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Jelly Roll Sponge I 200 g eggs 120 g caster (superfine) sugar 125 g cake flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 40 g oil sift flour and baking powder together twice whisk egg whites till foamy, and gradually add the sugar. at soft peaks, add the yolks gradually and continue whisking to ribbon stage fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the oil pour into 28cm x 36cm (11 x 14 inch) or 25 x 36cm (10 x 14 inch) swiss roll pan bake at 200C (ummm... I think that's about 400F??) for about 8-10 minutes, depending on oven. Do not overbake. unmould immediately onto a wire rack once cool, spread with filling and roll up Keywords: Dessert, Cake ( RG1810 )

Spongeroll eggs sugar oil milk salt flour baking powder For the Cake: Preheat your oven to 175C or 350F. Grease your pan, then line with parchment, with enough overhanging on either end for you to lift the cake out when done. 1. Sift the flour with the salt and baking powder. 2. Whisk the egg yolks with 40g of the sugar. Then add milk and oil. 3. Whisk in the flour. 4. In the meantime, whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar and cream of tartar until it forms stiff peaks. 5. Fold into the flour/egg mixture. Spread into a half-sheet or jellyroll pan. 6. Bake for 15-20 minutes. When it springs back when pressed, it's done. I feel that this test is more reliable than the skewer test. To roll the cake: 1. Remove from pan when cool. 2. Trim off the edges. Eat them. They are reserved for the baker. 3. Spread jam, whipped cream etc on it. 4. Roll it up. 5. Slice. I think it's easier to slice after being chilled for half an hour or so. Keywords: Cake ( RG1809 )

Apple Honey Cake 3 c all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 T kosher salt 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp cloves 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 c honey 3/4 c tea, brewed 3/4 c orange juice 1/2 c white sugar 1/2 c brown sugar 1/2 c canola oil 3 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla 2 medium Fuji apples -- peeled, cored and diced (approximately 2 cups of diced apple) Sift together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice. I like to use a whisk to combine all of these ingredients. In another bowl, combine the hot tea, honey and orange juice. Using either a stand mixer or a hand mixer, cream together the oil and white and brown sugars. Add the eggs, mixing them in one at a time. Add the vanilla. Add one third of the liquid and mix on low speed. Add one third of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Repeat until all of the wet and dry ingredients have been incorporated. Fold the diced apple into the batter. Pour into a bundt pan that has been greased and lightly floured. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely and then turn the pan over and carefully unmold the cake onto a serving plate. Keywords: Dessert, Jewish, Kosher, Easy, Cake ( RG1808 )

GRAMMAW'S BLACK-SKILLET CORNBREAD Serves 8. This is a dense, hearty bread, it will hold together when dipped in navy bean soup. This is nothing at all like the Marie Callenders type of cornbread which is too sweet and more like cake than bread. This sticks to your ribs. Note, there is NO sugar in this recipe. Ingredients: 2 cups stone-ground cornmeal, white or yellow 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons flour 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups buttermilk 2 tablespoons canola oil or corn oil (I prefer bacon drippings or melted lard, but I don't have to worry about cholesterol and I know a lot of folks won't use it) Preheat oven to 450. Grease skillet and place in oven to heat. (If using lard, melt it in the skillet) Combine all the dry ingredients and whisk to mix. Add eggs, buttermilk and oil. (If using lard, pour the melted lard into a metal cup to measure, make sure there is some still in the skillet). Mix just enough to be sure all the dry ingredients are moist and there are no dry lumps. Pour into hot, well-greased skillet, return to oven and bake for 30 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Turn out onto wire rack if not serving immediately or onto a cutting board. Do not cut in the skillet! Cut into 8 wedges. serve hot with fresh butter. This also makes nice griddle cakes or waffles served with butter and maple syrup. For waffles, substitue flour for up to half of the cornmeal and add two tablespoons of sugar. YIELD: Makes 8 wedges SOURCE: Andie’s Grammaw Variations: you can add freshly-cut-off-the-cob sweet corn. You can add some green chiles or Jalapenos if you like spicy. You can add crumbled crisp bacon You can add some finely diced onion lightly toasted in the oven. You can add a bit of grated cheese. I grate it fairly fine and let it air dry for close to an hour so it doesn't melt away to nothing. ( RG1807 )

