• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cups half & half
• 1 (1-pound) loaf soft French bread
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ pound tasso or seasoned ham, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound crawfish tail meat with fat, coarsely chopped
• 3 green onions, sliced
• fresh basil, for garnish (optional)

Crawfish Bread Pudding

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• 1 pound linguine
• Table salt for cooking pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound large shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Shrimp Piccata Pasta

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• 2½ pounds boneless chuck, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes

The Marinade:

• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 carrots, scrubbed and sliced 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 cup full-bodied red wine
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves

The Meat Braise:

• flour for dredging
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 2-inch piece of beef suet (or 2 tablespoons butter and 1tablespoon cooking oil)
• 1½ cups full-bodied red wine
• 3 cups homemade or condensed canned ( undiluted) beef broth
• 1 cup V-8 tomato cocktail (not spicy)

The Vegetables:

• 6 medium new potatoes, peeled and
• halved
• 6 carrots, quartered, or 18 ready-to­-cook carrots
• 12 small white boiling onions, peeled

Classic American Beef Stew

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• 1 (4-pound) skin-on side of salmon, pin bones removed
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Lemon wedges for serving

Roasted Whole Side of Salmon

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• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (10 ¾-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 1 (10 ¾-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
• (10-oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 12 (6-inch) fajita-size corn tortillas
• 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

King Ranch Chicken

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BREADCRUMBS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• Flaky salt, such as Maldon or Jacobsen

PASTA

• Kosher salt
• ¾ pound spaghetti
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• One 2-ounce can anchovy fillets
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ¾ cup chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving

Spaghetti Antalina

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• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ pound (8 ounces) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ½ cup small broccoli florets
• 1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
• 8 ounces pasta, cooked according to package directions

Shrimp and Pasta Alfredo

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Special equipment: Deep-fry thermometer

• 2 hard-boiled large eggs
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ pound ground beef chuck
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1½ tablespoons chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving 2 tablespoons juice, and chopped
• 1 package (10) frozen empanada pastry disks, thawed
• About 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Beef Empanadas

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• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• hot sauce to taste
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion tops
• 2 slices sandwich bread
• 1 pound cooked and cleaned shrimp
• 2 large eggs, well beaten
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Creole tartar sauce
• soft buns, lettuce, tomato, etc. for serving

Shrimp Burger

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Chicken:

• ½ cup salt
• 5 pounds chicken drumsticks
• spice rub of choice (recipes follow)

Barbecue Spice Rub:

Combine the following (makes about ⅓ cup):

• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Jerk-Style Spice Rub:

If you can't find whole allspice berries, substitute 2 teaspoons of ground allspice.

• 1 tablespoon allspice berries
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoons dry mustard
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Grind allspice, peppercorns, and thyme in spice grinder or mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. Transfer to bowl and stir in sugar, garlic powder, mustard, salt, and cayenne.

Grilled Chicken Drumsticks

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