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Marzipan Tartlets with Apricot Glaze Serves 36 as Dessert. When I was catering lots of holiday parties, mostly buffets, I served a “Dessert Selection”. The selection consisted of about six kinds of tarts, truffles, cookies and other pastries to start. As the season passed and the selection diminished, I would occasionally bake two or three more goodies to fill in. This recipe was one of my favorites, especially because it could be prepared totally ahead. The original recipe—wherever it came from—was topped with a powdered sugar, orange or lemon juice and almond extract glaze. The apricot glaze I substitute is much more elegant and tasty. Tart dough is very difficult to press into the tiny tart pans, so I’ve doubled the batch to make 48 thicker, easier to manage shells. Freeze the extra dozen to fill with lemon curd, chocolate ganache or whatever strikes your fancy. Or, forget all the trouble and try using those tiny phyllo tart shells from the grocer’s freezer. No need to bake them before filling. tart pans with 12 tiny tarts each Tart dough (double batch): 2/3 c butter, softened 1/2 cup powdered sugar 2 egg yolks 1/4 tsp almond extract 2 c flour Dash salt Almond Filling: 1/3 c butter, softened 4 oz almond paste 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 tsp almond extract Glaze and decoration: 1 jar apricot jam, any size 1 T lemon juice, water, or apricot brandy 36 whole blanched almonds Tart dough: combine all ingredients in electric mixer bowl and beat until combined. On waxed paper, parchment or cling film, form the dough into a square. Chill for about an hour. Cut the dough into four equal square, then cut each square into 12 tiny squares. Roll each tiny square into a ball and press balls onto tart pan sides and bottoms. If dough gets too sticky, chill a few minutes. Bake tart shells at 375 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, mix up filling. Almond Filling: Combine butter and marzipan in mixing bowl (same one, no washing) until smooth. If your almond paste is very thick, grate it into the bowl using the large holes of a box grater. Or, dump it into your food processor. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Portion filling into 36 of the warm tart shells, lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool. Glaze: Warm jam and liquid of choice in microwave or in small pan on the stove. If using a large jar of jam, you may have to add a bit more liquid. Put through sieve to remove lumps. Using a pastry brush, paint the tops of the tarts. Place a whole, blanched almond in the center of each tart. Allow to dry at room temperature, uncovered, until the jam is set. Remove from pans and use within a day or two, or freeze for up to several weeks. Note: if you have jam left over, simply store it in it’s original jar and use at will. As mentioned in “Dessert Minis for a Shower” thread HERE: Keywords: Dessert, Tart, Intermediate, Christmas ( RG2005 )

Parsi Kid Gosht ( Young Goat or Lamb Stew ) Serves 4 as Main Dish. This is a popular Parsi recipe that has been adopted from Katy Dastoor. Can be served with rice or roti or bread. 2-1/4 lb Kid Goat or Lamb 1 Garlic Whole Head 1-1/2 Inch piece of ginger 6 Black cardamoms 5 Cloves 2 Inch piece of cinnamon 3 Red Chilies 2-1/2 oz Ground Cashew nuts 1 c Coconut milk 2 Potatoes cut lengthwise 3 T Oil 3 Large Onions (Yellow preferred) Cut the meat into large 1.5 inch pieces. Grind ginger and garlic together into a paste. Heat the oil and sautee the onions, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon and chilies. Onions should turn soft, but not brown too much. Add the meat and cook on low heat until the water is dried up. Add a few pinches of salt (you can add more later to suite your taste). Add a cup of water to the meat and cook until half done. Add potatoes and a little more water. Make a paste with the cashew nuts and coconut milk. Pour this into the pan when the potatoes are almost done. Cook on low until mean and potatoes are fork tender. Serve with white basmati rice or roti or bread. Keywords: Intermediate, Main Dish, Lamb, Indian ( RG2004 )

Sorta Secret Aardvark Sauce (Habenero Hot Sauce) I thought I'd submit my recipe which is a clone of a locally available sauce here in Portland OR called Secret Aardvark Sauce. Sorta Secret Aardvark Sauce 1 – 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes or roasted tomatoes chopped - include the juice 1 – 14.5 oz of rice wine vinegar. Use the now empty tomato can to measure 1-1/2 cups of peeled and grated carrots (packed into the measuring cup) 1 cup of finely diced white onion 1/4 cup of yellow mustard 1/3 cup of sugar 2 teaspoons of Morton’s Kosher Salt 1 teaspoon of black pepper 13 small Habaneros – seeded and membranes removed. (This was 2 oz. of Habaneros before cutting off the tops and removing the seeds and membranes) 2 teaspoons curry powder 1 cup of water when cooking 5 or 6 cloves of garlic - roasted if you've got it Put it all in the crockpot on high until everything is tender. About 3 hours Note: I used the crockpot so I don't have to worry about scorching it while it cooks. Whirl in food processor – Don’t puree until smooth – make it lightly/finely chunky. Makes 3 pints - To can process pint jars in a water bath canner for 15 minutes I've thought about making this with peaches or mangoes too, but haven't tried it yet. Edited for clarity on 11/9/2020 Keywords: Hot and Spicy, Carribean, Condiment, Sauce, Easy, Food Processor ( RG2003 )

Tamarind Passionfruit Barbecue ala hummingbirdkiss This is not exact ...taste while you are cooking to get all balance right for you and yours ..I like mine blistering hot so I add more Habaneros than I say here......this recipe is "medium hot". Fruity, smoky, hot & spicy, sweet & sticky barbecue 3 bottles chile sauce (Heinz or whatever or Ketchup) 1 c frozen Goya brand tamarind puree or tamarind paste diluted so you can pour it easily 1 c frozen Goya brand Passion fruit puree (or juice concentrate probably) 6 Key limes, juice of or regular limes maybe 3 2 c dark brown sugar 1/4 c corn syrup 2 shots dark rum 2 X 1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 big sprig thyme 1 large sweet onion cut into four pieces 3 fresh tomatoes 3 habenero peppers 3 tble New Mexican red chile powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp coriander 1 tsp allspice 1 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo salt and pepper to taste 1 c of vegetable oil in a food processor with a chopping blade mince up together the following until a smooth puree : the ginger garlic thyme onions tomatoes habaneros (hbk's recipe doesnt say whether to include seeds. Remove or include according to your fondness for heat) chile powder cumin coriander allspice (toasted) can of chipotle peppers in adobo. While the food processor is going add the 1 cup of vegetable oil. Take that paste out of the processor and put into a pot on the stove ..while stirring everything together bring to a hard boil for five minutes Turn to med high and stir every few min for about another 10-15 to make a fairly thick sauce. Taste to see if you want salt in there ..I put a couple of tsp of Kosher but not sure if it needed it I ran mine through a strainer but I dont think you have to there was nothing left in the strainer! I came out with three full pints of sauce when I was done I smoked the chicken and ribs after brining them for about 20-30 min ..drying them off really well then bringing them to room temp...lots of smoke on about a 300 degree grill (there was a large range chicken quartered and enough St Louis ribs for four people) just be patient check every 15 min add more chips and smoke away for at least 2 hours or so when they seem nicely smoked/cooked through... start dipping them in sauce every 15 min until you have what my pictures looked like ..I thin it was one more hour. If you like chuncks in your sauce add a diced sweet bell pepper and a dice onion just before you bring it to a boil. [Pix are at this address http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=105225&view=findpost&p=1443612] Keywords: Main Dish, Hot and Spicy, Sauce, Barbeque ( RG2002 )

