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Let's Dish: Whose Recipes Do You Trust?

YumSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:50:54 -0700

Whether it's custard that won't set or brittle fleur de sel caramels, we've all had failed cooking attempts. But when disaster strikes while closely following a recipe, it poses the question: Whose recipes can be trusted? And whose cannot? Most religious recipe followers seem to have culinary experts they've come to trust. For example, I find it hard to pick on anything by famed perfectionist Thomas Keller. Same with any cookbook that's been tested over and over again, like those from the late Sheila Lukins. And I've never been able to find fault in a recipe from Tyler Florence or Ina Garten. Whose recipes have you counted on time and time again?

You'll Never Miss the Meat: Conscious Cook Cookbook

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:30:09 -0700

We know that eating less meat is a good thing - it reduces your carbon footprint, lowers your grocery bill, and makes sense for your heart. But does it taste good? Vegetarian diets are often associated with a bland menu of tofu, sprouts, and brown rice day after day. Chef to the stars Tal Ronnen sets out to bust this myth in his new cookbook, The Conscious Cook - Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat ($20).

The cookbook is divided into sections by meal courses that include starters, soups, entrées, and desserts. I'm most excited about the entire section devoted to sandwiches because of all the new lunches I get to try. There's a nice intro that covers Ronnen's must haves in the kitchen - from what items he always has in his pantry (agave nectar) to the chef tools he can't live without (food processor). Ronnen touches on the importance of a vegan diet but does it without making you feel like you're choking on someone else's politics. It's obvious the chef's main focus is making food that tastes exceptional.

To hear more about The Conscious Cook and see a killer quinoa recipe, read more.

Each of the 75 recipes features a protein and ranges from the comforting - free-form ravioli with tofu ricotta and arugula pesto - to the sophisticated - peppercorn-encrusted portobello fillets with yellow tomato bearnaise and mashed potatoes. And every recipe has an inspiring photo accompanying it.

What's great about this cookbook is its range and its approach to meatless cooking. No main dish ever feels like a side dish, which can happen a lot in vegan and vegetarian cooking. Instead, each meal is made to be complete and satisfying. There are recipes for a quick or casual meal, but if you want to pull out all the stops, there are recipes for that too. As an added nice touch, there are seasonally driven dinner menus included at the end.

Quinoa, Avocado, and Sweet Potato Timbale With Roasted Tomatillo Dressing
The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat

Ingredients

For the quinoa:
1 cup quinoa, cooked in vegetable stock according to the package directions and cooled to room temperature
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the sweet potatoes:
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the dressing:
2 tomatillos in olive oil, skins removed
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon light agave nectar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the tortilla strips:
Canola oil
2 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

To serve:
2 avocados, diced
Microgreens

You'll also need 4 salad plates, a food processor, and a 3-inch ring mold.

Directions
1. Make the quinoa: Place all the of the quinoa ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to combine.
2. Make the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until soft in the middle and lightly browned. Be careful not to let the sweet potatoes burn.
3. Make the dressing: Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, toss the tomatillos with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, add vinegar, cilantro, and agave nectar, and pulse to combine. With the motor running, pour in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a thin stream. Continue blending until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Make the tortilla strips: Pour 2 inches of oil into a small, heavy pot and heat until the oil shimmers. Add the tortilla strips and fry until crisp and browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning.
5. Assemble the salads: Place a 3-inch ring mold in the center of one of the 4 salad plates. Fill with 1/4 of the quinoa mixture and press down with a spoon to pack the mold, smoothing the top. Place 1/4 of the sweet potato pieces on top of the quinoa and press down gently. Top with 1/4 of the avocado and press down gently. Carefully remove the mold. Repeat on the remaining salad plates.
6. Carefully place 2 tortilla strips parallel to each other about 1 inch apart on top of each timbale. Place 2 more tortilla strips perpendicular on top of those. Top the timbales with the microgreens and drizzle the dressing around the timbales.

Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 45 minutes

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Cookbook Review: Quick From Scratch Chicken Cookbook

FitSugar — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:00:00 -0700

The latest book from Food & Wine, Quick from Scratch Chicken Cookbook ($25), might be dedicated entirely to chicken, but it is by no means boring. We all know that chicken is a wonderful lean protein, but cooking a boneless, skinless breast can become awfully dull. This cookbook is the antidote to monotonous chicken. With lovely photos accompanying every recipe, it is easy to become inspired flipping through its pages. Many of the recipes seem healthy, but the cookbook doesn't include any nutritional breakdown of the recipes, which is my only criticism of this book. Since chicken is such a versatile protein and can be cooked a variety of ways, the cookbook is organized around all the different cooking techniques making it easy to find recipes to try. Being summertime, I was drawn to the section devoted to grilling. I made the Tandoori chicken, and it was a hit. My girls loved it and it impresses dinner guests repeatedly. The major bonus is it's easy.

