A bit of shameless self-promotion to begin the new year. Clearly my resolution to be more humble has gone out the window along with my promise to wake up at 5:30am and head for the gym (in my defense, I suffered an odd neck spasm that even 12 Advil a day hasn’t completely alleviated).

The proud moment, this lunch lady bit on one of my favorite blogs, Oh Joy!

Click here for the gory details on what this lady lunches on: http://ohjoy.blogs.com/my_weblog/

I’ve unfortunately never gotten around to writing down the recipe for roasted butternut squash and apples seen in the photo, but I think it goes roughly like this:

FALL HARVEST SANDWICH WITH ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH, APPLES, AND STILTON

Equipment: large rimmed baking sheet, foil, serrated knife, vegetable peeler, metal spoon, cooling rack

1 medium butternut squash
2 to 3 firm-fleshed apples, such as Granny Smith or Gala
Olive oil
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice from 2 lemons
Salt
Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
1 ounces stilton
Crusty bread of your choice
Arugula (optional)

- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

- With a serrated knife, trim off about 1 inch from top and bottom of squash. Stand the squash up, and peel with a vegetable peeler. Be sure you’ve removed enough to see the bright orange flesh of the squash.

- Cut the squash where it curves, then cut that rounded piece in half. With a metal spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard.

- Slice squash into ¼-inch slices and arrange in single layer on prepared baking sheet.

- Peel, core (a metal 1-teaspoon measure works wonderfully), and cut apples into 8 wedges; add to baking sheet.

- Drizzle squash and apples generously with olive oil, then sprinkle with brown sugar and lemon zest. Season generously with salt and Aleppo pepper to taste. Toss everything together, rubbing with fingers to ensure even seasoning and coating. Arrange in single layer.

- Roast until vegetables are tender and slightly charred, 35 to 45 minutes.

- Transfer baking sheet to cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Adjust seasoning and add lemon juice.

- To assemble sandwich, slice crusty bread, drizzle crumb with olive oil, and toast if desired. Pile bread with squash and apples, crumble Stilton over everything, and tuck in arugula. Enjoy!

On average, two to four baked goods are produced in my kitchen on a weekly basis. During the Christmas season, that number rises exponentially. Today for instance, had you dropped by for a visit, I could have offered you fruitcake, homemade s’mores with a marshmallow cap torched á la minute, chocolate cake roll with salted caramel buttercream filling, chocolate meringue batons, and pink peppermint meringue kisses to go along with your coffee or tea.

I’ve even ventured into cookie baking territory as evidenced by this weeks “Dreamy Crack Bars” post. Here is the other type of cookie I like to bake during this holly jolly time of year: nubby, crumbly, buttery, sugar-dusted Mexican wedding cakes, festooned and prettied up with Grinch-green pistachios, sunny orange zest, and exotic, floral cardamom.

I took them to the annual Serious Eats cookie swap just last week and will be making a few more batches for people on my “Nice” list.

ORANGE, CARDAMOM, &  PISTACHIO MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES

Equipment: food processor, electric mixer, 2 baking sheets, parchment paper, cooling rack, mixing bowls

Makes about 32 cookies

1 cup roasted, salted, shelled pistachios
1 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pulse pistachios and orange zest in food processor until almonds are coarsely ground. Set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Pause mixer and add ½ cup confectioners’ sugar. Beat on low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula; add vanilla. Mix on medium-high speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds.

Pause mixer. Add flour, ¾ teaspoon cardamom, salt, and nut mixture; mix on medium-low speed until dough comes together, 60 to 90 seconds.

With rubber spatula, scrape sides and bottom of bowl, patting dough down to unify it. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a 1 tablespoon measure, scoop dough out onto prepared baking sheets, then quickly roll them between palms into balls and space them ½ inch apart. Lightly press cookies down to ½-inch thickness.

Bake cookies until golden brown on bottom (they will remain pale on top) 15 to 20 minutes.

While cookies bake, whisk together remaining 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, remaining 1/8 teaspoon cardamom, and cinnamon in large bowl; set aside.

Transfer baking sheet to cooling rack and cool cookies on sheet for 5 minutes. Gently toss warm cookies in confectioners’ sugar and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely, 30 to 60 minutes.

Cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Admittedly, I am not a very enthusiastic cookie baker. I don’t mind pulling cookies out of the oven halfway through baking to carefully apply chocolate chips with tweezers so they look picture perfect, but that’s strictly for work. For fun, I’d much rather do away with the scooping, rolling, cutting,  decorating, and tweezing.

Enter these bar cookies. They’re actually the first recipe I ever developed at Cook’s Country Magazine, and probably one of my favorite. The base is a nut-speckled, buttery shortbread; the center a gooey pecan-pie-like blanket; and the top, a crisp, caramelized, crunchy crust of coconut.

They were originally titled “Dream Bars,” however after six batches and incessant eating, their highly addictive nature demands to be put in the category of illegal drugs, hence the “crack” in the title.

I’m off to bake another batch now. Wrap them up in cellophane and festive ribbons and ship off to friends and family!

DREAMY CRACK BARS
(Originally published in Cook’s Country, Apr/May 2009)

Equipment: 13- by 9-inch baking pan, heavy-duty foil, food processor, cooling rack, mixing bowls, whisk

Notes:
To toast the nuts, arrange pecans in single layer on baking sheet. Bake in center rack in preheated 350°F oven until fragrant and golden, 7 to 10 minutes, shaking pan halfway through baking to redistribute pecans. Transfer baking sheet to cooling rack and cool pecans completely before chopping.

For the Crust
Cooking spray
2 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup pecans
¼ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled

For the Topping
1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 (15-ounce) can cream of coconut
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (See Notes)

For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Line 13- by 9-inch baking pan with heavy-duty foil lengthwise with one sheet, then crosswise with a second sheet to create a sling; coat with baking spray.

Process flour, brown sugar, pecans, and salt in food processor until pecans are coarsely ground. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture firmly into prepared baking pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack 20 minutes.

For the topping: Stir together shredded coconut and cream of coconut in bowl. In separate bowl, whisk eggs, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Stir in pecans, then spread filling over cooled crust. Dollop heaping teaspoons of coconut mixture over filling, then spread into as even a layer as possible with rubber spatula or back of spoon (it will be patchy).

Bake until topping is deep golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then, use excess foil to pull out onto wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

Once cooled, remove foil and cut into 24 pieces. (Bars can be refrigerated in airtight container for 5 days.)

Writing for Serious Eats / Sweets means I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about dessert. Half moon pose in yoga, the instructor running through the dialogue—”Pushandcomedown, pushandcomedown”—, sweat gushing out of every pore—everything goes unnoticed. Stuck in line behind someone who insists on spelunking in their Mary Poppins-sized handbag for a measly $0.10 coupon—I’m not annoyed. Small child screaming bloody murder in the seat behind me on crowded flight—I tune it out. My mind is putting together a list of possible cake and icing combinations, nut and spice mixtures, color schemes suitable for propping the finished cake.

Dinner has taken a secondary role, so much so that last week when my husband was out of town I had a whole bag of microwave popcorn for dinner (only after I’d eaten a large slice of that day’s cake, right off the cake stand).

When I do get around to making dinner, I rummage around the kitchen seeing what’s around and crossing my fingers that the vegetables I bought last weekend haven’t morphed into alien forms (I found a length of kielbasa in the crisper drawer once and upon closer inspection realized it was actually a long-forgotten and mutated carrot). One of the dishes that most easily comes together and simultaneously rescues onions, bruised apples, and the last handful of potatoes is roast chicken.

I’ve written about roast chicken before, and expect to see more variations because it is one of my very favorite things to make. Nothing to me says “I cooked a lovely dinner!” to me more than roast chicken. It’s fuss, uses just one pan, and doesn’t make a big stink in my apartment.

Try this version with crisp garlicky skin, caramelized lemon pieces, chunks of tart apple, toasty roasted potatoes, and sweet onions. Oh, and sausage, too.

EASY ROASTED GARLIC CHICKEN WITH SAUSAGE, APPLES, & ONIONS
Serves 4

Equipment: cutting board, chef’s knife, roasting pan, grater, paper towels, tongs, instant-read thermometer
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Notes: You can substitute the whole chicken with bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (all breasts, all thighs, etc. or a combination of white and dark pieces).
- Easily core the apple pear by cutting it in half, then scooping out the core and seeds with a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon (metal works best).
When seasoning chicken, I like to estimate ¾ teaspoon per pound of chicken.

