Warning: I've been hacked.

It seems that some time ago my site was hacked. I think I've removed the offending bits, but until I'm sure, surf at your own risk. It seemed to be a bit of malware that would redirect you to another site that would try and tell you your browser was at risk and insist that you enter  a  user name and call a toll-free  number. All of which is complete  nonsense. If you encounter anything like that while at this site, and you happen to know me, please contact me and let me know. Also, if you're in Windows, you may have  to open your task manager  to force quit  your browser. Never  respond to any kind of nonsense requests like user names, phone calls or passwords from this site.

 I'm sorry if this has affected anyone.

Cold Tomato Soup

With summer entering it's last weeks, fresh tomatoes are plentiful. Turning ripe tomatoes into a cold soup for these hot days is a sure winner. If you can, visit a local farmer's market and get the ugly tomatoes. Trust me. Heirloom tomatoes may be misshapen and have split tops, but they have the best flavor. Sometimes you can find nearly over-ripe tomatoes at a discount. If so, grab them up. They're perfect for this soup.

Inspired by a recipe by David Tanis, this chilled soup is a winner. I served it will grilled cheese sandwiches and it made a very nice, light, meal. Toast with avocado would be a nice accompaniment, as well. If you can't get good, fresh tomatoes, this soup also works well with canned tomatoes. Use a 24 oz can, with juice.

Makes 4 servings

Take about 1 hour, including time to chill.

Ingredients

For the soup

2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbl sherry vinegar

Pinch of cayenne

1 tsp salt, more to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

For the garnish

1/2 medium green bell pepper, finely diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 Tbl sherry vinegar

1 Tbl chopped fresh parsely, or 2 tsp dried

1 Tbl chopped fresh chive, or 2 tsp dried

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Put all of the soup ingredients (not the garnish!) in a blender and blend on high speed for 1 minute or until very smooth. Add more salt, pepper, and cayenne, if needed to taste. Put in a non-reactive bowl and chill for one hour or more.

About thirty minutes before serving, mix the ingredients for the garnish together, and refrigerate until needed.

To serve, divide soup evenly between four bowls, and place about 2 Tbl of garnish in the middle. 

Watermelon Gazpacho

In the midst of a heat wave the last thing I want to do is turn on my oven. Second only in kitchen aversion is using my stove. We don't have central AC in this tiny apartment, and so turning on the oven is akin to turning the entire kitchen into a sauna, and not the good kind. The ambient heat, having sapped my will to live, has come into conflict with my gluttonous desire to eat good food. Cold food is a must for these steamy days. Fortunately, both tomatoes and watermelon are in season.

Tomato and watermelon are surprisingly good together. This recipe, based on one by Anya von Brezmen, is surprisingly sparse on ingredients, for a gazpacho, but is perfect for hot summer nights. I think it works better as an appetizer, or aperitif, but it can pass as a light supper when served with cold sandwiches. Make sure you get fresh, juicy melons and tomatoes for this dish, and don't forget the celery. It's heightens the flavors and really brings things together. Don't worry, my friends. Flavorful refreshment is on the way.

Makes 4 servings.

Takes  10 minutes to make, and at least 2 more hours to chill.

Ingredients

4 cups cubed, seedless watermelon, about 1 1/4 lbs

1 lbs ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters

2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil, more for dizzling

2 Tbl lemon juice, or more to taste

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 tsp Salt. more as needed

1/4 ground black pepper, or more, to taste

Thin celery sticks for garnish

Directions

Working batches, puree all of the ingredients except the garnish in a blender for at least two minutes, until smooth and frothy. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed to make the flavor pop. Transfer to a bowl and chill for at least 2 hours, and up to 24 hours. Serve in individual bowls or mugs, garnishing with celery sticks. If there are any leftovers, which there probably won't be, they'll keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Creamy Corn Pasta with Basil

Corn is at the height of it's season, here in Utah, and so I'm always on the lookout for new and tasty ways to prepare it. This summer pasta dish, based on a recipe by Melissa Clark, features corn in a surprisingly tasty way. The corn flavor, which takes center stage, is kicked up by green onions and basil. Off season, I would use frozen corn, because it's what I usually have on hand, but it would be even better with fresh corn, cut from the cob. If you do use frozen corn, thaw and drain it, first. I don't normally keep fresh basil hand, so I used dried. If you have it, though, use 1/3 cup and toss it in at the end, omitting the dried basil and parsley. This sauce cooks quickly, so you will be able to make it at the same time you're cooking the pasta. Just start on the sauce after you set the water to boil, keeping an eye on the pot so you know when it's ready to add the pasta.

Makes 4 servings.

Takes 30 minutes to make.

Ingredients

12 oz. dried pasta such as farfalle, orcchiette, or small shells

1 Tbl neutral oil, such as canola

1 bunch green onions (about 8), trimmed and thinly sliced, keeping the greens and whites divided

2 cups fresh corn kernels

3 Tbl butter

1 1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 Tbl fresh minced flat leaf parsley leaves

1 Tbl lemon juice, or more, to taste

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, or more to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

Salt and pepper, as needed

Directions

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 Tbl salt and the pasta. Cook until just 1 minutes shy of al dente, according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

In the meantime, Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, until shimmering. Add the scallion whites and a pinch of salt. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1 3/4 cups of corn, reserving the remaining 1/4 cup. Simmer until the corn is heated through and almost tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool, slightly. Puree the mixture in a blender, adding more water as needed to form a thick, but still pourable, sauce.

In the same skillet, add the butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add the reserved 1/4 cup of corn, along with the dried basil and red pepper flakes, if using.  Cook until the corn is tender, about 2 minutes. Don't stir it more than once. Letting the corn, and the butter, brown will make it all the more flavorful, just don't let it burn. Add the corn puree and heat through for about 30 seconds, just to combine the flavors.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, returning the pasta to the same pot it was cooked in, if needed, add the sauce to the pasta along with 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water. Toss to coat and cook over medium heat for 1 minute more. Add more of the reserved water as needed if the mixture seems too thick.

Off the heat, stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Add additional salt and black pepper, to taste. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, remaining sliced green onion, and a drizzle of olive oil, if using.

