Tonight I wanted to make something special for Sam after his fantastic first dance class. My four-year-old nephew and in-laws also joined us for dinner. Strangely, I’m more nervous cooking for kids than adults. Kids aren’t afraid to tell you they don’t like your food and are more than willing to go hungry if necessary to prove it. When I saw this recipe for tiny meatball-filled soup I figured the kids (even my chicken nuggets-loving nephew) would be amused enough to eat it, even if the adults weren’t as impressed. Luckily, both kids and adults enjoyed the soup. The whole wheat pasta with Swiss chard was also a hit. You can find these recipes and other kid-friendly fare at our new Family Favorites page at the top of the site.

Italian Wedding Soup
adapted from Giada’s Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 6 to 8

for the meatballs:
1 small onion, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (25 g) plain dry breadcrumbs
1 lb (450 g) ground beef

for the soup:
8 cups (2 liters) low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb (450 g) escarole, coarsely chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, stir together the onion, garlic, parsley, egg, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix in the the cheese, breadcrumbs, and beef. Shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs (about 75). Place on a baking sheet or large plate.

To make the soup, bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and escarole and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the escarole is tender, about 8 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and cheese. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth for about 1 minute, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

***

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Swiss Chard and Pecorino Cheese
adapted from Giada’s Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 6

3 tablespoons toasted walnuts or pine nuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 bunches Swiss chard, trimmed and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 x 14 oz (400 g) can diced tomatoes with juices
1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 oz (340 g) whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup (70 g) pitted Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Preheat a small, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Place the nuts in the hot skillet and stir them until they become golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes, taking care not to scorch them. Immediately place the toasted nuts in a separate bowl to cool and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for about 8 minutes, until tender. Add the chard and saute for about 3 minutes, until it wilts. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, wine, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down and the chard is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Season the chard mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain the spaghetti, add it to the chard mixture and toss to combine.

Transfer the pasta to a large bowl or platter. Sprinkle with the olives, cheese and nuts. Serve, passing extra cheese if desired.

Last month I crammed in as much Food Network as my schedule could handle. It was my last month with cable and I was afraid of missing something important (like Jersey Shore?). We ordered cable to keep me company during my maternity leave last summer, but after Anabelle turned 9 months old and we realized we watched it only about half an hour a day, we canceled it. One of the last shows I watched was Throw Down, a Bobby Flay vehicle that is amusing mostly for its ability to knock the usually cocky Mr. Flay down a notch or two. The episode featured Mr. Flay battling the Lee brothers in a competition to see who could make the best Country Captain. Even though the show was pretty predictable (Mr. Flay usually loses), I couldn’t turn it off. I had to learn more about the silly-sounding dish.

Turns out that the dish’s anthropology is as interesting as its name. It is Indian in flavor, originated in Philadelphia in the 1800s, and is most commonly eaten in the southern United States. Some believe that a British sea captain working in the spice trade introduced it to America via the port of Savannah, Georgia. Weeks later when I saw a Country Captain recipe highlighted as Recipe of the Day on Epicurious, I had to try it out. The list of ingredients is almost as odd as its name. But never judge a recipe by its title (or ingredients list) — the dish was delicious.

Country Captain with Cauliflower and Peas
adapted from Bon Appétit, March 2010

Serves 6

1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 1/2-inch piece of cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon (or less) cayenne pepper
5 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, divided
1 small head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1-inch florets
coarse kosher salt
2 lb (900 g) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1– to 2-inch pieces
1 bunch green onions, dark green and white parts chopped separately
1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) chicken broth
1 2/3 cups (400 ml) crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/3 cup (50 g) dried cherries, finely chopped
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
10 oz (280 g) frozen petite peas (do not thaw)
1/3 cup (20 g) coconut shavings, lightly toasted (optional)
cooked rice, for serving

Place the coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom seeds, and cinnamon stick in a small, dry skillet. Stir the spices over a medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, until fragrant and slightly darker in color. Remove the spices from the heat and allow to cool. Finely grind the spices in spice mill or in a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small bowl and add the turmeric and cayenne.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy, large, deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower florets. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and saute for 6 to 7 minutes, until beginning to soften and brown in spots. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and half the chicken to the same pot. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and saute for about 6 minutes, until the chicken is light brown on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Add the white parts of the green onions, the finely grated ginger, and minced garlic to the same pot. Reduce the heat to medium and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the ground spice mixture and stir for 15 seconds. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add the crushed tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the dried cherries and peanut butter. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sauteed cauliflower to the pot. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through and the cauliflower is tender, adding more chicken broth if the mixture is dry. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.

