It's no iPad

But I'm thrilled with my new set up in the kitchen. The cookbook stand I had to have on our wedding registry would have done me no good, considering I find 99% of my recipe inspiration online, discussed in other blogs. So now I can pull something up on the laptop and have it displayed instantly on the countertop. Questions, conversions, substitutions can be Googled. Welcome to the kitchen of the FUTURE.

I guess our new Joy of Cooking is going to remain uncracked unless there is a power outage. Though I hear there's a ton of recipes in there.

Basics: Granola Bars

For our friends who currently would prefer a life sentence of indentured servitude to an afternoon in the kitchen, we present a series on our staple recipes. Most are simply basic formulas that offer the opportunity to customize and call your own. Seriously, every cook should have these babies in their arsenal.

Most weekday mornings I wake up knowing what I will eat for breakfast that day.  There is no real effort, no back and forth, it is set in my mind and acted on like routine.  Mostly because I eat the exact same thing for weeks, if not months on end, until one day I wake up with a new breakfast idea as if I dreamed it. My breakfasts toggle back and forth between toast, with either peanut butter and jam or honey, and yougurt with granola.  Both come with fruit.  Occasionally when I'm feeling wild I have a box-long affair with cereal.

Finally, finally one night I made these granola bars. See, I've been thinking about them ever since Nic and I did an experiment way back in 2009. We wanted to make granola bars, and we wanted them in two different flavors.  So we spent one afternoon mixing, toasting, tasting, chopping, adding more and more liquid until we grew tired of fussing and threw them in the oven.  What came out were rather interesting, one flavor was the clear winner, while the other tasted like...ooo it was bad. At least now I know the combination of dried apricots and peanut butter do not make food love in my mouth. They also didn't form into bars, they just kind of crumbled into clusters of granola.

This time I had clear goals: actual bars and tasty flavor. Not too much to ask.  I used what I had that sounded good- almond butter, maple syrup and a splash of vanilla. This recipe is just a formula- use whatever nuts, fruits, nut butters, flavorings you desire.  Old fashioned oats are necessary, but you can add flax seeds, wheat germ, or another grain as long as you decrease the oats a bit. Mix and match to your heart's content, and if you hit on a good combination let me know!

Granola Bars

Makes 12

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 walnuts

1/2 almonds

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup natural almond butter

1/4 brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup dried apricots

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 8x8 pan with foil.

2. Spread oats and nuts evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10-15 minutes. Use your nose as a guide- if you smell it, its done.

3. While oat mixture is toasting, combine maple syrup, almond butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and vanilla in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Once throughly combined, reduce heat to low or turn off.

4.  Once oats are through toasting, transfer to a large bowl and add dried fruit.  Add maple syrup mixture and stir to combine throughly.

5.  Spread mixture into prepared pan, and using a heavy bottomed glass or wooden spoon, press the mixture tightly into the pan.

6.  Bake for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool completely.

Sautéed Broccoli with Lemon and Almonds

 

Ask The Momma, I was a kid totally opposed to all forms of green plant matter, especially broccoli. But with aged taste buds, I can finally appreciate the nutty goodness a sauté can bring out of this pretty winter staple.

The very easiest way to prepare broccoli is to steam it. It also happens to be the most boring. Browning the florets in hot olive oil sears in flavor, but as with any preparation of broccoli be aware of the dreaded over cook. I suggest you even err on the side of undercooked/crunchy, rather than allowing it to cook to mush.

Another way to fight mush is to be sure your sauteing oil is sizzling hot BEFORE you add vegetation. Never allow oil to come up to temperature with your ingredients wallowing about, as some of the oil will be absorbed into the broccoli resulting in greasy limp torture devices instead of proud, at-attention florets. Follow this simple advice and you'll never be forced straight to bed without dessert.

Sautéed Broccoli with Lemon and Almonds
Serves 3-4

Small glug of olive oil
1 head broccoli, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon, about 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons of crushed or chopped almonds
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Toast almonds by heating small skillet on medium high and add crushed almonds, removing the pan from heat after only 30 seconds. Allow nuts to sit in warm pan another 1 minutes, then remove them from the pan to stop the toasting process.

2. Heat the skillet on medium high, adding a drizzle of olive oil when pan is warmed. Add broccoli only when olive oil has come up to temperature.

3. Sauté broccoli for 5 minutes, stirring only once or twice. Over-stirring will not allow it to brown.

4. Add toasted almonds to broccoli, then lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. Cook 30 more seconds and serve.

