Aunt Katherine's Chili Sauce

Katherine Billingsley

Aunt Katherine was Great-Uncle Tommy’s mother.  Or – as my father would say “My mother-in-law’s sister’s mother-in-law.”  She was another Grandmother to me, and while she passed away when I was but five, I have many memories of her telling me stories as I sat in her lap.

This is a great  – and versatile – chili sauce and it’s a wonderful way to use up some of those bumper-crop tomatoes!

  • 2 dz ripe tomatoes
  • 3 sm bell peppers, ground
  • 1 onion, cut fine
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Boil until thick.

Add:

  • 2 cups vinegar
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp each ginger, allspice, cloves, cinnamon

Boil for 5 minutes.  Seal in jars.

by Tim Dineen

Asian Peach Salsa

  • 12 Peaches, diced
  • 1/2 Red Onion, diced
  • 2 tsp Sambal Oleck (Chili Paste)
  • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Rice Wine
  • 1 tsp Sesame Oil
  • Cilantro, chopped
  • Basil, chopped
  • Lemon Verbena, chopped

Dice peaches and onions and place in bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and lightly mix.  Chill until ready to serve.

The salsa is great with chips, but is really really good with pork, chicken, or fish.  It’s pretty spicy, but you can adjust the heat by the amount of chili paste you use.

by Tim Dineen

Appetizers, Condiments, and Other Good Stuff

by Tim Dineen

Family and Friends

This is a collection of recipes from family and friends, TV personalities, and stuff just found along the way.

There are handwritten recipes from long-gone relatives and things we’ve recently found.  There’s no real rhyme or reason to anything other than they’re things we like.

Because that’s really what it’s all about.

Appetizers, Condiments, and Other Good Stuff

Breads and Rolls

Desserts and Sweet Stuff

Main Course

Soups

Vegetables, Salads, and Sides

by Tim Dineen

Bipartisan Cookie Bake-Off

Back when I was at UCSF we had a cookie bake-off with Babs and Hill’s cookies during the 1992 election… Hillary won. Big Time.

Hillary’s Cookies

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Brush baking sheets lightly with vegetable oil.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda on waxed paper.

Beat together shortening, sugars and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in rolled oats and then chocolate chips.

Drop batter by rounded teaspoonsfuls onto baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or till golden. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Barbara’s Recipe

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons very hot water
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt onto waxed paper. Beat butter, brown sugar, white sugar and egg in large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in hot water and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture until blended and smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by well-rounded measuring teaspoonfuls onto large greased baking sheet. Bake in 375 oven 10 minutes or until golden. Cool on sheet on wire rack 1 minute, then put cookies directly on rack to cool.

1992-cookie-bake-off

by Tim Dineen