Shrimp, Tomato and Basil Linguine with Goat Cheese Rounds

Okay, here's the best thing about this recipe. See that circle of cheese right above the shrimp? The one with the brown crunchy edge? That, my friends, is a warm, crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside, little circle of goat cheese that has been dusted in bread crumbs, baked in the oven just until it is soft and wonderful, and then tucked into the middle of this pasta dish. So when you cut into it it falls apart easily and bits of warm goat cheese get all tangled up in the pasta as you twirl it around your fork....

Sorry. I got lost in a pasta dream for a second.

Anyway, this is a lovely, quick dinner that is great for both a weekend night or a special dinner for friends and family. The sauce is a speedy one made with fresh tomatoes, onion, a little garlic and shrimp. All you have left to do then is cook up some linguine, toss it with the sauce and some fresh slivered basil, pop a warm goat cheese round on each one, and there you have it. Elegant, easy, goat-cheesy perfection.

SHRIMP, TOMATO AND BASIL LINGUINE WITH GOAT CHEESE ROUNDS, adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 slice white bread
• 1 4 ounce package log-shaped goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 3 cups chopped plum tomatoes
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper
• 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups cooked linguine (12 ounces uncooked)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Pulse bread in food processor to fine crumbs. Spread on baking sheet and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate and let cool.
3. Slice goat cheese into 4 rounds. Press each round into crumbs until coated. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato, water, sugar and pepper and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add shrimp and salt, cook 4 more minutes or until shrimp are done.
6. Add cooked pasta and basil to tomato sauce, toss to combine.
7. Divide among 4 plates, top with goat cheese round.

Click here for printable recipe

Teriyaki Steak and Sesame Noodles

Just in time for the holidays, I have a great recipe and an equally great cookbook to give away! Those of you who read my post on Pork Dumplings with Chili Sauce know that I am a big fan of Jaden Hair and her Steamy Kitchen blog. Jaden is an amazing cook, an incredibly talented photographer, a really nice person, and the author of THE STEAMY KITCHEN COOKBOOK, which is where I got the recipe for the teriyaki steak that you see above. This cookbook is jam-packed with fabulous-looking recipes that I am going to work my way through...just as soon as I get it back from my mom, who took one look at it on my kitchen counter and borrowed it.

But not before I had made this rocking good steak, which is marinated in a balsamic teriyaki sauce that is Out Of This World. Jaden makes it with a skirt steak, but says you can use the steak of your choice, so I took her at her word and used my all-time favorite cut for grilling: the flank steak. The Southern husband and I made the teriyaki sauce the night before and marinated that bad boy overnight until it was good and soaked in that amazing marinade. By the time dinnertime rolled around, there was nothing left to do but grill the steak and heat up some reserved marinade to drizzle over the steak.

Along the way, it occurred to me that the perfect accompaniment to this fantastic steak would be the Pioneer Woman's Sesame Noodles, which I have now made about one million times. And they were indeed perfect! Which brought all of this full circle, because those sesame noodles were the topic of my first cookbook giveaway...that one is over, but now I have a copy of Jaden's beautiful cookbook to give away next!

So here's what I need: leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling me your favorite food blog, and that will enter you into a random drawing for a copy of THE STEAMY KITCHEN COOKBOOK. (For my peeps who subscribe on email -- click on the recipe title up top and it will take you to the web page where you can comment. I love you guys!!) It is a perfect holiday gift...if you can bear to part with it, that is! I will announce the lucky winner at 7pm on Saturday, December 5. And in the meantime, give this scrumptious teriyaki steak a try, and visit one of MY favorite food blogs, Steamy Kitchen!

**THANKS EVERYONE -- Contest is now over, but please look for the next cookbook giveaway, coming your way soon!**

GRILLED STEAK WITH BALSAMIC TERIYAKI, from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook

• 1 pound skirt steak, or steak of your choice
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 minced shallot
• 2 minced cloves garlic
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup beef, chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin (sweet rice wine)

1. To make the teriyaki sauce, melt the butter in a saucepot over medium low heat. When it starts to bubble, add the shallots and garlic and cook for 3 minutes or until soft, watching to make sure they don't burn.

2. Pour in the vinegar and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until reduced by half. It should be thick, glossy and coat the back of a spoon.

3. Add the sugar, stock, soy sauce and mirin, stir well and bring back to a boil. Then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool and reserve 1/2 cup sauce for marinating and 1/4 cup for serving.

4. Place the steak and 1/2 cup sauce into a large sealable plastic bag. Marinate 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

5. Thirty minutes before grilling, remove the steak from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature. Discard the marinade and pat the steak very dry with paper towels.

6. Preheat grill to high, or set a large frying pan over high heat on the stove and add oil when very hot.

7. Grill steak for 3-5 minutes on each side for medium rare. Let steak rest for 5 minutes and the slice across the grain. Serve with reserved 1/4 cup marinade to pour over the meat.

