Nigella's Terracotta Bean Dip

Hello! Anyone out there? It's been a while.

I actually started writing this post last night. I was almost giddy with excitement. My baby was down for the night and there I was spending some alone time with my blog for the first time in months feeling the old creative juices flowing again. I began typing rapid fire. I felt free! Like galloping bareback on my pony when I was a kid. And then…Sawyer woke up. Screaming actually. Blogging ended before it began.

But it was okay. Partly because he looks like this.

But also because there's something selfishly awesome about when your baby wakes up crying from a nightmare or whatever reason and you can be there to make it all better. I walked him around for almost an hour even though he stopped crying the second I picked him up.

This is a far different place from where we were a couple of months ago. You see part of my long absence wasn't just having a baby but having a baby with severe food allergies. Who literally never stopped crying once he started. Poor guy. But that's another post - maybe even another blog.

Anyway we went to a friend's on Saturday and she was such an amazing host and cook that I was actually inspired to post the dip I'd taken over that night.

I'm finally coming out of the baby fog y'all. And I'm going to feed every damn one of you.

Nigella's Terracotta Bean Dip
Mildly adapted from FEAST
* A twist on your typical bean dip, this one uses red kidney beans and a mix of warm spices. I absolutely loved the lime in it it so I put the zest in the dip as well as on top. This is an unusual, but not weird change of pace and easy to make.

Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (or 3 shallots)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon cumin (I'd even try upping it next time)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon paprika
pinch cayenne, optional
1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans (including the juice)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, or to taste
zest and juice of a medium lime
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Tortilla chips or pita chips for serving

Directions:
Heat the oil in a medium/large cast iron pan or heavy bottom pan for one minute over medium heat. Add the onion, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic and sauté a couple more minutes. Add in the tomato paste and spices and stir around cooking a few more minutes to let the flavors deepen.

Add in the beans and liquid from the can and cook a couple more minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner to let cool for a bit. Then transfer to a food processor and add in the lime zest (you can reserve a little zest for garnish if desired) and juice and additional 1/4 teaspoon salt. Blend until as much a puree as the skins on the beans will allow.

Taste for salt and add any more or pepper if you wish and blend again.

Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with additional zest and cilantro. Serve right away or refrigerate for up to eight hours before serving with tortilla or pita chips to serve.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Hey Y'all. We're in the middle of moving. Actually the beginning of moving which is even scarier. Still waiting on the loan but moving ahead anyway renting the new place (moving in tomorrow) until it comes through. Which it will. Because otherwise well...I can't even imagine.

Actually I can. It would mean moving in with my poor beloved sister like we had to do after graduating college all those many moons ago when we couldn't find jobs. Only now we do have jobs. Decent ones which would make it even more ironic. Again I'll try not to spiral into a stress ball (cue the Oreos and red wine and the weird purple bumps I've had on my legs the past three days. Sexy!)

Anyway it will be short and sweet for the next couple of weeks on the 'ole blogosphere. If at all.

In the meantime I want to leave you with my most prized appetizer recipe - Buffalo Chicken Dip. Actually I kind of hate this recipe because it's all Kris ever wants me to make. I don't even know if anyone else on earth likes it but him. But he likes it so much I make it again and again. Over and over. For all I know friends and family are like please dear God make something else.

I have Claire Robinson to blame for this. And Frank's Red Hot Sauce where I saw the same damn thing printed on the back. I altered it a split hair adding chopped green onions to the dip and as a garnish. I know, I know. My originality is startling and unsettling.

Until next time, keep your fingers crossed for me, the loan, and my sanity.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup hot sauce (recommended: Frank's)
• 1/2 breast of a rotisserie chicken, skin removed and chopped
• 2 green onions, minced plus 2 chopped for garnish
• 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
• Crackers, tortilla chips, or celery sticks for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, melt the cream cheese until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, hot sauce, chicken, green onion (2 minced) and blue cheese and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a Pam sprayed 9-inch pie plate or baking dish. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 22-25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, bread or celery sticks.

