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Cardoon-Potato Gratin My friend Martin made this, it was delicious! Of course, anything with 1/2 & 1/2 and cheese could be delicious... 8 stalks cardoon 2 medium potatoes 8 oz grated parmesan cheese 1 pt half and half or cream Salt Pepper Blanch the cardoon stalks in water that has a splash of vinegar or lemon juice until medium tender. You can peel them if you like. We don't. Cut the cardoon stalks in 1/4 inch crescents, across the grain, like you would celery. Peel the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into batons, about like a french fry. Toss the cut, blanched cardoon stalks with the potatoes directly in a gratin dish. Reserve a handful of the cheese for the top and toss the rest of the cheese with the cardoon/potato mixture. Add the pint of half and half (or cream if using.) Season with salt and pepper. Bake in a 425 oven 40 minutes or so: until golden brown and the potatoes are all the way through. Keywords: Vegetables, Vegetarian, Easy, Side ( RG1512 )

Chai I love chai, and one winter I spent time tweaking the recipe to the place I liked it most. It's got plenty of cardamom (feel free to add a bit more), plenty of black pepper (add more or less or leave out, depending on your tastes) and ginger! I've since learned that one can add LOTS more FRESH ginger to give a great kick. 8 c water 1/4 c sugar, or less sucanat or honey, or to taste 2 T cardamom seedlets, smashed a little (much cheaper at health food stores....) 1 T dried ginger, smashed a little OR 3" knob of fresh ginger, cut into a few pieces 1/2 tsp vanilla 1 T dried orange peel, or 2 strips fresh orange zest 2 T black peppercorns, smashed a little 1 T cinnamon chips OR 2 1/2 inch sticks cinnamon 10 whole cloves 2 star anise, optional (well, any of this is optional!) 2 T or so of black tea, decaf or full strength, or 'red tea' Boil everything together except the tea for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and add the tea and let steep for 5-6 minutes. You can then chill this concentrate and combine with milk hot or cold, I use half of this chai mixture with half milk. Soy milk works well if you don't have the cow kind around.... Keywords: Vegetarian, Non-Alcoholic Beverage ( RG1511 )

North Carolina Yam Custard Serves 8 as Side. A Thanksgiving family favourite. Custard 1-1/2 c Half & Half 1 T Butter 3 c Cooked and mashed yams or sweet potatoes 2 eggs, slightly beaten 3/4 c Sugar 1/2 tsp each of Salt, Cinnamon, Ginger & Nutmeg 1 tsp Vanilla 1/4 c Bourbon Topping 1/2 c Dark brown sugar 3 T melted butter 1/2 c chopped pecans 1/2 c Flaked coconut Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat 1 cup of half & half and butter in a saucepan. Combine the warm cream/butter mixture and yams in the food processor. Add the remaining half & half, eggs, sugar, salt, spices, bourbon and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Pour in a 2 Qt. casserole. Mix topping ingredients and put over custard. Bake in hot water bath (bain marie) for approximately 50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Keywords: Side, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Potatoes ( RG1492 )