Ginger Cucumber Mint Lemonade This is an adaptation of an adaptation of an Indian recipe. The original is done as a lemon-ginger syrup, to which some cucumber slices may be added. I came up with my own proportions using all-fresh ingredients. If the cucumber seems odd, all I can say is, "try it!" 5 medium lemons 2 medium cucumbers (not with bitter peels) 1 1 1/2 - 2" piece of ginger root 8 springs mint 1/2 c sugar, pluse more to taste Grate ginger finely and simmer with the 1/2 cup of sugar and an equal amount of water. While the ginger is simmering: Process the cucumbers till finely ground, the pour into a strainer or piece of fabric and squeeze the juice into a pitcher. Juice lemons, strain juice into a pitcher. Take 4-5 of the juiced halves and knead in the juice to release some of their oil. Add a quart and a half of cold water or until you have a tartness you like. You can always adjust with a bit more lemon. Remove simmering ginger syrup from the heat and strain into the pitcher. Taste and add sugar to taste. Add sprigs of mint, stir vigorously to release their flavor into the lemonade. Serve chilled over ice. Keeps several days, but the beautiful green color will fade in a few hours so it's best to make it and serve immediately. Note: some cucumbers have a bitter peel. Make sure the ones you use do not! If the peels are bitter, peel the cucumbers first. You won't get the green color but the flavor will still be good. Keywords: Non-Alcoholic Beverage, Easy, Fruit ( RG2001 )

Bean And Sausage Soup A very nice soup for a cold wintery day 1 onion chopped 2 tbspcanola oil 1 lbkielbasa sausage, diced 4 large garlic cloves, chopped (7) 1 bulb fennel; chopped 2 carrots; chopped 10 large Button mushrooms; chopped celery heart with leaves 1 small bag spinach leaves 900 ml box chicken broth water; plus 2 tbsp redi-base turkey stock 15 oz cans can navy beans 15 oz can can diced tomatoes with herbs 500ml ctner sour cream crushed red peppers; heaping bunch fresh dill; minced Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and garlic and sauté until sausage is lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add in crushed peppers,fennel,onion, carrot, mushrooms and celery,;cook about 5 minutes more. Add broth, water, turkey stock navy beans with their juices and spinach. Simmer until flavors blend and soup thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and dill simmer 5 more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. 10-3 cup servings approx Replacing the spinach with cabbage works well. could use more sour cream ( RG2000 )

Ginger sour cream buttermilk banana bread with praline soybeans w/ chocolate sauce <p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1139/707609363_7bfd814150.jpg" height="500" width="333" /></p> <p style="text-align: center">(Banana tart with soybean praline base, enrobed with banana chocolate sauce)</p> Nuts, especially peanuts and walnuts, are <strong>lethal</strong> for my oldest child. They are also delicious, found in many of the desserts that make life worth living, and are almost impossible to simulate. I do not like peanut butter, don't miss it, but I have always felt bad that my daughter has never had a <a href="http://www.frenchquarter.com/dining/pralines.php">praline</a>. I think I first had a praline at a <a href="http://www.stuckeys.com/">Stuckey's</a> in Texas, when we were driving down from Iowa, back in 1979. We were moving to a place we had never visited and a sort of landscape and heat we had never experienced. I was a bit shell-shocked from the intense aridity and brightness that you have in those mineral lands, so different from the humid monotonous cornfields that I had always known in my childhood. We stopped for a break and got out into the life-draining heat and sun that immediately set my black hair on fire with absorbed heat. We ran into the cold of the Stuckey's, all new to me, and I walked around marvelling that a whole store that seemed to sell only candies with gobs of nuts stuck to them would be plunked down in the middle of nowhere. I think their biggest item is the <a href="http://stuckeys.com/shop/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=04-00001&Category_Code=plr">Pecan Log Roll</a>, a white tooth-fusing confection with pecans molecularly embedded on the surface. I begged my dad for just a bit of something and that turned out to be a praline. I adored it and left all pecan log rolls for others with less refined palates (kidding). My favorite place to get and gobble pralines is <a href="http://www.auntsallys.com/">Aunt Sally's</a> in New Orlean's French Market. You can (or you use to be able to) stand and watch them make huge kettles of pralines. When we were at home and not in New Orleans, My mom would make them during our <a href="http://www.justinwilson.com/">Justin Wilson</a> phase (Ah Gaahrontee). For me pralines are a seldom treat and not something to really binge on once you buy or make them. I love making them because their aroma is just about 1000 times more enticing than any cake or cookie or baked chicken will ever smell. They are also relatively easy to cook up and you don't need to know how long to store them because they never make it past about 5 minutes. A good banana nut bread is in that same category. For these reasons, I have been hunting around for a way to make nut-free but nutty pralines and banana nut bread and my first try came out with something so decadent and amazing that I am going to share it with you today but I do not think we will make it again for some while, its that fattening! I used <a href="http://www.soys.com/">roasted unsalted soybeans</a>. Yup. You see them in the store but I bet you don't buy them much. They are hard to snack on because they have skins on them. Annoying. I finally figured out how to get rid of the skins on a cup of beans. Rub a handful in your palms and then, as you pour the beans from one hand to the other, blow away the skins. It can be messy but it works! I used <a href="http://www.sacofoods.com/culteredbuttermilkblend.html">dried buttermilk</a> from <a href="http://www.sacofoods.com/index.htm">Saco</a> to boost the complexity of the flavors. I love cooking with this stuff. If you do not have it, simply omit it and this recipe should work for you. <p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1434/717038406_9165c9f48a.jpg" height="500" width="333" /></p> <strong>Ginger sour cream buttermilk banana bread with praline soybeans</strong> (adapted from the <a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,174,148174-254204,00.html">basic sour cream banana bread recipe</a>) <strong>Ingredients:</strong> <ul> <li>1 c. butter</li> <li>1 1/2 c. sugar</li> <li>3 eggs</li> <li>1 1/2 c. bananas, mashed</li> <li>1 tablespoon vanilla</li> <li>1/2 teaspoon minced ginger</li> <li>4 c. flour</li> <li>1 1/2 tsp. baking powder</li> <li>1 tsp. baking soda</li> <li>6 tablespoons <a href="http://www.sacofoods.com/culteredbuttermilkblend.html">dried buttermilk </a></li> <li>1 1/2 c. sour cream</li> <li>1 c. praline soybeans (see below)</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: bold">Directions:</p> Cream butter and sugar together very well. Add in the ginger, vanilla, eggs and beat until incorporated. Mash the bananas and then mix with the butter-sugar well. Whisk dry ingredients together (flour, buttermilk powder, baking powder, and baking soda). Add the well-mixed dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with 1/2 cups of sour cream. Fold together until smooth. Gently fold in the cooled praline soybeans. Pour into 2 large greased and floured loaf pans and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 F. Use the knife test to see if its done, when it comes out clean, the cake/ tart is done! For the tart shown at the top, I greased a small tart pan with a removable bottom. I put down a layer of soybeans and then poured praline mixture over the top of it to set it into a "crust" for the tart. Pour some batter over the crust and bake the small tart for about 30 minutes, check with a knife. <p style="font-weight: bold">Praline soybeans</p> <p style="font-weight: bold">Ingredients:</p> <ul> <li>1 C water</li> <li>1 C white granulated sugar</li> <li>1/2 C 1/2 and 1/2 cream</li> <li>1 C de-hulled roasted unsalted soybeans</li> </ul> <p style="font-weight: bold">Directions:</p> Simmer water and sugar in stainless steel pot until it begins to become a medium brown and is thickening. CAREFULLY add the cream (it will pop and spatter really HOT molten sugar), stir to bring it all up to temperature. Let simmer until it reduces about 1/2 and add soy beans, mix, pour out onto greased foil, cool. <strong>Banana Chocolate Sauce</strong> <strong>Ingredients:</strong> <ul> <li>1/2 C water</li> <li>1/2 C sugar</li> <li>4 tablespoons chocolate powder</li> <li>1 teaspoon vanilla</li> <li>1/2 teaspoon <a href="http://www.flavorchem.com/spiceryshoppe/nonalc.htm">all natural banana liquour</a></li> </ul> <strong>Directions: </strong> In a small saucepan over medium to high heat, dissolve sugar in the water, bring to a boil. Turn to medium low and add the chocolate. Heat until just simmering and remove from heat. Add in vanilla and banana flavoring. Enrobe your favorite things. <p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1063/708831908_1542c1bf0b.jpg" height="500" width="333" /></p> This is my original recipe (as adapted somewhat loosely from the <a href="http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,174,148174-254204,00.html">basic sour cream banana bread recipe</a>). All photos are held under my copyright, all rights reserved. For licensing, contact Nika at nika.boyce@gmail.com. This recipe first appeared on July 6, 2007 at Nika's Culinaria ( http://nikas-culinaria.com/2007/07/06/banana-bread-plus/ ). Keywords: Dessert, Bread, Snack, Vegetarian, Cake, Brunch, Intermediate, Chocolate, Fruit, Dinner, Lunch, Tart ( RG1999 )

