Ham and Gorgonzola Won Tons
This is an easy recipe that can be changed to suit your tastes - or things in the refrigerator!
• 6 oz Ham Steak
• 3oz Gorgonzola Cheese
• 1 leek (green onions or other onions work fine, too!)
• Won Ton Wrappers
• Black pepper to taste
Finely chop leek and sauté in a bit of butter. Place in food processor with ham and cheese and process until almost pasty.
Place won ton wrapper on board and fill with a scant 1/2 teaspoon of filling. Dampen one side of wrapper with moist finger, and fold over on the diagonal and seal, creating a triangle. Bring up long edges and pinch together. Repeat with remaining won ton wrappers.
Deep fry about 1-2 minutes or until crispy browned. Drain on paper towels and serve with dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
My favorite all-purpose dipping sauce is merely
• Apricot Jam
• Chili Paste (Sambal Oelek)
Add desired amount of Sambal Oelek to Jam and serve.
You can add
• Soy Sauce
• Sesame Oil
• Chopped onions or any number of flavors to suit your taste!
Gougères (Cheese Puffs)
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup milk8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup flour
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 6 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425°. Bring milk, butter, salt, and ½ cup water to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan over high heat. Add flour; stir until dough forms. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring dough constantly with a wooden spoon, until slightly dried, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; using a hand mixer, beat in 1 egg until smooth. Repeat with remaining eggs, beating each one at a time, until dough is smooth; stir in cheese.
2. Using a large tablespoon, drop balls of dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Place in oven; reduce temperature to 375°. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Fried Lumpia (Lumpiang Prito)
Filling
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ lb ground pork
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup diced turnip
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 sweet potato, pared and diced
- ½ cup green beans, julienne
- ¼ lb small shrimp
- one egg, lightly beaten (optional)
Wrapper
Frozen Chinese spring roll wrappers or Lumpia wrappers (available at Asian groceries)
1. Saute garlic and onion in hot oil. Add pork, sauté until fat comes out, add water, cover and simmer10 to 15 minutes or until pork is tender. Season with salt, fish sauce and pepper.
2. Add rest of ingredients and sauté for another 5 minutes or until vegetables are done.
3. Let cool to room temperature.
To wrap:
Place the wrapper diagonally so that a corner is pointing at you. Place two tablespoonfuls of filling near the corner of the wrapper that is facing you. Shape filling like a mini log, making sure to leave at least 1.5 inches edge space all around. Fold corner facing you over the filling, then tuck the sides and roll neatly. Seal the roll by moistening edge with water or egg that is lightly beaten.
To cook:
Deep fry lumpia rolls until golden brown, around 5 minutes. Serve with ketchup or sweet and sour sauce.
Char Siu Bao (Roast Pork Buns)
MAKES 16 BUNS
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE DOUGH:
- 1 tsp. active dry yeast
- 3½ cups cake flour
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tbsp. diced lard or vegetable shortening
FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- 3 scallions, white parts only, finely chopped
- 1½ cups diced roast pork
- 3 tbsp. soy sauce
- 3 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the dough: Combine yeast in 1¼ cups water heated to 115° in a bowl; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Add yeast mixture, and mix on low speed; add lard one piece at a time, increase speed to medium, and continue mixing until dough forms into a ball, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape into 16 equal-size balls.
2. For the filling: Heat oil in a 10″ nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions; cook for 1 minute. Add roast pork, soy and oyster sauces, and sugar; cook until scallions have softened and pork is heated through, about 3 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tbsp. water in a small cup, add to pork mixture, and cook until sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Remove from heat, and let cool.
