Need holiday recipe ideas? Here are some of our favorites at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Cocktails
Appetizers
Sweets

Cocktails
1. Classic Champagne Cocktail. A cube of Demerara sugar, splash of brandy and drop of bitters make ordinary champagne extraordinary.

2. Frozen Whiskey Sour. Sweet, sour and slushy, these cocktails add a fun and festive touch to holiday gatherings.

3. Brandy Sour. Brandy lends mellow flavor to the classic Sour. For retro glamour, serve this shaken cocktail in sugar-rimmed, stemmed glass.

4. Trinidadian Bulldog. Demerara sugar and dark rum give a kick to tangy grapefruit juice.

5. Gringa Mexican Hot Chocolate. Brandy and cinnamon in rich hot chocolate.

6. Home-Brewed Dark and Stormy. Spicy ginger simple syrup adds heat to this classic Bermudian rum drink.

7. Classic Shaken Mai Tai. An authentic taste of the tropics in the middle of winter.

8. West Indies Lime Mint Rum Punch. Mint-infused simple syrup forms the base of this sweet and potent Caribbean punch.

9. Thyme Collins. A twist on the classic Tom Collins, this tall drink blends fresh lemon juice, club soda and thyme-infused simple syrup.

Appetizers
10. Classic Cheese Log. Three cheeses rolled into a rich, nut-crusted log.

11. Savory Cheddar Wafers. Buttery homemade slice-and-bake cheese crackers.

12. Maple-Glazed Pecans. Rich, nutty maple tidbits.

13. Romanesco Sauce and Bruschetta. Ground almonds and toasted bread crumbs in a smoky tomato spread.

14. Olive Oil and Black Pepper Parmesan Biscotti. These delicious, cheesy biscotti are great with a glass of dry red wine.

15. Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. A healthy, protein-packed Middle Eastern dip.

16. Marinated Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Paprika and crushed red pepper amp up the flavor of this simple marinated salad.

Sweets
17. Mince Tarts Made with Homemade Garam Masala Mincemeat. Spicy homemade mincemeat enclosed in tender, buttery crusts.

18. Old-Fashoned Drop Mincemeat Cookies. These moist, spicy cookies can be mixed and baked in minutes.

19. Twelve Rich, Delicious Christmas Cookies From One Buttery Dough. A dozen different cookies make it look like you baked all day. You’ll know better.

20. Piled High Dutch Apple Pie. The ultimate recipe for apple pie lovers: eighteen cups of apples go into the filling of this Dutch crumb classic.

Happy Holidays!

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Tortilla Soup, Cumin and Lime Black Bean Salad, warm corn tortillas

Tuesday
Ezra Pound Cake’s Skillet Lasagne, Oven-Roasted Herb Cauliflower, rustic Italian bread

Wednesday
Bucatini all’Amatriciana, Green Bean and Fennel Salad with Bacon Bits and Maple-Glazed Pecans, rustic Italian bread

Thursday
Gingery Teriyaki Chicken, steamed basmati rice, pan-fried broccoli

Friday
Scrambled eggs, The Spice Spoon’s Aloo ki Bhujia, Cumin-Spiced Potatoes, in the Pakistani Manner, toasted challah bread

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.

Where I grew up in northern California, tortillas were sold everywhere—grocery stores, produce marts, supermarket, 7-11s. So I was disappointed when I couldn’t find corn tortillas in my New York suburb, a neighborhood where people pride themselves on sophisticated palates and pantries packed with every possible arcane ingredient.

I could’ve probably tracked down heirloom Aztec corn tortillas at the White Plains Whole Foods. Or a flax seed-flecked version at Trader Joe’s in Scarsdale.

But plain, simple, cheap, gritty, flowery corn tortillas—the kind I ate growing up? No.

That’s why I was ecstatic when my son discovered a family run tortilleria a block away from his apartment in Bushwick. This gustatory goldmine almost makes up for the fact that his apartment sits across the street from a chicken slaughterhouse. Almost.



Last week Son was scheduled to bring me my fix—a 30-pack of blue corn tortillas (for $1.39!!). But he forgot. I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t blurt out, “Next time, forget the tortillas and forget about coming home.”

Yes, I was upset. And not just because it meant no Migas for a week. Mostly I was miffed because I’d planned on having Mark Bittman’s Tortilla Soup.

You see, I’d finished the soup’s grunt work: I’d simmered cut-up chicken, a full head of garlic and a quartered onion—skin and all. I’d strained the stock, pushing the buttery soft boiled onions and garlic cloves into the sieve with a wooden spoon to extract every last drop of flavor. I’d boned, skinned and shredded the chicken. And I’d bought an avocado a few days earlier so that now, it was perfectly ripe.



