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Watermelon, Lime and Mint Granita Recipe

9 cups (about 2 1/2 pounds) seeded, cubed watermelon
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup mint, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup sugar

1. Working in 2 batches, puree watermelon in a food processor. Strain puree through a sieve and strain out solids, forcing liquid out with a wooden spoon. Discard solids.

2. Combine the watermelon puree, lime juice, mint and sugar in a 9 by 13-inch metal pan. Place mixture in the freezer, scraping thoroughly with a fork every 20 to 30 minutes for about 2 1/2 hours, or until the granita resembles coarse crystals.

3. Scrape 1 last time and spoon into parfait glasses or bowls. Top with a mint sprig.

Frozen Watermelon Margaritas Recipe

5 cups cubed watermelon, seeds removed
1/2 cup simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water, heated until sugar melts), cooled
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
2 cups silver tequila
4 ounces orange liqueur
2 ounces melon liqueur
Watermelon wedges, for garnish

1. Place watermelon in a food processor and process until smooth.

2. Pour the pureed watermelon into 2 empty ice cube trays and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours. Place 8 martini glasses in the freezer to chill.

3. Place 2 cups of the watermelon ice cubes and the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

4. Pour into 4 glasses and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Garnish each glass with a watermelon wedge.

Chicago Style Hot Dog Recipe

8 Vienna all-beef hot dogs
8 hot dog buns with poppy seeds
1 cup minced onions
1 cup fresh tomatoes, seeded
1 cup yellow mustard
1 cup sweet pickle relish
Sport peppers, to taste
Celery salt, to taste

for the dogs:

1. Fill a stock pot 3/4 of the way full with water and bring to a boil. Add the hot dogs, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the hot dogs are plump, about 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Place the hot dogs in the buns. Start topping the hot dogs with 2 tablespoons of each: onions, tomatoes, mustard and relish. Top with sport peppers to taste and sprinkle a little celery salt on top.

3. Place each hot dog in the center of a piece of deli wrap. Place the fries next to the hot dog. Wrap the dog and the fries up tightly and serve.

for the fries:

8 Idaho potatoes, peeled
1/2 gallon peanut oil, neutral flavor, for frying
Salt to taste

1. Cut the french fries with mandoline or french fry cutter 1/4-inch strips.

2. Heat a saucepan or stock pot (at least 2 gallon capacity) with the oil about 250 degrees (use a thermometer to gauge). Add the french fries and cook, stirring to avoid clumping together, about 3 minutes, until soft but not mushy. Remove with a mesh strainer and drain onto paper towels.

3. Turn heat to high and heat oil to 350 degrees. At the last minute before serving plunge the fries into the oil and cook until golden brown. Remove from oil, drain onto towels and season with salt to taste.

The Caribbean Bushwacker

This drink is a favorite on the islands. Be careful, these things go down easy.

1/2 oz. coffee liqueur
1/2 oz. amaretto
1/2 oz. light rum
1/2 oz. irish cream liqueur
2 oz. whipping cream
1 cup ice

Place the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Relax and dream of the islands.

Delicious Fruit Cake. No, really!

ingredients
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup diced figs
1 cup currants
1 cup dried apricots
Zest of one orange, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
1 cup grand marnier
1 cup brown sugar
5 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)
1 cup unfiltered apple juice
3 whole cloves, ground
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup of toasted pine nuts
Rum for spritzing

1. Combine dried fruits, candied ginger and zest. Add grand marnier and macerate overnight, or microwave for 4 minutes to re-hydrate fruit.

2. Place fruit and liquid in a non-reactive pot with the sugar, butter, apple juice and spices. Bring mixture to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for at least 15 minutes. (The batter can be completed up to this point, then covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before completing cake.)

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

4. Combine dry ingredients and sift into fruit mixture. Quickly stir batter with a wooden spoon, then stir in eggs one at a time until completely integrated, then fold in nuts.

5. Spoon into a 10-inch non-stick loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, bake another 10 minutes, and check again.

6. Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack. Spritz top with rum and allow to cool completely before turning out from pan.

7. When cake is completely cooled, seal in a tight sealing, food safe container. Every 2 to 3 days, feel the cake and if dry, spritz with rum. The cake's flavor will enhance considerably over the next two weeks.

Warm Drink - Warm Heart

Black Dragon

This one has a unique taste and is a little bitter.

ingredients (for one serving)
1 black tea teabag (Like English Breakfast)
1 1/2 ounces Spiced Dark Rum (if you want to make your own, see below*)
1 ounce orange juice
1 teaspoon honey
Angostura Bitters to taste

1. Brew the tea in one cup of boiling water.

2. While it is steeping, place the rum, orange juice and honey in a mug and stir to blend.

3. Top with tea and a few drops of the bitters.

* to make your own spiced rum - add 3 whole cloves, 1 star anise pod, 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed and 1/2 teaspoon fennel to one 750 ml bottle of rum. Close and wait for 2 1/2 weeks for flavors to infuse.

