Food goodness

From: The Commissary Cookbook So, once upon a time in Philadelphia, there was a restaurant called The Commissary. Their carrot cake was famous. People still talk about it, even though the restaurant is long gone. If you search the interwebs for the best carrot cake recipe out there, you will probably find at least a few people talking about the Commissary carrot cake. Two years ago a friend mentioned to me that he really likes carrot cake, and asked if I had carrot cake on my agenda any time soon. I didn't, but I remembered the request, and when that person's 40th birthday came around a few weeks ago I made this cake for him. It's not SO different from any other carrot cake recipe, but it is very tasty and delicious. The cake itself is very moist and flavorful, and the pecan filling and cream cheese frosting are the perfect complements. Of course, my supervisor Karen (who gives me all the best baking recipes) directed me to this recipe, and she makes it

I'm a sucker for anything called "the magic _______." From Everybody Likes Sandwiches , with fairly substantial modifications. 3 cobs of corn, uncooked, kernels sliced off with a sharp knife 1/2 red onion, diced 1 small green pepper, diced 1 large cucumber, seeded and diced handful each of fresh cilantro and basil [she suggested parsley, thyme and basil] 1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed 1/4 c olive oil juice of 2 juicy limes (should equal approx. 1/3 c) 2 heaping tsp gochu jang [her version had paprika, old bay and s&p] Toss everything together except the olive oil, lime juice and gochu jang or other spicy/sweet sauce. In a small jar, combine those three ingredients, shake, pour over the salad. Continue to ignore your stove or any other heat source for the rest of the night.

So, in the last three weeks, our CSA has netted us 6 pint containers of cherry/grape tomatoes. Plus the regular "slicing" tomatoes -- big heirloom ones. That's a lot of tomatoes. What to do with all the little tomatoes? Some are for salads, of course. Most, though, went into this last week. Oh, and one note. I don't often have 45 minutes before I even start preparing dinner -- the short people demand dinner that can be cooked quicker than that. So I roasted the tomatoes the night before, and stuck in the fridge so Ernie wouldn't have to rush around the kitchen on a Monday night. I think you could probably leave out the olives complete, and double the capers, and it'd be just as good. Maybe I'll do that next time. from Epicurious 2 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes, halved 1/3 cup olive oil 5 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (omitted for little people) 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Adapted from the Neelys I made a batch of this to use next weekend when I will be making pulled pork for 24 people at a family reunion. I wanted to make a double batch but didn't have enough ingredients on hand at home tonight. If I make another batch later in the week, I might try reducing the apple cider vinegar just a bit to see if I like it better that way. It's definitely good this way, but it is vinegar-y. I cut back on the sugar from the original recipe, as recommended in many of the comments, so that may have contributed to the strong vinegar tang, too. I may continue to play around with this recipe, but it's a good starting place. You could also throw this in the crockpot for a few hours instead of simmering on your stovetop. Ingredients 2 cups ketchup 1 cup water 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 5 tablespoons light brown sugar 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper 1 tablespoon dehydrated onion 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard 1 tablespoon lemon

What do you do when you pick 11 pounds of blueberries in half an hour? Cook something that will make them take up less space. I'm planning to eat this on yogurt for the rest of my life. Adapted from a Seattle Times recipe , mostly to increase the quantity and try to make it reduce faster. 6 cups fresh blueberries 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Combine the ingredients in a large, heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium heat until the blueberry skins have popped and the mixture is thickened, about 20 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes two large jelly jars (about 3 cups?) of sauce.

Shannon and I are mulling a change in FG's background, possibly to one of the templates shown here . In the comments, vote for your two or three favorites. Viva democracy!