A woman I know had a small cancer, but it took a big operation to remove it.

I wanted to show my concern. I wanted to show that I cared. I wanted to make things easier for her family.

So I cooked some food and brought it to her house.

I waited a few days after her surgery to make certain she was home from the hospital and had started her recuperation. Two days before I was planning to bring it, I texted to ask if she would be up to having me drop it off.

She wasn’t ready to see visitors, she said, but she was certainly ready to accept food. In fact, she said, she had just finished some soup that was brought by a mutual friend.

That little sneak beat me to it, I said, though I might possibly have used slightly harsher language.

Even before she went under the knife, I was already planning what I was going to cook. Back in my happy time when I was writing about recipes every week, I would often give away much of the food I had made to neighbors and colleagues.

This particular woman had frequently been on the receiving end of this largesse and would mention when she especially enjoyed one dish or another. For her recuperation, I decided to bring her my greatest hits, the entree and dessert that she had seemed to enjoy the most.

The entree is her favorite meal anyway, shrimp and grits. But when I cooked it for a story, I wanted to make the best, richest and creamiest shrimp and grits I could possibly make. So I cooked the grits in a combination of chicken stock and half-and-half, and loaded it down with plenty of sharp cheddar cheese.

For the shrimp part, I used the New Orleans holy trinity (onions, green peppers, celery) instead of the more traditional mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery) because I think the richness of the dish needs the off-setting edge of green pepper rather than the sweetness of carrots. I sprinkled the shrimp with my own spice mix of celery salt, paprika cayenne and black pepper, and used a quick roux for the sauce.

Modesty forbids me from telling you how spectacular both the grits and the shrimp sauce were. I didn’t try the actual shrimp because they were fairly large and I didn’t want to deprive my friend of any of them.

For the dessert, I made her favorite dish from all the things I ever made, hazelnut crunch bars.

The recipe for these was created by the fabulous Helen S. Fletcher, the self-taught pastry chef at the late and somewhat lamented Tony’s. They are one of those complicated desserts that are absolutely worth the effort to make. They are a symphony in four movements:

The bottom layer is hazelnut crunch, a combination of toasted hazelnuts, milk chocolate and, surprisingly, Rice Krispies for a light crunch.

On top of that is a rich, soft caramel that requires some patience to make, plus corn syrup to keep the sugar from granulating.

On top of that is a soft cloud of homemade marshmallow, which requires some precision and careful timing. But again: Absolutely worth the effort to make.

And the top layer is a rich and silky chocolate ganache, as amazing as it is easy to make.

The recipe makes 24 of these hazelnut crunch bars, but I only brought 20 to the patient. The four that were on the corners of the pan were a little irregular, so I held them back. Strictly for aesthetic reasons, you understand. They were heavenly.

The patient was thankful and grateful when I brought the food, and after they ate it she was even more thankful and grateful.

A couple of days later, she texted the news that she is now completely free of cancer and will need no chemo or further treatments. Of course, I was overjoyed.

But a little part of me wonders if she has any of those hazelnut crunch bars left. I mean, now that she doesn’t have cancer anymore, maybe she could share some with the fella’ that made ‘em.

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Recipe: Daniel Neman's 'best ever' shrimp and grits

This recipe was originally published in 2022 beneath a headline proclaiming it "the best shrimp and grits ever." We'll let you be the judge.

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INGREDIENTS

* 2½ cups plus ¾ cup chicken stock, divided

* 2½ cups half-and-half

* 2 tablespoons butter

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided

* 1 cup grits, preferably stone-ground

* ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

* 2 slices thick-cut bacon, diced

* ¹⁄³ cup green pepper, diced small

* ¹⁄³ cup onion, diced small

* ½ cup celery, diced small

* ½ teaspoon celery salt

* ¼ teaspoon paprika

* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

* 1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined

* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan over high heat, combine 2½ cups of the chicken stock and the half-and-half. Add butter, salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and bring to a boil. Stir in grits and return to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook 40 to 50 minutes until done, stirring frequently. Scrape bottom of pot when stirring to keep grits from sticking. Grits are done when bubbles turn big, like volcanic magma or hot mud pools, or when they have the texture of wet mashed potatoes. Remove from heat. Add cheese and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove bacon pieces with a spoon and reserve, leaving bacon grease in pan. Add green pepper, onion and celery to the pan and sauté until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.

3. Combine celery salt, paprika, cayenne and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper in a small bowl, and sprinkle over shrimp; toss until evenly coated. Add shrimp and vegetable oil to pan and sauté until shrimp is nearly pink and curled. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add remaining ¾ cup chicken stock and cook, stirring, until liquid thickens.

