1. Beat egg yolks, sugar and nutmeg until falls off a whisk in a smooth ribbon
2. Combine the dairy, booze and salt in different container
3. Slowly beat the booze mixture into the egg mixture
4. Store in glass container(s) for 2 weeks to 2 months* in refrigerator
5. Serve in glasses with nutmeg (fresh is best) garnish

1. I originally saw this “stirred, not shaken”. In my experience, you may not get the maple syrup to fully dissolve by stirring, so I prefer to make this one in my trusty shaker (also, drinks with citrus are classically shaken). The RC Dean method is to put everything but the seltzer and garnish in a shaker, pour over ice, top with seltzer and garnish.
2. Protip: if you add the seltzer to the shaker, you will get a spectacular mess, so don’t do that.

1. Add rum, simple syrup, and lemon juice to a shaker with ice. Shake briskly for 20 seconds. Strain into a coupe or flute, top with sparkling wine.

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Process the artichoke hearts in a food processor until smooth.
3. Add cream cheese, Parmesan, mayonnaise, garlic and dill to the artichoke mixture in the food processor and process until desired texture, but well blended.
4. Spoon into a 9-inch pie pan.
5. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until bubbly and light golden brown.

1. With a small whisk, combine the sugar, salt, yeast and 1 cup of flour in a small bowl.
2. In a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, heat milk, water, and margarine or butter to about 105F. If it’s too hot, let it cool a bit before using.
3. Place the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer. With the machine running, pour in the liquid ingredients. Process or mix for 2 minutes or so. Scrape the bowl sides, add 1/2 cup more flour and beat or process until a soft dough forms, about 2 more minutes. The dough will be sticky, but should loosely hold its shape.
4. If the dough is too soft, mix in the rest of the flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough is still soft but holds shape. Turn the dough out and let it rest on a floured surface, covered, for 10-15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, grease an 8-inch round cake pan. An actual 8-inch pan, not man “8-inches.”
6. Divide the dough into 8-12 pieces and shape into rounds. (I am a little compulsive, so I weigh the dough to have rolls of the same size at the end.) Place the shaped rolls in the greased cake pan, cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
7. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375F.
8. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until nicely browned. If you wish, brush the top of the rolls with a little melted margarine or butter. Serve pretty close to immediately.

1. Bring liquid to boil, add sugar and dissolve.
2. Add japs and simmer/slow boil/reduce until mixture is bubbly and thick (couple hours or so).
3. Jar it up and refrigerate. Top burgers, pulled pork, anything.

1. Add 1 c water, butter and sugar to scalded milk.
2. Cool to lukewarm.
3. Add 1/4 c water and yeast. Rest 10 minutes.
4. Add flour salt and sugar. Beat 100 strokes with wooden spoon.
5. Let rise 2 hours.
6. Cut into 2 and shape into loaves.
7. Put loaves on greased sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Slash tops and let rise 30 minutes or more.
8. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes then at 350 for 30 minutes more.

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Put the butter in a 10-inch pie plate and place it in the oven to melt.
2. Mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.
3. When the butter has melted, take the pie plate out of the oven and swirl the butter around to coat the pan.
4. Let it cool for 1 or 2 minutes, then pour the butter into the milk-egg mixture. Whisk to combine.
5. Whisk the liquid into the dry mixture–not too strenuously. A few lumps are okay.
6. Pour into the pie plate and bake for 25 minutes. When it is done, the bread will be slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.
7. Serve immediately. Leftovers keep for a few days, covered, at room temperature.

1. Cure the Fish. Mix together the brine ingredients and place your fish in a non-reactive container (plastic or glass), cover and put in the refrigerator. This curing process eliminates some of the moisture from the inside of the fish while at the same time infusing it with salt, which will help preserve the salmon.
2. You will need to cure your salmon at least 4 hours, even for thin fillets from trout or pink salmon. In my experience, large trout or whitefish, as well as pink, sockeye and silver salmon need 8 hours. A really thick piece of king salmon might need as much as 36 hours in the brine. Never go more than 48 hours, however, or your fish will be too salty(there is no such thing as too salty, ok, maybe there is but…). Double the brine if it’s not enough to cover the fish.
3. Dry the Fish. Take your fish out of the brine and pat it dry. Set the fillets on your cooling rack, skin side down. Ideally you’d do this right under a ceiling fan set on high, or outside in a cool, breezy place. By “cool” I mean 60°F or cooler. Let the fish dry for 2 to 4 hours (or up to overnight in the fridge). You want the surface of the fish to develop a shiny skin called a pellicle. This is one step many beginning smokers fail to do, but drying your cured, brined fish in a cool, breezy place is vital to properly smoking it. The pellicle, which is a thin, lacquer-like layer on top of the fish, seals it and offers a sticky surface for the smoke to adhere to. Don’t worry, the salt in the brine will protect your fish from spoilage. Once you have your pellicle, you can refrigerate your fish for a few hours and smoke it later if you’d like.
4. Smoke your fish. Start by slicking the skin of your fish with some oil, so it won’t stick to the smoker rack. Know that even though this is hot smoking, you still do not want high temperatures. Start with a small fire and work your way up as you go. It is important to bring the temperature up gradually or you will get that white albumin “bleed” on the meat. I can control my heat with my smoker, so I start the process between 140°F and 150°F for up to an hour, then finish at 175°F for a final hour or two. NOTE: What my smoker is set at is not necessarily what the actual temperature is. Smoking is an art, not a science. To keep temperatures mild, always put water in your drip pan to keep the temperature down. If your smoker is very hot, like a Traeger can get, put ice in the tray. I generally soak apple wood chip in water for at least an hour, then drain them, then put them in an aluminum foil pouch. The pouch gets place next to the burners of your grill (which is set to low.
5. Baste the Fish. After an hour in the smoker, baste the fish with water (or honey, or maple syrup); do this every hour. This is a good way to brush away any albumin that might form. In most cases, you will get a little. You just don’t want a ton of it. Even if you can’t control your temperature this precisely, you get the general idea. You goal should be an internal temperature of about 130°F to 140°F.
6. You must be careful about your heat. Other than failing to dry your salmon long enough, the single biggest problem in smoking salmon is too high heat. If you’ve ever seen salmon “bleed” a white, creamy substance, that’s a protein called albumin, a little is normal.
7. Cool and Store the Fish. Once your fish is smoked, let it rest on the cooling rack for an hour before you put it in the fridge. Once refrigerated and wrapped in plastic, smoked fish will keep for 10 days. If you vacuum-seal it, the fish will keep for up to 3 weeks. Or freeze your fish for up to a year. But, come on, stuff this good never lasts more than a week.

