Tagliatelle with Turkey Bolognese Sauce and a Double Cookbook Contest!

Before I get to both the contest and the wonderfulness of this recipe, I have to tell you why this particular one has such a fond place in my heart. I'll give you a hint.

BAM!

Yes, it comes from Emeril LaGasse, who I have had the grand good luck to know and work with on his children's cookbooks. Along with being an amazing chef, he is one Very Nice Guy. We had a terrific time with the kids cookbooks, not the least of which came out of one very fun day when the teenager was just a tyke. Emeril thought it would be great if the cover of his kids cookbook featured some kids we all knew and loved, and conveniently I happened to have one of those around. So one day we trucked into New York City for the photo shoot. This being an Emeril book, there was a lot of laughing and jumping around and silliness as we took the pictures. Check out the picture below and see if you can guess which one is the now very sophisticated teenager...

Here's a hint. I really, really miss those pigtails.

Anyway, I can tell you that this particular cookbook is not just for kids...it's for anyone who wants to make a really rocking macaroni and cheese, Emeril-style...along with a load of other fabulous recipes. I have yet to meet an Emeril recipe I didn't love...which is why when I spotted this bolognese recipe in Everyday Food magazine, I tried it out pronto, and have since made it over and over again. It is a departure from the usual beef-based bolognese sauce in that it uses ground turkey breast, along with the usual mix of chopped carrots, celery and onions. Some white wine, some chicken broth, some garlic, a little half and half, some tomato paste -- you get the picture. The turkey makes it a little lighter than a beef sauce, which in my book means you can have MORE.

So in celebration of all things Emeril, I am delighted to say that three lucky people are going to get a copy of both the kid's cookbook, THERE'S A CHEF IN MY SOUP...and a copy of Emeril's equallly fabulous grown-up title, EMERIL'S TV DINNERS. Although I promise you, the kid's book is pretty great for grown-up cooks as well. Just leave me a comment below telling me who your favorite celebrity chef is. In addition to Emeril, of course. I will announce the lucky winners on Saturday, February 6. And as always, my wonderful email subscribers can play by clicking on the title of this post in the email -- it will take you to the actual post where you can comment.

One more thing before we get to the recipe...

BAM!

(I love that.)

TURKEY BOLOGNESE, by Emeril LaGasse for Everyday Food

• 10 slices turkey bacon (6 ounces), finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 pounds ground turkey (97 percent lean)
• 3/4 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook bacon over medium until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Add onion, carrots, and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add turkey; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 8 to 9 minutes. Add wine and garlic; cook until wine has almost evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Add broth and half-and-half; bring to a boil over high. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce is thick and creamy, about 30 minutes more. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Click here for printable recipe

Cincinnati Chili

So, those of you who follow me on Facebook know that pretty much every morning I post what I am making for dinner as my Facebook status. (This started when I first got my Facebook page and I wasn't posting any status at all. The teenager was aghast, and told me I HAD to post my status and change it every day, and dinner was the only thing I could think of that changed radically every day. That, my friends, is the scintillating life that I lead. Not that I am complaining.)

Anyway. Most days the Dinner Status gets a comment or two, or someone hits the "Like" button, especially if there is bacon involved. Then came the day that I changed my status to "making three-way Cincinnati Chili."

Oh my goodness. I think it is currently up to 19 comments and STILL going on, and that was a week ago. Everyone from my friend H, who is an AMAZING food writer and editor (and if you are looking for one of those, click here), to my friends C and D who are from or who are married to Ohio natives and so have first-hand knowledge of Cincinnati chili, to various folks just want to know what it IS. It was a Facebook/Chili free-for-all, and I loved it. Who knew chili was such a conversation-starter? But obviously this one is, so let me break it down for you.

1. Cincinnati chili is served on spaghetti. Not rice, spaghetti, and very well-cooked spaghetti. This is not the time for al dente.

2. Cincinnati chili does NOT have beans in it, unless you are having Five-Way chili. More on that later. It's complicated.

3. Cincinnati chili includes, among various other flavors and seasonings: CHOCOLATE. (I'm starting to understand the passion now.)

Now that we have covered that, let me explain the various ways you can have this particular chili.

THREE WAY: Chili, shredded cheese, spaghetti.
FOUR WAY: Chili, shredded cheese, spaghetti, chopped onions
FIVE WAY: Chili, shredded cheese, spaghetti, chopped onions, beans

My Ohio sources tell me that there is a variation on the FOUR WAY where you can swap out the beans for the onions. And that it is often served with oyster crackers. That is the sum total of what I know about this variation of chili, other that the fact that it is flat-out scrumptious, and if you let it mellow in the fridge overnight and have some the next day, it is even better.

So there you have it, Cincinnati chili, and all you Ohioans out there? Let me know if I got anything wrong, okay?

January 29 ADDENDUM!!

In my first-ever correction to a post, thanks to everyone who in various ways told me I was a big old skimper on the CHEESE. Here is a link to a chili advertisement that shows the correct amount of cheese. I promise to never, ever be a cheese miser again...