Cage bach (Welshcakes) Serves 24 as Dessert. When I was studying in Carmarthen (southwest Wales), they had a market with fabulous cage bach (called Welshcakes in English), sold warm in little packages. Top 'em with clotted cream and strawberries, or even just a bit of butter, and they were delicious. This is my best shot at reconstructing 'em, after fiddling with three or four recipes from various locations and substituting things like sugar (easy to find in America) for "golden syrup" (much harder to find here but easy to find in Britain). 2 c self-rising flour (or add 1 to 2 tsp. baking powder to regular) 1 stick of butter (4 oz or 1/2 cup) 1/2 c sugar 2/3 c currants, soaked in hot liquid to plump up 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp ginger 1 egg, beaten 1 c milk (but you probably won't use all of it) Hot liquid of choice for the currants - could be water, apple juice, Ribena (a currant drink), or something like brandy * Rinse the currants well and put them in the hot liquid to soak for at least 30 minutes or until they're plump and tasty. * Stir together the flour, baking powder (if needed), salt, and spices. * Cut the butter into small bits (I quarter a stick lengthwise and then chop into little bits that way) and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it's like fine crumbles. * Drain the soaking liquid off the currants. * Make a hollow in the middle of the flour mixture and add the sugar, the beaten egg, about 1/4 cup milk, and the drained currants. Stir together. If it needs more liquid, add the rest of the milk, but it should be a somewhat stiff dough (stiffer than chocolate chip cookie dough). * Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick (I often do this between two floured sheets of waxed paper) and cut in three-inch circles (you can use a juice glass for this). * Cook over low heat on a griddle or nonstick frying pan that's been very lightly oiled with something flavorless like canola oil. (Don't use olive oil or they'll turn out smelling like a salad!) Cook them like little pancakes -- wait a while until one side is toasty golden, then flip and toast the other side. They won't really toast any further if you keep flipping them, so make sure one side's nice and golden before you flip the first time. (Try one as an experiment to get the timing right before you cook up a big batch, because I never seem to get the same amount of heat out of my stovetop twice in a row.) * Sprinkle the top with sugar while they're still warm. * Eat as is or top with something like honey, jam, lemon curd, a bit of butter, or Devonshire double cream. They keep well in an airtight tin if any survive the initial ooo-warm nibbles from anyone in the building. (Don't put toppings on until you're ready to eat them though.) I've read that you can bake them at 350 for about 15 minutes instead of griddling them. Technically, you can, but they don't turn out quite right -- they won't be that toasty golden color on both sides... stick with a griddle, even if you don't have a cast-iron Welsh bakestone. Keywords: Dessert, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Snack, Cookie, British ( RG1491 )

Easy peach lassi Serves 2 as Appetizer. One night I wanted lassi to go with a spicy dal I was having for dinner, but I didn't have any mango on hand. Canned peaches made an easy and tasty alternative. 1 pkg canned peaches (8 oz. size) 1 c plain yogurt 1 T sugar Pinch of salt Half a blender full of ice cubes Put them all in a blender and pulse until smooth. Keywords: Non-Alcoholic Beverage, Dessert, Vegetarian, Easy, Fruit, Indian ( RG1490 )

Daifuku mochi (Mayan hot chocolate style) Serves 12 as Side. Daifuku mochi (rice cakes stuffed with something else) are very traditional Japanese food. What's not so traditional about this recipe is the chocolate! If you want a more traditional version, leave out the cinnamon and almond and chocolate and fill the mochi with something like anko (sweet bean paste) and strawberries. I got started developing this recipe from online daifuku mochi recipes from both the Tsuji Culinary Institute (in Japanese) and a person named Konny with a wagashi website, but I found the Tsuji method would take a lot of time and some of Konny's simplified microwave directions and proportions were a little difficult to follow (particularly how much sugar was supposed to go into how much water). So I played around until I came up with a version I could manage more easily. Mochi 1 c mochiko (glutinous rice flour) 1 c water Flavored syrup 3/4 c sugar 1/4 c water 1 tsp almond extract 3/4 tsp cinnamon Filling Semisweet chocolate chips (or more traditional ingredients) Dusting powder Mochiko as needed Sugar and cocoa are tasty additions A Silpat and heat-proof spatulas are very useful here. <b>With the syrup ingredients:</b> Microwave 1/4 cup water for about a minute, then add 1/4 cup sugar and stir. Microwave for another 45 seconds. Add another 1/4 cup sugar, stir, microwave another 45 seconds. Add the last 1/4 cup sugar, stir, microwave 45 seconds. (It should be bubbling at this point.) With a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, mix in the almond extract and cinnamon. Don't worry when it crystallizes like mad; just mix it together until it's the color of fudge and set it aside. <b>With the mochi ingredients:</b> Mix together a cup of mochiko and a cup of water and a pinch of salt in a microwavable bowl. Cover with saran wrap, microwave for one minute and stir; repeat until it starts getting puffy (about 5 shots in my microwave; it may take longer or shorter at a different power). At this point you have unflavored mochi that you can use by itself if you want. Rewarm the sugar syrup for about 20 seconds (because it's probably set up into a solid mass while the mochi is being microwaved), then pour the syrup over the mochi and stir like mad for a long time until it's turned smooth and brown-sugar-colored again. (It'll look like a gloppy mess at first but it does mix up fine... just keep at it. I've discovered a heat-proof silicon spatula is REALLY useful when mixing mochi.) <b>For shaping and filling the mochi:</b> Scatter the cocoa-mochiko-sugar mix all over your Silpat or whatever you're using for a catcher. Pour the mochi-napalm over the mix. Scatter more coca-mochiko-sugar on top and put a piece of Saran wrap over it and roll it flatter to cool (take the Saran wrap off when done, it's just there to keep the mochi-napalm from adhering to your hands and burning you). When it's cool enough to handle, cut or tear off bits and make thin palm-sized disks out of the mochiko. (If you cut them in rectangular shapes, you can get little mochi pillows instead of balls, and they're a bit easier to handle and shape.) Either way, put some chocolate chips in the center and pinch the edges closed and roll into a ball shape and then re-roll in the cocoa-flour-etc mix. (Stop and reroll everything whenever anything starts sticking, actually.) I get about a dozen of them out of this proportion of ingredients. When you're done rolling them, put them in a pile on a small plate and put them back in the microwave for two or three 15-second shots. The chocolate melts in the center but doesn't get scalding, and you bite into this oozing chocolate center. Yum... Keywords: Dessert, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Rice, Snack, Japanese ( RG1489 )

