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Creamed Spinach 101 From THE BEST: Creamed Spinach in NYC thread My mother-in-law Joan is one of the best Yankee New England cooks I know, so I asked her about this since she makes it... She said "creamed" means a thickened cream/milk type sauce, i.e. creamed corn, creamed potatoes, etc... She said creaming can be thin, medium or thick, depending on the amount of cream/milk, butter and thickening agent used, and your personal preferences. 1 bag fresh spinach (cleaned and stemmed)or 1 box good quality frozen spinach 1 c Milk 1 T flour 2 T butter Salt & Pepper 1. Cook and thoroughly drain the spinach. 2. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, strirring like a roux. 3. Add the milk gradually, stirring continuously. 4. When all the milk is added and the sauce is thickened, add the cooked spinach and stir to heat through. Add salt & pepper to taste. Some variations... adding a dash of nutmeg, garlic, onions, shallots, etc... Bon Appetit! Keywords: American, Vegetables, Side ( RG322 )

Filipino Chicken Adobo Here's my version of Chicken Adobo, a Filipino staple dish and not to be confused with any sort of Mexican adobo. 12 chicken thighs with skin intact (one US size giant pack is good) 4 whole garlic heads, separated into cloves & peeled 1 c vinegar (malt, apple, white is OK, although orig. is made from sugar cane) 10 black peppercorns 5 bay leaf (dried) 1/2 c soy sauce (kikkoman or other japanese type is more refined) salt Preparation: 1) wash thighs, pat dry with paper towel 2) peel all the garlic cloves (yes, it's a lot), and bang them abit with flat of knife blade to release the oils/juices (but don't mush), leave a few whole (not bashed) 3) salt the chickens rather generously on each side 4) in large (Rubbermaid) plastic container, line up the thighs and throw in all the garlic, you can layer the thighs, 2 or 3 levels deep 5) pour in vinegar, about 1 -1.5 cups 6) pour soy sauce, about 1/2 cup 7) pour in cold tap water until thighs are submerged 8) throw in bay leaves and peppercorns 9) snap on the lid for container, carefully give it a nice shake so the marinade mixes well 10) bung into refrigerator overnight or up to three days (like i do) To Cook: 1) Dump entire content into large stainless steel pot (avoid aluminum coz of the vinegar) 2) Bring contents to a boil, then reduce to a gentle boil, a bit above a simmer. I'd say up 30-40 minutes. There is not much finesse required, thighs should be cooked through, but skin should not be too shriveled up or separated from the meat. Quite a lot of fat is rendered from the skin, skim from surface and set aside. 3) Take pot off flames, and separate out the chicken thighs and the garlic. Reduce the sauce down a bit more (maybe to about half the depth, but not too much else becomes too salty). 4) Meanwhile, using a non stick frying pan, fry the thighs skin side down with some of the rendered chicken fat (or use corn oil). Until skin gets crisp. Turn over and fry briefly on other side. Do this for all of thighs and set aside. 5) Take the garlic cloves (which were cooked along with the thighs) and fry them until crunchy on outside. They are kinda mushy at this stage but it should fry (watch out for oil splatter). Set aside. 6) In bowl, place chicken thighs, pour reduced sauce and put fried garlic on top. Serving Suggestions: 1) Filipinos will eat this with plain steamed rice (not long grain, but the Asian stickier type) accompanied by some green vegetable dish. 2) Pour sauce (which should NOT be thick like demi glace or anything) over the rice. 3) Adobo tastes great even as a leftover (i.e. flavor matures in fridge). It also keeps for quite a long time, as it is confit-like (with fat sealing the chicken in container and the sauce gelatinizing) There are gazillion variations to this, some mix it with pork. Many do not take the extra step to separate out and fry, but this is what my dish is known for and lends it an added texture which the traditional one does not have. Caveat: I always wing measurements (eg. the vinegar and water and salt)- one reason I suck at baking. So the measurements above are estimates. The vinegar taste is definitely there but should not overwhelm. It should be mellowed out by the dilution with water and interaction with salt and soy and a kind of sweetness (umami?) lent by the cooked garlic. Why both salt and soy? I find the saltiness of salt and that of soy are different in character. Also, the soy lends an appetizing golden tint to the thighs, but careful not to overdo both or it becomes way too salty. Keywords: Chicken, Main Dish, Easy, Filipino ( RG321 )

