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South Indian Style Broccoli Serves 2 as Main Dish. Broccoli isn't a traditional Indian vegetable, but I designed this recipe to use up leftover boiled broccoli in the style of cauliflower. 3 c broccoli, cut up and cooked 3 T oil 2 T cumin seeds 2 tsp tumeric 2 tsp corriander powder 2 green chilis, sliced thinly 1/2 c chopped cilantro salt, to taste Fry the spices in the oil until they smoke a little. Add the broccoli and chilis and fry for a couple minutes to get the flavors mixed. Add salt to taste and stir in the cilantro before serving with chapati. Bonus recipe: just before adding the cilantro, crack 2-4 eggs into the pan and stir them around. Keywords: Main Dish, Side, Easy, Vegan, Vegetables, Indian ( RG2107 )

Pasta e Fagioli Serves 6 as Hors d'oeuvre. My husband's grandmother, Annunziata Rovai to the world and Nonna to us was born near Naples, moved to Chicago as a baby, and married Luigi Rovai, master ladies' tailor (he supplied Mrs. Potter Palmer's wardrobe)and stern gourmand Toscani from Lucca. Nonna had great genes and an attitude --she got the phone call from President Reagan on her 100th birthday, and lived for three more years. She rather scorned Pasta e fagioli (Always given the full Tuscan pronunciation -- no pasta fazool) because it was an easy poor man's dish. But during Lent, it made an annual appearance, sometimes including canned tuna. Epicurious.com has a similar recipe, and I've cribbed, but adjusted. 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced A pound can of diced Italian plum tomatoes,chopped 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained -- or red kidney beans or garbanzos -- Whatever was handy.(She always used canned) Salt and pepper Half a pound of cooked elbow mac Grated Parmesan Preparation Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a frying pan.. Add garlic and stir until brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add parsley, basil and oregano and simmer until tomatoes soften, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes. Add beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place pasta in bowl. Toss with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Pour sauce over and toss thoroughly. Serve, passing Parmesan separately. Keywords: Main Dish, Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Beans, Pasta ( RG2106 )

Chicken Chettinad Serves 6 as Main Dish. 4 chicken legs 2 large onions, roughly chopped 4 tsp tumeric 6 T oil 2 tsp corriander powder 1 T Kitchen King or other commercial masala 3 small tomatoes 4 whole star anise 8 whole cardamom 10 cloves 3 cinnamon sticks 1 T fennel seed 1 T cumin seed 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg 3 T ginger garlic paste 4 small green chilis, sliced thinly salt, to taste 1 c water With a cleaver, cut the chicken legs into about 8 pieces each. Add most of the tumeric and half the oil, and mix well by hand. This mixture can be marinated for a few hours if you like. Heat a small amount of the oil in a deep, heavy pot and brown the chicken in batches, pushing down on the skin to get it rendered. The pot will fill with chicken fat. Reserve the chicken. In the pot of chicken fat, fry the chopped onions, the ginger garlic paste, the rest of the tumeric, the corriander powder, and the commercial masala. Cook, stirring, until the onions are a little soft and glossy, but are not quite done. Place the contents of the pot in a food processor with the tomatoes and puree until smooth. Add the remaining small amount of oil to the pot and add the whole spices and nutmeg. Fry until a little smoke rises, then immediately add the water. Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove all of the browned bits, then add the chilis and the onion-tomato puree. Add salt until the sauce tastes fairly salty and the raw onion flavor is not apparent (adding the chicken and cooking it all down will dilute the saltiness). Add back the reserved chicken and its juices. Simmer on a low flame for about 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Chicken, Indian ( RG2105 )

Mango Tuiles This is based on Michael Willaume's recipe, with a much easier and more reliable procedure. 100 g granulated sugar 50 g all-purpose flour 16 g fresh orange juice 21 g mango puree 36 g unsalted butter, melted In a medium bowl, mix the flour and sugar together, then whisk in the remaining ingredients one by one until well-incorporated. Leave to rest in an airight container in the refrigerator overnight and for up to a week. Prepare a stencil of a 3" circle from a piece of thick card (from a file folder) or the plastic top of an ice cream or yogurt container. Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare another sheet of parchment paper for the cooled tuiles. Place teaspoonfuls of the batter spaced 3" apart on the parchment. Place the stencil on each dollop and using a small offset spatula, spread the batter within the stencil so that it is very thin and even. Scrape off the excess batter back into the bowl. Bake the tuiles for 12 minutes. Peel off the hot tuiles from the parchment (they will feel like stiff fruit leather), and while warm, cut each into the desired shape with a pair of scissors. Place each tuile on the other sheet of parchment to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining batter. You can store the tuiles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keywords: Cookie, Fruit, Intermediate ( RG2104 )