Variations:

• Add a few red pepper flakes into the olive oil as it goes from warm to hot, the spice will release into the oil
• Sauté chopped garlic in the oil before adding the broccoli
  
• Grate Parmesan or a nutty cheese onto broccoli to garnish
  
• Use toasted walnuts or pine nuts instead
  

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Like all good Texans, my mom and I share an affinity for Tex-Mex.  In particular we love chicken tortilla soup.  So when we searched for activities to do over Christmas break, when a Tex-Mex cooking class at Central Market popped up, we jumped at the opportunity. The menu for the class consisted of fresh salsa, steak quesadillas, tortilla soup and sopapillas.  While we have both made most of those before, it was a great chance to learn new recipes, have something fun to do the day after Christmas, and stuff ourselves silly.

Those are the spices taking a moment to toast with the onions and garlic before adding more liquid ingredients.

One night early last week, I needed a meal that I could stretch into several to bring for lunches. So I made this soup and ate it every day for a few days, with tortillas that I quickly toasted over an open flame. Delish.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Serves 8-10
Adapted from Central Market Cooking School
Note: hominy is dried corn soaked in lye water to remove the hull.  Which results in large, white chewy kernels of corn with good, corny flavor. It is commonly found in the Hispanic isle of the grocery store.

1 onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 28 oz can tomatoes, with juices
2 cups chicken stock
1 4 oz can green chiles
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can hominy, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked chicken
Tortilla chips

Optional garnishes:
lime juice
green onions
cheddar cheese
avocado

1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium low heat.
2. Small dice onion and add to pot.  Cook, stirring occasionally until translucent, about 5-7 min.
3. Finely chop garlic, add to onions. Add spices, salt and pepper, saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute to release flavor.
4. Add tomatoes with their juices and stock. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5. Stir in chiles, beans, hominy and chicken. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
6. Ladle soup into bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips and any garnishes that sound good.

Macarons

Ya'll.

Look at what I did.

Well, with plenty of certified help.

My Christmas present from Nic and Mr. J was to attend a macaron class January 17th, given by the lovely macaron guru, Helen of Tartelette. And boy howdy it was awesome.  Macarons are something I seen making waves around the foodie blogs, and I think they're beautiful.  But I've never A. made them or B. even eaten them.  So this class was going to be all new to me.

And let me tell you, it was quite the learning experience, wrapped up with snacks, champagne, plenty of other Atlanta bloggers of all varieties (even one from Raleigh!) and soaking up any tips, tricks and blog hints I could.  This was all part of the Sugar Coma weekend, as put on by The Broke Socialite, Atlanta's guide to fabulous. Being in the company of such talented women made me think about the serious duty I have to this blog.  I also got the scoop on what it's like to be a famous blogger (and many of you are, though you deny it), creep and mean fans, and the best commentary I've heard on Hoarders to date.

The star of the day were our hosts, Atl's Running with Tweezers Tami, Tartelette's Helen, and Anatomy of a Dinner Party's Patti.  I also met so many wonderful Atlanta bloggers, the Blissful Glutton, Bakerella, Hopeless Foodie, the Frugal Hostess, ATL_Events, Ultra Foodie who all taught me so much. I don't have many pictures from that day, as my pictures didn't turn out so well. My little point and shoot had some serious camera envy when everyone else whipped out their amazing machines.

My first macaron experience, with traditional almond flavored shells and chocolate ganache filling was...incredible.  Light, crunchy cookies with meringue-y insides and truffle like centers. Oh baby. Macarons have kind of a bad rap for being temperamental and difficult, but after Helen's directions, tips and tricks I know I can make these again easily.  And when I do, then I will definitely share it with you.

Here's one for the road.

Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Brioche

We may not be ladies who lunch, but I have to tell you, we f-ing brunch with the best of 'em. After spotting this on the Kitchn, I assumed it would be the perfect way to celebrate one of the ladies birthdays, since it was billed as a 'coffee cake' and all. But don't be fooled - this is no streusel topped coffee cake. No, this is yeasty, citrus-scented, glazed brioche.

The 'pull apart' effect is pretty neat, but not exactly practical for diving into barehanded when it is covered with sticky sweet icing [though that didn't stop us vultures]. Next time, I will almost certainly just roll the dough up into a log instead of this complicated layering business. I'd bet almost any shape would work, in fact, I was successful in shaping a little bun to leave behind with my honeybun.

