Sister Criddle's Chocolate Satin Pie

I first had this pie at Thanksgiving in California four years ago and had it again this Thanksgiving on the opposite coast! Delicious both times. I haven't tried it yet, but I thought I'd give it an old blog post so it will be around when I want to make my next pie. I definitely would like it if this pie appeared at my wedding. (The directions and notes are from Sis. Criddle herself!)

Crust Ingredients:

--The 2 pies amounts will make 3 or so one-crust pies

To make: (4 Pies) (2 Pies)
Amount: 2 crust pies 2 crust pies
Flour: 4 cups 2 cups
Salt: 2 teaspoons 1 teaspoon
Shortening: 2 cups 1 cup
Water: 2/3 cup + 2 T. 1/3 cup + 1 T.

Crust Directions:

1. Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender. Make a well in the center.
First, add larger amount of water; only as necessary to get moist dough, add smaller amount.
(avoid too much stickness)

2. To roll out: Flour board well and rolling pin well. Mold handful into ball. Roll out to about 1/8 inch thick. Fold in half...lift into pie plate...unfold. Crimp edges. Cut off excess. Prick all over with fork (as shell will shrink as it bakes with filling inside)...pricking helps. Bake 375 for about 10 minutes (don't want brown...just slightly golden).

Filling Ingredients and Directions:

1. Melt in top of double boiler (old recipe! I use the microwave now...melt and stir till lumps gone):

12 oz. semi choc. chips (2 cups)
1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt

2. Stir till blended and smooth, cool slightly. (Not too much)

3. Add 4 egg yolks, one at a time (save the whites in another bowl), (If choc is still warm, add the yolks and beat well fast so they don't cook in lumps in the choc immediately....although I like the fact that the hot choc cooks them some)

Beat well. Add 1 tsp. vanilla.

4. Beat 4 egg white until stiff. Fold into choc., gently but well. (I think the years the pie turned out really heavy I think I folded too much)

5. Pour into baked pie shell....refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve with whipped cream.

Balsamic and Dijon Glazed Ham With Roasted Pearl Onions

I got bold and decided to bake a ham for a Christmas dinner I hosted yesterday. I had never baked a ham before, let alone any other large piece of meat. Never a roast or even a chicken.

I asked Mom how to bake a ham but she says she always fries her ham. R. had never baked a ham either. So that left me with Epicurious. I searched Epicurious for baked ham recipes by the number of forks and read through them until I found a recipe that looked like maybe it could be tackled by a novice.

I settled on this recipe, originally from Bon Appetit, and was wonderfully delighted by the results. First I give the Epicurious instructions, then what I actually did, and then some final commentary.

Ingredients:

2 pounds pearl onions

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 8- to 10-pound half ham shank, fully cooked, fat trimmed to 1/2-inch thickness

Directions:

1. Cook onions in large pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes; drain. Trim root ends, leaving base intact. Peel. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine sugar, vinegar, and mustard in bowl for glaze. Transfer onions to 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Add 2/3 cup glaze, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup water; toss to coat. Cover with foil.

3. Line large roasting pan with foil. Making 1/2-inch-deep slits, score ham with diamond pattern. Place ham in pan and roast 45 minutes. Place onions in oven. Roast ham and onions 25 minutes. Uncover onions. Continue roasting onions and ham 50 minutes.

4. Baste ham with some of glaze. Continue to roast ham and onions until deep brown and glazed, brushing ham with glaze every 10 minutes, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer ham to large platter. Transfer onion mixture to bowl. Serve ham, passing onion mixture separately.

What I did:

Following the comments of multiple reviewers of the recipe on Epicurious, I used 2 lbs. of frozen pearl onions instead of fresh ones. I put the ham face side down in a glass casserole pan and poured in about 1/2 cup of apple cider. I covered the dish with foil and baked it at 325F for about 45 minutes.

In the meantime, I mixed up a double recipe of the glaze (vinegar, dijon, brown sugar, salt, and pepper), again in response to the commentary on the original site. After the ham had baked 45 minutes, I pulled it out of the oven and dumped the 2 lbs of onions (I did not thaw them first) around the ham in the pan and then I poured the sauce all over everything. This totally filled up my pan. I cut up a half stick of butter and put it in dabs on top of the ham and onions.

Then I put everything back in the oven, covered with foil, for another two-ish hours. At some point, my roommate noticed the pan was overflowing, removed about half the sauce, basted the ham, and put it back in the oven. When it was done cooking, I pulled it out and sliced it. The meat was delicious and tender and the onions had a perfect sweet-sour carmelized flavor.

Notes:

Doubling the sauce recipe was problematic, since I just ended up removing the sauce anyway. I can see why you might want to double it if you cook the onions separately as the recipe suggests, but if you cook it all in one glass pan I think just one recipes worth would be adequate.

I liked the sweetness the apple cider flavor gave to the ham. I might want the onions crispier if I cooked them again in the future, but I don't know if that's possible when trying to cook them in a pan where you want to create a tender ham. I'm not sure if the butter is really necessary.

Lots of juice left over. I saved some just in case B. comes to town and needs some sauce to cook chicken in. Turns out sauce is necessary for cooking chicken.

I would definitely make this recipe again because it was so easy and because everyone loved the result. It was a big hit especially among the male guests. But I'm open to learning other/better ways of baking a ham too, since I think the flavoring pulled off the success of this ham, not necessarily my technique.

Sus' Salad and Dressing

I dreamed about this salad with its dressing, it was that good. We had it at Thanksgiving and it was amazing, I could have just eaten the salad and been a happy camper. These directions come from SLO, who got the recipe from Sus, the sister-in-law of her current Manfriend. I love the extended world.

Salad:

Romaine lettuce
Lots of avocado
Plums
Candied/sugared pecans (I browned some pecans in a pan, added a lot of brown sugar, took it off before they were burnt--awesome)

S. also added some fresh mozzarella. She adds:

I might add bananas next time. Maybe pears. Or golden raisins? Another vegetable? Something.

The Salad Dressing:

One part fresh squeezed lemon juice (with some pulp, even)
One part olive oil
Healthy handful of brown sugar (dark!)
Fresh ground pepper to taste


I'm going to try this dressing out with LIMES this week!

Yellow Turkey Casserole

I haven't made this, but I'm archiving it so I never have to ask Mom for the recipe again. My favorite post-Thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients and Directions:

1) Butter a 9X13 glass dish.

2) Cover the bottom of the dish evenly with 2 c. raw rice.

3) Sprinkle evenly across the rice 1 t. salt and 1 t. curry powder. You may use more curry powder if you like.

4) Chop or dice 3 c. of leftover turkey or chicken meat. Spread the turkey evenly across the rice.

5) Mince 1/2 to 1 onion, 2 stalks celery and saute in butter until soft. Spread the vegetables evenly across the turkey.

6) Make according to package directions one packet of the dry chicken noodle soup which wants 4 c. of water, with this change: use 5 c. water. You may substitute part or all of the water with chicken broth.

7) Ladle the hot soup over the stuff in the dish. Be careful so that you disturb things as little as possible. Save the noodles until last so that you can distribute them evenly over the surface of the dish.

8) Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for one hour. Uncover and serve.

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos

First inspired by a trip to the Moosewood last fall, this was my second go around with these burritos and I am a big fan. I made 15 of them last night, we ate 10, and I'm freezing the remaining 5 for a future date. They are very hearty and filling while managing to feel exceptionally healthy when you are eating them. What an awesome find.

From Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-and-Vegetable-Wraps-5926

Ingredients: (my modifications are in parentheses)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil --(peanut oil as needed)
2 large garlic cloves, minced --(omitted)
1 cup diced red bell pepper --(chopped up one whole pepper)
1 cup diced yellow bell pepper --(chopped up one whole pepper plus a whole orange pepper)
1 cup 1/2-inch pieces zucchini --(chopped up three zucchinis)
1 cup 1/2-inch pieces peeled butternut squash --(maybe three cups? a lot)
1 cup chopped red onion --(chopped one whole onion)
2 teaspoons ground cumin --(to flavor)
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained --(1 16 oz. can + 1 16 oz. can red kidney beans)
1 cup (packed) grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese --(grated a whole medium sized chunk)

4 9- to 10-inch-diameter flour tortillas (burrito size) --(15 tortillas)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro --(lots)

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add bell peppers, zucchini, squash, and onion and sauté until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. (I sauteed the squash separately and then pureed it in the blender with a little left over pumpkin). Mix in cumin (plus salt, pepper, and other spices) and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Place beans in large bowl; mash coarsely with fork (I didn't mash my beans, just the squash.) Mix in vegetables and cheese.

