• all-purpose flour, for rolling out the dough 
• 1 box (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry, both sheets thawed according to package directions
• 2½ cups shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken is fine)
• 1 cup pesto sauce, home made or good-quality store-bought
• 1 cup frozen peas, unthawed 
• 1 large egg, beaten 
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 
• Freshly ground black pepper

Pesto Chicken Turnovers

Click image to enlarge

• 1 large shallot, sliced into very thin rings 
• 3 tablespoons lime juice 
• (about 2 limes) 
• 4 teaspoons packed brown sugar, divided 
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt 
• ¾ teaspoon ground white pepper 
• 1½ pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 2 or 3 pieces 
• Canola oil (if using a skillet) 
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce 
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
• 1½ cups (about 7 ounces) red or yellow cherry tomatoes, halved 
• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus cilantro sprigs to garnish (optional) 
• ½ cup coarsely chopped 
• fresh mint

Thai Beef Salad

Click image to enlarge

•  
• 5 pounds pork shanks, cut osso buco  style (approximately six 2-inch pieces)
• Kosher salt 
•  

SPICE MIX 

• ¼ cup/30 g New Mexico chile powder
• 2 tbsp ancho chile powder 
• 2 tbsp chipotle chile powder 
• 2 tbsp ground cumin 
• 1 tsp ground black pepper 
• 1 tsp ground white pepper 
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper 
•  
• ¼ cup/60 ml canola oil 
• ¼ cup/60 ml olive oil 
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 
• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced 
• 2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced 
• 2 bay leaves 
• One 12-oz/360-ml bottle stout beer
• Two 14½-oz/415-g cans diced organic 
• tomatoes, with juice 
• 4 qt/3.8 L organic beef stock 
• 1 cup/200 g dried red beans 
• 1 cup/200 g dried pinto beans 
• 1 cup/200 g dried black beans 
• 1 cup/200 g posole (dried hominy) Tabasco sauce 
• Leaves from 1 small bunch fresh 
• cilantro, chopped 
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped, 
• plus 4 scallions, sliced 
• 2 tomatoes, diced 
• Shredded pepper, Jack cheese, for serving

Slow-Braised Pork Shank Chili

Click image to enlarge

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 quarts water
• 2 or 3 large onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
• ½ cup chopped celery
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pound sliced okra, fresh or frozen
• 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut into chunks
• 1 pound smoked pork sausage, sliced
• 1 pound crawfish tails (optional)
• hot cooked rice, filé, for serving

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Crawfish

Click image to enlarge

• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic 
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco hot pepper sauce 
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 chicken, about 3½ pounds

Roasted Split Chicken with Mustard Crust

Click image to enlarge

Texans consider beans a Yankee addition from north of the Red River and unequivocally keep them out of chili.

• 2 large onions, diced 
• ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil 5 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 lb. ground chuck or venison 
• 1 tablespoon table salt 
• 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder 
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin 
• 1 tablespoon paprika 
• 2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes 
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste 
• 1 (12-oz.) can amber ale beer 
• 2 Tablespoon masa harina (cornflour) 
• 1 (16-oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (optional; see note above) 

West Texas Chili

Click image to enlarge

• 1 pound of peeled crawfish tails 
• 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined 
• ½ cup of oil 
• 1 large bell pepper
  
• 1 small onion
• 1 rib of celery celery 
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper 
• Salt and black pepper, to taste 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup of bread crumbs , or 3 or 4 slices of bread, cubed 
• 6 to 7 bell peppers , halved

Seafood Stuffed Bell Peppers

Click image to enlarge

• ¼ cup diced yellow onion 
• ¼ cup diced bell pepper (red and/ or green) 
• Olive oil or butter for sautéing and coating the baking dish 
• 4 cups cooked white rice 
• ¾ cup mayonnaise 
• ½ cup tomato sauce 
• 12 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp 
• 1 pound crabmeat, picked over to remove shells 
• 2 tablespoons seafood boil spice 
• 1 ½ cups seasoned bread crumbs

Shrimp and Crab Casserole

Click image to enlarge

• 1½ pound flank steak
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• Creole seasoning, to taste
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 10-oz pack frozen spinach, thawed
• 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Spinach & Bleu-Stuffed Flank Steak

Click image to enlarge