the proportion the same) and continue to beat the cream just until stiff peaks form. (If you whip the cream any longer, it will develop grains of butter.) Spread over the pie and refrigerate until serving.

Fried Chicken

Not too difficult to make, but you have to be careful or you can get really nasty burns from the hot fat. Whenever cooking with hot fat, especially with new recipes, use an oven mitt when possible and keep your face away from the pan. I can post pictures of my many burns if you don't believe me :). Cut up a chicken into serving pieces, or use already cut up chicken. I made 3 big leg quarters tonight, so if you make more you might need a bit more flour, but probably the same amount of fat- you'll just have to do this in more batches. For really really tasty chicken, I'd recommend marnating in buttermilk overnight, but I'm out. Fried chicken is damned good even without it. In a large shallow bowl or container, mix: about 2 cups of flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper a dash of ground red pepper (more if everyone you're serving likes spicy stuff) Dredge the chicken in the flour and let sit on a rack over a baking sheet to dry a bit (this is particularly important if you've marinated the chicken in buttermilk. It helps the coating stick a bit better) In a large cast iron skillet or "chicken fryer" that has a lid, melt about 2-3 cups of vegetable shortening (you can use any oil for this that has a high smoke point. Shortening is just hella cheap). Heat the fat over medium-high heat, until it's about 350 F on a fat/candy thermometer. My candy thermometer broke long ago, and I get good results by just making sure that the fat gets violently bubbly when I test with a small piece of coated chicken. A few minutes of heating should do you good. When the fat is hot enough, place as many pieces as will fit in the pan with some space around each of them, skin side down. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes- but check about halfway through that time, to make sure the chicken is not browning too quickly. If it is, turn down the heat a bit. When the skin side is all nice and mahogany-colored, uncover the pan and turn the chicken over, cooking uncovered for another 5-10 minutes. If the chicken is browned to the point of almost burning and is still pink/registers less than 165 F on an instant read thermomenter, you can finish cooking it in the oven. 10 minutes or so at 300 is probably about right, but check on it often. Burned fried chicken doesnt do anyone any good :) Drain on paper towels or a wire rack and serve immediately.

I got Smacked!

The fine folks over at I Talk Too Much have gotten around to reviewing my blog. I'll admit the template sucks, and I've been lazy about learning how to get the text in a box so that it is not white-on-black. I *was* surprised to read that I am apparently a plagiarist, though, considering that I credit the source of recipes when I use them verbatim (At least in terms of amounts of ingredients. Even when I use a recipe from a cookbook, I always change the text of the instructions, because it's rare that I follow them to the letter anyhow :>). I'm not really complaining, though- at least I didnt get negative smacks, eh? I first read this review site a few months ago, and it has since become a daily read. Lots of very amusing snark to be found.

Lazy Cherry Pie

Mix in a large bowl: 2 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt Add 1 cup very cold vegetable shortening (The easiest way to measure it is to pour some cold water into a large glass measuring cup and adding chunks of shortening until the level of the water is raised by 1 cup), and rub the fat into the flour mixture with your fingers, so that the fat is incorporated into the flour in large chunks. (You can use half shortening and half butter, or all butter, or lard instead of the shortening- I'm out of butter, though, so I went with the hydrogenated crap. Lard/Shortening makes for a flakier crust, but butter tastes a hell of a lot better.) When the fat has been somewhat incorporated (there should be plenty of visible pea-to almond-sized chunks), sprinkle in: 1/3 cup ice water and roll the mixture with your hands in the bowl until it comes together as a dough. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and stick in the fridge for at least a half hour to chill- you can leave it there for a few days, even. (Pastry is much easier to work with when cold, and will only stay flaky if the fat does not melt until the pie is baked). When you are ready to make the pie, Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven, and heat the oven to 425 F. Mix: 1 21 oz. can cherry pie filling (if you only have deep dish pie pans, like me, you can either use a smaller, disposable aluminum pan, or use 2 cans of filling.) 1 tsp almond extract and set aside (If you are like me and hate washing dishes, you can mix the almond extract into the filling while it is still in the can) Take the pie dough from the fridge, and roll out half of it into a rough circle, a few inches larger, diameter-wise, than your pie pan. Carefully transfer it to the pie pan and trim the edges. I find that using something flexible (cloth or flexible plastic) to roll pie dough out on makes transferring it easier- you can just flip it over onto the pan. Pour in the filling, and dot with 2 Tb butter or so (I didn't have any :<). Roll out the other half of the dough with the scraps from the bottom crust either roll out a top crust and cut vents or holes in the top, or make a traditional lattice. When the top crust is finished, crimp the edges, and place the pie on a baking sheet (in case the filling bubbles over). Putting a pie shield or aluminum foil around the edge of the crust is not a bad idea, either, but I forgot to. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is hot and bubbling.