 

Black Bean Burgers

Hamburgers are one of my favorite foods. Melt some cheese over it and I'd fall in love with you. (No, my wife didn't do that when we were courting. More's the pity.) But when two of your kids are vegetarians, more or less, you need to think about expanding the range of ingredients beyond just good ground beef. In fact, you've got to find some way to keep that rich meaty, charred, flavor without using meat.

There are plenty of high-sodium, low-flavor, variants available at the grocery store these days. I'm not a huge fan of processed cardboard, but if that's your thing, go right a head and spend more money on them that you would on ground beef. Which is saying something, these days. I've found several recipes for veggie burgers online, and black beans seem to stand out as a favored ingredient for many of them. Oh, there are others, for sure, but black bean burgers seemed like an interesting choice. That and the ingredients are all pretty common to my pantry.

This recipe is my take on a black bean burger recipe from America's Test Kitchen. I modified a few of the ingredients, and their ratios, to better fit my pantry, and my taste. I use rolled oats in this recipe because they're easy, and I like the added flavor. Bread crumbs, or any type, will do just fine, though. Cilantro can be substituted for the parsley, if desired.

Takes 35 minutes to make.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients

2 (15-oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained well

2 large eggs

1 Tbl olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup rolled oats

1 red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped

1 Tbl dried parsley, or ¼ cup minced parsley

4 Tbl vegetable (or canola) oil for frying

6 hamburger buns

Favorite hamburger toppings

Directions

Place 2 ½ cups of beans in a large bowl, setting aside the rest for later. Mash them with a potato masher until mostly smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, cumin, salt, and cayenne, if using. Add the egg mixture, the remaining beans, oats, bell pepper, parsley, and green onion to the mashed beans and stir until just combined. Let stand for 5 minutes so the oats can absorb some of the liquid.

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions. Pack, lightly, into 1-inch-thick patties. These patties can be delicate, so take care when handling them.

Heat 2 Tbl oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Working with three patties at a time, carefully lay them into the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.

If you want to turn these into cheeseburgers, which I often do, drop a slice of cheese on top during the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking.

Transfer cooked burgers to a plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil, repeat with the remaining three patties. Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite burger toppings.

Black Bean Burgers with Corn and Chipotle Chile varation:

To change things up a little, substitute 1 Tbl minced chipotle chiles (canned in adobe sauce) for the cayenne, reduce the red pepper to ¼ cup, and add ¼ cup of fresh or frozen corn, thawed and patted dry, to the bean mixture. I've tried it both ways and like them both, equally.

American-Style Broccoli Calzone

A great calzone, with a satisfyingly crisp and chewy crust, with plenty of flavorful fillings, is a treat worth the quest. The trouble is, most calzones I've found turn out with a soggy filling and have a crust more akin to bad bread than pizza dough. Not so with this recipe. Even better, this one gets you eating your vegetables in a way that is so tasty you won't mind. The cheese inside doesn't hurt, either.

This recipe does require some work and time, but not as much as you might think. While I braise fresh broccoli, you could substitute frozen, if you want to skip cooking the broccoli. It won't be as flavorful, but it might say you a little time and effort. Just make sure to thaw, drain and chop it, first. In this case, add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes along with the cheese.

My wife and kids like cheddar cheese, and so that's what I used, making this very American. For a more authentic Italian-style, use 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella and a 1/2 cup of feta, instead, replacing the cottage cheese with ricotta cheese.

The cooked broccoli makes a great side dish unto itself, if you're so inclined.

Equipment needed

Chef's knife

kitchen shears (optional)

measuring cups and spoons

mixing bowl

skillet

parchment paper

spatula

baking sheet

Ingredients

2 Tbl light cooking oil (vegetable or canola)

1 head of broccoli, trimmed and cut into 1-inch florets (about 1 pound)

3 Tbl water

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper as needed

1 cup cottage cheese

2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 large whole egg, plus 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten with 2 Tbl water

1 pound pizza dough

Cooking spray

Directions

Heat cooking oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add broccoli and a pinch of salt. Cook, without stirring, until the broccoli begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the water, cover, and cook until broccoli is bright green, but still crisp, about 2 minutes more. Uncover and cook until the water has evaporated and the broccoli is crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 more minutes.

Push the broccoli to the sides of the pan to clear a space in the center. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir into the broccoli. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a serving plate, to cool a bit.

Place an oven rack in the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut two pieces of parchment paper into 9-inch squares. These will be used to make rolling and moving the calzones, easier.

In a large bowl, stir the broccoli mixture, cottage cheese, and cheddar cheese together.

Divide the dough in half. Working with one half of the dough at a time, transfer the dough to a piece of parchment and roll into a 9-inch round. Spread the broccoli-cheese mixture evenly over one half of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the other half over the filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border of the bottom half uncovered. Brush edge with egg wash. Press the edges of the dough together, pressing out any air. Fold the bottom dough edge over the top, and press and crimp to make a pretty seal. Using a sharp knife, cut 5 steam vents, about 1 1/2-inch long across the top layer of dough, starting at the folded edge and cutting toward the crimped edge. Brush the tops with more of the egg wash. Using the parchment paper, transfer the calzone, along with the paper, onto a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough half.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes or so, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer the calzones to a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes, before cutting each in half, for serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Roasted Carrots and Kale Rice Bowl

This healthy combination of flavorful roasted veggies over rice, topped with an egg, is a great example of what a vegetarian rice bowl can be. Nutty brown rice is perfect for this dish, but plain white rice is good, too. The flavors in the original recipe come from a bold Middle-eastern spice mixture called za'atar, a mixture of thyme, ground sesame seeds, and powdered sumac. I can't get za'atar, or sumac, at my local grocery store, and it seemed kind of pricey online, so I did some research and come up with my own faux blend. To be honest, I have no idea how close this is to the real deal, but it was pretty tasty.

To make faux za'atar, combine 3 tsp dried thyme, 1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper salt, and 1/4 tsp toasted sesame seeds in a spice grinder and pulse into a powder. This should make about 2 Tbl. Use what you need for the recipe, and then keep he remainder in an airtight container.

Now let's get started on the dish.

