4-5 cups minced chicken
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
zest of 1 lemon
1 egg
4 oz. fresh breadcrumbs
freshly grated nutmeg
flour for dusting
1 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
2 slices lean bacon, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 oz. white wine
juice of 1 lemon
6 oz. cream
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley to finish

In a large bowl combine the chicken, garlic, lemon zest, egg, breadcrumbs and nutmeg. Take small spoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls, then dust with flour.

Heat skillet over medium heat and add butter and oil. Gently cook the meatballs until golden and cooked through. Remove the meatballs and set aside.

Add the bacon to skillet and fry until crispy. Drain the rendered fat and add the garlic. Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up meat scraps to flavor wine. Add the lemon juice then cream, reducing by about a quarter to make sauce. Return the meatballs to the sauce to heat through and season well. Top meatballs with chopped parsley.

Combine:
* 2 1/2 cups light Mexican beer (such as Dos Equis)
* 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
* 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
* 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed
* 1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
in a large bowl and mix to make marinade. Place marinade in a zip-top plastic bag and add 2 pounds of flank steak, zip to close and shake bag well. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Combine 2 cups of the beer, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic, onion, and pepper in a large bowl and mix. Add flank steak, cover well, place in the refrigerator, and marinate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Heat a grill to high or 500°F. Remove meat from bag, reserving marinade, pat it dry, and add salt to taste.

Transfer marinade to a medium pot, add 1/2 cup of beer, and place over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, skim off any foam, and let mixture reduce by half, about 20 minutes. Strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve, mix in 2 T. brown sugar, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place meat on the grill and cook to medium, about 7 to 10 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice steak across the grain into 1-inch strips. Place in a serving dish, and cover with reduced marinade juices.

* 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium dice
* 2 pounds orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into medium dice
* 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
* 2 large shallots, minced
* 1/2 cup finely sliced scallions

Place potatoes and sweet potatoes in separate saucepans, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly tender on the outside, so that they just give way when pierced with a knife but are still firm on the inside, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Drain potatoes and spread evenly on a baking sheet to cool. (At this point they can be combined and placed in a sealed container in the refrigerator overnight.)

In a small bowl combine paprika and salt until they are well mixed; set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add a third of the potato mixture, or enough to make a single layer in the pan. Let cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Stir gently with a wooden spatula and let cook undisturbed for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add a third of the garlic, shallots, and paprika mixture, and season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Let cook until nicely colored and crisp, about another 1 to 2 minutes.

Sprinkle with a third of the scallions and remove to a platter. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, adjust seasoning as necessary, and serve.

* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* Finely grated zest of 1 lime
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 cup minced dried pineapple
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), frozen
* 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
* 1 large egg
* 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, from 1 lime
* Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Heat oven to 450°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, lime zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a wire whisk to break up any lumps. Mix in dried pineapple; set aside.

Grate butter through the large holes in a box grater onto a cutting board or a piece of parchment paper, and toss with dry ingredients until well combined.

In a small bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup cream and egg; stir in lime juice. Pour cream mixture over dry ingredients, and stir just until dough comes together (it will be lumpy).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, with lightly floured hands, knead for about 2 minutes, then pat down into a circle. Use a rolling pin to roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Dip a 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter in a little flour, and stamp out as many scones as possible. Reroll dough and continue stamping until you have a total of 12 scones.

Place scones at least 1/2 inch from each other on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush tops of scones with remaining 1 tablespoon cream, sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until tops are golden and flecked with brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove scones to a wire rack to cool.

* 4 large fresh poblano chiles
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 medium red onion minced
* 1 pound sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 3/4 cup sour cream (1-pound container), plus more for topping if desired
* 1/2 cup Tomatillo Salsa or Salsa Verde, plus more for topping if desired
* 1/4 cup minced cilantro
* 10 large eggs
* 3 1/2 cups whole milk
* 1 tablespoon kosher salt
(MTP note: IMO, the tomatillo salsa is better, if you can find it or if you feel like making your own. Luckily for me, it is readily available in markets near me, but I know that's not always the case.)

If you have a gas stove, lay one poblano at a time over high heat, turning occasionally, until the skin is black on all sides, about 8 minutes. Repeat with each poblano. Alternatively, turn on the oven to high broil. Once heated, place the poblanos on the top rack and broil until the skin is black on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a heatproof bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside until cool enough to handle, about 10 to 15 minutes. Peel off the skin, remove seeds, and cut chiles into large dice.

Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add red onions, seasoning well with salt and pepper, and cook until tender and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the bread, poblanos, sour cream, red onions, salsa verde, and cilantro until everything is coated in the sour cream. Put the mixture into the baking dish and set aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk; season with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper. Pour the custard over the bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate the strata overnight.

Heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the strata from the refrigerator about 20 to 30 minutes before you plan to bake it. Bake the strata for 50 to 55 minutes, or until it is puffed, golden brown, and slightly set in the center. Top with salsa verde and sour cream, as desired. Serve hot.