The nice thing about biscotti is that it’s really easy to play around with the recipe and make a ton of different types using the same basic formula:

- 10 - 12 oz of dry goods (most of which should be flour, but you can incorporate up to 2 oz of cocoa powder, or 4 oz of cornmeal, for a different take)
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of solid fat or vegetable puree (like pumpkin) that can be creamed together with the sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- up to 1 Tbsp of any dry spices you like
- 3 eggs
- up to 2 tsp of any liquid flavorants you like
- up to 1 1/2 cups of “chunkies” to mix in

To prove that, I made two batches tonight for my grandmother-in-law’s 80th birthday this weekend. Since I am not able to join my wife and her family in flying out to California, I thought I would send these treats out in my stead. Both are made the exact same way: You break down the different ingredients into 4 groups, and the groups are always integrated the same way.

Baklava Biscotti

Cream Group
1 stick (4 oz) butter, room temperature and soft
1/2 c white sugar

Wet Group
3 eggs
1/4 c honey
2 tsp rose water 

Dry Group
10 oz all purpose flour 
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Chunky Group 
1 1/4 c chopped, roasted nuts — a combination of walnuts, almonds, and pistachios is most traditional to baklava

Chocolate Cherry Biscotti 

Cream Group
1 stick (4 oz) butter, room temperature and soft
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar

Wet Group
3 eggs
2 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Dry Group
8 oz all purpose flour 
2 oz dutch process cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda

Chunky Group
1 cup dried sour cherries, chopped roughly 

Preheat your oven to 300F. If your recipe has a lot of cocoa powder in it, bump the temperature to 325.

Fit your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and add the ingredients in the cream group. Beat on medium-low speed, scraping the bowl down a couple of times, till the fat is lighter in color than it was when it started and is nice and fluffy.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to the lowest setting it can be on without actually being off, then add a third of the wet group. Once you’ve added a third, turn up the speed a notch or two, and mix until it’s well incorporated. Repeat this step twice more, and scrape down the bowl occasionally till all the wet stuff is incorporated and the mixture is very homogeneous.

Drop the speed to the lowest again, then add a third of the dry group, and stir till it’s well incorporated. Repeat twice. As soon as everything is incorporated well, turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl. It will be a very sticky batter. Add the chunky group and stir for a few seconds to incorporate. 

Flour a work surface VERY well and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scrape the batter out of the bowl onto the floured surface and flour the top. Shape into a log approx 14 - 15 inches long and 2 - 3 inches in diameter. Transfer VERY CAREFULLY to the baking sheet and flatten ever so slightly, so the log is about 4 1/2 inches wide and about an inch thick. Put in the oven for 35 - 40 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the parchment to a cooling rack, and let rest for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 275 degrees.

After 15 minutes’ rest, slide the loaf off of the parchment onto a cutting board and return the parchment to the sheet pan. If there’s a lot of excess flour on the outside of the loaf, brush it off with a pastry brush. Slice very carefully into 3/4” thick slices. No matter how careful you are, you’ll probably lose some corners. It happens. Put the slices back on the cookie sheet, so that the cut side is now facing up, and put back in the now-275 degree oven for 15 minutes to dry them out.

Let them cool fully on the parchment, then store for up to 2 weeks at room temperature. They store OK in ziplock bags, but they do best in large mason jars or tupperware containers. Depending on the size of the original loaf and the thickness of your slices, you will easily get between 20 - 28 cookies per recipe.

Today, I learned that there are vegetables other than peas, corn, lima beans, and spinach that are not totally useless when frozen. Specifically, when using it in a soup, frozen cauliflower can be awesome.

I found a recipe this weekend for a Moroccan salad called Zaalouk that can be made with cauliflower, and I thought to myself “damn, those look like fine soup ingredients.” So I tried it out, and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t a fantastic, healthy (if you’re into that sort of thing), vegan (if you’re into that sort of thing) soup.

