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< all recipes Kale Salad I made this for a potluck dinner because it is super quick (especially if you use bags of pre-cut kale), it can be done ahead of time, it is transportable, and it is best at room temp. When I volunteered my kale salad the response was less than enthusiastic and when I put it on the table, the girls graciously served themselves as small a portion as possible. Once they tried it, however, they loved it, eating every last morsel I brought. Kale Salad Serves: 4-6 servings Ingredients 2 bunches of kale juice of 1 lemon 2 tsp Dijon mustard ¼ cup olive oil 1 tbl salt 2 tsp pepper 2 bartlet pears 1 cup sliced almonds 1 tbl oil 1 tsp salt Print Preparation Steam kale: if you have a steamer, great, use that. If your kitchen (and budget) is too small for such luxuries, use a strainer/colander set over a large pot. Either way, get some water boiling while prepping the kale. If using whole bunches of kale, cut out the stem and chop up into whatever size pieces you like – I would cut each leaf into two strips, stack them, and then roughly cut into ¼ inch strips. Working in batches, steam kale for 3-5 minutes (the kale should turn a deeper shade of green but you don’t want it to start wilting). Put in the fridge to cool while getting the rest ready. Peel each pear and slice into similar size pieces as the kale. Whisk together lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper – then whisk in the oil. Pour over kale, toss, and add in the pears. Heat a tbl of oil in a pan, add in the almonds, and give them a toss to coat in the oil so when you now add a tsp of salt, it will stick. * If you are making this to have on hand for the week, I would keep the almonds in a Ziploc to add as you go. If you are serving it up immediately, toss ‘em in. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Spiced Pumpkin Butter I really think this pumpkin-spiced insanity has gone too far. Does it really need to start in august, must every store burn every spice candle at once, and do we really need our nail polish to smell fresh out of the oven? While Chris might argue that my feet could use such a product, I would argue that all this smelling is making me hungry and I’d rather eat my pumpkin-spice thank you. Preferably slathered on a warm piece of bread or muffin perhaps. for the hostess with the mostess – Instead of bringing another candle for your favorite holiday hostess, might I suggest making a big batch of pumpkin butter, finding some swanky little jars like mine , and raking in those brownie points. Aaaand if you are staying for the weekend bring some bread or baked goods to spread it on in the morning. Bonus! Spiced Pumpkin Butter Serves: 6 cups Ingredients 3 lbs (6 cups roughly) pumpkin or squash puree 1½ cups dark brown sugar 4 oz unsalted butter 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp nutmeg, grated ¼ tsp cloves Print Preparation Preheat the oven to 350˚F. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix just to combine - chunks of butter etc are fine as it will all melt and mingle in the oven. Cook for 1½ hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until it is a rich dark brown color all the way through. Let cool before putting into jars or containers. This will keep in the fridge for a few weeks or in the freezer for months. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Sticky Toffee Pudding I am in charge of dessert at the potluck thanksgiving this year and since you all know my feelings towards the usual fare, I will definitely not be making pumpkin pie. Instead I will be making this. Honestly, who would choose pumpkin pie over this!!? The cake is so incredibly moist and only a hint of fruity sweetness, which is why the decadent addition of toffee sauce is perfect. This recipe comes from my days as a pastry chef at Locanda Verde so you know it will be incredible. It has an unusual step of adding the baking powder to the batter at the end, causing it to foam slightly. Trust the process and you will be richly rewarded i promise. Sticky Toffee Pudding Serves: 2 9in cakes Ingredients Cake Ingredients 1 lb medjool dates 2 tsp baking soda 8 oz unsalted butter ¾ cup granulated sugar 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 ½ cups flour 1 tsp salt 3 ¼ tbl baking powder For the Toffee Sauce 8 oz unsalted butter 8 oz (1 cup packed) brown sugar ½ cup heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla extract Print Preparation Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour two 9inch cake pans. