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4 large servings. The fried pasta adds another crisp texture to the toothsome pasta and tender chickpeas. Ingredients: 180g dry small chickpeas, soaked overnight in salted water 3 bay leaves ~ apx 380g dry pasta (tagliatelle is traditional, but short pastas also work) - or - fresh pasta from 350g flour (I opt for egg based pasta) oil for frying ~ 1 large onion, finely diced 1 small carrot (or half of a big one), finely diced 2 large stalks of celery 2 tbsp tomato paste 4 cloves garlic, minced hot chili flakes, to taste 2-3 tsp thyme 2-3 tsp rosemary optional: 1/3 tsp cinnamon optional: 1 tsp dark sugar (I use date molasses) 2-3 tbsp lemon juice Plenty of freshly ground black pepper, for serving Parmesan, for serving Method: If using dry pasta, soak apx 80g of it in cold salted water for an hour. Then drain and dry it well. If using fresh pasta, set aside apx 160g of it, and cut into shorter pieces. Fry the pasta in shallow oil until brown and crisp - or - mix generously with oil and bake at 180dC (medium heat) until brown and crisp. Season slightly with salt and pepper. ~ Cook chickpeas in salted water (or better, stock) with bay leaves, until very tender. Pressure cooker is recommended. Drain and set aside. Cooking liquid can be reserved for cooking the pasta. ~ In a pot or tall pan, cook onion and carrot with some butter or olive oil until the onion browns. Add the celery and cook until it is softened. Add the tomato paste and cook for a couple of minutes. Set the vegetables to one side of the pan Add some butter or olive oil to the cleared pan, and fry the garlic, chili, thyme and rosemary until aromatic. Mix in the cooked and drained chickpeas. Add cinnamon (optional), sugar (optional). It's optional, but recommended, to blend smooth a third of the mixture. ~ Cook the (not fried) pasta in salted water (you can reuse the chickpeas cooking liquid). Mix with the sauce, adding from the cooking water as needed. Add lemon to taste, and salt to taste. ~ Serve, topped with the fried pasta, and a grating of Parmesan and pepper. 2019 2017

(apx) 400g carrots, peeled and julienned or ribboned. 7 eggs 100g mozzarella, finely diced 70g milk A handful of chopped basil 1.5 tsp five spice powder 1/2 tsp sichuan peppercorn (optional) 1/2-1 tsp coriander seed, ground 1/2 tsp fennel or anise seeds, ground (optional) black pepper chili powder to taste 1 tsp brown sugar optional: a small amount of MSG 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste) In a wide pan, stir fry the carrot with a small amount of oil, until charred. Set aside, let cool slightly. Mix everything in a large bowl. Heat oven to 180 C (355 F) - top heat only. Scrape the pan and grease it well. Heat over medium high heat, until the oil/butter is hot. Pour batter into the pan. Fry without stirring for 2 minutes, then place the pan in the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until just set. Cool slightly and serve.

Roughly based on my recipe for lemon cake. This makes one not very large cake in a 25x10 cm (10x5 inch) pan. Please tell me if you make it - I really hope that you will like it! For pecan mixture: 35g toasted pecans, finely chopped (you want them large enough to have texture in the cake) 35g dark brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp cocoa powder Topping: A handful of whole or chopped raw pecans Maple syrup for glazing (apx. 4 tsp) For batter: 140g white flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 large eggs 170g light brown sugar (I substitute with a mix of half dark brown sugar and half white sugar) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 medium apple (not too tart - I used a Gala apple), peeled and cut into small dice (apx. 150g) 200g sour cream 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste/extract optional: A small amount of maple flavor extract optional: A few drops of almond extract Method: Heat oven to 170 deg C (340 deg F). Grease the cake pan. Mix together the pecans with cinnamon, cocoa and brown sugar. Set aside. Prepare 2 mixing bowl: one of them should be quite large. In the smaller bowl, mix flour and baking powder. In the large bowl, beat the eggs with sugar and salt until the sugar is melted and the mixture is aerated. Mix the sour cream, apple, cinnamon and extracts. Sieve flour and baking soda mixture over the liquids. Fold from the bottom up just until uniform. Do not over mix. Pour half of the batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle the pecan mixture evenly. Pour the rest of the batter on top. Cover with the raw pecans. Bake for apx. 50-60 minutes. A skewer should come out cleanly. The cake should rise and get a tan color. Avoid over baking. Brush the cake with maple syrup. Let cool a little. I find the cake to taste best when it's slightly warm. Serve with tea or coffee. Keep covered or wrapped in nylon. You may heat it briefly, if serving on following days.

I created this recipe to make cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve a few years ago. Santa loved them. I relied heavily on techniques from Alton Brown and Kenji Lopez. The dark brown sugar makes my foodie friends think I used browned butter. Chilling the dough ensures that they are thick and chewy. My co-workers demand that I take them to work several times a year. Soaking the pecans in bourbon ahead of time isn't a bad thing, either. • 2 large eggs • 1/2 cup white sugar • 1 cup (dark)brown sugar • 2 sticks butter • 1tbsp vanilla extract • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour • 2 tsp kosher or 1 tsp table salt • 2 tsp baking soda • 1 bag chocolate chips • 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped pecans Combine eggs, white sugar and vanilla extract. Mix well and set aside. Melt butter in microwave and allow to cool to nearly room temp. Add butter and brown sugar to eggs & white sugar and mix well. Blend flour, salt and baking soda well. Gently fold the egg/butter/sugar mix into the dry ingredients along with chocolate chips and pecans. Refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours). Bake on parchment paper at 325 - 350 (depending on your oven) for 16-18 min total, rotating half-way through. They should just be beginning to brown a little when removed from the oven. Sprinkle cookies with a little coarse salt just before or just after baking.

