December 30, 2020

Dear friends,

Before Santa arrived, even before I broke out my advent chocolate calendar, I made the best black bean soup ever. I saved the recipe until now, when I thought many of you would have leftover Christmas ham bones to simmer. Back in early November, it didn’t occur to me that Covid would spike so high after Thanksgiving that  many of us would stay home, cooking Christmas dinner for two or a few.

No matter. Even if you did not have a Christmas ham, I’m sure enough hams were sold this month that ham stores are practically giving away ham bones. Now is the time to make that black bean soup.

The framework of the recipe is from Sarah Leah Chase’s “Cold-Weather Cooking.” But where Chase uses chicken broth, I use a meaty ham bone. I also leave out a few frills such as lime juice and chopped cilantro to limit trips to the store. The soup is no worse for the omissions. On the contrary, it could win a soup contest even in its stripped down and beefed up (hammed up?) state.

BLACK BEAN AND HAM SOUP

For the broth:
1 meaty ham bone, about 2 cups of the ham cubed and set aside
1/4 to 1/2 cup of ham fat scraps, set aside
1 small onion, halved (no need to peel)

Soup:
2 tbsp. olive oil plus scraps of ham fat
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut in small cubes
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup dried oregano
1 pound dried black beans, soaked in water to cover overnight
Salt, pepper
1/4 cup sherry
The reserved 2 cups of diced ham

For the broth, place ham bone in a soup kettle and cover with  5 quarts of water. Cut onion in half lengthwise and add. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 3 hours, adding more water when necessary, until broth tastes rich. Remove bone and when cool, pick off remaining ham and add to the cubed ham. Set aside. Strain broth through a sieve. You should have 3 1/2 to 4 quarts.

For the soup, heat olive oil and ham scraps in a soup pot until the fat is rendered and crisp. Remove crisp pieces with a slotted spoon and discard. Add onion and sauté over medium heat until softened. Add garlic and carrots and sauté until garlic is golden but not browned.

Stir in cumin and oregano. Drain the beans and add to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add ham broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until beans are tender and beginning to fall apart, about 2 hours.

Taste the soup and add more salt if needed. Stir in the reserved ham and the sherry. Return to a simmer and cook until ham is heated through. Ladle into bowls to serve. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

GUT CHECK
What I cooked last week:
Baked tofu with peanut sauce, stir-fried bok choy with ginger and garlic, steamed rice; orange-cranberry cookies; pan-grilled filet mignons with port wine-blue cheese sauce, baked potatoes, chopped broccoli rabe with onions, garlic and hot pepper flakes; Japanese Christmas cake; no-knead bread; roast duck with cranberry glaze, mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, deviled eggs; sous vide porterhouse steak, baked potatoes, roast butternut squash; miso ramen noodle soup; scrambled cheesy eggs and toast; Japanese pork curry.

What I ordered out:
Tacos from Taco Bell (I’m ashamed; I was too lazy to drive to Funky Truckeria in Norton).

THE MAILBAG
From Kelly M.:
Losing a pet is so much harder than one would think it should be.  My heart goes out to you. And thank you for all the wonderful shopping, cooking, and writing you do for your readers.  Seeing an email from you always makes me happy.

From Tracey C.:
Thank you so much for your newsletter and the wonderful gift it is in my week-to-week world. I am so sorry to hear about your adorable little guy. At the same time, I’m glad he has you to care for him in his time of need.

I share your feelings about the ridiculous juxtaposition of the devastating effects of the pandemic with the seemingly ordinariness of our behavior. And the way the virus has amplified the income inequality around us is heartbreaking, too. Here in the Raleigh area the housing market is going through the roof, but my daughter lost her restaurant job in March and her $140 unemployment benefits are due to run out unless lawmakers come through. 

Yet I totally agree that cooking is therapeutic. It’s been so helpful to me, and I’m grateful to have your newsletter as a part of my culinary escape in this crazy time. 

Hope you had a nice holiday, in spite of all the forces to the contrary.