Shabu Shabu Serves 4 as Main Dish. This is a simple and fun meal for two or four. The trickiest part is procuring the right cut of meat if you are using beef or pork. See instructions below. I have found an electric skillet is easiest for this but you may use a hot plate or traditional hot pot with sterno if you have it. 1 lb beef, pork, seafood (see below) 1 large carrot, sliced into thin rounds 1 pkg mushrooms: oyster, button, straw 1 brown onion, quartered 1 napa cabbage 1 daikon radish, grated fine 1 bunch green onion, minced 1 snow peas/ sugar snap peas 1 bottle Ponzu sauce 1 bottle Sesame sauce (optional) 2 servings cooked rice If using beef or pork: These must be thinly sliced like a carpacio or prociutto. You may be able to find this cut already at a Japanese or other Asian market. If not, go to your butcher and choose a couple steaks that are nicely marbled, we prefer choice ribeye, and instruct the butcher to freeze it and slice it as thin as humanly possible, laying it out on a deli plate for you with paper between any layers. Cut carrots into rounds, quarter mushrooms and onion, peel a few leaves from the napa cabage and quarter those as well. The peas should be rinsed clean and dried. Put all this onto a pretty serving plate in a nice display. It will hold in the fridge all day so you can do this as early as you like. The ponzu sauce and sesame sauce should be placed in small bowls, one of each for each person. The minced green onion and daikon should be placed in separate serving bowls. You'll need about 1/2 cup of each. Each person will take some of each of these as is their preference to season their ponzu sauce. Put water in the electric skillet (or other vessel) in the center of the table and bring it to a simmer. Each place setting should have a bowl of rice, chop sticks and a bowl each of ponzu and sesame sauces. (We only use the ponzu at our house!) Toss a few veggies in the water and each person can fish them out with their chopsticks as they wish. Put the meat in a location where each person can reach it. You will take a piece of meat, swish it in the water until it has reached your preferred donenness (generally only a few seconds) and dip it in your sauce before eating. Keywords: Easy, Japanese, Beef, Main Dish, Dinner, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Healthy Choices ( RG1998 )

Candied Cherries From Favorite Homemade Cookies and Candies, Sedgewood Press 1982 Wash one pound of cherries and remove the pits. Place the cherries in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Cook for about 4 minutes or until tender. Drain well, reserving 1 1/4 cups of the liquid. Spread out the cherries, in one layer, in a heatproof dish. Pour the reserved liquid back into the saucepan and add 3/4 cup of sugar. Heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the syrup evenly over the cherries. Cover with a plate or tray to keep the cherries submerged in the syrup. Allow to soak for 24 hours. The next day, drain off the syrup into a saucepan. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar, stir to dissolve, then bring to a boil. Pour over the cherries again and let soak for 24 hours longer. Repeat this step every day for the next 5 days. The next day, drain off the syrup into a saucepan. Add 6 tablespoons of sugar, stir to dissolve and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the cherries. Return the pan to the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the cherries and the syrup back into the dish, cover and soak for 48 hours. On the tenth day, repeat but soak for 4 days instead of 48 hours. The syrup should be like clear red honey. Drain off the syrup. Place the fruit on a wire rack over a cookie sheet. Finishing Dry the cherries in a warm place or in a 250-degree oven. Cherries are dry when they no longer feel sticky. For a glace finish, place 2 cups sugar and 2/3 cup cold water in a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Have a saucepan of boiling water ready. Pour some of the sugar syrup into a cup. Dip the cherries, one at a time, first into the boiling water then the syrup. When the syrup in the cup becomes cloudy, discard and replace with fresh. As the cherries are dipped, arrange on wire rack over a cookie sheet. Dry the cherries as described above. For a crystallized finish, dip the cherries in boiling water and coat with sugar. ( RG1997 )

