Almond Macaroon Torte with Chocolate Frosting (recipe on the blog…)
O’Clock; forgotten last night’s burps rise fast,
And glamourpussies curse that bast—-
O naughty word! that unkind cruel fate
Bestowed on them for last night’s—-date
And then, quite raw, from bed they rise at last
And make the effort for their soul to mate
With Kant, Spinoza, Hobbes, Descartes, and Plat—
But their mates they’ll find, not for their souls,
For unlike body, soul’s inanimate
(Though this hypothesis has many leaks)
And from the bottom of a drinking-bowl,
Become a loving cup you’ll find a mate
(That is, if the eyes have it at the Greek’s).
Triple Sec Chocolate Biscotti with Toasted Walnuts
Heart-Shaped Valentines Day Cake!
Chocolate cake with raspberry glaze and raspberry buttercream frosting….
Asian-inspired “Spaghetti and Meatballs”: Scallion ginger turkey meatballs with soy-ginger glaze atop udon noodles (meatball recipe thanks to SmittenKitchen).
Despite my anxiety on the subject, I finally decided to make bread the other day. With the help of the brilliant and revolutionary cookbook Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, I made three loaves of French bread, baking them in a 550º oven with a muffin tin serving as pan of boiling water. The inside had a perfect crumb, the outside crisp and flaky.
Needless to say, I am now addicted!
White Bean and Collard Soup with a Tomato-Balsamic Base
My mom used to make this for me all the time when I was little, and with over a pound of fresh collard greens on hand, I decided it was my time to try making it. The trick to the perfect flavor is cooking it in a cast iron Dutch oven. (I found a beautifully seasoned one for $25 at an antique store in Upstate NY).
I tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 lb. collards, washed and chopped coarsely
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tbs balsamic vinegar, or to taste
1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes
2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2-1 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
In a large dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. When they are golden, add the greens and sauté until wilted and coated with the oil. Then add the tomatoes, beans, broth, vinegar, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer, covered, for about 3/4 hour, then another 1/2 hour uncovered, making sure that the beans don’t dry out. Continue cooking until beans are creamy and soft, and flavors are melded. When you remove from the heat, season with salt to taste, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
