One of the things Erin and I have enjoyed the most over the last few months has been the weekly deliveries from Boston Organics. Unfortunately, we found ourselves neglecting the occasional apple thrown in the bin with the rest of the delicious fruits and veggies.

Of course, an apple here, and an apple there, and all of a sudden we had close to two dozen apples sitting in the crisper drawer. What were we to do?

I’d always wanted to try and make applesauce, but imagined it to be some sort of difficult and elusive recipe, a black art impossible for a mere mortal like myself to tackle. Browsing through Cooks Illustrated, I found something entirely to the contrary:

“Choose the right apple, don’t peel it, and add nothing more than sugar and water. It’s that simple.”

Heeding that advice, I thought it was definitely time to make some homemade applesauce.

This is probably one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever come across. It’s pretty much on par with making oatmeal. I don’t know why I let myself be so intimated by a little old apple!

Simple Applesauce (Reprinted with permission. Originally published in the September 1, 2002 edition of Cooks Illustrated)

If you do not own a food mill or you prefer applesauce with a coarse texture, peel the apples before coring and cutting them, and, after cooking, mash them against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon or against the bottom of the pot with a potato masher. Applesauce made with out-of-season apples may be somewhat drier than sauce made with peak-season apples, so it’s likely that in step 2 of the recipe you will need to add more water to adjust the texture. If you double the recipe, the apples will need 10 to 15 minutes of extra cooking time.

Applesauce
4 pounds apples (8 to 12 medium), preferably Jonagold, Pink Lady, Jonathan, or Macoun, unpeeled, cored, and cut into rough 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch table salt
1 cup water

Optional Flavorings
2 tablespoons unsalted butter - stir into finished sauce
3 inch cinnamon sticks (2) — cook with apples and remove prior to pureeing
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon - stir into finished sauce
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen) - cook and puree with apples
4 whole cloves - cook with apples and remove prior to serving
1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger , sliced into three pieces and smashed - cook with apples and remove prior to pureeing
1 teaspoon lemon zest - cook and puree with apples
2 tablespoons lemon juice - stir into finished sauce
2/3 cup Red Hot candy - cook and puree with apples
2 pieces star anise (whole) - cook with apples and remove prior to serving

1. Toss apples, sugar, salt, and water in large, heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven. Cover pot and cook apples over medium-high heat until they begin to break down, 15 to 20 minutes, checking and stirring occasionally with wooden spoon to break up any large chunks. (Note: I added water as the apples cooked to keep the “applesauce” liquidity throughout the cooking process. I also added ground cinnamon at this stage in lieu of cinnamon sticks, as I didn’t have any.)

2. Process cooked apples through food mill fitted with medium disk. Season with extra sugar or add water to adjust consistency as desired. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature, or chilled. (Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.) (Note: As we don’t have a food mill, I used the Cooks Illustrated-sanctioned alternative method of breaking them up with a wooden spoon during the cooking process, then using a potato masher at the end to break it into the right consistency.

When Chris and I spent a year living in “the burbs” recently one of my favorite places to eat definitely wasn’t fancy, far from it in fact. I really liked to drive over to EO Noodle on Route 9 in Framingham and stuff my face with a huge plate of Beef and Broccoli. Tender beef, crisp broccoli, perfectly steamed rice — who needs decor when your belly is full and the end of meal fortune cookie tells you that “your biggest dream will come true” … in bed (of course).

So I decided to attempt to recreate one of my favorite guilty pleasure meals at home. Like most Cooks Illustrated recipes it was more of a marathon than a sprint. I banged around in the kitchen for quite a while before I finally served up two dishes of food and promptly collapsed on the couch. It tasted good, but not EO Noodle “good.” On the upside I did get to use the super cute Chopsticks for Kids that Chris bought me last Christmas.

Beef and Broccoli with Oyster Sauce for Two (Reprinted with permission. Originally published in the April 12, 2007 edition of Cooks Illustrated)

1/2 pound flank steak, cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then sliced across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
2/3 pound broccoli, florets cut into bite-size pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut on diagonal into 1/8-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons water
1/2 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 medium scallions, sliced 1/2-inch thick on diagonal
Note: I also cooked white rice to serve with the dish

Combine beef and soy sauce in medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring once. Meanwhile, whisk sherry, chicken broth, oyster sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch in measuring cup. Combine garlic, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon peanut oil in small bowl.

Drain beef and discard liquid. Heat 2 teaspoons peanut oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until smoking. Add beef to skillet and break up clumps; cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges, about 30 seconds. Transfer beef to medium bowl.

Add 2 teaspoons peanut oil to now-empty skillet; heat until just smoking. Add broccoli and cook 30 seconds; add water, cover pan, and lower heat to medium. Steam broccoli until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes; transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil to skillet; increase heat to high and heat until just smoking. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until spotty brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Clear center of skillet; add garlic and ginger to clearing and cook, mashing mixture with spoon, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds, then stir mixture into peppers. Return beef and broccoli to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 30 seconds. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with scallions, and serve.

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to the online version of Cooks Illustrated. The complete recipe for Beef and Broccoli is available only to paid users of the site and includes step-by-step illustrations and countless additional helpful tips.

There’s a brief scene in the movie The Holiday where Kate Winslet decides to cheer up Jack Black by making him Christmas Fettuccine (start around 3:20 on the video above). So if it’s good enough for Kate Winslet, it’s good enough for me. I attempted searching around a little bit to see if this was a common practice that I’ve been missing out on, but it appears that unless I grew up in an Italian family Fettuccine really isn’t a go-to holiday meal. Although I did find it in a menu for “An Italian Holiday Party” on Cooks Illustrated (you’ll need to have a paid account to view the details though). So break out the green pasta, zest up a lemon or two and enjoy something a little less traditional during your holiday get together.