Food for the Gods Rich and festive, a tradition for gift-giving and snacking. Molasses and bread flour make them darker and more chewy. Cool completely (chilling is even better) before cutting, then wrap pieces in cellophane or decorative foil. 1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened 2 T molasses, honey or golden syrup 1/2 c sugar 1 tsp vanilla or nutmeg 1/2 lb brown sugar (muscovado if possible) 3 eggs (6 oz) 1 c all-purpose flour or bread flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp baking soda 1 c walnuts, pecans or other nuts, coarsely chopped 1-1/2 c pitted dates, chopped, or a combo of dates and raisins Preheat oven to 325. Line a 13x9 pan with parchment or brown paper and lightly butter or spray the paper. Cream the butter, syrup, vanilla and both sugars until well-mixed (no need to really aerate.) Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Dredge the dates and nuts with 2 tbsp. of the flour. Combine the rest of the flour with salt, bp and b soda. Add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the nuts and dates. Spread in the pan and bake 30-40 minutes, or until browned and fragrant. Cool completely. Slide the whole slab out onto a cutting board to cut into strips then individual pieces. Keywords: Dessert, Filipino, Easy, Christmas, Snack, Brownies/Bars ( RG1996 )

Raspberry Thyme Sauce for Pork Serves 4 as Main Dish. I came up with this as a sauce for roasted pork tenderloin. I tried a few different approaches before getting to this one, which is a tart, intensely flavored glaze. Since then I've learned that it's not an original idea, but I still like it! It works well with any roasted or sautéed pork dish. 1 shallot, finely chopped 1/3 c raspberry preserves 2 c poultry or veal stock 1/2 c white wine and/or white wine vinegar* 2 tsp Balsamic vinnegar (use goof stuff, or leave it out) several stems fresh thyme 1 fl oz butter salt, pepper *For a very tart sauce, use all vinegar. For a mild sauce, use all wine. For a medium sauce, use 1/4 cup of each. Deglaze the pan drippings from the pork with the stock, and wine/vinegar. Stir in shallots. Reduce by 1/2 Add 3/4 of the thyme and all the raspberry preserves Reduce until it's a light syruppy consistency, then reduce heat Add remainder of the thyme, and the balsamic vinnegar (if using) Salt and pepper to taste. Strain into warmed serving vessel Swirl in Butter Keywords: Dinner, Easy, Main Dish, Pork, Sauce ( RG1995 )

Chocolate Butter Sauce Serves 6 as Dessert. This is the most versatile and delicious chocolate sauce I've found. I first learned about it from James Peterson. It's infinitely variable. Compared with ganache based sauces, you have more control over flavor and consistency, less milk flavor diluting the chocolate, and more sheen. Most hot fudge sauces taste like Hershey's Syrup in comparison. The drawback is that it's a more fragile emulsion than ganache, so it's best used fresh. It can be refrigerated and reheated, but you have to do it with care. 4 oz Bittersweet Chocolate*, at room temperature, chopped into small chunks 113g 3 fl oz Liquid** (approx) (84g) 1-1/2 oz Butter, cool, in small pieces (42g) *I like a dark, complex, strongly flavored chocolate, like Valrhona Guanaja. If I'm not adding any additional flavoring, I'll brighten up the taste of the chocolate by blending 2-1/2 ounces Guanaja with 1-1/2 ounces Manjari (a brighter, more aromatic Valrhona chocolate). If I'm adding a sweet flavoring (liqueur, etc.) I'll blend 3-1/2 ounces Guanaja with 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate. **Liquid can be water, strong coffee, liqueur, fruit brandy, fortified wine, whisky, etc.. You can adjust the amount to control consistency (add more if the sauce will be used on ice cream, for example) 1. melt chocolate in the liquid over medium-low heat in a heavy saucepan. keep liquid well below a simmer. 2. lower heat or remove from heat, and swirl in the butter. if you do it all right and keep the temperature moderate, the butter and chocolate will stay emulsified, and you will have a glassy-smooth texture, like ganache but with a greater sheen. 3. If you refrigerate leftovers and need to reheat it, let it come to room temperature slowly, without disturbing it. then heat in a water bath over water that's below a simmer. Stir very gently. Keywords: Dessert, French, Easy, Chocolate, Sauce ( RG1994 )

