The Naptime Chef

My Day So Far: The usual Tuesday morning mayhem with the added bonus of a colossal yogurt smoothie spill at breakfast.
Naptime Goals: Get the pulled-pork stewing, send document to certain someone for special Naptime Chef project to be announced soon (!)
Tonight’s Meal: Pulled-pork tacos with all the fixings, molasses cookies for dessert.
Parenting Lesson of the Day: Keeping two-year old’s occupied indoors on winter days is next to impossible – break out a bunches of toys and hope for the best!

It is an unwritten rule in my house that when the temperature hovers in the single digits at high noon it is time to rev up the slow-cooker. This useful piece of machinery is apt to be simmering away in our house many times throughout the fall, winter and spring, but it is especially relevant during deep freezes. The slow-cooker is my go-to method for tenderizing meat and making thick hearty stews – exactly the kind of food we rely on to keep us warm while be wait out the cold.

My husband is a real meat and potatoes guy and lately we’ve been eating a lot of beef and chicken. When we spotted pulled-pork on a menu recently we realized that we hadn’t had it in months, it seemed like the perfect thing to refresh our menu. Then, as if we weren’t excited enough for dinner already, the temperature in our neighborhood plummeted to a balmy 10ºF where it was predicted to stay for five whole days. This was all the convincing I needed, I picked up the pork at the store and broke out the jar of Williams-Sonoma Pulled-Pork Starter my mother gave us for Christmas.

We’ve made pulled-pork marinade before as well, and I’ve included that recipe below. But, I’ll have to say, the Williams-Sonoma mix was delicious. After simmering for hours – I started the process during my daughter’s afternoon naptime and it was ready by 6pm – the pork shredded beautifully and was tender to the bite with a mellow spicy sweet flavor. In the interest of variety we decided to forgo the usual pulled-pork sandwich and make tacos instead. We set-up a nice little station of condiments, warmed up some flour tortillas and went to town wrapping the meat with sour cream, avocado, cheese and lettuce. With a side of spanish rice we had a perfect meal

Since taco night is a popular occasion in many households I encourage families to think about pulled-pork the next time they pick up a fresh bag of tortillas. I promise, you will love the salty sweet meat topped with your favorite fixings, and the kiddos will, too. My daughter is still a bit of skeptic when it comes to wrapped foods, but she was thrilled with her little pocket of sweet pork, devouring it in just a few bites. Also, if you don’t have a slow-cooker don’t worry, this pulled-pork can be made in a dutch oven and I’ve included those instructions below as well.

My Day So Far: 5:30am wake-up from daughter looking for a lost toy in her crib, grocery shopping (Meyer lemons!), laundry, preparing for pre-school interview tomorrow(!)

Naptime Goals: Make Meyer Lemon Rice Pudding, set-up daughter’s ladybug tent, catch up on thank you notes and emails.

Tonight’s Meal: Leftover Chicken Scallopini, green beans with walnuts, rice pudding for dessert.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: When children get bored during errands give them a “job”, like holding the box of rice while you finish the grocery shopping.

If the horticulture gods granted me one wish, I would ask for Meyer lemon trees in my backyard. Of course, for that to happen I would need to move to a place in New York City where I actually had a backyard, but that’s a whole different wish. Of all fruits in the whole entire world I would like access to everyday, year round, it is Meyer lemons. Luckily, as you’ll see in the video, these days I can simply walk down the street to Gourmet Garage which carries them while they are in season. Needless to say, during this time of year I am their best customer, my daughter has memorized the layout of the entire store at age two, that’s how frequently we go.

It’s not that regular lemons aren’t perfectly good, it’s just that Meyer lemons are exceptionally good. A cross between a lemon and mandarin orange, Meyer lemons have a milder, almost more lemony taste. They are tart, sure, but not quite as sour as a regular lemon. I’ve long been extolling the virtues of Meyer lemons, writing about a favorite recipe for Meyer Lemon Sables last year. This year I’m here with another dessert, a smooth and creamy Meyer Lemon Rice Pudding. Yes, you can make this with regular lemons if that’s all you have available, but I highly recommend Meyer whenever possible. With the latter the flavor of this pudding is lighter and slightly more sweet, somewhat like eating lemonade pie without the need for whipped cream to lighten it up.

