1 cup whole milk
2 bags chai tea
4 Tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream

Heat the milk to boiling. Add the tea bags and steep for five minutes. Discard the tea bags, and divide the chai into 2 mugs (1/2 cup each). Add 2 tablespoons of Bailey’s to each mug. Stir. Reheat gently in the microwave if necessary. Serves 2.

(William Sonoma Bar Guide)

2 1/2 oz. gin
2 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 Tbsp grenadine

Pour the gin, lemon juice and grenadine into a shaker half full of ice cubes. Shake well. Strain the contents into an ice-filled glass. Serves 1.

adapted from Quick from Scratch Pasta

4 oz. thin-sliced pepperoni, slices cut in half
1 large onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14.5 oz. can of chopped tomatoes (with liquid)
Splash of red wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
3/4 lb. cavatappi
3 Tbsp chopped parsley

In a large frying pan, cook the pepperoni over moderate heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Turn the heat to medium-low. Using the fat from the pepperoni still in the pan, cook the onion and pepper until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice. Add the salt, pepper, and wine. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the cavatappi until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce, the pepperoni, and the parsley.

(sort of)

8 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
2 Tbsp capers, drained, rinsed, and minced
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed, and minced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix everything together in a bowl. Chill for a few hours. Enjoy with a strongly flavored bread.

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 Tbsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp vanilla extract

In the top of double boiler set over medium high heat, melt the chocolate. Remove from the heat. (Or use the microwave- watch the chocolate carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn.)

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and milk, and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat. (This can also be done in the microwave.)

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and salt until slightly thickened. Whisk 1/2 cup of the hot cream into the egg mixture. Whisk in the coffee powder. In a slow, steady stream, gradually add the egg mixture to the pan of hot cream. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the pan from the heat and strain the mixture into a clean bowl through a fine mesh strainer, pressing against the strainer with the back of a spoon. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla. Pour into a container and cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap, pressing down against the surface to keep a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

When cold, pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine. Churn and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream has come together, transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer until ready to serve.

1/8 cup dark rum
1/2 cup dried sour cherries
4 egg yolks
5 Tbsp sugar
1 cup sour cream/creme fraiche
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 Tbsp black pepper
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, bring rum and dried cherries to a simmer, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 30 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar and creme fraiche. In a 2 quart saucepan, let simmer for 5 minutes the condensed milk, heavy cream, black pepper and vanilla. Temper the eggs, combining the yolk mixture and the hot dairy. Strain and chill.

Stir the cherries into the chilled custard, discarding the rum. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions.

2 cans of 8-count crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
3 oz. sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/2 stick butter, melted
More sugar & cinnamon for the top
Nonstick cooking spray

Heat oven to 350.

Apply nonstick cooking spray to a 9×13 pan. Take one can of crescent rolls and press them out to form the bottom crust.

Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and creamy. Spread the mixture evenly over the crust.

Lay out second can of crescent rolls (pressed out flat as before) on top. Drizzle the butter evenly over the top. Sprinkle liberally with more cinnamon and sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the top is brown. Cool and eat.

3 Tbsp oil (or try bacon fat, it’s incredible!)
1/3 cup popcorn kernals

Place oil in an electric wok (if using bacon fat, warm over low heat in the wok until liquid). Add 1/3 cup of kernels. Raise heat to 400F and cover wok, shaking gently. When first few kernels begin to pop, continue shaking until the corn stops popping.

Turn off the wok, pour popcorn into a large bowl, and add salt and butter to taste. (If using bacon fat, just salt it- no other seasoning is required.)

Note: You can make this with less fat… it just doesn’t taste as good. I’ve made it with as little as 2 teaspoons.

(adapted from this recipe on Ice Cream Ireland)

1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups cream
1 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur

Beat the sugar and egg yolks together until thick and pale yellow.

Bring the milk to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Beat the milk into the eggs and sugar in a slow stream. Pour the mixture back into pan and place over low heat. Stir until the custard thickens (around 140 degrees Fahrenheit).

Allow the custard to cool.

Mix in the cream and the liqueur, beating for one minute. Freeze using a ice cream machine.

2 1/2 cups AP flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1/4 tsp table salt
1-2 tsp ground cardamom
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp cream cheese

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, sugar, salt, and cardamom on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.

Remove bowl from mixer; knead dough by hand in bowl for 2 to 3 turns to form large cohesive mass. Turn out dough onto countertop; divide in half, pat into two 4-inch disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until they begin to firm up, 20 to 30 minutes. (Can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 weeks; defrost in refrigerator before using.)

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out 1 dough disk to even 1/8-inch thickness between 2 large sheets parchment paper; slide rolled dough on parchment onto baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat with second disk.

Working with first portion of rolled dough, cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters (or pizza cutters or knives, if you’re not going for anything fancy) and place shapes on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until light golden brown, about 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Repeat with second portion of rolled dough. (Dough scraps can be patted together, chilled, and re-rolled once.) Cool cookies on wire rack.