I don’t care for deception. And when one of my favorite food blogs claims a definitive recipe for blueberry muffins, by God, it had better deliver.

I don’t know; I mean, these were tasty, but perfect? Edible, certainly, but not my idea of perfect.

I humbly acknowledge that one’s mileage may vary, but a muffin recipe that doesn’t tell you to toss your blueberries with a little flour (if you don’t, they’ll just sink to the bottom like the ones above did) strikes a chord of suspicion with me. Also, they were incredibly small for the size of my muffin cups.

Proceed at your own risk. After all, who knows, you may have better luck with this recipe than I. I’ll stick to cobblers and cake.

Perfect Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated/Smitten Kitchen

5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces or 71 grams) unsalted butter , softened
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces or 191 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon (7 grams or 1/4 ounce) baking powder
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces or 105 grams) blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, don’t bother defrosting)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners or spray each cup with a nonstick spray. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then yogurt and zest. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a sifter and sift half of dry ingredients over batter. Mix until combined. Sift remaining dry ingredients into batter and mix just until the flour disappears. Gently fold in your blueberries. The dough will be quite thick (and even thicker, if you used a full-fat Greek-style yogurt), closer to a cookie dough, which is why an ice cream scoop is a great tool to fill your muffin cups. You’re looking for them to be about 3/4 full, nothing more, so you might only need 9 instead of 10 cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean (you know, except for blueberry goo). Let cool on rack (ha), or you know, serve with a generous pat of butter.

I don’t think I’ll ever be a big enough jerk for it (though I am sure there are those who would disagree) but perhaps one day, as I sip my nice crisp white wine and dine on risotto, I will say: “I wonder what the little people are eating.” Again, pretty sure I’ll never be that jerky, especially not as long as risotto is much less fraught with heartbreak as you can imagine. I assure you that if you can make pasta, you can make risotto.

I stand by an earlier statement I have made in regards to this dish. If I had to chose one carb0-load forever, I think this would be it. It’s got wine, butter, cheese, more wine, more cheese. And after you’ve treated your tastebuds to ultimate pleasure….

…you have marmalade cake. Let me tell you something about this cake: it fools you. It’s crumbly, sticky, moist and after your husband has cleaned his plate of it, he says, “Oh man, I love cake with honey.” Only there isn’t any honey in the cake. That stickiness, that fragrance, it all comes from the orange sugar syrup the cake is soaked in.

To me, this cake is a welcome Italian bastardization of baklava.

Now I must warn you, if you plan on making this cake—and I don’t know why you’re not—plan on making it the night before you serve it. The orange syrup soaks into the cake overnight and creates an amazing dessert for your guests (or yourself) the next day.

Risotto w/Asparagus

2 bunches thin asparagus (about 2 lbs.)

1 sprig fresh thyme or lemon thyme

4 tbl. unsalted butter

1 large shallot, diced

2 cups Arborio rice

kosher salt

1/3 cup dry white wine

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 handfuls fresh spinach, rolled and sliced into strips

8 oz. robiola or taleggio cheese, thinly sliced

extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Peel the bottom third of the asparagus stalks if they’re too thick; if not, snap each stalk where it breaks naturally. Thinly slice 6 asparagus bottoms and placed the rest of the bottoms in a saucepan with 8 cups of water and the thyme to make asparagus broth; bring to a simmer.

Heat two tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed. Stir in 1/2 cup of the asparagus broth until absorbed (use a ladle to add the broth, keeping the solids in the pan). Continue to add broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring every two minutes or so and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more, about 10 minutes total. (You should have about half the broth left; if you don’t, don’t worry. Risotto is a fickle thing.) Stir in the sliced asparagus bottoms and the lemon zest. Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the rice is just tender, 5 to 8 more minutes.

Meanwhile, placed the asparagus tips in a large skillet, cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat until just tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the parmesan and lemon juice to the risotto. Stir in the spinach, remove from the heat and season with salt. Divide among bowls, top with the robiola and season with pepper. Drizzle the asparagus tips with olive oil and spoon over the risotto.

