Carol's/Lillian's Fruit Squares

1 c. sugar
½ c. butter or oleo
2 eggs

½ c milk

1 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
½ t. cinnamon
½ t cloves

1 c. currants
½ c nuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs. Combine flour, bp and spices in a separate bowl. Alternate milk and flour mixture—add to creamed mix. Add currants and nuts. Spread in a greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with a raised edge about 1/4 inch thick.

350 degrees/25 minutes

Frost while warm with confectioners’ sugar/milk/butter frosting, cut into squares.

Note: the last time I made them, they didn’t rise well; would suggest adding a little more baking powder.

Cranberry Drops

My mom used to make these as one of her Christmas cookie repertoire -- it has a nice bright color and a very fresh taste because of the fresh cranberries and orange juice. It is also very quick to make, which is nice if you're making a lot of fancier Christmas cookies to give away. The recipe doubles very well -- handy, since cranberries usually come in 12-oz. bags. Can't say for sure, but I think the base recipe makes about 3-4 dozen.

1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c milk
zest of one orange
2 tblsp orange juice
1 egg
3 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c pecans, chopped
6 oz cranberries, chopped (I use my blender -- try it in two batches)

Preheat oven to 375. Cream sugars and butter. Add milk, juice, zest, and egg. in a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the other mixture. Stir in the pecans and cranberries. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 14-15 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. cool on a cookie rack. These keep quite well if tightly sealed in a tin or tupperware.

Lefty's Meatballs

Made this one up myself. Tested in our Rattlesnake Gutter test kitchens. Got a 4 Rattlesnake rating from our very picky judges.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb sweet italian sausage (removed from casings)
3/4 c panade -- hunks of white bread soaked in a little milk
1/2 c parmesan, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large onion (about 1 cup) onion, minced
1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp fennel seed
1/4 cup fresh italian parsley, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 egg
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tblsp olive oil


Mix all ingredients except olive oil in a bowl with your hands. Form into balls about 1"-1 1/2" in diameter. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Brown the meatballs in batches, gently rolling them to brown different sides. (At this point you can freeze some if you want to) 

To serve: Immerse in bubbling tomato sauce (1-2 quarts, one of our judges recommends a straight tomato-only sauce). Cook in sauce at least another 10 minutes. Makes about 28 1 1/2" meatballs, enough for 6 hungry people, with pasta or as meatball subs. Or you can just make the whole mix into a meatloaf and bake it.  

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.