Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for a unique Italian dish: Lasagna! When you really think about it, lasagna is a really interesting dish; it's a just bunch of layers of pasta! In reality, it's like a different way to enjoy the Italian flavors that you know and love. That being said, we based this recipe largely off of the Stuffed Shells recipe that we made, which also included a bolognese and ricotta sauces with the pasta, with the difference being in the assembly. Lasagna Ingredients: Several lasagna sheets (depending on the size of your dish, we used about 12) 12 ounces mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese Bolognese Sauce: 1 pound ground beef (you can also do 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound Italian sausage) 1/2 medium onion 2 cloves garlic 1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste 1 can tomato sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon herbs (italian seasoning, parsley, basil, whatever) Salt and pepper to taste  Ricotta Sauce: 16 ounces ricot...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a recipe for fruitcake! Yes, it's a fruitcake, but it's not the classic American kind with the strangely colored fruits; this is actually what a fruitcake should be like - completely natural-looking, full of fruit, and delicious. If you're one of those fruitcake-haters (which is reasonable considering how weird they are), this recipe is certain to change your mind about the dessert! French Fruitcake Ingredients: 1 stick butter 1/4 cup sugar 10 grams honey 2 eggs 120 grams cake flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 200 grams mixed dried fruit (raisins, prunes, black currants, peach, apricot, cherry, etc.) 1/4 cup rum (or brandy/Grand Marnier) Directions: The day before, prepare your dried fruits by cutting the bigger pieces into even chunks and then soaking them in rum. In a bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until it is fluffy and pale. Add in the honey and mix it in. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and mix evenly. Sift the cake flour and baking...

 Welcome back!  Today, we have another classic French dessert: the Madeleine! These are instantly recognizable by their distinct shell shape, and they are very popular! The texture is like that of a sponge cake, though it seems to be a little denser, like the Financier, which is actually a similar dish, though the procedure varies quite a bit. What's most interesting is all the legends surrounding the origin of the dish; it has a long history and there's a lot of mystery behind it... Madeleines Ingredients: 3 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon honey 150 grams cake flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 150 grams butter, melted and cooled to room temperature Flavoring ingredients (pick one) 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Zest from 1 lemon Zest from 1 orange Directions: In a bowl, crack in the eggs and whisk using an electric mixer, slowly adding in the sugar, until the mixture is pale and thick. This will take about 4 minutes. Add the honey and mix. Sift in the cake ...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another risotto recipe: but with a different flavor this time! The lemon and basil flavors works very well with the creaminess of the risotto, and when combined with the shrimp, it's like a shrimp scampi dish. It's another great variation on the popular Italian dish! Lemon Basil Shrimp Risotto Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter 12 ounces shrimp 1/2 onion, diced 2 garlics, minced 1 cup arborio rice 1/2 cup white wine 3 1/2 - 4 cups hot broth Zest and juice (about 4 teaspoons) from half a lemon 2 tablespoons cream Basil leaves, chopped 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste Directions: In a pan, put in the butter and sear the shrimp just until they are opaque, and then remove the shrimp. You don't want to cook them all the way. Put in the onion and garlic and saute them. Add in the arborio rice and mix. Add in the white wine and stir it in until the rice has mostly absorbed the liquid. One cup at a time, add in the broth. Ma...

Welcome back!  Today, we have... another chiffon cake! We've made many great variations on this type of cake that we love; this time, it's with some matcha for that wonderful flavor and color! Once again, this is a light and fluffy dessert that, when served just like this, isn't even very unhealthy. It's also not super difficult to make, and everyone will enjoy it! Matcha Chiffon Cake Makes a 9" cake Ingredients: 7 egg whites 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice 7 egg yolks 2 tablespoons sugar 80 grams oil 80 grams milk 130 grams cake flour 10 grams matcha powder 3/4 teaspoon baking powder (optional) Directions: In a bowl, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice until stiff peaks form. While mixing, add in the sugar (1/2 cup), about a third at a time. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Once mixed, add the oil and mix thoroughly. Add in the milk and mix thoroughly. Sift the cake flour, matcha powder, and baking powder into the mixt...

Welcome back!  Today, we have another chicken recipe! Chicken is something that is so prevalent across cultures and cuisines, so it's great to explore all the different ways to prepare the poultry. This is a oriental style, but it's very accessible in terms of ingredients and flavor. Plus, it's easy to make, and you can also make several servings at one time, so it's great for meal planning! Honey Drumsticks Ingredients: 12 drumsticks 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup honey 2 tablespoons rice wine/sake Sesame seeds or green onion for decoration (optional) Directions: Prepare the marinade by combining the garlic, soy sauce, honey, and rice wine. Marinate the chicken in the marinade at least 4 hours in the fridge. Take the chicken out of the marinade, but keep the marinade for later. Sear both sides of the drumsticks in an oiled pan, for about 2 minutes on each side. You'll probably need to do two batches.  Take the reserved marinade and pour it into t...

Welcome back!  Today, we have a cake featuring an interesting fruit: the fig! Figs are typically eaten dried or in some processed form because they don't stay fresh for long, so making this dish out of fresh figs was quite nice. Once completed, the fig flavor blends in very well with the rest of the cake and creates a dessert that is flavorful but not overly rich. Fig Crème Fraîche Cake Makes a 9" cake Ingredients: 1/2 pound figs, quartered (if you have big figs, maybe 6-8 slices) 120 grams cake flour 50 grams almond flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 50 grams sugar 60 grams honey 120 grams crème fraîche 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier 1/2 cup melted butter Directions: In a bowl, sift in the dry ingredients (cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt). Mix this together. In another bowl, put in the sugar, honey, and crème fraîche, and mix them together.  One add a time, add the eggs and mix thoroughly. Add in the vanilla ...