Danish Pebernødder (pepper nuts... or pepper cookies)

Pebernødder, served on traditional Danish Christmas porcelain from Royal Copenhagen

The first time I had these delectable Danish cookies was in Copenhagen, just a few days before Christmas. Thor took me to Hviids Vinstue, a 300 year old tavern where Hans Christian Andersen was known to frequent. They're known for their glög or mulled wine, which is outstanding, but I also remember the large glass bowls of pebernørdder for eating with the warm drink.  Danes celebrate Christmas better than anyone else and their traditions are long standing. Everywhere we went there were plates of cookies to be served with a cup of coffee or some glög.

Hviids Vinstue

a cozy corner inside of Hviids Vinstue

These Danish Pebernødder, translated as pepper nuts, are in my opinion the perfect Christmas cookie.  They're bite sized, not too sweet, and spiced to perfection. They're traditionally the size of a hazlenut and quite crunchy. I've tinkered with the recipe over the years to soften the cookie just a bit, and I make it just a little bit larger so you really get a mouthful of spice.

Merry Christmas

Glædelig Jul ! 

Southwest (style) Chicken Pot Pie

seriously, the only picture i took.... to busy tasting

I grew up eating chicken pot pie for dinner on a regular basis. My mother's pie crusts are legendary and she added a little curry in her chicken filling. I have never been able to replicate her pastry, and consequently never attempted her pot pie recipe, after all a flaky pie crust is at least half of the enjoyment of this dish.

Recently we visited friends in Santa Fe and I brought home a few jars of locally roasted green chiles. At first I thought to try my hand at posole, but found myself wanting something creamier and richer. The final result is what I'm now referring to as a Southwest Chicken Pot Pie. Instead of pastry I baked it with a cornbread top crust. I made this a few weeks ago for a luncheon on a cold winter afternoon and everyone went back for a second helping - which, if you've ever been to ladies' luncheon, you know is a good sign.

Have your Crab Cake and eat it too.

Southwest -style Crab Cakes with avocado crema

Last week I spent several hours working on a different recipe for this column, but for reasons yet known, I couldn’t get it quite right. On Saturday evening I was making crab cakes for my book group, and decided to poll my small cadre of Instagram followers as to which recipe they’d prefer. To my surprise and delight the crab cakes took a decisive victory.  In my experience crab cakes can be absolutely decadent, or they can be completely terrible. Of course I like to think mine are the former. The trick to making good crab cakes is to stop thinking of them as cakes.  They’re more like crab patties, dredged in bread crumps at the last minute, and pan fried in olive oil just long enough to set the egg batter and impart a golden crisp. The crab will still be juicy and flavorful, with a little bite from the chipotle and jalapeño. I love to finish this recipe with a little avocado crema, which is so smooth and the citrus really brightens the flavor. It’s the perfect compliment the to crispy “cakes”.  These crab cakes are best served hot and fresh. You can keep them warm in a 250 degree oven if you’re making a large batch, but don’t wait too long before eating them. If you prefer a bit more spice, add a drop or two of hot sauce right before serving.