Basil and Ginger

Steamed Mussels in Curry

2009-04-30T00:10:00.002-05:00

Mussels are a great seafood option to consider -- they're cheap, keep fairly well (for seafood!), and are an eco-friendly choice. They can be farmed easily, so over-fishing isn't a problem. Most stores sell pre-cleaned and de-bearded mussels, so the most you have to do is pick out the bad ones and give them a quick rinse. In fact, some stores even pick out the mussels with broken shells for you. So, don't be scared by them! Chances are, if you like shrimp or clams, you'll like mussels.

I found this recipe for steamed mussels over at Steamy Kitchen, and they are pretty amazing. The whole dish takes about twenty minutes to throw together, the mussels and noodles are delish, and when you're all done, you can sop up the juices with some crusty bread. If you don't like vermicelli noodles, just leave them out. Or add some shrimp and Thai bird pepper chiles.

I made two very small adjustments to the recipe; ginger and lime zest were substituted for lemongrass, and lime juice was added (because tangy is good). If you can't find lemongrass in your area, lime juice and zest would be a perfect substitute ingredient.

Jaden's recipe follows:

Steamed Mussels with Lemongrass Coconut Curry

Serves 6 as side dish or starter. Another great thing about this dish - less than $10 in ingredients!

2 lbs mussels, scrubbed & picked through (discard cracked shells and ones that don’t close when tapped)
1 stalk of lemongrass, white part grated with microplane grater (or substitute with 4 wide strips of lemon peel)
2 bottles of clam juice (or substitute with vegetable broth + wine)
1 can (14oz) of good coconut milk, shake the can vigorously to mix the fat with the liquid
1/2 cup of Thai curry paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce (or substitute with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt)
1 tsp sugar
3 small skeins of mung bean noodles, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes.
chopped scallions & chili for topping

1. Fry the curry paste: In a wok or large pot, turn heat to medium. When wok is hot but not smoking, add 2 tbl curry paste and the lemongrass (or lemon peel). Fry for 30 seconds to release its flavors. Add the clam juice, fish sauce, sugar and coconut milk. Simmer for 3 minutes. If you are using lemon peel, discard lemon peel. Taste the broth. If you want more heat, add more curry paste. In meantime, drain your mung bean noodles. The noodles should still be a little stiff.

2. Steam the mussels: Turn heat to high and add your mussels. Immediately cover with tight fitting lid. Steam on high for 4 minutes. Open lid, scootch the mussels to one side, add mung bean noodles and cook for another minute uncovered. Use a large spoon to redistribute the mussels from the top to the bottom of the broth, cook another 30 seconds and it’s done! Top with chopped chilies and scallions.

Sweet Hots

2008-10-19T12:32:00.004-05:00

Those of you from the Cleveland area might be familiar with Tony Packo's Sweet Hots (correction: Tony Packo's originates from the Toledo area! Thanks to everyone who got here from tastespotting who pointed this out to us.); the pickles are crisp and tangy, sweet and spicy, and there is just a hint of dill. For a while, our local grocery store stopped carrying them so I tried to whip up something similar. It's a pretty close fascimile, although I think I would cut down on the garlic next time. The only bad thing about this recipe is that you have to wait 8 weeks before you can have any!

Sweet Hots
Makes 4 quart jars

2 lbs pickling cucumbers
2 cups white vinegar
8 cups water
1/3 cup pickling salt (or kosher)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 habanero pepper, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh dill weed
3 oz of your favorite hot sauce (I used Tabasco)
1 lb white sugar

Wash the cucumbers and soak in ice water (with plenty of ice) for two hours. Sterilize 4 quart jars and lids in boiling water.

In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, water, salt, hot sauce and sugar and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, place 1 sprig of dill, a few slices of habanero and a half a clove of garlic in the bottom of each jar, and fill with cucumbers. Pour the hot brine over the pickles, make sure the rims are clean, and seal the jars.

Process the sealed jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Allow the jars to cool, and store in a cool dark place for at least 8 weeks before consuming. Refrigerate after opening.

Lemon-Raspberry Cupcakes

2008-08-28T17:50:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for a cupcake recipe that's a little different, try this one! Lemon juice and zest is added to the batter, so it's nice and citrusy. A crisp lemon-raspberry glaze goes on top, and a dollop of raspberry jam awaits you in the middle of the cupcake (okay, so my jam sank to the bottom -- maybe because I didn't have a thick enough batter?).

Next up, I'm going to try to tackle the ubiquitous strawberry sponge cake that can be found at just about any Asian bakery. You know the kind -- the cake is soft and airy, the icing is fluffy and not too sweet, and the strawberries just bring it all together. Trouble is, I simply can't find a recipe for one. I'm starting off with a Norwegian sponge cake recipe that is supposed to be similar, and working from there. I'll keep you posted.

Lemon-Raspberry Cupcakes
Bon Appetit, April 2008

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, divided
4 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel, divided
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
1/4 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
12 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon seedless raspberry jam
Fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 1 1/2 cups powdered suga, and 3 teaspoons lemon peel in large bowl until blended, then beat until fluffy and pale yellow. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in half of flour. Add buttermilk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice; beat to blend. Beat in remaining flour.

