Wallski Salad with Reverse-Engineered Therese Dressing

Reverse-engineered Therese Dressing:

1/2 cup flaked nutritional yeast
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tblsp cider vinegar
1 tblsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2 small cloves or one large clove garlic, minced or run through a garlic press

Mix first two ingredients until smooth. Add other ingredients and mix well.
This salad dressing is 10 times better if made the day before it is used. It is also wonderful brushed on vegetables and grilled.


Wallski Salad:

1 tomato, 1-inch dice
1 avocado, 1-inch dice
1/2 English cucumber, 1-inch dice


Salad: Mix ingredients. Add dressing to taste.

Alan's Brandied Cranberries

1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
10 whole cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
1 orange, diced small
1 lb cranberries
1/2 c brandy or Jack Daniels

Cook water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add cloves and cinnamon, boil 1 minute, remove cloves. Add orange and boil 10 minutes. Add cranberries and boil until they pop. Add brandy and remove from heat.

Esther Bock's Chocolate Cake

3 cups flour
3 tsp bakng powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 cup shortening
2 cups black coffee
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa. Add shortening, coffee, and vanilla. Add eggs and beat for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Abruzzi Celery Soup

I love the taste of celery, and just picked up a wonderful flavorful bunch at the farmer's market this weekend. The best thing to do with celery is celery soup -- but the standard French recipe, a sophisticated puree with leeks and potatoes -- is designed to be a gentle first course to be followed by a robust entree, and is not satisfying as a standalone dish. I found this very nice Italian recipe online, an excellent one-dish meal with some crusty bread.

1 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 slices of bacon, diced
1 T tomato paste
1 bunch of celery, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1/4 cup uncooked rice
salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese to taste.

Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan. Add onion and bacon and saute gently until onion begins to brown. Stir in tomato paste and celery and saute 5 minutes. Add stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Add rice and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan to taste. Serves 2.

Cold Rice Salad

This is a really tasty alternative to the usual pasta salad for summer dinners or for taking to picnics. The original recipe I adapted this from used farro instead of rice, and I think you could also use couscous with good results. Makes enough to serve about 8-10 as a side dish. Keeps well in the fridge for several days.

1 cup arborio rice, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups water (or stock)
1 tsp salt

Dressing:
1 medium orange, zest and juice
1 shallot, chopped
1/3 cup Parmesan, freshly shredded
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup good quality olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

4 to 6 big handfuls of mixed salad greens, washed and dried (see note)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Combine the rice, salt, and water in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is done.

Dressing: Whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, shallot, Parmesan cheese, white wine vinegar, and olive oil.

Toss the salad greens with a bit of the dressing. Once the rice is cooled*, add the rice and another generous splash of the dressing - gently toss again. Add the almonds and the goat cheese. Add more dressing to taste.

*Note: I made the rice and dressing the night before and assembled everything just before dinner. You could also add any other cold vegetables you like to this -- fresh peas, grilled zucchini, etc.

Jerk Chicken

From NYT 7/2/2008

Time: About 1 1/2 hours, plus at least 12 hours’ marinating

2 3 1/2- to 4-pound chickens, quartered, or 8 whole legs, or 5 to 6 pounds bone-in, skin-on thighs
1 large bunch scallions (about 8), white and green parts
2 shallots, peeled and halved
4 to 6 Scotch bonnet chili peppers, stems removed, or habaneros
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons ground allspice, more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt, more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white or apple cider vinegar
Freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes.

1. At least 1 day before cooking, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and grind to a coarse paste. Slather all over chicken, including under skin. Refrigerate 12 to 36 hours. Bring to room temperature before cooking and lightly sprinkle with more salt and ground allspice.

2. Prepare a charcoal grill: Clean and oil grates, and preheat to medium heat using one chimney of charcoal. The temperature can start as high as 300 degrees and go as low as 250. For best results, coals should be at least 12 inches away from chicken. If necessary, push coals to one side of grill to create indirect heat. Add two large handfuls of soaked pimento (allspice) wood sticks and chips (see note) or other aromatic wood chips to coals, then close grill. When thick white smoke billows from grill, place chicken on grate, skin side up, and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 30 to 35 minutes.

