Blender Bernaise

1/4 cup vermouth or white wine

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons shallots, minced

3 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped, divided

Kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper

3 large egg yolks

1/2 cup butter, melted

• Put vermouth (or wine if using), the vinegar, shallots and ½ of the tarragon in a small pan and bring to a boil then turn down and let reduce down to 2 or 3 tablespoons

• Put into a blender, and when cool add the egg yolks and blend on medium speed about 30 seconds

• Once the yolks have lightened in color, turn the blender down to low and slowly drizzle in melted butter and then turn up speed until everything is mixed and thickened

• Taste, seasoning to your liking with salt & pepper

• Serve

Reheating – if you’re not careful and reheat the bernaise too fast and hot, it will ‘break’ which means you’re cooking the eggs and it gets gross and clumpy. Here are 3 options:

1. In the microwave on 50% power for about 10 seconds at a time, stirring in between until warm

2. Or on the stove, stirring a lot over low heat and pulling the pan away from heat every few seconds to keep from overheating

3. In the top of a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring often until just warm

Cauliflower & Roasted Garlic Mash

Cauliflower Mash

Serves 8

Think of this as mashed potatoes, lighter, healthier more delicious cousin - just don't tell the potatoes!

1 head garlic

1 head cauliflower, florets removed and cut into even sized pieces

1/3 cup half & half

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives for serving

• Preheat oven to 350

• Cut about 1/2 inch off the top of the head of garlic (the pointy end), place on 2 small sheets of foil, drizzle cut side with olive oil and seal tightly - leaving a little room on top of the garlic - roast 60 minutes - remove from oven and unwrap, let cool slightly

• Steam cauliflower until soft enough to poke through easily with a knife or fork

• Put into a processor and whiz about a minute -

• Squeeze garlic out of the skins into the mash, and add cream and Parmesan - process until very smooth, about 2 minutes

• Add salt & pepper and blend until perfect

• Transfer to a pot on the stove and keep warm until ready to use.

THREE TURKEYS THREE WAYS

Oven Roasted Herb Turkey 

One 10-12 pound whole turkey, fresh or fully defrosted, with the little ‘bag o’ parts’ removed from the inside, and dried well

½ cup butter, softened

4 fresh sage leaves

1 stalked picked rosemary

4 stalks picked thyme

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

• Let’s start by spatchcocking the turkey: put the turkey breast side down on a work surface. The backbone on a turkey is where yours is, and should be obvious.  Using good, and by good I mean strong kitchen shears cut along each side of the backbone, remove & save for stock or broth

• Flip turkey over, find the center of the breast plate and using your hands (one on top of the other like ur giving chest compressions) push down until you hear a crack. Congratulations, you’ve just successfully spatchcocked a turkey allowing it to cook much more evenly and much faster.

• Now we’ll dry brine the turkey, that will make it way juicier, more tender and much more flavorful than if you didn’t do this – so don’t skip it

• Using a ratio of approximately 1 tablespoon for about every 3 pounds of turkey, season both sides of the turkey with kosher salt (not table salt because it’ll likely make it too salty, and not sea salt because it’s more expensive and unnecessary)

• Transfer, skin side up onto a rack, that sits on top of a baking sheet and put in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours to 48 hours. 

• Remove turkey from the fridge 2 hours before cooking – no need to remove the salt

• Preheat oven to 425

• Combine the butter, herbs and pepper in a bowl and mix well, and some of it on the bottom side of the turkey, but most onto the skin of the turkey, being careful to get it all

• Pour vermouth onto the baking sheet and cook until an instant read thermometer reads 160 in the breast - you might need to use foil to cover parts that are browning too quickly

• Remove, tent loosely with foil and let rest about 20 minutes before carving

Smoked Turkey

One 10-12 pound whole turkey, fresh or fully defrosted, with the little ‘bag o’ parts’ removed from the inside, and dried well

2 tablespoons dried thyme

2 tablespoons dried rosemary

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried sage

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup butter, softened

• Let’s start by spatchcocking the turkey: put the turkey breast side down on a work surface. The backbone on a turkey is where yours is, and should be obvious.  Using good, and by good I mean strong kitchen shears cut along each side of the backbone, remove & save for stock or broth

• Flip turkey over, find the center of the breast plate and using your hands (one on top of the other like ur giving chest compressions) push down until you hear a crack. Congratulations, you’ve just successfully spatchcocked a turkey allowing it to cook much more evenly and much faster.