Sourdough Waffles Serves 4 as Main Dish. My favorite waffle recipe is originally from King Arthur, and it's written for a fairly goopy starter (not a firm starter). I refresh mine with equal masses of water and flour, a little more than 4 oz. each per refreshment. This is one of my favorite things to do with the part of the starter that gets removed in the refreshing. I generally don't measure too carefully when I make these, which is atypical of me! Sometime, I'll try the method Cook's Illustrated recommends in an article from March 2004 or thereabouts: heating the buttermilk, mixing all the ingredients (including the eggs but completely omitting the baking soda from the batter) together from the start, and refrigerating the batter overnight to rise. I'm concerned that if I left this particular version in my fridge, my starter would be too sluggish to do much. But if you try it before I get to it, let me know how it works for you! 2 c flour (can use half WW; about 9 oz) 2 T sugar, more or less 2 c buttermilk (I generally don't have buttermilk on hand, so I about half-fill my 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup with plain yogurt and then fill the cup with regular milk, making sure I stir a bit to avoid an 1 c sourdough starter (usually works out to about 8 or 9 oz, but I use whatever I remove from my starter jar just before adding water and flour to refresh) 2 eggs 1/4 c oil or melted butter (melted butter tastes better, but always seizes when I try to mix it in) 1 tsp salt (I use kosher) 1 tsp baking soda Mix flour and sugar in whatever bowl you'll use for the batter. I like an 8-cup bowl with a spout and a handle, because it makes it easy to get the batter into the waffle iron. Mix together milk and starter. Break up the starter as well as you can. Stir into flour. Cover (I use a shower cap swiped from a hotel) and leave out overnight. In the morning, blend in eggs, oil, salt, and baking soda. My Black and Decker waffle iron (makes square waffles, which can easily be divided into four quarters) needs about 3/4 cup of batter per waffle. Any leftovers freeze well, and can be toasted straight from the freezer for future breakfasts. Keywords: Vegetarian, Waffle Iron, Easy, Breakfast, Brunch ( RG1806 )

Lemon Souffle Pudding A very retro dessert. Forms a light fluffy layer on top, and a pudding layer underneath. 4 extra large eggs, separated 2 c milk 1 c sugar 1/2 c lemon juice 1 tsp lemon rind pinch salt 3 T flour 2 T melted butter Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Mix remaining ingredients. Fold egg whites into lemon mixture. Pour into 4 quart pyrex casserole. Bake in a water bath at 350 F until puffy and brown, about 30 minutes. ( RG1805 )

Wayland Blueberry Buckle A friend's mom's recipe, written with a typewriter on a 3x5" card. The product is delicious. 1/4 c butter 1/2 c granulated sugar 1 egg 1 c all purpose flour 1-1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/3 c milk 2 pt blueberries 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 c butter Preheat an oven to 375 °F. Cream the butter and sugar for the cake, then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix with the blueberries and put in a buttered cobbler dish. Top with the cinnamon and butter. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Keywords: Dessert, Easy ( RG1804 )

Vanilla Bean Pound Cake The vanilla sugar is made by splitting a vanilla bean and stirring into a few cups of sugar, then letting it sit for a few days. 1-1/2 c all purpose flour 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 c butter at room temperature 1-1/4 c vanilla sugar 1 small vanilla bean, split and scraped 1/2 T vanilla extract 4 eggs Syrup 3/4 c sugar 1/3 c water Preheat an oven to 325 °F. Liberally butter a loaf pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream the butter and vanilla sugar. Add the vanilla seeds, vanilla extract, and eggs. Gently mix in the flour mixture. Bake for 55-70 minutes, until a skewer comes out almost clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then finish cooling on a rack. Bring the sugar and water to a boil. Add the scraped vanilla bean (used to make the batter) and cool. Soak the cooling cake, on every surface, with the syrup. Let soak in and apply a second coat. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Keywords: Dessert, Easy ( RG1803 )

Spice Cookies This is the list of ingredients as prescribed by one of the "Best Recipe" cookbooks. Preparation is by a standard cookie-making method. These are extremely sensitive to oven and post-oven timing; they quickly go from undercooked to burnt. 11-1/4 oz all purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon powder 1-1/2 tsp ginger powder 1/2 tsp clove powder 1/4 tsp allspice powder 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper 1/4 tsp salt 12 T butter 2-1/3 oz dark brown sugar 2-1/3 oz granulated sugar 1 egg yolk 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 c molasses Glaze 1 c powdered sugar 2 T milk Preheat an oven to 375 °F and prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper. Mix the flour, baking soda and spices and reserve. Cream the butter with the sugars. Add the yolk, vanilla, and molasses. Combine with the dry ingredients. Roll into balls a bit smaller than table tennis balls, roll in a pan of granulated sugar, and bake for 11 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then finish cooling on a rack. Beat the glaze ingredients together, and drizzle over the cookies. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Cookie, Christmas ( RG1802 )