Marmalade Cake

For the cake:

1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for the pan

3 large eggs, separated

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup AP flour

1 1/4 cups semolina flour

1/4 cup ground almonds

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1/4 cup golden raisins (optional; I didn’t because I hates ‘em)

Confectioners’ sugar and/or chopped almonds, for topping

For the syrup:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 orange

Make the cake: preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with canola oil. Beat the egg whites and granulated sugar with a mixer until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk both flours, the almonds and baking powder in a bowl. Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl. Whisk 1/2 cup oil, the orange and lemon juices and the marmalade into the yolks until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients, then fold in the beaten egg whites until just combined. Add the raisins, if you want.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden and springs back when touched, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the syrup: bring 3/4 cup of water and the granulated sugar to a boil in a saucepan; squeeze in the orange juice and add the peel. Simmer until syrupy, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.

Pour the syrup over the cake while both are still warm. Cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and let soak overnight. Cut into squares and top with confectioners’ sugar and/or almonds.

One of the dishes that set me on the long road to cooking was quiche, as dated and archaic as it may sound. It was certainly the first dish I made on my own, if I remember correctly, and therefore it holds a happy little place in my heart. I haven’t made one in ages so I opted to make one this week. The recipe used here I found in a Food Network magazine and I have only made two small adjustments to it.

Firstly, it calls for the use of a tube of refrigerated pizza dough. Ugh, I know it’s really not any less evil, but I’d rather you use a frozen pie-crust if you haven’t time to make your own. (And who the heck has time to make pie crust on a week night?) Lastly, I squidged a couple of dollops of goat cheese over the whole thing before shoving it in the oven. I had some leftover and frankly, I can’t imagine a dish that isn’t better served by a bit of it.

To go along with it, I made a simple tomato salad with cherry tomatoes from my garden.

I couldn’t quite get the salad cream to the thickness suggested by my culinary BFF, Nigella, but I must admit I was distracted with playing games on my iPhone at the time. Still, this has an incredible freshness best served in the summer. And yes, the chives scattered over top are from my garden, too.

Ricotta, Ham and Scallion Tart

1  tbl. unsalted butter

1 frozen pie crust, not thawed

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 large egg

2 to 3 bunches of scallions

3 tbl. chopped fresh parsley

2 tbl. chopped fresh dill or tarragon

freshly ground pepper

5 oz. deli-sliced ham, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Place a baking sheet on the top rack of the oven; preheat to 425 degrees.

Whisk the ricotta, cream and egg in a medium bowl. Mince enough green scallion tops to make 2 tablespoons; add to the ricotta mixture along with parsley and dill. Season with pepper. Slice the remaining scalliosn into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the sliced scallions and 2 tablespoons water; cook until the scallions are tender and start to sizzle, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the ham. Spread all but a few tablespoons of the scallion mixture on the pie-crust. Pour in the ricotta mixture, then scatter the remaining scallion mixture on top.

Bake the tart on the preheated baking sheet for 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is set. Rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove and slice.

Old-Fashioned Tomato Salad

from Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson

1/4 tsp. reconstituted English mustard or pinch mustard powder

1 heaping tablespoon pasta or AP flour

1 tsp. granulated sugar

salt and black pepper

1 cup plus 2 tbl. whole milk

1 egg, beaten

4 tbl. tarragon vinegar

1 tbl. sunflower oil

18 oz. good cherry tomatoes, halved

chives or green parts of scallions

Half fill a sink with cold water.

Combine the mustard, flour and sugar, with about a teaspoon of salt and a good grinding of pepper, in a heavy-based saucepan. Add a little of the milk and stir to mix to a smooth paste, then put on a gentle heat and keep adding the milk, and stirring as you do so. I find my immersion blender the best thing to banish lumpiness here, but it’s not a difficult operation whatever you use.

