The Tasty Dish

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for dough
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 to 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• coarse salt and ground black pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 5 ounces spinach leaves
• all-purpose flour or cornmeal, for dusting
• 1 pound pizza dough, room temperature
• 6 ounces ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)
• crushed red pepper flakes, for serving
• grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. If using a pizza stone, place it in a cool oven, then preheat to 500 degrees. Otherwise, simply preheat oven.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, partially covered, until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 8 minutes. Remove cover from the pan and cook until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
4. Pizza stone instructions: Generously sprinkle a large pizza peel or cutting board with flour or cornmeal. Stretch or roll dough into a large thin oval, making sure that the dough does not stick to the board. If the dough is sticking, add more flour or cornmeal under the dough. Brush dough with oil and top with tomato sauce, sautéed spinach, and ricotta. Very carefully, slide the pizza to the hot stone and bake until the crust is deep golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Baking sheet instructions: Generously drizzle a large rimmed baking sheet pan with oil. Place dough onto pan and coat in the oil. Stretch or roll dough into a large thin oval, top pizza, and bake 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer pizza to a large cutting board, slice, and serve with red pepper and Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole milk (1 quart), not UHT pasteurized
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or white vinegar

Instructions

1. Line a fine mesh sieve with two layers of cheese cloth, or a large coffee filter, and set it over a medium bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently so it doesn't boil over. Stir in lemon juice reduce heat to low, and continue cooking until milk begins to curdle, about 2 minutes.
3. With a large spoon or ladle, scoop the chunky curds into the prepared sieve. Drain to desired consistency. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Ingredients

For the cookies:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 bottle (1 ounce) red food coloring (2 tablespoons)
For the frosting:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla, and egg until combined and smooth, then carefully stir in the red food coloring. Gently stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
3. Fit a large piping bag with a #802 Ateco piping tip, or equivalent. Place half of the batter into the piping bag and pipe 2-inch hearts onto the prepared baking sheets, two inches apart. Bake until the cookies are puffy and soft, about 8 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter. (Note: Piping the batter uniformly will ensure that the cookies will line up when sandwiched. Using a heart-shaped template or small cookie cutter to trace the shape onto your parchment paper is an easy way to get perfectly sized cookies each time. Just be sure to flip the marked side of the parchment paper down onto the baking sheet before piping.)
4. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 minutes. Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese frosting onto the flat side of half the cookies, then top with remaining cookies, flat side down. Cookies can be kept, refrigerated, for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 beef chuck roast (4 pounds), halved
• kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, plus more for serving
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 to 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 pound pappardelle
• 1/2 cup cold heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest, plus more for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium-high. Pat the roast halves dry with paper towel, then generously season with salt and pepper. Add the meat to the pot and cook, turning with tongs, until browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add tomato paste and oregano and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the red wine, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon; bring mixture to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, season with salt and pepper, and increase heat to medium-high. Return the meat to the pot along with any juices and bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer to the oven, and cook until the meat is tender and can easily be shredded, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Shred the meat with 2 forks, then stir in vinegar to taste.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pappardelle according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
4. Place the heavy cream in a medium bowl. Add the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Using a whisk, whip until the cream forms soft peaks.
5. To serve, reheat the ragù, if necessary, and toss with pappardelle. Divide among bowls and top with lemon-pepper cream, additional lemon zest, and oregano.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Meyer lemon zest (from 2 lemons), plus 2 tablespoons juice

Instructions

1. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, zest, and juice together on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat on low speed until just combined. The mixture will be crumbly. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into a square or rectangle. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill a small shallow dish with sugar. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness, then cut into 1 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch rectangles. (A ruler is helpful for this part.) If dough is becoming too soft, simply re-wrap in plastic and refrigerate. Scraps can be gathered and re-rolled several times. Coat rectangles of dough all over with sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets. Using a skewer or the tines of a fork, dock the cookies with a pretty pattern, if desired.
3. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be kept for up to one week in an airtight container.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped, or chips
• 4 tablespoons good quality unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Valrhona or Droste
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• pinch of fine sea salt
• marshmallows or whipped cream, for serving

Instructions

1. Place a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add milk and 1/2 cup of water and bring to simmer. Add chocolate, cocoa, sugar, and salt. Whisk until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Serve immediately with marshmallows or whipped cream.