WELL FED

SNICKERDOODLES

2009-12-05T14:16:51-08:00

Let's talk about sinckerdoodles. I love snickerdoodles. I mean even that name is just lovable. Snickerdoodle. They are one of my favorite cookies. However, my mom never made snickerdoodles. In fact, no one I know made them. My earliest encounter with snickerdoodles came thanks to a bakery located in the town where I grew up, back in Missouri. It was called The Pie and Cake Factory. The mother of a childhood friend would frequent the bakery, and one of the things she'd often buy there were snickerdoodles along with frosted sugar cookies celebrating whatever holiday was just around the bend. Every day after school, I would go to my friend Steve's house to play and more often than not, there would be a white bakery box full of cookies, layered with tissue paper. It was heaven. To this day I have never had a snickerdoodle better than those from the Pie and Cake Factory. Unfortunately it is now out of business and I don't know whatever happened to the proprietress.

A phone call to my parents recently resulted in new information about the woman behind my favorite cookie. Her name was Margie. Apparently she used to be a cook on a tow boat that pushed barges around on the Mississippi river and became well known for her outstanding pies. She quit working on the boat and started selling her pies and cakes to local restaurants. Soon she opened her bakery up to the public which then followed with a storefront that also served light lunches. My dad was a fan of her hot dogs and I vaguely recall trying split pea soup there for the first time. This was more than twenty year ago and alas, the Pie and Cake Factory eventually went out of business but I never stopped thinking about Margie's cookie.

Recently I had dinner with my friend Lauren and afterward we went back to her apartment to visit some more. She had a copy of the Martha Stewart Cookie book and soon we were talking about favorite baked goods. As I flipped through the book I happened across a recipe for snickerdoodles and a wave of nostalgia washed over me. I decided that it was time that I finally made some snickerdoodles and revisit my youth (the fact that my birthday is in a few days I'm sure had nothing to do with my regression back to childhood). I actually opted not to use Martha's recipe but instead went with Gale Gand's version of the cookie. Martha's recipe calls for cream of tartar and equal parts butter and shortening whereas Gale's version is all butter and uses baking powder and baking soda. I'm not sure what Margie used, butter vs. shortening, but for now I'm starting with all butter.

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

(for the coating)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

METHOD
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

First combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the room temperature butter and cream on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the butter has gotten light and creamy.

Add in the sugar and continue to mix for another 2 minutes or so, until the butter no longer feel grainy from the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add in the eggs, one at a time. Once combined, add in the corn syrup and the vanilla.

On low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until everything comes together. If the dough is too sticky, chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

To make the coating, stir together the 3 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon in a wide, shallow bowl.

To make the cookies, use a small ice cream scoop to measure out the dough and then roll into balls with your hands. It should be about the size of a walnut. Roll the balls in the sugar and cinnamon mixture to coat completely.

Place on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat about 2 inches apart. Because of how much they spread during baking, I was able to get 11 cookies per baking sheet.

Bake until puffed and the surface is slightly cracked, about 9 to 12 minutes, depending on your oven. I prefer my snickerdoodles with not much color on them so I took mine out at 9 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes. The cookies will deflate a little as the cool on the baking sheet. Transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.

So these cookies are not quite like how I remember Margie's. Hers seemed a little lighter and more puffed, but these are pretty great. They're buttery, with a nice sweet vanilla flavor which is offset by the spice of the cinnamon. I almost think you could probably use more cinnamon, if desired, both the the cookie dough and in the sugar coating. The texture is just what I love in cookies, crisp around the edges, soft and chewy in the center.

If I ever get my hands on Margie's recipe, I'll let you know. Until then, these will do nicely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

SPICY PORK GOULASH

2009-11-23T09:42:04-08:00

So I know I haven't posted in quite a while and with the 4th anniversary of this blog just around the corner (can you believe it?), I'd sort of wanted my return to be with beautiful, shallow depth of field, naturally daylit photographs of a gorgeous, elegant recipe perfect for a smart dinner party full of fashionable and interesting foodies. But, I'm sorry to say, I STILL have not gotten a new camera and the recipe I'm posting is for GOULASH. Just that name even sounds kind of tragic and seems more like something a sturdy hausfrau in a babuska would serve her hardworking husband after a cold afternoon spent chopping firewood. But as I wrote in my mission statement on my about page, I only post recipes that I would make again, and believe me, this I make again AND again AND again.

For those unfamiliar with goulash, it originates in Hungary and is pretty much a very simple soup or stew consisting of little more than sauteed red onion, paprika and some sort of meat, be it lamb, pork, veal or beef. Many recipes also incorporate bell peppers, tomato and additional spice in the form of the underused and underappreciated caraway seed. Traditionally, the stew is served over egg noodles finished with a little sour cream. What got me thinking about goulash was Jamie Oliver.

You see, I just downloaded the new Jamie Oliver app for the iphone and it's kind of fantastic. Basically it's a list of recipes designed for a typical weeknight dinner, none taking longer than twenty minutes to prepare. There are beautifully shot instructional videos, tips on what keep in a well stocked kitchen and a function that generates shopping lists based on recipe which can then be emailed to your loved one (or yourself) to pick up at the store on the way home from work. I love it, but to be honest, a lot of it is a bit basic. I know how to chop an onion or perfectly cook pasta and I'm not looking to get dinner on the table quickly. At least not today. But Jamie is so endearing and engaging that it got me thinking about his series, Jamie at Home and it's companion cookbook. Both are so enchantingly picturesque and portray the ultimate foodie lifestyle that I'd love to have one day - rambling country estate, sprawling garden (with gardener to take care of it), outdoor kitchen with wood burning brick oven. God, can you imagine?

Anyway, Jamie made this dish in one episode that focused on chilies and peppers and for some reason, it's always stuck with me. One day I'll make some recipes from his app, but I figured that since I had the time, I'd do this rather lengthy to prepare dish.

