Hot Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3 cups cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1 T vanilla extract

Preparing the hot fudge sauce:
Put everything except the vanilla in a pot and bring it to a boil. Continue cooking until it looks like it's broken and separating. Take it off the heat, whisk in the vanilla; then blend it with a hand blender to smooth it out. Chill until ready to serve; then heat it up.

Pour over scoops of ice cream, topped with whipped cream and roasted chopped almonds.

Serves 4 to 6

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Iron Skillet Blueberry and Peach Cobbler

Ingredients for the filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 T cornstarch
3 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
2 1/2 cups blueberries
1 T fresh lemon juice
lemon zest, optional

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for the biscuit topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoons salt
6 T cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces or grated
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preparing the cobbler:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch. Add the peaches, and blueberries, and mix, coating the fruit evenly with the sugar mixture. Toss with the lemon juice and zest. Put the fruit filling in a cast iron skillet and place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, make the biscuit dough.

* * * * * *

Preparing the biscuit topping:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a food processor, a pastry cutter, or your fingertips incorporate the chilled butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and stir just until moistened.

Carefully remove the skillet from the oven, and drop 6 to 8 (1/2 cup) portions of biscuit dough on top of the cooked fruit, spacing the mounds about a 1/2-inch apart.

Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top and the fruit is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

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Iron Skillet Corn Cakes With Tomato-Avocado-Mango Salsa

Ingredients for the corn cakes:
3 cups fresh or frozen corn off the cob
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup masa harina
1/4 cup flour
1 T unsalted butter, for greasing skillet

Variations:

Bacon Corn Cakes:
Add 1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon to the batter just before cooking.

Green Chile Corn Cakes:
Add 1/4 cup chopped green chiles to the batter just before cooking.

Cumin-Spiced Corn Cakes:
Add 2 teaspoons ground cumin to the batter just before cooking.
* * * * * *

Ingredients for the tomatillo guacamole:
6 to 8 tomatillos, husked and coarsely chopped (about 8 ounces)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, coarsely chopped with seeds
2 cloves garlic, smashed and quartered
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for the mango salsa:
1/2 cup diced mango
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
2 T minced onion
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons minced Serrano chile
zest and juice of 1 lime


Preparing the tomato guacamole:
Combine the tomatillos, cilantro, avocado, onion, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, cumin, and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until combined.

* * * * * *

Preparing the mango salsa:
Combine the mango, tomatoes, minced onion, cilantro, chile, lime zest, and lime juice in a small bowl. Allow the flavors to macerate.

* * * * * *

Preparing the corn cakes:
Add 2 cups of the corn to a food processor and puree. Combine the pureed corn with the softened butter, sugar, and salt. Mix well.

Stir in the masa harina, and flour, and mix until blended. Fold in the remaining corn kernels.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Drop 1/2 cup portions of the batter into the hot skillet forming patties. Cook until the cakes are golden brown on one side, and flip over. Continue cooking until the cakes are cooked through and golden brown on both sides.

Serve the corn cakes as they are, or with shredded cabbage, tomatillo guacamole, sour cream, and mango salsa.

Makes 8 corn cakes

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Mai Oui

Where George W. Bush was when he learned that Osama Bin Laden was dead. Oh, the irony.

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Spicy Sweet Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:
3 pounds ground turkey, white and dark meat
hamburger buns or kaiser rolls
* * * * * *

Ingredients for the seasoning:
3 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the glaze:
2 ounces vegetable oil
1 cup diced yellow onions
6 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup diced jalapenos, with seeds
1 (18-ounce) jar orange marmalade with peel
3 teaspoons mustard powder (recommended: Coleman's)
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder

Garnishes: Romaine lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, kosher pickles

Preparing the burgers:
Form turkey patties approximately 8 ounces each and season on both sides with the seasoning mixture.

Heat vegetable oil in frying pan, saute onions, garlic and jalapenos until translucent. Add orange marmalade mustard powder, white pepper, chili powder and cook for approximately 2 minutes.

Grill turkey patties first on very high heat until nice markings are shown, and then reduce flame to approximately medium. Cook patties until well done (165 degrees F) but not overly done. At the same time, grill hamburger buns on both sides.

Serves 6 to 8

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Braciole

There is only one meat for the real braciole: A very lean cutlet of beef tenderized with a heavy meat pounder. The secret to great braciole is its fillings.

Ingredients for the Neopolitan pasta sauce:
3 pounds of chuck, blade or other inexpensive beef or veal, tied in a roll
10 pounds medium yellow onions, finely sliced
1 small to medium carrot, finely sliced
1 small rib celery, finely chopped
3 teaspoons salt
4 rounded T finely cut parsley
4 T bacon drippings, or canola or other vegetable oil
4 T canola or other vegetable oil
4 T extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
4 ounces parmigiano reggiano
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for the braciole:
6 pieces of beef
3 ounces pine nuts
3 ounces dark seedless small raisins or currants
3 ounces mozzarella (firm, not fresh)
3 ounces prosciutto
3 ounces fresh bread crumbs
chopped Italian parsley
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparing the sauce:
Pour 4 tablespoons of canola or other vegetable oil into the pot, followed by all the onions. Cook at a medium heat and keep turning until all onions are beginning to become translucent.

