Bacon and Eggs Pizza

The Setting: There are streaks of blue vying for space amidst the clouds and birds merrily chirping outside my window. Did I wake up in a Disney movie...or better yet...Spring?

The Soundtrack: The lovely avian Disney extras.

Steaming up the (microwave) Oven: Water for hot tea, Country Peach Passion to be precise.

The Scenario: There are two things I learned in college that are more useful to me now than my bachelor degree.

1) Breakfast makes a great dinner.

2) Pizza makes a great breakfast.

This pizza is proof of both.

A simple homemade pizza dough (though you could easily substitute store-bought) is slathered with a creamy green-chili-pepper sauce and then crowned with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and bacon.

You don't need a degree to know that's gonna be good.

Morgan's Pizza Dough
10 oz bread flour
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 T olive oil, plus more for coating bowl
1 T honey
6 oz warm water
1 tsp kosher salt

Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, combine flour and yeast.

Add oil, honey, and warm water, mixing just until dough comes together.

Switch to the dough hook, add salt, and knead on medium-to-med-high speed (6 on a KitchenAid) for six minutes or till stretchy, smooth, and pliable.

Transfer dough to large bowl coated with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature for 90 minutes or till doubled in size.

Lift up the edges of the dough all the way around and tuck back under, gently releasing some of the gas that has built up. Cover and allow to rest for another 90 minutes.

Using a rolling pin, roll to desired shape and thickness (I like to do this on a Silpat or parchment paper). Transfer to a baking sheet or pizza pan dusted with coarse cornmeal.

Creamy Green-Chili-Pepper Sauce
7 oz plain Greek yogurt (I use Fage 2%)
1 whole (everything but the stem) fresh spicy banana pepper (or green chili pepper of your preference)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Place all sauce ingredients in a blender and process till smooth.

Spread evenly over pizza dough in pan.

Bacon and Eggs
3 slices raw bacon, diced
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Fry bacon in a small nonstick skillet till fat has rendered out and bacon is fully cooked but not overly crispy. Carefully transfer bacon to a small cup or bowl and set aside, retaining as much of the fat in the skillet as possible.

Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic to the skillet and cook gently over med-low heat, immediately stirring to break up the yolks and scramble the eggs. Continuing to stir, cook until the eggs are mostly opaque but still very wet, 2-3 minutes. Let sit off the heat for 1 minute.

Drop small clumps of egg evenly over the green chili sauce. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top and follow with the bacon.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes or till crust and cheese are golden and bubbly.

Thanks for reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in your life!

Jimmie's Chocolate Shop PB&J

The Setting: A kitchen frenzy.

The Soundtrack: Not even sure.

On the Stovetop: Brownies...Strawberry Jam...various components of what should be Peanut-Butter Mousse....

The Scenario: Paying homage to a delicious dessert from my favorite Florida chocolate shop.

I have literally been dreaming about this for months.

When we were living in Florida, I pretty much could not drive down the Dania Beach stretch of US-1 without stopping into Jimmies Chocolates for a chocolate-covered marzipan and a handmade truffle or two.

It wasn't until my last trip to Jimmie's, however, that I finally dined at Jimmie's Cafe.

Knowing my love of chocolate was as big as my nine-months-pregnant belly, Hoosband surprised me with Jimmie's dinner reservations for my birthday.

Our appetizer and entrees were delicious, but the desserts, not surprisingly, stole the show.

One in particular, a rich chocolate torte layered with sweet strawberry jelly and creamy peanut-butter mousse, doused in decadent dark chocolate ganache, has been haunting me ever since.

This, finally, is my attempt, slightly more freeform and sans snazzy ring molds.

It starts with a fudgy brownie--not my recipe, my favorite from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook (Martha's is my ultimate brownie go-to, but I'm sure your favorite recipe for fudgy--not cakey--brownies would be perfect, too!).

Pouring the batter into a 12-cup, standard-sized muffin pan instead of a brownie pan and cutting down the cooking time to 25-30 minutes makes 12 perfect little canvases for a peanut-butter masterpiece. The centers cave in, creating eager and receptive wells for the jelly.

I used muffin liners this time, but I'll omit them and butter the muffin cups when I do this again. The liners can be a bit of a hassle to remove before assembly of the dessert.

You could just buy strawberry jelly, but if you have a Vitamix or similarly awesome blender, this homemade jam is both simple and scrumptious. 

