2009
Recipes of the Month for January, 2009
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CHRISTMAS DINNER
Both our daughters, husbands, and grandson all came to Florida this year for the holidays. Son-in-law Gordy is a great cook, and loves to fix big meals. So he did Christmas dinner for 12. We had the usual fare, but you could tell a good cook’s touch. Here’s some hints from his dinner you may want to try:
Mashed white potatoes: Cook and mash in skins. Add garlic, fresh rosemary (chopped), and a generous amount of Breakstone’s thick sour cream.
Sweet potatoes: Gordy used canned potatoes in water. He drained and mashed them with butter, and put them in a casserole. On top he sprinkled a layer of Brown Sugar Twin (3 family members are diabetic) and covered it with pecan halves.
Green bean casserole: Gordy always uses fresh green beans for this casserole, and does it make a difference! He also uses fresh sliced mushrooms. That, too, makes a difference. You can taste the mushrooms. Other than that, he used low-sodium mushroom soup, sour cream, and the favorite French fried onions topping.
He made an oyster bread stuffing and a corn meal stuffing with dried cranberries.
Judy McCracken brought her Broccoli Salad (recipe is on RuthsRecipes.com).
Barb Brown brought her apple cranberry Jell-O mold. Here’s another hint for you. Barb puts three flavors of Jell-O in her mix: strawberry, raspberry, and cranberry. This mix gives a nice fruity flavor to the mold. I’m going to ask her for the recipe.
My sister, Gail, made pecan, sugarless pumpkin, grasshopper, and sugarless banana cream pies.
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For starters in 2009, some cookies. They’re too late for this year’s cookie walks, but there’s always next year. I got the recipe from Jean Pettit, who leads our knitting group. She got it from Dottie Milani, who brought the cookies to for the refreshments after a concert Jean sang in. Jean made the cookies for our knitting group to taste, and everyone wanted the recipe including, of course, moi.
LEMON WHIPPERSNAPS
1 pkg lemon cake mix
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 egg
1 c powdered sugar
1. Combine cake mix, whipped topping, and the egg in a large bowl. Stir until mixed.
2. Drop by the teaspoonful into the powdered sugar. Roll to coat.
3. Place an inch and a half apart on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 350 ° ten or fifteen minutes, until golden brown.
5. Remove from sheets. Cool.
Makes 4 dozen cookies
Note from Jean: I did not use powdered sugar. Instead, I rolled mine in Splenda. It worked fine.
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I got this recipe from Barb Lloyd in Montague, Michigan, who got it from a friend in Illinois. I can tell it’s an older recipe, because a 16 ounce can of veggies now weighs 15 ounces or, if it’s a house brand, 14.75 ounces.
CORN BAKE FROM GRAND RAPIDS This recipe is up on the web under "Judy's Scalloped Corn"
1 16-oz can whole kernel corn drained
1 16-oz can cream style corn
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 c melted butter or margarine( 1 stick)
1 c sour cream ( I used Lite today)
1 8-oz package corn muffin mix
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Pour in ungreased pan.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes
Sprinkle 1 c of shredded cheddar cheese on top and bake an additional 20 minutes.
I wait till it is firm to the touch like soft corn bread...but to each his /her own. This is a family favorite enjoy!!!!
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On November 15, the Writers Guild I belong to had a fun party. Dayle Haas brought these cupcakes, which were quite a hit. I think carrot cake is a universal favorite. I knew it would be a popular recipe, so I asked and she emailed it to me.
What did I take to the party? Four bottles of wine. Spent all day in the kitchen getting them ready. J
DAYLE’S QUICK CARROT CUPCAKES
1 box commercial carrot cake mix
1 8-oz can crushed pineapple
4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coconut
1. Mix cake mix, eggs, water, oil and crushed pineapple (undrained) with electric mixer for 30 seconds, scrape bowl and beat at medium speed about two minutes.
2. Fold in nuts and coconut
3. Using paper lined cupcake tins, fill each about 2/3 full.
Bake at 350 degrees 18-20 minutes. They are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8-oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 box powdered sugar, sifted
Beat all together until fluffy. Add the sugar gradually as you may not need all of it and your kitchen won't look like it snowed.
Makes about 2 dozen
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My sister Gail fixed a family dinner over the holidays when our kids were down here in Florida. She served Taco Pie and Virgin Margaritas, a perfect combination, not to mention delicious.
Gail served the drinks with a crust of margarita salt around the rims of the glasses. It was the perfect touch.
VIRGIN MARGARITAS
( Measurements given are for one serving.)
2 T fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup water
1 T sugar or sugar substitute
1/4 tsp orange extract
lemon lime soda to taste
Pour over ice and serve.
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My sister Gail fixed a family dinner over the holidays when our kids were down here in Florida. She served Taco Pie and Virgin Margaritas, a perfect combination, not to mention delicious. Here's the Taco Pie.
GAIL'S TACO PIE
1 to 1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 tube croissant dinner rolls
1 large bag Nacho Corn Chips
1 cup Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup black olives
1. Brown ground beef and drain off all fat.
2. Return to heat and add taco seasoning, water, and black olives. Simmer for five minutes.
3. Separate croissant rolls and press into 9 inch pie plate, being sure to seal all openings in dough.
4. Crush the nacho chips and scatter 1 cup on croissant rolls in pie plate.
5. Spoon ground beef mixture over corn chips and pat down lightly.
6. Spoon sour cream over beef mixture in close dollops and then smooth the cream carefully with the back of a spoon to level surface.
7. Scatter cheese over sour cream.
8. Scatter another cup of corn chips over cheese.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes. When top corn chips start to toast it should be done. However - the best sign that the pie is done is to use a glass pie plate and lift the cooked pie up and look to see if the crust bottom has browned well.
Enjoy!!
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for February, 2009
When I go to visit my daughter near Cincinnati, Ohio, I always pick up packets of Cincinnati Chili Mix for me and for my friends. I can’t find them locally here in Florida. The big draw for Cincinnati Chili is not only the unusual and delicious sauce, but that it is also served, piled with shredded cheese and chopped onions, over spaghetti.
If you wish to make your own, here is a version I’ve modified for our family tastes.
CINCINNATI CHILI
1 lb ground beef
2 c water
1 small onion, chopped
8-oz can of tomato sauce
1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes, chopped fine
1 tsp ground allspice
dried crushed red peppers to taste - be careful, these are hot!
1 T ground cumin
2 T chili powder
1/4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1 T chopped fresh garlic - canned
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1. Brown ground beef, drain.
