At Long Last

I’m back.

I didn’t mean to be gone so long, but this fall was a difficult one. Though I wanted nothing more than to be here, it wasn’t meant to be—one thing after another kept me away…

There were problems at work, problems that caused me much stress and angst. Complications that drove me to distraction and made it difficult to see the big picture. At times it seemed my entire professional future was in doubt.

There was a debilitating back injury, one that made both sleep and work nearly impossible. One that continues to lurk in the background, threatening constantly.

And then there was a death in the family the day after Thanksgiving. It was the result of a supposedly routine procedure. It wasn’t her time to go. There's no making sense of it. It was painful and needlessly drawn out, just heartbreaking.

So I hope you can understand why I had to be away. All I can say is that there was a lot of comfort food shared with family over the past few weeks. I saved some for you…

Home Fries with Chestnuts
Printable Recipe

6 ounces chestnuts
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
½ yellow onion, diced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Using a chestnut knife, cut an X in the cheek of each chestnut. Arrange the chestnuts in a single layer on a baking tray and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until tender. Let rest for about 5 minutes, or until just cool enough to handle. Peel and dice.

Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, tossing about 2 times, until crusty and brown in spots.* Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onion, and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the chestnuts and sauté for another 20 to 22 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl, and serve immediately.

Serves 2 to 4, depending on what else is for breakfast. Enjoy in the fall, when chestnuts are in season. A visit to the local chestnut orchard on a brisk day, after all the leaves have fallen from the trees, provided me a few moments of much-needed peace. Chestnuts are easiest to peel when they're hot.

*Searing the potatoes in this manner adds tons of flavor to the finished dish. For everything you ever wanted to know about searing, plus dozens of fabulous searing recipes, look for my book Seared to Perfection in stores now.

The Final Word on Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese used to be a tangle of steaming spaghetti with butter and cheese melting into it and a generous grinding of black pepper on top. All gooey and stringy, that's how my mom would make it when I was a kid. She cooked the pasta beyond al dente until it was tender, and she must've used cheddar or mozzarella or possibly Monterey jack but I can't remember for sure. She was never one for sauces.

Then one day, I had dinner at a friend's house and discovered the joy of macaroni bathed in a cheese sauce. It came in the form of Velveeta Shells and Cheese. I know it seems odd to give Kraft credit for one of my formative food experiences, but I still remember it as the moment that I, an impressionable teenager, tasted a creamy cheese sauce for the very first time.

(For the record, I never ate the stuff in the blue box. For some reason, my little brother was crazy for that crap, but not me.)

So now when I close my eyes and imagine the perfect comfort food macaroni and cheese, the dish the kid in me idealizes, I think of a velvety cheese sauce flavored boldly with real cheddar cheese. And I imagine an effortless recipe that is a cinch to quickly throw together on a whim and can be made with ingredients that are always on hand.

It's elusive, this macaroni and cheese I dream of.

For or a long time I thought it didn't exist at all. Most versions that I have had…that I have myself made don't live up. Macaroni and cheese made with roux-based white sauce doesn't quite do it for me because it tastes more like the white sauce than the cheese, no matter how expert the execution and fine the ingredients. It doesn't have the right creaminess either. Besides all that, why should a dish so humble require at least 45 minutes, the use of both the stovetop and the oven, and the dirtying of two pots, a colander, and a baking dish? Boxed macaroni and cheese and deli versions don't even come close, since they employ processed cheese and various neon orange powders in lieu of real cheese.

Researching stovetop recipes proved fruitless, as most called for evaporated milk, which seemed gross, or thickening the sauce with egg, which seemed out of place, or both.

I got to thinking…Why drain the cooked pasta, losing all its precious starch just to use a different starch to thicken the sauce? Why not take advantage of the pasta's own starch for thickening the sauce? And why not cook macaroni and cheese more like it was risotto, adding only as much liquid as the pasta will absorb? I literally ran into the kitchen and started cooking. It was nothing less than a eureka moment!


