I remember making cauliflower gratin with a mornay-like sauce in culinary school. Blanketing the soft white sauce over the steamed white florets, then sliding the pan under the broiler to create a bubbling crust with a blistered, rust-colored top. To me, this recipe exposed everything that is wrong with our approach to cooking cauliflower. Not sure what to do with a vegetable? Then simply steam it and cover it in cheese sauce!

Since that fateful night, I’ve tried to show cauliflower a little more respect by using it in recipes that showcase its strengths, such as puréed cauliflower soup with paprika, almond and milk; cauliflower mash with garlic, mustard and potato; and pan-roasted florets with a sprinkling of Parmesan. But I was intrigued when I found a recipe for cauliflower ragu in my favorite cookbook by Mario Batali.

A ragu is a thick, rich stew that’s traditionally made from slowly cooking down meat with aromatics and wine. To me, the word evokes warm, carnivorous aromas that permeate one’s house and clothes.

I love using cauliflower in a ragu instead of meat because is it is both luxurious and economical–using the entire vegetable in a way I can relate to. Cooking down the stalk, leaves and florets with onion, garlic, olive oil and water brings out an almost turnip-like quality, which is rounded out with the addition of butter. Fried breadcrumbs and fresh rosemary add texture and a bright, woodsy contrast in flavor. The end result is velvety, creamy and satisfying enough to fill up even stubborn carnivores.

Resources used: This recipe is based on one from Molto Gusto, by Mario Batali. When I mentioned on Facebook that I was making this dish, a number of readers expressed interest in the recipe, so here it is. I promise it will encourage you to think twice before smothering poor cauliflower in cheese sauce. This time why not make cauliflower the sauce instead?

Cauliflower ragu with fresh rosemary and penne

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 head cauliflower, rinsed and leaves reserved
1 large onion, diced
5 large cloves garlic (paper removed), smashed and divided
Salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup water
1 whole sprig rosemary, plus 2 sprigs finely chopped
3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 box penne
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Pepper, to taste

Method: Roughly chop the cauliflower leaves. Trim the very bottom of the cauliflower stem, and cut the whole head in half down the center. Remove the core, and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces. Then cut the florets into bite-size pieces and reserve.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, cauliflower leaves, core, chopped onion and 3 garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes, and cook for 2-3 minutes until the leaves soften, then drop the heat to medium low and cook for 18-20 minutes, until the cauliflower pieces are very tender.

Now add the florets, a little more salt and the water. Stir everything together, cover the pot and let it simmer for another 25 minutes, until the cauliflower starts to fall apart.

Meanwhile, warm a few tablespoons olive oil with the remaining 2 smashed garlic cloves and 1 sprig rosemary in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the garlic and rosemary begin to sizzle, add the breadcrumbs.

Cook, tossing frequently, for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the heat and discard the garlic and herbs.

When the cauliflower looks like this:

stir in the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat.

Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the penne according to the package directions. When the pasta is al dente, use a slotted spoon or spider to spoon it into the pot with the cauliflower (a little pasta water will help loosen the ragu). Add the reserved chopped rosemary and Parmesan cheese, and toss everything to combine well. Check for seasoning, and adjust as needed.

To serve, pile the cauliflower ragu and pasta into bowls, top with a handful of breadcrumbs and a sprinkling of reserved Parmesan. Serve immediately. Serves 4-5.

Ragu for two

I often psyche myself out when it comes to preparing fish. I think the reason for this is that I eat it more often at restaurants than at home. Somehow, each time I take on a fish or shellfish recipe I have convinced myself that anything less than a chef-style presentation would expose me as a hack. Lightly crusty, salty exterior; perfectly flaky interior; gorgeous little sauce spooned over top with a delicate garnish? No problem. I don’t know why I do this to myself, but I’m sure it is partly responsible for the severe lack of fish recipes in my little inventory.

When cooking fish, it gives you a tremendous leg-up to go for the good-quality stuff. And try to find a few staple preparation styles you’re comfortable with. Fish cooks in almost no time, which makes it perfect for weeknight cooking in a skillet on the stovetop. You might have to screw up a couple to get it right, which is OK.

