You’ll need guava paste, mascarpone cheese, freeze-dried strawberries, confectioners sugar, and ready-made pie crust (but by all means, make your own from scratch if you’re bored).

oh and an egg. you’ll need an egg. and some milk.

If your pastry dough was round, square off the edges.

Beat an egg and add a little water to make an egg wash. Cut the pastry into 3″ squares and brush with egg wash.

This is guava paste. It’s tempting to fill the tarts to the brim with this delicous stuff, but try to keep it to about 1 1/2″-2″ square x 1/4″ thick.

Top each egg washed square with a little square of guava paste.

.. and a little bit of mascarpone, about a teaspoon.

yesssssss.

Top with another square of pastry and press down to seal the edges.

Use a fork to crimp the edges together. Give the top crust another brush of the egg wash if you like. Bake @ 350F for 20 mins.

While the tarts are baking, let’s make some strawberry icing. Confectioner’s sugar (about 2 cups) + freeze dried strawberry powder (about 2 tbsp) and just enough milk to get the consistency you like. I think I used about 1-2 tbsp.

YEE.

Top the warm tarts with some icing, about a teaspoon.

Let the tarts cool a bit and let the icing set. Or stuff them in your face and eat them warm. Whatever.

The icing might be my favorite part lol

boom.

For turkey bolognese, you’ll need carrots, celery, onion, lean ground turkey, whole milk, dry white wine, nutmeg, San Marzano tomatoes, butter, oil, salt & pepper.

Dice the onion, celery and carrots.

In a large pot, add butter, oil and onions. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes, until onions are translucent. Add in carrots and celery and cook a couple more minutes.

Add in the ground turkey, using a wooden spoon to crumble the meat.

Once the turkey is no longer pink, add in the milk and let simmer…

… simmer until all the milk has evaporated, stirring often. It’ll take about 30 minutes.

Add in a grating of nutmeg, about 1/8 tsp.

Add in the wine and, once again, let simmer until it evaporates. About 20 minutes.

Once the wine has evaporated, add in the tomatoes. Once the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat to a nice, lazy simmer.

Let simmer, uncovered, for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. if the sauce dries out and begins to stick to the pan, add 1/2 cup a water at a time, as needed, throughout the 3 hours.
The sauce is done once the fat begins to separate from the sauce (you can see that happening in the last picture on the right).

I’ll eat it just like this. Pls and thx.

When I’m trying to lay off the beige carbs, I like to use zucchini noodles with this sauce. This sauce makes anything taste good though, even this perpetrating pasta.

*heart eye emoji*

Throw a little fresh basil on top and you’re done. Add some grated parm, too, if you like!

do it. do it now.

You’ll need strawberries, dried rose flowers, dried hibiscus flowers, sugar and a lime.

Place the dried roses in a bowl…

… along with the hibiscus.

Pour boiling water over the flowers. How pretty is this? Cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

The hibiscus has such a deep, rich color.

Strain out the flowers and discard.

Add 1 cup of sugar to the flower water and stir to dissolve.

Add 1 tsp of lime juice, more to taste if you like. Stir in the vodka or rum if you’re using (see the notes).

In a large bowl, combine flower water and strawberries. Puree until smooth. You could also do this in a blender or food processor.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, about 2 hours. Add to your ice cream maker canister and churn according to your machine’s directions. It took mine about 20 minutes.

It’s pretty much soft serve. You’ll need to freeze it for a bit but please, taste how awesome it is already.

Freeze in an air-tight container for a couple hours before serving.

Look.

All of these flavors are pretty ridiculous together. The strawberry hits you first, and then this deep, caramel flavor from the dried hibiscus, with a faint rose aftertaste.

Totes impressed myself.

You’ll need salt, sugar, roasted + unsalted peanuts, lemongrass, galangal, Thai chilis, kaffir lime leaves, and an onion.

Cut the kaffir lime leaves into thin strips. The easiest way is to roll them up in a little bundle, then julienne.

The easiest way to tell where the tender parts of a piece of lemongrass begins is to bend it in half. Cut there, then remove any tough outer layers to reveal the tender white part. Slice thinly.

Cut the galangal into matchsticks; be sure to use a sharp knife – galangal root is a little woody in texture and can be tough to cut. Slice the onions and the Thai chilis.

Heat oil in a pan over medium-highish heat, just until the oil begins to shimmer. Drop in the kaffir lime leaves…

…and fry until just crispy. It should only take a few seconds.

Drain on paper towels and season with 1/2 tsp salt. Set aside.

In the same pan, add the onions and the galangal and saute until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add in lemongrass and chilis and cook until the veggies begin to crisp up, about 8-10 minutes.

Gettin’ crispaaaay.

Let the crispy vegetables drain on paper towels.

Toss the peanuts in the pan with the flavored oil for a few seconds, then drain on paper towels until most of the oil is gone.

Season with 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of salt. Add in the crispy fried vegetables and stir to combine. Taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Finally, add in those super tasty crispy kaffir lime leaves and toss to combine.

That’s it! It’s my new favorite snack (Confession: I almost made it my new favorite dinner and had to stop myself from eating a bowl of peanuts with a spoon like a bowl of cereal. True story.).

Pungent lemongrass, crispy onions and the spice from the chilis make these spicy peanuts pretty addictive.

Thanks, EGBOK!

You’ll need chili flakes, cilantro, lime, garlic, peanuts, snap peas and vegetable oil (not pictured)

Trim the ends off the snap peas.

Get the rest of the ingredients prepped – zest the lime and chop the cilantro and peanuts. Note: The lime zest *makes* this dish.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over high heat. Add in the snap peas and saute for 3-4 minutes, until tender but still crisp.
Add in the garlic and the chili flakes and sauté another 30 seconds, keeping the pan moving or constantly stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn.

Place the sautéed snap peas in a bowl and add in the chopped cilantro, chopped peanuts and lime zest.

Squeeze in the juice of half a lime and add a splash of fish sauce, if you like.
Taste it. Adjust salt, pepper, lime juice, chili flakes etc as desired. Sometimes (most times) I use the juice of a whole lime. I like things sour.