My bun got a bit too crisy, should have only baked it 20-25 minutes

The original recipe, in addition to being unnecessarily complicated, calls for whole milk, setting off the omg fat fat fat! alarm. But not just that; I am decidedly opposed to purchasing entire cartons of said milk [or cream] for just a few tablespoons. So our usual 1% went in without consequence.

Also, WARNING, you may want to make the dough the night before. The yeast is going to require rise time, and if this is destined for brunch, it's going to be an early morning. Instructions below allow for the dough to be made and risen the night before, refrigerated, proofed and baked the next morning all in time form noon arrival at brunch.

Simplified Lemon-Scented Pull-Apart Brioche
Adapted from Flo Braker's Baking for All Occasions

For the sweet yeast dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
*plus about 3/4 cup all-purpose flour to be added in during mixing
1/4 cup brown (or white) sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk, fat content of your tolerance
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature

For the lemon paste filling
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (3 lemons)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the tangy cream cheese icing
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Make the sweet yeast dough
1. Stir together ONLY the first 2 cups of flour, the sugar, the yeast, and the salt in the bowl of a stand mixer; set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk and butter over low heat just until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat, add the water and vanilla, and set aside to cool a bit, about 1 minute.

3. Pour the milk mixture over the flour-yeast mixture and mix with a rubber spatula until the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.

4. Attach the bowl and paddle attachment to the mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stop the mixer, add the remaining flour, and resume mixing on low speed until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky, about 2 minutes.

5. Sprinkle a work surface with flour and knead the dough gently until smooth and no longer sticky, about 1 minute. Add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons flour only if necessary to lessen the stickiness.

6. Place the dough in a large bowl and cover securely to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for the next step. Feel free to refrigerate overnight if desired.

Make the lemon paste filling
1. Mix together the sugar, lemon and orange zests. Set the sandy-wet mixture nearby (the sugar draws out moisture from the zests to create the consistency).

2. Melt the butter, only when ready to assemble and bake the bread. (Do not mix with zest/sugar)

Make the coffee cake (see photo montage above for visual guidance)

1. After rising, or the next morning, dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll it out into a 20-by-12-inch rectangle.

2. Brush the melted butter generously over the dough.

3. Here is where you can choose how to shape the final product. Should you wish to keep it simple, just sprinkle the dough with the sugar/zest mixture and roll it up into a log, fitting it into a greased 9x5" loaf pan.

Alternatively, to make the pull-apart effect, cut the dough into 10 even rectangles and sprinkle each with the sugar/zest mixture. It will cut more easily than you think, especially if still a bit chilled from overnight refrigeration. Stack the rectangles and slice through the stack lengthwise to create 20 strips. Fit these into tightly into your greased 9x5" loaf pan, possibly cutting more layers if necessary. Don't worry about it being quite short, this bread will puff right out of the pan upon baking.

3. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until puffy and almost doubled in size, 30 to 50 minutes. Press the dough gently with a fingertip. If the indentation remains, the dough is ready for baking.

4. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. 

5. Bake the coffee cake until the top is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. If you want to be sure the inside is cooked, poke the bread with an instant read thermometer. The inside will read 200° when done. Let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

Make the tangy cream cheese icing
1. In a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the milk and lemon juice until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

2. After the bread has cooled, run a knife around the edge of it to loose and flip it out of the pan onto a wire rack or plate. Glaze the top of the warm bread with the icing. (Cover and refrigerate leftover icing for another use, such as garnishing Oreos. It will keep for up to 2 days.)

3. To serve, you can pull apart the layers, or you can cut the bread into slices on a slight diagonal with a long, serrated knife. If you decide to cut the bread, don’t attempt to cut until it is almost completely cool.

Basics: Frittata

For our friends who currently would prefer a life sentence of indentured servitude to an afternoon in the kitchen, we present a series on our staple recipes. Most are simply basic formulas that offer the opportunity to customize and call your own. Seriously, every cook should have these babies in their arsenal.

This was nearly titled 'Rainy Day' Frittata. But I wouldn't want to overuse the phrase, since it could really be applied to most things made under the dreary weather that's been parked over Atlanta for the past year. Though if what's outdoors is keeping you in, this should be your go-to recipe, adapted to whatever you have on hand. I mean, what the heck can you do with several spinach leaves and a few left over crumbles of feta? Oh, I know: slip it in a custardy egg dish and call it a meal.

