Jalapeno Tortillas

In my house, we love taco night.  I'm not talking authentic tacos, either.  The real Mexican variety:  chopped meat, rolled in double corn tortillas, topped simply with cilantro, onion, and lime?  They're delicious.  But who doesn't have a soft spot in their heart for Americanized tacos?  We love flour tortillas, ground beef spiced with cumin and chile powder.  Shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and tomatoes on top?  Yes, please.

Taco night is generally a simple meal.  It's a matter of assembly more than cooking.  Although I make my own seasoning in advance, everything else can come out of a package.  That's where these tortillas come into play.  They come together with approximately ten minutes of active time, and the flavor is so worth it.  These tortillas pack a subtle heat and terrific flavor from the oil.  Tortillas from a bag will never again suffice.

Sciabica Jalapeno Beef Rub

I wanted an all-purpose marinade that would add a rich, but spicy flavor to beef.  Here, Sciabica's Jalapeno Extra Virgin Olive Oil pairs beautifully with the flavors of garlic, cumin, and paprika.  It's a little bit Mexican-inspired, but versatile enough to pair with anything.  It is awesome on tri-tip, grilled whole and then sliced.  But, you could use it on flank steak, skirt steak, or any cut of beef that would benefit from a little bit of spice and heat.

Artichokes Francaise

This is a recipe that truly benefits from great olive oil, like Sciabica's Mission Variety Spring Harvest.  First, the battered artichokes are browned in olive oil.  Then the frying oil forms the base of a buttery lemon sauce - not that you can ever go wrong with pan-fried artichokes!  It's not the healthiest dish, but it's really tasty.

Jalapeno Pizza Bianca

I don't even know how to describe pizza bianca. You could say it's like a perfect Neapolitan pizza crust, minus the blistering, cheese, and sauce. You could say it's like focaccia after you drizzle olive oil over the little craters you poked into the dough. But it is thinner, lighter throughout and crispier outside than focaccia. Also unlike focaccia, it's baked freeform on a pizza stone. You could also say that it's going to be amazing sandwich bread, but truthfully, it probably will never make it that far.

This is really easy dough to make. There are just two things to remember, things that turn your dough into pizza bianca, not just any old flatbread. If you have a pizza stone, here's where you use it. The crust will be perfectly crispy. That brings me to the next point: try to go light on surface flour. Excessive flour will turn the bottom of the pie chalky, or even burn it. Serious Eats suggests that you let the dough rise on a sheet of parchment paper, pop the whole thing into the oven, then slide the pizza directly onto the stone after a couple of minutes of baking. You can get away with using less flour if you go that route. But if you're brave, just go naked. In the best version of pizza bianca that I've made, the final rise took place on parchment. I slipped the dough onto the pizza stone using a peel sprinkled with as little flour as I could bear.

This dough is almost guaranteed to form a great hole-filled crumb because it's no-knead. You stir it together in a bowl, then leave the thing alone for a night. The high-moisture dough ensures a great hole structure. You don't need to stress about shaping it perfectly, because its charm lies in its rustic sprawl. Poke it with your fingertips, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake...you'll be thrilled.

Jalapeno Pizza Bianca

by Julie

makes approximately two 14" breads

400 grams bread flour

300 grams room-temperature water (about 1 1/3 cups)

5 grams instant yeast

8 grams kosher salt

3-4 tablespoons Sciabica's Jalapeno Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling (or another high quality delicious olive oil)

Coarse salt for sprinkling

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together until they form a cohesive, well-formed ball. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter overnight.

The next move will take place two hours before you plan to bake. Divide the dough into two halves (you could do one big one, but two are easier to manage). Place each half onto a floured sheet of parchment paper. Don't worry too much about shape; you're just going to let it spread out and rise. Cover with oiled plastic wrap or a towel and let it hang out for an hour or so. When it's rising nicely and looking puffy, preheat your oven as high as it goes, with a pizza stone or overturned baking sheet on the top rack.

Immediately before you want to bake, you'll use your fingers to poke into the surface of the pizza. If they're even, it will look more attractive, but don't go too crazy. Drizzle the olive oil on top and scatter a few pinches of sea salt across the surface.

