WTF Cookbook

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RED LENTIL DAL WITH AROMATICS
(Cindy simplified version)

1 c. lentils
1 large onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
Olive oil
1 tsp or more turmeric
1 15-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk minus cream (or low-fat version)
3 shallots, sliced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 bay leaves
1 tsp or more mustard seeds

Wash lentils. Saute onions, garlic, jalapeno in some olive oil for one minute. Add turmeric, lentils and about 2 c. water. Boil, then lower heat and simmer covered until lentils are soft, maybe 30 minutes. (Add more water if you need it -- the recipe calls for 3 cups but that is way too much).

Add coconut milk and simmer 5 minutes. Correct for salt.

Heat some olive oil in small skillet over high heat. Add shallots, red chile, bay and mustard seeds. Fry until mustard seeds begin to turn gray. Stir mixture into lentils and serve over rice.

[As with all vegetarian recipes, be prepared to increase the spices. Also, this recipe tastes like newspaper until you add the salt, so don't freak out. And don't oversalt!]

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From AdagioM and this website: :

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a8893/carrot-and-squash-curry-soup/

Carrot and Squash Curry Soup

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour Difficulty: Easy Servings: 8
Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Washed And Sliced Thin
• 4 whole Yellow Squash (sliced)
• Salt To Taste
• 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder (more To Taste!)
• ½ cups Dry White Wine (optional)
• 48 ounces, fluid Chicken Broth
• Heavy Cream (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and stir to coat. Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes, or until they start to get soft. Sprinkle in a little salt.

Add squash. Stir and cook for a few minutes, until squash is soft and tender. After a few minutes, add salt to taste and the curry powder.

Pour in wine if using. Let evaporate for about 30 seconds, then pour in chicken broth. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot, and cook for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, taste and adjust seasonings. Turn off heat.

Puree soup using an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender. Return to soup pot and bring to a simmer. Serve hot. If you’re feeling naughty, drizzle heavy cream over the top.

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From wtg:

Cream of Leek and Mushroom Soup from More Fast Food My Way by Jacques Pepin.

I was extra lazy, so I used frozen leeks and low sodium chicken broth from Trader Joe's (could use a veggie broth for our vegetarian friends). With a crusty bread and salad, a really nice lunch or light supper. The potato flake thickener is inspired. There aren't a lot of mushrooms in the soup but they impart a very nice mushroomy flavor.

Cream of Leek and Mushroom Soup (4 servings - about 6 cups)

2 medium leeks
6 white mushrooms
2 tbsps peanut oil
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water (I used 4 cups of stock instead of half water/half stock)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1 1/2 cups whole milk, plus more if needed
Sprigs fresh chervil, for garnish (I used dried tarragon added towards the end)

Remove and discard most of the green outside leaves from the leeks, reserving the light green leaves from the center. Cut the leeks lengthwise into fourths and wash the leaves thoroughly under cool water to remove any dirt or sand. Slice thinly. You should have about 2 cups.

Wash the mushrooms. Slice them, stack the slices and either cut them into thin strips or chop them coarsely.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the leeks and mushrooms and cook, or "sweat", the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken stock, water, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle the potato flakes on top and mix them in with a whisk to prevent lumping. Bring to a boil. (The soup can be made to this point a few hours ahead. It will thicken a lot as it sits.)

At serving time, add the milk and return to a boil. If the soup is still too thick, stir in enough additional milk to thin it to your liking. Garnish with chervil sprigs and serve.

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From AdagioM:

I just blogged this:

Caprese Cannellini Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I used half regular and half white balsamic, but either is fine)
12 oz farfalle pasta, cooked al dente and cooled
8 ounces fresh Ciliegine (cherry size) mozzarella balls, cut into quarters
5 Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks, or 1 10 oz package cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 15 oz can cannellini, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Whisk together vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl combine pasta, mozzarella, tomatoes, beans, and basil. Drizzle with about half dressing and gently toss until thoroughly combined. Adjust seasonings as desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving toss with a little more dressing to refresh. Enjoy!

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From wtg:

ATK Matzo Ball Soup

It is important to let the matzo mixture sit for 1 hour. If you try to form the balls without sufficient resting time, they will not hold their shape when cooked. Also, be gentle when shaping the balls; too much pressure will yield dense, rock-like matzo balls.

