A tip of the hat to recipes that are easy to master and guaranteed to impress.
No-Churn Fruit Ice Cream, Caramel Sauce and Shortbread
Recipes by Tammy Algood
Food styling by Cynthia Kent
Photographs by Robin Conover
What does it take to come off like an expert home cook? It’s not expensive ingredients or complicated recipes. Instead, great cooks have a number of simple recipes they can pull off with ease from ingredients we all keep in our kitchens. And … voila! Here they are. Like magic.
- 1½ teaspoons salt, divided
- 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large 2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Place a large saucepan filled at least halfway with water over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Carefully add the potatoes to the boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook the potatoes for 10 minutes.
- Drain and allow rest 30 seconds in the colander. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with the oil. Cover and shake the bowl a couple of times to rough up the potatoes. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Spread in a single layer and sprinkle evenly with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Roast 20 minutes, then remove and, using a spatula, turn the potatoes. Return to the oven and roast another 30 minutes or until golden-brown.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the parsley. Add more salt if desired. Serve warm.

- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into 8 pieces
- Place the butter in a (light-colored on the inside) skillet over medium heat. Stir the butter with a wooden spoon as it melts and begins to foam. Keep stirring between 6 and 8 minutes until the butter turns golden-brown. Immediately remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool or use immediately.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 large sweet onions, peeled and cut in half then thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon water
- Place the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onions and stir to coat. Allow the onions to cook for 10 minutes, then give them a good stir with a spatula and add the salt and water.
- Allow to cook 20 minutes undisturbed, then stir and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook another 30 minutes, only stirring once halfway through. When the onions are deep golden-brown, turn off the heat and allow them to cool before using. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.
- 2 ripe bananas, peeled
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons bourbon, optional
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy cream, chilled Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)
- Place the ripe bananas in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the sweetened condensed milk, bourbon (if using) and extract. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the banana mixture, cover tightly and freeze for 6 to 8 hours or until firm. Serve with a drizzle of Caramel Sauce (recipe follows).


- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pour the sweetened condensed milk in a pie pan and cover with aluminum foil. Place in a larger pan and put in the oven. With a tea kettle, fill the larger pan with water until ¾ full. Bake 60 to 75 minutes or until the color of the milk is golden-brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove from the water bath onto a wire rack to cool completely before using.
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon until well blended. Transfer with a funnel to a half pint canning jar, cover tightly and store in a cool, dark, dry place until ready to use.
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut in pieces
- Caramel Sauce (see recipe)
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter. Don’t overwork the dough. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and mash evenly throughout the pan. It will be a little coarse looking. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool in the pan. Cut into small pieces when ready to serve and drizzle with Caramel Sauce.
- 1 French baguette, sliced
- 1 (8-ounce) wheel brie
- ¼ cup fig honey or raspberry preserves
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the baguette slices on an ungreased jellyroll pan and brown 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Place the brie in a lightly greased small cast iron skillet and bake 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon the fig honey or preserves on top. Let rest 5 minutes before serving with the crostini.
- 4 ounces spaghetti or another long pasta
- ¼ cup chopped pancetta or bacon
- 1 egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan-Reggiano
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to the package directions.
- Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium heat and add the pancetta or bacon. Cook 4 to 5 minutes or until it crisps and curls.
- In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the cheese, parsley and pepper and mix well. Set aside.
- Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water. Add the drained pasta to the pancetta or bacon pan and toss to coat with the rendered grease. Transfer to the bowl and toss quickly, adding the reserved hot cooking water a tablespoon at a time. Continue to toss and add the water until the egg has cooked and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
Tammy Algood develops recipes for The Tennessee Magazine that feature farm-fresh Tennessee food. Those fresh, local ingredients will always add cleaner, more flavorful foods to your table. We recommend visiting local farms and farmers markets to find the freshest seasonal produce.
ASK Chef Tammy
Email your cooking questions to Tammy Algood: [email protected].
Celeste asks: “Could you please tell me how to use a cheese I received in a gift basket called gormandis? It has a chopped pecan topping, and I have kept it refrigerated.”
Celeste, This sounds like gourmandise cheese, and it is delicious with crackers. It has a mild taste that is slightly sweet thanks to flavoring from cherry juice. The cheese is soft, which makes it easily spreadable.
Robert writes: “My grandmother used to make a potato side dish that almost looked like bread and was cut in wedges. It was delicious, and we had it with hamburger steak. I know that’s not a lot of information, but does it sound familiar to you?”
Robert, I believe what you are referring to is an Irish potato bread called a boxty. The name comes from the Gaelic word meaning pan or griddle. It is shaped like a scone and cut into wedges before baking on a griddle. It is a mixture of raw shredded (or sometimes mashed) potatoes, along with all-purpose flour and leavening of either baking powder or baking soda.