"I always thought I was supposed to say my Grandma makes the best mac and cheese. Not true anymore, Jenn" -Billy

Cooking is no fun without amazing people to cook for!

playing ketchup....

or catch up.
I spend a ton of time reading recipes. It's kinda silly how many times I flip through the same Bon Appetit. Anyways, since several of these recipes have become regular repeaters I decided I should mention them.
1. Rao's Sauce
It's my favorite jarred sauce at the market. I found this recipe from my dear friend Martha Stewart.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/raos-marinara-sauce
It was good and made three dinners worth of sauce. I used it to make this eggplant parm below which was very tasty- always use panko breadcrumbs and lots of basil.

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
from "Baked: New Adventures in Baking"

Ingredients:

1 ball of Classic Pie Dough (1/2 of the recipe above), chilled
2 cups pecan halves, toasted (<--important to toast! don't skip) 3 large eggs 3/4 cup light corn syrup 3 tablespoons sugar 4 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Pinch of salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 tablespoons bourbon 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coarsely chop 3/4 cup of the pecans. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until combined. Add the corn syrup, sugars, butter, salt, vanilla, and bourbon. Whisk again until combined. Stir in the chopped pecans and set the filling aside.

Spread the chocolate chips evenly along the bottom of the frozen pie shell.

Pour in filling

Arrange the remaining 1 1/4 cups pecan halves on top of the filling.

Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 30 minutes.

I found out I am not a fan of Florida lobsters. But, they were beautiful. Nicely done Nathan.


Parkers Beef Stew
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parkers-beef-stew-recipe/index.html

• 2 1/2 pounds good quality chuck beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 (750-ml bottle) good red wine
• 3 whole garlic cloves, smashed
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Good olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally in 1 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, stems discarded and cut in 1/2
• 1 pound small potatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 cups or 1 (14 1/2-ounce can) chicken stock or broth
• 1 large (or 2 small) branch fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas

Directions

Place the beef in a bowl with red wine, garlic, and bay leaves. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper. Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade. In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and brown half the beef over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Place the beef in a large oven-proof Dutch oven and continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary. (If the beef is very lean, you'll need more oil.) Place all the beef in the Dutch oven.

Heat another 2 tablespoons of oil to the large pot and add the onions, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven over the beef. Add 2 1/2 cups of the reserved marinade to the empty pot and cook over high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium heat on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven to bake it for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 250 or 275 degrees F.

Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste, and serve hot.

And my NEW FAVORITE...

Paccheri Pasta with Braised Chicken and Saffron Cream

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/09/paccheri_pasta_with_braised_chicken_and_saffron_cream#ixzz1D8Do9rQU