Restaurant: All-Purpose (Washington, D.C.)

Buona pizza

It's hard to believe there was a time--not too long ago--when 2 Amys was viewed as the only serious pizza game in town. My how things have changed.

Today, Washingtonians have an almost embarrassing selection of riches when it comes to finding good pizza. Comet Ping-Pong, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last weekend, perfected the casual vibe of a neighborhood pizzeria with decidedly fine quality wood-fired-oven pizzas. Wiseguy NY Pizza satisfied that craving for New York-style pizza without going to The Big Apple. And the 14th Street crowd are in good hands with the pies from Etto, a 2 Amys offshoot, and Ghibellina. I've enjoyed quite good pizza at Ardeo, Arcuri, Graffito and Vace. Almost every style of pizza is well-covered here, save for good Chicago-style pizza, which is MIA since the closure of Armand's Tenleytown a few years ago (and yes, I'm aware of District of Pi--the less said, the better). A few other places I haven't visited, such as Il Canale and Menomalé, also draw rave reviews. And while it's not exactly "gourmet," an Adams-Morgan Jumbo Slice certainly hits the spot in the wee hours of the morning after a night of bar-hopping.

Against this backdrop of seemingly endless choices for crust, sauce, cheese and toppings, I was skeptical when I heard that D.C. was getting yet another pizzeria with All-Purpose. Sure, it was opening in Shaw, the city's white-hot restaurant neighborhood, with a prime slot near 9th & N, a geographic focal point of the D.C. new food boom.

That skepticism quickly vanished after my first visit to the handsome and inviting establishment.

Sleepy Hollow pizza

My first trip to All-Purpose was at lunch, just days after Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema named the restaurant his favorite in the city for his annual Fall Dining Guide. I arrived early, expecting it to be busy, but was actually surprised by how sparsely packed the dining room was (note to All-Purpose fans: weekday lunch appears to be a good time to get a table here. Second note to All-Purpose fans, unlike other hot D.C. restaurants, they take reservations! Yay!). With the piling accolades, I was expecting something fancy, but All-Purpose has a very casual, laid-back vibe, with bare wood tables, wood paneling and tile flooring (all those hard surfaces, while lovely, do make for a pretty noisy restaurant when it is busy).

All-Purpose's warmth doesn't stop at the decor. The staff is quite friendly too. Both during my lunch and dinner visits, I encountered friendly hosts, managers and servers, the last of which were efficient, attentive and prepared to answer questions. I even got to chat with one of the cooks who came out of the kitchen to tell me how they make their dough (more on that later).

Starting the evening with a cocktail isn't a bad idea. All-Purpose's drinks list includes a short menu of classic cocktails like a Black Manhattan, an Italian spin on the whiskey classic that substitutes Averna for sweet vermouth. There's also a short list of European and American wines by the glass, a longer list of beers and a quite long list of wines by the bottle.

And the pizza? It's divine. Absolutely among the best pizza I've had in D.C. or anywhere. During my first visit I ordered the Buona, quite possibly the best pepperoni pizza I've had in my life. It's insanely good. Simple too: large slices of pepperoni, chili-honey (basically lightly spicy honey) and fresh basil top a traditional base of mozzarella and tomato sauce. I'm getting hungry writing about it. It was so good that when Chris and I went for dinner a couple weeks later, I insisted he try it too. We also got the Sleepy Hollow, a seasonally delicious mixture of roasted Brussels sprouts, pancetta, smoked mozzarella, onion and tomato sauce. As much as I loved the Buona, it would be hard to say I preferred it over the equally masterful Sleepy Hollow.

Caesar Salad

All-Purpose pizzas come in an individual size, so ordering several and sharing (or if you must, one for yourself) works great. Although pizza is clearly the focus here, All-Purpose offers a few other entrees, including a lasagna, and quite a few small plates. At lunch, there are also some sandwiches. During dinner, we started the evening with a fresh-tasting Caesar salad, which arrives as a stack of little gem lettuce leaves coated with a nicely acidic anchovy dressing, parmesan and breadcrumbs (quite small, so don't expect croutons). If you like the Caesar, it also shows up at lunch as the Cape May pizza, which I haven't had but hear is another standout.

