Ingredients

• 16oz of elbow macaroni, cooked just past Al Dente in well salted water and cool
• 8 Eggs, hard boil and cool
• 30oz of Olive Oil Mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Miracle Whip
• 3 Tbls Dijon Mustard
• 1/8 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• The juice of 1/2 a lemon, fresh squeezed
• 2 Small Red Fresno Peppers, seeded and finally diced
• 1 Small Vidalia Onion (any sweet onion can be substituted), finely diced
• 2 Large Stalks Celery, finely diced
• 1 tbls sugar
• 1 pinch garlic powder
• Salt and White Pepper to Taste
• Hungarian Sweet Paprika
• 3 tbls fresh tarragon, minced

Instructions:

1. Mix the Olive Oil Mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, Dijon Mustard, Heavy Whipping Cream and Lemon Juice and whip with a standing or hand-held mixer on high for 5 minutes until it becomes creamy and shiny on the surface.
2. Whisk in the sugar, garlic powder, and tarragon
3. Whisk in salt and white pepper to taste
4. Slice 3 of the hard boiled eggs and reserve
5. Dice the remaining 5 eggs into medium sized pieces
6. Stir together the Elbow Macaroni, diced eggs, diced Freseno Peppers, diced Vidalia Onion, and celery
7. Stir in the sauce until the Macaroni and vegetables are well coated
8. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with Sweet Paprika
9. Top with the reserved sliced eggs and complete with another sprinkle of Sweet Paprika
10. Let set 2-4 hours, covered in a refrigerator before serving

If all the sauce is added too early then the dish will dry out and lose its creamy texture. So, if making the day before, add just enough of the sauce to coat the macaroni and vegetables (about 1/4 of the total) and reserve the rest. Cover and refrigerate. Mixing the rest of the sauce, add the sliced eggs, and Paprika 2-4 hours before serving.

Ingredients:

• 4 ears of corn
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 small red pepper
• 1 medium Anaheim pepper
• 1/8 cup cream
• 1 tbls butter
• 2 tsp Chipotle powder
• 1 tsp Cayenne pepper powder
• 1 tbls olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Steps:

1.  roast the red and Anaheim pepper, seed, remove roasted skins, and dice
2. remove kernels and milk from the ears of corn
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat until hot
4. Saute diced onions until translucent
5. Either finely mince or press garlic and add to pan
6. Cook until you can just start to smell the garlic, about 30 seconds. Do not let garlic burn
7. Add corn and corn milk and stir well
8. Add Chipotle and Cayenne pepper powder
9. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often
10. Add diced roasted red and Anaheim peppers
11. Stir in butter and stir until melted
12. Add cream, stir well and let cook on medium until cream reduced and mixture is thick (about 10 minutes)
13. Salt and pepper to taste

Serve immediately

Ingredients

• 3 cups potatoes, diced
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbl fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbl butter
• Salt
• White pepper

Instructions:

1. Add potatoes to a pot and cover with water until about 1 inch over the potatoes.

2. Liberally salt water and stir

3. Bring to boil on high and cook on medium-high until potatoes are soft (about 20 minutes)

4. Drain potatoes well and return potatoes and ginger to pot over medium heat, shake pan until they stop steaming to remove excess moisture without burning the potatoes and ginger

5. Add vanilla, milk, and butter and mash everything with a potato masher until potatoes are the thickness you desire. Stir in extra milk or butter 1 tsp at a time if mixture is too thick

6. Add salt and white pepper to taste

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp Brandy or Bourbon (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• ½ cup fresh Jalapeno pepper, finely diced

Instructions

1. With a mixer, whip the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, brandy, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy
2. Add 1 egg and whip until well mixed and then add the second and whip until the mixture is once again well blended, smooth, and creamy
3. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until well blended
4. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient mixture slowly while continuing to mix.
5. Continue to mix until everything is well blended and a sticky dough forms
6. Stir in the chocolate chips and diced Jalapeno
7. Scoop 24 evenly sized balls of dough out onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper with at least 1 inch between each ball
8. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until cookies are well set, but still look under done (approximately 15-18 minutes)
9. Remove cookies from oven and move immediately to a wire rake to cool

Makes 1 serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium vidalia onion
• ¼ cup Beef, Chicken or vegetable stalk
• 1tsp Chipotle or Ancho chili powder
• 1 glove of garlic, peeled
• salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Cut a slice of the top and bottom of the onion so it will set flat with the the open top exposed.