1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, or a large (6-quart) food-safe plastic bucket.
3. Mix and stir everything together to make a sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the paddle attachment for 30 to 60 seconds. If you don’t have a mixer, just stir with a big spoon or dough whisk until everything is combined.
4. Leave the dough in the bucket or 6-quart bowl, cover it with the bucket’s lid or a piece of plastic wrap, and let it rise for 1 hour.
5. Gently pick up the dough and fold it over on itself several times, cover it again, and let it rise for another hour.
6. Repeat the rising-folding process one more time (for a total of 3 hours), folding it again after the last hour. Then, place the bucket or bowl in the refrigerator, and let the dough rest for at least 8 hours (or up to 48 hours).
7. When you’re ready to make bread, turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, and shape it into a rough ball. Leave the dough seam-side up, cover it, and let it rest on a floured surface for 15 minutes.
8. Next, shape the dough to fit the vessel in which you’ll bake it: a 13” log for a long covered baker; or a large boule (round) for a round baker or Dutch oven. Place the shaped dough into the lightly-greased or semolina-dusted base of the baker and cover it with the lid.
9. Let the loaf warm to room temperature and rise; this should take about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. It won’t appear to rise upwards that much, but will relax and expand.
10. With a rack positioned in the middle, start preheating the oven to 500°F one hour before you’re ready to bake.
11. Just before baking, dust the loaf with a fine coat of flour and use a lame or a sharp knife to make one or several 1/2” deep slashes through its top surface. If you’re baking a long loaf, one arched slash down the loaf lengthwise is nice, or if baking a round, a crosshatch or crisscross pattern works well.
12. Cover the baker with its lid and place it in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 450°F and bake the bread for 45 minutes.
13. Remove the cover of the baker and bake the bread for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the bread is deep golden brown and crusty, and a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads at least 210°F.
14. Remove the bread from the oven and transfer it to a rack to cool completely.
15. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

1. Heat oven to 400°. Grease 9×12 inch pan. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil, and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

1. Drain the oysters, saving about a third of the oyster juice. Add the oyster juice to the cream.

2. Grease a baking dish. Layer half the cracker crumbs on the bottom of the dish and half the oysters on top of the cracker crumbs. Mash the butter with a fork, then sprinkle half over the oysters. Layer the remaining crackers and oysters into the dish. Sprinkle them with the rest of the butter. Pour the mixture of oyster juice and cream on top, doing your best to cover the oysters, crackers, and butter completely, then dust the mixture of oyster juice and cream with the salt, pepper, and parsley.

3. Place the dish in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes, checking for doneness after 20.

1. Alternate layers of crumbs and oysters.

2. Pour butter, milk, and liquid over all.

3. Bake 1/2 hour. Do not put lid on.

1. Put (3) 1-pound bags of whole cranberries into large saucepot.
2. Add 1.5 cup of orange juice, 2-1/4 cup sugar, nutmeg, pinch of cinnamon and salt.
3. Start on high heat, once boiling- cover and turn down to simmer.
4. Cook 30-35min and stir every 10 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit with cover for 20-25 min.
5. Pour into tray and place in the fridge.

1. One bag cranberries, one cup sugar, one cup orange juice and some orange zest.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook until the berries pop.

1. Place 3 cups lettuce in bottom of large glass bowl. (Doesn’t need to be glass, but it makes for a nice layered presentation before tossing.)
2. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper.
3. Layer eggs over lettuce, lining up a few around the edge of the bowl for looks.
4. Layer peas, celery, olives, remaining lettuce, bacon, and cheese.
5. Whisk together mayo and sour cream. Spread over top, sealing to edge of bowl.
6. Sprinkle green onions over the top.
7. Chill for 24 to 48 hours.
8. Toss. Add a little cream or water if needed to thin dressing.
9. Make additions/substitutions as desired.