Ricotta Cheese Serves 4 as Main Dish. Homemade ricotta is easy and superior to any run of the mill supermarket brand. Even though it uses buttermilk, it does not taste like buttermilk at all. It is rather sweet and mild. This recipe makes about 2 generous cups of ricotta. 2 qt Whole Milk 2 c Buttermilk In a heavy pot heat the ingredients over medium heat until they reach 180F on a thermometer (about 20 minutes). Simmer the mixture for an extra 25-30 minutes or until the curds are seperated from the whey and float on the surface with a texture like firm custard. Do not stir the curds, simply let them cook gently. Line a colander with cheesecloth and pour in the ricotta mixture. Let it drain for at least 45 minutes, longer for a drier more crumbly texture. Store the ricotta in an air tight container with a piece of wax paper pressed on the surface for up to a week. Keywords: Vegetarian, Easy ( RG1477 )

Veggie Curry Serves 6 as Main Dish. I am by no means a vegetarian, but this is a nice rustic dish for a summer day or a chilly fall or winter. Brown rice rounds out its hearty-ness, cashewnut butter is the secret ingredient. 2 T ghee 2 onions, sliced crosswise 2 cloves garlic 1 T chopped ginger 1 T cumin 2 T cayenne (I like it hot) 1 tsp tumeric clove 3 c butternut squash 1 zuchinni (chopped) garbanzo beans (drained) 2 c chopped tomato coconut milk 2 T cashewnut butter 2 c potatoes, chopped ( I used Russian banana) 4 c culiflower 1. In an appropriate pot, melt ghee over medium heat. 2. Saute onion slowly unit brown. 3. Add garlic and ginger and saute for about 1 minute. 4. Add dry spices and cook for 1 minute. 5. Add squash, zuchinni, beans, tomato, coconut milk, cashewnut butter, potatoes, and culiflower. 6. Add water to cover ingredients. 7. Simmmer for two hours. 8. Serve with brown rice. Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetarian, Easy, Rice, Dinner, Indian ( RG1469 )

Cheddar Cheese Tartlets Serves 30 as Hors d'oeuvre. This recipe is originally from a Bon Appetit holiday cookbook. Tartlets can be made up to a week ahead, frozen, and rewarmed in a 350 degree oven until heated through. Good warm and at room temperature. Cheddar Cheese Pastry 1-1/4 c all purpose flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1-1/4 c loosely packed grated sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 c chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 5 tsp (approx) ice water Filling: 1 c cottage cheese 1/2 c heavy cream 1 c loosely packed grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided 2 large eggs 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1/3 c finely chopped green onions (scallions) For pastry: Blend dry ingredients in food processor. Add cheese and butter, and blend until crumbs are coarse and somewhat uniform. Add water and blend until dough forms clumps. (I have actually added quite a bit more water than the recipe calls for.)Remove dough from processor, form into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate an hour, or up to 3 days. If refrigerating longer than an hour, allow to stand at room temp a few minutes. For filling: Blend cottage cheese and cream well, until smooth. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese (reserve 1/4 cup), rest of ingredients and process until well blended. Roll out pastry very thin - about 1/8 inch, and cut with a 2 1/2 inch cookie or biscuit cutter. Ease dough into wells of a mini-muffin tin. If necessary, gather dough and re-roll and cut. Spoon about a tablespoon of filling into each cup. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle remaining cheese on tartlets. Bake until cheese is melted and filling is set, about 10 minutes. Allow tartlets to cool in tins a few minutes, then use a table knife to assist in popping them out of cups. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Vegetarian, Intermediate, Cheese ( RG1452 )

