Christmas 2017

Christmas for us always starts with homemade French brioche dough, usually in the form of a cinnamon pecan coffee cake. This year the kids wanted cinnamon rolls. Either way, it's the same recipe; the coffee cake is just much more aesthetically pleasing. Start with Julia Child's basic brioche recipe and after letting it rise add your fillings and give it a second rise. Tons of butter, of course, but that's to be expected. Recipe can be found in Julia Child's The Way to Cook.

A new twist on homemade humus....serve warm and add ful on top and serve with pita wedges and chopped egg and chopped onion. The ful is basically made the same way as humus, but with fava beans instead and I left it a bit chunkier to add some texture. Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi, on line.

Basic pork tenderloin with "horseradish sauce".

Lamb shoulder roast cooked slowly, then pulled. Seasoned with garlic and fresh rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper. Served with a side sauce of capers and mint.

Fresh roasted golden beets and onions.

Another new recipe by Yotam, basically just mixing red quinoa and wild rice with dried cherries, chopped pecans, scallions and a light citrus sauce served over tangy arugula. 

Gearhart's Fine Chocolates provided the dessert, a chocolate buttermilk cake. Awesome! Yes, that is 24 karat edible gold on top!!!!

Love the holidays. Love the food. Love the friends and family. Until next year....Bon appetit!

Chicken Marsala

Here's a simple dish I haven't made in ages. I don't really even have a recipe for this so I decided to simply surf the web and see what appealed to my senses. Chicken Marsala is such a simple rich dish to make and most of the items are usually in my pantry, outside of the Marsala Wine. I seem to be going through these rich, saucy pasta dishes this week, which is not typically my method of cooking....Must be the cold weather. My search landed on the Epicurious recipe that incorporates fresh sage. That sounds so warm and inviting paired with the chicken, wine and pasta. I did note to buy a good mix of organic mushrooms and found this particular recipe to be full of robust mushroom flavor. Spoiler alert to those who might not be a big fan of mushrooms. Super simple and super quick. I wouldn't change a thing. Paired with wide egg noodles and a delicious red wine. Bon appetit!

INGREDIENTS

1. • 1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
   • 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
   • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
   • 10 oz mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
   • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
   • 1/4 teaspoon salt
   • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
   • 1 cup all-purpose flour
   • 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (2 lb total)
   • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
   • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry Marsala wine
   • 2/3 cup heavy cream
   • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

PREPARATION

1. 1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 200°F.
   2. Bring broth to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat, then boil, uncovered, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes.
   3. Cook shallot in 3 tablespoons butter in an 8- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until shallot begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms, 1 teaspoon sage, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
   4. Put flour in a wide shallow bowl. Gently pound chicken to 1/4 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic wrap using the flat side of a meat pounder or a rolling pin.
   5. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, 1 piece at a time, shaking off excess. Transfer to sheets of wax paper, arranging chicken in 1 layer.
   6. Heat 1 tablespoon each of oil and butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté half of chicken, turning over once, until golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer cooked chicken to a large heatproof platter, arranging in 1 layer, then put platter in oven to keep warm. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and cook remaining chicken in same manner, then transfer to oven, arranging in 1 layer.
   7. Add 1/2 cup wine to skillet and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 30 seconds. Add reduced broth, cream, and mushrooms, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons wine and 1/2 teaspoon sage.
2. 1. Serve chicken with sauce.

Lobster in Cream Sauce

It seems as if lobster tails have been on sale pretty regularly here on the east coast. I LOVE my seafood, and feel that it is usually pretty versatile in how you can prepare it. This time I just decided to steam the tails and incorporate them with a variety of mushrooms, fresh peas, leeks, thinly sliced new potatoes, chicken broth, heavy whipping cream and fresh fennel served over pasta. Delicious! Of course, how could lobster and cream not be uber indulgent? Super simple and helped me to use up what was in the refrigerator. That is the beauty of this kind of dish; you can basically throw whatever vegetables you have in the pan with the seafood. The boys cleaned their plates and everyone had warm, happy tummys. Bon appetit.

