Wild Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry-Maple Jam

Well, it looks like we are going to get back to work tomorrow. The roads were relatively clear near our condo, although there are still Kari-size piles of snow outside our doors:


Thankfully, before Snowmageddon 2.0 struck on Tuesday night, Chris and I were able to dart to the grocery store and pick up some fixins. I had been craving blueberries--and not just blueberries, but the tiny, tart-sweet, antioxidant-rich wild blueberries that you can pick in Maine during the late summer--and I was thrilled to find a bag of them in the frozen aisle of our local Giant. After pondering between blueberry coffee cake, muffins, and pancakes, I settled on pancakes--mainly because I wanted to top my blueberry-studded, butter-glazed cakes with homemade blueberry-maple jam. Sadly, Giant was still out of eggs, so I grabbed a box of egg whites and tromped home with the idea that I would add a bit more fat to the batter to make up for the missing egg yolks. In the end, Chris and I didn't miss the yolks at all--but the extra half-and-half added to the batter probably helped.

Naked pancake--you can't see the blueberries studded into the batter, but they're covering the underside of the cake, lightly caramelized from the heat of the pan.

The pancakes are based off of Mark Bittman's basic pancake recipe, but the blueberry-maple jam ingredients miraculously popped into my head. I'm excited to report that I'm *finally* at the stage of cookery where I'm starting to riff off of recipes and even make things up--a couple years ago, I would have searched the internet tirelessly to find a recipe for blueberry syrup. Funnily enough, after I made the jam I found a similar recipe in my home copy of The Gourmet Cookbook. But I'm convinced my version is tastier.

The blueberry jam turned out blue-black, and we stained our lips and fingers through the greedy pancake-shoveling process.

Start the jam before you begin to assemble the pancakes. After about 15 minutes of simmering, it should be thickened enough to pour over. You can also hold the jam over low heat for as long as necessary.

Wild Blueberry Pancakes
Adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
Serves 2, generously, and the recipe is easily doubled

Ingredients
Frozen wild blueberries (about half a cup for 3 pancakes)
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 egg, or 1/4 cup egg substitute
3/4-1 cup milk (add a bit of half-and-half if using egg substitute)
1 tbsp melted and cooled butter (optional), plus unmelted butter for cooking (optional)

1. Preheat a griddle or large skillet over medium-low to medium heat while you make the batter (I like to preheat over medium, and then lower the heat to medium-low once the first pancake has hit the griddle).

2. Mix together the dry ingredients. Beat the egg/egg substitute into 3/4 cup of the milk, then stir in the melted cooled butter, if you are using it. Gently stir this into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to moisten the flour; don't worry about a few lumps. The batter will be quite thick, but add some more milk if you think it's needed.

3. If your skillet or griddle is non-stick, you can cook the pancakes without any butter. I used a nonstick pan, but still melted about 1/2 tsp of butter in the pan before adding the batter. When the butter foam subsides, ladle batter onto the griddle or skillet--I find adding a scant 1/2 cup of batter produces pancakes that are easy to flip. Scatter the frozen blueberries over the top of the batter, pressing them down with your fingers. Adjust the heat as necessary; usually, the first batch will require higher heat than subsequent batches. The idea is to brown the bottom in 2-4 minutes, without burning it. Flip when the pancakes are cooked on the bottom (my Dad taught me that you can flip once the air-bubbles that pop on the top of the pancake stop re-filling themselves with batter, and stay open).

4. Cook until the second side is lightly browned and serve, or hold on an ovenproof plate in a 200 degrees oven for up to 15 minutes.

Blueberry-Maple Jam
Produces enough jam for approximately 3 pancakes. Would also be very tasty spread on toast, English muffins, scones--you get the idea.

1 cup or more blueberries, as much as you wish
Cinnamon, maybe 1/2-1 tsp
Juice of half a lemon
Cointreau, optional
Grade A Maple Syrup, about 1/2 cup

1. In a small saucepan, add the blueberries, cinnamon, lemon juice, and a splash or two of Cointreau, if desired (you could also use other liqueurs, like Kirsch or Grand Marnier). Let everything bubble away for about 10-15 minutes, until some of the blueberries have burst, and you can see the bottom of the pan when you scrape at the sauce with a rubber ladle.

2. Add the Maple Syrup, and simmer for a couple minutes more. Taste for acidity and sweetness, and add sugar/syrup and/or lemon juice as needed. Let cool slightly, and serve.

Hakuna Matata Apple-Onion Frittata

When I wake up on Saturdays--particularly during the winter--without a brunch plan in mind, I get a little depressed. Before I even grind beans for my french press coffee, I pull on a hoodie and some thick wool or cashmere socks, and pad into the kitchen doggedly determined to whip up something tasty, plan or no plan.

On this particular Saturday, things weren't looking good. I had apples, onions, eggs, various cheeses, and bacon--and pantry essentials, like flour--but I wasn't in the mood for ANOTHER set of pancakes with maple syrup. I ran through the other options quickly in my mind--popovers with sauteed apples, caramelized bacon (again??), an omelette (boring), or perhaps some eggs in purgatory--but I wanted something special. I also knew that I could do a frittata, but I've never been fond of the frittatas that I've had in restaurants. They tasted like quiche, sadly separated from their buttery crust, and seemed to overcompensate with butter and too much cheese.

I grumpily narrowed down our options. "Frittata or pancakes?," I hollered at Chris, still underenthused. "Frittata!" was the answer from the living room couch, where Chris was ensconced in multiple blankets, eyes and hands peeking out for the purpose of internet perusing. I sighingly turned to my trusty Bittman cookbook, flipped to the frittata section, and was immediately hooked. Sauteed apples and onions? In a frittata? With bacon? With that mix of fillings, I knew I wouldn't miss the pastry crust.