Drop 1 rounded tablespoonful batter into each muffin liner. Spoon 1 teaspoon raspberry jam over. Cover with remaining batter, dividing equally.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted halfway into centers comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan on rack. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel in small bowl. Spoon half of icing over 6 cupcakes. Whisk 1 tablespoon raspberry jam into remaining icing. Spoon over remaining cupcakes. Let stand until icing sets, about 30 minutes. Garnish with raspberries.

Chicken Tikka Masala

2008-08-12T14:50:00.004-05:00

Ah, chicken tikka masala. What's there not to love? Tender chicken with tasty charred bits, an ever so spicy, tart and creamy sauce... It's heaven! I saw this recipe on Posie's blog a few weeks ago, and have been planning to make it since. As soon as the weather cooled down enough to think about broiling anything, I pounced.

The original recipe was featured on America's Test Kitchen, and you can find a printed version on the Cook's Illustrated website without having to register. The key to their version is that the chicken is covered in yogurt before being broiled; it prevents the chicken from drying out too much, and it chars up nicely. I also peeled and diced up a fresh tomato instead of using canned -- after all, it's summer!

If you are going to cook basmati rice with this and are using a rice cooker, I find that the best way to end up with fluffy rice is to cook the rice and water in a 1:1 ratio. Add a few drops of oil or butter to the rice, and set it on 'white rice'. After the rice is done, pop open the lid and fluff the rice a little, then close the lid again and let it steam for about 10 minutes.

Go and make yourself some delicious Indian food!

Blueberry, Nectarine and Lime Galette

2008-07-18T19:23:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make -- I don't like pie. The ratio of filling to crust is never optimal (I like lots of crust), and things always end up way too soggy. This galette maintains the concept of pie, but the smaller amounts of fruit cook in a shorter amount of time so mushiness doesn't occur, and there is crust galore.

And this galette is unbelievable. The original recipe calls for blueberries to be mixed with lemon juice and zest, but I think lime tastes even better. I also threw in some nectarines to amp up the color, and they came out really well, too.

Blueberry, Nectarine and Lime Galette
based on this recipe from Gourmet, July 2004

12 oz fresh blueberries
2 nectarines, pitted and sliced
1 tbsp finely grated lime zest
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup + 1 tsp sugar
1 9" refrigerated pie dough (I like this recipe from Smitten Kitchen, although store bought would also work)
1 tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten

Set the oven for 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix together the blueberries, nectarines, lime zest, lime juice, corn starch, salt, cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Roll out the pie dough and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pile the fruit mixture onto the middle of the dough, leaving about a 1 1/2" border along the outside. Fold the edges of the dough up over the outer inch of the fruit filling.

Sprinkle the filling with the remaining 1 tsp of sugar, and dot the surface of the fruit with butter. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Best eaten warm.

Scallion Pancakes

2008-07-13T14:48:00.003-05:00

葱油饼 (cong you bing), or scallion pancake, is served alongside dipping sauce as an appetizer at some Chinese restaurants. It is delicious. It's made by rolling a disc of dough into a cigar, and then twisting it into a coil which is again rolled out, forming lots of flaky layers. It's then pan-fried in oil, so that the outside is really crisp while the inside is flaky, soft, and filled with salty scallion goodness. So yeah, you usually order it as an appetizer, but I could definitely eat a whole stack for dinner. Or any time of the day. They're very good wrapped around barbecued anything, as well.

It's pretty simple to do, too. It's not a quick recipe, but rolling out the dough takes up a majority of the time. You could just buy a frozen package of these from your local Asian grocery, but those store-bought pancakes won't come close to the deliciousness of home-made ones. You can even stack these between wax paper or plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer for up to a month, and just throw them into a pan when you want them.

Scallion Pancakes

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of warm water, plus some extra
3 scallions, thinly sliced
kosher salt
vegetable oil or vegetable shortening (shortening will give you a slightly flakier pancake. mm.)

Start off by making your dough. I like to do it in a food processor because I'm lazy, but you could just as easily do it by hand. Start off by adding 1/2 cup of warm water to the flour and incorporating well. Gradually add water in teaspoon increments until the dough is pliable and easily comes off the sides of the bowl. You want the dough to be just barely sticky, but not rock-hard. Cover with a damp tea towel and let sit for 30 minutes so the dough can relax.

Next, roll the dough out with your hands into a semblance of a log, and divide into six pieces. Take one piece out and cover what you're not using. Roll it out into a round about 10" across, then brush with oil or shortening, sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and plenty of scallions (the more, the better!). Pick up one end of the round and begin rolling it into a tight little cigar.

Pinch the ends of the cigar to seal them, and then twist the dough around itself until it forms a spiral. Press this down.

Roll this out again into 8 - 10" round. Don't go too thin, otherwise all the layers will smoosh together. 1/8" thickness should do. Heat up a non-stick or cast iron pan on medium heat, and add enough oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Oil = crispiness, which is what we want. Don't skimp!

When the oil is hot enough so that a small piece of dough starts sizzling immediately after being added, throw in one of your pancakes. Cook for about 3 - 4 minutes a side, turning over when it's golden brown.

Drain the cooked pancake on a paper towel, and slice into wedges when you're ready to serve. These are great by themselves, but you can also mix up a little sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar and ginger if you'd like. Enjoy!

Fresh Corn Soup

2008-06-25T14:48:00.000-05:00

This is a really easy way to take advantage of the fresh corn that's coming into season right about now. I used shallots instead of onions, and of course this was another great excuse to use my immersion blender. It's better to use yellow corn for this recipe -- some reviewers noted that using white corn caused the soup to turn out an unappetizing gray color. Either way, this soup came out creamy and was just heavy enough to be satisfying. I love summer!

