Linne Krum Kaka

These are Norwegian cookies similar to pizelles.  This recipe will be difficult to make without a Krum Kaka iron.

2 eggs
3/4 c sugar
1 c. mik
3/4 c. melted butter
1 tsp vanilla/maple extract
1 tsp cardamon, ground
1 1/2 c. flour

Blend the eggs with the sugar.  Add the butter, cardamon, vanilla/maple, and the flour.  Mix into thick dough, gradually blend in the milk until the batter it goopy but will pour slowly from a spoon. 

Spray the iron with non-stick spray.  Place over stove burner on med-low.  Once it's very hot, use a tbsp to drop batter into center of the iron, close it up and cook for 30-35 seconds per side.  Open iron and use a fork to lift the Krum Kaka iron.

Krum Kaka cool and harden very fast.  The best way to shape it is to place the Krum Kaka on a piece of paper towel (it's very hot) and roll it into an ice-cream cone shape.  You'll start to feel it harden as you shape it. 

Fill the Krum Kaka cones with whipped cream. 

Gooey Butter Cake

1 pkg Dromedary pound cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
3 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
4 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c. chopped pecans

Oven @ 350°F
Blend well cake mix, butter and 2 eggs.  Spread evenly in greased (not floured) 13x9 pan.  Beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Add the other 2 eggs & vanilla and continue to beat.  Gradually add 3 c. powdered sugar.  Beat until smooth.  Spread over the batter in the pan.  Sprinkle nuts on top.  Bake 35-40 minutes.  Cool 20 minutes, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Eric Linne's Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

Crust
1 c. flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
5 tbsp cold butter

Filling
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla

Procedure
Oven at 350 F
Cut in butter to dry ingredients.

Press into a 8x8" pan.
Bake 15 min
For filling, mix all together, scrape/pour into the baked crust.

bake for 25 min or more til firm.

Eric normally makes a triple batch and used a 13x9 pan.  The bake time for the filling increases to ~60 min.

Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

1/2 large onion, diced
2 tsp minced garlic
2 c. pureed pie pumpkin
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1/2 c. half-and-half
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt and ground black pepper to taste
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning, or to taste
pasta


Fry onion and garlic in butter until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Stir pumpkin puree, chicken broth, half-and-half, sour cream, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper, stirring often, until sauce is creamy and thick, about 5 minutes.

Serve topped with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.

Chicken & Sausage Meatballs

These are great meatballs.  Good recipe when you've got raw chicken on hand instead of beef/pork. 

1 pound ground chicken
1 lb Italian sausage
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg, whisked
6 tablespoons unseasoned whole-wheat bread crumbs
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Hungarian or hot paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves, about 1 small sprig
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, about 5 sprigs
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 lemon, zested
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Put the chicken, sausage, garlic, egg, and spices, sugar into a food processor.  Pulse until well-shredded.  Mix in bowl with bread crumbs, worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, lemon zest. 

In a frying pan, melt a tbsp of butter and add the olive oil.  Turn heat to medium and make meatballs roughly the size of golfballs and fill the frying pan.  They take about 3 minutes per side to fry.  fry on both sides and set aside when done. 

Southwestern Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe may make more than anticipated.  We made it once and it was great, but I recall we had excess filling and it made a pretty large, deep-dish pie.  We have an old pie/casserole dish that's about 4 inches deep and 9 inches wide.  Makes fantastic pot pies that are very thick.

Ingredients

1 recipe pie crust of your choice
1 lb of chicken, cooked and diced into bite-sized pieces
1/2 c uncooked white rice
1 15 oz black beans, drained, rinsed
1 1/2 c. frozen corn kernels
1 green or poblano pepper, diced
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, minced fine (optional)
1 c. sliced ripe black olives
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 c. sour cream
1 c. salsa
2 c. shredded cheese (colby, Monterey Jack; cheddar or a blend)
1 egg, beaten

Preparations

If using a prepared crust, lay it out in the pie pan.  Use a deep-dish pie plate.  If using another crust recipe, make the crust first and put dough in the refrigerator while prepping the other ingredients.

First, put the rice on to cook.  This will take about 20 minutes.  While the rice is simmering, cook the chicken if its not cooked already.  Do so in a tbsp of bacon grease or butter, add the peppers and spices.  In a large mixing bowl, add the corn, beans, olives and the cooked rice, once it's done.  Add the beaten egg and the chicken & peppers mix to this when the chicken's done and Mix together.  

Try to make two layers of filling.  Layer roughly 1.5 inches of the veggie-chicken filling on the bottom of the pie crust.  Then spread half of the sour cream on top, then half of the salsa and half of the shredded cheese.  Repeat with another layer of filling, sour cream, salsa, cheese.  Top the pie with a layer of crust and seal the edges. 

Bake at 325°F for 1 hour.  Should be golden-brown crust with bubbling hot interior and all veggies cooked.

Linne Family Mincemeat Pie Filling

Mincemeat is a rare treat that not so many people know about.  Possibly because less people cook and we're in America.  The impression I have is that this is a British tradition.  The spice, fruit and meat combination is ancient, going back to the Crusades.  Returning Crusaders brought the experiences of Middle Eastern cooking and this influenced British cooking.

This recipe is an amalgam of several.  Years of tweaking this recipe have brought me to this, which is my favorite.  This pie has unmistakable character.  Somewhere between sweet and savory, meaty and fruity, it's a Holiday treat that is definitely surprising.

I think a mincemeat pie ought to have actual meat. Any store bought version and many recipes (including Alton Brown) out there do not make this with meat, though they call for suet.  I have yet to try the recipe with suet as it's hard to find and likely expensive were I to go to a butcher.  Bacon grease does just fine.

Mincemeat is one of those fillings that's heavily preserved between sugar and alcohol and benefits from storing and aging.  I make mine at the beginning of October and it's great by Christmas.  Though you could make it earlier in the year and keep it longer.

I prefer to make my own mixed peel.  It's not terribly hard, but it's time consuming and a pain in the butt to do on the same day.  If you want to make mixed peel, do it on a different day.  Store bought will work too.

This is amazing served with sour cream, though whipped cream is nice too.

Ingredients

Meat:

2-3 lb lean beef (I like it meaty)
8 oz bacon grease

Liquids:

liquid from cooking the beef
1 c. apple cider
3/4 c. molasses
3/4 c. honey

Fruits:

2 lb. granny smith apples
8 oz. raisins
4 oz cherries
4 oz figs
8 oz prunes
6 oz currants
8 oz candied mixed peel, minced

3 oranges, juiced and zested
3 lemons, juiced and zested

Spices:

4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 1/2 tsp ground clove
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp mace
1/2 tsp cardamon
1/2 tsp salt
pinch saffron, optional

Alcohol:

1 c. red wine
1 c. brandy

Preparation (Reserve an afternoon for this recipe)

Get out a large slow-cooker and start it heating.