INGREDIENTS
4 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, off the bone and preferably with a thick layer of fat on one side
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red onions, peeled and sliced
2 fresh chiles, finely chopped (depending on the heat level you like, either seed them or don't)
2 heaping tablespoons mild smoked paprika
2 teaspoons caraway seeds, toasted lightly in a dry skillet and then coarsely ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle
1 heaping tablespoon fresh marjoram or oregano, chopped
5 bell peppers (use a mixture of colors), cored and sliced
1 10-ounce jar roasted red peppers, chopped
1 14-ounce can plum tomatoes
3 or 4 cups low sodium, organic chicken stock
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

(to serve)
2/3 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
1 lemon, zested
1 tablespoon or so fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped plus a little for garnis
steamed basmati rice

METHOD
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Score the fatty side of the pork in a criss-cross pattern slicing all the way down into the meat. Season generously all over with salt and pepper.

Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil and gently
place the meat in, fat side down. Reduce heat to medium and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes, to render the fat. Remove the pork from the pot, place on a place and set aside.

Add the onion, chili, paprika, caraway seeds, marjoram or oregano and a pinch of salt to the fat left behind in the dutch oven.

Stir to coat and then cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions are beginning to soften, stirring occasionally.

Add the sliced bell peppers, the chopped roasted red peppers, the plum tomatoes with their juices, and the red wine vinegar. Stir to combine then return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pot. Nestle the pork down into the onion and pepper mixture. Using a pair of tongs, heap some of the onion and pepper mixture on top of the meat. Add enough chicken stock to nearly cover the meat.

Cover the pot, crank up the heat to medium high, and bring to a boil.

Once, the pot has come to a boil, place in the preheated oven and cook for 3 hours, until the pork is completely tender and falling apart.

When the pork has about 10 minutes left to cook, combine the sour cream or creme fraiche, lemon zest and parsley in a small bowl and stir to combine well.

When the pork is done, remove the pot from the oven. Using a pair of tongs or a large spoon, remove the pork from the pot and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Using two forks, break the meat up into into bite-sized pieces.

At this point you could return the shredded pork back to the pot, stirring to combine and then serve with the white rice, and the sour cream or creme fraiche mixture, which is what Jamie says to do. HOWEVER, I did the following with great results. Yes it's more steps but it's totally worth it.

Set aside the baking sheet of meat.

Strain the onion and bell pepper mixture from the liquids using a colander set over a large bowl. Transfer the stained vegetables to a bowl and set aside.

Pour the liquids into a fat separating measuring cup and let the grease rise to the top.

If you don't have a fat separating measuring cup, just go buy one. You totally need it especially around the holidays.

Wipe any remaining grease out of the dutch oven and then pour in the de-fatted stock. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, uncovered, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half.

When the stock has gotten to your desired thickness, return the onion and bell pepper mixture to the pot and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

Meanwhile, turn the oven to broil. Slide the pan of shredded pork under the broiler and cook until the edges have caramelized a little, about 5 to 8 minutes BUT be sure to keep an eye on the meat as it can quickly burn.

To serve, mound fluffy, steamed white rice in shallow bowls. Spoon over some of the reduced juice, onion and bell pepper mixture and then place several chunks of the caramelized pork on top. Drizzle with a little more of the reduced juices and then top with a dollop or the sour cream or creme fraiche mixture, a light scattering of parsley, and a grinding of black pepper.

Ok, first let's talk about this last method that isn't part of Jamie's original recipe. Like I said, you don't HAVE to do it, but I strongly encourage you to. The first reason is, pork shoulder is very fatty. When it cooks, the fat melts and it becomes very very tender, but then it's also swimming around in all that melted fat. Removing it makes the finished dish taste cleaner, more sliky. Not a greasy mess. Second thing you don't have to do, but I think you should is the trick of caramelizing the braised pork under the broiler. This is something I picked up from a Suzanne Goin recipe. If you don't do it, pretty much the whole stew has the same soft texture, which is fine. But by broiling the braised meat for a few minutes, the edges crisp up again and then it has a really great contrast of texture. It's fantastic, almost bacony! And I believe that great food is just as much about texture as it is flavor.

So in addition to all the interesting textures this dish has, the flavor is fantastic. Earthy and robust yet surprisingly light. Traditional versions of this stew use sweet Hungarian paprika, but as per Jamie's instruction I used smoked (which Mark's mom actually brought back as a little souvenir from a layover in Spain during a trip to the Greek Islands). The smoked paprika and roasted red peppers gives the stew a really smoky depth of flavor while the fresh bell peppers and red wine vinegar imbue a brightness, the latter also adding a fresh tasting "twang" as Jamie says. The creme fraiche adds a nice richness but the lemon zest echos the bright flavors of the bell peppers and vinegar.

Although it does take quite a bit of time to prepare, much of it is hands off and if you were to serve this to friends, much of it could be done a day in advance.

Serves 6

Hey there...

2009-08-22T12:04:23-07:00

(above, the table setting for Annie's birthday dinner, where I served Boeuf a la Nicoise)

Oh hi everyone. It HAS been a while, hasn't it? Okay, I admit it. I'm such a bad blogger. I'm not nearly as reliable as old standbys like Orangette or Amateur Gourmet who don't seem to have anything else going on in their lives and have all the time in the world to post about last night's dinner or the latest fabulous restaurant they went to. Although I guess Orangette has that pizza place going on, which in this economic climate sounds like a recipe for disaster (pun intended). Like seriously, how boring is that menu? Did that sound bitchy/bitter? It seems Kathy Griffin has rubbed off on me. Anyway rest assured, I am indeed okay. I did not have some sort of tragic accident that resulted in the loss of my sense of taste and I certainly have not hung my hat up on Well Fed. I also have not yet bought a new camera. I know, I know. I'm on it.