Now that I've made my first frittata, I've come to love how versatile they are--as long as you follow the general formula of 5-6 eggs for every 1-2 cups of filling, you should be golden. I prefer my frittatas with cheese in the filling as well as on top (parmigiano or gruyere to grate for the filling, and then another cheese to grate or scatter over), and with some sort of breakfast meat in the filling (bacon, ham, canadian bacon). If you fill your frittata with veggies, keep an easy hand with the cheese, and use some egg whites, you can easily make it light, as well.

Sweet Apple-Onion Frittata with Bacon and Goat Cheese (serves 4 or more as part of a larger breakfast spread, or 3 alone)

Ingredients
1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 sweet onion, or 1 one regular onion with 1-2 tsp sugar, sliced very thinly
Bacon, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 cup, chopped, optional
Goat cheese, 2-4 ounces (or gruyere, if preferred)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano or other cheese
5-6 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp butter or olive oil, if not using bacon, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Saute the bacon in a large, preferably nonstick skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan onto a plate lined with paper towels. Drain off all but 1-2 tbsp of the fat (if not using bacon, heat the butter or olive oil in the pan at this point), and keep it over medium heat.

3. Add the onions to the pan, and saute until tender and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the apples and continue cooking til tender, about another 3-4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat to cool slightly.

4. Beat together the eggs, parmigiano, salt, and pepper. Once the apple-onion filling has cooled slightly, add the filling to the beaten eggs along with the bacon, mixing gently. Return the pan to medium-low heat, and pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Cook, undisturbed, for about 10 minutes, or until the bottom of the frittata is firm.

5. Scatter the goat cheese (or whatever cheese your prefer) over the frittata.

6. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake, checking every 5 minutes or so, just until the top of the frittata is no longer runny, 10-20 minutes more. Served hot or at room temperature.

Spicy Orange Margaritas

Hello, dear friends. It's been a very long time since I last blogged, I know--life was crazy with graduate school applications and general post-wedding madness. But now I'm back, and armed with creations whipped together during the DC Snowmageddon. I've got a yummy frittata and wild blueberry pancakes with homemade maple-blueberry jam to share--and later, 16-hour slow-cooked carnitas--but first, *alcohol*!


It being so cold and all, I began craving a winter cocktail that would help me imagine myself on a beach somewhere, toes buried in delicate white sand, and also be somehow seasonally appropriate. I think this spicy orange margarita is a perfect blend of seasonality and tropicality--the heat from the chilis makes it tough enough to combat the winter doldrums, while the orange and tequila put me squarely in the vacation mindset. It doesn't hurt that oranges and tangerines are in season in the dead of winter! The first time that I made these, I used slightly underripe tangerines from my parents' tree--the intense sourness was a nice counterpart to the chili heat. Since then, however, I've made them with regular OJ, with no complaints.

The best part of this drink is that it is so easy to make, and to make it bulk for a winter dinner party. All you need is regular tequila; tangerines, tangelos, oranges, or orange/tangerine juice; cointreau or triple sec; limes; and chilies to add heat. Oh, and at least a few hours to let the chilies steep in the tequila.

This recipe was inspired by the Spicy Margarita served at La Sandia restaurant in Tysons Corner, VA.

Ingredients
Tequila
Cointreau or Triple Sec
Citrus fruits (tangerines, oranges, tangelos--slightly underripe is okay) or tangerine/orange juice
Limes (I use regular, but I can imagine key limes being very tasty here as well)
Chilies (My favorites are serranos and habaneros, but jalapenos work in a pinch)

1. Steep 2-3 chilis, chopped crosswise, in 1-2 cups of tequila. There is no need to be precise here! Let the tequila steep for awhile, preferably for at least a few hours or overnight. The tequila keeps in the fridge for at least a few weeks--I'm still using tequila that was steeped 3 weeks ago.

2. Mix the chili tequila (without the chilies it was steeped with) with the Cointreau or Triple Sec and lime juice, in the approximate ratio: for one margarita, 1.5 oz tequila, .5 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec, and the juice of half a lime (perhaps a little less if the lime is very juicy. We don't get very juicy limes in DC). If I'm making just one or two servings, I mix right in the glass, since the tequila is already chilled anyway. For more servings, mix in a martini shaker or in a pitcher. If you like salt with your margaritas--I stay away from it because of the sodium content--wet the lip of your glass with water and use a saucer covered in salt to salt the rim.

3. Add ice to your liking, and garnish with a chili cross-section if desired.

Kicked-Up Paprikash

Let's be honest here--I cook not only to feed myself, but because I love hearing the compliments of my friends and family when I cook for them (humility be darned). My number-one customer, of course, is my husband--so when he demands that I post a recipe to the blog because he loves it so much, I listen.

Paprikash, while a visually striking dish, is not exactly the most photogenic. The color of the sauce--bright red-orange--is pretty one-note, and the yogurt in the sauce adds a sheen that doesn't show well on camera. The buttered caraway noodles look oddly plain, and the chunks of tender meat are hidden by that five-alarm sauce. But the flavor--kicked up by at LEAST a quarter-cup of Hungarian spicy paprika (I had to journey all the way to Budapest to buy big bags of it, but you can certainly find large portion-sizes at gourmet food stores), red bell pepper, and plain greek yogurt--is unique and soul-satisfying in the way only stews with noodles can be. If you're a ghoulash-lover, or a fan of rich beef stews chock-full of root veggies, this one's for you.


My doctor-ed up recipe includes much more paprika, and I swapped out chicken for pork in this version, since I was in a traditionalist mood. So traditionalist, even, that we had this with a bottle of that classic Hungarian wine, Egri Bikaver. Like most stews, Paprikash tastes even better on the days after which it's made, so save some for a ridiculously satisfying midday meal.

Serve the paprikash with buttered caraway noodles: simply toss al-dente cooked egg noodles with a couple tablespoons of salted butter and a generous sprinkling of caraway seeds. If you don't have salted butter, use unsalted and add salt to taste.

