I think everyone by now knows that my dad is home from the hospital. He's still weak but he’s doing great and we couldn't be happier. About three weeks ago, not long after he was moved out of ICU, I asked him if there was anything I could get him. He answered, "Big greasy ribs." I didn't think it would be a particularly good idea for him to be eating ribs in his hospital bed so we waited until he got home. He got home Friday and we had the ribs tonight. These were really tasty. I made the sauce yesterday and the flavors had blended and the sauce was good. I should have doubled the recipe. I woke up this morning at 6:30 to get the ribs in the oven. I cooked them for four hours before I had to leave to play baseball. They were good and tender but I wish I could have given them another hour. The picture below is without the sauce. I served the sauce in a bowl to spoon over the ribs. The ribs weren’t particularly greasy but they were tender and damn tasty.

Ingredients
5 pounds pork ribs
Salt & pepper

29 ounces tomato sauce
6 ounces tomato paste
2 ounces bourbon
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon hot sauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons red onion finely chopped
1 small Garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Season the ribs liberally with salt and pepper on both sides and place in a proportionate size deep roasting pan. Add 1 cup barbecue sauce and 2 cups water over the ribs until almost completely submerged; if not add a bit more sauce and water or use a smaller pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, place on center rack of the oven, and bake for about 4 hours or until meat is almost falling off the bone. Remove, drain liquid immediately, and coat cooked ribs with fresh barbecue sauce. It is best to make the ribs a day ahead up to this point. Refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature before grilling.

Preheat a grill to high. Place ribs on grill and grill for just a few minutes on each side. Serve with sauce.

I've always been curious about chocolate with chili powder in it. Up until now, I wasn't brave enough to make it myself and I haven't found it at a store. I needed to bring something to Drew's (a Black Stocking teammate) pig roast. I ran across this recipe and knew I wanted to try it.

These were probably the best brownies I’ve ever made. Albeit, a bit unusual. When you first take a bite, the brownies are perfectly moist in the center with a slight crunch on the top and bottom. The cinnamon flavor comes subtly forward, overshadowing the chipotle flavor that you wouldn’t notice if you weren’t suspecting it. Then, as you swallow the brownie, the heat and flavor of the chipotle comes forward with a nice spicy heat. The spice is distinct but not too strong on both the tongue and in the throat. Okay, I recognize that’s a pretty nerdy explanation of a brownie. But, I want to encourage you to make these. They’re that good.

I took Michele to the Pig Roast with me and I only knew a few people there. I tried to tell Drew there was chili powder in the brownies but he was so busy I don’t think it registered. Michele, who's willing to try almost any weird food, tried one and liked it. Matt, another Black Stocking, who's not quite as adventurous, gave them a try and acted genuinely surprised that he liked them. I hope people weren’t too freaked out by them. We really didn’t stay around long enough to notice any adverse reaction.

I used Penzey’s Ground New Mexican Chipotle Pepper which I think is a perfect flavor to balance with the chocolate. If you order this, make sure you get some of their Vietnamese Cinnamon too. This is the best cinnamon I’ve ever had.

Ingredients
1 cup Butter
1 cup All purpose flour
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
4 eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour an 11 by 7-inch baking pan or dish with 1 teaspoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the flour. Heat the remaining butter and the unsweetened chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted. In a medium bowl, stir together remaining flour, sugar, cinnamon, and ground chipotle. Add sugar mixture to melted chocolate mixture, stirring to combine. Add eggs, mixing until smooth. Stir in chopped chocolate or chocolate morsels.

Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan or dish. Bake until the center is set, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely and then cut into small squares.

I love this. It's one of my favorite dishes. The sauce was sweet, hot, and gingery. This turned out great but I reduced the sauce a little too much and didn't have quite enough sauce to soak much of the rice.

The rice was perfect. I've ranted about my rice cooker before. This is my rice cooker. I know it's expensive, but I had some gift certificates and discounts and got it for about half price. It was certainly worth that.