Cauliflower Zaalouk Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, minced fine
8 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 12 oz bag frozen cauliflower
3 c chicken broth
1/2 c parsley or cilantro, chopped fine

In a 2 to 4 quart sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the onions, garlic, and salt, and saute for about 5 min, till the onions are translucent. Add the spices and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste and saute for another 3 or 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a deep brick red. Add the cauliflower and toss to coat.

Add the chicken stock, jack the heat up to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer till the cauliflower is very tender, about 15 minutes. Use a stick blender or regular blender and puree the soup till it’s very smooth.

Allow the soup to sit off the heat for about 5 minutes. This will allow it to cool to a point where it’s edible (it’s currently cauliflower-flavored lava), then stir in the herb of your choice and serve with crusty bread.

Edit: I know I marked this as vegan, but used chicken broth. Apologies. If you wanted it to be vegan, just use vegetable broth or water. The chicken broth I used was homemade and mostly for texture. The flavors of the ingredients are more than strong enough to make up for using water.

Made this for me and the wife tonight with scheduled leftovers. Crazy easy to make. The only specialty equipment you need is a deep oven safe dish with a tight fitting lid, like a cast iron dutch oven, or stone rice pot, or old school casserole.

Serves 4 (or 2 + leftovers)

Chicken Biryani

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 cups plain, full fat yogurt*
1 stick cinnamon
2 whole cloves
2 green cardamom pods (or pinch ground cardamom)
1/2 tsp each ground cumin and coriander
1 tsp ground mace OR 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 small green chiles, cut in half
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic and 1/2” piece of ginger, pureed together into a paste**
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 cups dry basmati rice
1/2 cup raisins (golden raisins are preferable)
1 cup french fried onions (yes, the ones out of the can)

* Full fat is best here. Low Fat is OK, but it’ll end up grainy. Fat Free will NOT work, and neither will Greek Yogurt, because it doesn’t have enough moisture to steam the rice

** Either in a food processor, mortar and pestle, or do what I do and find the local Indian market and buy it premade in the jar.

Mix everything listed before the rice together in a bowl and let marinate for at least an hour — up to overnight would be fine

Place the rice in a bowl and cover with at least an inch of water and let it sit for an hour to soak.

Preheat oven to 350 F

Fill a large (at least 4 quart) pot at least halfway with salty water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and raisins and boil heavily for 5 minutes, then drain.

In the large vessel discussed earlier, put the meat (and the marinade) in the bottom, and make sure it covers the whole bottom and is a nice, flat layer. Add the rice on top and make sure the meat is totally covered, and the layer is level. Top with the onions, cover tightly with the lid, and put in the oven for 30 min.

When the time is up, test the rice … if it’s done, the meat underneath will be as well. If it’s not, put it back in for another 10 min and repeat.

Fluff the rice with a fork, then gently fold everything together. Remove the cinnamon stick, cloves, and optionally, the chiles.

Raita Salad

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into thin half moons
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp curry powder (or garam masala, or equal parts whole mustard seeds and whole cumin seeds)
1/2 c cilantro

In a strainer in the sink, toss the cucumbers with the salt and let sit for 15 - 25 min to draw out some of the excess moisture. Rinse and drain well, then toss together with the yogurt, curry, and cilantro.

I based my recipe pretty closely off this one, with some changes

300 g flour* (about 2 1/2 cups), plus more for kneading
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp yeast**
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup warm water (about 105F)

* At least 225 g of this needs to be good, high quality white bread flour, as it has the protein necessary to get a nice chewy texture. The rest can be whatever flavored flour you want (I used 75g of whole wheat flour, but you could use rye too). Don’t get TOO crazy with it, but you’ve got options. If you want traditional “white” pita, just use all bread flour.

** If you’re using active dry yeast, you need to mix it with the warm water and let it sit for about 5 minutes first. If you’re using instant (bread machine or RapidRise) yeast, just mix it in like the recipe says

In a large mixing bowl, put about a third of the flour, the salt, and the sugar, and mix to combine. If you’re using instant yeast, add it too. Add the oil and water (that has the yeast in it, if you’re using active dry). Stir with a wooden spoon till you’ve got a nice batter. Add flour a quarter cup at a time till you’ve got a nice shaggy ball. See the original recipe link for a picture. Turn it out on a floured work surface.