Chili-Lime Pot Roast Serves 8 as Main Dishor 8 as Main Dish. I was afraid this was going to be over-poweringly spice, but after removing most of the fat (which was really hot) and cutting with sour cream, the sauce had a pleasant amount of heat. Leftover meat (shredded), with the sour cream sauce, is great in tacos. 3 lb beef chuck roast 1/2 T kosher salt 1/2 T coarsely ground black pepper 2 T olive oil 3 jalapenos, sliced (about 1 cup) 2 medium onions, sliced into wedges 2 T chopped garlic 1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro zest from three limes 1 T cumin seeds juice from three limes 1 c beef stock 2 T corn starch 1 c sour cream juice from one lime minced cilantro for garnish Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat. Sprinkle both sides of roast with salt & pepper. Add 1 T olive oil to skillet, then put in the roast. Cook about 5 minutes or until well-browned on one side. Flip roast and brown the other side, about 5 more minutes. Remove roast to a large crock pot or dutch oven. Deglaze skillet with about 1/2 cup stock, and pour into crock pot. Add remaining olive oil to pan, then add sliced jalapenos and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until edges are well-browned. Add 1/2 cup more stock, scraping bottom of the pan, then pour mixture over roast. Add garlic, cilantro, lime zest & cumin seeds to crock pot, then pour lime juice in. Add enough stock to come about halfway up the sides of the roast. Cook in crock pot on low (or in dutch oven in a 250F oven) for 3-4 hours, or until roast is very tender. Remove roast to a cutting board and let stand. Strain liquid through a wire mesh strainer into a medium sauce pan. Ladle off most of the fat. Heat sauce over medium heat until simmering, whisk in add cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water, then whisk in sour cream and lime juice. Bring to a simmer again, then reduce heat to low and simmer five minutes. Slice roast diagonally. Serve over rice, such as a pilaf, and ladle sauce over. Sprinkle with cilantro. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Beef, Beef, Dinner, Dinner, Hot and Spicy, Hot and Spicy, Tex-Mex, Tex-Mex, Crock Pot, Crock Pot ( RG2103 )

Black Bass, Olive Oil Powder, Potato Coffee Sauce Serves 1 as Amuse. I decided to experiment with new techniques and ingredients on this dish. The olive oil powder works well with the potato foam and makes a nice backdrop for the Black Bass. 1 g Coffee Grinds 10 g Black Bass Skin On 10 g Tapioca Maltodextrin 30 g Olive Oil 50 g Yukon Gold Potato 10 g Heavy Cream 5 g Echire Butter Salt Pepper 1 Srig Chervil 1 Serrano Slice Rinsed -Robot Coupe Maltodextrin and Olive Oil until powder forms. Tamis. Add coffee grinds. Reserve. -Simmer potato till tender. Strain. Peel Skin. Whisk into boiling cream and butter. Pass through a chinois. Put in a charger. Charge 1 time. Shake 5 times. -Season fish. Sear in oil skin of fish. Baste with the oil to cook the flesh. -Spoon potato in one half of a plate. Spoon the powder in the other half. Put the fish on a fork and set in middle of the potato and powder. Add serrano and chervil to fish. -Serve Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Seafood, Dinner, Fish, Immersion Blender, The Daily Gullet ( RG2102 )

Pan-roasted duck breast Serves 2 as Main Dish. Salt 2 Long Island or Pekin duck breasts Preheat oven to 350 F. With a very sharp knife, score the skin side of each breast, cutting through the skin and fat, but trying to avoid cutting into the flesh. Space the scores ¼ to ½ inch apart. Turn the breast 90 degrees and score at right angles to the first series of scores. Sprinkle with kosher salt on both sides and set aside until ready to cook. Heat a heavy pan (cast iron or clad stainless steel) over medium heat until a drop of water bounces across the surface of the pan. Lay the breasts into the pan skin-side down. Cook until the skin is medium brown and crisp, about six minutes. Turn the breasts over and cook on the flesh side for one minute. Remove to a rack set into a quarter sheet pan. Insert a probe thermometer lengthwise into one of the breasts. Put pan in oven and roast to a temperature of 150. Let rest for five minutes. Slice and serve. Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Duck ( RG2101 )

Roast Crispy Pork ( aka Chinese Siu Yook) I did an experiment using 8 different methods of making chinese crispy roast pork and this is the best recipe. If you like to read the thread please click here crispy roast pork experiment Equipment sharp knife pastry brush blowtorch wire rack spike hammer or a jaccard or craft knife paper towels chopping board Meat 2 kg Pork belly - try to find a dry and flat piece with a good layer of fat under the skin Marinade for meat 2 tsp salt 2 tsp five spice powder 2 tsp sugar or honey 2 tsp ground pepper 6 cloves of minced garlic 1 T hoisin sauce 1 T "meen see" chinese fermented bean paste or can use miso paste crackling preperation 2 T 40% vodka 4 l boiling water 4 tsp salt 1. Lay the pork belly on a chopping board and stretch the skin out so that it is taut. 2. Use a blow torch, singe off any bristles, pass the torch over the skin a few times at different angles. Try not to burn the skin you just removing the bristles 3. Take a sharp knife and scrap it along the skin to remove any burnt bristle ends and burnt debris. 4. Pierce the skin all over with a spiked hammer, a jaccard or a sharp fork. Or you can cut score lines all across the skin with a sharp knife at 5 mm intervals. Try to penetrate the skin into the fat layer but not to cut into the meat below. 5. Place the belly on a wire rack and place into a sink. Pour the boiling water on to the skin this will cause the skin to contract. 6. Pat dry the skin with paper towels and then rub 3 teaspoons of salt into the skin. 7. Using a pastry brush, lightly but evenly brush the skin with the 40% vodka. 8. Make the marinade, mix the salt with the pepper, five spice powder, minced garlic, hoisin sauce and meen see bean paste. 9. Turn the belly over and then cut the meat down to the first layer of fat at 1 inch intervals and rub in your marinade. 10. put into the fridge and leave over night uncovered to dry (you can leave in the fridge for up to 48 hours to dry) 11. Next day take the belly out of the fridge an hour before you cook it and sprinkle another teaspoon of salt evenly over the skin. 12. preheat your oven to 240C. Put the belly on the middle shelf of your oven and cook for 20 minutes. 13. Turn down the heat to 200C and cook a further 20 minutes. 14. Turn the heat back up to 240C and cook a further 10 minutes. 15. now place the belly under a grill and grill it for 5 minutes. Constantly monitor when this is grilling or you could end up with burnt crackling. 16. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes uncovered. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Pork, Dinner, Chinese ( RG2100 )

