Ingredients:
Falfafel smashburgers
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
2 cans of garbanzo beans
1/2 cup fresh parsley
3 scallions
salt, pepper and a tsp of cumin
1 egg
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tsp avocado oil

white cheddar slices
1/2 cup mayo
2 squirts siracha or to taste
Brioche buns

Topppings:
lettuce
pickled onions
cucumber, sliced thin

Process patty ingredients and allow to set for at least 10 minutes. Form into balls and press between parchment paper and brown on both sides in high smoke point oil, I used avocado oil. Top with slice of white cheddar and toppings of choice! Enjoy! 

Ingredients:
Cold eggs straight from refrigerator

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup water

Bring water to a rolling boil and reduce to a low simmer. Using an egg piercer prick rounded bottom of eggs and put eggs into water using a spider strainer, all at the same time. Put on lid and set timer for 6.5 minutes. Then plunge into an ice bath for several minutes then peel. Mix marinade and cover eggs for 2-24 hours for coloring on eggs and flavor! Enjoy! 

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 whole orange, sliced
handful of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary) 
1 part harissa paste and 1 part honey
salt and pepper
herbs de Provence

1 1/2 cups of homemade gnocchi or packaged
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken bone broth or stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water/broth, cold
Fresh thyme
salt and pepper
grated parmesan (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F. Clean and pat chicken dry. Season inside cavity and all over with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 45 minutes. (put uncovered in refrigerator over night if you have time) Rub with harissa honey paste. Fill cavity with oranges and thyme or any herbs you have on hand. Roast chicken for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 350F and cook until internal temperature of the breast reads 160F. Rest for 20minutes to an hour before slicing.

To make sauce, sauté sun-dried tomatoes, oil, shallots, red pepper flakes and garlic until aromatic. Add stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Bring water to a boil and cook gnocchi until it floats. Add cooked gnocchi to stock and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil while stirring. Add more cream or stock to reach desired consistency.  Top gnocchi and cream sauce with harissa honey sliced chicken breast and parmesan. Enjoy! 
​

Ingredients:
Shells of a pound of shrimp and two lobster tails, reserve cooked shrimp and lobster, set aside
Splash of high smoke point oil/ghee- I used avocado oil
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, with skin and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of turmeric
pinch of saffron
3 bay leaves
3-4 cups chicken stock or previously made shellfish stock (enough to just cover shells and vegetables
1 can of 100% pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
splash of fish sauce 
1-2 cups cooked lobster and shrimp
​
Toppings; 
Homemade sourdough crotons
Microgreens

Directions:
Roast shells until pink and aromatic in stock pan. Brown turmeric and soak saffron in a tablespoon of cold stock. Add Celery, onion, bay leaves to pan and brown for several minutes.  Add stock and bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain and add remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Top with crotons, chopped shrimp and lobster, parsley and microgreens. Enjoy! 

Ingredients:
​2 medium Eggplant (Aubergines)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can of tomato puree
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 yellow onion sliced into thin small slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 can of good quality diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, divided
3 tablespoons parmesan, grated
3 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
dash of olive oil

Directions:
Peel stripes of skin off the eggplant and cut out cubes of the center making an eggplant boat. Toss cubes of eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on half of the baking sheet. Brush the halves of the eggplant boats with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast both 425F until fork tender, about 25 minutes. Make tomato sauce by just toasting tomato paste and add puree, season with salt and pepper and pour into roasting dish. In same pan, add oil and saute onions until caramelized. Add minced garlic, chili flakes and sugar. When aromatic add tomatoes. After 15 minutes add roasted eggplant. Fill boats. Traditional recipes did not have parmesan breadcrumb topping but I wanted it. If you do also, mix parmesan and breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper and dampen with olive oil. Top and roast at 425F for 15 more minutes.  