Simmer the beef in the bacon grease.
While the meat is simmering, chop the fruit.  Larger fruits like cherries, prunes and figs need to be chopped.  Dried cherries should at least be chopped in half.  I slice the figs & prunes into 1/4 inch strips and then cross cut them into chunks.  The apples get cored and cubed into 1 cm chunks.  Don't bother peeling them, the peel contributes pectin to the recipe.  Add all the fruit to the slow cooker.

When the beef is done cooking, cube it into 1 cm chunks and add it to the slow cooker.  Add the remaining bacon grease and the spices, the citrus zests & juices, and the mixed peel.  Add the honey and molasses.

I like to reduce the red wine over a simmering heat.  This takes awhile, but we're in no hurry.  Set a low fire under a small saucepan and add the wine to it.  Let it simmer for ~15 to 20 min until reduced by half.  Add to the pot.

Let the mixture stew for several hours, or overnight on a low heat setting.

When it's done after 4-6 hours, or overnight, add the brandy and mix well.  It's ready for jarring.

Pumpkin Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Icing

These are great gingerbread cookies.  We made them for Halloween, hoping for pumpkin-pie flavored gingerbread.  It didn't quite work out that way.  I think that there wasn't enough pumpkin perhaps.  It just tasted like good gingerbread.  The cream cheese frosting is great.

This might be tweaked to taste more like pumpkin pie.

Cookies Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree {pure pumpkin~ not pumpkin pie filling}
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. cloves
3/4 tsp. nutmeg

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick of butter softened
1 package of cream cheese softened
5 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions
Cookies
In your mixer, combine butter, sugar, and molasses. Add your pumpkin puree and mix well. Add egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine all of the rest of the dry ingredients. Slowly mix your dry ingredients into your butter mixture until combined.
Wrap in wax or parchment paper and throw in the refrigerator for at least 3 or 4 hours until it firms up. I leave mine in over night.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour your work surface and split your dough into thirds. Lightly pat the top of one section of dough with flour and roll out until it is about 1/4″ thick.
Cut into desired shapes and place on a greased cookie sheet.
Cook for 6 to 7 minutes at 375 degrees. Mine were perfect at exactly 7 minutes. Let cool completely.
Pipe your favorite icing onto each of your cookies into desired design.
Cream Cheese Frosting

Whip together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in your mixer until well combined. Add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. It may take a minute for all of the ingredients to combine. It might look too dry to begin with, but it will mix together and turn out perfectly.

Liver, Avocado and Cashew Salad

Ingredients:
350 grams beef liver (sliced, 4 slices)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 c, arugula
2 c. mixed greens
1 c. red onion (very thin slices)
1 large avocado (ripe, diced)
150 grams roasted, salted cashews

1 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika

1/2 c. dry sherry

cooking fat (butter, bacon fat, peanut oil, etc)

Method:
Marinate the liver in the balsamic vinegar overnight.

The next day, mix together the flour and spices.  The liver, if bought in slices are likely large and should be cut up into manageable pieces.  Coat each liver slice in the flour mix, then fry in a skillet in the oil for 1 minute on each side.  Don't overcook the liver. 

Once that's all cooked, slice each liver piece up into bite-sized pieces. 

For a sauce, pour the remainder of the marinade into the saucepan and add 1 tbsp of flour and 1 tbsp of butter.  Make a roux by gradually adding water and 1/2 c. of dry sherry.  The sauce should be fairly loose and pourable. 

Toss together the salad pieces; arugula, greens, avocado, cashews.  Bring to boil a small pot of water and blanch the onions for 1 minute.  Add the onions, liver, drizzle with the sauce and toss.

Pear and Cream Cheese Tart

This is light, fruity and wonderful.  I tried making it with apples and it didn't come quite as nice.  I think its because 60 minutes wasn't enough to cook the apples all the way through.  Pears and apples have different densities.  If doing apples, I'd turn the over down to 325°F or 300°F and cook for 90 minutes

Crust:
1 cups (130 g) all purpose flour
1 small egg
1/2 tsp. salt (skip if using salted butter)
1 tsp. sugar (for sweet recipes, otherwise skip)
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup (~60 ml) sour cream (full fat, NOT light sour cream)

Filling:
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sour cream
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp orange juice

3 ripe pears, cored, sliced thin

orange marmalade or apricot jam

Method:
Oven @ 350 F.  Make the crust first.  It doesn't need pre-baking and works fine baking all at once.  Put all the ingredients for the crust into a bowl and mix with a pastry blender until you have a firm, doughy consistency.  You can chill for 20 minutes, but its not really necessary.  Roll out and press into either a 10 inch spring-form cake pan or a equal sized tart pan.  If you use smaller than 10 inches, you'll get a thicker crust.

Whip the cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer first, then blend in the sour cream, while sifting in the flour.  Once that's smooth, add the eggs, sugar, vanilla and orange juice.  The batter should be pourable but not extremely loose.

Pour the batter onto the unbaked crust.  Carefully layer all of the pears onto the crust.  Use them all.  Make multiple layers if necessary and overlap heavily.

Melt the jam/marmalade in the microwave and brush over the pears.

Bake the pastry in the over at 350°F for 60 minutes.

Sour Cream Pie & Pastry Crust

Prep time: 20 minutes; Dough chilling time: 1 hour

Yield: Makes dough for 2 single crusts, or 1 double crust

This recipe makes enough dough for a top and bottom crust for a 9-inch pie.

The dough ratio is 1 cup flour: 1 stick butter: 1/4 cup sour cream: 1/2 teaspoon salt: 1 teaspoon sugar. These are the amounts for a single-crust 9-inch pie.

If you are making a 10-inch pie, use 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces, 1  1/4 cup) butter, 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sour cream for a double crust, or 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 1/4 sticks (5 ounces) butter, 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp sour cream for a single crust.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (260 g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon of salt (skip if using salted butter)

2 teaspoons of sugar (for sweet recipes, otherwise skip)

2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup, 8 ounces, 225 g) cubed

1/2 cup (115 ml) sour cream (full fat, NOT light sour cream)

METHOD

Soften butter, cut into cubes.  Whisk together flour, salt, sugar. In a large bowl.

With a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it resembles a coarse meal with some chunks of butter. Add sour cream to the flour-butter mixture and blend with pastry blender. 

Gather the pastry dough together into a large ball. Use a knife to cut the ball in half. Form into two disks.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before forming into a pie crust.

 

When it's time to bake, remove dough from fridge, let sit for a few minutes, then roll out.  

