I’m one of those people who has a great recipe for anything. Just as my kids. I can bake and cook. I have a great recipe for cheesecake and chocolate truffle torte. I’m the type of person that you call when you need a recipe. I’ve written 3 cookbooks.

I could never roll tortillas into enchiladas without them breaking, so I came up with a layered enchilada casserole. Everything that goes into enchiladas is layered as in lasagna, and topped with cheese. It usually slides apart into a messy heap on the plate, however it tastes great. Otherwise, my cooking is based on recipes that I “improve”. Recipes are a starting point and I always increase the flavorings, such as garlic, and greatly reduce sugar. My mother was a horrible cook and could make anything inedible, so I began cooking very young. To this day, I will not eat any type of gravy because hers was thick, gluey and would clot on the plate. When it cooled it would actually crack…cracked gravy!! I have always been on a tight food budget, however any food can be tasty if cooked well and has a few herbs or wine. thank you Julia Child.

One of our favorite recipes, as I am decent cook but my husband is a spectacular cook is Martha Stewart’s French Onion soup - the key is to make your own beef stock - and it’s worth the day effort to put this together right, really! ngredients Serves 6 * 4 tablespoons unsalted butter * 2 pounds yellow onions, sliced 1/4-inch into half circles * 1 teaspoon sugar * 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour * 1/2 cup dry sherry * 3 cups Homemade Beef Stock * 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme * Salt and freshly ground black pepper * 1 small French baguette, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces * 8 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 3 cups) Directions 1. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot on medium-low heat. Add onions. Spread them out in as thin a layer as possible. Sprinkle with sugar, and cook, stirring just as needed to keep onions from sticking, until they are melting and soft, golden brown, and beginning to caramelize, about 1 hour. 2. Sprinkle flour over onions, and stir to coat. Add sherry, stock, and thyme, and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, to allow the flavors to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 3. Meanwhile, lightly toast bread under a broiler; set aside. Ladle hot soup into six ovenproof bowls. Arrange the bowls on a baking pan. Place 1 or 2 slices of toasted bread over each bowl of soup. Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated cheese over bread in each bowl, and place under the broiler until cheese is melted and crusty brown around the edges. Watch carefully that bread doesn’t burn. Serve immediately. Beef Broth: Ingredients Makes 6 quarts * 8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley * 6 sprigs fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme * 4 sprigs fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary * 2 dried bay leaves * 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns * 1 pound beef-stew meat, cubed * 5 pounds veal bones, sawed into smaller pieces * 1 large onion, peel on, quartered * 2 large carrots, cut into thirds * 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds * 2 cups dry red wine Directions 1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Make a bouquet garni by wrapping parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth. Tie with kitchen twine, and set aside. Arrange meat, veal bones, onion, carrots, and celery in an even layer in a heavy roasting pan. Roast, turning every 20 minutes, until the vegetables and the bones are deep brown, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the meat, bones, and vegetables to a large stockpot, and set aside. Pour off the fat from the roasting pan, and discard. Place the pan over high heat on the stove. Add wine, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits; boil until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Pour all of the liquid into the stockpot. 2. Add 6 quarts of cold water to the stockpot, or more if needed to cover bones. Do not add less water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a very gentle simmer. Add the reserved bouquet garni. Liquid should just bubble up to surface. Skim the foam from the surface, and discard. Simmer over the lowest possible heat for 3 hours; a skin will form on the surface of the liquid; skim off with a slotted spoon, and discard. Repeat as needed. Add water if at any time the level drops below the bones. 3. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Discard the solids. Transfer the bowl to an ice bath, and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to airtight containers. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Stock may be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 4 months. If storing, leave fat layer intact to seal the stock. Before using, remove the fat that has collected on the surface. for me, though - my best efforts are the recipes in Pierre Franey’s 60 Minute Gourmet, both sets (I’m still at 90 minutes, but that’s okay) - those cookbooks and his explanations and stories taught me how to cook and appreciate good food

