I have a reasonable collection of cookbooks. But there is only one I turn to as my stand by, my no-fail cookbook that will probably give me a recipe for which I have all the ingredients. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook was first published in 1896 and I now have the thirteenth edition which was my only cookbook in college. It’s small, no fuss, easy (for the most part), and perfect for the current economic grocery climate. Here are a few of my favorites - I highly recommend investing in this book. Your basic fridge and pantry supplies will go far.

Something I love to do is “accidently” forget to eat all our bananas and as they get darker and more ripe, begin my plans of making banana bread. I also found a half full bag of Nestle Toll House in my pantry so I dumped those in and made a great banana chocolate bread. Here’s the recipe:

3 ripe bananas, well mashed ( I had 2, use whatever you have)

2 eggs, well beaten

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (if you have them, this is traditional, or add chocolate chips)

1. Preaheat oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan. Mix the bananas and eggs together in a large bowl. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.

2. Add the walnuts or chocolate chips and stir to blend. Put the batter in  the pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove fromt he pan to a rack. Serve warm

I found a great deal on blueberries at Whole Foods this week and turned that into a week of breakfast goodies for us. This recipe is more like a scone, not a super sweet cake which I prefer with my coffee. As I was looking for recipes I came across this gem from Ina Garten - but again it’s an additional trip to the grocery store and a possible coronary from the butter. Fannie required no extra trips or cash.

2 cups white flour, divided - reserve 1/4 cup for blueberries.

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg slightly beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 pint blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Butter muffin pans or line with baking cups.

2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg, milk, and butter, stirring only enough to dampen the flour. Reserve a 1/4 cup of flour and sprinkle over your blueberries. Stir into batter. The batter should not be smooth. Spoon into the muffin pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

This dish was such a big hit, we didn’t mind eating it for three days! It can definitely serve 6-8, or 2 of you for a few days. Ground lamb wasn’t as expensive as I expected and I didn’t put quite as much ricotta as the recipe called for. Using the jarred marinara also makes a pretty quick un-fussy dish. The egg yolks make the ricotta so fluffy and you could save the egg whites for an omlette in the morning. This would be great for a large family dinner with a nice salad. Enjoy!

I made this pizza based on this month’s Bon Appetit cheese article. An article about cheese you say? Yes, it’s incredible and if you even just like cheese you should get this issue! I didn’t use their dough recipe, I like my stand by and used the fresh oregano from the Jamie Oliver chicken dish and added it to the dough. One thing I tried that was different was I rolled out the dough to the pizza size, covered it, and let it sit for another 10 minutes - I think this really made the crust light and fluffy instead of cardboard like. I also did the cider fondue recipe in the article and used the other half of kielbasa from that for the pizza, another hit if you’re not serving vegetarians. Definitely an impressive movie night meal thats better than anything from Domino’s. Oh, and use the premade crusts to make this even faster.

This isn't the exact dish, but it gives you the idea!

Well, it’s about 5 ingredients plus your usual suspects salt and pepper and olive oil. We’ve made this dish twice in 2 weeks. It’s cheap, really cheap and simple and the fresh oregano is a perfect winter herb. Definitely get the fresh oregano, it’s not the same with dried. The second time around I used drained diced tomatoes instead of going through the tomato peeling process you’ll see below. You could also use leftover mashed or boiled potatoes to cut down the assembly time. Chicken thighs are a cheap cut of meat, so try to splurge for the organic/free range, plus it tastes better than chicken breasts (boring!). It only serves 4, and you might want seconds so it doesn’t stick around your fridge for too long! Bon Appetit!

Crispy and sticky Chicken Thighs with Squashed new Potatoes and Tomatoes (Jamie at Home)

Serves 4

1 3/4 lb new poatotes, scrubbed

12 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on. Cut off the bone into about 3 strips per thigh

1 1/4 pounds cherry tomatoes, in the summer you can use the pretty multicolored ones.

A bunch of fresh oregano, leaves picked

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper

Red wine vinegar

1. Put the potatoes into a large saucepan of salted boiling water and boil until cooked.

2. While the potatoes are cooking away, preheat your oven to 400F. Place the chicken thigh strips in a large bowl. Rub the meat all over with olive oil and sprinkle with slat and pepper and toss. Heat a large frying pan, big enough to hold all the chicken pieces snugly skin side down, you can also do this in batches. Toss and fry over a high heat for 10 minutes until almost cooked then remove with a slotted spoon to an ovenproof pan or dish.

3. Prick to tomatoes with a sharp knife. Place them in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave for a minute or so. Drain and when cool enough to handle, pinch off their skins. Drain the potatoes and lightly crush them by pushing down on the with your thumb

4. Bash up most of the oregano leaves with a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar, or a Flavor Shaker. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil, a good splash of red wine vinegar and some pepper and give everything another bash. Add to the chicken with the potatoes, the tomatoes and the rest of the oregano leaves. Toss everything together carefully. Spread out in a single layer in an appropriately sized roasting pan ( I used my 13×9 Pyrex). Bake for 40 minutes in the oven until golden.