You can use this pastry dough for unstructured rustic pies or galettes, or single or double crusted traditional pies. It can also be used for a savory pot pie.

Whether you use the dough for a galette or a double crust pie, it will be prettier with a light egg wash. Just whisk one egg in a small bowl, add a teaspoon of water, and brush lightly over the exposed crust with a pastry brush, right before baking.

 

This pie crust recipe is difficult to pre-bake. There is more fat in it than a regular crust, which can cause the sides to slump if you bake it without a filling. That said, I have successfully pre-baked this crust by freezing it for at least 30 minutes first, lining it with heavy foil, filling it 3/4 of the way with dry beans, then baking it at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Creamy Corn Chowder

1 1/2 lb stewing beef, cut into chunks.  Sirloin or round is good for this.
1 large onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 large red potatoes, peeled, diced
5 ears of corn, kernels cut off (should be 4+ c. of kernels)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
6 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup half-and-half
1/2 c. sour cream

Sweet Corn Fritters

3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. corn flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tsp sugar
3 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from cob
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. buttermilk
pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Maple Whipped Cream
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp mapleine (artificial maple)

corn or peanut oil for shallow frying
2 tablespoons cane syrup, or as desired (optional)

Whisk both flours, the baking powder, sugar, salt & pepper into a bowl with the corn kernels.  Whisk the egg yolks, cream, and buttermilk until smooth.  Beat the whites with cream of tartar until stiff and fluffy.  Mix the liquid yolk mixture into the corn kernels.  Fold in the whipped egg whites until the batter is light and loose.

Pan-fry the fritters with enough oil to cover the surface.  Cook until golden brown on each side.  Drain on a paper towel

These are great with maple whipped cream!

Asian Corn Fritters

Ingredients

Spice Paste:
2/3 c. coarsely chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped garlic
1 c. chopped fresh chives
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk

Body:
4 c. corn kernels, either from frozen or cut from fresh cobs
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/4 c. white rice flour
1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 eggs
4 oz chopped raw shrimp
3 tbsp red chile peppers (optional for spicy fritters)

Procedure:
Put the onion, garlic, spices and condensed milk in a food processor and pulse until it's a smooth paste.  In a mixing bowl, blend everything and add the spice paste.  Add enough water to make the batter slightly loose and no more.

In a skillet, fry the fritters in a 1/4 inch of oil.  This recipe called for deep frying, but I found shallow frying works just fine, and the fritters don't fragment.  Cook for 2 min. per side roughly, until golden brown. 

These are great by themselves or with a bit of sour cream.  There's probably some sort of Asian dipping sauce that would be great too.

Popovers

(requires popover cups for baking)

Popovers are a pastry that is crunchy on the outside, and chewy on the inside.  Alton Brown has a good eats episode that discusses this and how the steam from the milk puffs up the inside due to the unique shape of the popover cup.

This recipe is a good one for plain popovers or turning into a sweet treat with sugar and cinammon on the outside

1 1/4 c. flour
1 1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 eggs

Optional sugar coating:
4 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinammon
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tbsp melted butter for brushing

Oven @ 450 F
Whisk the milk, eggs, butter, sugar and salt until light and frothy.  Add the flour and blend well until you have a loose batter.  Pour into 6 popover cups.  Bake for 15 minutes. 
After first 15 minutes, turn over down to 350.  Do not open oven.  Bake for additional 25 minutes.

If making the sugared variation, mix the sugar and put in a zip-lock bag for tossing.  Brush each popover thoroughly with melted butter.  Toss each popover in the bag of sugar and spice until thoroughly covered.  Eat.

Fruit Cobbler - Based on Grandma's

Cobbler, in my experience is a scrambled pie.  I've heard the meaning of the name refers to the batter bubbling up through the surface of the fruit and liquid and forming cobblestone-like features.  This is sort of true with this recipe.  Grandma's was a lot like that.  My auntie makes a great cobbler, but she uses store-bought pie crust and layers that.  Somehow it just doesn't jive.  Dad would disagree though; he loves auntie's cobbler more than any I've made.
Ingredients:

1 stick of butter in a dutch oven

Batter:
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c. buttermilk

Fruit:
8 c. fruit
3/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice

Oven @ 350 F.

Put the dutch oven in the oven with the butter and let it melt.  Check periodically, remove once melted, or else it will start burning.  Reduce heat to 300 F.

Prepare the fruit (chop, hull, peel, pit, etc), add the sugar and lemon, stir and set aside in a bowl.

Put all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk till evenly blended.  Add the buttermilk and mix until you have a pour-able batter.  If it's too thick add a little more buttermilk.

Pour half of the batter into the dutch oven, evening coating the bottom of the pan.  Add half of the fruit, spooning it with the liquid over the top of the batter.  Add the remaining batter on top of that as a second layer, then spoon the remaining fruit over top.  Pour any excess juice over top as well.  Cover with dutch oven lid and bake at 300 F for 1 hour.

Pink Rhubarb Curd

Makes 18 oz, or three 6 oz ball-type jars of curd.

Ingredients
400 g chopped rhubarb
1/4 c. water

3 eggs large
3 tsp cornflour/corn starch
1/2 c to 3/4 c sugar
a drop of pink colouring optional
3/4 c unsalted butter cubed

Method
Put rhubarb, water and sugar in a medium pot on stove, over medium heat.  Cook about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.  While that cooks, break the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk them up. 

Once the rhubarb's broken down, put the cornstarch in a small bowl and add a couple spoonfuls of the rhubarb mixture, and blend it til smooth with a spatula.  Add food coloring to this if using. 

Temper the eggs by whisking constantly and adding a ladle at a time of the hot rhubarb mixture.  Do two or three of these until the eggs start to thicken.  Reduce the heat to med-low, and add the tempered egg and cornstarch mixture, blending and stirring it well.  Cook over the lowered fire for another 5 minutes, stirring smoothly. 

Remove from heat and add the cubed butter, stirring until they've all melted.  The curd is done and ready for jarring. 

Untested Custard Rice Pudding Recipe

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
3/4 cup white rice
5 cups whole milk
5 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 to 34 cup raisins, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan with butter.

Using a double boiler over medium heat, cook the rice in the milk uncovered for 25 minutes, and then covered for another 25 minutes, until the rice is thoroughly cooked. If the rice is still a little too firm, let sit on the burner over low heat for another 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

While the rice is cooking, make your egg mixture by combining the egg yolks, vanilla and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Add the egg yolk mixture, dry ingredient mixture, 3 tablespoons butter and the heavy cream to the cooled rice, mixing between each addition.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Add the raisins, if using. Set the entire pan in a water bath and bake for 1 hour. If you use raisins, halfway through the baking you have to stir the bottom by sliding a knife along the sides (this is so the raisins will not gather at the bottom) without disturbing the custard. Bake until the rice pudding is no longer liquid. It will have solidified and a slight caramel colored crust will have formed on top. Cool and refrigerate until serving.