Strawberry Jam
The pectin in the apple seeds thickens and gels the mixture as it cools. You really need a beast of a blender to process the seeds and skins of the apples into oblivion for a pleasant texture. If you don't have one, you could always strain the jelly over cheesecloth after cooking--you will want to use cheesecloth so that you can squeeze excess juice out of the pulp...or you could simply omit the apples and use commercial pectin.

2 large apples, washed and quartered (do not remove skins or seeds)
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 1/2 cups sugar

Process the apples in the blender on high speed until they resemble applesauce. Add the frozen strawberries and process on high speed until the mixture looks like a smooth strawberry sorbet.

Transfer the mixture to a medium-sized saucepan and add sugar. Cook on med-high heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a splatter guard if desired. Reduce heat to med-low and cook one hour, stirring occasionally.

Cool completely and transfer to an airtight plastic container to store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

The next step is peanut-butter mousse... or semifreddo... or... frozen custard?

Let's just say the idea was mousse, but it sort of became more of an ice cream along the way...which is fine 'cause it's pretty darn tasty and cute to boot. Just use an ice-cream scoop to place the perfect mound of peanut-buttery goodness atop the jam.

The mousse idea may be revisited in future attempts, but for now....

Peanut-Butter Mousse-ifreddo

4 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Whisk yolks with 1/4 cup sugar and salt over a double boiler till light in color and thick and creamy in texture, about 10 minutes. Place in an ice bath to cool.

Stir in peanut butter. Mixture may seize up a bit.

Whip egg whites with 1/4 sugar and 1/8 tsp cream of tartar over double boiler till stiff peaks form. Place in a water bath to cool.

Gently whisk 1/4 of the meringue into peanut butter mixture, and then very gently fold in the rest.

Whip cream till stiff peaks form and fold into the peanut butter mixture. Transfer the mixture to an airtight plastic container, and stash in the freezer for at least one hour, stirring after 30 minutes. The "mousse" can be stored in the freezer for two weeks.

The crowning glory is the perfect marriage of chocolate and cream known as ganache. Mine is as easy to make as it is to devour.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 tsp instant coffee or instant espresso granules (not ground coffee)

6 oz mini semisweet chocolate chips

Place cream in a microwave-safe cup or bowl. Microwave on high for 60 seconds.

Stir in instant coffee.

Place chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Pour cream over chips and whisk until smooth and uniform.

Cooled ganache can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for two weeks and microwaved for 30 seconds to be spoonable again.

Corndogs and Crème Brulee

The Setting: A chilly fall day.

The Soundtrack: Gilmore Girls.

On the Stovetop: Piping hot peanut oil for frying up some Homemade Corndogs.

Steaming up the Oven: Crème Brulee, broiler style (I don't have a torch).

The Scenario: Making a surprise dinner of Hoosband's favorite treats to celebrate business-school midterms!


I'm the kind of person who likes to do big, themey dinners: fried chicken with all the Southern fixins, French or Italian feasts...things that go together, that make sense.

But tonight I wanted to celebrate Hoosband's progress in business school by making a few of his favorite things: corndogs, salad, and crème brulee.

And I have to admit...I kind of love the nonsensical nature of it all.

Back in Florida, before there was a bun in my oven, we had a bit of a Sunday ritual.

We never found a church to call home, so we spent Sunday mornings at the scenic and surprisingly serene shotgun range.

Midday was a bite of lunch, any housekeeping or errands leftover from Saturday, and often a bit of bread-baking.

Afternoon was yoga.

We liked to joke that out of all the people who went to the range in the morning or yoga in the afternoon, we were likely the only ones whose day included both.

This dinner reminds me a little of that.

Out of all the people dining tonight on corndogs or desserting on crème brulee, we are likely the only ones whose menu includes both.

I guess the theme tonight could simply be Bifecta.

Corndogs and crème brulee.

That is how we roll.

Homemade Corndogs
peanut oil for frying
8-12 hotdogs ( I like to cut them in half to make mini-dogs)
1 cup flour, plus a little for sprinkling
1 1/3 cup cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp turmeric (helps make the batter nice and yellow, plus, I like it)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup milk
2 eggs
popsicle sticks or wooden skewers (I use skewers and break them in half)

Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Set aside.

Skewer the dogs and sprinkle them with flour (this helps the batter stick).

Heat a depth of about 3 inches of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or frying pan with tall sides.

