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Butter Tart Squares These are distinctly Canadian. Base 2 T brown sugar 1-1/4 c flour 1/2 c butter Filling 1-1/2 c brown sugar 1/4 c butter, melted 2 eggs, beaten 1 T white vinegar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 c raisins Preheat oven to 350. To make base In a small bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Then blend in flour. Mixture will resemble very fine crumbs. Lightly grease a square 9x9 in. pan.(I use a square springform pan) Press crumb mixture into bottom of pan. Prick with fork in a few places. Bake for 10 minutes. Then remove from oven. Filling Soak the raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes, until they become plump. In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling, drain raisins and add. Pour over base. Bake for 35 minutes approximately until top is brown. Remove to wire rack, and let cool. Run a knife around the edge to loosen. When cool, carefully remove from pan. This is why I like the springform pan, because the top on these squares can crack quite easily. Keywords: Dessert, Brownies/Bars ( RG793 )

Texas Caviar The original Texas Caviar recipe that I was introduced to was in the Pace Picante cookbook, sadly not available anymore. I have changed it quite a bit to our taste but the basics are there. Consider this a starting point as the variations are endless. Friends endlessly request that I bring this to our gatherings. There is some added advantage that it is healthy and even appeals to the odd vegetarian. 1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed 1 can white hominy, drained and rinsed 4 green onions thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves minced 1/2 c chopped onion, preferably white, rinsed after chopping 1/2 c chopped celery 1/4 c chopped parsley 1 c Pace picante sauce or more to taste 1 T cider vinegar or more to taste Salt to taste Mix all together and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Serve with saltine crackers or tortilla chips. Variations: Consider this a starting point and vary the ingredients to suit you. I don’t think I have ever made it the same way twice. The original recipe called for chopped green pepper instead of celery. I like celery better. The original recipe called for chopped cilantro instead of parsley. I find the cilantro too strong. But then, I am not a cilantro fan. You might try adding a little. You can use any combination of canned beans and hominy. Or, no hominy. If you use more than 2 cans, adjust the other ingredients accordingly or vary quantities according to your taste. This recipe is infinitely expandable to match the size of the crowd. Garbanzos are particularly good and black beans add a nice color contrast. I particularly like to use Goya brand canned beans. You can find them in any Hispanic market or maybe in the “ethnic” department of a large grocery. They are preferred because they are perfectly cooked and not mushy. Heat it up with a little cayenne or Tabasco sauce. The new flavors of Tabasco like Chipotle or Garlic add a nice flavor note. Of course, there are now many flavors of Pace Picante to choose from and a gazillion other brands. Add fresh chopped jalapeno or other chiles. Add fresh chopped red or yellow bell peppers. Adds nice color and is not as strong as green pepper. Diced jicama adds a nice crunch. Keywords: Appetizer, Vegetarian, Easy, Beans, Snack ( RG788 )

Hearty Bay Scallop Chowder Dice onions; cook 1 onion in butter in covered 4 quart heavy saucepan over low heat until very soft, stir occasionally; 10 minutes. Reserve the other onion to cook with diced pork chop. Wash and dice potato into 1/3 inch. Reserve all but 1/2 cup in cold water for parboiling with carrots and corn. Add beer, thyme sprig, and white pepper to onions and boil down about a minute or so; most of liquid will be evaporated. Add 1/2 cup diced potato, 1/2 cup scallops, vegetable and chicken broths, then simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes; potato should be tender. Cook the reserved potato with carrot, and corn in salted boiling water, until tender, about 5 minutes. While that is parboiling, discard thyme sprig, then carefully purée soup base in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Do in 2 batches. Transfer puree to a bowl. It will be very hot. Wash saucepan, cook diced pork chop with 2nd onion, until pork is cooked through and onion is tender. Return puree to pan, then drain and add vegetable mixture, the remaining scallops, milk, half and half, and salt. Cook chowder over medium heat, until scallops are just cooked through, for about 2-3 minutes, stirring, so that it does not reach a boil. Serve sprinkled with 2 t bacon crumbles, and 1 T grated sharp cheddar. I like to serve with small thin sourdough toasts on the side, but you can serve with Oyster crackers or other similar crackers. A green salad completes your meal. Each two cup serving of chowder (not including crackers, or whole fat cheddar) contains about 290 calories and 7 grams fat. ( RG752 )

