After reading through the amazing Flavor Bible, I knew I wanted to use cardamom with my plums. I think it worked out quite well. I’m not sure if this is truly a clafouti (which is a traditional French dessert made with cherries) but it’s certainly derivative enough to use the name. The plums I used were just super market variety black plums.

The recipe:

Preheat the oven to 375˚
Butter a 9 inch round cake pan with 2 inch sides and dust it with sugar.

Then add to a blender :
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups half and half
1/3 cup sugar + about a tablespoon for dusting the pan.
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
zest of one orange
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

Set the blended ingredients aside while you cut the plums into a size approximating a cherry—a half inch cube. Toss them with the sugar.

6 plums or about 4 cups chunked
1 tablespoon natural (Turbinado) sugar

Put the plums into the cake pan in an even layer. Pour the egg mixture over it.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until it is puffed and the custard is set.

Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners sugar.

Enjoy!

I love ginger and when I saw it was in an “affinity” group, in the Flavor Bible, with apples and hazelnuts I knew just what I wanted to make.

Recipe: serves 10-12

For the apples:

3 pounds (about 6 medium) Granny Smith apples
3 pounds Macintosh apples
All peeled, cored and cut into about 1 inch chunks.

Zest of 1 LEMON
3 tablespoons fresh LEMON JUICE
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons CINNAMON
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

Put the apples into a large bowl.

Mix the zest and the grated ginger into the lemon juice and pour over the apples. Combine the spices and sugar and mix them, thoroughly, all into the apples. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425° while you make the topping.

For the topping:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup light BROWN SUGAR
2 tablespoons WHITE SUGAR
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
11 tablespoons UNSLATED BUTTER cut into 1 tablespoon chunks
1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
1 cup hazelnuts (it’s OK to leave the skins on)

I used the food processor but you could easily do this by hand.

Pulse the dry ingredients, a few times, in the food processor, to mix thoroughly.

Add the butter and pulse about 6 more times until the butter is in pea size pieces.

Add hazelnuts and pulse about 6 more times until the hazelnuts are roughly chopped.
Mix in the candied ginger with 2 more pulses.

Put the apples into the bottom of a 4 quart baking dish. (I used a pyrex 10 x 14 one)

Spread the topping evenly over the apples.

Bake for about 50 minutes or until the topping is brown and the apples are bubbling beneath.

Serve warm or a room temperature.

And yes, of course it would be wonderful with a little freshly whipped cream!

I saw these beautiful shitakes for sale, from the good folks at , Turkey Hill Farms at the Farmers Market and I couldn’t resist.

I wanted to add some dried mushrooms and had some Paddystraw in my pantry so I went with those. They worked well because their flavor was delicate enough not to mask the shitakes.

This makes enough for about 1/2 pound of pasta, for 4 small first course servings. I used spaghetti but fettuccine would work great. Put up the pasta water first so you can time the pasta being done right around the same time as the sauce.

Recipe:

1/2 pound shitake
4oz. Dried and reconstituted mushrooms (liquid reserved)
1tbs each extra virgin olive oil and butter
1 med. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 tbs. brandy
1 tbs sliced fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup reserved mushroom water
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup grated parmigiano cheese.

Cook onions slowly in butter and oil with a pinch of salt, about 8 min. Add garlic for few more minutes. Add shitakes—saute for about 3 min. Add brandy to deglaze pan. Add reserved mushrooms, broth and liquid. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer for about 20 min.

Just before serving add cream, grated cheese and sage leaves.

Put the hot, drained pasta into the pan with the sauce and toss for about 2 minutes.

Serve and enjoy. We drank a simple Orvieto Classico with it and it worked well.

In 2007, when Andrew Carmellini was the chef at A Voce, I was visiting Manhattan and had a wonderful lunch there.. The duck meatball appetizer with cherry mostarda was so memorable that it was the first dish I thought of when preparing for this weeks duck challenge. His recipe, found in his book, “Urban Italian” includes foie gras and grinding your own meat. I was fortunate that the butcher at our local Fresh Market was willing to bone out and grind a whole duck for me. So with a nod to Chef Carmellini here’s my take on duck meatballs with mostarda.

This recipe severs 6 as a main course.

Mostarda: (makes about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound dried apricots
6 dried figs
3 ounces (about 1/2 cup) raisins
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 finely chopped shallot
1 tablespoon sugar
3 strips of lemon peel without pith
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Put all the ingredients except the Dijon and dry mustard into a sauce pan.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Let it cook for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Put the mixture and the 2 mustards into a blender and puree.
Put into a bowl.

