Pasta Salad
Busiate with cherry tomatoes, artichokes, olives, salami and provolone. Better after a night in the fridge, which makes it ideal for a crowd.
Balsamic Blueberry Sauce
Blueberries cooked down with cinnamon, vanilla and lemon zest, then finished off the heat with Gold Label balsamic. Good on everything from gelato to French toast.
Crispy Brussel Sprouts
Roasted sprouts with crisp pancetta, pomegranate and sage, dressed in a white balsamic and lemongrass vinaigrette with a fig balsamic glaze.
Spicy Italian Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Baby bella caps filled with spicy Italian sausage, sun-dried tomato, Parmesan and caramelized onion, finished with truffle balsamic.
Classic Italian Tomato Sauce (Sugo di Pomodoro)
Roma tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, oregano and basil simmered into the sauce everything else is built on. Worth making in batches.
Pesto
Basil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmigiano brought together with good olive oil. The Ligurian original, with Pecorino if you want more bite.
Mornay
Bechamel enriched with Gruyere and Parmesan. The sauce behind gratins, croque monsieur, and the best macaroni cheese you will make.
Pumpkin Pie
Roasted pie pumpkin or butternut pureed with condensed milk and warm spices, including a little black pepper for lift.
Apple Pie
Grandma Foster's apple pie: Honey Crisp and Granny Smith apples with brown sugar, cinnamon and butter under a proper crust.
Tomato Jam
Six pounds of heirloom tomatoes cooked down with sugar, balsamic and lemon zest. Yields five jars and belongs on every cheeseboard.
Trapani Pesto
The Sicilian pesto: tomatoes, almonds, basil and garlic. Made for busiate, since both come from Trapani.
Pickled Shallots
Shallots sliced thin on a mandoline and quick-pickled in red wine vinegar with peppercorns. Five minutes for acidity you will use all week.