Nora Ephron's Chocolate Cream Pie

 This pie is so rich and yummy with just the right amount of sweetness in the chocolate and a perfect crunch from the added heath bars. I made my own graham cracker crust with crushed up crackers, sugar, and melted butter, but it would probably work with a premade crust also.

Ingredients

1 graham cracker crust
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups milk
4 ounces best-quality unsweetened chocolate, broken into small pieces
4 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, plus ¼ teaspoon more for the whipped cream
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup pulverized English toffee or Heath Bars
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Shaved chocolate, for garnish

1. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the graham cracker crust. Bake according to the directions in the recipe. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
2. Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the chocolate, and let melt. Whisk in the sugar mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it starts to thicken.
3. Remove from the heat. So the yolks don’t curdle, add a spoonful of the hot melted chocolate mixture to them and whisk, then another spoonful and whisk. Then pour all the yolks into the pan and whisk furiously. Return to the heat and stir for 30 to 60 seconds, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and continue stirring for a minute to dissipate the heat.
4. Stir in the vanilla and butter. Cover with waxed paper and cool to room temperature.
5. When the filling has cooled, cover the bottom of the cooled pie shell with the pulverized toffee, add the filling, and chill for at least 1 hour.
6. Just before serving, whip the heavy cream, ¼ teaspoon vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar to soft peaks. Cover the pie with the cream, sprinkle the shaved chocolate atop, and serve.

Creamy fingerling potato salad

This potato salad reminds me of my mom's German potato salad, just minus the bacon and bacon grease. I have always been a fan of vinegar potato salad as opposed to mayonnaise based so I loved this recipe. The other weekend, I made this for a large group. I cooked the potatoes and made the dressing ahead and then mixed it together right before serving.

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes (such as La Ratte or Russian Banana), cut into 1/2-inch disks
• 1/2 pound yukon gold potatoes (about 1 large), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• Kosher salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, divided
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon pickle relish
• 1 tablespoon sugar, plus more as desired
• 2 small shallots, one minced (about 1/4 cup), one thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed, drained, and roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Place potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 3 cups tepid water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally until salt is dissolved. Reduce to a bare simmer and cook until potatoes are completely tender and show no resistance when poked with a paring knife or cake tester, about 17 minutes. Drain potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Immediately toss potato pieces with 1/2 tablespoon vinegar and set aside.
2. Combine reserved cooking liquid with remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar, mustard, relish, sugar, and minced shallot in a large bowl. Add 5 to 6 pieces of cooked Yukon gold potato. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Whisking constantly, add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Fold in capers, celery, sliced shallot, parsley, and potatoes. Season to taste with salt and more sugar if desired. Serve immediately, drizzling with remaining olive oil or refrigerate for up to three days. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/02/creamy-fingerling-potato-salad-recipe.html