Beet + Onion + Cabbage + Dill + Lemon + Sour Cream = Love.

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If you are anything like me, it has never occurred to you to make borscht. I adore beets, but for some reason I have always thought that borscht was, to be perfectly frank, totally obsolete. Thank goodness I love to experiment, because today I was humbled by this classic Ukranian dish.

The ultimate reason to make this borscht: This incredible combination of ingredients might never come together under any other circumstances. The soup was rich an flavorful and yet light, and the lemon and dill cream was the perfect accompaniment.

I created this recipe by looking at several classic borscht recipes and picking and choosing what I liked. This is a cold version, but could just as easily and deliciously be served warm.

Borscht with Lemon and Dill Cream
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(Reluctantly) Channeling My Inner Rachel Ray

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People often wrongly assume that as a chef I must eat a beautiful, multi-course meal every night. Not true! Putting together a meal both tasty and healthy is often a challenge for me, especially after cooking all day. There are plenty of nights that my dinner consists of frozen fish fillets rolled up in tortillas and drowned in Tapatio (I do cook the fish first, if that wasn’t clear).  Or my personal favorite, Triscuits, cheese, and a 10 oz. glass of wine.

Fortunately for all of us, there is a middle ground between fine dining and frozen fish, and today’s recipe is a perfect example. These individual tamale pies are really satisfying, full of protein and vegetables, and can make it to your table in about an hour, including cooking time.

Tofu Tamale Pie
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Get Thee Some Rosewater!

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The first time I ever had panna cotta, I fell in love. While reminiscent of custard (think crème brûlée), panna cotta is thickened with gelatin rather than eggs, which allows the flavor of the other ingredients to really come through. It has a light and silky texture that coaxes you to let it melt on your tongue and it cries out for the kind of summer flavors from which memories are made.

I made this panna cotta with organic cherries, buttermilk, honey, and rosewater, which can be found in a Middle Eastern grocery or online. Perfect summer flavors for an uncomplicated yet sophisticated dessert.

Rosewater, Honey, and Cherry Panna Cotta
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Lick Your Chops

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Working as a personal chef can be awfully lonely. I typically cook at home in my own kitchen with the anesthetizing voice of Ira Glass in the background, but this week I am cooking at the home of my longtime clients. This means that every time I so much as shuffle my feet, I risk stepping on one or more vertically challenged dogs.  I love having the dogs to keep me company, but as soon as the pork hit the pan this morning, they were rooting around like blind anteaters with no regard for kitchen safety.

I must say, the aromas from this dish were exceptionally delightful.  There is something about cinnamon, tomatoes, and meat together that really makes your mouth water. These stuffed and bakes chiles are by no means a 30 minute meal, but they have outstanding flavor worth reproducing again and again.

Stuffed and Baked Chiles
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Sweet, Salty, Tart

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The idea for these cherry-chocolate chip cookies came to me during a summer sugar craving.  I had a hankering for a sweet with a summery component, but didn’t have any fresh fruit on hand. I did, however, have cookie ingredients and plenty of dried fruit in the pantry.

As it turns out, there is something about the tart cherries together with the sweet chocolate that takes these cookies to another level.  And I can attest, they make a lovely dinner (on occasion).

Cherry – Chocolate Chip Cookies
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