Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya

You can feed a crowd with this spicy Creole dish

Mardi Gras may be over, but that’s no reason to ignore New Orleans-style cuisine. It’s good any time of the year!

So today we’re cooking jambalaya, which is pretty much every-day fare in Louisiana. And why not? It’s a one-pot dinner with outstanding flavor.

Best of all, jambalaya is not hard to make. Most of the cooking is unattended, and you can prepare it ahead of time. That makes for a perfect company dish.

It’s the big easy, you might say.

Guinness Beef Stew

Meaty goodness with an Irish twist

On St. Patrick’s Day we’re all Irish – and we want to celebrate. So how about some hearty Guinness Beef Stew?

It’s a great dish for entertaining. Because you braise the beef slowly, most of the prep work will be done hours before you need to serve. You can even make this dish a day ahead, then reheat it – the flavor will only get better.

In fact, it will have more flavor than you can shake a shillelagh at.

The Black Velvet Cocktail

This delightful mix of Guinness and Champagne is perfect for St. Pat’s

Sometimes a cocktail’s name really captures it.

The Black Velvet is soft, smooth, and well . . . velvety. Guinness adds dark richness to the sparkle of champagne. 

So forget the green beer. This St Patrick’s Day, make it brew and bubbles.

Basic Italian Tomato Sauce (Marinara)

This fast and flavorful sauce is perfect for weeknight pasta

Looking for quick and delicious? We’re here to help.

Our basic Italian tomato sauce (sometimes called marinara) cooks in half an hour or less. It also has a lighter, fresher flavor than meat-based ragù.

It’s great with almost any pasta shape. You can also use it as a sauce for dishes like chicken or veal parmigiana. Or even as a topping when you make pizza.

Weeknight quick, company ready. Perfecto!

Chicken Cacciatore

Classic Italian, made even better with mushrooms and red bell pepper

Ready for rustic? Cacciatore means “hunter” in Italian, so the idea is to eat as you would on the trail. Or something.

We prefer to cook it in our kitchen, where we can add wine. Not to mention red sauce, mushrooms, and tasty bell peppers.  

Our version is still simple to make, though. And you can even prepare it ahead of time, then reheat it whenever.

So you won’t have to hunt around for something decent to eat.

Seared Scallops in Cream Sauce

A fancy dish that’s quick and easy

Want a celebratory dish, but don’t have much time to cook? We have an elegant solution – and it takes no more than 15 minutes to make.

With Valentine’s Day coming up tomorrow, what better time to serve this dish? Just add champagne.

Plus chocolates and flowers, of course.

The Cabaret Cocktail

Perfect for Valentine sipping

Hearts and flowers? Sure! But don’t forget: Your special sweetheart gets thirsty too.

So stir up amour with the Cabaret Cocktail. This smooth charmer combines gin and dry vermouth with Bénédictine liqueur and a dash of bitters. That gives it a hint of sweetness, but not too much.

Because your Valentine is sweet enough already, no?