< Back Vegan Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Muffins August 13, 2019 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 12 Servings Tags: Muffins and Breads, Vegan, Breakfast About the Recipe p. 8 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery “Your new pastries are going to be a huge winner, Nine,” she told Ruthie, using her college nickname. “There are only six sweet potato muffins left.” “That, my dear Six,” Ruthie responded, with Alene’s college nickname, “is because no one wanted the ugly ones.” Just then, Olly Burns pushed through the swing-door into the kitchen carrying dirty dishes and bad news. “Jack Stone’s out front,” he said in his sing-song voice. “Apparently he wants to work here. With us.” Alene rested her knife on the counter and cringed. She’d once smacked Jack Stone when he’d drunkenly tried to feel her up, about a decade before. He might have been somewhat attractive if he matured and cleaned up, but as far as Alene knew, he’d never been able to overcome his drinking problem. “Gary Vanza asked me to hire Jack, as a favor, to last week,” she said, “but he’s probably never held a job longer than a few months.” She paused with her knife in the air, imagining Jack Stone working in her café with his long, greasy hair and torn jeans. Alene glanced briefly at Kacey and added, “I’m a little worried about trying to teach an old dog new tricks.” Ingredients ¾ cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk ¼ cup EVOO, canola or coconut oil ¾ cup cooked, mashed sweet potato or canned pumpkin 1 cup packed dark brown sugar ¼ cup unsulphured molasses (use same cup you use to measure the oil) 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar 2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 ½ cups all-purpose and ½ cup whole wheat flour) ½ tsp salt 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp baking soda Preparation Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray oil into 12 cupcake liners Combine first 7 ingredients in a blender or processor and blend until smooth Stir together flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and baking soda Add to blender and pulse 3 or 4 times just until blended Pour into sprayed cupcake liners (about ¾ full) Bake about 10 minutes in preheated oven Lower oven to 350 degrees, bake an additional 10 until tops are springy Remove from oven Cool and remove from baking pan Serve with maple syrup, berries, whipped coconut milk, chocolate frosting, or jam Variation: stir in a package of mini chocolate chips before baking Previous Next

< Back Pecan-Pistachio Chicken Breasts July 9, 2019 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: 4 Servings Tags: Entrees, Gluten Free About the Recipe Serve with a wedge of lemon and a generous glop of hummus alongside a chopped salad, mashed sweet potato, a green vegetable, or anything your family likes! These schnitzels are great to eat the next day (if you have leftovers) cold right out of the refrigerator or zapped in the microwave. Or cut them into slices and arrange on a bed of quinoa or a mixed green salad I make lots of different variations of schnitzel, which is usually meat that has been pounded, breaded, and fried in oil. My versions sometimes use breadcrumbs (especially when one of our guests has nut allergies) but I always bake the chicken breasts. By adding a little olive oil to the egg and mustard, you’ll get a crunchy outer crust and soft, tasty chicken. This is a versatile recipe – no pecans in the house? Use only pistachios. Out of cumin? Use curry powder or coriander. The reason I don’t add extra salt is that there is salt in the mustard, and usually I buy the salted shelled pistachios (which are delicious). Enjoy! Ingredients ½ cup shelled pistachios ½ cup shelled pecans ½ cup almond flour or 1 piece of any kind of bread 1 tsp each: dried basil, garlic powder, cumin and turmeric 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded about 1 inch thick 2 TBSP Dijon or other grainy mustard 1 egg 1 TBSP olive oil Olive oil spray Preparation • Dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel • In a medium bowl, stir 1 egg with mustard and olive oil • Add the chicken and turn it until it’s coated all over (Marinate for a few hours or continue) • Measure ½ cup almond flour or pulse in a food processor until fine • Add pecans and pistachios to the processor and pulse 4-5 times • Pour into a shallow bowl and toss with the herbs • One at a time, press both sides of each chicken breast into the nut/herb mixture until each breast is completely covered in the mustard sauce • Place coated chicken breasts on a sprayed cooking sheet • Bake about 25 – 30 minutes until the schnitzels are nicely browned and the smell makes you want to faint with hunger • Let the schnitzels cool down for 10 minutes or cut off a little piece to taste and pretend that you’re checking to see if it’s really done. Previous Next