Click here for printable recipe

Kate's Taco Salad

Okay, I love love love this taco salad, and here's why. Not because it is ridiculously easy to make (and it is). Not because it tastes ridiculously good (and it does). It's because -- unlike 99.9% of most taco salads -- the crunchy part of the taco salad is actually worth eating. You know what I am talking about. Usually you order a taco salad and it comes in a giant tortilla "bowl." You say to yourself, Self, I'm just going to eat the salad part, and you work through all that good stuff in the bowl. The spicy taco meat, the avocado chunks, the chopped tomatoes, the cheese (ah! the cheese!!) and pretty soon your taco salad is gone and the only thing left standing is the tortilla bowl.

So you break off a piece of the side of it, and honestly? It's not that good. It's okay....but it's kind of bland and not that tasty...but it's there on your plate, and pretty soon you have picked off most of the sides of it. And so your awesome taco salad has ended with a whimper.

But in MY taco salad, my friends, that tortilla bowl is transformed into Fritos, which are added to the salad at the very end and tossed right into the salad along with everything else. So every other bite contains a hit of salty corn chip wonderfulness along with all the other taco salad taste sensations. Now there are those among you out there (my oldest friend? are you listening to me?) who will say Fritos are the work of the devil. And maybe they are...but DANG! they are good. And all I have to say is, if you are going to eat the taco salad bowl -- and you KNOW you are -- let's at least make sure it tastes pretty great going down.



These pictures show the ingredients before the tossing (and the lettuce is underneath all that other good stuff) just because it is more photogenic that way, but let me be clear -- you should be toss, toss, tossing all those great ingredients together so that each bite is a mixture of all those rocking taste sensations. So for all of you who like to walk on the wild side with the Fritos, here is my favorite taco salad recipe.

KATE'S TACO SALAD

• 1 pound ground beef
• Taco seasoning mix
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
• 3 chopped tomatoes
• 2 chopped avocados
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 2 cups Fritos
• Whatever else you like in your taco salad. Corn, beans, onion, etc etc.

1. Prepare taco meat with ground beef according to taco seasoning mix directions.
2. Combine all ingredients except Fritos in large mixing bowl. The taco flavoring in the meat juices will serve as the "dressing" for the salad.
3. Add Fritos and toss again.
4. Throw caution to the wind and have seconds.

Click here for printable recipe

Chocolate Brie and Basil Panini

Since I am not going to blog tomorrow, with it being Thanksgiving and all, I wanted today's post to be something a little special and out of the ordinary. Something for you to have in your back pocket for the day AFTER tomorrow, for when you are totally saturated with turkey and stuffing and cooking giant quantities of elaborate holiday fare. Something that is quick and simple and still festive. Something that will make you feel merry on the inside.

I adapted this recipe from GIADA'S KITCHEN, and I did follow her directions by making this in a panini-maker. However, if you are panini-maker-less, you could certainly make a version of this the old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwich way. If you do, I would still brown the bread front and back on your stovetop, just like I did in the panini-maker, since once you are into the second stage with the chocolate and the brie it will go very fast. Too fast to both brown the bread and melt the cheese and chocolate.

I made these sandwiches last weekend for the Southern husband, who is always totally up for a culinary adventure, no matter how off-beat it sounds, and they were simply amazing -- a surprising, decadent, luxurious treat.So with thanks to all of you, who have made ME thankful to have so many wonderful, supportive, creative readers...happy, happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, and here is my newest favorite treat for you to try.

CHOCOLATE, BRIE AND BASIL PANINI, adapted from Giada's Kitchen

Makes two sandwiches

• 4 slices good quality bread
• 4-6 slices Brie cheese
• 1/4 cup good quality chocolate -- chopped or chips
• 1/4 cup fresh sliced basil
• Olive oil

1. Brush both sides of bread with olive oil. Grill in panini-maker until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. If using stovetop skillet, cook on both sides until both sides are golden. Transfer to work surface.

2. Lay 2-3 slices cheese on bread. Top with 1/8 cup chocolate and 1/8 cup basil. Place remaining bread slice on top.

3. Return to panini-maker or skillet and grill an additional 2 minutes. Remove, cut into quarters and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Bay Scallops Gremolata

So, do you know what gremolata is? Nope, I didn't either before I found this gem of a recipe in Sarah Chase's COLD WEATHER COOKING. Gremolata, my friends, is a mix of lemon, parsley and garlic, which you could probably mix up with anything and it would taste good. But in this recipe, it is absolutely, exquisitely perfect, and makes a lovely, easy, totally reliable dinner party entree for that holiday dinner you have been stressing about. Or even a wonderful weekday evening dinner that you can toss together in two shakes.

Basically all you are doing is chopping up red potatoes into small diced pieces and sauteing them in a little olive oil. Think of it as a red potato hash. This is going to be a bed for a quick saute of bay scallops (those little ones, not the big sea scallops), which you sear quickly and then toss with the gremolata. A little lemon juice, a scattering of parsley and that is it. Dish it out, serve it with a tossed salad on the side and some really nice french bread and butter, light some candles, put on some jazz, and your significant other will never know what hit them. Gremolata. You learn something new every day. (At least, I do!!)

