Prime Cuts

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

So, sometimes cooking leads you down dark, scary paths that seem hard to come back from.  A perfect example of this is when you realize how simple it is to make your own tomato sauce. Next you decide to make your own sausage, then make your own ricotta, then you start thinking about making your own butter and then suddenly you have a farm in your back yard and you realize you’ve gone too far. However, while going down this path, making your own pasta is one that is worth the simple effort especially when paired with light, delicate sauces.

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

This is a simple yet complex pureed soup that I consider a mature version of the common broccoli cheddar soup.  There are a few subtle key elements that make this soup incredibly good, such as the addition of a few potatoes for body, a touch of heavy cream at the end for smoothness, and the quick hot roasting of the cauliflower which will add a nutty aroma and taste.

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

Raise your hand if you know what a King Cake is. Anyone? The truth is, outside of New Orleans (at least in the US) most people have never heard of a King Cake. Too bad for them!

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

Read enough of the things that I write around Prime Cuts, and you’ll notice something. I have a preternatural obsession with comfort foods. I love their warmth. Their smells. The memories which they evoke. I love a chi-chi fa-fa dinner as much as the next guy, but I’ll take comfy cooking over that stuff any day.

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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Now that you’ve indulged throughout the holiday season, it’s time to start off new habits early with healthy eating throughout the New Year (or at least, make a valiant effort).

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

It’s been over a year since I’ve had the pleasure my mom’s cooking, and after a year of waiting, you can imagine that I had a long list of “must-haves” for my week-long Alabama visit.

From her spinach and bow-tie pasta bake to her hash brown casserole, everything my mother makes is packed full of love and tastes like absolute perfection.

Being the only vegetarian in the family, there are a few dishes she’s made over the years specifically for me. And one of those dishes that I beg for, is her Eggplant Parmesan (which she greeted me with as soon as I walked in the door).

Warning: This dish is NOT healthy and takes awhile to pull together, but is one of the most delicious meals you may ever have the pleasure to partake in. With that said, please, enjoy!

Eggplant Parmigiana Recipes

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices
Tablespoon of salt, plus as needed
5 or so cups fresh breadcrumbs
Tablespoon dried thyme
Tablespoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
Enough all-purpose flour for dredging
6 eggs, beaten (if I make it for myself I’d throw in egg beaters, but that’s because eggs freak me out)
A LOT (I’m guessing 8 cups) of Randazza Family Marinara
2 tablespoons milk
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
AT LEAST 1lb mozzarella (cheese is always a good thing to splurge on and get the fresh kind, totally enhances the flavor/quality of your meal, so get fresh if you can!); sliced thin

Preparation

Put the eggplant slices onto several baking sheets or plates and sprinkle a fair amount of salt on both sides to let the bitter juice seep out. It will probably take 45 minutes to an hour.

Toss the eggplant into a strainer and rinse well with cool water, then pat the eggplant until dry with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix together the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme, and season with pepper.

Put flour in a medium bowl, place breadcrumbs in another medium bowl, and in a third bowl whisk the egg and milk together. Dip each eggplant slice in the flour, then dip it in the egg, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture.

Transfer the eggplant to a coated (with olive oil) baking sheet into a single layer. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side, or until brown. Set aside.

Up the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Coat a 15 x 10 glass baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the sauce and arrange 1/2 of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter 1/2 of the Parmesan and mozzarella over the sauced eggplant. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

Serve with garlic bread, or sauteed spinach (if you feel a need for something healthier), and enjoy the BEST meal EVER.

Enjoy!

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Photo by: mhaithaca

“Do you know any great appetizer recipes?” I get asked this question all the time, especially around The Holidays. People have guests popping in left and right, and the thought of serving up one more veggie tray, one more jalapeno popper, or one more nut-covered cheese ball is enough to make anyone’s head explode.

Psst! I’ll let you in on a little secret. Lean in a little closer (it’s OK … I won’t bite). You don’t have to dish out that cookie cutter, boring, tired out old stuff. There are worlds of goodness out there to be explored without having to resort to … that.

The Holiday Season is the perfect time to indulge a little. The frostiness in the air lends itself to all things warm, bubbly and gooey. So, why not surprise your guests with something a few steps away from the everyday? Serve them something that’ll have them licking their fingers and begging for more. Give them something that’ll make them salivate with anticipation for your next “do”!