Meanwhile, whisk together the dry ingredients.

Whisk together milk and eggs, and whisk this mixture into the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into a tall glass or jar.

Test the oil with a small droplet of batter. If the droplet sinks to the bottom and sizzles very minimally, the oil is too cold; if it sizzles violently and quickly burns, the oil is too hot. The droplet should sizzle, brown slowly, and float to the top if the oil is ready.

When the oil is ready, start dunking and frying your dogs! Fry in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. The dogs are done when they are puffy and golden on all sides. Use heatproof tongs to carefully remove dogs from oil and place on prepared baking sheet to absorb any excess oil.

Season leftover batter with a little extra salt, and drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil to make corn fritters (you could also add sauteed onion and celery to make some pretty tasty hushpuppies).

Leftover fritters and corndogs can be stored in the fridge for up to a week and reheated for 15 minutes in a 350-degree-F oven.


Crème Brulee
2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp spiced rum (I prefer Sailor Jerry's--if you've never tried it, you really should)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place 4 crème brulee ramekins in a roasting pan, and pour water into the pan so that it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins (you can place a damp kitchen towel under the ramekins to keep them from sliding around if desired).

Place heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-to-med-low heat.

Split vanilla bean, scrape out seeds, add seeds and pod to the cream, and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and remove pods.

In a quart-sized Pyrex measuring cup or bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt.

As you continue to whisk, slowly stream in the warm cream, bringing up the temperature of the yolks gradually so they do not start to scramble.

Whisk the rum into the yolk and cream mixture, and evenly distribute the mixture among the prepared ramekins. Bake at 300 degrees F for 40 minutes or till just set.

Cool completely and chill, covered, in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to a week.

Preheat the broiler. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Sprinkle 1 T sugar over each ramekin.

Watching closely, broil just till sugar melts and begins to brown--do not walk away!

This method usually heats up the custard more than I'd like, but it creates a great brulee. So if you are torchless like me, it'll certainly do the trick.

Apple Butter

The Setting: Rainy day.

The Soundtrack: That 70s Show.

Steaming up the Slow-Cooker:  Apple Butter

The Scenario: Tons of apples in the fridge. Starting to get mealy.

Cracker Barrel is my favorite chain restaurant for a couple of reasons. Aside from having the best food at the best value of just about any place I've eaten, they come from Middle Tennessee like me, and their biscuits and apple butter are amazing.

Scrumptious at CB any time of year, apple butter comes out of my own kitchen primarily in the fall when the comforting aromas fill my chilly apartment with the warmth and wonder of the harvest and the holidays.

Real-estate agents wish they could harness its power.

Here is my recipe.

Warning: this apple butter smells so good by the third hour of cooking, it may induce premature festivity. I put Oia in a "My First Christmas" onesie and started digging out the holiday DVDs.


Apple Butter:
This recipe only yields about one cup of apple butter. If you want to make a larger batch, excess apple butter can be frozen in an airtight container for two-three months. This apple butter is a little more tart than that  of, say, Cracker Barrel. If you'd like to make it a little sweeter, add 1/4 cup brown sugar or 3 T maple syrup.

1 1/4 lbs peeled and cored apples, cut into eighths
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
scant pinch cardamom
3/4 cup water

1. Place all ingredients in a slow-cooker set to high. Cover and cook 4 hours.

2. Uncover, stir, place lid back on ajar, and continue cooking 1-2 more hours or till excess water has evaporated. Mixture should be dark and thick.

3. Use an immersion blender to process mixture till smooth and uniform, or simply stir to break up the largest pieces if desired.

Yields about 1 cup apple butter.

Tricks and Treats

The Setting: Game Day in South Bend. Pumpkin-carving day at the playground. The smell of charcoal in the air; a patchwork of leaves on the ground.

The Soundtrack: The Notre Dame -v- Navy game on TV.

Steaming up the (once again, microwave) Oven: (what will be) Homemade Butterfingers. Yes, you read that right.

The Scenario: Fresh from Oia's first pumpkin carving, we skip the stadium and prepare some tricks and treats for tomorrow's Halloween festivities.

Here's a crazy trick for you:

Combine equal parts (by weight) melted candy corn (yes, candy corn) and creamy peanut butter, let harden in a parchment-paper-lined pan, cut into pieces, and coat with melted milk chocolate. Voila, homemade butterfingers.

Yes, it is crazy, yes, it works, and no, I am not the genius who came up with it.