Duck meatballs
3 pounds ground duck (1 whole duck)
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
1 cup cubed white bread
1/3 cup half and half
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon pepper

First sauté the mushrooms in the butter, with a little sprinkle of salt, until all of the liquid is released and evaporated. Set them aside to cool.

Put the cubed bread into a sauce pan with the half and half. Heat it very briefly until the bread absorbs the half and half. Set aside to cool.
Combine the remaining ingredients with the cooled mushrooms and bread in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix thoroughly on a low speed.

Cover this mixture put it into the refrigerator for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to 425.
Form balls, about golf ball size and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake for about 10 minutes, rotate the pan and turn the balls.
Cook for another 8 to 10 minutes until slightly brown and cooked through.
Meanwhile put about 1/3 cup of the mostarda into a large sauté pan.
Add some water to make a saucy consistency.
Add the hot meatballs to the pan and swirl them with the sauce for about 3 minutes until they are fully coated.

Serve the rest of the mostarda on the side.

Carrot and Parsnip Puree
Serves 6

This simple puree is silky smooth, a gorgeous fall orange color and full of flavor. I loved it!

2 pounds carrots
3 large parsnips
6 thin slices of ginger root
1/3 cup half & half
1 tablespoon butter
salt

Cut the carrots and parsnips into 2 inch lengths and put, with the ginger, into well salted, boiling water.

Boil steadily until the carrots and parsnips are easily pierced with a fork.

Put them into the food processor with the half & half, butter and a generous pinch of salt.
Process until very smooth, puling at first and then letting the machine run. Serve immediately.

A few years ago, at La Zucca, in Venice, I ate a wonderful dish which combined pork and prunes. My efforts did not result in that exact dish but it did spark a little memory.
I used a pressure cooker for this (I love Victoria Wise’s “Pressure Cooker Gourmet”) but you could braise it on the stove top for a lot longer time, I’m sure.

Recipe:

Start with a 2 pound piece of pork shoulder.
Brine it for about 6 hours in:

6 cups water
1/2 cup KOSHER SALT
1/4 cup white sugar
2 cloves of GARLIC, smashed
2 fresh bay leaves, broken up a bit
3 large sprigs of ROSEMARY

Put all of the above ingredients into a large zip lock bag, in a bowl.
Submerge the pork in it and refrigerate.

Lift the pork out of the brine, rinse it and set it aside.

For the pork:

2 large sprigs of ROSEMARY
3 carrots chopped into 1” pieces
1 very large ONION sliced the long way into about 12 wedges
20 prunes
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dry red wine (I used the Pinot Noir we eventually drank)
1/4 cup red wine VINEGAR
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Put the rosemary into the bottom of the pressure cooker and put the pork on top of it. Spread the rest of the ingredients around it.

Bring the cooker to pressure and cook on medium low for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit for about 15 minutes or until all the pressure is released.

Take the pork out and set it on a platter and tent it with foil to rest.

Take some or most of the fat out of the liquid remaining in the pot. Put it back over medium high heat to reduce for 5-10 minutes. Watch for the consistency you like. Mine was quite soupy.

Remove the string around the pork (mine came with it) and slice it into serving pieces. Top with the gravy, prunes etc. from the pot.

I served it with polenta and some sauteed kale on the side. All good!

Chutney is a great vehicle to marry lots of flavors. I loved using the star anise; they’re so pretty. This chutney can transform a boring grilled chicken breast.

Cranberry Chutney Recipe

4 cups cranberries
1/2 plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water

Toss the above ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Then assemble:

1 small onion, chopped
1” piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic
1-2 small dried chilis
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 cinnamon sticks
6 star anise

3 tablespoons canola oil
Add the ginger and garlic to the food processor, while running, until chopped very fine, almost a paste.

Saute the chopped onion in the oil for about 5 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic paste and cook about 3 more minutes at a very low heat.
Add the spices and cook, stirring until fragrant—1 or 2 minutes more.
Add the cranberry mixture. Bring to a boil. Let it cook for about 5 minutes until almost all of the cranberries are popped.

Simmer for about 20 minutes more. Let cool in the pan. Remove the anise, cinnamon and chilis. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I was lucky that they were selling beautiful Brussels Sprouts on the stalk at our Fresh Market.

