Life is uncertain! Go for DESSERT first!

With a dessert like Frozen Key Lime Cheesecake Pops, I would not blame anyone for eating dessert before (or instead of) dinner!

I love a good key lime pie in the summer (or all year round) but I wanted to elevate it a bit without making it more complicated.

For the crust, I added ten graham crackers to a sealable plastic bag and took out my frustrations using a rolling pin, pulverizing until the crackers became crumbs. (This can also be done in a food processor, but then you have more to clean!) Into the bag I added six tablespoons of melted butter and thoroughly combined until the crumbs looked like wet sand. (This could be done in a large bowl, but again, more to clean.) I poured the crumbs into a greased 11-inch tart pan (with a removable bottom) and used a flat-bottomed measuring cup to press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides to form the crust. Perfection is not necessary!

Next up, I started the filling by whipping twelve ounces of room temperature cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. I added one and a half cups of powdered sugar, the zest of three limes, two tablespoons of key lime juice, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and one half cup of cold heavy cream. I continued to whip until stiff peaks formed.

I poured the filling into the crust, smoothed the top, and popped into the freezer for thirty minutes.

A trick for easily unmolding is to sit the entire tart on the center of a soup can and gently push the sides down.

Once unmolded, I inserted the popsicle sticks and popped back into the freezer for four hours. When it was time to serve, I added the whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and fresh lime zest.

Well now that dessert is out of the way, how about we move on to dinner? One of my favorite dishes is Nashville Hot Chicken. Spices such as cayenne, smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and brown sugar are combined with the hot cooking oil and then brushed all over the crispy fried chicken. I also love Indian spices so I thought to myself, what if I used Indian spices in place of the Nashville spices? The result is my new Bombay Hot Chicken and trust me, it is a knockout.

I started by brining boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs. I sliced the breasts in half through the middle so that they would be similar in size to the thighs. The brine is made by combining one quarter cup each salt, sugar and white wine vinegar, two tablespoons of pickling spices, and two bay leaves in two cups of water. I brought it to a boil until the salt and sugar had dissolved and then I poured it over a large bowl of ice to bring down the temperature. I added the chicken, covered, and refrigerated for eight hours.

For the Bombay spicy oil, I prepared it the same way as Nashville Hot, but I used two tablespoons of chili powder, two teaspoons each of black pepper, garam masala, ground coriander, cumin, and hot madras curry, one teaspoon of salt, a pinch of cayenne, and two tablespoons of dark brown sugar.

To fry the chicken, I removed from the brine, rinsed, and then placed it into a bowl of buttermilk with a few dashes of hot sauce. I dipped each piece into seasoned flour (garlic powder, curry powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper), back into the buttermilk, and finally into the flour a second time, shaking off the excess. I fried four pieces at a time in neutral oil at 360 degrees until golden and cooked through, around eight minutes for the breasts and twelve minutes for the thighs, making sure the internal temperature was 165 degrees. I seasoned the chicken with salt and kept it warm in a 250 degree oven until all of the chicken was fried. I carefully added a ladle of the hot cooking oil to the spice mixture, stirred to combine, and then brushed all over the crispy fried chicken. I may never go back to Nashville Hot again! (Ok, both are equally good!)

For a great side dish, I made Cheddar Bacon Ranch Corn. I combined softened butter with one packet of dried ranch seasoning, rubbed the butter all over the corn, and then grilled until cooked through and slightly charred. I sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese over the corn and closed the lid to melt the cheese. I finished with crumbled bacon, a drizzle of ranch dressing, and fresh chives.

For the final perfect side dish, these are my Broiled Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes and they are as good as they look. I peeled and diced three pounds of yellow potatoes and placed into a pot of cold water with a big pinch of salt and six cloves of garlic. I brought it to a boil, reduced the heat, and cooked until the potatoes and garlic were fork tender., around twenty minutes, depending on the size of the dice on the potatoes. I drained them, placed back into the pot, and added one half cup of Parmesan cheese, four tablespoons of melted butter, two teaspoons of salt, one teaspoon of black pepper, and a touch of heavy cream. I used a hand mixer and beat the potatoes until they were smooth. (If the potatoes seem too dry, you can add more butter and cream.) I allowed them to cool and added to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. I piped into ramekins on a sheet pan and popped under the broiler for a few minutes. I garnished with fresh chopped chives and they were ready to eat!

Sautéed green beans and red peppers, made by my friend, completed the plate.

And go ahead. Eat the dessert first. Your secret is safe with me!