• Now we’ll dry brine the turkey, that will make it way juicier, more tender and much more flavorful than if you didn’t do this – so don’t skip it

• Using a ratio of approximately 1 tablespoon for about every 3 pounds of turkey, season both sides of the turkey with kosher salt (not table salt because it’ll likely make it too salty, and not sea salt because it’s more expensive and unnecessary)

• Transfer, skin side up onto a rack, that sits on top of a baking sheet and put in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours to 48 hours. 

• Remove turkey from the fridge 2 hours before cooking – no need to remove the salt

• Preheat smoker to 275

• Combine the thyme, rosemary, pepper, sage and garlic powder in a small bowl – mix well to combine

• Flip the turkey over (so it’s now skin side down) rub about ¼ of the butter on this side and sprinkle with some of the seasoning mix, then flip back and use remaining butter on the skin side and season well

• Put on the smoker and cook until 160 degrees in the breast, remove, let rest 10 minutes and carve

Deep Fried Turkey

One 10-12 pound whole turkey, fresh or fully defrosted, with the little ‘bag o’ parts’ removed from the inside, and dried well

Turkey fryer – the pot type (complete with pot, burner & propane tank) or electric ‘infrared’ style

Peanut oil

6 tablespoons Kosher salt

3 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper

4 tablespoons garlic powder

4 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoon cayenne

2 1⁄2 tablespoons dried rosemary

2 1⁄2 tablespoons dried thyme

• Start by dry brining the turkey, that will make it way juicier, more tender and much more flavorful than if you didn’t do this – so don’t skip it

• Using a ratio of approximately 1 tablespoon for about every 3 pounds of turkey, season entire turkey with kosher salt (not table salt because it’ll likely make it too salty, and not sea salt because it’s more expensive and unnecessary)

• Transfer, breast side up onto a rack, that sits on top of a baking sheet and put in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours to 48 hours. 

• Remove turkey from the fridge 2 hours before cooking – no need to remove the salt

• Combine salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, rosemary & thyme.

• Season outside & inside of the turkey with the rub - massaging well onto the outside and all around the cavity

Oil Frying

• This is the time to fill it - but the time to determine how much oil to put in, is when you bring your turkey home from the store, so do this: Put the turkey in the empty and add enough water to just cover it, then remove the turkey and make note of how high up the water came - because this will be the level of oil you'll need.

• Heat the oil to 350 degrees F and you’re ready to go

Infrared Frying

• Turn your fryer to high, 15 minutes before using

Cooking

• Put turkey onto the cooking frame or basket, put on long heavy oven mitts and slowly lower the turkey partway into the oil - the oil will bubble like crazy so carefully dunk it up and down a few times. Lower the turkey a little more each time. Keep doing this until the turkey is completely submerged and resting on the bottom of the pot.

• The oil temperature will have lowered, so maintain a temp of between 325 and 350 F. Now wait - but don't leave the pot of boiling oil unattended.

• The turkey will take approximately 3 minutes a pound to fully cook - longer for infrared, so start checking about ¾ of the way in

• Get some help to gently lift the turkey partway out of the pot and insert an instant meat thermometer into the breast - you're looking for the temperature of the turkey to be 160 degrees - it will continue to rise after removing from the oil,

• When done, turn off the flame, and very carefully lift the turkey out of the oil allowing it to slowly drain - the cavity will be full of hot oil, so use extreme caution when handling the turkey. Let it drain for a few minutes longer and make sure that cavity is drained.

• Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before carving
  

Nixon's Chicken & Broccoli

Serves 6-8

Whether you liked him or not, this version of a chicken & broccoli dish he presumably loved is rich and delicious. And there’s broccoli in it, so you feel good about eating it.

