Drunken Donut

Recipe adapted from Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstark

Makes 1 serving

• Ice
• 2 ounces espresso-flavor vodka
• 1 ounce chocolate liqueur
• 1 ounce coffee liqueur
• 2 ounces chi$ed or room-temperature coffee
• Splash of hazelnut coffee creamer
• Donut hole

In a shaker with ice, add the espresso vodka, chocolate and coffee liqueurs, coffee and creamer, and shake until mixed and creamy. Pour into mugs. Slice the donut hole halfway through and perch on the lip of the mug.

Blueberry-Limoncello Cooler

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network

Prep Time: 2 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

* 1 (750-ml) bottle limoncello liqueur, chilled
* 1 cup sparkling water, chilled
* 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (see Cook's Note)
* 5 fresh mint sprigs, lightly crushed, plus extra for garnish
* Crushed ice

Directions

In a pitcher, combine the limoncello, sparkling water, blueberries, and mint sprigs.

Fill highball glasses halfway with crushed ice. Pour about 1/2 cup of the limoncello mixture over the ice in each glass.

Garnish with mint sprigs and serve.

Cook's Note

If using frozen blueberries, add them to the pitcher just before serving.

Apple and Mint Punch

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network

Cook Time: 3 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 5 1/2 cups

Ingredients

* 2 cups water
* 4 green tea bags
* 1 1/2 cups (100 percent) apple juice (recommended: Martinelli's)
* 1 cup Mint Simple Syrup, recipe follows
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
* 1 cup sparkling water, chilled
* Ice

Directions

Garnish: fresh mint sprigs, optional

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn off the heat, add the tea bags and let steep for 6 minutes. Remove the tea bags and cool the tea to room temperature, about 45 minutes. Pour the cooled tea into a large pitcher. Add the apple juice, Mint Simple Syrup and lemon juice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, add the sparkling water and pour the punch into ice-filled glasses. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs, if desired.

Mint Simple Syrup

* 1 cup water
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 packed cup fresh mint leaves

Add the water and sugar to a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the mint leaves. Allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. Strain before using.

Penne with Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network

Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

* Vegetable oil cooking spray
* 1 (2-pound) butternut or kombucha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
* 1 onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
* Olive oil, for drizzling
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound penne pasta
* 1 cup (8 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled
* 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (see Cook's Note)
* 1 packed cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions

Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with vegetable oil cooking spray. Set aside.

Mix the squash and onion together and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for to 40 to 45 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

While the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 2 cups of the pasta water. Put the pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of pasta water in a large serving bowl. Toss until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. Add the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.

Cook's Note

To toast the walnuts, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes Cool completely before using.

White Truffle Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white truffle oil
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Uni Risotto with Seared Japanese Scallops, Truffle Vinaigrette and Ikura

Recipe courtesy Chef Rodelio Aglibot, Koi, Los Angeles
FoodNetwork.com

Cook Time:  25 min
Level:  Easy
Yield:  1 serving

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup prepared risotto cooked in dashi
• 2 tablespoons uni puree (reduced cream with ratio of 1-ounce uni to 1 1/2 cups cream)
• 2 (10/20 count) scallops, preferably "dayboat" or Japanese
• Salt and white pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pieces fresh uni
• 1 teaspoon ikura (salmon roe)
• 1 teaspoon truffle vinaigrette (either store-bought or homemade), or sherry vinaigrette finished with white truffle oil

Directions
As the risotto finishes cooking, stir in the uni puree to coat the risotto. Set aside and keep warm.

Remove the "foot" of the scallops and pat them dry. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add scallops and sear until golden brown on 1 side. Turn scallops over and sear on the other side until golden brown and just cooked through in the middle. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

To serve, place risotto in a bowl and top with scallops. Carefully position a piece of uni on each of the scallops. Garnish with ikura and drizzle with truffle vinaigrette.

Shakshuka

from Tasting Table
Recipe adapted from John Gorham, Tasty n Sons, Portland

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced roasted green peppers (about 2 peppers; see Note)
1 cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers (about 2 peppers; see Note)
¾ teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon piment d'Espelette or red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 small bay leaf
1 cup whole canned tomatoes, with juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large eggs
Crusty bread, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large, ovenproof skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the paprika, piment d'Espelette, sugar and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes longer.

2. Preheat the oven to 400˚. Add the tomatoes and their juice to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down, about 20 minutes longer. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

3. Bring the sauce back to a simmer. Crack the eggs over the sauce so that they are evenly distributed across the surface. Transfer to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still soft and runny, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.

Note: To roast the peppers, place the peppers on a hot grill or hold them over a gas flame on the stove until black and blistered on all sides. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 15 minutes. Peel, seed and stem the peppers. Set aside until ready to use.