With Delancey (incredible pizza restaurant with famed owners Brandon and Molly – of Orangette) right around the corner from us it seems so silly to even bother making pizza at home. Call me silly. Whenever a challenge presents itself, such as creating crispy, chewy crusted pizza at home, I take it head on and am determined to remove confusion and insert deliciousness.

I recently taught a Spring baking class in which we used pizza as a foundation to highlight some of this season’s finest and brightest offerings. For the sake of the class we researched and tested and scrutinized several crusts. I won’t lie – it wasn’t rough.

We walked away from that evening of testing with full bellies and two pizza crusts that may put Dominos out of business.

My favorite was a crust that was both crispy and chewy yet had a softness that was reminiscent of the fluffy, pillow-like crust my mom used to make. It was salty with a subtle tang that came from taking a few days rest in the fridge.

On top we drizzled olive oil, added mozzarella and fontina and scattered par-roasted asparagus spears. After three minutes of baking in a very hot oven we cracked three eggs on top then waited patiently. The hot pizza was then topped with prosciutto and grated Grana Padana or Parmesan. A light sprinkling of salt dusted the perfect pie which was then quickly devoured.

Beautiful pizza at home – it can be done.

THE Pizza Crust

adapted from 101cookbooks.com

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon yeast
1/4 cup olive oil
1 3/4 cups water
Semolina flour OR cornmeal for dusting

Combine all the ingredients. Mix by hand or with a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead for 5-7 minutes – until soft, quite sticky but not wet.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment and a fine coating of pan spray or oil. Divide the dough into four equal portions then place on the baking sheet. Using a bit of flour if the dough or your hands are very sticky, shape the portions into round balls. Mist the dough with oil or pan spray then cover with plastic wrap.
Place in the fridge for at least one day or up to three days.
Remove the dough 2 hours before you plan on baking. Place the sheet tray in a warm spot in your kitchen.
Pre-heat your oven (if you have a pizza stone pre-heat your oven with the stone inside) to 450* for 45 minutes prior to baking.
With your hands or a rolling pin, shape one of the portioned dough pieces to the desired size and thickness. Place on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or use the back of a baking sheet. Top with desired toppings and bake until crust is lightly golden and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Note: If you want to save some of the dough for future baking, you can store the dough balls in a zippered freezer bag. Dip each dough ball into a bowl that has a few tablespoons of oil in it, rolling the dough in the oil, and then put each ball into a separate bag. You can place the bags into the freezer for up to 3 months. Transfer them to the refrigerator the day before you plan to make pizza.

This one had mozzarella, fontina, fresh ricotta, green garlic and merguez (lamb sausage)

Pizza Tips

1) Always preheat your oven and pizza stone for 45 minutes prior to baking.  Use the hottest setting you can.  500 – 550 degrees in most ovens.  Use convection if you have it.

2) Semolina flour makes an ideal dusting flour for your pizza peel so your pizza doesn’t stick and you can easily transfer it from peel to stone.  If you don’t have a peel, a cookie sheet can work, but honestly, not as well.  Corn meal also works well for dusting.

3) Overnight crust recipes will result in a more flavorful and glutinous pizza, which improves chewiness and crispiness to the crust.

Roasted Asparagus, Egg & Prosciutto Pizza

Olive oil
Roasted asparagus (drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper and roast for 10 minutes at 400)
2-3 oz fresh mozzarella, torn into nickel size pieces
3 eggs, cracked and waiting in a bowl.
2 oz San Danielle or other high quality prosciutto
high quality sea salt or fleur de sel & fresh cracked pepper
freshly grated Parmigiano

Preheat your oven for 45 minutes with pizza stone inside, to 500 – 550 degrees.

With your dough create 12” round.  Place on flour dusted pizza peel.  Brush with olive oil and dust with sea salt.  Break up fresh mozzarella on top of pizza, add roasted asparagus.  Slide onto pizza stone and bake for 3 minutes.  Open oven and as quickly as possible pour the eggs onto three different places around the pizza.  Bake for another 7 minutes or until golden and eggs are cooked to your liking. We shoot for a semi-soft yolk.  Remove from oven and grate Parmigiano over top.  Drape 4-5 slices of prosciutto on top of this.

