"You can't ever mess up."

My cooking date with Suzy started with those reassuring words as we set out to make Matzo Toffee. Even though I’m a confident cook and play with recipes all the time, always changing them to make them my own, there’s something about Matzo Crunch. Sure, it’s easy to make, with a few simple ingredients, yet I have this vague memory that I messed up once and in a big way. So, I insisted on using a recipe for my batch of the very addictive Matzo Candy (otherwise known as Matzo crack) while Suzy confidently worked from memory on hers. “You don’t need a recipe!” she chided, reminding me how easy this chewy, chocolaty toffee crunch really is. “You can’t mess this one up!” she teased.

My cooking date with Suzy started with those reassuring words as we set out to make Matzo Toffee. Even though I’m a confident cook and play with recipes all the time, always changing them to make them my own, there’s something about Matzo Crunch. Sure, it’s easy to make, with a few simple ingredients, yet I have this vague memory that I messed up once and in a big way. So, I insisted on using a recipe for my batch of the very addictive Matzo Candy (otherwise known as Matzo crack) while Suzy confidently worked from memory on hers.

It was ironic, me with a recipe in hand, while Suzy was free, melting and mixing. It’s usually the other way around as I encourage Suzy to drop the recipe and cook by instinct. But I methodically followed this recipe, step by slow step, to get it just right. And Suzy, stirring the pot next to mine, continued to wing it. But as she whisked, she began to question if her sugar and butter were coming together as mine just did. She began to worry, wondering if everything was going as it should.

At one point, I took Suzy’s advice and deviated slightly from the recipe, which instructed me to let the chips sit on the hot toffee for five minutes, and instead put it back in the oven for a minute. Suzy says that this just speeds the melting process along. The chocolate spread beautifully—smooth, creamy and really perfectly. But when it was Suzy’s turn to melt her chips, they didn’t melt as they had so perfectly done on mine. Instead, they began to congeal in that dreadful way that can happen when you melt chocolate for dipping and it just doesn’t work as it should. Her Matzo Toffee, so easy to make, wasn’t working.

So what did we do? We started to laugh. “You can’t ever mess up.” And as she did the best she could, spreading her chocolate into a thicker, less glossy finish, we decided that chocolate tastes like chocolate no matter what. Was it the mini chips instead of big ones? Or that she had waited a tad too long to begin sprinkling her chips? Did she wait too long to put them back in the oven? We questioned and wondered as I realized this very thing had happened to me once. But we sprinkled an extra handful of nuts on it and by the end you could hardly tell that her batch was different than mine.

So, it turned out she was right. And later that evening as she texted me while eating her Matzo candy:

“Everything turned out great despite rocky start! Matzo crunch tastes amazing despite chip disaster. Told ya u can’t screw it up.”

And the night ended with a smiley face emoticon.

Cookies and cream

Actually, it was macaroons and banana cream pie! Egg Beaters were whirring, coconut was everywhere and the baking sheets lined up and ready to cook last Wednesday in my petit, well-used kitchen. It was the fourth year in a row that Jackie and I made macaroons together and since our friend Debbie was off from work that day, she decided she’d join us as well. My kitchen was hopping, a bit crowded actually, so we worked in stages. Instead of making all three batches at once, we took turns using the bowls, beater and of course, the oven. It was a less messy and more efficient strategy for three bodies to work together in one small space.

As we waited for our decadent treats to bake to a golden finish, we sat down in my dining room to enjoy a simple lunch of potato leek soup and freshly made bread. The timer went off every twelve minutes, interrupting our serene meal, as we took turns running in and out of the kitchen to place some macaroons to cool and others to bake. We chatted away, catching up on our busy lives.

The leftover egg yolks spurred a last minute idea to make banana cream pie. My Joy of Cooking cookbook came out as Debbie ran home to get her pre-made graham cracker crusts. It was a true team effort as we worked together to whisk the sugar, milk and corn starch into a creamy custard, thinly slice the bananas and then layer both into a decadent pie. We laughed as Debbie realized she hadn’t “scolded” the milk prior to the whisking, as I told her it’s never nice to yell at your milk.

Our friend Lou said the macaroons were the best he and his wife had ever had and the kids couldn’t believe they had banana cream pie for dessert on an ordinary Wednesday.

It was a winning Wednesday – good food, good fun and good friends!

The banana cream pie recipe is from the Joy of Cooking cookbook but here is my recipe for chocolate chip macaroons.

Coconut Macaroons with mini Chocolate Chips
Makes two dozen

8 ounces sweetened angel flake coconut
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 stiffly beaten egg white
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix coconut, vanilla extract, salt and condensed milk together in a mixing bowl. Beat egg white until stiff. Fold the egg white into the coconut. Add the mini chips and mix carefully. Form the coconut mixture into mounds and place one inch a part onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven until golden for approximately 12- 14 minutes. Remove the macaroons carefully using a small spatula and cool on a rack.

