Cuisine Eric

These delicious cheesecake squares are a riff off of Natasha's Kitchen (check out that great food blog!). I've tweaked the ingredients to my liking; they're rich, flavorful and just a bit decadent. All great for the Memorial Day BBQ we attended! Make sure you make then enough in advance to chill in the refrigeerator for at least several hours. Graham Crust: 7 oz graham crackers 1/4 tsp salt 1 Tbsp sugar 1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted Cheesecake: 4 bars cream cheese (32 oz), softened to room temperature (important!) 1-1/4 cup sugar 5 large eggs, room temperature (important!) Zest of 1 lemon 2 Tbsp sour cream Juice of 1 Lemon (2-3 Tbsp) 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp salt 12 oz fresh raspberries Preheat oven to 350F.   Oil a 9x13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper for easier removal of cooked & cooled cheesecake. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until grainy. Pour into a 4 cup measuring cup. You should have 2 cups. Adjust accordingly. Stir in the ...

Legend has it that Napoleon commissioned this dish originally after a successful military campaign near Marengo, Italy in 1800. Apparently, he sent his chef's team out to scour the local farms and countryside for what food might be available to serve at a feast to celebrate their victory. They found chickens, garlic, tomatoes and crayfish. Historians consider this story more popular myth than anything, especially since tomatoes were only starting to be eaten in the region at the time. Many in Europe continued to believe the tomato poisonous until the early to mid 1800's. In any case, culinary folklore ran with the chicken and tomatoes theme which has endured time. My version here graces the chicken with zesty tapenade (an Italian condiment of green olives, capers and garlic), and with savory roasted red peppers. Whatever the actual origins of this dish, this version is sure to please. Sauce: 1 shallot, minced 2 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp fres...

Returning to the seashore last night for the spring, I stopped by the fishmonger to see what was good. This was! So I prepared a simple dish to honor a return to the sea. This fun one-pot wonder is a delicious prep, and is lighter and easier than its cousin, cioppino. And it is completely flexible so you can customize it per the ingredients you have on hand. No matter what, I would encourage you to include Andouille sausage, as it gives a fine flavor counterpoint to the shellfish. 2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 links Andouille sausage, diced (about 1-1/12 cups) 1 shallot, sliced 3 cloves garlic, sliced or minced Crushed red pepper flakes to taste 2 Tbsp julienned sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup dry white wine 1 lb mussels 1 lb littleneck clams 1/2 lb calamari rings 2 ears corn, cut into 1-inch pieces Optional garnishes: 1 Tbsp capers, drained 2 Tbsp banana peppers, drained 2 Tbsp pickled jalapeño, drained Fresh parsley (or cilantro), minced Lemon wedg...

Happy Mother's day to my wife, who loves leeks and spinach. I developed this dish with that in mind: Cajun flavored shrimp rest on a smooth bed of creamy polenta cooked with savory leeks, beside cooked spinach. The shrimp are bathed in a glazey wine sauce made with the reserved shrimp shells - a flavor that can only be found by cooking the shells themselves. The rich shell-wine sauce truly transforms this dish. For the shrimp: 2 Tbsp butter plus 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 lb shrimp (about 15-16 large), peeled, deveined, shells reserved 3 Tbsp favorite Cajun seasoning 3 cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste) Zest of 1 lemon 1 Tbsp olive oil For the shell broth: 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 cup dry white wine 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold water For the leek polenta: 2 Tbsp butter 1 leek cleaned and finely diced 1/2 cup polenta or coarse cornmeal (or you could also use grits) 2 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup grated parme...