Preheat oven as high as yours can go. 500°F minimum, 550°F if you've got it. Slide the pizza, parchment and all, onto the baking surface. Let it bake for about 3-5 minutes. Next, carefully slide out the pizza-parchment. Peel the pizza off the paper and put it back on the stone. Let it bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Olive Oil Ice Cream

Some things are meant to be tasted once, and then never eaten again.  "Oh, I've tried that before!" you can demur when someone offers you another bite.  "You enjoy that.  All of it.  I'm set."

Strawberry-Olive Oil Muffins

Nothing says spring like strawberries!  When I received Sciabica’s Mission Variety Spring Harvest Olive Oil, I thought that it would go really well with some of the strawberries that my family picked one sunny Saturday in April.  This oil’s clean flavor works wonderfully in baking.  In these muffins, it works really well with the strawberries – it complements them without overwhelming.

Triple-Pepper Hash Browns

For me, breakfast just isn't complete without hash browns.  You can have your home fries, those chunks of potatoes fried or griddled.  I like my potatoes shredded, full of perfect crispy potato shards and onions for flavor.  If I'm feeling dangerous, I might even take a page out of Waffle House's book and add peppers, mushrooms, or cheese.  But, when I had the chance to try Sciabica's jalapeno olive oil, I realized it was a perfect way to infuse even more flavor and heat into the best part of breakfast.  You could use chopped jalapeno pepper if you want your potatoes even spicier!  But, I think that topping the dish with jalapeno oil adds wonderful flavor without overpowering heat.

Meet Julie!

Hi! I'm Julie and I live in Atlanta, GA by way of South Jersey/Philadelphia, PA (Go Flyers!). Throughout my childhood, my food standards were set high by my mom. Most nights, she presented us with amazing homemade meals that she labored for hours to prepare. It's embarrassing to admit that we took these efforts for granted until the night that Mom served Hamburger Helper. My brother and I refused to eat the offending casserole, opting instead to stay hungry. Our tastes ran towards food prepared from scratch, with love.

As a kid, I always loved to play in the kitchen. But when I went to college, my cooking really took off. Tired of cafeteria food, I tried cobbling together my favorite meals in a dorm

Lock-n-Load Coffee-Rubbed Filet with Guajillo-Garlic Butter, Chile Mashed Potatoes, and Coffee Beans and Cream

I can't lie: I'm not much of a coffee drinker. It's not for lack of interest. I love coffee. It's more that I don't have time for coffee. I could brew it in the morning to help me wake up, sure, but that would eat into valuable sleeping time. Paradox. And unfortunately, when you don't drink much caffeine, it affects you in a way that begins with a pleasant buzz and ends at 4 a.m. with tossing and turning in sweaty sheets, tears, and hushed whimpers of, "I just want to sleep!" Obviously, when we got a chance to try Lock-n-Load's coffee offerings, one of my choices was decaf.

And when you're cooking with coffee after dark, you might want to use decaf so you can sleep that night. These recipes make use of dried chiles for a little bit of Latin-inspired flavor, which is a perfect foil for the coffee. I love this combination of beef and coffee, which is perfect with a little sweetness from brown sugar. And on the side? Once you try simmering black beans in Lock-n-Load coffee, you'll never go back to plain beans cooked in water.

Lock-n-Load Coffee-Rubbed Filet with Guajillo-Garlic Butter, Coffee Beans and Cream, Chile Mashed Potatoes (just for fun)
by Julie Kozarsky

Locked and Loaded Coffee Rubbed Filet with Garlic-Guajillo Butter:

1 part cumin
1 part salt
1/2 part black pepper
1 part Lock-n-Load Sniper's Choice decaf coffee, freshly ground
1 healthy pinch cinnamon
1/2 part brown sugar
Enough thick-cut tenderloin steaks to feed your crew
A couple of tablespoons of canola oil

For guajillo-garlic butter:

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 cloves garlic, grated on Microplane or finely minced
1 guajillo chile, seeds and stem removed, then toasted and ground

In a baggie or a small bowl, mix together the cumin, salt, pepper, ground coffee, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Generously coat the steaks with the coffee-spice rub. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. While it's heating, stir together the butter, garlic, and chile powder; set aside. When the skillet is very hot, cook the steaks. Immediately before cooking, rub canola oil over the outside of the steaks. Slap them down onto the cast iron, flipping frequently, until the outsides are seared but the interior is cooked to your liking. (I'd recommend rare). Serve with guajillo-garlic butter, Guajillo Mashed Potatoes and Locked and Loaded Coffee Beans and Cream.

