Food

Orange Ginger Roasted Carrots Who's ready for spring? Easter? Outdoor picnics, and colorful produce? This is great for Easter, or anytime you want an easy, colorful side, and so much better than those bland cooked carrots from my childhood. (I could make a joke here about every bunny loving them, but I won't do that to you.)      Ingredients 1 Large Orange, Unpeeled 12 oz (or so) Carrots 2 T Olive Oil 2 Garlic Cloves (unpeeled) 6 Thyme Sprigs 1 t Ground Ginger 1/8 t Kosher Salt Dusting of Cayenne Pepper (optional) Drizzle of Honey Cut your unpeeled orange in half. Cut one half into thin slices; toss with carrots, olive oil, garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, ground ginger,  and 1/8 tsp. kosher salt on a baking sheet. Dust with cayenne and drizzle with honey. Roast at 450°F 15 minutes, stirring once. Turn on broiler; broil 2 minutes. Discard thyme. Peel garlic; place garlic and carrots on a platter. Squeeze remaining orange half over carrots. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. (I use Jennifer Fisher Spicy Salt on this, and everything. It's unreasonably delicious, and just adds something special. Not paid, just a fan.)

What would Valentine's Day be without something a little sweet? (And most likely, chocolate?) If you want to make a homemade treat that is a wow, but also super simple, these shortbread hearts are a favorite of mine. I usually dip half in chocolate, but you can also drizzle them with chocolate, white chocolate, or icing, add a touch of sprinkles or a dusting of pink sugar, or press some colorful sprinkles in before baking. Whether your vibe is "love, love, love" with the kids, a little romance, or a solo evening of "treat yourself" with a plate of cookies and a good rom-com, these are always a great idea   Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Hearts 1 cup unsalted butter (softened) 3/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract (the good stuff!) 2 cups sifted all purpose flour 1/2 tsp. salt 3- 4 oz of semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips will work, but disks or bars are better.) 1 tsp. canola or vegetable oil Preheat oven to 300. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until combined in a stand mixture with the paddle attachment. On slow speed, beat in flour and salt until combined. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/16-to-1/8 inch thick. (Remember, these won't rise, so where they are raw is basically where they'll be cooked.) Cut out hearts with a 2-inch heart cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to an ungreased baking sheet; chill for 30 minutes. Get creative! Make designs with a fork, press sprinkles into the tops, whatever! Bake until just beginning to brown around the edges, about 18 minutes. (Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature about 5 days.) Melt chocolate in microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, then stir in oil when fully melted. Dip cooled cookies half in chocolate, or drizzle chocolate over with a spoon. (While chocolate is still warm, you can also add sprinkles, a little sea salt, chopped pistachios or pecans...there's no limit!) Happy Valentine's Day!

The Best Gingersnaps Recipe These are my must make holiday cookies, and keep really well in a closed container for a few weeks (or so they say, I seldom have them last that long.) The dough freezes well, too, and they make great gifts or treats with coffee or tea. Gingersnaps 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup molasses 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Additional sugar. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and nutmeg. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. Roll into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and flatten slightly with a glass. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Cool for one minute before removing to wire racks. Yield: 11 dozen

Did you know that in my "former life," I owned a restaurant/cafe/catering business in Carytown named Gourmet Delights? One of the things we were known for were our carryout catering items. This was waaaay before supermarkets had the plethora of ready made items they do now, so being able to stock your freezer with delicious pasta dishes, soups, and and side dishes was a big deal. And one of the top sellers, especially around the holidays, was this one. Party Potatoes. Easy to make ahead, easy to travel, and always a hit. Did I mention make ahead? (Around the holidays, that certainly deserves a second mention!) Party Potatoes Ingredients 8 cups mashed potatoes (about 8 - 10 russet potatoes) 8 tbsp butter 8 oz cream cheese 8 oz sour cream 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper Instructions Grease a 9x13 baking dish with one tablespoon of butter. In a large bowl, mix together the prepared mashed potatoes (I highly recommend using a ricer for these!) with six tablespoons of the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, salt,  and pepper. Fold in the chopped chives. Transfer the party potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Dot the top with the remaining one tablespoon of butter. At this point you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and store overnight in the refrigerator.       When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and remove the plastic wrap. Bake the potatoes for 50 - 60 minutes. *This dish also freezes well, just make sure you thaw completely before baking. What a way to make Thanksgiving just a little easier!