Duck a la Mode

The Successful Housekeeper Manual of Universal Application, Especially Adapted to the Every Day Wants of American Housewives; Embracing Several Thousand Thoroughly Tested and Approved Recipes, Care and Culture of Children, Birds and House Plans; Flower and Window Gardening etc,; With Many Valuable hints on Home Decoration by M.W. Wllsworth & F. B. Dickerson 1882
Cookbook 20, Recipe 2, (Total 43)

I chose two duck recipes in order to use up the duck I purchased at the farmers market.

Did I like it? Absolutely, it was delicious. I was surprised at how well the port fit this dish. The duck completely overpowers any sense of the ports sweetness. I'm now looking forward to a couple of days without meat. These two dishes were excellent and Sunday's was pretty good - three dinners in a row with meat and I'm ready for a week off.

(Soon I will have hot bread from the oven - I made bread today from yesterday's boiled potato water! YUM)

Original Recipe: Take a couple of ducks, divide them into quarters and lay them in a stewpan with a sprinkling of flour, pepper and salt. Put a large lump of butter divided into pieces at the bottom of the stewpan and fry the ducks until they are a nice light-brown color. Remove the frying-pan and put in half a pint of gravy and a glass of port; sprinkle more flour and add a bunch of sweet herbs, two or three shallots minced fine, an anchovy, and a little Cayenne when the ducks have stewed in the gravy till tender, put them on a dish, take out the herbs, clear off any fat, and serve with the sauce thrown over them.

My interpretation: Take half a duck and cut the wing and drumstick off. Split the remaining portion in half length wise (this enables you to keep the breast in one piece). Place duck pieces in a pan with 1T butter, add 2 large pinches of kosher salt, 2 small pinches of pepper and sprinkle 2T of flour over the meat. Turn heat to medium and cook until nice and brown. Remove from pan and drain fat into a small jar. Return meat to pan and add 1 cup of gravy (made from stock created from last nights leftover bones and the neck and giblets), 1 cup of stock, 1/3 cup port, 1 minced anchovy and 2 chopped shallots. Bring to a boil and add a large amount of parsley and thyme tied together. Simmer over medium low heat for 35-40 minutes until the breast meat reaches 160 degrees. Thicken sauce if needed and serve with mashed potatoes.

Fricasseed Duck

The Successful Housekeeper Manual of Universal Application, Especially Adapted to the Every Day Wants of American Housewives; Embracing Several Thousand Thoroughly Tested and Approved Recipes, Care and Culture of Children, Birds and House Plans; Flower and Window Gardening etc,; With Many Valuable hints on Home Decoration by M.W. Wllsworth & F. B. Dickerson 1882

While I was employed by the Minnesota Historical Society I started reading through the entire cookbook collection there - I believe I made it through about 250 before I left. This was my favorite old cookbook. I wrote down the name but became convinced I would never find it for a reasonable price. I consistently found it for $75 - eventually I found it for $30 and snatched it up.

I found duck for sale at the Farmer's Market on Saturday. Unfortunately he had run out but promised to butcher us one if we came back on Sunday - which we did.

I will first type the recipe as it is in the book - followed by my interpretation. I decided to cut the duck in half and cook two separate recipes with it.

Did I like it? Yes - I would describe it as simple, homey and plain old good food.

Original Recipe: Most people think a duck must be roasted, but try this once instead: Cut a mallard or red duck into four quarters; chop an onion fine, and put all into a pot; cover with water, and add more as it boils away. Stir a little celery seed, or celery chopped up fine, three or four strips of salt pork, and when nearly done add a tablespoonful of Worcestershire sauce. Build a mound of mashed potatoes around your dish and carefully lay the contents of the fricassee in the center. Season with salt and pepper. This makes a juicy and Delicious dish.

My Interpretation: Cut a duck in half. Reserve one half for another recipe. Cut the remaining duck in half again. Place in a sauce pan with 1 chopped onion and cover with water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 25 minutes. Add 2 ribs of chopped celery, 1/4 tsp celery seed, and 2 strips of bacon chopped and two pinches of kosher salt. Lightly boil for 20 more minutes. Remove duck and strain the liquid in to a large bowl - skim off as much fat as you can. Return everything but the reserved fat back into the pan and add 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

Meanwhile boil up as many potatoes as you would like. Mash and form into a mote* on a plate. Strain liquid. Place duck and strained material inside mote add liquid to taste. Serve.

*Stephen informed me "mote" is an incorrect term - it should be an "earthen levy".

Aromatic Beef Broth Noodles (Bun Pho)

The Noodle Shop Cookbook 150 Favorite Noodle Dishes from Seven Asian Cuisines, by Jacki Passmore

Cookbook 19, Recipe 2 (Total 41)

I wanted to use up the final batch of beef bones we purchased last fall. This cookbook has two beef stock recipes - one "aromatic" and one "good". I chose to add some elements from the aromatic to the good.

Did I like it? Yes - it was a very simple soup after eating too many scones today.

Recipe:
Stock:
Bring to a boil: 3 lbs beef bones, 6 green tops of scallions, 2 inches of peeled ginger, 1 tsp peppercorns, 1/2 orange peel, 2 star anise, 2 inch piece of cinnamon. Skim and reduce heat to a very low simmer for 3.5 hours - strain. Refrigerate. Discard fat.

