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Amish Rhubarb Pudding Serves 12. A great use for that surplus of rhubarb in the spring. Can also be made with a mixture of rhubarb and strawberries. 1 large egg 1 c sugar 2 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt 1 c milk 4 c rhubarb, chopped 2-1/2 c boiling water 1/2 c brown sugar 1-1/2 c sugar Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a glass 9 X 13 x 2 1/2 inch pan. Beat the egg, add the 1 cup of sugar. Add flour, baking powder, nutmeg, vanilla, salt and milk. Place this batter in the pan. Mix the rhubarb with the brown and white sugar. Sprinkle it over top of the batter. Pour over the boiling water and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the top is springy. Serve with custard or ice cream. ( RG1712 )

Rhubarb Custard Pie Serves 8 as Dessert. My grandmother used to make this pie for me in the spring. I am copying it here from my late Grandmother's hand written recipe card. It's one of my favorites and I try to make as many as I can every season. Rhubarb Custard Pie 4 c Rhubarb (Diced) 3 Eggs 3 T Milk 1/4 c Flour 2 c Sugar* 3/4 tsp Nutmeg *Use less sugar depending on your preference and tartness of Rhubarb. . Beat Eggs lightly and add the milk. Mix and stir in the sugar, flour and nutmeg. Mix in Rhubarb and pour into 9" pie crust. Bake at 400F for 50-60 minutes. . I generally try the get Rhubarb from the first part of the season where it is still thin and dark red. This helps with the look of the pie as Rhubarb from later in the season may not have as much color and your pie might look more green than red. I have made this with Rhubarb that has been frozen raw. It tastes just as good, but I find the texture better with fresh Rhubarb. Keywords: Dessert, Pie ( RG1711 )

Silly Toffee Squares Silly Toffee Squares ==================== Base 1/2 flour 3/4 cup rice krispies cereal 1/4 tsp baking soda pinch salt 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/3 cup butter melted Toffee Layer 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 c butter 1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar Topping 1/2 cup chocolate chips semi sweet 1 1/4 cup Rice Krispies cereal . Combine all the ingredients for the base and press into an 8 inch square pan. Bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. While base is baking make the toffee layer. In a heavy saucepan combine the condensed milk with the 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Keep stirring as this mixture burns easily. Pour toffee over the base. Melt chocolate chips and stir in the 1 1/4 cups of rice Krispies. Stir to coat well. Use two forks to spread evenly over the toffee layer. Chill and cut into squares. Keywords: Dessert, Brownies/Bars ( RG1710 )

Bagels See <a href="http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=87103&view=findpost&p=1186182">Bagel Pictorial</a> Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Bagels ======= 2 cups warm water 4 1/2 teaspoons yeast 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon salt about 5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted Large pot of water with 1 tablespoon of sugar Cornmeal 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water Toppings: Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds Place the flour, yeast, and sugar in mixer. Add water and mix to incorporate. Let rest 15 to 20 minutes for flour to absorb the water. (Note: if you are not sure about the freshness of the yeast proof it first) Next, add the salt and turn on machine and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Depending on the mixer this should take 8 to 12 minutes. Dough should be a firm dough, not soft. Place in a greased bowl and let rise until double. Tip dough out on to flour surface and divide into three parts. Working with one at a time, form the dough into a log. Cut into pieces. This recipe will make anywhere from 12 large bagels to 48 mini cocktail size. Roll each piece into a ball and then using your thumb, poke a hole in the middle. Shape bagels (See Pictorial). Let the bagels rest for about 20 minutes on a floured board. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add a tablespoon of sugar. When ready, place the bagels in the water and simmer gently for 1 minute. About 30 seconds on each side. Drain on a tea towel or paper towels and then place on a ccokie sheet that has been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds and bake in a 400°F oven until golden, about 20 to 35 minutes depending on size. Keywords: Bread, Hors d'oeuvre, Stand Mixer ( RG1709 )

