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Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp One ounce of mushrooms doesn't sound like a lot, but once they're reconstituted and sliced, it looks like Gargamel had his way with the Smurf Village. If you don't enjoy the chewy texture of dried shiitakes, you've got options: substitute any sort of fresh mushroom, substitute bok choy stems, or drop the mushrooms and shrimp in favor of chicken or pork. If you're using an Asian chicken stock that was made with ginger, reduce the ginger to 1 tbsp or omit if you're not a ginger addict. 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms 6 c homemade chicken stock 3 T peeled and finely julienned ginger 1 tsp minced garlic 2 tsp chile paste with garlic (such as Rooster brand in the green-topped plastic jars) 1/4 c rice wine vinegar 1/4 c soy sauce 1 c canned slivered bamboo shoots, drained and diced 1 T lime juice 2 tsp sugar Salt 5 tsp cornstarch 2 T cold water 1 large egg, beaten 4 oz medium shrimp (51-60s are fine), shelled, deveined if necessary, and coarsely chopped 1/4 c scallions, thinly sliced Soak the mushrooms for thirty minutes in lukewarm water, drain, and slice thinly. Heat the chicken stock in a large saucepan and add the mushrooms, ginger, garlic, chile paste, vinegar, soy sauce, and bamboo shoots. Simmer 10 minutes, add the lime juice and sugar, and season to taste with salt if necessary. Add the scallions. In a separate small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water into a slurry and add half to the soup. Simmer until it thickens, adding more cornstarch slurry if you prefer a thicker soup. Give the soup a vigorous stir in one direction and slowly pour in the beaten egg to make swirls. Place 1 ounce each of raw shrimp into four heated soup bowls. Divide the soup among the bowls, stir to distribute the shrimp, and serve. Ingredient notes: Chicken stock: You must make homemade stock for this recipe. There's no reason to dismiss canned stock out of hand, but it just doesn't work here as the backbone of this soup. One thing most canned stock does have going for it is MSG, and it certainly wouldn't hurt to toss a little of that into the soup. Here's how I make my stock: Buy four pounds of chicken necks, backs, or breast frames, none of which should cost much more than 50 cents a pound. If necessary, cut into manageable chunks with a cleaver or poultry shears. Heat vegetable oil in a stockpot and brown the chicken in two batches. Add all the chicken to the pot with a few slices of fresh ginger, a half-bunch of trimmed scallions, and two quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer one to two hours (the time isn't that critical, so feel free to work in a game of cards or prep another dish). Strain and refrigerate. Skim the fat off the top before using. When cookbooks talk about stock, they often imply that the worst mistake you can make is letting it boil or not skimming often enough. If you're making a perfectly clear stock for use in a serious European restaurant kitchen, they're right. But the most common home stock-making error is using too much water for the amount of meat and ending up with watery stock. For chicken stock, don't exceed one pint of water for each pound of meaty bones, which is easy to remember if you recall that a pint of water weighs a pound. You probably don't want to use less water than this, because it won't cover all the chicken. If you need a stronger stock, reduce the stock or make a double stock by following the above instructions, substituting stock for water. Rice wine vinegar: Kong Yen brand, available in almost any Asian grocery, doesn't have the unpleasant sugary undertone of the ubiquitous Marukan. Keywords: Soup, Chinese, Appetizer, The Daily Gullet ( RG247 )

Smoked Scallops Serves 6 as Appetizer. 1/4 c olive oil 2 T chopped ginger 6 sea scallops Saute the ginger in the olive oil, let cool. Coat each scallop in oil, and add salt and pepper. Smoke for 5 to 10 minutes over a medium fire. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Seafood ( RG246 )

