The Palermo pie at La Sicilia

The Palermo pie at La Sicilia
The Palermo pie, their heart-stoppingly delicious grandma-style pizza, is a stunner. It features a 1/2" thick, parbaked square crust foundation topped with thin slices of fresh mozzarella, slathered virtually edge-to-edge with a devastatingly good crushed tomato sauce bursting with garlic and fresh herb flavor. A sprinkling of grated pecorino finishes it off.

Mexican Hot-Chocolate Cookies

Mexican Hot-Chocolate Cookies
"These rich chocolate cookies were a hit at my house. The addition of the cinnamon-sugar coating put them right over the edge.
We enjoyed them on the first day of spring with a glass of cold milk. But I will definitely bake up a batch on a cold snowy day next winter, and dip them into a mug of steaming hot cocoa."

Mexican Hot-Chocolate Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips (not in the original recipe, but I thought they were a worthy addition)
2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined. Add chocolate chips (you will probably have to stir with a wooden spoon at this point).

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the 2 tsp cinnamon. Using heaping tablespoons, form balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place about 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are just set (7-8 minutes), rotating sheets halfway through (the recipe is written to cook for 10 minutes, until the centers begin to crack...around here, we don't like our cookies crispy, soft and chewy for us please. If you prefer a crisp cookie, cook the full ten minutes.). Let cookies cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.

kirk gets around

the "special fork"

the "special fork"

yarn wrappings

yarn wrappings

spamoni marshmallow

Smørrebrød: Salmon, Radish and Apple Open-faced Sandwich

Smørrebrød: Salmon, Radish and Apple Open-faced Sandwich
"Smørrebrød translates from the Danish for butter and bread. But there is no butter here, because it seems a little redundant when there is already a sprightly base of horseradish-infused ricotta hiding out beneath thin slices of peppery radish and tart green apple. Topped with a generous helping of smoked salmon and a delicate sliver of lemon and finished with a spray of fresh dill, the sandwich is sturdy enough to fill your belly but the takeaway is its light, refreshing interplay of sweet, tart, salty and crunchy flavors."

SMØRREBRØD: SALMON, RADISH AND APPLE OPEN-FACED SANDWICH
Yield: about 12 small sandwiches

4-6 slices rye bread (I’m fond of German rye bread that’s thinly sliced, found in health food stores)
4 ounces smoked salmon
1 small bunch radishes
1 tart green apple
1 lemon
fresh dill
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1/2 cup ricotta, drained
2 tablespoons horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
-
salt + pepper to taste

For appetizers, slice the rye bread into thirds. For a more substantial serving, slice the bread in half.

First, combine the ricotta, horseradish and lemon juice and mix together with a fork. Add a little salt to taste if needed.

Using a mandoline or sharp knife, very thinly slice the apples, radishes and lemon.

Spread a generous layer of the ricotta on the bread. Add one slice apple, followed by radish, salmon, and then lemon. (You can eat the lemon!) Crack some black pepper over the sandwich and top with a sprig of dill. Serve immediately.