Recipes for Ben

Barbecued Pork (Cha Shiu)

2012-01-11T05:14:00.000-07:00

I don't think that the name "barbecued pork" describes this dish very well. The little slices of meat are delicately flavored and roasted in the oven, then served with a variety of dipping sauces. My recipe is based on a Chinese version that I found in my old Complete Asian Cookbook, by Charmaine Solomon. I have given you a link to the latest edition; my tattered old copy was published in 1976.

1/2 pound pork loin, cut in 1/4 inch slices

3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1 tbl. soy sauce
1 tbl. honey
1 tbl. sherry (I substituted white wine, and it worked just fine)
1/2 tsp. five spice powder

Grind up the garlic with the salt in a mortar and pestle. Add the ginger, soy sauce, honey, wine, and five spice powder. Mix well and pour over the pork slices, stirring the meat around until well coated. Marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Pour an inch or so of hot water into a flat pan and arrange the pork slices on a wire rack placed on top of the pan. (I used a round pizza pan with holes in it, sprayed with Pam, and placed over a broiler pan). Roast the meat for 15 minutes, turn the slices and baste with any remaining marinade and roast another 10 to 15 minutes until done.

Serve with steamed rice, stir-fried vegetables, and some dipping sauces. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
Peanut Sauce

Plum Sauce: Mix 1/2 cup plum jam (raspberry works, too), 1 tbl. chili sauce, 1 tbl. soy sauce, pinch of grated ginger, and Chinese rice vinegar to taste.

Jean's Blueberry Coffee Cake

2011-11-24T04:00:00.002-07:00

My knitting friend, Jean, brings this coffee cake to our winter knitting get-togethers. It's always such a hit that she brings along copies of the recipe to hand out.

2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

Topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups blueberries (if frozen, thaw and drain)

Sift flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder together.

In a large mixing bowl, cream sugars and oil, then add the eggs and beat well. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9" x 13" pan.

In another bowl, mix all the topping ingredients together and spoon on top of the batter.

Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

2011-11-23T04:00:00.009-07:00

My friend, Jean, tells me that this is her favorite chicken recipe ever. It comes from Martha Stewart, and this version (with photos) can be seen on Cooking San Francisco.

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (about 3 pounds)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
4 cloves garlic, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Toss potatoes with the olive oil in a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Scatter asparagus, lemon, and garlic around chicken. Drizzle with remaining olive oil. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

Serves: 4

Kilian's Bread and Butter Pickles

2011-11-22T04:00:00.002-07:00

Kilian is married to Maura, who is the daughter of my half-sister. We love his pickles, which are kind of a hobby for him, as he is a professional restaurant chef in Boston.

6 cups loosely packed pickling cukes, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
1 red or green pepper, sliced
A few cauliflower florets
1/4 cup salt

Mix all together in a large pot. Let stand for three hours.

Combine in a sauce pan and boil for 5 minutes:
2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 tbl. pickling spices
1 tsp. celery seed
2 cups apple cider or malt vinegar

Rinse the cucumber mixture thoroughly, with several changes of water. Let soak in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain and return to the large pot. Add the boiling syrup mixture.

Heat slowly to just below boiling point, stirring occasionally. Place in sterilized jars and cover immediately.

Note: If you increase the recipe, increase the salt just slightly.

Homemade Cracker Jacks (Caramel Corn)

2011-09-29T12:00:00.002-06:00

Our recent trip to Fenway Park left us craving Cracker Jacks. I looked around for a homemade recipe online, and combined several to come up with this one.

2 quarts freshly popped popcorn
1 1/2 cups peanuts

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/6 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix the popcorn and peanuts in a large bowl; set aside.

Mix the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until boiling. Simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Pour the syrup over the popcorn and peanut mixture and stir to coat well.

Spread on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees F. for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool, break apart and store in tightly covered container.

Grilled Shrimp and Roasted Pear Salad

2011-09-18T17:29:00.002-06:00

I had the best salad EVER at the Metro Deli in Chicago's Union Station while waiting for our train. It was very much like this one, which I found here and in several other places around the Internet. It seems like everyone has posted the same recipe, so I don't really know where it originated online.

16 jumbo (U/15) shrimp

2 whole fresh pears of your choice, cut in 1/2 (core and stem removed)

2 Tbs olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 oz dried cranberries

2 oz candied cashews

12 oz mixed baby greens

5 oz balsamic vinaigrette

1/2 Tbs pure maple syrup

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 oz croutons made with cinnamon and raisin bread

Directions

1. Mix 1 ounce balsamic vinegar with Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon oil and coat shrimp. Season with salt and pepper, grill 1 1/2 minutes per side until done, then keep warm.

2. Toss pears with remaining oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in 450° F oven for 14 minutes and allow to cool.

3. Mix remaining balsamic vinegar and maple syrup in a medium sized bowl and toss in mixed greens and gently coat, add croutons, cranberries and cashews.

4. To serve: Divide greens onto 4 plates, arrange 4 grilled shrimp per plate and top with a sliced roasted pear half and serve.

My note: Add some gorgonzola, crumbled

Red Chile Caesar Dressing

2011-07-11T06:20:00.000-06:00

Based on the Great Caesar Dressing in the book, The El Paso Chile Company's Burning Desires; Salsa, Smoke, and Sizzle, by W. Park Kerr.

Combine in a food processor or blender:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 large egg at room temperature
4 to 6 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbl. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground red chile

Process until smooth.

With the motor still running, add through the feed tube in a quick, steady stream:
1 cup corn oil
1 cup olive oil

The dressing will thicken up nicely. Refrigerate in a covered storage container. Can be prepared up to three days before using.

Roasted Vegetables

2011-04-04T16:41:00.002-06:00

Ready to go into the oven

Scrub, peel (if necessary), and slice thinly:

Sweet potatoes
Onions (any kind: red, white, yellow, or green--or a combination)
Sweet red, green, yellow, and/or orange peppers
Carrots

You can also add any kind of root vegetable, like turnips

Place all in a large pyrex dish. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with thyme and fresh ground pepper.

Roast at 400 F. for at least an hour, stirring every 20 minutes or so. Check to see if vegetables are tender. If they still need more roasting and are getting too brown, cover the pan with aluminum foil. At our altitude (3900 feet) I roast them for a total of an hour and a half.

Whole Grain Waffles

2011-01-23T16:01:00.003-07:00

2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups skim milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix together wet ingredients; sift together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet, stir well. Bake in waffle iron.

Serve with blueberry syrup.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Whole-Grain-Waffles/Detail.aspx

Italian Pignoli Amaretti - Pine Nut Cookies

2011-01-19T04:00:00.034-07:00

These holiday cookies are a legend in Beez's family. They are expensive to make, so will only be making another appearance at our house next Christmas.

Thank you, DonnaSue, for this recipe.

2 (8-ounce) cans almond paste (not marzipan), coarsely crumbled*
1 1/2 cups powdered (confectioners') sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons mild honey
1 cup (4 1/2 ounces) pine nuts

* It is important to use canned almond paste only (the type sold in tubes is too crumbly and will not give the cookies the right consistency).

Preheat oven to 350°F. Either line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a food processor, pulse almond paste until broken up into small bits, then add powdered sugar and salt; continue to pulse until finely ground, about 1 minute. Add egg whites and and honey; process until well combined.

NOTE: Have a bowl of water near to dip your fingers in before rolling each cookie. This will keep the dough from sticking to your fingers.

Using a rounded teaspoon for each cookie, roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cooking sheets. Lightly flatten each cookie and press some pine nuts into each cookie to cover.

Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, approximately 12 to 15 minutes until lightly golden brown and soft and springy. Remove from oven and and transfer to wire racks to cool completely before serving.

The cookies can by prepared up to 3 weeks ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes approximately 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

*****

Here are a couple more notes for you: Auntie Bucksnort and I found that the dough could be mixed in a KitchenAid stand mixer. Use care with whatever machine you use; the dough is heavy and Cousin DonnaSue broke her food processor mixing it, making the cookies even more expensive this year.

We sprayed the cookie sheets with Pam, rather than using a Silpat, because we had no idea what that even was. Of course, we now know that it is a no-stick silicone baking mat, but we didn't know then. They are expensive, too.

Let the cookies cool just a minute--no longer--before removing them from the pan or they will stick.

Cranberry Muffins

2011-01-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

I was looking around for a way to use up bits of leftover cranberry sauce and orange-cranberry relish and came across this recipe on MomCentral. Since my homemade sauce had lots of orange in it, I let that be a substitute for the lemon zest. The recipe made 12 nice, big muffins--very delicious and grainy, as I used whole wheat flour.

2 ½ cups white whole wheat or all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
¾ cup plain Greek-style yogurt (whole milk or low-fat milk)
¼ cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil
½ tsp. lemon zest
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray (or line with muffin liners).
Measure flour by spooning into a dry measuring cup, level with a straightedge or back of a knife, then pour into a mixing bowl. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
In a separate mixing bowl whisk eggs until slightly frothy. Add yogurt, milk and canola oil. Whisk well until smooth. Add lemon zest and brown sugar, mixing well. Add cranberry sauce and stir with a spoon until thoroughly combined.
Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened. The batter should still be lumpy with a few little spots of dry flour. Do not over mix. Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each to the rim.
Bake in center of oven 22 minutes, rotating muffin tin once halfway through, until muffins are a lovely golden color on top. Remove tin from oven, transfer muffins to a cooling rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

Southwestern Style Pea Soup

2010-11-01T04:00:00.001-06:00

Strange as it may seem to those who dislike it, pea soup has always been my ultimate comfort food. The other day, after several hours spent in the chair at the dentist's office, I wanted something warm and easy to eat, and came up with this soup with a Southwestern kick.

You can use homemade pea soup if you wish. I've always loved plain old Campbell's Green Pea (no ham) soup best. It's your choice.

1 can Campbell's Green Pea Soup
1 soup can of milk
1 cup of fresh salsa

Place ingredients in blender, whir until smooth, thinning with additional milk if necessary. Heat by the cupful in the microwave. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if you wish.

Makes 4 servings.

Fresh Salsa

2010-10-27T04:00:00.025-06:00

I keep a batch of this going all the time now. Sometimes it is served almost like a side dish or vegetable with the meal, although it is also quite delicious on a turkey whole wheat sandwich. When it starts to get low, I just add more tomatoes or avocados, whichever I have on hand.

1/2 cup medium or hot salsa
1/2 sweet white onion, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 large avocado, finely chopped
6 New Mexico-type green chiles (roasted, peeled, seeded), finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Juice of one small Key lime (to taste)

Add all the finely chopped vegetables and the cilantro to the salsa. Add lime juice to taste. Keep covered and refrigerated.

White Trash Fudge

2010-10-26T04:00:00.047-06:00

The blogging world is a wonderful one. I have "met" people online through their blogs or their comments on mine, and have come to feel that they are friends even though I have never seen them in person.

I have, however, met Mary and her wonderful husband, Pat, for real, face to face, and they were just like family. We had first chatted online and when they came to our part of New Mexico for a visit, we all got together for a wonderful evening. You would think that strangers might have a problem finding things to talk about, but from the first hug we were friends for life. We cried when they left.

I recently got a package from Mary and Pat, who are now back in Massachusetts getting their house ready to sell so they can move out here and be our forever neighbors. In the package was some fudge, and it was oh, so delicious--addictive, even. There was also a note that was to be read only after the fudge was consumed. Here it is, word for word:

I once read on your blog, Clair, that Velveeta Cheese is only good for mixing with salsa or Rotel tomatoes to make queso. Now that you have tasted (and hopefully approved) the fudge, I will provide the recipe.

