4 ice cham recipes

Handmade ravioli stuffed with shrimp, halibut, and clams on a slow-simmered Spanish tomato sauce infused with saffron, orange zest, and shrimp shell stock. A true showstopper.

Grilled paella with chicken thighs, lobster, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, and chorizo over curry-turmeric rice with ancho powder. A show-stopping one-platter feast.

This is an authentic family recipe that my mother taught me in 1950 in New Orleans. It makes a great dinner party main dish. Like chinese food, it is long on chopping and assembling, but goes together and cooks rather quickly.

Massive pot of black bean cassoulet soup with garlic sausage, Italian sausage, bratwurst, and a meaty ham bone. Simmered for 5 hours with sherry, brown sugar, and lemon. Feeds 16.