As the old saying goes: “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Back in the olden days, in Naples, the enterprising businesswomen of the evening took an approach to attracting their customers through their noses. They made a pasta sauce with the most fragrant local ingredients: garlic, anchovies, capers, and olives. While these women were more interested in a man’s income than his heart, they still created one of the best sauces in Italy, Puttanesca. You don’t need any ulterior motives to simmer this tasty sauce up. It’s easy, perfectly legal, and only takes about 20 minutes.

Leeks don’t seem to be the most popular vegetable but they should be. Part onion, part garlic, all tasty. Simmering them down into a sauce makes for a sweet and creamy topping that also adds some crunch. This is a great balance to seafood – especially salmon.

Resist the temptation to save money by purchasing farmed salmon. Go wild. In addition to supporting the Fishing Industry, the extra dollars you spend equate to better flavor and a healthier, happier fish. And don’t you want your fish to be happy?

What pairs better with stew than an Irish Stout? Why pair with beer when you can add the beer? This Irish Beef Stew is less of a soup and more of a beer flavored gravy. And who doesn’t love beer gravy?

To call this a ‘Southern’ recipe would be a misnomer. This is a recipe from as far south as you can go without a passport. If you’ve been to the intersection of Whitehead and South Street, then you’ve also probably had some of the best Cuban food outside of Cuba. The key to these delicious chops is searing a good crust into them by pan-frying over high heat. And the garlic-cumin seasoning. And the limes. That’s a lot of keys. But this is a lot of flavor.

After Wedge Antilles and Luke Skywalker blew up the Death Star, the second time, they returned to the rebel base on Endor and rocked out some of these delicious salad bites with Wicket and company while they sang “Nub Yub” over, and over, and over again. If you want to get your midichlorian count above 15,000, study the ways of these Salad Bite Appetizers. While they are no bigger than a womp rat, judge them not by their size. The Force is strong in Blue Cheese.

If you don’t know Old Bay, then you’re either not from the Old Line State, don’t vacation in Fell’s Point, or have never enjoyed Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab. But Old Bay need not just sit in the back of your spice cabinet waiting for your next crab feast. This spice is outstanding on… well, pretty much everything. I sprinkle it on tacos, pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, grilled corn, even microwavable popcorn. So it was only a matter of time since it got worked up into a recipe for my beloved wings.

This is a French dish named after the detective in Michael Mann’s brilliant TV show, Miami Vice. From 1984 to 1989 there was simply no other televised program that could complete with the music, fashion, cool cars, and fast boats on display each week. If you’ve ever worn a white sportscoat with the sleeves pushed up to your elbows, over a pastel shirt, wearing loafers with no socks, then you know what I’m talking about. This show had it all. Kind of like this delicious appetizer. It’s got all the tastiest of your antipasto favorites rolled into the comforting softness of potatoes and then fried into crispy delicious bites.

If you have ever been to China, or a Chinatown, or a Chinese Restaurant, (or watched a movie set in one of these locations), you have no doubt seen poultry or pork barbequed to a beautiful, deep red color. While this sauce is traditionally red in color, red fermented bean curd is not an ingredient that is easily found and I just can’t get myself to buy red food coloring just to make this sauce look pretty. But if you’re entertaining and want to go for the “wow factor”, a couple drops of red food coloring will make this marinade look like traditional Char Siu Sauce.

This is one of my favorite dishes. So creamy delicious and then topped with the french-fried onion crunchies. Freakin’ awesome. So why do I only eat this twice a year? And you know the days: Thanksgiving and Christmas. This dish is too easy, way affordable, and super tasty, to not be in your rotation of normal meals. Why a recipe, when it’s written on every can of soup, beans, and fried onions, you ask? Because that recipe sucks. Notice the absence of milk (makes it thicker and more decadent) and the addition of pancetta and fresh mushrooms (makes it badass).

The Sharks and the Jets. James Bond and Blofeld. Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. Mortal enemies that have battled over the ages. While Passyunk Avenue is the Graceland of meat served on a long roll, there’s no reason that tasty cheesesteaks can’t be made in the comfort of your own home. You get extra points if the comfort of your home is actually in South Philly. Then you know how to make them wit’ onions and “cheez”.