< Back Roasted Red Pepper Tahini February 24, 2020 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: 10 Servings Tags: Vegan, Dips and Sauces, Vegetarian About the Recipe Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Alene worried that talk of bombs and war might lead to a potentially polarizing political discussion, but then Lillian asked Miles about his background. He was from a west suburban town that Alene had never heard of. He’d worked in hospitals before becoming a fitness trainer and had done a lot of research into supplements and vitamins. Slathering his slice of spinach pie with a bright roasted red pepper tahini, he talked about microgreens, mushroom beta-glucans, and functional foods. Maybe he’d be helpful in getting Heather to eat like a normal person. “I’m grateful to be a personal trainer,” he said, although nobody had asked. “At least I don’t have to work in the food industry.” Well, that was kind of tone-deaf since that was what she and Ruthie did. The adults in the room looked down at their plates, uncomfortable. Ruthie smoothed everything over by saying, “I always like hearing when people are grateful about the work they do, but we all have to remember that it’s not the work that defines you, it’s you who defines the work.” She was a little preachy sometimes, Alene had to admit. Ingredients 5 or 6 large red peppers, seeded and cut into quarters 1 small or medium onion, any kind, skinned and quartered Olive Oil spray 1 orange 2 TBSP Tahini (or 1 TBSP toasted sesame seeds + 2 TBSP water) 1/4 cup olive or sesame oil ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp basil ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Preparation Preheat oven to 400 degrees F Spray baking pan (or line with foil and spray the foil) Place onion and red peppers skin side down and spray lightly Bake for 20-30 minutes until peppers are soft and edges slightly browned Remove from oven and toss into food processor with other ingredients Taste before serving – might need a little extra salt Previous Next

< Back Alene’s White Gazpacho July 17, 2019 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: Makes about 4 large, 6 small servings Tags: Soup, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Entrees, Vegan About the Recipe p.46 Battered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Once when Kacey was still a kid and Alene was babysitting during one of her weekend visits, Kacey mentioned in that offhand way teenagers have that Gary and Joan had separate bedrooms. She was trying to explain why there was so much laundry and probably didn’t realize what she was telling Alene. Poor Gary — Joan was his third wife, but apparently third was not the charm. After all, she’d had an affair with the husband of at least one neighbor. Instead of responding to Alene’s text, Kacey appeared in the kitchen moments later and said, “I can’t spend that much time in the sun, but I can go to the airport with you.” “Perfect,” said Alene. “Meet me here at two.” Both of Brianne’s children had gone to college in Washington D.C. and had taken jobs there. Brianne was always blue in the weeks leading up to the anniversary of the day her husband had died, so she’d gone that week to visit her children. Just before Brianne’s trip, Alene had accompanied her to the police station to ask yet again about accidental bicycle collisions in Chicago that might finally provide a connection to the one that killed her husband. Eight years had passed, but Brianne wouldn’t stop trying. Alene took the kids to do errands and to the zoo, where she bought them popcorn, as promised. There was a lot of griping about heat and fatigue on the mile-long walk home. She blended a white gazpacho and served it with homemade rolls for lunch, then let the kids lie in her bed watching a movie while Cal enjoyed yet another Cubs game in the living room. Ingredients 3 cloves garlic 1 sweet onion (small to medium, cut in quarters) 1 peeled cucumber (medium to large) 1 peeled zucchini (small to medium) White part of a fennel bulb (optional, adds licorice taste) 1 cup green grapes and/or 1 small peeled, seeded apple ½ tsp lemon zest ¼ to ½ cup skinless almonds 1 slice of bread (optional but it adds gravitas) 2 or 3 stalks celery (less if you are not celery lovers – blend in or use a stalk to stir) 2 cups water, unsweetened almond milk or coconut water 1 tsp salt ½ tsp white pepper 1 tsp cider vinegar Preparation Sauté garlic and onion Add to blender with other ingredients and zap until smooth. Season to taste Pour into a glass or a bowl and serve Previous Next

