I met my fiance Brian at a party thrown by mutual friends. Legend has it that once we were introduced, we spent the entire night rooted in place, talking our faces off, until we were the last ones to be politely ejected by the hosts in the wee hours of morning.

When word got out that we’d started dating, there was one single point that everyone agreed would forge us together for all eternity – it wasn’t that we share a fondness for cooking and skiing, or even that we like the same music. It was the fact that in both my studio apartment on the Upper West Side and his 5th floor walkup in the East Village, neither of us had a television.

When people hear that I don’t own a TV, they always assume that I’m some kind of self-righteous, anti-commercial culture activist, which really is just not true. I moved to the city to join Teach For America, and upon moving into my first NYC apartment, my fellow TFA roomies and I decided that we didn’t want to shell out part of our hard-earned salaries to get cable. It turned out to be a great decision, because with all of the work we were doing, combined with the fact that we’d just moved to the city that doesn’t sleep, we didn’t really have a ton of time for the boob-tube.

By the time I finished TFA and could afford to live on my own, I just didn’t want a TV anymore, but I still have shows. I watch HBO at friends’ houses. We have Netflix for the computers. And Hulu has made it impossible not to be addicted to 30 Rock and The Office.

And (finally!) getting to the point of all this, I watch the Food Network at the gym five times a week, pretty much no matter what is on. Sometimes it’s pure pain, and I just can’t watch, like those stupid shows where the guy with the pointy blonde hair takes you to greasy spoons or that plastic-looking woman teaches you how to combine super-processed supermarket items into one dessert and feel good about it. Don’t even get me started on how much I can’t stand Rachel Ray’s chirpy yap.

But it’s money when my treadmill time happens to coincide with Alton Brown or Barefoot Contessa. If they had an Ina Garten marathon, I’d keep running until I passed out just to watch it all. I love her simple food, often made with a delicious twist, her great little tips about how to make things easier/prettier/tastier, and her unwavering commitment to using high-quality, fresh ingredients. I can’t tell you how many simple dinners she has inspired while I’m simultaneously sweating my butt off and drooling all over the workout equipment.

These grilled tuna rolls are a perfect example. I saw them in the gym and had to make them mine. I adored the idea of making a seafood salad with rare, seared tuna and asian flavors, punched up with tabasco and wasabi. I think it’s pure genius to use avocado to add creamy sweetness to the salad instead of mayo, which is so predictable and tired. These rolls were a prefect dinner for a warm fall night, but I can also see myself making them for brunches, picnics, and even mid-winter dinners in the future.

Grilled Tuna Rolls
As demonstrated on Barefoot Contessa, Food to Go

Makes approximately 9 rolls

As with any recipe where fish is cooked raw, it is important that you make sure you buy tuna that is sushi grade to avoid causing food-born illness. Whole Foods is a reliable source of sushi grade fish, and I always call ahead just to be sure. Be very careful not to overcook the fish, tuna that is overcooked tastes like rubbery cardboard. Make sure that you can see a large pink stripe along the side of the tuna while cooking – this will ensure that the inside is still very rare. I recommend doubling the wasabi if you like more heat – we thought that the flavor completely disappeared. Also, you may consider serving this with sides of Tabasco and wasabi powder to allow people to season to their liking.

Good olive oil
1 pound very fresh tuna steak, 1-inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lime, zest grated
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce
5 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1 firm, ripe Hass avocado, medium-diced
1/4 red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced scallion, white and green parts
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
9 hot dog rolls, grilled or toasted
1 bunch baby arugula, washed and spun dry

If you are using a grill:

Heat a charcoal grill with hot coals and brush the grill with olive oil.

Brush both sides of the tuna with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cook the tuna over the hot coals for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate. The tuna should be seared on the outside and raw inside. Allow to cool and cut into cubes.

If you are using your stovetop:

Sear the tuna in a dry saute pan over high heat (take note – NO oil in this preparation). Heat the pan for 2 minutes, add the tuna steaks and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side until seared on the outside and still raw inside.