2) Place tortillas on work surface. Spoon a generous 1/3rd cup of filling down center of each. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon cilantro. Roll up tortillas, enclosing filling. Arrange wraps, seam side down, on baking sheet. (Can be made 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

3) Preheat oven to 350°F. Cover wraps with foil. Bake until filling is just heated through, about 10 minutes. Cut each wrap into 2 or 3 sections.

Dixie Salad

A family Thanksgiving tradition.

Basic elements all mixed together with the cream as the binding agent:

Whipped cream
Shelled pomegranate seeds
Chopped apples
Nuts: pecans or walnuts

R. says this is abominable but I just put chopped Snickers AND chopped fresh brownie in mine.

Drop Biscuits

From mom (via the Joy?) A food I grew up on. Most recently baked for Melville and posted here for KT.

Ingredients:

3 C. flour
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. yellow shortening
1 1/2 C. milk

Directions:

1) In small-medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt. Mix. Cut in shortening until homogeneous mixture is formed. Stir in milk slowly while pouring to avoid forming lumps.

2) Distribute evenly into 1 well greased 12-cup muffin tin. Bake at 450F for 15 minutes. Turn out of muffin cups after cooling 2-3 minutes & serve warm.

Note: The recipe can be modified to use buttermilk instead of regular milk, which produces a delicious biscuit. The baking powder must be adjusted to accommodate.

Lemon Mousse

From the Moosewood. Made for someone I like, and who is going to have to endure a lifetime of references and homages to the Moosewood, too many spices, and sour cream or ginger in everything.

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. cornstarch
1/2 C. confectioner's sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 C. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 C. water
2 eggs, separated
1 Tbs. light honey
1 tsp. freshly-grated lemon rind
1/2 pint heavy cream (cold)
1 1/2 tsp. - 1 T. orange extract

Directions:

1. Sift together cornstarch, sugar, and salt -- into a small saucepan.

2. Whisk the lemon juice and water into the sifted mixture. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat -- until thick. (About 5 minutes.) Remove from heat.

3. Beat the egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle a little (1/4 C.) of the hot mixture into the beaten yolks (still beating), then return the yolks to the hot mixture, whisking constantly. Add honey. Return to heat and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat just 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Transfer to egg yolk bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature. (Stir it intermittently as it cools, to keep it smooth.)

4. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into lemon mixture, along with lemon rind. Chill about 1 hour.

5. Beat the heavy cream, with the liquer, until stiff. Fold into the mousse. Chill at least 2 more hours before serving.

Takes about 5 hours to prepare and chill. Makes 6 small servings.

I plan on serving this with a little additional whipped cream on top and some fresh blackberries and raspberries.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

There are reasons why kiddoes don't like cream of vegetable soups.

The other day I was flipping through the Moosewood cookbook trying to choose the next recipe to try and happened upon Cream of Broccoli Soup. It looked delicious! The pictures of the broccoli was so appetizing!

I said to R., said I, "I think I will cook the Cream of Broccoli Soup!"

She turned to me and said, "You are engaged."

Says I, "I know! Aren't you glad I'm learning to cook?"

She looks at me like I am crazy. "Do you really expect your husband to eat cream of broccoli soup?"

"Well yes," says I, but I know she's got a point.

"Maybe you should start cooking towards your fiance instead of away from him," she tells me.

I decide to make the Cream of Broccoli soup after all. From the Moosewood, I present:

Ingredients:

4 T. butter
1 1/2 C chopped oniom
1 medium green pepper, chopped
4 C chopped broccoli
1 C broccoli flowerets, thinly-sliced
1 tsp. salt (more, to taste)
2 1/2 C water or stock
2 C milk
1/2 C heavy or sour cream
1 bay leaf
pinch of allspice
black and/or white pepper to taste
dash of tamari
dash of thyme or basil (optional to taste)
optional: 1/2 C buttermilk, whisked in right before serving

Note: I used water, sour cream, and basil, black pepper, and omitted the tamari. I added dried mustard and paprika in its place, and added allspice generously.

Directions:

1. Chop up broccoli, flowerets, onion, pepper. You can chop the scallions while the broccoli cooks.

2. Saute the onions in butter with bay leaf (don't forget to remove the bay leaf before pureeing!) until the onions are translucent.

3. Add the chopped green pepper, chopped broccoli, water or stock, and salt. Cook about 10 minutes, covered (until broccoli in tender, but still bright green.)

4. Puree little by little with milk, in the blender. Make sure its pureed until absolutely smooth. (The texture is very important to the success of this soup.)

5. Whisk in the sour cream or heavy cream and the seasonings. Adjust the salt and pepper, if necessary. Steam the broccoli flowerets (do this while sauteeing everything else, duh!) until just done (again, tender, but full of color.)

6. Combine flowerets with soup in a large double boiler or kettle. Heat gently and serve right away. Whisk in the optional buttermilk as you serve. Top it with minced scallions.

Notes:

1. After I blended everything, I poured it all back into the ginormous skillet to season/whisk/warm. It makes so much more sense to do that in the pan than in the blender, don't you think?

2. I found this soup to be way, way, way too thin. Do people really want to drink broccoli-flavored water? So I boiled it for another 20 minutes or so after blending and seasoning, and would have been happy having thickened it another 10 minutes maybe.

3. In the future, I will boil it to thicken it and then add the buttermilk and scallions AFTER the thickening, to avoid funny boiled buttermilkness.

4. This soup is tasty if you are a rabbit. No really, the sour cream and milk and spices and broccoli taste really are quite satisfying! Especially if eaten with fresh chunks of Mom's cornbread dunked in the soup, which is how I ate my first bowl.

5. This will probably not feed the fiance, who (unlike me) is not a rabbit.

Mom's Cornbread

What with all the other cornbread recipes, it has taken me way too long to post my favorite (and the best) cornbread recipe. Best if made with home-ground coarser corn meal. Fabulous.

Ingredients:

1 C. corn meal
1 C. flour (can split white/whole wheat)
1-2 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/4 C. shortening or oil
2 beaten eggs
1 C. milk (can use buttermilk, but must adjust leavening accordingly)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400-425F.

2. In one bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

3. Gently beat eggs, combine with milk and oil and add to flour mixture, stirring just enough to combine. If using shortening, cut shortening in with pastry cutter prior to adding milk and eggs.

4. Pour into greased 9 x 9 square pan and bake for 25 min at 400-425F.

Note: Mom 1 and 1/2s this recipe to "double" it and use a 13 x 9 pan.

Buttermilk Biscuits or Shortcake

We had a post-test potluck tonight with my medical school classmates which was a great opportunity to practice my "use what you have" skills. I looked in the fridge and found the following things that needed to be used: four big peaches, 1/2 pint whipped cream, and some buttermilk. I put two and two together and decided to make peach shortcake.

This recipe for buttermilk biscuits comes from the Joy of Cooking. I added an extra teaspoon sugar to make it sweeter for the shortcake, so this recipe could also be used to make rolled out biscuits. I peeled and sliced the peaches and whipped the cream with some powered sugar, then I baked the dough in a 8" round buttered and floured pan for about 12 minutes, turned it out, and after cooling I cut it in half horizontally. I mixed the peaches and cream together and put them in between the two halves. Delicious!

See recipe and directions (for biscuits) below:

Ingredients:

1 3/4 C sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 C lard or 5 T. butter
3/4 C buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and baking soda in medium-sized mixing bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Add in buttermilk and combine lightly.

3. Turn dough out onto floured counter and knead gently for 30-60 seconds. Pat dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut with a biscuit cutter.

4. Bake 10-12 minutes.

The Joy notes: Because of the sour milk and soda, this recipe has a very tender dough. I note: I didn't have difficulties with the biscuit being too tender to slice, so I wouldn't worry about creating too fragile of a shortcake using the buttermilk recipe.

Lemon Sugar Blueberry Muffins

This recipe is from my mother. I don't know where she got it from, but I do remember eating these sweet treats occasionally and wishing every muffin was this way. I got up early last Wednesday to make these for an eager PBL group, who received them with gusto. Quick and easy, these make a regular breakfast into an occasion.

