Cookie Charts

 Now that it's December it's time to start planning those cookies. They're such a big part of the holiday and everyone expects them on the not only tasty but memorable. It;s important to make the best and make them the tastiest.

First thing is ask yourself what do you exactly want to make? Classic chocolate chip? Biscotti? Shortbread? Or do you want to try something different like pignoli or snickerdoodles. Some home bakers keep within one or two kinds. They try three or four different variations of biscotti , from almond to cranberry along with sugar cookies. These are ok yet there's no variety. A good cookie tray usually has three or four different kinds. Of course there has to be chocolate chip cookies. The question is what kind to you want to bake? The classic with just dark chocolate chips or do you want to add almonds.? There is also the kind with macadamia nuts, coconut and almonds too  for something different. There is there the reverse chocolate chip. Chocolate dough with peanut butter chips in them. These are great for those who love Reese';s peanut butter cups. You can also vary the dough and make chocolate chip shortbread rounds too.Biscotti can also be chock full of chips and for added decadence, drizzle dark chocolate over the cooled cookies

Shortbread are another cookie tray or basket must. Its; one of the easiest recipes to create. All you need is butter - a lot - sugar and flour. That's it. The best sugar to use for a smooth crumb is confectioners and not the granulated white kind. Shortbreads can be dipped in chocolate - preferably dark and then I holiday sprinkles for a festive look to a cookie tray.  For a different spin add lemon to give them a bright tartness.A cousin  of the shortbread, butter and spritz cookies are always on someone's holiday dessert table. A good recipe involves the usual, butter sugar and flour but there are also eggs and sometimes milk to thin out the dough for the cookie gun. Flavors can also be added such as almond , orange ro lemon instead of the classic vanilla. The dough can also be tinted in festive red (actually the reds bake up pink) and green. these can be finished off with sanding sugar in gold or silver for a glistening finish.These can also be shaped into little wreaths and have a maraschino cherry or a dollop of homemade chocolate fudge in the center. These cookies are also similar to what bakeries offer and they too can have one end dipped in dark chocolate and them doubled dipped in either ground nuts or sprinkles.

What will be on your cookie chart? Make sure it's a variety. Everyone love different cookies to nible and enjoy. Give guests and family memorable and tasty sweet treats.

The Ultimate Empanada Cookbook

 Nothing beats a  homemade pastry filled with either savory or sweet fillings. empanadas are just this. The dense pastries can be filled with all sorts of yummy fillings from, meat to veggies to even fruit and chocolate They're perfect for lunch dinner and even picnics.  Now there's a new cookbook that has dozens of tasty recipes .

Donna Kelly is the author of a great cookbook titled Empanada (Smith Gibbs Publishing 2025). This is an exciting book.I love empanadas and have always wanted to create my own. Ms. Kelly begins the book with their history - starting in Spain around 700 AD. Most are fried , usually in a neutral oil however Americans tend to bake them. How they're prepared is up to you. She also has several dough recipes ranging from dough for baked or fried pastries along with one for shortcuts - tortillas and ones with traditional masa or corn dough.There are also helpful instructions on sealing them from the traditional rope to the pressed crimp edge.The recipes start off with a section dedicated to traditional Latin ones,The Mexican ones have a blend of potatoes and chorizo while Argentinian ones include the tangy green chimichurri sauce. A great way of using rotisserie chicken is the Venezualan Mojo chicken recipe, packed with the meat and a variety of fiery spices and honey. The Cuban style empanada is full of Havarti cheese, black beans, rice and diced ham. This is a whole meal in one pastry. Again all look so good  and it's a question of what to make first.