Ilene's Lovely Lavender Shortbread Cookies I started with a recipe from Ursula Argyropoulos, a pastry chef at Raphael Bar-Bistro in Providence and owner of Art of the Cake which I found online. She might shudder at my process, but this ingredient list started with her, right after the lavender. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You will have a choice of three different ways to finish the cookies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mix by hand, hand mixer or in a stand mixer. 3 teaspoons dried lavender 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar.........Place in blender with lavender and take it for a whirl, set aside ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In a bowl or mixer bowl combine: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3/4 cup softened butter 1/4 cup powdered sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla .....mix well with sugar & butter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ then 4 egg yolks.....add and combine well ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ then Add the lavender sugar mixture and combine well ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt.....add with flour and mix just till combined ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now I roll mine out 3/8's of an inch thick and cut out little mini stars with a 1.25 inch star cookie cutter. You can of course use any shape cutter. Sprinkle and press sugar on the tops before baking if you are using choice one of the three choices for finishing the cookies. I do refrigerate the dough before baking. They spread not at all on the ungreased baking sheet. 375 degrees 12 to 14 mins just until the ones on the outside of the pan are slightly getting brown. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Three choices for finishing the cookies: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Choice #1) Before baking sprinkle cookie tops with sugar crystals and press gently. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Choice #2) Sprinkle cookies immediately out of the oven with edible glitter. After cooling dip the bottoms in a thin layer of white chocolate. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Choice #3) Make a glaze of confectioner's sugar and water, place in a decorating bag with a small tip (I use parchment and cut the tip) and immediately out of the oven I zig zag them with glaze then hit 'em with edible glitter right away before the glaze sets up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I love these cookies. An egullet buddy sent me the lavendar and that makes them all the more special. I had never heard of such a thing before. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Notes: You can cut the lavendar to two teaspoons. This 2 tsp. formulation means you eat the cookie then the lavender flavor comes up in your mouth as a pleasant after taste almost. Using three teaspoons makes the lavendar a bit more pronounced. These are gentle flavors which is why the white chocolate should not be too thick. Adding too much lavendar will result in the product tasting soapy I'm told. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You will have little lavender tid bits in the stars--way cool! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enjoy!! Keywords: Easy, Snack, Cookie, Blender ( RG1801 )

Blueberry Buckle From Cook's Illustrated, instructions paraphrased. I use dried lemon rind or a couple of drops of lemon oil in place of fresh lemon rind called for. STRUESEL 1/2 c flour 1/2 c brown sugar 2 T white sugar 1/4 tsp cinnamon 4 T butter CAKE 1-1/2 c flour 1-1/2 tsp baking powder 10 T butter 2/3 c sugar 1/2 tsp lemon zest 1-1/2 tsp vanilla 2 large eggs 4 c blueberries Preheat oven to 350 F. Place a parchment circle in the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan. Grease well or spray with pam. Make struesel by buzzing all ingredients in food processor. For cake, cream butter with sugar and eggs, Add remaining dry ingredients. Gently mix in berries. Pour into prepared pan, sprinkle struesel over top and bake for 55 minutes. Cool 15 to 20 minutes. Turn out of pan. ( RG1800 )

