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Soup and the depths of friendship

Hell Bent – Leigh Bardugo

Disclaimer: This is the second (so far?) of two books, so there is one pretty big spoiler that will recur in this review; however, I did my best to keep it general. 

Summary: Galaxy “Alex” Stern is not your typical LA girl trying to make it at Yale—but that is mostly because she can see ghosts and her friend is in hell, but worse still, her past is catching up with her and the semester is just getting started.

“Bad news first, please.”

“We have to go back to hell.”

“I see,” he said. “And the good news?”

“Dawes is making avgolemono.” 

“Well,” he said as they reached the stone columns that marked the end of Arlington property. “That’s a relief.”

p. 392

My memory isn’t what it used to be, and these past few years have tested that even more, but I did remember the sort-of cliffhanger that ended the previous book in this series, Ninth House, well enough that when I learned that there would be a sequel, I knew I would be reading it as soon as it came out. 

Despite some details being vague from the first book, it was easy enough to fall back into the world of Alex Stern and the actually magical houses that occupy much of elite Yale. It was even better to dive back into the many worlds that the complicated young woman finds herself in and find myself at home. 

To avoid too many more spoilers than the hints given, I will just say that beyond the magic and the complications, there’s a nice story of friendships and the different ways they unfold—the ones you might leave behind from your pre-college years, the ones who get one aspect of you and those who get another, and the adults in your life who make you feel like you’re *almost* one of them as well. 

While this world does more or less revolve around Alex, Hell Bent does show different sides of this young woman, how she is in some ways perceived differently by different people and talks to them as such, but it’s still the same person underneath. And that will definitely keep me coming back again for more (assuming another in the series is on the way). 

Again, without further spoilers, there are so many moments in this book that revolve around the curative properties of homemade soup. As we find ourselves in the depths of winter now, I am reminded this is true regardless of whether magic exists in this world. 

While the avgolemono soup in the book is not further described, I have made this soup more than once, including trying to give it a little more heft than a starter. As it’s cold out, the added character makes for a nice, restorative meal. 

Avgolemono soup

Here’s what I did, using my old recipe:

Ingredients

  • 4 c. broth, chicken or vegetable will work
  • ¼ c. uncooked orzo
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 T. lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (or buy rotisserie and use about 2 c. of meat)
  • 14 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
  • Capers, for garnish, if desired

Directions

  • Step 1: In a large saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add the orzo, cover and simmer for about 7 minutes. 
  • Step 2: Mix together the lemon juice and eggs in a medium bowl. 
  • Step 3: Once the 7 minutes are up, ladle about 1 c. of the broth into the egg-lemon mixture, and stir well. Slowly add the mixture back into the saucepan, and stir until the soup thickens and becomes opaque as the eggs cook, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Step 4: Add chicken and artichoke hearts and cook for another 3–5 minutes or so until the artichoke hearts are heated through. Ladle into bowls, top with capers (if using) and enjoy! 
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New year, new knowledge

One of my favorite things about doing this blog is regularly challenging myself to try something new. Sure, I like getting my favorites written down and sharing them, and of course, eating my creations, but that’s not all!

This week’s joy, after a whole year of making breads, was learning about tangzhong. It’s a technique to get softer bread and doesn’t take much time or effort. And, well, it works really well. It didn’t hurt that this week’s recipe — in my new equipment for the year, the ever-useful 9 x 13 in. casserole dish — was full of butter and sour cream, as well as chives: sour cream and chive dinner rolls from Bon Appetit. 

Sour cream and chive dinner roll ingredients.

Spoiler: they’re so good, they were not just eaten at dinner. They were anytime rolls, and they’re already nearly gone after making them a few days ago. 

I didn’t do much to alter the original recipe, but for once, I wish I would have read the comments in an article. At least before I ran into the exact same issue and could have saved myself some time, and a little bit of yeast and milk. The recipe says to use the same saucepan from the tangzhong steps to warm a little milk and add yeast until it dissolves; mine clumped. I, instead, ended up using a small bowl and microwaving the milk for a short bit until it was warm, then adding a pinch of sugar, and then the yeast. Worked like a charm on the second go.