400g wide pasta/noodles, best to use one made with eggs 4 baking apples (600g-700g) (I use Gala, as I find Granny Smith to be a bit too tart here). Peeled and cut into strips 80g-100g raisins, or chopped dried apricots 70g (1/3 cup) sweet wine (or whatever not-tart wine you have on hand) 1-2 tablespoons butter 70g-80g toasted walnuts, roughly chopped 90g dark brown sugar 1.5 tablespoons cinnamon 2/3 teaspoon salt 5 eggs In a large bowl, soak raisins in wine. Add butter (unmelted), walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cook the noodles until al-dente. Drain well and mix the hot noodles in the bowl until coated with the butter and sugar. Let chill a little (so that the eggs won't cook), then add the eggs and apples. Mix well. Pour into a spring-form pan, or a casserole pan. Gently flatten making sure to push down any nuts you see, to prevent them from charring. Bake in a 190C hot oven, for 30 minutes or so. Remove from the oven, brush the top with butter (1-2 teaspoons). Optionally sprinkle some sugar on top for added crunch. Bake for 25-30 additional minutes, until the top is well browned and crisp. Serve immediately, or bake to re-crisp just before serving. Reheats well in an oven (or in a MW, but you'll lose the crispness). I make it every year for nearly 10 years. 2021 2020: 2019: 2018:

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Boston Cream Pie ================ Source: Woman's Day Old-Fashioned Desserts - 1978 (minor changes) 1/3 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla . Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until creamy. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add alternately with the combined milk and vanilla. Turn the batter into a greased and floured 9-inch round layer cake pan. Bake in a 350° oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out and cool completely; Place the cake on a serving plate and split horizontally into two layers with a serrated knife. Carefully remove the top layer. Fill with the chilled Cream Filling. Replace the top half and pour the warm Chocolate Icing over the top, spreading only to the edges. Chill. (When allowed to stand for several hours, the filling seeps into the cake, making the cake and filling seem almost as one.) Cream Filling 1/2 cup sugar 3 egg yolks 3 tablespoons flour 1 tablespoon butter 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups milk Combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook over low heat, stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil, stirring for 1 minute. Beat the egg yolks slightly. Gradually stir in about half the thickened sauce. Return to the heat and cook. stirring 2 or 3 minutes longer to take away the flour taste. Remove from the heat and blend in the butter. Strain into a bowl. Cool for a few minutes, then blend in the vanilla. Cover and cool, then chill. Chocolate Icing 2 squares of chocolate (I use between 4 to 6 ounces of semi sweet chocolate) 1 cup sifted icing sugar 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoons hot water 1 teaspoon vanilla Melt the chocolate and butter the microwave on medium low power. Stir until smooth, and blend in the icing sugar and hot water. Stir until smooth and slightly thickened (do not beat). Stir in the vanilla. Use immediately. Optional - Spider web design. Just mix up a little melted butter, maybe a teaspoon and add powdered sugar to it a long with a drop of hot water and vanilla and make it thin enough to squeeze out of a bag. I just put it into a small zip lock and cut off one of the corners. Just a small cut. And then once the chocolate has been spread, I pipe the white icing in circles. And immediately take a tooth pick and draw a line from the centre to the edge to form the spider web.

For cheese & spinach burekas (4 rolls): - 8 filo sheets - melted butter (2 tbsp or so), mixed with a little water filling: - 200g spinach, chopped (can be subbed with chard, or omitted altogether) - 200g feta - 150g kashkaval - 150g ricotta - 2 eggs (leave some for egg wash) - Salt to taste, if needed - Cook the spinach until wilted (I use a microwave). Squeeze to drain it completely. - Mash the filling ingredients together. - Brush the filo sheets with butter, then stack them in pairs. - Divide filling between the four double-thick sheets, spreading it across one long edge of each. - Roll each around the filling, making sure to fold the edges towards the center in order to lock the filling inside. Avoid rolling too tight. - Using a serrated knife, slice the top of each roll, in order to allow for it to be cut into pieces after it's baked and crisp. - Egg wash, sprinkle sesame or other seeds. - Bake on a baking sheet (over parchment) at 190C, until browned and crisp - 30 minutes or so. - They can be frozen prior to baking. No need to defrost. For eggplant & cheese (4 rolls): - 8 filo sheets - melted butter (2 tbsp or so), mixed with a little water filling: - One medium eggplant - 200g feta - 150g kashkaval - 150g ricotta - 8-10 tbspn toasted seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, nigella) and or chopped toasted walnuts - 1 egg (leave some for egg wash) - Salt to taste - Peel the eggplant and cut it into 5 or so slices. - Brush with oil and bake/grill, or pan fry, until brown and tender. - Cut into rough cubes. - Mash the rest of the filling ingredients together, and fold the eggplant cubes inside. - Shape and bake the same as the spinach burekas.

