Chocolate-It's What's for Dinner

Might not be much of a looker but certainly tasty I'm a sucker for parsnips. I don't ever remember eating them as a kid - unless maybe they were snuck into some soup without my knowledge. There is something so delicious about parsnips. They go so well with carrots. You can always talk me into just roasting these babies in the oven but this recipe caught my eye and it was a nice change. Braised Carrots & Parsnips w/Dried Cranberries (Adapted from Milk Street) 3 T butter 1 shallot, minced 1 1/2 c chicken stock 1/2 c AppleJack* 1 t dried thyme 2 bay leaves salt/pepper 1lb carrots, sliced on the bias** 1lb parsnips, sliced on the bias 1/2 c dried cranberries 1T Dijon mustard Melt 1T of butter in a dutch oven. Add shallot and cook until translucent. Add stock and Apple Jack, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Add salt/pepper, carrots, and parsnips. Return to simmer and reduce heat. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. St...

I'm not a peanut butter fan at all. I just don't get it. Maybe it was all those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as a I child? However, I do understand that that people are crazy for the combination of peanut butter and chocolate (I believe there are these things called Reece's peanut butter cups that people go nuts over?? I don't know). However, I must admit I was intrigued by using Tahini with brownies. Luckily, I had just enough Tahini in the house to give this a try for a last minute invite to a party. Tahini Brownies (Adapted from Milk Street *) 4T butter 4oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped 3T cocoa powder 3 eggs 1c sugar 1T vanilla 1t salt 3/4 c Tahini 1/2 c flour Line an 8-inch square pan with foil. In a saucepan melt butter. Remove from heat and add chocolate and cocoa and stir until melted. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in Tahini. Gently fold in flour. Measure out 1/2 c of the mixture and set as...