Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling

Chocolate sandwich cookies were my favorites as a kid. Though I haven't had them in years, I still crave them. To settle my sweet tooth this Halloween, I decided to create my own grown-up version with a peanut butter filling. They are far better than the ones I remember eating as a kid. And I'm sure if you give kids a choice between these and the store-bought kind, they will choose these. Don't be fooled though, these cookies may look whimsical with their fun cut-out shapes but they are just as much made for the adults as the kids.

This quick dough can be put together in minutes and made even a couple of days ahead of time. Rolling them may get a little sticky, so be sure to flour the board and then simply dust off the excess before baking. At the slightest sight of stickiness, just slip the dough back into the refrigerator or better yet the freezer. The best part comes when filling them. I like the cookies with just a bit of filling, but feel free to spread as much as you like. They go great with milk and if you're so inclined twist one apart and lick the filling. Sometimes it's great to feel like a kid again.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped or chips
3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
peanut butter filling, recipe follows

Sift together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder.

On medium-low heat, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Off from heat add espresso powder and vanilla; mix to incorporate. Let cool.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, salt, and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix until combined. Fold in melted chocolate. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Mix until combined.

Form dough into two discs and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with oven-safe parchment paper or Silpats.

On a well-floured work surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Keep second disc in refrigerator until ready to roll. Cut out cookies and transfer to lined baking sheet, arranging no more than 1 inch apart. Dust off excess flour. Cut out centers of half the cookies. Reshape scraps of dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and keep in refrigerator until ready to roll again.

Bake cookies for 8 minutes. Let cool completely. Spread cookie bottoms with about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter filling and cover with top, squeezing together and removing any excess that comes out. Yield: 24 sandwiched cookies.

Peanut Butter Filling

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup confectioners sugar

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and peanut butter until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the confectioners sugar a little at a time. Mix until incorporated. Increase the speed, continuing to mix until light and fluffy. Yield: 1 cup filling.

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Chicken Pot Pie

I have a special fondness for pot pie. It's one of those all-in-one meals that always hits my comfort spot. And it's a welcome dish to eat on a cold and rainy day like the ones we're having this season. The origins of pot pies can be traced back to the English settlers who brought their love for pies to America. In the States I had never eaten a savory pie. It was always the frozen pies that scared me into believing that pies were no good. Not until my traveling in England did I finally eat my first savory pie. On first bite I fell in love with the flavorful meat and vegetable filling topped with flaky, buttery pastry.

While studying abroad in London, I came to know and appreciate the local cuisine. It was the discovery of a small eatery that really caught my attention and helped change my mind about pies. Every day on my way to class through an alley passage I couldn't help but notice a sign that read "Upstairs Pie Room" right next to an unassuming door. One day a group of us decided to find out what this room was all about. We discovered a homey little restaurant with a menu of traditional English savory pies. It was was one of the best things that could happen. That summer the Pie Room ended up becoming a regular haunt for all of us. The experience turned out to be one of my most memorable, one that I repeated many times until I had tried every pie on the menu.

Inspired by all those pies, I created a pot pie recipe that is as classic and original to the one I remember eating in London. First, chicken breasts are roasted until tender. A thick sauce is made with butter, onions, flour, and stock to which hearty vegetables and the cubed chicken is added. The pie can be cooked in one large casserole dish, but since the Pie Room specialized in personal pies, I divided the mixture among oven-proof dishes. Each is topped with a round of puff pastry and baked until brown and bubbly. The end result is hard to resist and one bite may even convince you to visit the Pie Room and try all the pies for yourself.

Chicken Pot Pie

3 split chicken breasts
olive oil
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
poultry seasoning
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound pearl onions, peeled and blanched for 4 minutes
4 carrots, sliced and blanched for 2 minutes
1-1/2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 pound puff pastry, recipe follows
1 large egg, beaten, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Add to baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and rub all over. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Roast until juices run clear, about 30 to 40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer when inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 165 degrees F. Let chicken cool until easy to handle. Discard skin and remove bones. Cut into large cubes.

Heat chicken stock until very hot. Pour a bit of stock into roasting pan to loosen brown bits; add it back into stock.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add flour and cook, constantly stirring, for 2 minutes. Pour in hot stock and stir to combine. Simmer on low, while stirring, until liquid thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add cream, cubed chicken, pearl onions, carrots, peas, and parsley. Mix well to combine. Divide the mixture among 4 oven-proof bowls.

On a well-floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to 1/4-inch thick. Cut 4 discs to fit each bowl. Slash a few vent holes in each disc. Brush the edge of each bowl with egg wash. Place dough on top. Brush dough with egg wash. Place bowls on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake until pastry is golden and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Yield: 4 servings.

Puff Pastry

Adapted from a recipe by Michel Richard in Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/4 cups ice water
2 cups (4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter

Combine flours and salt in a food processor. Pulse to aerate. Add the water and pulse until a ball forms. Remove and form into a disc. Slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter between two sheets of plastic wrap and beat with a rolling pin until about 1-inch thick. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Unwrap the dough and place on a well-floured work surface, preferably marble or granite. Flatten and roll the dough into a large square. Roll the edges thin while keeping the center thicker. Place the butter in the middle of the dough and fold over the corners overlapping like an envelope. Press the rolling pin against the edges, making sure the package is square.

Make sure the work surface, dough, and rolling pin are well-floured. Roll the package of dough into a rectangle, three times as long as it is wide. Brush off any excess flour. Fold the dough in thirds, up from the bottom and down from the top, like a business letter. Rotate the dough counter-clockwise so that the closed fold is to the left.

Roll the dough into a rectangle again, and fold into thirds again. The second turn is now complete. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Repeat again twice, wrap, and refrigerate. Then repeat again twice to equal six folds. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use. Leftover dough can be wrapped in plastic and frozen. Defrost before using. Yield: 2-1/2 pounds pastry.