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add dates and cook about 5 minutes or until you see the skins start to peel. Drain and let the dates cool enough to handle. Meanwhile beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping sides. Combine the flour and salt, and add into the batter mixing just until you have a lumpy dough. Once the dates are cool, remove the skin and seeds, and roughly chop. In that same pot, combine dates with 3 ½ cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, stirring some to break up any sticky clumps, then let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda (it will bubble up a bit). With the mixer on low, pour in the warm date mixture, scrape down the sides halfway through and after (make sure to scrape all the way to the bottom). The batter will be very liquid at this point. Finally, add the baking powder with the mixer on low. It will foam up a bit. Give the batter a quick turn with a spatula before dividing between the two cake pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, to test insert a toothpick or small knife into the center and it should come out clean. For the Toffee Sauce: Combine butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla in a pot. Bring to a boil and immediately turn heat to low and cook for a minute or two until slightly thickened and completely blended. When the cakes are cool enough to handle, turn them out onto a cake stand or serving platter so that they are upside down. Poke cakes all over with a fork or knife and slowly pour toffee sauce over them, using an offset spatula or knife to spread evenly and to the edge so some of the sauce drips down the sides. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Lamb w/ Mint Chimichurri My Sis and her hubs are on their honeymoon right now in South America - probably arriving in Argentina at this very moment. Despite generously offering the pleasure of my company (and services as a very good sherpa) for all or parts of their trip, I have had to make do with a shared photo stream. Argentina is known for its steaks - cooked very simply, usually on a grill, and served with an herb sauce called chimichurri. It is most often made with parsley and oregano but I am sure it has countless regional and seasonal variations - so I thought why not mint for Easter lamb!? So instead of just waiting for the next photo upload, I have been eating this and imagining I am also riding a horse down the beach or sipping wine by the infinity pool...or just not in another snowstorm. This sauce is perfect with any cut of lamb - I first tried a shoulder roast, which was tasty but for some in the ole peanut gallery it was not quite fatty enough so I went for the rack of lamb next. You really can't go wrong, it is just a matter of taste and how many people you are serving - I found this site very helpful in picking out the right cut. Assuming it ever gets warm enough to grill outside, I would recommend making the chimichurri for any grilling occasion - you can use this recipe as a guide, keeping the proportions but mixing up the herbs. Or go rogue! You do not really need a recipe for a sauce like this once you get the gist (hint: herbs + oil = chimichurri). Try adding some jalapeños or roasted poblanos. Get saucy with your fish or chicken. Go Wild! Lamb w/ Mint Chimichurri Serves: serves 6 Ingredients 2 racks of lamb, frenched* Chimichurri Ingredients 3 cups fresh mint leaves, about 2 bunches 1 cup fresh parsley leaves, about 3/4 of a bunch 3 cloves of garlic zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 cup olive oil * 1 rack has 8 chops and weighs about 2 lbs. "Frenched" means that the bones have been cleaned, making a nice handle as well as an elegant presentation - if you do not see this at the grocery store, just ask the butcher Print Preparation Make the chimichurri: combine all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and pulse until everything is evenly minced. Turn processor on and slowly drizzle in the olive oil - you want to do this in a slow,steady stream so that the sauce emulsifies and won't separate later. Store in the fridge if not using immediately - the chimichurri can be made a day or two in advance, just bring to room temp before serving (do not microwave!!! just let it sit out). Preheat oven to 400˚F. Heat a large ovenproof sauté pan with a few tablespoons of oil and generously season the fatty side of the racks with salt and pepper. Once the pan is really hot (almost smoking), place the fatty sides down and let sear untouched for 2-3 minutes, or until a dark golden brown. Flip the racks and put pan into the oven to finish cooking, about 10 minutes.* Let meat rest 5-10 minutes before serving. *Insert a thermometer into one end of the rack (right in the center of the chop so you do not hit any bone). Medium Rare: 145˚F Medium: 160˚F Well-Done: 170˚F Click [b][url href=" http://www.americanlamb.com/lamb-cooking-temperature-chart/ " target="_blank"]here[/url][/b] for a full time/temperature chart. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

8 < Back Bread Baking Basics BREAD MAKING EQUIPMENT HOW TO MAKE A CRUSTY LOAF OF BREAD BREAD MAKING – RECIPE FUNDAMENTALS What I make most often is a simple crusty loaf of bread, one that is perfect when toasted with a little butter and jam in the morning, or sandwiched with some meat and cheese for lunch or sliced up and dunked into a big bowl of soup for dinner. But it is not always the exact same loaf. This is where the beauty of bread comes in. I don’t want to get caught in the technical weeds but bread recipes are all about what are called “baker’s percentages”. So in any given recipe the flour amount is always equal to 100% and everything else is proportional to that – the most important being the water or hydration percentage. In my basic recipe I like about 50% hydration so if I use 800grams