Cooks’ Books

Whether it’s weekend gatherings, weekday dinners, big holiday meals or tiny moments worth celebrating, these ’Hoos have a recipe for that. Meet the UVA alumni behind cookbooks—and The Washington Post’s Voraciously—and add a few new recipes to your repertoire.

Jump to a recipe…

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The Campfire Sour

Courtesy of Josh Williams (Col ’08) and Eric Prum (Col ’08)

Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ ounces rye whiskey
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
• ½ ounce dark maple syrup
• One 6-inch rosemary sprig, plus 1 sprig for garnish

Directions:

In a cocktail shaker, combine the rye, lemon juice and maple syrup. Light the sprig of rosemary on fire and add to the shaker still lit. Cap the shaker and let stand for 30 seconds so that the mixture can infuse with smoke. Fill the shaker with ice; cap and shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass containing large ice cubes. Garnish with the remaining rosemary sprig and serve.

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Burrata with Caramelized Squash, Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins

Courtesy of Josh Williams (Col ’08) and Eric Prum (Col ’08)
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of butternut squash, cut into ¼-inch cubes
• ¼ cup fresh sage leaves
• Olive oil
• Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 2 large balls of burrata
• ¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1 tablespoon golden raisins
• Sliced and toasted crusty bread

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the squash with the sage, olive oil to coat, and salt and pepper. Spread the squash evenly on an oiled, rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, without stirring, then stir and roast for 10 minutes longer (or until the squash is well caramelized). When the squash is tender, remove it from the oven and sprinkle with the sherry vinegar.

To serve, plate the burrata on a serving board or platter. Surround the edges of the cheese with the squash, pine nuts and golden raisins. Drizzle the cheese and squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with the bread on the side for spreading the cheese and garnishes.

Matzah Lasagna, Italian-American Style

Courtesy of Marcia Friedman (Col ’89)
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Sauce ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 (14.5-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

Lasagna ingredients:

• 2 pounds whole milk ricotta
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ⅓ cup chopped basil leaves
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 to 8 sheets store-bought matzah
• 16 ounces part-skim mozzarella, sliced and torn into bite-size pieces
• ¾ cup shredded Parmesan, for topping

Directions:

To make the sauce, in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently. Add the oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, basil, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper to taste.

Spread ½ cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place matzah over the sauce in a single layer, breaking to fit as needed. Spread half the ricotta mixture, half the mozzarella, and a thin layer of sauce over the matzah.

Repeat, then top with a final layer of matzah. Cover completely with sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes; remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, until the top is bubbly and lightly browned. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Gingerbread Bundt Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Icing

Courtesy of Polina Chesnakova (Col ’14)
Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 ⅓ cups (305 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon lightly packed, freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 ½ cups (300 g) packed light brown sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup (190 g) mild molasses (see Note)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated, peeled fresh ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup (175 mL) neutral oil, such as canola or safflower
• ¾ cup (175 mL) buttermilk, at room temperature
• ¼ cup (40 g) crystallized ginger, finely chopped, for topping

Note: Blackstrap molasses overpowers the flavors of this sweet cake, so be sure to use an unsulphured mild one, like Grandma’s brand. The ribbon stage refers to the foamlike batter created when eggs and sugar are beaten together. When you lift out the whisk, thick ribbons will drizzle off and sit on top of the batter for a few seconds before dissolving. The batter is usually very thick, pale in color, and roughly tripled in volume at this point.

Icing ingredients:

• ½ cup (115 g) mascarpone cheese
• 1½ ounces (45 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
• 1½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 small lemon)
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly but evenly grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan and dust the inside with flour.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, pepper, cloves and nutmeg.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the brown sugar and eggs on medium-high speed until thick ribbons form, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually pour in the molasses, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed, followed by the fresh ginger and vanilla. Beat for another minute. With the mixer running, gradually pour in the oil and mix until fully incorporated.

Add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing until just combined and scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer running, gradually pour in the buttermilk until just incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and use a silicone spatula to fold the batter a few times to make sure it’s smooth.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake until it feels firm and springs back when pressed and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes before inverting and releasing it onto a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely.

To make the icing, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Sift in the powdered sugar, then add the lemon zest and juice, vanilla and salt. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Mix in 2 tablespoons heavy cream—the icing should be thick but pourable. If it seems too stiff, add more cream 1 teaspoon at a time.

Transfer the cooled cake to a serving plate. Spoon the icing over the top of the cake, tapping the plate to encourage the icing to run down the sides. Top with the crystallized ginger and serve. This cake keeps well wrapped in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.

