All Cakes Considered: The Mancatcher

After waking up at 6am with the dogs once again on Sunday morning, I decided that instead of crawling back in to the bed I would try and do some baking. Even though I've vowed to make new recipes from my books, I couldn't resist revisiting the sour cream pound cake called The Mancatcher, which has gained a certain fame in my house. First, I just love saying it. I'm making the mancatcher this morning, I told my husband. Watch your back. Melissa Gray's All Cakes Considered is chock full of the kind of cakes I want to make---you know, the kind that you wake up at 2am thinking about.

Instead of writing out the recipe, I'm redirecting you here, because it's intense. The ingredients and the actual cake making itself are simple and straightforward, but one of the points of All Cakes Considered is learning to do things the correct way. If you are an old hand at baking, you're doing what you need to anyway, but following the directions to a T will get you a delicious cake with a moist, dense crumb.

As soon as it was done, I immediately cut it into thirds, sending one each to two friends in town. The mancatcher is just powerful enough to persuade me to make bad choices.

Fruited Chicken Tagine from Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever

I'm not really sure what happened to me last week, but all that momentum from the beginning of a new year was suddenly totally and completely sapped. Waking up felt like plopping my feet in five inches of mud that I trudged through all day long. That's the thing about January. The first week feels awesome, then the next thing you know you start counting the days until spring.

However, before I got sucked into last week, I did manage to make the Fruited Chicken Tagine from Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diana Phillips. Whenever I reach for this book, I look at the title and snicker, but then when I'm eating, I think, wow, this might actually be the best slowcooker book ever. This recipe calls for chicken thighs, which I despise, so I made it with two bone-in chicken breasts instead. Also, it calls for prunes, which, at the bottom of the page reminds you that really are just dried plums. Regardless, I couldn't get myself to buy some, so I used some figs instead, which were awesome. I prepped everything, threw it into the cooker, and took off for a great Thai lunch in south Berkshire County. It's an awesome thing to come home and have dinner ready---after all, that's why I bought the slowcooker in the first place!

Fruited Chicken Tagine
8 chicken thighs, skin and bones removed (or the aforementioned substitution)
1 1/12 tsp salt
1/ tsp cayenne
1/4 cup olive oil (I used way less!)
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 tsp ground tumeric
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup dried apricots (I used a whole cup since I love them!)
1/2 cup dried plums (like I said, I used figs, and then I added a handful of golden raisins and currants)
1/2 cup orange juice (I splurged on some that was freshly squeezed---so good!
Grated zest of one orange
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup water mixed with 2 tbsp corn starch
3 cups cooked couscous

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and cayenne. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken a few pieces at at time and brown on all sides.
Transfer the browned chicken to the slowcooker. Add the onion, cumin, tumeric, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar to the skillet and saute until the onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes.
Transfer what's in the skillet to the slow cooker. Add all the fruits, OJ, zest, and broth. Cook and cover on high for 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours, until the chicken is tender and the fruit is plumped.
Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook an additional 30 to 45 minutes until the sauce is thickened ( I didn't do this, and it turned out fine. You should eyeball it.)
Serve chicken, fruit, and sauce over couscous!

Lemon Pancakes

My entire family has been stricken with the dreaded stomach bug; hence, my lack of posting. I was sick on Monday and didn't get my appetite back until Friday.

Anyhow, this morning I woke up starving and decided to make some pancakes. I decided on "from scratch" pancakes so I could post here. I had just planned on making regular ol' pancakes, but then I saw a lemon pancake recipe and decided to give it a go. So glad I did!

These are very delicious! The recommended honey & sweetened sour cream were the perfect touch! (Next time I may add Greek yogurt instead.)

Lemon Pancakes (from The Joy of Cooking)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sour cream
1/3 c. milk
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp. melted, unsalted butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Finely grated lemon zest of 2 lemons

Whisk flour through salt in one bowl. Whisk sour cream through vanilla in a separate bowl. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk, mixing until combined. Fold in lemon zest.

The batter is thick and bubbly. Spoon 1/4 c. batter onto griddle. Cook until the top of each pancake is speckled with bubbles and some bubbles have popped, then turn and cook until the underside is lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Serve with honey and sweetened sour cream.

Abby gives them two thumbs up and declares them, the best pancakes I've ever made.

Pho in the House

Pho tastes like springtime in your mouth. I've only had pho (prounounced FHA) once before at a shop on Argyle Street in Chicago, which is famous for its pho shops. When I lived in Chicago, I was a poor grad student; however, I made it my primary job to eat my way through the city's multitude of culinary offerings. I was a regular on Devon Street, where I happily dug through vindaloo after korma. I made a point to eat as many hot dogs in as many places as I could. Living on the south side, I'm pretty sure I ate at every restaurant in Hyde Park at least twice.