What I love about this dish is the potato crust acts almost like a little insulator, locking moisture into the fish. It also makes for a fancy presentation without too much effort.

Potato-encrusted tilapia with rosemary-scallion oil

2 tilapia fillets
1 large Yukon gold potato, very thinly sliced
2-3 tablespoons rosemary, chopped and divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup scallions, minced (green parts only)
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method: Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the fish fillets on a plastic cutting board and cut in half to make four smaller fillets.

Season with salt, pepper and rosemary.

Top each of the fillets with enough slices of potato to completely cover the surface of the fish, overlapping each slice like shingles on a roof. Sprinkle the potatoes with a bit more salt, pepper and rosemary leaves.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the butter. When the butter is melted and the oil is hot add the fish, potato side down.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the fish is cooked through, 12-15 minutes. (Check the smaller half of the fillet first. It will only need about 12 minutes.)

While the fish is baking, prepare the oil. Mix the 1/2 cup olive oil with the remaining rosemary and the chopped scallion.

Remove the fish from the oven. Carefully slide a very thin spatula under the fish and potato and flip it onto a plate. You might have to rearrange the potatoes a little. Spoon some of the oil and herbs over each fillet. Serve immediately. Note: Add an arugula salad with Dijon vinaigrette and a warm, crusty piece of bread and dinner is served!

A young Louise Buturac

Oma was an avid cook, baker and gardener. She passed away when I was very young, long before the culinary bug bit. However, I have powerful food memories from their lovely old house in Fairfield with the bubbling brook out back. The raspberry chocolate bars Oma would always have waiting for us when we arrived. The methodical way Opa would slice pieces from his bagel and smear each one with a generous pat of salted butter. Watching Oma make liverwurst sandwiches and wondering, what is that pasty looking stuff? Oma’s massive garden teeming with herbs, lettuces and too many tomato plants to count. Getting stained fingers and seeds stuck in my teeth from picking raspberries at a local farm, where I always ate more than I collected. Then the secret disappointment that followed when most of those ruby berries were reduced to jam. The tinny sound of utensils scraping the stainless bowl at the dinner table as we passed around Oma’s signature salad, prepared simply with lemon juice, oil, green onion and mache leaves. (I later learned from my aunt that Oma had smuggled the mache seeds in her socks on the trip over from Germany, afraid the tender lettuce didn’t already grow in Connecticut.)

Summer in Fairfield: (left) little Marge and Oma pick berries, (right) my sister in the raspberry field

These memories have mingled over the years with the larger-than-life stories related by my mom of growing up in a house where stuffing your loved ones was the utmost priority. Cream of Wheat breakfasts laced with heavy cream, salt and sugar that would “clog anyone’s arteries.” The anxiety that permeated the house whenever Oma made bread from scratch, as she would keep the kitchen on lockdown to allow the bread the right environment for fermentation. If someone so much as cracked the kitchen door, she would threaten the bread’s collapse and seek merciless retribution on the culprit. And the legendary “hated” salmon fish cakes that were served on Fridays when red meat wasn’t allowed.

I sometimes don’t know where my memories end and the stories begin, though I am grateful for these warm, sepia-toned images of my grandparents.

That said, one of my favorite dishes she passed down is spaetzle. These homemade eggy dumplings are the perfect accompaniment for pork or chicken paillards, beef rouladen (my sister’s favorite), or simple whole roasted chicken. Here I added a bit of grated nutmeg and an assortment of fresh herbs for warmth and depth.

There are many schools of thought when it comes to how best to get spaetzle into boiling water. Some swear by scraping the batter through a colander or slotted spoon because it keeps them uniformly sized and small. I, on the other hand, prefer to use a liquid measuring cup and clean fingers to coax them into the pot. I like my spaetzle large and rustic. In keeping with the way my grandmother always prepared spaetzle, I finish them briefly in a pan with butter and breadcrumbs.

