Classic Brownie Cookies as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch February 9, 2024

a Classic, cookies, and milk on George Hirsch Lifestyle

Chocolate treat, under 30 minutes - mixing and baking. But can you wait 24 hours? Probably not, but just save a few because these cookies actually taste even better a few days after baking. Eyes go wide open on the first bite. Try my recipe for yourself, and you'll agree. For best results, use a good-quality cocoa powder.

Classic Brownie Cookies

Makes 3 dozen large or 6 dozen small

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1 1/3 cups butter

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 each eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

2/3 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

1 cup mini chocolate chips, semi sweet, or chopped chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar one minute, or until creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating lightly after each.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk beating at low speed about 1 minute, or just until blended.

Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.

Drop dough with cookie scoop (heaping 2 Tablespoons) on parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies will still appear soft and moist when baked, but firm up on cooling.

Cool slightly, then remove to cooling rack. About 3 dozen cookies.

Tip: Smaller cookies can be made using 1 Tablespoon dough for each cookie, baking for 8 to 10 minutes.

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Kiełbasa with Jam Sauce

georgehirsch November 3, 2023

The most popular kiełbasa is also called Kiełbasa Polska aka Polish Sausage.

In Poland, kiełbasa is often served garnished with fried onions, and smoked kiełbasa can be served cold, hot, boiled, baked, or grilled. The condiments in this recipe work wonderfully with the smokiness of the sausage.

This recipe was shared by my dear polish friends and graced my first cookbook over 25 years ago and is popular as ever today. You and your family will be amazed at how easy to prepare, and great it tastes. Enjoy!

Kiełbasa with Jam Sauce

Makes four-six servings

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2 1/2 pounds Kielbasa or smoked sausage

1 cup good quality Jam, such as marionberry, blackberry, or mixed berry

1 cup catsup

1 Tablespoon horseradish

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Slice the kielbasa 1/4 inch thick and place in a preheated nonstick skillet. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour the sauce over the kielbasa and cook for 30 to 45 minutes at a low temperature. Serve warm.

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Vine Ripen Pizza

George Hirsch September 1, 2023

FLATBREAD PIZZA When it comes to making any type of pizza, let imagination and the season rule your toppings. I love this Caprese-style pizza in the summer with an abundance of vine-ripe tomatoes. And if you are up to expanding your hand-tossed style, take the dough to the grill for an added fire-roasted flavor.

George_Hirsch_pizza_Flatbread basil 112s.png

Caprese Flatbread Pizza

Makes four servings |

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the art of making pizza dough, easy as 1, 2, 3

Mix Dough and place in a bowl lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover loosely with a towel or plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator overnight.

The next day, preheat *oven to 475 degrees F.

Stretch out the dough to a rectangular shape and cut it into two pieces. Sprinkle a teaspoon of fine-grind cornmeal on the surface of a heavy gauge pizza pan or sheet pan. Place the two pieces of dough on the top of the cornmeal. Brush top lightly with olive oil.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until pizza flatbread crusts is fully baked. You can check for doneness by tapping on the edge of the dough with your finger. It should be hollow.

Remove from oven, place two pizza flatbreads on a rack, and allow to cool.

When cool, top with sliced vine oak leaf lettuce, ripened tomatoes, fresh basil, and pesto; sprinkle a small amount of sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and olive oil.

*NOTE: If grilling, pre-heat the grill to high heat. After stretching and right before placing dough on the grill surface, brush heavy with olive oil.

George's Pizza Dough

Makes enough for 2-3 pizzas

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1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (between 105 and 115 degrees F)

1 teaspoon sugar

3 1/2 cups bread flour

1/4teaspoon salt

3/4 cup warm water

1 Tablespoon olive oil

In a small bowl, combine the yeast and water. Add the sugar and stir well. Set aside for 10 minutes or until tiny bubbles appear on the surface.

