Of all the homemade food treats I gave to friends and family this season, the one that got rave reviews and disappeared all too quickly was this easy Graham Cracker Toffee. Many of you may be familiar with this recipe; it feels like something your great aunt might whip up any time of year. I was introduced to this crazy sweet treat this summer, when a wonderful work colleague brought a few batches to our Labor Day barbecue. If you cannot make this toffee, then you cannot cook. In fact, it doesn't even feel like cooking. Just simmer butter and brown sugar (delish!), spread it on graham crackers and bake for a few minutes. I added melted chocolate and chopped walnuts for extra crunch. This faux toffee actually tastes just as good as the toffee you'll buy at the local markets. Sure, you may say it may not be the most flattering recipe of the ultimate gourmet, but make it so - I used organic graham crackers and local unsalted butter. My brown sugar was also organic, rich and moist. I toasted the nuts myself and used very high quality chocolate. Make a batch, and just try to keep the kids from ...

I found this recipe via The Splendid Table recipe box last year and now make them for every cocktail party. I've switched out the original tabasco sauce for Sriracha, a thai-style hot sauce. These wings always disappear before any other dish. Ingredients 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce 1 generous cup apricot jam 1/3 to 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional) 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce 5 large cloves garlic, minced 3-4 pounds chicken wings, rinsed Lemon halves Combine all ingredients, except the wings, in a bowl. Taste for sweet/hot/sour/salt balance and adjust to your preference. It should be very strong, so I added another tablespoon of Sriracha. Place wings in heavy plastic bag(s) and cover with the marinade. Seal and refrigerate for two days, turning the bag(s) occasionally to ensure even marinating. (Yes, this requires some planning but it's worth it.) When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread foil over two shallow pans and top with racks (cake or roasting racks work well). Spread wings out on racks, saving their marinade. Roast for 1 3/4 hours in the middle or bottom of the oven, switching pans occasionally. Every so often, turn wings, basting with marinade and piercing with a fork during the ...

This was one of those mornings when nothing but pancakes would do. We don't eat pancakes all that often any more; we've regimented our exercise and eating habits and breakfast typically consists of eggs, sprouted wheat toast and some coffee or juice, if time permits. But on the weekends, especially this holiday weekend when there's energy in the air anticipating family, pies and turkeys, we needed a little extra comfort. But yikes! There was no pancake mix buried anywhere in my cupboards, so I had to do a little quick thinking (terribly difficult on a Sunday morning!) and make the mix from scratch. Pancake mix is actually fairly easy - just flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Alton Brown has a great recipe that gets major kudos. I was going to make Alton's easy recipe, but I had no fresh baking soda and thought better about grabbing a couple teaspoons from the old box in the fridge. Instead I stumbled upon a recipe for PB & J pancakes by Sunny Anderson. She may seem to be a fairly hum-drum Food Network Chef, but this recipe was too easy and potentially very rewarding - my husband loves peanut butter, maybe more than he ...

Lately, I’ve had a hankering for sweet potatoes – and not prepared the way you might expect, dredged in olive oil and brown sugar and roasted until crispy or mashed with butter and maple syrup. No, instead, I’ve been thinking about sweet potatoes in miso sauce. It’s a dish I used to eat at the Asian-inspired tea house Teaism years ago when I lived in D.C. Their specialty is tea (surprise!), but their fluffy ginger scones, udon soups and bento boxes are delicious too. In one of the compartments of the chicken bento is this side of sweet potatoes in miso. It’s served chilled, not warm, but the nutty, salty flavor of the miso combined with the creamy texture of the potatoes – not to mention the accompanying hot tea and good company – always made it seem more like a classic comfort food than light side. Since I moved to Brooklyn, I’ve often wished Teaism would open a New York City outpost, but finally I just broke down and decided to make this dish myself. Despite the fact that Japanese cuisine is ragingly popular here, miso paste hasn’t caught on quite like spicy tuna rolls and wasabi. It’s just not ...

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to meet Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. It was an incredibly intimate affair, one I shared with a close friend of mine and about... 2,000 other people. Yes, I was one of THOSE people who waited in line for two hours to purchase copies of her new book "Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients" and get her signature inside those pretty, pristine, chartreuse-spiked pages. It was quite the community affair, one that involved sore feet, lots of coffee and loads of gabbing on our attempts, both failures and successes, with the Contessa's recipes. We exchanged techniques, remembered previous books and familiar recipes, and complained about the rules. Yes, there were distinct rules to be followed if we wanted our few seconds with the Contessa. First, there was simply no time for her to personalize messages, so a straight signature would have to do. Second, the Contessa would only sign books purchased at the venue. And lastly, we could certainly take photos but could not expect the Contessa to pose for photos. She was a bit busy signing her name 2,000 times. The crowd that assembled to welcome her to Boston was excited to be ...