Note: The recipe as given makes 18 muffins, I 1 1/2 the recipe for 24 muffins, I find that this make a slightly bigger (and more satisfactory) muffin with a rounder top for sugaring.

Ingredients:

Muffins:
2 2/3 C flour
1 T baking powder
1 ½ tsp. salt
½ C sugar
2 eggs

1 C milk

2/3 C cooking oil
1 ½ blueberries
½ T lemon zest (or 1 tsp lemon flavoring)

Topping:
4 T butter
½ sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Wash and drain blueberries. Pat dry in a paper towel or dish towel.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in one mixing bowl.

3. Beat eggs slightly. Add milk, eggs, and oil to flour mixture and mix just barely enough to combine. Do NOT over mix! (Muffins will be tough.)

4. Add blueberries and mix only very slightly to avoid crushing blueberries. Immediately put into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.

5. Allow muffins to cool five minutes. Melt butter. When muffins have cooled slightly, dip the tops first in melted butter and then into the sugar. Serve warm.

Rooftop Couscous

A couscous I dreamed up using what Jane had lying around in her Manhattan apartment:

Cook some couscous. (Jane did this, I didn't watch how much she put in.)

Saute some chopped carrot in olive oil, after a while add in chopped onion and minced garlic. Right before they are done, add in blanched or sliced almonds until oiled and barely browned.

Chop raisins. Drain and rinse red kidney beans.

Mix everything together with the couscous, seasoning with salt, cumin, nutmeg, and ginger. Delicious!

Apple-Cheese Pancakes

A delicious Sunday morning treat from our favorite: The Moosewood!

Ingredients:

1 cup cottage or ricotta cheese (ricotta is obvi the way to go)
1 heaping, packed cup grated apple (and kind by delicious-- I always use honeycrisp!)
3/4 cup flour (you can use 1/2 cup white and 1/4 cup wheat)
1 Tbs. honey
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. sunflower seeds or chopped almonds (almonds, again, obvi)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
dash of nutmeg or allspice
4 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1) Mix everything together except the egg whites.

2) Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into batter.

3) Fry pancakes in butter on both sides until brown.

4) Serve with maple syrup or preserves, sour cream or yogurt, fresh fruit, cinnamon sugar. (Mix and match!)

Mollie says: Serve these pancakes for breakfast brunch or lunch. They could even be a dessert after a light meal. The recipe makes enough to satisfy four reasonably hungry sorts.

I've made these twice now, a year apart from each other. The second time I made larger pancakes and enjoyed the effect. Note: You have to flatten the batter out in the pan or they won't cook all the way through! Delicious when toasted the day after. I might make these for PBL one of these weeks.

Cauliflower Marranca

From the Moosewood. I made this recipe for a Sunday linner with friends. We ate it with sauteed zucchini and fresh bread and cubed watermelon. Delicious for the humid, slightly cool Rochester day.

Ingredients:

1 lbs. mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped

1 large head cauliflower in flower pieces

3 cups cooked brown rice or millet

2 1/2 cups grated cheese of your choice (I used 1/2 sharp cheddar and 1/2 pepper jack)

Directions:

1) Cook the rice.

2) Saute onion and mushroom in butter with juice of one lemon

3) Saute cauliflower with 3 cloves crushed with garlic, basil, salt and pepper

4) Combine everything. Bake, covered, 1/2 hour at 350F.

Serves 5-6.

Personal note: I want this dish to have sliced red bell pepper and paprika. I also would use the pepper jack cheese again, and did as S. (who helped me make this dish did) and leave out some of the mushrooms and cauliflower and put them on the top of the stirred mixture in the dish to create a more vegetably layer.

I think this dish would also work well for a winter evening.

Moosewood Noodle Kugel

Oh Moosewood. How I have missed you long these summer nights, when feasting from the freshness of the earth I have not had your recipes to guide my hand!

I'm back in Rochester and that means back to the Moosewood and my Vegetable Tuesday adventures. I'm easing back in. This recipe is one I tried last year but never blogged. It is easy and produces a simple, rich dish you can serve as a dessert or an entree. Once you've had a noodle kugel it quickly becomes a comfort food, something you can eat on cold or sad nights and feel warmth inside of your stomach and a little boost to the soul. I'm always surprised to find out that few people seem to have experienced kugel before, but I am always happy to introduce them to such a fabulous new food.

Ingredients:

4 cups raw wide flat egg noodles, boiled in salted water, drained, and buttered

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
3/4 cup sour cream (or yogurt)
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
few dashes salt

2 medium cooking apples or 2 fresh, ripe peaches, sliced

1 cup bread crumbs
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1) Combine bread crumbs to brown sugar in a separate bowl and set aside as crumb mixture.

2) Combine eggs to salt in a blender and beat together until smooth.

3) Combine buttered noodles, egg mixture, and peaches together. Spread into a well-buttered casserole dish.

4) Top with the crumb mixture and dot with butter. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes at 375F.

5) Serve warm or chilled.


You can omit the sour cream and the butter on the noodles or on the top. The dish is plenty rich enough without it! You can also probably use neufchatel instead of cream cheese for a more low fat version. I like to use wheat noodles in this dish, I feel like it gives it a deeper, healthier flavor. You can also use different flavorings-- for this one I used almond extract and added some sliced almonds to the crumb mixture on the top.

Serves 6-8. Enjoy!

Coffee Cake

Breaking from my PBL-pie tradition, I got up a little early this morning to make a fresh coffee cake for my 8 am PBL group. What a hit! This recipe is a Matheson family classic that originates from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook circa the 1970s. We girls used to get up early Saturday mornings and fight over who could make it for breakfast. I'm sure our parents loooooved that.

Ingredients:

Cake
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. white granulated sugar (can be reduced for a less sweet cake-- I prefer using 3/4 cup)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 C. yellow shortening
1 egg
3/4 C. milk

Topping
1/3 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon (I like to add in additional spices: ginger, nutmeg, cloves)
3 tsp. butter

Directions:

1. Grease a 9 x 9 x 2 baking pan. Pre-heat the oven to 375F.

2. Mix the topping first by combining the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon into a small mixing bowl. Cut in the butter using forks or a cutter until you have a uniform mixture. Note: if you use cold butter, you will get a crumbly topping that you can spread evenly on the cake and that will remain on the top of the cake while it is baked. If you use warm butter, you will get a thicker mixture that you have to spread out in clumps on the cake batter-- these clumps will fall into the cake during baking and produce a buttery/sugary strudel on the middle/bottom of the cake.

3. For the cake, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the shortening and cut in with forks or a cutter until uniformly mixed into flour. In separate bowl, combine eggs and milk and mildly beat the eggs. Pour egg/milk into the flour mixture while stirring and stir until completely combined. Note: Do NOT overbeat. Stir JUST until flour and egg/milk are uniformly mixed.

4. Pour cake batter into greased pan. Distribute topping over the top of the cake.

5. Bake for 25-30 min. at 375F or until top is light golden brown and straw comes out clean.

NOTE: I usually make this recipe doubled and use a 13 x 9 x 2 glass baking pan. Baking time is a little longer, maybe 35 minutes.

Serve with fresh peaches and milk. :) Or just eat plain.

Coleslaw

I have never made coleslaw before in my life. I don't like coleslaw. I don't eat coleslaw. But my friend B. is putting on a big surprise bash for her missionary boyfriend who is leaving later this month, and asked for help with the cooking. I agreed to help and was assigned the coleslaw. And as Janie W. reminds, "Friends say When How Will Do and Done." And so it is. I slawed away.

First thing I did was look up on Epicurious for a recipe that fit the ingredients I was given by B. and the other things I had on hand. Also, I wasn't going to compromise and use a recipe that was second rate. If I am going to slaw, I am going to slaw well. I finally found a five-fork recipe that fit my ingredients. The original Epicurious recipe is given first, then how I actually made it. Note, I was cooking slaw for 75-80 people, and made two batches of the recipe given below.

Epicurious

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds cabbage, shredded
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Directions:

Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour over cabbage, onion, pepper, and carrot in one large bowl and stir until uniformly coated. Allow to chill at least four hours to give flavors time to combine.