What makes a frittata a frittata, is the fact that eggs start out on the stove, set, and puff up in the oven. From there, load it up to your heart's content. I have described our most recent fridge-clean-out below, but I'd really love to hear your favorite combinations. Got a good one? Let us know in the comments!

Breakfast, party of 2? Use an eight inch skillet and the recipe below. Or if you've got company for brunch, supersize the recipe and use your twelve inch [increase to a whole onion and nine eggs, advice at Simply Recipes]. And don't think you can only do this if you have a fancy All Clad pan. Anything you have that will go on the stove and stick directly in the oven will do, including a dutch oven. If your skillet has a plastic coated handle, wrap it tightly in foil and it should be fine. Just don't leave in there too long. Note: non-stick is probably an important quality considering the excessive stickiness of cooked egg.

Got pastry crust? Pour exactly this recipe in and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. Now you have a quiche! Don't forget to bake the pie crust a bit before pouring in the liquid or you'll get soggy bottom syndrome. Unfortunately, not as nice as this.

Anything Goes Frittata

Serves 2-3

Base:

6 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced

My most recent filler:

Sun-dried tomato [or basil] pesto
Prosciutto di parma, diced
Goat cheese, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and Parmesan cheese. Add in sun-dried tomato pesto and prosciutto, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Sauté onions in olive oil in an oven-proof, stick-free skillet, until translucent, about 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Add garlic and cook a minute further.

4. Pour egg mixture over onions. Use a spatula to mix things up a bit, then sprinkle in the bits of goat cheese. When the mixture is about half set [jiggle it to find out], put the whole pan in the oven.

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until frittata is puffy and golden. Remove from oven with oven mitts and let cool for several minutes. Although the pan may be out of the oven for a few minutes, the handle is still very hot. Slide it off onto a plate.

Roasted Beet, Walnut and Goat Cheese Salad

Beets. That's how I thought of them for the longest time. Almost straight refusal, no need to try again because the earthy dirt taste wasn't going to change. My first introduction came from my Grandmother's dark, mysterious basement filled with all kinds of scary delights that kept us cousins occupied while dinner was made.  There were rows and rows of canning jars filled with all kinds of jam; raspberry jam, blueberry jam, applesauce, peaches, vegetables of all kinds including beets.  The scary part came from the Anderson recessive hoarder gene, all the treasures saved over 50 years, old toys, magazines, tools, trinkets, stacks of fabric, and the crowning glory, a stack of styrofoam meat trays.  The A&E show, Hoarders, is a kind of dark family joke.  With grandparents from the Depression era, things were saved. One never knew when stryofoam meat trays would come in handy.  And, Dad, I saw the excess cord you cut off from the blinds sitting in the garage.  There is no use for that.  Throw it away.

So beets and I haven't been on good terms for a while.  But now there's a crack of daylight in my tightly shuttered mind.  It started with a simple salad of roasted beets and a basic dressing at a friend's house, and the word rolled around in my mouth for a few weeks.  I saw this beautiful beet salad on Use Real Butter by the lovely Jen, and was inspired to make my own version.  I hit up a local farmers market for some beautiful deep purple and golden beets, and for oranges I picked up a Cara Cara orange, known for their pinky-red color. This salad brought beets back into the light for me, with the glorious mix of colors, creamy goat cheese and the crunchy walnuts.

Roasted Beet, Walnut and Goat Cheese Salad
Serves 2-3 as a side

2 medium red beets
1 golden beet
1 or 2 cara cara oranges
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
3 oz crumbled goat cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Scrub beets well and wrap loosely in aluminum foil.  Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork.  Set aside to cool enough to handle.
2. Once cool, unwrap and peel off skin from beets.  It should release easily enough, but it will definitely stain anything it comes into contact with- skin, clothing, towels, etc. so be careful what you touch.
3.  Slice the beets into pretty rounds, and set aside.
4.  Supreme the orange.  In other words, slice off a round from the top and bottom until you see orange flesh, then stand on one end.  Cut from the top down to remove the skin and pith (white stuff) while trying to preserve as much orange as possible.  Then, cut out the sections of the orange so they land in pretty slices.  You'll end up with the center of the orange, which is quite juicy. I squeezed this part over the beets.
5.  Assemble.  Layer the beets and orange on a plate, then top with crumbled goat cheese and toasted walnuts.  You can stop here, or I dressed it with a basic vinaigarette.

