The Book is available for Order!

Beyond Ramen

A Cookbook Collabor...

By Zoe Brookes and C...

Book Preview

Member Photo & Recipe: Jamie Allaire

Last minute addition by Jamie! Fantastic!

Supplí (Roman Rice Balls)

2 ½ cups of water

1 cup of rice

1 tsp of salt (if desired)

1 cup of tomato sauce

15-20 mozzarella balls, or 1 inch cubes

7 oz of ricotta cheese

2 cups of breadcrumbs

6 eggs

Italian medley seasoning

Olive oil extra vergine

Serving size: 15-20 rice balls

Bring water to boil. Add 1 cup of rice and 1 tsp of salt (if desired). Return to boil. Cover and set to low, simmer for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Mix rice with sauce and ricotta cheese. Use hands to wrap rice tightly around mozzarella into 1 ½ inch balls. Refrigerate for about an hour, or until ice cold. Have 2 separate bowls: one with beaten eggs, and the other with breadcrumbs and dry seasoning. Dip each rice ball into the egg, then the breadcrumbs, and repeat. It is important to bread twice! Fry briefly (2-3 minutes) in pan with olive oil and then bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Mangia!

General Announcements & Contest Opportunity

Hello Members!

This is just a simple and sweet hello and thank you for all of your submissions for the cookbook. As of now, we are only missing a few key items from people (headers, portraits, and the odd detail), so Chad and I are very excited about formatting and layout out the book, which we have begun in force. We have some basic news and dates for those of you interested in everything cooking:

1. The book will be listed at Blurb.com, I'll send the link as soon as we upload it, and must be ordered by December 12th in order to have your copy (or copies) by Christmas.

2. We are currently taking submissions for the second book, all RISD alumni, all desserts, with no specific deadline in sight. Tell your RISD friends and e-mail me at: zbrookes@g.risd.edu to have it posted to this blog.

3. If you want to improve your kitchen (and skills), my work is currently hosting an amazing giveaway, especially for you bakers out there, so check out how2heroes' sweepstakes for the full info.

4. If you are in the Boston or surrounding area (we go to Providence too) and are interested in doing a video of any of your recipes for how2heroes, please check out their website and let me know. We're always looking for fun home cooks--Ben and Declan are both potentially on the docket for January!

Awesome. Again, thanks so much for all of the help for the book and we'll post back soon when it becomes available for ordering.

~Zoe

General Announcement

This is just a quick heads up for all people who have submitted a recipe.

We loved reading all of your recipes, the ones with more story and family in them were especially great to read. However, due to the confines of the book, we have had to edit some of the "talk" out of the book and keep it more straightforward, for the readers.

This is just a heads up that the recipes have been edited for clarity and space. Nothing major lost or changed.

SEND IN YOUR HEADERS.

Member Photo: Bronwyn Lewis

Getting those last minute missing photos, bios, and write ups in before that final deadline...

Beautiful addition made by Bronwyn, these are her spiral cookies!

Update: Layout Preview

A huge thanks to Susanna Vagt for being the first person to submit a header for her dish! We (mostly Chad) has created this general layout for you all to see--this may not end up being the absolute final design, but just to give you all an idea as to what we're up to.

Again, thank you so much Susanna! The header is WONDERFUL and goes perfectly with the description and the colors of the photos.

General Update & Announcement

The Headers and all outstanding photos, bios, recipes, etc. are due Monday, November 30.

Failure to meet this deadline can seriously affect your recipe being in the book. We might allow 1-2 days of extensions, but please do not count on it.

Member Photo: Declan Van Welie

Shit guys.

Declan's Almond Tart.

A Bobotie. Traditional South African Casserole.

Member Photo: Zoe Brookes

So these bad boys might have to make a last minute addition to the book...Cheddar Chipotlé Biscuits. Recipe soon. General announcement soon too.

Member Photo: Ben Bronstein

Ben's Vegetarian Cassoulet! Beautiful!

Member Photos: Laura Decker

Baked Mac & Cheese from Laura! There might be time for the holiday Stuffing too! We'll see!

Member Photos: Emily Kohler

Triple photo-tastic for Emily!

Dandelion Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Hickory Nut Cake mmmmmmm...

Apple Butter!

Member Photo: Sarah Greenfield

The peanut sauce becomes an entree!

Member Photo: Laura Nalesnik

Laura's Kolacja! Fantastic!

