The Pig and I

I have a project coming up in the next week or so involving a lot of baking treats for people. Since there's going to be baguette involved, I thought I'd make a couple compound butters to go with it. This is one of them. It's perfect for spreading on bread, for baking into bread (for garlic bread), or apparently just for tasting with a spoon. Hope you enjoy! 2 tablespoons tarragon (I used Mexican) 2 tablespoons roasted garlic 4 tablespoons (half a stick) butter pinch salt Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor (I prefer the processor for this since it's easier to clean and also easier to get the butter out) until the herbs are well chopped but not homogenously blended with the butter. Makes about 5-6 tablespoons.

I had a couple halibut steaks I wanted to make for us, but I was also feeling lazy and not like paying attention to my fish. So I ended up deciding to do it this way, since you can just plunk it in the oven and come back later. Plus, it's already portioned out and you get to open up a fun, steamy package. Hope you enjoy! 2 6-ounce halibut filets 2 tablespoons each: thinly sliced green onions, thinly sliced celery, butter, lemon juice, radish greens (optional) salt and pepper to taste 1 garlic clove, sliced thinly lengthwise 2 small sprigs each: mint, Thai basil 1/2 tablespoon olive oil Preheat oven to 425F. Get out two pieces of parchment paper and brush them with olive oil on one side, leaving a 2" border around the edges free of oil. Put a piece of fish on each piece of parchment, then season with salt and pepper. Add half of the onions, celery, butter, lemon juice, radish greens, garlic, mint and basil to the top of each filet (I put the butter on the very top). Fo...

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with ragout. In my mind, it's not that good but it is easy to make when I feel pressed for energy to devote to cooking. In reality, I love eating ragout because it's good. Really good. This one I particularly enjoyed. I will try to remember I like things like this so I can make them more often. Hope you enjoy! 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed (or even better, without them at all) salt and pepper to taste 1 onion, chopped 3 carrots, diced 2 stalks celery, sliced thinly 6 cloves garlic, chopped 1 8-ounce can mushrooms 1 15-ounce can each: crushed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes (cut up a bit) 2 cups veggie stock 1 tablespoon dried parsley 2 teaspoons dried marjoram 1 bay leaf 1/4 teaspoon chile flakes 1 small sprig rosemary, left whole 3 sprigs basil (I used Thai since it's growing profusely and the Genevese isn't yet), torn into pieces Over medium heat, fry sausage in a large saucepan. Add remainder of first grou...