Check out the recipe when you read more.

Grilled Chicken Tandoori
Quick From Scratch Chicken Cookbook by Food and Wine

Ingredients

1 chicken (3 to 3 1/2 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
with skin removed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3 tablespoons cooking oil

Directions

Light the grill. Using a sharp knife, cut shallow incisions in the chicken pieces at about 1/2-inch intervals. In a large, glass dish or stainless-steel pan, combine the lemon juice, water, salt, and turmeric. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Let the chicken pieces marinate for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, and cayenne. Add to the chicken and lemon mixture; turn to coat. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
Grill the chicken over moderately high heat, basting with oil, for 10 minutes. Turn and cook, basting with the remaining oil, until just done, about 10 minutes longer for the breasts, 12 for the thighs and drumsticks.

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When I make this dish for my family, I omit the cayenne pepper - my daughters' young palates can't tolerate the heat - the end result is still quite tasty. You can also make kabobs with this recipe using four to five chicken breasts. If you're interested, pick up a copy of the cookbook from Amazon.

Source

Off to Market Recap: Fall Cookbook

partysugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:00:43 -0700

Lately I've been feeling a little depressed about Summer coming to an end. I need something to get me excited for Fall, and have decided on a cookbook.

Not just any old cookbook; I want one that features Fall's most fabulous flavors, and I asked you to help me find it. You looked for cookbooks with recipes that feature Fall ingredients and hearty dishes. You saved the books you discovered in the Yum Market on TeamSugar with the keyword tag Fall Cookbook.

The book Taste of the Season: Inspired Recipes for Fall and Winter by Diane Rossen Worthington, that sofi discovered, sounds like the perfect thing to bring me out of my post-Summer rut.

The recipes - hearty lentil soup with grilled sweet and hot Italian sausages, spicy chicken gumbo, and tangy short ribs, to name a few - are filling, cozy, and comforting. The best thing about this cookbook is that I can use it during the Fall and all the way through to Winter! For more Fall cookbooks, browse below.

Please read geeksugar's explanation for more on how to bookmark.

Let's Dish: How Do You Organize Your Recipes?

YumSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:00:13 -0700

From recipe card filing systems to customized innovations like the tastebook, there are many ways to organize recipes. Still, if you own more than a dozen cookbooks, keep some of your family's recipes on record, and have limited kitchen space, maintaining an organized cooking library can be tough.

I've always struggled to arrange my kitchen paperwork - treasured family recipes, cookbooks, personal creations, recipes I've come across online, and appliance instruction manuals - all in one place. The closest thing I have to a solution is a binder full of sheet protectors that are sorted by course, so that I can insert any printout, clip, handwritten recipe, or manual. It sits next to a shelf full of cookbooks with recipes that have been tabbed.

How about you? Have you found a recipe organizing solution that works for you? I'd love to hear about it!

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Biscotti with the Handstand Kids

YumSugar — Mon, 07 May 2007 14:28:19 -0700

A month or two ago, Yvette Garfield told me about a new cookbook she was (sorry for the pun, but wait for it...) "cooking up." It is a series of ethnic cookbooks aimed towards children called Handstand Kids.

Fast forward to last week and a copy of Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook was waiting on my desk. Actually make that a decorative box with a smart spiral bound book (with a nice sealed cover) and a little chef's hat (shorter than the average chef's hat and meant for kids - although it did fit my rather large noggin). The concept was created by Yvette Garfield, a law school graduate with a background in international children's rights and is designed to introduce children to other cultures and volunteer opportunities. In general, I really like the concept and think it would make a great gift. The artwork is vibrant, the characters diverse (ethnicities and eating habits) and there is even a section that tells you the ingredients in both English and Italian. The recipes, however, seem a bit complex (mom & dad, get ready to help out!). Granted, there is a difficulty level on each recipe, but flavored popcorn and homemade biscotti get the same rating, so I'd take it with a grain of salt. I also question the font choice, it's "fun" but seems like it could be a little hard to read.

