Rachael Ray's Blog, page 76

Tis The Season!

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,

Jack Frost nipping at your nose,

Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,

And folks dressed up like Eskimos

New York is alive with the holiday buzz: the tree and the skaters at Rockefeller Center, the bustle of the shoppers at Macy’s and FAO Schwartz.  We’ve all seen it in so many movies that we can practically smell the chestnuts and peanuts roasting in the street vendors’ carts.  What is it about holiday traditions?  Every country and religion and community has them.  And we all create new ones in our own families.  As for me, I’m often spurred by something I’ve seen in a film.  I know that I was motivated to move to Paris by the Billy Wilder movie Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn.  I just had to live in that little garret apartment where you look out the window, and hear La Vie en Rose, and see the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame — an impossible view, by the way.  Sure, I wanted to study film and the French New Wave but honest to God, that movie pushed me to get on the plane and go.  So it was when I was a young mother of four year old twin girls, and I volunteered to run the Christmas pageant at church.

I had seen Penny Serenade too many times with my own mother.  It’s a George Stevens tearjerker with Cary Grant and Irene Dunne.  I don’t particularly recommend it for your holiday viewing because it is very SAD.  However it completely marked me because there was a scene in it with a Christmas pageant, and I thought - Oh I could do that when I have children.  Well, I didn’t realize that signing up for one year would turn into a sixteen year commitment.  Who knew?  What can I say about the shepherds, angels, sheep, Marys, Josephs, Kings and Gabriels that I came to know over the years?  Some were just wonderful and some were not.  How did the old nursery rhyme put it?

There was a little girl

Who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead

And when she was good

She was very, very good,

And when she was bad

She was horrid.

All these children from the ages of four and up walked and ran and sometimes stumbled to the sound of a majestic choir and strains of Silent Night.  The angels held battery driven candles that were sometimes held up, or down, or used as a weapon.  I say no more and I name no names.  Silent like the tomb, as the French say.  They were a hit.

Each year we’d also make Gingerbread houses.  Barbara, my very good friend, and also the mother of twins, invited me into her Gingerbread house group.  Again I thought - Oh, I can be like Mary Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  This will be fun for the girls.  And it has been.  They are 26 now, and we are still doing it.  It was however totally humiliating for me.  All of the women in this group would put Martha Stewart to shame.  And each year, when I bring my pieces of gingerbread, so misshapen and that they would hardly make a log cabin, everyone is terribly kind to me, and finds a way to glue the pieces together with vats of molten sugar.  Then, of course, my girls decorate it so that it actually looks good at the end.

Everyone has their favorite holiday cookie.  These are Christmas Wreath Cookies and come from Pennsylvania. They are from Barbara’s mother, Florence.  These cookies are phenomenally easy to make but cause a big stir wherever you bring them because they are so festive, decorative, and tasty.  You really have to make the effort to order the teaberries which you can get from nuts.com.  Teaberries are the spicy fruit of the American wintergreen, and that special zingy flavor makes all the difference, and raises these little red balls and these wreath cookies to another level.  So please do try them, and everyone have a great holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Christmas Wreath Cookies

Photo courtesy of Barbara Stern

Description:

These cookies are demanded by all the children and family members every season.

Ingredients:

40 large marsh mallows (10oz. package)

6 cups corn flakes

1/3 cup butter

1 tsp. green food coloring

Tea berries

Preparation:

In a big pot, gently melt the butter, then melt the marsh mallows, add corn flakes. Shape into wreaths and add the tea berries on top before they cool.

This recipe and many other family favorites are available on DishandDine.com.  Stop by and become part of this grass roots global food community!

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Cranberry and Meyer Lemon Chutney

When I met Hari Nayak of the Dosateria (remember that lovely wafer-crepe place at Whole Foods) last week, he gave me one of his books – Easy Indian Cooking. The book was filled with recipes from the Indian sub-continent but there were dishes inspired by his time spent on the East and West coasts.  As I leafed through the book, I came across Cranberry and Meyer Lemon Chutney. Yummy. After all, a holiday is not a holiday without the scent of a pine tree, branches of holly and some kind of chutney using seasonal ingredients.

