Boys of Cooking

Category: Year Round

  • Shorter No-Knead Bread

    In large bowl, measure 8 cups flour, 2 TBL salt, ¾ tsp yeast. Stir to mix. Stir in about 3¾ cups water. Dough will be shaggy. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in warm place for 12-24 hours. Stir dough down and get lots of flour on its underside (many tricks, mine is just to…

  • No-Knead Bread

    See Shorter No-Knead Bread and New York Seedy Bread recipes. Combine in a large-sized mixing bowl: 3 cups flour, 2 tsp salt and generous ¼ tsp yeast. Stir in 1½ cups tap water (any temperature) and stir. The mixture may look a bit shaggy. Let rise, in bowl covered with plastic wrap or a clean…

  • Sesame Ice Cream

    In a large saucepan, combine rounded ¼ cup cornstarch with ¾ cup milk. Stir with fingertips until you can no longer find any lumps. Add 1 cup tahini, 2 cups 2% milk, ¾ cup sugar. Heat mixture on high until milk is steaming, reduce heat to medium to low and cook for 3-5 minutes until…

  • Coffee Ice Milk

    Combine a rounded ¼ cup of cornstarch and ¾ cup whole milk in a large saucepan. With your fingertips stir until all the cornstarch is dissolved. Add 1½ cups extra-strength coffee, 1½ cups whole milk and ½ cup sugar. Stir over high heat until mixture is steaming. Continue cooking one medium to low heat until…

  • Stuffed Vine Leaves (Dolma)

    Stuffed Vine Leaves (Dolma)

    Grape leaves stuffed with a rice-based filling (with or without meat) are a classic dish in several countries. This recipe comes from our dear friend Lilda, who grew up in Bulgaria. We think of her every time we make these.

  • Root Beer Float Ice Cream

    Put 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup milk, ½ cup sugar and a pinch of salt in a sauce pan. Add 1¼ tsp root beer concentrate (Schilling’s make this). In a bowl, combine 4½ TBL (that’s a generous ¼ cup) of corn starch and ¾ cup milk. Stir with fingertips to confirm there are no…

  • Chipotle Vinaigrette

    Turn on the vent over your range or your house will smell from vinegar! In a very small saucepan, boil ½ cup wine vinegar ½ cup orange juice on a high heat until the volume is reduced by half. Cool to room temperature and mix in ¼ cup mayonnaise until thoroughly blended. Add 1 TBL…

  • Toaster Biscuits

    Toaster Biscuits

    Our little easy-bake oven of a toaster works for making biscuits. We usually use these for strawberry shortcake, but they can be made for savory foods as well.

  • Chicken Tikka ‘dempte

    OK, this is neither Eastern European nor is it Indian, but I like how it tastes. Saute 1 diced onion, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1 seeded and minced jalapeno pepper. When onions are golden, push mixture aside and brown trimmed meat; I used chicken thighs (bone-in, but skinned and trimmed of all fat). When…

  • Chicken with Yogurt Sauce

    Trim of excess fat and place 8 skinless chicken thighs in a skillet large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add water to cover, 1 TBL ground cardamom, 1 tsp ground white pepper and 1 tsp salt. Bring to slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes; chicken should be cooked through. Remove chicken…

  • New York Seedy Bread

    New York Seedy Bread

    This dense bread is wonderfully high in fiber, but don’t tell anyone as it will spoil the enjoyment of this delicious bread.

  • Whole Wheat Pappardelle

    Whole Wheat Pappardelle

    These rustic ribbons of pasta are delicious buried under a thick sauce on a cold fall evening.

  • Simple Cabbage Salad

    Shred ¼ to ⅓ head of cabbage. Dress with white wine vinegar and neutral-flavored oil, such as canola. Season with salt (1-2 tsp), pepper, celery seed or whole caraway seeds. Seasonings will vary according to your taste and the size of the cabbage.

  • Quick Chocolate Wafers

    Preheat oven to 350 F convection. Sift together (through a strainer) 1 cup + 2 TBL flour, ⅔ cup cocoa and ½ tsp baking soda. In a medium saucepan, melt 1½ sticks (¾ cup) butter. When thoroughly melted, add 1 cup sugar and ¼ cup corn syrup. Stir and remove from heat. Stir for one…

  • Spinach-Feta-Egg Bake

    Defrost 30 ounces chopped frozen spinach, and squeeze by handfuls to remove all moisture. Add the following: 3 beaten eggs, 1 cup chopped scallion, 8 ounces cottage cheese, 8 ounces crumbled feta, 2 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 1 TBL fresh chopped dill and 4 TBL butter. In blender jar, place 3 eggs (out of…

  • Coffee Cake

    Combine 4½ cups flour, 2¼ cups brown sugar, 1½ tsp salt, 2 tsp cinnamon and a generous ¼ tsp nutmeg. Cut in 1½ cups butter. Measure out 3 cups of the mixture and add ½ cup chopped walnuts. In the rest of the mixture, add 1½ tsp baking soda. When mixed, stir in 1½ cups…

  • Fluden

    Make Hamentaschen Honey Dough. Roll into a ⅛-inch layer large enough to cover bottom and go up sides of pan; trim off all but ⅜ inch that hangs beyond edge of pan. (You can use a 13×9 or 9×9 pan, depending on how much you want to make.) Spread a layer of filling on the…

  • Polenta with Fried Egg

    Place ½ cup Quaker corn meal (I prefer this because of the way it’s ground), 2 cups water and ½ tsp salt in a saucepan. Stir continuously until it comes to a boil. Lower heat to lowest setting and cover; let cook for 5 minutes. Add ½ TBL butter and ¼ cup grated cheese, such…

  • Mascarpone Rice Pudding

    Leftovers with leftovers. Combine 2 cups of cooked rice and about 1 cup of milk. Heat in high-power microwave for 5 minutes: the rice will be softened and the milk will have come to a boil. Put it in the refrigerator until it’s cooled. (I was impatient and I transferred the mixture to a metal…

  • Fruit Crumble

    Combine ⅓ cup walnuts, ⅓ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 cup oatmeal, ½ tsp salt, ¾ tsp baking powder and ¼ cup (½ stick) butter. Mix until it’s crumbly. Peel and cut up 4 cups of fresh fruit (peaches, apples, pears or whatever you like). Mix with ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp lemon…

  • Anise Cornmeal Fingers

    Anise Cornmeal Fingers

    Cream 1½ sticks butter until soft. Add 1 TBL Pernod, ½ tsp ground white pepper, 1 TBL fennel seeds (ground after measuring), ¼ tsp salt. Add ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 1 egg white. When mixed, add 1¾ cups flour and ⅔ cup cornmeal, blending just until mixed in. By hand, mix in grated…

  • Maple Ice Cream

    Put 2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup milk, ½ cup Grade B maple syrup and a pinch of salt in a sauce pan. Add either 1½ tsp vanilla extract or 1 whole vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped into mixture. Include the pod in the mixture, too. Heat until steaming, but do not let…