Guajillo Mashed Potatoes:

4 medium to large Russet potatoes

1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 guajillo chile
salt and pepper to taste

Bake the potatoes until tender. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and toast the chile, turning frequently, until puffy. Remove the seeds and stem. Grind the chile and set the flakes aside.

When the potatoes are done, let them cool until you can handle them. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh and pass it through a ricer. Stir in the butter, milk, chile powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

Locked and Loaded Coffee Beans and Cream:

2-3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon chile powder (I recommend a freshly-ground Marx Foods Dried Puya chile)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces dried black beans, soaked overnight
2 cups coffee (I used Lock-n-Load Sniper's Choice decaf coffee)
4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
2 cups chopped tomato
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon freshly-squeezed lime juice
big pinch of cumin

In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chile powder and cumin. Saute until fragrant, then add the onion. Stirring occasionally, let the onion sweat for about ten minutes. Then add the minced garlic. Let it cook, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes. Then add the beans, coffee, cloves, bay leaf, and if the beans aren't completely submerged, enough water to cover.

Meanwhile, put together the cream. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, lime juice, and cumin.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer. When the beans are almost tender, add the tomato. Let simmer for another 10-15 minutes until the flavors have melded and the beans are tender. Add salt to taste. Serve dolloped with the cream and sliced avocado to garnish.

Lock n Coffee-Cream-Loaded Doughnuts with Charlie Don't Surf Glaze

Is there a more classic combination than coffee and doughnuts? Maybe some people love to dunk their doughnuts into coffee, but I prefer the contrast of switching between sweet bites of doughnut and perfectly bitter sips of coffee. This treat, however, would win over the the most dedicated non-dipper. The doughnuts fry up beautifully. If they don't look perfect -- mine didn't, I have a hard time getting the pretty dough cutouts from the sheet pan to the hot oil -- don't despair. They should still have a crunchy outside yielding to tender airy insides, thanks to the yeast. The cream filling will have the fluffy texture of buttercream with the rich flavor of coffee. And a Charlie Don't Surf glaze adds a final punch of flavor. These may not be the prettiest treats I've ever made, but they are certainly amongst the most delicious. Start the dough the day before, then make the coffee cream and glaze while it rises. It's a little involved, but a simple process. And the taste is more than worthwhile!

Lock n Coffee-Cream-Loaded Doughnuts with Charlie Don't Surf Glaze

by Julie Kozarsky

For the doughnuts:

I used this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker... and it is literally copied and pasted here.

2½ teaspoons active dry yeast
⅔ cup whole milk, at room temperature
3½ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 eggs
7 Tablespoons (3½ ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 8 pieces

Make the Dough: 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, stir together yeast and milk; let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add the flour, sugar, salt and eggs; mix on low speed until the dough comes together, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, two pieces at a time, mixing after each addition and until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is soft, a total of 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 15 hours.

Prepare the Doughnuts: 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. Place the refrigerated dough on a well-floured work surface and gently roll into a 12-inch square (it should be about ½-inch thick). Cut the dough into 9doughnuts using a 3½-inch round cutter. Transfer the doughnuts to the prepared baking sheet, cover with a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and place in a warm spot until they've doubled in height and feel poufy and pillowy, 2 to 3 hours.

Fry the Doughnuts: 

Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with 3 inches of oil and place over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. While the oil heats, line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels for draining the doughnuts. Place the sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Working with three doughnuts at a time, carefully lower the doughnuts into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on the underside, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully turn the doughnuts over and fry for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the other side is golden brown as well. Using a slotted spoon or a spider strainer, remove the doughnuts to the paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts.

For the coffee cream:

2 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons brewed Lock-n-Load Java Charlie Don't Surf coffee
1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste

In a small bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until completely incorporated. Adjust the texture to your liking: add more powdered sugar to stiffen things up, or a touch extra coffee if you prefer a looser cream.

