The Good And The Bad #1

There are things in the world that I like, and plenty of things that I don't. I'm not just talking food, but in general. Every once and awhile I need to get these things off my chest, so here goes....

Speculoos or Biscoff Spread: This is crack for people who don't do drugs. What is it you say? It is essentially gingersnap cookies (of the Belgian variety) made into a delicious spread. Think peanut butter or nutella, but made from spiced cookies. It is amazing on waffles (a great example are the Waffle & Dinges trucks in NYC), spread on toast, on an apple, or used to make ice cream base. Is it the healthiest thing? Absolutely not, but you just don't use a lot of it. I know that is a novel concept, but it is possible to enjoy sweets in moderation. Buy some of this stuff immediately, you owe it to yourself.

Kale Chips (not the kind you buy in the store): Most people at this point have heard of kale chips, but I would contend that more people should be eating this stuff. The kind you buy at the store are gross. Buy one or two big bunches of kale, wash and dry, then cut out the stems/ribs. Chop them up a bit, then toss with a little olive oil, and a generous amount of salt. Bake them in a single layer at 300 F for 25-30 minutes (basically until crunchy). Enjoy. They don't have to be a snack either. Serve them as a crunchy side with a juicy steak. Break them up over an omelet for texture. Or just zone out on the couch and eat them like potato chips. When finished, you will have consumed a large portion of one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. Not a bad idea right?

Juicing: I know, it smacks of elitist hippie health food store adopted by celebrities bullshit. But...it happens to be a really good thing. One of the biggest problems these days is that people don't eat enough vegetables. In fact, I know people who don't eat any vegetables (that is a recipe for some epic constipation). I'm no vegetarian, but if I could only eat one category of food, it would be fruits and vegetables. Here is the thing though, I don't always have the time or the inclination to eat a trough full of raw vegetables. Go watch a vegetable juice being made some time. I could never eat that many vegetables in a sitting, but I can certainly benefit from the vitamins and nutrients that they contain. I promise that hitting the juice will make you feel better. Instead of a bad meal, have a juice and some nuts. You will be full, and your body will appreciate what you are putting into it.

99% of places that serve green tea suck at it: For thousands of years people have cultivated, harvested, and consumed green tea. And for thousands of years, people have known how to make it. So why does almost every place that serves green tea today in America feel obligated to royally fuck it up? Rule #1-Use water in between 140 and 170F. Why is it that every time I order a green tea I get a scalding cauldron of water. It's almost like these places are trying to defy the laws of physics and science to see if they can raise the boiling point above 212F. Guess what guys, this makes the tea taste like it was made from the clippings of your front lawn. And it isn't like this is secret knowledge or something. IT IS EVERYWHERE! We have this thing called the internet where you can look things up instantly. You could also discover this information in any library or book store (though I am beginning to believe that I'm one of the last people who find these places appealing). Rule #2-It takes about 45-90 seconds to brew green tea. So, if you can spend 3 minutes making a coffee drink, why the hell can't you brew my tea behind the counter? This way I could have my tea ready to consume. Instead you hand me my scalding cauldron of hot water that I can't even hold, then expect me to magically know how long it has been brewing, then manage to take off the flimsy plastic top and discard the tea bag (I don't even care that tea bags suck, I can work with that) without dripping skin melting water all over myself? I don't even care about the hot water, I burn myself all the time when I cook, it is just that this is a stupid system. Why not just leave the tea bag in you might say? Just because some soccer mom, who drinks green tea because the The View told her it would make her skinny, leaves her tea bag in, doesn't mean I need to (after all, she is the person who drinks the tea to make her skinny, then orders the brownie as a small snack to go with it. I love brownies and green tea, but the logic here is ass backwards). Steeping tea too long makes it taste bitter and nasty, and if we would look to people who know about tea, we would figure this out. People in Asia have been down with tea for THOUSANDS of years!! If only we were paying attention.

