A Cook and Her Books: Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches

Showing posts with label Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

It's a Wrap, #SeriousSandwich

Olive salad. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

This is the finale of Emeril's #SeriousSandwich posts, and like the grand finale of the 4th of July fireworks, it ends with a booming blizzard of color. I've assembled pictures of all my sandwiches, and in a few days, when I have some spare time, I'll link back to the posts.

I want to say a big "Thank You" to Emeril Lagasse for creating such an exciting cookbook and for all the tweets, retweets, shares and pins. It sure does make your day when Emeril singles out your blog for a comment! And I really appreciate your taking time to answer my questions, especially offering your advice for young people considering the culinary profession.

Thanks to Tavia from Morrow Cookbooks for reading my stories and for choosing my blog to participate in the blogalong. This has been a learning experience for me, and a much-needed creative boost.

And speaking of education, thanks go out to Steven Freeman, the photographer for "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches," who talked with me about the cookbook shoot and offered constructive criticism of my pictures. (Just looking at my pictures here, from beginning to end, I can see a difference in how I approach the shot. I hope the results show!).

Thanks to Kamili Hemphill of Emeril's culinary team, for writing such inspiring words about the creative process of cookbook production, recipe writing, and cooking in general.

Thanks go out to my fellow #SeriousSandwich bloggers ~ I've had a great time exploring your blogs and making new friends.

Naan with cilantro-mint chutney. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

New style caldo verde and Eggplant Muffuletta. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Cheddar and green onion biscuits. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Egg salad supreme. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Smoked sausage sandwich with beer-braised onions. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Caprese. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Calzones. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

How to photograph sandwiches. Photo by Steven Freeman

Breakfast burrito with avocado crema. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

The Elvis. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Grilled smoky pimento cheese. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Chocolate wafers with peanut butter fudge. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Almond Poppy Seed cake with lemon Neufchatel. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

As for what's next, I need to tell a little story. In the second week of the blogalong, my family spent a few days in Orange Beach, Alabama, with incomparably beautiful weather (and an iffy wi-fi connection). One afternoon, I went out shopping, and as I usually do, I ended up in a bookstore where I bought a copy of Emeril's "There's a Chef in My World" for my seven year-old.

When I gave Lindsey Lou the book, she read completely through it and remarked on each recipe. She bookmarked a few, like the German Apple Pancake, and the Egg Drop Soup. When she finished reading through the cookbook, she looked at the cover, then she found the copy of "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches," and said that something looked familiar. I explained to her that the same chef wrote both books and his name was Emeril. She hugged both books to her chest and said,

"I just love Emerald."

We're just getting started on "There's a Chef in My World," ~ here's the German Apple Pancake, which was easy, fun and delicious. Thanks, Chef!

Emeril's German Apple Pancake. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

You may also want to visit my fellow #SeriousSandwich bloggers, all 21 of them:

It's been an absolute pleasure reading these new-to-me blogs and cooking through Emeril's new cookbook!

Disclosure: The views and opinions expressed on this blog are mine, based upon my personal experience. Morrow Cookbooks provided me with a Cookalong Kit including an advance copy of "Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches." In addition, upon completion of the #SeriousSandwich cookalong, all participants will receive a small grocery reimbursement and a complete library of Emeril's cookbooks.

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogalong sponsored by Morrow Books,
marking the publication of

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

with the exception of the book cover; that belongs to Morrow Books,

and Steven Freeman's photo from "How to Photograph Sandwiches."

The essence of good cooking, #SeriousSandwich


Almond poppy-seed pound cake with lemon neufchatel. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Chef Emeril Lagasse works with his culinary team to produce his cookbooks, like his newest, "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches," (Morrow, $24.99) When I ran into problems baking the Almond Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Lemon Neufchatel, Kamili Hemphill from Emeril's culinary team came to the rescue and I took the opportunity to ask her a few questions about creating the recipes for cookbooks like "Kicked-Up Sandwiches."

Q. What is the process for selecting and testing the recipes for the book?

A. Well ,when Chef Emeril begins a project, he already has a list of new recipe ideas (or old favorites) that he wants to be a part of it. As the testing process goes along, some ideas will stay the same and make it into the book and some ideas will change into something better… and every now and again certain ideas or recipes will get dropped if they just don’t measure up to the others. Then, when he gets to a point where he can step back and look at the list of recipes that are completed, it is easy to see where the gaps are. He will then brainstorm with us, the culinary team, to come up with additional ideas to round out the collection.