Smoked salmon with olive oil, apple and onion. Serves 4 as Appetizer. Extremly easy and cheap, but surprisingly good apitizer. The recipe looks at first sight, almost too simple to be that good, but the quite ordinary ingridients harmonizes with each other on the plate. Making something new and very good. Could be perfection? 400 g High Quality Whole Smoked Salmon 1 Red onion 1 firm apple extra virgin olive oil 1 T chopped chives crushed whole black pepper to taste sea salt to taste Slice the smoked salmon in extremly thin slices. Chop red onion and apple finely, but not to fine, maintain some coarseness. Arrange the the smoked salmon on plates and arrange the chopped onion and apple on the salmon slices. Season with salt and pepper, just lightly. Then drissle some olive oil over the arrangment, not too little and not too much. Garnish with finley chopped chives.. Keywords: Fish, Easy, French, Appetizer, Amuse ( RG1708 )

Petits pâtés de cèpes Serves 4 as Appetizer. cèpe (portabello) mushrooms or other wild flavorful mushroom white mushrooms whole eggs egg yolk heavy cream ½ a bunch of fresh chives shallot clove of garlic minced fresh parsley butter salt and pepper -Prepare a bain marie that will take 4 ramequins in the oven at 170C or 350F. -Cut the wild mushrooms into a dice. Melt 2T. butter in a large saute pan and cook the mushrooms down until they release their juice. Recuperate 5 Tablsepoons of the juice and then finish cooking the mushrooms down until the remaining juice is gone. Repeat this process with the white mushrooms. -Mince the shallot and melt the remaining T. of butter in the saute pan. Slowly cook the shallot and garlic until they are soft withour browning. Add both mushrooms and the minced chives and continue to saute for a couple of minutes more. -In a recipent that ours liquid easily, mix the eggs, the egg yolk, the cream, the previously reserved cooking juice, the minced garlic, the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked mushrooms and incorporate them into the preparation. Butter the ramequins, fill them with the egg mixture, and cook them in the bain marie 30 minutes. Serve hot with a mixed green salad. Keywords: Appetizer, Side, Main Dish, Easy, French ( RG1705 )

Gratin Dauphinois au Bleu Serves 4 as Side. potatoes heavy cream blue cheese of your choice grated allspice salt pepper Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly. Season with salt, pepper, and allspice. Plate half of the potatoes in a gratin pan, and cover with slices of the blue cheese, and then cover with the rest of the potatoes. Pour the cream over them and bake 45 minutes in a 400F or 200C oven for 45 minutes. Serve with fine slices of cured ham and pickles, or with barbequed steaks! Keywords: Easy ( RG1704 )

Risotto with Smoked Salmon, Leeks and Marsarpone Serves 2 as Main Dishor 3 as Side. Instructions from Risotto Cook-off 1/4 c butter 3/4 c diced leeks 1 c arborio rice 1/2 c dry white wine or champagne 1 c clam juice 5 c water 1/4 c finely minced fresh dill 1 tsp lemon zest 3 oz smoked salmon 1/4 c mascarpone cheese 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 T finely minced chives Bring the clam juice and water to a simmer in a saucepan. In a heavy sautepan, melt the butter and saute the leeks until softened but not browned. Add the rice and stir until coated with butter, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until the wine is absorbed/evaporated. Ladle in about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the hot clam broth mixture and cook, stirring, until that is absorbed. Continue adding the hot broth a ladle at a time, stirring with each addition until the broth is mostly absorbed. When the rice starts to soften and seems about 3/4 of the way done, add all but about 2 tablespoons of the dill. Continue adding broth and stirring until the rice is firm in the center, with a creamy exterior. This will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, and will probably take about 5 cups of the broth. When the rice is done, fold in the rest of the ingredients except the chives. Add salt to taste. Garnish with minced chives. Keywords: Main Dish, Rice ( RG1703 )