1. Coat a standard loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Place raspberries in a wire strainer over a large bowl and sprinkle sugar on top. Allow to thaw completely, tossing occasionally. Reserve juices.
3. Bloom/dissolve lemon jello in boiling water (approx. 5 minutes). Add cream cheese and grape juice to blender. After jello is bloomed, crank blender to high and slowly pour in lemon jello while blender is running. Pour into loaf pan. Cover and refrigerate until jello is firm set.
4. Add water to reserved raspberry juice to equal 1 3/4 cups (sometimes I go to 1 1/2 cups if the raspberries are particularly juicy). Nuke juice/water to just shy of boiling. Add raspberry jello and stir until dissolved. Gently stir in thawed raspberries.
5. Cover and refrigerate raspberry jello until is it cool and egg white consistency. Pour/spoon raspberry jello over lemon jello/cream cheese in loaf pan. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
6. Slice with a spatula and serve over a leaf of Bibb lettuce.

1. Drain and rinse beans.
2. Combine with onion, peas, and corn in a large glass bowl.
3. Make the dressing to taste, adjusting the vinegars, etc., as needed.
4. Pour dressing over the veg.
5. Mix well and chill before serving.

1. Grind cranberries in blender, using water to cover while grinding and then straining the water out. Mix cranberries and sugar and let stand overnight for the sugar to dissolve and sweeten, then refrigerate until ready to mix. Chill grapes, bananas, and nuts several hours before mixing. Shortly before serving, add the grapes, bananas, nuts, and sour cream to the cranberry-sugar mixture and keep in the refrigerator until serving.

1. Boil the celeriac in salted water until it’s soft (check by piercing with a skewer or paring knife). Scoop out and drain. Return the water to a boil and add the potatoes, cooking until they’re soft. Drain.
2. While the potatoes cook, heat the cream until it boils, then stir in the butter, saffron, and garlic. Reduce the heat, then simmer for 5 minutes until the saffron is extracted and the mixture slightly thickened. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, puree the celeriac (you could use a food processor; I prefer a hand-held Braun immersion blender), while gradually adding the cream sauce. Mash the potatoes coarsely, or use a ricer if you want a smoother texture. Combine the potato, celery root, and one cup of the Gruyère; season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spread the mixture in a greased oven-proof dish, top with the remaining cheese and the parsley, then bake in a preheated 400F degree oven until the top is browned, about 20-30 minutes.

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mixed thawed potatoes with melted butter.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
4. Spread in a greased 9×9 casserole dish.
5. Bake 1 hour at 350.

1. Bring water, salt and garlic to a boil in a pan, then stir in grits.
2. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.
3. Add butter, 1 cup cheese and chilies; stir until butter melts.
4. Beat eggs and milk; add to the grits and mix well.
5. Pour into a greased baking dish and then bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve.

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grate squash.
3. Layer into a strainer with salt between layers.
4. Let drain 3 hours.
5. In a bowl mix: Eggs, dill, black pepper and garlic. (Don’t be shy with the dill or garlic).
6. Crumple feta cheese into the egg mixture.
7. Mix the ingredients.
8. Return to the squash. Squeeze the fluid out handful by handful (generally 2X per handful since drier the better).
9. Add squash to egg mixture and mix well.
10. Pour into baking pan/casserole pan.
11. Cover the mix with 5-8 pieces of phyllo dough, covering dough with melted butter between layers.
12. Bake at 350 for one hour.
13. Serve hot or cold.

1. Roast 5 large sweet potatoes in oven for 1.25 hours @ 375F

2. Mix sweet potato, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 beaten eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 4 tbsp butter, 1/2 cup milk (cut with cream), 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, cinnamon. Place in baking dish.
3. For topping: Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup flour. Cut 4 softened tbsp butter in until mixture is course. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans.
4. Layer topping over sweet potatoes. Bake 30 min @325F.

1. Cut the potatoes into equal sized pieces, and boil in salted water until fork tender (approximately 20 minutes). Mash the potatoes with the butter, salt, pepper, and any other optional ingredients. Let the mashed potatoes cool to the touch. Then roll them into approximately 1-2″ balls (or cylinders), and coat in panko.
2. You have several options to finish them, you can either freeze them and then deep fry them (if you’re already deep frying your turkey), or you can oven roast them at ~350 F for 30-45 minutes (or until golden brown). If you’re baking them, and want them to get more golden, you can mix in a couple of drops of oil into the panko (you want it barely damp, not wet).

Directions:

1. A day before, make some rice and stash it in the fridge in a plastic bag. Once its cold, break up all the clumps. That’s why you used a bag.
2. Start drinking. Once the cheese is shredded, there are no sharp tools involved.

3. Heat a pot to medium heat. Melt the butter. Add broccoli and rice. Stir to combine.

4. Add to pot just enough chicken stock to get everything a little wet. Add a few splashes of hot sauce and a few grinds of black pepper. Add salt.