4 large eggs, separated
1 1/2 tablespoons chicken fat or vegetable oil
(WTG note: I always use the chicken fat, which I buy from a meat market that sells it frozen. sometimes my local upscale grocery carries it during the Jewish holidays, but not the rest of the year.)
(ATK note: For maximum flavor, we recommend making the matzo balls with chicken fat. When you make the chicken broth for this recipe, skim off some chicken fat and set it aside to cool. If you choose not to use chicken fat, vegetable oil will work fine, but the mb won't be as flavorful.)

1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch pepper

2/3 cup matzo meal (I use Manischewitz or Streit's. I prefer Manischewitz because it comes in a round container with a lid. I couldn't figure out how to open the d@mn box of Streit's and end up ripping it apart, a problem I posted about several years ago)

1 recipe Chicken Broth - 2 1/2 quarts plus 3 cups chicken meat (I make this soup with an ATK Turkey Broth that I whip up using the Thanksgiving carcass. I'll post that recipe and the ATK Chicken Broth recipe if anyone is interested.)

1. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form, and set aside. Whisk the yolks, chicken fat, salt and pepper together in a small bowl until smooth. Fold the yolks into the whites using a rubber spatula. Fold in the matzo meal. Cover the mixture tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Bring broth to a simmer in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Use wet hands to roll 2 tablespoons of the matzo mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls, then drop them immediately into the simmering broth. (WTG note: I use my large OXO cookie dough scooper. It looks like a little ice cream scoop. It measures 2 tbsps and gives uniform mbs.) Cover the pot and simmer until the matzo balls have doubled in size, 20 to 25 minutes.

WTG note: If you have leftover soup and put it away in the frig overnight, you'll be amazed at how these puppies suck up most of the broth.

Chicken Broth from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Makes 2 1/2 quarts broth and 3 cups meat
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes (includes 40 minutes simmering time)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 pounds chicken legs, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 onion, chopped medium
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken and transfer to the bowl. Pour off the fat from the pot. Return all the chicken to the pot and stir in the onion. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes.

2. Stir in the water, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the broth is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes.

3. Strain the broth into a large container, and let stand for 10 minutes before skimming the fat. Remove the meat from the bones and reserve separately.

I make Turkey Broth whenever we have a roasted turkey. It's super easy. I'm including the recipe here in case you want to save the stuff from your Thanksgiving turkey, if you have one. You can always freeze the carcass if you don't want to cook it right away. Our family doesn't usually eat the wings, so those can go in the soup. There's no pre-browning of the turkey for the broth, because the bird has already been roasted. I think ATK assumes you've brined the bird because they don't add any salt to the pot.

It's important to always have the broth barely at the simmer rather than at a rolling boil. ATK had that tip in the cookbook, along with the admonition to skim at the beginning when the foam rises, rather than when the broth is finished. A rolling boil causes the fat droplets to get more finely dispersed in the soup, making for a greasy broth.

Turkey Broth

Makes about 3 quarts
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total time: 2 hours 10 minutes (including 2 hours simmer time)

It may seem self-evident, but it is certainly true that a turkey carcass with some meat still attached to the bones makes a more flavorful broth than one that's been picked clean.

1 turkey carcass, cut into 4 or 5 pieces
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 carrot, peeled and chopped coarse
1 rib celery, chopped coarse
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
3 quarts water

Bring all of the ingredients to a simmer in a large stockpot and cook for 2 hours, skimming off any fat or foam that rises to the surface. Strain the broth through a large mesh strainer into a large container, removing any fat that rises to the surface as it cools.

Turkey Noodle Soup

Serves 8 to 10
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total time 35 minutes plus time to make the turkey broth

1 recipe Turkey Broth
1 onion, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 rib celery, sliced thin
Salt
8 ounces wide egg noodles (I just end up making the matzo balls and using them in this recipe in lieu of noodles. I cook the matzo balls for about 15 minutes, then add the veggies in step one for an additional 10 minute cook time)
2 cups cooked turkey meat, shredded
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1. Bring the broth to a simmer in large stockpot. Add the onion, carrots, celery and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the noodles and turkey meat and continue to simmer until the noodles are just tender, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

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From PianoAgain:

Cold-Curing Squash + Ginger Soup

I was fighting off a cold, and after eating this soup I felt much better. Mr. PA bought some roasted butternut squash from WF for a party and ended up bringing a few cups of it home, which inspired me to concoct this:

~3 T vegetable oil
1 chopped onion
1 diced sweet potato
1 large diced carrot
~2 c roasted butternut squash (I'm sure you could use raw chunks and it would work fine -- this stuff had a little cinnamon and oil on it)
~3 T grated ginger
6 cups water
1 tsp salt (or to taste)

In a large pot, sautee the onion in the oil until it is soft. Add the vegetables, ginger, and water, bring to boil, and reduce heat to a simmer for about an hour or until the vegetables are very soft. Puree (I do this in the pot with a stick blender attachment). Add salt to taste.

