Here are links to recipe collections he sent in emails and we supplemented as well as our notes about the ones we enjoyed. His site is here. The recipe groups in the following list are included in this post in that order.
His video Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@ChefBillyParisi
Continue readingWhich Chicken Thigh Recipe Should I Make?
- When you need dinner fast: Make 20-Minute Lemon Chicken with boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- For a complete sheet-pan dinner: Try Greek Sheet-Pan Chicken with vegetables, olives, feta, and garlicky ladolemono.
- If you love warm spices: Go for Baharat Baked Chicken Thighs or oven-roasted Chicken Shawarma.
- For deeply browned skin: The Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are hard to beat.
- When the grill is hot: Make Sumac Grilled Chicken Thighs with charred lemon and pickled onions.
Chinese Pork & Ginger Stir-fry – 5/1/2026; Good, but Mary said it “needed something”. Used our new plastic mandoline to make carrot matchsticks and thin-slice peppers and onions.
Bang Bang Sauce
Continue readingBy Suzy Karadsheh.
Mama Ninfa’s Original Fajtas
- ½ orange, zested
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 1 dried chiles de arbol crushed
- 1 skirt steak, no more than ¾ inch thick.
12 warm flour tortillas
Condiments such as Pico de Gallo, Cilantro, Sour Cream, Guacamole, etc.
Combine the orange and lemon zest, lemon juice, water, pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, pepper and chiles in a large baking dish. Use a sharp knife to remove any membrane from the meat and place it in the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes per side. Cut crosswise into 1” strips and serve warm on tortillas with any desired condiments.
https://sotastysoyummy.blogspot.com/2015/07/mama-ninfas-fajitas.html
Ninfa’s Beef Fajitas
Ingredients
- 1 large orange zested
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon black pepper
- 2 dried chiles de arbol crushed
- 2 skirt steaks 3/4 inch thick (outside cut)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 red bell pepper stemmed and seeded, then sliced 1/2-inch-thick
- 1 yellow onion sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 10 flour tortillas
Instructions
- Using a zester or Microplane, ZEST the orange and lemon.
- In a small bowl, COMBINE zest, water, pineapple juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, black pepper and chiles. Reserve about 1/4 cup marinade.
- REMOVE any membrane or skin from the meat.
- PLACE the steak in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. TURN to coat evenly. MARINATE in the fridge for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours.
- REMOVE the steaks from the bag. PAT dry. Bring to room temperature (30 minutes).
- If using an outdoor grill: HEAT grill to high heat. GRILL meat for 2-4 minutes on each side.
- If using a skillet: HEAT skillet over high heat for 4 minutes. ADD 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil. SPRINKLE steak with salt and SEAR in the skillet, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. REMOVE and let steak REST for about 10 minutes. SLICE into strips.
- HEAT skillet as the meat is resting. ADD 1 Tablespoon oil. PLACE peppers and onions in the skillet. COOK until slightly softened, 5 to 6 minutes. RETURN steak to skillet. ADD the reserved marinade to the skillet. SERVE with favorite toppings.
Made 10/26/2026 and it was great. Took some to Frank Carter as Jan is in the Hospital. The recipe below was inspired by Ree Drummond. This makes 8 servings per the recipe.
Ingredients:
Chicken:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (cut-up fryer)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper on the chicken pieces
- 1½ cup finely chopped carrots [a little less than ¼-inch cubes]
- 1½ cup finely chopped celery
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 6 cups Ina’s chicken broth
Dumplings: For this cook Mary bought a tube of crescent rolls. The ingredients for Ree’s way are:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 heaping tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Salt, as needed
Directions:
- For the chicken :
- Melt the butter in a pot over mediumhigh heat and add the olive oil. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. In 2 batches, brown the chicken on both sides and remove to a clean plate.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate to cool enough to chop.
- While the Chicken is cooling and being chopped, in the same pot, add the diced carrots, celery and onions. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in the ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in the chicken broth. Stir to combine,
- Add back the browned chicken. Cover the pot and simmer for 20+ minutes.
