A Classic Cookie

I fought these cookies for a long time. I just couldn't come to terms with the thought of baking from the back of a package. I refused to believe that a recipe that public, that un-secret, could really be the best.




But since Nic is about to leave for a few months for work, I felt like I should indulge him and make the Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies. I drew the line at making Bisquick pancakes though. That was asking too much.

I don't know if these are the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever had, but they are definitely a classic taste. I resisted the urge to alter the recipe this time, but I think that next time I would like to try to make them with a bittersweet chocolate chip for a richer taste or a little extra salt to balance out the sweetness.


Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
From the back of the bag.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or try the bittersweet chips)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:
-In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
-Cream together the butter, sugars, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer (or by hand). Add the eggs one at a time until completely incorporated.
-With the mixer on low speed (or your arm moving slowly), slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until completely combined.
-Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts if using.
-Let the dough rest for an hour or up to overnight in the refrigerator. (The package does not say you have to do this, but I think most cookies benefit from this little trip to fridge.)
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-Scoop tablespoons of dough onto and ungreased baking sheet.
-Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until cookies are set in the center. Let cool on baking sheet for two minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way.
-Store in an airtight container. (If the cookies start to get hard, you can throw in a piece of white bread, they will get softer again. Again, the back of the package does not include this helpful hint. I include it free of charge.)

Eating Down the Fridge

If you've been following the food blogging trends as of late, you may have noticed this little challenge--to skip a week of grocery shopping and subsist on what you have in the fridge, freezer, and pantry. From what I can tell, it started over at eGullet at the end of February, where it was called "national eat the stuff in our freezers and pantries week." I've seen it mentioned on quite a few other blogs, but when I saw that A Mighty Appetite (Kim O'Donnel's Washington Post food blog) was hosting an "Eating Down the Fridge" week starting March 9, I thought it would be fun to participate.

And by fun, I mean I thought that if I was participating in an external challenge, I might be able to control my urge to stop at the moderately expensive grocer on the way home every day. I have to say, having this food blog has certainly exacerbated my grocery shopping habit. I can't tell you how many times I go to the store just to buy one or two (or ok, maybe ten) things just to make a particular recipe I've been wanting to try.

So this week I've been saving some money, rotating out some long-stashed food, and putting together some creative, if not blog-worthy, meals. And I haven't been to the grocery store for anything.

Thus far I've made the two loaves of bread, a chocolate-stout cake (which I planned to post, until I destroyed it while frosting it--delicious but hideous), tuna pasta salad, and pulled pork. I defrosted half of a pork shoulder that I've had in the freezer since the fall, rubbed it down with a brown sugar and spice mixture, and dropped it in the crock pot to cook while I was at work. I used about half of the pulled pork on these bar-b-que sliders, served on left over dinner rolls from last week that were getting dangerously close to the crouton stage.

Next week we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming.

When Two Become One, Part 2

This is the follow up to yesterday's post. Using the basic off-white sandwich bread recipe I posted yesterday, you can add a few ingredients to get this awesome cinnamon-raisin loaf. And if you want a loaf of each, instead of two loafs of one or the other, you can do that too with a little alteration.

Cinnamon-Raisin Bread
Adapted from the Bread Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Makes two loaves.

Ingredients:
one recipe of off-white sandwich bread
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs. sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon
one lightly beaten egg