Pork Paprikash
Adapted--quite freely--from Cooking Light

1 tbsp oil
1-2 lbs pork (use a style good for stewing, like pork shoulder or boneless country-style ribs) or chicken tenders, cut into chunks
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (about 1 medium)
minced garlic, to taste (I also threw in several cloves of smashed garlic--not very traditional, though)
1/4-1/2 cup whipping cream, 2% fat plain greek yogurt, or sour cream, depending on how you're feeling
4 tbsp (if you're a newbie) to 1/2 cup Hungarian spicy paprika
1 tbsp tomato paste (get the kind in a tube, next to the pasta at the grocery)
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp black pepper

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pork or chicken; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan, and keep warm.

Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Return meat to pan. Stir in your choice of dairy and remaining ingredients; cover and simmer minutes or until meat is done and sauce is slightly thick. If you are using pork, you may wish to simmer the sauce for 20-30 minutes more to get a more tender texture.

Caramel Saturday

Today was my first sleepy Saturday in months. This summer has been incredibly hectic--that whole getting married thing, and then 2 months of constant essay-writing for business school...


But--thank goodness--I've got three essays left and more than a month to write them--which just in itself was reason enough to treat ourselves on this cloudy, humid, drizzly August DC morning. And nothing screams "decadent" to me like a meal composed entirely out of caramelized breakfast treats...


In the usual Kari style, I forgot to check whether the camera battery was charged until after the puffed pancake you see was already out of the oven (and de-puffing itself quite quickly), so I'll have to content myself with these partially-eaten photos...


I'm pretty sure this isn't one of Chris's favorite breakfasts in the world, but it certainly is mine. A custardy, caramelized, cinnamon-and-clove scented puffed Dutch apple pancake, made with a simple caramel glaze that comes together in seconds on the stovetop and results in a two-layer treat: the first crispy, buttery, and eggy; the lower layer soaked in a heady brown-sugar sauce that clings stubbornly to even the best of nonstick pans...


And the bacon, crusted in dark brown sugar, cayenne, and cinnamon, tossed easily into a hot oven until the glaze bubbles and covers every portion of the cured meat's surface, turning the humble breakfast meat into something resembling a savory lolly...

And best yet, this breakfast is the kind made for puttering about while enjoying a cup of steaming french press and listening to the rumbles of thunder outside. These aren't fussy dishes that require precise measurement or constant attention to the stove, which is great for cooks like me who don't wake up fully until they've eaten something substantial. You *could* make this dish healthier by cutting down on the butter, or substituting Egg Beaters, or using center-cut bacon instead of the good, thick-cut stuff...

But what would be the fun in that?

Puffed Apple Pancake--serves 4-6, unless you are Chris and Kari in which case it serves 2, generously
Adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook

2 Jazz apples (or McIntosh or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or OJ in a pinch
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar (just eyeball it)
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (eyeball)
1/8 tsp ground cloves (eyeball)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 whole milk (or, if you're like me, mix together some nonfat milk and half-and-half)
3 large eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (no need to weigh it)
Scant 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Optional garnish: confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 425
Toss apples with lemon juice (or OJ), brown sugar, 3 tbsp granulated sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl.
Heat 1.5 tbsp butter in an ovenproof nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer apples and any liquid to the bowl you originally used for the apple-soaking.
Heat the cleaned skillet in the oven for 5 minutes. Combine milk, eggs, flour, remaining 1 tbsp granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk/blend until smooth (Gourmet says to use a blender--but seriously?!)
Remove skillet from oven. Melt remaining 1.5 tbsp butter in a skillet over moderately high heat, then pour batter into skillet. Spoon apple mixture evenly over top. Bake pancake until puffed and golden, about 17 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired (I don't think it's necessary).

Caramelized Bacon--if using center cut, count on 4 slices per person; 3 slices for thick-cut
Bacon
Dark Brown Sugar (or Light Brown, if you must)
Cinnamon
Cayenne
Freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to somewhere between 425 and 450 (you'll just have to watch the bacon more closely at 450). Lay the bacon slices on a foiled cookie sheet, and dust heavily with the sugar, then sprinkle with cinnamon, cayenne, and black pepper to taste. Turn the bacon slices over, and repeat. Slide the cookie sheet into the oven, cook for 5-7 minutes, and then turn over and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving so that the brown sugar can harden into a nice, chewy, caramel coating.

Chris's Favorite Pasta #9

Chris and I first had this pasta at our friend Peter's dinner party (along with an incredible beef tenderloin, German chocolate cake, and multiple other delicacies!), and it's quickly entered our regular weekly rotation. The recipe, Scallop Sauce with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Hot Pepper from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan, is a quick and remarkably delicious dish. Chris doesn't like scallops much, so we substituted frozen shrimp (try the Medium Contessa variety, uncooked, peeled, and deveined), with excellent results. Per usual, we quadrupled the amount of garlic in the dish and ramped up the spice factor. If you love parmesan, garlic, spice, and seafood, this is a pasta dish you definitely need to try!

I would recommend a chilled California or Australian chardonnay with this dish, unoaked if possible. Sauvignon Blanc would be another great option, as would my great Austrian favorite, Gruner Veltliner. Chris and I had this with Jacob's Creek Chardonnay a week ago, and it was a great match.

PS: if you use scallops, use the smallest ones you can find, and preferably ones that haven't been frozen. If you use bay scallops, cut them into pieces as small as the nail on your little finger.


