Perfect Spaghetti & Meatballs

What is more basic and warm for an autumnal weekday dinner than spaghetti and meatballs? This simple, no-frills version has all the flavors one expects from this dish without adding any "signature touches" or incorporating any vapid culinary trends. In fact, this recipe was formulated by reading countless spaghetti and meatball recipes and reducing them to what was really important for the dish. Try this the next time you're not sure what to make but want to keep it easy. Or the next time you want to be a Nigella Lawson cookbook photo come-to-life: happy in the kitchen, drinking a glass of Chianti, gingerly crafting a dish you know will turn out perfectly. You won't be disappointed. Neither will the rugrats. Just keep them out of the Chianti, depending on your parenting style.

Meatballs:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or 1/2 pound each ground veal, pork and beef)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 large (2 small) clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:
1-2 Tbsp olive oil, filtered or unfiltered
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 large (3-4 small) cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup beef stock (low sodium if not homemade)
28 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
1/4 cup or a small handful loosley packed parsley leaves, chopped
8 large basil leaves, chiffonade

Pasta:
3/4 pound dried spaghetti
kosher salt

For Serving:
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Crusty baguette

Preheat oven to 425F.

Place the meat in a large glass mixing bowl. Add the Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, oregano, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.



Thoroughly mix by hand or with a fork.



Roll into 1-2 inch meatballs and place on a foiled, oiled or non-stick cookie sheet. You will end up with about 16 meatballs. Bake 12 minutes. Bigger meatballs will require longer.

While those bake, heat a pot over high heat in which to make the sauce. Add the oil and swirl it around the hot pot. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and reduce the heat to medium. Saute about 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant. Always take care to not burn garlic.


Stir in the beef stock and the tomatoes, hand crushing the tomatoes as you add them. (It is possible to use a can of already crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzanos, if you want a smoother sauce.) Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.



Add the parsley and basil and cook 5 minutes more. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer another 5 minutes.



Meanwhile, place a large pot of water over medium-high heat to boil for the spaghetti. Generously salt the water. A pinch, or even a teaspoon, won't work here. You will need to add a full tablespoon or more of kosher salt depending on the amount of water. Taste the water; it should taste like the ocean. Once at a roaring boil, add the pasta and cook to al dente. Drain. Never, ever rinse pasta! Rinsing pasta strips away the starch so that the sauce cannot stick to the noodles.

Toss the hot drained pasta with a couple ladles of the sauce. Transfer the pasta to a pasta platter. Top with the meatballs and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with some cheese and pass the rest at the table. Serve with a crusty baguette, green salad and plenty of dry red wine.



You should be able to prep and cook this meal in an hour.

Serves 4-6. Or 3 big Italian-American men.

Tartine's Fruit Tart

Tartine is, without a doubt, one of the finest bakeries in America and an essential stop on every trip to the Bay area. During my last visit to San Francisco - just a few weeks ago - nearly every morning began at Tartine. And why not? It's such a wonderful place, situated in the Mission near the Castro, full of sweet and bready smells, fashionable people and a line that, unless you get there early, can extend beyond the doors of this tiny place. But a line should be no deterrent.

Last Christmas, a friend gave me the Tartine cookbook, which I heartily recommend. It is lavishly photographed, beautifully laid out, and chock full of detail and kitchen tips. The book somehow gives one the precise feel for the actual place. The recipe below, with some modifications, comes from the cookbook. This is a simple, low stress dessert, perfect for entertaining and making in advance. The results are ravishing! Makes six 4" tarts.

Sweet Tart Dough
1/2 cup, plus 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and salt and mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in the egg until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the flour all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into six roughly even-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a disc about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap each in plastic wrap or a baggie and chill for 1 hour to overnight.

To line the tart pans, place a dough disc on a lightly floured surface and roll out 1/8 inch thick, rolling from the center to the edges in all directions. Lift and rotate the dough a quarter turn after every few passes with the rolling pin. Carefully transfer each circle of dough to a tart pan, easing it into the pan and pressing it gently into place. Never stretch tart dough or the sides will shrink. If the dough becomes too soft, it can be put back into the refrigerator to cool. If the dough tears, just patch with a little extra dough pressing firmly to make it adhere. With a sharp knife, trim the dough level with the top of the tart pan. Place the tarts in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325F. Once chilled, remove the tart shells from the freezer and dock (make small holes) in the bottom of the tart shells with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife. Place in the oven and bake 5-7 minutes. When the tart shells go in, make the egg wash. Whisk the remaining egg and salt in a small bowl. A minute or so before the tart shells are the desired color, remove them from the oven, brush the entire interior of the shells with the egg wash and return to the oven until you achieve the desired color and the glaze is set. A well set glaze provides a barrier between the shell and the filling which prevents the shell from becoming soggy.