(above, a mustard and bread crumb coated boneless leg of lamb from Suzanne Goin, which I didn't post because I didn't bother to take the internal temperature and upon slicing into the middle, discovered that it was still completely raw)

So Mark and I went to go see Julie and Julia and it got me thinking about my own blog, not that I want my life turned into a movie (but if it were, I would want Ryan Reynolds to play me and Jason Statham to play Mark) So I logged on and it was actually really nice to see so many comments wondering where I was and when I'd come back. Thank you, guys. It's very flattering that you want more. I didn't start this blog for anyone but myself, as a easy to access library of recipes I'd make again, but the fact that I have readers has sort of affected the way I cook. I love hearing from people who have made a certain dish and had it turn out great and I like hearing about slight alterations readers have made to the dish. Even if I haven't been cooking, I'm glad you guys have been. And trust me, I will start posting again.

I started a new show recently which also came with a promotion and more responsibilities. It's a new series for TLC which will premiere on September 30 and is about a beauty pageant coach in Columbia, South Carolina. This job requires me to make periodic trips down south which has gotten me more than a little obsessed with barbecue, specifically the regional specialty of mustard based sauce and pulled pork. You know how I love pulled pork. A while back I made some some using a different recipe than the one I have on here for Mark's birthday. We had about 25 guests coming over for dinner. We rented a a whole mess of chairs and a couple tables which we set up end to end in the back yard. It was very Martha Stewart. In addition to the pork, I made a salad of grilled romaine with thinly sliced green apples, bacon and a smoked blue cheese dressing, potato salad with capers, caperberries and scallions, and roasted corn and barley salad with grilled endive and basil chive vinaigrette. Although it was all set up buffet style, I'd never served that many people for dinner and the fact that I pulled it off was very empowering. It also got me slightly addicted to cooking and eating outdoors.

(above, homemade pappardelle with slow- braised leeks, prosciutto, and porcini breadcrumbs from Jamie Oliver that Annie and I made but I didn't post because we overcooked the pasta and I didn't love how the process photos turned out)

Since then I've made an amazing whole chicken cooked under a brick and marinated in a combination of lemon and orange juice, olive oil and lots of red pepper flakes and pimenton as well as chicken thighs coated with a breadcrumb mixture flavored with lemon zest, lots of garlic, parsley and finely chopped anchovies. Both recipes are from the fantastic book Italian Grill by Mario Batali and both of which I promise to blog more specifically about. For a simple dinner I like to rub pork loins with a spice rub Jessica brought back from a trip to Egypt. They cook for about 7 minutes per side and the results have a nicely spiced, charred outside and a very juicy, tender middle.

Eating outside with all of our friends, a leisurely dinner that stretched well into the night, has made me want to completely re-landscape the back yard now that the kitchen is done (or almost done - the wallpaper for the breakfast room goes in next week and I STILL have to put the latches on all the doors). I want it to function like an outdoor room. I want to be able to serve at least ten people a sit-down dinner under the clear sky, surrounded by olive trees and pots of rosemary. I bought some fantastic French bistro style folding chairs and a long rustic table made from reclaimed douglas fir. I'm meeting with landscape architects and designers and once we choose one, I plan to document the process here, like how I did with the kitchen.

I think for several months I thought of this blog as a bit of a burden, to be honest. I dreaded the idea of taking pictures of the process of making a meal. Often I just wanted to get it done with so we could eat. I think I needed a break. But now I'm feeling a bit rejuvenated. I can't promise one post a week, but I will be posting. Now I just need to get that camera...

CHICKPEA, SAUSAGE & KALE SOUP

2009-04-17T11:45:01-07:00

Bad news, you guys. I broke my camera. Not that it's a huge loss. To be honest it was pretty much a piece of crap and it's a wonder that the pictures on this blog look as good as they do. Here's what happened. I know I haven't posted in QUITE a while and I'm sorry, but my current project is keeping me rather busy. I'm in the middle of working on the fifth season of the double Emmy-winning Bravo series Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List and my kitchen time has been drastically reduced. I have made a few dishes and even taken photos of the process and results but my enthusiasm for them dulled soon after the meal was finished and as such I did not post them. This past Friday I was finally back at the stove trying out a version of a fantastic recipe that my friend Marissa had made for me recently, Bucatini Amatricia, and I was totally shooting it, taking lots of pictures of every step. Then just as I was getting ready to plate it and take the moneyshot, I grabbed my camera off the counter but the strap had been closed in a drawer and it slipped out of my hand, crashed onto the floor and slid under the stove. The door that secures the battery had broken off and I was unable to turn it on. I was SOOO bummed. I was SOOO close. My camera was broken and then to top it all off, my version of Marissa's Bucatini wasn't as good as Marissa's.

A few days later whilst looking back at some old pics in iphoto I realized there was a dish I made that I really liked and for some reason never posted. This is one of the rare recipes that I sort of made up. I mean, it's not like I invented it or anything, but it's inspired by several recipes I saw on line as well as this soup I had for lunch one day at a nearby restaurant called Cube (although I liked mine better). So I decided that since I had the pics in the bag and I'd really liked the dish, why not post it. So, until I get a new camera and subsequently made a meal worth posting, I hope this holds you over.

INGREDIENTS

Extra virgin olive oil

4 sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

1 large onion, sliced

1 or 2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed in a mortar or spice grinder

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup white wine

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

6 cups chicken stock

1 parmesan rind (optional)

1 bunch kale, stripped from the thick stems and sliced into bite-sized pieces

METHOD

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes. Crumble in the sausage and cook, rendering the fat from the meat, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook the sausage. You only want it browned on the outside. The middle will cook once the broth is added. Remove the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels.

Add the onions, carrots, rosemary, thyme, fennel and red pepper flakes, stirring to coat with the rendered fat. If it seems a little dry, add a splash of olive oil. Cook, stirring every so often, until the onions are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, toss in the garlic then cook for another 2 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.

