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TheCommonCookbook

Narlin & Susan BeatyPhoenix, Maryland, USA

© 2010 by Charles PressAll rights reserved.

ISBN LCCN

Printed in the United States of America.

ii

PREFACE

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This is a project to document the food that we prepare at home and eat over the course of a year. The project com-mences with a table of contents – think menu – and pro-gresses to recipes and variations with comments. Also in-cluded is a list of the ingredients that are routinely in the pantry. Although one can plan meals and shop ahead for all of the ingredients, it is easier to just purchase the fresh meat, vegetable and dairy products and to keep available those items that have a longer shelf life.

About the recipes: They are not all originals. We aren’t pro-fessional cooks. Some are handed down from family. A few are original with us. Many are adapted from newspapers, magazines, and other cookbooks. When known, we at-tribute recipes to their source, even when the recipe has been changed, but in that event we try to say what the change was. There will be errors. We aren’t professional ed-itors either. One of the expected errors is that a recipe may call for baking or frying without giving a temperature. In that case, use 350˚F – for both baking and frying.

On a daily basis, cooking and eating at home, we make breakfast and supper nearly every day. However, there are many days in which we do not have lunch or a midday meal. Breakfast is frequently prepared for one person. That is, we each prepare breakfast for ourselves independently albeit si-multaneously. As a result, many of the breakfast recipes are sized for one portion. We believe that a large component of tasty food is the purchasing of healthy and environmentally safe ingredients. Another key to successful preparation is using the correct pots and pans. There is often a good rea-son for the selection of a particular cooking vessel. When it matters we will try to describe the vessel or technique needed to achieve the desired result. A consequence of the concept that technique matters is that recipes may not scale very easily. It is one thing to half or double the ingredients, but doing so will require altering the cooking vessel and may

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PREFACE

impact your ability to cook the food in the manner and time that is intended. These cooking techniques are a significant component of the final result. Two cooks starting with ex-actly the same ingredients and making exactly the same recipe can turn out two very different meals.

Recipes are available nearly everywhere and all the time. The internet has an endless number of them. Indeed there may be infinitely many chili recipes. As a cook, it is impor-tant to understand the essence of your final product. For ex-ample, we may give a mushroom soup recipe, but the recipe itself is not how to make mushroom soup. It is just one way amongst hundreds of ways. While we have not gone into the basics of “how to cook”, anyone who really wants to know will purchase a real cookbook as opposed to a book of recipes. Usually, one can judge the depth of a cookbook by whether or not it includes just a few simple recipes. Does it tell you how to make mayonnaise? Does it tell you how to make catsup? Is there a chapter on how to make bread? Does it explain the basics of canning and differentiate the canning of acidic and basic foods? Does it tell you how make pickles? Does it have a recipe for white sauce (béchamel sauce)? These are very basic to the production of healthy food for the home. It isn’t that we, as 2010 Americans, buy bad food. It is that the standard things that we may buy, mayonnaise, catsup, bread, canned tomatoes, ice cream, etc. may contain ingredients that are unhealthy and you can make those things, such that they are healthy and actually taste better. This book does contain recipes for some of the listed items, although it should not be considered as a substi-tute for a basic cook book. Our goal is just to include those recipes that we make. As an example, we don’t make our own catsup. However, when we purchase catsup it needs to contain sugar and not high fructose corn syrup or any other processed ingredient. Likewise, we try to avoid colorants and preservatives.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

The reason that everything isn’t included is because we don’t want to write that book. It has been done and it has been updated. This book is about what we eat, not about what you could do. There may be as much to be gained from the table of contents as there is from the actual content. Often the question of “What do you want for dinner?” comes up. I may not know, but if I look through this table of contents, something might strike my fancy. It is far more likely here than in some random cookbook and especially in those cook-books that try to have recipes for restaurant food. If you are looking for restaurant food, go to a restaurant. This book is about plain and simple food with good taste.Susan and I were born in 1950 and I suppose we have been eating ever since. I could wish that we put all of the wonder-ful foods into a single book, but it just isn’t possible. We have tried to sift through the thousands of recipes that we make and at least get the essence of the best ones into this volume.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Susan is grateful to her mother, Maxine Durham Hardcastle, the first cook she observed, and to her grandmother, Lena Neal Durham, who passed down to Maxine her cooking her-itage; “. . . though my mom says that when she got married the only thing she knew how to cook was rice.”

This is a personal cookbook and almost a food diary. Many friends from past and present have unknowingly donated recipes and ideas which have become recipes. If you are what you eat, then this says who we are and it says too who our friends are. We acknowledge their contribution even though they may remain unnamed within the text.

To some extent, the popular media of food culture must be thanked for keeping the idea of a personal book front and center. Of course, we must acknowledge the internet, which makes researching recipes easier than it has ever been. Yet the internet is very impersonal. Only other media authors can inspire and teach how to create a really good recipe by the scientific methods of experimentation. Without these inspirations and resources a project such as this would be easy to sidetrack.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

`PREFACE.................................................................................iiiACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.........................................................viiTABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................ixINTRODUCTION......................................................................1BREAKFAST.............................................................................7

Omelets..............................................................................7Recipe: Scrambled Eggs with Onions and Herbs...........7Recipe: Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms....................8

Wraps.................................................................................9Recipe: Flattened Egg in Tortilla....................................9Recipe: Potato and Egg Tortilla...................................10

Just Eggs...........................................................................10Recipe: Fried Eggs........................................................10Recipe: Poached Eggs..................................................11Recipe: Egg on Toast....................................................12Recipe: Boiled Eggs......................................................12

French Styles....................................................................14Recipe: French Toast (see Pain Perdue).......................14Recipe: Pain Perdue (I)................................................14Recipe: Pain Perdue (II)...............................................14Recipe: Crepes for One................................................15

Huevos Rancheros...........................................................16Recipe: Narlin’s Huevos Rancheros.............................16Recipe: Traditional Huevos Rancheros........................17Recipe: Just Salsa.........................................................17Recipe: Pico de Gallo...................................................18Recipe: Egg Tortilla with Sofrito..................................18Recipe: Sofrito.............................................................19

Pancakes..........................................................................20Recipe: Pancakes for One............................................20Recipe: Multigrain Pancakes.......................................21

Hot Cereals.......................................................................22Recipe: Oatmeal with Dates & Walnuts......................22Recipe: Cream of Wheat..............................................22

American Classics............................................................23Recipe: Biscuits............................................................23Recipe: Breakfast Potatoes.........................................25Recipe: Hash Browns...................................................26Recipe: Toast with Olive Oil........................................27Recipe: Bacon, Potato and Cheese..............................27

About Bacon....................................................................28ix

Recipe: Watermelon....................................................29Recipe: Smoothie.........................................................29Recipe: Peaches and Cream.........................................30Recipe: Elegant Peaches and Cream............................30

SOUP.....................................................................................33Recipe: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup........................33Recipe: Egg Drop Soup.................................................33Recipe: Split Pea Soup.................................................34Recipe: Chili (version I)................................................35Recipe: Gazpacho........................................................36Recipe: Pumpkin Soup.................................................37Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Soup......................................38Recipe: Cream of Broccoli Soup...................................39Recipe: Peanut Soup....................................................39Recipe: Potato Soup....................................................40Recipe: Mushroom Soup.............................................41Recipe: Senate Navy Bean Soup..................................42Recipe: Tortilla Soup....................................................43

SALAD...................................................................................45Recipe: Cobb Salad......................................................45Recipe: Susan’s Potato Salad.......................................45Recipe: Picnic Potato Salad.........................................46Recipe: Crunchy Coleslaw............................................47Recipe: Carrot and Raisin Salad...................................47Recipe: Mozzarella and Tomato Salad........................48Recipe: Tuna Salad.......................................................48Recipe: Chicken Salad..................................................49Recipe: California Chicken Salad (Rice/Pea Salad)......49Recipe: Watergate Salad.............................................50Recipe: Waldorf Salad.................................................50Recipe: Fall Fruit Salad................................................50

BREADS.................................................................................53Bread Pans.......................................................................53About Flour Measurements and Ingredients by Weight 54About Flour......................................................................56

White Whole Wheat Flour..........................................56Unbleached Bread Flour..............................................56

How We Make Bread.......................................................57Recipe: Pizza................................................................59Recipe: Basic Whole Wheat Bread I............................60Recipe: Basic Whole Wheat Bread II...........................61Recipe: White Bread....................................................63

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CHAPTER TABLE OF CONTENTS

Recipe: 100% Whole Wheat Bread..............................64Recipe: Raisin Bread....................................................66Recipe: Basic Whole Wheat Rolls................................66Recipe: Pita Bread.......................................................67Recipe: Soft Pretzels....................................................68Recipe: Sticky Buns......................................................69Recipe: Dumplings.......................................................72Recipe: Cornbread I.....................................................73Recipe: Corn Bread II...................................................74

COW.....................................................................................75Recipe: Brisket.............................................................75Recipe: Corned Beef and Cabbage..............................76Recipe: Roast, Chuck...................................................77Recipe: Beef Stroganoff...............................................77Recipe: Ground Meat Gravy........................................78Recipe: Beef Stew........................................................80Recipe: Beef with Broccoli (stir fry Chinese)................81Recipe: Grilled Rib Eye Steak.......................................82Recipe: Stuffed Bell Pepper.........................................83Recipe: Eggplant, Ground Meat, and Bread Crumbs...83Recipe: Ground Beef and Macaroni............................84Recipe: Meatloaf.........................................................85Recipe: Moussaka........................................................85Recipe: Chili II..............................................................87Recipe: Frito Pie...........................................................88Recipe: Cabbage Rolls..................................................88Recipe: Salisbury Steak................................................89Recipe: Philly Cheese Steak.........................................91

PIG........................................................................................93Recipe: Maple Cranberry Pork Medallions.................93Recipe: Pork Tenderloin and Maple Glaze..................94Recipe: Pork BBQ.........................................................95Recipe: Sausage, Links.................................................96Recipe: Sausage Skillet Supper....................................96Recipe: Pan Fried Pork Chops......................................97Recipe: Pork Gravy......................................................98Recipe: Sweet and Sour Pork......................................99Recipe: Quiche Lorraine............................................100Recipe: Spinach Quiche.............................................101Recipe: Spaghetti Sauce.............................................102Recipe: Skillet Pork and Cabbage..............................103

CHICKEN.............................................................................105

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Brining............................................................................105Recipe: Grilled Chicken..............................................106Recipe: Saltimbocca Gruyére.....................................107Recipe: Deviled Drumsticks.......................................109Recipe: Chicken Fingers.............................................110Recipe: Chicken Marsala............................................111Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie.............................................112Recipe: Chicken Tacos................................................113Recipe: Enchiladas, Chicken or Beef..........................115Recipe: Smothered Chicken.......................................118Recipe: Oven Roasted Chicken..................................119Recipe: Chicken Florentine........................................119Recipe: King Ranch Chicken.......................................121

SEAFOOD............................................................................123Recipe: Shrimp Cocktail.............................................123Recipe: Shrimp Gumbo..............................................124Recipe: Shrimp Stock [use for cooking Gumbo].........126Recipe: Creole Seasoning Blend................................127Recipe: Shrimp Scampi..............................................127Recipe: Salmon Croquettes.......................................128Recipe: Broiled Salmon Steaks..................................128Recipe: Fried Catfish..................................................129Recipe: Fish with Macadamia Butter Sauce..............130Recipe: Egg Rolls........................................................132Recipe: Tuna Melt......................................................133Recipe: Fried Oysters.................................................134Recipe: Sautéed Scallops...........................................136

SAUCES, APPETIZERS AND PARTY FOOD.............................137Recipe: Babaganouj dip.............................................137Recipe: Deviled Eggs..................................................138Recipe: Blender Mayonnaise.....................................138Recipe: Basic White Sauce.........................................141Recipe: Bechamel Sauce............................................141Recipe: Alfredo Sauce................................................142Recipe: Caviar Dip......................................................142Recipe: Fondue Meat Balls........................................143Recipe: Salsa..............................................................144Recipe: Pico de Gallo.................................................144

VEGETABLES AND SIDES.....................................................145Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan.......................................145Recipe: Acorn Squash................................................146Recipe: Asparagus......................................................147

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Recipe: Black-eyed Peas............................................147Recipe: Broccoli.........................................................148Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower......................................148Recipe: Boston Baked Beans.....................................149Recipe: Lima Beans....................................................150Recipe: Corn on the Cob............................................151Recipe: Wyatt’s Baked Eggplant................................151Recipe: Summer Squash Casserole............................152Recipe: Butternut Squash Casserole.........................153Recipe: Maxine’s Smothered Squash........................154Recipe: Sautéed Spinach...........................................154Recipe: Spinach Casserole.........................................155Recipe: Sweet Potatoes, Vanilla Maple....................156Recipe: Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar...............156

About Potatoes..............................................................157Recipe: Baked Potatoes.............................................158Recipe: Mashed Potatoes..........................................160Recipe: Oven Fried Potatoes.....................................160Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes.......................................162Recipe: Fried Okra.....................................................163Recipe: Okra, Onion and Tomatoes...........................163Recipe: Rice................................................................164Recipe: Dirty Rice.......................................................164Recipe: Macaroni and Cheese...................................165Recipe: Pinto Beans...................................................166Recipe: Refried Beans................................................166Recipe: Popcorn.........................................................167Recipe: How to Pickle Beets......................................169Recipe: Beet Greens..................................................170

PASTA.................................................................................173Recipe: Homemade Pasta..........................................173Recipe: Pesto.............................................................176

HOLIDAY MEALS.................................................................179Recipe: Roasted Turkey.............................................180Recipe: Christmas Goose...........................................182

About Ham.....................................................................183Recipe: Glazed Ham...................................................184Recipe: Cornbread Dressing......................................185Recipe: Giblet Gravy..................................................187Recipe: Cranberry Sauce - Simple..............................188Recipe: Pineapple Orange Cranberry Salad..............188Recipe: Holiday Sweet Potatoes................................189

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Recipe: Holiday Cranberry Squash............................190Recipe: Tsimmes........................................................191Recipe: Sausage Cheese Balls....................................191Recipe: Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball Spread..............192Recipe: Spinach Dip...................................................193Recipe: Chicken Liver Pâté.........................................193

SWEETS AND DESERTS........................................................195Recipe: Pie Crust........................................................195Recipe: Pecan Pie Filling for an 8” pie pan................195Recipe: Pumpkin Pie..................................................196Recipe: Pumpkin Seeds..............................................197Recipe: Apple Crumb Pie...........................................198Recipe: Blackberry Cobbler.......................................199Recipe: Pie Crust Cookies..........................................200Recipe: Gingersnaps..................................................200Recipe: Oatmeal Cookies...........................................201Recipe: Grandma’s Ice Cream....................................202Recipe: Chocolate Covered Caramels........................204Recipe: Date Roll.......................................................205Recipe: Rice Pudding Tarts........................................206Recipe: Banana Pudding............................................207Recipe: Pecan Pie Bars...............................................208Recipe: Lemon Bars...................................................209Recipe: Carrot Cake...................................................209

DRINKS................................................................................213Recipe: Coffee............................................................213Recipe: Manhattan....................................................214Recipe: Kir..................................................................214Recipe: Lemonade.....................................................214Recipe: Iced Tea.........................................................215Recipe: Apple Cider Plus (hot cider)..........................216Recipe: Spiced Tea.....................................................216Recipe: Spiced Tea, Variation Number 1...................217Recipe: Instant Spiced Tea.........................................218

FOOD PRESERVATION.........................................................219Preparation of Food for Freezing..............................219Introduction to Home Canning..................................221Drying Food and Herbs..............................................223

APPENDIX I STAPLES...........................................................225APPENDIX II TOYS...............................................................235INDEX..................................................................................244

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xv

1INTRODUCTION

This book is being compiled for family and friends. We de-fine our lives by our actions and there is no less fundamental action than eating. In some respects, this book is theme ori-ented. These are the foods and preparation methods that we use and are the best that we are able to achieve. Inter-estingly, we eat at restaurants many times per year. From what I hear, that may be substantially less than many con-temporaries. Some of the restaurant food is excellent, but a lot of it isn’t. Indeed, with little exception, the restaurants that we frequent are unimaginative, making no more than about three dozen recipes.

We don’t eat at fast food restaurants. Fast food consists of hamburgers, chicken, processed fish, fried potatoes and fried onions, and a few other items made from ground beef or chicken, such as tacos. It persists, despite very negative press, because many people think that it tastes good and be-cause it is inexpensive. There is currently no cheaper way to pack in calories than with fast food hamburgers and fries. Cheap, that is, provided you don’t drink their liquids. Fast food and processed food use preservatives, food additives, hormones and steroids (meat), hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. Judiciously employed, I can’t fault any of these ingredients, yet you won’t find them in this cook book and many people think they are injurious to health. I actually don’t have a hamburger recipe in the book. My preference for taste is the one that comes from Burger King – a fast food restaurant. They call it flame broiled and make it by putting the meat onto a steel conveyor chain and letting it go slowly over a gas flame. I am made to understand that the unique flavor is caused by the pyrolysis of meat juices which effectively infuse the meat with smoke. Since I

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haven’t been able to reproduce it, I have omitted making a hamburger with ground meat. Please note however, that our whole wheat rolls are excellent hamburger buns.

Some of the recipes contained here require hours of prepa-ration. Hardly ever does that translate into hours of our la-bor. Foods may have to marinate, incubate, chill or simmer and none of that is labor intensive. It might, however, re-quire that we be around to do minor things every so often. Since for most of our lives we have worked outside the home, and continue to this day to work away from home fre-quently, it is necessary to plan some of the cooking to avoid the need for close attention or else prepare certain recipes at times when we will be around. Holiday menus are labor intensive and may even require multiple day preparation. Partly that is because we make so many different dishes. At non-Holiday dinners, we would normally only have two or three items.

Usually, we don’t cook for sport nor consider cooking to be a hobby. Food preparation is merely done to provide enjoy-able sustenance. When shopping, we avoid the middle of the grocery store where mostly prepared food is sold. Try to purchase meat, dairy and vegetables, which largely need preparation to be enjoyed. Why buy fish sticks when you could buy fresh fish and make your own. In general, frozen pizzas are horrible. For a similar price you can make a better and larger pizza that is truly delicious. Why purchase a pre-made pie crust. You can make one for pennies in less time than it takes to walk across the grocery store. Indeed, most of the processed food purchases made by Americans today are more expensive and not as tasty and not as good for them as it would be if they just purchased ingredients and made things for themselves. Why? It probably isn’t cost. I have few friends who have more money than they need. It could be a lack of knowledge, although most people have in-ternet access and nearly every question you might imagine can be answered while sitting in an easy chair. It is probably convenience. Processed food comes with instructions! For example, processed biscuits come in a box as a powder (the dry ingredients) and the box has instructions to add milk, mix, roll, and bake. In order to make biscuits for breakfast,

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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

you don’t have to drag out a cookbook if you have a box with the directions on them. Flour, a staple ingredient, doesn’t come with directions for how to make biscuits.

Shopping is an issue. When do you find the time to acquire ingredients? We use 2 to 3 hours, once every week or two just to acquire fresh foods. Since many of the best foods must be obtained from farmer’s markets, or directly from very small farm stores, the trips must coincide with their hours of operation. In the summer and fall, when there are far too many activities to think about food, it is necessary to purchase in moderate to large quantity and then preserve and store the food. Also, in the fall, fresh fruits and vegeta-bles are most plentiful. We try to plan at least one or two days to process foods so that they are available for several months. The processing might involve drying, or parboiling and freezing, or canning.

I recommend that you decide what you want before making a food acquisition excursion. Susan doesn’t always agree. Her philosophy is more along the lines of “Let’s see what is available and fresh and then shape the menus around the best ingredients.” That’s nice, but it takes longer and re-quires more knowledge about which ancillary ingredients are needed for the named entrees. For example, if the market has fresh caught catfish, then that would be the time to buy catfish. We try to keep on hand the long shelf life items that would be needed to prepare the fish, such as cornmeal, flour, salt, and oil. In the back of the book there is a glossary of ingredients that we keep in the pantry along with an ex-planation of each.

I should say something about dieting and by that I mean eat-ing to lose weight. There are no calorie counts for these recipes. We do not cook to make food low in calories or for that matter high in calories. We prepare tasty and hopefully healthy food. If you eat too much of it, then you will gain weight. Your mind cannot be tricked into having fewer calo-ries. If you know that there is really tasty food available, then you may crave it and you may eat it. Exercise will allow you to eat more calories before weight gain occurs, but even that has limits. The only thing that I have ever seen to con-

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trol weight, except for illness including depression, is willpower. Do not eat until you are full and expect to main-tain your waistline. Always move away from the food when-ever you would still like to have some more. Only if you are hungry at the end of each meal will you be successful at los-ing weight.

Breakfast has its own chapter because with few exceptions, those recipes are only prepared at that time of day. Nearly all of the recipes can be made in less than fifteen minutes and many in less than five minutes. If you feel that there isn’t fifteen minutes available in the morning to make your breakfast that sounds like a personal problem that you might want to address. Incidentally, the time to make breakfast in-cludes the time to get out dishes and ingredients and to wash and put them away afterwards. When you are new at something, it often takes a lot more time than it will once you are practiced. But most of us eat every day. So there is a lot of time to practice.

Very few salads are included. We like salads, but rarely make anything other than lettuce and tomato with some kind of dressing – the garden salad. Grocery store tomatoes don’t taste good. I prefer ice berg lettuce and Susan practi-cally won’t eat it, preferring all of the other varieties. To me, a wedge of ice berg lettuce with a creamy dressing and maybe a cherry tomato on the side is an excellent appetizer. We don’t put recipes for that. You can think it up for your-self. We do, however, include a Cobb salad which is really an entrée item as well as our favorite potato salad. There are essentially three potato salad varieties. They are picnic potato salad without eggs, American potato salad with eggs, and hot German potato salad.

Bread is the sustenance of life. Make it once a week. Does it take all day? No. It can be done in three hours, or if you want to hurry it up, it can be stretched out to over two nights, taking less than 30 minutes of your time. If you have

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CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

too much bread, feed the stale remains to the birds, or if you are in need of dried breadcrumbs, dry the stale remains in the oven, then pop them into the food processor to make bread crumbs. These can be stored in an air tight jar for a very long time. It is a sin to throw away stale bread, even if it has mold on it. Birds are always hungry.

Soups are very good in the winter. Learn to make soup. Do not buy canned soup. Creamy soups, such as “cream of any-thing”, are made with chicken broth, white sauce or cream, and sautéed anything. Although we give some recipes, cream of anything soup can be devised once the anything is available. Thinner soups, such as egg drop are far more difficult to make well and there viscosity encourages rapid consumption. There are a few special soups, for which we give recipes. Chile is traditional and we actually have two recipes, Chili I and Chili II because we don’t agree on the best way to make it. Consume has no recipe. If you want it, just toss two bouillon cubes into a cup of water and microwave it for three minutes. We don’t have a recipe for Matzo ball soup. That doesn’t mean we don’t like it or haven’t made it. It just means that it isn’t a favorite for inclusion. We cer-tainly have a dumpling recipe and Matzo ball soup is just Jewish chicken and dumplings.

Candy is fun to make and a real challenge for the home cook. Sometimes, chemistry happens in candy making. To be sure, physical chemistry is occurring. When you make a caramel, the white sugar transforms itself into tiny pebbles, like Styro-foam, before dissolving into golden brown caramel. Some candy that would seem difficult is really easy. Redhots, the cinnamon hard candy, can be made by just bringing the in-gredients to 300˚F (6 cups sugar, 2 cups light Karo, 1/2 oz. cinnamon oil, 1 cup water and red food color), and pouring onto a greased surface to cool. After if hardens, it can be broken in semi-bite sized pieces. Fudge, divinity, peanut brittle and taffy are all easy to find and fun to make. I don’t

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give very many recipes for candy. You can find more than enough on the internet or in a standard cook book. Just be sure to find a recipe that calls out exact temperatures or use a conversion chart from the ‘cold water candy test’. Follow the directions exactly. Use a thermometer.

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2BREAKFAST

Breakfast is a big deal even if not much food is consumed proportional to the entire day. We often eat breakfast to-gether, but hardly ever have the same menu. I make my breakfast and Susan prepares here breakfast, more or less si-multaneously. Somehow, there are always enough skillets, stove burners, cutting boards, and counter tops to go around. Sometimes it is necessary to get out a recipe to pre-pare breakfast. I don’t try to remember the amounts of in-gredients for the variety of recipes that you see here. For years, I had a home grown restaurant menu that was used as a prompt to help me decide what I wanted for breakfast. It isn’t very different from sitting down at a restaurant, except that I am also the cook, the waiter and the cashier.

The “menu” for breakfast includes omelets, tortilla wraps, eggs, French styles, pancakes, potatoes, hot cereals, biscuits, bacon, and fruits.

Omelets

Recipe: Scrambled Eggs with Onions and Herbs

This recipe has a lot of onion in it. We have commented that the egg is just to hold the onion and herbs together. Don’t ignore the Rosemary. It is essential to the combination. From time to time, when preparing an omelet, I will, in addi-tion to the ingredients below, add at least 1 tbs of hot pep-per flakes – the type that are used on pizza. In conversations with quite a few friends and acquaintances, I have concluded that most people don’t appreciate the additional hot spice and thus it is omitted from the recipe. Don’t be concerned about how the final product appears. Personally, I even

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wonder if the classic fold over omelet tastes as good as one that is a little less neat.

1 Egg1 tbs Olive Oil½ onion – between 100 and 130 gm¼ tsp Rosemary1 tbs of each herb selected from one of the pairs below.

a. Thyme & Oreganob. Cumin & Turmericc. Basil & Mint (only use ½ tsp of mint)

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet2. Add the onion and sauté until they are beginning to

brown3. About 1 minute before the onions are done, add the

Rosemary and stir4. Beat the egg in a bowl with a fork and mix in a pair

of herbs chosen from a, b, or c.5. Add the egg mixture to the skillet and cook on

medium heat. It is a choice to cook as an omelet or as scrambled eggs.

6. Serve Hot.

Recipe: Scrambled Eggs with MushroomsScrambled eggs with mushrooms could be an omelet if it were folded over like an omelet. But this is an instance where shape matters. Scrambling, that is constantly moving the mixture around in the skillet, makes a difference to the way the ingredients cook. This recipe is made up by Susan. If I were going to make it, I would include 1 tbs of condensed milk which would make the eggs a lot softer (some would say mushier) and they would not cook up as firmly, although this particular recipe doesn’t result in a very firm product, possi-bly because Susan stops cooking it when it has the consis-tency she desires.1 olive oil 1/4 cup finely chopped mushrooms 2 tbs finely chopped fresh chives or yellow onion (if chives

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CHAPTER TWO BREAKFAST

are unavailable) 2 eggs, lightly beaten Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Salt to taste

1. Melt butter in a medium skillet. 2. If onions are used in place of chives, then sauté them

first for 2 minutes.3. Sauté mushrooms for 3 minutes then add chives and

cook for another minute, until fragrant. 4. Add eggs and black pepper. 5. Cook eggs over very low heat, stirring or not as you

please. 6. Salt to taste.

Wraps

Recipe: Flattened Egg in Tortilla1 serving

1 egg1 tortilla (7.5 inch diameter)Seasoning (pepper or your choice)

1. Heat barely enough oil to wet a 10 inch cast iron skillet and put on medium heat

2. Mix the egg with a fork in a small bowl and pour into the heated skillet.

3. Put a tortilla in the microwave oven and set the time to about 20 seconds (full power) but don’t start yet.

4. As soon as the egg can be turned over, turn it over and start the microwave with the tor-tilla.

5. When the oven stops, remove the egg from the skillet, place onto the tortilla, wrap and eat.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Recipe: Potato and Egg Tortilla

1 EggPotato, an amount raw and peeled that is twice the size of the egg by volume1 tortilla¼ tsp Rosemary

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet.2. Add finely chopped potato and stir fry until it is done

as evidenced by being sticky.3. Add Rosemary and cook until potato has begun to

brown.4. Add Salt and Pepper.5. Scramble the egg in a bowl with a fork and add it to

the potato. Mix it quickly and then cook it flat with no additional stirring.

6. Microwave the tortilla for 20 seconds on high7. Put the egg potato mixture in the tortilla, fold and

serve.

Just Eggs

Recipe: Fried EggsOne service is 2 eggs.

2 eggsBacon fat or canola oil or Olive oil if non-lacy eggs are de-sired

We have two ways of frying eggs and I’m not referring to sunny side up or over easy. For the most part, both ways are for sunny side up, there being little reason to flip the egg over except to demonstrate your skill, since the taste will be the same either way. When I say two ways, I am referring to the edges of the egg ‘lacy’, as in browned and crispy, or not.

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Either way, a goal is to keep the yellow liquid and to get the white firm.

Lacy eggs are achieved by making the bacon fat or canola oil very hot and then adding the two eggs. It may help to use the spatula and brush some of the hot oil onto the edges of the eggs.

Non-lacy eggs are achieved by lowering the temperature or using less fat. At the lower temperature, there is a balancing act to get the whites done without solidifying the yellow. In this case, it may help to brush some of the oil onto the white portions of the egg that have trouble getting done. Also, if you have the skill to flip (turn) the egg over without breaking the yellow, you can achieve getting the white portion done more quickly, thus preserving the liquid yellow.

Recipe: Poached Eggs2 eggs is a service for one.

We only make poached eggs with the use of a microwave and egg poacher. There are other ways, but this is the one we use. If you aren’t careful, you will end up with a boiled egg (hard yolk and white), which is handy to know if you want boiled eggs in a hurry. Use fresh eggs. Unlike boiled eggs, where there is a terrific advantage to an older egg, poached eggs benefit from the freshest laid eggs. In very fresh eggs, the albumin is more gel like and will hold to-gether and solidify before the yolk when heated.

Traditionally, poached eggs are made by very carefully slip-ping an egg, sans shell, into hot water (160˚F to 180˚F ex-actly). Using a spoon, try to coax the white to stay together and denature (turn white). Lift it out with a slotted spoon before the yolk cooks.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

1. Place one egg in each side of the poacher, and add ½ tsp of water to each.

2. Put into the microwave and heat on high for 15 sec-onds.

3. Wait 15 seconds (rest period), check the eggs, rotate ¼ turn and repeat until just right.

4. It usually takes four 15 second periods.

Recipe: Egg on Toast

1 slice Toast, buttered1 eggSpray Canola Oil

1. Fry the egg sunny side up at medium-low heat. Leave the yolk runny. Season to taste in the skillet.

2. Place the fried egg on top of the buttered toast.3. Serve hot.

Recipe: Boiled EggsWe hardly ever eat boiled eggs for breakfast, but there are times when boiled eggs are needed for some other dish, such as potato salad or tuna salad or Cobb salad. Boiling an egg is easy. Eight minutes in boiling water will do it. We

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don’t salt the water or add oil to it, or do anything other than bring it to a rolling boil.

Start with the egg in the cold water. Otherwise, when you drop it into the water it may break. Don’t start timing it until it reaches a rolling boil. You can boil an egg too long for some applications. If you see a green sulfur coating on the surface of the yolk, it has been boiled for too long. The coating isn’t bad for you, but it has a flavor that some people can detect and object to. After the time has elapsed, pour off the boiling water and add cold water to let the eggs cool. This cold water addition is important to stop the cooking. If you are in a hurry, replace the cold water often.

When the eggs are cool enough, carefully peel. There are two membranes right under the shell (they are so close to-gether that you may mistake them as one), which you must carefully puncture to easily remove the shell and membrane together without pock marking the albumin.

Older eggs peel easily after boiling. Fresher eggs are the problem. We have been getting eggs directly from a farm and perhaps within a few hours of their being laid. They are very difficult to peel. There are two solutions. First, just let the egg age in the refrigerator before using it. After one to two weeks the eggs will peel easily. Alternatively, if you must use the eggs now, and must have perfect albumin (e.g. deviled eggs), then you can add ¼ tsp of baking soda to the cold water before boiling. The down side is that the baking soda will impart a sulfurous taste to the egg which some people may notice. Whether that flavor is also available in older eggs, I don’t know. It might be.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

French Styles

Recipe: French Toast (see Pain Perdue)

Recipe: Pain Perdue (I)Service for One

1 egg1 tbs sugar1 tbs condensed milkCinnamon to taste2 slices bread (size ⅟2” x 3” x 4⅟2”)Canola Spay Oil

1. Mix the egg, sugar, milk, and cinnamon together with a fork in a bowl.

2. Spray a 10” skillet lightly and heat to medium heat.3. Put the bread on a plate and pour the egg mixture

onto the bread. Carefully, so as not to tear the bread, absorb all of the liquid into the bread assuring that both sides are soaked.

4. Cook the bread on both sides until golden brown in spots

5. Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top and a favorite syrup.(Traditional is Blue Ribbon Pure Cane Syrup. The closest stimulant syrup to that is molasses.)

Recipe: Pain Perdue (II)Service for One

1 egg1 tbs condensed milk 1 tbs waterCinnamon to taste

2 slices bread (size ⅟2” x 3” x 4⅟2”)Butter

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1. Mix the egg, milk, water and cinnamon together with a fork in a bowl.

2. Melt a pat of butter 10” skillet lightly and heat to medium heat.

3. Put the bread on a plate and pour the egg mixture onto the bread. Carefully, so as not to tear the bread, absorb all of the liquid into the bread assuring that both sides are soaked.

4. Cook the bread on both sides until golden brown in spots

5. Serve with a pat of butter on top, maple syrup and a sprinkling of cinnamon. You may also add a dusting of powdered sugar.

Recipe: Crepes for OneThe recipe below makes 2 or 3 crepes using only one egg. These are excellent folded in half with fruit preserves in the middle like a taco. My favorite is either apple or cherry pre-serves – at least this week. Peach is really good too, when available. There is no leavening ingredient and thus nothing to mess up.

1 egg2 tbs milk (I use evaporated milk)2 tbs water2 tbs flour (I use white whole wheat) Do not

use too much. Less is better.Olive Oil for cooking

1. Mix everything in a small bowl or large cup really well. I use a stick blender, but a hand held mixer or even a wire whisk would work. The result is a really thin batter. Note that there is no oil, salt, or leaven-ing ingredient in the recipe.

2. Heat a tiny amount of oil over medium low (4 out of 10) heat in an 8” cast iron skillet. Use just enough oil to wet out the skillet. None should pool at the edges and if it does, it should be wiped out with a paper

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

towel before use. Any excess oil will cause the crepes to curl at the edges and have a greasy edge.

3. Add less than about ¼ cup of the batter (roughly half) and cook until it is dry enough to turn – about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to turn it over and cook for an additional minute. Take up and place onto a plate. There should be enough batter to make 2 like this or three if used sparingly.

Huevos Rancheros

Recipe: Narlin’s Huevos RancherosMy Huevos Rancheros is anything but traditional. I include it because it is easy, tasty, and I have been making it for a very long time. In times past, I usually made the salsa as part of the dish, which increased the preparation time such that it was rarely a breakfast dish. Currently, I just buy prepared salsa and reduce the preparation time to a few minutes. I have included a separate salsa recipe for purists. Since we call for crushed tortilla chips, this is a perfect thing to do with the last parts of a large bag of chips.

2/3 cup Tortilla Chips – crushed½ cup Salsa1 eggSalt to tasteHot seasonings to taste

1. Put the crushed chips into a bowl. For whatever rea-son, I have always used a custard dish.

2. Heat the salsa either on the stove or in a microwave and put it on top of the chips.

3. Fry the egg, leaving the yolk runny and put it on top of the salsa.

4. Serve.

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Recipe: Traditional Huevos RancherosJust for clarification, I have to include the proper way to pre-pare Huevos Rancheros. It is after all a traditional Spanish and Latin American breakfast and the method previously presented does not approach the complexity of the real thing. Although this recipe used leftover black beans, you can use pinto beans or refried beans (think opening a can) instead.

1/2 tbs olive oil1 corn tortillas1 eggs3 tbs pre-cooked black beans ¼ cup salsa½ avocado1/2 cup cheddar cheese¼ cup cilantro (chopped)

1. Use the oil to cook the tortilla until is is just begin-ning to brown on both side, then remove it from the skillet.Fry the egg sunny side up, leaving the yolk liquid.

2. Assure that the avocado is removed from its skin and mashed.

3. Assure that the beans and salsa are hot.4. Grate the cheese.5. Place a tortilla on plate and top with the black

beans, salsa, avocado, cheese, and cilantro in that order.

Recipe: Just SalsaSalsa is what you want it to be! Did you know you could make habanero peach salsa? It might even be good, but it isn’t what I call salsa. If you want a fancy flare, go for it. This is the basics.

2 tbs canola oil2 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

2 medium onions, chopped1 or 2 Jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and chopped¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped3 cloves garlic, crushed3 tbs ground cumin1 to 2 tbs lime juice (juice from 1 lime)

1. In a heavy sauce pan, cook the onion until softened, then add the tomatoes and continue cooking until it comes apart.

2. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the lime juice and heat thoroughly.

3. Let it sit for as long as you can, or up to day to blend the flavors. (Unfortunately, this step may have to be omitted. I am always in a hurry.)

4. Add the lime juice, mix and serve with chips or use in other recipes.

Recipe: Pico de GalloI think of Pico de Gallo as uncooked salsa.

2 cups tomatoes, chopped1 clove garlic, crushed1 medium onion, chopped¼ cup chopped cilantro2 Jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and chopped1 to 2 tbs lime juice (juice from 1 lime)½ tbs olive oilSalt to taste

Put the ingredients together and stir briefly. Let it sit for about an hour. Serve with chips.

Recipe: Egg Tortilla with SofritoIf you don’t already have the prepared Sofrito, then the breakfast is not practical as it takes an hour to prepare the Sofrito and then clean up. Note that I don’t use any salt, but you might want some.

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1 egg1 corn tortilla3 tbs SofritoOil for frying tortillaFreshly ground black pepper

1. Fry/brown the tortilla in a little oil until it is slightly brown on both sides. Remove it to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

2. Fry the egg sunny side up. When done, put it on top of the tortilla on a serving plate and season with black pepper.

3. Immediately after taking up the egg, add 3 table-spoons of Sofrito to the skillet and stir until it is hot, about 30 seconds. Spoon it around the edge of the tortilla.

4. Serve hot.

Recipe: SofritoSofrito is a puree of tomatoes, peppers, parsley, cilantro, onions, and garlic. Eat it as chip dip, or put it onto a fried egg that is on a fried corn tortilla, or use it in a large number of Cuban and Caribbean dishes. You aren’t likely to have enough of everything at once from a home garden, but it is easy to get the ingredients from a farmer’s market. Don’t use dried herbs. Note that there is not any hot pepper in-cluded and that as prepared in the Caribbean it never has hot pepper. However, due to the garlic, it can be a little spicy.