Ingredients
1 large egg beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch cubes
For the Sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 teaspoons sugar
3 teaspoons chinese rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry
For the Rest
peanut oil
cornstarch, for dusting
8 small dried hot chili peppers
1/4 cup finely sliced green onions
4 cups broccoli florets steamed

Instructions
1. Mix together egg, salt, black pepper, and cornstarch in a bowl.
2. Add the chicken cubes; mix to coat, and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, garlic, ginger,hoisin sauce, sugar, rice wine vinegar, and sherry for the sauce; reserve.
4. Heat wok over high heat for a minute or so; add about 3 1/2-4 cups of peanut oil to wok, and heat to 350 degrees F.
5. With tongs, remove chicken cubes individually from bowl, dust with 1 tbsp. cornstarch, shaking off excess, and place in the hot oil.
6. Deep-fry chicken pieces for 1 1/2-2 minutes, until browned and crisp.
7. turn off heat, and remove chicken with a wire strainer and drain over a bowl.
8. Pour off all but 1 1/2 tbsp. of the oil from the wok.
9. Heat the wok over high heat for 20-30 seconds; add the chilies and stir-fry for 15-20 seconds, then add the green onions, cooking for 30 seconds more.
10. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for 1 minute; remove all from wok and set aside.
11. Stir sauce mixture into wok,stirring well, until sauce thickens into a nice glaze
12. add chicken and chilis/onions back into the wok, stirring until everything is well coated, about 1 1/2-2 minutes.
13. Place on platter; and garnish with steamed broccoli florets.
14. Serve with rice.

This is basically the same recipe as a couple days ago. I only used 1 cup of sugar instead of 1 1/4 and I tossed half a pint of raspberries into the puree. I used white peaches instead of the regular ones. They weren't quite as ripe but that let the raspberries come through a bit more.

Scot called and let me know he was in the area. I invited him to come by to have some sorbet. How lucky is that? A friend drops by and I was able to serve him fresh, homemade sorbet. He was duly impressed.

This was an easy and delicious meal. I was just flipping through a cookbook and saw the salmon cakes and it suggested a cucumber salad to go with it. The mint in the cucumbers was a nice contrast to the horshradish in the salmon cakes. I drizzled a little white truffle oil on the tomatoes with some cracked black pepper. Tasty.

We're going to make some peach & raspberry sorbet in a little while.

Ingredients
14 ounces Pink salmon - drained
1 Green onion slices
2 tablespoon Horseradish
4 tablespoon Bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoon Vegetable oil

Instructions
Combine all ingredients except oil and form into four patties.

Heat skillet over medium heat, add oil (and non-stick spray if necessary) and cook cakes for about four minutes each side.

Ingredients
2 Cucumbers
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Non-Fat Plain Yogurt
1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
2 tablespoon Chopped dill
2 tablespoon Fresh chopped peppermint
1 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
Freshly ground pepper

Instructions
Slice cucumbers and place in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let rest for 30 minutes to draw out some water. Combine other ingredients and stir in cucumbers.

Tonight, my dad was craving a cheesburger from Louie's. So, my mom picked up some burgers and we had dinner with my dad in the hospital. I knew we'd all be stuffed from the huge burgers so I just made this light dessert. Tony, my dad's oldest friend, declined having any sorbet. My mom convinced him to have one spoonful. After he tasted it, he shouted, "PEACH!" It startled me. He wanted a full serving. He doesn't hear all that well and he assumed that it was just "plain ole' orange sherbet."

Even though I served it in foam cups with plastic spoons, it turned out perfectly. I added a quarter-teaspoon of freshly grated ginger to the recipe and it barely came through - very nice. The texture was ideal. I had transferred it to the hospital in a small cooler on ice and it softened just enough. Alex and Nick liked it so much we got more peaches on the way home from the hospital. We're going to make it again on Monday with some rasperries.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 T lemon juice
3 # peaches, peeled and pitted

Instructions
In a 2 quart saucepan, combine sugar and water and heat to boiling until sugar has dissolved and cook for 2 minutes. Cool saucepan in ice water.
Combine peaches and syrup in food processor and process until smooth.
Chill for 2 hours and then freeze in an ice-cream maker.