Directions:
If you want to make both loaves cinnamon-raisin.
-Follow the directions for making the off-white sandwich bread. Mix in 1 cup of raisins when you mix in the milk-yeast mixture and the butter (after the starter is done fermenting).
-After the dough rises for the first time, fold it like a business letter once (see video here), then return it to its bowl and place it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
-Combine the cinnamon and the sugar in a small bowl.
-After an hour, divide the dough in half. Return one half to the fridge, and roll the other half out until it is a 7 by 14 inch rectangle. Brush with beaten egg, then sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 3/4 inch margin on all sides.
-Starting with a short side of the dough, roll the dough up tightly. Brush the top of the dough with egg and squeeze the dough gently with each roll so it will adhere to the filling. When you get to the end, pinch the dough to seal in the filling. Fold under the sides and pinch to seal.
-Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 8.5X4.5 in. loaf pan.
-Repeat with the second loaf.
-Cover both loaves with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise 1 to 2 hours or until the center is 1 1/2 inches higher than the sides of the pan. If you press the dough with your finger, it won't bounce back quickly.
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with one rack in the lowest possible position, and the other rack just above it. Place a baking sheet on each rack. (If you have a pizza stone, place that on the top rack.)
-Set the pans on the top baking sheet. Toss 1 cup of ice cubes into the baking sheet on the bottom rack and immediately shut the oven door. Bake for 50 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the internal temperature is 210 degrees. Halfway through, rotate the pans.
-Remove the bread from the oven and let it rest on a wire rack until cooled. Remove from the pan and cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing.

If you want to make one loaf of cinnamon-raisin and one loaf plain.
-Follow the off-white sandwich bread directions until after the first rise. When you scrape the dough out of the bowl to fold it, divide the dough in half. With half of the dough, proceed with the off-white sandwich bread directions (fold like a business letter twice, return to bowl, rise again, etc.) With the other half of the dough, gently incorporate 1/2 cup of raisins into the dough while folding the dough like a business letter once, then return to the bowl. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
-Combine 2 tsp. cinnamon and 3 tbs. sugar in a small bowl.
-After an hour, roll out the cinnamon-raisin dough until it is a 7 by 14 inch rectangle. Brush with beaten egg, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 3/4 inch margin on all sides.
-Starting with a short side of the dough, roll the dough up tightly. Brush the top of the dough with egg and squeeze the dough gently with each roll so it will adhere to the filling. When you get to the end, pinch the dough to seal in the filling. Fold under the sides and pinch to seal.
-Place the dough seam-side down in a greased 8.5X4.5 in. loaf pan.
-Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise 1 to 2 hours or until the center is 1 1/2 inches higher than the sides of the pan. If you press the dough with your finger, it won't bounce back quickly.
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with one rack in the lowest possible position, and the other rack just above it. Place a baking sheet on each rack. (If you have a pizza stone, place that on the top rack.)
-Set the pans on the top baking sheet (you can bake the off-white sandwich bread and the cinnamon-raisin at the same time). Toss 1 cup of ice cubes into the baking sheet on the bottom rack and immediately shut the oven door. Bake for 50 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the internal temperature is 210 degrees. Halfway through, rotate the pans.
-Remove the bread from the oven and let it rest on a wire rack until cooled. Remove from the pan and cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing.

When Two Become One, Part 1

I was never a fan of the Spice Girls, but I couldn't help but think that was a catchy title for this post. I was feeling crafty this weekend, so I decided to try to make two different kinds of bread from one dough: off-white sandwich bread and cinnamon-raisin bread. I mean if I'm going to work my way through four rises (including the starter), I might as well get as much out of it as possible.

I just started to get into baking bread, so I picked up some books at the library and decided to try a few loaves this weekend when I was relatively un-busy. I really liked the no-knead bread we made a few months ago, but I wanted to try something a little more practical. (And by practical, I mean something I wouldn't just tear chunks off of and eat while standing in the kitchen. Because now that I'm done marathon training for the time being, there is no excuse for that many carbs.) In the Bread Bible, I found a recipe for basic white sandwich bread, which made two loaves, that I figured I could adapt for the ingredients I had on hand (i.e. real not dry milk and active not instant yeast). After scanning through the rest of the book, I noticed that the cinnamon-raisin bread recipe was almost identical up until the point where you add the raisins (duh), so I decided to try to divide the dough and make both.




I was really impressed with the results, especially the sandwich bread--which became off-white because 1) I ran out of white flour, and 2) I always feel better about myself when I use a little wheat flour in my baking. The sandwich bread was amazingly soft, softer than any store-bread I have bought in a long time, but that might be because I only buy the whole-wheat stuff that is sort of like cardboard. It also has great flavor, due in part to that wheat flour I threw in.