1/2 pound Velveeta Cheese
1/2 pound margarine or butter
2 tsp. vanilla (I used almond extract as we were out of vanilla)

Mix together and melt over low heat or in microwave.

2 lbs. powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa

Mix together sugar and cocoa. Pour melted Velveeta mixture into sugar mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour into buttered pans and refrigerate until set.

*****

By the way, if you try this recipe and like it, let me know. You can also send along a comment to Mary, a "reluctant" blogger.

Vinegar "Recipes" for Around the House

2010-10-25T04:00:00.050-06:00

I like using simple cleaning methods. I've always heard about the many uses of vinegar and have been finding it to be very helpful around the house. I know you can find sites with probably thousands of uses, but wanted to pass on some tried and true methods I've been using and can personally vouch for.

Coffee maker: Our water here in the desert is terrible. It smells when it comes out of the hot water tank or if it stands for very long. It eats faucets and makes them all spotty (see below). Even though I use filtered water to make coffee, I figure it can't hurt to clean out the coffee maker every once in a while. Fill the reservoir with vinegar to the two-cup line, and run the coffee maker through a cycle. Dump out the vinegar (actually, save it for one of the uses below) and run through the cycle twice more with clean water. Wash and rinse the glass pot well.

Windows: Use a solution of half white vinegar and half water. Wipe on with a damp cloth, wipe off with newspapers.

Drains: Our smelly water makes for smelly drains, so this method works to make them fresher smelling. Pour into drain 1/2 cup baking soda, then follow with 1/2 cup white vinegar. Then pour in 1 cup of boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes, then flush with lots of cold water.

Glassware: Our water makes glassware cloudy. Dip a damp cloth into white vinegar and rub the inside and outside of glasses. Wash and rinse as usual. Much better!

Faucets: Wipe with a damp cloth dipped in vinegar. Spot free!

Pergo-type floors: This is today's exciting discovery. Our kitchen floor was pretty, but all spotted up. No matter how I scrubbed, I couldn't get it to look clean. After a little Internet research, I mixed one cup of white vinegar with four cups of warm water, dipped in the mop, and wrung it out. I wiped down the floor and then skated around on a terry-cloth towel immediately to dry it completely. The results? A glowing floor, and a wonderful time for the pup!

Little Pete works hard

Finished! This pup is hard to get in focus, as he rarely pauses in his chores.

Spicy Pinto Beans

2010-10-22T04:00:00.037-06:00

3 cups dry pinto beans
Fresh cold water*

1/2 chopped onion (I like the sweet Vidalia-type)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
A tsp. of cumin
Salt

1 cup of green chile meat (yesterday's recipe)

Pick through the beans carefully, removing any little rocks. Rinse well, and cover with cold water. Soak overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse. Cover with more cold water, add chopped onion, garlic, cumin, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover the pan and simmer on low heat until almost tender.

Add the green chile meat, stir well, and continue to cook on low heat with the pan partially covered until the beans are tender. Add additional water as necessary.

Note: Cooking time will vary with altitude. I've seen recipes for pre-soaked beans where the cooking time is supposedly 20 minutes. Ha! Here at 4000 feet, I've found that I can cook beans for a long time before they are done--maybe a couple of hours. This just gives a chance for the flavors to soak into the beans.

Depending on the heat of your green chile meat, these beans can pack a real wallop, so you might want to serve them with some sour cream on the side to cool things down a bit.

*****

*That's what we like to call it, here in the thirsty desert.

Green Chile Meat

2010-10-21T04:00:00.000-06:00

For some reason, I get a kick out the name of this sauce. Never mind that--you'll want to make some and put it over most anything. It's really good on scrambled eggs with a little sour cream on the side, and it adds a good bit of kick to the pinto bean recipe that will be posted in a day or two.

The recipe comes from the book, More of the Best from New Mexico Kitchens, by Sheila Cameron and the Staff of New Mexico Magazine. (New Mexico Magazine, 1983). They got it from the world famous Owl Bar and Cafe in San Antonio, New Mexico.

That simmering time isn't a mistake, by the way. Simmer the sauce for at least three hours, and you'll be glad you did.

3 1/2 lbs. of hot green chile (roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped)
1 1/2 lbs. hamburger meat
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 quarts of water
Salt to taste

Brown the meat and drain off excess fat. In a large heavy saucepan, cover the chile and garlic with water and bring to the boiling point. Mix in the meat and simmer, tightly covered, for a least three hours. Add salt to taste.

Pecan Cake: A Good Way to Start a Diet

2010-10-17T06:03:00.003-06:00

Have you read the book, Julie and Julia; 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen; by Julie Powell? At one point, Julie talks about the spectacular pecan cake she makes that everyone loves. When I went to the Internet to find the recipe, I found that I was not the only one who just had to make that cake after reading about it in luscious detail.

The full name of the recipe is Paul Prudhomme's Spiced Pecan Cake. We had a dinner party for eight last night and I made the cake for dessert.

Let me tell you a bit about it. First of all, nobody needs this cake! It is incredibly rich--beyond rich, needlessly rich. The cake itself has less than a cup of butter, only 3 egg whites, and no salt. I really wish that I had stopped there. As a matter of fact, I could have divided the recipe into thirds and baked a single, unfrosted layer. I think it might have been a hit that way, especially after a filling supper.

However, the frosting calls for 8 egg yolks, an incredible cup and a half of butter, and a total of five cups of sugar. I was so far into the spirit of the thing that I actually made that frosting. A tiny skimming of it might have been tasty, but I followed the directions and ladled the darn stuff onto the three layers of the cake. I could hardly lift the plate when it was done.

I had spent a part of the three previous days cracking and chopping pecans; sometimes alone, while listening to bluegrass and blues, and sometimes with the help of a friend. Of course, I could have bought the nuts already prepared, but we do live in a pecan orchard and I had these huge bags of pecans waiting in the freezer (just under the huge bags of hot green chiles!). The recipe calls for a total of four and a half cups--we gave up after four, which turned out to be more than ample. Way more, as was everything else about this monster of a cake.

The eight of us were able to eat less than half of the thing. I sent some home with some strong and willing guests. The rest of the thing is squatting on my kitchen counter, just waiting for some unwary fool to lift the cover.

It was a great way to start a diet. I don't think I ever want to eat again.

Crock Pot Decision

2010-09-10T04:00:00.005-06:00

Thank you all for taking the time to leave comments, recipe links, and opinions about using a crock pot.

Arija, I am sorry that you lost so much in the bush fire. I appreciated your minority opinion, which gave me a smile. When I was much younger, I was an extremely disorganized hostess. We used to tease my half sister and her husband about my lack of preparation. They would drive up to our house in New Hampshire from theirs in Massachusetts, maybe a two and a half hour drive. When they arrived, we would visit for a while, then I'd say, "Well, I'll just nip out to the garden to harvest some wheat to make the bread for supper."

It wasn't far from the truth, when describing my meal-preparation habits. Those poor people had to wait once while I made hamburger buns from scratch, and then while I ground the meat for the burgers!

I really, really wanted to show them that I could have a meal mostly prepared and ready to put on the table for them, so for their next visit I bought a crock pot and made spaghetti sauce, which simmered all night long before they came for supper one Saturday. I was so pleased with myself, but only until we tried out the sauce. It had really simmered to death, the herbs had long lost any flavor, and the consistency of the meatballs was that of canned dog food, as best I can imagine it!

This time, many years later, I am ready to try again. Thanks to all your advice, I have bought a crock pot (actually two!), and a couple of cookbooks as well. I plan to follow directions and see if the modern crock pot is all it is cracked up to be, Arija's opinion notwithstanding!

I'll let you know how it all works out.

Crock Pot Questions

2010-08-11T15:38:00.001-06:00

I have had a crock pot in the past, but never used it much and finally got rid of it. However, I keep hearing from friends about how much they like their crock pots, so I decided to put a few questions out there:

If you have a crock pot, how do you like it?

What do you make in it?

Any favorite recipes?

Any favorite crock pot recipe sites?

Please use the comments to tell me about your experiences. Based on your answers, I will decide about buying one for the kitchen in the Pecan House, and I'll let you know if I do. Thank you for your help!

More Fire and Ice

2010-05-12T05:10:00.006-06:00

After putting together the post on Beez's newest recipe for a hot and chilly dessert (pun intended) the other day--see It's Cold! No, It's Hot!--I discovered that there are other New Mexicans with reckless taste buds trying out some similar experiments.

If you are a chile aficionado, you owe it to yourself to try out Habanero Popsicles. The recipe is found here, under Hotsicles. It's found on the web site called Chile Recipes, which includes all kinds of salsas, enchiladas, sauces, soups, and even a Hot Herbal Cough Syrup.

It's Cold! No, It's Hot!

2010-05-11T04:00:00.003-06:00

A new flavor combination

My husband, Beez, adores chile. Red chile, green chile, chiles in salsa, on eggs, and in any kind of main dish. I suppose I wasn't really surprised when he found a way to have chile for dessert.

It started with a trip to Ristramnn Chile in Mesilla, just south of Las Cruces. Yes, that's the right spelling. I have the sense that it might once have been Ristra Man, and they just compressed it to "Ristramnn" for reasons of their own.

We were exploring all the back rooms at the store, looking for some big packages of red chile powder that I knew they carried, when the owner introduced us to green chile powder. He gave us a little sample, and we were sold. The pure stuff was blazing, but he said to sprinkle it over the top of food for a delicious addition to almost anything.

On the way home, we stopped at Caliche's for some of their wonderful frozen custard, and that's where I saw the look of inspiration come over Beez's happy face. Long story short, we bought a quart of frozen custard, brought it home, and Beez spooned some into a bowl and sprinkled a bit of green chile powder over the top.

Sounds odd, doesn't it? But it is the perfect combination of hot and cold, creamy and fiery. Once you try it, you'll never be the same.

It turns out that there are some other variations on this hot/cold theme. Stay tuned ...

Oatmeal Pancakes

2010-03-03T14:30:00.004-07:00

If you are traveling through Las Cruces, be sure to have some breakfast at The Shed restaurant. I can personally vouch for the oatmeal pancakes they serve! If you can't make it to southern New Mexico for breakfast, try this version that I came up with at home.

3/4 cup quick oatmeal

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

2 tbl. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

Stir oatmeal and buttermilk together in a large bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Stir in eggs, oil, vanilla, and brown sugar. Mix well.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the oatmeal mixture.

Cook pancakes on a hot greased griddle for about two minutes per side. Keep the cooked ones in a warm oven until all are ready to be served.

Serve with warm syrup, sliced bananas, or warm applesauce.

Frosted Orange Cookies

2010-03-01T09:51:00.004-07:00

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 whole orange (peel and all) finely ground up

1/4 cup buttermilk

4 - 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

Cream the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together. Add the ground orange and buttermilk; mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; gradually add it to the orange mixture, stirring well.

Drop by teaspoonsful onto a greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350〫for 10 to 12 minutes until the bottoms are just brown. Cool a bit on paper towels. While still slightly warm, frost with Orange Buttercream Frosting, below. Makes about 4 dozen.

Orange Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup ground orange (peel and all)

3 tbl. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar, or amount needed to make the frosting a spreadable consistency

Beat all together until creamy.

Beef Enchiladas

2010-02-12T08:43:00.006-07:00

Because Beez has been working in another part of the state, he has been doing a lot of cooking for himself and even trying out some new recipes. He loves this one and plans to make it for our company tomorrow night. You can see the original at AllRecipes.Com.