< Back Andrea Camilleri Author of The Inspector Montalbano Mysteries June 21, 2019 I adore Inspector Salvio Montalbano, a food-loving, honest detective unlike any other who struggles to bridge Sicilian and Italian cultures. He also loves his meals. The gruff inspector was created by Andrea Camilleri, one of Italy’s most famous writers. His books have sold over 65 million copies around the world. Even in translation, Camilleri’s books are complex, well-written, and according to those in the know, manage to maintain some of the blending of the original Italian and Sicilian. The Potter’s Field, #13 in the Inspector Montalbano series, received the Crime Writers’ Association’s International Dagger for best crime novel translated into English. It was great, but not my favorite of the series (so far). Inspector Montalbano is head of a fictional town’s police precinct, relishes a good meal eaten in silence, and knows how to talk to people from all walks of life. After reading through one of his extraordinary meals, I often surprise my husband by suggesting an Italian dinner out. In a nutshell, Inspector Montalbano has learned how to dance with the mob while battling corruption and crime in Sicily. There’s an ongoing (since 1999) television adaptation available with subtitles on Amazon. Andrea Camilleri (1925-2019) was born in Porto Empedocle, Sicily. He was known as a heavy smoker of cigarettes and a non-militant atheist. He began publishing poems and stories while studying at the Faculty of Literature, which he left. Then he studied stage and film direction and later worked as a director and screenwriter. Neither of his first two novels enjoyed much popularity, but in 1992 he published La Stagnione della Caccia (The Hunting Season), which was a best-seller. In 1994 he introduced Inspector Montalbano in La Forma dell’Acqua (The Shape of Water), which I loved, and he wrote 28 novels in the Inspector Montalbano series. I read that Camilleri’s hometown, Porto Empedocle has changed its official name to Porto Empedocle Vigata, which is the name of the fictional town in the series. There is apparently a food tour based on the books, as if there weren’t enough reasons to want to visit Italy and Sicily! Previous Next

< Back Easy Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms, Scallions and Red Peppers January 1, 2020 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 4 Servings Tags: Entrees About the Recipe I make this dish a lot because I usually have the ingredients in the house. I often use cooked, leftover boneless breasts (which I freeze in anticipation of making this easy, quick dinner), in which case, microwave the chicken, cut into pieces, and sauté along with the vegetables. Fresh cut-up chicken pieces require about five minutes of sautéing before adding the vegetables. Once everything is simmering in the pan, the flavors will blend together. Taste before serving. From Smothered: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery Finally, the day sped by and Alene left, leaving Jocelyn in charge of closing. At home, Zuleyka reported that there’d been a lot of quarreling after the kids got dropped off, which happened nearly every time Neal kept them for two nights in a row, but they’d all gotten to their tennis lessons on time. For dinner, Alene made the Easy Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms, Scallions and Red Peppers that they loved to eat with pappardelle pasta, and a chopped salad. For a special treat, and to prove that she could be as fun as Neal, they ate sitting around the coffee table, watching an old movie about children sentenced to a juvenile detention facility who are forced to work for hours in the hot sun. It was filled with silly coincidences and had a happy ending, so everyone enjoyed it, including Cal. Ingredients 1 lb (3 or 4) boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed 2 TBSP good olive oil 1 cup mushrooms (I use white or baby bella) cut into pieces 2 or 3 scallions, chopped (or more if you love scallions) 1 small or medium red pepper, cut into pieces ½ jar or one 8 oz can of tomato sauce 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried tarragon 1 tsp dried basil (or a handful of fresh basil, if you have it) ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp salt ½ tsp pepper Preparation On medium heat, stir the chicken in olive oil until it’s cooked through and white, for about 5 or so minutes Stir in the cut-up mushrooms, scallions, red peppers and let simmer for another few minutes Turn the heat to low and add in the tomato sauce and all the herbs If you only have flavored tomato sauce on hand, hold off on the salt and pepper until the very end when you can taste it for flavor Let the sauce simmer for about ten minutes while you set the table, prepare a salad, cut up bread, or boil some kind of pasta. Previous Next