Creamy, Zesty Avocado Cilantro Sauce

I adapted this from another blog, Guilty Kitchen, and could eat it like hot fudge. It's going to be my summer lover so if you plan on eating at my house in the next few months I dearly hope you like cilantro or it's frozen pizza for you. Just kidding. We also have frozen burritos and occasionally pot pie. Kris likes a little variety.

I served this over chicken with quinoa and while it was delish, I couldn't stop thinking about how it would taste on a burger. Or through a straw. I'll shut up now.

Creamy, Zesty Avocado Cilantro Sauce
* Makes about a cup.
* Adapted from Guilty Kitchen, http://guiltykitchen.com/

Ingredients:
1 small or regular sized avocado (not the softball sized ones)
juice of 1 regular lime
juice of 1 regular lemon (again, not the softball sized ones I see from time to time)
1 large handful of cilantro, stems and all (a heaping packed cup)
1/2 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Red pepper flakes, optional, or 1/2 chopped jalapeño sans seeds

Directions:
Add the avocado (scooped flesh only, no seed or skin) to a food processor or blender along with the lime and lemon juice, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, olive oil and pepper/jalapeno if using. Pulse to blend a few times, stopping to scraped down the sides if any chunks are sticking and blend again until smooth.

Taste for seasoning and make any adjustments necessary.

Serve with grilled chicken, steaks, burgers, or whatever you fancy.

Buffalo Chicken Kabobs with Blue Cheese Dip

                                      

I got psyched when I daydreamed this recipe. Mostly because I like anything with the word 'buffalo' in the name. I'm super original that way.

But after making them, I got even more excited. They're almost like tandoori (super moist delicious Indian kabobs) but buffalo flavored. And spicy as an ant pile.

As for the sauce, I have no words. Hide your kids. Hide your wife. It's about to get crazy up in here.

I could make this recipe every day for the rest of my life, just swapping out different kinds of meat for the chicken. Salmon would be amazing. Beef would make me weep. And if the squirrels don't stop chewing on the side of my house they too might be bound for buffalo glory.

Buffalo Chicken Kabobs with Blue Cheese Dip

Kabob Marinade:
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
7 oz greek yogurt, either 2% or whole (not fat free)
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce, or your favorite brand hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon vegetable or canola oil
2 fat green onions (white and green parts), chopped
2 smashed garlic cloves, or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
zest of 1 small lime
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (use less if using table salt!)
fresh ground black pepper
Wooden skewers (soak in water for 30 minutes before skewing/grilling)

Mix the marinade ingredients (yogurt through the black pepper) together until all blended and friendly in a medium bowl. Transfer to a large ziploc and add the chicken smushing around until all pieces are well coated. Refrigerate overnight, removing half an hour before threading onto skewers and grilling. THERE IS NO NEED TO SALT THE KABOBS BEFORE GRILLING AS THE MARINADE IS QUITE SALTY.

To grill, heat an outdoor grill to 375. Oil the grates so the kabobs won't stick (grease a folded paper towel with peanut or veg oil use tongs to swipe it along the grates.) Add the kabobs 'against the grain' from where the grates are positioned so no chicken falls through, and close the lid for 4 minutes. Try picking up to see if you have grill marks on the underside. If so, flip over and cook another 4-5 minutes until cooked through, if not cook another 1-2 minutes before checking again and flipping.

Remove and serve with dip, below.

Dip (would also make a killer dip for veg/crackers/etc:)
zest of a small lemon
1-2 green onions, sliced thin
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup light mayo
1/4 cup blue cheese or gorgonzola
salt, but only if needed after tasting and to taste

Mix altogether and store in the refrigerator until needed. Can be made the day before. Serve with the kabobs. Or as a dip for veg and crackers. Or fingers.

Juicy Lucies (cheese-stuffed burgers) with Texas Tapenade

Have you ever had a Juicy Lucy? I hadn't even heard of them until I moved to Minneapolis several years ago. I have to say, they may be the sole reason worth suffering through a midwest winter. A Juicy Lucy is just a burger with a pocket of gooey molten cheese hidden inside. Our favorites were the lucies at Adrian's Bar and Grill - a wonderful old dive bar in south Minneapolis. Dang they were GOOOOD...