of flour, I know i need 400grams of water. Where this comes in handy is if i want to make a whole wheat loaf, I can vary how much whole wheat flour vs all purpose flour i want to use – I just need it to add up to the 800g of total flour. From there you can then start to think about flavorings like toasted fennel seeds and/or add ins like cheese or nuts. These things get added in after you have mixed the dough to a shaggy stage and determined that there is enough hydration in the dough – some flours, like whole wheat, will require a little extra water added in as you mix (see below for how to determine this). Basic Bread Dough 400g warm water 1 packet yeast 800g flour 15g kosher salt Semolina Parmesan and Black Pepper 400g water 1 packet yeast 550g all purpose flour 350g semolina flour 15g kosher salt 150g Parmesan, freshly grated 5g black pepper (or a few grindings from your pepper mill) Whole Wheat Walnut Raisin 400g water* 1 packet yeast 400g all purpose flour 400g whole wheat flour 15g kosher salt 250g walnut pieces, toasted (about 2 cups) 300g raisins (also about 2 cups) Shaggy dough stage: This is what a nicely hydrated dough should look like. BREAD MAKING – THE MIXING PROCESS Once you have decided on the kind of bread you will make and have your ingredients ready, you will again follow a basic process that you will learn to adjust as needed (remember that once mixed bread becomes a living thing that reacts to its environment and treatment). Whisk the yeast and warm water together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the remaining ingredients on top (not the add ins like nuts or cheese). Using the dough hook, mix on low speed a few minutes until the dough starts to come together and looks shaggy. Stop the mixer and feel the dough, pinching it in a few different places. If it feels firm and dry or if you see any dry flour at the bottom of the bowl you will need to add water – start with a few tablespoons and mix a minute or two and check again. When it feels soft and moist you are good to go. Add your add ins and flavorings here. Mix on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until the dough smooths out and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl or forms a kind of lump around the dough hook. Cover with plastic or a damp towel and let sit at room temperature for about 3 hours or until doubled in size. If your kitchen is on the chilly side add some time to this and if it is nice and toasty, check on the dough sooner. BREAD MAKING – SHAPING & BAKING Shaping is really recipe dependent – are you making a baguette? A boule? Or perhaps something fancy like a fougasse? The baking will obviously be different as well as some breads like naan are cooked in a pan or on a grill as opposed to in the oven. So, here we will go over my basic shaping and baking process for my large crusty boule (aka big round loaf). Have a wide rimmed bowl ready with a piece of parchment laid over it, dusted with some flour. Scrape dough out onto a generously floured work surface. Fold the edges of the dough into the center, making a kind of package. Flip the dough over so these folded seams are on the bottom and start to roll or push the dough in a circle to further tuck these seams in and tighten the smooth top of the boule. When it feel nice and tight and there are no air bubbles under the surface, place the boule onto the floured parchment, nestling it into the bowl for its last rise before cooking. Cover it again with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Place your large cast iron pot or cloche into the oven and heat the oven to 475 F. Give the oven at least 30 minutes to heat as you want it and the pot really nice a hot. Your bread is ready to bake when you give it a gentle poke and the indent slowly comes back out. If it stays indented, it needs more time. Score your bread just before putting it into the oven. Slashing it with a very sharp razor blade or small serrated knife in quick motions – making any pattern you like. I usually do one deep cut down the center and two smaller slits on either side of that. Take the pot out of the oven and lower your bread into it using the parchment so as not to burn yourself. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 25 minutes or until a nice dark golden brown with a few almost burnt edges at the slash marks. Immediately remove from the pot (using the parchment again) and cool on a rack for at least an hour before slicing it. HOW TO START (AND MAINTAIN) A SOURDOUGH STARTER Combine 1 cup of warm water with 1 cup of flour (i like to do a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat) in a small jar or container. Mix until thoroughly combined and the mixture is the consistency of thick batter. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let sit at room temperature until mixture begins to bubble and puff, 2 to 3 days. Once the starter begins to show signs of activity, begin regular feedings. Keep the starter at room temperature, and each day discard 80 percent of the starter and feed remaining starter with equal parts warm water and white-wheat flour mix, a half cup of each roughly. When starter begins to rise and fall predictably and takes on a slightly sour/tangy smell, it’s ready; this should take about 1 week. You can continue to keep the starter at room temp if you will be using it somewhat regularly If you will be using it more sparingly put it into the fridge and feed it once a week. When you want to use it, take it out of the fridge and feed it a day or two before you need it. The night before you will make your bread, discard all but a few tablespoons of your starter and mix it with a cup of warm water, stirring to disperse it before mixing in a cup of flour. Let sit, covered with a towel at room temp for 12 hours. To test for readiness, drop a tablespoon into a bowl of room-temperature water; if it floats it’s ready to use. If it doesn’t, allow more time to ferment. You wont use all of the prepared starter in your dough so whatever is left over is your starter so continue to feed as above. Previous Next

< all recipes Almond Semifreddo w/ Strawberry Rhubarb Compote Memorial Day weekend might be wrapping up but that means summer has officially arrived. And it’s a short work week so we’ve got that goin’ for us! This has already become a summer staple – i mean testing these recipes is a tough job but someone has to do it and I plan to mix things up as more summer fruits arrive (I am particularly excited about some sort of peachy goodness). Almond Semifreddo w/ Strawberry Rhubarb Compote Serves: 6-8 servings Ingredients Whipped Cream: 2 cups heavy cream Almond Crunch: 1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted ¼ cup sugar ½ cup (4oz) almond paste ½ tsp kosher salt Custard Base: 1 egg 2 egg yolks 1 tsp vanilla ½ tsp kosher salt ½ cup sugar 2 tbl water Rhubarb Compote: ½ lb rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces ½ lb strawberries, hulled and quartered ½ cup sugar juice of 1 lemon Print Preparation Make Whipped Cream: Whip the heavy cream to stiff peak and set aside in the fridge. Make Almond Crunch: Combine almonds, sugar, almond paste and salt in a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand. Set aside. Make Custard Base: Combine egg, egg yolks, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk and mix on med/high speed until pale yellow and ribbon consistency, about 5-7 minutes (test this by lifting the whisk out, whatever drips off should stay on the surface for a second then disappear). In a small sauce pan combine ½ cup sugar with the 2 tbl water and mix to get all of the sugar wet. Bring to "soft ball" stage (235˚F) and immediately pour into egg mixture - pour very slowly (allowing sugar to run down the side of the bowl) with mixer on low/med. Once all of the sugar is added, increase mixing speed and whip until the bowl feels room temp - about 5 minutes. Fold whipped cream into the egg mixture then add about a ½ cup of this to almond mix so it becomes pasty and clumpy. Assemble: Line a 9x4 loaf pan with parchment. Add about ⅓ of the the whipped cream mixture, top with ½ of the almond mix and repeat layers so you end with the cream mix on top. Freeze a few hours - 8 is ideal but 4 will do. Make Rhubarb Compote : Combine compote ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat the fruit in sugar. Let this mixture macerate in the fridge for 1-3 hours. Cook over low heat until the fruit starts to break down, about 10 minutes. Let cool before serving To serve , remove from loaf pan using the parchment - if it feels stuck let sit a minute or dip the pan quickly in hot water. Slice with a knife (run under hot water if you are having trouble). Serve with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote This will keep for a week in the freezer - once it is frozen wrap with plastic. If you aren't a fan of almond flavor - substitute any nut you like, adding an extra cup to substitute for the paste - just know the consistency of the mix will be different but it will absolutely work. If you dont' have rhubarb use any fruit you want! Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Turkey Burgers with Wasabi Yogurt Sauce After Christmas Chris, along with about 20 guys on his desk at work, joined a weight-loss pool to lose 7% of their body weight. Because he still did not have any time to work out, it came down to eating…or me making him healthy food. I didn’t change my way of cooking but all of a sudden what he used to turn up his nose at as health food, became a delicious, hearty meal. I did, however, find myself in a bit of a rut having to make healthy dinners every night. I could eat soup and bread all day, every day, but after about a month of mostly soup, Chris texted me on his way home “lets try turkey burgers”… Feeling slightly offended that all my slaving over soups wasn’t enough, I responded “why don’t YOU try turkey burgers”. And he did! They were scrumptious – especially the next day halfway through a 12 mile, 3500 vertical ft, hike (if you look closely at the pic below you can see the manhattan skyline, incredible). So I had to rethink my previous disdain for non-beef burgers, the same way Chris had come around to my soups. The key is not to eat it instead of a juicy cheeseburger, but as a separate entity, delicious in its own right. This rendition came from my suggestion last week of putting wasabi into greek yogurt and having some