Overall, it's an interesting concept and a series worth keeping an eye on. This is the first book in the set and I'm sure there will be some tweaks along the way. Available now for $28 +S&H.

To check out the Handstand Kid's biscotti recipe, read more

Bella Biscotti Cookies
From Handstand Kids Italian Cookbook

Makes about 20 biscotti cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp of salt (sale)
2 tsps of baking powder
1 1/4 cups sugar (zucchero), plus more for sprinkling
5 eggs (uova)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 cup of toasted whole almonds
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tablespoon of butter (burro)

Tools:
Baking Sheet
Cutting Board
Large Bowl
Measuring Cup and Spoon
Serrated Knife
Small Bowl
Wooden Spoon

Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Grease a large baking sheet with a light coat of burro and then sprinkle the sheet with flour.
Mix the flour, zucchero, baking powder and sale together in the large bowl and make a hole in the middle of the mixture.
Add the 4 uovo, cinnamon, and vanilla into the hole and use the wooden spoon to stir it thoroughly.
Add the almonds evenly throughout the dough and using your hands make the dough into 2 logs.
Place each log onto the baking sheet, leaving 4 inches between the edges and the dough.
Beat 1 uovo in the small bowl and use the pastry brush to coat the logs with the uovo.
Bake the logs in the oven for 15 minutes, until they are a nice golden brown color.
Allow the logs to cool for 10 minutes and place them on the cutting board and cut them diagonally into 2 inch slices.
Arrange the slices back onto the baking sheet so that the cut sides are facing up and bake for another 5 minutes.
Cool the slices and bite into the crunchy goodness!

Alternative: Add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the dough. Also, melt chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute and dip the ends of the cooled biscotti into the mixture. Refrigerate dipped biscotti for 1 hour and enjoy!

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Cookbook Review: Almost Meatless

FitSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Studies on health and the health of the environment continue pointing to the fact that eating less meat is beneficial. It is from the perspective that you can reduce both your carbon footprint and your long term health by cutting back on your carnivorous ways that the authors of Almost Meatless ($22.50) penned their new cookbook. A collaboration between a former vegan, Joy Manning, and a committed meat eater, Tara Mataraza Desmond, this cookbook is full of recipes that include meat, fish, and poultry in the ingredient list. The meat, however, is not central to the dishes and is used more like a spice for flavor, texture, and color.

The cookbook is divided into sections by animal proteins, including chicken, seafood, eggs, beef, and pork. The amount of meat in these recipes is small, often hovering around four ounces to create a final dish containing four to six servings. The photos of the dishes are inspiring, but I would love a shot of every dish - I am very visually motivated when it comes to experimenting with new recipes. There are many tempting dishes to make like Almond Gnocchi with Lamb Ragu and Sweet Potato Chorizo Mole. I cooked up the shrimp fried rice and everyone in my house plus two guests loved it, and I look forward to trying more recipes from this book. The authors provide great cooking and shopping tips - like how to freeze bacon so you can use a slice when needed. Yes, cooking with just a piece of bacon still packs a powerful tasty punch. The only problem I have with this cookbook - there are no nutritional breakdowns of the recipes. I believe that cooks interested in using less meat are also going to want to know the calories, protein, and fat per serving.

To check out the tasty fried rice recipe read more.

Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice
Almost Meatless by Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond

Ingredients

1 large pineapple, cut in half length wise
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, but into 1/4 inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves, garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 small red bell pepper, but into 1/4 inch dice, about (half a cup)
1 cup shopped sugar snap or snow peas
1 Thai chile, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
4 cups cold cooked brown or white rice
1/2 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cute into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions

Make two bowls form the pineapple halves by arcing out the center, leaving the bottom intact and leaving about a 1/2-inch-think border along the sides. Cut the carved out pineapple into small chunks, discarding the pieces of the tough center core. Set the pineapple shells and he chunks aside.
Coat a wok or a large sautée pan with the oil and set over medium-high heat. Once the oils shimmering but not smoking, add onion, garlic, ginger, bell peppers, peas, and chili. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, and rice, tossing to incorporate with the other ingredients.
Add the shrimp, cooking just until done, for about two minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the pineapple chunks. Spoon the rice into the carved out pineapple halves and serve.

Serves 4

Make it family friendly by leaving out the Thai chili. Just sautée the chili separately and add to adult plates depending on desired spiciness.