Lion's Head Meatballs Serves 4. This is SobaAddict's grandmother's recipe for giant pork meatballs with water chestnuts and ginger. It was originally posted in the dinner thread. It sounds delicious! For the meatballs: 3/4 pound ground pork 1 slice ginger, minced 1/2 c water chestnuts, minced 2 scallions, cut into thin slices 1 egg, lightly beaten Pinch of salt (less if desired) 1 tsp sugar 1 T sherry 1 T light soy sauce (I use mushroom soy) 1/2 T arrowroot powder (or you can use cornstarch) Pepper or white pepper to taste (or if you like them spicy, you can use crushed Szechuan peppercorns) For the stock: 1 c chicken stock 1 pound bok choy, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces 3 T peanut oil for cooking Other seasonings as desired (I use mushroom soy, 1 T. sugar, and some five-spice powder on occasion; star anise is good, if used sparingly) 1. Place the ground pork in a bowl. Add the meatball ingredients and mix together with your hands, moving in one direction. When the ingredients are blended, wet your hands slightly and form the pork mixture into 4 large meatballs. 2. Heat wok and add the oil. Cook the meatballs on medium heat until they are golden brown. Drain the meatballs on paper towels. 3. Heat the stock separately, adding soy sauce, sugar, or other seasonings if desired. 4. Arrange the bok choy in a large pot (you could concievably use the same wok if you cleaned the wok beforehand, after cooking the meatballs) and place the meatballs on top. Add the stock. Simmer until cooked (1 to 1 1/2 hours). Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate, Pork, Dinner, Chinese ( RG245 )

The Ubiquitous Chocolate Eclair Cake Don't knock it 'til you try it. 1 pkg graham crackers (16 oz) 2 pkg vanilla pudding mix (the small ones) 3-1/3 c milk 1 pkg Cool Whip (16 oz size) 1 pkg Chocolate Frosting (16 oz carton) Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with graham crackers. In a large bowl, combine the milk and vanilla pudding. Beat until slightly thick. Fold in the whipped topping. Spread a layer of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Alternate the graham cracker and pudding layers up to the top of the pan. Heat the container of prepared frosting (uncovered) in the microwave for about 1 minute on half power. Spoon over the top of the cake and spread to edges. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving. Keywords: Dessert ( RG243 )

Chocolate Chip Cookies With Pudding Serves 36 as Dessert. This is one of the best chocolate chip cookie recipes I've found. The secret is the instant pudding mix. Stick with vanilla pudding mix or get creative and use butterscotch pudding mix and butterscotch chips. 2-1/4 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp salt 1 c butter (softened) 3/4 c brown sugar 1/4 c white sugar 3.4 oz package vanilla instant pudding mix 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 12 oz bag Nestle Tollhouse Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips Preheat oven to 375. Mix flour, salt, soda and set aside. Cream together butter, sugars, eggs, pudding mix and vanilla. Beat well. Slowly stir in dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool. Keywords: Easy, Chocolate, American, Snack, Cookie ( RG242 )

Barbeque Posole Serves 4 as Main Dish. This is one of those recipes that is definitely more than the sum of its parts. I had something very like this in a restaurant in Queretaro in central Mexico and went nuts. They use up the barbecue from the day before to make this. With my lousy Spanish, I got what I could out of the cook and tried it. This is damn close. Posole as a general term is a Mexican stew made with hominy. This one makes great use of left over barbecue, whatever kind as long as it is good smoked stuff. (Beef brisket and pork are the favorites.) This recipe is really the basics. You can add whatever you like, more and different kinds of peppers or other seasonings to your taste. I suggest you start with the basic and add from there. The amounts are approximate. No need to get too serious about this. I don’t think you can mess it up. It is really amazingly delicious and great on a cold night. 2 T lard, bacon fat or cooking oil 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 4 c coarsely chopped or shredded barbeque meat 4 c beer, broth or water - enough to cover the meat 2 14 oz cans hominy, drained but not rinsed 2 4.5 oz cans diced green chiles 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, or more to taste Heat oil and saute onions until they just start to brown. Add garlic and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the meat. Add liquid until well covered. Simmer slowly for about 30 minutes. Add the hominy and green chiles. Add the oregano, crushing between your fingers. (The cook seemed to think that the oregano was VERY important.) Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. It is important that you don’t add salt and pepper until this point as it depends on what the barbecue has on it. Best to taste first. Simmer about another 15 minutes. Serve with some or all of the following condiments for the diner to add as desired: fresh lime wedges for spritzing, chopped radish, chopped white onion, chopped fresh chiles, shredded cheese, crumbled queso fresca, sour cream, chopped cilantro, shredded cabbage. I have served this over traditional frying pan corn bread (not sweet) and gotten rave reviews. A crisp salad with orange or mango is a great side dish. Keywords: Main Dish, Barbeque, Mexican ( RG241 )

