Raw Kale and Citrus Salad

My friend Emily and her mom were in town last weekend for a yoga workshop. Emily called and suggested we all have dinner together. I offered to cook and this is the first of two dishes I made. Despite the black kale and the blood oranges (which Emily raised an eyebrow at, and which I admitted were "kind of goth"), this is a bright salad. Seasonal, not Seasonal Affective Disorder.

1 bunch kale
2 cara cara oranges
2 blood oranges
1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
coarse salt and pepper

Cut tough stems away from the kale, then slice leaves into thin, long strips.

Carefully cut the peel away from the oranges, then slice them crosswise. If the slices are large, half or quarter them. Combine with the kale.

Add the lemon zest, juice, and shallots to the bottom of a large bowl. Whisking, add the olive oil, then a little salt and pepper. Pour over the kale and oranges and toss with your hands to coat. Let sit for half an hour before eating; the acidic citrus will soften the kale as it sits.

(inspired by)

Tempeh Meatballs

I wasn't sure if these would turn out. Or, specifically, adhere.

They didn't. They basically fell apart upon first bite (if not earlier). Despite that, the flavor was delicious. If I try again, I think I'll use a mix of tofu and tempeh, and/or puree the whole mixture into more of a paste before forming the balls. But I can tell you now that using lots of oil will help your efforts with these. Where the oil was plentiful, a stabilizing (and tasty!) crust formed. So don't skimp on the fat.

Sauce
3 shallots
3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
olive oil
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Tempeh Balls
8 ounces tempeh, crumbled
2 cloves garlic
2 shallots
2 tb fresh basil
2 tb parsley
1 tb chives
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 egg, beaten

Sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the oil until the shallots soften. Add the tomatoes, turn the heat low, and cook, breaking the tomatoes against the side of the pot with your spoon, until the tomatoes break down and a thick sauce forms, 30 minutes or so. For a smooth consistency, puree with a hand blender before stirring in the parsley.

Tempeh Balls
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Form the mixture into balls and fry it over medium high heat until all sides are golden brown.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve with sauce over garlic bread or pasta.

Guest Post: Squash and Leek Lasagna

Today's guest post is brought to you by my parents-in-law, both delightful cooks and all-around wonderful people. My mother-in-law, Elisabeth, made this lasagna for Christmas and we loved it. It incorporates shredded squash, something you don't see very often, but works wonderfully here. The shredded squash is bright and fresh, with a nice bite to it that pairs beautifully with the pine nuts.


Photo by brother-in-law, Stuart.

Bob (husband and great cook) found this recipe for a Squash and Leek Lasagna, it looked delicious, so we made it a few times and liked it very much. When my sister asked for a vegetarian entree to serve on Christmas, I decided to make this and brought the ingredients with me to Wisconsin, well, most of them. The one thing I did not have enough of was the cheese, so on Christmas Eve morning we set out to find some Parmigiano-Reggiano. After trying two local grocery stores and not finding any, we settled for shredded Parmesan to make up the difference. I also substituted already grated nutmeg for the 'freshly grated' and decided to prepare the Lasagna the day before and refrigerate it over night. This concerned me a little, because I was not sure how it would hold up to sitting for 24 hours before being baked, but it made cooking on Christmas Day much easier and the lasagna turned out well.

Pinto Beans with Acorn Squash Mash

This dish has a vegan base. I garnished it with a bit of dairy, but that's by no means necessary. The roasted squash is rich and sweet, a lovely foil to the earthy beans.

Squash Mash
1 small acorn squash
olive oil
cumin
coriander
salt
red pepper flakes
garlic powder
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Beans
olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper of your choice, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 (14 ounce) can pinto beans

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
fresh mozzarella or queso fresco
sour cream

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, then cut each half crosswise into strips. Lay these out in a roasting pan and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with the cumin, coriander, salt, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. Roast for about 20 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Meanwhile, over medium heat, saute the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and red pepper flakes until the onions soften. Stir in the spices and cook for another minute or so. Stir in the beans, along with their liquid, and continue cooking until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.