- Mix together ½-cup half-and-half and flour, then add it to the pot and stir to combine. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for about and hour.
- For the dumplings:
- For this cook Mary bought a tube of crescent rolls. Unrolled them cut into abut ¾ X 1½ inch strips.
- [Ree said: While the chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings. Sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl, then add 1½ cups of the half-and-half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside.]
- Drop Crescent roll strips [or tablespoons of dumpling dough] into the simmering pot. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the dumplings are done.
- Check the seasoning. Allow to sit 20 mifor 10 minutes before serving. 20
Next Time – Just before serving or delivery drop Crescent roll strips [or tablespoons of dumpling dough] into ter simmering pot. Otherwise the dumplings get mushy.
From her Kindle Book we own. Garten, Ina. Simply Ina: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (pp. 39-38). Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. Kindle Edition.
Roasted Shrimp with lemon caper mayonnaise
Serves 6
Once you’ve roasted shrimp instead of boiling them in water, you’ll never go back; they have so much more flavor and can be served warm or at room temperature. This sauce with fresh chives, lemon, capers, and mustard comes together in a minute and lasts for days in the fridge.
- 1 cup good mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus extra for serving
- 1½ teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons brine-packed capers, rinsed, drained, and minced
- 2 teaspoons good Dijon mustard, such as Grey Poupon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ pounds (16 to 20-count) shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails on
- Good olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- The Sauce
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Cover and chill until ready to serve.
- (The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- The Shrimp
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Dry the shrimp with paper towels.
- Place the shrimp on a sheet pan and toss them with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper.
- Spread in a single layer and roast for 7 minutes, until just firm and pink.
Spoon the mayonnaise into a small bowl and place on a platter. Sprinkle the sauce with chives and surround it with the shrimp.
Garten, Ina. Simply Ina: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook (p. 38). Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. Kindle Edition.
10/3/2026 – Inspired by The Mediterranean Dish. Suzy said this is “stupid easy” to make and it was. It was also very good. She said: Skillet Garlic Dijon Chicken with onions is juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor from a tangy marinade of Dijon mustard, garlic, and honey. This uses A LOT of garlic.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Dry brined 24 hours.
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- Berrily’s Sundried tomatoes NOT packed in oil
For Garlic Dijon Sauce
- 6 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 4 teaspoons honey
- 0.67 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 12 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1.5 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Take chicken out of the fridge. Pat dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside for a few minutes while you make the sauce.
- Make the Garlic Dijon sauce. In a large bowl, combine the Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, garlic, spices, and salt. Mix.
- Coat chicken in the sauce. Add a few pieces of chicken at a time to the bowl with the sauce and use tongs to coat each one in the sauce mixture. Mary changed the process and put the bowl in the refrigerator to marinate for the afternoon.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Put the chicken to a large lightly-oiled cast iron skillet.
- Add the sundried tomatoes and mix into the remaining Dijon sauce. Scrape that over the top of the chicken.
- Add the onions and push them down into the sauce and between the thighs.
- Bake the chicken. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until chicken thighs are fully cooked through (internal temperature should register 165°F), about 25 to 30 minutes.
6/26/2026
The upscaled recipe below is by ChatGPT and made too much soffrito for 5 lbs of cleaned tomatoes. We did not use all the veggies, and the amount not used was 1.43 lbs. Given the values in the “Scaled for 1 Gallon” column below adds up to 5.8 lbs, what looked ok was 5.8 minus 1.4 = 4.4 lbs and we still got something akin to a stew.
Using data from another ChatGPT analysis of the original Florentine Pot Roast recipe, the veggies-to-tomato ratio can be calculated as: Onions + carrots + celery = 8.5 oz in 2.5 lb (37 oz) tomatoes, =~ 4.5:1. Next try will be a 4:1 ratio of tomatoes to veggies.