Strawberry Marshmallows These are a variation on a recipe from Martha Stewart. Discussed in this thread. 4 envelopes gelatin 1/2 c strawberry puree (frozen is actually better than fresh unless you have access to very flavorful local strawberries) 1-1/4 c water 3 c sugar 1-1/4 c light corn syrup 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp orange flower water (optional) powdered sugar and potato starch for dusting Line a sheet pan with a 1" rim with aluminum foil. coat the foil with vegetable oil or non-stick spray. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Mix the strawberry puree, orange flower water (if using) and 1/2 cup of the water in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin over to soften. Put the sugar, corn syrup, remaining 3/4 cup water and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until it reaches the soft-ball stage (234-240 F). With the mixer at full speed, pour all of the hot syrup slowly down the side of the bowl. Be careful as the mixture is very liquid and hot at this point and some may splash out of the bowl - use a splash guard if you have one. whip until the mixture is very fluffy and stiff, about 8-10 minutes. pour mixture into the foil-lined pan and smooth with an oiled offset spatula so that it's level with the top of the rim (it won't completely fill the pan). Allow the mixture to sit, uncovered at room temp for 10 to 12 hours. Mix equal parts powdered sugar and potato starch and sift generously over the rested marshmallow slab. Turn it out onto a cutting board or counter, peel off foil and dust with more sugar/starch mixture. Slice with a thin-bladed oiled knife or oiled cookie cutters. Dip all cut edges in sugar/starch mixture and shake off excess. Marshmallows will keep several weeks at room temp in an air-tight container. Variation - Chocolate Marshmallows: Replace strawberry puree and initial 1/2 cup of water in mixing bowl with 1/2 cup of cocoa disolved in 1/2 cup boiling water in a separate bowl. Soften gelatine in an additional 1/4 cup cold water in mixing bowl. Add cocoa mixture to mixing bowl and procede with recipe as above. This will produce a marshmallow with a strong chocolate flavor, but somewhat denser than the strawberry version. To get a lighter texture as well as a lighter chocolate flavor, reduce cocoa to 1/4 cup. Variation - Vanilla Marshmallows: Replace strawberry puree and initial 1/2 cup of water in mixing bowl with 3/4 cup water and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or the seeds scraped from 2 vanilla beans. Keywords: Dessert, Intermediate, Fruit ( RG240 )

Cornbread Salad From the cornbread thread. The next morning after making cornbread, people in the South often have corn bread cereal (crumbled corn bread with or without sweetener like sugar or honey or molasses and milk poured over) or cornbread salad, which is delicious. 1 pan (8x8) cornbread, baked, cooled & crumbled (for ease, just use 1 box Jiffy or other favorite cornbread mix) 1 c chopped fresh tomatoes 1 c chopped celery 1/2 c chopped green bell pepper 1 bunch green onions with tops, chopped 1 c mayo or Miracle Whip salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients thoroughly, cover and chill overnight There's a southwestern version where you use Mexican-style cornbread mix, and you can add some canned (drained) kidney, pinto, chili or Ranch Style beans. Many people add a can of corn, also drained. Some use 1 pkg Hidden Valley Original Dressing mix (prepared) instead of the mayo or Miracle Whip. A friend always puts in 1/2 C chopped sweet pickles, or some sweet pickle relish, and 1/4 cup sweet pickle juice. Lots of the "church potluck" women top this with some grated cheese, either Cheddar or Parmesan. I've also seen crisp bacon pieces, and pimentos, and pecans. This is very versatile - and you can add pretty-much whatever you want. It is really, really good though - and a nice substitute for potato salad at BBQs and hotdog/hamburger cookouts. Keywords: American, Salad, Kosher ( RG239 )