First up: Manchego-Quince Skewers

This is so simple, I find it hard to even call it a “recipe”. That said, this is fast, easy, has remarkable flavors and people will gobble these up so fast that your head will spin. Here’s what you need:

Ingredients

1 pound Manchego cheese
1 pound Quince Paste (you can get this at most upscale/specialty markets**)
1 bunch of Watercress
Toothpicks.

**If you can’t find Quince Paste, a piece of dried apricot will do in a pinch.

Preparation

Cut the Manchego cheese and the Quince Paste into 1” cubes. Skewer one cube of each on a toothpick with one watercress leaf. Serve. That’s IT. The creaminess of the Manchego works beautifully with the tangy sweetness of the Quince Paste and the subtle peppery quality of the watercress. Easy-peasy.

Second: Baked Brie with Caramelized Apples

This one takes a little more time, but you’ll reap loads of accolades and smiles, so it’s worth every second.

Ingredients

1 small wheel of Brie
1 tube refrigerated crescent roll dough (the “leading” brand now makes this in big sheets, so you don’t have to contend with seams and the like)
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar (either light or dark is fine)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I like almonds or pecans, but walnuts would work, too)
A handful of dried cranberries
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
English Water crackers, for serving

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Unroll crescent roll dough onto a cookie sheet. Place the brie right in the center. In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and cook til it dissolves and gets all melty and caramelly. Add the diced apples, nuts, cranberries and cinnamon. Cook until the apples are just soft and the cranberries just begin to plump up. Spoon this mixture on top of the brie, then wrap the whole package in the crescent roll dough, making sure to seal the seams well.

Bake for about 13-15 minutes, or until it’s golden brown. Remove from oven, transfer to a platter with the English Water crackers and serve. It’s melty, it’s savory, it’s sweet, it’s GOOD.

Don’t settle for the ordinary when you can have something EXTRA-ordinary.

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Photo by: sean dreilinger

Ahhhh, The Holidays. I love ‘em. No matter what holiday you celebrate, or whether you celebrate any at all, what they stand for is the same for us all: giving thanks for those you love, spending time with those you love most … and consuming rich, wondrous, deliciously sinful foods.

Right out of the blocks, I’ll let you know that this recipe is not for the faint of heart. If you’re the person who balks at anything that has more than 3 grams of fat in it, or who immediately worries about how to work off each bite of food, then this isn’t for you. I’m a believer in moderation. I think that if you live a healthy lifestyle, then it’s OK to indulge in something that’s really bad for you, at least every once in a while.

So, without further ado, let’s talk about EGGNOG, shall we?

It’s rich. It’s sinful. It’s sweet and creamy and indescribably delicious. Sure, it has a gazillion calories, but that’s OK. We only live once, right?

When I was growing up, friends always had store-bought eggnog in their houses. You know, the super-thick, super-cloying stuff that shows up in grocery stores just after Halloween each year. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that stuff. It’s great in coffee and kids really like it, but once you’ve had the real deal — eggnog that’s made from scratch — you’ll never look at it the same way again.

When I was growing up, my parents threw a big holiday bash each year. My dad always made a huge batch of his homemade eggnog and everyone in the neighborhood would clamor for a cup of that magical goodness. I wasn’t allowed to try it ‘til I was much older (you’ll understand once you see the recipe), but once I did, I was hooked.

For me, this drink exemplifies The Holiday Season. It says that enjoying yourself is a good thing. That it’s OK to relish in the finer things in life. That the holidays, themselves, are sweet and rewarding, much like the liquid love in your cup.

So, don’t think about the gym. Don’t think about your diet. Think about enjoying yourself. Think about good friends and good times. Think about having a cup of eggnog!

My Dad’s Classic Eggnog

Ingredients

1 dozen large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 quart whole milk
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1/5 (a regular sized bottle) Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum
Freshly-grated nutmeg

Preparation

In a large punch bowl, separate the eggs (save the egg whites to make “forgotten cookies” … I’ll post that recipe later!) Beat the egg yolks until they are a pale, lemony color. Beat in the sugar until thick. On a lower speed (you’ll make a mess otherwise), stir in the milk. Stir in the rum. Chill for AT LEAST three hours.

About an hour or so before serving time, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into the eggnog mixture.

Chill for another hour. Serve in cups with freshly grated nutmeg sprinkled on top.

Enjoy life to its fullest!

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