Me

Ingredients:

3 pounds cabbage/carrot mix
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
2 packages grated carrot
1 3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup (overflowing) apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Generous dash white pepper
Two generous dashes ground cloves

Directions:

Same as above. Whisk white pepper and cloves in with the mayonnaise mixture.

I'm not sure what ideal coleslaw is really supposed to taste like, and it will be different when the flavors have commingled overnight, but I hope that this coleslaw is tasty... as tasty as a slaw can be.

(This was really quite easy to make. The real trick was fitting two huge catering tin foils of this in the fridge! Now that was a triumph.)

BBQ Chicken Vegetable Mango Kebabs

Had the most amazing kebabs.

What were in these kebabs of amazingness?

BBQ Chicken by Bob
Tomato
Yellow and green summer squash
Purple onion
Orange and green bell pepper

annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd....

MANGO.

It was bold.

It was revolutionary.

It was a kebab TRIUMPH.

I am never going back. I am a mango ke-bab-er FOR LIFE.

(Just peel a firm-ish mango and chop it up in chunks like you do the rest of le vegetables and skewer 'em with the rest. Whoo.)

End-Of-The-Year Faux-Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Four days to the end of the year and counting! Wahoo! In between me and those four days are two big finals, and then I leave to go on my DC/NC trip the day right after. So I needed an easy fast way to dispose of all my left over perishable foods in an easy-to-eat way this week that would be gone when I'm gone. This soup was the answer. This concoction is roughly based of the famous chicken noodle soup pioneered by G., the mother of my friend KT.

Ingredients:

Pot full of water
Salt
Four boneless chicken breasts, thawed
1/2 package whole wheat egg noodles
1 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup lime juice (or juice from one lime)
1 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. chicken bullion

Directions:

1) Put the chicken breasts in a deep pot and cover with water. Lightly salt. Bring to a boil and leave at boil until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken from water and cut into bite sized pieces.

2) Increase volume of water to 2/3rds of total volume of pot. Add noodles.

3) While noodles are cooking, combine peanuts, coconut, lime juice, and whipping cream in a blender. Blend on high chop/puree until a rough solution is formed. Peanuts and coconut do not need to be thoroughly blended, but smaller bits of peanut and coconut should be emulsified in the lime juice and cream.

4) Chop the cilantro and parsley. When noodles are not quite all the way done cooking, turn the temperature down to simmer and add in the cilantro and parsley. Allow to simmer for five minutes.

5) Add in the bullion and the peanut/coconut mixture. Stir thoroughly. Put the cooled cut chicken back into the pot and stir. Adjust the water level accordingly. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for ten more minutes and serve hot.

Excellent! I am quite proud of my little left-over soup. It was genuinely tasty, filling, and the perfect balance of cream and peanut and cilantro and lime and flavor. A left over home run.

Also, can I say how proud I am that these are the ingredients I had left over? Fresh cilantro? Fresh whipping cream? A lime? Booyah. Big leaps from my college years, when being down to the wire meant a box of saltines.

Caribbean Dream Pie

From The New Moosewood. Seriously better than I thought it was going to be, and ridiculously easy to make. It would be hard to mess this pie up.

SWEET CRUMB CRUST:

2 cups crushed graham crackers or ginger snaps (easily done in a food processor)
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional, If you prefer you can substitute another 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers of ginger snaps)
1/4 cup finely minced pecans
6 Tbsp. butter, melted

1) Preheat over to 350F.
2) Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan, building a handsome 1/2-inch ridge around the edge. You will have more than enough to fill the pie pan-- sprinkle the rest in another pan. Place both in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

FILLING:

1 14-15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp. grated lime rind
1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1/2 a ripe mango, peeled and sliced (or chopped)

1) Pour the milk into a medium-sized bowl.

2) Add the grated rind and juice, and whisk for a few minutes until the milk thickens.

3) Layer the banana and mango slices in the baked, cooled crust. Pout the thickened milk mixture over the fruit, spreading it into place. Sprinkle the top with extra crumb mixture, and chill until cold. Serve cold.

Skeptical of the filling, I added one more bananas (three large bananas total) and tripled the mango (1 1/2 mangoes total). I also increased the lime zest, but not the lime juice or the milk. I found this to be just fine. I also topped the pie generously with lightly sweetened whipped cream and then sprinkled the extra crust crumbs on the top of the whipped cream, not the pie itself. The overall was wonderfully creamy and fruity and perfect for the lovely early summer evening. This pie should be served in California often.

Suzanne's Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe from a rockstar woman I love, and who makes the best enchiladas around. Terrified of the enchilada, but willing to mount an attack, I emailed her for the recipe. I give her directions and then a few modifications/comments of my own in italics following each step. I doubled the recipe and made two pans of enchiladas, hence the larger proportions, but they fed an army and turned out wonderfully. What a coup.

Suzanne's Directions:

1. Start by cooking some rice (you'll need about 1.5 cups, but anything between .75 to 2 cups is probably fine. You can also skip the rice.

I used 2 cups cooked brown rice. I think the brown rice gives a deeper/healthier impression.

2. Cut up chicken breast in to bite size pieces and cook in a pan on the stove (you can also get 1-2 precooked whole cooked chickens and tear the meat up into pieces).

I cooked five chicken breasts by boiling them in water and apple cider vinegar with a bit of salt in a large skillet on the stove. After cooking I chopped/shredded the chicken into large bite size pieces.

3. Add about 2 cans of tomato sauce (or one really big can) and nearly a whole can of red enchilada sauce, saving 1/3 cup or so to put on the top (I usually use Rosarita, but anything would work.)

I used 2 cans of Ortega medium red enchilada sauce, one larger can of tomato sauce, and maybe another can's worth of tomato puree that I had in the fridge. These enchiladas were a little drier than most, but I like them better that way. Leaving some for the top is definitely wise.

4. Add the rice to the mix (meaning chicken/sauce mix)

5. Add a lot of shredded cheese (uh...maybe 3/4 cup each of cheddar and mozzerella?)

I used sharp cheddar and white monterrey jack, grating an entire small block of each. The net amount of shredded cheese was probably around 3 cups. I saved a little cheese out to put on top of the enchiladas.

5. Now add more sauce until it's a bit runny (if it's thick, the enchiladas will be more like burritos!)

6. Stir up the mix of sauces with chicken, rice, and cheese.

7. Coat a pyrex dish (size 13 x 9 is good, but anything would probably work) with cooking spray.

8. Put a dollup (2/3 cup?) of mix on a flour (wheat!) tortilla, roll the tortilla up, put it in the dish. Repeat until the dish is full of enchiladas. (My dish fit eight enchiladas.) Leave space between each enchilada so some sauce can get in there and so they will separate more easily.

9. On the top of the enchiladas, add: left over mix, left over enchilada sauce, and extra cheese.

Janie and I also cut up a bunch of fresh cilantro and put it on top with the sauce and cheese and chicken and it was delicious! I would put some cilantro inside even, also we added chopped onion to the chicken/rice/sauce mix.

10. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly hot and browning on top. You can also refrigerate before cooking, and just cook a bit longer (40 minutes?) Serve hot with sour cream or guacamole on top.

So good. MMMMMMMMM.

Black Bean and Quinoa Salad

A Janie Salad. I was skeptical of the quinoa at first, but was pleasantly surprised at the results. I think it was the cilantro that won me over on this one. We served it cold, but I think it could be warmed up a little bit on a colder day and be as comforting warm and it was cold. We used it as a counterpoint to chicken enchiladas and the frog-eye salad, which served as a bridge to the Caribbean Dream Pie we served for dessert. I would also eat this for lunch just about any day, with sandwiches or tamales, or even inside of a pita, although that might feel a little bit redundant.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked
3 small tomatoes, chopped
1 small-medium onion, chopped
Kernels cut off from 3 tall ears of fresh corn
1 avocado, chopped
1 can black beans, drained (you can wash them, or leave unwashed for more bean flavor)
Chopped fresh cilantro to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook, chop, stir it all together. Serve at any temperature, although chilled is a nice way to go on a warm day as a contrast to hotter menu items. Make sure you rinse the quinoa thoroughly in cold water prior to cooking. Cook with 2 cups of water for 1 cup quinoa, adding the quinoa and water at the same time, bringing to a boil, and boiling until the water is completely drawn into the quinoa. Janie didn't add any lemon juice, but I would add a little lemon or lime zest if I had it for more flavor, although the cilantro and the fresh onion add enough flavor for any salad lover.

