Ginger Honey Lemon Tonic

The Chef and I had a major case of the sniffles recently. I spent days laid up on the couch, a pile of kleenex, cough drops, and NyQuil grossly surrounding me. I'm sure like most people I crave specific, uniquely comforting things to eat when I'm sick--in my case, Mrs. Grass's soup, grape popsicles and strawberry shakes from McDonald's (I can't explain it).

Luckily for me, The Chef recovered first and kindly waited on me and my snots. He made this soothing tonic one night and I am convinced it sped me on to a quicker recovery. Honey and lemon are one of those classic flavor combinations, sweet and tart, and the added zing of ginger keeps it interesting. I've already been daydreaming of making a sparkling, chilled version of this in the warmer months.

For 2-3 servings:

• 2-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters
• Honey, to taste
• 3 cups water

Peel and slice the ginger into thin strips. Mash it with the side of a knife to release the juices. Pack the ginger into a tea ball.

In a saucepan, add the water and the tea ball. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour the hot ginger water into a glass, squeeze the wedge of lemon into it and stir in 1-2 teaspoons of honey. Taste and add more honey and lemon if desired.

The ginger water can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to reheat and use.

Peppermint Delights

My mom has one of those recipe boxes, notecard sized, stuffed with handwritten family recipes and clippings from old Chicago Tribune newspapers. She has an inordinate number of Apple Cake recipes that she cut out of the paper which I can say I have never seen her bake.

These cookies came from that recipe box and as good as they taste, the memories I have of helping bake them are even better. The candy canes that go into these cookies need to be crushed and so my mom would arm me with a hammer and a sealed baggie filled with candy canes. I would hunker down on the ground and crush away. It felt very official and like serious work--I loved it.

These cookies are unique not only because of the crushed candies but also because of the large amount of oats in them that bake up crisp and crumbly. I love the minty flavor and can't imagine a Christmas without them.

For 3 dozen cookies:

• 1½ cups flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup regular rolled oats
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/3 cup crushed candy canes
• ½ cup granulated sugar, for flattening cookies

Combine butter and sugar and beat until creamy. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts. Gradually beat in the flour. Stir in the oats and candy. Wrap the dough in wax paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them, 3 inches apart, on an ungreased baking sheet. Place the granulated sugar into a bowl. Butter the bottom of a glass, dip it into the sugar and flatten the cookies, redipping into the sugar for each ball of dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until the edges are barely golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will keep for about a week or so.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I was a notorious vegetable-hater when I was a kid and cauliflower was at the top of my list. I would give it the side-eye while it laid there limp and tasteless on my plate. I suspect my dislike was partly due to the way it was prepared (I hope my mom is not reading this). She would buy a frozen blend that included cauliflower, broccoli and small flecks of red bell pepper. It was boiled and heaped on my plate where it would ooze water. This bothered me because I didn't want any byproduct of said veggie mix to invade the goodness of whatever else I was eating.

It's only since I've grown up and realized that normal, healthy humans eat a variety of vegetables that I started to both force myself to like them and come up with ways of preparing them that pleased my formerly picky palate. I have been especially enthusiastic about cauliflower recently and this simple soup is a great example of turning an ordinary vegetable into something special.

Cauliflower, a little wine, whole milk and a sprinkling of nutty Gruyere blends together to create a delicate tasting soup. I had the perfect wintery lunch the other day serving this soup with some crusty bread and a green salad.

For 4-6 servings:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large head cauliflower, cored and chopped into 2-inch pieces
• ½ cup white wine
• 3½ cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup whole milk
• Gruyere, for garnish

In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic, sautéing for about 15 minutes until soft and translucent.

Raise the heat to medium-high and add the cauliflower, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Cook, allowing the alcohol to evaporate, about 2 minutes more. Stir in the stock, bring to a boil, and then lower the heat and simmer the soup for 20-25 minutes until the cauliflower is very soft.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender, or, blend it in batches in a food processor or blender. For an extra-smooth texture, pour the soup through a sieve. Return the soup to the pot over medium heat. Stir in the milk, taste and add salt if needed. Cook until heated through and serve, sprinkled with some freshly grated Gruyere.

