Tonight at sundown begins Yom Kippur. For 25 hours we will fast. [Ed. note: A WHOLE DAY AND AN HOUR DEATH WHERE IS THY STING?] This “Day of Atonement” (English translation) isn't Hanukkah, but it's the holiest day of the year, and a day to begin the new year with a fresh start.

When I was young, my mamala used to make her famous roast chicken before the fast and another one to break fast. We lived in a small town about 200 miles (round trip) from the nearest synagogue in Portland, Oregon. By the time services were over, and it was past sundown, we made it home around 8:00pm and started roasting a chicken we didn't actually eat until 10:00pm. It was a long day and we were all pretty hangry [Ed. note: A technical term.] by that point! 

​Although hardly traditional Jewish fare, this Mexican-marinated roast chicken is the perfect way to start the fast and it will be an easy and equally delicious meal to break fast. Best of all, I prepared everything ahead of time, so I didn't have to start the process after work.

A word about the marinade: you're probably thinking mayonnaise is an odd choice, but it's not. It works. The Best of Fine Cooking explains, "Mayonnaise is the perfect base for marinade as it takes the place of oil and keeps the marinade ingredients suspended. The lime juice cuts through the richness of the smoky chipotle and the beer adds depth of flavor."

The spice level is relatively mild, for my taste. If you like a bit more kick, like the BF and I do, add an additional ¼ - ⅓  cup of purée to the mayo.

Serve this chicken with anything! We made burrito bowls, but it's perfect served in a tortilla as a burrito or taco. Our side dishes included saffron rice, black beans, pickled red onions, avocados and a delectable cilantro vinaigrette that was so good, it will have its own blog entry very soon.

To all of my tribe, wishing you a meaningful Yom Kippur and an easy fast.

Adapted from: The Best of Fine Cooking, Mexican, 2018
Number of servings: 4-6

​Ingredients

• One 7-oz. can chipotles in adobo
• ½ medium white onion, coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup dark beer (such as Negra Modelo)
• ¼ cup packed fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 medium lime)
• Fine sea salt
• 1 cup mayonnaise; more as needed
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Directions

1. In a blender, purée the chipotles with adobo sauce until smooth. Add onion, beer, cilantro, lime juice and large pinch of salt to chipotles. Purée until smooth. 
2. Transfer mixture to a large nonreactive baking dish. Fold in the mayonnaise and ⅓ cup of the chipotle purée. If you like more of a spicy kick, add ¼ - ⅓ cup more purée. 
3. Refrigerate remaining purée for another use. It will keep in an airtight container for at least one month. 
4. Add the chicken to the marinade. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 4 hours.
5. Heat a gas grill to high or use a stove-top grill pan (as I did). Remove chicken from marinade and grill unil they have grill marks, about 4-6 minutes on each side. 
6. Let rest for 5 minutes, slice and serve.

NOTE: You can make the marinade ahead of time. Tightly covered, the marinade (with mayo) will keep in the refrigerator for up to two days.

So. We missed a week. Let me explain.

If there is one thing that can throw a serious monkey wrench into a personal-chef business, it's a broken refrigerator. Three weeks of no working fridge in the house, so to the rescue come three friends and their three fridges. (You know who you are and I love you dearly.) The BF and I are driving all over town to these different locations, then out to fulfill all the client orders. Extra time, extra hassle, and then of course problems with new-fridge delivery and oy...

Then, a bonus: jury duty. [Ed. note: #@%$#^&*] I was called to attend, but luckily was dismissed on the second day. A side note: in 1993 I served for four weeks during procedures that were deciding whether or not a serial killer was competent enough to stand trial. We determined that he was.

So, with all apologies, am late in getting into the Rosh Hashanah spirit. Even though it started on Sunday and ends today, Tuesday, it's not too late to make this lovely apple cake. This will work throughout the rest of fall and winter, and really, the last three weeks have had a "better late than never" kind of mantra.

Many years ago I made this for my Momala, and it was an instant favorite (and she is a woman who knows her coffee cakes). The BF enjoyed it for his birthday last year, and of course it was brought out again for this Rosh Hashanah. It doesn't skimp on the apples, the entire house smells like apples, cinnamon, and fall.