Ingredients

5 carrots, peeled, halved crosswise, then halved or quartered lengthwise to create uniformly sized pieces.

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tsp za'atar

8 oz. kale, stemmed and chopped into 1-inch strips

2 Tbl red wine vinegar

1 green onion, finely sliced

4 eggs

Salt and pepper

2 cups cooked rice, or more if desired

Directions

With an oven rack in the upper middle position, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Toss the carrots, 1 Tbl oil, za'atar, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper together in bowl. Spread the carrots onto the prepared baking sheet and cover with foil. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, toss together the kale, 1 Tbl oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp of pepper together, using the same bowl as the carrots. (Why dirty more dishes than you need to?) Next, whisk together the vinegar, green onion, and 3 Tbl olive oil in a bowl to make a quick vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

When the carrots are done roasting, remove the foil and spread the kale evenly over the top. Return the carrots and kale to the oven and continue to cook, uncovered, until the carrots are spotty brown and tender and kale is crisp, about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, divide the cooked rice into individual serving bowls, about 1/2 cup per bowl. Top with the roasted vegetables and drizzle the vinaigrette over the rice and veggies. Cover and set aside. 

Heat the remaining oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Crack the eggs into two small bowls, 2 eggs per bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Working quickly, pour the eggs into the skillet, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 1 to 2 minutes more, depending on how runny, or set, you like your yolks. Top each bowl with one egg, and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Takes about 45 minutes to make.

Vegetable Pot-Pie

The only kinds of pot-pie I think I ever had as a kid were the frozen ones from the grocery store. I can understand why my mom would opt for this. From scratch, a pot-pie can be a lot of work. The frozen ones cook up pretty quick in the microwave. I confess, those frozen ones are still guilty pleasures for me, from time to time.

As I started doing more vegetarian cooking, I became intrigued by the idea of a vegetarian version of the pot-pie. How would we create the savory flavors and stew-like filling I wanted, without meat? This recipe, modified from the America's Test Kitchen recipe, hits the mark pretty well. It's got surprising savoriness, and was easier to make than I thought it would be.

The original version of this recipe only used a top crust. I like crust on top and bottom of my pot pie, thank you, so that was the first change. I'm also a bit lazy. They make their own pie crust. I can do it, but I don't like to so, I used store bought crusts. Not as good as homemade, but I'd rather have pie than not. I prefer the rolled up dough, where you just thaw and unroll it over a pie plate. The only kind I've been able to find at my local grocery store, recently, is the kind that's already in a foil plate. You either use what you've got, or you go home so, I used those this time around. They come with two crusts per package, so I needed to thaw them and remove one of them from the pie plate for the top crust. You're more than welcome to make your own pie crust, though.

Equipment needed

9 1/2-inch pie pan (depending on your pie dough source)

paring knife

chef's knife

measuring cups and spoons

large spoon

Dutch oven or other large sauce pan with lid

mixing bowls

whisk

rimmed baking sheet

aluminum foil

pastry brush

Ingredients

2 frozen pie-crust doughs

4 Tbl butter

1 onion, finely chopped

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

salt and pepper

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

1 Tbl lemon juice

8 oz. Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Tbl all-purpose flour

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbl dried parsley

1 large egg

1 tsp water

cooking spray

Directions

Thaw the pie crusts (unless you're using fresh). For the top crust, roll one dough smooth between two pieces of parchment paper. Put it in the refrigerator until needed. For the bottom crust, if using loose dough, gently center one in a 10-inch pie plate, leaving about a 1-inch overhang. If not, just leave it in the provided pan. If there are any cracks, smooth them together with a drop of water and your fingers. Lightly spray the bottom pie crust with cooking spray. (My mom says this helps keep the bottom dough from getting soggy.) Refrigerate until needed.

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt 2 Tbl butter in a Dutch over or other large saucepan over medium heat until the foaming stops. Stir in the onion, mushrooms and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the sweet potato and the turnip. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until potato and turnip begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chard and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes more. Transfer everything to a bowl and set aside.

Now to make the roux. Melt the remaining butter in the empty pot over medium-high heat, until it stops foaming. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. Gradually whisk in the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until it starts to thicken, about 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the Parmesan, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir in the reserved vegetables, along with any juice that's accumulated in the bottom of the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the prepared bottom pie crust/plate in the center. This will help keep your oven clean in case the filling boils-over, ease clean up, and makes it easier to put the pie in the oven if you happen to be using a foil pie plate. Transfer the vegetable mixture into the bottom crust of the pie, and smooth the top. Place the top crust on top. Fold up the bottom edge of the dough around the top dough, and crimp together. Cut four 2-inch slits in the top, with a paring knife, to vent the steam. Lightly beat egg and water in bowl, and brush over the top of the crust. Put the whole thing into the oven. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool, on the baking sheet for 10 minutes or so before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Homemade Vegetable Broth Base

If you've read this blog much, you'll know I prefer to make my own stocks. Vegetable stock has always seemed like a waste of vegetables, though. Meat broths makes sense. Just a few vegetables and some left-over bones, that I'd otherwise throw away, and a bunch of water. Very frugal. Using up a huge amount of yummy veggies only to toss them in the trash after I've boiled them to death just to make vegetable both? I don't think so.

With that in mind, I've generally used the “Better-than-Bullion” vegetarian broth base in the past. (No, that is not an endorsement. It's just what I like and can easily get a hold of.) Not anymore. With the help of America's Test Kitchen, and some recipe tweaking to make it fit my budget and available vegetables, and still taste great, now I have an amazing recipe for my own vegetable broth base. Yes, it still uses a bunch of vegetable, but, I get a lot more yield from my grocery money than making traditional vegetable stock, or buying either kind at the store. This recipe will make about 1 3/4-cups of base, which translates to about 1 3/4-gallons of broth. Very cost effective, and much more flavorful.

This recipe calls for kosher salt. Don't be tempted to cheap out and use table salt. It will ruin the broth base.