Ingredients:
475 grams all-purpose flour, 3 1/2 cups
100 grams starter, active and bubbly (1/2 cup)
325 grams water, 1 1/3 cups
10 grams salt, 2 teaspoons

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500F. Heat dutch oven for one hour.(After doing the following) Feed a sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting the dough, ensuring it is active and bubbly. Combine warm water, active starter, salt, and flour with a wooden spoon or even just your hands in a large mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and allow to rest for 30 minutes for the water to hydrate the flour. Stretch several times, rotating dough- 3-4 times.  Allow to rest for 6 hours then wrap in banneton that has been dampened and dusted with rice flour. Wrap in a bag and put in refrigerator for 12 hours. Using a lame or razor blade cut designs and pop in oven for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 475F and put on lid and bake for 15 minutes.  Cool on rack an hour or two prior to slicing. Enjoy!

Recipe makes 36-40 cookies
Ingredients:
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon  kosher salt
24 tablespoons (1.5 cups) salted butter, melted
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
16 ounces of chocolate:
(4 ounces Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped, 6 ounces of Guittard bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped and 6 ounces of 53% cacao dark  chocolate morsels) *chopped in big and small pieces and all the scraps on cutting board.
flaky sea salt to lightly dust on dough before baking

Directions:
In a bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat melted butter and sugars for 5 minutes until fully combined and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and egg yolks until just combined, add vanilla bean paste.  Slowly add dry ingredients until just combined. Chop all the chocolate to desired shapes and sizes and add with morsels to dough.  Massage chips into dough and put into a larger freezer bag.  Marinate for 24 hours minimum to 4 days. Sprinkle gently with flaky sea salt. Bake on prepared cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper.  Using an ice cream scoop drop 2 tablespoons of dough on sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until set and slightly golden. Enjoy1
​

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and chicken cut into bite sized pieces. (If the chicken is organic use the carcass for a bone broth. 
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons avocado oil
12 ounces of shitake mushrooms
​1 large shallot, minced
3 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme
8 cups chicken bone broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Cornstarch slurry if not as thick as you like (2 tablespoons cornstarch + cold water)
1 package of gnocchi
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
Over medium heat, heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown, 10 to 12 minutes; season with salt. Transfer to a plate. In same pot over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme; season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until shallots start to soften and garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking frequently, until smooth, about 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly stream in broth. Increase heat to high to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and flavors have melded, about 15 minutes. Return mushrooms to pot. Add cream and return to a simmer. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente according to package directions. (If on simmer they may take longer than package directions). Top with fresh parsley, Enjoy!

I enjoy this dessert but in the past at Italian restaurants, the alcohol over powers the dessert.  So, I created my own tiramisu recipe that tastes how I want it to taste.  Just add more alcohol if you disagree. All the other flavors show up to the party.

Ingredients:
1½ cups espresso or very strong coffee room temperature
1/4 cup dark, spiced rum 
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon coffee extract
16 ounces mascarpone (452g)
6 large egg yolks
⅔ cup granulated sugar (133g)
2 cups heavy whipping cream (480ml)
Packet of Dr. O's whipped cream stabilizer
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coffee extract
pinch of sea salt
40 ladyfingers, the real hard Italian kind and 2 packages American kind if you want to line the top
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (33g)
Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:
Combine coffee, spiced rum, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment beat mascarpone until whipped. Over a double boiler, whisk egg yolks and sugar until sugar is dissolved and mixture reaches 165F.  Whip into mascarpone.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Whip cream with a whisk attachment until peaks form, adding vanilla, coffee extract, a teaspoon of coffee mixture for lady fingers and a pinch of sea salt. Fold or whisk in mascarpone mixture.  In a 9 x 13 pan, soak ladyfingers one at a time in coffee mixture for no more than 2 seconds.  I did one second on each side. Line pan with ladyfingers not leaving gaps.  Spread half the whipped mixture over ladyfingers.  Layer another line of dipped ladyfingers and then smooth over the remainder of the cream.  Dust with cocoa powder and I added a bit of dusting of powdered sugar as well.  I also used soft ladyfingers to line the top before dusting to add dimension.  Enjoy!