Welcome to my recipe archive page. This page links to earlier seasonal recipes and featured recipes from Letty's Cookbook.

Nonnabella Cookies | September, '03

Alta Special Saturday Nite Pizza | May, '03

Tortilla Soup | Winter, '02 - '03

Pumpkin Muffins | Fall, '02

Pizzas on the Grill | September '02

Crazy Strawberries | June '02

Check out featured recipes from Chocolate Snowball!

Heirloom Desserts were the focus of February 2003's Bay Area Bakers Dozen meeting. We were invited to bring a favorite family dessert (or one that has become our signature dessert) and the recipe to share. Thoughts of negotiating airports and BART with a cake box along with carry-on luggage dissuaded me from staying up after work the night before to bake. There were plenty of desserts anyway--four groaning tables worth. And since life is short, we sampled our way through the array before sitting down to lunch at Foreign Cinema Restaurant. Outstanding to me, among the pies and puddings and cakes and more, were these little macaroon-like cookies with a coffee bean pressed on top. Sitting next to the cookies, there was a handwritten recipe without a title, so I asked around and found the baker who brought them. She has a cousin in Italy who made these delicious morsels for her and then wrote the recipe in her best English. I've named them Nonnabella Cookies--nonna meaning grandmother and bella meaning beautiful--in Italian.

Nonnabella Cookies

17 ounces (about 4 cups) blanched slivered almonds
6 ounces (3/4 cup) sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 50 coffee beans
In the work bowl of a food processor, grind the almonds with the sugar. Lightly beat the eggs and vanilla in a bowl and then mix in the almond mixture. Cover the dough and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pinch and roll the dough into 1-inch balls--using flour on your hands if the dough is sticky. Press a coffee bean (flat side with the split facing up) in the top of each cookie. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, removing from the oven before the cookies have much color.
Makes about 50 cookies.

Alta Special Saturday Nite Pizza
May, 2003

In the overflow cookbook cupboard in my kitchen, I keep a couple of worn and bulging spiral notebooks. They're my "culinary journals" where I record recipes for something I've made, or most often, I paste recipes that I hope to try, recipes clipped from magazines and newspapers. My homemade kahlua recipe is here and one for the pepper jelly I once gave for Christmas gifts. Ten to one, the cut and pasted recipes outnumber my hand-written recipes. Cluttering both my office and the clear plastic cookbook holder on the kitchen counter are more loose recipes, waiting to be pasted, that I continually accumulate. I know I'm not alone in this recipe saving habit--I have read nostalgic musings by other food writers about their own, or their family's recipe stashes.

My first spiral notebook, started in 1976, is falling apart. It has recipes like Broccoli Rice Casserole, Wheat Germ Zucchini Bread and Carob Pecan Brownies, reflecting my vegetarian diet and my inclination to desserts made with honey and maple syrup. So I wouldn’t further torture the notebook's tattered pages while thumbing for a recipe, years ago I numbered the pages and indexed a baker's dozen of favorites.

On page 94, dated 1/15/81 is Alta Special Saturday Nite Pizza. (I must have skied Alta that day.) The recipe has a whole-wheat crust and homemade tomato sauce with suggested garnishes of mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, olives, onions and green pepper. I posted a pizza recipe here on the website last summer, one for pizza on the grill. Can you tell pizza is on my menu as often as rhubarb was in Robbie's grandmother's desserts?

