When it’s hot outside, there’s nothing like a good old frozen margarita to take the temperature down a few notches. Here’s a refreshing take on one that uses Grand Marnier rather than triple sec. I find it gives the drink a touch more elegance. I always drink mine without a salted rim, but feel free to salt yours. You can even do a sugar rim if you want to keep things sweet. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS (serves 1)

2 ounces tequila

1 ounce Grand Marnier, plus drizzle for floater

2 ounces orange juice

juice of one lime

12 ice cubes

lime slice for garnish

PREPARATION

Place all ingredients, except the lime slice, in a blender. Blend until slushy. Pour into a margarita glass. Garnish with lime slice and drizzle more Grand Marnier on top as a floater.

For those celebrating Passover, the one consolation of giving up all that bread for a week is having an excuse to make Matzo Brei. This egg/matzo omelet is a sweet treat when doused in copious amounts of maple syrup. People will argue about the egg to matzo ratio, but it really depends on how you like it. If you like things eggier, then add an extra egg or two. If you like it on the dry side, then a 1:1 ratio is the way to go. It’s a very forgiving recipe, so have fun with it. I’ve added pecans and orange zest for a little crunch and zing.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

¼ cup pecans

3 large eggs, beaten

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla

3 sheets egg matzo

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup fresh blueberries for garnish

1 tablespoon confectioners sugar for garnish

maple syrup, warmed for serving

PREPARATION

In a clean skillet, toast the pecans for a minute. Set aside. Wipe the crumbs out of the skillet. Chop pecans into small pieces and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, salt and vanilla.

Using cold running water, wet the matzo sheets over a colander. Shake the colander to remove excess water. Crumble the wet matzo sheets into the egg mixture. Add the pecans and orange zest, mix well and set aside for five minutes.

Heat a skillet on medium. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan. Once melted, pour matzo mixture into pan. Press down with a spatula to flatten.

Cook until bottom is browned, about 5 minutes. Carefully slip out onto a plate. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan. Carefully flip matzo brei back into pan to cook other side for an additional 4 minutes.

Slide onto serving plate. Garnish with blueberries. Using a small sieve, sprinkle the confectioners sugar on top. Serve with maple syrup.

Like most New Yorkers, I’m used to small grocery stores where you have to back your cart out of the aisle if someone is coming towards you looking for peanut butter. So, when I’m in the burbs, I’m always astonished by the sheer volume of food on the shelves, not to mention the wide aisles that seem large enough to fit a Buick.

Today we happened upon an enormous Asian market in Westbury—99 Ranch market. OMG! It had every kind of Asian ingredient you could imagine, including fresh produce, fresh noodles and a pick your own fish ball bin. I went a little nuts and came home with an eclectic mix of things. What to do, what to do? When in doubt, make soup!

INGREDIENTS (serves 6-8)

3 dashi packets

3 quarts water

2 Tablespoons miso paste

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons fish sauce

2 teaspoons chili/garlic sauce

2 teaspoons hoisin sauce

1 Tablespoon canola oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 maitake mushroom, chopped

3 dried Chinese mushrooms, re-hydrated and sliced

2 baby bok choy, chopped

1 dozen fish balls

½ pound fresh noodles

1 scallion, chopped for garnish

Dried shallots for garnish

PREPARATION

In a large pot, combine the dashi packets and water. Bring to a boil. Add the miso paste, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce and chili/garlic sauce. Stir until miso is dissolved.

In a large skillet, heat oil. Add garlic, mushrooms and bok choy. Sauté until wilted, about 2-3 minutes, then add to the soup.

Add in fish balls and bring back to a boil, then put on low heat for ten minutes. Remove dashi packets. Add the noodles and cook as per box/bag instructions.

Serve in large bowls and garnish with scallions and dried shallots.

