In a large pot – big enough for 6 – 8 chicken pieces – (Use breasts (quartered if large), thighs, legs (your choice)

BROWN chicken pieces in pre-heated olive oil – -Brown on all sides and remove to a baking dish – set aside- (*until you bake in 400° oven for approximately 1/2 hour, or until done.) (The rice can wait successfully but you don’t want the chicken to overcook. *Bake chicken 30 minutes prior to serving.

When last of chicken pieces are almost finished browning –

ADD 1 sliced pepper – stir for few minutes until almost tender – then ADD 1 sliced onion – cook until transparent It’s important to keep stirring. If the collected brown on bottom of pot burns, it will all taste burned!

ADD 2 whole medium fresh tomatoes – cut up (you can substitute canned – whole or diced – with juice) Stir/scrape until all accumulated brown on pot bottom is collected (roux) If too thick, add some of water (below) to loosen all from bottom of pot

ADD 7 cups cold water

ADD 1/2 tsp. salt

ADD large pinch – or 2 – of Santini SAFFRON (1 use 1/2 of glass jar).  Bring to  a boil – stirring occasionally – for 4 -5 minutes

ADD 2 cups rice to the boillng water – let rice boil rapi<;ily the first 5 minutes then lower heat to just “simmer” – stirring occasionally. Continue cooking for 20 more minutes or until rice is tender. Discontinue stirring the last 12 minutes.

When done remove from burner and **let set.

**If the rice is going to ‘wait’ to be served, you may want to cover it to preserve heat. (Prior to serving this dish, laying slices of a hard boiled egg on top is a traditional embellishment in our family.)

• 3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• 2 tbsp Mustard (You can use any type you wish – they ALL will come out good!!! Cranberry Mustard is especially great during the Holidays!)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients.  Pour over salad and chill.

Tim Dineen

I won 2nd Place with this pie at the 2000 San Leandro Cherry Festival!  It was the first (and only) time I have ever entered a pie baking contest!
Crust:

• 1 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup finely ground walnuts
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp sugar

Filling 1:

• 8oz cream cheese
• 1 tsp cherry extract
• 1/4 cup sugar

Filling 2:

• 4 cups pitted fresh cherries
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp instant tapioca
• 1 tbsp amaretto

Topping:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate, melted with
• 1 tbsp neutral-flavored oil

Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray 10″ pie plate with food release.  Set aside.

Mix crumbs, walnuts and sugar in food processor.  Add melted butter.  Press mixture into pie plate.  Bake in preheated oven about 12 minutes.  Cool.

Place cherries, sugar, tapioca, and amaretto in heavy saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Bring to full, rapid boil, remove from heat, cool completely, and chill.

Mix cream cheese, sugar and flavoring in mixer and whip until light and fluffy.

Carefully spread cream cheese mixture over crust. Spoon cherry mixture over cream cheese. Whip cream with sugar and vanilla and spoon over cherries.

Drizzle with melted chocolate.  Chill until ready to serve.

Tim Dineen

This really is the best! It’s a combination of  recipes from Lucille Brown, an old neighbor from 46th Avenue when I was a kid, a strawberry cheesecake recipe from Bon Appetit magazine from years ago, and a bit of my own imagination… This is actually better if allowed to sit in the refrigerator 2 to 3 days before eating. (Really!!)

The Crust:

• 3/4 cups walnuts, coarsely ground
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 1/2 tbsp butter, melted

The Filling:

• 4 pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

The Topping:

• 16 oz sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

The Glaze:

• 4 cups strawberries
• 1 10 oz jar red raspberry jelly (or other red jelly)
• 1/4 cup Cointreau or Grand Marinier
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water

Putting it together: Preheat oven to 350º.  Mix crust ingredients and press evenly into bottom of 10″ springform pan.  Set aside.

Cream the cheese until light and fluffy.  Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add sugar, vanilla, and whipping cream, mixing until smooth and light. Pour into pan and bake 60 – 70 minutes. Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes.  Keep oven on.

Mix topping ingredients and spread onto top of cheesecake to within about 1/2 inch from edge.  Return to oven and bake about 7 more minutes.  Cool completely, cover, and refrigerate at least 24 hours (as I said, 2-3 days is best.)

