Rudy Rinaldi

This makes 2 pies.

• 3 Lb Ricotta
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 c. grated cheese – whatever your favorite is.
• Note: All meat should be DICED/CUBED – small
• 1/2 lb Ham – sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1/4 lb prosciutto – sliced thin
• 1/4 lb pepperoni – sliced thin
• To Taste;
• Garlic Powder
• Pepper
• Italian Seasoning
• Parsley – I like a lot of parsley

Place pie crust in plate – fill with the mixture and cover with second crust
Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour – the crust should be nice and golden brown.

Tim Dineen

This is a variation of a recipe I found in Bon Appetit quite a few years ago. I entered it in a Chili Cook-off one year when I worked at UCSF, and won the People’s Choice Award! A variation of this became a staple in the Moffitt Cafe in the Medical Center!

• 1# Great Northern White Beans
• 2# Boneless Chicken Breast
• 1Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 4oz cans chopped mild green chilies
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 2/3 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

Soak beans overnight. Put chicken breasts in cold water and simmer 15 minutes. Cool and cut into cubes.

Drain beans. Saute onion in olive oil until translucent – about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, and spices. Saute about 2 minutes.

Add stock and beans and bring to boil. Simmer 2 hours or until beans are tender. Add chicken and cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Serve with additional cheese, sour cream, etc…

Tim Dineen

In five years of living at Lake Tahoe in the ’70s, one dish always stands out in my mind — our famous “Tahoe Brunch”.

There were 4 very social guys and gals (Susan, Clare, Michael, and me) living in a huge 4br home with 20′ ceilings and a wall of windows leading out to a deck and lake views from everywhere.

Whether we were entertaining friends, or just having a leisurely weekend, food (and lots of it!) always entered into the picture. (Fast-forward 30 years and some things haven’t changed at all!)

We cooked everything from scratch in those days – we made our own tortilla chips, baked most of our own bread, made huge pots of soups and stews in the winter and grilled all summer long. Communing with nature in style.

This is one creation we came up with to serve a crowd — and every time I make it I (vaguely) remember those thrilling days of yesteryear… Ah… sweet youth…..

• a loaf of good quality bread
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage
• 1 pound cheddar hheese, shredded (or assorted cheeses to make 1 pound)
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups half and half
• 2 tbsp dijon or other good mustard
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs

Saute onions and mushrooms in 2 tbsp butter until lightly browned and tender (about 5 minutes). Season with salt & pepper. Cut sausage into bite-sized pieces, cook and drain.

Butter a 9×13 pan. Layer six slices of bread. Add half the mushroom and onion mixture, half the sausage and half the cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Mix together the eggs, half and half, mustard, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the casserole and cover. Refrigerate 24 hours.

The following day — Preheat oven to 350°. Bake uncovered about an hour, or until set all the way through.

In true Tahoe fashion, serve with plenty of Mimosa’s, Bloody Mary’s, or freshly squeezed juices and a huge fresh fruit salad…

Fast-forwarding, again…

There weren’t that many sausage varieties back in 1978 Lake Tahoe (Italian, hot or mild) mushrooms were white, and cheese was American, cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, and jack (we don’t count velveeta). Parmesan came in a green can. Heck, there weren’t that many bread varieties, either!

By switching out the bread, the cheese, the sausage, the mushrooms, adding different peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, whatever, you can create your own fun variation.

Sue Parry was a Dietetic Intern I worked with quite a few years ago at UCSF. One night when we were both working late, I told her about the cookbook I’ve been writing for the past 20-odd years. She gave me this recipe to include in it. Well… THAT cookbook is still not off the press yet, but… here goes… The recipe is only limited by your imagination…..

The basic is:

• 1 pkg Stouffer’s® Peas in Cream Sauce
• 1 can Albacore Tuna
• ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup each: steamed broccoli, carrots and cauliflower
• 1½ cups shredded mozzarella and jarlsburg cheeses, blended
• 3-4 cups cooked fettuccini noodles

Lightly saute onions in a bit of oil. Add peas in cream sauce and tuna. Heat through. Steam vegetables.