Armenian-Lebanese Chili Paste Serves 15 as Hors d'oeuvre. During the late summer/ early fall months in Beirut, you could see large trays of the fire-y chili paste drying on the roof tops, the roof tops of mostly Armenian residents. The paste is a little sweet, hot, and has the unmistakable bell pepper taste. I love it spread on some pita by itself! I also use it to mix with all kinds of Mediterranean dips especially stuff with eggplant in it. I add a dollop on top of my lamb or chickpea stews. Spread it on pita and wrap around grilled lamb chunks or Kofta. Dip fried kibbe in a yogurt sauce mixed in with the paste. Well, you get my drift... 8 fresh red bell peppers 4 Scotch bonnet (or to taste) or other hot peppers 4 garlic cloves, minced or mashed 1/2 c olive oil Salt - Half the peppers, remove the seeds and cut them up into big chunks. - Puree the peppers in a food processor until fine. Mix in the garlic. - In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat, dump in the puree (careful! It will splatter) and cook, stirring frequently until the water evaporates and the mixture is the consistency of a soft tomato paste. When this happens a film of oil will rise to the surface. - Season with salt to taste and store in clean jars. Top with a little olive oil and keep in the fridge. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Hot and Spicy, Vegetarian, Dip, Vegan, Condiment, Easy, Sauce ( RG1440 )

Belgian endive, blue cheese and pinenut tart Serves 2 as Main Dishor 4 as Appetizer. Use any good, not too pungent, not too dry blue cheese. In Holland you buy frozen puff pastry in blocks that consist sheets that are each about 4 x 4 inches, so I just glue 4 of those together into one large sheet. 1 8 x 8 inch square of puff pastry 2 large firm heads of belgian endive 150 g blue cheese 2 T pinenuts 2 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried salt, pepper oliveoil Remove the outer leaves of the endive, but leave the root part intact. Cut them in half and then cut the halves into 3-4 segments, try to keep the leaves attached at the root end. Heat 1 tablespoon of oliveoil in a large frying pan. Add the endive and fry over high heat until they are a bit caramellized. Turn them over so all sides get browned. Sprinkle with them thyme, some salt and pepper. Add a glass of water, turn doen the heat and cook until the water has evaporated. By now the endive should be quite tender (test the root end with a toothpick) if not, add some more water and cook a bit longer. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C Lay out the puffpastry on a baking sheet. Carefully arrange the endive on top in rows. Crumble over the cheese. Fold over the edges of the pastry to make a rim. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top and bake for about 10 minutes more, or until the pastry is golden. If necessary flash briefly under the grill to brown the top. Keywords: Appetizer, Main Dish, Vegetarian ( RG1428 )

Dutch Babies Serves 2. Never knew exactly where the name "Dutch Babies" came from, but I always picture chubby, grinning wee ones that just make you want to pinch their cheeks, give a big squeeze, then eat them all up. These eggy, rich pancakes with high, crisp corners are perfect for topping with just about anything that comes to mind. 2 large eggs 3/4 c milk 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 2 T butter, melted 1/2 c flour Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare pan: use an 8 inch cast iron skillet, a nonstick skillet of the same size, an 8 inch nonstick cake pan or an 8 inch glass pie dish. Place pan in oven with half of the melted butter. Meanwhile, assemble the batter. Beat the eggs slightly, then add milk, salt, sugar and butter. Mix until everything is incorporated. Add in flour and whisk until smooth. Pour into waiting pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until sides are puffy and browned. Topping suggestions: lemon juice and powdered sugar, berries or slightly sweetened fruit of any kind, sour cream or yogurt mixed with a bit of brown sugar, applesauce, toasted nuts, caremelized apples or bananas. Keywords: Breakfast, Brunch, Vegetarian ( RG1427 )