This is a recipe that I came up with when I was making choux au craquelin and wanted to fill them with a pastry cream. I had made the pastry cream using the egg yolks but didn’t want to let the egg whites go to waste. I decided to make the egg whites into an Italian meringue, which I thought would be fairly stable. But rather than folding it in to preserve that stability, I was impatient and whipped the pastry cream into the meringue. The result was this loose, soupy mixture that I couldn’t get to stay in a cream puff if I tried. So I gave up and, rather than throw it away, stuck it in the freezer to save it for another recipe. One day I got curious and decided to give it a taste. That was the single best bowl of ice cream I had ever had. I knew I had stumbled onto something, so I’ve tried it with many other flavors and it works almost every time. The texture is kind of somewhere between a gelato and a semifreddo, and for some reason it takes forever to melt. Just remember to abide by this formula and you will always have success: Pastry cream: - 8 oz (1 cup) whole milk (or you can use 6 oz milk + 2 oz heavy cream, 6 oz half/half + 2 oz milk...anything but skim) - 3 extra large egg yolks - 2 tbsp cornstarch - 2-4 tbsp butter, sliced 1. Place butter slices in bowl and set a wire strainer over top. Set aside 2. In a medium saucepan, place your milk (+/- cream) and bring to just below a simmer 3. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl set over a towel, whisk egg yolks and cornstarch together until smooth 4. When milk has heated, temper into egg mixture, whisking constantly 5. On medium-low heat, add the custard to the pan and whisk constantly for 3-4 minutes. Custard will go from loose -> shiny and thick -> matte and set. Do not stop whisking as long as mixture is on the heat 6. Once custard is set, scrape out of pan into bowl with strainer. Push mixture through and scrape remaining custard off the bottom of the strainer. Stir the custard into the butter constantly until butter disappears. Set aside. Meringue (apologies in advance for switching from standard to metric): - 300 granulated sugar - 75g water - 100-115g egg whites (from 3 extra large/jumbo eggs) 1. Place egg whites in bowl of a clean stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Set aside. 2. Over medium-high heat, place water and sugar in saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. 3. Turn heat down to medium-low. When mixture hits 115˚C, turn on mixer to medium-high to make egg whites frothy. 4. When syrup reaches 118˚C, remove from the heat and pour into egg whites between the edge of the bowl and the whisk. Do so in a steady stream to avoid splashing. 5. Once syrup has been added, turn mixer to high and whisk until you reach stiff peaks, about 6 minutes Bringing it together: 1. Once meringue is stiff, pour in custard over the top. Turn on the mixer with the whisk attachment to high speed and whisk for 1-2 minutes 2. You’ll know you’ve finished when you pull the whisk out of the mixture and a string of the cream follows it. If you still see peaks when you pull of the whisk, keep beating until flattened and loose. 3. Pour mixture into a bowl and place in a freezer to set up for at least 6 hours. Then, enjoy! As you can see, it’s a straightforward process that is egg-neutral and has a lot of area for customization. My only recommendation is that whatever add-ins you choose, make them 6 oz. That’s just how I did it the first time and every time and the proportion always works. Here's a few variations on the theme that I've done, as well as stupid names I came up for each of them: - Salted Chocolate: add 6 oz of bittersweet chocolate to the butter and mix into custard base. Also add ½ tsp of salt - White Winter: Add 2 tsp vanilla extra/paste to milk and bring to just below simmer. Add 6 oz good-quality white chocolate and 1 tsp white pepper to butter and stir into custard base - Glacé Guac: Add 6 oz mashed avocado and zest of a lime to the butter and mix into custard base. Substitute fresh-squeezed lime juice for water in meringue - Raspberry Romance: Add 1 oz pulverized freeze-dried raspberry and 5 oz homemade raspberry jam1to the butter and mix into custard base. Add 1 tbsp rosewater to meringue 3 minutes into whipping - Lemon Leisure: Grind 1 tbsp lavender buds with spice grinder/mortar and pestle and steep in milk while bringing to just below a simmer. Add 6 oz homemade lemon curd2to the butter and mix into custard base - Citrus Sunrise: Grind 2 tsp fresh cardamom in mortar and pestle and steep in milk while bringing to just below a simmer. Substitute fresh squeezed grapefruit juice for water in meringue. Once custard and meringue are mixed, fold in 6 oz candied grapefruit peel3, chopped - Country Cornbread: Use 4 tbsp butter for custard base and add ½ tsp of salt. For meringue sugar syrup use: 154g honey, 125g sugar, 34g water. Once custard and meringue are mixed, fold in 6 oz gluten free cornbread4, cubed - The Diplomat: add 6 oz dulce de leche and 1 tbsp of soy sauce to custard base, substitute 3-4 tbsp of brown butter - Waterme-ricana: Add 1 tbsp liquid smoke and ½ tsp cinnamon to custard base. Use watermelon juice for meringue liquid and add 6 oz chopped grilled watermelon after combining custard and meringue - Chocolate Chunk: Substitute 30g cocoa butter for the butter in the custard base and add vanilla bean paste to steep. Use 6 oz coarse chopped bittersweet chocolate - Cocoa-Sesame Swirl (pictured below) is the most complex flavor to date. I take the ice cream base and split it in half, one half being sesame-strong, the other half being chocolate-dominant: To make the sesame half, add 2.85 oz of tahini and 0.15 oz untoasted sesame oil to the custard base, and substitute 35g cocoa butter instead of regular butter. A few grinds of fresh sea salt is optional. Heat the mixture in a double boiler to melt the cocoa butter. You will add one half of your pastry cream base to this. To make the chocolate half, make a black sesame praliné with 1.50 oz of black sesame seeds and 1.50 oz of sugar (praliné refers to the process of taking a caramel-nut bark, praline, and grinding it until a paste forms). You should get about 2.50 oz of paste, to which you will add an additional 0.50 oz of cocoa powder and 35g cocoa butter as well as a few grinds of sea salt, not option. Heat the mixture in a double boiler to melt the cocoa butter. Add the remaining half of the custard base to this mixture. Make two separate meringues (this is more accurate and time consuming than making 1 meringue and dividing it in half. But I have 2 stand mixers so :P) and and mix in your custards to each batch in the usual way. I added a little black gel food coloring to the black sesame half. Add dollops to a bowl and swirl with 2-3 figure-8's. 1. Raspberry jam: Take 12 oz frozen raspberries, 2 ½ cups sugar, juice of ½ lemon, and 2 tbsp cinnamon and place in medium saucepan with high walls. Bring to boil on medium-high and then reduce heat to keep mixture at steady boil, around medium heat. Using instant-read thermometer, heat mixture to 215˚F , which should take about 15 minutes. Check gelling by dropping some jam onto chilled plate and look for jam to set up rather than run. Optional: sieve jam to remove seeds. 2. Foolproof lemon curd recipe can be found here 3. Candied grapefruit peel: This recipe is not exact at all. Take grapefruit peels and clean all grapefruit flesh and membranes away from pith. Chop into strips and place into medium saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a roiling boil and boil for 10 minutes. Empty water and repeat 2 additional times. After 3rdboil, measure water needed to cover peels and add the same amount of sugar (to create a simple syrup). Bring mix to boil over medium-high heat, then back head down to keep consistent boil for 45 minutes. Peels should be opaque and look like gems. Drain syrup and lay peel down on wire rack. Sprinkle granulated sugar on both sides and allow to air-dry overnight, best at 24 hours. Store in an airtight container. 4. Gluten-free corn-cake-bread: Based on a genoise sponge: grind coarse cornmeal in food processor and pass through fine mesh sieve to get 125g of fine cornmeal. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Whip 4 room temperature extra large/jumbo eggs (~230-250g) with 125g granulated sugar and 10g honey on high speed until you reach the ribbon stage. Fold in fine cornmeal and 1tsp salt, then 15g melted and cooled butter. Make sure not to be too aggressive so as not to lose volume. Pour batter into 9-inch cake tin lined on the bottom with parchment. Bake for 25 minutes at center rack, remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Run palette knife around cake edge, invert, and allow to cool completely. 5. Easy dulce de leche: put can of sweetened condensed milk in slow cooker and cover with water; place on high for 8-10 hours

