Coquito (Rum and Coconut Punch)

Coquito (Rum and Coconut Punch)
Makes about 4 cups

2 cups coconut milk (unsweentened and pure. *Do No use Coconut Cream*. Fresh is best!)
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 egg yolk (can be left out for the timid)
2 cups white Puerto Rican Rum
       **or 1-1/2 cups rum and 1/2 cup brandy

Put the sugar, salt cinnamon, egg yolk and 1/2 cup of the coconut milk in a food processor or blender. Process until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the rest of the coconut milk and blend.

With the machine running on high, add the rum slowly and process for at least one more minute.

Bottle and chill before serving in liqueur glasses dusted with cinnamon.

Sheri
(10/26/00)

Read More

Auntie's Eggnog

Auntie's Eggnog

1 dozen egg whites -- beat until stiff (bowl #1)

1 pint whipping cream -- beat until stiff (bowl #2)

1 dozen egg yolks -- beat thoroughly (bowl #3)

1 cup sugar plus 1 T. vanilla -- add to yolks; beat.

2 quarts half and half -- add to yolk mixture; beat.

Combine all bowls. Add nutmeg to taste. "Season" with peach brandy or dark rum.

On the farm we used fresh cream and milk from a Brown Swiss plus 2-day-old Buff Orpington eggs. Mmmmm.

Sylvia
(10/26/00)

Read More

Grandma's Pasta with Ricotta

Grandma's Pasta with Ricotta

Anyhoo, to make my grandma's pasta with ricotta, is very simple.

Boil a pound of pasta, we always used Goodman's Egg Noodles, for a Judeo-Italo treat, but go ahead and use fettuccine, little shells, bow ties,etc.; a pound or so of whole milk ricotta cheese, preferably Polly-O brand, if you can get it. If not, just make sure it is the whole, not skim milk variety. After all, this is comfort food. Its a good idea to take this out of the fridge about an hour before making the dish to take the chill off, but if you don't have time (and who does) it is not fatal.

Butter (about a half a stick)

Parmesan (please, for the love of God, not the stuff in the green can), but REAL Parmesan, or good Romano, freshly grated. I don't know how much, you decide.

Freshly ground black pepper.

Cook pasta till al dente. Drain. Put back in the hot pot, with ricotta, butter, and parmesan. Stir rapidly, till butter melts, cheese is runny and all is well again. Grind black pepper over. Eat.

I should note that this dish is also known as Shepherd's Pasta, though I have not yet tried it with sheep's milk ricotta.

Enjoy!
Carolyn
(10/26/00)

Read More

Bailey's Cookie Bars

Bailey's Cookie Bars

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup powder sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup Bailey's
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup whipping cream
Chocolate sprinkles

Heat oven to 350ºF. Mix 3/4 cup flour, butter, powder sugar and cocoa with a spoon until soft dough forms. Press into ungreased 8" x 8" pan and bake 10 min.

Beat remaining ingredients except whipping cream and chocolate sprinkles.

Pour over baked layer and bake 25 to 20 min. or until set, cool 2 hours.

Whip cream place on top of cut bars , sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. Please note I did not say plop this time, but I was tempted.

Maggie
(10/25/00)

Read More

Angel Hair Pasta with Light Cream Zucchini and Smoked Salmon Sauce

Angel Hair Pasta with Light Cream Zucchini and Smoked Salmon Sauce

Charlene's looking for the ultimate main dish, quick and easy yet still
spectacular. How do you feel about angel hair in a light cream sauce with zucchini and smoked salmon?

Cook the angel hair the usual way.

While you're doing that, saute some garlic in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.

Add thinly-sliced zucchini, cook over medium heat til tender-crisp.

Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and some tarragon - maybe 1/2 a teaspoon? I can't remember.

The angel hair should be done now; drain it and toss it into the pan of sauce. Mix lightly. Transfer to serving plates and decorate liberally with chunks of smoked salmon and capers. Ta Da!

Serve with a nice white wine, the drier the better. I've found this to have excellent aphrodisiac potential...

Disclaimer: I'm writing this from memory, but I've made it a lot so I think my memory is reasonably accurate.

The Scullery Maid
(10/24/00)

Read More

Bailey's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Bailey's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Yield: 12 Servings
Category: Desserts, Cheesecake
http://www.thedailyrecipe.com

Crust:
2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted

Filling:
2-1/4 lb cream cheese, room temp.
1-3/4 cup sugar
5 eggs, room temperature
1 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Coffee Cream:
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp instant coffee powder

Chocolate curls as garnish

For Crust: Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9" springform pan with vegetable cooking spray. Combine crumbs and sugar in pan. Stir in butter. Press mixture into bottom and 1" up the sides of the pan. Bake until light brown, usually about 7 minutes. Maintain oven temperature at 325°F.

For Filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth with and electric mixer. Gradually add sugar, then eggs one at a time, then Bailey's and finally the vanilla. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips over crust. Spoon in filling. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake until cake is puffed, springy in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Cool cake completely in refrigerator.

For Cream: Beat cream, sugar and coffee powder until peaks form.

Spread mixture over cooled cake. Garnish with chocolate curls.

Amy
(10/23/00)

Read More

Kitten Formula Recipe

Kitten Formula Recipe

1 cup plain yoghurt, preferably not the nonfat kind
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 tbsp Karo Syrup
1 can condensed milk

For an old cat you can add an essential fatty acid supplement. Show Winner brand at PetSmart does not have an offensive odor. Most smell like cod liver oil. This adds linoleic acid, linolenic acid and anachrondic (not the proper spelling) acid which are excellent for dry, flaky, itchy skin.