Food Allergies: Can we stop with this stuff. Please. Can we just get over our rampant narcissism? Some people really have food allergies, and you people that don't are ruining it for them. Currently, 30% of adults in America believe they have some type of food allergy. The truth, based on heaps and heaps or REAL science, is that 4% of adults really do. So, the 26% needs to be called on it. Reality is far different from what people say. I'm afraid to try that particular food is the truth, an allergy is the excuse. I want to be skinny is the truth, an allergy is the excuse. I'm bored with my life and I want people to pay lots of attention to me and cater to all my wishes and desires is the truth, an allergy is the excuse. I enjoy being difficult is the truth, an allergy is the excuse. We need to offer free allergy tests by reputable professionals for anyone claiming to be allergic to food. Let's expose this nonsense immediately.

The Grammy Awards: Embarrassing.

Meat grilled over fire: Is this ever not good? It is always good. It smells good, it tastes good, it makes you feel quasi primal. Instead of eating a sloppy disc of ammonia treated carcass scraps at a fast food joint, why not eat some grilled meat. Find out where people from other countries live near you, because chances are they know all about the simple beauty of grilled meat. The meat is there somewhere, you just have to seek it out.

Why Is There A Line Of Twenty Kids With Two Parental Chaperons At Starbucks: 10 Year Olds simply don't need to be at Starbucks. This is silly. Starbucks sells highly caffeinated drinks, indulgent sweets, and other assorted calorie bombs. So why are there twenty kids all ordering Frappuccinos at 2 in the afternoon? I mean seriously, what is going on? Obesity is a real problem, and all you have to do is look around to figure out why.

Thought Of The Day: America is a place where many of our poor citizens are fat, or even morbidly obese. Let's all marinate on that idea for a minute. Our poorest people are often times incredibly overweight. For all of human history, only incredibly wealthy people were at risk of being fat, strictly from overindulgence. Now, our poorest people somehow have the ability to eat themselves to a shorter life. Does this strike anyone else as completely crazy? When you see pictures of 'poverty' anywhere else in the world, do you ever see a really fat person hanging out in the background? No you don't.

Listening to: Frank Ocean- Nostalgia Ultra Mixtape

Bon Iver

Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues

Wilco- The Whole Love

The Roots- undun

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New York Pizza vs. New Haven Pizza

Who has better pizza? This is one of those questions that people will debate until the end of time. It is similar to the New York vs. Chicago pizza question. The only difference is that New York and New Haven both make pizza, while Chicago prides itself on making a casserole whose best attribute is making people morbidly obese. I recently had the pleasure to be on a road trip with two great friends who were game to stop in New Haven on our way back from Boston to fully indulge in a pizza tasting tour. I am the humble cook nyc, but there is a twist in the fact that I consider myself to be a New England boy at heart. That's right, I bleed the red and blue of Red Sox Nation, and find people who don't pronounce r's to be quite endearing. I am a born and raised Connecticut boy who loves apple cider, maple syrup, the Hartford Whalers fight song (Brass Bonanza by Jack Say), and being from the Nutmeg State (even though no one is sure where that name comes from). With all that being said, it would seem clear that I would be predisposed towards New Haven pizza love. I grew up on the stuff, and pizza is definitely one of those foods where our childhood exposure solidly informs our preference later in life. I stood in line for two hours, in the freezing cold outside of Frank Pepe's long before 'foodies', The Food Network, and the bro-tastic stylings of one Guy Fieri captured the nation. In Connecticut, people always loved food, and pizza was no exception. You know why pizza is so amazing? It is soul satisfying food that is good everytime you have it. Think back to all the cool restaurant dinners you have had, now tell me that going out for pizza wasn't just as satisfying, maybe more so. Pizza is one of the cheapest ways for a family to eat out, and no one is leaving that table disappointed. Pizza is delicious, filling, and even when it isn't that great, it is still pretty amazing. Sitting around a table with a couple of pies (that is what we call them in Connecticut as in, "How about I pick up a pie tonight?"), a pitcher or two of tasty beverages, and family or friends is a sure fire way to enjoy oneself. To tell you the truth, I need to get some pizza right now, so I will be back............................