The BF and I want to wish all our Jewish family and friends a healthy and happy Shana Tova!​

Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
Number of servings: 12-16
​
Ingredients
For the apples

• 6 apples, McIntosh apples, or a mix of whatever looks good
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons (65 grams) granulated sugar

For the cake

• 2 ¾ cups (360 grams) flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
• 1 cup (235 ml) vegetable oil (safflower, sunflower, olive and coconut oil also work, as does melted butter)
• 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice
• 2 ½ teaspoons (13 ml) vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup (130 grams) walnuts, chopped (optional, and to be honest I never use them)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 °F (175 °C). Grease a tube pan (use a one-piece tube, not two-piece). Peel, core and chop apples into 1-inch chunks. Toss with cinnamon and 5 tablespoons sugar and set aside.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar, vanilla and eggs. Mix wet ingredients into dry ones; scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
3. Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples, and their juices, over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 ½ hours, or until a tester comes out clean.*
4. Cool completely before running knife between cake and pan, and unmolding onto a platter.

DO AHEAD: This cake is awesome on the first day but absolutely glorious and pudding-like on the days that follow, so feel free to get an early start on it. I keep it at room temperature covered with foil.

* NOTE: The apples love to hide uncooked pockets of batter, especially near the top. Make sure your testing skewer or toothpick goes not just all the way down to the bottom, but does a shallow dip below the top layer of apples, and make sure it comes out batter-free. Should your cake be browning too fast, before the center is baked through, cover it with foil for all but the last few minutes, while in the oven.

You know that one person in your family that has that annoying habit that drives you and the rest of the clan batshit crazy? [Ed. note: It's a technical term.]

That person was me.
​
Removing the filling of a Hostess Twinkie, Suzy Q, or cupcake. Digging out the fruit at the bottom of a yogurt cup, leaving the sour plain yogurt for the next unsuspecting sibling. Sorry, Mike.

Eggs. Mom would go to Defcon 2 as I would surgically remove the yolk of a fried egg and leave behind a perfectly entact white saucer. 

So it's no surprise that when the BF and I have deviled eggs, the filling gets excavated and he gets the outside white. Except...for this pinkalicious delight, where the outer egg white packs a puckering wallop of flavor (courtesy of the cardamom, anise, peppercorns, and optional jalapeno).

This is a nice addition to any Easter or Passover table. In my experience, they're always the first to disappear. 

Happy Easter, Pesach Sameach.

​Adapted from: Simply Recipes and The Kitchn (Brine)
Number of Servings: Makes 6 whole pickled eggs or 12 deviled egg halves

Ingredients
Hard Boiled Eggs

• 6 large eggs

Pickled Beet Brine

• 2 cups beet juice, canned
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ onion, sliced
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1 star anise
• 1 jalapeno pepper, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed and discarded (optional, I happen to like the kick)

Deviled Eggs

• 6 hard boiled eggs
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons finely minced scallions or chives, divided
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Salt

Directions
Hard Boiled Eggs

1. Place 6 cold eggs in a saucepan and fill with cold water, covering the eggs by an inch.
2. Bring water to a rolling boil, uncovered.
3. As soon as water comes to a boil, remove pan from heat and cover the pan.
4. Set timer for 10 minutes.
5. Fill a large bowl with ice water. 
6. After 10 minutes, remove cooked eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon and tap each gently on the counterop to crack the shell in a few places.
7. Immediately shock eggs in ice water bath. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
8. Peel under cool running water.

​
Pickled Beet Brine

1. Place eggs in the bottom of a clean glass jar, quart sized.
2. In a medium saucepan, add vinegar, onion (and jalapeno, if using), sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, until the sugar has dissolved and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
3. Pour the cooled vinegar onion mixture over the eggs in the jar, covering the eggs completely. Be careful, that beet juice will stain!
4. Cover with lid and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 3 days. The longer you leave them in the brine, the more pickled and pink they will be towards the yolk. I let mine sit about 16 hours as I like some of the outer egg to remain white.