Pour in the white wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Then back in the sausage, the chickpeas, chicken stock and Parmesan rind.

Cover the pot, raise the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Remove the lid again, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the kale to the soup, stirring to combine and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the kale is tender and bright green.

Taste, adjust the seasonings and then serve in wide shallow bowls showered with Parmesan and accompanied by a thick slice of grilled bread rubbed with a clove of garlic.

We all know how much I love soup and this is a great one. It's a hearty meal, but the soup itself is kind of light. Although the sausage and chickpeas are filling, the broth is pretty light, but still has some character. The parmesan rind kind of melts a little and infuses the chicken stock with a salty richness. It's a good way to intensify store bought chicken stock and of course the sausage, fresh thyme and rosemary add tons of flavor. The kale adds a nice chewy green that balances out the meat and density of the chickpeas.

The soup is best when freshly made, but it's fine reheated for several days afterward. The only thing is the kale gets a little limp and turns a sad green.

Serves 6

BOEUF A LA NICOISE: BRAISED BEEF STEW WITH RED WINE, OVEN DRIED TOMATOES, OLIVE & BUTTERED NOODLES

2009-03-17T10:49:48-07:00

This past week, Mark's mom Dee Dee was in town for a little visit. It was her first time seeing the house and she just adored it. She and Mark spent the next several days catching up with old friends and neighbors from when they lived in Mandeville Canyon in the 60's, and then I'd join them after I got off work. The first several nights were spent out on the town, first up dinner at BLD. Then the next night to satisfy a prime rib craving, we all went to Lawry's (perhaps you know their famous seasoning salt) where we indulged in the famous Lawry's spinning salad prepared tableside, thick slabs of beef accompanied by a heaping mound of mashed potatoes, rich, creamed spinach, and Yorkshire pudding. Friday night, although I'd planned to cook for us, after work I was a little frazzled and didn't feel like dealing with food, so we ended up going out for Indian, something Dee Dee never gets up in Santa Maria. Saturday, the plan was for a small dinner party - Mark, myself, Dee Dee and Annie and Pierson. Usually I like to spend several days conceiving the menu, but work has been crazy and I didn't have the time. So upon my return from the gym that morning, I pulled out ol reliable, Sunday Suppers at Lucques.

The thing about Ms. Goin's cookbook, as I've mentioned before, is that the recipes are time consuming, often need to be started the night before and require trips to multiple supermarkets to track down all the ingredients. However, this recipe was sort of unlike many of the others. It require nothing terribly exotic that one can only find at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market, it was a bit time consuming (braising for 3 hours) but not terribly so. It was totally something that I could put together that afternoon for dinner that evening. Plus I liked the idea of doing one more slow-cooked, cozy meal before the weather gets too warm.

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds beef chuck, sliced into 1/2 to 2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon freshly cracked pepper

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus 6 sprigs

6 cloves garlic, smashed

the zest of 1 orange, 1/2 of it grated, the other 1/2 removed in strips with a vegetable peeler

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 a large yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1/2 a small fennel, diced (about 1/2 cup)

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 bay leaf, preferably fresh

8 whole San Marzano canned tomatoes, plus 3/4 cup of the canning puree

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

4 cups beef stock

1/2 cup pitted Nicoise olives

1 pound pappardelle

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup fresh leaf parsley, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

In a large bowl combine the beef, black pepper, 1 tablespoon of the thyme leaves, the crushed garlic and the grated orange zest. Toss to coat and combine then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to over night.

Take the meat out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking. After 15 minutes, season it on all sides with about 1 tablespoon of salt. Reserve the garlic.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Heat a large dutch oven over high heat for 3 minutes. Pour in 3 tablespoons olive oil and wait a minute or two until the pan is very hot and almost smoking. Place 1/3 of the meat in the pan being careful not to crowd it. You will likely need to brown the meat in 3 batches. Sear the meat until well browned on all sides, adjusting the heat as necessary. This is a very important step so do not rush it. As the batches of meat are browned, remove to a plate or rimmed baking sheet while you continue with the others.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, fennel, and carrot. Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the brown crusty bits in the bottom of the pan. If it's too dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Next add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, reserved garlic and the orange zest strips. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are caramelized.

Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables. Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce to a glaze.

Pour in the red wine, turn the heat to high and reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Add the meat to the pot, scraping in any juices that have collected on the plate.

Cover with a lid and braise in the oven for about 3 hours.

While the meat is cooking, cut the whole canned tomatoes in half lengthwise. Slather the bottom of a small baking dish with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then lay in the tomatoes, cut side up. They should fit pretty snugly. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of thyme.

Roast the tomatoes in the same oven for 1 1/2 hours, until they are shriveled and slightly caramelized on top.

Take the dutch oven out of the oven and uncover, being careful of steam. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove the meat from the braising liquid and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F. Return the meat to the oven to caramelize for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the braising to a simmer and reduce by half, or at least until it's thickened.

Add the olives to the sauce and turn off the heat.

Once the beef is caramelized, gently add it back to the dutch oven and stir to coat with the sauce.

Serve the stew with something hearty like mashed potatoes or noodles tossed with butter and parsley, which is what I did. Top the noodles with the stew and tuck in a few of the oven-dried tomatoes.

So I made another Suzanne Goin stew recipe that was sort of similar to this one, in terms of process at least. What I like is straining the meat from the braising liquid and then caramelizing it in the oven. As much as I love stews, many of them really have very little to offer in terms of texture variety. It's all kind of the same. Soft and or mushy. But by straining out the meat to re-caramelize in the oven it gets crisp on the edges and yet is fall apart tender. It's pretty great. It also then gives you the opportunity to reduce the braising liquid as much or as little as you'd like. I hate spending hours on a hearty meal like this only to have the sauce to be runny and oily. This way, you have more control.

