Lately I’ve been sharing more interviews and book reviews than usual so this weekend I want to step back and return to the personal focus I originally intended for this blog. Don’t worry, I’m not going to get all serious on you. In fact just the opposite, by which I mean totally random things that have happened but I haven’t had time to post about. I’d like to share with you, for instance, the the fact that I finally finished the last Harry Potter book - three days after my husband did, which is completely shocking because I usually read much faster than he does. And we are such Potter geeks that mere seconds after I closed the book we got into a philosophical discussion about what form our patronuses (or is it patroni?) would take if, in fact, we possessed magical powers. What do you think yours would be? I argued that mine would be a narwhal, which is a whale with a unicorn-like horn. There was no reason behind my argument, no logical series of steps that led to the conclusion: “Oh, of course Ari. Your patronus would be a narwhal.” Nah, I just had a feeling. Then it occurred to me that Oreo would be an even better patronus - because let’s face it, few things are less dementor-friendly than an deliriously happy Labrador Retriever who spins in circles just for the heck of it.

Oreo says: “I kick dementor bootie!”

Other news: I got a haircut! This may not seem like such an occasion to you, but after my last hairstylist turned into a mega-meanie finding someone new is such a relief. Damian is a complete dream, working out of a high-end NYC salon with massage chairs and a cafe for customers to enjoy while they wait. (I know. I know! I had a latte and a scone.) He took one look at my long, unstyled hair and knew exactly how to give it the sort of body and shape it needed. He even took my complete befuddlement with hair dryers & irons into consideration, giving me lots of thin layers that work with my hair’s natural texture - which means, I don’t have to try and do something with it in the morning. Yay! I practically skipped out the doors I was so happy, and to top it all off he’s an excellent conversationalist. We chatted about Japanese language, culture and even food customs, his having spent years traveling between the US and Japan because his wife is from Tokyo. Did you know that melons can cost hundreds of dollars in Japan? We’re not talking about the ordinary sort found in American grocery stores, but rather objects of perfection with unblemished skin and sweet, colorful meat. According to Damian they are highly prized gifts, with people spending some $200 for one melon. Receiving such a melon is the highest compliment, and when it ripens the fruit is sliced and enjoyed with much ceremony. Interesting no?

Today my husband and I have spent most of our time in the kitchen, which, if you ask me, is just one more sign that I’ve married the perfect man. He’s been pickling things like crazy, turning cucumbers into “bread and butter” pickles and ‘baby carrots’ into “firecrackers,” which are made with dried chilis, chili powder, cider vinegar and mustard seeds, among other things. We began our foray into the world of pickling a couple weeks ago and I must say, we’re hooked. As with many foods, homemade pickles are much better than the store bought variety, with the perfect balance of crunch and sweetness. Firecrackers have bite to them, both when your teeth break through them and when the heat from the chilis hits your tongue. Really, really good, and with those two successes behind us we’ve started to wonder what else we can pickle. Onions? Fruit? Alton Brown has a pickled fruit recipe that looks enticing. (We use this recipe for the pickles and this recipe for the firecrackers, in case you’re interested.)

For my part, I’ve been indulging in a bit of kitchen therapy, aka baking. For the last several weeks I’ve been preparing to write a book review for “The Essential Baker,” making everything from chai spiced coffee cake to miniature jasmine tea cakes in the process. Today I decided to try two more recipes, one for banana-almond muffins and the other for coconut biscotti. The muffins have a cakey, yet firm texture that is enhanced by sliced almonds. And the flavors - what a combination! With bananas, vanilla, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, the batter smells so good that for a second I was tempted to forgo the baking process altogether. I resisted though, and the results went incredibly well with a tall glass of iced Oregon chai.

Most of the muffins will be sent home with friends this afternoon, and originally I had the same plans for the coconut biscotti. But now I’m not so sure. I may want to keep them all for myself. I was going to arrange them in glass mason jars, cover the tops with clear plastic, then seal the whole shebang with a wide, blue & white ribbon. However I happen to adore coconut & almonds… and these cookies would prove remarkable companions to my work-morning coffee. Hmm. Nope, I’m definitely keeping them - mine, all mine! No one will know the difference. At least, not until they read this blog entry. Heh.

