Thank you, Carole Bloom. These Chocolate-Caramel Shortbread Bars are one of my all-time favorite bar cookies. The recipe is from Bloom’s book, “Caramels” (Gibbs Smith, $24.99). These delicate, very full-flavored bars bring together all my favorites. The dark brown sugar used to make the shortbread provides a richer taste than traditional shortbread that is made with white sugar. But it…
Cookbooks
Alexandra Stafford’s book, “Bread Toast Crumbs” (Clarkson Potter, $30) could inspire even the most reluctant baker to spend the day making bread. But my summertime kitchen is hot and the my patio beckons. I searched the book for a luscious dish that could show off store-bought loaves, a dish that didn’t require firing up the oven. Near the end of…
Initially, it was the title that grabbed me. “The Lime Pie That Saved Us” Sounds like something I could use right now … This is how Nicole Rucker, founder and owner of Fiona and Rucker’s Pie in Los Angeles explains the name in her cookbook “Dappled: Baking Recipes for Fruit Lovers” (Penguin Random House, $32) “I opened my restaurant Fiona…
Grilled artichokes are a great dish to serve when warm-weather entertaining. Not only are they scrumptious, most of the preparation can be done in advance. Blanched until tender and then grilled before serving, they seem to be adored by all, especially when served with a tasty dipping sauce. Grilled Artichokes with Dipping SauceYield: about 6 servings4 to 6 artichokes (preferably…
“River Cottage Veg” by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Ten Speed, $35) is chockablock with irresistible recipes. The author is a British broadcaster, farmer and educator, as well as the recipient of several James Beard Awards for his cookbooks. A campaigner for sustainably produced food, he established the River Cottage farm in Dorset, England in 1998. I often refer to this book when…
There’s something very comforting about a steaming bowl of pozole, the tender cubes of pork adrift in a broth that sings with just-right spiciness. The stew-like concoction is loaded with hominy. In the translation from Spanish, “pozole” means hominy. Hominy is the name given to whole corn kernels that have been cooked in a lye or lime solution to remove their…
Mark Bittman, NYT’s columnist and cookbook author, knows how to create tempting flavors without much fuss. Try out his Salmon and Tomatoes in Foil for a quick weeknight entree. This 5-ingredient recipe takes about 5 minutes to put together and roughly 12 minutes to bake. Easy. Salmon and Tomatoes in Foil Yield: 4 servings 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1…
Dining out or eating in the homes of friends and family, teaches me new techniques or ingredient combinations. They are dishes that send me home to develop my own spin, simplifying the creation if it’s complex, changing it just enough to make it approachable for home cooks without sacrificing flavor. Here are three of my 2014 FAVORITES (whittled down from…