Skyline Chili

It takes a village...thanks, guys. :--)

CINCINNATI CHILI, from allrecipes.com

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 pounds ground beef 1/4 cup chili powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 bay leaf 1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate 2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1.	Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 6 minutes.
2.	Add beef, in batches if necessary, and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned.
3.	Add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, bay leaf, chocolate, beef broth, tomato sauce, cider vinegar, and red pepper. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4.	It is the best if you now refrigerate overnight.
5.	Remove the bay leaf. Reheat gently over medium heat. Serve over hot, drained spaghetti. Top with shredded cheddar cheese for three way, add some chopped onions for four way, add some drained heated kidney beans for five way. Click here for printable recipe

Edible Arrangements

Okay, so please forgive me in advance if this post falls into the "more information than I really wanted to get on a recipe blog" category, but there's a story behind this one, and I do think it's worth it. So here goes.

Maybe it is the fact that I haul around my 7 pound camera everywhere I go. Maybe it's because I spend a ridiculous amount of time bent over my computer. Maybe it's because I never...quite...got into the daily exercise program that the buff Southern husband follows. Maybe it is all three...but one day a few weeks ago I woke up and OUCH. My back finally said enough is enough. I followed my usual route of doing nothing and hoping it would go away. Nope. Then I switched to my back-up plan of taking way more Advil than any one person should take. Nope. Finally my practical and all-knowing friend T took me under her wing and brought me here:

Midtown Chiropractic Heath and Wellness

Where I met a group of folks that are unlike any other medical practice I have ever come across. Now don't get me wrong, I have a great doctor who takes terrific care of me, but you know I mean when it comes to dealing with the doctor's office. You negotiate for appointment times. You wait and wait and wait in the WAITING room. And if you have a question for the doctor after you leave the office...good luck to you, my friend.

Hang in there, I promise there is a food-related point to all this.

At this wonderful place, however, everyone from the lovely women who are at the front desk, to the terrific and patient physical therapists, to my two awesome doctors - they all bend over backwards (sorry, couldn't resist THAT pun) to listen to every crazy question you have. They make sure you have their email address and they email you back right away. They call you on the weekend to see how you are doing. They never, ever make you wait. I thought to myself, patient care just couldn't get any better than this. Then I came home last weekend and saw this:

And went in search of the Southern husband so I could thank him. After I finished thanking him, he admitted it wasn't from him.

Nope, it was from Dr. Sinett at Midtown Chiropractic. A get well soon gorgeous edible fruit arrangement. From my doctor, who also emails me back and calls to check on me on the weekends.

!!!!!!

So let's unwrap this baby and check it out.

It really DOES look like a flower arrangement, only in this case the flowers are strawberries and grapes and pineapple, all fresh as fresh can be and gorgeously assembled and DELICIOUS!! I felt a little bad dismantling the first strawberry to take a bite, but once I tasted it I got over that very quickly.

And just to keep the story going, I loved it so much that I sent one to my sweet Italian friend, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. And she loved hers so much that she got one for her sister-in-law, who is also on the mend.

So if you know someone who needs a little cheering up, here's the link to Edible Arrangements. They have over 900 stores so there is bound to be one near you. They deliver, and if you live near one of the stores you can also go there and buy one.

Edible Arrangements

And if you live in the New York City area and you wake up one morning and your back is complaining to you...Midtown Chiropractic Health and Wellness. (Thank you, you guys! You are the BEST!!)

Pan-Seared Scallops on Linguine with Tomato Cream Sauce

When it comes to seafood, shrimp is one of my very favorites. I just counted and there are twelve shrimp recipes in my archives of this very blog -- and probably 3 times that number in my recipe binders. Here's a little video tribute to my love of shrimp...mainly because I have just learned how to put videos in my blog and I am ridiculously happy about that.




The Southern husband's favorite seafood is definitely scallops. And right now there are, um, two scallop recipes in the blog archives....and one of them is not even something I cooked myself. Nowhere near enough to make a video.

Whoops. Sorry, honey.

So let's try and build up that scallop recipe list, and here's a great one to start with. For this recipe you need those big sea scallops, not the little teeny bay scallops. You don't need that many because they are being combined with a nice filling bed of pasta. (That noise you hear in the background is the Southern husband saying "Yes you DO need that many! More scallops for everyone!!!) But honestly, about four scallops per serving will do you just fine.

This comes with a lovely light sauce, and you'll see that the directions say to mix up the sauce with the linguine before you add in the scallops. This is Very Important Information, because that means each and every linguine strand will be nicely coated with your delicious sauce before you pop the seared scallops on top. Now, the key to good seared scallops is to get your pan nice and hot, pop them in there and then DO NOT TOUCH THEM for the 2 minutes they are searing on each side. That way they develop that nice dark brown seared bit all over.

So there you have it. I'll let you know when I've worked up enough scallop recipes to fill up another slideshow.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS ON LINGUINE WITH TOMATO CREAM SAUCE, adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
• 2/3 cup chopped seeded plum tomato
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups hot cooked linguine
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 pound large sea scallops
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
  

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium skillet; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Drain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids.

