Alice Medrich's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are classic chocolate chip cookies with crisp edges, chewy centers, and lots of chocolate. They are best baked as specified on an ungreased cookie sheet rather than on parchment or a synthetic baking sheet.

EQUIPMENT

• 2 cookie sheets, ungreased

INGREDIENTS

• 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cubes unsalted butter, melted
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups (packed) brown sugar, lump free
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups chocolate chips

PREPARATION

1. Combine the flour and baking soda in a bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or a fork. Set aside.
2. Melt butter and stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt.
3. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
4. Stir in the flour mixture just until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Let the mixture cool. 5. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
6. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
7. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Remove the dough from the refrigerator to soften. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and place them 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
8. Bake for about 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown at the edges and no longer look wet on top. Rotate baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back about halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking.
9. Remove from the oven and let cookies firm up on the pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Use a metal pancake turner to transfer them to rack to cool completely before storing or stacking. May be stored in a tightly sealed container for several days.

Makes about 10 dozen cookies

Yeasted Whole-Wheat Waffles

Fourteen 7-inch round or eight 9-inch square waffles. These waffles are quite rich so buttering them before eating is not compulsory.

3-1/2 cups milk, warm
4 cubes of butter, melted
4 cups of whole-wheat flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons table salt
1 Tablespoon instant yeast
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in bowl.

2. Gradually add warm milk and butter mixture to the flour and whisk until batter is smooth.

3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

4. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours.

5. Heat waffle iron and when ready, remove waffle batter from fridge (batter will be foamy and doubled in size.

6. Whisk batter to recombine (batter will deflate). Use about 1/2 a cup of batter for 7-inch round iron and about 1 cup for 9-inch square iron to bake waffles.

7. If not serving immediately, place waffles on a wire rack set above a baking sheet, cover them with a clean kitchen towel, and place the baking sheet in a 200-degree oven. When the final waffle is in the iron, remove the towel to allow the waffles to crisp for a few minutes.

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Magazine, March 1, 2004.

Buttermilk Milkshake

Serves 4

Originally from John Lewis, made famous at the Yountville Diner. Sadly, served no more as The Diner closed a few years ago. The buttermilk makes the shake taste like cheese cake!

4 cups premium vanilla ice cream

2 cups buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped cream for garnish, optional

In a blender combine the ice cream, buttermilk and vanilla extract.

Lemon Buttermilk Milkshake: Use 2 cups of vanilla ice cream, and 2 cups of lemon sorbet.

All-American Ground Turkey Tacos

Serves 4-6

Takes 30 minutes (if that)

3 Tablespoons peanut or olive oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 1/2 pounds of ground turkey

1 can corn

3 - 6 Tablespoons Tomato Salsa or Salsa Verde

2/3 cup dry white wine

3/4 teaspoon salt

12 flour tortillas, warmed or crisped just before serving

Toppings

1 cups chopped tomatoes

2 cups shredded lettuce

2 cups shredded cheese

2 cups sour cream

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and stir until the onions are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and cook, stirring occasionally to break up any chunks, until browned thoroughly, about 10 minutes. Add the corn, salsa, the wine, and salt. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, 10 - 15 minutes.

2. To assemble, spread about 1/3 cup of the turkey filling in the middle of a tortilla. Top with some of the remaining salsa, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, cheese and sour cream. Fold and serve.

From The Well Fed Tortilla by Victoria Wise and Susanna Hoffman

Whole Wheat Bread

Makes three 2-1/2 lb loaves

3-3/4 cups filtered water, hot
1/4 cup of orange juice concentrate

10 - 13 cups fresh whole wheat flour (mill 6 cups of grain)
Step A Portion - 10 cups
Step B Portion - 3 cups

1 cup honey
1 cup melted butter

1/4 cup gluten
1/4 cup SAF instant yeast
2 Tablespoons dough enhancer
1/2 teaspoon powdered vitamin C

2 Tablespoons salt

1. With dough hook in a Bosch bowl, pour in hot water, honey, melted butter and orange juice.

2. Add the "Step A" quantity of of flour and jog the switch to "Pulse" a few times until semi mixed.

3. Add gluten, vitamin C, dough enhancer, and yeast then mix on Speed 2 until blended.

4. Add the "Step B" quantity of flour and add salt on top. Resume mixing on Speed 2.

5. Keep adding flour, in 1/4 cup increments until the sides of the bowl come clean. The final amount of flour required depends on the humidity of the air and the protein content of the wheat. After bowl sides come clean, knead on Speed 2 until gluten is developed...generally 4-7 minutes.