One of my favorite seafood treats is the razor clam. They’re tough to find, although your local Chinatown fishmonger might have a stash somewhere. Whenever I see them I grab them and make this simple dish. It’s full of flavor and has a really nice kick for those of you that are chili heads.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

1 dozen razor clams

1 Tablespoon Canola oil

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon chili-garlic sauce

1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

3 Tablespoons water

1 teaspoon cornstarch

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

1 Scallion, chopped for garnish

PREPARATION

To clean razor clams, soak them in salted cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse in a colander.

Heat large sauté pan or wok. Add oil for 20 seconds. Add garlic, chili-garlic sauce, and hoisin sauce. Stir for one minute. Add razor clams, and stir one minute. Add soy sauce and 2 Tablespoons of water and stir for one minute. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine 1 Tablespoon of water and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Mix until there are no lumps. Uncover pan and pour mixture over razor clams. Drizzle on sesame oil. Stir everything together until the sauce comes to a boil and thickens, about two more minutes.

Place razor clams on a plate. Pour sauce on top. Garnish with scallions.

I always have my go to pasta sauces, but every now and then I like to experiment. I had an extra bunch of spinach on hand, and I thought I’d play around with it to see if I could turn it into a tasty sauce. This worked on the first try. It’s a great way to get everyone to eat their greens without any complaints.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

1 lb medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ cup + 5 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb bucatini

1 large onion, diced

1 bunch or bag of baby spinach, rinsed and dried – about 6 ounces

¼ cup ricotta cheese

½ cup Parmesan, grated

3 anchovies

salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

In a small bowl, mix two cloves of minced garlic with a ¼ cup of olive oil. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Place the shrimp in a Ziploc with the garlic oil, ½ of the red pepper flakes, and marinate for 2-4 hours.

Bring four quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt up to a boil. Add in the buccatini and cook as per box instructions until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Pour the shrimp and marinade onto the skillet. Cook the shrimp in the pan, turning them until they turn pink and firm, about two to three minutes each side. Set the shrimp aside.

Heat 1 more tablespoon of olive oil and add the onion, sautéing until it begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining garlic and cook for one minute. Add the spinach and red pepper flakes and cook until the spinach is just slightly wilted, about two minutes.

Add the spinach mixture to a blender. Add in the remaining olive oil, ricotta, half of the Parmesan and all of the anchovies. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of the liquid. Pour the spinach sauce back into the large saucepan and reheat on low. Add in ¼ cup of pasta water and stir. Add the pasta to the sauce and lightly toss. If too dry, slowly add some of the reserved pasta water until the sauce is at the consistency you like. (I usually end up using about ½ cup of the pasta water in total.)

Serve in bowls. Place the shrimp on top. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan.

There’s nothing like a great big Brooklyn snowstorm. We used to be able to count on at least one big dump each season, but now these storms are far more infrequent here and less severe, no doubt due to global warning.

In the old days, I remember for a few wonderful hours, everything stopped as branches were laden with white powder and the streets emptied, creating a welcomed silence. I was mesmerized as the falling snowflakes stacked up on our windowsills, sealing us in our warm, cozy home.

As morning broke, cross-country skiers found their way to Prospect Park before the rush of kids descended with their sleds. Little kids made snow angels as snowballs flew across the fields. Well-dressed snowmen seemed to popup every few feet. Everything was beautiful—until it wasn’t.

It wasn’t long before the sanitation department plowed the streets, piling gray, dirty snow high against everyone’s cars. I feared some of my older neighbors might give themselves heart attacks as they dug their cars out. As I shoveled our busy corner hoping to make a path for people, the sanitation guys seemed to take joy plowing me back in. When I was younger, I used to bat my eyes at them and occasionally they would lift up their shovel while passing, but I guess I’ve lost my charm with the years.

Maybe if I had bribed them with freshly baked cookies and hot chocolate they would take pity of me. What do you think were my odds of that every happening?