2. Return wine mixture to skillet. Add cream; cook over medium heat 1 minute. Add butter, stirring until butter melts. Stir in tomato, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add linguine; toss well. Cover and keep warm.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Arrange scallops in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Add scallops to pasta mixture; toss gently to combine. Garnish with parsley.

Click here for printable recipe

S'Mores Refrigerator Cookies

I am such a sucker when it comes to anything featuring the word "s'mores." I was pretty sure I had hit the Holy Grail of s'mores cookies when I made this delicious little cookie recipe, and that version is definitely near and dear to my heart. And of course there is nothing like the real thing: gen-yew-ine s'mores made around a campfire with best friends on a warm summer night.

But that doesn't mean I won't jump at the chance to try yet another version, and so when I saw this new approach at Joy The Baker I couldn't resist. This recipe does not involve an oven, a campfire or anything else hot...as a matter of fact, it takes the opposite approach. It's all about the refrigerator. Otherwise known in my house as the source of all information. I have the left side for my papers. The teenager has the right side for her papers. The Southern husband manages to keep all his information in his head. The dog doesn't plan ahead at all, and is way more interested in the inside of the fridge.

Yikes. It looks a lot better from farther away.

Sort of.

Anyway, here's what you do. Get yourself a box of graham crackers. Yes, the whole box. Break them up into nice bite-size chunks, say about an inch or so. It's a good way to work out all your stress. Take 2 cups of mini-marshmallows. Test a couple of them to make sure they are okay. It's your responsibility as the chef to make sure all the ingredients are in order. Toss them in there with the graham cracker pieces. If you have a nice shallow bowl to hold all this it will make the next step much easier....I have one that is for serving pasta and it worked perfectly for this.

Next you melt three sticks of butter, some cocoa powder and some corn syrup in a saucepan (okay, so there is some heat involved) until it is all nice and melted together. Cool it for a few minutes and then pour it over your graham cracker marshmallow pile. Stir it around until it is all one big chocolate bowl of happiness. Now line a pan with parchment paper (which I discovered will behave MUCH better if you spray the pan with cooking spray first) and dump the whole thing into the lined pan. Take about another cup or so of the marshmallows and sprinkle them on top and press them in lightly with the back of a spoon. Take another piece of parchment paper and lay it on the top and press down so the whole thing is nicely mushed together.

Now leave it on your counter for 30 minutes, and then pop it in the fridge for a few hours. You want to get it good and chilled down. Then you are ready to cut it into bars. I have a big pizza cutter that worked perfectly for this, but I am sure a big knife would also do the trick. The original recipe called for cutting them into 15 bars...I did that at first, and they were 15 Big Bars...so I went back and cut most of them in half again so they look like this.

This way you can eat two of them in a row and still feel kind of virtuous.

If there are any left after you cut them out and show them around, you need to wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store them in the fridge. They are called refrigerator cookies for a reason...if they stay outside too long they get soft and falling apart-ish. But they are a little piece of heaven when they are cold, and that is well worth the 10 minutes it will take you to wrap them up.

So there you have it, the latest in my line of s'mores cookies. It won't be the last...

S'MORES REFRIGERATOR COOKIES, from Joy The Baker (love her!!)

3 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup light corn syrup

pinch of salt

1 14-ounce box graham crackers, lightly crumbled

2 cups of mini marshmallows, plus a handful more for sprinkling on top

1. Line a 9x13-inch baking sheep with parchment paper, set aside.

2. In a large bowl, crumble the graham crackers into large chunks. Add two cups of mini marshmallows and set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter together butter, cocoa, corn syrup and a pinch of salt. Stir and heat until smooth. Once melted, let chocolate mixture cool for 5 minutes.

4. Pour chocolate mixture over graham crackers and marshmallows. Stir so that all of the graham crackers are moistened by the chocolate mixture. Dump into lined baking pan, and a few more marshmallows on top and press down with the back of a spoon. Cover the top with another sheet of parchment and press with your fingers.

5. Let cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge to solidify for a few hours or overnight. Cut into bars. Wrap individually and store in the fridge.

Click here for printable recipe

Penne di Parma

Now, I do love all my wonderful cookbooks. The Silver Palate Cookbook. Cold Weather Cooking by Sarah Chase. There's A Chef in My Soup by Emeril Lagasse. My current favorite, The Pioneer Woman Cooks. And my all-time favorite, The New Best Recipe by the genius cooks at Cooks Illustrated. But truth be told, I am also a big fan of what I call "back of the box" recipes. I am forever turning boxes and bags and jars over to see what the recipe possibilities are, because pretty much anything edible and in a package these days has a recipe that goes with it. And sometimes they are pretty dang good.