For the coffee glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon brewed Lock-n-Load Java Charlie Don't Surf coffee

In a small bowl, stir the sugar and coffee together until smooth.

Assembly:

After you've fried the doughnuts, slice each one almost in half. Dollop the coffee cream inside. Press the doughnut back together and drizzle with the coffee glaze. Garnish with extra coffee cream, if you'd like.

(Alternatively, you could use a pastry bag with a metal tip to fill the doughnuts with the cream).

Fondue-Stuffed Chicken in Bread Crust with Garlicky Broccoli and Cauliflower

Fondue-Stuffed Chicken in Bread Crust with Garlicky Broccoli and Cauliflower 

by Julie Kozarsky

The Wine Dive recommends Simply Naked Merlot to be paired with this dish.

For bread crust: 

20 ounces bread flour 

12 ounces water 

1 teaspoons salt 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1/2 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast

In a large bowl or a stand mixer, combine all ingredients. Mix with a spoon (or the paddle attachment) until uniform. When blended, knead by hand on a floured surface for about ten minutes (or with the dough hook for five minutes or so). Mist the dough ball with olive oil and place in a covered bowl to rest while you complete the rest of the prep. You could also do this the day before and keep the dough refrigerated overnight.. Just be sure to take the dough out an hour or two before you want to cook.

For fondue-stuffed chicken: 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

8 ounces Gruyere or Emmenthaler cheese, or a mixture of the two 

1/2 cup dry white wine 

1 clove peeled garlic 

2 Tablespoons cornstarch 

1 Tablespoon kirsch 

1/2 cup chopped Granny Smith apple 

1 tablespoon chopped parsley 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 

1 egg and 

1 Tablespoon water, optional

Slice each chicken breast lengthwise, beginning from the thin side. Cut horizontally not quite through, leaving the last part intact, so that the breast opens up like a book. Lay the breast flat, sandwiched between plastic wrap, and pound until the breast is thin and as even as you can make it. Season the breasts with salt, pepper, and parsley.

Rub the raw peeled garlic clove around the sides and bottom of a medium saucepan. Add the cheese, wine, cornstarch, and kirsch to the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until a smooth sauce forms. It will be thick due to the cornstarch.

Now, assemble the chicken rolls. Open each pounded chicken breast and spread fondue sauce and a fourth of the apple mixture on top, then roll it up.

Divide the bread dough into four portions. Stretch each portion out like pizza dough, and place a chicken roll inside. Seal the edges of the dough around the roll. If desired, mix the egg and water together and then brush with egg wash. Use a sharp knife to cut a little vent on top of each. Place rolls onto a sheet pan and bake at 300 for 35-40 minutes, or until 160F inside.

For Garlicky Broccoli and Cauliflower: 

1/2 head broccoli 

1/2 head cauliflower 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 Tablespoons butter 

2 Tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper to taste

Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-size florets, then steam for about five minutes (until crisp-tender). Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the butter, oil, garlic, salt, and pepper over medium-low heat. When the garlic is fragrant, turn off the heat. Toss steamed veggies in the garlic oil, then serve alongside the chicken.

Serves four.

Seared Scallops with Shiraz-Blood Orange Glazed Beet and Arugula Salad and Toasted Walnut Couscous

Seared Scallops with Shiraz-Blood Orange Glazed Beet and Arugula Salad and Toasted Walnut Couscous
by Julie Kozarsky

The Wine Dive recommends Simply Naked Chardonnay to be paired with this dish.

For the scallops:
1/2 pound large dry sea scallops
Grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)

For the wine-glazed beet and arugula salad:
1 small to medium beet
olive oil
2-4 ounces arugula
1/4 cup medium-bodied red wine, such as Shiraz or Merlot
juice of one blood orange (or substitute a regular orange if you can't find it)
2 Tablespoons butter

For the couscous:
1/2 cup couscous
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or water
1 Tablespoon butter
Walnut oil
1/2 cup whole walnuts

For all three components, you will need salt and pepper to taste.

For the wine-blood orange glazed beet and arugula salad:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the beet, wrap it in tinfoil, and roast for an hour or two, until tender when pierced with a fork. At this point, the skin should slip right off. Allow it to cool, then peel the beet and dice it. In a small saute pan heated over medium heat, saute the beets in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, until heated through. Add the Shiraz and orange juice. Allow the liquid to come to a boil and bubble away until it reduces and coats the beets. Add the butter and turn the heat down to low, stirring frequently until the beets are coated in glaze.