2 red bell peppers1 green bell pepper2 large tomatoes2 medium onions30 cloves of garlic (thirty! Not an misprint)1 bunch of cilantro (leaves, omit heavy stems)1 bunch parsley

1. In a large food processor or blender, slowly work ev-erything in and puree.

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2. Package into a quart jar and a pint jar.3. Refrigerate. It should keep for about 4 weeks.

Pancakes

Recipe: Pancakes for OneMakes about 3 pancakes of 6” diameterThis can be mixed up in a large measuring cup. The propor-tions are not critical and everything can be estimated, pro-vided you know approximately the consistency for pancake batter. Use spray oil to grease the skillet. If you can’t or won’t use spray oil, then take a paper towel and wipe the bottom of the skillet after greasing it. Otherwise, the first pancake will be oily and should be discarded.

1/2 cup of all-purpose flour¼ tsp salt1 tbs sugar1 egg slightly beaten1 tbs melted butter (or Olive Oil)1/3 to ½ cup of milk (or evaporated milk)1 tsp baking powder

1. Add the flour salt, and sugar to the egg, butter and milk and stir to make a batter.

2. Add the baking powder and stir vigorously and until thoroughly mixed with no lumps.

3. Spray the skillet with canola oil very lightly (too much will burn the pancake – especially the 1st one) and heat over medium heat but don’t let it smoke. With each pancake that is cooked, reduce the heat a little more, and re-spray the skillet with oil.

4. Pour a 4” to 6” diameter pancake onto the skillet and decrease the temperature to just less than medium. Leave room in the skillet for pancake ex-pansion and still be able to get the spatula under it at the edge of the skillet.

5. Turn it over when the bubbles on the surface are uniform and the underside is brown. You will have

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to lift it up and peak at the underside to assure that it is not burned.

6. Once turned, cook for no more than 30 seconds on the second side.

7. Finish using all the batter, keeping the cooked ones warm in the oven until all are done.

8. Butter and serve. I like to use room temperature or almost melted butter.

Recipe: Multigrain PancakesSusan found this recipe as a knockoff of IHOP’s Grain N Nut Pancakes. It is her favorite.The recipe below makes eight pancakes.

¾ cup Quaker oats¾ cup whole wheat flour2 tsp baking soda1 tsp baking powder½ tsp salt1½ cups buttermilk¼ cup vegetable oil1 egg¼ cup sugar3 tbs chopped slivered almonds3 tbs finely chopped walnuts

1. Grind the oats in a blender (small food processor) until fine like flour.

2. Combine oat flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

3. In another bowl combine the buttermilk, oil, egg and sugar. Mix well.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing well.5. Put approximately 1/3 cup of batter onto a hot

barely greased skillet and cook for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until brown.

6. Serve with hot maple syrup and room temperature butter.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Hot Cereals

Recipe: Oatmeal with Dates & WalnutsIf you should want oatmeal without dates and walnuts, the recipe is very much the same. Just omit the dates and wal-nuts. To save calories, you might want to sweeten this with an artificial sweetener.1 serving

1 cup waterPinch of kosher salt½ cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)6 dates, choppedWalnuts, chopped, ≈ 2 tbs

1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil; add pinch of salt.2. Add the oats to the boiling water and reduce heat to

medium low.3. While oats boil, chop six dates and add them to the

boiling oatmeal.4. Boil oatmeal for 5 minutes total, or until water is ab-

sorbed.5. Chop walnuts and add to the cooked oatmeal.6. Serve in a bowl topped with milk, half & half, or

evaporated milk.

Recipe: Cream of WheatNarlin grew up eating a hot cereal called Malt-O-Meal. As it turns out, it is just a brand of cream of wheat, which is a brand of farina and malted wheat. Farina is made from the germ and endosperm of soft wheat, which is finely milled and then sifted. Malting is a process applied to wheat, in which the grains are soaked in water until they germinate and then quickly dried with hot air. Although now sold un-der other labels, as well as Malt-O-Meal, the cereal has al-ways been made exclusively at the Malt-O-Meal company. Whether cream of wheat (farina) or Malt-O-Meal (malted

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and farina wheat), the preparation is the same. The amount of sugar added in this recipe is unique. No one else who eats these cereals prepares it like this.

1¼ cups water⅛ tsp salt3 tbs cream of wheat¼ cup sugar (the unique ingredient)¼ cup condensed milk (topping)

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan.Add the salt and the cream of wheat.Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir until thick (1 to 3 min-utes).Add the sugar, mix.Top with condensed milk to taste and serve.

American Classics

Recipe: BiscuitsThis recipe is smaller than most and only makes about 6 to 7 small biscuits. Unless you want to be really big, you don’t need any more than that anyway. While biscuits are simple, there are several things that can go wrong and cause them to not rise correctly. First, make sure the milk is not hot. Why would it be hot? Once, I decided to use powdered but-termilk instead of canned or whole milk. The amount of powder called for seemed large compared to the amount of water I was supposed to add, so I used hot water to assure dissolution of the buttermilk powder. That part worked well. Most substances are more soluble in hot water. Now, let’s add some new information. To determine if your baking powder is good, you can add one teaspoon of it to a cup of hot water. If the baking powder is still viable, it will fizz a lot. So, when I added the hot buttermilk to mix up the biscuits, they fizzed and I lost all the leavening that should have come from the baking powder. Second, and this one is not so obvi-

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

ous, make the biscuits by hand one at a time. It is OK and even desirable to shape them. Try to make the top smooth but do not use a glass or cookie cutter if you want them to rise well. The goal is to keep the cracks and openings that could release gas to a minimum. You want the gas produced by the leavening to make the biscuit rise so you have to shape the biscuit so that it can’t escape. Using a cutter leaves a lot of openings around the edge of the biscuit. Third, place the biscuits close to each other in a pan or on a cookie sheet. I like to use a round cake pan. This has two effects. It forces the biscuits to rise up rather than spread out, and it helps to plug any openings around the edge of the biscuit and thus trap more gas. Fourth, Baking powder ac-tion begins as soon as the liquid is added, so add the liquid (milk) ingredient last. Mix them up quickly and go. Fifth, make sure the oven is hot before you start. You want these to cook quickly before the gas finds a way to escape.

Oven at 450˚F1 cup flour, whole wheat (135 grams)¼ tsp salt2 tsp Rumford baking powder3 tbs butter or lard. (43 grams)½ cup milk (126 grams)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 450˚F. Do not continue until it is hot.

2. Cut the butter or lard into the dry ingredients to form a coarse crumb.

3. Add the milk all at once and quickly bring together the dough. Use your hand if need be to form the dough.

4. Spoon out a biscuit onto a floured surface, to keep it from sticking, and add a tiny amount of flour on top of it. Use your fingers to form a biscuit. Try to make it smooth and biscuit shaped without cracks or holes. You might be able to roll it into a ball and

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then gently press it into a biscuit. The taller it is to begin with, the taller it will be after cooking.

5. Do all of the biscuits the same way and put into a cake pan such that they touch each other.

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve with White Tupelo honey and plenty of butter or your favorite fruit preserves. White tupelo honey is a light amber table honey with a greenish hue that won't granulate or crys-tallize. It has a unique flavor as well and once tasted, will not be confused with other varieties.Black tupelo honey is often used as a bakery grade honey and it is not as good and will granulate. Since the honey is a much darker color, the two are not easily confused. Taste is not very different. Both white and black types of tupelo honey are produced by placing bees on hives near the tupelo gum trees in the spring months.

Recipe: Breakfast PotatoesCooking at breakfast needs to be easy, else we won’t do it. This recipe was dreamed up at a time when there was a sur-plus of potatoes due to an unexpectedly large harvest. I found that it was best with a variety of potato called Finger-lings, but was easiest with a variety called Carola. Fingerlings are just too small and oddly shaped for peeling at breakfast, whereas the Carola is just the right size (1 potato) and thin skinned (wash and don’t peel) such that it was ready to go.

1 potato, medium to small1/8 tsp Salt10 to 15 blades of Fresh chive¼ tsp Fresh or dried thyme or basil1 tbs Olive Oil8” diameter flour tortilla (optional)

1. Chop the potato into fine bits (minced potato).2. Add to the Oil that has been heated in a small skillet.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

3. Cook with stirring over medium heat until it starts to brown.

4. Add the seasonings and salt.5. Serve hot with other breakfast items or wrap in a

tortilla that has been on high in the microwave for 20 seconds.

Recipe: Hash BrownsI put these into the breakfast section because it is traditional. However, we never make them at breakfast because it just seems like too much trouble. They’re pretty good at supper.

3 cups grated potatoes –¼ onion – chopped as small as possible4 tbs canola oil¼ tsp oregano or basil1 tsp salt½ tsp black pepper¼ cup condensed milk or cream

1. Spread the grated potato out onto paper towels and help them to dry out. Press on them with other folded towels and get the water out. Use a spoon to carefully scrape the potato pieces off of the towels.

2. Mix together the potato, onion, oregano, salt, and pepper.

3. Add ¾ of the oil to the skillet and heat to medium high.

4. In a skillet form a thick cake by just pressing the potato mix into a cake shape in the skillet.

5. When the bottom of the potato layer is brown, take the top half off with a spatula. Yes it might be messy but you don’t have to be neat here. Turn it onto the skillet and keep browning. Continue to cook on all sides with stirring until nearly done.

6. Reduce heat to medium.7. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, then drizzle the

cream over the potatoes and continue to cook with stirring (scrambling). The condensed milk will soak in to give a really nice hash brown.

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8. Brown all sides and serve.

Recipe: Toast with Olive OilReal instructions are hardly needed here. Just toast the bread and put olive oil on it instead of butter. However, some advice is pertinent. First, the bread needs to be of ex-cellent quality, preferably with an open crumb texture that permits it to absorb and hold a lot of oil. Second, the oil should be the best available. Artisanal olive oils from Italy should bear the label D.O.P which stands for protected des-ignation of origin (Denominazione di Origine Protetta). Simi-lar to what France does with wine regions; Italy extends to olive oil bottlers this certification to assure the purchaser that the oil not only comes from a specific region but that it was pressed and bottled there as well. Most often that means that the oil comes from a single grove. The D.O.P cer-tification also means that the producers are subject to regu-lar quality oversight by an agent of the Italian government. If your bottle of oil doesn’t have the label, then it will more likely suffer from inconsistency among lots. A way to com-pare is to drink a tablespoon of oil as if it were medicine. If it burns going down, it won’t be good with the bread. In that case, put it on the cooking oil shelf and try again.

Recipe: Bacon, Potato and CheeseA key to this recipe is using very tiny potatoes – about 1” around and no more. They are about the size of a golf ball and clean enough to not require peeling.

2 each potatoes – golf ball sized2 slices bacon1 slice American cheese

1. Cook the bacon close to crisp in a cast iron skillet.2. Chop the potatoes into fine pieces.3. Remove the bacon and cut it up into small pieces.4. Add the potatoes to the bacon grease and cook over

medium low heat with a lid for about 5 minutes.

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5. Arrange the cooked potatoes on a small microwave safe plate. Spread the bacon on top of the potatoes. Lay the slice of cheese on top and microwave on high for 30 seconds.

6. Let it rest for about 1 minute and then serve.

About BaconYou might wonder why bacon has its own entry, but there are some comments that should be included. First, Sliced bacon does not keep well in the refrigerator. It should be brought home, wrapped by pairs (not touching each other) in plastic wrap, and stored frozen in a bag. Most of the time, it is eaten in pairs, thus one pair can be removed from the freezer, unwrapped and immediately placed into a skillet.Second, bacon curls in the skillet causing it to cook unevenly. If you are in to single purpose kitchen gadgets (we aren’t), then a cast iron bacon press will stop the curl and cause the bacon to cook faster as well. Otherwise, you can use a par-ing knife during the frying process to cut the curl and allow it lay down. I have found that I often have to cut a single piece in 5 or more places and the bacon doesn’t look very good after that process. You may also find that microwaving the bacon between paper towels results in a markedly less curled strip. We rarely do it that way because we want the flavor from the fat. If you weigh the bacon before and after cooking, you will find that the rendered fat is four fifths of the weight you purchased! It seems a waste to not use the fat. Yet another method to decrease the curling is to start with a cold skillet and cook the bacon over very low heat and turn it often. Third, the rendered fat from the bacon can be poured through a sieve (tea strainer) and saved in a jar in the refrig-erator. It is great for adding flavor to other meats and veg-etables whenever a small amount of oil is to be used for sautéing.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Recipe: Watermelon

Slice watermel-ons like bread with a thick-ness as shown in the accom-panying figure. Using a fillet knife, remove

the rind from each slice and serve on a plate with knife and fork. With a little skill, watermelon seeds are easily removed from slices prepared this way. Although seedless watermel-ons have been developed, they are not very tasty as com-pared to a traditional watermelon with seeds.

Recipe: SmoothieThis is the only recipe that comes to mind for which I really need a blender. I know the blender is essential for making certain cocktails, but I must not make those. Anyway, the smoothie is just fruit and liquid, cut up and put into the blender and pureed/liquefied for consumption. The unique thing here is the combinations. I list below ten combinations just to give some ideas. These require moderately large quantities of fruit and it is plentiful and inexpensive to pur-chase in quantity at the farmers markets when the fruit is in season.

Smoothie One: 2 apples, cored + 1 cup strawberries + ½ cup milk.

Smoothie Two: 1 apple + 1 cup pineapple + ½ cup milk

Smoothie Three: 1 apple + 1 cup pineapple + 1 banana + ½ cup milk

Smoothie Four: 1 cup pineapple + 2 bananas + ½ cup co-conut milk

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Smoothie Five: Blender ¾ full of peaches + ½ cup condensed milk (or even cream)

Smoothie Six: 1 apple + 1 mango + ½ cup milk

Smoothie Seven: 1 apple + 3 oranges + ½ cup orange juice (or crushed ice)

Smoothie Eight: 1 apple + 1 grapefruit (seeds and all) + ½ cup milk or crushed ice

Smoothie Nine: 1 grapefruit (seeds and all) + 2 bananas + ½ cup milk or orange juice

Smoothie Ten: Blender filled with grapes (seeds included) + ½ cup grape juice.

Recipe: Peaches and CreamPeaches come into season in late July or early August in Maryland and they become affordable to purchase in ½ bushel baskets. When purchased, they are hard and inedi-ble. Set them on a table at room temperature and wait. Two to four days later they are perfect. What to do with so many peaches? Well, this recipe isn’t the final answer, but it can help. (See also Smoothie #5)

1 large, very ripe peach½ cup cream (not condensed milk, if you must substitute, use vanilla ice cream)

1. Cut the peach into bite sized pieces. 2. Place into a bowl and add cream. 3. Serve cold, or hot, or at room temperature.

Recipe: Elegant Peaches and CreamServes 3

¾ cup Sugar4 tbs butter, melted1 tsp vanilla

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

¼ cup water3 large Peaches

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400˚F.2. Combine the sugar, butter, vanilla and water and

spread in the bottom of a glass baking dish.3. Put the peaches into a pot of boiling water for 30

seconds, then remove and peel.4. Cut the peaches in half, discard the pit, and place cut

side down in the baking dish.5. Bake for 20 minutes or until the peaches are tender6. Put two peach halves into each of 3 bowls and driz-

zle the pan sauce of the top of the peaches.7. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to each bowl.8. Serve.

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3SOUP

Recipe: Creamy Chicken Noodle SoupI have always had a chicken noodle soup recipe for cold days, or days that I had a cold – whichever. However, when Susan made her dumplings, I assumed it was chicken noodle soup! On reviewing the ingredients and directions, it turned out that they were the same. So, if you want chicken noodle soup, make Susan’s Dumplings (in the Bread Chapter). Just make sure that you roll out the dumplings fairly thin and that they have ample flour on them before being put into the boiling chicken broth. Recipe: Egg Drop SoupThis is really easy, not too much, and not filling. It is perfect for summer soup and salad or sandwich. I have from time to time thickened the soup with cornstarch or not. If you thicken it, don’t overdo it.

2 eggs, beaten with a fork in a bowl2 ½ cups chicken broth½ tsp pepper1 tbs cornstarch¼ cup cold water

1. Bring the chicken broth to a boil.2. Add pepper.3. If you are going to thicken it, mix the cornstarch into

the cold water and drizzle it into the chicken broth while whisking vigorously. If the cornstarch balls, throw it all away and start over. If the cornstarch is mixed with very cold water and then slowly put into the boiling broth with mixing, the balling will not oc-cur.

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4. Add the beaten eggs to the boiling broth while mix-ing in one direction only (stirring not whisking). The goal is to make strings instead of particles.

5. Serves Two.

Recipe: Split Pea SoupMakes about 8 cups

2 cups split peas, dried1 ham hock½ cup chopped onions1 cup chopped celery½ cup chopped carrot1 clove garlic1 bay leaf1 tsp sugar1 dash cayenne pepper¼ tsp thyme2 tbs butter2 tbs flourSalt and Pepper to taste

1. Rinse and sort the peas to assure no rocks.2. In a large pot, add the peas and 10 cups of water3. Add the ham hock, bring to a boil and reduce heat to

simmer4. Cook for 3 ½ hours, covered.5. Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, sugar and

cayenne and cook for 30 minutes more.6. Remove any bone from the ham hock, and return

any meat to the pot.7. Chill the soup and skim the fat from the top.8. In a sauce pan, melt 2 tbs butter and add the 2tbs

flour. Mix well. 9. Add 1 cup of the soup to the sauce pan and bring to

a boil stirring constantly until it thickens.10. Add the contents of the sauce pan to the soup and

reheat the soup.11. Add Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

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CHAPTER THREE SOUP

Recipe: Chili (version I)This recipe is a little thinner and more soup like than version II. [Version II is not considered a soup; see COW.] However, after sitting in the refrigerator overnight, it becomes much thicker, even when reheated.

1 lb beef stew meat1/3 cup flour¼ cup canola oil1 cup dried pinto beans1 onion2 cans tomatoesWater as called for1 tsp Sugar1 tsp Mustard powder2 slices bacon with drippings¼ cup chili powder2 tbs powdered garlic2 tbs ground cumin

1. Bring the beans to a boil with 4 cups of water, then remove from heat and let sit for 45 min to 1 hr. Re-turn them to a low medium heat and simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hrs or until done.

2. Cut the stew meat into small pieces, no larger than a gaming die.

3. Add the canola oil to a 10” skillet and heat to medium high

4. Flour the meat with the 1/3 cup of flour and then put the meat only (not any excess flour) into the skil-let and brown with stirring.

5. When the meat is browned, add ¾ cup of water to the skillet and deglaze. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cook for 2 hours. Check and stir every 20 minutes to assure that no sticking occurs. Add water as needed to maintain a gravy consis-tency.

6. When the meat has cooked until tender, transfer to a Dutch oven or larger pot and add the tomatoes, in-cluding the juice.

7. Add the beans with the water they were cooked in.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

8. Use the skillet to cook two pieces of bacon until well done.

9. Add the bacon and bacon grease to the mixture.10. Still well, then simmer (low boil) for 20 minutes.

Recipe: GazpachoRecently, we have enjoyed chilled soup. I have eaten Gazpa-cho at restaurants forever and it turns out that making it at home is not at all difficult.

6 tomatoes1 small cucumber, peeled and seeds scraped out.1 bell pepper, seeds removed1 small red onion2 cloves garlic1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed1½ tsp + ½ tsp Kosher salt1 slice fresh bread½ cup olive oil2 tbs wine vinegar (plus more for serving)2 tbs minced basil, or chives, or parsley

1. Cut into large pieces, 4 tomatoes, half of the cucum-ber, half of the Bell pepper, and half of the onion. Add the jalapeno pepper and garlic. Add the 1 ½ tsp salt. Mix well in a bowl and set aside. The salt will begin extracting juices from the vegetables.

2. Dice or chop finely the remaining tomato, cucumber, Bell pepper and onion. Mix well with ½ tsp Kosher salt and put into Colander (screen) set over a bowl to catch the jiuice. Let it extract for about one hour.

3. Transfer the diced vegetables from the step above to a bowl and reserve.

4. Tear the bread slice into large pieces (no crust) and use it to absorb as much of the juice that drained from the diced and finely chopped vegetables as possible. Put the soaked bread and whatever juice that is left over into the coarsely cut up vegetables from step 1.

5. Transfer ½ of the vegetable-bread mixture to a blender and process for 30 seconds. With the

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CHAPTER THREE SOUP

blender running, slowly add ¼ cup of olive oil and continue to blend until smooth. Collect the blender contents into a container destined for the refrigera-tor.

6. Repeat step 5 with the other half of the vegetables and another ¼ cup of oil.

7. Into the refrigerator container, add the wine vinegar, herb(s), half of the diced vegetables and black pep-per. Stir, cover, and let sit for a minimum of two hours or longer. If longer than two hours, then re-frigerate.

8. Serve in bowls, passing the remaining diced vegeta-bles, olive oil, wine vinegar, and black pepper to be applied as toppings to the cold soup.

Recipe: Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkins have to be cooked to easily get the pulp away from the rind. A way to cook pumpkin before using it to make pumpkin soup is to wash it well, cut it into two halves (and save the seeds to roast as pumpkin seeds). Bake it pulp side down in the oven at 350˚F for 1 hour or more (size mat-ters) until it is tender and begins to fall apart. Remove it from the oven and scrape out the pulp, which can then be made homogeneous in a food processor.

3 cups of homogeneous pumpkin (canned works, but it isn’t traditional)3 to 4 cups chicken bouillon2 tbs honey¼ tsp nutmeg¼ tsp clove1 tsp cinnamon¼ cup sour cream ½ tsp black pepper2 tbs maple syrup1 tsp ground gingerSalt to taste

Topping: ½ cup sour cream combined with 1 tsp cinnamon.

37

THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Bring 3 cups of the bouillon to a boil, then add in everything except the sour cream and of course the Topping.Turn the heat down and simmer the soup for about 15 min-utes, stirring frequently.Add more bouillon if the soup is too thick.Remove the pumpkin soup from the heat and mix in ¼ cup of the cream. Use a hand held electric mixer or a wire whisk.After soup is in the serving bowl, drip some topping over it for both appearance and taste.

Recipe: Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 lb chopped broccoli (frozen is OK)3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth6 tbs butter1 onion, chopped½ cup flour2 cups milk1 ½ pounds processed cheese food (i.e. Velveeta), cubed1 pinch ground white pepper

1. In a large pot, simmer the broccoli in the broth for 15 minutes. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the butter; add the onions and sauté for 5 min-utes, or to desired tenderness.

2. Add the flour to the onions and stir well. Gradually add the milk, continuing to heat, and stir until thick. Add this mixture to the broccoli mixture in the pot and stir well. Then add the cheese, stirring until melted. Finally, add the pepper. (Note: Be careful not to let the soup boil, or the cheese will break down.)

38

CHAPTER THREE SOUP

Recipe: Cream of Broccoli SoupThis is a nice creamy soup without cheese. The puréed rice adds carbohydrate and thickness. A potato could be used similarly.

2 cups Broccoli Florets, finely divided¼ white rice (uncooked)2 cups chicken broth1 cup heavy creamSalt and Pepper to tasteFresh parsley, garnish (optional)

1. Combine the broccoli, rice, and chicken broth in a pot and heat to barely boiling, then reduce the heat and cook until the rice is done (about 15 minutes)

2. Purée with a stick blender (or any blender or food processor will work).

3. Add the cream and heat at medium setting until steam begins to rise. Stir frequently to prevent stick-ing.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, garnish, and serve.

Recipe: Peanut SoupThis recipe is a knock-off of the peanut soup at Williamsburg Inn in Virginia. It is really excellent when served with Kir.

¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter1 onion, finely chopped2 celery ribs, finely chopped3 tbs flour8 cups Chicken bouillon2 cups smooth peanut butter1 ¾ cups light cream or half-and-half or condensed milkFinely chopped salted peanuts, for garnish

39

THE COMMON COOKBOOK

1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened, three-five minutes.

2. Stir in flour and cook two minutes longer.3. Pour in the 2 cups of the chicken bouillon, increase

the heat to high, and bring to a boil, stirring con-stantly until thickened, then add the remaining chicken broth.

4. Reduce heat to a simmer and whisk the peanut but-ter and the cream into the liquid. Warm over low heat, stirring often, for about five minutes. Do not boil.

5. Serve warm, garnished with the chopped peanuts.

Recipe: Potato Soup

4 slices bacon, cooked crisp in a skillet (not microwave)Bacon pan drippings5 medium potatoes1 medium onion, chopped5 cloves garlic4 to 5 cups peeled and chopped potatoes3 tbs all-purpose flour½ cup chives2 tbs butter½ tsp pepper2 tsp salt

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp, then crumble it and set aside.

2. Sauté the onion and garlic in the bacon fat until soft-ened.

3. Boil the potatoes in adequate salted water to cover the tops and let them float.

4. When the potatoes are done, make 1 cup of white sauce from the potato water. Proportions are 1 cup water to 2 tbs butter to 2 tbs flour. Measure the potato water and proceed accordingly. Mix thor-oughly the butter and flour, then add the potato wa-ter slowly while stirring to make the white sauce. Don’t add any additional white sauce. If the soup is

40

CHAPTER THREE SOUP

insufficient in volume (very likely) add tap water af-ter everything has been put in.

5. Chop the potatoes coarsely and add the sautéed onion and garlic and bacon.

6. Add the potato mixture to the white sauce and add the salt and pepper, and chives. Heat thoroughly and serve.

Recipe: Mushroom SoupThe recipe makes about 5 cups of soup. It is similar to Camp-bell’s cream of mushroom soup although I think Campbell’s uses too little or no onion and not enough mushrooms. There are other online recipes that do not use any cream that are also quite good. Mushroom soup is essentially white sauce made with chicken stock plus mushrooms. Ev-erything else is a variation.Timing: Prep time is about 15 minutes or less. Cooking time is about an hour.

¼ cup flour⅓ cup butter½ cup chicken stock⅓ to ½ of a medium onion (scant ½ cup, chopped fine)1 stalk celery, diced1 small leek (base of the leek diced and green top chopped fine)2 cups evaporated milk

(4 cups of whole milk can be substituted for the evaporated milk and water here)

2 cups water8 to 10 oz white mushrooms¼ tsp dried tarragon⅓ cup heavy cream½ tsp lemon juice½ tsp salt¼ tsp pepper

41

THE COMMON COOKBOOK

1. Melt the butter in a 2 quart pot at medium low heat.2. Add the onion, celery and leek and cook with stirring

for about 5 minutes being careful to get no brown-ing, but trying to get the vegetables soft and the onion translucent.

3. Add the flour and continue to cook until it has just started to brown (yellow). Stir enough that no stick-ing occurs.

4. Gradually add the chicken stock with stirring. [If you add it too fast, you will get lumps that are somewhat difficult to dissipate.]

5. Premix the evaporated milk and water, or just use whole milk.

6. Now gradually add the evaporated milk and water. Expect the mixture to thicken. It is OK to raise the heat so long as you stir enough to prevent sticking.

7. When all the milk is in, heat thoroughly, then sim-mer for 40 minutes to an hour.

8. Meanwhile, uniformly dice the mushrooms. They need to be little cubes between ¼ inch and ½ inch cubical. This is an important part of making the soup similar to Campbell’s.

9. When the soup has cooked for at least 40 minutes, add the mushrooms and tarragon and simmer for 10 more minutes.

10. Add the cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir and heat thoroughly and serve.

Recipe: Senate Navy Bean SoupThe recipe is supposedly served in the US Senate cafeteria. Whether that is true or not, the basics are just right.

2 cups dry navy beans (can use great white northern beans)12 cups water1 ham bone or 2 ham hocks (either way, with meat on)½ cup cooked mashed potatoes3 onions, minced4 stalks celery1 clove garlic, minced

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CHAPTER THREE SOUP

¼ cup fresh parsley, mincedSalt and pepper to taste

1. Soak the beans overnight in cold water.2. Put the beans, 12 cups water, and ham hocks in a

large pot and simmer (low heat) for about 1 hour.3. Gradually mix in the mashed potatoes with stirring.4. Add the onions, celery, garlic and parsley and sim-

mer until the beans are soft – at least another hour.5. Remove the ham, dice the meat and return the meat

to the soup.6. Thin to a desired consistency with water and heat

thoroughly. 7. Season and serve.

Recipe: Tortilla SoupIf you have never had tortilla soup, follow the recipe exactly and you will. It is worth the trouble.

1 small onion, chopped1 4-oz can chopped green chilies, drained2 cloves garlic, crushed2 tbs canola oil1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes10 oz “extra” beef bouillon (made from 4 bouillon cubes)10 oz “extra” chicken broth (made from 4 chicken bouillon

cubes)1½ cups water1½ cups tomato juice1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp chili powder1 tsp salt1/8 tsp pepper2 tsp Worcestershire sauce1 tbs bottled steak sauce3 Corn tortillas cut into ½ inch strips¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

1. Sauté the onion, chilies, and garlic in oil until soft. 2. Add the tomatoes, bouillon, chicken broth, water,

tomato juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire and steak sauce.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer covered for 1 hour.

4. Add the tortilla strips and cheese and simmer for 10 minutes more.

44

4SALAD

Recipe: Cobb SaladNo proportions are given below since the size and calorie content of the salad can vary, although in general the calo-ries are appreciable. Also, some people will want to omit some ingredients. This salad can be individualized in a buffet style serving.

Head lettuce, iceberg or romaineGrilled chicken stripsChopped baconTomatoCucumberAvocadoCheddar cheeseMozzarella cheeseFeta cheeseChivesHardboiled egg

Arrange the ingredients in proportions to taste on a bed of lettuce.

Recipe: Susan’s Potato SaladThere are many potato salad recipes available on the inter-net. This is the one that Susan makes. It is simple and in-cludes as many eggs as potatoes. By my classification sys-tem, it is an American potato salad with eggs. If you are making this to eat at home, I can attest that it is best warm. You really can’t get warm potato salad at restaurants.

4 medium potatoes4 eggs, hard boiled and peeled

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¾ to 1 cup Onion, chopped2 stalks Celery, chopped2 halves Kosher Dill Pickle, chopped (these are large pickles – 6” x 1” halves)⅓ to ½ cup mayonnaise

1. Mash the boiled eggs with the potato masher2. Mash the potatoes, but leave some chunks – not totally

smooth3. Add the onion, celery, and pickle.4. Add the mayonnaise and mustard and mix, being careful

to leave some of the potatoes as chucks.5. Season everything to taste with salt and pepper.6. It can be served warm or cold.

Recipe: Picnic Potato SaladI used to make a potato salad for taking to outdoor social events that contained no mayonnaise or egg. The reason for no mayonnaise is that it contains egg and conventional thinking is that eggs promote bacterial growth that causes food poisoning at picnics. That is probably less of an issue since we no longer spend hours going by horse and buggy without refrigeration, but nevertheless, this no egg recipe is here and worth printing. I haven’t made it in some years but recall that it’s pretty good.

3 lb Red potatoes (any potatoes will work but these are col-orful2 small Onions, sliced into rings1 Bell pepper, chopped 3 tbs Parsley, chopped (fresh or don’t bother)1 oz lemon juice (juice for ½ lemon)1/3 cup Olive oil¼ tsp black pepper (or for color, 1/8 tsp red pepper)

1. Boil the potatoes, unpeeled for 10 to 12 minutes. They should be fork tender but not falling apart.

2. Cut them into moderately large piece and put into a large mixing bowl.

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CHAPTER FOUR SALAD

3. Add the onion rings, Bell pepper, lemon, and parsley and mix. Some of the potato should begin to come apart during the mixing. That is OK, but don’t end up with mashed potatoes. Leave plenty of distinct pieces.

4. Add the oil and stir quickly once, then stop.5. These will survive well at hot room temperatures for sev-

eral hours.

Recipe: Crunchy ColeslawThis is not the slaw that is frequently served at fast food restaurants and picnics. The recipe comes from Cooks Illus-trated where they state that you don’t have to rinse off the salt because the sugar counters it. We rinse off the salt any-way.

1 pound cabbage (about ½ medium head) red or green1 large carrot½ cup granulated sugar 2 tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp celery seed 6 tbs canola or olive oil ¼ cup rice vinegar Ground black pepper

1. Shred or chop the cabbage and grate the carrot.2. Toss the cabbage and carrot with sugar, salt, and cel-

ery seeds and let it drain in a colander for about an hour.

3. Thoroughly rinse the cabbage and carrot to remove all of the salt.

4. Dry the cabbage and carrot with paper towels, but don’t squeeze too much.

5. Transfer the cabbage and carrot to a serving bowl and toss with oil and vinegar. Season to taste with pepper and serve or cover and refrigerate.

Recipe: Carrot and Raisin Salad

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

This is a simple salad that is good for a family picnic. Don’t omit the pineapple! This recipe provides a good use for the food processor’s grating wheel to get some use.

1 lb raw peeled carrots, shredded20 oz can chunck pineapple (fresh would be better)½ cup mayonnaise1 cup raisins (soaked in water to plump and drained)

1. Combine everything, mix and chill. Serve cold.

Recipe: Mozzarella and Tomato Salad

1/2 lb mozzarella cheese sliced into ½” thick slices2 very ripe, red tomatoes – vine ripened if at all possibleSaltFresh basil leaves2 tbs olive oilBlack pepper

1. Put 3 slices of tomato on plate and salt each lightly.2. Lay the slices of Mozzarella on top of each tomato. 3. Chop the fresh basil leaves and sprinkle on top. 4. Drizzle olive oil over everything and add pepper to

taste.

Recipe: Tuna SaladTuna fish used to come in larger cans. I have given up mak-ing this with just one can. Use two.

2-3 cans of good tuna (6.5 oz cans)6 tbs mayonnaise2 tbs Dijon mustard1 tsp dried dill weed½ onion, chopped1 tbs chopped parsley (optional)¼ tsp cayenne (optional)4 tbs chopped celerySalt and pepper to taste

48

CHAPTER FOUR SALAD

1. Drain the tuna if it is packed in water. If packed in oil, squeeze some of the oil out, but do not rinse.

2. Mix everything together well, adjusting the amount of mayonnaise as needed to get the desired consis-tency.

Recipe: Chicken Salad

½ cup mayonnaise1 tablespoon lemon juice¼ teaspoon ground black pepper2 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts1 stalk celery, chopped

1. In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and pepper. Toss with chicken, nuts, and cel-ery.

Recipe: California Chicken Salad (Rice/Pea Salad)A summer salad that is best served cold.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts1 tbs olive oil¼ tsp salt (for the chicken prior to grilling)¼ tsp pepper (for the chicken prior to grilling)3 cups cooked long grain rice, room temperature1 cup toasted pecans or walnuts2 cups frozen English peas1 bell pepper (red is best) cut into ½ inch pieces

Dressing:2 tbs red wine vinegar2 tbs lime juice1 tbs olive oil1 tbs chopped basil1 clove garlic, crushed and choppedDash of Soy sauce

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

1. Lightly oil and season the chicken breasts.2. Grill the chicken breasts and cut them into half inch

pieces. The grilling can be done in a skillet with a lit-tle oil, or over coals.

3. Combine the chicken, rice, nuts, peas, and bell pep-per. Add the pre-made dressing and mix well.

4. Serve.

Recipe: Watergate SaladTake this dish to a party. Everyone likes it, but it has too many calories to regularly eat at home.

1 package instant pistachio pudding mix (3 ½ oz package)8 oz can of crushed pineapple, with juice1 cup miniature marshmallows½ cup chopped walnuts8 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. In a large bowl, mix together pudding mix, pineapple with juice, marshmallows, and nuts.

2. Fold in whipped topping. Chill.

Recipe: Waldorf Salad

1 cup diced celery1 cup diced apples1 cup grapes, halved, no seeds½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans¾ cup mayonnaise

1. Mix it all together and serve.

Recipe: Fall Fruit SaladIn Susan’s family this was traditional for Thanksgiving dinner.

1 cup plain yogurt1 tablespoons good honey

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CHAPTER FOUR SALAD

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extractSeeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean (optional)1 apple, cored, then 6 to 8 slices, then cut into chunks1½ cup pineapple, fresh and cut into chunks1 pear, cored, then 6 slices, cut into chunks2 bananas cut into slices

1. Combine the yogurt, honey, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds in a bowl and set aside.

2. Combine the fruit, mix, add the dressing and mix again. Serve chilled.

.

51

5BREADS

Bread PansBread Pans are not standardized. Nominally, there are many loaf pans that are approximately 9” x 5” or 8.5” x 4.5”. Pans should be measured at the inside top dimension for length and width. Except during the purchasing, this mea-surement is largely a waste of time, as would be depth, since the sides usually slope in to give a smaller bottom than top and once again, the slope is not standardized. We have 5 bread pans and have collected the data in the table below.A common size printed on some pans is 9.25” x 5.25” x 2.75”. I mostly use the glass bread pan in the table below and my recipes make a 1.75 lbs loaf (weighed before cook-ing). If you are going to use one of the next group of sizes (the standard size) it may be needed to increase the flour and water amounts to get a 2 lbs loaf.

Name Length Width Volume( mLs)

Volume (liq oz)

BS1* Small 8.5 4.5 1281 43.316Glass 8.5 4.625 1426 48.219Rusty 9.25 5.125 1813 61.305BS2 9.375 5.25 1839 62.184Shiny 9.375 5.3125 1900 64.247*BS = Baker’s Secret, a brand.

As can be seen in the graph below, the top dimensional in-formation is correlated to the volume but is hardly linear.

53

I find that the smaller bread pans permit a 1 to 1.5 lbs loaf of bread to rise about 1 inch above the top of the pan and

cook without collapsing. The larger pans require closer to a 2.0 pound loaf in order to rise enough to look nice without collapsing. To determine the size of the loaf, it is essential to weigh the dough just prior to choosing the pan. The very largest pan can accommodate a 2 pound loaf from white flour but it is too big for a 2 pound loaf of whole wheat, which usually won’t rise quite as high.

About Flour Measurements and Ingredients by Weight

Most American recipes call for flour measured in cups. It is nearly impossible to reproduce a recipe that is specified that way because the variation in the amount of flour in a cup is quite large depending on how it is packed into the cup. Once upon a time, cooks specified sifted flour, which would have helped to make the recipe reproducible, but in today’s fast publishing internet era we are lucky if the cup is even leveled off. Furthermore, many recipes call for adding an un-specified additional amount of flour or water in order to make the dough look and feel right. If you know how a dough is supposed to look and feel, you can just glance at an ingredient list and adjust the directions to accurately create the bread.

