Kate's Stock and Meal Idea

Kate's Stock and Meal Idea

If you are going to make a gravy or a sauce you really should leave the bones in the meat. It adds the gelatin that helps thicken it and give it a lot of mouth feel with less fat, and the meat really tastes better cooked on the bone.

I like to do chicken under a brick if I want to speed up cooking, just split the chicken, olive oil and season the skin, heat up the iron skillet in the oven and put the chicken in another big skillet and the hot one on top. Make sure the bottom of it is clean, obviously.

Cooks fast in a fairly hot oven. I did it last night and made another batch of yukon gold mashed potatoes. You don't even have to peel them the skin is so thin and it's good fiber so you fill up before you've eaten them all. They reheat in a microwave very well.

Larger hot meals appeal in the winter when they do no other time, at least to me. I like cold weather, it's great for walking because my sinuses don't bother me. I love winter. My nose is always happier.

Kate
(1/20/12)

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Homemade Worcestershire, Walnut Catsup and Chili Sauces

Homemade Worcestershire, Walnut Catsup and Chili Sauces

Only attempt the recipes if you have a bit (a large bit) of spare time. They first list what goes into the original with some notes. Then a recipe that is "okay" and has a similar taste. Then a recipe from Joy of Cooking that takes *2* other condiments to be made, then added. It is supposed to be pretty good. Look at the site link below for more information and the recipes listed below from the California BBQ Association.

http://old.cbbqa.org/articles/WorcestershireSauce.html

It is noted below that palm sugar (Indian grocer's stores) and tamarind were very important to the taste, as was the vinegar being malt vinegar. (And I thought that was only for deep-fried beer-battered cod!). Nothing was ever cooked in the original, I think it says below?

A Worthy Try
The following recipe produces a Worcestershire Sauce whose taste is very close to Lee & Perrins. To enhance the complexity, additional aging should be done.

To make one cup:

1 chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1-1/4" thick sliced ginger
3 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (1" long) cinnamon stick
1 tsp cloves whole
1/2 tsp cardamom pods
2 cups vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup tamarind pulp
3 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 crushed anchovy
1/2 cup water

Place the onion, the garlic, the mustard seeds, the red pepper flakes, the peppercorns, the ginger, the cinnamon, the cloves and the cardamom on a large piece of cheesecloth and tie in a little bag.

In a large saucepan, combine the spice bag with the vinegar, the molasses, the soy sauce and the tamarind. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for 45 minutes.

Mix together the salt, the curry powder, the anchovy and the water. Add to the liquid in the saucepan. Remove from heat. Pour the contents of the saucepan (including the spice bag) into a stainless or glass container.

Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for two weeks, mixing from time to time and squeezing the spice bag. After the two weeks, remove the spice bag and bottle the sauce. Keep in the refrigerator and shake well before use.

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A Better One
Joy of Cooking and to my great surprise, ran across just what you are looking for! In order to make it, they want you to make two other sauces first- they are also good, solid condiment recipes and you may enjoy them on their own as well but it will be a REAL labor of love to make your sauce- I will post the Worcestershire first then the other two:


Worcestershire Sauce
(makes 5 cups)

Put into a jug:

1 quart cider vinegar
6 tbsp Walnut Catsup (recipe below)
5 tbsp essence of anchovies or
2 oz. anchovies, finely chopped
4 tbsp Chili Sauce (recipe below)
tiny pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar

Cork and shake 4 times daily for 2 weeks. Strain into sterile bottles. Cork tightly and store in a cool place.

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Walnut Catsup
(makes about 3-1/2 quarts)

Pick and bruise 100 immature green English walnuts, still so soft they can be pierced through with a needle. Put them into a crock with:

2 qts vinegar
6 oz salt

Cover, mash and stir daily for 8 days. Drain the liquid and put it into an enamel or stainless steel pan with:

4 oz finely chopped anchovies
12 finely chopped shallots or 1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 cup grated fresh horseradish
1/2 tsp each mace, nutmeg, ginger, whole cloves and peppercorns

Cover and bring mixture to a boil, then simmer gently about 40 minutes.