Deviled Eggs

1. At desired time, remove the eggs from the brine. Cut each egg lengthwise.
2. Scoop out the yolks and place in a medium bowl. Add sour cream, 1 tablespoon scallions or chives, onion powder, and salt.
3. Mix/mash with a fork until very smooth. 
4. Use a spatula to scoop all the filling into a resealable sandwich bag or piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip. Press the bag with your hands to push all the filling to one corner and press any air out of the top. If using a plastic bag, snip one corner off with a pair of scissors.
5. Pipe the filling into the cup of each egg white, that the filling mounds a little over the top. Squeeze the bag from the top to force the filling downward. (Alternatively, you can scoop the filling into the egg whites with a spoon.) Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon minced chives and season with salt and pepper.

Espresso, check.

Baileys Irish Cream, check.

Tiramisu, check.

For me, a trifecta of favorites in one dessert. In one bite, even. Boozy and creamy, while managing to be light tasting. The BF has already had too much of it. [Ed. note: <whistling and singing> We have no heads! No we have no heads!] Don't mind him.

This takes all of 20 minutes to put together, but needs to chill overnight. Have lost count how many times I've made this for family, friends, and clients. One of my clients who never eats desserts, eats this one.

A good friend is like a four-leaf clover, hard to find and lucky to have.
- Irish Proverb

​Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Adapted from:  Nigella Lawson, Nigella Express and Jenn Segal, Once Upon a Chef
Number of servings: 12

NOTES: Savoiardi cookies are also called lady fingers. But be sure to buy crisp cookies, not the soft sponge-cake lady fingers sold in the bakery section of your grocery store. Also, this recipe uses raw eggs, so use only fresh, properly refrigerated and clean grade-A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

​Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups espresso or very strong black coffee, cooled
• 1 cup Baileys Irish Cream, divided
• 14 oz (or two 7-ounce packs) Savoiardi cookies or lady fingers (see notes), although you won't use all of them
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ⅓ cup superfine sugar (to make your own, process regular granulated sugar in food processor for 30 seconds until fine)
• 1 pound mascarpone cheese, softened at room temperature
• 2 ½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

1. Mix the cooled espresso with ¾ cup of Baileys in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
2. Separate the eggs, but keep only one of the whites. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture is thick, pale yellow, and forms a ribbon when the whisk is lifted out of the bowl, about a minute. Add the remaining ¼ cup Baileys and mascarpone and whisk until mixture is smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk the single egg white until soft peaks form when you lift the whisk out of the bowl (you can do this by hand with such a little amount). Fold the egg white into mascarpone mixture. It will seem thin but don't worry, it will set up in the fridge.
4. Dip the cookies, one at a time, into the espresso-Baileys mixture; let them soak long enough to become damp but not soggy, approximately 2 seconds. Line the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch square glass dish, or 7 x 11 rectangular dish, with a layer of soaked cookies; then spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the top. Repeat with another layer of soaked cookies, then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge until the mascarpone mixture is set, 8-10 hours or overnight.
5. When you are ready to serve, place the cocoa powder in a small sieve and dust over the top of the tiramisu.

[Ed. note: We leave you with a little Traditional Irish Folk Song, courtesy of Denis Leary. Cheers and Happy St. Patrick's Day!]

We drink and we die and continue to drink!

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Traditions are discussed a lot here, and everyone has their must-see Christmas movies. For us, it's not December if we haven't watched Bad Santa, A Christmas Story and holiday-themed episodes of South Park, Family Guy and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. [Ed. note: Grow up? You fool!] This year my BF surprised me and found the 1964 Rankin/Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which I haven't seen since I was a child.

On Christmas Eve we hosted our annual traditional dinner with a small group of dear friends. In previous years I'd made seafood paella, but this year I veered away from that tradition and made cioppino. Although it was delicious, my guests took a vote and it's back to seafood paella in 2018. (Am not complaining. Note to self: don't mess with tradition.) I also made a delightful sugar-free low-carb peppermint cheesecake, and bought a chocolate layer cake wrapped like a gift, because I didn't think all the guests would go for the sugar-free option. Of course, the sugar-free cheesecake won out (and will certainly be featured in a blog post next year).

Christmas day was gloriously relaxing. For me, a rare day off. Music and movies playing all day, a leisurely breakfast, gifts to open [Ed. note: I got Joker socks and you didn't], taking our chocolate lab Marlowe for a long romp, and a Christmas Story-inspired Chinese take-out dinner of Peking duck and Chinese greens.