That's where I got this lovely penne recipe from. I had some prosciutto left over from one of my favorite quick appetizer dishes (take a chunk of fresh pineapple, wrap it in some thin prosciutto, spear it with a toothpick, put on a pretty plate, repeat 25 times, instant elegant appetizer!) and I was trolling around for something to make with it. And then I remembered that I had cut this recipe out of the back of the Ronzoni penne box. Yes! Now me being me, I did mess with it a little. It called for mushrooms, and since mushrooms and I do not get along I substituted peas. It wanted me to put the prosciutto in early on in the recipe, and since I know from sad experience that if you put prosciutto (or bacon) into recipes too early, it loses some of its nice salty punch....so I changed that too. If you want to try the original version of this recipe, click here and type "penne di parma" in the keyword search box. But if you want my adjusted version, it's here for you below. And if you want to try it but don't have any leftover prosciutto hanging around, you can use bacon and it will work perfectly well. I've found that his is true for most things in life...bacon will work perfectly well for whatever you need. Think about it -- it's true, right?

PENNE DI PARMA, adapted from the back of the Ronzoni penne box.

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups peas
3/4 cup (about 2 oz.) prosciutto, sliced into thin strips*
1 cup milk
1/2 cup light cream
2-2/3 cups (8 oz.) RONZONI PENNE RIGATE, uncooked
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. In large skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add garlic. Cook for 1 minute.

2. Add milk and cream; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, uncovered, until mixture is reduced by half, about 6 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Remove sauce from heat; add peas, prosciutto, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and parsley.

4. Toss hot pasta and sauce; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

*Or substitute bacon or thinly sliced smoked ham.

Click here for printable recipe

Tortellini with Basil Cream Sauce

You know, sometimes I think I am just plain contrary when it comes to ingredients. This past summer, when my basil looked like this...

...and was pretty much threatening to take over the world, I was racking my brain for basil recipes. After all, there is only so much pesto that one girl can take. Now that we are in the cold hard dead of winter and my basil crop is just a sweet-smelling memory, I keep running across recipes that call for, yes, you guessed it. And with most of them I just sigh and put them in my "make this next summer" folder, but with this one, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I had to make it, and I had to make it NOW. And of course, basil can be had in the cold hard dead of winter. For a price. But sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, and so there I was in the checkout line with my million dollar per pound bunch of basil, and visions of basil cream sauce dancing in my head.

Now next summer when I am once again moaning over all the basil in my garden and how in the world will I ever use it all up, could someone please remind me about this recipe?

Thank you.

TORTELLINI WITH BASIL CREAM SAUCE, from http://www.herbthyme.com/

• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 1/4 cups cream
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 2 9-ounce packages cheese tortellini, cooked and drained
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Saute shallots and garlic in butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until softened, about 3 minutes.

2. Add flour and stir for one more minute. Stir in one and cook for one more minute. Stir in wine and cook one minute more. Slowly add cream, stirring until smooth.

3. Add cheese and and cook over medium heat until smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Stir in basil, mix well. Add cooked tortellini and stir to coat.

5. Divide among plates and grind fresh pepper over top.

Click here for printable recipe

Butternut Cheddar Soup

I do love a nice simple soup for supper, don't you? On a cold winter's night? When the wind is blowing outside, but you are safe and warm inside in your cozy little kitchen? I do, and this is a perfect one for that -- quick and easy and creamy and comforting. It is the perfect blend of butternut squash and sharp cheddar cheese, mmmmmmm. Some warm crusty bread, a glass of red wine...I don't think there's a fancy restaurant anywhere that can top this.

So here's what you do. Get your hands on a nice piece of butternut squash. If you are really lucky, your supermarket will either have peeled butternut halves that you only have to cut up into chunks, or they will have already peeled and cut up butternut squash chunks. If they do, go for it. Yes, it is more expensive, but you only go around once and you might not want to spend your time cutting up rock hard butternut squash. Or maybe you do, in which case, go for it. Anyway, you simmer the squash chunks in some nice chicken broth until it is soft and tender. Then you puree it in a blender until it is smooth and put it back in the pot. Stir in some sour cream, some shredded cheddar, a little bit of butter and some salt and pepper. Stir it up until the cheese is melted and voila! Soup heaven.

So there you have it. My last piece of advice for you: Vermont cheddar. You know how I feel about Vermont...or if you don't, you can click here to find out. You can also click here. Cabot cheddar is just about as good as it gets - trust me on this one. And on that note...here's the recipe.

BUTTERNUT CHEDDAR SOUP, from the folks at Cabot Vermont

• 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Cut chives for garnish

1. Place squash and broth in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and cool. Puree in blender until smooth.

3. Return to saucepan over medium low heat. Add cheese, cayenne, butter and sour cream and stir until heated through -- do not boil.

4. Taste and season to your liking with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Applesauce Cookies

Yes yes, it is no longer cookie-baking season, I know, I know. But I just can't go cold turkey. I have to ease my way into healthiness...and so here is what I consider a nice, heathy....cookie. It has applesauce. It has oatmeal. It has raisins. It is a one-cookie healthy eating program. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

One little word of caution about these delicious little numbers. I'm not sure why, but they are VERY sticky on the bottom. You will be a-okay if you use parchment paper like the recipe says, but if you throw caution to the wind and just use a naked cookie sheet, it might end in tears. I used my faithful Silpat and they even tried to stick to that. Tried and failed, because the Silpat is invincible. But consider yourself warned.