For me, part of the joy of recreating childhood treats is finding a way to make them all-natural and completely from scratch.

I try to avoid artificial colors and flavors (and candy in general most of the time), but when I saw this evil recipe on Pinterest (my devilish new addiction, www.pinterest.com) I had no choice.

One minute I’m pondering the possibilities of keeping my daughter’s future Halloweens artificial-ingredient free without depriving her of the joys of trick-or-treating, and the next minute I’m running to the store to stock up on neon-colored candies.

I don’t know who came up with this originally—I tried to find out, scouring the Internet (well, a brief but well-intending scour) to give proper credit. I found references dating back as far as 2005 to a post on some Taste of Home forum (http://www.tasteofhome.com/, I believe), but I could not find the post itself.

The source of the current viral click-a-thon seems to be http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/11/homemade-butterfingers.html. So, Plain Chicken, I blame you.

I blame you for your easy-to-follow instructions, your enticing photo, and your prolific Pinterest presence.

These slightly-softer-and-chewier-than-the-real-thing betterfingers are way too tasty to take to the Halloween party for which I was making them—not that I do not wish to share…it’s just that I fear there will be none left by party time tomorrow.

I plan instead to take meringue ghosts, a simple treat that has served me well in the past.

We’ll see how it goes.

On...and off...the Road Again

The Setting: A hovel of a whole 'nother sort.

The Soundtrack: My daughter's adorable snoring.

Steaming up the Oven: Peach Cobbuckle.

The Scenario: With South Florida in somebody else's taillights, I'm setting up house in the land of corn.

Wow. It's been a while. To get you up to speed, let's play a little game called "In the last two months."

In the last two months I...

...gave birth to my incredible daughter, Oia.

...packed up our apartment.

...quit my job,

...and...

...moved across the country.

All of this, actually, went down over a span of about two weeks. The few weeks before and after were dedicated, as much as expectant- and new-motherly possible, to sleep.

It's been a bit of a tailspin, butcha gotta do whatcha gotta do.


I hated leaving my job.

But Hoosband's two-year commitment in Miami was up, and with a full-ride-plus-living-stipend offer on the table from a top school up north and nothing promising on the sunny, South Florida horizon, I'd never be able to work enough hours to justify staying.

And looking at my precious baby now, I wouldn't want to.

I thought I'd never go into labor.

A couple of weeks before my expected delivery date, my doctor said I looked so ready to pop I might not even leave the office that day before I gave birth.

Two visits later I was a day past my due date and praying the baby would come out before she got too big to deliver (I'm a pipsqueak 5'1" to Hoosband's burly 6'1", so yes, I was afraid).

To my delight, my doctor said we could induce that day if we desired.

We desired.

My contractions were hitting high peaks on the monitor from the first drop of Pitocin, but I felt nothing.

Hoosband thought I might be one of the lucky ones who feels little pain during labor. I knew better.

As soon as the doctor broke my water, my dreams of a drug-free childbirth were hanging out on a farm somewhere with my childhood pets who peaced-out long ago.

The following several hours were some of the most simultaneously horrifying and gratifying of my life.

The Stadol I took made me loopy--literally--and a bit paranoid. I remember feeling like I was riding a carousel of consciousness, physically going around in circles, always just about to get off before the loop swept me around again. Hoosband had his computer out at one point, and I could just make out its black, rectangular figure as the carousel neared the real world.

I guess I found it offensive.

"Bad computer," I managed to say, as I willed my finger to point accusingly in its direction. Hoosband, supportive coach that he was, shut it down and stowed it away, no questions asked...that I was aware of.

By the time I dismounted from the Stadol carousel, the contractions were still taking me for a ride. It was time for an epidural.

Right as the anesthesiologist was being summoned to my room, an emergency C-section called her away, and my peace was put on hold.

An hour later, however, I was sinking slowly into slumberland, and happy to be there.

Unfortunately, the epidural slowed my contractions too much, and the Pitocin drip which had been off for several hours had to be re-initiated.

I worried an emergency C-section could be in my future as well.

When the nurse came in to tell me we would start pushing soon, I was beyond elated...and incredibly intimidated by the visions of silver-screen labors dancing through my head.

It was 3 a.m.

At 3:16 I held my daughter for the first time.

Watching her drift in and out of dreams (of eating, I am positive) as I type, I can't wait to hold her (and make her dreams come true) as soon as I hit save.