Thus, Lucy's Ultimate Mac & Cheese was born. I must say, even if it borders on bragging, that I'm really proud of this recipe. The texture and flavor are exactly what I'd been looking for ever since I was a kid. It requires little more time or effort than the packaged stuff, and the only cleanup is one pot and one spoon. It's a stovetop recipe, so you can make it even in the summertime when it's too hot to turn on the oven. Oh, and leftovers, should there be any, reheat nicely in the microwave. I think you'll agree it really is the ultimate.

Lucy's Ultimate Mac & Cheese
Printable Recipe

1 pound elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
12 ounces, or more, shredded sharp cheddar
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the macaroni, milk, butter, mustard, granulated garlic, cayenne, and 3 cups of water in a medium, heavy pot. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring constantly and adding more water as necessary any time the macaroni looks dry, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the macaroni is just tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6. The trick to this recipe's seductive creaminess is constant stirring from the time the pot is put on the heat and making sure there's enough water in the pot. There will be plenty of liquid in the beginning. When the mixture comes to a boil, the starch from the pasta will make it thicken, creating a creamy sauce. The sauce will reduce and continue to thicken as it simmers and as the pasta absorbs water. Adjust the heat so that it cooks at a lively bubble. Too slow, and the pasta will take forever to cook. Boil it too fast, and it'll be hard to monitor the level of the liquid. Toward the end of the cooking time, there should still be enough sauce in the pot to just cover the macaroni—if not, or if you like it creamier still, add more water a little at a time, keeping in mind that the cheese will thicken the sauce considerably. It's best to incorporate the cheese off the heat. Do not boil the mixture once the cheddar has been added, or it will have a grainy texture. And speaking of cheddar, why stop at 12 ounces when you can add a whole pound? Or mix it up—consider substituting a portion of the cheddar with provolone, mozzarella, and/or Parmegiano for a different flavor and some stringy action. Top with toasted buttered breadcrumbs or some such crunchy thing if you must, but I prefer to appreciate the creaminess unspoiled.

A Deep Breath and a Potato Gratin Variation

Aahhhhhhhhhh.

A deep, cleansing sigh of relief. Now that Seared to Perfection has been out for a couple of weeks, I can tell you—I haven't exhaled since 2006, when I first came up with the idea. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I ever believed it would really happen until I finally held the finished book in my hands.

Dreaming up one hundred recipe ideas and then developing and testing them, writing the manuscript—that was the easy part. Finding an agent to represent me and then selling the book was tough. But the really hard part was turning everything over to the publisher and waiting. And waiting and waiting. And feeling like I had given up control. Of course I knew in my head that I was handing my work over to talented professionals who had my best interests at heart and who were obviously working very hard to make the book the best it could be, but still…

I was a nervous wreck when I received the initial revisions—I had to give myself at least twenty-four hours before opening email attachments, lest I take the changes personally. It didn't help that I never got to meet the editors in person and put faces with their names, or shake their hands. They're only three time zones away, but they seemed so distant they might as well have been on the moon. Email correspondence with only an occasional phone call can do that. I must admit that to this day, I'm still confused by all the different people with "Editor" after their name.

It was a rollercoaster ride. The deadline was reeled in, meaning I had to deliver the manuscript a few months early. A decision was made to include photographs. The book was to be released in the fall of 2009. The release was pushed back a year, the idea of photographs was scrapped. I told myself that an affordable book released after the economy recovered would be a good thing.

Then after a long hiatus another editor made contact, and the rounds of proofs began. I would lock myself in my office, red pen in hand, with only my computer to keep me company. Frenzied proofreading followed by periods of more waiting. I would get word of editors flip-flopping, changing "Give it a rest" to "Why does food need to rest?" and then back again (for the record, I still relish the win on that one). I would be consulted on recipe order or cover photos or book design and wonder if I was driving everyone crazy with my suggestions, requests, and nitpicking. "The bottom of the title page looked like a cayenne red in the PDF and it looks more like a maroon on the hard copy," I would complain.

By this time I was generally convinced that I was working with good people who could be reasoned with. They always respected my opinion, and the design surpassed my expectations. But a new fear gripped me—soon this thing I had labored over for the last four years of my life would be out there, for all the world to see and to criticize. My first look at the finished book was accompanied by excitement and also a bout of nausea.

