Cereal Milk Pots de Creme

I love cereal, but I think it makes a much better dessert than breakfast. I'm always finding ways to inject a little cereal into my sweets and pot de creme with its simple milk and cream construction makes for one of my favorite classic French dessert to corrupt. Best thing about this recipe is you can do it with any cereal you like! I've done Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and now Fruity Pebbles pictured below. They each bring something so different to the flavor of the pot de creme.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 cups whipping cream
• 1.5 cup whole milk
• 2 cups of your favorite cereal
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

Combine your whipping cream and milk and poor in your cereal. Smash the cereal down a little bit so it all get soaked and put it in the fridge. After a few hours in the fridge take it out and drain the milk and cream through a fine sieve or cheese cloth to remove the cereal. Add some additional milk and cream in equal amounts if your total volume is now less than 3 cups.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bring cream and milk just to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Whisk yolks and sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot milk/creme mixture. Strain mixture into another bowl. Cool 10 minutes, skimming any foam from surface.

Divide custard mixture among six 3/4-cup custard cups, soufflé dishes or ball jars. Cover each with foil. Place cups in large baking pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of cups. Bake until custards are set but centers still move slightly when gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Remove from water. Remove foil. Chill custards until cold, about 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.)

I like to top with some whipped cream and some of the cereal itself. I crush it if it's big pieces and keep it whole if its small. Fruit worked well too for the fruit pebbles pictured.

One of my favorite Korean dishes: Japchae

Our first trip to New York city we ended up staying in Koreatown. We would get back to the hotel at night exhausted from our days adventures and we'd venture out somewhere close for dinner. The first night we sat down at a little Korean place around the corner from our hotel and ordered dolsot bibimbap and japchae it was all over. We had a new favorite cuisine. You'll need one somewhat exotic ingredient that you find in a typical grocery store. The sweet potato noodles, but you can find these at just about any Asian grocery store (picture of the bag is below) - Check out a map of Cleveland's Asiatown. There are grocery stores in both Asia Plaza and Asia Town Center.

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ lb. beef 5 ounces Korean vermicelli noodles, (~half a package)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 carrot , cut into matchsticks
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pepper, cut into matchsticks
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 5 tablespoons Sweet Soy Sauce Base
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• salt and pepper, to taste

Marinade

• 1 tablespoon Sweet Soy Sauce Base
• 1 green onion , minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, add the beef and the marinade ingredients. Toss to coat and let it sit while preparing everything else.

Place the fired noodles in a large heatproof mixing bowl. Pour 4 cups of boiling water over the noodles and let soften for about 8 minutes. Drain. Cut the noodles in half. If they get sticky, rinse with warm water.

Stir fry vegetables and beef separately and season with salt and pepper. Keep everything warm in the oven.

Add the sauce and sesame oil; bring to a boil. Add the noodles and mix well. Add with the other ingredients. Top with sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil.

Sriracha Chocolate Bars

The first time we went to NYC we stayed at the Harold Square Hotel and right next door was Ayza Wine & Chocolate Bar. On the menu they had an assortment of chocolates by Jacques Torres. If you're not familiar, which I wasn't either at the time, Jacques is Mr. Chocolate. I was transformed from the first bite of his incredible filled truffles. Thankfully, Jacques is doing instructional videos on YouTube for OpenSky on working with chocolate. You can learn anything on YouTube! I love it. Five minutes and you'll understand how to make filled chocolates.

After learning from the master I went and bought some red, orange, yellow and bakers semi-sweet chocolates. I started by melting each of the colored chocolates in a glass bowl over simmering water. It worked best to let the chocolate set and melt for about 5 minutes and then stir. Next I went to my chocolate bar molds (I got my molds at Madi Gras, but you could find at Pat Catan's, B.A. Sweetie and just about any other stores selling candy supplies). I dripped a abstract fire pattern onto the molds and let that dry. After letting that cool I melted the semi-sweet and followed with Jacques instructed in the video (poured it in and dumped it out). I left that to cool in the fridge while making the sriracha caramel.

Sriracha Caramel

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 tablespoons butter
• pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons of Sriracha

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, mix together the sugar, heavy whipping cream, butter and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer for about 4 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the Sriracha and stir. Let cool to room temperature.

Fill your molds, but try not to overfill and pop them back in the fridge. Melt a little more chocolate and pour it in the molds to close up your bar. Once they've cool and solidifed they'll pop right out!

