I just used a basic pizza dough and filled it with pesto sauce, roasted peppers, green peppers, mushrooms, onions and mozzarella. I served it on a bed of marinara sauce. These things turned out huge. I described them to Nick and Alex as "as big as your head!" I served each of them half calzones but they both went back to get the other half. Delicious.

I'm making blue cheese. I'm not quite sure why. I just am. It's going to take 6 weeks to 6 months for it to mold up. Here's the first picture. Looks pretty good.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup raisins
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the flours, salt, sugar and baking powder at low speed. With the mixer running, add the butter and mix until coarse and sandy. Add the milk and mix until almost combined, then add the raisins and mix just to distribute them evenly through the dough. Do not overmix; there may still be some flour not mixed in. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough 10 times. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough 1-inch thick. With a biscuit or cookie cutter or a clean empty can, cut out circles about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet with a spatula. Knead the scraps together just until combined, then roll out again and continue cutting out circles until all the dough is used up. Brush the tops of the scones with cream and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Ingredients
2 cups finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 ounce package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 cups warm milk (about 110 degrees)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons salt
5 to 6 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons rubbed dried sage
1 cup whole wheat flour
Olive oil

Instructions
Saute onions in olive oil until soft. Set aside and cool. In a large bowl, stir yeast into water to soften. Add milk, shortening, honey, salt, 2 cups flour and cooled onions. Beat vigorously for two minutes. Whisk sage and whole wheat flour together and add to onion mixture. Stir to incorporate. Gradually add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead, adding flour a little at a time, until you have a smooth, elastic dough. Put dough into an oiled bowl. Turn to coat the entire ball of dough with oil. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until doubled, about one hour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide into 36 equal pieces, Shape each piece into an 8-inch strand and tie it into a single knot. Place about three inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover with a tightly woven towel and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. About 10 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the rolls reaches 190 degrees. Immediately remove rolls from baking sheets and cool on a rack.

Ingredients
3 (15-ounce) cans baby beets, drained
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
zest of one large orange
juice from one orange
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup small-diced red onion


Instructions
Place the beets in a mixing bowl and add the vinegar, zest, orange juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and red onions. Taste for seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Squid
squid steaks, cleaned
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat grill or grill pan. Brush squid with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the squid for 2 minutes on each side.

Mango Wine Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 red onion, very finely chopped
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 ripe, firm mango, peeled and cut into small dice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small saucepan, heat the butter and oil. Cook onion and pepper until just tender. Add lime juice, wine, and ginger and reduce by half. Stir in mango, and cilantro and stir until just heated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper and serve over squid.

Ingredients
Zest from 1 orange
2 pounds trimmed green beans
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
3 tablespoons fresh chives, snipped

Instructions
Fill a pan with 2 inches water and bring to a boil. Add orange zest and beans. Cook 5 to 6 minutes. Drain beans and return to pan. Toss with butter, salt and chives then transfer to a serving dish.

Ingredients
2 large beets
1/2 cup canola oil
Kosher salt

Instructions
Peel beets and slice into thin rounds. Heat oil in a shallow pan. Place enough chips to cover the bottom of the pan. Be sure to keep the flame low enough so as not to burn the oil, but high enough as to not let the oil cool down. Turn chips once or twice, being sure to brown on both sides. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Lightly salt and serve.

Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine the potatoes and enough salted water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 12 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until caramelized and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cream. Return to medium-low heat to gently warm the cream. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Return to the pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring with a heavy wooden spoon or whisk, to remove the excess moisture, about 1 minute. Add the garlic cream and horseradish and cook, stirring, until the potatoes are mashed and smooth, about 4 minutes. Season the potatoes with the salt and white pepper. Cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cups rice, cooked
2 cups sausage, sliced into 1" pieces
1 cup onion, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can chopped tomatoes
Salt and pepper

Instructions
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and cook until slightly softened. Add sausage and cook until well browned. Add the beans and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste. To serve, spoon the hot rice into a serving bowl and pour the sausage and bean mixture over the rice

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 Macintosh or other small apples, cored, peeled, and sliced
Warm maple syrup, as an accompaniment

Instructions
Whisk 1 3/4 cups flour, the sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. In small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the eggs with the milk and vanilla extract. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry mixture, and whisk just long enough to make a thick batter.

On a hot skillet apple slices about 3-inches apart. Cook with non-stick spray until browned, turn and cook the other side. Ladle batter over each apple ring. Cook, until bubbles break the surface of the pancakes, and the undersides are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes, cook until golden on the underside, about 1 minute more. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
scallops
Salt and pepper

In a very hot pan with olive oil, sear the scallops; season with salt and pepper.

Orange Chardonnay Sauce
1/4 cup Chardonnay
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoons chopped shallot
1 thyme sprig
4 ounces butter
1 tablespoon honey

Reduce wine, orange juice, garlic, shallots, and thyme. Whisk in butter. Slowly finish with honey.

Beans of Green
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon truffle oil
1 pound whole green beans, blanched and shocked
Salt and Black pepper to taste

In a saucepan, heat olive oil, quickly stir in beans, lemon juice, and truffle oil. Do not overcook. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Sweet Potato Threads
1 large sweet potato, spaghetti cut using turning slicer
Canola oil for frying
Salt to taste

Wrap the sweet potato threads into nests. In a 300-degree fryer, fry until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Salt to taste and drain well.

Arrange the green beans on a plate and top with sweet potato threads and scallops. Spoon on sauce and garnish with chives.

Ingredients
1 pound tempeh
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
3 cups hot cooked rice

Instructions
In a large pot, set a steamer basket over boiling water. Dice the tempeh into 1-inch cubes and steam, covered, for 5 minutes or until soft. Set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the vegetable and sesame oils over medium-high heat, and saute the garlic for 15 seconds. Add the sliced onion and peppers and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the ginger and soy sauce and add the steamed tempeh. Stir fry for 3 more minutes. Serve immediately over hot rice.