I also love drying out the canned, stewed tomatoes in the oven. What a great idea. The slow roasting, dries them out and concentrates their flavor and the result is slightly chewy and gives the stew a really welcome hit of acidity. The orange zest adds a bright floral layer of flavor and the nicoise olives impart an almost sour, brininess that cuts through the richness of the reduced wine and stock.

As I mentioned before, you could serve this with some lovely mashed potatoes, but at Suzanne's suggestion, I served it with buttered noodles, well, perfectly al dente pappardelle. It's kind of better than your regular old mash. I'm all about texture and the pasta gives the meal another interesting texture.

Serves 6

COQ AU VIN

2009-02-11T11:07:56-08:00

Every year for my and Annie's birthday, we challenge one another with a dessert and over the years, they've gotten more and more difficult and time consuming. One year I made her a flourless chocolate cake. Then she made me a carrot cake. The next year I made her a peanut butter bread pudding which I served with a chocolate sauce and banana ice cream. She in turn made me individual pavlovas with coconut custard. Never having made meringues before, the first several attempts were less than satisfactory and they had to be remade. This past year, I requested a chocolate and coconut charlotte that required Annie to make her one chocolate lady fingers. As revenge I'm sure, for her birthday this year she more or less demanded a pineapple dacquoise.

Ok here's the thing. I totally would have attempted it except for one thing - I was also already making dinner. Annie's parents, Greg and Bev had flown to town for the weekend and wanted to see the new house, so we were going to host a little, intimate birthday dinner party. The centerpiece of the menu was a coq au vin, the homey French dish of chicken braised with wine. This version comes from the Balthazar cookbook. To go with it, I planned a simple starter salad of mixed greens, sliced pear, a classic French viniagrette with tarragon and shavings of pecorino. To soak up with coq au vin's rich gravy, I was going to make a decadent parsnip puree.

With all this going on in addition to dessert, the dacquoise seemed a little too ambitious. The meal itself was already ambitious. In the end, I wound up making a simple but delicious peanut butter pie with a chocolate cookie crust. It seems like with this intro, this post ought to be about the the afore mentioned pie. But here's the thing. I didn't take pictures of the pie. I took pictures of the coq au vin. So that's the recipe we have. (Note that I sort of doubled part of the recipe so the amounts in the photographs don't reflect the ingredients list.)

INGREDIENTS

6 large chicken legs with thighs

1 large yellow onion, cut into a 1/2-inch dice

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into a 1/2 inch dice

2 celery stalks, cut into a medium dice

1 head garlic, sliced in half horizontally

1 750 ml bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Savignon

1 bouquet garni (5 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme 1 bay leaf wrapped in a square of cheesecloth and tied into a bundle)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups veal stock (you can use chicken if you prefer)

3 tablespoons cognac (optional)

1 pound pearl onions

1/2 pound smoked bacon, sliced into lardons

1 pound crimini mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp paper towel and quartered

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

3 tablespoons fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley

sprigs of thyme to garnish

METHOD

In a large bowl or dutch oven, combine the chicken legs, diced onions, carrots and celery, garlic and bouquet garni.

Pour in the wine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

Using a pair of tongs, remove the legs from the marinade and place on a platter. Place a colander or sieve over a large bowl and strain the vegetables from the wine, reserving the wine. Discard the bouquet garni.

Heat a 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat until smoking. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper and place 3 of the legs in the dutch oven, skin side down and cook until the skin has a deep brown color. Flip the legs over and continue to cook until the other side is brown as well. Remove the legs from the pot and place on a plater. Wipe out the dutch oven and add 2 more tablespoons of oil and repeat with the remaining 3 chicken legs.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the reserved vegetables. Cook until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes.

Pour in the reserved marinade, bring to a boil and then cook until it has reduced by half, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Return the browned chicken to the pot, add the stock, cognac if using, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the legs are tender, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the pearl onions and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Strain and set aside to cool. When the onions are cool enough to handle, slice off the root end and gently squeeze the tip and the onion should pop right out of the skin.

Next cook the bacon over medium heat in a dry skillet until brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour half the rendered bacon fat into a small bowl and set aside.

Add the pear onions to the pan and cook over medium heat until browned all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the onions to a small bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining reserved bacon fat to the pan and toss in the mushrooms and thyme, and cook over medium heat until golden brown. About 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Remove the chicken legs from the braising liquid and set aside. Strain the liquid, discarding the solids and return to the Dutch oven. If the sauce seems too thin, bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Return the legs to the sauce and add the reserved browned onions, mushrooms and bacon.

Stir to combine, reduce heat to low and simmer until everything is heated through, about 15 minutes more. Just before serving, stir in the parsley.

It's no secret that I love braising. It's so unlikely that the results won't be fantastically tender and flavorful. Such is the case with this coq au vin and I think the reason is because the chicken and vegetables are marinated in the red wine. That's a key difference from many of the coq au vin recipes I looked up when I was trying to decide which one to use.

With the weather in Los Angeles cold and rainy, this hearty dish was perfect for our little dinner party. The mushrooms are earthy, the pearl onions sweet and the bacon lends a smoky and salty flavor that works well with both. The sauce is luxurious and velvety which I think comes from the veal stock and the reducing of the wine. It perfectly coats the chicken and vegetables and lazily pools in and around what ever starchy mound everything is piled up on.

Annie and her parents loved it. I think it more than made up for the fact that I didn't make the more complicated dessert. Maybe next year I'll challenge her with a dinner. Something like cassoulet. (It takes like a week to prepare)

Serves 6

ROAST CHICKEN WITH MEYER LEMON & ROASTED SHALLOT GRAVY

2009-01-21T11:44:49-08:00

Mark was gone. Visiting his mother. I opted not to go. Since we moved in together, sometimes I like to take opportunities to be by myself since those opportunities tend to be rare. I mean, I am an only child. Although soon after he left, I felt aimless and bored and couldn't wait for him to get back. When mealtimes came, the idea of cooking for one person felt like an ordeal. The first night I just grazed in the refrigerator on a hodgepodge of foods and flavors that didn't really go together. It somehow seemed sadder than making a meal for one. The next day I decided that even though it was just me, I was going to make a proper dinner.