3. Uncover grill. Chicken will be golden and mahogany in places. Chicken thighs may already be cooked through. For other cuts, turn chicken over and add more wood chips, and charcoal if needed. Cover and continue cooking, checking and turning every 10 minutes. Jerk chicken is done when skin is burnished brown and chicken juices are completely clear, with no pink near the bone. For large pieces, this can take up to an hour. Serve hot or warm, with rice and beans.

Variations: If you have no grill, chicken can be baked in oven at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes; the smokiness will be lost but seasoning will be intact. Jerk rub can be used on a boneless leg of lamb or pork roast, to be cooked on a medium-hot grill or in oven.

Note: Pimento wood sticks and chips are available at http://www.pimentowood.com/.
Yield: 8 servings.

Comments: I was having back-to-back dinner parties, so I baked one of these the night before and then the following day I just put it on the grill for a couple of minutes to crisp it up a little and it was very tasty. Leftovers were also very good cold -- would make a nice picnic dish.

Kasu Cod

Ingredients:
2 to 2-1/2 lbs. Black Cod fillet, skin on, bones removed, cut into 4 serving pieces
1/2 cup kosher or table salt, more if needed
6 oz. (3/4 cup) kasu paste (available at Asian markets)
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
Fresh ginger, thinly sliced and blanched, or pickled ginger for serving

Directions: Place black cod pieces skin side down in a shallow dish. Sprinkle a generous layer of salt over the fish, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours. Rinse the salt from the fish and pat dry, then return the fish to the cleaned dish.

Zucchini and quinoa salad

This is from Bon Appetit, with some changes

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained
3 T lemon juice
5 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 t cumin seeds
1 t turmeric
1 t smoked paprika
2 c water
1 c quinoa (~6 oz.), rinsed and drained
1 t kosher salt
1 1/2 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 medium onion or equivalent shallots, chopped
1 1/2 t ground cumin
4 scallions, sliced
1/4 c chopped Italian parsley

Combine chickpeas, lemon juice, 3 T of the olive oil, and garlic in a large bowl and let marinate 15 minutes to 2 hours.

Heat 1 T of oil in a saucepan. Add cumin seeds, 1/2 of the turmeric, 1/2 of the paprika, and stir about 1 minute over medium heat. Add water, quinoa, and salt, bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and simmer until water is absorbed.

In a saute pan, toss zucchini with 1 T oil, ground cumin, rest of the turmeric and paprika, and saute with the onion in a tablespoon of oil. (Or grill zucchini until tender and chop into 1/2 inch pieces.)

Add quinoa mixture and zucchini mixture to chickpea mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Good hot as well as cold.

North Carolina Pulled Pork (pressure cooker)

I'm still looking for the ultimate pulled pork recipe -- this one is good but a little bland. I want that tangy vinegar taste you get down in NC and KY.

2 T cooking oil
1 (3 to 5lb) Boston butt or pork shoulder
3 T brown sugar
2 T dry mustard
1 t salt
1 large onion, chopped
5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 t ground red pepper
1 cup vinegar
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

Heat oil in pressure cooker until hot. Cut pork into 4-6 pieces and brown in oil. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients, stir well. Pour mixture over pork. Cook in pressure cooker about 45 minutes according to instructions. Remove from heat, let cool.

You can seve immediately, but the sauce will be a little greasy. If you have time, remove roast from sauce, place sauce in fridge until fat congeals. Skim fat and discard. Remove meat and shred. Return meat to sauce in pan and stir well. Cover and bake at 325 for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Great if made day ahead and reheated second day.