Peel the cooked squash and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl. Mash. Stir in the lemon juice, cilantro, and chives.

Place the beans in a low bowl and top with a scoop of the squash mixture. Garnish with cheese, sour cream, and another tablespoon of chopped cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

Helvetica Cookie Cutters

Does everything look more delicious in Helvetica?


Cookie cutters by Beverly Hsu, with help from friends Greg and Drew. More information available on her site.

Fennel Carrot Salad

A bright salad for a grey day.

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into long, thin strips
1 fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and sliced thinly
zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
about 3 tablespoons mayonaise or veganaise
juice from 1/2 a lemon
salt, pepper

Place the vegetables in a large bowl. Stir together the lemon zest, parsley, mayonaise, and lemon juice. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Pizza with Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, and Arugula

I shall call this pizza Marugalita! Or, a play on the classic margherita pizza, with arugula where basil might be. I love peppery arugula on pizza.

1 1/8 cups warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more)

olive oil
tomatoes (canned will do in mid-Winter)
fresh mozzarella
arugula
salt

With your pizza stone inside, preheat your oven to its hottest, non-broil setting.

Mix the yeast, sugar, and water. Set aside. Put the flour and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. With the processor running, add the olive oil, then the water-yeast solution (once the yeast is dissolved). Continue with the machine running until a ball begins to form. If the dough is too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it produces the desired consistency. Remove the dough and form it into a ball, then dump it into a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, non-drafty place for an hour or so.

This recipe makes two crusts.

Roll out one half of the dough, brush it with olive oil, then cover with the tomatoes, cheese, and arugula. Perhaps sprinkle with a little coarse salt. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the crust begins to brown.

Guest Post: Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream Pancakes

Today's guest poster, Paul, is the father of one of my greatest friends, and previous guest poster, Emily. And I'm so delighted that he's agreed to share this recipe with us.

When I was growing up, I spent many weekends with Emily's family at their lovely home on Lake Michigan, where I always ate well. One standout meal included homemade-by-Paul veggie burgers, but I'd wager that all the meals I've had there have been delicious. From this grey Winter, I just dared to daydream about the pesto Emily's mom made last time I visited, with basil cut from her own lush plants.


Our old friends—the pancakes this morning—were a slight modification to Mark Bittman’s “cottage cheese and sour cream pancakes”, on page 750 in our edition of How to Cook Everything. Bittman’s basic recipe is quite robust, producing some delicious pancakes even when mixed by someone (like me) who eschews use of precise measurements or dirtying a lot of utensils and extra bowls or measuring cups to put it together. All you need is a bowl, a spatula and a frying pan. To make the pancakes we use (more or less—I just eyeball it) a cup of flour, a cup of sour cream, a cup of cottage cheese, a cup of blueberries (just thaw them if you use frozen), three eggs, a tablespoon of sugar, a dash of salt and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda. Mix together everything that is wet and then fold in the sifted flour and other dry ingredients. (I don’t mess around with separating the eggs.) Add in a little canola oil (a couple of tablespoons) and if it is still too dry maybe a splash or more of milk. Fold it all together until it has a nice consistency. The batter will not be runny.

These pancakes take a little longer to cook—they are thicker—and you typically do not see the bubbles rise as with thinner batters. The pan (nonstick) should have some more oil and a little butter added for each batch—with the temperature set just above medium.

After just a few minutes mixing it and then at the stove, cookie can exclaim, Voilà! to the delight of everyone. Add some maple syrup and enjoy.

Maple Glazed Broccoli and Tofu

Yesterday, after I'd made this, my friend Jenny tweeted that she had made maple grilled tempeh for dinner. Conclusion: maple soy is perfect for January.

