ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON-BUTTER SAUCE

Years ago, I would have never dreamed of ordering chicken at a restaurant. My excuse was that it’s chicken, and you can get chicken anywhere, especially at home. But then one day, a client convinced me to order free-range roast chicken at a restaurant on the Upper East Side. It was amazing. Since that lunch, I have been determined to make any preparation of chicken anything but ordinary. This chicken is special because it’s seriously simple and so delicious. Well, maybe a big part of its deliciousness is the sauce it makes for itself. Butter makes everything better, doesn’t it?

Free-range chickens really do taste better. I have to admit that I was a naysayer for quite some time until that fateful day on the UES. If you have a local farm or specialty butcher, check to see if they sell them. Fresh, free-range chickens that aren’t pumped with hormones and fed a vegetarian diet tend to be on the smaller side, usually between 3.5 to 4 pounds, and occasionally even smaller. But I promise, what you sacrifice in size will be made up for in taste.

For roasting, unless I have a ton of vegetables around the meat, I like to use a ceramic oval roasting dish that is slightly larger than the meat. If you don’t have one like the one pictured here, head to your local HomeGoods. I’ll almost guarantee you can find one inexpensively. With this chicken recipe, If the pan is too large, the sauce won’t collect and the lemons and sauce will likely burn instead of charring.

If there are leftovers, pull the meat off of the bone and store the sauce separately. The following day, the sauce will be solid. Not to worry, simply spoon some out and place around the chicken when reheating.

SERVES 4-6

1         3.5- to 4-pound roasting chicken (preferably free range)
2        lemons, quartered lengthwise
2        heads of garlic, cut in half horizontally
4        sprigs of fresh rosemary
12        sprigs of fresh thyme
2 tablespoons     butter
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove any giblets inside the chicken cavity. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels. Liberally salt and pepper inside the cavity. Insert 2 quarters of the lemon, 2 garlic halves, 2 sprigs of rosemary, and 8 sprigs of thyme into the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen string. (Don’t worry about counting the sprigs of rosemary and thyme—just grab some and throw in what fits. I added numbers simply because some people like exact measurements.)

Place the chicken in a small roasting dish (a little larger than the chicken) with sides, and tuck the wings under the body of the chicken. Liberally salt and pepper the outside of the chicken. Place the butter on top of the center of the chicken. In the roasting dish, place one half of the remaining garlic head, 4 lemon quarters, and remaining thyme and rosemary sprigs around the chicken. Place dish in the center of the oven. For roasting time, I use Julia Child’s formula of 45 minutes plus 7 minutes for each pound, and it has never failed me. So a larger or smaller chicken may be used, and roasting time should be calculated using this formula. 

When roasting is complete, remove dish from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. It will have a crispy skin and a delicious sauce of…you guessed it, lemon, butter, garlic, and herbs around it. Slice the chicken and spoon sauce over each serving. Don’t worry--the ingredients around the chicken will be a little charred, and that’s ok. The slightly charred flavor adds a little depth.

Yes, I’m guilty. I tore off a little skin from that left leg before photographing.

SWEET RICOTTA & CHERRY PASTRY

How many of you would begin to feel really ill if you added up all of the money you spent at Starbucks or your local coffee shop over a month's time? Well, I did just that one day. I added it up, and I became nauseated. I was purchasing a latte and pastry at Kirsh Bakery on the Upper West Side every morning after school drop-off. For too long. So, I became inspired to create my own version of their "Sweet Ricotta & Cherry Danish." It’s a delightfully delicious and ridiculously simple treat for morning or any time of day. I actually made it with dried sweetened cherries because cherries are not always sweet and in season. And if my investigative work was thorough and accurate, the inspiration pastry is also made with dried cherries. Enjoy it any time of year, but if you're looking to experiment during the summer, try macerating fresh cherries and using those instead of dried cherries. That's an experiment on my list!

½ teaspoon                           lemon zest
16 ounces                              ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons                       light agave nectar
½ teaspoon                           pure vanilla extract
1 package (2 sheets)             frozen puff pastry (I use Pepperidge Farm), defrosted
1                                             egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
1/3 cup                                  dried sweetened cherries

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan or cookie sheet. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk, combine ricotta cheese, lemon zest, agave nectar, and vanilla, and beat for 2 minutes to combine. Set aside. 

