a family classic

lately, i've had the persistent

urge

to make cookies.

not to eat them,

just to make them.

it started weeks ago,

when i was visiting my

family and felt

like i should show

up with something

other than,

well, us.

but i didn't.

then, a week later,

i was unexpectedly

seeing them again,

and more determined

this time.

so i looked over

cookbook

after cookbook

and picked several

potential recipes,

but none felt right.

none called out to me,

made me feel i

knew exactly what i was

getting into,

or that they would

possibly be the cookie

my not-yet-born

grandchildren

of my not-yet-born

children

will ask for when

they come to visit.

yes, i take recipe

choosing very seriously.

so again, i didn't

make any.

then this weekend,

in spite of the fact that

we had nowhere to

go and nobody to

entertain or to bestow

a gift upon, i finally

made cookies.

the winning recipe,

it turns out,

was not from any of

my cookbooks - although

in fairness to my cookbooks,

i didn't make my way through

all of them, so there could still

be a spectacular

sweet something hiding

out on those shelves -

but from the january

issue of gourmet.

the chewy amaretti sandwich cookies

just looked so delicate

and crackly

and pretty.

i was up for a challenge,

but these only had three

ingredients -

almond paste,

sugar

egg whites -

and i realized immediately,

i didn't need a challenge.

please don't panic.

i'm pretty sure that i may

have lost half of you

at the mention of

almond paste -

my best friend included -

but it is almond paste,

not marzipan.

oh, marzipan -

gives a

bad name to all things

almond.

you often see it

rolled into little colorful

fruits or other shapes

and used to garnish

cakes or tarts.

in order to make the

mixture so moldable,

they add a ton of sugar.

the flavor and grainy texture

is a turnoff

to most people.

almond paste, though,

is really

designed to be

edible and has a

much smaller sugar

content, so that

the almond flavor

can really shine.

anyway, back to

my grandchildren's

favorite cookie.

they couldn't be

easier to make:

you simply toss

all of the ingredients

into the food processor,

pulse until smooth

and transfer to

a piping bag.

it's a lot easier to fill the pastry bag if you place it, once you've cut the end and inserted the tip, upside down inside a cup.

they bake

until they're golden

brown and cracked,

and your kitchen

smells of a corner

bakery.

but, then,

it does get a little

complicated.

let me rephrase.

it gets complicated if:

you're uncoordinated

(like me),

are without assistance

(like i was)

or find out that you

have an abnormally

large sink

(like i apparently do).

otherwise, you'll

be fine.

you see, what happens

next is that you take

the hot pans,

with the baked

cookies still on them,

and rest the metal on an

angle in your sink.

then,

you lift the corner

of parchment paper,

upon which,

the cookies have been

resting,

and you pour water

in between.

i'm sure pictures

of me trying to

do this

would be

priceless.

somehow, i got

my act together with only

two casualties (it was

quick - they didn't know

what hit 'em).

for the rest of the batch,

the water did its trick,

slightly steaming

their bottoms

and making

them sticky.

this helped later,

when they were cool,

pulled off the

parchment and

sandwiched

together.

one final note,

i made them waaaay

too big.

they're meant to be piped

into 3/4-inch rounds,

which is quite small.

i would have bet you

a nickle mine were

the right size

(ok, maybe 7/8-inch),

but when i ran out

of batter early,

i pulled out a ruler

and learned

that my dollops

ranged from 1 to 1 1/2

inches.

oh, and did i mention,

they spread?

eek.

no matter,

really. they still baked

in the required time

and were

really yummy

and

very special.

but next time -

because there

will absolutely

be a next time -

i will try my darnedest

to make them the

mini,

delicate,

pop-in-your-mouth

and savor

spheres

i believe

they are meant to be.

this way,

they're sized for

kids,

creatively gourmet

for adults,

easy enough

for you

to whip up

and bake -

and the perfect

family cookie,

now, or...

whenever.

chewy amaretti sandwich cookies

from gourmet magazine

while most recipes, including this one, have the best results when prepared with room temperature eggs, they are much easier to separate cold. so i always separate straight from the fridge and then let them come up to temp on their own. by the time i found the hard-copy of the recipe, located my piping bags, preheated the oven and drank the rest of my sunday morning coffee, the whites were ready. this recipe calls for two whites, but who knows, your next recipe could call for two yolks - simply store in the fridge for a few days or keep for a couple months in the freezer.