Grandma Hayes' Cornbread From the cornbread thread. 1 package Jiffy Mix 1/3 c flour 1/2 tsp freshly ground black peppercorn 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cayenne 2 Serrano chiles, very finely minced Kernels from 2 corns on the cobs (did I write this correctly?) 1 egg Buttermilk, just enough to make a mix that resembles muffin batter 3/4 stick of butter This is what I did: I preheated oven to 350?F. In an 8 inch round baking tin I melted the butter. When it was melted, I pulled it out and sat it on the stove. I mixed all the dry ingredients and the minced pepper together. Added the eggs and buttermilk together and mixed quickly and lightly. Put the tin back in the oven for a couple of minutes, when the butter was hot again, I brought the tin out, poured the batter into it, moved the tin around so that the melted butter that had come on top of batter was evenly distributed all over the batter. Baked for 35 minutes until the top was beginning to get golden and the toothpick came out dry. Placed the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turned over onto a platter (Bottom side up.. Grandma said that is tradition) and rubbed the cake (the bottom now the top) with the remainder of the butter stick. Keywords: Intermediate, American, Bread ( RG238 )

Cornbread with Grits From the cornbread thread. This is a completely over-the-top cornbread with grits and black or red pepper. For the grits 1/4 c real (not instant) grits (either white or yellow) 1 c half and half a little minced garlic black pepper and salt For the cornbread batter 1 c cornmeal 1 c flour 1-1/2 T sugar 1 T baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 3 T butter 1 egg 1-2/3 c mixture of buttermilk and creme fraiche black pepper, red pepper flakes, or a mixture of both peppers First, you slowly cook the grits in the half and half, with the minced garlic, black pepper and salt in a little covered pot for about 15 minutes, until they're done. Let cool. Then, make a cornbread batter, sifting together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Melt the butter in either a cake pan or a cast iron pan in the oven. Beat the grits, egg and a the mixture of buttermilk and creme fraiche, together until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter to the grits and then mix quickly with the flour mixture. Pour into the cake or cast iron pan and sprinkle black pepper, red pepper flakes, or a mixture of both peppers over the top. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 35 minutes, until the top is set and the cornbread is coming away from the sides of the pan. The cake pan gives a softer, more cakelike bread; the cast iron pan makes a very crusty bread with a very moist interior that doesn't seem to rise as much. Keywords: Bread, American, Intermediate ( RG237 )

My Favorite Cornbread From the cornbread thread. Not at all southern style, but really good. 1-1/4 c cornmeal 1/2 c flour 2 T sugar 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 c milk 2 eggs 1 T melted butter Sift dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl Mix eggs and milk in another bowl, and add to dry ingredients; add melted butter Heat 8”-10” cast iron skillet and grease with oil or shortening Pour batter into skillet, and pour ¾ C milk over top of batter. Bake @ 375F for about 25 minutes Keywords: Bread, American, Easy ( RG236 )

Cornbread From the cornbread thread. It seems as if there are as many cornbread variations as there are "perfect" fried chicken recipes, but here is one of the myriad ones taking up my recipe box that seems to work quite nicely, with a little honey added for sweetness. Also it helps to not work the batter too much as it will result in a less risen final product. We also like homemade maple butter to go along with it. For the cornbread 1-1/4 c ap flour 3/4 c yellow cornmeal (I use stoneground for a little coarser texture) 1 T baking powder 1 tsp salt 2 lg eggs 2 T honey 1 c milk 2 T melted unsalted butter For the maple butter 1/2 lb unsalted butter 1/2 c maple syrup 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp salt preheat 8 inch cast iron skillet in 425 oven with 3 tbsp Crisco for 15-20 mins Whisk together dry ingredients. Whisk together wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry until just combined. Remove the skillet from the oven and pour in mixture. Bake for 20-25 mins. Keywords: American, Bread, Easy ( RG235 )