The cinnamon-raisin loaf was also delicious, but my method for incorporating the raisins was a little flawed. Because I only wanted raisins in half the dough, I waited to add them until right before I formed that half of the dough into a loaf, instead of mixing them in between the starter and the first rise. I tried to just sprinkle them on with the cinnamon sugar and roll them up, but I think it would have looked better and the raisins would have been better distributed if I had kneaded them into the dough. So you go ahead and do that.

All-in-all, I think this is a pretty solid, basic bread recipe. The results were great, even if the process was a little fussy. I'll definitely use it again--next time I might try dried apricot and cardamom instead of the cinnamon raisin--but if I want to ever get to the point where I make all my own bread, I'm going to have to find a technique with fewer steps.

I'll post how to turn this sandwich bread into cinnamon-raisin bread tomorrow, along with instructions on how to make a loaf of each from the same dough.

Off-White Sandwich Bread
Adapted from the Bread Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum
Makes two loaves.

Ingredients:
for the starter
1 3/4 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)
2 tbs. plus 1 tsp. honey
3/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups plus 2 1/2 tbs. all-purpose flour

for the dough
2 cups plus 3 tbs. bread flour (you could substitute all-purpose, it will change the texture slightly)
1/4 cup skim milk, scalded (brought to a simmer), then cooled to 105-115 degrees
3/4 tsp. active dry yeast
9 tbs. unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 tsp. salt

Equipment:
twp 8.5X4.5 in. loaf pans, lightly greased with cooking spray
two baking sheets
stand mixer, fitted with a dough hook (this could probably also be done in a food processor, but I haven't tested it myself yet, you could also do it by hand but that's just insanity)

Directions:
-In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water and the honey, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast froths. If the yeast doesn't get foamy, dump it out and start over with new yeast.
-Add the 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 1/4 cups plus 2 1/2 tbs. all-purpose flour to the yeast mixture in the bowl, and whisk until very smooth to incorporate air, about two minutes. The starter will be the consistency of pancake batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
-Sprinkle the 2 cups plus 3 tbs. bread flour (or all-purpose flour) on top of the starter. DO NOT MIX. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 1 to 4 hours. After the first hour, the starter can be put in the refrigerator to ferment overnight. The sponge will bubble up through the loose flour as time goes on, like in the picture above.

-After the starter is finished fermenting, take the scalded milk (105 to 115 degrees) and sprinkle the 3/4 tsp. yeast on top of it. Let it set for 5 minutes until foamy.
-Add the milk-yeast mixture and the butter to the dough and mix with the dough hook on low speed for 1 minute or until the dough is well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
-Add the salt to the dough and knead the dough on medium speed for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. The dough should be smooth, shiny, and slightly sticky. If it is not stiff, add a little flour. If it is not sticky, add a little water.
-Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. With an oiled spatula, scrape the dough into the bowl. Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray (or lightly oil), cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at warm room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.

-When the dough has doubled, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Flour your hands. Gently form the dough into a rectangle. Try not to deflate it. Pull the dough out to make it into a longer rectangle, then fold it like a business letter. Pull the dough out the opposite way, and fold it like a business letter a second time. (This video demonstrates the folding process quickly.)
-Set the dough back into the container, oil the surface, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for another 1 to 2 hours, until doubled.

-When the dough is done the second rise, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half.
-Shape each half into a loaf by pressing it into a wide rectangle with the long side facing you. Press down on the dough with your fingertips to deflate any large bubbles. Fold over the right side of the dough to just past the center. Fold over the left side of the dough to just overlap it. Press the overlapped section to seal the dough.
-Starting at the top of the dough, roll it over three or four times until it reaches the bottom edge of the dough. With each roll, push the dough away from you slightly on the counter to tighten the outer skin of the dough.
-If the loaf is not as wide as the pan, roll it back and forth with your hands working gradually from the center to the edges to widen it. Tuck the sides under, and place in the loaf pan.
-Spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover each loaf. Allow to rise until the center of the loaf is about 1 inch above the side of the pan, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When you press the dough with your finger, the dough will not spring back quickly.

