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Greetings from Los Angeles! Where Hot Knives are knee-deep in summer picnic season. Lately all of our recipe posts have been fixated on barbecues, pool potlucks and picnic fare. But the simple truth is that none of it — not perfect potato salads nor mystery meat burgers or even barbecued pizzas — beats packing a tiny cooler with a few choice ingredients and making a 30-second spread on a baguette.

When our friend Tom was in town last month we set our sights on the cheese store Alex helps run, picked out some condiments, packed said ‘tiny cooler’ and headed to the beach. Tom, who was on furlow from medical school in New York, kinda has a thing for baguette and cheese. He’s probably the only lactose-intolerant dude we know who eats double crème brie like its, well, non-dairy butter. The following is his evil concoction. Though it seems super simple, let us emphasis that tricky techniques in this case are replaced with the absolute necessity that the bread is perfect, the cheese bloomy and everything is fresh.

Dr. Tombo’s Sammy

Serves 4-5

1 crispy French baguette
1 avocado
4 Tbs. chipotle grain mustard
4 Tbs. butter
12 oz. morbier cheese (room temp.)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fresh black pepper

1. Slice baguette down the side, enough to open wide but still keeping it in one piece. Slather one side with butter and the other with avocado.

2. Cut open avocado, pit it, half it and slice into about 12 pieces. Distribute evenly on bottom side of baguette.

3. Using a huge ass knife, remove exterior rind of the morbier. Don’t worry the funky middle layer of ash has little to no flavor. Its there to keep an inner rind from forming between the two layers of cheese. Place small slices along bread. Sprinkle with a mix of sea salt and black pepper. Devour.

Beverage: Lagunitas farmhouse Saison
Soundtrack: Pavement’s Brighten the Corners

If you’re vegan, chances are you know this great neighborhood place that makes exactly what you like in a sandwich. And when you’re visiting friends in other cities you base your entire visit around this one insane food stand where you can get veggie chicken drum sticks made to order and, and, and…

We are sympathetic to the great vegan plight, of course: Very few places understand and cater to your dietary aesthetic, right? But as rad as we think it is that you can get vegan BBQ in most dorky Midwest cities nowadays, there’s a problem here, people. Every time one of these cookie cutter vegan fast food chains opens up, a good cook loses his/her wings. We like fake chicken burgers with avocado as much as the next vegetarian, but come on?

So without getting too preachy (too late) we at Hot Knives would like to unveil a new section at our own little, centrally located blog. It’s called “No Drive-thru” and we like to think of it as an overly indulgent, deconstructionist, po-mo take on vegan fast food — more of a creative idea sketch pad than cookbook fodder — and rather than stuffing it in a bag, we’re putting it on China plates. So without further ado, our first No Drive-thru recipe: Our take on the great pillar of fast food, In and Out Burger's animal style fries...

A couple months ago, my mom came to town and we took a baking class at the Institute of Culinary Education. A chocolate baking class. We made a ton of stuff, but the individual molten chocolate cakes were really out of this world. It's one of those desserts you only get when you're eating out, mostly because it seems so extravagant that you don't think of it as a make-at-home dessert. Well, let me tell you: it couldn't be easier. This was by far the most simple, and most chocolaty, thing we made in class. So simple, I wanted to share it with you so you could have a trick up your sleeve for your next dinner party. The original recipe calls for a vanilla sauce over the top, but I think it would go better with a little dollop of whip cream, some fresh raspberries, or even a small scoop of ice cream.

You can make this ahead of time and pour the batter into the molds, baking just before presentation. We brought home one from the class and heated it up the next day and it was still really good. It's a surprisingly resilient recipe.

5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
10 T. unsalted butter
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
2/3 C. sugar
1/2 C. all-purpose flour

Seven 4-ounce aluminum foil molds (the cheapy ones you can buy at the store, or ramekins), buttered and floured. Don't flour too heavily or outside of cakes will be white.

Set the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil; turn off heat. Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over hot water. Stir occasionally until melted. (Melting with double boiler also okay.)

Whisk eggs and yolks together with electric mixer. Whisk in sugar, then butter and chocolate mixture. Mix for a minute on medium speed. Fold in flour.

Fill the molds to within a quarter inch of the top. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then unmold onto plates. You can test one if you're not sure at the end of the bake time. The outside should be cooked, but the middle all liquid yumminess.

(more pics!)

This is a Toll House recipe that my mom modified to work in high altitudes, though it works quite well here in New York, too. I've learned that cookies are all about technique. If it's humid outside, you might need more flour, if it's dry, you might need less. If the cookies are coming out too cakey, you can reduce the Crisco and add more butter (I always use salted!). I've also found that it's better to undercook the cookies a bit, then let them rest on the baking sheet for several minutes; this helps them stay chewy on the inside, while maintaining a good bite. This recipe also calls for three times the amount of vanilla usually in cookies, which really inhances the other flavors; if you have some fancy extract, now's the time to use it.