Pho, however, left an impression. I first had this dish with my friend Jet on a trip to Argyle Street in early spring. I think we'd actually already eaten that day, since we were food buddies and spent most of our time eating when we were together. Regardless, I was not in the mood for pho but I agreed to go anyway. The shop was empty so we got a ton of attention, and by the time our hot steaming bowls of anise scented broth showed up, our little table was full of condiments---cilantro, water mint, bean sprouts, chilies, limes, etc. For me, that sealed the deal. Like any good girl from a Mexican family, I am into my condiments, and I will make room for anything with lime in it. It was the perfect meal for a chilly spring afternoon in Chicago, and when I found this recipe in Lynne Rosetto Kaspar's How To Eat Supper, I knew it would translate into a great post-holiday dinner in January in the Berkshires. It's light, easy to make, and warms you up from the inside out. From the Splendid Table website (same recipe!):

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Soup with Beef and Fresh Herbs
Cook to Cook: Notice
that the thin-sliced beef goes into the bowl raw. The beef cooks in seconds under ladles of simmering broth. To slice meat extremely thin, freeze it for 20 to 30 minutes first. If Asian fresh herbs like perilla (aka shiso) and water mint are available, add them to the table salad.

Cheater's Asian Broth:
1 medium onion, thin sliced
4 large cloves garlic, thin sliced
2- to 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thin sliced
6 whole cloves
1 star anise, bruised, or 1/2 teaspoon anise seed
Fresh-ground black pepper
4 cans low sodium chicken stock, or regular chicken broth
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
Soup:
6 to 8 ounces linguine-style rice noodles
6 to 8 ounces top round steak (chicken breast can be substituted), sliced extremely thin (see Cook to Cook)
Table Salad:
10 branches fresh coriander
6 to 8 branches Thai, or other basil
2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, thin sliced
Generous handful bean sprouts
1 large lime, cut into wedges
Hoisin sauce
Hot sauce
Position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler, and preheat. Double up a very large piece of heavy foil. Scatter on the foil the onion, garlic, ginger, cloves, anise, and 5 grinds of pepper. Broil for 5 minutes, turning the pieces once. You want the onion to have some toasted edges, and the spices should be fragrant. Scrape everything into a 6-quart pot. Be sure to get all the anise seed.

Add the broth, sugar, and fish sauce, bring to a gentle bubble, cover tightly, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Put the rice noodles in a large bowl, and cover them with very hot tap water. (To keep them hot, cover the bowl with a plate.) Soak the noodles for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are tender, but with a little more firmness than you want. Stir a few times. When ready, drain and rinse well with cold water. Divide the noodles between 2 large soup bowls.
As the broth simmers and noodles soak, arrange the table salad on a platter and set out the sauces. To serve, divide the beef between the soup bowls. Ladle the bubbling broth into the bowls. Top each serving with a few sprigs of the coriander and serve.

"Beef" Stew

This is the only time of year that I really miss the whole meat-eating thing. And really, it's not that miss meat, because when I think about it, it grosses me out, but I miss the flavors and textures that are often associated with meat. There are some products out there that sort of mimic the texture and flavor of meat. I hate how processed these items might be, but sometimes you have to make concessions. One of our (meaning mine and the child's) favorite meat substitutes is Gardein beefless tips.

I will post my adapted recipe and then the original recipe.

Jaime's "Beef" Stew with Barley inspired/adapted by Joy of Cooking's Beef Stew
1 bag of Gardein's beefless tips (next time I will add 2 bags)
3 carrots peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
3 potatoes peeled and chopped into 1" pieces
1/2 of a large onion
2 cloves of garlic (run through garlic press)
6 c. of water
3 vegetable boullion cubes
1/2 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 c. barley
liquid smoke (adds a good smokey flavor to "meatless meat" and many other meatless soups)
soy sauce
rosemary, thyme, sage, ground chipotle pepper, pepper (all to taste)
olive oil

• Pour olive oil into hot pot and add onion, garlic, carrots, and potatoes. Saute until onions are translucent.
• Add water and boullion cubes
• Flavor with liquid smoke and soy sauce (I don't measure, just a couple shakes of each)
• Shake in all the herbs according to your tastes (I add extra chipotle)
• Add frozen vegetables
  
• Add meatless beef tips
• Bring to boil
• Add barley and bring back to boil for 10 minutes, or until barley is tender.
• Serve; and, like most soups/stews, taste even better the next day!
  

