I love the idea of a taco salad, don’t get me wrong. But I’m often left disappointed by what is all too often a sizeable—yet flavorless—mass of meat and beans sitting on a mound of soggy romaine. I had just about given up on the zesty, spicy salad of my dreams, when I stumbled unexpectedly into a veritable jungle of flavor known as the Antique Taco Salad from Antique Taco in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. This is my recreation of the salad with just a few minor tweaks.

You’ll have to forgive me for forgetting to include what might be the most traditionally taco thing about this salad—the tortilla strips—and use your imagination to envision what it would look like had I actually remembered such a crucial crunch factor. Whoops! I would say this is more of a taco salad in the abstract, since you won’t see many of the usual suspects here (beans, meat, salsa), but you will find all kinds of other goodies with a Southwestern bent: spiced peanuts; diced red pepper and onion; crumbly, salty Cotija cheese; sweet fresh strawberries and sliced avocado; and a sparklingly light pomegranate dressing. The resulting salad is the perfect blend of both flavor (salty, sweet, spicy) and texture (juicy, creamy, crunchy).

In other words, my taco salad dreams have come true at last.

Justin: “This recipe came about when my wife and I decided to grow Swiss chard in our garden. Chard grows really, really well, and we had so much of the stuff that we didn’t know what to do with it. We tried sautéing it with some garlic and olive oil, and that was pretty good. Then we used it on top of a pizza, and that was okay. And then one day, we landed on burritos. They turned out so well that we’ve made them over and over again and haven’t changed a thing.”

Last Monday after I finished work, I didn’t much feel like taking a train to Roselle, a suburb 45 minutes outside of Chicago. But when you hear talk of life-changing, mind-blowing burritos at the other end of that ride, you just don’t walk away. You drink a cup of coffee, you pull yourself together, and you go.

This is one of those rare, wonderful recipes that is not only savor-every-bite delicious, but also quick, balanced and flexible. The pinto beans are really the foundation of the burritos, and they deserve more credit than they’re typically given. They’re inexpensive. They’re hearty. They’re healthy. And they pair really well with bacon, another key component of these burritos. Toss in a handful of rainbow chard in vibrant electric hues, plenty of spice, and a sprinkle of salty Cotija cheese, and you’ve got yourself a winning combination.

Three Quick Questions…and Justin’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

These burritos. Definitely some chips and salsa, some guacamole. And beer.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

I’d probably grab our big cast-iron skillet because we use it for everything…then again, it’s probably the one thing that would be totally fine in a fire. But we use it every single day.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

We don’t use cookbooks all that often.  If I really need to figure something out, I’ll look it up on the internet, but otherwise, we’re pretty experimental with our cooking.

*Justin is a professional photographer who does incredible work. If you’re looking for inspiration, I highly recommend browsing his site: www.justinbparis.com

Jess: “Last school year I was saving money to go to Italy for a 5-week cooking program. I didn’t have a paying job and if I wanted to keep baking after school, I wouldn’t have time for one anyway. That’s when it hit me: why not sell what I was baking to kids at school? For six months I became a walking bake sale. After a while though, I got tired of rolling out cookies and cutting out Rice Krispie treats. One day, I decided to change it up. I’d never liked cupcakes, but what if I made mini cakes? Mini rainbow cakes! Two of my best friends came over to help make the new dessert. The minute the cakes were done, we knew they’d be our signature treat. To name the cakes we combined the first letters of our names (Maisie, Tiff and Jess), and called them EmptyJay’s (for M, T, and J)! High schoolers are used to paying change for bake sale items, but these were the first item I could price at $2 each and sell out of completely! By the time summer rolled around, I had reached my goal of a little over $2,000, and I got to take that trip to Italy.”

The fact that these multi-colored mini cakes paid for a trip to Italy should tell you something right away: these are some seriously awesome sweets. And if you’re still not convinced, consider the source. Jess Dawson is only 17 years old, and while most high school students spend their afternoons surfing the web or chatting on the phone (and maybe doing some homework?), Jess can be found baking up a storm for two of Chicago’s most renowned chefs, Gale Gand and Sarah Grueneberg. The girl is a rockstar.

EmptyJays combine three colorful layers of vanilla bean pound cake, held together with a smooth and creamy vanilla frosting. This is the chance to let loose your inner child…or make an actual child very, very happy. Get creative. Mix and match colors. Go for an ombre effect. The options are endless, and baking these adorable little cakes is almost as thrilling as eating them. Enjoy!

Three Quick Questions…and Jess’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

Gale Gand’s pea dip, pig face (yes, pig face) from Stephanie Izard’s Girl & the Goat, sushi, coconut cream pie, and Gale’s banana cream pie.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

If I were being nice I’d say the fish…but I really enjoy my red stand mixer with a clear glass bowl that Gale gave me for getting good grades.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

Our family cookbook. It’s a compilation of favorite recipes, some from my grandmother, some from my mom, and now some from me.