Alta Special Saturday Nite Pizza

This whole-wheat pizza dough with its nutty whole-grain flavor is still the one I make. These days I use a store-bought tomato sauce and a fancier array of toppings, like basil pesto, feta cheese, and imported olives.
For the best pizza, use a pizza stone, which imitates a brick oven and makes the crust crispier. The stone--an unglazed clay tile--goes in the oven 30 minutes before the pizza so it's very hot and retains heat when the oven door is opened. Enjoy the accomplishment of sliding the pizza onto the hot stone, a sprinkle of cornmeal allowing the dough to wriggle off the peel.
Dough:
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons warm water (105° to 115°)
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoons sea salt
Cornmeal, about 3 tablespoons for the wooden peel
In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and honey, stirring to dissolve; let stand about 5 minutes.
Add the olive oil, flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon and stir to blend, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand about 5 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic.
Place in an oiled bowl at least twice the volume of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Toppings:
Tomato sauce, homemade or purchased, about 1/2 cup per pizza
Pesto, homemade or purchased, about 1/4 cup per pizza
Cheese--mozzarella or feta or both, maybe 4 ounces per pizza, and Parmesan, a few tablespoons for the final sprinkle
Mushrooms, maybe 1/2 pound raw per pizza, sliced and sautéed in olive oil,
Olives, pitted kalamata or Nicoise, 1/4 cup per pizza
Onions, thinly sliced red or yellow, raw or lightly sautéed
Gimme Lean Sausage Style, maybe 1/4 pound per pizza, crumbled and cooked. That's right--fake sausage and good enough to fool a meat eater.
Any of these are optional. You can skip the tomato sauce or skip the pesto--I often use one or the other. If you use neither, brush the dough with olive oil before arranging the other toppings. You can add sliced (or diced) fresh tomatoes, especially if they are hot off the vine. Try cubed eggplant sautéed in olive oil--yummy. Or a pizza with Southwestern flavors-- mild enchilada sauce, diced green chilies, Monterey Jack cheese and chopped cilantro.
A word of caution--use restraint with the toppings--the dough has a hard time cooking and holding it's shape when it's overloaded.
To shape, top and bake:
Preheat the oven to 500°. Deflate the dough with your fist and divide into 2 portions. Form each into a flattened round. On a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin, roll one portion into a large round, about 12 inches. Place it on a wooden peel that has been sprinkled generously with cornmeal. Spread with tomato sauce and/ or pesto. Lightly top with some of the cheese and scatter other toppings evenly. Finish with more cheese and finally with Parmesan.
Slide the pizza onto the stone and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the bottom is brown and the cheese looks nicely melted. Use the wooden peel to transfer the pizza from the oven to a serving plate. Then sprinkle more cornmeal on the peel and make the second pizza.
To serve, use a pizza wheel (or we use scissors) and cut into portions.
This recipe makes two (12-inch) rounds.

Tortilla Soup
Winter, 2002-2003

I love the hearty warming qualities of tortilla soup in the winter. My version uses canned tomatoes and chopped chipotle chiles to season the broth. Serve it for a casual party meal, with a tossed salad of lettuce, jicama, sliced oranges and grapefruit, dressed with cumin-spiced vinaigrette. For dessert serve a tangy lime tart. If you own my Chocolate Snowball Cookbook make the Margarita Tart on page 144.

Let your guests decide which and how much of the additions they want (or don't want) from the assortment of options you arrange on the table. Because I follow a plant-based diet, I make the soup with vegetable broth: to gratify meat eaters, shredded chicken can be one of the garnish choices.

Tortilla Soup

The broth:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, optional
2 to 3 teaspoons chipotles en adobo
Sea salt
The garnishes:
6 corn tortillas, cut in strips about 3/8-inch thick
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
1/4 pound cheese, cut in cubes or strips (queso fresco, sharp white Cheddar or jalapeno jack)
1 large avocado, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 cup shredded poached chicken (optional)
For the soup:
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté the onions about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook and stir until the onions are soft and translucent, a few more minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the broth and the corn, if using. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Chop the chipotles and add them. Season to taste with sea salt.
For the garnishes:
In a large skillet heat the peanut oil over medium heat. Fry the tortilla strips until they are just beginning to get crisp. Drain on paper towels. Put the tortilla strips, the cheese, avocado, cilantro and chicken in separate bowls.
To serve:
Put some cheese and tortilla strips, a couple of avocado slices and the cilantro in each person's bowl. Add the chicken, if desired. Ladle the hot tomato broth over the garnishes.
Makes about 6 servings.

Pumpkin Muffins
Fall, 2002

This recipe is really the Pumpkin Pecan Bread from my Chocolate Snowball cookbook, varied and baked in a different shape. Did you know that most sweet bread recipes can be made into muffins?

Pumpkin Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (15-ounce can) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels (optional)
3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup chopped pecans (the second amount is for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners, or coat the muffin tins with melted butter and dust with flour, or spray generously with cooking spray. To make sure muffins release with ease, coat the top of the pan as well as the inside of the cups when you grease the tins.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, vinegar, vanilla and pumpkin puree.

Using a wire whisk, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir in the rolled oats and 3/4 cup of the pecans. Divide into the prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped pecans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until the tops of the muffins spring back when touched with a finger. Cool for about 5 minutes, then remove from the pan.

