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.