Garnish with additional chopped peanuts and cilantro if you like.

I could eat this whole bowl…

… i did eat this whole bowl :X

You’ll need Thai basil, mint, green onion, chili flakes, fish sauce, butter lettuce, ground pork, limes, garlic, shallots and toasted rice powder.

Mise-en-place! The French term meaning “putting in place”; this is what makes cooking a breeze – chop everything that needs to be chopped before you start cooking.

This is toasted rice powder. If you can’t find this in your Asian grocery store, you can make it yourself by adding 1 tbsp of rice to a dry pan and heating over medium, shaking the pan, until the rice is evenly browned, about 3 minutes. Then use a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle to grind into a powder.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook until it begins to brown, about a minute. Add in the sugar and stir, cooking another 30 seconds or so. Add in the ground pork. Using a wooden spoon, break the pork down into pieces while it cooks. Cook until no longer pink.

Add in the toasted rice powder…

… and the chili flakes…

… the juice of one lime…

… and the fish sauce.

Stir in the shallots.

Remove the pan from the heat and add in the chopped green onion, Thai basil, mint and cilantro. Stir to combine. Now, taste it. Does it need more spice? More sourness? More salt? Adjust the seasonings to your taste. I love this dish sour, so I add another half of lime juice or so.

Place about 1/4 cup of the larb into each lettuce cup. Garnish with additional torn herbs and lime wedges.

SO GOOD. If you want a more filling meal, serve with sticky rice or brown rice.

I like ’em just like this – easy peasy, simple, full of flavor, healthy and deeeeeelicious!

You’ll need bread crumbs, andouille sausage, portobello mushrooms, parmesan cheese, shredded cheese, creole seasoning, garlic, a leek, an egg, spinach and green onions.

If your mushrooms aren’t already clean, remove the stems and use a spoon to remove the gills. Reserve the stems and chop them up to add to the filling. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and bake, gill side up, for 12 minutes @ 350F.

Chop your mushroom stems, leeks, garlic and sausage.

Heat a large pan over medium heat and olive oil. Saute garlic and leeks for a few minutes. Add in creole seasoning and mix.
Add in spinach, in batches if necessary, and cook until wilted. Add in the chopped mushroom stems here if you have them.

Cook the spinach just until wilted. Place the mixture in a medium bowl and let cool slightly.

To the spinach mixture, add sausage, both cheeses and 2 tbsp of the breadcrumbs. Mix to combine and taste; adjust seasonings as needed.

Add in the green onions…

… and the beaten egg.

Drain off any liquid from the mushrooms that accumulated after baking, then stuff with spinach mixture.

Top each mushroom with the remaining 1 tbsp of breadcrumbs and an additional 1 tbsp parmesan cheese if desired. Bake for 10 minutes, until warmed through and topping is browned.

Ta-da! Spinach and andouille stuffed mushrooms!

Browned crispy topping is the bestest.

noms.

You’ll need potatoes, onion, cheese, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, butter, sour cream, shrimp, garlic, celery and green onions. Also, salt, pepper and olive oil (not pictured).

Wash and dry the potatoes thoroughly. Use a fork to prick holes around the potatoes to let the steam escape. Coat in olive oil and bake for about an hour, until tender.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in onion, celery and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add in half of the green onions…

… and the Cajun seasoning. (tangent: can we talk about this action shot? *pats self on back*)

Add a couple of dashes of hot sauce, more if you like it spicy, and stir to combine.

Add in the shrimp, cook until opaque. Set the mixture aside.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice of the top 1/3.

Gently scoop out the potato flesh into a bowl, leaving about 1/4″ of potato still attached to the skin. Scrape out the flesh from the potato tops, too. You can discard those top skins.

They should look a little something like this. Be careful not to dig too deep, you don’t want to break the bottom of the potato shell.

Add the sour cream, salt, pepper and remaining green onions to the scooped out potatoes. Mash until desired consistency…

Optional step: I like my twice-baked potatoes super creamy and smooth, so I use a hand mixer, on low, for about 1 minute, just to get out the big lumps and smooth it out a bit.

Fold in the cheddar cheese.

Gently fold in the shrimp mixture. Don’t forget the butter. Add all that butter at the bottom of the pan in, too.

It should look a little something like this. Taste the mixture and adjust salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning as needed. I added a bit more Tony Chacheres.

Pile the mixture back into the potato skins as hiiiiiigh as you can pile it. Top with additional cheese, if desired. Bake for another 20-25 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is melty and delicious.

BLOOP.

The inside is just so creamy and delicious. The sour cream adds great texture and a little bit of a tang to cut through the richness of the cheese. And the shrimp are just bomb, so there’s that.

Serve it with a little salad and you’ve got dinner.

Let’s just look at the inside again. SO GOOD.

You’ll need brown sugar, pie dough (home made or store-bought) butter, pumpkin puree, egg, pumpkin pie spice, condensed milk, apples, lemon and strawberry preserves.

In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin puree, condensed milk, egg, pumpkin pie spice and salt.

Cut pie dough into 3 1/2″ rounds.

Fit the pie dough rounds into a greased 12-cup muffin tin.

Fill each cup half way with the pumpkin mixture, about 2 tablespoons per cup. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes. While the pumpkin is baking, prepare the apple roses.

Cut around the core of the apple.

I used a mandolin to cut the slices thinly. It’s a breeeeeze! You could also cut the apples with a very sharp knife into very thin half-moons.

Thin, uniform slices. Thanks, mandolin! And I still have all my fingers! Yuuhhhsssss.

Melt 2 tbsp of butter and combine with 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

Add the lemon juice to the sliced apples and toss. Pour the butter + sugar mixture over the apples and toss to combine.

Microwave the apples for 1 minute, until pliable enough to roll.

Start with about 8-10 slices, laying the slices out horizontally, overlapping the previous apple by half.

Being rolling tightly on one end toward the other, using one hand to roll and the other to support.

Add additional “petals” to the outside until desired size. I used about 10-15 apple slices per rose.

