AwesomeBites

1 1/2 cups of shortening (I used butter flavored Crisco sticks)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup of dark molasses
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
some finely grated ginger (this is an addition from Michelle’s mother, so there isn’t an exact amount, I would say I added about a teaspoon, and the cookies were very gingery)
Turbinado sugar (enough for rolling)

This salmon is prepared using a stovetop smoker, which imparts an enticing wood-smoke flavor to the fish.
Ingredients:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 salmon fillets, each 6 oz., pin bones
removed
1 Tbs. cedar smoking chips
Potato latkes for serving (see related
recipe at left)
Sour cream for serving
Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the salt, brown sugar, coriander, black pepper, paprika and cayenne. Spread one-third of the salt mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and place the salmon, skin side down, on top. Pack the remaining salt mixture on top of the fish, forming a crust. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Rinse the salmon thoroughly under cold running water to remove all the salt. Pat dry with paper towels.

Heat a stovetop smoker on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Put the smoking chips in the bottom of the smoking pan, reduce the heat to medium and place the rack in the smoker. Brush the rack lightly with oil.

Place the salmon, skin side down, on the smoker rack. Cover and smoke until the fish is opaque throughout, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness.

Serve immediately with potato latkes and sour cream. Serves 4.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

Inspired by the hearty cuisine of Europe’s alpine regions, our savory breakfast tart features nutty Gruyère cheese and smoky bacon. This combination is sure to satify appetites invigorated by cold winter weather.
Ingredients:
1 sheet puff pastry dough
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water
3 oz. crème fraîche
2 oz. shredded Gruyère cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 bacon slices, cooked until crisp
3 eggs
10 fresh chives, cut on the bias into 1/2-inch lengths
Directions:
Thaw the puff pastry dough according to the package instructions.

Preheat an oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

On lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into a 10-by-8-inch rectangle. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Using a paring knife, score a border 1/2 inch in from the edge of the pastry. Using a fork, prick the center of the pastry. Brush the border with the egg wash and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche and cheese, and season with salt and pepper.

Spread the crème fraîche mixture on the pastry, keeping the border clean. Lay the bacon on top, slightly overlapping the slices. Bake the tart for 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on a level heatproof surface. Using a fork, prick any large air pockets in the pastry. Crack the eggs onto the tart, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until the egg whites are set and the yolks are still soft, 7 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the tart to a platter, garnish with the chives and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

The light and airy texture of brioche blends well with more hearty ingredients like prosciutto and Gruyère cheese. Look for brioche in well-stocked markets or bakeries.
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbs. snipped fresh chives
6 eggs
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 cups loosely packed day-old brioche cubes
1/4 lb. Gruyère cheese, grated
4 to 6 thin slices prosciutto, about 2 oz. total
Directions:
In a fry pan over medium-high heat, melt the 2 Tbs. butter. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and chives.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the milk, salt and pepper until blended.

Butter a 3-quart baking dish. Place half of the brioche cubes in the prepared dish. Sprinkle evenly with half of the onion mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining bread cubes, onion mixture and cheese. Slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the layers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat an oven to 375°F.

Lay the prosciutto slices in a single layer on top of the pudding. Bake until the pudding is puffed and golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

Remove the prosciutto slices from the bread pudding and set aside until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Tear the prosciutto into large pieces. Serve the pudding garnished with pieces of the torn prosciutto. Serves 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch, by Georgeanne Brennan, Elinor Klivans, Jordan Mackay and Charles Pierce (Oxmoor House, 2007).

Sometimes known as a German pancake, a Dutch baby is a cross between a soufflé and an omelette. It is oven-baked in a hot fry pan rather than cooked on the stovetop. Here we embellish the Dutch baby with an apple-cranberry compote.

Ingredients:
2 Pink Lady apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
5 Tbs. unsalted butter
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Maple syrup for serving
Directions:
In a bowl, stir together the apples, cranberries, the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the cinnamon. In a 9-inch French skillet over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter. Add the apple mixture and sauté until the apples are tender and the cranberries have broken down, about 12 minutes, adding the water halfway through cooking. Remove from the heat.

Put an 11-inch French skillet or ovenproof sauté pan in a cold oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Meanwhile, put the eggs in a blender and blend on medium speed until very frothy, about 1 minute. Add the flour, salt, the 1 Tbs. granulated sugar and the milk and blend on medium speed for 2 minutes, stopping the blender to scrape down the sides as needed.