Filter, cool and add 2 cups port. Pour into sterile glass bottles. Cork well. Cover the corks with wax. Store in a cool dry place.

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Chili Sauce
(makes about 8 pints)

Wash, peel and quarter 1 peck ripe tomatoes (8 quarts)

Put through a food grinder:

6 green peppers, seeds and membrane removed
1 tbsp dried hot pepper pods
6 skinned large white onions

Add the tomatoes along with:

2 cups brown sugar
3 cups cider vinegar
3 tbsp coarse salt
1 tbsp each: black pepper, allspice, ground cloves
1 tsp each ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and celery seed
2 tbsp dry mustard

Simmer these ingredients slowly until very thick, about 3 hours*. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Add salt if needed. Put sauce in small sterile jars. Seal and process in a water bath for 15 minutes. Store in a cool dry place.

I found making this type of sauce in a crock pot more successful. Like making apple butter and thick sauces, you are less apt to get burned sauces.

Shared by Debra
(4/28/11)

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Chile, Barbecued Meat and Sauce recipes (enough for a Small Village)

(Recipes Large Enough for a Small Village)

Chile

You take 50 pounds of good quality steak, cut up in one" cubes. Throw it in a big pot that you have 50 gallons of water boiling. Now throw in 5 pounds of loose sage (more or less to taste) and 25 pounds of fresh chilies (more or less to taste). Add about a cup of salt (more or less to taste). Stir once an hour. Let the fire die down to coals and throw on wood as necessary. Allow to cook for about three days.

Serve over red beans and rice or, my favorite, black beans and corn.

Barbecue?

First you take a half a cow and get the darned thing on a spit (that's the hardest part) and then you get half a dozen guys to lift the spit onto the forks. From now on the rest is easy. Smother the thing with sauce and cook until is just starts to get a tiny bit black on the outside. I don't bother with temperatures, I just cut from the outside.

Sauce:

In a 5-gallon bucket you pout in 2 quarts of Grade B Vermont maple syrup, 2 bottles of Tabasco sauce, 4 ounces of sage, a pound (or 2) of minced garlic, a 1/4 cup of salt, a 1/4 cup of black pepper, 4 bottles of Guiness, and a cup of George Dickel #7. Now add whatever else you like, I usually throw in about a 1/2 cup of Worcestershire sauce but that's mine. Take a good electric drill, put in a paint mixing blade and use it to stir. Now take a clean string mop, dip it into the bucket and swab the beef with your sauce. Start the beef turning at about 3 rpms and swab every 15 minutes. You can start to serve in about three hours if you have the fire right.

Charles A.
(3/26/11)

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Betty's Better Mayo Recipe

 Betty's Better Mayo Recipe

1 whole egg
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp sugar (I omit)
1/4 tsp salt
dash cayenne pepper ( I also add a dash of paprika)
2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
1 cup salad oil (sometimes +1/4 cup if egg is huge)

In your blender (I like a small food chopper instead) put the egg and everything but the oil. Now add 1/4 cup of the oil. Mix for about 5 seconds. Beat on high speed and slowly add the oil in a thin stream. Scrape the sides and give a final whirl.

If the mayo isn't thick enough for you, you can up to 1/4 cup oil until it is. If you add much than that, it gets icky oily.

Of course, you can use this as a base and add various herbs - dill, oregano, etc. You can thin it with a little water, or more lemon juice or sour cream, or milk, or whatever, and make salad dressing.

Adding a bit of madras curry powder makes a delicious dressing.

Jola Gayle
in Memphis
(3/10/09)

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Homemade Miracle Whip

Homemade Miracle Whip

Whoo Hoo! I just learned how to make "Miracle Whip," or an acceptable facsimile. Normally I'm a mayo fan, but there are some things that require Miracle Whip/salad dressing. Liver cheese sandwiches require thinly sliced onions and MW. Potato or macaroni salad requires half mayo and half MW.

