Cuisine Eric

These are classics.  Full of maple goodness and crunchy walnuts.  The kids love 'em! Dry ingredients: 4 cups all purpose flour   2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1 cup walnut pieces, finely diced 2 sticks butter, softened   1 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract   Preheat oven to 400F. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Blend softened butter in a mixture.   Add the sugar and mix well.   Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the walnuts and then the dry ingredients just until mixed. Shape to ping pong ball size and separate in cookie sheet by 2 inch.  Press down with tines of a fork. Bake about 12 minutes. Let cool on a rack.    Makes about 20-24 cookies. ...a great midnight snack!

Artichokes with a dipping sauce is one of my favorite appetizers.  Here we combine fresh herbs and lemon with our best mayonnaise to make a delicious aioli for dipping. 2 artichokes 1 Tbsp cider vinegar Aioli: 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 clove garlic, pushed through press 6 leaves basil 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves 1 tsp fresh lavender leaves 4 leaves sage 1 Tbsp fresh chives, finely minced 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I used Turkish Aleppo) zest of 1 lemon juice of 1/2 lemon Cut the top inch off the artichokes and trim the thorns off the leaves with scissors.   Trim the stalk of its woody bark, if there is a stalk. Bring a medium pot of water to boil with the vinegar and boil the artichokes gently for about 30 minutes, or until the leaves pull off very easily. Drain and let the artichokes cool to room temperature.  Slice in half.  Meanwhile, pulse the garlic, thyme, lavender and sage in a small processor, to a fine mince. Whisk with the mayonnaise, chives, red pepper, zest and lemon juice. Serve t

Need a quick, fresh side dish to something grilled? Or need a quick, light, cool lunch? Try this unctuous orzo salad.  Packed with veggies and flavored with a tangy herbed vinaigrette, it is quick to prepare and looks fantastic. 4 oz orzo, about 3/4 cup 6-inches English cucumber, seeded (if necessary) and diced 1/4-inch 24 grape tomatoes cut into thirds, lengthwise   1/2 orange bell pepper, diced 1/4-inch 1 green onion, finely diced 1/4 cup pitted Calamata olives, sliced palmful fresh parsley, minced about 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled in large chunks Dressing: 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar Juice of half a lemon Zest of half a lemon 1 tsp Dijon mustard   1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 tsp Aleppo (Turkish) pepper, or crushed red chili flakes to taste   1 large clove garlic, put through a press 1 Tbsp fresh mint, minced   1 tsp fresh thyme, minced 1 tsp fresh oregano, minced Fresh ground black pepper to taste Bring a medium pot of water to a boil.   Season generously with salt and cook the

Summer grilling doesn't get much better than this.  Make your skewers yours by threading on your own favorites! 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1/2 red pepper, sliced into 1-inch pieces 1/2 yellow pepper, sliced into 1-inch pieces 1/2 orange pepper, sliced into 1-inch pieces 1/2 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces 2-3 jalapeño peppers cut into 7 ~1-inch pieces Basting Sauce: 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp sesame oil 1 clove garlic, minced   Cesar dressing: 1 cup good real mayonnaise juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp anchovy paste 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 clove garlic, finely minced through a press freshly ground black pepper 2 heads romaine lettuce, sliced shaved parmesan cheese for garnish 7 6-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes Whisk together the dressing ingredients and refrigerate.   Heat grill to high.   Cut the chicken into about 1-inch chunks.   Thread the veggies and chicken (I skewered