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For those who want to know these were taken with a Canon 5D 24-70 2.8 The light is au naturale.

click through to Artazza for the recipe

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It was on such a list that I noticed pork was on its way out making room for lamb. While I can and will debate against them saying pork is becoming a lesser meat (bacon will always be near and dear to my heart) I will say I agree that lamb will be making a delicious rise in popularity.

Fortunately for me, during this  ‘year of the lamb”, I found myself with a selection of lamb thanks to Lava Lake Lamb. I received a nice email – with an actual person behind it, not someone just insterting my name – asking if I would like to recieve a sample of their product. It was mere seconds before I responded with an enthusiastic YES.

*Full disclaimer* so I don’t get hauled off to jail. I received the lamb for free but was not paid to write about it. I recieve many PR emails  – some I ignore, some I respond to and others ( few) I get so excited about I feel the need to blog.

Oh goodness am I excited about this.

First there was ground lamb. I added toasted cumin, mint, feta, salt and pepper. I formed that into little sausage patties which I then fried and served with olive pasta (pasta with finely chopped kalamata olives, mint, garlic, chili flakes and olive oil).

Secondly I braised lamb shanks. This wasn’t just any ol’ braise. This was like a spa treatment for the meaty shanks. They relaxed on a bed of carrots, onions, garlic and tomato. Then they enjoyed a drink of red wine, followed by an energizing bath of coffee. After all that they rested while the vegetables and juices reduced, were blended then strained. By the taste of things the shanks had quite a lovely day at the spa.

And Thirdly we ate French lamb chops. The simplest of all preparations but quite possibly my favorite. You remember the fennel pollen? Well, pull that out again. Dust your chops with it along with salt and pepper. Grab a skillet and cover the bottom with olive oil. Get it hot. No, hotter. Now you are talking. Gently place a chop in and watch the fireworks. Let that hang out for a few minutes then flip. Sizzle. Another few minutes on that side then let it rest. At this point they should be medium rare. If you want them cooked a bit more just pop the skillet in a hot oven for a couple minutes.

Serve with a raw carrot salad. Shaved carrot tossed with a lemon vinagrette (3 parts oil, one part lemon juice, touch of honey, french mustard, salt and pepper) and chopped Italian parsely.

If Rachel Ray were to prepare this she could take a 20 minute cocktail break and still be able to call it a 30 minute meal.

So there you have it. Three great ways to enjoy lamb in 2010.

Happy New Year to you all. May it be filled with joy, love, passion and food.

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Sometimes the most delicious dishes don’t have the most appetizing names, like brown butter for example. If you had never had brown butter but just knew about it from its deceptively “blah” name you would have no idea that brown butter is quite simply one of the most amazing smells/tastes known to man. Rather than being a rancid blob of butter that has transformed its shade due to age or intriguing forms of mold, brown butter has the aroma of toasted nuts and the ability to transform whatever it touches into a completely new taste. As soon as the milk solids are cooked and begin to caramelize you are nearly punched in the face with an aroma that is both comforting in its familiarity and exciting as it is unlike anything you’ve tasted.

I didn’t really mean to come here to talk about brown butter rather, Stuffed Bread. Now you may be intrigued but chances are you aren’t salivating yet. When I give you a few more details about the recipe you will learn an important lesson about judging a dish by it’s name. That, or you will email me with a much better way of describing what I am calling, “Stuffed Bread”.

What’s better than homemade bread? Not much right?! What happens if you take that bread and stuff it with ham, hard-boiled eggs, fresh basil, loads of cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes? I’ll tell you what happens you get an incredible dinner and a happy husband, who will – while in the midst of consuming several hefty slices – grab his iPhone and twitter about the vast amount of luck bestowed upon him for marrying such a fine woman. Maybe those weren’t his exact words but I’ve learned to read between the lines.

If you are a creative type then you will especially love this recipe because really what it is is an idea. A starting point. Just think about all the possibilities. Bacon, eggs, fried potatoes, cheddar – Breakfast Stuffed Bread. Roasted vegetables, thyme, Gruyere – Meat-less Stuffed Bread.

Let me know what you come up with!