Frog-Eye Salad aka Ambrosia

This dessert-ish salad is a Utah/family classic. Served at picnics, Thanksgivings, with potatoes, on the side, this salad goes just about anywhere you want it to be. Best of all, it doesn't involve any jello. The salad is really a throw whatever you want in, with your own sense of proportion, but here is my most recent version:

1 package mini marshmallows
1 package sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 finely sliced mango
1 small can drained crushed pineapple (important that you drain thoroughly)
1 cup cooked small round pasta (I used acini de pede)
1 half pint whipped whipping cream
2 Tbsp. sour cream

Can also add: grapefruit, apple, pecans, or canned mandarin oranges. Say no to grapes, walnuts, strawberries, or untoasted almonds. Lime zest might be ok, if used sparingly. Think about toasting a little bit of the coconut for a more interesting flavor. Make sure you drain and cool the pasta thoroughly before adding to the mix. I whip the sour cream directly into the whipped cream before using the whipped cream to bind everything together. Be careful not to make this salad too soupy, it kills the leftovers and makes the salad feel limp. Don't use too much grapefruit, if you do, eat it quickly and sweeten the whipped cream a bit with powdered sugar.

Mix it all together and chill covered before serving.

Asparagus Risotto

From Sokolov-- whose food I enjoy but who I really can't stand in person (I suspect).

Ingredients:

1 pound asparagus, prepared in the manner of Madame Saint-Ange
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter
2 cups Arborio or other medium grain rice (I used brown)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Remove asparagus from the cooking water (but reserve the water) and cut into inch-long pieces. Discard the woody ends, but peel any sections whose interior flesh is edible. Remove the spears.

2. Measure the cooking water. Top up to 5 cups with additional water if necessary are return to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer slowly.

3. In a heavy 10-cup pot, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. When the foaming subsides, add the asparagus pieces and any pith you have salvaged (but not the spears). Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Then pour in all the rice and stir vigorously to coat each grain. Continue stirring briefly. The grains will turn opaque. Then pour in a cup of the asparagus cooking water. Stir until the liquid almost disappears. Then add another cup of water. Continue in this manner until the rice softens to the al dente point. If you run out of water, bring another cup or two to the boil.

4. As the water absorption process comes to a close, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet. Toss the asparagus spears in the butter to warm them up. Set them aside on a warm plate. Pour the butter into the rice. Add the cheese and salt and pepper to taste and stir vigorously while the cheese melts. Transfer to a serving bowl. Arrange the asparagus spears over the rice and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

This was more laborious than I thought it should be, but the parmesan cheese brings everything together in a surprisingly satisfying manner. Overall this dish is easy--but not particularly quick-- to make and makes a simple but elegant side.

KT's Banana Bars

Another dip into the KT-box for this recipe, which I baked up this morning in homage of Mother's Day and two quickly ripening bananas left on the kitchen counter. The ingredients given in italics or to the side are my modifications to the original recipe, in hope of making a jazzier treat. (The originals are delicious and addicting, but not particularly jazzy.)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (omit the vanilla, add 1/2 tsp. coconut extract)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (I used 1/2 tsp. salt)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cardamom
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 (16 ounce) container cream cheese frosting
Toasted coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.

2. In one bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.

3. In a second bowl, mash two bananas.

2. In a third, large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the sour cream and flavoring. Stir the flour mixture into the batter by hand, not with the beaters. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

4. While baking, spread a generous layer of flaked coconut on to a full size baking sheet and toast at 350F. Set aside.

5. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese frosting. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top of the frosted bars.

KT says: p.s. I just mix 8 oz. of cream cheese with 2-2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar to get the cream cheese frosting - so easy!

Super easy to make and always a winning way to dispose of bananas or produce a quick treat for social occasions.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie version 3.0

THE CRUST:

2C flour
1 t salt

2/3 C cold butter + 1 Tbsp. sour cream
6-8 T cold water (I add an ice cube to water in a 1 cup measure.)

1) Combine the flour & salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening. Then add the water 1 T at a time, stirring clockwise with a fork until the dough turns into a nice ball (The butter dough will take 7-8 Tbsp and may want to be kneaded with your fingers in the bowl.) Wrap the dough tightly in saran wrap and put it in the freezer while you cut and mix up the berries.

THE FILLING:

1) Cut 2 green grocery containers strawberries as follows: wash with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove the leafy part and then cut the strawberry in thirds so that the pieces are as flat as possible. Cut 1 lbs. rhubarb stalks into 1-inch squares, avoiding leaving long strings in your cut fruit.

2) In separate bowl combine:

3/4 C white sugar
2-4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
generous dash ginger
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. mace
1/4 tsp. cloves

1/8 tsp. white pepper

3) Add the combined above to the fruit, stir it all up so the fruit is all covered.

4) In separate bowl, whisk together 2 Tbs. sour cream and 2 Tbs. corn starch to form starchy paste. Add the paste to the top of the strawberries. Add 2 Tbs. lemon juice. Stir, until berries are coated in sour cream, sugar, and lemon juice mix. Allow the berries to sit in the juices while you roll out the crust.

ASSEMBLING THE PIE:

1) Roll out 1/2 of the dough for the bottom crust using plenty of flour. Store the other half back in the freezer while you roll out the bottom crust. Half way through rolling, flip the dough over and roll on the other side until the have a smooth, flat circle. Place in the pie tin. Cut the bottom crust off at one finger's width distance from the rim of the pie plate. Prick with a fork.

2) Roll out the remaining dough for the top as above, again using plenty of flour and flipping the crust half way through, making sure to brush excess flour of the top surface.

2) Spoon filling into the pie crust. The strawberries will have released quite a bit of juice, due to the sugar coating. Spoon the berries into the crust, but leave the extra juices in the bottom of the bowl behind (this may be about 1/4-1/3 cup of juices left behind. If you add them, the pie will be too soupy.)

3) Use your fingers to wet the edges of the bottom pie crust with the ice water. Place the top crust over the pie and cut the top crust off at two finger's width distance from the rim of the pie plate. Fold the top crust edge over the bottom crust edge just inside of the pie plate and flute the edge. Cut a pattern into the top crust to help some of the juices escape during baking.

4) Bake pie for 30 min at 425 F (depending on your oven) and then 30-35 min at 375 F. It's wise to put a cookie sheet on the rack beneath the pie while it's baking just in case some of the juices run over (they will.)

5) Let the pie cool on the counter, then chill the pie in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours before serving (preferably overnight, which allows the pie to settle thickly together).

La, le perfection in pie form. So tartly sweet, so melt-in-your-mouth, such spicy goodness. I see no reason to ever make a strawberry rhubarb pie any other way.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie version 2.0

An attempt to make a more generic strawberry rhubarb pie that wasn't quite so spicelly potent. Not because the spicy pie isn't the way to go, but because some people don't have the same palate for flavor that I do. This time I used a butter dough for the crust that turned out to be much easier for me to manage than the usual shortening dough. The net result was a thicker crust that wasn't quite as flaky as I wanted but was tasty all the same.


THE CRUST:

2C flour
1 t salt

2/3 C cold butter
5-7 T cold water (I add an ice cube to water in a 1 cup measure.)

1) Combine the flour & salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening. Then add the water 1 T at a time, stirring clockwise with a fork until the dough turns into a nice ball (The butter dough will take 7-8 Tbsp and may want to be kneaded with your fingers in the bowl.) Wrap the dough tightly in saran wrap and put it in the freezer while you cut and mix up the berries.

THE FILLING:

1) Cut 2 green grocery containers strawberries. Remove the leafy part and then cut the strawberry in thirds so that the pieces are as flat as possible. Cut 1 lbs. rhubarb stalks into 1-inch squares.

2) In separate bowl combine:

1C sugar
1/2 cup flour
3/8 tsp. Valencia orange peel
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

3) Add the combined above to the fruit, stir it all up so the fruit is all covered.

4) Allow the berries to sit in the juices while you roll out the crust.

ASSEMBLING THE PIE:

1) Roll out 1/2 of the dough for the bottom crust using plenty of flour. Store the other half back in the freezer while you roll out the bottom crust. Half way through rolling, flip the dough over and roll on the other side until the have a smooth, flat circle. Place in the pie tin. Cut the bottom crust off at one finger's width distance from the rim of the pie plate. Prick with a fork.

