Talk to me long enough (like, five minutes) and a few things about me will become readily apparent: (1) I hate being cold, (2) I love to eat (and cook), (3) I’m madly in love with my kids, and (4) I love, love, LOVE spending time in California, especially San Diego.

San Diego is just about the best place on Earth. It’s beautiful, the weather is (almost) always spectacular, and it has a relaxed, laid-back attitude that always makes me feel right at home; always perfectly at ease.

One of the great side benefits to San Diego’s climate, as well as its seaside location, is that there’s plenty of great seafood, and always lots of yummy ways to eat it. In fact, if the city had a signature dish, it’d have to be fish tacos.

Usually, when I mention fish tacos (here on the East Coast), people wrinkle up their nose and say, “Huh? That doesn’t sound good.” But once people try them, they’re hooked.

Fish tacos exemplify everything that’s great about San Diego. They’re delicious, light, unpretentious, and easy to make and eat.

Since I don’t get to San Diego nearly as often as I’d like, and since fish tacos aren’t available at most restaurants back East, I had to learn to make them myself. They’ve become a staple in my house. My kids love them, friends magically appear when they hear that they’re on the menu for the day. They’ve become my signature dish.

Over time, I’ve honed my recipe pretty well, I think. Give ‘em a try on your grill tonight (you’ll be glad you did!)

Fabulous Fish Tacos Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound of your favorite white fish (my choice is Mahi Mahi, but Tilapia works well)
¼ cup olive oil (don’t use extra-virgin here; the flavor is too strong)
The juice of one lime
One jalapeno pepper, seeded, and chopped
¼ cup chopped cilantro
8 fajita-sized flour tortillas

Garnishes & Toppings

Shredded cabbage
Your favorite hot sauce
Crema (if you can find it) or sour cream
Thinly sliced scallions (green onions)
Chopped cilantro
Pico de gallo

Preparation

Put fish in a Ziploc bag. Stir together the olive oil, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro; pour over the fish. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes, but not more than about an hour.

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.

Remove the fish from the marinade and place on the hot grill. Grill for about 6 minutes, turning the fish over after about 4 minutes, or until it’s white and flaky. Flake the fish into a bowl.

Serve with warm tortillas and fill with your toppings of choice.

See how easy that was? This couldn’t come together faster, which makes it a great meal to serve during the work week. It’s light and delicious, which makes it perfect for summer. It’s even pretty doggone healthy, so you won’t feel guilty about “indulging.”

I hope you enjoy my little slice of San Diego. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need to make some airplane reservations; there’s a flip-flop-wearing town on the West Coast that’s calling my name.

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Photo Credit: Neilwill

My brother and I decided to give it a shot. How hard could it be right? Well, with the wrong recipe and a new pasta rolling machine, it can be quite the hilarious task. We first started with differing recipes, my brother wanted to try a KitchenAid recipe while I wanted to attempt a Martha Stewart recipe.  I know that the recipe for pasta dough is stupid simple but as I looked across all of my cookbooks, they all differed and varied in the amounts of the flour and egg and the amount they yielded.

At first I made a nice flour mound shaping it into a bowl, then I cracked the eggs into the middle, I started bringing in the flour and then like a fool I broke the wall and egg went everywhere. I started throwing flour down like it was a chemical spill. I managed to save the dough or so I thought. We kneaded it and the dough just never came together so we sat it aside. My brother then turned his attention to his KitchenAid recipe using his mixer to do the handy work, the recipe and the mixer didn’t offer much help. The dough was almost dried before we finished rolling it out.  Almost completely defeated for failing to complete a stupid simple recipe I decided to open up the Ratio app on my iPhone by Michael Ruhlman. This book and app by the same name has intrigued me for a while, thinking how could this guy get something right that so many people have missed. In fact, I was thinking that Michael Ruhlman’s Ratio was the book for me, very formulaic in it’s ratios, giving you a base to start from.

I found the pasta dough recipe in Ratio and weighed the ingredients out and began mixing, then kneading, and finally resting. After resting, my brother and I rolled out the dough and started to use our pasta roller and cutter, it worked perfectly. We dried some for later and the rest threw into a pot of boiling water to go alongside a rough version of Scott Conant‘s tomato sauce I remember seeing on No Reservations. I remember the sauce being basic and simple to make but Scott always insisting it was fresh and light which is exactly what I was looking for to pair with my fresh pasta. Once the pasta was about 90% there I pulled it into a pan and finished it in the pan with the sauce to help the noodles soak up and bind well with the sauce. The end result was fantastic, light, airy and filling.