Herbed spaetzle

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup fresh mixed herbs, minced (I used equal parts parsley, thyme, rosemary, and chives), divided
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup breadcrumbs

Method: In a large bowl, mix together the flour salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour them into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Mix in about 2/3 of the herbs.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water has reached a rolling boil, use a slotted spoon or measuring cup with spout (depending on the desired size) and coax the dough into the pot.

Cook the spaetzle for 2-3 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they float to the top. Remove them using a slotted spoon or spider, and drop them in a large buttered bowl. (You can do this part up to 3 hours ahead of time. Keep the spaetzle in the bowl covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve.)

A few minutes before you’re ready to eat, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter, olive oil and breadcrumbs, and cook for a few minutes. Dump in the spaetzle, and toss to coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes, until browned. You might want to add a bit more butter as you go to keep the spaetzle from drying out. Toss in the rest of the fresh herbs, and serve immediately.

I have really come to enjoy weeknight cooking. It’s a great time to shake off the remains of a long day by methodically preparing something that offers instant aroma therapy as soon as it hits the skillet. I always try to keep my pantry stocked with a couple of essentials, like multiple types of pasta, rice, canned beans, a rotating mix of fresh herbs, and eggs or some other kind of protein. This removes the initial anxiety of having to build something from scratch. Just boil some water or heat oil in a skillet and you’re already halfway there.

I find that by accenting my pantry staples with a standout item that I pick up on the way home, like fresh ginger or sesame oil, I get that little shove I need to be creative. “Try me,” it cheerleads from the shelf. “Make something a little different tonight!” Then I try to work it into what I already have on hand. This is a nice way to challenge yourself, albeit only slightly, to make a manageable yet exciting meal on what would normally be just any other Wednesday night.

This dish was inspired by the last lonely chicken breast in a pack of three. While quite large, it simply wasn’t enough to feed 2 people as the main protein. So I thought I’d make it a co-star by cutting it into small strips and tossing it with hearty udon noodles, barely caramelized onion, garlic, scallion and fragrant ginger. I drizzled silky, nutty sesame oil over the noodles at the end for a little elegance.

Ginger-scented udon with chicken and scallions

1 package udon noodles
Peanut or vegetable oil, as needed
1 chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces, (reserve 2 tablespoons, minced)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, divided and rough chopped
2 tablespoons mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
2 tablespoons tamari (wheat-free dark soy sauce)
1 tablespoon sriracha, plus more for serving
1/4 cup vegetable broth
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Sesame oil, for garnish

Method: Heat a large pot with salted water until it reaches a rolling boil. Add the udon noodles and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 13-15 minutes, until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water for about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high until it ripples. Salt and pepper the chicken pieces, and add them to the oil. Cook the chicken, tossing frequently, until just done, 5-7 minutes (depending on the size of the pieces–cut into a large piece to make sure it’s done). Remove with a slotted spoon, and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Add a little more oil to the pot, and drop in the onion, a little more salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion becomes slightly caramelized and soft. Add the minced ginger and garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add the scallion pieces and about half the cilantro, and toss everything together. Drizzle in the mirin, tamari and sriracha. Stir to coat everything in the sauces, and allow them to reduce for about 1 minute.

Add the vegetable broth and turn the heat up to high. Once it’s bubbling, reduce the heat to medium and let everything simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, noodles and reserved chicken.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the rest of the cilantro and scallions, and turn the noodles a few times to combine everything and to allow them to reheat. Note: Add extra broth as needed if the noodles seem a bit dry.

Check for seasoning, and adjust if needed. Heap into large bowls, and drizzle the top with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro and scallion just before serving, if desired. Don’t forget to plop that bottle of sriracha in the center of the table for those–like my husband–who love the spice. Serves 2 with 2 hearty appetites.

I have inherited a massive recipe box from my husband’s mom, most of which is filled with dessert recipes–her specialty. Every holiday season, we’d get at least two large tins filled with nearly a dozen varieties of cookies–Swedish cinnamon shortbread, Lithuanian mushroom-shaped cookies, mini pecan pie bars, tea danies, orange rolls and nut penuche. Each cookie was unique and had an interesting history of its own, which made opening the tins such a joy because you never knew what you were going to get and there was always a story to go along with each cookie.

