Fettuccine Alfredo by CK
1 stick of butter
1 clove of garlic – minced very small
1 8 oz block of cream cheese – cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
¼ cup of powdered Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 box of fettuccine noodles
Fresh oregano for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

In a thick bottomed heavy soup pan, heat the butter over medium heat until melted. Add the minced garlic, cream cheese, heavy cream and the and Parmesan cheeses. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir frequently until all is melted. Add the dried oregano. Reduce heat to low and maintain until ready to serve. Stir frequently to keep from burning to the bottom of the pot.

Next, cook the fettuccine according to package instructions except DO NOT SALT THE WATER. Once the sauce is completely melted, it is very important to taste it BEFORE you add any salt – then carefully add salt until it tastes right to you. Then this is important too – take a prepared noodle, dip it in the cheese that tastes right to you. It might need a tiny bit more salt – since the noodle has none. To serve, place the noodles in a large serving dish and as guests sit down to eat, pour the sauce over the noodles, toss gently and garnish with fresh herbs. Serve immediately. Keep sauce separate until ready to eat because it will clump as it cools. If you need to reheat leftovers, you can place in a sauce pot, heat over medium heat and add a little milk and stir frequently.

***For best results, specifically use Parmigiano Reggiano rather than freshly grated Parmesan cheese

CHEESECAKE COOKIES by GKT
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 Tbsp. butter
powdered sugar, as needed
Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt until combined, then set aside. In a separate bowl or mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until combined and fluffy. (1-2 minutes) Add sugar to cream cheese mixture and beat for another 2 minutes, then mix in eggs (one at a time) and vanilla. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, beating until just incorporated. Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, drop even scoopfuls of batter onto lined baking sheets. It’s okay if batter is sticky. Bake for 11-14 minutes, or until bottoms just start to brown. (Bake time depends on size of cookies.) Remove from oven and let cool. In a small, microwaveable bowl, heat chocolate chips and butter together in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth. Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow bowl. Once cookies have cooled slightly, dip bottoms in chocolate, then immediately dip them into graham cracker crumbs. Let cookies set upside down until chocolate is firm, then dust tops with powdered sugar, if desired.