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Apple Tarte Tatin

There are plenty of reasons to enjoy apples this season. For me it's because they make the best desserts. With apples so plentiful at farmers' markets and supermarkets this time of year, I love to make tarts. There's just something special about an apple tart particularly apple tarte Tatin, one of the most classic of the French tarts. It's a dessert that can be called both comforting and elegant. Supposedly, as the story goes, the Tatin sisters invented the dessert by accident while attempting to make an apple tart to serve their hotel guests. The dish became so popular that its fame spread throughout the Sologne region. It's now known throughout the world. It seems that the best things are almost always invented accidentally.

Traditionally tarte Tatin starts out by melting butter in a skillet and adding sugar to make a caramel. Then apple quarters are added and cooked until tender. A round of pastry dough tops the apples and the whole skillet is placed in the oven. In my adaptation, I use brown sugar for its fullness of flavor, and add a pinch of cinnamon and a dash of brandy for that extra bit of goodness. Instead of cooking the apples in the caramel, which either tends to overcook them or burn the caramel, I just place the apples in the pan, cover with pastry, and bake. Serve a slice warm with a dollop of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it's the perfect dessert after a cozy dinner or any time when the caving hits.

For this recipe I made my own puff pastry, which is a feat in itself. The French call it mille-feuille, or a thousand layers. Puff pastry practically has that many layers. The recipe would also work very well with store-bought puff pastry or a regular pie crust recipe. But I think the tart is that much more decadent with puff pastry. For me the tender flaky and buttery pastry was worth making for the sheer pleasure of eating it. The secret to making puff pastry is folding it six times and refrigerating in between steps. The dough and butter must be cold. If things start to warm up, just stick the dough back in the refrigerator. This video of Michel Richard and Julia Child is a great primer on making puff pastry.

Apple Tarte Tatin

Note: Firm, eating apples work better in this recipe than do cooking apples, which become mushy.

4 large or 6 medium apples
1 lemon, juiced
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon brandy
1/2 pound puff pastry, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel, core, and quarter apples. Toss with lemon juice.

Melt butter in an 11- or 12-inch oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add sugar and cinnamon, stirring until melted and bubbling. Remove from heat and add brandy. Arrange apple quarters cut side up.

On a well-floured work surface, roll out puff pastry to 1/4-inch thick. Cut a disc a bit larger than skillet. Slash a few vent holes in the dough. Place dough over apples, tucking in edges. Bake tart until apples are tender and puff pastry is golden, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a plate. Yield: 8 slices.

Puff Pastry

Adapted from a recipe by Michel Richard in Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan.

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups cake flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/4 cups ice water
2 cups (4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter

Combine flours and salt in a food processor. Pulse to aerate. Add the water and pulse until a ball forms. Remove and form into a disc. Slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern. Wrap in a damp towel and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the butter between two sheets of plastic wrap and beat with a rolling pin until about 1-inch thick. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Unwrap the dough and place on a well-floured work surface, preferably marble or granite. Flatten and roll the dough into a large square. Roll the edges thin while keeping the center thicker. Place the butter in the middle of the dough and fold over the corners overlapping like an envelope. Press the rolling pin against the edges, making sure the package is square.

Make sure the work surface, dough, and rolling pin are well-floured. Roll the package of dough into a rectangle, three times as long as it is wide. Brush off any excess flour. Fold the dough in thirds, up from the bottom and down from the top, like a business letter. Rotate the dough counter-clockwise so that the closed fold is to the left.

Roll the dough into a rectangle again, and fold into thirds again. The second turn is now complete. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Repeat again twice, wrap, and refrigerate. Then repeat again twice to equal six folds. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use. Leftover dough can be wrapped in plastic and frozen. Defrost before using. Yield: 2-1/2 pounds pastry.

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Spice Up the Kitchen with Monica Bhide's Modern Spice

Many people would agree that Indian food has a certain mystique. Maybe it’s the combination of unique and unusual ingredients and spices or it could be the pungent fragrances that seem to drift for miles. It is in fact the combination of spices so expertly blended that makes Indian food so particular and different from any other cuisine. There are the famous curries, named so by the English, and then there is garam masala, a main spice if you will. Every household, every Indian mother has her own special mix of it. My first attempt at cooking Indian food many years ago found me making my own garam masala, toasting the whole spices to bring out their flavors and then grinding them in a coffee grinder. All those spices seemed so intimidating then and are still that way to many people. We eat Indian food out at restaurants, but find it so very difficult to make those elaborate Indian meals at home. With our time-crunched lives, it's almost impossible, we say.

Modern Spice, the new cookbook from food writer Monica Bhide changes all that. Bhide shows us that the flavors of India can be achieved easily at home by using spices in a modern new way. And who better to show us than Bhide herself, a food writer and cookbook author of two very traditional Indian cookbooks. Her new dishes don't take hours of labor to create, but are simple and satisfying and use fewer ingredients with less intimidating spice blends. Any dish from this cookbook can taste just as Indian as an Indian grandma’s cooking. Bhide’s cooking is neither less flavorful nor less authentic, it just provides a new direction.

Not only a collection of recipes, the book also has woven throughout elegantly written anecdotes about Bhide's experiences. First, a visit to find local food culture in Dubai. A humble and unassuming dinner shared at the home of famous TV chef Sanjeev Kapoor. A dinner of a special biryani prepared by the famed chef Imtiaz Qureshi. A special friendship shared over a mutual love for rice pudding. And a gathering of multicultural women celebrating good food and friendship. These stories show us Bhide’s dedication to her cuisine and reveal a true understanding of the culture underneath.

Born in New Delhi, Bhide grew up on the tiny island nation of Bahrain in the Middle East. She later moved to the United States to attend college and luckily for us food lovers stayed behind. It was the constant pattern of food and eating throughout her life that led Bhide to change her career path and become a food writer. The soul-numbing study of engineering led her to find solace in food, which even led her to meet the man that would later become her husband. Food has played such an important part in her life. Doesn’t it do that for all of us?