Shrimp and Saffron Risotto Serves 2 as Main Dish. Feel free to substitute other seafood for the shrimp, or even to augment it. I tend to think of the risotto part of this recipe as a starting point, and the seared seafood added at the end can change depending on mood or availability. Scallops, lobster tails, langustinos, etc., all will work well. A 'cheat' that I use if I don't have the shrimp heads to make the shrimp stock is to use bottled clam juice, simmered with the shrimp shells and some herbs for about 30 minutes. Either way, you start preparing the risotto while the stock is still hot, just remove the shells and other items with a slotted spoon. 1 c Arborio Rice 3 c Shrimp Stock- hot 1 large Shallot- very finely chopped 1/8 tsp Saffron threads- soaked in 1 Tbsp water (1) 3" sprig fresh thyme 1 tsp lemon zest 1/2 c White Wine 4 Plum Tomatoes (can be canned), peeled and chopped 1/2 lb Jumbo Shrimp Olive Oil as required Salt to taste 1- Heat the shrimp stock in a saucepan to a light simmer. Check for salt, you want a bit of saltiness, but not too much. Set aside on a back burner for use later. 2- In a wide saucepan heat olive oil on medium heat. Add shallots to sweat, but not caramelize. 3- Add arborio to shallots and stir to incorporate and heat through. Add lemon zest and leaves from the thyme and stir. 4- Add wine to arborio and shallots, raise heat slightly and allow wine to simmer away by half, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and do the same. 5- Begin adding hot stock as you would with other risotto recipes, as the stock becomes absorbed you add more a ladle at a time while stirring. The initial amount of stock should be just above the level of the rice. 6- Heat a large skillet to medium high. Salt and pepper the shrimp (or other seafood) on both sides. Film the heated skillet with olive oil and sear the shrimp on each side until cooked just through. It is suggested that you time this part to coincide with the completion of the rice at the al dente stage. 7- When the rice is al dente add the saffron and liquid. Stir to incorporate and taste for salt, correct as required. 8- Serve risotto in a bowl with shrimp on top, garnished with additional fresh thyme and lemon zest if desired. Keywords: Main Dish, Italian, Intermediate, Seafood, Rice ( RG1702 )

Foolproof Takikomi Gohan Recipe Most takikomi gohan recipes are more complicated than they need be and are also prone to mistakes, a common mistake being that the resultant rice becomes rather soggy. Here is a simple, foolproof recipe for mushroom takikomi gohan. 720 ml (4 gou) Japanese short-grain rice. 1 gou = 180 ml = 150 g (in the case of rice) 1/2 carrot 1 pkg mushroom (oyster mushroom, for example) 1 abura-age Seasonings 4 T soy sauce 3 T sake 2 T mirin 1. Wash rice in a rice cooker pot with several changes of water, and drain water by tilting the pot. Set aside. 2. Cut carrot into julienne. 3. Pour hot water over abura-age to remove excess oil. First cut abura-age lengthwise into half and then cut into stripes. 4. Cut off stem end of mushroom and discard. Divide mushroom into pieces by hand. Put in a bowl and rinse with water lightly. Put in a colander to drain. 5. Put 1 cup (= approx. 250 ml) of water in a pot (NOT the rice cooker pot), add soy sauce, sake, and mirin. Add mushroom. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat in a few seconds. Put mushroom in a colander to separate it from liquid. DON'T DISCARD THE LIQUID; let it cool. 6. FIRST put carrot and abura-age in the rice cooker pot and add the liquid. THEN add additional water up to the 4-gou level. (See the photo above.) Place the rice cooker pot in the cooker and turn on the cooker. 7. When the rice is cooked, add mushroom and mix well. Serve in a rice bowl. You can discuss takikomi gohan here Keywords: Easy, Japanese ( RG1701 )

Pam's Passover Brownies #1 1/2 c oil 1 c sugar 3 large eggs 3 oz melted chocolate (b/s or s/s) 1/3 c cocoa 1/2 c cake meal pinch salt Mix the oil and sugar together until combined. Add the eggs and mix through - then the melted chocolate. Add the cocoa, cake meal and salt and stir in until well mixed. Pour into a well greased pan and bake at 350 for about 35 minutes - or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with only a few, moist crumbs on it. Cool and eat or frost. Keywords: Dessert, Passover ( RG1700 )

Apple Upside Down Cake Serves 8 as Dessert. This is more like an apple "brownie." It's baked in a cast-iron skillet lined with sliced apples, then flipped out of the pan bottom up. Of course, you can bake it in a baking pan too. 3 Tart apples (granny smith), peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced 1/8 in thick 3 T Sugar 1 tsp Ground cinnamon 2 Eggs (or scant 1/2 cup egg substitute) 1 c Canola or Safflower or Rapeseed oil 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 c coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans 3 T melted butter or unsweetened applesauce 1 tsp Vanilla extract 3/4 c sugar Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray an 8” oven-proof skillet (I use cast-iron) with Pam and dust with about 1/3 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Toss sliced apples with salt and 2 tsp cinnamon sugar. Spread a layer of apples in tbe bottom of the prepared skillet, overlapping neatly. Beat eggs, 3/4 C sugar, and vanilla until creamy; stir in applesauce or melted butter. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder and fold into mixture. Fold in remaining apples and walnuts. Pour batter over apples in pan and dust top with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes in skillet. Run a knife around the rim of the skillet and invert onto a plate. Serve warm (with ice cream). Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake ( RG1699 )