1 tube (7 oz.) pure almond paste (3/4 cup)

1 cup sugar

2 large egg whites, at room temperature for 30 minutes

arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. heat oven to 300˚F. line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

in food processor, pulse almond paste and sugar until broken up and combined. add egg whites and pulse until smooth. transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 3/8" plain tip. pipe 3/4" rounds, 3/4" apart on baking sheets. bake 15-18 minutes, rotating pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through, or until tops are puffed and golden brown.

wearing an oven mitt, rest pan at an angle in the sink. gently lift one corner of parchment paper and slowly pour 1/4 cup water between paper and pan so that all of the paper is moistened. let cookies cool completely on cooling rack. sandwich pairs of cookies together. let cookies dry at least 20 minutes before eating.

store in airtight container for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month.

the perfect compromise

i'm sure it's not easy to live 

with me. i mean of course,

i'm lovely to live to with,

(right, lar?), but 

i'm probably

not always the most

fun person

to prepare

your dinner.

i don't eat red meat,

or most things associated with it,

i'm not wild about chicken

or turkey

and although

i love fish and seafood,

i can often go weeks

without making

them for dinner 

and not even realize it.

so sometimes,

i make meals more 

substantial

by adding an egg,

poached or fried,

and other times,

i have to get creative.

larry loves italian --

i like it. 

but it wouldn't

be my first

choice

of cuisine

(or my second)

when deciding

where to dine

for the night.

so, years ago,

to bridge the italian, 

non-meat-eating

gap,

i started making this

tofu parm.

now, the thing about

tofu is that it has its devout

lovers, 

and just as determined,

haters.

i fall in the first group,

but let me tell you,

even i would want to 

spend too many meals 

eating plain pieces of

cold tofu.

they taste, mostly, like...

nothing.

so do yourself a favor 

and flavor it up. 

marinate it,

broil it,

pan-fry it.

look at it as a 

vehicle

for

sauces and seasonings.

here,

the slices are coated using

the standard breading

procedure:

flour,

egg,

then, breadcrumbs.

you really want to spice

both dry components

well, to ensure that they

do their part.

salt, pepper,

cayenne,

oregano and 

grated parm do wonders.

while, fresh toasted breadcrumbs,

are the tastiest,

i've used panko

(like in this case),

and in a pinch, italian dried breadcrumbs.

yes, i know it's a travesty. 

and, yes, i know that my

can and i could be shunned from

the culinary community just for

the admission, 

but the uncouth crumbs

do wonders for tofu.

(i'm sure the tofu would

be amazing pan-fried,

but i've always baked the

pieces. 

it's less messy 

and

feels like a less-guilty

alternative -

you'll be happy later

when it comes time 

to add the cheese.)

while the tofu

is working so hard 

to make itself

delicious, i try to give it

a hand by simmering together

a quick marinara and grating

mozzarella. 

the great thing though,

is that this recipe can be what you

make it. if you're short on time,

layer the mixture with a jar

of the best sauce you can

find and sprinkle with 

pre-shredded cheese.

and don't feel guilty.  

regardless,

the casserole makes your

house smell like

the best of italian restaurants. 

and when you pull the dish from

the oven,

hot, browned and bubbling,

it's only natural to feel

a growing impatience

that has built in anticipation - 

having to wait to take

your first bite

can be

exhausting.

i will not

go far as to

lie and say

that you will

think you're noshing

on chicken

or 

veal,

but i do think it's

fair to say

that after a couple bites, 

you won't care.

tofu parmigiana

the trick for making tofu taste good, is to drain and blot out as much of the water as possible, which in turn, helps the pieces absorb as much flavoring as possible. to do: drain tofu from container. blot with a couple paper towels. cut into desired pieces. place each piece on a paper towel; top with another paper towel and press. repeat several times and let sit while you prepare other things (get the sauce, started, set up the breading station, preheat the oven, etc.).

also, with the exception of the egg (because i finally learned my lesson - one just isn't enough), i never measure the ingredients for the breading. it dirties other dishes and is always a bit hard to predict, so i eyeball it. it's never steered me wrong.

one last thing, i usually make the parm in a 8x8 pan, but in this case i used gratin dishes. either way it makes enough for about three people, four if you're not very hungry or offer bread, pasta and salad as well. these little dishes (you would need three) are an easier, prettier way to serve, but if you're dining with family and are not concerned with appearences, save yourself the prep time - make it in one dish. and if you're feeding six, you can easily double the recipe.

1 pkg. (16 oz.) firm tofu, drained

flour

2 eggs, beaten with a few drops of water 

fresh bread crumbs or panko

salt, pepper, cayenne pepper,

oregano and grated parm

1 ball (8 oz.) part-skim mozzarella

2 oz. parm (give or take)

about 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce (recipe below)

using sharp knife, carefully cut tofu horizontaly into six slices; halve slices to get 12 rectangular pieces. drain as directed above. place flour in one bowl; add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper (just a dash). place eggs in a second bowl. place breadcrumbs in a third bowl; stir in salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (just a dash), oregano and a healthy handful of grated parm. 

heat oven to 350 F. coat foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray.

using left hand, place one piece tofu in flour; shake off excess. using right hand, dip in egg, making sure to cover and shake off excess. place in bowl of breadcrumbs; make sure the piece is coated and using left hand transfer to baking sheet. repeat with remaining pieces of tofu. spray with cooking spray. bake tofu 20 minutes; turn pieces and bake 20 minutes more until golden brown. 

meanwhile, grate both cheeses.

to assemble: spread about 3/4 cups sauce in bottom of an 8x8 dish (or 1/4 cup in bottom of each gratin dish). top with half the tofu pieces (or two in each gratin dish). top with 3/4 cup marinara sauce, half the grated mozzarrella, half the grated parm and sprinkle with oregano. place remaining tofu pieces on top, in the opposite direction of the first. top with remaining marinaria, remaining mozzarella, remaining parm and oregano. coat a piece (or pieces) of aluminum foil with cooking spray. firmly cover dish. place on baking sheet. bake 25 minutes (20 for smaller dishes); uncover. bake 5 minutes more. turn oven to broil and cook 2 minutes, or until cheese bubbles and begins to brown in spots.

quick marinara

this may seem like a lot of ingredients for something quick, but most of them are already in your cabinet and the amounts can be adjusted (or the ingredients omitted) depending upon what you have. you probably will not use all the sauce for the tofu parm. the rest can be frozen.