Adrian's I believe were made with cheddar but cheddar didn't seem quite right with turkey burgers for some reason so I decided to try a trio of white cheeses here and wasn't disappointed. The accompaniment - Texas Tapenade - is more a sun dried tomato pesto than a true tapenade, the Texan element being jalapeno stuffed olives. If you don't have those on hand, feel free to substitute regular jumbo green olives or even kalamata or black olives along with a good pinch of red pepper flakes for that southern heat wave element. Yeee haw!

PS - don't be upset if your burgers separate into two patties by the end of cooking exposing the cheesy goodness inside. That's just Lucy flirting with you....

Juicy Lucies with Texas Tapenade
Serves 4.
* The tapenade is great on crostini or with crackers as an appetizer or snack or on any number of sandwiches.

Burgers:
1 package (1.3 pounds) ground lean turkey
1/4 cup minced shallots (2 regular)
1 garlic clove, minced
zest of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons shredded parmesan
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
4 English muffins, toasted or griddled

In a large bowl, combine the minced shallots, garlic, lemon zest, parmesan, salt, and pepper with a fork until evenly mixed. Add the turkey meat and gently combine with your hands trying to incorporate everything evenly but not overwork the meat. Set aside while you make the juicy filling.

Juicy Filling:
3 oz goat cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan
2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella
good grating fresh nutmeg
fresh cracked pepper
dash salt
splash half and half or heavy cream, just enough to bind all the cheeses together without making it too wet/mushy

Mix the cheese, nutmeg pepper and salt together with fork. Add JUST enough half and half or heavy cream to help them make friends and bind being careful not to make it to 'wet' as you'll need to form the mixture into little patties. Once combined, use your hands to make little flattened discs. I confess to getting 5 out of them and only 4 burgers of the meat mixture, so you might want to reserve the 5th patty for another use (cracker spread/etc.)

To form the juicy lucies, gather enough ground meat in your palm (about the amount it would take to make a jumbo sized meatball or a thin hamburger patty.) Gently press and turn with your hands to make a patty, ensuring you'll have enough of an 'edge' around your cheese disc so that you can seal it. Set the patty on a greased surface then set the cheese disc in the center. Create another thin patty out of the meat mixture and place it over the cheese disc. You'll need to carefully pick it up and turn the juicy lucy in your hands as you gently press and crimp the edges together, ensuring you've got a good seal. Set aside and complete the rest of the patties. (After forming, you can either refrigerate for up to 8 hours, covered, or cook right away.)

To cook, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season the burgers on the top sides with salt and pepper. Grill or pan fry until golden on both sides - about 4 minutes per side, ensuring you don't have too high a flame so that the cheese melts through but doesn't liquify too early in the cooking process and leak out (also be careful when flipping - remembering your delicate little package inside.) Transfer to the 400 degree oven for 5 minutes to cook all the way through. Remove and let 'rest' for five minutes, lightly tented with foil, before serving.

Serve with Texas Tapenade (below) on toasted English muffins.

Texas Tapenade Ingredients:
3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained (reserve oil)
1 clove garlic
2 jumbo jalapeno-stuffed green olives (or regular jumbo olives plus a pinch of red pepper flakes)
zest of a small lemon (or half a large one)
2 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)
2-3 sprigs boxwood (pistou) basil or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1-2 teaspoons oil from the sun dried tomatoes
fresh cracked black pepper

Texas Tapenade Directions:
If you have the time or energy, give the sun dried tomatoes and garlic clove a rough chop. If not, just chuck them all into the blender and pulse a few times. Add the green olives and pulse again until there are no large chunks of olive left (unless you like your tapenade on the chunky side.) Add the lemon zest, pine nuts, basil, oil from the sun dried tomatoes and some fresh cracked pepper and pulse again until well blended. Decide wether you want to add more oil or not (there is a never ending battle at our house between my husband and me - I like my pesto on the drier side - he the liquidy side...) make any adjustments necessary and either refrigerate for up to 3 days before using or serve right away.