1 block extra firm tofu
1 cup pure maple syrup
juice from one lemon
3 tablespoons soy sauce, plus extra for sprinkling
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 head broccoli
grapeseed oil, or other neutral, high heat oil
rice
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 scallions, chopped

Wrap the tofu in a clean cloth and place it between two plates. Set something heavy but stable on top of the upper plate. Leave it like that to dry while the sauce simmers.

Combine the maple syrup, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a wide pot or wok. Simmer until reduced by about half (20 minutes?).

Meanwhile, steam the broccoli until bright green. Once cooked, plunge it into an ice water bath to stop the cooking.

Unwrap the tofu and cut it into small pieces. Sprinkle with a little soy sauce and toss. Over medium high heat, heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a wide skillet and fry tofu until golden.

Add the broccoli and tofu to the maple sauce. Stir to coat and warm everything through. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and scallions and serve over rice.

Barcelona Cake

Continuing with the architects+food series, here's something for your next dinner party.

(via)

Sweet Potato Hash with Vegan Chorizo

I really liked this hash. It was so easy, so flavorful, and so versatile. Eat it for any and all meals! Afternoon and midnight snacks! Etc!

I'm packing my pockets full and going on vacation. (Not really) (Well, the pockets part) (I am actually taking a blog vacation on Monday) Have a great weekend and see you on Tuesday, pals!

grapeseed oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 poblano pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 8 ounce package vegan chorizo
1 large sweet potato, diced
1/2 cup corn
salt + pepper
scallions
cilantro

Over medium-high heat, saute the onion, peppers, and garlic in a little oil for a few minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the chorizo, sweet potatoes, and corn. Cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, maybe 15 minutes. For nice browning, don't stir the mixture too much. It may begin to stick, in which case you could add a little more oil or just decide not to worry about it and soak the pan later (my method). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with some chopped scallions and cilantro.

The hash itself is vegan. I un-veganized mine by cracking an egg on it and baking it in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 or 20 minutes.

Guest Post: Rosemary Lemon Shortbread

I went to college with today's guest poster, Kot. She lives in San Francisco now, but I did have the pleasure of catching up with her a couple weeks ago, when she visited Chicago with another college pal, Gina. I met them, and a few other great and lovely friends, over lunch. At a lunch that was already hours long and several shifts deep by the time I arrived. Those are the best kind no?

Well I'm thrilled to report that you too can experience the luxury of a several-part feast. Kot has agreed to do a guest post series for us that will explore recipes for baked goods that feature fresh herbs. Keep an eye out for her next post, coming in mid-February. In the meantime, you can check out more of her culinary creations on her blog.


I adapted this Scotch Shortbread recipe from page 775 of the 75th (no joke) anniversary edition of The Joy of Cooking. I'm actually not the biggest fan of the JoC; in fact, I'm not really a fan at all. I find the recipes extremely uninspiring, and I can't help but feel like a mid-century housewife preparing bland meals for a bland husband when I dig into its bland recipes. I know. I understand. That's the point. It's how the JoC came to be in the first place--The United States of Arugula, another book I strongly dislike for unrelated reasons, told me so (page 22):

"Irma Rombauer, the author of The Joy of Cooking, represented a sane middle ground for housewives in the thirties and forties...[she explained] that the Joy of Cooking had been compiled 'with one eye on the family purse and the other on the bathroom scale,' with 'occasional lapses into indulgence.'"

Sure. It's iconic. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

(Side note: Continue down the same page and, behold, a treasure--tucked away in an otherwise unassuming footnote:

"Rombauer, a bourgeois St. Louis housewife of German descent, compiled the first edition...in 1931...as an exercise in getting over the 1930 suicide of her husband."

Because I know I'm not the only morbid one here: answers.com tells us that Edgar Rombauer shot himself through the mouth after having a nervous breakdown, not his first, in 1929.)

One more thing about this recipe and the JoC: I swear by using sour cream in as many baked goods as I can, and this recipe is no exception. It overjoyed me, then, to read this, right from the very back reference pages:

"The longevity of people in certain cultures in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and western Asia is often attributed to their diet of sour and fermented milks." Since this is a food blog, I'll keep the gory details short: "Friendly" bacteria from these sour, fermented milks settle in the gut, stimulate the growth of good things, and boost immunity.