54

40 50 60 7035

40

45

50

Bread Pan Dimensions

Fluid Ounces

Are

a (s

quar

e in

ches

)

Top Area

Vol

fl_oz

CHAPTER FIVE BREAD

We propose that you use a digital balance that at least has readability to 1 gram and about 5000 gram capacity. The “My Weigh” i5000 cost about $46.90 (year 2010) at Old Will Knott Scales. Although much less expensive digital balances can be found, this one is particularly rugged for the price.

It is generally accepted that 1 cup of “All-purpose” or “Bread” flour weighs 125 gm/cup and that 1 cup of whole wheat flour weights 120 gm/cup. My direct measurements using a steel measuring cup of the type that is leveled at the top with a knife so as to ‘contain’ a cup when full, showed that a cup of All-purpose flour weighed 145 gm and a cup of white whole wheat flour weighed 122 gm. In neither case did I sift the flour, which would have probably given a lighter weight in both cases.

Some science based cookbooks stress the ability of flours to absorb moisture and change their weight. The moisture specification for flour introduced into interstate commerce is less than 13.5% (North Dakota State Univ. Agriculture De-partment). Interestingly, it is calculated as (Wet − Dry)/Wet = Moisture. Scientists would normally calculate mois-ture as (Wet − Dry)/Dry = Moisture.It is said that flour will pick up moisture while sitting in the cabinet. We keep the flour in an air tight plastic container and while we haven’t measured moisture content on stor-age, there is certainly no visible evidence that it is getting wetter. To do the above moisture test, record the weight of an amount of flour (about a cup will do) that is spread out on a cookie sheet or thin flat pan. Next put the pan and flour into an oven set for 220˚F. After 4 hours, remove the flour. Let it cool and then reweigh it. Calculate the percent mois-ture as above.

[(145-125)/145]*100 = 13.7%

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http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/search.aspx?find=i5000

http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/search.aspx?find=i5000

THE COMMON COOKBOOK

About Flour (From the King Arthur Website)

White Whole Wheat Flour

Milled from white whole wheat, rather than red, unbleached King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour has all the fiber and nutrition of traditional whole wheat, with milder flavor and lighter color. Thus, white whole wheat is a great way to add whole grains to your family's diet. Start by replacing 1/3 of

the all-purpose flour in your favorite recipe with white whole wheat flour; gradually increase the percentage of whole wheat until your baked good's flavor and texture are just the way you like them. We find that in cookies, muffins, pancakes and quick breads, using white whole wheat flour in place of the entire amount of all-purpose flour yields a baked treat that's just as tasty as the origi-nal, with the benefit of increased fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Unbleached Bread Flour

If the bread machine or heavy-duty mixer is a heavily used tool in your kitchen, then you'll love King Arthur's Unbleached Bread Flour. Our bread flour thrives under the rigors of mechanical kneading. Milled from hard red spring wheat grown in the northern Great Plains, its 12.7% protein is higher than ordinary bread flours. This en-ables a vigorous rise for all yeast breads,

and gives breads containing whole grains, seeds, or other low-gluten ingredients a welcome boost.

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CHAPTER FIVE BREAD

How We Make Bread

First weigh out all of the ingredients into small cups. Then, put the aqueous based ingredients into a large bowl, fol-lowed by about half or less of the flour and the yeast. Aque-ous based ingredients include water, egg, milk, honey but not oil. When I am using two wheat flours, such as whole wheat and all-purpose, I put the whole wheat flour in at this step and omit the bread flour or all-purpose at this time. If I am not making a whole wheat bread, then I just put in half of the flour here. The mixture will have a consistency of very thick batter, or extremely sticky dough. Mix it vigorously with a wire whisk (500 strokes) or put it into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle blade (about 3 minutes). The purpose of this mixing is to incorporate air into the dough. When you stop, if the batter isn’t uniform, then go again. Finally, I cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for about two hours. Time is not very critical here, but substantially more than 2 hours is too long and anything less than 45 minutes will not allow enough gluten to form.

Next, add the remaining ingredients and mix. If you want to knead the dough, this is the time to do it, although it doesn’t matter. We knead it just enough to get everything well mixed. Once the dough is well mixed, it can go into a large bowl and into the refrigerator until the next day. Alterna-tively, it can be allowed to rise at room temperature (or above) immediately. If I am in a hurry, or to warm the dough in the winter after removal from the cold, I set the bowl onto a heating pad that is nestled into an even larger bowl. Turn the heating pad onto low. The dough has risen enough when it basically won’t rise any more. That rise time varies greatly depending on temperature and can be as short as 30 minutes to as long as 4 hours. However, the most common time is 1 hour for the first rise and 30 minutes of rise time in the bread pan (2nd rise).

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

After the dough has risen in the bowl, treat it gently. Push it down, cut it into weights that are correct for the pans avail-able, and shape the bread for its intended pan. Shaping is very important to the final rise. The visible portion of the bread should be very smooth and elastic. Shape it by slowly stretching the dough and folding it under and into itself until the goal is achieved.

Finally, put the dough into a greased (we use spray canola oil) pan and bake.

Nearly all yeast bread recipes can be adapted to the direc-tions above. If fruit (raisins) is to be incorporated into the bread, it should be done during the shaping step by kneading the dough just prior to the shaping. A few yeast bread recipes, such as sticky buns, have unique steps or ingredi-ents. These universally occur during or after the shaping step.

58

Figure 1 Sponge stage, showing the use of a heating pad to maintain temperature on a cold day. The bottom pan has diameter 13" and is 4.5" deep.

CHAPTER FIVE BREAD

Recipe: PizzaThis is basic pizza dough that is easy to make. Start about 2 hours before you want the pizza.I make this for a 12” round pizza pan, but have to discard some of the dough or just have more pizza by using a pizza stone and no pan for cooking.

Dough Ingredients:3 cups bread flour7 grams dry yeast220 mL water25 mL olive oil1 tsp salt

Topping Ingredients: 1 cup Pizza sauce (you could buy it)

Recipe for pizza sauce: Combine the following for ~ 2 cups

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes (no substitute)2 garlic cloves, finely chopped½ small onion, finely chopped1 tbs sugar1½ tbs dried oregano1½ tbs dried basil1 tbs thyme¼ tsp rosemary¾ tsp salt

1 tbs Olive Oil1 lb Mozzarella cheese, gratedTopping ingredients; your choice, olives, cooked bulk pork sausage, pepperoni, bacon, ham, green pepper, mushrooms, onions, etc.

Combine all of the ingredients and mix into a sticky dough. Mix until it can be turned out onto a floured surface, then knead by hand for 15 minutes (or 5 minutes if using a knead-ing hook on an electric mixer).Put the dough into a metal bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set it onto a heating pad set on “low”. It should rise in about 1 hour.

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If using a pizza stone, heat the oven to 450˚F with the stone in the oven and some cornmeal on the stone. Otherwise, put the intended pan into the oven, greased with canola oil and heat to 450˚F. Expect this heating up to take 20 minutes or more.Work the dough into a pizza shape by any means available. You could use a classical pizza throw, or a rolling pin, or just pat and tug it into the desired shape.Assemble the pre-measured or sliced topping ingredients. If using a pan, we are going to hurry so that the pan is out of the oven a minimum amount of time. If using a stone, it never comes out and so there is no hurry.After the dough is pizza shaped, spread a small amount of oil over the top. If using a pizza pan, put it on the pan and hurry from here on to keep the pan as warm as possible.Add a cup of sauce and spread evenly. Don’t put too much.Add the mozzarella cheese and spread evenly.Add the topping ingredients.If on the pizza pan, put it back into the oven and cook for 15 to 30 minutes. Goal is to get the bottom done.If on a pizza stone, use a pizza peel (paddle) and don’t forget to put corn meal on the stone or you’ll never get the pizza off. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes on the stone and use the peel to remove the pizza.

Recipe: Basic Whole Wheat Bread I There is no oil & this recipe scales down easily.Sometimes, we use all White Whole Wheat Flour in place of the bread flour in this recipe. If you do that, it makes a loaf that will not rise as high. This makes 2 loaves of bread. An interesting note is that even though it is titled “Whole Wheat Bread”, it has more than twice as much white bread flour in it as it has whole wheat flour. You will find this to be very typical of whole wheat recipes and that is because it is so difficult to get a consistent rise from a true whole wheat only recipe: Also, although this calls for white whole wheat flour, you can use any whole wheat flour and it will work just as well. Follow the directions and don’t add any extra liquid or flour no matter what the humidity or condition of your flour. These are the right amounts.

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14 gm active dry yeast475 gm water (110˚F is nice but not required)100 gm sugar10 gm salt560 gm bread flour (all-purpose works nicely too)1 egg240 gm White whole wheat flour

1. Make a sponge from the water, yeast, ½ the sugar, egg and whole wheat flour.

2. Mix really well and let sit for 45 min to 2 hours.3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix or knead to

obtain an elastic dough. Remember that when kneading bread dough there needs to be a 2 minute rest for every 5 minutes of kneading and a longer rest doesn’t hurt.

4. Let rise to double in bulk (i.e. until its really big)5. Punch down gently and shape into two loafs. Each

loaf will be slightly greater than 1.5 lbs.6. Shape the loaves so that they are smooth on

top and place into greased 5” x 9” loaf pans. If in doubt about the pan choice, smaller is better. I sometimes divide the dough unevenly and make a large loaf and a small loaf from this recipe.

7. Let them rise until the dough is about 1 inch over the top of the pan.

8. Bake at 350˚F for 37 minutes.9. Immediately on removal from the oven, turn

the loaf pan over and let the bread slide out. Place it on a wire rack to cool.

Makes 2 loaves.

Recipe: Basic Whole Wheat Bread IIThis is my preferred daily bread. There is oil but no egg and the recipe is already scaled to make 1 loaf. Also the direc-tions are significantly different from Bread I.

7 gm active dry yeast235 gm water (110˚F is nice but not required)50 gm sugar

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6 gm salt240 gm bread flour (all-purpose works nicely too)120 gm any whole wheat flour29 mL of olive oil

1. Make a sponge from all of the water, all of the yeast, and ⅔ of the sugar, and ⅔ of both flours.

2. Mix really well and let sit for at least 4 hours at room temperature and longer is OK. This can be an overnight step but I have also had really good results at 4 hours. This long rise at room temperature will give the bread a sour dough flavor and will negate the need for a first rise following kneading.

3. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the oil, and mix or knead to obtain elastic dough. So, you will put in the rest of the flour and sugar and the salt. During the kneading, if using a machine, add the oil after all of the flour and sugar is incorporated. If you are kneading by hand, use the oil to keep the dough from sticking to your hands and the kneading surface. Either way, knead until all of the oil is incor-porated and the dough is elastic. I find that it takes about 5 minutes of kneading with a Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook at the slowest setting.

4. Omit the first rise. Just don’t do it.5. Punch down gently and shape into a loaf. 6. Shape the loaf so that it is smooth on top and place

into a greased 5” x 9” loaf pans. If in doubt about the pan choice, smaller is better.

7. Let it rise until the dough is about 1 inch over the top of the pan. You best keep an eye out because the rise may only take 30 minutes.

8. Bake at 350˚F for 35 minutes.9. Immediately on removal from the oven, turn the loaf

pan over and let the bread slide out. Place it on a wire rack to cool.

Makes 1 loaf.

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Recipe: White BreadI must admit to hardly ever making this recipe. Because of the flour used, it rises really high and is perhaps the easiest bread to make, although pizza dough seems to never fail. Anyway, we rarely make this because it is fattening. The recipe is for 1 loaf, where most recipes of this type are for 2 or 3 loafs. The reason I only make one is again that it is fattening.

Active Dry yeast 7 gramsWater 220 gramsSugar 10 gramsSalt 6 gramsBread Flour 400 gramsCanola Oil 30 gramsCanola Spray Oil

1. Mix together the yeast, water, sugar, and ½ of the bread flour with a wooden spoon or wire whisk in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with plas-tic wrap and let it sit for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature. If it is cold (we keep the house at 62˚F in the winter), you may have to set the bowl inside another, bigger bowl, with a heat-ing pad in between set to low. If you use that method, then only 1 hour is needed.

2. Add the remaining bread flour and salt and fold/knead together until it can be removed from the bowl and put onto a kneading surface, such as a laminate cabinet top.

3. Use the oil to keep the dough from sticking to the kneading surface. Knead for 5 minutes and until all of the oil is kneaded in, having poured it onto the surface. If you are using a dough hook on a mixer, then just knead until the oil is com-bined with the dough.

4. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.5. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic

(10 to 15 minutes). Minor adjustments with ei-ther water or flour may be added to achieve the elastic dough that is sticky, but would prefer to stick to itself more than other surfaces.

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6. Return the dough to a large bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours depending on room temperature and yeast activity.

7. Gently, punch down the dough and gently shape it into a loaf of bread.

8. Place into a greased loaf pan (8.5” x 4.6”) and bake at 350˚F for 35 minutes.

9. On removing the loaf from the oven, turn it out onto a wire rack to cool.

Recipe: 100% Whole Wheat Bread Other recipes are easier than this one, but I find it very satis-fying to make, and it will rise the correct amount giving a large-hole crumb which I find desirable. The recipe makes 1 loaf but may be doubled if desired. This recipe just uses 100% whole wheat (not white whole wheat or anything spe-cial). Also, the directions here are rather different and they need to be followed or the bread will come out too dense with a very small crumb.

7 gm active dry yeast235 gm tap water at any temperature below 110°F50 gm sugar6 gm salt1 egg400 gm Whole wheat flour

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30 gm olive oil

1. Make a sponge from the water, yeast, ¾ of the sugar, egg and about half of the whole wheat flour. It will be rather dough like.

2. Mix really well and let it sit at room temperature, covered, overnight (or for at least 1 hour). The sponge should grow. Let it sit until it does.

3. The next morning (or immediately – whatever), add the remaining ingredients, except the oil, and knead to obtain an elastic dough. You really don’t have to knead very long. A few minutes is plenty. If you are kneading or handling the dough with your hands, spray your hands with some oil and the dough will be very easy to handle.

4. Finally, knead in the oil a little at a time, until it is all incorporated.

5. After kneading, let the dough rise for 30 to 40 min-utes. It will be about double in volume, but that is really difficult to measure. A rise time that is too long will result in no rise in the next step! Estimate “double in bulk” and move on when it’s doubled but wait until it is doubled. This isn’t rocket science, but if you don’t follow the instruction, the bread won’t work.

6. Spray the baking pan with olive or canola oil.7. Gently shape the dough, assuring that the top is uni-

form and stretched so as not to let out air, then put it into the baking pan.

8. Let it rise until it is above the lip of the baking dish by about 1 inch or more in the middle.

9. Bake at 350˚F for 35 to 40 minutes.10. Immediately on removal from the oven, turn the loaf

pan over and let the bread slide out. Place it on a wire rack to cool. Makes 1 loaf.

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Recipe: Raisin Bread

Make your favorite bread recipe. Just before putting into the pan for the final rise, gently knead in at least 1 cup of raisins per loaf of bread. To assure that the raisins stay moist, and don’t absorb too much moisture from the bread, they can be pre-soaked in hot water and then dried on a dish towel or paper towels. For an interesting twist, they can be soaked in rum.You should be aware that raisins will prevent the bread from rising as much as it would without them. The drier the raisins, the more rise can be obtained but that reduces the raisin flavor when it is done. To overcome that fault, you can use a higher rising recipe (white flour, less oil, less sugar) and instead of kneading in the raisins, spread the dough into a flat and then roll up the raisin jelly roll style and carefully seal the ends. When sprinkling the raisins onto the dough it is also common to brush the dough with melted butter, add some cinnamon, and then apply the raisins. The jelly roll method allows the veins of cinnamon to be visible in the fin-ished loaf.

Recipe: Basic Whole Wheat Rolls (note there is oil)Don’t make these rolls with 100% whole wheat flour. They will be too dense.Ingredient Unit Amount for

12 rollsAmount for 24 rolls

Active Dry Yeast Grams 7 14Water Grams 235 475Sugar Grams 50 100Salt Grams 6 10Bread Flour Grams 280 5601 egg Each 1 1Olive oil Grams 30 60Whole wheat flour Grams 120 240

1. Make a sponge from the water, yeast, ½ the sugar, egg and whole wheat flour.

2. Mix really well and let sit for 45 min to 2 hours.

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3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix or knead to obtain a nice dough.

4. Often I refrigerate overnight at this step. It can be held refrigerated for about 3 days, but may have to be gently punched down each day.

5. Shape into rolls of about 60 grams each and put onto a non-stick baking sheet. I use a non-stick called Exopat Matfer. It is like a flexible Silicone sheet. There are others.

6. Let them rise until they touch each other, then bake for 15 minutes at 375˚F.

7. When they are remove from the oven, immedi-ately take them off of the baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool. By and by, they are excellent when buttered and eaten right when they are removed from the oven.

Recipe: Pita Bread (Requires an overnight & a pizza stone or cast iron skillet.)

6 gm Active Dry Yeast (approximately 2 tsp)435 gm bread flour approximately 3 cups)10 gm salt (approximately 1.5 tsp)25 gm olive oil (approximately 2 tbs) – use less if you will use oil to assist in handling300 gm water (approximately 1.25 cups) – Use more water if needed to get a sticky dough.

1. Mix up everything and make a dough. It will be sticky. To handle, oil counter top, dough and hands.

2. If the dough is allowed to rest for 20 minutes (not a bad idea) it will be less sticky.

3. Knead for 5 minutes.4. Let the dough rise (sit) overnight in the refrigerator.

Longer is OK, as in several days.5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and warm

to room temperature. I find that a heating pad set on low speeds this along. Meanwhile, set the oven at 475˚F, preheating for at least about 30 minutes. Be sure a pizza stone is on the bottom shelf and there are not oven racks close above. You will need working room. It is said that a cast iron skillet can be

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used in place of the stone. I haven’t done it that way.

6. Separate the dough into 12 pieces and working on an oiled (or lightly floured) surface, make each piece into a ball and then flatten into a disc about ¼” thick. Spray each disc with water. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

7. For each piece, remove the plastic and spray again. Let it rest 3 minutes. Repeat this step for 3 or 4 pieces, depending on how many you can put onto the stone at once.

8. Place the pieces directly onto the stone and bake for 3 minutes. They should puff and not brown – or at least not brown much. Moisture in the dough is the key to puffiness.

9. Remove from the oven with a spatula and cool.10. Let the oven reheat for 5 minutes before cooking the

next batch.

Recipe: Soft PretzelsThis is a chewy, soft, salty pretzel. Quite by accident, I had one recently at the Capitol City Brewing Company and was reminded to include the recipe. Unless you work hard at rolling the dough pencil thin, they will resemble a bagel on coming out of the boiling water. Despite seeming compli-cated, these turn out to be quite easy to make and with the salt they are perfect soft pretzels.

BREAD INGREDIENTS1 cup water5 grams yeast2¾ cups bread flour2 tbs butter, at room temperature½ tsp salt1 tbs sugar

OTHER INGREDIENTS4 cups water, boiling5 tsp baking sodaCoarse salt (Kosher salt)

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1. Combine the bread ingredients, except omit half of the flour.

2. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.3. Add the rest of the flour and knead until it begins to

be smooth or at least isn’t totally sticky.4. Let it rise once – maybe 1 hour.5. Pre-heat the oven to 475°F.6. Divide the dough into 12 or more pieces and roll out

each piece into a rope about 1.5 feet long and pencil thin.

7. Make each rope into a pretzel shape.

8. Use a slotted spoon to boil each pretzel until it floats and then put them onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

9. Apply the coarse salt to taste – a lot is good.10. Bake until well browned or about 12 minutes.

Recipe: Sticky Buns

This recipe comes originally from Cooks Illustrated. It has been modified slightly in an attempt to shorten the direc-tions. The recipe is time consuming and we don’t make it often. It is included here because it is so good and because there is no equivalent way to get this into the kitchen for a Holiday breakfast (think Christmas morning). The way we have made these is to put everything together (i.e. com-

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pletely made and shaped) and then put them into the refrig-erator overnight. Early the next morning they are taken out and put on a heating pad to warm and rise – 2 hours is about the right amount of time.

Dough3 large eggs¾ cup buttermilk¼ cup granulated sugar1 tsp salt2 tsp active dry yeast4 cups flour (602 gm)6 tbs butter, melted and cooled a bit

Caramel Glaze6 tbs butter¾ cup packed light brown sugar (149 gm)3 tbs corn syrup (light or dark)2 tbs heavy cream1 pinch salt

Cinnamon Sugar Filling¾ cup packed light brown sugar (149 gm)2 tsp cinnamon¼ tsp ground cloves1 pinch salt1 tbs butter, melted

Pecan Topping3 tbs butter¼ cup packed light brown sugar (50 gm)3 tbs corn syrup1 pinch salt1 tsp vanilla extract¾ cup pecans (85 gm), toasted

1. Using the dough ingredients, make the dough and let it rise until doubled in volume.

2. Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well mixed. Pour the glaze mix into a greased (spray canola) metal 13” x 9” baking dish and spread evenly.

3. Combine the dry ingredients of the cinnamon sugar filling.

4. Roll the dough out into a rectangle (approx 12” x 16”) with the long side nearest you. Best put a little flour on the surface under the dough so it doesn’t stick. Brush the 1 tbs melted butter (from the cinna-mon sugar filling group) over the dough and evenly spread the cinnamon sugar filling over the rectangu-lar dough, leaving a ½” border at the top and bot-

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tom. Roll the dough and seal the final edge by pinching. Leave the seam down. Gently stretch and shape the cylinder to 18” long and even thickness. Use a serrated knife to slice into 12 even pieces (quarter it, then slice each quarter into thirds).

5. Put the rolls onto the glaze mix in the baking dish. At this point, they may be put into the refrigerator until morning (or not).

6. Set the baking dish onto a heating pad on low heat and let the buns rise until the sides are all. Plan for this to take 2 hours, although if not refrigerated it might be less.

7. Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes, or until the centers are 180˚F and they are golden brown. Don’t over bake. In this case, too little is better than too much.

8. While the buns are cooking, make the topping. Combine butter, sugar, syrup and salt and simmer over medium heat in a sauce pan. The vanilla and pecans come later.

9. Remove from oven and let cool 5 to 10 minutes. In-vert the baking dish onto a platter and gently assist the buns to come out with a rubber spatula. Use the spatula to recover glaze that is stuck to the pan and put it on the rolls.

10. To the topping, add vanilla and pecans and spoon evenly over each of the rolls. Cool for another 15 minutes and serve.

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Recipe: DumplingsDumplings for most people are just biscuits boiled in chicken broth. Use your favorite biscuit recipe, or use mine. Susan has a somewhat different take on this and has always omit-ted the leavening ingredients, so her dumplings are more like pie crust boiled in chicken broth.

Traditional Dumpling Ingre-dients1 cups of white whole wheat flour2 tsp baking powder½ tsp salt2 tbs butter½ cup of milk

Susan’s Dumpling Ingredients¼ tsp salt1 ½ cup flour½ cup unsalted butter (not right out of the refrigerator and not melted)¼ cup cold milk

1. Combine the dry ingredients and the butter. Chop up the butter with the flour.

2. Stir milk into the flour mixture to get slightly wet dough.

3. For drop dumplings, keep the dough on the wet side, but for rolled out dumplings add a little less milk or a little more flour and roll them out. Susan’s dumplings should always be rolled out and rested for a half hour.

4. Either rolled out or not, drop the dumplings gently into not quite boiling chicken stock and simmer until they float. Susan’s dumplings should be dropped into boiling water.

5. If there is a lot of flour on the outside of each dumpling, then a thick soup will form from the chicken stock, which makes a delicious cream of chicken soup, but the dumplings will suffer since they essentially cook apart. If there is less or hardly any flour on the dumplings, they come out more like very thick pasta or even matzo.

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Recipe: Cornbread IThis is Susan’s cornbread recipe and it is made in an 8” skil-let, albeit in the oven. This is practically the only one we make. It is easy and always turns out well.

1 cup Cornmeal1 cup All-purpose Flour1 tsp salt1 egg, beaten¼ cup Canola Oil (heat on stove in 8” skillet until smoking)3 tsp baking powder1 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 450˚F2. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.3. In a separate container, mix the egg and milk4. Add the egg and milk to the dry ingredients and then

immediately add the hot oil.5. Mix quickly and pour into the 8” skillet (from which

just came the oil)6. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

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Recipe: Corn Bread IIThis is the cornbread recipe that Narlin has always used. It is typically made in a round cake pan and has sugar in it. It is very accommodating to added apples as well.

1 cup Quaker yellow Corn Meal1 cup all-purpose flour¼ cup sugar2 tsp baking powder½ tsp salt1 egg1 cup milk or buttermilk¼ cup softened butter1 cup finely chopped apples (optional)Spray Canola for the pan

1. Mix together all of the ingredients and beat until smooth, but not more than about 1 minute.

2. If desired, add in 1 cup finely chopped apples3. Bake in a greased round cake pan at 425˚F for 20 to

25 minutes.4. Remove from the oven and turn out onto a plate,

then flip it over to be right side up.

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Recipe: Brisket (This recipe is unmodified from the website www.HomesickTexan.blogspot.com)

The key to this recipe is a fat pad on the brisket and 1.25 hr/lb and ¼ cup of liquid smoke. Clearly you won’t buy exactly a 4 pound piece, but don’t get anything smaller than 3 pounds and going up to 15 pounds is common. The ingredients can be scaled up, not down.

Ingredients:1 four-pound untrimmed brisket2 tbs of salt2 tbs of black pepper2 tsp cayenne4 cloves of garlic, crushed1 onion cut into slivers1/4 cup soy sauce1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce1/4 cup liquid smoke plus an additional 1/4 cup.1/4 cup black coffee1/4 cup apple cider vinegar3 fresh jalapenos, sliced

1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.2. Mix together the salt, black pepper, cayenne

and crushed garlic, and rub all over your brisket (more heavily on the meatier side but also a bit on the fat side as well). Allow the brisket to come to room temperature.

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3. In a large roasting pan, add the slivered onions, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of the liquid smoke, 1/4 cup black coffee, 1/4 cup ap-ple cider vinegar and half of the sliced jalapenos.

4. Place the brisket in the pan, fat side up, and sprinkle the remaining jalapenos on top of the brisket.

5. Cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake in the oven for four hours. At this point, if you want a more pronounced smoky taste, pour another 1/4 cup of the liquid smoke over the brisket. Otherwise, just continue cooking for another hour, or roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound.

6. Take the brisket out of the oven, and it should be tender to the touch. Let it sit out of the pan for half an hour, then trim the fat on top and slice against the grain. If you desire a gravy, the pan juice is a fine topping.

Recipe: Corned Beef and CabbageWe have not had this recipe often, but it was very good. I like cabbage and am constantly looking for different ways to use it. When you buy a head of cabbage, it can be over-whelming to eat it all, especially if you just try to include small pieces in salads. Finding the corned beef brisket can be challenging. It is quite possible to make it yourself, but you may find the directions for corning beef to be distaste-ful. That would be especially true when you get to the 10 day hold of raw meat in salt, sugar and saltpeter!

2 lb Corned Beef Brisket (purchased)3 carrots, diced1 medium onion, chopped3 potatoes, peeled and chopped2 stalks celery, chopped1 head cabbage (it is OK to be missing a little if it is a 2nd use.)1 tbs thyme2 bay leavesSalt and Pepper to taste

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1. Put the meat, salt and pepper, thyme and bay leaf into a large pot and add water until the pot is half full and the meat is barely under water.

2. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 2 ½ hours.

3. Add the vegetables (except for the cabbage) and continue to simmer for 15 to 30 minutes.

4. Add the cabbage and simmer for another 15 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes and cabbage are ten-der.

Recipe: Roast, Chuck

3 ½ lb chuck roast1 pkg onion soup mix

1. Put the roast on a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil. (Use 4 thicknesses of regular alu-minum foil as a substitute.)

2. Spread the onion soup mix (powder + onion pieces) equally on both sides of the meat.

3. Cover the meat with the foil and fasten the seams so that no juice can escape.

4. Put the foil covered meat onto a baking sheet and roast at 300˚F for 3 to 4 hours.

Recipe: Beef StroganoffDue to the pasta that stroganoff is served over, it is a little higher in calorie content than many of the recipes in this book. As a consequence, we don’t make it as often as we might otherwise. If you happen to be feeding a hungry teenager, this might be just the thing.

3 to 5 cups cooked pasta (fettuccini works well) 1 lb beef sirloin, cut into ¼ inch strips3 tbs flour (we’ll use 1 tbs, then 2 tbs)½ tsp salt4 tbs butter¾ cup button mushrooms, sliced1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped½ cup onion, chopped

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1 tbs tomato paste1 ¼ cup beef broth (can be made from a bouillon cube)1 cup sour cream2 tbs white wine

1. Add 1 tbs flour and the salt to the beef strips and stir to evenly coat the meat with flour.

2. Melt the butter in a skillet and then brown the meat.3. Remove the meat from the skillet and put in the,

onions and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent. It is desirable that the onions brown slightly.

4. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms are softened.

5. Add 2 more tbs of butter to the skillet and when it is melted add 2 tbs of flour and stir.

6. Add 1 tbs of tomato paste.7. With the contents of the skillet hot, add the beef

broth and stir and heat until it thickens.8. Return the meat to the skillet and stir in the sour

cream.9. Add the wine, heat thoroughly and serve over pasta.

Recipe: Ground Meat GravyAlthough named Ground Meat Gravy, this is an entrée sup-per dish not to be confused with gravy as a side. Serves 4. Serve over rice.

Ground meat gravy:½ yellow onion, chopped1 – 2 tbs olive oil2 cloves garlic, chopped fine One pound ground beef1 can (15 to 16 oz) chopped or stewed tomatoes½ - 1 tsp saltGround black pepper to taste1 tsp dried oregano or marjoram (or both!)1 tsp dried thyme1 cup rice (keep separate)

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½ tsp salt (for rice)2 cups water (for rice)

1. Chop the onion into roughly 1/4” pieces.2. Heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet or other heavy

skillet over medium heat. When oil glistens, add chopped onion and sauté over medium heat until semi-transparent.

3. While onion cooks, chop garlic fine. When onions are done, add garlic and stir for 1 – 2 minutes. Garlic burns easily, so you can’t put it in at the beginning with the onions.

4. Add ground meat to onions and garlic. Increase heat to medium-high, so the meat will brown. As water cooks out of the meat, it will boil away if there’s enough heat. As the meat browns, if the liquid does not boil away, it is beef fat. After the meat has browned, remove skillet from heat and drain the beef/onion/garlic mixture in a colander over a din-ner plated lined with paper towels. Put the beef back in the skillet and reduce heat to medium low.

5. Salt & pepper to taste. Add can of tomatoes and dried herbs. My mother used only parsley in this dish – I prefer thyme and oregano or marjoram. Re-duce heat until the mixture simmers (occasional bubbles). I don’t usually cover the skillet, but if it gets too dry, add a little water or beef broth and cover the skillet.

6. While the beef simmers, in a separate 2 quart pot bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add rice & salt, re-duce heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

7. When rice is done, serve meat over rice.

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Recipe: Beef StewWe don’t have this very often and I don’t know why. It is quite delicious. Maybe the lengthy cooking time is an issue, but that certainly doesn’t reduce the frequency of other en-trées. This is served over rice (not shown in the ingredients list).

2 pounds stew beef3/4 cup flour + 1 tsp black pepper1 tsp salt2 tbs olive oil 1 medium carrot, sliced2 ribs celery, sliced1 medium onion, diced4 clove garlic, minced2 cups beef bouillon1 cup dry red wine¼ tsp rosemary2 cups peeled potato cubes (about 12 irregular cut pieces per potato)

1. Trim stew beef and cut in small bite-size pieces. Put in a food storage bag with the flour, pepper, and salt; toss to coat well.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat; add beef to hot oil and cook, stir-ring, until lightly browned.

3. Add the onion and celery; continue cooking, stir-ring, for about 3 minutes.

4. Add carrots, potatoes, garlic, broth, wine, and rosemary; bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Add onions. Continue cooking for about 30 min-utes or until beef is tender.

7. Serve over rice. Serves 8.

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Recipe: Beef with Broccoli (stir fry Chinese)The recipe is originally from a book by Dorothy Huang called “Chinese Cooking” (ed. Lorry Harju, Pinewood Press, Hous-ton, 1980). It has been modified to double the thickening sauce as we found it to always be too little.

½ pound flank steak1 pound fresh broccoli4 tbs oil½ tsp salt2 slices peeled ginger root

Marinade for beef:2 tsp cornstarch1 tsp dry sherry2 tsp water1 tbs canola oil1 tbs soy sauce

Thickening Sauce:2 tsp cornstarch1 tsp sugar8 tbs water4 tbs oyster sauce

Prepare1. Cut the flank steak lengthwise (with the grain) into

strips 1 ½ inches wide. Next take each piece and cut across the grain into 1/8 inch slices.

2. Transfer the cut up beef to a mixing bowl. Add mari-nade ingredients and toss to coat thoroughly. Let stand for 30 minutes or longer.

3. Wash and drain the broccoli. Peel tough skin from the bottom of the stems. Cut each stalk into 3 or 4 equal sections. Slice the stem sections lengthwise into ¼ inch pieces. Separate the flowerets into bite-sized pieces.

4. Mix the thickening sauce ingredients together in a separate bowl.

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5. Heat 2 tbs of oil in a wok over high heat. Add broc-coli and salt, and stir-fry for 3 minutes. (Add 1 tbs water if it gets too dry.) Transfer to a plate.

6. Wipe the wok with a paper towel and add 2 tbs of oil. When hot, add ginger root; after a few seconds, add beef mixture. Stir-fry over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. The ginger root is quite good; argue over who gets it.

7. Return the broccoli to the wok and pour in the sauce. Continue to heat and stir until thickened. Serve hot.

Recipe: Grilled Rib Eye SteakIt may be difficult to totally mess up a steak but it is clear that some are more successful than others. Consequently, this isn’t so much a recipe as it is a set of directions for suc-cess. Buy steak that is well marbled with fat. The flavor is in the fat. Marinades can sometimes save a lesser cut of meat, but if you buy well they aren’t useful.

Rib Eye Steak, boneless, about 1” thickOnion saltGarlic saltKosher saltFreshly ground pepper

1. The meat must be thawed completely.2. If using charcoal, it must have been hot long enough

to be grey (ashen) all over.3. Put the salts and pepper liberally onto both sides of

the meat.4. Put the meat over the hottest part of the fire and

only about 2 inches above it. Leave it there until it is seared well, then turn it over and sear the other side. I find this takes about 2 to 2½ minutes per side. You need to watch it and assure that it doesn’t burn during the searing process.

5. Move the meat to a part of the grill that is hot, but not directly over the coals. You don’t want any juices that may come out to catch fire.

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6. Monitor the interior of the steak at multiple places until the coldest spot is 135°F. At that point it is done.

Recipe: Stuffed Bell Pepper

2 Bell Peppers (red or green), halved.1 lb ground meatAmerican cheese slices1 medium onion, chopped⅛ tsp rosemary3 cloves garlic1 tsp oregano2 tsp salt½ tsp black pepper½ cup rice½ cup dried bread crumbs2 tbs olive oil

1. Cook the rice. ½ cup rice + 1 cup water and simmer 20 minutes covered.

2. Sauté the onion in a skillet with olive oil.3. Add the ground meat and brown.4. Mix in the seasonings.5. Mix in the cooked rice and bread crumbs.6. Put the bell pepper into a greased 9” x 9” casserole

dish and fill with the meat and rice mixture.7. Put the remaining meat and rice mixture all around

the bell peppers.8. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.9. Top with a slice of American cheese on each pepper

and return to oven. Heat until the cheese is melted.Serves 4.

Recipe: Eggplant, Ground Meat, and Bread CrumbsThis is Susan’s recipe and she hasn’t ever made up a real name. The ground meat tends to hide the flavor of the egg-plant and mostly hides its texture as well. If you have a problem with cooked eggplant, that could all be good.

1 large Eggplant

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

1 cup Onion2 cloves garlic, minced1 lb ground beef¾ to 1 cup bread dried bread crumbs2 tbs olive oil1 tsp thymeSalt and Pepper to tasteCheese, shredded cheddar, Colby, or slices of American

1. Peel and cube the egg plant (3/4 to 1” cubes). Put it into boiling water and cook until tender, approxi-mately 15 to 20 minutes. As it gets tender, it quits floating. When done, drain it.

2. Sauté the onion in the olive oil, then add the garlic.3. Add the thawed ground meat to the onions and

brown it.4. Add seasonings.5. Add the egg plant and bread crumbs, mix and heat

through.6. Top with cheese, put a lid on it, and melt on the

stove top (about 5 minutes)

Modification: In addition to the cheese listed, you can add some smoked mozzarella for a nice flavor.

Recipe: Ground Beef and MacaroniNot a recipe that we would probably feed to guests. I would call Ground Beef and Macaroni an any day “What do you want tonight?” deal. We like it, but it is absolutely not spe-cial. I think that a version of this used to be sold in stores un-der the label “Hamburger Helper”.

1 lb Ground Meat1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese¾ cup dry Macaroni1 tbs salt3 qts waterSalt to taste4 slices American Cheese

1. Add the 1 tbs of Salt to 3 qts of water and bring to a boil.

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2. Put the macaroni in the boiling water and boil for 12 minutes.

3. Brown the ground beef in a skillet.4. Add the drained Macaroni noodles, and cheddar

cheese to the browned meat in the skillet and mix well.

5. When everything in the skillet is mixed and hot, lay 4 slices of American cheese onto it in a single layer.

6. Cover the skillet and let the cheese melt, then serve.

Recipe: Spinach and Beef CasseroleVery easy, good home food.

1 lb ground meat~1/3 to ½ lb Shredded Monterey jack cheese (white cheese)8 oz penne paste (whole wheat), cooked1 tsp garlic salt 2 to 3 bunches fresh spinachOlive oil3 tbs minced garlic or ~8 cloves garlic½ onion chopped1 can cream of celery soup

1. In a large wok (or large pot like a dutch oven) heat the oil and cook the onion. When the onion is mostly transparent, add the garlic.

2. Add the spinach and cook it down, then set aside.3. Brown the ground beef and continue cooking until

all of the water has boiled off and the meat is getting dry. Add the garlic salt during this time.

