gingersnaps

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 T ground ginger
1 T finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground black peppre
1/2 t ground allspice
3/4 c butter, softened
1 c brown sugar, packed firmly
1 egg
1/4 c molasses
1/2 c granulated sugar (for coating)

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, both gingers, cinnamon, black pepper, and allspice. Set aside mixer, cream butter until fluffy and lightened in color. Add brown sugar and beat until well-blended. Add egg and molasses. Beat until thoroughly combined. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix well. Dough will be sticky. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degress. Shape dough into balls 1 1/2" in diameter. Dip tops in granulated sugar. Place balls, sugared side up, about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 12 to 16 minutes until cookies are firm to the touch and the edges are beginning to brown. Let stand 1 minute. Remove from baking sheets to rack.

Makes about 48 cookies.

ab's chewy chocolate chip cookies

8 oz butter
1/4 c white sugar
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 T milk
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 1/4 c bread or high-protein all-purpose flour
1 t kosher salt
1 t baking soda

melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan. meanwhile, sift together 2 1/4 cups bread flour with kosher salt and baking soda.

combine melted butter and sugars in mixing bowl and cream until light and fluffy. add the eggs, milk, vanilla, and combine well. slowly add the flour and beat until thoroughly combined, then add the chips.

chill the batter, then scoop onto parchment paper, and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, remove parchment/cookies immediately and finish cooling on a rack. store in ziploc bags for up to a week, or freeze for up to three months.

goulash (Hartig family recipe)

3 big Spanish onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 lbs sirloin tip roast
salt and pepper to taste
1 large can stewed tomatoes, optional
red wine vinegar, optional
2-3 t sweet paprika
1-2 t hot paprika
olive oil

In a large heavy stewpot, cook onions in a little olive oil on medium high, adding garlic after a few minutes. Meanwhile rinse the meat, and cut it into medium-large cubes, add it to the onions once they begin to brown. Add salt and pepper (to taste?) and cook on high until meat begins to give off juices. Add tomatoes (not drained), then paprika and enough water to cover the meat. You may want to add a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower heat. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender. Uncover as needed to reach desired consistency.

smothered beef ribs

1/2 c olive oil
4 pounds beef short ribs (or flanken)
salt and pepper to taste
1 c all-purpose flour
2 c chopped onions
1 c chopped celery
1 c chopped carrots
2 T minced garlic
3 bay leaves
1 T dried thyme
1 c red wine
8 c beef stock
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Season the ribs with salt and pepper to taste and dredge them in flour. Fry the ribs in the oil in small batches, adding oil as needed, to sear the meat. This should take 2-3 minutes per batch. Set ribs aside.

In the same pot, add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then stir in the garlic, bay leaves, and thyme and cook for 1 more minute.

Deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping up all the bits on the bottom. Add the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer. Add the ribs and continue to simmer for 2 hours, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the parsley and serve.

white bean and asparagus salad

1 lb medium asparagus, trimmed
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 t finely grated fresh lemon zest
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
2 (15-19oz) cans white beans, drained and rinsed well (3 - 3 1/2 cups)
4 slices country bread
1/2 c shaved parmesan
1/4 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 T unsalted butter, softened
1 garlic clove, halved crosswise

Cut asparagus on a diagonal into 1/8-inch thick slices. Bring oil, lemon zest, juice, salt, and pepper to a simmer in a 4-quart heavy saucepan, then stir in beans and asparagus. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, 10 minutes. While beans stand, toast bread until golden. Add cheese shavings to beans along with parsley, then toss.

Spread hot toast with butter and rub buttered side of each with cut side of garlic clove, then season with salt and halve. Serve bean salad with toasts.

lemon olive-oil cake

3/4 c olive oil (extra-virgin if desired), plus additional for greasing pan
1 large lemon
1 c cake flour (not self-rising)
5 large eggs, separated, reserving 1 white for another use
3/4 c sugar plus extra for the top

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350øF. Grease springform pan with some oil, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Oil parchment.

Finely grate enough lemon zest to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons and whisk together with flour. Halve lemon, then squeeze and reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Beat together yolks and 1/2 c sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add olive oil (3/4 c) and reserved lemon juice, beating until just combined (mixture may appear separated. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture (do not beat) until just combined.

