The onset of cold weather (even if it is still off-and-on here in NYC) always makes me want to dive back into cooking in a serious way. Yesterday I made norwegian meatballs and today I’ve spent the better part of the morning pouring over and dog-earing pages of the new Bon Appetit magazine.

My must-try list for this issue is kinda ridiculous, but can you blame me? There’s a whole section devoted to potatoes. Swoon.

• White chocolate-mint pots de creme with candy cane brittle – the perfect Chrstimas dessert!
• Honey-Bourbon Toddy
• Chocolate-Almond Bark with Sea Salt - my absolute favorite chocolate pairing, made at home. Love.
• Walnut-Thyme Honey – wonderful as a holiday present as suggested in the magazine, but also great to keep on hand for your own use!
• Faux Pho
• Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas & Feta – long title but delicious concept
• Lamb Shanks with Pears and Pistachios
• Potato Rolls with Caraway Salt
• Peppermint Meringues
• Butterscotch Blondie Bars with Peanut-Pretzel Caramel
• Potato Galette with Caraway and Sweet Onions
• Gnocci Gratin with Gorgonzola Dolce
• Rosti with Bacon and Scallions
• Bacon & Spinach-Stuffed Rib-Eye Roast - the holiday season always makes me want to cook up a giant hunk of meat, and I’ve been on the lookout for a new standout recipe . . .
• Salt-Roasted Chicken

I don’t always buy Food & Wine magazine but every time I get a new issue I wonder just why I don’t subscribe to it! Every issue has at least one recipe I just have to try and they do a particularly good job of covering gadgets and tools-of-the-trade. This issue is no different.

Butternut Squash Wontons

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cabbage and Pine Nuts – I’m actually not a huge fan of raw cabbage but everything else in this salad sounds so good that I just have to try it.
• Cider Vinegar-Braised Chicken Thighs – I love cider vinegar and chicken thighs are so affordable!
• Butternut Squash and Sage Wontons – I have a package of wonton skins in the freezer that’s been begging to be used for a while . . .
• Spiced Lentils with Mushrooms and Greens
• Pappardelle with Duck Ragu
• Seared Tuna Steaks with Citrusy Soy Sauce – to make the next time I find tuna steaks on sale
• Crisp Sushi-Rice Cakes – an Asian twist on the Italian rice balls I’ve been making my whole life

Flip & Tumble Reusable Produce Bags — 5 bags for under $9.00 (from Amazon) is a great deal! Trying not to use plastic often means using unattractive or imperfect substitutions, but these bags are not only functional, they’re also beautifully designed!

Via NY Times, two drastically different pancakes I can’t wait to try: Heavenly Hots (yes please!) and Kimchi Pancakes.

And speaking of Kimchi, I’m dying to try making my own. My blogging buddy Kevin of Closet Cooking has tried it with good results, so I’m planning to use his simple recipe for my first try. My BFF, who happens to be Korean, will be the true judge of this endeavor!

Jamie Oliver’s Flavour Shaker — I wish it didn’t have such a silly name, but this alternative version of a mortar & pestle seems utterly brilliant! Instead of smashing stuff down you just shake this and the ball inside does the smashing for you. Watch a video on how it works on their site. I want it in yellow (which they call “olive” for some reason) . . .

Greek-Style Potato Skins from Serious Eats — I’ll probably be watching Law & Order reruns instead of the Super Bowl, but I can still eat “sporting event food,” right?

Real Simple’s February 2010 “Five Easy Dinners” section — every single recipe in this section sounds awesome and is now on my short list. I’ve been buying this magazine so often at the newsstands lately that I’m about to order a subscription. Amazon has a special through the end of January that gives you a $5 gift certificate for every subscription you buy . . .

The week after next is Restaurant Week here in NYC. There are even more restaurants on the list this year, making picking only a few a real challenge! Where are you going for Restaurant Week this winter?

— Caught my eye this week is a new recurring post featuring cooking-related products and links I found worth mentioning this week. Think you saw something particularly good this week that I missed? Feel free to link to it in the comments!

Even though most January issues of food magazines wear on my last nerve by focusing on HEALTHY HEALTHY HEALTHY all the time (I hate a cliche more than almost anything else!), I was pleasantly surprised by the recipes in this issue. And how can you NOT love an issue with an entire section devoted to Sriracha sauce!?!

Here are a few that I’ve marked to try in the (hopefully near) future:

Albondiga Soup!