There are also North American recipes too that are just as delicious.I can;t decide which one to try.The spinach artichoke one is good for parties but also a great dinner one. The TexMex chili is another on the radar to try. The books also has international , dessert  and holiday recipes too.Pizza empanadas are so good and there is a a recipe for them.Imagine an everything pizza with two kinds of cheese in one empananda. There is also a caprese one stuffed with fresh basil mozzarella and tomatoes. The Korean bulgoki one is an interesting mix of sriracha, soy sauce and bok choi along with ground sirloin.The Halloween empanadas are a must bake for any holiday party. They have jack o'lantern eyes and mouth cut out to reveal a black bean and onion filling. There are even Thanks giving ones, perfect for the day after the holiday. The dessert ones are perfect not just for snacks but also for get togethers. The chocolate raspberry is a definite must bake as are the fruit ones, perfect for the peach and berry harvests going on now. Another plus is the section of dipping sauces from savory to sweet, The avocado sauce would work well with the chicken ones while the chocolate hazelnut one is perfect with the sweet.

Empanada lovers will go made for this cookbook.Empananda  has every kind of recipe from Latin to dessert, American to international and holiday. It 's a definite addition to any home chef's library.

A Tasty Formaggio For Fall

 Italian rustic cooking or cucina rutica shines in the fall. There are delicious pork dishes and clouds of gnocchi in harvested tomato sauce. Joining them is foccaccio ,a bread that's good on it's own or topped with salame.Imagine it with cheese and it's the perfect bread for right now.

New contributor Kevin Pang  who's alsoeditorial director  for  digital at America's Test Kitchen wrote an interesting piece on this flatbread in yesterday's New York Times Food section. The breathakingly beautiful   town of Recco in Liguria invented this bread .The seaside town which was bombed heavily during the Second World War reinvented itself as a food  destination.Pesto with walnuts, and her bed infused ravioli called pansoti are the stars yet its focaccia col formaggio is what three dozen restaurants in the area feature.r Pang describes as a sort of Italian quesadilla - with a stretch bread instead of a crispy tortilla. The cheese is solid made from Crescenzo cheese which melts into a tangy cream cheese It's the breakfast of choice amongst locals, often served with bracingly strong espresso.Focaccio col formaggio is so popular that there are strict regulations on how it's; made  Regulators even bring back a sample of cheese and olive oil back to labs to test their autheneticity.It's even received protection back in 2005 from the European Union.

Yet home bakers can bake it here in the States thanks to Mr Pang's recipe.The only problem is finding the right cheese Home bakers can find fresh Cresscebzo in Us groceries however the top quality is only found in Italy.However bakers here recommend using Stracchino or Taleggio cheeses with the addition of a little buttermilk.Strive for the dough to be a millimeter thick which is ultra thin. It should b that sunshine can be seen through a thinly rolled piece of dough. what kind of flour should be used? Mr. Pang recommends KIng Arthur's bread flour. The cheese should be Crescenzo but the other two are fine as well. Just add two tablespoons to the mix.If using Taleggio, get rid of the rind. The dough is made with a mix if the flour, a pinch of sea salt and two tablespoons of olive oil. The oil is also used to grease the bread pan as well. Once it's been rolled out. dollops of the cheese are placed on it. These dollops should be no bigger than a cherry tomato. after this roll out a top sheet and place on the cheese and bottom sheet,Bake in a 500 degree Farenheit oven for ten to fifteen minutes. Turn the baking pan around mid way through.

This is the time for cucina rustica. enjoy foccaccio con formaggio  with a good glass of wine or a bring cup of espresso.It's a great autumn dish.

Happiness Is A Pizza Farm

Eating  out at a farm may not be everyone's first choice for a dinner. Add pizza and then the idea becomes intriguing and definitely appealing. It's not a new concept but it's gaining a tremendous amount of popularity, especially during this time of social distancing. It's a fun concept and a healthy one too, with the ingredients grown right there.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin, wrote about them in today's New York Times Food section.Pizza farms are mostly a Midwestern concept.It started along the Wisconsin-Iowa border two decades ago. The  credit goes to  Ted Fisher and Robbi Bannen of the A  To Z Farm in Stockholm, Wisconsin who create the first pizza farm.(sadly they shut it down due to the pandemic) Other farms started to build wood fired ovens along with studying the basics of crust, sauce and cheese. Before long they were serving pizzas on summer nights.The pies are usually the only items on the menu. They don't offer garlic knots or calzones as other pizzerias do however there is a variety of season toppings. Spring brings baby onions and red peppers while August gives zucchini, fried eggplant and red pepper. Thanks to the other ingredients such as wheat and tomatoes, the farms are also a model of sustainability. This idea is spreading to other parts of the country too. The only problem is the season ends in September. Some farms could extend the season if the weather remains warm along with having enough stores for more flour and sauce.

