One of the perks of supporting Jacques Pepin foundation, is access to some inventive recipes from chefs and bartenders across the globe. This delightfully refreshing summer cocktail comes from Vance Henderson. See his Instagram here and follow for some great cocktails.
Ingredients to have on hand:
When the weather starts to turn toward summer (finally!), we gravitate toward salads for our main course. Tonight, I assembled Lidey Heuk‘s Orzo Salad which, by-the-way, makes a ton so would be a good candidate for bringing to a summer gathering.
The addition of fresh herbs – I used a combination of mint and parsley – makes this salad taste. Since those herbs can be a bit different every time, there are endless possibilities here. I was out of canned garbanzos so I exchanged those for a bean I did have – in this case, red kidney beans.
I’ve gifted this recipe from the New York Times, where Lidey Heuk is a regular contributor. To find more of her creations, visit Lidey Likes.
Ingredients:
I’ve never regretted, not for one second, cooking a recipe developed by Ali Slagle, a contributor to the New York Times Cooking section AND cookbook author (I Dream of Dinner). At the minimum, you should become a subscriber to her substack, 40 Ingredients Forever.
It’s asparagus season and because asparagus looks so tempting right now, I wanted to incorporate it into one of our meals this past week. So when I discovered this recipe (gifted through the NY Times, but remember there’s a time limit!), I was IN.
It’s quickly pulled together, so perfect for a weeknight when getting something interesting on the dinner table is challenging. Also true, having shelf-stable gnocchi and miso on hand, makes this even easier to prepare.
The ingredient list is below. The link to the recipe is here.
Ingredients
We recently spent several weeks in Sicily and Firenze. If you ever need some inspiration for eating and cooking as an art, these are the places you need to go.
Our morning in Firenze began with a walk along the Arno which is remarkably uncrowded at 7 am, after which we stopped in at a local bar for Americano or cappuccino and pastry. Italians love sweets for breakfast, and while cakes and cream filled pastry are normal, I couldn’t quite make eating such a morning habit. Once discovered, I made an exception for Pane del Pescatore or Fisherman’s Bread.
Like a scone, the Pane are well baked and filled with dried fruits and nuts and often covered in a honey syrup. While we are back to our routine of cereal and coffee at home, these pastries did help ease the transition.
Pane del Pescatore
Recipe adapted from Cookie Madness
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bow, mix together:
Cut in 50 grams unsalted butter until the flour mixture resembles coarse meal.
Using hands, mix in the following:
Now drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Top with a few almond slivers and some coarse sugar. Pop into the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. The outsides will be well-cooked and crunchy.
When we were kids, my sisters and I were given a copy of Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys and Girls. My memory which is possibly faulty is that our version had a spiral spine. Professional! Sometimes I wish I knew where that tome went, I’m sure it would be chockfull of classics from our growing up years. This recipe, however, seems to have transcended time. I’d forgotten about it until I began looking for family favorites from our childhood.
Reminiscent of tuna melts, here, in all of it’s 1960s glory, I give you Betty Crocker’s version – Tuna Burgers.
Ingredients
Method:
Back in the early days, well before the Internet was available, we relied on The Boston Globe for recipe ideas. We had just a few cookbooks in those days, so the Wednesday Food Edition of the Globe was the source of all things culinary. Who else remembers cutting recipes from the newspaper and gluing them to 3×5 cards?
Although the recipe card credits Adrien for this vegetarian favorite, we are both fairly certain it’s real source was the newspaper. It’s a pretty easy one to assemble, and the leftovers are just as yummy as the hot-from-the-oven version.
Probably from the Boston Globe
Ingredients
Method
Whenever I see a recipe in the New York Times that has been developed by Ali Slagle, I know it will be stellar – easy to cook and delicious. This offering contributed by Ali to the New York Times Cooking Section last March is that and then some.
This recipe is gifted from my subscription to the Times, but it won’t be available forever. I’ve included the ingredient list below so you know what ingredients you’ll need ahead of time. If you like it, you will probably want to subscribe to Ali Slagle’s Newsletter, 40 Ingredients Forever, or even better, buy her cookbook, I Dream of Dinner, available through her website.
Ali Slagle, New York Times
Ingredients
This red lentil soup variation, shared by my sister, Molly, comes from “Once Upon a Chef” by Jenn Seagal. The addition of leftover veg makes a tasty contrast to the lentils, tomatoes and chickpeas, and the finished soup was a deliciously warming soup on a cold January evening.
The recipe is freely available on her website, but for convenience, I’ve listed the ingredients here. Versatility – and using up leftover vegetables – is high on my list of resolutions for 2025. This is a great recipe for using vegetables you have on hand in the freezer or fridge.
Ingredients:
King Arthur Baking’s newest cookbook, King Arthur Flour’s Big Book of Bread, has not only helped this old bread baker to perfect some techniques, it has opened my eyes to trying some new bakes. The Big Book of Bread’s English Muffin recipe is more of a traditional bake – longer rise time and griddled muffins – which I could never quite pull off in time for breakfast. So when I recently discovered this baked English Muffin recipe, I gave it a try.
These muffins have fewer pronounced nooks and crannies, but the taste is fabulous. I’ve listed the ingredients here for reference and planning, bakers can save and download the recipe free from King Arthur Baking.
Downloaded from King Arthur Baking website. Click here for a direct link.
Ingredients:
This recipe comes from my Aunt Eleanor’s collection of recipes, and while the original source is no longer known to us, it was one of my Dad’s favorite cookie recipes. Aunt Eleanor, a career woman who did not marry until later in her life, always made sure we were well-stocked with cookies whenever we visited family in her hometown of Buffalo, New York. Her cut-out cookies were legendary – and included a secret ingredient: jello (more on that later)!
These buttery short cookies are include a dried fruit of choice and candied pineapple was her original ingredient. Later, Mom used glacéed cherries and mixed the extracts to be half-and-half almond and vanilla, but for this iteration, I’ve kept to Aunt Eleanor’s originals
Eleanor (Puglisi) McMillen
Ingredients
Method