Date, Orange and Fennel Salad

Every year as December approaches, I tell myself not to overindulge in holiday merriment. I perpetually fail at this and wind up on a sweets-free January detox which is mostly miserable. This year I am trying to make a go of eating as healthy as can be expected during the holidays. Each day I try to load up on fruits, vegetables and have had good success at whipping up interesting and good-for-me meals like this salad.

I made this for lunch the other day after buying some dates on a whim. I really love the contrasting and complimentary flavors. The citrus bite of the oranges, the mellow sweetness of the dates, the sharp crunch of the fennel and the toastiness of the hazelnuts makes for a delicious combination - both unique and healthy.

I wasn't sure at first how to dress this salad but ultimately decided to keep it simple and light. A small drizzle of walnut oil along with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and the barest sprinkling of sea salt was just what it needed.

For one serving:

• 1 orange
• 2-3 dates, pitted and sliced into thin strips
• 6 slices of shaved fennel
• 8 hazelnuts
• 2 large leaves of butter lettuce
• Walnut oil
• Lemon
• Sea salt

In a small skillet, toast the hazelnuts until browned and fragrant. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Place the hazelnuts in a towel and rub them together to remove the skins. Coarsely chop the nuts.

Cut off both ends of the orange and then slice off the peel and pith. With a sharp paring knife, cut out the orange segments from the membranes.

Toss the lettuce, hazelnuts, orange segments, fennel and dates in a bowl. Drizzle a little walnut oil and lemon juice over the salad. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and serve immediately.

Brown Sugar Walnut Ice Box Cookies

When I was a kid I went crazy for these cookies my Gram baked around Christmas. I knew them simply as "Ice Box Cookies" which are actually a type of cookie, meaning, the dough is stored in the freezer. Ice box cookies are absolutely ideal for the holidays as the dough can be prepared and frozen well ahead and then simply sliced and baked when convenient.

This might be the most well-loved recipe in my Gram's repertoire and she was the only one who ever made them as far as I know. She wrote down the recipe for me years ago but this is the first time I've made them and I can't tell you how many memories they brought back when I could smell them baking. They are just as I remember - humble in appearance, but perfectly delicious in flavor and texture.

I'm a sucker for any sort of crispy cookie and these are my gold standard. The key is to slice them very thinly...if a thick one manages to sneak into the bunch, the magic is lost.

For 6 dozen or so:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts

In the bowl of a mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Add the sugars, then the eggs, mixing well and scraping the bowl down once or twice.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to the mixing bowl and beat until just combined. Fold in the walnuts.

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of wax paper and with your hands, form it into a rectangular-shaped log about 4 inches in diameter. Roll the log up with the wax paper, tie both ends, and place in the freezer overnight or until ready to bake. One long log can be made, or several, depending on your preference and freezer space.

When ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice the dough about an 1/8-inch thick and place 1-inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are just golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Keep the remaining dough in the freezer until ready to use. The cookies will keep in a covered container for several weeks.

Adult Eggnog

'Tis the season for boozy holiday drinks! When I was growing up, I loved eggnog. My idea of sweet, thick, yellow eggnog was a bit shattered when one of my neighbors started giving my mom a bottle of her own homemade variety. I had a small sip and gasped at the burning alcohol taste. Blech! I couldn't understand why anyone would ruin one of my favorite holiday treats.

Tastes change of course and several years ago I started making my own "adult" eggnog based on a Rick Rodgers recipe and actually scaled back on the amount of booze that he uses. Depending on your preference you can increase or decrease the amount of alcohol but beware, this is a dangerous concoction. Luckily, it's rich enough from the cream and eggs that it keeps one from overdoing it. Sometimes.

The quality of alcohol is very important here. The nog will taste harsh if the cheap stuff is used. I go with Bacardi Special Dark Rum, Knob Creek Bourbon or a good Irish whiskey, and whatever decent type of brandy I have on hand.

For about 2 quarts:

• 6 pasteurized eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 2 cups half & half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup brandy
• 3/4 cup dark rum
• 1/3 cup bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat on high for a couple minutes until thick and creamy. With the mixer on low, add the heavy cream, half & half, vanilla, brandy, rum, bourbon, and nutmeg.

Pour the egg nog into a large pitcher and chill overnight. It will keep, refrigerated, for 2 days. Garnish with a sprinkling of additional nutmeg, if desired.