Pelmeni (Ukrainian dumplings, like ravioli)

We had a pelmeni making party tonight because my nephew-to-be is from Ukraine, and we want to serve them as appetizers at a post-wedding backyard barbecue party. He brought his mom's recipe, which, as he translated it, was: Grandma's noodle dough! With ground pork inside, like ravioli. He even brought his mom's pelmeni press, which makes something like 3 dozen at a time.

Here's how it works: You make a meat mixture, in this case ground pork with chopped onion, salt and pepper. Then you make pasta, noodle dough, whatever you want to call it: Put about one cup of flour on the counter or bread board, make a well, add a pinch of salt, crack an egg in, add a teaspoon or less of water (or milk), "pinch" the flour into the egg until you have dough. Chill it for a few minutes, then roll it out on a floured board with a floured pin, making sure to turn it over and turn it around so it doesn't stick and so it stays round.

Wrap it loosely around your rolling pin to transfer to the mold, which is about the size of a pie pan but has small holes in it. While one person presses the dough into those holes and puts a little of the meat mixture in, make another round of dough. Put it over the top, roll it down so the "cutters" kick in, and voila! Pelmeni!

Repeat.

When you have enough, put them in boiling water for 8 minutes. Serve with sour cream and dill, and caramelized onions once you know about that part! I didn't, but now I do.

Hard to not like something that (a) has porky goodness and (b) involves mandatory sour cream.

Scallops with lobster sauce

Last night, after devouring the lobster tails, I put the shells in some water and boiled them. Then refrigerated the resulting lobster stock. So tonight, I took that stock, boiled it down some more, added butter and white wine, cooked it down some more, quickly cooked scallops in butter, made toast, and poured the lobster sauce over the scallops and toast. Unfortunately, you can't see or smell what that lobster sauce does, but trust me. Among other things, that's the best toast anyone has ever eaten.

10-minute lobster tail supper

Hey, it's Labor Day weekend, they were on sale, and I was a good girl and did yard work and cleaned out two closets. So, yeah, lobster tails for supper! Also because they are very easy and fast for something that tastes so good. It really did only take 10 minutes.

Trick No. 1: I used a high-quality frozen veggie mix with asparagus, carrots and cauliflower, to save on prep time. If you want to make 'em from scratch, knock yourself out.

Trick No. 2: I had baked an extra potato the night before so it was already cooked and only needed slicing and browning.

• Put about an inch of water in a saucepan, add salt, and bring to a boil.

• Meanwhile, cut shell on the "top" side of the lobster tail -- a kitchen shears is easiest -- and slightly spread the shell apart. Salt and pepper, add a pat of butter and a sprinkle of paprika, smoked Spanish if you have it. Set the lobster tails on the broiler pan.

• Slice the potato and spread a little butter or vegetable oil on each slice and place them around the lobster. (You can't do this if the potato isn't already cooked, because the lobster would be like old tires by the time the potato cooked.) Give the spuds a sprinkle of salt and pepper, too.
  

• Put the veggies in the boiling water; put the broiler pan in the broiler on high. Eight minutes should do it, less if the tails are small. By the time the potato slices are browned, the lobster should be done and the veggies will be hot. Add a pat of butter to the veggies while you're at it.
  

That's it. Let's eat.

Today's tip: Doctoring

OK, let's say you were making a chicken sandwich with mayo. Put the mayo in a little bowl and stir in some cayenne pepper or tabasco. And some paprika. And maybe a little onion or garlic powder. Not too much, but a nice touch. It should look different than mayo.

Or say you have a salad and some Ranch dressing. Definitely add a couple of dashes of tabasco to the dressing. Or maybe some fresh-ground pepper. And some paprika, preferably smoked paprika, which tastes like bacon.

And I don't care what people say against salt, nothing makes lettuce taste better than salt, unless it's maybe butter. Oh, but those people don't like butter, either.

Play with your food!

Peaches and Greek yogurt

Get a ripe peach. Slice it.
Get some Greek yogurt.
Layer them.
If you have to, add some sugar or honey.
Done.

BLT minus L plus cheese! And broiled

Summer on a plate! Thanks to my friend Dennis, who went to the Farmers Market and the really good butcher shop, I have wonderful tomatoes and wonderful bacon. This is what we made for supper in Indiana when I was growing up and Dad's tomatoes were all getting ripe at once. I've "fancied it up" a little, but they're good even if you use regular bacon and regular bread and even Velveeta.

I used:
Two slices of sprouted wheat bread
a couple of ounces of good Gruyere cheese
two slices of phenomenal bacon
two slices of a big, vine-ripened tomato (you can tell because they smell like tomatoes should)

Lightly toast the bread so the bottom will also be crunchy.
Broil the bacon on its own so it will be perfect.
Slice the cheese as thin as you can so it will melt fast.
Put the tomato on the slightly toasted bread and add the cheese. I like to slide a little cheese under the tomato slice to cover the edges of the bread.
Broil until the cheese is melty.
Top with the bacon and a little chopped basil.

This is garnished with arugula and avocado just because I happened to have them. I put a little salt on them. The sandwich doesn't really need salt because of the bacon and cheese.

What happened to the rest of the tomato? Well, I had to do something while I was watching the broiler. A little salt, a little basil . . . mmmm.

Sometimes we also add a thin slice of onion. It goes under the tomato. Just because.

Moules (Mussels)

We tried to eat all the moules (mussels) in France. Came back and found I could get some from Maine, mostly alive.

Recipe: Get mussels. Wash them.. scrub 'em. Throw out the ones that don't close when you touch them. Throw out the ones that don't open when you cook them. In between, keep them damp and cool.

In a big pot, melt half a stick of unsalted butter. Mince fine some garlic, at least 2 cloves, and shallots. Add white wine, about half a bottle, and half a bottle of water. Bring to boil. Oh, chop some parsley. Keep the parsley for later.

When the liquid is boiling, toss in the clean mussels. Cover, but not for long. Keep peeking, and stir or shake. When they are all open, turn off heat.

Sprinkle the parsley on top. Serve with bread and in bowls so people can sop up the sauce with the bread.

Done. It's almost like still being in France.