Napping in Hollywood

Summer is right around the corner and I can hardly contain myself. Over the next few months farm fields in the northeast will yield copious amounts of produce just begging to be made into fresh, delicious meals. I can't wait to rip open my summer recipe file and start making my favorite warm weather foods including green salads, fresh pesto in pasta, roasted tomatoes and rhubarb tarts. When I really think about it, the number of recipes I have that are dedicated to foods available in June, July and August is simply staggering, and I can't wait to share them all with you. This week, during a freakish ninety degree heatwave, I decided to kick-off my warm weather cooking with one of my favorite light summer dinners. This recipe isn't necessarily made with fresh food from the farmer's market, but it is lighter fare made without any of the common heavy ingredients (i.e. cream and gruyere) I usually cook with during the winter season. For this reason, the dish is lighter in taste and weight, making it easier to stomach during the warmer months when I don't want to eat heavy foods.

I first encountered this recipe when I cut it out from an old issue of Self magazine. The original recipe was written by Jennifer Garner, who was on the cover that month. I don't know Jennifer but she seems like a really cool Hollywood mommy, a person I would like to invite over for dinner and a playdate with the kids. Given that she is a cool working mom, and the fact that I see her cooking awesome things with Martha Stewart on a somewhat regular basis, I surmised that her recipe was worth a try. After all, right off the bat I could tell that it was a simple recipe based on quality flavors, perfect for Naptime Chef-ing.

Needless to say, her recipe was an immediate hit with the whole family, although I did have to make some initial adaptations to suit our tastes. The first, and most drastic, change I made to the recipe was switching the main ingredient of shrimp to chicken. I cut out the shrimp due to my extreme aversion to the sea creature. (I will spare you the details regarding why I don't eat it, because, trust me, you really don't want to know.) In any event, my daughter prefers chicken over shrimp as well, so this substitution made the most sense for us. Also, since I usually make this in the spring and summer, I had a lot of fun adapting the seasonings to play with the flavor. Naturally, the fresher the herbs I have on hand, the better the overall flavor of the dish becomes.


Preparing this dish during naptime is quite easy and I recommend doing it if you want to save time in the evening. However, if you don't walk in the door until six-o'clock you'll have no trouble having dinner on the table by six-thirty. The best part about this meal, apart from the simplicity in it's preparation, is the delicious flavor. When we eat it we find that each bite bursts with a rich tomato flavor which is absorbed beautifully by the orzo. The tomatoes are brightened nicely with the fresh herbs and salty feta, giving it a warm salty/sweet taste. I have thought about trying it with different pastas, but I think that might overwhelm the sauce, making it seem more like a spaghetti meal. Best of all, when there are leftovers I eat them cold with a fresh crumbling of feta for lunch the next day. I often feed it this way to my daughter as well, which she loves. I suppose if I knew Jennifer Garner I would call her at this point and say thanks for the great recipe idea. But, since I don't, I will just keep getting excited for the summer cooking ahead.

Naptime Orzo, Tomato and Chicken with Feta - adapted from a recipe by Jennifer Garner
1 c. dry orzo pasta
3 t. olive oil
1 c. onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 c. white wine
1 28 oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes, juices reserved
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. Kosher salt
1/4 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 t. fresh basil, chopped
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into narrow strips
3/4 c. feta cheese

1. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook orzo according to directions. Drain, set aside.
2. In a large, deep skillet heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic, cook until soft and translucent. About 5 minutes.
3. Add white wine, boil off alcohol. About 1 minute.
4. Add tomatoes, without the juices. Break the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon.
5. Then, add reserved tomato juice, oregano, pepper, salt and red pepper.
6. Add chicken strips.
7. Simmer for about 6 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken and chicken is cooked through.
8. When chicken is cooked through, add orzo and mix well with the sauce.
9. Stir in fresh basil.
9. When it is all incorporated finish the dish by mixing in feta and serve.


Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: This recipe is perfect for Naptime Chef-ing because it is infinitely flexible. You can substitute shrimp for chicken if you'd like, and you can feel free to play with different herbs to adjust the flavoring. Once, in a pinch, I used diced tomatoes instead of whole-peeled and they worked just as well.
Naptime Stopwatch: This dish takes about 30 minutes to make in it's entirety. During naptime you can either make the whole thing, or at least chop the onions. But it is really a simple skillet meal, so you can prepare it very quickly.
Naptime Reviews: This dish is a big hit with my whole family. The flavors are simple and delicous, which even my daughter appreciates!

Napping with Clever Mommies

If you need advice on just about anything, ask a mother. Seriously, mothers are often the best resource when it comes to answering all sorts of practical questions like how to get a grass stain out of jeans, how to bring down a fever, and, of course, how to get your child to eat vegetables. I know lots of clever mommies these days, some I have met on the playground, and others I have known all my life. My friend Jenny is one of these clever moms. I first met her about ten years ago when she married one of my childhood friends and we have been friendly ever since. Jenny and I have a lot in common these days, most notably that we are both mothers of active and fun children.


Jenny's son is about one year older than my daughter and we joke that they are already boyfriend-girlfriend. Her son takes my daughter on romantic races in his Little Tykes car, taking care that her feet are securely perched on the dashboard so that she won't stub her toes. Then, post backyard grand-prix, they exchange strong hugs which slightly resemble football tackling moves. At meal time they sit together in pint-size chairs at a miniature table feeding each other bits of food off their trays. Last month, when we were at their house, Jenny's son fed my daughter some pasta with homemade tomato sauce and she went wild, acting like it was the best thing she had ever tasted. To confirm her notion I tasted it myself, she was right, it was delicious. Noting my daughter's glee over the tasty sauce I asked Jenny for her recipe. She was glad to share the basics of it, admitting she had never written it down since the ingredients change a little every time she makes it. Naturally, the lack of written notes did not deter me, in fact, I viewed it as the perfect Naptime Chef challenge.