While rolling the roses, keep them nestled together in a bowl. They may unravel a tiny but, but it’s easy to tighten them back up.

After baking for 15 minutes, remove the pumpkin pies from the oven and top each with an apple rose.

If you like, gently pull on the “petals” to spread them out and make the rose bigger. Reduce the heat to 375F and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Once you remove the pies from the oven, gently brush on the warmed strawberry preserves – just enough to add some shine and a bit of red color.

voila!

I decorated the plate with dried rosebud tea that I found at the Persian market.

mini and delicious!

yeee!

You’ll need chicken wings, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, black pepper, bay leaves and green onions (not pictured).

Pat the chicken wings dry and toss in the cornstarch. This isn’t a heavy breaded coating, just a light dusting of cornstarch to help the chicken brown nicely.

Brown the chicken in a large non-stick pan or a ceramic dutch oven, about 10 minutes, flipping once.

If you cooked the chicken in batches, add it all back into the pan.

Add the garlic and ginger to the chicken and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add in the soy sauce and vinegar…

And the sugar and pepper. I love love love a ton of black pepper in this and used about 1 tbsp (maybe 1 1/2 tbsp), but please adjust to your liking.

Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 8 minutes. Remove the cover and crank up the heat to medium high. Stir and cook until the sauce has become a thick glaze, about 8 more minutes.

Sprinkle with green onions and devour!

They’re just so stinkin’ good.

I mean, c’mon.

You’ll need baguettes (or your favorite bread of choice) sugar, flour, creole seasoning (I like Tony Chachare), cornmeal, vinegar, shrimp, carrots, radish (or daikon), jalapeno and cilantro.

Cut the carrots and radishes into matchsticks. I’m using rainbow carrots and red radishes because that’s what was at the farmer’s market that day. Use whatever you fancy! Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp sugar, and massage into the veggies. 

Once the veggies can bend without breaking, you’re ready to quick pickle! Rinse the salt and sugar off with cool water.

Place the veggies in a clean jar. In a separate bowl, combine vinegar,  warm water and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Pour over the vegetables and let pickle for an hour before enjoying.

While the pickles are pickling, combine the cornmeal, flour, creole seasoning and seasoning salt for the fish fry. Dip the shrimp in milk, then dredge in the flour mixture.

Shallow fry (about 1/2″ oil) until cooked through and crispy on both sides, about 2-3 minutes.

Drain the fried shrimp on paper towels. Try not to eat them all.

Split open your bread of choice and place mayo on both cut sides. Sprinkle with hot sauce on one side, Maggi seasoning on the other. This is totally optional and totally necessary.

Top with shrimp and cilantro…

…and pickled veggies and jalapenos.

Dassit!

The pickled veggies pretty much make the sandwich for me. And the shrimp. And the Maggi seasoning.

You can also do these and delictable little mini sliders! You know how I feel about mini thinggggggs!

First of all, look how at how gorgeous the place looked!
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

Barb at Blanc Floral Designs did an AMAZING job with the arrangements. Seriously. Amazeballs.
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

Gettin’ ready to butter your biscuits!
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

Mini cornbreads and mini biscuits, served with honey butter. You know how I feel about mini thingggggs!
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

For the amuse bouche, I made a little bacon jam (recipe here)…
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

…to go with some awesome Red Hook Cheddar.
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

Next up, my personal favorite of the night – Shake Rag blue cheese and candied bacon deviled eggs with a little lemon zest.
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

That point in the middle of service where you feel like you’re in the weeds, but you really had it all under control lol
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

Next, the hushpuppies.
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

Goat cheese hushpuppies, scallion slaw and remoulade.
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

Orders up!
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

Time for some greens!
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

Third course – chicken thighs brined, then sous-vide, crispy chicken skin, smoked turkey collards, cajun cheddar mac and cheese muffins, wrapped in prosciutto.
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

The beautiful Bianca and her delicious dessert!
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

And finally, dessert – hummingbird cake with dehydrated pineapple flower and creme fraiche icing by Bianca, The Cheese Store of San Diego’s Pastry Chef.
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

Talkin’ chicken.
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

The crew!!!
photo credit: Chantal Pasag | Pasagraphy

You’ll need chicken pieces, chicken broth, pepitas / pumpkin seeds (hulled), hominy, cilantro, epazote or oregano, tomatillos, jalapenos, onion, garlic and bay leaf.

Start by toasting the raw pepitas in a dry pan over medium heat until slightly puffed, about 6-8 minutes.

Once completely cooled, grind them in a spice/coffee grinder or use a mortar and pestle. Or a zip lock bag and a heavy ass pan… as long as it’s all ground up.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in large pot and add bay leaf, half of the onions, half of the garlic and 1 tsp of salt. Reduce to a simmer and add in chicken pieces. Keep the liquid at a simmer until  chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, shred into bite size pieces, discarding the skin and bones.

Strain the broth, discarding the solids.

Grill or broil the tomatillos and jalapenos until the skin chars in places, about 10-15 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove the charred skins (a little char here and there is just fine, and actually preferred)..

In a medium bowl, combine the roasted tomatillos and jalapenos with cilantro, epazote or oregano, the remaining garlic and onion and 1 cup of the reserved broth.

Left: Using an immersion blender (or traditional blender, in batches if necessary) puree the tomatillo mixture until smooth.
Right: Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot until almost smoking. Reduce heat to medium and add in tomatillo puree. Cook until slightly thickened and color deepens, about 15 minutes.

Add the ground pepitas to the pot and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Add in the shredded chicken and hominy.

And, finally, 3 cups of the reserved chicken broth. You may have some left over – it’s like liquid gold though, save it! Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes.

Could you eat it just like this? Sure! But half of the fun is customizing the soup to your liking with all kinds of garnishes…

I like to garnish with avocado, green onion, sliced radish and lime juice.

And then I finish with a little flaky sea salt. Because, salt.

yuuuup.

You’ll need dried red beans, a ham hock, smoked sausage, chicken broth, creole seasoning, onion, thyme, garlic, celery and bay leaves.

