American

Though I haven’t lived on Cape Code since I was eight, this dish proves I’m not just a Red Sox fan but a true New England Patriot. With Chowda and Mac ’n’ Cheese in one dinner, you can get to Massachusetts in 30 minutes or less, even if you live in Michigan.

This is my make-at-home version of one of my favorite brunch items at Union Square Cafe in New York City. Chef Michael Romano makes a mean Italian-style hoagie with sliced steak, tomato sauce, and capers—yum-o! When I’m up at my cabin, out in the sticks, I gotta make a knockoff for myself. (Michael, aka Mikey here, isn’t really from Philly. Rather I am referring to his riff on Philly’s famous cheese-steak sammies.)

Tomatillos look like green tomatoes, but they’re not. They are related to gooseberries and they are sour to taste. This dish is a funky, fun twist on spaghetti and meatballs. It’s crazy—crazy good!

Serve with barbecue chips and oil-and-vinegar dressed slaw. So much better for you than wings, you could eat two!

Yup, call the kids to the table for this one!

Serve with veggie sticks or oil-and-vinegar–dressed slaw.

Serve with waffle-cut frozen fries, cooked to package directions, or fancy specialty chips.

I usually make the shrimp martinis while the steaks cook, but if you prefer you can make the shrimp first and let them chill in the fridge.

I was in an Albertson’s grocery store in Park City, Utah, and picked up a sack of chipotle-coated raw cashews and started eating them while I was still shopping. WOW—were they ever good! I read the ingredients for the coating and used it to make a Western-style chicken and vegetable stir-fry.

Eat well, eat more! I cut out the bun so I can have more dogs and veggies with less guilt. Chicago-style dogs are my favorites, with pickles, tomatoes, onions, mustard, and slaw on top. This salad reverses the order and piles the veggies up high underneath the dogs.