Jenny devised her basic marinara recipe as a way to feed her son vegetables he would not eat in their raw state. I knew Jenny was smart, but upon hearing the basis of her recipe theory I realized that she is, actually, brilliant. Every other week Jenny makes a simple tomato sauce packed full of vegetables and freezes it in individual portions. Then, when mealtime arrives, she thaws the sauce and adds it to whatever pasta dish she is making. Taking her cue I quickly got to work, starting with a straightforward variety of vegetables I would like my daughter to consume: onion, garlic, red pepper, carrots and tomatoes. Making the sauce, following the instructions below, took a very short amount of time. When it was complete I poured individual portions into snack-size freezer bags and lined them up in my freezer. As expected, they froze beautifully and thawed well when it was time for dinner. Thankfully my daughter seemed to recall the taste of the sauce from her play-date, gobbling up a huge bowl of alphabet shaped pasta stirred with sauce and grated cheese. I immediately called Jenny to thank her for the great idea. She was thrilled to hear about my success in devising the recipe and agreed that it should be shared with all of you. So here it is, from one clever mommy to another.

Naptime's Kid-Friendly Tomato Sauce - inspired by our friend Jenny
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 28oz. cans crushed tomatoes
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Note: It is perfectly fine to experiment with adding more vegetables, here are some suggestions I have tried: Celery, Chopped Spinach, Green Peppers. It is also fine to add more seasonings like fresh chopped Basil, or fresh Rosemary if you would like.


1. Heat oil in a heavy, deep pan. (I usually use my dutch oven.)
2. Add onion and garlic, cook until soft. About 10 minutes.
3. Add carrots and peppers, cook until soft. About 10 minutes.
4. Add canned tomatoes. Simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes, until it thickens slightly.
5. While the sauce is simmering taste it from time to time, adding salt and pepper if necessary.
6. When the sauce is thickened remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.
7. Pour the cooled sauce into a food processor and blend until totally smooth.
8. Pour into individual baggies, or however you want to divide up the individual portions, and freeze.
9. Thaw portions individually as needed.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: This recipe is ideal because it is made from basic, healthy, ingredients and is infinitely flexible. As long as you stick to the basic base of tomatoes with onion and garlic you can add or subtract just about any vegetable you want. I recommend starting with the basic ingredients above, then add new vegetables with each new batch.
Naptime Stopwatch: This recipe took about an hour to make from start to finish. I find that thawing from the freezer takes about an hour as well.
Naptime Reviews: Obviously my daughter loves this sauce, and my husband and I do, too. I've started using it with lots of the pasta dishes I make, including my favorite basic lasagna recipe. Adjust the vegetables to suit your own tastes, I guarantee the family will love it.

Napping with a Prizewinner

In 1968 Beverly Gillia won best cheesecake at the Great Abraham & Strauss Cheesecake Contest, collecting a $1,000 gift certificate to the store as her prize. (For those of you not familiar with A&S, it was a department store located in Brooklyn which was later bought by Macy's.) I was not there to witness the contest, but I know that she won because I have the recipe. It was given to me by my mother-in-law who clipped it in the late 1960's, when it was printed in one of the first ever issues New York Magazine. I know it seems like I should be skeptical of a cheesecake recipe that is over 30 years old, after all there are so many excellent, newer recipes for cheesecake that are available on the internet and in nearly every cookbook I own. However, despite these truths, there is a reason why this recipe was kept around by my husband's family for all that time. This cheesecake is delicious, a true classic, and, as we all know, classic recipes are the ones that truly stand the test of time.


I Naptime Chef-ed this cheesecake on Monday for my husband's birthday. Every year that we have known each other I have made him a homemade birthday cake, a tradition that works well since he enjoys eating sweets as much as I enjoy making them. His only modest request when baking his treats is that I keep them simple and familiar, sticking with traditional flavors like chocolate, vanilla or coconut. This is not a problem for me, over the years I have made some really amazing cakes including a decadent malteser cake by Nigella, since malt balls are his most favorite candy, Amanda Hesser's chocolate "Dump-It" cake, and black-bottom cupcakes from an old Food & Wine recipe. This year, in keeping with the theme of classic flavors, I decided to stray from the traditional flour based cake and make this cheesecake. Cheesecake may not be regular chocolate or vanilla, but it is a classic flavor nonetheless, and my husband agreed that it was a good idea.


Like all cheesecakes, making this one requires concentration from start to finish. To prepare for the cake preparation I took all of my ingredients out of the refrigerator in the morning to make sure they were at room temperature by naptime. I then assembled the batter, taking great care to make sure it was completely smooth so as to avoid lumpy cake, and poured it into the pan. I then, very carefully, wrapped the outside tightly in aluminum foil to prevent any of the hot water bath from seeping in and ruining the batter. Finally, I popped it in the oven and watched it carefully, stopping the baking once the cake was set and the top was golden brown. Cooling the cake also required careful monitoring. First I cooled the cake in the oven with the door ajar, then on a rack in the kitchen and, finally, in the refrigerator. It may seem like overkill to go to such trouble cooling the cake, but this method helps the cheesecake set, so it gets firm without being too dry.


I have to say, Beverly really knew what she was doing when she developed this recipe. This was absolutely the best classic cheesecake I have ever tasted, and one of the easiest I have ever made. My husband and I were both thrilled with the results. The cake had a light and silky texture, the taste was wonderfully smooth and bright, with a subtle hint of lemon. We both agreed that the graham cracker crust was an excellent addition, lending the cake a sweet crunch. In celebration of my husband's birthday we allowed my daughter a small slice, which she inhaled in two bites, begging us for more. At the end of the day I happily slipped the recipe back into my file with notes on how to add the crust. The birthday celebration had gone off without a hitch and the dessert was all that we had hoped for, once again proving that the classics are always winners.