Fresh Corn Soup
Bon Appetit

1 tsp corn oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small fresh poblano chili or anaheim chili, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin

6 ears corn
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, chili, garlic and cumin and sauté until onion and chili are tender, about 10 minutes.

Cut corn kernels from cobs. Add corn to pot. Stir in chicken broth. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until corn is very tender, about 45 minutes or less Transfer to processor and purée. Add enough milk to thin to desired consistency. Return to pot; stir to heat through (do not boil). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls; garnish with cilantro and serve.

Strawberry Jam Two Ways

2008-06-19T17:38:00.005-05:00

Have you ever heard of Weck? They originated in Germany, and make the proshest canning jars. The sealing mechanism is a little different from the Ball jars that you usually see; The lid and jar are made of glass, and there is a non-reusable rubber ring that fits between the two. You fill the jar up as usual, and use a pair of clamps to hold the lid onto the jar while the cans are processed. The jars must cool completely, and then you can remove the clamps. If a vacuum formed, you should be able to pick up the jar by the lid alone. The tongue of the rubber gasket should point down a little, too. To remove the lid, you just pull on the tongue. You should hear a little psssst sound as the vacuum is broken. More detailed instructions are available on their website, along with order information.

We took advantage of the break in the heat wave last weekend and went strawberry picking. It was a perfect day for picking - overcast and the temperature was just right!

This year, we held back and only picked 10 lbs! It made about 12 8oz jars of jam. I decided to tweak last year's recipe; this time, I made two batches. I substituted a combination of 1 tbsp lemon juice/2 tbsp balsalmic vinegar for the straight lemon juice of the original.

I added 6 mint leaves and 10 grinds of black pepper to the second batch near the end of the cooking time, removing the mint leaves before I ladled the jam into the jars (inspired by Chocolate & Zucchini's recipe).

The balsalmic strawberry jam added a deeper flavor to the jam. The mint and pepper can only just be tasted, and lend a fresh and midly spicy taste to the jam. It's really very good - don't let the mint scare you away!

Strawberry Jam

3 lb. ripe strawberries (4 1/2 pints), rinsed and hulled

3 cups sugar (you can use a little less if the fruit is very ripe)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Special equipment: eight or nine 8-oz canning jars with lids, funnel, clamp or tongs

To wash the berries, gently scoop them into a sink filled with water. Swish them around a little, and let them sit for a while. The dirt should fall to the bottom of the sink.

Hull and quarter the berries. Put them in a deep pot made of non-reactive material (stainless steel works well). Make sure that there is enough room in your pot! If there is less than 5" between your berries and the top of your pot, you might have a rather anxious time of it. When the jam boils, lots of air bubbles are trapped in the dense liquid, which will begin to rise very quickly.Pour on the sugar and lemon juice, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Cover the pot and let the berries macerate for about two hours. If you like your jam smoother, you can mash them with a potato masher instead.

While the berries macerate, wash your jars and set them in the oven. They should be in there for at least half an hour. Wash the lids and rings, and set the rings aside. Put the lids in a pot of boiling water to sterilize them, and to make the rubber around the edges a little more pliable.

Bring the pot of strawberries to a full boil (you need to boil off the liquid to achieve a jammy consistency). Make sure to stir often (with your wooden spoon) and skim off any foam from the surface. The foam will make your jam cloudy if it's left in the pot, although you can eat it separately.

After half an hour of boiling, your jam should be just about ready. Don't boil the jam for more than 40 minutes, however, otherwise the pectin in the fruit will break down and the jam will turn dark.You can test the consistency of the jam by chilling a plate in your freezer. Spoon a little bit of jam onto the plate, and check the thickness of the jam once it has cooled.

Take a jar out of the oven and ladle the jam in until within 1/4" of the rim. Wipe any jam off the rim with a damp towel, and use tongs to take a lid out of your pot of boiling water and put it on the jar. Quickly screw a ring over the lid (it has to be tight enough to hold the lid onto the jar). Repeat this process until you fill up all of your jars.

Put the jars into a deep pot filled with boiling water; make sure the water reaches above the rim of the jar lids. Cover, and let the jars boil for ten minutes. Remove the jars with tongs and let them cool on the counter. The lids should begin to pop within minutes. If you have any lids that didn't seal, throw them out or eat immediately.

Avocado and Watercress Salad

2008-06-17T13:48:00.002-05:00

I've been on a bit of a health kick recently. Been going to the gym every day, taking spinning classes twice a week and I've been trying to eat healthier, too. This salad just oozes healthfulness, and makes for a pretty amazing light lunch when eaten with a couple slices of toasted six grain bread.

It's all in the dressing; the onion and apple give it the hint of sweetness, and also add a little texture. The soy sauce and rice vinegar base really contrast well with the spiciness of the watercress and the creaminess of the avocado -- it almost tastes like the wasabi/soy combo you get with sushi. The crisp/creamy contrast of the watercress and avocado isn't bad either.

Instead of going to the bother of grating the apple and onion, I just tossed everything into a tall glass and used my immersion blender.

