Spicy Shrimp and Cheddar Grits

“He can never leave well enough alone.” I heard this pretty much constantly throughout my childhood. (They were talking about me!) I love shrimp! I love grits! Shrimp and grits? Of course, but sometimes in its most basic traditional form it’s not really boring but maybe a canvas to be... adorned.  

The Ultimate Stacked Southwest Spicy n’ Sweet Burger

This is our favorite “at home” burger. Actually it’s our favorite burger period! What makes it “Ultimate” and “Stacked”? The outstanding components that go together to make up this burger are each a taste treat in themselves, but put them together and you get a burger the likes of which you’ve never experienced before!

Fettuccini and Prawns with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce

Way back before the turn of the century while living in San Francisco, one of our favorite restaurants was Caffe Sport, whose specialty is Italian seafood. This dish is inspired by one of their most popular menu items, “Scampi al’ Antonio”, created by Chef and founder Antonio La Tona.

Cannellini and Escarole Soup

Whether you prepare Consommé, Bisque, Chowder or just Soup, you’re making something that just about everyone loves. 
Some soups, especially intense and clarified consommés or rich and creamy bisques are usually served as one of several courses in a meal. Others are equally appropriate occupying the “soup course” or as the star of the meal. 


Baked Scampi

Here’s a dish that is so easy to prepare you’ll feel guilty when your dinner companion raves about it. The flavor combination of tarragon, garlic and lemon are a natural with just about any mild seafood. We use them all sparingly to avoid overpowering the distinctive but delicate taste of the shrimp.

Simply Roasted Asparagus

Number one on the list of the simplest things you can make in your kitchen is boiled water. Tap, pot, heat, done. Number two has got to be this dish. But roasted asparagus has boiled water beat, hands-down, when it comes to delicious things to eat. Frankly, asparagus prepared and served in any way is pretty okay in my book.

Dirty Potato Salad

Most potato salads have a nice, “linen” color. This one does not. Looks however, can be deceiving. Instead of boiling the potatoes we grill them until they are nicely charred, and mixing that flavorful carbonization with the pristine mayonnaise and sour cream doesn’t exactly look laundry fresh!

Roasted Broccoli Bits

There’s not a lot to say about Broccoli. Some people don’t like it and the most famous person to emphatically state his aversion to the humble vegetable was the 41st President of The United States, George H.W. Bush. He said he hadn’t like it since his mother made him eat it. My guess is that she, like many other people, didn’t know that you can do something other than steam Broccoli.

Roasted Golden Beets

If a root vegetable is going to be cooked, in my opinion there’s no better way to do it than roasting. Any vegetable that can stand up to this cooking method will retain its own distinctive taste, its inherent sweetness is enhanced and it will become tender without giving up its natural texture. It’s also super simple and requires next to no attention; so you can spend more time with other, more complicated parts of your meal preparation.

Broiled Shrimp Cocktail

Served as an appetizer, fish course, main course or mounded on a buffet, ice cold shrimp with a spicy seafood cocktail sauce is loved by everyone. My apologies to those with shellfish allergies, but then those poor souls are probably not reading this recipe.

Garlic Lemon Kohlrabi

How many times have you passed over this extremely versatile, albeit odd-looking, vegetable while strolling through your local farmer’s market or produce department? Sure it looks more like Sputnik than most vegetables - okay it’s the only vegetable that resembles a 1950’s Soviet satellite, but that’s no reason to shun it!

Sweet and Sassy Chicken

Sweet is a nice word. It makes you think of nice things. Sour is not as nice a word. It makes you want to clench your jaw and pucker. And sassy is a kind of naughty word. It makes you giggle.

Black Bean Maque Choux with Cajun Chicken

Maque Choux, pronounced “mock shoe”, is traditionally thought to have come to us through the courtesy of the original French Acadians who migrated from Canada to Louisiana and the Caddo Nation Native Americans who introduced them to corn. I’m just grateful that someone had the good sense to invent this dish!

Coconut Curry Chicken

Sometimes, when developing a recipe, I’ll begin with the idea of what I would like the dish to become. In this case I knew I wanted the essences of curry and coconut. Now comes the fun part; I get to smell all kinds of wonderful things! I started by sniffing some shredded coconut that I keep on hand for making granola.

Italian Beef Sandwich - Chicago Style

There are things that people do when they travel. You can call them traditions or habits or even superstitions. We’ve all seen photographs of the Pope, kissing the tarmac upon descending from an airplane. For me, it’s about food. (I know, who’da figured?)

Nonna’s Italian Giardiniera

Giardiniera is a staple condiment found anywhere in Chicago where you can get an Italian Beef sandwich. You can usually choose a hot or mild version of this delicacy depending on your tolerance for heat. My recipe is pretty much right in the middle. Aside from a sandwich condiment, Giardiniera can also be included in Antipasto or just served as a side for just about any dish hot or cold.

Chicken Puff Pie

When I was growing up, chicken and other pot pies were not a homemade meal. Instead they came from companies like Swanson® and Banquet® to be served when mom didn’t have time to make dinner. But somehow, since that time, pot pies moved out of the frozen dinner category and into the realm of comfort food.

Parmesan Crunch Chicken Breast

Boneless, skinless chicken is convenient, healthy, fast cooking and adaptable to a wide variety of uses. The problem is that much of the chicken character is missing because the bone and skin are well, “less”. So, when we prepare these healthier alternatives to their intact relatives, we have to add some sparkle and pizzazz.

Cheddar Drop Biscuits

It seems that cheesy biscuits have become a “signature” item at every chain restaurant. They’ve become so popular that several chains now sell their own mixes so you can enjoy these treats at home.

Spicy Drunken Shrimp

 
There is a little place tucked away in Homosassa, Florida named The Freezer Tiki Bar. This recipe was inspired by their most popular menu item that keeps locals, and visitors who are lucky enough to find out about the place, coming back again and again.