Sunday Number 3

Ok, here's the truth...Rebekah wasn't feeling well and I had a headache...but she still came over and we still cooked together...and loved it. Infact, I think we probably cooked more things than we have on any of the other Sundays.

With Images of Love cd playing classical music, Rebekah first worked on Sweet Potato Biscuits that she chose to make. What struck me was that she chose this recipe and she doesn't like sweet potatoes nor does she like cinnamon. This recipe has both. I so much appreciate her thoughtfulness towards others and how it isn't always about what she likes.

They tasted delicious. They were not a sweet biscuit and they had wonderful flavor. Craig took a bite out of a biscuit and declared "Right here, Fall just happened!"

While Rebekah worked on the biscuits, I started on the Skillet Tamale Pie.

I was expecting it to have a golden brown top, but that wasn't happening, so I decided to let it bake a little longer. It was delicious, but I think the extra baking time may have caused it to be a little dryer than what it might have otherwise been.

Rebekah doesn't eat meat, so I thought we would make another Tamale Pie with ingredients that she could eat. The second tamale pie was not made with meat, but was made with firm tofu and mushrooms instead.

The salad Rebekah chose was not made up of lettuce...it was "spicy greens". In the grocery store, the only ones from the list I could find were mustard greens and arugula. So, that was what we used. Honestly, this salad was intimidating for me. We were using ingredients that I was not familiar with...and what do we do when we are not familiar with something these days? Yes, I googled "mustard greens". I read that they were bitter and needed to be cooked in water for a long time...ohhhh nooooo. We were just going to put them in a salad. Well...if nothing else, we were going to learn about mustard greens. The salad was delicious! I had some toasted slivered almonds in the refridgerator and Rebekah tossed them in the salad too and it was so good! And the lesson was...don't be afraid of something you're not familiar with...you may be surprised in a good way...or at least you will learn something new.

Now let me tell you about the corn... Mexican-style Gas Grilled Corn...not our favorite.

This is the mixture we were supposed to put the grilled corn in and it had mayonnaise, sour cream, grated Pecorino Romano cheese and cilantro leaves in it...and we didn't like it. Craig said it well when he said that he's used to tasting butter on corn--that's it. So sometimes trying new things doesn't work out like you would have liked...and it is totally fine. No one was offended and everyone felt free to be honest with their opinion. Yes, not a fan of the corn this time. I didn't include this recipe on the blog...if you want it, it's on page 383 in The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook. Who knows...you may like it.

As Rebekah and I cooked, we talked about memories that we each have with regards to cooking and food. Rebekah told me stories of her grandmother and how she inspired Rebekah to love cooking. I told Rebekah stories of my mother and how much she loved to cook. I remember sometimes waking up very early on Saturday mornings to the aroma of freshly baked bread...a little olive oil, pepper and grated Italian cheese on top mmmmmmmmm (sigh).

Ok, now for the Boston Cream Cupcakes...AMAZING A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I love that Rebekah chose these to make because they looked a little difficult. I love that she wanted a little bit of a challenge...oh they were so good! They were very rich. We decided that maybe it would be a good idea to make them into mini cupcakes.

She cut out little cones out of the middle of the cupcake.

Then she sliced the pointy part of the cone off...

and we ate them! They were extra...we didn't need them for the cupcakes.

She filled the empty space in the cupcake with pastry cream.

Placed the "lids" on them...

Drizzled chocolate glaze on top.

Soooooo good!!

Our table...

Here is a very happy Craig!

Skillet Tamale Pie

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook page 42

Serves 4

Tamale Filling:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

table salt

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

ground black pepper

Cornbread Topping:

3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) yellow cornmeal

3 tablespoons sugar

3/4 tablespoon table salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. FOR THE TAMALE FILLING: Heat the oil in a 12 inch oven safe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in the ground sirloin, beans, and tomatoes and bring to a simmer, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Stir the cheddar cheese and cilantro into the filling and season with salt and pepper.

4. FOR THE CORNBREAD TOPPING: Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and egg together. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until uniform. Stir in the butter until just combined.

5. Dollop the cornbread batter evenly over the filling and spread into an even layer. Bake until the cornbread is cooked through in the center, 10 to 15 minutes. Using potholders (the skillet handle will be hot), remove the skillet from the oven. Serve.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book page 31

Makes 8

1 large sweet potato (12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch ground nutmeg

1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place the cube sweet potato in a medium microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Polk 2 small steam vents in the plastic and microwave on high power until the potatoes are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Mash the cooked potatoes with a potato masher until very smooth and let cool slightly.