Avocado and Watercress Salad
Gourmet, May 2008

1/4 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned, although seasoned won't kill this recipe)
1 tbsp grated sweet onion (use large holes of a grater)
1/4 cup finely grated peeled Gala apple (use small holes of a grater)
4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp vegetable oil
6 cups watercress (thin stems and leaves only)
1 firm-ripe avocado

Stir together vinegar, onion, apple, soy sauce and sugar until the sugar has dissolved, then stir in oil.

Just before serving, toss watercress with enough dressing to coat. Quarter, pit, and peel avocado, then cut crosswise into 1/4" slices. Gently toss with watercress.

Makes 6 servings.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2008-06-07T15:04:00.003-05:00

Rhubarb season is drawing to a close, and strawberry season is beginning to warm up in Ohio. There is only one thing to do in such a situation -- and that is to make a kick-ass pie. I toyed with the idea of buying a ready made crust, but decided to tackle home-made pie crust once more (my previous attempts were all dismal failures). This recipe from Bon Appetit came highly recommended (4 forks, 129 reviews) on epicurious.

Well, I think I finally cracked the pie crust. The key was to make sure all the fats were COLD, and to add water until a workable dough formed. My pie dish flares out at the top, and the base of my pie crust wasnt quite large enough to wrap over the latticing, so I had to improvise.

All in all, it was a good recipe -- very easy to do (for a pie!), although my filling was a little tart. Many of the reviewers noted that the baking time (a total of 1 hr 45 min) was far too long, and a little over an hour was just fine for the pie. If you're going to bake for the whole time, you might need to protect the crust by covering it with foil for part of the baking time.

Lattice-Topped Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Bon Appetit, April 1997

For Crust:

3 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 tsps sugar

2/3 tsp salt

2/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

10 tbsps ice water

For Filling:

3 1/2 cups 1/2" thick slices trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 lbs untrimmed)

1 16 oz container strawberries, hulled and halved

1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 tsp water for glaze

Make crust:

Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Using on/off turns, cut in shortening and butter until coarse meal forms. Blend in enough ice water 2 tbsp at a time to form moist clumps. Gather dough into ball; cut in half. Flatten each half into disk. Wrap separately in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.)

Make filling:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Toss gently to blend.

Roll out 1 dough disk on floured work surface to 13" round. Transfer to 9" diameter glass pie dish. Trim excess dough, leaving 3/4" overhang.

Roll out second dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13" round. Cut into 14 1/2" wide strips. Spoon filling into crust. Arrange 7 dough strips atop filling, spacing evely. Form lattic by placing remaining dough strips in opposite direction atop filling. Trim ends of dough strips even with overhand of bottom crust. Fold strip end and overhang under, pressing to seal. Crimp edges decoratively.

Brush glaze over crust. Transfer pie to baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about 1 hour 25 mintues. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

Mexican Almond Cookies

2008-04-09T17:05:00.005-05:00

Sometimes, I just get in that mood when I really have to bake something. Like really, really have to. Generally, these whims appear when there's almost nothing left in the house, so I've found it's best to have a couple of recipes that use only the basic ingredients. This cookie is a great twist on the shortbread cookie; the lower butter content and the addition of vanilla and a little water makes it really lacy and crisp.

The cookie itself is very light and crunchy, and would be pretty darn good to eat with a cup of coffee. They're also pretty delish by themselves!

Mexican Almond Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/3 cups confectioner's sugar

1 pinch kosher salt

1/2 cup raw almonds, finely chopped

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, diced

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp water

Extra confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the flour, sugar and kosher salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the almonds, the vanilla and butter, and combine with your fingertips until a loose dough forms. If the dough is not coming together, add the water a little at a time until the dough will clump together.

Form the dough into a ball and roll out to 1/4" thickness on parchment paper. Cut cookies out of the dough with a cookie cutter, and move them with a spatula to a nonstick cookie sheet, keeping the cookies about 3/4" apart. Repeat with the remaining scraps of dough until it's all used up.

Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven for about 15 minutes. They're ready when they're golden brown on top.

Move the cookies to a cooling rack, and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Lasagna with Basil and Fennel

2008-03-21T21:32:00.003-05:00

When I was in high school, I harbored an unhealthy obsession for lasagna. I loved the stuff. I would order it at any restaurant that would make it and revel in the gooeyness. And having leftovers to bring home was the icing on the cake -- however, I would usually open the fridge the next day to find that someone had absconded with my food. This person was always my little sister, who also loved to eat lasagna.

So the last time I was home, she asked Daniel and I to make one. We decided to go with this recipe, because it's not often you see basil and fennel paired with lasagna. And boy, it was a good choice. We made a 9 x 13" pan of it and the three of us managed to polish it off by the next day. The herbs really add great depth of flavor to the dish, and almost takes away the heaviness that lasagna can sometimes have. The no-boil noodles are also a genius idea -- they're so much easier to work with than the traditional noodles, and they soak up the sauce with delectable results.

Basil can be a little hard to find in the winter, but please don't skimp. 2 cups does sound like a prodigious amount, but the baking does dull the flavor slightly. If you can't find fresh basil, you might have some luck with the frozen kind you can get in little cubes at TJ's -- we used about 2/3 of a tray once with great results (just add it to the sauce). But whatever you do, don't use the dried stuff.