Meanwhile, toss the arugula in a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Top with glazed beets.

For the couscous:
In a small or medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Season it with salt, pepper, butter, and walnut oil. Add the couscous, stir once, and turn the heat off. Cover the saucepan with its lid and allow it to steam for five minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a small saute pan over medium heat. Allow them to cool, then chop them finely.

Lift the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork after the five minutes are up. Stir in most of the chopped walnuts, reserving some for garnish.

For the scallops:
Heat a large cast-iron saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the scallops with salt, pepper, and just a little bit of oil. When the pan is hot, sear the scallops, allowing them to cook for a couple of minutes on each side. Be sure to leave them alone and not nudge them until they're browned! Then flip and brown on the other side.

To serve:

Plate the couscous and top with reserved chopped walnuts. Plate the beet and arugula salad, and top with scallops. This portion will serve two adults.

Enjoy.

Marx Puya Chile Fajitas

Fajitas were always one of my favorite childhood meals. We grew hopeful when avocados lingered in the fruit basket - what could become of those? "Can we have fajitas for dinner?" we'd ask Mom. "It's a lot of work!" she'd reply, fooling nobody -- we knew she lived for long days, preparing everything from scratch. Then she sequestered herself into the kitchen, mincing and chopping veggies to make homemade pico de gallo and that amazing guacamole. And when we heard the hiss of chicken hitting the grill pan, we knew fajitas were coming. Served with black beans and rice, they were the most memorable meal of many memorable meals that my mom made for us.

Now I'm off on my own, and it's been years since I had Mom's fajitas. Fortunately, I can make them often: my own household loves them as much as I do. The key, I've found, is in the chicken marinade. You might garnish a fajita with lots of goodies, but great chicken provides a wonderful foundation for all of them. Mom's marinade was really good -- it involved bottled Italian dressing and a whole bunch of other things. Mine started there and evolved over the years. I love to include dried chilies,  which adds a smoky heat that gives the chicken incredible flavor. I also include citrus for sweet acidity, and throw in garlic and spices for flavor.

Marx's puya chiles were a perfect addition to the marinade. They are smoky and spicy enough to add a real kick to the marinade. I hope you'll enjoy them as much as we did.

Marx Puya Chile Fajitas
by Julie Kozarsky

For the marinade:
3 whole Marx Foods Dried Puya Chilies
2 Tablespoons orange juice
Juice of one lime
2 Tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the fajitas:
About 1 pound whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2-3 breasts, depending on size)
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips (any color but I like green and red)
1 large onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons neutral oil

Garnishes, for serving:
Flour tortillas
Cheese (Mexican blend from your market works well)
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream

First, make the marinade. In a small skillet, over medium-high heat, toast the Puya chilies until puffy -- just a few seconds. In a blender or food processor (I use a Magic Bullet), combine the chilies with the remaining marinade ingredients. Pulse until smooth. In a separate bowl or plastic bag, combine the marinade with the chicken. Let rest for at least a half hour, but if you want to do this in advance and really get good flavor into the chicken, you can leave it overnight until the next day's meal.

When you're ready to make the fajitas, heat up a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. (I use a cast iron skillet with great results, but you can grill it, use a grill pan, and so on). Add the chicken breasts to the hot skillet, flipping frequently until cooked through and a little charred on the outside. This is why high heat and flipping often is a good technique here: it'll help the chicken cook through quickly and stay juicy, while the outside does get some extra flavor and texture. When the chicken is done, plate it and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, add the peppers and onions to the still-hot pan. Do not flip or move, as you want them to char a little bit. After a couple of minutes, stir and then leave them alone for another couple of minutes. You want them a little blackened, but still crispy.

Slice the chicken breasts into strips. Serve them atop the peppers and onions, with tortillas and all the garnishes you desire.

This will serve four.