It’s the middle of winter, it’s freezing in my kitchen and I just want something to throw together quickly that’s tasty and uses the least amount of dishes and bowls so that I can get downstairs as fast as possible where it’s warmer. And bonus – it makes a lot, so there will be leftovers for lunch.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion sliced

3 cloves of garlic minced

6 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1” pieces

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons fresh ground pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 ½ cups jasmine rice

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 ½ cups white wine

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 scallion chopped for garnish

¼ cup grated Parmesan (optional)

PREPARATION

In a large dutch over, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and continue to sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Add another tablespoon of olive oil if too dry.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pot and stir until chicken is browned, about three minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes, and the remaining salt and ground pepper. Add the rice and stir for one minute.

Add the chicken broth, white wine, mustard and maple syrup and stir to combine. Bring the mixture up to a boil and then lower to a simmer until the rice is cooked, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest for five minutes. Stir the mixture to fluff the rice.

Serve in bowls and garnish with scallions and Parmesan.

I love this dish because it’s great to make the day before, it feeds a crowd, and it leaves me free to watch the game with everyone else. And if you have leftovers, you can make nachos the next day. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 8)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (or beef)

1 medium onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1-2 jalapeno peppers, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon cayenne

1 package McCormick Chili spices

1 chipotle pepper with adobo sauce, chopped

1 can red kidney beans (15 ounce), drained and rinsed

1 can whole tomatoes (17 ounces), chopped with liquid

1/2 cup BBQ Sauce

1 can sweet corn kernels, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Sour cream for garnish

1 cup cheddar cheese, large grate for garnish

Tortilla chips (optional)

PREPARATION

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up into crumbly pieces until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside on a plate.

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into skillet and heat. Add the onion and peppers and sauté for five minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add the turkey meat back into the skillet. Sprinkle on the cayenne and McCormick Chili spices and combine.

Add in the chipotle pepper, kidney beans, whole tomatoes, BBQ sauce, and corn. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.

Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheese and tortilla chips.

(NOTE – great to make a day ahead. Just reheat and serve)

I’ve been watching this documentary series on NETFLIX, You Are What You Eat, and quite frankly, it’s scaring the bejeebers out of me. Basically, it has convinced me that I eat way too many fatty meats and not enough plant based foods. So, in an effort to balance my foods a bit better, I’ve been testing out some new options. So far, this recipe has been a big hit. Rather than adding smoky sausages—which is often a staple in my soups—I’m using lean turkey meat and forming them into tasty meatballs. And of course, I gotta have some greens, so this has a generous serving of spinach.

And a special shout out to my friends at Gustus Vitae for sending me their delicious spice blends! They were a great addition to the meatballs.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6-8)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound lean chopped turkey

2 teaspoons Gustus Vitae “Everything But the Avocado Toast” spice mix

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 medium sized potatoes, cubed

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 quarts turkey or chicken bone broth (or stock)

3 eggs, lightly beaten

3 cups baby spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Croutons (optional for garnish)

Parmesan cheese, grated (optional for garnish)

PREPARATION

Break up the chopped turkey in a large bowl. Add in the spice mixture and mix with your hands. Form 1” meatballs and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the meatballs and brown all sides. Don’t overcrowd the meatballs. Cook them in batches if necessary. Set aside.

In a large dutch over, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté onions until they begin to turn brown, about 6 minutes. Add in the potatoes and brown, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and continue to cook for one minute.

Add in the bone broth and meatballs. Bring to a boil, and then down to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Add in the spinach. Stir until wilted, about one minute. Season the beaten eggs with salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle the eggs into the soup, gently stirring the pot with a wooden spoon for about thirty seconds until the eggs form ribbons. Remove from heat.

Re-season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with croutons and grated Parmesan cheese.

I’m not gonna lie — this recipe takes some time. But it’s quite a fun showstopper for a special occasion. You’ll need a 9” spring form pan and some large hollow pasta tubes like paccherri. And if you make the Bolognese sauce a day ahead, it will make the whole process much easier. The flavors in the sauce will also have some time to meld. I use a Bolognese recipe based on Marcella Hazan’s classic, changing up the meats and doubling the proportions. If I’m going to the trouble of making a Bolognese, I might as well have leftovers for next time.