4. Combine the cooked pasta, spinach, ground beef, grated cheese and soup.

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper6. Place the mixture into a large casserole dish and put

a little more grated cheese on top.7. Cover and coork for about 30 to 45 minutes or until

hot at 350˚F.

Recipe: MeatloafDon’t get carried away making meat loaf. It is comfort food and not intended for company.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

1 lb ground meat, thawed1 onion1 clove garlic1 egg2 stalks celery

1. Chop the onion, celery, and garlic and sauté until tender.

2. Mix the vegetables in with the raw ground meat and the egg. Mix well.

3. Press into an oiled loaf pan and bake at 350°F until done – about 40 minutes. If you want to check for done, a meat thermometer in the center should read at least 160°F and 190°F is OK.

Recipe: MoussakaThis recipe is worth the trouble to make, but be aware that it takes several hours and has some less than common ingredi-ents.

2 large eggplants (about 2 ½ to 3 lbs) unpeeled and cut lengthwise into ½ inch slices½ cup olive oilSaltBlack pepper

Sauce2 tbs olive oil½ onion3 cloves garlic, minced1 lb ground beef½ tsp dried oregano1/8 tsp ground allspicePinch of ground clove1 cinnamon stick½ tsp saltPepper to taste1 can tomatoes (14.5 oz) chopped1 bay leaf

Custard5 tbs unsalted butter

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6 tbs flour3 cups whole milk1 ½ tsp salt1/8 tsp nutmeg1 large egg2 large egg yolks

½ cup dried breadcrumbs3 tbs Pecorino Romano cheese

Eggplant Instructions:1. Brush the eggplant with oil and lay onto a foil-lined

baking sheet. Add salt and pepper. Bake at 475˚F for 25 min.

2. On removal, carefully remove the skin and discard (optional).

Sauce Instructions:3. Sauté the onion in the olive oil until slightly brown.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute.4. Add the ground meat, oregano, allspice, cloves, and

cinnamon, salt and pepper. As the meat browns, break it up into small pieces.

5. Add the tomato and bay leaf and bring to a simmer.6. Cook until the sauce is thick, about 20 minutes.

Custard Instructions:7. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.8. Add the flour and combine until smooth.9. Add the milk salt and nutmeg and stir well and con-

tinuously until boiling, then reduce heat to a simmer. Continue stirring until it is thick. Let it cool some.

10. When the sauce is cool enough to not cook the egg, whisk in the egg and yolks.

Assembly:11. Set the oven to 350˚F.12. Brush a casserole dish with the oil (size 9” x 13” x 2”)13. Layer the breadcrumbs in the bottom of the dish.14. Put ½ of the eggplant into the pan in a layer.15. Cover with ½ of the meat sauce.16. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and meat sauce.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

17. Pour the custard sauce over the layered mixture.18. Layer the top with Pecorino Romano cheese.19. Bake uncovered until lightly brown and the custard is

set.20. Remove from the oven. Let rest 10 minutes. Serve.

Recipe: Chili IIThis chili is the one that Susan makes most frequently. It is the one we use with Frito Pie (if I don’t use store bought canned chili, which is also excellent with Frito Pie).

2 lbs meat, chopped, ground, etc. (beef of course)8 oz tomato sauce1 to 2 cups water1 tsp salt1 to 2 tbs onion powder2 cloves garlic, minced2 tbs cumin1 tsp oregano1 tsp paprika2 tsp red pepper½ cup chili powderMasa harina to thicken

Brown the meat and add the remaining ingredients.Simmer for 15 minutes.Add the masa and stir it in until the desired viscosity is achieved.Simmer another 15 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe: Frito PieI learned this recipe in 1960 in far northeast Texas while flee-ing from hurricane Carla. As I recall, the Miss America pageant was on TV at the time. It was a major event back then. Anyway, we didn’t know the people who took us in as temporary refugees and we were travelling in a convoy of about 3 families. They offered this as large scale sustenance and I was so grateful that I enquired about the recipe.

3 cups Fritos corn chips3/4 cup chopped onion

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1 cup grated cheddar cheese2-1/2 cups chili (homemade, canned, whatever)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 2 cups of Fritos in a baking dish.

2. Sprinkle half the onion and half the cheese over the Fritos.

3. Pour the chili over the onion and cheese. 4. Sprinkle the remaining Fritos, onion and cheese over

the chili. Bake for 15 or 20 minutes or until the cheese is bub-bly. Serve hot.

Recipe: Cabbage RollsI have been making this recipe for a very long time as a con-sequence of having extra cabbage after making egg rolls, or just because cabbage is in season. It could be made with ei-ther red or green cabbage, although green is traditional. The filling can be modified to fit whatever is available in the pantry. After the cabbage, ground beef, rice, and egg, every-thing else is more or less optional.

1 lb ground beef¾ cup rice1 eggHead of cabbage (that has been frozen and thawed)2 ½ tbs butter1 tbs Olive oil1 tbs lemon juice14 oz tomato sauce (1 can)14 oz diced tomatoes (1 can)½ cup celery, chopped fine1 onion, chopped 1 tbs parsley1 tbs oregano1 tbs sugarSalt and Pepper to taste

1. Combine the ground meat, cooked rice, egg and 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Mix well and set aside.

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

2. Sauté the onion and celery in 2 tbs of the butter until softened.

3. To the onion and celery, add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, sugar, lemon juice, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

4. Bring the sauce to a boil; remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, remove 12 cabbage leaves from the frozen and thawed head of cabbage. They should be limp as a consequence of freezing.

6. With a sharp knife, carefully trim the center spine from the back of each leaf without cutting all the way through the leaf.

7. Put an equal amount of meat into each leaf and fold/roll up.

8. Place each of the rolls into a 9” x 9” glass baking dish.

9. Pour the sauce over all and cook covered at 350˚F for 45 min to 1 hour.

Recipe: Salisbury SteakMakes four servings

There has been much discussion about whether to include this recipe or not. It is not a favorite, but rather defaults, used when we want to eat and have a hot meal, but aren’t in any way inspired. Salisbury steak is just gussied up ham-burger with no bun. The ground meat must be thawed and the fastest acceptable method is to put it into a bowl of warm water and wait. We have found that thawing ground meat in the microwave just isn’t reliable. The recipe here tastes good and looks nice and serves for a meal. I suppose it would not be suitable for guests.

Meat ingredients:1 lb ground meat, thawed.½ cup dried bread crumbs1 egg1 tsp pepper½ pkg of onion soup mix (10 to 12 gm)¼ tsp salt

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Sauce ingredients:½ pkg of onion soup mix1 tbs butter1 tbs flour1 cup waterDash Worstershire½ tsp mustard (dry powder)

1. Mix up the meat ingredients and make into four patties.

2. There are two cooking methods. Choose one.a. Put the patties on foil and cover with foil.

Put the foil pack on a baking sheet and bake at 350˚F for 40 to 45 minutes.

b. Put the patties in a skillet that has been sprayed with canola oil and cook on both sides until done.

3. To make the sauce, combine the butter, flour, and onion soup mix over low heat until a uniform paste is achieved.

4. Add the water and turn the heat to high. Stir con-stantly until it thickens, then remove from fire, or turn down to the lowest setting to keep it warm.

5. Serve by putting the sauce on top of the meat. Serve with a vegetable.

Recipe: Philly Cheese SteakThe key to this classic sub-roll sandwich is in the ingredients. Get them right, or just forever buy the sandwich from some-one else. If you search grocery stores or wholesale gro-ceries, you may be able to find the cheese steak meat pre-sliced and ready to cook.

1 to 2 lbs Ribeye steak1 medium onion, sliced into pieces of 2” or more after sepa-ration1 tbs Canola OilProvolone cheese – 2 slices per sandwich

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Submarine Bread (small oblong rolls about 6 to 8 inches long.)Condiments added to taste (salt, pepper, mustard, mayo, catsup, hots, etc.)

1. Freeze the Ribeye, then remove it from the freezer and using a sharp or serrated knife, slice it very, very thin. This is most easily accomplished while it is still near freezing.

2. If the meat is sufficiently marbled, you won’t need any oil. Otherwise, add 1 tbs canola oil to a heavy skillet. Add enough meat for one sandwich (at least ¼ lb but probably more) and pan fry until it is brown and limp.

3. Remove the meat from the skillet and add the onion slices. Fry these until limp.

4. Meanwhile, open the bread roll and toast lightly.5. Put the meat and onion onto the roll, top with

cheese and put into the broiler. Broil until the cheese just begins to brown.

6. Serve.

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7PIG

Recipe: Maple Cranberry Pork MedallionsThis is a very common evening meal made from pork tender-loin. The boneless pork tenderloin is sold as a tubular piece of meat which can simply be sliced into ¾” pieces to yield the medallions.The tenderloin is the leanest but also the tenderest cut of pork. Located along the bottom of the loin, it is generally an expensive cut. Since it is so lean, overcooking is an issue and should be avoided.

1 Pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), cut into ¾” slices½ tsp salt¼ tsp black pepper1/3 cup all-purpose flour2 tbs butter2 tbs canola oil

Sauce½ tsp minced garlic1 cup chicken broth2 tsp Dijon mustard2 tsp maple syrup1 tbs balsamic vinegar½ cup dried cranberriesOptional – thickening agent such as xantham gum, guar gum, cornstarch, or roux

1. Using an 8” cast iron skillet and a cutting board, pound the tenderloin slices flat (1/8” – ¼” thick)

2. Preheat the oven to 175˚F. 3. Combine salt, pepper, and flour on a plate

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4. Heat butter and oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.

5. Dredge pork medallions lightly in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, and sauté in the skillet until browned on both sides.

6. Keep sautéed medallions warm in the oven.7. To make the sauce, add garlic to the skillet.8. Whisk in chicken broth and mustard, scraping

browned bits from the bottom of the skillet9. Boil for 5 minutes, reducing liquid by half10. Add syrup, vinegar, and dried cranberries.11. Cook 2 minutes more. If desired, thicken with xan-

tham gum, guar gum or cornstarch.12. Spoon sauce over medallions to serve. Serves 3 or 4.

Recipe: Pork Tenderloin and Maple GlazeThe dish is quick and elegant. It must be served with one or two sides. Plan on at least 4 ounces of tenderloin per person and scale accordingly.

8 oz pork tenderloin½ tsp dried chervil½ tsp dried thyme2 tbs maple syrup1 tbs brown prepared mustard (Dijon)

1. Turn on the broiler and line a broiler pan with alu-minum foil to lessen the clean up.

2. Cut the tenderloin into slices about ¾ inch thick.3. Mix up the chervil, thyme, mustard, and syrup and

coat each tenderloin slice bottom, top and sides. 4. Cook the slices about 2 inches under the heat for 10

minutes. Turn them over and cook 5 minutes more and until the meat is not pink.

5. As they come from the broiler, put onto plates and spoon any syrup topping over them. Serve hot.

Recipe: Pork BBQThis recipe is from Cheater BBQ: Barbecue Anytime, Any-where, In Any Weather by Mindy Merrell and R. B. Quinn

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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767927680?ie=UTF8&tag=minnpublradi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0767927680

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767927680?ie=UTF8&tag=minnpublradi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0767927680

CHAPTER SEVEN PIG

(Broadway Books, A Division of Random House, Inc., 2008) Copyright 2008 by Mindy Merrell and R. B. Quinn.

Makes 12 to 14 servings (and you wouldn’t want any less)

One 5- to 6-pound boneless Boston butt pork roast or same weight of boneless country-style pork ribs

1/4 cup Basic Dry Rub (recipe follows) 1/2 cup bottled smoke (Liquid Smoke brand) Barbecue sauce of your choice (Bulls Eye Hickory

Smoke is recommended).

1. Cut the pork butt into medium (2- to 3-inch) chunks (the ribs don't need to be cut up).

2. Put the pieces in a large slow cooker (at least 5 quarts). Sprinkle the meat with the rub, turning the pieces to coat evenly. Add the bottled smoke.

3. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or on low for 10 to 12 hours, until the meat is pull-apart tender and reaches an internal tempera-ture of 190 F.

4. Transfer the meat to a platter and let it rest un-til cool enough to handle. Pull the meat into strands. It should shred very easily. Serve the

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Basic Dry RubMakes about 2/3 cup

1/4 cup paprika 2 tbs kosher salt 2 tbs coarsely ground black pepper 1 tbs garlic powder 1 tbs dry mustard

1. Combine all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to blend.

THE COMMON COOKBOOK

barbecue piled on buns with your favorite bar-becue sauce.

5. To serve the barbecue later, cover and refriger-ate the meat when it has cooled. Pour the meat juice into a separate container and refrigerate. Before reheating the juice, skim and discard the congealed fat layer on the top.

6. To reheat the barbecue, place it in a saucepan moistened with some of the reserved juice. Gently heat the meat on medium-low, stirring occasionally. Or, place it in a covered casserole with some of the reserved juice and heat in a 350 F oven for 20 to 30 minutes. While the meat warms, combine the barbecue sauce and some of the additional reserved meat juice in a saucepan. Heat through and serve with the bar-becue.

Recipe: Sausage, LinksSausage is more about the buying than the cooking. When looking for links, try to purchase from a known source and preferably a local source. We prefer a hot Italian seasoning but there are many others. Currently, we find that a maple flavored link is available.

Ingredients:4 to 6 Sausage Links (½ lb per person)

1. Put the links into a cast iron skillet with no oil. Cook over low heat, uncovered. Internal temperature should be about 160˚F when done.

Recipe: Sausage Skillet SupperSausage Skillet Supper is “goto” comfort food. Ideal any time of year for a quick warm meal. Until Narlin got in-volved, this recipe was always done with 1 lb of Kielbasa but he thought it was too much meat.

½ lb Smoked Kielbasa sausage, sliced into ¼” pieces¾ cup uncooked white rice1 can (10.75 oz) cream of celery soup¾ to 1 cup water

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1 tbs butter10 oz frozen Ford Hook Lima Bean (or baby lima beans)2 ½ oz sliced mushrooms1 cup grated Swiss cheese (or slices laid on top, or parmesan)

1. Combine the sausage, uncooked rice, celery soup, water and butter in a large skill and put onto medium heat on the stove.

2. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat a simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the frozen peas and sliced mushrooms.4. Added the cheese to the top, cover and simmer for

an additional 20 minutes and until the rice is tender. Check the rice before serving.

Recipe: Pan Fried Pork ChopsThese can’t be beat for flavor, but you have to buy the right chops. The best ones are sliced (cut) very thin and sold in the supermarket as a “family pack”.

Pork Chops, bone in, cut thin½ cup flour1 tbs black pepperSaltCanola Oil to 1/16” deep in skillet2 tbs Butter

1. Heat the oil and butter in a skillet on medium. The butter is just to help with brown color development.

2. Add a little black pepper to the flour and put onto a plate.

3. Season both sides of each pork chop with black pep-per and salt. Use a lot.

4. Flour the pork chops on both sides.5. Cook the pork chops for 2 to 3 minutes per side. De-

pending on how many fit in your skillet, you may have to do more than one skillet. Assuming that you do them serially, keep the first ones hot in an oven set to 250˚F.

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6. Make the pork gravy below and serve over rice.

Recipe: Pork GravyOnly after you have finished with the pan fried pork chops recipe can this be done. Note that the use of flour in the pork chops is critical to success here.

Additional ingredients:½ onion, chopped1 tbs butter (additional to fats already in skillet)1 cup water (or milk)

After the pork chops are done, add another tbs of butter to the skillet and melt. Then add half an onion and cook until browned. Scrape the skillet with a spatula to loosen the meat bits. Add 1 cup of water and heat to boiling, continu-ing to scrape the skillet. Once the water boils, turn the tem-perature down to simmer for a minute or two and the gravy is done.

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Recipe: Sweet and Sour PorkI have never much cared for the sweet and sour part of this recipe, although it might be worth a try. However, the pork fried with cornstarch as written here is the best.

1 lb pork (butt, shoulder, loin, etc.)3 tbs Soy Sauce1 tbs sherry¼ tsp black pepper¼ tsp onion or garlic powder (or 1 minced garlic)1 egg4 to 6 tbs cornstarch Canola oil for frying

1. Cut the pork into cubes the size of canned pineapple chunks (3/4” to 1” cubes).

2. Mix the pork, egg, soy sauce, sherry, pepper, and garlic powder.

3. Add 4 tbs cornstarch to the pork mixture and mix well. If the coating drips too much, add more corn-starch.

4. Heat the oil to 375˚F in a heavy skillet and pan fry the pork pieces. Keep them separated so that they don’t stick to each other. Fry until golden brown all over, then keep them hot in a 200˚F oven.

-------------------------¼ cup catsup2 tbs cornstarch½ cup sugar¼ cup vinegar1 cup pineapple sauce (from can)1 cup canned pineapple (chunks or pieces)1 tbs soy sauce½ green pepper

5. For the sauce, cut the green pepper into ¾” pieces. 6. Add the remaining ingredients to the pepper in a

sauce pan and bring the sauce to a boil.---------------------------1 cup rice2 cups water1 tsp salt

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

7. Combine the rice, salt and cold water in a pan. 8. Bring the water and rice to a boil, then reduce the

heat to a simmer.9. Simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes, then remove

from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, still with the lid on. A goal is to make the rice sticky.

10. Serve the pork and sauce over rice.

Recipe: Quiche LorraineThere are many types of quiche recipes. Quiche basically means a custard pie with meat and cheese. Many of the va-rieties don’t even have meat. This one is pretty traditional. I like it best served cold (after overnight refrigeration) for breakfast. Most people don’t agree with that, and want it served warm. If you decide to reheat it, use the oven. Like many things that have a crust, a microwave does bad things to the bread ingredients.

Oven set to 375˚F1 pie crust for an 8” deep dish pie (bottom only) [Works just as well for a 9”.]

1½ cups white whole wheat flour¼ tsp salt½ cup butter at room temperature (softened)¼ cup ice cold water

To make the pie crust, mix up the first 3 ingredients with a fork until it is crumbly.Add the water and knead briefly (seconds) with one hand and fingers until it holds together and has no crumbs left in the bowl. This makes enough dough for a bottom and top. Make the bottom for the quiche. Roll out the top and just eat it while cooking.

½ cup Canadian bacon (4 slices) - sautéed slightly½ onion, sautéed in a little butter after the bacon1 cup sliced white cap mushrooms, sautéed with the onion1/2 lb Swiss cheese, sliced3 eggs beaten

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1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk¼ tsp pepper¼ tsp nutmegPinch of salt

1. Put the pie crust into an 8” deep dish pie pan. Glass is nice.

2. Layer the sautéed bacon evenly over the bottom.3. Add a layer of cheese slices4. Layer the onion and mushrooms over the cheese5. Add another layer of cheese. Use the rest of the

cheese6. Make the custard. Mix the beaten eggs, pepper, and

nutmeg into the evaporated milk. Pour it carefully over the other ingredients to fill the pie pan. Don’t forget the nutmeg!

7. Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour. It is done when a knife inserted in the center is withdrawn dry. Re-move from the oven and let cool for at least ½ hour but an hour is better.

8. Serve.9. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Recipe: Spinach QuicheThe primary variation for quiche recipes is spinach quiche. This may have started back when it was very unpopular to eat fatty foods (think bacon) although today I suspect that was just wrongheaded thinking. Anyway, restaurants made spinach quiche a very chic lunch item and it does turn out to be pretty good. We usually substitute evaporated milk for the whole milk and heavy cream. Also, if you use fresh and very well washed spinach, then it needs to be cooked down with a little butter (or oil) in a skillet first.

Aside: This recipe can be put into a pie tin (glass pie plate) without any pie shell (crust) if you use 3 egg whites and 3 egg yolks instead of two. Be sure to grease the pie plate with a good spray canola oil. It still cuts and comes out in pie shaped pieces just as if there was flour crust.Timing: Less than an hour, including the time to make a pie crust.

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10 oz package frozen spinach2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 1 cup whole milk 1 cup heavy cream ½ tsp salt½ tsp ground white pepper 1/8 tsp fresh grated nutmeg 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated 9 inch pie shell bottom only

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 2. Cook the frozen spinach according to the package di-

rections, then drain it and put it onto paper towels and express the water out of it until it is really quite dry. There is plenty of liquid in this recipe and we want virtually none contributed by the spinach.

3. Mix all of the other ingredients to homogeneity, ex-cept for the cheese.

4. 2. Spread the spinach over bottom of the pie shell and evenly distribute the cheese on top of it.

5. Pour in mixed custard stopping 1/2-inch below the rim.

6. Bake until lightly golden brown and a knife blade in-serted about one inch from the edge comes out clean, about 35 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe: Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb ground pork (or bulk Italian sausage)1 can tomatoes 14.5 oz1 cup chopped onion1 cup chopped mushrooms2 tbs oregano4 tbs minced parsley6 cloves garlic, smashed then chopped2 tsp black pepper¼ cup brown sugarWater, as needed

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4 tbs Italian seasoning: (Marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil)

1. Sauté the pork until brown. 2. Add garlic, onion, and mushrooms and cook until the

vegetables are tender.3. Combine with the tomatoes in a large pan or skillet4. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and

simmer until thick.5. Serve over al dente noodles

Recipe: Skillet Pork and CabbageThis recipe came off the internet from About.com

3 tbs soy sauce1 tsp ground ginger1 tsp sugar8 to 12 oz boneless pork, cut into small cubes1 ½ cups chopped onion (2 onions)3 tbs vegetable oil4 cups shredded cabbage (1/2 head works just fine)Hot cooked rice (optional)

1. Stir together soy sauce, ginger, and sugar in a small cup.

2. Sauté pork and onions in hot oil until onions are ten-der and pork is no longer pink.

3. Stir in cabbage and soy sauce mixture. 4. Cook with occasional stirring over medium heat until

cabbage is tender (15 minutes)5. Serve over cooked rice, or as is.

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8CHICKEN

BriningBrining is introduced under the heading of chicken because that is where we have found it makes the most difference. Although brining is used to improve the texture and flavor of any lean meat, it is essential to chicken breasts, which may otherwise be so dry as to be a waste of money.

You can brine a whole chicken, or just the breasts or even a whole turkey. It is worth it. Here is how.

1. Use kosher salt . Table salt usually contains iodine and perhaps some anti-cake reagents (aluminum calcium silicate or calcium or magnesium carbonate). These compounds add an undesirable flavor to the meat. Addi-tionally, table salt is about 10 ounces/cup while kosher salt is about 5 to 7 ounces/cup. Clearly, you can see the need again to use a balance for the amounts. Measuring pow-ders and granulated products by volume is wrong.

2. Make the brine according to the table be-low. Make enough. It is often beneficial to put the meat into a ziplock bag and pour the brine into the bag. It probably won’t com-pletely cover the meat, but it can be turned during the process. It is possible to brine meat for too long but it is difficult. Any time between 1 hour per side per pound, and 8 hours/side/pound is fine. If you immerse it entirely, then you can put it into the refriger-ator at breakfast and it will be ready to cook for dinner.

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3. Using the bag method, a common amount of brine to make is 1 quart per pound of meat.

Water Salt Sugar1 quart 283.5 grams* 100 grams

(1/2 cup)½ gallon 567 grams 200 grams1 gallon 1134 grams 400 grams

*1/2 cup if using Diamond Crystal kosher

Recipe: Grilled ChickenThere are as many ways to mess this up as there are to make a great dinner! Brining for several hours according to the di-rections in this chapter is essential. It is no guarantee of suc-cess, but at least you will have a chance to get a tasty out-come. Once it has been brined, it will cook without drying out, whether you cook it hot or cold or slow or fast. Almost unbelievably, it even allows the breast meat to remain moist. It is true that boneless, skinless breasts are not very good grilled. Don’t waste them with grilling. If you want grilled chicken breasts, leave the breast attached to the thigh and leave the skin on both.

Buy a simple meat thermometer. Grilled chicken is done at 160°F to 165°F. You can’t tell by looking. If you cut open the meat, you still can’t tell and you make the chicken look bad.

There are multiple options for coatings to paint or stick to the chicken prior to grilling. If you want the BBQ flavor, then use your favorite sauce recipe. Paint and cook it.

Another popular coating is to use bottled Italian Salad dress-ing and paint the chicken as it is grilled.

Experiment. Find your favorite chicken paint, but also brine the chicken.

Recipe: Saltimbocca Gruyére (Flattened chicken breasts)

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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts¼ lb to ½ lb prosciutto (very thin sliced ham) or use Canadian bacon1 cup shredded Gruyére cheese (best, but provolone is also very good)2 tbs butter2 tbs olive oil½ cup dry white wine

1. Place the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap on a sturdy cutting board, then use a skillet to pound it to ¼ inch thick. Flatten all of the chicken pieces this way.

2. Onto a flattened chicken breast, place a layer of prosciutto and some shredded Gruyere over each. Roll these up and fasten with a toothpick.

3. Melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet; add the chicken rolls, and sauté, turning occasionally until they are golden brown all over.

4. Add wine to the skillet, turn the burner to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. If there is concern over their being done, then check with a meat thermometer. They should get to at least about 160˚F, but not over 180˚F or they will get tough.

5. Remove the rolls to a serving plate, and cover to keep warm. Turn the burner up to high, and boil the liquid in the skillet hard for 5 minutes to reduce the broth. Spoon it over the rolls and serve.

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Saltimbocca Gruyére: Prior to rolling and after browning.

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Recipe: Deviled Drumsticks

¼ cup flour¼ tsp chili powder½ tsp salt¼ tsp black pepper4 to 6 chicken thighs or drumsticks3 tbs peanut oil for frying⅓ cup waterSalt to taste½ onion, sliced⅓ cup catsup3 tbs brown sugar¼ cup butter3 tbs vinegar2 tsp prepared mustard2 tsp Worcestershire sauce¼ tsp cayenne pepper1 tsp lemon juice

1. Put the flour, chili powder, salt and black pepper in a plastic bag.

2. Add the chicken and shake to coat it well.

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3. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet and brown the chicken parts all over.

4. Put the other ingredients in a small pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.

5. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the skillet.6. Cover the chicken and cook on low heat for about 2

hours, turning the chicken pieces over every 30 min-utes. It is done when the chicken is pulling away from the bone when touched with a fork.

Recipe: Chicken Fingers

1 - 2 chicken breasts.Flour, sufficient to coat the chicken – about ¾ cup per breastSalt and pepper to taste1 egg, beaten½ cup milkCanola Oil to pan fry

1. Cut the chicken into ½ inch strips, cutting across the breast (across the grain). If any strips are longer than about 1 ½ inches, cut them in half.

2. Dredge the fingers in the flour, salt and pepper to coat all over.

3. One at a time, put the fingers into the combined egg and milk mixture and then immediately back into the flour. Coat evenly, and lay onto a plate or wax pa-per to dry. Do all the fingers. Let them dry for about 20 minutes.

4. Put ¼ inch (depth) of canola oil into a skillet (a smaller skillet will take less oil) and heat to 350˚F.

5. Fry the fingers to a golden brown color assuring that they don’t touch each other and stick. If multiple skillet loads are needed, keep the fried ones warm in the oven at about 250 to 350˚F.

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Recipe: Chicken MarsalaMarsala is a variety of fortified (excess alcohol has been added) wine and a city in Sicily, Italy from which the name derives. Marsala sauce is very common and is made by re-ducing the wine to syrup in a skillet with onions and then adding mushrooms and herbs. If you look carefully at the recipe below, you will see that the traditions have survived. This particular recipe comes from “Epicurious”, June 2005. It is as good as any, but hardly unique.

1¾ cups chicken broth2 tbs finely chopped shallot or onion5 tbs butter10 oz mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced1 tsp finely chopped dried sage¼ tsp salt⅛ tsp black pepper1 cup flour4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (2 lb total)2 tbs olive oil½ cup plus 2 tbs dry Marsala wine⅔ cup evaporated milk or heavy cream1 tsp lemon juice

1. Warm the oven to 200°F. It will be used to keep the 1st half of the chicken warm while cooking the 2nd half.

2. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan over high heat, then boil, uncovered, until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes.

3. Cook shallot (or onion) in 3 tbs butter in an 8” heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until the shallot begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add mush-rooms, 1 teaspoon sage, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid that comes from the mushrooms is evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Put flour in a wide shallow bowl. Gently pound chicken to 1/4 inch thick between 2 sheets of plastic

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wrap using a heavy cast iron skillet. Don’t break the cutting board.

5. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, 1 piece at a time and shaking off ex-cess. Transfer to sheets of wax paper, arranging chicken in 1 layer.

6. Heat 1 tablespoon each of oil and butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté half of the chicken, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Transfer the cooked chicken to a large heatproof platter, arranging in 1 layer, then put the platter in the oven to keep warm. Wipe out the skil-let with paper towels and cook the remaining chicken as before.

7. Add ½ cup Marsala wine (reserving 2 tbs) to the skil-let and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, about 30 seconds. Add reduced broth, cream, and mushrooms then simmer, stirring occa-sionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

8. Add lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons wine and sage.

9. Serve the chicken with topped with the sauce.

Recipe: Chicken Pot PieThe recipe below is enough for 3 pot pies. I have been mak-ing these since at least 1975. Commercial frozen chicken pot pie is not only bad for you, due to chemical preservatives, hydrogenated fats, chicken parts that shouldn’t be eaten de-rived from chickens raised on antibiotics, but it also tastes bad. Originally (1950’s), most commercial pot pies had a bottom and top crusts and some modest amount of vegeta-bles in with real chicken. By the early 1970’s the bottom crust had disappeared along with most of the ingredients, leaving a pasty yellow liquid with an unappetizing top crust. They were always sold in a small pie tin. I made up the recipe printed here. It is superior to any of the commercial pies that I have tried.

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2 cups chicken –cooked and chopped10 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables (or equivalent fresh veg-etables2 tsp chicken soup base dissolved in 1 cup water4 tbs butter4 tbs flour½ cup milk½ cup evaporated milkSalt and pepperPot pie tins or custard dishes

1. Line the dishes with a pie crust and plan for a pie crust cover. One full pie crust recipe is sufficient for 3 or 4 pot pies. Spray the custard dish with oil to as-sure the crust will not stick.

2. Make a béchamel sauce (white sauce) as followsa. Melt the butter in a sauce panb. Add the flour with salt and pepper to taste

and get the flour completely mixed with the butter.

c. Add the chicken soup in water and the milk and evaporated milk

d. Cook until it is thick (happens more or less when it boils). Stir constantly.

3. Add in the vegetables and chicken and mix up4. Distribute the chicken mixture evenly into the pastry

lined dishes.5. Cover with a pastry top and punch some vent holes

with a knife.Bake at 350˚F until heated through and the crust is brown – about 35 minutes.

Recipe: Chicken TacosThis is a ‘quick and dirty’ way to make chicken tacos and still it is ten times better than Taco Bell, which for the price is surprisingly good. These take less than 30 minutes to pre-pare and can be vastly improved by looking at the alternates listed below the instructions. The recipe below is enough for 2 persons and the tacos are mostly filled with chicken. Note that even though we are in a hurry we still bother to fry corn

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tortillas and never opt for the pre-cooked taco shells avail-able at the supermarket.

1 large boneless chicken breast, sliced and coarsely choppedCanola oil1 tsp Cumin1 clove Garlic, smashed and chopped¼ cup chopped onion¾ cup grated cheese (cheddar or Colby)6 corn tortillas

1. Sauté the chicken in oil until it starts to brown. Add the onion, garlic, and cumin and reduce heat to a simmer.

2. In a separate skillet, put about ¼ inch of oil and heat to 350˚F.

3. Fry each tortilla while it is folded in half and being held open with tongs. These nearly harden within 30 seconds on each side and can then be put on a paper towel or wire rack to finish stiffening.

4. To assemble, put chicken and grated cheese in the tortillas and serve.

Alternates: 1. The chicken can be made much better by boiling it

for about one hour in very salty water. It can then be pulled apart into strings and it is very much more tender. Unfortunately, that takes time and pre-planning.

2. A common condiment is salsa. Most people would add that between the chicken and cheese.

3. ¼ tsp of chili powder added with the cumin adds some heat and a southwest flavor.

4. ¼ to ½ cup of chicken bouillon added to the chicken mixture and then reduced over low heat adds much needed moisture and keeps the tacos from being so dry.

5. Flour tortillas can be used instead of corn tortillas. When using flour tortillas, microwave them briefly on a paper plate or paper towel and they will be soft and hot. [20 seconds for 1 : 29 seconds for two]

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6. Avocado can be coarsely chopped and added for ex-tra filling.

7. Finely chopped or wilted lettuce can be added for filling.

Recipe: Enchiladas, Chicken or BeefI prefer the chicken enchiladas over the beef version. When made with ground beef, these rather taste like tacos and just aren’t quite as good. Makes 12-15 enchiladas in a 10 inch casserole dish.

S auce:1 medium onion, minced2 8-oz cans tomato sauce1-2 tsp chili powder1-2 cloves garlic, minced1½ tbs flour (1-2 depending on how thick you want your sauce)water (or liquid from boiling chicken) to thin2/3 cup grated cheese (see ingredients below)Optional seasonings: cumin, marjoram, oregano, cayenne

Filling:1 lb ground beef or Chicken, wings, backs, and necks from 3 to 4 chickens1 medium onion, chopped2 stalks of celery (for the chicken version only)3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped1 tbs chili powder1 tsp cumin

Assembly:12 to 15 Corn tortillas2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, Colby, Monterrey Jack)1 small onion, chopped (optional topping)

1. Make the sauce first. 2. Sauté the onion in 2-3 Tbs oil until translucent.3. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute

or two until fragrant.

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4. Add the flour and chili powder.5. Stir in the tomato sauce and continue stirring with

(additional water as needed) to make a thick sauce.6. Season to taste with the optional seasoning, salt,

and pepper.7. Stir in the grated cheese and set aside.

8. Next make the filling: 9. If Beef, then, in a cast iron skillet, brown the ground

meat with the onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin and anything else that sounds good.

10. If Chicken, then boil the chicken for 1 ½ to 2 hours with the onion, celery, garlic, chili powder, cumin and pepper. Cool the chicken on a plate and remove the meat from the bone. If you choose to use breast and/or thigh meat, you’ll still need to boil, cool and bone, but after that the chicken should be chopped fine (like for chicken salad).

11. Cook the tortillas and assemble: 12. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)13. In your 8 inch cast iron skillet heat about ¼” of oil. 14. Dip each corn tortilla in the oil briefly to soften, be-

ing sure to turn them and remove them before they get crisp.

15. Take the tortilla out of the oil and dip it in the sauce16. Take the tortilla out of the sauce, and place it in

10x13 baking dish or pan.17. Layer the beef or chicken filling (2-3 Tbs) cheese, and

chopped onion (if desired- I don’t use it) onto the tortilla and add a tbs full of sauce over it.

18. Roll the tortilla up to about 1 ½ inches in diameter. 19. Place the roll seam side down in the baking dish.20. Repeat until all of the filling is used or the pan is full,

whichever comes first.21. If you have a lot of meat, you might want to use

more filling.22. Top with the rest of the sauce and grated cheese.23. Sprinkle a few chopped onions on top (optional).24. Bake in 350° oven until cheese melts.

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Recipe: Smothered ChickenThis is a favorite and it’s easy, although total time to prepare is about 2 hours.

Ingredients:4 lbs of chicken, legs and thighs¼ cup flour¼ tsp salt¼ tsp pepper¼ tsp paprika¼ cup canola oil1 small onion, sliced1 clove garlic, sliced2 to 3 chopped celery ribs1 carrot, sliced1 ½ cup chicken stock1 cup sliced mushrooms2 - 3 cup cooked rice

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F2. Add the chicken parts, flour, salt, pepper, and pa-

prika to a bag (paper or plastic). Close the bag and shake vigorously.

3. Remove the chicken from the bag and brown in a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. When browned, re-move the chicken and set aside.

4. Into the same oil in which the chicken was cooked add the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot. Cook for 10 minutes with an oil temperature of 350˚F.

5. Put the rest of the flour in with the vegetables and brown it a little.

6. Put the chicken back in on top of the vegetables and add the mushrooms.

7. Add the chicken broth, cover and turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 1 ½ hours.

8. Check and stir occasionally. It is done when the chicken separates from the leg bone and the gravy is thick.

9. Serve over rice.

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Recipe: Oven Roasted ChickenThis dish doesn’t have to be done in the oven. I have done it on the stove top over very low heat. If you try it on the stove top, however, it may take a little longer.

1 whole chickenSpray Canola OilSalt1 to 2 tbs pepper1 cup Wine (Red, or white, or water)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F2. Spray the chicken with oil and salt lightly and pepper

heavily.3. Spray the pot with oil4. Put the chicken into a Dutch oven or roasting pot.5. Add ½ cup to 1 cup of wine6. Put the chicken into the oven, covered, and cook for

1 ½ hours.7. About half way through the cooking time, check it

and add another ½ cup wine.8. At the end of 1 ½ hours cooking, uncover and return

to oven for at least another 30 minutes to brown. Depending on the size of the chicken it could take up to an additional hour. Don’t let it dry out.

9. When the chicken is browned, serve with buttered rice.

Recipe: Chicken FlorentineChicken with spinach. Due to having to brine and cook the breast meat, it may be best to get the breast meat ready a day or two before it is needed and just keep it refrigerated.Timing: Brine for 2 to 6 hours. Braise the chicken breast for 2 hours. Preparation time is about 45 minutes and a lot of that time is dealing with the fresh spinach. The final heating time is 30 minutes.For the non-purist, this recipe can be speeded up a lot as fol-lows.

Don’t brine the chicken it will still braise just fine.

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Use a 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach and just thaw it. Cooking the spinach is not needed.

Use a can of mushroom soup and forego the mush-rooms as well as the white sauce.

Together, these speed steps allow you to skip in-structions 4, 6, and 7. Time savings is close to 35 minutes, plus the 2 to 6 hours of time to brine.

3 chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs)1 lb fresh spinach8 common white mushrooms1 ½ cup white sauce

3 tbs butter3 tbs flour1 ½ cup chicken stock

½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar 1 tbs lemon juice ½ tsp curry powder

6 parts turmeric 1 part cardamom 1 part nutmeg 2 parts mustard

Salt and pepper to taste ½ cup dry white wine ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan ¼ cup soft bread crumbs 1 tbs butter for the top

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.2. Brine the breast halves. See Brining at the front of

this chapter. This may take a few hours.3. Put the breast halves and ½ to 1 cup of water in an

oven proof dish with a lid and cook at 350˚F for 2 hours. When they are falling apart tender, shred the meat with two forks.

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4. Remove the heaviest spine parts of the fresh spinach and wash it well three times in a sink full of water, refilling the sink between each rinse. Fresh spinach has grit in it that must be removed. Cook the spinach in a pot of boiling water until it is completely wilted. Remove, drain, and chop.