So, first...
Remove sprouts from stalk. I use my hands.
Cut the largest ones in half and leave the smaller ones whole.
If you like you can trim the bottom with a paring knife to make a cleaner looking sprout.
Steam the sprouts over boiling water until they are still bright green but you can easily stick a fork into them, about 7 or 8 minutes.

Meanwhile make the dressing.

Cook 4 slices (about 1/4 pound) of bacon in a frying pan and set it aside on paper towels. Save the rendered fat in the pan. Chop the bacon.

Combine:

2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon bacon drippings
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
generous pinch of salt
few grinds of pepper

Toss the hot Brussels sprouts with the dressing and add the chopped bacon.

That’s it.
This recipe is simple, delicious and full of flavor. The combination of the cider vinegar, bacon and the sprouts is listed in the “affinities” in the Flavor Bible. I can see why. They totally work together.

I'm not a huge fan of pears. It's a texture thing. But my husband is addicted so I am slowly developing a taste for them. This week provided me a nice opportunity to expand my appreciation for them. I used Bartlett and Bosc in combination. Both of them were mostly ripe with a nice perfume while I was preparing them.

Full disclosure--I also made a spiced mascarpone topping but it was not perfect so I am not posting the recipe. If you want to try it yourself, I just beat up some softened mascarpone with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and a splash of cream. Where I went wrong was adding too much cinnamon so, back to the drawing board with this one.

The pears were fabulous, though. The orange zest and liquor, suggested, of course, by the Flavor Bible, really complimented them.

Sautéed Pears

5 ripe pears (I used 3 Barlett and 2 Bosc) peeled, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup orange liquor like Drambuie or Gran Marnier
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
grated zest of 1 orange
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Put 2 tablespoons of the butter into a 12” skillet over medium heat. When the butter begins to brown, add the pears and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 3 minutes.
Add the sugar, nutmeg, liquor and orange zest. Cook about 1 minute more until the liquid is slightly reduced.
Add the last tablespoon of butter, swirling the pan to emulsify the sauce.

Put the pears into 4 small bowls, top with good vanilla ice cream.

My grandmother used to make stuffed cabbage and now my mother makes a huge pot of it when we go to visit her. This recipe is inspired by them. Think of it as chicken and cabbage “Jewish grandmother style.”

Almost every ingredient in the recipe was on the list in the Flavor Bible. Actually raisins is the only one not from the book.

Recipe:

6-8 chicken thighs
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 very large onion, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 medium head of cabbage, halved and sliced
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
4 slices of ginger root
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Juice and grated zest of one large lemon
Preheat the oven to 350˚
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and brown the chicken in the olive oil, (I used a Dutch oven with a lid) about 5 minutes per side on medium high heat.

Remove to a bowl and when it’s cooled enough to handle, remove and discard the skin. Pour all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan.
Add the onion and carrots to the pan with another pinch of salt. Use the vegetables to deglaze the pan, scrapping up the browned bits. Add the canned tomatoes, ginger, raisins, sugar, vinegar and the cabbage. Stir until the cabbage is beginning to wilt. Add the chicken back into the pot, burying it in the cabbage mixture and cover.

Put the pot into a 350˚ oven for about an hour and a half or until the chicken is just about falling off the bone.

Off the heat, add the juice and zest of the lemon and serve.
You could easily add potatoes for more body or serve it over rice or noodles. I put some pieces of baked Yukon gold on the bottom of the bowl and that worked well.

This simple preparation of the parsnips produced such a lovely, complimentary flavor combination. The sage works beautifully with the unique parsnip flavor. It reminded me of when you have a perfect wine pairing. Each flavor really "enlightened" the other. Try it!

Recipe: (serves about 6)

About 6 large parsnips cut into chunks
About 6 large fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup half & half
3 Tablespoons butter
1 small handful of fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Steam the parsnips until a fork goes in easily--about 8 minutes.
Put them into a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and process until totally smooth.
Transfer to a bowl and serve.

This was one of those happy accidents that happen in cooking.
I bought a bag of fresh (that is really questionable) chestnuts and roasted them.

When I peeled them most were moldy inside. YUCK! Still wanting to do something with the remaining handful, I added some other nuts I had in the pantry.
The result was a terrific little snack—great with a glass of prosecco.

I think you could easily do this with just chestnuts or any combination you like. The flavors were all from the Flavor Bible: butter, salt, fennel, thyme and maple syrup.