Although I wasn’t born with the baking gene like she was, I am determined to carry on the lovely tradition of showering family and friends with cookies at the holidays–even if it takes me a few years to work up to her level of finesse. So here is the first of what I hope will become an impressive arsenal of Christmas cookie recipes in the years to come.

Resources used: Epicurious.com posted this recipe from Gourmet magazine. Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies have always been one of my favorites–I love the slight grittiness of the oats playing off the moist, chewy center of the cookie. The semi-sweet chips add just enough indulgence. I’ve named them for Sean’s mom in honor of her love of all things sweet and the joy she found in working so hard on her Christmas cookies just to give almost all of them away.

Betsy’s chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Method: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and oats. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition, and add the vanilla. Carefully add the flour mixture, and mix until combined. Note: It’s important throughout the mixing process to stop and scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything’s incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the chocolate chips with a large spatula.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silpat.

Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool cookies on racks–all except the one you absolutely must taste to ensure it’s just right. Betsy wouldn’t have it any other way.

My good friend Michael brought Sean and me black truffle salt from Portland, Ore., last time he visited Chicago.

If you haven’t tried truffle, it has a slightly musky, nutty aroma. Black truffle is much less pungent than white, though it still is distinctly savory. Because it’s full of umami, truffle is a lovely complement to rich foods like Parmesan cheese, paté, slow-cooked meat sauce, French fries and mac and cheese–to name a few. I’ve been regularly sprinkling the salt over fried eggs on Saturday mornings and can’t wait to try it on my go-to oven fries.

But last weekend, I had a mini revelation: truffle isn’t limited to rich applications. It is unexpected and delightful in a raw salad. At a family dinner at West Town Tavern, my sister and I ordered a seasonal salad that combined thinly sliced fennel, radish, truffle oil and lemon. The very next day, emboldened by a new application for my truffle salt, I picked up a few fennel bulbs, a lemon and a head of Bibb lettuce.

The results were surprising and truly delicious. The punch of citrus, the fruity olive oil and the slight anise flavor of the fennel married well with the rich, savory truffle salt. And the tender Bibb leaves created a slight texture contrast.

If you can’t find truffle salt, you can swap out truffle oil for the extra virgin olive oil.

Bibb and fennel salad with lemon and truffle

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Truffle salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 medium fennel bulb, top removed and cored
1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves washed and torn

Method: Whisk together the oil, lemon, salt and pepper until combined. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Place the onion in a strainer and run under cold water for 30 seconds. This will help rinse away some of its sharpness. Dry thoroughly. Remove any brown outer layers from the fennel and slice very thinly.

Toss the vegetables with the dressing, top the salad with another sprinkle of truffle salt and serve immediately.

The two dogs wait patiently for turkey

A perfectly savory spread: olives, marinated mushrooms, salami, prosciutto and gougeres

Bread and assorted cheeses

Thanksgiving at my parents’ house is a daylong eating marathon. Like any long race, it has its highlights (Mom’s sausage stuffing) and lulls, upsets (such as the year underdog canned cranberry sauce vanquished the gorgeous homemade cranberries with orange peel) and victories. The marathon begins at around 11, when the family starts filtering in. The first 20 minutes are a sort of frenzied blur, as my sister, mom and I carefully prep and arrange the appetizers on the prettiest platters we can find, stuffing in bites of everything except the fresh vegetables. When all the snacks have been plated with the proper garnishes an hour or so later, we have lost interest and moved on to the first cocktail of the day, having had our fill of food long before anyone else even got a look at it.

The rest of the day continues much like this–in gluttonous fits and starts. The big meal, which is always scheduled for 3 pm, inevitably gets pushed back as it falls much too close to another snacking frenzy. And although all of us insist we’re far too full for dessert right after the meal, by around 7 pm a craving for a little sweet miraculously appears. I suppose we could try to pace ourselves a bit better, but there’s something really freeing about the reckless way we eat on Thanksgiving.

