Adapted from Fine Cooking Ingredients and Prep 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger 1 tsp finely grated garlic Finely grated zest and the juice of 1 lemon 2 TBS and 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Four 1-inch-thick Skinless or skin-on halibut fillets, 6 to 8 oz. each (subst. other fish like snapper, sea bass or grouper) 2 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced (subst. a medium white onion) 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth 4 cups lightly packed spinach leaves, cleaned/rinsed and roughly chopped 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh mint 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions Directions In a small bowl, mix the ginger, garlic, lemon zest, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and a few grinds of pepper to make a paste. Pat the paste evenly all over one side of the fish. In a 5 qt dutch-oven or a heavy 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan with lid, heat the remaining 2 TBS oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute, stirring constantly, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and 1 TBS of the lemon juice. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Then turn the heat to low and arrange the fish ginger-garlic paste side up in a single layer on top of the leeks. Fillets should be almost but not completely submerged in liquid. Gently simmer until the fish is just cooked through, about 8 – 10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. With a slotted spatula, transfer the fish to 4 shallow bowls. If skin-on, easily remove here from fish Add the spinach, mint, and scallions to the broth and stir until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Taste the broth and more lemon juice, salt, and pepper if needed.  Spoon the vegetables and a little broth around the fish and serve. Suggestions: For added spice flavor, add a few shakes of red pepper flakes to the broth before spooning into bowls. Serve with rice or garlic heavy crust bread. #halibut #WhiteFish

Ingredients 12 ounce beer, preferably a dark Mexican beer like Negra Modelo 1/2 lime, preferably a Key lime Coarse salt 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 1 dash soy sauce 1 dash Tabasco sauce 1 pinch black pepper Directions Squeeze the juice from the lime and reserve. Salt the rim of a highball glass by rubbing it with the lime and dipping it in coarse salt. Fill glass with ice. Add lime juice, Worcestershire, soy sauce, Tabasco, & pepper. Pour in beer, stir and serve, adding more beer as you sip.

For the cheese, use any good melting white cheese like cheddar, Asiago, Gruyère, or all Parmesan. Makes about 4 servings, Prep time: 10 mins, Cook time: 20 mins Ingredients 1 large cauliflower, trimmed and separated into florets 1 cup skim or whole  milk, or cream 2 TBS butter 1 1/2 cups grated white melting cheese (white cheddar, Asiago, Gruyère, Parmesan) 1/2 tsp of fresh grated nutmeg 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or 1/8 tsp Cayenne powder (optional) kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste chopped fresh parsley for garnish Directions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil cauliflower until very tender, about 12 – 15 minutes. Drain and place cauliflower in a bowl on the side. Wipe pot clean. Add milk, butter, and cheese to the pot. Sprinkle a little salt, pepper and add red pepper flakes (or cayenne). Turn the heat to med-low. Cook until butter and cheese have melted, about 3 minutes. Stir often to keep the cheese sauce from sticking. Add tender cauliflower and mash using a fork or better a potato masher. Stir well to combine all ingredients. The consistency should be like mashed potatoes. If not creamy enough add a little milk or cream. Taste it and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper or red pepper. #Cauliflower #MashedCauliflower

Serves six to eight. store bought rotisserie oven roasted chicken, meat removed and chop 2 TBS canola or vegetable oil 1 large onion, chopped medium dice 2 large carrots chopped fine dice 2 large celery stalks chopped fine dice 2 TBS ground cumin 1 TBS ground coriander 2 tsp dried oregano 3 medium cloves garlic, minced 1 jar or can (about 4 oz.) diced mild green chiles, drained 1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth Two 15.5-oz. cans white beans (sugg. cannellini and garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed well 1 cup frozen corn Prep all ingredients above ready to add to the brew! Heat the oil over medium-­high heat in a 5 to 6 quart heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrot, celery and cook, stirring with wooden spatula or spoon, until tender and a little bit of browning occurs, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the cumin, oregano, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Stir in the chicken and chiles. Add the broth to deglaze pot. Add 1 can of beans. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially cov­ered and stirring occasionally, until the flavors blend, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, puree the other can of beans in a food processor or blender. Stir the pureed beans into the chicken mixture along with the corn. Continue to simmer to blend the flavors, about 5 minutes longer. Add Salt and pepper to taste. Serving suggestion: Serve with tortilla chips, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, thinly sliced scallions, cilantro leaves, sliced pickled jalapeno chiles, red or green hot sauce, sour cream, guaca­mole, red or green salsa, and lime wedges to sprinkle a little juice to lift the chili in flavor.