Slice a medium sized sweet onion a little less than ¼” thick, shake the rings in a bag with 1 ¼ cup AP flour. After removing the rings from the flour, dump the flour into a large bowl, add an egg and just about a cup of milk, whisking, and looking for a batter a bit thinner than pancake batter. Give the rings a swim in the batter, turning with a fork to coat thoroughly. Drain them on a rack over a cookie sheet (that I cover with an old newspaper). Put about 1 ½ cup of seasoned breadcrumbs in a bowl and add a good amount of garlic powder and Tajin and mix well. When ready to fry, gently toss the still damp, but well drained rings in the breadcrumbs, turning to coat, and fry in a generous amount of peanut oil starting at 375F and trying to add only enough to drop the oil to 350 F, and fry until golden. Remove them from the hot oil, store in a 175 F oven, over an absorbent paper until they are all done, salt to taste and serve. HC

This egg preparation (with spices removed/adjusted) can be used instead of tofu in many dishes, if you happen to dislike tofu. In this recipe, one could use paneer instead of the egg cubes. Ingredients: For the eggs: 1 tsp fenugreek, soaked in water to cover 5 eggs 70-90 g yogurt 3 tbsp toasted peanuts hot chili to taste black pepper (optional) a pinch of MSG salt to taste For the sauce: Butter for frying 1 largish onion, diced in large pieces (~ 2 cm wide) 1 large tomato, diced into medium pieces (~ 1 cm wide) Hot chili pepper, to taste 2 tbsp ginger, minced 3-4 kaffir lime leaves 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp sweet paprika or other ground chili 1 tsp "curry powder" (mine is mostly turmeric, with some cumin, fennel, pepper and fenugreek) 70 g yogurt 60 g full fat coconut milk (coconut cream) 1/2 tsp garam masala chopped cilantro black pepper salt For the tadka: 1-2 tsp butter 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1.5 tsp coriander seeds, crushed a pinch of asafoetida (hing) - I love hing, so I use more Method: Make the eggs: Heat oven to 200 deg C. Oil a frying pan or baking pan, and heat it in the oven. Meanwhile, blend together the egg mixture ingredients. Pour into pan and bake until fully set, but pale. Let cool, and cut into 3 cm wide cubes. Make the sauce: Saute the onion in butter, until golden. Add tomato, chili, kaffir lime, ginger. Cook 5 minutes until the tomato is softened, but not falling apart. Add cumin, paprika, curry powder. Remove from heat. Add yogurt, coconut milk, garam masala, cilantro, pepper. Add salt to taste. Fry the tadka spices in butter and add to the sauce. Add the egg cubes and simmer until heated through.

Best eaten at room temp, with flat breads to scope it up. 1 tsp fenugreek, soaked on the water to cover 40 g ground coconut 70 g yogurt (choose one which is is not very tart) 30 g milk or water 1 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp tamarind paste (tamarind strength varies greatly, best add gradually by taste) 1 tsp chopped curry leaves 1/4 tsp cinnamon apx. 1/4 tsp black pepper Tadka: 1-2 tsp butter 1/4 tsp mustard seeds 1/4 tsp fennel seeds 1/4 tsp cumin seeds A pinch of asafoetida Mix all of the ingredients (other than the tadka ones) and let soak for a a while. In a blender, blend until smooth as desired. Fry the tadka spices in butter until crackling. Pour over the prepared chutney.