2. In a stock or soup pot, put ground beef and all other ingredients.
3. Simmer for two hours or more.
4. Serve over spaghetti, topped with shredded cheese and chopped green onions
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Last Friday night my Writers Guild came over for a “Publishing Party.” We had just had printed our anthology of member writings, and the books were there to buy for members before going on public sale.
It was a sort of a potluck, where the other attendees brought a dish to supplement the main dish of chili, which I made.
I made two and a half gallons of chili for the party, which disappeared. Folks loved it and wanted the recipe. Well, I don’t have any recipe for two and a half gallons of chili. I just dumped stuff in until it looked right. The two and a half gallons made an average bowl of chili each for 20 people.
My husband sautéed a big pile of onions, green peppers, and celery while I was at a meeting. I had browned 2 lbs ground beef with onions the day before and drained it.
When I got home I put the vegetables and beef in my big soup pot, and added cans of diced tomatoes, one can of Ro-tel tomatoes, cans of spiced red beans, and a can of garbanzo beans. The “secret” was in the seasonings. I stripped the leaves off 5 sprigs of fresh oregano. I added a T of cinnamon, a full jar of cumin, some coarse-ground pepper. Then it simmered for 4 hours. I added V-8 juice to thin it as needed.
My sister brought to the party a tray of: shredded cheese, sour cream, and crushed nachos to top the chili after it was served.
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This is similar to Coq au Vin. Jodee Linta, my friend from AZ, sent this recipe along.
1/2 lb sliced bacon, diced
1 4 to 6-lb chicken, cut up
1/2 c dry white wine
1/2 lb small white mushrooms
1 c frozen small white onions, thawed, or fresh ones, if you have them
6 garlic cloves, chopped
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped fine (or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c water
2 T cornstarch
1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat until crisp.
2. With a slotted spoon, transfer it to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
3. Pour off all but a light coating of fat from the skillet.
4. Add the chicken and brown over medium-high heat; transfer to the cooker.
5. Pour the wine into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits; add the skillet contents to the cooker, along with the mushrooms, onions, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.
6. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 hours, or on high for 3 hours.
7. Transfer the chicken, bacon, and vegetables to a platter; keep warm.
8. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan.
9. Combine the water and cornstarch; stir it into the sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Pour over the chicken.
Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.
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Jane Fisher, who used to live down the block from me, moved to North Carolina. We still keep in close touch. She says of this recipe, “Wanted to share an amazingly easy spinach casserole. It's so simple, even I didn't mind preparing it!”
1 and 1/2 c spinach, drained (Jane: Next time I will use 2 cups.)
1 can mushroom soup
1/2 c bread or cracker crumbs (Panko crumbs might be good here. Ruth)
1. Put spinach in casserole.
2. Pour mushroom soup over the spinach.
3. Heat until warm in a 350° oven.
4. Top with crumbs, and return to oven until crumbs are brown.
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Here’s a couple of tricky ideas:
My exercise class friend Anne Cunningham and her husband went to Disney’s Magic Kingdom for New Year’s Eve. They ate at a restaurant in The Living Sea. She was so enthusiastic about the way her fish was served, that I had to try it. It was attractive and delicious. Anne had it with mahi-mahi. I made it at home with salmon.
DISNEY’S FISH PRESENTATION
1. Pool soy sauce on plate.
2. Pile a bed of hot rice in soy sauce on plate
3. Surround rice with drained crushed pineapple
4. Lay a hot filet of fish on top.
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DON POLLY’S PARFAIT
Don is a member of my Writers Guild. Some of us go to lunch every Friday after the Guild meeting. Don was along one day and we got to talking about food. He gave us this little goody.
1. Put a bottle of blackberry merlot wine into the freezer, and chill until almost frozen. (Keep an eye on it.)
2. Spoon ice cream of your taste into parfait dishes. Don’t pack it down, leave space among the dips.
3. Pour the wine over the ice cream, filling up the spaces.
4. Serve immediately.
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Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for March, 2009
Students at Kansas City Culinary Center
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This month is a journey into the kitchen of a gourmet cook.
I know there’s lots of people out there that just love the challenge of fancy cooking, so here you are!
On Valentine’s Day, Judy Youngdoff, husband Larry, and a group of long-time friends went to the Culinary Center of Kansas City for “Dinner with My Favorite Valentine.” The meal was planned and prepared under the direction of Executive Chef Matt Chatfield. Here’s the menu:
Brie en Croute
Impassioned Shrimp Salad
Passion Fruit Sorbet
Chateaubriand with Morel Wine Sauce
Pommes Duchess
Chocolate Bouchons
Vanilla Anglaise and Raspberries
A Culinary Center staff member prepares a dessert.
The neat thing about dinner at a culinary school is that you get copies of the recipes. Judy sent the recipes on to me, and now you can whip up a meal just like the Culinary Center!
Note: All the following recipes are from the Culinary Center of Kansas City, slightly modified by Ruth Williams for home kitchens.
PHYLLO-WRAPPED BRIE WITH APRICOT CHUTNEY
16 servings
Chutney:
12 oz dried apricots, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
1 c water
2/3 c cider vinegar
2/3 c (packed) golden brown sugar
3 oz dried tart cherries (3/4 c)
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 c blanched slivered almonds, toasted
1. Combine all ingredients except almonds in a heavy saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer (uncovered) until thick, about 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.
4. Mix in almonds.
5. Cool. Refrigerate, covered. Will keep for a week.
Phyllo-wrapped Cheese
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 lb sheets of fresh phyllo pastry (or frozen pastry, thawed)
8 “ diameter (32-36 oz) wheel of Brie
fresh herb sprigs such as rosemary, sage, and chives
additional apricots and dried cherries
thinly sliced apples
1. Brush heavy large baking sheet with butter, set aside.
2. Unroll pastry. Cover with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel.
3. Transfer two stacked phyllo sheets to work surface, arranging one short side parallel to edge of work surface, overlapping long side of first sheets by about 5-7 inches, forming a rectangle about 18 inches by 17 inches.
4. Brush pastry with butter.
5. Place 2 more stacked sheets atop first set of 2 sheets, and then 2 more stacked sheets atop the second set of 2 sheets. Brush with butter.