Member Photo: Sarah Greenfield

Double Header from Sarah!

Member Recipe: Sarah Greenfield

A second recipe from Sarah! Breakfast for dinner!

FABULOUS FRENCH TOAST

This is actually the first thing I ever learned to cook---my mother taught the recipe to me in my early teens, and I've since added more cinnamon (you can never have too much). It's so rich and filling that I like to eat it for dinner rather than breakfast! The challah is the key --- it's really French Jewish Toast. A la vie, l'chaim!

For breakfast/lunch/dinner for two:

4 thick slices of challah (traditional Jewish egg bread, often braided)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat a large, nonstick frying pan to medium heat (you can add a little butter to the pan if you like). In a bowl big enough to fit your slices of bread, pour in the 1/2 cup of milk and add the two eggs, lightly beating with a fork until the mixture is even. Add the vanilla extract and cinnamon, stirring gently. Next, dip a slice of bread in the mixture, turning it to let it soak on both sides, and then place on hot frying pan---you can do two slices of bread at a time if your pan is big enough. Cook until it's a light, golden brown on both sides, flipping it over when each side looks ready. Once done, smother it in real maple syrup and confectioner's sugar, and enjoy!

Member Photo: Susanna Vagt

Susanna's mouth-watering starters...

Member Photo: Izak Lazarowski

Here's a lovely last minute addition to the book by Izak. Corn Chowda! yeah!

Member Recipe: Izak Lazarowski

Lazarowski's One Pot Corn Chowder Recipe:

• 1/2 pound bacon, diced
• 1 large yellow onions, diced
• 1/2 tsp thyme, ground
• 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/8 tsp turmeric, optional for color
• 4 large white potatoes, washed, skins on and cubed
• 6 cups chicken stock, homemade, chicken base with water, or 4-6 bouillon cubes with water to taste
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 6 Tbsp cold water
• 2 cups heavy cream or half and half
• 4 cups corn kernels, fresh, frozen or canned and drained
• 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper, ground

Directions:

1. In large stockpot, fry bacon until cooked and crispy. Place bacon on paper towel to cool. Set aside.
2. Cook onions until crisp-tender using bacon fat in place of cooking oil, all in the same pot.
3. Add the spices, potatoes and chicken stock. Cook on low until potatoes are almost cooked through.
4. In small glass, dissolve cornstarch in cold water.
5. Add mixture to hot soup a little at a time stirring constantly. This will thicken up very quickly. Keep stirring.
6. On low heat, add cream or half and half or milk to the chowder and stir. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until hot. Do not bring to a boil.
7. Add corn, bacon and black pepper, stir and remove from heat.
8. Serves 4 - 6 or more.

Member Recipe: Bryon Walton

Italian Pasta Salad=4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound corkscrew pasta with lines, such as cellentani or cavatappi
• 8 Italian sausages (a mixture of both hot and sweet)
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 cup (about 2 handfuls) parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/4 pound thick slices provolone, chopped
• 6 roasted red peppers from a jar, cut into small dice
• 3 cubanelle peppers, cut into small dice
• 1 red onion, cut into small dice
• 7 to 8 pepperoncini from a jar, cut into small dice

Prep

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Once boiling, add some salt, drop the pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions.

In a high-sided skillet with about an inch of water, parboil the sausages until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove them from the skillet and split them lengthwise. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of EVOO and place on the grill to crisp up both sides.

While the pasta and sausages are cooking, combine the garlic, parsley, vegetable stock, and red wine vinegar in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine then stream in the EVOO while the machine is running.

In a large bowl, toss the pasta, dressing, chopped provolone, and all the veggies together. Top with the sausages and serve.

Member Recipe: Bronwyn Lewis

Chocolate & Vanilla Spiral Cookies

Vanilla dough

1 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1.5 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2.5 c. all purpose flour

Chocolate Dough

1 recipe Vanilla Dough

3 oz melted, unsweetened chocolate

½ tsp. vanilla

dash of cinnamon

First, we make the vanilla dough. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside. Cream the butter until soft, then add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix until combined. Beat in flour mixture.

Divide the dough in half. To one half, add the chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon. Shape both vanilla and chocolate dough into balls, wrap, then wrap and refrigerate them for atleast15 minutes.

