Pappardelle with Shrimp in a Bacon, Leek & Shallot Cream Sauce on Baby Kale

This winter pasta is spicy, savory, creamy, crunchy, and just plain amazing. You usually have me at bacon, but you really have me at bacon AND leeks, AND heavy cream, AND shallots, AND shrimp. Did I mention it is a very easy dinner and takes about 30 minutes start-to-finish. What I love most, is the balance of all the different elements: there is spicy flavor of the shallots and leeks, the smokiness of the bacon, and the freshness of the shrimp and kale against the sauce. I serve mine over baby kale, because the warm sauce just wilts the kale and it becomes part of the dish. You don't have to. Also, if you prefer to use chicken, you could swap it for the shrimp, but the shrimp really works well here. Read all about it, after the jump!

Gour-Maybe cooks...Bon Appetit's Lemon Honey Tart with Salted Shortbread Crust

Every now and again, I read a recipe that looks so delicious, I am in my car on the way to the store before I even finish reading it. Most of the time I am creating and adapting on my own, but when the genius minds of Bon Appetit magazine decided to do a WHOLE SECTION on salty desserts, they had me hooked. The recipe that stuck out to me was this amazing, vibrant  Lemon-Honey Tart with Salted Shortbread Crust. It didn't hurt that it's "citrus month" at my local grocery store, and I had access to all sorts of fabulous citrus fruit. I followed the recipe to the "t" and got great results. The only variation was using a scalloped tart pan rather than a smooth edge. Click here to read the recipe on their website. This tart is so bright and lemony, it's the perfect antidote to the grey skies and winter blues. I will definitely be using this crust recipe for a variety of tarts going forward. The shortbread is a nice alternative to the flaky tart crust that is my go-to. Hope you love it too!

Not Your Mama's Lasagna

Oh Lasagna, you are my casserole exception. Ok, there's ONE more exception - King Ranch Chicken Casserole - which we will get to later. But only these two! I love variety, so to get me to eat the same thing all week - it better be freaking good, and this lasagna has it all: cheesiness, meltiness, meatiness, spiciness. It's. Soo. Good. Now I know I am a fan of easy gourmet, and on Gour-Maybe, I try to keep the focus on simple ways to achieve amazing results, but this IS easy. If you set aside about 3 hours, you should be good, nothing skill-wise is required more than stirring and chopping and layering and you are done cooking for the week, so kick your feet up and watch Downton Abbey or The Bachelor (or in my case, both) - whatever floats your boat.   I serve mine with a classic homemade Caesar salad. One note - the seasoning that I have put in the recipe is a guideline and a starting place. Please adjust all of this to fit your palate - more spicy, less spicy. Do you LOVE sage? Add more! I won't take it personally. I made this Sunday, and I'm about to go dig in. So if you are in need of a great recipe for a week or a crowd, try this! Read all the details after the jump.

Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce

After coming back from Australia over the holidays, and being on a two week seafood bender, one thing stuck out - we were missing some sauce love! There was lots of aioli, but it was mostly bland - almost just a straight "mayo" as we'd call it,. One thing you can count on in the South when you order seafood is a good, flavorful cocktail sauce (if you want a good store-bought version, check THIS out), and a good tartar sauce. I have to say, I was missing that savory, zingy flavor. I mean I love mayo, but you can only eat so much! Because I'm a sucker for anything rich and delicious, I always have to have homemade tartar sauce with my otherwise "healthy" seafood. So I decided to make a batch to keep on hand for upcoming seafood needs. This couldn't be easier and takes about 10 minutes. I like a little garlic flavor, but you could easily omit garlic. You can do ahead and keep for about a week in the fridge. This recipe also doubles and triples easily. Read all about it, after the jump!

Mindblowing Lobster "Mac & Cheese"

Shells and vegetables after straining stock

lobster sauce thickened with heavy cream. try not to drink it.

lobster finishing it's cooking process in beurre monte

Ok, so who doesn't love macaroni and cheese? I don't think there's a bad way to make it, but since this is Gour-maybe, we are making blend of a traditional mac and cheese and a Thomas Keller mac and cheese interpretation. Let's start by saying it involves lobster. That you cook. In butter. Let's also say that the sauce base is so good, so lobstery (a word that should be invented just to describe this dish) we were eating it with spoons before forcing myself to keep cooking at stop eating. How did this recipe come about? My boyfriend is a traditional guy and loves mac and cheese, and as this was his birthday side, I thought I would try not to push it by making something too abstract. So I set out to make Keller's recipe a little less Keller and a little more me. I used shells instead of orzo, added additional white cheddar, chives and breadcrumbs, and spiced it up with a little bit of cayenne. I would never be so crazy as to say it's BETTER because I don't think you can do better than The French Laundry, but I will tell you that if you love lobster, cheese, butter and awesome sides, this is going to be tough to beat.

Oatmeal "Raisins" Cookies - That's Raisins with an "S"

I'm on a baking kick my friends (as you can probably tell). I think I'm in the holiday spirit - and no, the name of the post is not a typo - it's "raisins", plural, not "raisin", singular. These Oatmeal "Raisins" cookies have three types of raisins: regular, golden and Craisins. There are a few things that I think make this cookie truly spectacular. 1) I soak the raisins in rum (yay rum!), then simmer them in water until they are plump and juicy. 2) I add cornstarch in addition to the baking powder and soda. 3) I add a lot more salt (I think I say this in every post). These are more traditional O.R. cookies. If you want something different try my "Sow Your Wild Oatmeal Cookies" which are spicier and have white chocolate chips. They are delicious too! These cookies are very easy, another great recipe for a holiday gift or just making a batch of cookies - who needs an excuse? Get the recipe after the jump.

Things I Love: Mother Shuckers Original Cocktail Sauce

First things first with a little disclaimer. Some cooking blogs don't like to post about products, and I totally see why. You want readers to feel that they are getting the straight scoop so-to-speak, not some paid-for or promoted product endorsement. However, there are certain items that I have discovered that I feel are of the highest quality and can really make life more delicious and cooking easier. The goal of Gour-Maybe? is to help my readers make better food so anything to that end is fair game on this blog! No product-focused posts on Gour-Maybe? are paid for or solicited. 

Now, onto the good stuff! I stumbled upon Mother Shucker's Cocktail Sauce on accident when I was in a pinch looking for something easy for some boiled shrimp I was craving. Yes, that's right, this girl was all cooked out after Thanksgiving! I just wanted to open a jar, boil some shrimp and be done with it. The name and packaging attracted me - it looks boutique, handmade, original - even says "Award-winning" so I gave it a shot.

Oh. My. God. This sauce is so good. Spicy, complex, fresh are just some of the terms I'd apply here. It's got a great color and just the right kick. I almost NEVER use a product straight out of the jar without tweaking it, adjusting seasoning and heat etc.  I also almost NEVER find a packaged product that is better than a fresh option. With that said, I would honestly not change a thing about this cocktail sauce, except make bigger bottles of it. I used it on boiled shrimp, but you could add it to a Bloody Mary or maybe just get a spoon or straw.

It will definitely be a Gour-Maybe? pantry/fridge staple. If your local store doesn't carry it, you can purchase it via their website here.

Try some for yourself and let me know what you think!