6. Repeat, layering 1 more time with phyllo and butter. You will use a total of 12 sheets.
7. Using a sharp knife or scissors, trim phyllo corners forming approximately 17-inch oval.
8. Place Brie in the center of the phyllo.
9. Spread 1 to 1 and 1/2 c chutney evenly over cheese.
10. Beginning with one rounded corner, pull phyllo up over cheese. Brush with butter.
11. Continue to lift phyllo in sections and fold snugly over cheese, brushing with butter and pressing each section to adhere. The center 2-3 inches of the cheese will not be covered.
12. Transfer wrapped cheese to middle of baking sheet.
Roses
1. Place one phyllo sheet on work surface. Brush with butter. Starting at one long side, fold 1 inch of pastry over.
2. Continue folding pastry loosely over itself, forming a 1 inch wide strip of pastry.
3. Gather bottom edge of coil together, pinching to force top slightly open, forming a rose. Place the rose atop the center of the cheese.
4. Make two more roses. Place atop cheese, covering opening completely.
5. Chill three hours. Can be made a day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.
Baking
1. Bake cheese in center of the oven at 400°F
2. Bake until pastry is a deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. If roses get too brown, cover with foil.
3. If cheese leaks during baking, press foil over the tear in the pastry, and continue baking.
4. Cool cheese on sheet 45 minutes.
5. Transfer to large platter. Decorate with herbs and apples around cheese.
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1 and 1/4 c dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 c tawny port
5 oz pancetta or bacon, chopped
2 shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
one 5.5-oz log goat cheese cut into ½ thick slices
one 5-oz bag mixed salad greens
1/2 c pine nuts, toasted
small grilled skewered shrimp
Dressing
1. Combine cherries and port in saucepan. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat and let sit until cherries swell.
2. Sauté pancetta until crisp. Add shallots and garlic; cook 2 minutes.
3. Add oil, then vinegar and sugar, stir until sugar dissolves.
4. Stir in cherry mixture. Set aside.
Salad
1. Bake goat cheese rounds at 350° about 10 minutes.
2. Combine salad greens and pine nuts in a bowl.
3. Re-warm dressing and pour over greens. Mix.
4. Top with warm goat cheese and skewered shrimp.
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POMMES DUCHESS
Makes 10 servings
2 and 1/4 pounds white russet potatoes
4 egg yolks
1/2 oz blue cheese
3 oz butter
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1. Boil potatoes until done, drain.
3. Whip potato with butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg and egg yolks.
4. Add cheese.
5. Press through a colander or sieve to remove lumps.
6. Use piping bags with large star tip. Pipe towers of swirling potatoes onto baking sheets. Refrigerate.
7. Spray potatoes with canola spray. Brown in oven at 350 ° for 15-20 minutes.
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Now here’s an interesting sidelight:
I was looking on the internet for pictures of timbale molds, and came across an article printed in the December 17, 2008 Los Angeles Times. They said their recipe for bouchons was based up a recipe in Thomas Keller’s cookbook, Bouchons. It is exactly the same recipe that Judy got from the Culinary Center, the same recipe that you see below.
Obviously, this is a successful chocolate bouchon recipe that everybody uses.
a typical timbale mold, available in many sizes
chocolate bouchons
CHOCOLATE BOUCHONS
12 servings
Preheat oven to 350 °. Butter and flour 12 (3 oz) timbale molds.
3/4 cup, 3 and 1/2 oz all-purpose flour
1 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp Kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 and 1/3 c plus 3 T sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
24 T (12 oz) unsalted butter, melted and just slightly warm
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped into pieces about the size of chocolate chips
powdered sugar
1. Sift flour, salt, coca powder into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Mix together eggs and sugar on med speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick and very pale in color.
3. Mix in vanilla.
4. On low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/3 of the melted butter, and continue alternating with the remaining flour and butter.
5. Add the chocolate and mix.
Batter can be refrigerated for up to one day.
6. Place timbale molds on baking sheets.
7. Pipe batter into molds with pastry bag without a tip, or with a very large tip. Fill molds about 2/3 full.
8. Bake 20-25 minutes. Test with toothpick when tops look shiny and set.
9. Transfer mold to a cooling rack. After a few minutes, invert molds and allow bouchons to cool in molds.
10. Lift off molds. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.
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VANILLA BEAN CRÈME ANGLAISE
1 c whole milk
1-1 and 1/2 c heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
4 large egg yolks
¼ c sugar
1. In a heavy saucepan, heat milk, cream and scraped pod and vanilla seeds to boiling.
2. Remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.
4. Return the milk and cream to a boil and slowly pour it over the egg yolk mix while whisking constantly. Cook to 175-180 degrees.
5. Strain and store refrigerated for up to 4 days.
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Bon Appétit
Ruth
Until next month—
Bon Appétit
Recipes of the Month for April, 2009
Just look at this nice chicken salad that Anne Federowicz had at the White Wolf Café in Orlando. That’s an attractive presentation, those pita triangles around the plate. It’s a good idea to keep in mind for the next time
you serve a plate salad.
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Welcome to spring! We have spring in Florida, too, and welcome it after this winter, the coldest one in Florida for 30 years. ‘Tis the season for asparagus and rhubarb, and I’ve got some great recipes for you in that line. There’s a chicken salad, too, and a gooey dessert.
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This first recipe comes from my native Michigan. I once lived amongst fields of asparagus. We could buy grocery bags full at the farms very cheaply. If you’ve ever tried to buy pickled asparagus, it’s a fortune. Now you can make your own, courtesy of Zehr Farms, just six miles north of my old home.
Zehr Farms
10078 Hemlock Dr
Paris, MI 49338
PICKLED ASPARAGUS
Brine: Bring this mixture to a boil
12 c water
3 and 3/4 c white vinegar
3/4 c sugar
4 and 1/2 T pickling salt
1/2 tsp alum
10 lbs asparagus
5-6 garlic cloves per jar
1 dill head or 1/2 tsp dill seed per pint
1. Wash asparagus; trim to fit in the jars (pint or quart).
2. Pack tightly into jars and add dill and garlic.
3. Pour brine to fill the jars.
4. Process in water bath for 8 minutes after water boils.
If you like some kick, add some jalepeño pepper to the jar.
10 pounds of asparagus makes approximately 12 pints.
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Moving on to rhubarb, many the tales we could tell of growing up with rhubarb behind the shed or along the fence. My family often stewed it sweetened, and thickened with tapioca.
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This yummy recipe was sent to me by Nancy Miles in Chicago, my sister Gail’s daughter-in-law. She sent it quite a while ago, and I’ve been saving it for spring! Spring is here, so enjoy Nancy’s Rhubarb Cream Cake!