This had a very strong ginger effect, spicy and maybe too medicinal for some, but I liked it. It tasted even better the next day.

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From RealPlayer:

RUM SQUASH PIE

I made this one year, and as a result everybody wants it EVERY year. I'll make it again next week.

from "The Tuesday Magazine Soul Food Cookbook," 1969.

Rum Squash Pie
(for 1 9-in. pie)

1 1/2 c. winter squash
1 cup sugar, scant
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 c. heavy cream
3 eggs
2 tbsp. rum
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. allspice
Pastry for 1-crust 9-inch pie

Pare and dice the squash. Cook it in a little water until soft (about 30 min.) Drain well and mash. Drain again if necessary. Measure 1 1/2 cups. Add the sugars and cream to the squash, and beat well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. (Reserve a little egg white for brushing the pastry.) Stir in the run, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, cloves, and allspice. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 450. Line a pie plate with pastry, building up the edge (see recipe for Pastry). Brush the pastry with egg white. Pour in the squash mixture, and bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 300, and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until firm.

PERSONAL NOTE: These days I pre-bake the whole squash, cut in half and cleaned out, in the oven till soft. Much easier than chopping it up and boiling and draining.

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[from RealPlayer]

OK, this fairly simple recipe remains a HUGE hit in this household. Ingredients seem unlikely, but you really need to try it.

Notes: Olives are best if you get them at an Italian or Greek deli, although the canned variety work fine. And we have always used gruyere, no other type of cheese.

It's just delectable, and it requires forbearance to avoid stuffing your face until it's all gone.

From THE TASSAJARA RECIPE BOOK, 1985.

Chinese Cabbage Salad with Garlic Vinaigrette

For the salad:
1 small or 1/2 large Chinese cabbage (I believe they mean the Nappa variety)
1 to 1-1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated, or Monterey Jack, Gouda, or Edam
1/2 to 3/4 cup black olives, sliced

For the dressing:
2 tbsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
5/8 cup olive oil

Slice the cabbage into quarters and then into thin strips crosswise or at an angle crosswise.

Mix the cabbage with the grated cheese and sliced olives.

For the dressing, mix the vinegar together with the salt and garlic, then gradually whisk in the olive oil.

Toss the salad with the dressing. Depending on the amount of cabbage you use, you may not need all the dressing.

Taste for salt.

[Thread title credit: jon-nyc]

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Spinach Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Spiced Chickpeas

Yield 4 servings

Time 1 hour
Ingredients

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 large sweet potatoes (1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots (1/2 pound), peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
Black pepper, as needed
2 thyme sprigs
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
5 ounces spinach (6 cups)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallot

Method

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a clean dishtowel or several layers of paper towels and spread drained chickpeas evenly on top. Pat dry with another dishtowel or paper towels.
2. Toss sweet potato and carrots with 2 tablespoons oil and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and top with thyme sprigs. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden-brown and very tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
3. While vegetables are roasting, toss chickpeas with 2 tablespoons oil, chili powder, cumin and a large pinch of salt. Spread on another rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the oven 10 minutes after you’ve put in the potatoes and carrots; roast until crisp and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Using the flat side of a knife or a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a large pinch of salt until it forms a paste. Add it to a small bowl and whisk in yogurt and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) oil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. In a large bowl, combine spinach, roasted vegetables, chickpeas and shallot. Toss with enough dressing to lightly coat vegetables and greens and serve at once.

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Here's a hearty autumn vegetarian stew with Indian overtones. It's my adaptation of a recipe from a magazine I picked up in a health food store years ago. It does have diced tomatoes in it, but it isn't a tomato-y sauce.

WTG's Hearty Autumn Vegetable Stew

1 tbsp oil
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 or 2 Serrano or jalapeno or Thai chili peppers, seeded and diced (optional, but nice to add if you like heat. Could probably use some cayenne in a pinch if you don't have fresh peppers)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced (I've used 1/4 tsp powdered when I was out of fresh. Seems to work OK)
2 tsps garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 cups light chicken or vegetable stock
2-3 tablespoons finely shredded coconut (optional, but it does add a nice "something" that is hard to pin down)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups peeled diced sweet potatoes (1/2" dice)
2 cups cooked black beans
2 cups kale or spinach, chopped

1. Heat oil in large saucepan or dutch oven. Add onions, garlic and optional peppers with garam masala, cumin, cinnamon, salt, turmeric and coriander and saute for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add stock, tomatoes and sweet potatoes, cooking until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Mix in spinach or kale and black beans. Continue to cook until greens are tender, about 10 more minutes. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3. Serve over hot basmati rice.