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Super Natural Cooking for the Rest of Us

YumSugar — Thu, 10 May 2007 05:58:32 -0700

One of my favorite websites is 101 Cookbooks by Heidi Swanson. So, when I found out that Heidi's cookbook, Super Natural Cooking was finally published, I had to get my hands on a copy. I had no idea that it would become one of my most favorite cookbooks - I have even taken to reading it before bedtime - especially since it's one that's "good for me." And yet, I can't stop myself from gushing about this book, I've told so many people about it, and plan on getting a copy of it for many others. It is handsdown one of the most gorgeous cookbooks I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of cookbooks). The beautiful photography and layout really draw you into the book, and the recipes look so delectable, if it wasn't for some of the odd ingredients, I might not have realized it was "healthy."

Designed for people who want to easily incorporate healthier, natural, whole-foods into their cooking style, Super Natural Cooking is surprisingly modern and fresh. It manages to do it without coming across as stuffy, preachy or annoyingly hippy. There are general guidelines on how to begin thinking in these terms, tips on how to stock a whole-food pantry and great definitions too. Seriously, this book is fantastic (see, gushing about it again), the recipes are great, simple and there are even substitutions for some of the harder to find ingredients. If you've always thought that healthy food meant disgusting food, this book will make you think again.

Jimmy's one of those people who hate "healthy food", so it was difficult convincing him to try something from a book called Super Natural Cooking, but once I showed him the recipe for Muhammara-Slathered Kabobs (and promised that we could use chicken instead of tofu) he was sold on the idea. The muhammara had a nice rich flavor that really brought a nice complexity to the kabobs - I've been enjoying the leftovers on chips too. I tried to find a salad to pair with it, but in the end I really wanted to try the Clemenquat Salad and so opted to make it as a starter. The celery brought a fantastic crunch to the salad and the tang from the citrus really paired well with the parmesan - I believe I just found my new spring staple.

To check out the recipes for Muhammara-Slathered Kabobs and Clemenquat Salad, read more

And if you need something to wash this down, I suggest trying Heidi's White Sangria.

Muhammara-Slathered Kabobs
Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole & Natural Ingredients Into Your Cooking by Heidi Swanson. Photographs by Heidi Swanson. Copyright 2007. Published by Celestial Arts.

1 tbsp red pepper flakes (or 1 small chile)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 cup toasted walnuts
1/4 cup whole-grain bread crumbs (coarse)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or pomegranate juice)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2-3 roasted bell peppers
1/2 to 1 cup warm water
1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt

2 red onions (cut into 6 wedges)
3 lemons, each cut into 4 lengthwise wedges
12 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 12 equal-sized cubes
12 mushrooms
extra-virgin olive oil
fine-grain sea salt

Prepare a medium-hot grill; if the temperature is right, you should be able to hold your hand a few inches above the grate for 4 or 5 seconds.
In the meantime, make the muhammara. Using a hand blender (preferably) or a conventional blender, puree the pepper flakes, cumin, walnuts, bread crumbs, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste and red peppers to a smooth, even consistency. Mix in the warm water in increments to achieve an easily spreadable consistency similar to a thick yogurt. If you're going to use it for dipping, you might want to make it a bit thicker. Stir in the salt and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Onto 6 medium-length skewers, thread an onion wedge, a lemon wedge, a cube of tofu [we actually used cubes of chicken that were sprinkled with salt & pepper], and a mushroom, then repeat. Brush each kabob generously with olive oil and season with salt. Put the kabobs on the grill and cover. Cook, rotating regularly and brushing with olive oil every few minute until onions are tender [or until chicken is cooked] - about 12 minutes.
To eat, slather each kabob with muhammara, slide off the skewers and squeeze the juice from the roasted lemons over everything.

Makes 6 [delicious!] kabobs.

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Clemenquat Salad with Walnuts and Parmesan Shavings
Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Cooking: Five Ways to Incorporate Whole & Natural Ingredients Into Your Cooking by Heidi Swanson. Photographs by Heidi Swanson. Copyright 2007. Published by Celestial Arts.