Add 2 tbsp olive oil (or bacon fat) to the bottom of the pressure cooker over medium heat. Add in onion, celery and bell pepper (if using, ew). Cook the veggies down for about 8-10 minutes. They should be soft and cooked through.

Add in salt, pepper, creole seasoning and stir to combine with vegetables.

Add in thyme and garlic…

…and the sausage. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook until the sausage has browned, about 5 minutes.

Add in the beans, the chicken stock and the bay leaves…

…and finally, the ham hock. If you can’t find a ham hock, a smoked turkey leg or neck will also work. Strap on the lid and bring the cooker to full pressure. Reduce the heat and keep the pressure steady (according to your pressure cooker’s manufacturer’s instructions). Start timing for 60 minutes once the cooker has come to pressure.

Ta-da! After an hour, turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally.  I needed about 15 more minutes of cooking (without pressure and with the lid off) once the pressure came down.

I love lots of chopped green onion on top.

A delicious and hearty meal, by basically just throwing everything in the pressure cooker! Serve with steamed white rice.

You’ll need sugar, milk, flour, cornmeal, strawberries, baking powder, butter, vanilla extract and an egg.

Remove the tops and hull from the strawberries. The “hull” is that white stem that runs down the center with a little bit of a tough texture. Cut that thing out.

In a medium bowl, add all of the dry ingredients – flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.

In another bowl, beat the sugar and butter with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add in the egg and beat to incorporate. Add in the milk and vanilla extract, and beat again to combine.

Stir in the dry ingredients until well combined.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Top with the halved strawberries, cut side down, keeping the berries as close together as possible. Sprinkle the berries with the remaining 2 tbsp of sugar and bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325F and continue baking for another 50-60 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown on top.

Ta-da!!! The sugar on top of the strawberries bakes in and makes the berries jammy and delicious!

The crunchy sugary edges are my favorite part.

Listen. The cake is fantastic as it is, but if you’d like to dress her up a bit, I like to add a drizzle a little TJ’s balsamic glaze and a dollop of mascarpone cheese. Because, strawberries, balsamic and mascarpone are BFFs.

Mmmm. Yup.

For the coconut rice, you’ll need rice, chicken broth, coconut milk, scallions, lemongrass, lime, serrano chili, ginger, baby bok choy and fish sauce.

Heat 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Saute garlic, ginger, chili and 1/4 cup of the scallions until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add in rice and fish sauce. Stir to coat the rice until it’s shiny.

Add in chicken broth and coconut milk…

…and the stalk of bruised lemongrass. Cover the pot, bring  to a boil then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.

Add 2 tbsp oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add in 1/2 cup of the scallions and fry until crispy and the edges are slightly brown, about 5-8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

Saute the baby bok choy in the scallion-infused oil until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oil and set aside.

The rice should be done now – stir the bok choy in.

Add in the crispy scallions (save a few for garnish) and the remaining 1/4 cup of fresh scallions.

dassit!

For the shrimp, you’ll need cornstarch, black pepper, white pepper, salt, green onions and garlic.

Pat the shrimp dry and toss with cornstarch, salt and pepper.

Fry the garlic, chili and scallions in pan with the remaining scallion oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in the shrimp and saute until cooked through, about 1-2 minutes per side.

That’s it!

Serve the shrimp over the coconut rice and garnish with additional fresh and crispy fried scallions.

SO GOOD.

You’ll need flour, milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, cherries, lemon, baking powder, baking soda, butter and sugar.

Add sugar and lemon juice to the fresh cherries and stir to combine.

Divide the cherries evenly between 4 half pint mason jars. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes while you prepare the biscuit topping.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and a dash of cinnamon. Whisk to blend.

Add cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture…

Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dough until it looks like a coarse meal. Add in the milk and vanilla extract and stir until just combine –  don’t over mix!

Top each mason jar with about 1/4 cup of the biscuit dough. You may not use all of the dough. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is browned and the dough is cooked through.

That’s it!

cobbler-y and delicious!

i mean…

c’mon.

You’ll need eggs, roughly chopped greens (I’m using a blend of mustard, turnip, collards and spinach), olive oil, chili flakes, garlic, sea salt and some lemon (not pictured).

Drizzle the greens with olive oil to coat.

Massage the salt, garlic and chili flakes into the greens.

Spread the greens evenly over two baking sheets so that the greens are in a single layer. If you overcrowd the baking sheet, they’ll steam and never get crispy. We want crispy. Roast at 400F for about 15-20 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes until cooked through and crispy.

Begin by taking a sheet of plastic wrap (about 10″x10″) and brush lightly with olive oil. Place the plastic wrap, oil side up, into a small owl or ramekin and crack the egg in. Season with salt, pepper, a couple drops of olive oil and any other spices or herbs you’d like.

Twist the top to seal the egg in the plastic wrap, taking care to squeeze out any air bubbles in the process. Use a piece of kitchen twine (or a rolled up piece of plastic wrap) to tie off.

I like to tie the plastic wrap to a wooden spoon so they don’t get lost in the pot or sink to the bottom and overcook. Not necessary, just a precaution.

Bring a pot of water to a simmer and gently place in the eggs. They should be completely submerged in water. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until whites are set and yolks are still runny.

Dassit!

Annnnd the greens are done! Perfectly roasted and crispy.

Serve the eggs over the greens and you have a perfect little meal.

i heart eggs so much.

Mixing batter for hushpuppies!

The separate ramekin of dessert I made for me and Chantal.

You know the food is good when everyone gets quiet.

A HUGE thank you to our gracious hosts, Francis and Dominic, for offering up their lovely home for our dinner!

For the chimichurri, you’ll need olive oil, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, mint, parsley, cilantro, ginger, green onions and garlic. Ignore the lime. I changed my mind post-picture.

Finely chop the ginger, garlic and jalapeno – either in a food processor or by hand.

Add in the parsley, cilantro, mint, and green onions and pulse until finely chopped, or again, chop by hand.

Place the chopped herbs in a bowl and add in olive oil, fish sauce, rice vinegar and sea salt. Adjust fish sauce, vinegar and sea salt to taste. Go easy on the fish sauce, though. She’s strong.