BAY SCALLOPS GREMOLATA, adapted from COLD WEATHER COOKING

Serves 2

• 1 large red skinned potato, cut into tiny dice
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound bay scallops
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon wedges and parsley for garnish

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in skillet over med-high heat and add potatoes. Saute until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.

2. Add remaining oil to skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add scallops and cook, stirring constantly, until they are lightly seared, 2-3 minutes.

3. Add lemon zest and garlic and cook 1 minute more. Return potatoes to skillet with parsley and stir to blend. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve at once garnished with lemon wedges and parsley for garnish.

Click here for printable recipe

Chili Dog Casserole

I told myself that I really shouldn't blog about my chili dog casserole. For the good of your general health and well-being, because this is, um, not an especially healthy recipe. I make it about once a year when the Southern husband gets down on his knees and begs. It's never a pretty thing to see a grown man cry, so I always give in and put it on the menu in all its cheesy, bad-for-you goodness. So against my better judgement....here's the scoop.

This is your basic four ingredient dish. Hot dogs. Tortillas. Cheddar Cheese. Chili. You spoon some chili into the bottom of a baking dish. Roll up those hot dogs in the tortillas and lay them on top of the chili. Ladle more chili on top. Cover the whole thing with a nice generous layer of shredded cheddar. Cover it with foil and bake it up for about 30 minutes and voila! Cheesy, spicy, chili dog scrumptiousness, and not a vegetable in sight.

So as long as you promise...promise!...not to make this more than every six months or so, and to get on the treadmill right after, here is my very bad but very good chili dog casserole recipe for you. Proceed at your own risk.

CHILI DOG CASSEROLE

Serves 5

• 4 cups chili (or 2 cans prepared chili, if you want to totally throw caution to the wind)
• 10 hot dogs
• 10 flour tortillas
• 1 8 ounces package shredded cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Spread 2 cups of chili in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
3. Roll up each hot dog in a tortilla and place seam side down on the chili
4. Pour the remaining chili over the row of hot dogs
5. Scatter the cheese over all.
6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Serve immediately, and then eat nothing but salad and tofu for the next week.

Click here for printable recipe

Pumpkin Apple Walnut Stuffed French Toast

This recipe is the living breathing proof that you can find a good recipe pretty much anywhere you go if you just pay attention. I work in the heart of midtown Manhattan, and every morning instead of doing the healthy, responsible thing and walking from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to my office, I hop into a taxi. It's my one commuting indulgence -- I don't stop at Starbucks, I don't pick up a giant New York City bagel with cream cheese (although I WANT to. I really do.) But I do jump right into that cab every morning.

And those of you lucky to have taken a New York taxi lately know that they have installed these little television screens in the back of each one. They give you the weather (thank you!), a lot of ads (really??? I really have to listen to ads on my cab ride, too??) and every once in a while, a little news story that you are actually interested in. Last week it was a story about this wonderful-sounding restaurant called The Turning Point, located on the New Jersey shore. (Or as we native New-Jerseyites say, "down the shore.") The story focussed on their pumpkin-stuffed french toast, and it had me paying rapt attention in the back of my cab at 7am in the morning....which means, it looked like some rocking good french toast. So later that day I tracked down the recipe, which was a bit more complicated than anything I want to attempt on a weekday, but gave me the basis for a pretty delicious streamlined version. And you know me....breakfast for dinner is my idea of heaven. This particular recipe is like French Toast meets Pumpkin Pie, and when topped with a good dollop of whipped cream and cinnamon sugar....ahhhhhhhhhh.

So thanks, Annoying New York City Taxi TV! You finally paid off. Now please stop running all those ads for the new Jay Leno show and we'll be all set.

PUMPKIN APPLE WALNUT STUFFED FRENCH TOAST, adapted heavily from this version from The Turning Point.

Makes 2 servings.

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsps vanilla

1 Tbs cream cheese

2 Tbs applesauce

1/8 cup chopped walnuts

4 slices sandwich bread

1. Combine all ingredients except bread, eggs and milk and mix thoroughly.

2. · Spread pumpkin mixture on bread and put bread slices together sandwich style.

3. Mix eggs and milk together in shallow bowl

4. Soak sandwiches on both sides in egg/mil mixture.

5. Heat frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat, grease with about 1 tablespoon of butter.

6. Cook sandwiches on griddle until both sides are lightly toasted.

7. Serve with maple syrup and fresh whipped cream. I like to shake cinnamon sugar on the top of mine.

Click here for printable recipe

Pecan Pie Winners!

Thank you to every one of you Gaiman-loving, pie-loving, movie-loving folks who entered the Pecan Bestseller Pie giveaway that I posted a few days ago. Before I get to the winners, I wanted to send out one more big THANK YOU to my guest blogger Elise Howard -- editor and pie-baker extraodinaire. And another giant thank you to one of the most amazing writers I know, the incredibly talented Neil Gaiman. If you haven't yet read THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, you need to go get your hands on a copy right this minute. It's simply spectacular.