Oil

10 ounces broccoli florets

8 ounces sliced mushrooms, I used shiitakes

3/4 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons butter

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons vermouth or white wine

1 cup half & half

2 teaspoons garlic paste or 2 small garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce or 1/2 tablespoon soy paste

1/2 tablespoon sriracha

pinch of Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

8 ounces white cheddar, shredded

10 ounces shredded deli roasted chicken

8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked a couple minutes less than package directions (frankly almost any pasta can work)

Potato chips (any you like)

• Preheat oven to 350

• Heat a large oven proof pan over medium/high heat, add a couple tablespoons of oil and the broccoli

• Cook a few minutes or until just starting to brown on the edges - add the mushrooms

• Stir together 2 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of the chicken broth and cover, let steam 2 minutes to soften then remove to a bowl

• Put pan back on the heat, turn down to medium and add butter and onions - cook a couple minutes to soften

• Add flour, and stir to combine about a minute - it will become sand-like

• Slowly add the broth (careful of the steam) and mix well, you want it smooth not lumpy

• Add the vermouth and bring to a low simmer for a couple minutes

• Stirring well add the half & half, bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and let thicken a couple minutes

• Add garlic paste, soy, sriracha and salt & pepper to taste - mix well

• Stir in half the cheese and when melted add the chicken and the noodles, mix then put back in the broccoli & mushrooms

• When everything is combine beautifully, add all but a 1/4 cup of the remaining cheese, top with the chips and finally the last of the cheese

• Put in oven for 20-25 or until heated through

French Onion Mac & Cheese

Serves about 6

Creamy, elegant, luxurious and just straight effing delicious.

2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds yellow onions, sliced thin

Kosher salt & coarse ground black pepper

4 or 5 fresh thyme stems, with the leaves picked off

1 large clove garlic, minced

¼ cup vermouth

One pound dried pasta - any shape is good, but a tube shape like a penne or paccheri works best

1 cup beef broth

1 cup whipping cream

½ pound shredded Gruyere cheese

¼ pound shredded white cheddar

1.5 - 2 ounces crispy fried onions, like the ones you use at Thanksgiving

• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over high heat, and add the onions

• Cook, stirring well to coat onions with the butter for a couple minutes

• Then turn down to medium-low, season lightly with some salt & pepper and add the thyme - mix well and continue cooking, stirring often until onions are beautifully browned, 15 to 20 minutes

• This is the perfect time to boil your pasta - but def don’t overcook - keep them al dente

• Add vermouth to the onions, scraping along the bottom to get up the ‘fond’ let vermouth evaporate, and add garlic

• When fragrant, add the beef broth and cream - bring to a boil, and turn to a low simmer until slightly thickened - about 5 minutes

• Preheat oven to broil

• Add the cooked pasta and most of the cheeses (keep back about 1/2 cup between the two)

• Stir until nicely melted and combined, and put in a serving dish

• Sprinkle with the crispy onions, top with remaining cheese and put under the broiler until just melted

• Serve

Roast Beef Dip Pizza (The Spicy Merrilee)

Makes approximately one 12-14” pizza

I collab’d with my favorite San Diego Pizza spot, Sisters Pizza to come up with this silly, but crazy delicious pizza. And the evnn better part is that proceeds while available will go to benefit Promises2Kids, a great organization that supports kids that are aging out of the foster system.

One batch 3 Minute Pizza Dough, or buy a fresh 1/2 pound store bought pizza dough

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

3-4 Fresno peppers (or red jalapenos) seeds removed and thinly sliced

1/3 cup horseradish aioli, see recipe below

6 ounces thinly sliced rare roast beef

4 ounces sliced fontina cheese

Chopped curly parsley, for garnish

Onion gravy, see recipe below

• Prep dough - follow directions and make dough and use after it finishes rising - if using pre- refrigerated, remove ball of dough from fridge about 45 minutes before using

• Melt butter with oil in a medium skillet, and add onions and peppers - cook over medium low heat, stirring often until onions are beautifully caramelized - about 20 minutes

• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 500 degrees

• Roll out dough into a circle, and put on a pizza peel or baking sheet

• Top with about 1/3 cup of the aioli, torn pieces of the roast beef, then torn pieces of the fontina, and finally top with the onions and peppers