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Adapted from Junior's NYT 5/28/08

FOR THE CAKE:
Butter, for greasing cake pans
1 2/3 cups sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 extra-large eggs, separated
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

FOR THE MACAROON CRUNCH:
1 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts (almonds, pecans and/or walnuts)
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

FOR THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
8 cups (2 pounds) sifted confectioners' sugar
1 2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup margarine, at room temperature
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream, or as needed.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter two round 9-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt together.

2. Using a stand mixer, beat egg yolks on high for 5 minutes. With mixer still running, gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue beating until thick, light yellow ribbons form in bowl, about 5 minutes more, scraping bowl two or three times. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts. Sift flour mixture over batter and stir it in by hand until blended. Add melted butter, and stir until completely incorporated.

3. In a large, clean bowl, and using the mixer's whisk attachment, beat egg whites and cream of tartar together on high until frothy. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, and continue beating until whites are stiff but not dry. Stir 1 cup of whites into batter, then gently fold in remaining whites until blended. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until golden and center springs back when lightly touched, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely.

4. For macaroon crunch: Toss nuts and coconut together, and spread on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until golden and crunchy, 10 to 15 minutes, tossing twice. Set aside to cool.
5. For chocolate frosting: Sift the confectioners' sugar, cocoa and salt together. Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and margarine on high until light yellow and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. With mixer still running, add corn syrup and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add sugar mixture in two batches, beating well after each. Blend in 3/4 cup cream until frosting is a spreading consistency, adding more if needed. Increase speed to high and beat until light and creamy, about 2 minutes more; there will be about 8 cups of frosting. Spoon about 1 cup into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip.

6. Assembly: Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally into two equal layers. Spread first layer with about a fifth of frosting, then place second layer on top of it and frost it, too. Repeat with third and fourth layers. Frost sides with all remaining frosting except what is in pastry bag. Pat macaroon crunch on sides of cake (not top) until covered. Using frosting in pastry bag, pipe 6 rosettes on top of cake. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate, allowing cake to stand at room temperature for about an hour before slicing.

Yield: One 9-inch cake.

Glogg

1 1/2 cups Brandy
1/2 bottle Red Wine
4 whole Cloves
2 Cardamom Pods - crushed
1 Cinnamon Stick
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Blanched Almonds
3/4 cup Sugar

Combine everything in a saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stir often to dissolve the sugar.Once heated thoroughly reduce heat to low. Serve Warm.

Brining a Chicken

1 1-gallon ziploc bag per chicken
1 Gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
few springs fresh thyme
5 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf


Makes enough brine for 3 3-4 lb chickens.

Put all ingredients in a pot and heat until salt and sugar are dissolved. Cool. Ladle 3-4 cups of brine into each ziploc bag, add chicken, close bag, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Roast as you would a regular chicken.

World's Best Salmon Loaf

Always looking for things to do with leftovers! This was very quick and really tasty, not at all bland.

1 tblsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, minced
1 stalk of celery, minced
Heaping 1/2 tsp curry powder
Heaping 1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 cup cream
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Scant 1/2 c breadcrumbs or panko
Scant 1/2 c cubes of bread, dry the best
1/4 c parmesan cheese
2 tblsp minced fresh parsley
2 tblsp minced scallions or chives
2 tblsp minced fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dried
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3/4 cup diced fresh mushrooms
2 cups cooked salmon

Preheat oven to 375, butter a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk cream and eggs together.

Heat 1 tblsp of the butter in a small skillet at medium-low. Cook celery and onion in the butter until soft. Add curry and cayenne and stir, transfer to the bowl with the eggs and cream.

Put the other tblsp of butter in the skillet and saute the mushrooms in it until soft, add to celery mixture.

Stir in crumbs, cubed bread, cheese, parsley, chives/scallions, tarragon, salt and pepper. Stir in salmon, being careful to remove bones.

Mix everything together, spoon into loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until slightly brown on top and bubbling. Serves 4 people with other dishes.

Note: Serve hot. Would be good with a cheese sauce or hollandaise. And a bitter green, like broccoli rabe or braised escarole.

