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Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together cream cheese, Alfredo sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes, spinach, and artichoke hearts, then mix in mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Cover with foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until melted and bubbly.

Remove foil and continue baking another 5 to 10 minutes to brown the cheese on top.

Serve warm with tortilla chips, baguette, crackers, or cut-up raw vegetables.

Pour cream and vanilla into a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly bring to a simmer, stirring every few minutes for 10 to 15 minutes. Cream will be steaming but not boiling and vanilla will be fragrant. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and half of the sugar (1/4 cup) until pale yellow and thick. With whisk in hand, very slowly begin adding cream to yolk mixture, whisking constantly. (If added too quickly, eggs will cook.) Continue until cream is fully incorporated.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Divide custard into 6 ramekins, about 3/4 full. (Any shallow, oven-safe dish can be used, or use one large dish, such as a pie pan.) Place ramekins in a tall roasting pan or casserole dish. Slowly add enough hot water to the bottom of the pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins, making sure they don’t begin to float.

Bake until barely set (top will have a thin film but underneath it will jiggle a little bit), about 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the depth of the dishes.

Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 hours. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar on top of each custard and caramelize with a kitchen torch (or under the broil setting in the oven), being careful not to burn.

Serve immediately.

Heat oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl, toss cubed bread with 1 tablespoon of the grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.

With a blender or food processor, thoroughly blend remaining grated Parmesan and olive oil, lemon juice, olives and juice, capers, garlic, and basil. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed. If dressing is too thick, add a few tablespoons water. Refrigerate. Makes about 1 cup of dressing.

When ready to serve, toss lettuce in dressing, then top with croutons and shredded/shaved Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Makes 8 side salads.

Note: Bread can be toasted in the oven or grilled.

Leaving the skin on, cut each tomato in half. Using your fingers or a spoon, remove and discard the seeds and excess liquid. Chop tomatoes into quarter-inch chunks. In a medium bowl, lightly toss tomatoes, 1 tablespoon olive oil, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Cut the Italian loaf into ½-inch-thick slices. Lightly brush both sides with remaining olive oil. Lay each slice flat on a cookie sheet. Rub garlic halves across the top of the bread and sprinkle tops with remaining salt and pepper. Bake until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side.

Stack basil leaves on top of each other, roll up like a cigar, then thinly slice with a sharp knife. Add basil to tomato mixture right before serving.

Top bread with tomatoes; serve immediately.