Tomorrow night is the finale of TOP CHEF , and I am interested in knowing if any other Forkers are as into it as we are. We have even listened to podcasts, featuring the kicked off members. We caught on late in the season, so we missed the episode where Mikey served a cheeto penis to Suzanne Goin.

Also, I would like to report another interesting Forker thing: On Saturday I made cupcakes with the 11-year-old girl that I mentor. She had never made cupcakes before, nor had she ever cracked an egg. Together we learned that the best advice for egg-cracking is "Don't be afraid to whack it kind of hard on the side of the bowl." I am not telling you this to brag about my dogoodery, only to let you marvel at the small ways our lives can be enriched by hanging out with young people. You could sign up to be a mentor too.

One last thing, I have already started receiving recipes from my recipe exchange. It turns out that recipe exchanges are fun. Also, I thought it would be tacky to include in the email I sent out inviting people to participate but my friend Samantha said that she sent her recipe to Nora Ephron.

Here is one that Olivia sent me:

Crunchy Nutty Granola:

6 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking or instant)
2 cups (or more) nuts and seeds: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds and/or cashews
1 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut (optional, but recommended)
1 teaspoon (or to taste) ground cinnamon. Optional alternatives include: a pinch of grated nutmeg, cardamom, and/or mace
Dash of salt
1/2 to 1 cup honey or maple syrup (or to taste)
1 cup raisins or chopped dried fruit such as dried cherries, cranberries, apricots,
etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl combine oats, nuts and seeds, coconut, cinnamon or spice, salt and sweetener. Place on a sheet pan and put in oven. Bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring occasionally. Mixture should brown evenly; the browner it gets without burning, the crunchier the granola will be.

3. Remove pan from oven and add raisins or dried fruit. Cool on a rack, stirring once in a while until granola reaches room temp. Transfer to a sealed container and store in refrigerator-will keep indefinitely.

Yield: About 8 cups (at least 16 servings)

Two apple pies were made at our house on Saturday to celebrate Mateo's 30th birthday.

Apples from the Fort Greene market--Ida Reds and Northern Spies. Peeled (by me) sliced and tossed with cinnamon, sugar & flour.


Luis prefers a Crisco and butter pie crust for its superior flakiness.

Martha Stewart helped us with these. We used last year's cookie handbook.



After you soak the prunes in brandy for 24 hours, you puree them with bread crumbs and sugar. Then you roll out the dough and spread the mixture into the middle. Cut them into triangles.




Roll em up, like real live rugelach, which is what they are.




When they are properly browned, put them in a box lined with tissue paper and take them with you to Fernando's mother's house in Hancock Park. Then eat too many ham biscuits and scare Leo half-to-death by singing Happy Birthday with the energy of a thousand drunk Santa Clausi.

Even though you are having a marvelous time, slip out without saying goodbye, and try to be in bed as early as possible.

Delicious Lemon Merengue Pie, made with lemons from the tree outside Casa Jaramillo in Salinas, CA. Recipe from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. Happy New Year Forkers.