There are farmers who are determined to do such. The pandemic has led to blockbuster bookings and many are not deterred by falling temps. Also the farmers are also expanding their culinary skills. Many are  raising cattle for cheese and pigs for meat toppings too The popular Iowa Margherita pie at Luna Valley Farm in Decoarah Iowa has farm made Italian sausage that the owners Tom and Maren Beard made themselves along with the homemade cheese and sauce. The basil also is grown there. The only imports are the alcohol and soda which come from local makers, Many pizza farmers see themselves as activists and teachers too. There are educational sites at Katchkie Farms the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley California and the Yale Farm at Yale University, New Haven Connecticut. They have taught not only about making pizza but also about diverse, local and sustainable agriculture. Other farms such as Amber Waves in Amangansett, New York, by the Hamptons, teaches kids the value of nutrition when they teach pie making. Kids make their dough balls and then wander out in the garden to look for fresh picked toppings. As one of the owners  , Katie Baldwin who owns the farm with Amanda Merrow, puts it "Once a cherry tomato is on a pizza it's no longer a vegetable but a topping."

Pizza farms are a great way of enjoying America's favorite food along in a fresh air environment. It's freshly picked and  hand made ingredients served in a beautiful setting. It's an idea that should catch on across the country.

A Different Spin On Empanadas

Empanadas in North America are not quite like the original ones from South America. Something is lacking. Surprisingly an ingredient from the US is making empanadas better tasting and better to fry. The ingredient? Popcorn!

The great chef J.Kenji Lopez-Alt wrote about this and gave the recipe plus a filling one for yesterday's New York Times Food section. He was able to get the truest recipe thanks to chef  Carlos Gaviria in Bogota, Columbia. he and his Columbian born wife, Adri had visited Chef Gaviria, who's also a food professor at the University of La Sabana. He's also written two cookbooks, the first is Tecnicas Profesionales de Cocina Colombians or Professional Techniques Of Colombian Cuisine  which is an in depth guide to the country's regional cuisine' The second is Arepas Colombianas, an entire book dedicated to Colombia's staple food corn cakes or empanadas. The best dough for them? One that comes from everyday popcorn kernels. Chef Gaviria realized it was also the easiest to find in American markets. He boiled them in a pressure cooker and them passed the softened kernels through a hand cranked grain mill. They're  then kneaded with a bit of water to form masa. Chef Lopez-Alt claims that the flavor and texture were outstanding, with the right crunch and corny flavor.

Kneading it is the same as kneading dough for flaky pastry .It's a smearing motion onto a board known as the fraisage method. Chef Lopez-Alt uses a wok and a slotted spoon to fry them up. A Dutch oven also works. As for the filling he give a traditional beef and potato one.It's first cooking the cubed and peeled potatoes and then sauteing ground beef or even pork with onion, scallion and paprika, granulated chicken bouillon is added (Just smash a bouillon cube with the back of a spoon). A grated, ripe beefsteak tomato and its' juices are added at the end. stir until the mixture is quite dry for about five minutes. Spread it out on a large plate. Season if you need to with salt pepper and more bouillon grains if you want, then put it into the fridge. The masa dough should already be madeand the texture of Play-Doh . The masa is divided into twenty-four golf ball size balls. Place one ball at a time into a sandwich bag, and press into a three inch circle. Use your skillet for this.After they've all been flattened , put two teaspoons of meat inside each and seal the edges together. It's then frying them in canola or peanut oil. Chef Lopez-Alt also give the recipe for aji, Columbian style salsa. It's just scallion , onions and cilantro mixed with a grated beefsteak tomato.Lime juice, water and kosher salt is then added and then everything is mixed together.