RHUBARB CREAM CAKE
Cake:
1 1/2 c sugar
3/4 c butter softened
3 eggs
1 and 1/2 t vanilla
3 c flour
2 t baking powder
1 t soda
3/4 t salt
1 c sour cream, I used light
3 c chopped fresh rhubarb
Crumb topping:
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c flour
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 c cold butter
Heat oven to 350°.
1. Combine sugar and 3/4 c butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well mixed.
2. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until creamy.
3. Combine 2 and 3/4 c flour, powder, soda, and salt in medium bowl.
4. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, mixing well after each addition.
5. Toss together rhubarb and remaining 1/4 c flour in small bowl. Gently stir into batter.
6. Spread into greased 9 x 13 pan.
Topping
1. Combine brown sugar, 1/4 c flour, and cinnamon in small bowl.
2. Cut in 1/4 butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake for 45 - 55 minutes.
It is excellent warm or chilled!
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The next rhubarb treat is Rhubarb Tea Bread. I just got this recipe from my friend Shelia Jeppeson. Sheila lives near me, and we are in several park groups together.
RHUBARB TEA BREAD
2 ripe bananas, chopped
3 c finely chopped fresh rhubarb (or frozen, unthawed)
1/2 c coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 c oil
1/2 to 1 c sugar
3 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of allspice
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1. Beat eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla until foamy.
2. Beat in bananas.
3. Stir in rhubarb and nuts and spices.
4. Stir in flour.
Bake in 2 loaf pans for about an hour at 350°.
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Pat deLettre and I are both in a college sorority alumnae group in Ocala, about 40 miles north. We talk recipes, and this one from her sounds like a winner. Chicken curry salads are big here right now, and, as a lover of curry, I’m all for it!
PAT'S CURRY CHICKEN SALAD
Salad
2 c chicken, cut into large chunks
1/4 c of sliced water chestnuts
8 oz seedless green or red grapes, cut in half
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 c slivered almonds, toasted
1 8-oz can pineapple chunks, drained
Dressing
3/4 c mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
1. Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together dressing ingredients.
3. Combine salad and dressing. Mix well and chill.
Serves 6-8.
(Pat: I double this for a crowd .)
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This last recipe is from my friend Judy McCracken, of Michigan and Florida. She’s down here in Florida now, but will soon be leaving for the frigid North. Not too soon, though. It’s still snowing up there!
ST. LOUIE GOOEY BARS
Preheat oven to 350 °
Oil a 9 x13 cake pan
First Layer
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 egg
1 stick butter or margarine
Mix ingredients together and spread in baking pan. Keep it lumpy.
Second Layer
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese
2 eggs
1 lb confectioners’ sugar
Mix the above together, keep it lumpy. Pour over first layer.
Bake for 50 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
Bon Appétit
Ruth
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for May, 2009
This photo I took when my Red Hats Chapter visited the Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy in Orlando in April. One of the requirements for chefs-to-be is to create a food sculpture. This student is working on the largest one we saw, and we saw a lot of them on display around the building. They are made, our guide told us, of fats and protein powder, basically. Obviously there’s a lot more than that to them. I had to take this through a glass viewing window. Those are other food sculptures in front that were on display in the window.
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Out of curiosity, I looked up the origins of Welsh Rabbit on the net. The dish first appeared during the 1600s in Scotland and Wales, and was called Welsh Rabbit. The English are accused to trying to upscale the name of the dish to “Welsh Rarebit.”
As I was growing up, we had Welsh Rabbit (Rarebit) a lot, as it was cheap. We generally just used chunks of Velveeta American Cheese, as Mom always bought it in brick form. Below I’ve tried to translate our “cream sauce and melted cheese over toast) to a manageable recipe. Feel free to make changes.
WELSH RABBIT
2 T butter
2 T flour
1 c milk
2 c. shredded (or chunked) American cheese.
1. Cream sauce: melt butter; add flour and blend. Add milk and cook over low heat until thick, stirring constantly.
2. Add cheese and stir over low heat until melted.
3. Serve over toast.
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What started me off remembering Welsh Rabbit was an email from Judy Youngdoff in Kansas City.
She sent this recipe for “Mexican Rabbit,” which she got from her friend, Anne Hall.
MEXICAN RABBIT
2 T butter
2 T chopped green pepper
1 c grated cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c whole kernel corn
1 tsp salt
1 c tomatoes
1 c soft bread crumbs
1. Melt butter in heavy skillet, add green pepper and cook over low heat ‘til soft and slightly browned.
2. Add cheese and continue cooking over very low heat ‘til melted, stirring constantly.
3. Add remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly.
Serves 6
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Remember last month’s St. Louis Gooey Bars from Judy McCracken?
This is the email I got back from my sister after she read April’s Recipes of the Month.
“Are those St. Louis Gooey Bars low cal?? Wow! I had a hot flash just reading the ingredients! You may be arrested for sending that recipe out.”
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I got another email, this one from Sandy Kruse, who is in my knitting group, saying:
“- I also make the St Louis Gooey Bars but mine is called Chess Cake and you top it with a can of cherry pie filling. I made it for Easter to take to a dinner.
One deviation to my recipe --- the second layer is beat until smooth. And to expand your recipe -- the 1lb of confectioners' sugar = 3 Cups. Mine bakes for 35 minutes.”
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Lavender and Lace is a lovely “Victorian” tearoom in a 40s house in the tiny villages of Lake Alfred down here in Florida. I go there every now and then. It’s a great place to take guests for a special lunch treat. When I was at Lavender and Lace last December with my Red Hats Chapter, I ordered their French Silk Pie for dessert. The meringue and pecan crust was a feast in itself!
I found the owner of the restaurant in her gift shop (I don’t know and can’t seem to find out her name). She specializes in baking and develops her own recipes. We chatted for a while about gourmet baking, and I asked her for the meringue crust recipe. She just gave it to me verbally right there and then!
LAVENDER AND LACE MERINGUE PIE CRUST
for 2 pies
1. Beat 6 egg whites and a half tsp of cream of tartar until foamy.
2. Gradually add two cups sugar while beating, and beat until the meringue is smooth and shiny, and has no sugary granules feel in it.
3. Fold in ? chopped pecans. She didn’t give me exact measurements for the pecans, but I would say lots of them, chopped small.
Finishing:
1. Spread the meringue into 2 glass pie plates.
2. Bake at 275° for 10 minutes
3. Turn down to 225° and bake for half an hour.
4. Turn off the oven, leave the door closed. Leave the crusts in the warm oven overnight.
5. In the morning, check the bottom of the pie plate to make sure meringue is perfectly dry.
6. Put in filling, chill.
My (Ruth’s) note: Cut the pie very carefully. Meringue is brittle and crumbly.