5. Spray an eight inch square oven proof dish with canola or olive oil and arrange the shredded chicken in the bottom. Other size dishes may work as well. We are looking for a total height of about 1 ½ inches. Layer the chopped spinach on top of the chicken.

6. Slice the mushrooms and sauté them in 2 tbs butter in an 8” skillet. Once they have given up their water, chop them up finely in the skillet. Leave the butter and water in the skillet.

7. In a small pot on the stove top, make 1 ½ cup of white sauce as follows: Melt 3 tbs butter in a sauce pan. Add 3 tbs flour and combine. When the mix-ture is hot and mixed to homogeneity, add 1 ½ cups of chicken stock (make with bullion if you don’t have it) and continue to heat until it boils (stirring con-stantly) and thickens.

8. Pour the white sauce into the skillet with the mush-rooms and mix well.

9. In a medium bowl, combine the white sauce and mushrooms with mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper and wine. Again whisk to homogeneity.

10. Pour the sauce over the spinach and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.

11. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs over the top and dot the butter on top as well.

12. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Recipe: King Ranch ChickenThe recipe serves at least about 12 people. It is excellent as a pot luck dish where you want to bring a main dish. If it is heated in the oven just before leaving the house and then put into one of the insulated grocery bags it will arrive at the party hot. Important note: The chicken is best cooked a day

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or so prior to making the recipe, else it takes too long. The chicken can be purchased already cooked on a rotisserie, or it can be baked in the oven, cooled and deboned. Also the whole dish can be prepared a day before it is needed and then heated up for serving. Indeed, it taste better when made the day before.

For preparation not intended for a party, it is desirable to re-duce the amount. The ingredient list can just be halved. Also, the ingredient list is not considered politically correct for home eating. To do it correctly, the soups should all be made from their respective recipes, or the ingredients of those soups could be put into the recipe without purchasing canned soup.

1 cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces1 can cream of mushroom soup1 can cream of chicken soup1 can Rotel tomatoes & green chiles1 quart chicken broth (=1 can Swanson’s)1 large chopped onion12 corn tortillas, torn into pieces2 cups grated cheddar cheeseButter for greasing glass or aluminum casserole dish

1. Butter a casserole dish (13”x 9”) to prevent sticking.2. Layer half of the chicken, half of the tortilla pieces,

half of the onion and half of the cheese into the dish.3. Mix together the soups, broth, and tomatoes and

pour half of the mixture over the layers of chicken, tortillas and cheese.

4. Repeat with a second layer.5. Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350˚F.

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9SEAFOOD

Recipe: Shrimp CocktailThe simplest of low calorie, elegant dinners, shrimp cocktail is usually on the menu as a hors douvre. The recipe here serves 4 with 5 or 6 shrimp per serving.

20 to 24 jumbo shrimp1 tsp salt1 tbs Zatarain’s crab boil seasoning or Old Bay1 whole lemon peel

Cocktail Sauce:1 cup catsup2½ tsp horseradish¼ tsp salt¼ tsp pepper ½ tsp mild chili powder1 tbs lemon juice

1. Cut the shrimp shell and devein the shrimp, leaving the shells on.

2. Boil the shrimp, salt, crab boil and lemon peel in just enough water to cover the shrimp. Boil them until they are pink and curl.

3. Remove the shrimp, peel, leaving the tail on, and chill. It is best to chill them quickly in ice, but they need to be thoroughly chilled.

4. Prepare the cocktail sauce by mixing together all of the ingredients.

5. Distribute the sauce evenly among serving glasses or into custard dishes set in the middle of a bowl. Whether serving the shrimp in a bowl or from stemmed glassware, a saucer must be under the dish

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to provide the diner with a place to put the shrimp tails. It is common to put crushed ice around the sauce container if you are not using stemmed glass-ware.

6. When the shrimp are cold, hang 5 or 6 shrimp on the rim of each serving dish.

Recipe: Shrimp GumboThere is more than one way to make Gumbo. If you put 100 Cajun cooks together, you will get 100 different recipes and a huge argument. Making gumbo is sufficiently difficult and time consuming that you would be silly to make any less than is shown in this recipe. In addition to the instructions here, there is an additional recipe for shrimp stock that has to be prepared. You have to make the shrimp stock to get the right flavor. Note that the Okra and tomatoes are op-tional. Also, the leftovers are better than the original.

1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup flour 2 medium onions, diced 2 green bell peppers, diced 3 ribs celery, finely diced 4-6 cloves garlic, minced 4 tomatoes (or 8 Roma tomatoes), seeded and diced (if you like tomatoes in your gumbo) 1 cup tomato purée (see above) 2 pounds okra, chopped (optional)4 quarts shrimp stock (see recipe below)1 tbs Creole seasoning blend (see recipe below)1 tsp dried thyme leaves 2 bay leaves Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 dozen oysters, freshly shucked, liquor reserved 4 blue crabs, cleaned (optional) 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage 1 tbs filé powder (sassafras powder) (if okra isn't used)

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8 cups cooked long-grain white rice

1. In a large, heavy pot (use cast iron, but do not add any tomato or okra to cast iron), heat the oil and add the flour. Stir constantly until a light brown roux is formed, then add the onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are tender. Transfer to a large pot (not cast iron), and add the tomatoes and tomato purée, if you wish, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add the seasonings, and about 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper, and continue to cook another 10 min-utes. Add the okra, and cook for another 10 minutes, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook another 30 minutes.

3. (If you wish a more rustic gumbo, you may add whole blue crabs. Remove the hard top shell from the crabs (reserving for stuffed crabs or for shellfish stock), and break each crab in two down the middle. (Remove the claws. Add to the stock.) With the gumbo on very low heat, add the shrimp 10 minutes before serving, the oysters and oyster liquor 5 min-utes before serving, and the crabmeat just before serving (don't cook the crabmeat, just stir until it is heated through). Taste and correct seasonings.

4. If you don't like okra, or if you just prefer to make a filé gumbo, remove from heat and sprinkle the filé powder on the surface of the gumbo, then cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Then uncover and stir to mix. Be careful if there are leftovers -- filé doesn't re-heat all that well, and you must be careful to reheat gently. If the gumbo comes back to a boil after the filé has been added, it will get stringy.

5. Place about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of rice in each bowl and ladle the gumbo over and around it. Serve with plenty of French bread and good beer or white wine.

6. YIELD: About 10-12 entrée servings or 20-24 appe-tizer servings (omit hard shell crabs if serving cups of gumbo as an appetizer).

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Recipe: Shrimp Stock [use for cooking Gumbo]About 4 quarts of shrimp shells (about what you'd get from shelling 2 pounds of shrimp) 8 quarts cold water 2 tbs oil White Mirepoix:

4 ounces onions, diced 4 ounces leeks, white portion only, washed well, trimmed and chopped 4 ounces celery, diced 4 ounces parsnips, chopped

2 lemons, halved 1 cup parsley, coarsely chopped, stems and all Sachet d'epices:

8 bay leaves 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves 1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves 1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns The above ingredients are placed into a 4" square of

cheesecloth and tied into a sack. 1. Rinse the shells briefly under cold water and drain

well. 2. Sweat the shells briefly in the oil, then add the Mire-

poix and sweat for 2-3 minutes. 3. Add everything to the cold water. Add the parsley

and sachet and bring to a boil. 4. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. 5. Strain the stock thoroughly in a strainer layered with

cheesecloth. 6. Cool the stock completely in an ice-water bath and

use, refrigerate or freeze immediately.

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Recipe: Creole Seasoning Blend2 tbs onion powder 2 tbs garlic powder 2 tbs dried oregano leaves 2 tbs dried sweet basil 1 tbs dried thyme leaves 1 tbs black pepper 1 tbs white pepper 1 tbs cayenne pepper 1 tbs celery seed 5 tbs sweet paprika

Mix everything well. Put into a bottle and use as needed.

Recipe: Shrimp Scampi

½ cup butter¼ cup olive oil3 cloves garlic, crushed1 lb raw shrimp (shell removed) [or as much as you can eat]¼ cup dry white wine¼ cup minced fresh parsley

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the garlic and stir.

2. Add the shrimp to the skillet over medium to low heat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overcook. They are done when they turn pink and curl.

3. Add the wine and simmer for another minute or two. Garnish with the parsley and serve.

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Recipe: Salmon CroquettesCanned salmon has always been one of the less expensive ways to purchase fish. Furthermore, it will sit on the shelf without spoiling for years. If you don’t use Red salmon, the flavor will be different. You can experiment, but we have found the Red canned salmon to be best.

1 Can Red Salmon 15 oz1 Egg¾ to 1 Cup of cracker crumbs or dried bread crumbs1 green onion, sliced fine½ tsp Dijon MustardSalt & pepper to tasteCanola Oil for Pan frying in a 10” cast iron skillet (~1/4”)Optional additions: ¼ cup sautéed bell pepper

1 tbs dried parsley

1. In a mixing bowl, break the salmon with its liquid into chunks. You may try to remove any bone or skin that you see, however, they are completely edible and a source of omega-3 fatty acids.

2. Mix in the egg, onion, mustard, salt & pep-per, ¾ cup of crackers/bread crumbs and any optional ingredients then let rest for 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator. If mixture is too dry to hold together, add another egg or a tablespoon of olive oil. If it is too moist, add the remainder of the crumbs.

3. Form patties that are about 2 inches in diam-eter and ½” to ¾” thick.

4. Pan fry turning to get both sides golden brown.

Recipe: Broiled Salmon SteaksSteaks are cut across the fish and are better for broiling be-cause they maintain the same thickness throughout.

Salmon steaks, ½ lb per person2 teaspoons olive oil 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

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2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1. Mix the sauce ingredients and spread half of it onto the steaks. The sauce amount is sufficient for 1 pound of steaks, so scale according to the amount of fish available.

2. Broil salmon steaks or fillets about 4 inches from heat. They should be cooked for 4 to 8 minutes per side and until an internal temperature of greater than 135°F. It should flake with a fork when done.

3. After cooking on one side, turn over, coat the other side with the remaining sauce and finish the broiling.

Recipe: Fried CatfishWe pan fry exclusively, including catfish. If you acquire the whole fish, as in oops we caught some, then you have to peel off the skin. The fish will already have been gutted and cleaned with the head cut off. One technique is to nail the fish to a tree by his tail, then make a small cut through the skin only and around the tail. Make one longer cut just through the skin from the tail down. Now grab the skin around the first tail cut with pliers and pull the skin off. Re-move the skin from both sides of the fish, then cut off and discard the tail. Now you are ready to fillet the meat to ¼ inch.

If you fish came from a muddy river, then it may need to be marinated in buttermilk for an hour or so to remove any river flavor. Just do it. Farm raised catfish don’t need this procedure.

Canola Oil4 medium freshwater catfish fillets sliced to no more than ¼” thick.1 cup milkYellow cornmeal to coat the fish2 to 3 teaspoons salt1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepperLemon wedges for garnish

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1. Put oil into a cast iron skillet to a depth of 1/8 to ¼ inch and heat to 350°F (medium).

2. Combine cornmeal, salt, pepper, and cayenne pep-per.

3. Dip each fillet in milk, then coat with the cornmeal batter and set onto a rack for a few minutes, as in don’t fry immediately.

4. Fry the catfish on each side for about 5 plus minutes. It should be golden brown all over.

5. When removed from the skillet, drain briefly on a paper towel, then put them into a 200°F oven to stay warm until they are served.

Recipe: Fish with Macadamia Butter Sauce

1.5 lb fish fillets (mild white fish)1 tbs canola oil4 tbs butter1/3 cup chopped macadamia nutsFlour (for dusting fish)Garnish, parsley and lemon slices (optional)

1. Pre-Heat the oven to 350°F.2. In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil to about 350°F, then

add fish.3. Using medium heat brown on both sides (3 to 4 minutes

per side) if the 1.5 lb of fish are composed of about 6 filets. This step will not necessarily get the fish done.

4. Move the fish to an oven proof plate and put into the oven while the sauce is prepared.

5. Melt the butter in the skillet.6. Add the well chopped macadamia nuts and cook over

low heat until they just begin to brown. This will take 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Plate the fish for individual servings and pour the macadamia nut butter sauce over the fish.

8. Optionally garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices.

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Recipe: Egg Rolls½ head cabbage (large head)1 lb Mung bean sprouts½ lb meat (use small shrimp, or finely chopped chicken, or crab, or bacon) – can be omitted.1 carrot shredded1 onion, large4 tbs Soy Sauce½ tsp black pepperNo salt – it’s in the soy sauce1 pkg (~20) egg roll wrappers (available at all large super markets)1 tsp corn starch2 tbs oilOil for pan fryingA very large stove top pot to hold all of the cabbage.

1. Cut up the onion and sauté it until translu-cent but not browned. Add it to the large pot.

2. Cut up the cabbage into 2” pieces and place it into the pot.

3. Add the Soy sauce and carrot to the pot.4. On low heat, cook down the cabbage.5. After about 10 minutes, add the bean

sprouts and continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes or until the cabbage is reduced in volume about as much as it can be.

6. Add the meat, and if it isn’t pre-cooked, then cook for at least long enough to assure that it is done.

7. If the mixture has a lot of liquid on bottom, then drain it in a colander.

8. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with drops of water to make a paste.

9. To each egg roll skin, add approximately 2 tbs of the cabbage mixture and roll.

10. Apply a small amount of the cornstarch paste to the final corner to glue it together.

11. Pan fry, turning to get them golden brown all over.

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Recipe: Tuna MeltA common (but wrong) way to make tuna melt is to melt American cheese under a broiler onto tuna salad that has been piled onto a slice of bread or toast. You can eat it, but it just isn’t satisfying. The recipe here is definitely more trouble, but the taste makes it worthwhile. If you happen to have a hot grill with spacing that will support bread, you can cook this on the grill instead of in a skillet

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and it adds a smoky flavor to further enhance the sand-wich.

1 medium garlic clove, minced4 tbs butter, meltedKosher saltLarge grain (or freshly ground) black pepper8 slices bread 2 tablespoons olive oilTuna Salad (recipe in the salad section)4 ounces Gruyére or sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

1. Mix the minced garlic and melted butter and spread very lightly onto one side of each bread slice.

2. Brush the other side with olive oil and season lightly with Kosher salt and black pepper. The pepper grain size should be approximately the same as the Kosher salt grains.

3. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium low. 4. For each sandwich, put the tuna salad onto the garlic

side of the bread. 5. Add the grated cheese and then the other bread

slice, again with the olive oil side out.6. Fry the sandwiches in the skillet until the bread is

golden brown. It should take about 5 minutes per side. After each sandwich has been turned, it can be pressed down gently with the spatula.

Recipe: Fried OystersWe grew up in Port Arthur Texas eating this fried oyster recipe, which was the only one that anybody ever used. However, on moving out of southeast Texas, we discovered that it was all but unknown and that the fried oysters served in restaurants were unacceptable. Occasionally, it was obvi-ous that they were just too heavily battered and that the batter interfered with the oyster taste. Still, having eaten

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fried oysters at a dozen places up and down the Chesapeake Bay, we began to blame the local oysters! We did find one restaurant in town that did oysters correctly. A small place in downtown Baltimore called Charleston with Chef Cindy Wolfe. Otherwise, it appeared that we were the only people who knew how to prepare fried oysters. Finally, we decided to recreate the recipe from home. As it turns out, the oys-ters probably do make a small difference. The ones that de-rive from the upper bay may not be salty enough. Virginia oysters seem to work very well. There is a key element to getting this recipe right. Follow the directions. Especially, do not add any egg ever. Do not batter. Do not use flour. Do not use cornstarch. KISS (keep it simple stupid) will get the best fried oysters ever.

Serves 2Ingredients:1 pint of shucked oysters (1/2 pint per person)1 cup of cornmealPeanut Oil in a skillet about ¼” deepSalt to taste

1. Rinse the oysters in tap water to assure the absence of grit. You won’t find pearls, so be careful eating them. Handle the oysters gently so as not to tear them up.

2. Coat the oysters in cornmeal. Just lay the wet oys-ter on some cornmeal and turn it over a time or two.

3. Heat the Oil to 350°F and fry the oysters in batches so that they don’t touch in the skillet and there is room to turn them over. Fry them on each side un-til the color is just barely brown (dark yellow), about 2 minutes per side. You can overcook an oys-ter, but you can’t undercook them so err on the side of not done. If the oyster gets heated through and has been cooked on both sides, then it’s ready.

4. Drain them on paper towels and serve hot.

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Recipe: Sautéed ScallopsDon’t overcook the scallops. They will lose all flavor and may even become tough. Small scallops to make up the 1½ lbs are more flavorful than large ones.

1½ lbs scallops, out of the shell, washed and dried½ cup whole wheat flour6 tbs butter¼ cup parsley for garnishSalt and pepper to taste

1. Lightly coat the scallops with the flour. 2. Melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the scallops un-

til just beginning to brown.3. Take up onto paper towels to drain and then trans-

fer to a serving plate and season with salt and pep-per.

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Recipe: Guacamole

2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled, cut in half, and mashed1 medium tomato, chopped fine2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped1 Jalapeno pepper, diced1/2 cup of chopped cilantroJuice from 1/2 a limeSalt to taste

1. Mix all the ingredients together either with a fork in a bowl. Try not to get everything perfectly smooth. Leave plenty of lumps.

2. Serves two to four.

Recipe: Babaganouj dip

4 large eggplants6 tbs lemon juice6 tbs tahini 3 cloves garlic ½ tsp salt

8. Pierce the eggplants with a fork on either side and roast them whole for 45 minutes turning 2 or 3 times so they cook on both sides. They are done when the insides are soft. The shells may darken considerably. That’s OK.

9. After cooling, cut the eggplants open lengthwise, and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. Put the pulp in a mixing bowl and puree it with a fork or food pro-cessor. Don’t make it into a liquid. Just mix it up good and stop.

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10. Smash and mince the garlic, then mix it with the salt to form a smooth paste. A mortar and pestle will work for this combination, but it isn’t necessary.

11. Add the lemon juice and the tahini to the garlic and work it into the paste.

12. Add the tahini mixture to the eggplant puree and beat mix or food process until the Babaganouj is ho-mogeneous, but not liquefied.

13. Serve chilled or at room temperature with olive oil, pita bread, crackers, or corn chips.

Recipe: Deviled EggsMakes 20 each (halves)

10 hard boiled eggs, shell removed2⅟2 to 3 tbs mayonnaise1 tsp Dijon Mustard¼ tsp onion powder¼ tsp garlic powder2 tbs chopped pimento stuffed green olives½ tsp Worstershire sauceSalt & pepper to taste

1. Cut the eggs in ½ lengthwise being careful not to damage the whites.

2. Remove the yolks and put into a bowl3. Crumble the yolks with a small wire whisk or paring

knife. Do not mash or pack them.4. Add mayonnaise and mustard and stir gently. The

yolks should just barely stick together.5. Add olives, Worstershire, salt and pepper and mix.6. Distribute the mixture evenly to fill each of the

egg white halves and arrange on a serving plate.

Recipe: Blender Mayonnaise

The following recipe for blender mayonnaise comes from Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker. It is very much like Hellmann’s brand mayonnaise in taste. Unfortunately, a wee bit of technique is needed to make the emulsion form correctly. Although the ingredients

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and order of addition is the same whether a stick blender or a regular blender is used, the technique is slightly different in the two cases. I have included directions for both methods. Although the directions for the regular blender appear eas-ier, it can be an issue to get an adequate vortex to be main-tained and thus assure homogeneity. The stick blending method is more difficult to form an emulsion (the blades don’t turn as fast) and the regular blender method is more difficult to finish the process.

Pre-measure all of the ingredients as they must go in quickly when called for. The production is time sensitive.

1st Set of Ingredients:1 egg1 tsp dry mustard1 tsp salt1 dash cayenne1 tsp sugar

2nd Set of Ingredients:¼ cup Olive Oil

3rd Set of Ingredients:½ cup Canola Oil

4th Set of Ingredients:3 tbs lemon juice

5th Set of Ingredients:½ cup Canola Oil

Stick Blender Directions:1. Pick a jar that is just wide enough for the

stick blender to pass through and large enough to comfortably hold about 2 cups of mayonnaise.

2. Add to the jar the first Set of ingredients. I try not to break the egg yolk, but if you do it shouldn’t matter.

3. Insert the turned off stick blender trying to cover the yolk.

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4. With the blender off, drizzle the ¼ cup of olive oil down the stem and into the jar, letting it float on top of the aqueous ingredi-ents.

5. Turn on the blender and thoroughly com-bine the ingredients – about 15 seconds.

6. Continue blending and slowly add the ½ cup of canola oil. Spend 20 seconds adding it. As the stick is moved around, up and down, an emulsion will form.

7. Continue blending and add the lemon juice all at once. The mixture should lighten in color.

8. Continue blending and slowly add the 2nd ½ cup of canola oil (another 20 second addi-tion). The mayonnaise should obtain just the right viscosity. You may have to blend for an additional 20 seconds to obtain homo-geneity.

Regular Blender Directions:1. Put the 1st and 2nd Set of ingredients into the

blender and blend on High until thoroughly combined.

2. Continue Blending and remove the cover and slowly add ½ cup of canola oil (20 to 30 seconds for the addition.

3. Continue blending and add the lemon juice all at once. The mixture should lighten in color.

4. Continue blending and slowly add the 2nd ½ cup of canola oil (another 20 second addi-tion). The mayonnaise should obtain just the right viscosity. You may have to blend for an additional 20 seconds to obtain homo-geneity.

Recipe: Basic White SauceThis sauce is often used to thicken other recipes. If the flour is browned in the skillet first, all by itself (yes you can do that), then it becomes a rue, although this is not the pre-

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ferred method of making a rue, it is fast. For a roux make sure that the flour is browned to the color of Nestlé’s Quick)

2 tbs butter2 tbs flour1 cup water (I use milk here SHB)¼ tsp salt

13. Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add the flour and combine. Add the salt.

14. When the mixture is hot, add 1 cup water and con-tinue heating until it boils (stirring constantly)

15. As it boils, it will thicken.

Recipe: Bechamel SauceThis is a variant on basic white sauce that is richer. We don’t use this one nearly as often.

5 tbs flour4 tbs unsalted butter2 cups whole milk½ tsp saltPepper to tasteGrated nutmeg (pinch)2 egg yolks

1. In a sauce pan, melt the butter on low heat.2. Add the flour and stir.3. Turn the heat to high and add the milk.4. Stir constantly (A small wire whisk works well in the

beginning, but then you need to switch to a spoon.)5. When it is thick, remove from heat and stir in the

salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 6. Whisk in the egg yolks and return to the heat. Con-

tinue to whisk.7. When well blended it is ready to use.

Recipe: Alfredo SauceA very rich variant on white sauce, Alfredo Sauce is the per-fect topping for pasta. We eat it on pre-made ravioli that is

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kept frozen for dinner at the last minute. Eat too much of this sauce and it is fattening. Opting for the half and half in-stead of heavy cream doesn’t make any meaningful differ-ence to the recipe or the calorie count.

3 tbs butter1 cup heavy cream (optional half & half)Dash of nutmeg (freshly ground)Salt pepper to taste1 tsp ground pepper½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheesePasta, your choice, about one half pound of dried pasta

5. Combine the butter and cream in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

6. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly and reduce the cream by half.

7. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper.8. Add whatever pasta you have to the sauce

pan and stir to combine.9. Add the grated cheese and the whole will

thicken. Coat the pasta well, then serve.

Recipe: Caviar Dip

6 boiled eggs3 tbs mayonnaise1 large onion, chopped fine8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature2/3 cup sour cream1 jar caviar, (whitefish or lumpfish, red or black)1 bunch green onions

1. Peel and chop the eggs and mix with mayonnaise.2. Spread on the bottom of a oil sprayed springform

pan (or shallow glass casserole).3. Cover the egg mixture with the chopped onions.

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4. Mix the cream cheese and sour cream together and carefully spread it over the onion layer.

5. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.6. Just before serving, drain the caviar and spread it

evenly over the entire surface. Decorate with chopped green onions.

7. Serve with wheat crackers.

Recipe: Fondue Meat BallsWe don’t have parties very often, although we go to them and bring food. If you like little meatball covered in a sugary BBQ sauce and eaten from the pot with toothpicks, then this is your dish.

1 lb ground meat½ cup dry bread crumbs1/3 cup minced onion¼ cup milk1 egg1 sprig fresh parsley, chopped½ tsp Worcestershire sauce¼ cup canola oil12 oz (1 bottle) Kraft Hickory Smoked BBQ Sauce10 oz grape jellySalt and pepper to taste

1. Make small meat balls from the completely thawed ground meat, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, Worcestershire and parsley. Maybe include a little salt and pepper as well. They should be no more that 1 inch in diameter. Use a ruler to check a few rather than estimating.

2. Using the canola oil, brown the meatballs in a skillet.

3. Decant the excess grease and temporarily remove the meat balls.

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4. Add the BBQ sauce and jelly to the skillet. Stir and heat until the jelly is melted.

5. Add back the meatballs and gently mix to coat the meat with the sauce. Cook on low heat for another 30 minutes to assure that the meat balls are done through and through.

6. Pour the entire mixture into a fondue pot and put on the table with a container of toothpicks.

Recipe: SalsaSee Salsa under Huevos Rancheros in the Breakfast Chapter.

Recipe: Crab DipThe recipe makes about 2 pounds of dip – enough to take a generous amount to a party and yet have some for yourself.

16 oz cream cheese (not whipped)½ to 2/3 cup mayonnaise2 scallions, chopped (or a bunch of chives)1-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard¾ tsp seasoned salt½ tsp prepared white horseradish¼ tsp lemon juice1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce2 oz diced pimiento2 tbs chopped parsley1 lb lump crab meat

1. Combine the cream cheese and mayonnaise and mix to homogeneity. Stir in the scallions, mustard, salt, horseradish, lemon juice and pepper sauce. Mix well. I like to use the dough hook on an electric mixer for this step.

2. Add the pimiento, parsley and crab. Mix and refrig-erate for at least 2 hours but next day is good too.

3. Package into 2 16 oz plastic food containers with lids.

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Recipe: Pico de GalloSee Pico de Gallo under Huevos Rancheros in the Breakfast Chapter.

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Recipe: Eggplant ParmesanWe eat this as a main dish, not a side. It makes enough for four servings. Some people find the eggplant to be a little bitter. As a consequence, the first two steps in this recipe are designed to remove the bitterness. Susan considers them optional and doesn’t usually bother.

2 medium eggplant (about 2 pounds), sliced 1/2-inch-thick 1 tbs kosher salt2 cups fresh breadcrumbs1 tsp dried oregano1 tsp dried thymeBlack pepperCanola oil for frying2 large eggs, beaten2 tbs waterOlive oil, as needed24 oz tomato sauce2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided½ pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

1. (optional) Sprinkle kosher salt generously over the eggplant slices and set aside to extract the bitter components from the eggplant. Give it about an hour and if desired, salt both sides.

2. In a colander in the sink, rinse the eggplant well with water to remove the salt. Dry the slices well by putting them onto paper towels.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, breadcrumbs, oregano, thyme, and season with pepper.

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4. In a medium bowl, mix the egg and water. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg. Coat each slice with the breadcrumbs and transfer them to a baking sheet.

5. In a large skillet, pour the oil to a depth of ½ inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until it registers 400 degrees F on a deep frying thermometer. (The oil must be heated to 400 degrees F so that the breaded eggplant, when added, will drop the tem-perature of the oil to the proper frying temperature of 375 degrees F.)

6. Working in small batches, fry the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt to taste. Re-peat with the remaining eggplant.

7. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly brush a 11 x 7- x 1.5-inch-baking dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with 1/3 of the tomato sauce and arrange half of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with another 1/3 of the sauce. Scatter half of the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella over the layer. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella. Bake un-til hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 min-utes. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Acorn SquashAcorn Squash are perfect for filling and can make a suitable main dish if stuffed with meat or fish and topped with cheese. They can also be stuffed with chopped apples and crushed pineapple, then topped with sugar and cinnamon to create a sweet vegetable. Perhaps it is an easy way to get everyone to eat their vegetables.

8. Cut the unpeeled squash in half from pole to pole (i.e. not at the equator).

9. Remove the seeds and strings. The seeds can be cooked like pumpkin seeds, or not.

10. Microwave on high until fork tender – check and turn every four minutes.

11. When nearly done, add stuffing. Meat fillings should be pre-cooked.

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12. Top with cheese last and microwave until just melted, or the cheese can be melted onto the squash in a broiler.

Recipe: AsparagusFirst let me point out that we like canned asparagus. To eat it from the can, just open and serve at room temperature – no cooking required. I also recognize that most people won’t admit to eating it that way and, of course, in this age of fresh and local foods, we too purchase fresh asparagus most of the time. Asparagus is the first vegetable of the new season in Maryland. It is available in late April and early May. There is a special pot called an Asparagus steamer that allows you to stand the spears up on a grate with a little wa-ter below and steam the spears, taking them out before they totally wilt. We have that pot, but the recipe below is better.

Fresh Asparagus SpearsOlive oil

1. Wash and break off the tough ends of the spears.2. Add olive oil to the skillet and sauté the asparagus

until it changes color to a noticeably greener hue.3. Serve hot.

Recipe: Black-eyed PeasOf the dried beans available, these have the shortest prepa-ration time and are thus very popular.

Ingredients:4 slices Bacon or (6 oz piece of salt pork, in a few pieces)1 cup Black-eyed Peas, dried (or fresh)3 ¾ cups waterSalt to taste¼ tsp black pepper1 cup chopped onion1 clove of garlic, smashed and chopped

1. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pan in which the peas will be cooked. Get it done enough to eat.

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2. Add the water and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen the bacon drippings.

3. Add the peas and bring the water, peas and bacon to a boil.

4. Add the remaining ingredients and return the pot to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. 6. It is done when the peas are soft and the hulls have

begun to loosen. About 1 to 2 hours.

Recipe: Broccoli

Broccoli (enough to fill the skillet you use or feed the people you’re feeding)2 tbs Olive Oil½ cup Chicken Broth2 oz slivered almonds (optional)

1. Rinse the broccoli and cut up the stems into man-ageable sizes. Cut and separate the flowers ending with bite sized pieces.

2. Put the oil into a skillet and bring the temperature to about 300°F.

3. Add the broccoli and stir fry for two or three min-utes. It will change color to a glossy darker green to signify enough time.

4. Add the half cup of chicken broth, cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

5. As a variation, add a handful of slivered almonds that have been toasted for a minute or two under a broiler.

Recipe: Roasted CauliflowerIf ever there was a vegetable that can be messed up, this might be it. Please don’t overcook it. We don’t want soggy cauliflower. A good way to make it soggy is to boil it and then put it into the oven with cheese on top. While that sounds good, it is more challenging than you might expect. This roasted method is closer to foolproof.

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1 medium head cauliflower (1½ lbs)2 tbs olive oilOlive oil (spray can if available)Salt and pepper to taste

1. Pre heat the oven to 475°F.2. Cut the cauliflower head into 8 equal wedges so that

the core and florets mostly remain intact.3. Place the wedges cut side down on a parchment-

lined baking sheet. 4. Lightly spray the cauliflower with oil to evenly coat it

and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip it over and do both sides.

5. Cover the baking sheet tightly with foil and bake for 10 minutes at 475°F.

6. Remove the foil and continue to roast until bottoms of cauliflower pieces are golden, 8 to 12 minutes longer.

7. Carefully turn over all of the pieces.8. Continue to roast until the cauliflower is golden all

over, 8 to 12 minutes longer. 9. Season with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with oil

(or sauce), and serve immediately.

Recipe: Boston Baked Beans

A popular store brand of these is Bush’s Baked Beans. The difference is that canned baked beans are best used as an in-gredient to some other recipe (think 7-layer dip) whereas the recipe here is so good it should be eaten as is. We use a large pot that is both oven and stove top compatible, such as Dutch oven. This recipe takes 6 to 7 hours to cook.

4 oz salt pork (remove rind) cut into ½ cubes2 slices bacon chopped into small pieces1 medium onion chopped fine½ cup molasses + (1tbs reserved)2 tbs catsup1 tbs Worcestershire sauce1 clove garlic chopped fine1 ½ tbs Dijon mustard

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1 lb Great Northern Beans (a small white dried bean) – best rinse and pick over these to assure that there are no rocks or bean size pieces of sod!9 cups water1 tsp cider vinegar or wine vinegar1 tsp salt1 tsp black pepper

1. Set the oven temperature to 300˚F with a rack in po-sition to accommodate the Dutch oven.

2. On the stove top, add the salt pork and bacon to the Dutch oven and cook until the meat is lightly browned and most of the fat is cooked out.

3. Add the onion and garlic and sauté in the fat until the onion is softened.

4. Add the beans, water, ½ cup molasses, catsup, Worcestershire, mustard, salt and pepper (but not the vinegar)

5. Cover the pot and put into the oven for four hours. After the first 2 hours, stir the beans.

6. After four hours in the oven, remove the lid, stir, then continue baking until the liquid is thick. That will take another hour or two. Test for ‘done’ by taste. They will be falling apart tender.

7. Finally, remove the beans from the oven, and add the vinegar and 1 tbs molasses. Stir and put into a serving dish.

Recipe: Lima BeansLima beans can be purchased fresh a few times in the year. We buy as many as will fit into the freezer. They must be blanched prior to freezing.

2 cups Lima Beans1 tsp salt2 tbs butter

1. Add about 1 inch of water to a sauce pan.2. Bring it to a boil and put in the beans, salt, and but-

ter.

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3. Cook for about 20 minutes. If the beans are fresh, they may need a few minutes longer. Taste test for done.

4. Serve with additional salt, pepper, and butter.

Recipe: Corn on the Cob

Fresh corn, very fresh cornWater to cover the ears of cornButterSalt

1. Remove the husks and silk from the corn.2. Bring the water to a boil. Use sufficient water to

cover the ears of corn.3. Place the corn into the boiling water and boil for ex-

actly five minutes – no longer. It is even OK to put the corn into the boiling water and turn the heat off and wait five minutes.

4. Serve immediately with butter and salt. Ears that can’t be eaten immediately may be buttered imme-diately and salted by the diner.

Recipe: Wyatt’s Baked EggplantThis recipe is from a southern cafeteria called Wyatt’s Cafe-teria. It was published by Ellie Rucker in the Austin American Statesman sometime between 1975 and 1982. It was a very popular dish in the 1970s.

1 medium eggplant, peeled½ cup dried bread crumbs6 oz evaporated milk¼ cup onions, chopped fine¼ cup green peppers, chopped fine¼ cup celery, chopped fine¼ cup whole milk2 oz butter (or ½ stick or 4 tbs)Salt to taste2 eggs lightly beaten

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Dash of pepperDash of sage1 tbs pimento2 oz grated cheddar cheeseDash of Accent (MSG = monosodium glutamate)

1. Peel and soak eggplant in salt water for 6 to 12 hours, overnight if possible.

2. Soak bread crumbs in the milk.3. Sauté the onions, celery, and green pepper in butter

for 15 minutes.4. Place the eggplant in a large pan, cover with water

and boil until it is fork tender.5. Mix the bread crumbs, sautéed ingredients, and egg-

plant together.6. To the eggplant, add eggs, pimento pepper, sage,

and Accent and mix well.7. Place in a baking dish (small casserole or loaf pan).8. Top with grated cheddar cheese.9. Bake at 350°F until golden brown.10. The yield is 4 to 8 servings.

Recipe: Summer Squash Casserole

6 summer squash, yellow or saucer squash (but not zucchini)1 medium onion, chopped1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped1 tbs olive oil¼ cup butter2 slices bread1 egg, beatenSalt and pepper to tasteCracker crumbs for topping

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.2. Wash and slice the squash, then put it into a skillet

with 1 tbs of oil. Sauté until the squash is tender, then put in on a plate for later use.

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3. Put the butter into a skillet and brown the onion and garlic. When browned, add the parsley and con-tinue to cook for another minute with stirring.

4. Chop up the bread into small pieces and add to the skillet. Stir and cook until the bread is mixed in well (maybe 2 more minutes).

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add back the squash to the skillet.

6. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the beaten egg and quickly stir everything together and add to a casserole dish.

7. Top the squash mixture with cracker crumbs.8. Bake for 25 minutes (or until brown) at 350°F.

Recipe: Butternut Squash CasseroleAlthough having similar ingredients to the summer squash casserole, the result is rather different due to the different texture of the squash.

1 ½ to 2 lbs butternut squash1 onion, chopped2/3 cup sharp cheddar, shredded15 saltine crackers, crushed1 egg, beaten1 tbs olive oil2 tbs condensed milk

1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Carefully cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise.

This can be done by pushing the point of a large knife into the middle of the squash and then slowly lowering the handle.

3. Once the squash is halved, microwave it on high until the flesh is tender. Could take 10 to 15 minutes; check it often.

4. Once tender, scoop out the pulp with a spoon and put into a mixing bowl.

5. Mix the squash and remaining ingredients; spoon into 8-inch square baking dish coated with spray olive oil.

6. Top with a few cracker crumbs and bake for 1 hour or until heated thoroughly.

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Recipe: Maxine’s Smothered SquashMaxine is Susan’s mother and she gets the credit for this one. Yellow crook neck is best, but yellow straight neck or white or green patty pan will also work. Allow roughly ½ pound of squash per serving.

Yellow crook neck squash1 tbs butter1 tsp sugar (optional)Salt to taste

1. Slice summer squash into ¼ inch slices. 2. Place squash in a saucepan. Use a large enough pan

that the squash is about 2 inches deep in the pan. 3. Put a small amount of water in the pan – say ¼ - ½

inch. Dot the squash with a tablespoon of butter. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium low.

4. Steam the squash until they are tender. When ten-der, mash with a fork or potato masher and season with salt to taste. My mother also used about a tea-spoon of sugar.

5. With the lid off, increase heat to medium and boil the water off, stirring frequently.

6. The squash is ready when the water is cooked off and the squash is dry. Cooking the liquid off makes them sweeter than just boiling or steaming them. Be sure to allow plenty of time for this – it can take 45 minutes to get them tender and cook all the wa-ter off.

Recipe: Sautéed Spinach

1 large bunch fresh spinach (16 oz to 20 oz)¼ cup olive oilSalt at the table or not at all.

1. The largest stems should be removed from the spinach leaves.

2. Wash the spinach by immersion in water with hand agitation. You can use a clean kitchen sink filled with water. Empty the sink and rewash until has been

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done three times. Even very clean store bought leaves must be washed this way.