Soya Bean Milk Make your own from organically grown non-GM beans and you'll find it's superior to the ones sold in cartons. After trying this recipe, vary it according to your preference. Add or reduce water to suit the thickness level you like. 200 g soya beans 2 l water 3 pcs pandan leaves (if available) 200 g rock sugar or brown sugar or white sugar to taste small knob of ginger (optional) muslin/cotton bag large pot 1. Cover beans with water that measures around one and a half times the height of the beans in the jar to allow for expansion. 2. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. 3. Rub off as much skin from the beans as possible. Fish out or wash away the skins. This step may be omitted if you do not mind some 'tartness' in the drink. Drain beans. 4. Measure out the 2 litres water. Save around 2 cups water for second blending. If your blender is big enough, you may blend the beans in the water. If not, do it in batches. Blend as fine as possible. 5. As you blend (if you're doing in batches), transfer the blended mixture into the bag. Sqquueeeze. Pour squeezed milk into a large pot. 6. Add the reserved 2 cups of water to the squeezed-out residue, and blend a second time. Repeat step 5. 7. (Optional step) Scratch out the skin from the ginger. Smash with the side of a cleaver. The ginger is to cancel out the too 'cooling' effect of soya milk and to take away the raw bean smell. Some people may prefer to add a drop or 2 of almond or vanilla extract to do the job. 8. Notwithstanding the aforementioned flavorings, the traditional flavoring is pandan. Wash pandan leaves and knot them. Throw into milk. 9. Make sure the pot has a capacity of at least double the amount of soya milk, as the milk tends to boil over very quickly. When boiling the milk, you don't have to keep watch for the first 10 minutes, but once 10 minutes is up, don't even blink. 10. Reduce heat once it starts to boil. Add sugar. My preference is rock sugar because I feel it makes the milk feel smoother. The soya milk is also delicious without any sugar. Give it a stir or two, and your 'power' drink is ready. Notes: 1. The drink can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. 2. Black soya beans can be substitued for a higher iron content. However the beans need to be soaked longer as the skin is a bit more stubborn. Don't bother getting all the skin off. You only have 24 hours in a day. 3. Waste not, want not. Those leftover residue can be used to make Okara Bread (tried to use hyperlink but couldn't. Here's the link for the recipe. http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2005/06/wheat-okara-bread.html) or use as fertilizer to sprinkle over your plants. 4. I should stop adding notes, but I can't. This recipe is a good base to make to fu fah (will add a link when the linky thingy is fixed). 5. Soya milk is great mixed with carrot juice. Keywords: Non-Alcoholic Beverage, Vegetarian, Easy, Beans, Chinese, Blender, Immersion Blender ( RG1412 )

Mexican Corn Pudding Serves 8 as Side. Ingredients 1 c corn kernels 2 c water 2-1/2 c milk 1-1/2 c yellow cornmeal 1 tsp salt 1 T granulated sugar 1/2 red bell pepper, diced small 2 T butter, melted 1/2 c white farmer's cheese, or small-curd cottage cheese 2 T cilantro, finely chopped 5 large whole eggs 1 T baking powder 2 tsp fresh red or green hot chili peppers, minced Salt and freshly cracked blackpepper, to taste Preheat oven to 425§F (220§C) and grease a 3-quart casserole dish or medium-size cast-iron skillet. Mix the water and milk in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the cornmeal, salt, and sugar. Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir for 1 or 2 minutes, until the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat and add the corn, bell peper, butter, cheese and cilantro. Set aside. In as separate bowl, beat the eggs and the baking powder until it becomes frothy. Add the chili pepper and mix into the cornmeal mixture until is mixed well. Add the salt and pepper and place the mixture in the casserole dish or skillet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Keywords: Side, Cheese, Vegetarian, Lunch, Easy, Dinner, Vegetables, Mexican ( RG1390 )

Green Risotto Serves 4 as Side. This beautifully green risotoo is my variation on Edda Servi Machlin's Green Risotto from Classic Italian Jewish Cooking.She uses celery, and I don't. I like a grating of nutmeg, and I sometimes use chicken stock to top up the spinach juuce instead od plain water. The parm is my addition, as well. 1 lb spinach, stemmed and washed. 1 tsp salt several grinds black pepper hot water 1-1/2 c Arborio rice 2 chopped scallions c olive oil 4 oz grated Parmesan cheese 1 T butter Chop the spinach very fine -- I use the food processor. Strain the juice into a large measuring cup, pressing down on the spinach to extract as much liquid as possible. Heat the olive oil in a 2 quart saucepan with a lid. Sautee the spinach and scallions for about two minutes. Add salt and pepper. Top up the spinach juice with water or stock until you have 2 cups. Add this and the rice to the pan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for about 15 minutes. When the rice is cooked, add the butter and the cheese. Stir to combine. Keywords: Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Rice, Italian, Jewish ( RG1388 )