For both versions:

For the dressing, whisk together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the lime zest, lime juice, wasabi powder, soy sauce, hot sauce, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Toss the avocado in the dressing and then add the tuna, red onion, scallion, and sesame seeds. Line the rolls with arugula leaves, fill with the tuna mixture, and serve.

These are the kinds of recipes that I associate with the likes of Paula Dean – things that we all know we’d love to try, but would flinch if we were to describe the ingredients to anyone. And there I left it, returning to the same cookbook often, because it is awesome, but always skipping the page with this recipe.





Then, back in bread class a few weeks ago, we spent many days laminating dough and perfecting our Viennoiserie technique. At the end of these classes we found ourselves in possession of racks containing literally hundreds of gorgeous, fragrant croissants. I suddenly remembered this recipe, and thought, heck, when will I ever have access to unlimited, free, handmade croissants made with the best ingredients this side of the Atlantic?





And that, kids, is how rationalization works.





It’s also how I wound up leaving a pile of croissants on the kitchen counter to stale on purpose, and then the next evening I quickly combined the ingredients and did the deed, 5 cups of half and half and all. When it was over, I had a lovely, rich bread pudding with a beautiful top, accented by the lamination from the croissants. After sampling it, I discovered that it was way too good (deadly?) to keep in my own fridge and sent it off to Brian’s office for taste testing by some willing (young, athletic) software engineers who have saved me time and again from my own sad willpower by taking many delicious breads off my hands.

Croissant Bread Pudding
As written from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Serves 8-10 people

3 extra-large whole eggs

8 extra-large egg yolks

5 cups half-and-half

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

6 croissants, preferably stale, sliced horizontally

1 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla. Set the custard mixture aside. Slice the croissants in half horizontally. In a 10 by 15 by 2 1/2-inch oval baking dish, distribute the bottoms of the sliced croissants, then add the raisins, then the tops of the croissants (brown side up), being sure the raisins are between the layers of croissants or they will burn while baking. Pour the custard over the croissants and allow to soak for 10 minutes, pressing down gently.

Place the pan in a larger one filled with 1-inch of hot water. Cover the larger pan with aluminum foil, tenting the foil so it doesn’t touch the pudding. Cut a few holes in the foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 40 to 45 more minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I IMed Brian at work today to nag him about going to the gym tonight. Why, you may be asking, would I go ahead and redeem one of the precious few nagging vouchers that are so sparingly distributed to recently-engaged women during these happy pre-wedding plan days? I nag, because I care. I nag because he had eaten at least two of these in the span of 24 hours.

Scroll to the bottom and you’ll see what I mean. The recipe needs no review, there is simply no way that something that calls for this much butter, sugar, and pecans could ever in a million years be bad, no matter the skill level of the baker.

These are a-m-a-z-i-n-g. The crust, i.e., the most rich and buttery shortbread you have ever tasted, is covered in a layer of pecan pie-esque topping that is slightly more chewy with honey-caramel complexity than any pecan pie I’ve ever tasted.

But be warned. These are not for the faint of heart, and I mean that in the most literal sense.

Share one with someone you love, and then go for a very long run together.

Pecan Bars
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

I cut the recipe in half for this attempt and used an 12 by 7 by 2 inch pan.. Be sure to note the proper pan size for the full recipe below (18 by 12 by 1-inch baking sheet), as it yields a whole lot of love.

For the crust:
1 1/4 pounds unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping:
1 pound unsalted butter
1 cup good honey
3 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 pounds pecans, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

For the crust: Beat the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until light, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 18 by 12 by 1-inch baking sheet, making an edge around the outside. It will be very sticky; sprinkle the dough and your hands lightly with flour. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool.

For the topping: Combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and zests in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, using a wooden spoon to stir. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Pour over the crust, trying not to get the filling between the crust and the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bars and serve.