Roll out both sections of dough to about ¼” thickness, using flour and a little powdered sugar. Brush the top of the chocolate dough with cold water, then transfer the vanilla dough to lay over it. Brush the top of the stacked dough with cold water, and trim so that they form an even, double-layered rectangle. Roll up slowly to form a log, then wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Once the dough is chilled, slice the dough into ½” cookies, and bake for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. And voila! A swirly snack!

Member Recipe: Declan Van Welie

This is a recipe for almond tart, a sort of tea-time dessert my mom has made forever. I am actually copying this out of a recipe book she made when she was 16 or something.

Almond Tart:

Line tins with thin pastry (Pillsbury pie dough works well, but if you want to make your own, even better.)

Spread a thin layer of apricot jam consistently across the dough.

Ingredients:

1 c flour

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk

5 tbsp butter

1/2 c sugar

2 c powdered sugar

1/2 c of raisins

2 tsp almond extract

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and 1 tsp almond extract, beat until mixed well.

Add the raisins, flour and baking powder. Stir in well. Pour the mixture into the baking dish lined with pastry dough.

Bake 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.

For the icing:

2 c powdered sugar

1 tsp almond extract

2 tbsp boiling water ( or just enough to make the consistency like thin syrup).

Mix all three ingredients until smooth, then spread evenly across the top of the tart.

Deadline Reminders

Hello all, this is just a friendly reminder for the following deadlines:

The deadline for photos of your dishes is Sunday, November 22, 8 pm eastern time.

The deadline for the bios and your contact info is also due on Sunday, November 22, by 8 pm.

Please have started thinking about your custom header.

Member Photo: Lizzy Gruner

ADORABLE! These are Lizzy's Coverlet Cookies! What a great reference to design and textiles!

Member Recipe: Lizzy Gruner

Bam! Gotta love those last minute surprises, like Lizzy's deliciously sweet and simple cookies.

Coverlet Cookies

This is a twist on an old recipe my family has been making for generations called "Checkerboard Cookies". After my first semester of weaving, I remember looking at these cookies and thinking about them as "plain weave cookies" and ran with that concept to create cookies representing other basic weaves used in traditional coverlets.

The recipe is quite simple:

Mix together:

2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Then slowly begin to add:

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Divide the dough in half. To 1/2 of dough add 1 oz. melted unsweetened baking chocolate and
mix until all one color.

The "trick" to these cookies is all in the layering process. For the basic "plain weave" cookie (the outer rim of cookies in the picture), divide each color of dough in half, giving you four equal portions. Press one portion into a bread pan, lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Alternate white and chocolate portions, using all four portions, and refrigerate for several hours. Once solid, remove the dough from the pan and cut 4 slices from the end of the "loaf", and flip every other slice so the colors alternate. Smush the slices together and volia, you have your checkerboard "brick" to slice your cookies from. Slice cookies about 3/4" thick and cook them for about 12-15 minutes and 350 degrees F.

To create other "weave patterns", you just have to determine the order for laying down your four portions in your "loaf"and the direction to stack them when creating your "brick" to cut from. For example, the 2/2 twill I created , I had three pans, 1 white:2 chocolate:1 white, 1 chocolate:2 white:1 chocolate, and 2 white:2 chocolate. It can get really complicated, but just remember, there is no shame in eating all the broken, ugly, and messed up experiments.

Member Photos: Ben Bronstein

Well image my joy to waking up to these babies in my mailbox! Thanks Ben! Can't wait for the third!!

Ben's fantastic romesco.

...and the Tartine.

Member Recipe: Zack Kamen

Locking up the beautiful popover photo with this awesome recipe by Zack:

Popovers

Makes 6-8 popovers

2 Cups warmed milk

4 eggs

2 Cups flour

3/4 heaping tablespoon salt

Popover Pan

Preheat the oven and the pan to 350˚ F. Warm the milk over low heat. Whisk the eggs so they are frothy and slowly mix in the milk. Set aside. Sift the flour and the salt. Slowly add the flour and salt into the eggs and prevent clumps from forming. Make sure to whisk in a lot of air, this helps the popovers rise. When ready, remove the pan from the oven and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Quickly fill the cups 3/4 full and return the pan to the oven. Bake at 350˚ F for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Member Recipe: Erin Gerrity

A wonderful recipe to go with a wonderful photo!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup butter (one stick)

3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate (chips or small pieces)

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

3/4 cup cocoa powder

raspberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter 8" cake pan and cover bottom with wax paper.

