Amanda Hesser, former New York Times Magazine food editor, is quickly becoming my hero. I wrote about her here, when I read her fantastic compilation of food stories. Little did I know, she is the master of creating cool food projects. Food52 is her latest endevour, and I love everything about it: The videos, the website layout (see sample of recipe page here), the twitter integration, and the natural result of a killer cookbook.

Food 52 Trailer from Food52 on Vimeo.

Nothing like chocolate covered goodness to start a Friday morning!!! My cubicle neighbor (who is a burly man who likes to wrestle alligators) just brought in a batch of Oreo Balls. Delicious. Creamy, but maintains the classic Oreo crunch. Chocolate Covered Oreo Balls One package of Oreos, chopped to a powder in food processor One block cream cheese, mixed with oreo powder Roll into balls, stick into freezer to harden, helps keep them stiff when coating with chocolate. Melt 1 bag milk chocolate chips in a double broiler over low/medium heat. Stir continually. Coat balls and place on wax/parchment paper Refrigerate until consumed.

The wine buyer at my local Whole Foods is a wonderful man. He gives me wine samples while I grocery shop. Yes please. This German Riesling was one of his top picks, and it's become my summer favorite. Not too sweet. Clean. Fruity. And under $10. Goes perfectly with Goat Cheese and Pesto Toasts.

I have been craving a simple, light pasta dish, that would have good leftovers. Farfalle (bowtie pasta), shrimp, portabella mushrooms and a few other ingredients did the trick. My new man kept raving about how good it was, and asked me twice, “You made this up? This is great!” Farfalle with Shrimp and Mushrooms in White Wine Sauce 1 package farfalle/bowtie pasta 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined 2 large portabella mushrooms, sliced 1 bunch green onion, finely sliced 1 teaspoon capers 1 can diced tomatoes drained 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup white wine 1/2 cup fresh basil, torn Boil salted water, and cook pasta until tender. Drain and set aside. Heat butter in large saute pan. Add green onions. Salt raw shrimp, and add to pan. Saute shrimp in butter for about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, tomatos and wine. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked through (but shrimp isn’t over cooked.) Remove from heat, and stir in capers. Mix pasta and sauce together in a large bowl, and top with fresh basil. Enjoy with a nice glass of Riesling (my summer favorite!)

Scallops always seemed like a gourmet dish you could only get at a super fancy restaurant. I wasn't quite sure how a normal person would make them. Well, let me tell you the good news . . . they're ridiculously easy. (Personal confession: I have made this same exact dinner four nights in a row: Scallops and Caprese Salad. We'll see if I go for a five night streak.) Pan-Seared Scallops (serves one) 3 - 5 sea scallops (they are bigger than bay scallops) 1 tablespoon butter Seasoning salt (a few shakes) Melt butter in a small saute pan. Sprinkle both sides of scallops with Lawry's Seasoning Salt and place in butter. Sear scallops on each side for about 3 minutes, or until opaque throughout. Serve with caprese salad.

It's Friday. It's time for fun and sweetness. My friend Shelly sent me this recipe for fruit cobbler, and I couldn't resist sharing it with everyone. That's Shelly. Isn't she pretty? Now who's ready for fruit cobbler??? Easy Fruit Cobbler 1 stick of butter 1 cup of milk 1 cup of sugar 1 cup of flour 2 1/2 cups of any fruit (Blueberries, Blackberries, Peaches or Apple) -- you can increase fruit if you like cobbler less bready or decrease it if you like it more bready Mix everything together except butter. Pour mixture into greased pan. Cut stick of butter in small cubes to dot on top of mixture. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until crispy golden brown on top. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

I spend my days at an advertising agency. I study spreadsheets and develop marketing plans. Once in a while, my coworkers share their hidden talents. Todd, one of my fellow spreadsheet-readers never ceases to amaze me. He's a ridiculous golfer, who knows every single airport code (Fort Myers, FL = RSW. Weird.) So I wasn't surprised when he walked in with a peanut butter pie that he made himself. Complete with a homemade oreo crust. Todd's Peanut Butter Pie 1 Oreo Cookie crumb pie shell 10 oz. of creamy peanut butter 8 oz. cool whip 8 oz. of softened cream cheese ¾ cup of honey (I think some chocolate pudding would be nice too)

Directions:

Beat all ingredients until fluffy. Pour into pie shell. Top with chocolate or chopped peanut butter cups, or whatever you want to top with. Refrigerate overnight to let filling set.