As for my dreams, right now they are to make my new apartment feel like home. Since unpacking and setting up house can only occur between feedings, burpings, changings, and mommy's naps, we must turn to food.

And nothing says home like peach cobbler, right?

I admit I'm a bit of a cobbler snob. I jump at any chance to eat peach cobbler at a restaurant, potluck, or dinner party, but I'm often disappointed.

A can of peaches topped with a flavorless and textureless pie crust will not do it for me. Neither, I regret to say, will a rusticly appealing but generally dense and pasty biscuit topping dropped haphazardly over the top of the fruit filling.

After years of clamoring for cobbler and sighing with regret when I took spoon to mouth, I've discovered that the kind of cobbler I crave is in fact a buckle, or a cake-like topping that rises though the fruit to the top during cooking, creating a "buckled" appearance. It is incredibly easy to make, and even easier to inhale.

So buckle up 'cause you don't have to buckle down to make this Peach Cobbuckle...but you might have to unbuckle your pants when your done.

....I know...I'm a mondo nerd....

Peach Cobbuckle
I find that one fresh peach, thinly sliced with the skin on, brings the taste and allure of fresh to the ease of pre-sliced frozen, but you can definitely go all-fresh or all-frozen if your prefer. Canned peaches tend to bear little if any resemblance in taste, texture, or visual appeal to actual peaches, so use only if you prefer canned peaches to the real thing.


1 lb frozen peaches, thawed at room temp for 30 min
1 fresh peach, thinly sliced, skin on
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar, divided
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp plus a pinch salt, divided
1 stick (1/2 cup unsalted butter)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk

1. In a large bowl toss together peaches, 2/3 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and a pinch salt. Cover with plastic wrap and let the mixture marry at room temp for about an hour.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place butter in a 9"x13" baking dish and place in oven until melted.

3. In another bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and remaining brown sugar. Add milk, stirring till just mixed.

4. Pour flour mixture over melted butter but do not combine. Give peach mixture a final stir and pour right over flour mixture. Pop into the oven and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or till light golden and bubbly. Serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

No Concept of Time

The Setting: The incrementally cleaner-by-the-day Hovel.

The Soundtrack: Gilmore Girls, Season Seven

On the Stove-top: Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Polenta with Fried Sunflower Seeds and Sauteed Leeks.

The Scenario: Two years down, a lifetime to look forward to.

At a wedding in Hoosband's hometown in Texas last January, one of Hoosband's old family friends asked when we tied the knot.

When Hoosband responded, "May, 2007," I smiled and nodded, completely oblivious to the factual misrepresentation that had just transpired. It sounded right.

A few seconds later, we awkwardly changed our story to "2009," realizing our mistake.

At work a few months back, a coworker inquired how long I had been married. I said "three years" without pause or consideration.

Pregnancy brain may be partially to blame, but the truth is, when Hoosband and I celebrated our two-year anniversary a few days ago, it was hard to remember how many years had gone by, hard to believe it had only been two.

It's not that time has been dragging by any means--it's been a bit of a whirlwind in fact: major moves, career changes, old friends missed, new friends made, and a new baby on the way.

Perception of time elapsed is a strange and fickle thing.

When I consider it's been a year since I've been home, a year feels like an eternity.

But in terms of my marriage, two years feels so insignificant, so brief, like it couldn't possibly be the correct descriptor.

It feels like we've always been together, like the parameters of time have no place fencing us in.

I know, I'm weird.

The calendar and the clock seem very real, however, when I wake up from a four-hour, post-breakfast nap and discover the prime hours for my nesting activities have evaded me.

Here's a taste of what I've been craving in between dreams and attempts at Hovel reconstruction, aka cleaning out the apartment.

Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Polenta with Fried Sunflower Seeds and Sauteed Leeks
3 1/2 cups no-salt-added chicken stock (preferably homemade)
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup dry polenta (such as Bob's Red Mill Organic Polenta Corn Grits)
4 oz (about 3 large strips) raw bacon, diced
3 oz Oven-Roasted Tomatoes, coarsely chopped (recipe below)
6 oz fresh goat cheese
2 T shelled sunflower seeds, raw and unsalted
Sauteed Leeks (recipe below)

1. In a medium-large saucepan or small stock pot, bring chicken stock and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil. Add polenta, reduce heat to med-low, and cook 20-30 minutes or till the mixture is thick and the grits are tender, stirring frequently to prevent lumps and/or sticking. Be careful stirring, as the mixture may bubble and pop at your arms.