Heat stock to a boil and add 3 T fish sauce (Nuoc Mam).

Boil Rice Vermicelli for 3 minutes - divide between two bowls.

Heat a wok on high heat with 1 T oil. Add very thinly sliced 6 oz sirloin and cook for about 1 minute. Remove to a bowl and cook 1 thinly sliced onion in wok.

Top noodles with beef and onion, add broth.

Serve with mint and sliced scallions.

Teriyaki Soba

The Noodle Shop Cookbook 150 Favorite Noodle Dishes from Seven Asian Cuisines, by Jacki Passmore

We purchased this cookbook on vacation in Vancouver quite a few years ago.

Did I like it? It was OK. A little too salty for my taste. That said, I was looking for something really yummy - I didn't have such a great day - I should have known that anything with soy sauce wouldn't really have fit the bill tonight.

Recipe
Cook 6 oz soba - Add soba to boiling water, bring back to a boil and then add 1 cup of cold water, return to a boil again and then simmer for aprox 2 minutes, cook until just tender. Drain and set aside in the colander.

Cut 1/2 a chicken breast into matchstick pieces, set aside. Cut 6 scallions into 2 in pieces, set aside. Combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2.5 T sake, 1.5 tsp mirin and 1 T sugar, set aside.

Heat 1 T oil in a pan, add chicken and cook until done, set aside. Add scallions to the pan and cook for one minute. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook until scallions are tender and the sauce has reduced a little. Add the chicken.

Pour boiling water over the noodles in the strainer - divide between to plates and top with the sauce. Serve with Shichimi (japanese pepper condiment)

An Ancient Indian Drink with Ginger and Cardamom

World Vegetarian, more than 650 meatless recipes from around the globe, by Madhur Jaffrey
Cookbook 18, Recipe 2, (Total 39)

I made this recipe years and years ago after checking this book out of the library. Unfortunately I couldn't remember which cookbook held the recipe. It took me 3 years to find it again.

Did I like it? Absolutely! It's a great dessert beverage with out alcohol or caffeine.

Recipe
In a pot combine: 4 cups water, 2 inch piece of peeled and chopped ginger root, 6 T dark brown sugar, 12 lightly crushed green cardamom pods. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 20-25 minutes tasting for desired potency.

Black-Eyed Peas with Trinidadian Seasonings

World Vegetarian, more than 650 meatless recipes from around the globe, by Madhur Jaffrey
Cookbook 18, Recipe 1, (Total 38)

Madhur Jaffrey can always be counted on for excellent cookbooks.

Did I like it? Yes. More importantly I didn't miss the chicken or bacon that Stephen likes to cook black eyed peas with. This makes plenty of leftovers for work lunches.

Recipe
Soak 1.5 cups dried black-eyed peas at least 8 hours. Drain, rinse, drain.

In a large pot heat 3 T oil. Saute 2 finely chopped scallions, 1 small diced celery stalk, 1 small diced carrot, 1/2 small diced green pepper until they begin to turn brown. Add 4.5 cups water, soaked beans, 1.5 tsp chopped thyme, 1 Tsp paprika (Hungarian half-sharp from Penzeys), 1/4 tsp red pepper, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp mustard powder. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Add 2 tsp kosher salt and simmer 20 more minutes.

Chocolate Coconut Cake with Chocolate Fudge Frosting (vegan)

The Voluptuous Vegan, by Myra Kornfeld
Cookbook 17, Recipe 2, (Total 37)

Hands down - this is the best vegan cookbook I have ever had the pleasure of cooking and baking from.

Did I like it? In the realm of cakes it was pretty good, in the realm of vegan cakes it was most excellent. I always find vegan cakes to have a slightly gummy texture - that texture is very minimal in this recipe.

As I was baking this evening it dawned on me how expensive and calorie laden this recipe is. The cake contains 2160 calories just from maple syrup (3 cups at 90calories per T), let alone a cup of coconut milk 400, 2 cups of flour 800, 1 cup of cocoa powder 320, 1 cup of chocolate chips 640, etc...

Recipe:
For the cake: Combine 2 cups of flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda together and set aside. In a pan heat together 1 cup of coconut milk with 1/2 cup cocoa powder until mixture begins to bubble, pour into a bowl. Add to the cocoa mixture: 1.5 cups maple syrup, 6 T canola oil, 2 tsp rice vinegar, 2.5 tsp coconut flavoring, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt. Pour liquid mixture into the dry - whisk quickly and Bake in two 8 inch pans at 350 for 25 minutes.

For a truly bizarre experience make the frosting: In a saucepan combine 1&1/4 cups water with 4T agar flakes. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir often or the agar will stick to the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1.5 cups maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile combine 1/4 cup soy milk with 2 T arrowroot powder. When the cocoa mixture has come to a boil add soy milk mixture. Cook until barely simmering and thick. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl with 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Chill until firm. I mean firm - look at the picture. I dumped the mixture from my bowl into the food processor - you can see it's a large gelatinous mass.
Strange isn't it? Now whip this up in the food processor for 3 minutes and it will be light and fluffy.

Assemble your cake and coat with unsweetened dried coconut.