3. Place a dough ball in the palm of one hand and, with the thumb of your other hand, make a well in the center. Fill well with about 1½ tbsp. pork filling; seal by pinching dough closed toward the center. Place a 2″-square piece of parchment paper over pinched area. Turn bun over, and use scissors to make a ½” crisscross incision in the center of the bun. Repeat process, filling remaining buns and placing on parchment paper squares. Keep filled buns covered with a damp towel. Place 8 buns, paper side down, in an 11″ bamboo steamer; close tightly with lid. Meanwhile, bring 2 cups water to a boil in a 14″ flat-bottomed wok over high heat. Fit bamboo steamer into wok, and steam until puffed, about 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining buns
- Basic Sourdough Bread
- Biscuits with Sawmill Gravy
- Butterhorns
- Cornsticks
- Cranberry Tangerine Bread
- Fig Pecan Rolls with Maple Butter
- Focaccia with Caramelized Onions, Pear and Blue Cheese
- French Peasant Bread
- Honey Buttermilk Bread
- Honey Corn Rolls
- Irish Brown Bread
- Italian Baguette
- Italian Easter Bread
- Oat Scones
- Sweet Potato Bread
- Sweet Rolls
- Apple Cranberry Sauce
- Bourbon Barbecue Sauce
- Butter
- Chipotle Rub
- Coffee Rub
- Cognac Pepper Sauce
- Cornichon-Caper Herb Sauce
- Cranberry Cherry Sauce
- Cranberry Orange Sauce
- Cranberry Raspberry Sauce
- Edamame and Spinach Dip
- Edamame Salsa
- Ketchup
- Maple Cranberry Sauce
- Peach BBQ Sauce
- Red Pepper Relish
- Triple Cranberry Sauce
- Vinegar & Pepper Barbecue Sauce
- Almond Flour Blondies
- Brownies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Squares
- Cinnamon Pecan Toffee Cookies
- Coconut Cookies
- Coffee Flour Brownies
- Cornmeal Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Fig Bars
- Italian Knot Cookies
- Madeleines
- Pecan Florentines
- Pecan Shortbread Squares
- Pfeffernusse Cookies
- Pumpkin Cookies
- Snowdrop cookies
- Springerle Cookies
- Strawberry bars
- Swedish Christmas Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Apple Crisp Cheesecake
- Apricot Baklava
- Buttermilk Apple Buckle
- Cherry-Almond Caflouti
- Chocolate Bourbon Fudge
- Eggnog Cheesecake
- Frozen Lemon Mousse with Blackberry Raspberry Sauce
- Gooey Chocolate Coconut Truffles
- Gooey Chocolate Coconut Truffles
- Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches
- Loaded Chocolate Bourbon Fudge
- Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts
- Pumpkin Pie Truffle Pops
- Pumpkin Truffles
- Roasted-Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Maple Cream
- Spiced Candied Nuts
- Sweet Tamales
- Tortilla Cinnamon Crisp Sundae
- Vanilla Bean Caramels with Fleur de Sel
- Alsatian Potato Pie
- Apricot Tart
- Blums’ Coffee Toffee Pie
- Chocolate Caramel Tartlets
- Coconut Buttermilk Pie with Blackberry Caramel
- Dark Chocolate Truffle Tart
- Dark Chocolate Truffle Tart
- Pie Crust
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart
- Rustic Summer Squash Tart
- Southern Comfort Caramel Apple Pie
- Spiked Caramel Pumpkin Pie
- Sticky Toffee Apple Pie
- Tomato Tart
- Bacon Potato Bake
- Baked Butternut Squash Polenta
- Baked Orange Cauliflower
- Baked Rice
- Braised Eggplant With Mushrooms
- Broccoli Casserole
- Broccoli Raab Bread Pudding
- Cashew Raisin Rice Pilaf
- Cheesy Scalloped Root Veggies
- Corn Cakes
- Corn Casserole
- Cranberry and Almond Rice Pilaf
- Escarole and Bell Peppers With Olive Oil
- Espàrrecs Amb Vinagreta (Catalan Asparagus Vinagrette)
- Farro and Butternut Squash
- Garlicky Brown Rice
- Gullah Rice
- Rice with Cheese
- Saffron Basmati Rice
- Scallion Pancakes
- Spicy African Kale and Yams
- Spicy Cold Celery
- Sweet Potato Egg Muffin Cups
Fig and Onion Jam
We have friends from South Carolina stopping by, today. That means we have to cook.