Hearty Bay Scallop Chowder Dice onions; cook 1 onion in butter in covered 4 quart heavy saucepan over low heat until very soft, stir occasionally; 10 minutes. Reserve the other onion to cook with diced pork chop. Wash and dice potato into 1/3 inch. Reserve all but 1/2 cup in cold water for parboiling with carrots and corn. Add beer, thyme sprig, and white pepper to onions and boil down about a minute or so; most of liquid will be evaporated. Add 1/2 cup diced potato, 1/2 cup scallops, vegetable and chicken broths, then simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes; potato should be tender. Cook the reserved potato with carrot, and corn in salted boiling water, until tender, about 5 minutes. While that is parboiling, discard thyme sprig, then carefully purée soup base in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Do in 2 batches. Transfer puree to a bowl. It will be very hot. Wash saucepan, cook diced pork chop with 2nd onion, until pork is cooked through and onion is tender. Return puree to pan, then drain and add vegetable mixture, the remaining scallops, milk, half and half, and salt. Cook chowder over medium heat, until scallops are just cooked through, for about 2-3 minutes, stirring, so that it does not reach a boil. Serve sprinkled with 2 t bacon crumbles, and 1 T grated sharp cheddar. I like to serve with small thin sourdough toasts on the side, but you can serve with Oyster crackers or other similar crackers. A green salad completes your meal. Each two cup serving of chowder (not including crackers, or whole fat cheddar) contains about 290 calories and 7 grams fat. ( RG752 )

Mexican Chocolate Bundt Cake We experimented with adding a little ancho chili powder to the cakes as well, so that's an option if a more spicy cake is wanted. ( RG2168 )

London Broil with Feta-Herb Cream Sauce As Top Round London Broil is neither very tender nor very beefy in flavor, I thought it would do well grilled medium-rare and paired with a flavorful sauce. Turned out I was right. Sprinkle both sides of the beef with coarse black pepper and kosher salt. Press in with fingers. Let stand for an hour. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir continuously until the butter/flour mixture (roux) begins to brown and smell nutty, about 1 minute. Pour in about 1/4 cup of the cream and stir until smooth; gradually add remaining cream the same way. Stir in yogurt, then crumbled cheese, and stir frequently until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in herbs, garlic and pepper, cover, and remove from heat. On a very hot grill, grill the meat about 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Thinly slice against the grain. Serve with sauce over noodles, or as a sandwich on your favorite bread or roll. ( RG2165 )

Chicken Lasagne Serves 6 as Main Dish. This is a flavourful and high protein chicken lasagne invented on the fly for visitors with nightshade sensitivity. It excelled, and the visitors insisted on walking away with hand-written originals. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Chicken Mix 450 g Chicken thighs, finely diced 90 g Bacon, low fat, finely diced 1 Onion, small, finely diced 1 Celery stick, finely diced 2 Carrots, medium, peeled, finely diced Sweet Potato 1 Sweet potato (kumera), medium, peeled, finely sliced rounds Roux 3 T Plain (AP) Flour 50 g Butter 3 c Milk, low/no fat 3/4 c Tasty cheese, low fat, grated Cheese Mix 400 g Ricotta, low fat 400 g Cottage cheese, low fat 1/2 c Tasty cheese, low fat, grated 40 g Parmesan, grated 1 Egg, x-large 1 T Basil, very finely chopped Lasagne 6 Lasagne sheets, fresh Chicken Mix Fry chicken and bacon until cooked. Saute onion and celery in butter until translucent. Boil carrots to nearly done. Combine these all together. Sweet Potato Boil sweet potato slices until just done. (Use a large frypan to keep slices intact.) Roux Melt butter in saucepan over low/medium heat, add flour, mix until forms ball. Add 1/4 cup of milk, stir until it forms paste. Keep adding milk a little at a time, stirring continuously until all milk is added and mixture has thickened to a mornay consistency. Stir in cheese, then add Chicken Mix in. Cheese Mix Combine all Cheese Mix ingredients in a bowl. Layering Use disposable foil lasagne container. - 1/3rd Chicken mixture - 2 Lasagne sheets, side-by-side - All of the sweet potato slices - All of the cheese mix - 2 Lasagne sheets, side-by-side - 1/3rd Chicken mixture - 2 Lasagne sheets, side-by-side - 1/3rd Chicken mixture - Top with tasty cheese Bake Bake uncovered in preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius for 50-60 minutes. Keywords: Chicken, Dinner, Intermediate, Pasta ( RG2149 )

