Pear Custard Pie

Don't let the "Pie" in the title scare you. This recipe is basically just a clafoutis, it's crustless, and it's so easy. Seriously, you just peel and slice some pears then blend up a super simple batter and bake until the pie is golden brown. I think it's simple enough for a weeknight dessert, but also elegant enough for a small dinner party.

The flavors are subtle but delicious, with just enough sugar to be sweet, but not overly saccharine. The custard gets nicely creamy and a bit eggy between the pear slices. While the sugar and flour bake up a little crunchy/caramelized around the rim. But the touch of vanilla and delicate floral taste of the pears are really what makes the dessert so lovely. Oh and the smell from the oven as this bakes is amazing.

Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onion

Back in August I wrote about Topo Gigio and the amazing seafood pasta my sister ordered. That pasta had fantastic calamari and mussels and scallops but what made it really delicious was the sauce. It had the most perfect tomato flavor with minimal chunks and an underlying richness. I dreamed of that pasta for months. Then, in November, I found myself devouring months and months of posts from Orangette. When I came across Molly's blog on tomato sauce I thought, 'I can do that.' So I did. And with my first taste it was like 'that's it!' It's probably not exactly like the sauce from Topo Gigio, but it's close enough for me.

Almond Coconut Macaroons

Oh man are these delicious. And so freakin' easy. And easy, as you might have noticed, is quite important to me. Back in my undergraduate days my bff/roommate, Katy, and I would buy bags of Archway coconut macaroons from Marsh and eat one after another while watching Law & Order repeats in the middle of the afternoon. Those were pretty good, but this recipe blows them out of the water. They get gorgeously golden brown and crispy around the edges but stay moist and soft on the inside. Even my dad liked them and he doesn't even eat coconut. If only I'd known macaroons were so simple, I would have been making them for years!

Farmhouse Butternut Squash Soup

Gourmet is gone, which makes me sad even though I've only recently begun reading old copies. Checking out random issues from the library, along with issues of Bon Apetit. To be honest I find the writing and recipes in Gourmet so much more inviting and fun to read. As for Bon Apetit, I don't really care for the format and, especially, the food photography. But what can you do?