Andie's Original Pumpkin Chili Serves 20 as Main Dish. This is my pumpkin chili, I serve it in those large "latte" cups so folks can eat it while wearing gloves, when out in the cold. This is another original recipe developed over several years of "tinkering".... Pumpkin Chili Mexicana Serves 20 3 1/2 to 4 pound Mexican pumpkin, cheese pumpkin, Kabocha or similar squash. 2 pounds chopped beef or turkey (not finely ground) 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 3 - 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 cup diced mild sweet red pepper (Bell is OK, Pimento or ripe mild Anaheim are better) 1 cup diced mild green chiles, Anaheim, Big Jim or New Mexico 1/2 cup Jalapeños, diced 1 cup beef or chicken broth. 1 teaspoon freshly ground dried red chiles, Colorado, New Mexico, Ancho or your preference. 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin (first toast the seeds in a dry iron skillet till they start to pop) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Optional - - 1 or 2 Habanero or other very hot peppers, very finely minced. (you can omit these if you do not want a searingly hot chili) 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, including liquid 2 large cans tomato paste (used to be 8 oz., however they keep changing the amounts) 2 14.5 ounce cans black beans or dark red kidney beans, drained (or equivalent) 1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels Directions First, pierce the pumpkin or squash in several places with an ice pick or chef's fork and place it on a pan in a 350 degree oven for 50 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer will penetrate easily through the flesh. Meanwhile, while the pumpkin is baking, Sauté the beef or turkey in a large saucier As it is fairly well browned and is still giving off juices, add the onion and garlic and cook for about 4-5 minutes or so. Add the peppers (except for the Habanero) and continue cooking until they are tender. Add the beef or chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the spices and continue simmering for 8 -10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. When cool enough to handle, split the pumpkin, remove the seeds and skin and chop into fairly small chunks and add to the meat mixture. Return to heat and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining ingredients, including the Habanero, and cook over medium low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring often to keep from burning. Serve, topped with a generous dollop of sour cream and finely chopped scallions or green onions and freshly baked cornbread, or tortillas if you have them available. Also have finely shredded mild cheddar cheese, toasted pepitas, croutons and various crackers on side dishes for your guests to add as they wish ( RG1799 )

Butterscotch Squares My mom's recipe book called them Marge's Butterscotch Squares, Maggiethecat knew them as Irma's Butterscotch Squares 1/2 c butter 1 c brown sugar 1 large egg 1 c flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla 1/2 c pecans Melt butter, stir in brown sugar, then eggs and remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave in the oven for another 20 minutes. Keywords: Brownies/Bars ( RG1798 )

Brown Sugar Pulled Candy recipe to accompany the confectionary course 500 g dark brown sugar 1 c cold water 2 tsp vinegar 2 T butter 1 drop peppermint oil (optional) Prepare your marble slab, spatula or scraper and scissors by oiling with vegetable oil. Have a small container of oil ready to oil your hands, or use gloves. Place sugar, water, vinegar and butter in a heavy saucepan of at least 4 quarts. Bring to a boil, and cook until it reaches 290 F (143 C). Pour out onto an oiled marble slab. Put the drop of peppermint oil on the syrup. Let syrup cool until it forms a skin - a minute or so. Using an oiled spatula or scraper turn the edges in towards the centre. Continue turning until cool enough to handle. Begin stretching with gloved or oiled hands, pulling and twisting until it becomes opaque and creamy. Pull into a long, thin rope of even thickness, cut with oiled scissors into candy sized pieces. ( RG1797 )

Ragda Patties/Pattice Serves 6 as Appetizer. Another classic example of Street Food from Bombay, Ragda patties (or pattice as spent in most mumbai restaurants) is my idea of comfort food. 1 c Dried White peas 2 Medium sized potatoes Salt to taste 1/8 tsp turmeric powder 3 Thai Green chillies finely chopped 2 small onions finely chopped 2 T finely chopped coriander leaves 1 pinch of asafoetida 2 T Green (cilantro) chutney 2 T Tamarind chutney Ingredients for Green Chutney 1 Bunch of cilantro 3 Green chillies Salt to taste Ingredients for Tamarind Chutney 1/2 c Tamarind (available in a block in Indian stores) 2/3 c jaggery grated 1 inch stick of cinnamon 1/8 tsp Black Salt 1/2 tsp Roasted cumin powder 2/3 tsp Dry Ginger Powder 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder 1. Soak the dried peas in warm water overnight. Drain and cook in about 2 cups of water with salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida till soft but not completely mushy. Take a couple of tbsp of the cooked peas and mash them and add to the remaining peas. Add some more water and simmer for a few minutes till you have a thick soupy consistency. 2. Boil, peel and mash the potatoes. Mix the potatoes with the green chillies and some salt and form into little balls. 3. Heat some oil in a skillet. Flatten the balls slightly and fry them in the oil on both sides till golden brown. 4. Place two patties on a plate and pour the ragda (pea mixture) over them. Dribble the green cilantro chutney and the tamarind chutney. Sprinkle finely chipped onion and cilantro and serve hot. 5. For Green Chutney: Grind cilantro with green chillies and salt adding a little water to facilitate grinding. 6. Boil the tamarind in a cup of water for about 10 minutes. Cool and extract the pulp from the tamarind and strain to remove seeds and fiber. (The straining step is unnecessary if using the bottled tamarind paste). In a heavy bottomed pan, cook the tamarind pulp with the grated jaggery on a low flame. Once the jaggery has completely dissolved in the paste, add the stick of cinnamon and cook for another 15 minutes. Add the red chilli powder, the cumin powder, dry ginger powder, black salt and salt to taste. Stir well and cook for another minute or so. Remove from heat and let cool. Can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or so. Note: i.)Dried white peas or white "vatana" is available in most Indian stores. If you tell the grocer that you intend to make ragda patties, he/she should be able to direct you to the right ingredient. ii.) If you don't have jaggery, you can also use either brown sugar or palm sugar or piloncillo instead. iii.) Asafoetida has a pretty strong (perhaps even nasty) odor so make sure you use only a little and store the rest in a tightly closed container. iv.) Dry Ginger Powder is called "soonth" in Hindi and is again readily available in Indian grocery stores. Keywords: Appetizer, Vegetarian, Indian ( RG1796 )