Lay one sheet of puff pastry on a floured cutting board and gently roll it into a 10-inch square. Cut it into 4 equally-sized squares. Place all 4 squares on the pan about 1 inch apart.

Spread 3 tablespoons of sweet ricotta on each square, leaving a ½-inch border. Arrange 1 heaping tablespoon of cherries (or more if desired) evenly atop the entire spread of ricotta, avoiding the border. Brush the borders with egg wash. 

Lightly roll the second piece of pastry into a 10-inch square. Cut it into 4 equally-sized squares. Lay one square on top of each of the prepared squares, lining up the edges. Brush the tops with egg wash and cut two large slits in the center of the top pastry to allow steam to escape.

Chill the pan of pastries in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Remove pastries from the refrigerator and while still cold, trim the edges with a sharp knife to create clean edges. 

Bake the pastry in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, flipping with a spatula after 10 minutes. The pastries should be puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. If the pastries are too puffy, you can press them down slightly with your hands. Serve the pastries warm or at room temperature.

SUMMER SALAD: WILTED LETTUCE & CRISPY BACON

If there is one recipe that makes me miss my maternal grandparents, it’s this one. Nostalgia sets in at the first bite. As a child, I feel like we had fresh lettuce from my grandfather’s garden every day during summer months. I remember washing the lettuce and wondering how many critters would surface in the water. My grandmother made a version of this recipe, as did my mom, but it’s one of those things that no one ever wrote down. Until now. Nannie Redden used apple cider vinegar and good old-fashioned cane sugar in the dressing, so I’ve modified it a bit and put pencil to paper to share it with the world. It’s not the prettiest salad, but I promise, it makes up for every bit of it, and them some, on taste. 

During late spring and summer months, the farmer’s market is brimming with heads of fresh lettuce. What kind you choose almost doesn’t matter. I typically purchase the kind pictured below (and unfortunately I don't even know what it's called...I just know it by sight). Best of all, during winter months or if you can't find fresh farmer’s market lettuce, you can use baby spinach or heads of leafy lettuce from the grocery store to enjoy this delightful starter or side. But really fresh lettuce ensures this salad reaches its full potential and tastes like summer.

SERVES 2-4

1 head                                     fresh leafy lettuce*, core and leafless stems removed                  
1/4 cup                                    fresh chives, minced (or more to taste)
4 slices                                   thickly cut bacon (about 8 slices if thinner cut)
1/4 cup                                    reserved bacon grease
1/3 cup                                    tap water
1/4 cup                                    white wine vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons                     honey
½ teaspoon                             kosher salt
to taste                                   freshly ground black pepper

Wash and dry the lettuce well. I like to use a salad spinner for drying. Place in a large glass or metal bowl. Mince the chives and add to the lettuce.

Set aside. In a large non-stick skillet over medium or medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crispy, turning and being careful not to burn it. Cooking time will vary by thickness, but count on 3-4 minutes per side for thin bacon. Once crispy, remove bacon from pan and place on a plate lined with a paper towel.  

Allow the bacon grease to cool slightly and carefully pour into a heat-resistant bowl or cup. 

To the skillet, add 1/4 cup of the reserved bacon grease, water, vinegar, honey, kosher salt, and pepper. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a boil and allow to boil for 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and carefully pour over the lettuce and chives.

Toss well for a minute or so, coating all of the lettuce, until it wilts. Divide evenly into bowls, pouring some dressing into each bowl. Crumble bacon over lettuce and serve immediately. 

NOTES: You can add fresh herbs as desired. I typically use one head of lettuce to serve two people, but it could easily serve four as a smaller side.

Blackberry Galette

I said it last week, and I'll say it again. I'm all about the berries once the weather gets warmer. Last summer, my kids and I picked almost every berry—first strawberries, then blackberries, and finally raspberries. They’re ripe for picking in that order, at least in the New York area. There was something about remembering those little hands working so hard and seeing the pride in their faces that made the desserts we created taste that much better.

This galette is one of the simplest berry desserts you can make, and its shape is beautiful, even when imperfect! Like the picking, something about its handcrafted look makes it one of my favorites. You can actually use any berry, or better yet, a mixture of berries. This yields enough dough for two galettes, but you could also use the other half for a quiche, or freeze it, if you're only preparing one dessert.

