Unfortunately, we also hear that some types of fish are full of mercury or PCBs and other seafood is endangered of being over fished.

It’s hard to keep track of all of it. To help sort it out, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a Super Green list of seafood that is both healthy for you and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. To make the list, fish must have low levels of contaminants, a minimum of 250 milligrams omega-3 fatty acids and be well-managed and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.

Sadly, there aren’t a lot of choices on this list. According to the guide, as of May 2010, the Best of the Best is Albacore Tuna (troll- or pole-caught, from the U.S. or British Columbia), Freshwater Coho Salmon (farmed in tank systems, from the U.S.), Mussels (farmed), Oysters (farmed), Pacific Sardines (wild-caught), Rainbow Trout (farmed), Salmon (wild-caught, from Alaska).

They also include a list of second best choices. These fish contain less omega-3 fatty acids than their top picks. This list includes Arctic Char (farmed), Bay Scallops (farmed), Crayfish (farmed, from the U.S.), Dungeness Crab (wild-caught, from California, Oregon or Washington), Longfin Squid (wild-caught, from the U.S. Atlantic), Pacific Cod (longline-caught, from Alaska)

Local Ocean, in Hudson, NY, has come up with an innovative solution to both over-fishing and environmental contamination. It uses a closed salt-water system and raises fish that are both sustainable and pollutant free. I like that. They currently sell to restaurants, but I’m told they will open a retail outlet this fall. I’ll be waiting by the door.

Until they open, I will be consulting my guide and buying fish on the Super Green List. When buying fish, if you don’t see the origin listed, ask. You don’t want to end up with farm raised Atlantic salmon when you are looking for wild caught Alaskan salmon, now do you?

Salmon is a nice firm fish and excellent for kebabs. Kebabs are one of my favorite ways to cook food on the grill. Just about anything you can skewer, you can grill. Some things, like garlic, are tricky. You have to pick large cloves so they don’t split open when you stab them. With softer items, like tomatoes, be sure to cut big pieces. Cherry tomatoes work great on kebabs. My new favorite thing to kebab is fruit.

Pancetta Salmon Kebabs on Arugula

My sister-in-law Tori calls these “Easy Peasy and Absolutely Delish Kebabs.” I have to agree. She modified the recipe from Sunset Magazine. I tweaked it a bit more.

You’ll need eight skewers (two per serving). If you are using wooden ones, be sure to soak them in water for a couple of hours to prevent the whole thing from catching on fire!

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper, divided
1 1/2 pounds skinned salmon filet (wild caught, Alaskan preferred)
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
3 teaspoons chopped parsley
4 cups arugula, washed and dried

Method:

• Combine 1/4 cup oil, vinegar, garlic and salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Set dressing aside.
• Cut salmon into one-inch chunks.
• Prepare grill for high heat (450° to 550F°).
• In a large bowl, combine remaining tablespoon of oil with remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Add salmon to bowl and gently mix to thoroughly coat.
• Wrap each salmon cube with pancetta, then skewer each wrapped chunk.
• Oil cooking grate, using tongs and a wad of oiled paper towels. Set kebabs on grate and grill covered, turning once, until salmon is barely cooked through, about four minutes total.
• Toss arugula in dressing and divide onto four plates.
• Set two kebabs on the arugula bed and serve.

Photograph by Kate Sears

Then something happened that changed my perspective on slow cookers. That something was “The New Slow Cooker” by Brigit Binns. We are lucky to have Brigit living among us in the Hudson Valley. She is an awesome cook and prolific cookbook writer — a marvelous combination. Not only does she know her way around the kitchen, she shares her immense culinary knowledge and spot-on recipes.

It’s always good to know someone who is working on a cookbook. There’s lots of testing and, more importantly, eating involved. Brigit was recently working on a new one. Being good eaters, my husband and I happily volunteered to come over and do our part. We are always helpful that way.

On one such visit, I spied a brand-spanking-new cookbook, “The New Slow Cooker.” These aren’t your grandma’s crock pot recipes. The eye-candy photos are inspiring, as are all the dishes that scream summer. Yes, summer dishes in a slow cooker! I went home, cleared some counter space and let my slow cooker see the summer sun.

Williams-Sonoma was nice enough to let me reprint a couple of my favorite recipes from Brigit’s book.

“The New Slow Cooker” is currently available in Williams-Sonoma stores and online at www.williams-sonoma.com.

Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

Reprinted with permission from Williams-Sonoma The New Slow Cooker.
Photograph by Kate Sears; recipe by Brigit Binns. Copyright 2010 by Weldon Owen Inc. and Williams-Sonoma Inc.

1 tablespoon bacon drippings or canola oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
Salt
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce, or to taste
5 pounds (2.5 kg) baby back ribs

Apple-Fennel Slaw for serving (see below; optional)

Makes six servings.

To make the barbecue sauce, in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm the bacon drippings. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about five minutes. Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, wine, lemon zest and juice, brown sugar, mustard, chile powder, cumin, celery salt, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook very gently, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until slightly thickened, about 12 minutes. Stir in the Tabasco and taste for seasoning. Use right away, or preferably let cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using.

Preheat the broiler. Trim the membrane from the back of each rack, then cut into individual ribs. Arrange the ribs on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until browned on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer the ribs to a slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce and turn the ribs to coat evenly. Cover and cook on the low setting for five to six hours. The ribs should be very tender.

Using a slotted spatula, transfer the ribs to a large platter and keep warm. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan, let stand for few minutes and skim away the fat from the sauce with a large spoon. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil rapidly to reduce and thicken slightly, three to four minutes.

Arrange the ribs on warm individual plates and drizzle with some of the reduced sauce. If using, mound the slaw alongside the ribs. Serve at once.

Apple-Fennel Slaw

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) each fresh lime juice, sour cream and mayonnaise; 1/2 teaspoon each salt and chile powder, preferably chipotle; 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar; and 3 1/4 cups (3 1/4 oz/20 g) fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped. Add 2 large fennel bulbs, quartered lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced crosswise; and 2 small tart red or green apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced. Toss to mix. Cover and refrigerate for one hour before serving to allow the flavors to marry.

I also like to make a double batch of this and freeze half.
 
I roast the vegetables in this recipe but you can also grill them or simply add them all to a heavy bottomed pot and sauté them until soft. This is one of those dishes that seems to taste even better the second day.

If you are using eggplant that is a little past its prime, slice it in 1/2 inch thick slabs and salt each piece. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, then using a paper towel, gentle sop up the moisture and salt.
 
Ingredients

2-3 medium eggplants
2 red, yellow or green peppers
1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash
1 large onion
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
5-6 large tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Preheat oven to 400º F.
• Cut eggplant, peppers, squash and onion into 1″ chunks and salt and pepper lightly.
• Toss vegetables with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 4 cloves of chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon of rosemary. Place in a rimmed baking sheet or other large shallow baking pan and spread the vegetables in a single layer (use two sheets if necessary). Place in preheated oven.
• Chop tomatoes. Salt lightly and mix with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon of rosemary and spread in another oiled pan. The tomatoes will develop a bit of liquid, so be sure the pan has high sides. Place pan in oven.
• Roast vegetables, turning a couple times for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Some of the vegetables will get a nice roasted brown color. Be careful not to burn.
• Combine roasted vegetables; be sure to include the liquid from the tomatoes. Add chopped basil and mix. Serve hot or at room temperature.

 

Serves four.
 

Thankfully we have a grill. My husband and I got a beautiful grill as a wedding gift. We were eager to get it up and running because we had invited people over for a pre-wedding cookout and our new grill would play an important roll in that event.

Since in a few days we were expecting 50 plus people in our backyard, we opted to go pick up the grill from Sears instead of waiting to have it delivered. Loading the heavy, large, flat box into our truck was the first clue that “some assembly required” took liberties with the word “some.”

Assembling a grill with 42 pages of instructions should be a requirement for all engaged couples. You find out interesting things about your betrothed that may have otherwise taken years to uncover. For instance, you may discover that your wife-to-be always likes to try everything without first reading the directions on the off chance that she can figure it out on her own. Or maybe your groom, when frustrated, tends to use a hammer when other, more appropriate tools, like a screwdriver, might work better.

I’m not saying that if you don’t pass this grill-building test, that you shouldn’t get married; I’m just suggesting that it will give you some important framework to navigate your marriage.

“Oh, Kara, remember the grill incident. Read the directions, honey.”

The pressure of a wedding combined with the impending cookout was intense, as was the usually warm May weather. Knowing us, we probably started the project on empty stomachs with a package of hot dogs on stand by for the fully assembled grill. No matter, we finished the task and still agreed to marry each other, even if we did end up with a couple of wayward bolts.