3. Put the olive oil in a Dutch oven and heat on the stove top to about 300°F.

4. Add the spinach leaves and cover. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. How long to cook them is all a matter of volume. When the leaves have reduced to the amount by volume that you want then it is time to serve them.

Recipe: Spinach CasseroleSpinach casserole is a step up from steamed or sautéed spinach and will stretch the amount to at least one addi-tional person. Any time you prepare fresh spinach you must either have a large pot (biggest Dutch oven) or do it in batches and then combine them. Also strictly adhere to the first washing step or else you won’t like the grit that will find its way to the table.This recipe makes 3 to 4 small servings.

1 large bunch fresh spinach (16 oz to 20 oz)¼ cup olive oil3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped½ cup bread crumbs½ to ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

5. The largest stems should be removed from the spinach leaves.

6. Wash the spinach by immersion in water with hand agitation. You can use a clean kitchen sink filled with water. Empty the sink and rewash until has been done three times. Even very clean store bought leaves must be washed this way.

7. Put the leaves into a large pot and mix with the ¼ cup of olive oil.

8. Heat on the stove until the spinach is reduced in vol-ume by at least half. This step may take about 10 minutes.

9. Remove the spinach and coarsely chop.10. Pack the spinach into an 8” x 8” casserole and sprin-

kle with garlic.

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11. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top.12. Bake at 350, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes.13. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.14. Return to the oven and heat until the cheese is

melted.

Recipe: Sweet Potatoes, Vanilla MapleThis can probably be done with imitation maple syrup, but we traditionally keep the real thing on hand. The recipe serves 3 to 4.

2.5 lbs sweet potatoes (4 to 5 medium sized) – peeled and cut up into 1”x2”x1” solid rectangles.¼ tsp salt2 tsp vanilla extract (imitation is actually superior to the real thing in this rare instance)1 tbs maple syrup½ tsp fresh lemon juice (or lime juice for an interesting change)

1. Boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend/mash with a fork until your desired homogeneity is achieved. We often leave a few chunks in this.

Recipe: Sweet Potatoes with Brown SugarServes 4 to 6 depending on the potato size. This is a varia-tion of the Holiday Sweet Potatoes (see recipe in this book). These get done slightly faster and are not as dry due to hav-ing been boiled.

½ cup brown sugar⅓ cup water1 tbs butter¼ tsp salt3 to 4 sweet potatoes, medium sized, peeled, and cut into chunks

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1. Boil the sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender.

2. In a cast iron skillet, combine the ⅓ cup of water and other ingredients and simmer for a few minutes.

3. Add the well drained sweet potatoes and mix care-fully to coat but not tear up the potatoes.

4. Serve hot.

About PotatoesThere are a few widely available varieties of potatoes that we use. We have russets, reds, Yukons, fingerlings, Carola, Caribe

The russet is also known as the Idaho potato. The potato is brown, oval shaped and has a net like skin appearance. It has few eyes and should be firm with no sprouts. They are excellent baked, fried,

mashed, roasted, or in soups and stew. The skin is a little more difficult to clean due to its roughness, but cleaning is aided by the scarcity of eyes. It is said that most of the nutri-tional benefit of this potato is in the skin.

The Yukon gold has a very thin skin that looks cleaner than the russet. It is a white to yellow color and has only a few eyes per potato. We especially like these potatoes in dishes where the skin will be left on, although there

being less skin thickness, it stands to reason that there may be less nutrition benefit in the skin than the russet. We will often choose these potatoes for baking since that is an in-stance where the skin might be eaten.

Red potatoes are a smaller variety, also with a very thin skin. We use them mostly for the color and partic-ularly in potato salads where some of the skin can be left on for color. The inside is white like most (not all)

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other potatoes. These potatoes seem to have a little less in-nate flavor and thus are easier to season and have them ac-cept the flavor from the seasoning.

Carola potatoes are a variety that we have grown. They are golden in color and have a skin more similar to the Yukon. The taste is delicious, and they have a little more starch than the Yukon. They are not very distinc-

tive in appearance and you would need to have the grower identify them for you, although they are common enough to occasionally appear in a supermarket and to often be avail-able at farmer’s markets in Maryland. Indeed, at the Balti-more city farmer’s market it is usually possible to see up-wards of 20 different varieties for sale. Carola’s are particu-larly good fried, or oven roasted, or oven fried.

Fingerlings are another variety that we have grown and that did very well in Maryland soil and growing conditions. They are a very small (each one is no more than 1” wide), irregular potato and they are dirty enough that you feel the

need to peel them prior to use. By the time you have care-fully peeled them, there is hardly anything left since they are small to begin. Still, they make a really delicious hash brown at breakfast and they seem to have the most starch per potato as any out there. The consequence is that when pan frying they become extremely sticky, especially to each other. Cut up small pieces begin gluing themselves together so that you are shortly cooking a single mass. This is all made tolerable by the incredibly good taste. If you can find these, a few for breakfast are worth the trouble.

Recipe: Baked PotatoesA good baked potato should be dry and flaky when it is opened, so that you can apply butter, sour cream, or other condiments and they will be absorbed by the potato. The

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two ways to achieve this are baking in a microwave and bak-ing, without foil, in the oven. Foil wrapping is good, but only after the potato has been baked and only to keep it warm or perhaps polish the final baking in the case of microwave cooking. Potatoes for baking, Idaho or Yukon Gold or Carola

Toppings: butter, sour cream, salt, pepper, green onions or chives, finely chopped bacon, shredded cheeses, chopped mushrooms, etc. There have been several shopping mall chain restaurants based on nothing more than unique top-pings put into or on baked potatoes. For instance, there is the broccoli and cheese potato, or the southwestern chili potato, just to mention two.

1. If oven baking, bake at 400˚F for 45 to 60 minutes then remove and wrap in foil until ready to serve, but try to serve within 15 minutes. It used to be that special potato nails were sold to push into the potato and decrease the baking time by heat con-duction of the metal nail to the middle of the potato. It is my experience that it didn’t work and that no nail potatoes got done just as fast and without an unsightly nail hole.

2. If baking in the microwave, punch holes in the potato with a fork to allow steam to escape. Other-wise, follow the directions that came with the mi-crowave for time. For a single medium potato, it might be 4 to 6 minutes, whereas for 4 potatoes at the same time it might be 12 to 14 minutes. This is assuming the microwave setting is high. Microwave ovens are notoriously uneven and the longer you have an item in, the more likely it will become burned in one spot without cooking another, so be careful, check and turn the potatoes often.

3. When the potato is cut open and served, permit each guest to select their own condiments. Depend-ing on the extent of toppings, a baked potato can be either a side dish or a whole meal. If you can’t pack

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2000 calories onto the top of a potato, you really aren’t trying.

Recipe: Mashed PotatoesAlthough we currently only use real potatoes to make mashed potatoes, there was time when potato flakes were all the rage. It was my opinion then and still that potato flakes were just as good as the real thing and that when properly prepared, no person could tell the difference in a blind taste test. Also, potato flakes can be used judiciously to thicken soups without adding any additional flavor and thus might be something you wish to keep in the pantry.Mashed potatoes can take on very different consistencies and what’s desirable is highly dependent on individual taste. Susan prefers a slightly firm mashed potato that can easily be shaped to hold gravy while Narlin prefers a softer, some would say soupy, potato that would go down easily even without gravy. This difference can be controlled by the pro-portion of milk used to thin the potato.

6 medium Potatoes3 tbs butter1 tsp salt⅓ cup hot condensed milk (or whole milk)

1. Cut up the potatoes into quarters and boil in 4 qts of water with ½ tsp salt for 20 minutes or until tender.

2. Drain and mash the potatoes in a bowl along with the other ingredients.

3. Fluff them up with a wire whisk or electric mixer.4. If they are too dry, add additional condensed milk ¼

cup at a time until the desired consistency is achieved.

Recipe: Oven Fried Potatoes

One should use one half pound of potatoes per person. Scale the recipe accordingly. The use of Yukon Gold pota-toes is not an idle recommendation. While other types may brown as well, we have demonstrated that many types will not brown, or at least not in the time frame of this recipe.

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The method of slicing the potatoes prior to boiling is impor-tant. Only that portion of potato that is in contact with the metal baking sheet will brown. If sliced like a loaf of bread at about ½ inch thick, they can be turned easily and browned on both side.

2 ½ lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled (optional), sliced ½ inch thick5 tbs olive oil (1tbs per ½ pound, with 1 tbs reserved for the baking sheet)Salt – Table salt to taste

1. Heat the oven to 450˚F with the baking sheet in the oven.

2. Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water.

3. Set the pot on a stove burner and turn on high to bring to a boil.

4. On reaching a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. At this point, the outside of the potato will be softened, but the centers will still be a little hard. Test with a sharp knife.

5. Drain the potatoes in a colander and transfer them to a large bowl. The bowl must have enough room to permit stirring and tossing the potatoes.

6. Add the Olive oil and Salt (to taste) and then stir the potatoes with a rubber spatula such that they are uniformly coated in oil and roughed up a bit. This should take a couple of minutes. The ‘roughed up a bit’ is important in getting them to brown correctly.

7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and add 1 tbs of oil and spread it around.

8. Arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet. Each potato slice must contact the metal sheet with no potato slice resting on top of another.

9. Return the sheet to the oven and bake for 15 min-utes.

10. Remove the sheet and carefully turn over each potato slice.

11. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.12. On removal from the oven, immediately salt the

slices one last time before serving.

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Recipe: Scalloped Potatoes

4 cups diced potatoes1 ½ cups white sauce (recipe below)½ cup grated cheese

1. Peel and cut potatoes into ½” to ¾” dice. Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes.

2. Drain potatoes and season to taste. Pour into a well oiled 1.5 quart casserole.

3. Pour white sauce with melted cheese into casserole and stir to evenly coat potatoes.

4. Bake uncovered in a 350°F oven for about 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown on top.

White sauce for scalloped potatoes

1 ½ cups milk3 tablespoons flour3 tablespoons unsalted butter½ teaspoon saltPepper to taste

1. Melt butter in shallow saucepan or skillet, then add flour. Cook flour and butter together for up to 5 minutes on medium low heat, not enough to brown, but to take away the taste of raw flour in finished sauce.

2. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly with a wire whisk or wooden spoon.

3. Cook over low heat until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. Add salt & pepper.

4. Add grated cheese and stir until melted in to the sauce.

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Recipe: Fried OkraServes 2 as a side dish

1 lb fresh okra½ cup corn mealCanola Oil to ¼” deep in skillet (not Olive oil)Salt to taste

1. Slice the okra into ½ inch pieces.2. Add the corn meal and salt and coat the okra thor-

oughly.3. Add the oil to a skillet and heat to medium heat

(350˚F); before the smoke point.4. Add the coated okra to the skillet and brown. Serve

hot.

Recipe: Okra, Onion and TomatoesA small amount of acid (lemon juice or vinegar) will reduce the mouth feel (slime) of okra. Tomatoes are also acetic and thus this recipe works very well. This recipe has been done by Alton Brown but he split the okra lengthwise. I think that causes them to lose some flavor. He also added no lemon juice.

1 lb okra, cut into inch long pieces1 large onion, chopped3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped3 cloves garlic, minced1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar¼ tsp ginger powder½ tsp ground cardamomSalt and Pepper to taste

1. Brown the onion in the oil. Try not to blacken any of it.

2. Add in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes with stirring.

3. Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. If you are using store bought tomatoes, they may be too dry. If so, add 3 or 4 tbs of white wine.

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4. Add the okra, lemon juice, ginger, cardamom, salt and pepper and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until the okra is tender.

Recipe: RiceWhite rice is made by bringing 2 cups of salted water to a boil and adding 1 cup of white rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, recover, and let it sit off of the heat for 5 minutes. It scales up and down easily. Follow these directions and you will get plain white rice with grains that don’t stick to each other.

If you want Chinese rice, with grains that do stick, then add the rice to cold water and otherwise follow the same direc-tions.

If you want tasty rice, serve it with a lot of butter and addi-tional salt. Also, cook it in chicken broth instead of water.

Brown rice has to be cooked a lot longer – 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure that it doesn’t boil dry. Add additional water if needed.

Recipe: Dirty RiceMakes 3 cups total. 6 servings.

2 cups chicken broth1 chicken neck 1 chicken gizzard 1 chicken liver (optional)1 chicken heart1 cup white long grain rice1 tsp salt

This recipe is best when made with very long grain rice such as basmati or Texmati. Brown rice will result in a rubbery texture that is undesirable. The liver may be omitted with little or no ill effect. We like it, but it can overwhelm the dish if it is too large. Canned chicken broth, or bouillon cubes, or dried chicken soup mix can be substituted for the broth, but

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it will not be as good. An improvement uses the concen-trated broth from a whole chicken that has been slow cooked, but the amount of chicken added should not be changed.

1. Add two cups of water to a sauce pan along with chicken parts and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 hours. Add back wa-ter as needed to maintain about 2 cups.

2. Carefully remove the chicken parts and cool at room temperature. Save the broth, this should be adjusted with water to be exactly 2 cups.

3. Debone the chicken neck and return the meat to the broth.

4. Finely chop the heart, liver, and gizzard, and put the meats into the broth. When cutting up the gizzard, remove the grizzle if it can still be identified.

5. Bring the broth and meats back to boiling and add the rice. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until all of the liquid is ab-sorbed.

6. Let sit covered for 5 minutes before serving.7. Butter may be added at the table and is an improve-

ment if eaten after being stored in the refrigerator.

Recipe: Macaroni and CheeseThe recipe is directly off of a box of Mueller’s elbow maca-roni. Preparation time is 12 minutes and bake time is 25 minutes. The final result is superior in taste, texture and health to the ready mix boxed product from Kraft. However, if you are dieting, the recipe should be avoided.

2 tbs corn starch1 tsp salt½ tsp dry mustard¼ tsp pepper2½ cups milk2 tbs butter2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese8 oz (1 ¾ cups) Mueller’s elbow macaroni

1. Boil the macaroni for 7 minutes, then drain it.

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2. In a sauce pan, make a paste with the corn starch and a tiny amount of the milk.

3. Add the salt, mustard, pepper and the remaining milk and stir to uniformity.

4. Add the butter and bring to a boil, stirring con-stantly, over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute.

5. Add 1.75 cups of cheese (reserve ¼ cup) and gently heat to melt it.

6. Mix in the macaroni and pour everything into a 2 quart casserole.

7. Spread the remaining ¼ cup of cheese evenly over the top.

8. Bake, uncovered, at 375°F for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Recipe: Pinto BeansThis recipe can be scaled as needed.

1 Cup Dried Pinto Beans4 Cups Water½ tsp salt¼ cup Dried minced onions1 tbs dried minced garlic1 tbs chili powder1 tsp cumin

1. Combine ingredients and bring to a boil is a sauce pan.

2. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Put back onto heat at simmer (close to medium heat)

4. Check every 30 minutes to assure that they do not boil dry. Add more water as needed.

5. They should be tender and ready to eat in 2 hours (after start of the simmer).

Recipe: Refried BeansAdd cooked pinto beans (they might even come from a can) to a little hot oil in a skillet. Mash the beans with a fork and

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stir until they are hot. If they are too dry, add a little liquid (water or broth or Worcestershire or beer).

Recipe: PopcornI don’t have an air popper and we long ago abandoned mi-crowave popcorn as unhealthy (at the time it was full of par-tially hydrogenated oils which had trans fatty acids in them and were believed unhealthy) and environmentally un-friendly, considering the amount of solid waste generated for each serving. So that left buying bulk popcorn and mak-ing it on the stove top. It takes about the same amount of time to make it on the stove as to pop it in the microwave. The only disadvantage to the stove method is that there is a heavy pot to clean afterwards.

Canola Oil1/3 cup popcorn kernelsSaltButter

1. Coat the bottom of your heaviest 4-quart pan with enough oil to have a popcorn kernel half submerged when it is lying on its side.

2. Heat the oil until it begins to have schlieren lines (wavy lines caused by changes in the index of re-fraction), then set the burner to medium high.

3. Add ⅓ cup popcorn kernels and put a lid on the pot.

4. Shake the pot continuously to keep the kernels from burning and to get the unpopped ones to fall into the oil, albeit vigor is not necessary.

5. When the popping slows to about 3 seconds be-tween pops, remove pan from burner and imme-diately pour the popped corn into a large bowl. There will be no oil remaining.

6. Drizzle melted butter over the popped corn while shaking it.

7. Salt it well, again while shaking it.8. Serve.

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Recipe: How to Pickle Beets

These instructions are for canning beets in vinegar, a process known as pickling. Anytime food is preserved by heat processing, it is critical that the directions be explic-itly followed. Otherwise, deleterious bacteria or other microbial life forms may propagate in the food and cause illness or worse when it is consumed.This recipe makes 8 pints of beets and thus requires 8 pint sized canning jars with new lids. Special equipment that is required also includes a boiling water bath can-ner.

7 lbs beets, about 2 or 2-1/2 inch diameter4 cups apple cider vinegar1 ½ tsp canning or pickling salt2 cups sugar2 cups water2 cinnamon sticks12 whole cloves

1. Trim the greens from the beets, leaving 1 inch of stem and roots to prevent bleeding color.

2. Wash the beets well. Cover with boiling water and cook until tender - about 25 to 30 minutes.

3. Drain and cool the beets and finish trimming the roots and stems.

4. Remove the skin from the beets. It will come off with a little effort.

5. Slice each beet into ¼ inch thick slices.6. Combine the vinegar, salt, sugar, and water and

bring to a boil.

7. Put the cinna-mon and cloves into the boiling mixture in a man-ner that

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will permit their easy removal. They could be in cheese cloth tied in a bundle. Simmer the spices for 5 minutes and then remove them.

8. Using a funnel, fill a very recently sterilized can-ning jar with beets. Add the hot vinegar solu-tion, leaving ½ inch of head space. All beets must be covered. Jars can be sterilized by boiling completely cov-ered for 20 minutes. [Of course, they won’t stay sterile once removed from the boiling water.] Al-ternatively, jars can be sterilized by running them through a dish washer with a heating cycle and then using them right after they come out.

9. Place the vacuum seal lids (and rings) on the jars, leaving the rings very loose.

10. Process the jars for 30 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

11. At the end of the 30 minutes, use the lifter to move all of the pints to room temperature and then wait on the lids to pop (suction in). After that and even after they have cooled, the rings can be screwed on.

Recipe: Beet Greens

A truly delicious recipe, but you have to start with fresh beet greens. We get them from the Farmer’s market in Balti-more. I often wondered why they sold the greens with the beets, since it would be expedient to just chop them off and bring the beets to market alone.

1 lb beet greens (from about 4 large beets)1 strip of thick cut bacon, chopped1 tbs of bacon fat (could come from the above bacon)¼ cup chopped onion1 clove garlic, minced¾ cup of water1 tbs sugar¼ tsp red pepper flakes

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1. Wash the greens in a sink by filling the sink with water, agitating the greens, removing the greens, and then draining. Do this a minimum of 3 times and (not or) until there is no sediment in the sink when the greens are re-moved. Cut up the stems into short pieces (one half to 1 inch). Chop the leaves a little.

2. In a skillet, cook the bacon to nearly crispy. 3. Leave the bacon fat in the skillet and add the onions and

cut up stems. 4. Cook until the onions and stems until they have begun to

brown, then stir in the garlic and cook for another minute or two. The stems should be edible before pro-ceeding.

5. Add water to the skillet and use a spatula to scrape the bottom.

6. Add the sugar and pepper and heat for another two min-utes over medium heat.

7. Add the beet greens and stir the mixture around for a minute as it cooks.

8. Put a lid on the skillet and cook on low heat for 10 min-utes or until the greens are cooked down.

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12PASTA

Recipe: Homemade PastaI have a pasta making book that says this can be done by hand. If true (and I am not certain), then the dough will have to be more moist than this. Even with this dough and a ma-chine, it is easier if you keep the dough warm (115°F), espe-cially during the rest phase.

⅔ cup all-purpose flour (I use 93 grams)1 egg at room temperature (don’t cheat)1 tbs water1 tsp oil

Use a heating pad set to hot or hair dryer to warm the cabi-net surface where you will work the dough. I like the heating pad because it is not labor intensive and I get the plastic lam-inate counter top to about 115°F.Make a small pile from the flour. Form a dish in the middle of it. Fork scramble the raw egg in a bowl and add the wa-ter and oil, then carefully pour it into the middle of the flour like gravy into mashed potatoes so that it doesn’t escape.Start working in the flour as slow as you can to make stiff dough. Knead the dough until it all comes together well, then wrap it in plastic and let it rest in a warm place for 20 minutes. If the dough is just too dry to hold together, you can add another tablespoon of water until it will stick to-gether. However, you may also omit the oil and water from the recipe – leaving only egg and flour for totally traditional pasta.Unwrap it and knead some more until it is smooth.

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By parts (probably 4 to 8 pieces), run it through the machine at each of the settings. The machine you will most likely ac-quire has 9 settings and you need to run the dough through each setting sequentially. The reason is that the dough is better stretched as opposed to pressed into shape. Give the machine time to work and the pasta will be better.As you are putting the pieces through the machine, they may become too long. Just cut them into manageable lengths and keep going.After it is rolled to the thinnest setting, it can be cut with ei-ther an attachment for the machine or with a pizza cutter. At this point the pasta is ready to cook. Two minutes in salted boiling water and its ready to eat.If you wish to dry the pasta, hang the strips across a piece of wood. They will be brittle within a day.

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Egg poured into flour. Egg Mixed prior to adding it to flour. Pad is heating the cabinet top.

CHAPTER TWELVE PASTA

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Recipe: PestoPesto is eaten on pasta. After draining the pasta and while it is still hot, put about 2 to 3 tbs of Pesto per pint of cooked Pasta. Toss and serve. Basil comes in varieties. One of the best for this purpose is mint basil. Every year we try to grow basil just for this recipe. It can also be purchased inexpen-sively at farmer’s markets. When growing pasta in the Balti-more area, we have problems with slugs eating holes into the leaves at night and it is necessary to get slug baits to con-trol them. These small pellets are spread around the surface of the garden but preferably not too close to the basil. This recipe makes about 1 cup. It will keep refrigerated for several months and frozen for a long time. Some people suggest omitting the cheese if you are planning to freeze it and then adding the cheese after it is thawed and just before using. We have frozen it with the cheese already in. It seems to lose something after freeze/thaw, but is still very good. Some years there is so much basil that we make about 8 cups of Pesto.

Ingredients:2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or other hard cheese Reggiano or Romano) 1/2 cup olive oil1/3 cup pine nuts3 medium cloves garlic, mincedSalt and pepper to taste

1. In a food processor, put the basil and pine nuts and pulse quickly to just chop. Add the garlic and con-tinue to pulse until the pieces are pea sized or less.

2. Add the olive oil in a constant stream while running the food processor. Add the grated cheese and con-tinue processing until the mixture is homogeneous. Salt and pepper to taste.

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13HOLIDAY MEALS

Our traditional Thanksgiving menu is shown below. It is rare that we would prepare all of the items and in most cases, there will be new things that aren’t included here. Still, these are long time favorites and are appreciated any time they appear.

AppetizersPickle and Olive Plate

Spinach Dip with CrackersChicken Liver Paté

Entrée MeatRoasted TurkeyRoasted Goose

Ham

Vegetables and SidesSweet PotatoesCranberry Sauce

Cornbread DressingGiblet Gravy

Butternut SquashGreen Beans with Almond Sauce

Yeast Rolls

DrinksIce Tea or Lemonade

DesertPumpkin or Pecan Pie

Recipe: Roasted Turkey

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When you buy a commercial turkey, it often comes with in-structions for roasting. Those instructions are usually ade-quate for getting a successful roasted turkey, but they can be rather demeaning. For example, the instructions may start out “Remove wrapper from turkey.” Now if you don’t al-ready know to remove the plastic wrapper, you’re reading the wrong book because I have omitted any number of com-mon sense instructions. I expect you already know that commercially packaged birds, turkey, chicken, duck, etc. of-ten have the giblets stuck into a bag and stuffed into the body cavity. It would be embarrassing to find these at the table inside a roasted bird.

1 turkey – 1 pound per person when buying

1. Heat the oven to 325°F.2. Rinse turkey well with cold water and pat dry. Re-

move the giblets and neck. Take a knife and cut off the tail. I usually throw the tail away and boil (sim-mer) the giblets and neck for about 2 to 3 hours.

3. I am not a fan of stuffing the bird, but if you do, you can put the stuffing in both the body cavity as well as the neck cavity. Pack it loosely because it expands. You may need to sew the opening together to pre-vent the stuffing from falling out. In cooking, this is called skewering.

4. Place turkey, breast up, on a rack in a roasting pan. I use a blue speckled enamel pan.

5. Brush turkey with melted butter and cover. If you are not using a big enough pan, then you will have to cover with aluminum foil. It needn’t be tight, but should be arranged such that the moisture from the bird will reflux and drip back into the pan.

6. In the last half hour of roasting, remove the cover and let the turkey brown.

7. Roast at 325°F for the amount of time shown in the table below. Use a meat thermometer to determine when it is done exactly. A good guide is the follow-ing. The turkey is cooked when the meat thermome-ter reads 180-185°F at the thigh, or 170-175°F at the

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2.5 2.75 3 3.25 3.5 3.75 4 4.25 4.5 4.75 568

101214161820222426

Turkey Roasting Time at 325 F

Time (Hours)

Wei

ght (

Poun

ds)

y

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CHAPTER THIRTEEN HOLIDAY MEALS

breast, and center of stuffing reaches at least 165°F. The drumstick should twist easily in its socket, and juices should run clear, with no traces of pink when pierced with a fork.

8. After removing from the oven, let it sit for 20 min-utes before carving.

Turkey Weight Cooking time*8 pounds 2 hrs 45 min12 pounds 3 hours 20 min14 pounds 3 hours 40 min18 pounds 4 hours 15 min20 pounds 4 hours 30 min25 pounds 5 hoursAdd ½ hour when the bird is stuffed.

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Recipe: Christmas GooseSo you want to cook a goose! First let me say that a goose may not be as wonderful tasting as you might imagine. It is after all just another bird, but it certainly has tradition when turkey or ham might just be too plain. Second, and it can’t be said too often, a goose is greasy. Indeed about 45% of the weight of the bird (excluding bone) is fat and if you cook it long enough it will wind up on the bottom of the roasting pan. Given that you don’t want to eat a bird that is bathed in grease, you absolutely must have a rack that can get the bird up off of the pan bottom. If you buy a 12 lb goose, there can easily be 3 to 4 lbs of fat that cooks out and that equates to 7 to 9 cups of goose oil. Third, when the fat cooks out of the goose, the remaining meat dries out. Oh, by and by, it doesn’t just cook out of the outside, it also oozes on the in-side and can puddle in the middle of the goose. To resolve that most recipes put fruit or bread crumbs in the interior to absorb grease (and they don’t ever mention eating that bit either). If you must have stuffed goose, consider removing the absorbent with about 30 minutes of cooking time left and then putting in your edible stuffing.

Large pot and rack to hold the goose. No cover required.12 lb goose, dressed and ready to cook

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1 to 2 gallons of brine for poultry (see brining chicken)Kosher saltGround PepperBread Crumbs (cut up ½ a loaf of bread)3 onions, cut in half

1. Brine the bird overnight completely immersed. 2. Heat the oven to 425°F.3. Rinse away the brine in the sink and truss or other-

wise prepare the bird and his roasting rack. Put all of the bread cubes inside the neck cavity to absorb goose fat.

4. Put the ½ onions inside the body cavity.5. Rub the flesh with plenty of kosher salt, ground pep-

per, and thyme.6. With the goose in the pot on the rack, put it into the

oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and start the timing.

7. Roast the goose for 20 to 25 minutes per pound and until the coldest part has a reading of 175°F on a meat thermometer. Baste every 20 minutes with the fat that collects in the bottom of the pan. We use a plastic bristled brush that holds oil quite well. Traditionally one uses a bulb turkey baster.

8. If the top of the bird starts to brown too much and it hasn’t yet reached the correct temperature, then cover the breasts with a piece of aluminum foil.

About HamHam is a meat that comes from the rear leg of a hog. If it comes from the front leg it is called pork shoulder or picnic pork. Hams can be purchased fresh, cured, or smoked. Both the cured and smoked versions benefit from additional cook-ing, but are safe to eat right from the package. The fresh ham will have some type of safe handling label. In the US, all of the ham sold has to have been treated for trichina so if

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you were to eat it, you at least might not die of that. As a general rule, avoid sushi ham. For “bone in” ham, cook at 325°F for about 20 to 30 minutes per pound or until the in-ternal temperature on a meat thermometer is 165°F. The cooking can be done either in the oven or on indirect heat on a grill, uncovered. We cook both fresh and cured hams more or less the same amount of time. For boneless hams, the cooking time can be 20 minutes per pound, but with the same internal temperature. Markets will tend to trim off a lot of the fat. That is OK, but try to find one with at least ¼” of fat remaining around the outside.

Several companies and markets have begun to offer spiral sliced hams glazed with a variety of seasonings applied. These are overall very good. They are picked up at refrigera-tor temperatures and may be eaten cold, but if you want them hot then follow the same cooking directions as above.

Recipe: Glazed Ham

Ham, fresh or cured or cured and smokedPineapple1 cup brown sugar3 to 4 tbs pineapple juice3 tbs cup honey1 orange1 tsp Dijon mustardDash of ground cloves

1. Allow the ham to sit at room temperature for a couple of hours prior to cooking.

2. Trim any fat, but leave a 1/4" layer. Score the fat into a diamond pattern by cutting 1/4", making squares of about 2” across. The scoring permits fat to render from the ham as it cooks. If there is no fat, then scoring won’t work well.

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3. Cook the ham at 325°F for 20 to 30 min-utes per pound and until the internal tem-perature reaches 165°F.

4. Meanwhile, mix up the glaze, brown sugar, honey, orange, pineapple juice and mustard and clove. Just you the juice and zest from the orange.

5. During the last hour of cooking, baste the ham frequently (about every 10 minutes) with the glaze until it is all used up.

Tip: When you are done, don't throw out the ham bone. Freeze it and use it later to flavor split pea soup.

Recipe: Cornbread DressingFor many years this recipe was made with Giblets (liver, giz-zard and heart) and it was OK, although in Maryland as op-posed to Texas, there are supply issues with the giblets. One time we bought giblets (label on the package) and got all liver. Other times we have just found that the stores don’t carry them. The recipe below has no giblets as we have changed to include sausage and bacon. That change came about at a family gathering in Florida where we found our-selves without giblets and one of the relatives suggested that they had used bacon and sausage as a substitute – so we tried it. Another issue has been getting the right amount of liquid in the dressing so that it has the desired moistness at the table. It turns out that moist dressing is a matter of tasted and it simply isn’t possible to please everyone with the same dish. Consequently, in the recipe below we have given a wide range for the amount of liquid to add. I recom-mend starting in the middle and then adjusting future prepa-rations to your taste. Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing is a very dry cornbread crumb product with a special blend of savory seasonings. The ingredient list on the package only lists “spices”, but it is likely to include sage, onion powder, and thyme. It may also include tiny amounts of clove, cinna-

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mon, chili powder, and ginger. We have made no attempt to reproduce it.

2 cups “Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing”2 cups crumbled cornbread (made without sugar)½ lb pork sausage½ lb bacon, cut into ¼” slices1 yellow onion, chopped2 – 3 stalks celery chopped1 bunch green onion, chopped½ bunch fresh parsley, choppedFresh thyme leaves – 1-2 tablespoons?2 eggs2 to 4 cups chicken broth (depending on how moist you want your dressing)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C), if you’re not already using it to cook your turkey. The dressing and the turkey can share oven space.

2. Chop the onion and celery and set aside. 3. Chop the green onion and parsley and set aside sep-

arately.4. Cook bacon moderately crisp and cut it across the

slices into roughly ¼” pieces. 5. Brown the bulk sausage in the same skillet. Set the

bacon pieces and sausage aside.6. In the bacon/sausage drippings, sauté the chopped

onion and celery until the onion is translucent and soft.

7. In a large mixing bowl, mix the stuffing, cornbread, sausage, bacon, cooked onion & celery, green onions, parsley & thyme.

8. Whisk the 2 eggs until whites and yolks are thor-oughly mixed. Add the beaten eggs to the cornbread mixture.

9. Transfer the cornbread mixture to a 2 quart baking dish. Pour the chicken broth over the cornbread mixture. The more liquid you add at this point, the more moist will be the finished dressing. But, the more liquid you add, the longer the dressing will

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take to cook. You want the chicken broth to moisten all the cornbread in the baking dish, but not so much that you see a lot of liquid in the dish.

10. Bake uncovered in the 350° oven until brown at the edges and on top – at least 30 minutes for the driest dressing; 45minutes to an hour if you’ve added more chicken broth.

Recipe: Giblet GravyIt is tempting to use more giblets than is called for but having done that, let me suggest that it is a mistake. If you have to use chicken giblets, then it might be OK to use the giblets from two birds, but any more than that detracts from the gravy.

Giblets (from turkey: 1 heart, 1 gizzard, 1 liver, 1 neck)Water1 stalk celery1 large onion1 bell pepper (or any similar sized pepper – not hot)1 tsp thyme1 tsp rosemary1 tsp sage1 tsp dry mustard2 tsp tumeric4 tbs flour4 tbs canola oil1 tsp soy sauce1 tbs catsup1 tbs Worcestershire sauce¼ tsp Tabasco sauce2 boiled eggs, peeled and sliced.

1. Put the giblets in a medium pot. Cover with about 4 cups cold water and boil for 10 minutes, then re-move the liver. Continue boiling the other giblets 1½ to 3 hours or until the neck vertebrae can be re-moved cleanly. When done, cool and then separate

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the meat from the bones and cartilage. Preserve the broth.

2. In a heavy cast iron skillet, make a dark roux from the flour and oil. To make a roux, heat the oil to about 350°F in the skillet, then add the flour a little at a time with constant stirring. Continue stirring and heating until the color is chocolate brown.

3. Add the vegetables (celery, onion, bell pepper) to the roux and sauté well.

4. Add the seasonings, thyme, rosemary, sage, and mustard.

5. Add the sauces, soy, catsup, Worcestershire, and Tabasco.

6. Add the broth from the giblets and add additional water (or chicken broth) to make about 1 quart.

7. Simmer for at least ½ hour and serve hot with the egg slices floated on top.

Recipe: Cranberry Sauce - SimpleDespite the seeming absence of ingredients here, this simple whole cranberry sauce is perhaps the best. It can be made up the day it is needed or a few days prior. A variation that I like is to add the zest of an orange.

12 oz (340 grams) whole fresh cranberries1 cup (200 grams) sugar1 cup water

1. Combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil.2. Add all of the cranberries and return to a boil; then

immediately lower to heat to just keep it boiling and put a lid on it.

3. Boil for 10 minutes being careful to not let it boil over.

4. Pour into a serving dish and refrigerate until it sets – about an hour.

Recipe: Pineapple Orange Cranberry SaladThis recipe could have been included as a variation of the simple cranberry sauce, but it is really quite different by the

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time it gets to the table. Also, omitting any orange zest sig-nificantly reduces the orange flavor and lets the cranberry taste come through. The pineapple can be either fresh or canned and could be crushed instead of cut up. If using canned pineapple or oranges, but sure to drain away and do not include the juice from the cans. Clearly this recipe serves more people than the simple cranberry sauce.

12 oz (340 grams) whole fresh cranberries1 cup (200 grams) sugar1 cup water1 ½ cups mandarin orange slices1 cup pineapple cut into small pieces¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Using the cranberries, sugar and water, prepare the simple cranberry sauce recipe listed above.Add the orange slices, pineapple, and nuts and mix well be-fore refrigerating.

Recipe: Holiday Sweet PotatoesSweet potatoes are not yams! Although I am made to un-derstand that sweet potatoes and yams will work the same in this type of recipe, the markets in Baltimore rarely have yams. Sweet potatoes will keep for many weeks, up to a few months in a dark pantry.

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled¼ to ½ cup butter½ cup brown sugarGround cinnamon to taste

1. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes in large chunks, 1½” long and about 1” wide/deep.

2. In a cast iron skillet, add the potatoes. 3. Dot with the butter4. Sprinkle the sugar over the top

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5. Put on a lid and cook over medium low heat until done, 20 to 30 minutes. When the potatoes are done, they will be soft and all of the butter and sugar will have melted into a sauce. Very little or no stir-ring is required.

Recipe: Holiday Cranberry Squash

1 ½ to 2 lbs butternut squash (or other winter squash or pumpkin, delicata is good)1 cups minced onions½ cup minced celery1 tbs butter (to grease skillet)2 cups fresh cranberries (about 8 oz)¼ tsp salt½ cup unsweetened applesauce¼ cup apple juice (or orange juice)¼ cup maple syrup or ¼ cup sugar.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F2. Remove the seeds from the squash (cook and eat

separately – like pumpkin seeds)3. Place the squash, cut side down, into a baking pan,

add water to about ½ inch, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

4. Sauté the onions and celery in the oil over medium heat for 10 minutes or until softened.

5. Add the cranberries and salt. Lower the heat, and simmer until the cranberries have popped, about 10 minutes.

6. Remove from the heat and stir in the applesauce, juice, and maple syrup. The filling should be tart – add just enough maple syrup to offset the sourness of the cranberries.

7. Remove the squash from the oven and turn the halves over in the pan.

8. Fill each cavity with a rounded ½ cup of filling.9. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until well done.

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Recipe: TsimmesThis is a traditional Yiddish dish with sweet potatoes and car-rots.

3 to 4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled2 large carrots, cleaned or peeled and sliced1 large apple, peeled1 medium large onion, chopped2 cups dried apricots, chopped3 tbs lemon juice1 tsp salt½ tsp cinnamon⅔ cup orange juice1 cup apple juice¼ dried bread crumbs (food processer texture)

1. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1 inch pieces and then put everything except the bread crumbs into a large bowl and mix well.

2. Transfer the mixture to a casserole that just holds everything to look nice. Top with the bread crumbs, then cover and bake for about 2 hours at 350°F. It is done when the sweet potatoes and carrots are ten-der and difficult to tell apart.

Recipe: Sausage Cheese BallsSusan’s cheese balls are a favorite for holidays. They can be mixed up and frozen raw to be cooked just before serving. The original recipe called for Bisquick but it is probably a healthier choice to use the Bisquick manufacturing method listed just after this recipe. Also there are a few variations that add an interesting twist to these. One can add ¼ cup of minced onion, or ½ cup of parmesan cheese, or 1 tbs of chili powder to provide quite a different taste.

