my love for pickles.

I have started making pickles. A lot of pickles. There is something about a cold, crisp pickle that just can't be beat. As a snack to hold you over until dinner. As the perfect addition to a sandwich. They are a great thing to have in your fridge. And it makes it even better if you have made them yourself.

I have been very happy with all the pickles that I have made. But these take the cake. I probably love them more than other pickles because of the memories they bring of the restaurant that they are from... a restaurant that I would gladly travel back to Minneapolis for any day. But until that next trip comes, at least I have some pickles to hold me over.

Pickles

4 seedless english cucumbers, sliced very thin
2 cerano chilis, sliced thin
2 fresno chilis, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin

4 cups rice wine vinegar
4 cups sugar

Boil the vinegar and sugar together until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cucumbers, chilis and garlic in a large bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature. Pour into jars and refrigerate.

the best sandwich. ever.

This sandwich. It is the bomb. I can honestly say that, as I was eating it, I was convinced that this was the best sandwich I have ever eaten. It may not be true... but I can sure tell you that it is good enough for me to think that it was. It is helped out by the great ham recipe that I got from my soon-to-be sister-in-law... but I don't have a photo of the ham... so you will have to wait for that recipe. But another key player was the pickles. Pickles that I made from a recipe given to me by a friend who is a chef at a restaurant that will remain nameless just in case I get in trouble for sharing the recipe with you. But you will have to wait for that recipe too... but just for a couple of days. For now, be happy with the sandwich.

Deviled Ham and Pickle Sandwiches
adapted from Gourmet, April 2009

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked ham (1/2 pound)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
Sliced cornichons or dill pickles
Thinly sliced sweet onion
8 slices sandwich bread (we used small baguettes from a mexican grocery down the street... it was a good call for us. use whatever bread you see fit)

Pulse ham with mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco in a food processor until finely chopped.

Make sandwiches with ham mixture, pickles, onion, and bread.

brown a little more butter.

You have all heard about my love for brown butter. This recipe is a new and different twist for a bit of a fancier dinner... but still a quick one. It is really simple, but it is so good it deserved a post to honor its yummy-ness. It works really well for a quick dinner because cooking store-bought stuffed pasta takes no time at all and browning the butter is really quick. Plus, most things are probably already in your pantry (frozen cheese tortellini is a great thing to have on hand). So if you have surprise guests, you won't be caught with nothing to serve, and you will still be able to impress them.

When I made this, I completely forgot the walnuts. Duh. But it was still good. Make sure to cool the butter a bit because if you don't it splatters. A lot.


Stuffed Pasta with Balsamic Brown Butter
adapted from Everyday Italian with Giada DeLaurentis

8 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli or tortellini
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

in search of the perfect brownie.

Are you on the search for the perfect brownie? Well, your search ends here. This is the recipe that will get you that brownie. And it will be amazing. I promise. I Have made homemade brownies in the past, and I was never really impressed. They just didn't come out right. They were disappointing. Maybe I was just doing it wrong, but I have to admit that I always thought the brownies from the box came out better. Never again. These brownies are it, and they make enough to last quite a while... long enough, at least, until you get the energy up to make them again.

They aren't difficult to make, just a little time intensive. I made these with the peanut butter for valentines day, and they were great, but I like the parts without the peanut butter better. So the next time I made them without.

Brownies
adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the prepared sheet pan. If using, spoon the peanut butter over the top of the chocolate mixture and using a knife, swirl it through the chocolate mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into large squares.

the lost recipes.

The other day I was looking though all my backup photos and I came across a few meals that I had made that never got posted... they didn't even get labeled in preparation for a post. They just got lost in the computer, waiting around to be found again and loved.

The main on that I wanted to post from that grouping is this one: my first experience making fresh pasta. I had a lot of fun doing it and I used it in this recipe because I, for some reason, thought that it would make it better. I don't really remember why now, but it was really good, so I guess I was right.

I will continue to make fresh pasta in the future, in fact I did it again just this week, but that recipe is still on the camera, so you will have to wait a little while for it. This one, however, is great and you should definitely give it a try. It is on the rich and decadent side, but it is something a little different then your plain old pasta dish.


Carbonara Deep Dish Pasta-Crusted Pan Pizza
adapted from Rachel Ray

Salt
1 pound fresh fettuccine pasta or 2 packages fresh linguine (9 ounces each)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta or bacon, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
4 large eggs
1/2 cup cream
Salt and black pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
A handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


Heat water for pasta in large pot, salt it and cook pasta for three minutes.

While water boils, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add pancetta and brown, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook a minute more.