So we stopped at three celebrated New Haven pizza institutions, Zuppardi's Apizza, Modern Apizza, and Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana. We would have gone to Sally's (my old personal favorite) but they are only open for dinner, and we breezed through in the afternoon. Our selections were the fresh shucked clam pie at Zuppardi's, a pepperoni and black olive pie at Modern, and a plain pie at Pepe's. Were any of them bad, no. Were any of them ethereal, no. They were good, solid, thin crust pies with smoky char on the bottom and plenty of flavor, but these simply were not the magical unicorns that people have made them out to be. Don't get me wrong, they were delicious, but not in a mind blowing sort of way. To be honest, the highlight of all three establishments is that they serve Foxon Park White Birch Beer, which may be the perfect beverage to wash down a couple of slices (Cheerwine cherry soda would be a close second). In fact, I can safely say that I ate twelve slices of pizza in the span of a couple of hours and the birch beer served as the perfect counterpoint to this somewhat gluttonous activity. "Here's the thing" (in quotes due to the fact that this statement is credited to my friend Ben, who usually follows it up with some sort of zen, common-sense break-down type shit), good pizza simply isn't great pizza, it is just good pizza, and that is okay. So to New Haven I say unto you, congratulations for making really good pizza, and when you want to have truly great pizza, shoot down I-95 to New York City.

Before I address what i think are spots to check out in City, I must tend to a matter that continues to bother me at a deep level. What is it about smaller restaurants, particularly pizzerias, where it is acceptable to treat people like crap? Is this supposed to make the pie taste better? Am I meant to feel privileged to enjoy your pizza, as evidenced by the disdain you convey to me for being a customer of your establishment? Listen, I'm not expecting you to roll out the red carpet or kiss my ass, but am I completely crazy to think that being marginally hospitable is too much to ask? I left all three New Haven establishments feeling like I had been a major inconvenience to the staff for handing over my money for the products that they sell. Do you not want my money? I will always be kind and respectful to you, because the truth is I have infinite respect for what it is that you do. You are collectively partaking in the process of feeding people, and I think that is honorable, and should be a source of pride for those that do it. And this is not isolated to New Haven, because I have been on the receiving end of this in New York as well. Okay, I'm done with that particular rant, so onto New York pizza.

New York seems to have more pizzerias than coffee shops, which is amazing, considering we have an awful lot of coffee shops. It feels like every corner has a shop slinging utility slices that are delicious for what they are. A utility slice is simply the basic slice that is made at thousands of shops around the City, usually taken to go on a plate, and folded for ease of consumption. These slices are cheap, filling, and relatively delicious, particularly when hunger pains are overwhelming you as you emerge from the subway. These are standard, but what pizza lovers really want, is something amazing. The truth is that I have eaten at a small smattering of pizzerias in New York. There are so many to try, that it would take true singular dedication to really produce an accurate take on everything going on in the New York pizza scene. But I have visited several establishments, and many of them have smoked New haven pizza in a big way. One of the interesting things about New York, is that you actually have a big palette of pizza styles to choose from. There is New York style pizza, but I'm no longer sure what that even denotes anymore. For a classic thin crust pie, I like John's on Bleecker (just elbow the tourists out of the way.....just kidding....sort of), and Trevor (who was part of the New Haven tasting) swears by Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge. The truth is that there are a ton of old-school places that generate rave reviews from people, and most are deserving of the praise. What is really exciting in New York is that you also have a wave of newer Neapolitan style pizzerias doing incredibly exciting things, including Motorino, Roberta's, Keste, etc. So what are my favorite places for pizza in New York? Now is the moment when I pause for dramatic effect..............and then I reveal that I have two favorite places, who do completely different things. BEST Pizza in Williamsburg, and Co. in Manhattan are where the magic happens. More to come on these two gems.

One thing I can say for sure about this whole experience is that good company will always make good food better, great food a lasting memory, and bad food tolerable through a few laughs. I am fortunate to have amazing friends, and I try never to take this fact for granted . Sharing food with phenomenal people is one of the best things that life has to offer. I was lucky enough on this trip to share several meals with two of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure to know (the drive to Somerville not withstanding), and it all reminded me of why I love food so much. It is never simply about the food, but instead about people, context, and the joy of living.