It’s a very organic process and the book really kind of writes itself as we go along.

Testing involves actually cooking recipes as well as writing them several times and using ingredients we are able to gather from grocery stores or farmer’s markets. We stay away from getting ingredients from restaurant purveyors because the recipes are for the home cook. Once the recipes have been cooked, they are evaluated for taste and flavor, texture, authenticity, appropriateness for the project and visual appeal.

Almond poppy seed pound cake. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Q. Do you have any tips for getting the best out of Emeril's recipes?

Hmmmm, good question. That really depends on the recipe. You have to be able to understand which ingredients in the recipe contribute to its essence, no pun intended. Successful cooking relies heavily on technique, an understanding of ratios, and a bit of understanding in regards to chemistry.

The wonderful thing about a well-written recipe is that it should eliminate guesswork on the part of the cook by being able to describe to the cook what he or she should be looking for.

Descriptions that include how long certain steps may take, appropriate temperatures, measurements, size of pan, specific cooking tools, specific ingredients, etc. One of the most important pieces of advice I give to people who are cooking from a recipe is to read it through several times before beginning to make sure they can understand the recipe. A person should be able to imagine it.

Practice is essential when it comes to cooking. At its very core, it is a craft.

I would certainly recommend that a person cook a recipe as-is first before making substitutions. That way a person can judge from their own experience what can be successfully changed. It takes a very experienced cook to make that determination by just reading a recipe. Now, I’m sure you know there are a lot of bad recipes and badly written recipes out there. So really, you have to try them first, and then adjust.

Almond-poppy seed pound cake. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Q. I'm working on improving the pictures for my blog, do you have any tips for making food look better on the plate and page?

A. Well, good pictures are many times a matter of taste. Chef Emeril’s taste regarding food photos definitely involves authenticity. He likes pictures of his food to be as natural as possible and photographed while it’s still fresh, i.e. photographed immediately. You will notice that you might get a glimpse of steam, or see that the cheese is still melty, or recognize sheen from the olive oil, or you might notice the delicious beauty in food where every cut or dimension isn’t exact.

It should look real… and good enough to eat.

Close-up photos usually work well so that the viewer can focus in on the food and not be distracted by other things. Also, for you, since photography is an expression, think about which photos of food you like and why. Then incorporate those things into your own work. (They should be) your own expression.

[A note on baking the Almond Poppy Seed Pound Cake - this is a terrific cake, but it must be baked according to the directions. Use cake flour and sift it before measuring. It can be made without the poppy seeds, but it's much better with them. They're like freckles, and what kid isn't cuter with freckles?]

Kamili Hemphill on the shoot for "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches." by Steven Freeman.

Thanks, Kamili, for taking time to share your knowledge with my readers and me!

With the exceptions of Emeril's book cover, that belongs to Morrow Cookbooks, and the picture of Kamili Hemphill, provided by Steven Freeman.

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a cookalong to celebrate the publication

Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches.

For more great #SeriousSandwich posts, follow #SeriousSandwich on Twitter.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Smoked sausage sandwich with beer-braised onions, #SeriousSandwich

Smoked sausage sandwich with beer-braised onions. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

One of the delights of cooking from Emeril Lagasse's newest cookbook, "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches," (Morrow, $24.99), is finding little extras along the way that will kick up sandwiches and help out around the kitchen. For example, the beer-braised onions on this Smoked Sausage Sandwich with Beer-Braised Onions. These little morsels of joy would be fantastic alongside any kind of meat or sausage, without without the bun. As for the sandwich, the Muenster cheese and stone-ground mustard in conjunction with the sausage and onions really stacks up the flavor.

Just like Emeril's Caprese Sandwich is a taste of summer, this hearty sandwich is a taste of fall, perfect for tailgating, or maybe picnics at the pumpkin patch.

Pumpkins. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Look for more great stories and recipes from "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches" right here on A Cook and Her Books, or follow #SeriousSandwich on Twitter. You may also want to visit my fellow #SeriousSandwich bloggers, all 21 of them:

It's been an absolute pleasure reading these new-to-me blogs and cooking through Emeril's new cookbook!