Grilled Corn & Avocado Salsa I went hunting for corn salsa recipes here and on Epicurious and created this amalgam recipe. It's not based on any one recipe enough to credit. This also makes an awesome southwest chicken salad. Just toss in a couple cups of shredded cooked chicken. 1. Whisk together lime zest & juice, chipotle, garlic, cilantro and salt. 2. Genty toss corn, avocado, onion and tomato with dressing and serve. ( RG2136 )

Korean BBQ pork buns (like the ones they sell at the Korean bakeries) Serves 10 as Main Dish. To start off, these pork buns are very similar to Chinese pork buns (Char Siu Bao), but they're baked instead of steamed Korean Bakeries have always been a favorite of mine. The delicous buns, filled with sweet or savory fillings are so hard to resist. For the longest time, I've been trying to figure out how to achieve that soft, perfectly textured 'baked' bun dough they use, but I never had much luck. I tried many soft bun and dinner roll recipes, but it was never like the bun dough at those bakeries. The top would crisp a little too much, (even when I tried baking them at lower temperature or for less time), or the flavor and/or texture just wasn't right. I can't tell you how many times I practically begged for their secrets, but just got responses along the lines of "Not sure", or "It's just bread dough". 'Just bread dough??' Umm, yes,I know, but what do you put in it besides yeast, liquid (milk? water?) and flour? LOL One day, I received an issue of Relish Magazine in the mail. In it was a recipe for soft dinner rolls. Not even thinking about the Korean buns, it was simply a dinner roll I wanted to try. After tweaking it a tiny bit (I prefer whole milk to low fat in all recipes, unless I feel it's absolutely necessary to use low fat, after testing/tasting it), and baking/tasting the rolls, I knew instantly that this one could be IT, and I just HAD to pair this dough with the Char Siu like pork in Korean BBQ sauce, to see if I could come any closer to recreating those lovely, soft, flavorful buns. Lo and behold, I nailed it. That said, when it comes to portioning the dough and how much filling to use, I kind of just eyeball it, but I'll do my best to be as precise as I can with the instructions, based on estimations. You don't want to use too much dough for each bun, as they need to rise, and you would end up with a bun that's too 'bready' when opposed to the BBQ pork filling. On the flip side, you don't want too little bun dough, and too much pork filling, as it would probably split open upon rising and/or baking. For the BBQ pork, I referred to a recipe for Chinese pork buns by Wayne Hu, but once again, tweaked it a bit to my own taste. Bun dough Ingredients (I halved the original recipe) 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup whole milk (room temperature) 2 1/4 cups bread flour 1/4 ounce active dry yeast 3/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1 egg 1 egg, beaten Instructions 1. Mix milk, flour, yeast, salt, sugar, butter and eggs using a dough hook at low speed. Increase speed to medium, and mix until dough, when stretched, forms a fine membrane or window (about 15 minutes). 2. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise 1 hour. In the mean time, prepare BBQ pork filling. Roast Pork Ingredients 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/4 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon dry sherry 1 garlic clove -- minced 1 tsp toasted sesame oil 1 1/2 pounds boneless pork chops or steaks (1/2 inch thick) Directions 1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. 2. In a blender container or food processor bowl with metal blade, combine all roast pork ingredients except pork; blend until smooth. 3. Generously brush both sides of the pork chops or steaks, reserving remaining basting sauce. Place pork steaks on lined pan and bake at 375F for 30 minutes. Remove pork from oven. Brush both sides of steaks or chops with remaining basting sauce. Bake an additional 10 to 20 minutes or until no longer pink in the center. Remove from oven, let cool. 4. When cool, chop the pork into small cubes, and place in the refrigerator until ready to combine with the sauce. Sauce Ingredients 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon dry sherry 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts 1 large clove of garlic, minced 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1/2 cup chicken stock or broth Directions 1. In small bowl or cup, combine the 1 Tbsp of cornstarch and 1 Tbsp sherry. Blend well. 2. Heat oil in wok or large skillet over high heat. Add onion and water chestnuts, cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until onion begins to soften and turn slightly golden. Add garlic, and cook for another minute (be careful it doesn't burn). Add the 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce to the pan and stir to coat. Add broth and toasted sesame oil and stir until combined. Let cook for about 1 more minute. 3. Stir in cornstarch mixture, and cook while stirring until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat, and stir in the chopped pork. Transfer to a bowl, and let cool, then refrigerate until ready to fill the buns. Method/Directions for filling and baking buns 1. Line a large sheet pan (about 12 x 17) with parchment paper. 2. Gently deflate risen dough, and portion it into about 10-12 2 or 3 oz pieces. Roll each into a ball, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel, let rest for about 5-10 minutes. 3. Taking out one ball at a time, (keeping the others covered until ready to roll) on a lightly floured board, roll it into a 4 to 5-inch circle. Place about 1/4 cup, or a little more (or less -- like I said, I eyeball this part) of the cooled pork filling into the center of the circle, and gather up the edges, twisting and pinching to seal tightly. Place on parchment lined sheet, and repeat with the rest of the cooled pork filling and dough balls, until you have 10-12 buns on the sheet. 4. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with a little vegetable oil, and let the buns rise about 30 to 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. 5. Brush rolls with beaten egg. Bake anywhere from 12 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Let cool a little on a wire rack, then enjoy! Note - You can use any kind of filling you want with this fabulous bun dough -- like the ones the Korean bakeries use, such as red bean paste, curried beef, custard (thick pastry cream), chicken filling, ham and cheese etc.., or any kind of filling that suits your fancy, as long as it isn't too loose or runny. - Keywords: Pork, Bread, Intermediate, Korean, Snack, Lunch ( RG2122 )