When all the milk’s in, add the beaten egg and vinegar and keep on whisking until it’s beginning to thicken. When the mixture’s got the texture of light cream, whisk in the oil then plunge the pan in the sink of cold water and continue whisking for a while. When it’s cool (you can pour into a bowl then the put the bowl over ice if you want speedy cooling), cut the tomatoes in half and arrange on one huge plate or two fairly large ones. Drizzle a few spoonfuls over (don’t drench: think Jackson Pollock) then add some chopped scallions or chives. Unexpected heaven.

from

Sunday mornings at around 8 to 9 a.m. are often always about just me.

Matt sleeps in, I stretch awake, make myself a coffee and read the paper. Even if it’s a grey morning and the only accompaniments are the cats and the CBC, I find I really enjoy it. It’s soothing for me to move about in the kitchen to make breakfast; it’s comforting to pull out the cookbooks or pull up the website and see what will blissfully occupy my time until my husband awakes, bleary-eyed and smiling. I do not expect to have an instant breakfast at the ready; this is why I try certain recipes on weekends, after all, but I do expect some modicum of ease. Frustratingly, these muffins weren’t not as accomodating. And when they are as delicious as they are, it makes for twice the frustration.

There’s entirely too much of the fiddliness here. There are instructions in the recipe that call for a pastry bag, for crying out loud. A PASTRY BAG. On Sunday morning. I don’t know about you but I am not at my sharpest on Sunday mornings and the use of a pastry bag for muffins seems cruel somehow. As I stated above, it’s a pity too, as these are quite delicious. The ricotta filling part of it didn’t work so well as I’d hoped—I blame that on overfilling the muffin cups—but the toasty pecans and whisper of fennel were very delightful. I liked them but definitely not going into my repetoire.

Ricotta Muffins

courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

1/2 cup (2 ounces) walnuts or pecans
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
3 cups unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup (4 ounces) ricotta cheese

6 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
Kosher salt, to taste

Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 1/2-cup capacity muffin tin.

Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly browned (though I like my pecans a darker brown, for better flavor), about 8 to 10 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through to ensure that the nuts toast evenly. Cool, chop finely and set aside.

Turn the oven up to 350°F.

In a small sauté pan over medium heat, toast the fennel seeds, stirring occasionally until they become aromatic and turn slightly brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Allow to cool and finely chop, crush or grind in a spice grinder, clean coffee grinder or mortar and pestle.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda together to combine. Sprinkle in the fennel seeds. Make a large well in the center and pour in the yogurt and oil. Whisk together the liquids and gradually draw in the the dry ingredients, mixing until incorperated.

To prepare the filling: Place the ricotta in a mixing bowl and, if stiff, break it up wtih a rubber spatula to loosen. Stire in the crème fraîche and a pinch of salt.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip, a plastic bag with the corner snipped off or a spoon, fill each muffin tin one-third of the way with batter. Place one tablespoon of the filling into the center of each muffin.

(I suspect at this point that Silverton believes that your filling will be thick, and perhaps with a stiff ricotta and crème fraîche, it might have been, but my mixture, with store brand ricotta and sour cream, was more of a puddle that spilled out into a flat layer. While it didn’t matter in the end, it did make it harder to put the remaining muffin batter — which was stiffer than the filling — over the ricotta mixture with just a spoon and I ended up having to go the plastic bag/piping bag route to easily cover it. Grumble-gripe.)

Pipe or spoon the remaining batter into the cups, filling them to just below the rim. (Unlike you see in my pictures, as I overfilled the tins.) Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the nuts over the top of each. (I had extra.)

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly brown and firm to the touch.

It has been my preference since moving up here to cook much more lengthy and elaborate dinners on the Saturdays we aren’t in the city. And this past Saturday, I decided it was time for Thai.

Matt loves Thai, y’see, and I have tried to make various attempts to replicate his favorite dish, Pad Thai, to his satisfaction. This version—which is admittedly fiddly because of all the prep work you have to do—has thus far come closest to winning.

I myself like larb, so I made this version with grapefruit sections, that was more unami and less spicy. Regardless, we found it utterly delightful the next day cold on hot toast (trust me).