Guacamole with Green Apple, Fresh and Flirty

I thought I was a genius when I came up with this recipe back in December. Then I bought the South Beach Wine and Food Festival Cookbook and found a similar recipe in it by Ferran Adria. Oh well, my SAT scores should've told me I wasn't Mensa-bound.

This is a slightly rogue guacamole in the fact that it's not 'mushed' - I like keeping the chunks of avocado as whole as possible in this version. This recipe also has the untraditional element of green apple in it. Don't worry - it won't taste 'apple-y' per say but the fruit gives it a refreshing twist that other guacs don't have. Not that I've ever met a guac I didn't like, except for the pre-packaged store bought variety. After all, guacamole isn't all that unlike Cinderella - her beauty expires at midnight.

Guacamole with Green Apple
Serves 6.

Toss the following together gently in a medium bowl. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips, or with tacos or fajitas or any grilled meats.

* 2 Hass avocadoes, seed and skin removed, chopped
* 1/2 small green apple, finely chopped
* 1 smallish jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed and chopped fine
* juice of 1 large lime and zest of 1//2 the lime
* 2-3 tablespoons minced red onion (up to you)
* large handful chopped cilantro
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Gorgeously Green Tomatillo Cream Sauce for Beef, Chicken or your Chip Bowl

I made this up a few years ago to serve with Filet Mignon on Christmas Eve because I needed a backup for my mushroom mascarpone sauce (one of my nephews detests mushrooms.) I was panicked looking around my sister's pantry for something to make a sauce out of when I came across a huge can of tomatillos. I pretended I hadn't seen the expiration date (the tomatillos were as old as Jesus) and went with it.

The weird thing is this sauce is delicious served warm as an accompaniment to grilled or roasted meat as well as cold, straight from the fridge, as a dip for tortillas chips. But no matter how you prefer to eat it, it tastes even better when made ahead and chilled for a few hours (or even overnight.)

Pretty. Versatile. Improves with age. If this recipe were a woman I'd have to kill her.

Tomatillo Cream Sauce:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper, for seasoning
1 (28 oz) can tomatillos, well drained
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/2 cup sour cream
2 heaping tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
Add the olive oil or butter to a medium heavy bottomed dutch oven and put over medium heat. Let heat through for 1-2 minutes until warm and add the chopped onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add in the tomatillos and cook them in the onions, stirring occasionally for 12-15 minutes until the 1 or 2 of the tomatillos 'bursts' releasing its seeds into the pan OR until some of the onions begin to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan. You don't want them to start burning but some good browned bits are lovely. Add in the coriander, garlic powder, and white wine or vermouth and bring to a boil over high heat. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture, being sure to scrape up any sticky or browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let boil away stirring occasionally until the majority of the wine has evaporated and the mixture is beginning to thicken - about 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes before adding to your blender to puree. Blend until the tomatillos and onions are all broken down, then add the sour cream, herbs and salt and blend again.

Taste to see if you need more salt or pepper, make any adjustments, blend again and serve. Sauce can made ahead and stored up to 3 days in the fridge in a tightly sealed container. Either serve cold if using for dip or reheat as a sauce over a low flame on the stove.

Homemade Pimiento Cheese, for Stuffing or Slathering

Do you ever find that when you're making party food, you end up with 99% bready snacks? Crostini, chips and dip, little pizzettes, cheese straws, etc? Not that I have a problem with carbs (clearly) but I don't like filling my guests up with loads of starches. They get full and then they don't drink as much and then we have nothing to talk about the next day. No thank you - I prefer my guests on the loose side of the goose.

Speaking of imbibing, over the holidays I made this incredibly wonderful homemade pimiento cheese from the Down Home with the Neely's cookbook. I hadn't encountered pimiento cheese, in any form, since I was little and was intrigued by making it from scratch. I threw a batch together, spread it on long slabs of sliced French bread, and baked them until bubbled and brown, crumpling cooked bacon over the top. As you can imagine, they were gone before I had time to unzip my camera case.