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with one rack in the lowest possible position, and the other rack just above it. Place a baking sheet on each rack. (If you have a pizza stone, place that on the top rack.)
-Set the pans on the top baking sheet. Toss 1 cup of ice cubes into the baking sheet on the bottom rack and immediately shut the oven door. Bake for 50 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the internal temperature is 210 degrees. Halfway through, rotate the pans.
-Remove the bread from the oven and let it rest on a wire rack until cooled. Remove from the pan and cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing.

Stout Braised Short Ribs

All winter I have been looking at recipes for braised short ribs. On blogs, in magazines, everywhere. I kept intending to make them, but I kept putting it off. And the longer I put it off, the more my mind formed an idea of what these braised short ribs would taste like.

Now I know it is ridiculous, but I feel like braised short ribs tricked me. Don't get me wrong they were delicious, they just weren't what I was expecting. And what was I expecting exactly? Well, something closer to bar-b-que. Yes, I do know that this makes no sense. Yes, I realize that if I had simply looked at the ingredient list of the braised short rib recipe I decided on, I would have known that there was no way those ingredients were going to come together to form something like bar-b-que.

What can I say, I guess I just spent too much time thinking about these ribs before I made them. Luckily the people I fed them to hadn't thought about them at all before, so they seemed to enjoy them a lot.

Luckily, even though they weren't what I expected, they were delicious. The flavors in the dry rub bring a sweet and slightly smoky flavor to the meat, and the long braise really makes the meat very tender. The recipe suggested making them a day ahead, then reheating before serving, which really helps the flavors soak into the meat. This is also makes it easier to skim off some of the fat from the surface. These are great served with some fluffy mashed potatoes. (And you know, something green on the side, so you feel better about all the beef and potatoes.)


Stout Braised Short Ribs
Adapted from Gourmet, January 2007

Ingredients:
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tbs. paprika (not hot)
1 tbs. curry powder (preferably Madras)
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp dry mustard or 3 tsp. dijon mustard
4 to 4 1/2 lb. beef short ribs, cut into 4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped (2 cups)
3 tbs. olive oil
4 medium carrots, chopped (2 cups)
3 celery ribs, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
1/4 cup chopped garlic (5 to 6 large cloves)
1 3/4 cups beef broth (14 oz)
2 (12-oz) bottles stout such as Guinness
2 (14- to 15-oz) cans diced tomatoes

Equipment:
6-qt heavy nonreactive pot with a lid (mine was smaller, and it barely fit)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-Combine brown sugar, paprika, curry powder, cumin, pepper, salt, and mustard in a small bowl.
-Pat ribs dry and arrange in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan or a shallow dish, then generously coat all sides of ribs with spice mixture. Marinate, uncovered and chilled, 1 hour.
-Heat oil in pot over high heat until hot and quickly brown ribs on all 3 meaty sides (but not bone side) without crowding, in batches if necessary, about 1 minute per side. Transfer meat to a large plate.
-Add onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves to pot and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
-Add broth, beer, and tomatoes with their juice, then add ribs with any juices and remaining spices accumulated on plate and bring liquid to a boil, uncovered. Cover pot and transfer to oven, then braise until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
-Skim off excess fat from surface of sauce. Discard bay leaves.

NOTES: Short ribs improve in flavor if braised 1 day ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat, covered, in a 350°F oven until hot, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Soft Pretzels

These are my new favorite thing to make. I know this because I made them twice in one week. And I have every intention of making them again this weekend. They are that good.

If you are from a city that has good soft pretzels, you probably don't need to know how to make them at home. But if you grew up in one of these soft-pretzel-topias, then moved away, then this recipe is for you. These will satisfy your soft pretzel needs.