Mel's Mother's Fruit Kugel This came from the mother of my husband's best friend from high school via his wife. This is one of those where an accidental mistake produced a better result. Apparently, the original recipe included sugar and only half the amount of prunes. With all this fruit, no additional sweetening is necessary. It's very moist and the perfect accompaniment to your Passover meal. This is not gourmet but good home cooking. 1 c water 4 eggs 2 T vegetable oil 1 tsp cinnamon plus more for topping 1 c matzah meal 1 lb pitted prunes 4 pippin apples Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large casserole dish or lasagna pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, mix water, eggs, oil and teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir in matzah meal. Let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, core but do not peel the apples. In a food processor, or by hand, dice the apples and pitted prunes together. The fruit mixture can be as smooth or chunky as you like. Stir the fruit mixture into the matzah meal mixture and place into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and sprinkle generously with additional cinnamon. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cut into squares. Serve immediately or cool and refrigerate. This can be made ahead and stored for several days and reheated. Keywords: Side, Jewish, Kosher, Vegetarian, Fruit, Passover ( RG320 )

Weekday Niciose Salad Serves 2 as Main Dishor 4 as Salad. I made this salad one weekday evening after a discussion on the Washington Post thread about food articles for people who don't want to spend any time cooking. The idea is that something quick can still use quality ingredients and not cost a lot. Technically, there should be olives in this, but I didn't have any. Feel free to add them when you make it. For the salad 500 g small Yukon gold potatoes, about 5cm across. 200 g green beans, cut into bite-size lengths 75 g red onion, sliced then cut into bite-size stips 200 g Roma (plum) tomatoes, quartered lengthwise 2 large eggs 6 oz canned Italian tuna packed in olive oil salt and pepper to taste For the dressing 50 ml champagne vinegar 1 T dijon mustard 150 ml extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If you have a pot with a steamer insert that stays at the top of the pot, even better. Cut the potatoes into quarters and add to the boiling water. Boil until tender, about 15 minutes. After 5 minutes, put the eggs in along with them. In the mean time, make the dressing. Combine the vinegar and mustard in a bowl. Whisk vigorously, and while wisking, slowly drizzle the oil into the vinegar. The dressing should emulsify as you add the oil. The whole process will take just about two minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. When the potatoes are tender, remove them and the eggs. Transfer both to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Now put the steamer insert into the pot and steam the beans until just tender, about 3 minutes. If you really want to save time, you can steam the beans over the potatoes as they boil. When the beans are done, shock them in a bowl of cold water, just as you did the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and beans thoroughly, then combine them with the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a plate and drizzle with about 2/3 of the dressing. Quarter the eggs and decorate the salad with them and the tomatoes. Heap the tuna in the center, and pour the remaining dressing over it. Serve with crusty French bread. Keywords: Salad, Main Dish, Easy, Fish, Potatoes, French ( RG319 )

Poulet au Vinegar (Vinegar Chicken) Here's another vinegar chicken recipe that is great with skinless and boneless thighs. See the chicken thigh thread. 8 chicken thighs flour olive oil 4 garlic cloves, chopped 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped 4 anchovy filets, chopped 3/4 c good quality red wine vinegar 1-1/2 T butter fresh parsley Flour thighs lightly. Saute in olive oil until browned on both sides. Remove from pan. Salt and pepper chicken. Wipe out pan. Add 2-3 T fresh olive oil to pan and saute garlic, then rosemary and anchovies until garlic is golden and rosemary is fragrant. Add chicken and any chicken juices back into pan turn to coat with garlic add red wine vinegar turn heat down to simmer and cover pan. Cook for 20 minutes sauce should be brown color and reduced. Add butter and parsley Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Chicken, French ( RG318 )

