Old faves, new twist

Cut cauliflower into 1/2-inch pieces. Fill a pot with 1 inch of water and 1 teaspoon salt. Place on stove and bring to a rolling boil. Add cauliflower and lower heat; cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, until fork tender. Strain and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, pickle juice, mustard, garlic powder, celery seed, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir the cauliflower, celery, onion, dill pickles, and diced egg in with the dressing. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs, additional paprika, or chives. Chill until ready to serve. 

To make crust, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/3 cup melted butter in a medium bowl. Press into bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 375 F for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

For the filling, beat egg yolks in a medium bowl and set aside. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly whisk in orange juice and water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat, stirring 2 minutes longer. Take pan off heat and gradually stir 1 cup hot filling into the bowl with the beaten egg yolks. Return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring 2 more minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice, orange zest, and 1 tablespoon butter. Pour hot filling into pie crust. For the meringue, beat egg whites with a mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar, then beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time on high until stiff peaks form. (Test by turning the beater upside down. If the peak doesn’t wilt when returning beater to an upright position, then it’s ready.) Spread meringue evenly over hot filling, sealing edges all the way to the crust.

Bake at 350 F for 12 to 15 minutes or until meringue begins to lightly brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving. 

In a medium saucepan, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well blended. Whisk in milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until mixture reaches a boil, then for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Cover tightly and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

In the meantime, remove mascarpone cheese from refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. With a mixer, beat heavy cream and vanilla extract until it resembles whipped cream. Make sure it’s not at all runny, but don’t overbeat or it’ll turn into butter.

In a small bowl, combine coffee, coffee liqueur, and vodka. Remove egg yolk mixture from refrigerator and whisk in mascarpone until smooth.

Arrange ladyfingers flat in the bottom of a 9 x 9-inch dish. Drizzle ladyfingers with coffee mixture. If liquid starts to collect in the bottom of the dish, drain some of the excess or your tiramisu won’t maintain its shape when cut. Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers, then half the whipped cream over that. Repeat layers and sprinkle top layer of whipped cream with cocoa.

Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours. Cut into 9 squares and serve cold.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, garlic, salt, and pepper. Lay pitas flat on two cookie sheets. Spread a liberal amount of sour cream sauce on top of each pita. Evenly spread meat, olives, onion, and banana peppers and feta on top.

Place in oven at 425 F for 7 to 12 minutes, until pita is toasted and cheese is lightly browned on top. Cut each pita into 4 triangles and top with tomatoes and cucumbers.