Pizza - Good.

The sauce was delicious. However, it would have been better with several cloves of garlic. This was pretty basic and pretty delicious.

Ingredients
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves coarsely chopped or julienned
1 cup sliced artichoke hearts
1/2 pound mozzarella sliced 1/4-inch thick

Instructions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and, if you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine tomatoes, olive oil, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and process until smooth. Divide sauce between the 2 pizzas and smooth to spread evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border along the edges of the dough. Finally, divide mozzarella slices between 2 pizzas, and bake for about 8 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and the edges are golden brown.

Basic pizza dough
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour plus more if necessary
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, combine yeast with water, olive oil, salt and stir well to proof. After 5 minutes, add half of the flour and mix well to thoroughly incorporate. Add all remaining flour except 1/2 cup and mix well with your hands. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough for at least 5 and up to 7 minutes, adding enough additional flour as necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough. Dough should not be sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 or 3 quart bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, usually at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and if you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.
Divide dough into 2 portions (for 2 (12-inch) pizzas) and form into balls. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a lightly floured surface, shape as desired and roll out to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Transfer dough to a pizza peel.

Okay, I admit it. This is NOT Mac & Cheese like Nick had at camp. But, I left the spices low so it wouldn't be too different. Nick gave me the thumbs-up when I asked if he liked it. Ironically, Alex didn't care for it. The boys and I took a serving of each dish to my dad in the hospital. When we were walking down the hall on his floor, Mary, one of the nurses, said, "He's been waiting on you." When we got to his room, his meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes was left untouched because he knew we were bringing this. He ate it, liked it, and fell asleep.

Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne
2 1/2 cups grated Cheddar (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon creole seasoning

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain well.

Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons butter in a heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let the flour brown. Using a whisk, add the milk in a steady stream and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and 2 cups of the cheese, and stir well. Add the noodles and stir well. Pour into the prepared dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese with the bread crumbs and creole seasoning. Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Ingredients
3 1/2 pounds beets
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

Instructions
In a large saucepan cover beets with salted water by 1 inch. Simmer beets, covered, 35 to 45 minutes, or until tender, and drain in a colander. Cool beets until they can be handled and slip off skins and stems. Cut beets lengthwise into wedges. Beets may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring beets to room temperature before proceeding.

In a large skillet stir together vinegar, syrup or honey, and oil and add beets. Cook beet mixture with salt and pepper to taste over moderate heat, stirring, until heated through and coated well. Sprinkle about half of thyme over beets and toss gently.

Serve beets sprinkled with remaining thyme.

I feel like I've been neglecting Nick. I cook these meals for other people and often give him bagels and cream cheese, fruit salad, or some similar thing that he will eat. So, this week, I decided to let him choose what he wants for dinner and we'd eat that too. Well, his first choice, naturally, was bagels and cream cheese. His second choice, "macaroni and cheese like I had at camp" is what I'm making Wednesday.

His bagel was untoasted with cream cheese and nothing else. For Alex and me, I toasted the bagels and topped them with cream cheese, a slice of roast beef, a slice of heirloom tomato, and radish sprouts. It was delicious. The beet slaw was really tasty. I loved it. Alex didn't care for it.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Black pepper
1 pound beets peeled and shredded
1/2 pound carrots peeled and shredded
3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley leaves

Instructions
In a small non-reactive bowl whisk together Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, celery seed, sugar, salt and olive oil. Season with pepper. Place beets, carrots and parsley in large serving bowl, pour dressing over salad, toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Brian doesn't know what he missed. This was excellent. Fish sauce is one of the weirdest ingredients I use. It smells so foul and disgusting it's hard for me to believe that I ever use it. However, when it combines with the coconut milk it imparts this salty sweet flavor to the dish. This curry just wouldn't be worth making if it weren't for the flavor component of the fish sauce. It's even more important than the basil.