Rajma A friend of mine, Russian, is married to an Indian and lives in India. She shared this recipe with me. She calls it rajma and says it is very poplular in Punjab. Lots of spices there! I served it over brown rice and with a dollop of sour cream on top (raita would've probably been better). 1. Soak beans overnight. I usually use 1 full cup of red (kidney) beans (as I cook for two). 2. In the pressure cooker, place 2 bay leaves, 2 black cardamoms (I prefer to crush them rather than place whole and then have to take them out), salt, 1 tablespoon ghee, and 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook 20-25 minutes. 3. Drain (reserve liquid). 4. In a deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add 3 small chopped onions, grated ginger (small piece), 2-3 crushed garlic cloves, and 2-3 small hot green peppers. Sautee until the onions are golden. 5. Add 1/2 teaspoon powdered red pepper (I often skip this part because the green peppers are hot enough) and 1 large tomato, pureed. Let stew a little. 6. Add the beans and garam masala (the garam masala you use must be made fresh – this is what makes the dish so delicious: ground into powder together 1 teaspoon cumin, 4 green cardamoms, a 1-inch piece of a cinnamon stick, 6 whole cloves and 6 black peppercorns. It is best to make the garam masala beforehand, while the beans are cooking). Mix everything together well and add the liquid reserved after cooking beans. Bring to boil, turn down the heat, and cook until the beans are fully cooked and the sauce reaches desired thickness. You can crush some beans if desired. 7. Add chopped cilantro and a couple of tablespoons sour cream (if desired). Serve over rice. Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetarian, Beans, Dinner, Indian ( RG1386 )

Curry Chutney Spread Serves 10 as Hors d'oeuvre. There are many variations on this, including ones that substitute smoked almonds for the bacon (a great tip for vegetarians), but this is my all-time favorite. I often forgo the processing of the chutney - as long as your chutney isn't super-chunky, you should be able to make this without dirtying your Cuisinart! 8 oz cream cheese (light or regular), at room temperature 1 T curry powder 8 oz mango chutney (one jar) 6 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, drained, and crumbled 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese with the curry powder until mixture is well-blended and smooth. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the chutney a few times (until lumps are gone). Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the bottom of an 8-inch quiche or pie dish. Spread the chutney on top, then top with crumbled bacon. Add the scallions evenly to the top. Serve with hearty crackers or small whole-grain toasts. Spread will keep, covered in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge, for up to two days. Bring to room temperature before serving. Keywords: Hors d'oeuvre, Dip ( RG1384 )

Peanut Butter Chicken Curry Serves 4 as Main Dish. This is my variation on the "Tender Turkey And Peanut Butter Curry" recipe from Ainsley Harriott's cookbook Gourmet Express 2. His basic recipe is very good, but I've tweaked this to my taste by substituting chicken for the turkey, changing the amounts of most of the ingredients, and adding more vegetables. 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into roughly 1/2" cubes oil for browning 1 small or 1/2 large onion, diced 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (or other hot chile pepper) 1 T grated ginger 1 T minced or crushed garlic (2-3 cloves) 1-1/2 T Madras Curry Powder 1/3 c peanut butter 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (+ cream if it's in there) 1 c chicken stock/broth 1 can diced tomatoes with juice 1/2 lb cauliflower florets, frozen or fresh 1/2 c frozen peas salt and pepper (and possibly sugar) to taste Preheat oven to 350F. In a large oven-safe pot (I use my Le Creuset), brown the chicken in oil. Add the onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent. Add the jalapeno, ginger, and garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the curry powder and cook until really fragrant. Add the peanut butter and let it melt, a really short time. Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, and cauliflower, and bring to a simmer, stirring regularly so everything's mixed. Put a lid on the pot and put it in the oven for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, add the peas, and bake another 5 minutes. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Serve with rice (or not, if you don't want it). Makes 4 large servings and freezes VERY well. Sometimes the ingredients are a bit on the bitter side, and since I use unsweetened peanut butter, I need to add a little sugar (or Splenda works well, too) to balance it out. (But Skippy and the like work just fine - crunchy or smooth.) Measurements are rough guesses at best, since at this point the only thing I measure is the curry powder. There are many substitutions which can be made with delicious results. I once made this for vegetarians by using butternut squash for the chicken and vegetable broth for the chicken stock. Keywords: Easy, Main Dish, Chicken, Dinner ( RG1383 )