Chocolate Marquise with Peach and Basil Sauce Serves 15 as Dessert. This is my interpretation of the classic super-rich terrine, inspired in part by Chef Gilles Bajolle's refinements. His and the more traditional versions are somewhat less intensely flavored than this one. There are a handful of traditional sauces, including pistachio-infused creme anglaise and vanilla creme anglaise. I came up with peach and basil as a sauce for summer; I like the way the bright, fresh flavors work with the dark chocolate. Some other sauces I've concocted for other seasons: pear and clove, cognac and golden raisin, grand marnier, raspberry, and pear and lapsang souchong tea. Your imagination is the limit when it comes to creme anglaise flavors. This dessert is all about chocolate, so make sure you use the best you can find. The recipe specifies my favorite blend. There's no need to feel bound by this, but do pay attention to the ratio of bittersweet to unsweetened chocolates. I have friends who won't come over unless I promise to make this. The Marquise Chocolate--9oz, made up of: 3-1/2 oz Valrhona Guanaja bittersweet chocolate 2 oz Valrhona Manjari bittersweet chocolate 3-1/2 oz Valrhona Cacao pur Pate unsweetened chocolate 4-1/2 oz butter (1 stick plus 1 TB) 1-1/3 c heavy cream 6 large egg yolks 2 large whole eggs 7 T sugar (1/2 cup minus 1 T) 1/4 c cocoa 1/4 tsp salt The Sauce 3 T sugar 6 large egg yolks 1-3/4 c whole milk 6 T peach preserves 1 stem of basil leaves (intact) 2 stems of basil leaves (removed from stem and finely cut, ideally by hand or with scissors) The Marquise: Note: Make sure the eggs are very fresh, to discourage anyone from dying. If you're paranoid, you can beat them in a bowl over the same hot water used for melting the chocolate, to quasi-pasteurize them. Do not make scrambled eggs. Or you can buy pasteurized yolks. -chill 1 qt. pan (ideally a 6" cheesecake or springform pan) in fridge while preparing the ingredients -melt the chololate and butter in a bowl over hot water. ideally melt the chocolate, then stir in cool butter a bit at a time until smooth and glassy. -whip the cream until stiff and set it aside, keeping it cold -beat egg, yolks, sugar, and salt until smooth. do not incorporate enough air to significantly increase volume. for all mixing, use a stiff whisk, a hand mixer, or the flat beater of a stand mixer on medium speed. -when chocolate has cooled a bit, beat it with the egg mxture for one minute -beat in cocoa for 5 minutes by hand, or 3 minutes by machine. goal is smoothness and some thickening, not increased volume. final texture should be like a ganache icing. this is where you earn your dessert if you're not using a mixer. -fold in cream, gently. make it homogenous, but work it as little as possible to keep it from deflating -fill pan -thump it hard on counter to remove air bubbles. cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours; preferably overnight. -to remove from cheesecake pan, warm sides with hair dryer or a towel soaked in hot water. set bottom on a sturdy glass or bowl, and push sides down. -to remove from a solid pan, partially immerse in warm water to loosen it. Wipe of all the water from the outside of the pan, and flip it over onto a plate. if you're lucky, it will come out. if you're like me, you will do a lot of pounding and yelling, and maybe even resort to running a knife around the outside edge (and repairing the damage later--think stucco) The Sauce: This is a light Creme Anglaise (no cream), since the marquise is so rich. -simmer milk in saucepan. ideally use an evassee or windsor pan (with sloped sides). -beat sugar and egg yolk in mixing bowl, until smooth and lightened -lightly simmer stem of basil leaves in milk for 3 minutes, then remove -turn off heat, and whisk preserves into milk until soluble parts are disolved -pour 1/2 of the hot milk into the egg and sugar mixture, mix it up, and pour it all back into the saucepan -stir in the chopped basil leaves -turn the heat to medium. start paying attention. -stir constantly, using a wooden spatula, scraping the whole bottom of the pan, especially the corners -the sauce will thicken at about 165 degrees, but you won't have time to measure, because as soon as it gets a bit hotter than that it will curdle, and you'll be screwed. so watch closely. when it seems to have thickened (you'll start seeing the bottom of the pan peek through the sauce), run your finger in a horizontal line through the sauce that's clinging to the spatula. If the horizontal line stays, without getting dripped over, the sauce is thick. -keep stirring over heat for 10 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir an additional 30 seconds. -strain through a fine strainer or chinois. -the sauce is best if prepared right before serving. I like the non-traditional contrast of a warm creme anglaise on the coId marquise. if you do hold it, or chill it and reheat it, strain it again before serving. To serve, slice the marquise. a round pan gives wedge shaped slices that i set upright like pieces of cake. This is much denser and richer than a mousse ... a little goes a long way. I like to ladle the sauce onto the plate first, and set the marquise slice in the middle of this. The marquise and sauce last up to a week. Cover marquise tightly with plastic, with as little air space as possible. Sauce should be kept in a plastic container (like a sauce squeeze bottle) also with as little air space as possible. Both need to be kept in a very cold fridge. Keywords: Dessert, French, Intermediate, Chocolate, Plated Dessert ( RG1993 )

BBQ Pulled Pork This method starts in the smoker and finishes in the oven. (I smoke the meat in the evening and cook it in the oven overnight, so that the house doesn’t get too hot.) Although darn tasty in BBQ sandwiches – with North Carolina BBQ sauce and coleslaw, my favorite is to eat it with home made corn tortillas with a corn/avocado salsa and a squeeze of lime. 4 lb pork shoulder salt: black pepper: chili powder 1 onion, cut in quarters 5 cloves garlic, whole 1 c orange juice (+/-) beer (6 pack) olive oil The day before you want to smoke, rub the pork with the dry rub mixture. Heat your smoker (or grill) to 250-300. I use Mesquite wood chips, but you could use another wood. Smoke the pork for 3 hours. My smoker uses a liquid to keep the meat moist – I have found that beer is a good alternative to water. And you can drink the extra while you’re tending to the smoker (i.e. checking the temperature, liquid, wood chips every once in a while, etc.) Move the pork into a roaster or Dutch oven. Add orange juice, garlic cloves and onion pieces. Drizzle with Olive Oil. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place in 250 degree oven for 6 (maybe as long as 8 depending on size) more hours. You might want to check the pork at 4-5 hours to see if it needs additional liquid. It’s ready when you can easily pull it apart with a fork. Shred pork. Eat. Keywords: Main Dish, Barbeque, Intermediate, Smoker, Pork, Dinner ( RG1992 )

Marinated Green Beans Serves 4 as Salad. This really simple salad is perfect for taking along to a picnic or potluck. The garlic and onion give it a big punch of flavor, and the green beans are tender crisp and really refreshing. 3/4 lb green beans 1/4 c red onion, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1-1/2 T olive oil 3/4 tsp salt 3 T lemon juice Cook the beans in a large pot of boiling water, uncovered, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain beans. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the onion, garlic, olive oil and salt. Marinate at room temperature for 1 hbour, tossing mixture occasionally. Refrigerate if you want to marinate the mixture longer. Just before serving, add lemon juice and toss to coat beans. Keywords: Salad, Vegetarian, Vegan, Easy, Vegetables ( RG1991 )

Ligurian Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes Serves 3 as Main Dish. These were inspired by the familiar and the exotic; the classic lemon poppyseed muffin, and a phenomenal cake recipe by Pierre Hermé that blends the flavor of lemons and Ligurian olive oil. I've kept the Ligurian name in honor of M. Herme, but I personally prefer a more assertive olive oil. Nothing heavy or bitter, but a light oil with a good taste of fruit, and some spicy/peppery overtones works well. Pierre's cake includes raspberries, so it's no surprise that raspberries (fresh or infused in hot maple syrup) are delicious on these. They're also great with plain maple syrup. 1-1/2 c all purpose flour 1/3 c sugar 1-1/2 tsp baking powder 1 T poppyseeds (approx) 1/2 tsp salt 1 c whole milk 2 eggs 1 small lemon, zest and juice (or 1/2 large) 1-1/2 T unsalted butter 2-1/2 T olive oil -lightly toast poppyseeds in a small, ungreased saucespan, until they release their fragrance. -add butter and let it melt. turn heat very low and cook for a few minutes. -set aside 1TB of the sugar for the whipped egg white. mix zest into the remaining sugar in a mixing bowl, with your fingers, until moist and fragrant -add other dry ingredients to sugar/zest. stir to blend -separate one of the eggs and set the white aside, preferably in a copper mixing bowl -in separate bowl whisk the yolk and the whole egg into milk -whisk in melted butter/poppyseed slurry and continue whisking until frothy -stir in the olive oil -gently stir liquid ingredients into solid ingredients until eveything is moistened. do not beat. do not worry about lumps -start preheating pan or griddle -with electric mixer or baloon whisk, whip egg white to soft peaks -add tablespoon of sugar, and continue whipping to firm peaks. don't overwhip; they should still be glossy and moist. -stir lemon juice into batter -fold egg whites into batter -cook like regular pancakes (they will be thick, so prepared to use slightly lower heat). grease the pan with olive oil instead of butter. Keywords: Main Dish, Cake, Easy, Breakfast, Fruit ( RG1989 )

Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Torte Serves 6 as Dessert. Flourless chocolate cakes are everywhere. But I couldn't find one that lived up to its potential as the ultimate expression of chocolate intensity. Most of the recipes I've made or found at restaurants put too much emphasis on fluff or on eggs, and not enough on chocolate. Flourless cakes can run the range from souflés (lots of air) to baked custards (much less air). This recipe is on the custard side. My efforts were all about maximizing the ratio of chocolate to everything else without compromising the texture. If you love dark chocolate, you'll love this. It's ridiculoulsly easy to make, and if you follow the instructions, the texture will be creamy and, while almost dense, will melt away in your mouth. You can use whatever chocolates you like; I specify my favorite blend so you can get an idea of where I'm coming from. But please use excellent bittersweet chocolate; this recipe puts all the emphasis on the chocolate, and will succeed or fail based on its quality. 4 oz /113g Valrhona Guanaja bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 2 oz /57g Valrhona Manjari bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 4 oz /113g unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 2-2/3 T /32g granulated sugar (2T plus 2tsp) 1/8 tsp /.5g salt confectioners' sugar for dusting Prepare in 6" cheesecake pan or springform pan, with 2 layers of foil wrapped around outside, up the sides (or a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil). Make sure no seams are near the bottom inch of the pan. Pan will sit in a water bath that comes an inch up sides of cake pan. Grease pan bottom and dust with cocoa. Or better, line with a greased and dusted round of parchment. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with water bath on bottom rack. Use a roasting pan or lasagna pan, with about an inch of water in it (a bit less if the pan is small) Melt chocolate and butter in bowl over hot water. Ideally, melt chocolate slowly, reduce heat, and then stir in cool butter, in small pieces, until mixture is smooth and glassy. Set aside to cool. In a different bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks until yolks break; Add sugar and salt while beating. Whisk slowly, to disolve sugar, then whisk faster to create a light froth. Do not whip to the point where volume is greatly increased. This is where you will determine the final consistency of the torte. If you incorporate no air, it will be like custard. If you incorporate too much, it will get too fluffy. Gently stir egg mixture into chocolate (not the other way around) until uniform. Fill pan (about 1/2 full) Bake 20+ minutes. It's done when top looks dry and when torte jiggles only in the middle when shaken. Bake no more than needed. Set pan to cool on cooling rack. When torte is still warm, but cool enough to handle, invert onto serving dish. Best served warm, when fresh, but easily reheated in microwave. Dust with powdered sugar before serving (unless you're going to frost or glaze it). Serve plain, or with ice cream drizzled with chocolate butter sauce, or with a tart creme anglaise—ginger, orange/grand marnier, lemon, etc, or with a tart fruit coulis. Can also be frosted with whiped cream that's been sweetened with confectioners sugar and flavored with any of the above seasonings or spirits, or any kind of ganache. If you're topping it with something especially sweet, you can cut back slightly on the sugar in the recipe. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Chocolate, Cake ( RG1988 )

Heart of Darkness Brownies Serves 30 as Dessert. These are my favorite, in every way: dense, buttery texture, slightly sour tang, crackly crust, all emerging from the dark depths of high quality bittersweet chocolate. They're a complete reworking of a longtime favorite brownie recipe that I traced back to Maeda Heatter. When I tried to make the original version with high quality chocolate, the flavor was improved, but the brownies fell apart. A year of exploration into the mysteries of chocolate, and a dozen recipe generations later, I got it to work. The sour cream adds moisture and a subtle acidity. The cocoa provides a bit of structure without diluting the chocolate, as increased flour would. The dusting of sugar on top allows a nice crust to form; hard to do otherwise in a truly bittersweet recipe. Note: It is important to use good quality, bittersweet chocolate, with 60 to 72% cocoa solids in this recipe. Please don't use Baker's or Nestle supermarket chocolates. See my food processor variation of the Maeda Heatter recipe if that's all you have. It is not necessary, however, to use the most expensive chocolates. In my experience the subtlety of very high end chocolates doesn't make a big enough difference in brownies to be worth it. Callebaut 70% is an excellent option and was used for testing. 12 oz / 340g bittersweet chocolate, at room temperature, chopped into small chunks 12 oz / 340g unsalted butter (plus about 2 tsp for greasing pan) 1-1/4 c / 238g white sugar (can be adjusted to taste based on bitterness of chocolate) 2 T / 24g (approx) additional sugar for dusting 3/4 c / 100g all-purpose flour 1/4 c / 24g cocoa powder (plus about 2TB for dusting pan) 1 tsp / 6g salt 4 large eggs 200g 2/3 c / 140g sour cream 1 T / 14g vanilla extract Optional: chopped nuts or chocolate chunks requires small and medium mixing bowls, and a saucepan large enough for all ingredients (2-1/2 qt for whole recipe; 1-1/2 qt for half recipe). if the pan isn't big enough, then you will also need a large mixing bowl. melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat whisk in sugar until smooth and thick sift and thoroughly stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. whisk into the butter/sugar mixture util smooth. turn heat as low as possible, and stir chocolate into butter/sugar/cocoa mixture until mostly melted. remove from heat, and continue stirring until smooth. allow to cool until just above room temperature; about 80 degrees F. it should become fairly thick. you can speed the cooling process by putting the pan in a water bath and stirring. while mixture is cooling, preheat oven to 300° with rack in center. grease baking pan and lightly dust with cocoa powder. optionally, line the bottom with a greased/dusted with cocoa sheet of parchment, to make serving easier. shortly before chocolate mixture is cooled, combine eggs and sour cream in a medium bowl. whisk until well mixed, pale, and a bit frothy. do not try to incorporate enough air to increase the volume. stir in the vanilla. stir egg mixture into the other ingredients (if the saucepan is big enough, just do it in the pan). If mixture gets thick and lumpy, it means the chocolate has cooled too much--return it to the stove, and stir over low heat. mixture should get fairly smooth. If you're incorporating any chopped nuts or chocolate chunks, stir them in. pour into prepared pan and smooth top. dust a light, even coating of sugar over the top . bake about 35 to 45 minutes, depending on oven and batch size. batter should rise evenly from center to edge. the top surface should look uniform. a tester should come out of the center dirty, but without any large chunks of batter attached. better undercooked than overcooked. allow to cool on cooling rack. they can be served room temperature, warm (very soft), or chilled (like fudge). they keep a long time at room temperature or refrigerated, but crust will soften quickly. These brownies are delicate; be careful cutting and serving. they should be cooled to room temperature (or ideally chilled) before slicing. a palette knife or offset spatula works well. use your fingers to keep crust from breaking up when removing the blade. a pizza wheel also makes good clean cuts (although you'll have to begin and end the cuts with a knife). a thin, flexible metal spatula, like an offset spatula, cookie spatula, or fish spatula, makes it fairly easy to serve them without damage. (I just learned that there's another recipe, published by a cookbook author, with the same name as this one. There are no other similarities. The other recipe uses a much lower proportion of chocolate and is jammed full of candy. Don't be fooled!) Keywords: Chocolate, Brownies/Bars, Dessert ( RG1987 )