SERVES 4-6

4 cups                              fresh blackberries or a mixture of berries
1/3 cup                             granulated sugar
1 heaping tablespoon      cornstarch
1 teaspoon                        lemon zest
2 tablespoons                  freshly squeezed lemon juice

2- 2/3 cups                       all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon                        granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon                    kosher salt
1-1/8 cups                          (2 sticks + 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup                              ice water
to taste                             fresh mint for garnish

In a glass bowl, lightly toss the berries with 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and lemon juice to coat. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt and pulse briefly. Scatter the butter on top of the flour mixture and pulse until it forms coarse crumbs about the size of peas. Drizzle the water over the mixture and pulse until it comes together. (You may need to stop and adjust the dough periodically.)

With floured hands, remove the dough from the food processor, place on a well-floured surface, and form it into a symmetrical log. Cut the dough in half and use only one portion. 

Form the portion you are using into a ball. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to form a 13-inch diameter circle.

Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and unroll onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Spoon the berry filling onto the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the entire edge. Fold the edge up and over the filling, forming loose pleats.

Bake for about 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Carefully transfer (I use a wooden pizza spatula) the galette to a wooden cutting board or other surface to cool further. Cut into wedges. I like to sprinkle it with confectioners sugar and/or top with vanilla ice cream for serving. Add fresh mint for garnish if desired (I love fresh mint with berries!) 

BLOOD ORANGE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

When the price of strawberries begins coming down in the spring, I'm excited for two reasons. One is obvious--a lower shopping bill because my kids eat them every day of their lives. But the second reason is because I know berries are getting closer to being "in season" and will be sweeter and more plentiful for eating as is and in desserts. Any berry dessert is probably right up there on my list next to chocolate. 

When I was a child, my mom and I would visit Roy Rogers (we pronounced it “Roy Ro-jhay’s”) just to order the 99 cents strawberry shortcake. It was made with a thick biscuit, vanilla ice cream, and macerated strawberries. It was, by far, the best deal in town! So my love for this treat goes way back. Recently, I’ve been in love with all things blood orange, and as I was looking through a Joel Robuchon cookbook, I came across a salad that served as inspiration to create this wonderfully refreshing and indulgent dessert. When I was testing the recipe, I ended up eating five biscuits over two days, some alone and some as an assembled dessert. I'm grateful and also depressed that it's gone. 

2 pounds                           fresh strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
1/3 cup                               granulated sugar

2 cups                                all-purpose flour                
3 tablespoons                    granulated sugar
1 tablespoon                       baking powder
½ teaspoon                        kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons                     blood orange zest
½ cup (1 stick)                     cold unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons                     freshly squeezed blood orange juice
¾ cup                                  cold heavy cream

1 ¼ cup                                 cold heavy cream
1/4 cup                                  granulated sugar
1 teaspoon                            blood orange zest
1/3 cup                                  freshly squeezed blood orange juice
to taste                                 fresh mint, julienned, for garnish

Wash, hull and thickly slice the strawberries and place in a glass bowl. Sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar over strawberries and toss gently to coat. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a separate bowl, combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry fork, cut in the butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs about the size of peas.

Add 2 tablespoons of juice and ¾ cup heavy cream and mix until just evenly moistened. With floured hands, form the dough into a ball and place on a floured surface. (You will see clumps of butter in the dough.)

With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about ¾-inch thick. Using a 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter, cut eight biscuits. (It will require you to re-roll the scraps after the first cut.)

Place biscuits 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Move to a wire rack and allow to cool slightly. 

While the biscuits bake, in the bowl of an electric mixer with a wire whisk, combine 1-1/3 cup heavy cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon orange zest, and ¼ cup orange juice. Whisk on high until it forms firm peaks.

Slice the shortcakes in half horizontally. Place strawberries with some juice on top of the bottom half. Top strawberries with whipped cream and then top of biscuit. Add fresh mint if desired. Drizzle with extra strawberries and juice if desired.

 Dig in!  

PROSCIUTTO, SUNDRIED TOMATO & GOAT CHEESE PIZZA

It's Friday, so that can only mean one thing: PIZZA FRIDAY! I’m dedicating this pizza to my dear friend, Ellen, who I think I’ve served pizza to at least 50% of the time she’s visited. This is a spin on a traditional margarita pizza. It's truly delicious and super simple. It reminds me of a fancy flatbread one might order at a chic and trendy restaurant. Goat cheese pairs really well with a few foods, and I believe sundried tomatoes is one of them.