Since then, I’ve been burning up all kinds of things on the grill. I think I just get excited and want to rush things along. I turn on the grill full blast; throw whatever I’m cooking on. I close the lid and walk away. I am always very disappointed when I open the lid to see that my juicy hamburgers have turned into little black hockey pucks. Dang.

Lately, I’ve decided to master the grill. The first thing I did was read our grill’s manual. Second, I learned the value of indirect heat. Not everything needs a burning hot flame under it to cook. If you have a gas grill, indirect heat is a snap. Just turn on the burners for one half of the grill and cook on the other half. With a charcoal grill, you just have to maneuver the hot coals either to one side or around the edges. Indirect heat is a must for things that require a long cooking time, like a whole chicken.

Real grill aficionados pooh-pooh our gas grill in favor of hardwood lump charcoal. It burns hot and imparts a natural smoky flavor. It’s also usually a natural product without the chemical additives that charcoal briquettes can sometimes have. My interests are certainly piqued and I plan to try it the next time I’m around a charcoal grill.

Until then, I’ll keep perfecting my gas-grilling skills and wait for the day when something falls off our beautiful grill so that we will finally know where those extra bolts were supposed to go.

Grilled Whole Chicken

I love cooking whole chickens, but usually relegate that task to the winter kitchen. I was happy to discover that I can get excellent results with a whole chicken on the grill. Now I can enjoy it year round. Use any leftover chicken for chicken salad and be sure to make stock out of the bones.

I always brine my birds. The process captures and holds moisture, giving you a nice juicy chicken.

Ingredients

Whole chicken, about 3 pounds
1/4 cup salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 orange (or half of a grapefruit or 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
Pepper, salt, cayenne

Method

• The night or morning before you plan to grill, place chicken in a large bowl or pot and cover with water.
• Mix salt and minced garlic in about a cup of warm water and stir until dissolved. Add mixture to the pot/bowl with the chicken.
• Refrigerate and soak for four to 12 hours.
• After brining, rinse the chicken in cold, running water. Pat dry.
• Quarter the orange and place in chicken cavity (make sure you remove the neck and giblets if there are any).
• Rub the chicken with olive oil or butter and generously sprinkle with pepper and salt. Add cayenne pepper according to your spice preference.
• Prepare grill for indirect grilling. If using a gas grill, heat one side to medium-high and leave the other side off. If using a charcoal grill, light the briquettes. When they glow red, scoot them to the sides, leaving an empty space in the middle of the grill.
• Once the grill is hot, you’ll want to oil the grates. This can be done using a basting brush (a silicone one works well. Make sure it is meant for high heat), or you may ball up a couple of paper towels, dip them in oil and, using tongs, rub the towels over the grates.
• Place chicken, breast side down, on the grill rack over direct heat; close the lid and cook for five minutes. Using tongs inserted into the cavity, turn chicken over, close the lid and cook five minutes.
• Move chicken over to the indirect heat side. Close the lid and cook 40 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the beast registers 165°. If you don’t have a thermometer, cook until the juices run clear.
• When the chicken is getting close to done, brush with barbecue sauce, if desired.
• Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes.

Serves four.

When asked what his secret was, he quickly replied, “Garlic. And onion sandwiches.” Chester’s recipe is to take two slices of bread, put lots of mayonnaise on both slices, cut a “great big slice of onion” and put it between the bread and eat it!

Of course, being an onion lover, I had to make one. And then I had to make another version that my neighbor John told me about. Instead of mayo, one bread slice gets peanut butter (yes, that’s right, peanut butter) and the other gets mustard. Yu-um!

To your health!

Worth a listen: Postal Worker Retires At 95, Onion Sandwich In Hand

Tequila Lime Marinade

Ingredients
3 green onions
2 cloves garlic
1/3 to 1/2 of a jalapeno
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 cup tequila (plus extra for the cook)
Juice of one lime
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper

1 pound grass-fed hanger steak (substitute flank steak or skirt steak)

Method

• Pulse all ingredients (except steak!) in food processor until finely chopped.
• Place steak in a non-reactive dish to marinate.
• Slather steak with olive oil, salt and pepper generously and cover with marinade.
• Cover and place in refrigerator for two to 12 hours.
• Remove steak from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. It will cook more evenly if it is at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375º F.
• Heat an oven-proof frying pan to medium-high heat. A cast iron pan works great. Coat pan with thin layer of olive oil and add steak. Reserve marinade.
• Sear both sides, about one minutes each side.
• Add marinade to pan and place in pre-heated oven. Cook for five to 10 minutes, depending on how you like your steak done. If using a meat thermometer, see chart above.
• Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for five to 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife and slice into thin strips.