Fluffy Parmesan	Zest & Juice
Heat and Melt	Boil the Pasta
Warm the Bowls	Combine
Mix	Merry Little Christmas

Fettuccine Alfredo (Originally Published by Giada De Laurentiis)
Serves 6

18 ounces fresh fettuccine
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Note: Cooks Illustrated suggests heating your individual serving bowls with hot water before plating. This will keep the pasta and sauce creamy longer. No one wants to eat congealed Christmas Fettuccine!

I was actually inspired to make Arroz con Pollo after watching an Ingrid Hoffman episode where she sashayed her way through the traditional Latin dish in record time. Instead of using her recipe, which unfortunately had a few less than stellar reviews as well as ingredients that seemed a little out of place to me, (including ketchup and green beans) I opted to try the Cooks Illustrated version of the dish.

It took forever to make. From the time I started chopping to the time that I served dinner I “slaved” over the stove for more than 2 hours. I was so excited to try this savory cilantro and pepper flavored chicken and rice, but by the time it was actually plated I was practically falling asleep at the table. Not to mention that I munched on plump cocktail olives intermittently the whole time I was prepping and totally ruined my appetite. I’m an olive addict. It’s humanly impossible for me to eat just one.

My dilemma now is that I can’t eat the leftovers. There’s a gigantic Chefmate Dutch Oven full of Arroz con Pollo in my refrigerator and every time I think about it I feel queasy. Thankfully Chris thinks it’s great and has been kind enough to eat a bowl for dinner the last few evenings. Does this ever happen to you? I remember when I first started cooking sometimes if I had to handle poultry too much I’d get freaked out and not be able to eat whatever I made. I suppose this is some weird residual food anxiety on my part so please don’t let my ridiculous taste buds color your judgment. I did thoroughly enjoy an entire bowl of the dish initially (especially those delightful olives).

I made two slight alterations to the recipe below. For color purposes I added a whole diced red pepper in addition to the green pepper, and I also used olives stuffed with pimentos instead of separate amounts of olives and pimentos.

Chop, Chop, Chop	Marinate
Sofrito	Cook the Chicken
Add Sauce, Broth & Water; Simmer	Add Rice, Capers & Olives; Bake
Meanwhile…Make Corn Muffins	Stir Every 10 Minutes for 30 Minutes
Shred the Chicken (Ouch! It’s Hot!)	Marinate Again in Vinegar, Oil, and Cilantro
Combine	Feed an Army

Arroz con Pollo (Originally Published in the September 2006 Edition of Cooks Illustrated Magazine)

6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
Table salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup water
3 cups medium-grain rice
1/2 cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 cup jarred pimentos, cut into 1/4 by 2-inch strips
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add oregano, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic-salt mixture; stir to combine. Place chicken in bowl with marinade. Coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. (If chicken begins to brown, reduce heat to medium). Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and water; stir to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add rice, olives, capers, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and stir chicken and rice once from bottom up. Return pot to oven. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding 1/4 cup water if rice appears dry and bottom of pot is beginning to burn. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and temperature of chicken registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer.

Using tongs, remove chicken from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard chicken skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from chicken pieces. Place chicken in large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, and pimentos; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve, passing lemon wedges separately.

Last weekend, Chris and I had lunch with our friend Anna at a restaurant called Bukhara in Jamaica Plain. It was insanely delicious and not only did I eat my own food, but I also liberally sampled everyone elses’ selections as well. You’ve been warned, don’t let me loose on a plate of fresh naan.

This little excursion also managed to set off my obsessive compulsive need to educate myself in the area of Indian cuisine (yet again). Coincidentally, the September issue of Cooks Illustrated featured a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala. Apparently, while being the single most popular “Indian” dish in the world, it’s origins aren’t authentic. In fact, according to the magazine, this scrumptious chicken and creamy tomato based sauce was actually invented in a London curry house. My bubble was promptly burst. But the recipe appeared straight forward and the always thorough Cooks Illustrated article made the several steps involved in the preparation seem manageable, so I gathered the ingredients, some naan from Whole Foods (I just couldn’t help myself), and got to work.

The end result yielded unbelievably tender chicken in a thick and rich sauce with just enough spice and heat to make you reach for that nearby glass of water. To view the full recipe you’ll need to have an online membership to Cooks Illustrated, or pick up the September issue at your local newsstand. This dish would be perfect for a dinner party as it makes a huge amount of food, to which I can fully attest, as I ate leftovers for days.

Rub in the Spice	Mix the Yogurt Topping
Whip Up the Sauce and Simmer	Coat the Chicken and Broil
Combine	Indulge

Oh happy day! I have been trying to hunt down the Target Chefmate Dutch Oven ever since I read about it in Cooks Illustrated after Christmas. I naively thought that I would be able to simply walk into Target, pick up this bright red pot and start cooking stews to my hearts content. I vividly remembered seeing them all over the place before the article came out, but of course none were to be found as soon as the Test Kitchen declared this $40 item to be on par with the much more expensive Le Creuset versions. I still covet the Le Creuset, but for the penny pinching time being I’ll happily make do with my Target knock off. However, please note that should Le Creuset ever decide to make pastel additions to their cast iron line my credit card will be making a command appearance. Just imagine the brilliance of a pink Le Creuset — “Le Sigh…”