3. Whisk the heavy cream and vanilla into the mashed sweet potatoes until thoroughly combined. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Stir the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until the dough forms, about 30 seconds.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead the dough briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds. Pat the dough into an 8-inch round, about3/4 inch thick.

5. Using a floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out 8 biscuits, gently patting the dough scraps back into a uniform 3/4-inch-thick piece as needed. Arrange the biscuits upside down on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart.

6. Bake until the biscuits are lightly browned, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Transfer to a wire rack, let cool for 5 minutes, and serve warm.

To Make Ahead:

The cut, unbaked biscuits can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 hours; bake as directed. They can also be frozen for up to 1 month; cover and freeze the biscuits until frozen solid, about 6 hours, then transfer to a large zipper-lock bag. Bake the frozen biscuits (do not thaw) as directed, increasing the baking time to 20 to 25 minutes.

Spicy Salad with Mustard and Balsamic Vinaigrette

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook page 21

Serves 8 to 10

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon finely minced shallot

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

16 cups spicey greens, such as arugula, watercress, mizuna, and baby mustard greens, washed and dried

Whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper together in a bowl until combined. Place the greens in a large bowl, drizzle the dressing over the greens a little at a time, and toss to coat evenly, adding more vinaigrette if the greens seem dry. Serve.

Boston Cream Cupcakes

The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book page 246

Makes 12 cupcakes

Pastry Cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 large egg yolks

1/3 cup (2 1/3 ounces) sugar

pinch of salt

4 teaspoons of cornstarch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cupcakes:

1 3/4 cups (8 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 cup (7 ounces) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces ans softened

3 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cups whole milk, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For The Pastry Cream: Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt togethr in a medium bowl, thne whisk in the cornstarch until pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.

2. Slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg minture to temper, then return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refriegerate until well chilled and set, about 2-hours.

3. For The Cupcakes: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin.

4. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking owder, and salt together in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the butter into the flour minture, one piece at a time, about 30 seconds. Continue to beat the mixture until it resembles moist crumbs, 1 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the milk and vanilla, then increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth, light, and fluffy, 1 to 3 minutes.

5. Using a greased 1/3-cup measure, portion the batter into each muffin cup (about three-quarters full; do not overfill). Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through baking. Let the cupcakes cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then trandfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. For The Glaze: Microwave all of the ingredients together, whisking often, until melted and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Let the glaze cool, uncovered, until it is thickened but pourable, about 20 minutes.

7. Cut around the inside edge of the top of each cupcake, removing a cone=shaped piece from each cupcake, and fill with 2 tablespoons of pastry cream. Trim and replace th cupcake top and set each cupcake on a wire rack over parchment-lined baking sheep (for easy cleanup). Pour the glae over the cupcakes, letting it run down the sides. Refrigerate the cpcakes until the flaze has set, about 10 miutes, before serving.

Sunday Number 2

Simple Pot Roast is what is on the menu today. At the grocery store, I had the experience of having the butcher cut a Chuck-eye roast and tie string around it (so it wouldn't fall apart as it cooked) for me. Even that was fun...I felt like for some reason, my Chuck-eye roast was special. Maybe it was because of the interaction with the butcher at the grocery store. He was an elderly man who looked like he has had alot of experience cutting Chuck-eye roasts. I asked him if he had a roast with the string tied around it and he said "I can cut you one and tie the string around it for you". Great. So I continue a little more grocery shopping and return to the meat department and the butcher hands me the roast and says "Is this ok for you, m'aam?" I looked at it like I knew what I was looking at and said "yes, perfect, thank you". The only thing missing was that it wasn't wrapped in white paper with the word "chuck-eye roast" scralled out with a black grease pencil and there wasn't sawdust on the floor. That's what I remember the California Market on the corner was like when I was a little girl.

Oh, if you could only smell this...it was pretty amazing.

I love my enamel covered cast iron Dutch oven! I got it at Target.

Today, in the kitchen, this is the conversation Rebekah and I had...

When you are involved in ministry or a job that requires you to have responsibilities on Sunday, it becomes a challenge to relax on Sunday. If Sunday is your family's day to relax and spend time together and you know that you have to leave and attend to your responsiblities at a certain time...as much as you try to relax...you just simply can't. Besides feeling the weight of the responsiblities, many times there are last minute details that come up that need attention. It seems like for as long as I've known Craig, he's been involved in church in some way on Sunday, whether giving a sermon or leading worship or playing drums for the worship team. There were many times when I had an expectation of how I thought Sundays should be...and even became frustrated with Craig at times because it seemed to me that he could never relax on Sunday and/or always had a place to go to at a certain time, etc. The more frustrated I became, the more I tried to "reason" with Craig and "explain" why it was important to relax. That resulted with him still bearing the weight of his Sunday responsibilities AND NOW the weight of wanting to please me (at this point both things contradicted eachother) and the result was a not so relaxed Craig and a not so happy Josie...and yes, I've used the line "but you're supposed to REST on Sundays!"

