Tom Douglas

This may be the most sought-after cookie recipe in the book, the cookie that makes it intoSeattle Metropolitanmagazine's food lover's guide year after year. Once, when director, screenwriter (When Harry Met Sally), and novelist Nora Ephron was in town, she stopped by the dahlia Bakery and bought a few of these cookies. Later she e-mailed me, saying this was her all-time favorite and asked for the recipe. Naturally, I sent it to Nora along with a big package of cookies. When I asked Nora if I could name the cookie after her in my cookbook, she said, "Are you kidding me? This may be the greatest cookie ever ever ever." A sandwich cookie takes more effort than a drop cookie, because you have to make both cookies and filling. In addition, this recipe involves a chilling step and requires the cookies to be double-panned. But the results are worth it for the best-textured peanut butter cookie with the creamiest peanut filling. After arranging the scoops of cookie batter on a baking sheet, slip another baking sheet underneath to double-pan so the cookies bake more slowly and evenly. Since you can bake only eight cookies per baking sheet, and the cookies must be double-panned, you'll have to bake them in batches. Be sure to let the baking sheets cool thoroughly before reusing them. We use two different peanut butters in this recipe. Skippy creamy peanut butter makes the filling smooth and creamy. Adams crunchy peanut butter, which like other natural peanut butters must be well mixed before using to incorporate the oil, has just the right almost-runny consistency and crunchy bits of peanuts to give the cookies the perfect texture. To re-create our peanut butter sandwich cookies, we suggest you use the same or similar brands. We prefer moist brown sugar from a resealable plastic bag rather than from a box. This recipe requires a 2-hour or longer chill of the shaped cookie dough, so plan accordingly. The amount of salt in the filling is a perfect balance to the creamy peanut butter, but if you are substituting table salt for the kosher salt called for in the recipe, be sure to cut the amount in half. This recipe was inspired by the Bouchon Bakery.

当我还是个孩子的时候我妈妈做番茄汤,她would cut buttered toast into squares and float them on top of each bowl. My twist on Mom's toast is to make brown butter croutons, though when I'm really feeling feisty I go all the way and make grilled cheese croutons to float on the soup. To cut the bread for the brown butter croutons, take a 4-inch chunk of rustic bread (5 to 6 ounces) and cut off and discard the crusts using a serrated knife. Cut the bread into 4 slices, then cut the slices into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes.

Meaning "snails" in German, schnecken are pecan-cinnamon buns drizzled with gooey pecan caramel.

This cornbread is a little firmer and denser than one made for eating on its own so that it will hold up to grilling and tossing with the dressing for theGrilled Cornbread Salad with Red Onions, Arugula, and Red Wine Vinaigrette.

Bake and freeze theTriple-Chocolate Cookiesa day before filling them with ice cream. For convenience, you can make the homemade ice cream up to three days in advance. Purchased strawberry ice cream (softened slightly at room temperature until spreadable) also works in these sandwiches.

Be sure to buy the salmon with the skin on, which makes it much easier to handle as it grills. Keep in mind this is a special cut that your fish market or supermarket seafood counter may have to order. What to drink: Tom Douglas likes to pair this with a Washington State Chardonnay. Try: Columbia Crest 2002 Grand Estates Chardonnay ($11).

To make this fresh American rendition of panzanella (the Italian bread-and-tomato salad), bake the cornbread one day ahead so that it will be firm enough to toast on the grill.

A fresh raspberry syrup infuses this pretty drink with bright fruit flavor.

Chilled shrimp in piquant remoulade sauce is a Creole classic. Here, it tops pumpernickel toasts spread with a chili-molasses butter. What to drink:Berry Rum Punch.