Soupy Mac n Cheese

I love mac n cheese! The hubby and I make it all kinds of ways. Sometimes with corn or apples, sometimes its spicy or crusted. There are a million ways to make it and most aren't too much harder than just making it from the box. I fondly remember the soupy, tender mac n cheese of my preschool and I've been searching for a mac n cheese that reminds me of that for a long time. While what I am trying to recreate is probably right out of a box or can, I still think I can recreate the essence of that childhood mac n cheese in a more homemade way. This is the closest I've gotten so far! It's got that soupy and tender texture I've been looking for, but far more complex in depth of flavor which isn't unwanted. ;]

Serves 2-4 Can be made in 30mns

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of dry elbow macaroni
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1/2 stalk of celery, minced fine
• 1/2 of a medium onion, minced fine
• 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
• 0-2 tablespoons Cornstarch (How much you use will determine how soupy it is)
• 2-1/2 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups of whole milk
• 3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  
  TOPPING INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup Queso Fresco
• 1 teaspoon of chill powder
• 1 green onion, sliced

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a soup pot; add the celery and onion and saute until tender but not browned. Next decide how soupy you'd like it to be. Add no cornstarch for soup, a tablespoon for soupy (that's what I added), or 2 tablespoons for creamy mac n cheese. Sprinkle in the cornstarch of your choosing along with the flour and cook over medium to medium high heat, stirring constantly for about a minute.

Begin to whisk in the broth about 1/2 cup at a time, constantly whisking until fully incorporated and smooth. Set it to a low simmer. Repeat with the milk. Begin to stir in the cheese, about 1 cup at a time. Allow the cheese to fully melt before adding in the next cup.

Add the cooked pasta and stir to break up the noodles. Heat through, but do not allow the soup to boil.

In a separate small bowl, stir together the queso fresco, green onion and chill powder.

Remove the mac n cheese from the heat and serve immediately, garnished with a pinch of the queso fresco mixture.

Beer Boiled Crab Legs

Crab legs at a good restaurant are always expensive, but always enjoyable. Crab legs at a cheap restaurant are not usually expensive, but usually don't hit the spot. My husband doesn't like crab legs from any restaurants because they don't flavor them like he does. Making crab legs at home will certainly save you some money and give you the tastiest crab legs you've ever had. It also saves you from eating, cracking and slurping in public. Here is my hubbys crab leg recipe.

Beer Boiled Crab Legs

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds snow crab legs
• 2 ears corn on the cob, cut in half
• 4 large red potatoes, scrubbed clean
• 1/2 cup Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 stick butter, melted or ghee is really good :)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 bottles of beer
• 10-12 shrimp
  
  DIRECTIONS
  
  Fill a large pot with 5-6 quarts of water and beer. Bring to a boil over high heat and add the seasonings.
  
  Add the potatoes and cook for 8-10 minutes.
  
  Add the crab and corn. Return to a boil for 7 minutes. Add shrimp and boil for 5 minutes. Serve with the butter or ghee.

Chocolate Waffles with Cream Cheese Icing and Spinkles

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 whole eggs, beaten
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• 16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
• Vegetable spray, for waffle iron
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-4 Tbsp milk or more depending on desired consistency of the icing Sprinkles
   

DIRECTIONS

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt, and sugar. In another bowl beat together eggs and melted butter, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.Ladle waffle batter onto the iron. Close iron top and cook until the waffle is easily removed from iron.

Mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whisk in the milk until desired consistency.

Pour over hot waffles and top with sprinkles!

Mocha Chip Cookies

I was craving coffee and chocolate and so was born these giant Mocha Chip Cookies.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 sticks of butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. instant coffee grounds
• 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a large bowl, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and coffee grounds. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Then add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat for 2 more minutes.
4. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until all combined and well-incorporated.
5. Using a spatula, fold in the both kinds of chocolate chips.
6. How big you make them will change the cooking time. I made them humungous and they took about 20mns with the convection setting on. Normal size cookies will be pretty close to done at the 10mns mark.
7. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before you move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Drizzle Ingredients: 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 tbsp. whipping cream 1 tbsp. cocoa powder 1 tbsp. butter 2 tsp. water

1. Stir the powdered sugar and cocoa together in a bowl.
2. Heat the water, butter and cream until boiling and pour into the bowl.
3. Whisk well to make a smooth icing. To check the consistency, dip your finger in. It should coat your finger.
4. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Use quickly before it sets.

Apple Jack Pie

I like to cook liquor into my sweets. I am especially excited about it when I can use something locally made. Tom's Foolery in Chagrin Falls makes an awesome Applejack! It can be hard to track down because it sells fast when it hits the shelves, but I often find liquor I am having a tough time getting my hands on at Minotti's.