The aforementioned "leisurely breakfast" was this gorgeous, colorful, refreshing, jewel-toned citrus salad. Blood oranges and citrus are at their peak right now, so it's the perfect time to make it.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and adventure-filled 2018.

NOTE: I cut the sugar amount in half from the original recipe as my preference is to not over-sweeten, but if that's not of your concern, stick with the original recipe. I also added two Cara Cara oranges, which look like regular navel oranges on the outside, but the inside is red-fleshed, juicy and sweet. You can make this one day in advance. Keep chilled.

​Number of servings: 8
Adapted from: Gourmet (December 2008)

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup sugar (as mentioned, I used 2 ½-3 tablespoons)
• ⅓ cup water
• 3 whole star anise
• 5 large ruby red or pink grapefruit
• 4 blood oranges
• 2 Cara Cara oranges 

Directions

1. Dissolve sugar in water in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring. Add star anise and simmer 5 minutes. Let stand off heat 30 minutes.
2. Cut the peel off, including white pith, from fruit with a sharp knife. Cut segments free from membranes into a bowl. Squeeze juice from membranes into bowl.
3. Add syrup with star anise to fruit, juice and stir gently. Remove star anise before serving if desired.

For the last seven years or so, my BF and I have held a Christmas Eve dinner for some very dear friends. For the first few, a new towering cake would be presented, i.e., spice with eggnog buttercream, chocolate with peppermint chocolate ganache and peppermint buttercream, whiskey soaked dark chocolate bundt, gingerbread roulade with eggnog filling, etc.

Then, this one. Moist, stout-spiked [Ed. note: HELLO], spicy gingerbread and mascarpone whipped cream icing–it has a deep, dark, mysterious flavor, yet tastes surprisingly light.  It tastes like Christmas.

For a while I had been making a similar recipe as a gingerbread loaf, but after discovering this layered-cake version (originally adapted from a Claudia Fleming recipe, who created it while she was pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern in New York; then adapted by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen), I knew the holiday dessert tradition was forever settled. No more auditions.
​
Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
​
Number of servings: 8-10
Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen

NOTE: You’ll have up to 1 cup more whipped cream than you’ll need, which I use to frost the outside of the cake (not a fan of "naked" cakes, like the original recipe). If you wish to save the cream, it can stay stable for a couple days due to the added mascarpone. Start the cranberries the night before. 

NOTE: Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen says, "This recipe makes three thin cake layers. As most of us have two cake pans, at best, you could also make it into two thicker cake layers, giving it a little more baking time. Or, you could do as I did, which is to hold the last bit of batter in a bowl until the first layer comes out and can be unmolded. It holds up just fine at room temperature for an hour."

Ingredients
Sugared cranberries

• 1 cup (200 grams) plus ⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup (100 grams) fresh cranberries

Cake layers

• 1 cup (235 ml) oatmeal or Guinness stout
• 1 cup (235 ml) dark molasses (ideally, not blackstrap)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (190 grams) packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (150 grams) vegetable or another neutral oil
• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch of ground cardamom

Filling

• 2 cups (475 ml) heavy or whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons (45 grams) powdered sugar
• ½ cup (115 grams) mascarpone

Directions
Sugared cranberries

1. Bring 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water to a gentle simmer (not a full boil) on the stove, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and add cranberries. Pour mixture into a bowl and let syrupy cranberries chill in fridge overnight, or at least 8 hours.
2. The next morning, drain cranberries (can be saved for sweetening cocktails). Place remaining ⅓ cup sugar in a bowl and roll cranberries in it. Arrange them on a tray or plate and refrigerate for another 45 minutes to an hour, so that the sugar sets. (Will feel mostly dry to the touch.)

Cake layers

1. Heat oven to 350 °F. Butter and flour, or use a nonstick spray to coat three 9-inch round cake pans (see note above, if you have fewer) and line the bottom of each with a fitted round of parchment paper.
2. Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a large saucepan and remove from heat; whisk in baking soda carefully (it will foam up). Cool to room temperature.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars and oil. Whisk in eggs, then whisk in cooled stout-molasses mixture. Place dry ingredients in a fine-mesh sieve or sifter and shake over bowl. Stir until just combined.
4. Divide batter into prepared cake pans; you’ll have a little bit less than 2 cups or 515 grams of batter in each. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out batter-free. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes, then flip out onto cooling rack, carefully remove parchment paper (it’s sticky) and flip back right-side-up, letting each layer cool completely. You can hasten this along outside (if it’s cold) or in the freezer.