Baked Stuffed Pork Chops for Two

Adapted from The Professional Chef. 2 pork chops, 1 1/2" thick (mine are not that thick, but I was not keeping this recipe in mind when I cut them.) salt and pepper Cut a pocket (see picture below) in each chop. Season the chops with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until stuffing is prepared and cooled. Heat a few Tb of oil in a pan. Add: 1/2 onion, minced and cook until golden. Add: 1/2 stalk of celery, minced and cook until slightly wilted. Then add: 1 clove of garlic, minced and cook for just a minute, then remove from heat and refrigerate until cooled. Meanwhile, mix: 1 slice stale or toasted bread, cubed very small (you can use croutons for this, but why buy an extra ingredient is you have bread in the house, right?) 1 Tb chopped parsley 1 tsp rubbed sage When the onion mixture has cooled, add it to the bread mixture and add enough chicken stock to make a stuffing that is moist but not too wet. Heat the oven to 350 F. Carefully stuff the pork chops with the stuffing. Secure the chops with butchers twine or skewers. (I didn't secure them with anything, but some of the stuffing fell out.) Sear the chops on both sides on a large skillet in a few Tb of oil until browned; remove to a baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven until the chops (stuffing, too!) register 165F on a instant-read thermometer (about 15-20 minutes) While the chops are cooking, you can make a sauce by pouring off most of the fat from the pan used to sear the chops, deglazing with a splash of wine (I used vermouth), and adding some demiglace or reduced stock (I used the saved drippings from the chicken I cooked the other night), and some dijon mustard if you like. Skim the fat off the sauce and serve over the chops.

Wild Rice Pilaf

Heat a few Tb of oil in a 2 qt. saucepan. Add: 1/2 onion, minced and cook for a few minutes, until the onion softens. Add: 1/2 stalk celery, diced really small 1 can of mushrooms, drained (or 2 mushrooms, sliced) 1/2 red bell pepper, diced and cook for a few minutes. When the vegetables have cooked slightly, add: 1 clove of garlic, minced a few Tb of dried tomato bits (I just happened to have these in my pantry. They arent, like, integral to the recipe or anything) 1/2 tsp dried oregano and cook for just a minute or so. Stir in: 1/4 cup wild rice 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (or some other kind of stock, or water) 1/2 tsp salt Bring the contents of the pan to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. After the wild rice has cooked for 20 minutes, add: 3/4 cup white rice (you can make this with brown rice by adding the same amount of brown rice in with the wild rice, and cooking for 40 minutes or so) , bring back to a boil, and cook for about 15-20 minutes more. Before serving, stir in a few Tb of minced parsley.

I found this in a book I checked out of the library

I am a voracious reader, and I've found many things left as bookmarks in books I've checked out before. This is definitely one of the cooler things.

El wants to be a "lugeing lady" when she grows up...

Pizza with Olives, Red Peppers, and Caramelized Onions

Recipe here

Chicken Salad with Buttermilk and Dill

Chicken Salad with Buttermilk and Dill (makes enough for 2 or 3 sandwiches) leftover cooked chicken (about a half pound or so), cut into small chunks about 10 sliced olives half of a small red onion, minced mayonnaise buttermilk dill (dried or fresh) salt pepper Chop the chicken, and put it in a bowl with the olives and red onion. In a small bowl, mix a few Tb of mayonnaise (Some people like their chicken salad "drier" than others, so whatever you like) with some buttermilk to thin it, about a 1/2 tsp of dried dill (maybe a Tb of fresh minced?), and some salt and pepper. Mix the dressing with the chicken and vegetables and serve on whole grain bread with lettuce and parsley. I cannot believe what they charge for stuff like this at the deli counter at the supermarket.