Recipe:
1 handful roasted and peeled chestnuts
1 handful raw cashews
1 handful raw walnuts
1 handful raw almonds

1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Grind the salt, fennel seeds and thyme in a spice grinder or small food processor. Melt the butter in a pan. Add all the nuts, including the chestnuts, spices and maple syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the raw nuts begin to brown, being careful not to burn the butter.

Cool on a piece of parchment or a silpat.

Watch out—you definitely can’t eat just one.

Many of these ingredients were on the list in the Flavor Bible:
BUTTER, ORANGE, NUTMEG, CINNAMON, pecans, bourbon, ginger, raisins and vanilla.
We loved the results!

Sweet Potato Bread Pudding

Preheat oven to 350°
Butter an 8 X 11 inch glass casserole

1/2 loaf of challa bread cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins
2 1/2 cups half and half
4 eggs
2 cups sweet potato puree* (from about 3 large sweet potatoes)
Grated zest of 1 orange
3/4 + 2 tablespoons cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butter for greasing the pan

Put the bread, pecans and raisins into a large bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl beat the eggs lightly and then add the rest of the ingredients, using just the 3/4 cup of the sugar. Use a whisk to combine them well.

Pour the custard into the bread and mix gently.
Pour into the greased casserole.
Sprinkle the additional 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top.

Bake at 350° for about an hour—until the top is beginning to brown and the custard is totally set.

I like this best when it’s still warm but not hot.

*Make the puree by boiling large chunks of sweet potatoes in the skin. When soft enough for a fork to go in easily, drain them. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove the skins and puree the potatoes in a food processor. (I actually made way too much so we had sweet potatoes for dinner, too.)

You don't naturally think of Tallahassee as Oyster country but we are just 40 minutes from the gulf coast and very near Apalachicola, famous for it's oysters. We can buy them in the shells, of course but these pre-shucked and very fresh oysters, from near by Eastpoint, make it easy to incorporate oysters into this wonderful pasta dish:

Linguine with Oysters, Shrimp and Bay Scallops

16 ounces of shucked oysters
8 large shrimp
1/2 pound small scallops (bay scallops)
1 onion chopped
3 stalks celery chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup cream
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
a few grinds of black pepper

1 pound Linguine

Put the butter and olive oil into a large sauté pan. Add the onion and celery and cook about 15 minutes.

Add the flour and cook another 10 minutes.

Put the oysters into a small saucepan with their liquor and the 1/4 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat and cook for about 2 minutes or until the edges have begun to curl.

Drain the oysters and reserve 1 cup of the liquid. Put the saffron threads into the hot liquid. Set aside both the liquid and the oysters.

Slowly add the cream and the oyster liquid to make a creamy but not very thick sauce.

Add the shrimp and oysters first and bring back to a simmer, then add the little scallops. Keep it at a simmer for about 3-4 minutes, until the seafood is cooked. Stir in the parsley. Add the hot drained linguine to the pan and toss for 1 more minute.

Flavors from the Flavor Bible include: CREAM, butter, olive oil, onions, saffron and celery.

My friend Betsy Stone brought her husband John's beautiful orange soup to school one day and it was love at first taste for me. Velvety smooth and with just enough kick, it makes a perfect small first course. You could easily add some shrimp to make a full meal.
Flavors from the Bible include: ONIONS, OIL, coconut milk, garlic, ginger celery, carrots, jalepeno, curry and cilantro.
I've made it four times and here's the recipe I've come up with.

2 small to medium Butternut squash
2 medium onions, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
1/4 cup canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 inch piece of ginger root, chopped
6 cups water
1 TBS. Red Thai curry paste
1 14 oz. can Coconut milk (not low fat)

Salt and pepper
Juice of fresh lime (or wedges)
1/3 cup shopped cilantro
Siracha

I used 2 smaller butternuts; I think the flavor is nicer in the smaller ones.

Cut them in half, the long way and roast them at 400° until your knife goes in easily. Let them cool, remove the seeds, skin and reserve the flesh, cut into cubes.

In a pot, sauté the aromatics (onion, carrots, celery and red pepper) for a while—about 8 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook another minute.
Add the Thai seasoning, salt and about 6 cups of water.
Cook it, on low heat, for about an hour.
Add the coconut milk and squash cubes.
Simmer another half hour and puree with an emersion bender (jar blender would work fine, I’m sure).