I just looked it up. Fish sauce is made from salting fresh fish and fermenting it in the hot sun for nine months to a year. If you ever make a Thai curry, don't smell the fish sauce - it truly smells repulsive and you may not use it. That would be a mistake.


This morning, before I left for work, I noticed a big turtle in my front yard. When I told Alex, I (jokingly) told him that I considered eating the turtle, he was worried that it was in the curry. I wonder if there's a recipe for Red Curry Turtle with Basil.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoon Red Curry Paste
1 can Coconut Milk
1 1/2 pounds Chicken
2 teaspoons Fish Sauce
1 each red and green bell pepper cored and sliced
1 bunch of green onions
10 basil leaves chopped

Instructions
Heat the oil in wok over medium heat. Stir fry chicken until browned - remove to a platter. Stir fry vegetables until crisp cooked - remove to a platter. Add the Curry Paste and simmer for 2 minutes, so that it is dissolved and foaming. Stir in the can of the coconut milk. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the fish sauce. Add the chicken and vegetables and simmer for several minutes. Add the chopped basil. Season to taste with more fish Sauce if desired. Serve over rice.

Alex wanted to invite his friend Brian over for dinner. He made a real point of it being at a time that I would be cooking for his friend. He wanted me to make something "weird" for Brian. I had planned on Thai Red Curry Chicken - not that weird by my standards but I didn't necessarily think Alex's friends would be getting a lot of Thai cooking at home. So, as a back up, I had a few alternative menus - Penne with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, or Chicken Cacciatore, or Chicken Parmesan. As I was listing the choices for Brian he was looking pretty skeptical. I finally described the Chicken Parmesan as "sort of like home-made chicken fingers on spaghetti." Brian liked the sound of that. When I asked him if he'd like a salad, he said, "Well, um, I'm not really the salad type." A nice, honest answer. Perfect.

It turned out really well. Nothing that weird, but it was very tasty. For the garlic bread, I used the left-over garlic parsley butter from yesterday's corn-on-the-cob. I stressed that he shouldn't eat anything he didn't care for and I had plenty of cookies and ice cream to fill him up if he didn't like the chicken. Of course, there's no way that Brian could have offended me if he didn't like it. I'm not that fragile and besides I'm used to cooking for some finicky diners. Brian ate most of his meal and said that he really liked it. He's a terrifically nice kid. It made me happy that my sons have such nice friends. I hope that says something good about them.

Ingredients
1 pound chicken breasts - cut in strips
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups prepared tomato sauce
1/2 cups grated parmesan
8 ounces prepared pasta

Instructions
Combine bread crumbs, flour, 1/4 cup parmesan, oregano, basil and cayenne in a pie plate. Dip chicken in the egg and then into the bread crumb mixture. Set coated chicken aside on a plate. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet. Carefully add chicken to pan, cooking until golden on all sides. Place cooked pasta on a plate, arrange the chicken strips on pasta and ladle tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Sam came over for dinner tonight. She lives up in Lakewood, so I know it's a bit of a hassle for her to drive all the way down to see me. So, cooking her dinner seems like the least I can do. She's a little picky so I always try to get suggestions from her before I decide what to make. It was her idea for grilled veggies, corn, and shrimp and it was absolutely delicious. I was totally expecting her to make fun of me for taking pictures of the food. But, all she said was, "Is that for your blog?" She was only a little derisive about it. I think she felt too guilty to ridicule me right after I set these two platters of delicious looking food in front of her. She dropped one of her ears of corn on the floor. I thought she was gonna cry but she still wouldn't take mine.

Ingredients
Corn on the Cob
1/4 cup melted butter
5 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Soak unhusked corn in water for 30 minutes. Put corn on hot grill for 30 minutes turning several times. After cooking, pull back husk to use as a handle. Try not to drop corn on the ground. Meanwhile, combine butter, garlic, and parsley. Add salt if necessary.