Otherwise, while it was time-consuming, nothing was difficult and about all of it was expected for a yeast bread, so it was a nice way to kick off the new year. And stay away from the news for a few hours. 

Such yum, much tasty.

Here’s what I did: 

Ingredients 

  • ½ c. plus 2 T. whole milk
  • 5 ⅓ c. bread flour (667 g), divided, plus more for dusting
  • 1 ½ t. active dry yeast
  • 1 c. sour cream, room temperature
  • ¼ c. sugar, plus a pinch more for yeast
  • 2 ½ t. kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs, divided
  • 1 stick (8 T.) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
  • ½ c. finely chopped chives
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Make the tangzhong: whisk together ½ c. milk, ½ c. water, and ⅓ c. flour in a small saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a stiff paste forms (per the directions: it should resemble mashed potatoes), about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and scrape the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer, which is fitted with a dough hook. 

Warm the remaining 2 T. milk until lukewarm. Add a pinch of sugar and the yeast, and whisk until dissolved. Let sit about 5 minutes until the mixture is foamy. 

Meanwhile, add the sour cream, salt, 2 eggs, 4 T. butter, and 5 c. bread flour to the tangzhong. Scrape in the yeast mixture, and mix the dough together on low speed until it’s shaggy. Increase the speed to medium and mix, scraping as necessary and adding any more flour by the tablespoon if needed, until the dough is smooth, about 8 minutes. 

Dust the dough with flour and shape into a smooth ball. Place the dough inside a large bowl and cover. Let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. 

Meanwhile, coat a 9 x 13 in. casserole dish with 2 T. butter.

Punch down dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface and stretch into a square. Roll out into a 12 in. square, dusting with more flour as needed. Sprinkle chives evenly on top of the dough. 

Starting at one end, loosely roll up dough, and flatten into a long rectangle using your hands. Roll out dough again, dusting with flour as needed, into about a 6 x 16 in. rectangle. Cut into 24 squarish pieces, in a 3 x 8 grid. 

Working 1 piece at a time, pinch the corners together to form a teardrop shape. Then, seam side down, roll the dough into a round ball. Place in prepared casserole dish and repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, making about a 4 x 6 grid. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes. 

Meanwhile, place a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. 

Whisk remaining egg in small bowl, uncover the dish and gently brush the tops of the rolls with egg, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Bake rolls until tops are deep golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. 

Remove from oven and immediately brush tops with remaining 2 T. butter. Let cool about 5 minutes and then slide the entire grid of rolls onto a wire rack. Serve warm or let cool and enjoy!

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Queso syrah syrah

Well, if you’re following along, we’ve made it to the end of the year. Good riddance to 2020, and I’m sending it off with one final dip. 

For some small frivolity in this downer of a year, my sweetie and I were bantering about who knows what when I stumbled onto the phrase “queso syrah.” As a regular crossword puzzler, I am shocked I’d not thought of it sooner. 

Queso syrah ingredients.

But as soon as I spoke the phrase, I realized this could just be an adaptation of port wine cheese spread. I found several recipes for port wine cheese, and ultimately decided to mash up the pounded cheddar with port sauce from Amy Thielen with a more typical port wine spread from Rachel Ray.

The port syrup is a very simple addition of brown sugar to port to make a little syrup-y wine. Since I used the less sweet syrah than port, I thought this especially a good addition and added a little more sugar than called for, but your mileage may vary on how sweet you want your cheese spread. 

I also think I overdid it a little on the garlic. Rarely, for me, has doubling the recipe’s amount of garlic gone wrong, but in this case, it tended to overwhelm the gentler flavors of wine and cheese. Still, it tasted good for garlic lovers, so again, YMMV. 

Other than that, I used my small skillet to make the sauce and also to serve the dip rather than rolling it into a ball, like the traditional recipe. So, I got double use and still a nice serving platter (even if it was just me and my sweetie enjoying it). 