Garnish with chopped cilantro—I forgot and mixed it all into the soup but it looks prettier on top. Squeeze in some fresh lime and a little Siracha, to taste.

Well, maybe I went a little overboard with the components but the result was a crowd-pleasing dish.
Flavors from the book are:
Apples, CHEESE, fennel, LEMON, DIJON MUSTARD, OLIVE OIL, onions,

Recipe:

3 Bunches of fresh beets (about 12 small to medium beets)
2 Macintosh apples—cored (not peeled) chunked
1 large sweet onion, cut into thin wedges
1 fennel bulb cut into thin wedges (reserve the tops)

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of butter

Dressing:
1/4-cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2-cup olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Large pinch of kosher salt
Few grinds of lack pepper
1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds.

Remove all but the top inch of the beet greens, chop and wash the greens and the stems separately in a few changes of water. Without drying, set aside.

Set the oven to 400°.
After washing well, cut the small beets in half and the larger
ones into quarters.
Toss the beets, apples, onions and fennel in a large roasting pan (I lined mine with parchment paper to make clean-up easier) with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Roast for about 45 minutes or until the beets are fork tender.

Mean while make the dressing.

Mix the lemon juice with the Dijon; whisk in oil. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

As soon as the roasted veggies come out of the oven sprinkle them with a generous pinch of kosher salt and put into a mixing bowl. Add as much dressing as you like. I used about half of it. Mix gently, put into serving bowl.

You will notice that the onions, apple and fennel mostly melted away, leaving the beets in a luscious sauce formed by the dressing combining with the melted veggies. Rich but you can still totally taste the beets.

The bonus:

In a large skillet, sauté the remaining stems in the butter for about 3 or 4 minutes before adding the washed greens.

Put the cover on and let the greens cook for about 5 minutes. Add a little salt and they are done!

Short Ribs Stew

I really didn’t know what to call this recipe. Basically I just bought the meat, put on some good music and cooked. Of course, I took notes all along so I could make the recipe. Flavors from the Flavor Bible include: bay leaf, carrots, celery, GARLIC, grits, porcini, olive oil, ONIONS, parsley, peas, rosemary, CHICKEN STOCK, FRESH THYME and DRY RED WINE. I know it seems like a lot of ingredients but it is the perfect winter dinner and well worth the effort.

Here’s the recipe:

6 pounds of beef short ribs, trimmed of most of the fat
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup porcini soaking liquid (can substitute more stock or water)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 sprigs of young fresh thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup shopped parsley
Kosher salt
Black pepper

First sprinkle the short ribs generously with salt and pepper.

In a pressure cooker, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and brown the short ribs, in two batches, on all 4 sides—about 2 minutes per side. Remove them to a platter or bowl.

Pour off the fat from the pan. Heat the other 2 tablespoons of oil and cook the onions, celery and carrots with the bay leaf for about 6 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for about 2 more minutes.

Add the red wine and deglaze the pan letting the wine bubble for a few minutes. Add the rest of the liquids, the herbs the browned short ribs and salt and pepper.

Lock on the lid of the pressure cooker and bring it to pressure. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit until there is no more pressure. Remove the cover and add the defrosted peas. Serve over grits prepared with a bay leaf, a touch of cream and plenty of grated Parmigiano (I pretended it was polenta).
Right before serving, sprinkle fresh parsley on each serving.

I had the idea for this recipe in 2004. It was fun to get it out again, brush it off and update it a bit.

From the Flavor Bible I used: almonds, butter, COCONUT, nutmeg, RUM, SUGAR and vanilla.

1/2 loaf challa bread cut into 1 inch cubes

2 eggs + 1 yolk
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 very ripe bananas, sliced
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons butter

Set oven to 350°
Cut up the bread and put it into a large bowl.
Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the half & half, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Whisk until blended. Add to the bread cubes with the bananas and coconut. Mix it all together. Turn into an 8 inch spring form pan. Sprinkle the top with the almonds and turbinado sugar and dot with the butter.
Bake at 350 about 45 minutes.
Let cool to room temperature and remove the ring.
(Option here would be to drizzle with melted chocolate)
Serve with freshly whipped cream.
You can see in this photo that I almost over whipped the cream.

While this isn't the most creative use of this week's ingredient, I feel like it's a really useful recipe. Easy, delicious and reminiscent of 80's food it makes the perfect week night one-dish meal.