You’ll end up with something like this!

For the steak, you’ll need the chimichurri you just made and some black pepper. Marinade the steak in 1/4 cup of the chimichurri and 1 tsp of cracked black pepper for at least 20 minutes, up to 1 hour, at room temperature.

Heat a grill-pan or cast-iron pan until very hot, about 10 minutes. Dry off the steak with paper towels and place in the hot, dry pan. Leave it alone to create a nice crust, about 2-5 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your steak. Mine were thin, so I went about 2 minutes per side.

Don’t overcrowd the pan, or you’ll end up with steamed steak instead of a nice, caramelized sear like this! Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Use your favorite sandwich roll – I love ciabatta from Bread & Cie, so that’s what I use. A hoagie roll would also be delicious. Side note: I’m super picky about my bread to meat ratio on sandwiches, it’s a legit issue. Sometimes, I pull out some of the doughy insides to make room for meats.

After letting the steak rest for 10 minutes, slice against the grain.

Place a little chimichurri on the bread. Optional – add mayo to the other slice.

Top with slices of steak…

…aaand more chimichurri!

Serve with a side of chimichurri for dipping. It’s so good man. SO GOOD.

You’ll need cinnamon, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, cumin, thyme, sage, chili flakes, ground turkey, sweet potatoes, onion, garlic, Serrano chilis, spinach and brown sugar. Don’t let the spices scare you – see the notes in the recipe below for substitutions.

Combine the sage, thyme, chili flake, cayenne pepper, garlic power, cumin, cinnamon, brown sugar, seasoned salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix well. Add the spice mix to the ground turkey, along with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Mix well and chill while sweet potatoes cook.

Dice sweet potatoes into chunks about 1″x1″. Boil until tender and a fork can easily pierce the potato, about 10-15 minutes. Don’t overcook them, we don’t want mashed hash!

Saute the chopped onion, garlic and Serrano chilis in olive oil until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add in turkey sausage mixture, breaking it down into large chunks with a wooden spoon. Saute until cooked through.

Add in cooked and drained sweet potatoes and stir to combine.

Add in the spinach.

Once the spinach has wilted, it’s done!

Sometimes, I eat it just like this…

…but when I’m feeling extraly breakfasty, I add an over-medium egg on top.

because, eggs.

You’ll need a slab of baby back ribs, brown sugar, kosher salt, paprika, chinese five spice, black pepper, cayenne pepper and wood chips for smoking. I’m using pecan.

Combine the brown sugar, paprika, chinese five spice, pepper, salt, cayenne in a small bowl and mix.

Sprinkle the ribs with the seasoning on both sides.

Set up the stovetop smoker with 3 tbsp of wood chips and fit with drip tray and rack. You might have to cut the rack of ribs in half to fit into the smoker. Smoke for 1 hour. 5 minutes before the hour is up, preheat the oven to 275F. Place the smoked ribs in a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until tender.

Once the ribs are tender, broil for about 5 minutes to crisp the top. This is optional…like, optional but necessary lol.

That’s it! Smoke dry rubbed deliciousness. If you’re a sauce person, feel free to brush it on. I like them just. like. this.

I ate half of this rack standing over the stove. We’ont need no plates.

You’ll need olive oil, allspice, paprika, turmeric, chili flakes, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder and chicken (I used a combo of boneless, skinless breasts and thighs).

Combine all of the spices and mix thoroughly.

Cut the chicken into large pieces. I used a combo of breasts and thighs, you can use all thighs, just don’t use all breasts – she gets a little dry.

Add the olive oil to the chicken and coat with the spices. Let marinate at least one hour, up to overnight.

Place the chicken on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400F for about 15 minutes.

Sure, you could eat it now, just like this, but there’s one more little step.

Cut the chicken into thin slices.

Saute over medium-high heat with about 1 tbsp of olive oil until the smaller pieces of chicken become brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes.

That’s it! Serve it in a pita with fresh veggies and garlic yogurt or…

…with tabbouleh!

You’ll need cornstarch, salt, pepper, oil, chicken wings and whatever seasoning you’d like. I’m using lemon pepper.

If you purchased whole chicken wings, cut at the joints to remove the wing tip and divide into flats and drumettes.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with just enough cornstarch for a light coating over the chicken skin – this isn’t a heavy breaded deep fried thing.

Prepare a baking sheet with foil and a rack. Oil the rack to prevent the chicken from sticking.  Place the chicken on the rack, skin side up. See how light the coating of cornstarch is?

Spray oil is your friend here. If you don’t have spray oil, place the wings in a bowl and toss with about 1 tbsp of oil.

Make sure the chicken pieces aren’t touching. Bake the wings at 450F for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400F and cook an additional 20-25 minutes.

Bruh.

Season with whatever your delicious heart desires. I’m using about 1 tbsp of lemon pepper seasoning.

Crispy, crackly chicken skin deliciousness with none of the hassle (or added fat!) of deep frying!

Sidenote: I always keep some kind of fresh herb in the fridge – usually parsley, mint or cilantro. To keep herbs fresher longer, cut off the bottom 1/4″ of the stems, place in cup with water and loosely cover the herbs with a plastic bag.

Garnish with any fresh herbs you have on hand – I’m using some chopped cilantro and a few lime wedges.

This.

Thissy McThissington.

For the kulcha, you’ll need greek yogurt (I’m using  Straus Family Creamery Organic Greek Yogurt, the plain, full-fat version), flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, ghee, onion, mint, serrano chilis, ginger and oregano.

Start by combining all of the dry ingredients for the kulcha in a medium bowl – flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir to combine.

Now stir in the wet ingredients – the greek yogurt and the ghee. Add enough water to form a soft, sticky dough. I used about 1 cup.

It’ll look a little rough, but that’s okay.

Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl and cover. Let rest for 1 hour.

For the kulcha filling, combine the chopped onion, chili, mint, grated ginger and oregano. Set aside until the dough is ready.