2 cups Bisquick1 lb grated cheddar cheese1 lb bulk pork breakfast sausage

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Canola oil spray

5. Preheat the oven to 325°F.6. Mix the ingredients and knead to combine.7. Shape the dough in 1½“ diameter balls. At this point

if you want to freeze them they will keep for months.

8. Spray a baking sheet and place the balls on the sheet.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe: BisquickThis recipe makes about 2 cups so that it is just the

right amount to use it all for the sausage cheese balls listed above. Bisquick is a brand of pre-mixed biscuit dough pow-der. It has sodium aluminum sulfate in it as part of the leav-ening ingredient. Although there is no evidence that alu-minum in that form is unhealthy, we just avoid it anyway. Aluminum is certainly natural, but not something I regularly want to eat.

2 c. all-purpose flour1 tbs Rumford baking powder1 tbs + 2 tsp sugar1 tsp. salt3 oz lard or butter

1. Mix the dry ingredients well, then use a pastry cutter to cut in the lard or butter until you achieve a fine crumb. If you decide to store this, it should be kept refrigerated since it has no preservatives.

Recipe: Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball SpreadSusan served this as an appetizer before a Christmas dinner and it was quite a success.

8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1¼ cup grated cheddar cheese6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled 1 tsp dried parsley 2 tbs chives (fresh)

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¼ tsp tobacco sauce¼ tsp garlic powderPecans, chopped

1. Warm up the cream cheese until it can be mixed by hand. A few seconds (10 to 15) in the microwave will do. Mix up all of the ingredients except the pecans.

2. Wrap the mixture up in plastic wrap and roll in the desired shape – ball or log.

3. Unwrap and roll the ball/log in the chopped pecans to coat the outside, rewrap and refrigerate to blend the flavors.

4. Serve with crackers and chips.

Recipe: Spinach DipKnorr’s Vegetable Soup and Recipe Mix is the source for this recipe.

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained16 oz sour cream1 cup mayonnaise1 pkg Knorr’s Vegetable Soup and Recipe Mix8 oz water chestnuts, chopped3 green onions, chopped

7. Combine the spinach, sour cream, mayon-naise, soup mix, water chestnuts and green onions until well mixed.

8. Cover and chill for 2 hours to blend the fla-vors.

9. Stir briefly prior to serving.

Recipe: Chicken Liver Pâté

½ lb chicken liver½ cup onion, sliced thin1 clove garlic, whole1 bay leaf

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¼ tsp thyme ½ cup water1 to 2 tbs brandy¾ cup butter (1.5 sticks, 170 gm)Salt and Pepper

1. Combine the ingredients (except for the Pepper and butter) and boil (or pan fry in a tbs of butter) for 15 minutes, replacing the water as needed to keep it from boiling dry.

2. Transfer the onion, garlic and liver to a food proces-sor and blend to puree.

3. Add the butter a little at a time and blend it in.4. Add the brandy and ¼ tsp salt and blend again.5. Put the pâté into a very shallow flat serving dish and

cover it with plastic wrap such that the wrap directly contacts the pate.

6. Refrigerate and serve when cooled.7. When serving, use a knife to obtain the pâté and

spread onto crackers. The pâté is rather firm.

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Recipe: Pie Crust

This simple pie crust makes enough for a top and bottom for a 9” to 10” pie plate. It is not sweetened and is quite suit-able for chicken pot pie and quiche as well as fruit pies. The recipe does not scale. Make all of it and if you don’t need it all, feed the left over portion to a skinny person or make the remainder into pie crust cookies.

¼ tsp salt1½ cup flour½ cup unsalted butter (not right out of the refrigerator and not melted) - ¼ cup cold water

1. Add the butter to four and salt and mix thor-oughly with a fork.

2. Add the ice water and blend well with your hands.

3. Roll and place in a pie pan.

Recipe: Pecan Pie Filling for an 8” pie pan

3 eggs1 lb light brown sugar (2 cups firmly packed)¼ cup melted butterPinch of salt1 tsp vanilla1 cup pecans, chopped½ cup pecan halves

1. Beat together the eggs sugar and butter.

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2. Add salt and vanilla and ½ cup of chopped pecans.

3. Put a pie crust into the pie plate.4. Place ½ cup of the pecans onto the pie crust.5. Pour the egg mixture over the pecans.6. Arrange the pecan halves on top of the filling.7. Bake in 350˚F oven for 40 minutes.

Recipe: Pumpkin PieWe make this recipe at least once per year. It doesn’t have to be made with pumpkin. Butternut squash will also work. For a nice serving suggestion, put whipped cream on top. Also, the recipe suggests saving the seeds. I always cook the seeds (recipe follows) separately and just eat them. Don’t bother separating every bit of pumpkin glop from the seeds as it isn’t necessary.

1 cups sugar4 eggs3 cups cooked pumpkin pulp1 ½ tsp cinnamon1 tsp clove½ tsp ginger1 tsp allspice½ tsp vanilla extract3 cups evaporated milk½ tsp salt

1. Half, then quarter the unpeeled pumpkin, remove (and save) the seeds and cook the pumpkin parts in the oven or the microwave until the flesh is soft. In the oven, I use 350°C for an hour or two. The time varies depending on the size of the pumpkin. In the oven it should be covered. I cut it up enough to fit into the turkey pan and use that lid. Obviously it is faster in the microwave, but the whole pumpkin may not fit in. On the other hand, it only takes 1 small

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pie pumpkin (8 inches diameter) to make a pie. Any more than that and you will be freezing pumpkin for next year.

2. While the pumpkin is cooking make a pie crust (bot-tom only) for a 10” pie dish. You might want to have a smaller one ready and set aside too as this make a lot of pie filling.

3. Once the pumpkin flesh is cooked, use a big spoon to separate the skin from the pulp. Discard the skin.

4. Preheat the oven to 425°F5. Mash (or food processer or hand held blender stick)

and pack the cooked pulp. Measure out 4 cups of pulp and set aside.

6. Blend (or food process) all of the ingredients until they are homogeneous.

7. Pour into the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes at 425°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F and continue to bake for an hour. It is done when a knife tip in-serted into the center comes out clean.

8. As it cools, it will set and firm up more.

Recipe: Pumpkin SeedsI eat pumpkin seeds whole – as in unshelled. Yes, they are a little woody, so chew well. I find it way too much trouble to shell them. As a matter of interest, the number of seeds in a small pumpkin is roughly equal to the number of seeds in a large pumpkin.

Seeds from one pumpkin – including some of the glop, but not too muchSpray canola oil

1. Collect and roughly separate the glop from the seeds of a pumpkin.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.3. Spray a layer of foil on a baking sheet with canola oil.

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4. Spread the seeds out on the foil in one layer and lightly spray the seeds with canola oil.

5. Salt the seeds, making sure that the salt adheres to the seeds. Usually this isn’t an issue, since they are slimy to begin with and then sprayed with oil.

6. Cook for about 30 minutes, removing them when they have dried and begun to brown.

7. After removing from the oven, it is easy to finish sep-arating the seeds from any remaining dried pumpkin tissue.

Recipe: Apple Crumb PieI tried about a dozen different apple pie recipes over three months and eventually decided that the best one was in Su-san’s recipe box before I started. You may be able to im-prove on it, but good luck. You’ll need it. Hint: Granny Smith Apples.

Apple filling:⅔ cup sugar¼ tsp salt¼ tsp cinnamon¼ tsp nutmeg¾ tsp grated lemon rind1 tbs butter6 to 8 green apples, pared and slicedUnbaked 9” pie shell

Topping:¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar¼ cup granulated sugar¾ cup flour¼ cup tsp salt½ cup butter

1. After preparing a bottom crust (pie shell), preheat the oven to 425°F.

2. Blend sugar and spices, salt and butter.3. Toss apples in the mixture.

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4. Arrange the apples in the pie shell and spread any extra sugar mixture on top.

5. Meanwhile, put the topping ingredients together and blend well with a pastry cutter.

6. Spread the topping over the apples and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.

7. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes more.

Recipe: Blackberry CobblerBlackberries become ripe in Maryland in July and are avail-able at the farms to be picked or purchased at farmer’s mar-kets. If you can manage to not eat them all, there may be a few left for a pie.

2 ½ cups blackberries¾ cup sugar1 ½ cups flour1 tbs baking powder½ tsp saltSpray canola oil5/8 cup butter (135 gm) (used in 2 portions)whipped cream for serving

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.2. Spray oil to coat a glass pie plate (9½“).3. Add the berries and top with ½ of the sugar.4. In a separate bowl, crumb the flour, baking powder,

salt and ½ cup of butter. Knead it with a fork to form a soft lumpy dough.

5. Spoon the dough over the berries and then melt the remaining butter and drizzle it over the dough.

6. Top with the other half of the sugar.7. Bake for 35 mintues or until the topping has begun

to brown.8. Individual servings can be topped with whipped

cream.

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Recipe: Pie Crust Cookies

Pie Crust (usually leftover from having made a one crust pie)Unsalted Butter (amount as needed)SugarCinnamon

1. Roll out the pie crust very thin on wax paper. The shape should be such that it will fit onto a baking sheet.

2. Invert the crust onto a baking sheet and remove the wax paper.

3. Using your fingers and softened butter, Spread butter evenly over the crust. We are not just try-ing to grease it. Put some butter. A 10” x 15” area might take 3 to 5 tbs butter.

4. Sprinkle sugar over the whole such that it is eas-ily visible. Use about ½ cup to ¾ cup.

5. Sprinkle cinnamon over all to taste.6. Very important: Prior to baking, use a pizza

cutting wheel to cut the dough into bite size pieces. It cannot be neatly cut after baking.

7. Bake at 375˚F for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the edges clearly begin to brown. Often these come out underdone, so bake them enough. You want them crispy after they have been out of the oven for 10 minutes.

Recipe: Gingersnaps

1 cup butter, softened 1 cup white sugar (if you substitute brown, they will not be as crisp)1 cup molasses 1 tsp baking soda 1 tbs water 3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour makes them lighter) 2 tbs ginger2 tsp nutmeg

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2 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1. Beat butter and sugar together, then add molasses and beat until homogeneous.

2. Dissolve the baking soda in the water, then stir it into the sugar mixture.

3. Mix in the flour and other ingredients.4. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on a silicone

baking mat on a cookie sheet.5. Smash each cookie ball with the bottom of a glass

dipped in flour. I use a 4 oz juice glass and hit each one pretty hard one time.

6. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until done as evi-denced by beginning to see wrinkles in the cookies. They will wrinkle or crack more during cooling. If you want them softer, cook for less time.

7. Cool the cookies on wire racks.Makes about 6 dozen.

Recipe: Oatmeal CookiesThere are two ways to eat oatmeal cookies. You can eat the dough or eat the baked cookie. If you really prefer the dough, then wrap into a log shape, refrigerate it, and cut cookie shaped pieces from the end as you eat them. Any rolled oats can be used. We have a preference for the larger ones called Quaker’s Old Fashioned. This recipe, or some-thing very similar, appeared on the Quaker’s oatmeal box for many years.

½ lb butter, at room temperature1 cup brown sugar½ cup white sugar2 eggs1 tsp vanilla1½ cups flour1 tsp baking soda1 tsp cinnamon

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1/2 tsp salt3 cups Quaker Oats1 cup raisins

1. Heat oven to 350°F.2. Use an electric hand mixer to cream the butter,

brown sugar and white sugar.3. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue mixing.4. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and

mix them in.5. Mix in the oats and raisins.6. Drop spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet that has been

covered with a layer of parchment paper.7. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.8. When the cookies are done, put them on a rack to

cool.9. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

Recipe: Grandma’s Ice CreamThis recipe is from Grandma Beaty, circa 1925. It is un-modified from that time. Susan says that it isn’t ice cream at all, but rather a substance called mellorine. Technically, she is correct. Mellorine is just a low fat al-ternative to ice cream. In any event, I grew up eating this as ice cream and I still think it is better than anything available at the Ben & Jerry’s or Baskin Robbins. Make this ice cream in an ice cream mixer. Traditionally, we used a wooden bucket type and bought crushed ice and rock salt to make it cold. While rock salt is still easy to come by because it is used on the roads, crushed ice has become increasingly difficult to obtain. In general, “party ice” doesn’t work because it has an insufficient surface area. Real snow, or snow cone ice will work, but the goal is to have it in the summer when hopefully real snow is scarce and, of course, snow cone ice is expen-sive. Also, the old wooden bucket was hand cranked. There are now many modern alternatives for freezing

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the ice cream and, as far as I can tell, they do just as good or better.

5 eggs2 cups sugar2 cans condensed milk (evaporated milk)2 oz vanilla6 to 6 ½ cups Whole milk (to make the total volume about 2/3 of a gallon)

1. Beat the eggs and sugar together.2. Add the remaining ingredients except the milk.3. Pour into a 1 gallon ice cream mixer.4. Add milk to the mixer until it is 2/3 full, leaving

room for expansion.5. Insert the stirring paddles (called a dasher) and

the container top and assemble the machine.6. To freeze, add crushed ice around the outside of

the machine with a lot of rock salt. Use approxi-mately 1 cup of rock salt for every gallon of crushed ice. Layer the salt and ice.

7. Make sure that the bucket drain hole, just below the top fitting for the ice cream container is clear and keep it clear constantly. Salt water will con-tinuously drip and the ice and salt must be occa-sionally replenished.

8. Put some rags, old blue jeans, etc. on top of the completed bucket as an insulation, both for the ice and for the person cranking.

9. Begin turning the crank. Go any speed you want. After about 30 minutes it should begin to get too hard to turn. When it takes a strong adult to turn it, stop and let it sit insulated for at least 15 minutes.

10. Pour off some of the ice and water and open carefully to extract the dasher. Give the dasher

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to one of the kids to eat. This should be done outdoors.

11. The ice cream will be soft and ready to eat. 12. Any leftover that goes into a home freezer will

get rock hard, such that you can’t even get a spoon into it, but it is still very tasty.

Recipe: Chocolate Covered CaramelsThese caramels are really easy to make as candy goes, but you have to have a candy thermometer and you need to use it. If you aren’t already fairly experienced with the cold water method, then pay close attention to the temperature. Also, when heating the candy don’t hurry. Failing to get the temperature right will cause an undesirable result either way.

1 cup butter2 ¼ cups brown sugar1 cup corn syrup (light or dark)1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk1 tsp vanilla extract

1 pound chocolate (baking chocolate – unsweetened, or sweet or bittersweet, or milk - It doesn’t matter.)

1. Spray an 8 x 8 inch square pan or a piece of wax pa-per with canola oil.

2. In a heavy saucepan melt butter over medium heat; add brown sugar, corn syrup and milk. Stirring con-stantly, heat to 245 to 250 degrees F, or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a hard ball. The syrup is formed into a stable ball, but loses its round shape once pressed. Remove candy from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour into the oiled dish or onto a piece of oiled wax paper to harden.

3. When caramel has cooled enough to handle, cut into 1 inch squares. Use your fingers to shape them into

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cubes. If needed, chill in the refrigerator to firm, but we would like these at about 70°F to coat.

4. Melt the chocolate very very slowly in a heavy sauce pan. Bring the temperature to 130°F and when above 100°F it is important to stir constantly or else the chocolate will separate. Stir until smooth.

5. Remove from heat and cool to 88°F, then place the chocolate containing pan into another pan that has water heated to 90°F.

6. Dip caramel squares in chocolate and place on wax paper to cool.

Recipe: Date RollDate Roll is a candy. From the name you might think it is a cake or some other soft roll, but don’t be misled. It is sugary candy – and it’s good.

2 cups white sugar1 cup milk½ cup brown sugar2 tbs butter1 cup dates, chopped fine1 cup pecans1 tsp vanilla

1. In a heavy sauce pan put the white sugar, milk, and brown sugar and cook to the soft ball stage (234°F) then remove from the heat and add the dates, pecans, and vanilla.

2. Return the pot to the heat and bring to a boil then re-move from the heat again.

3. Cool slightly – you clearly have to continue before it gets hard in the shape of the pot. Best guess is about 5 min-utes.

4. Roll into a log shape (1½” dia) in a damp cloth and put into the refrigerator in the cloth. When it is completely cool, it can be sliced into pieces with a serrated knife and put into a moisture tight can.

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Recipe: Rice Pudding TartsQuite a length recipe to make, the rice pudding tarts are only worth it if you need a really elegant desert for a special pre-sentation.

1 cup cooked white rice1 cup milk1/3 cup sugar½ cup raisins (no seeds)¼ cup seedless raisins1/8 tsp salt2 eggs, beaten¾ cup half and half (or cream or evaporated milk)½ tsp vanilla extract½ tsp almond extract6 pastry shells – for 6 oz custard cupsWhipped cream and berries for garnish6 mint leaves for garnish

1. Make (or buy) 6 pastry shells. If you make them, fol-low the directions for pie crust at the beginning of this chapter and line 6 custard cups that have been sprayed with canola oil. If you make your own, they come out of the custard cup very easily. Bake the pastry shells at 350°C for 20 minutes before filling them.

2. Combine the rice, milk, sugar, raisins and salt and cook over low heat for 30 minutes or until thick and creamy. Nearly all of the free liquid will be gone.

3. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool for 15 minutes, then take ¼ of it and add to a separate bowl containing the beaten eggs. Mix well.

4. Add the cream to the egg mixture and mix well again.

5. Combine the two pots into one, stir, and then divide the mixture equally into the 6 pastry shells.

6. Bake the tarts on a baking sheet for 30 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and cool them on a wire rack for about an hour or until easy to handle.

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7. Before serving, quickly overturn them in your hand to remove the tart from the custard cup. They will be set well enough that the technique works easily.

8. Put fruit garnish on top of the tart. Add whipped cream, and stick a mint leave into the whipped cream.

Recipe: Banana PuddingThis is classic banana pudding. It is very fattening. It can be eaten hot or cold. Hot is better. The recipe is from Nabisco, the current company that makes traditional vanilla wafer cookies.

3/4 cup sugar, divided 1/3 cup flour Dash salt 3 eggs, separated 2 cups milk 1/2 tsp. vanilla 45 Vanilla Wafers, divided 5 medium ripe bananas, sliced (about 3-1/2 cups)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Mix 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour and salt in the top of

a double boiler. 3. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. 4. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water for 10 to 12

minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.5. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. This is the custard.6. Reserve 12 to 15 wafers for the top of the pudding.7. Spread a small amount of custard onto the bottom

of a 1-1/2-quart baking dish. 8. Add a layer of wafers.9. Add a layer of sliced bananas.10. Repeat the layers (custard, wafers, bananas) ending

with custard.11. Make a meringue. Beat the egg whites on high

speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

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12. Spoon over custard; spread evenly to cover entire surface of custard and sealing well to edge.

13. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Top with reserved 12 wafers just before serving.

Recipe: Pecan Pie BarsThis is very much like a cookie. The pecan filling is not as soft as you might have in a pecan pie, so that it can be picked up with the fingers. In this recipe (and all of the recipes in this book) brown sugar is measured by tightly packing it into the cup. If you brown sugar is hard in the package, put a wet (rung out) paper towel into the closed bag with the sugar for 8 to 24 hours. When it is removed, the sugar will again run like dry sand.

Shortbread:1½ sticks (3/4 cup) butter2 cups flour½ cup light brown sugar½ tsp salt

Pecan filling:240 grams (~8 oz) shelled pecans, chopped fine¼ lb butter (1 stick)1 cup light brown sugar 1/3 cup honey2 tbs heavy cream

Prepare the shortbread.1. Chop the butter into small pieces (~1/2 tsp each)2. Place all of the shortbread ingredients into a food

processor and blend until small lumps remain – a few short pulses or the mixing can be done with any tool (knife) that can cut the butter into the other in-gredients.

3. Spread the mixture over a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and press evenly over the bottom.

4. Bake at 350˚F in the oven for about 20 minutes. It should brown a little.

Prepare the filling.

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1. Melt the butter in a saucepan.2. Add the brown sugar, honey and cream and stir to

combine.3. When the mixture has been heated until it just sim-

mers, add the chopped pecans and mix well.4. Spread the filling over the shortbread and return it

to the oven for about 18 minutes.5. Remove from the oven and cool to room tempera-

ture.6. Cut to form bars. They can be kept covered for

about 5 days at room temperature.

Recipe: Lemon Bars

Shortbread:1½ sticks (3/4 cup) butter2 cups flour½ cup light brown sugar½ tsp salt

Lemon filling:4 eggs1 ½ cups sugar¾ cup lemon juice1/3 cup flour3 tbs powdered sugar

1. Prepare the shortbread as in the recipe for pecan bars.

2. Combine the eggs and granulated sugar and stir to homogeneity.

3. Stir in the flour and lemon juice.4. Pour over the baked shortbread in the pan.5. Bake at 300˚F for about 30 minutes and until set in

the middle. Judge set by inserting a table knife and withdrawing it. There should be no liquid.

6. Cool to room temperature and cut into bars. These should be chilled in not eaten immediately.

7. Sift powdered sugar over the bars just before serv-ing.

Recipe: Carrot Cake

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I don’t eat cake just because it doesn’t taste good enough to account for the excess calories. However, I can make an ex-ception for this cake. There are many variations of the recipe and Susan has tried a few. This one is more compli-cated than some but probably worth the trouble. The cake should cook in the middle of the oven.

2½ cups flour 1¼ tsp baking powder1 tsp baking soda 1¼ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ⅛ tsp cloves ½ tsp salt 1 lb medium carrots (6 to 7 carrots), peeled 1½ cups sugar ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed 4 large eggs1½ cups canola oil

Cream Cheese Frosting: 8 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool 5 tbs unsalted butter softened, but still cool 1 tbs sour cream ½ tsp vanilla extract 1¼ cups confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Grease a 13” x 9” pan with spray canola oil. Then

line the bottom with parchment and grease the parchment as well.

3. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinna-mon, nutmeg, cloves and salt and hold.

4. Grate the carrots to yield about three cups.5. With an electric mixer or food processor, blend the

white and brown sugar and eggs together. Continue to mix and add oil to create and emulsion. This should take 30 to 45 seconds.

6. Add the carrots and pre-mixed spices and stir until homogeneous in appearance.

7. Decant into the greased pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. A knife or toothpick in the middle should

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come out clean. Once out of the oven, cool at room temperature for at least two hours.

8. Meanwhile, mix together the frosting ingredients: cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and vanilla. Use an electric mixer and mix until homogeneous.

9. Next add the confectioner’s sugar and mix for an-other minute at high speed.

10. Slide a knife around the inside rim of the cooled cake pan and carefully extract the cake and remove the parchment. End with the cake right side up on a serving platter.

11. Frost the cake with the icing and serve.

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15DRINKS

Recipe: CoffeeStart with fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee beans (whole beans), available at specialty shops and some-times at major supermarkets. [To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price per pound of $1.26 (2010 dollars), providing much needed credit to farmers, and providing technical assistance such as help transi-tioning to organic farming. Fair Trade for coffee farmers means community development, health, education, and environmental stewardship.]The coffee maker needs to be a drip variety where the water only goes through the beans one time.The beans are ground to a medium grind, which can be achieved in many of the automatic coffee makers in-tended to accept whole beans, or it can be done immedi-ately prior to the making, in one of the inexpensive cof-fee mills. Fine grinds are needed for espresso and are difficult to achieve at home. It may be best to purchase an espresso grind if that is wanted.

A scoop is 2 tbs. When measuring coffee, ground coffee and beans have equal measuring volume.For any amount of coffee, use 1 tbs of coffee per cup plus 1 tbs for the pot.

For 2 cups: Use 1 scoop + 1 tbsFor 4 cups: Use 2 scoops + 1tbsFor 6 cups: Use 3 scoops + 1 tbs. etc.

For a small amount, such as 1 cup, we will use a funnel and coffee filter directly into a coffee cup. Just boil the water and pour the boiling water over the ground coffee in the funnel.

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Recipe: Manhattan

1 oz sweet vermouth2 oz rye whiskey

1 maraschino cherry

Mix the ingredients together with ice and stir to get cold. If you shake, it will get cloudy which is undesirable. De-cant the liquid into a stemmed cocktail glass.

Recipe: KirThis alcoholic drink is included solely to go with the Peanut Soup from Williamsburg Inn. It is an ideal sum-mer drink. It was the favorite drink of the fictional de-tective Hercule Poirot

1 oz Crème de cassis (blood-red, sweet, black currant fla-vored liqueur)4 oz cold white wine

1. Do Not Mix. Put the cassis at the bottom of a flute or stemmed glass.

2. Very slowly decant the wine on top being very careful to not mix the two. Serve.

Recipe: LemonadeThe taste of lemonade will vary a lot depending on the source of lemon juice. If you have the opportunity, try lemons from various venues. The amount of sugar will vary according to the source of lemon juice as well as personal taste. Artificial sweeteners can be substituted for the sugar as a diet aid. If you use sugar, it must be dissolved. A recommended method is 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup lemon juice. Heat to dissolve, then dilute with cold water to 2 quarts. Also, some people like it stronger and only dilute to 1 quart. If you do that, it will probably be too sweet and you will want to reduce the sugar. I give below the recipe I use.

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1 cup lemon juice1 cup sugar (can use Splenda). This is the correct amount. I always use ½ this much.2 qt water

Combine and chill.

Recipe: Iced TeaYou can use loose tea and get a larger variety of tastes. For example, Earl Grey makes a great ice tea. There are 3.3 grams of tea in a standard tea bag. That is approximately 1 tsp slightly rounded.

5 regular tea bags (orange pekoe) 2 cups cold water Water Ice cubes SugarLemon slices (optional)

1. Bring 2 cups cold tap water to a rapid boil. Remove from heat and immediately pour over the tea bags in a tea porcelain teapot. Allow the tea to steep for 20 minutes or more. (This process simply forms the "concentrate". You can store the mixture in the re-frigerator for up to 24 hours.)

2. Remove tea bags, squeeze out excess liquid (being careful to not break open the bags) and discard. Fill the pitcher with enough water to equal 2-quarts. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled before serv-ing. Note: Let the tea cool to room temperature out of the refrigerator and then refrigerate. Cooling it too quickly is one of several reasons that it may be-come cloudy. Another cause of cloudiness is hard water. If that is the problem, then you will need to change to bottled water that isn’t as hard. Chemi-cally, the problem is tannins in the tea coming out of solution. They can be re-dissolved by adding back a little boiling water.

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3. Or to serve iced tea immediately, add 2 cups of ice cubes to the tea concentrate then fill with water to the 2-quart level.

4. To serve, pour tea over a generous amount of ice cubes in a tall glass, stirring in desired sweetening and a squeeze of lemon, as desired.

Recipe: Apple Cider Plus (hot cider)Fresh apple cider should be served hot with Brandy added to it. The amount is approximately 2 oz of Brandy per cup of cider. Once you’ve had it this way, you won’t be inclined to change.

Recipe: Spiced TeaI am going to give multiple recipes that have been collected and I will recommend some but not others. As it turns out, there is a great diversity of opinion as to how this should taste but nearly everyone finds one of the versions to be ap-pealing in the right circumstances. Further, I am not going to try to give credit to anyone for passing along these recipes because as soon as I did, I would be hearing from someone that they actually use some different variation which, no doubt, is a huge difference. All of these variations should be served hot, but may be kept in the refrigerator and mi-crowaved in a single serving amount as needed.

Original Spiced Tea:½ cup granulated sugar2 cup water6 whole cloves1 cup pineapple juice2 tbs grated lemon rind± cinnamon to taste1 quart water4 tbs tea leaves (probably orange pekoe, but Earl Grey is re-ally nice)

1. Combine the sugar, 2 cups water, cloves, pineapple juice, lemon rind, and optional cinnamon in a pot and bring to a boil.

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2. Meanwhile in another pot, use the 1 quart of water and tea leaves to make a strong tea.

3. Combine the boiled spice mixture and the finished tea to get the spiced tea.

Recipe: Spiced Tea, Variation Number 1 This is a much more astringent tea and is my overall prefer-ence.

⅓ cup granulated sugar2 cup water6 crushed whole cloves1 cup pineapple juice2 tbs grated lemon rind (optional and I usually don’t have it.)½ cup lemon juice (the astringent ingredient)1 stick cinnamon1 quart water5 Lipton tea bags (orange pekoe)

1. Make tea with the 1 quart of water and 5 teabags.2. Boil the remaining ingredients for about 2 minutes.3. Combine all, after removing the cinnamon stick and

straining out the clove particles.

Because pineapple juice can be purchase in 6 oz cans, I have a scaled version of Variation 1. Also, I have converted the sugar measurement into grams. That way it doesn’t matter whether you use powdered sugar or granulated sugar. If you used powdered sugar in the volume measurements you would not get enough sugar, since its bulk density is only 0.56 gm/cc versus 0.7 gm/cc for granulated.

1 “6 oz can” of pineapple juice1½ cup water4 whole cloves, crushed55 grams sugar (1/4 cup if you must)1 ½ tbs lemon rind3 fl. oz. lemon juice1 stick cinnamon3 cup water4 teabags

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1. Make tea with the 3 cups of water and 4 teabags.2. Boil the remaining ingredients for about 2 minutes.3. Combine all, after removing the cinnamon stick and

strain out the clove particles.

Recipe: Instant Spiced TeaThis is my least favorite of the spiced teas, but it is nonethe-less popular with some people and I include it because I have carried it around for so long that omitting it would be wrong. Tang is a not very popular powder available for making an in-stant orange drink. Instant tea can be purchased in super markets and is a lyophilized powder that when mixed with hot water dissolves and is called tea.

16 oz Tang powder1 ½ cups Instant Tea powder1 unit of Crystal Light (1 unit = 1 tub = 16 grams)1 tsp ground clove2 tsp cinnamon

1. Mix the dry ingredients well. 2. Use approximately 1 tsp per cup to make instant

spiced tea. Adjust the amount to taste.

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16FOOD PRESERVATION

Preparation of Food for Freezing

Each year we freeze fresh bean, peas, corn, okra, and squash. Hundreds of fruits and vegetables can be frozen. There are extensive lists of blanching times given by the USDA extension service (see under home canning below).

Blanching:Blanching is a food heating technique that kills vegetative bacteria on the surface of food without cooking the food. Notably it does not kill spores but fortunately they will not easily germinate in freezing temperatures. Blanching also stops some enzymatic activity in the foods that would lead to loss of flavor, color and texture. To blanch vegetables, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Immerse the cleaned vegetables into the boiling water with the use of a basket (colander) so that they can be withdrawn instantly and immersed into cold water to halt the process. The amount of time in the hot water varies according to the veg-etable. The amount of water to use is approximately one gallon of water per pound of vegetable. Clearly, if your pot size limits the amount of water, then you must blanch multi-ple batches. Consequently, you don’t want to be re-using the boiling water for each batch. The USDA gives blanching times for scores of vegetables. We will give a few directions here just for the common vegetables that we freeze.

Freezing Peas: English Peas and Field Peas (Crowder and Black-eyed Peas) are the primary types to which these direc-tions apply. Wash the peas in cold water and pick through them carefully to assure that there are no stones. Blanch 2 minutes. Cool promptly, drain and package in plastic freezer

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bags with little or no headspace. Seal the bag tightly and freeze. These should keep fresh for 8 to 12 months at 0°F.

Freezing Beans: Green beans or Wax beans should be washed in cold water and snapped or cut into 2 to 4-inch lengths. Blanch for 3 minutes, cool promptly, drain and package, trying to remove most of the air from the freezer bags. Seal the bags tightly and freeze.

Freezing Corn: Blanch the whole cob for 4 minutes. Cool promptly, drain and cut from cob. Cut kernels from cob about 2/3 the depth of the kernels. Package into freezer bags and seal them tightly for freezing at 0°F.

Freezing Okra: Okra can be done two ways depending on how it will be used. If you want the okra for gumbo, then prepare it by Method 1. If you want it for frying, then use Method 2.Method 1: Blanch small pods 3 minutes and large pods 4 minutes. Cool promptly and drain. Leave whole or slice crosswise. Package the okra into freezer bags, seal and freeze.Method 2: Wash the okra and remove the stems. Blanch small pods for 3 minutes and large pods for 4 minutes. Cool promptly and drain. Slice each pod crosswise and dredge with cornmeal. Spread in a single layer on shallow trays. Place in freezer just long enough to freeze firm, causing each piece to be individually frozen. Package the pieces quickly into freezer bags, seal and freeze.

Freezing Squash: Choose young summer squash with tender skin. Wash and cut in 1/2-inch slices. Blanch for 3 minutes, cool promptly, drain and package, trying to remove most of the air from the freezer bags. Seal the bags tightly and freeze.

Introduction to Home Canning

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Most people don’t can at home these days, but we usually put up a few jars of pickled beets, tomato sauce, and apple-sauce. If you have a source of fruit, you can also make your own jellies and jams. We usually don’t bother with that since we eat very little jelly. These and other acid foods can be safely canned with the use of a boiling water bath canner, and since the foods are acid, they are not a growth medium for clostridium botulinum. We don’t can anything at home that requires the use of a pressure canner, since most foods taste better after they have been frozen rather than canned anyway.

You will need a hot water bath canner with a rack inside it for keeping the jars from bumping together during process-ing. Look on-line for an old fashioned speckled canner. I found one with all the accessories necessary to make the job easier for around $60. Once you own one, you shouldn’t ever need to replace it. Here’s a generic illustration of a ba-sic water bath canner.

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Other useful tools include a jar lifter, canning funnel with a wide opening for filling jars, and a small scraper or butter knife for removing air bubbles from the jars be-fore processing.

You should use jars especially made for canning made by Mason, Kerr or Ball usually, with two piece lids. One piece goes on top of the jar and has a rubber seal that lets air under pressure escape during processing (boiling) and the other piece screws on over the sealing lid. After processing, allow the jars to cool for 12 to 24 hours, then remove the screw-on ring. If your jars sealed properly during processing, the ring is no longer necessary. Save the rings for use when you can again.

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The University of Georgia maintains a website with funding from the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (CSREES-USDA) that will tell you everything you need to know about canning, pickling and freezing fruits and veg-etables. Go to the web page for the National Center for Home Food Preservation (http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/) and look up the food and method. I use this one every time I put up tomato sauce to be sure I’m doing it right. If you can’t or won’t follow directions, then home can-ning isn’t for you.

If the directions call for “hot pack” canning, be sure that your food to be canned is hot (closer to boiling than not) when you put it in the jars and then in the boiling water bath. If the food is cool when you put it the boiling wa-ter, your jars will break. Even if the jars survive, the pro-cessing time will be inadequate if the food doesn’t start out hot.

The main thing I can is tomatoes and tomato sauce. Since this is an acid food, botulism is not a threat. How-ever, according to what I read, modern tomatoes are less acid than they used to be, so you should also add cit-ric acid to your jars before processing to be sure the food is acid enough to discourage clostridium botulinum growth.

We are not giving detailed directions here for how to can anything because we want you to find, read and follow the most current information supplied by the USDA.

Drying Food and HerbsFood Dehydrators

A food dehydrator is a small electrical appliance for drying foods indoors. It has an electric element for heat and a fan and vents for air circulation. Dehydrators are efficiently de-signed to dry foods fast at over a range of temperatures

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http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/

THE COMMON COOKBOOK

from 95 to 155°F. Twelve square feet of drying space dries about a half-bushel of produce. The major disadvantage of a dehydrator is its limited shelf capacity, but 8 shelves at 15” x 15” will give you 12.5 square feet.

Drying Herbs:

If the humidity can be kept below 40%, then herbs can be dried by merely laying them out (but never in the sun). Oth-erwise, dehydrator drying is a better way because tempera-ture and air circulation can be controlled. Pre-heat the de-hydrator with the thermostat set to 95°F to 115°F. In areas with higher humidity (>60%), raise the temperature to be-tween 120 and 125°F. After rinsing under cool, running wa-ter and shaking to remove excess moisture, place the herbs in a single layer onto the dehydrator trays. Drying times may vary from 1 to 4 hours. Check periodically. Herbs are dry when they crumble, and stems break when bent.

It is most convenient to dry the whole stems with leaves in-tact and then separate the leaves and stems when dry. For example, after drying just crumble the leaves and stems, keeping the smallest pieces that break apart and discarding the sturdier stems.

Less Tender Herbs — The more sturdy herbs such as rose-mary, sage, thyme, summer savory and parsley are the easi-est to dry without a dehydrator. Tie them into small bundles and hang them to air dry. Air drying outdoors is often possi-ble; however, better color and flavor retention usually re-sults from drying indoors.

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IAPPENDIX I STAPLES

IngredientsThese are the food items that we acquire and try to have available most of the time. Any items listed here that are not staples, are noted as such.

Avocado: Perhaps these aren’t truly staples, but they are around nearly all the time. Avocados clearly are not a local food to Maryland, but we just wouldn’t do without them. The Hass Avocado, from California, is Susan’s favorite.

Hass Variety of Avocado

It has a very dark, almost black, bumpy skin texture. There is another common variety called Fuertes, which is a Mexican avocado, pear shaped, larger, and with smooth green skin. I

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find that either are acceptable provided they are ripe. To ripen, leave the fruit out at room temperature for two days.

Bacon: Bacon is purchased in thin strips from a farm that raises hogs and has them butchered locally. We purchase approximately 1 pound at a time and repackage it into 2 pieces individually wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen, thus making it convenient to obtain 2 slices without concern about storage life.

Baking Powder Rumford brand (same as Clabber Girl): As an all-phosphate baking powder, Rumford Baking Powder does not contain any aluminum. This property makes it somewhat faster acting than typical double-acting baking powders. You'll still see a boost of leavening in the oven, but most of the reaction occurs in the mixing bowl. While this makes a more delicate crumb structure in the finished product, do not dawdle in the baking area. You've got to work quickly for best results...! When using Rumford Baking Powder, mix all your dry ingre-dients together, then add your wet ingredients at the end. Don't stir your batter more than necessary after adding the water. Two-thirds of Rumford's reaction takes place in your mixing bowl. The other 1/3 of Rumford's reaction takes place in the oven. Further mixing will have a tendency to stir out some of the forming carbon dioxide bubbles created be-tween the baking powder and the water in your batter. So, without spending more time than necessary, stir the batter until smooth, put it into the pan and bake immediately. Shelf Life: Once a year, or whenever you might suspect the viability of the baking powder, toss a tsp full into a glass of hot tap water. It should bubble and fizz a lot and instantly. If it does, then it is still good. When baking powder gets damp, it goes bad within days.

Butter: This is a dairy product prepared by churning fresh cream. It comes from cow milk. There is no substitute.