My mother’s old friend Rose ( 88 yrs old now! ) gave me this recipe for English marmalade. I always make lots of jars of it every winter. It is very easy and impressive. I give it as presents to friends and family, people have come to expect a pot of my homemade marmalade! :) One kilo of Seville oranges or any oranges that you can find 0ne lemon 2 kilos sugar, any type you like Wash, scrub and quarter all fruit. Put in pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Cook for a half hour under high pressure or until soft. Leave fruit and any liquid in a bowl ( china or glass) covered over night. Next day put most of fruit through a mincer. Keep some pieces back and cut into large chunks- to add interest when eaten. I have left a few whole tiny baby oranges that I had once. Discard any end bits or strange marked parts of skin. Put fruit and sugar into a pan, stir well w/a wooden spoon and bring to boil. Boil for half an hour. Skim off scum as it forms w/a slotted spoon.Certain Seville oranges only need a 5 minute boil. Stir jam carefully as it is boiling, making sure it’s not sticking to the base of the pan. When it starts to stick, it’s done. Carefully pour into warmed jars. Makes about 6 or 7 pots, depending on size of pot! Enjoy! :) PS please be careful working w/boiling jam and no kids in the kitchen at that time!

Here is my version of a nice little salad dressing..its not original. Take two big sweet Navel Oranges. Peel one and cut it into bite size pieces. Set aside. Squeeze the juice from the other orange and add a teaspoon of Orange Blossom Honey (the kind from Spain is good) Add some Canola oil, salt and pepper. Blend all together. Pour the orange juice over the cut up orange pieces. Chill. This is a great dressing for butter lettuce, hearts of Romaine or fresh Spinich salad. If you want to add some extra goodies, try slices of ripe pear, Feta cheese and toasted, salted Pecans. If the oranges you get aren’t naturally real sweet and good, you can add a teaspoon of sugar. A big salad, some crusty bread and a glass of white wine makes a great summer meal.

I can’t wait to receive Tony Danza’s new book so I can try the meatballs rolled in flour that the the women on the View raved about while stuffing their faces with his wonderful looking dishes mmm yummo!

I am a fabulous cook and I love to bake. Unfortunately, I travel so much for business I don’t have much time for it. My very best recipe is for flourless chocolate cake but I don’t have the recipe with me. I do have my recipe for cheese souffle’s with me. If you want to wow guests, make this next time you do a dinner. No one does souffles because they think they are so hard. They are very easy, divine to eat and look outstanding. 1/3 lb medium firm goat cheese like Boucheron room temp 2T milk 1 egg yolk ground pepper 3 egg whites pinch cream of tartar Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease 8 ramekins & arrange on a baking tray. Beat the cheese with a mixer until it is fluffy. Add milk, egg yolk and a few grinds of pepper. Beat until thick and creamy. wash & dry beaters. In another bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/4 of whites into the cheese mixture to lighten then fold in the rest. Spoon into ramekins. Bake 11-12 minutes until puffed & golden. Serve and wait for the compliments. You can hold the unbaked souffles for 45 minutes or an hour before baking so you can make ahead, pop in the oven just before you sit down to eat and have them looking all puffed and luscious just as everyone sits down. Very forgiving recipe. Cut it in half and whip them up for a quick surprise for a week day meal when you have a little cheese laying around.

my BEST recipe (thank GOD for the ‘crock pot’) put a defrosted roast in a large crock pot, add water, salt, pepper and chopped onions…cook on HIGH for 4/5 HOURS..add chopped turnips, whole baby carrots, chopped parsnips, and halved small red potatoes, maybe some more water, and a dash more of pepper and salt…cook 1 or 2 hours longer..perfect every time…cant mess it up…whole family adores roast cooked this way..dont have to do extra veggies…my husband bought me this huge, family sized crock pot…love it!!!!

I love this one because I heard it in the hairdresser so I felt all womanly — get my hair done and a recipe. You take two chicken breasts, put them in a pan, add one jar of salsa and bake for an hour. You can use any salsa depending on your hotness preference. It comes out looking and tasting far more complex than you’d imagine. The other never-fails is a dip made from sour cream, cheap canned crabmeat, dill and a tiny bit of worcestershire sauce. Serve with crackers or vegetables and it’s great and very pretty. Chill it for about an hour before you serve it. By the way, the aforementioned Mansion is in my neighborhood and they must have hired a Texas cook as it’s one of the few places you can get chicken fried steak — the only place in my neighborhood. You get the steak, mashed potatoes, corn and a side of mac and cheese all for $15.95. What a deal.