Watch this series.  That is all I can say.  You will be amazed by the food you see.  You will be delighted by the stories the chef's share.  I will watch each episode at least twice...then I will cook.

Makes about 30 small truffles
½ cup heavy cream
1 ½ Tbs light corn syrup
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
½  tsp vanilla extract

Truffle coating options:
Flaked salt
​Sifted cocoa powder with ground cinnamon 
Almonds or pecans-toasted and finely ground
Peppermint candy-crushed
Cinnamon Sugar and Cayenne Pepper-a pinch or two of cayenne is all you need
Dehydrated fruit powder-raspberry, blueberry, strawberry

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a simmer. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the hot cream and corn syrup over it. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla and butter. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop up level tablespoons of the ganache and drop them onto the parchment. You can also use a truffle scoop. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. 
3. If you prefer a more "natural" truffle look, no need to roll the truffles before coating. If you like a more rounded appearance, use your hands, roll each mound of ganache into a ball; you may have to cool your hands in ice water periodically while you work to cool them down.
   Roll 1 truffle at a time into 1 of the coatings. Refrigerate coated truffles for an additional 30 minutes to set. Truffles are best served at room temperature.

There is nothing better than a recipe that does double or triple duty.  To find a recipe that starts as one recipe and then becomes something very different by adding or subtracting just a few ingredients makes meal planning so much easier.  

In its original form it is a sauce for salmon, chicken, beef, or pork.  You can put it over rice, spaghetti squash, or steamed broccoli.  Add chicken or vegetable stock to it and it becomes a soup.  Take that soup and puree it, add some left over chicken and it becomes an Asian chili.  To take this recipe and turn it into a Mexican or Latin dish, leave out the ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil and add in chipotle!  The possibilities are endless. My Asian Black Bean Sauce is one of my favorite multi-use recipes.  The ingredients are always part of my pantry supplies.  And, this recipe freezes well for later use.   I recently featured this recipe at a program I did for the North Reading Garden Club and it received great reviews!

Makes about 2 cups

2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbs of fresh ginger, minced
1 can of black beans (15 ounces), drained and rinsed (red kidney beans can be added or substituted)
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock or water
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
Pinch crushed red pepper
2 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
2 pieces of scallion, sliced thin on the diagonal.

1. Heat canola oil, garlic, and ginger in a saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring for 2 minutes (do not brown).  
   
2. Add the rinsed black beans, stock, sesame oil, soy sauce, and crushed red pepper. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.  Add more stock if you would like a saucier consistency.
   
3. Finish with fresh cilantro and sliced scallions.
   

Cookies:
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp fresh rosemary 
½ cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
Optional Herbs: lavender, thyme, basil 

Icing:
2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 tsp lime juice and ½ tsp lime zest or 1/8 tsp lime oil
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon milk

 Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

1. Combine the rosemary and sugar in a  food processor turn on for 30 seconds to allow the herb oils to flavor the sugar.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together with a paddle in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth but not fluffy.
3. Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated and begins to form the dough.
4. Roll the dough out on a floured board into two 8-inch logs that are 1 ½ round.
5. Wrap the logs in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes...wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 3 months if desired.
6. Cut the logs into ¼-inch slices and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake the cookies for 22 to 25 minutes.  Do not let the cookies brown or they will be over baked.
8. Allow the shortbread to cool on the pan for 5 minutes.  Remove to a cookie rack and cool completely before icing.
9. While the cookies are cooling make the icing.  Combine the icing ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth.  Drizzle the icing in streaks over the cooled cookies (I use a fork).  If the icing is too thick add more milk 1 tsp at a time.  Be careful not to make the icing too runny.  Allow the icing to harden before serving and storing for later use.  

This winter was a long one, cold, and snowy...lots of snow.  Right after Christmas I took my two enamel cast iron dutch ovens and placed them on my stove.  My plan was to leave them there all winter in the hopes that they would regularly inspire me to explore their cooking magic by creating a variety of soups and stews.  It worked!  
The idea for this recipe, my "progressive" soup came to me as I was looking in the refrigerator with desperation trying to come up with a last minute dinner plan.  Last minute because I'd given a cooking  class that day, driven 2 hours there and back and I was really not feeling like cooking a meal; and now it was 7:00pm.  Sound familiar?  
Looking around in the refrigerator I pulled out the leftovers of the herb soup I had made two days before. That would be my start.  Seeing no leftover vegetables, I went into the freezer.  Frozen peas, broccoli florets, and pearl onions came to my rescue.  Next I needed a protein.  I headed back into the refrigerator and found a container of cooked chicken I had pulled from a roast chicken we had the night before.  I put all these things together in my dutch oven with some chicken stock, placed it over a low flame and in half and hour dinner was ready!  The next day I did the same thing.   This time I took the leftover soup and added coconut milk, curry powder, and cilantro.  Now I'd taken last night's dinner and created a soup with a completely different flavor profile.  Served with a salad of greens, sliced apples, and dressed with oil and vinegar and we were set for another delicious soup!  