5. In a drinking glass, mix chicken stock and corn starch. Once mixed, add like 1/8 tablespoon of sodium citrate and mix again. Seriously my dude it doesn’t take much. Add to pot.
6. Let sauce bubble a little and thicken. Once thickened, remove from heat.

7. Immediately begin adding cheese one slow handful at a time and stir while adding. The cheese will melt into the protosauce. You should have pounded like two martinis on an empty stomach by this point, so yell out Chicken Gravy… Digivolve to Cheese Sauce!

8. It is ready to serve once the cheese is melted and you’ve yelled loud enough to secure your position as “drunk Uncle at Thanksgiving”.

1. After pricking sweet potatoes all over with a fork or knife, microwave until soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until the onion begins to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another couple minutes.
3. Add the ginger and allspice; cook, stirring, until fragrant.
4. Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
5. Add the tomato puree and vegetable broth to the pan. Simmer on medium high for 8-12 minutes.
6. Scoop the soft pulp out of the cooked sweet potatoes and put into a food processor bowl. Add the peanut butter. Ladle in a couple cups of the cooking soup liquid. Process until smooth.
7. Add the puréed sweet potato mixture to the Dutch oven, stirring well to incorporate.
8. Thin the soup with more broth or wine, as desired.
9. Heat again until hot. Taste and adjust seasoning.

1. Peel the carrots and slice thin (I slice them in the food processor to speed things up).
2. Cook carrots in boiling water to cover, 15 minutes or until tender, drain well.
3. Process carrot and remaining ingredients in a food processor until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides.
4. Spoon into 2 lightly greased 1 ½-quart souffle or baking dishes.
5. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until set and lightly browned.
6. Serve immediately.

1. Trim off the outer leaves and the very bottom of the Brussels sprouts. Cut them in half lengthwise.
2. In a heavy pan (cast iron works very well), add olive oil, then sauté the sprouts on their flat side over medium-high heat until they start to brown. Add the balsamic vinegar, turn the heat to low and cover.
3. After a couple of minutes, add ¼ cup of water. Cook until the sprouts start to soften, ~ 8-10 minutes. They should brown but not burn.
4. Turn the heat back up to high, add the butter and the pecans. Saute for a minute or so, until the pecans are lightly toasted.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, then introduce your new little friends to whomever is having dinner with you.

1. Make Italian sausage into small balls. Add all ingredients except cheese. Cook until sausage is done and veggies are tender. (I like to cook it long enough for the cheese from the tortellini to thicken the broth nicely.) Top with cheese.

1. Parboil the carrots for until they start to soften, usually 10-15 minutes. Drain them.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet, stir in the rest of the ingredients.
3. Turn the heat up to medium-high, let the mixture start boiling a bit, nice and thick and syrupy.
4. Add the carrots, reduce the heat to low, simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to coat.

1. Brown sausage in a dutch oven(remove casings first if they are links. Remove to a bowl.
2. Saute onions and garlic in sausage drippings.
3. Add next eight ingredients and the sausage, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add spinach, tortellini and bell pepper. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
5. Ladle into a bowl, sprinkle with Parmesan.

1. Cook bacon reserving the drippings.
2. Brown the hamburger and onions in a few tablespoons of the bacon grease. Set aside to cool.
3. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.
4. Bake covered at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 40 minutes or overnight in a crockpot on low. (Our preferred method. Be aware most newer crockpots don’t have a true low temperature setting. It may need adjustments to timing to avoid overcooking.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone pad. Place an 8×11-inch baking dish on the pad.
2. Place corn in a blender or food processor. Add maple syrup, eggs, milk, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, flour, and baking powder. Mix briefly with a spatula to push down the dry ingredients.
3. Pulse mixture until it begins to come together. Then increase setting to high and blend until completely smooth, 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Add heavy cream and 2/3 of the melted butter. Whisk to thoroughly blend.
4. Grease baking dish with the rest of the butter. Pour batter into baking dish. Bake in preheated oven on the baking sheet until pudding is browned and set, between 60 and 75 minutes depending on the size and shape of your baking dish.

For the squash

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. If using acorn squash, cut the tops off and scoop out the seeds. If using butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Do not peel.

3. Drizzle the exposed surface of the squash with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. place on oiled baking sheet.

4. Bake until tender; about 30-45 minutes for acorn squash or 60-75 minutes for butternut squash.

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool until easy to handle.

6. Scoop out flesh, leaving 1/2 inch of flesh all around inside the shell. Place removed squash flesh in a bowl and set aside. You'll be adding it back to the stuffing later.

For the stuffing

1. While the squash is baking, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.

2. When the oil is hot, add carrots, celery, mushrooms, onions and garlic to the skillet. Season with the salt and pepper, and sauté until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown.

3. Stir the wild rice into the skillet. Pour the wine, broth and liquid aminos over the ingredients in the skillet. Sprinkle with the nutritional yeast. Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

4. Add the quinoa to the pan and continue simmering, covered, until the liquid is absorbed and the wild rice is tender. You may need to add a little more broth or wine.

5. Add the pecans, dried cranberries, sage, and thyme and stir thoroughly.

6. Add the reserved squash flesh to the vegetable and grain mixture. Stir thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. If the stuffing seems too dry, add a bit of white wine and stir again.