Equipment needed

Chef's knife

Food processor

Freezer-safe, airtight container

Wax paper (or parchment paper)

Ingredients

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped and thoroughly rinsed

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2-cup fresh parsley, leaves and thin stems

3 Tbl dried minced onion

2 Tbl kosher salt

1 1/2-Tbl tomato paste

3 Tbl soy sauce

Directions

Process the leeks, carrots, celery, parsley, minced onion, and kosher salt in a food processor until the whole turns into a fine past. You'll need to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl periodically, and will take about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the tomato past and process for 1 minute more, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl about every 20 seconds. Add the soy sauce and process for one more minute.

Transfer the mixture into an airtight container and tap it firmly on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Press a small piece of wax paper flush against the surface of the mixture (this helps prevent freezer burn and ice crystal formation) and cover tightly. Can be frozen for up to 6 months.

To make one cup of broth, stir one Tbl of either fresh or frozen broth base mixture into one cup of boiling water. There will be veggie particles floating around, which I think add more flavor, but if you want a clear broth, steep the broth for 5 minutes, like tea, and then strain.

What I do: I re-purpose a used, and cleaned, 16 ounce dairy container, like you find for cottage cheese or sour cream, along with it's lid. The broth base will fill it almost to the top. Then I cover the base, as described, with a square of wax paper so it touches the broth base, and trap the excess wax paper between the lid and the rim of the container. When I need some vegetable broth, I use a large tablespoon to scrape the frozen base off the top. I'll add it, just as if it were a spice mix, along with the needed about of water, when I make soups, or whatever I need a bit of vegetable broth for.

Consider the vegetables of the field ...

I'm not a vegetarian in any way, shape, or form, but I think they're on to something. The vegetarians I know are all very healthy, certainly when compared to my sick-and-tired self. I like vegetables, if they're prepared well. Nothing turns my stomach faster than soggy overcooked spinach. Pasty canned peas are a no-go. Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella?  Give me all you've got. Greek salad with cucumbers and tomatoes? Yes, please.

Three of my cooking heroes have me thinking about vegetables. A few years ago, Mark Bittman introduced the concept of a “less-meatarian” in his book, “Food Matters .” Not vegetarian, just cutting back on the amount of meat you eat. Micheal Natkin, of Herbivoracious, has been kicking up amazing vegetarian fare for years. The awe inspiring Jose Andres has started focusing on vegetables with his new restaurants, hoping to popularize vegetables and make them the “new bacon.”

What's interesting to me, from a faith-based standpoint, is that it falls right in line with the Word of Wisdom. For those who don't know, the Word of Wisdom is the dietary and health commandments that Mormons believe were given to us by God. They're found in our modern scripture set, the Doctrine & Covenants. This is passage I'm thinking about:

Doctrine and Covenants 89:11 - 16
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.
12 Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly;
13 And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine.
14 All grain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life, not only for man but for the beasts of the field, and the fowls of heaven, and all wild animals that run or creep on the earth;
15 And these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger.
16 All grain is good for the food of man; as also the fruit of the vine; that which yieldeth fruit, whether in the ground or above the ground—

My daughter's are on-again-off-again vegetarians. The degree of their vegetarianism varies from hour to hour. My wife is an almost-carnivore. If she could just get by with Mountain Dew and roast beef with ranch dressing for the rest of her life, she would. My youngest is the pickiest, most unpredictable eater I've ever known. Her only constants are sugar and tofu. I'm an omnivore. I'll eat just about anything, as long as it tastes good.

Making dinner that we'll all eat is a challenge. My wife's not too difficult because she hates to cook. As long as I throw some meat her way from time to time, she won't bite me. With younger daughters I've learned to hope for the best while trying to contain my frustration. I spent two hours cooking this, and you won't even try it? Go make your own dinner, then. As for me, it has to taste good or I won't keep eating it. In fact, it's got to taste better than good. As Micheal Natkin might say, it's got to taste freaking delicious.

To that end, I've decided I want to learn to cook vegetables that are freaking delicious. My go-to source for learning to cook delicious food is Christopher Kimball and his staff at America's Test Kitchen. I've learned, over the years, that I can count on them to give me solid advice, solid recipes, and solid techniques. I don't like every recipe of theirs I've tried, but the vast majority are excellent. Some of I've modified to fit my own tastes and situation, but I know I'm not going to go completely wrong with them.

So, I bought their new vegetarian cookbook. A few of the recipes I've already made, getting them from other sources. There's so darned many more it was worth every penny, though. The first recipe convinced me I was right to buy to it, a summer vegetable gratin. Even my carnivorous wife enjoyed it. Their classic gazpacho was amazing, too. I still like the gazpacho recipe I've been using, I just have more variety, now. As I start to work my way through it, I'll be sharing my variations on them. Why? Because I know you, too, want to make and eat food that is healthy, and really freaking delicious.

Strawberry Shortcake – The Taste of Early Summer

One of the great things about the beginning of summer is all the wonderful berries. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, shnozberries … Okay, maybe not those. Still, berry season will soon be over so, it's time to do something extra special with them. I'm thinking strawberry shortcake.

Strawberry shortcake is a beautiful summer dessert. It's pretty simple: a tender biscuit, a sweet and chunky strawberry sauce, and whipped cream. Pretty sexy, if you ask me. There is a little work involved, but it's worth it. Good ingredients are important, though. Make sure you have ripe strawberries, but not overripe. No amount of manipulation can save bad fruit.

Equipment needed

cutting board

paring knife

measuring spoons and cups

mixing bowls

potato masher

whisk

rubber spatula

biscuit cutters (optional, you can just use a large glass or empty can)

parchment paper

rimmed baking sheet

brush

cooling rack

Ingredients

1 quarts strawberries

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 large egg

1 large egg white

11 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided (1/2 cup, plus 3 tablespoons)

2 cups all purpose flour, plus a little extra for the counter

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup half-and-half

2 cups whipped cream

Directions

Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes, place on a small plate in the refrigerator until needed.

Remove the stem and white core from the strawberries with a paring knife. In a large bowl, crush 3 cups of the strawberries with a potato masher. Slice the remaining 5 cups of strawberries and stir into the crushed ones, along with 6 tablespoons of sugar. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes until the sugar dissolves and berries give off their juices.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425 °F, with an oven rack in the middle position.

Now it's time to start on the biscuits. In another large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour, 3 tablespoons of sugar, the baking powder and salt. Scatter the butter on top of the flour mixture and mix together, using clean hands, until it looks like coarse corn meal.