Awesome Rice Pudding

Based on Alton Brown's Recipe

Ingredients
2 1/2 cup cooked long grain or basmati rice 
2 cup whole milk 
1 cup heavy cream 
1 1/2 cup coconut milk 
4 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup 
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 
1/2 tsp cinnamon

optional:
3 ounces golden raisins, approximately 2/3 cup 
3 ounces chopped unsalted pistachios, approximately 2/3 cup 

Directions
In a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat, combine the cooked rice and milk. Heat until the mixture begins to boil. Decrease the heat to low and cook at a simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring frequently, approximately 5 minutes. 

Increase the heat to medium, add the heavy cream, coconut milk, sugar, and cardamom and continue to cook until the mixture just begins to thicken again, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Use a whisk to help prevent the cardamom from clumping. Once the mixture just begins to thicken, remove from the heat and stir in the raisins and pistachios. Transfer the mixture to individual serving dishes or a glass bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Dirt Cake

Dirt:
1 package chocolate sandwich cookies

Pudding:
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 pkg vanilla pudding (or use 2 chocolate)
3 cups milk

Cream Cheese Mixture:
8 oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream:
Whip together 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

One package neon sour worms (or you could use regular gummy worms instead)

Directions:

Crush sandwich cookies, using a rolling pin or a food processor. Place half the crumbs in clean planter pot or large bowl; set remaining crumbs aside.

In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter. Gradually add powdered sugar; stir in vanilla.

In another large bowl, beat together pudding mix and three cups of milk for two minutes. Fold whipped cream or whipped topping into pudding, then fold cream cheese mixture into pudding mixture.

Scrape filling into pot or bowl, then sprinkled with remaining cookie crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Decorate with candy worms before serving.

Jam and Rhubarb Curd Tart

This recipe uses jam instead of fresh fruit and sugar to go with the rhubarb.  I used blackberry, but probably any jam will do.

Size: this fills an 11 inch tart pan with a crust already baked and prepared in it

Make one recipe Pate Sablee

1 1/3 c. prepared fruit jam
1.5 lbs rhubarb stems, skinned and chopped
4 egg yolks
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
juice from 1/2 an orange
1 tbsp water

1 hour before making the filling, start by preparing the dough for the crust (see Pate Sablee above).  This must chill for 30 minutes and then bake for 15.

After the crust is baked and cooling, start preparing the Curd filling.

Skin and chop the rhubarb, place it all in a medium pot on stove.  Add the jam, salt, juice and water.  Bring to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes.  While that comes to a boil, separate the eggs and whisk the yolks till smooth.  In a separate small bowl, put the dry cornstarch, then add a little (just enough to make a paste) of the curd mixture, blend it.  Keep blending until you have a mixture that's free-flowing, and add it into the filling pot.

After the 5 minutes cooking time, the rhubarb should be dissolving.  This is the time to temper the egg yolks.  Like with the cornstarch, add a little of the cooking mixture to the egg yolks, whisking them to blend evenly.  Blend about 2/3 c. of the fruit mixture, then pour it all into the pot.  Add the butter.  Cook for another 5 minutes on med-low, stirring constant and slowly.  Do this until the curd mixture has thickened. 

Pour the curd into the baked and cooled tart crust.  Let it cool completely overnight before serving.

Pate Sablee - French Shortcrust

This is a great crust for Tarts and certain Pie types.  It's and lightly sweet, and crumbly, not flaky.  First used it in making a blackberry and rhubarb tart

Quantity:
Makes enough dough for a thick crust in an 11-inch tart pan.  If thinner, there will be leftover that is great for making small tarts or even a galette (an unshaped pie with the dough rolled out and folded over the filling)

250 g flour
180 g. butter, salted
3/4 tsp salt
1 lg egg
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/3 c. powdered sugar

Start by whipping the granulated sugar and butter together.  This is a bit different than normal pie crusts that want the butter cut into the flour.  This gets the crust to be more crisp and crumbly.  Add the egg, and powdered sugar, and beat in the flour.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes and then roll out on floured surface.  This makes great thin crusts for tarts of various sizes, or thicker.  Roll at 1/4 inch for a thicker crust.

Once you've set the crust in the backing pan, prick the bottom with a fork in various places and weigh it down.  The simplest way is put a sheet of aluminum foil and then fill it with dry beans.  The beans aren't hurt by the high heat, and can be stored again after they've cooled.  Bake the crust by itself (without filling) for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Bret's Banana Cream Pie

Makes enough for one large 12-inch pie, or two 9-inch pies.

This recipe is  Work In Progress.  May need adjusting as it seems too sweet.  The two cans of condensed milk might be too much.
Shortbread Crust
2 1/2 c. flour
6 oz butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp salt
6 tbsp sugar

Custard Filling:
2 cans condensed milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp butter

4 bananas, mashed

2 1/2 c. milk
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 c. flour
6 egg yolks

3-4 bananas for chopping & layering

Topping:
1 1/2 c. whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
2-3 tbsp powdered sugar to stiffen the peaks further

Crust Prep:
Use a pastry blender and mix the butter, sugar, egg, flour and salt together until somewhat crumbly.
Press this into the pie pan(s)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Chill in freezer for 20 minutes.

Custard Prep:
In a large pot on the stove, add the condensed milk, two cups of the plain milk (reserve half a cup), butter, salt, vanilla.  Begin heating on medium heat.  In a separate bowl, gradually blend 1/2 c. milk with the flour and cornstarch until its smooth & thick.  Add this to the pot on the stove. 

Separate the eggs.  Save the egg whites for something else (optionally make meringue instead of the whipped cream topping) Put the egg yolks into a separate, large mixing bowl and keep on hand near the pot that's heating up.  These are to be tempered with the hot mixture.

Around now the crust should be cool and firm.  Place in over at 375 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.

Mash the bananas, add them to the yolks.  This can be put through a blender if you want a smooth banana custard.

Once the condensed milk mixture is steaming hot, gradually add it to the egg-banana mixture and blend it.  Once combined, pour it all back into the large pot and cook over med-low heat until it's good and thick, stirring often.  This again can be blended if you want it very smooth.

Once the crust is done, remove it from the oven.  Change the oven temp to 325 degrees.  Add half of the filling (if making two 9-inchers, use a quarter, or put a half-inch layer down, roughly in each shell).  Then layer sliced banana on top of the custard.  Spread the remaining custard over the top.

If making a large pie, bake it for 40 minutes.  If making two 9-inchers, bake for 30.