On day you’re going to serve, make glaze.  Melt jar of jelly over low heat.  Add Cointreau.  Mix cornstarch with water and stir into mixture.  Cook until thickened.

Remove cake from pan.  Press graham cracker crumbs onto sides, if desired.

Arrange whole, hulled strawberries – with tips pointing up –  on top of cheesecake, covering the whole thing. Brush glaze on strawberries, allowing it to run down and pool on cake.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is a take-off of the famous Libby recipe… The crust is pure Julia Child!

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk
• 1 unbaked 10″ pie shell
• Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 425°. Beat eggs, sugar, maple syrup, and spices in large bowl. Add pumpkin amd mix well. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell. Bake at 425° F. for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Jenni Sowizdrzal

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Peanut butter batter:

• 4 oz. cream cheese – softened
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 1 egg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir in water, oil, vinegar and vanilla – mix well.

Pour into greased 13″ x 9″ x 2″ baking pan.

Beat cream cheese, peanut butter, 1/3 cup sugar, egg, and salt until smooth.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls over cake batter, cut through batter with a knife to swirl the peanut butter mixture.

Sprinkle with pecans and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake 350 for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack – cut – enjoy!

Refrigerate leftovers – yea right leftovers!

Marcie Martine

• 1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 Can Evaporated Milk
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla
• Pinch of Salt
• 8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1 Cup Sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour first six ingredients into blender. Mix well until smooth.

To make caramel for mold:

Heat sugar in saucepan on medium to low heat. Stir constantly until it melts. Immediately pour into mold for “flan”.

You can use any shape mold – recipe fits in a round cake mold. Pour mixture into mold. Cover with aluminum foil and seal edges tightly. Place mold in a larger roasting pan. Fill bottom of pan with 1 inch of water.

Bake for 1 hour. In Spanish this is called “Bano de Maria” or Maria’s bath.

Let cool. Refrigerate to harden. When ready to serve, use knife to separate from edges and then invert over a serving dish.

Victor Martorano

First, let me confess that I do NOT do crusts. That’s Tim’s forte, not mine.

Here you go:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tbs cornstarch
• 3 tbs flour
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 eggs – separated
• 2 tbs butter
• 1/2 tsp (I use more) finely grated lemon rind
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

You need one 10 inch, pre-baked pie shell

In a saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, flour and a dash of salt. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat, cook and stir about 2 more minutes. Remove from. Take the 3 egg yolks and lightly beat them. Then stir in about a 1/2 cup of the hot mixture into the eggs to temper them, before putting them into the saucepan. (Otherwise you’ll get scrambled egg pie)

After you put the egg yolks in the mixture, return to the heat and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook and stir about 2 more minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the butter and lemon peel. Gradually stir in the lemon juice and mix well. Pour the hot filling into the pre-baked pie shell.

Spread your meringue over the hot filling making sure to “seal” the edges to the pie crust. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the meringue is golden.

Meringue – Simple

I add at least one more egg white for a fuller meringue. So

• 4 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar.

Beat the egg white, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar about 1 tbs at a time on high speed untill the mixture is glossy and stiff.

It’s important to add the sugar slowly and make sure it disolves because if the sugar isn’t disolved, the meringue will “weep”, or have little dots of water (sugar water) on it.

Cool, preferably overnight in the refigerator, but like Tim and I do…Eat it warm….YUM!!!

Phoebe Dineen

This pie is great as a light, refrigerated pie, or frozen as an ice cream-type pie. Either way, it’s simple to make and really, really good! (Using fat-free sweetened condensed milk doesn’t alter the flavor at all, but don’t use the fat free cool Whip — it deflates too much!)

• 1 8 oz container Cool Whip
• 1 6 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 9″ graham cracker crust

In a large bowl, combine the cool whip, lemonade, and sweetened condensed milk.  Pour into shell and refrigerate about 2 hours, or freeze 2 to 4 hours. Yummy!

Lori Smith

• 2 sticks butter
• 1/3 C powdered sugar
• 3/4 C cornstarch
• 1 C flour
• 1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add dry ingredients. Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies are very fragile! Bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes.

Icing:

• 1 stick butter – melted
• 1 C powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• milk to thin to spreading consistency

They are bite-sized, so you’ll eat about a dozen before you know it … so buy bigger pants ahead of time.