1 pound fresh bay or deep sea scallops or shrimp
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp garlic chopped very fine (or more, if you're a garlic-lover)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Chopped hot chili pepper, to taste (we love using 8-9 serranos, or a bunch of Thai birds-eye chilis)
Salt
1 to 1 1/2 pounds pasta (spaghettini, or thin spaghetti, is the best choice here)
1/2 cup dry, unflavored bread crumbs, lightly toasted in the oven or in a skillet

1. Wash the scallops in cold water, pat thoroughly with a cloth towel, and cut up into pieces about 3/8 inch thick (or follow the instructions on the package of frozen shrimp)

2. Put the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan, turn the heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until the garlic colors a light gold. Add the parsley and hot pepper. Stir once or twice, then add the scallops/shrimp and one or two large pinches of salt. Turn the heat up to high, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the scallops/shrimp lose their shine and turn a flat white/pink. Do not overcook the scallops/shrimp or they will become tough. Taste and correct for salt and hot pepper. If the scallops shed a lot of liquid, remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon, and boil down the watery liquid. Return the scallops/shrimp to the pan, turn them over quickly, then turn off the heat.

3. Toss thoroughly with cooked drained spaghettini, add the bread crumbs, toss again, and serve at once!

Asian Cold-Eze

This recipe for Chicken Soup with Jasmine Rice and Ginger, from Food and Wine: an Entire Year of Recipes 2006, is the perfect remedy for anything that ails you. Chris recently came down with a case of the stomach flu, and he was able to keep this down better than saltines! The chicken broth and rice provide low-stress nourishment, and the ginger helps alleviate any nausea. The recipe requires very little work or prep--just a bit of time on the stove.

Don't be scared of the fish sauce--it may stink a bit, but you won't notice it (in a bad way!) in the broth. The Three Crabs brand is fantastic, and can be had at any asian or international grocery.

Instead of poaching individual chicken breasts, I prefer to just buy a rotisserie chicken and shred the meat. If you'd prefer to prepare the meat yourself, take 1-2 chicken breasts and poach them in a bit of water or broth, then let them cool and shred the meat.





4 servings

1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp jasmine rice, rinsed if necessary
4 cups water
One 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled (you can do this easily with the edge of a spoon)
3 cups of chicken stock, preferably low-sodium and organic
1 tbsp Asian fish sauce
Pinch each salt and sugar
1/2-1 cup shredded cooked chicken
2 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
2 tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the rice with the water. Bring the rice to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender and porridge-like, about 25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut the piece of peeled ginger into matchsticks: thinly slice the ginger crosswise into coins, then stack the slices. Cut the slices lengthwise into thin slivers.

3. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, salt and sugar to the rice, bring the soup to a simmer and continue cooking over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in half of the ginger slivers and simmer the soup for 10 minutes longer.

4. Ladle the chicken soup into shallow bowls and garnish with the shredded chicken, sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, and the remaining slivered ginger. Serve at once.

Make ahead: The recipe can be made through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight. When reheating the soup, add extra stock to adjust the consistency.

So Good We Forgot to Take a Picture

I know that one of my culinary adventures has been successful when Chris insists that I post it to the blog immediately, "so we don't forget about the recipe." For all of you who know Chris, you also know that this level of culinary dedication is totally out of the ordinary--so this recipe must be damn good. So damn good that we completely forgot to take a picture!!

Chris and I were ravenous when I made this Tagliatelle with Chestnuts, Pancetta, and Sage--from a 2005 issue of Gourmet--and it turned out even better than I could have hoped for. Yes, the chestnuts were remarkably expensive at the grocery store (11.99 a jar--I probably shouldn't have bought them right before Thanksgiving, when the price was probably jacked up), but the pasta honestly tasted like a 50-dollar creation. The combination of the sage and chestnuts creates a crumbly, heady sauce that enrobes every delicate strand of egg pasta. As usual, we didn't have pancetta on hand, so I subbed bacon, which was completely fine. I used all the sage that I had on hand, and it didn't overwhelm the other flavors one bit.

Beverage Note: Chris and I had a bottle of wine with this dish (per usual), but I honestly can't remember what the varietal was. The pasta blew my memory of the vino to bits. Yes, this pasta is that good--just try it!!!

Serves 3-4

3 ounces pancetta (Italian unsmoked cured bacon), chopped (scant 1 cup)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage (I used an entire package of sage. It was worth it)
8 ounces bottled peeled roasted whole chestnuts, coarsely crumbled (1 1/2 cups)
8 ounces dried flat egg pasta such as tagliatelle or fettuccine
2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cook pancetta in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and 1 tablespoon sage and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in chestnuts and remove from heat.

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander and add to pancetta mixture in skillet. Add 1 cup reserved cooking water along with cheese and butter and cook, tossing constantly, over high heat until pasta is well coated (add more reserved water if necessary), about 1 minute. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve sprinkled with parsley and remaining tablespoon sage.

Lazy Girl's Indian

So, faithful reader, at this point you probably think that:

1. Kari is a lush.
2. Kari spends hours cooking EVERY NIGHT. Totally not my style.

As I sit here sipping my chocolate martini (martini purists, I don't wanna hear it!)...I can't deny #1. Alcohol + food = heaven.

However, with regard to #2, that isn't really true...I have lots of "short-cut" recipes that I use on weekdays, that require maybe 5-10 minutes of prep, and then maybe 5-10 minutes of puttering in the kitchen. Really easy, stress-free cooking.

The key to tasty, quick, luxurious meals? Knowing when prepared/frozen foods work, and when they don't. Frozen peas, baguettes, and blueberries work well; frozen strawberries and oily dishes, not so much. In the same vein, Rao's jarred pasta sauces are preservative-free, all-natural, and probably more delicious than anything I can prepare, but other brands--Progresso, Contadina, even Emeril's--just don't cut it. That's not to say that I don't use fresh blueberries in season, or that I don't make my own raw tomato sauce in the summer, but rather that there is a time and a place for frozen and prepared foods.

Indian cuisine, to me, is one of those places. Most people--except, perhaps, my good friend Ivan, who prepares vegetarian Indian cuisine like a native Punjabi--consider Indian food to be quite the undertaking, due to the number of exotic items and spices involved, as well as the time often taken to simmer sauces to an appropriate level of tastiness. Chris and I *love* Indian food, but we 1) can't afford to eat out all the time and 2) like to restrict our level of ghee consumption.