Holiday Tradition...Party Mix

OK, so you wonder why I would post about traditional Chex Party Mix. It's been around forever.  Everyone does it. Well, all true, but, in traditional Heidi fashion I have to find THE BEST party mix recipe. Suffice it to say that I am getting close. After years of making this for the men in my home, we have all decided that recipes that give you a little kick are the best. I usually add some red pepper flakes and a little cayenne pepper. I usually use a mix nut blend and an additional can of cashews. I often use one box of Crispix instead of one of corn Chex and one of rice Chex. I go light on the pretzels and I add a box of Cheez Its. That having been said, we usually find this to be a pretty good balance. From here it's all up in the air. Most recipes are pretty similar in the sauce mix so I often just surf the web to find one that looks good. This year I used a recipe that called for fresh garlic. Suffice it to say, I was not impressed. Garlic should not be the predominant taste and fresh garlic overpowered the mix. Oh well, cooking, as in life, is a learning lesson. Trust me, no one is letting a little garlic stop them! Merry Christmas and Bon appetit!

Here's a nice recipe I have used in the past that has a bit of spice to it....

https://www.isabeleats.com/spicy-chex-mix-recipe/

Popcorn for Dinner

Here in the South (yes, Capital "S") we occasionally serve "Breakfast" for "Dinner". As children we always anticipated "Pancake Night". In my household we sometimes have "Backwards Night" where we have dessert first, followed by the main meal. This would usually be on special occasions such as birthdays, etc. Needless to say, the boys LOVED it! I'm sure I started this when the children were young and fussy and wanted the instant gratification the dessert would bring. Now that the kids are gone Kevin and I find ourselves sometimes too full from a big lunch to want much dinner. Solution?....."Popcorn night". Beer and Anson Mills Popcorn filled the bill tonight. Having had a large lunch today we just wanted a little something to tide us over until morning. I have been eyeballing the Anson Mills Popcorn I bought and put into the freezer several months ago and thought it would be the perfect remedy. This Appalachian heirloom grain is delicious! I have never been one for microwave commercial popcorn that is dull and tasteless. Move over Orville Redenbacher! Never again! Anson Mills says that this is the last corn they plant and harvest. This is the same grain that was grown in this area thousands of years ago and toasted in hot sand until the kernels popped. Wow! I will have to try this cooking method.

"Breakfast Night", "Backwards Night" and now "Popcorn Night"...Love the family traditions, and creating new memories. Thanks again, Anson Mills! Bon appetit.

Cooking with my Hubby - Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup and Hummus Kawarma (lamb) with Lemon Sauce

Wow! Honey! Who knew you could cook like that?! Dang! I come home from a long day at work and Kevin is in the kitchen whipping up some Spicy Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup concoction, kind of a mix of two different recipes. Yeah, it rocked, baby! Something so sexy about cooking great food and sharing it with the ones you love. Our rule...whichever one is cooking, the other one keep your nose out of it and your opinions to yourself. This advice has proven well during the course of our marriage. On this particular occasion I am glad I did stay out of it. It rocked the Casbah! The flavor just kind of came in waves, creamy, cruncy, hearty.....little sweet, little spicy, totally awesome!  Rock on, Kevin!

http://minimalistbaker.com/sweet-potato-coconut-curry-soup/

While Kevin made the soup I threw together another recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi (I know, you are probably tired of hearing about him by now!). I had some leftover homemade hummus so I made his Hummus Kawarma (lamb) with Lemon Sauce. Basically just a mixture of a number of Middle Eastern spices and lamb (I used ground as that is what I had on hand) served warm atop room temperature homemade hummus and then topped with lemon sauce. YUM! The spicy, salty flavor was a great complement to the sweet, hot soup. I dare say you would be hard pressed to find anywhere in town to eat such a delicious meal. One of the nicest things about it was that it was filling without being overpowering; I hate being stuffed. On top of all that, we actually ate at 9:00 which is early for us!

Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem.

Bon appetit and thanks, Babe, for working aside me tonight. 