Add the frozen peas to the stew and simmer for about 5 minutes, until heated through. Ladle the stew over rice. Sprinkle each serving with the green onion tops and toasted coconut shavings (if using).

One-pot dinners are so popular that entire cookbooks are dedicated to them. The renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland even offers a one-day course on them. Their appeal is obvious — they tend to be easy to cook, only using one pot means there’s less washing up to do, you can let them simmer away while you get on with other things, and they’re ideal for cooking for a crowd. This chicken bouillabaisse is straightforward enough to make as a weeknight meal, yet impressive enough to serve for company. The bright fennel flavors in this stew make for a nice change, especially as we’re coming into spring and cravings for heavy foods are waning. I also love the lurid red sauce, which you’ll want to mop up with plenty of crusty bread. As one-pot wonders go, this is one of my favorites (plus it’s always more fun to cook something with a French name).

Chicken Bouillabaisse
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Serves 4 to 6

I’ve adapted this quite a bit from the original, most notably by adding in onions, fennel and carrots and cooking it on the stovetop instead of in the oven. It’s traditional to serve bouillabaisse with a dollop of rouille and Ina Garten has a recipe for one here, though truth be told I usually skip it. You could make a cheat’s version by adding 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon saffron and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to 1 cup (240 ml) good store-bought mayonnaise. I’ve listed the Pernod as optional because there’s no need to go out and buy a whole bottle just for 3 tablespoons, and the dish is perfectly delicious without it.

5 large chicken breasts (or a combination of breasts and thighs), either left whole or cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, roughly chopped
1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
3 or 4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon saffron
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
11 oz (300 g) tomato puree
2 cups (480 ml) good-quality chicken stock
1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine
3 tablespoons Pernod (optional)
1 lb (450 g) baby potatoes, halved
handful of fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
crusty bread, to serve

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it generously with salt, pepper, and the rosemary. Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a large pot and brown the chicken in batches (don’t crowd the pot) until nicely browned all over, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low and the onion, fennel and carrots. Saute for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Add the saffron, fennel seeds, tomato puree, chicken stock, white wine, Pernod, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom. Add the browned chicken and their juices back to the pot, along with the baby potatoes.

Cover the pot and simmer for 45 to 55 minutes, until the potatoes are tender (but not falling apart) and the chicken is done. Check the seasoning, then add a dash of Pernod or a splash of white wine at the end if you think it could use a little alcohol edge. Serve hot in shallow bowls with big dollops of rouille (if using), some chopped fresh parsley sprinkled over and plenty of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

In Ireland, it’s easy to take the top-quality food for granted. We have butter that’s a creamy yellow, the way it should be; bread that’s baked fresh every day and delivered to the stores first thing in the morning; brown eggs that are so fresh they’re often not even refrigerated in the grocery store; lamb that’s world famous; and grass-fed beef.

I didn’t appreciate how special the beef in particular is until I read Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food recently, in which he says that 100% grass-fed beef commands premium prices in America (and indeed, a recent article in The Village Voice said a 1-lb grass-fed, local steak set them back $26 compared to $9.99 for a typical feedlot steak of the same weight). Yet in Ireland, famous for the lush green grass (it’s not called the Emerald Isle for nothing), it’s just the way beef is. As I type this, I can look out my window and see my neighbor’s cattle grazing in the field just across the road. When I cook in my kitchen, I look west over a patchwork quilt of fields of potatoes, wheat, more cows and sheep too. When I take a walk with my son in my rural neighborhood, we pass another neighbor’s dairy farm, and if I walk further still, we pass the lambs that eventually wind up in the local butcher. If I walk east, I can stand at the top of our hill and see the Irish Sea about ten miles away, where small, colorful fishing boats trawl the waters. Compared to the US, where the average food item in a typical meal travels 1,500 miles to reach your plate, I feel very lucky indeed to be able to stand on my front step and practically be able to see where my milk, beef, lamb and fish come from, not to mention potatoes and various grains as well.