Pizzas on the Grill
September, 2002

Park City's Farmer's Market is an important part of local summers-every Wednesday for about 15 weeks. There, Ranui Gardens, a small farm here in Summit County, opens a booth selling their goods, including organic basil, mixed salad greens and garlic. Robbie and I are shareholders in Ranui Gardens CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and I write recipes each week making use of the harvest. It's a mutual benefit opportunity--while my recipes and suggestions enrich everyone's weekly share box, Robbie and I feast on organic produce and I get to pursue my passion of vegetarian cooking.

This recipe features Ranui's Yellow Taxi, Rainbow and other heirloom tomatoes.

Pizzas on the Grill

These pizzas need to bake in 2 steps: the first on high heat to set the dough--a par-bake, and the second on medium heat to melt the cheese and make hot the toppings. While the yeast dough is rising, prepare all the toppings. Have them ready, in separate bowls, outside on a table near the grill.

The dough:
1/2 cup warm water (98.6 to 110 degrees F.)
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you can substitute all or a partial amount of whole-wheat flour)
1 teaspoon sea salt
The toppings:
3/4 cup basil pesto
4 to 6 fresh tomatoes, sliced
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 pound)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Your choice of other toppings. Ideas: sautéed mushrooms, chopped black olives, sliced artichoke hearts, other cheeses such as soft goat cheese or feta, roasted garlic puree, pizza or spaghetti tomato sauce, chopped fresh herbs et cetera--use what you like.
To make the dough:
In a small bowl, mix the warm water, yeast and honey and let sit to activate the yeast, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining water and the olive oil.

In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until it all comes together. You can work the dough in the bowl with your hands, turning it over to knead. Or you can turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead. Either way, work the dough folding it over and pushing with the heels of your hands until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Place in an oiled bowl at least twice the volume of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

For the pizza making:
Pre-heat the grill to very high heat.

Deflate the dough with your fist and divide into 6 fairly equal portions. Form each into a loose ball and cover them to prevent drying out.

On a lightly floured work surface, using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll one portion into a circle. It does not have to be perfectly round but should be as thin as you can get it. You can pick it up with your hands and gently stretch it. Immediately place on a very hot grill that you have rubbed with an oiled paper towel. Bake 1 or 2 minutes until there are light grill marks. Turn over and cook the other side a minute. Remove to a clean work surface. When all the crusts are par-baked, lower the grill heat to medium. Garnish the crusts with toppings as you wish. (I spread a layer of pesto sauce first. Then I sprinkle on some cheese followed by some other toppings, and then Parmesan cheese. Use a frugal hand--try not to overload the crust with toppings, even though you haven't used every ingredient.) Place the pizzas on the grill--as many as you can fit. Bake about 5 minutes, to melt the cheese and heat the other toppings, checking to make sure you don't burn the bottoms.

Makes six (about 8-inch) small pizzas--but you can easily double the dough recipe and prepare more toppings.

Crazy Strawberries and Polvorones Cookies
June, 2002

After twenty years at Deer Valley I asked for and was granted a sabbatical---December 20th was my last day for seven months! Robbie and I traveled to Mexico in January and February. We shopped and cooked in camp or in our rental house almost every day during those two months. When I re-read my daily journal, I see a story of food, with memories of tortilla soup, chocoflan, enchiladas and tres leches cake. We ate well. I reveled in the abundance of time. Time to practice yoga and my intermediate Spanish as well as time to cook for Robbie and friends. Here are a couple of "South of the Border" favorites for your kitchen.

Mexican strawberries inspire my Italian-tinged recipe for Crazy Strawberries. Serve with irresistible Polvorones for a refreshing dessert, especially after a hearty casserole of black bean and corn enchiladas.

"Crazy" Strawberries

It's not uncommon for Italian restaurants to serve berries seasoned with a bit of balsamic vinegar. When you think about it, it's the same technique as adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to bring up the flavor. The first time I had strawberries like these was at Tra Vigne restaurant in St. Helena, California.

4 cups sliced strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Marinate the strawberries with the vinegar, sugar and pepper for about 10 minutes or up to 3 hours.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Polvorones

Polvorones are nut cookies well-dusted in powdered sugar---polvo in Spanish means powder. At Deer Valley we call them Mexican Wedding Cookies. You might come across similar recipes titled Russian Teacakes.

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup ground pecans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the extracts. Add the pecans, flour and salt and mix well. Refrigerate until the dough is cold, at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Scoop the cold dough into little balls about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. Place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until the cookies are barely showing golden color or you can slide a cookie on the baking sheet and it will move without losing shape.

When cool, roll the cookies in a bowl of the extra confectioners' sugar. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.