Let cool completely on wire racks. Then proceed with the recipe.

Makes six 4" tart shells.

Pastry Cream
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp. good quality vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup, plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Have a non-aluminum (glass or ceramic) mixing bowl ready for cooling the pastry cream with a fine mesh sieve resting in the rim.

Pour the milk into a heavy non-aluminum saucepan. Add the vanilla and salt, place over medium heat and bring just to under a boil, stirring frequently to make sure the milk solids do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and sugar. Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. When the milk is ready, ladle about one third of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Pour the egg-milk-sugar mixture back into the hot milk and continue whisking over medium heat until the custard is as thick as lightly whipped cream, about 2 minutes. For the cornstarch to work, the mixture must come just to the boiling point. You can see a few slow bubbles. If the cream boils, though, it will curdle. Immediately whisk the cream through the sieve into the waiting bowl. Let cool 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to release heat and prevent a skin from forming.

Cut the butter into 1 tablespoon knobs. When the pastry cream is about 140F whisk the butter into the cream, one tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth before adding the next tablespoon.

To cool the cream, cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly onto the surface of the cream and place in the refrigerator. This prevents a skin from forming. Once the pastry cream has cooled it may be used. However, be careful not to overmix it once it has cooled. Overmixing will break down the starch and cause it to go runny. Pastry cream keeps in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Assemble the Tarts
2 half pints of raspberries
4-5 medium peaches
3 Tbsp. apricot preserves

Peel the peaches by dropping them, one at a time, into boiling water for about 10 seconds. The skin should then be easily removable. Cut the peeled peaches in half, removing the pit, then into quarters, sixths, or eighths, depending on their size. Set in a mixing bowl.

Have the tarts shells ready to fill. Spoon the pastry cream into each shell and smooth the surface with a small spatula. The tarts should be about 3/4 full. You may not use the entire pastry cream recipe. You don't want to fill the shell to the top or the fruit on top will cause the pastry cream to overflow the rim.

Gently scatter or arrange the peaches and raspberries on the filled tarts.

In a small saucepan heat the apricot jam or jelly over low heat until it is a liquid glaze. Strain through a sieve, if using jam, to remove the seeds and/or pulp. Brush the fruit with the glaze.

The tarts may be eaten straight away or stored for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Serve them cool.

Herb Garden Salad

One of my culinary heroes, chef Joel Robuchon, was propelled to fame by the tiny portions of an herb salad he serves all his guests at his restaurants in France. The salad is special because it uses herbs, not in the dressing or as a garnish, but as the foundation of the salad. Below is a salad inspired by Mr. Robuchon that is intense, flavorful and decadent. Every bite is a delight worth savoring. I had previously been hesitant to make this salad because, if you are buying all the herbs at the market, it can be expensive. Luckily enough, my doctor knows I enjoy cooking and brought me most of the herbs, fresh from her garden, that I needed.

Herbs

1 oz. arugula
1/2 oz. frisee or curly endive, torn into natural pieces
1/2 oz. romaine, torn into small pieces
1/2 oz. spring mix or mesclun
1/2 head butter lettuce
1/2 cup basil leaves, torn into small pieces if large
1/2 cup parsley leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
3 sage leaves, chiffonade
1 small bunch chives, matchsticked
1 tsp. oregano leaves
1 tsp. thyme leaves
16 mint leaves

Dressing

1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1/3 cup filtered, extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. minced black truffle, optional

Combine all the herbs but the mint in a large wooden salad bowl. Keep cool while you make the dressing.