1 medium-sized yellow onion, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 Granny Smith apple or 1 firm seckel pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces (See Notes)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 fresh Italian sausages, cut into 1-inch thick rounds
1 whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds), cut into pieces (See Notes)
2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried sage
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper (See Notes)
Olive oil
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half lengthwise

- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

- Combine onion and apple in roasting pan. Smash 4 garlic cloves with the side of a chef’s knife and add to pan. Add sausages, thyme, sage, red pepper flakes; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and toss everything together with hands.

- Finely chop remaining 4 garlic cloves. Combine with lemon zest in small bowl and add enough olive oil to cover (about ¼ cup). Microwave uncovered for until oil is bubbling and garlic is fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.

- Cut lemon into quarters and toss with vegetables.

- Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
Rub garlic mixture all over chicken.

- Arrange chicken pieces, skin side down, over vegetable-sausage mixture. Bake for 35 minutes.

- With tongs, turn chicken pieces skin-side up and increase oven temperature to 450°F. Continue to bake until skin is crisp and golden and temperature registers 160°F, about 30 minutes.

- Transfer roasting pan to cooling rack and allow kitchen to rest 10 to 15 minutes prior to serving.

In its original tongue, French toast is pain perdu, “lost bread.” It should be “found bread” or “saved bread” I think, as what would have been tossed out, discarded, inedible, lost bread, too stale and unpalatable to serve even with a large knob of fresh butter, is saved with the addition of staple kitchen ingredients.

French toast is made by dipping stale slices of bread in a batter of eggs and milk, sometimes enhanced with ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, sugar, etc. More exaggerated versions add cereal and nut coatings, cream cheese and fruit fillings, and anything else within arm’s reach that may appeal to a mouthful of sweet teeth.

Note that the whole point of French toast is to use stale bread, but, thanks to the modern-day use of preservatives, supermarket sliced bread can endure an inordinately long period of time. Though it might be a bit more difficult to have bread that’s wasting away in your pantry, do stay away from the fluffy stuff; it is much too soft and overly absorbent, which will produce a wet, soggy, slippery, slimy breakfast.

Even with bread on the brink of becoming lost, I’ve been served many plates of swampy French toast. If you enjoy chewing on waterlogged sponges, don’t make the following recipe. This is a non-recipe of sorts, but basic and self-explanatory, so you should have no trouble. My special trick — aside from dry bread slices from a sturdy loaf — is to generously slather the slices with cinnamon-sugar butter on both sides prior to giving them a brief dip in egg batter. French toast with a thin, fried coating that’s also caramelized and cinnamon-scented. What once was lost, is now found.

CRUNCHY FRENCH TOAST
Serves 2

Equipment: cutting board, serrated knife, large mixing bowl, whisk, 12-inch nonstick skillet or griddle, spatula
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Notes: Use only sturdy, stale bread, such as Pullman loaf, boule, ciabatta, or baguette. Avoid sliced supermarket breads.
Recipe can be easily multiplied.

8 to 10 pieces stale ciabatta bread, sliced into ¾ inch slices (See Notes)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest (optional)
Syrup or honey for serving (optional)

- Combine 4 tablespoons butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Spread each slice of bread on both sides with cinnamon-sugar butter.

- In large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and optional zest.

- Melt about ½ of the remaining tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Briefly dip as many slices of bread as will fit comfortably on the skillet (do not overcrowd).

- Cook toast until browned and caramelized, 2 to 4 minutes per side.

- Serve immediately, with syrup if desired.

I moved back to New York a little over a week ago and in that short time have experienced the whip of Mother Nature’s wrath: first, an earthquake, and now a hurricane. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Godzilla and King Kong made cameos next.

Slowly but surely, I’ve been unpacking boxes and, like a bird, have been tucking things away into every nook and cranny I can find in the new apartment. Closet space is, as usual, something that needs to be carefully studied and adroitly negotiated.

The kitchen was the first room I focused on. Eight boxes into the process, most of the cabinets were stocked and I was certain I was done. Unfortunately, ten more lurked among the Kraft-brown pillars in the living room. Things are tidy for the most part, but despite a thorough cleaning on the move-out, I am still finding questionable items. Why does anyone need multiple jars of candy cane sprinkles and cerulean sugar?