Curried Chickpea Tart with Fennel-Cauliflower Sauce

The Voluptuous Vegan, by Myra Kornfeld
Cookbook 17, Recipe 1, (Total 36)

I checked this book out of the St. Paul Public Library a number of years ago. I made the Gingerbread with Blood Orange Sauce (Did I mention that I love spice cakes). It was so fantastic that I also tried the Carrot Cake with Coconut-Cardamom Sauce. Keep in mind this is a vegan cookbook - no dairy. This is the only cookbook I recommend for vegan cakes.

I chose the chickpea tart because I've never made a main dish from this cookbook. They tend to be very involved recipes. It took two hours from the time I arrived home to have dinner on the table - not something I want to do everyday.

Did I like it. Absolutely. Stephen said "It's just fantastic!". The flavors are delicious, the texture is creamy and is just overall "fantastic"!

Recipe:
Chickpea Tart: Combine in a blender - 3.5 cups of water with 1.5 cups of chickpea (garbanzo) flour and 3 T canola oil. Pour into a large pot and add another 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add 2 tsp salt. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, all the while maintaining a blurby bubbles - see picture below. Cook until it's thick enough to set up in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, saute 1 large onion in 1 T oil until just beginning to brown, add 1/3 cup water and 1 T Penzeys sweet curry powder. Cook until water has evaporated. Add to chickpea batter and pour into a 9 inch tart pan. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to two days.

Fennel-Cauliflower Sauce: Heat 4 tsp canola oil in a pot and add 2 T chickpea flour - cook until nice and browned - set aside.

Toast 2 tsp fennel seeds in a pan and then grind to a powder.

Heat 1 T oil, add 1 large minced onion and 1 medium thinly sliced bulb of fennel (discarding hard inner core) - saute until onions start to brown. Add ground fennel seeds and saute one more minute. Add 4 C water, 2 cups cauliflower florets and salt - bring to a boil. Remove 1/2 cup of liquid and whisk into the reserved chickpea/oil mixture - Add mixture into the pan and simmer, partially covered approximately 20 minutes - until the cauliflower is soft. Blend. Pour back into pan and add 1 T lemon juice and 1 T ginger juice and a nice pinch of cayenne.


While the sauce is in the simmering stage, remove the tart from the refrigerator and cut into 6 wedges. Place on a cookie sheet - brush with oil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes - until its heated through and has a crust. Serve with sauce.

Meal in a Muffin Tin

Ladies' Home Journal Adventures in Cooking, by the Editors of Ladies' Home Journal (1968)
Cookbook 16, Recipe 2 (Total 35)

How could I resist a complete meal in a muffin tin? I did replace the 1/3 cup biscuit mix with my own equivalent.

Did I like it? Well... The meat loaf was very dense and the potato a little undercooked. The up-side down cake should have had sugar sprinkled on top. Overall, the amusement of it was worth the less than stellar taste - a once in a lifetime experience.

Recipe:
Meatloaf: Combine 1/2 lb ground lamb, 1 T catsup, 2 T bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp salt and herbs of choice. Divide between two muffin cups.

Potato: Divide a large potato in two. Poke all over with a fork and place each half in a muffin cup.

Up-side down cake: Place 3 canned apricot half's each in two muffin cups. Place 1 tsp brown sugar on top of each along with a 1 tsp lemon juice. In a bowl combine 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tsp sugar. With a fork smooch in 2 tsp butter. Add 3 T milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Place over apricot halves.

Bake in a 350 oven for 40 minutes.

Hot Cross Buns

Ladies' Home Journal Adventures in Cooking, by the Editors of Ladies' Home Journal (1968)
Cookbook 16, Recipe 1 (Total 34)

I misplaced my camera so it's taken me a while to post this recipe.

When I called Mom the Saturday evening to discuss Easter breakfast - she was just about purchase hot cross buns at cub foods - sacrilege! I started these buns at 7:00pm and finished after 11:00pm. It was worth it.

Did I like it? Yes, they were excellent. I used to hate these buns - I've grown into enjoying them.

Recipe:
Scald 3/4 cup milk and add 1 T sugar. Cool until warm. Proof 2.5 tsp yeast in 1/2 cup warm water with 1 tsp sugar. Combine the two mixtures with 1.5 cups flour. Cover and let rise about 30 hour - until bubbly.

To the proofed mixture add 1/4 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 room temp egg, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 cup currants. Beat in enough flour to make a good dough. Let rise until doubled.

Divide dough into 16 buns. Place 2 inches apart on two cookie sheets. Let rise until double about 45 minutes.

Slash an X into each bun. Beat 1 white with 1 tsp water. Brush over the buns and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Buckwheat Pancakes

Savoring The Seasons Of The Northern Heartland 200 Recipes Blending Bold, New Flavors With The Traditional Foods Of The Upper Midwest, by Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson
Cookbook 15, Recipe 2 (Total 33)

It's funny - I've never made buckwheat pancakes myself - while I've ordered them often over the past five years at our local breakfast restaurant. They've taken them off the menu and now I've discovered that mine are better.

Did I like it? Yum. I ate them with maple syrup for supper. I'll try some sort of a sandwich tomorrow for lunch with the leftover.

Recipe:
Whisk together: 1/2 cup buckwheat flour, 3/4 cup white flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 T sugar.

In another bowl combine: 2 cups buttermilk, 1 egg, 2 T canola oil.

Quickly whisk the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients - this should take more than 3 seconds to full incorporate the two mixtures. Cook.