The first batch I made, I ended up eating 3/4 of the pretzels myself (I let Nic have a little bit) in three days. If you're wondering, that is about 2 large pretzels a day, on average. What I'm saying is, if you really love soft pretzels, then these are not something you want to make when you're on a diet.

I've made these pretzels two ways now. The first time I made them the suggested way, by dividing the dough in 8 pieces, and making 8 large, doughy pretzels. They were amazing. The second time I was making the pretzels for a get-together, and I thought something a little smaller would be more appropriate, so I divided the dough in 16 pieces, and made smaller versions of the pretzels. These were also good, but I think I preferred the larger pretzels because they had a better ratio of doughy inside to crisp outside, for my taste.

Either way they're great. Next time I think I am going to try making them into pretzel bites (ala the movie theater, with molten cheese on the side, mmmm.) I also have some big plans for hot dogs wrapped in pretzel dough.


Soft Pretzels
Adapted from Alton Brown, 2007
Makes 8 large or 16 small pretzels

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 tbs. sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
22 oz. all-purpose flour (4 1/2 cups)
2 oz. unsalted butter, melted (1/2 stick)
vegetable oil
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tbs. water
pretzel salt (or sea salt or kosher salt)

Equipment:
stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment

Directions:
-Combine the water, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. (If the mixture doesn't foam, throw it out and start over with new yeast.)
-Add the flour and butter to the mixer bowl. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low until well combine. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 4 to 5 minutes.
-Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and sit in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in side.
-Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper, set aside.
-Bring 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an saucepan.
-In the meantime, turn the dough onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces (or 16 equal pieces for small pretzels). Roll out each piece of dough into a 24 inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U to form a pretzel shape. Place on parchment lined sheet pan.
-One by one, drop the pretzels into the boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water with a spatula or a slotted spoon and return them to the sheet pan. Brush the top of each pretzel with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with pretzel salt. If you don't have pretzel salt, use sea salt or kosher salt.
-Bake until dark golden brown in colors, approximately 12-14 minutes (10-12 minutes for smaller pretzels). Transfer to a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then serve warm.

NOTE: These can be flash frozen after the baking soda bath, then stored in ziploc bags in the freezer. Defrost before continuing with the recipe. They don't taste as amazing as they do fresh, but they're still great.

Key Lime Pie

I know I've said this a million times (or maybe five), but I'm not much of a dessert person. So when I was having people over for dinner Saturday night, I let my friend Jeff who was visiting from out of town decide what to make for dessert. He immediately suggested key lime pie, and luckily I had just noticed a recipe in this month's Gourmet magazine. Unluckily, it required us squeezing 2 lbs. of itty bitty limes. And by "us" I mean Jeff and his girlfriend Kat. I delegated that task. I'm a good kitchen manager.

Other than the lime squeezing, the pie came together pretty easily. Since it has to chill for eight hours, it can be made well ahead of dinner, so it's not in the way while everything else is cooking. The flavor was great--really, really tart. I liked the almonds in the graham cracker crust. They added a nice crunchy texture. I served the pie with homemade slightly sweetened whipped cream, which I highly recommend to balance out the tartness of the pie. I wouldn't have been able to eat the pie by itself, and I like sour things. Next time I think I will add a blackberry puree drizzle to compliment the lime too.

Key Lime Pie
Adapted from Gourmet, March 2009, originally from Town Hall Restaurant, San Francisco

Ingredients:
7 (5"X2 1/2" graham crackers, broken into small pieces
3/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
zest of 2 key limes, grated on a microplane
1 cup fresh key lime juice (from about 2 lbs. fresh key limes)
4 large egg yolks
2 drops green food coloring for color (optional)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle. Butter a 9 inch pie plate.
-Pulse almonds in a food processor until finely chopped. Add graham crackers and sugar and pulse until they are a fine crumb.
-Transfer crumb mixture to a bowl and mix with melted butter.
-Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and side of pie plate.
-Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely. (Leave the oven on.)
-Gently whisk together filling ingredients (sweetened condensed milk, lime zest, lime juice, egg yolks, and food coloring, if using) in a medium bowl until smooth and pour into cooled crust.
-Bake 15 to 20 minutes until just set in center. (It will still appear jiggly, the filling will set as it cools.)
-Cool completely on rack, then chill pie loosely covered in the refrigerator at least 8 hours.