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 (1.5 ounce) package dry enchilada sauce mix
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef and onion until beef is evenly browned and onion is tender.
Prepare the enchilada sauce according to package directions. Pour 1/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
On each flour tortilla, place an equal portion of the ground beef mixture and about 1 ounce of Cheddar cheese, reserving at least 1/2 cup of cheese. Then tightly roll the tortillas and place seam side down in the baking dish.
Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and olives.
Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and cheese is thoroughly melted.

Sour Cream Spice Cake

2010-01-30T17:10:00.006-07:00

2 cups sifted cake flour, sift before measuring
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons vinegar and sour cream to make 1 cup
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Optional: Substitute nutmeg, mace, and/or cardamon for the cloves and allspice

Optional: Add 1 cup of golden raisins

Sift dry ingredients. Mix and beat well the shortening, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix the vinegar and sour cream together in a measuring cup; add alternately with the sifted ingredients and beat until smooth. Add nuts and/or raisins and beat all until smooth.

Bake at 375〫in layer pans for 25 to 30 minutes, or in an oblong pyrex dish for 35 to 40 minutes.

Frost with the butter cream frosting of your choice.

The original version of this recipe came from Diana's Kitchen.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2010-01-21T07:00:00.003-07:00

These cookies are soft and taste a lot like brownies.

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

2 - 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Powdered sugar

Mix together butter, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and cooled chocolate. Beat well.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and stir until blended.

Chill the dough for easier handling. Form into small balls the size of a walnut. Roll each in powdered sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350〫for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on pan for another couple of minutes, then place on paper towels to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen.

Italian Sodas

2010-01-20T17:43:00.005-07:00

How did I ever miss this delicious beverage? Does everyone know how to make these? I had my first Italian soda the other day at Zeffiro's Pizzeria Napoletana, and we've been making sodas at home ever since.

The process is simple: Just place some flavored syrup, club soda, and a little half and half in large glass filled with ice, stir gently, and sip the drink through a straw. The proportions will vary, depending on your taste. There are more complicated instructions on the Internet that will instruct you as to the order of ingredients, when and how much to stir, etc.

The fun begins when you discover a grocery store with a good variety of syrups. We found ours at Toucan Market in Las Cruces. So far, we've tried Torani Orgeat (almond) and Le Sirop de Monin Vanilla; but there are a lot more we'd like to experiment with--I remember seeing raspberry, amaretto, apricot, grenadine, pomegranate, butterscotch, chocolate almond, mango, hazelnut and lemon. There are lots of other flavors, as you will see when you visit the Monin site. You can use the syrups in a variety of tea, coffee, and smoothie concoctions, too.

Mix up your soda and sip it while sitting out on the patio in the desert winter sunshine. That's what we do!

Auntie Bucksnort's Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-01-17T11:47:00.007-07:00

Bucksnort is famous for not following directions, so when she asked for my peanut butter cookie recipe, I just sat back and waited for the unexpected. The cookies she made were the best I've ever had, and I have to say, I know my cookies!

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup peanut butter

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 43 gram Hershey milk chocolate bar, coarsely chopped

1 100 gram Toblerone chocolate/honey/nougat candy bar, coarsely chopped

1 cup white chocolate chips

Cream together butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in peanut butter. Sift dry ingredients and stir them into the peanut butter mixture. Add the chopped chocolate and the chips and stir well.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press each down slightly with the back of the spoon.

Bake at 375〫for about 10 minutes. Makes 3-5 dozen cookies, depending on how big you make them.

Red Burritos

2009-12-16T16:29:00.005-07:00

These were so delicious when we had them last night that we plan to make them often. Perhaps it was the fact that we ate them sitting in front of a fragrant pecan wood fire that made the experience so wonderful.

There has been a little problem in getting our new gas range hooked up. The burners work, but we need a visit from an electrician to add an outlet so that the oven and timers all can function. Darned fancy stoves! Having no regular oven, we did the baking of this casserole in the microwave as follows: 10 minutes at 40% power; and 5 minutes at 30%. It worked out just fine.

1/3 to 1/2 lb. boneless pork, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbl. olive oil

Beef bouillon cube

Salt, pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. cumin

2 generous tbl. red chile powder (this is the powder made from grinding dried red chiles, with no additives)

Water as needed

4 potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3/4 inch cubes

8 tortillas, corn or wheat (your choice)

Grated monterey jack cheese (or cheese of your choice)

Sour cream as garnish

***

Brown the pork cubes, onion, and garlic in the oil. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, cumin, and chile powder. Add about 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer.

After the first 15 minutes, stir and add more water, if necessary. Cover and continue to cook.

After another 15 minutes of simmering, add the cubed potatoes and more water, if needed. Simmer an additional 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. (Note: Your total cooking time should equal 45 minutes).

Assemble the burritos: Spoon the meat mixture into each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, fold and place in a greased casserole dish. Pour over the top of all the burritos any sauce you may have left and sprinkle with more cheese.

Cover the casserole and bake at 350〫for 30 minutes, removing the lid of the casserole for the last few minutes. Serve with a little sour cream on the side.

Orange Yeast Bread

2009-12-03T06:16:00.010-07:00

What we see while drinking our morning coffee

Well, it took more than a few moments to change kitchens during our recent move from New Mexico's High Plains to its spectacular city in the Chihuahuan Desert, Las Cruces. However, the kitchen is finally unpacked, and every once in a while we are able to tear ourselves away from the magificent views we see out of every window to do a little cooking.

This recipe has been under development for a while and I think that it is ready to share with you. It makes a deliciously fragrant toast to have with your morning coffee.

1 heaping tbl. yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water, to which you have added a tiny pinch of sugar

1 whole orange (seeds removed), ground up, juice, rind and all

1 cup warm water (may be part additional orange juice)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom, optional

6 to 8 cups of flour, or however much it takes to make a nice bread dough

I do the whole process using the Kitchenaid mixer, grinding up the orange first, then mixing the cup of warm water, the yeast mixture, the orange, sugar, salt, oil, eggs, and optional cardamom together and beating well.

Add 3 cups of flour and beat at medium speed for several minutes. Change to the dough hook and add flour, a cup at a time, until you have a nice dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing it for a few minutes to get it really well kneaded.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand until no longer sticky. Let rise, covered, in a greased bowl in a warm place until the dough is doubled. Until we get a better heater installed in this little adobe house, we've been setting the bowl of dough on the raised hearth of the kiva fireplace, which keeps it nice and warm.

Bread dough rising in front of the kiva fireplace

Turn out dough onto a floured surface again, punch down, knead a few times, and divide into thirds. Shape each third into a loaf, put each into a greased bread pan, cover, and let rise again until almost doubled.

Bake at 375〫for 45 minutes. Cool on racks, slice, and freeze (if you wish). Delicious as toast, or in sandwiches. We would have loved it with sliced turkey and leftover cranberry sauce. Well, that was the plan, anyway, but the Thanksgiving leftovers got eaten up too soon!

A Few Moments to Change Kitchens, Please...

2009-11-10T07:00:00.004-07:00

It's time for our family to load up the moving van and move to our "new" adobe home, which you can see more of over on my other blog, The Zees Go West. I'll be back in a week or so, hopefully with some recipes perfect for serving in that lovely desert climate we'll be calling home.

Panettone

2009-11-09T07:00:00.003-07:00

Special Italian dessert bread for holidays. This version comes from Auntie Bucksnort.

3 tbl. yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup warm water

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup soft butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. lemon peel

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

1/3 cup candied citron

1/2 cup raisins (mix dark and light if you wish)

2 tbl. melted butter to brush on crust

Soften yeast in 1/4 cup warm water with a little sugar. Mix the remaining ingredients (except for 2 tbl. butter), adding more flour as necessary to make a soft dough. Knead until smooth, let rise in a greased bowl until doubled.

Form into a round loaf and let rise on a greased cookie sheet until doubled. Bake at 400〫for 10 minutes, then brush with melted butter. Continue baking at 350〫for 30 to 40 minutes until done.

Cool on rack.

Chicken Breasts Supreme

2009-11-08T07:00:00.004-07:00

6 chicken breasts

For marinade, mix together:

2 cups sour cream

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. celery salt

4 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 tsp. pepper

Salt to taste

1 tsp. paprika

Crushed cornflakes

1/4 cup butter

Cover breasts with marinade and chill overnight. Dip in crushed cornflakes.

Bake in a buttered shallow pan for 45 minutes at 350〫

Turn pieces over and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Chicken Tandoori

2009-11-07T07:00:00.003-07:00

From Bucksnort's ancient recipe box.

2 chicken legs

2 chicken breasts

Mix together:

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp. whole cumin

juice of one lemon

turmeric

cinnamon

fresh or dry cilantro

salt

pepper

coconut

1 cup plain yogurt

Pour yogurt mixture over chicken in a greased casserole. Bake covered at 400〫for 45 minutes or until done. Serve with rice.

Poppy Seed Cake

2009-11-06T07:00:00.004-07:00

From Bucksnort's ancient recipe box.

1 yellow cake mix

1 pkg. instant french vanilla pudding

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil (you may use butter-flavored oil, if you wish)

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sherry

1/2 cup poppy seeds

Mix all well, beat until smooth. Bake in a greased angel food pan for one hour at 350〫

Wine Cake

2009-11-05T07:00:00.004-07:00

From my mother's recipes.

1 yellow cake mix

3/4 cup cream sherry

3/4 cup oil

4 eggs

Mix together, beat well. Bake in an ungreased angel food cake pan at 325〫for 50 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes, loosen sides with a spatula, then invert the pan to remove the cake.

Basic Cheesecake

2009-11-04T07:00:00.004-07:00

This recipe was in an old wooden recipe box on a card in my mother's handwriting. She got the recipe "from the kitchen of" Maxine Partridge, a name I remember vaguely from my childhood. Thank you, Maxine!

Crust:

16 graham crackers, rolled and finely crushed

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

Mix, press into a pie pan, and bake at 350〫for 10 minutes. Cool.

Fill cooled crust with:

9 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese

1/2 pint sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together and beat until smooth. Pour into cooled crust and bake at 325〫for 20 minutes. Cool on rack for 5 minutes.

Top with:

1/2 pint sour cream

3 tbl. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together, beat until smooth, spread on top of cheesecake. Bake at 350〫for 5 minutes. Cool, then chill before serving.

Marie's Taco Soup

2009-11-01T07:00:00.005-07:00

Everything that Marie has ever brought to our knitting group's potlucks is always delicious, and she is very generous about sharing her recipes with us.

1 pound of ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can Ro-tel tomatoes with chiles

1 can regular pinto beans

1 can pinto beans with jalapeños

1 can yellow corn

1 can hominy, drained

1 cup salsa

Brown the beef and onion. Add the contents of all the cans, undrained (except for the hominy, which is drained). Add the salsa. Mix well and simmer for a bit to combine the flavors. Taste for seasonings; add salt, pepper, and chile powder, if you wish.

Note: I added some water to the mixture by rinsing out the emptied cans into the soup pot. If you want it soupier, add more.

Serve with cornbread.

Marie said to tell you that this soup freezes well.

Panko Chicken

2009-10-31T07:00:00.007-06:00

Beez has never been a fan of chicken, but he will eat this dish with something approaching vague enthusiasm. It's really delicious and is similar to Chicken Dijon.