Stuffed Bread

adapted from JamieOliver.com

One recipe basic white bread. You can use Jamie Oliver’s recipe or you can use Ruhlman’s ratio for basic bread which is 5:3, five parts flour to 3 parts water. Add some yeast (I typically add 2-3 tsp.) and salt (maybe a touch of sugar too) and you have bread.

1/2 lb. sliced Ham

5 hard boiled eggs, (instructions on how to perfectly boil eggs)

1 1/2 cup cheese (I used Fontina and Parmesan, but you could use cheddar, Gruyere, mozzarella, etc.)

5-7 large fresh basil leaves, torn

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

olive oil

salt and pepper – Use it if you think it needs it but with the salty ham, Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes – dare I say – I didn’t add additional salt. (I hope this doesn’t mean I have to change the name of my blog again).

Prepare your basic bread recipe as directed. After the dough had risen and doubled in size, punch down, then shape into a rough rectangle on a floured surface. On the dough place your ham, eggs, cheese, basil and tomatoes. Over the top drizzle with a touch of extra virgin olive oil.

Pull the dough over the filling to connect the edges – think of it like you’re making a giant burrito. Pinch the edges to seal in all your incredible ingredients. Now your burrito is going to become a large donut as you carefully join the ends to meet. Pinch and seal the ends so that you now have an endless ring of stuffed-bread goodness.

Carefully place your ring of bread on a oil piece of parchment lining a baking sheet. Paint or drizzle the top of the dough with a couple of tablespoons of melted butter. Let the dough rest and rise while you are pre-heating the oven to 350* Bake for 35 minutes or until golden.

Let cool, although I understand if you can’t wait that long. It really is best served while the contents of the bread are still warm.

Slice and devour.

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I fell in love with food around the same time I was falling in love with my husband.

I lived in Italy for six months and thought there was something wrong with me. While all the other students were buying leather boots and shopping for the perfect Italian apparel souvenir, all my money was spent on food. Instead of going home with the quintessential pair of Italian red shoes I returned with a 30 pound souvenir around the hips, thighs and waist.

At first I tried to be the shopper I am not. I went in the fancy stores but was lured away by the smell of Carbonara. I stopped denying myself where I felt real joy and in return I found my passion. I realized that food was more than sustenance but rather a way of life, something to be celebrated, shared and honored. I fell hard for the cheese, the wine and the passionate producers. I savored and indulged while feeling the unbearable ache of missing the man I love.

We were dating at the time I decided to study art history in Italy. I was bored and wanting to experience something by myself. Ironically while away I learned the importance and joy of community and realized that who I left behind was the one that I never wanted to leave again.

Luckily he felt the same and flew over to Italy to meet me. While there he slid a shiny rock on my finger on the edge of the Spanish Steps in Rome.

My two loves were together with me and I wanted nothing more for them to meet and fall in love too. And the three of us would lead a happy, full life.

But it hasn’t always worked out that way. I am still madly in love with my husband, falling more in love with him each day and ditto for food. He and food on the other hand are taking their relationship slow.

I do my best to encourage them to get along and my husband indulges me. He nibbles off a rabbit size bite of something I practically shove into his face. He tastes and says a generic, “It’s good.” After nearly 6 years of marriage he has gotten a bit more honest with his responses and offers some “helpful” critiques on how I can improve the dish.

He has come quite a long way. Once considered the pickiest eater of three brothers, my husband is turning out to be a bit of food snob – and I love it. When it comes to coffee and beer in our family he is the one who makes all the major decisions.

He attributes his picky tendencies to sensitive taste buds. While I once scoffed and chuckled at this sad attempt at an excuse, I am now beginning to think he may be on to something. I can even admit to being a bit envious of his discerning palette. He has the ability to pick out extremely subtle flavors that I have completely glanced over – probably because I am too busy shoveling the food in my face.

I look for any sign that he and food are starting to really develop their love and I run with it.

The other night while watching Top Chef Masters together I noticed some sounds of delight and agreement coming from my husband while the camera focused on the food cooked by the master of Mexican cookery, RickBayless. While I tend to “ohhh” and “ahhh” over classic French and Italian food my husband was delighting in the spice, color and flavors that Bayless so passionately uses in his cooking.

