Penne Pasta in Vodka-Tomato Sauce

1 lb. penne pasta

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 (14.5 oz..) can crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 Tbsp. vodka

3/4 cup cream or Half & Half

1/2 cup pasta water

1 small jar capers, drained

1/2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water and set pasta aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and pepper flakes and saute for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to burn garlic. (If garlic burns, throw it out and start over because it will be bitter.)

Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. Add cooked pasta to tomato sauce and reduce heat to low. Let mixture set for 2-3 minutes. Add vodka and stir to coat. Increase heat to a simmer and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add cream or Half & Half and capers and fold until mixture is smooth. Cook gently for 1-2 minutes then turn heat off. Add parsley and stir. Let mixture rest 2 minutes. Spoon into warmed bowls.

Serves 4-6

Roasting Peppers

Roasted peppers adds an amazing flavor to your recipes. It’s really quite easy to do.

Prepare charcoal grill to medium-hot. Place peppers on grill, turning them a quarter turn every 2-3 minutes. Grill until skins are blackened.

You can also roast them in your oven by broiling the peppers on a rack under preheated broiler about 2-inches from heat, turning every 5 minutes, for 15-20 minutes, or until skins are blistered and charred.

Transfer peppers to bowl and let them steam, covered, until they are cool enough to handle. Keeping the peppers whole, peel. starting at stem end. Cut off tops and discard seeds and ribs. (If roasting hot peppers, always wear rubber gloves to prevent burning.)

Quick Mayonnaise Sauces

Once you taste a fresh, homemade condiment for your sandwiches, meats, fish or poultry, you’ll never go back to store bought again.

Here are some quick, wonderful condiment sauces to liven up your dishes.

Jalapeno Garlic Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

3 whole pickled jalapeno peppers

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 tsp. red-wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Pinch salt

1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Place mayonnaise, pickled jalapeno peppers, tomato paste, garlic, vinegar Worcestershire sauce and salt to taste in blender and process until smooth; transfer to a bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve on sandwiches or with meat or poultry.

Makes 1 1/4 cups

Three-Mustard Mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 Tbsp. coarse-grained mustard

1 Tbsp. prepared mustard

2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

2 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 tsp. honey

Pinch salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In bowl, stir together mayonnaise, mustards, lemon juice, honey and salt pepper to taste. Serve on sandwiches or with meat, chicken, pork or vegetables.

Makes 1 1/4 cup

Creamy Apple Horseradish Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup applesauce

3 Tbsp. bottled horseradish

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Pinch salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

In bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, applesauce, horseradish, vinegar and salt pepper to taste. Serve on beef sandwiches or with roast beef.

Makes 2 cups

Quick mayonnaise Sauces

Lemon-Pepper Dill Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest

2 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced

Pinch salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In bowl, stir together mayonnaise, zest, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cook asparagus or other vegetables, with crudites or with fish.

Makes 1 cup

Tahini Mint Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste, available at most grocery stores)

1 small garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, minced

2 Tbsp. lime juice, freshly squeezed

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

In bowl, stir together mayonnaise, tahini, garlic paste, mint, lime juice and cayenne pepper. Serve sauce with meat, chicken or vegetables.

Makes 1 1/4 cups

Caesar Mayonnaise Dressing

2 small garlic cloves, minced and mashed to paste with 1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. anchovy paste

2 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 cup bottled mayonnaise

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground pepper to taste

In bowl whisk together garlic paste, anchovy paste, lemon juice, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Add mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese and pepper to taste and continue stir until well combined. Toss dressing with salad greens, serve as dip with crudites, or on favorite Panini.

Makes 1 1/3 cups

Curry Mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp. curry powder

1 Tbsp. lime juice, freshly squeezed.

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Paprika for garnish

In bowl, stir together mayonnaise, curry powder, lime juice and cayenne. Chill for 1 hour and garnish with paprika. Serve with chicken or vegetables.

Makes 1 cup

Spinach Herb Sauce

1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, cooked, rinsed and squeezed dry

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 tsp. fresh tarragon, minced

1 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

2 tsp. fresh chives, minced

In blender, puree spinach. Add mayonnaise, yogurt, tarragon and lemon juice until mixture is smooth. Stir in chives. Serve sauce with chicken.

Makes 2 cups

Chile-Lime Aioli

1 cup mayonnaise

1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped

1 clove garlic

4 tsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice

In blender, process chiles, lime juice and garlic until smooth. Stir into mayonnaise. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Excellent with fish tacos, on sandwiches or as condiment with grilled poultry.

Makes 1 cup

Kentucky Bourbon Steak

This special steak has been served at the famous Hereford House in Kansas City. Its skillet preparation makes it an easy dish to prepare year round.

8 (3-oz.) beef tenderloin medallions (fillet mignon)

2 Tbsp. clarified butter, or vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. shallot, finely chopped

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup bourbon

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

Lightly sprinkle medallions with salt and pepper and bring to near room temperature.

Heat a 12-inch skillet to medium-high heat. Add butter; when butter is hot, add fillets and cook to desired doneness, turning only once. (7-9 minutes for medium doneness.) Remove fillets from skillet and keep warm.

For sauce, reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings in skillet; discard remaining drippings. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned.