Note: A food processor will make short work of this, but hands have been around for a lot longer and will do fine.

In a separate bowl, gently whisk together the egg (not the egg white) and half-and-half. Add to the flour mixture and gently stir together with a rubber spatula just until clumps start forming.

Lightly flour a clean counter top and turn out the mixture. Gently kneed the dough just until it comes together. Overworking the dough will result in tough biscuits. Using your fingertips, pat the dough into a 9-by-6-inch rectangle, about 1-inch thick. Cut six rounds out of the dough with a 3-inch biscuit cutter or glass. You'll have to gather the dough back up at least once, and you'll probably end up with an extra biscuit, maybe two. That's okay, though. This is cooking, not dental surgery.

Note: I don't use biscuit cutters. Instead, I cut the tops and bottoms off a couple of cans of water chestnuts. Why pay for something if you can recycle something else for free?

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the dough round on the sheet, 1-inch apart. Gently beat the egg white with 1 teaspoons of water and brush the tops of the dough rounds. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Bake the shortcakes until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

By now, the strawberries should be ready. Now would be a good time to whip the cream, before assembly.

Split each biscuit in half. Lay the bottoms on individual serving plates. Divide the strawberry mixture evenly over each bottom, and then top with a dollop of whipped cream. Cap with the biscuit tops, and enjoy.

Make 6 servings.

How to Make Candied Ginger

As you may know, I'm a fan of “do-it-yourself” when it comes to the kitchen. Making your own food products is a great way to supplement your pantry, and can be cheaper than buying them ready made. It's easier than you might think. In keeping with the kitchen DIY spirit, I decided to take on candied ginger.

Candied ginger has three ingredients: ginger, sugar, and water. There are many recipes out there; I just happen to like this one. The advantages of making your own candied ginger are many. It tastes better than the supermarket stuff, for starters. In addition, the byproduct of making it is ginger syrup – a miraculous food stuff all on its own. Bonus!

Candied ginger can be added to so many things, cookies, cakes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pies … the list is long and illustrious. I've been told it's good for you, too. It's an old cure for nausea and seems to reduce gastric inflammation. Some people say it even has a positive effect on some cancers. I just like snacking on it. It's pungent, sweet, spicy, and really kicks your taste in the buds.

Ginger syrup is wonderful. Use it to sweeten teas (herbal in my case), or kick up cold drink – think mock ginger ale, ginger lemon-lime soda, or ginger cola. Pour it over pound cake instead of some other syrup or glaze. I like it on vanilla ice cream.

Note: Young, fresh ginger root is preferred because it's got a milder flavor and is more tender. The older ginger will work just fine, though.

Equipment Needed

chef's knife

spoon or vegetable peeler

chef's knife

medium saucepan

strainer

wire drying racks

rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups sugar, separated

2 cups water

8 ounces of fresh ginger

Directions

Break the fingers of ginger apart, and peel them. You can use a vegetable peeler, but it easier to get around the knobbly bits by scraping it off with a spoon. Cut the peeled ginger into thin slices.

Place the wire cooling racks inside a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

Combine 2 cups of the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and it looks clear. Stir in the ginger slices. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the ginger is tender and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Drain the ginger using a strainer set over a large bowl to collect the syrup. Set the syrup aside to let it cool.

Transfer the ginger to the cooling rack. Spread the ginger pieces out a bit, so they don't touch each other. Let the ginger dry until it's no longer moist, but still a little tacky. This will take at least 6 hours, but should be done in no more than 12 hours.

Combine the dried ginger and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a large bowl, and toss until well coated. You'll have some sugar left over, that's okay. You can use it to sweeten your drinks or something.

This is where your patience will pay off. If you don't wait until the ginger is dry before you toss it with the additional sugar, you'll end up with gummy ginger pieces that will cement themselves together.

Candied ginger can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks. Once the syrup is cooled, transfer to a jar and refrigerate.

Makes about ¾ cup of candied ginger, and about 2 cups of ginger syrup.

Looking at the cost

The joy of cooking aside, is it worth the cost and time? I have no idea how much electricity or natural gas this takes, so I can't account for that. Just keep it in mind as you read my cost breakdown.

The cheapest I found for a 16 oz bag of “crystallized ginger” was $4.99, or about 30 cents an ounce. From what I've been able to figure, there's about 6 oz of candied ginger per cup, so the yield of this recipe it about 4.5 oz. Commercially, that's about $1.40 worth of candied ginger. Keep in mind that this candied ginger isn't very chew-able. The more tender stuff, which is comparable with the candied ginger in this recipe, goes for as much as $11.99 a pound, or 75 cents per ounce. Compared to that product, making your own candied ginger comes in at about $2.53 worth of candied ginger.

Ginger root, at my local grocery, is $3.69 per pound, or 23 cents per oz. This recipe uses 8 oz of ginger, so that's $1.84. A 4 pound bag of sugar costs $1.50. At 2 cups of sugar per pound, that's about 38 cents worth of sugar. The total cost for the ingredients, then, is $2.22. Remember, that doesn't count the cost of heat or your time. It seems to only be cost effective if we're comparing it with the “good stuff.” With the added cost of heat and time, we're lucky to break even, so far.

Except we also get 2 cups of ginger syrup out of the bargain. Just like commercial candied ginger, the price of ginger syrup varies widely with the quality. Some of these syrups have all kinds of added preservatives and stabilizers and artificial flavors. I found the cost of ginger syrup varying from about 25 cents per oz, for the cheap stuff, to about $1.50 per oz, for the good stuff. At 16 oz, that means anywhere between $4.00 and $24.00 worth of ginger syrup. We get it for free, as a byproduct.

Okay, so at its lowest commercial cost, we're making at least $6.22 worth of gingery goodness for $2.22, plus the cost of the heat and time. That's a bit less than $4 savings, and that's comparing it to the cheap stuff. At best, we're making about $26.00 worth of product, that's a $20.00 savings. I don't think we're actually saving that much, but it suddenly seems a lot more cost effective to make it ourselves.

Apple Butter, or Apple Awesome Sauce?

