Earlier this week I met an energetic Italian woman in the baking section of my local Barnes & Noble bookstore. After simultaneously reaching for the same book - then laughing because neither one of us was willing to take it (there was only one copy) - we began talking about our favorite recipes. Eventually we hit upon the topic of food & friends, and at this point she said something that still has my wheels turning: “I love America, but after ten years there is one thing I know for sure - Americans don’t know how to enjoy life.” Taken aback, I asked her why she had come to this conclusion. “I give you an example,” she responded. “In Italy, if I invite a friend for pizza or coffee after work it’s no big deal, they’re happy to hear from me and maybe they even bring their friends along. Why not? But in America… in America everyone is so busy! It’s all work, work, work and ‘I can’t go out because I have to get up early for work’ excuses. Coffee dates mean calling weeks in advance and maybe even then they cancel! That’s no way to live. Life is about people, about enjoying yourself. You Americans let life pass you by. Whoosh!”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to this - mostly because I knew there was some truth to what she said, and also because I was guiltily remembering all those times when I had prioritized the things I “needed” to get done. Was everything as urgent as all that? Probably not. Sometimes it’s important to work for that pot of gold. Yet, as writer D. Pagels once remarked, “some of the secret joys of living are not found by rushing from point A to point B, but by inventing some imaginary letters along the way.”

Inspired by my encounter with this Italian who had her priorities straight, I decided to do two things today: First, I was going to finish tweaking my recipe for coffee-glazed chocolate chip scones. Second, I was going to invite someone over.

I was wildly successful with the first task. After modifying the ingredients many times over the past few weeks, the scones finally achieved that balance of sweetness and texture I’d been looking for. As I finished drizzling the coffee glaze over each one I picked up the phone and called a friend, hoping she’d have a free moment to drop by, or that I could go over with some scones. But though she was free she didn’t feel like driving, and no I couldn’t come over because she had to work on a project due Monday. Similar stories emerged when I called friends 2, 3 and 4 - but before you feel sorry for me there is a happy ending. Because while my American friends didn’t understand my zest for getting together, I knew there was one woman who would get it. That’s right! I called my new Italian friend. I’d accepted her business card after we met - just because - and when I told her my tale of baking scones but having no one to share them with, she said: “So American! I’ll meet you at the park in 30 minutes.” I put the scones in a basket, made a batch of iced cardamom coffee, then headed out with a couple glasses. We had a great time, sitting in the warm sun, nibbling on fresh scones, and sipping iced coffee.

I think there are two morals to this story. 1) Next time a friend wants to meet for coffee, say yes, especially if she’s bearing baked goods; and 2) strangers are just friends waiting to happen.

Before I go, don’t forget about the August book giveaway! You can find out more about this new, monthly event by clicking on the photo to the left or by clicking here. Also, many thanks to everyone who responded to my question about additional features you’d like to see on this site. Beastmomma, I’ve definitely got some one-dish & filling recipes to share; and Sil BsAs, I’ll do my best to feature more desserts! (Shucks, right?)

Coffee-Glazed Chocolate Chip Scones
Ingredients: Makes 8 large scones

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, both packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• About 1/4 cup whole milk

For the coffee glaze:

• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon freshly brewed coffee

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add the butter pieces. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips.

In a small bowl, gently whisk the egg and buttermilk together. Add to dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together in clumps. Coat your hands with flour and gather the dough into a ball. (If the dough is too sticky to handle you can sprinkle flour on it about 1/2 teaspoon at a time, just enough for you to handle it. Don’t add too much or you’ll dry out your dough!) Turn your ball of dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press into a circle about 8 inches in diameter.

Use a medium, round 3-inch cookie cutter to shape the scones. Dip the cookie cutter into some flour, then press into the dough, twisting as you press down. Repeat this process for each scone. You can gather extra bits of dough up into another ball, then flatten and repeat to get a couple extra scones out of the batch.

Brush scones lightly with milk, then bake for 20-24 minutes or until they are golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the scones are cooling, in a small bowl combine the confectioners sugar with the coffee. Mix until you can’t see any little lumps of sugar. Then drizzle over the scones and allow 10-15 minutes for the glaze to set. (Of course, you don’t have to wait for the glaze to set, you can just gobble these right up if you want!)

Iced Cardamom Coffee
Ingredients: Makes 2 servings

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/2 cup water (for simple syrup)
• 8 tablespoons coffee beans + grinder
• 4 1/2 cups filtered water
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon whole cardamom pods, depending on how strong you want the cardamom flavor to be
• Ice cubes
• Milk, to taste

In a medium saucepan combine 4 1/2 cups of water with the cardamom pods. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes. In the meantime, grind your coffee beans and place the grounds in your coffee machine or French press.

Use 4 cups of the cardamom water to brew your coffee. If using an automatic machine, remove the pods first. If using a French press you can add the pods to the press along with the water. In a French press, brew for 5 minutes.

While the coffee is brewing combine the 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, gently whisking the entire time. (You are making what’s called a “simple syrup” which is an excellent way to sweeten cold drinks since sugar does not dissolve well in cold liquid.) When you can’t see the sugar granules anymore and the liquid is clear, the syrup is done. Remove from heat and set aside. (You can store leftover syrup in the fridge for up to 1 week.)