Mushroom Cream Sauce Serves 4. This is an intensely mushroomy, rich sauce for pasta. I served it with store-bought mushroom and cheese tortellini, and it was excellent. 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms 1 c chicken or vegetable stock or water 1 lb Whole cremini or white button mushrooms 1/2 c dry vermouth or other dry white wine, or additional stock or water 1 small onion 2 T bacon grease, or olive oil, or other fat 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper 3 cloves garlic 2 T fresh thyme leaves 1-1/2 c heavy cream 2 T balsamic vinegar 1 piece parmigiano-reggiano rind (optional) 2 T fresh flat-leaf parsley 1. In a microwaveable bowl, combine porcinis and stock/water. Microwave for about one minute, then let stand 30 minutes or until porcinis are soft. 2. While porcinis are steeping, remove stems from mushrooms and reserve. Quarter the caps. Heat a 10-inch heavy skillet (NOT non-stick) over high heat with no fat until very hot; add mushroom caps and dry-fry, tossing frequently, until well browned. Add vermouth and stir to deglaze the pan. Remove from heat. 3. While mushroom caps are browning, finely mince mushroom stems and the onion. In a large saucepan (non-stick is fine here), heat the bacon grease over medium heat, then add the mushroom/onion mixture and season with salt & pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until browned and most liquid has evaporated. 4. While mushroom/onion mixture is sauteing, finely mince the garlic and thyme. Remove the porcinis from the reconstituting liquid and chop. Add garlic and thyme to mushroom stem mixture and stir until fragrant, then add chopped porcinis. Strain reconstituting liquid through a paper towel or coffee filter into the pan and stir. 5. Add cream, balsamic vinegar and parmesan rind to saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for fifteen minutes, then remove rind. Add mushroom caps to pan along with any liquid in the skillet. Bring back to a simmer. 6. While sauce is simmering, finely mince parsley. Stir into sauce after removing rind. Remove sauce from heat and serve over hot pasta. Top with freshly-grated parmesan and additional minced parsley. Keywords: Intermediate, Vegetables ( RG2099 )

Chicken Pot Pie with Easiest Pastry Crust Serves 3 as Main Dish. Chicken Pot Pie Makes 3 Servings 2 1/2 cups chicken stock (broth is fine) 2 large chicken breasts 1 carrot, diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 small onion, diced 6 tbsp beurre manie (3 tbsp flour mixed with 3 tbsp oil or melted butter) vegetable oil, as needed 1 egg, mixed with 1 tbsp water salt and pepper, to season 1 sheet Frozen puff pastry or use the recipe below: Easiest Pastry Recipe: 1. Mix 1 1/4 cups flour with 1/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cut in 6 tbsp diced cold butter. Mix in 4 tbsp water until dough just comes together, wrap in plastic and set in fridge. Roll out to 10” circle when you’re ready to cover your pie.) Method: 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish that has a diameter of about 9” (I prefer a cast iron dish, but any baking dish will work). Bring chicken stock to a boil in a 4 qt pot, turn down heat, and keep hot over medium heat, covered. 2. Heat a saute pan over medium high heat with 1 tbsp oil in it, and add carrots, celery, onion and a pinch of salt. 3. Meanwhile, set up another pan (that has a fitting lid) with 2 inches of water and heat on high. Place chicken breasts in pan, cover, and once the water comes to a boil, turn the heat to low and shallow poach the chicken breasts for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. When cooked, remove from water to a clean cutting board and let cool slightly. Once cool, shread or cut into large dice. 4. Add vegetables to chicken stock once golden brown and slightly soft. Add chicken also, then whip in beurre manie. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes, then pour into baking dish. (Note, you can stop here and refrigerate mixture, if you want to serve the dish tomorrow.) 5. Place round of pastry crust (or puff pastry) on top of baking dish, ensuring that the pastry overlaps the side of the dish slightly, so you can crimp the sides shut. Brush top of pastry crust with egg mixed with 1 tbsp water and bake in oven on a sheet tray (to catch drips) for 20 minutes, or until top is golden and cooked through. Serve in shallow bowls and enjoy! Maddy CookLikeMad.com Keywords: Main Dish, American, Easy, Chicken, Dinner ( RG2098 )

Soft Pumpkin Cookies (Pumpkin Cake Bites) Serves 15 as Dessert. Since the recipe calls for 1 cup of pumpkin puree and most cans are over 14 oz, use the extra for mini pie fillings, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin muffins, or freeze it in a ziplock bag to defrost when you want to make these cookies again- it won’t be long. Enjoy! Pumpkin Cake Bites (Soft Pumpkin Cookies) Makes 40 small cookies * 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour * 1 teaspoon baking powder * 1 teaspoon baking soda * 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon * 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg * 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger * 1/2 teaspoon salt * 1/2 cup butter, softened * 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar * 1 egg * 1 cup canned pumpkin puree * 2 teaspoons vanilla extract * 1/2 cup white or milk chocolate chips (or both) Method 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat or lightly grease it. 2. Mix first seven ingredients (the dry ingredients) in a small bowl and set aside. Combine butter and sugar in another bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy and lightened in color, about 5 minutes. 3. Beat in egg, then stir in pumpkin puree. Add dry ingredient mixture all at once and stir until just combined. At this point you can fold in white or milk chocolate chips if you;re making drop cookies, or if you;re piping the cookies, add the cookie dough to a pastry bag fitted with a tip at least 1/2” wide. Drop or pipe cookies onto baking sheet and if you piped the cookies, place one chip, white or milk, in the center of each cookie. 4. Bake in the center of the oven for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be fairly firm to the touch, but not dry, and they should only be barely browned on the top and bottom. Move to a rack, cool, and enjoy! Cookies keep in an air tight container for up to 5 days. Maddy CookLikeMad.com Keywords: Dessert, Cake, Easy, Snack, Cookie ( RG2097 )