Holiday afterglow...Thanksgiving 2016

The house is quiet today for the first time this week as everyone has to go their separate ways to do things. As I enjoy a jazzed up java (decaf, of course) with Baileys, Kahlua and Frangelico topped off with a dollop of fresh whipped cream (YUM!) I am relishing the time to get myself organized and cook a well thought out meal for the family tonight. No more turkey here. Although we always enjoy the leftovers, we only eat the Thanksgiving meal once a year and that does it for us until the next year. Tonight is on to more Middle Eastern fare, one of my favorites. With a vegetarian "girlfriend in law" thrown into the mix, I get inspired to pull out the "Yotam Ottolenghi" Bible and try new recipes. Living with three carnivores I have to have some meat in there. Tonight's menu:

Homemade hummus from dried chickpeas
Basmati and wild rice with chickpeas, currants and herbs
Barley risotto with marinated feta
Flank Steak
Salad

HUMUS...often the precursor to many political and nationalistic discussions about the true origins, Jewish? Egyptian? I dare say the hummus wars may be more volatile than some of our current political discussions! Even when the argument of authorship is set aside, the more contemporary question is who makes the best hummus now.  I am on a quest this winter to not only study more about the Middle Eastern spices and cooking methods, but also to learn how to make the best hummus. Tonight is my first attempt to lay that foundation. Yotam never steers me wrong, so here is where I begin my new journey. The basic hummus recipe from dried chickpeas (those canned things creep me out!)......appears to have lots of tahini unlike previous recipes I have made, a reasonable amount of garlic (most recipes seem to be overpowering in that department, and coming from a garlic lover I find that quite odd) and little else. His recipe does call for baking soda which I have never used. I will be anxious to see if it impacts the texture of the finished product. He also uses ice water. This shall be interesting....
...Results....amazing! VERY creamy texture, good amount of tahini, not overpoweringly garlicy...next adventure, flavored humus. Stay tuned....

BASMATI AND WILD RICE WITH CHICKPEAS, CURRANTS AND HERBS....I have made this lovely dish before upon my return from Israel where there were so many fresh, amazing salads available at all times of the day. A combination of two rices, spices, chickpeas, currants (I substituted 1/2 dates and 1/2 sour cherries), and very thinly sliced fresh french fried onions. Delicious, aromatic, substantial and lovely. A home run that makes me yearn to go back to Isreal.

BARLEY RISOTTO WITH MARINATED FETA...I am currently fascinated with all kinds of new grains, rices, lentils, etc. and decided to try a new recipe with "risotto" which I traditionally think of as being a more Italian fare. Yotam professes that although "proper Italian risotto requires exact precision and meticulous preparation" this recipe is more forgiving. Having made risotto (the Italian way) before, I am intrigued. Actually, Yotam uses barley instead of risotto. I have only used barley in soups, salads, etc. so the comparison will be interesting. Either way, it should be good for us and it looks and smells amazing...

FLANK STEAK....a tradition in our home. Marinated overnight in a mixture of oil, garlic, ginger, red wine, soy sauce and grilled this is an easy staple I often serve for company. One of everyone's favorites and a nice change from Tom Turkey!  

Bon appetit. Love the holidays..........

All recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem 

Sea Island Red Peas over Rice Grits served with Pork Tenderloin

With the first cold snap of winter upon us my body kicks into survival mode and craves warm, rich, saucy comfort food that really sticks to your ribs. Now that the kids are gone I don't shop as often and I tend to just open the pantry to see where to begin. Yesterday was one such day as I had offered to bring food to a dinner party and hadn't really had time to get inspired. Upon opening the freezer, there they were....Anson Mills Sea Island Red Peas and Anson Mills Rice Grits....little forgotten packages of awesomeness hidden behind the mountain of lamb, chicken, beef and other meats....just quietly biding their time knowing that their presence would one day be noticed when my usual overstimulated brain was in a more relaxed chill mode, a day when we could all just ease into the rhythm of the season and enjoy the slow warm up required of cooking lentils.

Super easy to prepare, I love the description "ruddy and diminutive" as defined by Anson Mills. Never having had them before, the flavor and texture reminded me a bit of black-eyed peas (one of those Southern staples). Dating back to the 17th century these heirloom field peas were used in early versions of Hoppin' John in the South, a pea (often black-eyed or some similar varietal) and rice medley seasoned with chopped onion and bacon. (Are you starting to feel the warmth?).

Served atop Buttered Carolina Gold Rice Grits, you can begin to feel the warmth of the carbs and the sauce infiltrating you from head to toe. Anson Mills decribes rice grits as plumper, rounder and meatier than normal grits, great for "saucing" and I agree. They are actually rice that possess low tensile strength, fracture easily, causing short or "broken grits" that cook up with a creamy homeliness that surpasses that of normal rice. Super to pair with a saucy accompaniment such as lentils.