That's where Shere Khan and Geeta's prepared Indian jarred sauces come in. Chock-full of fresh-tasting onions, tomatoes, garlic, spices, and chilis, these sauces reduce hours of cooking to a simple pop-and-pour. They're also incredibly low in sodium and fat, because there's no ghee involved (at maximum, there's a bit of coconut that adds a little fat). Both brands are available at Cost Plus WorldMarket (sensing a trend, here?) and they're pretty economical (~5 bucks a jar).

There's no set recipe for this kind of cooking (although I've indicated some generalities below), but usually it involves browning some meat, adding the sauce to the pan, then adding the desired vegetables for some gentle steam-cooking. These sauces are excellent for vegetarians as well--just add more of the green stuff to your liking to replace the meat. Let the sauce, meat, and veggies simmer for a bit while the basmati rice finishes cooking, pop open a Kingfisher, and voila!--your healthy, spicy, impressively complex-tasting dinner is done in 25 minutes flat, rice cooking time included.

Beverage Note: We had this with Cline's Ancient Vines Zinfandel, perhaps my favorite red under $20.

Chicken breast, frozen peas, and canned chickpeas simmer away happily.

Try this concoction on simple coconut rice--you won't regret it.

Ingredients for 3-4 servings (alter at will)
About 3/4-1 pound of meat (chicken, lamb, etc), preferably organic, cut into bite-size chunks
2-3 cups of vegetables (canned chickpeas, frozen peas, cauliflower, eggplant, broccoli, potatoes, spinach, etc), made bite-size
1 can reduced-fat coconut milk
2 cups of rice, preferably long grain (basmati or jasmine)

Start the rice going--I love my cuckoo rice cooker, but it's perfectly acceptable and traditional to do it over a proper flame! Add the rice, coconut milk, and water to the pot (If using long-grain rice, use about 1.5 cups of liquid to every cup of rice; if using medium-grain, do a little more than 1 cup liquid to 1 cup rice. 1 can of coconut milk is a little less than 2 cups). If desired, add a little salt to the rice.

Brown the meat in a nonstick pan with a little oil over medium to medium-high heat (the Geeta's brand of sauces comes with a packet of spices to brown the meat in. So use those, if you're using Geeta's). If using eggplant, saute that at the same time as the meat. Lower the flame and add the jar of sauce. If using potatoes, add those now and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes before adding more veggies. Add the remaining veggies, and let simmer til it is cooked to your liking.

Plate the rice, and spoon the Indian goodness over. That's it. Enjoy!

When Supereasy, (Sorta)healthy, and Superyummy Collide

I arrived home on Tuesday to a humongous package on my doorstep, which held my new, GLORIOUS KitchenAid Artisan standing mixer (an engagement present from my extraordinarily generous future parents-in-law!!). It had been a stressful day--I'd just finished an afternoon of briefings--and I knew nothing would calm me down like cooking up a storm. I started with a delicious chicken stirfry from The Breath of a Wok and a delicious bottle of Virginia rose from Chester Gap Cellars, but I felt an intense need to use my brand-new mixer before the night was out.

I had three sticky-ripe bananas on my kitchen counter, so I knew I wanted to use those; my friend Lauren had sent me a "Classic Banana Bread" recipe from Cooking Light just a week or so earlier, and that sounded like the perfect thing. The recipe itself is low-fat and pretty low-cal, but I added chocolate chips so that probably sinned it up a bit!! The bread was ridiculously delicious--soft, moist, and full of intense banana flavor. It also kept very well for about two days (at the end of which we had gobbled up the entire loaf!!). The baking prep was pretty much nonexistent--it was probably 10-15 minutes from the time I started mashing up the bananas to when the loaf was happily baking in the oven.


2 cups all-purpose flour (per Lauren, whole wheat pastry flour would also work well here)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt (I used Greek yogurt, and that was just fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
chocolate chips (optional)
Cooking spray (I like Pam for baking!)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips, if using. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 1 loaf, 14 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

CALORIES 187 (21% from fat); FAT 4.3g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.3g); IRON 1mg; CHOLESTEROL 40mg; CALCIUM 20mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34.4g; SODIUM 198mg; PROTEIN 3.3g; FIBER 1.1g

I Really, Really Love Gnocchi

I debated for a bit whether or not to post this recipe, because it's good, but not knock-your-socks off good. But the gnocchi in this dish--buttered, browned, lightly sprinkled with nutmeg--are so amazingly delicious that they are worth making just on their own. The other components of the dish--the chicken in a fig-and-red-wine-sauce, and the crunchy bacon on top--I could take or leave. But I'll most likely make the gnocchi in this dish again, and perhaps amp up the flavor with some chili flakes or other savory addition.

The recipe, Montalcino Chicken with Figs and Buttered Gnocchi with Nutmeg is from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals. This dish isn't as all-out yummy as some of Rachael's other creations, but the gnocchi alone make it worth it. I'm very particular about my brand of gnocchi--the ones available at Trader Joe's are quite good--but my ultimate favorite are the sweet potato gnocchi from Gia Russa, which are available at CostPlus World Market. The sweet potato gnocchi cut down on the glycemic index of the gnocchi, since they're made with nutrient-rich sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour, and their slightly sweet, slightly caramelized flavors go very well with this dish.

Beverage Note: Chris and I drank a delightful bottle of sangiovese with this meal--that's also the wine that we used in the fig-chicken sauce.



4 Servings

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I didn't need much olive oil, since the bacon was pretty fatty)
1/3 pound thick-cut (1/4 inch thick) pancetta, cut into sticks (or sub bacon, like I did)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, breasts and thighs, cut into large chunks
Salt and black pepper
Flour, for dredging
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
14 to 16 dried black mission figs, quartered
1/3 bottle Rosso di Montalcino wine (or any other dry red wine)
1 cup chicken stock plus up to 1/2 cup more if needed
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, a generous handful, chopped
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, 4 sprigs
1 12-to-16 ounce package fresh or frozen gnocchi
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3 tbsp chopped or snipped chives, 10 blades

1. Place a pot of water on the stove to boil for the gnocchi.

2. Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the pancetta or bacon, and brown it for 3-4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.