For the topping

1. Mix the panko and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and mix thoroughly.

Assembly and Baking

1. Fill squash shells with the stuffing mixture, packing firmly. Set on an oiled baking sheet or in an oiled baking dish.

2. Sprinkle topping onto stuffed squash.

3. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until heated through and topping is golden brown and crispy.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F

2. Start by making a roux with the fat and flour. Melt the fat down, and whisk in the flour. Keep whisking, while cooking over a low heat until the flour is mixed into the fat, and it starts turning a light tan. At this point, add in the 2 cups of dairy (milk/cream/whatever you prefer), whisk this to evenly distribute the roux in the liquid.

3. Bring this to a low simmer, and then start slowly adding in your cheese while whisking it. You want the cheese to melt, and keeping the heat low will help prevent the sauce from breaking. For cheeses, I would recommend using at least one good melting cheese (jack, gouda, mozzarella, etc.) for 2-4 ounces of the cheese. Add in a dash of nutmeg, a dash of salt, a couple of grinds of pepper, and a bay leaf. Then let the sauce simmer for ~20 minutes, whisking frequently.
4. Remove the bay leaf, then mix in the cooked pasta. Put this into a baking dish, and top with the bread crumbs (I usually toast them in butter or the fat I used to make the roux). Put this into the oven and bake it for 20-30 minutes.

1. Soak the porcini in 1 cup of very hot water until soft (~ 60 minutes). Squeeze them dry and rinse them briefly under cold running water to get off any grit. Cut into small pieces, discarding overly tough bits. Strain the soaking liquid through a double layer of cheesecloth and a strainer, or through a coffee filter and set aside.

2. The stock needs to be in a separate pot on the stove at a strong simmer. (A note on canned stocks, they can be awfully salty and can even impart a metallic taste to your dish. If we're desperate enough to use canned, we usually cut it one to one with water, and perk it up with some MSG, a bay leaf, and a little soy sauce). You’ll need a ladle to add the stock with and a strong spoon or spatula to stir the risotto. The pot for the risotto needs to be large (5 quart will work well) and as heavy as possible. An enameled Le Crueset pot works very well, as will most heavy stock pots.

3. Sweat the onions in the olive oil over medium high heat until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Don’t let them brown. Add the rice, and continue to stir for a couple of minutes until just before it starts to brown, then stir in the porcini. Stir around for a minute.
4. At this point, add the wine and continue to stir the rice. As the liquid is absorbed, add the reserved mushroom soaking water. At the same time, add the saffron. Continue stirring, adding stock as the liquid is absorbed; the classic way to tell when it’s time to add liquid is by dragging the spoon or spatula along the bottom of the pan. If the liquid immediately comes back, keep stirring. When the streak parts the Red Sea, add stock. You’ll likely end up using most of the 5 cups.
5. As the rice gets closer to being done, the liquid will not absorb as quickly, so you will need to decrease the amount you put in each time. After 18-20 minutes, taste the rice for doneness. It should be al dente but not crunchy and not mushy. If it’s not done, cook it a couple of minutes longer and test it again. If it’s mushy, better luck next time.
6. At the point it reaches al dente, stir in the peas, butter (optional), parsley, and parmesan, and adjust the seasoning. You won’t need very much pepper, if any. Add a little more stock if you like a looser risotto. The rice should be smooth and creamy without being soupy or clumpy. Serve it up, and top it with the reserved cheese, a drizzle of the best extra virgin olive oil you can dig up, and a little more parsley.

1. Get 1.5 loaves of French or Italian bread, cut in half, dice into cubes
2. Toss cubes in bowl with melted butter, olive oil, and seasoning (pepper, salt, sage)
3. Put in oven on sheet tray for about 15 minutes
4. Toss cubes in large bowl with salt, pepper
5. Add sautéed green onions and mushrooms
6. Add chicken broth to moisten bread (maybe cup and half)
7. Place in casserole dish and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes @ 350F

1. Add giblets to sauce pot with a couple celery stalks, few carrots, half an onion, bay leaves, and parsley.
2. Fill to top with cold water and simmer while the turkey cooks. Replenish as the liquid cooks down but not close to the end as doing so dilutes the flavor
3. If roasting a turkey, pour everything in turkey roasting dish through a strainer into new, clean stockpot. If not roasting, there should still be plenty in the giblet stockpot.
4. Pour the giblet stockpot through strainer into said stockpot (use back of spoon to work through strainer)
5. Taste, now is the time to add salt and pepper, if needed, and a heavy dose of sage
6. Use beurre manié or corn starch slurry (1:1) to thicken
7. Thicken with whisk at slightly below boiling
8. Place gravy pot in cast iron pan to keep warm

1. Dark meat: Dry rub and rest for 6 hours. Tightly wrapped in foil, 300F for 6 hours.
2. White meat: 2 day brine in pineapple juice, MSG and friends, citrus peel, sodium phosphate 10%, smoked salt, peppercorns, and powdered bay leaf. Sous Vide at 145F for 3 hours, 5 minute sear at the end.
3. Gravy: 1 container Empire Kosher Chicken fat, 2/3rds cup flour. Cook to blonde roux. Add 3 cups rich unseasoned veal stock, whisk in. Seasoned with onion salt, yeast extract, MSG and helpers, and a touch of garlic powder. Skim unincorporated fat from the top.