Neither product disappointed, especially when paired with pork tenderloin. The pork aside the red peas and rice grits were the epitome of a simple Southern comfort food that has down to earth roots, yet makes an elegant statement on their own. Sometimes it's the simple things that ground us, yet elevate us at the same time. Good job, Anson Mills. Bon appetit.

Recipe at AnsonMills.com

https://ansonmills.com/recipes/454?recipes_by=grain

Piccolo Farrotto a la Anson Mills

This farro....I cannot describe it adequately. Mere words to wrap around a grain that is so robust and substantial on it's own that it can play center stage to any meal are lacking. I was vegetarian for 7 or 8 years and never experienced this lovely grain or I may never have come back to the dark side. It's like eating a cross between a brown rice made from nuts with decades of nutrients popping through and delighting the tastebuds. So much flavor, crunch and presence that it warms the soul. Anson Mills hails it a robust, muscular big wheaty presence. Pair that with a nice red wine, some warm broth and veges and you have yourself a gourmet vegetarian meal without realizing you are not eating meat. Substantial by anyone's standards. Tonight's fare was Piccolo Farrotto a la Anson Mills, my newest crush. The grains were bursting with flavor and all I had with it was roasted broccoli and warm bread with rich olive oil and herbs. Stuffed without overeating. Such a nice way to end a crazy week as we ease into fall. Basic recipe is to cook the farro, then simmer it with stock, white wine and bay leaf until all are tender. At the end simply garnish by incorporating fresh parsley and Parmesan Reggiano. Simply stunning. Thanks, Anson Mills, for opening my eyes yet again to your amazing antebellum grains. Bon appetit!

Recipe at AnsonMills.com

Succotash with Farro Piccolo a la Anson Mills

I have officially died and gone to heaven. Anson Mills Farro Piccolo grown with antebellum grain seeds is to die for. I cannot begin to describe the crunchy, nuttiness of this grain. As it was explained to me by the owner of Anson Mills, they plant not "heirloom" seeds which are over 100 years old, but "antebellum" seeds which are even older. AND, as if that were not enough, they plant them according to the way they use to be planted hundreds of years ago. Let's say, for instance, that you are growing some kind of grain in one acre of land contemporary farming methods would dictate that 300 plants could be planted in that amount of space. NO! Not Anson Mills! They will plant only 30 plants in an acre of land if that is how it use to be done. This allows the plants to get so many more nutrients from the soil as they are not competing with their neighbors and the taste is full of so much more flavor and phytonutrients. You skeptics cannot believe it until you try it. Pricy? Yes, but worth every penny.

Farro is a grain of the wheat family and is very high in all those good things we need and don't always get in our traditional overprocessed grains. I cannot explain how crunchy and nutty it is. Truly my new BFF! Anson's recipe for Succotash with Farro Piccolo is amazing....Farro, fresh corn, fresh Lima beans, thyme and cream. Wow! I cannot wait for my guests to taste this one. Mere words cannot describe the depth of flavor, texture and beauty in this dish. 

Paired tonight with butternut squash soup, chicken piccata and fresh roasted asparagus. Yum. A very fall dinner. Thanks, Anson Mills for making my day!  I cannot wait to make a million more Farro dishes!!!!!

And for those of you who don't know....succotash...it's a southern thing....

Succotash recipe at AnsonMills.com

Cookie and Kate's butternut squash soup

Fall....Beautiful fall is here and with it comes my tastebuds awakening to a new palate. While summer fare has been all about the orgasm of fresh, bright flavors from the garden, the emerging fall garden is full of warm, yummy treats...earthy, robust flavors that speak to me of a deep hibernation in which they gather the earthy goodness to remind us that God is with us in all seasons, constantly reminding us of His goodness.

One word....soup. SOUP Soup SouP souP SOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUP! What more do I need to say? First one of the season was butternut squash soup. Simple, comforting, warm, rich and so stinking good for you! What's not to love???????  I once read that soup is so good for you, in fact, because the body finds it so nice to digest since it is already broken down to a huge degree. I wouldn't care if it was terrible for me; I am in love!  Thanks to Cookie and Kate for this simple version. No big ingredients to overpower the simplicity of the squash. Bon appetit! Smooch!!!