I must add that I had planned on making coconut popsicles for dessert, but didn’t bother because: a) I am distressed to find I don’t own any popsicle molds nor their stand-ins, plastic cups; b) Matt doesn’t really care for coconut anyway; and c) I am not prepared to eat one batch myself, even if it were to spread out over a month. We drank nice tall frosty cans of Sapporo with this and toasted another lovely summer dinner. Ah, if only summer could be forever…

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Grapefruit

2 tbl. fish sauce

2 tbl. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. packed dark brown sugar

3 tbl. shredded unsweetened coconut

1 medium pink grapefruit

3 tbl. chopped roasted salted peanuts

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

1 tsp. hot Asian chili sauce (sambal oelek or sriracha)

2 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally

2 tbl. vegetable oil

1/2 lb. ground chicken

1 tsp. finely grated peeled ginger

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

Romaine or Bibb lettuce leaves, for wrapping

Mix the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

Lightly toast the coconut in a skillet over medium heat; cool. With a sharp knife, peel and segment the grapefruit, removing the white pith. Toss the segments in a bowl with the coconut, peanuts, mint, chili sauce and scallions.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, breaking it up, 6 to 7 minutes (don’t overbrown). Transfer the meat to a bowl and  drain any excess liquid; set aside. Raise the heat to high, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet, then the ginger and red onion; cook to soften, about 1 minute. Add the onion to the meat, pour in the fish-sauce mixture and gently toss.

Divide the pork mixture among lettuce leaves and top each with some of the grapefruit salad.

Shrimp Pad Thai

8 oz. flat Thai rice noodles

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup raw or turbinado sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons hot Asian chili sauce (sambal oelek or sriracha)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for garnish

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 lb. large shrimp, butterflied with the shells on

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 12-ounce package extra firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

6 radishes, cut into thin strips

4 scallions, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

2 cups bean sprouts

2 jalapeno peppers (red and green), seeded and thinly sliced into strips

Soak the noodles in a bowl of warm water until soft enough to separate, about 10 minutes. Mix the fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce and lim juice in a separate bowl. When the noodles are soft, drain and return to the bowl. Put the bowls and other ingredients next to the stove (this dish works quickly).

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the vegetable oil, then add the shrimp and stir-fry until pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl using a slotted spoon; leave the oil in the pan. Add the garlic and tofu to the pan; stir-fry until just golden. Add the noodles and 1/4 cup fish sauce mixture; stir-fry until the noodles absorb the sauce, about 3 minutes. Add up to 1/4 cup if the noodles seem dry, but don’t let them become mushy.

Add the radishes, scallions and 1/4 cup peanuts; toss to combine. Stir in the remaining fish-sauce mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning (you can add more water, lime juice or fish sauce).

Return the shrimp to the pan and heat through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a platter; top with bean sprouts, jalapenos and the remaining 1/4 cup peanuts. Serve with lime wedges.

I saved us from a terrifyingly guilty food experience last night. A food experience known as Food Courtus Regrettium. You know what I mean: when you have to run errands, one of which obviously takes you to/by the mall, it’s after 5, and you don’t want to deal with making dinner when you get home because, wow’s, it’s going to be later than you thought? And then you sink your teeth into that greasy burger/crappy taco/poor imitation of Asian food and realize that while it’s done the job and filled your belly up, you didn’t enjoy it?

Not on my watch. I save potential guilt for the weekend, baby. This was easy to make and we were able to eat a real meal with real nutrition before standing in line at the Bell store for over an hour. And though Matt went a little stir crazy without having anything to fiddle with, I’d like to think that this recipe kept him from strangling fellow customers and sales assistants.

Tilapia with Escarole & Lemon-Pepper Oil

courtesy of Food Network Magazine

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

12 oz. baby fingerling potatoes, halved, or small red-skinned potatoes, quartered

4 cloves garlic, smashed

1 head escarole, (about 1 1/4 lbs.), t0rn into pieces (Note: can’t find escarole? Baby spinach or kale works just as well)

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/4 lbs. tilapia fillets, patted dry

2 sprigs oregano, leaves torn

juice of 1 lemon

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. Place the potatoes in the pan cut-side down. Add the garlic and cook until the potatoes are slightly golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the escarole, season with salt and pepper, then add about 1/3 cup water. Cover and steam until the escarole wilts, about 5 minutes.