6. Finished dough will have a soft sheen. If over-kneaded, it will become stringy and bread texture won't be uniform.

7. Let rise 1 hour then divide into three equal pieces weighing between 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 lbs each. Shape into loaves and put in bread pans which have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Let loaves rise until at least 1 inch over top of the pan...about 30 minutes.

8. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until internal temperature is about 205 degrees.

9. Cool on wire racks.

Homemade Buttermilk

Makes 1 quart

4 cups milk of your choice

1 cup buttermilk

1. Combine milk and buttermilk in sterile jar or container. Let stand at room temperature for 9-14 hours. The buttermilk will clabber (thicken and sour).

2. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Reserve 1 cup of the buttermilk to use as starter for the next batch.

Homemade Yogurt

You can control how sour your yogurt gets which eliminates the need to sweeten it for the children.

Makes 1 quart

1 quart whole milk

1/4 cup yogurt containing live culture, I use Dannon plain yogurt

1/4 cup non-instant nonfat powdered milk

1. Pout hot water into clean jar or jars and let stand to warm while making yogurt.

2. Heat milk to almost boiling, about 180 degrees F, for 1 minute.

3. Cool to 115 degrees F (takes 45 minutes)

4. Pour half the milk, and the yogurt and powdered milk into a blender and mix.

5. Pour remaining milk and yogurt mixture into glass jar and cover with cap or plastic wrap tightly.

6. Put in warm place and allow to incubate for 3-8 hours...until firm. Check every half hour after 3 1/2 hours to see if yogurt has set up. This takes longer when using commercially made yogurt but will take much less time when you use your own yogurt as the starter. Yogurt is set when it resists a light touch of the finger, even slightly. Or you can tilt the jar to see if the yogurt holds together.

7. After yogurt is set up, refrigerate for 3 hours. Will keep about a week.

8. Save 1/4 cup of yogurt to make the next batch. Try to use this started within 5 days.

Alice Medrich's Peanut Butter Cookies

Chilling the dough improves the flavor, but if you must mix and bake the cookies, immediately, use melted instead of softened butter to boost the flavor, and expect a slightly chewier cookie.

Make about 6 dozen 2 1/4-inch cookies

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (16 Tablespoons or 2 cubes) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar, lump free

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups natural chunky peanut butter

Equipment:

2 cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper

1. Mix the flour and baking soda together thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Set aside.

2. Using the back of a large spoon in a large bowl or with an electric mixer, mix the butter, the brown and granulated sugars, and salt until smooth and creamy, not fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter and mix until homogeneous. Add the flour mixture and stir just until incorporated. Wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, if not 12 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

4. Scoop (slightly more than 1 level Tablespoon) and form dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place the balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each ball to a thickness of 3/8 inch with a fork, pressing the back of the tines into the dough in two directions. Or, partially flatten the balls with the bottom of a glass and then press each cookie with a cookie stamp or other textured object.

5. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until colored on top and golden brown underneath. Rotate the sheets from front to back and top to bottom about halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. Cool cookies completely before stacking or storing. May be stored, airtight, for at least 2 weeks.

From Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies

Chicken Bouillon Cubes

4 pounds chicken wings and backs

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

2 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 leek (white part and 3 inches green), well rinsed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, halved

2 bay leaves

2 large sprigs parsley

1 teaspoon very coarsely ground black pepper

4 quarts water

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large soup pot or kettle and bring to a boil. Skim the foam as it collects on the surface. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours.

2. Strain the stock (you should have 9 to 10 cups). Return the stock to a smaller saucepan and bring it to a boil, skimming off any fat. Lower the heat and simmer until the liquid is a deep caramel color, syrupy, and reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, 2 hours. Turn the heat very low the last 30 minutes and keep a close watch.

3. Pour the reduced stock into an 8-inch square cake pan and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, until very firm, 8 hours or overnight.

4. Cut the stock into sixteen squares, and put into small snack size baggies. Freeze for future use.

Note: For a quick stock, dissolve 1 cube in 1 cup of water. Season with 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.

From The New Basics Cookbook by Rosso & Lukins

Mango Chutney in the Microwave

1 cup

1 mango (10-12 ounces)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 Tablespoons finely chopped green bell pepper

1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Peel, halve, and seed the mango, and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes.

2. Combine the mango with all the other ingredients in a deep 1 1/2 quart microwave-safe casserole.

3. Cook, uncovered for 7 minutes.

4. Allow the chutney to cool slightly; then cover tightly and refrigerate. It will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator.

From The New Basics Cookbook by Rosso & Lukins