Naptime Prizewinner Cheesecake - adapted from Beverly Gillia
4 8oz. containers of whipped cream cheese (I used Philadelphia, but use organic if you can find it)
16 oz. sour cream
1 stick salted butter
5 eggs
2 T. cornstarch
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. fresh lemon juice

For the crust:
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 c. graham cracker crumbs (make your own or buy pre-made)
2 T. sugar

To make the crust:
1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.
3. Put the melted butter, graham crackers and sugar in a bowl and combine the ingredients. 4. Press the graham crackers into the bottom of the pan until it is tightly packed and level.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until graham crust is golden brown.
6. Set aside to cool while you prepare the batter.

To make the cheesecake:
1. Place cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and butter on the counter to get to room temperature before baking - this usually takes at least one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. Put cream cheese, butter and sour cream into the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix to combine until smooth.
4. Add the cornstarch, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice, mix well until the batter is completely smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well incorporated.
5. Beat in 1 egg at a time until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
6. Pour mixture on top of the cooled crust.
7. Wrap springform pan tightly in aluminum foil, this is to prevent water from seeping into the pan and ruining the batter.
8. Place the pan in a water bath, taking care to make sure the water comes at least halfway up the side of the cake pan.
9. Bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until the batter is no long jiggly and the top is golden brown. 10. Turn off the oven and let the cake cool in the oven, with the door slightly ajar, for 1 hour. 11. After an hour remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 2 hours on wire rack.
12. Cover the cake and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before serving.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: This cake is delicious, simply the best I have tasted. My husband even said it is better than Junior's, but I think we'd have to have a taste-off to confirm that!
Naptime Stopwatch: This cake will take the entire naptime to make, mostly because the baking and cooling require careful monitoring. But as long as you watch carefully you shouldn't have any problems.
Naptime Reviews: This cake was a hit all around. My mother-in-law has been making it for years, and I suspect that I will be, too.

Napping in Soyaki: Emergency Meal #4

I don't know what is worse, caring for a sick child when you are healthy, or being sick and trying to entertain a healthy child. Based on a recent personal experience, I would argue that the latter is far more difficult. As parents we are all aware that winter is known as "cold season" because germs run riot through every indoor play-space, library and public arena in the greater New York area. The only way to avoid these germs completely would be to live in total seclusion for four months which is, obviously, not an option. When spring arrived last month I wrongly assumed that "cold season" was over, my daughter hadn't had a cold in weeks and I was feeling very proud that I had avoided a bad cold all winter. Suffused with confidence I began to let my guard down, neglecting to wash my hands after toddler gym-class and not replacing the bottle of hand sanitizer for my purse. These were moves, it turns out, I would later regret.


I now know that germs do not depart the northeast upon the arrival of spring weather. I learned this the hard way when I recently woke up very sick and my daughter seemed to be completely healthy. It was a startling reversal of roles, I had to care for myself while protecting my daughter from contracting my germs, not the other way around. All I wanted to do was spend the day in bed, however, all my daughter wanted to do was spend the day playing with her friends. So, armed with tissues, Tylenol and lemon tea I staggered through our daily routine, keeping my distance from other people while silently berating myself for not being more careful. Naturally, while I was sniveling away at the playground, the last thing on my mind was what I was going to make for dinner. Thankfully, when I was about to break down and extract a take-out menu from the drawer I experienced a moment of clarity, this was the perfect occasion for an emergency meal.


Of all the emergency meals I keep up my sleeve, this one, Soyaki Chicken Thighs, is the easiest. It is a simple and satisfying chicken bake made with two ingredients which I always have in my kitchen, chicken thighs from the freezer and marinade from the pantry. Like all good emergency meals it is simultaneously uncomplicated to prepare and delicious to eat. Preparing this during naptime is breeze, barely requiring any effort on the part of the preparer. I simply season the chicken thighs, place them in baking dish, pour the marinade over and let them sit for the remainder of the afternoon. At dinnertime I slip the dish in the oven to bake, prepare my side dishes, and wait for the oven timer to ring.

I love this dish because chicken thighs are incredibly moist and tasty, perfect for absorbing the flavors of the marinade. I also find that chicken thighs hold up better than chicken breasts when they are baked, they stay juicy and tender instead of getting tough and dry. As noted in the recipe my marinade of preference is Trader Joe's Island Soyaki. It makes the chicken taste almost identical to the sesame chicken served at our local chinese restaurant, only less greasy and more flavorful. (In fact, the chef at the chinese restaurant really should consider using Island Soyaki, it would probably improve their dish.) If you don't have access to this sauce I would recommended substituting it with Soy Vay Teriyaki Sauce, which is readily available in most grocery stores nationwide. I don't want to make any bold claims like this dish was responsible for my recovery, however, I am not going to dismiss the idea, either. After all, by the time I woke up the next morning I was already feeling much better.

Naptime Soyaki Chicken Thighs
6 chicken thighs, thawed
8 oz. Trader Joe's Island Soyaki (or, Soy Vay Teriyaki if TJ's is unavailable)
Salt & Pepper

1. Remove chicken thighs from package, trim fat, rinse with water and pat dry.
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and place in large baking dish.
3. Pour the marinade over the chicken, swirling it around with your hands to make the chicken is entirely coated and mostly covered.
4. Let the chicken sit in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
5. Preheat oven to 375.
6. Bake chicken at 375 for 45-50 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: This recipe is a breeze to prepare which is why it is great in an emergency. If you can open a bottle and pour, you can make this meal for which your entire family will be grateful. If you feel adventurous you can certainly add more seasoning to the chicken, just be careful because the marinade is already very flavorful. I like to serve this with jasmine rice and a green salad on the side.
Naptime Stopwatch: The chicken takes about 5 minutes to prepare. The baking time is usually about 45 minutes and dinner is served. I think this dish takes the shortest time of any to make, it is definitely worth keeping in your roster when you need an easy meal to make for your family.
Naptime Reviews: My whole family loves this dish, even my in-law's and parents. It is great for children, too, my daughter loves the little chicken pieces which she mixes with the rice before eating.