Directions:

* 2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 5 Tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup Crisco
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 12oz Nestle Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.

3. In another bowl, combine butter, Crisco, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes or so before removing to cooling rack.

This is a modification on a recipe for lemon bars from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, published in 1963. The cookbook was a gift form my mom, as she got most of our Christmas cookie treats from the pages of her copy. It's a little hit and miss. For instance, right above this recipe for lemon bars is one for "Teen-Time Chocolate Nut Bars," which is next to "Lemonade Prune Bars." Mmm!

I don't think there's anything worse than a gummy, pasty lemon bar, and the filling on these ends up like silk. Almost more pie-like than bar, and simply delicious. My margarita twist on it substitutes some of the lemon juice with lime, uses salted butter for the crust, and adds a little sea salt and coloring.

Liz's Margarita Bars

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Put into bowl and blend (with a pastry blender if you have one) together:

1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup salted butter, cut into chunks
1/4 Cup confectioners sugar

Press evenly into a square 8x8 pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Beat together:

2 eggs
1 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lime juice (when doubling, I use 3 T lime juice, 1 T lemon juice)
a bunch of lime zest
1 drop green food coloring

Pour over crust and bake 20-25 minutes more. The filling puffs during baking, but flattens when cooled. They should be browned on top. Cool completely before covering and refrigerating overnight (for best results, though can be made for same day). Dust with powdered sugar. Sprinkle sparingly with flaky sea salt. Choose a salt with large flakes, or the granules will soak into the bars. A little goes a long way! Makes about 16 squares; I often double the recipe making it in a 9x13 pan.

You might think that a cocktail lover like me would find winter drinks depressing. It's true, most mixed drinks are chilled, but I look forward all summer long to some of my favorite warm winter drinks. Here are a few to keep you company on this snowy day.

Grog

This is how pirates keep away from the scurvy, yarr.

Add the following to a mug:

1 1/2 oz dark rum
1-3 Tb honey (to taste)
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Top off with boiling water. Mix in mug and stir.

Variation: add some finely grated ginger root for a delicious ginger-lemon treat.

Hot buttered cider

Hot buttered rum is usually made with water, but I like it with cider. You can make spiced butter and buy plain cider, but it's easier to just buy spiced cider from the start.

Add to mug:

1-2 oz dark rum (depending on how strong you like it)
pat of butter
Brown sugar to taste

Top off with hot spiced apple cider to taste.

Mulled Wine

Also known as 'vin chaud' or Glühwein, this is a great way to make a mediocre bottle of wine delicious, and a good bottle even better. Great for holiday parties!

2 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves
5 whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp allspice berries
1 bottle red wine
2 strips orange zest (remove white pith)
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 Tb granulated sugar
1 - 2 Tb brandy

1. Toast spices in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add wine, orange zest, and sugar; cover partially and bring to simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 hour until wine is infused; do not boil.

2. Strain wine and return to saucepan. Stir brandy into wine; taste and adjust sugar and brandy to taste. Serve immediately in mugs.

CHEERS!

I don't know about you, but I just got out my flannel sheets for the season, and after a long summer of showers I've been taking long hot baths. Yep, it's nearly winter again, and it's cold out.

All summer long all I wanted to eat was salads, salads, and more salads, but when the weather turns I'm ready for something more comforting. That's right: it's soup weather! Hooray!

There are few things more satisfying to cook and eat than soup. It's easy, warm, and it fills you up. If you make a big pot, you have dinner for a week. If you make a hearty batch, all you need is some bread and cheese, and you've got a great dinner. It's also a fantastic way to use up all the various vegetables you have on hand.

There are many great soup recipes out there in the world (here are just a few to start you off). If you're tempted to try your hand at improvising, though, soup is a great place to try cooking without a safety net.

Nearly all the soups I make go something like this:

1. Saute onions
2. Add garlic, 2 bay leaves and spices/herbs and cook 30 seconds
3. Add vegetables and/or cooked beans, and broth or water
4. Simmer until all ingredients are tender
5. Puree all or part of the soup if desired
6. Adjust seasonings
7. Eat and enjoy!

In terms of seasonings, here are some basic ideas to use on nearly any combination of vegetables:

• African peanut soup: cayenne, fresh ginger, tomato juice, & peanut butter (great with cabbage and sweet potatoes)
• Middle Eastern lentil soup: cayenne, rosemary, tomato paste, & lemon with lentils and spinach
• Italian minestrone-style soup: Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and garlic with tomatoes and other fresh vegetables; throw in some small uncooked pasta near the end and simmer till done, then serve with parmesan cheese
• Indian dal: coriander, cumin, fresh ginger, fresh green chili, & fresh cilantro with any split peas or mushy lentils
• Eastern European soup: dill, paprika, lemon juice, sour cream (especially good with mushrooms and root vegetables)
• Creamy squash soup: honey, cream, & cloves pureed with roasted or simmered squash or pumpkins (or a mix of squash, potatoes, and other root veggies)
• Black Bean soup: cumin, red pepper flakes, & cilantro, served with sour cream and limes

Don't be afraid to make it salty enough, and when you're adjusting flavorings be sure to keep in mind that a bit of acid balances most soups (adjust by adding balsamic vinegar or lemon juice). If you're going for frugality, dried beans take longer and are a bit of a hassle, but they're so cheap they might as well be free. If you have some cooked pasta or grains you could consider adding that at the end as well. Finally, don't be afraid to experiment; if you don't like it there's always a new pot to fill tomorrow.