I wanted to make them again for the Superbowl but because we were also having pulled pork sandwiches, I didn't want to serve the pimiento cheese on bread. So I did what any other self respecting Texan would do and stuffed jalapenos with it instead. They were fantastic, if not a little on the ugly side as the cheese tends to crawl out of the peppers if you over stuff them (not a problem other than aesthetically as long as you grease your pan well.) If you want pretty stuffed peppers, go the old school route stuffing them with a long, narrow wedge of hard aged cheese, wrap them in bacon, secure them with a toothpick and bake.

But honestly, after trying these, I'll be hard pressed not to do the pimiento version every time. I know I sound like a newly converted Mormon or something, but this cheese is the cat's pajamas. Even Kris will grab this straight from the fridge, spread it on a piece of bread and eat it cold. I realize this isn't exactly James Bond daredevil behavior but you have to understand this is a man who hasn't eaten a ham and cheese sandwich other than in piping hot Croque Monsieur form since he was ten. To him, cheese just isn't cheese unless it's bubbling and burnt in places. But enough about him.

What I want to know is how you feel about the Neely's show on Food Network. I happen to love it (though I admit to decreasing the volume by 50% when it's on.) What charms me to pieces is their untamed, unedited love for cooking, and for each other. So many of Food Network's shows are so damned glossy and smiley and staged these days, I find the Neely's a welcome dose of genuine imperfection. And if any of their other recipes are as good as this damn cheese, you can't afford not to pay attention to them.

Homemade Pimiento Cheese
* Adapted slightly from the Neely's
* If you can't find pimiento peppers, simply use half a 7 oz jar of roasted red peppers - just drain them and chop them fine.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sharp white cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups sharp regular (orange) cheddar cheese
3.5 oz pimientos from a jar, drained and chopped fine (usually just half of a 7 oz jar)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayo (I have used light mayo and it works great)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
half of a small garlic clove, finely minced or grated
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl with a fork, very well. You can also blend them in a small chop prep blender if you like a smoother, more traditional pimiento cheese consistency, though it won't make an ounce of difference taste wise. Cover and chill for at least two hours before serving, or chill for up to 4 days.

Serving suggestions - spread over sliced 1/2" rounds of French bread and bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes until golden brown in places. Top with cooked crumpled bacon. Or serve cold between slices of bread as sandwiches. Also great as a dip with chips or on prepared pizza dough, baked for 15 minutes at 400. Or of course stuffed in peppers as in the below recipe.

Pimiento Cheese Stuffed Peppers:
* The above pimiento cheese recipe will easily accommodate 13 whole peppers, or 26 halves for stuffing.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Add 13 whole jalapenoes to a pot of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and boil for about 4 minutes or just right before they turn from that beautiful bright green to a God awful poo green. Transfer the jalapenoes to an ice bath to shock them for several minutes. Remove them from the bath and pat dry with paper towels.

Once dry, cut the jalapenoes in half, length-wise, removing the seeds and veins with a spoon. Pat the insides dry, then begin stuffing with the pimiento cheese. Remember not to pile it too high or it will just all ooze out anyway.

Place the stuffed jalapeno halves onto a greased rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown on top. Cool slightly before serving.

Mediterranean Dip - for an appetizer or...dinner!

I think of this as a Greek version of pico de gallo. Every bite is a trip to a Mediterranean summer. You can make this lots of different ways. Just like pico or any other deconstructed dip, the measurements are to taste. You can add more cheese or omit the cheese altogether. More tomato or substitute with some roasted red peppers. And then there's the endless number of things you can add - red pepper flakes, chopped black olives, toasted pine nuts, or something I wouldn't even think of. This is after all, the point. A recipe is a beginning, not an ending - it's how nerds to get their kicks!