When I’m eating prosciutto alone, I like San Daniele, so I tend to use it on my pizza, as well. But any prosciutto you like will do. You can often purchase sundried tomatoes already julienned. If they’re in oil, make sure you rinse and drain them first so you don't have an oily pizza. I’m giving you permission to use a ready-made sauce because I do. My one rule about using store-bought ingredients is that you should be able to recognize everything in the ingredient listing, and there are tons of tomato sauces that meet this criterion. The best thing about pizza is that you can add as much or as little of any topping as you want, making it a low-stress meal option.

If you made pizza dough from last week's pizza (Bobby Flay's dough on attached recipe card) and froze the other half, now is the time to unthaw it. But I'm also giving you permission to purchase ready-made frozen or fresh pizza dough. Whole Foods makes a great multi-grain frozen dough. Or you could swing by a local pizzeria and purchase their dough. The recipe below assumes you’re using a pizza stone, but feel free to use a good old-fashioned pizza pan or cookie sheet if you don’t have a stone. You’ll just need to adjust the baking temperature and time. 

6 slices                     thinly sliced prosciutto, roughly chopped
½ cup                        sundried tomatoes, rinsed and drained, julienned
12 medium                 fresh basil leaves, julienned (about ½ cup unpacked)
4 – 6 oz                     goat cheese, room temperature
1 ball                          pizza dough, room temperature
1 teaspoon                 olive oil
1 cup                          tomato basil pasta sauce (store-bought or your own)
1/8 teaspoon              kosher salt
5-6 medium               fresh basil leaves, julienned, for garnish
                                   all-purpose flour for rolling out dough

Preheat pizza stone in oven at 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

Topping Prep: Roughly chop the prosciutto into 1-2 inch pieces. Rinse, drain, and pat dry the sundried tomatoes if in oil. Julienne them if not already cut. To julienne the basil leaves, stack them on top of one another flat. Roll them tightly into a cylinder lengthwise and then slice the cylinder about every ¼ inch.

Prepare pizza dough. Lightly flour a wooden cutting board or smooth surface and rolling pin. Roll out pizza dough into a large circle about 12 inches in diameter to form the crust. Lightly flour wooden pizza spatula and move crust onto it. Using your fingers, pinch a narrow rim around the perimeter of the crust.

Using a pastry brush, spread 1 teaspoon olive oil over the crust, followed by salt, avoiding the rimmed edge. Spread sauce over crust, avoiding the rimmed edge. Place prosciutto on top of sauce, followed by sundried tomatoes, and then fresh basil. Pinch off small pieces of goat cheese to sprinkle over pizza. 

Slide pizza onto pizza stone in oven and bake for 8 minutes.

Remove from oven using wooden spatula and allow to cool on cutting board for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle the rest of the fresh basil over entire pizza if desired.

PIZZA FRIDAY: CARAMELIZED ONION, BALSAMIC & FONTINA PIZZA

When my oldest son was in his final year of pre-school, they had "Pizza Friday" once a month. Some kids wanted Pizza Friday every Friday, but their teacher thought they would surely tire of the same pizza after a few months. But pizza every Friday might not be so bad if there was some variety...not just your plain cheese pizza over tomato sauce. So occasionally, on a Friday (or leading up to it so you have time to procure the ingredients), I'd like to give you pizza with a twist so that if you're spending a Friday night at home, your "Pizza Friday" feels a little more special.

Before I dive into the pizza, I would strongly suggest investing in a pizza stone and wooden spatula. It makes pizza making and baking SO much easier. And it makes me feel so much more professional. (Insert smiling/winking emoji.) We got one as a wedding gift about 12 years ago, and this version from Williams-Sonoma is very similar but also includes a frame (which seems like a nice enhancement).  

Our first Pizza Friday is filled with onions. I love them. I inherited that love from my dad who can eat them like apples. Preferably Vidalia (sweet) onions, but he's also been known to eat a sandwich with green onions hanging out of both ends. That said, you don't have to be that extreme of an onion lover to enjoy this pizza. Caramelizing the onions brings out their natural sweetness so they're less onion-y. And cooking off the balsamic vinegar and drizzling with balsamic glaze gives this delish dish even more sweetness to enjoy. I love fresh thyme with onions and shallots, and the fontina cheese is a nice diversion from mozzarella. 