Now let's talk about that pizza crust. You know how sometimes you eat pizza and skip eating the final arc-shaped piece of crust without toppings? (Yes, I know this practice is anathema to many of you, but some employ it as a way of portion-control.) Well, you won't want to do that here, because the crust is absolutely delicious. This is where chef Mike Friedman has gotten quite inventive. All-Purpose uses a blend of flours that includes whole-wheat flour--unusual, since most pizza just uses all-purpose flour (sort of ironic, given their name). It also incorporates malt powder, which gives the yeast an additional source of fuel while also providing caramelization for the crust when it bakes. Then, the dough is aged for 3 days, allowing for significant fermentation. The pizzas are baked in a deck oven, rather than the trendy wood-fired oven.

If you're hankering for dessert, All-Purpose has a partnership with Tiffany MacIsaac's next-door bakery, Buttercream, an inspired establishment in its own right. Although the cakes sound amazing, we split a delicious dish of peanut-butter soft-serve ice cream with caramel sauce and cookie crumbles (the menu said it had a concord grape element too, although I couldn't discern that by taste). If you're thinking of skipping dessert, at least stop next door and pick up a few of Buttercream's wonderful cookies for later. You won't regret it, nor will you regret giving this gem of a pizza restaurant a chance.

All Purpose, 1250 9th Street NW (near M Street across from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center). (202) 849-6174. Reservations: Resy.

Thanksgiving Stuffing Recipes

Is it "stuffing" or "dressing"? technically the latter is the correct term if it's cooked outside the bird; however, since "dressing" is so closely associated with salad dressing, I just prefer to call it all stuffing. Regardless of where it's cooked--and I recommend outside the bird for food safety reasons--it's one of Thanksgiving's most delicious and versatile dishes.

The foundation of a good stuffing is sautéed aromatic vegetables (usually onion and often celery), dry bread (of course), maybe some protein such as sausage or bacon and liquid, usually a stock. After that, you've got a lot of room to build in the flavors you really like. I love to experiment with stuffing, as shown by the mix of recipes below.

Classic 11-Ingredient Stuffing. Here's a good place to start if you've never made stuffing from scratch before. The only way to make stuffing easier is to go the boxed route (which I don't recommend). Fresh sage and dried thyme flavor this simple mixture of onion, celery and sourdough bread cubes.

Sausage Cornbread Stuffing. This is my favorite traditional stuffing--basically my go-to almost every Thanksgiving. It's similar to the Classic 11-Ingredient Stuffing except made with cornbread, although I like to mix it up with dried cranberries sometimes.

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Fennel (pictured above). Another cornbread stuffing variation--this one I found in Bon Appétit magazine. In addition to the fennel, scallions, pear, marjoram and white wine make this an interesting and flavorful stuffing.

Rye Bread Stuffing. I usually make stuffing with some kind of white bread, if I'm not using cornbread, but with this recipe I decided to see what rye bread would be like. There's bacon and apple in this one too.

Italian Stuffing. I told you there were a lot of possibilities for variation with stuffings. This one looks to Italy with Italian bread, pine nuts, pancetta, fennel and dried figs.

Southwestern Cornbread Stuffing (pictured above). Stuffing is usually pretty mild, but with this version I gave it a spicy kick with chorizo and chipotles in adobe. Don't forget to include the pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in this stuffing.

Oregon Stuffing. Wanting something that nods to my childhood state, this one includes sourdough, hazelnuts, apple, dried blueberries and Oregon beer.

Asian Grain Stuffing. Not into bread? Use whole grains instead. Here, brown rice mixes with sausage, onion, celery, carrot, shiitakes, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar and red chili pepper flakes for a dish with subtle Asian flavor.

Thanksgiving Central

Thanksgiving Breads Recipes

It's not Thanksgiving without biscuits at our house. Sure, it may seem redundant to have yet another carb when there are already plenty of others on offer.

