Borscht

Ingredients:
1/2 pound red beets, tops and roots trimmed but unpeeled
2 cups buttermilk or yogurt
3/4 cup sour cream
2 T sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, about half a lemon
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions, green part only
1 large cucumber, peeled, not seeded, and diced into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and sliced crosswise or diced

Preparing the borscht:
Cook the beets in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover them by 1 inch. Simmer the beets until they are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat, drain the beets and set them aside until cool enough to handle.

Peel and grate the beets, saving any liquid produced when grating. You should have at least 1 cup of beets (any extra can be used as a garnish for salads and will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 week).

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup grated beets and reserved liquid, buttermilk, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and salt using a large spatula.

One hour before serving, gently stir in the green onions, cucumber, dill and parsley. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to marry. This makes a scant 5 cups of soup.

Serve each bowl with a sprinkling of dill and slices of hardboiled egg.

Serves 4

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Canter's Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients for the graham cracker crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 T (3/4 stick) butter, at room temperature

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Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:
12 ounces (1 1/2 boxes) cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest, from about 1/2 lemon
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream (about 8 ounces)

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preparing the graham cracker crust:
In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Stir in the butter until fully incorporated. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 8-inch square baking dish.

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Preparing the cheesecake:
Heat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until it is soft and fluffy. Beat in the sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until fully combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then fold in the sour cream until blended. This makes about 3 1/2 cups filling.

Pour the mixture over the pressed graham cracker crust in the dish, and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top. Bake the cheesecake until it is set and jiggles slightly when tapped (as with gelatin), about 45 to 55 minutes. Turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake in the oven to cool. Remove the cooled cake and refrigerate overnight before serving.

Serves 8

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Shrimp And Corn Chowder, Cajun Style

Ingredients:
3 T butter, divided
1 large onion, diced
1 T plus 1/2 teaspoon Cajun or Creole spice or seasoning, divided, more to taste
2 (12-ounce) boxes frozen corn
2 cups chicken stock, more as needed
1 cup bay shrimp
1 cup heavy cream, more to taste

parsley, chopped, as garnish

Preparing the chowder:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 1/2 tablespoons butter. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in 1 tablespoon Cajun spice, corn and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the corn is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

While the soup is cooking, sauté the shrimp. Season the shrimp with the remaining Cajun spice. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat, melt the remaining butter and quickly sauté the shrimp until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and move the shrimp to a bowl. Set aside in a warm place.

Stir the heavy cream into the soup and heat to a gentle simmer. Cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes to thicken the soup slightly.

Remove from heat and purée the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasoning as needed and stir in additional cream if desired. Stir in the cooked shrimp.

Garnished with chopped parsley.

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Steak Fries

Ingredients:
4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed, but not peeled
3 to 4 T olive oil
pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
smoked paprika
steak spice seasoning

Preparing the fries:
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes into thick handcut wedges, put in a large bowl and cover with cold water. This can be done up to 24 hours in advance -- It helps to remove the excess starch.

Drain the potatoes and pat dry on paper towel. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake until tender and golden crispy outside, about 40 minutes.

When out of the oven, sprinkle steak spice over the top.

Serves 4

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Souvlaki [Pork Kabobs]

Ingredients for the kebabs:
1 3/4 pounds leg of pork, shin if you can get it, the best quality you can afford, cut into 3/4-inch/2 cm chunks
1 T dried mint
1 T dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely grated
3 1/2 ounces extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 T red wine vinegar
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
3 sweet pointed peppers, a mixture of colors is nice

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Ingredients for the tzatziki:
half a large cucumber
6 3/4 ounces natural yoghurt
1 small clove garlic, peeled
1 heaped teaspoon dried mint
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
8 flatbreads, to serve
4 sprigs fresh mint, leaves picked
a small bunch fresh dill, chopped (stalks and all)
red wine vinegar
extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, to serve

Preparing the souvlaki:
For the kebabs:
Put the pork chunks, dried mint, dried oregano, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and black pepper into a bowl and mix everything together well. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or longer if you want the flavors to get a bit more intense.

Roast the peppers directly over the flame on your stove top, or in a hot dry griddle pan or under a hot grill. Turn them every so often and when they look almost black and blistered, put them into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave them to steam for 5 minutes or so.

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Preparing the tzatziki:
Coarsely grate the cucumber into a sieve set up over a bowl. Add a few good pinches of salt. With your hands, squeeze out as much water as you can. Place the cucumber into a bowl and add the yoghurt. Pound the garlic in a pestle and mortar with a good pinch of salt to a paste. Spoon into the bowl with the cucumber. Add the dried mint and red wine vinegar and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

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Preheat a griddle pan or grill on a high heat.

If using wooden skewers, cut 8 to fit griddle pan and soak them in a tray of water to stop them from burning.

Thread the skewers through the marinated pork pieces, leaving little spaces between them so that the heat cooks everything evenly. Cook the kebabs on the griddle or grill for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally until done on all sides.

Warm your flatbreads in the oven or in a hot dry pan while your kebabs are cooking.

Just before your kebabs are ready, peel and deseed your blackened peppers. Julienne into strips and put them into a bowl. Roll up your mint leaves, finely slice them and add to the bowl along with the dill. Add a few splashes of red wine vinegar, a pinch or two of salt and pepper and a lug of extra virgin olive oil. Toss and mix together. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Cut lemon into wedges.