Knead for 6 - 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough ball from sticking to the board. Keep it as moist as possible — while this bread does have yeast in it, it’s just for flavor, and the pita gets its rise from steam, so you want the dough as moist as possible while still workable. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, form it into a disc and cut into 8 equal pieces and shape them into balls. Place them under a damp towel and allow to rest for 20 - 30 minutes. They won’t rise in this time frame, but don’t worry. They don’t need to.

While the dough is resting, preheat your oven to 500 F, and move a rack to the lowest position. Get out an aluminum half sheet pan. If you don’t have one, create a double-thickness length of tin foil about 15 x 20 inches.

Once the dough has rested, take each dough ball and pound it flat, and, with a rolling pin, roll it into a disc about 6 inches in diameter and 3/16” thick. The thickness is important — you want it pretty damn thin. You’ll probably need to flour the board a tiny bit to keep them from sticking.

If you’re using the half sheet pan, turn it upside down. Place each dough disc on the bottom of the pan (or tin foil), with no more than 4 per pan. Place in the oven for about 6 minutes. If you did everything perfectly, each one will puff up beautifully, giving you the pockets that pita is so known for. If they don’t puff up, though … it’s not the end of the world. You’ll never have 100% of your pitas puff properly. Take the unpuffed ones, cut them up, toss with oil and seasoning, and put in a 350 oven for 10 or 15 minutes for fresh pita chips. Or you know, like the original recipe says, stuff them down your gullet and pretend they never existed.

I just threw these together, as we’re supposed to bring the appetizer to Christmas dinner today. The filling tastes just like sour cream and onion potato chips, which is awesome.

2 lbs button mushrooms, stems removed from caps and reserved
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 leeks
2 slices bacon
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
1 Tbsp brown or dijon mustard
2 Tbsp chopped garlic (about 6 or 7 cloves’ worth)
1 1/2 + 1/2 cups bread crumbs (either fresh or panko are best), separated
salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C).

Chop the leeks and mushroom stems in your food processor until finely chopped, but not liquified.

Place all the mushroom caps on a half-sheet tray or 11 x 17 roasting dish, stem side down, and sprinkle with the oil and a bit of salt. Place in the oven for approx 20 min, or until the mushrooms are cooked about halfway.

At the same time, cook the bacon until it’s very crispy. Transfer to a paper towel, and save the fat in a mug. Put about 1 Tbsp of the fat  back in the pan and add the leeks and mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook till starting to carmelize, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl (of your stand mixer that has the paddle attachment set up, if you’ve got it). Chop the bacon into tiny pieces and add to the bowl, along with the mustard and cream cheese.

Mix till everything’s well combined (it will be a rather unappetizing gray at this point). Check to make sure that the filling has cooled to room temperature, then stir in the egg and mix to combine well. If it’s runny (it probably will be), add up to 1/2 c of the bread crumbs and stir to combine. You want it to be soft, but not runny.

Turn the mushrooms, stem side up on the baking sheet. Put the mixture into a piping bag (or ziploc bag with one tip cut off) and pipe about a teaspoon’s worth into each cap, until it’s a bit rounded over the cap.

Mix the rest of the bacon fat in with the remaining bread crumbs, and spread liberally over the mushrooms. Put back in the oven for another 25 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are brown and crispy.

I made this tonight to go with roasted turkey breast and it was a huge hit. If you don’t like brussels sprouts, give this a try … you might just change your mind.

2 slices bacon, diced
1 lb fingerling potatoes, diced fairly small
1 leek, cut into thin half moons
1/2 lb fresh brussels sprouts (about 12)
1/3 c vinegar (I used 2 parts white wine vinegar and 1 part balsamic, but the choice is yours)
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Cut the bottom root end off each sprout, then cut in half so that the root is cut in half. Slice the sprouts thin, so that they’re about the same size as the leeks.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, cook the bacon, till the pieces are crispy and the fat has melted, about 20 minutes. Transfer the bacon pieces to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, and save the rest of the fat. You should have about 2 - 3 Tbsp worth.