Green Beans and Carrots Creole for a Crowd Anothe one from my vacation blog, when I tried to please a bunch of people, and did. 2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed 1/2 lb carrots, trimmed, peeled, and cut into tiny wedges about 2" x 1/4" x 1/8" 1 onion, peeled and quartered 3 T extra-virgin olive oil 3 T unsalted butter 1 tsp kosher salt 3/4 c vegetable stock 1 T lemon juice 1 T Creole mustard 1. Heat the oil and two tablespoons of the butter in a really big skillet. If you're working with almost three pounds of vegetables, be prepared to do the first steps in batches, and combine for the final dressing. 2. When the butter starts to brown, add the vegetables. (It's best if you keep the volume of each batch down to an amount that fills the bottom of the pan, but not much more. You're going to brown the contents, and crowding will inhibit that.) Give it three or four minutes (a few more if space is tight) to brown a bit. 3. Toss and turn to expose the unbrowned sides to the heat. This will take two to four minutes. If you're working in batches, remove the vegetables and do the next batch. 4. When you're done with the batches, dump all the vegetables back into the pan, ad the vegetable stock, and cover. Simmer for a few minutes. If you're lucky, the stock will have evaporated down to a glaze. If you're like the rest of us, you'll still have a fair amount of liquid, and you'll need to adjust the lid to let some of the steam out. 5. When the liquid is almost gone, remove from the heat, and stir in the lemon juice, mustard and the rest of the butter. Toss well, and deglaze the pan as best you can. 6. Serve as soon as circumstances allow. Keywords: Vegetarian, Easy, Side, Vegetables ( RG1376 )

Fried Green Tomatoes Serve with crab remoulade, as I did when blogging on vacation. 3 Green tomatoes, cut into 1/2" thick rounds 1 Plate of flour Egg/milk wash Fri-mix Peanut oil (1/2" or so in a skillet) First, dip your tomatoes in the flour, then the milk/eggs, then into the fish-fri. Place them into the hot peanut oil and flip them after about 2-3 minutes or when they are a dark tan color. Soak up the extra oil on some paper towels. Top them off with the remoulade and serve in a pretty formation. Keywords: Easy, Vegetarian ( RG1370 )

Summer Squash Casserole Another one from my vacation. Click on the link; there are photos. 4 Summer (yellow crookneck) Squash 4 small onions 1-1/2 c heavy cream 3 eggs 3 oz sharp cheddar, shredded 1/2 tsp tabasco 2 tsp olive oil 2/3 c fresh bread crumbs 1 oz parmesan, grated 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp dried rosemary salt and pepper to taste Trim the squash and then slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Cover with water and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender (about 15 minutes). Drain and shock with cold water. Meanwhile, peel and trim onions. Cut them in half, then into 1/3 in. semi-circles. Saute in olive oil until rings seperate. Combine with cold squash. Stir eggs and cream together with tabasco. Put onions and squash into a buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over. Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour or until golden and puffy: While baking, combine bread crumbs, parmesan, and olive oil. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over concoction. Then return to oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees to brown toppings. Keywords: Vegetarian, Easy, Side ( RG1369 )

Garlic Tofu with Baby Spinach 1 12-oz block of firm or extra-firm tofu 2 garlic cloves, crushed salt, freshly ground pepper, favorite spices to taste 1 package raw baby spinach red wine vinegar (optional) vegetable oil Rinse the tofu, place between several layers of paper towels, weight with a pan or baking sheet, and let it drain for 30 minutes. Cut tofu horizontally into two slices. Rub each slice with garlic, salt, pepper, and spices. Weight with something heavy again and let sit for 30 minutes. In a non-stick skillet heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and brown the tofu slices on both sides. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Add oil to the skillet if necessary; sauté the red onions. Remove the skillet from heat and add spinach. Stir the spinach until wilted (it will reduce in size significantly). Add salt, pepper, spices, and red wine vinegar if desired. The tofu may be cut into strips before serving. Keywords: Main Dish, Vegetarian, Easy ( RG1363 )