3. While the pancetta browns, season the chicken chunks with salt and pepper and dredge them in a little flour (I put the flour in a gallon-size freezer bag and shook the chicken in it, shake-and-bake style). After removing the pancetta/bacon from the pan, add the chicken. Brown the pieces for a few minutes on each side over high heat, then scoot the meat to the edges of the pan and add the onion, garlic, and figs. Saute 5 minutes, combine the chicken with the onions and figs, then add the wine and cook it down for 5 minutes or so until only 1/3 cup of liquid remains. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock, the parsley, lemon zest, and thyme to the chicken and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes, while you make the gnocchi.

4. Add salt and gnocchi to the boiling water and cook them according to the package directions. Drain. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Melt the butter and brown it (til it smells nice and nutty). Add the drained gnocchi to the browned butter. Raise the heat to medium high and lightly brown the gnocchi. Season the gnocchi with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and add the chives. Toss and remove from heat.

5. Adjust the seasonings on the chicken with figs. If you would like a little more sauce, add another half cup of stock to the pan. Serve the chicken and figs in shallow dishes, the gnocchi piled in the center of the bowl on top of the chicken. Garnish with the crisp pancetta/bacon sticks.

One Of My Favorite (Easy) Things

Yes, I'm on a blog roll! Chris is gone for this entire holiday weekend so he's left me alone to post lots of recipes without him pestering me to cook him things (in truth I'm lonely. really lonely). Sooo anyhoo, here is fabulous, healthy side dish that you can make with supermarket green beans that are clearly past their prime--Roasted Green Beans, from Cook's Illustrated. Don't do this recipe with fresh, crisp haricots verts--use this when you have raggedy old string beans from the bargain bin at Safeway.

As Cook's Illustrated helpfully explains, roasting the over-the-hill string beans produces deeply flavored, caramelized, crisp-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside green beans that are as poppable as french fries. The roasting also encourages the Maillard reaction, which gives the beans these beautiful dark brown spots. This recipe is also extremely healthy, as it only requires 1 tbsp of olive oil per 4-6 servings.

This roasting method is also fabulous with cauliflower--resulting in cauliflower "popcorn"--and I'll likely post that recipe sometime in the near future as well!

1 pound green beans, stem ends snapped off
1 tbsp olive oil
Table salt and black pepper
(yes, that's it!!)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; spread beans across the foil. Drizzle with oil; using hands, toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, toss to coat, and distribute in an even layer. Roast 10 minutes

2. Remove baking sheet from oven. Using tongs, redistribute beans (or just shake the pan, if you are lazy like me). Continue roasting until beans are dark golden brown in spots and have started to shrivel, 10-12 minutes longer.

3. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, transfer to serving bowl, and serve.

An Ode to Truffle Oil

All of you know by now how much I love soups during autumntime, so I won't wax poetic about that again here!! This is another one of my absolute favorites: Yukon Gold Potato and Cauliflower Soup with Truffle Oil, by my favorite chef-lady in the whole world, Andrea Immer (you can find this in her Everyday Dining with Wine). I absolutely adore pureed cauliflower--I don't follow the low-carb diet craze, but it IS a great substitution for mashed potatoes--and here it is blended with shallots and creamy yukon gold potatoes for a rich yet surprisingly healthy treat. Andrea recommends that you drizzle the soup with white truffle oil (not the kind you get from Giant, but rather the legitimate truffle oil you can basically only get via Italian producers), but the soup is still delicious without it. After having it with the truffle oil...well...I would never make this without having that oil in stock!!

Beverage note: Andrea recommends drinking this with stainless-steel fermented or barrel-fermented white burgundies. I went the trashy route and had a rum-spiked cocktail with it (hey, it's Friday!).


1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped (I used 3--I really like the flavor of the shallots)
1 head cauliflower, cored and broken into florets (big florets are fine)
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (regular white potatoes are fine too)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper (black pepper is fine, it'll just leave specks in the soup)
2 tbsp white truffle oil, for drizzling

1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil on medium and add the shallot(s). Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the cauliflower and potatoes to the pot. Cover with cold water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook at a simmer, uncovered, until the cauliflower and potatoes are tender, 15-17 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and drain (I drained the water into a fine-mesh sieve, so I wouldn't lose any good bits), reserving some of the hot cooking liquid. Use an immersion blender to blend the cauliflower-potato mixture, with the butter, salt, and pepper, and about 1/2 cup of the hot cooking liquid, until smooth (if you don't have an immersion blender, puree the soup in batches in a regular blender). Add additional liquid as needed to reach the desired soup consistency. To serve, ladle into warm bowls and drizzle each portion with a teaspoon of truffle oil or more to taste.

The Best Autumn Squash Soup

There's something about early fall that really makes me crave intensely flavorful, deeply colored soups and stews that are healthy but totally fulfilling. This soup is one of my favorite fall standards, and it's easy to tell why--it's intensely pumpkin in color, luscious on the tongue, super-healthy (chock full of Vitamin A, natch), and is easy to create on a weeknight. The original recipe for this Silky Butternut Squash Soup, which you can make with any hard winter squash (acorn and pumpkin would be good), is from Cook's Illustrated's Fall Entertaining from 2007.

Being the huge nerd that I am, I love that Cook's Illustrated really explains the reasoning behind their recipes. The secret to this recipe is that all the "guts" of the squash are simmered in water then strained out of the final product, which produces an incredibly flavorful yet simple soup.

The original recipe called for heavy cream, but since I had none in stock I left it out. I drizzled the finished product with freshly grated nutmeg and heady white truffle oil, which I use in everything I can, but other good garnishes include a thick aged balsamic vinegar or a smattering of paprika.