Sunday morning I went to the Melrose Place Farmers' Market, and perused the stands. I picked up a bundle of fresh thyme, a pound of fat little shallots, a bag of pink potatoes and a handful of Meyer lemons. I must confess that I wasn't exactly just spotting beautiful, seasonal ingredients and suddenly making up a recipe in my head of how they'd deliciously fit together. I actually had a dish in mind, one that I'd seen in an issue of Sunset magazine a year ago while sitting in the waiting room of my dermatologist, Dr. Van Dyke. I'm not quite at that level yet. Hopefully one day.

Later that afternoon, I got busy prepping my roast chicken for one. Just because one is dining alone, doesn't mean one can't be civilized. No more refrigerator grazing.

INGREDIENTS

1 4-to-5 pound organic chicken

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

zest of 2 Meyer lemons

juice of 1/2 of one of the lemons

the remaining 1 1/2 lemons quartered

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped plus 4 whole sprigs

extra virgin olive oil

1 pound shallots, unpeeled

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock

1/3 cup dry white wine

METHOD

Rinse the chicken inside and out and then pat dry with paper towels. Gently loosen the skin of the breast and the thighs and work some of the salt under the skin. Rub the remaining salt all over the chicken and in the cavity. Chill uncovered at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove chicken from refrigerator and let come to room temperature.

Pat the chicken dry inside and out. Work half the zest under the skin covering the breast and thighs and then rub the rest all over the outside. Then rub the skin with the chopped thyme and season with pepper. Place the quartered lemons in the cavity along with the thyme sprigs. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil, gently rub to completely coat.

Toss the unpeeled shallots in a heavy roasting pan and drizzle with a little more olive oil, tossing to coat. Set a V-shaped baking rack in the pan and then place the chicken in the rack, breast side up. If you'd like, you can truss the chicken, but I opted not to. Slide the chicken in the oven and roast for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, basting with chicken stock, every 30 minutes (you should use about half the stock).

When the chicken is golden brown and the internal temperature reads between 160 and 170 degrees F, remove from the oven. Using a pair of tongs, tip the chicken to let the juices run out into the roasting pan. Remove the chicken from the pan, set on a plate, and cover loosely with a square of tin foil.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the roasted shallots and reserve in a bowl to let cool slightly.

Meanwhile pour the pan drippings into a measuring cup or fat separator. Either spoon off or pour off all about about a tablespoon of fat. Pour the drippings into a food processor or blender.

When the shallots are cool enough to handle, slice off the top and root end and then squeeze out the soft insides into the food processor or blender.

Add the white wine, the remaining 1/2 cup of broth, and pulse until smooth.

Return the sauce to the roasting pan and cook, scrapping any brown bits, over medium-high heat until the sauce turns a nutty brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the reserved Meyer lemon juice, or more to taste. Taste and season with salt and pepper is need be.

If you like, you can pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer to make the sauce silky smooth.

Finally, carve the chicken, discarding the lemon wedges and thyme, and serve with a bowl of the sauce. Don't forget to save and freeze the carcass to make chicken stock. If you feel the skin on the wings and thighs are kind of pale and flabby from being roasted on the underside, just toss them onto a pan and stuck them under the broiler for about 2 minutes to crisp them up. That's what I did.

My first observation about this recipe is that it dirties up kind of a lot of dishes, pots, pans and utensils. Or maybe I'm just a messy cook. Regardless, finally having a dishwasher and counter space makes me not care. Plus the resulting chicken is that good, it'll make you not care about dirty dishes and I think this might be due to the salting. I can't be positive, but I think it made the chicken really really juicy. I've never made a chicken with such juicy white meat, and I've made a lot of really great chickens. I think form now on, if I have the time, I'll be salting my chicken.

Next observation - nestling the flavoring (in this case the Meyer lemon zest) under the skin, is a much more effective use of said flavoring. I have done this before and really like the results. It comes in direct contact with the meat and really has a chance to impart flavor. You don't have to do it, but it's better if you do. The zest really gives the meat a bright, fresh taste. Very clean and slightly sweet and perfumey.

And then there's the roasted shallot gravy. Roasting the shallots intensifies their flavor and brings out the sweetness, which is mirrored by the sweetness of the Meyer lemon juice. Unlike some flour and butter based gravies that have a rich, heavy consistency, this one is nicely thick but still feels light and fresh. As I mentioned before, you don't have to strain the sauce. I did and it just made more things to clean, however, straining it makes the sauce more elegant, so if that's the tone you are going for then do it. I almost think the next Thanksgiving turkey I make, I'm going to include a bunch of shallots in the roasting pan and use that as the basis for the gravy.

To go along with the chicken, I made another recipe from the Sunset magazine article about Meyer lemons - crispy olive oil slicked roasted potatoes that get tossed with parsley and more of the sweet Meyer lemon zest. But really you could serve anything. That's the great thing about roast chicken. Versatility.

Serves 4 to 6

CORNMEAL-FRIED ONION RINGS

2009-01-06T09:08:44-08:00

So I love how when January rolls around all the food magazines and cooking shows are all suddenly promoting "heathy eating." This past Saturday, Food Network was devoted to it. Both Anne Burrel and Tyler Florence made steamed fish tucked away in a cozy little pocket made of parchment paper (although at the end, Tyler still put about 4 tablespoons of a compound butter on his fish. I'm kind of making fun of it, but I totally get it. From Halloween through New Years Eve, it becomes two months of non-stop indulgence and I am no different. I ate lots of chocolate, I couldn't GET enough bread, and my drinking was putting me on a fast track to needing a liver transplant. Come New Years day I vowed to turn my life around. However not even a week went by and I was soon heating up a dutch oven full of oil to deep fry myself some onion rings.