The original recipe called for adding fresh mint at the end, and it used pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes. Also used black-eyed peas instead of black beans. And it had you using a blender to puree the onions, peppers and garlic with the coconut and herbs (moistened with a few tablespoons of broth). I've done it that way, but I hate hauling out the blender for that step so I usually just saute everything as is.

By changing up the spices and the legume, I think this could be the base for a bunch of different stews. Maybe Mexican with a chili powder spice mix and pinto beans, and Mexican style rice on the side. Or Italian herbs with garbanzo beans over a risotto.

I cheat and use the canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh, and I also use canned beans rather than cooking them from scratch. All makes for a meal that can be prepared pretty quickly.

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Here's a hearty autumn vegetarian stew with Indian overtones. It's my adaptation of a recipe from a magazine I picked up in a health food store years ago. It does have diced tomatoes in it, but it isn't a tomato-y sauce.

WTG's Hearty Autumn Vegetable Stew

1 tbsp oil
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 or 2 Serrano or jalapeno or Thai chili peppers, seeded and diced (optional, but nice to add if you like heat. Could probably use some cayenne in a pinch if you don't have fresh peppers)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced (I've used 1/4 tsp powdered when I was out of fresh. Seems to work OK)
2 tsps garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground coriander
2 cups light chicken or vegetable stock
2-3 tablespoons finely shredded coconut (optional, but it does add a nice "something" that is hard to pin down)
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups peeled diced sweet potatoes (1/2" dice)
2 cups cooked black beans
2 cups kale or spinach, chopped

1. Heat oil in large saucepan or dutch oven. Add onions, garlic and optional peppers with garam masala, cumin, cinnamon, salt, turmeric and coriander and saute for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add stock, tomatoes and sweet potatoes, cooking until sweet potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Mix in spinach or kale and black beans. Continue to cook until greens are tender, about 10 more minutes. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3. Serve over hot basmati rice.

The original recipe called for adding fresh mint at the end, and it used pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes. Also used black-eyed peas instead of black beans. And it had you using a blender to puree the onions, peppers and garlic with the coconut and herbs (moistened with a few tablespoons of broth). I've done it that way, but I hate hauling out the blender for that step so I usually just saute everything as is.

By changing up the spices and the legume, I think this could be the base for a bunch of different stews. Maybe Mexican with a chili powder spice mix and pinto beans, and Mexican style rice on the side. Or Italian herbs with garbanzo beans over a risotto.

I cheat and use the canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh, and I also use canned beans rather than cooking them from scratch. All makes for a meal that can be prepared pretty quickly.

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From Nina:

Granola - hat tip to my old high school chum Nan Smiler

Granola Recipe

Ingredients:

1 2lb bag or rolled oats (NOT quick cooking oats, I use the bags from Trader Joe’s)
1/4 tsp ginger
¼ tsp cardamom
a few grates of nutmeg (or more if you like it)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar (you can add liquid stevia or agave nectar to
the coconut later if you wish)
½ cup coconut oil, melted (available also at Trader Joe’s)
1 tsp vanilla (or more if you like it)
1 cup chopped nuts (any kind)
1 cup unsweetened coconut (I like the big flaky kind)
1 cup (at least) dried fruit (I use wild dried blueberries from Trader Joe’s and I use 1 bag per pan so you would buy 2 bags)

Preheat your oven to 375˚

In a large mixing bowl, mix the oats, spices, salt and sugar well.

Melt the coconut oil and whisk in the vanilla (and liquid sweetener if you wish). Pour over the oats while stirring to cover evenly and then toss to make sure that everything is incorporated well and that the oats are all covered.

Divide the oats into 2 sheet pans and spread out evenly. Put one in the top rack of the oven and the other in the bottom rack. Bake for 8 minutes.

Remove from the oven, stir the oats turning everything, put the bottom on the top rack and the top on the bottom rack and bake 5 minutes.

Remove both sheet pans, equally distribute the nuts into both pans, stir well to turn everything over, and put back into the oven, switching racks, for 5 minutes.

Remove pans, equally distribute the coconut, turn everything well and switch rack, baking for the last 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven to a cool place, add the dried fruit, mix everything turning it all over and allow to cool.

