• 3 racks baby back ribs
• Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2½ cups low-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup bottle barbecue sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Best Ever Baby Back Ribs

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• 1 gallon vegetable or peanut oil
• 2 cups piquillo peppers, canned or packed in oil
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 cup rice flour, plus extra for dredging shrimp
• 1½ cups soda water
• 1 egg
• 2 dozen large Louisiana shrimp, cleaned, tail on
• fresh hergs or greens for garnisn (such as basil, mint, cilantro, mizuna, and/or arugula)
• white wine vinegar, for dressing
• Tabasco
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

John Besh's Crunchy Shrimp Salad

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• 1 pound dried spaghetti, cooked according to package directions, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ripe Italian plum timatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 2-ounce jar anchovies in olive oil, drained
• 4 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 7-ounce can tuna in olive oil, drained
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives, quartered lengthwise
• 4 1/2 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Spaghetti with Tuna, Anchovies, Olives, and Mozzarella

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• 1 sleeve saltine crackers, finely crushed
• 1 cup plain flour
• salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 pound cleaned small shrimp
• cooking oil, for frying

Buttermilk-Battered Popcorn Shrimp

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• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into ½ inch pieces
• salt to taste
• 1 pound squid, cleaned and cut into rings ½ inch wide (about 1/2 pound cleaned)
• 3 large cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 pound small hard-shell clams, soaked in cool water for 30 minutes and well scrubbed
• 1 pound ripe cherry tomatoes, halved, or plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 pound spaghetti or linguine

Pirate Spaghetti

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Redfish

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoons Creole seasoning
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 4-ounce skinless redfish fillets
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups Pistachio Breading (recipe follows)
• 8 asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 extra-large Louisiana strawberries, stems and leaves intact, halved
• 1 cup Strawberry Beurre Blanc (recipe follows) 

Pecan Breading

• 1/2 cup coarsely ground pecans
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Strawberry Beurre Blanc

• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons cold Strawberry Butter (recipe follows)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Strawberry Butter

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup ripe, sliced Louisiana strawberries at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Pecan-Crusted Redfish

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• 4 8-ounce pieces beef top round steak, about 1/2-inch thick
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 2 eggs, beaten with 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper  
• FIour seasoned with salt and pepper for dredging
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1½ cups milk
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Chicken-Fried Steak with Pan Gravy

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• 2 lbs fresh or packaged whole-milk ricotta cheese
• Italian-American Meat Sauce (click here) 
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds lasagna noodles
• 2 large eggs 
• 2½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1lb mozzarella cheese, preferably fresh, sliced thin

Lidia's Italian-American Lasagna

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• 2 35-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
• 6 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
• 5 to 6 meaty pork neck bones (about ¾ pound)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• Salt
• 4 bay leaves

• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano, preferably the Sicilian or Greek type dried on the branch, crumbled
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• 3 to 4 cups hot water

Lidia's Italian-American Pasta Sauce

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Filling

• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter 
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 3/4 pound spinach, stems removed and chopped
• 3 tablespoons drained and chopped, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated good-quality Italian Parmesan cheese Salt and ground white pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, about ¼ pound each
• 4 thin slices Emmentaler cheese
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour

Mushroom-Wine Sauce

• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 1/8 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
• 1/2 pound fresh white mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fruity Italian white wine
• 1/2 cup meat or vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup heavy (double) cream
• Salt, ground white pepper and freshly grated nutmeg

Stuffed Chicken Breasts in Mushroom-Wine Sauce

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