Napping with Easter Cake

I am a dessert person through and through. I have a sweet tooth that would make Willy Wonka's head spin, and the grocery bill, denoting bags and bags of Domino sugar, to prove it. Since a young age I have been a firm believer that the end goal of every meal is dessert. As a child I was known to speed-eat my way through many family dinners, so I could get to whatever sugary treats my mom had on hand, as soon as possible. Naturally, being a dessert lover, I would then spend several minutes eating one single cookie or brownie, taking my time to savor every crumb. The pace of my eating - spending a minute on a large plate of food and several minutes on one bite of cookie - greatly perplexed my parents. But, since I never got cavities or indigestion, they let me have my sweets after dinner, not wanting to pick a fight they could never win. The love of all sweet things has never left me, I proudly carried my sweet tooth straight through high school, college and into the present day. I will always be a dessert lover and, now that I have my own kitchen, I can bake sweet treats just about any time I want.


When I plan my meals, for holidays or otherwise, I always make sure I plan for a decadent dessert to cap off the meal. I like to make things that are scrumptious and tasty, calories be damned, the kind of sweet dish that sticks in your memory as being out of this world. I know I've achieved my goal when someone can't quite recall the whole dinner menu, but can describe what was served for dessert in great detail. I have to say I've made a few extraordinary desserts in my life, most of which I've been able to duplicate. And, thankfully, in making these beautiful things I have been good about keeping a record of most of them, stashing them in my recipe box with a flag that the recipe is definitely worth making again. The cake I made this Easter is one of those recipes that has stood the test of time. After all, chocolate cake is a classic dessert, there is nothing fussy, trendy or frilly about it. I've made this cake many times before and have never once been disappointed. Judging by the way my friend's often ask me to make it, I don't think they have been disappointed, either.


This cake is much lighter and sweeter than the one I shared with you in February. I prefer to serve it for spring and summer events, the light flavor and color seems more appropriate for the seasons then something dark and dense. And, as with all my favorite baked goods, it is a cinch to prepare during naptime. Combining the ingredients takes very little time and, because it is so light, the baking time is quite short. The lightness of this cake comes from the generous heap of whipped egg whites that are folded into the batter before baking. When it is in the oven they cause the whole cake to rise up in a great poof, which slowly collapses as it cools. The end result, when the cake is fully cooled, is that a shallow crater, about one inch deep, forms on the top. Some might find this ugly and unappetizing, but don't let the imperfection deceive you - this cake is delicious. To add to the lightness of the cake I like to drop dollops of whipped cream into the crater, along with a scattering of chocolate candies. To me it looks like a cloud of sweet vanilla has landed on top of my rich chocolate pillow. Whenever I eat this cake, which is often, I am always struck by the wonderful rich chocolate taste and light texture. It is really a wonderful standby for someone like me with my sweet tooth. In fact, the details from Easter Dinner last Sunday are already slipping away, but I can still tell you about the cake.


Chocolate Easter Cake with Sweet Vanilla Whipped Cream
cake recipe adapted slightly from Feast by Nigella Lawson
8 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 stick unsalted butter
1 t. pure vanilla extract
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
1/3 c. sugar for the egg yolk mixture
1/2 c. sugar for the egg whites mixture

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Do NOT grease the sides.
2. In a large bowl, break the chocolate up into squares and melt it with the butter in a double-boiler or the microwave.
3. In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment whip the four egg whites until firm, then add the sugar as you whisk, until the white hold their shape and are shiny white. Do not let them get too stiff.
4. In a separate bowl add the two whole eggs and four egg yolks. To this add the 1/3 c. sugar and vanilla extract. Stir the ingredients together until completely combined.
5. Add this egg yolk mixture into the melted butter and chocolate. Stir until completely combined.
6. Finally, fold the egg whites gently into the chocolate mixture, careful not the beat it too much, you don't want to deflate the egg whites.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. You will know it is done with the center has risen and cracked a little bit.
8. Cool the pan on a wire rack. As it cools the top will collapse into a shallow crater. When it is completely cool remove the sides of the springform pan carefully.
9. Fill the crater with whipped cream and serve.

Sweet Vanilla Whipped Cream
2 c. heavy cream
4 t. confectioner sugar
1 t. pure vanilla extract

1. Whip all three ingredients together in an electric mixer. Do not make whipped cream ahead of time, or, if you do, put it in the fridge, covered for no more than 4 hours before you use it.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: This cake is unfailingly simple and delicious. It works well at almost any table and for almost every holiday. At Christmas I've scattered the top with red and green candies, and last summer I filled it with cinnamon whipped cream for a friend's baby shower. Have fun with the look of it, the taste is so delicious you could top it with just about anything.
Naptime Stopwatch: The preparation for this cake is quite easy, just be careful when folding in the egg whites not to overbeat the batter and deflate it. The batter takes about 15 minutes to prepare and then baking is about 40 minutes. It is easy to make it during naptime, then let it cool during the afternoon and serve it at dinner.
Naptime Reviews: I have never met one person who does not love this cake. The chocolate flavor is rich, but not overpowering. Also, we think the flavor improves after a day or two, so feel free to make the cake ahead of time and add the whipped cream right before serving it.