Bo Nuong Xa Serves 4 as Main Dish. This is a killer dish. I've made it 3 or 4 times and it has always knocked people out. It's a lot of prep work (cleaning and chopping veggies), but otherwise fairly easy. I once made it for 18 people-- took me all freakin day. This is based on a recipe from the Washington Post. You can, if necessary, substitute regular basil for the Thai basil, and I never found "Saw Leaf" so I omitted it. I always use lettuce wraps rather than the rice paper ones. Cook the beef on a good and hot grill or under the broiler. You definitely want a good chargrilled crust on the outside. This dish is also fairly cheap since you don't need a lot of beef and it's mostly veggies. I think when I made it for 18 people, I probably spent just under $100. For the beef: 1/4 c fish sauce 1 T thick soy sauce 2 T vegetable oil, plus additional for the pan, if using 3 T sugar 2 stalks lemon grass, outer leaves and tough green tops removed, root ends trimmed and stalks finely ground or minced 2 large cloves garlic, crushed, peeled and finely chopped 1-1/2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes Bamboo skewers soaked in water for 20 minutes For the table salad: 1 c (about 4 ounces) rice vermicelli 1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated, or 12 small round or triangle rice papers, soaked* 1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and thinly sliced 2 to 3 carrots, peeled and julienned or shredded 1 unripe star fruit, thinly sliced For the rau (traditional herbs) 1 bunch cilantro 1 bunch mint 1 bunch holy (Thai) basil 1 bunch saw leaf For the Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce: 5 T sugar 3 T water 1/3 c fish sauce 1/2 c lime or lemon juice (about 3 or 4 limes or 2 lemons) 1 large clove garlic, crushed and peeled and then sliced or minced 1 bird's eye or Thai chili pepper, seeded and sliced or minced, or to taste 1 shallot, peeled, thinly sliced, rinsed and drained (optional) 1/2 c unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped (optional) Bo Nuong Xa (Grilled Lemon Grass Beef Cubes) (4 to 6 servings) This is an excellent way to prepare beef. Marinated in lemon grass, fish sauce and sugar, it is robust in flavor, yet relatively light. It is best grilled, which not only crisps the meat but gives it a smoky flavor. The meat can be served simply with rice, but I like to combine a bit of the grilled beef with some rice vermicelli, wrap it in a bundle in a lettuce leaf or rice paper with the Traditional Herbs (recipe follows), a slice of star fruit and a drizzle of oil and dip in Nuoc Cham (recipe follows). For the beef: In a medium bowl, stir together the fish sauce, soy sauce, oil and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the lemon grass, garlic, and beef and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Soak the bamboo skewers. For the table salad: Place the vermicelli in a dish and cover with lukewarm water. Set aside to soak until pliable, about 20 minutes. On a large serving platter or several plates, arrange the lettuce or rice papers, cucumber, carrots and star fruit. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drain the vermicelli and, working in batches, place it in a sieve and lower into the boiling water. Using a chopstick, untangle the noodles and boil until tender but still firm, about 3 seconds. Drain and place on the plate with the other ingredients. Slide 2 to 4 cubes of beef onto each skewer, depending on how long the skewers are, discarding the marinade. Preheat the grill or broiler or set a lightly oiled grill pan or nonstick skillet over high heat. Grill, broil or sear the beef skewers until well browned on each side and crisp on the edges, about 1 minute per side. Remove the beef from the skewers. Set aside. For the assembly: Toss the beef cubes with a little from each of the table salad items and Traditional Herbs. Serve on individual plates or in large soup bowls (as is traditional), sprinkle with peanuts, drizzle with oil and Nuoc Cham and toss to combine well. Note: Rice papers are traditionally used to wrap grilled meats. First, however, they must be soaked in lukewarm water to cover for about 3 minutes and drained on paper towels. Per serving (including herbs and 1 tablespoon of nuoc cham): 337 calories, 26 gm protein, 24 gm carbohydrates, 14 gm fat, 74 mg cholesterol, 5 gm saturated fat, 450 mg sodium, 4 gm dietary fiber For the Rau (Traditional Herbs) (4 to 6 servings) Some of these herbs are hard to get unless you live near a Southeast Asian food market. Mint and cilantro, however, are available in most markets. Italian basil is not a substitute for holy, or Thai, basil, because its flavor is much different. This traditional herb garnish is used in soups or served alongside the table salad to complement grilled or fried meats and seafood dishes. Keeping the stems and leaves intact, clean the cilantro, mint, holy basil and saw leaves thoroughly, drain on paper towels and arrange on a plate in individual piles. For the Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce (Makes about 2 cups) In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, water, fish sauce and lime or lemon juice until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the garlic, chili pepper and shallot, if using. Set aside for 30 minutes prior to serving. Keywords: Main Dish, Amuse, Intermediate, Beef, Vegetables, Vietnamese, Southeast Asian ( RG317 )