Okay, on to the lucky winners, who were selected by www.random.org, because if I had to pick them out myself I just...couldn't...do it. The winner of the obviously way too easy question about what movie the line "Pecan Piiiiiiiie" came from is Photogramommy, who (along with everyone else) knew that it came from WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. (And a special thanks to all of you who also reminded me of the paprikash line. I just LOVE that dang movie.) Photogramommy, you win a copy of the very fun book AMERICAN PIE. Email me here to send me your mailing info.

And now for the three incredibly lucky winners of THIS incredible book:

First, Nutmeg Nanny, whose favorite pie is key lime pie. My Southern husband adores that one too, as do a LOT of the commenters on this post. So Nutmeg Nanny, you are winner #1, and I will email you through your own very lovely blog to get your address.

Winner # 2 is Seeks, who loves a good shoofly pie, and even included a link so that we would know what shoofly pie actually IS. Seeks, please email me here to tell me where to send your copy of the book.

And winner #3 is Mike, who couldn't decide between chocolate peanut butter pie and pumpkin. Mike, I totally understand your dilemma. While you are figuring it out, email me here with your address.

In the meantime, here's how all the many fabulous pie nominations broke out..

Who knew that there were so many strawberry rhubarb fans out there?

And last but not least, I have one surprise extra copy of THE GRAVEYARD BOOK to send to Alexis, who was kind enough to include an actual recipe in her comments, so that this post will not be recipe-less. Thanks for the Key Lime Pie recipe, Alexis, and please email me here with your address as well.

Alexis's Favorite Key Lime Pie recipe (from a postcard she got in Florida)

• 4 tsp key lime zest
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 - 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup fresh key lime juice
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted.

Beat together in order until well blended, then pour into into a prepared pie crust. (i use a regular baked pie crust, you could use graham crackers) Bake at 325 for 15 min (until set), remove, cool & chill. I prefer to serve with a dollop of whipped cream, but if you like meringue, use the egg whites left over from the 5 egg whites above.

Coffee Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffins

I am going to go out on a limb here and say: This Is The Best Muffin I Have Ever or Will Ever Make And/Or Eat In My Life.

It's really not going too far out on this limb, because it pretty much is. Yes, I did love those adorable baby pancake muffins I made a little while back. And I consider the bacon and egg muffins in their own unique category. But when you are talking your classic sweet, standard-sized muffin, these guys are hands-down the best I have ever made. I've had this recipe forever -- it comes from The Frog Commissary Cookbook, which I love so much I had to buy a second copy because my first was literally so well-used that the pages were falling out.

What's so special about these muffins? Well, they are a combination of chocolate chips, chopped walnuts and coffee, in a thick brown sugar batter that will have you seriously considering skipping the whole pesky baking stage and just eating the batter with a spoon. But don't, because these babies bake up into decadent, tender muffins in no time flat. They would be the perfect holiday gift if you tucked them into a nice basket or a pretty plate and covered them with clear acetate wrap and some nice ribbon. If you really, really love the person you could also give them the recipe. Or you might just want to hold on to it for yourself as your secret muffin weapon.

So there you go...your search for the world's most amazing muffin is now officially over. Give them a try.

COFFEE WALNUT CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS, from The Frog Commissary Cookbook

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease/flour a 12-muffin tin.

2. Cream butter with sugars, coffee and vanilla.

3. Beat together eggs and milk.

3. Combine flour, salt and baking powder. Alternately add the wet and dry ingredients to the butter mixture until just combined.

4. Add chips and walnuts. Divide among muffin tins, filling until almost full.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

6. Cool 5 minutes and then remove from tin and cool on racks.

Click here for printable recipe

Jalapeno Poppers

I made these cute little poppers from the new Pioneer Woman cookbook, and they were a snap to make, and I really, truly did want to eat every single last one of them my own self...and I actually did eat two of them. But these are SPICY little numbers, and after two of them my eyes were watering just a little. However, anyone who really knows me will tell you that despite my Mexican chocolate chip cookies, I am pretty much a total wimp when it comes to anything with any sort of spicy kick to it, and therefore the wonderfully spicy Southern husband is a much better judge of this particular recipe. And so I asked him for a quote to put in today's post. Here it is:

"These jalapeno poppers popped for me!! Mingling the taste of the cheese, bacon & spicy peppers took me back to my southern roots, where we always looked forward to a nice spicy snack or meal, usually involving bacon & barbeque."

And I can confirm this by saying I put these down next to him while he was watching the football game last weekend (WHAT is going on with the Giants??? Can someone explain this to me??) and 2 seconds later the plate was empty. And the dog was in the other room.

So if you are a fan of fun, spicy finger food, these are most definitely for you. A word to the wise on preparing these or anything else involving a jalepeno pepper. WEAR GLOVES. I am not kidding. As I pointed out in my corn salad post last summer, if you don't, and a few hours later you rub your eyes (or take out your contact lenses, even worse)...I don't even want to think about it.

Okay then! Now go make them for the spiciest person you know.