Here’s hoping for a better 2021 and thanks for reading!

Pretty and tasty.

Here’s what I did: 

Ingredients

  • ½ c. syrah 
  • 1–2 T. brown sugar
  • 2 c. sharp white cheddar, shredded
  • 4 T. butter, softened
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 2 t. Dijon mustard 
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Pepper
  • Pinch of cayenne, optional
  • ½ c. chopped walnuts, optional
  • 3 T. fresh parsley, chopped, optional
  • Crackers or bread, for serving

Directions

Combine syrah and brown sugar in a small skillet or small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, until the mixture slightly thickens and all the sugar has dissolved. Pour into a large bowl and let cool. 

Once the wine syrup is cooled, add in the cheddar, butter, cream cheese, mustard, garlic, and peppers. Stir with a fork or spatula until all ingredients are well combined. 

In a cleaned small skillet, spread the cheese mixture. Press to create an even layer. Add the walnuts and parsley on top, if using. 

Chill for at least an hour, or overnight, for the mixture’s flavors to combine, and enjoy! 

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Beans, beans, they’re good for the heart

I have had a number of solo or near-solo Thanksgivings, so this year’s forced isolation wasn’t so bad for me. While I know it’s not the same for everyone, I do truly appreciate all those who decided to stay home for the safety of everyone. 

However, just because it was just the two of us this Turkey Day didn’t mean I didn’t go all out with my usual meal prep. I’m a sucker for traditional sides, if not traditional main meats. A turkey is too much for two people. 

So, after a busy day of cooking, it’s nice to be able to have something super simple to make.

 

Bean and more dip ingredients.

I must confess that I found yet another dip recipe from Better Homes & Gardens, and I couldn’t resist making just one more. They’ve all been so good and delightfully simple, and I wanted to make just one more before the year was out. 

This one is billed as a bean dip, and while there are both pinto beans and black beans, there’s enough else in there that it doesn’t seem right to focus on the beans. There’s chorizo (I used fake!), chipotle, cheese, and that’s just other food items that start with C. 

OK, there’s not too many more beyond that and the beans, but still there’s a lot going on, and it’s simple and a total delight. Just what’s needed after stress-cooking and/or a stressful year. 

So much cheese, chorizo, and chipotle (and beans!). Nom noms.

Here’s what I did: 

Ingredients

  • 10 oz. ground chorizo (fake OK – but add a little oil if cooking with fake meat)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained 
  • 1 (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • ¼ c. fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1-2 t. chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped
  • 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained (since these end up smashed, I think you could buy refried beans, but I did follow the recipe and it worked out well)
  • 1 c. jalapeno jack cheese, shredded
  • Lime wedges, for serving
  • Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

Heat oven to 450 degrees. 

In a 9-inch ovenproof skillet, cook sausage, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until the sausage is brown, and using a wooden spoon to break up as it cooks (if using real meat). Remove mixture from skillet and drain on paper towels. 

In a medium bowl, combine black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, chipotle peppers, and sausage mixture. In a small bowl, mash the pinto beans (if you didn’t use refried beans). Spread the pinto bean paste into the skillet. Top with the chorizo mixture. Add cheese on top. 

Bake about 15 minutes until cheese is golden and mixture is bubbling. Serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips and enjoy!

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It’s my birthday and I’ll geek out if I want to

I recently finished a wonderful YA novel called “Wicked Fox” by Kat Cho. One of my favorite things about it, though, for this foodie at heart, is the descriptions of Seoul food. Thanks to the glossary at the back, I got an even deeper description of each food item and have been making them in the weeks since. 

I’m not too proud to admit that the kitchy date night dinner of corn dogs with fried potatoes caught my attention as much as the more traditional fare. Part of the appeal was figuring out exactly how it worked; then, once I knew, another part of the appeal was a whole new way to eat hot dogs surrounded by fried stuff. 

There were not many recipes available from my usual sources. Even the (amazing) site I found to make the other traditional South Korean recipes didn’t include this more modern, more urban item. Thankfully, there’s YouTube. 