Spice Cake with Cardamom-Coffee Icing

Savoring The Seasons Of The Northern Heartland 200 Recipes Blending Bold, New Flavors With The Traditional Foods Of The Upper Midwest, by Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson
Cookbook 15, Recipe 1 (Total 32)

After spilling my entire cup coffee in the parking lot in the morning, tipping another entire cup of tea all over my desk in the afternoon, and breaking my last double walled cup in a spectacular crash resulting in broken glass all over the kitchen and living room floors in the evening - I was ready for a great piece of cake. I chose this recipe a long time ago because there is a picture of really cute 72 year old farmer man sifting flour for this recipe - preparing to enter it into the State Fair competition.

Did I like it? I love spice cakes and this one was no exception. Perfect with a cup of coffee or even red wine. It's unusual to find spice cake with black pepper. While I seriously enjoyed the cake - the frosting was un-savable. I could never get the coffee to cohere with the butter. Just don't try fake butter cream frosting - take the time to make an Italian meringue base - says I.

Recipe:
Beat together 1/2 cup of butter with 1 1/2 cups white sugar (I didn't have 1/2 cup b.sugar so I used an extra 1/2 cup of white) until fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs (one at a time) and 1 tsp vanilla.

Mix together 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp cardamom.

Alternately add the dry ingredients to the butter with 1 1/4 cups buttermilk.

Divide between two 8 inch greased and floured pans and cook at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Lentil and Onion Croquettes

The Vegetarian Table: America by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 14 Recipe 2 (Total 31)

I made this yesterday but became too involved in preparing taxes in the evening to post it. As we get older we need to be on the alert - we might turn into our parents. Two croquette recipes in 2 months...I might be turning into my mother...

Did I like it? The were excellent and surprisingly creamy for not being a cream/milk sauce based croquette. Four was enough to sit like a lead balloon in my stomach - I recommend one or two as an appetizer to a light supper or lunch.

Recipe:
Heat 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil in a pan and add one chopped onion. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook until caramelized - about 10 more minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in another pot place 1/4 cup finely chopped carrot and celery along with 1/2 cup of green lentils. Add water to cover by 2 inches, bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and then puree slightly, leaving some texture.

Add lentil mixture and onion together with 1/2 cup bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste. Then add 1/2 a beaten egg. Place in refrigerator to cool completely.

After cool - form into 8 - 3 inch by 1 inch logs and roll in bread crumbs to coat.

Add 1/8 inch oil to a pan and heat until a bread crumb browns quickly. Fry for 5 minutes or until a dark brown.

Dutch Cheese Sandwich Filling

The Vegetarian Table: America by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 14 Recipe 1 (Total 30)

Yep - another Debrah Madison cookbook. I found this cookbook in the $1 section of Half Price Books. It was a thrilling discovery because I wasn't aware of its existence.

I've been thinking about sandwiches since visiting Rachel last weekend and hearing her talk about eating them. I chose this recipe - quick and easy!

Did I like it? It was much tangier than I was expecting and therefore more enjoyable. It is a fun addition to a spread repretaur.

Recipe: In a bowl combine 1 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream and 1 cup chopped watercress (we bought a variety called Upland Cress). Add salt and pepper to taste.

Leg of Lamb with Mint & Garlic

Great Women Chefs Marvelous Meals & Innovative Recipes from the Stars of American Cuisine, by Julie Stillman
Cookbook 13, Recipe 2 (Total 29)

I was interested in trying something new with a lamb roast - I usually prepare it with a honey mustard rub. I'm not usually into mixing meats, the paprika and bacon rub was definitely something I had not tried.

This recipe is by Joyce Goldstein

Did I like it? Yes - it made absolutely delicious leftover sandwiches.

Recipe: Blend or pound together 3/4 cup mint, 3 cloves garlic, 2 thick slices of natural unsmoked bacon, 1 T paprika, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and 2 T red wine vinegar. Rub on a 2-3 lb bone in lamb roast and refrigerate overnight. Bring the roast to room temperature. Brush with a mixture of 1/2 cup olive oil and 1 T red wine vinegar. Roast at 400 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting every 25-30 minutes.

Matzoh Brei with Wild Mushrooms

Great Women Chefs Marvelous Meals & Innovative Recipes from the Stars of American Cuisine, by Julie Stillman
Cookbook 13, Recipe 1 (Total 28)

On Sunday I took a lamb leg roast out of the oven to cook tomorrow and use for sandwich materials this week. I decided to pick a cookbook that would use both a leg of lamb as well as the mushrooms we purchased at the Madison Farmers Market this weekend. This cookbook was written in 1996 and is a compilation of recipes from 30 top women chefs in the United States.

This recipe is from Anne Rosenzweig

Did I like it? Scrambled eggs with semi-soggy crackers... It was interesting at first and then way to heavy. I think if the butter was cut in 1/2 it would be easier to eat. I didn't even finish half of my serving. Stephen liked it.

How does one cook scrambled eggs crispy? I've never been able to acquire that happy talent.

Recipe: Melt 4 T of butter in a pan and slowly caramelize 1.5 chopped onion. Add 3 cups sliced mushrooms. Saute and place in a bowl. Meanwhile, mix 4 eggs and 1/4 cup plus 2 T milk together with salt and pepper. Soak 4.5 sheets of matzoh in water for 30 seconds, then crush into the egg mixture. Melt 3 T butter in the saucepan, add the egg and mushroom mixture. Cook until preferred doneness. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped parsley.

