• preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter, sugar, molasses then add bananas.
Add all dry ingredients with egg and buttermilk. Whisk until batter is smooth. Pour batter in greased muffin tins.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

• preparation

Night before:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla at high speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides occasionally. Beat for 4 minutes. On low speed beat in flour mixture in fourths, alternating with milk in thirds (begin and end with flour). Beat until smooth. Gently fold in blueberries just to combine. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full.
Refrigerate overnight.
Next day:
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Let cool or serve warm.

• preparation

1. Coat two 9­inch round (and at least 2½­inches deep) pie pans (OR a 9 by 13­ inch baking dish) with butter
or nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Divide butter mixture between prepared
pans and tilt so that it evenly coats the bottom of each pan.
Arrange pecan halves in an attractive pattern
at the bottom of your pans. Cover and refrigerate pans until you're ready to assemble baked French toast.
3. Place bread and apple pieces in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, syrup, vanilla,
and cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture and stir until all bread and apples are coated.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour the bread and apple mixture over the pecan praline layer. Bake for 45 to 55
minutes or until golden and puffed. If you used pie pans, allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out onto
serving platters.

• preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix the bananas, yogurt, eggs, oil, and vanilla together in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Add the sugar and continue to mix until combined.
2. Whisk the flours, flaxseed, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer and beat until just combined (do not over-mix). Stir the nuts into the batter.
3. Pour the batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the bread and cool completely on wire rack.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 275 degrees; set a rack on a baking sheet and place in oven. Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together buttermilk, butter, and eggs. Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture and stir just until batter is combined; fold blueberries into batter.
Lightly coat waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour 1 cup batter (this may vary depending on size of waffle iron) in the center of iron, spreading evenly with a spatula. Close iron; cook until waffles are golden brown and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes.
Remove from iron and transfer to rack in oven; repeat with remaining batter. Serve with blueberries, creme fraiche, and a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar.

• preparation

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and dill. Add beer, milk, and eggs; mix well. Season cod fillets.
Place fillets in batter mixture, coat well.
Heat deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place fish in hot oil, and fry until golden brown.
Cook fish in batches to maintain oil temperature

• preparation

In a suitable soup pot, cook the salt pork until lightly brown. Stir in the onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, parsley stems, and saffron. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and fish stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
A few minutes before serving, cut cod into cubes and add to soup. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add milk and parsley. Heat before serving.

• preparation

Melt butter in a frying pan. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes over low heat. Chop potatoes coarsely. Flake the cod flesh. Combine potatoes, salt and pepper, onion, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley.
Add the flaked fish and blend well. Spoon the mixture onto a baking sheet and smooth it over. Chill.
Shape the mixture into 12 round cakes. Coat the cakes with breadcrumbs.
Heat half of oil and butter in a skillet, and brown the cakes on both sides about 4-5 minutes per side.

• preparation

Cut fish in 1 1/2 inch strips. Place the cut fish in a plastic bag and season with 1 teaspoon of the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Close the bag and toss the fish until coated. Add in 2 tablespoons of flour and toss again.
For the batter:
Make the batter by placing the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 tsp paprika, salt, and pepper into a large bowl and stir it together. Whisk in the water until it forms a batter similar to the consistency of pancake batter. Add a little more water if you need to get the right consistency.
Heat the oil in a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat until it reaches 350°F, you can also use an electric deep fryer as well.
Place the fish in the batter, mix to combine until all pieces are coated while the oil is heating.
When the oil is hot, add the fish piece by piece into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan, you will have to do this in batches. Flipping halfway through the cooking process takes about 8-10 minutes total.
When the fish has an internal temperature of 165°F and is golden brown, take out of the oil using tongs and place them on a wire rack over a sheet tray. Sprinkle with more salt immediately out of the oil so it will stick to the fish.
Keep cooking until all the fish is done. Serve with your favorite condiments like cocktail sauce or tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

• preparation

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic powder, to taste, and cook for 5 minutes. Add peas and rice and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook; this dish is best if the bell pepper and onion still have a crunch to them. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with sprig of parsley.

