The Late-Great Louis Norman’s Garlicky-Sweet Dill Pickles

Ingredients

Plain Dill Pickles
2 tsp Minced Garlic
1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar

Instructions

Start with one-gallon of the cheapest dill pickles you can find (Do not use kosher dills). Drain and discard all of the juice and cut pickles into one-inch segments. Next, layer approximately 2 inches of pickle segments back into the bottom of the empty one-gallon pickle jar. Top pickles with approximately two teaspoons of minced garlic and pour enough granulated sugar over the top of the pickles to cover (approximately 1 – 1 1 /2 cups). Repeat procedure until you have filled the pickle jar. Close lid tightly and let sit. Within six hours the sugar will dissolve and make a new, sweeter, pickle liquid. Add an additional cup (or two) of sugar making sure that the pickles are always covered by sugar or liquid.

Store pickles in the refrigerator for three days. Rotate the jar twice a day to thoroughly mix ingredients.

This is not a pickling recipe. True canners will scoff at this procedure since raw cucumbers aren’t being used. But who cares what they think. The end result is worth the loss of authenticity. The hardest part of the recipe is finding plain-old dill pickles. Kosher dills won’t work (they shrivel up). Louis sliced his garlic into small shaved chips (about two heads per gallon of pickles). I use minced garlic.

Recent Recipes

Potato Gratin

Potatoes are the one vegetable I could never give up. Fried, roasted, mashed, or scalloped—doesn’t matter, they’re always on the table in one form or another. This gratin is my favorite way to make them feel a little more special. It’s rich, creamy, and just decadent enough to make it feel like you’re putting in some extra effort. There’s a good bit of cheese in this recipe, but that’s exactly how it should be. The combination of sharp white Cheddar, gruyere, and Parmesan gives it the perfect balance of nuttiness, creaminess, and tang. And using Yukon gold potatoes instead of russets makes a big difference. They have just the right amount of starch to get creamy without getting mushy. This dish is a showstopper on the holiday table, but I’d eat it on a random Tuesday without hesitation.

Orange Cranberry Muffins

These muffins are like Christmas morning in a bite—bright, citrusy orange paired with tart, bursting cranberries. The combination feels like something you'd find in a festive basket dropped off by a thoughtful neighbor. Perfect for Christmas gift giving or to have on hand for guests throughout the holiday.

Chocolate Christmas Cheesecake

Chef Linda Roderick has been by my side through these cookbooks for over two decades, and there’s no one I’d rather have guiding me through a cheesecake recipe. She’s a master of the craft—steady, exacting, and always aiming for perfection. This rich, decadent chocolate cheesecake is no exception. It's all about balance. The deep, smooth chocolate filling meets a crisp, slightly salty crust for a perfect bite every time. Ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing—otherwise, you’ll end up with lumps. And when you melt the chocolate, give it time to cool slightly before mixing it into the batter, so you don’t end up with curdled filling. It’s worth the patience, every time. A few techniques can elevate this recipe to another level: chilling the dough overnight for a richer flavor, using a water bath to ensure an ultra-smooth texture, and letting the cheesecake rest for at least 24 hours before serving for the best flavor.

RobertStJohn.com