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Bananas Foster Makes 2 servings

Pie should be nicely browned and firm at edges, but still a little wet at the center. Remove from the oven and let cool thoroughly before serving. Macque Choux Makes 8 servings WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 8 ears of fresh corn, shucked 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 large onion, cut into 1-inch dice 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch dice 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 cup heavy cream HOW TO PREP: Shuck the corn. Remove the kernels and set them aside. (To cut down on cleanup and keep things contained, try shucking inside a plastic or paper bag.) Cut the corn cobs in half, place them in a pot, and barely cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer to make a corn stock; let simmer about 1 hour. Strain and discard solids. In a separate pot, heat the oil over medium- high heat and sauté the corn, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add the corn stock, half of the green onion, half of the parsley and the heavy cream, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid has reduced and slightly thickened. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve garnished with the remaining green onions and parsley. Red Gravy & Spaghetti Makes 6 servings WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with their liquid 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste 3 cups water Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste ¼ cup white wine 1 tablespoon fresh, roughly chopped basil leaves 1 tablespoon fresh, roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves ½ teaspoon dried oregano 2 bay leaves Cooked pasta, for serving HOW TO PREP: Put the tomatoes and their juice through a food mill; discard any remaining seeds or skin. Set puréed tomatoes aside. 1 cup green onions, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and fry, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add water, salt and pepper, and stir well. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add wine, basil, parsley, oregano, bay leaves and reserved tomato purée to the pot. Stir well and cook for 10 minutes more. Partially cover pot with lid and cook until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves before serving. HOW TO MAKE PERFECT SPAGHETTI: Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir. Start tasting after 5 minutes. When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving some of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Spoon about half the sauce into the pasta pot. Toss the pasta over low heat, adding a splash of cooking water to make it saucier if you like. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar 1 banana, peeled and halved lengthwise and crosswise Cinnamon, to taste 1 teaspoon banana liqueur 1 ounce white rum Vanilla ice cream, for serving HOW TO PREP: Melt butter and sugar in a small frying pan. Add banana pieces and sauté over medium heat until soft and slightly caramelized. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Remove pan from heat. Add liqueur and rum to pan. To flambé, carefully light sauce on fire with a long-reach lighter or fireplace match. Spoon flaming sauce over the banana pieces until flame dies out. Ladle warm banana pieces and sauce over vanilla ice cream in bowls, and serve. Browned-Butter Pecan Pie Makes 1 9-inch pie WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 11 tablespoons (about 1¹ / ₃ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

Crawfish Étouffée Makes 4 servings WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chopped onions 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped bell peppers 1 pound peeled Louisiana crawfish tails 2 tablespoons hot sauce, plus more for serving 2 bay leaves 1 cup seafood stock 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 large eggs 1 cup sugar ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons light corn syrup ¼ cup honey 1 tablespoon dark molasses 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup chopped pecans One 9-inch pie crust, unbaked ¼ cup whole pecans

Chopped fresh parsley, for serving Chopped green onions, for garnish Hot cooked white rice, for serving

HOW TO PREP: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium- high heat until foaming. Whisk in the flour one tablespoon at a time. Reduce the heat to medium and continue whisking until the roux turns a deep brown color, about 15 minutes. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the celery and bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the crawfish, hot sauce and bay leaves. Reduce the heat to medium. Stirring occasionally, cook until the crawfish begin throwing off a little liquid, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the seafood stock to the crawfish mixture, and season with salt and cayenne. Stir until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Add the parsley and green onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Serve with steamed rice and hot sauce at the table.

HOW TO PREP: Preheat the oven to 425°F.

On the stovetop, in a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook until the foam subsides and the butter turns a deep nut brown. Remove from heat so it does not burn. Blend the eggs, sugar, corn syrup, honey, molasses, vanilla and salt in a food processor until smooth. Add the browned butter to the processor and blend. Add the chopped pecans and process with just a few quick pulses. Pour the mixture into the pie crust, and scatter the whole pecans decoratively. Place pan in oven and bake for 12 minutes. Lower the heat to 325°F and bake for another 40 minutes (check to see if the crust is browning too quickly; if it is, cover it carefully with a long, narrow, folded-over piece of foil).

68 MARCH•APRIL 2020