Quindim Serves 4 as Dessert. A marriage of African and Portuguese influences, Quindim is a rich custard consisting of egg yolks, fresh coconut and coconut milk. Oh, and sugar…LOTS of sugar… Recipe w/ pics 7 egg yolks 1 c sugar 4 oz freshly grated coconut 2 fl oz coconut milk juice of 1/4 lime 1 tsp vanilla (optional) sugar/butter for the ramekins 1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Butter 4 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Fill them with sugar, coating all sides, then toss out. Set aside in baking pan. 3. Pass the egg yolks through a strainer to get rid of the skin. 4. Thoroughly mix the sugar, coconut, coconut milk, and lime into the egg yolk,then spoon the mixture into the prepared ramekins. 5. Set the ramekins in a baking pan in the oven, and fill the pan with hot water, about halfway up the side of the ramekins. 6. Bake for 1 hour, until the tops are golden. 7.Remove the custards from the pan and rest them in the fridge for at least four hours. When you're ready to serve, slide a sharp knife around the edge of the cups turn the quindins out onto a plate. Keywords: Dessert, Easy ( RG2110 )

Potato Soup with Mushrooms and Greens ( RG2093 )

johnnyd's Quick Meditteranean Cod A fisherman friend dropped by with 20 lbs of fresh cod. What to do? I remember a tomato-based cod stew from Spain/Portugal that I tried to re-create here. Feel free to adjust/add/subtract at will. Also, use as a base for "Zarzuela", a spanish seafood "riot of the table", or other tomato-based seafood creations. Sauce: 1 large onion - chopped 1 poblano pepper - chopped 3 cloves garlic - chopped Oregano - liberal shakes Saffron - one healthy pinch 1 tsp whole coriander seed 1 tsp paprika 1 big bayleaf simmer above gently in rendered salt pork fat (or Olive Oil) until soft and fragrant, then add 2 cans diced tomato w/ juice 1 cup chicken stock 1 cup white wine 1/2 lb sauteed chorizo slices simmer gently for fifteen minutes, then add 3 or 4 pounds of codfish cut in two-inch chunks salt pork cracklings if desired. Keep heat low and allow Cod to come to temperature and become firm. Cod will flake apart into sauce. Serve with good country bread and white wine. Keywords: Seafood, Spanish/Portugese ( RG1981 )