2) Roll out the remaining dough for the top as above, again using plenty of flour and flipping the crust half way through, making sure to brush excess flour of the top surface.

2) Spoon filling into the pie crust. The strawberries will have released quite a bit of juice, due to the sugar coating. Spoon the berries into the crust, but leave the extra juices in the bottom of the bowl behind (this may be about 1/4-1/3 cup of juices left behind. If you add them, the pie will be too soupy.)

3) Use your fingers to wet the edges of the bottom pie crust with the ice water. Place the top crust over the pie and cut the top crust off at two finger's width distance from the rim of the pie plate. Fold the top crust edge over the bottom crust edge just inside of the pie plate and flute the edge. Cut a pattern into the top crust to help some of the juices escape during baking.

4) Bake pie for 30 min at 425 F (depending on your oven) and then 30-35 min at 375 F. It's wise to put a cookie sheet on the rack beneath the pie while it's baking just in case some of the juices run over (they will.)

5) Let the pie cool on the counter, then chill the pie in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours before serving (preferably overnight, which allows the pie to settle thickly together).

I call this the boring pie. It was good, yes, very good. But just not as interesting as my previous version. Also I've decided that a non-spicy pie should be made with bigger pieces of berry, maybe berries cut just in half, or even whole. Next up I think I want to try a whole berry strawberry pie, without additional fruit. I find these pies a little difficult to eat when the berries are big, so I might cut them just in half and do a creamier matrix to bind the berries together. Maybe cook the berries and then make a custard or cream and make it a refrigerated, instead of baked, pie. Maybe with a graham-cracker pecan crust.

Eggplant Moussaka

This recipe from Sokolov drew me in and I knew I had to try it, even if it meant buying (and consuming) eggplant. The end result was not quite the wonder I had envisioned in my head, but it is surprisingly tasty, with a distinct flavor.

The dish is not pretty, but it is filling and reheats reasonably well.

Ingredients:

2 pounds eggplant, unpeeled but trimmed and cut in rounds about 1/2 inch thick
Salt
3 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
1/2 cup tomato puree
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. sugar
Pepper
3 Tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup grated cheese (Gruyere, Cheddar, or kefalotyri)
Grated nutmeg

Directions:

1) Put the eggplant slices in a large colander. Toss them in salt and let stand for at least a half hour.

2) Heat the oil in a large skillet. Brown the onion with the lamb. Stir in the tomato puree, cinnamon, sugar, and pepper to taste. Lower the heat and continue cooking until all the liquid evaporates. Stir in the parsley and let cool.

3) Rinse the eggplant slices until they are lightly browned.

4) Grill or boil the eggplant slices until they are lightly browned.

5) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

6) In a bowl, whisk together all the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

7) Lightly oil the inside of a 10 by 14-inch ovenproof dish. Cover the bottom with a layer of half the egglant slices. Then spread on it a layer of all the lamb mixture. Finally add the rest of the eggplant in an even layer. Pour the yogurt mixture over the top and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until golden brown on top.


I used ground pork sausage instead of lamb (none at the supermarket :( ) and cheddar cheese. I also used regular parsley, a too soupy yogurt, and brushed the eggplant slices with olive oil before broiling. This moussaka is rich, what with the pork, egg, cheese, and yogurt, so it could be easily served as a main course with salad on the side and be satisfying.

Verdict: Next Easter when lamb is more available this may be worth trying again.

Baked Custard

My classmate E. and I promised to bake together Saturday night, and when the time came she had custard cups-- brand-new-- and I had nothing but some eggs (we even had to borrow one of those) and some chocolate chips, so we settled on this custard recipe from the Moosewood and a little Harry Potter V to go along with it. The dark richness of the custard... er paralleled... the scenes from the movie.

There are three variations of this recipe, we made the first.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups milk (lowfat works just fine)
3/4 to 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (depending on how deeply chocophilic you are)
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Preheat over to 350F. Have ready six ovenproof custard cups and a 9 x 13 baking pan. (We used just four custard cups and filled them up.)

2) Place the milk and the chocolate chips in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until all the chips are melted. Remove from heat and stir until blended. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

3) Place the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add the milk mixture, scraping in all the wayward clumps of chocolate, and whip until frothy.

4) Divide the batter among the custard cups. Place them in the baking pan, and half-fill it with water. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the custards are solid in the center when shaken.

5) Carefully remove the cups from the baking pan. Cool to room temperature, then cover each one tightly with plastic wrap and chill.

MAPLE CUSTARD

1) Omit the chocolate chips. Add 1/3 cup real maple syrup. Optional: Add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

2) Omit step 2 above. Blend all ingredients together as in Step 3 and bake as directed above.

MAPLE-PEACH CUSTARD

1) Make Maple Custard batter. Divide 1 1/2 to 2 cups sliced fresh peaches among the custard cups, pour the custard over the peaches, and bake as directed.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie v 1.0

I had wanted to make the missionaries my signature strawberry plum pie, but alas! No plums at the grocery store. But hark! early rhubarb! Cut and prepackaged along side the strawberries. Despite never having cooked with rhubarb before, I bought some and attempted my first strawberry rhubarb pie, thinking of it along the same lines as the strawberry plum pie with some distinct differences.

THE CRUST:

2C flour
1 t salt

2/3 C yellow shortening
5-7 T cold water

1) Combine the flour & salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening. Then add the water 1 T at a time, stirring clockwise with a fork until the dough turns into a nice ball (I usually add 5 T, then one T more to the very bottom of the bowl and use my fingers to make the dough into a ball.)

THE FILLING:

1) Cut 2 green grocery containers strawberries. Remove the leafy part and then cut the strawberry in thirds so that the pieces are as flat as possible. Cut 1 lbs. rhubarb stalks into 1-inch squares.

2) In separate bowl combine:

1C sugar
1/2 cup flour
mild dash ginger
generous dash cardamom
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. mace
1/4 t cloves

1 very generous pinch white pepper

3) Add the combined above to the fruit, stir it all up so the fruit is all covered.

4) In separate bowl, whisk together 2 Tbs. sour cream and 2 Tbs. corn starch to form starchy paste. Add the paste to the top of the strawberries. Add 2 Tbs. lemon juice. Stir, until berries are coated in sour cream, sugar, and lemon juice mix. Allow the berries to sit in the juices while you roll out the crust.

ASSEMBLING THE PIE:

1) Roll out 1/2 of the dough for the bottom crust and put in the pie tin. Cut the bottom crust off at one finger's width distance from the rim of the pie plate. Prick with a fork.

2) Spoon filling into the pie crust. The strawberries will have released quite a bit of juice, due to the sugar coating. Spoon the berries into the crust, but leave the extra juices in the bottom of the bowl behind (this may be about 1/4-1/3 cup of juices left behind. If you add them, the pie will be too soupy.)

3) Roll out the remaining dough for the top. Place the top crust over the pie and cut the top crust off at two finger's width distance from the rim of the pie plate. Fold the top crust edge over the bottom crust edge just inside of the pie plate and flute the edge. Cut a pattern into the top crust to help some of the juices escape during baking.

4) Bake pie for 20 min at 425-450 F (depending on your oven) and then 35-40 min at 350 F. It's wise to put a cookie sheet on the rack beneath the pie while it's baking just in case some of the juices run over (they will.)

5) Let the pie cool on the counter, then chill the pie in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours before serving (preferably overnight, which allows the pie to settle thickly together).

What a wonderful tart pie. I was afraid that this pie would be too strong, but I loved it-- the perfect combination of textures and flavors. It's possible that all the spices obscured the rhubarb a little too much, but the spices really help the strawberries have some oomph, and I think the rhubarb was able to hold its own. I might even reduce the sugar just a little bit next time, but keep the level of spicing. I would also be willing to try this pie with the buttermilk crust from Sokolov's pumpkin pie, but that might be overkill. I will have to make a strawberry rhubarb pie without much spicing to compare and know if the rhubarb does equally well without the extra spicy help.

I think the strawberry pie still remains my signature event.

Also consider this: rhubarb is a vegetable.

