Chicken and Black-eyed Pea Chili

Ingredients: pound of dried black-eyed peas, 2 quarts cherry tomatoes, 3 boneless chicken breasts, 2 diced green apples, punch cumin, tablespoon olive oil, half of a really hot dried pepper that my friend grew, dash cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Directions will be available later.

Christina's Doughnuts

Over the years, I’ve gotten very good at adapting recipes for people who have special food concerns. Among my accomplishments are a preservative-free pineapple up-side-down cake and dairy-and-soy-free ice cream, but I am most proud of making doughnuts for my friend Christina who has many food allergies, including soy, dairy, and egg. While my friend—who doesn’t cook at all—watched with amusement, I combined flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in my largest mixing bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, I mixed olive oil, apple sauce and apple juice. While the vegetable oil was getting hot in an iron skillet on the stove, I kneaded the batter until it was firm and then rolled it out on my large wood cutting board dusted with flour. After that, I cut the batter into doughnut shapes by using a fancy glass for the round and a bottle cap for the hole. Christina leaned forward with interest as the dough started to sizzle when I placed it into the hot oil and looked on with delight as I turning each one to achieve a golden brown on each side. Finally, I lifted the doughnuts from the oil, dried them on paper towels, and dusted them with powdered sugar. Tentatively, she selected a doughnut and took a cautious bite. I was very gratified when I saw the look of joy on my friend’s face when she savored a doughnut for the first time.