I'm a big fan of quick breads for Thanksgiving and biscuits in particular. Drop biscuits, like the Cranberry-Walnut Drop Biscuits I shared yesterday make a great choice, since you mix the ingredients together, plop them onto a baking sheet and stick them in a hot oven. Very simple.

Biscuits that are rolled out and cut are a little more work, but offer a more uniform look and a really nice texture. The Butter-Flaky Biscuits pictured at top are one of my favorites. The buttery dough is rolled out and folded several times, creating layers of buttery goodness. Rosemary, Onion and Black Pepper Biscuits pack a lot of bold flavors into a savory biscuit. Similarly, I love Cheesy Scallion-Corn Biscuits, especially with a Homemade Compound Butter spiked with fresh chives.

For something with a bit of smoke and sweetness, I recommend Butternut Squash, Pecan and Bacon Bread (pictured above), which comes together quickly if you roast the squash in advance. Lastly, although I usually make cornbread to cube into stuffing, Simple Cornbread is pretty amazing on its own as well.

Thanksgiving Central
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Cranberry-Walnut Drop Biscuits

Welcome to Thanksgiving recipe month! If there's a loose theme to this month's recipes, it's adaptability: how to take other recipes and tweak them in small but smart ways to make them something different. Adapting recipes is one of the easiest ways to be creative in the kitchen. You're not inventing something from scratch--probably fruitless anyway unless your exploring the outer reaches of gastronomy. Chances are your "invention" has already been done by someone else. Instead, why not start with an established recipe and give it your own spin (with due credit to the originators, of course)?

I adapted this recipe for these wonderful biscuits from Serious Eats' Quick and Easy Drop Biscuits Recipe. When making this, I accidentally added 1 3/4 cups of milk instead of 3/4 cup. As I was stirring the dough, I thought "wow, this is really soupy for biscuit dough." When I realized the mistake, the best way to solve the problem: double the recipe. I cut it back down to size for the recipe below.

Cranberry-Walnut Drop Biscuits
Adapted from a recipe by Marissa Sertich Velie for Serious Eats

4 oz. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and refrigerated
8 oz. (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 cup whole milk
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup dried cranberries

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

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and toss with the dry ingredients until coated with the flour mixture. Use your fingers (or a pastry blender) to rub (or cut) the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture has a coarse sandy texture.

3. Add the milk, walnuts and dried cranberries and stir the mixture with a fork until it just comes together into a slightly sticky dough.

4. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, mound balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds. Bake the biscuits until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. Let biscuits cool slightly, then transfer them to a wire rack.

Thanksgiving Central

D.C.'s Michelin-Starred Restaurants: Local Perspectives

A salad from Tail Up Goat

The D.C. restaurant scene was abuzz this past week with the long-awaited reveal of which restaurants would receive stars from Michelin, the French tire company that, for over a century, has also published various travel guides.

When people talk about restaurants' Michelin stars, their referring to the ratings in the red guides--Michelin publications that review the restaurants in a particular major city. With the addition of the Washington, D.C. guide last week, Michelin has four guides to U.S. cities, which also include Chicago, New York and San Francisco (previously published guides to Las Vegas and Los Angeles are no longer updated).

That Michelin would consider a guide to Washington, D.C. at all raised a few eyebrows: "Washington, D.C. isn’t typically regarded as a destination for fine dining," begins the CBS news story about the D.C. guide. "No knock on D.C., but it gets into current Michelin Guide while L.A. doesn't? As 4th U.S. city in guide? Nuts," tweeted former New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni.

Some speculated that the guide was, in part, a ploy to improve Michelin's image among American lawmakers and regulators--keeping in mind the aforementioned fact that selling tires is Michelin's main business, which is potentially affected by transportation law and regulation. Michelin confirmed as much in an interview with Washingtonian. Yet the article also pointed out that "excitement, evolution, and innovation in the culinary scene" are the first and most important factors in selecting a city for a guide.

Certainly Michelin is not alone in recognizing D.C.'s emergent status as a culinary destination. Bon Appétit named Washington its "Restaurant City of the Year" for 2016. D.C. restaurants consistently get nominated for and win James Beard Foundation awards, such as this year's Mid-Atlantic chef award for Aaron Silverman of Rose's Luxury. 