However, being on a tight budget lately, we've been buying generics, and it's proven impossible to find a decent tasting substitute for Miracle Whip, plus the texture isn't right. Out of frustration, I googled miracle whip recipe the other day and discovered some recipes out there.

I tried the first one that appeared for me, and it was perfect. After much griping, tho, because it was a most involved recipe, I realized it is basically a simple thing to do.

Put 1-1/2 cup mayo in a mixing bowl

Put 1/2 cup water and 1 tbsp vinegar in small pan and bring to a boil. (I reduced vinegar to 1 tbsp)

While water heats, put 2 tbsp sugar into 2 tbsp flour and mix well. (Am thinking of reducing sugar to 1-1/2 tbsp, maybe just 1.)

When water boils, take pan off heat and dump flour mixture into pan and whisk until blended and thickened.

With a spatula, scrape this out of the pan and onto the mayo. Stir and blend in well. Voila, Miracle Whip.

Why do this you may ask? I'm cheap, replies I. I can buy a bottle of canola oil for about $3.75 and with a few eggs (60 cents' worth) and incidental ingredients make the equivalent of about $8 worth of mayo and MW. Not to mention that I know what has gone in it - pure ingredients with no preservatives.

If anyone wants a good recipe for 1-egg mayo, Better Crocker's 1970-ish cookbook has an excellent, very easy recipe. If you want me to post it, I will.

J. Gayle
(3/9/09)

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Dulce de Leche or Confiture de Lait

I found this on David Lebovitz' recipe blog. Since our most recent dulce de leche discussion was not long ago, I thought people might be interested in the oven-baked version.
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/

Dulce de Leche or Confiture de Lait
Adapted from The Perfect Scoop (Ten Speed Press)

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Pour one can (400 gr/14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) into a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish. Stir in a few flecks of sea salt.

Set the pie plate within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the pie plate.

Cover the pie plate snugly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1-1/4 hours. (Check a few times during baking and add more water to the roasting pan as necessary).

Once the Dulce de Leche is nicely browned and caramelized, remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, whisk until smooth.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Warm gently in a warm water bath or microwave oven before using.

I might have to make some, since the blog also has a recipe for Dulce de Leche brownies. And also cheesecake brownies, which do not require dulce de leche but look rather yummy anyway. Maybe I need to make both and then decide if I have a preference.

jp, wandering through food-blog-land on the 'net
(12/19/08)

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Olíusósa - Homemade Mayonnaise

All this discussion of fresh scratch made mayo made me go look it up. Doesn't look hard to make either: http://www.simnet.is/gullis/jo/Miscellaneous.htm
The above is the site I got this from. (non-English language site)

Olíusósa - Homemade Mayonnaise

makes 200-300 grams (7-10 oz.)

2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
200-300 ml salad (or cooking) oil
1 pinch pepper (optional)
1/2-1 tsp sugar
1 pinch dry, ground mustard seeds (optional)
1-2 tsp vinegar* or lemon juice

*White vinegar can be used but will make the taste sharp. Flavoured vinegar, such as tarragon, makes the taste more mellow.

Mayonnaise can be made in a blender or a mixer, or by hand, using a whisk and a bowl with a rounded bottom.

Egg yolks and oil must be at room temperature. Mixing bowl/blender cup must be clean and dry, and also at room temperature.

Choose oil that has little flavour of its own.

Mix and stir the egg yolks with the salt until light and thickened. Add the sugar and the spice, if using (pepper OR mustard) and half the vinegar/lemon juice and mix well. Lemon juice is healthier than vinegar, and mayonnaise made with lemon juice is better in dressings meant for fruit salads.

Start mixing the oil into the egg yolks, first drop by drop, and then, when the oil begins to blend in, in a steady trickle.

Stirring must be constant, or else the sauce may separate. The mayonnaise should thicken bit by bit as more oil is added.