Whilst turkey is often served to mark the occasion back home in the U.K., for me it’s the glazed ham that gives me a reason to be excited. Now imagine thin slices of roasted-glazed ham with a chutney of cranberry and Meyer lemons. Pretty on a plate with some lemony zing can only lead to good things, after-all when sweet meets sour on a plate, it’s the ultimate truce.

Hari was very emphatic about using Meyer lemons as they are a lot more fragrant and less aggressive in terms of bitterness. The lemon and cranberry combination makes them work well with fatty friends, such as a cheese and charcuterie board, cutting through the ‘waxy’ texture.

After making tomato chutney a few months ago, I realized how easy chutneys can be and they even last a few weeks without spoiling.  You also get a decent amount of yield on just a few ingredients and very little ‘active’ time. Hari got me  very excited about making this. He even suggested that I make some extra to present to guests as little take home gifts. It certainly made sense to me, after all, this is a time for giving.

Recipe for Cranberry and Meyer Lemon Chutney

Makes 3 cups (800g)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

3 cloves

2 tablespoons fennel seeds

2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 lb (500 g) cranberries, fresh

Grated zest from 5 meyer or regular lemons

Juice of 2 meyer or regular lemons

2 cups (400 g) sugar

6 cups (1.5 liters) water

Pinch of saffron threads

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cinnamon, star anise, cloves, fennel seeds, ginger, stirring, for about 30 seconds.

2. Add the cranberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, water, saffron, and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the vinegar, and cook until the mixture is thickened into a jam like consistency, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, let cool, and serve at room temperature, or refrigerate at least 2 hours and serve chilled. It can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Saira Malhotra, is of British–Indian descent and is a chef, food writer and cooking instructor based in New York City. Raised in Hounslow, U.K, or rather ‘Little India’, where the air is aromatic with roasted spices, little did Saira know these moments would follow her from being a student in France and Italy to residing in NYC with her husband and kids and parlay themselves unexpectedly in to a culinary career. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City. Come visit her at her food blog: www.passportpantry.com where she shares approachable and international recipes

Chef Paul Kahan’s Newest…Plus a Couple More

Half the fun of discovering a new restaurant is sharing it with people you know will enjoy it. As Rachael Ray’s resident restaurant guru, here’s an inside look at what I report back to Rach about some of my favorite restaurant finds and food experiences!

From: Kappy

To: RR

Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 10:08am

Subject: Chef Paul Kahan’s Newest… Plus a Couple More

Hey RR -

I know I’ve spoken to you about Chef Paul Kahan and business partner Donnie Madia’s restaurant ventures over and over, but their latest one is super cool. You can just tell by walking in the place that it’s a fun project and that they have such a good time doing it. One of their restaurants is called Publican, which pretty much focuses on beer, pork and oysters - nothing bad you can say about that! Well, this new one is across the street and is called Publican Quality Meats and is their answer to a butcher shop. Actually, it pretty much is a butcher shop. PQM’s charcuterie program is serious - were talking a huge variety of items on any given day. They also have a market side of things where they sell specialty foods, such as sauces, spreads and other various packaged goods, and they make homemade breads, too. But the sandwiches are the reason I love to go. I’ve had a bunch of them: the Lamb Meatball (which is now beef meatballs); the Tuna Muffaletta (which is now a version with prosciutto cotto, chorizo and toscano); and most recently the Lamb and Pork Sausage and the Ribollita Soup, which was out of control. I also recently tried the sides of kale, slaw and the potato salad, all of which were fantastic. But wait, they have brunch, too! You’re looking at choices like an egg sandwich with homemade sausage served on a homemade English muffin and more. Go! Do it, please! You’re gonna love it! [image error]

… and then a Slurping Turtle walked in the room. Well, not really, that would be weird. But Chicago chef Takashi Yagahashi’s newest venture happens to be called Slurping Turtle. What I believe grew out of Takashi’s Sunday noodle brunch at his other restaurant, aptly named Takashi, turned into a ramen-centric restaurant in the River North area of Chicago. There is plenty on the menu besides ramen, but his spicy ramen is pretty darn good. I’ve been a few times and have enjoyed his Brussels sprout dish, of course his famed duck fat fried chicken, some of his many bincho options (things on a stick), and some of his many rice and noodle options. Takashi is a great place to experience some authentic Japanese food in a fun, casual atmosphere. I still need to go back for brunch - I hear they have some amazing bento boxes going on.