So today, as Rebekah and I worked in the kitchen, we talked about the difference between creating an "environment of relaxation" rather than telling him or her to relax. We had soft music playing, the house smelled terrific as food was cooking, we were not asking them "honey, can you get this down for me?" or "honey, can you wash this for me?" We were happy with what we were doing in the kitchen and that left Craig, Michael and Nick, (our friend who was visiting) free to do what they do naturally...go upstairs and play Nintendo! I even enjoyed hearing them yell out from time to time, because I knew they were having fun. To top it off, there goes Rebekah, bringing them a tray of freshly baked brownies and glasses of milk...and my heart was happy.

I set the table a little bit differently this time...using placemats instead of a table cloth.

Rebekah made bread.

Rebekah also made a delicious Roasted Red Bell Pepper and Potato Soup that we had after church in the evening. It really was so nice to finish church and come home to a table that was already set and a meal that was waiting for us. Another reason soup was great was that we didn't need to use a lot of different plates and that made clean up pretty easy, which is important on a Sunday night when you have to get up early for work the next day. Planning ahead made such a huge difference.

Rebekah gives Michael the honor of slicing the freshly baked bread!

Setting the table is fun...I always seem to forget what side the forks are supposed to be on...forks on the left, forks on the left...

This is what the brownies looked like...I made the mistake of buying "semi-sweet chocolate" instead of "bittersweet chocolate". These brownies turned out pretty sweet, but still delicious and they didn't last long!

Strawberry Cream Shortcake

Simple Pot Roast

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook page 50

Serves 6 to 8

1 (3 1/2 pound) boneless chuck-eye roast

Table salt and black ground pepper

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped medium

1 small carrot, chopped medium

1 small rib celery, chopped medium

2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons of sugar

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup beef broth

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 - 1 1/2 cups water 1/4 cup dry red wine

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Thoroughly pat the roast dry with paper towels; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Brown the roast thoroughly on all sides, reducing the heat if the fat begins to smoke, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the roast to a large plate; set aside. Reduce the heat to medium; add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sugar; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and beef broths and thyme, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Return the roast and any accumulated juices to the pot; add enough water to come halfway up the sides of the roast. Place a large piece of foil over the pot and cover tightly with the lid; bring the liquid to a simmer over medium heat, then transfer the pot to the oven. Cook, turning the roast every 30 minutes, until fully tender and a meat fork or sharp knife easily slips in and out of the meat, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

3. Transfer the roast to a carving board; tent with foil to keep warm. Allow the liquid in the pot to settle about 5 minutes, then use a wide spoon to skim the fat off the surface; discard the thyme sprig. Boil over high heat until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. Add the red wine and reduce again to 1 1/2 cups, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Using a chef's or carving knife, cut the meat into 1/2 inch thick slices; or pull apart into large pieces. , transfer the meat to a warmed serving platter and pour about 1/2 cup sauce over the meat. Serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.

Strawberry Cream Shortcake

Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics page 404

Serves 8 - 10

1 large Sara Lee Pound Cake

One 5.1-ounce package vanilla instant pudding mix

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

One 12-ounce container Cool Whip

2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

Slice the cake very thin and lay half the slices in a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. In a bowl, combine the pudding mix, water, milk, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Fold in the Cool Whip. Pour half of this over the cake and lay half of the strawberries on top. Repeat to make a second layer. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Sunday Number 1

It started when my daughter (in-law) Rebekah and I decided to use Sunday afternoons as a time for our family to share a meal together each week. Using the recipes from The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook and The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book, we discovered that it was about much more than food. As we measured, kneaded, and sauteed together--we discovered that we were coming together to meet a common goal. Neither one of us were familiar with the recipes chosen. Therefore, we were not bringing our own ideas, expectations or "ways we always did it". It's just her, me and the recipe that brought us together.

Our cooking together was calm, interesting and fun. We each served the other by washing whatever dish or utensil was finished being used regardless of who used it last. We listened to music as we worked and occasionally took the time to smile for the camera. Michael and Craig played Duck Hunter and periodically Michael would fly a remote control duck into the kitchen just to stir things up a bit which resulted with much laughter from both parties.

I learned things about Rebekah that I never knew. I learned that she sometimes cooks recipes in her mind before she falls asleep because she wants to be able to memorize how to prepare a certain dish by heart. I want to do that too. I liked that I learned that from her.