When the oven is preheated, put the remaining 3 Tbs. butter in the hot skillet and return it to the oven until the butter melts; do not let it brown. Carefully pour the batter into the hot skillet, then distribute the apple-cranberry mixture evenly on top. Bake until the Dutch baby is lightly browned and the sides have risen, about 25 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven, dust the Dutch baby with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately with maple syrup. Serves 4 to 6.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

or

If you have ever had a great big puffy skillet full of apple oven pancake, this is similar. Since the apples are not baked into it, the whole thing comes out crisper. For the fruit, you can change with the seasons: Use strawberries (green leaves removed) in early spring, blackberries and raspberries in early summer, peaches and nectarines (peeled and pitted) in mid-summer, and apples and pears (peeled and cored) in fall and winter. (Citrus fruit like oranges and grapefruit are really too juicy to use.) For an over-the-top experience, dollop some lightly sweetened whipped cream (or not-so-over-the-top yogurt) on the fruit before sprinkling with sugar.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups fruit (see note above)
A little powdered sugar
Syrup (such as maple or blueberry, but any syrup will do)
Directions:
Do this first
Oven: Adjust the rack to the upper third of the oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F.

Fruit: Cut the fruit (except small berries) into small pieces about 1/2 inch.

Syrup: Warm the syrup over low heat or in a microwave at 50% power for 1 minute just before serving.

Melt the butter
Put the butter in a very large (12-inch) skillet with an ovenproof handle. Set in the oven for 5 minutes to melt the butter completely (okay if it begins to brown).

Make the batter
While the butter melts, measure the flour into a large bowl. Add the eggs, milk and salt. Beat until smooth, using a whisk, large spoon or handheld electric mixer.

Bake and serve
Pour the batter into the hot pan. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sides are puffed up and dark golden brown. Remove from the oven. Loosen the Dutch baby from the sides and bottom of the skillet, then slide it onto a serving plate. Pile the fruit in the center and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges. Pass the warm syrup to pour on top. Serves 4 to 5.

Adapted from Rick & Lanie’s Excellent Kitchen Adventures, by Rick Bayless & Lanie Bayless, with Deann Groen Bayless (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2004).

Roast Chicken With Seasonal Vegetables
James Tracey, Craft, NYCYield: 4 Servings

Ingredients
For the Chicken
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
1 sprig rosemary
6 sprigs thyme
1 sprig sage
8 medium garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ pound carrots, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2 large carrots)
½ pound turnips, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2 medium turnips)
½ pound rutabaga, cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 1 medium rutabaga)
½ pound of cippolini onions, peeled (about 8 to 10 onions)
½ pound of brussels sprouts, halved (about 10 brussels sprouts)
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Stuff the chicken cavity with the rosemary, thyme, sage and garlic and season it liberally inside and out with salt and pepper. Using butcher’s twine, truss the chicken.

2. Place a medium roasting pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat and add the oil. Using tongs to move the chicken, cook the legs and thighs on both sides until the skin is golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

3. Add the carrots, turnips, rutabaga, cippollini onions and brussels sprouts to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown at the edges, about 5 to 8 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan, add the butter and transfer to the oven. Roast the chicken, basting every 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with a knife, about 60 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. Remove two garlic cloves from the chicken and reserve.

4. Place the roasting pan over high heat and add the reserved garlic. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently, and cook until the vegetables are glazed and the liquid has reduced by about one-third, about 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Transfer the carved chicken to a serving platter, spoon the glazed vegetables around it and serve immediately

Chorizo Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
(adapted from Williams-Sonoma website.)

Ingredients
18 large jalapeño peppers
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp finely diced garlic
1 lb fresh chorizo, casings removed
4 oz shredded four cheese blend
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs. oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Cut 1/4 inch off the top of the pepper and use a thin knife to remove the seeds and ribs from the peppers, if using a roaster or some kind of an apparatus to keep the peppers vertical. If not, make an opening on one side of the pepper by cutting a slice of skin off. Scoop out the veins and seeds from the inside.

In a pan, heat the oil and saute the onions till soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic ad chorizo, and crumble the sausage with the back of a wooden spoon. Stir fry for about 8 minutes till the sausage is cooked through. Transfer the mixture to a paper towel lined plate and let it cool down.

Once the sausage mixture is cooled down, mix it with softened cream cheese and the four cheese blend and stir to combine. Stuff the center of each pepper using your fingers to press down the stuffing to fit as much as you can into each pepper. Place the filled peppers upright in the roaster, or lay them flat on a foil lined roasting tray.

These can be grilled in a covered grill or roasted in the oven. I roasted these in the oven, for about 20-25 minutes , pre-heated to 400F. Roast or grill till the peppers are tender. Serve hot.

Notes:

If using the roaster in the oven, place it on a lined tray to collect any oil and cheese that may ooze out during the roasting.
Make sure that you wear gloves while cleaning out the jalapenos, these are really hot peppers! Also, try to get all the seeds and veins out, otherwise someone might end up with a burned tongue!