If it becomes thinner the oil and egg are not mixing, i.e. the sauce is separating. If that happens, stop adding oil, stir the sauce harder and add 1 tsp water or cream. If that does not thicken the sauce, there are two methods you can use to save the sauce:

a) take a fresh egg yolk and put it in a clean bowl, whisk with a little salt and then add the thin sauce in a steady trickle, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. The continue adding the oil until the sauce is the right thickness.

b) put 1 tbs. cold water and a bit of vinegar/lemon juice in a clean bowl and add the thin sauce in a steady trickle, stirring with a clean whisk. Then add the oil until the sauce is the right thickness.

Prepared, home-made mayonnaise should be thick, smooth and shiny. It keeps well in a closed container in a cold place for a few days. Must not be allowed to freeze and must not be kept in the coldest spot in the refrigerator because then it will separate when it is taken out for use.

When putting the mayonnaise away, smooth it into the container and put a tiny amount of water or oil on top so that a film can not form on top. Spices may be stirred carefully into the sauce before use, and for thinning, whipped cream may be mixed in.

The sauce must be thick if it is to be used for decorating food or in salads that will be used to top bread.

Sauce that will be used on food can be thinner and may be made using whole eggs instead of yolks, or eggs and yolks (1 whole egg + 1 yolk).

If you want to enlarge the recipe, follow these guidelines:
100 ml of oil should be used per each egg yolk, or 150-200 ml per whole egg.

The eggs can bind more oil than than, but then the mayonnaise will taste oily.

Sent in by Elena

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Comment on making Mayo below

Homemade Mayonnaise

A couple of comments if you've never made mayo from scratch before. A lot of cookbooks suggest that an electric mixer, food processor, or blender are directly interchangeable with a balloon whisk and a bowl. Not really.

A balloon whisk will produce a thicker, creamier mayo. If you want a lighter, fluffier mayo then let the machine do it.

Also, if you've never made your own sauce mayonnaise before, use a balloon whisk the first time. Basically, you're making an emulsion like a sauce hollandaise. Adding the fat, in this case the oil, too rapidly, or beating too aggressively can cause the sauce to break. Some cookbooks refer to this as "turning", "curdling" or "separating", but basically what's happening is the emulsion is breaking down. Doing it by hand the first time gives you more control, and you'll have a feel for the changes in appearance and consistency you want when you do decide to let your appliances do the work for you. Your first time out it's also a wise idea not to try doubling the recipe. Any given egg can only bind with so much oil. Until you have a feel for what you want in a good mayo it's easier to work with smaller quantities. If you need more, repeat the recipe until you have the quantity you need.

Homemade mayo does have a couple differences, other than taste, when compared with store bought. It has a shorter shelf life in the frig because it doesn't contain any preservatives. The other thing to know is that it will not hold the way a store bought mayo will. It will separate because it doesn't have the stabilizers added to commercially prepared mayo. BTW, you can force Hellmann's or Best Foods to separate by lowering their temperature enough. It's the reason they tell you not to freeze their product.

If your homemade mayo does separate, don't worry. It's easy to fix. Remembering that emulsions form more easily at room temperature, let your mayo warm a bit. Then in a warm bowl beat together one tablespoon of any prepared mustard with one tablespoon of your mayo until the mixture is thick and creamy again. You can use whatever mustard you have handy. It doesn't have to be Grey Poupon. After the mixture has thickened, continue adding the separated mayo by spoonfuls beating after each addition.

Happy Sinko de Mayo!
Randall
(6/22/08)

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Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise is also a cinch to make. I use a whole egg instead of a yolk, lemon juice, about 2/3 butter and 1/3 olive oil. Sometimes add capers, especially if serving it with fish. I use less fat than most recipes say, maybe 3-4 tbs. It's still very tasty.

Hollandaise Sauce

Melt the butter and oil together. Heat a small pan of water (about half an inch) to a simmer.

Beat the egg in a small bowl and add a piece of cold butter, and the lemon juice and some salt (optional).