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Candy Little in Kansas City is a friend of Judy Youngdoff, from whom I often get recipes. (See Mexican Rabbit up at the top of the page.)
This began as a commercial (published) recipe named “Karen’s Drunken Chicken.” Candy halved the recipe and made it. Her notes are in this recipe, which I’ll now call—
CANDY’S DRUNKEN CHICKEN This recipe now has its own page
Recipe for 4:
1 c diced ham
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp pepper
4 T Drambuie *I bought an airline size bottle at the liquor store which was just right.
4 T white wine
4 slices EACH Swiss and sharp cheddar cheese
2 T butter
1 (8 oz) box of fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup-save other half for another use
½ c sour cream
Hot cooked rice...about 1/2-3/4 cup per serving
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. ( Can use a smaller size if chicken breast halves are small.)
1. Sprinkle ham evenly over the bottom of the dish.
2. Lay chicken pieces over ham and sprinkle with pepper.
3. Spoon 2 T of Drambuie and 2 T of wine over the chicken, reserving the rest for the sauce.
Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a deep skillet, and sauté the mushrooms about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add soup, sour cream, and remaining Drambuie and wine. Stir well.
After the chicken is removed from the oven, top each chicken breast with the cheeses. Spoon mushroom mixture over all. Bake an additional 15- 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Test for doneness.
Prepare rice while the chicken is in the final baking stage. Just before serving, divide rice among the plates and top with chicken and sauce.
Candy: I served this with tiny baby buttered carrots and a strawberry romaine salad for color and texture. A medium dry wine is a nice addition to the menu.
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Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for June, 2009
I am putting this together as I move from house to house in Michigan visiting friends. I eat well, pick up a kitchen tip here, and recipe there. Visiting folk is always a moving feast, good for the palate, bad for the waistline. But who cares about the waistline when you can enjoy, for a while, culinary treats such as you don’t make at home!
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Summer is here, and can pig roasts be far behind? This fellow roasts pigs for a living. He totes his smoker/roaster from location to location, roasting pig and/or chicken for large parties. Here he cuts up a roasted pig at a graduation party in Hersey, Michigan.
A couple of days later I gathered up all the pork scraps and remains from the refrigerator, trimmed the fat, and cut or pulled it into bites and chunks. I cooked up a batch of BBQ sauce, and heated the pork chunks in it. It was delicious.
If you have larger pieces of the meat, “pulling,” (shredding) it and heating it in a BBQ sauce makes great sandwich filler, or entrée with biscuits.
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Which leads us to our first recipes this month, from my long-time Michigan friend, Marianne Jones. I went to lunch at her house a couple of days ago, and came away with all kinds of great recipes.
PULLED PORK (OR CHICKEN)
1 diced medium onion
1/2 c apricot preserves
1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c barbecue sauce
2 T apple cider vinegar
2 T Worchestershire sauce
2lbs uncooked boneless porkchops (or boneless chicken breast)
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2 T water
1 T cornstarch
½ T ginger
salt and pepper to taste
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6 hamburger rolls
1. Combine onions, preserves, brown sugar, bbq sauce, vinegar, Worchestershire sauce in a bowl.
2. Place pork or chicken in a small roasting pan. Pour mixture over the pork or chicken. Cover.
3. Bake at 260 degrees for 5 hours or so.
4. Transfer meat to a cutting board. Cool slightly. Shred with 2 forks.
5. Blend water, cornstarch, ginger, salt and pepper until smooth. Whisk cornstarch mixture into cooking liquid that the meat was in.
6. Cook, uncovered, at 400° until thickened, (5 minutes or so).
7. Return meat to roasting pan, mix well.
8. Serve on buns.
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Lovadell French, who is in my Writers Guild, had this meatloaf at a neighbor’s house, and it was so good she immediately got the recipe. She said it is extra-moist.
NORMA’S 1-2-3- MEATLOAF
Lean ground beef
1 can Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce
1 small box Stove Top Dressing
2 eggs
Mix well and bake for 1 hour at 350°
When cooked, the loaf may be topped with baked onion rings for crispness
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I am absolutely addicted to good breads and dipping oils. Give me some red wine, good bread with flavorful dipping oil (plus maybe some olives), and I’m good for a meal.
Jodee Linta in Tucson wrote me that Carraba’s Italian Restaurant(s) have a great dipping oil, and sent me their recipe. Notes are Jodee’s.
CARRABA’S DIPPING OIL BLEND
Here's the recipe for Carraba's dipping sauce. It's really good, especially since the herbs came right out of my little garden.
1 T minced fresh basil
1 T chopped fresh parsley (I used large-leaf Italian parsley.)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp ground sea salt, or kosher salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp fresh lemon juice
1. Combine all the ingredients, except oil and lemon juice, in a small food processor or coffee bean grinder. Chop briefly until all ingredients are about the same size.
2. Stir in oil and lemon juice.
3. To serve, combine about 1 tsp blend to 3 to 4 T extra virgin olive oil in a small dish. Dip sliced bread in mixture.
Makes about 1/4 cup blend.
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Bob and I are visiting our friend, Jane Arndt, in our home town in Michigan. Today we had lunch at Pere Marquette Deli and Catering. I had a wonderful salad. With some small modifications, it is below for you to try. The salad was served with a medium-sized coffee-chocolate chip muffin.
STRAWBERRY SALAD
For one salad:
Three fresh strawberries, halved
1 T sliced almonds
1/4 c fresh blueberries
1. Fill a bowl half full with mixed lettuces.
2. Layer the fruits and nuts on top.
3. Top with dressing.
Dressing
Mix together:
3-4 oz strawberry yogurt
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
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Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for July, 2009
Marianne Jones’ recipe for Pulled Chicken went to our neighbor’s Fourth of July picnic! Neighbor Dick Saporita saw it in the June recipes, and made it for his event.
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As long as we’re on meat dishes, here’s one from my sister’s daughter-in-law, Nancy Miles, in Chicago. Chicago Italian Beef is legendary. Nancy made this recipe for her daughter’s graduation party. Like the pulled chicken, Italian Beef is served on a bun. That’s where the similarities stop. Italian beef is, well, Italian. The ingredients are totally different from a barbecue meat.