No picture for this recipe--yet--because I starting slurping as soon as the soup left the pot! I'll post some the next time I make this, which should be soon.

Beverage note: Dry riesling or Gruner Veltliner would be great here!

Makes 6 Cups, Serving 8 As A First Course

To make ahead: The soup may be completed up to 2 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm the soup gently over medium-low heat before serving.

4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, minced (abt 4 tbsp)
3 pounds butternut squash (about 1 large; 2 acorn squash, kabocha pumpkin, etc can be
subbed), unpeeled, squash halved lengthwise, seeds and stringy fibers scraped with spoon and reserved (about 1/4 cup), and each half cut into quarters
Table salt
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 tsp dark brown sugar

1. Heat butter in large Dutch oven (or a large heavy-bottomed pot) over medium-low heat until foaming subsides; add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 3 min. Add squash scrapings and seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and butter turns saffron color, about 4 min. Add 6 cups water and 1 1/2 tsp salt to pot and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low, place squash cut-side down in steamer basket, and lower basket into pot. Cover and steam until squash is completely tender, about 30 minutes. Off heat, use tongs to transfer squash to rimmed baking sheet; reserve steaming liquid. When cool enough to handle, use large spoon to scrape flesh from skin into medium bowl; discard skin.

2. Pour reserved steaming liquid through mesh strainer into second bowl; discard solids in strainer. Rinse and dry Dutch oven.

3. In blender (or put everything in the pot, and use an immersion blender), puree squash and reserved liquid in batches, pulsing on low until smooth. Transfer puree to pot, stir in cream and brown sugar and heat over medium-low heat until hot. Add salt to taste; serve immediately.

Bring On The Zins!

Okay: before I begin this post, a caveat--chili is really hard to photograph and make look pretty. So don't judge the food based on how it looks below--it is REALLY REALLY TASTY, I promise. Have I ever let you down before?!?!

So after that false start--HAPPY FALL!!! Welcome to my favorite season of the year! It is the time of Oktoberfest lagers, pumpkin (pies, ales, seeds toasted with rosemary, whatever), crunchy leaves that you go just a bit out of your way to step on, roasts, root vegetables, stews, and spiked apple cider (heavy on the apple brandy). Especially during this early part of the fall, we've still got all the gorgeous late-summer vegetables lingering even as a snappy cold character enters the air. It's the best of both worlds.

I'm a big fan of stew-and-bread combos during this season, and this post is no exception. To me, there is nothing better than a healthy, hearty chili, stew, or soup paired with a buttery, less-healthy bread (sorry, but bread without butter or cheese isn't worth the flour it's baked with. And don't give me that white-flour-is-bad-for-you nonsense, everything is good in moderation. I promise!). If you insist, you can nix the biscuits in this recipe, and I'll just pretend it didn't happen.

The great thing about this Chipotle Chili and Baking Powder Drop Biscuits recipe combo is how flexible both recipes are. The original recipe for the Chipotle Chili calls for ground turkey, for example, but you can easily sub in ground beef if it is all you have (it will be fattier, but so what? Maybe cut down on the butter in the biscuits if that's the case). You can also add more tomatoes or beans to your heart's content; I majorly upped the spice content by adding an entire can of chipotle chilis in adobe sauce. The Baking Powder Biscuits are quite similar--you can add grated cheese and/or cayenne pepper, like I did, or make them with other binding ingredients (yogurt, buttermilk, etc). Since I don't keep buttermilk or plain yogurt on hand, I added jalapeno cheddar to the mix, which went really well with the spicy chili (if you do want to use buttermilk or yogurt, bring it down to 7/8 cup and bring the baking powder down to 3 tsp).

The Chipotle Chili is originally by Rachael Ray (shaddup, she may be annoying but she's a damn good cook), and the Baking Powder Biscuits are from the trusty How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

Beverage Selections: The drinky-drink world is your oyster here. I love this chili with a spicy, rich Zinfandel, perhaps from California, or another hearty red like Shiraz--basically anything that goes with barbecue will go with this chili. If you're not a red-wine drinker, pick a white that will stand up to the spices in the dish--think of what you would drink with, say, Indian food (maybe an off-dry Riesling or Gewurtztraminer). Beer-wise, I would love to have this with Bell's Two-Hearted Ale, Magic Hat's Jinx, or even Blue Moon Harvest Moon (or similar pumpkin-scented ales). Enjoy!!

I may not be pretty, but my flavors are in the right place.

Buttery, cheesy, flaky warm biscuits are the perfect accompaniment for hot chili.

Chipotle Chili--serves four, generously

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped (I used more. Of course)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili powder (Used more of this as well. Mexican-style works well here)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (Skipped this. Subbed cumin)
1 tablespoon tomato paste (Skipped this--didn't have on hand. Subbed more adobe sauce)
1 chipotle chile en adobo, coarsely chopped, with 1 tablespoon sauce (No--used the whole can)
1 pound ground turkey (try healthy turkey breast, or low-fat ground beef, preferably organic)
1 (12-ounce) Mexican lager-style beer (I used Sam Adams Boston Lager)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice (I used diced--no need to chop!)
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained (You can also sub black beans here)
Optional: Sliced scallions, cilantro sprigs, avocado, sour cream, grated Monterey jack cheese, and/or tortilla chips, for garnish (we didn't use any of these--the biscuits are accompaniment enough)

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, chili powder, and oregano (and/or cumin) and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the chipotle chile and sauce; cook 1 minute more. Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meat loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Add the beer and simmer until reduced by about half, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes--crushing them through your fingers into the skillet--along with their juices and the beans; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes.

Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with the garnishes of your choice.