Lasagna with Basil and Fennel

1 lb mozarella cheese, grated
1 15-oz container ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp thyme
12 oz button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine

9 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 packed cups fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix 1 cup mozarella cheese, ricotta cheese, egg and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and fennel seeds; saute 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms; saute 3 minutes. Add the turkey; saute 10 minutes. Mix in the oregano and thyme, then the tomatoes, broth and wine. Cover and simmer 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2" glass baking dish. Place 3 noodles over the sauce. Drop half of the ricotta cheese mixture by tablespoons evenly over. Top with half of the basil leaves, 1 cup mozarella cheese, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. Spoon 1 cup of sauce over the cheese, and layer with more noodles. Spoon over 1 cup of sauce, the remaining ricotta mixture, the remaining basil, 1 cup mozarella cheese and the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Finish with 3 noodles, 2 cups of sauce and remaining mozarella cheese. Cover with foil and place on the baking rack.

Bake until heated through, about 1 hour. Uncover the lasagna about 45 minutes in to brown the cheese. Let stand for 15 minutes after you remove the lasagna from the oven before serving.

Serves 8.

Adapted from Bon Appétit, March 2001.

Hot Cross Buns

2008-03-18T08:33:00.005-05:00

Hot cross buns were a childhood favorite of mine. These don't quite match the softness of the ones I used to get at the supermarket, but they're a good deal tastier! The recipe comes from Feast by Nigella Lawson, and it differs slightly from the traditional variety, as it calls for cardamom and ginger. The spices add a nice touch of warmth and spiciness, I think. If you don't have ground ginger on hand, a problem that I ran into, just cut a few slices off a ginger root and steep that in milk with the cardamom pods.

Hot Cross Buns

For the dough:

2/3 cup milk

1/2 stick butter

zest of 1 orange

1 clove

2 cardamom pods

3 cups bread flour

1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz)

3/4 cup mixed dried fruits

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 egg

For the egg wash:

1 egg, beaten with a little milk

For the crosses on the buns:

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tbsp superfine sugar

2 tablespoons water

For the sugar glaze:

1 tbsp superfine sugar

1 tbsp boiling water

Heat the milk, butter, orange zest, clove and cardamom pods in a saucepan until the butter melts, then leave to infuse.

Measure the flour, yeast and dried fruit into a bowl and add the spices. When the infused milk has reached blood temperature take out the clove and cardamom pods, and beat in the egg. Pour this into the bowl of dry ingredients.

Knead the dough until silky and elastic -- if needed, add a little more warm milk or water. Form into a ball and place in a buttered bowl covered with plastic wrap. Leave to rise overnight in the fridge, or on the counter for about two hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Take the dough out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.

Punch the dough down, and knead it again until it is smooth and elastic. Divide into 16 balls and shape into smooth round buns.

Sit the buns on a parchment paper or Silpat-lined baking sheet. Make sure they are quite snug together but not touching. Using the back of an ordinary eating knife, score the tops of the buns with the imprint of a cross. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave to prove again for about 45 minutes -- they should have risen and almost joined up.

Brush the buns with the egg wash, and then mix the flour, sugar and water into a smooth, thick paste. Using a teaspoon, dribble two lines over the buns in the indent of the cross, and then bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. (I found the easiest way of doing this was to pick up a little paste along the side of the teaspoon, and drizzle that into the indent by sliding the side of the spoon along the dough. You'll get rather undigified globs if you load a lot of paste on the spoon)

When the hot cross buns come out of the oven, mix the sugar and boiling water together for the glaze, and brush each hot bun to make them sweet and shiny.

Icebox Shortbread Cookies

2008-03-14T15:08:00.000-05:00

Icebox cookies are a treat to have around; you simply keep them frozen in logs, and when your next cookie craving hits, it's a simple job to take them out of the freezer, slice them into round and pop them into the oven. This recipe isn't too traditional (most shortbread recipes call for flour, butter and sugar -- almost never do eggs enter the equation), but it makes for a nice crisp cookie. Don't be afraid to add the kosher salt, either -- the grains of salt make for a great contrast with the sweetness of the cookie.

Just before baking, you can press each cookie round into sugar, or a mixture of other spices. Ming Tsai recommends five spice, caramel and macadamia nuts, or chocolate and ginger.

Butter Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp vanilla extract
Interior scrapings of 1/2 split vanilla bean
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

In the bowl of a mixer, combine butter, sugar and salt. Cream on medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes. One by one, add the egg yolks, mixing until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and the scrapings of the vanilla bean. Scrape down the bowl.

Turn the mixer off and add the butter. Turn the machine to low and mix until the flour is completely incorporated. Remove the dough from the bowl. Working on parchment or wax paper, form dough into 4 logs, 10 inches long and 1 1/4 inches in diameter; wrap and chill.

Slice each log into about 20 rounds. Dip one side of each round into turbinado sugar. Arrange rounds on a parchment-covered baking sheet, about 3" apart. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Cool on racks.

from Simply Ming.

Quinoa with Moroccan Winter Squash Stew

2008-02-23T14:34:00.006-05:00

February is almost over, but winter is still hanging on in Cleveland. There's a thick blanket of snow on the ground, and a distinct lack of good produce to be found; I've just about eaten my share of potatoes and I don't think I can bear to look at another apple. Unfortunately, the farmers market doesn't start until April -- and we won't see any local tomatoes until late May, at the earliest! What's a girl to do?

Fall back on an old favorite, butternut squash. But rather than simply roasting it, why not go for something with punch? This moroccan stew calls for almost a pantryful of spices, but they meld together in a way that makes this dish incredibly satisfying. And the colors -- the colors! They'll add a little sunshine to any overcast day.