Then my husband said this, “I bet if I had a cookbook by Rick Bayless I would cook from it.”

Wait. What?! Rewind. Did he just say that he MIGHT cook something?!

The next day we had, Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless.

He hasn’t cooked anything from it yet* but I did catch him sitting on the couch reading it. I told you, he and food are moving slowly. But in my mind this is a major step (and a major turn on).

I will continue to do whatever it takes to bring my two loves together and I am convinced that one day we will experience a meal together where we will both be brought to tears of joy.

In the meantime I can’t stop planning which recipe I will tackle next in this book. The recipes are simplistic in nature as they are intended to give you the rich, well-developed flavors of Mexico on a daily basis. You won’t find Bayless ‘ Top Chef winning Mole which boasts more than 20 ingredients in this book. But you will find ingenious recipes that offer fresh, bold flavors that are a cinch to throw together – like Swiss chard and caramelized onion tacos.

A new (to me) way to eat your greens. This recipe reminded me again that my fridge should never be void of Queso Fresco. The slightly salty fresh cheese was the ticket to the success of these tacos. It added a fresh and creamy taste to the richness of the sauteed vegetables.

While my husband still isn’t a chard-convert he did manage to eat his share and still have room to tell me how he would have made them differently had he been the one to cook them. To that I handed him a pan and said “start cooking.” One of these days he just may.

*Note: I was corrected by my husband who has made something from the book. While I was away one evening, teaching a class, he made an incredible Lime Ice. The texture was silky and the flavor was perfectly tart and sweet. I can’t believe I forgot. Hoping next time I will be around to witness such an occasion.

Swiss Chard and Caramelized Onion Tacos

from Mexican Everyday, by Rick Bayless

Serves 4

12 oz. bunch of Swiss chard, thick lower stems removed (10 oz. cleaned spinach can be used instead)

1 1/2 tbl. oil, lard or bacon drippings

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp. red pepper flakes (add more or less depending on how spicy you like it)

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth (water works too)

Salt

12 warm corn tortillas

1 cup (4 ounces) Queso Fresco or other fresh cheese such as feta or goat cheese

Smoky Chipotle Salsa for serving (recipe below)

Slice the chard into 1/2-inch ribbons. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion then cook until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. To the onions add the red pepper flakes and garlic. Stir for about 20 seconds until you are hit with the aroma of the garlic then immediately add the broth or water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the greens. Adjust the heat to medium-low then cover the skillet. Cook until the greens are almost tender. For Swiss chard this will be about 5 minutes. Spinach only takes about 2 minutes.

Uncover the pan, adjust the heat to medium-high then cook until the juices have reduced significantly and merely glaze the greens. Taste and add salt if you think it needs it.

Serve with the corn tortillas, crumbled fresh cheese and Chipotle salsa.

Chipotle Salsa

Makes 1 1/4 cups salsa
This salsa has a hot smoky flavor and a subtle sweetness from the roasted Tomatillos.

Just don’t make the same mistake I did. In the recipes it calls for “2 canned chipotle chilies”. In my haste I read that to mean “2 cans of chipotle chilies”. It is definitely not 2 cans. The resulting salsa was hotter than the sun. After a glass of milk, back to the store I went to buy enough ingredients to tame the salsa. Learn from me – use 2 chipotle chilies. Each can contains about 3-4 I think. If you like lots of heat feel free to use more chilies.

3 garlic cloves, peeled

4 medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half

2 canned chipotle chilies

salt

Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. If it is not a non-stick, Rick Bayless recommends placing a layer of aluminum foil on the bottom.

Place the garlic and tomatillos (cut side down) in the skillet.

After about 3-4 minutes the tomatillos should be well browned. Turn everything over and brown on the other side. After another 3-4 minutes the tomatillos should be completely soft.

Place the garlic and tomatillos into a blender or food processor, along with the chilies and 1/4 cup water. Blend to a coarse puree. Taste and adjust salt.

Pour into a dish and let cool before serving.

**In the picture of the garlic and tomatillos in the pan there is a tomato also in the pan. Please don’t get confused. This was one of my many attempts to tone down the spiciness due to a not uncommon kitchen mistake.

