Get the latest recipes from Vainwi http://www.grouprecipes.com/people/vainwi My 8 year old wanted tuna salad for lunch, I wanted something other than the traditional mayo-based salad, spiced with pickle relish. Here's what I came up with. http://www.grouprecipes.com/96273/italian-tuna-pasta-salad.html This recipe was posted by Miraklegirl on Recipezaar and sounds awesome.. just wanted to share. :) I haven't made it yet, but will likely cut the amount of olive oil in half and possibly increase the garlic. One of the comments suggested toasting sesame seeds and using them instead of the tahini. http://www.grouprecipes.com/91857/my-mamas-hummous.html Traditionally made with pork, I use chicken. This is the Robert Rodriguez version from Once Upon a Time in Mexico. So good you might get whacked for making it. "El, you really must try this because it's puerco pibil. It's a slow-roasted pork, nothing fancy. It just happens to be my favorite, and I order it with a tequila and lime in every dive I go to in this country. And honestly, that is the best it's ever been anywhere. In fact, it's too good. It's so good that when I'm finished, I'll pay my check, walk straight into the kitchen and shoot the cook." http://www.grouprecipes.com/87932/cochinita-pibil.html This is one of my kids' long-time favorites and is easy enough for them to make themselves. Great for parties at home or school. http://www.grouprecipes.com/83602/cucumber-sandwiches.html Another one from my new favorite food blogger, SmittenKitchen. I'm making this one for Christmas morning. One half-recipe of Martha Stewart’s Pate Brisee (pie crust) (or your favorite), rolled out and pressed into either a pie dish or removable-bottom tart pan. If you are a dork like me, you might take the extra scraps, cut them into leaf shapes, and press them about on the top of your unbaked quiche. But then your husband might tease you for your fall theme. Might. Note: 20 min. prep time includes 10 minutes resting after baking. http://www.grouprecipes.com/82857/spinach-quiche.html Recipe and technique by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois, detailed in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. By pre-mixing high-moisture dough (without kneading) and then storing it, daily bread baking becomes easy; the only steps you do every day are shaping and baking. As the dough ages, it takes on sourdough notes reminiscent of great starters. Because this dough is wetter than most, it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. And kneading this kind of dough would add little to the overall product; it can actually limit the volume and rise that you’ll get. That, in a nutshell, is how you make artisan breads with the investment of only five minutes a day of active effort. http://www.grouprecipes.com/82779/refrigerator-bread.html From 101 Cookbooks. Author's notes: I used to make this from scratch. The pasta all the way through...This time around I got a jump start by paying $3 for a pound of fresh egg pasta sheets at the farmers' market. Fantastic return on $3. You still need to run those sheets through a pasta machine a few times to achieve the most thin and delicate sheets of pasta possible - but starting from pre-bought was a bit of a revelation for me, and a big timesaver. If you don't have a pasta machine (they are actually quite affordable!), try a rolling pin - not quite the same, but will help thin out the sheets....It also dawned on me that I might be able to get away with skipping the pre-boil step in this recipe altogether and dial up the amount of sauce a bit (though I've never tried it this way) - I suspect you might be sacrificing some of the tenderness of the noodles to save the time it takes to boil and drain...just a thought. Make sure the pasta sheets you buy are fresh and moist. Proper seasoning is important throughout this recipe, if you undersalt it is going to taste flat and the flavors won't pop - the right amount of salt brings the pasta forward and focuses the tomato and lemon flavors in the sauce. Easy pasta recipe if you'd like to make your own: http://www.grouprecipes.com/82665/super-easy-homemade-pasta-or-good-things-come-in-3s.html http://www.grouprecipes.com/82679/baklazagne-thousand-layers-lasagna.html After reading and trying a number of pasta recipes, I came up with this one. Works well with rolling pin or pasta roller. I've adjusted the recipe, adding a little more olive oil (and making it really easy to remember!). Give it a try! http://www.grouprecipes.com/82665/super-easy-homemade-pasta-or-good-things-come-in-3s.html Mark Bittman (How To Cook Everything) recipe, via SmittenKitchen. I'm making these tonite, topped with pecans and drizzled with chocolate, for Christmas gifts. http://www.grouprecipes.com/82663/salted-caramels.html Recipe from Gourmet magazine via SmittenKitchen's blog. I'm making these, along with regular (non-chocolate) salted caramels for Christmas gifts. http://www.grouprecipes.com/82661/salted-chocolate-caramels.html