Smoked Sausage and Shrimp Alfredo

I've really enjoyed pairing the deep, smoky flavor of Teet's sausage with rich flavors and creamy textures. Let's just say that it has a great outcome. I could describe how delicious these dishes have been, but the telling evidence is always a clean plate. Take my word for it: these plates were scraped completely clean. It's easy to whip up an Alfredo-inspired sauce. Some cream simmers with Cajun seasoning for just a minute, and you're halfway there. You could leave out the shrimp and enjoy this dish with sausage alone, but I love the combination.

Yes, it's a luxurious dish - but sometimes you've got to indulge.

Smoked Sausage and Shrimp Alfredo

by Julie Kozarsky

serves 3-4

1/2 pound fettuccine

1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 pound Teet's Smoked Pure Pork Sausage, sliced into coins 

1 cup cream

1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning

4 Tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese (Parmesan, fontina, mozzarella, etc), divided

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it boils, add the fettuccine and cook until almost done, about eight minutes. Drain but do not rinse.

In a medium saute pan heated over medium-high heat, saute the sausage coins until just crisp and a little bit of fat has rendered. Remove to a spare plate and reserve. To the still-hot pan, add the shrimp and saute until just done. Remove the shrimp from the pan and put with the sausage for just a little while

Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan, heat the cream with Slap Ya Mama seasoning until it comes to a simmer. Lower the heat. Add pieces of butter one at a time, whisking after each addition until fully melted and incorporated into the sauce. Turn the heat off completely. By this time, the pasta should be cooked. Add it to the pot and mix well. Add most of the shredded cheese, leaving some for garnish. Stir it well to melt everything. Then add the reserved sausage and shrimp. Stir until everything is mixed well and heated through.

Teet's Tasso Carbonara

When a fragrant box of smoked meat arrived on my doorstep thanks to Teet's Food Store, I didn't know where to begin. Sure, I had some wild ideas: grand taste experiments that would challenge my abilities as a chef and demonstrate the most extreme creativity. But in reality, it was a Thursday, I'd worked all day, and I needed to get dinner on the table fast. So I made a comfortable dish, a family favorite - carbonara - with a Cajun twist.

If you've never made carbonara, you're in for a treat. It's your favorite pasta, studded with crispy pork bits, in a creamy sauce made from just-barely-cooked egg. Carbo-loading has always been fun, but it just got better.

Teet's Tasso Carbonara

by Julie Kozarsky

serves 3-4

1/2 pound pasta, such as linguine or fettuccine

1 Tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces Teet's Smoked Pure Pork Tasso, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

4 eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 Tablespoon Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Before you get started, do a little prep work: in a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, cheese, and Slap Ya Mama seasoning. Set aside.

Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil. When it comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook until just almost done.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the diced tasso and saute until slightly crispy and fat has begun to render. Add the garlic and turn the heat down to low.

Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the tasso and garlic. Toss for a moment so the flavors mingle, then take the pan off the heat. Whisking quickly, add the egg mixture to the pasta. Toss and stir constantly until the eggs have thickened into a creamy sauce. (If the eggs scramble instead, exhale and eat it anyway - it will be tasty).

Garnish with black pepper and a little more cheese, then serve and enjoy.

Shrimp and Grits with Teet's Smoked Sausage

Shrimp and Grits with Teet's Smoked Sausage

by Julie Kozarsky

serves two

1/2 cup grits

1 Tablespoon butter

1/4 cup Emmentaler cheese, shredded

4 ounces Teet's Smoked Pure Pork Sausage, sliced into coins

1/2 pound large shrimp (about eight big ones)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 small clove of garlic, minced finely

1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 Tablespoon minced fresh chives

Salt to taste

In a small saucepan, prepare 1/2 cup of grits as directed on the package.

Meanwhile, in a small saute pan over medium heat, cook the sausage slices until crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove and reserve, keeping as much fat as possible in the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp. Be careful to cook until just done - a couple of minutes per side until they curl and are opaque. When the shrimp are finished, add all at once the parsley, chives, garlic, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Stir a couple of times to coat the shrimp, then take the pan off the heat.

When the grits are finished, stir in the butter, cheese, and sausage.

Serve by plating the grits and arranging the shrimp on top.

Porcini Mushroom Gnocchi with Herbed Cream Sauce

This, friends, is a winner.