We're doing a simple pasta, rolls... For dessert, Victor made a killer Almond Cake that I'll be writing about, later. But we needed something simple for an hors d'oeuvre. bruschetta of sorts... Figs. Caramelized onions. Made into a jam.
Talked me into it!
It's a pretty basic concept... cook onions and figs with some sugar and balsamic. Basic concept, powerful taste!
Fig and Onion Jam
- 2 lbs figs
- 2 lbs onions
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup fig balsamic vinegar
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tsp salt
Thinly slice onions and place in large pot with butter and olive oil. Cook until they begin to color. Add 1 cup sugar and mix well.
Meanwhile, stem and halve figs. Add to the onions and mix well.
Add thyme, salt, and balsamic vinegar. Cook until thick.
Cool, jar, and refrigerate.
It's really good on toasted baguettes with a shaving of pecorino or your favorite cheese.
It's also great on top of a burger.
Or just with a fork out of the jar.
If you can get a hold of some fresh figs, make some, today. You will not be sorry.
Garden Bounty
We did a bit of tag-teaming in the kitchen, today. We picked a bit of produce from the yard and had to think of ways to use it. I've had friends for years that have had CSA shares and have spoken about getting massive amounts of something in their boxes and being at a loss as to what to do.
We didn't exactly have massive amounts of anything - yet - but three eggplants is a lot for me.
And there are more where those came from!
I have wanted to do a stuffed eggplant since the day we planted them, and tonight I got my wish. The other two became caponata.
5 pints went downstairs to join the if Trump gets elected we're screwed hoard. And one went into the 'fridge for snacking.
While I was stuffing eggplant and making caponata, Victor was making a baked pasta using the crookneck squash - another vegetable that is taking over out there. Thank goodness these are things we like!
The recipes all come from Lidia.
Baked Zucchini and Shells
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 pound crookneck squash, sliced
- One 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 3/4 pound sheels
- 1 tbsp butter
- 8 ounces shredded Fontina
- 1 cup grated Grana Padano
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for pasta. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the squash, and cook until it begins to soften, another 5 minutes. Add the salt, then the crushed tomatoes with 1 cup water. Bring the sauce to a boil, and simmer just until it thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes, but don't let the squash begin to fall apart. Then toss in the chopped basil.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente, a few minutes shy of the package directions. Drain the pasta, and toss it in the skillet with the tomato sauce and basil.
4. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, toss together the two cheeses. Spread half the pasta and sauce in the baking dish, and top with half the cheese. Layer the remaining pasta and sauce, then the remaining cheese.5. Bake, uncovered, until browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
And the Caponata:
Sicilian Caponata
Ingredients
- 2 lbs eggplant
- 2-1/2 tsp salt
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 medium onions, peeled cut in 1-1/2 inch chunks
- 2 cups celery, trimmed cut in 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup cerignola or other large green brine-cured olives, pitted and cut in ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound fresh plum tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup small capers, drained
- 10 large fresh basil leaves
Directions
Trim the eggplants and slice them (skin on) into chunks about 2-inches long and 1-inch thick. Toss the chunks with 2 teaspoons of salt and drain in a colander for 30 minutes to an hour. Rinse and pat them dry with paper towels.
Meanwhile pour the red wine vinegar and ½ cup water into the small pan, stir in the sugar and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half and syrupy, then remove from the heat.
Slice the onions into 1-1/2 pieces—you should have about 4 cups. Trim the celery stalks (and peel them if they’re tough and stringy) then chop in 1-inch chunks. Slice the plum tomatoes lengthwise into 1-inch thick wedges; scrape out the seeds and put the wedges in a sieve to drain off the juices. Roughly chop the pitted olives into ½-inch pieces.