In the first chapter of the book, Bhide recalls a vacation to Dubai, the favorite city of her father. There she goes on a hunt to find local food, but can only find Lebanese, Moroccan, Chinese, and Indian foods, among many others. Disheartened that she will never find the true local Emirati food of Dubai, Bhide meets a chef who explains to her that Dubai never developed a local food, but that the people who migrated to Dubai brought their home cuisines, and Duabi’s local food scene became a melting pot. Bhide realizes that it sounds a lot like the cuisine of New York with its vast pizza restaurants and Jewish delis. Bhide discovers that the food of a culture is not always stereotypical, but is ever-changing.

Modern Spice ultimately provides an in-depth look into a culture and cuisine marching toward a new future of tradition. Here are new everyday recipes that reinterpret the more traditional Indian recipes while keeping intact the essence of what makes the food Indian, spice. One of the best and most useful parts of the book is Bhide’s glossary of spices and ingredients. Bhide shares with us her sources for top-notch ingredients and the brand names that she has come to appreciate for achieving short cuts in the kitchen. She also teaches the reader how to use spices in their correct quantities. A pinch of this and a spoonful of that are all allowed as long as you follow her recommended ratios. We learn to use each spice to its utmost potential.

This book has everything to offer to anyone who appreciates Indian cuisine and desires to learn new ways of thinking about spices and ingredients. Utilizing Bhide's tips and techniques is just the beginning of a path toward multicultural discovery. Recipes like pomegranate shrimp, green chutney chicken, guava bellinis, and paneer and fig pizza push the boundaries of traditional Indian cooking all in a good way. Who wouldn’t love spice, crackle, and pop, Bhide’s Indian version of rice krispies? I know I would. The photograph of saffron mussel stew makes me want to jump right in. I can’t wait to try her recipe for whole roast chicken with fenugreek. But first I must buy some chaat masala to sprinkle on my fries.

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Roasted Chicken Breasts with Carrots and Kohlrabi

For me there is no food more appealing than roast chicken. I'd be happy to subsist on it all the time. Instead of roasting a whole chicken, which can take an hour or more, I prefer roasting chicken in pieces. It's so much faster especially for a weeknight meal. I love roasting chicken breasts, sometimes a whole bunch at one time. This way I have leftovers for dinner the following night or I can enjoy it for lunch atop a salad the next day. For dinner though, especially when I'm pressed for time, I like to make simple sides. And there's nothing more simpler than roasting vegetables alongside the chicken. Plus with this recipe the chicken and the vegetables both finish at the same time. Now that sounds like a simple supper.

For this recipe I chose to roast carrots and kohlrabi. Their flavors concentrate and sweeten from the high oven heat. Kohlrabi, a turnip-like vegetable with a broccoli flavor, which many people would most likely pass in the market without a second thought, is actually one of my favorite vegetables. I love them in soup, but this roasting method makes them taste even better. With only seven ingredients, this is probably the least fussiest recipes you will ever find. And the end result is so rewarding that you will want to make it again and again. With so little preparation spent in the kitchen there's more time to kick back, relax, and enjoy a glass of wine, perhaps a Chardonnay, to toast the mellow evening.

Roasted Chicken Breasts with Carrots and Kohlrabi

1 pound carrots, peeeled
1 pound kohlrabi, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 split chicken breasts
poultry seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut carrots into 2-inch pieces. Thicker pieces should be split lengthwise. Cut kohlrabi into wedges. Combine the carrots, kohlrabi, and 1 tablespoon oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.

Warm remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, sear the breasts skin side down until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Do not move the chicken around while searing. Sear the other side as well.

Make room for the chicken breasts among the vegetables on the baking sheet. Roast until vegetables are knife tender and the chicken juices run clear, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer when inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 165 degrees F. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes tented with aluminum foil before serving. The bones may be removed before serving. Yield: 2 servings.

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Forty Cloves of Garlic Soup with Pistachio-Crusted Shrimp

Despite my family of garlic haters, I love garlic. And I love lots of it in all forms. A very close older family friend eats it raw and rubbed on toast, then spread with butter or rendered duck fat. It's now his daily health ritual since he learned garlic has been shown to keep the heart healthy and keep cancer at bay. Maybe he knows a thing or two, because he's going to be 90 next year. Sometimes I even indulge in a slice of garlic toast too. Though I try to keep the practice at a minimum because I don't want to go around smelling. Even so, almost all my cooking and the recipes on this site start with sautéing garlic. Garlic is just one of those vegetables that many people use and it crosses many cultural boundaries. It's a base flavor in Mediterranean, Asian, and North African cuisine. I have always wanted to use garlic for something more than just a base, instead a main ingredient.

A few weeks ago I had the idea of making garlic soup. With the chilly weather here in the Northeast, I was craving a warming and comforting soup packed with flavor. But when thinking about garlic soup, 'comforting' might not be the exact word that comes to mind for everybody. Most people hate garlic for its pungent taste and odor, but boiling it really tames its pungency. The garlic becomes mellow but still keeps all the wonderful properties of its unique flavor. Another bonus of this preparation is that there is much less smell after eating compared to sautéed garlic. Garlic haters might actually change their minds after eating this soup.

Unlike very thick puréed soups, this one is more of a broth. Adding pieces of bread to the soup is a great way to make it more hearty. Besides good crusty french bread, a good pairing for this soup is fried shrimp. Instead of breadcrumbs, I dredge the shrimp in chopped pistachios not only for their sweet nutty flavor but also for their crunchy texture. To serve the soup rather elegantly, I like to put a piece of bread in the bowl that I then pour over with soup. The bread island is just the right spot to lay a couple of shrimp. It makes for a beautiful presentation for a dinner party, but if it's just me, I'll put a couple more shrimp on top.

Forty Cloves of Garlic Soup

3 tablespoons olive oil
40 garlic cloves (about 2 heads), peeled
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
French bread or baguette
pistachio-crusted shrimp, recipe follows

Warm oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; sauté until onion begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Add spices and toast for 2 minutes. Pour in chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer on low until garlic is tender, about 20 minutes.

Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until silky smooth. Return to heat and warm. Stir in cream and season with salt and pepper. To serve, add a slice of bread to each bowl and ladle over with soup. Top bread platform with a few shrimp. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Pistachio-Crusted Shrimp

16 large shrimp, deveined and peeled with tails on
1/4 cup Wondra flour
2 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
canola oil

Prepare a station for coating the shrimp. Combine flour and Cajun seasoning on a plate; season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, lightly beat the egg whites. Add the chopped pistachios to a plate. Pat dry shrimp before beginning. Coat each shrimp first with flour mixture. Then dip one by one into the egg whites. Finally coat the shrimp with chopped pistachios, making sure to press the shrimp into the nuts to coat all around.

Warm oil in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat. Once oil reaches smoking point, add the shrimp. Fry one minute per side. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Yield: 4 servings.

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Finding the Right Edge: A Guide to Choosing, Trying, and Buying the Best Chef's Knife

Buying your first knife can be daunting, but once armed with a bit of know-how, the task becomes much easier. I know I've walked down the knife aisle at many kitchen stores scratching my head. The selections are broad and the features of each knife brand can be confusing at times. When I first began cooking, I used a cheap grocery-store knife that I couldn't even hold properly. Its handle was so square and boxy that I could not form the proper pinch grip needed to use it. And the blade was beyond cheap. Now I've graduated to using much better knives and decided to pass on my knowledge of knives as well as test a few chef's knives, five to be exact, to find what knife was best in performance, sharpness, and comfort, among many other aspects. Knives are an investment and can last a lifetime. It's best to know some facts about them before jumping into buying a set just because it makes you look professional.

One knife can do almost everything in the kitchen. A chef's knife is that single most important tool; it's the work horse of the kitchen. An 8-inch version is just perfect for home cooks. There are many things to consider when shopping for the right chef's knife. First, don't be led to believe the salesperson's pitch that a set of fourteen knives is a must for a properly equipped kitchen. Three knives will suffice in a well-equipped kitchen, a good-quality chef's knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife under $50. Don't be led to believe that a knife only works on that one ingredient it's named after. A bread knife can stand in for all those that are serrated: tomato knife, sandwich knife, deli knife, etc. I like to think of the bread knife as a long utility knife, great for many tasks that require cutting with a serrated edge. The one knife that you should not skimp on is the chef's knife. Be prepared to spend between $100 and $200 on a quality stainless-steel chef's knife. In that price range, there are plenty to choose from including the top-selling German and Japanese knives. Trying the knives in a store that allows it will help you determine which one to purchase. But there are a few important terms and definitions that are good to know beforehand. Here is a summation of what to look for in a knife.

Blade. There are two main types or shapes of chef's knives. The most recognized shape is the curved or bellied, produced by the German knifemakers. Just as popular is the long and lean wedge-like shape, produced by the Japanese and French knifemakers. The Japanese call the chef's knife a gyuto. In this review, the Tamahagane San has the classic gyuto shape. These knives have rather straight edges making chopping easier, especially if you use the up-and-down motion. A longer bellied knife, such as a 10-inch version, has more of a straight edge whereas an 8-inch version has less of a straight edge since the belly takes up much of the length. That's one reason why professionals prefer longer knives. Home cooks who tend to use the rocking motion to chop will usually prefer a bellied knife. The Messermeister I tested had the biggest belly, making the rocking motion pronounced. But even a lean Japanese knife with a slight curve can be rocked but using the up-and-down motion is easier.

Steel. If you remember the knives that butchers used back when butcher shops were still common, they usually used carbon knives. These knives were not stainless, instead they took on a grayish hue from use, a tarnished or patinated appearance. Nowadays almost all knives produced are stainless steel. It's rare to see a chef still using a carbon knife, which is many times discouraged because of the metallic taste it can transfer to certain foods. Today good knives are not simply made from any steel, but are composed of an array of minerals to create a very sharp steel. Carbon, chromium, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, and vanadium or tungsten. These are the minerals that good knives are made of. German knives tend to have their edges sharpened at 22 to 26 degrees and are commonly composed of X50CrMoV15 stainless steel. This code translates to .5 percent carbon (X) and .15 percent mix chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo), and vanadium (V). Both Wüsthof and Messermeister are made of this composition and rate a 56 in hardness on the Rockwell scale, which is the softest a knife should ever be. A higher carbon content makes knives stronger and allows them to take a steeper edge, at about 15 or 16 degrees, than a softer knife with less carbon. Japanese knives are made with the highest carbon content and with the addition of cobalt are very strong. They rate a 58 to 61 in hardness on the Rockwell scale. The trend today in Japanese knifemaking is to create a central core out of VG10 or some other high-carbon stainless steel and then clad it with layers of softer stainless steel, which stains less. The Shun I tested has 16 layers of softer steel on each side of its high-carbon stainless steel core. The only downfall of high-carbon stainless steel is that it can be brittle, which is why many Japanese manufacturers (including Mac) warn against using their knives on certain hard foods, such as winter squashes and of course, frozen food or bones. But chef's knives in general shouldn't be used to hack through bone or frozen items, use a cleaver.

Forged vs. Stamped. Knives made in the European tradition are forged, meaning that a piece of metal is beaten into shape by hand or by machine. The resulting look is typically a knife with a thick bolster and a full tang, the metal that extends through the handle. This look is so desired that many manufacturers of stamped knives weld on a bolster or collar to make their knives appear forged. Stamped knives are made just as the term implies, large knife-shaped cookie cutters come down on big sheets of metal, cutting out knife-shaped cookies. Cheap grocery-store knives as well as quality knives are made in this way. But quality stamped knives are taken a step further: ground, shaped, and treated to the highest manufacturing techniques so that the end result differs very little from forged knives. The advantage of quality stamped knives, also called machined, is that they can be made of much harder steel that is thinner and more nimble than forged knives. Picture forging, the old-fashioned way of knifemaking: it's basically beating a chunk of metal into a knife. To accomplish that the metal must be softer. All knives go through rapid heating and cooling to strengthen the metal at the molecular level, so in the end it's hard to tell the difference between forged and stamped.