A Tomato Sauce For All Seasons, and Why Your Freezer Is Important

I've been thinking more and more about the strange things we consume these days. Our grocery stores are filled with products that are highly processed, often times not even resembling food itself. Most grocery stores only contain somewhere in the neighborhood of 5% of their inventory in whole unprocessed foods. Maybe that doesn't strike anyone else as being strange, but it is somewhat alarming to me. What would happen if tomorrow stores no longer carried any processed foods? I will even make a few exceptions. Keep the cheese, dried pasta and noodles, bread (so long as the ingredient list doesn't contain strange unrecognizable substances), and a few choice condiments and oils. Aside from that, you are looking at vegetables, fruits, grains, meat, seafood, eggs, butter, milk, salt, sugar, etc. What do you do? I know what I would do, but I'm reminded more and more these days that I am in the minority. Let's up the ante a little, shall we? What if you couldn't eat at restaurants? Now don't get me wrong, I love restaurants, but for arguments sake, what would you do?

The point is that I will continue to espouse cooking as a fundamentally important skill and activity. It allows you the opportunity to eat real food, instead of a warped science experiment passed off as an edible substance. Is there any debate about the superiority of a diet composed of unprocessed or minimally processed food? The only debate might come from the people who are selling you sugar laden breakfast cereal with claims of superior health benefits. When did we all become stupid enough to believe that cereal with marshmallows in it is a great choice for health? Really? I happen to think marshmallows are pretty tasty, but I've never put one in my mouth thinking it was rounding out deficiencies in my diet. If you ever want to have a good time, wander the aisles of a supermarket and notice how many processed foods have labels claiming righteous health benefits (if you don't at least have a slight chuckle you may have been lost to processed food forever). It seems strange that with all this 'healthy' food at our fingertips we are getting fatter and unhealthier as a nation. How did we get here? In my humble opinion, we got here because we don't know how to cook, or are too lazy to do so. I know you are busy, most people are, but cooking can and should be incorporated into daily life. I promise you that the closer you get to your food, the happier you will become.

With all this in mind, I can think of no more striking an example of our separation from good food than the average American freezer. Open up most people's freezers and what do you find? Typically it is cornucopia of processed foods, in colorful packages designed to blind you to what really lies inside. Often times these products are laden with preservatives. Let's ponder that for a second. Hopefully it just hit you that a freezer is an amazing piece of technology that can actually safely preserve food. So instead of using it as a storage bay for for the byproducts of a chemical laboratory, why not fill it with food that you cooked for the times when life is incredibly busy. I suppose it would only be fair to reveal the contents of my freezer. Sweet potato gnocchi, tomato sauce, chicken stock, speculoos ice cream, pork and leek potsticker dumplings, pie crust dough, and ice cubes. All of those things are homemade when I had time, and ready to go when I don't have a surplus of time to cook.

As a gift to you, in your quest to reclaim your freezer and your sanity, I give you my recipe for tomato sauce. It freezes well, and could last months, though it never does in my house. It can be stored in small containers that allow you to use only what you need. I use it with pasta, to braise meats in, with vegetables, in soups for flavor. It is awesome if I do say so myself. I will right a future post about how to sauce pasta, because it is one of the single easiest home cooking errors to fix.

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

4 28 oz. cans of good Italian style tomatoes (I use LaValle)

1 small carrot (finely grated, or chopped super fine)

1 medium onion (finely chopped)

4-8 cloves of garlic chopped (depending on how much you like garlic)

some herbs (fresh basil or thyme is great, dried oregano and thyme is also acceptable)

1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

salt

3/4 cup of olive oil

(I am not a great recipe writer so bear with me)

1. In a small pot warm a 1/2 cup of olive oil over low heat. Add the red pepper flakes and whatever herbs you are going to use. (A big fat handful of fresh basil, or about a half teaspoon each of dried thyme and oregano). Let the red pepper and herbs cook over very low heat for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it steep and cool.