Pie Ingredients:

1 Pie Crust - I went for store bought this time. Wasn't trying to take all day to make my pie. :) 5 Apples (your favorite baking variety) 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar 1/3 cup Brown Sugar 1/3 cup Flour 1 tbsp Cinnamon 3 tbsp Applejack

Streusel Topping Ingredients:

1/2 cup Flour 1/4 cup Quick Oats 1/4 cup Brown Sugar 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 1/8 tsp Salt 1/4 cup Butter, cold and diced into cubes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, toss apple slices with Applejack. Add sugars, flour, and spices to the bowl and toss to coat. Spoon apple filling into chilled pie crust.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, quick oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add cold butter and using fingertips, rub butter into dry mixture until it comes together it small crumbles and pieces of butter are no longer visible. Sprinkle on top of the apple pie filling and bake for 35-40mns or until bubbly and brown.

Snow Ball Cheesecakes

I have always loved snow balls. Peeling off the marshmallow layer and eating that first was my favorite thing to do as a kid. I wanted those flavors into a cheesecake. I also wanted a light cheese cake so I adapted this Japanese Cotton Cheesecake recipe to make it light and fluffy.  It is more cakeish than cheese, but it's cottony texture is incredible!

Found a set of two mini cheesecake pans at World Market, but this recipe will work with a normal size springform pan as well.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Milk
• 6 tbsp. Butter
• 8 oz. Cheese Cream
• 1.4 oz. Sifted All-Purpose Flour
• 1.2 oz. Cornmeal
• 7 Egg yolks
• 7 Egg whites
• 3/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1/2 cup Sugar 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 3 Egg whites - room temperature
• 2 cups Light Corn Syrup
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 2 cups Powdered Sugar - Sifted
• 1 tbsp. Coconut Extract
• 2 cups Shredded Coconut
• 1-2 Drops of Food Coloring

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil milk and butter, lower the heat and add cheese cream, use hand whisk to stir till smooth. Add in plain flour, cornmeal and cocoa powder. Mix well. Finally add in egg yolks, vanilla, cheese cream and mix until thick. Let cool.

In a stand mixer, whisk egg whites, cream of tar tar and sugar till peak form. Use a spatula to fold egg whites in two batches to cheese cream mixture.Wrap your springform pan in foil to shield it from the water bath you'll be cooking it in. Grease the foiled pan(s) and place it in a deep baking dish. Fill with water 3/4 the way up the pan. The water helps slowly heat up the cheesecake and prevents it from cracking. Bake for 45mns to 1 1/2 hours. It will depend on your oven and the size of your pans how long to cook. When it is done it will look solid and no longer jiggle like soup.

Let the cheesecake cool. Time to make the topping! In a standing mixer, combine egg whites, corn syrup, and salt. Beat on high speed for five minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and doubled. Reduce speed to low, and add coconut extract and powdered sugar. Beat until well combined. Top cheesecakes with it soon after it has been made. Finally, combine shredded coconut with a few drips of food coloring and sprinkle on top. Enjoy!

Italian Eggs for Two

Quickly becoming one of my most favorite things to make for brunch because its so damn quick and easy! Great to make for that special someone in your life that you want to wake up with brunch in bed.

INGREDIENTS

• 4tbsp. Spaghetti Sauce
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 Cup Sliced Mushrooms (or your other favorite pizza topping. I've used sausage and olives with good results)
• 1/4 Cup Shredded Italian Cheese
• Italian Seasoning
• Salt
• Pepper

DIRECTIONS

For this recipe you'll need 2 oven safe ramekins and a deep baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 and start boiling about a quart of water. I used Nino's Spaghetti sauce. You can pick it up at any of the places listed here. Place 2tbsp. of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of each ramekin.

Brown your mushrooms (or prepare your other favorite pizza topping). I cooked them in lots of butter. Put the mushrooms on top of the spaghetti sauce. I keep a little bit of the butter to put in with the mushrooms.

Crack an egg into each ramekin.

Top with cheese, Italian seasoning a little salt and pepper.

Put the ramekins in the deep baking dish and fill the dish with boiling water about 1/2 the way up the ramekin. Then pop in the oven. Bake at 350 for about 15mns or until you can shake the ramekin and it no longer slides around like an uncooked egg white. Baking time can be really different per oven so keep a close eye on it. 2mns can mean the difference between a nice runny yolk, a hard yolk and a totally uncooked egg.