When the apples go on sale, I like to take advantage of the pricing and get bunch of them. The problem is, I know they'll go bad before the family eats them all. I could make pie, but what if there's still a lot left? Make apple butter, of course.

For those who don't know, apple butter is not a fruit filled dairy product. It's more like caramelized applesauce. But it's really not applesauce, either. I've tried several recipes for apple butter, a couple of which used a crock pot. They weren't bad, but they left me wanting. I'm a fan of using a crock pot for apple butter, because it really does take a good deal of time to make it, but I didn't want to lock myself into a particular appliance without trying out a few other methods. As a foodie, I'm always after the good stuff.

Some recipes I tried used a little spice, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and so on. Some used so much that they ended up tasting more like a spicy slurry, with little to no apple flavor. Others weren't so bad, but I wanted something that celebrated the apple, no spice needed.

Eventually I tried one recipe from America's Test Kitchen. I'm a huge fan of theirs, as some of you may know, but sometimes their recipes don't work well for my situation. In this case, a couple of minor tweaks gave me an apple butter that had deep, rich, apple flavor, well beyond the other recipes I'd made. Sweet, but not too sweet, full of apple goodness, with nothing to get in the way. Best of all, it works for the kitchen I have, and uses affordable apples varieties.

There are several apple varieties that work well for apple butter, and a few that you'll want to stay away from. Even though you'll be cooking these apples until they break down, you don't want their flavors to break down along the way, or the resulting product become too watery. Varieties that hold up well to cooking, such as Fuji, Gala, and Granny Smith, are the way to go. Use two or three different varieties of cooking apples for the riches flavor. Stay away from Red Delicious or Golden Delicious apples. They're great for eating raw, but they don't hold up well under heat.

Apple butter is wonderful on just about everything you might put jam or applesauce on. I like it on toast, topping cottage cheese, or mixed into plain yogurt, when I'm not eating strait out of the jar, that is. It's super tasty as a topping for vanilla ice cream, as well.

Equipment needed

Dutch or other large pot (at least 6 quarts)

Large spoon

Flexible spatula

Mixing bowls

Chef's knife

Fine mesh sieve

Immersion blender

(You can substitute a food mill, or other blender, if you like. I'll talk about that, later.)

Ingredients

4 pounds of cooking apples (about 12 medium apples)

1 ¾ cups apple juice or cider

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp lemon juice

¼ tsp salt

Directions

Wash and then core the apples; chop them into 2-inch pieces. Don't bother peeling them. The oils in the peel with deepen the flavor. Put the cut apples into a large cooking pot, along with the apple juice, over medium high heat. Once it reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the apples are very soft, stirring two or three times while cooking, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to break up the apples, until very smooth.

You can use a regular blender or food processor if you don't have an immersion blender. Just do it in batches and be careful. The apples are very hot. Alternately, you can run them through a food mill, eliminating the next step. I don't have a food mill, they're a little pricey, so I need to use the next step.

Putting the fine mesh sieve over a large bowl, pour the apple mixture in, a little at a time, and push it through the mesh with a flexible spatula. This will remove the peels and make the mixture silky. Discard the peels.

Pour the apples back into the empty cooking pot. Mix in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Heat the pot over medium high until it comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the mixture becomes thick, like loose jam, about 1 ½ hours.

Let the mixture cool completely before transferring to pint jars or plastic freezer containers. It can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks, or in the freezer for a few months.

Makes about 1 ½ quarts.

Herbed Rice Pilaf with Almonds - International Side

The classic American meal, as I recall it, consists of an entree, and two side dishes - one starch, one veggie. Once you get tired of mashed potatoes or bread for the starchy side, though, you start to come around to rice. Rice is a great grain. I love it and so do millions of other people, worldwide. Rice can be a little bland by itself, though. In our case, we're going to kick up the rice's flavor by adding a few herbs to make a fluffy, savory, side dish.

Traditionally, a pilaf is a rice dish cooked in broth and seasoned with herbs and spices. Not all pilafs are the same. It's origins are in the middle east, but variations can be found throughout east Africa, as well as central and southern Asia. Pilafs vary as widely as the cultures it came from, and the cultures where it spread, which is just about everywhere. Some people add meat and veggies, but that goes beyond what we're going to do with, here. For me, it's all about fluffy rice with herb-packed goodness.

Don't think for a minute you have to use the herbs I've listed. Try a few spices, while you're at it. Is the entree turkey with sage? Tie it together by adding sage. BBQ Chicken? Spice it up with paprika and a pinch of cayenne. Play around and make it your own.

Note: I've indicated dried thyme and parsley, because that's what I normally have on hand. You can substitute 1 teaspoon of freshly minced thyme, if you'd like. If you don't have fresh parsley on hand, you can used dried parsley. Add it along with the thyme before cooking the rice, though, or it won't give up it's flavor as well.

Equipment Needed

cutting board

chef's knife

non-stick skillet

saucepan

long handled cooking spoon

measuring cups and spoons

garlic press (optional)

Ingredients

1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup sliced almonds.

3 Tablespoons butter

Salt and black pepper as needed

1 ½ cups long-grain rice

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 ¼ cups chicken broth

¼ cup fresh, chopped parsley.

Directions

Toast the almonds in a dry, non-stick skillet over medium heat until fragrant and toasty, about 4 minutes. Keep them moving so they don't burn. Remove from the heat and transfer them to a plate to cool.

Melt the butter in a medium to large saucepan over medium-high heat. At the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until just softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the edges start to turn translucent, about 2 minutes. This denatures the starches and helps the rice stay fluffy, not sticky.

Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and dried parsley. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reducing the heat to low, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes more.

Discard the bay leaf and fluff with a fork. Stir in the almonds and fresh parsley, if using. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Makes 4 – 6 servings.

Chicken Parmesan

Breaded chicken covered in marinara and cheese? What's not to like about that? Chicken Parmesan is one of those classic Italian comfort foods that became popular for a reason. It's easy, it's tasty, and relatively inexpensive. Chicken Parmesan is also quick enough for a weeknight meal, but has enough gravitas that it's great for special occasions and even entertaining.