Quick Cinnamon Rolls with Buttermilk Icing Serves 8. These cinnamon rolls are based on a recipe from Cook's Illustrated. Though they aren't yeasted, they're richly flavored and much better than you would expect from a "quick and easy" recipe. Filling 3/4 c packed dark brown sugar 1/4 c granulated sugar 2 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp cloves 1/8 tsp salt 1 T melted butter Dough 2-1/2 c all purpose flour 2 T granulated sugar 1-1/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1-1/4 c buttermilk 6 T melted butter Icing 2 T cream cheese, softened 1 T buttermilk 1 c powdered sugar Heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1 Tbs melted butter into a 9-inch round cake pan (non-stick if you have it - if not, line the bottom with parchment paper before adding butter); brush to coat pan Make filling Combine sugars, spices and salt. Add 1 Tbs melted butter and stir with fingers till it looks like wet sand. set aside Make dough Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. whisk buttermilk and 2 Tbs melted butter in measuring cup or small bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir until liquid is absorbed (dough will look very shaggy). Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy. Pat dough with hands into 12 x 9- inch rectangle. Brush dough with 2 Tbs melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with filling, leaving 1/2 inch boarder of plain dough around edges. Press filling firmly into dough. Using bench scraper, loosed dough from work surface. Starting at a long side, roll dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch seam to seal. Roll log seam side down and cut evenly into eight pieces. With hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal open edges and keep filling in place. Place one roll in center of pan, then place remaining seven rolls around perimeter of pan. They should touch, but not be crammed. Drizzle with remaining Tbs of melted butter. Bake until edges are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Loosen with a spatula. without separating, slide buns out of pan onto greased cooling rack. Cool about 5 minutes before icing. Making icing and finish Set rack of rolls over foil-lined baking sheet (for easier clean-up). whisk cream cheese and 1 Tbs of buttermilk in large bowl until thick and smooth. sift powdered sugar over. whisk until smooth glaze forms - add up to 1 additional Tbs of buttermilk if too thick. spoon glaze evenly over the buns. Best when warm (of course) but can be made the night before and reheated very briefly in microwave. Keywords: Easy, Brunch, Breakfast, Bread, American ( RG316 )

Kielbasa and Red Cabbage Serves 4 as Main Dish. This is Rachel Perlow's recipe, originally posted in Klink's Sausage Diary, Day 4. 7 kielbasa links (5"-6") 1 whole red cabbage, cut into large slices 1 granny smith apple, peeled and cubed 1-1/2 lb small red potatoes, quartered 1 lemon, all the juice and a few strips of zest, minced 2 T white vinegar 1 tsp sugar 1/2 c water Soak the sausages in water for 1 hour, then cut them up into large sized slices/chunks. Brown sausages. Add remaining ingredients. Braise for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add a slurry of 1 tsp cornstarch to thicken the juices. Keywords: Easy, Pork, Main Dish ( RG315 )

Jerk Chicken First of all, this resembles less a sauce than a curry paste, made with several of the ingredients that characterize Jamaican cuisine: thyme, ginger, scallions (“escallions”), allspice (“pimento”), and scotch bonnet chile (close cousin of the habanero). This recipe should make at least 2 cups. All quantities are approximate and can be varied. Jerk sauce is wonderful, but with Mr. Habanero around, subtle it ain’t. If you do two chickens, just thin the sauce with water and distribute it evenly. 1/4 c whole allspice berries 2 T black pepper corns 2 bay leaves 1 small onion, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 bunch of scallions, coarsely chopped 6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 (for hot jerk sauce), 2 (for really hot), or 3 (extremely hot) Habanero chiles, stemmed and seeded Leaves and tender stems from a bunch of thyme, about ¼ cup 2 T grated fresh ginger 2 tsp salt 1/4 c cider vinegar or fresh squeezed lime juice 1/4 c vegetable oil Water as needed 1 or 2 chickens, backbones removed and split into halves Ketchup or pickapeppa sauce Toast the allspice berries and black peppercorns until fragrant. Pulverize the allspice, black pepper, and bay leaves in a spice grinder, then add the powdered spices to the bowl of a food processor, along with the onions, scallions, garlic, chiles, thyme, ginger, salt, and the liquid ingredients. Process to a fairly smooth paste, with some small chunks, adding water and scraping down the food processor as necessary. Reserve about ½ cup of the jerk paste to make a table sauce. Evenly distribute the remaining paste over the chicken halves, thinning with a little water if necessary, and marinate for at least an hour and up to 24 hours, refrigerated. Meanwhile, make a sauce to accompany the cooked chicken by mixing the reserved paste with 2 or 3 tablespoons of Pickapeppa sauce or ketchup. The sweetness smooths out the taste. Cook the chicken slowly in a covered charcoal grill over indirect heat, for 1½ to 2 hours, turning and basting about every half hour with leftover marinade (most won't stick to the chicken). Tend the fire carefully; if it’s too hot, the chicken will be badly overdone given such a lengthy cooking time. Too low a fire, obviously, is a problem as well. Keywords: Main Dish, Carribean, Intermediate, Chicken, Barbeque, Grill ( RG314 )