Here are some guidelines we came up with for our Sunday Cooking Project:

1. Choose the menu a week in advance.
2. A total of 3 people are needed in order to veto a chosen recipe.
3. Write out the shopping list of items needed for that menu.
4. Figure out what time we need to start the cooking in order to have RELAX time and maybe play some games before evening church.
5. Turn on the music, cook and clean as we go!
6. Set a pretty table.
7. Enjoy a great meal and each other on a Sunday afternoon!

For our first Sunday, we decided to make *Skillet Baked Ziti, *Rosemary Foccacia, Leafy Green Salad, Iced Tea and *Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. *Recipes located at the bottom of this blog entry.

I started making the Rosemary Foccacia first because it would take the longest time

and Rebekah started with the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Rebekah's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies were fantastic. We doubled the recipe for them and I'm so glad that we did. Each household was able to take a large ziplock bag full of yummy cookies home to enjoy later. They were so good, I don't think they'll last for long!

My Rosemary Foccacia on the other hand...I'm not too much of a fan. I believe I need to let it rise longer once the dough is on the cookie sheet. It didn't turn out to be as thick and fluffy as I thought it probably should have been. I probably could have brushed it with a little more olive oil on top too. I'll have to try this recipe again and see if I can get it right.

Rebekah and I also had a conversation about the value of using ones "good china" for more than simply holidays. Many of us "save" our good china and table linens for special occasions. The truth is that none of us know how many "special occasions" we will be alive for. And what will we hand down to our children? A bunch of pretty dishes without any memories attached to them. If we use our good china and table cloths often, then it is as if we have increased the number of holidays we celebrate. Instead of Thanksgiving once a year...we can have Thanksgiving every Sunday.

Next, Rebekah made the Skillet Baked Ziti. Oh man, did the house smell terrific with the olive oil, garlic, basil and red pepper flakes cooking. I just love that aroma!! It takes me right back to my mother's kitchen everytime!

The grocery store did not have Ziti (meaning "bridegrooms" in Italian) so we used Mostaccioli (meaning "little mustache" in Italian) pasta. Both are long, hollow rods. Mostaccioli and Penne Lisce (meaning "smooth feather" in Italian) are similar. The difference between Mostaccioli and Ziti is that Mostaccioli is cut on a diagonal and Ziti is cut straight across.

This was my personal favorite of the day...it was delicious.

The Skillet Baked Ziti only took 30 minutes to prepare...just remember to preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

After lunch, Rebekah and I drank hot tea and made plans for next Sunday. We talked about how much fun we had in the kitchen and that we were not as tired as we thought we would be. We decided on next weeks menu and wrote out a grocery shopping list. All week long, we look forward to our time in the kitchen. A place where recipes are discovered, relationships are built and memories are made.

ROSEMARY FOCACCIA

The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book page 135

Makes one 18 by 13-inch flatbread

1 medium russet potato (8 ounces), peeled and sliced into 1-inch-thick chunks

3 1/2 - 3 3/4 cups (17 1/2 to 18 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 1/4 teaspoons table salt

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

Coarse sea salt or kosher salt, for sprinkling

1. Bring the potato and 3 cups water to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook until the potato is tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potato to a small bowl. Measure out and reserve 1 cup of the hot potato cooking water: set aside to cool until just warm (about 110 degrees). When the potato is cool enough to handle, grate it on the large holes of a box grater and reserve (you sould have about 1 cup lightly packed grated potato).

2. Mix the cooked potato, 3 1/2 cups of the flour, 2 tablespoons of the oil, yeast, and table salt in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the reserved potato wooking water and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.

3. Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

5. Coat an 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with 1/4 cup more oil. Press the dough into the prepared baking sheet with wet hands. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon more oil, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 45 to 75 minutes.

6. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Dimple the dough with wet fingertips, then drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with the rosemary and coarse salt. Bake until the foccacia bottom is golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

7. Transfer the focaccia to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutesm rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

SKILLET BAKED ZITI

The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook page 38

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Table salt

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

3 cups water

12 ounces ziti (3 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup minced, fresh basil leaves

Ground black pepper

4 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees.

2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over midium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute until fragrant, about one minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, ziti and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the ziti is almost tender, 15 to 18 minutes.

3. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the ziti. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Using potholders (the skillet handles will be hot), remove the skillet from the oven. Serve.

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book page 149

Makes about 24 cookies

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed (7 ounces) light brown sugar

1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

3 cups (9 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) raisins

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together in a medium bowl.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the oats and raisins until just incorporated.

4. Working with about 3 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Flatten the cookies to a 3/4-inch thickness using your palm.

5. Bake the cookies until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 22 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking.

6. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.