And last, but certainly not least is Lockdown Bar & Grill in the Ukrainian Village area of Chicago. They have a number of delicious burgers served on pretzel buns. Some are a little funky (keep reading), but some are more straightforward. The first time I went I wanted to experience a burger in its most plain form, so I ordered a pretty simple cheese burger (to-go) and it was fantastic. If they could wow me with a basic burger for take-out, it got me that much more excited to go for dine-in. I went ahead and got the Flight Risk, which is three mini burgers that vary each week - a burger flight, if you will. [image error] The day I was there the three burgers were The Fat Elvis (bacon, banana and peanut butter), the Hawaii 5-0 (braised pork, grilled pineapple, red onion and Makers Mark BBQ) and the Border Patrol (pepper Jack cheese and carnitas on top of the burger). Though it’s quite loud and more of a bar scene, if you’re really on the lookout for a serious burger, I recommend this place.

And that’s what’s on my plate!

~ Kappy

Publican Quality Meats

825 West Fulton Market

Chicago, IL 60607

(312) 445-8977

www.publicanqualitymeats.com

Slurping Turtle

116 West Hubbard Street

Chicago, IL 60654

(312) 464-0466

www.slurpingturtle.com

Lockdown Bar & Grill

1024 North Western Avenue

Chicago, IL 60622

(773) 451-5625

www.lockdownbar.com

Andrew “Kappy” Kaplan loves food. A professionally trained chef, by day he runs Yum-o!, Rachael Ray’s charity focused on kids and cooking, and keeps special projects running smoothly for her. By night he hops course to course, place to place, all across the country. He’s Rach’s own personal dining guide! You can also follow Kappy on Twitter to see what’s On Kappy’s Plate in real-time!

Bring a Meatatta to Your Christmas Party!

I recently got invited to a chef’s potluck party at Commerce restaurant in New York. A lot of great chefs were going to be there, I could only assume, and since the LaFriedas are also friends of the place, I knew I wasn’t going to get any points by bringing meat. What can you bring to a potluck? You know somebody is going to bring macaroni and cheese, various casseroles, meatballs, and the like. At a chef’s potluck, all bets are off. I knew that there was only one thing for me to make.

The Meattata.

The meatatta, as it name might indicate, is a frittata made almost entirely of meat. Now, I know that a classic frittata will often have meat in it; essentially it’s a big baked omelette, and there an ideal place to stick sausages or ham. But the meattata is almost entirely made of meat, with just enough egg to hold it all together. (Which amount, it turns out, is a lot.)

I invariably make the meattata in my cast-iron pan; it just looks and feels right in there. But more than that, doing it as a one-pan dish allows you to combine and concentrate your flavors through the miracle of onion deglazing. It’s essentially the same principle that animates a great cheesesteak. You cook meat on high heat and, inevitably, some small part of it sticks to the pan. Then, when all the meat has been cooked, you take it out and add some finely sliced onions to the pan. Onions have a lot of water in them. That water tends to come out when you cook them. As the water comes out, it absorbbs and unsticks those black bits, a process they call “deglazing” in cooking school. Since it doesn’t happen

fast enough when you drop the onions in, I hasten the process along by keeping the diced onions in a bowl with some warm water to cover them. Over the course of a few minutes, that water essentially becomes onion juice, and acts powerfully as a deglazing agent. As that burned-on meat gets picked up, it’s absorbed into the onions, which provide a kind of undergirding for the flavor, and all of the moisture, for the dish.

Add some eggs, some greated cheese, and some toasted breadcrumbs on top, and you have a fantastic dish that looks great and tastes better, and which, I believe, has one of the coolest names in home cooking. The meatatta I did for Commerce, by the way, was a Jewish version, which uses deli meats and is topped with a layer of chopped up seeded rye. But an Italian version with salumi, or an all-American version with roast beef and ham would also be good. (Just not as good.)

The Meatatta

½ pound thinly slice corned beef

½ pound thinly sliced pastami

½ pound thinly sliced kosher beef salami

½ pound thinly sliced polish kielbasa

½ pound bacon

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped and covered with warm water

12 eggs

A pan

½ tsp good quality paprika

1 tb butter

¼ pound gruyere or some other kind of mild cheese

breadcrumbs

1. Melt the butter in the pan and spread it evenly. Put in the meat. Cook the meat at medium high heat. Take most of the meat out.