Pani Puri Serves 6 as Appetizer. One of the most popular examples of street food from India, pani puri offers an interesting contrast of textures and flavors that literally burst in your mouth in every bite! 1/2 c mung beans 1 Medium-Sized Potato 6 Dates 1/2 T tamarind 1/8 tsp black salt 1-1/2 bunch cilantro 4 Green Chillies 1 bunch mint leaves 1-1/2 T Pani Puri Masala Salt to Taste 1 l ice cold water 24 Crispy Puris for Pani Puri 1. Soak the moong beans overnight and steam till they are cooked but retain some crunch. Boil the potatoes whole and peel and dice. 2. Deseed the dates and cook them with a little water till they're soft. Boil 1/2 a cup of water and dissolve the tamarind in the same. Strain to remove seeds and fibre from the tamarind. You won't need to strain if you're using the tamarind paste available at Indian grocery stores. However the raw tamarind available in blocks offer better flavor than the tamarind paste. Grind the dates with some water to form a thick sauce and mix the tamarind paste. The sourness-sweetness ration is a matter of taste.. so you may have to add more or less tamarind depending on how you like the sauce. 3. Grind one bunch of cilantro with 3-4 green chillies and a little water to form a green chutney. Ideally, this shouldn't be too watery but add enough water to ensure smooth grinding. 4. Grind the remaining cilantro with the bunch of mint leaves and a couple of green chillies and a little water. Add this mixture to one litre of cold water in a pitcher and mix well. Add the pani puri masala and stir well. 5. Make a small depression in each of the puris and fill with a small qty of moong, a couple of pieces of potato, a dab of the cilantro chutney and a drop of the date-tamarind chutney and arrange on a plate. Each diner also gets a cup with some of the spiced cold water in it. 6. Before eating, dip the filled puris into the spicy water and put the entire puri into your mouth to consume! 7. Optionally, one can substitute the mung beans with boondi (small pearls of fried chick pea flour batter also available ready to eat in Indian grocery stores). 8. One can also make the puris at home. Use 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 tbsp of semolina and salt. Add water and knead into a smooth dough. Keep aside for about 1/2 an hour. Form the dough into small balls and roll into little puris about 1/8" thick. Deep Fry in hot oil till golden brown and allow to cool. Keywords: Appetizer, Vegetarian, Indian ( RG1795 )