2. Heat a large pot over low heat. Add a 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and allow to slowly saute without getting brown. Translucent and soft is what you want. After five minutes, add the carrot (this adds sweetness to the sauce that cuts the acidity of the tomatoes. You could also add a bit of honey or sugar at the end if you don't have a carrot), and continue to sweat for another five minutes over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about two more minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic, but allowing its aroma to begin to perfume the kitchen.

3. Add the tomatoes. Here is where you have some choices. You can add all the tomatoes and crush them up in the pot with a large spoon or potato masher. If you are lucky enough to have a food mill, grind them up right into the pot.

4. Bring the sauce up to a low boil, then turn it down to a low simmer and let it cook for about 30 minutes. It all depends on how watery the tomatoes are, so it could only take 20 minutes, or up to 45 minutes to bring the sauce together.

5. Taste the sauce, and finish with a little salt if necessary, and a pinch of good dried oregano, or fresh parsley. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months, or in the fridge for a few days. Enjoy.

Toll Booth Willie Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Is there anyone out there who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies?! Okay, besides vegans and their disdain for butter, and maybe people who don't like chocolate. (both groups should probably be brought in for questioning and subsequent evaluation.......just kidding!) All jokes aside, chocolate chip cookies are a treat that has the ability to warm the soul of young and old alike. So why are there so many bad cookies being served out there in the world? So many tasteless discs wrapped in cellophane packages with stickers denoting their shelf life, whose ingredient lists more closely resemble a science experiment than a baked good. How do we remedy this? It's easy, bake your own. You will enjoy them thoroughly, and I promise you will have no problem giving them away to people who will be more than happy to take them off your hands. They are a perfect addition to your politically correct non-denominational holiday party! Great for that PTA gathering that has been looming on your schedule. Be the ultimate soccer mom and bring these to the next game (just don't forget the orange wedges and Capri Sun!). Running late in the morning, coffee and two cookies will hold you until lunch. In big news here at thehumblecooknyc offices, we have decided to publish our very first recipe, our Toll Booth Willie Chocolate Chip Cookies! Now there are a few things to know about this recipe, whose name clearly pays homage to an American classic. Unlike many food writers out there (many of whom have recognizable first names) I will not deceive you into thinking that I am presenting some groundbreaking recipe. So many of the chocolate chip cookie recipes swirling around the web, or slipped into the latest "how to be a Mom" book are a blatant rip-off of the recipe featured on the ubiquitous yellow bag. They change one measurement and pretend that they spent years perfecting their perfect concoction. As Anthony Bourdain would say, I call BS! The reason people do it is that so many of our food references are built in childhood memories, and for so many people that included a batch of 'yellow bag' cookies. The truth is, that recipe makes a damn good cookie. I give credit where credit is due, so our recipe is simply enhanced. Think of it as the HD Digital Cable Widescreen Dolby Surround Sound version. After all, the original recipe was invented by Ruth Wakefield in 1930, around the time TV's first became commercially available. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be satisfied to watch a tiny black and white TV, so why settle for the cookies that people ate at the time. That being said, let's all give thanks to Ruth for creating THE cookie, the one whose impact on American culture is without parallel. It's impact has been so great that I can't think of another recipe (savory or sweet) that has stood the test of time as THE standard like Ruth's has. (As with many great things, Ruth and her Toll House Inn were from New England, and she basically added chocolate chunks to a classic colonial recipe for Butter Drop Do cookies). One final thought about cookies that was prompted by a conversation I had with a friend recently. I am a guy. I like to watch football. I love to play sports, and I don't mind being dirty. I insist on carrying heavy things by myself, even when it hurts. Asking for directions is always a painful endeavor. But I really like to bake cookies, and I am one hundred percent fine with that. I like to strap on the apron (figuratively, seeing as I don't own one) and get it done. I prefer baking cookies to hanging out with guys who drink beer, eat chicken wings, and generally act as if they were an incredibly vulgar seven-year old. Gentlemen.....it is okay to enjoy baking, cooking, or what have you. The kitchen is not off limits to those who want to retain their masculinity.