Why did I get myself into this?

As it turns out, there was no need to panic. The first reader reviews on Amazon are exceedingly positive, and my searing cooking class at Clark College sold out. Helpful friends have taken it upon themselves to rearrange bookstore shelves to bring Seared to Perfection to eye level. And the book is even getting a bit of attention in the media! StarTribune.com featured the recipe for Chicken Breasts with Mushroom, Paprika, and Sour Cream Gravy, and here's the interview with yours truly in The Oregonian's FoodDay. My appearance on The Faith Middleton Show was a total love-fest and catapulted the book up to number six on Amazon's list of Bestsellers in Culinary Arts & Techniques. (For a while it even reached number ninety-four on Bestsellers in Cooking, Food & Wine and 1,324 in all books—I'm such a proud momma!) I'll be on KOIN Studio 6 between 4PM and 5PM on Friday, December 17th demonstrating a recipe from the book.

Would I do it all over again? Hell yes. Without a doubt. I'd jump at the chance. In fact, I have an idea for the perfect follow-up to Seared to Perfection. Let's hope my publisher goes for it.

Now that I've gotten all that off my chest, I really need some comfort food. So here's a seasonal variation of the Potato Gratin recipe in the book.


Butternut Squash & Potato Gratin
Printable Recipe

Unsalted butter, for greasing the baking dish
4 large (about 2 pounds) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 1 ½-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced 1/8-inch thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Generous pinch nutmeg
1 clove garlic, grated
1 ¾ cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded Gruyère

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Generously butter a 12-inch oval baking dish. Season the potato and butternut squash slices to taste with salt and pepper. Layer them into the dish, arranging them in neat, overlapping circles and alternating layers of potato and squash. Stir the nutmeg and garlic into the cream and slowly pour over the potatoes and squash. Sprinkle evenly with the Gruyère. Bake for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours, or until the top is golden brown and the potatoes and squash are tender. Cover with foil to keep warm and allow to rest 20 to 25 minutes before serving.


Serves 6. Make this gratin in the fall, when butternut squash is abundant and rich food is welcome. Yukon gold potatoes will become creamy but retain their texture after cooking. A mandoline makes easy work of slicing potatoes, but I prefer to slice the squash with a chef’s knife. Season the gratin carefully before it goes into the oven because it’s hard to add salt and pepper once it is cooked. I toss the potato and squash slices with salt and pepper in a large bowls and taste a bit of each raw to check the amount of salt—they should taste slightly salty at this point for a perfect finished gratin—and spit it out. Minced fresh thyme or sage can be added along with the salt and pepper. Letting the gratin rest before serving makes it possible to cut neat portions.

A Gift for Mother's Day

I had planned to get my mom an aebleskiver pan for Mother’s Day. I’d been thinking about it for a few months, ever since she mentioned she’d like to have one. I take note when the people I love mention what’s on their wish list—I pride myself in being a good gift giver. An aebleskiver pan was the perfect gift idea for Mom, my little brother agreed. I knew she would never get one for herself.

But Mom went and got herself an aebleskiver pan. Foiled by my own mother. I was so set on getting her this aebleskiver pan that I had no back-up plan.

But yesterday Mom asked for a mac and cheese recipe…So, Mom, here's your Mother’s Day gift.


I developed this recipe just for you, and I really hope you like it. I wish I could be there in person to make this for you on Mother’s Day. I’d serve it to you with a big green salad on the side because I know that’s how you’d like it. And I’d even do the dishes.

Happy Mother’s Day Mom, I love you!

And happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there!

Macaroni & Cheese with Tomatoes & Herbes de Provence
Printable Recipe

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, diced, plus more for greasing the baking dishes
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 ounce grated Parmegiano-Reggiano
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart milk
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/8 teaspoon piment d'Espelette
12 ounces shredded medium cheddar
4 ounces shredded provolone
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound short tubular pasta, such as macaroni, penne, or rigatoni
12 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter 6 individual baking dishes. Toss together the breadcrumbs and oil in a medium bowl, making sure that the breadcrumbs are evenly coated. Stir in the Herbes de Provence and Parmegiano.