Add about a tablespoon of the bacon fat back to the pan and turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add about a cup of water to the pan and cover for about 6 or 7 minutes. After that time is up, take the lid off and continue to let the potatoes boil till the water has evaporated. Continue to toss the potatoes, and add another tbsp or so of the bacon fat. Keep tossing until the potatoes start to brown around the sides. Transfer to a large bowl.

Drop the heat on the pan back to medium low, and add the leeks and sprouts, with a pinch more salt and pepper. Add the remaining bacon fat and a splash of water, and cook till the water is evaporated, about 90 seconds. Add to the bowl of potatoes, along with the reserved bacon pieces.

Mix up the vinegar and mustard till smooth (I just put it in a mason jar and shake like hell, but I guess you could do it in a bowl with a fork or whisk too. Whatever. Pussy.) and pour over the salad. Toss to combine, and serve warm.

3/4 lb thick cut pepper bacon (about 8 slices)
4 slices crusty sourdough bread
2 Tbsp garlic oil
6 slices tomato
1 batch artichoke garlic spread
1 c tender salad greens (I used baby arugula)

Put the bacon on a rack and put that on a cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheet in a cold oven and turn it on to 400 F, and set your timer for 20 min. In the mean time, brush the bread with the garlic oil and put in a skillet on medium heat for 8 min per side, or until brown and crispy.

When the 20 min is up, check the bacon. If it’s crispy enough for you, pull it. If not, keep checking every 3 - 4 min till it is. Pull it and drain the bacon on paper towels (as an aside, the cookie sheet will be full of delicious golden bacon fat which you can refrigerate and use later). Slather 2 slices of bread with the artichoke spread, then cover each with 3 slices tomato, half the greens, half the bacon, and the non-artichoked piece of bread. Cut in half, enjoy, then eat the other one unless your wife wants it (my sad state of affairs).  

1/4 lb artichoke hearts
20 large cloves garlic confit or roasted garlic 
1 Tbsp garlic oil
1 Tbsp mayo 
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Throw everything in a food processor and pulse till smooth. Use as a sandwich spread or a veggie dip. 

Ever wanted the deliciousness of roasted garlic, only in whole cloves with a fantastic byproduct of garlic oil? Try garlic confit!

Software:
1 lb whole peeled garlic cloves (buy them at the asian market or costco)
canola oil (you’ll probably need at least a quart)
1 tsp white vinegar

Hardware: 
heavy bottomed pot that can fit the garlic cloves with at least 2 inches of room to spare
heavy bottomed skillet that can fit the pot (or a diffuser, if you’ve got one, which I doubt)
2 glass* jars (or a glass jar and a wine bottle with a resealable cork or pour spout)

Put the garlic in the pot, and cover with the oil by one inch. Put that pot in the pan, and put the pan over medium low heat (3 / 10 on my stove). Set your timer for 40 minutes. You should never see more than small bubbles on the oil. Every 5 or so minutes, stir the cloves gently. The cloves should never start to brown.

After 40 minutes, begin checking the cloves. When they’re super tender (a toothpick should go through them with not much more force than gravity itself), drain them, but for the love of god, SAVE THAT NOW DELICIOUSLY GARLICKY OIL. 

Once they’re cool, put the garlic in a glass jar and cover with fresh oil, and put the oil and the vinegar** in the other jar or wine bottle. Keep refrigerated for about a month (not that they’ll last that long).

* Use glass because fat and plastic are very molecularly similar, and it’ll be damn near impossible to get the garlic smell out of a plastic tub.

** Garlic oil, if handled improperly, runs a small risk of being infected with botulism. The vinegar mitigates this risk a bit.

While I am a dyed in the wool carnivore, I do have a soft spot in my stomach for Boca’s spicy black bean veggie burgers. That said, they’re WAY too expensive, so I tried to make my own tonight, and it was a rousing success. I’m keeping the recipe here for me and sharing it with you degenerates.