Note: Pie can be chilled up to 2 days.

Tilapia Ceviche

I don't usually test recipes before I serve them to company. There are just way too many recipes I want to try, and my friends don't like to venture across the Potomac that often. (Moving to Northern Virginia is D.C.'s equivalent of moving to Brooklyn from Manhattan.) But even though I don't test recipes, I try to stick to ones that I feel relatively confident making. So I was a little nervous when Nic said he wanted to make ceviche for the friends we were having over Saturday night.

We've both eaten a lot of ceviche, but I had never made anything like it at home before. Now that I have, I think I will be serving it a lot more. It is really easy to throw together, most of the time it is just sitting in the refrigerator. Ceviche is the perfect appetizer because it can be prepared well ahead of time and dished out right before serving, leaving you free to pull together the rest of your meal (which if you're like me, is essential, since I normally underestimate how long this takes by at least 45 minutes).


The most important part of the ceviche I think is getting a very fresh fish. I sent Nic to the Whole Foods fish counter to request their freshest fish, and that is how we ended up with the tilapia. The type of citrus that you use can also really alter the flavor of the ceviche. This time we used mostly lemon (because that was cheapest), but I think it would be interesting to try a lime and grapefruit combination. I'm looking forward to trying other combinations of fish, citrus, and other flavors soon.

Tilapia Ceviche
10 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh tilapia filets, cut into 1/4 inch slices
juice of 9 large lemons
juice of 3 limes
juice of 1 orange
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
handful of fresh cilantro
1 tbs. olive oil
salt
1 to 2 avocados, chopped
3 green onions, green parts chopped (optional)

Directions:
-Place tilapia, citrus juice, onion, jalapeno, garlic and cilantro in a glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for 6 to 7 hours. When the tilapia is "cooked" it will be opaque and will flake fairly easily. Most of the citrus will be absorbed.
-Take the tilapia out of the bowl and shred it into small pieces. In a clean bowl, mix together the tilapia, olive, oil and salt to taste.
-Take the onion, jalapeno, garlic and cilantro, out of the bowl and roughly chop together.
-Divide onion mixture between 10 small dishes. Top onion mixture with tilapia ceviche, divided evenly between dishes. Garnish with a generous amount of avocado and some green onion.
-Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

I love gnocchis. When I was growing, gnocchi night was such a treat. There were never any leftovers. My dad would carefully dole out even portions to all of us, and my brothers and I ate really fast hoping we could get seconds.

Nic does not share my love of gnocchis. He's tried them a few times, and he thinks they are a slimey, doughy mess. When I said I wanted to make sweet potato gnocchis, he was not excited.

This was my second attempt at gnocchis. My first attempt (at regular potato gnocchis) really was a slimey, doughy mess. The sweet potato gnocchis turned out much better, which is good since I made them for dinner Saturday when I had a bunch of friends over.

I have to say, I think I prefer plain gnocchis still, but these are still pretty good, and the sweet potato flavor is really strong. Oddly enough, Nic really liked these. Of course the brown butter and sage "sauce" doesn't hurt. Make sure you cut the gnocchis on the small side. The texture will be better that way. Mine turned out a little too doughy in the center because they were too big. Also try to use as little flour as necessary to allow the sweet potato flavor to really stand out.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Adapted from Bon Appetit, December 2005
Makes 10-12 servings

Ingredients:
2 1 lb. sweet potatoes, pierced all over with fork
12 oz. (1 1/2 cups) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup finely grated Romano cheese (about 3 oz.) (original recipe calls for Parmesan)
2 tbs. (packed) golden brown sugar
2 tsp. plus 2 tablespoons salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
2 3/4 cups (about) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 tbs. chopped fresh sage