Beef Stew (basic recipe)

Pat dry:

• 2 lbs. boneless stewing beef cut into 2" cubes

Season the meat with:

• 1/2 - 1 tsp. dried herbs (thyme, marjoram, savory, oregano, and/or basil)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Dredge the meat with:

• 1/2 c. all purpose flour

Shake off excess flour. Heat in a dutch oven over med-high heat:

• 2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil, bacon fat, beef drippings, or other fat

Add the meat in batches & brown on all sides, being careful not to crowd the pan or scorch the meat. Remove with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 2 tbsp. of fat from pan (add more if needed). Add:

• 1/2 c. chopped onions
• 1/4 c. carrots
• 1/4 c. chopped celery
• 1/4 c. chopped leeks (optional)

Cover and cook, stirring often, over medium heat until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add:

• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 - 1 tsp. of the same herbs used to season the meat
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Add enough to cover the meat at least halfway:

• 2-3 c beef or chicken stock, dry red or white wine, or beer

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low heat until the meat is fork-tender. 1 1/2-2 hours. Add:

• 2 -3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 3-4 boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks

Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, 35-40 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and skim off any fat from the surface. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Anne's Recipe Library

Since I know you're dying to know what cookbooks I have that I never use, here's a current picture of my library. Scroll down for notes on each.

Ultimate Bread Cookbook
I went through a big bread phase about 8 years ago. Currently, I use this maybe once a year, and it was the very first cookbook I ever purchased.

How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson
Truthfully? I never used it.

Mexico, One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless
I'm really looking forward to using this one, now that I have stocked up on a ton of Mexican ingredients. Needless to say, it's very hard to find good Mexican ingredients in the Berkshires.

Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of the Rose Bakery by Rose Carranini
This was a great gift from a student with a ton of really amazing recipes for baked goods---also really looking forward to working with this book.

Barefoot Contessa: Back To Basics by Ina Garten, aka The Barefoot Contessa, aka, my hero
I love, love, love me some Barefoot Contessa. I want to live in her house. I want Jeffrey to be my dad. But I've never used this cookbook :(

Barefoot Contessa: Family Style by Ina Garten
Yep. Nothing.

Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver
I HAVE used this one....twice. I love the mint and pea carbonara recipe!

Cupcakes by Martha Stewart
I've been all over this one. No one does baked good like Martha.

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
I've used this a few times since we got a farm share last summer, and I love her recipe for cardamon shortbread.

Everyday Italian by Giada de Laurentiis
I've thought about it, but never used it.

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
I didn't remember I owned this!

The Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten
Now this one I have really used extensively, and her lemon chicken piccata is a relative staple in our rotating menu. Also good---her jalapeno cheddar cornbread. And her coconut cake. And her black bean guacamole. And the recipe for lemon cream pasta with arugula and cherry tomatoes. This is the first Contessa book I got, and I totally love it.

Cupcakes! by Elinor Clivans
This was a gift. Not as good as the Martha book.

All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray
I really, really like this book. I've made a few of the cakes but then I worried I was making too much cake. You know how that goes. Mmm, this makes me want cake!

NYT Cookbook by Amanda Hesser
Thanks, Santa!

Bobby Flay's Throwdown! by Bobby Flay
Another gift from Santa---I am really, really excited about this one.

Cakelove by Warren Brown
I've been meaning to make the Mr. Bananalegs Cake for a long time. My fabulous downstairs neighbor has made a few really good cakes from this book. We went through this cake phase together last year but then I think we may have both agreed that having a whole cake around is like having a loaded gun in the house. Regardless, there is some really good stuff going on in this book.

The Cooks Illustrated Book of Pasta and Noodles
I know! It's wedged in there. When I got a pasta machine, I used this to learn how to make pasta. A pasta machine is also like having a loaded gun in the house. See above.

Cheese Primer by Steve Jenkins
A good reference guide---I used it for, like, a day.

Candy Freak by Steve Almond
This is a really fun book about candy. No recipes, though.

The Whole Food Cookbook by Whole Foods Market
The one thing this book has given me is the poblano corn chowder soup that I have built into the winter rotation. If Jaime wants this one, I may send it to her. Lots of vegetarian recipes.

The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea
Someone gave this to me with a scone pan for our wedding! Never used it.

The Breville Panini Press by Breville
There are some recipes in here, but normally I've inventive enough to make my own panini magic.

Random Recipe Book That Came With My Kitchenaid
Totally unnecessary.

