Make a batch of these macaroons for a sweet, refreshing and gluten-free Valentine’s Day treat. Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk. You may find the condensed milk to be cloyingly sweet, but it’s key to yielding a juicy, soft interior without any dryness -- which distinguishes a great macaroon.

These macaroons are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, with a chocolate-dipped base for a little Valentine’s Day bling. The recipe takes inspiration from an Ina Garten recipe, with a few tweaks. It switches out half of the sweetened coconut with unsweetened coconut, which helps to offset some of the sweetness, and adds a whiff of almond extract for extra dimension. Most important, it includes a generous dunk in bittersweet chocolate, which has a magnificent grounding effect on, well, everything.

Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: Makes about 24

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

7 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

7 ounces unsweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

7 ounces dark (70%) chocolate

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine the milk, coconut, vanilla and almond extract in a large bowl and stir to blend.

Beat the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the coconut.

Drop heaping tablespoon-sized mounds of coconut, about 1 1/2 inches apart, on the baking sheets. Bake on the two center racks in the oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets to ensure even baking. Remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water over low heat, stirring until smooth. Dip one half of each cooled macaroon in the melted chocolate and transfer to a board or platter lined with parchment. Refrigerate until set. Store at room temperature for up to four days.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood

Mapo tofu is one of Sichuan cuisine’s most iconic dishes. It consists of silky tofu bathed in a fiery, aromatic sauce that balances heat, numbing spice and rich umami flavor. Mapo tofu roughly translates to “pockmarked grandma’s tofu,” which is named for the elderly Chengdu woman who created the dish in the 19th century.

The stew is traditionally made with soft tofu, ground beef or pork. A potent blend of hot chili oil, fermented broad bean paste (doubanjiang) and Sichuan peppercorns delivers heat and complexity to the fiery stew. Meanwhile, the peppercorns numb the tongue, which helps to temper the chili heat.

Doubanjiang is a classic sauce and a key ingredient in Chinese Sichuan cooking. If it’s difficult to obtain, you can substitute ssamjang (a popular Korean chili paste with fermented soybeans). It’s less spicy than doubanjiang, so if using, add a little red chili sauce to ramp up the heat.

The ingredients can be purchased at Asian markets, in well-stocked supermarkets and online. Once you have your ingredients assembled, the dish comes together within 30 minutes.

Mapo Tofu

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns

3 scallions, white and green parts divided, sliced

3 garlic cloves, grated

2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1/2 cup chicken stock or water

2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing) or sherry

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons doubanjiang (Chinese spicy bean sauce)

1 tablespoon chili oil

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 pound medium-firm tofu, drained, cut in 3/4-inch cubes

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 to 6 ounces ground pork (or chicken or turkey)

Toast the peppercorns in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a mortar with pestle or a spice grinder and grind to a powder. Set aside 1/2 teaspoon and reserve the rest for serving.

Combine the white scallions, garlic, ginger and the 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns in a small bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the chicken stock, cooking wine, soy sauce, doubanjiang and chili oil.

In small separate small bowl, whisk the water and cornstarch.

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Carefully add the tofu and simmer for 1 minute. Drain the tofu.

Heat the oil in a large skillet (or a wok) over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Add the ground meat to the skillet and stir-fry until it begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the white scallion mixture and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock mixture and bring to a simmer. Add the tofu and gently stir to coat.

Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Simmer until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add half of the green scallions and remove the skillet from the heat.

Divide the stew between serving bowls. Serve garnished with the remaining green scallions and the reserved ground pepper.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood

Try this soup for a nourishing weeknight meal. It takes inspiration from an Italian minestrone soup, with a tomato-based stock and a wedge of a hard cheese rind. Yes, that’s right: A chunk of a hard Italian cheese rind is a great trick to boost flavor and depth in your soup stock. It’s also an efficient no-waste use for any dwindling pieces of Parmigiano-Reggiano and pecorino Romano cheese stashed in your fridge. These pieces are flavor bombs, imparting salty, piquant, umami goodness into your soup. When a hunk is added to the stock, the rind softens and begins to break down, infusing its essence into the broth, deepening its flavor and slightly thickening the soup while it simmers.

In this recipe, sweet and nutty butternut squash balances the tomato-acidity of the broth. Hearty farro grains are added for a vegetarian infusion of protein and texture, and nutrient-rich kale leaves dutifully wilt and soften, winding throughout the warm broth. All together, this soup provides a healthy and comforting respite on a winter day.

When choosing farro for this soup, use semi-pearled farro, which cooks in about 30 minutes and retains some of its nutrients. Whole farro requires overnight soaking and up to one hour to cook. Pearled farro cooks the fastest (15 to 20 minutes) but is the least nutritious.

Farro, Kale and Butternut Squash Soup

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup semi-pearled farro, rinsed

6 cups chicken stock, plus additional stock as necessary

2 cups (1/2-inch cubed) butternut squash

1 (15-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice

1 (2-inch) chunk of rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino Romano cheese

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt, to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 cups coarsely chopped green kale leaves

Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or pecorino Romano cheese for sprinkling

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft without coloring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the farro and stir to coat.

Add the chicken stock, squash, tomatoes, cheese chunk, bay leaf, thyme, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the squash is tender and the farro is cooked, about 30 minutes. (If the soup is too thick, add more stock to your desired consistency.) Taste for seasoning.

Add the kale leaves and stir until the leaves brighten in color and wilt, about 2 minutes. Discard the cheese rind and the bay leaf. Ladle the soup into bowls and pass the grated cheese for sprinkling over the soup.

581-7500

CAPTIONS AND CREDITS

Caption 01: Photo by Lynda Balslev for TasteFood