Those, like me, who have lived in the city for some time and paid attention to its restaurant scene have watched that scene explode in recent years in very exciting ways. When I first came to D.C. in 1999, the restaurant scene was a lot different. Most of the "fancy" restaurants downtown consisted of steak and seafood places situated to take advantage of lobbyist expense accounts. Neighborhoods like Georgetown, Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill had a few worthy spots, but finding a good meal in places like Logan Circle, Shaw or H Street NE would have been a real challenge back then. Even parts of downtown, like Penn Quarter, weren't fully developed into the kind of restaurant destination zones they are now. Downtown D.C. is vibrant place on weekends now; 15 years ago, it was a struggle to find a decent place to have lunch on Saturday, as there simply weren't many choices that were open. We mostly ate in Dupont Circle or Adams Morgan on the weekend, and hardly ever ventured east of 17th Street--there just weren't many reasons to do so. 

Pork entree from The Dabney

Today the story is very different, with neighborhoods all over the city sporting significant restaurant openings every week. The last few years, D.C. restaurant openings have proceeded at a pace that's impossible to keep up with, as areas like 14th Street, Shaw, Bloomingdale, H Street, Petworth and Navy Yard have transformed into major food destinations. Once the Waterfront development is completed soon, expect another boom of new restaurants there. 

So, if you've been paying attention, the Michelin Guide for D.C. isn't that surprising at all. Neither is the fact that most of the restaurants picked for stars in the inaugural guide are fairly new. Below, I profile those restaurants, including links to local reviews (including my own for the four 1-star restaurants I've visited). Want to know more about how the reviews work? Washington Post has you covered. Want to see all the restaurants mapped? DC Eater has that very useful post here. There were also some snubs of restaurants that many expected to get stars. Rasika is surely top of that list. Washington Post's Tom Sietsema identifies that and others. Some were also surprised that no D.C. restaurants received 3 stars--Michelin's highest grade--although I suspect that perhaps next year one or more of the 2-star-rated restaurants may move up once the inspectors are able to better judge consistency. On to the restaurants!

3-Stars

(none)

2-Stars

The Inn at Little Washington

Location: 309 Middle Street, Washington, Virginia (about 90-minute drive west of D.C.)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Patrick O'Connell (chef/proprietor)

Opened: 1978

Notes: Many were surprised to see The Inn at Little Washington on the Michelin list, since the guide had stated it would only rate restaurants within the D.C. city limits. However, a special exception was made for The Inn. When you consider how important it is the area's dining scene, it makes complete sense. The Inn at Little Washington has long been considered a top food destination for the area, a place of elegance and--since it's 90 minutes away--a good excuse to get out of the city and make a weekend of it. Says Washingtonian Magazine: "Turning the big 4-0? Celebrating an anniversary? There are few more over-the-top occasion markers in the country than Patrick O’Connell’s baroque Rappahannock County getaway. The grande-dame decor, with its mauve silk lampshades and tapestries, isn’t for every taste, but the place somehow doesn’t feel stuffy. Credit O’Connell’s seamless fusion of folksy and fancy."

Minibar by José Andrés

Location: 855 E Street NW (Penn Quarter)

Cuisine: Modernist

Chef: José Andrés (chef/owner)

Opened: 2012 (a smaller precursor opened as part of Cafe Atlantico in 2003)

Notes: As much a magic show as a dinner, Minibar has been described as a dining experience unlike any other, delivering D.C.'s most innovative tastes. It's also very expensive: the chef's counter starts at $275 per person; the "private dining" experience starts at $565. Regardless, chef and owner José Andrés is one of the great--perhaps greatest--chefs from D.C., helping to put D.C. on the food map with restaurants like Jaleo and Zaytinya (which made the Bib Gourmand list below). Says Washington Post restaurant critic Tom Sietsema: "No two deliveries are ever the same at Minibar, the intimate restaurant from José Andrés that adds up to a comedy show, a science demonstration and one of the most original dinners staged in this country. Over the course of a few hours, everything you think you know about food is likely to be challenged."