If you follow these rough steps, you should end up with a tasty pot of warm, comforting soup that will make you glad it's finally winter again. Good luck!

Photo courtesy Heidi Swanson

With Rebecca only days away from her fancy dinner promising "special guest food" with "a donut for a bun" Curt and I thought it would be a good idea to teach you all how to make a true southern Luther Burger.

We start with the finest of ingrediants. We used a USDA Grade A ground sirloin patty, a store bought glazed donut, sliced chedder cheese (the actual Luther used white american), and pre-cooked bacon (no mess!).

The ground sirloin patty was of course grilled up on the greatest kitchen appliance known to man, the George Foreman. The great part about the Luther is that is the prep time is so low. The only other thing to do was slice the donut in half and cut the bacon strips. Cutting the donut can be a bit tricky, we recommend one of those bagel cutters, but that's just because we love kitchen gadgets.

Once the burger is complete, just invert the split bun, so the sticky glaze faces inward, and pile on the patty, bacon and cheese. It's amazing how simple this burger is, and yet what a commotion it can cause.

Curt had some patties at home, and we planned on using his George Foreman to make some burgers. We decided to dress them up a bit and hit the Publix market. While inside debating on what to get Curt had the greatest idea of his 25 year life:

We giggled our way through the aisles, picking up the elements to create our masterpiece.

1. Grated Romano Cheese
2. Super Fancy Pepperoni
3. Fancy Pizza Sauce
4. A bottle of wine
5. Mozzarella Cheese
6. Patties
7. Onions
8. Green Pepper
9. Buns

Our initial concerns were about the amount of each ingredient. Especially the pepperoni (Cantimpalo Brand Chorizo) and the sauce (L.E. Roselli's All Natural Pizza Sauce). The burger was made normally on the trusty lean-mean fat-reducing grilling-machine, which gave us about ten minutes to prepare the rest. We decided not to add pizza sauce to the bottom bun, and laid down a slice of the pepperoni, followed by a pile of mozzarella cheese.

Next came the fresh off the grill patty, so that the cheese would melt. We were worried that the thick beef patty would overwhelm the pepperoni flavor, so we added another slice, followed by fresh green pepper, onion, topped with some romano, and then applying pizza sauce to the top bun. We didn't toast the bun, as we wanted the pizza sauce to soak into the bun a bit. The finished product looked amazing, proudly displaying the colors of the Italian flag!

We cut the burger to better simulate the pizza slice, and I had the first bite. As I bit in I was really unsure how the flavors of this cross-cultural experiment would mesh. Curt's culinary creativity did not disappoint. The Pizza Burger was great!! I think stepping up to some quality ingredients and restraining from over application were key elements, but the end result is a very enjoyable pizza flavor with the satisfaction of a burger.

Want the Pizza Burger on your desktop? Check out Pizza Burger: The Director's Cut on Flickr.

Note from Freddy: My mom made this for me last time I visited, and it was SO delicious, SO fast, and SO cool. So I asked her to do a special Digest guest post with the recipe and step-by-step instructions. I hope you enjoy. Thanks, mom!

Mix in food processor bowl:
2 C flour
1 pkg rapid rise yeast
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Pulse to evenly blend.

Add 3/4 C warm water (120 to 130 degrees) (Yes, you have to check it)

...and 3 Tbsp olive oil. (I didn't measure; just don't scrimp.)

Pulse dough with and on-off motion to "knead" for about 30 seconds. Dough should be together in a ball.

Lightly oil bowl and transfer dough, turning to coat. Set aside while preparing veggies.

Heat gas grill to medium-high, or charcoal to medium-hot coals.

Slice assorted appropriate vegetables, and toss in bowl with prepared balsamic viaigrette salad dressing.

Grill until tender and marked on both sides (note: if you don't have a veggie "grill pan," secure sliced mushrooms and onion slices with skewers.) Remove from grill and cool.

Pat dough to about 12" x 18" on floured board.

Brush top liberally with olive oil and transfer, oil-side down, to grill.

Grill until lightly browned on bottom; oil top and flip.

Immediately smear lightly with desired sauce (I just reduced a can of Muir Glen diced tomatoes with some herbs), spread veggies, and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Close lid, cook about 2 minutes until cheese is melted and bottom crust is crisp.

Serve immediately! Bask in applause and kudos from guests! Kvell!