< Back The Lost Shtetl Max Gross February 16, 2021 Today I spoke with Max Gross about his book The Lost Shtetl (HarperCollins, 2020). Imagine a Jewish village hidden in the forests of Poland that somehow escapes the Holocaust. Eighty years later, a young woman divorces her husband and runs into the surrounding forest. The town sends a young man to find her. He’s an orphan and expendable because he’s not that good a marriage prospect, but suddenly he finds himself in modern-day Poland. He finds it hard to believe that all the Jews of Poland have been murdered along with most of Europe’s Jewry. Officials toss him in an institution and study him for months until a Yiddish translator is found. And when they fly him home in a helicopter, the townspeople think the Messiah has finally come. The Lost Shtetl is about love, family, community, religion, class, government, politics, antisemitism, assimilation, and history itself. Although the town never heard of electricity, running water, or cars, never advanced in science or medicine, and never even heard of sliced bread, it’s not clear that progress is going to be good for everyone in Kreskol. Max Gross was born in New York City in 1978 and is the son of two writers. After attending Saint Ann’s School and Dartmouth College, he worked at the Forward and as a travel correspondent for the New York Post before becoming the Edi­tor-in-Chief of Com­mer­cial Observ­er. He wrote a book about dating called "From Schlub to Stud" but has since been rescued from the single man's fate by his beloved wife and son, with whom he lives in Queens, New York. The Lost Shtetl, his first novel, is a winner of the National Jewish Book Award, a recipient of an honorable mention for the Sophie Brody Medal, and winner of the Association of Jewish Libraries Fiction Award. Gross is also a lifelong traveler, having studied in Scotland and London, and having lived in Arad, Israel for a year. When not writing, he is a degenerate poker player who once had the distinction of beating the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker , in a media versus professional tournament. Listen to Episode Buy Book Previous Next

< Back Gluten-Free Pancakes January 24, 2021 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Serves: 10 Pancakes Tags: Muffins and Breads, Gluten Free, Baking, Breakfast About the Recipe ​ Ingredients 1 cup gluten-free flour 1 cup almond flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp cinnamon 2 eggs 1 cup plain kefir or yogurt 1 cup water 1/3 cup canola oil 1 TBSP unfiltered apple cider vinegar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Preparation In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Mix the wet ingredients together in a smaller bowl and pour wet ingredients into drive ingredients. Stir just until blended. Heat a large baking pan to medium high. Scoop a large spoonful of batter (it’s thicker than usual pancake batter), three or four at a time. Flip when bubbles form and bottom is golden brown. Place finished pancakes on a serving plate and cover lightly with a tea towel until all the pancakes are ready. We love eating them with Earth Balance and real maple syrup. Note: there is no sugar added to the batter. Previous Next

< Back Challah August 20, 2019 Prep Time: 90 Minutes Cook Time: Varies Serves: 1 Large Loaf or 2 Medium Loaves Tags: Muffins and Breads, Baking About the Recipe When I first started baking challah, it came out looking like pita. I was pregnant and we’d moved to Colorado Springs. I had to go to the library to look up high altitude baking (this was in the eighties) and while I was there, I picked up an old book on a display shelf. I stood there reading about an eccentric detective in NYC who liked growing orchids, reading, and eating gourmet meals prepared by his personal chef. It was Rex Stout, and it was riveting, but I didn’t borrow the book. I considered myself to be a reader of literature, not mysteries. I learned how to bake challah at altitude and ended up borrowing four novels that day. I’d always loved reading and usually read between forty and fifty books a year. Mysteries were iffy because they often included violence or disgusting discussions about the trajectory of blood and the placement of body parts. Mysteries, I thought, were a lower form of literature, like romances. I was a reading snob. Ingredients 6 cups (720 g) bread flour (If you can’t get it, use all-purpose flour and start the night before) 2 room temp eggs, lightly mixed (plus one egg white if you wish to do an egg wash before baking) 1 ½ tsp (9 g) fine-grained sea salt ¼ cup (50g) canola or any olive oil 1 packet or 1 TBSP (9g) active dry yeast ¼ cup sugar (50g) or honey (85g) 1 ½ to 2 cups of room temperature or lukewarm water (More as needed) Preparation In a large mixing bowl, stir the yeast, sweetener, and 1 cup of flour into 1 ½ cups of lukewarm water. It should start to bubble in a moment or two. Add the rest of the flour, eggs, salt, and oil to the bowl Use your hands or a scraper to pull the dough into a ball, adding water as needed into the bowl. When it forms a ball, remove and knead until the dough feels like an earlobe (even though it sounds gross) I count up to at least fifty turns, each turn including the right and left side. Place in a large, lightly sprayed bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature (not in front of the window!) until it is double in bulk (about an hour), or in the fridge overnight, or overnight on the counter (a good method if it’s a pandemic and you can’t get bread flour). Once the dough is doubled (or the next morning), punch it down, cover the bowl loosely with a tea cloth or plastic wrap, let it double in size again for about an hour If you are making authentic ‘Challah,’ this is where you take an olive-sized piece of the dough and bake it in the toaster after saying the traditional blessing. This dough is enough for 2 good-sized loaves, 4 small loaves, or 8 personal loaves if you want to give each guest a separate loaf. For 2 loaves, divide the dough in half, and divide one half into the number of pieces you want to braid. There are plenty how-to braid videos, and you can get creative! I do 4, 5 and 6 braid challahs, but 3-braided challahs taste just as delicious. For beginners who haven’t raised long-haired children, divide each half into 3 pieces of dough and roll them into foot-long ropes. Set the three ropes of dough in front of you on the counter and pinch them together at the top. Now take the rope on the right and place it over the rope in the middle. Take the rope on the left and place it over the NEW middle rope (the one you already moved). Again, lift the rope on the right and place it over the middle rope. Keep going. Before you know it, you’ll have a braid! Tuck the ends of each loaf under and set them in place with a little water. Place your braided loaves on a silicone mat-covered or sprayed baking pan with space in between. The loaves will poof up more. Cover the loaves loosely with a tea towel for the last rise, for about an hour, or until you are ready to bake. Then, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C OPTIONAL: Just before you set them in the oven, in a small bowl, stir the white of one egg with a teaspoon of honey and brush the loaves. You can also sprinkle the loaves with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or chopped dehydrated onion. Baking time will depend on the size of the loaves and on your oven. If you bake 2 loaves, check at 25 minutes – if they aren’t golden brown and hollow when you tap, bake for an additional 5 minutes. If you are baking 4 loaves, check after 20 minutes. If you are baking 8 loaves, check after 15 minutes. And in each case, add an additional 5 minutes if needed. Final internal temperature should be about 200° – but the golden brown and hollow sound will tell you that the loaves are done. Previous Next