JALAPENO POPPERS, adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

18 fresh jalapenos

1 8 ounce package cream cheese

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 green onion, sliced

18 slices bacon, cut in half

1/4 cup bbq sauce

1. PUT ON GLOVES! (I get the box of latex surgical gloves at CVS. They are perfect for this sort of thing).

2. Cut the jalapenos in half length-wise and take out the seeds and membranes with a spoon or your gloved fingers.

3. Combine the cream cheese, cheddar and onion in a bowl until combined.

4. Stuff each jalapeno half with cheese mixture.

5. Wrap each bacon half-slice around the pepper and secure with a toothpick.

6. Brush with bbq sauce.

7. Now and only now may you remove the gloves.

8. Bake in preheated 275 oven for one hour or until bacon is cooked and sizzling

9. Can be served hot or at room temperature, if they last that long.

Click here for printable recipe

Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies

I do love all my food blog friends, and one of my newest ones is Tiffany over at the National Cookie Network. Tiffany is doing the world a great service by finding, testing and posting about rocking great cookie recipes she finds. She posts almost every day (and one day I need to ask her what she does with all those cookies, because I am pretty sure she tests every recipe to make sure it is wonderful before she posts it. I picture her kitchen as one giant cookie paradise.)

I got to know her when she asked if she could post my Pumpkin Bars post on her site, and I have been sending cookie recipes her way ever since...and finding a lot of great ones while visiting her site. Which is how I came across these Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I was pretty sure I had tried every variation on chocolate chip cookie there way to try, so I was delighted to find this new version. In addition to all the good standard chocolate chip cookie stuff that goes into these, you also put in cinnamon and (get ready)...a small spoonful of red pepper.

Before you get all skeptical on me, just hear me out. For those of you who like chai tea, it's kinda the same concept. There is just enough pepper in these to leave you with a slightly spicy sensation in your mouth that you LOVE but just...can't...quite put your finger on. If you didn't know in advance about the pepper you would never guess that was what it was, you would just think you were not eating your garden-variety chocolate-chipper, but something with a fun little kick to it. I love 'em. So all you adventurous cookie-bakers out there, give these a try!

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, from Epicurious via Montcart via the National Cookie Network.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
• 1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chunks

1. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla.

2. Sift next 6 ingredients over butter mixture; beat just until blended. Mix in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart.

4. Bake cookies until golden brown but still soft to touch, about 10 minutes (for crisper cookies, bake 12 minutes). Let stand on sheets 3 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

Click here for printable recipe

Guest Blogger Elise Howard: Pecan Bestseller Pie

Photo by Leo Chapman


"Pecan piiiiiiiie."

Everyone leaving a comment telling me the movie that line is from is automatically entered in a random drawing to win a copy of the cookbook AMERICAN PIE. I have one delicious copy to give away -- and another fun giveaway at the bottom of this post.

Anyway, I love pecan pie and would have gotten around to blogging about it sooner or later, but as it turns out, my friend Elise is an awesome pecan-pie-baker, and not only that, has a better pecan pie story to tell than I will EVER have. So I knelt at her feet and asked her to be Framed's very first guest blogger. Therefore without further ado, I give you Elise Howard and her Pecan Bestseller Pie....

*********

Just over a year ago, HarperCollins published The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman, which I had the privilege of editing. It immediately went to #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list. Neil told us here at Harper that if we could keep the book at #1 for a month, there would be cupcakes.

We did, and he did, and they were divine – oversized delights with chocolate frosting, each emblazoned with “#1.” Then Neil set us a challenge: keep the book on the Times list till the end of the calendar year – more cupcakes. Sure enough, they appeared as promised. Late January brought news of a Newbery Medal win for The Graveyard Book, a return to the #1 slot, and still more cupcakes. I think. At this point, frankly, we were operating on a perpetual blissed-out cupcake high, and the exact course of events has become a bit of a blur. The next pivotal event I remember clearly, however. The Graveyard Book became a fixture on the Times list, and Neil set the challenge: keep the book there for a year, and we would be eating even more cupcakes. “If we stay on the list for a year,” I told Neil, “I will bake you a pie.”

When week 52 finally arrived, our hearts were in our throats. But since this is a guest post on a cooking blog, you will already have guessed that we made it.

That day, Neil wrote this on his blog: “I am sure there are many people who edit books and also casually produce pies. Elise, for all I know, may be one of these people. I do not believe she is. I liked to think that she was someone who, if The Graveyard Book stayed on the NYT Bestseller List for a year, would need to brush up on her pie-making skills, to navigate the unfamiliar twin territories of piecrust and filling. It would be an adventure.”

It suited me just fine that Neil did not know that I am, in fact, a proud if junior member of a Kentucky-based baking dynasty, that I have explored in depth the tough questions: Shortening, butter, or lard? Pastry blender, twin knives, food processor, or no utensil at all? Ceramic, glass or metal?