Heat while whisking. When the butter starts to melt and the egg warms, start pouring in the oil/butter mixture, whisking all the while, until all incorporated.

Optional additions, herbs such as fresh tarragon, or capers, or some half and half to thin it if you want, or whipped cream.

While whisking, if the mix starts to cook (looks like curdling) take off heat, and add a bit of cold butter.

Perfect this time of year with asparagus.

Mary
(6/22/08)

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Pear Sauce (and what to do with a lot of pears)

Pear Sauce (and what to do with a lot of pears)

After poaching some in pear brandy with a bit of butter and eating them fresh cooked, I then usually make pear sauce, which I freeze. J likes it warmed up with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg on top, or I use a cup of it in the waffle mix, or it makes a good substitute for applesauce in any bread, cake or muffin recipe.

I've also made pear tart in the past.

Peel (optional), core (not optional, IMO) and chop (works better) any number of pears.  Cook over a low heat with a little bit of water until it is the consistency you want for pear sauce.  Strain (if not peeled).

Freeze in 1 cup (or more) containers. 

Add to wheat bread.  Or add to waffles.  Or add to muffins.  Or feed to your family warm.  Or cold.
Stir into oatmeal.  Or cooked rice.  Or oatmeal cookies.  Use anywhere applesauce is called for.

Slightly brown pork chops (drain grease), add 1 cup pear sauce, bake. Can you tell we like pear sauce?

Make dried pears.  Peel (optional), core (not optional) and slide about 1/4" thick.  Dehydrate using your favorite method.  Freeze or eat as is.

Elizabeth/zinlizzie
(11/30/06)

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Tomato-based Coleslaw and NC BBQ Sauce

Tomato-based Coleslaw

Eastern Carolina BBQ features a vinegar-based sauce, while western North Carolinians use a tomato-based sauce. The city of Lexington -- which features a Western variation -- is considered the BBQ capital of the state.

4 cup Cabbage, chopped fine
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup Diced tomatoes
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Dash (or more) Cayenne

Chop cabbage. Mix other ingredients until dissolved. Add to cabbage--mix well. Cover and refrigerate. Keeps practically forever.

Some people omit the tomatoes and add Ketchup.

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NC BBQ Sauce

Here's the famous NC BBQ Sauce for Pork that goes with the slaw.

1 gallon apple cider vinegar
1 (28 oz.) bottle ketchup
2-3/4 cups firmly-packed brown sugar
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup crushed red pepper
1 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cloves

In a large stainless-steel pot over medium-high heat, combine all the ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until crushed red pepper sinks. Remove from heat.

It should be bottled hot, not boiling. Just hot enough that the bottles are hard to hold for more than a few seconds. Fill bottles within 1/2 inch of the top. By bottling hot, it will seal itself. Does not need refrigeration until after opening and then only to protect flavor.

Deb S
(8/20/06)

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Cranberry Marmalade (from Joan)

Cranberry Marmalade (from Joan)

1 grapefruit
1 orange
2-1/2 cups water
3 cups cranberries
5 cups sugar

Cut up and thinly slice grapefruit and orange. Place in pan with water and simmer 20 minutes.

Increase heat to medium and add cranberries and sugar; cook until thick (about 30 minutes).

I think I used to do the jelly test (drop solidifying off the end of the spoon or something?) but I don't remember. This stuff is really good - tastes kind of like English Seville orange marmalade.

Joan
(10/03/04)
(Editor's note: Though it does not state this is a canning recipe, it is listed here because one can if they wish. It is also listed in "Sauces".) Cranberry Marmalade

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Pesto (for freezing, possibly blasphemous)

Pesto (for freezing, possibly blasphemous)

Here's a recipe for pesto to freeze that I got from my shepherd friend tonight. My few (4) basil plants have grown to a size to rival a California redwood, so I need something to do with it. They must like rain. Thought the recipe might appeal to some of you. I'm not a pesto expert, so don't blast me if it's a blasphemous recipe :-)

To fill one ice tray for freezing:
3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 lg garlic cloves
1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts or almonds or combo of all
3/4 cup packed fresh parsley
3/4 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 melted butter
Salt to taste if desired

Smash all into a blender and battle to get to a rough paste. Once at rough paste stage, fill ice tray and place in freezer. After frozen, slip knife around edges to free and dump into a freezer bag.