Chocolate Dipped Pecan Meringues Serves 10 as Dessert. What I love about these cookies is not only that they’re easy and liked by all, but also that they have a certain adult quality about them. Its that almost-burnt flavor, that caramelized, brown sugar taste that deepens and balances the sweetness. They are crunchy, light, and even great without being dipped in chocolate, white or dark. Serve a few in a bowl with some raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries, add a little whipped cream or ice cream, and you have a more formal dessert. Whether you nibble on them with friends while watching football or enjoy them crushed into ice cream, cuddled up with a good book, enjoy! Chocolate-Dipped Pecan Meringues Makes 25-30 1 1/2” cookies 1/2 cup pecans 2 egg whites pinch salt 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/8 cup white chocolate chips 1/8 cup dark or milk chocolate chips (your choice) Method: 1. Preheat oven to 385 degrees and lightly grease baking sheet, or better yet, use a silpat baking mat on top of the baking sheet. 2. Pulse pecans in a food processor (preferably a small one) until coarsely ground. Take care not to over pulse, or else oils will release and coarse texture will be lost. 3. Whip eggs whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form and add sugar slowly, while continuing to beat whites. Beat until stiff peaks form. 4. Immediately fold in pecans, taking care not to deflate the egg whites (the sugar does help to stabilize them, though). 5. Drop or pipe about a tablespoonful of batter onto baking sheet or mat, and leave 1” of room between cookies. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 285 degrees. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden all over. Cookies will still be slightly soft to the touch, but they will harden as they cool out of the oven, yielding a crunchy texture. 6. While cookies cool, melt the chocolates in separate dishes in the microwave. Dip bottoms of the cookies in melted chocolate once completely cool and firm and place them on wax paper, then in the fridge, so the chocolate can harden. Note: white chocolate-dipped cookies will not need to be refrigerated to harden, but the milk or dark chocolate-dipped ones probably will. Enjoy! Maddy CookLikeMad.com Keywords: Dessert, American, Easy, Snack, Cookie ( RG2096 )

Chicago Style Pigs in a Blanket Serves 5 as Appetizer. Searching for super bowl recipes? Here's a regional approach to an old classic. Bite sized pieces of pigs in a blanket with the flavor of a Chicago style dog. Can I still call it a "pig" in a blanket if the hot dogs are all beef? Pigs in poppy seed blankets 1/2 pkg Pillsbury crescent rolls 1/2 pkg Vienna Beef Hot Dogs 2 oz Sport peppers or Hot Giardinera poppy seeds celery salt Mustard Relish 4 T Yellow mustard 2 T White Onion (finely diced) 2 T Sweet Pickle Relish Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350* Using half of the roll of crescent dough, roll out or stretch the dough to a width slightly less than the length of the hot dogs. Cut sections across the dough that are long enough to wrap around each dog once. Finely chop sport peppers (or wash oil from Giardiniera, pat dry and chop fine). Press into dough. Roll dough around hot dog as snug as possible. Sprinkle blanketed dogs with poppy seeds and press to adhere. Bake hot dog rolls for 11-13 min (until toasted). *Prepare mustard relish by mixing mustard, diced onion, and sweet pickle relish. The mustard relish should be thick enough so that it doesn't run. When dogs are toasted remove from oven and let cool for several minutes. Trim rounded edges from hot dogs. Cut each roll into five slices and turn slices on their sides. Sprinkle each slice with celery salt. Top each slice with a dollop of the mustard relish, and skewer with a toothpick. Sprinkle lightly with celery salt, and a pinch of poppy seeds. Depending on your taste you can add additional peppers or a touch of finely diced fresh tomato. Keywords: Appetizer, Hors d'oeuvre, Easy, Snack, American, Amuse ( RG2095 )

Greek Cabbage Rolls in Avgolemono Sauce Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Greek Cabbage Rolls in Avgolemono Sauce ======================================= 1 large Savoy cabbage (Steam cabbage just long enough so that you can separate the leaves) Chicken broth head of garlic For the Stuffing 1 onion chopped 1/4 cup chopped parsley 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil 1 pound ground pork 2 cloves minced garlic 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill zest from one lemon 3/4 cup to 1 cup of raw rice, Cooked until almost tender. Prepare filling Saute onion in oil or butter until tender. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Mix together the pork, rice, cooked onions, parsley, dill , lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Form the cabbage rolls and place in a deep oven proof casserole. Add enough chicken broth to almost cover. Add a number of peeled and cracked garlic cloves and a few sprigs of dill. Top with any leftover cabbage leaves. Cover and bake for about 2 hours in a low oven (325°F). Avgolemono Sauce Rather than make the traditional Avgolemono sauce enriched with eggs, I make a sauce using: 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 3 cups of chicken broth salt pepper juice of one lemon lemon zest optional Make a roux using the butter and flour. Add the chicken broth and when the sauce is cooked add the juice of one lemon and the zest if using. Season with salt and pepper and serve over the cabbage rolls. Cabbage Rolls can be prepared earlier in the day and then reheat in the Avgolemono sauce. Keywords: Main Dish, Mediterranean, Easy, Vegetables, Pork, Beef, Dinner, Lamb ( RG2094 )