Frankfurt Froth

ingredients (for four servings)
1 pint premium vanilla ice cream
6 ounces spice-infused bourbon (see below*)
4 peanuts (optional)

1. To a heavy sauce pan over medium heat add the ice cream, stirring frequently until it is very warm to the touch. Pour into a mixing bowl and whisk until frothy.

2. Divide the bourbon among four warmed mugs. Top with the frothed cream. Grate the peanuts over the tops.

* to make your own infused bourbon - add 3 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick and 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns to one 750 ml bottle of bourbon. Close and allow to infuse for two weeks.

Sleep Tight

ingredients (for one serving)
5 ounces milk
1/2 ounce honey
1 ounce cognac

1. If you have an espresso machine, steam milk and honey with the steaming wand. If not, heat milk and honey in a heavy sauce pan on medium-low until warm to the touch, then transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk until frothy.

2. Pour the cognac into a warmed coffee mug and top wth the frothy milk and honey mixture.

3. Find a down comforter and curl up.

Crab Cakes

1 pound jumbo lump or backfin crabmeat, picked over
1 egg
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
pepper to taste
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 olive oil
4 tablespoons butter

1. In a large bowl beat the egg. Then add the mayonnaise, mustard, dill and pepper (if desired).

2. Stir in the corn meal

3. Add the crab meat. Combine the ingredients by hand and form into cakes.

4. Place the crab cakes into an airtight container and refrigerate for at least one hour. This allows the flavors to combine and keeps the cakes from falling apart.

5. In a heavy fry pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter. Heat until the butter has melted. You can add the crabcakes once the oil sizzles with a little corn meal is dropped in.

6. Allow the the cakes to brown before turning (6-10 minutes) then brown on the other side.

7. Serve hot with your favorite salsa.

Clare's Famous Baby Back Ribs

ingredients:

3-5 pounds baby back ribs
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups white wine (pinot grigio)
4 cloves of garlic, whole
1 medium sweet onion, minced
1/8 teaspoon each of the following spices (or to taste), mixed together
dill
paprika
thyme
cayenne pepper
red pepper
rosemary
salt
pepper

preparation:

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Start up the grill.

1. Place the baby back ribs in a deep baking dish.

2. Pour the apple cider vinegar, and the white wine over the ribs and add the garlic, and onion.

3. Sprinkle the spices over the ribs and into the liquid.

4. Cover with aluminum foil and seal. Place in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and take off the foil. Take care of the steam when removing the foil.

5. Transfer the ribs to the grill, (keep the juices) and slowly cook until completely done. Cover with your favorite sauce. Or better yet, reduce the liquid from the pan and add tomato (or bbq) sauce and pour over the ribs.

The Best Chocolate Brownies Ever!

If you like those cakey brownies, move along. This recipe makes those luscious, gooey brownies that are barely set in the middle. Get ready to pig out.

ingredients
1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 jar, approximately 13 ounces, good quality raspberry preserves
powdered sugar for dusting (if desired)

preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.

3. Using a double boiler over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate together. Add 1 cup of the sugar and stir for about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

4. Put the remaining 1 cup of the sugar, and the eggs into the bowl of a mixer. Beat until just mixed. Add HALF of this mixture, slowly, to the chocolate, all the while stirring so the eggs won't set up. Return the other half to the mixer and whip until they are thick, pale and have doubled in volume.

5. Carefully fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture. When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, add the dry ingredients.

6. Place in an ungreased, 9 inch square baking pan, glass is ideal. Bake for 25 - 28 minutes, but check after 23 minutes. The brownies are ready when they have just set in the middle - and they are still pretty gooey.

7. Cool the brownies on a wire rack in the pan. Makes about 12 nice sized brownies. Cover with 2 tablespoons of raspberry preserve and dust with powdered sugar for a decadent, yet classy dessert.

Chocolate Banana Custard Pie Recipe

ingredients

2 cups half and half
1/3 cup sugar
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into pieces
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 ripe bananas
1 store bought refrigerated pie shell

preparation

for the custard cream:

1. Combine the half and half and sugar in a saucepan. Slightly whisk only to mix.

2. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until melted and smooth.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the spices. Then gently stir in chocolate mixture - only until mixed. Try not to make a lot of foam!

4. Skim any foam off from surface

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pie shell in 9 inch pie tin and prebake according to the directions. Allow to cool before proceeding.

6. Slice the bananas into the pie shell then top with the chocolate custard cream.

7. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the center of custard has just set. Cool on a pie rack and serve alone or with whipped cream.