Growing up, my dad always said that the only constant in life was change. But, as it turns out, the only constant in my life is Jon Stewart. That, and chocolate chip cookies. To my mind, there are few things in the world more comforting – more steadfast – than warm cookies and a tall glass of milk. And a side order of deliciously smug political satire.
I copied this recipe from a friend (I think she got it from The Fanny Farmer Cookbook) about 12 years ago and have carried it around ever since.
I'm moved cities, I've moved jobs, new people have come into my life – but I've always made these cookies. They're the perfect combination of crisp and chewy, and are generally a hit with kids and adults alike. I skip the nuts, but at Christmas, when I bake a tin of treats for everyone that I'm close to, I add cranberries.
When I take these cookies to parties, I often reserve a small amount of dough in the fridge. That way, when I get home, I can crank up the oven and indulge in a late-night treat. It's nice when some things stay the same, no?
Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/8 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Cream butter and add sugars. Beat until light and smooth.
3. Add vanilla and egg.
4. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda.
5. Add dry to wet. Stir until combined.
6. Add chocolate chips (and nuts, if using).
7. Drop spoonfuls on a cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned.
I don't know about you, but nine times out of ten I prefer home food to restaurant food. It tends to be healthier, cheaper and more delicious. It's nourishing and comforting and uncomplicated. Plus, for me, it usually includes vegetables, which I suspect are the answer to every problem in life.
Still, the social world is not conducted in my kitchen, and so every now and then (read: at least once a week) I find myself donning a dress and marching off to the hot spot du jour to sample award-winning cheese plates and handmade donuts. I relish these outings. I like the energy, the excitement, the polish of the patrons, the boisterous table talk. And, occasionally, one even winds up getting served superb food. Last night, for instance, during a long dinner on a breezy patio, I drank pink lemonade and ate the juiciest burger I've ever had, with salty fries and a tiny little salad designed to make me feel better about the fries. Followed by two decadent desserts.
But after such brazen indulgence, I am back to craving home food. Tonight I wanted something refreshing and light. Preferably requiring only one pot, because it's Sunday and I sure as heck don't feel like doing dishes.
I came across this Gourmet magazine recipe while looking for a way to recreate my favorite Whole Foods orzo salad. The first time I made this dish was something of a revelation. As in: really?! I defy you to find anything more lovely than lemon rind marinated in olive oil. And the way the fresh dill compliments the buttery orzo? Forget about it. You can serve this over a bed of spinach, or, if that feels like too much trouble, eat it plain. It's best enjoyed on the couch watching Chelsea Lately.
Orzo with Feta and Tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup orzo
1 and 1/2 cups crumbled feta (6 ounces)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1. Toss together oil, tomatoes, dill, zest, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large serving bowl.
2. Let stand 10 minutes. Breathe in the seductive citrus scent and daydream about lemon orchards in Italy.
3. Meanwhile, cook the orzo in a pot of boiling, salted water until al dente.
4. Drain orzo and toss with tomato mixture. Add feta and toss again.
5. Send me silent blessings for introducing you to this recipe.
I often change the names of recipes that I find, because I don't feel that the wording quite captures the essence of the dish. But how could you even think about changing a recipe's name when it includes "ridiculously simple" in it? After all, the only thing that I love more than cooking is cooking something that manages to be both delicious and ridiculously simple at the same time. And this banana bread pulls off both quite nicely.
This is my mother's recipe. (Which originates, I think, from Susan Mendelson's Mama Never Cooked Like This. Which is kind of hilarious, if you think about it, because my mama did actually cook like that.) Anyway, when I pop this in the oven, my kitchen smells all homey and childhood memories of warm loafs and lots of butter come wafting back to me. My Mum can def whip up a mean banana bread.
The beauty of this recipe lies in its moistness, and – no surprises here – its utter simplicity. When you notice two bruised-looking bananas hanging out in your fruit bowl looking all forlorn and forgotten, chances are very good that you will have what you need in your cupboard for a little on-the-spot baking action. Plus, it takes less than 10 minutes to get in the oven. I know, because I just timed it.
Ridiculously Simple Banana Bread
1 1/4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
1. Sift together flour and baking soda.
2. Mix together bananas, oil, sugar and eggs.
3. Stir the wet into the dry, until well combined. If you like nuts, you can add 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts. Ditto chocolate chips. (I hear that diced crystalized ginger and chocolate is a killer combo.)
4. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350F for about 1 hour. Watch the loaf after 50 minutes – if it begins to get too dark, test with a toothpick. When toothpick comes out clean, you are ready to take out.
5. Cool for 10 minutes before cutting.
I often freeze this in pieces in saran wrap that can be defrosted and taken to work to be enjoyed with a morning coffee. Infinitely more yummy – and more healthy, and cheaper – than those awful cardboard-tasting baked goods that haunt coffee shops everywhere. This also makes a great gift when you are invited to someone's house for dinner, or if you feel like surprising a friend when you turn up for tea.
Seriously, 10 minutes is all it takes. You'll never shell out good money for horribly dry packaged banana bread again. Promise.
There's two things I love about summer: (1) people cruising around, windows down, blasting their own personal anthems and (2) tomatoes. As soon as the temperature rises, I crave loud rap music and juicy tomatoes.
So, in the summer months, I often play Lil Wayne and make slow roasted tomatoes – which, if you haven't had of them before, are essentially a tiny little bite of heaven. Seriously. And super easy to make. You take roma tomatoes, toss them in olive oil, season and then bake them for hours and hours and hours. (Air conditioning is obviously a pre-requisite for this endeavor.)
The tomatoes come out bursting with flavour, and are the perfect addition to salads, pastas and sandwiches. You could serve them with a nice triple cream brie and a crusty baguette for a light snack (a low cal treat, ha!), or else plop them on a homemade pizza. Or you could just eat them standing over the stove – as I tend to do.
Here's the recipe, from Molly Wizenberg's wonderful food memoir, A Homemade Life.
Slow Roasted Tomatoes (ala Weezy Baby)
20 ripe tomatoes, preferably roma
1 tablespoon of olive oil
a pinch of sea salt
a pinch of ground coriander
Preheat the oven to 200F.
1. Wash the tomatoes, cut off the stem end, and halve them lengthwise.
2. Pour olive oil into a small bowl over tomatoes, and toss with your hands.
3. Place them, skin side down, on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and ground coriander – about a pinch of each for every four to six tomato halves.
4. Bake the tomatoes until they shrink to about 1/3 of their original size but are still soft and juicy, 4 to 6 hours. (I usually let mine go for the maximum time.) Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
The Digable Planets once had some wise words about Sunday mornings: "Searching for a relax, pullin' from the jazz stacks/Cause it's Sunday/On the air is incense, sounds to the ceiling/Tried to get this feeling since Monday."
Exactly, right?
There's nothing that I enjoy more on Sunday mornings than chilling out. Ideally over a good brunch. The problem is that (a) not many spots can actually pull off a decent brunch and (b) hitting one of the ones that can requires changing out of your pajamas. (Did you know that in Vegas, this fab restaurant Simon does a PJ Brunch on Sundays? Unfortunately, some especially bold folks take PJs to mean lingerie, which can obviously be a little awkward. Flannel please!)
Anyway, I am not a fan of dragging myself out of the house to shell out twenty bucks for pasty pancakes doused in synthetic corn syrup. So I often just make my own.
This recipe is my mother's and I've been eating it since I was little. It's a whiz to whip up (five minutes!), and super duper delicious. The batter is very thin, so these pancakes turn out almost crepe-like, which means you have permission to eat a whole stack of them if you so desire.
You can add fruit – blueberries or thinly sliced strawberries or banana – or chocolate chips, but I have to say that I prefer them plain. They are best enjoyed with real maple syrup and a dab of butter, with a strong cup of coffee and the newspaper. (Feel free to blast the very apropos "Sunday Morning" by K-OS.)
A note for the health-conscious: you can substitute whole wheat flour and the pancakes will still be tasty, but the consistency will not be as light and thin. And, vegan friends, I'm afraid that soy milk is absolutely out of the question; it makes the flapjacks all gummy and unappetizing.
Five Minute Pancakes
1 1/2 cups of flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups of milk, or more
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1. Sift together dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, beat together egg, milk and oil.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Beat until smooth. If needed, add more milk until the batter is quite runny.
4. Fry pancakes in a very hot, buttered pan until lightly browned and slightly crispy.
The best thing about this recipe is that makes 4 servings, so chances are good that you will leftover batter and can take a little of your lazy Sunday with you into Monday morning. The only thing better than five minute pancakes, after all, is two minute pancakes.