• preparation

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery, carrots and onion stirring frequently until carrots start to soften, about 5 min. Sprinkle with flour and salt. Mix well.
Add potatoes, wine, broth, milk and herbes de Provence. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 min. Stir in cream and trout. Continue simmering for 2 min. Ladle into bowls and top with parsley
just before serving.

• preparation

Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Process cheese with the flour. Add butter and spices and process until dough forms a ball. Scrape the side of bowl, and process for a few more seconds to blend.
Roll the dough into 2-inch thick cylinder. Wrap in wax paper. Chill. Slice into 1/4 -inch slices. Place on sheet pan lined with wax paper.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until wafers are crisp. Cool on rack.

Note: I also roll cylinder in ground almond.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a standard-size muffin pan generously with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine milk and lemon juice in a measuring cup and set aside.
In a stand mixer or large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Stir in the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Stir with a whisk until well combined.
Using a rubber spatula, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't over-mix. The batter will be very thick.
Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup. (I like to use an ice cream scoop with a wire scraper for this.) Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 25-30 minutes. Set pan on rack to cool for a few minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the topping: melt the butter in a small dish and combine the cinnamon and sugar in another small dish.
When the muffins are cool enough to handle, use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with butter, then sprinkle generously with cinnamon-sugar. If you have cinnamon-sugar left over, sprinkle muffins again. Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store at room temperature. Reheat muffins briefly in microwave for that fresh out of the oven taste.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 275 degrees; set a rack on a baking sheet and place in oven. Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl whisk together buttermilk, butter, and eggs. Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture and stir just until batter is combined; fold blueberries into batter.
Lightly coat waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour 1 cup batter (this may vary depending on size of waffle iron) in the center of iron, spreading evenly with a spatula. Close iron; cook until waffles are golden brown and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes.
Remove from iron and transfer to rack in oven; repeat with remaining batter. Serve with blueberries, creme fraiche, and a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar.

• preparation

Buy the oysters. When buying oysters, look for a tag with the harvest date and use them within a week of that date. Also, make sure the oysters are fresh and alive; the shells should be tightly closed or should close when tapped.
An hour before shucking, scrub the oysters with a stiff brush under cold running water to remove any grit. Set them aside to relax muscles in shell. They will open with more ease.

Shuck the oysters. Hold the oyster, curved-side down, in a towel on a cutting board. Insert an oyster knife between the shells at the narrow pointed end. (Use a real oyster knife-there is no substitute!) Press down firmly on the oyster to prevent slipping and twist the knife to pry the shells apart. Use the knife for leverage; do not use force. Cut the muscle that connects the oyster to the top shell with the knife, being careful not to pierce the meat. Remove the top shell. Slide your knife under the oyster to loosen it, keeping the meat and liquid in the shell. Use your knife to carefully scrape away any shards of shell.

Make the aioli. Blend the garlic, egg yolks, lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the motor running and process until thick. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the aioli to a bowl, then cover and refrigerate.

Prepare the ragout. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add the garlic, cook 3 minutes, then add the butter and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the oysters. Preheat the broiler. Place the oysters, in their shells, in individual baking dishes or one large dish. (Put a crumpled sheet of foil underneath them to keep them steady, if necessary.) Top each with a spoonful of mushroom ragout.