Naturally when planning my three appetizer contributions, green stuff didn’t factor into the equation. I knew there would be some sort of vegetable platter to counter whatever salty, fatty noshes I came up with. Plus, when else but Thanksgiving is it perfectly acceptable to bring three brown appetizers? I have gone the primarily savory route with all three of my snacks because my family is decidedly a savory one. When given the choice between overeating savory appetizers or depriving ourselves to allow more room for dessert, we almost always choose the former. Maybe that says more about our self-control than our preference, but I still maintain that we prefer savory.

All of these noshes can be prepared ahead of time, which makes them ideal for a family holiday, since you won’t be taking up any of that coveted oven or counter space. These snacks can be plated quite prettily too, so you can work them into any holiday table.

Thanksgiving appetizer project, phase 1: Herbed spiced almonds and cashews
Start time 8 pm, Tuesday, Nov. 22

I almost wish I had prepared these three or four days in advance instead of two. In my opinion, they just get better and better with each passing day.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (about 2 cups) raw unsalted mixed nuts (I did almonds and cashews)

Method: Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium saucepan, heat everything except the nuts for 2 to 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar melt and the herbs become fragrant. Toss the mixture with the nuts to combine.

Spread the nuts out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake for about 12 minutes (tossing after the first 6 or 7 minutes) until the nuts look golden and your house smells like slightly spicy Christmas potpourri.

Allow the nuts to cool completely. They can be prepared up to 4 days ahead of time.

Thanksgiving appetizer project, phase 2: Bacon-wrapped breadsticks
Start time 9 pm, Wednesday, Nov. 23

These are truly a crowd favorite. I learned the recipe when I worked for Now Serving, a catering company in LaGrange, Ill., in college. They couldn’t be easier to make, which is a good thing because they are almost always the first appetizer to go.

16 slices thin-cut bacon
2 cups light brown sugar
16 thin breadsticks, broken in half

Method: Preheat the oven to 350°F and position an oven rack in the middle. Cut the bacon strips in half. Sprinkle about 1 cup of brown sugar over a large plate or platter. Roll each strip of bacon generously in the brown sugar, and wrap it around the breadstick, leaving a small “handle” at the bottom. Place the finished bacon sticks on a rack fitted over a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil (trust me, the cleanup will be quite agonizing if you don’t line the pan–think sugar tar.)

Bake the breadsticks for 18 to 20 minutes, until the sugar has caramelized and the bacon has cooked. You may want to rotate the rack 180 degrees after the first 10 minutes to ensure even browning. Remove, and after about 5 minutes, rotate them to prevent them from sticking to the rack. Move to a platter once they’re cool enough to handle. Serve at room temperature.

Thanksgiving appetizer project, phase 3: Manchego and black pepper gougeres
Start time 10 pm, Wednesday, Nov. 23

These little one-bite puffs made from pâte à choux dough are typically made using the traditional Gruyère, but this time I wanted to try something a little different. The salty, nutty sheep’s milk Manchego and the subtle heat of lots of freshly ground black pepper makes these the perfect salty bite with a slight twist.

1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 or 5 large eggs
1 cup Manchego cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method: Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange racks in the upper and lower third. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

Combine milk, butter, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Drop the heat to low, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously until well incorporated. Cook, stirring constantly, until the dough no longer sticks to the bottom of the pan, about 3 to 5 minutes.

One way to know it’s done is if you shake the pan vigorously the dough should come together and form a large ball.

Transfer the dough to a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat in eggs one at a time on medium-low speed, incorporating each one completely before adding the next.

You might not need all your eggs to finish the dough. To test it, turn off the mixer, and streak your forefinger deeply through the dough. The dough should just come together to form a crease after you remove your finger. If the two sides stay separated, it isn’t quite ready. Begin using this little test after adding the fourth egg.

Reserving 3 tablespoons of Manchego, add the remaining Manchego and all of the Parmesan cheese to dough. Mix on low until incorporated.

Drop tablespoon-size rounds of dough on the prepared baking sheets, about 1/2 inch apart. Dab the top of each dough round with your finger after dipping it in water to smooth it out. Evenly sprinkle the reserved Manchego cheese over the top of each round.