Pineapple and Pearls

Location: 715 8th Street SE (Barrack's Row)

Cuisine: Eclectic, creative

Chef: Aaron Silverman (chef/owner), Scott Muns (head chef)

Opened: 2016

Notes: No D.C. restaurant opened in the last 5 years has made a bigger splash than Rose's Luxury (see below). So expectations were high for Rose's chef Aaron Silverman's second course. More upscale than Rose's, Pineapple and Pearls offers a creative multi-course tasting menu. Like Rose's, it has earned many accolades (including 4 stars from the Washington Post). Unlike Rose's, it takes reservations--in fact, they are basically required. Says D.C. blogger Been There, Eaten That: "While we’ve dined at similarly priced restaurants that infuse wizardry into their presentation, the approach here is more subtle and playful, while still captivating."

Blue Duck Tavern's famous apple pie

1-Star

Blue Duck Tavern

Location: 1201 24th Street, NW in the Park Hyatt Hotel (West End)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Franck Loquet (executive chef), Brad Deboy (chef de cuisine)

Opened: 2006

Notes: Blue Duck Tavern is a wonderful example of how a hotel restaurant can be so much more than that. Although it's been around for 10 years, it really started to heat up in 2011 under its former chef, Chef Sebastien Archambault. My take: "The setting fits the food perfectly. Low, warm lights, large glass windows, lots of natural wood and some old-fashioned wall quilts speak to the rustic but upscale American cooking coming from the kitchen."

The Dabney

Location: 22 Blagden Alley NW (between M and N and 9th and 10th Streets NW in Shaw)

Cuisine: Mid-Atlantic/Southern

Chef: Jeremiah Langhorne

Opened: 2015

Notes: Shaw's red-hot restaurant scene doesn't get hotter than this. Quite literally actually, since chef Langhorne cooks all of the restaurant's food on a giant open-pit fire, making for a wonderful visual and absolutely delicious flame-kissed cooking. My take: "If you're still apprehensive about wandering down an urban alley to find dinner, keep in mind that Diagon Alley is where you go to find all the best magic shops in the Harry Potter world. And in Blagden Alley, you'll find The Dabney brings a touch of magic to the real world."

Fiola

Location: 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, entrance on Indiana Avenue (Penn Quarter)

Cuisine: Italian

Chef: Fabio Trabocchi, Chris Watson (executive chef), Alex Rosser (chef de cuisine)

Opened: 2011

Notes: D.C. has no shortage of good Italian restaurants, but this handsome Penn Quarter destination is perhaps its finest. Since opening Fiola in 2011, chef Fabio Trabocchi has successfully expanded with Casa Luca and Fiola Mare, with a fourth restaurant, Sfoglina (in my neighborhood!!!!) coming soon. My take: "Our recent dinner there was exceptional, marked by both good food and good service."

Kinship

Location: 1015 7th Street NW (near the Convention Center)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Eric Ziebold 

Opened: 2015

Notes: When Chef Eric Ziebold left 4-star CityZen in the Mandarin Hotel in 2014, the restaurant owners closed it instead of finding a new chef. A year later, Ziebold returned to the D.C. restaurant scene with Kinship, his new concept which, along with its sister-restaurant tasting-menu focused Metier, has already proven as popular and acclaimed as his previous establishment. Says Tom Sietsema: "Kinship’s menu, divided into categories including “craft” and “history,” requires some concentration, but the payoff includes custardy veal sweetbreads served with designer ham and truffles, and a mushroom torchon accessorized with toasted brioche and a tangy celery root salad."

Masseria

Location: 1340 4th Street NE

Cuisine: Italian

Chef: Nicholas Stefanelli

Opened: 2015

Notes: Chef Nicholas Stefanelli has been an up-and-comer in the D.C. food scene for some time, cooking at noted area Italian restaurants such as Galileo, Maestro and Bibiana (he even did a stint at The French Laundry). With Masseria, he steps out as a chef/owner and his earning his most promising accolades yet. Says D.C. blogger What Mickey Eats: "The inspired tasting-menus are rooted in the flavors of Chef Nick's Italian heritage and showcase the organic, exploratory sensibility of the country’s cuisine emerging from its daily markets and seasonality of ingredients.  Each course was a virtual trip to the pretty seaside of Puglia."