One final note: It is Friday night. So don't feel pressure to make your own pizza dough or your own balsamic glaze. I'm including recipes for both in the printable recipe card, but you can save yourself some time and stress by purchasing pizza dough from a local pizzeria or grocery store. Whole Foods sells a frozen multi-grain dough if you want to feel a little better about eating pizza. For any dough, be sure to allow it to come to room temperature before rolling out. Balsamic glaze is also available in a bottle, and I particularly love the one sold at Trader Joe's. Have a great weekend!

1 ½ tablespoons                 good olive oil
1 large                                 sweet (Vidalia) onion, sliced
1 large                                 red onion, sliced
2 large                                shallots (about 1 heaping cup once sliced)
1 ½ teaspoons                     kosher salt
to taste                               freshly ground pepper
1 ½ tablespoons                  fresh thyme, minced
¼ cup                                  good balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon                          good olive oil
¾ pound                             fontina cheese, grated
1 ball                                   pizza dough, recipe provided (or store bought)  
                                            all-purpose flour for rolling out dough
                                            balsamic glaze for drizzling, recipe provided (or store bought)

Preheat pizza stone in oven at 500 degrees for at least 30 minutes.

Once peeled, cut onions in half through the core, and then slice about ¼-inch thick, discarding core. Slice shallots to ¼-inch thickness.

Heat 1½ tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions and shallots, thyme, 1½ teaspoons salt, and pepper to pan. Cook for about 12 minutes, tossing every 1-2 minutes until most onions are golden brown.

Pour balsamic vinegar over onions, increase heat to high, and toss to coat for 1 minute. Vinegar will cook off under high heat. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

While the onions cool, grate cheese into a bowl and set aside.

Prepare pizza dough. Lightly flour a wooden cutting board or smooth surface and rolling pin. Roll out pizza dough into a large circle about 12 inches in diameter to form the crust. Lightly flour wooden spatula and move crust onto it. Using your fingers, pinch a narrow rim around the perimeter of the crust. Using a pastry brush, spread 1 teaspoon olive oil over the crust, avoiding the rimmed edge.

Spread onion mixture over crust. Sprinkle cheese on top of onions. Place on pizza stone in oven for 8 minutes.

Remove from oven using wooden spatula and allow to cool on cutting board for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

LEMON RICOTTA TOAST WITH SMOKED SALMON & FRIED CAPERS

Easter Sunday and Passover are here! I wish you all a wonderful holiday! While this meal can’t be served for Passover due to its use of bread, you can certainly put it on your list to enjoy after the holiday has passed. For those of you celebrating Easter, this could provide a nice twist for your Easter brunch.

If you ever visit New York City, your visit isn’t complete until you’ve had a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon or lox. And if you live in NYC and enjoy fish, chances are it’s a “sandwich” you consume with regular frequency. A recipe from my idol, Ina Garten, inspired part of this creation. Ina makes a whipped feta spread for a crostini appetizer, and it’s in my top 10. So I decided to try a modified version of the spread using ricotta cheese, served with one of my favorite NYC weekend breakfast staples: smoked salmon. This is a very simple breakfast to prepare and serve. It’s a traditional meal with a spin. Or as Ina would say, “taken up a notch.” I tend to become obsessed with certain flavors and ingredients for short periods of time. My latest obsession is fried capers, and personally, I think they complement any smoked salmon just perfectly. I often use pastrami salmon from Barney Greengrass in NYC. If  you ever come to town or find it elsewhere, don’t pass up a chance to try it! 

The great thing about this recipe is that outside of the lemon ricotta spread, it’s sort of tough to mess up (and even that part is relatively straightforward). Everything can be made ahead, and when your guests arrive, simply toast their bread and allow them to assemble. How’s that for a delicious, low-stress food to serve your guests!

¾ cup                               part-skim ricotta cheese
¼ cup                               cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons                  freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon                        fresh lemon zest
2 teaspoons                     extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon                      kosher salt
to taste                             freshly ground black pepper        

¼ - ½ cup                          extra virgin olive oil
½ cup                                non-pareil capers, rinsed and drained
¼ cup                                all-purpose flour for dredging

1.5 pounds                        smoked salmon or lox
1 loaf                                 fresh bread, such as sourdough or country round, sliced ¼-inch thick
¼ - ½ cup                          fresh dill, fronds minced with thick stems removed

For the lemon cheese spread, place the ricotta and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse to combine. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and process until smooth and creamy. Set aside in a bowl. Can be made one day ahead and refrigerated.