So here is our recipe (rip-off?), but read on to hear our thoughts on some important points.

Toll Booth Willie Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 sticks of unsalted butter, softened (7 oz.)

3/4 cup sugar (5.25 oz)

3/4 firmly packed light brown sugar (6 oz.)

2 large eggs at room temperature

2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups of unbleached organic all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of fine sea salt (actually just a smidge under 1 teaspoon is perfect)

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 cup of dark chocolate, preferably 60-70% cacao, chopped into small chunks (6 oz.)

1 cup milk chocolate chips (7 oz.)

1. If you plan to bake the cookies immediately, preheat your oven to 350F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

2. Place the butter, brown sugar, and sugar in a mixer. Beat until smooth, light, and creamy, about 2 min, or longer if mixing by hand.

3. Add the eggs (pre-beaten) and vanilla, and beat until just combined.

4. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to your wet ingredients and beat on low speed just until the flour is combined, no more.

5. Add both chocolates, and again beat on low speed until your dough comes together and looks delicious!

6. If you are baking your cookies immediately disregard this step. If you want the ultimate Toll Booth Cookie, cover your bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator, preferably overnight, but a few hours will also work.

7. Place the dough in rounded tablespoon like mounds on the baking sheet, giving them plenty of room to spread. Bake for 7 min, then rotate the pan and continue to bake the cookies for another 5 to 7 min. It is better to have the cookies looking underdone in the center, instead of browning, because they will continue to cook after removing them from the oven (allowing for a chewier cookie). Take the cookies out of the and let them sit on the pan for at least a few minutes before using a spatula to move them to a cooling rack.

8. Repeat

9. Eat and enjoy with family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, or random people you have never met.

Let's talk a little bit about the Toll Booth Willies, and what makes them special.

First things first, ingredients. This is incredibly important because you simply can't create something that is better than the building blocks you use. If your ingredients are sub par, your cookies will be too, no matter how good the recipe is. So.....

-Use the freshest eggs possible, looking for vivid orange yolks.

-High quality dark chocolate is a must, and makes all the difference. Valhrona is the best, but Callebaut makes some solid chocolates that are far more affordable.

-This recipe ups the ante with vanilla because we feel that it creates are far better cookie. Please use real vanilla extract, not the imitation stuff that tastes like a gas station.

-King Arthur Flour is highly recommended. It is available almost everywhere, and the quality is solid.

Some notes on the recipe itself......

-If you can, get yourself a small oven thermometer. So many people fail at baking simply because their oven dial is miles away from the temperature actually being created inside. Baking these cookies at 350F allows for a chewier cookie than other recipes that call for 375F, which tends to crisp the edges too much.

-The refrigeration of the dough really allows the flavors to take shape, and it also prevents the dough from spreading too quick and overbaking.

-When a recipe calls for room temperature butter, it usually means just that. If the butter is still cold at all, it simply doesn't cream properly with the sugar. You want the airy, yet creamy texture that only warm butter can produce.

-We bake one sheet at a time, but I employ two baking sheets in the process. The second sheet to go in should be cold. If you use the same hot sheet pan the bottoms of the cookies brown too quickly. If you only have one sheet pan, cool it off under running water before using it for the second batch.

Don't skip the dessert!