Listen you guys, I'm sort of obsessed with deep frying. As I mentioned before, for New Years Eve I fried some olives that were stuffed with Italian sausage and coated in Panko. And then a few nights later, I fried up some fontina stuffed risotto balls, also coated with Panko. And on a recent episode of Jamie at Home, Jamie braised rabbit in white wine until it was almost but not quite falling apart and then fried it. I so want to give that a try. But I wasn't always like this. In my old apartment I once tried to make fried chicken but in the end, the whole thing seemed like such an ordeal and it felt like the entire kitchen was slicked with grease that I had little to no interest in revisiting frying.

However, a while ago I was reading in one of my cookbooks (I can't remember which one, but it might have been either Sunday Suppers at Lucques or maybe The Zuni Cafe Cookbook) and the author was wistfully remembering back to one of his or her culinary influences. This person apparently was fearless in the kitchen and an example of it was that she would fry things at the drop of a hat. For some reason, that idea has stuck with me. I liked the idea of that sort of spontaneity with out concern about cleanup. I wanted to be like that. After reading it I pictured casual gatherings of friends all hanging out drinking wine or beer and suddenly I'd call out, "Hey! Let's make some pomme frites!" One friend would peel and slice potatoes. I'd be manning the dutch oven full of oil, bringing it up to temperature, WITHOUT a thermometer (I'd just know when it was hot enough). Another friend would be whipping up a bowl of aioli to dip the frittes in and yet another friend would be refilling all of our wine glasses. Perhaps outside, someone else would be grilling up steaks using a stem of rosemary plucked from the garden to brush them with good olive oil. I mean, doesn't that sound so fun? Of course in my head, all of this took place in my rustic farmhouse surrounded my by own vineyard.

As romantic as the idea of careless spontaneity is, my frying obsession is also prompted a great deal by frugality. I just hate to throw things away and I'd only fried a couple handfuls of olives in six cups of oil. I wanted to get my money's worth out if it before I ditched it. As long as you strain the oil through cheese cloth or paper towels to remove any particles, you can reuse the oil several times - just store the oil in a cool dark place. After the olives and risotto balls I kept wondering, "What can I fry next?" I looked around my kitchen and my eyes landed on a bowl of onions. Bingo!

This recipe mostly comes from Ina Garten, but the seasoning of the flour and cornmeal mixture was inspired by some of the flavors I used when I made blackened catfish.

INGREDIENTS

1 large yellow or Spanish onion

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tabasco (or other hot sauce) to taste, but at least a teaspoon

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal

1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

4 to 6 cups vegetable or peanut oil

METHOD

Slice off the top and root ends of the onion or onions and carefully peel off the brown skin, then slice into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick slices and then separate them into rings.

In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoons of pepper and the Tabasco. Add the onions and using your hands toss well to make sure everything is coated.

Place the in the refrigerator and let marinate for 20 minutes, up to several hours.

In a separate, wide and shallow bowl, combine the flour, corn meal, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the cayenne and the thyme. Set aside.

When you are ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with paper towels.

Pour the oil into a dutch oven and attach a candy thermometer to the side. Heat until the oil is 350 degrees F, adjusting the heat level to maintain a constant temperature.

One at a time, lift a ring out of the buttermilk and place in the seasoned flour and cornmeal mixture. Gently dredge them and then place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Continue until all the onion rings have been coated.

Working in batches, drop some of the onion rings into the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Fry until golden brown, flipping every so often with a pair of tongs.

Once the onion rings are cooked, remove from the oil and place on the baking sheet lined with paper towels and place in the oven to stay way while you continue cooking the rest. They should remain crisp in the oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot with lots of ketchup!

I tend not to care for the types of onion rings that have a heavy, poofy batter enveloping them. I much prefer something more delicate and crisp, and that is exactly what these are. The coating is so light and crunchy (not tempura light, but not far) and just really well seasoned. When adding the Tabasco and cayenne, don't be shy. It would really take a lot to make these onion rings what would be considered spicy spicy. In fact, since I really like the heat, I even add a healthy dose of Tabasco to the ketchup I'm dipping them in. One thing to note is that since the onions shrink down while cooking, it might be wise not to separate every single layer of rings before marinating and then dredging them. Maybe try to keep two layers of onion for each ring. Or mix it up, keep some think and some thin.

As we ate these I remarked to Mark that these would be (obviously) great alongside a thick steak or a big burger. Or a few rings topping a burger. It is football season (so my sports enthusiast friends tell me) and a big mountain of these would be perfect to serve some friends while watching the game. Now I wish I had a burger.

1 very large onion serves 2 very generously and more likely 4

KITCHEN UPDATE: Tile, lighting and paint

2009-01-03T14:41:21-08:00

Somehow the entire month of December slipped by without one post. I am very sorry. I neglected to acknowledge Well Fed's three year anniversary. I didn't do one post about my own birthday (mid-thirties for those who are wondering). Nothing about Christmas and nothing about New Years Eve. It's not that I haven't been cooking. I have. In fact, I've had some time off between projects and my goal was to cook up a storm and blog the hell out of it. And yet, nothing. I do have an excuse, be it a feeble one. The battery in my camera died. It's kind of a blog equivalent of "the dog ate my homework" isn't it? But it did. I'll go get one tomorrow, I promise.