2. Turn up the heat and burn little bits of meat into the pan. Add the onions and onion water. Stand back!

3. Scrape up the black pits while the onion water is boiling. Turn down the heat. Saute the onions until they are golden, soft and sweet, which will take a while - at least ten to fifteen minutes.

4. Add the meat. Mix everything up. Sprinkle liberally with paprika. Turn everything around with a wooden spoon.

5. Beat up a dozen eggs and add them in. Mix most of the cheese in as well. Put in a 250-degree oven. In 10-12 minutes, as it has just begun to set. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cook just until set., another five or ten minutes tops. Pull. Let sit. Eat.

Easy Holiday Baking: Espresso Bean Brownie Pie with Powdered Sugar Stencil

The holidays can be a stressful. there’s a lot to do and often many parties to attend. I don’t know about you but between November and December I feel like a non-stop baking and cooking machine. I’m not complaining but as much as I love cooking, I’m still only human and a girl begins to run out of steam by the 12th of December. Ya dig?

Since I still have many parties to attend, there’s no slowing down now so I keep a recipe box section dedicated to super simple desserts. One of my favorite simple desserts to make is brownie pie which I decorate with a powdered sugar stencil. The pie is rich and delicious and the chic dusting of white powdered sugar is the perfect decoration to take it from simple to spectacular.

Stencils are my lazy way of making something look fabulous with almost zero effort. Stenciling over a cake is awesome because you don’t have to mess around with frostings and piping bags. In fact, you don’t need any artistic talent at all. Simply find a cool silhouette of something party appropriate ie; a christmas tree, a star, a menorah or even a simple bird. You can google “silhouette” and come up with a bunch of great options.

Print the image out in a size that best fits your cake, cut it out with your scissor. Place the silhouette onto the top of your cake and dust if with powdered sugar or cocoa powder (if your cake is dark, use powdered sugar, if it’s light, use cocoa powder).

Carefully remove the paper without knocking off any of the powder. Et Voila! You look like a rock star and you didn’t even have to break a sweat.

Brownie Tart with Powdered Sugar Stencil

Serves 8

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1//2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chocolate covered espresso beans, finely chopped (you can use chocolate chips instead)

1/2 cup podered sugar, for stencil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch glass pie plate.

2. In a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate over barely simmering water. Set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar and vanilla extract.

4. in another bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. Stir in chopped chocolate espresso beans and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature before following instructions above for powdered sugar stencil.

Birthday Cookie Cake

I have always loved cookie cake and fondly remember the cookie cakes from the 80’s and 90’s. I was a frequent patron of the Original Cookie Company (I think that was the name?) at my local mall in high school - nothing better than a slightly undercooked giant chocolate chip cookie with thick frosting. Then when I was in my 20’s it seemed like every time I walked into my office break room there was a half-eaten cookie cake on the table. The cookie cake seems to have fallen out of style a bit, but I am ready to bring it back. (Note for future project: home-made Carvel-style ice cream cake with chocolate crunchies - beloved yet mysteriously absent.)

My son’s 9th birthday was last weekend and he is not a cake lover - we are all about cookies in my house. He asked for cookie cake and I was shocked when I realized I have never made one for a birthday. I used my go- to chocolate chip cookie recipe and a round standard sized pizza pan. The pan has holes in the bottom, so I wrapped the pan in two layers of foil, and then cut a round of parchment paper for the bottom. I was pressed for time so I bought a tube of orange frosting to write Happy Birthday - the easiest (and most delicious in my book) birthday cake we have had in a while.

Birthday Cookie Cake (click here for printable recipe)

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter (softened)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

scant 2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups chocolate chips

frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray with non-stick cooking spray a standard round pizza pan or jelly roll pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom, place paper on bottom of pan, and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to incorporate. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in prepared pan - you will need to work with it and it will not completely reach the edges of the pan.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until a a toothpick comes out just clean. Decorate with frosting when completely cool.

Dosateria: The Crisp Crepes With Exotic Fillings

Whole Foods Market did it yet again! They took a risk and are now reaping the rewards. When Whole Foods Market first opened doors in Columbus Circle NYC , they launched with Indian food purveryor Café Spice and their ready to go meals and hot buffet. North Indian mainstays like chick pea curry and cream of spinach with paneer flew off the shelves. It is therefore of no surprise that when the prepared foods leadership of Whole Foods Market decided to do something exciting and off-the-beaten-track, they turned again to trusted partner Café Spice. Alas, The Dosateria was born.

