Larry’s Cookbook

serves 4, prep 5 min, cook 20 min

1 pound breakfast sausage
2 tbsp fat drippings, butter, or oil
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper

1. In a cast iron or other heavy skillet, cook and brown sausage over medium-high heat. Break sausage into small crumbles with a wooden spoon.

2. Once sausage is brown, turn off heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage to a paper towel lined plate. Drain and measure fat if desired.

3. Add 2 tbsp fat back to the pan, use sausage drippings if desired and add additional fat as needed to make 2 tbsp.

4. Heat pan over medium-low and sprinkle fat with flour. Cook flour mixture, whisking often, until golden about five minutes.

5. Add milk to flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Heat pan to medium-high and whisk while gravy comes to a simmer and thickens.

6. Add sausage and season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.

via Biscuits and Sausage Gravy | chaos in the kitchen.

Rum Soaked Grilled Fruit Skewers

makes approx 15 large skewers, prep 20 min, cook 10 min

* 1 pineapple, peeled, cored
* 5 kiwis, peeled
* 3 mangoes, peeled, pitted
* 16 oz strawberries, hulled
* 1/4 tsp cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp allspice
* 1/8 tsp ginger
* pinch nutmeg
* pinch cloves
* 1/4 cup dark rum
* 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
* 1 tsp honey
* 1 tbsp pineapple juice
* 1 tbsp lime juice
* 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Chop pineapple and mango into 1 to 1/2 inch cubes, slice kiwis into 1 inch rounds, leave strawberries whole.

2. Combine spices in a small dish.

3. Combine rum, sugar, honey, and juices in a small bowl or measuring cup.

4. Thread fruit onto skewers, lightly sprinkling each skewer with spice mixture.

5. Just before grilling, brush fruit skewers all over with rum mixture then dust liberally with powdered sugar on all sides.

6. Grill fruit just until grill marks appear then rotate and grill other side.

7. Remove to a serving platter, pour over any remaining rum mixture.

via Grilled Fruit Skewers | chaos in the kitchen.

- makes about 3 quarts -

Ingredients

1 cup olive oil
13 cloves garlic
One 96-ounce can (or, if you can find it, 1-kg) or four 28-ounce cans Italian tomatoes Large pinch of red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Procedure

1. Combine the olive oil and garlic in a large deep saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring or swirling occasionally, until the garlic is deeply colored—striations of deep brown running through the golden cloves—and fragrant. If the garlic starts to smell acrid or sharp or is taking on color quickly, pull the pan off the stove and reduce the heat.

2. While the garlic is getting golden, deal with the tomatoes: Pour them into a bowl and crush them with your hands. We like to pull out the firmer stem ends from each of the tomatoes as we crush them and discard those along with the basil leaves that are packed into the can.

3. When the garlic is just about done, add the red pepper flakes to the oil and cook them for 30 seconds or a minute, to infuse their flavor and spice into the oil. Dump in the tomatoes, add the salt, and stir well. Turn the heat up to medium, set the sauce simmering at a gentle pace, not aggressively, and simmer for 4 hours. Stir it from time to time. Mother it a little bit.

4. Check the sauce for salt at the end. The sauce can be cooked with meat at this point, or stored, covered, in the fridge for at least 4 days or frozen for up to a few months.

via Cook the Book: Frankies’ Tomato Sauce | Serious Eats : Recipes.

serves 12, prep 30 min (for fresh peaches), bake 40 min

* 2 lbs fresh, canned, or frozen peaches (approx. 7 medium peaches)
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 cup flour
* 2 cup sugar
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 2/3 cup milk
* 1 egg
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1. For fresh peaches, ripe peaches are easier to peel. When you press your thumb against the peach you should be able to feel the peach’s flesh move beneath the skin. If they are too hard you will have to peel them with a pairing knife (or wait for them to ripen).

2. To peel fresh, ripe peaches bring a pot of water to boil. Submerge peaches completely in boiling water for approximately one minute (less if they are really soft) then immediately dunk them in a bowl full of ice water.

3. Remove peaches and cut a small X at the bottom of each and use these points as starting points for pulling the peels off.

4. Peel and slice the peaches, place in a medium bowl. If using canned peaches drain them and place them in the bowl. For frozen peaches, thaw and place in the bowl.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F.

6. Melt butter in a 13×9 inch casserole.

7. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt.

8. Add milk and egg and stir to combine.

9. Pour batter over melted butter in the casserole dish, do not stir.

10. Add 1 cup of sugar to peaches along with cinnamon and nutmeg if using. Stir to combine.

11. Spoon peaches and sugar gently over batter, do not stir.

12. Bake casserole for 30-40 minutes or until batter is fully baked and golden.

13. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

To make Nana’s peach cobbler: omit the spices and egg, decrease the butter to 1/4 cup and increase the milk to 2 cups.

via Texas Peach Cobbler | chaos in the kitchen.

Ingredients

* 1/2 pound angel hair pasta or spaghetti
* 1 small bunch broccoli, about 1 heaping cup of florets
* 1 small zucchini, diced
* 4 asparagus spears
* 1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
* 1/2 cup snow peas
* 3 minced garlic cloves
* 3 Roma or other paste tomatoes, seeded and diced
* 12 basil leaves, chopped
* 4 Tbsp. butter
* 1/4 cup chicken broth (use vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
* Salt

Method

1 Get a large pot of water boiling. Salt it well. It should taste like the sea. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Boil the broccoli for 1 minute. Add the asparagus and boil another minute. Add the snow peas and boil for 30 more seconds. Remove all the vegetables and plunge them into the ice water. Once they’re cool, drain in a colander.