Handle. Besides the blade, proper fit and hold are the most important things to look for when buying a knife. If you can't hold it comfortably, then what is the point of using it? There are so many possibilities in handle design that shoppers can easily be misled into believing myths about knife handles, mostly told by preachy salespersons. One of the first misconceptions is that a full tang visible through the length of the handle is best. And usually they will be trying to sell you a Wüsthof, which has a huge presence in kitchen stores. A full tang does not make a knife better. Knives that don't have visible tangs most likely have rat-tail tangs. The blade is created with a stubby rod that is then later inserted into a handle. Knives with rat-tail tangs are actually more difficult to manufacture than knives with full tangs. In fact Samurai swords were and are made with rat-tail tangs. The invention of the full tang made the process of manufacturing quicker, because handles could be riveted in place by machine instead of being handmade as knives with rat-tail tangs were. The tang makes no difference in the performance of the knife.

Bolster. A cause of disagreement among manufacturers is the bit that lies between the blade and the handle, called the bolster or collar. European knifemakers tend to produce knives with very large bolsters, some even extend the full width of the blade. The Wüsthof Classic features a very large bolster. The downside of a bolster is that sharpening the blade becomes tricky. The entire length of the blade cannot be sharpened in a bolstered knife and leads to a hollowing at the heel. Japanese knives have more of a collar than a bolster. It's a vast improvement, not just for reasons of sharpening but also comfort. Bolsters are sometimes marketed as finger guards, which leads consumers to believe that only a bolstered knife can be safe. This misconception is easy to proliferate among home cooks. Pick up a Japanese knife or any of the German knives with reduced bolsters, and you will see how much better it is.

Balance. The bolster argument also leads into a discussion about balance. Those that say the bolster serves as a finger guard also say that the knife has better balance because of it. The Wüsthof Classic is balanced exactly at the point where the bolster lies, but better knives (those without bolsters) tend to have more weight toward the blade. These knives actually make work easier since the blade will be doing the heavy lifting instead of the cook. If the knife is handle heavy, then it will be more fatiguing. I discovered, from just testing a Wüsthof Classic in the store, that its huge bolster actually makes cutting quite unbalanced.

Maintenance. Unfortunately most home cooks use blunt knives, either they buy good knives and fail to ever sharpen them or they buy sub-par knives that were never sharp to begin with. All knife manufacturers claim to make the sharpest knife. Even with proper use a knife requires maintenance. In addition to the three knives I suggest as basically necessary, the honing rod is also good to have. Many confuse a honing rod as a sharpening steel, which it is not. Constant use makes the edge of a knife roll and the honing rod is used to bring the edge back into alignment. Honing can be done weekly or even daily depending on how often the knife is used. Sharpening is best left up to professional services, either in-store or by mail. The sharpening device that is sold with many sets tends to cut away too much of the edge. What it really does is butcher the blade. To further prolong the life of your blade, a wood cutting board, either edge grain or end grain, is necessary. Glass and plastic boards make a knife's edge roll, whereas the grains of a wood cutting boards accept the knife's blade. Oak, acacia, bamboo, and teak are some of the best and hardest woods used to make cutting boards. If a wood cutting board is out of your budget, a polypropylene board would be a good option, but even better is an epicurean board, which is a new product on the market made of eco-friendly bonded layers of paper treated with resin. The board is dishwasher safe, which wood boards are not. A polypropylene board wears fast and must be replaced as soon as it starts to sliver or look hairy. And please don't ever cut on your countertops.

Chef's Knives Tested

In my quest to find the best chef's knife, I tested five knives from very well-known knifemakers. I tested two German knives, the Wüsthof Classic Ikon and the Messermesiter Meridian Elité, and three Japanese knives, the Shun Classic, Tamahagane San, and the Mac Pro. I particularly wanted to test the Mac because it's the brand preferred by professional chefs. Testing the Mac Pro with a Granton edge also let me see why these dimples are so popular in Asian knives. My criteria for testing was simply to use the knives in my regular cooking on a variety of foods and take note of the performance of each. All of them were very sharp out of the box, some lost the edge quicker than others, and one in particular maintained a sharp edge the longest. Before testing began, I had my own stereotypes to contend with. I had always preferred German knives to Japanese knives because I like their weight. Japanese knives appeared to me as showpieces more than tools. For months I researched what makes a knife a knife and what makes it better than others. What I've learned is that choosing a knife is a very personal decision. Truthfully any sharp knife that is comfortable and made from quality stainless steel can be a good knife, but there are other factors that add up to a good knife.

Wüsthof Classic Ikon 8-inch Chef's Knife



weight: 8 3/4 ounces
blade length: 8 inches
blade width: 1 13/16 inches
blade thickness: .128 inch
full length: 13 3/8 inches
retail price: $175

The Wüsthof Classic Ikon is a modern update of the Wüsthof Classic, which is probably the best-selling knife in the market. I don't like the Classic because of the full width bolster. Not only does it add more weight to the knife, it also makes sharpening troublesome. The Classic Ikon gets rid of the unnecessary bolster and redesigns the handle. The tang is fully visible through the handle and an end cap finishes it off. The ergonomic handle, my favorite feature of the knife, is comfortable and attractive with curves that fit nicely in the palm of the hand. It is available in the black or white polypropylene and black wood. The Ikon performed nicely and very similarly to the Messermeister in all my tests. It is a bit shorter in length and width than the Messermeister but is the thickest of all the knives. The only con I could come up with is the sharpness of the heel of the blade. I preferred the rounded heels of the Messermeister and Shun, making them a bit safer. This knife is also the most expensive out of all those tested. It's even more expensive than the Wüsthof Classic most likely because it serves as a modernized showpiece. There is no doubt that it's a great knife, but Wüsthof is one of the most expensive German knife brands and there are other knives that come close to beating it at performance.