Since I only make this dessert doing the winter I like to do it during my daughter’s naptime when I don’t have any other cooking to do. This way I don’t race through the steps, and can take time enjoy the assembly of one of our favorite winter sweet treats. As you’ll see here, making this isn’t complicated, it just requires careful monitoring on the stove to make sure the rice doesn’t burn or bubble over. Once it is baked I let it cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge. Though, I’ll be honest, it’s hard to resist a few spoonfuls the second it’s out of the oven; I frequently burn my mouth a teeny bit on the first few bites. Even once it’s in the fridge I’ll freely admit that I can be found dipping my spoon in it all day long, it’s just too hard to resist. I’m afraid I’ve already passed this habit onto my daughter, she frequently has a few bites for a snack after nap, then a big bowl after dinner.

Before I give you the recipe, I should also mention that Meyer lemons are excellent for flavoring beverages (lemon drops!), appetizers (shrimp!), main courses (lemon risotto!) and even salads (squeeze into salad dressing!). Use them anywhere you might use a regular lemon and see if you notice the flavor difference. One of my favorite things to do is place a dollop of mascarpone cheese, Meyer lemon zest and juice, and a few cranks of black pepper into the bottom of a heatproof glass bowl then add a heap of freshly cooked linguine. I swirl the cheese mixture into the pasta and call it “Lemon Pepper Pasta.” But that’s a whole different post.

My Day So Far: Morning at the Children’s Museum, mailed baby gifts to friends in DC for their new baby boy (congrats Kristina and Noah!)

Naptime Goals: Catch up emails, blog posts and write business plan for 2010!

Tonight’s Meal: Rigatoni tossed with homemade ragu thawed from the freezer. I am baking Pain D’Epice after bedtime!

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Kids must be taught social graces, sometimes under extreme duress.

I draw my cooking inspiration from any number of sources. Sometimes ideas come from fresh farmer’s market produce or glorious food photography in magazines, and other times from the cookbooks in my kitchen. As you can see from this video, my cookbook collection is bordering on out of control, but I still buy them anyway. I find that a well written, visually appealing cookbook is invaluable. It can be a source of confidence to take risks in the kitchen, a catalog of great recipes and can serve as a reference guide for years to come.

Despite the chaos you see on my shelves, all the cookbooks are there for a reason. Each one contains a combination of recipes, tips and photography that create a unique vibe I find useful and inspiring. Lately there has been a particular group of cookbooks that I’ve been referring to an awful lot and I want to share them with you today. These are my current tried-and-true’s, the ones I thumb through so often I can almost recite their entire table of contents.

In the spirit of celebrating one of my newest favorite cookbook series, Canal House Cooking (click link to get your own subscription), this week I baked a Pain D’Epice, or French Spice Bread. As the author of this recipe, Melissa Hamilton, noted, the spices were lost in translation when she received the recipe from her mother, but no matter since it is plenty tasty. I love this bread, it’s natural sweetness come from honey and marmalade, and the brown sugar gives it a gorgeous burnished deep brown hue. We like to eat it toasted for breakfast, but I’ve also caught myself slicing bits off for tea and dessert. A lot of times I do my baking after my daughter goes to bed and here you will see me doing just that (including an unfortunate shot of me in my pj’s the following morning). The bread bakes for just about an hour and then I am able to let it cool overnight so it is ready the next day.

Naptime Chef’s Favorite Cookbook for 2010:

1) Canal House Cooking, Vol. 1 and 2, by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer: The first two installments in a cookbook subscription series, these books are inviting and inspiring. Written for the home cook, their recipes range from classic main courses to trendy cocktails, all written with a calm simplicity that proves inspired gourmet cuisine can indeed be accomplished by home cooks everywhere.

2) In Season: Cooking with Fruits and Vegetables by Sarah Raven: A visual masterpiece, this British export is my newest favorite source for seasonal cooking with fruits and vegetables. Organized by season, each section showcases colorful photographs and accessible recipes that will inspire everyone to rethink their everyday vegetable and fruit menus.