To make the dressing, disolve the salt in the vinegar in a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Add the truffle, if using. Add the dressing just before serving. Toss and plate in small portions on lunch, dinner or salad plates or ramekins. Garnish each serving with two mint leaves and a drop or two of sherry vinegar. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

Martha's Fireworks Cookies

The Fourth of July is a holiday about which I am not naturally enthusiastic and eager to celebrate. For Christmas and Easter there is such great build-up in the Christian calendar with Advent and Lent that I can hardly anticipate the actual days. The Fourth, on the other hand, can be mildly melancholy, showing up out of nowhere, a hot test of patriotic optimism for me. I look at our nation and can be easily troubled. Whether it's in regard to our radical wealth disparities - we've now surpassed all South American banana republics in making our rich richer and our poor poorer - or how we deprive the sick of health care or how we still perpetuate insidious forms of racism with sentencing disparities or how we sinfully regulate access to equality based on completely irrelevant divisions like gender and sexual orientation. These are all areas where the nation from which we won independence has unquestionably done better than us. (God save the Queen!) Nonetheless, I can just as easily see America's greatness and future promise simply by reading a little of what previous great Americans have written. Who can deny America's unique place after reading George Washington's "Farewell Address" or de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America" or Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail" or the Supreme Court in Olmstead v. U.S. (the right to be let alone) or anything ever written by Thoreau or Jefferson? Our current President is fond of reminding those who struggle and seek a better America of the words of Dr. King: "The arch of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." For this Fourth of July, I am willing to accept that, and to move on to important stuff: baking cookies.

When I saw these beautiful cookies on the July cover of Martha Stewart magazine, I couldn't resist the challenge. It turns out, these cookies are easy to make. The ingredients are all simple and accessible and the techniques are mastered on the first whack at it. The primary investment with these cookies is time. Give yourself a good five hours, including cooling and chilling time (during which you can do other things).

The recipe below makes many cookies. For me, it made 18 four inch cookies, 24 three inch cookies and (not or) 18 one and a half inch cookies.

Martha Stewart Sugar Cookie Recipe, modified

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer using the paddle attachment) whip the butter for about a minute. Add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes on medium-high until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add the vanilla and beat for a few seconds more.

Add the flour and mix on low until combined. Turn out onto plastic wrap and form into a disc or square and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut a maneageable piece of dough from the dough disc, about 1/4 of the total.

Roll out dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface.

Cut out cookies using round cookie cutters, rerolling scraps once. When I first read the instruction to only reroll the dough once, I thought this wasteful. In practice, if you are judicious with your cookie cutting spacing, you'll only be left with a ball somewhere between the size of a cherry and a small kiwi. Transfer the cut out dough to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake until edges show the very first hints of turning brown, 12 to 18 minutes, depending on size. Bake the large cookies together, the medium cookies together and so on because the small cookies will cook faster than the larger ones. Transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Set aside until you are ready to ice them.



Martha Stewart Royal Icing Recipe, modified

5 cups confectioners sugar
5 egg whites
1 tablespoon water
juice of 1/2 lemon, strained for seeds and pulp
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine on low speed the egg whites and sugar until combined. Add the water, lemon juice and vanilla and mix until combined. Turn the mixer to high and whip the icing to the desired consistency. For these cookies to turn out right (here is theonly part requiring skill and judgment), when the beater is lifted the icing should fall in a wide ribbon but absorb back into the bowl of icing after a few seconds. If the icing is too thin, it will not stay on the cookie and the colors will not remain separate. If it is too thick, it will be impossible to make the design. However, thicker royal icing can be great for cookies where you want the icing to stay put, like with a black & white cookie or a gingerbread house.

Take about 1/5 of the icing and, in a seperate bowl, dye it red. Repeat for the blue.

Decorate the cookies: Pipe an outline of white icing around the edge of 1 cookie, leaving a 1/4-inch border, then "flood" with more white icing to cover.

Immediately pipe a red or blue dot in the center of cookie. Then pipe concentric rings of colors around the center dot (using the same color as the dot, or alternating colors). If your icing is the correct consistency, it will stay put but "melt" together to form a flat surface but with a distinct separation of colors. By no means do the rings need to be perfectly done, as you can see below.

Immediately drag a toothpick through the colors to create bursts, starting from the center dot and working toward the edge, then alternate dragging inward and outward as you work around the cookie. (Or drag around the cookie in 1 direction or curve the lines for a pinwheel effect.) Let dry. Repeat with remaining cookies and icings.

Here's how they turned out:

Kitchen Tip: Good vanilla is worth it. It is especially worth it in dishes where there are not a lot of competing flavors, like in these cookies. I prefer Nielson-Massey Vanillas' products. They are a company based in Chicago and the Netherlands. Their Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract is fantastic. It is also Kosher, gluten-free, organic and ranked "Superior" by the American Baking Institute. You can find it at many big-city grocers, Williams and Sonoma, Sur la Table and most baking and kitchenware stores.