Baked or Air Fryer Bagel Chips

Courtesy of Becky Krystal (Col ’05)
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 medium bagels (about 10 ounces total), stale or fresh, cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Everything spice or other spice blend of your choice, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

If you’re baking this in the oven, position a rack in the middle and preheat to 350 degrees. If you’re using the air fryer, set to 330 degrees and preheat until the appliance signals it’s ready.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and butter.

Brush one side of each bagel slice with the oil-butter mixture and set on a large, rimmed baking sheet (this ensures more even coverage than if you tossed everything together in a bowl). Season with half of the salt and some of the everything spice, if using. Flip the slices over and repeat the brushing, then season with the remaining salt and more of the everything spice. Be sure the slices are in a single layer with as little overlap as possible.

If using the oven, bake for 12 to 18 minutes, or until the chips are crisp and golden, or they have reached your desired level of crunch (they will get a bit harder as they cool). Halfway through baking, rotate the pan from front to back and stir the chips. Stale bagels will be done on the lower end of the range, while fresh ones will take longer.

If using the air fryer, transfer the coated and salted bagel slices to the air fryer basket and bake for 13 to 16 minutes, or until crisp and golden, stirring the chips two or three times during baking.

Let the chips cool completely before serving or storing.

The Bologna

Courtesy of Mason Hereford (Col ’08)
Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature so it’s mayo soft
• 8 thick slices soft white bread
• 12 thick (about 1/8-inch) slices bologna
• 8 slices American cheese
• Mayo (Duke’s or bust), for swiping
• Your favorite sweet-hot mustard
• 2 cups lightly packed, shredded iceberg lettuce
• 4 big ol’ handfuls salt-and-vinegar potato chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Get a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or griddle good and hot over medium heat. Swipe the butter on each side of the bread and toast in batches in the skillet until both sides are golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. When they’re done, move them to a rack or stand them up so they lean against each other, to keep from getting soggy.

In that same skillet, cook the bologna slices over medium-high heat, in batches if necessary, until nice and brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. When they’re done, move them to a baking pan in slightly overlapping groups of three.

When they’re all browned, top each group with two slices of the cheese and stick the pan in the oven until the cheese gets melty, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, swipe a socially unacceptable amount of mayo on four of the bread slices and swipe a similarly generous amount of mustard on the other four. Add the lettuce to the mayo-slathered slices, then add the cheesy bologna, then add a handful of chips so big that half of them fall off.

Cover with the remaining bread slices and press down on each one with your palm, crushing the chips, so the sandwich can just fit in a human mouth. Eat.

Sweet Potato Pot De Cremes With Meringue and Spiced Candied Pecans

Courtesy of Tanya Holland (Col ’87)
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 small sweet potato
• 2 ½ cups heavy cream
• ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 vanilla bean, scraped
• 6 egg yolks, whites reserved for the meringue

Meringue ingredients:

• 6 egg whites
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Spiced candied pecan ingredients:

• ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ cup pecans
• 1 pinch kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Peel and cut the sweet potato into large cubes and place them in a roasting pan with about ½ inch of water. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour, until tender and mashable. Place in a food processor to puree.

In a saucepan, whisk ½ cup potato puree, cream, sugar and sea salt to combine. Add the scraped vanilla bean along with the vanilla bean pod. Bring to a simmer over low heat.

Whisk together the egg yolks in a large bowl. While whisking, carefully ladle in a little bit of the hot cream mixture to “temper” the egg yolks. Continue adding the cream mixture, ladle by ladle, while whisking the whole time. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a spouted container, pressing with a whisk to force the liquid through. Set it aside.

Place six 6-ounce ramekins in a glass baking dish that is large enough to fit them all. Fill the ramekins three-quarters full of the custard. Place the baking dish in the oven and then carefully fill it with enough hot water (it does not need to be boiling) to come about three-quarters up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 35 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven, being careful not to spill the hot water, and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the ramekins until well chilled, at least 1 hour.

To make the meringue, set up a double boiler on the stove. Make sure the water is only simmering, not rapidly boiling, and that it is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Add the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar to the bowl of the double boiler and whisk gently and continuously until the mixture is hot to the touch, or about 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. You don’t need to whip tons of air into the meringue at this point; you just want to gently bring the temperature up and melt the sugar. Immediately transfer the meringue to an electric mixer fitted with a whisk and beat on medium speed until it has cooled completely and is fluffy, about 10 minutes.

To make the candied pecans, add the sugar and water to a sauté pan over low heat and cook until the sugar is melted and bubbly. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans and cook, stirring, until the pecans are well coated. Remove from heat and pour the pecans onto a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone mat. Allow to cool. Once the pecans have cooled, break into pieces.

To serve, spoon a generous dollop of the meringue onto each pot de crème. Top with the candied pecans.