Place flour in a small bowl and dredge capers in it. Scoop up the capers and use a tightly bound wire mesh handheld strainer (or colander--the net is what’s important) to shake off the excess flour. In a large, non-stick skillet over medium–high heat, add the olive oil until it’s about 1/8 inch deep in the pan.  Once hot, add the capers in a single layer. Fry for 3 minutes, shaking the pan periodically to ensure even frying and that they don’t burn. With a slotted spoon (with holes small enough to hold the capers), remove capers from the pan and place on a paper towel.

Mince dill (excluding thick stems). Toast or grill bread. Spread lemon ricotta on toast. Top with smoked salmon/lox as desired. Sprinkle with fresh dill and fried capers. Enjoy! 

(MY FAVORITE MISTAKE) OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Out of everything I make, these cookies have to be the most coveted amongst my friends, and they've been that way for a very long time. Some of my friends ask me to ship them to a different state, even though I've provided them with the recipe. A few times. They swear they don't taste the same when they attempt them on their own. (I'm not sure I believe them!) Until recently, my recipe was basically the same for years.

Have any of you ever read the book Beautiful Oops!? If you haven't, you should. It's a children's book that I purchased for my older son when he was having a difficult time accepting when things, sometimes very insignificant things, weren't perfect. The book provides examples of things that initially appear to be accidents or mistakes, but then shows how beauty and magic can be created because of and from those mistakes. Much like these cookies...

My younger son was "helping" me make these cookies one day. He loves to bake, and he's actually very precise with his measurements, something extremely important in baking (not so much in cooking). But occasionally he becomes a little overzealous when dumping ingredients into the bowl. On this auspicious occasion, he added more than double the required salt while my back was turned grabbing the cinnamon. We baked them anyway, and they were the best batch of cookies I'd ever made! So now, in addition, to the updated amount of salt, I sprinkle coarse sea salt on the cookie dough just before baking. The result is sheer indulgence and comfort all at once.

1 cup (2 sticks)                     unsalted butter, softened
½ cup                                   granulated sugar
1 cup                                     light brown sugar*, lightly packed
2 large                                  eggs
1 ½ teaspoons                      pure vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons                      kosher salt
1 teaspoon                           baking soda
1 teaspoon                           ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups                               all-purpose flour
3 cups                                  quick oats
1 ¾ -2 cups                          semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips                                                      
                                            sea salt for sprinkling

*I like organic light brown sugar with larger granules. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a wire whisk, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix. Add the salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and flour, and mix until combined. (Do not overmix. Overmixing releases the gluten in the flour and can make pastries tough.) Add the oats and combine using a wooden spoon or spatula. Fold in the chocolate chips. Type and amount of chocolate chips are purely preference.

Using a small spoon, scoop balls of dough about 2 inches in diameter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 ½ inches apart. (12 cookies typically fit on a standard cookie sheet. Do not compress the balls of dough, and they do not need to be perfectly round.) Just before baking, sprinkle sea salt on top of the cookies. I use a grinder from Trader Joe's for coarser flakes, but any sea salt will do.

Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest on the pan for 1 minute.

Using a spatula, move cookies to a wire cooling rack.

Eat. Try to eat just one. I don't think you can.

INSPIRATION FROM INA

It's no secret to anyone who really knows me that I have a mild, okay moderate, okay crazy obsession with the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. I can't remember exactly when it began, but it was probably about 11 years ago when I was at my sister-in-law's in San Francisco and she made a wonderfully delicious and impressive meal by preparing most of it ahead of time. It was a mustard and thyme-crusted pork roast, accompanied by roasted vegetables and sautéed cabbage. Who knew sautéed cabbage could be so delicious?!? All of the recipes were from the Barefoot Contessa Parties! book. Like Ina, I like to hang out with my guests instead of slaving in the kitchen while they drink my wine and eat my food without me. And if I'm being completely candid, I do enjoy serving an impressively delicious meal and giving the impression that its preparation was virtually effortless. Like I'm some sort of magical superhero in the kitchen. 

Upon my return from San Francisco, I remember purchasing that very same book ASAP. Cooking quickly became an addiction because Ina made it so easy to be successful. When she introduced barefoot contessa how easy is that?, I remember "working from home" that day and standing in line at the Columbus Circle Borders & Books store to get my signed copies (yes, plural for a few of my fellow Ina fans). To say I was excited would be an understatement. Just look at my cheesy grin after our eyes met!

