My friend Susan’s mother passed away recently, just two weeks shy of her 99th birthday.  With her went the secret to some of the best brownies I’ve ever eaten.

Sylvia Cohen was a charming, gracious and accomplished woman who graduated from Radcliffe in an era when few females went to college. As was expected at the time, she gave up her personal ambitions to raise three children and support the academic career of her husband, Nathan Cohen, who went on to become dean of the School of Social Welfare at UCLA.  She was a lifelong defender of social justice and surely wouldn’t have considered her brownies a significant contribution to the world.

Yet her incomparable brownies came up time and again as her family remembered this remarkable woman last month.  Although Sylvia had shared her recipe freely, no one else had ever achieved the voluptuous texture that she did using the most common ingredients: Baker’s unsweetened chocolate, margarine, sugar and flour.  Her brownies were dense, moist and incredibly silky with a generous portion of walnuts for a crunchy counterpoint. Continue reading Brownies inspired by Sylvia →

Spring may be on its way, but the farmers markets where I live are still dominated by winter vegetables.  California asparagus has arrived in some markets, it’s true.  Yet even if it shows up where I shop this week,  there’s no question it will be expensive.  I’ll wait until the quality goes up and the price goes down.

In the meantime, we’re taking a new perspective on cold weather produce at our house with this roasted vegetable salad tossed in a sprightly vinaigrette.   I spotted this combination of brussels sprouts, squash, and broccoli in a salad displayed at Carried Away, an Aptos take-out shop, a couple of weeks ago and was tantalized by the concept.  It sounded so good, I just had to make my own.

The results were every bit as tasty as I’d imagined.  Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in the vegetables, adding a little sweetness.  At the same time, it brings out the nutty, savory flavors of the sprouts.    The butternut squash becomes soft and yielding while the brussels sprouts and broccoli retain a little crunch. Continue reading Roasted vegetables for a winter salad →

Every year I’m a sucker for those gorgeous days in mid-February filled with the promise of an early spring.  Then the sun goes back behind the clouds and it starts to rain again.  I have to remind myself that it’s still winter.

This is the perfect season for stracotto, an Italian take on a slow-cooked pot roast, steeped in red wine, mushrooms and aromatic vegetables.

My introduction to this gutsy and soul-warming dish came in the beautiful cookbook, “Organic Marin,” by Tim Porter and Farina Wong Kingsley (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 20080).  A fund-raiser for Marin Organic’s school lunch program, it’s filled with mouth-watering photographs and appealing recipes from some of Marin County’s best restaurants. The braised chuck roast was the contribution of Piatti Ristorante & Bar in Mill Valley. Continue reading Italian pot roast from slow cooker →

The one thing you can count on at the farmers market this time of year is plenty of root vegetables.  Carrots and turnips, potatoes and parsnips are everywhere.

These cold weather vegetables are especially good right now, firm in texture and deeply flavorful.  The carrots are particularly sweet.

I usually just roast root vegetables alone or with a chicken.  They’re great simply peeled, cut into fairly uniform chunks, tossed in olive oil with whole cloves of garlic, and baked in a 400 degree oven for about an hour.  Mix up whatever looks good at the market with a little chopped rosemary and you have the best of winter on your dinner plate.

Lately, though, I’ve been simmering a variety of root vegetables together and mashing them with butter and yogurt for  the most comforting of side dishes.  It’s even good  as a light lunch all by itself. Continue reading Root vegetables get the mash →

It’s not Valentine’s Day without chocolate as far as I’m concerned. No other food can match its sensuous pleasure, slowly melting on the tongue and flooding the palate with the rich, dark, almost sinful flavor of cacao.

We’re talking pudding here, but a pudding unlike any you ever knew in childhood.  This is a pudding so dense, so smooth, so deeply chocolate that it  bears little resemblance to the bland desserts of the school cafeteria.  The addition of top quality bittersweet chocolate and an extra jolt of caffeine from freshly brewed coffee make it a grownup treat, indeed. Continue reading The ultimate chocolate pudding →

Once upon a time my favorite party fare  was  the simple dip made by stirring an envelope of Lipton’s onion soup mix into a carton of sour cream.  Salty, savory and all too tempting, it was a fixture at every party. I always found it hard to step away from the bowl.

Today, I won’t touch the stuff.  All those fake flavors and dehydrated ingredients no longer appeal.  But I still love a good crunchy chip and a tasty dip.

So once or twice a year, I make onion dip from scratch, slowly caramelizing the onions until they turn soft and sweet.  It takes more work, it’s true, but the flavor is so much better.  And if it still isn’t good for me, I tell myself it’s a rare indulgence. Continue reading Onion dip from scratch →

Life has thrown me a few curve balls in recent days.  One of the most inconvenient was the loss of power, water and access to the files on my desktop computer for nearly a week.

I do have an appetizing food photo to go with this post, truly I do.  Sadly, it’s still locked up on the other computer, though. So I’m going to beg your indulgence and offer this shot of the culprit in all this–the 200-year-old fir tree that decided to depart this life during a blustery storm last week.  It uprooted and fell with a tremendous thud, crushing our water tank, blocking the road and taking down power and cable lines.

Thankfully, I had already worked out this recipe for oricchette with broccoli rabe.   Just thinking about this dish brightens my day.

It’s a variation on the Italian classic and one of the best ways I know to use that leafy vegetable also known as rapini.  The name of the pasta translates to “little ears” and the wilted greens of the sauce cling nicely to the small, cupped shapes.  Penne, ziti or rotelle will do the job nearly as well, however, if you can’t find oricchete at your market. Continue reading Pasta with broccoli rabe & goat cheese brightens gloomy winter days →

I confess I’m a gadget junkie.  I come by it honestly.  My dad has always been fascinated by the newest technological wonder and he’s built an impressive collection of toys over the years.  I’ll never catch up, try as I might.

I work to keep my addiction under control, though, now that I no longer get a regular paycheck.  That’s what makes the iPhone apps so much fun.  (I know, I know.  You have to buy the phone first but I’ve done a good job of rationalizing that purchase.)  The apps are cheap–as long as you don’t go overboard and download everything that looks remotely useful.

In the six months since I got my phone, I’ve been checking out and playing around with apps.  Some didn’t make the cut.  Others were one-trick ponies.  But I’ve come to rely on a handful, especially when I’m away from home and working in an unfamiliar kitchen without my collection of trusted cookbooks. Here are some of my favorites: Continue reading iPhone in the kitchen →

The pickings were pretty slim at the farmers market yesterday – a few greens, some root vegetables, Brussels sprouts, several varieties of apples and butternut squash.

It’s a good thing I like the mildly sweet, fruity flavor and velvet texture of the buff-colored winter squash with the long neck and bulbous bottom.  I have a feeling butternut squash going to be a fixture on my winter menus this year.

That won’t be such a hardship.  This squash is immensely versatile.  It’s great roasted, pureed in soups, or even just steamed with butter.  Continue reading Butternut squash for a winter risotto →

With Christmas behind us and a new year on the horizon, it’s time to abandon the sweets and concentrate on party fare. Cocktails and savory tidbits are what we need to ring in 2010.

New Year’s Eve calls for something a little more elegant than the usual wine, cheese and crackers – something with sophistication, flavor and flare. My nominees this year are sidecars and freshly baked pastry twists loaded with garlic and extra sharp cheddar. Continue reading Sidecars and cheese twists to celebrate →