After this journey of making my own fresh pasta I wondered why anyone would buy fresh pasta instead of making it themselves.  I understand if you don’t know how to make all the fancy noodles but for the basic strand or ribbon pasta like fettuccine, linguine, lasagne, or spaghetti; it’s incredibly simple to do it yourself.

To be honest, I wasn’t a believer in the ratio thing until I started seeing so many differing recipes for the same dish for the same serving size. This was when I started looking for something more standardize and when I found Ratio. If you haven’t read it yet you should, whether you’re new or experienced it is good to have these ratios by your side rather than ten recipe cards or books. Michael Ruhlman walks you through how to add almost any variation you can imagine which is the real power behind Ratio, enabling you to make recipes rather than super-powerful, celebrity chefs telling you what to make this month. I love this and think it is kind of cool to enable yourself to make your own recipes for basic stuff because now you know how not to mess up what you’re making. You can now add your own personal or cultural touch to anything without worrying about botching the whole thing.

Fresh Pasta Ratio Recipe

3 Parts Flour
2 Parts Eggs (Figure about 1 egg per serving)

Example: Roughly 2 Servings

6 Ounces Flour (weighed)
4 Ounces Egg (weighed)

Combine flour and egg and knead until smooth like any other pasta dough, nothing new or different but the ratio is dead on. After the ratio you treat the dough like any other pasta dough, rolling it out and cutting.

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More and more, I hear people talking about how much they love breakfast. They love it so much that they want to eat it not just for breakfast, but for lunch and dinner! And hey, I love it, too. There’s something great about lazily sipping a hot cup of coffee on a slow Sunday morning while nibbling on tender biscuits, crisp bacon, or fluffy scrambled eggs.

And it’s that which I’m going to talk about today. EGGS. The unsung heroes of the kitchen, eggs are responsible for making our custards and ice creams rich and creamy, for helping our breads to rise, and for making our pastries poofy.

To my mind, there are few things as satisfying for breakfast as scrambled eggs. Satisfying, of course, as long as they’re made well. And it’s amazing how often they aren’t. By virtue of our slapdash, get-it-done fast way of life, a dish as simple and wonderful as scrambled eggs often gets ruined in the name of haste. If you’re willing to take a little time and exercise a modicum of patience, you’ll be rewarded with eggs that are fluffy, creamy and delicious.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients and Preparation

You’ll need a nonstick pan, heated over medium-low heat. You’ll need eggs. 5 of them. Fresh, size large (in case you’ve ever wondered, when a recipe calls for an egg, it references a large egg, unless otherwise specified). You’ll need 5 tablespoons of half-and-half; one tablespoon per egg. You’ll also need a tablespoon of butter. Another nice touch is some freshly-grated nutmeg.

Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl. Add one tablespoon of half-and-half per egg, and a bit of freshly-grated nutmeg (you’ll be surprised how much can be added to eggs, simply by adding this little culinary treasure). Beat vigorously with a fork or wire whisk. Set aside.

In your pan, now nicely-heated over medium-low heat, add the butter. It’ll melt somewhat slowly, then begin to foam. Once the foam from the melted butter has dissipated, pour in the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir the eggs until you notice curds starting to form.

This is the point at which your patience will have to be exercised. This step will take a while, but I assure you that it’s well worth it.

Once you see curds starting to form, turn the heat on your burner up to high. Use your spatula to continually fold the eggs toward the center of the pan. Things will happen very quickly, so keep your eye on the ball … err, pan. Once there is no more liquid circling the edge of the pan, remove it from the burner.

It’s very important to note that the eggs will continue to cook somewhat once they’re removed from the stovetop. If they look done in when you’re cooking, they’ll be overdone when you go to eat them.

Transfer the eggs to a shallow bowl and serve. What you and your breakfasteers will have are, quite simply, the best scrambled eggs you’ve ever eaten.

Plain, simple, delicious.