To fry the eggplant, pour the cup of vegetable oil into the skillet and set over medium heat. Spread all the eggplant chunks in the hot oil and fry for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing and stirring frequently, until the eggplant is soft and cooked through and nicely browned on all sides. Turn off the heat, lift the chunks out of the oil with a slotted spoon and spread them on paper towels to drain. Discard the frying oil and wipe out the skillet.
Pour ¼ cup of the olive oil in the skillet and set it over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery chunks, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, tossing often, until they’ve wilted and lightly colored, 8 minutes or so. Toss in the olives and the capers, heat quickly until sizzling, then scatter in the tomatoes wedges and fold them in with the other vegetables. Season with another ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until the tomatoes are hot and softened but still holding their shape, about 5 minutes.
Spread the eggplant chunks on top of the onions and tomatoes, still over medium heat, and turn them in gently with a big spoon or spatula. When everything is sizzling, pour the vinegar syrup all over and stir it in. Cook a bit longer, then drizzle another couple tablespoons of olive oil over and stir in.
Cook the vegetables together for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Tear the basil leaves into shreds and stir them into the caponata. Taste and adjust the seasonings; let cool to room temperature and serve.
And the stuffed eggplant.
Melanzane Ripiene alla Pugliese
Ingredients:
- 6 small or 2 medium/large eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 ripe medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup grated Grana Padano
- 1 cup grated Itallian Fontina
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Halve the eggplants lengthwise. Scoop out any seeds, then scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/2 inch shell. Cut the eggplant flesh into small cubes. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season the inside of the eggplant shells with 1 teaspoon of salt., then brown them, cut side down, in the oil, about 2 minutes. Remove and place in an oiled baking dish, cut side up.
In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the eggplant flesh and garlic. Once the eggplant has begun to wilt, add the tomatoes and crushed red pepper and cook until the eggplant is tender but the tomatoes retain their shape, about 5 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a bowl, stir in half the cheeses, parsley, and mint. Stuff the filling into the eggplant shells and sprinkle with the additional cheese. Cover with foil, and bake until the eggplant shells are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until the top is browned, about 10 to 15 minutes more.
I used one good-sized eggplant and just adjusted the filling ingredients. I also used one of the peppers from the garden in place of the red pepper flakes.
It was a great dinner and we have caponata downstairs for treats this winter - if they last that long!
Thanksgiving 2014
Food, glorious food...
Oliver says it all. A day dedicated to overeating and excess. What a great day, a great holiday. A wonderful tradition. Definitely my kind of day!
We didn't host this year, instead, we went to Victor's brother and sister-in-laws... and what a spread Marie prepared! An impeccable table, to begin...
And stuffed mushrooms, bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeno peppers, assorted goat cheeses and tapenades, chopped chicken livers... that's what we started with.
And turkey, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, cranberry relish, and gravygravygravy...
And desserts...
Pumpkin pie, cheese cake, walnut tart, pecan tart, wedding rings, sugar cookies... no boxed or packaged anything.
Just food, glorious food.
I was so busy eating, I completely forgot to take pictures other than the appetizers, but suffice to say, it was spectacular.
I did get a picture of Linda's Chicken Livers that Victor made...
Linda's Chicken Livers
- 4 sticks butter
- 2 lbs chicken livers
- 2 med onions, chopped
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 1 1/2 tsp tarragon
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 – or more – tsp cognac
Melt 1 stick of butter. Add onions but do not brown.
Add other ingredients – except butter – and cover. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.
Process in food processor with remaining butter. Add cognac, and S&P, to taste.
Serve with chopped eggs or onion and toasted baguette or crackers.
Recipe can be cut in half.
It seems everything came out better than ever before.
A great day, indeed!
Mayonnaise
Possibly one of the easiest condiments to make, providing you have a blender. You can make it by hand, but your arm will get tired.
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup neutral oil
Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in blender. Pulse until well-mixed.