CHICAGO STYLE ITALIAN BEEF (crock pot)
3-5 lb rump, sirloin tip, or top beef roast
salt and pepper
garlic salt, to taste
olive oil
1 16-oz jar mild or hot chunky giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables)
3/4 cup water
3/4 c beef broth or enough to cover roast
1/2 c red wine
3 T butter
and:
slices of onions or sweet peppers
French rolls
Shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
Another jar of giardiniera to serve
1. Salt and pepper roast and sear in a skillet in hot oil.
2. Put giardiniera, beef broth, and water in the crock pot.
3. Place the roast in the crock pot.
4. Deglaze the skillet with wine and 2 T butter, scraping up the browned bits from the sides and bottoms of pan.
5. Add all the liquid and scrapings from the pan to the crock pot, along with 1 T butter.
6. Cook for 4-6 hours. Meat is done when it pulls apart easily with a fork.
7. Shred in the pot or take roast out and slice it. Put it in a bowl. Moisten beef generously with some of the au jus in the crock pot.
8. Take vegetables out of the pot with a slotted spoon and put into a separate bowl.
9. Pour remaining au jus into a bowl. Serve with a gravy ladle.
Serve with the rolls, onions and peppers, shredded cheese and a bowl of gardiniera.
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Here’s a wonderfully easy rum cake, and who doesn’t like rum cake? Lynn Hinkes is the daughter of our neighbors, Ann and Art Tanenbaum. Art says that this is a favorite non-chocolate cake. Lynn teaches home economics in Elizabeth, NJ.
LYNN’S RUM CAKE
1 box yellow cake mix (Lynne prefers Duncan Hines)
1 box instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 c water
1/2 c oil
1/2 c rum (Lynn likes the spice rum by Barcardi)
Lynn puts a drop less than ½ cup of the water and the oil and increases the rum to compensate for the liquid.
1. Mix all the ingredients with an electric mixer.
2. Coat a tube pan with non-stick spray.
3. Line the bottom with ½ cup crushed walnuts.
4. Pour all the ingredients into tube pan.
Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes.
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This next cake is made without any shortening. It got it from Rita Bills, who lives down the street from me. Rita said she has had the recipe for a long time, and hadn’t made it for about 15 years. Then in June she dug it out and made it for a Father’s Day brunch at her church. It was a tremendous hit.
Rita says it’s better to make the cake a day ahead. It is moister and more flavorful that way.
YUM YUM CAKE
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple with juice
2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 c walnuts, chopped
1. Stir together sugar, eggs, and pineapple.
2. Add flour, baking soda, vanilla, and walnuts.
Bake in 9x13 pan at 350° for about 45 minutes, till cake springs back. Rita: My oven only took 35 minutes.
YUM YUM ICING
Mix together:
1 small instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
Fold in:
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
Add:
1 large pkg of softened cream cheese
Fold in:
8-oz carton of Cool Whip
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Now this recipe is a puzzle. I found it on my desk in a pile of debris, and have no idea where I got it. The paper it’s on has been folded and shoved into a purse or pocket carelessly. I have to have gotten it fairly recently. If anyone recognizes this recipe as one you gave me, please let me know. It sounds like it would be good.
News Flash! I found out where I got this recipe. It is from Marianne Jones. She gave it to me when she gave me several other recipes including the pulled pork and chicken, and it got separated. She said she made it a few days ago, and her husband put salsa on the casserole, which was tasty.
2 large potatoes, sliced
2-3 carrots, sliced
1 small can peas, drained
3 medium onions, sliced
1 and 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 10-oz can tomato soup
1 10-0z can water
1. Place layers of the vegetables in the order given into a crockpot.
2. Put browned ground beef on top of the celery.
3. Mix tomato soup with water and pour over all.
4. Cover and cook.
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Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for August, 2009
Got this recipe out of a local newspaper, and then doctored it up to be more Italian in flavor. It was good. Bob particularly liked it.
3 c sliced zucchini
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2/3 c panko crumbs
1/4 c asiago or Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 T Italian herbs
2 T olive oil
1. Mix the tomatoes, zucchini, garlic, and Italian herbs together in a bowl.
2. Spread the mix in an 8x8 pan.
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil in another bowl.
4. Sprinkle over the top of the tomato zucchini mix in pan.
5. Drizzle with olive oil
Bake at 400 ° for 25 minutes or until fill is bubbling and topping is slightly browned.
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While we were in Michigan in June, we visited Jane Arndt, my fellow Mackinac Island traveler (Jane and I figure we’ve gone there together for over 30 years) at her home in Big Rapids, Michigan in June. She served us this pie. Delicious, and absolutely the easiest “Key Lime” pie recipe I’ve seen yet.
small pkg lime Jell-O
1/4 c boiling water
1 6-oz key lime yogurt
1 8-oz carton Cool Whip
1 commercial chocolate cookie pie crust
1. Dissolve Jell-O in the boiling water.
2. Stir in key lime yogurt.
3. Fold in the Cool Whip.
4. Pour into pie crust.
Refrigerate.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for September, 2009
GRAND HOTEL PECAN BALL WITH FUDGE SAUCE
~ Courtesy of Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan
The Grand Hotel bills itself as the world's largest summer hotel. The pecan ball with fudge sauce, which made its debut in 1947, is the signature dessert. Each season more than 50,000 Grand Pecan Balls are happily consumed by Grand Hotel diners.
8 six-ounce portions of vanilla ice cream
4 cups roasted pecan pieces, chilled
One-quarter pound unsalted butter
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups light corn syrup
1 pound chocolate chips
One-half vanilla bean, split
1 tablespoon Creme de Cacao
PECAN BALLS
1. Scoop eight six-ounce portions of ice cream; shape into eight round balls.
2. Coat each ball with chilled pecan pieces. Place balls in freezer.
FUDGE SAUCE
1. In a large pot heat butter, cream and corn syrup to a simmer.
2. Remove from heat and add vanilla pulp, Creme de Cacao and chocolate chips; stir until well incorporated.
3. Allow sauce to cool.
To serve: Remove pecan balls from freezer and allow to soften slightly. Pour a scant cup of sauce into a shallow dish. Place pecan ball in the pool of sauce.
Yield: Eight pecan balls and about seven and one-half cups sauce
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This recipe is from my across-the-street neighbor, MarriAnne Fedorchak. We were sitting under big oak trees in another neighbor’s back yard for a Fourth of July picnic. Of course, the gals started talking food. MarriAnne said she had this terrific carrot cake recipe she had been meaning to send me. Well, I wanted it for sure when I heard her describe it! It has to be even more moist and delicious than regular carrot cake.