“Corn” dog (and cheese) ingredients.

The wonderful Aaron and Claire came through with several recipes, including one that was what I suspected the author was going for based on some additional research.

Now, the first thing to know is that these are not actually made with cornmeal, and that’s important because when the recipe says to roll the fried dough in sugar, it is slightly less unusual than it seems to American tastes. Since the dough more closely resembles bread than the sweeter corn batter, the sugar mostly just makes it taste more like American ideas of corn batter; that said, as a person who’s OK with slightly less sweet things, I tried them both ways and was totally fine without adding sugar. 

I also found that I personally liked the way described in the video that skips the fried potatoes and instead uses a mix of panko and dried parsley as a coating. The crunch does it for me, but I also enjoyed the novelty of fried potatoes and “corn” dogs in the same dish. 

While I mostly followed the recipes, one concession I did make is that since I wanted to sneak this into my small skillet recipes and recommend Cho’s book (not just for its Korean food items), I didn’t make them on sticks but instead cut the hot dogs and cheese sticks (!!) in half so I could try more variations and have them fit. 

They’re adorable and delicious.

Here’s what I did, with the link to the direct Aaron and Claire YouTube video provided because I loved the descriptions: 

Ingredients

  • ~6 hot dogs, halved
  • ~4 mozzarella cheese sticks, halved (and preferably frozen for about 10 minutes before cooking)
  • ~1 to 1 ½ c. frozen potato cubes, if assortment preferred
  • ~1 ½ c. panko
  • 2 to 3 T. dried parsley
  • 1 ⅔ c. (400 g) bread flour
  • ½ c. (60 g) sugar, plus more for coating
  • 2 ½ t. (10 g) salt
  • 2 ¼ t. (8 g) active dried yeast
  • 1 ¼ c. (300 ml) warm water
  • Oil, for frying
  • Ketchup, for serving
  • Mustard, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the bread flour, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine. In a small bowl, mix together the yeast and warm water, and let sit about 5 minutes, and then pour into the dry mixture until a sticky dough forms, adding more water if necessary. 

Let the dough rise in a cool, dry place for about 2 hours. 

After the 2 hours passes, mix together the panko and parsley on a plate. If using, place the frozen potatoes on a plate. If using (and recommended), place a little bit (~½ c. additional) of sugar on a small plate to coat the fried food.

Heat up oil in a 9 in. cast iron skillet (or whatever) until it reaches about 275 degrees. 

Use your hands (or corn dog sticks, if you have them) to wrap the hot dog pieces and cheese stick halves, individually, in the dough. This is where it really helps to have seen the video to get a good idea of how to wrap the dogs and cheese sticks, but I also feel like after you do it a couple times, there’s not too many ways to catch the dough to wrap it around the meat and cheese. 

Once dog/cheese is covered in dough, coat it in the panko or the potato or leave plain to your heart’s desire. Then, fry it for three to five minutes until nice and golden. Place on a paper towel to drain excess oil, and then coat in sugar before serving

Repeat with remaining items, and using the coatings as desired. 

Drizzle with ketchup and mustard before serving, or use for dipping, and enjoy! 

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This dip is loaded

Once upon a time, there was this magical world where we could safely gather in large groups and enjoy each other’s company while we shared fancy foods and strong drinks. But then darkness befouled the land, and those visits became virtual. 

While I’m not missing the commute to see our friends in the Cedar Valley, I am missing their company and the ability to share tasty treats with them on a semi-regular basis. 

Some foods are just better shared with friends, and only partially because having that many calories in the house is a terrible idea. However, this week’s decadent loaded baked potato dip sounded too delicious to wait until we can again share physical space with our friends. 

Loaded baked potato dip ingredients.

It was pretty easy to make, and honestly, it wasn’t much of a challenge for two people to eat it over a few days, though I’m not sure that was the healthiest move. But it was a tasty choice. 

As its name suggests, it’s a mix of potatoes, bacon, cheese, sour cream, and green onions. To make it slightly healthier, I did serve it with sweet pepper wedges and bread, rather than a saltier vessel. Still, you could taste extravagance in every wonderful bite. 

