Penne Arrabiata!

1 can of Pastene Crushed Tomatoes
1 lb of cooked Penne pasta (DiCecco is one of my favorite brands to use)
6 cloves of slivered garlic
1 tsp-1tbs of red pepper flake (for less spicy, use 1 tsp)
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup of fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
Extra Virgin Olive oil
salt and pepper
Romano and Parmesan cheese

In a large frying pan add your olive oil, garlic and hot pepper flake. The trick here is to brown the garlic as much as you can. Brown the garlic, but do NOT burn. Once this has browned, add in your tomatoes (add salt and pepper to taste) and let simmer about 5 minutes. To this add your wine and let this cook about 15-20 minutes. Add in your fresh parsley and add in your cooked pasta. Cook on the stove for about 1-2 minutes. Add in Romano cheese and Parmesan cheese. Serve!

*Add sausage, shrimp or chicken to this dish.

The Perfect Treat for Mother's Day Brunch! Pain Perdu

1 loaf of Brioche Bread cut into 2 inch thick pieces
6 eggs
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
2 cups of crushed corn flakes
Butter
Vanilla Ice Cream
Dulce de Leche
Maple Syrup
Fresh strawberries, bananas blueberries, etc

Mix the eggs, sugar and cinnamon. Dip the bread in the egg mixture for 5 minutes. Remove the bread from the egg mixture and push both sides into the crushed corn flakes.
In a large skillet, melt a tablespoon or so of butter until bubbly and fry the Pain Perdu on each side until golden brown.

To serve, place on a plate and drizzle with dulce de leche, maple syrup and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries. Cheers!

White Bean Pasta Fagioli

1 pound of pasta (elbows are my favorite for this)
1 can of Progresso White Cannellini beans
2 cloves of smashed garlic
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pinch of red pepper flake
salt and pepper

Get your water boiling for the pasta. Make sure you salt it and cook your pasta.
In a frying pan, add your olive oil, red pepper flake and garlic. Make sure you brown the garlic. Add in your beans and let simmer for 15 minutes.You may need to add some water if it is getting too thick. I also smash the beans while they are cooking. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the pasta is cooked, toss it with the beans and some more olive oil. Finish with a handful of Romano cheese and grate some extra Parmesan on top. Delicious!

Kentucky Derby Beer Cheese!

 Looking for a recipe to make for your Kentucky Derby Party? Try this delicious one today!

1 pound extra-sharp cheddar, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup dark beer
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Salt
Toasted baguette slices from 2 baguettes
 Sliced tomatoes
 
 In a food processor, combine the cheddar with the beer, garlic, mustard and cayenne and blend until smooth. Season the beer cheese with salt.
Preheat the broiler. Spread the toasts with the beer cheese and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil the toasts 6 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, rotating the pan, until the cheese is bubbling and browned around the edges. Top with tomato slices and serve.

Marscarpone Creamed Corn

6 ears of fresh corn, corn taken off the cob
1/4 of an onion finely chopped
1 small container of Marscarpone cheese
1/2 stick of butter
2 tbs olive oil
8 leaves of fresh basil julienned
Fresh Chives finely chopped
1 tsp Old Bay
Cayenne Pepper (optional)
salt and pepper

In a large saute pan, add you butter, olive oil and onion. Saute the onion for about 10 minutes. You do not want color on the onion, so cook on low heat and add some salt to it.  Add in your corn, chives and basil. Add Old Bay and salt and pepper to taste. Let this saute for about 10 minutes. Finally, add the Marscarpone cheese, mix until melted in. Garnish with more fresh basil and chives.

Spanish Tapas! Patatas Bravas

Patatas Bravas
4-6 potatoes peeled and chopped into one inch cubes
1 garlic clove smashed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil for frying
Salt, pepper and Spanish Smoked Paprika (look for it at Williams Sonoma)
Garnish with Italian Parsley

In a large frying pan, add about 1/4 inch of the olive oil to the pan. Let the oil get hot and keep your pan at medium-high heat. Add in your garlic, let cook for one minute and then add in your potatoes. Season very well with salt, pepper and about 1 tbs of the Spanish Smoked Paprika. Toss and let the potatoes cook. You want to get a nice golden crispy exterior. This will take about 25 minutes. Once the potatoes are crispy and brown take them out and place on a paper towel to drain the oil. Sprinkle with salt while hot and serve with the Garlic Aioli on the side or drizzled on top. Garnish with freshly chopped Italian parsley.

Garlic Aioli

1 clove of roasted garlic (to roast garlic, take a whole head of garlic, slice in half, add salt, drizzle in olive oil and bake in an aluminum foil packet for 45 minutes. Simple)
1 cup of Hellmann's Mayo
1 squirt of Siracha Hot Sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Smash the garlic and mix all ingredients well. Serve alongside the Patatas Bravas.

Crab and Artichoke Fondue (dip)

Crab and Artichoke Fondue

1 can of artichoke hearts drained and rinsed and chopped in food processor 

1 garlic clove smashed

1/2 white wine

1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 pound of lump crab meat

1 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (I find this brand to be the best)

1 cup of Hellmann's Mayo

1/2 Sour Cream

1 cup of Parmesan cheese (plus a little extra for the top)

1/2 cup Gruyere Cheese (Asiago or Fontina work well here too)

1 tsp Old Bay

1 tsp fresh chives chopped finely

1 tsp of fresh lemon juice + some zest

Salt and Pepper

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (optional)

In a saute pan (medium heat) add your olive oil and garlic. Saute the garlic until golden, add in the artichokes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes. Add in white wine and lemon. Let cook 5 minutes. Lower your heat on the stove to medium-low and add in the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream and both cheeses. Cook until the cheeses are all melted and blended well. Fold in your crab meat, Old Bay, Cayenne Pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Place in a baking dish and top with extra Parmesan and bake for 25 minutes at 375 or until bubbly. Garnish with chives.

*Top with extra crab meat, chives, parsley and Old Bay

**Substitute the artichokes for spinach

***Like extra spicy? Add in chopped jalapeno

Crab and Artichoke Appetizer

If you want to get extra fancy, stuff cherry tomatoes with this dip, add some Parmesan cheese on top and broil for 1 minute.