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogalong sponsored by Morrow Books,
marking the publication of

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

with the exception of the book cover; that belongs to Morrow Books.

Smashed chickpeas on naan with cilantro-mint chutney, #SeriousSandwich

Smashed chickpeas on naan with cilantro-mint chutney and raita. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

From time to time, folks will ask me why I love cookbooks and cooking, and I find it difficult to say why or how they are interesting to me, they just are. From my first cookbook, The Winnie-the-Pooh Cookbook, to my newest, Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches, I find stories and pictures that hold my attention. The dish above, Smashed Chickpeas on Naan with Cilantro-Mint Chutney and Raita, isn't pictured in the book, so I guess it was the idea of Indian spices and the tender flatbread known as naan that piqued my interest. With the added advantage of being a vegetarian entree, I was in, and the recipe did not disappoint, I could eat this any time of day.

Fragrant mustard seeds, garlic, fresh ginger, and crushed red pepper are sauteed with tomatoes, chickpeas and red bell pepper, then seasoned with turmeric, cumin, cardamom and coriander. The mixture is rough-smashed then served on flatbread with the cooling cucumber-yogurt mixture known as raita, and a coconut-milk based sauce flavored with cilantro and mint. It tastes as good as it smells.

I've written before that my world is small, but my kitchen is big. I'm an armchair traveler, and with the benefit of technology and some excellent cookbooks, I can bring the world into my kitchen. As for this dish, even though I didn't grow up with Indian food, and I live in a town without an Indian restaurant, I can taste a bit of the culture in my home.

And here are two more reasons why I've enjoyed cooking from "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches" - recipes with multiple components are concisely written, and esoteric ingredients are rare. I occasionally order spices from Penzeys, but I get weary of reading cookbooks that ask me to mail order or seek out specialty ingredients. And shopping at Whole Foods is not an option for me with my suburban supermarket choices, so Emeril's attention to readers with limited options is noted and appreciated.

Stay tuned for more great sandwiches from:

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogalong sponsored by Morrow Books,
marking the publication of

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

with the exception of the book cover; that belongs to Morrow Books.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

French Bread Pizza Sandwich, #SeriousSandwich

French Bread Pizza Sandwich. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Emeril is speaking French with an Italian accent in this French Bread Pizza Sandwich, a truly delicious weeknight meal, and light years beyond any supermarket frozen pizza. The secret is the way the bread is treated - hollowed out, bathed in garlic butter, toasted, then filled with Italian sausage, easy homemade tomato sauce, fresh Italian sausage and cheese, glorious cheese. Baked to cheese-stretching goodness, then served to your family with the admonition, "Be careful of the cheese, it's hot!"

As good is this carnivore's edition is, I can only imagine how much better it will be when I kick it up with the toppings of my favorite pizza - mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, you know, the classic veggie pizza. After all, that's what Emeril would do, right?

French Bread Pizza Sandwich. Lucy Mercer/ A Cook and Her Books

The recipe for the French Bread Pizza sandwich can be found in the genius-packed cookbook "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches" (Morrow, $24.99), on sale now at your favorite brick-and-mortar bookstore or online book retailer.

If you've been reading along, you know that this post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogger collective marking the publication of "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches." Emeril and his culinary team have been generous with their time, reading the stories and answering questions. Emeril took some time to answer a couple of questions from A Cook and Her Books readers.

The first question is from my friend Lynda Mahana of Luvgourmet, who just so happens to be a native of New Orleans:

Q. Do you believe that the choice of bread used is the most important component in assembling a great sandwich?

I think that the bread is just one part of a great sandwich. An important part, for sure, but equally important is what’s found between the bread. A kicked up condiment can really set a sandwich apart from the rest. All of the components have to work together to make a great sandwich.

Q. What advice do you offer to young people who want to start culinary careers?

A. Get a job in a restaurant to see what it’s really like. Oftentimes, the idea of being a chef doesn’t match the reality. Then, if you’re sure it’s for you, go to cooking school and soak up as much as you can. Once you’re out of school and a part of the work force, work harder still. Don’t be afraid to pay your dues – success doesn’t happen overnight but comes as the reward of hard work and dedication.