Whipped mascarpone cream 

1. Beat heavy cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl with whisk or electric beaters until soft peaks form.
2. Beat in mascarpone, one spoonful at a time, just until it disappears into the cream.

Assemble cake 

1. Place first cake layer on cake stand and level top with a serrated knife if it has domed. Spread with 1 cup whipped mascarpone.
2. Repeat twice, then smooth sides.
3. Decorate with sugared cranberries. Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until needed.

In grade school, my classmates were jealous because they thought I had eight days of extravagant presents for Hanukkah. Truth be told, in our family, as a kid I received gifts for Hanukkah two, maybe three times total. And when we did, my siblings and I all received the same small gifts. It mattered not, as I remember being so appreciative and excited to get these favors, and waiting to light the candles.

The first year we received presents, I was in the second grade, and this is what we all opened on each night: (1) a pencil in our favorite color and with our name; (2) a comb; (3) rabbit's foot; (4) notepad; (5) paperback book; (6) The Sound Of Music album that we all shared; (7) chocolate Hanukkah gelt; and (8) flavored chapstick. Am not sure why I remember that particular Hanukkah so well, but it's embedded in my brain how thrilled we all were to get a pencil with our name on it!

To me, it's all about tradition. I loved the traditions as a kid, and love continuing the rituals today. My BF and I still light the menorah. He is typically the one to fetch the pillowed box from the shed, and place the menorahs around the house.

For years, family food Hanukkah traditions revolved around some sort of brisket, with latkes always making an appearance during the week. More recently, I've been making all variations of short ribs: chipotle, Moroccan, beer braised, etc.

This red wine braised variant, which I've been making for many years, may very well be the favorite. It's easy to make, meltingly tender and savory. The red wine sauce has exceptional depth and flavor, and I love substituting celeriac (celery root) purée in place of potatoes. (For those of you watching the carbs.)

Happy Hanukkah!

Number of servings: 4
Adapted from: Short Ribs–Bon Appetit (October 2011); Celeriac Purée–Saveur (April 2014)

Ingredients
Short Ribs

• 5 pounds bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• (1) 750 ml bottle dry red wine (preferably cabernet sauvignon)
• 10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 8 sprigs thyme
• 4 sprigs oregano
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
• 4 cups low-salt beef stock

Celeriac Purée

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 medium leek, white part only, thinly sliced
• 2 ½ lb. celeriac (celery root), peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
• 3 ½ cups chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon ground celery seed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Directions
Short Ribs

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in two batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot.
2. Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.
4. Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2½ hours.  To test if the ribs are done, pull on a bone, it should slide out freely. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over celery root purée  with sauce spooned over.

 
Celeriac Purée

1. Heat oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat; cook garlic and leek until soft, 3–4 minutes. Add celeriac (celery root), stock, celery seed, salt, and pepper; boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium; cook until celeriac is tender, 25–30 minutes.
3. Let cool slightly; using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables and 1 cup cooking liquid to a blender and purée until smooth.
4. Divide purée between plates and top with short ribs; drizzle with sauce and garnish with pomegranate seeds and, if you like, microgreens.

Family is not an important thing, it's everything.
~Michael J. Fox

Six years ago today, my beloved momala passed away. The best way we have honored her life and kept her memory alive is to embrace our little family and celebrate each other as often as possible. She used to say, "If you don't have something to celebrate, celebrate anyway." [Ed. note: Spinal Tap keyboardist Viv Savage also said it well, "Have a good time. All the time." youtu.be/WrhzX3dRRiI]

Our family recently got a little bigger. My little sister Julie brought the new man in her life, Frank, by for a whirlwind visit, our first time meeting him. Seems there couldn't be a more perfect person for Julie than Frank; they share a love of nature, geology, animals and family. Bonus, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of sports and wine (we were excited to try riesling and pinot noir from his own vineyard), which endears him even more to the BF. [Ed. note: We even coexist with his love for the St. Louis Cardinals and ours for the San Francisco Giants.] We feel like he's been here all along.

Unfortunately I ran out of time and could not make cookies for them to take home, but had I been able, these would have been the choice.

