Thumbprint Cookies

Cookies like these feel like the kindness and indulgence of my grandmother. I can't remember if she ever made cookies like these, but the story is more powerful than the reality. Browning the bottom of the cookie is really important to the flavor, otherwise the cookie just tastes like dough - in writing this, I realize that this is perhaps attractive to some people, but I prefer that toasted, browned butter flavor that seems to accentuate the buttery-ness of the cookie.

Makes about 20 x 1oz balls

¾ cup (6oz/169gr) butter, softened

½ cup (4oz/115g)white sugar

2 egg yolks

1¾ cups (245g) all-purpose flour

approximately ½ cup fruit preserves, any flavor, and/or soft caramel

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. 
2. Wrap and put in the refrigerator and rest for one hour or up to 72 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets (do not use parchment paper which prevents, in my oven at least, for browning on the bottom). Use your thumb or an instrument of similar size to press down in the middle of the ball of dough to make a well in the center of each cookie. I use the teaspoon measuring spoon to make the indentations. Fill the hole with 1 teaspoon of preserves.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Aloo Sabzi (Potato curry)

I've started draining the oil that separates on my natural peanut butter to use in recipes. The taste is a bit pronounced, but in this recipe it just becomes part of the rich and layered flavouring.

6 servings

160 calories per serving

Quick

Experienced cook: ~30 minutes

Novice cook: ~45–50 minutes

3 Tbsp. peanut oil (or any cooking oil)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 pinch asaphoetida

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch ginger root, grated

1 onion (6oz/170gr) sliced

3 potatoes (24oz), cubed (peeled or unpeeled)

½ tsp turmeric powder

¾ tsp red curry powder (Kashmiri blend is good)

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp garam masala

1 + ½ tsp Salt 

¼ cup cilantro, chopped 

Squeeze of lemon or lime per serving

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom wide shallow pan, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
2. Once the seeds pop, add the asaphoetida, ginger, garlic and onions along with 1 tsp salt.
3. Sauté on medium heat until the onions start to soften.
4. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook until fork tender. Add a few Tbsps. of water when it starts to stick.
5. Add all dry spices and salt and gently toss until all the potatoes are evenly coated with the spices. 
6. Cook for 2-4 minutes more, covered, to allow the spices to flavor the potato.
7. Serve immediate with chopped cilantro sprinkled on top and a plate of sliced citrus to add on top per serving.

Table d'hôte #2

I have made this combination many, many times. Generally all the savory dishes are served buffet style for diners to combine into burritos, but each element can also stand on its own, with the ensalada as the starter, the refried beans as the main, and the rice an tortilla shells as the sides.

Starter - Ensalada de col

Main - Refried Beans

Side - Red Rice and Flour Tortillas

Dessert - Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Tart

Poudre Douce Spice Mix

Poudre Douce is a spice mix used in Medieval and Renaissance cookery and is a blend that varies from cook to cook. This is my version. It's used in apple desserts to very good effect.

3 Tbsps. ginger

2 Tbsps. sugar

1 1/2 Tbsps. cinnamon

1 tsp clove

1 tsp nutmeg

1. Mix together and keep in a jar.

Pumpkin Pancakes

This recipe is from Natalia, a lovely Mexican pastry chef who made them for us with some of our pumpkins. Flavorful and fluffy.

¼ cup (52 g) butter, melted 

¼ cup (52 g) brown sugar 

4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup (226 g) pumpkin puree 

2 eggs

2 cups milk 490 g

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour 250 g

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1. Melt the butter and set aside.
2. In a large bowl thoroughly combine the sugar and spices. 
3. Stir in the butter and the pumpkin puree and mix until well combined. 
4. Add the eggs, whisk until smooth. 
5. Stir in the milk and vanilla.
6. Whisk in the baking powder and the baking soda.
7. With a wooden spoon add the flour and fold in just until the batter is smooth and no pockets of flour remain.
8. Ladle in ¼ cup of the batter into the pan at a time. Cook for roughly 2 minutes, or until you see bubbles in the middle of the pancakes and the edges are dry enough to get a spatula under the pancake. Flip and cook for 1 more minute on the other side, or until cooked through. Serve with maple syrup. Eat.