Soup #1…Herb Soup
Double this recipe if you are planning to create additional soups from this.

2 Tbs unsalted butter
½ cup onion, diced
½  cup celery (about 1),chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups whole milk
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Tbs fresh herbs, chopped (flat leafed parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme)
4 cups chopped fresh greens (baby spinach, arugula, sorrel, watercress, ramps, or dandelion leaves)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-low heat. When it foams, add onion and celery.  Cover with a lid and cook gently 5-8 minutes, until soft. 
   
2. Add the diced potato, stock, and milk.  Raise the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are fully cooked, about 10-15 minutes more. 
   
3. Add greens and herbs and simmer uncovered 5 minutes until greens are just cooked through and the soup is fragrant.   Puree half or all of the soup in a blender or with an emersion blender, until smooth.   Season with salt and pepper to taste.    Serve.  This soup can be refrigerated for 3-5 days.
   

Additions: 

• Raw shrimp…add with greens and herbs.
  
• Cooked, shredded chicken…add with greens and herbs.
  
• Sliced cherry tomatoes…add with greens and herbs.
  
• Bacon…dice, cook first to render fat.  Remove the bacon (drain on paper towel) and all but 1 Tbs of the fat.  Add 1 Tbs of butter to the bacon fat and prepare recipe as written.  Add bacon back in with herbs and greens.
  
• Corn…add with greens and herbs.
  

Soup #3…Curried Chicken with Coconut Milk

1 Tbs olive oil
2-3 Tbs curry powder
1-2 cans coconut milk
½ pound frozen or fresh cauliflower
½ pound frozen or fresh corn
½ cup cilantro, fresh
stock as needed

1. In a separate sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium low heat.  When hot but not smoking, add the curry powder.  Heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  The curry should become fragrant.  Add one can of the coconut milk to the cooked curry powder and whisk.  Add the curry coconut milk to the soup.  
   
2. Add remaining ingredients (but not the cilantro) and additional stock as needed.   
   
3. Heat the soup and simmer for 15-20 minutes to blend the flavors.  Add the cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve.
   

Serves 4
3 small zucchini
½ cup olive oil
2 cups fresh baby spinach or arugula, roughly chopped
1 cup fresh flat leafed parsley, stems removed, roughly chopped
6 Tbs mayonnaise
1 Tbs fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
3 Tbs fresh mint, roughly chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup cold water
Salt and pepper 
Optional:  Add 1/3 cup toasted almonds, pine nuts, or roasted sunflower seeds w/oil, spinach

1. I use the Inspiralizer to make my spiralized noodles. To spiralize your zucchini, use the attachment with the smaller holes to produce a thin spaghetti like result.  The machine will produce one long, long, long strand.  Be sure to cut the zucchini strand in a few places to make them easier to serve.
2. To make the herb pesto, place the oil into the blender or food processor first. This will help to combine the ingredients easier and more smoothly. Add the chopped spinach or arugula, parsley, mayonnaise, rosemary, mint, garlic, and Parmesan cheese (nuts too if using).  Process until the pesto is smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.  Add the water if a smoother consistency is desired.  
3. Place the zucchini noodles into a large bowl and toss with enough pesto to coat. Taste, add more pesto and salt to taste. 

Serving suggestions:

• Toss pesto with hot or room temperature pasta. Add enough pesto to coat the pasta and to taste. If you want to make this "saucier" add some reserved pasta water or water from the tap.
• Pesto Ricotta Sauce. Combine 1 cup​ of the pesto with 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese. Add water to thin if desired.
• Add cherry tomatoes that have been cut in half.
• Add cooked chicken, shrimp, or scallops for a seafood dish.
• Ricotta pesto toast. Toast up some artisan bread and spread with ricotta cheese. Top with pesto for an appetizer.