Fried Okra with Spicy Red Pepper Sauce

Does everyone know how to roast peppers? A quick way for just a few peppers is to do them right on the burners of your stove (if your stove is gas, of course). Just crank up the burner and put the peppers right on the grate. Turn them (with tongs!) as they char and blister. When most of the pepper has blackened, drop it into a paper bag and close the top. The peppers will steam and when they’re cool enough to handle, you can easily remove the skins. And the bonus is that your house smells like roasting peppers – yum.

Don’t have any smoked paprika in the pantry? Well, get some. It’s an amazing seasoning. In the meantime, regular paprika will do, or just skip it for today. You can find it at most grocery stores.

Spiced Apple Cupcakes

I hate it when I don’t remember a recipe’s provenance. But this one is too good not to share. Dust the cupcakes with a little powdered sugar, or gild the lily and mix up a maple buttercream frosting (2 sticks of butter, a few tablespoons of maple syrup and enough powdered sugar to make a spreadable frosting, all whirled up together in your food processor).