Grilling for the Gang of Six

One of the fantastic perks of friends with an actual house in the city is the opportunity to grill food outside without leaving town. My friends' have a beautiful, long chef's kitchen and, just past the kitchen, an enclosed back yard. More like a lush garden of trees, plants and plenty of growing edibles, there is a summery patio with a traditional kettle barrel charcoal grill.

Though our gathering consisted of six hearty men, I'm quite sure the ladies would find this meal just as satisfying. In keeping with summer, the menu was nearly absent carbohydrates and was full of protein and vegetables.

Unfortunately, I was having too much fun cooking, tasting and socializing to remember to take pictures of every thing. But next time.

Grilling Menu for Six:
Rubbed and Grilled Ribeye Steak
Michael Symon's Lola Restaurant Steak Sauce, modified
Grilled Onion Salad
Green Bean, Watercress and Bleu Salad
Buttermilk-Lime Ice Cream with Chocolate Mint Leaves

Grilled Ribeye

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp white or brown sugar
1 tbsp ancho or mixed hot dried chilis, ground
3 lbs ribeye steaks

First, buy the best ribeye you can afford. I prefer (well, love) the ribeye at Whole Foods. It is trimmed but well marbled and is pasture-raised, grass fed, free of hormones, and raised on one farm its entire life. The taste is pure and delicious with a rich buttery kick. Meat is definitely a product where the adage holds true: you get what you pay for.

The use of meat also raises ethical questions, not only about the rightness of eating animals, but about the amount of the Earth's resources required to produce meat. We now know livestock have a truly large impact on the environment. The amount of methane alone produced by cows is cause for concern due to its damage to the ozone layer. Waste and runoff from factory farming is also having alarming effects. Nonetheless, to occasionally eat high quality meat not factory produced but raised and slaughtered in a humane fashion can be a rewarding and delicious experience.

Make the rub: using a mortar and pestle, lightly crush the coriander. You do not want a powder here but just to break open the seeds and release all that rich citrus flavor. You can also roughly chop them with a knife or crush them with a bench scraper. In a small or medium bowl combine the coriander, salt, sugar and chili powder.

Place the steaks in a glass baking dish large enough to hold them all in one layer. Always wash your hands before and after handling raw meat and avoid contamination by using different utensils and dishes before and after cooking. Sprinkle on the rub to coat one side then flip the steaks and coat the other side. Put in the fridge for 4-12 hours before grilling. In the meantime, go ahead and make the Lola steak sauce (see below).

To grill on a charcoal kettle grill: with the grill cleaned, old briquettes and ash removed, make a pyramid with new briquettes and follow the instructions for lighting them. When the briquettes are all burning well and the corners beginning to gray, scatter the briquettes some in order to create an even cooking temperature throughout the grill. Replace the cooking grid or grate to get hot. A very hot grate will prevent the meat from sticking and give the traditional grill marks. Once the charcoal has come to its hottest temp - the briquettes will be halfway gray but burning a deep orange with some flames - place the steaks on the grill. Do not move them. Grill for 3 minutes on the first side. Flip and grill for 2-4 minutes more on the other side. The steak will be deeply browned on the outside and pink in the center (medium rare). If you want your steak well done, cook longer and put your steak on the grill when the briquettes are not as hot. The heat will be able to penetrate the meat without burning the outside. Just remember that with grilling the longer the beef cooks the less tender it will be. When your steak has finished grilling, remove to a clean platter and allow to rest for 8 minutes uncovered without touching it. The meat will continue to cook during this time and become even more tender and juicy.

Once the meat has rested, take a sharp knife and fork and begin slicing the beef into 1/2" strips. While you could easily do individual steaks, I like this method for more informal entertaining. The meat can be passed or served buffet style and folks can take exactly as much as they like. Also, the beef is so good and tender any further cutting can be done with just a fork.

For the modified Lola Steak Sauce:

2 cups balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup raisins
1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp whole cloves
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp celery salt
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 anchovy fillets, chopped

Combine all ingredients in a large nonreactive saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture has reduced by one third to one half. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer once or twice, until you have a nice smooth sauce; discard the solids. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon. If you wish to thicken it more but have already strained it, you can put it back in the saucepan and continue reducing for a few minutes. You can also stir in a couple teaspoons of butter and as the sauce cools, it will thicken. Once cool, cover and reserve until serving.