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Serves 32 as Side. 1 c raisins, juice of your choice for soaking 1 pkg yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons) 3/4 c warm milk (110-120 degrees) 1/2 c brown sugar 3 T butter, melted and cooled slightly 2 eggs, beaten 1 tsp vanilla 3-1/2 c unbleached flour 1-1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp ground cinnamon Pour some juice into a bowl. Add raisins and set aside to soak. Dissolve yeast in warm milk. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to proof yeast. You can skip proofing if you have confidence that your yeast is alive. Add brown sugar to milk. Stir well and add melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix flour, salt and cinnamon in large bowl. (I use the work bowl of my KitchenAid). Make a well in center and add milk mixture. Stir well. Knead until you have a nice workable dough. Add more flour if your dough is too sticky to work with. Knead the dough with your hands for 10 minutes or let the dough hook of your KitchenAid kick it around for a few. Turn dough into a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 ½ hours. Drain raisins from juice and dry them off. Punch down dough and roll into a large rectangle. Sprinkle with raisins. Roll dough tightly like a Swiss roll. Pinch seam to seal. Place in loaf pan with ends underneath. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (or dish towel) and let rise another 45 minutes. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 or until loaf sounds hollow. If you have a probe thermometer, set probe in dough and bake until internal temperature of bread reaches 200. Let cool. Keywords: Breakfast, Bread ( RG313 )

Polenta Pie With Gorgonzola (For Two) Serves 4 as Sideor 2 as Main Dish. This recipe is my adaptation of a recipe from Saveur. The original recipe serves 6, but I have scaled it down to serve 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side. 1 tsp butter for pan 1/2 c polenta 10 oz can chicken broth (not reduced sodium) 2 T chopped, roasted bell peppers 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons chopped, roasted bell peppers (optional) 1/4 c crumbled gorgonzola cheese 1. Butter bottom and sides of a 5 inch cast iron skillet. Preheat oven to 350 and set skillet in oven. 2. In a saucepan, bring can of broth to a boil. Stir in polenta and cook over low heat until polenta is thick. Takes about 10 minutes. 3. Remove from heat and add peppers and cheese. Pour mixture into prepared pan. 4. Bake in a 350° oven for 15 minutes. Top with gorgonzola and cook for about 12-15 more minutes. Keywords: Side, Italian, Cheese ( RG312 )

Grandma's frittata di zucchine Serves 4 as Main Dishor 8 as Appetizer. This is my Grandma's zucchini frittata, that I still look forward to eating when I visit her house and she never disappoints me. 3 T extra virgin olive oil 2 T basil, chopped 1 large onion, sliced 1-1/2 lb zucchini, thinly sliced in half circles 6 large eggs salt and pepper 1/2 c grated romano(pecorino) cheese or parmigiano (about 2 ozs) 1. In a 12 inch heat 2 Tablespoons of EVOO over medium heat, add the onions and saute until wilted about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the basil just before taking off the heat. Pour into a colander and let drain. 2. In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork, add the cheese and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Add the drained zucchini and onion. 3.Heat the remaining tablespoon of EVOO in the skillet over medium heat, when it is hot add the egg mixture, using the fork to distribute it evenly. Lower the heat to low and cook until set 12-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and place a large dish on top of the skillet and invert, slide the upside down frittata back into the skillet and cook a couple of minutes longer. Invert one more time onto a dish to serve. *Alternatively it can be placed under a broiler until just browned. Can be eaten hot, but tastes better at room temperature and is even great the next day cold. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Vegetables, Main Dish, Italian, Vegetarian, Easy ( RG311 )

Better than sex cinnamon gelato Serves 4 as Dessert. Make sure you use a really good cinnamon, I like Penzey's Vietnam Extra Fancy. I use a gelato machine for this, I am not sure of how well it would work in an ice cream maker. 400 ml fresh cream 4 egg yolks 120 g granulated sugar 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped 1/2 tsp cinnamon, or to taste Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Pour into your gelato machine and process according to manufacture's directions. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Maker ( RG310 )