• Bake until golden, bubbly & beautiful

• Serve with a side of the onion gravy

Horseradish Cream

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayo

6 tablespoons Beaver Extra Hot Horseradish

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

1/2 teaspoon each Kosher salt & coarsely ground black pepper

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside

Onion Gravy

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vermouth, or white white

2 cups beef stock

3 tablespoons corn starch

2 tablespoons water

Kosher salt & pepper

• Heat the oil in a small pot and add the onion

• Cook until softened, about 5 minutes then add garlic, and when fragrant stir in vermouth

• Stir well and let reduce a minute or so then add beef broth - mix and turn down and allow to simmer on low about 20 minutes

• Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl, then stir into the broth to thicken

• Season to taste with salt & pepper, set aside and keep warm

Red Beans & Rice

Damn, aint this just one perfect little dish for the crap weather? And I know red kidney beans are NOT the same as red beans. I mean yes, they’re red beans, but not THE red beans. So don’t yell, cuz I already know

Serves 6-8

6 ounces bacon, diced/chopped up/whatever

12 ounces (2 links) Andouille sausage, sliced into roughly 1/4” rounds

1 yellow onion, diced fine

1 green bell pepper, diced fine

3 stalks celery, diced fine

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

Three 15 ounce cans red beans or red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon creole seasoning

1 teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon cayenne

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup chopped parsley

Kosher salt & pepper to taste

• Heat a large pan (with a lid) and add bacon, cook till almost done

• Add the sausage and cook until it starts to brown, about 6 minutes

• Add the onion, peppers & celery and let soften about 5 minute, then stir in garlic until fragrant

• Stir in the tomato paste, beans, broth, bay leaves and all the seasonings

• Stir to combine, cover and let simmer 15 minutes, then remove the lid, stir in parsley, cover and simmer another 15 minutes

• Season to taste with salt & pepper, and serve on rice

Italian Beef

Is this authentic - not really. Is it delicious - oh hell yes it is.

Makes 4 sandwiches

3 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into even pieces

Oil

Kosher salt & pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 cups broth

1 teaspoon each of the following: dried oregano, dried basil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder,

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

4 crusty sandwich rolls

3/4 cup Giardinera - Italian pickled vegetable mix

• Turn instant pot to saute

• Drizzle beef wit a little oil, then season with salt & pepper

• When the pot is hot, sear beef (in 2 batches) on all sides until nicely browned

• When done, put it all back in the pot, add a bit more oil and add the garlic

• When fragrant add beef stock/broth, oregano, basil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes 

• Put on lid, turn to high pressure and set for 50 minutes

• While it cooks, chop up giardinera

• At the end of cooking, let the pot natural release for 15 minutes, then manual until you can open

• Shred beef and put on a roll with some giardinera - and dunk into the gorgeous, fatty broth

Smoked Cream Cheese

One 8 ounce block regular cream cheese

2 -3 tablespoons ‘everything bagel’ seasoning

• Preheat smoker to 225

• Put cream cheese in a small oven proof dish

• Make diagonal cuts both ways across the top, about 1/8 inch deel and sprinkle with seasoning

• Smoke for 2 hours

• Use :)

Fire Chicken with Cheese

Marinade

1/3 cup gochujang

2 tablespoons chipotle chilli powder 

2 tablespoons red pepper powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey, spicy honey if you have it

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon each Kosher salt & pepper

1/4 cup neutral oil

Chicken

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (would breasts work? Yes. Should you use them? No)

Approximately 1/2 pound block mozzarella, cut in 1/8 inch strips

1/3 cup finely diced green onions

• Put all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to combine

• Add the chicken and work it into the marinade so all pieces are covered - refrigerate up to a couple hours

• Remove chicken from fridge 30 minutes before cooking

• Heat oven to broil

• Heat a grill or grill pan if you have to high, turn on your fan if cooking inside, add a little oil to the pan and cook chicken until really well marked up on both sides and pull it off at 160 degrees

• Slice into bite sized pieces, and put into an oven pan or proof serving dish

• Top with cheese and under broiler until super melted and beginning to brown

• Remove, top with green onions and have at it

Indian Butter Chicken

This is truly such a warm, comforting food it’s crazy - and we make it in a pressure cooker. =But if you have one, there are regular stove top directions below - we got you :)