Roast Chicken and Buttermilk Biscuits

Saerah's Best-Ever Roast Chicken Position a rack in the center (or low center) of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Combine: 2 minced cloves of garlic the zest of one lemon the juice of half that lemon 1 tsp each of dried rosemary and thyme 2 Tb minced fresh parsley 2 Tb melted butter a pinch of ground red pepper and set aside. Take the de-zested lemon and slice 5 very thin slices from the middle. I do this before I squeeze the juice out of the lemon half, btw :> ). Cut one of the slices in half, and remove all the seeds and discard them. Set aside. Remove the neck and giblets from, then rinse and pat dry: 1 whole chicken season the bird inside and out with salt and pepper, and stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, a few crushed cloves of garlic, and 4 or 5 stems of parsley. Carefully loosen the skin of the bird all over, and rub the butter mixture all over the chicken, under and over the skin. Take each whole lemon slice and place one beneath the skin of each breast and thigh. The half sliced go under the skin of the drumstick. To truss up the chicken into a nice shape easily, cut a slit near the edge of the flesh/fat that hangs near the cavity of the bird, and slip the opposite leg in the apporpriate slit. Tuck the wings behind the breast of the chicken, too. Place the prepared chicken on its side (leg facing up!)a rack in a large baking pan. Roast for about 25 minutes (If your chicken is larger than 4 pounds, add a few minutes to this time for each pound over). Turn the chicken over to the other leg , baste with pan juices, and roast for another 25 minutes (again, with a larger bird, add some time as above). Turn the chicken breast-up to finish- my recipe says 15 minutes, but it always seems to take closer to a half hour. When the leg wiggles easily, the juices are clear, the temp is at least 165 in the thigh *and* the breast, it's done. Let rest for 10 minutes under foil, before serving, so the biscuits can get cooked, and then carve and serve. MMMMM! Buttermilk Biscuits: (if you are baking these right away, preheat the oven to 450 F. If not, don't :>) whisk together: 2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt Blend in with your fingers or a pastry cutter: 6 TB cold butter, cut into small pieces when the flour and butter have amalgamated somewhat you dont want them blended, you just want to sort of push the flour into the butter, and vice versa. there should still be pea-sized chunks of butter, and some smaller ones, not a paste of flour and fat.), add 3/4 cup of buttermilk. Mix with a spoon, and when everything is blended, flour your hands, gather it into a ball, and knead it gently against the side of the bowl until all the flour has been incorporated. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface, and roll out until it is about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut with a metal biscuit cutter or cookie cutter. To freeze, place on a baking sheet, and place in freezer. When biscuits are partially frozen, put them in bags, seal out the air, and keep in freezer. I don't know how long they last there, but I imagine even freezer-burnt homemade biscuits are better than the "whack on the counter" variety. bake @ 450 for 10-12 minutes, or until browned nicely on the tops.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

The recipe is from The All-New All-Purpose Joy of Cooking, I made it with the extra butter and brown sugar, and I'm specifying dark brown sugar, because it rocks. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Preheat the oven to 350 F. Drain and place on paper towel to absorb excess juice: 7 rings of pineapple (there is more than enough in one 20 oz. can) Take a 9" cast iron skillet, or a 9" cake pan, and melt 6 Tb butter in it. (If you are using the skillet, you can do this on the stovetop over very low heat, for a cake pan, you can pop the pan in the oven for a minute to melt the butter.) Tilt the pan so that the butter coats the sides, and sprinkle evenly over the top: 1 cup packed dark brown sugar Arrange the pineapple slices with one in the center of the pan, and the rest surrounding it. Place maraschino cherries (you need at least 13, but more around the edges of the pan is nice, too), rounded side down, in the centers of the pineapple rings, and between them as well. In a small bowl, whisk together and set aside: 2 eggs 2 Tb buttermilk 1/2 tsp vanilla In a large bowl, mix for a few seconds with an electric mixer: 1 cup flour 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt Add: 6 Tb butter, softened 6 Tb buttermilk Beat on low speed until the mixture just comes together. Mix on high speed (assumiing a hand mixer is used) for a minute and a half. Add 1/3 of the egg mixture at a time, beating for 20 seconds and scraping the sides of the bowl each time. Scrape the batter over the pineapple in the pan, and spread evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for a few minutes before continuing. Now, here's the tricky part. With your hands protected by oven mitts ***CAREFULLY*** place a platter on top of the pan, and invert the pan, so that the "top" of the cake is now on the bottom of the platter and the pineapple and cherries are shining on top in a glory of brown sugar and butter. This is what happpens if you are not careful: I should have known better than to try this with my favorite plate. Anyone know where I can get a cobalt-blue glass plate like that?