Messermeister Meridian Elité 8-inch Chef's Knife



weight: 8 3/4 ounces
blade length: 8 1/4 inches
blade width: 1 15/16 inches
blade thickness: .1 inch
full length: 13 9/16 inches
retail price: $127

The Messermeister is a classic and very classy knife. It has the look of a true German knife from the visible tang to the rivets in the handle. It has a nice belly, which is a feature of German chef’s knives. The only downfall of the belly on an 8-inch knife is that the area for chopping with an up-and-down motion is greatly reduced. A 10-inch version of this knife might be a better solution. Chefs and cooks prefer a longer knife for this reason. For home cooks, who use the rocking motion, it's less of a matter. Though with this knife the rocking motion becomes a bit exaggerated because of the belly. The knife also has a nicely sized bolster that stops just short of the edge of the blade, which is just how it should be. For me the hold is comfortable, but not all hands would find the bolster or the boxy handle comfortable. Compared to the Wüsthof, it is the same weight but is slightly longer and wider. It is the widest knife in the pack at nearly 2 inches. I tend to prefer wider chef’s knives especially for very technical French-style cutting. Wider knives also make it easier to scoop chopped vegetables. The knife functioned exceptionally well on all tasks, from delicate slices to large cuts. It split a winter squash right in half, a feat that none of the Japanese knives could or should attempt. I'd like to think of it as the power horse of the bunch and it soon became my favorite. Messermeister is one of the lesser-known German knife brands, but I think they are as good if not better than Wüsthof. Messermeister knives are a great value and out of all the knives surveyed here, it is the least expensive. It really has the biggest bang for your buck.

Shun Classic 8-inch Chef's Knife



weight: 7 3/8 ounces
blade length: 8 1/4 inches
blade width: 1 13/16
blade thickness: .091 inch
full length: 13 7/16 inches
retail price: $150

The Shun is no doubt the knife with the most intrigue. Its wavy Damascus finish recalls Samurai swords and is achieved by grinding the 32 layers of softer SUS410 steel, which are layered over the VG10, 60 Rockwell core. Its high carbon content makes for an extremely sharp knife that holds an edge longer than most. Its only downfall is that it does stain even though the manufacturer says it does not. The Shun is one of a kind, from the blade to the handle, which is made of ebony black Pakkawood. The tang is not visible, but the handle features a steel end cap suggesting a full tang is present. For an ergonomic handle one would expect waves and bumps but the Shun’s handle is smooth except for a D-shaped handle, which snugly fits into the grip of anyone who is right handed. Left-handed knives must be special ordered. The blade itself is also slightly cocked to the right. Interestingly the shape of the blade resembles the German bellied knives more than the Japanese gyuto. For me the handle is very comfortable to hold, but I have heard complaints about the D-shaped handle. It’s what I would call an acquired taste, making the Shun not for everyone. It's always a good idea to test a knife before you buy it. A good kitchen store should let you hold their knives and test them on cutting boards. With Shun, be sure to try it and like it before you buy it.

Tamahagane San 8-inch Chef's Knife



weight: 6 ounces
blade length: 8 5/16 inches
blade width: 1 14/16 inches
blade thickness: .061 inch
full length: 13 3/8 inches
retail price: $138

This Tamahagane San looks great right out of the box. The beautiful laminated wood handle takes center stage and the gyuto-style blade is beautiful too. It's a three-layer Japanese stamped knife made of VG5, 58 Rockwell at its core and SUS410 as the outer layers. Its super thinness and 14-degree edge comes in handy for delicate cuts. It worked its magic on cutting through tomatoes without the slightest trace of resistance. However on hard vegetables, this knife just does not have the heft of the German blades. The biggest con is that the thinness makes it a very bendable knife, but that is not a benefit of a good chef’s knife when rigidity is preferred. The Tamahagane is the lightest and thinnest blade among all the knives tested. Even though the handle is comfortable and ergonomically shaped, the hold is not comfortable. The right angle where the blade and the handle meet is the point of contention. The handle has no visible tang except for a small steel dot on the end to indicate it does have a rod for a full tang. I also found that the blade stained the most. With considerable testing, I found this knife to be the most fatiguing, because I had to do most of the work. You would think that a light, thin knife would be easy to work with, but it wasn't so here. Yes it did perform well in almost all tests, but hard vegetables like carrots were tough to cut through. It takes more effort than should be needed to use this knife.

Mac Professional 8-inch Chef's Knife with Granton Edge



weight: 6 3/8 ounces
blade length: 8 inches
blade width: 1 15/16 inches
blade thickness: .091 inch
full length: 12 11/16 inches
retail price: $145

Mac knives are also Japanese, even though the name suggests otherwise. It is an incredibly hard knife at 60 Rockwell. This particular chef’s knife features a Granton edge, which is also called dimpling. I don’t see the benefit of a dimpled knife at all. It makes it look more interesting, but after much use I did not notice any clear benefit. Out of the box, this is the sharpest knife with a 15-degree angle. It has the virtues of a Japanese blade with a European handle. The only con I can see is that the knife is not as wide as is usual with chef’s knives. Instead the blade slopes steadily toward the tip. This shape is not likely to encourage scooping ingredients safely. Another concern is its limited power. The instructions inside the box do warn that Mac knives are not for use with hard winter vegetables like squashes. For regular vegetable duty this knife is supreme. I couldn’t believe how well it chopped parsley; it cut right on contact. German knives are said to do the work for you by being heavy, but this knife does the work for you by being razor sharp. It stayed sharper longer than the other knives tested. The most noticeable difference of the Mac is its short handle, which did not pose a problem at all. I found it to be one of the most comfortable knives and one of the easiest to use. I highly recommend the performance of this knife.

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Carrot-Ginger Soup with Pumpernickel Croutons

On cold days nothing gives me more comfort than hot soup. The flavor combination that I find most comforting in soups is sweet and savory. It's an ideal pairing in many foods that have come to represent autumn. Certain vegetables like sweet potatoes and squashes are all made more flavorful with a touch of sweet, be it from sugar or other sweeteners such as honey or molasses. Carrots also benefit from being paired with sweetness and even spiciness. But I add no sweeteners to this carrot soup. Its sweetness is all made possible naturally from a specific blend of ingredients. The soup is made all the more potent and aromatic with the addition of fresh ginger and a distinctive blend of Middle-Eastern spices that carry warm and nutty profiles. It's the perfect combination to elevate the humble carrot to new flavor heights.