2 boneless chicken breasts, washed & patted dry

1/4 c. butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. Dijon mustard

1/2 c. panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tbsp. parsley flakes, or some minced fresh parsley

Mix melted butter, garlic and mustard. Set aside.

Mix panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Set aside.

Slice the chicken in 1/4" thick pieces. Coat the pieces in mustard sauce on both sides, then roll the pieces in the crumb mixture to coat.

Put the chicken pieces on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes*, turning pieces over halfway through.

This is my own variation of a recipe from Cooks.com.

*Important note re time and temp: I just got a new gas stove and this is too much time at too high of a temp. Just realize that you will need to adjust for your own cooking conditions. Don't worry though, it will be worth the trouble!

Chile con Queso

2009-10-30T07:00:00.008-06:00

This must be the only possible use* for Velveeta cheese (sorry, cheese "product"). You will notice that the recipe calls for just half of the contents of the smallest available box. DO NOT worry about your leftover Velveeta. It is indestructible and will easily last until next year when you want to make Queso (as it is commonly called) again. Just wrap up that cheese product well and shove it back into the nether regions of your refrigerator.

I might go on a bit about this strange fake foodstuff, but it really does make a delicious Queso.

*Later note, October, 2010: It turns out that there is something you can do with the rest of that leftover Velveeta--you can try making White Trash Fudge! But let's get back to the Queso:

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Velveeta "cheese," cut into cubes

Enough milk to make a smooth dip

6 chopped green chiles (your choice of heat); roasted, peeled, and seeded before chopping

1 medium-sized fresh tomato, chopped

1 tsp. minced onion (you can use just a few shakes of minced dry onion, if you wish)

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Optional: A couple of tbls. of salsa or El Rancho de los Garcia's Green Chile Sauce (if you can find it. You might have to move to New Mexico for this sauce, which is made in Portales).

Directions:

Melt the Velveeta in a 1 quart bowl in the microwave for about a minute. Stir well, add a little milk, and microwave for 30 seconds to one minute more, until smooth.

Add the chiles, tomato, onion, and garlic powder. Stir well. Stir in the salsa or chile sauce, if you are using it.

Microwave again, just until warmed through.

Serve as a dip with tortilla chips, or pieces of tortillas, or chunks of warm fresh bread. Focaccia (Italian flat bread) is delicious here, and adds even more of an international flavor.

Grocery Shopping in New Mexico

2009-10-29T07:00:00.007-06:00

Piloncillo

We lived in Las Cruces for a year in the late 1990s. When we first shopped at the local grocery stores after moving there from New Hampshire, we were pretty amazed at the differences we found. We liked those differences, mind you, because we could really tell that we had moved, not only to a different part of the country, but a different part of the world. We definitely had a whole new culture to learn about.

Here are some of the products--some familiar, some very unfamiliar--we found in our local grocery store:

Large, strange-looking unwrapped cones of brown stuff in the produce section that we eventually learned was a kind of Mexican brown sugar called piloncillo.

Really large containers--buckets, actually--of old-fashioned lard, used in refried beans, tamales, and more. They say that the flavor it gives is wonderful and not found in any substitute.

Big slabs of tripe, used to make menudo, a traditional fiery soup that is thought to be the best hangover remedy.

Each grocery store had its own tortilleria, where fresh flour and corn tortillas were made. We were always able to buy fresh, warm tortillas.

Canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. We had a recipe calling for these and embarrassed ourselves by asking the clerk for "chip-O-tel" chiles. He probably thought we were from Texas. The actual pronunciation is chee-POHT-lay.

Big bags of bulk dried red chiles, in more varieties than we had ever seen

Strings of dried red chiles (ristras)

Large containers of frozen green chiles

And Velveeta. We were amazed to find Velveeta cheese boxes stacked in the aisles by the pallet-load. I had grown up thinking that Velveeta was something found in the refrigerated aisle, but the boxes didn't sit around long enough in these stores to spoil, if that is even possible with such a fake food product.

Why so much Velveeta? More about that tomorrow.

Roadhouse Hippie Salad

2009-10-28T07:00:00.009-06:00

This recipe comes from Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook.

On a warm August day, Beez and Auntie Bucksnort and I all went for a drive up around the Santa Fe area. We stopped for lunch at Harry's Roadhouse, a place that I had heard about again and again. We found a smallish-looking building with a a lovely view to the south and a huge, packed parking lot. However, there didn't seem to be much of a line, so we signed up and prepared for a wait.

To our surprise and delight, our names were called in under ten minutes. We were guided through the building, then into an added-on wing that had been invisible from the front of the place (and which explained where all the people were being seated), and then out to the most beautiful patio I've ever seen.

The patio was set into a hillside, so that it was actually a series of small terraces connected by the stone paths that wandered through natural-looking beds of colorful and fragrant flowers. There were several fountains, soft music in the background, and the whole was shaded by a number of very large trees.

If you have ever been in Santa Fe in the summer, you know how much you appreciate shade trees. You are at such an altitude (7000 ft.) that the air is probably thinner than what you are used to and the sun really beats down, so every scrap of shade is valuable. We were seated at a round table under one of the trees and the waitress immediately brought us huge glasses of ice water with lemon slices, and made sure to keep them coming.

Our meal was wonderful and the setting was fantastic. We vowed to go back and I bought the cookbook later as a gift for Bucksnort's birthday. Any time we are missing Santa Fe, we just page through and remember that fine afternoon.

Approaching Santa Fe

The Salad:

1 ear corn

2 medium beets

2 cups summer green beans

1 avocado

2 tomatoes

2 small heads or one large head Bibb lettuce

1 cup cooked garbanzo beans

1 Vidalia (or sweet) onion made into Vidalia Onion Rings

Dried porcini mushroom powder*

Roast the corn (Remove outer husk. Turn back inner husks; remove silks. Replace inner husks. Place on grill. Turn often. Roast 12 to 15 minutes) and remove the kernels.

Boil the beets, then peel and cut into wedges.

Blanch green beans in boiling water and cut into 1-inch pieces.

Cut tomatoes into wedges and dice avocados last.

Place the lettuce on a salad plate and top with corn, garbanzos, avocados, tomatoes, beets, and green beans. Drizzle with either Green Goddess or Sesame Dressing. Sprinkle with mushroom powder.

*Grind the mushrooms with a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder that has been reserved for spices.

For a nice review of breakfast at Harry's, be sure to go to Eating the Road.

Green Goddess Dressing

2009-10-27T07:00:00.004-06:00

This recipe comes from Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook.

3 tbl. lemon juice

1/2 tbl. chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tbl. fresh tarragon

2 tbl. fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1 tbl. fresh chopped mint

1 tbl. lemon balm

1/2 tbl. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients and puree in a blender. Serve on the salad of your choice.

Sesame Dressing

2009-10-26T07:00:00.005-06:00

This recipe comes from Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook.

8 ounces tahini

2 tbl. soy sauce

1 tsp. sambal sauce

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 cup water

1 - 1/2 tbl. sesame oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. If it is too thick, add a little more water to get the proper consistency. Serve on the salad of your choice.

Vidalia Onion Rings

2009-10-25T07:00:00.007-06:00

This recipe comes from Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook.

1 Vidalia onion

1 cup buttermilk

Vegetable oil

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp. pepper

Cut onion into very thin rings (1/8" or thinner). Soak onion in buttermilk for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cook, drain the onions in a colander.

Heat about an inch of oil in a cast-iron skillet.

Mix together flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss the drained onion rings in this mixture until they are thoroughly coated. Shake off excess coating and fry the rings until they are crispy and golden. Drain on paper towels. These onion rings may be fried up to half an hour before serving.

Curried Chicken Sandwiches

2009-10-24T07:00:00.003-06:00

These sandwiches are quite simple to make, once you have baked the focaccia and chopped up some leftover cooked chicken. I suppose you could use some other kind of bread, but the results won't be quite as elegant.

Finely chopped cooked chicken

Salt, pepper, and curry powder to taste

A sprinkle of dehydrated minced onion

Optional: Finely chopped tart apple and/or nuts

Just enough mayonnaise to hold it all together

Mix the chicken salad ingredients and let sit, covered and refrigerated, for at least an hour. Add a good scoop of the chicken mixture to focaccia squares, which have been split horizontally, warmed, and spread with chutney.

Georgia's Special Cornbread (Wheatless)

2009-10-23T07:00:00.007-06:00

This is the cornbread that Georgia served with her Pinto Beans. It was a wonderful meal! This is a good recipe for those with wheat allergies.

2 cups cornmeal

1/3 cup melted shortening

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbl. sugar

1/2 tsp. soda

2 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 can cream style corn

1 can chopped green chile (or substitute fresh or frozen)

1 cup grated cheese

Mix the first 7 ingredients as for cornbread.

Add corn and chile.

Grease a large iron skillet.

Pour in half the batter, sprinkle with half the cheese, add the remaining batter and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 500° for 25 minutes or until done. Note: That's a really hot oven, and I confirmed the temperature with Georgia. Just watch carefully that your cornbread doesn't burn.

Georgia's Pinto Beans: Our 500th Recipe!

2009-10-22T07:00:00.006-06:00

These beans are very simple but absolutely delicious. Georgia made them for our knitter's group and all of those very experienced cooks were impressed and asking for her recipe.

Georgia served the beans with the following side dishes: Cornbread (I'll post her recipe tomorrow); chopped sweet onions; a plateful of whole green chiles, peeled and seeded; grated cheese; and salsa.

4 cups of pinto beans

Water

Hickory smoked bacon

Salt

Pick over the beans, rinse them well, cover with cold water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Or, you may clean them, bring them to a boil with water to cover, boil rapidly for one minute, remove from heat, cover and let stand for an hour. Then drain.

Cut up 4 to 6 slices of bacon and place it in the bottom of a crock pot. Add soaked and drained beans. Cover all with cold water and cook in a covered crockpot on medium heat overnight or for 8 hours. Taste the beans and add salt if needed.

Gnocchi with Cheese

2009-10-21T07:00:00.005-06:00

This recipe comes from Jeff Smith's The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines; China, Greece, and Rome.

I have to tell you that the Frugal Gourmet TV cooking shows were a big hit in our family. We used to get them on Saturday afternoons, and I can't tell you how much we learned about cooking from watching Jeff Smith. I believe to this day that the expansive gestures that Beez uses in the kitchen were learned on those long ago Saturdays. Of course, great flourishes in the kitchen make for great messes to be cleaned up later by the galley slaves, but I still maintain that there is nothing so satisfying as seeing a husband who formerly ate only steak-hamburgers-pizza turn into a chef with choppers! and gestures! and great gusto! in the kitchen.

2 lbs. baking potatoes, washed but unpeeled

1 egg yolk

3 cups regular flour

3 tbl. semolina flour [may substitute Cream of Wheat]

1/2 tsp. salt

SAUCE:

1/4 lb. butter, melted

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Boil the potatoes, skin on, until fork tender. Drain them well and allow to cool just so that you can touch them. Peel and run through a potato ricer.

Place the potatoes in the bowl from your electric mixer and beat in the egg yolk. Add the flour, semolina, and salt and mix just until you have a smooth dough.

Roll the dough into long cylinders the thickness of your finger. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Roll each piece a bit on the rough side of a vegetable grater to give the dumpling some texture. Do this quickly and set them on a tray to dry a bit. You can forget about the rolling if you wish and just allow the dumplings to dry a bit before you boil them.

Flouring the dumplings before you put each on a tray will help keep them separated when they cook.