Let the pie cool completely.  This will take about 3-4 hours.  Once cooled, put it in the fridge and chill it thoroughly.  This will likely take overnight.

Once completely chilled, make the whipped cream topping. 

Beat the whipping cream and vanilla on high until peaks begin to form.  Gradually add in the powdered sugar.  If necessary, use a bit more cornstarch to stiffen up the whipped cream.  Pile it onto the chilled pie, and top with bananas.

Southern Beans and Rice

2 lbs dry pinto or kidney beans
16 oz or more hot Italian sausage
2 c. long grain white rice

4 tbsp bacon grease or butter (bacon grease preferred)
1 large white onion, chopped fine
1 large green bell pepper, chopped fine
3 celery ribs, chopped fine
2 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp minced sage or 1/2 tsp dry
1 tbsp dry parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp smoked salt
1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)

Soak:
Begin early in the day by soaking the beans with boiling water.  Pour enough to cover them completely in a large bowl.  They'll soak up the water and expand significantly.  Soak for 4 to 6 hours, until you can pierce them with a finger nail.  They're ready to cook then.

Main Prep:
Get out a large cast iron dutch oven or similar pot.  Put the beans in there and cook on high with enough water to cover.  Add the Italian sausages to the pot too.  While that's cooking, prep the vegetables.  Set a timer for 10 minutes.  When it goes off, remove the sausages, peel them and chop them into small bits.

Melt the fat in a skillet and begin cooking the vegetables.  Add the dry seasonings to the vegetables.  Once they're cooked, add them and the chopped meat to the dutch oven with the beans.  Add the other flavorings and let it simmer for 1 hour.

Taste the broth after that time and balance the salt, sweetness, smokiness, and spiciness to taste.

The beans may need to simmer for a couple hours to fully cook.  Test a couple to see how tender they are.

Cook the rice and serve with the beans.

This is best with Chow-Chow relish

Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 3/4 c. flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
3/4 c. chocolate chips or mini choc chips
3/4 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350° degrees F.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and brown it until it smells slightly nutty.  Do not blacken.  Remove from heat and blend with the sugars.  Let it cool 10 minutes. 

While cooling, mix the flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sour cream and butter-sugar mixture until combined. Whisk in egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in the mashed banana and mix until combined – mixture will not be smooth. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, mixing with a large spoon until a dough forms.  This recipe may be too loose.  Add a bit of extra flow, 1/4 c. at a time to firm it up so that a spoonful of dough holds its shape on a cookie sheet.  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.


Shape the dough into the size of a golfball (or size of your choice) and place on a nonstick baking sheet about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until the edges are golden and the middles are puffy – do not overbake! Let cool completely then dig in. I suggest letting these cool completely before storing them in a sealed container or bag, and they will stay very soft because of the banana.

These need storage in the fridge as the banana will promote molding if left out and covered. 

Malinda Russell's Allspice Cake with Boiled Frosting

Pulled from: https://www.npr.org/2014/02/05/271531627/a-meal-to-honor-early-african-american-cookbook-authors

A cake was a natural choice from this pastry shop owner's cookbook. With pangs of guilt, I tweaked this recipe. Russell's recipe calls for brandy, lemon extract and rosewater. To me, those other flavorings got lost with all the spice, so I took them out and slightly increased the sour cream. I also added molasses to the recipe to balance the cake's taste. Russell did not suggest icing this cake, but her cookbook does include a few boiled icing recipes. In tribute to her original, I added the flavorings I took out of the cake to the icing.

Makes one two-layer cake, 10 to 12 servings

Cake:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground mace
1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg or about 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup molasses
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream

Boiled Icing:

2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar (superfine if possible)
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon rosewater or brandy or 1 teaspoon lemon extract or vanilla

For two 9-by-2-inch cake pans, grease, line with parchment circles, grease again and lightly flour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F on a convection oven or 350 degrees F on a conventional oven.

Sift together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the molasses and mix until combined well.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined and scraping the bowl with a plastic spatula after each addition.

Alternately, add the flour and sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the flour in three additions and the sour cream in two. Scrape down between each addition. Mix just until combined.

Divide the cake batter between the two pans.

Place in the oven and bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Time so it's ready when the cake comes out of the oven. The icing must be used right away before it starts to harden.

With a handheld or stand electric mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar and water in a metal bowl (or your stand mixer's bowl if using). Place over a pot of simmering water, without the bottom of the bowl touching the water.

Whisking constantly, cook for a few minutes until the mixture is white and hot, and the sugar feels dissolved if you quickly dip your finger in to test it. Remove from the heat and beat it with your handheld mixer or the whip (whisk) of your stand mixer until the mixture is cool and fluffy. This will take several minutes. Add the flavoring of your choice and mix to combine.

Fill and frost the cake with the boiled icing, flavored to taste. Or serve each cake dusted with powdered sugar.

Abby Fisher's Chow Chow

pulled from: https://www.npr.org/2014/02/05/271531627/a-meal-to-honor-early-african-american-cookbook-authors

Fisher won medals for her condiments, so her chow chow was an easy choice. Her recipe called for 4 gallons of cucumber, a gallon of cider vinegar and similarly large quantities of everything else. I cut the recipe down and somewhat reduced the proportion of vinegar. In addition to fish, this would be good with chicken or other meat, or beans.

Makes about 3 cups

Half a head (about 4 cups) green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 cup coarse salt
1 pint cider vinegar
2 cucumbers cut in small dice
2 cucumbers grated with a medium hole on a box grater
1 to 2 onions, finely chopped or grated
scant 1/2 cup brown sugar
        (original called for 3/4 c.  I thought it would be too much and I like my result)
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
2 cups wine vinegar (or use part vinegar and part water if you prefer it less pungent)

Toss the cabbage and salt together. Let sit at room temperature for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Bring the cider vinegar to a boil. Add the cabbage, including the accumulated juices, the cucumbers, onions, brown sugar, cayenne, pepper, turmeric and wine vinegar to the pot with the cider vinegar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced substantially. Let cool. Serve as a condiment.

Cook Shanty Style Buttermilk Spice Donuts & Double Chocolate Donuts

This makes a large enough batch to divide in half and make two different types of donuts.  The recipe is based off of the famous donuts of Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty in the Wisconsin Dells.  The spice donut recipe is very close to the original flavor and will do if you can't make it to the restaurant.
The chocolate one I improvised after making the spice donuts and they were so good I had to include here.  If dividing, measure & sift the dry ingredients first, then divide by weight.  The measures for spices and chocolate are for a full recipe.  if dividing, be sure to only use half the spices and chocolate amounts.