Droooool.

Here’s what I did, mostly following a Better Homes & Gardens recipe:

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ lb. Yukon gold or other small potatoes, quartered
  • Salt
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 10 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ½ c. shredded sharp cheddar
  • ½ c. sour cream
  • 2 to 3 green onions, chopped
  • ½ t. garlic powder
  • Bread and/or sweet peppers, for serving

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. 

In a large saucepan, bring a lightly salted pot of water to a boil and then add the potatoes. Cook, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender, and drain. 

Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to drain on paper towels. When cool enough to touch, crumble bacon, reserving about 1 T. for topping.

In a large bowl, mash the still warm potatoes, add the remaining bacon, cream cheese, 1 c. cheddar cheese, the sour cream, green onions, and garlic powder. Stir to combine. 

Spoon mixture into a 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Bake the mixture for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and turn on the broiler. 

Top the potato mixture with the remaining ½ c. cheddar cheese and the reserved bacon. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve warm with the bread and/or peppers, and enjoy (even if it’s just you, treat yourself!)!

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Peaches and bourbon, that’s my jam

Apparently I didn’t have enough of using booze to make food after last week. 

This week’s excuse is only that I have been wanting to make this peach and bourbon jam recipe for years and for some reason didn’t think about the fact that although it called for a saucepan that it would almost certainly fit in my little Le Creuset. 

Peach and bourbon jam ingredients.

Plus, I really like bourbon and peaches. Especially as I both mourn the end of summer and welcome the first hints of autumn. 

This wonderful peach bourbon jam offers a good balance of both summer’s sweetness and cooling fall flavors. 

I love bourbon pretty much any time of year, but with the cool comes the welcome sensation of a good whiskey burning through my insides. Peaches, of course, are peaking, and I can’t get enough of one of my favorite summer fruits while they’re in season. 

The only thing I forgot about is my anxiety when it comes to getting things to an exact temperature. 

From the first time I tried to make salt water taffy as a tween to my first personal blog on peanut brittle, I have a long habit of mostly screwing up this type of thing. 

While the end result worked great (whew!), it was supposed to get to temperature in 6 minutes … but the recipe also warned to adjust the temp as needed. Me, I read that as turning things down, but I was disappointed when after 10 minutes, I was still about 15 degrees shy of the goal. I turned things back up and voila, I could literally see the change in texture to something that actually resembled a jam. 

So, I did cook things down a little bit more than the 2 cup yield, but I got a peachy vanilla-y jam, and that’s just peachy keen for me. 

All that’s missing is the peanut butter.

Here’s what I did, following an Epicurious recipe I’ve had saved for years: 

Ingredients 

  • ½ vanilla bean
  • 1 lb. ripe but firm yellow peaches, pitted and cut into ½-inch pieces
  • 1 c. sugar
  • ½ c. peeled and grated Granny Smith apple
  • 1 c. bourbon 
  • 1 T. bottled lemon juice (the recipe specified the bottled for the preservative qualities)

Directions 

Place two small plates in the freezer to chill (for testing thickness later). 

Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and scrape out seeds into a 9-inch coated cast-iron skillet. Add the rest of the vanilla bean, and then stir in the peaches, sugar, apple, bourbon, and lemon juice. Mix together, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes. 

Turn on stovetop to medium-high heat, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Once sugar is dissolved, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the peaches are softened, about 10 to 15 minutes. 

Remove from heat, and crush the fruit with a potato masher until mostly smooth. 

Return mixture to the stovetop, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often and adjusting heat if necessary, until the mixture reaches 217 to 220 degrees, about 6 to 10 minutes.

To test consistency, place a teaspoon of the jam on the chilled plate, and freeze for 2 minutes. Then, drag your finger through the jam; if your finger leaves a distinct trail, it is ready, but if it’s still runny, continue to simmer the jam for another 1 to 3 minutes, and test again. 