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Photo Credit: stevendpolo

It is best if you puree this soup with a standard blender, rather than an immersion type blender.  The end result will be a much smoother texture.  It is best to use a well-aged parmesan and grate it to a fine powder on the smallest size of your box grater.  Doing so will ensure that the cheese melts quickly and evenly into the soup.  I find that even people who do not care for cauliflower still really enjoy this soup; it is very warming and great served during the cold winter months.

Joe’s Roasted Cauliflower and Parmesan Soup

Ingredients

2 Heads Cauliflower, leaves and inner core removed
3 Russet Potatoes, peeled and roughly diced
1 Large White Onion, roughly diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 L Homemade Chicken Stock, (Low sodium store bought stock will work fine)
1 ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated into a fine powder
½ Cup Heavy Cream
Vegetable Oil
Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Cut the cauliflower along the natural branch structure, into roughly 2” pieces, coat thoroughly with vegetable oil, and place on a baking sheet in an even layer, season liberally with kosher salt.
2. In a preheated 375 degree oven, roast the seasoned cauliflower for 10-15 minutes, or until you just begin to see some browning on the edges.
3. In a large stock pot, lightly sauté the onion and garlic just until soft, add the potatoes and chicken stock, and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the roasted cauliflower, continue to cool until the potatoes are tender and the cauliflower is beginning to fall apart.
5. Working in small batches, blend some of the solids and some of the stock until smooth and even textured,  do so until you have blended all the solids, if there is stock leftover that’s ok, if the soup seems thicker than you would like, add some of the reserved stock back to it.
6. With the pureed mixture in a stockpot, bring back to a simmer, add the heavy cream, and cook until simmering again, turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese, wisk to ensure that the parmesan is evenly distributed and melted.
7. Finally season with salt and pepper to taste, I prefer to use freshly ground black pepper, but if you are looking for a uniform solid color, use white pepper, however be careful as white pepper can be rather strong and overpowering if used too heavily.
8. There are many good ways to garnish this soup, personally for a bit of crunch and texture I like to top with some warmed, crumbled bacon and finely sliced scallion.

Enjoy!

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Photo Credit: Gordon

Growing up my grandparents would take us to Solvang in an attempt to get in touch with our Danish heritage. We ate well, to say the least, my grandparents would go on and on explaining what Denmark was like and how they missed it. They would always buy at least 10 pounds to go back home with. We would have a traditional meal, or at least traditional to us, that would consist of Danish sausage, red cabbage, boiled red potatoes and brown gravy. All of it simple in it’s preparation and execution but like most great meals, sometimes simple is best. It was this meal that brought so many good times and tales of a land I have yet to visit. The stories were always mesmerizing keeping us at the table for what seemed like all night.

Sadly, my grandparents have long past and we continue to head to Solvang to find the good sausage. After this last Christmas my brother and I set out to make our own and to make it as close as possible to the way my grandparents were familiar with it. We scoured cookbooks, old and new, even a 1942 cookbook written Danish requiring us to translate word for word. We finally found a recipe that we felt comfortable with and began our journey.

If you’ve never stuffed sausage before it’s an experience you’ll never forget but it is well worth the struggle. After grinding the meat three times progressively grinding finer, we chilled, then added spices and chilled again. Then we stuffed, it came out perfect, I still need to master twisting sausage into equal lengths though. We let them rest for a short period, then boiled them setting some aside to eat and froze the rest.

We began the meal humbly and as usual, cutting potatoes, starting the cabbage hours before, constantly checking for the perfect balance of bitterness and sweetness. When time was right we heated and browned the sausages. We deglazed the pan and made our gravy. The meal was perfect, the sausage simple yet great.

It took me back to a time when my grandparents were still with us and would talk for hours. This time gathered around the table we reminisced the good times with our grandparents explaining to our spouses who our grandparents were why we loved them so much. I believe it is this singular meal that constantly reminds me of family and heritage of which I still have much to learn from. I know all of this might sound silly and most obviously exemplary of my passion for food but what is great food if not shared with the people we love?

Below is the recipe we used, enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5lb. lean pork shoulder, ground 3 times and chilled
• 1 large onion, grated
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1 cup stock (chicken broth)

Preparation

Add seasonings to the meat, mix well. Add the stock. Press into casings (about 5ft. of hog casing) and tie at regular intervals to make links (I had trouble with this, you would think it’s super easy). Here’s where we made our change, instead of instantly frying or baking we boiled until cooked. Then we fried the sausage to give it nice markings and to crisp the casing. Finally, eat and enjoy!