With blender running, very very slowly pour the first 1/4 cup oil into yolk mixture, a few drops at a time. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup oil in very slow thin stream until thick. Cover and chill.
- Apricot Quinoa Cereal
- Arancini (Rice Balls)
- Asian Peach Salsa
- Aunt Katherine’s Chili Sauce
- Blender Hollandaise
- Blue Cheese Butter
- Ceviche de Camaron
- Cherry Maple Sausage in Puff Pastry
- Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- Chipotle Spice Rub
- Apple Mustard Vinaigrette
- Crab Fritters
- Cranberry Pear Chutney
- Cranberry Sauce
- Daisy’s Navy Bean and Shrimp Cakes
- Eggplant Caviar
- Garlic Shrimp
- Ham and Gorgonzola Won Tons
- Homemade Granola
- Jessie’s Perfect Pumpkin Seeds
- Ketchup
- Kitfo
- Limoncello
- Linda’s Chicken Liver Pâté
- Little Grandma’s Eggplant Appetizer
- Lithuanian Krupnikas
- Lumpia
- Niter Kebbeh
- Onion and Pomegranate Relish
- Mayonnaise
- Oriental Flank Steak with Spicy Garlic Sauce
- Paper Wrapped Chicken
- Pecans – Sweet or Savory
- Pomegranate Molasses
- Romesco Sauce
- Salsa di Limone
- Spicy Pineapple Vinegar
- Strawberry BBQ Sauce
- Trevor’s Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
- Hana’s Collard Greens
- Marie’s Pineapple Bread Dressing
- Salad Dressings
- Angela’s Spanish Rice
- Chilean Quinoa Tabouleh
- Colcannon
- Grandma’s Carrot Salad
- Karen’s Karrots
- Nancy’s Mom’s Coleslaw
- Phoebe’s Baked Beans
- Potatoes Hashed in Cream
- Pumpkin Dressing
- Tim’s Mom’s Potato Salad
- Walla Walla Sweets
- Yataklete Kilkil
- Yemiser Selatta
- Artichoke Frittata
- B’stila Moroccan Chicken & Nut Pie
- Baked Blueberry French Toast with Blueberry Sauce
- BBQ Portobello Mushrooms with Napa Cabbage Slaw
- Beef Bourguignon
- Beef Braised In Guinness
- Beef and Guinness Puff Pastry Pie
- Blackbeard’s Pork Chops
- Breast of Chicken Perigourdine
- Brown Rice Casserole with White Wine Mushroom Sauce
- Chicken Chimichangas
- Doro Wat
- Dorrie’s Portuguese Stew
- Eggplant Parmesan Non-Meatballs
- Eggroll in a Bowl
- Hopkins Brunswick Stew
- Nursie’s Pot Pie
- Peach Salmon Chili
- Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers
- Pork Chile Verde
- Puerto Rican Pot Roast
- Pumpkin Lasagne
- Simple Paella
- Souffléed Pumpkin Pancake
- Southern Chicken Salad and Variations
- Sue Parry’s Tuna Casserole
- Tahoe Brunch
- Thai Spicy Eggplant with Basil
- Uncle Rudy’s Easter Pie
- Veggie Stromboli
- Venetian Marinated Fish
- Victor’s Pasta Sauce
- White Bean Chili
- Apricot Baklava
- Basic Cupcakes
- Beatty’s Chocolate Cake
- Bipartisan Cookie Bake-Off
- Blondies
- Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake
- Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake-Deux
- Brownie Pudding
- Carrot Cake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pound Cake
- Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Cranberry White Chocolate Nut Pie
- Crème Eggs
- Dorrie’s Brownie Charlotte
- Egg Nog Pie
- Eliza’s Buttermilk Pie
- Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Fig Bars
- Gingerbread
- Green Tomato Pie
- Jessica’s Strawberries Romanoff
- Judy’s Mother’s Ginger Cookies
- Julia Child’s Flaky Pie Dough
- Kwachy’s Cut-Out Cookies
- Kwachy’s Meltaway’s
- Lemon Loaf
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Lemonade Pie
- Lucille’s Cheese Cake
- Marcie’s Creamy Cuban Flan
- Pate Choux or… a Cream Puff by any other name…
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
- Peanut Butter Eggs
- Perfect Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Cheese Cake
- Roasted Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Maple Cream
- Susan’s Pineapple Cake
- Sweet Potato Cheesecake
- Tim’s Award-Winning Cherry Pie
- Tim’s No-Brainer Pie Crust
- Walnut Pie
- World’s Greatest Strawberry Cheesecake
Linda's Chicken Liver Pâté
Linda Heston Kremstein
- 4 sticks butter
- 2 lbs chicken livers
- 2 med onions, chopped
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp marjoram
- 1 1/2 tsp tarragon
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 – or more – tsp cognac
Melt 1 stick of butter. Add onions but do not brown.