Barley-Spelt Grain Salad Serves 16 as Side. This grain salad is served cold and was inspired by my deisre to eat in the South Beach Diet style. Spelt can be found in some health food stores. You can substitute whole wheat berries for the spelt. Salad: 8 oz Spelt 8 oz Pearled Barley I small tomato, diced 1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced 1 can of olives, halved 2 Tbl minced fresh dill 8 oz feta cheese ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ½ cup diced red onion Dressing: 1/3 c olive oil 1/3 c cider vinegar 2 cloves garlic 2 Tbl coarsely chopped dill Salt and pepper to taste In a large Dutch oven or stock pot bring 4 quarts of lightly-salted water to a boil and add the spelt. Bring back to the boil and then reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 45 minutes. Add the barley, bring back to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let simmer another 45 minutes, then remove from heat, drain and set aside to cool. When the grains have cooled to room temperature, place in a large bowl. Add the remainder of the salad ingredients and mix by bringing the spoon up from the bottom of the bowl until thoroughly mixed. Place all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour over the salad and mix in using the same technique used to mix the salad ingredients. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Serve cool (prefered) or at room temperature. Keywords: Salad ( RG1986 )

Wadleigh's Chocolate Chip Cookies This recipe yields a moist, somewhat chewy cookie. 1/2 c margarine 1/2 c shortening 3/4 c white sugar 3/4 c brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp water 2 eggs 2-1/2 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 12 oz chocolate chips Cream margarine, shortening, and sugar. Add vanilla, water and eggs, then add flour, baking soda and salt. When mixed add chocolate chips. Spoon onto baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 375F. Keywords: Cookie, Chocolate ( RG1985 )

Meyer Lemon Ice Cream Serves 4 as Dessert. This is an old recipe, well before we had even had icecream churns in New Zealand. Easy and delicious! For a touch of modern, drizzle with limoncello and garnish with some crystallised lemon slices. I love it with fresh raspberries. Meyer Lemon IceCream: 1 Cup Double Cream 3/8 Cup Caster Sugar Very finely grated zest and juice of 1 large/2 medium Meyer Lemons (unwaxed...I have two trees that dont quit!) (If possible, soak the sugar and lemon zest/juice for an hour or so before adding to cream and whisking.) Place all into a bowl. Mix well and taste. Add more sugar or lemon if needed. Whisk until softly whipped then place into 4 small bowls or one larger bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. This ice cream does not need to be stirred at all. Probably need up to 4/6 hours to reach desired, conable ice cream consistency. Just leave at room temp 20 minutes or so to soften a little. Double/treble recipe as needed! Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Ice Cream ( RG1984 )

British Black Pudding (blood cake, boudin noir) Serves 12 as Appetizeror 8 as Main Dish. I grew up with this stuff. I was charging it down before I even knew what it was. Then I found out, and I wanted to eat it even more. After moving to New York from London, I couldn't find any black pudding anywhere, so I decided I should make my own. *Based on John Desmond's recipe, from Oakes and Mazzola's 'Boulevard' cookbook, with a few tweaks. 1 T olive oil 1 large onion, diced 3 cloves of garlic 2 T Calvados 1 tsp each of mustard, fennel and cumin seeds 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 crumbled bay leaf tsp ground black pepper 1 lb in total, of pork meat and fat - I used 1/4 lb of chilled streaky bacon and 3/4 lb of ground pork 1-1/2 c fresh pigs blood 1-1/4 c in total, of cereals - I used 1 1/4 cup cooked white rice 1 c mixed fresh herbs - I used sage, tarragon, parsley, thyme, Cuban oregano. 1 T Maldon sea salt 1 T unsalted butter 1 large beaten egg 1 c apple sauce/caramelized apples 1/2 c finely chopped dried apricots Sweat the onion and garlic in the oil for a few minutes until soft and add the Calvados. Cover, and cook for about 20 mins on low heat, taking care not to brown the onions. Allow to cool and reserve. Take the fennel, mustard and cumin seeds, bay leaf and red pepper flakes and warm in a skillet over a low flame until they release some of their aromas. Allow to cool, whizz in a spice blender with the bay leaf until powdery, add the paprika and reserve. Chop the bacon into the smallest pieces you can , and add to the ground pork in a bowl. Combine with all the other ingredients and mix very well for a few minutes with a spoon or your hands if you're brave. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Put the mixture into the terrine dish, cover tightly with foil and then into a large hotel pan. Add boiling water until it come 2/3 of the way up the terrine dish, and back for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the ban marie, and allow to cool for 2 hours, before refrigerating overnight. I eat it for breakfast, as part of the Full English, for lunch with cold ham in a salad, or for dinner with mashed spuds, caramelised apples. Keywords: British ( RG1983 )

Bake-Shop Muffins Serves 12. This is based on a recipe written by Joanne Chang and featured in Fine Cooking magazine March 2006 as part of a feature article. This is the base recipe only and of course a variety of flavours can be added. 16 oz all-purpose flour 4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 9-3/8 oz sugar 5 oz butter, melted and slightly cooled 8-1/2 oz whole milk, at room temperature 8-1/2 oz sour cream, at room temperature 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature 1. Heat oven to 350F. Spray 12-cup muffin pan thoroughly with pan spray. 2. In a large mixing bowl sift together dry ingredients. Whisk until well combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until well combined. 3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and fold just until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened. 4. Add up to 1-1/2 cups of fruit or chocolate and up to 3/4 cup of toasted nuts. As well, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla or flavour or spices of your choosing. Fold in just till combined. Do not overmix. 5. Use a 4 - 5 oz disher to scoop batter into the muffin cups. The batter will mound higher than the rim of the cups. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and spring back lightly, 30 - 35 minutes. Let the pan cool on a rack for 15 - 20 minutes. 6. While still slightly warm, use a knife to separate the tops if necessary, and then turn out the muffins onto a rack to finish cooling. 7. Glaze while warm if desired. Keywords: Easy, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Snack ( RG1982 )