Quinoa with Moroccan Winter Squash Stew:

(slightly modified from Bon Appetit)

For the stew:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Pinch of saffron

1 cup water

1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 cups 1" cubes of butternut squash (from a 1.5lb squash)

2 cups 3/4" cubes of carrots

For the quinoa:

1 cup quinoa

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped carrot

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 cups water

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

For the stew:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; saute until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Mix in paprika and next 8 ingredients. Add 1 cup water, tomatoes, and lemon juice. Bring to boil. Add squash and carrots. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

For the quinoa:

Rinse quinoa; drain. Melt butter with oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and carrot. Cover; cook until vegetables begin to brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and turmeric; saute 1 minute. Add quinoa; stir 1 minute. Add 2 cups water. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

Rewarm stew. Stir in half of the parsley. Spoon quinoa onto platter, forming well in the center. Spoon stew into well. Sprinkle over remaining parsley.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

(although, it was so tasty that we ended up polishing off most of it for lunch)

Bon Appétit, January 2006

Butternut Squash Risotto

2008-02-14T21:52:00.005-05:00

Aah, risotto. Some years back, when I was a young and naive undergraduate, I had never heard of risotto. It was a shame, really, because I love congee (perhaps the ultimate Asian comfort food) -- which is very similar, except it's a little runnier toppings go onto the finish product, instead of being mixed in at the end of cooking. Oh, it's delicious. This risotto was one of the first things Daniel cooked for me -- and I knew straight away that something special was going on.

This particular risotto is good because it's simple. Not a whole lot goes into it, but the individual flavors really come through. And don't be scared off because you've heard risotto is so time-consuming -- at the most, this recipe will take you an hour to throw together, and every minute is worth it.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 large butternut squash (~2 lbs), peeled, seeded, chopped into 1/2" chunks
4 tbsp olive oil

6 cups vegetable broth

3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place squash on large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Roast until tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.

Bring stock to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Reduce heat to very low; cover and keep stock warm.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in another heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and sauté until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot stock; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining stock 1/2 cup at a time, allowing stock to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently, until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, about 25 minutes longer. Add roasted squash, cream, Parmesan cheese and sage; stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Bon Appétit, December 1999
Serves 4 as a main course.

Seven-Year Granola

2008-02-10T10:50:00.001-05:00

I love to eat granola (crunchy, sweet AND good for me? yes, please!), but I don't buy it very often because it is so expensive pre-made. I hadn't really thought of making it myself until Melissa from the Traveling Lunchbox posted this recipe for her Seven-Year Granola. If she had spent seven years perfecting this recipe, I felt it was my duty to at least try it out. The verdict? A-mazing. And making it was so easy that I'm never going to contemplate buying it from a store again!

Now, the recipe does say to add any dried fruit after the granola is done baking, but I think this depends on the moisture content of your fruit. I was using blueberries, which were very damp, so I added them before baking and they held up well. I also used sliced almonds and pumpkin seeds for the nuts. And do make sure that you use quick oats, not old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick oats are processed longer than the rolled ones, so they're much lighter and cook more quickly.

Seven-Year Granola

1 lb. (450g) quick oats
3 cups coarsely chopped raw nuts and/or seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground mace
1 cup, packed (200g) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (115g/1 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (80ml) water
1/2 tsp fine salt
2 tsps vanilla extract
dried fruit, at your discretion

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C. In a food processor, coffee grinder or blender, grind half the oats to a fine powder. In a large bowl, combine the whole oats, ground oats, nuts and seeds. In a microwave-safe bowl (or in a saucepan over medium heat), combine the brown sugar, butter and water and heat just until the butter has melted and the mixture is bubbly. Stir the mixture together until smooth, then stir in the salt and vanilla. Pour this mixture over the oats and nuts, stirring well to coat (I usually do this with my hands). Let stand for about ten minutes.

Spread the mixture out on a large baking sheet, separating it into irregular clumps with your fingers, and allowing space between the clumps for the hot air to circulate. Slide into the middle of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and stir, gently breaking up the mixture into small-to-medium sized clumps. Return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes or so before stirring again. Repeat the bake-and-stir until the mixture is a uniform golden brown and completely dry; this usually takes 1-1 1/2 hours. Cool completely, then stir in any dried dried fruit you want to use.

Store in a covered container at room temperature. Serve with milk or plain yogurt and fresh fruit as desired.

Hoe Dup Bap

2007-12-22T21:24:00.000-05:00

When we lived in Columbus, one of my favorite places to eat was a little Korean/Japanese restaurant on High St a little north of campus. The big draw was a rice, veggie and sashimi dish, sometimes referred to as sashimi bibimbap or hoe dup bap in Korean. It's a really tasty dish and all you have to do is a little prep work.

Like all bibimbap (which are basically a mixture of vegetable dishes, usually leftovers, mixed with rice), this is eaten with spicy bean paste (gochujang) that is mixed with a little vinegar and granulated sugar. You can find this at most asian grocery stores.

Hoe Dup Bap, or Sashimi Bibimbap:

1/3 lb sashimi grade tuna, or some other kind of fish

1 fuji apple, cored and julienned

1 carrot, julienned

1 cup daikon, julienned

1 avocado, cut in 1/2" dice

2 cups steamed white medium grain rice

1/2 head of lettuce, sliced thinly

1 sheet of nori, snipped into thin shreds

For the sauce:

1/2 cup gochujang paste

1 tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp sugar

Arrange 1 cup of rice in a large bowl. Cover with half the lettuce, and half of the vegetable toppings. Sprinkle the nori and tuna on top, and serve with gochujang sauce on the side.

