Auntie's Persimmon Cookies

Torrone (Italian Nut and Nougat Confection)

1 . Line an 8x11-inch baking dish with plastic wrap, allowing ends to hang over the sides. Place 1 sheet wafer paper in the bottom of the lined dish. Place almonds and pistachios in a warm place to make them easier to mix in at the end.

2 . Pour honey into a heavy-bottomed pot. Add 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar; cook over low heat with a spatula, stirring constantly, until mixture turns from grainy to silky and smooth, about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from heat.

3 . Place egg whites and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk until whites form soft peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the pot with honey mixture back on low heat. Gradually whisk 1/4 of the whipped egg whites into honey mixture; whisk in remaining egg whites in 3 more batches.

4 . Continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until mixture turns a brighter white and a ribbon of mixture on the surface does not immediately incorporate, about 40 minutes. You can add a few drops of mixture to a small bowl of ice cold water to test the consistency; ideally it should feel like soft clay.

5 . Whisk in lemon zest and vanilla. Add warm almonds and pistachios; stir to incorporate evenly. Transfer nougat mixture to the prepared baking dish; smooth the top with a clean, oiled spatula. Top nougat with remaining sheet wafer paper, shiny-side up. Lay plastic wrap over the top and press down evenly, tamping mixture down gently but firmly. Remove top plastic wrap.

6 . Allow nougat to sit at room temperature until cool, firm, and ready to cut, 1 or 2 hours.

7 . Lift the edges of overhanging plastic wrap to release nougat from the baking dish. Invert and remove plastic wrap from the bottom. Trim off the edges if plastic wrap is hard to remove. Cut torrone into 1-inch squares using a sharp serrated knife. Nut and Nougat Confection. Chef John

Oyster Stuffing

1 . In a skillet, saute the celery with the onions until the onions are translucent.

2 . In a large bowl combine the crumbled cornbread, cooked celery, cooked onions, giblets, oysters, parley, basil, salt, paprika, dried sage and nutmeg. Toss well.

3 . Beat the 2 eggs. Add the eggs and chicken stock to the stuffing mixture. Stuff stuffing in bird's cavity. Remove stuffing promptly once bird is cooked. You can also bake the stuffing separately from the bird in a large casserole dish. Bake it in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Ham and Sweet Potato Soup

1 . Combine chicken stock, sweet potatoes, ham, celery, and onion in a stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until sweet potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir bell pepper, carrot, corn, garlic, basil, parsley flakes, black pepper, and salt into soup and simmer until vegetables are softened, 5 to 10 minutes.

2 . Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk flour into butter using a fork. Cook and stir mixture until thickened, about 1 minute. Slowly stir milk into butter-flour mixture until completely smooth; continue cooking and stirring over medium-low heat until thickened, 4 to 5 more minutes. Stir Cheddar cheese into milk mixture until melted and smooth.

3 . Stir milk-Cheddar cheese mixture into soup; cook until thickened and heated through, about 5 minutes.

Chicken Stuffed Peppers with Enchilada Sauce

1 . Place the chicken, taco seasoning mix, and water into a resealable plastic zipper bag, seal, and massage the bag with your fingers to mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to marinate.

2 . Cut the stem and top 1/2 inch from the top of each pepper, and carefully remove the seeds without cutting holes or breaking skin of the peppers. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and immerse the peppers in the boiling water for 3 minutes; cool immediately in a bowl of cold water. Drain the peppers and set aside.

3 . Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and chili powder, and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth, and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and stir in the chocolate until it melts and blends into the sauce. Allow the sauce to gently simmer, stirring occasionally.

4 . Drain the marinated chicken breasts, and place into a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes; remove chicken to a bowl, and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, shred the chicken meat, and lightly mix in a bowl with Monterey Jack cheese, cream cheese, and cilantro. Stuff each pepper with 1/4 of the chicken mixture, and place on a baking sheet.

5 . Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.

6 . Broil the stuffed peppers until blistered and hot, about 4 1/2 minutes per side. Serve with sauce.

New York State Special Milk Punch

1 . In a punch bowl, combine ice cream, pineapple juice, orange juice, lemon juice and milk. Stir until ingredients are blended.

Instant Pot No-Bean Turkey Chili

1 . Turn on a multi-functional pressure cooker (such as Instant Pot) and select Saute function. Add ground turkey and turkey sausage. Cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomatoes and tomato soup. Close and lock the lid.

2 . Select high pressure according to manufacturer's instructions; set timer for 8 minutes. Allow 10 to 15 minutes for pressure to build.

3 . Release pressure carefully using the quick-release method according to manufacturer's instructions, about 5 minutes. Unlock and remove the lid. Add chili seasoning, garlic powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine.

Fried Pork Chop

1 . Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2 . Combine flour, seasoning salt, salt, and pepper in a paper or plastic bag. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

3 . Place pork chops in the bag and shake to coat. Shake off any excess flour. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

4 . Fry chops in hot oil until golden on the outside and juices run clear, 4 to 5 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Drain on a wire rack or paper towels before serving. Dotdash Meredith Food Studios Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

5 . Serve hot and enjoy! DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

Saffron rice with thyme

1 . Pour a glass of water over the saffron. I used about 10 sticks.

2 . Rinse the rice.

3 . Add both types of oil to the frying pan. Put a garlic clove with the wide side of a knife, cut it into two pieces and throw it in the oil. Add thyme. Saute for a few minutes over medium heat. Then discard the garlic and set the thyme aside.

4 . Put rice in a pan with oil, pour water with saffron (I strain, add half of the threads). Pour another glass of water, salt. Return thyme.

5 . When the water boils, turn down the heat and cook under cover until the rice is cooked (about 7-9 minutes).

Mom's Signature Red Velvet Cake

1 . Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans. In a bowl, sift cake flour with baking soda.

2 . Mash the vegetable shortening with 1 1/2 cup of sugar in a large bowl until thoroughly combined, and stir in the eggs, one at a time. Pour the red food coloring into a small bowl, and fill the empty food coloring container with water; add the water to the food coloring. Stir in cocoa powder to make a paste, and mix the paste into the shortening mixture.

3 . Stir the buttermilk, salt, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar in a bowl, and mix into the colored shortening mixture, alternating with the flour mixture, until well combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pans.

4 . Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

5 . To make frosting, whisk together the milk and all-purpose flour in a saucepan until the mixture is free of lumps, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thick, about 1 minute. Pour the thickened sauce into a mixing bowl, and chill until completely cooled, at least 30 minutes. When cold, place the butter into the mixture, and beat with an electric mixer to combine; add the vanilla extract and 2 cups of sugar to the bowl, and beat with the mixer set on Medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Mena's Prosciutto and Basil Pizza

1 . Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).

2 . Place prosciutto in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

3 . Lightly oil a pizza pan, baking sheet, or baking stone. Press pizza dough out onto the pan, spreading to the edges, but avoiding pulling the dough apart.

4 . Combine tomato paste, water, oregano, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Spread an even layer over the dough. Reserve remaining mixture for use on another pizza. Sprinkle minced garlic over the sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on top, then the fried prosciutto, then the rest of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle sliced basil leaves over pizza.

5 . Bake in the preheated oven until cheese and crust are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let pizza cool for 3 to 4 minutes, slice, and serve.

Chocolate Almond Pumpkin Bread

1 . Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray the inside of a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2 . Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, water, and eggs; beat until well incorporated and smooth. Gently stir in chocolate chips and almonds. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.

3 . Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Strawberry-Mint Protein Smoothie

1 . Combine strawberries, soy milk, protein powder, and mint leaves in a blender; blend until smooth.