Thanks for the seal of approval, Rombauer.

Na zdrowie!

Rosemary lemon shortbread
Makes 12-24 shortbread fingers

3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2-3 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary [note: the more you have, the stronger the flavor!]
1/4 c confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp lemon zest

1-2 tsp sugar (for sprinkling on top)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When the butter starts to bubble, add the fresh rosemary. Continue to boil the butter and rosemary for 1-2 minutes more.

Strain the butter and discard the rosemary scraps. Let the butter sit for 15-20 minutes to cool a bit.

Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the flour until blended, then add the sour cream and lemon zest. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking pan. Use a fork to pierce the dough (tenderly, please) to make a decorative pattern.

Sprinkle with sugar before popping in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the shortbread is lightly browned and darker at the edges. Cut the shortbread into 12-24 skinny fingers while still warm, and leave it in the pan to cool.

Linguine with Lacinato Kale and Cannellini Beans

How nice that it's January and we can eat simply again.

3/4 pound linguine
salt
olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (14 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Parmesan cheese, optional

Boil the linguine in salted water until al dente.

Meanwhile, saute the garlic and shallots over medium-low heat in a tablespoon or so of the olive oil. After about one minute, add the beans and kale. Toss to combine, maybe add a little more olive oil. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the kale wilts a bit and turns bright green. Add the pasta directly to the greens and toss to combine. If dry, add a little pasta water and a bit more olive oil. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan if you like.

Serves 4-6.

Cavemen

First, cavemen. Then Cavemen. Now cavemen.

Not to be a downer, but the first two did die out.

"The caveman lifestyle, in Mr. Durant’s interpretation, involves eating large quantities of meat and then fasting between meals to approximate the lean times that his distant ancestors faced between hunts."

What do you think?

Beet Burgers

Because I had them, I used garbanzo beans. But I'd recommend using white or black beans instead -- those are pastier than the garbanzos and, I suspect, would help the patties hold together better. If you want to forgo the veganness of this recipe, you could also add a beaten egg to the mixture.

Inspired by this inspired recipe.

3 small golden beets, cooled, and finely chopped
rolled oats (you want to yield 1/2 cup cooked oats)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, shredded
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup raw chopped crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
leaves from one sprig thyme
1, 14 ounce can garbanzos
olive oil
salt
pepper
parsley

Cook the beets.

Cook the oats, not quite long enough to get an oatmeal consistency, but long enough that the oats become soft and chewy. Set aside.

Saute the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a tablespoon or two of the olive oil. Add the mushrooms with a little salt and pepper, and the thyme leaves. Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and everything is softened.

Smash the garbanzo beans in the bottom of a large bowl. Stir in the beets, oats, mushroom mixture, and some chopped fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Form the mixture into patties, about six. Cook each side for about 5 minutes, over medium heat on an oiled skillet. Top with grilled onions and (vegan) cheese. Serve on a toasted bun.

Potato Leek Soup

A rustic version of the classic soup, with vegetable broth and left-on potato skins.

3 large leeks, sliced lengthwise then sliced thinly crosswise
2 pounds potatoes, diced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or oil
1 quart low sodium vegetable broth
a couple sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
sour cream (optional)
salt + pepper


In a large, covered pot over medium heat, cook the leeks and thyme in the butter or oil until softened, 5-10 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring, for another 10 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are tender. Remove the thyme, and puree part or all of the soup. I left half chunky (so rustic!) and pureed the other half. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Garnish with parsley and sour cream, if you wish.

Guest Post: Cranberry-Pistachio and Cherry-Almond Biscotti

To our collective delight, Sabra is back with today's guest post. These biscotti look like a perfect coffee-or-tea-accompanying treat for a January afternoon. I can't wait to try them!