Fill two glasses halfway with ice cubes. Pour coffee over the ice and sweeten with simple syrup. Add milk according to your tastes and enjoy! (I use about 2 tablespoons of syrup & about 1/2 cup low-fat milk per glass. My husband prefers more milk and more syrup.)

Lately I’ve been receiving a lot of requests for quick & easy weeknight dinner ideas: “I loved the tofu scramble and sweet potato post,” wrote one reader named Nikki, “but even though the recipes were easy, I don’t want to wait for a potato to bake! Do you have anything faster? Please tell me it’s possible to have good food without spending much time in the kitchen.” Thank you for taking the time to send your thoughts my way Nikki, and your wish is my command. Not only am I featuring one of my go-to busy weeknight meals in this post, which I hope you’ll love, but I’ve added a “Quick & Easy” category to this site so that I can share more time-saving recipes in the future.

The yummy meal pictured above takes about 30 minutes to make, start to finish. 25 minutes once you’ve done it a few times and have it down pat. Recipe #1: Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, Sage and Thyme requires nothing more than toasting slices of artisan bread and doing some minor prep-work while the slices are turning golden brown. Mince a few cloves of garlic, throw some minced thyme & sage into the mix, then add it all to fresh goat cheese and begin assembling. A couple tips? Much as I love homemade bread I’m all for buying a good quality loaf at Whole Foods or a local bakery for weeknight meals. I also recommend using a couple hours one weekend to create a small herb garden for your home, if possible. If you look at the upper right hand corner of the first photo on this page, you can see my oregano plant peeking in. (That oregano plant is such a camera diva, I tell ya!) The plants are in a window box that lives on my porch during the summer months and will be moved beneath a sunny window indoors once winter arrives. Having a few staple plants growing at home - oregano, sage, thyme, basil and mint are my picks - will save you both time and money in the future, especially since most recipes only call for a few teaspoons of each herb.

Recipe #2 is for a refreshing Strawberry Melonade, which in my humble opinion, really pulls this summer meal together. Made with honeydew melon, strawberries, fresh mint, and Midori it takes mere moments to put together and I guarantee it will bring a smile to your face. Simply juice two lemons, then add the liquid to a blender with your strawberries and melon, plus a handful of mint leaves and some sugar water. In order to make this recipe as quick as possible you can make the “simple syrup” (which is the technical term for the H2O + sugar mixture you’ll be making, see below) the night before, even in larger batches if you plan on making this drink more than once. I also recommend either purchasing pre-sliced melon & strawberries or carving up your melon on the weekend. It will keep in your fridge for about five days and significantly cuts down on mid-week prep-time.

I hope these recipes demonstrate the amazing possibilities of a fast weeknight meal, while also piquing your interest in my new “Quick & Easy” category. Also, Nikki’s question made me wonder: are there other kinds of recipes, types of posts, etc, you’d like to see on Baking and Books? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

Finally, before you go, take a moment to look around the site as there are new features (and quite a few back-end modifications, which you can’t see, but I’m very happy about them!). They include: a “Related Posts” section at the end of every entry, a “highlight author” feature that will mark my responses to your comments in blue, a “Share This” option for sending posts you like to social networks or emailing/IMing them to friends, and info about a monthly giveaway, which is particularly relevant to this entry. Check it out in the right-hand sidebar or by clicking here.

Have a great week!

Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, Sage and Thyme
Adapted from Fresh Food Fast by Peter Berley
Ingredients: Serves 2-3

• 9 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 3 large, fresh sage leaves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• Coarse river or sea salt (kosher salt works too), black pepper
• 6 large slices of good quality artisan bread (I prefer whole wheat ciabatta), about 1-inch thick
• 3 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and sliced
• About 4 large handfuls of baby spinach
• About 4 tablespoons pine nuts
• Balsamic vinegar to taste (Use the best quality vinegar you can find. I prefer one that has been aged at least 6 years - available at Whole Foods)

Toast your bread slices until golden, set aside. Combine the minced thyme and sage in a small bowl.

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, goat cheese and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add half of your thyme-sage mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange the toasted slices of bread on a rimmed baking sheet. I prefer to arrange them side by side, so that they’re touching and the goat cheese mixture is less likely to fall onto the baking sheet. Spread the goat cheese mixture onto each slice, using a tablespoon and your fingers to gently pat it onto each piece.

Top with the sliced tomatoes. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with the rest of the thyme-sage mixture. Place under the broiler until the tomatoes have softened a bit, about 4 minutes. Keep an eye on your bruschetta when it’s in the oven - your broiler may be hotter than mine.

Top each bruschetta with baby spinach. I generally grab a handful and roughly tear the leaves with my fingers before placing it on top. Sprinkle with 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of pine nuts per slice. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar to taste.

Strawberry Melonade
Ingredients: Makes 4 servings
Based on this Food & Wine recipe

• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 cups peeled honeydew melon, cut into a 1-inch dice
• 1 1/4 cups strawberries, stems chopped off
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons + 1 lemon for garnish
• 1/4 cup tightly packed mint leaves, plus more for garnish
• Ice cubes
• Seltzer water
• Midori Melon Liqueur, about 1-2 tablespoons per glass

In a small saucepan, combine the water with the sugar and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let cool completely.

In a blender, puree the melon and strawberries with the lemon juice, mint and sugar syrup. Fill 4 large glasses with ice and pour in the melon puree. Top with seltzer, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Midori to the glass. Garnish with mint and lemon slices and serve.