Dan dan noodles (cold noodles in a spicy sesame dressing) Serves 8 as Side. This recipe's starting point was the recipe for "cold sesame noodles with chicken and vegetables" from Madhur Jaffrey's Far East Cookery, only minus the chicken (turning it back from "bon bon chicken" to "dan dan noodles"). I then juiced up the seasoning here and there as inspired by various recipes for dan dan noodles out there on the web. 1 lb fresh Chinese lo mein style egg noodles 1 carrot 1 stalk celery 1 pickling cucumber 2 scallions 1/2 c sesame paste (tahini will do fine) 1/4 c dark sesame oil 2 tsp chili oil, or to taste 1/4 c Chinese light soy sauce 2 T rice wine vinegar 2 tsp sugar 1 thumb-sized chunk fresh ginger root, peeled and minced 2 big cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1. Boil a large quantity of water. Add the noodles, bring back up to a boil, and simmer, stirring occasionally to keep noodles separated, until they are just barely done. Drain and shock with cold water to halt furter cooking; drain thoroughly. If you're not going to dress the noodles immediately, toss with a tablespoon of sesame oil to keep them from sticking to each other. 2. Julienne the celery, carrot, cucumber, and scallion. Blanch each briefly in boiling water to just barely soften and to brighten the colors. Shock and drain as with the noodles. Add to the noodles and toss well. 3. Combine the remaining ingredients to make the dressing. Note that the measurements for the dressing ingredients are all approximations--adjust all quantities to your personal taste preference. In particular, feel free to juice up the heat with your preferred chile weapons of choice. Ground sichuan peppercorns are also a fine addition. 4. Add enough dressing to coat the noodles well; toss thoroughly. Chill, covered, for at least a few hours to let the flavors combine. Toss again and correct seasonings as desired before serving. Keywords: Pasta, Side, Chinese, Easy ( RG2092 )

Red-cooked pork belly with greens Serves 8 as Main Dish. This recipe is a blend of a number of recipes for red-cooked and other braised pork belly dishes, including several from Kenneth Lo's Encyclopedia of Chinese Cooking, plus Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's recipe for "Aromatic Pork Belly Hot Pot." In Asian groceries with a full-service meat counter, you'll find a couple of different grades and cuts of pork belly. You want the type with the rind on, and with several layers of meat and fat--this is typically the cut with some rib bones in, usually priced slightly higher per pound than the thinner grade with fewer layers. I break this recipe into two day's worth of work, mainly because I find it easier to slice the meat and defat the braising liquid when both are well-chilled. You could do this all in one day--just be very careful when slicing the super-tender warm meat, because it will want to fall apart on you; and defat the braising liquid as best you can. 3 lb chunk pork belly with rind 3 star anise 1 dried red chiles 1/4 c Chinese dark soy sauce 1/4 c Chinese light soy sauce 1/4 c Shaoxing wine 2 T rice wine vinegar 1 small handful Chinese yellow rock candy chicken broth or water to cover 1 bunch scallions 4 bunches baby bok choy 1. The day before you intend to serve the dish, cut the pork belly crosswise into two or three more manageable-sized chunks, that will fit together in a single layer in the pot in which you will be braising the meat. Place in your braising pot, and pour over the meat enough boiling water to cover. Bring the water back to the boil, then turn it back down to a simmer; simmer gently about five minutes, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Drain the meat, discarding the parcooking liquid, and giving the meat a brief rinse to knock off any remaining albumim scum. 2. Wipe out the pot, put the meat back in, place back on the stove, and this time pour over it enough boiling chicken broth to cover (if you don't have broth, use boiling water again). Halve the scallions crosswise, split the white parts lengthwise, and add to the pot, along with the soy sauces, wine, vinegar, star anise, chiles, and sugar. Bring back up to an active simmer, then cover and turn to low. Simmer as gently as possible for a good couple of hours, turning the meat in the cooking liquid occasionally, until it is extremely tender and the rind is very soft. 3. Drain the meat, reserving the cooking liquid. Return the cooking liquid to the pot and reduce drastically--but stop before the liquid gets too salty. Cool the reduced broth, then chill overnight in the fridge and remove the solidified fat the next day. Also cool down the meat, and pull out any rib bones that come out easily without making the meat fall to pieces. Then carefully (so as not to damage the skin or fat layer) store skin-side up in a single layer in a lidded container, placed in the coldest part of your fridge. 4. The next day, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In the bottom of an oven-to-table casserole, place halved bunches of baby bok choy in a single layer. Slice the meat thickly, removing any remaining rib bones with a small sharp knife, and arrange the slices attractively over the bok choy. Pour the reduced cooking liquid (loosened up as needed with a brief nuke in the microwave) over the contents of the casserole, cover tightly, and bake until the meat has fully come up to temperature and the skin is unctuously soft again. 5. Serve out of the casserole, over plenty of steamed white rice to absorb all the juices. Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Chinese, Pork ( RG2091 )