The Flavor Bible suggested: CHEESE, chicken, cream, garlic, olive oil, onions, pasta, red pepper flakes and wine

Broccoli Chicken Pasta

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Bunch Broccoli, stems chopped tops cut into florets
1-pound short pasta, like penne or rotini
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced long ways
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup white wine
1+ cup grated Parmigiano cheese
2 Tablespoons cream
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Kosher salt

Cut the chicken into cubes and put into a bowl. Add 2 cloves of garlic, well minced or put through a garlic press, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2-teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.

Put a large pot of water up to boil (enough for the pasta). Add about 3 tablespoons kosher salt. When the water comes to a boil, add the chopped broccoli and boil it for 4 minutes. Remove the broccoli to a colander but leave the water. When the water comes back to a rolling boil cook the pasta according the the package directions but 1 minute less—so it’s quite “al dente.”

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil with the crushed red pepper and cook the chicken in it for about 5 minutes stirring often to cook all sides.

Take the chicken out of the pan and add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add the chicken and broccoli back into the pan and stir to finish cooking. (Theoretically just until the pasta is ready.)

Add the drained pasta with about 1/4 cup of the pasta water, the cream and the cheese into the pan and stir for about 1 more minute. Serve immediately.

This tasty and hearty stew is perfect for "greens season" which is all winter long in the deep South. Remember to rinse the lentils and check for little stones. Serves 8

12 ounces of lentils, rinsed.
3 carrots, sliced thin
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, sliced thin
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 14 oz. Can of diced tomatoes
1-quart chicken stock
1-cup water
1 parmesan cheese rind
1 pound bunch of collards, chopped and rinsed but not dried
1-teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sherry vinegar
Celery leaves roughly chopped

Cook the onion, carrots and celery in the olive oil with the bay leaf (I used a fresh one) for about 10 minutes, over medium- low heat until they are quite soft.

Add the chopped garlic and tomato paste and continue to cook for about 3 minutes more.
Add the diced tomatoes and the liquid with some salt and pepper and the cheese rind. Turn up the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.

Add the lentils and salt and pepper. Cook, on low, for about an hour and a half, until the lentils are soft.
Add the collards to the top of the pot. (To prepare the collards, wash them well and remove the tough inner stem)

Let them cook for a few minutes until the collards begin to wilt. Then you can incorporate them into the lentils. (I used tongs for this part) Cook the greens for about 15 minutes.

Before serving, remove the bay leaf and the cheese rind.
Garnish each plate with a little sherry vinegar and the chopped fresh celery leaves.

This delicious salad can serve as a full lunch, especially if you put it over some greens. The garbanzos (aka chic peas or ceci) are full of protein. Luckily I found some beautiful blood oranges to use but it's not necessary. Any eating (as opposed to juicing) oranges would work fine.

Garbanzo Bean and Farro Salad serves 8

1 Cup farro
1 28 ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 bulb fannel sliced thin (about 1 cup)
1 orange peeled, sliced thin and cut into 6ths (about 1 cup)

Dressing:
1/3 Cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice
1Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 1 teaspoon)

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Cook the farro in salted water for about 30 minutes. Drain well.

While it is cooking, make the dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together in a bowl.

Add the dressing and the rinsed garbanzo beans to the warm farro with the fnnel and oranges. Let it marinate at room temperature until almost cool. Just before serving add the mint.

Can be served cold or at room temperature.

Make this salad and serve it over spring greens for a lovely light supper.
At my fish market you can order the lobster and have them steam it for you. By the time I picked it up in the afternoon, it was way on its way to a nice chill down. I did, however, steam, peel and chill the shrimp myself. You would need to allow time for both to be properly chilled before you start. Here is what I got:

To get the grapefruit prepped I just cut one in half and dug out the sections with a special grapefruit spoon (one with a serrated edge).

Lobster and Shrimp Salad
serves 2 for a main course

1 1.5 pound lobster, steamed, chilled, meat removed and chopped into small chunks
1/2 pound "extra-large" shrimp steamed, peeled and chilled and cut into about 4 pieces each
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 pink grapefruit, sections removed
1 Tablespoon finely diced red pepper
1 Tablespoon finely diced celery
1 Teaspoon minced shallot

Dressing:
Whisk together the following:

1/4 cup grapefruit juice
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Toss the salad ingredients with about 1/4 cup of the dressing. You can save the rest or use it for the greens.

For this recipe, I made roasted cauliflower.
I cut up one head of cauliflower and made this "rub" to toss it with.