1. Get a covered roasting pan with a rack. Mine has a tight-fitting lid with an adjustable vent.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
3. Find out how much the turkey weighs. If you bought from a store, it will be written on a label on the package. Otherwise, weigh it on a scale.

4. Wash, dry, and stuff the turkey. Make sure to sew the neck and tail openings shut. Season it with salt and pepper. I also rub the outside with a mixture of dried herbs. The important thing is that the skin is well-salted.

5. Place the bird on the rack in the pan. Then pour in a quart of low-salt stock or broth. I used to use chicken stock before turkey broth became widely available.
6. Cover it with the lid. Put it in the oven.
7. Estimate the total cooking time by multiplying the weight in pounds by 20 minutes. Leave it in the oven for half that time without opening the lid. No peeking.
8. After half the total estimated cooking time has passed, remove the lid. Don’t be dismayed if the turkey “looks boiled”. It’s because it will be covered in a whitish pellicle. This is a coating of fat and proteins that will waterproof the bird like Flex Seal. This was demonstrated by the Indians at the first Thanksgiving by sawing a canoe in half.
9. If you use a thermometer, stick through the center of one of the breasts while being careful not to touch any bone. Put it back in the oven uncovered. Do not baste it until the skin begins to turn golden brown. When it’s done, the legs should move freely, and there shouldn’t be a large amount of liquid pooled around the thighs. You can check by taking a thin knife and cut above where the thigh attaches to the back — there shouldn’t be any pink flesh or red blood around the joint.
10. After you remove it from the oven. Let it sit for 15 – 20 minutes before carving. I move it to a dish, so I can make gravy from the roasting pan during this time.
11. Osteoporosis!

The brine

1. Mix the brine and let the thawed turkey soak in it at least overnight, the longer the better. I normally go 2 nights.

The fryer

1. Incidentally, Underwriters Laboratory does not place their coveted seal on any gas fired turkey fryer. This is a dangerous item to have, and can result in serious injury if you are not careful. Especially if you are like me and know how to bypass the thermocouple that acts as a safety device but prevents the oil from getting hot enough. If you are faint of heart—just roast it like the Nancy Boy you are and take up valuable oven space.

The process

1. Now that we got that out of the way. You will need a minimum of 2 gallons of peanut oil. Prior to brining, you will need to establish the turkey’s overall displacement by filling the pot with water and marking where the turkey rests in the pot completely submerged. This may exceed the “Do not fill above this line” written inside the pot, but if you made it this far, you probably are ignoring the safety people anyway.
2. Remove the bird from the brine, and let it dry. A wet turkey will cause you to have a very bad day, and will prove the Nancy Boys at UL right. Don’t do that.
3. Set the bird in the stand butt down, wings tucked back. Put it in the pot of hot oil SLOWLY.
4. Ideally, the oil should average around 350F (I can’t help you if you are in Canada), but remember the turkey is cold and will drop the temperature of the oil once you set it in there. I’m usually able to keep it between 325-350F without setting my yard on fire. 3 1/2 minutes per pound should net a result that is moist on the inside, and delightfully crisp skin in the outside. This needs to sit at least 30 mins before carving.

1. Dry brine the turkey: 1 to 3 days before it is time to cook, dry brine the turkey. Mix the dry brine ingredients in a small bowl, then sprinkle and rub evenly over the turkey. Make sure to rub some inside the cavity of the turkey as well. Put the turkey on a rack over a roasting pan or baking sheet, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate, removing the plastic wrap the night before cooking to allow the skin to dry. (If you are only dry brining for 24 hours, skip the plastic wrap.)
2. Prep the Turkey: One hour before cooking, remove the turkey from the refrigerator. Stuff the turkey with the halves of the orange, then truss and skewer with the rotisserie spit. Put the zip lock bag full of ice on the breast, not touching the legs or drumsticks, to chill the breast meat until cooking. Put the wood chunk in a bowl of water to soak.
3. Prep the rotisserie: Prepare the rotisserie for cooking on indirect medium heat (see details here). For my Weber kettle, I light a chimney 3/4 full of charcoal and wait for it to be covered with ash. Then, instead of pouring it in my usual two piles on the side of the grill, I pour it in a U shape at one end of the grill (see picture below). I put the drip pan in the middle of the U of charcoal. Finally, put the wood chunk on top of the charcoal, and give it five minutes to start smoking.
4. *If you are using a gas grill, check out my basic Rotisserie Turkey recipe for setup instructions. If you’re using a Weber Summit with a infrared rotisserie burner, set the grill up as shown in this recipe. If you don’t have a rotisserie, Weber Kettle instructions are in this recipe.
5. Cook the turkey: Put the spit on the grill, with the leg side of the bird inside the “U” of coals. Cook the turkey with the lid closed; it will take 2 to 3 hours (usually about 2 1/2 hours for a 12 pound turkey). Every hour, add 24 fresh charcoal briquettes to the grill, nestling them into the burning charcoal. Start checking the temperature in the breast with an instant read thermometer at 2 hours. The turkey is done when the breast meat registers 155*F to 160*F in its thickest part. Remove the turkey from the grill, remove the spit from the turkey, and cut the trussing twine loose. Let the turkey rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving.
6. Carve the turkey: If you have a favorite way of carving a turkey, go ahead and use it. My preferred method: Cut the legs free from the body of the bird, and cut the drumsticks away from the thighs. I leave the drumsticks whole (my favorite part!) and slice the meat from the thighs in 1/2″ slices for dark meat lovers. Next, I cut the entire breast half from one side of the bird by working my knife down the keel bone from the top down to the wing, following the inside of the ribcage. Once the breast half is free of the bird, it is easy to slice into 1/2″ thick slices on my carving board. I repeat with the other breast half. Finally, I cut each wing away from the carcass, and separate the drumette from the wing, and the wing from the wingtip. I arrange all these pieces on a platter and serve.