< Back Sage-Mint Chicken October 1, 2019 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Serves: 6 Servings Tags: Entrees About the Recipe ​ Ingredients 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 cup of sliced mushrooms 1 1/2 pound (or so) boneless chicken thighs 1 to 2 tsp ground sage 1 to 2 tsp dried mint 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 cup (or so) broccoli florets 2 TBSP olive oil Juice of 1/2 lemon Preparation In a large pan, sauté sliced onions in 2 TBSP of olive oil on medium heat As onions soften, add sliced mushrooms and stir Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt, pepper, sage and mint Add chicken to pan, pushing aside onions and mushrooms, about 4 minutes on each side until lightly browned Add broccoli florets, lower heat and stir until broccoli is bright green Turn off heat, squeeze lemon juice over everything, and let sit until you’re ready to serve Nice one-dish meal, serve with a sprig of fresh mint if you have it Previous Next

< Back Pistachio Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies December 22, 2020 Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 12 Minutes Serves: 24 Servings Tags: Gluten Free, Cookies and Brownies About the Recipe ​ Ingredients ½ cup unsalted pistachios ¼ cup olive or canola oil ¼ cup tahini ½ cup packed brown sugar (light or dark) 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 3 cups old fashioned oats 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking soda Pinch of salt 2 eggs ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Preparation Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and set out two cookie sheets. In a food processor, blend pistachios until roughly ground. Add everything except chocolate chips and blend 30-60 seconds until it’s all mixed together. Add chocolate chips and briefly pulse a few times to mix them in. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes while you clean up. With wet hands, form 24 balls and space them on the cookie sheets – they will spread. Bake for about 12 minutes until slightly golden, and remove. Cool for at least 5 minutes (If you try to nab one before it’s cool, it will fall apart!) Previous Next

< Back Chilled Minty Cucumber-Melon Soup April 27, 2021 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Serves: 4-6 Servings Tags: Entrees, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Soup About the Recipe ​ Ingredients 1 honeydew melon, peeled, seeded, cut into chunks 1 large, peeled cucumber Lime zest and juice from one lime Handful of fresh mint ½ tsp kosher or sea salt 1 or 2 TBSPs tahini Preparation In a food processor or blender, cream everything until smooth and frothy, about 60-90 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Add a small mint leaf to each bowl or glass. Optional: serve with a sprinkling of sunflower seeds, chopped hazelnuts, or finely chopped cucumber (set aside a piece after you peel the cucumber) Previous Next