Chocolate Chip Cookies

Several weeks ago I made chocolate chip cookies to take into work. I used a new (to me) recipe that called for putting the dough in the fridge overnight and then slicing it like you do the cookie dough you can buy in the refrigerator section. That used to be the extend of my baking skills. While this recipe was slightly more time consuming, it left me with four rolls of cookie dough that each made a dozen cookies that were some of the best soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies I've had. I may have to start keeping some on hand. This really is for soft and chewy cookies and not crisp cookies. The best ones that I ended up with were the ones that were still slightly under done. The ones that were in the oven a bit longer were still good, but tasted more like store bough Chips Ahoy than soft homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Just writing about them makes me wish I hadn't used up all the dough and could go pop some in the oven.

Fiddleheads!

I went to Maine this past weekend and brought some fiddleheads back to the city. Fiddleheads are the unfurled fronds of young ferns. They grow wild in New England in early spring time. Although they are also available in canned form, I highly suggest avoiding those at all costs.

I prepared mine after cleaning and trimming them by boiling them for about two minutes and then I sauteed them with butter and garlic and two chopped white mushrooms until they were soft and tender.
This was the first time I'd had fiddleheads since I was in college and could get them at the farm stand next door. Sadly, I've never seen fresh ones in my local supermarkets in New York. If you've never had them I highly suggest trying some. Consider them vegetarian escargot.