2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over med-high heat till the pieces are nice and crispy and most of the fat has rendered out. Carefully transfer bacon to a small dish and set aside, reserving the rendered fat in the skillet.

3. Reduce the heat to med-low and add the sunflower seeds to the fat. Fry the seeds till just golden, being careful not to let them burn. Carefully transfer the seeds to a small dish, toss with remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and set aside.

4. When polenta is ready, remove from heat and stir in the bacon, roasted tomatoes, and goat cheese, reserving about 2 T of each for topping.

5. Ladle mounds of polenta into serving bowls and sprinkle with fried sunflower seeds and reserved bacon, tomatoes, and goat cheese. Serve with Sauteed Leeks. If you opt to skip the sauteed leeks, snip some fresh chives over the top of the polenta for a little boost of color and flavor.

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
8 fresh Roma (plum) tomatoes, rinsed and patted dry
1 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Stack three sheets of paper towels on the counter.

3. Using a pairing knife and working over a small bowl, remove the core from the top of each tomato, slice the tomato in half, and gently squeeze out (or use the knife to help you remove) the seeds. Place cored, seeded, tomato halves cut-side down on the paper towels as you go. My mother always made me save the "tomato innards" for her when I performed this task in her kitchen. They can be frozen and added to soups or chili, but if you foresee no use for them, feel free to discard.

3. Gently press the top of each tomato half to help the paper towels absorb any excess juice, then arrange the tomatoes cut-sides up on a baking sheet or jelly-roll pan. Sprinkle tomatoes with salt, and bake at 250 for 6 hours or till they have deepened in color and shrunken to about 1/3 of their original size. Allow to cool. Check the tomatoes every few hours to make sure they are cooking evenly. It may be necessary to remove tomatoes that were smaller or less meaty early to prevent over-drying or burning.

4. Store cooled tomatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Also try combining with garlic, olive oil, and a handful of pine nuts and fresh basil in the food processor for a delicious roasted tomato pesto!

Sauteed Leeks
When I'm serving leeks as a side item, I like to chop them into rough, 1/2-by-2-inch rectangles instead of the traditional, thinly sliced rings. Either way, they are delicious!

2 large leeks
2 T butter (I prefer Kerrygold)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground, coarse black pepper

1. Chop off the rooty edge and the darkest, most fibrous ends from each leek. Cut the leeks into 2-inch sections, and quarter each section, forming approximate 1/2-by-2-inch rectangles, removing any tough, dark-green exterior pieces as you go if necessary. Set a large colander inside of a larger bowl, and fill the bowl with cool water. Add the chopped leeks to the water, and use your hands to break up any large pieces, allowing the leeks to release any dirt or grit. Remove the colander from the bowl, shaking out as much water as possible, and use a clean dish rag or paper towel to pat the leeks dry.

2. Add the butter, leeks, salt and pepper to a saute pan over med-high heat, cover, and cook 10 minutes or till the leeks are softened and the lightest parts are translucent, stirring occasionally.

From Eze to South Florida

The Setting: A lovely day off. Blue skies. Sunshine. Breakfast.

The Soundtrack: Wealth Track with Consuelo Mack on PBS

On the Stove-top: Whole Wheat Crepes

The Scenario: Dreaming about European adventures gone by, I'm testing Belgian CocoaHaze! chocolate-hazelnut spread and hoping to recreate one of my favorite edibles from Eze, France.

Crepe stands and creperies are as abundant along the streets of Nice and the shopping malls of Bordeaux as the freckles on my face in the summer.

But it was in the historic mountain-top town of Eze that I devoured my first French crepes, from savory ham, tomato, and Gruyere to sweet Nutella and banana.

So simple, so good.

A crepe is like a hybrid of an omelette and a pancake, but thinner than either. An edible envelope of sorts, it can be tucked and folded over and around anything the palate desires.

I desire sweet. I just hope my whole-wheat attempt at healthfulness doesn't strip this dish of its structural- or taste-integrity!!

For the Crepes:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Aurthur)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
dash freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, plain or vanilla (I use Pacific Natural Foods)
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (I use Kerrygold)
1/2 tsp orange blossom honey (or local honey)
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp white vinegar

In a food processor combine all but the last three ingredients, processing till smooth.