Ginger Roasted Cauliflower

preheat oven to 425°

2Tablspoons roasted peanut oil
1" piece of ginger root, sliced.
1 large clove of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Blend those all in a small food processor. Toss with cauliflower pieces.
Line a 9X13 pan with parchment paper to make for easy clean up.
Roast at 425° for about 20 minutes or until desired tenderness.

For a "small bite" you could use toothpicks. We just ate it as a veggie for dinner. You can also use the spice mixture as a rub for chicken.

Growing up my mom used to make these special drink for my dad and his friends (and for herself, too). So I tried this out with spectacular results. Here's the recipe for the concoction but you could really play with it. The photo below gives you an idea about the accuracy (not) of the measurements.

The addition of the coconut was not my favorite but some of the "testers" like having the chew the little bits which gave an interesting texture to the drink.

Pink Pineapple Rum Delight serves 4 generously

4 ounces Rum
2 ounces Cointreau
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, quartered
1/2 cup coconut juice
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Put everything into a blender with about 4 ice cubes. Blend until smooth.

That's it!

Just for the fun of it--here's a shot of my "testers" on a rainy Tallahassee afternoon.

This post is dedicated to my dear friend and professore Italiano, Massimo Castelozzi.

You can tell that I love bread pudding since this is my third variation. I actually think this is the best one yet!

Lemon Bread Pudding—serves 8

1/2 loaf challa bread cut into cubes
4 eggs plus one yolk
4 cups half & half
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons Limoncello
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher salt
Zest of one lemon
3/4 cup dried cranberries
2 Tablespoons butter, melted, plus some for greasing the pan

Cinnamon Sugar
2 Tablespoons “Turbinado” sugar
1 Teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 325°
Mix the dried cranberries, limoncello and lemon zest in a small bowl and set aside. It’s important to do this first to soften the cranberries a bit.

Mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Mix the eggs, half & half , sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the bread cubes—let is sit for about 15 minutes.

Add the cranberries with the zest and limoncello. Mix gently ut thoroughly.

Put the mixture into a well greased 9 X 13-inch baking dish.
Drizzle on the melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.

Bake bout 45 minutes. It should be nicely browned and totally set but a little jiggle in the center is OK. Let cool somewhat but serve it warmer than room temperature ,if possible.

Shrimp and Grits

This is my twist on a Southern staple. BUT—I don’t really think it worked. I’ll give you the recipe I made and my suggestions. Don’t use the sun dried tomatoes; use less bacon; add some fresh lemon juice at the end.

Anyway here goes:

Shrimp:
1# extra large shrimp peeled* and cut into 3 pieces
1 clove of garlic—finely minced or through the press
1/2-teaspoon kosher salt

Greens:
8 ounces of bacon
1 bunch (about 1 pound) of Collard greens, chopped
1 medium onion sliced long ways
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 clove of garlic
1/4 cup of water
3 ounces sun dried tomatoes

Toss together the shrimp with the salt and garlic in a bowl. Put into the refrigerator for about half an hour while you prepare the rest.

Cook the bacon until well browned and crispy. Put in onto paper towels and set aside. When it’s cool enough to handle, chop it up.
In the bacon fat, sauté the onion for a few minutes then add the wine to deglaze the pan.
Add the greens and whole garlic clove, cover and braise them on a medium low temperature until they just begin to change to the traditional dark green color (about 12 minutes).

Add the water, the sun dried tomatoes and the shrimp.

Keep stirring gently until the shrimp look pink and done. About 3 minutes Stir in half of the bacon.

Remove the whole garlic clove before serving over grits.
Sprinkle each serving with a bit more of the chopped bacon.

* I use this cheap red plastic tool to peel and clean the shrimp. It’s easy and works very well!

This is more about the relish than the tuna but...

Seared tuna with Cucumber relish--Serves 4

2 Pounds of tuna cut into 2 thick steaks
1 tablespoon canola oil

The Relish
2 whole cucumbers peeled, seeded and cut into spears
1/2-cup fresh mint sliced chiffonade
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1-tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
2 teaspoons chopped ginger
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
Dash of Siracha sauce

1 Tablespoon Kosher salt for draining the cucumbers

Put the cucumber spears into a colander and toss with the salt.
Let them sit out and drain for an hour or two, until they give up some liquid.

Chop the cucumbers and combine them with the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour.

