2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons AP flour
Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup chicken stock, water works too
3 tablespoons drained capers
kosher salt

In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat making sure it doesn't burn. Once melted whisk in 2 tablespoons flour to create a paste or "roux". Cook the roux until it starts to smell like popcorn and turns a golden brown then whisk in chicken stock slowly and bring to a simmer until the mixture starts to thicken. Once the mixture starts to thicken add half of the lemon juice, a pinch of kosher salt, and the capers. Stir to combine and then taste. Does this sauce need more lemon juice? Maybe it needs more salt? Add flavors until it reaches your desired taste. While sauce is warm pour over the fish or meat of your choice. Enjoy!

hide recipe

4 large potatoes sliced very thin
3 cups whole milk
1 clove garlic crushed, or slice in half
1 ½ cups Asiago or Romano cheese grated
2 oz smoked salmon
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a saucepan add 3 cups whole milk on medium heat and add a few sprinkles of kosher salt and a few twists of fresh ground pepper and your crushed garlic clove. Then break apart the smoked salmon into flaky pieces and add to the milk. Cook until milk has reduced by ½. Make sure it doesn’t boil over so keep your eye on it.
Wash the potatoes and slice very, very thin. I have a handy mandolin that helps me make precise thin slices but if you don’t have one just use a sharp knife. You will also notice that I don’t remove the skin. I prefer skin on but if you are not one of those people just go ahead and peel them first.
In a baking dish of your choice start arranging sliced potatoes on the bottom. Sprinkle a little cheese, add another layer of potatoes, sprinkle more cheese, and keep going until all the potatoes are gone. Check the milk, has it reduced by half? Once it has remove the garlic clove and pour mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle another layer of cheese over the top. Cover with a lid or tin foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove lid or foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The top should start to get golden brown by now but if it’s not as crispy as you like turn on the broiler and let it get the job done.
Let this dish cool off and rest before serving.

hide recipe

4 large sweet onions peeled and sliced
4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt
3 eggs
6 oz goat cheese at room temperature
1 recipe of your favorite pie dough
4 cups dry beans or rice
Tin foil

Preheat oven to 375.
On a floured surface roll out your pie dough about ¼ inch thick and place over a tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently press into the bottom and sides of an 8-9 inch round tart pan. With a rolling pin, roll over the tart pan removing extra dough from the sides. Using a fork, poke the bottom of the dough. Place the tart pan in the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes. Remove from the fridge and gently line the unbaked dough with tin foil then fill with dry beans or rice. Evenly distribute the rice or beans in the shell. This acts as a weight while you bake the shell making sure it doesn’t shrink in your tart pan. Bake tart shell for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven then remove foil filled with dry beans and rice and place the shell back in the oven for about 5 minutes in order to get the bottom a light golden color. Remove and let cool.
In a large skillet melt 4 tablespoons of butter on medium high heat then add your peeled and sliced onions. Stir occasionally and add more butter as needed. You will be surprised how long it takes to caramelize the onions to the desired consistency but make sure you keep your eyes on them as you don’t want them to actually burn.
While the onions are cooking whisk together 3 eggs at room temperature with 5 ounces of goat cheese also at room temperature until nice and creamy. Pour over the cooled tart shell and bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until the egg and goat cheese mixture has set up. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Once the onions have become a dark caramel brown and shrank dramatically in size season with a little kosher salt. Taste, do they need more salt? Now that the seasoning is just right turn heat off and let the onions cool down for 10-15 minutes. Scoop the caramelized onions into the tart shell and spread evenly. I like to add a few dollops of the left over ounce of goat cheese to the top but that is optional.
Turn the oven on broil and place tart shell under the broiler. Once the dollops of goat cheese have some color remove from the broiler.

This tart is great served with a small salad or as an appetizer to share with friends.

hide recipe

3 cans cream style corn
3.5 Tbl. sugar
3 Tbl. flour
1.5 tsp. salt
1cup cup butter-melted
6 eggs

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Bake in a 13x9 baking dish at 300' till firm

hide recipe

4 pounds Baby Red Potatoes
1 pound thick bacon, reserve bacon fat
1 small package frozen petite peas-thawed
1 1/2 cups Safflower Mayo
2 tablespoons bacon fat
2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tablespoon Honey
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Fresh Dill
Cracked Black Pepper-Optional (See footnotes)

Fry bacon and set aside to cool, reserving two tablespoons of fat for later. Once the bacon is cooled chop coarsely.
While boiling a large pot of water wash and cut baby red potatoes in half. Once the water is boiling drop the potatoes in and cook until fork tender. Strain and let cool off.
In a large bowl, maybe the one you would like to use for serving this masterpiece, combine mayo, vinegar, honey, Dijon, and bacon fat, and whisk until combined. Now, taste it. Does it need anything? Maybe more honey? Maybe more vinegar? Maybe more Dijon for some extra tang? Once it's to your liking then add the bacon and dill and combine. Place 1/3 of the cooked potatoes and gently fold them into the mixture. Add the peas then, another 1/3 of the potatoes gently folding, add the last amount of potatoes and fold until everything has been coated. Sprinkle some fresh dill on top as a garnish, and enjoy.

Adding freshly cracked pepper is optional. I personally don't. However, if you would like to use pepper bacon that might be tasty. Just a thought.

hide recipe