2. Place the onion on either an oven safe or microwave safe, depending on which cooking method you are using, root side up.

3. Using a pairing knife or grapefruit knife hollow out a ½ inch diameter hole in the center of the onion ¾ of the the way deep.

4. Brush the entire onion with a thin layer of olive oil

5. Salt and Pepper the entire onion

6. Place the glove of garlic in the well you hollowed out in step 2

7. pour the chili pepper into the the hollowed out well

8. Fill the well to almost the top with stalk

9. Either bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until soft or microwave on high for 6-8 minutes until soft.

10. Carefully peel of the skin and serve whole

Ingredients:

• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup of short or medium grain white rice
• 2 tbls of minced fresh ginger (do not substitute powdered ginger)
• 1 tsp of ground Cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 fresh mango peeled and cut into slices

Instructions:

1. Bring the coconut milk, ginger, cayenne pepper, and salt to a low boil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat

2. Stir in the rice

3. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes

4. Stir rice mixture well

5. Serve warm with the fresh mango slices

Ingredients:

• 2 tbls unsalted butter
• 2 tbls flour
• 2 gloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbls finely diced fresh mint leaves
• 2 tbls finely diced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ cup cream or half-and-half
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup shredded Asiago cheese
• ½ lb fettuccine
• ½ lb raw shrimp
• 1 Habanero pepper

Instructions:

A. Make the Sauce

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan

2. Once the butter has melted add the flour and whisk until well mix

3. Cook over medium heat until the roux is a light tan color (3-5 minutes)

4. Add the minced garlic, mustard powder, and red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds stirring constantly

5. Slowly add the cream while whisking constantly until all cream is added and the cream and roux are well mixed.

6. Cut a slit in each side of the Habanero and add it to the sauce. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Do not let the sauce come to a boil.

7. Remove the Habanero and discard

8. Add the cheese in 4 equal parts, whisking after each addition until completely melted before adding the next

9. Once all cheese has been added use the sauce immediately

B. Cook the Fettuccine

1. Cook the Fettuccine noodles in bowling water about 1 minute less than the instructions. The noodles will finish cooking in the next step.

2. Remove from water and drain for at least 30 seconds

C. Put it All Together

1. Shell and de-vein the shrimp. Remove the tails if desired

2. Add the shrimp to a large pot and let cook for about 30 seconds

3. Add the noodles, sauce, mint, and parsley. Stir until well mixed.

4. Cook over medium-low heat until the shrimp are just cooked through (about 2-3 minutes)

D. Serve Immediately

The basic structure:

1.    Diced Fresh Tomatoes, well drained
2.    Diced Chili Peppers
3.    Diced Fresh Herbs
4.    Diced Vegetables and/or fruits (drained if watery)
5.    Citrus Juice
6.    Salt and spices

The Rules
1.    All watery items should be seeded and well drained (e.g. Tomatoes)
2.    All items should be fresh and not canned or drained
3.    Citrus Juice should be fresh squeezed
4.    All items should be mixed and left to sit for 1+ hours for the best flavor
5.    For best results at least 1 item from each of the categories should be used
6.    Simple is often better than complex.  Meaning that it is better to stick to 1 or 2 vegetables and fruits, 1 type of citrus and simple small amounts of spices.