Apple Quickbread This is a tried-and-true recipe for a very easy apple quickbread, taught to me many years ago by a Japanese friend. I don't know the recipe's original source. Apple Bread Makes 2 9 x 5" loaves 2 cups sifted flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup sugar 3 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 to 5 apples, peeled, cored, and cut in eighths Preheat oven to 375F. Sift together first 4 ingredients. Combine oil and sugar. Mix in eggs. Add to flour mixture, mixing well. Add vanilla. Mix. Stir in apples. Bake in 2 greased 9 x 5" loaf pans 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes before removing. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Fruit, Cake ( RG1698 )

Caprese Shooters I thru this together over the weekend. Someone may have already made these but I've never seen it. 1 c Tomato juice (chilled) 1/2 c Vodka (chilled) 1 T Pesto Hot sauce to taste 6 small mozzarella cubes 3 small cherry tomatoes-halved Basil leaves- chiffonade Combine first four ingredients in a processor and process until smooth. In each of six shot glasses place a mozzarella cube and a half cherry tomato. Fill each glass with the vodka mixture and serve on a bed of crushed ice. Garnish with the basil. Makes 6 drinks. Keywords: Cocktail, Hors d'oeuvre, Easy ( RG1697 )

Cinnamon Apple Cake Delicious cinnamon apple cake with crunchy cinnamon-sugar top crust. Originally from Cooking Light. 1-3/4 c sugar, divided 1/2 c stick margarine, softened 1 tsp vanilla extract 6 oz block-style fat-free cream cheese, softened(about 3/4 cup) 2 large eggs 1-1/2 c all-purpose flour 1-1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp ground cinnamon 3 c chopped peeled Rome apple (about 2 large) Preheat oven to 350`. Spray 8" springform pan evenly with nonstick spray. Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, margarine, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Combine 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and apple in a bowl, and stir apple mixture into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture. Bake at 350` for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife. I prefer to use granny smith apples and real butter and bake in a 9" springform pan at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours or until done. Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake ( RG1696 )

Squid with Caramelized Onions Serves 4 as Side. As a young chef working on the Spanish coast during the summer, one of my very favorite meals was the one we would prepare after a long night of partying. We would go to the beach at 6:00am to greet the fishermen as they arrived in their small boats. Those fishermen caught their squid one by one, using an old technique that allowed them to trap the squid without the squid releasing its precious ink. With a pound or two of fresh squid in our hands, we would return to the kitchen, light up the plancha (griddle), and sear the squid while they were still alive, without cleaning them. Today this is still one of my all-time favorite breakfasts. 1/4 c Spanish extra-virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic, unpeeled 1 Spanish or Vidalia onion, thinly sliced 1 bay leaf salt to taste 3/4 lb fresh squid, cleaned and cut into small triangles 2 T dry white wine 1 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over a medium flame. Split open the garlic clove by placing it on a cutting board and pressing down hard with the base of your hand or with the flat side of a knife. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and bay leaf, and cook slowly until the onions are light brown, about 10 minutes. Then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and tender (caramelized), about 20 minutes. If the onions start to get too dark, add 1/2 tablespoon of water. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the oil in the pan. Raise the heat to high and sprinkle a little salt on the oil. Add some of the squid, making sure you don't overcrowd the pan--you need to leave plenty of space between them so the heat remains high and the squid is sauteed, not boiled. Saute for 15 to 20 seconds on each side. Remove the squid from the pan and repeat the process with the remaining squid. Return all the squid to the pan, add the caramelized onions and stir together. Pour in the wine and boil for around 20 seconds. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve. Notes: If the squid are really fresh, which you can find occasionally, they don't need to be cleaned. You'll know they're fresh when they have a nice brilliant dinish and a slightly gray color. The outer skin turns pinkish when the squid is no longer fresh. From Tapas, published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers. Copyright 2005 by Jose Andres. All rights reserved. Keywords: Appetizer, Main Dish, Side, Spanish/Portugese, Seafood ( RG1695 )