One thing I've always been curious about, though, is why call it chicken Parmesan? Sure, it's got Parmesan cheeses in it, but there's far more mozzarella than Parmesan. Naming dishes is a real marketing trick, I suppose. Chicken mozzarella sounds heavy and pedestrian. Chicken Parmesan, though, that sounds light and rich, not only in taste but in pocket book. That's not the case, though. Done right, this won't break your wallet, or weight down your stomach.

There are a few things to keep in mind when cooking chicken Parmesan, or any other fried food, though. The oil has to be hot before you put anything in the pan. If the oil isn't ripping hot, you'll end up with greasy, flabby chicken parm. Yuck. Also, don't crowd your pan. Breaded foods need to breath. The moisture coming off of them needs room to escape or they'll start steaming each other. Soggy, waterlogged coating just doesn't cut it for me.

Before we get started, I want to talk about the chicken breast. Commercially packaged chicken breasts often have a little flap of meat attached to the side, and tucked under the breast by the butcher. This is the tenderloin. Great stuff, but it's best to remove it and fry it separately from the breast. It won't get wiped out when you pound the breast flat, that way.

Also, what's with all this “pounding out” the chicken breast? Yeah, yeah. I know. One end of the chicken breast is a lot thicker than the other and pounding the breast flat ensures even cooking.

I don't know if it's that I'm lazy, I don't like the noise, or what, but I really don't like risking tearing the meat into little shreds before I cook it. This is just a theory, mind you, but it also seems to me that smashing the bejeezus out of the meat is a great way to damage the cell walls and loose moisture. I could be wrong, but I've all but stopped flattening out my chicken breasts, that way. Instead, I carefully cut them in half, horizontally. This leaves me with two, flat pieces of chicken with even surfaces. They're not the same weight, or size, mind you. The top one is just a bit smaller, but it seems to be working out just fine. You can still pound your chicken if you want, but I don't recommend it.

One more thing. Chicken breasts have a bit of connective tissue running though them, just down one side. You can see it quite easily if you look for it. The problem with high heat and connective tissues is that it makes it contract and make things tough. There's an easy remedy, though. You can either cut it out, and cook each side separately, or you can take a paring knife and cut two or three tiny slits across it, evenly spaced through the breast. This will minimize the contractions, and make the breast more tender.

Now that I've given you the lecture portion of our recipe, it's time to getting cooking that chicken Parmesan.

Equipment needed

box grater

rasp grater (optional)

measuring cups and spoons

meat pounder (if you're still into the pounding thing)

paper towels

large skillet, nonstick is preferred

rimmed baking sheet

plastic wrap (again, this is only if you're still pounding your chicken)

tongs

3 pie plates (a good idea, but other shallow pans will work)

Ingredients

3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

3 cups fresh breadcrumbs

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, 6-8 oz. each

salt and ground black pepper

3/4 cup cooking oil

1 cup tomato sauce or marinara

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, Fahrenheit, with an oven rack in the middle position.

Spread the flour in a pie plate or shallow dish. Beat the eggs and pour them into a second shallow dish. Spread the breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish. Set them aside.

Trim excess fat from the chicken and make a decision. If you're going to pound your meat, lay each breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound it evenly until it's about 1/2-inch thick. If you're going to cut it, follow the directions above. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge it through the flour, them dip it into the beaten eggs, coating evenly and letting the excess drip back into the dish, and then into the breadcrumbs, coating evenly. A tong works great for the first parts, but use your fingers to press the crumbs into the chicken, making sure they stick. Lay the prepared chicken on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, just until it starts to smoke. Add two pieces of chicken and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain the chicken briefly on paper towels and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Spoon the tomato sauce, or your favorite marinara, over the chicken, dividing it evenly between the pieces. Divide the mozzarella, sprinkling it over the chicken, followed by the Parmesan. Bake the chicken until the cheese is melted and browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Make Your Own Crème Fraîche

As I began my adventures as a foodie, I kept coming across the term crème fraîche. I had no idea what it was, but I found several references that described it as something like yogurt or sour cream. I made a few dishes with those ingredients as substitutions and they were pretty good. I realized, though, that I didn't really know if they were good substitutions or not. I'd never had any crème fraîche. I'd never even seen it in the supermarket. I did find one video about how to make it, from a chef I'd never heard of, but it's only been recently that I decided to give it a go.

Now that I've made a few batches, I can report that crème fraîche is wonderfully tangy and creamy. Yoghurt or sour cream just don't do it justice. And it's ridiculously simple to make. There's not a lot of reason to substitute anything. I've fallen in love with it as a homemade ingredient.

 For those who don't know, crème fraîche is cultured cream. I don't mean that it's been to the opera or can discuss the finer points of a James Joyce novel. In the food world, “cultured” means it's laden with “good” bacteria. In the days of yore, when it was still easy to get unpasteurized dairy products, all you would do is put some cream out in a warm place overnight and let the natural bacteria in the air and cream do it's work. These days, buying unpasteurized dairy products requires you to sign a release form, if you can legally get it at all. To make cultured cream, we have to bring the bacteria back. The easiest way is to invite buttermilk to the party.

The other issue is temperature. The bacteria will thrive best in a warm environment, but not too warm. About 75 ºF is what we're after. My kitchen gets too cold in the winter so, I turn on the light in my oven and let it sit in there. It keeps the temperature just about perfect. Colder temperatures can work, but it will take longer.

Another concern, when making any ingredient that you might otherwise buy at the supermarket, is cost effectiveness. In this case, the cost of the ingredients was about $2.72 for one batch, not counting my time and the electricity to power the oven light. I can't buy crème fraîche at my local supermarket. The cheapest online source was I found was about $7.35 for the same amount, not counting shipping. That's a savings of $4.63 per pint. That's about 170% less than “store bought.” Not bad. It's not as cheap as substituting yogurt or sour cream, but like I said, they're just not the same. In my mind, it's well worth it to make your own. 

Equipment Needed 
glass jar (one pint) with canning ring (or use a rubber band)
plastic wrap
spoon

Ingredients
1 pint pasteurized heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized or UHT)
1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:
Mix the cream and buttermilk together in the pint jar. Cover with two or three layers of plastic wrap and seal with a canning ring or rubber band. Poke three or four small holes in the top of the wrap so the cream mixture can “breathe.” Put jar in a warm place, about 75 ºF, for 12 to 24 hours. The mixture will become thick, but can still be poured, the longer you leave it, the thicker it will get. Stir the mixture, replace the plastic wrap, or get a lid that will seal. The crème fraîche will keep in the refrigerator for about one month.