Finish the dish. Top each oyster with a dollop of aeoli. Broil until the aeoli is golden, about 2 minutes, and serve immediately.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Streusel
In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the chopped pecans and melted butter. Continue mixing with the fork until the sugar and pecans are fully mixed and evenly moistened by the butter. Reserve; this is your streusel topping.
Muffins batter
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cut the butter into cubes and place them in a mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer on low speed, then medium, to cream the butter for a minute till it becomes light and airy.
Slowly add sugar to the bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes more, increasing the speed gradually and scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula periodically, until the color becomes lighter and the sugar is fully integrated into the butter.
Beat in the eggs, then the sour cream, then the almond or vanilla extract.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and stir till evenly moistened. Do not over-mix.
Line a cupcake tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Fill each tin halfway with batter. I've found the easiest way to do this is with a small ice cream scoop-- use one small (not heaping) scoop per tin.
Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp of streusel onto the top of the batter in each tin.
Fill the tins the rest of the way with batter, all the way to the top of the tin (another small ice cream scoop of batter in each tin).
Sprinkle 1-2 tsp of streusel on the top of each cupcake.
Bake the cupcakes for 30-35 minutes till they test clean with a toothpick or skewer. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
Glazing:
When ready to frost, make your vanilla glaze. In a small mixing bowl, sift the powdered sugar.
Add the rest of the glaze ingredients. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients till a creamy frosting forms. You want the consistency of thick honey; if you need a little more moisture, add milk a few drops at a time. Just a drop can take it from a thick honey to a runny texture, so add with care.
Line a glass with a plastic bag, wrapping the edge of the bag around the outer rim of the glass. This will help you fill it with frosting. Use a spatula to scoop the frosting into the bag.
Place cupcakes on top of a piece of parchment paper or paper towels to catch drips.
Work the frosting into the corner of the bag and snip off a small corner with scissors. Gently squeeze and drizzle the frosting in a zig-zag pattern across the top of the cupcakes.
Let the frosting dry for at least 30 minutes to set (it may take longer depending on the weather).

• preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix together the bran cereal, oil and raisins. Pour on the boiling water and let stand while preparing remaining ingredients.
Combine the flour, sugar, soda and salt. Lightly beat the eggs and mix with the buttermilk.
Add to cereal mixture and mix well. Add flour mixture and mix only until combined.
Pour batter in greased muffin tins.
Let stand at least 15 minutes before baking. Do not stir. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove muffins from cups while hot.
* You can replace the 2 cups buttermilk with 2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice and milk.

• preparation

Line a microwave-safe bowl with a paper towel and set the box grater in the bowl.
Working quickly, so the potatoes do not have a chance to oxidize, grate the potatoes into the bowl.
Give them a gentle press into the paper towel, then remove the paper towel. Add the salt and baking powder and mix with hands. Microwave the potatoes for 90 seconds. Add the garlic and pepper and mix again.
Melt the butter with the oil in a 12-inch cast iron or other nonstick skillet over medium heat. Divide the potato mixture into four equal portions and press each between hands to form an oblong ½-inch-thick patty. Lay the potato patties in the hot fat and cook without moving for 3 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 3 minutes. If pan looks dry, add a little more oil.
Flip and rotate the patties so they color evenly and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Serve with ketchup.

• preparation

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.

While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. (For more crispiness, preheat your oven to 500°F.)
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut off the ends. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Cut each piece into wedges. Alternately, you can slice the peeled sweet potato into disks either with a mandoline or a sharp knife.
Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl and add the oil. Mix well to combine. Sprinkle with salt, sugar and spices of your choice. Mix well, so all pieces are coated with oil and spices.
Place a baking sheet inthe oven to preheat.
Spread the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on the preheating the baking sheet, to help the fries get crisp.

Bake for a total of 25 to 30 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn over all of the sweet potato pieces. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until they are well browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

• preparation

Wash and spin dry the kale leaves and chop finely.

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, shallot, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch of hot red pepper flakes.
Pour over kale in serving bowl and toss well.
Add 2/3 of the cheese and toss again.
Let kale sit for at least 5 minutes. Toss again, and top with remaining cheese.

• preparation

Mix together the crushed cookies, lemon rind and melted butter. Firmly press on the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
Peel the grapefruits and cut the segments into small pieces. Drain juice and reserve for filling.
Separate 2 eggs and combine the egg yolks, the remaining whole egg, sugar, salt and 1 tablespoon of the juice in the top of a double boiler. Place over simmering water and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.
Soak the gelatin in the water for 5 minutes. Stir into the warm custard until dissolved.
Beat cream cheese with remaining grapefruit juice, lemon juice and rinds (zest) until smooth. Beat into the custard. Fold in the grapefruit pieces. Lightly whip the cream.
Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until they form soft peaks. Fold the cream and egg whites into the cheese mixture.
Pour into the prepared spring form pan and chill for several hours or overnight.