Basic Traditional Salsa Fresco

Ingredients:

•   tomatoes
• 1 medium Spanish onion
• 2 Jalapeno Peppers
• 4 Tbls Fresh Cilantro, finely diced
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Instructions:

1. Deseed and dice tomatoes into a small dice.
2. Place Tomatoes in a colander over a bowl and let drain with a pinch of salt mixed in for 30-60 minutes
3. Deseed and finely dice Jalapenos
4. Finely dice onion
5. Add tomato, Jalapeno, Onion, and Cilantro to a bowl
6. Add the lime juice
7. Add the salt and pepper
8. Stir until well mixed
9. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature

This will keep tightly covered and refrigerated for about a week.

You can use this recipe as a basis and then expand on it to your individual taste.  For a delicious fruit salsa try replacing the tomato with a mix of mango and pear.  For a spicier salsa add more Jalapeno or substitute any other type of pepper (a finely cut Habanero adds a wonderful flavor for those who love their food extra hot), or for a milder salsa use less Jalapeno or substitute a milder pepper.  For another incredible flavor use the basic recipe and add well drained black beans and fresh corn.  You can also play with the herbs and spices.  Any combinations you can imagine that go with the core ingredients.  Substitute Basil for the cilantro and lemon juice for the lime juice and you get a salsa that is wonderful served with pasta.  Use you imagination and create the flavor you need to match the meal you are creating.  Keep the basic rules in mind and you will rarely fail.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes (including 30 minutes of sitting time)
Sitting Time: 12 – 24 hours
Cooking Time: 6 ½ hours
Resting Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 full rack of Baby Back Pork Ribs
• Your favorite BBQ spice rub. There are many excellent premixed BBQ Spice Rubs available, but I opted to use my own mix of the following:

4 Tbl Brown Sugar
2 Tbl Ancho Chili Powder
1 Tbl table salt
1 Tbl Cumin
1 Tbl Hot Paprika
2 tsp Sweet Paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp fresh black pepper, finely ground
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp ground oregano

• Your favorite BBQ Sauce (I used a bottle of Stubb’s BBQ sauce, but wish I would have made my own)
• 2 Tbl Liquid Smoke
• ½ cup Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Whisk together the Olive Oil and Liquid Smoke until completely blended
2. Remove excess moisture from ribs by patting with paper towels
3. Brush on Olive Oil/Liquid Smoke mixture until finely coated
4. Let ribs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to let mixture soak in
5. Generously coat ribs in spice rub, rubbing it in thoroughly
6. Wrap tightly in tin foil and place in refrigerator for 12 – 24 hours
7. Preheat oven to 220-240 degrees
8. Place ribs, still tightly wrapped in tin foil in center of oven on a baking sheet
9. Bake for 5 and ½ hours
10. Open tin foil packet and brush top of ribs with BBQ sauce, close packet tightly
11. Bake another ½ hour
12. Brush ribs with BBQ sauce a second time, tightly close packet and back another ½ hour
13. Remove ribs from oven, open a small hole in the packet to vent, and let rest for 15 minutes
14. Open packet and serve ribs with plenty of warm BBQ sauce on the side

Ingredients

• 4 Large eggs
• ¼ cup mayonnaise (do not substitute Miracle Whip)
• 2 Tbls of Dijon Mustard
• Juice of ½ of a medium lemon
• 1 tbls Chipotle powder
• 2 tbls finely minced fresh Tarragon
• 1 tbls dried Chervil
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 medium glove garlic
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)
• 3 Scallions, diced

Instructions

1. Hard boil the eggs and peel
2. Whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon Mustard, Lemon Juice, Chipotle Powder, Tarragon, and Chervil until smooth and finely mixed
3. grate the celery on a fine cheese grater or micro-plane
4. grate garlic on a fine cheese grater or micro-plane, or press using a garlic press
5. Stir in grated celery and garlic
6. Add eggs and smash with a fork until desired consistency
7. Add diced Scallions and stir until well mixed
8. Salt and Pepper to taste