Flourless chocolate cake for Pesach

From Alan -- Joel Cohen's mom's recipe

12 eggs, separated
12 ounces of chocolate
12 ounces of butter
12 ounces of sugar

Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler, add sugar. When cool, add egg yolks.

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks. fold in to chocolate mixture. Pour 2/3 of the mixture into a springform pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comesout clean. (refrigerate the remaining 1/3)

Let the cake cool -- it will collapse. Spoon the remaining mousse into the cavity in the cake and refrigerate.

Spicy Pickled Okra

I finally pickled something for the first time in my life! Wow! And it tastes really good!

1 quart jar
About a pound of fresh okra
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp green peppercorns
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 small hot fresh chilis, deseeded and minced very fine
2 cups water
1/2 c white vinegar

Pack as much okra into the jar as you can, to within an inch of the top. Put all the garlic, peppers, and spices in too except the salt and sugar. Heat the water and vinegar and salt and sugar in a saucepan until boiling, pour over okra in the jar until it's all covered and liquid is about 1/2 inch from the top of the jar. Screw lid on tight and refrigerate for about 10 days before eating.

Note: this is not canning, it's more marinating, so you need to keep it refrigerated and eat it within a couple of weeks. Very nice hors d'oeuvre or as a garnish to bloody marys. Feel free to play with the seasonings -- the flavors are pretty intense with very little of any spice. I'm going to try green beans next!

Hashed Brussels Sprouts with Poppy Seeds and Lemon

1 ¼ lbs Brussels sprouts
1 ½ Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 Tbs poppy seeds
¼ cup white wine
¼ tsp salt

Cut the stems from the Brussels sprouts and remove any blemished leaves. When all the sprouts are trimmed, you should be left with about 1 pound total. Halve each sprout lengthwise, and slice each half into thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick.

In a large bowl, toss the hashed Brussels sprouts with the lemon juice. In a large skillet or sauté pan, warm the olive oil over high heat, almost to the smoking point. Stir in the hashed sprouts, garlic, and poppy seeds. Add the wine, and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sprouts are bright green and lightly softened but still barely crunchy. Reduce the heat to low, season with salt, and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the pan from the heat, and serve.

Yield: About 4-6 servings.

Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad

We had this with lamb chops for Easter dinner -- it makes a nice Sunday after-church meal because you can make everything ahead of time. You can make it #vegan by swapping the chicken broth for vegetable broth.  The salad is twice as good the next day.

1 1/2 lb eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
10 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped scallion (from 1 bunch)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 1/4 cups pearl barley (8 oz)
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (14 oz)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/3 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and halved
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

Roast eggplant and zucchini: Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Toss eggplant and zucchini with 5 tablespoons oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a bowl, then spread in 2 oiled large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans. Roast vegetables in oven, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through baking, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total.

Cook barley: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook scallion, cumin, coriander, and cayenne, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add barley and cook, stirring until well coated with oil, 2 minutes more. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all of liquid is absorbed and barley is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Cool, uncovered, to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Make dressing and assemble salad: Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, sugar, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add barley, roasted vegetables, and remaining ingredients to bowl with dressing and toss until combined well.

Butterscotch Ice Cream

Makes one quart
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 teaspoons bourbon (optional)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 cups half-and-half (light cream)
6 large egg yolks

In a 1- to 2-quart pan over medium heat, stir brown sugar and butter until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, and mixture is bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup whipping cream until smooth; remove butterscotch mixture from heat. Add vanilla and bourbon, if using.

In a 3- to 4-quart pan over medium-high heat, combine remaining 1 cup whipping cream and the half-and-half; bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat egg yolks to blend. Whisk 1/2 cup of the warm cream mixture into egg yolks, then pour egg yolk mixture into pan with cream. Stir constantly over low heat just until mixture is slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Immediately remove from heat.

Pour through a fine strainer into a clean bowl and whisk in butterscotch mixture. Chill until cold, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours; or cover and chill up to 1 day.

Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve softly frozen, or transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 week.