Meanwhile season the thick tuna with salt and pepper and sea, just a few minutes on each side, in a very hot pan in additional canola oil.

The tuna should still be totally red in the center but you can do it however you like.

Top each piece of hot tuna with a generous spoonful of the cold relish.

Delish!

If you are tired of dipping your artichoke leaves in melted butter try this for a refreshing change.

Steamed Artichokes with Mint Dipping Sauce

For sauce:

1-cup mint
1 clove garlic
1/4-teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup prepared mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
2 Teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Ground black pepper to taste

Put the garlic into the food processor with the motor running. Add the mint and process for a few seconds.

Add the rest of the ingredients.

Serve with steamed artichokes.

These cookies are not very sweet and a little on the dry side. In other words, authentically Italian.

Coffee Biscotti—makes about 4 dozen cookies

1/2-cup almonds
6 Tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1-cup lite brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1-teaspoon instant espresso powder
1-tablespoon fresh ground coffee
1-teaspoon cinnamon

First toast the almonds for about 8-10 minutes in a 350° oven and set them aside to cool. Turn the oven down to 325°. When they cool, give them a rough chop.

Stir the cocoa powder and instant espresso powder into a tablespoon of hot water. Set aside
In a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking powder and ground coffee.

Set aside.
Beat the sugar and butter together for a few minutes.
Add the eggs and mix well.
Add the cocoa and espresso with the water. Mix until well blended.
Stir in the almonds.

With floured hands, form the dough into 3 logs.

Bake the logs on parchment paper lined cookie sheet for 25 minutes.
Transfer the logs to a rack and let cool for about 5 minutes.

Cut the logs, at about a 45° angle, into cookies.
Rebake the cookies, rough side up for about 8 minutes and turn them all over for another 8 minutes.
Let them fully cool on a rack before serving.

I love fried calamari. I've made it several times. But I couldn't find any fresh squid at all so I opted for frozen tubes. After I got home and read the fine print on the package--they were from China! Well, I did the whole recipe using them which made it very easy, not having to clean squid and all that mess.
BUT they had absolutely zero flavor, no taste at all. Oh well live and learn! I still think the recipe would work well with a decent product to start.

Southwestern Squid Salad—serves 2 (or 4 for a first course)

Dip/dressing

1 bunch cilantro
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons whole almonds
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
zest of 1 lime (grated on microplane)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 dash of Siracha

With the motor running, drop the garlic into the food processor.
Open it and add the cilantro, almonds, vinegar, salt, lime juice and zest. Process until fairly smooth. Add the oil in a steady stream with the motor on. Set aside at room temperature.

Make a salad—whatever you like but be sure to include tomatoes and avocado pieces. Toss the salad with just a bit of oil and vinegar.

Squid:

1 pound of squid

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Oil for frying (I used half olive oil and half canola)

Cut the squid tubes into rings.

Mix together the flour with all the seasonings.
Dredge the squid in the flour, shaking it in a strainer to remove the excess. Fry it in the hot oil (about 350°-- you can try throwing the first piece of squid in and make sure it sizzles) for just a few minutes each side. It will turn golden brown. You need to fry it in batches depending of the size of your pan. I used a 10” cast iron pan and did 3 batches.

Remove it to a paper towel to drain and sprinkle with salt.

Put the squid on top of the salad and drizzle the cilantro dressing over it all.

Serve with corn tortillas on the side of the plate.

I've been making some variation on this recipe for years. this is just how I did it this weekend. Feel free to add and subtract. Some people may like a lot more garlic in the rub. Feel free to play with it.

Grilled Chicken with Rosemary—serves 6

1 whole cut up chicken + 2 additional breasts; breasts cut in half

Brine:
1/2-cup kosher salt
1/3-cup sugar
Strips of zest from 1 lemon
5 smashed cloves of garlic

Mix all of the above with about 5 or 6 cups of water.

Rosemary Rub

11/2 cups fresh rosemary leaves
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-teaspoon kosher salt
1/2-cup extra virgin olive oil
About 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Brine the chicken by submerging it in the brining liquid for about 1-2 hours.

Make rub:

With the food processor running, drop in the garlic clove.
Turn off and add all the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil. Process until the rosemary is well chopped. It will not look like pesto—the rosemary will just look smaller than it looked whole.
With the machine running, add the oil.

Put the rub into a baking pan and rub all the chicken pieces with it.
Let it sit for about 20 minutes while the grill warms up.

Grill until done.

Enjoy!