Napping on Easter: Sunday Dinner Series #3

My family holidays can be divided into two categories: 1) holidays I will always remember, or 2) holidays I can't wait to forget. Of course, I can only place a holiday experience into the appropriate category after it is over, since it is only on rare occasions that I can anticipate what the holiday will be like before it takes place. Usually it is upon the first sign of good news - a college acceptance letter, a pregnancy announcement, a new family pet - that I am able to breathe a sigh of relief and put a notch in the "holiday to remember" column. Or, sometimes holidays head straight downhill from the moment they begin, like when I got the flu on Christmas Eve, or my grandmother broke her hip on Thanksgiving morning. This is when I chalk up the occasion to be a total loss and vow to start suppressing the memories as soon as possible. However, despite the fact that sometimes I really do want to forget a holiday, I always come back for more. After all, holidays occur yearly, thus, each new year is a chance for redemption.


Easter 2008 was a holiday to forget. My daughter, who was so young she could barely sit up, came down with her first, teeny tiny cold. Little did I know that a tiny cold meant I would lose entire nights worth of sleep, bringing on such strong sleep deprivation that I actually considered buying my first ever six-pack of Red Bull. All in all the holiday wasn't much fun and passed quickly in a blur of saline nose drops, humidifiers and dirty burp clothes. I think I took one photo and put the camera away for the remainder of Easter Sunday, not wanting to document the unfortunate scene taking place in our household. Yet, despite this terrible memory, I was excited for Easter this year. My daughter is a whole year older and beginning to appreciate holiday celebrations, especially when there are presents and sweets involved. This year's Easter began with a fun family morning, watching her open her plastic eggs to find graham cracker bunnies tucked inside, followed by the consumption of far too many sweet treats before lunchtime. Then, when she finally went down for her afternoon nap, it was my turn to have some holiday fun.


For me, of course, holiday fun means cooking up a storm in the kitchen. For the past few weeks I have spent several hours pouring over cookbooks, perusing the offerings at the local gourmet stores, and writing new recipes to serve my family for Easter dinner. After several iterations over the course of two weeks I finally settled on the menu:

Greek Lamb with Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce
Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Walnut Oil
Herb Roasted Potatoes
Warm Rolls with Butter
Easter Chocolate Cake with Sweet Vanilla Whipped Cream

We centered our Easter menu around the main course, lamb. For some reason my family has always eaten lamb for Easter, I remember even my grandmother serving it to us, with a big dollop of mint jelly on the side. This year, while I was creating a new recipe, I was inspired by the flavors of Greece. Maybe it was because I had recently eaten out at a local Greek restaurant with friends, the taste was on my tongue and I wanted more. After consulting several cookbooks my husband and I settled on a basic, yet flavorful preparation involving several Greek influences. We began by marinating the lamb in red wine, always the best meat tenderizer, and a mixture of Greek herbs. After letting it marinate for several hours we removed the lamb, covered it in a mixture of bread crumbs, more Greek herbs and fresh thyme. Then we roasted the meat for about twenty minutes, and let it rest for about five minutes before serving. When we bit into it we were delighted with the delicious, juicy cut of meat, which was tender to the bite and bursting with flavor. To accompany the meat we whipped up a smooth mint yogurt sauce which was easily made by combining a few basic ingredients. The dip was cool and minty with a slight lemon aftertaste, perfect for dipping the lamb. I also think it would be wonderful for dipping vegetables, breads and even other cuts of meat.


The strong flavor and crisp texture of green beans were the perfect accompaniment to the dark, flavorful lamb. When making green beans I feel that it is helpful if they are jazzed up a bit, preferably by throwing in an unexpected ingredient, so I am always searching for ideas of what to add. For this particular preparation I was inspired by a recipe in one of my all-time favorite books, Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser. I loved the idea of adding a warm nutty flavor to the green beans through the addition of walnuts and walnut oil. The recipe did not disappoint, as we ate my husband and I agreed that the dish yielded excellent flavor along with a satisfying crunch. The dessert that followed our meal was a showstopper, which is why I plan to devote an entire post to it on Thursday, sorry for the wait. Until then I will leave you with the following two recipes, surefire winners in our book. I will definitely be making these for future holiday meals, and, as long as these are on our table, I am sure they will become holidays to remember, as well.


Naptime Easter Lamb with Mint Yogurt Dipping Sauce
6 lamb chops
Red Wine
Greek herb mixture (found at most grocery stores)
1 T. bread crumbs
3 t. fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
1 t. Kosher salt
1 t. fresh black pepper
Olive Oil
Serve 2 people, prepare more lamb chops if you would like to serve more people

Sauce:
1 cup plain, full fat, yogurt
1/2 c. fresh mint, finely chopped
1 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2 cloves garlic
Kosher salt to taste

1. Place lamb chops in a glass bowl or rectangular dish. Pour in red wine until the meat is just covered. Add 2 T. of Greek herbs to the mixture, swirl them around so the herbs and wine are fully incorporated. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix fresh thyme, bread crumbs, salt and black pepper. Add a splash of olive oil to form a paste. Do not add too much olive oil.
3. Preheat the oven to 400.
4. Remove lamb from red wine, place it on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Rub with bread crumb mixture.
5. Place lamb in the oven roast for 20-22 minutes.
6. For the Sauce: Put yogurt, lemon juice and garlic into a food processor. Puree until smooth. Slowly add mint, while pulsing the food processor, and a dash of salt to taste.

Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Walnut Oil
adapted from Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser
1 lb. green beans (or haricot vert)
1 c. walnuts, freshly toasted and coarsley chopped
4 t. walnut oil, or good olive oil
1 t. sea salt
1 t. black pepper

1. Cook green beans in boiling water until just tender. Test with a fork, when the fork pierces through the bean, but the bean is still firm, it is finished. Drain green beans and dunk them immediately in a bath of ice water to stop the cooking.
2. In a separate bowl combine toasted, chopped walnuts, walnut oil, salt and black pepper. Mix so that the walnuts are coated completely in the oil mixture.
3. Add the green beans to the oil and nuts, mix until fully incorporated and the oil coats the beans.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: These are both excellent, timeless recipes that would be delicious and welcome at any holiday table. Additionally, both dishes are "flexible" in terms of the ingredients, feel free to add or omit seasonings to your taste. For example, some people prefer lime juice instead of lemon in their yogurt dipping sauce, or, if you have fresh rosemary available add it to the bread crumb mixture for the lamb. The point is to have fun and enjoy making it.
Naptime Stopwatch: This is a part of the Sunday Dinner series because it takes a little longer than naptime to make them. However, a lot of the prep work can be done during naptime, saving you time later in the day. I recommend putting the lamb in the marinade during naptime, also, use this time to trim the green beans so they can just be tossed in the pot when you are ready to prepare them.
Naptime Reviews: The lamb was too tough for my daughter, but she enjoyed dipped her green beans into the yogurt sauce. She ate the green beans like they were french fries, enjoying the crunch and flavor of the walnuts.