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 tablespoon each ginger paste & garlic paste

1 tablespoon red chili powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt & pepper

¼ cup butter

1 small onion, diced

1 teaspoon each ginger & garlic paste

 1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

14 ounces tomato puree

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon each salt & pepper

1 cup heavy cream

• Put chicken in a bowl with the pastes, chili powder, oil and s&p - mix well to combine and set aside 15 minutes

• Heat pressure cooker to saute, add oil and cook chicken until just brown on all sides – remove

• Add butter and onion, and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes then add the garlic & ginger, stir till fragrant then remaining spices, tomato puree and water – let simmer a couple minutes

• Use a hand blender to make it smooth, then put back in chicken (there should be enough liquid in the pot to cover the chicken and set to high pressure for 5 minutes

• When it’s done, let it steam release naturally for 5 minutes, then release manually and let release manually

• Remove the lid, turn to saute, add the cream and stir to mix - let simmer until thickened - 7-10 minutes

• Serve on rice, with cilantro

Stove Top Directions

•  Put chicken in a bowl with the pastes, chili powder, oil and s&p - mix well to combine and set aside 15 minutes

• Heat a heavy proof pot over medium high heat, add oil and cook chicken just to brown – then remove

• In the same pot, add butter and onion and cook about 3 minutes until just softened, then add the garlic & ginger, stir until fragrant then put in remaining spices, tomato puree and water – let simmer a couple minutes

• If you want it smooth, use a hand blender (or put in a processor) and blend, then put back in the pot and add the chicken

• Simmer, covered about 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through

• Remove the lid, add the cream and stir to mix - let simmer again until thickened, 5 -10 minutes

• Serve on rice with cilantro

Instant Pot Beef Stew

Oil

2 pounds sirloin, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Kosher salt & coarsely ground pepper

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Oil

1 small yellow onion

3 cloves garlic

2 carrots, cut into bite size pieces

2 celery stalks, cut into bite size pieces

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons vermouth

1/3 cup beef broth

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

10 cremini mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half

10 baby Yukon gold potatoes, cut in half

2 tablespoons soy

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Chopped parsley for serving

• Season cubed sirloin with salt and pepper, then sprinkle flour and toss to coat beef

• Heat pressure cooker to saute, add a couple tablespoons of oil, and when hot sear beef on all sides to brown - you’ll need to do this in batches - remove and set aside

• Add a little more oil, then the onions and garlic, and after a couple minutes the carrots & celery

• Give them a couple minutes to soften, then add the tomato paste, and stir in well

• Continue with the vermouth, allowing a couple minutes for it to reduce, then add the broth and thyme, stir and loosen the “fond” (Fond are the brown particles found at the bottom of pans after browning meat or vegetables. It adds flavor to the dish!)

• Add seared beef (and all its juices), potatoes, mushrooms and soy

• Stir well, put on lid, set to high pressure and cook for 25 minutes

• Let steam release my itself for 10 minutes, then release the rest

• Mix cornstarch with a couple tablespoons of water until smooth, then stir into pot and let thicken a couple minutes

• Serve with chopped parsley

HSP (Halal Snack Pack)

To me this is like Australia’s version of carne asada fries - and it’s incredible.

Makes 2 pretty big servings

Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon each dried oregano, cumin, coriander and garlic powder

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Good pinch kosher salt & coarsely ground black pepper

Garlic White Sauce

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Pinch kosher salt & coarsely ground black pepper

For serving

Chicken salt - link to recipe here

Fresh hot fries

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Bbq sauce & sriracha

• Put chicken in a bowl and add the olive oil, oregano, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, lemon juice and salt & pepper, mix really well to coat chicken then refrigerate a couple hours up to overnight

• Make the sauce: put the mayo, sour cream, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, parsley, vinegar and salt & pepper in a small bowl and mix well, add a couple tablespoons of milk or water to make it drizzle-able, then refrigerate

• Remove chicken from fridge 30 minutes before cooking

• Heat grill to high, use a grill spray and put on chicken - your goal is to cook it hot & fast getting great grill marks but still keeping it moist & tender, this should be only a couple minutes a side (if cooking to temp, you can pull it off at 160)

• Remove from grill, and chop up - but keep warm under foil until you use it

• When you’re ready, put a pile of fries on a plate or in a bowl and sprinkle generously with chicken salt, top with a nice layer of mozzarella, then a nice layer of the chicken, then drizzle with equal parts of the garlic white sauce, the bbq sauce and the sriracha

• Eat and say '“thank you Australia!”

