Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Potato Tart (page 119)

One rainy Sunday in search of ingredients for brunch, I peered into the frig and spotted two leftover baked potatoes.  With Hamersley's help, I was on my way to an inspired meal.

This isn't your eat and run breakfast. Even though I cheated and substituted a Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crust for Hamersley's Bistro Tart dough and even though the baked potatoes were already cooked, this still took well over an hour to prepare.  My only criticism of the recipe is the usual:  "2 russet potatoes" is too vague although Hamersley does hedge by saying "you may not need to use all of the potatoes."   Unless you are using left over potatoes and don't care about waste, I would suggest using medium potatoes.

The bottom line:  A delicious use of left over baked potatoes. 

Penne With Clams, Pancetta, and Spinach (page 127)

When I don't know what to cook for dinner, I grab my Hamersley cookbook and head to Costco.   This week, I found fresh littleneck clams that looked very tasty.  I have never steamed clams before, but with Hamersley as my guide, I purchased 84 clams for $15.07--enough clams to feed 10.5 people according to the recipe. 

Other than the clams, the ingredients for this recipe are readily available in your cupboard or at your local supermarket.  There is minimal rinsing and chopping so you need only allow 30 minutes from start to table.  And, you will be well rewarded for your efforts.  The flavors are divine!   I would add just a couple of chef's notes:

• For those watching their salt, the amount of pancetta could be reduced by half.
• For those who love clams, the number of clams per serving could be increased by 50%, especially if you are buying them at Costco.
• Remove the clams after cooking, and distribute between individual serving bowls--arranging them around the rim.  Then, add the penne, spinach and butter to the pot, stirring until the butter has melted and the penne and spinach are warmed through.  Finally spoon the penne mixture into the bowls.  If you leave the clams in the sauce, it is difficult to distribute the ingredients evenly.

The bottom line:  Definitely a "keeper".