Yield: 24 3-inch Squares

1 3/4 Cups Sugar

3/4 Cup Water

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 Tbsp Rose Water

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook

about 5 minutes to dissolve sugar and thicken. Remove syrup from heat, stir in rose water, and

cool until needed.

1 lb Pistachios, shell off

2 Tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 Cup Water

In a food processor, pulse pistachios, sugar, and cinnamon until nuts are finely chopped. Add

water and process briefly to incorporate. The mixture should be fairly dense and sticky. Reserve

for later use.

2 Cups Clarified Butter

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

Generously brush a 13-inch x 17-inch sheet pan with clarified butter. Combine the rest of the

clarified butter with the vegetable oil.

1 lb Phyllo Dough

1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

Working quickly, place a phyllo sheet on the sheet pan, brush it with butter, and give it a light

sprinkling of Graham cracker crumbs. Repeat until the phyllo is eight sheets thick.

Using both hands, crumble the reserved pistachio mixture over the phyllo in an even layer, being

sure to get the filling to the edges of the pan. Do not try to make the filling perfectly flat and do not

press down on it overly much or the baklava will be very dense after baking.

Place a piece of phyllo over the nut filling and gently press it into place. Brush the phyllo with

butter, sprinkle with Graham cracker crumbs, and cover with another layer of phyllo. Repeat until

the phyllo is eight layers thick. Butter the last sheet of phyllo, but do not put Graham cracker

crumbs on the top layer.

Trim the excess phyllo from the edges of the baklava with scissors or a very sharp knife. Using a

very sharp paring knife and cutting all the way down to the sheet pan, cut the baklava into 3-inch

squares. (You will be making four rows and six columns on the pan.)

Bake the baklava in a 325 degree F oven for 45 minutes. Turn the temperature to 400 degrees F

and continue baking until crisp and golden brown, about another 15-20 minutes. Remove the

baklava from the oven and pour the cooled syrup evenly over the top of the pastry. Let cool.

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

5 oz, unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 tsp. vanilla sugar

6 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted

5 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted, cooled

16 oz. apricot jam

Glaze:

8 oz. semisweet chocolate

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Lightly butter and line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.  Dust lightly with flour. 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream together butter and confectioner’s sugar.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until thick.  Mix in the melted and cooled chocolate.  Beat egg whites with salt until foamy, slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, but they are not too dry.  Add 1/4 of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture, gently fold it in to lighten up and then fold in the rest of the whites until you can still see some of the whites.  Add in cake flour in two additions, be very careful not to over mix.

Pour into prepared cake pan and bake 45-50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool cake for 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert cake onto a cooling rack.  Remove parchment paper and let cool.

Cut cooled cake in half, horizontally, heat jam with 1 tablespoon of water, spread some jam on the bottom layer and tope with second layer.  Cover cake with jam and refrigerate. 

Melt chocolate glaze in a heatproof bowl over simmering water.  Heat cream until it starts to bubble on the edge, pour over chocolate, add butter and stir until smooth.  Cool to room temperature and cover cake.  Chill until chocolate has set.  Serve with whipped cream.

By Loretta Paganini

Serves 6

1 (2 lb.) butternut squash

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely diced

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups Arborio rice

4 cups chicken stock

2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Salt and pepper

2 oz. diced pancetta

1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted

Remove the top and bottom of the squash. Peel away the skin, cut in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and cut the flesh into 1/2-inch dice.  Repeat process with the other piece.

Place on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Mix well and cook in a preheated oven at 350°F for 15 minutes, until soft and slightly browned.

Add the remaining olive oil to a heavy sauté pan and brown the pancetta.  Add the butter, garlic and shallots and sauté gently for 3 minutes, until softened but not colored.

Add the rice and stir well to coat the grains with the oil and butter. Add the wine and deglaze the pan for about 2 minutes or until the alcohol has evaporated. Add the hot stock a ladle-full at a time, stirring until each addition is absorbed into the rice. Keep rice covered with liquid at all times. Continue adding stock in this way, cooking until the rice is creamy but the grains are still firm. This should take about 20 minutes.

Remove the squash from the oven; add to the risotto with the parmesan and remaining butter.

Remove from heat and stir in Gorgonzola and walnuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir gently.  Serve immediately.

Serves 8

5 large baking potatoes

6 oz shredded cheddar cheese

½ cup sour cream 

½ cup crumbled cooked bacon

¼ cup chopped scallions

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Prick a potato with a fork then bake potatoes in oven on a cookie sheet  until fork tender.  Allow them to cool.  Cut in half and scoop out half of the potato inside of each half. Leave some flesh inside the potato halves.

Take the scooped out potato filling and mix with cheddar cheese, half the scallions and bacon.  Set aside. 

Heat vegetable oil to 360-380 degrees F.  Fry the potato halves until slightly crisp.  Set aside on paper towels to drain excess oil. 

Place potatoes on a parchment lined cookie sheet and load each potato half with potato cheese mixture. 

Place potatoes in oven to bake 5-8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Top with a dollop of sour cream and remaining scallions and serve.