Kulfi Serves 6 as Dessert. Kulfi is one of the very few frozen desserts we eat in India. Traditionally bought from a street vendor, this dessert is served in disposable earthenware pots. 1-1/2 l whole milk 2 c sugar 1/4 pt of double cream (Basically we use the thick layer of cream that forms on top of the raw milk we buy in India. Here I substitute it with Devon double cream which seems to work pretty well). 1 T cornstarch 1 T semolina 3 T cold milk A few strands of saffron 1/4 c almonds, blanched, peeled and slivered 1/2 c green pistachios, blanched and sliced thin 1 tsp green cardamom powder A drop of rose water (optional) 1. Soak the pistachios & almonds in warm water for a few hours. It should now be easy to peel the nuts. Sliver the almonds and thinly slice the pistachios and keep aside. 2. Boil the milk on a low to medium flame in a pot with a thick bottom. Keep stirring the milk from time to time. You want to ensure that there is absolutely no scalding since that ruins the smell of the final dish. Keep boiling until the milk is reduced to half its original volume. 3. Dissolve the corn flour & semolina in the cold milk and stir well to avoid any lumps and add the mixture to the boiling milk along with the sugar and cardamom powder. 4. Dissolve the saffron in some hot milk and add this to the boiling milk (I use a mortar pestle to dissolve some saffron in a tsp of hot milk and pour the mixture into the milk. This gives the entire mixture a nice even color and reduces the qty of saffron I end up having to use! 5. Boil the mixture for another 10 minutes till its really thick and is approaching custard-like consistency. 6. Let the mixture cool. Then add most of the almonds & pistachio keeping aside a small quantity for garnish. 7. Whisk the double cream till its thick and fluffy and then fold it into the condensed milk mixture. 8. At this point, one could just pour the mixture into earthen pots or kulfi moulds, garnish and freeze. However, if you have access to an ice-cream maker, then its better to chill the mixture and freeze it in an ice-cream maker since it ensures a much smoother and creamier consistency. Keywords: Easy, Dessert, Ice Cream, Indian, Ice Cream Maker ( RG1794 )

Torta Caprese Serves 6. I took this recipe from the Lydia Capasso on the Italian Forum of Cucina Italiana. Leaving the same quantities, I completely changed the method, getting in my opinion a better result. It is a very moist cake and doesn't cling to your palate. It keeps well for several days with no refrigeration and actually improves its taste. It doesn't contain flour, so it's also a perfect cake for gluten intollerants. 140 g sugar 140 g bittersweet chocolate 140 g unsalted butter 140 g unpeeled almonds 210 g eggs total whole weight (about 4 small eggs) 1 pinch of salt This quantities are ok for a 20 cm diameter mold. Preheat the oven at 200 C. Butter and flour your mold. I slightly toasted the almonds in the oven and when cold grated in the mixer (I have a bosch mixer with the grating dish, make a perfect flour without overheating the almonds), alternatively you can pulse the almonds in the coffe grinder with a couple teaspoons of sugar (taken by the recipe quantity). Leaving the almonds with the peel is a little tastier, more rustic flavour. I grated the chocolate with the fine microplane. Whip the soft butter with the sugar until very light and foamy, add the yolks one at the time, add the chocolate (here, half of the chocolate was just grated, the other half I decided to melt, let cool before adding), then add the almond flour and alternate with a little bit of whipped egg whites. Fold in remaining egg whites. Pour in the mold and level with a spatula. Bake at 200 C for 5 minutes, then reduce to 170 for about 30-35 minutes, check toward the end. If you have some bitter almonds, it's not a bad addictions, but I don't like almonds extracts, the most of the time are nasty. You can add some vanilla essence if you like. Do not overbake, it's important it stays moist. Serve with creme anglaise, or gelato, or simply dusted with 10X. Keywords: Cake, Italian, Dessert, Chocolate ( RG1793 )

Easy Pita bread This recipe does not require a starter, it is quick and easy to prepare and the taste is far superior to the commercial varieties. Once you find out how easy it is to make them you won't go back to the commercial ones. Here is my recipe: Pita Bread 2-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons rapid-rise or "instant" yeast 2 tablespoons oil, olive or canola or grape seed. 1-1/4 cups water room temp. Measure the flour (unsifted) into a large bowl. add the salt, yeast and oil. Make a "well" in the center of the flour and pour in the water. Using your hands, bring the flour into the water and continue mixing until a ball of dough is formed. Turn out onto a floured board and knead for about 15 minutes. (If you have a mixer that has a dough hook you can place all ingredients into the mixing bowl, blend until ingredients form a ball then continue mixing for about 10 minutes with the mixer set on lowest speed.) The dough should feel silky and soft but not flabby, when a thumb is pressed into the dough it should fill in quickly. Spray the inside of a large Zip-lok bag with Pam or similar oil spray. Place the dough ball into the bag and seal. Set aside to rise until it has doubled in size. At normal room temp this should be about an hour to an hour and a half. Turn the dough out onto the floured board, knead 3 or 4 times then stretch into a fat cylinder. Cut in half, then cut the halves in half, and so on, so that you end up with 8 pieces of dough. Roll the pieces into balls and press flat into a disk. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with oil, place disks on it then cover with another sheet of plastic wrap. Set aside to rest for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 475 degrees, F. Using a rolling pin, flatten the disks on a lightly floured board and roll into about a 6-inch circle. They should be about 1/4 inch thick or slightly less. If you have a baking stone you can bake the pita directly on it, mist the stone with water before placing the pita on the hot stone then mist the pita. Otherwise, place the pita on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place on center shelf in oven. Mist the pita and close the oven door. Watch closely. In about 3-4 minutes the pita will have blown up like a baloon and are done. They should not brown, but might show a little color around the edges. Immediately remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool. Depending on the size of your oven you should be able to bake 3 or 4 at a time. You have to leave room above the pita for them to expand. To reheat, fold into a kitchen towel and heat in microwave for 30 seconds. ( RG1792 )