Can I be completely honest? When I saw the dried mushrooms that Marx had sent, they were a mystery. I love mushrooms, don't get me wrong. Marsala? Yes, please. On pizza? Of course. Sauteed atop my steak? Say no more. However, I'd never experimented with them in dry form. It would be easy to rehydrate them and use them in a typical recipe, but I thought it might be fun to take advantage of the concentrated flavor you just can't find in fresh mushrooms. So I blitzed them with my Magic Bullet, then added the resulting mushroom powder to gnocchi dough.

As hoped, the porcini flavor shines through an herb-infused cream sauce. The flavors are rich but balanced, earthy but bright. I'll certainly be making this dish again, and I'd recommend that you give it a try!

Porcini Mushroom Gnocchi with Herbed Cream Sauce

by Julie Kozarsky

Ingredients

1/2 ounce Marx Foods Dried Porcini Mushrooms

1 1/2 cups flour

3 egg yolks

2 pounds Russet potatoes

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large shallot, minced

1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken stock)

1 cup cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, sage, etc)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

To Make the Gnocchi:
 Bake the potatoes until tender. While they're baking, use a food processor to pulverize the dried porcini mushrooms into fine powder.

When the potatoes are cooked, let them cool until you can comfortably handle them. Cut in half and scoop out their insides. Pass through a ricer and place in a large bowl. Discard the skins, or reserve for another use.

Make a mound in the center of the riced potatoes. Add 1/2 cup of flour and the porcini powder. On top of that, place the three egg yolks, and then another 1/2 cup of flour. Use a pastry blender or wooden spoon to "cut" the yolks and flour into the potatoes. When well-blended, knead by hand for another few minutes until it forms a cohesive, dry ball. Add flour as necessary.

Remove a handful of dough from the ball. On a well-floured surface, roll into a log about an inch thick. Cut dough from the log in equal-sized pieces. Reserve on a sheet of parchment paper.

To Make the Sauce:
In a large saute pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until soft. Add the wine, stirring constantly, and let simmer until reduced by half. Then add the cream and simmer until the sauce thickens. Stir in the herbs, salt, and pepper, tasting to adjust seasoning.

Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water. Add the gnocchi to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium. When the gnocchi float, they are done. Drain, or use a slotted spoon to add directly to the pan which holds the cream sauce. Allow to simmer together for a couple of minutes, letting the flavors meld.

Serve hot and garnished with Parmesan, if desired.

Salmon Crudo with Dill Pollen in Cucumber Cups

When we think of raw fish, Asian flavors often come to mind. But when I had the opportunity to try dill pollen from Marx Foods, the first thing I thought of was the traditional Norwegian flavors of dill with salmon and cucumbers. To showcase the pollen's intense flavor, leaving things raw seemed like the best option. Indeed, rich salmon and crunchy cucumber go together perfectly, especially with the earthiness of dill pollen. This is a light and refreshing dish that could be enjoyed as an appetizer or amuse bouche.

Salmon Crudo in Cucumber Cups with Dill Pollen

by Julie Kozarsky

serves four as appetizer

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon minced shallot

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Marx Foods Dill Pollen, divided

6 ounces sashimi-grade salmon, diced fine

2 large cucumbers

First, prepare the cucumber cups. Peel, then cut off the rounded ends. Slice into 1 1/2-inch rounds.

If you have a melon baller, use it to scoop out most of the seeds from one side of a cucumber round. Leave enough at the bottom to hold the salmon mixture. If you don't have a melon baller, use a small sharp knife to carefully cut a ridge around the seeds of each round. Only cut on one side and don't go all the way through. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

In a medium bowl, mix the lemon juice, shallot, salt, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon dill pollen.

Fold the diced salmon into the lemon juice mixture, blending well.

Assemble by scooping the diced salmon into the cucumber cups. Garnish with remaining dill pollen.

Mini Chicken-Green Chile Pot Pies

Pot pies are comfort food for many who harbor fond memories of tucking into a store-bought dinner in front of the TV. But they don't have to come from that orange box. Here, a traditional meal gets a modern makeover when chicken meets green chile. And for those who consider portion control paramount? These pies are baked in individual tins. Enjoy as many as you wish. Then consider freezing the rest for a busy night when you'd love to recreate your childhood pot-pie moments with a spicy, flavorful kick.

