From Bacon Nation by Peter Kaminsky and Marie Rama, here’s a deliciously brunch-worthy take on eggs and bacon.

1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, 6 to 9 minutes, stirring often and adjusting the heat as necessary. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Remove and discard all but 4 1/2 teaspoons of bacon fat from skillet.

2. Reheat the bacon fat in the skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute, then add the black beans, cumin, and two thirds of the cooked bacon. Cook until the mixture is heated through, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the salsa and let the mixture come to a simmer.

3. Using the back of a spoon, make 4 wells in the salsa, about 2 inches across. Crack an egg into a small bowl and slide it gently in to one of the wells without breaking the yolk (don’t be concerned if some of the egg white runs out of the well). Repeat with the remaining eggs. Season the eggs with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the remaining bacon around the eggs. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat, 4 to 6 minutes for slightly runny yolks, or as desired. Sprinkle cilantro over the huevos rancheros, divide it among 4 small bowls, and serve with warm tortillas.

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Everything tastes better with bacon, the full-flavored, umami-rich ingredient that’s become the home chef’s new secret weapon of choice. With over 100 smoky, savory, crispy, meaty, salty, and sweetly sensuous recipes, Peter Kaminsky and Marie Rama’s Bacon Nation is pure heaven for bacon lovers everywhere. 

In which we celebrate the change of seasons with a springtime dispatch from author Crescent Dragonwagon, followed by her recipe for a salad made with sugar snap peas.

Get the ebook for only $2.99–offer runs through April 30th!

“Here in Vermont, it’s still Mud Season; we don’t get our gardens in until early May (unless you count garlic, which got planted the previous fall, when the rest of the garden got put to bed). It can be spring on the plate, however, with this lovely, bright flavored sugar snap pea salad, which uses the brand new fresh-from-the-new-season’s-ground edible pod peas (coming in now from Florida and elsewhere in the South) with the good late winter navel oranges. Mint in the vinaigrette makes the whole thing even lighter and more refreshing. We look forward to this one every year.

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From The Four-Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook by Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman, here’s a beautiful way to prepare beet greens that features a welcome dash of smoke. . . .

“This dish is good when made with beet greens of any size, whether small bunches from a thinned row or the tops of mature beets that you will be storing in the cellar. Teaming them up with scallions, bacon, and maple syrup has won over many a greens-hater. They are especially tasty when served alongside a hearty piece of meat, but if it’s pork, omit the bacon. Keep in mind that beet stems bleed just the way the roots do, and will color pale foods such as fish.”

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“How she would laugh when she would see chicken soup recipes from famous cookbook authors calling for two carrots and a stalk of celery. My mother used two POUNDS of carrots in that soup.

Most chicken soup recipes instruct you to add water to cover. No, no, no, said my mother. Two-thirds is plenty. The vegetables cook down and will be covered soon enough, because what you are looking for is that deep, dark, richly flavorful brew. Resist the temptation to add a cup of water to get another cup of soup, she advised.

Even if you’re not Jewish, you must use kosher chickens. The jury is still out on why they taste so much better. Is it the method of killing? The freshness? The salting? The blessing? Who knows, but there really is a difference.”

—Judy Bart Kancigor on her mother’s chicken soup (see recipe)

In April, my mom came across some quick and easy sorbet recipes she wanted to try, and purchased an ice cream maker. Her plan was to make a mango sorbet early on Easter morning, and serve it fresh and delicious that afternoon at our Easter brunch. But after an hour of processing in the ice cream maker, the result was more like an icy smoothie than a rich sorbet. We wound up serving yogurt with warm fruit compote instead. The alternate dessert was good, but we were disappointed that our attempt at using the ice cream maker hadn’t worked out.

This Memorial Day weekend we were determined to make a successful dessert with our new machine, so I brought Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home along for my visit, to see if we’d have better luck with Jeni Britton Bauer’s innovative and fail-proof methods.

My parents have lots of mint in their garden, so it seemed like a no-brainer to make Backyard Mint Ice Cream. We gathered a large handful of mint in the morning and, after washing and drying it, roughly tore the leaves and cold-soaked them in the ice cream base overnight. Jeni says that tearing the mint bruises the leaves and opens the oil pockets, releasing a minty scent into the cream.

The following afternoon we got the rest of the ingredients ready:

• 2 cups of whole milk
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) cream cheese, softened
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

To prep, we mixed two tablespoons of the whole milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. (Note: We used Lactaid whole milk, and had very successful results, texture and lactose intolerance-wise.) In a medium bowl, we whisked cream cheese and salt until smooth. Finally, we put lots of ice and some water into a very large bowl. We set the three bowls aside for use later.