Heat the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until it melts, bubbles, and the foam subsides. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it begins to smell toasty. Whisk in the milk, garlic, and piment d'Espelette. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until thick. Remove from the heat, stir in the cheddar and provolone, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the package directions. Drain the pasta when it is al dente. Immediately add the pasta to the cheese sauce and toss to combine. Divide among the baking dishes. Divide the tomatoes among the baking dishes, arranging them evenly over the macaroni and cheese. Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange the baking dishes on a baking tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges. If the breadcrumb topping is still pale, broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Serves 6. The piment d'Espelette, a Basque chile powder, may be replaced with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Don’t bake the mac and cheese too long—overcooked cheese sauce becomes grainy. May be prepared a day or two in advance and kept covered with aluminum foil in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and bake just before serving.

Reader Request: Hearty Beef & Vegetable Soup

Recently, I received a lovely email from a reader. I’m blushing profusely because she said such nice things. Here’s what Linda, of Hamilton, New Jersey, wrote:

Your recipes are amazing…delicious…some of the best I have ever made, and I now know why after reading about you. I am looking forward to having your cookbook too.

Your soup recipes are so good! My husband and I both love the Beef, Barley & Mushroom Soup. We love it so much that it is always stocked in our freezer, and I can't remember not having a few containers always on hand. As a matter of fact, I went to the store today for the ingredients to make another pot.

Would you consider making a hearty steak-vegetable soup and sharing the recipe on your site? I have no talent for creations of my own and since finding your site have found none other that compares. I haven't made anything yet that we did not enjoy.

Thank you for considering a recipe request.

Linda, thank you so much for your kind words about my recipes and about Hungry Cravings! Comments like yours really make my day and encourage me to keep at it! And seriously, with that kind of flattering feedback, how could I not honor your recipe request?

A hearty, comforting meat and veggie soup usually includes peas, carrots, celery, onions, and potatoes.


But the start of spring and the first farmers market of the season inspired me…I chose to use leeks instead of onions.


I also added some cauliflower, since it’s one of my favorites.


This one’s for you, Linda. Enjoy!


Hearty Beef & Vegetable Soup
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ½ pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup red wine
3 quarts beef broth
1 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig Italian parsley
4 medium red potatoes
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 leeks, pale parts only, sliced
12 ounces cauliflower florets
1 cup shelled English peas
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large, heavy pot over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add half of the beef and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, tossing about 3 times, until crusty and brown in spots.* Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef to a plate. Sear the remaining beef in the same manner and set aside. Reduce the heat to low, add the butter and garlic, and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir in the flour. Add the wine and simmer, stirring, for a minute or so. Stir in the broth, return the beef to the pot, and add the tomatoes (along with their liquid), bay leaves, thyme, and parsley. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the beef is nearly tender. Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into ¾-inch cubes. Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, leeks, and cauliflower to the pot, return to a boil, and simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Add the peas and simmer 4 to 5 minutes more, or until they are tender. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf, thyme sprig, and parsley sprig, and skim off any fat from the surface of the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8 as a main course. Leeks tend to be very dirty, so rinse them thoroughly after you slice them. Vary the vegetables as you like—try turnips, parsnips, pearl onions, cabbage, or whatever else may be in season. Use thawed frozen peas if fresh peas are unavailable.

*Searing the beef in this manner adds tons of flavor to the finished dish. For everything you ever wanted to know about searing, plus dozens of fabulous searing recipes, look for my book Seared to Perfection in stores in the fall of 2010.

Apple-Quince Sauce

What a pain it is when your better half has a completely irrational food aversion. It forces you to avoid certain ingredients or possibly even entire categories of food—food that you yourself might otherwise enjoy—or risk whining, countless complaints, or worse yet, “yuck face”.