Bring 8 quarts of water to a boil and add about 1/4 of the batch. Boil gently until the gnocchi float to the top. Continue to boil for one minute and then, using a strainer, remove them from the pot to a warm bowl. Continue cooking until all are done and then toss the dumplings with the butter and cheese.

Serve as a pasta or starch dish with almost any meal.

Gingerbread Waffles with Warm Applesauce

2009-10-20T07:00:00.007-06:00

These always made the loveliest weekend breakfast for the family; the kitchen was so fragrant with the smell of spices and apples.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
2 cups buttermilk (plain yogurt may be substituted; you can add a little milk or water to the batter if it seems too thick)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Stir together egg yolks, buttermilk, and the melted butter; stir into flour mixture.

Beat egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.

Bake in a preheated, oiled waffle iron until golden.

Serve with butter and warm applesauce.

Pot Roast of Beef in Beer

2009-10-19T07:00:00.003-06:00

1 tbl. sugar

1 tsp. salt

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1 - 1/2 cups beer

1/2 cup salad oil

2 onions, chopped

4 lbs. bottom round beef pot roast

Bacon drippings or olive oil

1/2 cup water

3 beef bouillon cubes

2 cups chopped celery

8 whole carrots, peeled

8 small potatoes, peeled

8 whole small onions, peeled

Mix the first six ingredients together and marinate the beef in the mixture for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove the beef and reserve the marinade.

Brown the beef in the bacon drippings or olive oil in a deep pot. Add the marinade, water, and bouillon cubes.

Simmer, covered, for 3 hours. Add the celery and the whole vegetables during the last hour. If the gravy boils away to less than two cups, add hot water or more beer.

Serves 8.

From The Boston Globe Cook Book, 1974 (now out of print).

Maple Pralines

2009-10-18T07:00:00.002-06:00

Ben asked for recipes with maple syrup, because we all have such fond memories of maple sugar time in New Hampshire. This recipe comes from The Tasha Tudor Cookbook; Recipes and Reminiscences from Corgi Cottage.

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup Vermont maple syrup

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tbl. unsalted butter

1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, maple syrup, cream, and butter. Place the pan over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Cook to the soft ball stage, or 134 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it stand for five minutes without stirring.

Add the pecans and stir until the mixture is slightly thick and beginning to look cloudy. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let it stand until cold and firmly set.

Store in a tightly covered container. Makes approximately 2 dozen 1-inch patties.

Cashew Butter Toffee

2009-10-17T07:00:00.005-06:00

This recipe comes from Tasha Tudor's Old-Fashioned Gifts. Every time I look through this book I am struck anew by the lovely, other-worldly life she led with her family in Vermont.

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 cup chopped cashews

1 - 12-oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Butter a cookie sheet and set it aside.

Combine the sugar, salt, water, and butter in a heavy saucepan. Over medium heat, cook the mixture to the "soft-crack" stage (285°).

Add 1/2 cup of the chopped cashews and immediately pour the mixture onto the buttered cookie sheet. Spread out the mixture with a spatula and allow it to cool.

Melt half of the chocolate chips and spread on the top of the cooled toffee. Sprinkle with half of the remaining chopped cashews. Let this mixture cool until the chocolate has hardened. Turn the mixture over with a spatula and repeat the same process on the other side. Both sides of the toffee should be coated with chocolate and chopped nuts.

Break the toffee into pieces and store in a covered container in a cool, dry place.

Banana Date Bread

2009-10-16T07:00:00.004-06:00

Here is another favorite recipe from the Pickity Place cookbook.

3 - 1/2 cups flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/2 cup chopped dates

2 tbl. lemon juice

3/4 cup shortening

1 - 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Sift dry ingredients together.

Mash the bananas and add the lemon juice to them.

Cream the shortening and sugar, add the eggs and beat thoroughly until very light and fluffy.

Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk.

Fold in the bananas, dates, and nuts; mix well.

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350° for one hour, or until done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on wire racks.

Cherry Cottage Pudding

2009-10-15T07:00:00.008-06:00

Here is another favorite recipe from the Pickity Place cookbook.

1 No. 2 can pitted red cherries

1/4 cup shortening

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1 - 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup sour milk

Drain the cherries, saving the juice for the sauce (below).

Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and flavoring and beat well.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and soda together.

Add alternately with milk in small amounts, mixing well after each addition.

Add cherries.

Pour into a buttered 9" square cake pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve with hot Cherry Sauce.*

*Cherry Sauce

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbl. flour

1 cup heated red cherry juice (drained from can of cherries, above)

1/4 cup butter

2 tbl. lemon juice

2 drops almond extract

Combine the sugar and flour. Stir in the cherry juice gradually. Heat to a boil and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Add the butter, lemon juice, and extract.

Serve hot over the Cherry Cottage Pudding.

Herb Cheese Spread (Pickity Place)

2009-10-14T07:00:00.006-06:00

Pickity Place was always a favorite stop when our family was touring the area near Mason, New Hampshire. It features wonderful herb and flower gardens, a greenhouse shop, a gift shop, and a restaurant. My favorite part was the Grandmother's Cottage, a little red cape-style house that served as the model for the cottage in the 1948 Golden Book edition of Elizabeth Orton Jones' Little Red Riding Hood.

I was lucky enough to come across their cookbook, Country Herb Cooking; Four Seasons of Recipes from Pickity Place, in the Swap Shop at our old New Hampshire town recycling center. This is one of the appetizers that they serve at their luncheons.

1 tsp. fresh thyme

1 tsp. fresh chives

1 tsp. fresh sage

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

Blend all ingredients well and serve with crackers.

French Pork Pie (Tourtière)

2009-10-13T07:00:00.012-06:00

So many people in New England come from Canada--now that I live in New Mexico, I miss hearing all those [anglicized] French last names. The French Canadian traditions include this wonderful pork pie, which you can usually only get if you know somebody's mom who still makes tourtière.

This version comes from one of those little cookbooks you get for free along with your

subscription to Yankee Magazine. This one was published in 1980 and is called Yankee's Main

Dish Church Supper Cookbook. It was apparently a small edition of a full-sized cookbook

of the same name, which is now out of print.

Crust:

1 cup shortening

1 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

2/3 cup water

Cut half the shortening into salted flour, then add the remaining 1/2 cup of shortening. Mix well and

stir in water. Roll out. Makes enough pastry for one 10" two-crust pie.

Filling:

2 lbs. pork, trimmed of fat and ground or cut into 1/2" cubes

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup hot water

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. allspice

2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 tsp. pepper

3 cups bread crumbs

Mix all ingredients together, place in a pastry-lined 10" pie plate, and top with the remaining

pastry. Cut a few slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 1 - 1/2 hours at 325° or until the pie is nicely browned. Serves 6-8.

Chinese Pie

2009-10-12T07:00:00.009-06:00

I have an old 1962 cookbook called Creature Comforts that was compiled by the Ladies' Evening Circle of the Chester Congregational-Baptist Church in Chester, NH. Chester is the town next door to Candia, where our family spent so many wonderful years.

When we first arrived in New Hampshire from Washington state, we were puzzled by a number of things. For instance, we could hardly understand what people were saying a lot of the time. I took a call at work from someone in the "Kearsarge" School District and couldn't for the life of me understand the name of the district. It was pronounced something like Keeeahhhsaaaj and, since I had never heard of the place, I was at a loss as to what to write on the message pad. Asking the person to spell it didn't help at all--my request just resulted in a mystifying series of unfamiliar sounds: K-E-A-Ahh-S-A-Ahh-G-E.

Ladies who sewed shared dress "pattens"--back in those days when there were ladies and sewing and dresses.* And patterns.

Dinner was suddenly called supper (suppah), and lunch was dinner (dinnah). A "little lunch" could be eaten as an evening snack--perhaps after the business part of a community meeting.

Something else we had never heard of was "Chinese Pie," which was a popular dish served in school lunchrooms and at potlucks. My questions about it were met with incredulity--You've never heard of Chinese Pie??? Here is the recipe, courtesy of the Congregational-Baptist ladies of Chester.

1 lb. ground beef, fried

1 onion, cut up and browned

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cans cream-style corn

5 or 6 potatoes, cooked and mashed

Put beef in the bottom of a buttered casserole with onion and seasonings. Add the corn and cover with the mashed potatoes. Bake in a moderate oven till hot [I'm guessing this would be a 350° oven for 35 to 45 minutes]. Serves 4.

***

*Here is a delightful "household hint" from this same 1962 cookbook (incidentally published the year I graduated from high school): When ironing dresses for school girls, put hanky in pocket before hanging it up.

Don't you just love it? Ironing! Dresses! School girls! Hankies! It makes you think about how much times have changed.

Rhamkuchen (Cheese Cake)

2009-10-11T07:00:00.004-06:00

Ben is a great fan of cheesecake, so I am always on the lookout for recipes for making this dessert from scratch. This one is from my old 1951 cookbook, A World of Good Eating; a collection of old and new recipes from many lands; tested in the kitchen of a New England housewife.

1 - 1/2 cups rolled Zwieback crumbs

3 tbl. butter

2 tbl. sugar

1 lb. cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Rind of 1 lemon

1 tbl. lemon juice

2 eggs, separated

1 cup thick sour cream

1 tbl. sugar

Vanilla

Blend the rolled crumbs with melted butter and 2 tbl. sugar. Press into the bottom of a 9" spring-form pan. Place in warm oven (350°) for 5 minutes to set crust. Cool.

Warm the cream cheese to room temperature and break up with a fork. Blend in the sugar and lemon juice, rind and vanilla. Drop in the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat well after each one. Beat the egg whites stiff and fold into the mixture with a spatula.

Pour over the crumb base and bake for 45 minutes at 300°.

Mix 1 tbl. sugar and the vanilla into the sour cream. Spread lightly over the top of the cake and return it to the oven to bake 10 minutes more.

Let the cake cool and remove the rim of the spring-form pan to serve.

Pommes de Terre Anna

2009-10-10T07:00:00.007-06:00

I came across this recipe in my old 1951 cookbook, A World of Good Eating; a collection of old and new recipes from many lands; tested in the kitchen of a New England housewife.

The recipe reminded me of the times my father would make Potatoes Anna and recount his experiences as a waiter working in the dining room of the Copley Square Hotel in the late 1920s. We would listen to his stories while watching his careful preparation of this beautiful dish, which turned out looking something like this picture from Wikimedia Commons.

6 medium-large potatoes

1/4 lb. butter

1/2 tsp. prepared French mustard

Salt and pepper.

Butter a 9" pan that is about 2 - 1/2 inches deep.

Pare and slice the potatoes thin and brush or spread the slices with butter into which the mustard has been worked.

Arrange the slices around the edges of the pan and covering the bottom, overlapping the slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to build up the layers this way until the pan is filled. If any butter remains, melt and pour it over the top. Press the layers down so that the pan is well filled.

Bake in a hot oven (400°) until the slices are tender when tested with a sharp knife (40 - 50 minutes).

Remove from the oven and let stand a minute or two. Then run a knife around the edge of the pan, invert and unmould the golden brown potatoes onto a hot serving plate.

Poppy Seed Cake

2009-10-09T07:00:00.006-06:00

I think that this recipe first came into fashion in the late 1950s when people were experimenting to see how they could gussy up those cake mixes so beloved by housewives of the day. I certainly remember our mom serving this cake proudly, and it was delicious (if you didn't mind the little seeds getting stuck in your teeth).

This version comes from Tastes of Our Town, a cookbook compiled in 1994 by the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Candia (NH) Volunteer Fire Department.