Aside from that, these were easy and cooperative little cookies, right down to the maple frosting. I used a little squeeze bottle to frost mine, but you could also use my favorite make-shift-frosting trick, which is to put the frosting into a zipper sandwich bag, close the zipper (very important), snip one of the corners off -- just a tiny snip -- and voila! instant pastry bag!

So there you have them, the healthiest cookie on the block. I think you owe it to yourself to go make some, don't you think?

APPLESAUCE COOKIES, from Everyday Foods

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup chunky-style applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1. Make cookies: Preheat oven to 350. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined. Add egg and applesauce, mix until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix in raisins.
2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until golden and just set, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack set over parchment paper; let cool completely.
3. Make icing: Whisk confectioners' sugar, syrup, and 3 tablespoons water until smooth. Drizzle over cookies, let set.

Italian Wedding Soup

Oh, I love and adore this soup. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, til death do us part, I love this soup, and true love lasts forever. For me, this soup is all about the adorable little meatballs, which cook right in the soup. You make them nice and tiny so they fit right on your spoon. Use a really nice prepared chicken broth for the soup base -- these days I am liking Imagine free range chicken broth, which comes in a box and has a smooth and rich chicken broth flavor (some of the canned chicken broths taste a little tinny and watery to me). The broth is enhanced with some chopped sauteed veggies, some pasta, some fresh baby spinach...and of course those wonderful teeny meatballs.

I like to make a nice big batch of this soup on a Sunday afternoon -- it makes a perfect Sunday supper, especially served with some crusty French bread and butter, or even grilled cheese sandwiches if you have an especially hungry crew on your hands. The leftovers save just beautifully and will give you a warm and fuzzy feeling when you look into your fridge wondering what's for lunch and see the container of wedding soup.

Ah, Italian Wedding Soup. Make it for your true love today.

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine
• 2 ribs celery, chopped fine
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound ground pork/veal/beef combined
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cup dried pasta (I use tiny shells, but your choice)
• 1 pound fresh baby spinach

1. Heat oil in a deep large saucepan over medium heat and add carrots, celery, onion and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper, cover pot and cook veggies for 5 minutes, stirring now and then.

2. While the veggies cook, combine meat, egg, garlic, cheese, crumbs and nutmeg.

3. Uncover pot and add broth and water and bring to a boil. When soup boils, reduce heat a bit and start rolling the meat mixture into very small meatballs, dropping them in the soup as you go.

4. When you are done with the meatballs, add the pasta, stir, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. When pasta is tender, stir in spinach. When spinach is wilted, the soup is ready. Taste, adjust seasonings, light some romantic candles and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Country Ham Biscuits

Remember those ham souffles from the other day? Well, as luck would have it, I still had just enough leftover ham from that little escapade to make these scrumptious little ham biscuits. They are easy as easy can be -- all you need is some leftover sliced ham, some really, really, really good mustard, and about a half hour to make these rustic little biscuits.

Now the one thing you DO have to make sure of is that you use self-rising flour. If you don't have any on hand never fear, you can make your own like this: click here. But make sure you use it, so your biscuits come out with a nice little rise to them and not like cute little bricks. All you do is mix up that flour with some butter and some buttermilk (and if you have leftover buttermilk make sure you make some of THIS!). Add in some extra flour if your dough is too sticky. Roll it out to a nice rectangle, cut it into biscuit size pieces and pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes or so. Let them cool for about 5 minutes so they are easier to cut open -- slice them in half, slather them with that nice mustard, layer on as much ham as you want and voila! Perfect, quick, delicious lunch or light dinner.

COUNTRY HAM BISCUITS, adapted from Saveur

2 1/2 cups self-rising flour

4 tbsp. butter

1 cup buttermilk

4 oz. thinly sliced cooked 


country ham or ham of choice

1. Heat oven to 425˚. Sift flour into a large bowl; mix in butter until the mixture has the consistency of cornmeal. Using a wooden spoon, stir in buttermilk to form a dough. Transfer dough to a floured work surface; knead briefly until smooth.


2. Roll dough into a 1⁄4"-thick rectangle. Cut dough into twelve 4" x 3" rectangles; transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15–20 minutes. Cool slightly. To serve, slice biscuits, spread with your favorite mustard and stuff with ham.

Click here for printable recipe

Hot Chicken Salad

Santa Claus totally, utterly spoiled me this year by leaving one of these under my tree.

Not with the squash in it, just in case you were wondering.

Anyway, I couldn't WAIT to chop up anything in sight, and luckily for me, the instruction manual included a bunch of recipes that conveniently required that ingredients be chopped and sliced and otherwise generally pulverized. And as I was flipping through the book I spotted one that I hadn't run across before...hot chicken salad. Which called for some cooked chicken, which I happily had some if in my fridge. Let the chopping begin!!