Grilled Onion Salad

3 large organic Vidalia onions
2 organic yellow onions
1 large organic white onion
2 medium organic red onions
up to 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup flat leaf Italian parsley
zest and juice of one lemon
olive oil

Because onions are the primary ingredient in this salad, it's important to use good ones. I use organic onions because they taste better and do not leave an oniony aftertaste. They are also crisper, juicier and more mellow. Cut the ends off all the onions and peel them. Slice the Vidalia, white and yellow onions into 3/4" - 1" slices. Put in a large bowl. Slice the red onion into 1/4" -1/2" slices. Add to bowl. Sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 cup of olive oil or until the onions are very well coated with the oil. Place a grilling tray (a metal sheet punched with 1/2" or 3/4" holes) on the grill until very hot. In this situation, I grilled the onions before the steak and before the coals were at their hottest point. Dump about half the onions on the tray. They can be somewhat piled. They will shrink some from grilling and the moisture released will help cook the others. Use tongs to turn the onions every few minutes until they are done. The onions will mostly be soft but not limp or wet or sloppy and a few will remain crisp. Place in a large bowl and cook the second half of the onions. Remove to the bowl. While they are cooling you can separate the parsley from the stems. Once you have enough, give the parley a very quick chop, just a few passes with a large knife. Grate the lemon zest over the bowl of onions, toss, then slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl being careful to remove any seeds that may fall. Toss. Add the parsley and toss again. Taste for salt and adjust. This is ready to serve.

Green Bean, Watercress and Blue Salad

1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
1 bunch watercress, trimmed
4 ounces Roth-Kaas Blue Cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves

Juice of 1 orange
1 tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 shallot very thinly sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Prepare the vegetables: bring a pot of well seasoned water to a boil. For well seasoned water (for most vegetables or for pasta) the water should taste like sea water. Adding a pinch of salt to a couple gallons of water is not effective. When I see people do this I often chuckle and wonder why they bother. You should add a tablespoon of kosher salt per gallon (16 cups) of water. Blanche the beans in the boiling water for about three minutes until the beans are cooked but still very crisp. Drain and run under cold water for one minute. Alternatively, you can drain the beans and add to a bowl of water and ice cubes. Regardless, the beans should only be subjected to the cold for a minute. This sets the bright green color and stops the cooking. Failing to cool the beans down or cooling them down for too long will result in limp beans without a bright color. Once they are cool and drained, wrap them in a dry absorbent kitchen towel and put them in the fridge until you need them.

Pull the tarragon leaves from the stem until you have enough. Pass over the leaves with a knife for a few chops.

Make the dressing: in a medium bowl add the orange juice and lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Add the salt and whisk until dissolved. Add the shallot and whisk again. Add the olive oil in a thin stream while whisking. Finish with the pepper.

Toss the salad: in a large salad or kitchen prep bowl add the green beans from the fridge, the watercress, blue cheese and tarragon. Give this a gentle toss with salad tongs. Pour over the dressing and toss well. Serve alongside the steak, sauce and grilled onions.

Buttermilk-Lime Ice Cream with Chocolate Mint

Another blessing within my friends' fabulous kitchen is their sturdy Italian ice cream maker. It's really a super, if mildly noisy, device. It seems Steve, the owner, just tosses in a few ingredients and an hour later we're eating fresh ice cream. This ice cream has a wonderful texture; it is creamy but the buttermilk and lime provide a nice hit of summery acidity. Another friend had just given me chocolate mint from her garden in the morning. I knew it would be the perfect thing with which to finish this dish. Mint grounds this ice cream and gives it a clean, fresh, balanced finish.

3/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup heavy cream
zest of 2 limes
juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon corn syrup
pinch of kosher or fine sea salt
bunch of chocolate mint

To make the ice cream: combine the water and sugar in a medium, heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves. Do not allow the mixture to color. Remove from the heat and cool in the fridge.

Once the syrup is room temperature to cold, stir in the buttermilk, cream, zest, juice, corn syrup and salt. Pour into the freezer container of your ice cream machine and follow the manufacturers' instructions.

In the meantime, cut the chocolate mint into a chiffonade. A "chiffonade" is achieved with leafy plants by stacking the leaves, rolling them tightly, and cutting crosswise to produce fine ribbons.