Season the fish with salt and pepper; place on top of the greens in the pan and sprinkle with the oregano leaves. Cover and steam until the fish is just cooked through, about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice in a bowl with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper.

Carefully lift the fish off the greens and transfer to rimmed plates or bowls. Distribute the greens, potatoes and pan juices around the fish. Drizzle with the lemon-pepper oil.

Psst…I have a secret to tell you.

I come from a family of cobbler makers. No, not the shoes, but the delicious rich fruity kind that is a staple at all Southern get-togethers. Also, I finally got my stepdad to give up the goods on his cobbler recipe.

I scored some gorgeous teeny-tiny wild blueberries from the Atwater Market this weekend and I could only think, “Cobbler. Yes, cobbler.” But as you can see, I wanted small individual cobblers because any excuse to break out the ceramic ramekins, by God.

I don’t need to tell you that if you’ve scored honest-to-God wild blueberries, they really need little to no sweetening. But I couldn’t help but make homemade vanilla whipped cream. Around here, we like gilding lilies and eating cobbler. Oh, summertime, please don’t go!

Wild Blueberry Cobbler

2 cups of wild blueberries (this recipe is for two individual cobblers; do the math with the berries if you want to make a big one or a couple more small ones)

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar

a pinch of salt

In a bowl, dump all the ingredients but the berries. Use your fingers to crumb everything together; it should look a little like streusel topping. Now there will be more topping than you will need for your wee cobblers, but that’s okay. Stash the rest of it in the fridge or freezer. You will have ready-made cobbler topping or coffeecake topping (just add cinnamon to the room-temperature mix) whenever you want.

Toss the berries with a tablespoon of flour. If these were usual blueberries, I would probably also add a tablespoon of sugar too, but wild ones are so sweet, it doesn’t need it. My own personal spin is I add a squeeze of lemon to the mix. I like the brightness with the berries. Divide the berries between two small oven-safe ramekins or whatever you’ve decided to use. Crumble the amount of topping you want on each. Slide them on a cookie sheet into a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes, checking every now and then to make sure everything is bubbling, not burning. After 30 minutes, you should have nicely browned topping on your cobblers. Let cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. Top with whipped cream or ice cream. And if you’re like me, when you eat a spoonful, miss home.

…or I’m sure I would if I’d ever been there. (Pro-travel tip I learned: plan your Parisian getaway for August. Most everyone has left the city and it’s quieter and cheaper then.) Next year maybe, though I am angling more for Marseilles these days. Anyway, one of my favorite all-time dishes to order in French bistros—besides my beloved frisee’ aux lardons—is  nicoise salad. There is a whole lot to love about a good nicoise salad: vinegary boiled potatoes, crisp haricots vert, teeny little nicoise olives, oily rich tuna, a hardboiled egg peeking out like a tiny sun.

Jeez, I’m salivating just thinking about eating a plate of it,  especially paired with a lightly fizzy white wine.

Anyway, I decided to experiment with my beloved nicoise salad by putting it in sandwich form. And even better, adding some more cold goodies to the mix. Chopped artichoke hearts, sharp red onion, arugula and a homemade red wine vinaigrette….!

I was good and didn’t pair with the fizzy wine I was dreaming of. I was slightly more virtuous and made a nice avocado-snow pea slaw instead. When do I get my halo?

Parisian Tuna Sandwiches

3 large eggs

3 tbl. red wine vinegar

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 small ciabatta rolls, or other soft rolls, halved

1 medium bunch arugula or 2 cups spring salad mix

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup jarred artichoke hearts, well drained and sliced

2 6-oz. cans oil-packed tuna

4 to 8 anchovy fillets, drained (these are classic for a nicoise, but you can make it optional. Not everyone digs these pungent little fish)

1/2 cup nicoise or kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

4 medium radishes, thinly sliced

Place eggs in saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and cool in a bowl of cold water.