Add other ingredients – except butter – and cover. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.
Process in food processor with remaining butter. Add cognac, and S&P, to taste.
Serve with chopped eggs or onion and toasted baguette or crackers.
Recipe can be cut in half.
- Apricot Quinoa Cereal
- Arancini (Rice Balls)
- Asian Peach Salsa
- Aunt Katherine’s Chili Sauce
- Blender Hollandaise
- Blue Cheese Butter
- Ceviche de Camaron
- Cherry Maple Sausage in Puff Pastry
- Chipotle BBQ Sauce
- Chipotle Spice Rub
- Apple Mustard Vinaigrette
- Crab Fritters
- Cranberry Pear Chutney
- Cranberry Sauce
- Daisy’s Navy Bean and Shrimp Cakes
- Eggplant Caviar
- Garlic Shrimp
- Ham and Gorgonzola Won Tons
- Homemade Granola
- Jessie’s Perfect Pumpkin Seeds
- Ketchup
- Kitfo
- Limoncello
- Linda’s Chicken Liver Pâté
- Little Grandma’s Eggplant Appetizer
- Lithuanian Krupnikas
- Lumpia
- Niter Kebbeh
- Onion and Pomegranate Relish
- Mayonnaise
- Oriental Flank Steak with Spicy Garlic Sauce
- Paper Wrapped Chicken
- Pecans – Sweet or Savory
- Pomegranate Molasses
- Romesco Sauce
- Salsa di Limone
- Spicy Pineapple Vinegar
- Strawberry BBQ Sauce
- Trevor’s Jalapeno Pepper Jelly
- Hana’s Collard Greens
- Marie’s Pineapple Bread Dressing
- Salad Dressings
- Angela’s Spanish Rice
- Chilean Quinoa Tabouleh
- Colcannon
- Grandma’s Carrot Salad
- Karen’s Karrots
- Nancy’s Mom’s Coleslaw
- Phoebe’s Baked Beans
- Potatoes Hashed in Cream
- Pumpkin Dressing
- Tim’s Mom’s Potato Salad
- Walla Walla Sweets
- Yataklete Kilkil
- Yemiser Selatta
- Artichoke Frittata
- B’stila Moroccan Chicken & Nut Pie
- Baked Blueberry French Toast with Blueberry Sauce
- BBQ Portobello Mushrooms with Napa Cabbage Slaw
- Beef Bourguignon
- Beef Braised In Guinness
- Beef and Guinness Puff Pastry Pie
- Blackbeard’s Pork Chops
- Breast of Chicken Perigourdine
- Brown Rice Casserole with White Wine Mushroom Sauce
- Chicken Chimichangas
- Doro Wat
- Dorrie’s Portuguese Stew
- Eggplant Parmesan Non-Meatballs
- Eggroll in a Bowl
- Hopkins Brunswick Stew
- Nursie’s Pot Pie
- Peach Salmon Chili
- Pineapple Teriyaki Burgers
- Pork Chile Verde
- Puerto Rican Pot Roast
- Pumpkin Lasagne
- Simple Paella
- Souffléed Pumpkin Pancake
- Southern Chicken Salad and Variations
- Sue Parry’s Tuna Casserole
- Tahoe Brunch
- Thai Spicy Eggplant with Basil
- Uncle Rudy’s Easter Pie
- Veggie Stromboli
- Venetian Marinated Fish
- Victor’s Pasta Sauce
- White Bean Chili
- Apricot Baklava
- Basic Cupcakes
- Beatty’s Chocolate Cake
- Bipartisan Cookie Bake-Off
- Blondies
- Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake
- Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake-Deux
- Brownie Pudding
- Carrot Cake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pound Cake
- Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Cranberry White Chocolate Nut Pie
- Crème Eggs
- Dorrie’s Brownie Charlotte
- Egg Nog Pie
- Eliza’s Buttermilk Pie