If you want to cook something special to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, this beef and Guinness stew with a traditional Irish champ (brúitín) is just the thing. The stew is robust and full of flavor, given the pint of plain that’s in it. The bite of the spring onions in the champ is the perfect accompaniment to the rich stew, but feel free to serve it with plain mashed potatoes instead. If you want to round this off with an Irish dessert, try these easy Baileys cream pots. But don’t limit yourself to only serving this stew on Paddy’s Day. It’s actually the best beef stew I’ve ever made.

Beef and Guinness Stew
adapted from Gourmet, October 2004

Serves 4

To make this into a one-pot meal, add some baby potatoes right into the stew along with the beef stock, Guinness and herbs instead of serving with the champ. And don’t be tempted to skip tossing the beef in the flour — the flour helps give the sauce its gorgeous, thick consistency later on. Like most stews, this one actually improves in flavor after a day, so the leftovers are even better.

2 lb (900 g) boneless beef chuck (stewing beef), cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup (30 g) flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
4 to 6 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups (960 ml) beef stock or broth
approx. 2 cups (500 ml) Guinness (or another stout)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Pat the beef dry. Stir together the flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the beef, turning to coat all the pieces, then shake off the excess flour and transfer to a plate.

Heat the oil in a pot over a moderately high heat, until just smoking, then brown the beef in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes per batch (don’t crowd the pot, otherwise the beef will steam, not brown). Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions and carrots to the pot and saute for 10 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, stir to coat the vegetables, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the beef along with any juices accumulated in the bowl. Add in the beef stock, Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

To serve, spoon off any fat that may have risen to the top of the stew. Taste for seasoning. Spoon some champ into individual shallow bowls or plates, making a well in the center. Ladle the stew on top of the champ, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve.

***

Champ

Serves 4

If you have your own favorite recipe for mashed potatoes, just follow that and add the scallions at the end, and voilà! Now you have champ. Or you could try making colcannon, another traditional Irish potato dish and first cousin to champ.

2 lb (900 g) floury potatoes, such as Kerr’s Pink, Maris Piper or Yukon Gold
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
4 oz (110 g) butter
6 spring onions (scallions), white and green parts finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Put them in a large pot of generously salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, then drain. Return the potatoes to the pot off the heat, cover with a clean tea towel and allow to sit for 5 minutes (this helps to dry out the potatoes, resulting in a fluffier mash). Meanwhile, while the potatoes are cooking, place the milk, butter and spring onions in a saucepan over a medium heat, until the butter has melted. Mash the potatoes, then pour in the hot milk and spring onion mixture and beat with a wooden spoon until the mash is fluffy and light. Taste for seasoning and serve piping hot.

I’ve always thought of cheese soup as a Midwestern, and particularly a Wisconsin, thing. There’s no reason for me to think that, other than that Wisconsin is known as the Dairy State and leads the nation in cheese production. UW-Madison, where Kelly and I both went to college, is also well known for often topping the polls for the highest student beer consumption (and in fact, the student union in Madison was the first college union in the country to sell beer), so I guess it’s no surprise that beer bread is what I thought of to serve with this soup.

The beer bread is surprisingly light and sweet (a little too sweet for my taste, actually; next time I’m going to try adding some salt to counteract it). It’s also so fast to make that your oven probably won’t even have finished preheating by the time you’ve got it all mixed up and ready to go. You’ll never buy an overpriced beer bread mix again after making this from scratch.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup
adapted from Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater

Serves 4 to 6

Instead of serving this soup with a bread on the side, Nigel Slater toasts 2 slices of dark rye bread, melts a little cheese on top, cuts the slices into triangles and floats them on top of the soup.