leftover pickled onions. Since I like to add caramelized onion to the turkey meat, I sautéed the rest of the onion with some baby bok choy and soy sauce. You can also try these burgers with a spicy chipotle sauce! Turkey Burgers with Wasabi Yogurt Sauce Serves: 4-6 Burgers Ingredients 1 lb ground turkey ½ cup sautéed onion 2 tsp fresh ginger , grated 2 tsp kosher salt 2 tsp black pepper 1 egg white 5-6 hamburger buns or sourdough rolls Wasabi Yogurt Sauce: 6 oz greek yogurt 1 tsp wasabi powder 1 tsp warm water Pickled Onion: ½ red onion ½ cup white vinegar ½ tsp salt ½ tsp sugar Print Preparation Make the pickled onions: slice the red onion in half lengthwise and then slice as thinly as possible and mix with salt, sugar, and vinegar. Let sit for about an hour in the fridge, then strain. For the wasabi yogurt: In a small bowl mix the wasabi powder with warm water and let sit for a few minutes, then mix in the yogurt. For the burgers: Sauté about ½ a white onion, diced, until caramelized – set aside to cool. Combine turkey meat, caramelized onion, ginger, salt, pepper, and egg white. If you have a scale, cover it with a piece of plastic wrap (if not you are just going to eyeball the size of each burger), and have a plate ready for the formed patties. Then, get in there with your hands to mix everything together. It will be quite sticky and tough to work with but don’t get discouraged – form 4oz patties, trying not to overwork the meat. Heat 2 tbl oil in large skillet and add the burgers. Over med-high heat cook patties, covered for 5-7 minutes (until dark golden brown on bottom), flip and cook another 5-7 minutes uncovered. A thermometer should read 160˚F – they will carry-over cook those last 5˚. If you don’t have a thermometer, just cut into one to make sure there is no pink. Serve on a bun with pickled onions and a dollop of wasabi yogurt. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Zucchini Pasta w/ Parmesan and Black Pepper Zucchini Pasta w/ Parmesan and Black Pepper Serves: 4-6 servings Ingredients 4 zucchini 1 lb pasta* 2-3 tbl olive oil ½ cup / 4oz Parmigiano Regiano, grated ½ cup / 4oz Gruyere, grated salt and pepper Print Preparation Cut each zucchini into pieces that are roughly the same size and shape of your pasta. You can prepare the zucchini a day or two in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Bring a pot of water to a boil, tossing in a generous amount of salt. Cook the pasta according to the label - i like to go with the lowest number in the given range so that the pasta comes out of the water slightly al dente. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the zucchini, a large pinch of salt and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the zucchini to just begin to cook on the outside while maintaining its refreshing snap on the inside. Stir in both cheeses and the cooked pasta. Season with salt and lots of black pepper. Serve immediately. Notes * I use Gemelli pasta for this because i really like the zucchini cut in this way - it cooks beautifully and does not fall apart. If you can't find gemelli or want to use something else there is no law against it, just cut your zucchini to match the pasta's shape. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

4 < Back How to Make a Gingerbread House I have made a gingerbread house almost every year since I was about 10, and every year at some point during the process I have a minor meltdown and think “why the heck did i put myself through this again!!?” as my candy-laden roof begins to buckle under the weight. I seem incapable of taking this annual activity lightly and its only getting worse, but in my defense that first gingerbread house I made with my Mom and Grandma was a Martha Stewart castle (i wish i had a picture but i think you can imagine what we are talkin’ about here) so the bar was set pretty high. No more pre-baked kits, gumdrop landscaping or randomly placed marshmallows (see below). Amateur hour was over. This year I was quite ambitious in my attempt to recreate the Ghostbusters firehouse (which I walk by almost daily) in addition to a row of townhouses and an intricate brownstone – the meltdown was inevitable. But one deep breath in of that molassesy spice-filled aroma reminded me that there is really nothing better than making gingerbread while listening dancing to Mariah’s christmas album (or just this song on repeat). So it is in the interest of spreading holiday cheer that I have compiled a how-to guide with the recipes and tools you will need, links to templates or tips on making your own, as well as all of the things I have learned over the years. I hope you are inspired to make your own gingerbread wonderland! TOOLS most are pretty standard items that you probably already have, some are less common so I have gone over those in more detail below (with links to where you can get them). Rolling Rings : a genius invention that take the guesswork out of just how thick 1/16 of an inch really is aaaand all of your dough will come out exactly the same thickness!! Trust me, once you have these you will not know how you lived without them. Stencils : i have an old school Martha set that is probably 20 years old but these days you can find a