My momala would have adored them as well. Chocolate and orange coupled and a hint of fresh ginger and brownie texture. It would have sent her over the edge.

Dorie Greenspan (this is originally adapted from her book Dorie's Cookies) is an excellent source for all things baking. She mentions that this cookie is best on the day it is made, but I have found it stays fresh, moist and chewy for at least 3 days. So it works well for shipping or gift giving.

Number of servings: about 20 cookies
Adapted from: Saveur (Dec/Jan 2017) and Dorie's Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 ½ teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• ¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Finely grated zest of ½ orange (¼ teaspoon)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 large cold eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼  cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, for dredging

Directions 

1. ​In a small bowl, combine the ginger and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, mixing with fingers to coat. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, add the remaining ¾ cup sugar and the orange zest. Mix well.
3. Fill a medium saucepan 1 inch high with water and set a medium heatproof bowl over the top (be sure bowl does not touch water). Add the butter and ¾ of the chocolate to the bowl. Cook, stirring occasionally with a heatproof flexible spatula, until just melted (do not overheat).
4. Remove the bowl and whisk in the sugar-zest mixture; it will be grainy. One by one, add the cold eggs, whisking energetically after adding each, for 1–2 minutes. Whisk in vanilla, salt, and ginger mixture, which will be syrupy. Using a spatula, gently stir in the flour. Add the remaining chocolate, stirring to blend. Place plastic wrap directly against surface of the dough and chill for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
5. Set a rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350 °F. If you've refrigerated dough overnight, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes.
6. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Put confectioners' sugar in a bowl.
7. Using a medium cookie scoop (1 ½–2 tablespoons) or spoon, scoop out level amounts of dough and briefly shape into a ball using fingers (do not overwork or cookies will not have craggly tops); drop into the bowl of confectioners' sugar and toss to coat well. Transfer to the first baking sheet. Repeat until you have 10 cookies, leaving at least 2 inches between the cookies. Cover and refrigerate the remaining dough.
8. Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the sheet, then bake again until the dough has spread and cracked, sides look set, and centers are a little soft, about 4 minutes more.
9. Remove and let cool for 2 minutes, then carefully transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough and second baking sheet. Cookies are best eaten the day they are made.

Yotam Ottolenghi says of this eggplant dish, "I can't think of a more rustically elegant (is that a contradiction in terms?) starter." Contradiction? Hardly.

Ottolenghi is an Israeli-Italian chef residing in London, with a flavor palette that's out of this world. This recipe is adapted from his 2010 cookbook Plenty, and I selected it for today's post because of its gloriously gorgeous colorful presentation, not to mention it's delicious and a perfect easy-to-make dish for your holiday table (or anytime). ​I prepared it for an anniversary dinner party, not as a starter, but as a side dish with grilled lamb chops and naan--it was heavenly.

Another advantage for a dinner party: it can be served at room temperature, meaning it's easier to make ahead of time.

Adapted from: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Number of servings: 4 as a starter or side dish

Ingredients
Eggplant

• 2 large and long eggplants (Japanese eggplants were used)
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons lemon thyme leaves (regular thyme will do), plus a few whole sprigs to garnish
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 pomegranate (POM brand seeded pomegranates were used, available at Safeway and Trader Joe's)
• 1 teaspoon za'atar en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Za'atar

Sauce

• 9 tablespoons buttermilk
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, plus a drizzle to finish
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1 pinch salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F. Cut eggplants in half lengthways, cutting straight through the green stalk (the stalk is for the look, don't eat it). Use a small sharp knife to make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through to the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to make a diamond-shaped pattern.
2. Place eggplant halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with olive oil—keep on brushing until all oil has been absorbed by the flesh. Sprinkle with lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavorful, and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. NOTE: I used Japanese eggplants which are smaller than regular eggplant, so start checking on doneness at the 20 minute mark.
3. While the eggplants are in the oven, cut pomegranate into two halves horizontally. Hold one half over a bowl, with the cut side against your palm, and use the back of a wooden spoon or a rolling pin to gently knock on the pomegranate skin. Continue beating with increasing power until the seeds start coming out naturally, falling through your fingers into the bowl. Once all seeds are in the bowl, sift through them and remove any bits of white skin or membrane.
4. To prepare buttermilk sauce, whisk together all ingredients, taste for seasoning, and keep cold until needed.
5. To serve, spoon plenty of sauce over eggplant halves without covering the stalks. Sprinkle za'atar and pomegranate seeds on top, garnish with lemon thyme, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Epilogue
Writer Julian Barnes said of mourning, "The thing is—nature is so exact, it hurts exactly as much as it is worth, so in a way, one relishes the pain, I think. If it didn't matter, it wouldn't matter."