Cranberry-Pistachio and Cherry-Almond Biscotti

The first time I made biscotti (chocolate-cherry, to be specific) was a couple years ago, and it was a disaster. On the second round of baking, I baked the biscotti for twice as long out of concern for the texture, which seemed rather chewy for my taste. I was making biscotti, after all. When I finally tried a piece after they were completely cooled, I believe I chipped a tooth. Into the garbage went the entire batch. What a baking tragedy!

Eventually, I was inspired to try again after I tasted a piece of homemade cranberry-pistachio biscotti at a holiday party the following year. After I found this recipe (thank you Martha!), I was hooked. Biscotti make great gifts, in part because the recipient is always impressed, “You made these? Aren’t biscotti hard to make?” This is a misconception, although I would recommend following the baking times in the recipe if you want the biscotti to be edible. When I made this recipe, I doubled it to make two batches – one of the original cranberry-pistachio, and one with dried cherries and almonds. Next time I think I’ll try adding coco powder and candied ginger. Yum!

1/2 cup dried cranberries (or dried cherries)
1/2 cup boiling water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted pistachios (or raw almonds), coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set the cranberries (or cherries) in a small bowl and add the boiling water. Let them stand for about 15 minutes, or until plump, then drain them.

Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the 3 eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until all is combined. Fold in the cranberries and pistachios (or cherries and almonds).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide it in half. It helps to flour your hands, because the dough can be sticky. Shape each piece into a 16 X 2 inch log and put them on the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Using the palm of your hand, flatten the logs slightly. Brush the beaten egg over the surface of each, and sprinkle them generously with sugar.

Bake the logs, rotating the sheet halfway through, until they are slightly firm to touch and golden around the edges, about 25 minutes. Transfer the logs on the parchment paper to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Place the logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs crosswise on the diagonal (or straight across horizontally) into 1/2 inch thick slices. It’s important to use a serrated knife and cut gently to avoid smashing the logs. Arrange the slices, cut sides down onto the parchment-covered pan. Bake until firm to touch, about 30 minutes. About half-way through the baking time, turn each of the slices over so that both of the cut sides end up facing up during the baking. Remove the pan from the oven and let the biscotti completely cool on a rack. Enjoy!

White Pizza with Goat Mozzarella, Shallots, Sage, Crimini and Morel Mushrooms

The goat mozzarella is really perfect for this pizza. It's tangy in a way regular (cow!) mozzarella isn't. A nice balance to the earthy mushrooms.

1 1/8 cups warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more)

4 dried morel mushrooms
olive oil
goat milk mozzrella, cut in very thin slices
2 or 3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 cup thinly sliced crimini mushrooms

With your pizza stone inside, preheat your oven to its hottest, non-broil setting.

Mix the yeast and water. Set aside. Put the flour, sugar, and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. With the processor running, add the olive oil, then the water-yeast solution (once the yeast is dissolved). Continue with the machine running until a ball begins to form. If the dough is too wet, add flour a tablespoon at a time until it produces the desired consistency. Remove the dough and form it into a ball, then dump it into a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, non-drafty place for an hour or so.

This recipe makes two crusts.

Soak the morels in a bowl of warm water for about ten minutes. When they are hydrated, thinly slice them crosswise.

Roll out one half of the dough, brush it with olive oil, then cover with the cheese, sage, shallots, and mushrooms. Perhaps sprinkle with a little coarse salt. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the crust begins to brown.

The Botany of Desire

I spent most of New Year's weekend in bed/on couch with a cold. Luckily, PBS was showing The Botany of Desire, which was as compelling as the plants it covered.

Preview above, and they've also set up a super website.

Garlic Knots

Before Chicago, I lived in Brooklyn. And beginning with that post-college Midwest-->East Coast migration, I developed a taste for cliches. Mostly: pizza and bagels.

When I moved here, I missed pizza and bagels, though I eventually came to find some not-too-bad substitutes. But one thing I've never seen in Chicago is garlic knots.