From Annie:
I am so sorry to hear that Oscar is not doing well.  I pray he comes through as I know he is your best buddy.  Thank you for your thoughtful words on the season.  We, too, are doing those holiday things despite what is going on around us, and we will celebrate with much fewer family around us this year.  My best to you and Tony for the holidays and thank you every week for you column. 

From Peggy P.:
Thanks for today’s newsletter. You make my week!

Agreed, not the same Christmas traditions this year. In a salute to the different kind of year, we decided to forgo ham and /or turkey. We thought we would enjoy simple spaghetti, which soon evolved to homemade sauce from San Marzano tomatoes with refrigerated angel hair from DeViti’s.  The meal was bookended with a leafy salad and peanut fudge pie. Different but special. Different year. Special foods for people who avoid carbs, especially white sugar.  

So may you and Tony have a special, different day this year. And maybe we are creating new traditions for the future. Best regards for your little one. Sad news.

Dear Kelly, Tracey, Annie, Peggy and everyone else who wrote:

Thank you for the kind words about both our rotten year and my ailing dog. Oscar is still with us and is now eating on his own. Not much, but enough to balance the insulin shots.

Tony and I had a lovely Christmas. We were happy Oscar finally wagged his tail, and we dined heartily on roast duck with Champaign Christmas eve and a three-inch-thick porterhouse Christmas day. I Facetimed my brother and my sister, as I imagine many of you did with your families.

Stay home. Take care. Let’s make it a happy new year.

December 23, 2020

Dear friends,

Although we’re doing the best we can this year, it may not be a merry Christmas. Is there anyone whose life hasn’t be touched by Covid-19? The nation should be in mourning for the unthinkable number of lives the virus has taken since March. Instead, we’re shopping and baking. Maybe we’re numb. Or we haven’t been brought together yet in our grief.

A dozen or more of my friends have been affected, with varying outcomes ranging from slight inconvenience to knock-down sickness to death. And still, I’m baking orange- cranberry cookies.

I’m lucky because I don’t have unemployment or food worries. I can’t imagine how those victims cope. Nor do I have a business to lose or an essential job that demands I mingle with many people each day. I’m sorry if you’re among those who do. That would be  frightening.

I do have friends I haven’t seen in almost a year and family I have seen once, and that was outdoors at a distance. We won’t get together this week. I miss them terribly. And still, I’m thawing a duck for Christmas dinner.

To add to my insignificant little list of woes, my dog is very ill and may be dying. We feed him with a syringe and give him insulin shots twice daily. And yet between pats and tears, I am roasting squash and gathering ingredients to make Tony’s Japanese Christmas cake.

Because cooking does help. There’s distraction and maybe even healing in the soothing rhythm of beating batter until it drops in a thick ribbon from my grandmother’s wooden spoon. There’s comfort in an orange-cranberry shortbread cookie and a crackling-crisp roast duck.

And for me there’s comfort in keeping in touch, as I do with this newsletter. Thanks for being my friend and please, please stay safe. We have a lot of cooking to do next year.

GUT CHECK
What I cooked last week:
Scrambled tofu with turmeric, soy and cumin; frozen pizzas; grilled ham and cheese with pickles; oven-baked Korean barbecued spareribs, sweet and sour coleslaw with poppyseeds, roasted Delicata squash; Japanese pork curry (Tony); venison shepherd’s pie with horseradish mashed potatoes.

What I ordered out:
A giant pancake, eggs over easy, bacon and coffee from the Circle Restaurant in Deerfield (we brought silverware and ate in the car for a pandemic date); liver and onions, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans from the Circle Restaurant (later at home); grilled three-cheese sandwich and tomato soup from St. Demetrios Social Hall in Copley.

THE MAILBAG
From Dan C., Rock Hill, N.C.:
I’m passing along a pizza sauce recipe I use for our homemade pizzas I make every weekend. When I was working I would order two pizzas every Friday night, but when I retired last year I decided to start making them myself. I use a sourdough bread recipe for the crusts and top them with this sauce. I always make this sauce in bulk (at least doubled) and freeze it in quart-size bags so it’s ready when I am. Sure makes the house smell good!