Serves 2.

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

2007-12-14T16:19:00.000-05:00

The quinoa gives this recipe a lovely chewy texture, and the lime and cilantro add a freshy fresh taste. When you prepare the quinoa, they'll plump up and burst out of their little shells (don't be surprised by the little sprouts).

Black Bean and Tomato Quinoa

2 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup quinoa
1 (14- to 15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together lime zest and juice, butter, oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Wash quinoa in 3 changes of cold water in a bowl, draining in a sieve each time.

Cook quinoa in a medium pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt for 2 quarts water), uncovered, until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in sieve, then set sieve in same pot with 1 inch of simmering water (water should not touch bottom of sieve). Cover quinoa with a folded kitchen towel, then cover sieve with a lid (don't worry if lid doesn't fit tightly) and steam over medium heat until tender, fluffy, and dry, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and remove lid. Let stand, still covered with towel, 5 minutes.

Add quinoa to dressing and toss until dressing is absorbed, then stir in remaining ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 side dish servings.

Gourmet, July 2007.

Almond Torte with Sugared Apricots

2007-10-14T19:13:00.000-05:00

This torte will rock your socks off. No, really, it will. I recommend that you run out to a grocery store and buy the ingredients immediately, and buy enough for double the recipe, because you'll probably find yourself craving it again later in the week. Chances are you won't find ground blanched almonds, but you can grind whole blanched almonds in either a clean coffee grinder or food processor. If you accidentally grind for too long, and the almond ends up clumping together, just throw the almonds in with the wet ingredients instead of the dry.

This recipe is from the always amazing Molly.

Almond Torte with Sugared Apricots

1/3 cup finely ground blanched almonds
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large egss

6 ripe apricots, halved and pitted (or 1 can halved apricots)
1 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Set an oven rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In another medium bowl (or the bowl of stand mixer), beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the dry ingredients and the eggs and beat to combine, scraping down the bowl as needed. Do not overmix. The batter will be pale yellow and very thick.

Pour and scrape the batter into an ungreased 9-inch springform pan(cover the base of the pan with parchment paperand clamp the pan sides on top of the paper, then tear off the excess), and use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly. Arrange the apricots cut-side-up on top of the batter, and sprinkle them with sugar. If they’re particularly sweet, you should only need about 1 tablespoon, but if they’re only so-so, you might want up to two.

Slide the pan into the oven, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Do not overbake. Remove from the oven, and let cool on a wire rack. Run a thin knife around the perimeter of the cake; then release the sides of the pan. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, preferably with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Grilled Fish with Orange-Fennel Salsa

2007-10-08T10:24:00.000-05:00

We made this recipe last week, and I have to admit that I scarfed it all down in record time. Not only is it super healthy, but the salsa is really. delicious. I could eat this salsa (it's almost more of a salad) by the bowlful. It also refrigerated beautifully and tasted great the next day.

Grilled Fish with Orange-Fennel Salsa

5 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp plus 1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tsp sugar
3 oranges
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into matchstick-size strips
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
4 6 to 8 oz rockfish or sea bass fillets

Whisk 2 tbsp oil, vinegar, cilantro, 2 tsp soy sauce, ginger and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut the peel and pith from the oranges; discard. Holding oranges over the bowl to catch juices, cut between membranes to release segments into bowl. Add fennel and onion; toss gently. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made up to 3 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)

Prepare barbecue or pan. Mix 3 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce and garlic in a bowl. Turn fish in oil mixture to coat, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just opaque in the center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plates, and spoon salsa over.

Serves 2.

Bon Appetit, September 2000

Stuffed Zucchini

2007-09-30T09:57:00.001-05:00

Most people try to pick their zucchini when they are small, for maximum tenderness and flavor. However, these sneaky vegetables tend to hide out underneath the foliage, and when you finally do discover them, they're the size of a large baby. You might be tempted to just foist these off on a neighbor, but you really should think about keeping them -- after all, they are the perfect size for stuffing!

Don't think that you need an oversize zucchini to make this recipe, though. You can just as easily use a medium-size zucchini, as long as it's large enough to hold the stuffing when the seeds and pulp have been scooped out.

Stuffed Zucchini with Tuna and Mushrooms

2 medium zucchini
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
5 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 can tuna in olive oil
2 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Dash worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper, hot pepper flakes
1/6 cup panko (or another kind of breadcrumb)
1/6 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash the zucchini, and split in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp, leaving the shells about 1/2 inch thick.

Steam the zucchini for 8 - 12 minutes, until almost tender. If the zucchini is extra large, you can do this in the oven over hot water, or throw them in the microwave if they'll fit.

Melt the butter in a large saute pan, and throw in the onions and mushrooms. Saute until soft, then add the tuna, worcestershire sauce, and parsley. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes. Pile into the zucchini shells.

Mix the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs together, and sprinkle the mixture over the stuffed zucchini. Drizzle a little olive oil on top. Place zucchini in a foil-lined baking pan, and bake for 20 - 30 minutes until toasty brown on top.

Serves 2.
Original recipe from Simply Recipes.