On halving this recipe: I frequently make half this recipe.  It cuts in half nicely.  But the dough keeps coming out thinner and too loose.  I think that it needs more flour.  For reference, the original amount of flour called for was 570 g. or about 3 1/2 c. of all purpose (a c. of AP flour is ~150g) .  I've tweaked things, such as adding buckwheat, but the amount of flour should work fine when cut in half.  Just bear in mind that the dough needs to be fairly firm.  It can't look goopy, it'll be a mess to work with for kneading and rolling.  If the dough looks too wet, too saggy, add more flour 1/4 c. at a time until it's firm, and holds it's shape well.

Base Donut Recipe:
620 g or 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (optionally, use 520 g. all-purpose, and 100 g. buckwheat flour)
180 g or ¾ cup granulated sugar
 ½ teaspoon baking soda
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 1 teaspoon salt
 2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
 ¾ cup buttermilk (or 3/4 c. milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice)
 ¼ cup sour cream (next time I am using greek yogurt!)
 ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
 Vegetable oil for frying

Spice Donuts: (for full recipe)

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp cardamon
(optional: ½ tsp black pepper for an interesting twist)

Chocolate Donuts: (for full recipe)
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted over double boiler
1/3 c. cocoa poweder

Chocolate Glaze: (for full recipe)
1 cup icing sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
3-4 tablespoons whipping cream
2 teaspoons corn syrup light or dark
sprinkles optional

Lemon Coconut Donuts: (for full recipe)
1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes (not shredded)
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/2 tsp. lime zest
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon extract

Lemon Glaze: (for full recipe)
4 Tbsp. sugar
4 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
4 Tbsp. sour cream

1/2 tsp. lemon extract
--Dust with coconut flakes and shredded coconut

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda & powder, salt.  Mix in the wet ingredients, then the flavorings for whichever recipe you're making.  Once thoroughly mixed, the dough should be chilled for 20 minutes.

Turn out dough onto a flour surface.  set a wide frying pan or dutch oven on the stove and fill 1  inch high with corn or peanut oil for frying.  Heat the oil to 370 degrees F.  Use a kitchen thermometer and maintain the heat at that rough temperature.

Roll the dough out to 1/2 an inch thick on a floured surface and cut the donuts out with a donut cutter.  Save the holes for frying last.

Place three donuts in the oil at a time and fry them for 2 minutes, then turn them over with a wooden spatula.  Fry for another minute only then remove from oil and let dry on paper towels.  Repeat until all donuts are cooked.  The donut holes don't cook as long.  They only require 1 minute for the first side and about 30 seconds after the turn.

For Spice Donuts, use a ziplock bag and fill with 1 c. sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.  Shake the donuts around in the mixture to coat evenly, as soon as they can be handled safely after removal from the oil.

For Chocolate Donuts, the glaze can wait until after you're all done to make and coat them.

Glaze
Start with powdered sugar and cocoa in a mixing bowl and begin blending the cream in a little at a time to avoid lumps.  Add the corn syrup and blend well.  This should be fairly thick, not particularly runny.  If it's runny, it will not dry well and will remain tacky and goopy.  Add more powdered sugar if that is the case.

Dunk the chocolate donuts (the spiced ones could be good in this too) into the glaze and leave on wax paper to dry.  Add sprinkles if you like.

For Lemon Coconut Donuts, the glaze can wait until after they're all made.
add the zests, coconut flakes, juice & extract to the dough and blend until incorporated.

Dunk the Lemon Coconut Donuts in the lemon glaze and sprinkle generously with finely flaked coconut.

Cream of onion, bean and sweet potato soup with Rivels

This is based off a Menonite recipe I found in an old book.  It's quite good.

3 or 4 medium onions, coarsely chopped
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 c. pinto beans, dry
2 c. ham, chicken or turkey
32 oz chicken or beef stock
2 c. water

Cream base:
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano

Rivels:
1 egg
flour
2 pinches salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Start early in the day by pouring boiling water over the beans in a large bowl and let them soak for 4-5 hours. 
Make the rivels.  Put an egg into a stand mixer bowl and put the mixer on medium while gradually adding flour.  Add the seasonings, and add flour until the rivels are small dry lumps.  This mass of loose dough should be dry and you can easily crumble with your fingers.

After soak, prepare the onions and potatoes, add the stock and water to a large soup pot.  Add the beans and cook on med-high for 30 minutes.  Check the beans for tenderness.  Turn heat down and let to low and add the potatoes, onions and meat.

Meanwhile prepare the cream base.  Start with butter and flour in a saucepan and make a roux, adding the sour cream, seasonings and blending it smooth.  Gradually add the milk afterward.  Once it's thick and creamy, add it to the soup and blend it.  Add the rivels to the soup.  Add salt to taste.

Cook on low until the potatoes are tender. 

Buttermilk Biscuits

½ c unsalted cold butter, diced
2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 c buttermilk
1 T unsalted butter, melted

Instructions
Preheat oven to 450F.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and butter into a food processor and pulse until mixture is crumbly (alternatively, this can be done in a bowl with a pastry cutter).
Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork just until flour is moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 2-3 times. Roll or pat dough out to ¾-inch thickness. Cut with a 2- or 2½-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on a baking sheet.
Bake at 450 for 10-14 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter. Makes 8-12 biscuits depending on the size biscuit cutter you use.

Bret's Ham, Cabbage and Bean Stew

Ingredients

This is a fantastic recipe for after you've bought a spiral-cut (or not spiral-cut) ham and have a bunch of ham leftover and a big meaty bone.  Start this early in the day

1 ham bone with meat and fat still to trim off,
3 c. chopped ham
3 c. pinto beans, dry
2 c. rice
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
5 carrots, chopped
1 half head of a large green cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp sea salt, more to taste
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
3/4 tsp oregano
3/4 tsp basil
3/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
3/4 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

Prep
Begin by soaking the beans.  Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let this sit for 2 hours.  Wash the rice once or twice and cover it with boiling water to soak too.  While that's going on, get a big soup pot, and fill it halfway with water, add the ham bone and whatever trimmings are still attached (after stewing the bone and trimming the remaining bits, I got about 2 cups of chopped ham)  Get the water up to boiling and then reduce it down to a low-med rolling boil.  Let that go for 2 hours, adding water as necessary to bring the water over the bone.

Once the broth has a good hammy taste, pull the bone out, let it cool and dump in the beans after straining them.  Let the beans cook for 20 minutes on high before adding the vegetables and other seasonings. 

While waiting for the beans to cook, trim all remaining meat and fat off the bone.  Don't be shy about adding the fat back in--it's delicious and not that bad for you.  If you're shy of 3 cups, chop up some of the remaining ham and get it to 3.  Add the ham and rice to the stew as well as everything else.