If you want, you can boil your pasta in the same pot you boiled the vegetables in, or you can start over and boil new water; I use the same water.

2 In a large sauté pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. When the butter is hot, add the garlic and zucchini and sauté 1 minute. Add the diced tomatoes and sauté another 2 minutes, stirring often.

3 Pour in the chicken broth and turn the heat to high to bring it to a boil. Add the cream and toss in all the vegetables you boiled, plus the peas. Stir to combine. Turn the heat down until the cream-chicken broth mixture is just simmering, not boiling.

4 Add the parmesan cheese and stir to combine. If the sauce seems too thick – it should be pretty thick, but not gloppy – add some more chicken broth, cream or water.

5 Boil the angel hair pasta. Note: If you are using spaghetti, you will want to start cooking it before you begin sautéing the garlic and zucchini. Angel hair will only need 1-2 minutes to cook, vermicelli or spaghetti can take 8-12 minutes.

As soon as the pasta is done, transfer it with tongs into the sauce and stir to combine. Add the basil now, and taste for salt. Add salt if needed. Grind some black pepper over everything and serve immediately.

You will want a dry white wine with this, ideally a dry French white.

Serves 4.

via Classic Pasta Primavera Recipe | Simply Recipes.

Adapted from Weber’s Big Book of Grilling by Jamie Purviance and Sandra S. McRae

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 lbs new potatoes, washed and cut in half
1/2 lb thick cut bacon, cut into 1/4″ dice
3 medium Vidalia onions, cut crosswise into 1/2″ slices
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 green onions (white part only), thinly sliced crosswise and skewered
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme

For the dressing:
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Light a chimney 3/4 full of charcoal. When the charcoal is fully lit and covered in gray ash, pour coals out and arrange them on one side of the charcoal grate, keeping the other side empty. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

2. Toss potatoes with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place potatoes over the hot side of the grill, and cook until nicely browned on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. When browned, move to cool side of the grill and cover. Cooking an additional 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a paring knife. Remove the potatoes from the grill and set aside to cool.

3. Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until crispy and fat has almost completely rendered, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon bits with a slotted spoon and add them in with the cooling potatoes. Reserve the rendered bacon fat.

4. Brush onion slices with reserved bacon fat and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on the hot side of the grill until browned and tender, about 5-7 minutes per side. Baste with bacon fat again 1/2 way through cooking process. Remove onion slices from the grill, cut into quarters, and add them in with the potatoes and bacon bits. Add the parsley, green onions, and thyme in the with potatoes.

5. In a medium bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing. Pour dressing over the potatoes and toss gently to evenly coat. Allow potato salad to sit out at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

via Grilling: New Potato Salad | Serious Eats : Recipes.

serves 8

2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed
3 1/4 cups whipping cream, divided
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon rosewater (optional)
4 sleeves (about 19 ounces, or 24 to 28 whole crackers) graham crackers
2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Take out a few of the best-looking strawberries and set them aside for the garnish. Hull the remainder of the strawberries and slice each berry into thin slices.

With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip 3 cups of cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla, and rosewater (if using) and whip to combine.

Spread a small spoonful of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan, or a similarly-sized platter. Lay down six graham crackers. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped cream, and then a single layer of strawberries. Repeat three times, until you have four layers of graham crackers. Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl it lightly with a spoon. Add a few more strawberries.

To make the ganache, heat the cream until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for a few minutes, then whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy. Drizzle this over the layered dessert with a spoon, or transfer to a squeeze bottle and use that to drizzle.

Refrigerate for at least four hours, or until the crackers have softened completely. Garnish with additional berries.

via Summer Recipe: No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn.

3 12oz Beers (Light beers and Corona all work well.)
12 oz frozen Lemonade or Limeade concentrate
12 oz Vodka (enough to fill the empty can of concentrate)

Thaw the lemonade concentrate and dump it into a pitcher. Fill the empty lemonade can with vodka and pour into pitcher. Pour in three beers. Add ice and mix.

via Hop Skip and Go Naked #3 drink recipe.

Ingredients

For the marinade:

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup lime juice

3 cloves minced garlic

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-in thick

For the vegetables:

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips

1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips

1 large white onion, cut into 1/4-inch strips

Olive oil

Kosher salt

Sour cream

Flour tortillas

Procedure

1. In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziplock bag and pour marinade all over. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible and allow to marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

2. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over the charcoal grate. Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook over high heat until browned on both sides and cooked through, about three to five minutes per side. Remove the from the grill and allow to rest five to ten minutes. Slice into 1/2 inch strips.

3. While the chicken is resting, toss the peppers and onion with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place a cast iron skillet directly on the hot coals in the grill, and when heated, add in the peppers and onions. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft and nicely browned, about 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Heat the tortillas on the grill or in the oven until soft. Assemble fajitas with the vegetables, chicken, and a dollop of sour cream.

via Grilling: Chicken Fajitas | Serious Eats : Recipes.

• 5 T. butter or margarine
• 1/4 c. flour
• 3 c. milk (if you want to go really over the top, substitute some heavy whipping cream for some of the milk.)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/8 t. nutmeg
• 3 1/2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded or cubed, divided
• 3/4 c. breadcrumbs
• 2 T. butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 – 3/4 lb. elbow macaroni, fully cooked and drained

1. In a large pot, melt 5 T. butter or margarine. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg yolks, pepper, salt and nutmeg. Whisk into the pot, stirring rapidly. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat until thickened just enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in 3 cups of cheese. Stir until cheese is completely melted.

3. Pour cooked macaroni into pot and stir to coat. Pour into a greased 13×9 casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs with 2 T. melted butter or margarine. Sprinkle on top of the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.