Q. What are your upcoming projects?

A. I am currently filming a TV show called "Emeril’s Florida," for the Cooking Channel. The show will debut in January 2013 and will focus on the food, cooking, events and activities throughout the state of Florida. It’s been a lot of fun to shoot.

I know I speak for a lot of readers here when I say we're looking forward to "Emeril's Florida" and hope that there's a cookbook to go with it!

Thanks, Emeril, from myself and all the readers of A Cook and Her Books!

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogalong sponsored by Morrow Books,
marking the publication of

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

with the exception of the book cover; that belongs to Morrow Books.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Chocolate Wafers with Peanut Butter Fudge, #SeriousSandwich

Chocolate wafers with peanut butter fudge. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

It's been said before, but it's so true ~ two great tastes that taste great together. Peanut butter and chocolate, a pair of ingredients pretty good on their own, are dynamite together.

Chocolate wafers with peanut butter fudge. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

These chocolate wafers with peanut butter fudge are the most decadent treat I've baked lately. Soft, dark chocolate cookies with a simple peanut butter fudge filling of marshmallow creme, pb, 10X sugar, and a shot of vanilla. I wish I could give you the entire recipe, but for that you'll just have to pick up a copy of Emeril Lagasse's newest cookbook, "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches" (Morrow, $24.99).

Among the 120 recipes in the book are 10 sweet recipes, goodies like Date-Walnut Pockets, Cafe Au Lait Macarons with White Chocolate Ganache, and Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. Just in time for Christmas baking, to be sure, and I already have requests to bake these chocolate-pb wafers for Christmas.

Please visit again soon for more fabulous sandwiches from Emeril!

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogalong sponsored by Morrow Books,
marking the publication of

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

with the exception of the book cover; that belongs to Morrow Books.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Minner Cheese, #SeriousSandwich

Smoky pimento cheese. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Pimento cheese is the red velvet of the savory world - it's everywhere. And that's for good reason,the pâté of the South is simply flat-out deliciousness. Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, the diced red peppers known as pimentos, stirred together and spread on crackers or between cottony slices of Bunny Bread, that's what we call Minner Cheese in my household.

Well, leave it to Emeril Lagasse to knock boilerplate pimento cheese spread out of the ballpark. In his newest book, "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches" (Morrow, $24.99), the chef starts with extra-sharp Cheddar and adds smoky pimenton. Hits of cayenne and hot sauce make this minner cheese a grown-up affair.

Emeril also knows about the best way to eat pimento cheese - grilled; so it gets all ooey-gooey drippy good.

Smoky grilled pimento cheese. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Smoky grilled pimento cheese is just one of 120 (give or take) recipes in "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches." The book is on sale now online and in bookstores. Check it out.

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogalong sponsored by Morrow Books marking the publication of

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

Stay tuned for more #SeriousSandwich stories...

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

with the exception of the book cover; that belongs to Morrow Books.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

The easiest from-scratch biscuits you will ever make

Emeril's Cheddar and Green Onion Biscuits with bacon. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Biscuit making is one of those revered arts, right up there with pie-crust-making, that holds fear and anxiety in its elusive and sticky hands. The fact is, both of these pastry skills were essential and probably inconsequentially everyday for women a century ago, but now that the kitchen is a choice, and thank goodness for that, biscuit making manages to be terrifying even though it is actually a very simple process. Fat combined with flour, some salt, some leavening, bound with liquid, pressed into a disk, punched into shape and baked.

The problem, of course, presents itself in the choices - what fat, what flour, what leavening? The novice cook may wonder 'What does it mean to "handle gently?" or to "cut in butter?" Given the variations and complexities of the subject, it's no wonder that people will pop open a tube of biscuits and call it breakfast. (Or for the moms in the know, bake up the frozen biscuits, because, I know, they really are that good.)

When you're ready to give biscuit-making a try, go to this recipe from "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches" for Cheddar-Green Onion Biscuits. It's the delivery device for a fried chicken breast and a shmear of redeye gravy, but bake up a batch of these and they're pretty darn good solo. Plus, this cream biscuit is near foolproof. Even if you manage to overwork the dough, (and if you follow the directions, you won't,) but if you do, there's enough fat to make up for it. Between the butter and the cream, you are covered.