3) Baking from My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan: Equal parts reference guide and recipe source, this book will be on my shelf forever. With decadent sweets that span the gamut from breakfast buns to decadent layer cakes, the information covered here includes everything from ingredient ideas to freezing tips.

4) Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros: When it comes to fitting great food into family life, Tessa is in-the-know. A mother of two, accomplished chef and resident of Tuscany, Tessa utilizes all of the sources to inspire her recipes. Scattered throughout are memories of her children, doodles and photographs showcasing a happy family enjoying extraordinary food.

5) A16: Food + Wine: by Nate Appleman with Kate Leahy: Not often can you make restaurant quality food at home, but with this cookbook you can. I had the pleasure of eating at A16 last September in San Francisco and I still remember almost every bite. Thank goodness for this book, even if you’ve never been to the restaurant, now you can enjoy their food in the comfort of your own kitchen.

6) Unforgettable Desserts by Dede Wilson: Beware, this book will make you drool. I figured out, the hard way, not to look through this book when you are trying to cut back on sweets. Dede’s inviting recipes, luscious photography and simple flavors will make you drop everything and run for your spatula. Well-balanced and easy to understand, these recipes could be served anywhere from family occasions to chic black tie dinners.

7) Park Avenue Potluck Celebrations by MSKCC and Florence Fabricant: Menus and tips on how to entertain like a hostess with the mostess, this book is your go-to guide. Photographs provide inspiration for table settings, while menus by occasion will fit almost every entertaining need.

8) How to Eat by Nigella Lawson: A classic on my bookshelf, Nigella is the embodiment of the busy mum enjoying her time in the kitchen. I re-read the introduction to this book at least once a month, and always enjoy any of the classic recipes she writes.

I am beat after our whirlwind trip to Cooperstown last week. Between driving to Cooperstown, Syracuse, and back to New York City, I am ready to hang up my driving gloves for a little bit. Upon returning Sunday I was in the mood for bowl of comforting, healthy Tomato Soup Florentine. A restorative and nourishing meal, it was just the thing to welcome us home after a hectic week on the road.

There are many recipes tomato soup available and this happens to be my favorite. My mother first made it for me years ago and I was instantly hooked. At the time she served it I had just returned from college after a particularly rigorous fall semester. Perhaps it was the special feeling of comfort it imparted, but I have associated this soup with all good, warm feelings ever since.

Sentimental moments aside, two more reasons I am partial to this recipe is because a) it can be assembled with pantry basics and b) it doesn’t contain any cream. Like most people, I enjoy a good creamy soup from time to time, but in this case there is no need for it. Due to the slow and steady cooking method, the pureed onion, garlic and herbs blend beautifully with the chicken broth and tomatoes to form a full-bodied soup that lacks for nothing in the flavor department.

Like most great soups, this Tomato Soup Florentine is perfect for making during my daughter’s afternoon naptime. In fact, the flavor actually improves over time so I recommend making this a few hours, to a few days, before you want to eat it. When it comes to meal time we like to break out the panini maker and whip up some yummy grilled cheeses for dunking in our bowls. (Since paninis can’t be made ahead of time I usually hand my daughter her new Mr. Potato-Head and she is happily occupied for the few minutes it takes to grill the sandwich!) If you don’t feel like sandwiches, this soup is also delicious on it’s own with a side of cheese toast and a green salad.

Thank you for tuning in to “Bridge Street” on Channel 9-WSYR, Syracuse. For those of you who didn’t see the show yet, I’ve posted a clip below!

First, click here to Sign up for my free weekly newsletter,“Naptime News.”

My Day So Far: Driving up to Cooperstown for tomorrow’s appearance on “Bridge Street.” Crazy excited (and nervous!)

Naptime Goals: Arrive in Cooperstown, bake brownies for tomorrow’s show, make sure I have all ingredients prepared.

Tonight’s Meal: Mom’s cooking tonight, I am too nervous about tomorrow to cook!

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Kiddo + 3 hour solo parent car ride = not fun.