After toying with the idea of seasonal rhubarb and realizing it would be nearly impossible to ship, I baked the pecan pie Sunday, froze it hard, and sent it overnight on Monday in a beautiful shipping box constructed by my sweet spouse; it arrived in the Midwest by 11 the next morning, nicely thawed and ready to slice.

Here’s what it looked like as Neil posted it on his journal at neilgaiman.com:

Photo by Neil Gaiman

Was it a success? Let’s just say that if my editorial letters were greeted with half as much enthusiasm by my dear authors, I’d have the happiest job in publishing. Neil tweeted it, blogged it, and sent several e-mails with pictures attached of the pie in various stages of consumption.

And today I received news of a lovely coda to this story: Inspired or frustrated by all Neil’s talk of cupcakes and pie, the folks at needcoffee.com announced a Graveyard Book Dessert Challenge. Their results are humbling and inspiring – and they look delicious.

Meantime, here’s the recipe for my Pecan Bestseller Pie, if you’d like to try it yourself.

PECAN BESTSELLER PIE

Crust:

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (less if you are using kosher or sea salt)
½ cup very cold shortening
¼ scant cup cold butter
¼ cup ice-cold water

1. Combine flour and salt in a food processor with a couple of quick pulses. Handling it as little as possible, add the shortening in about eight large chunks. Pulse rapidly 5 or 6 times till the mixture appears to be fine crumbs. Add the butter, cut into several pieces, again handling as little as possible. Pulse another 5 or 6 times until the coated particles of fat are varied in size, with the largest about the size of an almond. Begin adding water in a trickle, just a couple of tablespoons at first. Pulse 2 or 3 times. If the mixture is still quite dry, add a little more water. Pulse 2 or 3 more times. When the dough begins to form a ball, stop right away.

2. Handling the dough as little as possible, using just your fingertips, shape it into a ball and flatten it on your countertop or whatever well-floured surface you will use to roll it. I like to use a cold (notice the theme?) marble pin, rolling the dough quickly and lightly with as few strokes as possible, working from the center out to the edges until the crust is about 1/8-inch thick and 13 inches in diameter for a 9-inch pie pan. (I prefer metal.) What’s up with all the cold ingredients and utensils? It keeps the fat, especially if you are using butter, cool and solid as you work, so when the pie goes in the oven, the variously sized chunks melt at last, producing a flaky, tender crust. Once the piecrust is in the pan and crimped however you like (a topic for a whole other blog post), stick it in the fridge while you work on the filling.

Pecan Filling (based on R. Chancellor’s Buckfield Pecan Pie, as shared by Ben Baglio many, many years ago)

¼ lb. butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 lb. light brown sugar
6 tablespoons half-and-half
3 eggs
2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped, toasted (4 or 5 minutes in a 350° oven) pecans

Pre-heat oven to 325°. Melt butter, let cool. Beat eggs in a small bowl and set aside. Mix flour and sugar; add beat eggs and half and half. Beat well by hand or in a stand mixer on a medium setting. Stir in vinegar and vanilla. Add butter and nuts. Pour into a chilled, unbaked pie shell (9-inch is perfect). Bake for one hour, or until mixture is gooey and thick, but not totally solid. It’s meant to be cooled before serving, but it’s really good still slightly warm and custardy inside, too.

Click here for printable recipe

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Thanks Elise! An amazing pie just in the nick of time for Thanksgiving baking madness. And now for giveaway number 2 of this post: everyone who leaves a comment telling me and Elise what their own favorite pie is will be entered into a random drawing for one of three copies of the #1 bestselling, Newbery Award-winning, pie-inspiring GRAVEYARD BOOK, by the incomparable Neil Gaiman. Get commenting...winners will be posted Saturday, November 21.

Shrimp with Cheese Grits

I kind of can't believe this is the first time I am posting something about grits, because having been married to a Southern man for 18 years, grits are pretty much business as usual in my kitchen. We like 'em plain. We like 'em with cheese. We like 'em for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Well, some of us do. I do. The Southern husband obviously does. The dog likes the grits, the package the grits come in, the plates the grits have been served on, and anything else faintly edible. The teenager sees the grits package coming out of the freezer and is suddenly, mysteriously no longer hungry. (Yes, my Yankee friends, grits should be stored in the freezer. And please try your best not to use the the Quaker oats version...this is why the Internet exists, for you to order real stone-ground grits from the heart of the Southland).

Anyway, shame on me for holding back on all my grits-wisdom that I have accumulated through the years, which includes the following:

1. As mentioned above, no Quaker Oats grits unless it is an all-out emergency. I love you, Quaker Oats, but there is a reason you have "oats" in your name. You make great oatmeal.

2. Grits come out GREAT cooked in the rice cooker, if you have one.

3. Make sure you salt them up good, and I love a good shake of pepper in mine too. Grits without salt is like a day without sunshine.

4. Store them in the freezer in a ziplock bag.

5. There is no such thing as too much whisking when you are adding the grits to the liquid. Whisk whisk whisk or you will have lumps lumps lumps.