- Everything But The Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Fig Bars
- Gingerbread
- Green Tomato Pie
- Jessica’s Strawberries Romanoff
- Judy’s Mother’s Ginger Cookies
- Julia Child’s Flaky Pie Dough
- Kwachy’s Cut-Out Cookies
- Kwachy’s Meltaway’s
- Lemon Loaf
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Lemonade Pie
- Lucille’s Cheese Cake
- Marcie’s Creamy Cuban Flan
- Pate Choux or… a Cream Puff by any other name…
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
- Peanut Butter Eggs
- Perfect Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Cake
- Pumpkin Cheese Cake
- Roasted Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Maple Cream
- Susan’s Pineapple Cake
- Sweet Potato Cheesecake
- Tim’s Award-Winning Cherry Pie
- Tim’s No-Brainer Pie Crust
- Walnut Pie
- World’s Greatest Strawberry Cheesecake
Bacon Jam
Okay. Stop what you're doing right now and make this. Really. And make at least a double batch. Really.
I have just found my new favorite food. Really.
My friend Katja mentioned this on Facebook the other day and had the recipe in her notes. I read it and knew I had to make it immediately. It's funny, because while I like bacon, I tend to like it as bacon - with eggs at breakfast, on a burger or BLT - and leave the chocolate-dipping and crushed over cupcakes to someone else.
Yet, when I read the recipe I knew I had to make it right away. It hit all of the right buttons. Part of it was definitely the ingredients - this is food-science at its finest. Frying, caramelizing, smoke, sweet, acid, spice - and the brilliance of coffee, one of my most favorite ingredients in soups and stews. Another part was imagining all I could do with it. My mind goes into serious overload, sometimes, when I start thinking about what I can do with something. It's why I pretty much never make the same thing twice the same way. There's just too many things to eat to keep making the same things the same way all the time...
But I digress...
I decided to start off with a double-batch - I had that much confidence that it would be fabulous. And I was right - it is fabulous!
I started it at 3pm and planned on putting some on top of the pork chops we were having for dinner. Dinner is at 5 o'clock sharp, because Nonna needs her routine, so instead of pureeing it boiling hot, I just spooned some onto the chops.
O.M.G.
It was thick, gooey, sweet, smoky, just a tad spicy and rich beyond belief. A little of this will go a long way. Victor took a bite and immediately thought of adding it to baked beans. I went with a cheeseburger. But a couple slices of bread and some lettuce and tomato would work, too.
I'm wishing I had a pressure-canner because I'd love to make a lot and give it out as gifts - water bath would not work with this. Maybe I'll have to speak with Santa.
In the meantime, grab the ingredients and make it. Tonight.
Here's Katja's recipe. I used regular Tabasco and added some smoked paprika.