Cheese and onion go into the dry ingredients. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Cutting out biscuits. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

"Painting" the biscuits with what else? Melted butter. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

This post is part of #SeriousSandwich, a blogalong for Emeril Lagasse's newest cookbook, "Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches." Look for more recipes from the #SeriousSandwich bloggers by following hashtag #SeriousSandwich on Twitter.

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Convenient Calzones, #SeriousSandwich

Emeril's calzones. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Calzones are one of those foods I forget about, and when I do remember, I think to myself “why don’t I make these more often?” The rolled-up pizzas are just as tasty as a pizza pie, but the form – the bread pocket, makes them super-convenient to make, take and freeze.

Fact is, I used to make calzones all the time, making mini-pockets to accommodate my young children’s appetites. Making them half as small meant twice as many pockets. I would take the leftover calzones, wrap them carefully and place them in freezer bags, then bring them out for heat-and-heat fast meal on a busy weeknight. Hey, I still have busy weeknights – I should be doing this more often!

To be honest, my calzone recipe was pretty standard stuff – tomato sauce, pepperoni and shredded cheese. Here comes Emeril to the rescue, stuffing his calzone recipe with Genoa salami, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiana-Reggiano, and fresh basil. This is truly a calzone taken to notches unknown, a real live #SeriousSandwich. (Hubs and kiddos both give thumbs up to this kicked-up version, and I left out the crushed red pepper.)

This post is part of the #SeriousSandwich blogalong to celebrate the publication of Emeril Lagasse’s “Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches: Stacked with Flavor” (Morrow, $24.99). If you’d like your very own copy of this fabulous new cookbook, then click over to this post for the giveaway. And in the meantime, assemble your ingredients for the busy mom’s best friend, aka the Calzone.

Calzones with tomato sauce for dipping. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Sopressata and Genoa Salami Calzones

4 calzones

I love this calzone with a variety of salami, but this is a recipe where you can safely go in many directions. Change up the cheese, use roasted red peppers or sautéed mushrooms instead of the meat, add Roasted Garlic (page 79) . . . I could go on and on. And you don’t have to eat them right out of the oven, either—they travel well, so pack your picnic basket!

1 recipe Semolina Pizza Dough (use Emeril’s recipe, or your favorite homemade or storebought)

1 cup Quick Tomato Sauce for Calzones (recipe follows) or your favorite jarred pizza/pasta sauce

1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

8 ounces mixed sopressata, hot sopressata, Genoa salami, and/or pepperoni, chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese, drained

8 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Flour or cornmeal, for dusting the pizza peel

1. Place a pizza stone in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F. (Alternatively, place an upside-down rimmed baking sheet on the rack in your oven.)

2. Halve one of the pieces of dough and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to form two 8-inch rounds. Spread ¼ cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom half of each round, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the basil and one-quarter of the cured meats evenly over each portion of sauce. Sprinkle one-quarter of the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and crushed red pepper over each portion of meat. Gently fold the top half of the dough over the filling, rolling and pressing the edges together with your fingertips to seal them, and crimping as you go along. Make 2 more calzones with the remaining ingredients.

3. Depending on the size of your oven, you may be able to bake only 2 calzones at a time. Cut several small slits in the top of each calzone to allow air to escape while baking, and transfer the calzones to a pizza peel that has been lightly dusted with flour or cornmeal (to facilitate moving the dough). Tilt the pizza peel to slide the calzones onto the preheated baking stone. Bake for 16 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the dough is cooked through. Remove the calzones from the oven with the pizza peel or a spatula, and serve immediately or at room temperature.

Quick Tomato Sauce for Calzones

1 3/4 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and pureed

1 sprig fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes, until soft. Add the tomatoes, thyme sprig, salt, and pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the extra-virgin olive oil, discard the thyme sprig, and set aside until ready to use.

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (Morrow, $24.99)

If you love cookbooks like I do, you gotta follow The Secret Ingredient Blog from Morrow Books.

of the cover of Emeril's Kicked-Up Sandwiches, provided by Morrow,

and the recipe text, reprinted with permission from Morrow.