Mini Chicken-Green Chile Pot Pies
by Julie Kozarsky

3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk

1 small potato, diced small (about 3/4 cup)
1 small onion, chopped

1 Tablespoons canola oil

3 green chiles (Hatch, poblano, Anaheim), roasted, peeled, and chopped
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped

1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or thawed if from frozen)

Your favorite pie dough recipe, enough for a double crust

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Special equipment: 12-cup cupcake or muffin pan

First, make béchamel: melt butter over low-medium heat, then stir in flour. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, not allowing it to brown. Add milk and whisk until the roux is incorporated. Allow to simmer gently for 30-40 minutes until reduced to about 2 cups.

Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the filling. In a medium saucepan, bring to a boil approximately six cups of salted water. Add diced potato and cook until tender - depending on your dice, maybe five minutes. Add corn kernels for the final minute of cooking. Drain and set aside.

In a small skillet heated to medium-high, add canola oil and then chopped onion. Saute until onion is transparent and beginning to brown. Add onion to cooked potatoes and corn. Then, add the chopped chiles and chicken to the mixture. Stir to distribute.

Somewhere around now, preheat your oven to 350F.

When béchamel is reduced, season with salt, chili powder, and cumin. Add the chicken-veggie mixture and allow flavors to mingle over very low heat while you prepare the crusts.

Roll out pie crusts. Using a round cutter, a small bowl, or glass, cut out circles to fit the space in your muffin tin. Press a dough circle into each hole. Save scraps; roll and cut them into strips or whatever decorative patterns you wish. Ladle filling into each mini-crust. Top pies with strips or shaped dough.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until crusts are golden brown.

NOTE: Due to variation in different cupcake pans, you may end up with excess filling and pie dough. Feel free to use the leftovers to make a casserole: spoon filling into a baking dish of an appropriate size, then top with filling scraps and bake with the mini-pies. Alternatively, just make a standard 9-inch pie. It's less finicky, but not as cute.

Slap ya Mama Duck Gumbo with Andouille Sausage and Shrimp

Slap ya Mama Duck Gumbo with Andouille Sausage and Shrimp

by Julie Kozarsky

Slap Ya Mama Hot Cajun Seasoning

1 duck, whole

1/2 cup flour

1 onion, diced

2 green peppers, diced

1 cup okra, sliced

1 cup celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon salt

A few sprigs fresh thyme, or a tablespoon dried

2 bay leaves

2 large links Andouille sausage, sliced (about 3/4 lb)

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and rinsed

Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, carve the duck into serving pieces: two wings, two leg quarters, two breasts. Trim off as much of the fat as you can. Reserve the spine and rib cage. Then, using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck breasts.

Next, make stock. Place the duck wings and body into a stock pot. Just barely cover with water. Allow to come to the barest simmer, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface.

While the stock is cooking, in a Dutch oven on low-medium heat, render the excess fat that you removed from the duck. When the pieces do not give off any more fat, remove them. Turn up the heat to medium. Season the duck pieces with Slap Yo Mama, then brown the legs and breasts until golden. Remove the pieces from the Dutch oven and reserve on a plate.

Now we're going to make a roux. You should have about a half-cup of golden liquid duck fat remaining in the Dutch oven. Add a half-cup of flour to this and stir constantly until the roux is dark brown. All of the Cajun cookbooks advise letting it go until it's mahogany-colored, almost black. See how brave you can be. This will take at least thirty minutes.

When the roux is as dark as you can stand for fear it will burn, add the vegetables (green pepper, okra, celery, onion, garlic). Stir occasionally until vegetables have softened a little. In the meantime, remove the duck pieces from the stock and skim or strain until clear.

When the vegetables have softened, add about six cups of stock to the pot. Add the thyme (tied together with twine if using fresh), 6 tsp Slap Yo Mama, bay leaves, and salt. Then add sausage slices. Stir everything really well to make sure that all the roux has been absorbed into the stock. Then raise the heat to medium-high. Let everything come to a boil, then bring back down to a simmer.

Add the remaining duck pieces and allow to simmer uncovered for at least two hours.

Remove the duck pieces from the gumbo and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and debone. Slice the meat into rough chunks, then add back to the pot along with the shrimp. Let simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Salt to taste.

Serve with white rice.