Dolma, Mardin-Style Serves 10 as Main Dish. Mardin is a city in Southeast Turkey very close to the northeastern border of Syria, populated mostly by Arabs, Kurds and Assyrian Christians. The cuisine is heavily meat-based (an Arab friend from there said if you gave his mother a pile of vegetables but there was no meat there, she'd have no idea what to do!). I call this "Mardin Style" because I learned it from a friend from that area but really this approach is fairly common throughout the area. One thing that sets these dolma apart from others is that they use chopped meat, not ground. This makes a huge difference in texture. This can be made with fresh or dried peppers and eggplants. If using dry, bring water to a boil, add the peppers and eggplants (remove from string first!) turn off heat and wait 5 minutes or so. Retain water for cooking. Turkish stuffing peppers are a bell type usually about half the size of those used in the US, with thin walls, so you'll have to adjust according to what size peppers you have. It can also be made with vine leaves; in short, for any kind of dolma/sarma. People are sometimes surprised at the short-grain rice, but this is generally what is used throughout Turkey, both for stuffing as well as for pilaf. Spicing should be seen as "suggested proportions." The friend who showed me this said "the more sumak, the better." This is not necessarily true. Vegetables 20 Small stuffing peppers, tomatoes, eggplant sections, vine leaves... Filling 350 g beef or lamb, cut apprs. pea-size c chopped parsley c chopped fresh tomato T isot pepper (heaping) T ground sumak* T dry mint T tomato paste T pepper paste T margarine** c washed short-grain rice (Calrose is good) tsp salt, or to taste, black pepper to taste Cooking Broth water to cover T margarine tsp tomato paste beef boullion cube (optional)*** * More traditional is to soak about 3/4 c whole sumak berries (if you can find it) in warm water overnight, then strain and add this liquid to the cooking liquid. But if you can't find whole sumak, adding dry to the stuffing works too. **Traditionally rendered tail fat would be used. ***Sometimes lamb ribs are placed on the bottom of the pan; the marrow adds flavor to the dish. In the absence of this, I use boullion. Be aware of the extra salt. ==================================================== Cut tops out of peppers and removed seeds/pith. If using tomatoes, choose firm ones. Hollow them out. Eggplant - use the long thin variety, cut in half, remove pith from inside for stuffing. Vine leaves - if fresh, cut off stems, blanch in boiling water; if in brine, wash well in fresh water and remove stems. Mix all the stuffing ingredients well. Spoon filling into prepared peppers/eggplants/tomatoes and close tops. If using dried peppers/eggplants, leave a bit of a margin and fold the loose end to close. Often you will have missing bits of a dried pepper, no matter, just patch it (from the inside) with another piece. You can even take large fragments and roll them as if they were grape leaves. If using grape leaves, roll them in your favorite manner. Pack the stuffed vegetables into two layers in a 6-qu pot. If you have extra, put them in another saucepan to make a single layer. It's preferable not to have open areas as this means a lot more water will be added. Add water to cover, add the tomato paste, boullion and margarine. If you are using dried peppers, use the soaking water; if you soaked whole sumak berries, strain and add this water to the cooking liquid. Cover with an inverted plate that fits fairly well into the pan. Cover pot, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, checking water. There should always be a bit of water there but toward the end it should be much less; this will absorb during the resting time. Cook for around 25-30 minutes till rice is tender or until the rice has reached the consistency you like. (Some like firmer, some like softer rice. Both of these people will almost certainly be members of the same family and one person or another will complain that it is either too firm or too mushy, or the salt isn't right, or there could have been more sumak, or...). Turn off heat and allow to rest for 15 minutes or so before serving. Keywords: Main Dish, Middle Eastern, Intermediate, Lunch, Dinner ( RG1980 )

Analı Kızlı (Stuffed Bulgur Köfte in a Tart Sauce) Serves 12 as Main Dish. The name of this dish means "Mothers and Daughters," which refers to the larger stuffed bulgur köfte and the smaller plain ones. It is mostly known from the E. Mediterranean region of Turkey, in the area around the cities of Mersin and Adana. This is a large recipe; I generally halve it and it still makes a lot. Bulgur swells....! Don't let the "expert" classification put you off; learning to form and stuff the köfte does take some practice but you will have plenty of practice. Bulgur Shell kg fine bulgur g pounded meat (beef or lamb) c flour T pepper paste tsp salt egg black pepper, cumin to taste Meat Filling kg finely ground meat (beef or lamb) kg finely chopped onion T pepper sauce (or less) g butter salt, black and red pepper to taste Sauce c meat broth c cooked chickpeas T butter T dried mint med. lemons, juiced 2 Tomatoes, grated Bulgur Shell Moisten bulgur with water just even with surface of bulgur, let stand 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, cumin and pepper paste, and knead until mixture begins to hold together. Add Meat, flour and egg, continue kneading till the mixture holds together and is easy to form. It will take around 15 minutes. Filling Sautee meat with a very little bit of oil until the liquid is absorbed/steamed away, add onion. When it has stopped releasing water, add salt, black pepper, pepper sauce, butter and red pepper to taste, mix and sautee well, then remove from heat, cool and refrigerate until it sets hard (this will make the stuffing process much easier). Make the "mothers and daughters." Some make them larger, some smaller. Ideally they should be the size of a large shooter marble, i.e. about bite size but I tend to make them larger because I don't have a week to devote to it... It's better if you have a couple people to do it, one to make the shells and another to stuff and close. With wet hands, take pieces of the dough a little smalle than a walnut. Open by poking a finger into the center, then with thumb and forefinger (you can use whatever finger you want!) pinch the walls to thin them. Ideally they should be quite thin, half a centimeter or so especially if you make them small. It should be slightly oblong. Put in a teaspoon of the filling, close and smooth into a round ball. Continue till the meat is gone; with the remaining bulgur make small köfte about the size of hazelnuts (daughters). Sauce Grate tomatoes into a bowl. Grate them with the skin on and the stem side in the palm of your hand; the flesh will go into the bowl and the skin will remain in your hand. Put the broth in a large pot, add the cooked chickpeas and bring to a boil, add grated tomatoes. Add lemon, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, add small kofte and allow to simmer gently. Meanwhile, in a small sautee pan, melt butter, and add the pepper paste and mint and add to the broth. Some people like to add a tablespoon of flour to the butter and toast a bit before adding the other ingredients. You will cook the large köfte in batches, because there is no way they will all fit. Add around 1/3 of the köfte to the broth and simmer 10 minutes, carefully remove. Repeat with remaining köfte. Feel free to add more broth/lemon, pepper paste etc. if you like. I like a lot of sauce and generally make more. It should be like a slightly thick soup, tart and peppery but not burning with pepper. To me, what really makes this dish is the combination of red pepper, tartness and mint. Keywords: Main Dish, Expert ( RG1979 )