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I have many, many friends in New Orleans and travel there as often as possible. Over the years, I’ve come to think of it as, sort of, a home away from home. So, naturally, I really get into all of the traditions of Carnival and the fun goings-on of the season. Until about ten years ago, I’d never heard of King Cake, let alone eaten any. Now that I’ve had it, I look forward to January 6th each year, because that’s when I make my own!

But what is it?

Served during the Carnival Season, starting on January 6th (not before) and until Mardi Gras Day (and not one moment after), the King Cake is a huge part of Carnival (what most people think of as “Mardi Gras”, which is actually just one day: Fat Tuesday).

Made of a rich, sweet yeast dough and filled with cream cheese, the cake is shaped into a ring, iced and dusted with in sugars the colors of Carnival: purple (justice), green (faith) and gold (power). Baked into each cake, traditionally, is a bean or a small, plastic baby.

In pre-Christian times, whomever selected the slice of cake that contained the bean would be chosen as a symbolic “king” of his tribe for one year. The unfortunate end to this “honor”, however, was that the “king” was sacrificed to the gods at the end of that year (sucked to be that guy). Now, the “honoree” isn’t on the hook for quite so much. Find the bean (or the baby) and all you have to do is host the next King Cake party (not nearly as perilous).

King Cake parties are held throughout New Orleans each and every day throughout Carnival Season, which always begins on January 6th (also known at Epiphany, Twelfth Night or Three King’s Day) and continues through Mardi Gras, which in 2010, falls on February 16th.

The recipe that I use is one that was created by super-chef and New Orleans resident, Emeril Lagasse. I’ve been making it each year for about 8 years and have only ever received rave reviews on it. It’s easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. I’m sure you’ll love it, too.

One thing that’s important to note (well, two, actually): there are two hard and fast rules in New Orleans. Beads can only be worn during Carnival Season and you never, never serve King Cake prior to January 6th or after Mardi Gras Day. It’s the law.

Emeril’s King Cake

Ingredients

•    2 envelopes active dry yeast
•    1/2 cup granulated sugar
•    1-1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
•    1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
•    5 large egg yolks, at room temperature
•    4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•    2 teaspoons salt
•    1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
•    1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
•    1 teaspoon vegetable oil
•    1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
•    4 cups confectioner’s sugar
•    1 plastic king cake baby or a pecan half
•    5 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
•    3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
•    Purple, green, and gold-tinted sugar sprinkles

Preparation

Combine the yeast and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the melted butter and warm milk. Beat at low speed for 1 minute. With the mixer running, add the egg yolks, then beat for 1 minute at medium-low speed. Add the flour, salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest and beat until everything is incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forms a ball, and starts to climb up the dough hook. (If the dough is uncooperative in coming together, add a bit of warm water (110 degrees), a tablespoon at a time, until it does.

Remove the dough from the bowl. Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a bowl with the vegetable oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1 cup of the confectioner’s sugar. Blend by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed. Set aside.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your fingers, pat it out into a rectangle about 30 inches long and 6 inches wide.

Spread the filling lengthwise over the bottom half of the dough, then flip the top half of the dough over the filling. Seal the edges, pinching the dough together. Shape the dough into a cylinder and place it on the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Shape the dough into a ring and pinch the ends together so there isn’t a seam. Insert the king cake baby or pecan half into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough.

Cover the ring with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brush the top of the risen cake with 2 tablespoons of the milk. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the icing. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons milk, the lemon juice, and the remaining 3 cups confectioner’s sugar in medium-size mixing bowl. Stir to blend well. With a rubber spatula, spread the icing evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals, alternating colors around the cake.

The cake is traditionally cut into 2-inch-thick slices with all the guests in attendance.

YIELD: 20 to 22 servings

Laissez les bon temps roulez!

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Photo Credit: yarnivore

One of the things that conjures up the best feelings for me is my mom’s cheese fondue.

When we were living abroad (when I was but a baby), we spent a short time in Lucerne, Switzerland. While there, my parents frequented a small restaurant that overlooked the lake and which served delicious wines, raclette and incredible cheese fondue. They spent so much time there, in fact, that they befriended the owner, who was kind enough to share his recipe. My mom’s been making it every winter since.