Jacques' Lentil Salad

This is a slightly adapted version of a recipe in Julia Child and Jacques Pepin's collaborative cookbook "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home." With lettuce growing in the garden and tomatoes finish ripening as summer starts to cool late in the season, this is a delicious way of taking advantage of the season. Truth be told, I also cheat and freeze fresh tomatoes for the off season so I can make dishes that require fresh tomato.

The lentils

1 1/2 cups French green lentils (305g)

3 1/2 cups water

1 onion (6oz/170g) chopped

1 or 2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp salt

1 pinch ground cloves

The dressing

2 Tbsps. (24g) white-wine vinegar

1/4 cup (50g) olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp Dijon-style mustard

Tabasco sauce

1 large ripe tomato cored, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (8-9oz before coring and seeding)

1/3 cup finely chopped shallots, green onions, or onion

2 tsps. minced garlic (1 small or 6g clove)

2 Tbsps. chopped fresh chives, for garnish

For the lentils:

1. Combine lentils, water, onion, thyme, bay leaf, salt and cloves in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. 
2. Cook at least 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but hold their shape. 
3. Let cool to lukewarm; drain any remaining liquid. 
4. Pour lentils into a mixing bowl. Discard thyme and bay leaf.

For the dressing: 

1. Whisk together vinegar, oil, salt, pepper, mustard and Tabasco. 
2. Stir in chopped tomato, shallots and garlic.
3. Pour the dressing over the warm lentils; fold in gently. Taste and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with chopped chives.

Rösti (simple and delicious browned potato pancake)

Similar to a latke, but without the onion. I'm constantly amazed at all the different ways of making potatoes delicious. This is surprisingly light and the mouthfeel has a sense of luxury similar to pasta - all these little pieces reassembled to make a mouthful. Excellent with eggs, the unctuous yolk dribbling over the browned potato.

1kg/ 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled or skin on, grated (can split with Jerusalem Artichoke, up to 1lb)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsps. mild veg oil

1+1 Tbsp. (½ oz/14gr+½ oz/14gr) butter

1. Squeeze out excess liquid from the potatoes by taking handfuls of the grated stuff and squeezing out as much liquid as possible. The more dry the raw potato is, the easier it is to have a crisp pancake.
2. Toss thoroughly in a large bowl with salt, pepper and oil.
3. Melt 1 Tbsp. of the butter in a large fry pan, allow it to froth and wait for the frothing to quiet down like when you make browned butter. 
4. Add the potato just as the milk solids in the butter starts to colour. Don't pack the potato down and make sure to distribute it evenly. You should have about 1" of raw potato. Take the time to tidy the edges a bit.
5. Turn down the temperature to low and start checking after 7 minutes to make sure you don't burn the potato. 
6. Meanwhile, lightly butter a plate. 
7. When the bottom of the rösti is brown, make sure it's loose from the pan, perhaps by running a spatula underneath it or shaking the pan. Upturn the plate on top of the rösti, hold firmly down with your hand, grab the handle of the pan and flip the rösti onto the plate. Remove the pan. The rösti should just drop onto the plate
8. Melt the second Tbsp of butter in the pan and do the frothing thing again.
9. Slide the rösti into the pan and cook for another 7 to 10 minutes, or until golden and crispy. 
10. Remove from the pan, cut up and serve immediately.

Other Possible toppings

• 2 scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
• Fried, poached, or soft boiled eggs
• Crème fraîche, sour cream, or Greek yogurt
• Applesauce
• Smoked salmon
• Sliced avocado
• Thinly sliced ham or prosciutto 
• Grated gruyere or other firm cheese
• Goat cheese, feta, or other soft cheese
• Minced fresh chives, dill, basil, parsley, or mint
• Cooked and crumbled bacon
• Sauerkraut, pickled vegetables, cornichons, or kimchi 
• Bratwursts or breakfast sausages
• Hot sauce, Sriracha, or chili crisp