1 box yellow cake mix

1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup hot water

4 tbl. poppy seeds

Mix all the ingredients together well. Pour into two greased loaf pans.

Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes. Remove cake from pans and put on racks with a plate underneath to catch the icing overflow. Now, poke holes in the cake.

Mix:

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp. almond extract

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix and pour over loaf cakes.

Blueberry Pudding Cake

2009-10-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

This is one of those pudding recipes where the cake batter starts on the bottom and the baked cake ends up on the top of the filling. From Tastes of Our Town, a cookbook compiled in 1994 by the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Candia (NH) Volunteer Fire Department.

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 - 1/2 tbl. lemon juice

1 - 1/2 cups sugar, divided

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3 tbl. butter

1/2 cup milk

1 tbl. cornstarch

1 cup boiling water

Place the blueberries in an 8" square pan and sprinkle with the lemon juice. Sift together 3/4 cup of the sugar with the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix with the butter and milk. Pour over the berries.

Mix the remaining 3/4 cup sugar with the cornstarch. Sprinkle over the flour mixture. Pour the boiling water over the top.

Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes.

Good served with vanilla ice cream. Makes 9 servings.

Copper Pennies (Sweet and Sour Carrots)

2009-10-07T07:00:00.004-06:00

Candia, NH, Fire Department

Years ago, when we lived back east, my ladies knitting group went out to lunch in Concord, New Hampshire at a place that served copper pennies. I had never heard of them; all the others had, so I assume that this is an old New England favorite.

This version comes from Tastes of Our Town, a cookbook compiled in 1994 by the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Candia (NH) Volunteer Fire Department. Reading it make me so nostalgic and homesick I can hardly stand it!

2 lbs. carrots

1 large green pepper

1 large green onion

3/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup oil

1 can tomato soup

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. dry or prepared mustard

Cut carrots crosswise into coins; cut the pepper and onion in slivers. Cook the carrots till tender but firm. Layer vegetables in casserole.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in saucepan and cook about 10 minutes until it thickens. Pour the sauce over the vegetables. Serve hot or cold.

Broccoli Salad

2009-10-06T07:00:00.003-06:00

I first had this at a family picnic in Massachusetts.

1 bunch raw broccoli* flowerets

1/2 lb. bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

1/2 lb. shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 medium onion

Dressing:

1 cup Miracle Whip or mayo

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbl. vinegar

Mix dressing into first 4 ingredients; stir well and chill.

*Can substitute cauliflower for broccoli or use a combination of the two

Szechuan Sesame Noodles

2009-10-05T07:00:00.003-06:00

This recipe came from the Bon Appetit Magazine Millennium Special, Sept. 1999. It's a fairly quick dish to make.
8 ounces thin dried Asian noodles or linguine
4 tablespoons oriental sesame oil
3 tablespoons chopped peanuts

2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 large garlic cloves, minced
6 tablespoons bottled teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced green or red onions

Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain; return noodles to same pot. Mix in 1 tablespoon oil and peanuts.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy small skillet over medium-low heat. Add ginger and garlic; stir 10 seconds. Add teriyaki sauce, lime juice and chili sauce; simmer 30 seconds. Mix sauce and onions into noodles. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grilled Sea Bass with Tropical Salsa

2009-10-04T07:00:00.008-06:00

I have no idea who started the idea that men do the grilling, but I love it. Grilling has changed Beez from a man who only ate hamburger, steaks, and pizza into a culinary adventurer.

This recipe came from the Bon Appetit Magazine Millennium Special, Sept. 1999.

1 cup 1/4-inch pieces peeled, cored pineapple
3/4 cup 1/4-inch pieces peeled, pitted mango
2/3 cup 1/4-inch pieces red bell pepper
1/2 cup 1/4-inch pieces seeded tomato
1/3 cup 1/4-inch pieces seeded English hothouse cucumber (guess what? I'm betting you could substitute regular old every day cucumber)
1/3 cup 1/4-inch pieces red onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chili
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

6 6-ounce sea bass fillets
Olive oil

Combine first 10 ingredients in medium bowl; toss to blend. Season salsa with salt. Chill to blend flavors, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours, tossing occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush fish with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just opaque in center, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Top with salsa and serve.

Citrus Cheesecake with Marmalade Glaze

2009-10-03T07:00:00.007-06:00

Here's a nice cheesecake recipe for Ben, as he has been asking for one. I'm afraid the ones he remembers from his childhood came straight out of the Jello No-Bake Cheesecake Mix box.

This version comes from the Bon Appetit Magazine Millennium Special, Sept. 1999.

Crust
1 large egg, separated
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Filling
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup orange marmalade
Orange slices
Fresh mint sprigs

For crust: Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2-inch-high sides. Whisk egg yolk, lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla in small bowl to blend. Blend flour and sugar in processor. Add butter and process until coarse crumbs form. With machine running, add yolk mixture and blend until moist clumps form. Press dough onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Freeze crust 10 minutes.
Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush crust lightly with some egg white. Bake until crust is pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on rack while preparing filling. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

For filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat until well blended. Beat in 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, all citrus peel and vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Beat in sour cream. Pour filling into crust. Bake cake until puffed and cracked around edges and center moves only slightly when pan is gently shaken, about 55 minutes. Remove from oven. Run small knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Cool cake in pan on rack. Refrigerate cake overnight.
Boil marmalade and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in saucepan until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Spread warm glaze atop cake. Chill cake 10 minutes. Remove pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Garnish with orange and mint.

If You Are Missing an Ingredient...

2009-10-02T07:00:00.001-06:00

If thee needs anything and cannot find it, just come to me and I'll tell thee how to get along without it. ~Etta Macy (quoted by James Alexander Thom in "Indiana's Self-Reliant Uplanders," National Geographic Magazine, March 1976).

I just typed up a recipe that included sour milk among the ingredients. Of course, you can substitute buttermilk for sour milk, or you can make your own, by adding a spoonful of lemon juice or white vinegar to sweet milk and letting it stand for a few minutes to sour.

Experienced cooks learn these tricks over time. If you would like to see a nice collection of food substitutions in recipes, please check out the About.com: Home Cooking page on Recipe Substitutions.

Orange Bread

2009-10-01T07:00:00.008-06:00

This is a very flavorful bread--the aroma is great! The recipe comes from Maine's Jubilee Cookbook, published in 1969; I've added my own glaze.

1 orange

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup buttermilk [you may substitute plain yogurt. ~CZ]

1 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 - 1/4 cups flour

Put the raisins and the orange, peeling and all, through the food chopper. Cream butter, sugar, and eggs. Add the soda to the buttermilk, then mix all ingredients together in the order given. Add the raisin-orange mixture last.

Bake in a well-greased loaf pan at 350° for one hour or until done.

Drizzle while warm with a mixture of 1/2 cup powdered sugar stirred together with just enough orange juice to make a thin glaze.

Let cool completely before slicing.

All-Bran Yeast Bread or Rolls

2009-09-30T07:00:00.003-06:00

From Maine's Jubilee Cookbook, published in 1969.

1 tbl. dry yeast

2 cups lukewarm water

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

1/2 cup All-Bran cereal

1/4 cup melted shortening

1 tsp. salt

6 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Add molasses, beaten egg, and All-Bran. Mix well.

Add remaining ingredients, mix well. Turn out onto floured board, knead well.

Let rise until doubled. Punch down and let rise a second time until doubled.

Form into loaves or rolls, let rise a 3rd time until double.

Bake in 350° oven for 35 minutes for loaves; or 400° for 25 minutes for rolls. Test for doneness.

Ugly Crackers

2009-09-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

These are called ugly because they look a little odd, being made with blue cheese. They are so good--nice with a glass of wine--and really fun to make. From The Harlow's Bread & Cracker Cookbook.

3/4 cup good blue (bleu) cheese

6 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1 cup sesame seeds

1 tbl. salt

1 tbl. baking powder

Mix all ingredients together until they are thoroughly distributed in the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll out the dough as then as possible [we use use our pasta maker on the lasagna noodle setting]. Place large sheets of dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets and cut across and down into squares, using a rotary pastry cutter.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. The crackers will turn golden around the edges of the pan.

Grape-Nut Bread

2009-09-28T07:00:00.005-06:00

I am a fan of Grape-Nut cereal, and I must come by that honestly. When we first moved back to New England from the west coast we discovered that people there loved Grape-Nuts, especially in Grape-Nut Pudding. I have to admit that I never quite "got" that pudding, but this bread (from Maine's Jubilee Cookbook, published in 1969) is a very tasty way to eat your Grape-Nuts.

1/2 cup Grape-Nuts cereal

1 cup sour milk (if you don't happen to have any, use this method)

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 to 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbl. melted shortening

1 tsp. vanilla

Soak the Grape-Nuts in the sour milk for 10 minutes. Sift together the dry ingredients. Mix the egg, vanilla, and shortening. Add the egg mixture to the sour milk. Add the sifted ingredients and mix well.

Pour into a well-greased loaf pan. Let rise for 20 minutes before baking. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Chicken and Rice with Choose-Your-Own Toppings

2009-09-27T07:00:00.004-06:00

For some reason, the kids just loved this meal, probably because they could act as their own cooks-at-the-table. Here's how it worked: Everyone was served some steamed rice and some chunked-up cooked chicken. Toppings were placed all around the table in little bowls, and people could choose as many or as few as they wished.

Toppings:

Finely chopped green onions

Chopped peanuts

Thinly sliced celery

Toasted coconut

Chopped tart apple

Cooked green peas

Cream of chicken soup, thinned with a little milk and warmed

Chutney

Curried Pork Chops

2009-09-26T07:00:00.004-06:00

Here is another of our family's old-fashioned pork chop recipes.

Brown pork chops on both sides in a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle both sides well with a good curry powder. Cover with a sliced onion and a chopped tart apple. Add about 1/2 cup water to the bottom of the pan.

Simmer, covered, until the chops are done, about 45 minutes, adding water if necessary to keep them from going dry.

Serve with steamed rice, chutney, chopped peanuts, and a vegetable of your choice.

Paprika Pork Chops

2009-09-25T07:00:00.003-06:00

This is a comfort food, pure and simple. We used to serve these chops in the winter time, along with mashed potatoes and creamed corn. That doesn't sound very modern, does it?

Brown pork chops on both sides in a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and then really dust them well with lots of paprika (sweet or hot, your choice). Cover them with a sliced sweet onion, then add about a half a cup of water.

Simmer, covered, until the chops are done, about 45 minutes. Check on them from time to time, adding a bit of water if they get too dry.

Warren's Really Good Stuffed Hot Peppers

2009-09-24T07:00:00.003-06:00

My brother-in-law, Warren, makes the best pickles and jams. Whenever Ben comes home for a visit, he checks out all the cupboards for "Warren's jars." These peppers make a wonderful appetizer.

One jar of hot cherry peppers
Provolone cheese
Prosciutto ham

Olive oil

Drain the liquid from the jar of peppers. Remove any pepper stems and shake out seeds--do not rinse them, or wash out the jar.

Roll some prosciutto around a small piece of cheese and stuff into the center of each pepper.
Place the peppers back in jar and add olive oil to the top. Screw the lid back on and keep refrigerated.

Note: The olive oil will harden in the fridge. Let it warm up a bit to room temperature before serving.

Date Nut Bread

2009-09-23T07:00:00.003-06:00

My mother used to make date bread around Christmas time. It was wonderfully moist and dark and so good when spread with cream cheese. This version comes from my old edition of the Boston Globe Cook Book, which was given to me by my brother-in-law Warren, a printer for the Globe for many, many years.