I remember how excited I’d get upon discovering that it was “fondue night”. There’d be a forest of tall, French baguettes and a host of otherworldly cheeses, whose names seemed exotic and adventurous. The house would come alive with laughter and the smells of simmering garlic, warm bread and cheesy goodness. There was something wonderful about everyone gathering around the pot of hot, bubbling cheese and twirling pieces of bread around in it. It was the ultimate conversation starter (early-adoption of social media).

When I was about 19 and was home from college, I wanted to make the fondue for my friends. And thus, the torch was passed. Now, I make it for my family and friends (and, of course, my mom and dad, when they visit) and still revel in the rich, warm goodness of it all.

Today, I’m going to share the recipe with you. It’s not something that you can make often, but on a cold day (which are certainly not in short supply right now), it’s a meal that can’t be beaten. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as mine does.

Case Family Cheese Fondue

Ingredients

2 cups dry white wine (Chablis is a good choice)
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed
2 pounds Emmenthal Swiss cheese, grated
1 pound Gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 pound Appenzeller cheese (if you can find it), grated
1/2 cup Kirschwasser
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 French baguettes, cut into cubes

Preparation

In your fondue pot, over a medium-high flame, combine the wine and the cloves of garlic. Once the wine has come to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about three minutes. Remove the garlic. Add the cheeses, one handful at a time and stir until it’s melted. In a measuring cup, add the cornstarch to the Kirschwasser and stir to combine. Once all of the cheese is in the pot (and it’ll be very liquidey) and melted, add the Kirschwasser mixture and stir until the cheese has thickened.

Transfer the pot to your fondue flame. Skewer cubes of French bread on fondue forks and dip into the cheese.

Eat & enjoy!

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Two of the easiest ways that I’ve found to ensure that I stay on track eating healthy is (one) to share my meals with good friends sitting around a table and enjoying wonderful company and (two) by starting the day with a healthy first meal. So, allow me to introduce you to my most favorite meal of the entire week: Sunday Brunch.

Sunday brunches are a great opportunity for you to impress friends over egg-cellent healthy and easy dishes. Take for example, the veggie omelet topped with marinara (yes, I throw in marinara sauce where ever I can).

Veggie Omlet with Marinara

Ingredients

* 1 package frozen mixed veggies (I typically go for the carrots/corn/green beans/peas  or three peppers and onions mixture)
* 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/8 teaspoon salt, or as needed
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper, or as needed
* 24 oz (one and a half of the large containers) of egg substitute
* Cooking spray or olive oil spray
* 1 cup of Randazza Marinara Sauce
* 3/4 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Now, this is going to sound a little tricky because it involves a broiler (which used to terrify me), but it’s super easy and your friends will LOVE it.

Preheat broiler.

Place all your veggies and seasoning into a small pot and cook over medium heat until vegetables are hot and water from them evaporates. Probably around 5 minutes. Cover, and remove from heat.

Coat a large nonstick and oven-safe skillet with cooking spray or olive oil. Pour in 1/2 of the egg substitute and cook over medium heat until eggs are partially set (probably 2-3 minutes). Spoon in 1/2 of the veggies and heat until cooked through (probably about 2 minutes).

Using a spatula (which is work the splurge purchase for a nice one) gently fold your omelet in half.   Spread a heaping 1/3 cup of sauce over folded omelet and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Place 4 inches from broiler heat and broil until cheese melts and turns golden (about a minute). Cover to keep warm and set aside. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Cut each omelet in half and serve next to a nice spinach salad tossed in a light vinaigrette and homemade Bloody Mary. Your friends will totally think you’re auditioning for the next television chef! Enjoy!

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Photo Credit: Kasia

The french press is a simple way to make great coffee without the fuss and the expensive hardware. At first the process may seem rather intimidating but after a few tries you’ll be making perfect french pressed coffee without the anxious anticipation.

Drinking french pressed coffee is becoming quite fashionable at local eateries and coffee shops, many attribute this new trend as a way for proprietors to charge more for a simple cup of coffee. But it’s not all about fashion or an evil plan to raise prices on patrons, it’s about great tasting coffee and an effective way to ensure the patron has fresh coffee every visit.