I have never met anyone who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies. In fact, I would find it downright strange if someone told me they didn’t like a classic buttery cookie studded with warm, oozy chocolate chips. I mean, who could ever turn down such taste perfection? When it comes to baked goods, the standard chocolate chip cookie is a true classic. I theorize that it is almost the perfect sweet – pleasant to chew and taste, with perfectly proportioned flavors of butter, sugar, vanilla and chocolate. It is the childhood treat that never loses appeal.

I’ve baked so many chocolate chip cookies over the years that I’ve become a bit of a connoisseur. If you don’t believe me, just ask my friends. I bake them by the dozens on a weekly basis, dolling them out in ziploc baggies any chance I get. My standard operating procedure is to make the dough during naptime, let it rest in the fridge throughout the afternoon, then bake them after my daughter goes to sleep. Then, I save half of what I bake for my family and give the rest away. This means we all enjoy fresh cookies, plus it necessitates that I replenish our supply every few days. Sure, I bake other kinds of cookies as well, but chocolate chip remains the ultimate standby. These are the ones I bake more than any other.

I’ve probably tried at least four dozen different chocolate chip cookie recipes since I started baking as a teenager. Over time I’ve weeded out most of them, only retaining a small, but well-edited, selection of those worthy of repeat performances. The recipes I like most each have subtle nuances, creating cookies with their own unique flavor and textures. In turn, each cookie is well-suited for a variety of serving purposes. One recipe I’ve found is particularly good for ice-cream sandwiches, another is great for children, and a third is perfect for serving during afternoon tea.

After years of careful taste-testing I am excited to share my personal favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes with you. I will write a quick disclaimer here, too: I know I haven’t, by any means, tried all recipes out there. But, in my opinion, these are the best of the best I’ve baked to date. After you read this list, if you have a favorite recipe you think should be listed here, let me know and I’ll give it a go!

The Naptime Chef’s favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes:

1. Dorie Greenspan’s My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies: Soft, sweet and slightly cakey, these are my favorite hands down. The flavor notes of vanilla and chocolate are perfectly balanced, while the texture is slightly soft, but not crumbly. Part of their success is due to Dorie’s specific instructions for adding the ingredients – follow them carefully. These cookies stand up well when vanilla ice-cream is sandwiched between them, and are also great served on their own to adults and children alike.

2. The New York Times’ Chocolate Chip Cookie by Jacques Torres: A slightly more involved recipe, I’ve made this with both the complicated flours, and basic all-purpose flour. Both versions have been successful and delicious. I love how the chopped chocolate creates layers and ridges in the cookie, allowing the chocolate to melt and permeate every crumb. A particularly decadent cookie, these are great for impressing friends and guests.

3. Cook’s Illustrated Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies: Being a devotee of browned butter, it is only natural that I would turn to this recipe. Initially skeptical, I’ve come to love the deeper flavor the browned butter gives the cookie, creating rich almost caramel-like notes that contrast nicely with the chocolate. Don’t bake these with children unless they are old enough to use the stove.

4. Martha Stewart’s Thin and Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies: Not surprisingly, Martha has enough varieties of Chocolate Chip Cookies to make my head spin. And, I’ve tried every single one. The unusually large amount of butter causes these cookies to thin out and crisp while baking, making them somewhat brittle from the start. I love the slightly delicate texture and rich buttery taste, they are perfect for grown-up afternoon tea.

5. Barefoot Contessa’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies: Never one to shy away from excess, Ina shows us how it’s done by passing up wimpy chips and adding impressive chocolate chunks to her cookies. These cookies are bold in flavor, size and texture. I find them particularly great for summer ice-cream sundaes and for serving to kids. Adults love them, too, though they are so gigantic you only need to eat one!

6. Neiman-Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies with Blended Oatmeal: An old favorite, I stumbled upon this recipe in a fluke email and didn’t look back. I never add raisins or walnuts to my cookies, but I love the addition of oatmeal. In this case, the blended oatmeal creates a wonderful, subtle texture and nutty flavor that is unusually satisfying.