Ingredients
4 Sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 cloves Garlic smashed
2 tablespoons basil chiffonade
1 pound fresh peel & deveined shrimp
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt & pepper
2 Portabella Mushrooms cleaned and stems removed
1 small head fennel quartered
4 Artichokes cleaned and quartered
1 Yellow squash quartered
1 zucchini quartered
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt & pepper

Instructions
Place tomatoes, vinegar, garlic and basil in a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat grill. Brush the shrimp and vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill until cooked through. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with tomato vinaigrette.

I took the guys to swim at my parents' house today and left a note for my mom inviting her to dinner at 7:00. She didn't get home until about 8:00 and she called to apologize for missing dinner. I'm actually glad she didn't make it. This wasn't that great. They can't ALL be good. When I asked Alex if he liked it he said, "It's okay." I know that I've made this before and it was good. This time - meh.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1/2 pound boneless lean pork shredded
4 dried black mushrooms
2 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage
1 carrot - julienned
3 scallions slivered
1 cup bean sprouts
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 Eggs - slightly beaten
3 cloves garlic minced
3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
3 tablespoons chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Hoisin sauce

Instructions
Combine soy sauce, sherry and hoisin sauce in a bowl. Add the pork, toss to coat evenly, cover, refrigerate and marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for 20 minutes. Drain and thinly slice. Set aside on a plate, along with the cabbage, carrot and scallions.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium/high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and swirl to coat. Pour in the eggs, swirling and tilting the wok to form a thin film. Cook just until the eggs are set and feel dry on top, about 1 minute. Transfer to a platter, let cool slightly and cut into 1 inch strips.

Return the wok to high heat, and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the garlic, and ginger, and stir-fry to release the aromas, about 1 minute. Add the pork and stirfry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved mushrooms, cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts, and scallions, along with the chicken stock, and stir-fry another 2 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil, and sugar, and cook, stirring until sauce boils, about 1 minute. Add egg strips and mix well. To serve, spread a small amount of hoisin sauce on a warm Mandarin Pancake or flour tortilla. Spoon about 1/2 cup mu shu mixture in center of pancake, wrap like a burrito, folding the ends to close, and serve.

I didn't intend this to be another "Get my mom drunk night." But, I did invite her for dinner. We split a bottle of wine that I brought back from Sonoma in April from Cline Cellars. The wine was a Viognier that was perfect with this rich risotto.

The risotto was very nice. To make shrimp stock I peeled the shrimp that I was going to grill and I roasted the shrimp shells dry in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. I simmered the roasted shells in 6 cups of water with a half teaspoon of Bay Seasoning for an hour.

I made the vinaigrette this afternoon so I wouldn't have to mess with it while cooking the risotto. It came out a wonderful green color that contrasted nicely with the saffron-yellow rice and the pink shrimp.

I also garnished the plate with a balsamic glaze and a little Parmesan cheese.

Alex assembled the cobbler this afternoon and I baked it. Unfortunately, I didn't bake it enough. It was very tasty with a nice hint of ginger infused into the peaches. But, part of the cobbler topping was still a bit doughy. I served this with a couple spoonfuls of freshly whipped cream with a little more ginger. I dusted the cream with cinnamon sugar. This, I'll definitely make again.

Ingredients
Risotto:
5 cups shrimp stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 cup white wine
2 cups arborio rice
1 tablespoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Green Onion Vinaigrette:
8 scallions
1/2 large white onion cut into chunks
3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup pure olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Grilled Shrimp:
12 large shrimp shelled and deveined
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions
Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sweat the onion and garlic until softened but not colored. Raise the heat to high add the wine, and reduce until almost dry. Reduce the heat, add the rice and saffron and stir until the rice is coated with the oil. Cook 2 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the stock and cook, stirring, until absorbed. Repeat with a second cup. As the rice becomes dry, add stock in 1/2 cup increments, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed. Add the honey and tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Vinaigrette: Blanch the scallions for 30 seconds in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat. Drain and shock in cold water.

Combine the scallions, onion, garlic, and vinegar in a food processor and process until pureed. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified. Add the honey, season to taste with salt and pepper and pour into a squeeze bottle.