Once you find the perfect baking time you'll want to make these all the time too!

Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Cakes

Making mini layer cakes is so much fun! Have a deep sheet pan and round cookie cutter? Then you can do it too!

This makes a great Easterish dessert. I played around with a lot of different versions of this because the strawberry cake was just to good to not make something amazing with it.

Cake Ingredients: 1/2 Stick of Butter 1/4 Cup of Canola Oil 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar 2 Large Eggs 1/4 Cup Sour Cream 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla 2 Tbsp. Strawberry Jam 1 1/2 Cups Flour 1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda 1/4 Baking Powder 1/4 Tsp. Salt 1.5 oz. Strawberry Jello Powder (Half a pack of boxed jello powder) 1/4 Cup Buttermilk Lemon and/or Strawberry Jelly Beans for decoration

Meringue Frosting Ingredients: 2 Cups Caster Sugar 4 Egg Whites 1 Tbsp. Lim0ncello Zest of 1 Lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a deep sheet pan generously with cooking spray.

In a stand mixer, beat the melted butter, oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, jam and vanilla until combined. Place flour, baking soda, baking powder, jello powder and salt into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Alternate adding flour then buttermilk until well combined. Pour batter onto sheet pan and spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely.

Once the cake is cooled it's time to get out your round cookie cutter. I used a 2" round, but you can choose a size you'd like. Cut the circles out of your sheet cake to make the layers of your cake.

Once you have your layers you are ready to make the meringue. In a metal mixing bowl with a pot of simmering water below, poor in the egg whites and sugar and whisk until sugar dissolves. Move to a stand mixer, add the limoncello and zest. Beat until stuff peaks and ice cakes immediately. Start by icing the layers together. (I made three layers, but you can easily make them as many as you'd like.) Then ice the tops and sides. Top with a few jelly beans and enjoy!

Recipe: Kohlrabi Beef Stir Fry

Kohlrabi is a great treat that many may find in their CSA bag or at the local farmers market, but not everyone knows what to do with it. It’s much more familiar in Eastern Europe and Asia than here in the USA, but it can be eaten in a variety of ways and is especially tasty when raw. Here is a quick and easy stir-fry that takes advantage of its crisp texture, delicious flavor and natural absorbency. We paired it with a few ears of grilled corn. We also cooked this on a Thai charcoal outdoor stove, but an indoor stove works just as well. Kohlrabi Beef Stir Fry

 Ingredients:

• 12 ounces lean beef, sliced in thin strips
• 1 onion, thinly sliced, divided
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced, divided
• 2 tablespoons oil, divided
• 1 kohlrabi, peeled & cut into matchsticks
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 green onions, green parts only, sliced

Directions:

Bring a small pan of water to a boil and blanch the kohlrabi for two minutes. Then, place in an ice bath to stop the cooking.

Heat a wok over high heat; add half the oil and stir-fry half of the onions and half of the garlic until fragrant – about one minute. Add the beef and stir-fry for another minute until most of the meat has browned. Move the meat mixture to a bowl.

Bring the wok back up to temperature and add the rest of the oil. Add the kohlrabi with the remaining onions and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant and they begin to soften – about two minutes.

Add the meat mixture back to the wok and add the remaining ingredients. Stir-fry until combined and everything is cooked through – about two minutes. Toss in the green onions and stir to combine. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

It has a great peppery taste and it's one of our favorite ways to make kohlrabi. Enjoy!

If it looks like a duck...smoke it!

Woks have a 2,000 year history of being a versatile all-in-one pan, but like most Americans, I tend to only use mine for stir frying. Smoking duck breast is a great way to add sensational, complex flavors to the meat and is much easier than you think. It can be done right in your kitchen in under an hour. Last year, my wife and I went on a Chinatown tour in NYC that took us to a traditional Peking duck restaurant. The Peking Chef that prepares the duck must also slice the duck and they do it right at your table. They take the slices of duck and wrap it up in a pancake (more like a tortilla than an American pancake) with green onions, cucumbers and hoisin sauce. It's a simple and tasty dish! I thought that would be a great way to serve up our smoked duck.

In my opinion, every Cleveland cooking adventure should start in the same place…The West Side Market. After a brief detour for lunch at Nano Brew, we headed to City Roast Coffee & Tea for some loose-leaf green tea. Then, on our search for duck breast, we ended up at Kaufmann Poultry just around the corner.

Ingredients:

1 duck breast, split - Kaufmann Poultry

½ tsp black pepper

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 star anise

½ cup green tea - City Roast Coffee & Tea

½ cup uncooked rice

½ cup sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

Mandarin pancakes, store bought or homemade - This isn't what you picture as your standard pancake. It is closer to a tortilla wrapper.