Hey everyone! I wanted to share my recipe for a quick and easy pasta recipe, perfect for a weeknight meal. This pasta has sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, goat cheese and lemon zest. It's creamy and totally delicious. But more importantly it's super quick. I made mine vegetarian this time but you can easily add a piece of grilled chicken or sausage to bulk it up a little. Here are the ingredients: 1/2 pound of any kind of pasta you like (I like using long spaghetti like linguine, fettuccine or angel hair) 4 tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped 2 handfuls of fresh arugula 3 ounces of goat cheese 5 quarters of marinated artichokes, chopped 1 cup of your favorite white wine 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest 1/2 yellow onion, chopped 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder OR 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped 1 cup of reserved pasta cooking water In a sauté pan, pour some of the sun-dried tomato oil in on medium-high heat. Once hot, put in the chopped yellow onion. Let sweat for a few minutes until translucent. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes and add it to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the white wine. Let it cook until it has reduced by about half. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add a good handful of salt (you need to season your pasta water, it's super important!!). Cook the pasta until al dente. Once it's cooked, drain the pasta but reserve a cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pan with the tomato/artichoke mixture. Then add the cooking liquid. Cook for a few minutes in the pan until thickened. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the goat cheese, lemon zest and arugula. Toss until everything is combined and the goat cheese has melted in to make a creamy sauce. I really love this recipe. It's great for lunches or dinner and can be easily adapted. I hope you all enjoy! Don't hesitate to ask questions!

Wine Digestif / Apéritif 1 cup of water 3-6 tablespoons of honey 1 cinnamon stick 7-10 pepper granules (red and black) 3-4 leafs of Pelargonium graveolens ~ 1 liter of wine. Boil the water for 5 minutes with cinnamon stick and pepper granules. Add the leafs of Pelargonium and furthered away the cooking pot from heat source. Wait until the water is cool enough to add the honey (max 60°C). Stir it well to make a sirup. Mix the sirup with the wine.

This is NOT an authentic recipe. It's just an attempt at recreation sans the namesake ingredient. Salad: Apx. 250 g (0.5 pound) cabbage, thinly shaved 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar - 2 scallions, thinly sliced 4-5 cherry tomatoes (or one plum tomato), diced Fresh chili, thinly sliced, to taste 3 tbsp sunflower seeds, well toasted 1-2 tbsp chopped peanuts, toasted Apx. 60g (2oz) fried/toasted peas/chickpeas/lentils (i.e. the kind you can snack on, not the raw dried one) 2 tbsp crisp fried garlic chips (or crisp fried shallots) Sauce: 1 small garlic clove, minced 1 tbsp minced ginger About 1/2 tsp fermented shrimp paste 1/2 tbsp sesame paste 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional) Apx 3 tbsp of lime juice, to taste Chili, to taste 1 tsp palm sugar / (dark) brown sugar 1/3 tsp cumin (optional) Salt, to taste (about 1/2 tsp) A touch of MSG (optional) Prep: Mix cabbage with 1/2 tsp each of salt and sugar. Let sit for about 30 minutes to tenderise. Do not rinse. Plate the salad ingredients, optionally separating each veggie and the seeds. Dividing the ingredients in a radial fashion (wedges) is common. Right before serving, add the sauce and mix the ingredients together. If you plan on having leftovers, keep the crunchy ingredients separated and mix only the portion that you will eat immediately.

This recipe produces about 2.5 liters of soup. It can be doubled. Ingredients: 200g (1 cup) dry red lentils (soak overnight for faster cooking) 1 liter of water for cooking the lentils - Some butter 2 onions, diced 2 carrots, diced 1 hot chili, de-seeded and diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 large tart cooking apple, peeled and diced 2 tomatoes, diced - 2-3 tbsp ginger, minced - Dry spices: 2 tsp curry leaves 1 tsp "curry powder" (mine is consisting mostly of turmeric, fennel and fenugreek) 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp sweet paprika 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp cardamom powder (fresh, otherwise you may need a tad more) 1 tsp sugar (I use brown) - 150-200 ml (apx 3/4 cup) coconut cream (unsweetened) 3/4 liter up to 1 liter of stock or water 1-2 tsp wine vinegar (or some lemon juice) chopped cilantro optional: toasted cashew / pistachios / coconut chips, croutons or crackers for garnish optional strained yogurt for garnish Directions: Cook the lentils in a liter of water until fully tender. - Meanwhile, fry the onions in butter until golden. Add the carrots and fry until starting to soften. Add chili and garlic. Saute until aromatic. Add apple and tomatoes, cook until softened (~5 minutes). If the vegetables aren't fully cooked to your liking, add water and cook until they are. - Using a blender, blend smooth the ginger, 1/2 of the lentils and 1/4 to 1/3 of the vegetables. Mix it all back together in the pot. Add the dry spices, and remaining ingredients (coconut cream, vinegar, cilantro). Add 3/4 to 1 liter of stock/water to reach desired consistency. Bring to a low boil, taste and adjust. It should be gently spicy (hot) and gently sweet. It shouldn't be tart, but add vinegar or lemon if it tastes flat or overly sweet. Make sure you can get a good hint of the cardamom, it's what makes this soup for me.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Casserole 4 c. chopped cabbage 1 c. sliced celery 1/2 c. chopped onion 1/4 c. butter 8 oz. mostaccioli noodles cooked and drained 1 can (12 oz.) canned corned beef 1 c. (4 oz.) Swiss cheese shredded 1/2 c. milk 1/2 t. dry mustard, but prepared mustard works very fine and I like a lot of it in there, about 1/4 cup 1/2 t. caraway seed 1/8 t. black pepper Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 177 C. Saute cabbage, celery, onion in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well and spoon into 2 qt. casserole. Original recipe says to cover and bake 45 to 50 minutes until heated. 8 servings. I always cooked the past first, drained it in a colander and let that sit there while I sauteed the veggies and mixed them in the same pasta pot to keep the dish washing down. Some adaptations I've made over the years have been to increase cabbage to 6 c., celery to 2 c. and onion to 1 c., but I like a lots of veggies. I also find it imperative to remove the cover to let the pasta and cabbage caramelize a bit. I think I also increased the milk a bit and the cheese to compensate for the extra veggies. I like it and find it tastes a bit like a Reuben. I was scared of the caraway seed at first, but that is what makes it IMO. There is no salt added because there is plenty in the corned beef. If you try this, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have over the years.