Beat egg whites (from 4 eggs) with 1/2 teaspoon salt in another large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until foamy, then add 1/4 c sugar a little at a time, beating, and continue to beat until egg whites just hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Gently fold one third of the whites into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Transfer batter to springform pan and gentle rap against work surface once or twice to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle top evenly with about a tablespoon and a half of sugar (preferably coarse-grained).

Bake until puffed and golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes, and then run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side of pan. Cool cake to room temperature, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove bottom of pan and peel off parchment, then transfer cake to a serving plate.

Cake can be made 1 day ahead and wrapped well or stored in a cake keeper at room temperature.

cherry apricot cobbler

filling
2 pounds fresh cherries, pitted, or two 1-pound bags frozen sweet cherries, thawed, drained
2 pounds fresh apricots, halved, pitted
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
1-2 t lemon juice
1 t vanilla or almond extract
2 T Tuaca or other liquer (optional)

topping
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/4 cup chilled buttermilk
zest of one lemon

to make
preheat oven to 400°F. toss all ingredients in large bowl to blend. add cornstarch if you prefer a thicker sauce--we like to leave it out because the juice is fabulous. transfer to a lightly buttered 13x9x2" glass baking dish. bake until filling is hot and begins to bubble at edges, about 35 minutes. reduce oven temperature to 375°F.

while fruit is baking, prepare topping: whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in another large bowl to blend. add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. slowly add buttermilk, a quarter cup at a time, tossing with fork until dough comes together. drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls over hot filling to cover. sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. put cobbler back in the oven until topping is golden and tester inserted into center of topping comes out clean, about 40 minutes. cool 15 minutes. serve cobbler warm with whipped cream or ice cream. also excellent the next day for breakfast.

one bowl southwestern style salad

Chop into similarly sized pieces:

avocado
turkey breast
tomato
corn (I microwave it first and cut it off the cob, but frozen would work too)
green onion
bell pepper, green or red
cucumber

Throw into a bowl with a can or two of drained black beans. If desired, add cooked rice (white, brown, spanish, yellow, whatever). Chop some fresh cilantro and mix everything together. Dress with a mixture of:

lime juice
wine vinegar (white or red or even sherry)
olive oil
celery seed
cumin
salt
red pepper flakes

Should keep in the fridge for a day or two. Might be good with shrimp, will try that next.

White Almond Gazpacho

(Bartolomé's Málaga-style White Gazpacho)

from "La Cocina de Mamá " by Penelope Casas

Serves 4

Penelope writes -

"A gazpacho typical of Malaga that relies on blanched almonds for its pure white color and creamy consistency. Sweet green grapes are the essential counterpoint to the soup's tang of garlic and vinegar.

Chef Bartolomé Rodrigo Lucena, a native of Andalucia whose love of cooking began at his mother's side, is today the chef at Malaga's Parador de Gibralfaro, a government-sponsored hotel spectacularly set on a hilltop with extraordinary views of the city's port and the Mediterranean sea.

The shrimp that Bartolomé adds to this traditional gazpacho are unorthodox, to be sure, but give a lovely flavor counterpoint. "

INGREDIENTS:

One 6-inch piece cut from firm-textured French-style bread, crusts removed

1/2 pound (about 1 1/2 cups) blanched almonds

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup mild extra virgin olive oil

4 cups ice water

16 to 24 skinned seedless green grapes, or 16 small balls of green melon or apple

12 small cooked and shelled shrimp, optional

Preparation:

• - Soak the bread in water and squeeze dry. Place it in a food processor, add the almonds and garlic, and blend until very smooth.
• - Add the vinegar and salt, and with the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream until fully incorporated.
• - Gradually pour in the ice water.
• - Transfer to a covered bowl and chill for several hours or overnight.
• - Before serving, taste for salt and vinegar and adjust if necessary.
• - Serve in small soup bowls and garnish each serving with 4 to 6 grapes or melon or apple balls and 3 shrimp.

buttermilk waffles

adapted from Alton Brown

2 c flour
1 T cornmeal
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
3 T sugar
2 eggs, separated
pinch of cream of tartar
4 T unsalted butter, melted, cooled
1 3/4 c buttermilk

Whisk dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, salt, soda, sugar) together in a large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the egg yolks and butter together; add buttermilk. In a third bowl (chilled, if you think of it in time) beat egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry mixture and stir well. Carefully fold in egg whites.

Cook as directed by your waffle iron manufacturer.