Coq au Vin Blanc

Coq au Vin Blanc {I halved this recipe and it worked just fine.) Marinade: 1.5 cups dry white wine 1/2 cup (about 1/2 medium) chopped onion 1/4 cup (about 1/2 small) sliced carrot 1/4 cup (about 1/2 stalk) sliced celery 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 Tb olive oil 1 to 2 Tb chopped parsley 4 whole black peppercorns 1/4 tsp salt 3 pounds assorted chicken pieces (thighs, breasts, drumsticks) Coq au Vin: 2 slices bacon, chopped 3 Tb chopped parsley 1 Tb olive oil 12 small white onions, peeled 1 cup (about 3 medium) carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 1/2 cup (about 1 stalk) sliced celery 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 shallot, chopped 2 Tb unsifted all-purpose flour 1.5 cups chicken broth 1.5 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 bay leaf 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 pound small red potatoes (I used quartered medium-sized red potatoes) Combine white wine, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, oil, parsley, peppercorns, and salt in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let marinade cool to room temperature. Arrange chicken pieces in a large nonreactive container and pour cooled marinade over them. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Strain marinade and reserve liquid; discard the vegetables. In a 6-quart heavy kettle or dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Brown chicken parts in bacon drippings in pan. Remove chicken from pan and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add olive oil and onions; saute onions until lightly browned — 8 to 10 minutes. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and shallot; saute 5 minutes longer. Add the flour and cook into a light roux. In a medium bowl, combine the reserved marinade liquid, chicken broth, vinegar, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add to the pan with the vegetables, and return the chicken to the pan, and cook, covered, over low heat, for 45 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until potatoes are fork-tender — about 20 minutes more. Divide the mixture evenly among the serving bowls. Garnish each serving with reserved chopped bacon and chopped parsley.

Pears al Vino Blanco

From 'The Sopranos Cookbook' 6 Bosc Pears 1 1/2 cups dry white wine 1/2 cup water 3/4 cup sugar 2 strips lemon zest, about 2 inches long (I used about a tsp or so of grated lemon zest) 1 vanilla bean Using an apple corer, or a similar device, or a paring knife, working from the bottom, remove the cores and seeds from the pears. In a saucepan large enough to contain the pears right side up, bring the rest of the ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the pears, and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes, turning the pears once, until they are tender throughout. Transfer the pears to a serving dish. Turn the heat under the pan to medium-high and cook the syrup until thickened, stirring often, for about 10-15 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pears and refrigerate.

Ellie's first sandwich.

She wanted to make her own sandwich. She proclaimed it "Just like McDonald's!" and then decided it needed parsley.

Bacon and Eggs

Bacon, Eggs, and Potatoes for 3. Pan-Fried Potatoes with Onion: 3 medium potatoes, diced small 1/2 of an onion, minced salt and pepper oil Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir often, scraping the caramelized stuff off the bottom of the pan, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes Pan-Fried Bacon: Preheat the oven to 200 F. Heat a cast iron pan to medium-low heat, and cook 3 or 4 pieces of bacon at a time, for a few minutes on each side, until browned and cooked on both sides. (this will take about a half hour for a pound of bacon) Place on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. As bacon grease accumulates, skim it off to use for cooking the eggs. Eggs over easy: Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium-low heat and place the drippings from the bacon (you want about 2-3 Tb or so) in the pan. Crack however many eggs you want into the grease, and cook for about a minute or two on one side, and then flip and cook the other side just until the white is cooked. Remove from pan and serve. If you don't like runny yolks, you can cook them a bit longer to firm up the yolk.

'Greek' Meatballs

Meatballs: 1 pound ground chuck 1 egg half an onion, minced 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or matzah meal (quick cooking oats work, too, I hear, but I've never tried it) a shot of lemon juice salt, pepper to taste I added about a tsp each of dried mint and dried oregano. mix everything together and form into 1" balls with the palms of your hands. Fry in a few Tb of oil in a heavy pan over medium/medium high heat (If this is the first time you are making them, test one, and moderate the heat so that when the meatball is nicely browned on the outside, the inside is cooked.) The noodles are just egg noodles, cooked according to the package, and tossed in a Tb of butter. Yogurt sauce: 1/3 of a cucumber, diced about a cup and a half of plain whole milk yogurt 2 cloves of minced garlic salt and pepper mix the ingredients together and refrigerate so that the flavors meld.

Uova Pizzaiola

Same recipe as this, but I used my recipe for pizza sauce instead.