These biscuits feature flaky layers made by lightly laminating the dough. Cold ingredients, a cool room & work table, using cold tools and a light touch are key to great results. Ingredients 1200g cake flour (AP flour may be substituted, but the result will not be as tender) 24g salt 60g sugar 72g baking powder 420g cold butter (frozen may also be used if you have a sturdy, large-holed grater) 800g cold buttermilk (regular, whole milk may be substituted, but the result will be less flavorful) 34g melted butter, to brush on tops (for those in the US, just use what's left from the pound you've almost used up) Preheat the oven to 350° Line a plain half sheet pan with parchment paper or use a non-stick sheet pan. On a clean work surface, sift together the dry ingredients in a mound. Cut in the cold butter until the chunks are about the size of peas. Random large chunks are good. If using frozen butter, grate it with a large-holed grater and toss with the flour to coat. Quickly create a well in the center of the flour mound with a bench scraper or fork. Pour the cold buttermilk into the cavity and start folding the flour/butter mixture into it with the bench scraper or fork. Once everything (except the melted butter) is barely incorporated into an ugly shaggy mass, use the bench scraper or fork to form a rough rectangle that is at least twice as wide as it is high, and about 2cm high. You should see random streaks of butter in the dough. Use a little flour on the board if needed. If too dry add a little bit of milk but be careful, this should start out as a fairly dry dough, the butter, as it cooks, will moisten it. Make a book fold by taking up each of the shorter-length ends of the rectangle and placing them touching each other on the center. Gently pat with tools, or roll quickly/lightly once or twice with a pin, to make an even rectangle about 2-3cm in height. Using a bench scraper or the back side of a long knife (carefully!) cut into grid of 16-24 biscuits. To make round biscuits, use a juice glass or round cutter and cut with one strong downward motion -do not twist or you will inhibit the rise. Scraps from making round biscuits can be lightly formed into shapes, generally 1-2 crazy biscuits result from cutting rounds. Use a spatula to place the biscuits on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with the melted butter. Bake for about ten minutes, depending upon size. The tops should be golden, the bottoms light brown. They will continue to cook for a few minutes out of the oven. Enjoy! These are best eaten immediately, I would not hold them for more than 6 hours.

This is an easy drop biscuit recipe originally developed by the Beard family cook over 100 years ago. The trick here is to use fresh ingredients in a cold room and a light hand. AP flour may be substituted for the cake flour, but the resulting biscuits will not be as tender. Do not use a cream substitute or any lower-fat alternatives. Converted to weight-based measurement by me, directions by me. Makes 10 sandwich sized biscuits or 20 regular sized biscuits. Ingredients: 284g sifted cake flour 10.5g baking powder 5g salt 14g sugar 360g heavy cream, cold 28-30g melted butter, optional, for brushing on tops Preheat the oven to 350° Place parchment paper on a plain half sheet pan, or use a non-stick sheet pan. In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the cold cream and stir gently until barely mixed. This 'shaggy mass' will look very rough. Using the two-spoon method, drop in large spoonfuls onto the cookie sheet. Lightly tap into shape, if need be. Brush the tops with butter, if desired. Bake for about 10 minutes, time varies by size, until the tops are barely colored and the bottoms slightly brown. They will continue to cook for a few minutes after leaving the oven. These can also be carefully dropped into flan rings on a parchment covered sheet pan to make consistent rounds for sandwiches or eggs benedict. Or, try dropping into non-stick molds like muffin pans -keeping the height 2-3cm. Enjoy!

@Smithy Your request gave me the imputes to finally word-process the recipe. My DW use Excel, which drives me to distraction. Mom's Apple Raisin Walnut Cranberry Pie 4 baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1 cup golden raisins 1 cup walnuts 1 cup fresh cranberries 1/4 cup flour 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons margarine or butter 2 pie crusts to fit a 9- or 10-inch pie pan Heat oven to 425F. In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients. In a small bowl, mix the flour and sugar together. Sprinkle the flour/sugar mixture over the large bowl, mixing lightly with fingers. Place first pie crust into pie pan, pricking with a fork. Pour the fruit mixture into the pie shell. Dot with the margarine or butter, then cover with second pie crust, crimping edges together and making sure top crust is vented. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then turn down oven to 350F for about 45 minutes. *** I use Braeburn apples ***