Place 3 cups of the flour in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour the yeast mixture and the water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, using the additional 1/2 cup flour if the dough is sticky.

The dough is sufficiently kneaded when you can stick two fingers into it, and it springs back without leaving an indentation.

Cut the dough into four pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Let the dough rest in an oiled bowl for 45-60 minutes. Lightly oil the top of each ball with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

- Mixing with a mixer & dough hook: Mix for eight minutes at medium speed

- Mixing with a food processor: process for 40 seconds until smooth; add one additional Tablespoon of flour until all of the flour is combined into the dough.

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Pesto al Trapanese by Kevin Penner as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch April 18, 2022

When the tomatoes are vine-ripe it's time to make Pesto al Trapanese. By far the easiest and tastiest sauce. Period, read on…

Kevin Penner, George Hirsch from George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series

Chef Kevin Penner has opened and exec’d many top kitchens; this segment was filmed on the South Fork of Long Island's CittaNuova in East Hampton, NY. His passion to be within steps of the farms has kept him closer to the roots & vines— and as he puts it, “can be found loitering in the kitchen at some of the highly acclaimed East End restaurants.” Luckily for those who get to sample his gift with food, I am happy he is still part of the East End Team!

To say the Pesto al Trapanese is incredible is an understatement. But, as Kevin or any great chef will tell you, it is about the ingredients. Underscore those tomatoes, no shortcuts.

Pesto al Trapanese by Chef Kevin Penner | chefkevinpenner.com

10 ounces heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/3 cup roasted Marcona almonds

1/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 small Calabrian chili in oil, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon) (see note)

Kosher salt

A pinch of red pepper flakes

1 pound pasta, preferably a long shape (spaghetti, linguine…I use house-made chitarra)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

INSTRUCTIONS

Blend the almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, Calabrian chili, salt to taste, and red pepper flakes in a blender until smooth and homogenous. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in Evo, about 30 seconds.

Bring one gallon of water to boil in a large pot. Add pasta and 3 tablespoons of salt and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to the cooking pot.

Add tomato pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, tweaking the consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that pesto coats pasta and forms a nice, creamy emulsion. Serve quickly with extra cheese on the side.

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Jack-n-Mac or Mac and Cheese ?

George Hirsch April 12, 2022

A pasta dish with so many names, its easily prepared either on your stove-top, and baked in the oven or grill. A perfect one-pot dish for almost any occasion, served straight from the sauce pan or guilded with a crusty topping. My spin on the classic is dressed up a bit for grown-up flavor and is just as welcomed for an elegant dinner or a casual backyard BBQ. Cheddar is the common cheese of choice, but I like using a mixture of cheddar and jack. Sometimes even a bit of Gruyere as well, to put a bit of bite in my baked mac; using a fifty-fifty cheese ratio. Feel free to use chef's poetic license and use more or less Cheddar if you like.

JACK-n-MAC SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with my BBQ Sliders & Grilled BBQ Shrimp

George’s Cheddar Jack-n-Mac

Makes 6 servings

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2 Tablespoons Butter

1 onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 teaspoon hot sauce

pinch fresh grated nutmeg

2 cups half & half

1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Jack cheese, shredded

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tablespoons fresh italian parsley, chopped

1 1/2 pounds uncooked elbow, shells, or other small pasta

Melt Butter in a large soup pot or saucepan. Add onion, and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the flour and mix with a whisk. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the broth, stirring with whisk and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the bay leaves, thyme, diced green chilies, hot sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the half & half and heat to a simmer. Slowly add the Cheddar, Jack, and Parmesan cheeses, stirring until they melt and the sauce is smooth. Stir in the cooked pasta. Place in a serving dish and eat immediately or sprinkle with Mac Topping, and bake five minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Optional Additions:

1 cup each Chorizo or smoked sausage, chopped plum tomatoes, smoked ham, pancetta, pulled chicken or grilled shrimp to make your own home-spin.

For the Mac Topping