The recipe called for first chopping up the chicken with some scallions with the regular chopping blade. Roger that....chopchopchopchop. Then you put on the slicing blade and slice up some fennel. Sliceslicesliceslice. THEN you get to use the little mini bowl and blade to mix up the dressing, which is a combo of mayonnaise, sour cream, flour, oregano, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Mixmixmixmixmix. Mix it all together with some feta cheese, sprinkle some pine nuts on top, pop in the oven and bake until it is hot, and voila! Hot chicken salad. The recipe said to serve it with pita or flatbread, which I'm sure would be lovely, but I am currently ADDICTED to these little babies:

Kim's Magic Pop Cakes

And so that is what we had. And the whole thing was very tasty (and the Southern husband verified that for me, in case you think I am just speaking through a haze of chopping-induced euphoria.) So there you go...hot chicken salad. Who knew??

HOT CHICKEN SALAD, adapted from the KitchenAid food processor instruction manual

• 3 cups cooked chicken pieces
• 3 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 bulb fennel, cut into halves lengthwise
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

1. Preheat oven to 375. Put chicken and scallions in food processor and chop until coarsely chopped. Put in large mixing bowl.

2. Slice fennel into thin slices, by hand or with food processor slicing disc. Add to mixing bowl.

3. Combine mayo, sour cream, flour, oregano, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add to mixing bowl, add cheese, and stir all to combine.

4. Spread into greased 8x8 baking pan. Sprinkle with pine nuts and bake for 25 minutes.

5. Serve with pitas, flatbread or your other favorite bread.

Click here for printable recipe

Ham and Cheese Souffle

Man, I wish you could have been a fly on the wall when I was photographing this little number. Or maybe I don't. Because you see, my little food photo shoots usually go something like this: I put the dish in front of the camera and take its picture. Then I look at it on the computer screen (I have a nifty little device that connects my camera right to the laptop, not to get too technically boring but these are the things that float my boat.) Then I go back to the dish. I move it to the right. Take the picture. Check the picture. Move the light. Take the picture. Check the picture. Switch the camera angle. Take the picture. Check the picture. And so on...and usually 15 minutes later I am happy.

However, this is a souffle, people. An adorable little single serving souffle. And while souffles have gotten what I think is a bad rap over the years for being hard to make (they aren't! they are SO easy!), the other part of their reputation is totally accurate. That gorgeous airy brown puffiness that comes out of the oven doesn't last long. In fact, it lasts about 90 seconds...and then...it starts...to....deflate.

90 seconds.

On your mark...get set...PHOTOGRAPH!!! It was like an episode of the Keystone Kops, speeded up really really fast, only I was the only Kop. And I almost, almost got it -- as you will see from the picture above, it was just starting to cave in the middle just a bit as I frantically ran around trying to get my shot, leaping over the dog who always likes to lie right in between the tripod and the computer. Which added a nice extra element of calmness to the whole thing.

Anyway. If you are a sane person and decide simply to make and eat these charming little souffles and not introduce other complications, they are easy and delicious and a great way to use up any leftover ham you might have. I found the recipe in one of my new favorite magazines, Saveur, and this will definitely be making a repeat appearance on my table. I put a little chopped green salad on the side, and it was the perfect light weekend lunch. Ham and cheese souffles....you only need to be scared if you are planning to take their picture.

HAM AND CHEESE SOUFFLE, adapted from Saveur

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 finely chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 4 ounces grated cheddar
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 6 eggs, separated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 ounces chopped ham
• 1 1/2 tablespoon chopped chives
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook for 2 minutes.

2. Whisk in the flour to make a paste, then whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar, mustard, nutmeg, egg yolks, salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat for 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in ham and chives and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Heat over to 375 and grease six 8 ounce ramekins with remaining butter. Coat the bottom and the sides of the ramekins with the Parmesan, shaking out any excess.

5. In a large bowl, whip the eggs whites to stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chilled cheese mixture to make a fluffy batter.

6. Divide the batter between the ramekins and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and puffed, about 30 minutes.

7. Serve immediately. And when I say immediately, I mean immediately.

Click here for printable recipe

The Cheaters BBQ winners!

I just KNEW you guys would be with me on the whole cheat the barbeque thing, but what I wasn't prepared for was your AWESOME list of ideas for things to make on the grill when we are being pure and honest and not cheating. It's enough to make a girl relentlessly send her loyal Southern husband out into the frigid chill of winter (right now it is a balmy 19 degrees as I type) to make all of these right this minute. Steak on the grill was the clear favorite, and who could argue with that? But tied for second was veggies and corn (you healthy, healthy people, you!), followed by such delectables as grilled pizza, grilled pineapple (yum!!), grilled tuna, grilled lamb, and of course who could forget the ribs?