The only thing I needed for the Tortilla Soup was, you know, tortillas.



This week mijo showed up with two bags of tortillas, so we’re eating a lot of this soup. I serve the chicken broth with sides of fried tortilla strips, avocado, grated Monterey Jack cheese, fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Everyone likes to put together his or her own little made-to-order bowl of soup.

Tortilla Soup Recipe

1/2 of a whole chicken, cut up or 1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or legs
2 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes (optional)
1 medium onion, quartered (leave the skin on)
1 head garlic, halved across the equator (leave the skin on)
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup vegetable oil, or more as needed
6 corn tortillas
Kosher salt
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Lime wedges for serving (optional)

1. In a large stock pot, place the chicken, 3 of the onion quarters, halved garlic, bay leaves and bouillon cubes. Or if you’re a food purist, don’t use the bouillon cubes. I, however, agree with Pierre Marco White that Knorr’s is “the best f*cking ingredient in the world, let’s not kid ourselves…Genius product.” Cover the chicken and veggies with water–about 8 cups–and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until chicken is very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. In the meantime, fry the tortillas. Pour the oil into a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, fry the tortillas one at a time, turning once, until crisp and golden–about 2-3 minutes per tortilla. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Set aside two tortillas and cut remaining tortillas into strips. Toss the tortilla strips in the frying pan to crisp on all sides. Drain strips on paper towels and reserve.
3. When the chicken is tender, pick out the pieces from the broth and place them in the fridge to chill. When cool enough to handle, pull the chicken meat into chunks and reserve. Discard chicken bones and skin.
4. While the chicken is cooling, strain the stock, pushing soft cooked vegetables into the sieve to extract all their flavor. Reserve stock.
5. Peel the remaining quarter of an onion and put in a blender with the jalapeno, 1/4 cup of the cilantro, the two whole tortillas–torn into pieces–and a sprinkle of salt. Add enough stock to fill the blender a little more than halfway. Purée until the mixture is as smooth as possible.
6. Pour the purée and remaining stock back into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer stock for 5 to 10 minutes. Add chicken and adjust seasoning.
7. Serve immediately with sides of avocado chunks, grated cheese, remaining cilantro, fried tortilla strips and lime wedges.

Served 4-6

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Kerala-Style Coconut Fish Curry, Yam Masala, steamed basmati rice

Tuesday
Penne with Slow-Simmered Alla Vodka Sauce, Easy Oven-Roasted Green Beans, rustic Italian bread

Wednesday
Two-Bit Black Bean Soup with Pan-Fried Potatoes, Gritty Corn Dodgers

Thursday
Cheeseburgers and veggie burgers, Crispy Oven-Fried Yams, Old Fashioned Cold Slaw

Friday
Mediterranean Poached Eggs in Chunky Spiced Tomato Sauce, Green Bean and Fennel Salad with Bacon Bits and Maple-Glazed Pecans, toasted ciabatta

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Spaghetti with Smitten Kitchen’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter, watercress salad with shaved Parmesan and Mustard and Herb Vinaigrette, rustic Italian bread

Tuesday
Five Layer Chili Cheese Casserole, Easy Oven Roasted Green Beans with splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil

Wednesday
Smitten Kitchen’s Meatball Subs with Caramelized Onions, romaine salad with From-Scratch Caesar Dressing

Thursday
Happy Thanksgiving!
Appetizer Olive Oil and Black Pepper Parmesan Biscotti, prosecco
Dinner: Herb Roasted Chicken, Michael Ruhlman’s Gravy, Mark Bittman’s Bread Stuffing, Best Classic Mashed Potatoes, Mayor Booker’s Caramelized Roasted Yams, Broccoli au Gratin, Spiced Cranberry and Pear Compote, Piled High Dutch Apple Pie

Friday
Mark Bittman’s Tortilla Soup, rustic Italian bread

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Spaghetti al Limone, watercress salad with walnuts, shaved Parmesan cheese and Copywriters’ Kitchen Secret Ingredient Salad Dressing, rustic Italian bread

Tuesday
Lemon Herb Pan-Fried Chicken, 101 Cookbooks’ Tortilla Salad, Five-Minute No-Knead Bread Machine Baguette

Wednesday
Two Bit Navy Bean Soup With Pan-Fried Carrots and Potatoes, Boston brown bread