Thus far this week I’ve made Nicaraguan carne chorizada for a real taste of home, roast chicken to get back into the routine (I make roast chicken at least once a week), and a red pepper frittata with the smoky garlic potatoes that follow.

This simple recipe is packed with flavor and takes minimal effort. The potatoes are par-cooked in the microwave—no need to boil water, drain, etc.—then sautéed until crisp and golden, like edible copper coins.

Smoked paprika is one of my favorite spices—it’s deep and rich and reminiscent of well-prepared barbecue. If you can’t find it at your supermarket, do look for it at a specialty shop or online; it’s worth the trouble and you’ll find yourself adding it to numerous preparations (and of course, in recipes on this blog). Lots of garlic add punch and heat, and the bits brown nicely into crisp nuggets.

My secret ingredients: mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon right before serving. A little extra indulgence and zing for what will be a new favorite side dish.

SMOKY GARLIC POTATOES
Serves 4

Equipment: large microwave-safe bowl, plastic wrap, microwave, large standard or nonstick skillet, rubber spatula
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes

Notes: If you can’t find fingerlings, substitute with 1 pound small red bliss or new potatoes. Cut potatoes in quarters lengthwise, then slice thinly crosswise.

1 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed well (See Notes)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice

- Slice potatoes crosswise into thin rounds and place in large microwave-safe bowl. Add garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss once again.

- Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and microwave 2 minutes. Without removing the plastic wrap, toss the potatoes, then microwave 1 additional minute.

- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add smoked paprika,oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. With a rubber spatula, scrape potatoes and any oil and garlic bits into skillet and cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until potatoes are crisp and dark golden, 5 to 10 minutes.

- Remove skillet from heat, then add mayonnaise and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

This gutsy sauce is perfect for grilled steak, but it’s incredibly versatile. Make a double batch and store it in a covered container in your fridge and use it to marinate shrimp, toss it with rice pilaf or warm potatoes, or use it as an alternative for vinaigrette on a crisp green salad.

CHIMICHURRI

1 cup packed flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, finely chopped
½ cup packed cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/3 cup packed fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced

- Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature about 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Serve.

I have been atrociously neglecting the blog. I have excuses, of course: I was in California for about two weeks in May (I worked on a McDonald’s commercial!), was busy shooting for work or for tests, was working on getting things together for the new site (I hope you’ve had time to look around!), and was generally living off pasta and grilled cheese sandwiches—nothing really appetizing or photogenic.

Oh! And one more: as of this month I will be contributing two recipes per week to Serious Eats’ new dessert section, Sweets! Every Monday you can look forward to “Let Them Eat: [Insert Name of] Cake” and every Friday expect a Latin American treat in “Dulces.” As always, I will aim to please your sweet tooth.

Anyway, this post isn’t only about lame excuses. Below is one recipe I managed to cobble together recently. It’s a warm salad, anchored by charred romaine—you’ll love it, it’s a whole new way to eat lettuce—and topped with a runny egg and crunchy breadcrumbs.

CHARRED ROMAINE SALAD with EGG & BREADCRUMBS
Serves 2

Notes: This salad is garnished with optional slow-roasted tomatoes; I’ve included the recipe below, but, should you not have any on hand, feel free to omit them or replace them with cherry tomatoes.
- Be sure to use panko and not regular store-bought breadcrumbs, which will be sandy rather than crunchy.
Cooking Equipment: large 12-inch nonstick skillet with lid, foil

2 large garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons grainy mustard or Dijon mustard
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1 large head romaine lettuce
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup roasted tomatoes or 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (See Notes above)

- Place minced garlic and 2 tablespoons oil in small bowl (oil should fully cover garlic). Microwave until garlic is sizzling, 45 to 60 seconds. In second small bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard. While still whisking, slowly drizzle in garlic and oil. Set aside.

- Heat additional 2 tablespoons oil in large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add panko, Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until crumbs are golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer crumbs to plate and wipe skillet with paper towels.