Put a dollop of tzatziki and the meat from 1 skewer on each warmed flatbread. Top with some of the pepper mixture, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and squeeze lemon wedge over the top.

Serves 4

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Roquefort Salad

Ingredients:
olive oil
8 ounces (1/2 pound) smoked bacon, rind removed
2 thick slices sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

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Ingredients for the dressing:
6 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Ingredients for the salad:
4 large handfuls lamb's lettuce (mache), watercress, or rocket, washed and spun dry
2 large handfuls radicchio, washed and spun dry
A large handful shelled walnut halves, sliced
A bunch fresh chives, finely chopped
3 1/2 ounces Roquefort cheese

Preparing the salad:
Put a large frying pan on a high heat, and once hot, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

Cut bacon into thick 1/2-inch lardons, and add to the pan. Fry, stirring occasionally, for around 3 minutes, or until you've got a good bit of color on the bacon and a lot of the fat has rendered out. Turn the heat down a little and add the bread to the pan, making sure to spread the croutons out so they take on some color. Fry for another 3 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden.

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Preparing the dressing:
Put the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and a good pinch of salt and pepper into a jar. Put the lid on and give it a shake, then have a taste and make sure you've got the balance right. It should be slightly too acidic at this stage, as there will be quite a bit of saltiness from the bacon; French dressings tend to be quite sharp.

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Preparing the salad:
Arrange the lamb's lettuce (mache) on a big platter, tear the radicchio, and pour the dressing over the top. Scatter over most of your walnuts and chives and all the croutons and lardons. Quickly mix it all up so that every single leaf is coated.

Crumble the Roquefort over the top of the salad, along with the rest of the walnuts and chives.

Serves 4

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Pasta With Cheese And Butter

Ingredients:
1 pound penne rigate pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
2 T formaggino (Italian cream cheese)
2 T butter
salt

Preparing the pasta and sauce:
Salt a pot of boiling water, and cook the penne according to instructions on the package. Drain the penne, reserving some pasta water. Pour the pasta into a mixing bowl, along with some pasta water. Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, formaggino, and butter. Allow the hot pasta to melt all the ingredients. Mix well.

Serves 4

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Rocco's Tiramisu

Ingredients:
5 eggs
5 T sugar
1 pound fresh mascarpone cream cheese
2 cups espresso
1/3 cup sweet Italian vermouth
40 Italian Savoiardi ladyfingers
bittersweet chocolate, for shaving

Preparing the tiramisu:
Separate the yolks from the whites into two different mixing bowls. In the bowl with the yolks, add the sugar, and beat the yolk mixture with an electric mixer, until it reaches a creamy consistency. Add the mascarpone cream cheese and mix until thoroughly combined.

In the other mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they turn into fluffy white peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the creamy yolk mixture.

In another bowl, mix together the espresso and vermouth. Dip the cookies in the coffee mixture for a few seconds, making sure they are wet outside but still somewhat dry in the middle. On the bottom of a 2-quart cake pan or casserole, arrange the dipped cookies in one tightly packed layer. Pour half of the mascarpone cream mixture on top of the cookies, and spread evenly. Add a second layer of soaked ladyfingers, then evenly spread the remaining cream on top.

Coat the cake pan in plastic wrap, and leave the tiramisu to rest in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. Sprinkle the tiramisu with chocolate shavings, just before serving.

Serves 8

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Sweet Polenta Pizza

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups fresh ricotta
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 T ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup raisins, plumped in 1/4 to 1/2 cup white wine for 15 minutes, then drained
2 cups cornmeal flour (polenta)
2 T butter

Preparing the polenta pizza:
Preheat the oven to 310 degrees F.

Place the ricotta in a large mixing bowl. Bit by bit; add 1 cup water, mixing well with a wooden spoon after each addition. When the ricotta is loose and creamy, add the sugar, cinnamon, pine nuts and raisins. Stir until the mixture is homogenous. As you stir, add the cornmeal flour bit by bit until completely incorporated.

Use 1 tablespoon butter to lightly grease a 9-inch baking pan. Pour the ricotta mixture into the pan and use the back of the wooden spoon to level the top of the filling. Dab the remaining butter across the top of the ricotta mixture. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 40 minutes.

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Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ingredients:

vanilla ice cream

Ingredients for the toffee pudding:
8 ounces pitted dates, chopped
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup softened buttered (3 1/2 T for batter, use the rest to butter the pan)
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 T black treacle or dark molasses
1 T Lyle's Golden Syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups self-rising cake flour
1 T baking soda

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Ingredients for the toffee sauce:
1/2 cup superfine sugar
7 T butter
6 ounces English double cream

Preparing the pudding:
In a bowl, cover dates with boiling water. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place a roasting pan filled with about 1 inch of water into the oven.

Butter a 9-inch x 9-inch pan and dust with flour. In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat 3 1/2 tablespoons of butter with sugar until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add treacle, Golden Syrup and vanilla. Mix until just combined. On low speed, add the flour.

In a food processor, puree the dates. Stir in the baking soda and stir the mixture into the batter. Pour into the prepared pan. Place in roasting pan and bake about 35 minutes until top is just firm. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

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Preparing the sauce:
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar and butter until mixture turns a deep amber color. Watch closely so it does not burn. Slowly mix in the double cream. Be careful: It will bubble up at first. Once all the cream is added, cook mixture until it is thick enough to coat a spoon.

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Assembling the dessert:
Cut cake into squares and serve with sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Serves 6 to 8

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