Tom Yum Goong (Thai hot and sour shrimp soup) Serves 8 as Soup. There are two ingredients that really "make" this soup: the head-on shell-on shrimp and the nam prik pao. If you can't get the former, substitute the best-flavored seafood, chicken, or vegetable broth you can get, and promise yourself to get the shrimp with heads next time. Shrimp that have a bright orange spot showing through their translucent heads are especially choice for this, as the orangey stuff brings a lot of color and flavor to the broth. The trick with the nam prik pao is for non-Thai readers to identify it in the store, because the English labeling will call it something innocuous like "roasted chilli paste". Pantainorasingh is one common and popular brand of the stuff--the label has a long dragon boat on it and describe the stuff as "chili paste with soya bean oil." Despite the verbiage, the Pantainorasingh brand actually has only a mild chile kick--mostly it's super-savory, and a bit sweet. (Incidentally, a web search will turn up a variety of English transliterations of "nam prik pao"--I especially like the ones that aptly spell the last syllable "pow.") 1-1/2 lb large shrimp with heads and shells 2 stalks lemongrass 3 cloves garlic 1 chunk ginger or galangal root 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves 4 limes Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce, to taste palm sugar, to taste fresh Thai red chiles, to taste nam prik pao, to taste 1 handful cilantro leaves, to taste 2 15 oz. cans straw mushrooms Extra chicken, fish, or vegetable broth as needed 1. Remove the heads and shells from the shrimp and reserve, along with any juices from the heads. Devein the shrimp as needed while you're at it. (The heads should pull right off. Use scissors to shell the raw shrimp easily: insert one blade of the scissors right at the point where the vein peeks out from the body and snip right through the shrimp's back, shell and all; then the shell will pull right off and the vein is exposed for easy removal.) 2. Put the heads and shells in a stockpot with water to cover. Add one stalk of lemongrass, sliced; 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed; and a chunk of fresh ginger or galangal root the size of your thumb, sliced. Bring to a boil, back down to a low simmer, cover and simmer for a good hour or so, stirring occasionally. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, smooshing the shells and heads a bit to get at least some of the remaining liquid out. Discard the shells and other detritus. (If you're not making soup immediately, cool the broth and freeze until needed.) From this point onward, the recipe directions get unrepentantly seat-of-the-pants-ish ... 3. Return the broth to the pot. Add an extra cup or three of your backup broth as needed to bring the volume of broth up to the amount you'll need for your number of diners. Drain the straw mushrooms; the liquid will probably be too tinny-tasting to use. Halve the shrooms if they're big, and add to the soup. Also add 4 to 8 kaffir lime leaves, depending on size, and the second stalk of lemongrass, sliced up. Bring up to simmering temperature, cover, and let cook together for awhile till the lemongrass and lime leaves have had a chance to let their flavor develop. 4. You're now going to do a balancing act with the fish sauce, limes, palm sugar, nam prik pao, and chiles, adding and tasting till you like the combo of flavors and level of heat. My suggestion would be to start with a big spoonful of the nam prik pao--make sure it's well dissolved into the simmering soup--and maybe one or two chiles, sliced and deseeded. (Wear gloves when cutting up the chiles--and if you're a chile-head, by all means add more than one or two to start!) Then a couple tablespoons of the fish sauce. Then alternate lime juice and sugar till you can taste both sweet and sour--you probably will only need a little sugar, if any, because the nam prik pao has sugar in it already. Then readjust the savory and hot seasonings as needed. Repeat till you're happy with the result. (Many recipes say to wait to add the nam prik pao until the soup is served, putting a spoonful in the bottom of the bowl and ladling the soup on top to dissolve it. I found it easier to get the other seasonings balanced if I did the nam prik pao at the same time. You can always offer the nam prik pao, and other condiments, at table for anyone who wants to adjust their soup further.) 5. Maybe ten minutes before serving the soup, bring it just up to a boil and drop in the shrimp. Bring it back up to a lively simmer, and cook until the shrimp are just cooked through--don't overcook! Pour into a tureen, drop in the handful of cilantro leaves, and serve. (Make sure your guests know that the kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass are not meant to be eaten!) Keywords: Thai, Shrimp, Soup, Seafood, Intermediate, Hot and Spicy ( RG2090 )

Mexican Rice Serves 4 as Side. 1 T olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 1-1/2 c long-grain rice 3 c low-salt chicken broth or stock 2 med-size tomatoes (about 12 oz total), chopped 1 can (4&1/2 oz) chopped green chilies 1 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/2 c fresh chopped cilantro 1/2 c pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced Heat oil in 4-quart saucepan over med-high heat until hot. (Make sure you use a large enough pot, I tried to make it fit into a 3&1/2 quart pot and it was very tight). Add onion & garlic, cook until soft. Add rice, and stir well, cook, stirring occasionally, until rice toasts a bit and turns golden, about 3-5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, chiles, chili powder, and S&P. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until rice is done, about 25 min. You may have some liquid still left. Turn off heat and stir in cilantro and olives, Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Keywords: Side, Rice, Mexican, Easy ( RG2089 )

Braised Lamb Shanks Serves 6 as Main Dish. We raise our own sheep, so lamb is a staple meat in our home. I first made this dish on a cold snowy day: to me, the best times for cooking. The result of this dish is more a hearty, very thick stew, suitable for putting over rice, mashed potatoes, noodles, or any other substantial starch. The smells are divine; almost edible! I hope you will try it and enjoy it as much as our family does 3 lb lamb shanks (my butcher cuts them 2-3" thick, at my request) 1 large sweet onion, chopped 3 cloves peeled and smashed garlic 2 c dry red wine (I use whatever is open) 3 c water or stock, hot 1/2 can tomato paste several whole sprigs of thyme, tied together pepper, to taste kosher salt olive oil Preheat oven to 325F. Heat olive oil on medium high almost to the smoke point in a large skillet. Salt shanks liberally on both sides with kosher salt. Sear shanks 4 at a time until nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove shanks to a large dutch oven with a tight fitting lid. Reduce temperature under skillet to medium and deglaze pan with the red wine. Add the water or stock and add the onions and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in the tomato paste until well incorporated. Add the thyme sprigs and pepper. Pour this sauce over the shanks in the dutch oven. Cover and bake for 4 hours. Reduce heat to 250F and cook an additional 2 hours. Remove meat from the dutch oven, picking over for bones and large fat pieces. Add picked over meat to the sauce in the dutch oven. With dutch oven on stovetop over medium to medium low heat, cook until thick. Adjust seasonings and serve. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Lamb, Dinner ( RG2087 )