Pecan Fudge Recipe to accompany the confectionary course 2 c brown sugar 1 c white sugar 1-1/2 c cream(heavy, 10%, or evaporated milk will do) 2 T glucose (white corn syrup) 1/2 c salted butter 2 tsp quality vanilla extract 2 c pecans, toasted Prepare a loaf pan by lining with plastic wrap. Toast pecans in oven or microwave until fragrant. Chop coarsely. Place sugars with glucose, cream and butter in 4 to 6 quart pan. Bring to a boil, you may need to put a lid on the pan for a couple of minutes to dissolve any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan. Place thermometer in pan. Cook over medium heat to 234 F (112 C). Remove from heat, leaving thermometer in place. Let sit totally undisturbed until cools to 110 F (43 C). Add vanilla and start beating with a silicone spatula, a bamboo or wooden spoon until mixture starts to thicken. Add pecans and continue to beat until it starts to lose it's gloss. Pour out into prepared pan, let sit overnight before cutting. If it suddenly hardens, you can knead it like bread dough before placing in pan. ( RG1791 )

Oven-Baked Fried Rice No frying necessary! Not at all authentic. Enjoyable nonetheless! 2 c white rice (nothing fancy) 1/3 c canola or vegetable oil 1/4 c soy sauce 3 c diced vegetable (equal parts onion, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms) 1 pkg onion soup mix (Liptons or Manischewitz) 3-1/2 c water In a foil pan or oven-safe casserole, coat the rice with the oil. Add the rest of the ingredients (3 1/2 cups of water to start) and stir to distribute everything evenly. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for approximately 1 hour. If all of the water has been absorbed but the rice isn't cooked through, add a little more water. Cook until the rice is done. Keywords: Side, Easy, Rice, Kosher ( RG1790 )

Nougat for Homemade Snickers Bar 400 g sugar 150 g glucose (white corn syrup) 125 g water salt 60 g eggwhite 125 g peanut butter Prepare caramel rulers, frame or 8 by 8 metal pan, as per the instructions in the nougat class. Place sugar, glucose and water in small pot and bring to a boil. Place lid on pot and steam off any sugar crystals as required. Boil to 270 F (132 C). Meanwhile beat eggwhites with pinch of salt to stiff peaks, trying to have eggwhites ready at the same time the syrup comes to temperature. Pour hot syrup down side of bowl, while beating on the fastest speed. Beat until cools slightly and starts to get slightly doughy. Stir in peanut butter. Do not overmix as it can become crumbly. Press out into prepared pan or rulers. ( RG1789 )

Chewy Caramel 375 g sugar 300 g glucose (white corn syrup) 75 g water 50 g honey 50 g salted butter 500 g heavy cream 2 tsp quality vanilla extract Weigh out sugar, glucose and water into heavy pot of at least 6 quart size. Weigh out honey and butter, set aside. Weigh cream and heat until steams with small bubbles, either on stove or in microwave. Keep warm. Boil sugar syrup, placing lid on pot if required to steam any sugar crystals off the sides. Boil to 145 C (293 F). Add butter and honey, then add the warm cream in 3 or 4 aliquots. Watch carefully, it is very hot and will bubble up. Continue to cook, over medium heat, stirring frequently until it reaches 121 C (250 F). Add vanilla. Pour out into caramel rulers or a frame over silpat or parchment, or into an oiled 8 inch metal pan. Don't scrape any hard bits off the bottom of the pan. Let sit overnight before cutting. ( RG1788 )