Cheese-Wrapped Olives (Bollitas) Serves 7 as Appetizer. These savory little appetizers are geared to please the olive-lover in the crowd. Can be frozen before baking. If doing so, place directly into oven from freezer and extend the baking time by just a few minutes. Recipe from a clipping, author unsourced. 1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese 1 T unsalted butter, softened 1/4 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper 1/2 c flour 2 4 garlic-jalapeno stuffed olives (or pimento-stuffed green olives) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In bowl of food processor, combine cheese, butter, paprika/cayenne, and flour. Process until smooth. Take about 1 Tablespoon of crumbly dough and place in the palm of your hand. Place one of the olives in middle of dough. Cup your hand to begin fixing dough around olive. Roll between palms of hands until dough is smoothly wrapped around olive. Sometimes the dough gets a little crumbly, rolling faster helps a bit, and you can stick dough onto any'naked' areas and roll until smooth. Repeat until all olives have been wrapped. Place onto oiled baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Due to the amount of cheese in the batter, these will be rather greasy when they emerge from the oven. Remove from baking sheet and place between paper towels to remove excess grease. Note: Upon making these recently, I discovered that the preferred method should be to freeze these on a baking tray for about 3-4 hours before baking. This allows the texture of the 'dough' to remain firm around the balls when baking. Of course if you don't have the time, they are still just as tasty the first way... the balls just don't hold up quite as well in the oven. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Appetizer, Easy ( RG309 )

Brie Stuffed Jacket Potatoes Serves 2 as Side. In an internet quest for the recipe for Brie-mashed potatoes, I came upon these little gems. I was only baking for two, so only used two potatoes, however, I forgot to scale down the remaining ingredients, which were slated to feed four (using 4 potatoes). My husband and I both agreed that these were the best things upon the plate tonight. From igourmet.com. 2 baked potatoes 3 oz brie cheese, de-rinded,room temp 1/2 tsp salt 1 egg yolk 2 oz butter, room temp freshly chopped chives Slice off the top of each potato and scoop out the flesh, leaving behind a potato skin jacket ready for filling. Mix together potato flesh, Brie, salt, egg yolk and butter. Beat until well mixed, and return mixture to potato skins. Place upon a baking sheet, or preferably a baking stone. Put into a 375-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until filling is golden brown. Sprinkle with chopped chives. Keywords: Side, Easy, Potatoes ( RG308 )

Rolled Flank Steak with Green Olives and Oregano Serves 4 as Main Dish. Mario Batali: "This is my variation on the San-whomever-festival staple that is served across the United States wherever there are Italian-American communities. During New York's festa di San Gennaro tens of thousands of paesanos descend on Little Italy to consume mass quantities of food prepared in the Napolitano tradition. Having tasted the real things in Napoli, it's sad to see such poorly prepared food, because the originals are exemplars of Italian cooking." from Simple Italian Food. 3 c basic tomato sauce 1 c green Italian olives (preferably Ascolane) 3 T chopped fresh oregano leaves 1/2 c freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese 1 c finely chopped Italian parsley 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1-3/4 lbs beef flank steak, sliced into 8 thin scallops salt and pepper, to taste flour, for dusting 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 c dry red wine In a medium saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, olives, and 2Tablespoons of the oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer while you assemble the braciole. In a mixing bowl, mix the cheese, parsley, and nutmeg until well blended. Lay the pieces of steak out on a board and season with salt and pepper. Divide the cheese mixture evenly over the beef, spreading to form a thin layer on top of each piece. Roll up each piece like a jelly roll and tie securely with a piece of butcher's twine. Season with salt and pepper and roll in flour to coat lightly. In a 12-14 inch skillet, heat the olive oil until smoking. Place 4 rolled steak pieces at a time in the skillet and brown evenly, rolling with tongs or a wooden spoon. Transfer to a plate and repeat with 4 remaining rolls. Pour off the cooking oil. Return the skillet to the heat and add the wine, stirring the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits. Add the simmering tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Add the beef rolls and simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes, until the meat is cooked through. Remove the meat to a heated platter, pour the sauce over, and garnish with the remaining tablespoon of oregano. Keywords: Main Dish, Italian, Intermediate, Beef, Dinner ( RG307 )