My cats would fight to get at this stuff when I was weaning kittens. It's rich because kittens are growing so fast but a little would get calories into an old cat without having to eat much.

Even without it I would suggest the essential fatty acids sprinkled on regular food. It makes their coats full and shinny and probably reduces hair loss and hair balls.

Darlene
(10/10/00)

Read More

Pasta with Spinach and Tomato Sauce

Pasta with Spinach and Tomato Sauce

• 2 (10 oz ea.) packages fresh spinach or two good sized bunches, WELL WASHED, and cut into chiffonade (for the love of God, do not use frozen spinach in this dish)
• a lot of garlic, half a ball is not too much, peeled and chopped
• 4 good sized yellow onions, peeled and diced
• 2 cans whole tomatoes, the best you can find, preferably imported
• Fresh basil if available.
• Salt, and liberal amounts of freshly ground black pepper

Saute garlic and onions in some olive oil in a large saucepan until golden.

Add spinach, cover, reduce the heat to medium low and sweat the spinach until soft, about 5 minutes (this presumes that your spinach still has some water clinging to the leaves, if not, add a 1/4 cup of water to prevent burning). Add tomatoes, salt and liberal black pepper to taste.

Just before serving, stir in some chopped fresh basil.

Serve over fettucine, preferably fresh pasta. Simple, yet very delicious.

Carolyn
(10/6/00)

Read More

Pasta with Meatballs and Carolyn's Grandmother's Sauce

Pasta with Meatballs and Carolyn's Grandmother's Sauce

My Grandmother's Sauce
(this is so good, and brings me back such wonderful memories of that Bronx kitchen that I almost always cry when I eat it). Best if made the day before eating.

• 1 lb onions
• 1/2 ball garlic
• 2 lbs lamb neck bones
• 3 large cans plum tomatoes, the best that you can afford
• pinch oregano -- DON'T overdo it
• fresh basil, a good handful chopped, or a teaspoon dried handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine
• Salt and pepper to taste

Put tomatoes in a food mill to remove undesirable seeds, etc. (My grandmother was a Virgo, if you don't have a food mill or the inclination to do this, whizz the tomatoes around in your food processor, but it won't be as sweet). Chop onions and garlic and saute in olive oil until golden. Add lamb neck bones, and sear until well browned. Add wine, and stir up browned bits in the pan. Cook until wine is reduced by half. Add tomatoes, oregano, and basil, if using the dried kind. Simmer 2 hours, uncovered. (If your canned tomatoes are more bitter than hoped for, do not add sugar, but process or finely mince a carrot and add it to your sauce, you won't notice it, but your sauce will be much sweeter).

Midway through the cooking process, add meatballs (see below) if using.
Just before serving, stir in fresh basil, and freshly chopped parsley.

---

Meatballs
(these are a bit of a production, but you will thank me)

• 2 lbs ground beef (not too lean, not too fatty -- 85% lean is good)
• 1 egg
• about 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1 onion, minced, grated or processed in food processor
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 tsp salt
• liberal grindings of black pepper
• 1/4 cup REAL parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp fresh parsely, minced
• pinch of dried basil, dried oregano (again, only a pinch, don't overdo)
• olive oil for frying

Mix ingredients together in large bowl. Form into golf ball sized meatballs. Sauté until browned on all sides (need not be cooked through). Add to sauce to finish off cooking.

Enjoy!
Carolyn
(10/6/00)

Read More

Ann's Chunky Veggie Pasta Sauce

List member Helen had said:
Now, what I would like is for people to send me their favorite sauce recipes.  We want a red sauce, with lots of tomatoes; something that we can simmer on the stove for a while, and let the scent permeate the house.

Ok, I'll come out of lurkdom and send in my "recipe", loose as it is. The ingredients and amounts vary according to whim. It's a vegetarian sauce, but adding a combo of 1/2 lb.loose Italian sausage and 1/2 lb. ground beef would be yummy -- I'll have to try that sometime.

Ann's Chunky Veggie Pasta Sauce

1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, pressed
8 oz mushrooms (any variety) sliced or chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup full-flavored dry red wine
2 large cans *good quality* plum tomatoes, diced or crushed
1 large can tomato sauce
dried Italian herbs to taste, along with salt and pepper

In a large, heavy pot saute the first 4 ingredients in the olive oil til they begin to brown. Add the remaining veggies, reduce heat, and cook until liquid is gone.

If using meat, add pre-cooked, drained meat now. Deglaze pan with wine, and simmer to reduce a bit. Add other ingredients and simmer til desired consistency is reached. Simmering time shouldn't be less than 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the sauce is getting too thick, add some water. Adjust seasoning. This sauce is better made a day ahead, and it freezes well.

Hints: If you don't want to (or can't) stir the pot about every 20 minutes or so, a heat diffuser placed on the burner will help keep the sauce from scorching. I serve it with a shaped pasta like rotini to catch the veggie bits.

Enjoy,
Ann
(10/6/00)

Comments:
Ann's sauce is very similar to mine, except that I have never measured anything and I make a cauldron full- it holds 5 gals. Thanks for the measurements Ann. I also add fennel seed and hot peppers, and a couple of lbs of chopped spinach. Next batch will try adding the carrots and tomato sauce. Would like to try some of the other sauces also, just send the cooks.
eugenie

Read More