Allow batter to rest at least 30 minutes (you can keep it in the fridge overnight at this point if you desire).

Place a small, nonstick skillet over med-high heat (you can grease it if you desire). Combine water, baking soda, and vinegar and quickly stir into the batter.

Pour just enough batter into the pan to almost coat the bottom. Immediately pick up the pan and gently swirl the batter around to completely coat the bottom. Allow the crepes to cook about 30 seconds on each side (if you are incredibly adept, you can flip the crepes right in the pan with a jerk of your arm, but I generally rely on a little nudging from a silicone spatula to do the trick). Don't worry if your first crepe is a bust--mine always is.

For filling:
CocoaHaze! All natural Belgian hazelnut and cocoa spread
2 bananas

Gently spread a thin layer of CocoaHaze! on each crepe. Thinly slice the banana, and distribute along the centers of the crepes. Fold the edges of the crepes inward to cover the banana, and serve.

Makes about 6-8 crepes, depending on the size of your pan.

Afterthoughts:
I was incredibly happy with how my "healthier" crepes turned out. Conventional wisdom stipulates up to 1/3 of the amount of flour in a recipe can be switched out for whole-wheat four, but I have been finding more and more that white flour is unnecessary in my kitchen. I'm sure the rule holds true in some cases, but the breads, cookies, brownies, and now crepes that I have eagerly consumed in recent weeks are welcome exceptions.

Another exciting revelation: Almond Milk. I am growing more and more in love with this stuff.

Honestly, I've never been a big milk drinker--I mean, my blood-latte-level is pushing lethal limits most days of the week, but I've never enjoyed a cold glass of the white stuff with my dinner. So for my purposes, almond milk might just push the gallon jug out of the fridge. Except for making queso fresco...I think.

CocoaHaze!: And the verdict is.... Superb! Every bit as delicious as Nutella.

These crepes were the shiznit. Such a good breakfast. I only wished I had some fresh sliced strawberries to serve on the side.

Next time I'm topping with whipped cream or sweetened mascarpone for an elegant dessert. Yum!

Pistachio Halvah Candy Bars

The Setting: Rain is off and on...such is the onset of hurricane season in my hood.

The Soundtrack: Glee: The Road to Sectionals on DVD (pretty much my new default)

On the Stovetop: Dulce de leche

The Scenario: Testing two products from the store plus one Latin-inspired recipe I've been itching to try since my first trip to South Florida.

El Rey milk chocolate, pistachio halvah (a Lebanese sesame-paste confection), and homemade dulce de leche will join forces to create delectable mini candy bars. This might be genius.

For the Dulce de Leche:
For a slight shortcut on making dulce de leche, see the note at the end of this post, or see this post for a slow-cooker version.

2 cups skim milk
6 oz (approx. 3/4 cup) brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Add the milk and brown sugar to a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer over med-high heat.

When sugar has dissolved, stir in baking soda, and reduce heat to med-low.

Cook gently, stirring occasionally but avoiding reincorporating the foamy parts for 3-4 hours or until mixture is a dark, caramel-ly color and has reduced by about half. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

For the Candy Bars:
The amounts you need of the below items are up to you...make a little, make a lot...it's pretty intuitive.

Pistachio halvah, cut into 1-inch-x-3-inch strips
Dulce de leche
El Rey milk chocolate, chopped

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper, and clear a space in the freezer large enough for the pan to fit.

Arrange the strips of halvah in a single layer on the baking sheet. Spread the tops of the strips with delce de leche, and chill in freezer for 30 minutes.

Before removing the halvah strips from the freezer, place the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring well in between each, just until chocolate is completely melted.

Dunk the halvah strips in the melted chocolate so that they are completely coated, and return to the baking sheet. When all halvah strips have been dunked, return the sheet to the freezer till chocolate has completely solidified.

Transfer candy bars to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until eaten. They will last a long time this way, but they are so tasty that it is unlikely their shelf-life will be an issue.


Afterthoughts:

One of my better ideas...ever. The halvah can be crumbly, so if you desire to create a whole lot of these and you care deeply about uniformity of shape and size, you should purchase a lot more halvah than you think you'll need. You can always munch on the crumbled pieces as you go, or toss them to the "vultures" that inevitably circle the kitchen when the promise of chocolate is thick in the air.

Suspension of perfectionism may be necessary for ultimate enjoyment of the process, but the outcome will be surefire deliciousness.