Jamaican Curry Goat

Note: This recipe is a work in progress, I still need to fuss with it a little but it makes good goat! In the Boston area I get my goat at the Market Basket in Somerville -- great store! This is a pressure-cooker version -- if you don't have a pressure cooker, you're going to need to simmer this for at least 2 hours, maybe longer.

2 tablespoons Cooking Oil
1 Large Onion (chopped)
2 tablespoons Jamaican Curry Powder
3 lb. Goat Meat (cut up in bite sized pieces)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper (chopped and seeded)
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 tbsp. Salt
1 tsp Thyme
6 whole allspice seeds
1/4 cup Vinegar
Water to almost cover

Note: I substituted 2 tsp of Walkerswood dried jerk seasoning for the hot pepper, black pepper, allspice and thyme -- it is excellent and saves you the dangerous process of seeding and chopping a scotch bonnet pepper!

In the pressure cooker, heat the oil on high. Add curry powder and onion to the hot oil and stir for 1 minute. Add the goat meat and stir for two or three minutes, until nicely browned; be careful not to burn the meat.

Add the rest of the ingredients and enough water to just about cover the goat meat.
Cover the pot and follow the pressure cooker instructions for cooking on high (15 psi) for about 40 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and let the pressure decrease naturally.

(Optional) A lot of people add potatoes to this dish, or breadcrumbs to thicken the sauce. I haven't tried either. I like to serve it over rice.

Swiss Chard Quiche

I haven't actually tried this yet, but I was looking for a quiche recipe that used chard, and this is what I found. The combination of chard and goat cheese sounds interesting -- if you try it tell me what you thought.

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 small yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 thick slices
10 ounces swiss chard, coarsely chopped
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup nonfat milk
2 eggs
2 egg whites
salt
pepper

1 pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F Add potato slices to a medium pot and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chard and cook until stems are tender and leaves are wilted, stirring often (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook one minute more. Turn off heat, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fill pie crust with a layer of potatoes and top with chard. Sprinkle goat cheese on top. Whisk together milk, eggs, salt and pepper and pour over quiche. Can also bake this "crustless" in an oiled baking dish.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Slice and serve.

King Cake

2 envelopes active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup warm milk (about 110°F)
5 large egg yolks, at room temperature
4 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 plastic king cake baby or a pecan half
5 tablespoons milk, at room temperature
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Purple-, green-, and gold-tinted sugar sprinkles

Combine the yeast and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and warm milk and beat well. Add the egg yolks, then beat for 1 minute at medium-low speed. Add the flour, salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest and beat until everything is incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, forms a ball.

Remove the dough from the bowl. Using your hands, form the dough into a smooth ball. Lightly oil a bowl with the vegetable oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to oil all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar. Blend by hand or with an electric mixer on low speed. Set aside.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your fingers, pat it out into a rectangle about 30 inches long and 6 inches wide. Spread the filling lengthwise over the bottom half of the dough, then flip the top half of the dough over the filling. Seal the edges, pinching the dough together. Shape the dough into a cylinder and place it on the prepared baking sheet seam side down. Shape the dough into a ring and pinch the ends together so there isn't a seam. Insert the king cake baby or pecan half into the ring from the bottom so that it is completely hidden by the dough. Cover the ring with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm, draft-free place. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the top of the risen cake with 2 tablespoons of the milk. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the icing: Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons milk, the lemon juice, and the remaining 3 cups confectioner's sugar in medium-size mixing bowl. Stir to blend well. With a rubber spatula, spread the icing evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals, alternating colors around the cake.

The person who gets the slice with the baby in it has to throw the party next year!

