Ingredients

• 5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
• 5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if they are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. [CP: Right here, mom says she blenderized half of the soup all the way smooth, and another half just coarse.] Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Ina Garten, Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Southern Comfort
• dash angostura bitters
• 4 oz. champagne, chilled
• twist lemon peel

Preparation

Combine. Variations: Brandy instead of Southern Comfort, no bitters, orange peel; Cognac, extra dash or two of bitters, no citrus.

Epicurious, February 2003

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz. pisco
• 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. Clement Creole Shrubb (or Grand Marnier, Cointreau)
• 1/4 oz. Cherry Heering
• 2 dashes bitters (pref. orange)

Preparation

Combine ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake, then strain into a sugar-rimmed cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Arnaud’s French 75 Bar, via Spirit Magazine

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. sherry vinegar
• zest and juice of 2 clementines
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 12 nice black olives, pitted and halved
• sea salt to taste

For the salad:

• 1/2 head romaine lettuce
• 1/2 head bibb lettuce
• 1/2 head red lettuce
• 8 oil-packed sardines
• 4 clementines, peeled and sliced into 1/4" rounds
• sea salt to taste

Preparation

To make the dressing: whisk together olive oil, vinegar, clementine juice, zest, and shallots in a medium bowl. Add olives, season with salt, set aside.

To make the salad: Divide the heads of lettuce into individual leaves and distribute among 4 plates or bowls. Place two sardines and four clementine slices on each salad. Drizzle each salad with dressing and season with sea salt.

Jose Andres Foods

Ingredients

• 9 black tea bags
• 2 oz. ground masala spice blend
• 2 oz. freshly grated ginger
• 3/4 oz. rye
• 3/4 oz. cognac
• 3/4 oz. rum
• 2 oz. whole milk

Preparation

Simmer the first three ingredients in 4 cups of water for 20 minutes. Strain into a liquid measuring cup, then add an equal amount of sugar to make a 1:1 syrup. Stir until dissolved.

For each drink, fill a 9-oz mug with boiling water. In a separate glass, combine 1/2 oz. masala tea syrup with the rye, cognac, rum, and milk. When the mug is hot, discard the water, pour the contents of the glass into the bug, and top with more boiling water. Garnish with freshly grated cinnamon and nutmeg.

Sugar House Detroit, via Spirit Magazine

Ingredients

• 7 large eggs
• 1 bag nice plain potato chips (6.7 oz)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 4 tbsp. olive oil

Preparation

Break 6 eggs into a mixing bowl. Add 2/3 of the bag of chips and stir, crushing them a little as you blend the eggs together. Allow the mixture to sit until the chips absorb most of the egg, about 5 minutes. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl and add it to the egg-chip mixture. Add the salt.

Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a small saute pan (no more than 6" in diameter), over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and stir briskly a few times with a wooden spoon to prevent them from sticking. Shake the pan in a circular motion for 10 seconds to keep the mixture loose as the eggs start to stick together. Lower the temperature and cook for 1 minute more.

Place a plate over the pan and invert the pan/plate so the tortilla winds up on the plate, raw side down. If the pan looks dry, add the last 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Return the tortilla to the pan by sliding it back in, raw side down. Cook for another 60 seconds, until the bottom is fully set.

Slide onto a clean serving plate, garnish with a sprinkle of salt and maybe a few more chips.

Jose Andres Foods

Ingredients

• 3 tbs olive oil
• ½ cup sliced sweet white onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup brown ale, divided in half
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs honey
• ½ tsp red chili sauce (such as Sriracha) plus additional if desired
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1-2 tbs flour

Preparation

In a cast iron skillet over medium heat add the olive oil. Add the onions and caramelize over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in the garlic then add ½ cup brown ale, balsamic vinegar, honey and chili sauce. Simmer until reduced and thickened, remove sauce from pan and set aside.

Sprinkle the chicken thighs on all sides with salt, pepper and flour.

Increase heat to medium-high, cook the chicken thighs until browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Pour the sauce back into the pan along with the remaining ½ cup brown ale.

Cover loosely with a lid, lower heat to maintain a simmer and allow to cook until chicken is cooked through, about an additional 10 minutes. Turning once during cooking.

The Beeroness

Ingredients

• vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups oysters, drained and chopped

Preparation

Heat about 1/2 to 1 inch of oil in a deep heavy skillet to about 365°. Combine eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, and salt; blend until smooth. Stir oysters into the batter and drop by spoonful into the hot fat. Brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Diana Rattray, About.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb tiger prawns or jumbo prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact
• 6 metal skewers or bamboo kewers (soak in water before using)
• Oil, for brushing

Marinade

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 lemongrass, white part only, grated
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 (big) clove garlic, finely minced

Chili-Calamansi Dipping Sauce (optional)

• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 small calamansi, extract the juice (or 1 wedge lime)

Preparation

Clean the shrimp with cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels and transfer the shrimp into a bowl.

Add all the ingredients in the Marinade into the bowl. Stir to combine well with the shrimp. Marinate for 15 minutes. Thread three shrimp into each skewer. Brush the surface of the shrimp with some oil. Grill the shrimp on both sides until they are charred and cooked through. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce (optional).

Rasa Malaysia

Ingredients

• 12 jumbo (11-15 count) shrimp
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 1/3 cup, plus 5 teaspoons olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 8 ounces soba noodles
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 green onions, whites and greens thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Preparation

Rub the shrimp with half of the garlic and ginger, and the sriracha. Cover and let the shrimp marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Spread the asparagus out on a baking sheet and brush it with 2 1/2 teaspoons of the oil. Roast just until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove, season with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F. Toss the shiitakes with another 2 1/2 teaspoons of oil, spread them out on a baking sheet, and transfer to the oven. Roast just until the mushrooms begin to shrivel, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

Put the shrimp in a small baking dish or ovenproof sauté pan, cover with the remaining 1/3 cup oil and season lightly with salt. Cover the dish with foil and poach the shrimp in the oven just until the exteriors are bright orange and if you slice into one, the interior is still opaque, about 15 minutes (don’t worry that it doesn’t look completely done as it will carry-over cook a bit). Remove the shrimp from the oil and reserve the oil, allowing it to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Rinse with cold water and set aside to cool.

Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces and the shiitakes into thin strips. Toss the vegetables with the cooled noodles.

Whisk together the remaining ginger and garlic with the soy sauce, honey, and mustard. Slowly whisk in the reserved poaching oil. Pour the dressing over the noodles and toss well to combine. Top with the shrimp, green onions, and sesame seeds before serving.

Girl in the Kitchen, via HuffPo