For the yogurt, you’ll need Greek yogurt, mint, garlic, lime, cucumbers and kosher salt.

Grate the cucumbers and sprinkle about 1/4 tsp of kosher salt. Massage the salt into the cucumbers and let drain in a colander for 20 minutes. Squeeze out as much water as you can. There’s a lot.

In a small saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until browned and nutty, about 5 minutes. Combine the yogurt, garlic, most of the mint, most of the butter (save a bit of each for garnish), zest and juice of 1 lime, and the drained cucumbers.

Divide the dough into 10 evenly sized balls. Let them rest for 10 minutes.

Lightly flour both sides of the dough, as well as your work surface.

Roll out the balls until they’re about 6″ in diameter and this thin. I don’t know how much this is. I’ll guess 1/8″.

Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of the filling on one side of the dough.

Fold the other half of the dough over the side with the filling and press edges firmly to seal.

Roll the filled dough out into an oval-ish shape. Don’t worry if some of the onions start poking out. That’s just fine.

Heat a cast-iron skillet (or other heavy-bottomed pan) over medium-high heat. Add a tiny bit of ghee or vegetable oil to the bottom of the pan and cook the kulcha until bubbles begin to form on the surface and the bottom is browned well. It’s pretty much like cooking pancakes.

Flip and continue to cook on the other side.

Top the cooked kulcha with a little bit of ghee or butter.

Garnish the yogurt sauce with the remaining chopped mint and browned butter.

Confession: I basically made the kulcha so my fingers wouldn’t get dirty eating all the yogurt.

I found dried rose buds for tea at the Persian market. I have yet to use them for tea lol.

You’ll need greens (I’m using collards, but any hearty green will work –  mustard, kale, etc), ginger, onion, garlic, thai chili paste (see the notes below on this ingredient), coconut milk, spiced vinegar, lemongrass and serrano chilis.

Chop up the onions, chilis and garlic. Remove the rough green leaves from the lemongrass and bruise the tender white parts with the backside of a chefs knife. Cut the ginger into thin matchsticks.

Add about 1 tbsp of coconut  or vegetable oil to a large pot and saute the garlic, ginger, onions, chilis and lemongrass until fragrant over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes.

Add in Thai dry chili paste. This is a very specific item found at Trader Joes, but basically we’re trying to add some “umami” flavor. To keep this vegetarian, you could add in a mushroom-based oyster sauce or  fermented black bean paste. If seafood isn’t a concern, you could also add in shrimp paste (bagaoong) or fish sauce (patis).

Add in the coconut milk. I used two cans of full-fat coconut milk, but feel free to substitute half  with light coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and then add in the greens.

Cover with a lid and turn the heat down to medium. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes, until the greens are tender and cooked to your liking.

Ta-da! Tender, delicious and quite flavorful. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. I added about 1/2 tsp of salt and a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper.

Fish out the lemongrass. She’s done all she can do.

This is the key. This is what brings everything together – spiced vinegar. If you can’t find this at your local Asian grocery store, you can totes make your own.

Serve with about 1 cup of hot white rice. Make sure to spoon the coconut broth over the rice!

Add a side of the spicy vinegar and let each person adjust to their personal taste. I like a lot of it.

Delicious, healthy and filling!

You’ll need bacon, camembert, wine, salt, pepper, potatoes and onion.

I use either camembert or brie for this recipe, because I have yet to find roblechon at my local cheese shops. Damn you, delicious elusive cheese!

Slice the cheese up – I sliced it the hard way because I think it’s prettier. Slicing in into strips is juuuuust fine, guys. It all just melts together anyway. Set it aside.

Boil the potatoes until just tender, about 20 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, slice into 1/4″ slices. You could also dice them up – chef’s choice! While your potatoes are boiling, you can start on the bacon and onions.

Cut the bacon into 1/2″ pieces and saute until browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside. DO NOT EAT ALL THE BACON. I know it’s ridiculous to put a plate of crispy bacon in front of someone and not expect them to eat it. I know you want to, ’cause I wanted to. You can have a few pieces though, I won’t tell.

Drain off all but 1 tbsp of the bacon fat from the pan. Add in the onions and saute over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the bacon and wine to the onions in the skillet and let the wine cook down, about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes back in and stir to combine. Remove from the pan from the heat.

If you’re cooking this in a cast iron skillet, remove half of the potatoes (just throw them in the pot you boiled the potatoes in) and layer half of the cheese. Top with the remaining potatoes and the last of the cheese.
If you’re not using a cast iron skillet, place half of the potato mixture in a baking dish, followed by half of the cheese. Finish off with the rest of the potatoes and the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and awesomely awesome.

That’s it! I think it’s easier than mashed potatoes! Garnish with a bit of fresh thyme leaves.

Baking this makes your house smell delicious. I wish there were tartiflette candles. I’d burn ’em all day errday. I love those little bits of crunchy riiiiind too. Don’t sleep on cheese rind.

You can serve as a main course with a nice arugula or spinach salad…

…or with grocery store rotisserie chicken because, lazy.

I mean, c’mon.

You’ll need long beans (sitaw), soy sauce, cane vinegar, garlic, and onion. Not pictured: chili flakes, salt and pepper.

Saute the garlic and chili flakes in about 1 tbsp of vegetable oil for a minute, until fragrant. Add in sliced onions and saute a few more minutes, until the begin to soften. Add in the long beans.

Add in cane vinegar…

…and the soy sauce and one cup of water. Stir to combine, cover and simmer over medium heat until beans are tender, about 10 minutes.

That’s it!

easy peasy lemon squeezy, right? I make this as a side dish and serve with rice and store-bought rotisserie chicken when I’m tight on time (also, when I’m lazy).

You’ll need asparagus, red onion, panko or breadcrumbs, heavy cream and comté cheese (or comparable cheese of your choice).

Place the asparagus in a baking dish and top with sliced red onions and cheese.

Pour over heavy cream.

Top with panko, salt and pepper and bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbly and the asparagus is cooked through.

like that.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy! Ooh, a little squeeze of lemon juice might be nice on this too. Try that and report back!