Judy's Eggplant Parm Serves 4 as Main Dish. This is my mother-in-law's eggplant parm, and it is incredible. Simple ingredients yield a dish filled with complexity of flavors. While it is easy to prepare, it takes some time to fry all of that eggplant! It is definately worth the results. Serve with some bread or foccacia to soak up those wonderful juices. This dish can also be assembled aheah of time, and refrigerated until ready to pop in the oven. It also freezes well (unbaked). 3 pounds eggplant olive oil flour, spread out on bowl/plate 2 c canned imported Italian plum tomatoes, well-drained and coarsely chopped (or use fresh if in season) 1 T olive oil sea salt 3/4 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced 10 leaves basil, to taste butter, for smearing dish 1/2 c freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese Slice eggplant lengthwise 3/8-inch thick. Salt both sides, and stack upright in colander. Set colander in sink, or set in tray to catch drippings. Let sweat for 30 minutes. Remove and pat eggplant dry. Place olive oil in pan, about 1 1/2 inches worth. Heat until oil is quite hot, but not smoking. Dredge eggplant on both sides in flour. Place in pan, not overlapping, until golden brown. Flip and continue frying until other side is golden brown. Remove, drain, and place on paper towels. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Meanwhile, as eggplant is being fried, place tomatoes, salt and olive oil in another pan. Turn to low, or low-medium, and let simmer as you fry the eggplant. Cook down until tomatoes are reduced by half. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Smear bottom and sides of (approximately 11X7 baking dish, ceramic preferred) baking dish with butter. Place a single layer, overlapping, of eggplant in bottom of dish. Dot with cooked tomato. Cover with layer of mozzarella, sprinkle quite liberally with grated parm, and snip basil leaves across. Repeat process, finishing with a layer of eggplant on top. Sprinkle with remaining parm and place dish in upper third of oven. Check dish after 20 minutes. If there is too much liquid being released, remove excess with spoon. Cook for another 15 minutes. Let rest before serving. Keywords: Intermediate, Dinner, Main Dish, Vegetarian, Cheese, Italian ( RG306 )

Peanut Butter Burgers This really tastes better than it sounds. The peanut butter gives the burger a decidly nutty taste, and it's a very juicy burger. Really. I prefer using the ground sirloin 1-1/2 lb lean hamburger or ground sirloin 1/4 c smooth peanut butter 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 tsp garlic 2 T butter, very soft Combine all ingredients and shape into patties. Refrigerate patties for at least two hours. (Chilling the patties helps hold thier shape while broiling). Grill on BBQ. This recipe is very flexible. Almost any spice or seasoning works well with it. DO NOT add bread crumbs to this though. The peanut butter and the chilling, will hold them together just fine Keywords: Main Dish, Easy, Beef ( RG305 )

Grilled SALSA On the open flame of a stove on a grill, or on a non-stick griddle on high heat, lightly char: 2 large very ripe tomatoes 2 garlic cloves 1 or 2 small hot peppers (chile verde, jalapeno, serrano, arbol) Let the tomatoes cool a bit and peel. Meanwhile, in a mol- cajete, mash the other ingredients together. Add the tomato and mash that, too. You may have to transfer some to a bowl. Put it into a small bowl and add 1/2 diced sweet onion, and 1/2 cup diced cilantro. Salt to taste. If you don't have a molcajete, or mortar & pestle, mash the ingredients with a fork instead Keywords: Dip, Marinade ( RG304 )

SALSA YUCATECA 1 chile habanero (there is no substitute!), charred and mashed. the juice from one key lime 2 T olive oil 1 garlic clove, roasted and mashed salt to taste Place the ingredients in a small dish or bowl & mix together Try this in chicken soup! P.S. When roasting garlic, do it with the peel on. Remove after roasting! Keywords: Dip, Hot and Spicy ( RG303 )

SALSA FRESCA (fresh salsa) 2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled & diced 1/2 large sweet onion, diced 1 or 2 small hot peppers, finely diced (serrano, jalapeno, or arbol) -juice from 1/2 of a key lime or lime or lemon 1/2 c diced cilantro salt to taste Simply mix all of the above together and use as you would any salsa Keywords: Dip, Hot and Spicy ( RG302 )

Mexican Smoked Chile Marinade 1 c fresh orange juice 1/4 c fresh lime juice 5 canned chipotle chilies, minced plus 1 T of juice (see note) 4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp) 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest 2 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 T wine vinegar 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 1/2 tsp salt Combine the orange juice and lime juice in a saucepan and boil until only 1/2 cup liquid remains. Place this and the remaining ingredients in a blender and purée to a smooth paste. Spread this paste on the food to be marinated. Marinate seafood for 2 hours, poultry for 4 hours, and meat overnight, turning once or twice. Marinated food may be sautéed on the stove top, broiled on a charcoal grille, or roasted or broiled in the oven. Makes 1 cup of marinade, enough for 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of seafood, poultry or meat. Note: Chipotles have a unique smokey flavor and are frequently sold canned in tomato paste, but you may also find them dried. If you use dried chipotle chilies for this recipe, soften them in hot water for a few minutes, drain slightly, and add 2 Tbsp of tomato paste. source: High Flavor Low-Fat Cooking by Steven Raichlen 1992 I've used this to marinate cut up pieces of boneless chick breast, then stir-fried them in a wok and put them in small freezer bags for use in other recipes. (These chipotle chicken pieces even make a wild addition to pizza topping.) Keywords: Marinade, Hot and Spicy ( RG301 )