1 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. red peper flakes

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced

1/4 cup white wine (optional)

1 can (28-32 oz.) cherry or plum tomatoes

1 can (6 oz.) tomato puree

2 Tbs. grated parm

in saucepot, over medium-high, warm oil with oregano and red pepper flakes. add onions and garlic and cook 6-8 minutes, or until softened and starting to turn golden. season with salt and pepper. add wine if using and cook 2 minutes. add tomatoes, breaking up as you put them in and puree. bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to low; let simmer 20 minutes, or until thickened. season with salt and pepper; stir in grated parm and cook 2 minute, more.

not so fancy

the first time 

i ordered risotto,

i was six week into

my first real job, at a

get-to-know-your-coworkers

lunch.

i had never even tasted

a fork-full, but i had

heard the stories

of never ending stirring

over a hot stove

and i thought,

this must be very

sophisticated.

(um...i know.)

i had been eyeing up the dish

and when others at the table

selected the same thing,

i thought,

i'm going for it.

it was gummy,

very heavy and dotted

with undercooked diced

vegetables that made

the dish seem

the furthest

thing from fancy.

i wrote it off,

and checked it off:

sure, i never really wanted

to eat it again,

but at least i could say i

had experienced it.

then two years later,

at a press trip for work

at the amazing

julia's kitchen,

in napa

they served corn risotto

as an appetizer.

it was indescribably good:

slightly al dente arborio rice,

ultra creamy

and

bursting

with

fresh kernels

of sweet corn

sitting in a foamy parmesan broth.

when i came home,

i decided that i was going to make

a pot myself.

i stood, scared

to ever stop

moving the spoon,

worried that the one second

that i used to transfer

warm chicken stock

into the rice,

would ruin the whole

mixture.

in school,

two years later,

my fear of ruining

risotto dissipated.

when you're forced

to make something

over and

over and

over again

that tends to happen.

for me, it became a fun

process,

stirring the

slightly toasted rice

and softened onions

(mostly) constantly,

adding warmed stock,

ladle by ladle,

and watching the grains

absorb the liquid,

timing it just right.

i loved

discovering that other

grains are just as capable

of releasing their

starches

to create a creamy

risotto-like dish.

the process is the same,

give or take the cooking time.

whole grains

generally require a longer

stay over the flame

to reach a toothsome

tenderness.

and the finished product

is often hardier,

filling in a slightly

different way

than the white rice version.

it also makes it not

quite as elegant a meal,

more of a casual salve

for a cold night

at home.

this one is made

with barley,

which just feels so winter,

but i imagine,

when done right,

could be so spring, too.

peas and chives give

the mixture a pop

of color and a change

in flavor, which

is quite welcome with

such an admittedly,

monotone dish.

and, my favorite part

came from using a

mixture of

mushroom and chicken

stocks,

imparting

a noticeable earthiness.

give yourself an hour

from start to finish.

it will not be a stressful

60 minutes,

or so exciting,

either,

but on the plus side,

it will help you

strengthen your

stirring muscle.

when you're finished,

you'll have a

hot hearty pot,

that tastes special,

but lets you feel

like you can

relax,

feed a bunch

of people

and forget

to care

whether

or not

the dish is

sophisticated.

barley risotto with peas and parmesan

if you're crazy for mushrooms, feel free to go 100% mushroom stock. for a more subtle flavor, mix the two like i did, or if you can't stand them, leave it out. i'm able to find 32 oz. containers of mushroom stock at specialty or slightly gourmet grocery stores. adding shrimp, scallops or even sauteed chicken would be delicious and make for a more substantial meal.

8-10 cups chicken and/or mushroom stock

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 pkg. (16 oz.) barley

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup snipped fresh chives

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus extra

for passing at the table

in saucepot, bring stock to a simmer; reduce heat to low.

meanwhile, in large skillet or medium saucepot, melt butter over medium heat. add onions and garlic and cook 10 minutes, or until softened and translucent, but not browned. season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. add barley and cook 2 minutes, stirring to coat.

add 1/2 cup warmed stock and cook 3 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed, stirring almost constantly. add 1/2 cup stock and cook 3 minutes more, or until liquid is absorbed, stirring. repeat process until grains have released their starches, have swelled and are tender to the bite. the process should take about 45 minutes - you may not need all of the liquid.

stir in peas, chives and parmesan cheese. cook 1 minute, or until warmed through. season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. divide risotto among bowls; pass additional cheese at the table.