6. All of the following are sheer heaven when added to a pot of hot cooked grits: cream cheese, butter, shredded cheddar, shredded parmesan, a few shakes of Tabasco sauce, any chopped up fresh herbs you have on hand, chopped up bacon,...or all of the above. And if you want to cry with happiness, poach an egg, drop it into the center of your bowl of cheesed up grits, cut into it with your fork so that the egg melts into the grits, and thank your lucky stars to be alive.

Okay, now that I have gotten all that off my chest, let me tell you about this nice little number. I collect shrimp and grits recipes the same way I collect macaroni and cheese recipes. But this particular one is maybe my current favorite. Easy as easy can be, and the perfect combo of grits, cheese and succulent little pieces of shrimp. Unlike many of my grits recipes, this one finishes up in the oven, which gives you a few minutes to make a quick little salad on the side -- I chopped up some cherry tomatoes and tossed them with the extra chopped parsley I had from the grits recipe along with some nice olive oil, a little blueberry balsamic vinegar and some coarse salt and pepper. Yum yum yum.

So there you have it...grits, the 1,432,764th reason I am head over heels in love with my Southern husband. Go make some.

SHRIMP WITH CHEESE GRITS, adapted from Cooking Light

• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked grits
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• Tabasco sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Combine milk and broth in saucepan and heat to boiling. Add grits to saucepan in steady stream, whisking constantly. Add salt. Stir until grits thicken. This can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on your grits.

3. Reduce heat and add cheeses and butter, stirring until combined and melted.

4. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, eggs and shrimp. Spoon into greased casserole dish.

5. Bake until set, about 25 minutes.

6. Serve with Tabasco sauce.

Click here for printable recipe.

Braised Short Ribs with Mascarpone Polenta

Actually, the full name of this recipe is: Braised Short Ribs of Beef with Mascarpone Polenta, Sauteed Wild Mushrooms, Crispy Brussel Sprout Leaves and Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce, and no, I have not lost my mind. Some of you may remember that I had the good luck to be invited to photograph our local library's first Meet The Chef event last summer, and I guess I did okay because they invited me back.

This time the chef was Executive Chef Adam Weiss from the wonderful Esty Street restaurant in Park Ridge, New Jersey. A place that has a soft spot in my heart because the romantic Southern husband and I have been known to celebrate our anniversary there. So I knew from happy experience that the food was going to be ROCKING.

Adam is a guy who likes his work, and is not afraid of getting down into it in front of a hungry audience with a serious piece of BEEF.

And a whole raft of other ingredients that he very neatly arranged on his workspace.

This is what us experienced chefs call "mise-en-place."

Yes, those are brussel sprouts. We'll get to those later.

Adam started by salting the beef, and I do mean salting. Salting is one of a couple of themes that run throughout this recipe. Adam has now convinced me that enthusiastic salting is one of the roads to happiness in life. He salted that baby up and put it in a big old pan with some sizzling oil, and moved on to...

The veggies. Gorgeous big carrots and lots of onion. Which he cut up in that lightening fast dramatic onion-chopping way that I remember seeing in the movie Julie and Julia, and that I have never been able to do at home. I think it is a secret chef school trick. But I do love to watch it in action.

Next came garlic. Lots and lots of garlic. I love garlic ALMOST as much as I love bacon.

That is a bucket of Cabernet Sauvignon going in there. By now the room was smelling, um, good.

Pouring was another theme of this particular event. There was a lot of pouring. Adam was a very serious pourer. I think that is veal stock that is going in there now. At this point I was in a state of mesmerized anticipation so I am not totally sure.

So now that the beef and the Cabernet sauce are cooking away, Adam started the mascarpone polenta. More pouring and lots of whisking.

And the sauteeing of the mushrooms at the same time.

See, here is why things like this are best handled by professionals. Polenta stirring with his right hand. Mushroom-shaking with his right hand. I was getting dizzy just watching.

That is salt going into the polenta, baby. So at this point we are all at a state of beef and wine and polenta-induced excitement. Things are bubbling and steaming and sizzling and the room smells like heaven on earth and you can hear stomachs growling in unison all over the room. And then....

DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUNNNNNNN.....

Adam goes and terrifies all of us by hauling out the brussel sprouts.

You could practically see the apprehension in the room. Why Adam, why? Why would you take your amazing, heavenly beef and wine and polenta creation and brussel sprout it? Why?

But that Adam, he is a tricky one. He talked to us in a calm and soothing voice while he cut the cores out of each of those forbidding little sprouts....

Then he separated the leaves off of each one....

And then, my friends, he fried those little brussel sprout leaves until they were golden and crispy....

And then he drained them on a bed of paper towels. And sprinkled them with...say it with me...SALT. And lo and behold! he converted an entire room into brussel sprout fans, before my very eyes.

I'm still getting used to the fact that I now like brussel sprouts. I like them! I really, really like them! As long as they are peeled and fried and salted. I mean, I haven't completely lost my mind.