1 (6 - 1/2 oz.) pkg. dates

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cups sugar

1 egg

2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup chopped nuts

Cut up dates, add baking soda and boiling water. Set aside to cool.

Add sugar and egg to cooled date mixture. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Bake in a greased loaf pan for one hour at 350°. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Note: I have been finding that these quick fruit and nut breads slice more easily the day after baking, although it's hard to wait that long!

Apricot-Nut Bread

2009-09-22T07:00:00.003-06:00

1/2 cup dried apricots*

1/2 cup water

2 cups sifted flour

3 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 egg

1 cup sugar

2 tbl. melted butter

1/2 cup orange juice

1 cup walnuts, chopped

Soak apricots in water for half an hour; drain and chop.

Sift dry ingredients together.

Beat egg, add sugar and mix well. Add butter and orange juice.

Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients; stir in apricots and nuts.

Bake in greased bread pan for 1 - 1 1/4 hours at 350°. Slice cold and spread with butter.

*But think of all the substitutions you can make--prunes, dried cranberries, raisins, etc.

Blender Soups

2009-09-21T07:00:00.004-06:00

For some reason, I never thought of doing this. It sounds like a great way to use up leftover vegetables. I always make more than the two of us can eat, hoping that Beez will eat eat more than a single reluctant forkful. Just as he was born with refrigerator blindness (defined here, see #1) he has a genetic disability to eat vegetables with any kind of gusto.

So, finally, I have found the solution--blender soups. Mind you, this solves the leftover vegetable problem, but does not mean that anyone will eat this stuff but me.

Blender Soups

According to The Boston Globe Cook Book (mine is from 1974; later edition here): Leftover vegetables can buzzed into delicious last-minute soups. Use:

spinach

asparagus

celery

peas

to name a few. Add: Milk or water or bouillon and seasonings; heat and serve.

Date, Fig, or Prune Bars

2009-09-20T07:00:00.004-06:00

This recipe is from The Tassajara Bread Book, by Edward Espe Brown.

...there are no mistakes. You might do it

differently next time, but that's because

you did it this way this time.

Perfect, even if you say

too much this too little that.

~Edward Espe Brown, written when he was a young Zen student.

3 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped dates, figs, or prunes

1/2 cup broken nut meats

Beat the eggs until light, then gradually blend in brown sugar. Sift together the dry ingredients. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add the fruit and nut meats.

Pour into a greased and floured 9" x 13" pan and bake about 25 minutes at 325°.

Oriental Spice Muffins

2009-09-19T07:00:00.006-06:00

This recipe is from The Tassajara Bread Book. Take the time to make these delicious muffins for breakfast--you will be glad you did, and your kitchen will smell wonderful.

"As the Shakers said, work is a gift to the person doing the work..." ~Edward Espe Brown, author of The Tassajara Bread Book.

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cardamom

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ginger

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup oil

1/4 - 1/2 cup honey or molasses

1 - 1/2 cups milk

Combine the dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients. Fold quickly wet and dry together, just until the flour is moistened.* Spoon into a greased muffin tin.

Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.

*Lately I've been folding in a couple of cups of raisin bran cereal before spooning the batter into the tin.

Whole Wheat Muffins

2009-09-18T07:00:00.007-06:00

These are quite light and moist--kind of surprising, considering they are made with whole wheat flour. The recipe comes from The Tassajara Bread Book. My copy was published in 1970, and I was surprised to find that it is still in print. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential cookbooks ever" (click that link to read the article). I just know that my old copy looks well-used and well-loved.

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup oil

1/4 - 1/2 cup honey or molasses

1 - 1/2 cups milk

Combine the dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients. Fold quickly wet and dry together, just until the flour is moistened. Spoon into a greased muffin tin.

Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.

Pumpkin Turkey Chili

2009-09-17T09:48:00.006-06:00

The season arrives with "the chill", the sound of rustling leaves, an instinct to hurry up and tuck in, and that "autumn smell". Gosh, I love the fall! Pumpkin season. Of course you can buy canned pumpkin year-round, but there's something really great about eating it right when the fall shows up. This recipe may sound somewhat bizarre, but it's pretty delicious. Hearty. It comes from allrecipes.com.

--1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
--1 cup chopped Onion
--1/2 cup chopped Green Bell Pepper
--1/2 cup chopped Yellow Bell Pepper
--1 clove Garlic, minced
--1 lb Ground Turkey
--1 (14.5 oz) can Diced Tomatoes
--2 cups Pumpkin Puree
--1 and 1/2 tbsp Chili Powder
--1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper
--1 dash Salt

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve on top of Corn Bread, topped with Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Sour Cream.

Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

2009-09-17T07:00:00.006-06:00

This is a nice project to do with a little kid, provided you have other things to do while the dough is chilling. It makes a very impressive and snazzy cookie and Ben remembers, after all these years, making them with me when he was little.

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg yolk

1 tbl. milk

1 - 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 tbl. milk

Hot milk as needed

Directions:

Cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla; add egg yolk and the 1 tbl. milk. Sift together the dry ingredients; stir into the creamed mixture.

Divide dough in half. To one part, add the melted chocolate and 1 tbl. milk; mix.

Chill both doughs, covered, for 1 - 1/2 hours.

On waxed paper, roll each half of the dough into a 10" x 12" rectangle. Brush the chocolate layer with hot milk; place the plain layer atop so its far edge extends beyond the chocolate edge. Roll as for jelly roll, starting with the long side.

Wrap rolled dough in waxed paper and chill thoroughly. Slice thin.

Bake on greased cookie sheets at 375° for 8 to 10 minutes.

Makes 4 to 6 dozen cookies.

Oatmeal Rolls

2009-09-16T07:00:00.004-06:00

I love making rolls. They are easy to freeze for the two of us; we just take out what we need and warm them in the microwave. When I found this recipe in my old Blue Ribbon Recipe cookbook I knew I had to add it to my collection of favorites.

2 - 1/4 cups scalded milk

2 cups quick cooking oatmeal

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed well

1 tbl. salt

2 tbl. soft shortening

1 pkg. dry yeast (1 tbl)

1/4 cup warm water

1 egg, beaten

4 - 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Pour milk over oatmeal, brown sugar, salt, and shortening in a large bowl. Pour the yeast into the warm water. When the milk mixture is lukewarm, add the dissolved yeast and the beaten egg. Mix in flour.

Turn out onto lightly floured board, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Knead until smooth.

Place in a well-greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let rise until double. Punch down, shape into rolls. Place in well-greased muffin tins or on a cookie sheet, cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled.

Bake at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Date Squares

2009-09-15T07:00:00.004-06:00

This recipe, from SouthernCooking.com, is just like my mom's (previously mentioned here).

Filling:

16 oz. chopped dates

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Oat mixture:

1 - 1/2 cups flour

1 - 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Pinch of salt

Combine the filling ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until thick. Remove from fire and cool.

Mix the flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, baking soda, and salt. Press about half of this mixture in a well-buttered 9" x 13" pan. Spread with the cooled filling and cover with the remaining oats mixture. Press down lightly with hands.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Insects in Food

2009-09-14T07:00:00.009-06:00

Okay, it's true confession time: My mother used to make date squares and we kids just loved them. My Uncle David also loved them and I loved my uncle, so I decided one day when I was around 13 to make a batch just for him. I had the filling made and was just adding the oatmeal to the sugar and butter mixture, when I discovered that the oatmeal contained little green worms. [You might want to stop reading now]. It was the only package of oatmeal that I had, so I just picked out the worms that I could see, kind of squinted my eyes a bit, and went right ahead with the recipe. Everyone loved those date squares, and I never told anyone that they contained some random bits of extra protein.

To help with my ongoing guilt, I've done a bit of research to determine the insect content of the foods that we eat. Think about it--bugs and their eggs are surely harvested right along with grains in the field, and I'll bet you've never seen a farmer sitting and picking them out before the grain is ground into flour.

Don't believe me? Here is some information, somewhat gleefully presented by a bug guy from the North Carolina State University Dept. of Entomology:

Insects in Food

How many insects did you have for breakfast this morning? The answer may surprise you! Despite advances in pest control technology, it is still not possible to exclude all insects from our food supply. Most agricultural products are already contaminated with insects (or insect products) when they are harvested, and still more gain access during storage.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has adopted Grade Standards designed to protect American consumers from inferior agricultural products. The standards set legal limits for spoilage or contamination due to insects and other agents. The highest grade is "U.S. No. 1".

In order to qualify as U.S. No. 1 Grade, the commodities listed below cannot exceed the following limits of contamination:

Ketchup -- 30 fruit fly eggs per 100 grams
Canned corn -- 2 insect larvae per 100 grams
Blueberries -- 2 maggots per 100 berries
Peanut butter -- 50 insect fragments per 100 grams
Curry powder -- 100 insect fragments per 100 grams
Wheat -- 1% of grains infested
Sesame seed -- 5% of seeds infested
Coffee -- 10% of beans infested

Have some more ketchup with your fries!

Check out the article itself at http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent425/text18/food.html. I think I'll wait until tomorrow to give you that Date Square recipe. You've got a lot on your plate.

You need some time to digest this stuff. ;)

Dried Cranberry Biscotti

2009-09-13T07:00:00.004-06:00

I used to make these with a little melted white chocolate drizzled across the top. This version comes from The Heart of New England.

2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter at room temp.
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; stir well to blend. With electric mixer beat sugar eggs, butter and extract. Add and mix in flour mixture. Mix in cranberries.

Divide dough in half. Using floured hands shape into 2 logs. Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool completely. Slice logs into 1/2 inch pieces with serrated knife and bake slices 10 minutes without parchment. Turn over and bake additional 5 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Hawaiian Bread

2009-09-12T07:00:00.005-06:00

This recipe comes from a delightful old cookbook in my collection, called Blue Ribbon Recipes; County Fair Winners (Favorite Recipes Press, 1968). It's a real treasure, because it is filled with the very best recipes of the best cooks.

One No. 2 - 1/2 can of crushed pineapple, undrained

One 10 oz. pkg. of flaked coconut

4 eggs, beaten

1 - 1/2 cups sugar

4 cups flour

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. soda

Combine all ingredients in the order given, with dry ingredients sifted together. Pour into 2 well-buttered loaf pans. Bake for 60 minutes at 325° or until done. Cool on rack.

Guacamole

2009-09-11T12:26:00.003-06:00

I used to hate avocados. They're truly an acquired taste for a young boy. Actually... if you sliced one up right now and put it in a salad, I'd most likely still hate it. Avocados and I have textural disagreements. However, when mashed up and made into a dip, I LOVE my brother, the avocado. When the avocados are fresh, nothing beats guacamole that's been made 5 minutes ago. That reminds me of a funny story... My old roommate Kiyash (God Bless that guy) tried to make guacamole once, but the avocados weren't in season. Was this going to stop Kiyash? Hell no! He was convinced that the solution to softening unripened avocados was popping them in the microwave! The rest of the story isn't very exciting. It just made for a bad dip, though Kiyash seemed blissful enough. What an innovator! Go, Kiyash!

I'm going to provide a rough outline of Guacamole, suggesting what I'd use. It's one of those recipes that you should find your own innovations and measurements for. Hopefully, not trying to ripen your avocados in the microwave.

--A couple Avocados
--Red Onion, minced
--Tomato, seeds and pulp removed, diced
--Jalapeno or Serrano Pepper, minced fine
--Olive Oil
--Garlic, minced fine
--Fresh Cilantro, chopped fine
--Fresh-Squeezed Lime Juice
--Kosher Salt
--Fresh-Ground Black Pepper

Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel and put in a mixing bowl. Mash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients to whatever measurements you desire. Just remember that the avocado is the star of the guacamole show. Mash together and serve immediately.

