1/5 pound ground chuck
1 plain jumbo hamburger bun (4″ diameter)
2 Vlasic hamburger dill slices
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
salt and pepper

Mix the ketchup and mustard. This is your secret sauce.

1. Cook the beef, and toast the buns as directed above.

2. Dress your toasted top bun (crown) as follows:

secret sauce-spread evenly with a knife, and pickles

3. Place the cooked beef patty on the dressed crown. Finish with the toasted heel.

4. Microwave 10 seconds to warm the bun, and serve.

5. OR…wrap in a 12″x12″ sheet of foil, and warm i your oven (200°) 2-3 minutes–then serve.

1/5 pound ground chuck
1 jumbo sesame seed hamburger bun (4″ diameter)
1/4 cup chopped iceberg lettuce
1 thin tomato slice
2 Oscar Mayer pre-cooked bacon slices
2 Vlasic hamburger slices
2 teaspoons Kraft mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Kraft original barbecue sauce
1 slice American cheese
salt and pepper

Mix the mayonnaise and barbecue sauce. This is your secret sauce. Microwave your bacon slices 30-45 seconds to crispen, set aside.

1. Cook the beef, and toast the buns as directed above.

2. Dress your toasted top bun (crown) as follows:

secret sauce-spread evenly with a knife, pickles, lettuce, cheese, bacon and tomato.

3. Place the cooked beef patty on the dressed crown. Finish with the toasted heel.

4. Microwave 10 seconds to warm the bun, and serve.

5. OR…wrap in a 12″x12″ sheet of foil, and warm in your oven (200°) 2-3 minutes–then serve.

1/5 pound ground chuck
1 large sesame seed bun
1 tablespoon Kraft mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Heinz hamburger relish (the red stuff)
1/4 cup chopped iceberg lettuce
2 Vlasic hamburger slices
1 slice American cheese
salt and pepper

Mix the mayonnaise with the relish to make the “secret sauce”. Set aside for now.

Preparing the Papa Burger: 1. On waxed paper, form the 1/5 pound beef patty. It should be about 1/4 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter. Freeze at least an hour.

2. Fire up the indoor electric grill, or outdoor barbecue. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for pre-heating.

3. Toast the buns by laying them face down on the grill for 30-60 seconds. (About :30 for outdoor barbecue, :60 for indoor.)

4. Cook the frozen beef patty about 2 mnutes per side, (outdoor barbecue) or 3 minutes per side (indoor barbecue grill). Salt and pepper liberally on both sides.

5. Dress your toasted top buns (crown) in the following order:

special sauce pickles lettuce cheese

6. Place the cooked beef patty on top of the dressed bun, and add the bottom. (heel)

7. Microwave about 10 seconds to warm the bun, and serve.

8. OR…wrap in a 12″x12″ sheet of foil, and warm in your oven (200°) 2-3 minutes–then serve.

The SUPER Papa Burger

Proceed as above, except cook two beef patties per burger instead of one, placing the cheese in between the patties.

6 oz portabella mushrooms
6 oz shiitake mushrooms
8 oz button mushrooms
1 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tspn chopped garlic
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup diced yellow onions
2 tspn chopped fresh thyme
2 small bay leaves
1 pinch cayenne pepper
¼ tspn black pepper
½ tspn salt
3 tbsp cooking sherry
2 qts beef stock
1¼ cups heavy cream

For beef stock: Place 2 quarts water and 2 tablespoons beef-stock base in a saucepan and simmer until beef-stock base has dissolved.

Remove stock from the heat and allow it to cool until it is refrigerator temperature.

Wash all mushrooms in lukewarm water in a deep bowl. Mix the mushrooms well to loosen the dirt. Remove them from the water by hand, leaving the dirt behind.

Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms, and then slice all of the mushrooms. Keep the button mushrooms separate from the others.

For soup: Heat a 6-8 quart saucepan over moderately high heat. Pour in the melted butter. Add button mushrooms and diced yellow onions to hot butter and cook until mushrooms are soft.

Add the remaining mushrooms and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the sherry and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat and add the flour. Using a cooking spoon, mix well and cook for 2 minutes or until butter and flour (roux) start cooking away from the sides of the saucepan.

Add half of the cold beef stock and stir until liquid thickens.

Add the remainder of the stock and spices and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the cream and allow soup to simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Cooks note: This soup needs a smooth texture. Since the flour flavor must be completely cooked out, your cooking time may vary. Make sure stock is cool before adding it to the hot roux, (approximately 40° cool in the refrigerator). If roux and stock are both hot, your soup will be lumpy.

4 x 8 oz sea bass fillets, boneless skinless
1 cup Asian panko crumb or flake
¼ cup blackened fish seasoning
3 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Brush both sides of fish with melted butter and place in a shallow baking dish. Arrange so that fillets are not touching.

In a mixing bowl place blackening seasoning, crumbs, and melted butter.

Mix well to evenly distribute butter. Spread crust evenly over the tops of the fillets and press lightly.

Place just enough water in the pan to cover the bottom, do not place too much so that the topping on the fish is affected.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is no longer transparent.

4 med Idaho russets
2 bags of cooking rock salt
Bacon Grease

Punch a small hole in potatoes with a fork. Wipe the potatoes with bacon grease.

Cover the bottom of the pan with rock salt. Add potatoes. Cover completely with rock salt.

Bake in oven at 350 for at least one hour.

Remove, wipe off, save the rock salt until next time. Serve with your favorite condiments.

4 tablespoons Butter or margarine
4 tablespoons Flour
2 cups Half-and-half
1/2 cup (or more to Taste) grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and white pepper to Taste
Few grains cayenne pepper (optional)
6 (8 oz.) cooked snow crab meat, cut into chunks

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour, and cook briefly until the mixture looks sandy. Do NOT let it color.

Wisk in the half-and-half, and stir until the mixture forms a thick sauce.

Stir in the cheese, and season to taste. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors, and stir in the crab meat. Cook JUST until the crab is heated through.

Serve over cooked linguini, with additional Parmesan cheese and hot red pepper flakes on the side.

Before some purist jumps me, I KNOW this isn’t a classic Alfredo, but it is a very good dish, and remarkably easy to make.

This may be varied by substituting cooked lobster meat for the crab, or by adding 36 cooked, peeled and deveined medium shrimp, and about a quarter of a cup of chopped cooked broccoli instead of the crab meat.

2 pounds flounder fillets, fresh
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Skin fillets. Cut fillets into serving size portions. Combine cornmeal with seasonings. Roll fish in cornmeal mixture.

Place flounder in an iron skillet which has been preheated with about 1/8 inch of oil.

Brown on one side 2 – 3 minutes. Carefully turn and cook on the other side an additional 3 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with tartar sauce and coleslaw .

8 ounces dry couscous
1 1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill
1 teaspoon fresh chopped mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can mandarin oranges

Place water, salt, sugar, pepper and olive oil in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and add couscous cover and let stand for about 7 minutes.

Fold in oranges, juice, and fresh herbs.

Let stand for 2-3 minutes.

Enjoy!

1/2 cup melted butter or olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
4 salmon steaks, cut 1 inch thick

Place melted butter, lemon juice, salt, fresh chopped dill and red pepper in small bowl and stir to combine.

Preheat broiler.

Place salmon steaks on lightly greased pan and brush with half of seasoned butter.

Broil, 5 inches from source of heat, 5 to 10 minutes.

Turn heat to 400°F, close oven and bake an additional 5 – 8 minutes.

Brush with remaining butter blend.

Serve.