Dosateria is a dosa and lassi bar within Whole Foods Market Tribeca, NYC. It was the brainchild of Café Spice’s Malhotra Family and corporate Chef Hari Nayak. Dosas are one of the most common street food snacks in South India, that somehow have been flying below the radar in the Western sphere. As thin as a nickle, dosas are a cross between crepes and wafers – the inside is soft whilst the outside is golden and crisp. Dosas are typically stuffed with vegetables or seafood and then rolled in to a flute-like shape and dunked into chutnies and salsas. Chef Hari, who is originally from Udupi – birthplace of the dosa, reminisced of his childhood as his mother spread a thin batter of dosa mixture and prepared a stuffing of a dry shrimp curry.

Making the dosa

Seeing Hari’s face light up as he recounted his stories was no different to the expressions on patrons’ faces as they watched batter being poured and swirled in to perfect ovals in front of them. The customers’ next job is to decide whether to build their own dosas (choices include tofu masala, classic South Indian potatoes, pulled butter chicken, chili chicken meat balls and coconut shrimp) or select signature dosas with fun names (Jai Ho, All The Raj, Good Karma).

Customer Favorite 'All The Raj' - Pulled Butter Chicken in dosa

And just when I thought it couldn’t get better, they showed me the kids’ menu. I was a little skeptical at first, disbelieving that kids could handle that level of heat (don’t get me wrong, it’s mild to moderate on a spice scale, but it’s not exactly buttered pasta and chicken nuggets). But they were there, dragging their parents over to the counter and placing their orders. The only difference was in the cone shape versus the cylindrical version. They then rolled up their sleeves and dug right in, with their hands – the way you are supposed to.

Dosa cones for kids

Lucky me got tastes of everything. They were all great and distinctly different, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a favorite. For me it was the classic potato stuffing. There was something that hit home in those potatoes in a ‘Southern comfort’ kind of way.

Don’t be intimidated by its good looks. I made this recipe and it is similar to making a pancake, only thinner. I certainly plan to make this over the holiday period to change themes up a tad. Why don’t you try it too.

Potato-Stuffed Dosa

Ingredients

Batter

1 cup medium-grain semolina (available at your local grocery stores)

½ cup rice flour (available at your local grocery store or specialty store)

3 tablespoons whole grain flour

½ cup buttermilk

1 to 1 ½ cups water, (use as needed)

Salt to taste

½ cup cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons grated coconut (optional)

2 fresh green chilies, minced

½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted

3 tablespoons clarified butter or vegetable oil

Potato Filling

3 tablespoons of oil

1 pound potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed

¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 green chili, minced

A pinch of turmeric

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup clarified butter

Method

Batter

1) In a medium bowl mix together the semolina, rice flour, flour, buttermilk, 1 cup of water, and salt and set aside until the semolina absorbs all the water. About 30 minutes.

2) Mix in the remaining ingredients and whisk for a few seconds, adding enough of the remaining water to make a thin batter of pouring consistency, (slightly thinner than a pancake batter). If the batter becomes too thin, mix in some rice flour

Filling

1) Heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium heat, add the mustard seeds, and let it pop. Add the onion and fry for 1 minute. Stir in the green chili, turmeric and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the potatoes and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste and cool

Assembly

1) Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly brush the surface of the pan with oil. Stir the batter and pour a ladleful into the middle of the pan and quickly spread it out with the back of the ladle to form a thin pancake. Drizzle a little clarified butter around the edge to crisp up the pancake.

2) Cook until small holes appear on the surface and the edges start to brown. Turn around cook until brown (optional). Serve hot with a 2 ounce scoop of potato filling.