6 or 7 clementines
7 stalks of celery, stripped of strings
10 kumquats
3 big handfuls of walnut halves, toasted
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
fine-grain sea salt
fresh ground pepper
block of parmesan cheese

Cut away the top and bottom ends from each clementine with a serrated knife, removing just enough to get to the flesh. Rest each clementine on one flat end and slice downward, cutting off the peel in 4 or 5 big strips. If you don't like citrus membranes, cradle the fruit in one palm and cut out each segment by running the knife between the fruit and the membrane one the sides of each segment. Otherwise, just pull the clementines into segments by hand. Either way, you'll want to remove any seeds. Place in a bowl.
Slice the celery 1/8 inch thin on a slight diagonal and add to the bowl. Using a serrated knife as not to crush the kumquats, slice them into 1/8-inch-thick rounds and add to the bowl. When you hit seeds in the kumquats, pop them out with the tip of your knife. Add the toasted walnuts.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, a few pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad, then toss gently with clean hands so the fragile citrus pieces remain intact. Make Parmesan curls by running a vegetable peeler along the long side of the block of Parmesan and top each serving with a few curls.

Serves 4-6.

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Recipes From Cat Cora's Cooking From The Hip

partysugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 10:51:49 -0800

I was lucky enough to get sent an advanced, not-for-sale copy of Cat Cora's new cookbook, Cooking From The Hip. Cat Cora is the executive chef at Bon Appetit magazine and Food Network's only female Iron Chef. She believes in "cooking from the hip" (a phrase that I still don't fully understand, I keep picturing her in a kitchen doing Shakira style hip motions while she cooks...) which is her term for creating dishes from fresh ingredients and pantry staples. Cat advises stocking your kitchen with a variety of oils, vinegars, and canned goods so you can create simple, delicious, and healthy meals at all times. Her book isn't laid out like your normal cookbook, instead she organizes her recipes into five interesting categories: fast, easy, fun, phenomenal, and good to know. I especially enjoyed her praises for the importance of adult time which she celebrates with daily happy hours (a girl after my own heart!) and the cocktail recipes she includes: sake margaritas, mint juleps and mojitos to name a few. I used a few of the recipes to pack a picnic lunch (perfect a blog party) for YumSugar and I to enjoy at work. The pasta salad was very light and fresh and the sandwich uncomplicated elegance. However the best recipe by far was Cat's lemonade cookies. These cake like cookies were a hit at the office and while many people believe I spent hours zesting lemon after lemon, all of the flavor comes from frozen lemonade concentrate...genious! Cat Cora's cookbook doesn't hit the book shelves until April 10, but you can enjoy a sneak peak of a few of her recipes, and pack yourself a perfect picnic, just read more

Farfalle and Herb Salad with Peas
Reprinted with permission from COOKING FROM THE HIP by Cat Cora, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007

3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound farfalle pasta or orzo
3/4 cup peas (blanched if fresh)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
3 garlic cloves minced
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt to the boiling water, then add the farfalle. Cook for 7 minutes, or until the past is done but still firm. Drain the pasta in a colander, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
In a large serving bowl, combine the pasta, peas, herbs, garlic, lemon juice and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Toss and mix well.
Add the cherry tomatoes, drizzle with the oilve oil, and toss gently. Serve or cover and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

Serves 6.

Make Ahead: the salad can be prepared a day ahead, covered and refrigerated.

Cat Cora says: a pasta salad is a good dish to have in your repertoire, and this one, with its butterfly-shaped pasta, shines-just be sure to choose fresh, bright herbs. For pasta salads, cook the pasta a little less than you would for a hot pasta dish.

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Parmesan, Prosciutto, and Arugula Sandwich
Reprinted with permission from COOKING FROM THE HIP by Cat Cora, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007

2 ciabatta loaves, 12-14 inches long
2 tablespoons best-quality-extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups baby arugula
6 ounces Parmesan cheese, thinly sliced or shaved
2 tablespoons truffle oil

Cut the ciabatta loaves in half lengthwise. With a big spoon or your fingers, hollow out both halves of each loaf, leaving a shell approximately 1 inch thick. (Stash the ciabatta innards in a resealable plastic bag in your freezer and use them when you need bread crumbs.)
With a brush, very lightly coat the insides of the hallowed-out loaves with olive oil. Or, if you don't have a brush, pour the oil into a small bowl and use a spoon to dribble it onto the bread.
Layer half the proscuitto, arugula, and cheese in each hollowed-out loaf. With a spoon, drizzle the truffle oil over the meat, greens, and cheese. Replace the top half of each loaf and slice into rectangular sandwiches, each about 2 inches wide.
Serve or wrap in foil for a picnic.

Serves 6-8.