PIZZA SAUCE

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
6 oz. can tomato paste 
15 oz. can tomato sauce 
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
Salt, pepper to taste
1 ½ tsp. granulated sugar (add more for a sweeter sauce)

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until the onion just begins to brown.

Add the garlic and cook until aromatic. Stir in the tomato paste and let it cook for a minute before adding the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir well to combine.

Let the sauce begin to bubble, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, and stir occasionally,  until thickened to your preference.

Dear Dan:
Your sauce sounds delicious and easy to make.  And Kathy C., who wanted a recipe for a sweet pizza sauce ala Luigi’s, can add more sugar to taste.

It’s good to hear from you. I’m glad you’re enjoying retirement.

December 16, 2020

Dear friends,

Like a 2-year-old turned loose in a candy store, I am out of control and leaning into it.  December is usually the only month I purposely break my no-sweets rule and this year, at the tail-end of this god-awful pandemic, I’m all in.

The grimmer the news, the more I bake. You, too? At least we have the holidays as an excuse, not that we need one. Cooking, baking and sharing what we make can be balm for the soul. 

I’ve already made my friend’s butter cookies and now it’s time for gingerbread. I am obsessed with it and can’t let the month pass without making and eating some. To keep things interesting, I try to come up with a different take on gingerbread every year. Last year I made a German gingerbread beer cake. I’ve made soft cookies, crisp cookies and gingerbread bears. I’ve made gingerbread biscotti and lemon-iced gingerbread stars. This year is maybe my best effort yet: Molten caramel gingerbread cakes.

I had the idea of making moist little gingerbread cakes in custard cups and putting caramel inside to spill out when the cake is eaten. I wanted the cake to be fairly dense and moist. I wanted to make just a few, not a dozen.

What I ended up with was exactly what I had envisioned: Dark, spicy little single-serving cakes baked in custard cups and unmolded while warm so the caramel inside spills onto the plates when you cut into them.

I experimented with different ways to produce a liquid caramel center. The best way is to freeze dollops caramel ice cream topping, then drop them on top of the batter just before baking. The caramel sinks into the cake as it bakes.

The cakes take just 20 to 25 minutes to bake and should be served warm. If you want to serve them for Christmas dinner, I think you could slightly under-bake them a day in advance and reheat for 10 minutes at 350 degrees before serving. I’m guessing, but that seems reasonable.

 A better way would be to measure and combine all the dry ingredients the day before, freeze the caramel and beat the melted butter with the sugar and molasses. Prep the custard cups, too. Then, after Christmas dinner, re-melt the butter mixture and continue with the recipe. Dessert will be ready in less than half an hour, hot from the oven. Don’t forget to crown the cakes with whipped cream, which will melt a bit and mingle with the caramel.

My recipe makes five little cakes, which I trust is enough for a scaled-down pandemic Christmas. You may even have an extra to give to a lonely neighbor, which should  make both of you feel better.

MOLTEN CARAMEL GINGERBREAD CAKES

7 1/2 tbsp. frozen caramel ice cream topping
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter
3 tbsp. packed brown sugar
6 tbsp. molasses
1 egg
6 tbsp. water
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. powdered ginger
1/4 plus 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
Whipped cream or topping

The day before baking, freeze the caramel topping either in a buttered shallow dish or, better yet, portioned into five 1 1/2-tablespoon dollops and frozen on separate buttered little dishes (I used sushi soy sauce dishes but any will do).

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 5 custard cups and place on a small baking sheet.

Melt the 8 tablespoons butter in a medium bowl in a microwave. Add sugar and molasses and whisk until thoroughly combined. Whisk in egg and water, beating until mixture lightens and thickens. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the molasses mixture, beating vigorously for about 50 strokes.

Divide batter among the five custard cups (each should take about 1/3 heaping cup of batter). Portion out 1 1/2 tablespoons frozen caramel for each cake and quickly shape roughly into a ball with buttered fingers or two spoons. Gently drop a ball of caramel on top of each cup of batter. Do not push it into the batter — the caramel will sink during baking.