Let it cook on low for 45 min more to make sure the veggies are all cooked.  This should get quite thick and may require more water.  Add as necessary.

German Ham and Cabbage Casserole

4 c. coarsely chopped ham, or available meat
16 ounce dry macaroni, or 2 lbs potatoes
1/2 head cabbage, chopped well
1 1/2 c. sauerkraut
6 tbsp butter
3/4 c. flour
5 c. milk
1 c. dry white wine or sherry (NOT cooking sherry)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
3 1/2 c. shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch casserole or other similar sized dish.

NOODLE VERSION:
2a. Cook noodles according to package directions in salted water. Strain out water and dress with a small amount of oil to keep noodles from sticking together.

POTATO VERSION:
2b. Peel potatoes.  If they're large, chop them in half or quarters to have pieces the size of a large chicken egg.  Boil the potatoes not quite fork tender.  Remove from water and cut into 1/4 inch slices.

3. while the potatoes/noodles are cooking, chop the cabbage.  The cabbage should be partially cooked before mixing into the casserole.  Use a large pot, fill with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add all the cabbage and parboil for 3 minutes.  Drain immediately and set aside.

4. I used a spiral-cut ham for this and just coarsely chopped up 4 cups worth of meat.  There was still plenty left for other things!

5. Make the roux: in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until foam subsides. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in milk, salt, pepper and caraway seeds. Stir frequently until the sauce thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes.  Stir in sherry and move to next step.

6. Mix the meat, cabbage, sauerkraut and sauce in with the noodles/potatoes. Pour mixture into the casserole dish. Stir in the shredded cheese.

7. Bake for 40 minutes or until the cheese is melted and casserole is heated through.

Bret's Apple, Cheddar and Beef Shepherd's Pie

I love British and Irish cooking.  It's very basic and the Shepherd's pie is a favorite pub food type of dish.  This is a delicious and intriguing variation on it.  I thought of the combination of apple, cheddar and beef and thought it would be good.  I'm glad I was right.  The mushrooms and the carrot give a little bit more variety to the texture without detracting from the play of sweet and savory flavors between the main three actors.  If you can get it, serve with Branston Pickle--it's divine.

serves: 4-6
prep time: 1 hour
cook time: 30 min

Ingredients Crust:
4 lb's Idaho or Russet potatoes, peeled
2 eggs
2/3 c. bread crumbs, panko will due, or food process old stale bread
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 c. pan drippings (from filling below)

Filling:
2 lbs ground beef or sirloin/top round, sliced into 1 cm cubes
4 large granny smith apples, cubed; 1 cm
1 lb mushrooms, white or brown, halved or quartered
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
4 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
LAST:
2 c. cheddar cheese cut into 1 cm

Gravy Ingredients:
remaining liquid from cooking the filling (~ 1 c. maybe)
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. dry sherry
salt to taste
worcestershire sauce to taste

Oven @ 400 F

Filling Method:
------------------
If the potatoes are very large, halve or quarter them.  Boil until cooked and fork-tender.

While potatoes are cooking, use a large dutch oven and begin browning the beef.  Add all the remaining ingredients except the cheddar cheese.  Cover and cook on med-low for 10-15 minutes to cook all the vegetables.  Once the carrots are cooked, you're good.  Use a colander and drain the filling mix into a large bowl, saving the liquid.

Reserve 1/3 of a c. of the liquid for the mashed potatoes.

Gravy Method:
------------------
Begin making a roux out of the remaining liquid.  Add 1 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp flour, and gradually add in 1 1/2 c. milk, the wine, and seasonings, stirring over a medium-low heat.  Stir and cook until it's thick but still runs and has a light caramel color.  Pour into the filling and mix it around.

Mashed Potatoes Method:
-------------------------------
Put the boiled potatoes in a mixing bowl and use either an electric mixer or potato masher.  Add the eggs, seasonings, bread crumbs and liquid.  Mash until relatively smooth.

Assembly:
Use roughly half of the potatoes to line the bottom of the dutch oven.  The thickness should be 1/2 an inch (not quite 2 cm).  Take the potatoes up the sides, making a 'crust' of mashed potatoes by about 4 cm.  Layer in half of the filling and cover with half the cheese cubes.  Add the other half of the filling on top, and spread the remaining half of the cheese.  Spread the remaining potatoes over the top and sides, attempting to seal the filling on all sides with a crust of potatoes.

Bake in oven @ 400 F for 30 minutes, till crust is crispy and cheese is melted.

Serve with Branston Pickle

Pulled Pork

1 teaspoon corn or sunflower oil
1 (5 pound) pork loin roast or pork shoulder roast
1 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp liquid hickory smoke seasoning
2  large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

Put the oil in bottom of a slow cooker.  Roll the meat around to coat.
Add all other ingredients and stir it well.  Cook on high for 5 or 6 hours until the pork is starting to get tender and easily shreds with a fork.

Tom Kha Soup

Ingredients
400 grams meat.  Choose chicken, shrimp, fish, something else.  beef or pork might be fine.
I've made this with chicken, shrimp and catfish, three different times.  All are great.

1000 ml box of high-fat coconut cream
2 c. chicken/veggie/beef broth

Flavorings:
2 tbsp Tom Kha Soup Base -or- 1 thumb chunk of galangal (difficult to find)
4 or 5 stalks of lemongrass
6 kaffir lime leaves
½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
4 tablespoons of lime juice
3 tbsp honey
1/4 c. basil leaves
1 tbsp Thai/Vietnamese fish sauce

2 tsp minced garlic

Veggies:
1 big white onion (or 2 small white onions)
4 small tomatoes
1 large leek, chopped coarsely, even the green parts, except for driest bits
1/2 large cauliflower, chopped into bit-sized pieces
200 grams of oyster mushrooms (I used 2 big handfuls)
4 or 5 red jalapenos, minced up
1 or 2 orange bell peppers