Thursday
Mom’s Meatloaf with Creamy Onion Gravy, Chili Roasted Cauliflower, Best Classic Mashed Potatoes

Friday
Scrambled eggs with scallions and cream cheese, Fried Spuds, toast

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Orecchiette with Caramelized Onions and Winter Squash Compote, watercress and fennel salad with toasted sunflower seeds and Mustard and Herb Vinaigrette Salad Dressing, rustic Italian bread

Tuesday
Revel and Feast’s Not Quite Jerk Chicken, West Indian Rice and Green Peas, iceberg lettuce salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Wednesday
Migas, boiled pinto beans, watercress salad with grated Monterey Jack cheese, pignoli, raisins and Copywriters’ Kitchen Secret Ingredient Salad Dressing

Thursday
Smitten Kitchen’s Meatball Subs with Caramelized Onions, Old Fashioned Cold Slaw

Friday
Chunky Tomato Soup with Arborio Rice, grilled cheese sandwiches

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.
Photo of tortilla soup courtesy of WhitneyInChicago

When I think of a Tom Collins, I think of pool parties, Pucci coverups and surreptitious sips from a parent’s tall, sweating cocktail glass.

The drink I remember was made with bottled, pre-made Collins mix. It was very sweet—perfect for 12-year old taste buds—with that burning, acidic aftertaste that comes only from chemical preservatives.

Not surprisingly, I never ordered a Collins once I legally could.

Thyme Collins: Not your mother’s cloying, pre-made cocktail

Then recently I ran into a recipe that made me want to revisit this classic cocktail. Made with fresh ingredients, Deanna Fox’s Rosie Collins included the aromatic addition of rosemary infused simple syrup.

When trying the recipe at Copywriters’ Kitchen Test Bar, I decided to concoct several versions. I like the idea of using up my garden’s rosemary, mint and thyme before winter seriously blasted in—and later toasting the holidays with a taste of summer.



Of the three herb infused syrups, thyme was my favorite. The Thyme Collins is lemony and just sweet enough, with a subtle herby taste that blends deliciously with juniper perfumed gin. You lighten the tall drink with a splash of uber-bubbly club soda—be sure to use this hard-core effervescent mixer or seltzer from a charged bottle—not softer bubbled San Pellegrino or mineral water.

I store the simple syrups in little glass flasks that—along with a bottle of Tanqueray—will make nice holiday gifts.

Thyme Collins Recipe

For each drink, you’ll need:
2 ounces gin
Juice of one small lemon
½-1 ounce Herb Infused Simple Syrup, see recipe below
Club soda
Dash of grapefruit bitters (optional)
Ice cubes
Stem of fresh thyme for garnish (optional)

1. In a tall glass, pour all ingredients except club soda and ice. Stir to blend.
2. Fill glass with ice cubes and top off with Club Soda. Stir and garnish with a stem of thyme.

Herb Infused Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh herbs—thyme, rosemary, mint or basil

1. Wash the herbs well and pull leaves from stems. Roughly chop the herbs.
2. Combine chopped herbs with sugar and water in a small saucepan.
3. Bring to a boil, lower flame immediately and keep on a low simmer for three minutes. Remove from heat, let syrup cool, strain and store in air-tight jar or bottle.

Need dinner ideas this week?

Here’s what we’re cooking at Copywriters’ Kitchen:

Monday
Spaghetti with Smitten Kitchen’s Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter, watercress salad with shaved Parmesan and Mustard and Herb Vinaigrette, rustic Italian bread

Tuesday
Plain and Simply Delicious Beef Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings

Wednesday
Five Layer Chili Cheese Casserole, warm corn tortillas, iceberg lettuce salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Thursday
Penne with Molto Meat Red Pasta Sauce, Watercress Salad with Pignoli and Currants

Friday
Mark Bittman’s Tortilla Soup, Pear and Pomegranate Waldorf Salad

1950s housewife photo courtesy of Seattle Municipal Archives.
Photo of tortilla soup courtesy of WhitneyInChicago

Here in the Hudson Valley, Indian summer has finally given over to fall. It’s damp and chilly—and that means a culinary switch here at Copywriters’ Kitchen.

We’re swapping salads for soups, peaches for apples, and Jersey tomatoes (ciao, mi amor) for Long Island Cheese pumpkins.

Evening comes earlier each day.

When the boy lurches in from school at 5 o’clock, the sun is almost fallen. He’s tired after a 9-hour day of classes, yearbook editing and cross country practice.

It’s tempting to let him slink into his room for a head start on the four hours of homework that lie ahead. But he needs a break—and I need a dose of child. He’s our last.