*To see more of Jess and what she’s baking these days, be sure to check out her website: http://livininthekitchen.wordpress.com/

Jonathan: “Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my extended family in South Africa. This rusk recipe, from my aunt’s mother, “Granny Rae,” reminds me of the fun times of my childhood. I can vividly remember my aunt and uncle always having a huge round tub of these rusks sitting on top of the kitchen cabinet.”

Here’s the thing about these rusks–these unassuming, rather plain looking buttermilk biscuits. At first bite, you probably won’t think much of them at all. “Hmm, they have a nice crunch,” you’ll say, and you’ll think you’ve had enough. And then, without even realizing it, you will find yourself reaching for another. Dipping it into your coffee, turning it sweet and cake-like. And then you’ll have another, because that crunchy, faint sweetness, the softening to the hot coffee is totally addictive in the best possible way.

When the rusk batter comes out of the oven, it looks like a giant cake…

…The “cake” is then sliced into pieces and baked a second time until crisp, crunchy and golden.

Three Quick Questions…and Jonathan’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

An ‘everything’ bagel with lox. And definitely coffee.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

My grind and brew coffee maker. Everything else in there I can live without.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

That’s tough–I’d say Joy of Cooking is probably the one I reference the most.

Lucy: “One day in middle school, my older sister and I decided that we needed an afternoon snack. Somehow I was inspired to try to make some concoction that is now my go-to bruschetta. It’s evolved over the years, and at some point I finally wrote down approximations for the recipe. In high school, my friends and I started a New Year’s Eve pot-luck tradition at a friend’s house, and I always brought this bruschetta. The best part is that it’s super easy to make, and people always love it!”

Bruschetta is one of the simplest, yet most satisfying, appetizers around. Like a healthier, heartier (and less greasy!) pizza, this variation combines the rich flavor of roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fragrant basil, plus plenty of garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. It makes an elegant party appetizer, a delicious snack, or–served with your favorite salad–a light and refreshing meal.

Three Quick Questions…and Lucy’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

Fish tacos, but really good ones. And definitely pecan pie for dessert.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

Assuming my husband is okay, I’d grab my KitchenAid Stand Mixer because I love to bake.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

I love all of Ina Garten’s cookbooks but I also find a lot of recipes online. Epicurious and Food Network are both great sources.

A BAKER'S DOZEN: 13 TRIED AND TRUE TREATS FROM MY GRANDMOTHER'S KITCHEN, DAY 8

When I was growing up, my family spent almost every Christmas at my maternal grandparents’ home in New Orleans. Usually, it was my grandfather who would pick us all up from the airport. We’d load our stuff into his big boat of a Buick, and off we’d go: barreling down the smooth roads, the sound of the wheels on the pavement reminding me of roller skates, the warm, humid air rushing in though the open windows. Everything looked so magically different from the cold Northeastern town we’d started from–lush and manicured and impossibly green. It was delightfully foreign to see such a warm place dressed up in Christmas attire, reindeer prancing through lawns and trees sparkling red and green and gold.

As we pulled onto my grandparents’ own winding street, I could hardly wait to step inside their house. It always smelled exactly the same: like my grandmother’s perfume, like potpourri, like freshly baked bread. My grandmother would invariably be busy in the kitchen, her dog Annie there to pick up the crumbs or else snoozing on the sofa in the living room.

Come Christmas morning, my brother and I would leap from our beds and race downstairs. And of course, the main thing we were racing towards was the pile of presents below the Christmas tree. But if anything could postpone presents, it was my grandmother’s Swedish tea ring–a just-from-the-oven wreath of tender, cinnamon-infused dough generously spread with a sweet, melting glaze. I never ate the neon candied cherries that sat like jewels atop a crown, but to me, they were still an essential part of the pastry. The whole family would huddle around the kitchen table, the adults sipping their coffee, us kids drinking our juice, and all of us enjoying the warm tea ring.

Making it is a labor of love, but the tea ring is so much better than anything you can buy in a box, and I promise that pulling the finished product from the oven is almost as satisfying as eating it… Almost.

Alex: “These are possibly the most addictive bars ever.”

You know a recipe is going to be good when it comes to you from a Ritz Carleton catering extraordinaire. And when said extraordinaire also happens to run her own catering business, delightfully dubbed Sweet Lyon, you know the recipe is going to be GREAT. Indeed, Alex’s blondies are everything you could possibly hope for–chewy around the edges, soft and gooey on the inside, and full of rich, buttery flavor. As with most blondie recipes, brown sugar is the star ingredient here, but toffee and pecans play a pretty amazing supporting role. These are easy to make and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, making them the perfect treat to whip up for last-minute company or to serve around the holidays when things get hectic. But, let’s be honest: there is no wrong time for blondies.