Meanwhile, place two 1-cup mason jars, or large mason jar under hot running water until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes, and shake dry. Use a funnel and ladle to portion out the hot jam into the hot jars. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate until the jam is set, about 12 to 24 hours later. (Jam can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.) Enjoy with some toast, or use it to make a tasty PB&J sammy.

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Homemade beanie weenies, yes please-y

It was a close thing when our power was out after the derecho that I almost made this week’s recipe of homemade beanie weenies hobo-style on a campfire. My sweetie rightfully reasoned, however, that the canned food would keep; the hot dogs and other freezer meat wouldn’t.

Beanie weenie ingredients.

We had the campfire (read: firepit) going and were T-minus about 20 minutes from having a meat feast when the branches were removed from our power lines and the refrigerator started running again. Many people haven’t been as lucky. 

While I was slightly bummed I was spared from making this on open flame, especially since the recipe even called for a campfire dinner, I must admit that it was nice to have the power back, the ability to control the temperature on the stove, and use my fancy Le Creuset and not worry about ruining its beautiful lilac finish. So, I opted for an indoor dinner. Plus, fewer biting bugs were a bonus! 

What I found is not only a delicious, if sorta trashy, meal but also my favorite baked beans recipe to date. 

The meal, while it worked perfect for the little skillet, did not leave any room for leftovers, and was rather hot dog-y. However, I am considering doubling it up, so I can have a better beans to hot dogs ratio, and just more of these yummy beans. 

The recipe was adapted from a Country Living recipe that just called for beans but had hot dogs with buns as part of the meal. Me, I saw hot dogs and beans and immediately knew I needed homemade beanie weenies. Frankly (pun most definitely intended), if we didn’t like it so much, there may have been leftovers. 

*drool*

Here’s what I did: 

Ingredients

  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 15 oz. can small white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained 
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 T. molasses
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 t. red wine vinegar
  • 2 t. Worcestershire sauce
  • 6 hot dogs, cooked and sliced (I cooked them in oil in the Le Creuset before cooking the beans, but you can cook the hot dogs however you prefer) 

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a 9- to 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beans, tomatoes, garlic, molasses, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down. (I covered the skillet for part of the time to reserve some sauce, but I don’t think it was as necessary as I assumed it might be.) 

Add the hot dogs, and cook for another 5 minutes or so until the hot dogs are reheated and the flavors have slightly combined.

Remove from heat. Stir in the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, and enjoy! 

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Shelf-stability a plus for three-ingredient dinner

Well, this was a trying week, after weeks of trying weeks. My 2020 Bingo card did not have my first derecho on it, and it was not a welcome addition.

However, at this point, with no loss of life nor limb, no property destroyed, few groceries lost, and power restored, it’s quite easy for me to feel grateful for this week. Plus, I had so much unexpected free time to binge through my favorite lesbian necromancer fantasy series.

For those still suffering through the fallout from the storm, my thoughts are with you.

This week has also given me a new appreciation for having shelf-stable items in our pantry. Before the pandemic, I wasn’t a survivalist, and I am still not there yet, but I have been thinking more about being adaptable and having on-hand items that will keep. That’s part of what made this week’s recipe of three-ingredient (plus salt, optional) mac & cheese from Serious Eats such a draw.

Mac & cheese ingredients.

It’s quick, it’s easy, and two of the three ingredients will last a very, very long time, and one will merely last a long time and is pretty easily replaced. Just keep some macaroni, or other small pasta, and some evaporated milk on your shelf, and some cheese in your fridge, and you’ll almost always have a dinner that takes just 10 minutes to make.

It is great.

Since I wanted to make it in my 9-inch skillet, I could only use half of the evaporated milk — which is as the recipe called for — but if you really wanted to double it, I’m sure it’d work in a larger skillet or Dutch oven.

The proportions are pretty easy to remember (though it helps to have a scale) as it’s 6 oz. each of the evaporated milk, dry pasta, and cheese, and a pinch of salt, plus some water to cover the pasta. The evaporated milk, for us, came in a 12 oz. can, so doubling would I assume/hope come up with 12 oz. of each, but only the 6 oz. amounts will fit in a 9-inch skillet.

