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Rustic Chocolate Chip Cookies
The ultimate chocolate chip cookie is an ideal every baker aspires to achieve. The challenge is that we each have a different, and sometimes contradictory, concept of what makes the perfect one. Crispy but chewy. Crunchy but soft. Add to that the vastly different preferences of family and friends, and you can see why you might want to master a few recipes based on who’s going to be indulging in your cookie stash. When I created this recipe, I wanted a cookie that gave a satisfying crunch and deep color at the edges, but with a buttery, softer middle. The resulting version is just that – crunchy and crispy right…
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Ruby Pasta
Rich, ruby-toned pasta works with the strengths of the red beet, which likes to stain everything it touches. If you’ve ever cooked with beets and lamented the marks they left on your wood cutting board, fingers, and possibly apron, this is your opportunity to let their ruby red juices work to your advantage. In fact, all elements of this recipe work with the essential qualities of the subtly sweet, earthy beet. To play up those sweet qualities and brighten them, I opted to add crushed fennel seed and marjoram, a delicate aromatic herb that is best introduced toward the end of cooking. Citrus also works well to brighten up the…
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Creative Tips for a Culinary Herb Garden
Digital image from The Cloisters Collection, 1925, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Now is the time when a tiny patch of earth seems most full of potential. Among the ruffled blooms and tasty vegetables that may soon fill your yard or community garden, carve a section for culinary herbs, and you might just transform the scent and flavor of your warm weather cooking. Since herbs grow best when snipped often, the more you use your herb garden, the greater the rewards. Plan a Garden Around Favorite Main Dishes When considering which plants to choose, think about the meals that carry you through the spring and summer.…
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Asiago Polenta Sticks with Rosemary Salt
Baked until the outside is crispy but the inside retains its creamy texture, a polenta stick gives you the best of both ways to eat this Italian staple. Often we think of polenta as a porridge served warm, but it can be grilled or baked to become a crisp surface for a host of toppings or a way to sop up every delicious drop of a pan sauce that’s lingering on the plate. Sprinkled with seasoning before being baked in the oven at high heat, these polenta sticks give a nod to another Italian staple, focaccia. While there are many ways to season loaves, rosemary is a must for me.…
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Grapefruit Brûlée Mocktail with Thyme
There is nothing quite like the crackle of a spoon breaking through a layer of nearly-burnt sugar. Often the sensation presents itself after being served crème brûlée, where the caramelized top classically hides vanilla custard, but it also can be enjoyed when diving through the surface of a brûléed grapefruit. In the latter case, your treat is a spoonful of tangy, sweet citrus with a crisp, toasty coating. This mocktail recipe captures the flavor of grapefruit brûlée in a refreshing way for those times when you’d prefer a glass to a spoon. Sometimes it’s impractical to serve grapefruit halves with the rest of your meal, or maybe it’s too scorchingly…