Three Quick Questions…and Alex’s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

For my last meal I would have to make a trip across the globe to Florence, Italy where my all of my best food memories remain. I would start with a pasta dish called “the John Travolta” special from this one little restaurant. The dish consists of over-sized pasta shells in a super-creamy pink sauce with ham. I don’t even like ham, but this dish is unbelievable! I would follow that up with a combination of caramel gelato from Grom (the best Gelato in Italy) and lemon powdered sugar cookies from another little place. Those cookies are pretty much like crack for me.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

My KitchenAid Professional Stand Mixer. It may be heavy but it is the number one tool in my kitchen.

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

I am a little bit of a cookbook hoarder so it is hard to say what my all-time favorite cookbook is. I am constantly discovering new obsessions, but my latest cookbook crush is called Miette. Miette is a patisserie in San Francisco, and they have very simple and elegant products with detailed and meticulous recipes. I love them because they’re very similar to my personal baking style but they take it to a level that I am striving to find in myself. It has been a great inspirational read for me and I can’t wait to actually visit the bakery the next time I find my way to San Francisco!

A BAKER'S DOZEN: 13 TRIED AND TRUE TREATS FROM MY GRANDMOTHER'S KITCHEN, DAY 7

I know, I know. These cookies look an awful lot like fruit cake, and word on the street is that everyone hates fruitcake.

But! Before you start running, let me assure you that my grandmother’s Lizzies are miles above your average fruitcake. I find a lot of fruitcakes can be overly dense and borderline soggy–even the nuts, which are supposed to be crunchy, wind up damp. Not so with these cookies. The interior is moist, in a good way, and the pecans retain their wonderful, substantial crunch. And whereas the flavor of fruitcake is usually one-note, these cookies have a bit more depth. The batter is made with brown sugar and plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, offering the perfect spiced counterpoint to the sweetness of the candied fruit.

It isn’t a cheap recipe, but if you’re going to make Lizzies you’ve got to do them right. These are a special occasion kind of treat, and the quality of ingredients really makes a difference. Use good bourbon, pecans, and fruit, and make sure your spices are fresh.

Finally, I’m going to let you in on my grandmother’s secret for perfect Lizzies: when the cookies come out of the oven, top off each one with a sprinkle of bourbon.

You’re welcome.

In case you were wondering, why yes, yes I am still alive. My apologies for the long silence around here! Between a hectic work schedule, planning my wedding, and traveling to see my fiancé almost every other week (due to that whole long-distance business), I’ve been busy in a mostly great way — though I haven’t been able to spend nearly as much time here as I’d like. The good news is that I wanted to share with you what may be one of my favorite homemade meals…possibly ever.

It’s my attempt at recreating a dish I had during restaurant week in Baltimore (where my fiancé lives), at a sweet little farm-to-table joint called Dogwood. I was immediately entranced by the name of the dish alone: Forbidden Rice and Sweet-Potato Cauliflower Curry. This appealed to me for a couple reasons. One, because I’m a vegetable freak and I love coconut curry. And two, the name has the word “forbidden” in it, so naturally I had to have it.

Forbidden rice turns a rich, deep purple as it cooks.

Well. This was a really, really good decision. There’s so much going on here, and yet somehow it all works: the crunchy cauliflower, the tender sweet potatoes, the sautéed kale, all enveloped in this rich, silky coconut curry with hints of garlic and ginger. Poured over wild rice, with it’s hearty chew and nutty flavor, and it’s deep purple hue, it’s hard to imagine anything more satisfying. The whole thing is topped off with a generous sprinkle of sliced almonds and sweet plump currants, making each bite an explosion of contrasting tastes and textures.

Oh, and as if you needed one more reason to try this, here it is: this is probably one of the healthiest dishes you could possibly eat. It’s also very versatile. Don’t like kale? Sub spinach. Not a fan of sweet potatoes? Try butternut squash. Tofu not your friend? Opt for chicken or chickpeas.  Whatever route you take, enjoy! I recommend cozying up with a big, warm bowl of this as soon as possible.

Shira: “Growing up, I was an unusually picky childhood eater.  I would not eat frosting on birthday cake, and gave away the majority of my candy on Halloween—something my friends and brothers probably appreciated! But one dessert that I have always enjoyed are the sugar drop cookies that I would bake with my dad, a simple and sweet childhood favorite.”

Sugar drop cookies are like a warm hug from your best friend: comforting, familiar, and completely reliable. This is the ideal recipe to turn to whenever you want something quick and easy, but still incredibly satisfying. Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, bake for 10 minutes, and enjoy! The cookies emerge from the oven soft and tender on the inside with a faintly crisp, sugar-crackled crust.

Three Quick Questions…and Shira ‘s Answers

It’s your last meal. What do you have?

Salmon, grilled asparagus, and freshly baked bread–and a brownie for dessert.

Your kitchen is burning down. What’s the one thing you grab?

I’d probably grab my coffee maker. I can’t imagine a day without caffeine–I may be a little bit addicted!

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

As a child I used to bake with my dad, maybe once a week, using a recipe out of a cookbook. These days I tend to browse the internet for recipes and experiment with what I find.