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornbread and white bread crumbs. In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onion and celery in butter until tender. Do not brown. Combine the sautéed vegetables with the bread mixture. Stir in chicken broth, using enough to moisten. Stir in the diced chicken, if using, and the seasonings and beaten eggs, blending well. Spread the mixture in a large shallow baking or roasting pan measuring about 10” x 15”.
2. It is important to use a big shallow baking pan rather than a 9”x12” pan in order to get the stuffing well spread out to brown evenly and not be soggy in places.

For turkey:

1. Line extra-large stockpot with heavy large plastic bag (about 30-gallon capacity). Rinse turkey; place in plastic bag. Stir 8 quarts water, 2 cups coarse salt and 1 cup honey in large pot until salt and honey dissolve. Add 1 bunch fresh thyme, peeled garlic cloves and black pepper. Pour brine over turkey. Gather plastic bag tightly around turkey so that bird is covered with brine; seal plastic bag. Refrigerate pot with turkey in brine at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.
2. Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Drain turkey well; discard brine. Pat turkey dry inside and out. Squeeze juice from lemon halves into main cavity. Add lemon rinds and remaining 1 bunch fresh thyme to main cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan BREAST SIDE DOWN. Rub turkey all over with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
3. Roast turkey 1 hour. Remove from oven and turn BREAST SIDE UP. Baste turkey with 1 cup chicken broth. Continue to roast until turkey is deep brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, basting with 1 cup chicken broth every 30 minutes and covering loosely with foil if turkey is browning too quickly, about 2 1/2 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey loosely with foil and let stand 30 minutes. Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat; reserve juices.

For gravy:

1. While turkey cooks, place reserved turkey neck, heart and gizzard into large saucepan. Add 6 cups water, 3 1/2 cups chicken broth, carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf. Simmer over medium heat until turkey stock is reduced to 3 cups, about 2 hours. Strain turkey stock into bowl; reserve turkey neck and giblets. Pull meat off neck. Chop neck meat and giblets.
2. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add 5 tablespoons all purpose flour and whisk 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in turkey stock, cream and up to 1 cup reserved turkey pan juices (juices are salty, so add according to taste). Simmer gravy until thickened to desired consistency, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add chopped turkey neck meat and giblets; season to taste with pepper.

Serve turkey with gravy.

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a shallow 3-qt. baking dish and a sheet of foil. Place bread in a very large bowl.
2. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop, then add to bowl with bread.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into small pieces with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 7–10 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread with a slotted spoon.
4. Add onions, celery, fennel, and sage to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onions are golden brown and soft, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread.
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook wine in skillet, scraping up any browned bits, until almost all evaporated, about 1 minute. Add ½ cup butter; cook, stirring, until melted. Drizzle over bread mixture.
6. Whisk eggs and 2 cups stock in a medium bowl; pour over bread mixture. Season with salt and pepper and toss, adding more stock ¼-cupful at a time as needed (you may not use it all), until combined and bread is hydrated. Transfer to prepared baking dish and dot with remaining ¼ cup butter.
7. Cover with buttered foil; bake until a paring knife inserted into the center comes out hot, 30–35 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450°. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown and crisp, 20–25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
8. Do Ahead: Stuffing can be assembled 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

1. Clean and inspect turkey. Do not oil or butter the turkey.
2. Mix pepper and garlic salt. Rub turkey with mixture all over, especially inside the cavity.
3. Wrap 3 times with “heavy tin foil”.
4. Bake for 2 hours at 400 degrees fahrenheit.
5. Cool and place in the fridge.
6. When cold carve and serve.

1. Heat 10 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium-high heat until melted. Continue to cook the butter until it is browned a dark golden color and smells nutty, about 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer the browned butter to a bowl and stir the rest of the butter into the hot butter until it melts- let this rest for 15 min.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a baking dish, mix granulated sugar and a ¼ cup of the brown sugar until combined well; set this mixture aside to roll dough balls in.
3. Mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl. Add 1 ¾ cup brown sugar and salt to cooled butter and mix until there are no lumps. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla to butter mixture and mix well, then add flour and mix until just combined.
4. Roll dough into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter, and roll balls in brown sugar and white sugar mixture. Place balls about 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets.
5. Bake sheets one at a time until cookies are puffy and lightly browned, about 12-14 minutes. (It says the cookies will look slightly raw between some of the cracks and seem underdone, but be careful not to over bake.) Cool on sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool.