Cornbread with Flour As discussed in the cornbread thread. Here's a recipe with flour, from my recipe box. 1/4 c oil or drippings 1 c corn meal 1 c flour 1 T baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 c milk 1 egg Heat oil or drippings in a 8 or 9" skillet in a 425 oven. Combine dry igredients; add egg and milk and some of the grease from the hot pan. Pour batter into pan; bake 20-30 minutes. Additional Notes: 1)If using a 12" skillet, double all ingredients, but still bake for 30 minutes. 2)Can substitute water for milk, plus buttermilk powder (2 Tablespoons per cup of liquid) Keywords: Bread, Side, Easy, American, Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Snack ( RG234 )

Sarah's Cornbread As discussed in the cornbread thread. Here's a no flour recipe, from my friend Sarah. 1 c buttermilk 1 c stone ground yellow cornmeal 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 egg 1 T butter or drippings Preheat oven to 450°. Put some grease (oil, drippings or lard) in one 9 inch round iron skillet in the heating oven. Stir the cornmeal, salt and baking soda together. Add the egg and buttermilk and mix well. Remove skillet from the oven, add some of the melted oil/drippings and pour the batter into the skillet. Bake at 450° for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove when cornbread is brown. Keywords: Easy, American, Bread, Side, Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Snack ( RG233 )

Braised Red Cabbage Serves 6 as Side. From the Duck Fat Thread: 3 T duck fat 2 medium onions, sliced 1 large red cabbage, cored, quartered, cut into 1/4" slices. 1 large Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored, and diced 1 c dry red wine 2 tsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp caraway seeds, optional Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 tsp red currant jelly Heat duck fat in a large casserole over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cabbage and apple, then pour in wine, vinegar, and caraway seeds, and bring to a boil. Cover pan, reduce heat, and cook gently for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. About half way through cooking time, remove cover, allowing liquid to partially evaporate, so cabbage is fairly dry. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in jelly and serve. Keywords: French, Vegetables ( RG232 )

Garlic Croutons From the Croutons Thread: For the garlic croutons 2 T (1/4 stick) butter 1/4 c olive oil 2 large garlic cloves, pressed 4 French bread slices, cut into 3/4-inch cubes Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil and garlic in small saucepan. Place bread cubes on baking sheet. *Pour butter mixture over and toss well. Bake until bread cubes are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper Keywords: Bread, French, Italian ( RG231 )

Vegetarian Chili Chili recipe, anyone? I've used a couple recipes through the years for meat-bird-aversioned friends. I've had good success with one that contains tofu (not really sure where it is, but could probably find it). And this one, with bulghar: 2-1/2 c dried kidney beans 6 c water to cover 1 c V-8 Juice 1 C raw bulghar 3 T olive oil 4 cloves garlic, smashed, chopped 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp basil 1 T chile powder 1 dash cayenne (or hot sauce) to taste 1 c chopped celery 1 c chopped carrots 1-1/2 c chopped onion 1/2 c chopped bell peppers 1/2 c chopped mild green chiles 2 c chopped tomatoes juice of small lemon, or 1/2 large one 3 T dry red wine 3 T tomato paste salt & pepper to taste Wash beans and pick through, removing any that float, and other debris like rocks, etc. Put into stockpot or Dutch oven. Cover to about 3" with cold water (about 6 cups). Add 1 t salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender (about 1 hour). Heat V-8 to boiling. Pour over bulghar and set aside. Allow to stand at least 15-20 minutes. In olive oil saute garlic and spices until they begin to release their scent. Add celery, carrots and saute til veggies are almost tender. Add onions, chiles, tomatoes and cook until tender. Add vegetables, V-8/bulghar, lemon juice to beans. Cook to heat through and blend flavors (about 20-30 minutes). Remove from heat and add wine and tomato paste and stir well to thoroughly blend. Correct seasonings. Allow to set for a few minutes to allow flavors to come together. Ladle into bowls and pass condiments: grated mild cheddar cheese, chopped onions, pico de gallo, crackers, sour cream, etc. Really good served with cornbread alongside. Keywords: Vegetarian, Vegetables, American, Tex-Mex ( RG230 )