Historical aside: biscotti is the plural form of the Italian word “biscotto,” which means “twice baked,” and as you can see in the recipe below these cookies are indeed baked twice. Once in loaf form and then again in slices. This technique gives them a hard texture that makes them perfect for coffee dunking or plain crunchy enjoyment. Their hardness means they keep longer than most cookies, and indeed it’s this staying quality that made them historical favorites among sailors and explorers.

Ok, enough history. I’m hungry, and I think it’s just about time to turn that pizza dough I made this morning into something freshly baked and topped with caramelized onions, mozzarella and goat cheese. I’ll post a review of “The Essential Baker” in my next entry, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy the recipes below. Have a fantastic Sunday and if you haven’t jumped into the raffle yet please shoot me an email so I can figure out how to convince you.

Coconut Biscotti
Reprinted with permission from “The Essential Baker” by Carole Bloom
Ingredients: Makes about 2 dozen

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick liner.

Combine the flour, coconut, almonds, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Use the flat beater attachment or a hand-held mixer to blend together briefly on low speed.

Using a fork, lightly beat together the eggs, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. With the mixer speed on low, add to the dry ingredients and blend together throughly.

Divide the dough into two eqal portions. Dust your hands lightly with flour and shape each piece of dough into a loaf about 8 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide, and 3/4 inches high. Place both loaves on the baking sheet, leaving several inches of space between them. Bake the biscotti for 22 to 24 minutes, until the loaves are light golden and set. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes.

Using a serrated knife (I actually used my sharpest chef knife, since my serrated knife wasn’t slicing through the loaves so well), slice each loaf on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place these slices on their sides on the baking sheet. (To avoid breakage, after you slice a piece rest its weight on the blade of your knife instead of picking it up with your fingers. Slide the piece onto the baking sheet.) Place these slices on their sides on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until firm and golden colored. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer biscotti to racks to cool.

Variations: You can replace the almonds with walnuts, pecans or toasted and skinned hazelnuts if you like. You can also drizzle the biscotti with thin lines of bittersweet, semisweet, milk or white chocolate after they are completely cool. Let the chocolate set for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before serving or storing.

Storage: Store the biscotti in an air-tight container between layers of waxed paper at room temperature. To freeze up to 3 months, wrap the container tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Use a large piece of masking tape and an indelible marker to label and date the contents. If frozen, defrost overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

Banana-Almond Muffins
Reprinted with permission from “The Essential Baker” by Carole Bloom
Ingredients: Makes 12 muffins

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 medium, ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped whole un-blanched almonds

Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 375 degrees F. Line each cavity of the muffin pan with a paper muffin cup. (I lightly greased each cup instead.)

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Use the flat beater attachment or a hand-held mixer to beat the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the butter, and cream together well. One at a time, add the eggs to the butter mixture, stopping to scrap down the bottom and the sides of the bowl after each addition. At first the mixture may look curdled as the eggs are added, but as your stop and scrape down the bowl, the mixture will smooth out.

Use a fork to mash the bananas in a bowl. Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix together well. Add to the butter mixture and blend thoroughly.

Sift together the flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cardamom and blend together.

Add to the banana/butter mixture in 3 stages, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl to promote even blending. Add the almonds to the batter and stir to distribute evenly.

Use a spoon to divine the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling them to the top. Bake the muffins for 25 to 30 minutes, until the are light golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a rack.

Variations: Replace the almonds with walnuts, pecans or toasted hazelnuts. You can also drizzle the tops of the cooled muffins with thin lines of white, milk or dark chocolate. Let the chocolate set for 15 minutes in the refrigerator before storing.

Storage: Store the muffins in an airtight plastic container between layers of waxed paper at room temperature, up to 3 days. To freeze up to 2 months, wrap the container tightly in several layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Use a large piece of masking tape and an indelible marker to label and date the contents. If frozen, defrost overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.