September 29, 2009

Fava Bean Risotto with Pancetta and Kale




It's been a while since my last visit to the Chelsea Market, so I moseyed on over to see if there was anything new to try. One of my favorite stores in the market is the Manhattan Fruit Exchange, and it did not disappoint: I ended up with a few pounds of fresh fava beans. Another trip to Buon Italia yielded some pancetta. What's a girl to do but make risotto?

September 7, 2009

Fig, Plum, and Almond Crisps


Ever had those Rainforest Crisps they sell at Whole Foods? I tried them once when they were giving out free samples, and oh were they good. I couldn't justify the $7.99 price tag though, so I resigned myself to never eating them again. Well, never say never, because I found this recipe at Seven Spoons and they ended up tasting just as good! I love how it's such a very versatile recipe, and you can easily adapt it to add whatever fruit/nut/spice combination you'd like.

I halved the recipe since I didn't have enough dried fruit on hand, but I recommend doubling the recipe to make two loaves, freeze them, and bake only the amount you'd want to eat. Maybe I didn't slice mine thinly enough, but they weren't as crisp the next day. A quick pop in the oven remedied that, but they lost their crispness soon after.