It takes a North American classic to create the best South American one. Popcorn gives the right crunch and flavor to empanadas, elevating them several notches.  Try this for the most authentic tasting corn cakes.

Fresh Baked Ornaments

Two of the most fun Christmas activities are baking and tree trimming. Combine them and you have a great time creating and  decorating fresh from the oven works of arts. Even novice bakers can join in on the fun with simple recipes.

If you want cookies without the calories, then think salt dough ornaments. Why a dough heavily laced with NaCl? Salt , as we all know, is an excellent preservative. It will contribute to the ornaments lasting a longtime without crumbling or breaking.it also deters mold from forming which would shorten the decoration's shelf life. Start with preheating the oven to 300 degrees F. What you'll need is four cups of all purpose flour, one cup table salt  and one and one half cups of  warm water. Pour the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and slowly stream in the water as you stir . Keep stirring until all the water has been added in. It will take on the consistency of bread dough so it will be hard to work with. It's now time to use your hands. The dough should be smooth and pliable like pizza dough.It's then rolling it between two large sheets of parchment paper.The bottom sheet should be placed on a cookie sheet. The dough should be 1/8th of an inch thick. If it's too thick the ornament will crack and break due to the air bubbles trapped in the middle. Then cut out the shapes while the dough is still on the parchment. Peel away the excess dough from the cutters. You can then make designs, using a fork, straw or paring knife. Use a drinking straw to poke a hole in the top for the ribbon.

Now it's time for baking! They should go into the oven for about an hour. You'll know they're done when they feel hard.(Tap with a fork or spoon to gauge hardness). Don't worry if they turn brown. You can always paint over those. The real fun part comes after. It's time to get the paints,  glue and glitter!! You can mist the newly baked ornaments with a thin coat of white spray pain to even out any brown baking spots. They can be left white to look snow dusted which would be very dramatic on any tree. Some use puffy paints, others use paint pens for more precision. A fun idea is using them as place tags at a holiday party and personalizing them with guests names. Use gold and silver paint pens to write the names. Another idea is outline the ornaments in glitter, rhinestones or garlands . As for the type of ribbon to use, you could use classic red and green velvet or go a little more fancier with metallic.If you want really festive ones then look into Paper Mart. This  site has a wide variety of printed ribbons that would complement any ornament.

Baking fun and decorating Christmas trees  is combining two holiday loves. Whip up a batch today and have some fum. Create memories and ornaments!

A Well Made Loaf

A well baked loaf of bread  is a real treat. There's this lightly buttery crust wrapped around yeasty sweet goodness.Unfortuntely there are few bakeries that make such loafs and forget going to your local supermarket. What most have are those bags of cottony loaves that are better off  feeding ducks at the local pond. If you want a heavenly slice- then you're going to have to bake it yourself.

Melissa Clark discovered this as she researched the subject for her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.white bread is surprisingly easy to make, perfect for novice home bakers.The ingredients are simple, as they have been for centuries. Butter and milk are needed to insure a soft center. Sugar is required for creating a nicely browned crust .Always use white flour. This has the highest gluten content which is needed for rising. You can use a high protein flour for more of a chew,Ms Clark suggests but she also warns about using low protein pastry flour - this will not make the dough rise enough - or adding whole wheat flour to a white bread recipe. The whole wheat's strong earthiness will mask the original sweetness. Ms CLark also includes a raisin swirl recipe which has a tantalizing mix of  dry sherry ,  brown sugar and raisins.There are other recommendations using a blend of chopped nuts or even dulce de leche. With a swirled bread,it's best to use a thick jam.A runny one will ruin the dough and leave the whole loaf soggy.


