Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 pound apricots, pits discarded, cut into 1/4-inch wedges
1/2 cup apricot jam

Directions

1. In bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and a teaspoon sugar. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds. With machine running, add 1/4 cup ice water in a slow stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a bit together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Divide pate brisee dough in half. Flatten halves, and wrap in plastic; chill at least 30 minutes.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the pate brisee to a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, about 6 by 11 inches.
3. Using a 5-inch round cutter or a bowl, cut out 2 circles; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Using a fork, poke several holes around crusts. Chill dough on sheet for 15 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake until pale golden, about 10 minutes.
5. Remove from oven; reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Arrange apricots in a fan shape on tarts. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar on each tart; bake until tarts are golden and apricots start to brown, 25 to 35 minutes.
6. As tarts bake, warm jam in a saucepan. Remove tarts from oven; cool. Strain glaze into a bowl; discard solids. Brush glaze on tarts.

Makes 4.

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Ingredients

1/ 2 pound strawberries, washed and halved
2 ripe peaches, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
juice and rind of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bottles ordinary red wine
ice

Directions

In a large pitcher put strawberries, peaches, bananas, the lemon juice and rind, sugar, and cinnamon. Add red wine and stir the mixture thoroughly, mashing the fruit slightly. Let the sangria stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, add about 20 ice cubes and stir the mixture briskly until it is ice cold.

Serves 8-10.

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Ingredients

3 poblano chiles
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
2 tablespoon chopped (or thinly sliced) sun-dried tomatoes (about 3 halves)
1 tablespoon lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups farfalle, cooked
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Place chiles directly over the burners of a gas stove. Roast over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until skin is charred and chiles soften, 10 to 15 minutes. (To roast in oven, cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Place chiles on sheet and broil, turning occasionally, until skin is charred and chiles soften, 12 to 17 minutes.) Remove from heat and cool. Remove peel and seeds. Slice thinly; set aside.
2. Sprinkle shrimp with half the salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large pan over high heat. Cook shrimp, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chiles, red peppers, tomatoes, zest and lime juice.
3. Cook until liquid reduces by half and shrimp are no longer translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add wine and reduce until slightly syrupy. Stir in pasta.
5. Reduce heat to low and cover 1 minute. Top with cilantro and serve.

Serves 4.

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Ingredients

12 ounces spaghetti
1 pound large (31 to 35) peeled and deveined frozen shrimp, tails on (if desired), thawed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente; reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Add shrimp to pot, and stir. Immediately drain spaghetti and shrimp, and set aside (the shrimp will continue to cook).
2. In same pot, heat oil over medium. Add garlic, rosemary, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until garlic is golden, 1 to 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat; return pasta and shrimp to pot. Add lemon juice and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Serves 4.

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Ingredients

2/3 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup chopped semisweet or white baking chocolate (I used semisweet chips)
3/4 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir butter and brown sugar over medium heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in chopped chocolate.
2. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars while warm. To store, cover pan and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes 36 bars.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 137, Total Fat (g) 7, Total Sugar (g) 12, Fiber (g) 1.

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