In a pan simmer water. Melt butter and sugar in double broiler. Combine until smooth and remove from heat. Once cooled slightly add sugar and eggs. Whisk till incorporated. Slowly add cocoa powder and whisk. Pour mixture into pan and cook for 25 min. Top should have a slight crust, take care not to overcook.

Cover top with raspberries.

hint: If you can make this cake a day before, it taste better the second day.

Member Photo: Jamie Allaire

Jamie's fantastic Chicken Soup! Thanks for the wonderful photo so soon Jamie!

Member Recipe: Jamie Allaire

Feeling a little under the weather? Jamie has the cure for the common soup!

Chicken Soup for the Stressed, Overworked, Drained, Frazzled, Time-Constrained HUNGRY Soul

Serving Size: 1-2 people

1 quart water

1 chicken breast

1 chicken bouillon cube

¼ cup chopped celery

¼ cup chopped onions

¼ cup of carrots

½ cup of mixed vegetables

1½ cups of egg noodles

3 dashes of salt

2 dashes of pepper

1. Put the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, and the mixed vegetables in a large soup pot over medium heat. Season the broth with salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon cube. Stir together, cook for about 30 minutes. Take the chicken out, cut it into smaller pieces, and put back in. Cook for another 20 minutes. Add the egg noodles and cook for an additional 10 minutes and serve!

Serve with cornbread and homemade iced tea for the best experience!

Member Photo: Erin Gerrity

A Beautiful Flourless chocolate Cake, courtesy of Erin. Their recipes will be posted soon. THIS IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!! Yay!

Member Photo: Zack Kamen

Ready to raise the bar on AMAZING PHOTOS? Zack's sun-drenched popovers.

Member Recipe: Sarah Greenfield

We seem to be getting a lot of fun little sauces and butters...maybe Sarah's delicious peanut sauce marks the beginning of a new section in the book! Thanks Sarah!

PERFECT PEANUT SAUCE

This deliciously sweet and tangy sauce would be excellent with a variety of entrees, but I like to eat it fairly plain over a bowl of whole wheat pasta.

This recipe makes enough for a whole box of pasta (about 4 servings). In a medium-sized frying pan or sauce pan:

6 tbsp creamy peanut butter

6 tbsp soy sauce

5-6 cloves garlic, finely minced (I use a garlic press)

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp brown sugar

2-3 tbsp lime juice (lemon is good too!)

Stir gently over medium heat until all the peanut butter has melted. At this point bubbles will begin to form and the mixture should slowly darken. Keep stirring until most of the water has burned off and the sauce has thickened, then remove from heat and pour liberally over the meal of your choice. Don't worry, if you made too much, it keeps fairly well in a tupperware in the fridge!

Member Recipe: Emily Kohler

So I think Emily and Susanna are in a tie right now for best side commentaries in their recipes. Here are three by Emily, with the promise for a highly illustrated header too!

Scrapple + Apple Butter

Scrapple

2 pounds pork

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

Pepper, sugar to taste

½ teaspoon sage

¼ cup finely chopped onion

1 cup cornmeal

½ cup buckwheat flour

Preparation

Combine pork, water, onion in large saucepan. Simmer covered for 1 hour. Drain, save broth.

Mix cornmeal, buckwheat, 1 cup water, salt and 2 cups of broth in saucepan. Cook, stir until thick. Stir in meat, onion, sage, and paper. Simmer covered for 1 hour.

Pour into loaf pan. Chill. Cut unto slices and dust with flour. Fry with butter in skillet until browned.

Apple Butter

Indredients:

4 quarts apples

2 quarts water

1.5 quarts apple cider vinegar
1.5 pounds sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon cloves

Preparation
Wash and slice apples. Do not peel or core.

Add apples, vinegar and water to a large pot. Boil until soft.

Press apples through sieve to remove the skin and seeds.

Add sugar and spices to apple pulp.

Cook mixture until thick while stirring constantly to avoid scorching.

Jar. Serve with scrapple or bread.

Dandelion Salad and Warm Bacon Dressing

Dandelion Salad

Hunt dandelion early in spring for tender greens. Fight off competition (i.e. rabbits) with stick or booted foot.

Clean leaves and chop into pieces.

Bacon Dressing

Ingredients (approximate):

- 5-8 slices of bacon

- 1 egg

- 2 tablespoons flour

- 3 tablespoons sugar

- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

- 1/8 tablespoon black pepper

- 1 cup water

Optional:

- Hard boiled egg

- Onion

Preparation

Fry bacon in saucepan. Cut into bits.