I think this is a great dish when you’re thinking of spring, of primavera. This dish is adapated from Serious Eats, and besides the bit of cream it was very healthy. I’d also recommend using wheat pasta although you don’t get quite this bright almost neon green sauce. Johnathan hates peas but ate this disguised dish gladly. Here’s how it goes:

Serves 2

1/2 pound of pasta, any kind you have

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 medium onion diced

1 package of frozen green peas

3/4 cup of cream

3 slices of Canadian Bacon cut into bite sized pieces, browned

salt, pepper, parm for finishing

1. Bring pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the box - al dente is best.

2. Meanwhile, heat a teaspoon of butter, or olive oil, or I like Smart Balance in a medium skillet. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes until they sweat. Add the frozen peas and cook another 2-3 minutes until they’re cooked through.

3. Transfer peas to a food processor or blender. Blend and add the cream until it’s thick and pulverized. Place a sieve over a small saucepan. Pour the pea purée into the sieve, pushing it through with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Discard solids. Over a low flame, warm the purée through. Remove from heat and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Optional: a pinch of ground nutmeg will accentuate the sweetness of the peas.

4. Toss the pea sauce, pasta and Canadian bacon together in a large bowl and serve with freshly grated parm.

When I started this site, I was so excited about cooking. I wanted to try everything, especially if it was a classic and required technique and presented the greatest challenge. I enjoyed cooking dishes from my childhood, Jamie Oliver and Julia Child. But 6 months of cream, butter, creme fraiche, and homemade pasta have caught up with Johnathan and I. Alas, it is a new season for my cooking, but I promise to keep it interesting. There will be a lot less butter, if any at all, and I’m learning the miracle of fewer ingredients, frozen vegetables and canned tomatoes. In the article previous to this, theres a great recipe for veggie chili that’s chock full of good things. Here I’ve also created a warm comforting tortellini soup that blows Rachel Ray’s 30 minutes out of the water. This is something I’ll take to work and reheat and feel a lot better about rather than joining my boss in her BLT binge to cope with the economy. Here’s to a happy and healthier new year!

Quick Tortellini Soup

Serves 4-6

3 Cloves of garlic minced

1 carton of Chicken Stock (32oz, about 4 cups)

1 package of frozen tortellini - mine was 14oz

1 package of frozen spinach, thawed

1 can diced or stewed tomatoes (14.5oz)

Dash of fresh oregano

the usual suspects - Olive Oil, Salt and Fresh ground pepper

1. In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat about one teaspoon of olive oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and brown. Add the chicken stock and frozen tortellini. Cover and wait for it to boil. Uncover and simmer for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and spinach and simmer uncovered for about 5 more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Now that the cold miserable winter has set in, you may be realizing just how much you ate and drank during the December festivities. Not just alcohol, but meat can be an overwhelming part of holiday celebrations. I think my husband and I ate meat at every meal while visiting family,  including breakfast which is a lot more than usual. But how can you pass up Sonny’s BBQ and Seafood Gratin? Now that the guilt has set in, I wanted to “beef” up our veggie and fruit intake and have a few suggestions if you’re feeling the same way.

Here is a hearty brunch or breakfast (or lunch or dinner) without the bacon:

Leftovers with Asparagus and Eggs
Serves 2

1/2 lb apsaragus

1 head of garlic, top cut off

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 cup veg or canola oil

1/2 cup melty cheese ( I used fontina, you could cheddar, gruyére, whatever you have on hand)

2 slices leftover baguette

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Drizzle garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap in tin foil and place in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until cloves are soft.

2. In a large bowl that won’t slip (I put my stainless mixing bowl on top of a pot so it won’t move while whisking) put in your egg yolks, dijon, lemon juice, and 2 cloves of the roasted garlic. Whisk until emulsified (everything is mixed together). In a dripping stream, while constantly whisking, dribble in your oil. This is the tricky part, this is where you know whether your mayo will come together or not. Keep whisking and adding oil until you get your desired consistency. I used about 1/2 cup of the oil because I wanted mine a bit looser and less like a spread. Add salt to taste. You’ve just made mayo without all the junk from store bought!

3. Bring a pot of water to boil and drop in asparagus for 2-3 minutes. Remove and immediately place in an ice bath (this is called blanching). Remove from cold water and dry on a paper towel. Bring a second pot of water to boil and add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar for poaching your eggs. Drop your eggs one or two at time into the vinegar water. I break mine into a ladle and put the ladle in the water, it helps keep the egg white from floating everywhere. Remove eggs after about 3 minutes or when the white is cooked.

4. Spread one roasted garlic clove over each piece of bread. Top with cheese and broil in the oven for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melty. Top bread with poached egg, asparagus, and drizzle with aioli.

And now for a great veggie dinner. This is a recipe my mom has used for years and has won several chili competitions. You won’t miss the meat and it’s full of great veggies and good for you beans!