A friend sent this line in a condolence letter when my momala passed away, and it has resonated ever since. The grieving is commensurate with the loving, a testament to what’s missing.

This has been a particularly difficult year for my boyfriend (the blog's man behind the curtain, the one behind the editorial notes), who is grieving the passing of his mom, and today is actually the one-year anniversary.

Kathryn Bailey was an accomplished jazz pianist based in the San Francisco bay area, who accompanied everyone from Billie Holiday to the Buddy Morrow Orchestra, Berkeley's Straw Hat Theatre, and Ronnie Cass.

We miss you everyday, Kathy.

Patience is not my virtue. [Ed. note: I want to comment, but appreciate my life.] Rolling out cookie dough and cutting out cookies with cookie cutters? No patience for it. Hell-o slice-and-bake simplicity!

These cookies are tender, lightly sweetened with honey, and swirled with cinnamon and spice–a perfect holiday cookie that travels and keeps well, perfect for gracing your Hanukkah dessert table, a cookie exchange, or to leave as a nice treat for Santa and his helpers. I have been known to have them for breakfast with coffee, or late afternoon pick-me-up with tea.

Winter is coming: let the holiday cookie season begin!

NOTE:  Although the glaze is delicious, I opted not to use it as I prefer it much better plain (plenty sweet for this household), and if you are going to ship it as a gift it's probably more practical to go glazeless. That said, if you're serving at a party or leaving for Santa, by all means glaze it up.

Adapted from: Marbled, Swirled, and Layered, by Irvin Lin
Number of servings: 48 cookies

Ingredients
Cookie Dough

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 cup  (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Filling

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½  teaspoon ground nutmeg

Glaze

• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½-¾  cup powdered sugar, sifted

Optional

• Ground cinnamon for dusting

Directions
Cookie Dough

1. Combine powdered sugar, butter, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. With a hand mixer, start mixing on low speed and slowly increase speed to medium until butter looks creamy and starts to cling to the sides of the bowl (about 2 minutes).
2. Add vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add egg and beat until Incorporated. Add flour and mix on low speed, then slowly increase to medium speed until flour is incorporated and a dough forms. The dough will be soft.
3. Scrape the dough out onto a clean, floured surface and shape into a ball. Flatten into a circle and then square off the edges. Roll out dough into 13 x 14-inch rectangle with a long side facing you. (You will need to occasionally add more flour to the top and bottom of the dough so it doesn’t stick.)

Cinnamon Filling and Baking

1. In another bowl (use same bowl if you like), combine the butter, brown sugar, flour, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat together until the filling is uniform in color, fluffy, and light (about 2 minutes). Scrape the filling out onto the rolled-out dough and spread to cover the entire surface (you may need to use your fingers for this, as the filling will need to be spread thinly). Tightly roll up the dough starting from the bottom edge (you may need to use a little more flour here again so the dough does not stick). Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Remove dough from the freezer and unwrap. Carefully slice ¼-inch-thick cookie "disks" from the rolled log, slicing straight down (do not saw back and forth). Place on baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1 ½ inches apart.
4. Bake until edges of the cookies start to turn golden brown (12 to 14 minutes). Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. NOTE: don't overbake!

Glaze

1. Combine honey, milk, vanilla and ½ cup powdered sugar in a bowl and stir together. If glaze looks too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it has thickened to the right consistency. Brush glaze onto cooled cookies with a pastry brush. Once glaze has settled, you can dust the cookies lightly with more ground cinnamon (optional).

NOTE:
Make sure the butter for cinnamon filling is truly at room temperature or even slightly warmer than that. It makes spreading the filling easier.
 
You can make and freeze this cookie dough for future baking. Once frozen for an hour, place the log in a labeled zip-top plastic bag. Slice and bake cookies at your convenience. Frozen dough should keep for up to 2 months.