Bacon "Jam"
- 1 lb. smoked bacon (or use regular bacon and add liquid smoke) **
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 3 T(ablespoons) brown sugar
- Tabasco sauce to taste **
- 1 c coffee
- 1/4 c apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 maple syrup (BUY THE GOOD STUFF)
- black pepper to taste
- extra water
In a non-stick pan, fry bacon in batches until beginning to brown and get crispy. Once cool, cut into 1" or so pieces and set aside. In SOME of the rendered bacon fat, sautee onions and garlic until translucent. Transfer all of the onions and bacon to a heavy based pot or cast iron pot and all the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine; simmer over med-low heat for 2 hours. Every 25-30 mins, stir pot and add water (as needed). "Jam" should be thick and void of liquid when finished. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Using a food processor, pulse to desired texture. Serve almost any way you can think with bacon: on a burger or chicken burger, on a BLT, on any sandwich, really, etc.
** I used TJ's bacon ends and pieces and chipotle Tabasco to add the smokiness
I really do see this as being a regular item in the 'fridge.
Bacon and Caramelized Onion Dip
A while back I was reading Huffington Post Food and came across a recipe for a hot dip with caramelized onions and bacon. I've made gooey hot dips for many many years, but this definitely intrigued me... I really like caramelized onions and adding bacon seemed like the ultimate no-brainer. So... at work this morning I decided to give it a try. My co-workers definitely deserved something fun and new. Hard-working folks need sustenance.
It takes time to get the onions right, but it's well worth the effort! The plate was licked clean in no-time!
Hot Bacon and Caramelized Onion Dip
- 12 oz package bacon
- 5 cups diced onion (about 3 large)
- 4 tbsp butter
- 6 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Chop bacon and fry until crisp. Drain and set aside, reserving bacon fat.
In a clean frying pan, add about 4 tbsp bacon fat and 4 tbsp butter. Add onions and cook over low heat until well-browned and caramelized - about 20 minutes - maybe longer. Be careful not to burn them.
When cooked, mix onions, bacon, sour cream, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour into a greased pie plate and bake uncovered, for about 30 minutes at 350°.
Serve with baguette slices.
Just about any cheese will work - including bits and pieces of whatever you have laying around in the 'fridge. Mix it up. have some fun with it.
It's not a low calorie low fat dish, so make sure there are lots of people around to enjoy it with!
Bruschetta and Pizza
We had bread for dinner, tonight.
Both were topped with tomato, cheese, and meat. The similarity ended there.
The bruschetta was a baguette topped with a homegrown tomato slice, a slice of white stilton with peaches and cream, and a slice of speck - popped into a hot oven for about 4 minutes. The cheese is like dessert. it is sweet and creamy and played against the saltiness of the speck very well.
And then we had pizza.
I cheated - I bought pizza dough. But I did make my own sauce. A 39¢ can of tomato sauce mixed with some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and crushed red peppers. It's pretty much the pizza sauce I made when I worked at Pirro's, lo, these many years ago. My goodness. I left there in 1974. How many lifetimes ago was that?!? I had just turned 22 when I quit. Tomorrow I'm going to be 60. It's been several lifetimes. Trust me.
One thing I haven't forgotten how to do in all of the ensuing years is how to hand-spin a pizza. It really isn't as difficult as people think - although most cooking isn't as difficult as people think.
Back to being barely 22... I got into a fight with Barry - who was the owner. I was the manager and pretty much running the place. I walked across the street to the Riviera Dinner House - a restaurant where I ended up working about a year later - had more than a few cocktails, went home, packed up my car, and moved to Portland, Oregon. That night. I've never been the impulsive type.
My parents weren't exactly thrilled, but they didn't try to talk me out of it, either. Six months later, the owner of the plant store next to Pirro's convinced me to move back to San Francisco and help her open a new place in Jack London Village in Oakland. When Claudia went bust, Gracie, from the Riviera, hired me as a cook. From The Riviera to the Red Chimney and Val's. They were owned by the brothers who owned the Blue Crystal - the bar up the street from Pirros - and where I had been illegally drinking since I was 17. It was nice being in demand. By 24, I was living at Lake Tahoe with a friend from the pizza parlor days...
Whew! And these were some of my quieter years.....