This recipe yields 4 servings. 

Basil Pesto Recipe -
Ingredients:
4 cups of fresh basil leaves
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup of pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
½ cup parmigiano reggiano cheese
1 tsp sea salt.
½ tsp black pepper

Directions:
Place pine nuts and pine nuts in the food processor, blend until coarse meal.  Add basil and salt.  Start the processor and drizzle in the oil slowly. Once pureed add the cheese, pulse a few times until smooth.    

Pasta Recipe –
Ingredients:
3 to 4 cups Kale (keep the thin small stems)
1/3 cup of olive oil (I use extra virgin)
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
½ Vidalia onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp of crushed red pepper
½ tsp of black pepper
1 tsp salt (more if needed)
Zest and juice of ½ lemon
Parmigiano Reggiano (for serving)
1 box of capellini
Coarse salt
 
Directions:
Heat a large pot of water for the pasta.  Once boiling, add the coarse salt. 
Sauce:  Heat 2 table spoons of EVOO in a skillet over medium heat, add minced onions. Cook until softened, add garlic, crushed red pepper and a pinch of salt.  Cook until garlic has softened.  Add the chopped tomatoes.   While this is cooking, puree the Kale in the food processor, drizzle in the oil slowly.  Add some water to the mixture as it’s processing to make in to a paste.  Once the tomatoes are a little soft, add the kale to the pan.   Stir in 1/3 cup of basil pesto, cover and cook for a few minutes and then salt and pepper to taste.  
Pasta:  Add the capellini to the pot of boiling water after the sauce is done.   Cook the pasta until al dente.  Reserve 1 and 1/2 cups of pasta water.  Drain the pasta, return to the pot.  Add ½ cup of reserved pasta water, sauce, lemon juice and lemon zest to the pot.  Toss gently to combine, add pasta water as needed. 
​
Top with Parmigiano on the plate before serving. 

This recipe yields 8 to 12 servings.

Ingredients:
8 large eggs
3 ½ cups whole milk
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 loaf of Challah or brioche cut in to 2 inch cubes ( I used Challah in this recipe)
½ cup of Vermont maple syrup
8 oz Salted Caramel chocolate porter
2 apples, peeled and diced in small pieces 
½ cup of chopped pecans
2 pats of butter
Directions:
Butter 12 ramekins.   In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, cream, and vanilla until well blended.
In a heated pan, melt butter, add apples and saute until soft.  Add beer, let it bubble for a couple of minutes, add maple syrup and pecans.  Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes and turn off burner.  Fill each ramekin ½ way with bread cubes, scoop out a few apple and pecan pieces, add them on top of the bread.  Add the rest of the bread to top off the ramekins.  Ladle in the egg mixture and some of the beer syrup mixture in to each ramekin.  Fill to the top with liquid.  Top off with the rest of the apples and pecans.  Refrigerate for 1 hour. 
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; place ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake until puffed and golden. About 1 hour (longer if the pudding hasn’t puffed up).  Cool slightly before serving.  Serve warm. 

​For the Cake:
3 cups of All Purpose flour
2 ¾ cups of sugar
1 ½ cups of dark cocoa (Dutch processed is best)
¾ tbsp baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 ½ cups Chocolate Stout Beer – (Young’s Double Chocolate Stout works well)
3 sticks of butter,  cut in to tiny pieces
1 cups sour cream
3 large eggs
For the spread:
Seedless raspberry preserves and fresh raspberries
1 cup of preserves,  gently fold in the halved raspberries
For the Icing:
Whipped chocolate ganache
12 ounces of good quality semi-sweet chocolate (I used Scharffen Berger )
1 cup heavy cream
 
Directions:
Cook the Stout and butter in a sauce pan.  Bring to a slow simmer.  Stir occasionally.  Add the cocoa powder and whisk until well combined and smooth.  Take pan off the burner and set aside to cool.  Stir every few minutes while cooling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, position rack in the center of the oven.  Coat the cake pans with cooking spray or with softened butter.  Place parchment at the bottom of the cake pan and coat with spray or butter.  Dust the pans with flour and shake off the excess (this will help the cake release from the pan).
Sift the flour, salt and baking soda in to a bowl, add sugar and whisk until combined. 
In another bowl, combine sour cream and eggs.
Once the stout mixture has cooled, add it to the egg mixture in thirds and whisk as you go. Once incorporated, add dry ingredients in thirds as well and fold it in with a rubber spatula (I use the paddle in my Kitchen Aid on slow speed and gradually add the flour).  Mix until it looks smooth (do not over mix). 
Split the batter in 2 cake pans and bake until the tooth pick comes clean, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Let cake pans cook for 15 to 20 min.  Unmold and allow them to completely cool on a wire rack.
Make the Icing while the cake is in the oven. 
Chop up the chocolate in to small pieces, and put them in a large bowl.  Heat heave cream on medium heat until it comes to a slow boil.  Remove from heat and pour on the chocolate.  Stir until all melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy.  Cool the ganache in the fridge or freezer to thicken.  Using a whisk, whip the mixture so it looks like frosting.  
To assemble –
Please the first round on the serving plate, place pieces of parchment under the edge so you can pull that out after frosting.  Top with raspberry spread, place the 2nd piece on top and frost away.  Top with fresh berries. 
I served mine with the Samuel Smith’s Organic Chocolate Stout.  I love the smooth flavor of this stout
If you prefer wine, a nice fruity cabernet would work well with it too.
 
Note:
If you prefer Frosting, a good chocolate butter cream would go well with this cake. 

This recipe yields 3 to 4 servings. 

Curry Paste -  
Ingredients:
1/3 cup large dried chilies seeds moved, soaked until soft
1 tsp salt
1 tsps galangal, thinly sliced (used ginger)
2 tbsps lemongrass, cut into thin rounds
1 tbsp cilantro root (used stems)
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsbsp minced shallots
3 tbps ground peanuts
1 tbsp Shrimp paste or soy sauce

Directions Paste:
Add everything except cilantro to food processor or blender.  Blend until course meal.  Add cilantro and pulse until it looks like a paste

Fish Curry - 
Ingredients: 
4 Monk Fish Fillets
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
2 carrots, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
4 cups baby spinach
½ red bell pepper,  julienned
2 shallots, sliced 
¾ tsp minced ginger
½ tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp shredded Kaffir lime leaves
Salt and pepper
Coconut oil
1/3 to ½ cup of Curry paste (depends on the spice you prefer)

 
Directions:
Pat the fish with paper towel to dry, season with salt and pepper.  Heat cast iron pan and add coconut oil.
Once oil has melted, place the fish in the pan.  Lightly brown and flip.  Add shallots, garlic and ginger to the pan.  Stir them around a bit.  Remove Fish from the pan and set aside.   Add the carrots and peppers to the pan. Once softened, turn heat to medium, add curry paste and lime leaves. Saute for 2 min.  Add coconut milk and mix well.  Add the fish back in, top with spinach (you’ll have to push the spinach in to the sauce) and cook on a low simmer until fish is done.  Top with chopped cilantro leaves and serve over Jasmine rice.