I also promise to recreate some of the meals I've made, the results of which I was very pleased with. There's a really great curry from Nigel Slater that I've made several times. I had my first dinner party (spiced pork stew with pan-roasted root vegetables from Sunday Suppers at Lucques) as well as my second (chicken tagine with kabocha squash and chickpeas and a carrot and coriander salad from a fantastic new cookbook called A Plater of Figs). I made a great rice pudding with flavored with orange flower water. I baked chocolate thumbprint cookies with a vanilla and honey chocolate ganache filling that I saw Martha make one day with special guest star, Paula Abdul. I used stock that I made from the Thanksgiving turkey carcass to make risotto and then used the leftover risotto to make aracini - little risotto balls stuffed with fontina cheese, which are then rolled and breadcrumbs and then fried. Heaven. Seriously. And then there was the big New Years Eve party Mark and I hosted with the unbelievable help of Annie, Heather and her professional chef boyfriend, Timothy. We counted down till midnight nibbling on roasted shrimp cocktail (Barefoot Contessa), fontina and truffle oil fondue (New York Times), creamy balls of goat cheese seasoned with smoked paprika and then rolled in strips of roasted red and yellow peppers (Anne Burrel). There was also a warm crab dip as well as sausage stuffed, fried olives. Oh yes.

With all this entertaining, I was frantic to get the kitchen done. Unfortunately it still isn't. But it's very. very close.

The subway tile backsplash was installed and looks amazing. (And for anyone in the Los Angeles area who might be interested, my tile guy is fantastic)

That would be a framed photo of Jane Fonda as Barbarella in her trailer on a break making soup or pasta or something while still in costume. A little reminder that just because we're cooking doesn't mean we can't also look fabulous.

The gorgeous brushed nickel industrial style hanging fixtures for over the sink and in the breakfast room (which Mark thinks looks like something out of The City of Lost Children) have been hung. Let there be light. (I would also highly recommend my brilliant electrician)

And after weeks and weeks of priming, wet sanding, painting, more wet sanding and yet more painting, the cupboards, doors, drawers and also walls are finally done.

Well, almost - there's still all the baseboards and the bookcases and walls in the breakfast room. I'm still not sure about the color - are they the same as the cupboards, are they white like in the rest of the house, or something different still? I'm really liking the idea of black woodwork.

And then there has been some issues with the hardware for the cabinets. As I install them, I keep breaking screws off in the wood. While I figure out how to rectify the situation and make sure it doesn't keep happening, my drawer pulls are little tags made from painters' tape. So classy. But as far as a functioning kitchen goes, I couldn't be happier.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE WITH PECAN PRALINE SAUCE

2008-12-11T10:09:20-08:00

I had the whole Thanksgiving menu planned with the exception of dessert. I'd noticed that a little bakery/cafe at the top of my street was selling pies and sweets and whatnot that could be pre-ordered for Thanksgiving. One of their confections was a pumpkin cheesecake with praline topping or something. I liked the idea of that. A nice little twist on the regular old pumpkin pie. I decided to get one. I phoned the lovely woman at that cafe and soon my order was place but after I hung up I was a little, I don't know, uneasy. I IMed Annie and asked "Do you think $56 for a cheese cake is a lot?" She thought it was. I explained that what with everything else I was making I wanted to just buy the dessert, but the price seemed like a lot. However the recipe sounded so good. "Don't be a cheater," she wrote back. She so knows how to get me. I was totally cheating. "What would Martha do?" she added, twisting the knife. UGH. Damn you, Annie!

I called the lovely woman at the bakery/cafe and cancelled my order. Fortunately the November issue of Food and Wine had a recipe for a cheesecake that sounded almost exactly like the one I had ordered. I sat down and made a list of ingredients I needed to pick up. I guess I was making dessert as well.

INGREDIENTS

(For the cheesecake)

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (1 3/4 cups)
8 whole graham crackers, broken
1/2 cup pecans (2 ounces)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
1 1/2 cups cream cheese (14 ounces), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

(For the pecan praline sauce)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecans

(For serving)

Softly whipped cream, unsweetened

METHOD

Set a rack over a baking sheet and line the rack with 2 layers of paper towels. Spread the pumpkin puree over the paper towels and let drain for 2 hours, until the puree is fairly dry.

Preheat the oven to 500°. Butter the bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until finely ground. Add the pecans and brown sugar and pulse until finely ground. Add the melted butter and pulse just until incorporated.

Press the crumbs onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for about 8 minutes, just until it is fragrant and slightly browned around the edges. Let the crust cool completely.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the cream cheese until it is very smooth. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar with the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice. With the machine on, add the spiced sugar to the cream cheese and beat until creamy, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl.

Carefully add the drained pumpkin puree and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl between each addition. Beat in the heavy cream, lemon juice and vanilla until the cheesecake mixture is smooth. It'll be pretty runny.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the cooled crust.

Bake the cheesecake for 12 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 225° and bake the cheesecake for about 3 hours, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 150°. Right from the oven it'll be very puffed and the center will be slightly jiggly but not liquidy. As it cools, it'll deflate and it may crack.

Let the cheesecake cool on a rack, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To make the pecan praline sauce, Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and salt and bring to a boil. Simmer just until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Let the caramel cool.

Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, until they are lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer the pecans to a work surface and let them cool. Coarsely chop half the nuts and leave the other half whole. Just before serving, stir them into the cooled, but still slightly warm caramel.

To serve the cheesecake, run a hot knife around the cheesecake and loosen the springform ring. Carefully remove the ring and transfer the cake to a plate. Using a warm knife, cut the cake into wedges and serve with the Pecan Praline Topping and whipped cream.

I have to say, I'm really happy that I challenged myself (or rather Annie shamed me into challenging myself) and made a dessert, which I've written multiple times in the past, is not something I feel incredibly confident in. But then there are tricks, and things like cheesecake are among them. Whenever I've baked cakes, they usually wind up dry. A cheesecake, can't be dry. Anyway, this cheesecake is the perfect new Thanksgiving tradition. Pumpkiny and full of the warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice, it's the essence of fall. I really like that it's not super sweet. Rather that sugar kick comes from the warm, oozy, and buttery praline sauce. Note that the sauce is best when it's made the day it's being served. To accompany leftover cheesecake in the days following Thanksgiving, I reheated it several times, and maybe I let it get too hot, but the butter or something sort of separated from the sugar and the sauce became sort of a weird greasy mess. Just so you know.

Serves 12 or so