I served this with some roasted pork loin and a smoked avocado and quinoa salad.

You’ll need a butternut squash, chicken, garlic, aples, red chili flakes, cinnamon, turmeric and cardamom. Ignore the onion, I changed my mind half way and didn’t use it. Not pictured: olive oil, salt, pepper.

Dice up the squash and apples, crush the garlic and place it in a baking dish large enough to fit the vegetables in a single layer and hold the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.

Add in the spices: turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, sugar, salt and chili flakes. Stir to coat the veggies.

Salt and pepper the chicken generously. Drizzle a little bit more olive oil onto the chicken skin to help it brown and crisp up. Bake at 400F for 1 hour 15 mins, or until chicken is browned and cooked through and vegetables are tender.

That’s it!

Place the squash and apples on the serving dish, along with a little of the pan sauce from the baking dish.

Top with a chicken leg and you’re ready for dinner.

A little chopping, a bit of mixing and you have a delicious roasted chicken dinner with vegetables that’s also paleo-friendly!

You’ll need speculoos cookies, sugar, butter and salt (not pictured).
Pulse the cookies in a food processor until the texture is fine like sand. Discard any larger pieces.
Toss the crumbs with salt and sugar. Add in melted butter and combine until the mixture forms a ball. Use your fingers and the palms of your hand to press the mixture into the pie plate. Cover and place in the fridge until ready to use.

For the filling, you’ll need heavy cream, milk, cornstarch, sugar, yellow food coloring, egg yolks, 2 overripe bananas, 1 perfectly ripe banana, and butter.

To get the best flavor, you really do need overripe, black bananas. Although not ideal for eating out of hand, pureed overripe bananas are the heart and soul of this pie!

Combine the 2 overripe bananas with heavy cream and milk; puree until completely smooth. Add in sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks. Place the mixture in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture begins to boil, whisk vigorously and cook another 2 minutes.

Combine the thickened banana cream base with the bloomed gelatin, butter and food coloring. Blend until combined.

I know this is an alarming amount of food coloring, No one wants to eat a gray pie, so it’s necessary. Once this banana cream base is combined with the whipped cream, the color will lighten – basically it won’t look so toxic lol Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and chill until completely cooled, about 45-60 minutes.

Once the mixture has cooled completely, whip the remaining heavy cream with the confectioners sugar until soft peaks form. Add in the banana cream base and mix on low until completely combined and the mixture is light yellow.

Place half of the filling into the crust.

Slice the remaining perfectly ripe banana and add in a single layer on top of the filling.

Top with the remaining filling.
Lick the bowl the filling was in (don’t skip this most necessary step).

That’s it! Keep chilled until ready to serve, but eat within a day (it won’t last that long).

Slice it up and serve. I really didn’t even want to slice it, i wanted to stand over the pie plate with a spoon and motorboat my way to the crust, but alas… #manners.

You’ll need baking powder, flour, sugar, sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract. Ignore the baking soda, didn’t need it for the dough part of this recipe. Not pictured: vegetable shortening and salt.

Cream together the sugar and shortening. Add in eggs and beat with a paddle attachment on medium speed until thick and light yellow.
Alternate adding in the flour and sour cream in 3 separate batches, scraping down the bowl between additions. Cover and chill for at least 45 mins.

Roll the chilled dough out on a very well floured surface to about 1/2″ thick – about 8″ in diameter.

Cut out as many rounds and holes as you can. I used a 3″ round biscuit cutter and a 1″ round cutter for the holes. Re-roll the scraps together and cut out additional holes.

Tip – cut 3 little slits about 1/8″ deep on the tops of the donuts. This creates the “old fashioned” look with lots of extra crispy nooks and crannies.

Place the doughnuts in the 325F oil. Once they float, cook an additional 15 seconds, then flip and cook until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Flip back over and cook until golden, another 1-2 minutes.

Let the doughnuts cool slightly on a rack set over paper towels. Once cool enough to handle, glaze it up!

Glaaaaaze. Place back on the cooling rack and let the glaze set for about 1 minute before serving.

Doughnuts on doughnuts on doughnuts.

Is there anythigtn better than a fresh, crispy and golden old fashioned doughnut? Nope.

For a few of the doughnuts and holes, I poached them in a solution of water and baking soda for about 30 seconds, let the water drip off then fried as normal. Poaching in the baking soda solution is similar to what’s done with pretzels and bagels. It yields a slightly chewy crust with a slight pretzel-y flavor!

I used the same glaze on the pretzeled doughnuts. then sprinkled with a little coarse sea salt.

Pretzeled doughnuts! Let me work out the kinks, then I’ll get this version of the recipe up.

The second experiment came in the form of making an indentation in the center of the doughnut instead of cutting out the hole completely. I fried as normal, then used a spoon to remove the center (where the indentation was), and filled it with vanilla pastry cream.

It’s like an old-fashioned doughnut and a boston cream doughnut had a delicious, crispy baby.

You’ll need quick-cooking grits, milk, goat cheese, garlic, green onion, salt and pepper.

Combine the milk and garlic in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Once the milk is simmering, slowly whisk in the grits. Stir constantly, they’ll thicken quickly, about 6-8 minutes.

Once the grits are cooked through and thickened, remove from heat and add in goat cheese. Stir until fully incorporated. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust as needed.

Add in the chopped green onion.

Spread the grits evenly in an oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the surface of the grits so a skin doesn’t form. Chill until set, about an hour.

You’ll need mushrooms (I’m using shitaake, oyster and crimini), olive oil, white wine, basil, thyme, onion and garlic. Tangent: I have like, zero green thumbs, and I’ve managed to keep this basil plant alive for two weeks. Fresh basil is the shit, y’all!! Especially when all you have to do is reach over and snip some off!

Sidenote: Whenever I trim mushrooms, I keep the trimmings in the freezer for occasions just like this. Dump the mushroom trimmings in a saucepan with a few cups of water and a bay leaf, and ta-da! Tasty, quick mushroom broth in about 20 minutes. This is totes optional, vegetable broth or water would also do fine for the ragout.