4. To serve, spoon shrimp and sauce over grits, and top with reserved crispy bacon.

Per serving: 774 calories; 42g fat; 24g saturated fat; 290g cholesterol; 44g protein; 55g carbohydrate; 11g sugar; 3g fiber; 1355mg sodium; 433mg calcium

Recipe by Daniel Neman

Recipe: Hazelnut crunch bars

Features writer Daniel Neman first shared this recipe from "Craving Cookies" by Helen S. Fletcher in a 2021 roundup of suggestions for holiday baking, but they'll be delicious at any time of year.

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INGREDIENTS

For caramel

* 1 cup water

* 1¼ cups granulated sugar

* ½ cup corn syrup

* 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter

* 1 cup heavy cream

* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Note: The caramel must be made at least one day and up to a week before making the bars.

For the hazelnut crunch

* ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted (60 grams, 2 ounces)

* 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Rice Krispies cereal

* 9 ounces milk chocolate

For the marshmallow

* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

* ¼ cup cold water

* 3 large egg whites

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 cup granulated sugar, divided

* ½ cup water

* 2 tablespoons corn syrup

For the dark satin ganache

* ½ cup heavy cream

* ¼ cup light corn syrup

* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter

* 10 ounces semisweet chocolate broken into small pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the caramel: Place the water, sugar and corn syrup in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Bring to a boil, and wash down the sides of the pan with a natural bristle pastry brush dipped in water. Boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a medium golden color.

2. Take it off the heat and immediately add the butter; stir until it is melted. Pour in the cream all at once and stir. Don’t worry if some of the cream forms lumps. If possible, clip a candy or frying thermometer onto the side of the pan.

3. Return the heat to medium-high and bring to a hard boil. Cook to 242 degrees. Pour into a container. Do not stir at this point. Allow to cool to room temperature. Set aside for at least one day.

4. Make the hazelnut crunch: Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper. Spray the paper and sides of the pan with a nonstick spray. Set aside.

5. Add the cooled, toasted hazelnuts to the bowl of a processor and process until fairly finely ground. Do not overprocess or you will make a paste. Remove to a large bowl and add the Rice Krispies cereal. Mix well and set aside.

6. Spray the back of a large spoon with nonstick spray, and set aside.

7. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave at half power. Pour it over the hazelnut/cereal mix and quickly mix all of it together with a large spoon or a gloved hand. Pour into the prepared pan and immediately smooth it with the back of the sprayed spoon or a gloved hand. If it sets up too quickly, place it in the oven on the lowest setting for a few minutes to loosen.

8. Add the caramel: Microwave the caramel or heat over a double boiler until spreadable. Do not stir any more than necessary. Pour it over the hazelnut crunch layer and spread evenly. Set aside.

9. Make the marshmallow: Sprinkle the gelatin over the ¼ cup cold water. Stir to moisten all of it; set aside.

10. Place the egg whites and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat to soft peaks on medium speed. Slowly add ¼ cup of the sugar and beat to stiff peaks.

11. As soon as you begin beating the egg whites, combine the ½ cup of water, the remaining ¾ cup of sugar and the corn syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, washing down the sides of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water. Boil to a temperature of 240 degrees.

12. If the egg whites are stiff before the sugar syrup comes to temperature, lower the speed of the mixer as low as possible and keep mixing the whites. Do not turn off the mixer.

13. As soon as the sugar syrup comes to temperature, slowly pour it into the mixer bowl. Try to pour the syrup between the bowl and the whisk so it goes directly into the whisk or bowl. Liquefy the gelatin in the microwave for a few seconds and pour it over the egg white mixture. Beat until cool and stiff.

14. If the caramel has hardened, heat the top of the caramel layer with a blow dryer so the marshmallow can adhere to it. Immediately pour the marshmallow over the caramel and smooth it out. Cool completely.

15. Make the ganache: Heat the cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan until steaming hot but not boiling. Submerge the chocolate in the hot cream and let sit for a few minutes. Gently whisk until smooth; do not whisk too enthusiastically or you will have air bubbles in the ganache. Pour the ganache over the marshmallow and smooth it out. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight

16. To serve: Loosen the edges with a small flexible spatula and turn out onto a cake board. Turn right side up and cut 6 rows across and 4 rows down with a hot knife. The knife must be dipped into very hot water and quickly dried with a paper towel between each cut. Let the knife melt through the ganache, which will be cold and firm, and then cut straight down.

17. To store, keep in a closed container at a cool room temperature for a day or two. For longer storage, refrigerate.

Yield: 24 bars

Per serving: 314 calories; 15g fat; 9g saturated fat; 22mg cholesterol; 3g protein; 44g carbohydrate; 41g sugar; 1g fiber; 36mg sodium; 32mg calcium

Recipe from “Craving Cookies” by Helen S. Fletcher

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