Of course, I had to fiddle with the recipe. First I didn't have any parsley, so I substituted more basil. Then I had a little basil left over, so I added that. There were a few more cloves of garlic left, so they got added. Then it seemed to need a bit more olive oil. Then there was this inch chunk of parmesan, (oops, I only had romano) romano left over, so it got grated and added. Then I saw the bottle of lemon juice and thought a splash of that would be great. And then there was this half stick of butter left over, so it got added.

It still tasted great and filled 2 ice trays instead of 1.

Jola Gayle
(8/17/04)

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Mary P. Lamb Chops

Mary P. Lamb Chops

Me? A recipe? Stop laughing...I can hear you...

8 thick loin chops

For marinade:
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Mix marinade in a tupperware or ziploc, throw in chops. Mush around. Marinade for a couple of hours or overnight.

Throw on grill.

Eat with hands like Caveman.

Thanks Mary! You and Bob are doing a splendid job producing tasty lamb.

Claudia LB
(5/31/04)

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Salt Free Chili Powder

Salt Free Chili Powder

I'm going to try this tonight...

2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp oregano
1-1/4 tsp cumin
1-1/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp red pepper
3/4 tsp onion powder

 Mix all ingredients together. Store in airtight container. Use as desired.

 Makes 4 tablespoons.

 NOTES : (Ideal For Seasoning Chili Beans Or Anything Spicy)

Taco Salad, anyone? *G*

Ruth
(4/17/04)

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Making Hollandaise Sauce - Quick and Easy

Making Hollandaise  Sauce - Quick and Easy
Put about half an inch of water in a pan, bring to simmer, not boil. Never let the water boil while making the sauce, and make sure water doesn't touch the bowl that will contain the butter. (IOW, you don't need an official double boiler to do this.)

Melt some butter in another sauce pan or butter melter. You could even use a mixture of butter and olive oil. Jooolia will say to take off the melted butter from the solids; I don't bother.

Joolia incorporates a horrendous amount of butter into one egg yolk, but I don't put so much. I think it's less likely to separate when there's less butter in the sauce, and less butter or butter/oil means its not quite as rich.

Maybe about 4 tablespoons of butter or butter/oil, half a stick, to use with one egg or egg yolk. Get the butter hot but not smoking.

While waiting for water to simmer and butter to melt., crack an egg into a bowl that fits into the saucepan with the water, but doesn't touch the simmering water.

Use either the whole egg or just the yolk. For the 'cholesterol challenged' use the whole egg. Whisk it. Squeeze some lemon juice into the egg, to taste, salt if you like, whisk, add a pat of unmelted butter.

Put this mixture over the simmering water and let it heat while whisking. When the egg mixture is warm, but not turned to custard, and the unmelted butter has melted, start adding the melted butter or butter/oil slowly, while whisking. (Joolia will say butter added in tiny quantities drop by drop, but I add it faster, maybe it works because I don't use the amount of butter she does.)

Whisk and whisk, and let the whole mixture heat up until you can see it thicken, but don't let it over heat or the whole mess will separate.

Anytime it seems to be ready to separate, add some cold butter and whisk.

If you want to thin it out so it won't be quite as rich, add some half and half, maybe a couple of tablespoons. I think the name for this, or maybe if you add whipped cream to the hollandaise, is sauce mousseline. Whipped heavy cream added to hollandaise is to die for!.....and it just might kill you. LOL.