2 green onions, cut into matchsticks

½ cucumber, cut into matchsticks

3 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tsp hot water

1 tsp sesame oil

 Directions:

Trim any excess fat from the duck breast and cut slits in the skin. This will help extra fat to be released during the cooking process. In a bowl, mix the pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil. Add the duck and rub the marinade into the skin and meat. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Heat your wok over medium heat and add the oil. Sear the duck skin side down to crisp the skin and give a caramel color, about 3 minutes. Move the duck to a plate and clean out the wok.

Cover the bottom of the wok with foil and add the star anise, tea, rice, sugar and cinnamon. Note: Experiment with different teas and herbs. Woodchips, citrus peels, ginger, coriander seeds are all great things to try. Place a metal rack or steamer basket in the wok and cover with the wok lid. Note: Wok lids are not usually made to be tight fitting to the wok. Wrap the edge of the lid in foil, so when you press it down on the wok the foil will help seal it. Note: If you can, avoid using a rack that will touch the bottom of the wok – it will make clean up much easier. When the heated sugar cools, everything is like concrete.

Turn the heat to high until the wok begins to smoke. Now add the duck breasts skin-up and reduce the heat to medium. Cover to allow it to smoke for 10 minutes. Note: Take out the battery of your smoke – BUT don’t forget to put it back. Turn off heat (don’t remove the lid) and allow the duck to rest in the wok for another 10 minutes.

In the meantime, mix together the hoisin sauce, water, and sesame oil. Thinly slice the breasts. Serve the duck with the pancakes, green onions, cucumber and hoisin mixture. Wrap up and enjoy!

Choco-Cherry Firepie

I love making food over the fire! There are so many great things you can make with a pie iron. Everything from sweet to savory can be stuffed between some bread. This is a great combo of flavors we came across. The marshmallows are truly the key. They bring it together and create great texture. Ingredients:

2 pieces Cinnamon bread or white sandwich bread

2 tablespoons cherry pie filling

1- 2 inch square milk chocolate

6-8 mini marshmallows

butter, to taste

Pie Iron

Fire

1. Butter one side on each piece of bread.

2. Put one piece of bread butter side down in a pie iron.

3. Place the chocolate, pie filling, and marshmallows on the bread keeping them away from the edges.

4. Place the other piece of bread on top with the butter facing out. Carefully close and lock the pie iron.

5. Cook in a fire, turning often until the bread is nicely toasted. (Using the coals is quicker and bakes more evenly)

6. Enjoy

Tips: If you use soft, white bread, like Nickel’s or Wonder, the pie iron will seal the edges together.

Recipe: Pineapple Pops

The West Side Market often has great deals on fruit. When it's ripe and ready to go the vendors offer exceptional pricing, especially when it nears closing time. I can't help but stock up on fruits and veggies when I see those sweet, sweet savings. It often leaves me with a lot of fruit I need to use up right away. This recipe is a great one for that extra pineapple you got on a two-for deal.

Pineapple Pops

Ingredients: - 1 medium-to-large pineapple - 1/3 cup Milk - 1/4 cup sugar

Chunk up the pineapple and combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until baby food consistency. (If you like your pineapple pops a little chunky pulse a little less or a little more for a smoother pop.) Put in a popsicle tray or if you don't have one just use small paper cups with wooden popsicle sticks or plastic spoons (which are way easier to find) and freeze for 4 hours.

Keep in touch with what's going on at the West Side Market:

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Recipe: Roast Beef Reuben

Any meal gets better when you start with local ingredients from the West Side Market, right?

Let me introduce you to our Roast Beef Reuben!

Ingredients:

- Start with Farmers Bread from Mediterra Bakehouse – a blend of white and wheat flours with a sourdough starter.

- Slather with homemade Thousand Island dressing (see recipe below).

- Pile high with thin-sliced roast beef from Edw. Badstuber & Son.

- Add a slice of Baby Swiss cheese from Annemarie’s Dairy.

- Top with sauerkraut. Thankfully I picked up these two packets of Franks's sauerkraut at the grocery store a while back. I knew they would come in handy some day.

Cook that shit: Pull out a Panini pan and spatula and you've got yourself an awesome sandwich!

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup mayonnaise - 2 tablespoons ketchup - 1 tablespoon white vinegar - 2 teaspoons sugar - 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish - salt and pepper, to taste

Mix that shit together.