Recipes
Chocolate Truffle Tart with Strawberries
Crust
 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
Illustration teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
⅓ cup very cold water
 
Preheat oven to 350. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor and pulse about four times to combine. While running the food processor, pour cooled melted butter into flour mixture slowly. Pulse several times. Add cold water while running. Pulse until it sticks together in small bits. Remove from food processor and press into ungreased tart pan.
Bake 18–20 minutes until it begins to pull away from the edge and is a light golden color.
 
Filling
 
1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
12 ounces 55% to 60% semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
or a 12-ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
 
Heat the cream until very hot but do not bring to a boil. Add the chopped chocolate. Stir until chocolate is dissolved. Pour in the vanilla and stir to mix. Pour into prepared tart pan. Set aside until cool. Refrigerate to set.
 
Topping
 
1½ pounds small strawberries
1 cup heavy whipping cream
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
 
Wash and hull strawberries. Cut in half lengthwise. Place on top of the chocolate in a pleasing pattern. Beat the cream. When it begins to take shape, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until fairly stiff.
Pipe decoratively around the top edge of the tart. Place the rest of the whipped cream in a bowl and pass it when you serve the tart.
Italian Spritz
Ice cubes
3 parts sparkling wine (Prosecco or Cava)
2 parts Aperol (an orange aperitif)
1 part soda water
1 orange slice for garnish
 
Fill glass with ice cubes. Add sparkling wine, Aperol, and soda water. Garnish with an orange slice.
Piña Colada
1 cup pineapple-flavored white rum
1½ cups pineapple juice
¾ cup cream of coconut
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 cup of ice
Pineapple and maraschino cherries for garnish
 
Place liquids and ice in blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into tall hurricane glasses. Garnish with a wedge of pineapple and one maraschino cherry.
Tomato Bacon Tart with Cracker Crust
Author’s note: This crust is wonderfully light and delicious. However, it is very delicate and prone to crumbling. I’m very fond of it, but you may wish to substitute a sturdier crust.
 
2–3 tomatoes
½ teaspoon salt
4 ounces buttery crackers (if using Ritz, about 36
crackers)
7 tablespoons butter, melted
1 plus 3 slices cooked bacon
6 ounces shredded mozzarella
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spread out paper towels. Slice the tomatoes about ¼-inch thick with a very sharp knife. Lay the slices on the paper towels. Set aside the ends of the tomatoes to use in a salad. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt.
Crush the crackers and mix with melted butter and one slice of bacon, very finely chopped. (You can do this in a food processor. Pulse the crackers with the one slice of bacon. While running, add the melted butter. Scrape the sides and run again.) Press into a tart form. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until light brown.
Raise the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees.
Chop the remaining three slices of bacon. When slightly cooled, sprinkle half the bacon on the bottom of the tart. Sprinkle the mozzarella on the tart and spread to the edges. Sprinkle with the garlic and ¼ teaspoon of thyme. Place the tomatoes in an attractive pattern on top and sprinkle with the remaining bacon. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake for 14 to 15 minutes.
Coca-Cola Cake
Note: If you would like to toast the ½ cup of pecans for the frosting, do so before baking the cake. If you don’t have buttermilk, add ½ teaspoon of white vinegar to ½ cup milk and let stand a few minutes.
 
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup Coca-Cola
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups miniature marshmallows
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
Combine sugar and flour in a large bowl. Whisk well and set aside.
Mix together butter, 1 cup Coca-Cola, and cocoa in a pot. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour over sugar and flour mixture and stir, blending well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Add to Coca-Cola mixture. Add marshmallows and stir well. (Note: The marshmallows will not melt.)
Pour into prepared pan and bake 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
 
Frosting
 
Note: Frosting and cake should be warm when applying the frosting.
 
½ cup butter
1–3 tablespoons cocoa powder
6 tablespoons Coca-Cola
1 pound (1 box) confectioner’s sugar
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
 
About 10 minutes before the cake will be done, place ½ cup butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, and 6 tablespoons Coca-Cola in a pot. Pour over the powdered sugar and mix well. Add vanilla and mix. Spread over cake while both cake and frosting are still warm. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Apple Coleslaw
⅓ of an average green cabbage
⅓ of an average red cabbage
2 crisp red apples (like Galas)
2 carrots
½ yellow onion
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
½ teaspoon pink sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon celery seeds
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (or plain paprika)
2 teaspoons olive oil (one with a mild taste or other
vegetable oil)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 heaping soup spoons of mayonnaise (about ½ cup)
 
Peel the outer leaves off the cabbages, wash the cabbages, and cut off ⅓ of each cabbage. Cut out the big core. Shred the cabbage. (Note: Shredding is definitely easier with a food processor but can also be done by hand.) Leave the peel on the apples, cut in quarters, and cut out the core. Shred. Peel and shred the carrots and the onion. Mix cabbage, apples, carrots, and onion well in a big bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugars, mustard, sea salt, pepper, celery seeds, paprika, olive oil, and vinegar. Add the mayonnaise and whisk well. Pour over the cabbage and turn several times to spread evenly throughout.
Bourbon Garlic Flank Steak
¼ cup bourbon
¼ cup canola oil (or other high-heat friendly oil)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 flank steak
 
In a small bowl, mix together the bourbon, canola oil, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk briskly to blend. Stir in the minced garlic. Place the flank steak in as small a container (plastic bags also do the trick) as it will fit into flat. Pour the bourbon mixture over it. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning once. (You can broil it sooner, but the flavors won’t be as strong.)
Remove the meat from the refrigerator at least ½ hour before broiling. Line a broiler pan with aluminum foil and set the top on it. Alternatively, you can use any oven-safe pan with a rack over it. Place the meat on the pan. Broil at 500 degrees for approximately 4 to 6 minutes on each side. The amount of time will depend on the thickness of your meat. Use a meat thermometer to determine when it is ready. Flank steaks are best when red inside. When the temperature reads 120, remove to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice thin, against the grain.
Funeral Potatoes
28-ounce bag of shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces sour cream
10-ounce can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons melted butter
 
Thaw shredded potatoes in refrigerator overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent. Add minced garlic for 2 minutes, stirring with the onions. Remove from heat and set aside.
Pour the thawed shredded potatoes into a very large mixing bowl. Add the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, shredded cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Pour into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle the Panko breadcrumbs over top. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over top. Bake 30 minutes. Pour melted butter over the top. Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes.
A Day at the Beach Cocktails (or in the backyard)
Ice cubes (crushed or whole)
1 ounce vanilla vodka
1 ounce peach schnapps
3 ounces orange juice
3 ounces sweetened cranberry juice
 
Fill a tall glass with crushed ice. Pour in the vodka and the schnapps. Add orange juice and sweetened cranberry juice.
Make Your Own Ice Cream Board
You’ll need one very large cutting board.
 
3 flavors of ice cream
3 kinds of cookies
3 fruits (slice if large like bananas)
1 or 2 toppings
 
Place scoops of each ice cream in its own separate bowl. Add them to the board, one in each corner and one in the middle. Add bowls with the toppings. Place the cookies in between the bowls of ice cream. Don’t overload them. Groups of six to eight cookies are fine. Fill in the empty spaces with fruit.