cookieandkate.com/2015/roasted-butternut-squash-soup/

Yotam Ottolenghi's Grilled Banana Bread with Tahini and Honeycomb

Well, I dearly love banana bread, especially the rich, moist kind usually made with sour cream and lots of oil and butter. Living in the South has tainted me; I like my breads to be super moist, almost resembling a freshly baked cake.  After sitting on it for a day or two I have had to backtrack and put it out there now that I can certainly appreciate this yummy recipe from Yotam's cookbook, Plenty More. This is NOT your Southern banana bread, baby! Yet, it is amazing in a whole new way. My eyes have been opened and I now realize that my former tastes may have been superseded by this new more "mature" take on one of my favorites. Yotam's recipe resembles a standard banana bread, until you realize that you are adding TWO cups of chopped pecans! Beware, you must really like a nutty bread to enjoy this one! He adds the usual ripe bananas, brown sugar, eggs, milk, sunflower oil, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Not too unusual, you muse. All seems normal until the bread is cooked and you go to unload it from the baking pan. I use the word "unload" because it is at least ten pounds and you are thinking that something this dense must be awful in some sense. I couldn't wait to cut into it to see why in the heck it was so heavy. It must be dry, was my first thought. All I can say now is that it must be all the nuts. This is truly a nutty treasure that any nut loving squirrel would like. Yotam serves his toasted with tahini (sesame paste) drizzled on top and then a chunk of honeycomb and a dash of coarse sea salt to adorn the top. We tried this and, albeit delicious, our preference was to toast the bread and slather some really good butter on it and have it with tea or coffee in the morning. Anyone who likes peanut butter would enjoy the tahini paste (normally used for hummus and other savory sauces and dips) as it is the "new peanut butter" and probably really good for you considering it is nothing but ground sesame seeds. Wow wow wow! I could eat this all day long! Unfortunately, not everyone likes nuts so you have to be discriminating when serving this dish. Bon appetit!!!!

Yotam Ottolenghi Vegetarian Dinner for Ruth's Birthday

Our son's girlfriend, Ruth, is vegetarian and a fabulous cook. Although I use to be vegetarian myself for about seven years, I find that most really good vegetarian recipes "for company" require a lot of prep time. Tonight I did something I don't usually do when I have folks coming over for dinnner....I made four new dishes...all from Yotam's Plenty More Cookbook. Surprisingly, they were all relatively simple and required a reasonable number of ingredients, unlike many of his other recipes I have tried in the past.

For starters we had Zucchini Baba Ghanoush, a take off of the usual eggplant dish. Served as a spread to accompany fresh olive bread it was a hit.  The smokiness imparted into the zucchini by broiling it in the oven ramped up the flavor. A hint of spiciness from red pepper flakes and a cool yogurt sauce on top was a real winner. I still think I prefer the eggplant version of this dish better, but it was fun to put a new spin on one of my favorites.

We then proceeded to a lovely Fig Salad with a nice balsamic dressing drizzled over it. Since late summer and early fall are peak time for figs I enjoyed having them while they are so fresh. Paired with several greens, radicchio, basil and watercress, the sweetness of the figs and the balsamic vinegar really played well off of one another. The addition of warm roasted red onions was a game winner and the toasted hazelnuts imparted a nice crunch.

For the main entree we had Baked Orzo With Mozzarella And Oregano, all made with fresh local tomatoes and herbs. While I often find most vegetarian entrees to be filling only when consumed in bulk, this dish proved satisfying in every way. A nice filling meal full of eggplant, carrots, onions, tomatoes, orzo and fresh herbs we all were stuffed after eating a modest size serving. Very flavorful and the smooth mozzarella really held everything together in a nice way.

The grand finale.....Bitter Frozen Berries With White Chocolate Cream.  YUM! Super simple and super yummy. An easy white chocolate ganache topped with tangy berries doused in a bit of Angostura bitters and confectioners' sugar, served alongside a biscotti was absolutely delicious. Light and creamy, beautiful presentation, and did I mention chocolate? What's not to love?!

https://ca.hellomagazine.com/cuisine/02015021913683/bitter-frozen-berries-with-white-chocolate-cream

Happy birthday to my son's sweet sweet girlfriend and may you have many more! You inspire me to cook every day!!!

Caprese Salad made with Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

My sister in law has a fabulous garden every year and this year she grew the most amazing tomatoes, Cherokee Purple Tomatoes. Suffice it to say that they were ultra juicy and flavorful. I will have to have these in my garden next year. When it came time to make the Caprese Salad there was no way we could use any other tomatoes. I dare say I may never be able to go without these little beauties in my summer salads and tomato tarts!  Thanks, Karla!!!!