Ribs with Habanero Pineapple BBQ Sauce

Makes enough for probably 4 racks

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon each kosher salt & ground black pepper

1 rack pork spareribs

3 tablespoons plain yellow mustard

1/4 cup vinegar, white or apple cider preferably

Approximately two, 6” x 2” x 1/2” thick piece of pineapple with the rind removed

1 small onion or 1/2 large

3 habaneros, stemmed, seeded and diced

2 big cloves garlic

2/3 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cumin

good pinch kosher salt & pepper

• Preheat oven to 350

• Put the paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, garlic powder and salt and pepper in a small bowl - mix well

• Remove membrane from back of ribs, rub with mustard then season really well with the rub - but don’t rub it in, just pat it on

• Put on a rack on a sheet pan, add the vinegar and cover with foil - but in the oven for 90 minutes

• While it cooks, heat grill to medium high, lightly oil pineapple slices until good grill marks appear, about 5 minutes

• Also heat about a tablespoon of oil in a pan and add the onion, let soften a couple minutes then add the habanero

• After a couple more minutes, add the garlic and when fragrant - put in the ketchup, vinegar, cumin, brown sugar and salt and pepper. Mix well and let simmer about 10 minutes

• Chop the pineapple into a dice, and put in a processor with everything else from the pan

• Mix until smooth, adding a little water if too thick for your liking - remove and set aside

• When they're done remove from the oven and carefully lift up the foil because there will be a lot of steam. Pull off any liquid and take the ribs outside to the barbecue

• Put them face down and let grill a few minutes until nice marks appear then flip them over

• Now you can start saucing, and after a couple minutes flip them back so the sauce is now face down

• Sauce the back and give them a minute or two before flipping them back over, and saucing once more

• You’re ready to serve

Funnel Cakes

Whipped Cream

1 cup whipping cream, cold

2 tablespoons sugar

About 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, almond extract, pretty much any alcohol

• Put cream, sugar and flavoring into a very cold bowl and mix or beat, until thickened - refrigerate

Funnel Cake

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of kosher salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg

1 cup of milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Oil for frying

Powdered sugar and fresh berries for serving

• Put flour, baking powder salt & sugar in a large bowl - mix well

• Put the egg in another bowl and beat lightly, then add the milk and extract - stir well to combine

• Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and use a large spoon to mix well then put in a squeeze bottle of measuring cup

• Heat about an inch or 2 of oil to 350 in a large pan, and add overlapping circles of the batter to the size you want

• Cook until gold brown on both sides, remove to paper towels to degrease

• Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream, fruit or whatever makes you happy

Gnocchi with Sausage Meatballs

Our new series ‘Under $15 in Under 15 Minutes’ starts with a simple (of course) and delicious (of course) little gnocchi number.

Serves 4 for sure, and quite possibly 6.

1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced into small strips

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

14 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 pound gnocchi

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 ounces mozzarella, grated

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil

• Heat oil in a medium size oven proof pan

• Roll sausage into 16 small meatballs and add to oil

• Turning gently, let them start to brown - about 3 minutes

• Add the peppers and onions, cook another few minutes until beginning to soften

• Add the garlic and when fragrant, stir in tomato paste - mix through

• Pour in the tomatoes, and stir well to mix

• Put the gnocchi in the pot of boiling water

• While the gnocchi cook, add the paprika, salt & pepper and mozzarella to the pan

• Stir well to mix, and when the gnocchi float add them as well and combine everything beautifully

• Top with parmesan and put under the broiler a couple minutes to melt

• Serve

Pepperoni Stuffed Crust Pizza

Is this a touch more work? A tiny bit. Is it way fun and worth doing? Oh hell yes.