Carbonade Flamande (Beef Stew with Beer & Onions) Serves 4 as Main Dish. Don’t let all the simple directions scare you — this delicious stew is easy to make, although it takes about an hour to put together and 2½ hours to cook. Serve it with a hearty red wine and a simple vegetable, such as steamed carrots or broccoli; the bread replaces the potatoes usually served with stews. 3 Large Onions 2 Cloves Garlic 3 T Butter, Divided 2 lb Boneless Stewing Beef 1/2 c Flour, Divided Salt & Pepper 1 c English Brown Ale (Newcastle, Samuel Smith, Bass, Etc.) 1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar 1 Can (14.5 Ounces) Beef Stock Water as Needed 2 tsp Brown Sugar 1/4 tsp Powdered Thyme 4 Thick Slices of French Bread Dijon Mustard 1. Peel onions, cut in half from end to end, thinly slice, and set aside. 2. Crush or finely chop garlic and set aside (separate from onions). 3. Cut meat across the grain into strips about 1 inch wide, 3 inches long, 1/2 inch thick, trimming off fat. 4. Melt 1 1/2 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or a heavy, deep, pan with tight-fitting lid; if using a skillet, have a 5 to 6 quart covered casserole dish ready. 5. Add onions to butter and cook over medium heat until browned, about 30 minutes. 6. Add garlic and brown sugar when onions are nearly done, stir and cook for two minutes. 7. Remove the onion mixture from pan, put in bowl and set aside (put in casserole dish if using). 8. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of flour, then put the rest in a plastic bag and add a little salt and pepper; put about 1/3 of the beef slices in the bag and shake to coat with flour. 9. Add 1/3 of the remaining butter to pan. 10. Add the floured beef slices to pan and brown on all sides, then remove and add to onions; repeat steps 8, 9, and 10 with remaining flour, meat, and butter until all of the meat has been browned. 11. Return all of the onion mixture and browned meat to the pan. 12. Blend in the reserved 2 Tablespoons of flour and stir well. 13. Add the ale and vinegar and stir. 14. Add the stock and just enough water to barely cover meat and onions and stir. 15. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and the powdered thyme, and stir well, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan and stirring them into the mixture. 16. Cover pan tightly, or transfer meat mixture to casserole dish and cover it tightly; cook in oven, preheated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, for 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Add more water if necessary. 17. When meat is nearly done, spread mustard liberally on slices of French bread. 18. Remove lid and lay the bread on top of the meat, mustard side down, and cook uncovered until the bread is brown and crisp. 19. Serve with toasted bread on top of meat, mustard side down. Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Beef, Dinner ( RG1787 )

Aish al Saraya (Middle Eastern Bread and Cream Pudding) Serves 10 as Dessert. Aish el Saraya translates roughly to “bread of the mansion”. The word Aish in Egyptian dialect means bread, this leads me to believe that this dessert is originally from Egypt. Of course I have no proof or research to support this so I am just theorizing here. On the other hand Aish in Arabic also means life or living, so this dessert could possibly refer to a life of luxury, a life filled with mansions, cream and sugar. In any case this is an absolutely delicious, simple and refreshing dessert that requires no baking an whose components can be prepared well in advance. The nut topping is traditionally toasted pistachios, that will give you a very nice color contrast to the bread too. However, toasted almonds are also just as good if not better. Try a mix of both or either one. In the picture I only used almonds because I was out of pistachios. 3 c toasted bread crumbs (see note) 1-1/2 c fragrant syrup (Atr, see note), plus 0.5 cup additional for serving if desired 2 c cream filling (Kashta, see note) - In a bowl mix the bread with the 1.5 cups syrup till you have a crumbly loose “dough”. - In a round cake pan, I like a 9 inch spring form pan, but any dish will do as long as it is at least 2 inches deep, layer half the bread crumb mixture and pat with your hand to compact a little. It should not be as compact as pie dough. - Layer the cream on top of the bread crumbs. Add the rest of the bread crumbs on top of the cream and pat them down as much as possible without squashing the cream. Top with the toasted nuts. - Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving and serve it cold, with an extra drizzle of syrup if desired (I think it is already perfectly sweetened on its own). NOTE: Please make your own bread crumbs for this, the store bought ones are not good. Use regular white bread, challah, or any other soft not too sweet bread. Place the slices in the oven and toast till golden brown. Crumble them in the food processor and process till you have fine-textured crumbs. For 3 cups, you need about 12 slices of white bread. NOTE: For the Fragrant syrup recipe, click here NOTE: For the cream filling recipe, click here Keywords: Dessert, Lebanese, Easy, Mediterranean, Breakfast, Middle Eastern, Pudding ( RG1786 )