The Louisville Chef

This is a staple in bistro menus all around France, and is a favorite winter dish of mine. There are so many complicated ways to make this, but I have discovered that complexity does little to add to the flavor - the key is slow cooking. It’s the subtle blending of the flavors that makes this a classic. I find that this is best if you can take it from stove top to oven, so a cast iron pot like Le Cruset is perfect. If not, it can be done on the stove over very low heat. Ingredients 4 pounds of skinless Chicken thighs, or 4 pounds of skinless Chicken breasts if you prefer, or any combination. ½ pound Bacon, with a soft smoke or unsmoked or salt pork 2 Tbsp. Butter ½ cup Flour, optional 2 tsp. Salt 1 large Onion, finely chopped 1 large Shallot, finely chopped 3 cloves of Garlic, sliced 5 sprigs of fresh Thyme, or 1 tsp of dried thyme 3 Bay Leaves 1 lb. of peeled baby Carrots ½ lb. Mushrooms or any fresh mushroom you desire. Keep them whole if possible.

These are wonderful cookie bars from New Zealand, which will absolutely amaze you with their sweetness and their texture. They are easy to make and will satisfy anyones sweet tooth. Children go crazy for these. Ingredients 1/2 lb. Butter 1/3 cup Sugar 1 cup shredded Coconut 1 tsp Vanilla Extract 1 1/2 cups Flour 2 Tbsp. Cocoa 1 1/2 cups Corn Flakes Cream together the butter and sugar, and add coconut and vanilla. Combine the flour and cocoa and add to the previous mixture.  Lastly add the cornflakes and mix gently. Bake in a buttered Pyrex dish for bars or lightly greased baking sheet for cookies for 15 min at 350F. Allow to cool, cover liberally with chocolate icing and walnuts.

This is a recipe that I tried to recreate for years after tasting it on a trip to Italy. I had never tasted anything with such a lovely tomato flavor and it seemed so simple.  However as we all know, simple is not always easy to figure out, but a fter much experimentation and much help from Marcella Hazan, who is a goddess, I found the right combination.  It is so simple, you will think that I’ve left something out, but this is it. Perfect with a choice of spaghetti or linguine. Ingredients 1 stick or 8 Tbsp. of salted Butter 2- 28oz. cans of San Marzano Tomatoes loosely chopped, or fresh tomatoes if available 1 large Onion, peeled and cut in half 1 Tbsp. Salt Melt the butter, add the tomatoes, onion, salt and cook uncovered for 1 to 1 ½ hours.  When done, the onion can be removed and the sauce can be served as is, or the onion can be blended into the sauce for a more robust flavor.  Serve over pasta with lots of Parmesano Reggiano.

This is simple, quick and great. It is my meal, when I’m craving pasta but don’t have much time to prepare anything. Please don’t even think about using bottled lemon juice as the kick comes from the fresh juice. Pure comfort food for me, and something I crave desperately when I’m traveling away from home. Ingredients 2 Tbsp. Butter 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 clove fresh Garlic, crushed Juice of one Lemon 2 tsp of Red Chili Pepper flakes  Parmesan Cheese Start your water in a large pot. While your waiting for the water to boil, blend all the ingredients in a deep serving dish. After the water begins to boil, add 1 tbsp of salt and add your pasta. I prefer long dry pasta like spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and pour into the bowl. Allow to sit for 30 seconds, to warm the oil/butter mixture and then toss, add parmesan cheese and serve.