Cafe Annie Chili From the Chili Thread: This is the best chile I've ever made, bar none. It is the Cafe Annie recipe and worth every bit of effort. Please try it sometime. 1 T cumin seeds 1-1/2 tsp coriander seeds 1 T dried oregano 3 T vegetable oil 3 lb beef chuck, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 8 cloves garlic, chopped 5 fresh red jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, chopped 3 T masa harina 2 T ground pasilla chile powder (Ancho chiles, toasted and ground) 2 lbs tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1 dried chipotle 1 dried new mexico chile 12 oz dark beer, such as Negra Modelo 1 oz unsweetened chocolate 4 c water or chicken/beef stock Toast the cumin and coriander in a small skillet over low heat and grind in a spice grinder. In a large, heavy-based skillet, Dutch oven or stockpot, heat the oil until very hot. Brown the meat in the oil in batches (add more oil as needed), being careful not to crowd the pan or the meat will stew in its own juices and not brown. Transfer the browned meat from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Don't clean the skillet after browning the meat. To the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, jalapenos, masa harina, pasilla powder, the toasted ground cumin and coriander and dried oregano. Stir over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften, 5 to 8 minutes. Return the meat to the skillet; add the tomatoes, whole dried chiles, beer, chocolate and water or stock. Simmer until the meat is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Remove the whole chiles before serving. My notes - I toast and grind the whole dried New Mexican chile and add it with the ancho powder, and use a canned chipotle in adobo instead of the dried (because it's what I have on hand). Makes an outstanding chile. I hope you try this recipe - it is outsanding! Keywords: Main Dish, Barbeque, Intermediate, Tex-Mex, Beef, American ( RG229 )

Lobster Korma 2 lb lobster 1 c light cream 1 tsp sugar 1 c ground almonds 1 tsp turmeric 1 pt boiling water Steam a lobster and remove the flesh. Mix the dry ingredients in a Jug then add the boiling water and allow to sit for five minutes to thcken as the almond oils come out Saute the chunks of lobster meat with a chopped chillie in a little oil and then add the sauce and allow to thicken. Before serving, squeeze lime over the top and mix in chopped cilantro Serve back in the half shells a la thermidore. Keywords: Main Dish, Seafood, Indian ( RG228 )

Skillet Cornbread Version Without Flour 1 c buttermilk 1 c stone ground yellow cornmeal 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 egg 1 T butter or drippings Version With Flour 1/4 c oil or drippings 1 c corn meal 1 c flour 1 T baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 c milk 1 egg From The Skillet Cornbread Thread: Version 1 (Without Flour) Preheat oven to 450°. Put some grease (oil, drippings or lard) in one 9 inch round iron skillet in the heating oven. Stir the cornmeal, salt and baking soda together. Add the egg and buttermilk and mix well. Remove skillet from the oven, add some of the melted oil/drippings and pour the batter into the skillet. Bake at 450° for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove when cornbread is brown. Version 2 (With Flour) Heat oil or drippings in a 8 or 9" skillet in a 425 oven. Combine dry igredients; add egg and milk and some of the grease from the hot pan. Pour batter into pan; bake 20-30 minutes. They are both great recipes, just that the addition of flour in the second one makes it quite different. My friend Sarah also says that some people add a bit of sugar to the batter. Keywords: Side, Snack, Vegetarian, Side, Intermediate, Bread, Breakfast, American ( RG226 )