So we take tea. And not just a cup of tea-bag tea. We brew proper pots of loose leaf. He likes Harney’s Paris—a floral black tea blend—sweet and milky. I prefer Assam. Very sweet, no milk.



We eat dinner later, when my husband slogs up the hill from the Metro North station in the pitch dark. So tea is the perfect bridge meal. I make it fairly substantial.

Crackers and cheese. A little crock of roasted, caramelized yams—I make a huge batch on the weekends and we eat them all week. Apples, oranges and—in deepest winter—tiny clementines. We nibble any tasty leftovers that can be eaten as finger food—today we had a few crispy falafel patties.

But my son’s all-time favorite teatime food is crumpets.

These soft, yeasty griddle cakes are similar to English muffins. Thinned with milk and water, crumpet batter is a little gooier than English muffin dough. The fried cakes are also thinner than English muffins, as well as having a more tender and spongy crumb.

Crumpets are cooked in tin rings to produce uniform rounds that will make your baker’s heart swell with pride. You can buy “official” crumpet rings or do as I do: use well-buttered biscuit cutters. As an alternative, make your own crumpet rings from tuna or small pineapple cans—only make sure you buy cans that let you cut out both top and bottom. Many cans today are made with rounded bottoms that are impossible to cut.

Do yeast doughs put you in a panic? Not to worry. These Easy Homemade Crumpets, adapted from a King Arthur Flour recipe, require no kneading, proofing, etc. You simply dump all ingredients into a large bowl and whip with an electric mixer for two minutes. Cover bowl with a wet towel or buttered wax paper and place in a warm, draft-free place. An hour later you’ll see the batter has doubled in volume and is ready to bake.



I make a large batch of crumpets on the weekend—this recipe yields 2 dozen crumpets of varying sizes—and we eat them all week. To reheat, pop a crumpet into the toaster. When done, spread with sweet butter. As the melted butter drips down the sides of the crumpet and over your fingers, take a quick bite. The crumpet’s crunchy crust yields to warm, pillowy innards. Wash it down with a gulp of hot, sweet tea. Repeat until restored.

Now you’re ready for AP Chem—or that last edit of your blog post.

In addition to sweet butter, crumpets are great with jam, apple butter, honey or a slice of cheddar cheese. Don’t limit crumpet eating to teatime. Alongside a couple of fried eggs, crumpets make a great breakfast. They turn a plain bowl of soup into a special meal.

Easy Homemade Crumpets Recipe

2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 tablespoons melted butter, plus extra butter for greasing the griddle and rings
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Blend with an electric mixer, starting on low then turning up to high speed after ingredients are combined. Beat at high speed for two minutes.
2. Cover bowl with a wet tea towel or buttered wax paper. Set in a warm, draft-free place—I use an unlit oven.
3. Let the batter sit for an hour. When you return it will have doubled in volume.
4. In the meantime, generously butter your crumpet rings or biscuit cutters. Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over a medium low flame. Run a slick of butter over the griddle and arrange the rings closely together in the center of the griddle.
5. Using a ladle or small measuring cup—a 1/3 cup metal measure works perfectly—scoop up about ¼ cup of batter. You’ll notice this maneuver is a little tricky—the batter is sticky and stretchy. Once you’ve filled the measure, run the cup’s edge along the bowl to cut off the extra gooey batter. Pour the batter into one of the rings, filling it about one third. Fill remaining rings.
6. Check and adjust flame if needed: you want to cook the crumpets until little bubbles appear and burst, leaving tiny craters—but you don’t want to overcook the crumpet bottoms. It’s one of those variable things, you’ll find yourself adjusting the flame up and down until you get it right. The crumpets take 4-5 minutes to cook on the first side.
7. Once the little craters have formed and the sides of the crumpets dry and retract slightly from the sides of the rings, remove the rings. You can usually do this by giving the ring a firm shake and lifting upward. If the cake sticks, loosen sides with a butter knife and remove the ring. If you don’t have asbestos fingers as I do, you may need to use tongs or a potholder to lift the rings; the tin gets very hot.
8. After you remove the rings, flip the crumpets over and cook for another 2 minutes or until bottoms are golden.
9. Continue cooking crumpets until all the batter is used up, re-buttering the rings before setting them on the griddle again and greasing the griddle occasionally as needed. You may also need to wipe off baked-on batter from inside the rings from time to time. Serve crumpets warm, or cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat crumpets, pop them into a toaster.

Makes 2-dozen crumpets.