Bake in the lower center of the oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are puffed and firm around the edges. Let stand at room temperature for a few minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife, invert each cake onto a dessert plate and tap the tops to loosen the cakes. Lift off the custard cups. Top each cake with a big dollop of whipped cream or topping. Serve immediately. Makes 5 cakes.

GUT CHECK
What I cooked last week:
A frozen Aldi’s thin-crust pizza; a baked spaghetti squash with venison tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese; two more frozen pizzas and a tossed salad; a sheet pan supper of gochujang barbecue chicken legs, cherry tomatoes, green pepper slices and cubed potatoes; tuna melts; fried egg over hard on toast; pan-grilled strip steaks, roast carrots, potatoes and onions with olive oil and thyme; molten caramel gingerbread cakes; and more frozen Aldi pizzas (Tony bought a lot).

What I ordered out:
A katsudon rice bowl (breaded and fried pork cutlet and cooked egg in a sweet soy-based sauce over Japanese rice) from Jasmine Home Cooking in the Northside Marketplace, downtown Akron (very good Japanese home cooking); a croissant and coffee from the Blue Door in Cuyahoga Falls; shrimp po’ boy, red beans and rice and an addictive vinegar-based coleslaw from TLC Catering at St. George Antiochian Social Hall in Copley (outstanding).

THE MAILBAG
From Michele B.:
Thanks for the gift ideas.  Have you been to The Olive Scene in Chagrin Falls?  It has oils, tapenades, even some jams and will make a basket for you.  

Have a wonderful holiday,

Dear Michele:
Thank you and the same to you. I have not been to the Olive Scene, although I see online that it is open Tuesday through Sunday at 100 N. Main St., Unit 145. Although a Strongsville location closed in August, the Chagrin Falls location and two others — in Vermillion and Rocky River endure. For information about gift boxes and baskets, visit theolivescene.com.

From Kathy C.:
I love to make homemade pizza and was going to try and make my own pizza sauce. I really love sweet sauce like Luigi’s in Akron. Do you have a copycat recipe or any recipe for sweet pizza sauce? What makes the sauce so sweet? Thanks for your help.

Dear Kathy:
I’m afraid I can’t help. I don’t have a recipe for a sauce like Luigi’s, or any favorite pizza sauce recipe for that matter. I know that tomato sauces often are sweetened with sugar to balance the acid. And I know that roasting tomatoes before making sauce brings out the sweetness. You could try one of those ideas. Or maybe someone reading this has a pizza sauce recipe they’re willing to share. If so, please get in touch.

December 9, 2020

Dear friends,

Thanks to all of you, I finished my Christmas shopping yesterday. I got some great ideas for food gifts from small suppliers — most of them local — after requesting your input last week.

Sure, pressing the “Purchase now” button on Amazon is easy, and if you’re a member the shipping is free. But Amazon is in no danger of going out of business, while locally owned food businesses are. In this time of giving, why not give a boost to someone who needs it?

In the following list, the food businesses deserving your help range from a tiny Cleveland spice company to a Cincinnati jam company that makes truly remarkable jams, confits and preserves. Products range from cheese-and-sausage baskets to a suave wine made from grapes grown in Hinckley.

This list is just the tip of the iceberg as far as independently produced food gifts go. One obvious choice not on the list is a gift certificate to a local restaurant. Another is a cookbook bought at an independent book store. This year more than ever, search out local and small-time purveyors when buying gifts for friends and family. Everyone is hurting, and your dollars may be just the balm they need.

Company: Frontier Fruit & Nut Co. in Norton.

Product: A wide selection of gift baskets and boxes filled with cheeses, smoked sausage, dried fruits, teas, coffees, nuts, chocolates, mugs, knickknacks and other foods and giftables.

Price: From $11.99 for a 1-pound gift box of dried fruit to $99.99 for a large holiday gift basket of fresh-baked cookies, snack mix, coffee, cocoa, smoked sausage, cheese spread, Harry London Buckeyes, Jelly Bellys, truffles, deluxe nut mix and chocolate-drizzled pretzels. Many gift baskets are available for less than $50. Shipping by UPS usually costs $14 to $18 depending on the size of the package and distance.