Scalloped Tomatoes Serves 6 as Side. This recipe is from the Word's Worth Eating cookbook – a publication from Ukrops, a local and loved family supermarket in Richmond, VA. Mine is fundamentally the same, except that I have increased some amounts and expanded the directions a little bit – theirs are kind of abrupt and when I’ve given out the recipe before, I’ve noticed a lot of questions. These are the tomatoes that have changed many confirmed stewed tomato haters into confirmed scalloped tomato lovers. But be forewarned, they are Southern-style sweet vegetables. They remind you that, after all, tomatoes are fruits! 28 oz canned tomato wedges or small whole tomatoes cut into wedges 1/3 c sugar 1/4 tsp pepper (or to taste) 1/8 tsp salt (or to taste) 1/4 tsp dried basil - fresh would work, too ;-) 1 tsp brown sugar 1 c soft bread cubes 1/4 c soft bread crumbs 2 T butter 2 pieces of toast, crusts trimmed and cut into triangles 2 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10"x6" glass/ceramic baking dish. Melt the butter and toss with the bread crumbs. Set aside. Drain the tomatoes slightly – you want some of the juice in there, but not all. Mix the tomato wedges, both sugars, pepper, salt, and basil. Toss with the bread cubes and pour into the prepared dish. Top with the buttered breadcrumbs. Cook for 35 minutes. Top with the toast points and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Keywords: Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Vegetables ( RG2086 )

Braised Chipotle Pomegranate Chicken Serves 4 as Main Dish. This is a variation on a classic braise/stew that I thought of and tried on a whim and it turned out to be delicious. Use the recipe as a rough guide....feel free to experiment with your own variations. 6 chicken thighs (skinned, bone-in preferred) 2 medium onions roughly diced 2 c chicken broth 1 c red wine (optional) 1 bay leaf 2 T tomato paste 3 T pomegranate molasses (to taste) 3 chopped canned chipotle chilies (to taste) 2 cloves garlic chopped or crushed 2 T oil Heat the oil and brown the chicken thighs and remove. Saute the onions and garlic in the same pan. Once softened, deglaze with the wine. Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, chipotle chilies, pomegranate molasses and chicken broth. Return chicken to pot, cover and simmer for an hour or until the desired consistency is met. You can add a touch of the pomegranate molasses to taste at the end for a kick in flavor. Remove the bay leave before serving. Enjoy with rice, pasta / orzo. Keywords: Main Dish, Chicken, Easy, Crock Pot ( RG2085 )

Pear Frangipane Tart Serves 8. I am submitting this recipe because I fluked it perfectly first time and I have to put it down in writing before I forget the quantities! The amounts are for a 9in shallow flan tin. Enjoy... For the Pastry 175 g Plain Flour 80 g Cold Diced Butter 35 g Caster Sugar Pinch Salt For the Filling 130 g Softened Butter 130 g Caster Sugar 130 g Ground Almonds 2 Eggs & 1 Egg Yolk 40 g Plain Flour 2 Pears, peeled, cored and cut into eighths 2 T Apricot Jam, warmed 1. For the pastry. Rub the flour and butter together till all the butter is incorporated and you have a sandy texture. Add the salt and sugar, mix well then add a splash of cold water to form the pastry dough. Roll into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and let rest in he fridge for at least 20 minutes. 2. Roll the pastry out and line your 9in flan tin. Cut away the excess and crimp the edge tight. 3. For the filling. Cream the butter and sugar together then add the eggs gradually, beating all the time. Add the ground almonds and flour, mix well. Spread the filling evenly over the bottom of the pastry case. It should fill three quarters of the case and will rise to fill the case nicely. 4. Arrange the pears on top of the filling and press them in gently. 5. Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Glaze with apricot jam whilst still warm. Let cool on a rack before slicing and serving. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate ( RG2084 )

Parsley & Peas Rice Salad Serves 8 as Side. Every time I make this simple rice salad I wonder where all that flavor comes from. Possibly the parsley? This was originally used as a base for Pollo Tonnato. I use plain ole supermarket rice. 1-1/2 c raw rice 2 tsp salt 2-1/2 c water 4 T white vinegar 6 T oil Salt Freshly ground pepper Lemon juice to taste 1 pkg. frozen tiny peas 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped Cook rice and salt with water over low heat for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool to lukewarm. Blanch peas for 1 minute only in boiling water. Drain and shock with cold water. (Nowadays, I don't even bother with this step, I just let the peas thaw.) With a fork, mix rice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add oil, a tablespoon at a time. Add lemon juice until it has a bit of zip. Toss in peas and parsley. Chill. Keywords: Salad, Rice, Vegan, Vegetarian, Kosher ( RG2083 )

Ruby Chicken Serves 5 as Main Dish. 1-1/2 lb chicken, boneless skineless thighs, breasts or a combination 1/3 c flour 1 tsp salt 1-1/2 c fresh or frozen cranberries 3/4 c orange juice 1 T grated peel, orange, lemon, lime or a combination 1/4 tsp each ginger and cinnamon 1/4 c chopped onion 1/4 c sugar Preheat oven to 325F. Coat chicken with flour and salt. Brown in a nonstick pan coated with a little non-stick spray. While chicken is browing, combine the cranberries, orange juice, grated peel, ginger, cinnamon, onion and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Place chicken in an ovenproof pan. Pour cranberry mixture over the chicken. Cover and bake at 325F for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additonal 15 mintues. Test for doneness. Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Chicken, Dinner ( RG2082 )