For Filling

1. Combine first three ingredients.
2. Put apples in crust, sprinkle dry mix over apples then squeeze ½ lemon over them (can be left for up to 24 hours in the fridge for more flavor).

For Crumb Topping

1. Combine flour and sugar, cut in butter until crumbly.
2. Sprinkle on top of apples.
3. Bake at 400 for 45-50 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 300°F
2. In a large bowl combine almond flour, melted butter, and sweetener. Mix together using a spoon until the ingredients are homogeneous. Add the mixture into a spring form pan and press this mixture evenly to make the crust firm and tight.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes until it becomes lightly golden browned and remove the crust from the oven. Let it cool while you make the filling.
4. In a bowl, combine eggs, sweetener, cream cheese, sour cream and vanilla. Mix thoroughly with a hand whisk or blender until smooth then add this mixture to the crust and bake the cheesecake at 350 F for 30 min or until firm and browned.
5. Remove and refrigerate for six hours. You can add berries and whipping cream on the top to decorate (optional). Enjoy the decadence!

1. Combine chia seeds with almond milk in a medium bowl. Set aside for one hour.

2. Add vanilla extract, sweetener of choice, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to the bowl with chia seeds and almond milk. 

3. Process with an immersion blender until smooth. Adjust sweetener to taste.

4. Pour into a dessert dish and top with pecans.

1. In a medium bowl, add cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and DME. Mix this until soft peaks form, then set aside. In a different bowl, mix together the pumpkin and the mascarpone until fully combined. Fold the pumpkin mixture into the spiced whipped cream until blended (some streaks are fine), and then set aside.
2. Pour the stout into a shallow bowl or a pie plate. Select your serving container (I usually use a 13 x 9 pan, but you can use whatever size you wish). Then you begin the assembly of the tiramisu.
3. Dip ladyfingers into the stout for 10 seconds, then flip them, and let them sit for 10 seconds again. Then place the ladyfingers into your serving container until you have a single layer.
4. Then take a third of the pumpkin cream filling and distribute it over the ladyfingers. Dust with malt powder, then add another layer of soaked ladyfingers.
5. Top the second layer with pumpkin cream and then garnish with malt powder, some cinnamon, and powdered sugar.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices, and salt in bowl until smooth.
3. Pour into pie crust.
4. Bake 15 minutes.
5. Reduce temp to 350F and bake 35-40 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Cool.
7. Garnish with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

1. Mix together syrup and sugar.
2. Add melted butter.
3. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
4. Let stand for 1 hour.
5. Place pecan pieces in the bottom of a 9” unbaked pie shell, pour in the filling, add the halves on top (make it look nice). Bake 45-50 minutes at 325F.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling:

1. Peel and core the pears and apples and cut them into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the cranberries, zests, juices, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 x 12 x 2-inch baking dish.

For the topping:

1. Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.
2. Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

2. Beat egg white with the water in a medium bowl until foamy and light.

3. Add the cashews, sugar, salt and cinnamon to the bowl. Stir thoroughly; nuts should be completely coated.

4. Spread the mixture as evenly as possible on the baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes or until nuts are beginning to caramelize.

5. Remove from the oven and allow nuts to cool.  Store in an air tight container.

1. Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.

2. Place the balls in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before dipping in chocolate.  Melt chocolate on stove or in microwave.  Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.) Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.Use one or two forks to roll the balls in the chocolate and place on wax paper. This will help excess chocolate to drip off before placing on wax paper.  

3. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.  Best to keep refrigerated and not left out for too long to prevent melting.

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Mix cornstarch with the white sugar and set aside.
3. Beat eggs. Stir milk and cream into beaten eggs.
4. Add the white sugar mix, brown sugar, salt, spices, and pumpkin to the mix.
5. Line one deep pie plate (this will overflow a shallow one) with your favorite pie crust (ours is a standard Crisco crust).
6. Pour into the pie crust and bake for 15 minutes (a pie ring to protect the crust is a good idea).
7. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees fahrenheit and bake until just set. The edges should be puffed up with a small walnut sized area in the center still jiggly. About 10 to 20 minutes.
8. Cool and refrigerate.

1. Whisk together lemon juice and condensed milk until smooth. Stir in pie filling, oranges, pineapple, and walnuts until the cherry pie filling color is even throughout the mixture. With a wide spatula, gently fold in cool whip until even. Do not beat. Refrigerate until serving.

1. Prebake crust at 350 F. for 15-20 minutes, let cool, then fill and bake for another 45-55 minutes, or until the filling is golden and “set.”

1. Use a can of full fat coconut milk that has been refrigerated overnight (or a can of coconut cream) Carefully scoop out the coconut cream (reserving the leftover coconut water for a smoothie).
2. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whip with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth, about 30-60 seconds.
3. Taste and adjust to taste with more sweetener or spice.
4. Add a layer of chopped pecans and pepitas into the bottom of 4 or 5 mini jars. Add mousse into jars (I used a baggie to pipe it in pretty)

5. Top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream and a sprinkle of nuts/seeds. Dust with cinnamon. Serve chilled. Enjoy!