Giada de Laurentiis Giada's Kitchen - Chocolate Panna Cotta with Amaretto Whipped Cream

OMG is all I can say about this recipe! This will be my go to dessert for quite some time now. Considering I am not a huge sweets fan that is saying a lot. This is like chocolate mousse on steroids. And the Amaretto whipped cream is divine. Super easy, very rich and everyone is begging me to make it again. A few quick notes that I am sure made it even better....my sister in law had some fresh milk straight from the cow and I used good chocolate (always a plus!). I don't even know what else to say about this except that rarely do I have my socks knocked off of me. This one did it! Bon appetit! 

https://www.today.com/recipes/chocolate-panna-cotta-amaretto-whipped-cream-wbrp26993381

Giada's Kitchen, New Italian Favorites Orzo Stuffed Peppers

I recently decided to crack open a cookbook I had picked up at the advice of a friend and have yet to use. Giada de Laurentiis is touted as an every day Italian cook offering everything from traditional and regional Italian food to this book which emphasizes her more clean, vibrant simple flavors in Italian cooking. The key, of course, is to use the freshest ingredients. Today's attempt was prompted by the fresh peppers my sister in law grew in her garden, coupled with the fresh tomatoes and mint I gathered in my own garden. While it was good and clean, I found it to be a bit bland so when I remade them the next night I added some ground lamb which really kicked it up a notch in conjunction with the fresh mint. I will make this again, but not on my favorite list. The lamb made a huge difference. But then...what's not to love about lamb???????!

Cooks Illustrated 2012 Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

I had a chance to go visit my son in college this weekend for the first time since he left home. What mother can show up on such a momentous occasion and NOT bring homemade cookies? So they HAD to be awesome. Once again, CI All Time Best Recipes 2012 to the rescue with a totally deconstructed Toll House Cookie recipe for adults. This author cracks me up (and he must have had a blast taste testing all those cookies along the way!). His article says he produced over 700 cookies until he decided he had found the ultimate remake of the traditional Toll House Cookie recipe which was first released in 1939 when Nestle began printing the recipe on the back of their packages of chocolate chips. (Sorry, Nestle, I used Ghiradelli Chocolate). In his estimation the ideal cookie must be moist and chewy on the inside, crisp at the edges, have deep notes of toffee and butterscotch to balance the sweetness and be complex in taste. Did he achieve this? I believe he did. His thoughtful banter as he deconstructed the original Toll House Cookie recipe made my mouth water. From his examination of the flour used, to how to incorporate the fat (butter), to add the additional element of the toffee taste all while addressing the texture required a chemistry refresher, but so well worth the effort. It is definitely worth reading his attempts as you can appreciate every single thing he did while eating the final product. I don't even think this recipe is much harder than the original recipe, but it helps if you understand why you do every single step. They were so good that I came home the next day and made another batch for friends. They couldn't quit raving about them. In particular, the added toffee taste adds a rich depth to the final product that you can't help but notice. I can tell you I will never make traditional Toll House Cookies ever again. I have been spoiled now! 

Cooks Illustrated Chicken Enchiladas with Chili Sauce

Next on the list of cooking my way through the CI 2012 All Time Best Recipes was the chicken enchiladas with chili sauce. The author strove to make authentic chicken enchiladas without too much work. Could it be done? Well, suffice it to say my husband told me this was one of the best enchilada recipes he had ever had. Bingo! Done! That's all you have to say, honey.

One thing I love about Cook's Illustrated is their well thought out process for analyzing every ingredient. This recipe is no exception. They found corn tortillas to be superior in flavor and texture to flour tortillas, suggesting that they be sprayed with a little cooking oil and warmed in an oven to make them pliable for rolling. Next they addressed the chiles which can be hard to find in many places (I do know this from past experience). Their solution...chili powder heated in oil to intensify the flavor. Finally, a bit of sugar and lime juice to unify the other spices. Following their instructions I used boneless chicken thighs and sharp white cheddar to top it all off with and the results were wonderful. Everyone raved. The final product is topped with extra sharp cheddar (or Monterey Jack if you prefer a milder finish), sour cream, romaine and avocado.  I am wondering how soon I can make these again. Only one word of caution...they are a bit spicy.