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As it was quite some time ago I don’t remember the exact words that @bittman used to lure me in but it had to do with nachos.

The nachos that Mark Bittman was referring to resembled nothing like the grease-laden chips covered in orange “cheese-flavored” glop that my husband likes to consume while we’re at Safeco watching the Mariners. No these were vastly different and were immediately on the menu for that night’s dinner.

Bittman’s Greek Nachos begin with a bed of oven crisped pitas. On top of that he uses a cumin and onion seasoned ground lamb – I used beef because it’s what I had. Drizzled over the top of the pitas and ground meat is a perfectly salty, creamy and tangy sauce of yogurt, feta, lemon juice/zest and fresh mint. (If your mouth isn’t watering yet you might want to get your salivary glands examined).

But wait. There’s more.

Finish the nachos with chopped tomatos, cucumbers and olives. And if you are like me sprinkle more feta on top and a bit more fresh mint.

This dinner is made extra tasty with the addition of this fruit salad on the side.

Of course, being the crazy lady that I am, store bought pitas just would not do. So I made my own and I must say that it was incredibly satisfying watching them balloon in the oven. It took a few rounds before I figured out the “trick” to the ‘puff”. Which really isn’t a trick at all – just make sure that when rolling them out you leave them thick enough so that there is room for them to expand. A 1/4-inch thick should do the trick. For this recipe however, you don’t need the typical pocket in the pita – but for the leftover sandwiches you make with the leftover nacho ingredients – you will.

Whole Wheat Pitas

This is an incredible Pita tutorial from The Fresh Loaf (much more detailed than mine)

2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 Tbl honey

1 packet yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp.)

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, roughly at room temperature

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Combine the yeast, flour, salt and honey. Stir in the water and olive oil to form a ball. If the mixture is not coming together add a bit more flour or water so that a cohesive mass is made. Knead the dough, or mix with a dough hook on low, for ten minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a cloth or plastic wrap. Let this rest and rise until double in size. Appoximately 90 minutes.

After the dough has double punch down to release some gas (heehee) then divide into 8 equal portions. Roll each potion into a ball then cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400*. If you have a baking stone (recommended) place that in the oven at this point as well. If you don’t have a stone use the underside of a cookie sheet placed in the middle of your oven.

On a floured surface roll a portion of the dough into a circle about 1/4-inch thick (this thickness worked best for me).

Quickly open the oven and place the rolled dough on your stone or cookie sheet – if there is room bake two at a time. Watch closely as it is quite exciting – if you are into that kind of thing – and it happens quickly. They should be done after 3 minutes. You can continue to bake for a couple more minutes if you want them crispier. If you are going to be using these pitas for the Greek nachos – which you really should – then once the pitas cool you are going to cut them into wedges drizzle with salt and olive oil and bake again just to crisp them up a bit (i.e. pita chips).

If you have enough will power pitas can keep for awhile or they freeze really well.

Of course you could just run to the store and buy a pack of pitas but really these are super easy and quick to make and the taste will leaving you screaming “OPA!”

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Hello again. I can only stay for a minute. I’m sorry but I am oh so tired. My husband, myself and many wonderful helping hands have been busy moving our entire life out of our home. Hopefully by the end of this week or the beginning of next all the i’s will be dotted and the t’s crossed and we can officially say, “We sold our house!” without adding the hopefully at the end of that excited phrase.

Moving is a tiring process but it is also exciting. We, however, are postponing the exciting new home part and putting all our belongings in storage until we meet our future home – which is somewhere in Seattle waiting for us to find it.

With all this excitement and extreme exhaustion happening around here cooking happens quickly but the results are still delicious and often highlight some of the many gifts from the dirt that are emerging along with the rising temperatures. (oh and there has been the occassional slice of delivered pizza as well).

Fresh pea soup has hit our dinner table on several occasions recently. Unlike its cousin, split pea soup – which I also love, fresh pea soup is vibrant, light and perfect for this time of year.

For this recipe I utilize a couple of different food scraps which sort of makes me feel like I am cleaning the fridge while cooking.  For the stock I use frozen asparagus – well, just the woody parts from the ends. I cut them off, enjoy the tender asparagus, then throw the ends in a zip-loc and place in the freezer for occasions such as making pea soup. I also save the flavorful rind from parmesan. When added to soups or risotto it gives the finished dish a salty complexity and depth.