Tunisian Brik

Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert
Cookbook 12, Recipe 2 (Total 27)

Rachel chose this recipe as she'd be interested in trying it for a while. I thought it sounded intereting and fun to try.

Did we like it? Absolutely no. Stephen said he'd never try one again. Rachel said neeich. After the first batch of frying each of us dumped the raw egg (inside the cooked parcels pictured above) into a cup and then had no stomach to try again.

To be fair the fourth try yielded a completely cooked egg. I think we were all too grossed out at that point to try.

What is a Tunisian Brik? It's an egg roll/spring roll wrap filled with onion, canned tuna, parsley, capers and 1 raw egg. It's then deep fried preferably until the egg is cooked.

Since this was a complete flop I will not include the recipe.

Orange and Black Olive Salad

Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco by Paula Wolfert
Cookbook 12, Recipe 1 (Total 26)

Last week I was sick the entire week. I didn't get off the couch in the evening and ate mostly ramen. Fortunately my cold cleared well enough by Friday to visit Rachel as we planned. We decided to cook on Saturday evening and chose this cookbook because she has it as well as I and then I wouldn't be stuck with 2 cookbooks this week.

Rachel pointed out that although the recipe calls for canned black olives, Paula Wolfert would probably call for something different now. The cookbook was published in 1973 and olive availability now versus 35 years ago is a bit different.

Did I like it? Surprisingly yes. I really dislike olives and rarely ever eat them. Both Rachel and Stephen love olives so it seemed like a good choice to make. The oranges combine with the olives to form a great marinade.

Recipe:
In a bowl place, three supremed valencia oranges, 1 cup chopped up kalamata and salt curred Moroccan olives, 2 T olive oil, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp salt, pinch of cumin, and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Serve.

Carrot Salad with Currants and Almonds

Vegetable Love Vegetables delicious, alone or with pasta, seafood, poultry, meat and more by Barbara Kafka
Cookbook 11, Recipe 2, (Total 25)

I purchased a 2 lb bag of carrots on Wednesday to make carrot sticks for a vegetable platter this weekend. I'm not a big chomp on raw carrot fan and didn't want to waste the other 1.5 lbs so I chose a carrot recipe.

Did I like it? It was nicely balanced with tangy and sweet flavors. It's more a of a sidekick than a main dish, tonight it played sidekick to a BLT. We both thought it should have poppy seeds added.

Recipe:
Combine 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Pour over 1/2 cup currants and leave for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, grate 1 lb carrots (using that handy scale I bought you for Christmas) and place in a bowl with a handful of chopped almonds. Drain the currants (keeping the liquid) and add to carrot mixture. To the drained liquid add 1/2 cup yogurt (plain) and 1 T honey. Pour over carrots, mix and serve.

Recently I discovered I often use the word currant instead of current... Now that I pay attention to this, I'm embarrassed how many times I have to stop and think - OK not the dried fruit...

Cauliflower Cheddar Gratin

Vegetable Love Vegetables delicious, alone or with pasta, seafood, poultry, meat and more by Barbara Kafka
Cookbook 11, Recipe 1, (Total 24)

Or as pa likes to call her "Barbara aka 500 Kafka". She generally cooks food a much higher temperature than your standard cookbook authors. This cookbook is organized by vegetable which is handy. I picked up cauliflower on Saturday. Sunday I decided I wanted to make this recipe - Yep I've made it before. I didn't set any rules against making something I already like.


Did I like it? Yep! I think cheddar sauce is much better on Cauliflower than broccoli. I've only recently begun to enjoy cauliflower and I think this is my favorite Cauliflower dish.

Recipe:
Steam enough cauliflower until fork tender to fill your baking dish (I used an 8x8 and therefore the following sauce is for an 8x8). Melt 2 T butter in a sauce pan and add 1/4 cup flour, cook for about 5 minutes or until it starts to break apart again and is a toasty brown. Mix together 1 & 1/4 cups milk, 1/3 cup cream, 1/8 tsp cayenne and 2 tsp salt. Gradually add to the butter/flour mixture with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until thick. Add 1 cup of grated cheese - a mixture of cheddar and Parmesan is my favorite. Pour sauce over cauliflower in the baking dish. Bake at 400 (not 500 this time) for 40 minutes.

Star Anise-Glazed Tempeh with stir-fried peppers

Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 10, Recipe 2 (Total 23)

It's been an extremely busy week. I actually made this on Wednesday and am finally posting it on Sunday. I chose this recipe because I would like to learn how to cook with Tempeh. I'm comfortable with setain but not Tempeh.

Did I like it? It was a good stir fry. The cabbage doesn't really cook through, it stays crunchy. I think I would rather have tofu or setain. This was a night that I normally would have thrown something frozen in the oven or cooked ramen. I knew my other nights were going to be busy so I cooked anyway. After cleaning on Thursday Stephen happened to mention that "cabbage really sticks" - there wasn't many areas of the kitchen that didn't end up with cabbage.

Recipe:
Place in a saucepan and bring to a boil: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 mirin, 2 T brown sugar, 1 T maple syrup, 1 3inch piece of cinnamon and 2 star anise. Boil for 4-5 minutes, turn off the heat and add 1 pkg tempeh cut into desired size. Let soak four minutes on each side.

