6 plum tomatoes (1 lb), halved lengthwise
1 1/4 tsps. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
10 leaves fresh basil
12 leaves whole fresh oregano, plus 3 tbsps. finely chopped
2 tsps. fresh lemon zest
2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice

Directions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.

Toss tomatoes with sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and arrange, cut sides down, in a small shallow baking pan. Heat oil in a 9- to 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in basil and whole oregano leaves, then pour oil over tomatoes. Roast tomatoes until very tender but not falling apart, 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer tomatoes with a spatula to a large plate, then pour oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl or measuring cup, discarding solids. Stir in chopped oregano, zest, juice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Why this recipe?

Because the tomatoes are delicious, and the oil can be used on other things (e.g. bread, salmon, couscous, rice, pasta). I would make more tomatoes, because you are going to want to eat them all and then you won’t have any tomatoes left! Credit goes to my brother, Noah, for introducing me to this recipe.

Beef Marinade

3/4 cup oil (I use canola)
1/2 cup Chinese sesame oil (this can be tricky to find at a supermarket)
2/3 cup light soy sauce (not low sodium ‘light’; you can just use regular)
2/3 cup dry sherry
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3/4 teaspoon ginger, minced

1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut across the grain into paper thin slices 2″ x 1″

Bamboo skewers soaked in water

Directions

1. Mix oils, soy sauce, sherry, sugar, garlic, and ginger. Marinate beef strips in mixture, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Heat broiler. Thread beef onto skewers. Brush with the marinade, coating heavily. Place on rack and broil for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Turn over. Brush with the marinade. Broil on the second side to desired doneness. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Makers 12 appetizer servings.

Why this recipe?

Because it’s delicious and easy! Even if you don’t have sesame oil (my local Dominick’s/Safeway didn’t have any, although they have in the past), it will turn out excellently. You could also use the same marinade for pretty much any preparation of beef. I made 10 skewers for a small potluck party, and they were an immense hit. A tip on slicing the beef thinly: it’s easier if the beef is partially frozen, and be sure to use a sharp knife.

This recipe comes from the July 9, 2008 New York Times. I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds promising! They interviewed several professional bakers to get their cookie tips, and this is the recipe published in the paper. It mentions several crucial factors: cooling the dough before baking (which has a similar function as using only 1 stick of butter in my current favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe), making large cookies (which I do anyway!), using 60%+ cacao chocolate disks, and sprinkle the tops of the balls of dough with sea salt before baking. Once I try this recipe for myself, I’ll pass judgment.

Ingredients

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons
(8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (available here and here)
sea salt

Directions

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

[recipe via NY Times]

pre-cooked sausages or hotdogs
refrigerator breadsticks
condiments

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350/375 F (your call!)
2. Cut sausages/hotdogs in half and set aside
3. After separating breadsticks, cut them in half lengthwise (one breadstick, now in two lengths, per hotdog half)
4. Place a hotdog half cut-side down on ungreased baking sheet
5. Take one length of dough and wrap it around the base of the hotdog half, crossing the ends to make a ‘V’. Repeat with the other length of dough on the opposite side.
7. Bake until the dough is golden brown (about the amount of time it says on the breadsticks package)
8. Enjoy with condiments!

Why this recipe?

Not only does it hearken back to the simpler childhood days of pigs in blankets, this recipe also includes the forces of the Empire. Get ready for intergalactic mustard battles! I’m afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive.

It doesn’t work well to prepare this ahead of time and then bake them later, as the refrigerator breadsticks will dry out (trust me). If you must, however, I recommend sprinkling the breadsticks with water before placing the Tie Fighter Ties in the oven.

Ingredients

1 all-beef hot dog (either Vienna Beef or Kosher’s Best)
1 poppy seed bun (S. Rosen’s)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon bright green sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon chopped onion
1 kosher dill pickle spear
2 slices/wedges tomato
2 sport peppers (I eat my dog sans sport peppers)
dash of celery salt

Directions

Either grill or steam the hot dog and place in bun. Dress the dog (not the bun!) in the following order: mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes between the dog and the top of the bun, pickle between the dog and the bottom of the bun, sport peppers, celery salt.

Grilling

Place the dog over medium heat. Turn once one side begins to brown. Turn four times to brown all four sides, approximately 2-3 minutes each side.

Steaming

Use a Dutch oven fitted with a steamer rack, or a bamboo steamer. Fill the pan with enough water to reach just below the steamer rack. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to low, and add the hot dog to the steamer basket. Cover tightly and steam for 5-7 minutes or until heated through. To steam the bun, stack them on top of the dogs during the last two minutes of cooking.

Why this recipe?

Because the Chicago-style hot dog is delicious. Hands-down, the best preparation of hot dogs in the world. Use this helpful guide to help you choose the highest-quality ingredients to use when preparing your own Chicago dog.

Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
2 eggs
2 cups sour milk (curdled w/ 1 teaspoon vinegar)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 squares baking chocolate
pinch of salt

Frosting

1 bag chocolate chips
1 pint sour half-and-half

Directions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar in the milk and let it sit for 30 minutes. Mix dry ingredients and set aside. Melt the baking chocolate squares and let them cool slightly while doing the next steps. Cream room-temperature butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs with the creamed mixture. Mix in vanilla and chocolate. Combine the other dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to the wet ingredients, starting with milk. Mix together, being careful not to over-mix. Pour mixture into a greased baking pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out dry. Check after about 15 minutes.

Frosting

Melt chocolate chips. Stir in 8-12 ounces of sour half-and-half until it has a smooth, spreadable consistency. Spread on cooled cake.

Recommended: Double-Layer Chocolate Cake with Raspberries

This is my favorite way of preparing the cake. Divide the batter evenly between two round pans, so you have two layers. After they have cooled, turn one layer over so the smooth side is facing up. Spread a thin layer of raspberry preserves (I like unsweetened raspberry preserves) on that layer, and stack the other layer on top. Then frost as normal. Garnish with fresh raspberries!

Why this recipe?

One word: chocolate. This is the most chocolate-y cake I have ever eaten, and is my absolute favorite. It is not for the faint of heart; most people I have met find this cake too rich and chocolate-y, but I love it. I recommend you use a round springform pan; it makes getting the cake out of the pan so simple and neat!

It is easy to overbake this recipe, and your cake will come out dry. I personally don’t mind the dry cake (it’s good with milk!), but if you haven’t been able to get the cake out in time (you only have a small window between done and overdone), try the raspberry double-layer cake! The preserves add some moisture.

1 bag Semi-sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (I like Ghirardelli)
2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup sugar (I usually use slightly less)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I usually use slightly less)
2 eggs
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional, but I like walnuts!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. In large mixer bowl, cream butter with sugar and brown sugar. Note that the mixture will not appear as creamy as you might be used to, because of the decreased amount of butter used. Blend eggs and vanilla with creamed mixture. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375ºF for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Alternatively, gently press a cookie with your finger; if it springs back up when you remove it, they are fine to take out. The less you cook them, the chewier they will be once cooled. Removing them to a cooling rack ensures optimal cooling for the best cookies!

Why this recipe?

The only thing that really makes this recipe stand out is its use of only one stick of butter. Because of this, they have some different physical properties. They don’t spread as much when baked, so you can place the drops of cookie dough closer together on the cookie sheets. Using less butter and less sugar helps the flavor of the chocolate chips and the nuts stand out, which is how I like my cookies. Let me know if you give this recipe a try! It has replaced all other chocolate chip cookie recipes for me.