Then, we combined the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, and corn syrup in a 4-quart saucepan, and brought the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. After it had boiled for 4 minutes, we removed the pan from the heat and gradually whisked in the cornstarch slurry. Then we brought the mixture back to a boil and cooked it, stirring with a heatproof spatula. After about one minute, when the mixture was slightly thickened, we removed the pan from the heat, and gradually whisked the hot milk mixture into the bowl with the cream cheese. When the mixture was smooth, we took the frozen mint out of the ice cream base and added it to the bowl.

We then poured the minty milk mixture into a one-gallon Ziploc freezer bag, sealed it, and submerged it in an ice bath. We let it sit for about thirty minutes to fully cool.

After about thirty minutes in the bath, Jeni says to refrigerate the bag for 4 to 12 hours to allow the flavors to steep. We had to get to a dinner, and wanted the ice cream to be ready for dessert, so we only let the mint steep for 3 hours.

To strain out the mint, we poured the milky mint mixture through cheesecloth and into the ice cream maker’s frozen canister. We turned on the ice cream maker and let it begin to spin.

Since we guessed that the mint flavor would be subtle because we weren’t letting it steep as long as was recommended, we decided to put dark chocolate freckles into the ice cream from the Buckeye State Ice Cream Recipe, to add a little extra something-something. To do this, we melted 4 ounces of chopped chocolate (55% to 70% cocoa) in a double broiler. Then we took it off the heat to let it cool until it was tepid but still fluid.

When the ice cream was thick and creamy and just about finished, we drizzled the melted chocolate slowly through the opening in the top of the ice cream machine and allowed it to solidify and break up in the ice cream for about two minutes.

When the ice cream was finished, we packed it into a storage container, pressed a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and sealed it with an airtight lid. We froze the ice cream in the coldest part of our freezer until it was firm (about 4 hours).

After dinner, we invited our friends over to try the results, crossing our fingers that we wouldn’t have another incident of homemade dessert gone awry.

And we didn’t!

The ice cream was such a hit (a subtle hint of mint with bites of rich dark chocolate) that we decided to make Jeni’s Baked Rhubarb Frozen Yogurt the very next day. The result was equally delicious.

—Emily

When you think of Hanukkah nosh, you think latkes: delicious fried potato pancakes with dollops of apple sauce or sour cream. But did you know that jelly doughnuts, known as sufganiyot, are a traditional Hanukkah treat in Israel? Follow the recipe below from Judy Bart Kancigor’s Cooking Jewish to make about 3 ½ dozen of these popular pastries:

Pnina Shichor’s Sufganiyot

(jelly doughnuts)

½ cup plus scant 1 cup warm water

(105 to 110 degrees F)

3 packages active dry yeast

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs, beaten

5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

Canola or corn oil, for frying

Jam (any flavor)

Confectioner’s sugar

1. Preheat the oven on the lowest setting for 15 minutes, and turn it off.
2. Pour the ½ cup warm water into a very large (at least 6-quart) bowl. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve it. Then add 1 teaspoon of the sugar, stir, and set the mixture aside until bubble, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Stir the scant 1 cup water, salt, oil, remaining sugar, and eggs into the yeast mixture. Add 3 cups of the flour, and mix. Gradually knead in the remaining flour until the dough is spongy and elastic but still feels slightly tacky. Remove the dough and oil the bowl (no need to wash it). Turn the dough in the bowl to coat it all over with oil, and loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
4. Let the dough rise in the turned-off oven until it nearly reaches the top of the bowl, about 2 hours.
5. Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is ¼-inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter or glass, cut out the rounds of dough. Place the rounds on a baking sheet and set them aside to rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
6. Pour oil to a depth of 1 inch into an electric frying pan (preferred), deep fryer, or large, heavy skillet and heat it to 365 degrees F.
7. Dip your fingers in flour, and lift up a round of dough. Move it back and forth between your two middle fingers to stretch the center of the round quite thin without tearing it. This will be the depression for the jam.
8. Quickly drop rounds in the hot oil, depression side down—a few at a time, without crowding. Cover the pan and fry until the doughnuts are golden brown but not dark, about 30 seconds. Quickly turn them, cover the pan, and fry until the other side is golden brown, 30 seconds more. Drain the doughnuts on both sides on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining rounds of dough.
9. Fill the depressions with jam, and dust the doughnuts with confectioners’ sugar. These are best when eaten warm. They don’t keep well, but no matter. You won’t have any leftovers.