Roadfood by Jane and Michael Stern
A great read! I consult it whenever I travel. No recipes, though.

Pie by Ken Haedrich
I've made many pies from this book---the lemon blueberry cornmeal is a favorite.

The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer
This is one of the books that has inspired this project. It should have a much bigger role in my kitchen.

How To Eat Supper by Lynen Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift
Lynne was an early food hero for me. When we moved in together, I listed to her show on our old NPR station, and I can safely say that Lynne Rossetto Kasper taught me how to cook. My friend Kristin and her wife came to visit us this fall and Kristin was awesome enough to put post-it flags on all the recipes she and Erica love from this book. I am so excited to use it! Expect to see some recipes soon. It's hard to know where to start!

Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever by Diane Phillips
Since the purchase of a long desired for crockpot, I've been using this pretty frequently. I'll be making the fruited chicken tagine from this book soon!

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese

I feel kind of silly posting this recipe. It's completely basic! But, it's a recipe that I never made before in a cookbook that usually sits on or around my kitchen table because I love to read it. The cookbook has journeyed with us from duplex, to apartment, to suburban home, to city rowhome. It's my go-to book. The Joy of Cooking. This is not only a recipe book, but a book to read. I love to read about spices, or measurements, or good food combinations, etc.

Joe & I enjoyed it, Abby didn't care for it much, probably due to the breadcrumbs, or to the fact that she thinks that when I say I'm making macaroni & cheese, she's expecting to see that damn blue box. I served the mac & cheese with stewed tomatoes and altered the recipe quite a bit.

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese
(my adaptations are in italics)

12 c. water (didn't measure)
1 tbsp. salt (a couple dashes)
8 oz. elbow macaroni (entire bag of egg noodles)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
12 oz evaporated milk (I had fat-free on hand, so that's what I used)
12 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated (10 oz.)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. dry mustard dissolved in 1 tsp. water (squirt of dijon mustard)
3/4 tsp. salt (skipped)
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper (Joe won't eat anything spicy, so I just dashed in some paprika)

I also added some breadcrumbs on top. I usually don't, but I made homemade rolls last week and turned the leftovers into breadcrumbs and I wanted to use them up.

Boil water and cook pasta until tender (I slightly undercooked because I planned on baking it in oven as well.)

Drain and return to pot. Add butter, stir until well blended. Add evaporated mik, cheese, eggs, mustard, salt and red pepper and stir until smooth.

Set the pot over very low heat and, stirring constantly, bring the mixtgure to a first bubble of a simmer, 5-10 minutes. It should thicken noticeably. This may take several minutes. Increase the heath slightly if the sauce is still soupy after 5 minutes, but watch very carefully. Do not overheat, or sauce will curdle. Serve immediately. (I topped with breadcrumbs and some butter and baked for 15 minutes.)

I Heart Food.

I'm Jaime and I love food. I love to look at food. I love to read about food. I love to take pictures of food. I love to talk about food. And, yes, I love to eat food.

Things you need to know about me and food:

1. I am a vegetarian, OK, technically a pescetarian (that means I eat fish) but only because my doctor told me to!

2. My husband is a picky eater and my daughter is a picky eater. Unfortunately, they do not coincide with their differences. Most nights each of us are eating different things. This is annoying. On nights that we all eat and ENJOY the same thing, I mark the day on the calendar to be celebrated as a holiday for years to come.

3. I, despite my current appearance do prefer to eat healthy, nutritional, non-processed food. (Ha! You'll laugh to yourself when you see the first recipe I post and the following item.)

4. I have a sweet tooth. I love cakes, cookies, and pies; however, I am very snobby about baked items. Very infrequently do I eat bakery items, I find them flavorless. And don't even get me started about grocery store "bakeries." Ew. There are few people whose baked goods uphold my standards, and therefore, possess the right to clog my arteries. These people include: myself (nose in air), my mom (although she no longer bakes), my sister Jill (her chocolate chip cookies are divine) and my friend Heather whose red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting will have you smiling all throughout your quadruple bypass.