Basic Vinaigrette
Makes about 1 cup

3 Tbls red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbls Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper

1.  Put all ingredients in a jar and shake until combined.  Seriously.

Chicken and Dumplings, Soup Style

I have a confession to make. I'm not a real capital-S Southerner [and neither is Kate, you know, my blood relation]. We don't come pre-programmed with Grandma's fried chicken recipe, or a tradition of layer cakes like the fine ladies of our neighboring state. In fact, I'd never even really heard much about Chicken & Dumplings until it changed my life at the fantastic new Ormsby's. Sure you could opt for a banger or burger, but their nightly rotating specials seem to be where it's at. A mix of pub food and Soul food [definitely with a capital S].

But the recent cold weather has kept us holed up and hibernating, so I had to recreate this at home. Rather than an old southern grandma, FoodBlogSearch advised. And lucky for me, I found a version that is actually a soup instead of what I understand to be a traditionally thick, really-bad-for-you stew.

The real miracle here? You'd think this is a finicky dish that requires A) skill and B) simmering for hours. In fact, neither is really necessary. Actual stove-on cook time flexible to be as little as half an hour, or more should you wish to reduce for the stew-like consistency [note: do this BEFORE adding the dumplings]. One more thing: Don't be afraid to use a serious amount of salt, but go slowly and taste frequently.

Chicken and Dumplings, Soup Style
Inspired by Chow.com
Yield: 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
4-5 garlic cloves, smashed up or diced
2 tablespoons sherry or dry white wine
6-7 cups low-sodium chicken broth (original recipe called for 8 cups, so feel free to increase for a more soup-like experience)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces (up to 1 1/4 lbs for more bites)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup fresh chives (optional, as my chive plant is currently hibernating, like me)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk (1% worked great, but they recommend whole)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 large head savoy cabbage, large dice (about 6 cups)

1. Heat oil in a large, shallow pot (such as a dutch oven) over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add onion, celery, and garlic and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

2. Add a pinch of flour to the sauteing vegetables and stir. Deglaze with sherry or white wine and let the liquid evaporate for a minute or two.

3. Add broth, thyme and chicken, and bring to a boil.

4. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, chives, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl to break up any lumps. Stir in milk and butter until dough just comes together (it will be very thick).

5. When chicken is cooked through (it will be firm and opaque), add carrots and cabbage and reduce heat to medium low. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

6. Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough at a time into soup and repeat until pot is full of dumplings [you may not be able to use all the dough]. Cover and cook until dumplings are fluffy and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Weeknight Fish in Tomato Sauce

What happens when you have a gigantic vat of sauce on hand and a New Year's mandate to make healthier weeknight meals without dirtying an army of dishes, learning a new technique or lifting more than a finger? You get five minute fish combined with the yesterday's spicy tomato sauce. Yes, this recipe (if you could even call it that) fits that impossibly steep bill.

Choose a white fish to your liking, perhaps low in mercury and subject to sustainable harvesting. Or just get the American farmed tilapia, it's so freaking cheap. I have to confess I don't even remember what I used to make this last week. Was it mahi? Cod? Snapper? No recollection. But, mmm, was it satisfying. And quick. And simple. And low mess. Score.

Weeknight Fish in Tomato Sauce

Serves 2

2 fillets of white fish (of your preference)

salt

pepper

olive oil

1 1/2 cups tomato or arrabbiata sauce, including the juiciest/watery bits, warmed or room temperature (this is actually important)

1 tablespoon water or broth if your sauce is too thick (optional)

1. Pat your fish dry and season with salt & pepper on both sides.

2. Heat olive oil on medium high and sautee fish for two minutes on each side

3. Add warm tomato sauce and move fish around to deglaze the pan, add water or broth if your tomato sauce is too thick.
4. Cook only 2-3 minutes until fish is cooked through. Don't over cook. This is why you will want to start with warm sauce, as it isn't in the pan long enough to come up from chilled temperature (speaking from experience, and cold fish, here). Serve immediately!

Mascarpone Brownies- On Waiting

Waiting and patience has never been a strong point for me.  I want it now and I will probably not wait until that safe point, the one that's just past what the directions say. I also do not see a reason to toss a perfectly good half-empty tub of mascarpone just because we're going out of town and "it'll probably go bad."  Who's to say it actually will?

