Jerry Jay's Classic Alfredo

My dad deserves credit for my love of food and my desire to be creative in the kitchen, and not simply because he made me try whatever was on my plate or because he solicited my help with dinner. If my dad got to eat and enjoy something at a restaurant when dining for business, he would often try to create an at-home version for our family to try as well. This brought a lot of excitement to weekend meals when we got to try things such as veal with volcano potatoes, shrimp scampi, or my favorite, fettuccine alfredo.

I was 8 or 9 when my dad introduced me to alfredo sauce. For a girl who thought spaghetti and meatballs was the definition of Italian food, the idea of a white sauce and green noodles was pretty outlandish. But I was game to try it (especially because it was my job to stir, stir, stir and keep the sauce from scalding in the pan), and it was glorious.

Here's what you need to recreate my first foodie experience:

1/2 package plain fettuccine pasta

1/2 package spinach fettuccine pasta

2/3 cup butter

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

2-3 tbsps chopped fresh parsley (flatleaf or Italian)

Cook fettuccine according to package directions and drain. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Gradually stir in parmesan, then cream until well-blended. Continue heating sauce, stirring constantly (sauce should be on the verge of boiling, without ever actually boiling; if it starts to cross the line, remove from the burner until it settles back down, then reintroduce the heat). Remove saucepan from heat, and stir in parsley. Toss with fettuccine and serve.

Expect about 6 servings if you're using this recipe as a co-main dish. It goes great with hearty steaks from the grill, shrimp, or Italian grilled chicken (as pictured here).

Little Mama's Deluxe Mac & Cheese

I grew up on Kraft macaroni and cheese. Not because my mom didn't know how to make the good stuff, but because my brother and I apparently preferred unnaturally yellow, made from a powder cheese on our little-bitty noodles. She tried more than once to introduce us to homemade macaroni, and to her disappointment we were such food snobs that we still asked for the blue box.

All that changed when my mom cooked up what she calls Deluxe Mac & Cheese. It's creamy without being runny and the finished product is a perfectly normal cheddar cheese color. I haven't wanted blue box mac & cheese since.

Here's what you need:

2 cups cottage cheese

1 cup (8oz) sour cream

1 egg, lightly beath

1 tsp salt

Garlic salt (a few shakes will get the job done)

Freshly ground black pepper (a few twists -- don't overdo it)

2 cups (8oz) shredded sharp cheddar

2 cups dry macaroni noodles

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, sour cream, egg, salt, garlic salt, and pepper. Add shredded cheddar and mix well. Add cooked macaroni and stir until coated. Transfer to a greased 2 1/2 quart baking dish, and bake until bubbly (uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes).

This is a great make ahead dish -- assemble everything the day before, then refrigerate overnight. Set the baking dish out about 30 minutes before you're ready to put it in the oven, and allow an extra 10 minutes of bake time to compensate for the time in the refrigerator.

My Not-So Greek Tzatziki Sauce

Mike and I started hosting Fight Nights at our house about five years ago. What started out as a spartan gathering of a few close friends and some beer has now become a monthly feast that happens to follow the UFC calendar. We've had a lot of delicious meals, but my personal favorite was Greek Night 2009: we indulged in grilled beef gyros, Greek salad, hummus, and my homemade tzatziki sauce.

While I'm sure the fancy stuff they serve in restaurants (or in Greek homes!) is much more sophisticated, this homage to tzatziki is tasty enough to earn approval from my non-Greek, Pita Jungle loving friends. And it's super eas

Here's what you need:

16 oz greek yogurt

1/3 lb feta (buy the block and crumble it yourself. It's got more moisture so it creams into the sauce better, plus it's way less expensive.)

Juice from 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

A few twists of freshly ground black pepper

Dump all of your ingredients in the food processor, and press go. Let it blend for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides, and run it for another 15 or 20 seconds. Serve with gyros or as a pita chip and veggie dip. Embarrassingly simple, but so delicious!