Instructions
First take a thumb sized chunk of galangal, cut off the stems, and cut the root part into thin slices. It can be a little tough, so you might have to hit the top of your knife with your palm.
Next grab your lemongrass, slice off the bottoms, pull off the outer skin layer, and then slice it diagonally into about 1 inch strips. This is just going to help release its amazing fragrance.
Turn on your stove to medium heat, and add about 3 cups (or ½) of the coconut milk to a medium sized saucepan. Put the pot on the heat and immediately toss in the sliced galangal and lemongrass.
As your coconut milk begins to heat, move back over to your cutting board and slice up the chicken. I used 2 chicken breasts for this recipe. Slice the chicken into medium sized chunks - they can be kind of big in size.
Just before the coconut milk comes to a boil, add the chicken, and then add the other remaining 3 cups of coconut milk. Now, turn down the heat to a medium low, as you don’t want the coconut milk to heat too fast or burn.
Prepare your Thai chilies by peeling off the stems and then just slice them diagonally. Go ahead and add them directly to the soup.
Give the soup a quick stir, and then add about 200 grams of oyster mushrooms (it was about 2 handfuls for me).
Your coconut milk should not boil, but just maintain a nice low heat. Because coconut milk is so delicate, when you stir, be sure to move your spoon in 1 direction only, otherwise you run the risk of the coconut milk getting too shaken and it will start to curdle. Be gentle with the coconut milk.
Move back over to your cutting board and peel and slice 2 small white onions into thick wedges (if your onion is really big, just use 1). Immediately toss the onions into the soup.
Next, cut your tomatoes in the same way as your onions, into thick wedges. Wait until your tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่) is just about to boil, and then add the tomatoes.
Take the kaffir lime leaves, break them with your hand, and toss them directly into the soup. Breaking the kaffir lime leaves is going to release their flavor.
Now add about ½ teaspoon of salt to begin with (taste to add more)
Mix your tom kha gai slowly and gently, for about 5 - 10 minutes, making sure it doesn’t come to a full boil - and if it does - turn down the heat to even lower. You want the chicken, onions, tomatoes, and other ingredients to be fully cooked, but you don’t want to overcook the coconut milk.
After about 5 - 10 minutes of cooking, go ahead and turn off the heat completely.
Go back to your cutting board, slice up a handful of fresh cilantro, and add it to the soup. Give it a quick stir, and the cilantro will cook enough from the already hot soup.
The final step is to juice a couple of limes into a separate bowl and then add about 4 tablespoons of lime juice to the tom kha gai (ต้มข่าไก่). Again, just give it a quick and gentle stir, and it’s ready to be served.
Make sure you do some taste-testing to make sure it’s salty and sour enough. You may need to add a little extra salt or lime juice to get the flavor you want.

Blueberry Topped New York Cheesecake

Use a 10 inch spring-form pan.

Crust
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

Filling
2 1/2 pounds cream cheese (five 8-ounce packages), room temperature
4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces sour cream, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blueberry Topping
1 1/2 pints (3 cups) blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with rack in lower third of oven.

2. Butter bottom and sides of a 10-inch spring-form pan. Line sides of pan with 4-inch-high strips of parchment and butter parchment.
3. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers with salt and sugar to fine crumbs. Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated. Press evenly into bottom of prepared springform pan and bake until crust is golden brown and set, 15 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool 10 minutes.
4. In a large stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, butter, and sour cream with sugar until light and smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in remaining egg yolks, zest, and vanilla extract.
5. Crisscross two long pieces of foil and place a piece of parchment on top. Place springform in center of foil and wrap foil tightly around bottom and sides of pan. Transfer to a roasting pan, pour filling into springform pan, and smooth the top.
6. Pour boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan and carefully transfer to oven. Bake for 1 hour until top of cheesecake is golden brown, edges are set, and center jiggles slightly. Lift cheesecake from water bath, remove foil and parchment from outside of springform, and chill cheesecake in refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
7. To serve, remove side of springform pan and parchment strips. Cut cheesecake with a long, thin-bladed knife.

Blueberry Topping:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, and cook until berries break down, about 4 minutes. Let cool, then refrigerate, covered, until cold (or up to 3 days).

Lemon Curd Pie

For the tart shell:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch salt

For the lemon curd:
4 lemons, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the tart shell:
Mix the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Press the dough into a 10-inch-round or 9-inch-square false-bottom tart pan, making sure that the finished edge is flat. Chill until firm.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 1 side of a square of aluminum foil to fit inside the chilled tart and place it, buttered side down, on the pastry. Fill with beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans, prick the tart all over with the tines of a fork, and bake again for 20 to 25 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool to room temperature.

For the lemon curd:
Remove the zest of the lemons with a vegetable peeler or zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. Squeeze the lemons to make 1/2 cup of juice and set the juice aside. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the sugar and process for 2 to 3 minutes, until the zest is very finely minced. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and lemon zest. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2-quart saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 10 minutes. The lemon curd will thicken at about 175 degrees F, or just below a simmer. Remove from the heat.

Fill the tart shell with warm lemon curd and allow to set at room temperature.

Blintzes, Cheese Filled

Makes ~6 large blintzes
Crepes

1 c. flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. milk
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Filling

4 oz cream cheese
1 c. whole milk ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tsp fresh lemon zest

Blend all ingredients for batter with electric mixer until smooth.  Fry the crepes in a pan with a little butter.  Pour each so it's roughly 8 inches across.  Once the crepes are tacky in the middle, flip and fry for only 10 seconds.  Stack all on a plate.

While the crepes cook, blend the filling ingredients. 

Filling the Blintzes

Put a crepe on a flat surface and spoon 3 tbsp of cheese filling into the lower half.  Fold the crepe over once, and then at each side.  Turn the squared, filled portion over onto the not filled portion to make a roughly closed form.  Place in frying pan with butter and fry in butter on med-low heat for 2 minutes per side, until the outside is crispy. 

Remove and dust with powdered sugar, serve with fruit topping or sour cream.

Sauteed Kale and Eggplant with Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

6 c. chopped kale, coarsely chopped
1 chinese eggplant, peel in alternating strips, cut lengthwise in half, chop into 1/2 inch rounds
2 zuccini, cut in half lengthwise, and chop into 1/2 inch rounds
3 strips of bacon
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
olive oil
salt, black pepper

Hollandaise Sauce
2 whole eggs
2/3 c. butter
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp tabasco sauce or  a large pinch cayenne pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 large pinch salt

Chop all veggies and cook bacon first in a dutch oven.  Once the bacon is cooked, remove the strips, leaving the grease and add 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Add the onion and eggplant.  Saute on med-high fire for 2 minutes and add the zuccini.  Cook for another 2 minutes and add the kale.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Chop the bacon coarsely and add it back to the pot.  Cover it and steam for 5 minutes on a low fire.

While the veggies steam, use a blender to make hollandaise.  Add all ingredients except butter to the blender.  Blend it for 5 seconds to mix everything initially.  Put the blender on low and gradually add the melted butter until its gone.  Once incorporated, the sauce may not be thick enough. 

The sauce can be cooked to thicken it over a hot water bath or in the microwave.  If using the microwave, run it for 10 or 15 seconds at a time and stir between sessions until its thickened.  If using a water bath, set up a small pot of water on stove, and set a larger bowl inside it.  Pour the loose hollandaise sauce into the bowl.  Once the water's boiling and steam is emitting, stir the sauce until its thickened properly.  Remove from heat and serve the vegetables with hollandaise drizzled over.