But if you're willing to toss it, then I will come to the rescue.  Mascarpone is a resource that is not only precious, but not very renewable as it can run up the grocery bill. So while my laundry was doing its thing in Nic's working facilities, I decided to both pay them back and use their resources.  See, I'm totally hip on this whole green thing.

I made mascarpone brownies.  Hello people, mascarpone- soft, creamy, deliciously smooth and buttery cheese in a brownie.  A deep, dark fudgy like you only see in food pictures brownie.  Also made in one (one!!) bowl.  I was merely doing a good deed.

The brownies were obviously phenomenal, which I probably don't need to tell you except for one thing. That whole waiting bit? Yeah wish I'd given it more thought. The one bowl (!) concept involves melting chocolate and butter, then adding eggs. There was nothing in the directions about pausing for cooling time and I was running around between holiday engagements, so I tossed my sense to the wind and threw the eggs in almost immediately. Stirred in the rest, baked, cool, sat down to enjoy. And hit a few tiny bits of hard dried egg white. Which didn't really mar the brownie, but were kind of disconcerting to find. So heed my advice and practice your waiting skills.

Mascarpone Brownies
Makes 12-16

1 cup unsalted butter

3 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

3 large eggs, at room-temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 9x9 pan.
2. In glass mixing bowl melt butter in microwave on full power. Stir in chocolate and mix until combined (a few additional seconds in the microwave may be needed).
3. Add sugar to chocolate/butter mixture until combined. Heat for an additional 30 seconds on high, remove and stir until it looks shiny. It will still look a bit grainy. NOTE: hard pause before the next step. You're welcome.
4. Add marscapone, vanilla, eggs and mix until smooth.
5. Dump in the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, making sure to scrape all sides of the bowl. (I don't see the point of sifting much, just be sure to fluff up your dry ingredients before measuring.)
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top to ensure even baking. Bake for 40-50 minutes until tester comes out clean.

Update:  the mascarpone actually did go bad while I was away.  Blast

Pasta alla Arrabbiata

It's not fair to complain about the weather, though we learned from one Jane Austin the only acceptable subjects of conversation are in fact the weather and the state of the roads. Don't get me started on the latter. Atlanta has not been kind to my tires. And, oh, the former. I can't handle this bitter, I-will-cut-chew, cold. Makes a dedicated tree-hugger yearn wistfully for global warming. The only way to fend off these mean-spirited temperatures is not to get mad, but to get even. Turn up the heat, with a dish both warm and hot. (alternative: get addicted to Lost six years later and HIBERNATE)

If you are buying jarred pasta sauce, just stop. There is nothing easier than throwing these ingredients into a giant vat and simmering. It's so flexible, half the things I listed are optional. Really, this recipe is just my basic tomato sauce with a little spice added in. Angry arrabbiata warms with spice anywhere from nudge-on-the-elbow to swift-kick-to-the-shin. This monster of a sauce needs a noodle not afraid to grab it by the horns, something like a grooved penne to soak it up. Though I also really love a wide, flat pappardelle, usually reserved for wild boar (omg, desperately trying to source some in Atlanta) or hare sauces.

Arrabbiata Sauce

Serves 487, give or take a few

olive oil

1 1/2 onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled & diced (optional)

1 celery rib, diced (optional)

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cooking wine or red wine (only if you already plan on opening a bottle)

3 28oz cans of diced Italian tomatoes (go for the San Marzano, seriously)

3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 dried red chile (also optional, but awesome. Keep a bunch on hand)

1 teaspoon salt

pepper

1. In your biggest vat (stock pot or dutch oven), heat olive oil on medium high until shimmering. Add onion, celery and carrot and sautee to transparency. The celery and carrot are optional, but add a nice fresh taste (and hide some extra vegetables in there).

2. Add garlic and sautee another minute or two. Add cooking wine and simmer off liquid.

3. Add the diced tomatoes and remaining ingredients. You can start off on the weak side with the red pepper flakes, and add to taste as you go. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for as little as 30 min or until reduced to your liking, up to an hour and a half on low heat.

Keeps in the refrigerator for a week, and in the freezer for six months. Don't want to feed a village? Reduce to one onion, one carrot, one celery, two 28oz cans tomatoes, 3-4 cloves garlic and halfed seasoning.

Variations

• Leave out the spice entirely for a plain, basic tomato sauce (GREAT for use in other recipes)
• Sautee pancetta or un-cured bacon first, then the mirepoix/onions, adding the meat back in with the tomatoes to create an Amatriciana sauce