Welcome to Everyday Menu, where we define ourselves by the food we eat and the stories we tell, as we pass plates and bowls around the table.

Some of these recipes are special-occasion, and also accessible and uncomplicated home-style cooking. With many of the recipes, it doesn't matter if you're cooking for two or fifteen; changing the quantities is easy.

Sharing a meal helps define who we are as a family. Hopefully in Everyday Menu, you'll find heaping portions of tradition and culture, of good food and family togetherness.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Cheesecake Pops



Who doesn’t like Peanut butter, chocolate, and cheesecake? Put it on a pop sticks and it's all our favorite things in a kid- and party-friendly form.

CHEESECAKE:
1 ½ CUPS DARK BROWN SUGAR
1 ½ POUNDS CREAM CHEESE, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE(25 °C)
½ CUP HEAVY CREAM
3 LARGE EGGS
2 LARGE EGG YOLKS
1 TABLESPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
1 ¾ CUPS CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER
CHOCOLATE:
5 TABLESPOONS VEGETABLE SHORTENING
12 OUNCES SEMISWEET OR BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS
WOODEN POP STICKS OR CHOPSTICKS

For the cheesecake: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line a 8 by 8-inch baking pan with foil letting long flaps overlap on each side. Spray foil with nonstick spray.

Break up the brown sugar to remove all lumps. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until very smooth. Add the cream and beat slowly; then add the eggs and vanilla mixing until just combined. Gently stir in peanut butter. Take care not to over beat the mixture; this incorporates too much air and causes the cheesecake to crack.

Pour and evenly spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Open the oven to release some heat, then lower the temperature to 200 degrees F. Continue to bake the cheesecake until the outside is set but the center is still loose, for about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven, and cool cheesecake in the oven for 45 more minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Lift cheesecake from the pan by lifting up the foil. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut into
1 1/2-inch cubes. Stick a wooden pop stick halfway into each bar and freeze for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, put the shortening and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue to heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more.)

Dip the pops into the chocolate mixture, and stand on waxed paper to set, about 5 minutes. Serve cool, or freeze up to 2 weeks. If frozen, remove pops from the freezer 30 minutes before serving.

Upgrade: Coat the pops with chopped nuts or candies for a really decadent finish. To do this let the dipped pops drip over a bowl for 15 seconds before rolling them.

Mexican Chicken

VEGETABLE OIL OR COOKING SPRAY
1 (10 ¾ OUNCE) CAN CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP
1 (10 ¾ OUNCE) CAN CHEDDAR CHEESE SOUP
1 (10 ¾ OUNCE) CAN CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP
1 JAR MILD OR HOT SALSA
1 WHOLE CHICKEN, COOKED, DEBONED, AND CHOPPED OR 4 CUPS LEFTOVER COOKED CHICKEN
UNSALTED BUTTER (FOR GREASING PAN)
1 (11 1/2- OUNCE) PACKAGE FLOUR TORTILLAS
2 CUPS SHREDDED CHEDDAR



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by-9-inch pan with the cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the 3 kinds of soup and the salsa. Stir in the chicken. Layer the tortillas and the chicken mixture in the pan, beginning and ending with tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake for 30 minutes.

Blue Cheese Romaine Salad

Combine the enhanced flavor of romaine with smidgens of bacon and our irresistible blue cheese dressing, and that old-fashioned wedge of lettuce becomes a slice of heaven.


SALAD :
8 STRIPS BACON
1 EGG
2 HEARTS ROMAINE LETTUCE
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
BLUE CHEESE DRESSING (RECIPE BELOW)



Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lay the bacon strips on a roasting rack and bake in the oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. (To make bacon curls: Wrap each slices of raw bacon around a metal skewer in a barber-pole fashion and lay the skewers on the roasting rack.) When cool enough to handle, break into pieces or in half, if using curls.

Put the egg in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover, and remove from the heat. Set aside for 10 minutes. Drain the egg and roll it between your palm and the counter to crack the shell, and then peel under cool running water. Rub the egg through a fine-mesh strainer and set aside.

Remove the large outer leaves from the romaine hearts and rinse. Chop these leaves into bite-size pieces and spin dry. (Use an extremely sharp knife to minimize bruising the edges.) Halve the hearts through the cores to make 4 wedges. Rinse under cold running water and shake to air dry.

Divide the wedges among 4 plates. Mound some of the chopped romaine on top and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon about 1/4 cup of Blue Cheese Dressing over each salad and top with some of the sieved egg and bacon. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.

Know-How: This is the method we use whenever we hard-cook eggs. Because they are not actually boiled, the egg's yolk doesn't turn drab green or develop a strong taste.


BLUE CHEESE DRESSING:
1 CUP MAYONNAISE
1 CUP CRUMBLED BLUE CHEESE (ABOUT 4 OUNCES)
½ CUP BUTTERMILK
1 SHALLOT, PEELED
1 TABLESPOON FRESHLY GRATED LEMON ZEST
½ TEASPOON WORESTERSHITE SAUCE
½ TEASPOON KOSHER SALT
¼ TEASPOON CELERY SEEDS
2 TABLESPOONS MINCED FRESH FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY
FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

Pulse the mayonnaise, blue cheese, buttermilk, shallot, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and celery seeds in a food processor to make a chunky but pourable sauce. Stir in the parsley and season with plenty of pepper. Use immediately or refrigerate in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.

Tomato Soup with Pancetta

6 SERVINGS

This recipe is made almost entirely from pantry items-all things you should have on hand. It’s incredibly quick to prepare and cook. The rye bread and pancetta give the soup its hearty flavor; the mascarpone adds a bit of richness and smoothes it all out.

1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
3 OUNCES PANCETTA, CHOPPED
1 MEDIUM ONION, CHOPPED
3 (¾ INCH-THICK) SLICES RUSTIC RYE BREAD
(EACH ABOUT 5 ¾ x 3 ¾ INCHES), CUBED
6 CUPS REDUCED-SODIUM CHICKEN BROTH
1 (28-OUNCES) CAN DICED TOMATOES IN JUICE
¼ CUP COARSELY CHOPPED FRESH BASIL
½ TEASPOON DRIED OREGANO
¼ TEASPOON CRUSHED DRIED RED PEPPER FLAKES
SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
¼ CUP MASCARPONE CHEESE
¼ CUP SOUR CREAM


Heat the oil in large, heavy pot over a medium flame. Add the pancetta and sauté until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat with the pan drippings. Sauté until the bread cubes are golden, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered until the flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, stir together the mascarpone and sour cream until blended. Ladle the soup into bowls. Spoon a dollop of the mascarpone mixture onto each serving and serve.