Scarlet Begonias

Saltwater taffy, where have you been all my life?

• 4 bananas, sliced to your liking
• 1 box Nilla wafer cookies
• 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 7 oz. can whipped cream 
• 1 5 oz package instant vanilla pudding 

1. Mix pudding according to package directions. It should specify about 4 C. cold water to pudding mix. Beat with a mixer for 2 minutes. To this add the condensed milk and the whipped cream. Beat once more and set aside for pudding to thicken. 
2. In a large see through bowl, pour in a layer of pudding. Next layer bananas and cookies evenly. On top of this goes one more layer of pudding. Continue layering until mix is gone. The top layer should be cookies and bananas. 
3. Refridgerate mixture for two to three hours, and serve cold in ramakins with additional cookies/bananas on top. 

• 1 package jimmy dean sausage, hot or mild
• 1 package cream cheese, softened
• 2 packages large button mushrooms, cleaned 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 C. parmigiano reggiano, shaved
• 1 T. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 T. fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 T. olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare the mushrooms. To stuff them you will need to hollow out the centers. to do this, snap off the stems and discard. Using a small spoon, scoop out the remainder of the inside of the mushroom, leaving a nice round shell to fill with the cream cheese mixture.

Next, heat olive oil in a non stick saute pan over medium heat. Add jimmy dean sausage and cook till browned and crispy. Add the garlic at the last minute so as not to burn. Cook this for one minute and drain excess grease with paper towels.

Next, place sausage in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add softened cream cheese (if cream cheese is too stiff, microwave it without the foil for about thirty seconds, until it is pliable enough to work with) Fold cream cheese and sausage mixture together with a spatula until it is well incorporated. 

Finally, add herbs, parmesean cheese and seasonings. Fill the mushrooms with about a teaspoon of the filling per mushroom. Bake for fifteen minutes or until mushrooms are tender and filling is browned.

-1 package Italian sausage -2 bunches leeks, sliced thinly -1 package sliced baby Bella mushrooms -2 cloves garlic, chopped -1.5 C. shredded gruyere cheese -1 C. heavy cream -1 C. sauvignon Blanc -2 T. butter -2 t. Fresh oregano -2 packages fresh fettucine -salt and freshly ground black pepper

First, cook pasta in salted water for two to three minutes only, till pasta is al dente. Fresh pasta cooks much quicker than dry, so be aware of this so as not to overcook. Drain the pasta and reserve about 1/4 C. Of starchy pasta water. Coat noodles in olive oil, keep them warm and set them aside.

Next, prepare the sauce. Heat olive oil in a sear pan and saute leeks until caramelized. Add mushrooms and sausage and cook eight to ten minutes over medium heat. This dish is best when sausage is slightly browned ad crispy. At the last minute add garlic and half of the fresh oregano.

Next, deglaze pan with white wine. Cook until wine is reduced and alcohol has burned away, about three minutes over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and add cream and pasta water.

Finally, add pasta to sauce and toss well until ingredients are well incorporated. Season with pepper and add cheese. Toss once more and serve with a garnish of oregano.

and, a photo from today’s shoot with Darryl Yu, for his new book=)