Bake, rotating halfway through baking time, until puffed and golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes. Note: One mistake I’ve repeatedly made with gougeres is slightly underbaking them because I’ve judged based on the color of the outside of the pastry as it bakes rather than tearing one open to make sure the interior is fully cooked. The only way to prevent this mistake, unfortunately, is to sacrifice one or two to be sure the inside is done. The consolation is you can eat what you’ve sacrificed.

Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

I love eggs. To me, they are about as close to the perfect food as you can get. And what better way to enjoy the almost-perfect food than on a sandwich? My go-to recipe is a fried egg sandwich with bacon, good quality cheddar and arugula. But this morning I had some leftover smashed black beans to use up and a just ripe avocado on the counter, so I thought I’d prepare a scrambled egg torta using a fresh baguette from the bakery.

The recipe was inspired by a recent episode of chef Rick Bayless’ “Mexico: One Plate at a Time,” where he dedicated an entire day’s worth of recipes to the torta–starting with a scrambled egg torta with black bean spread, avocado and salsa.

I scrambled the eggs in butter with finely chopped red onion and added some of my favorite salsa just as the eggs were cooked. The smashed black beans were from the night before. You can find the recipe here. Tortas are a great way to use up leftover ingredients at any time of the day–from sautéed peppers and onions to that small end piece of your favorite cheese to shredded chicken or pork.

Scrambled egg torta

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon whole milk
1/2 cup good quality salsa
1 baguette
1 cup smashed black beans with garlic, warm
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Method: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat; add the red onion, salt and pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes until soft.

Meanwhile, whisk the milk into the beaten eggs and pour the mixture into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 6-7 minutes until done. At about 5 minutes, fold in the salsa. Check the eggs for seasoning, and adjust as needed.

Split the baguette in half, and smear both sides generously with black bean spread. Cut the avocado in half, and remove the seed. Scoop out the flesh one spoonful at a time and pile on top of the beans. Top with cilantro leaves and the eggs, and carefully close the sandwich.

Wrap the baguette in foil and slide into the oven for about 10 minutes, until the sandwich is warmed through and the outside of the bread is crisp. Remove the sandwich with tongs, and slice it into desired sizes. Serve immediately. Serves 2-3.

Learning to make yeast bread from a professional baker is one of those experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. What surprised me most was the emphasis on feel, rather than science and exact measurements. Yeast, like human beings, likes warm temperatures and needs food and water to live. Pressing dough with your finger will tell you whether it has been mixed enough or whether it’s rested long enough to be handled again. The tell of a great loaf of bread is its weight, feel and sound when squeezed. It’s these sorts of descriptions that resonate best with me because they can be acted out, and once you have the hang of them, they’re always the same. This takes the intimidation factor out of making yeast bread.

One complaint my husband and close friends have gotten tired of hearing is how much I hate baking bread in my home oven. Not only do home ovens not get nearly as hot as professional ones, but they also lack a system for injecting steam inside the oven during the first few minutes of baking, which makes for better browning of the crust and helps the dough rise.

Professional bakers swear by placing a soaked brick in the bottom of the oven to add moisture. Others recommend spritzing the inside walls of the oven with water just before sliding in the bread. I haven’t yet invested in a clean brick for bread endeavors–Sean frowned on my plan to take one from the demolished warehouse next door. And I forgot to buy a spray bottle at the grocery store when I was picking up bread flour, so I settled for spritzing the inside of the oven with an unplugged iron. It worked quite well in a pinch.

Regardless of whether you are using a lowly home oven spritzed with water from the iron, stone hearth or professional-grade convection oven, I think the best way to create delicious focaccia is to add a preferment to your dough. A preferment (also called a starter, sponge or biga) is a fully formed dough–made ahead of time from flour, yeast and water–that is added to bread dough just before kneading.

I promise, taking the time for this this small extra step will give your bread a much more complex flavor and that slightly tangy quality that is a signature of great artisan yeast breads.