CASSOULET PRÉPARÉ COMME À TOULOUSE Serves 4 as Main Dish. Principal ingredients 1 kg dry white beans (soaked overnight) Cooking of the beans 1 carrot 1 onion studded with a clove 2 garlic cloves 1 bouquet garni 300 g salted slab bacon Tomato “concassée” 80 g goose fat 300 g tomatoes, diced 2 onions thyme Navarin 600 g lamb neck “Navarin style” 1 onion 50 g goose fat 2 T tomato paste 2 T flour, roasted 1 bouquet garni 2 tomatoes Garnish 4 sautéed Toulouse sausages 4 preserved (confit) duck legs 8 slices garlic sausage salt, pepper Finish breadcrumbs Beans - rinse, drain, cover well with cold water, then just bring to boil. Add peeled bacon, carrot, onion/clove, garlic, bouquet garni. Skim well then cook low for about 1 hour. Lamb - melt goose fat, sear lamb, season, remove from pan. In same pan sweat onion, add tomatoes - tomato paste as needed, lamb, roasted flour, mix well. Just cover with water, add bouquet garni, season lightly. Just bring to boil, skim, cover with parchment paper cut into a circle, bake about 1 hour. Tomato - melt goose fat, add finely diced bacon rind, sweat, then add fine dice onion, sweat, season well with thyme leaves, add finely chopped garlic, sweat, add peeled/seeded/diced tomato, season lightly, paper cover, cook low to very soft. Just cover Toulouse sausage in cold water then just bring to boil. Slice garlic sausage, set aside. Melt goose fat in pan, rinse Toulouse sausage, dry well, colour well around over low heat, halve on bias, set aside. French duck legs, sear in same pan to colour well, set aside. Decant lamb, chinois sauce, reduce. Remove garnish from beans, large dice bacon. Ladle off all excess water, add tomatoes, bacon, lamb, reduced sauce, halved sausages, sausage slices, just boil, taste/season, duck, drizzle duck fat lightly over, breadcrumbs light to cover over, bake about 3 hours at 80°C. Keywords: French, Beans, Duck, Intermediate, Main Dish, Intermediate ( RG225 )