Plume

Location: 1200 16th Street NW (Jefferson Hotel)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Ralf Schlegel 

Opened: 2009

Notes: Plume's inclusion among the Michelin-starred restaurants was a bit of a surprise, as it hasn't had quite the profile of the other choices. But it's food accolades are solid. Says D.C. blogger Girl Meets Food about the restaurant's Lobster Fumidor: "And while Plume at the Jefferson Hotel is every bit as fancy as Babette’s Supper Club, nobody gets hurt here.  Except the lobster."

Rose’s Luxury

Location: 717 8th Street SE (Barrack's Row)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Aaron Silverman

Opened: 2013

Notes: Since opening 3 years ago, Rose's Luxury has become D.C.'s most talked-about restaurant, notable as much for its mouth-watering food as it is for its blocks-long line (annoyingly, it refuses to offer reservations except for very large parties). Says D.C. blog In a D.C. Minute: "The menu at Rose’s Luxury is fit for the wealthiest DC lobbyist in the finest suit, yet the waiting line is filled with rolled up sleeves and women wearing comfy flats."

Sushi Taro

Location: 1503 17th Street NW (Dupont Circle)

Cuisine: Japanese

Chef: Nobu Yamazaki

Opened: 1986

Notes: Like Plume, Sushi Taro has a comparatively low profile, although I understand it is well-respected among those who love sushi. Says D.C. blogger Capital Spice: "The fish was among the freshest I had tasted at that point, which helped me branch out beyond my comfort zone and try some new items like uni (sea urchin) and hokkigai (surf clam)."

Tail Up Goat

Location: 1827 Adams Mill Road, entrance on Lanier Place (Adams Morgan)

Cuisine: American

Chef: Jon Sybert

Opened: 2016

Notes: After Pineapple and Pearls, Tail Up Goat is the second-newest D.C. restaurant to earn a Michelin star--more than half the 12 restaurants earning stars have been open 5 years or less. In that time, it's already become one of the best reasons to check out an increasingly revitalized Adams-Morgan. My take: "I expected the food at Tail Up Goat to be good, but I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber of its service. Everyone was friendly, including a manager who came by and thanked us for coming. And their excitement about the restaurant seemed genuine."

Bib Gourmand

In addition to the starred-restaurants, Michelin also provided a list of "Bib Gourmand" restaurants, other recommended establishments at a lower price point. Those that I've visited are linked to my reviews (which, coincidentally, are the four restaurants under José Andrés' umbrella).

Bad Saint

Bidwell

Boqueria

Chercher

China Chilcano

Das

Doi Moi

Jaleo

Kyirisan

Lapis

Maketto

Ottoman Taverna

Oyamel

Pearl Dive Oyster Palace

Red Hen

Royal

Thip Khao

2Amys

Zaytinya

Roasted Tomato and Sausage Baked Ziti

Say what you want about Carmela Soprano, but the woman can cook. Re-watching The Sopranos recently gave me a major hankering for some of her baked ziti, a dish she trotted out with some frequency for family dinners and guests (she even dumped an entire batch into the garbage once, the horror!).

This is the sort of dish which you can make lots of different ways, although it's never going to be a truly "quick" meal. About the shortest way to do it is with a jarred meat-and-tomato sauce, although you're still looking at an hour-long dish, since you have to first boil the noodles before assembling and baking the dish (plus, you're using jarred sauce, which is frankly not very good compared to what you could whip up yourself is about the same amount of time). The longest route involves making Italian "Sunday gravy," a meat, vegetable and tomato sauce that bubbles on your stove all afternoon. Obviously, I'd rather have something like that than something from the jar, but cooking all afternoon can be tiring.

My version finds what I think is a happy medium. My sauce comes together quickly but is made with all fresh ingredients, including fresh tomatoes that roasted the previous afternoon. I used a mixture of hot and mild Italian sausage, but you could certainly use only one or the other, depending on your heat preference. A lot of recipes add egg to the ricotta, presumably to smooth it out so you can spread it more easily. I find gently heating it in the microwave to do the trick just fine.