Carefully add beef broth, then bourbon. Bring to a boil. Boil rapidly, uncovered for 6-8 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup. Stir in cream and mustard. Return to boiling. Boil rapidly, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Transfer fillets to 4 serving plates. Pour some of the sauce over fillets and serve with additional sauce if desired.

Serves 4

Jasper's Boulevard Pale Ale Lobster Mac & Cheese

Jasper Mirabile Jr. is chef and owner of Jasper’s Ristorante, one of Kansas City’s best Italian restaurants. Recently, he served The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, when she visited Kansas City. She tasted this special dish and loved it. In fact, Mrs. Obama took some to go as she headed back to Air Force One! One of her aides told Jasper that this was the first time The First Lady has EVER asked for food to go from an event. Yes, it’s just that good.

Jasper’s Restorante holds a special place in my heart too, because this was where my husband took me for our first date! (I was still in high school and he wanted to impress me on how sophisticated he was.) We had Caesar Salad prepared at table side and lobster tails. Impress me he did and 41 years later we still celebrate our anniversaries at Jasper’s.

With permission, here is Jasper’s wonderful recipe.

1 lb. penne rigate or shell pasta

1 lb. lobster meat, chopped

2 Tbsp. butter, divided

1/2 cup pale ale beer

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup Havarti cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan/Gouda cheese, shredded

1 1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Pinch nutmeg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Boil pasta in salted water, following package directions. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.

In heavy skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add lobster and saute until cooked through. Add beer and continue cooking additional 2-3 minutes.

In mixing bowl, combine all cheeses. In separate bowl, whisk together milk and cream. Add milk and cream mixture to pasta. Add cheese mixture, green onions, salt, red pepper flakes and nutmeg and fold gently to thoroughly combine.

Place pasta mixture in prepared baking dish and cover with breadcrumbs, adding more cream if desired.  Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4

Pineapple Mango Salsa

Serve this tropical salsa over grilled fish, chicken or pork for a fresh new taste.

2 cups fresh pineapple, finely diced

1 cup fresh mango, finely diced

1/2 cup sweet onion, diced (like Maui or Vidalia)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 fresh hot chili, seeded and minced (like Jalapeno or Thai chili)

2 Tbsp. mint leaves, shredded

1/4 tsp. salt or to taste

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients and let stand at room temperature. Serve over grilled tuna, salmon, chicken, or pork chops. Also good served with baked tortilla or pita chips.

Makes 3 cups

Stuffed Baby Portobello Mushrooms

yourself for no reason at all!

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach

3 dozen baby portobello mushrooms

1/2 cup butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 cup sour cream

Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook spinach in unsalted water; drain thoroughly. Squeeze all remaining water from spinach and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Briefly wash mushrooms (never soak them!) or brush them gently with clean towel. Remove stems and chop stems.

In skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushroom tops until thoroughly coated with butter, about 5-10 minutes. Remove caps from butter and place in 9×13-inch baking dish, cap side down.

In same skillet, saute onions in butter. Add chopped mushroom stems and heat until tender. Add spinach and all remaining ingredients, except cheese. Mix well.

Fill caps with spinach mixture. Sprinkle tops with Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Serves 6-8

Steak Butter

are resting, place pats of this wonderful butter on top of steak. What a difference!

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

1/2 stick margarine, room temperature

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp. chopped chives or scallion tops

1 Tbsp. basil

1 tsp. hickory salt

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Beat butter and margarine together at medium speed until well blended. Beat in the rest of ingredients.

Place butter in piece of plastic wrap and form into a log. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. To serve, slice pats of butter and place on steak just before serving.

Asparagus-Leek Risotto

A perfect way to use fresh spring asparagus. This creamy risotto will become a family favorite.

3/4 lb. asparagus spears

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 cups leeks, cleaned and sliced

1 cup Arborio rice

3 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, snipped

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 tsp. freshly ground coarse black pepper

Lemon slices

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place asparagus in a single layer on baking sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil; lightly sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake uncovered, about 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Cool slightly. Cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces; set aside.

In saucepan, bring broth to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan, cook leeks in remaining olive oil until tender. Stir in uncooked rice. Cook and stir over medium heat until rice begins to turn golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Carefully stir 1 cup hot broth into rice mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until liquid is absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth at a time, stirring frequently until broth is absorbed before adding more broth, about 20 minutes. Stir in any remaining broth. Cook and stir just until rice is tender and creamy.

Stir in asparagus pieces, cheese, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and pepper. Top with asparagus spears and lemon slices.

Serves 4

Fresh Berries with Orange Cream Shortcake

A perfect pairing of fresh berries served over creamy, orange infused drop shortcakes.

6 cups blackberries

6 cups strawberries, sliced

6 cups blueberries

1 cup granulated sugar

For shortcakes:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

1 1/2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

2 cups well-chilled heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

In a large bowl, combine berries and sugar and mix well. Let berries stand at room temperature for 4 hours.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets.

In large bowl whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

In separate bowl, whisk together zest, sour cream and milk. Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture and stir until it just forms a soft, sticky dough.

Using a 2 ounce ice cream scoop, drop dough onto buttered baking sheet. Space 1-inch apart. Pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness and bake 12-15 minutes, or until pale golden. Transfer shortcakes to a rack and cool.

In large bowl, beat cream with confectioners’ sugar until it holds soft peaks.

To serve, split shortcakes horizontally and fill with cream and berries. Top with additional cream and berries.

Makes 12 servings