Skewer shrimp and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Spoon risotto onto plate and arrange shrimp around it. Drizzle Green Onion Vinaigrette on top.

Ingredients

6 peaches, pitted, and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch salt
1 cups blueberries
Topping, recipe follows

Topping:
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup brown sugar packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the peaches, cornstarch or flour, brown sugar, lemon juice and salt, tossing gently. Carefully fold in the blackberries and transfer the mixture to an 8-cup baking dish. Set aside.

Topping: In a mixer, mix the flour, salt, brown sugar, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the butter and mix until coarse and crumbly. Add 3/4 cup of milk and mix just until combined. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to smooth it out. Form into a ball and roll out into the shape and size of the baking dish, about 1/2-inch thick. Place the dough on top of the prepared fruit.

Brush the top of the dough with the remaining tablespoon of milk and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Place the cobbler on a sheet-pan to catch any juices that may boil over. Bake until the top is golden brown and juices are bubbling, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

I love this. My Grandma Lee made this for Judy and me when we were growing up and I never have it without thinking of her. I think this recipe is very similar to hers. She may not have used any onion but I'm not sure. This dish is the main reason I wanted a big cast iron skillet. I've made this gravy in my All-Clad just to compare. It was pretty similar but seeing the gravy bubbling in the cast iron just makes me happy. The boys love when I make this. Nick doesn't eat the gravy but he likes honey on the biscuits.

Generally, the first impression is that gravy is horrible for you. This recipe basically makes three servings. If you break out the ingredients it's the equivalent of two small sausage patties, some onion, less than a tablespoon of flour, and less than a cup of milk per serving. Naturally, it's served on two biscuits. That's not so bad. Right? If it is, don't tell me.

Alex started eating Tabasco on his a couple years ago and he's totally converted me. Crushed black pepper and the Tabasco really is a nice addition.

I'm beginning to get a hint that I may fight my way to be a barely competent baker some day. This was my best biscuit effort to date. Nick usually prefers the canned biscuits but today he gave me the solid thumbs up on these. Such high praise.

Ingredients
½ # pork sausage
1 onion finely chopped
3 T flour
2 cups hot milk
Salt & Pepper

Instructions
Heat milk in microwave to about 110 degrees. Heat cast iron pan on medium high heat. Sauté sausage in pan until slightly browned and add onions – cook until onions are soft. Stir in flour until absorbed. Add milk and stir until thickened. Season to taste.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 teaspoons unsalted butter cut in chunks
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon butter

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a blender, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add butter chunks and blend until largest chunks are about 1/4". Add milk and blend until just moistened. Roll dough in bowl and knead 5-10 times. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface until 1/2" thick. Cut in circles, arrange on baking sheet and brush tops lightly with melted butter. Bake for 10-12 minutes until browned.

I just wanted something simple tonight. I'm dog tired. It's been a long week. Nick was with a friend boating on Portage Lakes so it was just Alex and me. This was damn good. Unfortunately, my grocery store was out of cilantro again. Arggh. The marinade smelled almost exactly like a weird margarita. Without the garlic I think it would have been a good drink. To make the guacamole, I just smashed an avocado with a little salt and lime juice. It was a perfect avocado and the guacamole was delicious. I have no funny anecdotes to go with this except I thought I burnt off an eyebrow when I lit the grill. Luckily, it was just a couple eyelashes.

Ingredients
2 lemons, juiced
1/8 cup tequila
1/2 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 cloves garlic crushed
2/3 pound flank steak cut in strips
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 green bell pepper sliced
1 bunch green onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (6-inch) tortillas warmed
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions
Mix the lemon juice, tequila, pepper flakes, chili powder, and garlic in a medium-sized bowl. Place the steak in the container, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion and saute until crisp tender. Remove from pan, set aside, and keep warm. Remove steak from marinade and discard marinade. Saute steak in the saute pan for about 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Return vegetables to pan and warm through for about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide steak mixture evenly among the warmed tortillas. Garnish each with 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped tomatoes and guacamole and serve.