Heat a wok and add 2 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp sesame oil, add tempeh and cook until browned, add a few T of the marinade and cook until it's evaporated and glazed the tempeh. Wipe out the wok and add 2 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp sesame oil. Add 1 chopped garlic clove, 1 T chopped ginger and 6 chopped scallions - cook 1 minute. Add 1 small shredded red cabbage, 1 green pepper sliced, 1 yellow pepper sliced, salt and pepper, cook until softened - about 10 minutes. Add the remaining marinade and cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Pasta and Chickpeas with plenty of parsley and garlic

Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen, by Deborah Madison
Cookbook 10, Recipe 1 (total 22)

It doesn't get better than Deborah Madison. I love her cookbooks. This book was given to me by my in-laws David & Rita for Christmas this year.

Did I like it? It was hearty and good. I would have really enjoyed it with young garlic. My garlic is a little old and quite harsh. The recipe made me think of a deconstructed parsley pesto. I deviated from the directions by cooking the garlic - I wasn't in the mood for 3 cloves of raw winter garlic.

Recipe:
While bringing water to a boil for pasta. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute 1 small chopped onion. Add 1 can of chickpeas and heat for 3 minutes, add 3 chopped cloves of garlic along, with 1/2 tsp chili paste and cook for 5 minutes. Chop up 1 large bunch of parsley and a handful of sage leaves, add 1/3 of this mixture to the pan along with salt and pepper to taste. Cook this mixture, adding the liquid from the canned chickpeas as appropriate. Cook 1/4 lb pasta, drain, add to pan with the remaining parsley/sage. Serve with grated parmesan.

Steamed Coconut Custards

new food fast by Donna Hay
Cookbook 9, Recipe 2 (Total 21)

Quick dessert - yes please!

Did I like it? It's extremely rich. The picture looks like it a supper club - that's what I felt like eating it - comforable food that's very unhealthy for you. I only managed 1/2 a custard.

Recipe:
Combine 3/4 cup coconut milk, 1 1/4 cups cream, 3 T sugar, 4 egg yolks and zest of one lime. Divide between 4 cups or ramekins and steam for 15 minutes.

Macaroni Cheese

new food fast by Donna Hay
Cookbook 9, Recipe 1 (Total 20)

I have a number of Donna Hay cookbooks. I chose this cookbook today because I screwed up getting ingredients for a different recipe in a different cookbook. Not wanting to go to the grocery store again, I decided to see if I could make something out of what's in the house using new food fast.

I like to eat lunch while reading in the sun on my living room floor on Sunday's.

Did I like it? Yes - but you must eat it right away. This is one of those pasta recipes that separates when left alone after cooking. I've noticed French cookbooks tend to have a cream mustard sauce for pasta. This recipe is a slimmer version of that using just a couple of tablespoons - more of a slight coating than a sauce.

The recipe format was a paragraph - basically cook some pasta, drain, add cream, mustard and black pepper to the pan and return the pasta to the pan as well, cook for 2 minutes, add parsley, plate, sprinkle on cheese, bake and serve.

My version:
Bring salted water to a boil and add 4 oz Mostaccioli (about 1 1/2 cups) - cook 9 minutes, drain. In the same pan add 2 T cream, 1 tsp mustard - Cook 1 minute, add 1/4 cup chopped dill and place in oven proof bowls. Top with a mixture of Parmesan and cheddar to equal 1 oz. Bake at 400 for 8 minutes.

Zanzibar Coffee

Where Flavor was Born Recipes and Culinary Travels Along the Indian Ocean Spice Route by Andreas Viestad
Cookbook 8, Recipe 3 (Total 19)

I'm always up for trying new beverages. I happened to have Yemen Mokha coffee beans from a local roster so I used them - I thought Yemen was closer to Zanzibar than it is. Stephen looked it up and said it's about the same distance from Madison to Vancouver... Not exactly close - Oh Well.

Did I like it? Absolutely. It's nicer than the Turkish plain or (heaven forbid!) rosewater boiled coffee. The ginger added at the end is what really made it interesting. It reminded me of hot chocolate spiced with ancho chili's. This coffee gets that punch from ginger and cinnamon.

Recipe
Bring to a boil 2 cups of water with 4 slightly crushed cardamom pods and 2/3 inch piece of cinnamon. Lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup coarse ground coffee and bring to a boil. Turn off heat long enough for the grounds to settle. Bring to a boil again and let settle again. Repeat again. Add 3 tsp sugar and 1 tsp dried ground ginger. Pour into four cups. Drink when the grounds have settled.

It's always fun to flip the cup upside down when finished. Some day I'll learn to read grounds.

Coconut Curry Cake

Where Flavor was Born Recipes and Culinary Travels Along the Indian Ocean Spice Route by Andreas Viestad
Cookbook 8, Recipe 2 (Total 18)

This recipe does not use "curry powder" but a choice mixture of spices usually in curry. I chose to freshly grate coconut - you can use unsweetened dried. It goes without saying - grind all spices fresh.

Did I like it? Very much. I believe it is the lightest cake I've ever made. That may be in part to the self-rising White Lily flour from Eppie - Thanks Eppie!

Recipe
Beat together 8 T butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add three eggs, one at a time. Mix together: 1.5 cups self-rising flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground star anise, 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg, 2 tsp freshly grated ginger, 3 T grated coconut. Stir dry ingredients into wet. Spread into a buttered 10 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream. YUM!