ORANGE CARROT CAKE
1 orange
2 c flour
2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 and 1/4 c oil
4 eggs
2 c grated carrots
1/2 c chopped nuts
1. Trim a thin slice from both ends of orange. Cut it in half lengthwise. With a V-shaped cut, remove center core. Cut the halves into wedges, removing seeds. Cut into chunks and purée in blender. Reserve 1 T puree for use in frosting.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
3. Add oil and orange puree, mixing well.
4. Add eggs and combine thoroughly.
5. Stir in carrots and nuts.
6. Pour into two 9-inch cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool 10 - 15 minutes and remove from pans. (I use 9x13 inch pan and bake about 45 minutes.)
ORANGE CARROT CAKE FROSTING
1 8-oz cream cheese
1/4 c butter (room temp)
1 lb powdered sugar
1 T orange purée
Beat cheese and butter till just blended. Add sugar and orange puree and combine.
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Dayle Haas and I are in Writers Guild together. One day as we were walking out of the building after a meeting, she described this soup to me. Now, I’m not a big mushroom soup fan, but after hearing her describe this recipe, I allowed that it certainly sounded good enough to eat! I have to make it especially for my husband. I think mushroom soup is his favorite!
DAYLE’S MUSHROOM SOUP
1 lb firm white mushrooms cleaned (I use the baby bellas)
1/2 lemon
1 T butter
2 T chopped onions preferably vidalia (or shallots)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 c half and half
1 and 1/2 c chicken stock
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 T water
1 T minced parsley
1. Coarsely chop the mushrooms and squeeze the lemon over them, set aside. 2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and lightly sauté the onions.
2. Add the mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaf. Sauté over medium heat about 10 minutes or until the liquid disappears.
3. Add the salt, pepper, half and half, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the cornstarch to the soup and simmer a few minutes longer, stirring constantly. 5. Remove the bay leaf, add the parsley, and serve.
Makes 3-4 servings.
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Claire Coon is a long-time friend. We met in Florida, she summered in Maine working in Acadia National Park with us, and she now lives in Arizona. We keep in close contact by email. She attended a meeting that was a potluck lunch, and a friend of hers brought this salad. Claire asked her friend for the recipe, and then forwarded it on to me, also.
I know my husband will REALLY like this one, too. So will I. It is summery and could be an entrée just by itself.
MANGO & BLACK BEAN SALAD
1 chopped peeled ripe mango
1 bunch green onions, thinly chopped
1/2 c wild rice
3 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 T salsa
2 T lime juice
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed
1. Cook wild rice as directed.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Toss gently to mix.
Yield: 6 servings.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for October, 2009
In August I said there would be some killer blueberry muffins in September’s Recipes. I had so many other recipes sent to me, that I saved the blueberry muffins for October, and here they are now!
I’ve had this muffin recipe for at least twelve years. Jodee Linta, now in AZ, used to go to Mackinac Island with us years ago. We sometimes made a special pilgrimage to the Iroquois-on-the-Beach Hotel at the end of town on the island just for the blueberry muffins. Then Jodee got a cookbook with recipes from famous restaurants. The Iroquois muffins were in there! They had been modified for smaller batches, of course. Over the years I have modified them a bit more, but not so much as to spoil their essential qualities: sweet, buttery, and rich.
IROQUIS-ON-THE-BEACH STYLE MUFFINS
makes 24 muffins
3 large eggs
2 and 1/2 c milk
1 c plus 2 T salad oil
5 and 1/2 c flour
1 and 1/4 c sugar
1 and 1/2 T lemon zest
3 T baking powder
2 and 1/2 c blueberries (fresh or frozen{thawed})
additional sugar and 1 stick melted butter
1. Whisk eggs, milk, and oil together.
2. In another bowl, stir together four, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder.
3. In another bowl, gently stir together blueberries, the remaining 1/2 c sugar, and the lemon zest.
4. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture until just combined. (Will be lumpy.)
5. Gently stir in blueberry mixture.
6. Pour batter into 24 muffin tins or sprayed muffin cups.
Bake in the top third of a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Transfer muffins to the bottom third of the oven and bake another 5-10 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool pans on rack for ten minutes. Remove from pans and dip the top of each muffin in the melted butter and then in the additional sugar.
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I used to make my own marinara sauce, and was proud of my recipe. Then Prego came out with a sauce came in a jar that was every bit as good, so I used that. Now there’s lots of choices on the market shelf. Every now and then I ruffle through my recipes, and I found this today. My old marinara sauce!
RUTH’S MARINARA SAUCE
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped
4 cups tomato sauce
2 cups canned tomatoes
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
2 tsp parsley flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
1. Sauté onions and garlic until soft.
2. Add other ingredients, simmer for at least an hour. Two or three hours are better.
3. Serve over your favorite pasta.
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We first met Marian and Syd Rutland in 1992 while biking around in England. We have remained friends ever since. Marian and Syd are coming over to Florida in January, as a matter of fact. They have visited us before.
Back in 1992 some time, Bob asked Marian for a crumpet recipe. Right after we got home, Bob made crumpets—and kept making crumpets for a long time. Since he couldn’t find crumpet rings, he used those rings for cooking eggs on a griddle. He hasn’t made crumpets lately, and I’m getting hungry for them! You can make them, too. Here’s Marian’s recipe.
CRUMPETS
6 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 cups milk
3/4 ounces fresh or dried yeast
4 inch diameter crumpet rings (We used those rings you buy to fry eggs on a griddle.)
Grease the crumpet rings. (You can spray Pam on them.)
1. Sift the flour and salt into a warm bowl. 2. Heat the milk to luke-warm and dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the milk.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour, pour in the milk and yeast mixture and stir. Gradually add the remainder of the warm milk until a batter the consistency of cream is formed.
4. Cover and leave for about 40-45 minutes to rise.
5. Grease and heat a griddle on top of the stove. Pour (batter will be thin) about 1/2 inch of batter into the greased crumpet rings on the hot griddle. When the bottom of the crumpet is a light brown, turn and cook a few more minutes. Crumpets should be undercooked a bit because you want them moist when you reheat them.
Cool. When you wish to serve them, heat them in a toaster. Serve with butter and jam for tea.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for November, 2009
I spent September and October in Michigan and Ohio visiting friends and family. That’s
moi on the left. Next is Barb Lloyd and then Jane Arndt, both friends of many years. We
are having lunch at the Bodacious Babes Tearoom in Grand Haven, Michigan, on
September fourteenth. Menu: vegetable beef soup, egg salad on a little croissant, tea,
and a small scone with table cream and lemon curd for dessert.