Napping on the Internet

Oh, what a difference a week makes. It was only last Friday that I was sitting at my computer taking baby steps with my new web address, studiously following the directions on how to set up my domain name and hosting service. Fast forward seven days and here I am, barreling towards full blown internet literacy, practically an expert on all sorts of hip internet applications, and able to chat knowledgably about "gadgets" and "widgets" with friends and strangers alike. I never knew it would come to this, honestly, so I owe many thanks to the people who thoughtfully blog about helpful things like how to set up your domain name and add "facebook share" icons to sidebars. Thank you also to our friend, Tom, who suggested I get a little more internet savvy in the first place.

In any event, there are two new cool ways you can follow The Naptime Chef. First, I am on Twitter, and plan to update my Tweets daily with my Naptime Chef-ing and foodie adventures. If you want you can join the following click here or go to this address: http://twitter.com/TheNaptimeChef. Secondly, I have been remiss in mentioning the wonderful Facebook fan page my friend Katie set up for this site click here or type "The Naptime Chef" into your Facebook search browser and join as a fan.

I promise to do my utmost to keep these pages up to date. Thanks to my new Blackberry apps (I know, impressive lingo I'm using, right?!) I think I will have no problem doing so. And, if you are like I was a week ago, unsure on how to use these programs, don't worry it really isn't hard to figure out. Drop me a note and I can direct you to some helpful "how to" articles I found and you'll be up and running in no time. Have a great weekend!

Napping with April Showers

It has been raining like, well, April, for the past two weeks. My daughter and I been spending most of our days gazing forlornly at the playground outside our building, watching it drip with water, little rivers cascading down the shiny metal slide and into the sand pit. However, despite the incessant pitter patter of raindrops on the windowsill, I can't bring myself to get down about all the wetness given the horrible winter we had. After all, spring rain brings with it promises of a new, fresh warm-weather season. A time when we can skip outside with our brand new tricycle and spring-weight knit poncho from grandma, minus the heavy parkas and fleece hats. And, perhaps most importantly for me, spring means that summer, with all of it's fresh farm food, is right around the corner.


I am dedicated farmer's market shopper and will happily brave all kinds of weather to patronize the farm stands. As I write summer crops are just starting to grow in the fields, the bounty of which we won't see at the market for another few weeks. However, despite having to wait a bit longer for the wonderful fresh corn and spring asparagus, there are still many reasons for me to shop there. In the months prior to the summer foods a small, but dedicated, group of farmers will trudge over to 97th street on Fridays to offer a smattering of root vegetables, a few bushels of apples and lots of delicious hot cider. In addition to this the fish monger from Long Island reliably brings freshly caught fish and shellfish, and I can always count on Ronnybrook for fresh milk and butter. But, above all, my favorite stand these days is the pork purveyor. I read somewhere lately that "pig is big," and in our house it is more than ever.

Last week my daughter and I braved the puddles to obtain our favorite bundle of fresh, sweet sausages. Both of us love visiting this stand, I obtain my amazing homemade organic pork sausages, and my daughter is always, very generously, given a free freshly cooked slice of breakfast sausage. Don't ask me why this is the favorite food of my toddler, but it is. Once the sausages have been obtained we happily wheel home, dreaming of dinners to come. I discovered this pork purveyor about a year ago and have been cooking these sausages weekly ever since. I have to say, I have come up with some great sausage dishes, but the one I want to tell you about today is, perhaps, my most favorite. The preparation, roasted in a pan with red grapes and onions, is simple and straightforward, perfect for Naptime Chef-ing.


I know this is not the first time sausage has been prepared like this, there are many variations of roasted sausages with grapes, but after some tweaking I developed a recipe for my family that we can call our very own. In my opinion the best part about this dish is how the simplest ingredients yield the most amazing flavor, the whole being greater than the sum of it's parts. To prepare it, during naptime, I simply prep the grapes and onions as instructed and put the pan in fridge where it can easily stay for a few hours while I attend to other things. Then, when it comes time for dinner, I simply pre-cook the sausages and lay them on top of the grapes and onions, and pop it in the oven. In no time I have gorgeous fresh roasted sausages on a bed of juicy grapes draped with wilting onions. It takes about five more minutes to prepare the sauce and, voila, dinner is served. I like to serve this dish with a green salad and a slice of french bread, or, when we are in the mood for heavier fare, I serve it with egg noodles or potatoes.


This flavor of this dish is a pitch perfect balance of savory and sweet. The sweetness comes from the red grape juice which is balanced well with the tart onions and dash of balsamic vinegar. I love the way the flavor of the grapes are somehow enhanced by the roasting, it is an unexpected yet delicious way to enjoy fruit. I am such a creature of habit that if it weren't for this blog there is a good chance this is the only way I'd prepare sausage ever again. It is an even greater reward for me that my daughter likes this dish, too. The roasted grapes are soft and juicy which are perfect for her little mouth, she likes to eat them with handfuls of the crumbled sausage. I am still excited for the summer offerings to hit the farmer's market in full force, I am already thumbing through my favorite summer recipes trying to decide what to make first. But, until then, I will continue my trips through the rain to my Friday market, I am already dreaming about what I'll make with my sausages tomorrow night.