At this point the audience was getting ready to rush the stage. The meat was tender and succulent and burbling away in its bath of Cabernet Sauvignon and carrots and onions and mushrooms. Adam had stirred endless amounts of creamy mascarpone cheese into the polenta. I don't need to remind you that there was a heaping dish of crispy, salty brussel sprout leaves. It was time to dish it out.

A bed of polenta.

Some tender beef and vegetables...

Pour some of the rich wine sauce on top....

Garnish it with some brussel sprout leaves. (Can I have a few extra on mine, Adam??)

And just to make your head explode, a drizzling of truffle oil.

I am speechless.

Speechless, I tell you.

Then came the happiest part of the night as Adam dished out perfect little plates of it for all of us...

Yes, we were a happy, brussel-sprout-loving bunch that night.

So if you are ever in or around Northern New Jersey and looking for a memorable meal, go see the great folks at Esty Street. These two gentlemen are Phil and Kim - I had to photograph them in black and white because they are just so elegant and charming.

They own the place and have not only made sure that they have an incredible executive chef (Adam, you rock!) but have also decorated the restaurant in a way that will make you want to move in.

Books...

Fireplace at the bar..

Cozy tables for two...

I'm going. I'm going NOW. Kim, can you have my table waiting?

And for you brave souls who want to try this at home, here is the recipe, with thanks to the amazing Adam Weiss and my friends at Esty Street.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS OF BEEF WITH MASCARPONE POLENTA, SAUTEED WILD MUSHROOMS, CRISPY BRUSSEL SPROUT LEAVES and CABERNET SAUVIGNON SAUCE

Braised Beef Short Ribs

8 pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed of excess fat, and portioned*

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup vegetable or olive oil, not extra virgin

2 Spanish onions, diced

2 carrots, diced

2-ounce can tomato paste

2 cups cabernet sauvignon, or any full bodied red wine

3-4 cups veal or beef stock

3-4 cups chicken stock

1. Season the boneless short ribs of beef very well with Kosher salt and black pepper.
2. In a roasting pan, or a large sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat.
3. Sear the short ribs on both sides to brown the beef. This may take a couple of batches to sear all the pieces of meat. Overcrowding the pan causes the meat to steam and not sear.
4. Remove the meat to the side. Drain off the excess fat.
5. Add the onions and carrots to the pan. Saute the vegetables until they are slightly browned. Add the tomato paste and cook for one minute.
6. Deglaze the pan with the cabernet sauvingon. Reduce slightly.
7. Add 3 cups of the veal or beef stock and 3 cups of chicken stock to the pan. Bring to a boil.
8. Place the short ribs back into the roasting pan. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
9. Place into the center of a preheated 325-degree oven. Braise for approximately three to four hours, or until the meat is fork tender.
10. Remove the meat from the pan and keep warmed. Strain the liquid through a sieve. Add more stock if necessary. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.
11. At this point the meat can be served immediately or refrigerated overnight and reheated in the cabernet sauce.

MASCARPONE POLENTA

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, not extra virgin

1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped

2 cups milk

2 cups water or chicken broth

Kosher salt to taste

2 cups yellow or white polenta

4-ounces mascarpone cheese

1. In a small pot, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté until translucent.
2. Add the milk and water or chicken stock. Season very well with Kosher salt. Bring to a boil.
3. Whisk in the polenta stirring constantly.
4. Bring back to a boil. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil.
5. Place into a 400-degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and with a wooden spoon stir the polenta. At this point the polenta can either be finished with the mascarpone cheese or transferred to another container and refrigerated.
6. If refrigerated, place the firm polenta into an electric mixer and soften with the flat beater attachment. Add some water or chicken stock to the polenta and heat carefully over low heat in a pot or in the microwave in a glass container covered with plastic wrap, stirring occasionally. Once hot, add the mascarpone cheese into the polenta.

SAUTEED WILD MUSHROOMS

5 pounds mushrooms, such as portabella, cremini, shiitake, oyster etc.

¼ cup vegetable or olive oil, not extra virgin

Kosher salt to taste

1. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil. Add the mushrooms in batches and sauté until golden brown. Season to taste with Kosher salt.

2. At this point the mushrooms can be served immediately or refrigerated. Once refrigerated, reheat carefully in the microwave. Add the mushrooms to the cabernet sauce.

CRISPY BRUSSEL SPROUT LEAVES

2 pints brussel sprouts

Vegetable oil for frying

Kosher salt to taste

1. Cut off the ends of the brussel sprouts first.
2. Second, cut then in half from top to bottom.
3. Then, cut the core off the brussel sprout, like a small cabbage.
4. Finally, pull apart the leaves into separate pieces.
5. In a deep pot, or fryer, heat the vegetable oil to 300 degrees.
6. Carefully, fry the leaves in the oil until crispy.
7. Drain the brussel sprout leaves onto paper towels. Sprinkle with Kosher salt as soon as they are place onto the towels. Cool to room temperature.

*If you cannot find boneless short ribs, you can use bone-in short ribs or substitute brisket of beef and braise the same way. Your local butcher can be of assistance with you on this issue as well as fabrication. However, you need to slice the brisket once braised.

Click here for printable recipe