Gin-Cassis Fizz

Quantities for one drink:
2 1/2 oz Gin
1 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 tsp Superfine Sugar
4 oz Club Soda
1/2 oz Creme de Cassis

Blending Instructions:
In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine the gin, lemon juice, and sugar
Shake well
Strain into a collins glass almost filled with ice cubes
Add the club soda
Stir well
Drop the cassis into the center of the drink

Collection of Cynar recipes

Cynar cocktail
1 oz white vermouth
1 oz Cynar
1 orange wedge

Cynar Martini
2 ounces Cynar
6 ounces vodka
Splash of orange juice


Cynar Breeze
1 ounce Cynar
3 ounces vodka
1 ounce grapefruit juice


Sicilian Iced Tea
4 ounces Prosecco sparkling wine
2 ounces Cynar
Splash of lime juice

Trident
1 ounce Cynar
1 ounce aquavit
1 ounce dry sherry
2 dashes Fee's peach bitters

Muffaletta

For the olive salad:
1 gallon large pimento stuffed green olives, drained and chopped
1 quart jar pickled cauliflower, drained and chopped
2 small jars capers, drained
1 whole stalk celery, sliced diagonally
4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
1 small jar celery seeds
1 small jar oregano
1 large head fresh garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 jar pepperoncini, drained (small salad peppers) left whole
1 jar cocktail onions, drained

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or pot and mix well. Place in a large jar and cover with 1/2 olive oil. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. Allow to marinate for at least 24 hours before using.


For the sandwich:
1 round loaf italian bread (muffaletta bread is basically just pizza dough, shaped into a flattened round a little thicker than a pizza and sliced in half) 
1/2 pound mortadella, thinly sliced
1/2 pound hard Genoa salami, thinly sliced
1/2 pound capicola, thinly sliced
1/2 pound Provolone cheese,sliced
1 cup olive salad with oil

Chicken Curry with Cashews

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped (2 cups)
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb) chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 cup cashews (1/4 lb)
3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

Accompaniment: cooked basmati or jasmine rice
Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

Heat butter in a 5- to 6-quart wide heavy pot over moderately low heat until foam subsides, then cook onions, garlic, and ginger, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook, stirring to coat, 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, including juice, and cilantro and bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. (If making ahead, see cooks' note, below.)

Just before serving:Pulse cashews in a food processor or electric coffee/spice grinder until very finely ground, then add to curry along with yogurt and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Cooks' note: Curry, without yogurt and cashews, can be made 5 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat over low heat before stirring in yogurt and ground cashews.

Mississippi Pancakes from the New York Times

I usually halve this recipe -- half a recipe makes enough for 2 hungry people

2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt.

1. Place a nonstick griddle or a skillet over medium heat. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and foamy. Add milk, oil and butter. In another bowl, sift together dry ingredients, then beat them into the liquid ingredients with a wire whisk.
2. When skillet is hot, pour in about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake, leaving space between. Flip when batter bubbles. Continue cooking for about a minute. Serve immediately.

Nice to add things like fresh corn, cornmeal, milled flax seed, blueberries, etc.

Hummingbird Cake

This is an old southern recipe. Which is another way of saying that it has enough sugar in it to make you twitch.


Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can (8oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups chopped firm ripe banana (about 4 bananas)

Frosting:

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 pounds confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together into mixing bowl several times. Add eggs and salad oil to the dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple and 1 cup pecans. Stir in the bananas. Spoon the batter into 3 well-greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes,or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting: Combine cream cheese and butter; cream until smooth. Add powdered sugar, beating with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.
Frost the tops of all 3 layers, stack and then frost sides. Sprinkle top evenly with the 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans. Or you could add even MORE sugar by sprinkling it with decorating sugar or jimmies.

New York Cheesecake

Crust:

1 1/4 c graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp melted butter


Cake:

5 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
grated zest of 1 lemon
5 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla


Toppings (optional): all added just before serving
- 1 cup sour cream
- raspberry coulis (my favorite)



Set oven to 500. Mix butter and graham cracker crumbs and press into bottom of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan and up the sides a little bit. In a bowl mix cream cheese with sugar and zest until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth. Add vanilla and cream and pour batter into cake pan. If you are feeling vigorous, I prefer msing this by hand -- the batter isn't as smooth, but there's less air in the cake so it doesn't slump as much.