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I have been saving this recipe for months and months, until now. Now is the time to
think about baking your holiday fruitcakes, so that they are mellow and delicious for the
upcoming holidays.
This very special fruitcake recipe was sent to me by Judy Youngdoff in Kansas City. Judy
was the college roommate of Jodee Linta. Jodee Linta and I taught together in Michigan
for many years. Now Jodee is in Arizona, I am in Florida, and Judy is in Kansas. Both
Jodee and Judy contribute many recipes to the Recipes of the Month and to
RuthsRecipes.com.
Judy sent a history of the recipe:
My Great-grandmother, Nellie Melissa Klamm Fath, my mother’s grandmother. (Judy
says she found the recipe in an old family recipe book.) Born: July 30, 1874, Died:
January 8, 1964. I was 26 when she died, so I knew her well. I was the only greatgrandchild.
NELLIE FATH’S FRUITCAKE
1 pkg raisins (1 lb)
1 pkg dates (10 oz) (chopped)
1 pkg citron (1/4 lb)
1 pkg orange peel (1/4 lb)
1 pkg lemon peel (1/4 lb)
3 oz candied cherries
2 and 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c coffee
1/2 c molasses
There are no directions for mixing on the recipe. She knew how to do it, so there was no
need to tell herself. Here is what I would do.
Prepare pan(s) (loaf or tube) with oiled parchment paper or brown paper. Or grease and
flour pan(s).
1. Cream butter and sugar until smooth.
2. Beat in eggs.
3. Stir in the coffee and molasses.
4. In a separate bowl, mix spices with flour.
5. Fold in flour mixture a little at a time.
6. Stir in fruits.
7. Pour into pans.
From the original recipe: Bake in slow oven 275° for 3 hours.
A comment from Ruth: My mother, and now I, wrap the cooled fruitcake in wine-soaked cloths, then in plastic wrap. She kept her on the top shelf of the pantry. I refrigerate mine. Be sure to use a fairly good wine. You can taste the difference!
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In September, we spent a few days at the home of Jane Arndt in Big Rapids, Michigan.
Big Rapids is where Bob and I were in the school business for twenty years. Jane taught
at the high school with me. She made this recipe both with peaches and blueberries.
That is, she made one peach pie, and one blueberry pie. I ate pie for both breakast and
supper! Though it’s called an apple pie, any fruit will work, and be delicious! But for
Thanksgiving…maybe you would want apples.
SWEDISH APPLE PIE
1 c flour
1 c sugar
1 egg
1/2 c chopped nuts
3/4 c melted oleo
cinnamon to taste
enough apples or other fruit to fill a pie tin
1 or 2 T sugar
1. Fill a pie tin with fruit.
2. Sprinkle 1 or 2 T of sugar over the fruit, sprinkle with cinnamon.
3. Mix together the 1 c sugar, egg, nuts, and melted oleo.
4. Stir in flour.
5. Spread this mixture over the top of the fruit.
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
Serve with Cool Whip or ice cream on top.
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Scalloped corn is Jane’s mother, Louise’s, recipe. We had this also while visiting Jane. It
makes a good-sized batch. We dined on it several times, and the last time was a tasty
as the first.
SCALLOPED CORN
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 can cream style corn
1 can whole kernel corn
1 stick oleo
8 oz shredded cheese
1 small onion, chopped (or less)
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 c green pepper, chopped
1 or 2 eggs
2 c water
1 c milk
1. Cook onion, celery, peppers in the 2 c of water until soft.
2. Add cheese, oleo, milk.
3. Fold in eggs, muffin mix, and the 2 cans of corn.
Bake at 350° for about an hour.
This makes quite a firm dish that can be cut into squares to serve.
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Again, this recipe is from Jane Arndt. We didn’t have it when we visited her; it’s from
her recipe box. Jane highly recommends it. It sounds like it would be attractive and nice
for guests or to take to a potluck.
BLUEBERRY POUND CAKE
9” tube pan or bundt pan, sprayed
1 8-oz cream cheese
1/2 c salad oil
1 18-oz yellow cake mix
1 3-oz vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs, beaten
2 t vanilla
2 c blueberries
1. Combine cream cheese and oil, beat until creamy.
2. Add cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Fold in blueberries.
Bake at 325° for 60 minutes
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We also visited Judy McCracken this fall, and she passed this recipe on to me. It is from
her husband’s Aunt Em’s daughter-in-law, Jean Maitrott. It’s an improvement on mixing
up sour cream and dill weed, for sure.
DILL DIP
1 c Hellmann’s mayonnaise
1 c sour cream
1 tsp Lawry’s seasoned salt
1 tsp Accent
1 tsp dill weed
1 T parsley flakes
1 T minced onions
1/4 tsp Worchestershire sauce
3 to 4 shots of hot sauce (more if you want)
I crush the spices in the palm of my hand before I put in the mix. (Jean Maitrott)
It is best if you chill it for 24 hours.
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I have had this salad, and it’s delicious. The original recipe was on the back of Pet
Evaporated Milk can from long ago. Eva Miles, my sister’s former mother-in-law, made
the recipe hers by adding the horseradish. My sister, Gail, still has the original recipe
torn off a can of Pet Milk, with her mother-in-law’s notes on it. The horseradish adds the
“je ne said quoi” to the recipe, but Gail and I both agree that more horseradish would be
even better.
CREAMY LIME SALAD
1 pkg lime gelatin
3/4 c boiling water
1 c evaporated milk
9 oz crushed pineapple, do not drain
1 T lemon juice
1 c cottage cheese
1/2 c coarsely chopped nuts
1/2 c finely chopped celery
1/2 c mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 tsp cream style horseradish
1. Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water.
2. Cool slightly, then add the evaporated milk.
3. CHILL until mixture is very thick, but not set.
4. Stir in the pineapple, lemon juice, cottage cheese, nuts, celery, mayonnaise, and
horseradish.
5. Pour into an 8-in square pan or a 5 qt mold.
Serve on lettuce.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for December, 2009
The recipes that were in the December, 2009 newsletter are all in the Recipe Box on the website. They are more easily accessible and can be copied better there. Gradually I will be moving all the recipes from the newsletters through the years into the site Recipe Box, and deleting them here. Just go to the Recipe Box at the top of each page, and find what you want!
Happy Holidays!
Bon Appétit!
Recipe Box