Dayrecipe Food Community

Makes 4 main-course servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 2thick bacon slices, chopped
• 1 1/2cups chopped onion
• 6garlic cloves, minced
• 3cups low-salt chicken broth
• 4cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled butternut squash (from one 1 3/4-pound squash)
• 315-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), undrained
• 114 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
• 1teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

DIRECTIONS Sauté bacon in heavy large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Add chopped onion and garlic to drippings in pot; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Add chicken broth; bring to boil. Stir in butternut squash, 1 can cannellini with liquid, drained tomatoes, and fresh rosemary. Puree remaining 2 cans cannellini with liquid in processor until smooth; add to soup. Cover and simmer until butternut squash is tender and flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper. (Bacon and soup can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap and chill bacon. Chill soup uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm bacon and soup separately before serving.)

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped bacon and serve.

Key lime pie, with its tangy custard filling and pastry crust, was popular in the Florida Keys at the turn of the century. The pie eventually evolved to include the graham-cracker-crumb crusts created in the thirties. We’ve layered all the components in wine goblets.

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

In this dish, Elena Rovera prefers the clean, fruity flavor of Roero Arneis, a dry white wine from the Piedmont region of Italy. She typically serves the chicken with rosemary potatoes.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Makes 4 main-course servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1(3 1/2- to 4-lb) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
• 1 1/4teaspoons salt
• 1teaspoon black pepper
• 3tablespoons olive oil
• 1medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1cup italian dry white wine (preferably roero arneis)
• 1cup chopped drained canned whole tomatoes (from a 28- to 32-oz can tomatoes in juice)
• 1cup water

DIRECTIONS Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken in 2 batches, skin sides down first, turning over once, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken as browned to a plate.

Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, and a pinch of salt to skillet, then reduce heat to moderate and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add wine and deglaze skillet by boiling, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until most of wine is evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, water, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then return chicken with any accumulated juices to skillet and turn over to coat with sauce. Turn chicken skin sides up and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Cooks’ note:
• Chicken improves in flavor after 1 day. Cool, covered, then chill, covered.

Cocoa brownies have the softest center and chewiest candylike top “crust” of all because all of the fat in the recipe (except for a small amount of cocoa butter in the cocoa) is butter, and all of the sugar is granulated sugar rather than the finely milled sugar used in chocolate. Use the best cocoa you know for these fabulous brownies.

Makes 16 large or 25 smaller brownies.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or dutch-process)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cold large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)special equipment:
  an 8-inch square baking pan

DIRECTIONS Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and set the bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir from time to time until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth and hot enough that you want to remove your finger fairly quickly after dipping it in to test. Remove the bowl from the skillet and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Chocolate note: Any unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder works well here. Natural cocoa produces brownies with more flavor complexity and lots of tart, fruity notes. I think it’s more exciting. Dutch-process cocoa results in a darker brownie with a mellower, old-fashioned chocolate pudding flavor, pleasantly reminiscent of childhood.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

Makes 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1tablespoon olive oil
• 4scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced separately
• 1teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1cup basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear, then drained
• 1 1/2cups water
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1fresh jalapeño chile, minced, including seeds
• 1/2lb sugar snap peas, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch pieces (2 cups)

DIRECTIONS Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil over moderate heat in a 3-quart heavy saucepan until hot but not smoking, then cook white parts of scallions and mustard seeds, stirring frequently, until scallionsare softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Addrice and cook, stirring, 1 minute.Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Cook over low heat, covered, untilrice is tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from
heat and fluff rice with a fork, thenlet stand, covered, 5 minutes.

While rice is standing, heat remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in a10-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook jalapeño and scallion greens, stirring occasionally, until they beginto soften, about 1 minute. Add snap peas and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Tosswith rice and season with salt.