Double Potato and Halloumi Bake

2007-09-24T20:16:00.000-05:00

Some of my favorite foods include stews, risottos, and roasts. Unfortunately, it's always too hot in the summer to even attempt any of these (who wants to turn the oven on when it's 90 degrees out?). But as soon as the temperature starts to dip, I'm whipping out the arborio rice and the roasting pans. We made this dish recently to bring to accompany some delicious steaks (thanks, Jack!). This recipe is a tried-and-true favorite, done up in true Nigella style with simple ingredients and a super-fast prep time. You don't even have to peel the garlic cloves! But please don't skimp on the halloumi, and do eat it as soon as you can without burning the roof of your mouth off.

Double Potato and Halloumi Bake:

Serves 6

1 large sweet potato
1 large Desiree potato, or other red/firm potato
1 red onion
1 yellow pepper
1 red peppers
1/2 head Garlic
4 tbsp Olive oil
1 pinch Pepper
125g halloumi cheese, sliced as thinly as you can

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Cut the sweet potato into rough 1.5" cubes and the Desiree slightly smaller (1") as the sweet potato will cook more quickly.

3. Halve the red onion then cut the half into 4-6 segments, discarding any tough outer skin.

4. De-seed the peppers and cut into 1" squares, and separate the cloves of garlic.

5. Put everything into a large roasting tin or whatever you want to use (it should be big, otherwise use two dishes) and, using your hands, give the vegetables a good coating of olive oil. Season with black pepper, but no salt as the cheese will make it salty (and anyway, the salt will make water leech out).

6. Cook for 45 minutes, by which time the vegetables should be cooked through and here and there tinged with brown.

7. You'll need to turn the oven up to maximum, or light the grill for the endgame: so place the thinly sliced cheese on top of the bake, and put it back in the very hot oven or under the grill until the cheese has melted and turned slightly brown on top, about 5-10 minutes. Serve straight out of the roasting tin.

Recipe originally from Nigella Bites. She states that the recipe feeds 3, but if you're using this as a side dish, you'll easily get at least 6 servings out of it.

Bread Pudding with Orange Marmalade

2007-09-08T12:27:00.000-05:00

Bread pudding always makes for a satisfying dessert (there's something inherently comforting about the almost creamy texture of the bread, which also contrasts nicely with the caramelized top), but the marmalade kicks it all up a notch. You could substitute another jam for the marmalade, also.

If you really want to impress your friends, but don't want to spend a lot of time doing it, this bread pudding is the perfect dish. You won't even need to splurge on the ingredients; you probably have all this stuff sitting in the pantry. We used 2% milk instead of cream without any ill effects. Demerera sugar is often referred to as natural or cane sugar here in the states.

Bread and Marmalade Pudding Recipe

Stale sliced bread
Softened butter
Seville orange marmalade (you could also use a jam or jelly)
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup caster sugar
Demerara sugar, for topping

Slice the crusts from the bread slices - butter one side only of the bread and then coat each with a little marmalade.

Arrange the bread buttered side up in a baking dish - you should have enough bread to form two layers. Don't try to make a uniform arrangement of the slices, a patchwork type pattern is best.

In a bowl, add the eggs, cream, milk and caster sugar and lightly whisk until just combined. Pour this over the bread, making sure all the bread is coated by the liquid. Let this sit for 15 minutes to make sure that the bread has fully absorbed the liquid.

pudding ready for the oven

Sprinkle generously with Demerara sugar (this caramelises as the pudding cooks to give a nice crunch to the top) and then bake in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for about 45 - 60 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

It will puff quite a lot, a bit like a soufflé but it will deflate once out of the oven - make sure your baking dish is deep enough to contain this expansion.

This is best eaten warm from the oven.

Original recipe is from Haalo in Australia

Bread is from Corbo's Bakery in Little Italy | 12200 Mayfield Road | Cleveland Ohio | 44106

Blackberry and Lemon Verbena Sorbet

2007-09-01T00:20:00.001-05:00

A pound of blackberries from the farmers' market ended up in the refrigerator this weekend, which led to a midweek panic when they started to go bad. This wasn't a huge problem really, because Susan and I both spend our weeks with graduate students and graduate students are powerless to offers of free food. (Thank you Melanie, Dan and Vaishnavi for volunteering to stuff your faces.)

I had planned to simply sprinkle the berries with sugar and finely chopped lemon verbena, then thought about revisiting the dutch baby pancakes and tossing the blackberries with a lemon verbena syrup. In the end, though, I threw the berries in a pot with the verbena syrup, boiled everything to a sugary mess and bought the cheapest ice cream maker I could find

Blackberry and Lemon Verbena Sorbet

1 cup water
1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
10 fresh lemon verbena leaves
1 pound fresh blackberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Bring the water to boil in a saucepan then remove from heat and stir in the sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, add the lemon verbena leaves and steep for half an hour. After steeping, strain the sugar syrup, discard the verbena leaves and place the syrup in a covered container in the refrigerator until cold.

Now throw the blackberries and lemon verbena syrup into a saucepan and boil the mixture for a few minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes, then pour the contents into a blender and puree until smooth. Now strain the mixture to remove the blackberry seeds--there should be about half a cup of them. Add lemon juice and refrigerate overnight.

Now follow the instructions for your ice cream maker and when finished dump the sorbet into a very cold container and freeze it until firm, about 5 hours. Sorbet will be the consistency of soft ice cream and I recommend serving it in frosted glasses.

Makes about 4 cups.

Sorbet Recipe from Lynn in Georgia