This is a great base recipe. Try adding fresh mint or chives. Add after you take the soup off the heat.

Fresh Pea Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1 cup chopped yellow onion

3 2″ pieces of parmesan rind

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I used asparagus stock made from the saved woody ends of asparagus)

5 cups freshly shelled peas or 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen peas

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Salt & Pepper to taste.

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While the color of this dish might be one that only Oscar the Grouch approves of don’t let the murky-brown hue taint your taste buds. This dish is rich and incredibly satisfying. The best part is that it uses a very common (and extremely nutritious) vegetable in an uncommon way.

Broccoli as a thick and creamy pasta sauce? You’ve got to be kidding me!

Oh I kid you not!

The recipe comes from, “Home Cooking” by Laurie Colwin. First of all if you have not read this book put it at the top of your to-do list. (Also add, “More Home Cooking”). Her writing is charming and light. She and I spent hours together sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee in hand as she told me about her life and the food that illustrates it.

Well, she wasn’t actually sitting next to me but it sure felt like it.

My second favorite part of the recipe, with the first being the dish itself, is how she got away with writing it.

“Now to broccoli. How some people hate it! However, it turns into a sleek, rich pasta sauce. First you steam it. Then you saute it in dark green olive oil with two cloves of garlic until the garlic is soft. Then you toss it all in the blender with pepper, a pinch of salt, the jice of half a lemon, more olive oil and serve it on penne or ziti or fusilli with lots of grate cheese, and no one will suspect what is being served.” (Home Cooking, pg. 60)

I love that there are no restrictions, no measurements and is left open to so much interpretation. She gives us the outline and lets us color in the rest and if we choose to color outside the lines, it’s encouraged.

I followed the “recipe” fairly close except for the addition of chili flakes while sauteing (I left out the pepper). I uses oodles of Parmesan cheese to serve.

Now quick go make this so you can devour the ice cream and sorbet with a clear conscience knowing you ate your vegetables first.

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In my kitchen it is rare to find a cookbook propped open on the counter. There is no weekly meal planning, although I have tried that but I always revert back to my disorganized and spontaneous ways. It is inspired and guided by what we have and what’s in season.

This is how I learned to cook.  My mom would come home exhausted from work. She would open the fridge, assess the contents then dinner was born. An assortment of fresh vegetables would hit a hot pan drizzled with olive oil. They cracked and spat as hidden drops of water fought with the oil. A second pot was filled with water and set to boil rice or pasta. Meat was usually in the equation as my two older and much hungrier brothers were always growing.

On occasion forethought was given to the meal, a cookbook would be used and we all gathered around the dining room table in anticipation of the “special” dinner.

Special or not each meal was delicious. By observation I learned which spices and herbs compliment each ingredient. I learned confidence and creativity in the kitchen and to this day the kitchen is where I am the most confident, the most “me” and definitely the most creative.

The thing is I am also a baker which seems to contradict the style in which I cook. But contrary to what some say, baking involves much creativity and gives you great freedom to invent, add and subtract to your hearts desire. With some foundational knowledge of method, baking ingredients and the science behind them endless possibilities abound.

In my kitchen dinner is created on a whim. I visit the market regularly and keep fresh produce close at hand. Typically pasta is mixed together with roasted seasonal produce and a simple salad with homemade vinaigrette and toasted nuts accompany.

I get giddy when I discover a new go to dinner that can be whipped up quickly, easily manipulated and altered while being incredible delicious and satisfying. And as a baker if there is anyway to involve a little flour, sugar and butter into the menu then I am a very happy girl.

This week I experiemented with crepes. I have always been reluctant to try my hand at these paper thin pancake-like creations. I thought that special equipment and years of experience were needed – why else would that vendor charge so much for them at the Farmer’s Market?

Inspired by Alton Brown I went for it and I am so glad I did. Of course not every crepe was perfect. Actually none of them really were but once they are wrapped up housing either a mixture of strawberries, whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles (the Dutch variety) or caramelized onions and goat cheese – perfection doesn’t matter.