2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
3 1/2 cups (840 ml) water
2 bay leaves
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (200 ml) crème fraîche or sour cream
1 heaped tablespoon grain mustard
1 cup (100 g) coarsely grated Gruyère, Cantal or a strong, mature Cheddar
finely chopped fresh chives, to garnish (optional)

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic and fry until soft, but don’t let them color. In a separate pot, boil the cauliflower in the water for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Add the bay leaves to the onion and garlic, then add the cauliflower and its cooking water. Bring to the boil and add salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the bay leaves and allow the soup to cool slightly. Puree the soup in two batches in a blender (or use a hand-held immersion blender right in the pot). Pour the mixture back into the pot and stir in the crème fraîche, grain mustard and grated cheese. Bring the soup slowly back to a simmer and stir just until the cheese has melted, then ladle into individual bowls, garnish with chopped chives, if using, and serve.

***

Irish Beer Bread

Makes 1 loaf

I called this Irish beer bread only because I used an Irish ale (Smithwick’s, which is pronounced Smittick’s), but you can use any beer. The stronger the beer you choose, the stronger the flavor of the bread.

2 1/2 cups (300 g) self-rising flour
1 tablespoon sugar
12 fl oz beer (350 ml), at room temperature
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter, melted (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 1-lb loaf tin. Sift the flour and sugar into a bowl. Pour in the beer and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Pour into the greased loaf tin, pour the melted butter on top, if using, and bake for 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes before you slice it.

There are lots of differences between British English and American English, both big and small. There’s that whole thing about spelling things with –our instead of –or, like colour and neighbour, or using –re at the end of a word instead of –er, like centre or theatre. (Growing up in suburban Illinois, whenever we saw a strip mall calling itself a ‘shopping centre,’ we’d laugh at its pretensions.) I’ve also had to learn to say petrol instead of gas, lift instead of elevator, car park instead of parking lot and now order coffee to take away instead of to go. The differences in food names are even more pronounced: aubergine instead of eggplant, courgette instead of zucchini, mangetout instead of peas, and chips instead of fries (and crisps instead of chips). But my favorite (or should I say favourite?) is rutabaga instead of swede. I always thought the word rutabaga seemed a little ludicrous, almost like a made-up word, but it actually comes from the Swedish rotabagge, which explains why it’s also called a swede, given the word’s country of origin. Whatever you want to call it, it’s an underused vegetable, often appearing in root vegetable mashes, and it’s perfect in this cheap and cheerful soup.

Bacon corn muffins, bacon, onion and thyme bread or Irish soda bread would also work well with this soup instead of the buttermilk cheddar biscuits.

Sweet Potato, Rutabaga and Bacon Soup
adapted from Healthy 1–2-3 by Rozanne Gold

Serves 4

I threw in a parsnip because it was looking lonely in my vegetable crisper, left over from a different dinner, and it worked perfectly well with the other flavors in the soup. A small chopped onion or a couple shallots would also be good additions.

5 slices bacon (plus extra for garnish, optional)
2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb/680 g)
1 large rutabaga (swede) (about 1 1/2 lb/680 g)
5 cups (1.2 litres) chicken or vegetable stock or water
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces. Heat a large pot. Add the bacon and fry until cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pot.

Peel the sweet potatoes and rutabaga and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (it doesn’t have to be perfect, it will all get blended later anyway). Add to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the water, along with some salt and pepper to taste (not too much salt, though, because of the bacon). Add the cooked bacon. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Cook for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are very soft.

When the vegetables are tender, puree the soup until smooth in a blender, food processor or with a hand-held immersion blender. If the soup is too thick for your liking, simply add more stock or water until it reaches the desired consistency. Ladle the soup into bowls, then, if using, crumble the reserved cooked bacon into small pieces and scatter on top.