million different designs online. You can also make them yourself quite easily with an exacto knife – I would only recommend keeping it simple and remember to measure twice and cut once. Piping bags & tips : i like to use these disposable piping bags so I can have multiple colors of icing going at once – as for the tips, they are not necessarily essential if you are just using the royal icing as a glue to stick things on the gingerbread but if you want some decorative flourishes I would highly recommend having a few, like these that come with a coupler (that white thing next to the tips) which allows you to switch tips without having to change bags or take all the icing out of the one your are using. Another “how did I ever live without this” kind of item. TEMPLATES/STENCILS These days it might be harder to find a physical template kit at a craft store than it is to download and print one but before you head out there into the great big interwebs abyss, here are a few recommendations based on my experience: If making your own template, keep it simple and make it obvious which piece is which – I made the sides similar to but not exactly the same size as the front/back and when it came time to assemble I used the back on the side so my whole firehouse was wonky (and the roof did not fit!) – you dont want this to happen after all the work you put in. Trust me. When it comes to finding a template online or at a craft store, just keep it simple!! Like this one or here are some of Martha’s simpler designs. Don’t try to do too much at once – use the same template for a few houses and just decorate them differently because having multiple templates creates a lot of different pieces that have to fit in a lot of different places and it is almost impossible to keep everything straight. THE DOUGH Every year at the end of our Christmas party, the (slightly over-served) hoards descend upon my beautiful creation and devour anything their teeth will sink into. This year, as a defensive strategy, I made the houses out of dough that was technically “edible” but is meant to withstand such natural disasters (and will likely crack the tooth of anyone who does not heed my warning). So even after the party, my house is still standing but I realized eating it is half the fun and a much more fitting destruction than sliding into the trash come february. So the recipe below is back to my tried-and-true tasty gingerbread dough (which is also perfect for holiday sugar cookies ). GINGERBREAD HOUSE DOUGH Yield: 1 small house INGREDIENTS 8 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature ¾ cup sugar ½ cup honey or molasses (or a mixture of the two) 3 eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ⅛ tsp ground cloves ⅛ tsp ground allspice ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp kosher salt INSTRUCTIONS Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the honey or molasses and beat again until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each and scraping the sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Divide dough into three discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (and up to several days).Preheat oven to 350˚F. Roll dough out between two sheets of parchment paper to about ⅛ inch (using your rolling rings), chill in the fridge again until firm, about 15 minutes. Cut out as many pieces from each rolled sheet as possible, placing these on a parchment lined baking sheet and setting aside scraps to reroll. Bake pieces for 15-20 minutes, until edges are golden brown and center looks completely set. ROYAL ICING I still find it amazing just how rock hard this stuff gets. I like to make a lot, usually starting with 2x the recipe so my creativity is not constrained while decorating – well actually its because despite my perfect plan things get wonky so having some extra icing to fill in those gaps is key. The recipe makes a thick icing (like the pic above) that is best for glueing parts together as it will harden fastest. Coloring the icing – gel food color is best because it does not affect the consistency of the icing as much and it gives you more vibrant colors. Consistency – as i said before, keep the icing thick for glueing the house together but to prevent major hand cramping i suggest thinning the icing out just a bit. To do this add ** 1/2 – 3/4 tsp of water per 1 cup of icing ** – that is teaspoons people, we are talking a very small amount of water. I like to actually spoon the water using a 1/2 tsp measure and mix with a spatula before adding more. Storing – while using always keep icing covered with a damp cloth and plastic wrap. For storing overnight – if it is already in a pastry bag, no need to take it out just put the whole thing in a sealed plastic bag – or for the stuff still in the mixing bowl, put in an airtight tupperware container. ROYAL ICING RECIPE Yield: about 5 cups INGREDIENTS 6 tbl meringue powder (or dried egg whites) ¾ cup warm water 2 lbs (2 boxes) confectioners sugar INSTRUCTIONS In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the meringue powder and warm water and whisk by hand just to break up any clumps. Let this sit 1-2 minutes. Using the paddle attachment, begin beating the water/meringue