INGREDIENTS (serves 8 – 10)

FOR THE BOLOGNESE

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrot

3 cloves garlic minced

1 pound ground beef chuck

½ pound ground veal

½ pound ground pork

Salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 cups whole milk

Pinch nutmeg

2 cups dry white wine

3 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, cut up, with their juice

FOR THE BECHEMEL

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1-½ cups of milk (warm)

Grated nutmeg

Salt & pepper

FOR THE CHEESE MIXTURE

2 cups ricotta

¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated, small holes)

1 tablespoon fresh oregano (chopped)

1 tablespoon fresh basil (chopped)

½ cup cooked spinach

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

FOR THE ASSEMBLY

1 lb cooked Paccherri (prepared al dente as per instructions on box)

1 cup grated mozzarella

½ cup grated Parmesan

Fresh basil for garnish

PREPARATION

FOR THE BOLOGNESE

In a large Dutch oven, combine the oil and butter on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Add the chopped celery and carrot. Stir and coat the vegetables and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the meats, 1 teaspoon of salt and fresh ground pepper. Crumble the meat with a wooden spoon and brown.

Add milk and let mixture simmer gently until fully incorporated and you can no longer see the milk. Add a pinch or two of grated nutmeg and stir.

Add the wine, let it simmer until it has evaporated, then add the tomatoes and stir thoroughly to coat all ingredients well. When the mixture begins to boil, lower the heat to as low a simmer as possible. Cook uncovered for 3 hours or more, stirring from time to time. If the sauce starts to dry out, add ½ cup of water when needed. At the end, however, no water at all must be left. The fat should have separated from the sauce. Mix all together and season to taste with salt and pepper.

FOR BECHAMEL

In a saucepan, melt butter until it starts to foam. Add flour and whisk for two minutes until sandy colored, but not brown. Slowly pour in milk and whisk until it starts to lightly boil. Lower flame to simmer for eight minutes to thicken, whisking often. Turn off heat, season with pinch of grated nutmeg, salt and pepper, and set aside. If film forms on top, remove before using.

FOR RICOTTA MIXTURE

In a medium sized bowl, mix the ricotta, ¼ cup Parmesan, oregano, basil, spinach, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

FOR ASSEMBLY

To make sure there is minimal leakage, use a large piece of aluminum foil to cover the bottom and outside sides of the spring form pan. Grease the inside of pan with olive oil.

Coat the bottom of the spring form pan with a layer of the Bolognese.

Next, stand the cooked pasta upright in the pan starting with an outside circle and continuing with smaller circles, filling the entire pan until packed in. (You might want to test this the day before. Stand up the dried pasta in the spring form to see if you have enough to pack it in. The first time I made this, I had to use every last one. Pasta tubes can vary in size, so you don’t want to be in the middle of the assembly and find out you don’t have enough. Also, one or two might break, so you may need a few extra.)

Put the ricotta mixture in a Ziploc bag and cut a small hole in one corner. Squeeze the cheese mixture down towards the hole as if this is a pastry bag.

Fill each pasta tube halfway up with the ricotta filling. Tamp down the ingredients by lifting the springform pan about an inch above the counter and gently dropping it so that the ricotta makes its way to the bottom.

Using a ladle, cover the noodles with a thin layer of béchamel.

Spoon more Bolognese into the tubes filling them to the top. Spread a light layer over all the noodles so that the sauce seeps into the spaces between the tubes. Ladle another layer of béchamel. Tamp the springform pan again so all the ingredients settle.

If you have room, do another layer of ricotta, meat sauce and béchamel. Tamp the springform pan again.

Spread the mozzarella and Parmesan on top.

Place the pan on a baking sheet. Grease a piece of aluminum foil and cover the pie with the greased side down.

Bake for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 20 minutes longer or until the top is bubbly and golden brown.

Let stand for 30 minutes. Run a knife along the outside edge and carefully open the spring form pan. It’s important for the dish to cool enough so that the cheese sets a bit otherwise you’ll have a sloppy mess.

Slice into pieces and top with remaining meat sauce. Garnish with Parmesan and a sprig of fresh basil.