Sauerkraut

or: "An experiment in culturing bacteria to ensure proper production of lactic acid." or: "How to keep a shitload of cabbage from going bad practically forever." This recipe is from Nourishing Traditions Before you start, read through the recipe and {clean thoroughly with very hot water/run through the dishwasher/otherwise get as close to sterile as possible} all utensils to be used. I have not mentioned this before, either, but make sure to wash your hands, too! Because this is an attempt to selectively culture the right kind of bacteria to preserve the cabbage, you'll want to be particularly mindful about food safety. Shred 1 medium cabbage very finely (I use a knife, but if your knife skills are not good, you can shred it by hand- but it will take a long ass time- or use a food processor. Or, better yet, practice your knife skills on some carrot sticks for a while first). In a large bowl, combine: 1/4 cup whey (see previous post)(or an additional Tb of salt) 1 Tb Salt 1 Tb caraway seeds Stir together, and add the cabbage. Using a meat tenderizer or other food-safe implement of destruction, pound the cabbage against the bowl for 10 minutes or so, or until much of the cabbage juice has been released. I cracked my big white bowl making this tonight, so I switched over to using my stockpot. Whatever you use, try not to cause too much damage to anything other than then cabbage! When the cabbage looks nice and squashed, transfer it to cleaned/sterilized mason jars with a spoon. Push down on the cabbage with the meat tenderizer so that the liquid covers the cabbage. The top of the cabbage should not be less than one inch from the top of the jar. Cover tightly with new mason jar lids that have been cleaned as above, and keep at cool room temperature for three days, then transfer to the refrigerator. It tastes best when allowed to ferment in the fridge for a few weeks first. If it starts to smell *bad* (and you will know the difference between properly fermenting cabbage and sauerkraut gone evil, trust me!), some noxious bacteria has intruded on your little science project and you have to start over.

Yogurt cheese.

Yogurt cheese: Before you start, read through the recipe and {clean thoroughly with very hot water/run through the dishwasher/otherwise get as close to sterile as possible} all utensils to be used. Line a strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth, and drain: 2 cups whole milk yogurt, preferably without pectin over a large bowl. Let sit at room temperature for a few hours to drain completely. When most of the liquid has separated, tie up the cheesecloth around the drained yogurt and carefully twist the top up and tie ; you don't want to squeeze it much. Save the whey that has been drained off, if using for another recipe, in a clean mason jar, and put the bowl with the draining yogurt cheese in the fridge overnight. In the morning the yogurt should have drained enough that it has a spreadable, cream cheese or chevre consistency. I like to flavor mine with honey, black pepper, lavender, and a little salt, but salt is all you really need to make it taste good.

I think we have a winner here.

This was the first time I've made this- I was at my mom's house, doing laundry, and I copied the recipe from her file. I'm going to try this with some other fruits too, and maybe use vanilla or almond extract, and other citrus.

Apple Crisp

My mom used to make this a lot when I was a kid. It is *so* good. Apple Crisp: Preheat the oven to 375 F. 4 Cups peeled, cored, and thinly sliced apples (3 or 4 apples) 1 Tb lemon juice 3 Tb sugar Slice the apples and toss with the lemon juice and sugar. Grease a 8x8 baking pan and spread the apples in the bottom evenly. In another bowl, mix: 1/3 cup flour 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 Cup oats 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/3 cup melted butter spread this mixture over the apples in the pan, and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the apples are soft.

Chicken don't have fingers!

Chicken tenders with spicy mayonnaise, roasted potatoes, and sauteed bok choy (Recipe here, 2/3 through the post.) Chicken Fingers: Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare and start cooking some roasted potatoes, if you want that on the side, about a half hour before you start on the chicken. 3 boneless chicken breasts (about a pound and a half), cut into about 4 strips each 2/3 cup of breadcrumbs or matzah meal salt, pepper, and granulated garlic Mix together the spices and the breadcrumbs/matzah meal. Roll the strips of chicken in the mixture until a thin coating covers all surfaces. Lightly brown over medium high heat on both sides, place on a baking sheet, and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Spicy Mayonnaise: Mix 2 Tb mayonnaise with the pictured ingredients plus some ground black pepper to taste.

Baked Ziti (or, my version of convenience food)

Recipe here. I usually make this in a double batch and freeze one or both for later, because I have a standing reservation for tea parties with stuffed animals, and spending 2 hours in the kitchen every day kind of cuts into that.