Buttermilk Syrup

• 1 1⁄2 cups Sugar
• 3⁄4 cup Buttermilk
• 1 cube Butter
• 2 tablespoons Corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, bring all ingredients to a boil, except the vanilla extract. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in vanilla extract.

Serve warm over pancakes or waffles.

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Lasagne with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

• ½ pound Lasagne pasta
• 2 pounds Hot Italian sausage
• 84 ounces San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1 Yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon Fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme
• 1 pound Mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 pound Ricotta cheese

Method

Brown the sausage. Just before it's done, add the onions and garlic. Add the tomatoes, herbs and salt. Simmer for about 1.5 hours.

15 minutes before the sauce is done simmering, put the pasta in the casserole dish with some hot tap water and pre-heat the oven to 350.

Remove the pasta from the dish, drain and dry the dish.

Start with a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of pasta, then a layer of ricotta, then a layer of mozzarella. Add another layer of pasta, then sauce, then the two cheeses.

Cook, tented in foil, for 45 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

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Penne Vodka

My all-time favorite Italian dish. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Ingredients

• 1 pound Penne pasta
• 28 ounces San Marzano Tomatoes, crushed
• 3 ounces Pancetta
• 1⁄4 cup Heavy whipping cream
• 1⁄2 Shallot, minced
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 shot Vodka, Absolut Peppar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Fresh basil
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Fresh oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Fresh thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Black pepper, fresh ground
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method

Dice and sear pancetta.

Add a little olive oil to the pan, and add shallots and garlic. Season with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook for about a minute.

Deglaze pan with the vodka, then immediately add the tomatoes. Add herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Put the pasta in boiling salted water. Add cream and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve over hot penne pasta. Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Variations: Like it spicy? Add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne and/or use capacola instead of pancetta.

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Impromptu Italian Pasta Collage

My apologies for failing (for the first time) to provide you with exact measurements, but I was in a hurry and measuring things out would completely fly in the face of the spirit of this dish. This is just an idea for what you can do with whatever you have laying around the house.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1 lb shrimp (peeled & deveined)
• 1 lb can San Marzano tomatoes
• Spaghetti
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 3 cloves garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Red wine
• Random herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, etc.)
• Sea salt
• Fresh ground black pepper

Method

Combine tomatoes, red wine and herbs in a saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to about 1/3.

As your reduction is nearing the end, put the spaghetti in a pot with salted water to cook.

Heat up a cast iron skillet, and cook sliced sausage. Once it's about done, add a little olive oil and cook onions for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Shove that stuff to one side of the pan, and add shrimp and salt (as well as more olive oil, if needed).

Once everything is done, mix it all together in a big pot and serve with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.

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Chocolate Maple Popcorn

A delicious anytime treat that's loaded full of sweet goodness.

Ingredients

8 cups Popcorn, popped

½ cup Pecans, chopped

6 tablespoons Butter, unsalted

1 ½ cups Maple syrup, pure

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

6 ounces Milk chocolate

Method

Toast the pecans and put them in a bowl over the (popped) popcorn.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add maple syrup and salt. Cook until 300°.

Pour the syrup mixture over the popcorn, stirring as you go. Spread it out on a lightly-greased cookie sheet.

While the popcorn is cooling, melt the chocolate in a double boiler.

Drizzle the chocolate over the popcorn.

Let it cool and serve.

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Seafood Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Crab meat, lump, cooked
• 1 Avocado, sliced
• 3 tablespoons Mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Red onions, finely diced
• ¼ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• Saffron, tiny pinch
• 6 slices Sourdough bread, soft, toasted
• Black pepper, fresh ground
• 6 jumbo Shrimp
• Olive oil

Method

Combine the mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning and a small pinch (ground between your fingers). Stir and chill.

Slice the shrimp down the middle so 6 looks like 12. Sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning and sautee in olive oil. Remove the shrimp and put them in the refrigerator to chill.

After 30 minutes of chilling, combine the crab meat, shrimp and mayonnaise mixture. Stir as gingerly as you've ever stirred before. The goal is to mix it up without breaking up the lump crab meat.

Pile the seafood mixture on the toasted bread. Garnish with avocado slices and fresh ground black pepper. Serve.

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Spanish Paella

Ingredients:

• ½ pound Chicken thighs, diced
• ½ pound Shrimp, (uncooked, shelled)
• ½ pound Lobster tail, Diced
• ½ pound Bay scallops
• ½ pound Chorizo, sliced
• 1 Onion, large, diced
• 1 Yellow bell pepper, large, diced
• 1 cup Artichoke hearts
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 14.5 ounces Tomatoes, crushed
• 2 cups Short-grain rice, (arborio)
• 1 cup Peas
• 4 ½ cups Chicken broth
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
• ¼ teaspoon Saffron
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• Lemons, (wedges for serving)

Directions:

Heat a paella pan or LARGE cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil, and let it heat up. Season the chicken all over with salt, pepper and a little bit of the paprika. Sear in the olive oil until browned all over. Transfer to a plate with tongs.

Saute the onions, bell peppers and artichoke hearts until soft. Add garlic and cook another minute.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, paprika, salt, pepper and chorizo. Bring the liquid to a boil and then stir in the rice and saffron. Add the browned chicken pieces. The rice should be completely covered with liquid. Cook the paella without stirring for 20 minutes.

While the dish is cooking, sear the shrimp, scallops and lobster.

When the liquid has all been absorbed, add the shrimp, scallops and lobster. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Pur some blanched peas over the top and serve with lemon wedges.

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