When the ice cream is finished, scoop into ice cream dishes and finish with a garnish of the mint.

Michael Symon's Crispy Gnocci with Morels and Spring Peas

There is something so Springtime and magical about this dish. It combines two of the best products of the early Spring season: peas and morels. And since Spring in Chicago can be cold and windy, all of the butter in this recipe keeps one warm and energized.

While I've had morels in the past, like when I had this dish at Mr. Symon's Cleveland restaurant, Lola, years ago, it was in making this recipe at home that I came to really love them. This recipe highlights the morel: their beautiful honeycomb appearance and special flavor are essential to this dish. When you find morels at your market or grocer don't be alarmed or intimidated by the price. While in big cities they can easily top $40.00 per pound, the dozen required for this recipe weigh only about a tenth of a pound.

Because it is so buttery I had by June put this recipe in the "I'll make this again (sparingly) next year" category. But when I went into the Boystown Treasure Island the produce man was putting out the last shipment of fresh morels for the season. And just a couple feet away sat perfect, beautiful, fresh Spring peas. I decided to make it one last time this year. A 55F Sunday afternoon seemed the perfect time. This dish does not taste buttery, though. The acid from the juice of an entire lemon really cuts the butter while the shallot and garlic contribute to depth and whole parsley leaves to roundness. The modifed recipe below contains two tablespoons of butter less than the original. If you want all the butter of the original recipe, add an additional tablespoon to the pan you saute the morels in and stir in a tablespoon when you add the water and parmesan at the end.

There is also something to be said for Mr. Symon's brilliant use of a ricotta gnocci, which is so much lighter than a potato gnocci. These gnocci have a crisp, flavorful exterior and a soft, cheesy interior. Like eating little pillows of cloudy goodness and delight!

Do note that morels should not be eaten raw. They contain small amounts of hydrazine which are eliminated during cooking. However, I doubt a single raw morel would harm a normal, healthy adult.

Here is the adapted recipe which serves 4:

For the gnocchi:
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Zest of one lemon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 large egg, beaten

For the sauce:
6 tbsp unsalted butter
12 morel mushrooms
1 shallot, thinly sliced
kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh shelled peas
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves

To make the dough:
Combine the flour, parmesan, lemon zest, and salt in a bowl. Add the ricotta and beaten egg. Mix with hands or wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. Overworking will cause the dough to toughen. Scrape the dough onto a floured surface and pat into a rough square. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into thirds and gently roll into foot-long ropes, flouring as needed. Place dough ropes on a floured plate and refrigerate for 10 minutes and up to 2 hours. After dough has rested, return the ropes to a lightly floured surface. Cut each rope into 3/4" inch pieces, and set aside while you make the sauce.

To make the sauce:
Put 3 tbsp butter into a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. When the butter foams, add the morels and saute for about 2 minutes, just until they begin to soften. Add the shallot and saute, seasoning with a generous pinch kosher salt. Add the garlic, stir and reduce heat to medium. Add the lemon juice and peas, and saute for two minutes until peas begin to cook. Turn off heat and set aside.

Heat 3 tbsp butter over medium-high heat in a saute pan large enough to accommodate the gnocchi without crowding. When the butter becomes just brown and fragrant, reduce the heat a little and add the gnocchi to the pan. Cook, turning as needed, until crisp and browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook these!

Pour the morel and pea sauce over the gnocchi, turning to coat. Add 3 tbsp water and 1/3 cup parmesan, and gently toss until the cheese, water and morel sauce forms a silken coating. Stir in the whole parsley leaves. Spoon into shallow bowls and serve immediately. Can be served with parmesan to pass, though this isn't necessary.

Enjoy!

The Original Cobb Salad

After a hectic Spring week during which temperatures moved wildly between 57F and 97F day to day, the traditional Cobb salad seemed like a cool, crisp, and satisfying dinnertime response to the weather. It is hearty with a bunch of protein but not heavy due to the lack of carbohydrates. The protein will support you as you move into a more active summer lifestyle. If you happen to need or want carbohydrates with this, a crusty piece of baguette would do fine.

On a historical note, the Cobb salad is named after Robert H. Cobb, the owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby where this salad was a signature dish beginning in the 1930's. Nonetheless, a country club in Lincoln, Nebraska has been serving this line up of toppings on a bed of spinach since 1917.