Clipping: Chicken Tikka Masala from Saveur

I have a thing for Indian food. Of course, there is no Indian food in the immediate area that I will eat happily. Before the Christmas break, I decided that I wanted to learn how to make some Indian dishes that I love. My friend Emily, probably the coolest person I know, always used to get Saveur magazine, so two years ago I ended up subscribing too, and I love it. However, I've made very few things from it (including a very elaborate Eggs Benedict bruncheon that Emily and I made once for our husbands). In the last issue I read, I spotted a great recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala, which looked amazing. In true Anne style, I clipped it, and it's been untouched on my fridge for weeks. While we were away for the break, we were in Madison, Wisconsin, where I gathered many key ingredients that are not readily available here, and when we returned, I saw the recipe stuck of my fridge and happily realized I had everything to make it. It was perfect for a New Year's Eve that consisted of playing Donkey Kong Country and watching old episodes of House. Here is the recipe from Saveur:

Chicken Tikka Masala
The chicken in this dish is kept separate from the sauce until the end to preserve its succulence.
(NB: I never realized what a difference this makes in the taste!)
1 tbsp. ground turmeric
4 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. red food coloring (optional)
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 2 1⁄2" piece ginger, peeled and chopped,
plus julienned strips for garnish
1 jalapeño, stemmed and chopped
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1⁄2" cubes
1⁄4 cup Greek yogurt, such as Fage
Kosher salt, to taste
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1⁄2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. paprika
2 small yellow onions, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Cilantro leaves, for garnish
Cooked basmati rice, for serving
1. In a blender, purée turmeric, 2 tsp. garam masala, coloring, garlic, ginger, jalapeños, and 1⁄2 cup water. Put paste into a bowl. In the same blender, purée tomatoes and strain through a sieve. In a bowl, mix 2 tbsp. paste, chicken, yogurt, and salt; marinate for 30 minutes. Place oven rack 4" from heating element; heat to broil. Transfer chicken to a foil-lined sheet tray; broil until cooked, 5–6 minutes; set aside.
2. Heat butter in 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add coriander and cumin; toast 4–6 minutes. Add paprika and onions; cook until soft, 6–8 minutes. Add remaining paste; brown for 5–6 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cream and 1 cup water; boil. Reduce heat; simmer until thickened, 6–8 minutes. Stir in remaining masala and chicken; season with salt. Serve with garnishes and rice.

It was fantastic! The frozen nan I bought from Trader Joe's was so-so, but the dish itself was excellent.

My verdict---
1) It's a keeper!
2) Maybe good to make on a Friday or weekend night. Not good for a long day helping students come up with thesis statements on Huck Finn.
3) Don't do what I did and mix up the half and half with heavy cream. When we reheated it today, I threw in some heavy cream and it was perfect.
4) I was all caught up in going to amazon and hunting for a spice grinder, but at the last minute I realized that I could just use my empty salt grinder.

The Recipe Library: Working Through Our Libraries One Recipe At A Time

Last month, right before I clicked the "Complete Order" on an amazon shopping cart with the critically acclaimed New York Times Cookbook in it, I thought to myself

"Do I really need another cookbook?"

I got up from my office chair, wandered into the kitchen and turned to my shelf of cookbooks, running my fingers on the spines. It turns out that the one I had last used was Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, and before that, I couldn't remember cracking one open. Let me tell you, I have a lot of really great cookbooks, yet I find that I hardly ever use them unless I'm making something for a special occasion. Since both my husband and I both work, there seems to be less and less time to explore my cookbooks for a weekday meal. Instead, I tend to rely on old favorites. On a typical week, this is what our dinners might look like:

Day 1: Thai Beef and Coconut Rice from Martha Stewart. Yes, this is the second time I've mentioned her, and you should know right now that I adore her and when I look online for recipes, her website is always the first place I look. This Thai Beef recipe is my go-to meal, and I think I could eat it three times a week---with extra chilies, lime, and basil. My husband, on the other hand, looks defeated every time I announce I want to make it for dinner.
Day 2: Pizza we make from a Chef Boyaree mix. Don't laugh. We have it down to a science and it's pretty okay.
Day 3: A visit to Chef's Hat, our favorite diner in town.
Day 4: Some kind of soup I make in the crockpot---varies between beef stew or chicken poblano pepper chowder.
Day 5: Some kind of meat/rice/veg combo
Day 6: If I'm lucky, a repeat of Day 1
Day 7: Leftovers from Day 4?

As you can see, we are in a bit of a food crisis at my house. Before we moved here, I loved to cook, but there were also plenty of old reliables that could be brought in at the last minute (Hello, Jimmy John's? Two Hunter's Club sandwiches, please!). Since eating out is hard where we live, I keep buying cookbooks to inspire me to make great things, but I'm not really using them. So back to the Amazon shopping cart. I didn't buy the book, and after some thinking, I realized I wanted to dedicate this year to using the resources that I already have. My friend Jaime and I have been looking for a joint project, so she's going to join me---we plan on working to use two new recipes per week, which we will post here.

Luckily, Santa brought me the NYT cookbook---and soon I will do a post so you can see what books I'll be working from.