Tamarind-Glazed Fruits with Star Anise

Where Flavor was Born Recipes and Culinary Travels Along the Indian Ocean Spice Route by Andreas Viestad
Cookbook 8, Recipe 1 (Total 17)

Stephen gave me this cookbook. We love the infections enthusiasm in the TV series New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad. I chose this recipe because I'm always looking for yummy thick fruit sauces

Did I like it? A little but not much. The figs were nice but the rest of the fruit didn't match the weird flavor of the tamarind. It's a very punchy cross between citrus and molasses. I would make it again only with figs as a sort of very small accompaniment to something else. Vanilla ice cream tasted good with 1/2 of the fig on the side. I substituted fresh pineapple with star fruit (fresh pineapple makes me sick). Stephen strongly disliked it - no offense to you or the author but it's the worst thing you've made since starting this project...

Recipe:
Split and scrape a vanilla bean - place the seeds in a large bowl and the pod in a sauce pan. To the sauce pan add: 7 T brown sugar, 1 stock finely chopped lemongrass, 2 tsp minced fresh ginger, 4 star anise, 2 T tamarind paste and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes - until reduced by half.

Quarter and core 2 apples and 2 pears. Slice a star fruit in 1/2 inch slices, cut 8 figs and 8 dried apricots in a half. Rub all fruit with the vanilla seeds.

Heat the oven to 350 and place a 8 inch square pan in it to pre-heat.

Melt 4 T butter in a large sauce pan, add fruits and 4 T rum. Cook until fruits are slightly caramelized (I had to add 2 T brown sugar to get any sort of caramelization). Place fruit in pre-heated pan and pour sauce over. Bake for 10 minutes.

Fresh Anchovies (smelt actually) stuffed with Serrano Ham (prosciutto actually) and Spinach

Tapas With 50 New Recipes, an Updated Edition of the Classic Book That Introduced America to Tapas, by Penelope Casas
Cookbook 7 Recipe 3 (Total 16)

Happy Birthday to Stephen Part 3 How do I love Stephen? Let me count the ways... On his 33rd Birthday I learned to gut a fish. On his 33rd Birthday I gut 10 fish. On his 33rd Birthday I chopped off 10 fish heads. On his 33rd Birthday I learned how to strip the spinal cord out of a fish. I popped the air sack of 10 fish... I even cut the top and bottom fins off the fish.

Anyway - I also cooked a blueberry pie for dinner and served him blueberry scones and a latte in bed for breakfast.

For Dyanna & Jason's benefit this recipe can be found on page 19.

Did I like it? Yech.. But Stephen ate 8 of the 10 - it was his most favorite dish. He loved it.


Recipe:
Gut and remove the fins and spinal cord of 10 smelts. Set aside

Wash 1/4 lb spinach - chop - throw in to a pan with some salt and pepper and wilt.
Meanwhile, heat 1 T oil in a saute pan with 1 crushed garlic clove. Add wilted spinach when garlic is just cooked.

Make white sauce: Heat 1 T butter and add 1.5 T flour - cook 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup clam juice and 1/2 cup milk. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg - cook until thick. Add 2 T to the spinach, coat the bottom of a 8 inch square pan and set the rest aside.

Stuff each fish with a strip of prosciutto and 1 T spinach. Cover fish with reserved sauce and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Basque-Style Crab with Phyllo and Alioli

Tapas With 50 New Recipes, an Updated Edition of the Classic Book That Introduced America to Tapas, by Penelope Casas
Cookbook 7 Recipe 2 (Total 15)

Happy Birthday to Stephen Part 2 Stephen selected about 20 recipes from this book that he was interested in trying. Unfortunately for me ALL of them were seafood based. Oh Well. If I had to assign a smell to an old fisherman's boat docked in the harbor - it would be this filling. The mixture of clam juice, brandy and white wine seems to require a ship and a pipe.

For Dyanna & Jason's benefit this recipe can be found on page 123.

Did I like it? Loved the smell, the taste was OK for seafood.

Recipe:
Heat 1 T olive oil in a pan. Add 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped leeks, 1 clove garlic minced - cook until softened. Add 1/4 cup chopped canned tomatoes from your summer canning adventure, 1 T minced heart of celery leaves (I forgot to purchase parsley), pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, 2 T clam juice, 2 T brandy, 2 T dry white wine -simmer until most liquid has evaporated. Add 1/4 lb chopped up crab meat and simmer 1 more minute.

Stack up three sheets of phyllo dough and cut the stack in to triangles. Fry them in 365 degree peanut oil for 1 minute.

Place phyllo triangle on a plate and top with warm crab mixture.

The recipe's Alioli was a complete bomb - it was too liquidy in the first place and then separated on me. After three hours of cooking I didn't really care.

Lobster and Chestnut Croquettes

Tapas With 50 New Recipes, an Updated Edition of the Classic Book That Introduced America to Tapas, by Penelope Casas
Cookbook 7 Recipe 1 (Total 14)

Happy Birthday to Stephen Part 1 I cooked three Tapas for Stephen's birthday yesterday. He had class and didn't get home until 9:20 so I had from 6:00-9:00 to cook:) I chose this cookbook because Stephen's sister and her husband gave it to me for my birthday last year - a fitting cookbook to use for Stephen's Birthday this year.