I developed this recipe for a friend who wound up with many cans of Solo brand apricot filling and was wondering what to make with them. I adapted this recipe from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Sour Cream Coffee Cake, found on page 90 of the Cake Bible. The apricot filling works it way down through the cake and winds up near the bottom of the pan, making an attractive top later when the cake is inverted. Please use some sort of ring pan that holds at least 9 cups. You may substitute butter for the toasted almond oil, but remember that the oil adds flavor. I specifically developed this recipe with the home cook in mind, regular salted butter, and AP flour work well here. To reduce the sodium, use unsalted butter. Ingredients 113 grams (1 stick) salted butter 26 grams toasted almond oil 200 grams sugar 6 grams vanilla extract 4 egg yolks 160 grams regular sour cream (do not use low fat or fat free) 50 grams almond meal 175 grams all-purpose flour 2 1/2 grams baking powder 2 1/2 grams baking soda 12 ounces (1 can) Solo Apricot Filling 12 Servings Preheat the oven to 350° Spray a 9+ cup tube or Bundt pan with non-stick spray or grease with an oil & soy lecithin blend. Lightly toast the almond meal in a frying pan on the stove top until it has a light beige color and has a mild fragrance. Allow to cool. Cream together the butter, oil, and sugar. Add the vanilla and egg yolks, mix until the mixture is even and creamy. Add the sour cream and mix well. Add the cooled almond flour and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid mixture and mix until it everything is evenly incorporated. Do not overmix the batter. Place 2/3 of the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Place the apricot filling in an even layer on top, keeping a small space between the filling and the pan's edges. Place the remaining batter on top and smooth to create a relatively even surface. Bake for approximately 50 minutes at 350° or until the top is dark brown and springs back to a light touch. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Invert the pan onto a serving plate. Cool and serve. Be cautious about serving this hot, as the apricot filling can cause serious burns. When fully cooled, cover or wrap in plastic wrap to store. Will keep for several days in a cool, dry place. Nutrition (thanks MasterCook!) 324 calories, 15g fat, (7g sat fat, 6g mono-unsat fat, 1g ploy-unsat fat), 5g protein, 43g carbohydrates, 175mg sodium, 101mg potassium, 58g calcium 42% calories from fat, 52% calories from carbohydrates, 6% calories from protein

Wet mixture: 40g toasted walnuts, roughly chopped 1 tbsp butter for frying 1 large onion, diced 2 stalks celery, finely diced 3 eggs 2 teaspoons brown sugar 130g strained yogurt (I originally used part sour cream, but I found the result too rich) 4 tablespoons chopped parsley, cilantro, basil and/or dill Dry mixture: 110g AP flour 1 to 1.5 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder Spices: 2 teaspoons paprika Dried chili to taste 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, ground 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, ground 1 teaspoon dill seeds, ground 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground 1 teaspoon thyme Optional: 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast or a pinch of MSG Fry the onion in butter until well browned. Add the celery and cook until softened. In a large bowl, mix the wet mixture ingredients and vegetables. Mix the dry mixture ingredients and spices in a separate bowl. Heat a large pan over medium-low flame. Coat it with melted butter. mix the dry mixture into the wet and mix until well combined. Don't over mix. Pour into the well heated pan and cover it. Cook for apx. 9-12 minutes until the bottom is browned (but not dark). Flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes until cooked through. Flip again, and just prior to serving, re-crisp the bottom over medium flame. Serve hot, along with strained yogurt or sour cream, and tomatoes. - Spices can be adjusted to taste. - By removing the onion, celery, nuts and spices, you will be left with a base recipe that you can flavour in many ways.

1 free-range chicken or fryer, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry 2 teaspoons salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled 1 cup good-quality white wine vinegar 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, about 1 cup 2 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or heavy cream Chopped parsley, garnish Season the chicken evenly on both sides with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and garlic cloves and cook until the chicken is well browned, turning once, about 8 to 10 minutes per side. Add the vinegar and stir to loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the chicken is tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a warmed platter and cover to keep warm. Add the chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits that cling to the sides or bottom of the pan. Cook until the sauce is reduced by 1/3 in volume, about 10 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and return to the pan, discarding the solids. Reduce the heat to low. Add the remaining butter, a piece at a time, whisking constantly until all the butter has been added and the sauce is smooth and thick. Do not allow the sauce to boil and remove from the heat as necessary to prevent from breaking. Add the creme fraiche and whisk to combine. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Ladle the sauce over the chicken and garnish with the parsley. **** Note--I don't strain the sauce, I like it chunky!

This is one of my daughter favorite dishes, being mild and less spicy she loves this rice dish. Its super easy to make and goes well with most Indian curries. Do try this out and I am sure you will be happy with the results. Prep Time : 5 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Serves: 2 Ingredients: 1 cup rice(basmati), cooked 1/2 cup coconut, shredded or grated 1 green chili, slit 1 dried red chili 1 1/2 tablespoon oil/ghee(clarified butter) 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 tablespoon chana dal(split chickpeas) 1/2 tablespoon urad dal(split black gram) 1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped A pinch of hing (asafoetida) Few curry leaves Salt to taste Directions 1) Heat oil/ghee(clarified butter) in a pan in medium flame. I used coconut oil here because it tastes best for this dish. 2) Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal(split chickpeas), urad dal(split black gram), green chili, dried red chili, ginger and curry leaves. Fry this for 30 seconds in medium flame. The trick is to ensure that these are fried but not burned. 3) Add a pinch of hing(asafoetida) and mix well. 4) Now add the cooked rice and coconut. Stir well for about 15 to 20 seconds and switch off the flame. 5) Finally add salt into this and mix well. You could add peanuts or cashew nuts if you prefer. Goes well with most curries.