It’s that time of year again—time to break out the tinsel and the holiday sweaters and, of course, the cookies! Yesterday was the Workman holiday party, and we really pulled out the stops. In addition to gifts under the tree, a rockin’ holiday band, and a record-breaking dance number (more details soon…!), the party also saw the return of a favorite holiday tradition: the annual Workman cookie swap.

A very small sampling of the many desserts at the party

What is a cookie swap, you ask? It’s just that: a swapping of cookies. Partygoers whipped up a batch of their favorite cookies—often, you probably won’t be surprised to learn, out of a Workman cookbook—and then laid them out for display. Then everyone who brought in baked goods could put together a sampler of all the other cookies they wanted to take home. And even those of us who didn’t make anything were allowed to try a few—you know, in the generous holiday spirit and all.

This year the edible offerings were as great as ever, with cookies running the gamut from peanut butter thumbprints to chocolate whoopie pies. Among the many highlights were treats from two of our favorite cookie books: Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunch Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich and Lauren Chattman’s Cookie Swap! Below, check out (on the left) some Snickerdoodles from Chewy Gooey and (right) some Chocolate Peppermint Dirt Cookies from Cookie Swap!, lovingly baked by Workman employees.

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Gearing up for your own holiday party? Whip up a plate of delicious ginger cookies from Artisan’s spectacular Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy and you’re sure to wow all the holiday revelers you know; the recipe’s below. (And keep scrolling for a few choice shots from the party!)

Partygoers mingle and jingle.

Red-and-green peanut butter thumbprints (!!)

The Reprints---Nancy (at the back on the spoons), Erin, Liz, Bob, David, Jeanne, and Mike (below)---rock out.

No keyboard? There's an app for that.

Donated gifts under the tree---and Cheryl and Griffith Day of "The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook" on top!

Happy holidays, from our family to yours!
—Avery

Everyone knows that New York is an international city. So it follows that—outside of Paris—it’s the next-best town in which to celebrate Bastille Day, France’s national holiday. Today, among the many opportunities for reveling, Francophiles can get their fix at the Cercle Rouge street fair in TriBeCa. The street outside Cercle Rouge restaurant will host bands, magic shows and face painting for kids, and a pétanque tournament (a game similar to bocce, the objective of which is to throw hollow metal balls so they land as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet).

“Quel dommage!” (“What a pity!”) you may sigh. “I reside far from New York. What can I do to maximize my enjoyment of this holiday?”

Well, we have an easy answer: Throw your hat in the ring for a chance to win a Cuisinart Elite Collection Food Processor! All you have to do is cook up one dish from the following menu from Richard Grausman’s French Classics Made Easy. Then blog about it and send us a link to your blog. Even better: The first 100 bloggers to post about their experience will receive a free copy of this exciting new cookbook that teaches home cooks how to master traditional French fare with maximum flavor and minimal fuss. (We’ve already heard from the bloggers at www.BethFishReads.com, www.bookingmama.net, www.davidschiller.com, www.kitchensimplicity.com, and www.thecolorsofindiancooking.com!)

Winning your own copy is as easy as un, deux, trois: Cook up at least one of the recipes from the book (below), write about the experience on your blog, and email LauraF@workman.com with the link to your piece (either on a blog or on Facebook) and your mailing address and phone number. Plus, let us know if you’ll be taking us up on the challenge in our comments section! The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2011.

Richard Grausman himself will judge the posts based on clarity, writing style, and fun had—the livelier, the better! On August 15, we’ll announce the Blue Ribbon winner of the Cuisinart Elite Collection Food Processor on our blog and post links to all the blogs who participated. The first 100 bloggers to send in their post will receive a copy of French Classics Made Easy!

Le menu de French Classics Made Easy:

• Watercress Soup
• Basque-Style Sauteed Chicken Breasts (Vegetarian option: Ratatouille Omelet)
• Lime Mousse

Marie Antoinette once famously said, “Let them eat cake.” We at Workman say, “Let them eat Lime Mousse…and Boeuf Bourguignon…and Quiche Lorraine…and Chocolate-Almond Macaroons…” And all the other sublime delights found in French Classics Made Easy!

In Paris on July 14, 1789, the rebels and upstarts of the Third Estate stormed the medieval fortress/prison called the Bastille, giving a form to their discontent and sparking the French Revolution. That date is a national holiday in France. You’ll find the apotheosis of Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, where the revelry includes a sumptuous parade down the Champs-Élysées and fireworks over the Eiffel Tower.