Did I like it? Yes! Next time I would substitute minced shrimp for the lobster and shredded Tetilla cheese for the chestnuts. Then they would taste just like the croquettes I love at Solera - which by the way do not taste strongly of shrimp - probably why I like it. The batter reminded me of cream puff (pate a choix).

I've never cooked lobster before so when the recipe said simmer until cooked through I didn't know how long that was... I ended up taking it off way too soon and adding it back in.

For Dyanna & Jason's benefit this recipe can be found on page 182.

Recipe:
Place a small lobster tail in salted water to cover and boil till

Roast 6 caned chestnuts in the oven for 8-10 minutes - then mince.

Place lobster tail in water to cover, add salt and bring to a boil. Boil about 8 minutes until the flesh is opaque. Remove lobster, separate meat from shell. Place the shell back in the water and boil for 10 more minutes. Chop the lobster meat up.

Meanwhile, heat 4 T olive oil over high heat and add 6 T flour, cook 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup dry white wine, 1/4 cup water from boiling lobster, pinch salt and pepper. Cook until thick - about 1 minute. Add chestnuts and lobster and cook for 1 more minute.

Spread mixture out onto a plate and refrigerate until firm. Roll into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in to beaten egg, followed by panko crumbs. Place back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Fry in 365 peanut oil for 2 minutes. Keep in a 200 oven until ready to serve (30 minutes max).

Herbed Barley and Mushroom Casserole

The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever With More Than 500 Recipes! by Beatrice Ojakangas
Cookbook 6, Recipe 2, (Total 13)

I chose this recipe because I had homemade beef stock to use up.

An aside on my beef stock. Last November we purchased a 25lb bag of various beef bones for $12 from a local farmer. I don't really like beef but who could pass up that deal (we could have purchased 40lbs for the same price - I'm not that crazy for a deal). Anyway I roasted a bunch of bones at 400 for 45 minutes, transferred them to a pot, covered them with water and placed it on the lowest setting for 22 hours. Yep 22 hours - Nope I did not inform Stephen of what I was doing. If he would have inquired about what I was doing - I would have told him and he would have had strong objections - so I didn't purposely inform him. The result was the most excellent beef stock we've eaten!

Anyway the house smelled like stuffing while this baked.

Did I Like it? Yes - it's very pleasant tasting and extremely easy to make. I was expecting to want cranberries and turkey but it holds its own. It's very healthy and makes you feel virtuous.

Recipe
Melt 2T of butter in a 2qt casserole dish on the stove top. Add one chopped onion, 1/2 lb sliced mushrooms, 2T chopped sage leaves, 1T chopped thyme leaves - saute until softened. Stir in 1.5 cups whole barley (not pearled please) until coated with mixture. Add 2 cups of beef stock, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook at 350 for 45 minutes. Add another cup of beef stock, cover and cook for 30 more minutes.

Norwegian Lemon Custard

The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever With More Than 500 Recipes! by Beatrice Ojakangas
Cookbook 6, Recipe 1 (Total 12)

I am sad that my first major flop is an Ojakangas recipe. She's one of my top two authors...oh well...I made this on Monday, hoped on Tuesday that it might improve, threw it in the garbage today.

I was really looking forward to eating this - it's supposed to be the type of recipe that bakes into two layers - the bottom is custard and the top is a sort of egg white cake. However, the custard layer did not set up. I thought that if I set it in the refrigerator overnight it might firm up - nope.

Did I like it? Nope it was liquidy and weirdly separated underneath the top. I decided if the recipe is a flop I won't bother posting the recipe.

Punjabi Split Chickpeas and Lamb Curry

1,000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra
Cookbook 5, Recipe 2 (Total 11)

You may have noticed that I have a lot of lamb meat from Bob Otis. We purchased 1/2 a lamb from him in October and have been slowly working our way though it. Occasionally we purchase some chicken or pork but mostly if we eat meat it's lamb at the moment. I still have two packages of stew meat left and choose this recipe to use one up. The recipe calls for 1 lb boneless leg of lamb - stew meat is great. I like to save my roasts for roasting.

Also - since I canned tomatoes again this summer I like to use them in place of fresh during the winter. I can them whole and then simply open a jar and use 1.5 tomatoes to what the recipe calls for.

Did I like it? Yes sir. The black cardamom smokiness and the lemon juice combine for a flavor not generally found in american cuisine - it took a couple of bites to warm up to. Stephen and I both were expecting a creamy dish, something on the order of split pea soup. The peas were pleasantly toothsome (I can't think of a better way to say firm but not dry).

How to cook this dish...
Soak 1/2 cup split yellow peas in water (to cover by 2 inches) for 1 hour.

Heat 2 T oil in a pan, add 4 black cardamom pods (crushed just slightly) and 1 inch of cinnamon. Cook for aprox 30 seconds. Add one chopped onion and cook until browned - about 5 minutes. Stir in: 1 T minced ginger, 1 crushed clove of garlic, 1/2 a minced jalapeno, 1 Tablespoon ground coriander, 1 tsp garam masala, and 1/4 tsp turmeric. Add 1 lb lamb stew meat from Mr Bob Otis, and cook until browned - 15-20 minutes. Add drained peas and cook 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of water, cover and cook 30 minutes. Add 3 chopped canned tomatoes, 2 T lemon juice and 1/2 cup chopped parsley - cook 10 minutes.