Tia Maria Coffee Bean Sauce Served Over Lamb Chops or Veal Medallions Serves 4. Sauce: 1 Shallot Finely Diced 1 Lemon Juiced 10-15 Whole Coffee Beans 4 oz Demi Glaze 2 oz Heavy Whipping cream Salt and Pepper To Taste 3 oz Tia Maria Add more or less to Taste Parsley and Fresh Rosemary Sprigs For decoration of plate 4 lamb chops or 12 2 oz. veal medallions sliced Sauté diced shallot until transparent. Add coffee beans and toss about 2 minutes. De-glaze the pan with the 3 oz. of Tia Maria and reduce by 2/3rds. Add the 4oz. of Demi Glaze, cream, and lemon juice and reduce to a desired thickness (not to thin). Taste and season accordingly with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside. Lamb Chops: Season with olive oil and fresh rosemary leaves , salt and pepper to taste and marinate for 30 minutes. Grill to desired temperature. Place warmed sauce in middle of plate, then place grilled chops on top. You can decorate place with parsley and fresh rosemary sprigs. Serve immediately Veal Medallions: Season medallions to taste with salt and pepper. In saucepan, add 3 Tbls. Oil and sear medallions to desired temperature. When done, place warmed sauce in center of plate and medallions on top of sauce.Decorate with parsley and fresh rosemary sprigs. Serve immediately. * Wonderful with a fragrant Merlot or Cabernet Savigion Keywords: Sauce ( RG300 )

Stilton Custards Serves 4. 2 oz Sweet Butter Melted 1 Small Onion diced 12 oz Heavy Cream (Whipping cream is fine) 4 eggs 4 oz Stilton Cheese Scant Salt and Pepper to taste 4 Custard Dishes oven proof 1 oz Sweet Butter to coat custard cups Range/Oven Directions Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees 1) Sauté onion until transparent in 2oz. Sweet butter then let cool. 2) Cream eggs and Stilton Cheese in mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste. 3) Combine the onions and cheese mixture in a mixing bowl until well incorporated. 4) Spoon the custard into buttered ovenproof cups. 5) Bake the custards in a water bath at 350 F. until a blade inserted into center comes out clean. (This will take approximately 10-15 minutes). 6) Unmold onto individual serving plates and serve ( RG299 )

Quinoa Pilaf" Pronounced { Keen-Wah } Serves 6. Quinoa Although Quinoa is new to the American market, it was a staple of the ancient Incas, who called it the "mother grain". Hailed as the "Supergrain of the Future", quinoa contains more protein than any other grain because it comes closer than any other food to supplying all nutrients to sustain life, and in fact is the fruit of an herb. It can be served like rice, in soups, salads, stuffing's, main dishes, stews or even in deserts. These days, Quinoa can be found at any health food market and even at some grocery stores 4 Tbls. Olive Oil 1 Medium Spanish Onion Diced 1 Tbls. Lea and Perrin Seasoning 1/2 c Raisins Any kind (preferably Dark) 1/2 c Cashews Roasted and Salted and Crushed 1-1/2 c Quinoa 1/2 c Thin broken Vermicelli or egg noodles (Any kind is OK) 3 c Boiling Water Range Directions 1) Place 1-Tablespoon olive oil and one Tablespoon Lea and Perrin Seasoning in a nonstick frying pan and sauté onion until they sweat and turn translucent. (This should be stirred constantly to prevent burning) about 4 minutes. Remove to a separate plate. 2) Place 1-Tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick frying pan and sauté raisins until they turn plump. (This should be watched constantly to prevent burning) about 3 minutes. Remove and add to onion plate plate. 3) Place 1-Tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick frying pan and sauté Cashews until they turn lightly toasted. (This should be watched constantly to prevent burning) about 4 minutes. Add to onion and raisin plate. 4) Place 1-Tablespoon olive oil in a nonstick frying pan and sauté vermicelli or egg noodles until they turn lightly tan colored. (This should be watched constantly to prevent burning) about 2 minutes. Remove and add to onion, raisin and cashew plate. 5) Rinse 1.5 cups Quinoa thoroughly in a small strainer or by running fresh water over the quinoa in a pot. 6) Place Quinoa and 3 cups of water in 1 ½ quart saucepan and bring to a boil. 7) Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). When almost done, the grain appears transparent and the germ ring will visible. Remove from heat. 8) Add plate with onions, raisins, cashews and egg noodles to Quinoa and let stand with cover on for 10 minutes to absorb all flavors. This dish can be served warm or at room temperature ( RG298 )