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Margarine and other butter-like spreads should remain at the store, not bought. Also, you don’t need butter with salt added. If you need salt in a recipe, then add it separately and know how much you have put in. Although butter is kept refrigerated, it has a shelf life at room temperature (65˚F to 85˚F) of at least a month. We typically leave a pound of butter on the kitchen counter until it is used up, thus benefiting from the softening effect of the warmer tem-perature. Only once in all the years has it gone rancid and never has anything grown in it.

Buttermilk Powder: This is a substitute for cultured butter-milk. As you know, cultured buttermilk is not the liquid found on the top of churned butter. That liquid is dreadful and should be discarded or used to isolate xanthine oxidase but nothing else. Cultured buttermilk is good to drink (at least I like It.), but is called for in numerous recipes. Due to the lactic acid, it is important when bicarbonate of soda is called for instead of baking powder in quick breads. The acid mixes with the soda to release carbon dioxide and permit the quick bread to rise. Powdered buttermilk loses its lactic acid in the dehydration process so be sure that you check the ingredient list to see that lactic acid has been added back. Saco is a good national brand. It will store for up to a year in the refrigerator when sealed. If not sealed well, it will absorb water and get real hard. That probably doesn’t harm the product, but it makes it difficult to remove from the box.

Canola Oil: This is a type of rapeseed oil that is widely pro-duced in North America. We use the Wesson brand, and purchase in a one gallon container. As far as we know, there is no noticeable difference in brands. On heating, canola oil smokes at about 400˚F (204˚C) and thus is pre-ferred over other oils for frying. Canola oil is also preferred when it is desired to have no identifiable oil flavor in the final product, such as in baked goods. Finally, canola oil can be

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purchased in a spray can. Spray oil is particularly desirable for pancakes and French toast in order to very lightly grease the skillet and achieve a successful result on the first item. Canola oil can be stored at room temperature in the pantry.

Chicken Stock (Bouillon or Base or Broth): These are not ex-actly the same. The bouillon is purchased as fairly dry 1 cm cubes. The base is a highly concentrated paste, sold in ½ pint paper cups. The Broth is fully diluted chicken broth sold in boxes or cans by the quart. These are all used after dilu-tion to chicken broth and the bouillon and base contain di-rections for preparing broth. We usually have all three avail-able. The base and the bouillon both have more salt in them and may reduce the amount of salt that should be added to the final dish.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the starch component of corn and is used as a thickening agent in various recipes. To prepare as a thickening agent, add only cold water a few drops at a time to about a tsp of the powder. Stir until it is a liquid and use immediately.

Cranberries, Dried: These can be purchased at wholesale grocers such as Sam’s Club or BJs as well as at natural food stores or other locations where you might find dried fruit. They will keep on the shelf for a very long time.

Dried Onion: A commercial product, dried minced onion is available from warehouse clubs or other large product retail-ers. It may be found in smaller quantities at grocers.

Dried Garlic: A commercial product dried minced garlic is available from warehouse clubs or other large product retail-ers. It may be found in smaller quantities at grocers.

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Flour, All-purpose: A combination of hard and soft wheat, medium protein content (between 9% and 12%) flour. This flour is OK and certainly called for in many recipes. How-ever, it is a compromise. Breads are usually better with higher protein content flour, while cakes and pies benefit from a lower content protein. I suppose this might be best for thickening sauces, but that is just speculation.

Flour, Bread: Bread flour has a protein content of 12 to 14% and thus has a high gluten content which serves to trap air better in yeast bread recipes. We use the King Arthur brands of hard winter wheat. This is not whole wheat. In all re-spects except for protein content it is like the all-purpose flour.

Pastry Flour: Pastry flour is low-protein flour. Some people distinguish between pastry flour and cake flour. They would say that cake flour is about 8% protein and that pastry flour is 9 to 10% protein. I think that is getting too fine and that wholesalers don’t sell flour with that much precision. What they sell, is soft winter wheat flour, mixed wheat flour and hard winter wheat flour. Pastry/Cake flour is made from the

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soft winter wheat and it just happens to have low protein, which just happens to be 8% on average.

Lard: Rendered fat from cow. In this instance rendered means that the lard has been melted in water and the part that floats is collected as the product. We own this, but rarely use it. It must be kept in the refrigerator to prevent it from going rancid. I really can’t understand why Crisco isn’t better. The answer is supposed to be that Crisco (shorten-ing, hydrogenated vegetable oil) is hydrogenated and thus must have both cis and trans fats. Lard supposedly has cis fats only. If you don’t know the difference between cis and trans, you probably don’t belong in this family or at least are unqualified to read this book.

Lard

Milk, Evaporated and Canned: Evaporated Milk is also known as canned milk. The major US brands are Carnation, Pet and Nestle. We have traditionally used Carnation and each has a unique taste. For those who don’t use much milk, these canned milks come in small sizes, 6 oz and 12 oz, and

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have a shelf life measured in years. Evaporated milk has about 60% of the water removed, but we use it as is, without further dilution. Do not confuse evaporated milk with sweetened condensed milk. The latter has so much sugar added that it is never a substitute.

Milk, Powdered: Powdered milk is made in a commercial spray drier. It tastes awful but is quite useful in most recipes that call for milk. We use Carnation brand, but most any brand will do, since it is quite impossible to make it taste good. In recipes that call for 1 cup of milk, use 1 cup of wa-ter and 1/3 cup of milk powder. Accuracy in measuring the milk powder is not critical.

Mozzarella Cheese: This is a white cheese made from raw milk. It should be eaten without aging. There is no favorite brand and, in fact, you can make it yourself, although we haven’t done that, mostly due to the lack of an easy source for raw milk. Pasteurized milk will work (ultra-pasteurized will not), but pasteurization and homogenization must be compensated by adding calcium chloride before adding ren-net.

Mushrooms, canned or dried: Keep a few cans (6 oz) of mushroom stems and pieces around for general use. If you can find them, freeze dried mushrooms are ideal for use in breakfast omelets. They will keep for years in a sealed glass jar at room temperature. I lyophilize them at home, but that is not for everyone, since it requires vacuums that are gener-ally not obtainable with non-commercial equipment.

Oats, Rolled: Oatmeal, with larger flakes (rolled oats), takes about 5 minutes to cook. Oatmeal with smaller, fragmented flakes are also rolled, but the smaller flakes allow a quicker cooking time, usually about 1 minute. The rolled oats can be purchased as Quaker Old Fashioned brand, but they can also

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be obtained in bulk. Just use your eyes to observe the larger and less broken flakes.

Oil for Cooking: see Canola oil or Olive oil or even Butter.

Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is the first, cold press of the olives. It has a smoke point of about 320˚F (160˚C) and a very noticeable flavor. Indeed, the flavor is so noticeable that brand matters and the flavor might not be desirable in some recipes. We purchase extra virgin olive oil in gallon quantities and use as little as possible to obtain the desired result. Its use, with respect to flavor, is largely a matter of preference and some “getting used to” may be needed if it is to be used as the primary cooking oil. Olive oil is the “go to” oil of choice for recipes in this book, but it is not appropriate for many baked goods where it adds a flavor that is not in-tended. Olive oil can be stored at room temperature in the pantry.

Onion: Onions are purchased in multiple categories, white, yellow, red, green, and sweet. Green onions refer to the tops or stems of the onion (usually the white variety). These are easy to grow and can often be harvested fresh from the garden as early as May and at least into October. Yellow onions are a little less expensive and have a stronger flavor. They are the “go to” onion for everyday use. They also store well unrefrigerated. Their shelf life is 8 or more weeks at room temperature, in the dark. They don’t “go bad”, but will eventually sprout, causing the bulb portion to dry out. Red and white onions can be treated exactly as yellow ones, un-less they are sold as “sweet”. Sweet onions contain a little more water and less sulfur. They need to be stored refriger-ated. Also, red onions will lose their color if slow cooked. Since they usually cost more, it makes little sense to use them in slow cook recipes. See also Dried Onion.

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APPENDIX I STAPLES

Oyster Sauce: Oyster sauce is a very thick brown sauce pre-pared from oysters, brine, and flavor enhancers such as MSG. It typically contains preservatives to increase its shelf life. The sauce was invented in 1888 by Lee Kam Sheung, in Nam Shui Village in Guangdong Province, China. His com-pany, Lee Kum Kee, continues to produce oyster sauce to this day, along with a wide variety of Asian condiments. Oys-ter sauce is found in the Chinese section of any large super-market. After opening, it must be refrigerated. In the re-frigerator it will keep for about six months.

Salmon, Canned: 15 oz can of red salmon. We have not been brand specific, but the higher priced ones are better. Make sure it is red salmon.

Soy Sauce: Soy sauce is produced from fermenting soy beans and other seasonings. It is purchased in the Chinese foods section of any large supermarket.

Tea: It is good to keep on hand at least some loose tea of the Earl Grey variety and some orange pekoe in tea bags. Earl Grey is a black tea with a unique flavor produced by adding extract of bergamot orange, a citrus fruit grown in Italy and Ivory Coast. Orange pekoe is a particular grade of black tea.

Tomato Paste: It used to be that tomato paste only came in cans and the smallest we could purchase was 4 ounces. Very often a recipe will call for using only 1 to 2 tablespoon and we would not want to open a can due to the apparent waste of hardly using it. Now a few manufacturers package the paste into squeeze tubes that can be safely maintained cold for many months.

Tortillas, corn: Corn tortillas are a staple used for both breakfast and an occasional supper. Pre-cooked tortillas are neither good in taste nor good for you. Plain corn tortillas are easy to fry, very tasty and will store in the refrigerator for several months. You can make your own corn tortillas from masa harina, but it is time consuming and I haven’t

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been able to determine that they are any better. Masa ha-rina or masa flour is dried corn that has been soaked in lime-water and finely ground. It is available at most major super-markets.

Tortillas, flour: Flour tortillas are used for many types of soft tacos and wraps. We usually buy 9 or 10 inch diameter vari-eties, but I supposed it doesn’t matter much. They come both larger and smaller. Store them in the refrigerator in the plastic bag they come in and use them until they dry out. We find they only last about 4 weeks, but that is usually be-cause they get eaten.

Tuna, solid, white packed in water (or oil): Open your tuna. If it has a consistency suitable for an infant as their first solid food, then feed it to a cat and don’t eat it yourself. We are looking for chunks of fish in the can, not pabulum. Usually, “Chicken of the Sea” brand solid white, albacore is accept-able, but not always. Likewise, Bumblebee brand can be good but is also inconsistent. It would be nice if it were packed in jars so you could see what you were getting. Those brands exist, but may exceed the budget for general use.

It used to be that all Tuna was packed in oil. That makes a difference to its use in tuna salad recipes. If you are adding mayonnaise to make it into a sandwich spread, a lot more mayonnaise is needed for Tuna packed in water than was needed for Tuna packed in oil. In both cases, it is best to ex-press the liquid away from the Tuna prior to use, but if the Tuna is packed in oil, don’t rinse it as the oil adds flavor.

Worcestershire Sauce: We use Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce as sold in the US by the Heinz Company. We have also used a brand called French’s Worcestershire Sauce, which is clearly not the original, but is just as good. Originally, Worcestershire sauce was a fermented curry sauce. Today, we do not know if it is still fermented, but Lea & Perrins states that it has as ingredients malt vinegar, molasses, sugar, salt, anchovies, tamarind extract, onions, garlic, and spice. Given all that, it would seem silly to attempt a repro-duction for home use.

234

IIAPPENDIX II TOYS

By toys, I am referring to kitchen gadgets. Alton Brown in one or more of his books has stated that no appliances or tools should be in the kitchen unless they are multipurpose. I don’t know that we would go that far, but it is essential to limit the chosen items since kitchens can’t just keep growing. I have what I once considered to be an enormous kitchen. It is 19’ x 10’ plus a 4’ x 7’ alcove. However, it is so filled that I now use a dining room and a separate pantry to contain ev-erything. It is easy to acquire so many gadgets that even if you know you own it, you might not be able to find it. In the table here, I have listed the item and a description as well as the basic function. I have also given it a grade from 1 to 3, where 1 is essential, 2 is could do without but not very well, and 3 is nice to have. I don’t bother to list major appliances. I assume you will have a stove, oven, refrigerator-freezer, counter tops, sink and cabinets.

Item Description Function Grade

Toaster Toaster oven type. Takes up counter space.

90% making toast from sliced bread, but also toasting al-monds and melting cheese on bread.

1

Vent hood

Device over the stove that is fan powered to re-move smoke.

To clear the kitchen of smoke on those occasions when something goes badly. This is really unnecessary and al-most never used.

3

Smoke detector

Battery powered smoke detector.

The intent is to save the kitchen from

1

235

burning down. It is most often a source of irritation to Su-san.

Stoneware spoon holder

Rock with a dent in it. Takes up counter space.

Place to lay a used stirring spoon that will be used again during cooking.

3

Kosher salt shaker

Small bottle with large holes for Kosher salt. Takes up counter space.

To dispense Kosher salt while cooking.

2

Salt/Pep-per shak-ers

Small bottles to hold the ingredi-ents. Takes up counter space.

To dispense salt and pepper while cook-ing.

1

Pepper Mill

A larger device with a grinder ap-plication. Takes up counter space.

To dispense freshly ground black pep-per.

2

Knife Holder

A device that holds 8 knifes. Takes up counter space.

The knives that will be most often used are kept in this wooden block.

2

Used oil jar.

Any disposable jar. Usually glass with a screw on lid. Takes up counter space.

Holds used oil until it can be thrown away. We usually discard jar and oil and get a new jar.

2

Butter tub

Purchased tub of butter. Takes up counter space.

Holds butter at room temperature.

1

Compost jar

Crock pot with an activated carbon insert and lid. Takes up counter space.

Holds organic mat-ter (compost) until it can be carried to the compost pile.

3

Timer Wind up timer with bell.

Allows timing of cooking and sounds notification. This is in addition to one

2

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APPENDIX II TOYS

included as part of the stove.

Coffee Pot

Standard coffee maker. Takes up counter space.

Grinds whole beans, heats water and makes coffee.

1

Espresso Coffee maker

Special device for driving steam through espresso blends. Takes up counter space.

Creates steam that is recondensed in the finely blended espresso coffee grounds.

3

Tea Pot White porcelain 4 cup tea pot. Takes up counter space.

Permits correct brewing of hot tea.

3

Hot pads Cloth hot pads. Takes up counter space.

Used to protect the hands when holding items from the oven.

1

Book shelf

Small three shelf book case.

Used to hold cook books and recipes

2

Mi-crowave oven

Standard mi-crowave oven. Takes up counter space.

Used for heating leftovers and cold coffee. Most often misused.

2

Radio Under counter model.

Keeps the cook in the kitchen.

1

Knife Sharp-ener

Electric device that sharpens car-bon steel knives. Takes up counter space but needn’t.

Keeping knives sharp is essential to preparing meats and vegetables safely. There are good alternatives to electric models.

3

Knife sharp-ener

Ceramic V type. Sharpen carbon steel knives.

2

Chef knife

6” chef knife. All-purpose knife for meat and vegeta-bles. This is the best size. We have oth-ers.

1

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Filet knife 8” thin bladed filet knife – carbon steel.

Special purpose for fish although does duty for other meats as well.

2

Bread knife

Serrated knife, 8” Used to slice bread. Stainless steel. Stays sharp for decades.

1

Paring knife

4” Standard par-ing knife.

Used less than you might think.

2

Electric Stand Mixer

Kitchen Aid pro-fessional model. Takes up counter space.

Primarily used to knead bread dough, but has many other uses.

3

Electric Hand Mixer

Two beater model.

Used to mix up a few eggs when you really need to whip them up.

2

Wire whisk

Standard 10” overall

Used to whip pota-toes, eggs, etcetera

1

Blender Several bowls that go to one base. 1.25 L, 2 cup bowl, 1 cup bowl.

Smaller bowls are used to grind dry things like bread crumbs or cheese. Larger container is for alcoholic drinks or mayonnaise.

1

Balance Top loader bal-ance. 0 to 10 lbs readability to 1 gram.

Used in place of vol-ume measurement often.

2

Stick Blender

Very dangerous electric tool with exposed blades.

Can be immersed into cups, pots, and containers to blend the ingredients. Used to make may-onnaise, soup, and soap.

3

Food Pro-cessor

Kitchen Aid Food Processor

Used like a blender but for larger vol-ume ingredients –

3

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APPENDIX II TOYS

especially greens.Slow cooker

Electric pot for stews.

Large electric pot that can braise meats over many hours.

2

Food Dryer

Electric operated dryer with 10 shelves. Size 16” (w) x 19” (L) x 13” (h)

For drying herbs and other foods that can be spread out.

3

Food Mill Hand operated mill 2 quart capac-ity

Used for grinding cooked and soft foods.

3

Juicer Large electric de-vice with a cen-trifuge basket.

Grinds fruit and sep-arates the juice from the pulp. High volume device.

3

Pasta machine

Hand operated rollers for dough.

Essential for making thin pasta. It also cuts the pasta after sheets are rolled out.

2

Pizza Stone

Heavy flat rock. Kept in the oven, it helps keep the oven at an even tempera-ture. It also is good for cooking pizza and flat breads.

3

Measur-ing cups

Stainless steel cups with a handle that exactly con-tain the stated volume.

These are used mostly for powders (flour) and semi-solids (butter) which are difficult to mea-sure by volume.

2

Skewers Wood and/or metal skewers 12”

Use for shish ka bob.

1

Sieves Plastic sieves of various grades

Not used much. 3

Spaghetti measurer

Plastic with 4 holes of diameter 1.5”, 1.25”, 1”,

Used to measure a bundle of spaghetti noodles so that you

3

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

and ¾ “ know how much to cook.

Spatulas Spatulas in a vari-ety of sizes.

Used to turn items in a skillet

1

Spring-form Pan

A round aluminum pan, like a cake pan, with a re-movable bottom. There is a clamp around the pan to hold the bottom in.

Used for baked items (usually) where you want to remove the walls very gently.

1

Dough Blender

Also called a pas-try blender

Used to blend flour with shortening or butter. Can be re-placed with a fork.

3

Egg slicer Eight wires in a holder over the length of an egg.

Allows a boiled egg to be sliced all at once.

3

Tea strainers

Wire cloth in a holder for strain-ing small items – 2 sizes. 2 ¾” dia and 5” dia.

Used to separate solids and liquids.

1

Colan-ders

Wire cloth in a holder. Larger. Diameters: 10”, 9”, and 8”

Used to separate solids and liquids. You only need one.

1

Pastry scraper

Stainless steel sheet with a han-dle and a 6” flat blade.

Used to scrape dough off of the cabinet

2

Ice Cream Scoop

Heavy stiff spoon with a liquid (oil) in the handle

Used to scoop hard frozen ice cream from the container. Keeps from bending a spoon.

2

Pot han-dle sleeves

Cloth and leather sleeves that go over a hot pot handle.

Keeps the cook from getting burnt hands.

3

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APPENDIX II TOYS

Pie slice lifter

A triangular (pie slice shape) spat-ula.

Used for lifting out slices of quiche or pie.

3

Wooden spoons

Set of wooden spoons

For stirring items on the stove top. They don’t get hot.

1

Tongs Several different types.

For turning items that are awkward for turning with a fork.

1

Can opener

Manual variety for opening steel top cans that have to be cut.

These can cutters are difficult to clean and have to be re-placed every few years to keep them sharp.

1

Cheese slicer

Single wire on a holder.

Strictly used to slice cheese.

1

Slotted spoon

Size 12” including handle.

Used to remove solids from a pot on the stove.

1

Scissors Kitchen scissors, stainless steel. They come apart easily (no screws) for cleaning.

Used to open plastic food containers and for cutting bacon.

1

Lid opener

Vise like device for assisting in open-ing stuck lids.

Occasionally useful. There is another type that is just a sheet of rubber to assist in non-slip. It doesn’t work as well.

2

Serving spoon

Large stainless steel spoon, size 12”.

Used for serving from pots on the stove.

1

Measur-ing spoons

Various sets made of plastic and stainless steel. Sizes, 1 tbs, 1 tsp, ½ tsp, ¼ tsp, 1/8

Essential for cooking in the US where weights are rarely given.

1

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

tsp.Two prong fork

12” overall fork. Mostly used when grilling outdoors.

1

Potato peeler

Slotted blade veg-etable peeler.

Used to remove the skin of vegetables.

1

Garlic press

Hand operated vise like device.

Forces a peeled gar-lic through a steel mesh.

2

Ladle 12” overall. Soup server.

Used strictly to ladle soup.

3

Zester A few holes in the end of a steel blade with a han-dle.

Scrapes the skin of a lemon to create lemon zest.

3

Cork re-mover

Cork screw, hand operated.

Gradually becoming obsolete. Used to remove the natural cork from a bottle of wine.

1

Potato skewers

5” aluminum skewer.

When put into a whole potato it is said to increase the cooking speed when the potato is in the oven (not mi-crowave oven).

3

Rubber spatula

Rubber spatulas. These allow conve-nient scraping of bowls. Primarily used in bread mak-ing.

2

Mi-croplane

Grater with very fine holes on a handle.

Used to grate nut-meg and very hard cheeses.

1

Food grater

4 sided box food grater made of light gauge stain-less steel.

Used to grate cheese, carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables.

1

Shrimp peeler

A unique plastic item available on-

Speeds up the process of peeling

2

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APPENDIX II TOYS

line. and deveining shrimp.

Basting brush

Short wire spun brush with natural bristles.

Used to apply butter and sauces to meats or hot foods during cooking.

2

Meat ther-mometer

Stiff metal probe with thermometer attached.

Essentially to know when exactly meat has reached a safe temperature. Espe-cially useful for grilling meat.

1

Candy ther-mometer

Glass thermome-ter that clips to the side of a pot.

Essential to accurate production of candy.

2

Turkey baster

Rubber bulb on a crack resistant tube.

Allows one to aspi-rate meat juices and apply them to cheese cloth that is over the meat.

3

Nut cracker

Vise like device for cracking tree nuts.

For cracking tree nuts.

1

Corn holders

2 prong Plastic holders 1.5”

These poke into the two ends of a cooked ear of corn, thus allowing a diner to eat the corn from the cob with-out touching the corn.

3

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Essential Pots & Pans DescriptionSkillet 10” (Top measure) Cast iron. A lid is desired but

probably doesn’t come with.Skillet 8” Cast iron. A lid is desired but

probably doesn’t come with.12” Pan shallow 2 to 4” depth

Heavy aluminum or stainless or enamel over steel. It has a pot handle. Lid needed.

12” to 14” Dutch oven Heavy pot suitable for Oven or stove top. Lid comes with. Has small handles on either side for lifting.

Sauté pan. 8” 3 ½ quart Largest sauté pan. Made of heavy aluminum or stainless steel. Has lid and handle.

Sauté pans. Smaller pots with lids and handles. Diameter of small-est is about 7”.

SS Bowls Very light gauge stainless steel bowls. Diameters 13 ¼”, 11”, 9½”, 6”. Depths vary.

INDEXINDEX

Acorn Squash 146Alfredo Sauce 142Apple Cider Plus 216Apple Crumb Pie 198Asparagus 147

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APPENDIX II TOYS

Avocado 17, 45, 115, 225Guacamole 137

Babaganouj dip 137Bacon 28, 226

Quiche Lorraine 100Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball Spread 192Bacon, Potato and Cheese 27Baked Beans

Boston Baked Beans 149Baked Potatoes 158Baking Powder 226Balance 238Balance - scales 55Banana Pudding 207Base 228Basic Whole Wheat Bread I 60Basic Whole Wheat Bread II 61Basic Whole Wheat Rolls 66Basting brush 243Beans

Boston Baked Beans 149Lima Beans 150Pinto Beans 166

Bechamel Sauce 141Beef

Beef Stew 80Beef Stroganoff 77Beef with Broccoli 81Brisket 75Cabbage Rolls 88Chili II 87Chuck Roast 77Corned Beef and Cabbage 76Eggplant, Ground Meat, and Bread Crumbs 83Enchiladas 115Frito Pie 88Grilled Rib Eye Steak 82

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Ground Beef and Macaroni 84Moussaka 85Philly Cheese Steak 91Salisbury Steak 89Stuffed Bell Pepper 83

Beef Stew 80Beef Stroganoff 77Beef with Broccoli 81Beets

Beet Greens 170How to Pickle Beets 169

Biscuits 23Bisquick Mix 192

Bisquick 192Blackberry Cobbler 199Black-eyed Peas 147Blanching 219Blender 238Blender Mayonnaise 138Boiled Eggs

Deviled Eggs 138Book shelf 237Boston Baked Beans 149Bouillon 228Bread 5

100% Whole Wheat 64Basic Whole Wheat Bread 60Basic Whole Wheat Bread II 61Basic Whole Wheat Rolls 66Corn Bread II 74Cornbread Dressing 185Cornbread I 73Dumplings 72How We Make Bread 57Pita Bread 67Pizza 59Raisin Bread 66

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APPENDIX II TOYS

Soft Pretzels 68Sticky Buns 69White Bread 63

Bread knife 238Bread Pans 53BREADS 53Breakfast Potatoes 25Brisket 75Broccoli 148

Beef with Broccoli 81Broccoli Cheese Soup 38Cream of Broccoli Soup 39

Broccoli Cheese Soup 38Broiled Salmon Steaks 128Broth 228Brown rice 164Butter 227Butter tub 236Buttermilk Powder 227Butternut Squash Casserole 153Cabbage

Corned Beef and Cabbage 76Egg Rolls 132Skillet Pork and Cabbage 103

Cabbage Rolls 88Cake

Carrot Cake 209California Chicken Salad 49Can opener 241Candy 5

Date Roll 205Redhots 5

Candy thermometer 243Canning 221Canola Oil 227Caramel Glaze 70Caramels

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Chocolate Covered Caramels 204Carrot and Raisin Salad

Raisin 47Carrot Cake 209Carrots

Tsimmes 191Catfish

Fried Catfish 129Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower 148Caviar Dip 142Cereal 22Cereals 22Cheese slicer 241Chef knife 237Chicken 105

Brining 105California Chicken Salad 49Chicken Fingers 110Chicken Florentine 119Chicken Liver Pate 193Chicken Marsala 111Chicken Pot Pie 112Chicken Salad 49Chicken Tacos 113Deviled Drumsticks 109Egg Rolls 132Enchiladas 115Grilled 106King Ranch 121Oven Roasted Chicken 119Saltimbocca Gruyére 107Smothered Chicken 118

Chicken Fingers 110Chicken Florentine 119Chicken Liver Pâté 193Chicken Marsala 111

248

APPENDIX II TOYS

Chicken Pot Pie 112Chicken Salad 49Chicken Stock 228Chicken Tacos 113Chili (version I) 35Chili II 87Chocolate Covered Caramels 204Christmas Goose 182Chuck Roast 77Cobb Salad 45Cobbler 199Cocktail Sauce

Shrimp Cocktail 123Coffee 213Coffee Pot 237Colanders 240Coleslaw

Crunchy coleslaw 47Compost jar 236Cookies

Gingersnaps 200Lemon Bars 209Oatmeal Cookies 201Pecan Pie Bars 208Pie Crust Cookies 200

Cork remover 242Corn Bread II 74Corn holders 243Corn on the Cob 151Cornbread

Cornbread Dressing 185Cornbread I 73Corned Beef and Cabbage 76Cornstarch 228Cranberries 228Cranberry Sauce 188

Pineapple Orange Cranberry Salad 188

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Cream of Broccoli Soup 39Cream of Wheat 22Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup 33Crepes 15Crunchy Coleslaw 47Custard

Banana Pudding 207Date Roll 205Dehydrator 223Deviled Drumsticks 109Deviled Eggs 138Dips

Babaganouj dip 137Dirty Rice 164Dough Blender 240Dressing

Cornbread Dressing 185Drinks

Apple Cider Plus 216Coffee 213Iced Tea 215Instant Spiced Tea 218Lemonade 214Manhattan 214Spiced Tea 216Spiced Tea, Variation Number 1 217

DRINKS 213Dryer 223Dumplings 72Egg Drop Soup 33Egg Rolls 132Egg slicer 240Egg Tortilla with Sofrito 18Eggplant

Babaganouj dip 137Eggplant Parmesan 145Eggplant, Ground Meat and Bread Crumbs 83

250

APPENDIX II TOYS

Moussaka 85Wyatt's Baked Eggplant 151

EggsBlender Mayonnaise 138Boiled Eggs 12Cobb Salad 45Crepes for One 15Deviled Eggs 138Egg on Toast 12French Toast 14Fried Eggs 10Grandma's Ice Cream 202Huevos Rancheros 16Older eggs 13Omelets 7Pain Perdue 14Pain Perdue (II) 14Poached Eggs 11Scrambled Eggs with Onions and Herbs 7, 8, 9, 10Traditional Huevos Rancheros 17

Electric Hand Mixer 238Electric Stand Mixer 238Enchiladas, Chicken or Beef 115Espresso Coffee maker 237Fall Fruit Salad 50Filet knife 238Fish

Fried Catfish 129Fish with Macadamia Butter Sauce 130Flattened chicken breasts 107Flour 56

Unbleached Bread Flour 56White Whole Wheat Flour 56

Flour Measurements 54Flour, All Purpose 229Flour, Bread 229Fondue Meat Balls 143

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Food Dryer 239Food grater 242Food Mill 239Food Processor 239Freezing 219French Toast 14Fried Catfish 129Fried Okra 163Fried Oysters 134Frito Pie 88Fruit

Elegant Peaches and Cream 30Fall Fruit Salad 50Peaches and Cream 30Raisin Bread 66Smoothie 29

GarlicSofrito 19

Garlic press 242Gazpacho 36Giblet Gravy 187Gingersnaps 200Glazed Ham 184Goose

Christmas Goose 182Gravy

Pork Gravy 98Grilled Chicken 106Grilled Rib Eye Steak 82Ground Beef and Macaroni 84Ground Meat

Cabbage Rolls 88Chili (version I) 35Chili II 87Eggplant, Ground Meat, and Bread Crumbs 83Fondue Meat Balls 143Frito Pie 88

252

APPENDIX II TOYS

Ground Beef and Macaroni 84Ground Meat Gravy 78Moussaka 85Salisbury Steak 89Spaghetti Sauce 102Stuffed Bell Pepper 83

GroundmeatMeatloaf 85

Gruyére CheeseSaltimbocca Gruyére 107

Guacamole 137Gumbo

Shrimp Gumbo 124Ham

About Ham 183Glazed Ham 184

Hash Browns 26Herbs

Drying Herbs 224Homemade Pasta 173Homesick Texan

Brisket 75Honey 25Hot pads 237Huevos Rancheros 16, 17Ice Cream

Grandma's Ice Cream 202Ice Cream Scoop 240Iced Tea 215Immersion Blender 238Instant Spiced Tea 218Juicer 239King Ranch Chicken 121Knife Holder 236Knife Sharpener 237Kosher salt shaker 236Ladle 242

253

THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Lard 230Lemon Bars 209Lemonade 214Lid opener 241Lima Beans 150Liver

Chicken Liver Pate 193Macaroni and Cheese 165Manhattan 214Maple Cranberry Pork Medallions 93Marshmallows

Watergate Salad 50Maxine’s Smothered Squash 154Mayonnaise

Blender Mayonnaise 138Measuring cups 239Measuring spoons 241Meat thermometer 243Meatloaf 85Microplane 242Microwave 237Milk, Evaporated and Canned 230Milk, Powdered 231Moussaka 85Mozzarella and Tomato Salad 48Mozzarella Cheese 231Mushroom Soup 41Mushrooms 231

Mushroom Soup 41Nut cracker 243Oatmeal Cookies 201Oatmeal with Dates & Walnuts 22Oats, Rolled 231Oil

Used oil jar 236Oil for Cooking 232Okra

254

APPENDIX II TOYS

Fried Okra 163Okra, Onion and Tomatoes 163Olive Oil 232Onion 232Oven Fried Potatoes 160Oven Roasted Chicken 119Oyster Sauce 233Oysters

Fried Oysters 134Pain Perdue 14Pan Fried Pork Chops 97Pancakes 20, 21Paring knife 238Pasta

Beef Stroganoff 77Egg Rolls 132Ground Beef and Macaroni 84Homemade Pasta 173Macaroni and Cheese 165Pesto Sauce 176Spaghetti Sauce 102

Pasta machine 239Pastry Flour 229Pastry scraper 240Pate

Chicken Liver Pate 193Peaches

Elegant Peaches and Cream 30Peaches and Cream 30Peanut Soup 39Peas

Split Pea Soup 34Pecan Pie Bars 208Pecan Pie Filling for an 8” pie pan 195Pecan Topping 70Pepper Mill 236Pesto 176

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THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Philly Cheese Steak 91Pickle and Olive Plate 179Picnic Potato Salad 46Pico de Gallo 18Pie

Apple Crumb Pie 198Blackberry Cobbler 199Frito Pie 88Pecan Pie 196Pumpkin Pie 196Quiche Lorraine 100

Pie Crust 195Pie Crust Cookies 200Pie slice lifter 241Pinto Beans 166

Refried beans 166Pistachio Pudding Mix

Watergate Salad 50Pita Bread 67Pizza 59Pizza Stone 239Popcorn 167Pork

About Ham 183Egg Rolls 132Glazed Ham 184Pan Fried Pork Chops 97Pork BBQ 95Quiche Lorraine 100Sausage Cheese Balls 191Sausage Links 96Skillet Pork and Cabbage 103Sweet and Sour Pork 99

Pork BBQ 95Pork Chops

Pan Fried Pork Chops 97Pork Gravy 98

256

APPENDIX II TOYS

Pork TenderloinMaple Cranberry Pork Medallions 93

Pork Tenderloin and Maple Glaze 94Pot handle sleeves 240Potato peeler 242potato salad 4, 12, 45, 46Potato skewers 242Potato Soup 40Potatoes 25, 26, 27

Baked Potatoes 158Mashed Potatoes 160Oven Fried Potatoes 160Picnic Potato Salad 46Potato Soup 40Red Potatoes 46Scalloped 162Susan's Potato Salad 45

Preservation 219Pretzels

Soft Pretzels 68Prosciutto

Saltimbocca Gruyére 107Pudding

Banana Pudding 207Rice Pudding Tarts 206

Pumpkin Pie 196Pumpkin Seeds 197Pumpkin Soup 37Quiche

Spinach Quiche 101Quiche Lorraine 100Radio 237Raisin Bread 66Refried Beans 166Rice 164

Brown rice 164Dirty Rice 164

257

THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Rice Pudding Tarts 206Rice and Pea Salad

California Chicken Salad 49Rice Pudding Tarts 206Roast, Chuck 77Roasted Cauliflower 148Roasted Turkey 180Rolls

Basic Whole Wheat Rolls 66Rubber spatula 242Rumford 226Salad

California Chicken Salad 49Carrot and Raisin 47Chicken Salad 49Cobb Salad 45Fall Fruit Salad 50Mozzarella and Tomato Salad 48Picnic Potato Salad 46Susan's Potato Salad 45Tuna Salad 48Waldorf Salad 50Watergate Salad 50

SALAD 45Salisbury Steak 89Salmon Croquettes 128Salmon, Canned 233Salsa 17Salt/Pepper shakers 236Saltimbocca Gruyére 107Sandwich

Tuna Melt 133Sauce

Sofrito 19Sausage

Sausage Skillet Supper 96Sausage Cheese Balls 191

258

APPENDIX II TOYS

Sausage Skillet Supper 96Sausage, Links 96Sautéed Scallops 136Sautéed Spinach 154Scales 55Scalloped Potatoes 162Scallops

Sauteed Scallops 136Scissors 241Seafood

Egg Rolls 132Fish with Macadamia Butter Sauce 130Fried Catfish 129Fried Oysters 134Salmon Croquettes 128Shrimp Gumbo 124Shrimp Scampi 127

Serving spoon 241Shelf Life 226Shrimp Cocktail 123Shrimp Gumbo 124Shrimp peeler 243Shrimp Scampi 127Shrimp Stock 126Sieves 239Skewers 239Skillet Pork and Cabbage 103Slotted spoon 241Slow cooker 239Smoke detector 236Smoothie 29Smothered Chicken 118Sofrito 19

Egg Tortilla with Sofrito 18Soft Pretzels 68Soup 33

Broccoli Cheese Soup 38

259

THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Chili (version I) 35Cream of Broccoli Soup 39Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup 33Egg Drop Soup 33Mushroom Soup 41Peanut Soup 39Potato Soup 40Pumpkin Soup 37Split Pea Soup 34Tortilla Soup 43

Soups 5Spaghetti measurer 240Spaghetti Sauce 102Spatulas 240Spiced Tea 216Spiced Tea, Variation Number 1 217Spinach

Sautéed Spinach 154Spinach Casserole 155

Spinach Casserole 155Spinach Dip 193Spinach Quiche 101Split Pea Soup 34Springform Pan 240Squash

Acorn Squash 146Butternut Squash Casserole 153Holiday Cranberry Squash 190Maxine's Smothered Squash 154

Squash Casserole 152Stew

Beef Stew 80Sticky Buns 69Stoneware spoon holder 236Stuffed Bell Pepper 83Summer Squash Casserole 152Susan’s Potato Salad 45

260

APPENDIX II TOYS

Sweet and Sour Pork 99Sweet Potatoes

Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes 156Holiday Sweet Potatoes 189Tsimmes 191Vanilla Maple Sweet Potatoes 156

SyrupPork Tenderloin 94

TacosChicken Tacos 113

TahiniBabaganouj dip 137

TartsRice Pudding Tarts 206

TeaIced Tea 215Instant Spiced Tea 218Spiced Tea 216Spiced Tea, Variation Number 1 217

Tea Pot 237Tea strainers 240Tenderloin

Pork Tenderloin 94Timer 236Toast with Olive Oil 27Toaster 235Tomatoes

Okra, Onion and Tomatoes 163Tongs 241Tortilla

Egg Tortilla with Sofrito 18Tortilla Chips 16Tortilla Soup 43Tortillas, corn 233Tortillas, flour 234Tsimmes 191Tuna Melt 133

261

THE COMMON COOKBOOK

Tuna Salad 48Tuna, solid, white 234Tupelo honey 25Turkey

Giblet Gravy 187Roasted Turkey 180

Turkey baster 243Two prong fork 242Used oil jar 236Vent hood 235Waldorf Salad 50Watergate Salad 50White Bread 63White Sauce

Alfredo Sauce 142Basic White Sauce 141Bechamel Sauce 141

White Whole Wheat Flour 56Whole Wheat Bread I 60Wire whisk 238Wooden spoons 241Worcestershire Sauce 234Wyatt’s Baked Eggplant 151Zester 242

262

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