It has been a wonderful week or so of delicious food, music and a documentary.

Although it has not been exactly like Julie Andrews singing “My Favorite Things” in “The Sound of Music,” I was content during this difficult political climate and this devil of a pandemic. Last week I made two Key lime pies, just because I felt like it. I shared one with my neighbor who shared it with other neighbors. In return, she gave me six hot-from-the-oven onion and potato spicy triangular samosas; I ate them in no time flat.

With little to watch on television, except political free-for-all nonsense, I asked Alexa to play Simon and Garfunkel, Three Dog Night, the Eagles and Carly and Joni and Judy. That always makes me happy. Then I watched a Netflix documentary called “My Octopus Friend.” Now I love octopuses. I also watched football, tennis and the LA Lakers.

In addition, a new friend, Richard Swanson, who works for The Day, gave me some incredible food. He is a much more creative cook than I. He gave me a small beet pie sweetened with five-spice seasoning, a grape jam (he suggested trying it with crackers and cheese) and, tomorrow, I will make his fennel sausage with pasta.

I also picked up November’s Stop & Shop free magazine, Savory, and found four new recipes, one of which, couscous with peas and pork cutlets, I made. I adapted it a bit and will write about it in next week’s column.

But today, my friends, is the best chocolate chip recipe you will ever make. Judy Westwood, who lives in Stonington, has been sharing these cookies and was kind enough to give me the recipe. They are chewy, dark and chocolate-y and as good the day she makes them as they are days later. Even though chocolate is not my drug of choice, hunger for them.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Judy Westwood of Stonington

Yield: Depends on how big you make them

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup each brown sugar and granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

12 ounce package of real chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees; prepare half-sheet pans with Silpat or parchment. Cream butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add two eggs, one at a time, and mix until each is combined. Add the vanilla and mix together.

In a separate medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients into the creamed ingredients in stages; Judy uses the lowest “stir” setting on her KitchenAid. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a stainless steel scoop, or your hands, place rounded dough on the prepared pans, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, turning pans around and from one oven rack to oven rack. Cookies should be a bit dark. When done, place pans on two baking racks for a few minutes. Then, using a spatula, put cookies on racks.

Cook’s Tip: Pure vanilla extract is very important. Judy buys only Neilson Massey. I make my own with a quart of vodka and around 20 good shrink-wrapped vanilla beans I order from Amazon. If you would like to make your own, e-mail me at leeawhite@aol.com.

On the Side

I have lived on the Connecticut shoreline for decades and food has been my wheelhouse since the mid-1970s, but I still get thrilled about new things, even in this pandemic.

One is the Tea Kettle, there since 2014. My friend and editor, Pem McNerney, has talked about it for years, but finally I met her and my other food pal, Priscilla Martel, at 8:30 for breakfast on a windy warm day.

This is a breakfast and lunch place with an enormous menu. Breakfast includes Southern Corner choices, Off the Griddle, Paleo-Organic-Gluten Free dishes and Eggs Your Way, with toppings, sides, bakery and breads, smoothies and milkshakes (the last with or without rum or vodka!). I had Hash Eggs Benny: a toasted piece of rye bread topped with corned beef hash, two poached eggs, a slick of hollandaise and a side of potatoes. And a cup of Omar coffee.

Tea Kettle

1395 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook

(860) 577-5039

Lee White lives in Groton.