- Split the head of romaine in half lengthwise. Make sure you leave the base attached to keep the leaves together. Drizzle the cut side of the halves with additional 1 tablespoon oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

- Increase heat to medium-high and place romaine halves, cut-side down, on the skillet. Cook until charred and wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn over and cook an additional 2 minutes Transfer halves to 2 plates and tent loosely with foil. Add scallions and cook just until softened, about 2 minutes. Transfer to plate.

- Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to empty skillet. Add eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook until whites begin to set. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until eggs are cooked to desired consistency, 2 to 4 minutes.

- To serve, top each romaine half with one egg, half of bread crumbs, and half of scallions. Quickly whisk vinaigrette to reincorporate and drizzle over food. Garnish with optional tomatoes.

SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES

Notes: I’ve made a version of these tomatoes before, but lately I’ve been using this recipe: the tomatoes taste like sophisticated ketchup. The amounts are a jumping off point—after you’ve made the recipe once, make notes and adjust the seasonings to taste. These tomatoes roast slowly until lightly charred and soft—they will melt in your mouth. Keep them in your refrigerator and add them to salads, sandwiches, and pastas for a flavor boost.
Cooking Equipment: Large rimmed baking sheet, foil

12 plum tomatoes, washed and cut into quarters lengthwise
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup olive oil

- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spread tomatoes out on sheet and season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle with olive oil and, using your hands, rub the seasonings and oil on tomatoes.

- Cook tomatoes until wilted and slightly charred, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Cool to room temperature and serve.

- Store any leftover tomatoes in airtight container in refrigerator.

I make biscuits at least twice a month and have been doing so for years. After much trial and error, I have a recipe I love and I think they’re the best biscuits ever.

Enter the Cuisinart and apparently the demise of my “Best Biscuits Ever.”

It was new. And shiny. I wanted to break it in. Lots of people use the Cuisinart to pulse butter and flour in it. So I proceeded with the recipe.

They looked fine, but some people who will remain unnamed said, “Umm. Are these the best biscuits ever?” Sting.

Artisanal it is, then! So here they are, in all their fluffy, hand-crafted glory.

FLUFFIEST BISCUITS

Makes 12 biscuits

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted chilled butter, cut into 1” pieces
1 ½ cups buttermilk or plain low-fat yogurt, chilled

- Adjust the oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda twice.

- Add the chilled butter and, using two knives, cut it into the dry ingredients until the butter is in pea-sized pieces.

- Add the buttermilk and stir it in with fork just till combined. If it looks very dry, add more buttermilk, 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough is cohesive.

- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it until it comes together, about six times. Pat the dough into a rectangle, about 16 inches by 11 inches. Use a floured round biscuit cutter to stamp out the biscuits and arrange them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into quarters lengthwise, then into thirds crosswise.

- Bake 12 – 15 minutes until golden.

- Serve warm with good butter.

I feel like I’m trespassing by posting this recipe—it’s Cuban, and I confess to not having any relationship to that cuisine other than I absolutely love it, crave it, and look forward to trips to Miami more for the opportunity to eat at La Carreta and Versailles than for the amazing beaches and steady sunshine.

Cuban mojo doubles as marinade and sauce. Mojo is made by combining chopped garlic and/or minced onions, olive oil, sour orange juice, dried oregano, and a touch of cumin.  Recipes abound, and like many other traditional dishes, the ratio and quantity of its ingredients as well as its preparation are household-specific; seasoned according to palate and prejudices among family members.

Every time I make mojo I make a few tweaks; the acidity level and amount of onion and garlic change according to mood, but this is a pretty good jumping off point if you’ve never made it. Feel free to add and subtract.  The recipe is made with a combination of orange and lime juices to mimic the sharp sour oranges original to the recipe. If you can get your hands on a sour orange, substitute it. Mojo is the perfect dressing for a number of dishes, from roast pork to boiled yuca and plain white rice. I especially love it on rice.

MOJO

1 small white onion, finely chopped
Salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch ground cumin
¼ cup orange juice
3 tablespoons lime juice

- Cook onions and ½ teaspoon salt in oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t be tempted to increase the heat; you want to soften the onions in texture and mellow their flavor, not crisp them.

- Add the garlic, oregano, and cumin and cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

- Transfer oil mixture to medium bowl. Whisk in orange juice and lime juice. Season with salt to taste. Serve warm. Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to 1 week.