Salsa for Canning This is a salsa recipe given to me by my Houston born and bred sister-in-law specifically for canning and I've tweaked over the years for my tastes. It is a great chunky salsa that sticks to the chip. It halves, doubles and triples easily and is safe for canning in double and triple batches as long as all proportions are kept the same. It is fine to omit the vinegar if preparing for fresh and will be consumed within a day or two. If processing the jars under pressure, the vinegar may be reduced by half. The recipe is for pints, but I prefer to can in 8oz jelly jars for gift giving and sharing. 4 c tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped and drained 1-1/4 c chopped onion 3/4 c chopped green pepper 2 chopped jalapenos 3 cloves minced garlic 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp pepper 1/4 c canning salt ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro* 3 T sugar 1/2 c vinegar 8 oz tomato sauce Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Pour into hot jars leaving quarter inch head space, process at 10 lbs of pressure for 30 minutes for pints. Or Hot Water Bath (boiling water covering jar lids by one inch) 15 minutes. This makes a medium heat salsa. For a milder salsa, reduce jalapeno and add more green or poblano pepper. For a great, complex hot salsa, omit green pepper and add seranno or habanaro in the same proportions. *Cilantro is optional, but is really not overpowering at this proportion. Can be safely doubled if you are a cilantro lover. Add 4oz of tomato paste for even thicker salsa, or 4oz of tomato juice for thinner salsa. Makes 4 pints, or eight half pints ( RG1965 )

Dandelion Beer I used to make this beer starting late winter, when the first dandelion rosettes would pop up in the soggy ground, all through spring. It will foam up when poured out, but the head dissipates quickly. Don't expect it to be a fine beer, just enjoy it for what it is: a rough but tasty springtime homebrew and a real connection with nature's free bounty. 1. Wash a 1-gallon glass carboy, plastic fermentation bucket, or a large, food-grade plastic jug. It's important that this fermentation vessel should not be of metal, and be very clean, with no residue of former food or drink clinging to it, inside or out. Sanitize it with a mild bleach solution (rinse very well till no bleach odor is left) or a Campden tablet if you will - although I use Campden to sanitize my wines, I never did with this beer. 2. Put the sugar and the cream of tartar into the vessel. 3. Wash the dandelion, using any mixture of roots and leaves. Make sure to pluck out any flower stems; they are bitter and inedible. There is no need to peel the roots, just scrub the dirt off them. Chop the roots and leaves coarsely. 4. Simmer the dandelion material with the grated ginger, in all the water (you'll need a large pot, or split this step into two batches). Simmer for 10 minutes. 5. Funnel the liquor into the carboy, using cheesecloth to strain it, or strain and pour it into a jug. 6. Stir well to dissolve the sugar completely. 7. When the liquor is lukewarm, dissolve the yeast in water and add to the vessel. 8. Fit the airlock if fermenting in a carboy or fermentation bucket; if using a jug, cover it with a clean towel. This was my first homebrew recipe, and I had no dedicated beer- or wine-making equipment, so it was a clean towel for me. 9. All the beer to ferment three days. No need to stir it orinterfere with it in any way; just let it sit there and do its thing. Soon enough it will start to fizz away. 10. After three days, sterilize your bottles. Siphon the beer into them and cap. More confessions: sometimes I would keep this beer, for short-term storage, in sanitized plastic water bottles. Wait a week before opening. Chill thoroughly before opening. Enjoy! It's easy to get addicted to this brew. * Although I've used white sugar, I came to prefer the nutty taste contributed by dark brown sugar. ** A friend says that a darker, sweeter beer may be made by roasting the dandelion roots first. In terms of proportion, I would use roughly 50/50 roots and leaves. *** Yes, baker's yeast. If you have access to beer yeast, by all means, use it. But I never did, because there isn't any to be had here that I know of. And to tell the truth, I liked the idea of using the homeliest, least complicated ingredients and methods to make this country beer. ( RG1934 )

Smoked Gala Apple with Lemongrass Sorbet, Clove Caramel, and Lemongrass Gel This is a challenge dessert from the pastry section. The challenge is to create a dessert utilizing smoke. The first and main part is a smoked Gala Apple Smoke the apples between 140-165degreesF for approximately 1-1/2 hours to 2 hours with the smoldering cinnamon stick and apple wood. The Apple should be tender with reddish yellow blush. ( RG1867 )