Moosewood Samosas

Mollie says of these: "Samosas are flaky pastries filled with spicy potatoes and peas. In traditional Indian cuisine, they are deep-fried (and that is still an option.) But baking them works very well, and is easier and more healthful. All components can be made well ahead of time. Finished samosas can be stored for days in the refrigerator or freeze. Make the Dipping Sauce while the samosas bake. Serve samosas with any curry, or as a simple supper with Ginger Carrot Soup and Raita."

I served these with the Cauliflower curry and some asparagus. These definitely would have benefited from me having more experience, patience, and time. As it was, I was rushing to get them in the oven and onto the table. But they were well received and most everyone had a second samosa, despite their less than perfect appearance.

THE DOUGH:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk or yogurt
extra flour, as needed

1) Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl. Mix in the salt.

2) Make a well in the center, then add the buttermilk or yogurt. Mix first with a spoon and then with your hands, to make a smooth dough.

3) Add extra flour, as needed, to keep the dough from being sticky. The dough will be quite soft. Knead in the bowl for about 5 minutes. Cover tightly and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the pastry.

THE FILLING:

2 large potatoes (the size of a large person's fist)
1 Tbs. butter
1 C. finely minced onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. freshly grated ginger
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. dried coriander (if available)
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. uncooked green peas (frozen, thawed is also fine, I used the pea & pearl onion mix, my personal favorite for anything requiring peas)
2 Tbs. lemon juice
cayenne, to taste

1) Peel the potatoes and chop them into 1-inch pieces. Place in a saute pan, cover with water, and boil until very soft. Drain and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Mash and set aside.

2) Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add onion. garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, coriander, and salt. Saute over medium heat about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are quite soft. Add this to the mashed potatoes, along with the remaining ingredients. Mix well, but try not to smash the peas. Cool for a least 15 minutes before filling the pastries.

THE DIPPING SAUCE:

1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt

1) Place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

2) Heat to boiling, then let simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. It will reduce slightly.

3) Serve warm or at room temperature with hot samosas.

TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:

1) Preheat the oven to 425F. Generously oil a baking sheet.

2) Keep a small container of flour, a fork, a small bowl of water, and a pastry brush close at hand. Flour a clean surface, and, one by one, roll 1-inch balls of dough into 5-inch circles, using a rolling pin.

3) Place approximately 1 1/2 Tbs. filling the center of each circle, and fold over, just like a turnover. Brush the inside edges of each circle with a little water, and fold the edges to make a small hem. Crimp the edges with the fork.

Note: If you are storing the samosas to bake later on, place them in a heavily floured plate or tray, dust the tops with more flour, and cover lightly. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until baking time.

4) To bake: Place the samosas on the oiled baking sheet. Brush the tops with oil. Bake 15 minutes at 425F, then reduce the heat to 375F and bake for 10 minutes more. For maximum crispiness, turn the samosas over when you turn the oven down.

5) Serve within 15 minutes of baking, with dipping sauce. A nice way to serve the sauce is in individual saucers or tiny bowls, so each person can hold both samosa and sauce directly under his or her face while eating, and let the sauce bowl catch the drips. (It does drip, but that's one of the charms of the ritual.)

Time: 1 1/2 hours to prepare; 25 minutes to bake

Yield: 16 medium-sized satisfying pastries (enough to feed 6 to 8 people, at least). I fed eight people with this recipe.


I was rushed for time, so I didn't make these neatly or brush the tops with oil. Also, I forgot to add cayenne pepper to the filling, so it was milder than it might have been (perhaps a blessing in this overly spicy meal.) I also didn't have time to make the Dipping Sauce, although I feel I will try it in the future. These would be wonderful again-- much like the earlier pirozkhi-- if only they were speedier to make and slightly less complicated. I guess I could see myself making these in advance for a nicer meal and freezing them if I had the time, but they just aren't practical for an every day sort of a meal. It's a shame because they are warm and soft and filling, the buttermilk in the batter lends an edge to the softness of the potatoes and peas.

Satyamma's Famous Cauliflower Curry

This recipe comes from The New Moosewood by Mollie Katzen and was easily one of the more satisfying moments of my night-- although I think the samosas could have been just as satisfying with a little more time and skill. I would serve this again, even though it requires a lot of ingredients and chopping. We ate it without rice, but I think like all curries it would be better over some rice or noodles.

On The Side:

Begin cooking some rice at around the same time you start preparing the curry. 2 cups brown rice in 3 cups water will be the right amount.

Ingredients:

2 medium-small (3-inch diameter) potatoes, cut into small chunks
[1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 Tbs. mustard seeds
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1/2 C. lightly toasted peanuts
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cloves or allspice
2 Tbs. toasted cumin seeds
1 to 2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 C. water (more, as needed)]
1 to 2 Tbs. peanut oil
1 1/2 C. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 large cauliflower, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
optional: 1 cup cooked chick peas
3 to 4 Tbs. lemon juice

Directions:

1) Boil the potatoes until just tender. Drain and set aside.

2) Place the next 11 ingredients in a blender and puree until fairly homogeneous. Add extra water, as needed, to form a soft, workable paste.

3) Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, and add onion and salt. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat, then add cauliflower and carrot and mix well. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, then add the paste. Mix well. Cook, covered, over low heat until the cauliflower is tender, stirring every few minutes. Add more water, if necessary, to prevent sticking.

4) Add the cooked potatoes, chick peas, and lemon juice, and cook a few more minutes. Taste to adjust salt, and serve hot, with rice and condiments.

ON THE SIDE:

Your choice of condiments:

Raita
Lemon slices
Orange slices
Toasted nuts
Toasted coconut
Raisins
Sliced cucumbers
Sliced tomatoes
Thin strips of bell pepper

Time: 30 to 40 minutes to prepare.

Yield: about 6 servings. (This served eight easily. I think it could do ten if needed.)


I omitted the cumin seeds and substituted 2 Tbs. cumin powder, omitted the sesame seeds, and omitted the carrot. I did use one can of cooked chick peas and some sweetened coconut, but I don't think it harmed anything. This made a massive amount of delicious curry. With all the potential flavors in it, however, I found it too bland for my liking and added a significant amount of salt and pepper at the end. I would keep the chick peas, cut down on the lemon juice and add in some non-blended toasted peanuts to the final dish and serve it over the brown rice, instead of as a free standing entree.

Asparagus Ala Madame Saint-Ange

I'd like to document this method of cooking asparagus, despite its fuss, and my obvious inability to follow its directions.

Taken from Sokolov, who states:

"Madame Saint-Ange, the author of the best French cookbook ever written (with typical self-confidence, she called it La Cuisine de Madame Saint-Ange), devotes two densely packed pages to this simple procedure [cooking asparagus].

The trimming alone occupies her for a few hundred words. Bref, cut away any isolated leaves along the stems and then peel them, immersing them in cold water as you go. Drain and then sort by thickness into bundles of six, eight, or ten, according to their size. Tie each bundle with two pieces of string, one 2 inches below the tips, the second 3 inches farther down the stems. Then arrange the bundles side by side so that the points are all on an even line. Finally, with one stroke of a large knife, slice away the bottoms of the stems, leaving all the bundles the same length, around 7 inches.

There is a point to all of this fuss. The sorting makes it easy to cook all the asparagus evenly. The peeling and cutting eliminate inedible fibrous areas. And the tying helps prevent damage to the tips when you move the cooked asparagus out of the pot and onto the serving dish.

And what about the pot? Even well-ordered homes do not often have a purpose-built bolte a asperges, a 10-inch tall cylindrical pot with a basket that fits inside and removes a whole bass without harming it. What matters is that the asparagus be completely submerged in lots of water-- 7 cups per pound, lightly salted.

Bring this water to a full rolling boil and plunge in the asparagus. Do not cover. Cook medium asparagus for 12 minutes after boiling resumes. Thin asparagus takes less time, thick ones more. Test with a knife point. Overcooking is a sin. Better to have just a bit of snap left than to let them slide into insipid flaccidity.

Drain off the asparagus cooking liquid. Place the bundles on a dry clean dishcloth while they drip-dry. Transfer to a long serving dish lined with a white cloth. Carefully cut to remove the strings. Serve with melted butter or, for a grander effect, hollandaise. For cold asparagus, use a vinaigrette or mayonnaise."

I'm afraid I fell into the insipid category on my attempt. :( Ah well, better luck next time.

Gingerbread Cake

From Mom. Hits the spot every single time. I served this straight from the over after hosting Bible study tonight and it was spicy and warm, a big hit. I baked a big pan so I could revel in the left-overs.