Makes about 2 gallon sized ziplocks full.

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NYT's Biscuits/Scones via Quirt

Southern biscuits and British scones can seem intimidating: both have the kind of mystique that can discourage home bakers. But the point of them is to be truly quick and easy — unlike yeast-raised bread and rolls, they are thrown together just before a meal and served hot, crisp on the outside and soft in the center. And what's more, they are essentially the same recipe: all that separates them is a bit of sugar and an egg.

The genius of this particular recipe is not in the ingredients, but in the geometry. Slicing a rolled-out slab of dough into squares or rectangles is infinitely simpler than cutting out rounds -- and there's less chance of toughening the dough by re-rolling it and adding more flour. The recipe immediately below makes biscuits, and the notes at the bottom of the recipe have instructions for altering the dough to make scones.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons melted butter
PREPARATION

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or baking mat, or use a nonstick pan.
2.
Toss dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, rub butter and flour mixture together just until butter pieces are the size of peas and covered with flour. Make a well in the center of the bowl and pour in cream. Mix ingredients together by hand until a shaggy dough is formed. (The mixture may seem drier than typical biscuit dough.)
3.
Turn out onto a floured surface and gently knead dough together just until smooth and all ingredients are incorporated.
4.
Pat dough into a 3/4- to 1-inch-thick rough rectangle shape. Use your hands if you like a nice bumpy top; for smooth tops, use a rolling pin, pressing lightly. Using a sharp knife or dough scraper, cut rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut across into 8 or 12 rectangles or squares. Place them on the baking sheet, spaced out.
5.
Brush tops with melted butter. Bake until light golden brown, about 22 minutes; rotate the pan front to back halfway through. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature. Eat within 24 hours.
YIELD 8 to 12 biscuits or scones
NOTETo make scones, omit the salt and add 2 tablespoons sugar to the dry ingredients. With the cream, add one lightly beaten egg. Omit the melted butter; instead, brush tops with egg wash (2 eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon water). Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar.
NOTETo make orange-currant scones, make changes above for scones. Additionally, mix freshly grated zest of 1 orange or tangerine with the dry ingredients. When mixing or kneading the dough, add 1 cup currants and knead just until incorporated.

http://www.nytimes.com/recipes...click&WT.mc_c=241048

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From Susan Dorris:

This one's a bit more labor-intensive on the shopping end, but totally worth the effort:

Chocolate Coconut Rum Cake

Butter a Bundt pan and sprinkle broken walnut meats in the bottom.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

In a bowl, combine:
1 Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake Mix plus 2T flour if at high altitude.
1 4-serving vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs (plus 1 if at high altitude)
1/2 cup rum
1/2 cup oil (corn or canola)
1/2 cup tiny chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut

Stir until blended, put in bundt pan.
Bake 1 hour

Just before cake is done, make glaze
In a saucepan combine:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup water

Boil 2 minutes, spoon over hot baked cake.

Allow to cool 1 hour before removing from pan.

Serve with whipped cream. A teaspoonful of vanilla and some powdered sugar added to the whipped cream is nice, but not necessary.

The packages of chocolate chips and coconut are enough to make three cakes, so I usually buy three cake mixes and three puddings at the same time.

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From Bernard:

I've been making these 2 recipes lately and like them a lot. Easy, filling, and delicious.

Fried Rice

You can play around with this recipe. I like to add asparagus tips, green peppers, broccoli, etc.

3 cups cooked rice (day old or leftover rice works best!)
3 tbs sesame oil
1 cup frozen peas and carrots (thawed)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce

On medium high heat, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.
Add the peas/carrots mix, onion and garlic.
Stir fry until tender.
Lower the heat to medium low and push the mixture off to one side, then pour your eggs on the other side of skillet and stir fry until scrambled.
Now add the rice and soy sauce and blend all together well.
Stir fry until thoroughly heated!

Peanut Butter Noodles

(I like mine warm, I don't rinse the pasta in cold water.)

1 pound linguini, angel hair pasta, or soba noodles
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
5 tablespoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger root
1 small garlic clove, crushed
4 scallions, trimmed and cut
Toppings (optional): grated carrot, scallion cucumber, toasted sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, etc.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions, then drain and rinse with cold water.
In a large bowl, blend together the peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.
Heat until the peanut butter melts and the whole makes a smooth sauce.
Add to noodles or pasta, toss well, then garnish with the toppings.

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From LL:

Before it gets lost...

