In a medium sauce pan, sauté the onions and garlic until soft. Add peas and stock and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened. Transfer mixture into a food processor and mix until smooth. Place mixture in refrigerator to cool. When cooled, form puree into cakes and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes per side until golden brown.

These go very well with a dollop of Crème Fraiche for a first course or as a side with a nice fish like Sea Bass. Bon Appétit! 

Makes 8 Portions of two cakes each

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter, spices and brown sugar.  Let cook lightly 1 minute, then add in fruit. Stir gently and let cook until caramelized, about 6-8 minutes. Let cool. On a sheet pan covered with baking paper, lay all five Phyllo sheets on top of each other. Spoon filling down lengthwise and roll up, placing the seam at the bottom. Brush with egg yolk and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes until crispy and golden.

Let rest for ½ hour before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. 

Bon Appétit!

Serves 6

Combine Rice, 3 cups of the milk, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Ladle liquid from the top of the rice mixture into the beaten eggs. Add egg and milk mixture back into the rice and cook 2-3 minutes more until the mixture is slightly thickened. Add the remaining ½ milk and remove from the heat. Refrigerate until cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Stir in caramel. (recipe follows)

Caramel1 cup        Sugar
2 Tablespoons      Water
8 oz.                      Heavy Cream

Combine sugar and water in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Allow mixture to boil just until a golden color is reached. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream. Cool.

Candied Pecan Streusel

1lb.          Pecans
1¼ cup    Sugar
1½ cups  Water
2 cups     Brown Sugar
3 cup       Plain Breadcrumbs
¼ lb.        Butter, melted

Combine water and sugar and heat until sugar dissolves. Add pecans and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to stand in pot 15 minutes. Strain liquid from pecans and spread nuts onto a baking pan. Bake at 275° for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool. Mix cooled pecan with brown sugar, breadcrumbs and butter with your hands to make a crumbly streusel.

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9” square baking dish with the butter and dust with 4½ teaspoons sugar. Whisk together eggs, cream, remaining sugar, syrup and spices. Add other ingredients, except bread, and mix until well blended. Add the diced bread cubes, mix and let set for one hour to soak. Pour into prepared pan and bake until pudding is set and golden brown, about one hour. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. To serve, cut into pieces. This goes very well with grilled lamb chops or roast pork.

Bon Appétit!

8 Servings

Boil potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and add butter, cream, salt, pepper and cheese. Mash together to a smooth consistency. Spread potatoes on a cookie sheet and cool until firm.

Thaw puff pastry and cut each sheet into 6 even squares.

Divide Potato mixture evenly onto center of each pastry square (you may have potatoes left over). Fold the four corners of the pastry over the potatoes. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg and pinch closed to form a pyramid shape. Bake in 350° oven for 20-25 minutes or until a deep golden color is reached. For a variation, you can add onions, shrimp or vegetables to the potato mixture.

Makes 12 Knish

3 lbs.   Oxtail, sliced 2” tall
1          750 ml Bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
1 lb.     Pearl Onions
6         Slices Bacon
2 oz.    Sugar
2 T.      Black Pepper
2 T.      Kosher Salt
2 T.      Canola Oil

Season Oxtails with salt and pepper. Sear in hot pan with oil until well caramelized on all sides. Place in casserole dish. Sauté bacon and onions until translucent, add to Oxtails. Add wine and sugar and cover. Place in 300° oven for 2-2½ hours until meat is fork tender.  Remove meat and onions, reduced liquid by half or until a gravy-like consistency is reached.

Serve Oxtails on polenta, top with reduced wine sauce.

Serves: 3

Grilled Polenta

13 oz.   (1 Box) Quick Cooking Polenta
5          cups Milk
3 T.      White Onion, finely chopped
1 T.      Black Pepper
2 tsp.   Kosher Salt
1 T.      Canola Oil

Sauté onion three minutes in oil. Add milk, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add polenta to the boiling milk and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Pour polenta onto cookie sheet and cool. Slice cooled polenta and grill 2 minutes on each side.

Makes:  2  9” Pies

Bake Pie Crusts at 350° for 10 minutes or until light or golden brown. Mix together peanut butter, cream cheese, milk and sugar until smooth. Gently fold in whipped cream or cool whip; stir until even color is reached. Divide filling between Pie Crusts and refrigerate until set – 4 hours to overnight 

Chocolate Topping

8 oz.     Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
9 T.       Butter

In a bowl put chocolate chips and butter. Set bowl over a pot of water and set to medium heat. When chocolate begins to melt, stir until an even smooth consistency is reached. Drizzle chocolate mixture over pie and refrigerate until set. 

Makes:  2  9” Pies

2 2/3    cup Sugar
1 lb.      butter
1/3       cup Water
1/4       cup Corn Syrup
1/2       cup Dark Chocolate, melted

1.   Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot.
2.   Heat on low flame until butter is melted.
3.   Simmer until temperature reaches 300° on a candy thermometer.
4.   Immediately pour onto silicone mat or well greased baking pan.
5.   When Toffee is cooled, but still soft, score it with a pairing knife for evenly shaped pieces.
6.   When completely cooled, break along score lines. Top with melted chocolate and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

In a bowl, mix rice, carrots, onions, cheese, thyme and salt and pepper. sprinkle baking powder and flour over the mixture, then stir well. Pour in Eggs and mix lightly until blended.

Heat a cast iron frying pan over medium high heat. Drop 3 heaping spoonfuls of batter into pan. Cook until well brown on both sides (about three minutes) Serve hot!

Makes:    4  (3 piece) portions

Mix all ingredients, except the Balsamic Glaze, together in a bowl or other container, cover, and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, blend all of the ingredients in a blender until the gazpacho is smooth.

Refrigerate the gazpacho until ready to serve. Top each bowl with a
Balsamic Glaze Drizzle and Thyme.

Makes:   About two quarts