  “My local store for gift baskets is Frontier Fruit and Nut. They have baskets made up or will make to order.” — From Joan B.

Company: Cafe Arnone in Fairlawn.

Product: It’s a surprise! Cafe Arnone, the cool Italian espresso shop in Fairlawn, will unveil a different sale item daily beginning Sunday. Items will range from simple consumables to gift baskets and each will be discounted for one day only.

Price: Varies.

To order: Sign up for the daily emails at cafearnone.com or check Cafe Arnone’s Facebook or Instagram site. While you’re at the cafe, try one of the winter drink specials — peppermint mocha, pistachio biscotti latte, gingerbread latte, eggnog latter or winter cold brew.

 “Starting December 13th we will unveil Cafe Arnone’s 12 Days of Christmas. Every morning until Christmas Eve we will reveal a different Arnone item for sale, for that day only, at a major discount. These deals will start small and end BIG on Christmas Eve.”  The shop also sells a variety of custom-made gift baskets of Italian products such as pasta and olive oil from $25 to $200. —Submitted by Marie C.

Company: Susansnaps in Atlanta, Ga.

Product: Pretty tins and bags of gingersnap cookies, some topped with crushed candy canes.

Price: $11.95 to $47.95 plus shipping of $9.95.

To order: Visit www.susansnaps.com.

 “Several years ago my daughter and son-in-law sent me the most delicious ginger snap cookies in our Christmas box.  Susansnaps.com started as a small Georgia  family business by a mom whose daughter was going through chemo for cancer. They’ve grown but it’s still a nice food gift  for not much money. As I’ve aged cookie making is quite the chore now for me. My cookie plates this year will be supplemented with some store-bought goodies but I know they will still be appreciated by my friends who don’t cook.”  — From Sue M., Hilton Head, S.C.

Company: Weymouth Farms & Winery in Hinckley.

Product: Red Wine Entertainment Gift Box, a party spread of Gouda cheese, Carr’s Water Crackers, Italian speck, two mini chocolates and a bottle of Weymouth Winery’s Black Shadow award-winning Noiret wine complete with corkscrew and plastic stemmed wine glasses.  A white wine entertainment box also is available.

Price: $60 for the red-wine package, $55 for the white.

To order: Visit www.weymouthfarms.com. Order and purchase online and pick up by appointment at Weymouth Farms & Winery in Hinckley. Strict social distancing protocols are observed.

Paul and Brenda O’Neill grow those luscious Asian pears, gourmet table grapes and apples I rave about every fall. A few years ago Paul branched out to the wine business, taking online classes from top winemakers and consulting with Cornell University experts on what wine grapes thrive here. His meticulous approach has paid off with an array of wines that have won national acclaim and many local fans. — Jane

Company: Prospect Jam Co. in Cincinnati

Product: Small-batch jams in unusual flavors such as Blueberry Jam with Lavender and Lemon Balm, and Blood Orange Marmalade with Rye Whiskey and Vanilla Bean, and gift baskets containing the jams.

Price: From $16 for theSweet Heat gift pack of 2 jams (Ohio Nectarine Jam with toasted coriander and habanero, and Plum Preserves with smoked chilies and cayenne) to $89 for a 7-piece Copper Cocktail Kit of copper bar ware, recipes and two liquor-spiked jams. Shipping is extra.

To order: Visit the Cincinnati company’s website at shopprospectjamco.square.site.

  “I discovered Prospect Jam Co. from one of its partners and placed an order with them. They make some unusual jams.” — From Marlene H.

Company: Terranean Herbs & Spices in Cleveland.

Product: Store-branded Middle Eastern herb and spice mixes and spreads in attractive jars. The line is not extensive but the owner says she is expanding.

Price: The Za’atar Spread — really an herbed oil dip — is the backbone of the business. A 10-ounce jar is $11.99 and a combo of one regular and one spicy (both 10 ounces) is $22.99. Shipping is extra.    