Plus, since I made it twice, I did learn that you can either buy a block of cheddar (or other cheese) or buy pre-shredded cheese, and both work just as well. Though I only played with sharp cheddar, it does say you can use any other cheese that would melt down well.

It’s nothing fancy, obviously, but these days, simple and shelf-stable are so welcome.

So simple. So satisfactory.

Here’s what I did, following the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. evaporated milk
  • 6 oz. shredded cheddar
  • 6 oz. dry macaroni pasta
  • Pinch of salt, for boiling, optional
  • Pepper, for serving, optional
  • Water, to cover the pasta

Directions

In a 9- to 10-inch skillet, pour in the dry pasta, and add water to just cover the pasta. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt, if using. Bring to a boil over high heat, and continue to cook on high to medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the water is mostly evaporated and the pasta is al dente, about 6 minutes (another easy to remember number!).

Add the milk and bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the cheese, and cook until melted, and the sauce has cooked down, another 2 to 3 minutes.

Season with more salt, if desired, and pepper, to taste, and serve immediately and enjoy!

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Pizza bread!

OK, I think I’m officially on board with the bread-baking phenomenon. It just took me a little longer to get there than everyone else.

I’ve long liked the calming effects of kneading and the comforting aroma of bread rising, so I’m surprised I haven’t satisfied my soul sooner. Besides, as I have shown, I’ve long loved being a baker.

Even better, after making Serious Eats’ focaccia, I perused their other bread options and was delighted to find the double comfort of pizza and bread.

Pizza bread ingredients!

It sounded pretty easy, and because it called for a pound of pizza dough, and my measurements for my favorite dough don’t lead to exactly a pound, I just made a double batch and hoped there would be some leftover to have a homemade pizza later in the week. I was not disappointed.

With ingredients like garlic, dough, pepperoni, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes, it’s impossible for it to have turned out bad.

My only issue was pre-cooking the pepperoni with the garlic resulted in slightly crunchy pepperoni pieces in some cases after baking. It still didn’t taste bad, but I question if it’s totally necessary to pre-cook the meat, or maybe I’d just cook it for the barest minimum amount of time or on a lower setting to ensure the garlic gets cooked into the butter and crisps a little.

Still, we had no problem eating all 24 knots in just a few days.

Pizza bread!

Here’s what I did, mostly sticking to the recipe, only making my own dough:

Ingredients

  • 2 T. butter
  • 2 T. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 4 oz. pepperoni, cut into ¼ in. squares
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ c. chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 T. chopped fresh chives
  • ¾ c. Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
  • Flour, for dusting
  • 1 lb. homemade or store-bought pizza dough (I used about ⅔ of a double recipe of my favorite dough recipe here and reserved the rest for a thin-crust homemade pizza)
  • Pizza/Pasta sauce, for serving

Directions

Heat butter and oil in a 9- to 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat until butter melts. Add pepperoni and cook until it starts to crisp, about 2 minutes (see note above about doing this for slightly less time). Add pepper flakes and garlic, and cook for about an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the parsley and chives, and stir to combine. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir in ½ c. of the Parmesan. Do not wipe out the skillet.

On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough in half. Take one piece and roll or stretch into a rectangle about 8 in. long by 4 in. wide. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife, and cut crosswise into 12 strips. Repeat with the other half, to yield 24 total strips.

Tie each strip into a knot and transfer to the bowl with the pepperoni, etc. mixture. Use your hands to toss and fold to coat the knots in the mixture. Place the knots in the skillet in a single layer, and drizzle with more olive oil.

Cover the skillet with plastic, and set aside until doubled, about 4 hours. Or, do as I did, and refrigerate for about 12 to 16 hours.

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 425 degrees, and place oven rack in the center. Remove the plastic wrap. Sprinkle on the remaining ¼ c. cheese. Place skillet in the oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 25 to 30 minutes. Brush on additional olive oil and enjoy with pizza sauce!