First to answer a couple of questions in the comments, both about the liquid smoke. Yes, liquid smoke and bottled smoke are the same thing. As for what it is and the ingredients, it is basically made by capturing actual grill smoke and filtering water through it. There is a much better explanation on Chow - click here -- but that's it in a nutshell. What WILL they think of next??

Now to the part you have all been waiting for...the WINNERS! This part makes me both happy and crazy, because every time I do this I want to send a book to everyone who comments. So thank goodness for Random.org, which takes a teeny bit of the pressure off. The other good news is while I have two definite winners today, there is a chance that I might be getting two more cookbooks in the not so distant future -- so if you are not one of today's two lucky winners you still might be getting a happy email from me at some point sooooon....

So here they are, my two lucky soon-to-be-cheaters:

Andrea, whose favorite thing for the grill is the fixin's for fajitas. Yum, yum, triple yum! Love fajitas. Want some right NOW.

And Georgia, who was one of quite a few folks who love grilled corn on the cob, which she makes in her grill pan. Now there's one I don't make often...but since Georgia and so many of the rest of you do, I am going to step up my grilled-corn-making. So there.

As for the rest of you, you can still get a copy of CHEATER BBQ in all the usual places, including here. Let's get to cheating! And in the meantime, come back and see me soon, because another contest is a-comin...

Whoopie Pies

Now, this probably falls into the "dare to be obvious" category of comments (or as the teenager would say, DUH!!) but I don't tend to make a lot of things out of prepared mixes. However, every once in a while I run across something that is both perfectly wonderful AND is a prepared mix, and as far as I am concerned, that is perfectly, wonderfully okay. Manischewitz matzoh ball soup mix, for example. Ghiradelli brownie mix, for example. King Arthur dog biscuits, for example. So I try to keep an open mind about these things, which was a good thing when it came to these whoopie pies.

For those of you who haven't experienced the wonder of a whoopie pie, it is basically two circles of the softest chocolate cake imaginable, held together oh so perfectly by a fluffy vanilla cream filling. That's it, and that is all you need. The very small amount of research I have done tells me that these originated in either New England or Pennsylvania Amish country, and they got their name because when folks found them in their lunch buckets they would shout "Whoopie!!" Sounds reasonable to me.

Anyway, somewhere along the line someone gave me a a package of this whoopie pie mix from the marvelous Stonewall Kitchen, which you have heard me rhapsodize about before in terms of their amazing jam. So I decided to give it a try this weekend, and by the time it was over...

WHOOPIE!!!!!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. But seriously, these were easy and quick and taste just wonderful. So if you are ever in the mood for something chocolate and a little different....whoopie pies. You won't be sorry.

Stonewall Kitchen Whoopie Pie Mix

Welsh Rarebit Risotto

I hit the jackpot this Christmas with cookbooks - everything from the spectacular ALINEA, which is more of a fine art collection of the most glorious food photographs that I have ever seen in my life, to the book and DVD set of HAMBURGER AMERICA, which the Southern husband and I will be cuddling up together to watch very soon. But the one cookbook I cracked open first was from my oldest friend, who is always looking out for my health and well-being. She sent me a copy of MOOSEWOOD RESTAURANT SIMPLE SUPPERS, which is a collection of deliciously healthy, wonderfully simple meals that can be tossed together pretty much within my rigid weekday timeframe of 30 minutes or less.

So naturally the first one I started with was the Welsh Rarebit Risotto. I am a big Welsh Rarebit fan, and the thought of turning this classic comfort food into a risotto...I just couldn't resist. And since it was from the healthy living folks at Moosewood, it included not only the classic rarebit ingredient of tomato, but also some freshly steamed chopped brocolli as well. This risotto uses beer instead of the usual white wine as a starter base, and lots and lots of sharp cheddar cheese to finish. The Moosewood recipe calls for using vegetable broth, but I am a chicken broth girl when it comes to risotto and so that's what I used, and it came out great. But up to you -- go for that vegetable broth if you want to be a purist. It cooks up to be cheesy and creamy and comforting, and I am pretty sure the broccoli makes it TOTALLY good for you.

So there you go, with thanks to my wonderful friend and the Moosewood folks!

WELSH RAREBIT RISOTTO, adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers

• 1 quart vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 12 ounces beer
• 3 cups chopped, steamed broccoli
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 4 cups loosely packed shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Bring broth to a boil in a saucepan and keep at a low simmer.

2. Meanwhile, in a second large heavy saucepan, warm olive oil over medium high heat. Add rice and stir until well-coated, then pour in beer and stir until beer is mostly absorbed, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add broth one cup at a time, stirring often. Let the rice absorb most of the broth before adding the next cup (usually 5 minutes between additions). When the last of the broth is absorbed the rice should be just about done.

4. Add mustard and cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in broccoli and tomatoes, season with pepper and serve.

Click here for printable recipe.

Coconut Snowball Cookies

I just can't quite wrap my mind around the fact that Christmas cookie baking season is OVER. Yes, we are all now supposed to be eating brown rice and steamed spinach and tofu. My mind says yes, but my heart says....JUST ONE MORE BATCH OF COOKIES!!!