Macaroni and Cheese for Adults

Let us all bow our heads in thanks to Kraft Foods for packaging macaroni and cheese in a form we don't have to turn the oven on to make. My kids love it, anyway. My youngest thrives on the stuff. That and ramen noodles. It's cheap, and a lot of people will eat it.

Except my wife. I'm not a real fan, either. I don't hate it like my wife does, but I can't stand to eat it like it is. The sauce is usually runny and, although it's made with cheese by-products (what the heck is a cheese by-product?), tastes like its was only placed next to real cheese in the hopes that it might get an idea of what it should taste like. It didn't work, but hey, they tried.

I've always got to add something to it, too. Cut up hot dogs, creole seasoning, and catsup come to mind. Everything crappy tasting gets covered up by catsup and hot sauce, doesn't it?

As much as my kids love the packaged stuff, and the off-brands are too expensive, I'm all about good flavor. I want a macaroni and cheese dish an adult can enjoy. Something I can enjoy without trying to drown out the taste with cayenne pepper and castup. Something that actually tastes like it has cheese in it instead of cheese byproducts.

This recipe for macaroni and cheese does exactly that. As much as I like Noodles and Company as a fast food chain, I like this mac and cheese much better than theirs. Or the stuff at the supermarket deli. Sorry guys. I'm eating at home, tonight.

Fresh bread crumbs work best. Don't bother with over-priced, days old crap from the grocery store. Pulse 3 slices of bread in your food processor until they turn into course crumbs. It will take you all of 2 minutes and it's much tastier.

If you can, use whole milk. 2%, or skim milk, won't be creamy enough. If you're going to go all out with real cheese, it makes no sense to skimp on the milk.

Equipment Needed

Small saucepan or microwave safe bowl

Mixing bowls

Measuring cups and spoons

Large pot or Dutch oven

9” x 13” baking dish

Rubber spatula

Ingredients

8 Tbl unsalted butter, divided

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

1 Tbl salt

1 lb elbow macaroni, or other small curvy pasta

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pounds colby-jack cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

8 oz. extra-sharp cheddar Cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp water

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

6 Tbl all-purpose flour

3 1/2 cups whole milk

1 3/4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth.

salt and pepper, to taste

cooking spray

Directions

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat.

While you're waiting, combine the mustard and water in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Melt 2 Tbl of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat (or use the microwave, about 30 seconds). Toss with the breadcrumbs and set aside.

Once the water is boiling, add 1 Tbl salt and the macaroni. Cook until mostly tender, about 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, making sure the top rack is in the middle position.

Drain the cooked pasta in a colander, and leave it to fully drain while you continue.

Wipe the pot dry and return to the stove. Over medium heat, add the rest of the butter to the pot to melt it. Stir in the garlic, mustard mixture, and cayenne pepper. Cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute.

Add the milk and broth slowly, whisking it into the flour mixture until smooth. Bring it to a simmer, reducing the heat to medium-low sow it doesn't boil. Cook until slightly thickened, whisking it often to avoid burning; about 5 or 6 minutes.

Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the colby-jack and cheddar cheese until it's completely melted into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the cooked macaroni, breaking up any clumped bits, until well combined.

Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the macaroni mixture into the dish and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top.

Bake on the center rack until golden brown and bubbling; about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

You can easily customize this recipe. Play around with the kinds of cheese you use, just be careful with hard cheeses like extra-sharp cheddar. By themselves, they could make the dish really greasy. I used a combination of extra-sharp cheddar and a colby-jack blend because that's what I had on hand, but straight colby cheese with the cheddar would have stronger flavor. Get creative! Try gorgonzola or blue cheese cut with queso fresco, if want to. Add cooked and chopped bacon or cooked hamburger. Add chili powder with the cayenne and garlic. Brown the butter and add Andouie sausage. Why not? If you come up with something interesting, I'd love to hear about it in the comments, below.

Strawberry Sour-Cream Jello® Bites

With summer in full swing, cool, tasty treats are in high demand. At least with my kids they are. Not me, though. No no. I'd never admit to make these Jello treats for myself. Well, maybe I'll admit it. They are pretty tasty. It's been some time since I did a Jello recipe, too. Gotta keep up the Mormon stereotypes, don't I? I can see it now, “Tales of the Jello Eaters,” a new book by Clive Barker.

Heh, heh. Okay, maybe not.

This is a recipe I modified from Kraft Foods. I actually use a different brand of flavored gelatin, but most people know it as Jello, no matter who makes it. This one combines strawberry gelatin, sour cream, and fresh strawberries. We're going to break with tradition and put the fruit on top, instead of mixing it in so it can sink to the bottom. If you've every been to an LDS ward social, you know of what I speak. This way, is tastier, and more elegant. Who said Jello can't have class?

Equipment Needed

Kettle (to boil the water)

Mixing bowls

Measuring cups

Whisk

Ice cube trays

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1/3 cup boiling water

1 package (3 oz) strawberry flavored gelatin.

1/2 cup sour cream

5 fresh strawberries, stemmed and quartered.

Directions

Spray the ice cube tray with cooking spray and set aside.

Mix the boiling water with the gelatin in a large bowl. Whisk until completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream. Gently mix until completely incorporated.

Divide the mixture evenly between the sections of the prepared ice cube tray. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 20 minutes.

In the meantime, remove the stems from the strawberries and quarter them.

When the gelatin mixture is firm, fill the sink about halfway with very warm water. Briefly dip the bottom of the ice cube tray into the water, and remove. This will loosen the gelatin and make it easier to unmold. Put a plate or small baking pan, upside down, on top of the ice cube tray. Invert them both, together, and give the bottom a quick tap on the counter to unmold the gelatin cubes. Place one quarter of a strawberry on top, and serve.

Most ice cube trays have about 14 sections, so you'll have two quarters of a strawberry left. Eat them before your kids do.

Jello is a registered trademark ® of Kraft Foods.