This recipe is all about building flavor one on top of the other. I start with a base of sautéed leek, which adds a sweet onion flavor. The spices each add their own distinct profiles: caraway tastes of anise, coriander has hints of citrus, and cumin adds a a touch of bitterness, lots of warmth, and helps draw out additional sweetness from the carrots. The paprika also adds sweetness and a characteristic rusty glow. The celery adds a bright profile and my secret ingredient, an apple, adds another level of sweetness. Once it's puréed, the soup is perfect as it is, but I like to add a splash of vinegar for some tartness and a drizzle of olive oil for a vegetal touch and fruity aroma. Top a bowlful with earthy chocolate-like pumpernickel croutons and it's the ultimate in comfort soups.

Carrot-Ginger Soup

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 medium leek, white and light-green parts, thinly sliced
coarse sea salt
freshly ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground caraway
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup grated ginger
1 Gala or Fuji apple, peeled, cored, and quartered
4 cups chicken stock
sherry vinegar
chopped chives, for garnish
pumpernickel croutons, recipe follows

Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic, shallot, and leek. Cook until translucent and soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add spices and toast for 1 minute. Add carrots, celery, ginger, apple, and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.

Using a blender, purée the soup in batches until silky smooth. Return soup to pot and reheat. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with oil and vinegar, garnish with chives, and top with croutons. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Pumpernickel Croutons

4 slices day old pumpernickel bread, cubed
olive oil
coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss the bread cubes with a drizzle of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt. Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.

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Lebanese Lamb and Bulgur-Stuffed Acorn Squash

I love Mediterranean food especially from the eastern region, spanning the countries from Greece through Turkey and all the way down to Lebanon and Egypt in the north of Africa. Just thinking about gyros, kebabs, and a platter of mezze from these countries makes my mouth water. It was in college that I first experienced this culinary culture, trying new things like pita bread, falafel, tabbouleh, and hummus. Then on a summer break from school I took a family trip to Hungary and was surprised by all the restaurants selling gyros and kebabs. One corner it was a restaurant owned by a Turkish and on the other corner a restaurant owned by a Greek, all selling similar foods but with different names. That's when I realized the close connection between all these countries: they were all ruled by the Ottoman Empire.

Probably the best thing that came from the Ottoman rule was the melting pot of cuisine. One of my favorite restaurants to go for eastern Mediterranean slash Middle Eastern food is Kashkaval in New York City. I really can't tell which country their food represents, but they have everything on the menu from Hungarain chicken paprikash to Turkish meatballs. Their enormous selection of mezze are a feature of the menu and so are their fondues. The one made from Kashkaval cheese, the source for the restaurant's names, is unbeatably good. A vegetarian coworker first introduced me to the restaurant and I've returned countless times ever since always with friends in tow. It's the type of good food that encourages sharing among everyone.

Inspired by the restaurant and by my love for all things stuffed, I created this recipe for stuffed squash. It's very similar to the Lebanese Koosa, which is a dish of hollowed squash, stuffed with lamb and rice, and stewed in tomato sauce. Instead I stew the ground meat with the tomatoes and blend it with cooked bulgur before stuffing roasted acorn squash halves. The resulting dish is packed with Eastern flavors and textures. The special blend of spices is just right for warming hungry bellies this time of year. It's the ultimate meal for a laidback dinner party with friends and family. Just add wine, good conversation, and enjoy.

Lebanese Lamb and Bulgur–Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 acorn squashes
olive oil
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground lamb or beef
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 garlic cloves
1 medium yellow onion
1 cup bulgur
2 cups water
1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano
1/2 cup grated Kashkaval cheese or pecorino Romano
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the squashes in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes or until squashes are tender when pierced. Once cool enough to handle, scrape out some of the interior flesh of the squash halves.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb and cook until brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and spices. Simmer until liquid has reduced, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Warm oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add bulgur and water. Lower heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until bulgur has absorbed all liquid, about 15 minutes.

Combine lamb, bulgur, and oregano. Divide mixture among squash halves. Top with cheese. Place stuffed squash halves on baking sheet. Bake until heated through and cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

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Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

What's the ultimate comfort food? It can really be anything. But for many, like me, it's pasta tossed in a richly flavored homemade sauce. Dinner can be as easy as boiling pasta and simmering a quick sauce in under thirty minutes. The Italians could not have come up with a better food. I have always been impressed by their culture and mostly by their food. My dream of traveling to Italy has yet to come true, but I've been preparing since elementary school when I first began learning the language. I'm not so fluent, but until I get to test my language skills in person, I'll continue to cook my favorite pasta dishes in an attempt to flavor my home with a little bit of Italy.

Salty, briny, spicy, savory, and sweet are the flavors that come to mind when I think of a favorite meal, spaghetti alla puttanesca. It's a dish that sprang from practicality and ingenuity and has become one of the most famous Italian sauces. There are many varying myths behind the history of Puttanesca sauce, but the most popular one gives credit to prostitutes for inventing the easy sauce. As the story goes, when not occupied with comforting their clients, the women would whip up this quick meal using pantry staples because they didn't have time or were not allowed to shop for fresh ingredients at the marketplace. And supposedly the robust scent of the simmering sauce wafting into the streets would also entice more clients to visit their houses of disrepute. I guess, in many ways, the dish became the ultimate comfort food.

Every ingredient in this recipe is a pantry item and can be found in many Italian food-lovers' kitchens. Olive oil, a few garlic cloves, and a shallot are the base. The salt-and-brine flavors come from anchovies, olives, and capers. And there's a bit of kick from the dried crushed red pepper. It's always a great idea to have many of these items on hand, but a few large cans of crushed tomatoes in the pantry are always necessary for good Italian cooking. From these ingredients not only can puttanesca sauce be made, but also many others. Don't be afraid to mix and match ingredients to get the desired flavor. You might even invent a new sauce to rival this one.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
3 anchovy fillets
freshly ground black pepper
30 Kalamata olives, pitted
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 16-ounce package spaghetti
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Warm oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot; sauté until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and anchovies; sauté until fillets fall apart, about 5 minutes. Season with pepper. Add olives, capers, and crushed tomatoes. Cook until sauce has thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.