I served this with a simple side salad of lettuce dressed with a mustard vinaigrette and a 2008 Plumpjack syrah, a nice choice, since it's slight sweetness, spicy flavor and mild tannins complemented the pasta perfectly.

Roasted Tomato and Sausage Baked Ziti

Makes 8 servings

Note: to soften ricotta that's just out of the refrigerator, transfer to a microwave-safe container and microwave on high for 10 seconds, stir and repeat until the ricotta is easily spreadable.

1 lb. dried ziti noodles (may use other tube-shaped noodles, such as penne)
Salt, to taste.
3/4 lb. hot or mild Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 recipe of simple roasted tomatoes (see recipe below)
1/2 cup dry white wine (may use dry vermouth if you have some on hand you're trying to use up)
Olive oil spray or additional olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese, softened (see note above)
8 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (I recommend shredding it yourself)
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add noodles and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

3. Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up as the sausage cooks through. Remove cooked sausage from pan and transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Remove sausage drippings from pan. Transfer the sausage to a cutting board and chop to an even pebble-sized consistency.

4. Add olive oil and butter to the pan. When the butter is melted, add the onion and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked sausage, roasted tomatoes, white wine and 1 cup of water. Increase heat to bring mixture to a bubble, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the cooked ziti noodles.

5. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with olive oil (or brush with olive oil). Transfer half of the noodles-and-sauce mixture to the baking dish and smooth with a spatula. Spread the ricotta on top, then spread half of the shredded mozzarella over the ricotta. Add the remaining noodles-and-sauce on top in an even layer, then spread the remaining mozzarella on top of that. Sprinkle with the grated parmigano-reggiano cheese.

6. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the hot oven covered for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Remove from oven, allow to cool about 5 minutes and serve.

Simple Roasted Tomatoes

3 lb. fresh tomatoes, stem end removed, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus olive oil spray
Kosher salt, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Add the tomatoes to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to combine. Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with olive oil. Spread the tomatoes in an even layer in the baking dish.

3. Bake the tomatoes until they have reduced significantly in size, look shrived and are starting to brown around the edges, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Stir every hour for the first couple hours, then more frequently, up to every 10 to 15 minutes when around the time you hit the 3-hour mark and most of the liquid has evaporated. This is to prevent the tomatoes from burning.

4. When done, the tomatoes should be shrived, lightly browned in places with little moisture remaining in the pan. Remove from the oven, allow to cool, then transfer to a container to store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

Vegan Southwestern Spelt and Squash Bowl

It finally feels like fall, and after a week of vacation in Southern California, we were desperate for some healthy eating. This vegan grain bowl foots the bill perfectly, composed of chewy spelt, roasted butternut squash, onion, sage, pepitas and a kick of smoky chipotle chili powder. That's this dish is vegan was basically accidental--it dawned on me while we were eating it that it contained no meat or dairy ingredients. That said, some crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese would be good here, as would some dried cranberries.

Vegan Southwestern Spelt and Squash Bowl

1 cup spelt berries
Salt, to taste
16-20 oz. butternut squash (peeled and seeded), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large or 3 medium celery stalks, halved and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Seasoned salt, to taste
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. or more chipotle chili powder
2 tbsp. fresh sage, minced
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Juice from 1 lime

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan with a lid. Rinse the spelt and add to the boiling water with a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to simmer, covered, until the berries are tender but still chewy, about 40 minutes. Drain any excess water.

2. Preheat oven to 475 F. Combing cut squash with 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt. Spread in an even layer on an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Use a spatula to flip the squash cubes over and continue roasting until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, the use the spatula to remove from the foil.

3. In a large steep-sided saute pan, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic, season with seasoned salt, cumin and chipotle chili pepper, and sauté until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the sage and black beans and cook another couple minutes until fragrant and heated. Stir in the roasted squash, cooked spelt, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and lime juice and turn off the heat. Serve in large shallow bowls.