Well, my husband hates quinces (and pears too—he says it’s a texture thing), and considering that we planted a quince tree in our backyard a couple of years ago and are now inundated with quinces, that’s a problem. Sharing the harvest with family and friends made a good dent in our quince supply. Now what do I do with the rest? I can think of dozens of tasty things I could make with these quinces, but I have to admit I’m never very motivated to go to the trouble of cooking something just for myself. So I determined to come up with a dish that the hubby would like too. I thought about making a quince crumble with a pecan streusel topping. But then I remembered he doesn’t eat pecans either…

After much brainstorming, a sudden craving for some comfort food, and the need to use up some of the apples from our trip to the orchard, Apple-Quince Sauce seemed like the way to go.


The dual strategy of diffusing the quince flavor with apples and creating a brown butter cookie distraction worked, Hubby approved!

Apple-Quince Sauce
Printable Recipe

2 quinces
¼ cup sugar
1 cup water
4 Braeburn apples

Quarter and core the quinces. Combine the quinces, sugar, and water in a medium, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until the quinces turn pink. Quarter and core the apples, add to the pan, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for another 45 minutes, or until the apples are very tender. Remove from the heat and let cool. Puree in a food mill using a fine disc.

Makes about 1 ¼ quarts. Quinces have lots of pectin and turn a rosy color when cooked, so using them in combination with apples makes for a very flavorful thick sauce that’s a pretty shade of pink. Any variety of cooking apple may be used instead of the Braeburns. If you prefer applesauce that’s on the sweet side, feel free to add more sugar. Flavor the sauce with cinnamon, vanilla, or lemon zest if you like. There is no need to peel the fruit because the food mill will remove almost all of the skins. Keeps for several days tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Serve either warm or chilled.

Orzo

If I had to pick a favorite pasta shape, I’d probably go with orzo. My mom used to add it to chicken soup when I was a kid. Now I like to eat it plain, with nothing but a dab of butter and a grinding of pepper, or I’ll toss in some cooked broccoli and grated Parmegiano and call it dinner. It’s the texture of orzo that I really like. And the fact that you don’t have to twirl it around a fork, you can just shovel it in. It’s high on my list of comfort foods.

I think that orzo is the most misunderstood pasta shape of all. It troubles me when people are confused about it, when they’re convinced it’s rice. I feel I must come to its defense against this common mix-up—orzo isn’t rice, it’s pasta. Pasta, really. I just want people to understand.

But—and here’s where it gets complicated—even though orzo is pasta, it can be cooked like rice. It’s especially good cooked like rice pilaf. That’s exactly what I recently did, since it’s right in the middle of spring, and I’m having to dream up lots of different and delicious ways to prepare all the beautiful asparagus I keep bringing home from the farmers market.


Orzo Pilaf with Asparagus & Prosciutto
Printable Recipe

1 quart chicken broth
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 pound orzo
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
1 pound asparagus, trimmed of woody ends, thinly sliced on a bias, and blanched
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmegiano-Reggiano, for serving

Bring the broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the orzo and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the hot broth and simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the prosciutto and asparagus and season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange on individual plates, top with plenty of Parmegiano, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course. Toasting the orzo gives it complex nutty flavor. Be aware that the broth will bubble up furiously when you add it to the orzo.

Wow, That's a Lot of Leeks

I found the most beautiful leeks at the farmers market. They weren’t on my shopping list, but I couldn’t resist. I immediately thought Creamed Leeks and picked out four of the fattest ones I could find. My husband looked intimidated by all those leeks, but I assured him that leeks are sweet and subtle, gentle even, comparing to onions. I served the leeks with our dinner. He just nodded his approval as he chewed, too busy to say anything. And the leftovers were fantastic tucked into Eggs en Cocotte.


Creamed Leeks
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large leeks, pale parts only, sliced
1 cup heavy cream
Generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the leeks and sauté for 14 to 16 minutes, or until soft. Add the cream and nutmeg and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8. This snappy side dish is rich and comforting. It’s a perfect match for steak, chicken, or salmon. Leeks tend to be very dirty, so rinse them thoroughly after you slice them. For a delicious variation, substitute crème fraîche for a portion of the heavy cream. Also wonderful as a gratin—simply transfer the Creamed Leeks to a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with grated Parmegiano-Reggiano, and broil until bubbling around the edges and golden brown on top.