Potatoes Rioja-Style with Chorizo (Patatas a la Riojana) Serves 4 as Side. Paul Bocuse, the godfather of nouvelle cuisine, holds a special place in modern Spanish cooking. Bocuse came to Madrid in the late 1970s to speak at a conference, and his speech inspired a whole movement to revolutionize Spanish cooking, led by Juan Mari Arzak and Pedro Subijana in the Basque country. During his trip, Bocuse famously sampled a plate of Patatas a la Riojana. His judgment: it's one of the greatest dishes created by man. 3 T Spanish extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped (about 1 cup) 7 oz chorizo sausage, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices 1/2 lb Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 tsp pimenton (Spanish sweet paprika) 1-1/2 tsp salt Warm the olive oil over low heat in a large shallow pan. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and tender and have turned a light brown color, at least 20 minutes. You want the onions to caramelize. If they start to get too dark, add 1/2 tablespoon of water to keep them from burning. When the onions are caramelized, add the chorizo and continue frying until it too is browned, about 2 minutes. Place the potatoes in the pan and stir to coat them in the oil. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the pimenton and the salt, pour in water to cover, and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through and the water is reduced by half, about 20 minutes. You'll end up with a wonderful, thick stew. Note: Look for authentic Spanish chorizo in your local markets or online. After many years, we can finally buy real Spanish chorizo in America, so it's worth locating a speciaist supplier to enjoy this uniquely rich and flavorful sausage. From Tapas, published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers. Copyright 2005 by Jose Andres. All rights reserved. Keywords: Appetizer, Side, Main Dish, Pork, Potatoes, Spanish/Portugese ( RG1694 )

Moorish-Style Chickpea and Spinach Stew Serves 4 as Soup. This was one of the first dishes my wife, Tichi, cooked for me, soon after we were married. It was also the cause for the most expensive telephone call we ever made, since she talked to her mother through the entire cooking process. The result was worth every penny. Now it's one of our Sunday specials--especially through the winter months. 9 oz dried garbanzos (chickpeas) 1 pinch baking soda 1/4 c Spanish extra-virgin olive oil 6 garlic cloves, peeled 2 oz sliced white bread, crusts removed 2 T pimenton (Spanish sweet paprika) 1 pinch Spanish saffron threads 2 T Spanish sherry vinegar 1/2 lb spinach, washed 1 tsp ground cumin salt to taste white pepper to taste The day before you plan to cook the stew, place the chickpeas in a bowl and cover with cold water. Add the baking soda, stir, and set aside to soak overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a big saucepan, combine the chickpeas with 2.5 quarts of water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chickpeas are tender, about 2 hours. Every 10 minutes or so, add 1/4 cup of cold water to slow down the simmering. By the end, the water should have reduced so it is barely covering the chickpeas. Turn off the heat and let the chickpeas sit in the water. Heat the olive oil in a small saute pan over a medium-low flame. Add the garlic and cook until it is browned, about 3 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan and set it aside. Add the bread to the pan and brown it on both sides, about 1 minute each side. Remove the bread and set it aside. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Add the pimenton and saffron to the pan, and then immediately add the sherry vinegar to prevent the pimenton from burning. Leave the pan off the heat. In a mortar, smash the reserved garlic and the toasted bread to make a very thick paste. Bring the chickpeas back to a low boil and add the spinach. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pimenton mixture along with the garlic paste. You should have a thick, stewy sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper to taste, and serve immediately. Notes: When the chickpeas are cooked and soft, you should have only around one finger's depth (1/2 inch) of water left in the bottom of the pan. If there is more, remove some water from the pan before adding the rest of the ingredients. If you don't have time to cook for 2 or 3 hours, use 3 cups good-quality chickpeas from a can or jar. Just add some extra water before you cook the spinach, in case there isn't enough in the jar. From Tapas, published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers. Copyright 2005 by Jose Andres. All rights reserved. Keywords: Soup, Main Dish, Vegan, Beans, Vegetables, Dinner, Spanish/Portugese ( RG1693 )