7. Martha Stewart’s Alexis’ Favorite Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies: Vastly different from the delicate Thin and Crisp variety, these cookies are frisbee-style cakey cookies similar to those found in coffeehouses around the country. I love the deeper flavor they get from the larger than usual amount of brown sugar. I’ll admit, when we are feeling indulgent I whip up a batch of these and dip one, piece by piece, in a tall glass of milk. They also hold up well when traveling because they are so large and sturdy.

8. Tate’s Chocolate Chip Cookies: It is rare that you can recreate a packaged product from scratch at home, but with this recipe you can. Kathleen’s well-balanced chocolate chip cookies are generated by this very same recipe. So, either buy them in the store or make them at home – your choice! An all-around great cookie, I like to sprinkle a little extra salt on top and take them to summer picnics.

9. Scharffen Berger’s House Recipe: Leave it to the chocolate experts to come up with one heck of a decadent cookie. More sophisticated then most, these cookies call for a variety of Scharffen Berger chocolate (a brand which I highly endorse), creating a multi-layered chocolate flavor. I recommend using the bittersweet chocolate chips and serving these with coffee to adults.

10. Chocolate Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies from Park Avenue Potluck: Great cookies with playful flavors, I love how these caramelize when baking. The generous dose of cinnamon gives them a warm comforting taste and aroma, making them perfect for baking at home with children and munching on a cold winter day. They are also excellent for taking into school or the office – colleagues always love the unusual flavor twist.

This post has been updated October 3, 2016 as part of the 5 Affordable Weeknight Dinners from Whole Foods Market. We were able to enjoy this recipe again in a whole new way with ingredients from my recent Whole Foods Market trip.

This one-pot meal is still a favorite of ours. This week it is part of our project with Whole Foods Market. For this project I am sharing how I make five delicious, easy dinners for my family using one bag of Whole Foods Market groceries.

I love shopping at Whole Foods Market because of their extra fresh ingredients and high commitment to quality. I’ve shopped many places for fish, and my favorite place to buy salmon is Whole Foods Market. Their seafood sustainability rating system takes the guesswork out of what to purchase. They have very high standards for what they sell and I know it is sustainably sourced or responsibly farmed. I also always looks fresh because it is, no tricks there! I also always check my Whole Foods app and sales flyer for coupons. They are so easy to use and offer terrific discounts for so many of my favorite everyday staples, and the specialty items I love to try.

Sometimes people ask me if I spend 2 hours cooking every single day. No! Of course not! Sure, my daughter typically naps for that amount of time, but, as I’ve said before, naptime is my free time when I strive to get a lot of stuff done, including enjoying some time in the kitchen. Most of the time it works out that I can make a great casserole that will last for a couple of nights, or a large amount of sauce for pasta, with leftovers to freeze for later. But other times I don’t have time to cook at all during naptime. Instead, I have to make dinner a few minutes before it needs to be served, which is when I turn to very specific arsenal of recipes at my disposal.

This recipe for Poached Salmon with Leeks was given to me by my mother-in-law when my husband and I first started dating. She served it one evening during a visit and I was instantly smitten. I love the mildly sweet taste of the tender leeks and how they mix with the chicken broth to soften the flavor of the salmon. Best of all, this is a light, healthy dinner that can be pulled together in a matter of minutes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not one of these formulaic solution dinners I hate, there is plenty of inspiration and thought here. This is just simply an wonderful meal made with quality ingredients. I promise, I will never preach to you any time frame in which you pull it together.

Just yesterday I made this in the early evening while my daughter was playing in the other room with our neighbor. As the ear-grating songs of mechanical singing bears screeched away on repeat, I dedicated a few minutes to the kitchen. I had just enough time to let the leeks soften and salmon poach, with a few moments between to check on the kid’s handiwork in the other room. (On a side note, can anyone explain the appeal to me of annoying singing animals and why children love them so much?) Dinner was prepared in a short amount of time and everyone adored it. And, believe it or not, my husband managed to capture it all on video, so here you go! Enjoy!

Poached Salmon with Leeks: Webisode #8 from Kelsey Banfield on Vimeo.

(Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Whole Foods. The ideas and photographs are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that support The Naptime Chef.)