Almond Butter Crunch see demo in Confectionary 101 265 g sugar (1 1/4 cups) 100 g glucose (white corn syrup) (1/3 cup) 75 g water (1/3 cup) 225 g butter (1 cup) 1/4 tsp baking soda 1-1/2 c almonds, toasted, chopped 285 g bittersweet chocolate (10 oz) cocoa for sprinkling In a heavy 4 quart saucepan place sugar, glucose, and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for a couple of minutes. Add butter and bring back to boil. Place thermometer in syrup. Stir until it reaches 212 F (100 C) then continue to boil over medium heat without stirring until it reaches 300 F (149 C). If butter separates, increase heat and stir vigorously until it combines. When it reaches 300 F remove from heat, stir in baking soda quickly and pour out on to parchment or oiled baking sheet or marble slab. Spread out quickly before hardens. Let cool. Sprinkle some cocoa on to toffee and brush over surface to blot up any oil. Temper chocolate, spread over surface, top with chopped almonds and press into surface. When chocolate has hardened break toffee into chunks. Let sit for a couple of days if possible to improve grain. ( RG1834 )

Tom Ka Gai 2 tablespoons vegetable oil A couple of cloves garlic, crushed or - if you've read Kitchen Confidential - finely sliced like they did in Goodfellows 1 onion, finely chopped - sometimes I leave it coarse for texture. A couple of stalks of lemon grass, cut into 2-inch lengths 1 teaspoon ground black pepper A chunk of Red Curry Paste (I prefer Panang) 2 red chilies, finely sliced (optional) A few kaffir lime leaves (available in Thai/Asian markets. Do not substitute regular lime leaves) 2 one-inch pieces fresh/frozen/dried Galangal (Kha) (available in Thai/Asian markets) 3 cups water 4 or 6 (depending on how much of a glutton you feel) boneless chicken thighs, chopped into chunks coconut milk - this is a very emotional issue with me. I try and only use the small (green) tins of Ayam Coconut cream - 3 or 4. Once you've found a source of this you'll never look back. Good supermarkets sometimes have it - hence when I see it I get heaps - makes all the difference. 1 can straw mushrooms, drained. Sometimes I get those variety packs of frilly mushrooms and substitute or combine. 1/4 cup fish sauce - 1/8 cup fresh lime juice. This is the basic ratio I started with, but sometimes I use equal parts of lime to fish sauce. NB Fish sauce is like salt. Too much and you're stuffed. Heaps of fresh coriander, chopped. A whole plant is not to much - save some for garnish. Put the oil in a wok (or large frypan) and stir-fry the garlic, onion, lemon grass, pepper, curry paste, green chilies, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal for approximately 2 minutes. Add the water and bring to just below a boil. Add the chicken and turn heat down to a simmer. Cook for approximately 5-8 minutes. Add the coconut milk, mushrooms, fish sauce, lime juice, and simmer for about 2 more minutes. Toss in coriander and serve. This is a living recipe that changes every time I make it - but these are the basics. ( RG1755 )

satay chicken SATAY CHICKEN (or any other meat) 750 g chicken MARINADE. 1/2 c cooking oil 4 T brown sugar 12 shallots 6 garlic 2 inch galagal 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp white/black peppercorn 1 tsp toasted coriander seeds ground 2 tsp toasted fennel seeds ground 2 tsp toasted cumin ground 1 tsp belacan shrimp paste 2 T water SATAY SAUCE 5 medium onions 8 cloves garlic 1/2 c chili paste (sambal ozlek) 4 stalks lemongrass 1 tsp belacan shrimp paste 2 T water candlenuts/macadamia nuts 1/4 c rice vinegar 4 T sugar 3 c coconut milk 1 c crush roast peanuts The marinade: Blitz all ingredients in a blender until smooth then marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours. skewer and grill. The sauce: Blitz all the ingredients in a blender until smooth (except the coconut milk and peanuts.) Then fry the paste in 4T cooking oil for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Then stir in the coconut milk and simmer 10 minutes. Finally add in the peanuts. Serving: serve the chicken satay with the sauce, chopped cucumber and onion chunks and pressed cold rice cakes. Keywords: Appetizer, Chicken, Intermediate, Marinade, Dinner, Grill, Southeast Asian ( RG1364 )