Bittman's Baking-Powder Drop Biscuits--recipe yields about 10-12 biscuits; I usually halve the recipe

2 cups (about 9 oz) all-purpose or cake flour, plus more as needed
1 scant tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2-5 tbsp cold butter
1 cup milk (if you're using nonfat or lowfat milk, compensate with more butter)
Optional: 1/2 cup grated cheese, like cheddar, gruyere, fontina, blue, or parmesan, along with 1/4 tsp cayenne

1. Preheat oven to 450

2. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl or food processor (food processor is easiest here). Cut the butter into bits and either pulse it in the food processor or pick up a bit of the dry ingredients, rub them with the butter between your fingers, and drop them again (just buy the food processor). All the butter should be thoroughly blended before proceeding.

3. Use a large spoon to stir in the milk and cheese, if using, just until the mix forms a ball. Drop tablespoons (or about 1.5 tbsp, if you like bigger biscuits, like I do) onto a greased baking sheet (I like Pam for baking).

4. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until the biscuits are a beautiful golden brown--be careful not to overcook!! Serve within 15 minutes, preferably dunked into steaming bowls of chili.

I'm In Love With Andrea Immer

My favorite cookbook of all time, you ask? Why, that would be Everyday Dining with Wine, by the indomitable Andrea Immer, wine goddess and chef extraordinaire. In this book, Andrea walks you step by step through all the varietals, and offers up gorgeously delicious recipes that are well-matched to particular categories of grapes. Admittedly, however, since Chris and I don't drink much on weekdays we often eat Andrea's food without wine. And it is still AMAZINGLY GOOD.

Andrea's Linguine with Walnuts, Arugula and Olives is one of my favorites from the book so far (others include the Yukon Gold Potato and Cauliflower Soup with Truffle Oil, the Warm Wild Mushroom Salad with Black Truffle Vinaigrette, the Oven-Crisped Potatoes with Thyme and Pumpkinseed Oil...honestly the list goes on and on). In this recipe, the pasta isn't surrounded by tame-tasting liquid--it's enrobed in olive oil "spiked" with a few intense ingredients--fleur de sel, peppery arugula, salty olives, garlic, parmigiano-reggiano, and toasted walnut pieces. The combination is making my mouth water just thinking about it. So try it!!

Note: Andrea recommends pairing this dish with Cabernet Sauvignon--she notes that "the toasty walnuts and arugula highlight the toastiness of oak in the wines, while the vegetal flavors of the olives and arugula pick up Cabernet's cedary-tobacco-minty notes."

Ingredients
1 pound linguine fini or other thin, flat noodle
1/3 cup walnut pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups tightly packed baby arugula leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling, if desired)
1/3 cup pitted, chopped black olives
1/4 cup grated Manchego or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Coarse sea salt such as fleur de sel

1. Add a tbsp of salt to a large pot filled with 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente.

2. While pasta is cooking, place walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, and cook until browned and fragrant, 3-4 min. Set aside to cool slightly, then chop roughly and reserve.

3. In the same skillet heat the 2 tbsp olive oil on medium, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic begins to soften and turn golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water, and transfer it to the skillet with the garlic. Turn heat to medium. Stir in the arugula and the 1/4 cup olive oil and toss to coat the pasta with the oil and wilt the arugula. Stir in the walnuts and olives, tossing to combine. If the pasta seems dry, add a little of the reserved pasta water.

5. Remove the pasta from the heat and drizzle with a little more olive oil, if desired. Stir in the cheese, adding more to taste, black pepper, and a sprinkling of the fleur de sel. Serve immediately.

Linguine Carbonara, Redeemed (Partly!)

My boss at work, whom I adore, passed me this recipe by Jamie Oliver for "Beautiful Zucchini Carbonara"--basically penne, luscious carbonara sauce, bacon, and zucchini melded together. Anyone who knows me knows I am OBSESSED with creating the perfect carbonara, and this recipe comes really darn close. The use of some starchy pasta water in the sauce makes it creamy and lush, but not too thick and eggy; the use of only egg yolks, not whites, prevents curdling; the zucchini adds an extremely pleasing smoky, tender note; and the copious amount of freshly cracked black pepper prevents the feeling I get from most carbonaras--"this is tasty, but it's missing something!" This is definitely my favorite carbonara recipe yet, and I've tried many. One thing to note is that carbonara does not reheat well, so this recipe basically begs for a pasta pig-out fest--or lots of guests crowding around the pan.

I tweaked this recipe a bit. First, I used linguine fini instead of penne, because the idea of doing carbonara with anything besides long pasta leaves me befuddled. I cut the zucchini into slender strips, so that it could be scooped up easily on the fork along with the strands of pasta. I also used lean center-cut bacon and poured out all but one tbsp of bacon fat after rendering it down in the pan. I also used half-and-half instead of cream, with great results (gotta cut down the fat somewhere!). Lastly, I tossed out the thyme/zucchini flower recommendations--I couldn't be fussed on a weeknight. The recipe below notes all of these changes, but the original recipe can be accessed above via the hyperlink.

The zucchini-bacon mixture in the pan. Note the copious amounts of black pepper!

Not the best shot--but still yummy-looking nonetheless.

So ready for its close-up.

Ingredients

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 medium green and yellow zucchini
1 pound linguine fini or other long flat thin pasta
4 large free-range or organic egg yolks
1/2 cup half-and-half
2 good handfuls freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
12 thick slices pancetta or lean bacon, cut into chunky pieces

Before you start cooking, it's important to get yourself a very large pan, or use a high-sided roasting pan so you can give the pasta a good toss.

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthwise. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the zucchini into slender strips (a bit larger than julienne). Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the package instructions.

To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the half-and-half and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a very large frying pan (a 14-inch is a good start - every house should have one!), add a good splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta or bacon until dark brown and crisp. Pour out excess fat, if desired. Add the zucchini slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Give everything a stir, so the zucchini is coated with all the lovely bacon-flavored oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly.

It's very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchini, bacon and lovely flavors, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you'll scramble the eggs.)

Get everyone around the table, ready to eat straightaway. While you're tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan and a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste quickly for seasoning. Eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.