With our veggies of 1.43 lbs left from yesterday, we should use 4×1.43 = 5.72 lbs of tomatoes.
To correct the cook from yestersay that used 4.4 lbs of veggies the amount of tomatoes that should have been added would have been 4×4.4 = 17.6 lbs. We added 5 lbs so to correct it we would now add the difference of 12.6 lbs.
6/25/2026
From ChatGPT on 6/25/2026. – Prompt: Upscale this recipe to make one gallon of finished sauce. The base recipe is the sauce part of our Florentine Pot Roast here.
Assuming the original recipe yields about 1 quart (4 cups) of finished sauce after cooking and reduction, you would multiply all ingredients by approximately 4 to obtain about 1 gallon (16 cups) of finished sauce.
1-Gallon Tomato Soffritto Sauce (by weight)
| Ingredient | Original | Scaled for 1 gallon |
|---|---|---|
| Red onions | 2 medium | 2.6 lb |
| Celery ribs | 3 ribs | 1.1 lb |
| Carrots | 4 medium | 2.1 lb |
| Garlic | 0 | ~ 5 lg and 5 small cloves |
| Olive oil | 5 Tbsp | 1¼ cups |
| Dry red wine | ¼ cup | 1 cup |
| Fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded | 1¼ lb | 5 lb |
If Using Canned Tomatoes – from the original recipe.
Replace the fresh tomatoes with approximately 4 cans (20 oz each) of tomatoes: 5 lb / 2.27 kg.
End Chat
What we did
- Rough chopped onions, celery, and carrots. [several videos making soffrito, diced the veggies so they carmelized nicely]
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot.
- Cook onions until wilted, celery, carrots, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. over medium-low heat until very soft and sweet, about 20–30 minutes.
- The 2.6 lbs of onion in the big blue stock pot was 3″ deep so they stewed and did not carmelize.
- Add the hand-mashed tomatoes.
- Simmer gently uncovered until thick and smooth but very lumpy, about 2-3 hours.
- Blend the immersion blender, leaving some chunks.
Conclusion – Still way to chunky and thick.
From Southern Living magazine at https://www.southernliving.com/cowboy-grits-11980958
A smoky, cheesy bowl of comfort built for serious appetites.
By Erin Merhar | Published on June 07, 2026
Ingredients
4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
4 large (1 oz. each) scallions
2 medium-size (1 oz. each) red Fresno chiles, seeded and chopped (about 1/3 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. chile powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup uncooked regular white or yellow grits
1 1/2 cups frozen fire-roasted roasted corn (from 1 [10-oz.] pkg.)
4 oz. pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
Directions
Step 1 – Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 8 to 10
minutes. Transfer bacon to a small paper towel-lined plate, reserving drippings in pan; set
aside.
Step 2 – Meanwhile, slice scallions, separating dark green parts from light green and white parts; set
aside.
Step 3 – Heat reserved bacon drippings over medium. Add chiles, garlic, and white and light green
scallion parts; cook, stirring constantly, until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce
heat to low. Stir in paprika, black pepper, chile powder, and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until
fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add stock and cream; bring to a boil over medium-high.
Step 4 – Whisk grits into stock mixture, and return to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to low to
maintain a bare simmer. Cook grits, stirring and scraping bottom of pan often, until tender,
about 25 minutes. Stir in corn and cheese; cook, stirring constantly, until corn is warmed
through and cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes, adding more stock 2 tablespoons at a time if
grits are too thick.
Step 5 – Divide grits evenly among 4 bowls; sprinkle with reserved cooked bacon, and garnish with
dark green scallion parts.
Chefs often treat bread-and-butter pickle brine as a ready-made seasoning ingredient because it already contains acid (vinegar), sweetness (sugar), salt, and pickle spices. Here are some of the most common uses:
Marinade for Chicken
One of the most popular uses is marinating chicken.
- Use 1–2 cups of bread-and-butter pickle brine per pound of chicken.
- Marinate 2–8 hours in the refrigerator.