Line bottom of 9′ x 13″ pan with cooked noodles. Layer steamed vegetables. Next layer with tuna mixture, then with cheeses.

Cover pan with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven 15-20 minutes or until cheeses are melted and casserole is heated through.

For even more flavor, add some fresh basil or other herbs to the tuna mixture and sprinkle some on top before baking…

Mike Amason

This is one of the recipes my Mother grew up with.   A lot of the recipes from her childhood, had they been written down, would have started with, “First, kill a chicken”.

To all the fowl who have given their all over the years, I salute you.  To Mom, Thanks for the recipe, one of my all-time favorites.  Duke’s Mayonnaise, BTW, is the Southern Standard.  Hellman’s is not bad.   Just don’t suddenly decide to trim your budget when you buy mayo.   Use the best available whether you can afford it or not and turn the heat down to do penance for the extravagance.  I have seen lots of chicken salads, especially in Zabar’s and other delis in New York, but I have never seen one made like this outside the South.  It is really simple to prepare.  If you can stick things in a bowl, you can make this.

Serves 4-6 or around  8-10 sandwiches. Leftovers do not freeze well

Basic Ingredients:

• Two pounds chicken, dark or white meat as desired.  Turkey is interchangeable.
• One stalk celery
• One large yellow onion
• Two hard boiled eggs
• ½ cup Mt. Olive sweet salad cubes.  DO NOT use sweet pickle relish. It is far too wet. If salad cubes are not available, buy whole sweet pickles and drain and chop them yourself.
• ¾ -1 cup mayonnaise, Duke’s if available
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, if needed

Directions:

Roast or boil chicken as desired. Remove skin, bone and chop finely.  Put chopped chicken into a two quart bowl.
Chop onions, celery, and boiled eggs into small cubes and add to chicken
Add a couple dashes worcestershire sauce and black pepper
Drain the salad cubes well before adding to bowl
Add thyme and garlic powder and toss ingredients to mix well

Add the mayonnaise a large spoonful at a time and turn into chicken and vegetable mix before adding more.  There is a tendency for this salad to be very moist, and any extra liquid will drain in the bowl and be a nuisance.  You need just enough mayo  so that when you scoop up a spoonful of salad it holds together as a ball.  You can always add more mayo to a sandwich if you wish.  Taste and adjust seasonings. Be careful with the salt. You get some in the pickle, in the worcestershire, and in the mayo.  You may not need to add any.

Variations:

There are more variations than ingredients.  Here are a few I have tried.

1. To increase the recipe, add one egg for each pound of chicken
2. Red onion gives it a bit more bite than the yellow ones.  Spring onions are milder and the chopped greens are a great addition to the mix.  I have added all three types of onion at once, but I’m an onion freak.
3. I personally love to chop ½ cup or so red and/or green bell peppers to add color and flavor.  Especially attractive option for a holiday lunch.
4. This is a chunky salad that looks great on a bed of lettuce.  For a creamier salad to spread for sandwiches, take ½ of the chicken and hit it for a couple of seconds with a food processor before adding to the bowl.
5. Add Soy sauce and bell peppers and a handful of  unsalted roasted  peanuts for an oriental flavor.
6. Add bell peppers and sliced pickled jalapenos for a Mexican twist.
7. ½ cup slivered almonds or toasted pecans will decorate it a bit for special company
8. ½ tsp cayenne pepper will punch it up but is not to everyone’s taste

• 5 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pecan halves
• /3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• confectioner’s sugar, for dusting
• maple syrup, for serving

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar begins to melt. Add the pecans and cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer the pecan mixture to a small dish and set aside. Reserve the skillet for the pancake.

In a small bowl mix together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, sugar and salt. Set aside.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. In a large bowl, add egg yolks, buttermilk, vanilla and melted butter and whisk until blended. Gradually whisk in flour mixture. Stir in the pumpkin puree.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and gently fold into the pumpkin mixture. Gently spoon the batter into the reserved skillet. Sprinkle the top of the pancake mixture with the reserved pecan mixture. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Dust the pancake with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup.