In a cast-iron frying pan, heat up the bacon drippings until they're almost smoking. Now place the beef roll in the pan and turn it until it is forms a light brown crust all the way around.

Remove the beef roll from the pan and place into the onion pot, covering the beef with onions and pouring the beef and bacon drippings into the pot. Deglaze with a little dry white wine if necessary. Turn to a medium-low simmer so that the juices from the beef and onions don't evaporate and leave the pot dry. Add a bit of water throughout the process if necessary. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 hours, taking care not to burn the sauce.

About one hour prior to eating, remove the beef roll and set it aside to rest. Stir the carrots and celery into the sauce.

About 15 minutes before eating, add the parsley and wine and shred the beef roll and stir back into the sauce.

About 3 minutes prior to serving, add all the salt and pepper as well as the extra virgin olive oil. Stir and ladle it over pasta. Grate parmigiano to cover the sauce with a layer of cheese and pop under the broiler for a couple of minutes, just enough to melt the cheese.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the braciole:
Combine the filling ingredients and spread them over the pounded beef tenderoin cutlets. Roll up tightly and secure with toothpicks or tie with string.

Brown the braciole in a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until they are golden to dark brown all around, ends included. Cover them in a big pot of Neopolitan pasta sauce and simmer for 4 to 8 hours.

Serves 6

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Almond Meringue Cake With Peaches

Ingredients for the meringue:
4 ounces ground almonds or hazelnuts
1 T cornstarch
1/2 cup plus 1 T sugar
4 egg whites

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the buttercream:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 egg yolks
1 cup or 2 sticks butter, very soft
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* * * * * *

Ingredients for the topping:
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
6 peaches, sliced

Preparing the cake:
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment and draw 2 (9-inch) circles.

In a small bowl, combine the ground almonds, cornstarch, and all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar. In a separate bowl, beat the whites to soft peaks, and then beat in the remaining sugar to make a stiff meringue. Fold in the almond mixture in 3 batches to combine thoroughly. Using a piping bag with a large tip, pipe the meringue onto the circles on the parchment. Bake until crisp and dry, about 1 1/2 hours.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the buttercream:
Heat the sugar with 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water to dissolve, then boil to soft-ball stage, which is just before the syrup changes color (235 to 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Beat the egg yolks in a stand-up mixer, then, with the beaters running, quickly add the hot syrup in a thin stream. Continue beating until the mixture is cool and forms and thick mousse, about 5 minutes. Beat in the butter, gradually, and finally add the vanilla.

* * * * * * *

Assembling the cake:
Set a round of meringue on a serving plate. Spread over a quarter of the buttercream. Lay in a layer of sliced peaches. Spread the top layer with buttercream and set it on top of the first. Spread the remaining butter cream over the sides of the cake. Press the toasted almonds all around the sides. Arrange another layer of peach slices on top.

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Yellow Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preparing the cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.

Combine the melted butter with the sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla, mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.

Add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix to combine on low speed. Add half of the buttermilk and mix to combine. Repeat with another third of the flour and the rest of the buttermilk, ending with the last third of flour, mixing after each addition. Mix the cake batter on medium-low speed for 1 minute.

Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners, not filling more than half way. You may end up having to fill a few more cupcake liners, but don't overfill.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating.

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Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 T whipping cream

Preparing the buttercream:
In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

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Leek and Goat Cheese Tart

Ingredients for the pate brisee:
2 cups flour
pinch of salt
8 ounces butter
1/2 cup cold water
egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 T milk)

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for the filling:
4 leeks
2 T butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package goat cheese or Chevre, crumbled

* * * * * * *

Ingredients for the custard:
1 cup cream
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparing the pate brisee:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, salt and butter the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and mix until the butter is crumbled into small pieces, about the size of peas. Slowly add only enough water to make the dough come together. Remove the dough and gently roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap to let rest 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for another 15 or so minutes.

Roll out the pate brisee dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use some bench flour to keep things from sticking.

Cut circles in the rolled-out dough. Fit the dough into individual tart rings on a baking sheet. Or using a paring knife, cut small disks in to the rolled-out dough and place into greased cupcake tins.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the filling:
Wash and cut leeks into small pieces, using only the white and light green parts. Allow leeks to float in a bowl of water for a few minutes. Rinse them again until all sand and dirt is removed. Heat butter in a saute pan over medium heat until it begins to foam. Lightly saute leeks until tender and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove to a clean bowl and cool.

* * * * * * *

Preparing the custard:
Whisk together the cream, eggs, and yolks. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Into each uncooked tart shell divide evenly a little piece of the cheese and some of the sauteed leeks.

Add the custard enough to come to 1/4-inch from the top of the tart shell. Brush the tart shell with the egg wash.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and custard has set. Serve warm or room temperature

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