I didn't know I even cared about garlic knots until they weren't anywhere. Until I wanted to eat them and think of how I would meet my (now) husband for lunch at the pizza place across the street from his work. And that one time when we were sitting in the car and Suite: Judy Blue Eyes came on the radio. It was sunny and we were young. So, you know, garlic knots have something to do with all that.

Before making these, it had been at least five years since I ate garlic knots. So perhaps these are a terrible approximation. Like the time I asked my brother to try some fake-chicken that I was sure tasted like real chicken and he assured me the opposite. In any case, these are now a stand-in for my memory of New York pizzeria garlic knots. And they are pretty good.

Pizza Crust
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
coarse salt
fresh chopped parsley

Preheat your oven to its hottest non-broil setting.

Most of my pizza crust recipes make two pizzas. So, when the dough is ready, cut it in half and set the other half aside.

Roll the remaining dough into a long rectangle, about 14"x8". Then, cut the dough into strips, about 1"x4" (so, cut the dough in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into strips).

Tie each strip into a loose knot and set it on a non-stick baking sheet. When all knots are tied, cover the baking sheet with a cloth and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter with the olive oil in a small pan. Add the garlic and just barely cook it. (I like a pronounced garlic flavor here, if you want a milder flavor, cook until the garlic begins to brown). Pour this mixture into the bottom of a large mixing bowl.

Remove the towel and bake the knots until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. When they are ready, remove them from the oven and toss them in the garlic butter. Place them on a serving dish and sprinkle with salt and parsley.

Arepas Handlebar

One of my favorite restaurants/bars in Chicago is the Handlebar. I love everything on the menu but lately I've been especially fond of their Latin-inspired offerings. This dish is a kind of mind-meld of their Black Bean Tostadas and Black Beans Maduro. Their tostadas are a lot like arepas, and their Black Beans Maduro sit on a big plate with lots of sauce and are topped with crispy plantains. No plantains here, though I love them, but the arepas carry the crispy and are super tasty with black beans, salsa roja, guacamole, and sour cream.

I made everything from scratch (well, I didn't sour the cream), so this is a fairly involved dish. In a pinch, you could certainly substitute pre-made salsa, etc.

Arepas
For the arepas, I used the same recipe as before, but substituted shallots for scallions, since I had them on hand.

Salsa Roja
I made the salsa straight from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Sadly it's not available in the Google Books preview, and I'm not going to reprint it here, but I'm sure you got some kind of Big Box Books gift card from your office Secret Santa, right? Buy the book. It's a good buy.

Black Beans
With some variation depending what I have on hand, this is the way I always make black beans. They're tasty and simple. The red pepper adds a slight sweetness and depth to the beans which I really like. You can use canned or dried beans for this. And if you're thinking about doing more with dried beans, here's a great guide on "quick" cooking them.

1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil
red pepper flakes
2 cups cooked black beans
water
salt

In a medium pot over medium heat, saute the onion, peppers, and garlic in a tablespoon or two of the oil until softened. Stir in red pepper flakes to taste and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the beans, along with a little water to loosen them in the pot. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or so, until the beans have thickened but not totally broken down. Season to taste with salt.

Guacamole
I used to make guacamole with all kinds of additions. Three different bell peppers, tomatoes, several dried spices. But lately, I've been tending toward a more straightforward version.

1 small clove garlic
salt
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
3 ripe avocados
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
lime juice (1-3 limes, depending on their size)
red pepper flakes

Mince the garlic, then pour a small amount of coarse salt onto it. Using the edge of your knife mash the garlic into the salt to form a paste. (If that doesn't make sense, check out this helpful video).

Place the garlic, onion, and jalapeño in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Scoop the avocado flesh into the bowl and mash using a fork. Stir in the cilantro, lime juice, more salt, and red pepper flakes to taste.

To keep this for more than a couple hours, place plastic wrap directly onto the guacamole and refrigerate.