Serve on warm corn tortillas and top with Fresh Spring Salsa.
Serves four.

Fresh Spring Salsa

I didn’t miss the tomatoes in this one bit. Experiment with any veggies you see at the farmers’ market.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 to 1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup sweet onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon jalapeno, chopped
3 medium-sized carrots, julienne (or cut to match stick size)
4 to 5 medium-sized radishes, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• In a medium-sized bowl, add lime juice and honey. Mix until well blended.
• Add onions, garlic and jalapenos to mixture and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Add carrots, radishes and cilantro and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves four. Keeps refrigerated for three days.

The first thing about making falafels that struck me was that you don’t use cooked chickpeas. In fact, if you try this recipe with cooked chickpeas, it will most likely fall apart. Dried chickpeas are key. You can usually find dried chickpeas in bulk sections of health food stores.

Chickpeas’ nutritional claim to fame, like other beans, is that they are an excellent source of dietary fiber, which helps to lower cholesterol. They are also an excellent source of folate and magnesium and a good source of iron. I like to toss in turmeric for its anti-inflammatory properties and flax seeds for a dose of brain-healthy omega 3s.

Most falafels are fried. I don’t have a problem with fried food, as long as it is fried in good oil (like coconut oil or ghee), but I prefer to bake falafels. Instead of frying a few at a time in batches, I can place all of the patties in the oven and work on the tahini sauce (or the dishes!) while they are baking.

Falafels are traditionally round balls. I find that flat patties work better, especially if you aren’t using a deep fryer. Plus they are easier to eat. Flat falafels are less likely to bust a seam in your pita. Nobody likes busted pita bread!

This recipe is adapted from a Tyler Florence recipe (his version is fried).

Ingredients
2 cups dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cumin seeds (substitute ground cumin)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds (substitute ground coriander seeds)
1 tablespoon turmeric powder (optional)
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

6 pieces of whole wheat pita bread

Mixed greens, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers and diced onion for garnish (any combo of these will do).

Method

Makes 10 to 12 patties.

I like to double this recipe to have leftovers for lunch or to freeze for a super-quick heat-and-serve dinner.

Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil, butter or ghee (ghee is Indian clarified butter)
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium-large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala (an Indian spice mixture)
2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more of less to taste)
2-3 cups chopped tomatoes (fresh when in season, box/canned when out of season)
4 cups of cooked chickpeas
1 pound fresh spinach (or one box/bag frozen)
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Method

• Heat oil/butter on a large pot over medium heat. Saute onions until soft. Add garlic and ginger and saute for couple minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic get brown.
• Mix all the dried spices together.
• Add ginger, tomatoes and spices to pot. Cook over medium-heat for 10 minutes (if you are using frozen spinach add now).
• Add chickpeas and fresh spinach and cook for about 10-15 minutes more, until heated through.
• Stir in yogurt and serve

.

Serves 4
Serve with rice, naan (delicious Indian flat bread) and, my favorite, mango chutney.

To get the most tender part of an asparagus stalk, hold it at both ends and bend. It should snap at the point separating the tender part from the part that tends to get a little tough. I use the tender spear tops for steaming, grilling, etc., and save the bottom part for soups. The longer asparagus sits around the tougher it gets, so farm-fresh local stalks (as always) will be your best bet.

Asparagus Risotto with Prosciutto
Serves 4

I had dinner at my friends Kristi and Illya’s a while back. Illya made the perfect risotto, it was so creamy and delicious that I imagined it was chock-full of butter and cream. It wasn’t. It didn’t have a lick of cream and only a dab of butter.

I had always heard how laborious and difficult risotto is to make. Illya assured me that it wasn’t and showed me how. He was right. Risotto is an easy, but impressive, dish to make. The variations are endless. One of my favorite, over-the-top rich risottos is Gorgonzola and mushrooms.