Chiffonade the basil by rolling the leaves up tightly, then slicing thin strips. Easy peasy.

In a large, wide pan, heat olive oil and saute onions until soft. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Turn the heat up to high and add in the mushrooms…

…and the basil and thyme. When using dried herbs, squish them between your fingers a bit before adding to the pan, it helps release the oils.

Once the mushrooms begin to release some of their liquid, season with a good pinch of salt. Sprinkle the flour and stir to coat the mushrooms; cook for a couple of minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Add in the wine and reduce until it forms a glaze on the mushrooms.

Add in the broth or water and cook over medium heat until the liquid has thickened, about 15 minutes.

I used a biscuit cutter and made circles. You can also just cut it into squares and call it a day.

…but when they’re circles they look cuter so I cut circles lol

Brown the grit cakes in a non-stick pan with a little bit of oil – about 2-3 minutes per side.

For an appetizer-sized serving, top one grit cake with about 1/4 cup of the mushroom ragout and garnish with more chopped basil and parsley.

For a larger, main course serving, stack one more grit cake and another 1/4 cup of the mushroom mixture on top and garnish.

In case Beyoncé song food puns aren’t your forté, here’s a cheat sheet.
Drunk in Rub = Drunk In Love
If I Were a Po’Boy = If I Were a Boy
Braise-y In Love = Crazy in Love
PEARtition = Partition
Me, Myself and Rye = Me, Myself and I
Pretty Burps = Pretty Hurts
Photo by Chantal Pasag

Chicken wings (all flats, because I’m a wing connoisseur), brined in whiskey then smoked over apple wood chips. After they rest overnight, they’re deep fried then sprinkled with a dehydrated honey and spice rub. Recipe here.
Photo by Chantal Pasag

Chicken-fried portobello mushroom with lemon aioli and smoked tomatoes. Recipe here.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

I was super excited to watch people eat these. Can you tell?
Photo by Chantal Pasag

Topping the braised beef with gremolata.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

Chinese five spice and cocoa braised beef with vanilla bean mascarpone mashed potatoes,  sauteed long beans and gremolata.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

Red wine-poached pears with chai spices, orange flower creme anglaise and brown butter crumble. Recipe here.
Photo by Chantal Pasag

Me, Myself and Rye: I switched up the vodka in a classic Moscow Mule for some Bulleit Rye. Top with ginger beer, a squeeze of lime and some fresh blueberries.
Photo by Chantal Pasag

Pretty Burps: Watermelon puree, strained of solids and infused with chopped kaffir lime leaves for a few hours. Pour equal portions (adjust as desired) of watermelon puree and cava into a glass and enjoy.
Photo by Brandon Matzek

Mikee – host, photographer, and sous chef extraordinaire.

Jason and Chantal, wing and mule in hand.

Brianne and Jervae – two of my most talented friends. I think I met both of them on Twitter.  Yay, the internets!

Jorge and Brandon  – my fellow foodies in crime! Another friendship forged via social media! Thanks, Instagrams!

And a very happy dinner it was!

And a well deserved drink for the chef. Fin!

You’ll need red wine, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, black peppercorns, cardamom and pears.

Cut a thin slice off the bottom of the peeled pear so it can sit upright. Using a sharp paring knife or a melon baller, remove the core from the bottom.

Bring red wine, water, sugar and spices to a boil. Add in pears and enough water to cover. Poach over medium heat for 18-25 minutes. Let cool, then chill over night in poaching liquid.

After chilling, strain the poaching liquid and reduce until thick and syrup-y, about 30-45 minutes over medium high heat.

For the creme anglaise, you’ll need sugar, orange flower water, heavy cream, egg yolks and vanilla paste or extract. Warm the cream and vanilla, then slowly whisk into egg yolk + sugar + orange blossom water.  Place the mixture back into the sauce pan and stir over low heat until thickened and your finger leaves a path on the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Strain to remove any solid eggy pieces that may have overcooked.  Chill; can be made a day ahead.

For the brown butter crumble you’ll need almond flour/meal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, white sugar, sea salt, butter, and chopped almonds.

Brown the butter, then combine with the rest of the ingredients until large crumbs form. Press onto a parchment-lined baking sheet into a 1″ thick layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.

Break the mixture up into chunks. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350F, until browned and slightly dried out.

Place a dollop of the chilled creme anglaise and swipe across the plate with a spoon.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

Place a couple of tablespoons (or more, if you like) of the brown butter crumble next to the creme anglaise and top with one poached pear. Drizzle with red wine reduction.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

Garnish with a few edible flowers.
Photo by Chantal Pasag

This is a light, refreshing end to any meal!
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

I used portobellos that were about 3-4″ wide.

To remove the stem, give it a gentle twist. It should pop right off.

Remove the gills on the underside of the mushroom cap by gentle scraping with a spoon.

Once the mushrooms are cleaned and trimmed, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 425F for about 15 minutes.

You’ll need mayonnaise, lemon, garlic, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Mix it all together and set it aside.

You’ll need cherry tomatoes. Delicious ones from the farmers market if you can – the grocery store tomatoes don’t have nearly as much tomato deliciousness. Stem and half them, then smoke over applewood for 45 minutes. Alternately, roast them at 400F for ~30 minutes to concentrate the tomato flavors.

Let them cool before you start frying them. If they feel like they’re still leaching a bit of water, place the mushrooms between a few layers of paper towels and give a gentle squeeze to get any excess liquid out.

First, dredge the mushroom in flour. This helps the egg mixture stick.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

Dredge in the egg mix, then back into the flour.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

Deep fry at 375F for 5-8 minutes, until brown and crisp.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

See! Crispy and delicious!
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

Time to assemble! Place a light layer of lemon aioli on the bottom slider bun, followed by some baby lettuce.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

Top with a few smoked cherry tomatoes.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

Secure with a cute cocktail toothpick and serve!
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

The mushrooms stay meaty and juicy… a nice contrast to the crispy exterior.
Photo by Mikee Catacutan

Me, super excited to stuff these in people’s mouths.
Photo by Chantal Pasag