Quick Eats Pizza Dough Serves 4 as Appetizeror 2 as Main Dish. OK, maybe you can't wait for an hour to eat, or it's too late to order pizza in your little town, or you can't stand the price of delivery pizza- it's only bread, cheese and sauce! You've got the most amazing tomatoes sitting on the counter, Nana's homemade chicken sausage would make SUCH an excellent pizza topping, OR, you just can't stand the taste of pizza from a box-whatever your reasoning, it's time to eat and you WANT homemade pizza, NOW. In my house it's a group of teenagers hovering near me, expecting to be dazzled, but hungry NOW. That's when this pizza makes an appearance. Now, I'm a home cook, and I grew up on verbal recipe traditions, so bear with me, darlings, and we'll go on the very quick journey to a decent pizza in about a half hour! 1 T or 1 packet of fast rising yeast 413 g white whole wheat flour (see notes) 1 c hot water (110-120 F) 2/3 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp raw sugar olive oil semolina flour toppings? your choice! First, turn the oven to 500 F. Gather all of your dough ingredients. We make the dough now! So fun, why kick the loved ones, tackle some dough instead, and everyone gets fed after you work out your frustrations on this ball of joy. OK-You put the yeast, the water and the sugar into a large bowl, and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, you add in the salt and flour, first the salt with about 1/4 of the flour, then the rest of the first 2 1/2 cups (413 grams) of flour, bit by bit, until it's all mixed in and messy. Now, you knead! And knead! For at least 3 minutes, until the dough forms a ball. You've got that extra 1/2 cup (82 grams) of flour sitting near, to add to the dough, if you feel it needs more flour. This always varies, depending on the weather. I don't know why, don't ask, it just does. That's a question for the real bakers, we're just making pizza. Oh, you're a fancy pants with a food processor? Lucky duck, go ahead, dump everything in there, and mix it until it forms a ball of dough, about a minute or so. In our home, it's kneading or nothing. Let the ball of dough rest for about 15 minutes, unless you're in more of a hurry, then, just roll it out immediately. But, I like to let the dough rest after I've pummeled it so thoroughly, before I send it to the oven. Get your toppings of choice together. I sometimes slice a ball of mozzarella into rounds, then slice tomatoes and an onion or two into a bowl,sprinkle in some oregano, and top it all with some fresh basil, torn, and a couple of chopped cloves of garlic, tossing the mixture with olive oil, allowing it to marinate while I'm making the dough. You can top this dough as YOU prefer, or with whatever you've got in the kitchen that looks interesting. We've used leftover salmon and dill, with fresh corn and sliced steamed red potatoes, and bits of goat cheese crumbled atop it all, that was pretty darn good! Time to make the pizza: roll out the dough flat; choose your shape, we make ours rectangular, because we don't own a round pan. Sprinkle some semolina on the pan, then place the dough onto it. Add your toppings, then stick the entire thing into the oven. Let it bake for about 15 minutes. If you want it really crispy, let it bake another few minutes after that, but watch it, this isn't a cassoulet. Some variations you may want to attempt: Sprinkle sesame seeds and salt onto the edges of the dough before baking. Use a Middle Eastern style tomato sauce, with allspice seasoning, and ground lamb, pine nuts and chopped onion for your topping. Top with shredded nova, sliced tomatoes and red onions, bits of cream cheese and fresh dill with a splash of olive oil. NOTE ABOUT FLOUR: I used to use 1/3 whole wheat flour and 2/3 white flour, but the white whole wheat flour from King Arthur has me completely happy! Keywords: Main Dish, Appetizer, Easy, Bread, Italian, Kosher, Vegetarian ( RG1692 )

Onion tart Serves 2 as Appetizer. puff pastry 1 tsp sugar 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 T balsamic vinegar (or more, to taste) 1 T olive oil 1 T butter 1 T heavy cream 1/4 egg, beaten salt and pepper 1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pan. 2. Slice the onions, sugar, salt, and pepper and let caramelize until brown (about 20 minutes). 3. Add the balsamic vinegar. 4. Cool mixture in fridge 5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir in the heavy cream and beaten egg, mound the mixture on the puff pastry. 6. (If the oven is still preheating, put the tart in the freezer until the oven is ready.) Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Keywords: Appetizer, Main Dish, Easy ( RG1691 )

