Today's episode is Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese - YUM!

I want to give you the abridged version of the work that went into creating this dish. Once I knew I wanted to make Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, the first thing I did was try Martha's recipe. To be honest, I wasn't impressed. Sorry, Martha. You know I love you, girl.

Anyway, I realized it was something about the combination of cheddar, nutmeg and squash turned me off; I think maybe it was a little too sweet. I'm more of a savory gal. So next I tried Martha's recipe but I substituted mozzarella cheese in place of cheddar. It was definitely better, but the color was kind of off. Mozzarella is tasty, but it's not always beautiful.

Next, I turned to my favorite book, The Flavor Bible, and looked up what flavors go well with Butternut Squash. I was intriuged when I saw Curry and I realized not only would it bring the savory/spicy, it'd also bring the pretty orange. 

And wow...let me tell you, I really hit on something

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INGREDIENTS

-1 Butternut squash, diced

-2 cups chicken stock

-2 TBSP heavy cream

-1 tsp Cayenne pepper

-1 1/2 TBSP Curry powder

-1 lb Small shells

-2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

-1/4 cup Parmesan cheese plus 1/2 cup for crust

-1/2 cup breadcrumbs

-salt and pepper to taste

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Last month we were extremely lucky to have Basil Hayden's Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey sponsor our One Year Anniversary party in Brooklyn. We were even LUCKIER to have a little extra bottle of Basil Hayden's to keep for ourselves!

I like a nice strong cocktail as much as the next girl, but because I've always got food on the brain, I chose to use my half of the bottle for cooking instead of drinking. What you'll see below is the result of a lot of expirimentation annnnd a few singed eyebrows!

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INGREDIENTS

3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, flattened and sliced into tenders
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
2 cups pecans
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

Sauce

2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp grainy mustard
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp hot sauce

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I've come to love and enjoy baking nearly as much as I love to cook. It's surprising seeing as I 1) hate to follow directions and 2) have the patience of a hummingbird...but somehow it's become the truth. One of my favorite treats to make on the weekends is banana bread, which nearly everyone likes. Luckily, I've got a great recipe!

The most important ingredient in banana bread is flour. No just kidding, it's bananas. Duh. Bananas used in banana bread should be really ripe. The riper the naner, the sweeter and better your bread will taste! Before you pick a banana for banana bread, ask yourself, "is this banana brown? almost black?". If the answer is yes, then that banana is ready to get baked!

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INGREDIENTS

-3 over ripe bananas 

-1 stick unsalted butter plus more 

-1 cup sugar

-2 eggs

-2 cups flour

-1 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp kosher salt

-1 Tbsp 2% milk

-1 tsp Pure Vanilla extract

-1 tsp ground cinnamon

-1 bag chocolate chunks

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