***

Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits
adapted from Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Makes 8 biscuits

If you have any leftover biscuits, they’re delicious reheated for breakfast the next day with some scrambled eggs.

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks (180 g) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup (120 ml) cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg
1 cup (90 g) grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk
Maldon sea salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board or counter and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to the prepared baking tray. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, if using, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

I’ve been trying to go back to cookbooks I haven’t used in awhile, so last week I pulled The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall down off the shelf and cassoulet caught my eye. While I wound up using a different version, it ticks a lot of boxes — this one can be made in a slow cooker, is good value (cassoulet is a traditional French peasant dish), is hearty, rib-sticking food for cold nights and makes more than enough for two meals.

This takes more time to pull together than most slow cooker recipes, especially if you use dried beans and then have to boil them, so unless you aren’t in a rush in the mornings, it might be best to make this at the weekend. It would make plenty for Sunday’s dinner and Monday too, and you’ll probably still have enough to stash in the freezer. If you like the idea of a cassoulet but don’t have a slow cooker or don’t have all day to let it cook, you could try Jacques Pépin’s 30-minute version. In his recipe, Hugh F-W suggests serving this with an orange and watercress salad.

Slow Cooker Cassoulet
adapted from Thomas Keller

Serves 8 to 10

In Hugh F-W’s recipe for cassoulet, he adds 1 onion, 2 peeled garlic cloves and 1 bouquet garni to the dried beans when they’re cooking, which is a nice touch if you want to make a little extra effort. And as much as I love bacon, I don’t actually think it’s necessary here — it gets overpowered by the chorizo and all the other flavors. Dare I say it, but next time I’m going to leave it out.

1 lb (450 g) dried Great Northern, cannellini or haricot beans, or 2 x 14-oz (400-g) cans of beans
3 lb (1.4 kg) boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces (you can ask your butcher to do this for you)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 oz (110 g) thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips (optional; see above)
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 cups (480 ml) dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc (or use stock or water if you prefer not to use alcohol)
1/4 cup (60 ml) tomato paste
1 x 28-oz (or 2 x 400-g) cans whole plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
2 cups (480 ml) chicken stock
1 lb (450 g) fully cooked or smoked chorizo or garlic sausage links, sliced on the diagonal
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
1 cup (100 g) panko or breadcrumbs
a handful of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus extra for garnish
crusty bread, to serve

If you’re using dried beans, soak the beans in plenty of cold water overnight. Drain the beans and put them in a large pot with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch (see above if you want to add some aromatics). Bring to the boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat and simmer until the beans are tender but still retain their shape, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, season the pork generously with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a large frying pan and add the bacon, if using. Cook until crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels but reserve the bacon fat in the pan. Once drained, add to the slow cooker.

Add half of the pork to the pan and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to the slow cooker and repeat with the remaining pork.

Add the onions and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, about 7 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Transfer the onion and wine mixture to the slow cooker, then stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, stock, cooked beans, chorizo and garlic.

Set the cooker to low and cook, covered, until the pork pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 hours (though it could be as much as 10 hours). Skim off any fat and remove and discard the garlic. Fold in the panko or breadcrumbs and the parsley. Taste and season as needed.

Let the cassoulet stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and serve with warm crusty bread.

Don’t be intimidated by this post’s fancy name — I could have just called it chicken in wine and chocolate mousse cake, but where’s the fun in that? I had a Francophile friend over for lunch the other day, so decided it was as good a time as any to make the Barefoot Contessa version of coq au vin that I’ve been wanting to try. And after being very good for all of January and not baking a single thing, I undid all my efforts and made this cake. But oh, such a cake. It’s one of my top two favorite cakes (Beatty’s chocolate cake is the other). Fudgy, smooth and intense, it was worth every previously forsaken calorie.

This is a great menu for entertaining because you can make both dishes in advance. In fact, the cake gets even better after a day or two. It’s also incredibly easy to make — just melt the chocolate and butter together, then stir in all the rest of the ingredients in the same bowl (you can watch Trish Deseine herself making it to see just how easy it is). You often hear that you should use the best-quality ingredients you can find, but it’s particularly true for this cake. I used Green & Black’s organic chocolate, organic eggs and Lurpak butter from Denmark.