• preparation

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Spray a loaf pan that's about 8x5x3 inches with a nonstick coating. Combine together the flour, baking power, and salt until well blended.
With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until pale. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat well until slightly fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl well. Add the eggs one at a time beating well until blended. With the mixer on low, add the flour, vanilla and lemon zest and mix well. Fold in the blueberries.
Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and bake until the cake is golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake, about an hour.
Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes and then invert the pan on a cake rack and tap to release cake. Cool completely on a rack before serving.

• preparation

Preheat oven tot 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, melted butter, corn syrup, vanilla and bourbon until well combined. Strain.
Grate the chocolate into bits. Sprinkle over the bottom of unbaked pie crust. Cover with the pecans.
Pour mixture into pie shell.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool for an hour before serving.

• preparation

Heat oven broiler. Trim the ends of grapefruit halves so they sit flat when upright; transfer to a baking sheet cut side up. Run a knife around edges and between segments of grapefruit to loosen them.
Brush 1 tbsp. rum over each half and sprinkle each with about 11/2 tbsp. sugar.
Dust with cinnamon and cayenne; place 1 cherry in the center of each grapefruit. Broil, rotating pan as needed, until bubbling and slightly caramelized, 5–6 minutes.

• preparation

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x2-inch round cake pan (don't use a springform pan, as the caramel might leak out during baking). Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment and butter the top of the paper.
Make the Topping:

1. Peel, core, and cut the pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the pear slices on the bottom of the pan in a circle around the edge, overlapping them slightly, with the pointed ends towards the center. If necessary, cut a little off the pointed ends to make the slices fit better. Or if the pear slices don't reach all the way to the middle, arrange a few of the shorter slices in the center to cover the bottom of the pan.
2. Make the Basic Caramel according to the directions. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the 4 tablespoons of butter one piece at a time, until they are completely melted. Carefully pour the hot caramel evenly over the pears (it should spread over the pears and onto the bottom of the pan).

Make the Cake Batter:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, and salt into a medium bowl. Stir to combine. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and vanilla.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Turn the mixer to medium and slowly add the brown sugar. Increase the speed to high and continue to mix until lightened in texture and color, 2 to 3 minutes total. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Reduce the speed to low and alternate adding the flour mixture and milk mixture in five additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix each addition just enough to incorporate, as overmixing will lead to a tougher cake. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time and mix briefly to blend well.
Bake the cake:

1. Spoon the batter in large dollops over the pears and smooth it into an even layer with an offset spatula. Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Turn a cake plate upside down on top of the cake pan and, using pot holders, carefully invert the cake pan onto the plate.
Basic Caramel:

1. Fill a cup measure halfway with water and put a pastry brush in it; this will be used for washing down the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization. In a heavy-duty 2-quart saucepan, stir the sugar, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup cold water. Brush down the sides of the pan with water to wash away any sugar crystals.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan, until the mixture starts to color around the edges, 5 to 8 minutes.
3. Gently swirl the pan once to even out the color and prevent the sugar from burning in isolated spots. Continue to cook until the sugar turns medium amber, about 30 seconds more. (Once the mixture begins to color, it will darken very quickly, so keep an eye on it.)

• preparation

1. COMBINE crumbs with butter. Press on bottom of 9 in. springform pan. Try using your favorite cookies for extra flavor - just give them a whirl in the food processor or blender and substitute for prepared crumbs.

2. MIX cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, cornstarch and sour cream and mix until just blended.

3. POUR over prepared crust and swirl in a raspberry Jam and bake at 300°F for 45-50 minutes or until centre is almost set. Cool completely and refrigerate.
Decorate with fresh raspberries.

• preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8-inch square baking dish with melted butter. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
In a food processor, finely chop pistachios with graham-cracker crumbs, sugar, and zest. Blend in butter. Press mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Cool crust, 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and condensed milk. Add lime and lemon juices; whisk until smooth. Pour filling into cooled crust; carefully spread to edges.
Bake until set, about 15 minutes. Cool in pan on rack; then chill at least 1 hour before serving. Using parchment paper overhang, lift out of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut into 16 squares, wiping knife with a damp kitchen towel between each cut.