Rhubarb fool ice cream A rhubarb fool has rhubarb and thick cream. I think this is even better, because it's an ice. This can be made with whatever quantity of rhubarb you have available, though you may have to run more than one batch through your ice cream maker. Rhubarb Creme fraiche or thick cream Sugar Water Slice rhubarb into roughly 2cm pieces, discarding ends and removing stringy bits. Put it in a saucepan. Make sufficient sugar syrup with equal weights of sugar and water (i.e. 100g of sugar to 100ml of water) to barely cover the rhubarb slices. Poach the rhubarb in the syrup until it is extremely soft. Put a stick blender into the pan and puree the rhubarb, or pour the mixture into an ordinary blender and puree. Add thick cream or creme fraiche to taste. You could leave this out altogether for a sorbet. If you've added cream, put the mixture back on the heat until it just bubbles; this will stop the cream from turning into butter in the ice cream machine. Strain the mixture (though if it has poached long enough this is not necessary) and cool. Spin in an ice cream maker. Serve immediately. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Ice Cream Maker, Ice Cream ( RG1233 )

Brooksie's Tomato Basil Pie This is an easy pie to make and will totally impress guests for breakfast, brunch, dinner, or supper. The key is great tomatoes and fresh basil. Really good cheese helps as well. Pre Bake Shell Slice tomatoes (number depends on size and type-5 creoles usually gets the job done) and dry on paper towels Layer in this order 1/2 of the Tomatoes (salt and pepper them in the shell) Chopped green onions and 1/2 of the basil Repeat Layer on cheeses (use buffalo milk mozz if you can get it, regular mozz if not) Blend Sour Cream and mayo and layer on top Bake at 350F until the whole thing bubbles evenly (about 15-20 min) Let pie cool a bit and slice. Eat. For me, if summer could be canned, this is what it would taste like. ( RG1075 )

Macadamia Toffee This recipe is adapted from Francois Payard's "Simply Sensational Desserts". I found that if I followed his instructions, the result was disaster every time. So I adapted the instructions and describe them below in detail. 290 g heavy cream (1 1/4 c) 41 g light corn syrup (2 T) 334 g sugar (1 2/3 c) 400 g macadamia nuts (lightly toasted, salted), crushed (2 3/4 c) METHOD (Don't try this without a candy thermometer) Line a cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan with parchment paper. Better yet, if you have a marble slab, oil it lightly with neutral vegetable oil (peanut or canola) and have it standing by. Also have a rolling pin and a sheet of parchment on call. Combine the first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan large enough to hold 4 times the volume of these ingredients (this should save you having the whole mess boil over). Bring to a boil over slightly hotter than medium heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue boiling, without stirring, until the mixture starts to turn a pale golden color, and from this point on give it your UNDIVIDED attention. Stick the candy thermometer in the pan and DO NOT be tempted to up the heat (the temperature will rise painfully slowly). Using a wooden utensil with a flat edge, stir occasionally at first and then constantly as the temperature approaches 260°F. Keep boiling and stirring until the mixture reaches 284°F. Turn off the heat and dump the nuts into the pan, stirring vigorously (the mixture will stiffen very quickly). When the nuts and toffee are well combined (gotta work FAST), dump the whole mass out onto the prepared cookie sheet or marble slab. Place the sheet of parchment over the toffee and roll it out with the rolling pin, using lots of muscle, until it's about 3/8 inch thick. Let cool completely, then break into irregular shapes and store in an airtight container. Crushing the macadamia nuts is easier if you freeze them first. Put them in a large Ziploc bag and hammer them with a mallet or some such. Try not to hit them more than twice, or you'll end up with something resembling macadamia paste instead of the desired chunks. Let the nuts come back to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe. ( RG1021 )

Flaumen-Kartoffel Tzimmis (Sweet Prune-Potato Tzimmis) If you add the meat, this is obviously fleischig. If you leave out the meat, this can be served with any kind of meal, meat or dairy. Eat in good health! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Work quickly so potatoes do not oxidize. Pour into a deep, disposable roasting pan. Cover tightly and bake for 2 to 3 hours. If it appears to be drying out (unlikely, but you never know), add a little boiling water. It is just about impossible to overcook this. Serve from a deep bowl. Do not worry if everything seems to be blending. That is why it is called a "tzimmis." Usually tastes even better when cooked a day ahead and rewarmed. ( RG927 )