.One of the most worrisome problems of bread making is leaving it to rise  Novice home bakers will  fret that it won't  reach the desired height or it's not good enough. The solution to this is to keep the dough in a warm room. Ms.Clark  does this by warming up her oven for fifteen minutes. The dough is then put on top of the stove top She has also used her down quilt to help, but in this weather, really not that necessary. A slow rise is OK too,Busy bakers can also let their dough rise overnight in the fridge. There are a lot of options once the dough has risen, It can be baked in a couple of classic loaves.The unbaked loaf can be tossed in the freezer and kept for up to three months, The dough could also be used for a swirl loaf however be wary of this.The filling has to be more jam like than syrupy other wise the bread will separate from the filling and create cracks.This can screw up the slicing, as slices will split into pieces.Another idea not listed is adding a cup of raisins to the dough for an even sprinkling of fruit.

Nothing beats a homemade loaf of bread.It's just pure heaven to bite into a warm chewy slice. Get baking to experience this fresh baked nirvana,

Spaetzle German Comfort Food

Spaetzles are every German or German American's go to comfort food. These versatile noodles can accompany everything from string beans to sauerkraut, from goulash to hoxen . They're even good on their own with melted butter. Anyway you have them is wunderbar- the perfect comfort food for a chilly fall day.

Spaetzle comes from the Southern German or Swabian word spatz for sparrow. The Swabians add "le" to indicated the diminutive and so the name translates into "little sparrow".Spaetzles been around since medieval times and the first recipe was written down during the 1725. It's also big in the Tyrol, along with, Alsace Lorraine, in France, Austria and Switzerland. The dough is easy to make. It consists of simply eggs flour ,water and a sprinkle for salt. The dough is then pushed through a colander and cut into two inch pieces.They are boiled like pasta is however use just plain water instead of salted.You can also buy spaetzles premade as well.

The noodles are good with almost anything. They compliment and take the bite out of sauerkraut, while being perfect for goulash , They absorb the gravy and mellow the dish's spicy taste. They are also good next to hoxen, roasted pork shoulder. Every Swabian family has their own spin on them. Mine likes them with green beans in a butter sauce. I also like them just plain with melted butter as a main meal. I have cousins who prefer them with grated cheese on top, similar to pasta. Some other Germans have them covered with just fried onions,or with only lentils or in a stew.

Spaetzles are the perfect cool weather dish. They are a great comfort food with other specialties or on their own. Their hearty homemade flavor , keeps the chill at bay.

Game Night Goodies

Now that it’s winter, mostly all our activities are indoors and that includes the hallowed game night. This is usually a Saturday night when people invite friends and family over for spirited rounds of Scrabble or Pictionary. Sometimes there are even five or six tables set up for cards. It’s also a night to make fun treats and enjoy some time knoshing.
Pizza is usually the best dish to serve. Its easy to make and there are a variety of topping to load on it. You can make an all meat one or a healthy veggie one. Dough can be hand made or purchased and either big or individual pizzas can be served. Another fun munchie is a platter of quesadillas. These are easy to create and assemble and people can have fun building their own, using peppers tomatoes , pepper jack cheese along with chicken or beef. A really simple dish is chili. It’s can be made to suit meat lovers or vegans. It can be served over simple rice or polenta or spooned over broken up cornbread slices.
Of course game night is nothing without snacks,. A healthy choice would be small platters of veggies with a simple yogurt dip. You can make several small bowls of the last and then arrange broccoli florets, baby carrots, pepper strips and tomato slices around the dip bowls. Add some tortillas for crunch as well. Popcorn won’t go amiss either and you can set up small deep bowls of different flavors ranging from a simple butter to parmesan cheese or chili. You may also want to add the regular party classics of pretzel sticks and potato chips.
Game night is fun but it does build up an appetite. . Satisfy your guests with fun and filling munchies that’ll give them energy for the next round. There’s nothing like playing Scrabble or Pictionary on a full stomach!