As far as serving, the possibilities abound there too. After indulging in Corner Bistro today (and a delicious but coronary inducing burger), I had this for a light dinner, piled onto a piece of toasted French bread that had been drizzled in olive oil and smeared with a garlic clove. I'm telling you - the combination of cucumber and tomato absolves all sins. You could also wrap this in warmed pitas for a scrumptious vegetarian dinner. And of course, there's the way I originally intended - as a dip served with rustic pita chips or tortilla chips.

Mediterranean Dip

Ingredients:
1 medium tomato, seeded and pulped and finely chopped (just slice into quarters, then run your thumb over the pulp to scoop out the seeds/jelly part before chopping)
1/2 medium cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons crumpled feta, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
fresh cracked pepper
zest and juice of 1/2 large lemon (if small, use juice of the entire lemon)
teeny pinch freshly minced garlic, or more to taste
3 teaspoons olive oil

Instructions:
Combine all in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors marry and develop. Taste for seasoning and add any salt or pepper you need. Serve as a dip, over toasted French bread as an appetizer, or in pitas.

Texas Cavier - My Favorite Way to Eat Black Eyed Peas

Happy New Year, Y'all! Many new recipes coming soon - in fact I promise to stuff your faces! In the meantime, try this Texas version of a deconstructed hummus, or bean dip.

Texas Cavier
* Serve as a dip with pita chips or tortilla chips (the 'Scoops' kind work well with these so your beans don't go rollin' on you...)

Ingredients:
1 (15.5 oz) can black eyed peas, drained and lightly rinsed
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoon fresh seeded, deveined jalapeno pepper, minced
2 tablespoons drained canned corn
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup canola oil or olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Mix all together in a medium bowl (or to save extra washing up - you can go ahead and do it in your serving bowl.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Will last for 2 days looking pretty (a great thing to pull out of the fridge with a bag of chips to shut up hungry guests or family while you cook) and will still taste good the third day but by that point won't win any beauty contests... Oh and freshly squeezed lime juice would be delicious on this as well but if adding do so just before serving and remember the acid will toughen the beans so leftovers will probably go out the window.

Jalapeno and Celery Chutney

This is my Texas twist on a Lidia Bastianich recipe. Yet I know there's nothing I can write to make it sound sexy. All I can tell you is, I don't even like celery and this is my absolute favorite thing to eat on my rooftop over plain old cream cheese, scooped up on crostini with a glass of wine.

The jalapeno doesn't add heat, but rather depth (I am sensitive to heat but would even consider adding more next time) and the whole thing is entirely more delicious than the sum of its parts. (Lidia even suggests serving it over ice cream - I wouldn't go that far as I think it's best in contrast against a savory component - a la cream cheese or even on warmed brie.)

And though I will keep this in my year round repertoire (it would be particularly gorgeous at Christmas over cream cheese as an appetizer) - it will always remind me of summer with its bright grassy, sweet crunch.

Jalapeno and Celery Chutney

Ingredients:
2 pounds firm celery stalks, medium size
1 medium jalapeno, ribs removed, minced (I leave in the seeds and don't find it too hot - up to you.)
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

Recommended equipment:
A heavy 3- or 4-quart saucepan with a cover

1. Rinse, dry, and trim the celery stalks. Shave off any tough and stringy outer peel with a vegetable peeler. Slice the stalks crosswise in half; slice all these chunks lengthwise into very thin sticks, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut the sticks crosswise into 1/8-inch cubes and bits (the size of pickle relish). You should have 6 to 7 cups of fine celery pieces.

2. Put the cup of sugar and the salt in the saucepan, pour the lemon juice on top and then all the celery and jalapeno. Set the pot over medium-low heat and stir as the sugar dissolves and the celery heats and starts releasing its juices. Bring the syrup to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently.

3. Cover the pot and adjust the heat to maintain a gently bubbling around the edges of the pan. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Uncover the pot and cook at the simmer, stirring occasionally, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated, about 35 minutes or more.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and let the chutney cool completely before using. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep for months.

Serve over cream cheese, baked brie, or by itself as a dip.

Yield: Makes about 2 cups