Que c’est belle!

The upside of all this (aside from the introduction of a French Republic and the birth of the modern era) is that we’re giving up to 100 bloggers a chance to win a copy of Richard Grausman’s magnifique cookbook French Classics Made Easy—and one Blue Ribbon winner will get a Cuisinart Elite Collection Food Processor!

French Classics Made Easy is the New York Times-lauded cookbook that removes the intimidation factor from traditional French dishes like boeuf bourguignon (beef burgundy) and cassoulet. (Said the Times: “For those interested in, if slightly intimidated by, the intricacies of French cuisine, this book will be a balm.”) The pared-down recipes provide simple methods without compromising presentation or that timeless taste. Author Richard Grausman, one of the nation’s premier cooking teachers, conveys recipes with ease, clarity, and an understanding of how home chefs can—and should—cook classic French food.

Winning a copy for your own kitchen is much easier than overthrowing a centuries-old monarchy. Simply cook up at least one of the following recipes from the book (below), write about the experience on your blog, and email LauraF@workman.com with the link to your piece (either on a blog or on Facebook) and your mailing address and phone number. Plus, let us know if you’ll be taking us up on the challenge in our comments section! The deadline for submissions is July 31, 2011.

Richard Grausman himself will judge the posts based on clarity, writing style, and fun had—the livelier, the better! On August 15, we’ll announce the Blue Ribbon winner on our blog  and post links to all the blogs who participated.  Additionally, the first 100 bloggers to send in their post will receive a copy of the book!

The (mouthwatering) Bastille Day menu:

• Watercress Soup (“Ooooh!”)
• Basque-Style Sauteed Chicken Breasts (Vegetarian option: Omelet with Ratatouille) (“Aaaahhh!”)
• Lime Mousse (“……” [faints from sheer pleasure])

This Bastille Day, don’t let the French have all the fun! Get cooking (and blogging)—and remember, there’s a Cuisinart Elite Collection Food Processor in it for the winner. Vive la France!

With the long 4^th of July weekend quickly approaching it’s time to plan our holiday barbeques and picnics! After my fiasco of an Independence Day barbeque last year, where everyone showed up with a bag of chips and my grill lost a leg, I admit to dreading this year’s July 4th. Last year I winged it. This year, I had planned on staying in and sulking (just a little) until I recently discovered a foolproof (or me-proof) answer to last year’s holiday disaster: Celebrate! by Sheila Lukins.

With knockout recipes in line with Lukins’ Silver Palate Cookbook, Celebrate! offers 46 menus for entertaining on special occasions, be it a Kentucky Derby-inspired buffet or a Labor Day picnic. As an added bonus, Lukins suggests extra touches to make an event even more special, including music selections, wine recommendations, and decoration tips.

This year, I’m ready to conquer this holiday armed with Lukins’ “Bang-Up Fourth of July” menu, which includes recipes for Glorious Gazpacho, Dazzling Grilled Veal Chops, Outrageous Lobster Salad Rolls, A Decorative Cucumber Salad, Garden Squash Salad, Fresh Peach Cobbler, and Buttermilk Ice Cream.

I’m especially excited about the Garden Squash Salad below, since there is an amazing farmer’s market close to my apartment!

Garden Squash Salad

Summer squash, both zucchini and yellow, are crisp and delicious when served raw and very thinly sliced in a salad. Dressed with plenty of lemon juice and Parmesan cheese (look for the finest Parmigiano-Reggiano), it matches up well with peppery arugula and some fine ripe tomatoes.

4 small zucchini, ends trimmed

4 small yellow squash, ends trimmed

½ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup extra-virgin live oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved or cut into thin slivers

2 large bunches arugula (12 ounces total), stems trimmed, leaves washed and patted dry

2 large ripe tomatoes, cored

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Cut the zucchini and squash into very thin slices on the diagonal and place them in a bowl.
2. Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper together in a small and toss with the squash. Let the squash rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the cheese.
3. Place the arugula in a salad bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, and then into very thin wedges, and scatter them over the greens.
4. Just before serving, spoon the squash and dressing over the arugula and tomatoes. Sprinkle with parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, tossing the salad at the table.

For the full menu, including this Garden Squash Salad from Sheila Lukins’ “Bang-Up Fourth of July” menu, see the excerpt below, via Scribd:

Celebrate Pp132 137