Ina Garten suggests serving the coq au vin with garlic mashed potatoes, but I wanted to make things easier on myself and so just served it with a good store-bought crusty bread instead. I also served a green salad with balsamic vinaigrette and a plate of Brie and Roquefort. There are few better ways to spend an afternoon than with a good friend, good conversation and a table full of good food.

Coq au Vin
adapted from Back to Basics by Ina Garten

If you can’t find frozen small whole onions and don’t want to bother with peeling small shallots, just use 2 yellow onions instead of the 1 called for at the start of the recipe. And if you don’t have a Dutch oven, simmer the coq au vin on the stovetop for 45 minutes to 1 hour instead.

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 oz (110 g) bacon or pancetta, diced
1 x 3 to 4-lb (1.4 to 1.8 kg) chicken, cut into eighths (or use an equal weight of chicken breasts and thighs)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb (225 g) carrots, cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup (60 ml) Cognac or good brandy
1/2 bottle (375 ml) good dry red wine such as Burgundy
1 cup (240 ml) good-quality chicken stock
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 lb (225 g) frozen small whole onions (or small peeled shallots*)
1/2 lb (225 g) cremini mushrooms (button mushrooms will also work fine), stems removed and thickly sliced

*Note: To peel shallots easily, drop them into a pot of boiling water for less than 1 minute. Drain, then slip off the skins.

Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C).

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. When the bacon is removed, brown the chicken pieces in batches in a single layer for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken to the plate with the bacon and continue to brown until all the chicken is done. Set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, salt and pepper to the pan and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac and put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collected on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just not pink (or simmer on the stovetop for 45 minutes to 1 hour). Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

Mash 1 tablespoon of butter and the flour together and stir it into the stew to thicken it. Add the frozen onions (if using peeled shallots, saute them along with the mushrooms in the next step before adding to the stew). In a medium saute pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook the mushrooms over a medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste and serve hot.

***

Gâteau au Chocolat Fondant de Nathalie
adapted from Je veux du chocolat! by Trish Deseine (recipe via Orangette and RTÉ)

This cake is even better on the second day, so consider making it the day before serving. Molly Wizenberg at Orangette says this cake is also suitable for freezing, and even improves in texture and flavor after a week or two in the freezer.

7 oz (200 g) best-quality dark chocolate
1 tablespoon double-strength espresso or 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
7 oz (200 g) best-quality unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
confectioners’ (icing) sugar, to dust (optional) (or you could use Trish’s chocolate glaze, recipe here)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan or springform tin (which is what I prefer, since you don’t have to turn it out).

Finely chop the chocolate and place it, along with the coffee, in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring regularly (every 30 seconds if using a microwave). Once the chocolate has melted, add the butter, stirring until it too has melted. Add the sugar to the chocolate-butter mixture, mixing well, and set aside to cool for a few moments. Add the eggs one by one, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition, then add the flour. The batter should be smooth and dark. If you can see fat still floating on the surface or if the mixture looks at all grainy, switch to a whisk and beat lightly until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center of the cake barely trembles when the pan is shaken (the cake should be very moist in the middle) and the top is a bit crackly looking. Let the cake cool completely in the tin before you turn it out, then revert it so that the crackly side is facing upward. Dust with icing sugar or spread with the chocolate glaze and serve at room temperature.

Remember how I was saying last week that it’s worth buying a cookbook even if you only make a few recipes from it? I got Nigel Slater’s new cookbook, Tender, as a Christmas gift this year. So far I’ve only made two recipes from it — a cauliflower gratin and this chowder — and I would buy the book for these two recipes alone. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to making more. This chowder knocks the socks off any I’ve had in Smugglers Creek Inn in Co. Donegal, O’Dowd’s in Co. Galway or PJ O’Hare’s in Co. Louth, which all make excellent versions. But this isn’t for the faint-hearted or calorie-conscious (and it isn’t exactly kid-friendly either) — see that broth in the soup? It’s nothing but cream and vermouth, and it’s incredible. I mean died-and-gone-to-heaven kind of good.