  “A friend passed along this website and I have ordered from them a couple of times. I love their za’atar herb and extra-virgin olive oil spread (my son likes the spicy version). This is the same sauce you are served with warm pitas if you eat at Tazo on Chagrin Boulevard in Cleveland. I recently ordered a few things for gifts and to restock items for myself. The shipping charge is very small and they deliver quickly.” — From Cindy E.

GUT CHECK
What I cooked last week:
Tuna sashimi (Tony); turkey and wild rice soup; seared tuna steaks with soy-lemon-sesame sauce over blistered cherry tomatoes and cooked carrot batons; spicy tuna hand rolls (Tony; he got a honkin’ big piece of fresh tuna from his former seafood purveyor); beef and pepper stir fry over rice; fried egg and avocado on toast; venison steak and eggs, fried potatoes (Tony); tunafish salad; Cheddar-cornmeal biscuits; pan-grilled filet mignons, baked potato, roasted Delicata squash; Italian turkey sausage, fried green peppers, roasted cherry tomatoes; potato and greens soup.

What I ordered out:
Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots and cherry cobbler from TLC Catering at St. George Fellowship Center in Copley (really good, homemade food on Fridays in a safe drive-through setting; check them out at www.tlccateringinc.com).

THE MAILBAG
From Virginia B.:
Your “one cookie three ways” idea  is wonderful. I decided not to bake any cookies this year but now I can. No matter how you’ll celebrate I’m wishing you a healthy, happy holiday. And here’s to a healthier and all-around better 2021.

Dear Virginia:
Next year has GOT to be an improvement.

December 3, 2020

Dear friends,

What we couldn’t imagine even a few weeks ago now seems certain. Christmas will be celebrated without the full complement of family and friends. Or it should be, as the Coronavirus rages. Last week five of my friends were infected. Tony, Oscar and I are stocked up and locked in.

I hope you are fortunate enough to be able to isolate, too. If not, please be careful. Shop for a month instead of a week.  Order parking-lot pickup. Call in dinner orders to go. Buy gifts from local stores but pay remotely and pick up at the curb.

Without a host of friends to treat, many cookie platters will be sparse this year. The cookies can still be special, though. A food-writer friend gave me a versatile recipe that can be turned into a half-dozen different cookies — all made from the same batch.  And I cut her recipe in half so you and your pod mates won’t balloon up like Santa. The recipe makes roughly two plates of cookies, which should be enough for a pared-down Christmas.

My friend, Jan Norris, former food editor of the Palm Beach Post, says the dough may be divided after it’s made and portions flavored with grated citrus peel or almond extract. Finely chopped nuts may be kneaded in. The cookies may be turned into thumbprints or the edges dipped in chocolate and rolled in chopped nuts or coconut.

The basic recipe is for a brown sugar shortbread that melts on the tongue. It has just three ingredients in Jan’s version, although I added a fourth, vanilla extract. The ingredients are common pantry items that won’t require a trip to the store.

From the one dough I made thumbprints with plum jam, rolled-out bars dusted with powdered sugar, and cut-outs topped with chocolate jimmies and red sprinkles.

Tony and I ate them all in one day, I’m embarrassed to say. So maybe you WILL want to make the full recipe. If so, just double the ingredients.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES THREE WAYS

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour

Confectioner’s sugar, jam, colored sprinkles, and a lightly beaten egg white (if using sprinkles)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the lower middle position. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. If the butter is cold and solid, drop the wrapped sticks into a bowl of tepid water for 15 minutes or so.

Beat softened butter and sugar in a stand mixer or with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, then gradually add flour while beating on medium-low speed until combined. If necessary, add more flour by the tablespoon to make a soft dough. Do not use more flour than absolutely necessary. Gather dough into a ball and flatten to a disk. Wrap and chill for 15 minutes.

Cookie No. 1: Break off about 8 walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll into balls. Place 1 inch apart on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. With a wet index finger, make a deep indentation in the center of each ball of dough. Reshape edges if the dough splits or crumbles. Fill the centers with jam.

Cookie No. 2: Roll out remaining dough to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. With a floured cookie cutter, punch out about 8 cookies, or as many as desired. Arrange them on the parchment-lined sheet 1 inch apart. Brush tops with beaten egg white and immediately top with sprinkles.