Power Cooking

That’s how Suzy summed up our intense taquito-making date last Wednesday. We had two 15-inch skillets going and three different fillings to work with, so it was a pretty crazy hour and a half. And for Suzy who likes to keep things simple, I could see how she’d call it “power cooking.”
Since we each had been away for the weekend, our conversation was also intense as we chit chatted between seasoning, filling and frying corn tortillas. We worked efficiently from stovetop to freezer to sink, creating 60 taquitos we knew our families would love.

A text from my thirteen-year old son on his way home from school caused me to pack things up early. As I hurriedly opened the freezer door, two baking sheets lined with taquitos began to topple over, a few onto the floor. Suzy, who had been on the phone with her husband, actually hung up on him as we avoided a bigger disaster! (Knowing they’d be re-heated, we used the three second rule to save the five that dropped to the floor.)

With only one minor near debacle at the end, I’d say it was a flawless cooking date – efficient, productive and fun! Hopefully her husband forgave Suzy for hanging up as he at our delicious dinner.

RECIPE

If you want to make your own, you’ll need a friend, some filling, tortilla, a large skillet (or two) and canola oil.

Filling -- To make the filling, you can really use whatever protein you’d like (beans, leftover chicken, shredded pork or beef), cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, queso fresco, cream cheese) and of course some veggies (sautéed onions, peppers, jalapenos or corn) and cilantro.

Assmebling the Corn Tortillas – First you’ll want to warm the tortillas by microwaving them on a plate covered with a damp paper towel. Do this in batches of 10 and heat for 1 minute. Next, place a tablespoon of filling on the lower third of the tortilla and roll gently but tightly upward until the tortilla is closed. Place seam side down in the skillet and fry until golden flipping once.

Tips – While one friend rolls the tortillas, the other one should tend to the skillet, making sure they do not overcook.

Leaving Burritoville

It’s spring cleaning time in my kitchen. I’m trying to use up every last item in my freezer and pantry, making way for fresh new foods. Just as some people get excited to buy a few new outfits each season, I’m eager to refresh my pantry and freezer. (Don’t get me wrong, I’ll also welcome a shopping spree once in a while for some new clothes.)

This morning, while shopping for dinner in my freezer, I stumbled upon the last three chicken burritos. The sight of them made me chuckle, as I was reminded of the time Suzy and I made them two months ago in pretty massive quantities. Cutting boards, skillets and ingredients took over my smallish kitchen as we cooked and filled dozens of them together. At the time, we were quite pleased with our accomplishment, but wondered if we’d ever actually be able to eat them all. After tonight, I’m proud to say we will!

As you may know, after the resounding success of the Big Beef Burrito, I am a big fan of these hearty tortilla packages. They are an ideal on-the-go or quick meal. Filled with chicken, cheese, beans and rice, they are delicious, nutritious and filling. My kids eat them as after-school snacks and as light dinners before sports. All three of my kids love them: one likes them plain, one prefers them with sour cream and the last likes them with homemade guacamole.

As we eat the last of our burrito bounty tonight, I’ll share the simple recipe for you to make for your family.

Chicken Burritos
Makes 24

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions, diced
6 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
2 teaspoons cumin
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
Juice from one lime
1 can diced tomatoes, with some liquid
2 cans of 14 ounce black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked rice (preferably basmati)
½ cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jalapeno, diced finely (optional)
¼ cup Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
24 large burrito wrappers
3 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack or a mixture)


In a large skillet, sauté the garlic and onions (and jalapeno peppers if using) in olive oil for about 7 minutes. Season the onions with salt, pepper and cumin. Add the chicken, chili powders, lime juice and tomatoes. Mix well and stir in the beans, rice and chicken broth. If using cilantro, add at the end. Cool the mixture slightly until ready to handle.

To assemble the burritos, you may want to warm the tortillas slightly by microwaving several at a time on a plate covered with a moist towel. You’ll want to place a generous mixture on the lower third of the tortilla and then sprinkle a few tablespoons of shredded cheese. To wrap, fold the bottom up over the mixture and then fold each side in and roll tightly. Place the burrito seam side down and wrap well in saran wrap. Repeat until all of the filling is used. Freeze until ready to eat.

To re-heat unwrap the burrito and place on a microwave safe plate. Cover with a moistened paper towel. Microwave on high for 90 seconds and the flip the burrito over and cook for another 30-60 seconds until cooked through. Serve with sour cream, salsa or guacamole.