Meatloaf

Now that’s some honest comfort food to fill your belly. My meatloaf is so full of flavor, that people are shocked to learn it’s made with turkey, not beef. In fact, it’s so good that it became the single best-selling item in the deli when I was the Store Chef at Wild Oats Market. Will you forgive me for bragging?

Turkey Meatloaf
Printable Recipe

Unsalted butter, for greasing the baking tray
4 large eggs
2 small yellow onions, quartered
10 to 12 cloves garlic
1/3 cup tomato paste
½ cup packed Italian parsley leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ¾ pounds ground turkey, preferably dark meat
3 cups panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter a foil-lined baking tray. Combine the eggs, onions, garlic, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.


Mix together with the turkey and panko in a large bowl. Transfer to the baking tray and form into an even loaf.


Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until cooked through. A meat thermometer will register 165ºF when it is cooked through. Tent with foil to keep warm, and allow to rest for about 15 minutes. Cut into thick slices and serve immediately.

Serves 8 to 12. This recipe is healthy and economical in addition to being absolutely delicious. Ground beef can, of course, be substituted for the ground turkey. Leftovers make fantastic meatloaf sandwiches.

Special Request

It’s not often that my husband asks me to make something specific for dinner. Most of the time when I ask him what he wants he just shrugs and says, “I dunno, you’re the chef.” Either that, or he suggests burgers. Needless to say, I’ve spoiled him, and the meal planning is pretty much all on me. But the other day, he made a special request for my Beef, Barley & Mushroom Soup.


Beef, Barley & Mushroom Soup it is!

Beef, Barley & Mushroom Soup
Printable Recipe

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ½ pounds beef chuck, cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
½ cup red wine
3 quarts beef broth
1 ½ cups pearled barley
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley

Heat a large, heavy pot over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add half of the beef and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, tossing about 2 times, until crusty and brown in spots.* Using a slotted spoon, remove the beef to a plate. Sear the remaining beef in the same manner and set aside. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Add the celery and carrot and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and tomato paste and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and sauté 6 to 7 minutes more, or until soft. Add the wine and simmer for a minute or so, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a heat-proof spatula. Return the beef to the pot and add the broth, barley, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the beef and barley are both tender. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf and thyme sprig, and skim off any fat from the surface of the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8 as a main course. This is hearty, satisfying comfort food, and perfect for the coldest of days. The recipe makes a lot, but it’s even better the second day.

*Searing the beef in this manner adds tons of flavor to the finished dish. For everything you ever wanted to know about searing, plus dozens of fabulous searing recipes, look for my book Seared to Perfection in stores in the fall of 2010.

Comfort Food

No other food reminds me of my grandmother as much as matzoh balls. It’s funny, Baba wasn’t even known for her matzoh balls—she didn’t make them all that often, and when she did, my grandfather and I had a fantastic time teasing her because, though they were delicious and light and fluffy, her matzoh balls looked more like to matzoh blobs. Still, to this day, matzoh balls give me that warm, fuzzy feeling, just like Baba always did. Try them some chilly evening, you’ll feel as if you’ve just gotten a big, warm hug. Now that’s what I call comfort food.


Matzoh Balls in Broth
Printable Recipe

2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup matzoh meal
Generous pinch baking powder
1 quart chicken broth

Whisk together the eggs, butter, water, salt, and a generous pinch of pepper in a large bowl. Mix together the matzoh meal and baking powder in a small bowl. Stir the matzoh meal mixture into the egg mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour, or until chilled. Divide the mixture into 6 portions and form each portion into a ball. Arrange on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for another 15 minutes, or until firm.

Bring the broth to a simmer in a small pot. Add the matzoh balls and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, or until tender and cooked through. Ladle into individual bowls and serve immediately.

Makes 2 generous servings. For a more substantial meal, add diced celery and carrots to the broth and simmer until tender before adding the matzoh balls. And add a bit of shredded cooked chicken near the end of the cooking time. This recipe can be doubled.