No Cook Sauce

15 ounce can crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Good pinch kosher salt & pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced - divided

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Juice from 1 small wedge of lemon

Pizza

One batch pizza dough, recipe here

5 ounces small pepperoni slices (the Hormel Cup N’ Crisp are ideal #notsponsored btw)

6-7 mozzarella sticks, sliced lengthwise

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons melted butter

Parmesan cheese for garnish

• Heat oven to 450

• Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix well to combine

• For a 12 inch pizza use 3/4 of the ball of dough, and roll out into approximately a 13” circle

• Leaving a 1 inch border, overlap slices of pepperoni all the way around at about the 12 inch mark

• Lay slices of the string cheese end to end on top of the pepperoni, then bring the outer edge of the dough over the top to cover the pepp/cheese stuffing - press firmly to seal tightly

• Spread out approximately 1/4 - 1/3 cup of the sauce on the dough, top with the shredded mozz and finally the remaining pepperoni, trying not to have any gaps

• Bake until getting golden brown on the crust, and the pepperoni is sizzling and gorgeous

• Remove, brush the crust edge with the garlic butter, and sprinkle Parmesan over the top of the pizza

• Serve

Smoked Then Fried Wings

Not kdding, these are the best wings I’ve made to date.

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons cumin

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 tablespoon kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper

Neutral oil

Chicken wings

Oil for deep frying

• Heat smoker to 250 degrees

• Combine rub ingredients well in a small bowl

• Lightly oil the chicken wings, and sprinkle generously with rub

• Put on smoker and cook until 165 degrees, remove

• Heat frying oil to 350, and in batches cook wings about 2 minutes

• Remove, and sprinkle with a little more rub

One Helluva Great Thai Grilled Pork Salad

Yes, the same pork shoulder you’d cook in a smoker for up to 12 hours to get it pull-apart tender, you can grill slices of in under 10 minutes on the grill - and it’s insanely good.

Pork Marinade

One 13 ounce can coconut milk

Juice of 3 limes

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons neutral oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce

2 tablespoons soy

Four 6-8 ounce pork shoulder steaks, about 3/4 to 1'‘ thick cut from a whole shoulder

Salad

4-5 cups mixed salad greens, romaine, spinach, arugula - your call

1/2 cup cucumber matchsticks

1 red Holland pepper, thinly sliced

2 small carrots, shredded

1/3 cup each chopped mint & cilantro

1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts, plus 1/4 crushed for serving

Dressing

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 teaspoons sesame chili oil

Pinch kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

•  Combine all marinade ingredients (except pork) in a large bowl or casserole dish, mix well then add the pork - make sure it’s covered well and refrigerate up to 3 hours

• While it marinates, combine salad ingredients in a large bowl, and separately make dressing by mixing ingredients together - set aside

• Remove pork from fridge about 20 minutes before cooking, and heat grill to medium high

• Use non-stick spray, add pork and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until beautifully marked and 145 degrees - remove and let rest 5 minutes

• Toss salad with dressing, slice pork and serve with salad - adding extra chopped peanuts

Grilled Fish Tacos

Makes about 8

Taco

2 tablespoons oil

Juice of 1 lime

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon each smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, cumin

1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

1 pound white fish: cod, halibut, mahi mahi will work great - cut into fingers

Tortillas

White Sauce

1/3 cup mayo

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cholula (or your fav hot sauce)

1-2 tablespoons milk

Pinch salt & pepper

For serving: thinly sliced green cabbage, and finely diced white onion and tomato, chopped cilantro

• Combine taco ingredients (except fish) in a small bowl and mix well

• Cover fish well with most of the sauce, leaving a little back for brushing - set aside about an hour

• Put all white sauce ingredients in a small bowl, mix well and refrigerate

• Heat grill to medium high and grill on both sides, until just cook through - maybe 4-5 minutes

• Heat tortillas - (not necessary, but I spread a layer of Japanese mayo on one side and cooked it on the grill - and it was damn good)

• Build: tortilla, cabbage, fish, tomato & onion, white sauce and cilantro

Mezcal Mule

2 ounces Mexcal

2 ounces ginger beer

Juice of 1/2 lime

Fresh mint

• Combine Mexcal and ginger beer in a glass or mug, add ice, lime and garnish with mint