Mary
(4/6/04)

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Peanut Dipping Sauce for Beef Satay or Noodle Salad

Peanut Dipping Sauce for Beef Satay or Noodle Salad

This is my basic noodle sauce recipe, which was great on the beef satay.  It makes enough for a noodle salad as well as the beef.  Keeps in the fridge for about a week.

handful fresh cilantro
a 1" piece of ginger root, peeled
several cloves of garlic -- maybe 3 (in this recipe it is used raw, so don't go overboard)
1 cup natural style peanut butter,
     (do not use Skippy or Jiff or any processed brand- which are of the devil)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 to 4 tbsp chili paste with garlic
     (I like Lee Kum Kee brand, adjust depending on how spicy you like it)
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1/2  to 3/4 cup hot water, more or less

Process cilantro, ginger and garlic to make a paste.  Add PB, balsamic, brown sugar, soy sauce, chile paste, brown sugar, dark sesame oil.  Process. Pour water in -- just enough to make the sauce the consistency of thick cream.

Refrigerate until needed.  If making noodle salad, do not put on the noodles until just before serving (the pasta will otherwise absorb the sauce and the texture will be gummy and not good).

Carolyn
(7/22/03)

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Mango Salsa a la Shelley

Mango Salsa a la Shelley

5 ripe tomatoes
1 ripe mango
1 bunch cilantro
1 Serrano Chili pepper
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1/4 whole red onion
2 limes juiced
1 tsp chili powder

Chop the tomatoes and mango into small bite sized bits.  Clean out Serrano chili pepper.  Add chili pepper, garlic, cilantro, and red onion to small food processor, process till all finely chopped.

Combine tomatoes, mango and processed ingredients in a storage bowl.  Add chili powder and lime juice, stir to combine, refrigerate for a few hours to strengthen flavors.

Shelley
(7/21/03)

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White Sauce for Pasta

White Sauce for Pasta
(good for Alfredo Sauce, too)

(Question: Tell me how to do a nice white sauce on pasta. I have butter and cream but can't get it to come out like the restaurants. Do I make an actual roux?) Well, I'm not the curly one, nor am I tall enough to play her on (or off) TV, but I do know white sauce.

Are you going for alfredo? The classic recipe is equal parts pasta, butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese (not the powdery stuff in the green can, unless you're cooking for people you hate). Toss it all into hot (drained) pasta, pass more cheese at the table. You will not be able to move for hours afterward, but it is worth it. You can make an acceptable substitute by scaling down the sauce/pasta ratio, but everyone should try the original at least once.

For more conservative eaters, go right ahead and make a roux (2 tbsp. butter to 2 tbsp. flour), add 1 cup milk, half and half, or cream, whisk merrily till smooth and thick enough, season to taste (gran only used white pepper), add cheese if you like, pour over pasta and toss at the table. Up proportions as needed for your quantity of pasta. More flour makes it thicker.

(rereading this, the editors will have a field day. So be it.)

Debbie Ladyfingers
(12/27/02)

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Dulce de Leche from Sewin'Sue

Dulce de Leche from Sewin'Sue

Put the sealed can in a tall pan of water -- can should be put on top of something so it isn't resting on the bottom of the pan (maybe a small metal rack, metal canning jar lid, or what I did -- put it inside a colander) . Put in enough water so the can is totally covered. The only pot I had that was actually tall enough to do this was my stock pot.

Simmer for anywhere between 1-1/2 hours (for lighter, thinner sauce) to 4 hours (for a more solid result). Let cool.

It really is that easy.

Sewin'Sue
(6/18/02)
(We claim no responsibility if the can goes "off", etc., not that we heard of it happening. Just saying... Use your common sense.)

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Grilled Eggplant with Black Olive and Garlic Tapanade

Grilled Eggplant with Black Olive and Garlic Tapanade

Ooooooooooh yea! I forgot this one, its my favorite:

Grill the eggplant slices and top with a black olive and garlic tapanade. Brush both sides with olive oil and top with this sprinkled with a little parmesan/romano cheese.

Black Olive Tapanade:
 
1-1/2 cups Nicoise olives, pitted
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 anchovy fillets
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Mash all together in a Pilón or process in a food processor just a tiny bit.

Sheri
(5/20/02)

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