Middle Eastern Milk Ice Cream Serves 6 as Dessert. This is my best attempt to make the type of ice cream popular in the middle east, specifically Lebanon. The real deal has a nice chewy texture and is flavored with Salep (sahlab), mastic gum and orange blossom water. It also contains no eggs. Unfortunatly real Salep (a type of root that is dried and ground up) is not very available and is expensive. This version, while not as good as the real stuff, is excellent with a wonderful flavor and great texture. Serve it topped with lots of crushed pistachios or almonds. Note: Mastic Gum, NOT to be confused with gum arabic, has a very distinctive taste and is available at middle eastern grocery stores. It is VERY sticky when melted so add and stir with the handle of a spoon and then wash the spoon right away. Use a clean spice grinder to grind it along with some sugar to help it not stick. You can also do it between two pieces of wax paper and a mallet. 2 c Whole milk 2 c Heavy cream 2 Egg yolks 2 Eggs 1 c Sugar 5 Granules of Mastic Gum, pulverized with 2 T sugar 2 T Rose water 4 T Orange blossom water toasted chopped pistachios or almonds for topping - Heat the milk and cream in a sauce pot on medium until the mixture reaches a boil. - In a bowl whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar until light in color. - Continue whisking the eggs and sugar and pour 1 cup of the milk mixture in a thin stream about 1/2 cup at a time to temper the egg mixture. - Return the egg/milk mixture back into the pot that has the rest of the milk and cream. Heat on medium heat stirring all the time until it reaches 175F on a thermometer or until thick but not boiling. - Transfer the custard to a clean bowl through a sieve. Sprinkle the mastic gum all over the surface (NEVER in one spot or it will clump), add the rose water and orange blossom water and stir to combine. Taste and adjust by adding more of the aromatic waters if you need to. - Cool the mixture in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled (5-6 hours or more). Churn it in your ice cream maker and serve right away or after freezing for a few hours topped with the nuts. This ice cream remains nice and soft even after freezing. Keywords: Dessert, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian, Ice Cream Maker, Intermediate, Ice Cream ( RG1362 )

Rice Noodle Salad Servings: 4 as a side This was inspired by a recipe from Gourmet magazine. One of the changes was using sweet peanuts on top. It adds a special touch. Any peanuts, sweet or not, could be used; or, they could be eliminated to suit tastes or accomodate allergy. 7 fl oz rice noodles 1/4 c rice vinegar (not seasoned) 1 T sugar 1/4 c Thai fish sauce, or to taste 1 tsp finely chopped garlic 1 tsp finely chopped ginger 1 carrot, shredded 4 scallions, sliced diagonally 1 c loosely packed fresh cilantro, mint, and basil leaves 1/4 c butter toffee peanuts or other sweet peanuts, chopped Soak noodles in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, and then cook in a large pot of boiling water, uncovered, about 2 minutes. Drain in colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Drain well. Mix vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add the noodles, shredded carrot, scallions, and herbs, and toss to combine. To serve, garnish with chopped peanuts on top. Keywords: Salad, Main Dish, Side, Vegetarian, Easy, Pasta, Lunch, Dinner, Thai, Vietnamese ( RG1361 )

Juraydat - Small Locusts Serves 22 as Dessert. These are a wonderful little spiced honey candy based on a 13th century Andalusian recipe (translated by Charles Perry). Mr Perry was unsure of why they are called "Locusts" as the original text specifies to make them into little round balls like hazelnuts, but we're fairly certain it's because people fall upon the plate like locusts when you serve them... 2-1/2 c plain storebought bread crumbs 1/2 c almond oil 1 c honey 1/3 tsp powder forte* 3/8 tsp pepper Whiz crumbs & oil together in food processor. If they look too "damp" add more crumbs. They should look light and fluffy. Let sit for a few hours. Put 1 c. honey in a heavy enameled pot on medium heat. Stir constantly as the honey wants to boil over! Using a candy thermometer watch closely as you heat it to approximately 230F (soft crack) this should take 3-5 minutes only. Remove from heat. Add spices let cool a moment, break up any clumped spices. Mix into crumbs, form little 3/4" balls let sit about 5 minutes to firm up, then come back & smooth the balls out a little. Let rest another half hour at least and then serve and get out of the way... *Powder forte was a spice mix used throughout medieval Europe, usually based on cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove and black pepper. (Mine has grains of paradise as well.) If you don't want to make some up yourself just use "pumpkin pie spices" Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Vegetarian, Candy ( RG1359 )