While sauce simmers, cook spaghetti according to package directions in liberally salted water. Add pasta directly to pan and toss to coat. Finish with parsley. Yield: 6 servings.

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Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Asian Pear and Bacon Vinaigrette

Eat your vegetables! Mom's famous words. Just like everyone else, I too hated many vegetables when I was a kid. Brussels sprouts were at the top of my list with peas not far behind. It was many years later that I realized I couldn't figure out why I hated sprouts. I had never even tasted them, but I was told by other kids that the taste and smell was revolting. But what's the point of hating a food if you haven't even tried it? When I finally did try Brussels sprouts for the first time, I was completely taken aback at how good they were. I was converted and from that point on I think I became the adventurous eater I am today. That's what a little sprout can do to a person.

Roasted or sautéed, Brussels sprouts can be simply amazing. The key to cooking them is to not overcook them. That's when they develop a sulfuric smell and taste. Boiling them does no good either because the good flavors are cooked right out and all that remains is bitterness. Sautéing is the easiest and most rewarding method for cooking sprouts. A little oil, bacon fat, or duck fat is all that's needed to make them taste exceptional. In this recipe, warm sautéed sprouts are brought together with complementary flavors and textures. The crispy Asian pear adds sweetness, the savory bacon crunchiness, and the dressing is a decadent finishing touch. It's the perfect salad for an appetizer or side dish. And leftovers are even better for tomorrow's lunch.



The Belgians begun growing sprouts in the 1200s and somehow the vegetable's name became equated with Brussels. But it's the French who brought them to the states in the 1800s. Brussels sprouts are a unique vegetable in the cabbage family. They grow like little cabbages on tall stalks resembling the stems of its cousin broccoli. Readily available this time of year, Brussels sprouts are in season from June through January. In the average supermarket, sprouts are more likely to be found in pint containers than on the stalk. Whichever way they're available, sprouts should be bright green and hard and have tight-fitting leaves and very few blemishes. But try to look for them on the stalk. It's not only a treat to see how they naturally look, but also they're fresher on the stalk. Brussels sprouts are beautiful little vegetables.

Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad with Asian Pear and Bacon Vinaigrette

olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 stalk Brussels sprouts (about 2 pints), trimmed and halved
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 strips bacon
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Asian pear, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 head green leaf lettuce, shredded
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

Warm olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add sprouts and cook until cut sides are brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add more oil if pan gets too dry. Add 1/2 cup water, cover, and cook sprouts until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove cover and let any remaining liquid evaporate.

Fry bacon in a pan over medium-high heat until crisp. Reserve remaining fat in the pan.

To make vinaigrette, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoon bacon fat, vinegars, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk to incorporate.

To assemble salad, combine sprouts, diced pear, and lettuce with half the vinaigrette. Serve salad topped with crumbled bacon and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Yield: 4 servings.

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Lemon-Thyme-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash

What cooking method can be more primal than roasting? When humans discovered fire, it was by roasting over an open pit. Today we simulate this method of indirect cooking in the oven, achieving the best taste by concentrating flavors, retaining interior moisture, and creating a beautiful brown exterior. In gastronomy-speak, this caramelization is known as the Maillard reaction, which is the basic chemical reaction all food undergoes when cooked. But the cavepeople didn't care how sugars reacted with amino acids, all they knew was that fire made things taste good. I often roast almost anything during the autumn months. Once October comes, roasting is my favorite activity. Meats are of course among the favorite items to roast. Just think of a luscious roast chicken or roast beef. But many seem to forget that pork and vegetables also make wonderful roasts.

One of my favorite memories as a child was eating my aunt Kathy's crown roast, where the entire bone-in pork resembles a crown after the bones are trimmed and the loin is pinned or tied to create a circle. Since then I've never forgotten how elegant a pork dinner can be. Now the tenderloin is my favorite cut of pork for many reasons. It's not only lean and flavorful but it's also inexpensive and easy to work with. Either roasted whole in the oven or cut into medallions and seared in a pan, the tenderloin is as its name implies, tender. And the best part is that there's no bone to deal with and therefore cooks very quickly, making it a great choice for fast weeknight family dinners.

In this recipe the tenderloin is marinated in a wonderful combination of thyme, lemon zest and juice, garlic, and mustard. Thyme, a preferred herb for roasting, brings out the best flavors in the meat. Nothing makes a better accompaniment to roast meat than roast vegetables. Root vegetables such as carrots, beets, potatoes, pumpkins, and squashes all taste better after roasting at high heat. Simply toss cubed vegetables in salt, pepper, and oil, and all the earthy flavors will be there in the finished product. But sometimes with pumpkins and squashes, I really adore a bit of sweet. Butternut squash, one of the most popular vegetables for roasting, is enhanced by a bit of brown sugar and maple syrup. I add a palm full of sage halfway through the roasting process to add another layer of earthiness and pungency. It's really amazing what roasting does for food. It's a method that does not let down the cavemen in all of us.

Special instruction: The pork can be roasted on the same pan as the squash. Just make room for the tenderloin on the same pan as the squash. Add the pork after the squash has roasted for its first 20 minutes. Then as the squash finishes its last 20 minutes, the pork will also finish at the same time.

Lemon-Thyme-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine, the pork, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, garlic, thyme, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Seal the bag while pressing to remove the air. Let the pork marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the pork from the marinade, scraping of any bits of garlic and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Warm olive oil in an ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat. Sear the pork on all sides until lightly browned. Pour the marinade over the pork and place in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reads 140 degrees F. Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes covered with aluminum foil before carving and serving. Yield: 4 servings.

Maple-Roasted Butternut Squash

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons olive oil
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the squash, sugar, maple syrup, and oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast squash for 20 minutes. Scatter sage leaves on top and continue to roast for 20 minutes or until tender. Yield: 4 servings.

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