The recipe below is for 2-3 people where the salad is the main meal of the day.

1/2 head iceberg lettuce
2 cups mesclun or trimmed watercress
1 small head romaine

1 tsp. olive oil
3-4 chicken tenderloins, about 12 oz
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
3 eggs
6 slices bacon, cut into 3/4" pieces
4 oz. Roth-Kaas Wisconsin blue cheese, or your preferred blue
1 small bunch scallions or chives
2 plum tomatoes

scant 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. sugar, any kind
1 garlic clove, peeled, crushed by side of knife
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. olive oil

1 avocado

To prepare the lettuces:
Always wash and dry any unprepared lettuces. Take the 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce and cut it from top to core creating a quarter head. Cut off core and discard. Using a large knife or plastic lettuce knife cut the quarters crosswise creating a shredded lettuce. Place in a large salad bowl. Add the mesclun. Tear the romaine into small bite size pieces and add to the bowl as well. While the combination may not seem terribly refined, this works both with a fork and visually. The occasional taste of an herb or arugula from the mesclun is wonderful. Set bowl in the refrigerator for now.

To prepare the toppings:
Heat a small skillet large enough to hold the tenderloins over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tsp olive oil and wait another minute. Add the chicken. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook to seal the chicken and turn to repeat, about 1-2 minutes. Next, turn the heat to medium-low, cover the chicken and cook six minutes, turning once. Turn off the heat, leaving the cover in place, and move on to the next steps. The chicken will continue to cook while it sits.

While the chicken cooks, place the eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Add an egg timer if you have one. Put the saucepan on medium high heat and cook until the egg timer says the eggs are finished. If you do not have an egg timer, this will take about 7 minutes, or longer if you are making more than three eggs, once the water is vigorously boiling. When making boiled eggs, start with the eggs in the pan and add cold water, and also later rinse with cold water after cooking. This prevents the yolk edge or skin from turning green.

While the eggs are cooking, start working on the bacon. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat until hot and add the bacon. Cook until brown and crispy then remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.

While the bacon cooks, using a fork or grater, break up the blue cheese into little pieces. Put in prep bowl and set in fridge.

By now, the eggs should be finished. Rinse thoroughly under cold water and peel. On a clean, dry cutting board, coarsely chop the egg. Or use an egg slicer. Set aside in fridge.

Next prepare the tomatoes and scallions or chives. For scallions, cut off the roots and slice thinly, starting with the white part. Cut up into the green only until the green is no longer crisp, about 3-4" up. If using chives, simply cut into 1/4" pieces. Put in small prep bowl and set aside in fridge. For the tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise. Remove the pulp and discard. Cut what remains into 1/2" strips. Turn the strips and cut into a 1/2" dice. Put in small prep bowl and set aside in fridge.

Make the dressing:
In a small bowl, add the red wine vinegar, salt and sugar. Once the salt and sugar are dissolved, add the crushed garlic clove, freshly ground pepper and whisk in the Dijon mustard. Next whisk in the olive oil, a little at a time or in a small, narrow stream. Once the oil is fully incorporated, remove the garlic clove, discard, and set dressing aside.

Finish the toppings:
To prepare the avocado, slice in half to the stone. Twist to separate halves. Remove stone with knife. Quarter avocado and remove skin. Chop into 1/2" cubes. Remove to small prep bowl and add 1-2 Tbsp dressing and toss very gently to stop discoloration; avocados oxidize quickly. Set bowl in fridge.

Take the resting chicken and move to a cutting board. Cut lengthwise once or twice, turn once and chop into coarse 1/2" cubes. Set aside.

Take the salad greens, eggs, cheese, scallions, tomatoes and avocado from the fridge. Bring the chicken and bacon to hand. Give the dressing a final whisk and pour on the greens. Toss gently but thoroughly and swiftly move on to plating. (Never dress a salad in advance or it will wilt.) Divide the greens among your plates. I use wide rimmed all purpose salad/cream soup bowls. It is easier to add the toppings in distinct rows - the signature look of a Cobb - if the lettuce is not mounded but somewhat flat. Next, put on your artist's hat and arrange the toppings in rows. The order really isn't important. The salad will be more attractive if the colors contrast, so separate the like colored toppings.

Serve immediately. Your dining partners will be delighted: such simple ingredients taste so great all together in a salad.

Above is a picture of how mine turned out.