Bake 10 minutes at 500, then lower temp to 200 and continue baking for another hour. It will still jiggle a little when it's done. Remove from oven, cool completely in springform pan on a rack. Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving. I have tried with and without a bain marie and frankly can't tell the difference.

Also -- you can make very nice little mini cakes by lining a smaller container (custard cups, smaller pans, etc.) with foil and then putting in the crust and batter and peeling the foil away afterward.

Meat Loaf

Fills one large loaf pan.  A meatloaf pan (double pan with holes in the top pan) is recommended, if you have one -- it lets the fat drain off.

1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms

2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. gound pork or pork sausage

1 cup bread crumbs or Panko

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

4-6 chopped sundried tomatoes (optional)

3 or 4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp oregano or marjoram

1 tsp thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Mix together all ingredients and put in loaf pan. Put meatloaf in oven, lower temp to 350 and bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until done.

Gingerbread men

3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature, softened)
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

Optional raisins, chocolate chips, candy pieces, frosting

Royal Icing

1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 3/4 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in eggs and molasses. Gradually add the flour mixture; combine on low speed. (You may need to work it with your hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.) Divide dough in thirds; wrap each third in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. Before rolling out, let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. If after refrigerating the dough feels too soft to roll-out, work in a little more flour. Heat oven to 350°. Place a dough third on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate again for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut out the cookies. Use either a cookie cutter or place a stencil over the dough and use a knife to cut into desired shapes.

Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Bake until crisp but not darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit a few minutes and then use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired. Makes 16 5-inch long cookies.

Royal Icing

The traditional way to make Royal Icing is to beat egg whites and lemon juice together, adding the powdered sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks. With modern concerns about salmonella from raw eggs, you can either use powdered egg whites or heat the egg whites first to kill any bacteria. With the heating method, mix the egg white and lemon juice with a third of the sugar, heat in a microwave until the mixture's temperature is 160°F. Then remove from microwave, and beat in the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. Using the powdered egg whites method, combine 1 Tbsp egg white powder with 2 Tbsp water. Proceed as you would otherwise. (Raw egg white alternatives from the 2006 Joy of Cooking) If the icing is too runny, add more powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency. Fill a piping bag with the icing to pipe out into different shapes. (Or use a plastic sandwich bag, with the tip of one corner of the bag cut off.) Keep the icing covered while you work with it or it will dry out. Ice cookies when cool. Press raisins, chocolate chips, or candy pieces in the center of each cookie if desired for "buttons".

Mickey Mazur's Blueberry Coffeecake

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
2 cups blueberries

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, melted

Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Water

Instructions:Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9-inch spring-form pan with 3-inch sides.In a large bowl, blend together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter. Add milk, sour cream, and egg. Beat with spoon 30 seconds and fold in blueberries. Spread batter carefully in pan.Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter to topping and sprinkle over batter. Bake 45-50 minutes. Combine powdered sugar and enough water for icing with a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cake while cake is still warm.

Apple Crisp

Serves 4-6

This is a variation of Mom’s favorite recipe from the 1961 edition of the New York Times Cookbook. Thanks to Ariel Mazur, who pointed out that Honeycrisp apples are the best.

1 stick butter
¾ cup flour
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
8 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into eighths
Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the butter, flour, salt, and ½ cup of the sugar to a crumbly consistency. In another bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, spices, and the other ½ cup of sugar. Pour apple mixture into a buttered 8”x8” or similar baking dish and pat the butter mixture loosely on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until the apples are tender and bubbling and the crust is browned. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream or heavy cream.

Green Monster Dip

Serves 4-6
This wonderful dip is from my friend Erin Clement, who made it for many a Red Sox game in Charlestown.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 14-oz. Jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
1 9 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, steamed and drained
1 ___ oz. can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
Crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together ingredients and spoon into a pie plat or shallow casserole. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve right away in the casserole with crackers.