Honey Glazed Ham

Ingredients:

• 1 (5 pound) ready-to-eat ham
• 1/4 cup whole cloves
• 1/4 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 cups honey
• 2/3 cup butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Score ham, and stud with the whole cloves. Place ham in foil lined pan.
3. In the top half of a double boiler, heat the corn syrup, honey and butter. Keep glaze warm while baking ham.
4. Brush glaze over ham, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Baste ham every 10 to 15 minutes with the honey glaze. During the last 4 to 5 minutes of baking, turn on broiler to caramelize the glaze. Remove from oven, and let sit a few minutes before serving.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 lemons, juiced and zested
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked
• 4 egg whites
• 6 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. To Make Lemon Filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter. Place egg yolks in a small bowl and gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of hot sugar mixture. Whisk egg yolk mixture back into remaining sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and continue to cook while stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat. Pour filling into baked pastry shell.
3. To Make Meringue: In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add sugar gradually, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, sealing the edges at the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until meringue is golden brown.

Slow-Braised Osso Buco

INGREDIENTS:

1. 10 pieces of veal shank, about 3/4 pound each, tied
2. Salt and freshly ground pepper
3. All-purpose flour, for dusting
4. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5. 6 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
6. 4 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice
7. 2 large onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
8. 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
9. 4 cups water
10. 1/4 cup tomato paste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper. Dust them with flour, shaking off the excess. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add 5 of the veal shanks and cook over moderate heat until richly browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the shanks to a roasting pan that's large enough to hold them all in a single layer without crowding. Repeat with the remaining shanks.
2. Preheat the oven to 300°. Add the carrots, celery and onions to the skillet. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and boil uncovered over high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the water and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Pour the contents of the skillet over the shanks.
3. Cover the roasting pan with foil. Transfer the shanks to the oven and braise for 2 hours and 45 minutes, or until the meat is very tender. Transfer the shanks to a large, rimmed baking sheet. Discard the strings and cover the shanks with foil. Increase the oven temperature to 350°.
4. Strain the liquid from the roasting pan into a large saucepan, reserving the vegetables. Boil the liquid over high heat until reduced to 4 cups, about 25 minutes. Return the vegetables to the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
5. Meanwhile, reheat the veal shanks in the oven until hot, about 7 minutes. Transfer the shanks to plates, ladle the sauce on top and serve.

Creamy Saffron Risotto

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 1/2 quarts light chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3. 1 medium onion, minced
4. 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
5. 3 1/4 cups arborio rice (1 pound 10 ounces)
6. 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
7. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
8. Salt and freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Cover and keep hot over low heat.
2. In a heavy 6-quart pot or casserole, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Crumble in the saffron threads and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the rice and stir to coat thoroughly with butter, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until evaporated. Add enough hot stock to cover the rice (about 1 1/2 cups) and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to moderate. Cook, stirring the rice constantly, until the stock has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock, 1 1/2 cups at a time, and stirring until it is absorbed before adding more; the risotto is done when the rice is just tender and the liquid is thick, about 25 minutes total.
3. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the cheese. Season the risotto with salt and pepper and serve.

MAKE AHEAD

The risotto can be prepared through Step 2 (with all but the last 2 cups of stock added) and kept at room temperature for 1 hour. Bring the risotto to a simmer over moderately high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the reserved 2 cups of stock and cook until the risotto is creamy before proceeding.

Triple Dipped Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups beer or water
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces

Directions:

1. In one medium bowl, mix together 3 cups of flour, garlic salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, paprika and poultry seasoning. In a separate bowl, stir together 1 1/3 cups flour, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, egg yolks and beer. You may need to thin with additional beer if the batter is too thick.
2. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Moisten each piece of chicken with a little water, then dip in the dry mix. Shake off excess and dip in the wet mix, then dip in the dry mix once more.
3. Carefully place the chicken pieces in the hot oil. Fry for 15 to 18 minutes, or until well browned. Smaller pieces will not take as long. Large pieces may take longer. Remove and drain on paper towels before serving.

Pasta Bolognese

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 tablespoons butter
2. 1/4 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
3. 1 onion, chopped
4. 1/2 pound ground beef or a mixture of pork, veal, and beef (meat-loaf mix)
5. 1 cup canned low-sodium beef or chicken broth or homemade stock
6. 1/2 cup dry white wine
7. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
8. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
9. 3/4 teaspoon salt
10. 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
11. 1/2 cup heavy cream
12. 3/4 pound spaghetti
13. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large frying pan, heat the butter and bacon over moderately low heat. Cook until the bacon renders some of its fat, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, about 3 minutes longer. Stir in the ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 25 minutes. Stir in the cream and remove from the heat.
2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti until just done, about 12 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce and the parsley.

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry kidney beans
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 6 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups long grain white rice

Directions:

1. Rinse beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight.
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Rinse beans, and transfer to a large pot with 6 cups water. Stir cooked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, cayenne pepper, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
4. Stir sausage into beans, and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring water and rice to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve beans over steamed white rice.

Jerk Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

1. 3 scallions including green tops, chopped
2. 2 cloves garlic, chopped
3. 1 tablespoon ground allspice
4. 1 tablespoon dried thyme
5. 1 teaspoon cayenne
6. 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
7. 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
8. 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
9. 2 tablespoons brown sugar
10. 1/4 teaspoon vinegar
11. 1/4 cup cooking oil
12. 4 whole chicken legs

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a food processor or blender, puree all the ingredients except the chicken legs. Put the chicken in a large roasting pan and coat with the pureed mixture. Let the chicken marinate for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 450°. Cook the chicken legs in the upper third of the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the legs over and cook until just done, about 15 minutes longer.

SERVE WITH:

Corn bread, rice and beans (or just plain rice), or corn on the cob would all taste great with this highly spiced chicken. Fried plantains are another appropriate accompaniment.