Beef Coulis (Jus de Boeuf) contemporary demiglace This is my substitute for classical demiglace; it's useful when the flavor of a meaty, clean, naturally thickened beef jus is appropriate. It combines the intense flavor of 18th century meat coulis with the improved science of contemporary jus infusions. Time requirements are similar to a classical demiglace; food cost is much less. It's not a neutral sauce base; this version will have a strong beef flavor. To make other versions, you can start with a white veal stock and use different meats (pork, veal, etc.) to make meat-specific jus. The recipe is a substitute for demiglace, not glace de viande. It is based on a reduction to roughly a third the original stock volume. I prefer it more lightly bound than most demiglace, with greater intensity of flavor, but a thinner consistency, bound by gelatin. It can be thickened further at the end with arrowroot, if you like, or left loose, for individual sauces to be thickend a la minute. I haven't included a stock recipe. It will work with any standard bone stock, using beef or veal bones, as long as it contains adequate gelatin. I make mine with roasted knuckle bones, half beef, half veal. Yield is about 3 quarts. Total time (not including stock making!) is around 8 hours. 9 qt brown bone stock 6 lb defatted beef trimmings, beef chuck, or beef stew meat 2-1/2 oz butter (5TB) 1/2 medium onion 1/2 celery root 2 sprigs thyme 1 bay leaf 1 small bunch parsley 1-1/2 tsp arrowroot starch 2 T cold water (aprox. for arrowroot slurry) This is easiest with two pans: a 10 to 12" sauté pan, and 6 or 7 quart saucepan or dutch oven. - divide meat into three equal 2lb portions. meat will be incorporated in three stages; vegetables and garni will be incorporated in the last two of these. - consolodate stock into one container and place near stove Stage 1: -cut the first portion of the meat into rough 1" cubes -sear in a very hot sauté pan in brown butter (pan should be hot enough to brown the butter by the time the meat goes in). be sure to brown on all sides. it's ok if beef renders juices and starts to steam; let it cook until juices reduce and brown. -add 1 to 2 cups stock to meat, and thoroughly scrape bottom to deglaze drippings. keep heat high and reduce stock until it browns again. -with tongs, transfer meat to saucepan. cover meat with approx. 3 quarts of the stock. crank heat. do not wash sauté pan between stages (any remaining fond on bottom will help brown the meat on following stages). -pour off fat frome sauté pan. deglaze with a small amount of water and pour into saucepan. -when stock starts to simmer, turn heat low to maintain simmer, and slide pot back so flame strikes off center. -simmer about 2 hours. -skim every 5 minutes for the first 20 mintues, and every 20 minutes thereafter. rotate pan 1/4 turn every 20 minutes. -periodically add more stock to maintain the stock level. it's done when you've used all but 3-1/2 quarts of the stock. -turn the heat very low while preparing for stage 2. -remove meat from stock; allow to cool and then freeze. stage should take about 2-3/4 hours. Stage 2: -cut the second portion of the meat into rough 1" cubes -sear as before in brown butter. -deglaze as before with 1 to 2 cups stock; reduce and brown; transfer meat to saucepan and ad to the saucepan with the partially prepared coulis. turn up heat. -defat and deglaze sauté pan as before with a small amount of water and pour into saucepan. -add 1/2 of the thyme and 1/2 of the bay leaf. -coarsely chop 1/2 of the onion (1/4 onion) and 1/2 of the remaining celery root (1/4) celery root). -reheat sauté pan over medium flame, being careful not to burn any remaining pan drippings. -cook onion and celery root until onion is translucent. -add a small amount of water to pan with vegetables and deglaze; add contents to saucepan. -simmer as before for about 2 hours, skimming often in the beginning and every 20 minutes thereafter. continue to rotate pan and replenish stock to maintain level. it's done when you've used all but 1/2 quart of the stock. -turn the heat very low while preparing for stage 3. -remove meat from stock; allow to cool and then freeze. stage should take about 2-3/4 hours. Stage 3: -add the rest of the thyme and bay leaf, and add parsely (pin parsely under some of the meat so it stays out of the way) -coarsely chop the remaining onion and celery root. -reheat sauté pan over medium flame, being careful not to burn any remaining pan drippings. -cook onion and celery root in butter until onion is translucent. -add a small amount of water to pan with vegetables and deglaze; add contents to saucepan. -cut the second portion of the meat into rough 1" cubes -sear as before in butter. -deglaze pan with water (enough to cover the meat halfway). reduce and brown. -repeat with another portion of water -deglaze pan with half the remaining stock, and any added water needed to cover the meat half way. reduce and brown. transfer meat to the saucepan. defat if necessary, and deglaze the sauté pan with with the last of the stock. pour into saucepan. -simmer only 20 minutes or so, this time very gently. start checking flavor and consistency after 10 minutes. skim and rotate pan as before. -remove meat as before. freeze this batch of meat separately; it's going to taste better than the more overcooked batches. - test thickness of coulis on cold plate. if you want to thicken it more, make a slurry with 1-1/2 tsp arrowroot powder and some cold water (1/2 tsp arrowroot per quart of coulis). whisk in and simmer for 3 minutes. strive for a bit less thickness than traditional demi. test thickness by spooning onto a cool plate. add more arrowroot if needed, the same way, 1/2 tsp at a time. simmer a few minutes, and check again. - strain through fine chinois or strainer lined with 2 thicknesses of cheesecloth - cool in stainless bowls in a water bath, as before, and refrigerate overnight. stage should take about 2-1/2 hours. - defat and warm (to liquefy), and distribute in small increments increments in ziplock bags. for very small portions of sauce, freeze some coulis in an ice cube tray. freeze. freeze ice cube tray covered in plastic wrap. then store several cubes each in ziplock bags. ice cubes are a little over a half ounce—1 cup per tray. Keywords: Beef, Expert, Sauce ( RG2081 )