powder on slowest speed. Gradually add the confectioners sugar, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Once all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed to med-high and beat for two minutes - the icing should whiten in color and thicken. Color the icing while it is nice and thick in small batches then thin it out as necessary for decorating. CONSTRUCTION Facade and roof decorations should be completely dry before starting to build. Build on a sturdy piece of cardboard or plastic. Start with the front and side wall – pipe along the bottom of the two walls and along the edges where they will connect – let these set a minute before moving on and repeating the process. Allow walls to fully set before adding the roof – for a big roof i would recommend overnight, for something smaller like these townhouses I think an hour or two should be ok. DECORATION Trees: I used a set of star cookie cutters and stacked them on top of each other from biggest to smallest. I love how they turned out (thanks to my Mom for these beauties!!). Oh and the tree toppers are cupcake toppers which you can find pretty much anywhere these days (i think mine are from amazon) – or make your own with some glittery paper and a toothpick! Sprinkles are a great addition to any gingerbread house – if you are in nyc i recommend checking out this place , if not amazon is always an excellent choice. Candy is a great way to add different colors and textures, my only advice is to go easy on the roof, especially if slanted. Previous Next

< all recipes Buttermilk Pancakes Pancakes, like all things breakfast, are serious business in my house. We definitely apply the "go big or go home" rule here - even our stove has a commercial size griddle just for pancakes (see below for proof). Most of us don't have such a perfect pancake-cooking setup, so we have to make do with griddle pans or sauté pans. This makes making pancakes for a crowd a little more difficult, only one or two at a time, but still totally worth it. Just preheat the oven to 300˚F and keep pancakes warm until you've made enough for everyone. The key to making these is not over mixing the batter. The batter should not be completely smooth, just mix until most of the flour has been moistened but leave the lumps. This will make the pancakes incredibly light and fluffy, perfect for absorbing lots of maple syrup. Our favorite types include blueberry and banana-walnut, even fresh corn in the summer, but feel free to improvise or go the purist route and stick with plain. You really can't go wrong. Buttermilk Pancakes Serves: 10ish pancakes (totally depends on size) Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 3 tbl sugar 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 3 cups buttermilk 4 tbl unsalted butter, melted FIXINS, ETC maple syrup, warmed flavor additions: blueberries (fresh or frozen) bananas, sliced walnuts Print Preparation Whisk together flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. Pour wet ingredients into the flour mixture and whisk just until combined – lumps are ok, don't over beat this. Heat griddle or sauté pan and grease lightly with butter or oil. Add about ½ - 1 cup of batter to preheated pan – add any desired flavorings here. The pancake is ready to flip when there are bubbles on top and the edges look slightly dry, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook another minute or two. Keep warm in the oven and repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with lots of maple syrup. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Pecan Pie I should begin by saying that this is not yo mamma’s Pecan Pie recipe. I have never been enamored with the dessert because it is always ridiculously sweet – that kind of sweet that gives you a pain in your jaw – and its pretty much all corn syrup which I generally try to avoid if I can. While I can force down a sugar bomb so as not to offend anyone on thanksgiving, knowing allllll that corn syrup goes into the filling makes me uncomfortable and slightly nauseous. But I was determined to make pie because I recently discovered the pie dough of my dreams – i know, try to contain your excitement but I am pretty sure it will be life-changing. The filling is inspired by a French walnut tart that my fave Mark Bittman suggested as an alternative to the traditional pecan pie – I thought this was brilliant and immediately did some recon on the subject and came up with a hodgepodgy sorta recipe that uses eggs to bind everything instead of syrup and a non-coma-inducing amount of sugar. The result is an almost meringue-like crust on top of gooey goodness packed with toasted pecans – all swaddled in buttery tenderness. Need I say more? No, no I didn’t think so. If you want to use the rolled dough scraps for decoration go for it – if a more elaborate top crust is your thing I would suggest doubling the dough recipe. You can also just bake the cut out scraps as cookies for snacking because why not? I am usually a pretty tidy cook (something you learn pretty darn quick in a commercial kitchen) but I thought I would give a slight glimpse into the mess that inevitably explodes in my kitchen when testing and photographing a recipe. Yikes! Its