Meanwhile, combine vinegar, 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Put the rolls cut-side up on a work surface and lightly drizzle with a quarter of the dressing. Place the arugula on the roll bottoms. Top with the sliced tomato, onion and artichokes. Season with salt and drizzle with another quarter of the dressing.

Drain the tuna, but leave lightly coated with oil. Toss the tuna in the remaining dressing, then divide among the sandwiches. Peel and thinly slice the hard-boiled eggs and layer the slices over the tuna. Top with the anchovy fillets, if brave and using, then the olives and the radishes. Cover with the roll tops, pressing gently but firmly. Wrap the sandwiches in plastic wrap and place a skillet on top to weight them down; set aside for at least 15 minutes so the bread absorbs the flavors.

Avocado and Snow Pea Slaw

Thinly slice 10 ounces of snow peas lengthwise. Toss with 2 thinly sliced celery ribs (add the leaves, too) and some toasted walnuts. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Gently stir in a thinly sliced avocado and minced chives.

You ever have a recipe that sounds like a surefire winner? I mean, it won’t change your life or anything but it sounds it would be really good, something nice to have on a week night. That’s how I felt about this pork and edamame dish. A sort of stew-y slightly hearty mess to drape over rice and yum, there you go.

Only that isn’t how it worked out. I put some of the blame on myself for using pork escalopes instead of the pork shoulder the recipe calls for. (In hindsight, I could see the potential of porky, fatty goodness infusing the whole deal with a heretofore unhad crispness.) But the rest of the blame lies solely on the fact it was dreadfully dull. Don’t get me wrong, we love dousing things in sriracha, but sriracha should have been used as an accompaniment, not as last-minute oh-now-it-tastes-decent flavoring.

Ah bien, you live and learn. And then you write about it to all your friends and a handful of strangers.

Edamame with Pork, Tomatoes and Cilantro

2 tbl. extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped or 3 scallions, chopped

1 tbl. minced garlic

1 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 tsp. chopped fresh marjoram, oregano or rosemary, OR 1 tsp. thyme leaves

1 1/2 cups chopped ripe tomato (canned are fine, drained or not)

2 cups edamame, fresh or frozen and thawed

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Put oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Remove and add pork chunks; cook, stirring, until crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Halfway through, add herbs and continue to cook.

Add tomato and cook at a gentle bubble until tomatoes begin to break apart, about 10 minutes. Stir in edamame and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until edamame are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, stir in cilantro and serve, preferably over a bed of basmati rice.

I had every intention of baking another cake today. I even went through at least two magazines, one book and one folder full of clipped recipes thinking, “Yes, I must make a cake.”

Only the temperature nudged its way up to 86F (that would be 27C for Canadians) and I really didn’t feel like preheating an oven. Heck, I didn’t even feel like making a hot custard base for the glory and majesty that is my new (SQUEE!) ice cream maker.

But you know what is just as tasty as homemade ice cream? Homemade sorbet. And if you’ve got a freezer full of frozen berries like I do, you know what’s for dessert tonight.

Even if you don’t have a freezer full of berries, I’ll look the other way while you buy some from the grocery store.

The amount of sugar I used in my sorbet was a scant quarter cup. It lent it a really nice tanginess; after all, sorbet is traditionally used as a palate cleanser between courses. But if you want yours a little sweeter, feel free to experiment with more.

People, you really really really have no excuse not to make this sorbet this weekend or week. It’s incredibly easy, very elegant, and depending on what berries you use, it’s eye-catching. Summer’s almost gone, people, so let’s make the most use of our spoons.

Super-Simple Sorbet

1 lb. frozen strawberries or other fruit

1/2 cup plain yogurt, creme fraiche or silken tofu

1/4 cup sugar, more or less to your taste

Put all the ingredients in a food processor container along with a couple of tablespoons of water. Process until just pureed and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the fruit does not break down completely, add a little more water through the feed tube, a tablespoon or two at a time, being careful not to over-process or the sorbet will liquefy.

Serve immediately or freeze it for later; if serving later, allow 10 to 15 minutes for sorbet to soften at room temperature.