My Madison Bistro

I made these in an attempt to channel my childhood. Every year at Christmas, my aunt would bring Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Bars topped with chocolate. They were delicious, and it was difficult for me to stop at one because I knew they wouldn’t be on the menu again until the following year.

I still have a soft spot for those bars, so when I saw a grown-up version in the Baked cookbook, I had to try them. And now, I’m going to demonstrate how truly unsophisticated I am: these bars are good, but I still prefer the original. To me, the peanut butter layer overpowered the crispy layer. If I make these again, I will double the crispy layer, which I think will balance things out a little more for my taste.

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Tags: chocolate, peanut butter

Baking bread is one of my favorite weekend projects. For this rustic loaf, I like to mix my starter on a Friday night and wake up to the smell of yeast in the morning. The dough comes together quickly, and a few short hours later you have a wonderful country bread.

This is an easy bread to make, even if you have a fear of yeast. It’s also extremely flavorful, thanks to the starter. If you’re a novice bread-maker, I’d really encourage you to try this bread. I mean, really, what’s the worst that can happen? It’s only a little flour and some yeast, right?

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Tags: bread

The mug in the picture might give it away that I made these cookies awhile ago. I really was simply waiting for the perfect time to share the recipe with you; I didn’t want to post this recipe too close to the holidays, as many of us were suffering from COS (cookie overload syndrome).

 

Instead, I thought I’d wait until perhaps you’d had a taste of spring, a touch of warmth and sun to incite a joy that unless you too have experienced a long winter, you may not be able to fully appreciate. This recipe is to remind us all to enjoy the variation of spring: the rainy days, the windy days, the warm days, perhaps even a hot day thrown in for good measure. Because before long, the nights will be sultry, and we’ll all be looking forward to the day we can turn our ovens on again.

So, while you still have time, do try this recipe – it’s the perfect way to brighten a dreary spring day.

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Tags: Barefoot Contessa, chocolate, cookies

This is another one of those meals that I’m almost embarrassed to post. However, fifteen minutes after I turned on the oven and the stove, I was sitting down and enjoying my dinner. This really is the epitome of a quick weeknight meal, and it’s just perfect for those nights that you’re exhausted and hungry. This is faster than takeout or delivery, and it doesn’t result in a lot of dishes (which automatically gives it high marks in my book).

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Tags: Cheese, chicken, tomatoes