Apple Pan Dowdy - variation on an old New England Recipe
Make similar to apple pie but add molasses, a little brown sugar, and butter as well; butter the bottom of the pan, double up the top pie crust which makes it thick. Serve warm after the crust has been 'dowdied' into apples and juice. Addition of sauce (I don't do it) or ice cream or whipped cream when serving. Yum! Can't wait...going to have it for breakfast!

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From LL:

I made one chili dish (that I can't find the photo of now) with either ground turkey or chicken.

Good, but twasn't enough for the effort, nor hot enough. I had added my herbs as well as chili powder medium.

Had it over biscarti (sp) rice. Yum.

Will add photo if I can find it.

So today, still undercover of snow, I made the second batch.

This time with 1.5 lbs ground beef (half drained after cooking with garlic, and my red peppers (2 from freezer)and some slices of my frozen really hot peppers), then 2 cans (almost) Hunts with veggies and lots of additions. This time with 2 heaping Tbl chili powder med, my oregano, basil, garlic chives, just cooked chick peas (for hummus) and probably more. Slow simmered 2 hrs.

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WTF 10th Reunion Hummus Dip

(will post a pic tomorrow)

I'm not giving specific proportions or amounts, because you can scale this as required. I often make a small plate of this for lunch; for the reunion, I used a medium platter.

Homemade is best, but store-bought hummus makes the prep super fast and easy. I buy many of the ingredients at Costco so I'm listing the brand names that I used for the garnished hummus that was served at the reunion.

Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
Ground cumin (The Spice House - not Costco)
Ground sweet paprika (The Spice House - not Costco)

President crumbled feta cheese
Pitted kalamata olives, quartered
Grape tomatoes, quartered
Chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

Trader Joe's California estate extra virgin olive oil

Stacy's sea salt pita chips

This is a layered dip.

Spoon hummus on a plate and spread it out to the edges of the plate so it's maybe a half inch (or maybe a little more) thick. Sprinkle ground cumin and paprika on top to taste. Top with all other ingredients (like a pizza)... crumbled feta, olives, tomatoes and parsley, and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with pita chips.

Of course you can use fresh homemade pita or other crackers. And change or delete spices and other ingredients as you prefer. Or try different flavors of prepared hummus. I think this might also be really good using baba ghannouj as a base instead of the hummus.

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(from Well-Tempered Gardener)

My work buddies and I used to go to Berghoff's for lunch pretty frequently. I used to order this as one of my sides all the time.

Berghoff's Creamed Spinach

Ingredients

2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken base, or 1 cube chicken bouillon
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic (see note)
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (2 1/2 cups)
salt and ground white pepper, if desired
ground nutmeg, for garnish
crisp, cooked, crumbled bacon, for garnish

Ingredient note: Granulated garlic is dried granular garlic, not the same as dried minced, dried chopped, or garlic powder. It has the best flavor of all the dried garlic products, in our opinion. Some supermarkets carry it in the gourmet spice section, and it’s available from spice shops.

Preparation

In a medium size saucepan, heat the half-and-half, milk, chicken base, Tabasco, and seasonings to a simmer. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

In another medium size saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk well to combine. Cook this mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often. Slowly whisk the heated milk mixture into the butter mixture, a little at a time, whisking constantly until smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until it thickens. The sauce will be very thick.

Stir in the spinach and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings. Serve while hot.

To serve: Place the hot creamed spinach in a bowl, sprinkled with an extra touch of ground nutmeg on top. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon of crisp, cooked, crumbled bacon, if desired.

Idea: For a decadent breakfast, make an omelet with leftover creamed spinach, bacon, and goat cheese.

Chicago's Berghoff restaurant:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...off_(restaurant)

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Bernard's molded waldorf salad

(I omit the lemon juice because it makes it too lemony for my taste.)

1 6-oz. package lemon gelatin
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. hot water
lemon juice
3 medium golden delicious apples
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 c. heavy cream, whipped
1 c. finely chopped celery
1 c. finely chopped walnuts

Dissolve gelatin and salt in hot water then stir in 2 Tblsp lemon juice (if you use it). Chill until thickened. Pare 2 apples partially (leave a little skin on for color), then core and dice. If you want to get fancy, core and cut remaining apply into thin slices, otherwise dice the 3rd apple as well. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Fancy (optional): Arrange apple slices, skin side down around bottom of an 8-cup mold.

Blend the mayo into the thickened gelatin and fold in the whipped cream (yum!). Fold in the diced apples, celery, and walnuts gently. Spoon over apple slices. Chill until firm. Unmold.

Voila! Swank molded Waldorf!