Naptime Roasted Sausage with Grapes and Onion - inspired by the farmer's market
4 links homemade sweet pork sausage (I have used chicken sausage in a pinch, as well)
3/4 - 1lb seedless organic red grapes
1 red onion, preferbly organic, finely sliced
2 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste


1. Preheat the oven to 475.
2. Cook the sausages in a skillet until cooked through. Do not wash skillet, you will use it later.
3. Wash and dry the grapes, toss them with the olive oil and place them in a 13x9 pan so that they fully cover the bottom in one layer.
4. Finely slice the red onion and scatter it among the grapes in the pan.
5. Lay the sausages on top of the grapes and onions.
6. Roast at 475 for 20-25 minutes, turning sausages once halfway through.
7. After roasting remove sausages and put them on serving plates.
8. Pour grapes and onions back into the skillet that the sausage was cooked in. Stir the grapes and onions until the juices start to thicken up and get syrupy. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste.
9. When the grape juices are syrupy add the balsamic vinegar and give it a swirl to incorporate, pour the mixture over the sausages and serve.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: The beauty of this recipe is the ease of the preparation. It is almost impossible to screw up. Feel free to experiment with additional seasonings as well, some people like to use rosemary in their sausage preparation and I think other herbs might taste good, too. Also, I have used chicken sausage before and the dish still tastes delicious.
Naptime Stopwatch: The prep time for this recipe is about 10 minutes, then the roasting time is about 25. The sauce is simple as well, so you can easily have dinner on the table in about 45 minutes. But, it is less if you take the time to prepare your pan of grapes and onions ahead of time.
Naptime Reviews: This is a family favorite for many reasons, not the least of which is the salty sweet taste. It is not too strong for a toddler's palate, but is complex enough for an adult.

Napping at the Dining Hall

A few years ago I was a fundraiser for a secondary school. I enjoyed my job, it was fun to speak with the alumni, hearing all of the reasons they valued the institution and the education it provided. As with working at any school, I quickly became part of the close-knit community, frequently attending athletic events, student recitals and awards ceremonies. The camaraderie among the colleagues was always fun and interesting, and, all in all, it was a great place to work. One of the perks for working at a place that provided free food for it's students was that we, the employees, were invited to eat in the dining hall as well. I ate there daily, crossing the quad at lunchtime with my colleagues, and enjoyed many of it's culinary offerings. Sure, there was a lot of standard "school food" fare like tater tots, veggie burgers and oversteamed carrots, but there was good food as well. I was a big fan of the sandwich and salad bar, complete with toasted pine nuts, as well as the homemade potato chips. I never once missed the pasta with artichoke hearts, and, above all, I never missed an opportunity to enjoy the double chocolate butter cookies.


You see, the menu varied so much that these particular cookies only appeared in the dining hall about once every couple of weeks. They were so popular with the students and faculty alike that it was imperative to get to the dining hall early that day in case they were all snapped up. It was not unusual to see a student cramming several cookies into an empty plastic bag, saving them for a late-night study hall snack. I begged and pleaded with the Chef for the recipe on many occasions, but he always turned up his nose at me, citing the recipe an "institutional secret." From the taste of them I was pretty sure they were composed of one part butter, one part sugar and one part chocolate, but I needed the exact ratios in order to replicate their deep buttery chocolate taste.

I started my quest by reviewing my favorite baking books, among them titles like Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook, More from Magnolia Bakery and, even, a recent Cook's Illustrated. There were many recipes for double chocolate cookies to be found, so I started experimenting. Unfortunately, most of the recipes did not have enough butter to recreate the taste of the cookie I had loved so dearly. However, I found by adding butter as well as extra flour and chocolate to the recipe I was creating brought me closer to the flavor I was aiming for. Along the way I got the idea from a Tate's recipe to add almonds. I liked the idea of having a little crunch to counteract the cakey texture of the cookie. I also added a hint of almond extract in lieu of vanilla, I felt this helped the almond and butter flavor really blossom in my mouth.


Finally, after many months of cracking eggs, creaming butter and rolling out the Silpat, I was pleased to create a recipe I deemed worthy. When I made these last week my husband made the comment "best ever" which further bolstered my confidence, it is good to know that I have made a recipe other people like. These cookies have a delicious buttery chocolate almond flavor and are studded with chocolate chips and sliced almonds. They are packed with good flavor and crunch, and, trust me, are impossible to eat in small quantities. I hope that you enjoy these as much as we do. I have even thought about taking these back to my old job for a "taste off" with Chef, although I've done my own tweaking to the flavor, I'm sure they would stand up to the original any day of the week.


Naptime's Chocolate Almond Butter Cookies - inspired by the dining hall, Tate's and Magnolia Bakery
Dry Ingredients
3/4 c. dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt

Wet Ingredient
1 1/4 c. (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 c. light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 t. almond extract

1 12oz. package semisweet chocolate chips
6 oz. sliced almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
3. In an electric mixture cream the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the egg and almond extract until just combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter batter, carefully, until totally combined. Do NOT overbeat.
6. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds.
7. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon, place dough two inches apart on the cookie sheets.
8. Carefully squash down the tops of the dough balls, this will help them flatten during baking.
9. Bake for 15-17 minutes. They may still be slightly puffy when you pull them out of the oven, but don't worry, they will harden up while they cool. 10. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on wire racks.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: This is a basic cookie dough recipe with tons of flavor. The dough tastes even better after it has rested to prepare it during naptime, let it rest in the fridge for the evening, then bake it after bedtime. Or, you could even bake it the next day during naptime, there is nothing wrong with letting it rest for 24 hours.
Naptime Stopwatch: The batter is easy to prepare and takes about 15 minutes to do so. The baking might take a little longer depending on how many cookies you can fit on your cookie sheet.
Naptime Reviews: This recipe had gotten all-around thumbs up to everyone who has eaten them. Obviously my daughter loves them, what child doesn't love chocolate?!