Directions:
-Place sweet potatoes on a plate and microwave on high until tender, turning occasionally, 5-8 minutes.
-Let the potatoes rest until they are cool enough to handle. Cut in half, scoop out the flesh, and mash it in a medium bowl.
-Transfer 3 cups of mashed sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Add ricotta cheese and stir until combined.
-Add Romano cheese, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg and mash to blend.
-Mix in flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until soft dough forms.
-Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide into 6 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky.
-Cut ropes into one inch pieces. Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
-Bring large pot of water to boil; add 2 tablespoons salt and return to boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to clean rimmed baking sheet. Cool completely. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
-When ready to serve the gnocchi: Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are brown and have toasty aroma, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add chopped sage and season with salt and pepper.
-Add half of gnocchi to the brown butter-sage sauce. Sauté until gnocchi are heated through, about 6 minutes.
-Remove gnocchi from sauce with a slotted spoon and transfer to a serving dish. Repeat with remaining gnocchi.

Note: Gnocchi can be frozen after they are boiled and cooled, make sure they are dry. Thaw, then continue with recipe as indicated.

Romano Cheese Pull-Apart Rolls

My great-grandmother (Grandmom Julie) used to make cheese bread every Easter. She would mix mounds of flour with piles of freshly grated Romano cheese right on the table top, adding the wet ingredients into a little well in the center. When she baked the big circular loaves, the entire house filled with a cheesy aroma. My favorite part of Easter was going to her house for a slice of cheese bread and a hard boiled egg (died the strangest colors, colors I don't think could come from the packet of food die.) My mom has tried to make it a few times since she passed away, but it is hard to replicate. Maybe her table top doesn't have the same seasoning effect.

I haven't tried to make Grandmom Julie's cheese bread yet, but when I bit into these rolls, they instantly reminded me of it. These rolls are light and airy (where Grandmom Julie's cheese bread was dense). The cheese flavor is also a little more subdued in these rolls, although I suppose you could amp it up by adding more cheese. I usually only make rolls or bread when we have company coming for dinner--because I'm afraid I'll eat the entire batch myself if I make it otherwise--but these are so wonderful, I might start making a half batch for myself every week.

Romano Cheese Pull-Apart Rolls
Adapted from Gourmet, February 2009

The original recipe calls for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but I prefer Romano. Asiago or another strong, hard cheese would probably also work.

Ingredients:
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. honey (or sugar)
2/3 cup warm milk (105 to 115 degrees), divided
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tbsp. for sprinkling
1 1/4 cups finely grated Romano cheese (1 1/3 oz.)
1 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
5 tbs. unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbs. pieces and softened
1 tbs. water

Directions:
-Stir together honey and 1/3 cup of warm milk in a the bowl of a stand mixer, and sprinkle yeast on top. Let stand until the yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. If the yeast doesn't foam, dump it out and start over with new yeast.
-Whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, cheese, and salt. With mixer on low, add flour mixture to yeast mixture along with the remaining 1/3 cup milk.
-Increase mixer speed to medium and beat in 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
-Beat, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, until a soft dough forms, about 3 minutes.
-Beat in butter, one tbs. at a time. Beat until dough is elastic, about 2 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.)
-Scrape dough into center of bowl, sprinkle with remaining 2 tbs. flour, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at warm room temperature intil doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
-Punch down dough (do not knead) and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball by cupping your hand and pushing dough against work surface as you roll in a circular motion.
-Arrange rolls 1 inch apart in a buttered 9 inch cake pan or spring form pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth), and let dough rise until doubled in size and dough fills pan, 1 to 1/2 hours.
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in middle.
-Whisk together remaining egg with water and brush on top of rolls. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
-Cool rolls on a rack at least 20 minutes.

Notes: Rolls are best fresh out of the oven. They can be frozen for up to one month. Thaw, then reheat on a baking sheet in 350 degree oven until warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes. (I didn't try this myself, but Gourmet says it will work.)