French pressed coffee will have a more robust body, full flavor and aroma; something that is not so apparent from an auto drip machine. Many even prefer pressed coffee over espresso, mostly because it makes more coffee and doesn’t need to be soften with water to weaken the punch like with espresso. So how do you make the perfect cup of french pressed coffee?

It’s easy, here’s how.

Directions:

1. Use 2-4 tablespoons of coffee for every 8 oz. of filtered water (Actually measure it, don’t eyeball or assume; filtered water is key to great coffee).
2. Put double the amount of water you need in your kettle (You’ll use this extra water for warming your press and cups).
3. While your water is heating, grind your coffee coarsely, make sure it is an even grind.
4. Bring your water to 198 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring it doesn’t fully boil the difference can be mere seconds.
5. Now pour water into your empty press to warm it up, after a few seconds transfer that water into your cups to warm them.
6. Add your ground coffee and evenly pour your water over the grounds.
7. Gently stir the coffee with a small wooden spoon, and place the stem on with the filter about a 1/2 inch from the top of the grounds.
8. Wait for three minutes to allow the coffee to steep, time it, don’t guesstimate.
9. After three minutes remove the stem, stir gently and replace the stem.
10. Push the stem down forcing the grounds to the bottom of the pot, if there’s no resistance then your grind is too coarse, too much resistance then your grind is too fine (This should take about fifteen to twenty seconds to push the stem to the bottom).
11. When the plunger is down as far as it will go, service the entire coffee immediately (It’s important not to let your coffee sit in the press, drink now).

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Photo by: pokpok313

No matter your feelings about Winter, though, it’s likely you’ll need to warm up at some point before it’s through.

For me, the best way to do that, my favorite way to thwart Old Man Winter’s attempts to turn me into a human snow cone, is to make a bubbling kettle of soup.

Soup. The greatest defense against Winter’s arsenal.

Whether it’s something creamy — smooth, sweet butternut squash laced with traces of cinnamon — or something more traditional like old-fashioned Chicken Noodle, there’s nothing like soup to warm you, to make you feel comforted, to give you the power to look Winter dead in the face and say, “Bring. It. On.”

My personal favorite is a hearty beef soup, brimming with vegetables and bolstered by the nutritional power of lentils. For me, there’s nothing that makes me feel better. It’s the food that comforts me. The one that is like snuggling under a warm blanket or slipping on a comfy pair of PJs. It’s the thing that warms me from the inside out.

Wonderfully Warm Winter Beef Soup with Lentils

Ingredients

A couple “glugs” of olive oil (regular is fine, save the Extra Virgin for something else)
2 pounds of your favorite boneless beef roast (a good pot roast is a solid choice), cut into bite-sized cubes
Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper (to taste)
1 large yellow onion, chopped (Maui or some other sweet onion is great here)
1 head celery hearts, diced
2 or 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning (this mix usually contains oregano, thyme & basil, among other things)
3 1/2 (32 oz.) cartons of low-sodium beef broth
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes WITH the juice
2 cups (usually one bag) of lentils, rinsed
**Melissa’s super-secret “magic” ingredient

Preparation

In a large stockpot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Season the cubes of beef with salt and pepper (I’ve found it best to be liberal with the pepper, but sparing with salt, but that’s just my personal preference). Add the beef to the pot and cook until nicely browned. Remove the meat and place in a bowl, leaving the juices behind in the pot. Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Put the beef (and any juices in the bowl) back into the pot. Add the broth and canned tomatoes. Bring the soup just to a boil, then reduce the head and let it bubble away at a low simmer for about an hour. Add the lentils, and continue to cook for another hour or so.

**Up in the list of ingredients, I mentioned my “super-secret” ingredient. And it’s this: if you use wedges of Parmesan or Romano cheeses, what do you do once you’ve grated it all and gotten down to the rind? Throw it out? Well, stop that! Save those pieces of goodness in a Ziploc bag in your freezer. When you make this soup, toss one of the rinds into the pot as it bubbles away. The result will be an indefinable nutty goodness that your dinner guests won’t quite be able to put their fingers on. It’ll give the soup that certain “je ne çest quoi”.

When you’re ready to eat, ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve with thick slices of warm, crusty bread.

You’ll be sated. You’ll be happy. You’ll be warmed from the inside out.

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Photo by: stevendepolo