• Wild Mushroom Cakes with Avocado Pesto and Red Pepper Coulis from Cuvee World Bistro
• Roast Chicken with Smoky Tomato Sauce from Habana in South Norwalk
• Pork Tenderloin with Pears and Shallots — this one sounds so good I’m planning to make it this week!
• Lentil Soup with Spicy Italian Sausage (lentil soup gets me every time!)
• Quinoa Risottto with Mushrooms and Thyme — I love the way it sounds but it is SO NOT RISOTTO
• Indian Lamb Chops with Curried Cauliflower
• Poblano Albondigas with Ancho Chile Soup — perfect for the freezing weather we’re having
• Pan-fried Eggs with Sriracha Remoulade
• Arugula Salad with Oranges and Caramelized Fennel
• Chocolate Cake with Chocolate-Orange Frosting

Even though August is pretty much over, I figured this issue had too many gems to just skip right over! In this issue’s “Letters” section there were three recipes (out of four!) that I just can’t wait to try: Avocado-Strawberry Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, Olive-Oil Madeleines, and Cornmeal Waffles. These recipes aren’t online but when I get to them, I’ll be sure to include the instructions in the post!

Here are some of the other recipes that caught my eye in this issue:

• Tomato and Corn Pie
• Roasted-Tomato Soup with Parmesan Wafers
• Peaches Under Meringue
• Baked Chicken Meatballs with Pepperonata
• Grilled Herb Potatoes
• Zucchini and Red Pepper Enchiladas with Two Salsas
• Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Blueberry Swirl
• Salted Caramel Ice Cream (it’ll be interesting to compare this to the recipe in The Perfect Scoop!)
• Gianduia Gelato (again, I’m pretty sure there’s a recipe for this in the Perfect Scoop also, will have to do a taste-test)
• Baked Tomatoes with Hazelnut Bread Crumbs
• Pickled Baby Squash

And I liked all the back-page “no-cook pasta sauces,” particularly these three:

• Tonnato Sauce with Arugula (this is on the menu for this week actually!)
• Roasted-Almond Ricotta Pesto with Olives
• Spiced Chickpea Sauce

What are you making from this issue?

I almost didn’t buy this issue of Bon Appetit because it’s so grill-heavy and I don’t have access to a grill here in my Manhattan apartment. But then while flipping through the magazine in the checkout isle of the supermarket, I saw lots of recipes I actually couldn’t wait to try! Some of the BBQ/grill recipes come with alternate instructions for making by broiling, so even people like me can try them. There’s nothing like the sear and crust you can get on a grill, but when that’s not an option, it sure is nice to have an alternative!

Oh, but before I get to my bookmarked recipes, I just have to mention there’s a whole section on Blanco Tequilas (perfect for Margaritas, my favorite!), and a drink that’s right up my alley: The Strawberry Muddle. Strawberries and tequila, two of my favorite things!

Now onto my must-try recipes from this issue:

• Grilled Trout with White Beans and Caper Vinaigrette
• Oil and Vinegar Potato Salad (I still want to eat tons of potatoes during the summer, and potato salads are the way to go!)
• Beer-marinated Flank Steak with Aji and Guacamole (would do these on the stove top in a piping-hot skillet)
• Lemon Cheesecake Squares with Fresh Berries
• Gingerbread Bars
• Cappuccino Brownies
• Sweet Potato and Poblano Salad with Honey & Rosemary
• Chocolate Cake with Ganache and Praline Topping

The new issue of Bon Appetit has one of the most gorgeous covers in a long time! Is it me or have some of the food covers lately just been downright ugly? I was happy to see a cover photo that made me jealous, not to metion salivate!

Is it any surprise that my first must-try recipe from this issue is the cover recipe, Shrimp and Cotija Enchiladas with Salsa Verde & Crema Mexicana?

Besides the gorgeous cover recipe, there were plenty of other enticing recipes in this issue:

• Grapefruit Gimlet (I know this isn’t a food recipe, but it sounds so good!)
• Sausage, Fontina, and Bell Pepper Strata
• Bulgur Salad with Grilled Chicken and Parsley Pesto (love those one-dish dinners!)
• Orecchiette with Caramelized Onions, Sugar Snap Peas, and Ricotta Cheese
• Green Bean Salad with Radishes and Prosciutto
  

  Green Bean Salad

• Chile-Corn Custard Squares (will go perfectly with my Carnitas for the next pork party!)
• Seared Duck Breast with Cherries and Port Sauce (maybe for an anniversary dinner?)
• Giant Chocolate Cake
• Homemade Tagliatelle with Zucchini Flowers and Cherry Tomatoes (for when I finally break out the pasta maker!)
• Pretty much all the 15-minute dishes!

See everything in this issue here!