Napping with a New Address

The internet is a dark and mysterious place for most people, including myself. I have never been a particularly technical person, happily paying experts to fix my computer problems from time to time. However, this week I decided to change all that. I can, after all, boast of many academic achievements in my lifetime, so why not conquer the internet as well? To that end, I am proud to bring you my new, very own, domain name: www.thenaptimechef.com. You should get redirected here courtesy of blogger, but change your bookmarks just in case. And, if you have any problems viewing this on your web browser please let me know, I never rule out the possibility of glitches despite how well I followed directions. Happy Spring!

Napping with a P for Panini: Emergency Meal Series #3

Sometimes, on the weekends, I put my husband in charge of cooking. I am lucky, he is a very capable cook, having grown up in a household where both parents regularly turn out delicious meals that would make any chef green with envy. Since I've known him he has made some fantastic dishes including homemade vegetarian spring rolls, mustard-crusted rack of lamb, and all sorts of seafood dishes involving scallops, which are my favorite. It is pretty rare that he takes a misstep in the kitchen. I've only seem him burn - no, char - a pork tenderloin once. In his defense we were also trying to hang pictures in the other room at the same time, hence, we learned our lesson about multi-tasking when cooking. Last month, having witnessed many of his past successes, I decided it was time to give him a true challenge. I put him in charge of an emergency meal.


You see, that morning my daughter and I had just flown home from Florida. The trip had not gone well, my daughter was wide awake and crying for the entire flight, plus, she had a low-grade fever. We were tired, cranky and not in the mood to do anything other than be lazy on the sofa while watching Dora and Boots scamper over rickety bridges. For the duration of the afternoon my husband served as chief runner, jogging back and forth from the kitchen bearing sippy cups of ice water and cheddar goldfish for my daughter, and fresh cranberry spritzers with sourdough pretzels for me. By dinner time I recovered enough from our flight trauma to generate a small appetite, and, after all the running to and fro, my husband was ravenous. When he looked to me, desperate for meal ideas, I held both hands out to my side and turned my palms upward. I was at a loss for inspiration, he was on his own.


Being the resourceful guy that he is, in the middle of this meal crisis, he pulled a brilliant move. From the dark recesses of a kitchen cabinet he retrieved our panini maker. We had received the panini maker as a gift at my "alphabet" themed wedding shower in Cooperstown, my hometown. My friend, Christina, was assigned the letter "P" and, thus, bought me a panini maker. I hadn't registered for it but I am forever grateful for the gift. The panini maker quickly became one of our most favorite kitchen gadgets from the moment we unwrapped it. In our pre-parenthood years, when we were both working at offices, we would come home spent and uninspired after long days at work. It was during these times we discovered that, as long as you have a loaf of bread, almost any combination of ingredients can form a panini. In this particular instance my husband had spied a fresh loaf of sourdough bread on the counter, along with recently purchased thinly sliced spanish jamon, roasted vegetables and a ball of mozzarella in the fridge. I hadn't planned on making sandwiches with all these ingredients, but, despite my original intentions for them, it was obvious they were meant to form our dinner.


As with any toasted sandwich the assembly was a total snap. It was even snappier because of the low-tech kitchen tool we had at our disposal. All we had to do was assemble sandwiches and squash them between the heated plates to toast. During the few minutes it took to cook I had time to refill my spritzer, pull a plate out of the cupboard and prepare myself for warm, oozy mozzarella. As expected the flavors of this sandwich were perfect. Instead of using anything too heavy my husband had drizzled the inside of the bread with olive oil and a sprinkling of balsamic vinegar. The dreamy mozzarella perfectly offset the sweet vegetables and salty jamon. I found comfort in every single bite, exactly the kind of meal I needed after an arduous journey. Even my daughter liked the sandwich we made for her, just a simple pressed cheese of fresh mozzarella with diced vegetables on the side. I think she was as grateful for the warm, homemade meal as I was. After we tucked her into bed that evening I hugged my husband, congratulating him on surviving an emergency meal, one of the great cooking challenges of all time. I was glad to be home.

Naptime Jamon, Vegetable and Mozzarella Panini - inspired by ingredients in the fridge
4 slices of fresh sourdough bread
6 slices of fresh lightly salted mozzarella
2 thinly sliced pieces of spanish jamon (or prosciutto if jamon is unavailable)
4 slices of roasted vegetables, any kind you want (we had slices of roasted red pepper, squash, zucchini and eggplant)
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Yields 2 paninis, double portions to make more sandwiches

1. Preheat panini maker and lightly brush plates with olive oil. If you don't have a panini maker you can use a simple griddle pan, or even a skillet. Just be sure to have a wide spatula to press the sandwich down with while it toasts.
2. On one slice of sourdough bread drizzle it lightly with olive oil. Then sprinkle it with balsamic vinegar.
3. Cover this slice of bread with a layer of jamon.
4. Then, over the jamon, place a layer of roasted vegetables, allowing the vegetables to overlap slightly.
5. Finally, place three slices of mozzarella on top of the vegetables. Top with second slice of bread.
6. Place sandwich on the panini maker and toast until the bread is crispy and cheese is fully melted.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: Everyone loves a warm sandwich and this one fits the bill. I encourage you to explore the flexibility of this recipe. Try different vegetables or cheeses, or, if you are a vegetarian you can omit the meat altogether.
Naptime Stopwatch: This meal took about 15 minutes from start to finish. Assembling the sandwiches takes about 3 minutes, then the toasting takes about 7-9, depending on your sandwich maker.
Naptime Reviews: A panini ranks right up there with a grilled cheese, an ideal comfort food. We all loved it, including my daughter. I know we will leave this kitchen tool where it is easily accessible.