NOTE 1: If you're not going to serve immediately (why!?), keep the tomatoes separate and cover the guacamole with plastic wrap (or it will turn brown like an exposed banana). Store in the fridge. Mix tomatoes in right before you serve.

NOTE 2: Readers of this blog may notice that this is the recipe for Pico de Gallo mashed in with a couple of avocados.

Chilled Blueberry Lavender Buttermilk Soup

2009-09-11T07:00:00.005-06:00

I've had this recipe for years. I cut it out from a long ago newspaper article on "Cooking in the Shaker Spirit." It's been tucked into a book on Shaker cooking, just waiting. I dedicate it to my sister, who will make it for a summer supper for us, to be served on a patio overlooking the sage bushes, piñon trees, and the distant blue mountains--a perfect blending of New Mexico scenery and New Hampshire memories.

4 pints blueberries

2 cups maple syrup

Juice of one lemon

6 to 8 lavender sprigs

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups light cream

Pick through and wash the blueberries. In a soup pot combine the berries, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Chill.

Soak the lavender sprigs in the buttermilk and cream for 45 to 60 minutes, then strain. Combine the chilled soup with the perfumed cream and buttermilk mixture. Chill the soup for 4 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Serve in chilled bowls garnished with blueberry lavender ice cubes.*

*Ice cubes: fill a conventional ice cube tray with lavender blossoms and blueberry juice, then freeze.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2009-09-10T07:00:00.004-06:00

This is the kind of pie you bake when you have a garden, and that is exactly what the Shaker women did at their village in Canterbury, New Hampshire. This recipe comes from Seasoned with Grace; My Generation of Shaker Cooking, by Eldress Bertha Lindsay.

1 generous cup of rhubarb, cut up

1 generous cup of strawberries, sliced

A pinch of salt

1 cup sugar

2 generous tbl. cornstarch or tapioca

Butter

Unbaked pie shell (additional crust for top is optional)

Mix rhubarb, berries, and salt. Mix sugar and cornstarch together and add to berries. Put in pie shell. Dot with butter.

Bake at 400° for 10 minutes, than continue baking at 375° for another 45 minutes or until done.

Shaker Village at Canterbury, NH

Pico de Gallo

2009-09-09T12:11:00.005-06:00

Pico de Gallo is really just a fancy term for a fresh tomato salsa. Most recipes are pretty similar. Therefore, I'll just skip measurements all together and you can play around and do what you want, adding and subtracting as you'd like. It's more fun that way anyhow, right? So bust out the corn chips and figure out your best version this football season!

--Tomatoes, seeded and diced
--Red Onion, finely chopped
--Jalapeno or Serrano Pepper, finely chopped
--Garlic, minced
--Cilantro, chopped fine
--Olive Oil
--Fresh Lime Juice
--Kosher Salt
--Fresh-Ground Black Pepper

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients. Let them all sit together and marinate before eating.

Oyster Stuffing

2009-09-09T07:00:00.004-06:00

I am such a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving that I never want to fool around with the menu. I like Sausage Cornbread Stuffing for the turkey, but if I ever chose to experiment I might try this recipe from Seasoned with Grace; My Generation of Shaker Cooking, by Eldress Bertha Lindsay. Making it would remind me of the lovely Canterbury Shaker Village in New Hampshire that we visited when the kids were little.

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 cups bread crumbs, soft

1 pint oysters, chopped

2 - 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Pour milk and butter over crumbs. Add oysters and seasonings. Spoon the stuffing into the turkey and roast.

Shaker Village, Canterbury, NH

Jenn's Sugar and Cinnamon Cookies

2009-09-08T08:25:00.005-06:00

My coworker Jenn emailed me another of her cookie recipes. I'm a fan of using cream cheese in anything, so this intrigues me. Once, I wrote a 5 page essay on my appreciation of cheese. In it, I marveled at the many wonderful varieties of cheese from around the world, but the inspiration to begin can be traced to the bagel with cream cheese in my mouth. Other inspirations for writing a 5-page essay on cheese: I hated my job and didn't have enough work to do.

--1 cup Unsalted Butter (2 sticks)
-- 8 oz Cream Cheese
--2 ½ cups Flour
--2 tsp Cinnamon, plus some
--1 tbsp Vanilla
--½ tsp Salt (use only if you're using unsalted butter)
--2/3 cup Sugar, plus some

Mix butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Add in flour, cinnamon and salt. Add vanilla. Knead dough together and refrigerate for about an hour or so (Jenn recommends dividing the dough into two balls because it will cool quicker). Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll dough out to about quarter inch thick and spread addition sugar and cinnamon on top. Roll up into a log, then refrigerate for another hour. Cut into 1/4-inch thick cookies and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Jenn's Variation: Lemon Sugar Cookies! Instead of vanilla, use lemon extract. Instead of cinnamon, use lemon zest.

Brown Derby Potato Salad

2009-09-08T07:00:00.005-06:00

The original Brown Derby Restaurant was opened in Los Angeles on Wilshire Blvd. in 1926. It was known for its distinctive brown hat shape, its good food, and because it was a place frequented by the Hollywood stars of the time. Three other L.A. branches were opened in 1929, 1931, and 1940--the latter, Los Feliz Brown Derby, is still in operation. The organization began a licensing program in 1987 with Disney and later with MGM. (Wikipedia).

My father's cousin was involved in the movie business and must have taken my parents to the original Brown Derby, as they always treasured memories of the place and enjoyed cooking from their copy of The Brown Derby Cookbook (Doubleday, 1949), which was passed down to me.

We kids loved this recipe, even though we might not have known its background. The bacon added just the right flavor and whenever my mother was making potato salad, this is the recipe we hoped she would use. She wrote little notes into the list of ingredients, and I have included those in brackets.

Serves 4.

3 large Idaho russet potatoes

2 tbs. chives [or green onions]

4 slices crisp bacon, chopped fine

1/2 cup hot chicken broth [one half cube bouillon, dissolved in 1/2 cup water]

1 tsp. celery salt

1/2 cup Brown Derby Mayonnaise [my note: See recipe below, or substitute Hellman's or Best Foods, depending on where you live]

1/3 cup Brown Derby Old-Fashioned French Dressing [use Girard's]

2 tbl. wine vinagar

1 tbl. parsley, chopped fine

Boil the potatoes until well done. While still slightly warm, slice into a medium-sized salad bowl. Add chives, bacon, chicken broth, celery salt, mayonnaise, French dressing, wine vinegar, and parsley. Mix well, allow to stand for an hour, and serve.

Brown Derby Mayonnaise

Makes one quart

6 egg yolks

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. English mustard

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

4 tbl. mild vinegar

3 cups salad oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbl. boiling water

Beat egg yolks with electric beater or French whip. Add salt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tbl. vinegar. Mix well.

Add oil in fine stream, whipping fast to absorb oil. Stop adding oil if it is not absorbed. As mixture becomes thick add remaining vinegar and lemon juice.

Continue whipping until all oil, vinegar, and lemon have been used. If mixed correctly all ingredients should be absorbed. Finally, whip in the boiling water.

Keep refrigerated. Do not freeze.

The Genuine Charcutier's Meatloaf

2009-09-07T11:03:00.005-06:00

According to Pork and Sons, a cookbook by Stéphane Reynaud (here's my intro to this cookbook), "the term charcuterie is used to describe both the branch of cooking devoted to cooked or processed meat products, primarily from pork, and a shop selling these products. A charcutier is the man or woman behind the counter, and they are a great source of information and advice on pork." I've never made the following recipe, but the page is already well worn. I'm preparing the card for my recipe box so that it will be ready for me when I can go visit my local charcutier... Porky Meatloaf, here we come!

--Sweet Butter, for greasing
--2 and 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour, plus a little more for dusting
--4 tbsp Olive Oil
--3 Shallots, chopped
--1 and 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
--4 Eggs, lightly beaten
--1/2 cup White Wine
--1 cup fresh Whole Milk
--1/2 cup coarsely chopped Smoked Bacon
--1/2 cup coarsely chopped Jambon de Paris or other Unsmoked Fully-Cooked Ham
--1/4 cup coarsely chopped spicy Spanish Chorizo Sausage (or Mexican Chorizo)
--1/2 cup coarsely chopped Prosciutto

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a loaf pan with butter and dust with flour, tipping out any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add the shallots, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the eggs, white wine, milk and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well, then stir in all the meat and the shallots. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.

At Last! New Mexico's Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail

2009-09-07T07:00:00.002-06:00

If you live in New Mexico, you have probably debated one of our big questions: Who has the best green chile cheeseburger in the state? If you don't live here, you will want to plan your next vacation around New Mexico.org's Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail--map and guide "coming soon."

You see, they can't make up the map until they've stopped adding newly nominated restaurants around the state. Here is the current list of nominees.

Just to get your taste buds in gear, here is the description of our state's favorite burger from the New Mexico.org website: A juicy thick patty grilled over an open flame or sizzled on a griddle, then blanketed in molten Cheddar or other cheese, and topped off with enough New Mexican green chile to tingle the tastebuds—what could be more glorious?

Don't forget to vote!

Huaraches

2009-09-06T10:58:00.006-06:00

A few years ago, I moved to Astoria, Queens. There, I discovered my new favorite "restaurant," though it was hardly "a restaurant". It was a catering truck, with "Azteca Pride" and "El Rey Del Taco" painted on it, parked on 30th Avenue outside the Rite Aid Drug Store. Marsha and I lovingly referred to it as "Taco Truck." Now, before you judge my views on food, let me note that in New York we take our street vendors seriously. Many carts proudly display food reviews from publications such as Zagat's and The New York Times. If you were to ask around about "The Taco Truck in Astoria," 1 out of 5 people in this town could probably give you directions. In fact, the truck is so popular that Jose, the owner, was able to earn the money to open a restaurant. It kinda makes me proud. This place has some of the of the best Mexican street fare. For example, the huarache (recipe from Sunset Magazine, via myrecipes.com, modified by ME)

Recipe makes 4 huaraches

Dough:
--2 cups Dehydrated Masa Flour (Corn Tortilla Flour)
--1 tsp Baking Powder
--1/4 tsp Salt
--1 and 3/4 cups Chicken Broth

Toppings:
--Refried Beans
--Some sort of Meat (I would recommend Chorizo (crumbled and pan-fried), or Chicken that has been marinated in Lime)
--Shredded Lettuce
--Sliced Tomatoes, or Pico de Gallo
--Crumbled Cotija Cheese (or Feta Cheese)
--Sour Cream
--Guacamole (optional)
--Hot Sauce (optional)
--Salt and Black Pepper

In a bowl, stir masa flour, baking powder, salt, and broth until dough holds together well, adding a little water if needed. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 6-inch-long log on a sheet of waxed paper. Pat each log into a 1/8-inch-thick oval, about 4 by 8 inches. (If shaped ahead, stack with waxed paper, wrap airtight, and refrigerate up to 2 hours.) Place a griddle on medium-high heat. When pan is hot, flip masa dough onto pan and peel off paper. Cook until bottom of masa is light brown, about 3 minutes. Use a wide spatula to turn huaraches over, then spread refried beans over each huarache. Cover beans with meat topping. Cook until huarache bottoms are lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to plates. Top huaraches equally with shredded lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper to taste. I recommend guacamole and hot sauce too!