Chamomile tea 1 oz. Maker’s Mark 1 oz. St. Germain Pour very hot water over the tea. If using tea bag, dunk it up and down 2-3 times. Cover the tea container. Steep about 5-7 minutes. Remove the tea bag and add Maker’s Mark and St. Germain liquor. #cocktail #digestif #warmcocktail

Servings 6 or more Prep time: 30 minutes or shorter if you’re in a hurry, Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes, absolute Ingredients and Prep 2 cups milk 3 eggs 3/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp almond extract 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup granulated sugar a crusty Italian or French loaf or baguette sliced 1 inch thick on a sharp diagonal (The type bread is important, makes the French toast! Successfully I’ve used a narrow, 2 foot long French baguette, sour dough baguette or an Italian loaf. Be sure to cut it on a sharp diagonal slant, and discard ends. ) Directions Make the custard: whisk together all ingredients, except bread. Soak the bread: place the bread slices on a shallow baking pan, large enough to accommodate them in a single layer. A rimmed cookie sheet pan (or jelly roll) works well. Try not to overlap bread. Pour the custard evenly over bread. Flip the slices to coat both sides. Place in refrigerator until ready to bake and to absorb any remaining custard. Preheat oven 400 degrees F. Place a baking sheet (flat cookie sheet) in the center of the oven while it is preheating. Remove the preheated baking sheet from oven and spray lightly with cooking spray, or rub sheet lightly with vegetable or canola oil.  Place bread slices on the baking sheet and return to the oven. Bake until French toast is crisp, golden brown and firm in the centers, about 20 to 25 minutes. Optional, dust lightly with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with warmed maple syrup. #BREAKFAST #Frenchtoast

Ingredients 3 to 4-bone beef rib roast (about 8 lb.), preferably from the small or loin end and Prime grade if possible (buying guide below for number or people serving) 3 TBS fleur de sel or other flaky sea salt 1-1/2 TBS coarsely cracked black pepper 1 TBS extra-virgin olive oil 8 to 10 sprigs rosemary 8 to 10 sprigs thyme 10 medium cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Preparation Take the beef out of the refrigerator 2 hours before cooking so it can come to room temperature. After 30 minutes, season the meat on all sides with the fleur de sel and cracked black pepper. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 500ºF. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic and herbs with olive oil to create a thick paste. Let sit for as long as possible. Trim excess fat from the roast, then coat evenly with the oil/herb mixture. Place the roast, ribs down or fat side up, in a heavy stainless-steel or other metal pan. Put the roast in the oven for 20-25 min. to create a nice crust. Keeping the oven closed, turn the temperature down to 200ºF and slow roast.  The time will depend on the weight of the roast –  approximately 10 to 15 minutes per pound.  With a thermometer inserted in the center of the cut should read 120º to 125ºF for rare, 130º to 135ºF for medium-rare. Let the meat rest at least 30 minutes before carving to retain juices. Guide for the size roast you’ll need, for a generous serving, figure on two people per rib: six (6) people – three (3) rib roast eight (8) people – four (4) rib roast ten (10) people – five (5) rib roast twelve (12) people – six (6) rib roast fourteen (14) people – seven (7) rib roast Don’t bother with less than a three-rib roast, any less than that is not a roast but rather a thick steak and would be better treated as such. The Real Secret to a Perfect Prime Rib A thermometer is the absolute best way to guarantee the roast turns out exactly the way you want it. For an accurate reading, push the thermometer into the middle of the roast, making sure the tip is not touching fat or bone (or the pan!). We recommend rare or medium-rare. Cooking it beyond medium is a waste of a superior cut of meat. Remember that the roast’s temperature will rise at least 5 degrees after you remove it from the oven. The slices taken from the ends of the roast will be the most done, and the middle will be the least done, so you should be able to suit the preferences of everyone at the table. Serve with pan drippings and horseradish on the side. #garlic #Thanksgiving #rosemary #RibRoast #thyme