Salt and rosemary speckled focaccia

I’ve done this recipe–as I do all my baked items–by weight because it’s much more accurate and a lot easier. If you haven’t already, invest $20 in a digital scale. It is a wonderful kitchen tool that will help you tackle those oh-so-exact baking recipes without fear.

Sponge:
6 ounces warm water
0.06 ounces active dry yeast
8 ounces bread flour
Dough:
1 pound 4 ounces bread flour, plus a handful more for kneading
14 ounces warm water
0.06 ounces active dry yeast
0.5 oz. salt
1 ounce good quality extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 tablespoons cracked sea salt or other coarse salt

Method: Mix together the ingredients for the sponge. Allow to ferment, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 8 to 16 hours.

Blend together the water, yeast and some of the flour in a standing mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Add the salt and preferment, and mix on medium speed until the dough becomes very elastic, about 7 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a counter sprinkled with flour, and knead for a few more minutes (the dough will be quite sticky at first). Press your finger lightly into the side of the dough, if it springs back, the dough is ready. If not, keep kneading until you’ve reached this point. Brush the inside of a large bowl with olive oil, place the dough inside and cover it with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Ferment in a warm place for about 1 hour (or until roughly double in size). Punch the dough down with your fist to de-gas it, turn it out onto the counter and cut it into 2 equal pieces.

Meanwhile, oil 2 sheet pans generously with olive oil. Stretch each piece of dough into the pans. Be patient; you might have to work a bit to get the dough spread out.

Allow the dough to ferment for another 30-45 minutes, until it has doubled in thickness once again. While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 400°F. using a pastry brush, spread the top generously with olive oil, and poke holes at even intervals all over the top with your fingers.

Sprinkle all over with salt and chopped rosemary.

Just before you’re ready to bake, spritz the interior walls of your oven with water. Slide in the pans, and bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Place on a rack to cool completely.

Note: If you want to store the bread longer than a day or two after cooling, cut it into the desired portion sizes, wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap then foil, and place in the freezer. The bread should maintain its quality up to 10 days or so. Thaw portions on the counter as you need them.

It’s funny. From reading my blog, you might get the sense that I’m not much of a soup person, since I haven’t posted many (if any?) soup recipes. But the truth is, it is one of my most favorite things. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved the idea of slurping up broth teeming with various kinds of meat, seafood, vegetables or starch. My dad always got a kick out of this, and whenever he took me out to eat, he’d ask the server what the soup of the day was. He’d then look at me with raised eyebrows. “Sound good?” he’d ask. I’d nod eagerly, and almost always order a bowl, not always sure what I was getting into. I have no doubt in my mind that this contributed considerably to my lifelong love affair with soup. It’s amazing how much of an effect your dad can have.

One thing that is so great about soup is it can play the part of appetizer, side or entrée, depending on the time of day and your level of peckishness. And vegetarian soups can be quite satisfying–though you can’t be afraid to add a little fat. In this case, the culprits are butter, a little sour cream and cheese. But you’ll find the end product to be quite light, yet hearty enough to fill you up when served with crusty bread for sopping. I often forget what a lovely surprise dill can be in tomato-based dishes–it’s far too often limited to applications like cucumber, salmon and lemon.

Resources used: Epicurious.com. Epicurious posted this recipe from a 1997 issue of Bon Appetit.

Leek, tomato and dill soup with shaved white cheddar

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (about 2 large leeks)
Salt and pepper, to taste
28 ounces tomato purée
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup light sour cream
4 ounces chilled sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced
Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish

Method: Heat oil and butter in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add leeks, salt and pepper, and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes.

Add the purée, broth, chopped dill and cayenne and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, about 20 minutes.

It’s during this time, when the thickened liquid is bubbling away and the aroma of simmering herbs and vegetables is filling the house, that a certain Penny the Peanut will take particular interest and place herself directly underfoot. Can you spot the Peanut?

Using an immersion blender or in batches in the food processor, purée the soup until smooth. Bring the soup back to a simmer over medium-low heat. Taste the soup for seasoning, and adjust as needed. Gradually whisk in the sour cream.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Arrange the shards of cheddar on top, and garnish with additional chopped fresh dill.