This will easily make enough sauce for 6 to 8 meals. I like to use 10 littleneck clams on each plate, so if this meal is for 2, get 20 fresh littlenecks. I like to go clamming and use the larger ones for the chopped clams. I open them raw and drain the juice and add it to the sauce at the same time I add the wine. In the winter, when it isn't practical to go clamming, I buy raw chopped sea clams and there is little sacrifice to quality of the dish. It is also a whole lot easier than opening the big clams yourself. Ingredients 1 pint of chopped clams 10 washed and scrubbed, live in the shell, littleneck clams for each serving 1 cup dry white wine 6 TBS olive oil 1 large head of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1 small bunch each (the bunched stems should cover a nickel) , chopped, of: curly parsley cilantro sweet basil (1 TBS if dried) salt and pepper to taste Directions In a 2 quart sauce pan add the oil, garlic and heat, without browning, to infuse the oil with garlic flavor. After a few minutes add the wine, herbs and bring to a simmer. Once it has simmered for a few minutes, remove from the heat and blend with an immersion blender. I tip the pan and start and stop a few times, trying to avoid splattering. Once the bigger lumps have been smoothed out, return the sauce to the heat and simmer until the wine (and clam juice, if using clams you opened) has been reduced by half. When it's time for dinner, add the chopped clams to the sauce and bring to a simmer. At the same time, put the salted pasta water on the heat. Once the sauce is at a simmer and the pasta water is at a rolling boil, add the littlenecks to the simmering sauce and turn up the heat and add the linguine to the pasta water. At just about the same time the pasta is cooked, the clams should be opening. I drain the pasta and return it to the pan it was cooked in (off the heat) and give it a splash of olive oil and a stir. Give the sauce a taste and adjust salt and pepper. Dish out the pasta servings and count out the open clams onto each. If they have not all opened , leave them at a simmer while picking out the ones that have. If they are fresh, they should all be open by the time your are done. Add some sauce with the chopped clams onto each plate and serve at once. Discard any clams that do not open. I like to serve with warm garlic bread, freshly grated parmesan or Romano cheese. HC

The basic formula for these cakes was developed by the wife of a mayonnaise salesman in an effort to help him out. I did a bit of research, and have found many variations. Early variants generally involve using less cocoa, which I cannot recommend. Later variants involve using cold water instead of boiling, adding salt, and additional leaveners. I personally do not feel that any additional salt is needed, as mayonnaise and that famous, tangy brand of salad dressing (sometimes the label just says 'Dressing') both contain a fair amount of salt. If you are using homemade mayonnaise or a low sodium product, an eighth teaspoon of salt may boost the flavor a bit. And, of course, somewhere along the way fans who prefer a certain salad dressing over mayonnaise started using it to make this cake. Nowadays, the Hellman's website has a different formula -one with added eggs and baking powder. I have not tried this newer formulation. Some versions of this recipe specify sifted cake flour. This will result in a very light cake with virtually no structural integrity, due to the paucity of eggs in this recipe compared to a regular cake. Cupcakes made this way give beautifully light results. However, every time I try to make a traditional 8" double layer cake with cake flour, I experience collapse. I recommend AP flour or at least a mix of cake and pastry flour. I have never made this with a gluten-free flour replacer. This recipe does not have very much structural integrity and as such does not make a good candidate for a gluten-free cake. I have made this cake many times, the type of sandwich spread you choose will affect the outcome. Made with mayonnaise, the cake has a good chocolate flavor and moistness. Made with that famous, tangy, off-white salad dressing that gets used as a sandwich spread, the cake has a subtle bit of extra brightness to the flavor. If one chooses to use a vegan mayonnaise, the result is tasty but lacking a little in structure; I would bake this in a square pan and frost and serve from the pan. The cocoa you use will also affect the flavor. For a classic, homey flavor use a supermarket brand of cocoa. To add a little sophistication, use better, artisan type cocoa and use chocolate extract instead of the vanilla extract. Supposedly, the traditional frosting for this cake should have a caramel flavor. Look for one where you actually caramelize some sugar first. Modern recipes for the icing seem like weak imitations to me; using brown sugar as the main flavor instead of true caramel. Chocolate Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing Cake makes enough for two 8" round pans, or a 9" square (about 7 cups of batter) 2 ounces/56g unsweetened, non-alkalized cocoa 1 cup/236g boiling water 1 teaspoon/4g regular strength vanilla extract 3/4 cup/162g mayonnaise, vegan mayonnaise, or salad dressing (the tangy, off-white, sandwich spread type dressing) 10.5ounces/300g all-purpose flour 7 ounces/200g sugar 0.35ounce/10g baking soda Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease or spray two 8" round pans or an equivalent volume square or rectangle. Place the cocoa in a medium (4-5 cup) bowl. Add the hot water and stir with a fork to break up any clumps. Allow to cool down a little, then add the vanilla extract and the mayonnaise or salad dressing spread. Beat well to eliminate lumps. In the bowl of an electric mixer or larger regular bowl if making by hand, sift in the flour and add the sugar and baking soda. Mix the dry ingredients to distribute evenly. Slowly beat in the cocoa mixture. Mix until the batter has an even color. Pour immediately into the pans. If making two 8" rounds, weigh them to ensure they contain equal amounts. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the center of the top springs back when touched lightly. (The toothpick test does NOT work well on this moist cake!) Allow the cake to cool a little and shrink from the sides of the pan before removing. Removal is easier while still a little warm. Good with or without frosting. Good beginner cake for kids to make.