If watching midsection, pour off bacon fat. If wishing to embrace your destiny, save about 4 tablespoons to add to dressing. Mix remaining ingredients (amounts are approximate... add to taste) with bacon bits and pour into saucepan. Boil and whisk until thick.

Pour warm (but not hot) dressing on top of chopped dandelion. Optional: Toss in hard boiled eggs and onion slices.

Hickory Nut Cake

Pre-cake prep: Find hickory nut trees. Collect nuts. Spend the rest of your life shelling them. Okay, fine, just set aside an afternoon and invite lots of friends over. I suggest using a hammer. MAKE SURE TO REMOVE ALL SHELL BITS. Or risk a life without teeth.

Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

½ cup shortening

1 cup milk

3 eggs, well beaten

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup hickory nuts, chopped

Preparation

Mix ingredients, beat well.

Pour into greased and floured sheet cake pan.

Bake for 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Icing

Ingredients:

½ stick butter

1 egg yolk

¾ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup heavy cream or canned milk

½ cup chopped nuts

Preparation

Melt butter and mix ingredients. Boil for 10-12 minutes. Frost cake.

Member Recipe: Susanna Vagt

Well now we're getting wild! Here's Susanna's mouth-watering app:

Tasting the combined flavors of GORGONZOLA AND HONEY BRUSCHETTA is akin to hearing the harmony of the Andrews Sisters.

1 baguette's worth of sliced bread

1/4 c olive oil

10 oz gorgonzola, crumbled or sliced

honey

ground pepper

Arrange bread on a sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Lovingly arrange cheese on bread. Bake in 400 degree oven until cheese begins to look gilded, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with honey and dash with pepper. Best if served immediately, but also good refrigerated and eaten cold.

Member Recipe: Ben Bronstein

Watch out! Ben has just submitted the following THREE recipes. Seems like a new record to me...

Roast Pepper Tartine with Garlic Confit

I can find a use for garlic confit in just about anything. Mash it and stir some into vinaigrettes, spoon it in between the skin and meat of a chicken before roasting it, or stir it into soups. It doesn't hurt to make way more confit than I suggest in this recipe, since confit-ing was originally a method for preserving, the cloves keep extremely well in a refrigerated jar for later use.

2 Heads of garlic, sliced in half and cloves taken out and peeled as needed

Olive oil as needed (canola is okay too, don't worry about extra-virgin)

4 sweet bell peppers sliced down the middle length-wise, ribs and seeds removed

(I like 3 red 1 orange because I think it looks nice. Use whatever combination you want)

A good crusty loaf of bread, sliced 1/2" thick on a bias, and into whatever size you think is most manageable to pick up and eat

Finely chopped chives

• Place the garlic in the smallest saucepan you have and pour in olive oil until the cloves are completely covered. Set your burner to the lowest setting you can, and keep an eye on the garlic until it turns a rich gold-brown color. This should take around 30+ minutes but it depends on your stovetop. When finished they should be sweet and spreadable. Resist the temptation to turn the heat up. When done remove the cloves and save the garlic flavored oil for another use.

• On a parchment lined baking sheet arrange the pepper halves facing up and put under the broiler. You really want to char the peppers until their skin almost completely black. Don't be scared of them looking burned, the blackness will wash right off, and you really want the deep roasted flavor this technique will give you

• Once the peppers are all thoroughly charred, transfer them to a large bowl and cover them with plastic wrap. This will essentially steam them, causing the charred skin to separate. After 7-10 minutes remove the peppers, under cold running water wash off the char, give them a give them a rough chopping, and set them aside

• Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and put into a preheated 425º over for 5 minutes, or until light gold

• Remove the bread, flip each piece over, and mash and smear some garlic confit on each piece, and then pile on as much of the pepper mix as is practical. Season with salt and pepper and return them to the oven and turn on the broiler to finish things off. Make sure to keep an eye on the bread so it doesn't burn.

• Plate the Tartine, drizzle some of the garlic oil from the confit, and finish with the chives and salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Cauliflower and Sunchokes in Romesco

I've heard Romesco called Spain's ketchup, in that they put it on anything and everything. The addition of honey isn't traditional but I think the added sweetness really helps. Besides this recipe, my favorites accompaniments for romesco are over-easy eggs, flakey white fish like halibut, and scallions tossed with olive oil, salt, then grilled.