1 cup dried TVP (textured vegetable protein) — find it at whole foods in the bulk section

1 cup boiling water
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 small onion, minced
1 Tbsp whole cumin seeds (or ground if that’s all you’ve got)
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp rooster sauce
1/4 c chopped mushrooms (I used reconstituted, dried Porcinis, but any would work)
1/2 tsp salt
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 c bread crumbs
all-purpose flour

Mix the tomato paste into the boiling water, then pour over the TVP and let it soak in for 15 minutes.

At the same time, in a skillet over medium-low heat, cook the onions, cumin, salt, and 2 tsp of the rooster sauce until mixture is very dry, about 10 minutes.

In a food processor, pulse the beans and veg mixture until it’s well chopped, but not a puree. Add that to the bowl of TVP, then add the soy and the rest of the rooster sauce. Mix well with your hands. If it seems too wet, add some bread crumbs — I needed the whole quarter cup and I live in one of the driest parts of the country, so if you live in the dirty souf or another humid area, you may need more. 

Form into 4 large (or 6 medium) patties. Dust them lightly with the flour, put them on a non-stick or wax-paper lined cookie sheet, cover with another layer of wax paper, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Heat an non-stick electric griddle to 350 degrees, or heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a touch of olive oil or non-stick spray, and griddle the burgers for 6 minutes per side, adding your preferred cheese (pepper jack for me) for the last 2 min. Serve on a soft toasted bun with your favorite condiments. I put slices of tomatoes and a mixture of 3 parts mayonnaise and 1 part balsamic vinegar on mine.

I whipped this up tonight because my wife pulled a bunch of fresh tomatillos from our garden on Saturday, and it was so good I wanted to both share AND save the recipe.

Makes 6 - 8 servings

1.5 lb pork shoulder, cut into cubes

2 cups chicken broth

4 cups water

1 lb fire roasted hatch chiles or other hot green chiles, stems removed (seeds too, if you’re a pussy)

3 cups fresh tomatillos, husks removed, washed, cut in half

1 large onion, chopped roughly

1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled

1 cup cilantro leaves

1 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp mustard seed

1 tsp celery seed

1 tsp black peppercorns

2 Tbsp salt

olive oil

1 can black eyed peas, drained but not rinsed

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Put the pork, liquid, and 1 Tbsp salt into a 6 quart pot over high heat. If you are using a pressure cooker like me, put the cooker under high pressure, reduce the heat, and cook for 45 min. If you’re not, simmer for about 2 - 2 1/2 hours, till the pork is tender. 

At the same time, toss the tomatillos, onion, garlic, some oil, and the rest of the salt, lay out on one layer on a baking sheet and roast at 400F for 45 min. 

Toast and grind the spices, and add that, the roasted veggies, peppers, and cilantro to a blender and puree. When the pork is done (and the pressure is released if you’re using a pressure cooker), add the contents of the puree, and the beans, and simmer for 10 more minutes, to allow the stew to thicken. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and hot sauce if you want it hotter, and serve with sour cream and more cilantro.

Edit: The puree by itself makes a kickass salsa verde. Just a heads up.

Had a family BBQ today and everyone raved about the sauce I put on the chicken. I need to write this down before I forget it.

• Vegetable oil (approx 2 Tbsp)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black peppercorns, ground (preferably ground fresh)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, ground (preferably ground fresh)
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
• 44 oz (by weight) ketchup
• 3/4 c apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp brown mustard
• 1/4 c worcestershire sauce

Heat a 5 qt cast iron dutch oven (or other large, heavy vessel) on a burner over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion and salt and cook for approximately 3 minutes. Add the remaining spices and cook for another minute, till the cumin is fragrant.

Add the sugar and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, till it melts and begins to look like caramel. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and simmer over low heat for 2 hours, or until it’s reached the desired thickness. Baste over chicken, ribs, steaks, whatever.

Now, I know some of you (a laughable phrase, as it implies people read this) might be lamenting the lack of garlic (fresh or dried) in this recipe. The simple fact is, I didn’t have any garlic powder on hand and the rub that went on the chicken had plenty of it already. So shut up.