Drain pasta and add to pan to toss with the garlic oil and pancetta. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Beat eggs with cream and pour over top of pasta. Let eggs begin to set up, one minute, and pat pasta into even layer to make the pizza pie crust. Place in oven and cook for five minutes.

Mix together the ricotta and parsley. Remove pie from oven and smooth the ricotta over the top. Scatter the mozzarella over the top and return to oven. Bake 10 minutes more until cheese is melted and golden at edges. Let ricotta sit a couple of minutes to settle, then cut into wedges and serve out of pan at table.

a new staple.

I had never made curry before. It just always seemed like something that was too out there for my kitchen. Something to eat out at dinner, not in. I don't know why. But when I read about this curry, for some reason, it struck a cord. I called my husband from the grocery store to have him look up the ingredients. It might have been the bean aspect. I have discovered a new love for beans that I never knew I had. And I am so glad that I discovered them because, man, this is good stuff. So easy to make and awesome for a quick and healthy dinner. Plus, great lunch for the rest of the week from the leftovers! We've had this for dinner once a week for the past month. It is that good.

Red Kidney Bean Curry [Rajmah]
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 plum tomato, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large green chili, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
8 ounce can of tomato sauce or puree
3 cups boiled red kidney beans or 30 ounces canned red kidney beans, undrained

Heat oil in a deep sauce pan over medium heat for one minute. Add ginger, garlic, onion, green chili, and let sizzle for one minute. Add the tomato sauce, salt and remaining spices and cook for an additional five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the kidney beans with water or canned red kidney beans (undrained) plus one additional cup of water, and tomatoes. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with yogurt for a little creamy-ness. Serve over rice or with naan.

an homage to jamie.

Jamie Oliver has a magazine! My mom came across it at Barnes and Noble the other day and I couldn't be more excited. I can't get enough of Jamie Oliver. He has always been my favorite. I was a huge fan of the Naked Chef... it must be the british thing that started it all, but I have been hooked ever since.

Last fall when I saw that Food Network was showing his new series "Jamie at Home" I immediately set the DVR (8:30 a.m. on a Saturday is a little early for me to commit to) and it really is a great show. The cookbook, also great. Jamie shows people how to cook using more local ingredients by cooking straight out of his garden. I love it! I also knew when I saw this recipe that I would love it as well. But I wanted to wait for the right carrots. You see, the carrots that Jamie used were all different beautiful colors and I never knew where I would ever find carrots like that. So I filed the recipe away and hoped that I would find some someday. And that someday came one of the first weeks we were in Lincoln. The little co-op around the corner, Open Harvest, had the most beautiful carrots! I immediately picked some up and that next day we had this salad. It has so much flavor and an amazing texture. Your meat-eating significant other won't even notice the lack of meat. So, in honor of Jamie's new magazine, here is that recipe for you.


Roast Carrot and Avocado Salad with Orange and Lemon Dressing
adapted from Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver

1 pound medium mixed colored carrots, with their leafy tops
Sea salt
2 level teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 or 2 small dried chiles, crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
Extra-virgin olive oil
Red or white wine vinegar
1 orange, halved
1 lemon, halved
1 lime, halved, optional
3 ripe avocados
4 (1/2-inch thick) slices ciabatta or other good-quality bread
4 handfuls interesting mixed salad leaves, washed and spun dry
2/3 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
4 tablespoons mixed seeds, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Parboil the carrots in boiling, salted water for 10 minutes, until they are very nearly cooked, then drain and put them into a roasting pan. You should flavor them while they're steaming hot, so while the carrots are cooking get a pestle and mortar and smash up the cumin seeds, chilles, salt and pepper. Add the garlic and thyme leaves and smash up again until you have a kind of paste. The idea here is to build up the flavors. Add enough extra-virgin olive oil to generously cover the paste, and a good swig of vinegar. This will be like a marinade, a rub and a dressing all in one! Stir together, then pour over the carrots in the pan, coating them well. Add the orange, lemon and lime halves, cut side down. These will roast along with the carrots, and their juice can be used as the basis of the dressing. Place in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden.

While the carrots are roasting, halve and peel the avocados, discarding the pits, then cut them into wedges lengthwise and place in a big bowl. Remove the carrots from the oven and add them to the avocados. Carefully, using some tongs, squeeze the roasted orange and lemon juice into a bowl and add the same amount of extra-virgin olive oil and a little swig of red wine vinegar. Season, and pour this dressing over the carrots and avocados. Mix together, have a taste and correct the seasoning. Call your gang round the table while you toast or broil your ciabatta slices.

Tear the toasted bread into little pieces and add to the dressed carrot and avocado. Mix together, toss in the salad leaves and transfer to a big platter or divide between individual plates. Spoon over a nice dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt and drizzle over some extra-virgin olive oil.