Ingredients:

3/4 C. butter
3/4 C. brown sugar
3/4 C. light molasses
2 eggs
2 1/2 C. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1-2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 C. water or orange juice
2 tsp. baking soda

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 baking pan.

2) In smaller mixing bowl, combine together flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

3) Cream butter and sugar together with hand mixer in larger bowl. Add in eggs and molasses, beat together until thoroughly blended.

4) Add orange juice or water to small pot on stove, bring to boil. While this is coming to a boil, stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture by hand.

5) When the orange juice has come to a boil, add the baking soda directly to the orange juice, stir quickly, and the quickly add the foaming orange juice to the cake batter. Beat in thoroughly and quickly by hand. If you don't beat thoroughly, your cake might be uneven, if you go too slowly it won't rise as high.

Alternately, you can pour the batter minus the orange juice/baking soda into the pan and then pour the orange juice/baking soda over the batter without stirring it. This will produce a cake with two distinct layers, one dense on the bottom and a lighter one on top. I don't like this cake as much as the thoroughly stirred version.

6) Pour batter into pan, bake for 30-40 minutes and remove from oven when golden brown at the edges.

Serve warm or cold. I like to serve this with warm homemade or canned applesauce, Cool Whip/whipped cream, or with strawberries or peaches.

Cheddar Dill Scones with Simple Chicken Salad

I love to try something new when I feed the missionaries, but this time more important things prevailed. MH was in town and we went to the Moosewood in Ithaca to celebrate. This was only fitting because as MH said, "If men were restaurants, I would marry the Moosewood."

We had chickpeas over coconut rice and vegetarian enchilada pie and fresh bread and creamy spinach dressing on salad and pomegranate Italian soda. And banana cake to go. Our server sat us in the sun at a perfect table. He probably dug us. We were, of course, in full charm.

But then after bouncing along rural New York roads in the truck we realized that we had to throw together a meal pronto, so we turned to an old Melville classic-- the cheddar dill scone. Only this time we served it with a twist-- the scones split open and served with chicken salad on top, akin to the pepper and onion shortbread espoused by the Moosewood.

We served it with grapes, bananas, pink lemonade, and multi color icecream cones for dessert. Perfecto. While a bit daring, we found that the stronger flavors of the scones blended perfectly with the mild flavors of the salad, creating a wonderful mix of textures and flavors in the mouth that was surprisingly pleasing. I would definitely serve this combo again. The chicken salad recipe is below:

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts

4 stalks celery

1 cucumber

1 medium sized package slivered almonds

1 small container mayonnaise

Spices to taste (I use salt, garlic salt, paprika, oregano, white pepper, and just a bit of cardamom)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375F. When heated, spread almonds out on baking sheet and toast in oven ten minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat and cool.

2) Fill large pot 4 inches full of water, add salt, bring to boil. Once boiling, add chicken (make sure water is covering chicken thoroughly) and boil until cooked thoroughly. Cut chicken into smaller cubes/chunks and allow to cool.

3) Peel cucumber and cut into wedge-shaped slices. Wash and chop celery into desired size pieces.

4) When chicken and almonds are cool, combine everything in large bowl with mayonnaise and stir. Add spices to taste.

5) Serve cold over warm scones.

Mark Bittman's Lighter, Richer Corn Bread

Here I am, sitting in the evening dark on my birthday, sporting my birthday presents: a jeans skirt I bought for myself, new brown flip-flops from Sannali, and How To Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman, the green bible of vegetarian cooking. Since beginning to cook vegetables, I have acquired three new vegetable cookbooks, all of which give a different spin to the vegetable quest.

Today Dr. A. asked me to make some cornbread for her dinner for the missionaries. They love the Simplex! Or is it that the Simplex loves cooking for them? The night before I had been flipping through Bittman and thinking about the Moosewood cornbread, so I decided to try out Bittman's cornbread and compare the two. I made the "lighter, richer" version offered by Bittman, but I'll give the standard version here and the modifications.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups buttermilk, milk, or yogurt (or 1 1/4 cupes milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar; see Step 2), plus more as needed
2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups medium-grind cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar, plus more if you like sweet corn bread
1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. If you're using buttermilk, milk, or yogurt, ignore this step. If not, make the soured milk: warm the milk gently-- 1 minute in the microwave is sufficient, just enough to take the chill off-- and add the vinegar. Let it rest while you prepare the other ingredients.

3. Put the butter in a medium ovenproof skillet or an 8 inch square baking pan over medium heat; heat until good and hot, about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the egg into the buttermilk. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients (just enough to combine); if it seems too dry, add another tablespoon or two of buttermilk. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet or pan, smooth out the top if necessary, and put in the oven.

4. Bake about 30 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the sides have pulled away from the pan; a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. Serve hot or warm.

Lighter, Richer Corn Bread: Use 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) or butter (do not use other fat). Increase the sugar to 1/4 cup. Use 2 eggs; stir their yolks into the milk and beat the whites until stiff but not dry, the gently stir them into the prepared batter after the yolks and milk have been incorporated.

Corny Corn Bread: You have some options here: Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels or about a cup or creamed corn to the liquid ingredients in Step 3.

Corn and Bean Bread: Use 2 eggs and 1 cup buttermilk or soured milk; omit the white flour. Stir 1 1/2 cups well-cooked white beans (canned are fine), pureed and strained, into the milk-egg mixture before adding to the dry ingredients. (Mark Bittman loves this one.)

Personally, I found the texture of the corn bread a bit disappointing and the flavor too sweet and not salty enough, although I think that the average eater would be pleased enough with the cornbread. The dinner guests ate it with enthusiasm. I used half buttermilk, half yogurt and the full measure of sugar, but only 2 T. of butter. The buttermilk added an interesting flavor, and the butter melted in the pan gave the crust a very rich crispiness that was tasty. But I think I'm just too habituated to the coarser, simpler corn bread of my youth. Sigh.

I think it's time to go back to the Moosewood. Or home.

Pepper & Onion Shortcake

This recipe is also from the New Moosewood Cookbook by Katzen, and drove the making of the cornbread, see below. After a few days of perpetual exhaustion right before finals later this week, I needed something warm and comforting. I also had some chopped vegetables left over from Mormon Med Student dinner on Sunday, so in the spirit of Vegetable Tuesday I went looking for a recipe that would use the vegetables I had while satisfying my need for sustenance. In the end, I was surprised by homeyness of the simple combination of cornbread and sauteed vegetables. Why did we never try this at home? I think the coarser cornbread that my mom makes would suit this dish even better. After eating, I went and studied for three and a half hours without falling asleep and came home and did my Lenten exercise while watching The Office.

Ingredients:

1 batch corn bread (see previous post)
2 Tbs. olive oil, butter, or margarine
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/2 tsp. salt
3 medium sized bell peppers (any color), in thin strips
1/2 tsp. cumin (optional)
black pepper and cayenne to taste
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup yogurt at room-temperature (optional: add 1 to 2 Tbs. sour cream)
freshly minced dill, if available
paprika

Directions:

1) Make a batch of corn bread ahead of time. You can warm it in a 300F oven while preparing the topping, or toast corn bread chunks or slices just before serving. This makes a perfect lunch on a chilly day, especially when served with Spicy Tomato Soup.

2) Heat oil (or melt butter or margarine) in a medium-large skillet.

3) Add onion and salt, and saute over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until onion is very soft and beginning to brown.

4) Add bell peppers, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne, and continue to saute until the peppers are tender (about 10 minutes more.)

5) Add garlic, and cook just a minute or two more. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt (and optional touch of sour cream).

6) Serve immediately, spooned over split chunks of warmed or toasted corn bread and garnished with dill and paprika.

Having cut my vegetables previously, they were mostly diced instead of thinly sliced, but I don't think that affected their cooking time or meshing with the cornbread too much. But then, I haven't had the original. I used Mayan Sweet Onion, a green and yellow bell pepper (it would have been prettier with red), and Italian sweet pepper, some celery, and a little bit of green onion along with fresh garlic and dill. I thought about adding some mushrooms, and refrained. I seasoned it according to the recipe, adding a just a bit of black pepper and a dash of cayenne.

This might be another recipe that's forgiving of some vegetable mix-and-match, but I can imagine some larger vegetables (like broccoli) being hard to mix with the cornbread.