always a bit of a scramble to tidy up and scrub away any evidence before my cleanliness inspector husband gets home. Chris just avert your eyes. Pecan Pie Serves: 1 9" pie Ingredients pastry dough: 8 tbl unsalted butter, cubed and very cold ¼ cup granulated sugar 1½ cups all purpose flour ⅛ tsp kosher salt 1 egg yolk 2 tbl heavy cream pecan filling: 3 cups pecans (or walnuts), toasted and roughly chopped ½ cup granulated sugar 1 cup dark brown sugar 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tsp vanilla extract ⅓ cup heavy cream ¼ tsp kosher salt 4 tbl unsalted butter, melted (1 egg for egg washing the dough) Print Preparation Make the pastry dough: In a food processor with the blade attachment, pulse the butter and sugar a few times (about 3 times). Add the flour and salt and pulse again until the butter is mostly pea-sized or slightly bigger (about 5 pulses). Add the egg yolk and heavy cream, pulse a few times then let the mixer go until the dough comes together into a ball. Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and gently knead the dough a few times before forming into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days (freeze for up to 6 months, thawing in the fridge 24hrs). Let dough sit on the counter 10-15 minutes before rolling. Rolling dough: Preheat the oven to 375˚F and take your pastry dough out of the fridge to soften (about 15 minutes). Roll out your dough to roughly a 12in circle, making sure to generously flour and rotate the dough as you roll - you can use a long offset spatula to slide under the dough as you go. Roll the dough towards you onto your rolling pin, place the tart pan where the dough was and roll the dough away from you and over the tart pan.* Gently lift the overhang so the dough tucks nicely into the pan edges and press it into the fluted sides - use the overhang scraps to patch any breaks or thin spots. Press your rolling pin along the sides of the pan to get a clean edge. Let the prepared dough chill in the fridge until firm, about 15-20 minutes (or 5-10 in the freezer if time is short). Prick the dough a few times with a fork, line with parchment and baking beans and blind bake for 20 minutes (see glossary for more info on blind baking). For the filling and assembly: In a large bowl, combine the nuts, sugars, eggs, vanilla, cream and salt, mixing to incorporate everything together before finally stirring in the melted butter. Pour the filling into your prepared tart pan and spread it gently out to the edges. Bake 30-35 minutes, rotating the pan once, until the center is just set. Let cool slightly and serve warm or room temp. Notes *Because this dough is so tender, it might not fully cooperate when you try to transfer it but DONT WORRY! You can easily patch any breaks etc as you are fitting the dough into the tart pan. If you are really having issues here, you can do one of two things: 1) reform the dough into a disc and start over (refrigerating newly formed disc first) 2) press the dough into the pan as if it were a shortbread cookie dough - this is a totally acceptable method but it is hard to get the thickness as even as rolling so I usually opt for patching but it is completely up to you! Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast

< all recipes Curried Cauliflower & Quinoa Salad I eat a lot of cauliflower. I've gotten into a routine this winter of making this pretty much every week to have on hand for lunch. I actually stopped currying the cauliflower briefly because I felt like at some point I would start to turn yellow. Or smell like curry (which has happened to me before with my mom's curried chicken...um yeah that is probably an overshare). Aaaanyway. What I love about this recipe is the wintery warmth you get from the spices without the heaviness of most winter dishes - perfect for this almost spring but really still kinda freezing time of year. Curried Cauliflower & Quinoa Salad Serves: serves 4-6 as a side Ingredients 1 cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets 2 tsp mustard seed 2 tsp cumin seed 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp coriander 2 tsp curry powder 1 cup white wine 1/4 cup oil (safflower, grapeseed or other neutral oil) 1/2 cup golden raisins 2 cups cooked quinoa 2-3 cups arugula Dressing: 2 tbl dijon mustard 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 2 tsp paprika 1/2 cup olive oil salt and pepper Print Preparation Preheat oven to 400˚F. Toast mustard and cumin seed in a dry sauce pan until fragrant and the mustard seeds start jumping out of the pan (about 1-2 minutes). Add the rest of the spices to the pan, let toast 30 seconds (be careful not to let it smoke), whisk in the white wine and oil and remove from heat. Pour over cauliflower, tossing to coat completely, spread out on a sheet pan and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Make the dressing: whisk together dijon, vinegar and paprika, slowly whisk in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. When ready to eat toss arugula and quinoa with dressing, add raisins and cauliflower. Previous Next hungry for more? Winter Citrus Salad with Toasted Za’atar Breadcrumbs Cacio e Pepe w/ Garlicky Greens Slow-Cooked Prime Rib Roast