For Romesco:

3 Red bell peppers sliced down the middle length-wise, ribs and seeds removed

2 tbsp Honey

10 tbsp Tomato paste

3 tsp Pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika, one of my favorite spice. If you don't have any substitute bittersweet Hungarian paprika or a not-too-spicy chili powder, but the flavor will not be the same)

4 tbsp Olive oil

3/4 cup Raw almonds (roasted are fine too)

3 Large cloves of garlic

For Vegetables:

1 Small head of cauliflower, separated into large, bite-sized florets.

1 lb approx of Sunchokes (about the same amount as cauliflower), cut in half if not bite-sized.

Olive oil as needed

Finely chopped chives

• On a parchment lined baking sheet arrange the pepper halves facing up and put under the broiler. You really want to char the peppers until their skin almost completely black. Don't be scared of them looking burned, the blackness will wash right off, and you really want the deep roasted flavor this technique will give you

• Once the peppers are all thoroughly charred, transfer them to a large bowl and cover them with plastic wrap. This will essentially steam them, causing the charred skin to separate. After 7-10 minutes remove the peppers, under cold running water wash off the char, and place in a large deep bowl. Place the honey, pimenton and tomato paste on top of the peppers. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

• Add the olive oil, almonds and garlic to a saute pan and turn the heat to medium. There is going to be some sizzling and popping. The idea is to get some rich flavor out of the almonds and garlic, but watch the almonds very closely. The second you start to smell them strongly and their color begins to darken evacuate them, oil and all, into the bowl with the tomato paste and peppers. Almonds go from nicely toasted to burnt and bitter in seconds, so don't give them the opportunity. (Also be careful when pouring the hot oil)

• After sizzling has stopped and everything is at a safe temperature to handle, transfer to a blender and puree. Save the finished romesco for later.

• Toss the sunchokes in olive oil, salt and pepper to coat and place in a baking dish or casserole and bake in a 375º oven for 20 minutes, after which remove the dish.

• Apply olive oil, salt and pepper to the cauliflower florets, and mix them in with the sunchokes, and put back into the oven for another 20-25 minutes or until everything is golden brown.

• Remove the vegetables from the oven, pour an even layer of the romesco in the baking dish, and place the vegetables in an even layer on top. Put the dish back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes.

• Finish with freshly chopped chives and serve hot.

Vegetarian Cassoulet

The best part about this dish is the bread on top, half crunchy, half drenched in a stew that's been simmering for hours. Even though this dish is vegetarian, it's extremely robust and filling. I wouldn't consider making any variation of cassoulet until I've started wearing a sweater and gloves.

1 pound dried white beans, soaked overnight. Don't use canned beans here, they'll disintegrate and make the cassoulet too starchy.

1 cup white wine or 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Vegetable stock, water, or a mixture of both as needed

Olive oil as needed

1 large onion, chopped

2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut crosswise then into 1/2" pieces

3 large carrots cut into 1" wide chunks

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4-5 sprigs of thyme, minced

28 ounce can of diced tomatoes with their juice

1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs

1 cup minced parsley

1 baguette, sliced 1/2" thick on the bias

If you want to add meat to this dish, brown all of the meat in the same pan before you start the vegetables, remove the meat, and then re-add it at the same point as the tomatoes. Traditional meats for cassoulet are confit duck leg, pork or lamb shoulder, sausage (anything garlicky or smokey) and of course bacon. It isn't uncommon for a cassoulet to contain every one of those meats mentioned.

While not traditional, I also like large quartered mushrooms, if only for the sake of sponging up the sauce, add them as you would meat, already browned.

• Using a wide deep pot or dutch oven, cook the onion, leeks and carrots in about 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat until the onions are transparent, season liberally with salt and pepper then add the garlic, and continue cooking until the vegetables are golden.

• Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

• Add the tomatoes, beans, half of the thyme and stock/water until a thick soup consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

• Cover the pot and place in a 300º oven for 2-3 hours, stir every 30 minutes, add liquid as needed, until the beans are cooked and everything is completely tender.

• Remove from the oven, thoroughly stir in the bread crumbs, the remaining thyme and 1/2 of the parsley

• Evenly layer the slices of baguette over the surface of the cassoulet, making sure they're about halfway submerged into the liquid. return the cassoulet to the oven, only this time broiling it until the bread layer is golden. Be careful not to burn the bread with a watchful eye - by the time you smell it, it will have already burned.

•garnish with the remaining parsley and a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and serve.