Kiev Cake Serves 8 as Dessert. In one of the Russian cooking forums this cake was a hit. After seeing countless pictures, I finally got around to making it. Did not bother with decorating, because I was making it to just see how it tastes. It actually reminded me of Russe Praline from The Art of the Cake: Modern French Baking and Decorating that I made some time ago. For meringue: The following ingredients and baking instructions are for ONE cake layer. We will need TWO of these, i.e. all amounts need to be doubled. Due to the volume of the whipped whites, it’s easier to make one layer at a time. 4 egg whites 1 cup super-fine sugar 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 cup chopped nuts (in the original, hazelnuts or cashews are recommended, but I used almonds and walnuts; both worked fine) 2 tablespoons potato starch (I used cornstarch) For buttercream: 3 egg yolks 1 cup sugar 1 cup milk 300 grams butter (1 stick is 113 grams) 1 tablespoon cocoa powder Make meringue: Preheat oven to 275 F. Beat together egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until soft peaks are formed. Still beating on high speed, gradually add sugar intil whites form stiff and glossy peaks. Sift starch over whites, then sprinkle nuts on top. Fold nuts gently but thoroughly into meringue. Spread evenly onto baking sheet lined with parchment. Make sure there is room for meringue to spread when baking. I drew a 10-inch circle on the parchment, but I think this cake works better in a rectangular shape. Bake 1.5-2 hours, until firm and pale golden. Cool on rack; peel off parchment. Make buttercream: Stirring constantly, bring milk, sugar and yolks to boil; cook until thickens. Beat cooled mixture into butter; add cocoa. Assemble cake, layering meringue with buttercream; sprinkle with crushed meringue trimmings or nuts. Keywords: Cake, Eastern Euro/Russian, Intermediate ( RG1690 )

Ollie Gates' Barbecue Sauce This recipe, which produces the very same Gates' Barbecue Sauce that you can get at their six locations in Kansas City, most KC-area supermarkets, and from their Web site, was featured on an episode of "From Martha's Kitchen" on the Food Network about four years ago. Since the program no longer airs on FN, and I know there are others out there who would like to try their own hand at creating that Gates' taste, I'm posting it here, because you can't find it on foodnetwork.com any more. 1 c sugar 1/4 c salt 2 T celery seed 2 T ground cumin 2 T ground cayenne pepper 2 T garlic powder 1 T chili powder 2 qt ketchup 2 c apple cider vinegar 1-1/2 tsp liquid smoke 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, celery seed, cumin, red pepper, garlic powder, and chili powder. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine ketchup, vinegar, liquid smoke, and lemon juice. Add dry ingredients and mix until very well blended. Serve warm or at room temperature. Sauce may be stored in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in freezer for up to 6 months. Yield: about 3 quarts Keywords: Easy, Sauce, Barbeque, Hot and Spicy ( RG1689 )

Honey Kasutera [castella] (Japanese Honey Sponge) I love a slice of honey sponge with Tea of an afternoon - this one is way better than bought ones and is Natsukashii (memory-evoking) for anyone who's tried it while in Japan. Oh, and you'd better have a sweet tooth. ) 5 Eggs 3/4 c Raw Sugar 1/4 c Honey 1/2 c Plain Flour (Sifted) Place together the eggs, sugar & honey and beat it using an electric beater until it is a thick white foam. Add the sifted flour and beat well into the mixture. Pour into a loaf tin. Bake in a preheated 160C oven for 15 minutes. Stir the mixture. Bake for another 30 minutes. Let cool in pan, turn out and slice. Keywords: Easy, Cake, Japanese ( RG1688 )

Creamed Spinach or Chard Serves 6 as Side. This is our own little creation--the breadcrumbs really make it special. c bread crumbs T EVOO T chopped fresh parsley T chopped fresh thyme bunches fresh spinach or chard c sour cream c heavy cream c sharp cheddar, grated c chopped onion nutmeg (dash) egg Brown breadcrumbs in olive oil and mix with parsley and thyme. Set aside. Blanch the greens. Mix the greens with all other ingredients and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs for the last 5 min of baking, until browned nicely. Keywords: Side, Easy, Vegetables, Dinner ( RG1687 )

Jalapeno Cheese Grits Serves 4 as Side. This was created at Dakota's in Dallas. c milk c water c instant grits T butter jalapeno, seeded & minced tsp Worcestershire sauce tsp minced garlic hot pepper sauce, salt & pepper oz Shredded jalapeno jack cheese Cook all ingredients except cheese in heavy medium saucepan over med/high heat until thickened, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes. The hot pepper sauce, salt & pepper is to taste. Add cheese and cook until thickened to consistency of soft mashed potatoes, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Transfer grits to a bowl--serve hot. Keywords: Side, Easy, Cheese, Dinner ( RG1686 )