Venison Stew with Gnocchi Serves 4 as Main Dish. I think of this dish as an Italian take on meat and potatoes. It is loosely based on a gnocchi dish that Mario Batali serves at Babbo, which appears in his Babbo Cookbook. However, I'm sure St. Mario would advocate a lower ratio of ragu to gnocchi. For the stew 2 T olive oil 130 g panchetta, in 1/4 100 g carrot, diced 75 g minced shallot 100 g diced onion 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 500 g venison stew meat, cut into 1" cubes 500 ml dry red wine 28 oz canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes 3 bay leaves 1 T chopped fresh rosemary salt and pepper For the gnocchi 500 g Russet potato 120 g all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1 large egg additional flour for dusting water and salt for boiling Begin the stew first, and then prepare the gnocchi while it simmers. The whole process will take two to two-and-a-half hours, but most of it is unattended. Start the stew in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add olive oil, and then fry the panchetta in it until it is crisp and brown and has given up its fat and flavor. Remove the panchetta, but leave the oil behind. Pat the meat dry and coat generously with ground black pepper and a little salt. Add to the pan and cook until all sides are well seared and brown. Remove the meat. Add a bit more olive oil to the pan if necessary, then add the carrots. Saute until they just begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add the onions and shallots, saute until they just begin to color. Stir in 1/4 of the tomatoes, and turn the heat to high. Cook until the moisture has left the tomatoes and the whole thick mass of vegetables begins to carmelize. Stir to carmelize all over, not just on the bottom. Add the wine, and reduce by about 1/4 to remove the alchohol. Add the venison, panchetta, remaining tomatoes, bay leaves and rosemary and return to a simmer. Reduce the heat and leave the pot to simmer uncovered. Over the course of the next two hours, the flavors will meld, the meat will soften, and the sauce will reduce and thicken. After an hour, you may wish to skim any excess fat from the surface. While the stew simmers, prepare the gnocchi. Preheat the oven (or a toaster oven, if you have a decent one and don't want to overheat the kitchen) to 425 F. Poke a few holes in the potato to release moisture, and bake it for 45-50 minutes until the skin is crisp and the center is tender. I prefer baking rather than boiling the potato, because boiling retains too much moisture and can make the gnocchi soggy and dense instead of light and fluffy. Cut the potato into chunks and remove the skin. The skin should easily seperate from the potato. Put the potato through a potato ricer (ideal) or mash with a fork. Spread the potato out in a thin layer so that it will not get soggy, and allow to cool to room temperature. Mix the flour and salt with the cooled potato, and make a well in the center. Add the egg to the well and work it into the flour and potato to form a dough that holds together in a ball but is not sticky. Divide the dough into quarters, and put on a floured work surface. With floured hands, roll each piece of dough into a long rope about 3/4" in diameter. With a sharp knife, cut the rope into bite-sized portions. I like to pinch the rope between my fingers as I cut, so that each gnoccho has a dimple to hold sauce on each side. If you prefer ridged gnocchi, you can roll them on the tines of a fork or a gnocchi roller. If the ragu is not ready yet, lay the floured gnocchi in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate. When the ragu is thick and the meat is tender, add salt and pepper to taste. To cook the gnocchi, bring 8 quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add salt to taste (a couple of tablespoons) and then add the gnocchi. When the gnocchi rise to the surface, they are ready. Remove the floating gnocchi with a spider and add to the stew pot. Once all the gnocchi are ready and have been transferred, gently fold them into the stew. Turn the mixture out into a serving bowl, and bring it to the table to the delight of your guests. Serve with a bold Italian red. Keywords: Game, Potatoes, Pasta, Intermediate, Main Dish, Italian ( RG224 )

Duck Fat Braised Red Cabbage Serves 6 as Side. Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste 2 tsp Red Currant Jelly 1 tsp Caraway Seeds 2 tsp Red Wine Vinegar 1 c Dry Red Wine 1 Large Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored, and diced 1 Large Red Cabbage, cored, quartered, and cut into 1 /4-inch slices 2 Medium Onions, Sliced 3 T Duck Fat Heat duck fat in a large casserole over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cabbage and apple, then pour in wine, vinegar, and caraway seeds, and bring to a boil. Cover pan, reduce heat, and cook gently for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. About half way through cooking time, remove cover, allowing liquid to partially evaporate, so cabbage is fairly dry. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in jelly and serve. Keywords: Side, Easy, Vegetables, French ( RG223 )

Texas Brisket Sandwich Serves 4 as Main Dish. Texans love their brisket and one of their favorite ways to enjoy it is with a quick and easy sandwich. 1/2 lb smoked brisket 1/2 medium onion dill pickles slices hot sauce bbq sauce 8 slices of white sandwich bread Carve thin slices of brisket against the grain. Lay 2 or three slice on bread. Top with sliced onions, pickles, bbq sauce and hot sauce to taste. Lousianna style pepper sauces or tabasco sauce are the preference. The bbq sauce should be peppery, tart and not too sweet. Some folks (like myself) will substitute or add mustard. Keywords: Easy, Beef, Barbeque, American ( RG222 )

Sangrita Serves 10. This is great as an accompiment to tequila. Serve one shot of this with one shot of tequila. Alternate drinking the two. 1/2 c tomato juice juice of 1 orange juice of 1 lime 1 tsp your favorite hot sauce (chipotle hot sauce is great) 1 T grenadine Mix these and enjoy! You can very the amount of hot sauce depending on your tolerance. Keywords: Easy, Cocktail, Mexican ( RG221 )