Cat Cora says: This recipe is fast and easy and luxurious and satisfying. For me, it's a fallback dinner-something I can make much faster than the time it takes to have a pizza delivered. It's also perfect picnic food, packed in a basket with a bottle of wine, and terrific at a tailgating party, or as an appetizer. If you leave out the truffle oil, the sandwich is still delicious, but doesn't have the same flair. Long, flat ciabatta loaves can be hollowed out quite easily. Before I start layering, I divide the ingredients into two equal amounts, so neither sandwich is shortchanged.

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Lemonade Cookies
Reprinted with permission from COOKING FROM THE HIP by Cat Cora, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007

1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar, plus extra to sprinkle over the cookies
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (optional)
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon

Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill a large bowl with warm water, and plop in the unopened can of lemonade to thaw while you make the cookie dough.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and the sugar with a hand mixer.

Add the lemon zest, if desired.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture is light and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes, then set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, the baking soda and salt.

Measure out 1/2 cup of the thawed lemonade, and set the rest aside.

Add about one third of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Stir, then add about one third of the 1/2 cup lemonade. Continue adding the flour and lemonade alternately, stirring after each addition, until the mixture shows no streaks of flour.

Beat on low speed with the mixer just until all the ingredients are combined.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on the ungreased baking sheet.

Bake the cookies, checking them after 8 minutes. When the edges are just starting to brown, remove the cookies from the oven. (The centers will still look soft.) Using a pastry brush, immediately brush the top of each cookie very lightly with a little of the remaining lemonade, then lightly sprinkle with sugar. Transfer the cookies to a rack, and allow them to cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen.

Make Ahead: If you want to make the cookie dough ahead of time, it can be refrigerated for several days if you seal it in two layers of plastic wrap. Dough straight from the refrigerator should bake for about 12 minutes; dough at room temperature bakes for 8-10 minutes.

View 19 Photos ›

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Transport Your Taste Buds to the Shore With Clam Chowder

YumSugar — Sat, 23 May 2009 08:00:49 -0700

One recent Summer afternoon at Sam's Chowder House, I enjoyed some of the best New England clam chowder I'd ever had. Ever since, then, I've had lingering thoughts of making an inspired version at home, which was further encouraged when I came across a copy of The Summer Shack Cookbook, in which I earmarked a promising recipe for fresh-from-scratch, authentic New England clam chowder.

The recipe calls for quahogs, the unofficial chowder clam of New England, but since those aren't widely available on the West Coast, I substituted them with Manila clams. You can use any kind that works for you. For a taste of the ocean, read more.

Creamy Cape Cod Clam Chowder
From The Summer Shack Cookbook by Jasper White

Ingredients

10 pounds small quahogs or large cherrystone clams
2 cups water
4 ounces meaty salt pork, rind removed and cut into small (1/3-inch) dice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions (about 12 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks celery (4 ounces), cut into 1/3-inch dice
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1 tablespoon)
1 large dried bay leaf
2 pounds Yukon Gold, Maine, PEI, or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice
2 cups heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher or sea salt if needed
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Directions

Scrub the clams and rinse well. Place them in a large pot, add the water, cover, and turn the heat to high. Once you see a little steam escape from the pot, let the clams cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and quickly move the clams around in the pot so they will cook evenly, then cover and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the clams open.
Pour off the broth and reserve. After it has settled a bit, strain the broth, leaving the bottom 1/2 inch of broth (and sediment) in the container. You should have about 4 cups. Remove the clams from the shells, place in a bowl, and refrigerate until cold.
Dice the clams into small (1/3- to 1/2-inch) pieces. Cover and refrigerate.
Rinse and dry the pot and heat over low heat. Add the salt pork and cook until crispy and brown. Add the butter, onions, garlic, celery, thyme, and bay leaf and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, until the onions are softened but not browned.
Add the potatoes and 4 cups reserved clam broth. The broth should just barely cover the potatoes; if it doesn't, add more broth or water. Turn the heat to high, cover the pot, and boil vigorously for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. Smash a few potatoes against the side of the pot and stir them into the chowder to lightly thicken it.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cream and diced clams. Season with black pepper; you may not need salt (the clams usually add enough of their own). If you are serving the chowder within the hour, just let it sit and "cure." Otherwise, let cool to room temperature and refrigerate it; cover it after it has chilled.
When ready to serve, reheat the chowder slowly over medium heat; do not let it boil. Ladle into cups or bowls and sprinkle with the parsley.

Makes 3 quarts; serves 12 as an appetizer or 6 to 8 as a main course.

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