Arborio rice is traditionally used in risotto. Its high starch content gives it a beautiful creamy consistency. You may substitute other types of rice but you won’t get the same degree of creaminess.

Ingredients
1 pound tender asparagus (about 3 cups) cut into 1/2 inch-long pieces
5 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 cups Arborio rice
1/4 pound Prosciutto chopped (La Quercia is my favorite brand)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt/pepper to taste

Method

• Using a medium-large frying pan, sauté onions in olive oil until soft.
• Add 2 cup of Arborio rice to the pan; toast the rice over medium-high heat for a few minutes.
• Keep a pot/bowl of warm chicken/vegetable stock close by. Add a ladleful of stock to the pan with rice. Stir to keep the rice from sticking. Once the stock has been absorbed, add another ladleful. Keep repeating.
• Meanwhile, steam asparagus for 5-7 minutes. Asparagus is done when the color is bright and vivid green.
• Once about half of the stock is added, add the Prosciutto and steamed asparagus
• Add the remaining stock as before, one ladle at a time. The rice should be tender but not mushy. If the rice is not tender, you can continue to add small amounts of water until the dish has a nice creamy consistency.
• Add butter and cheese and stir well.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve risotto warm. Add a salad for a meal, or serve a smaller portion as a side dish.

Yes, I did say homemade bagel. I’ve started making my bagels from scratch. And yes, I still consider it an easy dinner. This dinner is not as quick as it would be if you used already made bagels, but homemade bagels are easy and much healthier for you than store bought bagels.

As with all things you make from scratch, you know exactly what is going into it.  Bagels from a bakery probably have less junk than pre-packaged bagels (find a bag and see if you can pronounce all of the ingredients), but those jumbo bakery bagels can pack 400 calories (before you add the cream cheese). Make your own and you know exactly what you are eating and you can make normal sized bagels. These bagels have about half as many calories (even less if you make 3-ounce bagels) than a bakery bagel.

There are bagel recipes that you can make from start to finish in less time than my recipe, but since I like to do things the long way, you’ll need to start my version the night before. Don’t be afraid, this actually saves time. I can get home from work, shape and bake the bagels in a jiff with the already-risen dough.

There is also an extra benefit to letting your dough rise overnight. The yogurt helps breaks down the phytic acid. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, soaking grains, “… neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Vitamin content increases, particularly B vitamins. Tannins, complex sugars, gluten and other difficult-to-digest substances are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption.” Sounds good to me, especially if all you really need to do is add yogurt to your dough and let it rise overnight.

There is more than one way to roll out a bagel. I’m always impressed with the speed and grace of a professional bagel baker. It’s like some sort of slight of hand trick. They roll a long rope, cut with one hand and somehow make a perfect bagel with the other. I have neither grace nor speed when I’m forming bagels. I use a more pedestrian method of rolling a ball and poking a hole through it. It works just fine.

It may take more than a few tries before you can pull off H&H quality bagels (and you would probably not be able to do that using my whole-wheat-only recipe). But in my book, I’ll take a hot out of the oven bagel over a store-bought one any day!

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup yogurt
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons honey plus 2 tablespoons honey (for the water bath)
5 to 6 cups whole-wheat flour (if you want a less dense bagel, use half regular unbleached white flour or white wheat flour)
Oil for coating bowl and baking sheet

Method

• Combine the water, yogurt, yeast, flax seeds, salt and 3 tablespoons of the honey. Mix by hand or in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. I just mix it by hand.
• Gradually add 5 cups of the flour and mix until the mixture comes together.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.
• Grease a large bowl with oil. Place the dough in the bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 12 to 24 hours. The dough should almost double in size.
• Remove from the bowl and punch down the dough. Divide into 12 to 14 equal pieces.
• Form each piece of dough into a smooth ball. The smoother you make it, the smoother your bagel will be. No worries if it is a bit lumpy, it will still taste good.
• Punch a whole in the middle of each ball and widen the hole to about 2 inches. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place on a lightly greased surface, cover with a clean cloth and let rest until risen, but not doubled, for about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Lightly grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium sized, heavy pot, bring 1 quart of water to boil. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey.
• In batches, add the bagels to the water and boil for 30 seconds on each side.  I use a smallish pot, so I only do one bagel at a time. You don’t want to crowd them. Place bagels onto the prepared sheet pan and place in preheated oven.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Want to make your our cream cheese? Go to Cream Cheese and Whey.