And happily I was going to see my friend L last week, and since I hadn't seen her during the official holidays it was pretty much essential that I bring her some cookies. She loves both chocolate and coconut and coincidentally, I just happened to have this one last cookie recipe that called for both. It's from my very favorite magazine, Real Simple, which is full of pictures of rooms that look like what I wish my house actually looked like. Clean. Simple. Streamlined. Not a shredded dog toy or an abandoned biology textbook or an empty pizza box complete with ossified pizza crusts inside anywhere in sight.

Sigh.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, I gave these coconut cookies a try, and as luck would have it the recipe made not only enough for a cookie-jar-full for L, but also a nice little plateful for me. Since part of the joy of holiday cookies is eating the leftovers, right? These are sweet and crunchy coconut sandwich cookies with just the perfect amount of white chocolate holding them together. After polishing off the last one, I think I will now be able to face the brown rice. And Valentine's Day is not too far off, anyway....

COCONUT SNOWBALL COOKIES, from Real Simple

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 sticks butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 7-ounce bag sweetened flaked coconut
• 12 ounces white chocolate (chopped or chips)

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil, or use a Silpat.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high, beat the butter, brown and granulated sugars, corn syrup, and vanilla for 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.
3. Form the dough into teaspoon-size balls. Spread the coconut on a plate. Roll each ball in the coconut, pressing so it adheres. Place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks.
4. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl placed over, but not touching, simmering water, melt the chocolate, or you can melt it in the microwave by heating for 30 second intervals and stirring until melted.. Turn half the cookies upside down and spread the flat sides with the white chocolate. Sandwich them with the remaining cookies.

Click here for printable recipe

Cheater's Barbeque Garlic Shrimp and a Cookbook Contest!

Here comes another fun contest, everybody...but first you have to live through the story, because you KNOW there is always a story with me.

Ah, barbeque. It's one of the Southern husband's reasons for living, and to be perfectly honest, he is always absolutely cheerful about going outside in any sort of weather to fire up the old grill. Ten inches of snow on the ground? No problem whatsover...he's out there, and with a big barbeque anticipation smile on his handsome face. However, I myself always feel just slightly guilty for sending him out into the elements, which is why I was so glad to hear about this book.

That's right -- barbeque WITHOUT the barbeque grill. It sounded too good to be true, especially to someone who lives with a man who practically drives off the road every time we pass a sign that has the words "Pit" and BBQ" on it. (BBQ is a word, right? For right now, let's say that it is.) So I started cruising through the book to see what the possibilities were, and along with all the ribs and burgers and pulled pork and chicken and dry rubs, there it was.

Barbeque Garlic Shrimp.

Now for any of you folks who love New Orleans as much as we do, there is a place there called Pascale's Manale. You take the New Orleans streetcars to get there, and it is always jam-packed, so you wait for your table at the bar, eating raw oysters and drinking ice cold Dixie beer until your table is ready...and when you sit down you order their famous barbeque shrimp, which is spicy and tangy and perfect. The Southern husband and I have eaten more than our fair share of BBQ shrimp there (chased by more than our fair share of ice-cold Dixie) and so when I saw this recipe I had to give it a go.

Oh yes. Just as wonderful as I remember. Use big shrimp, fresh lemon juice and the best butter you can find. I like Kate's Homemade Butter, which you can get at Whole Foods, and no, not just because of the name, although that is probably why I picked it up in the first place. Don't be frightened by the liquid smoke - you can find it right next to the barbeque sauce in your supermarket, or if you want to get really fancy you can also get it at Williams Sonoma. Make sure you have some really nice fresh crusty bread to mop up the sauce. And if you have any Dixie beer on hand, not only should you drink it with dinner, but you should call me up right now and invite me over.

So now I have your attention, right? Good, because I have a couple of these awesome cookbooks to give away to any of you interested in doing a little barbeque cheating on your own. Just leave me a comment below telling me your own favorite thing to make on the grill and you will be automatically entered in a random drawing for your very own copy. (For my email subscribers -- click on the title of this post and it will take you to the website where you can leave your comment.) I'll announce the very lucky barbeque-loving winners on Saturday, January 9. Until then, here's another look at the deliciousness, and then the recipe. YUM!!

BBQ GARLIC SHRIMP, adapted from CHEATER BBQ

Makes 6 servings

• 1/4 cup bottled smoke
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 stick melted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
• 6 garlic cloves,, minced
• Black pepper to taste

• Fresh bread for serving

1. Combine 1 quart cold water, the bottled smoke and the salt in large bowl. Stir to dissolve the salt.

2. Add shrimp to the bowl, cover and chill for 30 minutes. Drain, pat the shrimp dry and discard the brine.

3. While brining the shrimp, combine all the remaining ingredients except the bread in a small bowl.

4. Toss the shrimp with the sauce.

5. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat until piping hot. Add shrimp and sauce to pot at cook until pink and opaque, about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. Serve at once with sauce and fresh bread on the side.

Click here for printable recipe