Pickled Shrimp This recipe is at least 50 years old. I remember eating it at my Aunt Audrey’s house where we went every Christmas Eve. She was old enough to be my father’s mother so there is no telling how old it is. My sister got this recipe from her before she died and it has been handed down in my family ever since. It is truly terrific and I find it fascinating that this was around so long before recipes like this were trendy. Think of it as a very early escabeche. I have no idea where she got the capers back then but she did use them. I remember wondering what the heck those things were. 2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 3 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced 12 or so whole cloves 6 or so bay leaves 1-1/4 c salad oil (Canola or other light vegetable oil, NOT olive oil) 3/4 c white or cider vinegar 1 large clove garlic, finely minced 1-1/2 tsp salt 2-1/2 tsp celery seed 2-1/2 tsp capers and juice Boil cleaned shrimp. Do not over cook. Arrange shrimp and onion rings in layers in a glass bowl or jar. Sprinkle with cloves and tuck in bay leaves as you go. Cover with marinade made with the last 6 ingredients. Let stand in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. Can be kept for 3 days in a jar with a good lid. Pretty served in clear glass. Notes: I tend to increase the cloves, bay leaves and capers. I think it makes it better. I have marinated blanched asparagus in the left over marinade after eating all of the shrimp. Fabulous. You could do other vegetables as well and serve on top of greens as a terrific salad, including the onions. Fresh shrimp are always best but you could get pre-prepared shrimp from the grocery and it would probably still be good. At least that might inspire you to make this. Alternate cooking method for the shrimp: Instead of boiling the shrimp, brine them for 30 minutes in ¼ cup Kosher salt to 1 quart of water. Drain and rinse. Steam the shrimp until just done. Reduce the salt in the recipe by about half. Keywords: Appetizer, Easy, Shrimp, Snack, Hors d'oeuvre ( RG838 )

Butter Tart Squares These are distinctly Canadian. Base 2 T brown sugar 1-1/4 c flour 1/2 c butter Filling 1-1/2 c brown sugar 1/4 c butter, melted 2 eggs, beaten 1 T white vinegar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 c raisins Preheat oven to 350. To make base In a small bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Then blend in flour. Mixture will resemble very fine crumbs. Lightly grease a square 9x9 in. pan.(I use a square springform pan) Press crumb mixture into bottom of pan. Prick with fork in a few places. Bake for 10 minutes. Then remove from oven. Filling Soak the raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes, until they become plump. In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling, drain raisins and add. Pour over base. Bake for 35 minutes approximately until top is brown. Remove to wire rack, and let cool. Run a knife around the edge to loosen. When cool, carefully remove from pan. This is why I like the springform pan, because the top on these squares can crack quite easily. Keywords: Dessert, Brownies/Bars ( RG793 )

Texas Caviar The original Texas Caviar recipe that I was introduced to was in the Pace Picante cookbook, sadly not available anymore. I have changed it quite a bit to our taste but the basics are there. Consider this a starting point as the variations are endless. Friends endlessly request that I bring this to our gatherings. There is some added advantage that it is healthy and even appeals to the odd vegetarian. 1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed 1 can white hominy, drained and rinsed 4 green onions thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves minced 1/2 c chopped onion, preferably white, rinsed after chopping 1/2 c chopped celery 1/4 c chopped parsley 1 c Pace picante sauce or more to taste 1 T cider vinegar or more to taste Salt to taste Mix all together and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Serve with saltine crackers or tortilla chips. Variations: Consider this a starting point and vary the ingredients to suit you. I don’t think I have ever made it the same way twice. The original recipe called for chopped green pepper instead of celery. I like celery better. The original recipe called for chopped cilantro instead of parsley. I find the cilantro too strong. But then, I am not a cilantro fan. You might try adding a little. You can use any combination of canned beans and hominy. Or, no hominy. If you use more than 2 cans, adjust the other ingredients accordingly or vary quantities according to your taste. This recipe is infinitely expandable to match the size of the crowd. Garbanzos are particularly good and black beans add a nice color contrast. I particularly like to use Goya brand canned beans. You can find them in any Hispanic market or maybe in the “ethnic” department of a large grocery. They are preferred because they are perfectly cooked and not mushy. Heat it up with a little cayenne or Tabasco sauce. The new flavors of Tabasco like Chipotle or Garlic add a nice flavor note. Of course, there are now many flavors of Pace Picante to choose from and a gazillion other brands. Add fresh chopped jalapeno or other chiles. Add fresh chopped red or yellow bell peppers. Adds nice color and is not as strong as green pepper. Diced jicama adds a nice crunch. Keywords: Appetizer, Vegetarian, Easy, Beans, Snack ( RG788 )