I think I have every book she's ever published, and between my sister, stepmother, and me, I'm fairly certain we've tried a good number of her recipes. But I seem to have a few favorites that I always come back to. So I decided to share those with you, hoping that you'll be just as inspired by Ina's greatness and my testimony that they really are that easy. I've included two main courses, an appetizer, a dessert, and a vegan dish that can serve as an entire meal.

When my friend Traci snapped this shot of me, she loved that the book's front cover was ripped and bent, showing its wear and tear from excessive use. So first up is Ina's Lemon Chicken Breasts recipe from how easy is that? 

This and all food images featured in this post via Ina Garten

Why do I love this recipe? The obvious is that it's crazy delicious! The second reason is that the preparation is about 10 minutes, and I can make most of it ahead and store it in the refrigerator until 45 minutes before dinner is served. A few tips. Ask the butcher to de-bone the breasts because most places don't sell boneless breasts with the skin on. And trust me, you want the skin for this recipe because it's one of the best parts, even if it isn't the healthiest. I make the sauce, pour it into the bottom of the dish, place the chicken on top, and cover with plastic wrap before placing in the refrigerator. I do the rest just before I'm ready to place it in the oven. I mentioned the skin--for the last 5 minutes of cooking time, I put the oven on broil to get the skin extra brown and crispy. It. Is. So. Good. 

I think a lot of people think lamb is a fancy dish reserved for ordering at restaurants. But I disagree. It is, indeed, a wonderful treat, and regardless of what it actually tastes like, just saying you're serving rack of lamb will impress your guests. Her Rosemary Rack of Lamb couldn't be simpler or more delicious. 

This recipe, from Barefoot Contessa Parties!, requires that you make and apply the dressing at least one hour before roasting, so you have no choice but to prep ahead. Do yourself a favor and buy a meat thermometer. Although Ina is usually pretty spot on about cooking times, ovens do vary, and you don't want to botch an expensive dish like this one. My kids have become lamb fans because of this recipe. It's also important with any piece of meat that you allow it time to rest before cutting. Don't skip that step here.

But what do you serve your guests while the lamb or chicken is cooking? There's a reason this next recipe made the cover of her FOOLPROOF book. Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta was a huge hit when I served it to my guests upon arrival at a dinner party. Make everything ahead, including the crostini, as they are fine served at room temperature. Assemble just before your guests arrive. The whipped feta was actually an inspiration for a brunch entree I made for my husband this past weekend. Stay tuned for that one on a future post. 

Dessert. If some sort of berry crumble was offered for dessert at every restaurant I ever visited, I would order it every single time. No joke. Perhaps it's because it reminds me of all of the cobblers my grandmother used to make with fresh berries picked from my grandfather's berry patches. I ruined a few pairs of pants in those berry patches as a child. I'd always get tangled up in something and fall on my rear-end, on a berry or two, of course. I've never made Ina's Tri-Berry Crumbles recipe exactly as written. I've made one large crisp with blackberries and raspberries that were freshly picked by my kids and me. Either way works. And don't be afraid to make this outside of berry season because the sugar and lemon zest (secret to the best berry cobblers) will bring out the natural sweetness of the berries. 

And last but not least, Ina's Warm French Lentils, a wonderful vegan meal. The first time I made this dish, I was kidless and didn't have much else to do on a Saturday afternoon. I put on some French music, opened up a bottle of wine, and went to town creating this. When you first read it, you might feel intimidated by having to cook the lentils. Don't. But if you want to skip that step, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods sell lentils that are already cooked. They are vacuum-packed and in the refrigerated section. (I would not advise using canned lentils.)  I've gone the route of using lentils that are already cooked and have not been disappointed. And during the week when I want a quick lunch, I'll simply make the dressing with olive oil, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, add it to my TJ's or Whole Foods cooked lentils, and serve them over a bed of mixed greens. 

There is no doubt that Ina has been one of my greatest inspirations in the kitchen. Each time I visit the Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton, one of Ina's favorite restaurants, I hope and pray I'll run into her. I haven't been so lucky yet, but I know my day will come. And I'm certain she will remember meeting me all those years ago for her book signing and offer me a job as her new assistant. (Can someone who knows her please forward this post to her?) I hope you'll enjoy making and eating these favorites as much as I do!