- The salt helps retain moisture.
- The vinegar lightly tenderizes.
- The sugar promotes browning during cooking.
Because bread-and-butter brine is sweeter than dill pickle brine, it works especially well with:
- Grilled chicken thighs
- Fried chicken sandwiches
- Pork chops
- Turkey cutlets
Avoid marinating more than about 12 hours, or the texture can become mushy.
Quick Salad Dressing
Chefs frequently use pickle brine in vinaigrettes.
Example:
- 3 tablespoons bread-and-butter pickle brine
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- Black pepper
Good on:
- Potato salad
- Coleslaw
- Cucumber salad
- Green salads with bacon or ham
Potato Salad and Deviled Eggs
A tablespoon or two added to:
- Potato salad
- Macaroni salad
- Egg salad
- Deviled egg filling
adds acidity and sweetness without needing extra vinegar and sugar.
Coleslaw Dressing
Mix brine with:
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Black pepper
The pickle spices often complement cabbage better than plain vinegar.
Barbecue Glaze
Reduce the brine in a saucepan until syrupy, then mix with:
- Barbecue sauce
- Mustard
- Butter
Brush on:
- Pork ribs
- Smoked chicken
- Grilled sausages
Sandwich Spread
Many delis mix a little bread-and-butter brine into:
- Mayonnaise
- Aioli
- Thousand Island dressing
- Remoulade
The result is tangy, sweet, and pickle-flavored without having to finely chop pickles.
Braising Liquid
A small amount can be added to:
- Pot roast
- Pulled pork
- Braised cabbage
Typically only ¼–½ cup is used because the sweetness can become dominant.
Vegetable Quick Pickles
The leftover brine can be reused once for quick refrigerator pickles:
- Sliced onions
- Cucumbers
- Radishes
- Jalapeños
Pour the brine over the vegetables and refrigerate for 24–48 hours.
Cocktail Ingredient
Some bartenders use bread-and-butter pickle brine in:
- Bloody Marys
- Whiskey cocktails
- Bourbon-based drinks
The sweet-sour-spicy profile can be surprisingly effective in small amounts.
Bean Dishes
Since you’ve previously asked about cannellini beans, one particularly good use is adding 1–2 tablespoons of bread-and-butter brine to cooked white beans just before serving. Adding acidic ingredients after the beans are fully cooked avoids toughening them during cooking and brightens the flavor.
A common chef’s rule is to think of bread-and-butter pickle brine as a combination of:
- Vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt
- Mustard seed
- Turmeric
- Onion flavor
Any recipe that could benefit from those ingredients individually may benefit from a small amount of the brine. Start with about 1 tablespoon per quart of food and adjust upward to taste.
6/5/2026 – Mary wanted to make a dish but was tired of looking for recipes; so she just did the process she knew using what we had. The next day, to get Tom off her back, she wrote down what she did. This was a great meal served with Jasmine rice.
Ingredients
- 4 – Pacific Whiting Fillets (frozen from Publix)
- Fish – Pat dry and season with blackening seasoning, Salt and Pepper, and Piper’s Jalapeno seasoning.
- ½ shallot, small diced
- 4 garlic cloves – small diced
- Olive oil – enough to slightly cover the bottom of a #8 non stick skillet
- White wine – enough to deglaze the pan
- 4 Tablespoons of butter
- Mixed vegetables sliced for stir fry. Carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, ½ Vedalia onion. Cut the vegetables to equal sizes and place in a bowl. Spray with avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Directions
- Cover the bottom of a non-stick skillet with olive oil. Heat til it just starts to smoke.
- Place the fish skin side down in the skillet till slightly browned. Turn over and brown the remaining side.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- Place the shallot in the skillet and stir for about 2 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for approximately 30 seconds – until you can smell it.
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cook down by about half.
- Add the butter. Cook until melted.
- Add the vegetables to the pan and stir fry until they reach the desired doneness.
- Add the fish back to the pan and mix until the fish is warmed back up.