Saira Malhotra, is of British–Indian descent and is a chef, food writer and cooking instructor based in New York City. Raised in Hounslow, U.K, or rather ‘Little India’, where the air is aromatic with roasted spices, little did Saira know these moments would follow her from being a student in France and Italy to residing in NYC with her husband and kids and parlay themselves unexpectedly in to a culinary career. She is a graduate of the International Culinary Center in New York City. Come visit her at her food blog: www.passportpantry.com where she shares approachable and international recipes

Makeup Look for Every Hair Color

Thinking of switching up your hair color this season? Whether you make the leap from blonde to brunette or balayage to fiery red, it doesn’t mean you have to change your entire beauty regimen. All you need is one great makeup look that works no matter what your hair color.  According to makeup artist Susie Sobol (she works with beauty legend Diane Kendal), you can take a bold lip and ‘60s-inspired cat eye from a sexy blonde to a sultry redhead!

“A bold lip and an easy cat eye looks great on blondes, brunettes, and redheads alike,” says makeup artist Susie Sobol. “First, neutralize any redness with a base of foundation or tinted moisturizer. If a bold lip scares you, go for a matte finish—which is so on trend right now—and choose a red that has cool or warm undertones, depending on your skin color. Pair it with a black cat eye and plenty of mascara. Black will bring out the color of anyone’s eyes regardless of their skin tone.” Once you’ve created your masterpiece, finish with a little blush to the apples of your cheeks and sweep gel through your brows.

The most important thing to remember? Have fun! Play with different hairstyles and products, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different looks.

A Spin On A Classic: Chocolate Chip Pecan Roll Cookies

It’s no secret I love dessert. But the thing I think I love most (besides the eating) is the experimentation of it all. Each year I challenge myself to come up with new baking recipes and fun twists on classics. I’ll admit, since baking is a science, sometimes my “experiments” don’t always turn out amazing but I have to say most of the time I’m super excited by the tasty results. And tasty results are exactly what I got when I decided to play around with one of my favorite “holiday’ cookie recipes: Pecan Roll Cookies.

If you’ve never had them, they are egg-free cookies made from flour, butter, cream cheese and chopped pecans. When they are finished baking, they are rolled in powdered sugar, giving them a snowy white appearance—the perfect cookie for winter holiday fetes. The taste is divine because they simply melt in your mouth.

I was seriously craving these but I can never leave well enough alone so I decided to do an adaptation on my tried and true recipe by adding chocolate. Now, I’ll admit, this wasn’t much of a risk since, let’s face it, chocolate makes almost anything better, but you really never know with baking. I’m happy to report that the addition of mini semi sweet chocolate chips was a fantastic idea (if I do say so myself). These cookies can be made up to five days in advance so they are perfect for all of your upcoming cookie swaps or dinner parties. Serve them up with a steaming cup of coffee or tea and you will be in holiday cookie heaven.

Bonus!: This recipe is PERFECT to make with the kiddies since they will love forming the logs and rolling them in the powdered sugar. Since they are egg free, you can even let them eat the raw dough! If the cookies are a little hot for their hands to roll in the powdered sugar, have them use two forks or a spoon to help.

Chocolate Chip Pecan Roll Cookies

Makes approx. 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperarure

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup pecans, finely chopped

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups confectioners sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a reusable silicone liner or parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a mixer cream together butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.

3. In another bowl whisk together flour, granulated sugar and salt. With the mixer on low speed,  slowly add the flour to the butter mixture. Add in pecans and chocolate chips. Mix until just combined. Dough will be a little crumbly. Shape dough into 2 inch logs and place onto prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 12 minutes. Roll warm cookies in confectioners sugar and cool on wire rack.

Christina Stanley-Salerno is a mama, recipe developer, food stylist, photographer and blogger atTakeBackYourTable.com. She loves cooking for and with her family. Life is hectic, but Christina is passionate about mealtime because she believes that family meals are the glue that holds everyone together. Creating simple, quick and healthy meals is her specialty and her trick to keeping the family meal a reality, even on busy weeknights.

Follow her on Twitter @TakeBackTables

Dinnertime in Los Angeles

Half the fun of discovering a new restaurant is sharing it with people you know will enjoy it. As Rachael Ray’s resident restaurant guru, here’s an inside look at what I report back to Rach about some of my favorite restaurant finds and food experiences!

From: Kappy

To: RR

Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2012 11:19am

Subject: My L.A. Dinners

Hey Rach - my last write-up to you was about some of my memorable lunches while we were in L.A. shooting for the next season of Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off. This one will be about some of my standout dinners, and there were more than a few.