Classic desserts are something that simply never seems to go out of style. I can vividly recall many a meal that has been mediocre at best, yet was saved by a splendidly sweet flourish at the end of a meal. Do I have a sweet tooth, yes indeed. Is there ever a time when dessert seems like a bad idea? Not likely. If I cared to be fully honest I could disclose the fact that as a child I may have overindulged in sweets, but this assessment rests precariously on the notion that consuming a half gallon of ice cream in a sitting qualifies as overindulgence. Fortunately I made it out alive, and let go of some of my childhood obsession with sweets. Don't get me wrong, I still crave sweets, but moderation is certainly the order of the day. I believe that erroneous thinking has taken over America, one in which dessert is the enemy. My theory is that sweets are wonderful, and should be eaten regularly. I would rather eat a slice of pie and never touch HFCS laden soda. Skip the Big Mac, and instead bake yourself a delicious batch of cookies. It's all give and take, but rest assured, you can maintain a reasonable weight while fully satisfying any sweet craving that comes down the pike. I say this from experience, being that people always comment about how I eat like a horse but remain by most accounts, rather thin. I could tell you that I have a fast metabolism, or that I exercise like a fiend, or that the new diet book to hit the shelves was a real winner. Lies, all of them. I don't eat like a horse. In fact, most people would be amazed at the fact that I eat much less than previously realized. Strange, being that I seem to have a bit of a preoccupation with food. Simply put, I eat what I want, when I want, mostly healthy, home-cooked food. I try and do some active things, but you aren't going to catch me running a marathon anytime soon. Food is meant to be enjoyed, and enjoy it I do. And dessert certainly factors in heavily to that equation. Few things can transport us back to childhood joy and innocence like a scoop of really good ice cream. Few things pack the memory filled punch of a freshly baked pie. And few people can say, with a straight face, that they don't love the smell and taste of a batch of chocolate-chip cookies fresh out of the oven. Life is just far too short to deny our biological wiring that overwhelmingly shouts that sweet equates to good.

I do not begrudge the pastry chefs out there who are doing amazing, modern interpretations of their sugar laden fantasies. (If you aren't up on it, check out Michael Laiskonis of Le Bernardin or Brooks Headley of Del Posto, who both turn out incredible creations from their pastry kitchens.) Yet for as stunning as many modern desserts can be, what I usually crave are classic flavor combinations that harken back to simpler times. Perfectly sublime vanilla ice cream? Why yes, I would love some (and so easy to make at home, I promise). Elegantly smooth and rich pumpkin pie? Indeed. Brownies? If you insist. Strawberries with freshly whipped cream? How could I ever say no (Actually I will quickly say no if it is January, because the last time I checked, strawberries don't grow during the winter, at least not where I'm from. And there is something devastatingly disappointing about a rock hard and fully tasteless strawberry that has spent weeks on a truck getting to the supermarket.) The other interesting thing about dessert is that making them at home will naturally limit the amount you will ultimately eat. I am not busy turning out sugary treats each and every day (though my new mixer certainly upped the ante for a couple of weeks), but am instead waiting for inspiration or a craving to dictate when the time is right. The other magical byproduct of homemade desserts is that it creates a decidedly altruistic approach to food. Bake some cookies and bring them with you the next time you are going to be around a group of people. I promise you that smiles will be your reward. Dessert makes people happy, and it can soften the hardest of folks into a state of childlike wonder.

So what have I been making? Well there was the Black Bottom Cheesecake Cupcakes (that's a mouthful) that are from a newspaper article my mother clipped sometime in the '80's. They are a true crowd pleaser, with the chocolate-chip cheesecake playing the perfect counterpoint to the decadent chocolate cake. Many cupcakes suffer from the 'I need a glass of water' syndrome, dryness outweighing flavor, but these little babies are as moist as could be. There was also a classic chocolate souffle that was divine (strong words, but it really was transcendent). Pulling a hot souffle out of the oven is a show stopper. Puffed up, with just the slightest jiggle to its velvety consistency, the heady perfume of dark chocolate filling the room. And a show stopper is sometimes just what the doctor ordered on a night filled with endless dreary studying to tend to. Souffles are slightly tricky, but certainly not impossible, the hardest part being the achievement of perfect consistency of the egg whites. Now, having a stand mixer certainly makes this much more feasible, but prior to receiving one as a gift I hand-whipped everything. It is possible, and if you want to build forearm strength, whipping egg whites may be the finest exercise. There was also a pumpkin pie that was so rich and tasty that it made me question how anyone could ever think that the inclusion of squashes in the realm of sweets is an error in judgement. One last thing to consider is the fact that freshly whipped cream makes just about anything sweet that much better. It is cream and sugar after all!

Go make yourself some dessert. Better yet, make someone else some dessert. You will both feel better about the world.

Soon I will be revealing my ultimate chocolate-chip cookie recipe.......stay tuned.