Dorrie Medeiros Kimkaran

Stew from the Ribatejo (pronounced “rib-a teszh-ho”, accent on “teszh” and roll the “r”.) Ribatejo is a region midway down Portugal’s interior. It is a great stew and smells divine when cooking. I served it at work once, put on a Portuguese lunch complete with red wine. Drove everyone nuts while it was re-heating on the stove <grin>. Have cured olives on the table and pickled veggies (carrots, cauliflower, onions, peppers) on the table as condiments.

• 1/4 lb blade pork meat, cubed
• 1 lb linguica, skinned and sliced
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• one 14 1/2 ounce can tomato sauce
• 4 medium peppers, sliced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 t. parsley, fresh or dried
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 t. paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 oz of red wine (I always drink a glass while cooking this <grin>)
• 1 oz of brandy

Heat half of the oil, fry pork mean and onions for about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, in another pan, place remaining oil, linguica, tomato sauce, peppers, parsley, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup of water and allow to simmer a half hour, then add cooked meat and onions to this. Add wine and brandy. Continue cooking over medium heat for 1/2 hour. You can serve stew over cooked white rice if you like….I like it just as it is, use bread to sop up juice and drink with good Portuguese red wine :-D.

Tim Dineen

I actually don’t recall where I first discovered the original of this recipe,or if I just made it up because this is what I had in the house, but it’s a great one with rice and tortillas!

Play around with it – I do – every time I make it!

• 8 fresh Anaheim chiles (or a bunch of any chilis you may have)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 pounds trimmed boneless pork cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 cups broth or water

Char chiles. Peel, seed and chop.Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add pork; cook until meat browns, stirring often, about 20 minutes.

Add chiles, cumin and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes. Add 4 cups water. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat until meat is very tender and sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Jenni Sowizdrzal

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 packet beefy onion soup mix
• 2 tablespoons ginger teriyaki marinade mix
• 1 (8-ounce) can pineapple rings, drained, juice reserved
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon wasabi paste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 whole-grain burger buns
• Lettuce, tomato, onion, for serving

Set up grill for direct cooking over high heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.

In a mixing bowl, stir to combine ground beef, soup mix, teriyaki marinade mix, and 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice.

Form 4 patties slightly larger than bun. Gently press pineapple rings into tops of burgers.

Season burgers with salt and pepper and place on grill pineapple side down. Cook 8 minutes per side for medium.

Mix together mayonnaise, wasabi, and soy sauce.

Serve hot on toasted buns with lettuce, tomato, onions, and wasabi mayonnaise.

Joe Poston

• 2 jars Peach salsa
• 2 cans White Kidney Beans, drained
• 1 1/2 pkgs pre-cooked Salmon
• 1 Mango, sliced ito small pieces
• Chili powder until it is as hot as u like it

Combine ingrediets in a crock pot set on low.  Wait.  (About 6-7 hours.)  Not my recipe, but I’m sue you could let it simmer on a stovetop, too.

I was impressed.

Nursie said she originally got this from a pie crust box.

• 1/3 c butter
• 1/3 c flour
• 1 very small chopped onion (or to taste)
• 1/2 c chopped green pepper, leave this out if you want to
• 1 1/2 c broth, chicken for chicken pie, beef for beef pie, and I use veggie broth for pork pie
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 c frozen mixed veggies

Cook the onion and green pepper in the butter for a bit, whisk in the flour and add the liquids, cook until thickened. I season with salt, pepper, herbes de Provence, but you can use what ever sounds good. A little celery seed isn’t a bad addition, and with beef I use garlic and mushrooms instead of the green pepper. Add 2-3 cups chopped leftover roast whatever and the vegetables. Mix well and dump into the pie crust.

Bake in a two crust pie at 425 for 30-40 minutes and enjoy.

No shit, this is delicious. You can use whatever veggies you have around including leftovers. It is a great end of the week and I don’t want to cook sorta dish. But it is good enough for company! Anyone want to come to dinner?