The first day I landed, I headed to Roy Choi’s Sunny Spot in Marina del Rey. I’m a big fan of him - he’s one of those chefs that does what he wants to do, but he’s got the talent to back it up. He has a few places, and of course the famed Kogi Truck, but Sunny Spot is his take on a roadside cookshop and spotlights mainly Jamaican and a few other Caribbean flavors. I started off with a papaya and mango salad with cashews and red onion that was bright and fresh, along with a side of mofongo (which may not be on the menu anymore, but he has some pretty unique sides, so you should try at least one of what’s available). The Cuban Torta, with pork terrine, prosciutto, provolone, pickled jalapeño and mustard, was definitely memorable. I was pretty full, but I couldn’t really pass up the We Be Yammin’ Sweet Potato Tart with walnut crust and Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream and indeed, I was happy I made room. Enjoy this place - it’s unique and you really will feel like you’re in the Caribbean.

The next night after we were done shooting, I drove over to Wurstkutsche. They specialize in unique sausages and the line is often out the door. I tried a rattlesnake sausage and a Filipino sausage with sweet pork and spices along with some of their Belgian-style fries with curry ketchup and ranch. It’s a neat place if you’re in the mood for a sausage sandwich, and they have more traditional ones as well. You’ll also find a second location in Venice Beach if you’re down that way.

When I left Wurstkuche, I spotted a place across the street called Pie Hole L.A, So I went. I had a slice of their Maple Buttermilk Pie and may or may not have eaten it in the car as I was parked.

Not that I need to tell you about this one, because I know it is one of your go-to places when you are in L.A., but I had never been to Wa Sushi and was super excited to finally try it. Based on your recommendations, I had the sea bream with yuzu salt and wasabi, the spicy king crab and the seared scallops with truffle.

Sea Bream

All three were pretty darn good. They were all on the smaller side, and while I did want to try more, I felt bad because I was closing them out. And because Guy Fieri had recommended a dish at Katana that I needed to try…

So after Wa Sushi, I headed to Katana and took Guy up on his rec for Lobster with Port Reduction and Truffle. It was a solid dish, I must say. I also had Spicy Tuna on Crispy Rice and a piece of Yellowtail on Crispy Rice - both excellent.

I won’t go so far as to say that I’m saving the best for last, but my meal at The Bazaar in the SLS Hotel was very special. I sat at one of the little food bars and watched the chefs at work. I ordered a bunch of small plates, picked around and chatted them up. I also met a couple people to my right and shared some of my food. Here’s what I ordered:

- Smoked Yellowtail with Crispy Rice, Yogurt, Grapes and Capers

- Pan con Tomate - this was out-of-control good

- “Not Your Everyday Caprese” - tomatoes and liquid mozzarella

- Dashi Noodles that were pretty rad and quite different

- Boneless Buffalo Chicken Wings with bleu cheese and celery - I knew this wasn’t traditional tapas, so I had to see what this was all about; plus, I’m a sucker for chicken wings

- Braised Wagyu Beef Cheeks

- The icing on the cake: a Philly Cheesesteak - “air bread” with cheddar cheese sauce injected into the middle and a few beautiful slices of wagyu beef draped across the top.

I am still thinking about that last dish. Often.

And that’s what’s on my plate!

~ Kappy

Sunny Spot

822 Washington Boulevard

Marina del Rey, CA 90292

(310) 448-8884

www.sunnyspotvenice.com

Wurstkuche

800 East 3rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90013

(213) 687-4444

www.wurstkuche.com

The Pie Hole

714 Traction Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90013

(213) 537-0115

www.thepieholela.com

Wa Sushi and Bistro

1106 North La Cienega Boulevard #201

West Hollywood, CA 90069

(310) 854-7285

Katana

8439 West Sunset Boulevard

West Hollywood, CA 90069

(323) 650-8585

www.katanarobata.com

The Bazaar by Jose Andres (SLS Hotel Beverly Hills)

465 South La Cienega Boulevard

Los Angeles, CA 90048

(310) 246-5555

www.thebazaar.com/beverly-hills

Andrew “Kappy” Kaplan loves food. A professionally trained chef, by day he runs Yum-o!, Rachael Ray’s charity focused on kids and cooking, and keeps special projects running smoothly for her. By night he hops course to course, place to place, all across the country. He’s Rach’s own personal dining guide! You can also follow Kappy on Twitter to see what’s On Kappy’s Plate in real-time!