Mussels, Leek and Bacon Chowder
adapted from Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater

Serves 4 (or 2 very greedy people, ahem)

You could turn this into a pasta dish similar to one featured in River Café Two Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers by omitting the potatoes and using it as a sauce for 1 lb (450 g) of ditaloni or penne pasta.

3 leeks, white and light green parts only
5 oz (140 g) smoked streaky bacon
2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
2 1/4 lb (1 kg) mussels
2 glasses vermouth or white wine
1 lb (450 g) baby potatoes
7 fl oz (200 ml) heavy cream
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
crusty bread, to serve

Thinly slice the leeks and rinse them thoroughly. Cut the bacon into short, thin strips and put them in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot with the butter. Let the bacon color lightly over a moderate heat. Turn down the heat, add the leeks and cover with a lid. Leave them to cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and sweet — they should not color. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, check the mussels and pull away any beards. Discard any mussels that are broken, open or exceptionally heavy. Put them in a large pot, pour in the vermouth or wine and cover with a lid. Place over a high heat until the mussels have opened — this will only take a few minutes. Remove the mussels from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon (don’t throw out the liquid!). When cool enough to handle, remove each mussel from its shell. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and set aside.

Quarter the baby potatoes or cut them into large dice, depending on how big they are. Put them in a saucepan with 14 fl oz (400 ml) of the strained mussel cooking liquid. Add the cream, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and a little freshly ground black pepper (no salt). Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat so the potatoes simmer gently for about 10 minutes.

Add three-quarters of the cooked potatoes to the leeks and bacon. Put the remainder in a blender with the cream (pick out the herbs first) and blitz very briefly until smooth (don’t process this for too long or the potatoes will turn gummy). Pour into the pot and add the mussels and parsley. Bring everything to the boil again, then serve with plenty of crusty bread to mop up every last drop. (Or just lick the bowl clean. No one will fault you.)

I’m not making resolutions this year and the closest I get to a New Year’s detox is to take a break from baking for a few weeks. This soup feels like it would fall into a detox kind of category, though (and truth be told, I could use a break from all the rich eating of the past few weeks). Its flavors are light, clean and refreshing, but it also has a warming, sinuses-clearing kick from the chilies. It’s what I crave if I have a head cold, and it works for a hangover too. You can serve this on its own if you’re feeling delicate — with the added bonus that it can be prepared in no time at all — or as a first course to another Thai dish, such as Pad Thai, or maybe Kelly’s Asian chicken salad and scallion pancakes. Or if you’re craving these kinds of fresh flavors but would like something a little more substantial to see you through a cold snap like we’ve been having in Ireland, then try this pumpkin and tomato laksa.

Hot and Sour Soup (Tom Yam)
adapted from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson

Serves 4

a handful of fresh cilantro, leaves separated from the stems
approx. 1 1/2 quarts (1 1/2 liters) chicken stock
1 stick of lemongrass, tender inner part only, roughly chopped (or 1 stick dried lemongrass, left whole)
3 x 1/8 inch (1/4 cm) pieces of fresh ginger
juice and zest of 1 lime
4 tablespoons nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
1 green chili, deseeded and finely chopped
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
140 g (5 oz) button mushrooms, halved or quartered, according to size
1 lb 2 oz (500 g) peeled raw prawns, thawed if frozen, or 2 small chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
5 small scallions, chopped

Heat the stock in a saucepan with the cilantro stalks, lemongrass, ginger, lime zest and juice, fish sauce and chilies. Bring to the boil, add the mushrooms and simmer for a few minutes, then add the prawns or chicken and spring onions and cook for a further 3 to 5 minutes, until the prawns are tender or the chicken is cooked. Remove the cilantro stems and ginger (and dried lemongrass, if used). Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro leaves and serve.