Pretty sure I ate five and then went back for more an hour later.

I doubled the batch then refrigerated the leftover crepes in a ziplock with a sheet of wax paper in between each one to prevent sticking (they can also be frozen for up to one month). The next day the leftovers became peanut butter and jelly crepes and accompanied the boys and I to the park for a lovely picnic. Again I ate my share – and some of the boys’ share.

While we stuck with some very classic fillings for our crepes use your creativity and let seasonal produce be your guide.

If I had some sort of dinner schedule this one would definitely be in the rotation. Instead it continues to randomly pop up on a whim.

Basic Crepes

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup flour

1 tbl. brown sugar

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 tsp salt

Butter, for coating the pan

Combine all of the ingredients until completely incorporated (an immersion or regular blender work splendidly for this). Let batter chill out in the fridge for at least one hour. This allows the bubbles to subside making your batter nice and smooth. If you are a better planner than I you can make this as far as 48 hours ahead of time.

Heat an 8″ non-stick pan (or whatever you have). Add butter to coat. Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly (you want a very thin even layer of batter – adjust amount of batter according to the size of pan you are using). Cook for 45 seconds and flip. Cook for another 20 seconds and keep a stockpile in a warm oven. When you have a nice stack – assemble then ring the dinner bell.

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In our first years of marriage, Gabe and I soon realized that we ate a lot of fresh rolls. Every time we went out for Thai food, which was quite often, we would make sure to order a plate full of the rice wrapped bundles of fresh flavor. We thought it our mission to find the best in town – which really served as a great excuse to go out for more Thai food – for research purposes of course.

Another revelation occurred. We could very simply make these ourselves in our very tiny fire-engine red kitchen complete with hot chili pepper lights. After all we were practically experts on the subject, well not really, but we had tasted quite a few.

Fresh rolls quickly became a staple in our rotating dinner menu and served as a great way of cleaning out the fridge. We lovingly referred to them as “Thai Burritos”. This hearkens back to Gabe’s childhood filled with memories of his dad rummaging through the fridge and throwing his finds into a tortilla, wrapping it up in a nice complete package then calling it a “Garbage Burrito”.

With a rice paper wrapping and a slightly more appetizing yet very inaccurate name our fresh rolls are always different but never fail in taste. They are indeed, fresh. With the markets starting to fill with a wide variety of produce this is a great time to bring on the rolls.

The constant in our recipe is always an assortment of vegetables such as; carrots, cucumber, red pepper and bean sprouts. And herbs such as; cilantro, Thai basil and mint. We have also included marinated tofu, shrimp and leftover roasted chicken.

This time around we included another Thai favorite, Larb (or Laab) (a citrus and lemongrass scented ground chicken or pork salad served with butter lettuce).

Larb Salad

adapted from Bon Appetit

• 2/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup fish sauce (found in Asian markets or in the Ethnic aisle of most grocers)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons Thai roasted chili paste

• 3/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken or pork
• 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass (found in Asian Markets)
• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced Thai chilies or serrano chilies
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Combine the first four ingredients in a medium bowl. Save this sauce for later.

Simmer the broth in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken. Simmer until cooked through, breaking up any clumps of meat with a spoon, about 8 minutes. Add green onions, shallots, lemongrass and chillies. Stir until vegetables are tender and most of liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sauce, cilantro and mint.

You can serve this salad as is with butter lettuce or use it as a filling for your fresh rolls.

To construct the fresh rolls you will need spring roll wrappers, which you can find at any Asian market or in the ethnic aisle. To make the wrappers pliable gently place them in a shallow dish that is filled 3/4 full of very warm water. The warmer the water the faster they will soften. Once pliable carefully place the rice wrapper on a plate then begin filling. Add 3-4 tbl. of the Larb salad, a small piece of butter lettuce, julienned carrots and cucumber and a couple tender sprigs of cilantro. Wrap that all up snuggly just like you would a burrito. Serve the rolls with Peanut Sauce – homemade or a good quality pre-made from the Asian market.

These rolls are quick to assemble, impressive to serve to dinner guests (they can be made ahead) and such a delightful way to celebrate and enjoy the fresh produce that is starting to abound this time of year.

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