Cookie No. 3: Cut remaining rolled-out dough into bars about 1 inch wide and 2 1/2 inches long. Place on parchment-lined sheet 1 inch apart. Pierce each cookie three times with the tines of a fork.

Refrigerate one sheet of cookies and bake other sheet at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cookies are set but not brown. When done, slide the sheet of parchment with the cookies onto a counter to cool. Repeat with the refrigerated sheet. Dust the shortbread bars with confectioners’ sugar (or you could dip the ends in melted chocolate). Makes 2 to 2 1/2 dozen.

GUT CHECK
What we cooked last week:
Pork miso soup (Tony); apple tart; oatmeal with blueberries; spaghetti squash baked with ricotta, tomato sauce, sausage and peppers; cornbread; pumpkin pie; mojo-brined and grill-smoked 19-pound turkey; cranberry sauce with port wine and dried apricots; dried cranberry, walnut and mushroom cornbread dressing, lima beans, mashed potatoes with gravy and mashed sweet potatoes with rum; Thanksgiving in a bowl (leftovers); shortbread cookies three ways; tuna sashimi over vinegared rice with wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger (Tony).

TIDBITS
This month I will send gifts to my brother’s family, my sister’s family and to my grown-up nephew and niece and her family. Usually we gather to feast and give gifts in person, but not this year. So I’m looking for ideas. Food-gift ideas.

I bet a lot of other people are sending food gifts this year, too. But instead of clicking on Harry & David or Omaha Steaks, I’d like to support small, independent food purveyors.They need our business in a big way.

So here’s the challenge: Find a small store or producer that can put together a lush box of goodies and mail it without breaking the bank in postage fees. I’m looking at $50 to $150 total. If that describes you or a purveyor you know, please drop me a line so I can share. Maybe together we can help independent food folks while we whittle down our gift lists.

My first find is the Best of the Season box from The Chef’s Garden in Huron. During the pandemic, when ritzy restaurants nationwide have cut their orders for farmer Lee Jones’ gorgeous produce, Jones has been selling to regular cooks instead. With NO delivery charge.

The Best of the Season box, one of several available, is $89. It is filled with whatever looks good when your order is shipped. And at Jones’ farm, everything looks and tastes good, from micro greens to delicious varieties of baby potatoes. Check out the offerings at chefs-garden.com.

THE MAILBAG
From Judy R.:
I made the Amish Potato Rolls recipe and could not believe how fluffy and delicious they were. Three other guests loved them and I forwarded the recipe. I used leftover mashed potatoes. I know from my food tech class that the eggs ensure the rolls will keep longer but I froze them anyway. I will make them again tomorrow as they were devoured fast and I miss them already.

Dear Judy:
You’re not the only one who made the rolls for Thanksgiving and another batch after. The photos and comments have been rolling in. The rolls are so pillowy and delicious and comforting that I’d like to eat them all year. My waistline disagrees.

Another recipe that got a lot of Thanksgiving use was for the Turkey Wellington from my Nov. 11 newsletter. My Facebook feed was dotted with photos of gorgeous, pastry-wrapped turkey breasts. Some of them looked better than mine. I’m glad you enjoyed.

From Jean H.:
Your memories of the Beacon Journal reminded me of a quick story: My brother, Tom Wood, delivered the Beacon to John Knight’s home on North Portage Path when he was a student at St. Vincent. This was in the 1940s and 50s. Now, you have an idea how much Mr. Knight needed to have a paper delivered to his home! But he did it for the paperboy’s sake. And there was a hefty bonus at the holidays, of course.  Also, my uncle was a lithographer at the Beacon for many years. And I remember my pride and joy when I was old enough to read the funny pages. I’m 81 now. So I was probably 7 or 8 when I started the funnies.

Dear Jean:
Thank you for those memories. Those of us who worked on the book about the newspaper (“The Daily Miracle: Reporting the News in the Rubber City,” out Dec. 8 from  University of Akron Press) felt it was important to preserve the history of such an Akron institution. Over the years it touched many lives and made our world here in Northeast Ohio a better place.