Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen

There isn't an easier pizza sauce around. Or one that is tastier. It also freezes well. This is from Pizza: Any Way You Slice It by Charles & Michele Scicolone. It's my favorite pizza cookbook.  Pizza Sauce  Makes about 3 cups   2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped  Pinch of crushed red pepper  3 tablespoons olive oil  1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes  1 teaspoon dried oregano  Salt (though I almost never use it)   In a large skillet, cook the garlic and red pepper in the oil over medium heat until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, or 10-15 minutes. Let cool before spreading on pizza dough. Keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 1 month. (I've used it after a year and it is still good.)

This is from Bon Appetit and you can find it online on Epicurious . It was really delicious. The only problem we had was that the mixture was rather soft when forming patties. Looking over the comments there was a person from Egypt who said that canned garbanzos are too mushy and soaking dried ones for 24 hours is the proper way to do it. Without cooking them at all. This blew our minds and I began pulling out cookbooks that were the closest to primary sources as I had. They agreed! My goodness! We will be going on an adventure the next time we make these, but in the meantime the recipe below works well and is simply delicious. We're going to double the sauce next time but that's really the only change, aside from the fact that we didn't have pita bread so wrapped them in flour tortillas instead. Delicious! Falafel with Cilantro Yogurt in Pita Bread Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 cup plain yogurt 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 cup chopped onion 5 large gar

This is easy and really delicious, from Cook's Country. The chicken is delicious but the genius comes from cooking the vegetables in the pan that the chicken browned in so it picks up extra flavor. I loved the way that the cherry tomatoes get cooked just enough by adding them to the pan the cauliflower is in, off heat. I served it with Garlic Naan (from the freezer, thanks to a recent visit to a local India Bazaar). Delicious! And perfectly suited to the tone of the meal. Coriander Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower and Herbed Yogurt Serves 4 8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed 1-1/4 teaspoons table salt, divided 1-1/2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 teaspoon pepper, divided 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 head cauliflower (2 pounds), cored and cut into 1-inch florets 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus 1/2 cup torn leaves (or fresh basil) 1 tablespoon lemon

From Beyond the Great Wall , another of the wonderful books by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. This is an unusual dish — a warm salad from Inner Mongolia — which the authors posit may be a fusion dish of some kind, possibly with a Russian influence. The sauce is literally a ground beef dressing which is delicious. I turned it into a main dish by doubling it — which worked well — and the simple expediency of serving it with rice. Oh, so very good ... and it looked just like the picture in the book. It will not only make your taste buds sit up and sing but will be easy on the budget as well. Beef-Sauced Hot Lettuce Salad About 4 packed cups coarsely torn romaine lettuce Dressing 1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon minced ginger 1/2 pound (1 packed cup) ground beef 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste 1 tablespoon Jinjiang (black rice) vinegar, or to taste 1/2 cup warm water 2 teaspoons cornstarch

This is from Cook's Country and is just as easy and delicious as advertised. It's just as good reheated for breakfast as it was for dinner the night before. “Impossible” Ham-and-Cheese Pie Step 1 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, 1 tablespoon softened and the other 2 tablespoons melted 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate with softened butter, then coat plate evenly with Parmesan. Step 2 8 ounces Gruyere, shredded (2 cups) — don't use pre-grated if you can avoid it. Real Gruyere is worth the trouble of grating by hand to get great flavor. 4 ounces thickly sliced deli ham, chopped 4 scallions, minced Combine Gruyère, ham, and scallions in bowl. Sprinkle cheese-and-ham mixture evenly in bottom of prepared pie dish. Step 3 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (2-1/2 ounces) 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup half-and-half 4 large eg

Here's a little something that makes a truly delicious Lenten Friday meal. Serve it with rolls and a salad. This is from Gordon Ramsay and has become a regular, especially on our meatless Fridays. It heats up really well for breakfast too! Cheat’s Soufflé With Three Cheeses   1/2 cup flour 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 6 eggs, beaten 1 cup whole milk Salt and pepper 3/4 cup cottage cheese 12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated 1/3 cup cream cheese Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a 9x13" baking dish. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the beaten eggs, milk nand a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in cottage cheese and grated cheese. Dot small lumps of cream cheese over the egg mixture and then mix in with a spoon. Pour into the greased baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and set all the way through.