Vegetable Chili
Serves 8 – or lots of leftovers and lunch that will make  your co-workers jealous!

¾ cup olive oil
2 zucchini, cut into ½ inch dice
2 onions, cut into ½ inch dice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large red bell peppers, cored and cut into ¼ inch dice
1 can (35 oz) Italian plum tomatoes, with their juice
1 ½ pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
2 tablespoons good-quality chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ cup chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley
1 cup canned dark red kidney beans, drained
1 cup canned chick-peas (garbanzos), drained
½ cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup sour cream
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
4 scallions, sliced

1. Heat ½ cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, and sauté until just tender, 5-7 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a large casserole or dutch oven.
2. Heat remaining ¼ cup oil in the skillet over low heat. Add the onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Sauté until just wilted, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the casserole, along with the oil remaining in the skillet.
3. Place the casserole over low heat. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, the fresh tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, pepper, salt, fennel seeds, and parsley. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in the kidney beans, chick-peas, dill and lemon juice; cook for another 15 minutes. Stir well, and adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve with bowls of sour cream, grated cheese, and sliced scallions alongside.

Bon Appétit!

This was another dish I wanted to make before Thanksgiving. It’s light and fresh, but still looks festive with the green cucumber and red tomatoes. Cornbread is also on everyone’s mind right now as well. I’ll admit I used a cornbread mix (gasp) but I had make something for dinner in between making turkey stock, gravy base, and pumpkin cheesecake for Thursday. The cucumber was $.50, I used half the tomatoes of a package that was $1.89, and we’ve been using the Fontina since last week and this was the last of it. This would also be great on Friday after you’re stuffed and tired of the heavy food (if you are that is). There’s no cooking, and you might just have all the ingredients on hand. Here’s Giada’s recipe.

This isn’t exactly dinner, but we quite enjoyed it last night. I wanted to buy as little new groceries this week and make my leftovers from last week stretch, like cheese, and basics I have in the pantry. I bought some asparagus for $4.00 and used half of it for this dish. Last week I took another class at The Astor Center and learned how to make my own mayo so I wanted to practice that as well. And who doesn’t love a toasted baguette with a poached egg and cheese? I also roasted some garlic for another layer of flavor and made an aioli, which just means mayo with roasted garlic - fancy I know… Here’s how I made it:

Serves 2

1/2 lb apsaragus

1 head of garlic, top cut off

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1 cup veg or canola oil

1/2 cup melty cheese ( I used fontina, you could cheddar, gruyére, whatever you have on hand)

2 slices leftover baguette

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Drizzle garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap in tin foil and place in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until cloves are soft.

2. In a large bowl that won’t slip (I put my stainless mixing bowl on top of a pot so it won’t move while whisking) put in your egg yolks, dijon, lemon juice, and 2 cloves of the roasted garlic. Whisk until emulsified (everything is mixed together). In a dripping stream, while constantly whisking, dribble in your oil. This is the tricky part, this is where you know whether your mayo will come together or not. Keep whisking and adding oil until you get your desired consistency. I used about 1/2 cup of the oil because I wanted mine a bit looser and less like a spread. Add salt to taste. You’ve just made mayo without all the junk from store bought!

3. Bring a pot of water to boil and drop in asparagus for 2-3 minutes. Remove and immediately place in an ice bath (this is called blanching). Remove from cold water and dry on a paper towel. Bring a second pot of water to boil and add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar for poaching your eggs. Drop your eggs one or two at time into the vinegar water. I break mine into a ladle and put the ladle in the water, it helps keep the egg white from floating everywhere. Remove eggs after about 3 minutes or when the white is cooked.

4. Spread one roasted garlic clove over each piece of bread. Top with cheese and broil in the oven for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melty. Top bread with poached egg, asparagus, and drizzle with aioli.

I don’t generally care for cauliflower. The aversion isn’t as intense as Brussel sprouts which cannot be redeemed no matter how much bacon they’re baked with. I thought dressing cauliflower up in risotto added another veg element while still eating gooey risotto. By now, I’ve made several different risottos, all based on Jamie Oliver’s Risotto Bianco which is a basic white risotto which can then be changed all sorts of ways. This is a great vegetarian option, just sub the chicken stock for veg stock and you’re golden. The other thing I also like best about risotto is the commitment to it - you’re basically massaging you’re meal until it’s done, it’s very intimate and soothing. Anyway, here’s Jamie’s recipe. Sneak in some veggies this week!

Price Breakdown:

Cauliflower - $1.49

Celery 2 stalks - $1.99

I already had Arborio rice, Vermouth (I only use it for risotto, so it lasts a while), butter, onions, and the last of Parm from last week. I also used up the rest of a carton of chicken stock I had in the fridge. For the bread crumbs, I used anchovy paste I already had and chili pepper. Also you can use the baguette from the onion soup for these bread crumbs!