The Ultimate Recipe Thread!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
81

First some omelette philosophy and then a recipe.
When making an omelette be sure to do the following:

[li]Have all of your ingredients at room temperature.[/li]
[li]Do not use milk in your eggs, it tightens them.[/li]
[li]Always use a preheated and well seasoned pan (method to follow)*.[/li]
[li]Do not stir your eggs too much.[/li]
[li]Correct flipping is everything. (see Scylla, sometimes we agree).[/li]*Seasoning a pan:

Wash the pan with one drop of liquid soap and the hottest water you can get out of the tap. Dry the pan completely. Fill the pan to 1/4" deep with a new oil or fat (your choice but, no vegetable material). Lard will cure a pan faster because of it’s higher smoking point, but let your preferences be your guide. Heat the pan until it begins to smoke, reduce heat just enough to avoid more smoking after one minute. Let pan remain at temperature for ten or twenty minutes and turn off the heat. Allow pan to cool slowly. Pour out oil and wipe with a damp cloth or paper towel. When washing a well seasoned pan, use little or better yet, no soap! Really hot water will wash your pan the best. Detergent has the ability to penetrate the metal (or other type surface) of your pan just like the oil does. Use soap very sparingly if at all. For this same reason, do not soak your pan overnight to clean it, this too will cut the seasoning. To remove stuck on food it is better to boil some water in the pan to loosen it.

On with the critique:

It is agreed that you never add milk, the milk proteins will coagulate at high temperature and tighten the texture of your eggs. A spoonful or two of water does just the opposite. It steams the egg mixture to fluff it up even more.

Sadly, few cast iron pans have the sloped sides of a true French omelette pan. This does not mean that they cannot be used, it’s just that you need a very large one so that you can get under the eggs without breaking the edge of the omelette.

The traditional French omelette is prepared in two ways. The first is a coarse, large curd country style, and the second a finer grain, “restaurant” style consistency (like Scylla’s). I actually do it a third way that is more labor intensive but yields the fluffiest omelette of all (recipe to follow).

What has been left out is the importance of having your eggs at room temperature. They will cook more evenly, quickly and lighter if this is so. Most importantly, never work the eggs too much. This will deflate the omelette and leave you with the equivalent of shoe leather.

And now for something completely different:

Southwestern Omelette
(Stolen from Mama’s Royal Cafe in Oakland, CA)

Serves: 2 people

Preparation time: 1/2 hour
Ingredients:

3 Eggs (separated)
2 Tsp water
2 TBS butter
1 Cooked chicken breast
1 Roasted Anaheim chile pepper
1/2 Ripe Haas avocado
1/4 Cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Dash white pepper
Dash salt
Preparation:

Warm all ingredients to room temperature. Shred the chicken, cheese and chop the chile pepper (tinned Ortega whole roasted green chiles are good). Preheat the pan over low heat. Separate the eggs and whip the whites to medium stiff peaks. (When whipping egg whites, make sure that all implements and the bowl are perfectly dry. A pinch of salt can help the process.) Mix the yolks and water, white pepper and salt. Beat the yolks briefly and then slowly fold in the whipped egg whites. Do not overwork the mixture or it will deflate. Pour into the pan and turn up the heat for one minute to set the eggs. Reduce after one minute and prepare ingredients. Do not work the mixture while it is in the pan!

Peel half the avocado and remove thin slices from it. Check the eggs to see that they have begun to set. Add the ingredients to the half of the pan farthest from the pan’s handle (you’ll see why in a moment). Distribute the ingredients equally over that half of the omelette. Using a thin metal spatula (or wooden spoon, if your pan is that well cured), begin to work the edges of the omelette free from the sides of the pan. Slowly work the spatula underneath without tearing the bottom of the eggs. Once the omelette slides around freely in the pan you will be ready to turn it.

Nearest the pan’s handle, work the spatula or spoon underneath the omelette. With the pan touching the burner, slowly raise the handle. As you tilt the pan upwards, turn the omelette. I should fold over cleanly without creasing or breaking. Fold the omelette a little further than you might think to, so that it will settle into place correctly after you sit the pan down again. Keep the omelette in motion to be sure it does not stick.

At this point you have two options, if you used an ovenproof skillet, you can put it in a preheated, 200 degree oven for a few minutes or finish it on the stove. Turn the omelette once in a similar fashion to what has been described to finish the cooking. Divide in half and serve hot with coarsely crumbled Jimmy Dean silver label sage recipe sausage, hash browns from this recipe thread, a buttered Thomas’ English Muffin and drip filtered Kona coffee.

Crystal hot sauce or a good green taco sauce may be used.

Ketchup is not allowed on the table.

82

Personally, I prefer to be able to unclench my teeth after two or more cups. I enjoy the lighter bodied coffees and brew them according to the same protocol as fine tea. So far my favorites are Kona and Sumatran. I still need to try Peaberry and Jamaican Blue Mountain.

  1. Always use freshly boiled water. It will have more oxygen than water that has been boiled for a while. O2 promotes the desired chemical reactions. In addition, remember that most chemical reactions double in rate for every ten degrees centigrade increase in temperature. Ergo, the hottest water will extract the most flavor. Which leads us to our next point.

  2. All surfaces that see the coffee should be preheated to steaming temperatures. The urn and the final drinking cup. The bitter acids in coffee form more readily on cold surfaces. Rinse all containers with boiling water before use.

  3. Freshly ground beans are the way to go. I only recently started using a grinder, but it is worth it. Grinding them the night before is an invitation to stale coffee.

  4. Personally, I use a Pyrex Chemex type brewing system with a paper filter. The paper supposedly absorbs nitrosamines that are carcinogenic.

  5. While I brew the coffee I rinse out the cup with boiling water and add the cream and sugar (yup, full Boston style) to allow them to come up to temperature.

  6. Swill while the swilling is good.

I had one friend who roasted and ground his own beans. Great coffee, if you had an hour and a half to make a cup. I’m sure he’s out there somewhere chasing down the latest rage in coffee. Get this, it’s coffee beans taken from the dung of some Vietnamese fox that only eats the perfectly ripe beans. I am not kidding, this is supposedly the Next Big Thing. Having had so many restaurant cups of coffee that already tasted like what I would imagine fox shit to taste like, I can’t see the importance of this. But hey, what do I know?

83

I was about to post how starving y’all are making me, and then I read Zenster’s last post about dung coffee. Gack! All the other recipes sound great, though, especially the Tokyo popcorn.

Here’s a variation on a cabbage salad that some of you may have had at potlucks. This version is much tastier.

Oriental Cabbage Ramen Salad

Dressing:

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 of the seasoning packets from the chicken Top Ramen

Vegies:

1 head of white cabbage, shredded
2 peeled carrots, shredded
4 scallions, sliced thin

Crunchies:

2 packages of chicken Top Ramen noodles (raw)
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds (toast in a skillet)
1 cup of slivered almonds (toast in a skillet)

Mix up the dressing ingredients in a Rubbermaid container, shake it up and put it to one side.

Put the Top Ramen noodles in a Ziploc bag and whack them with a mallet or a bottle until they are broken into nibbly-sized pieces. Add the nuts and seeds to the bag to keep them conveniently all together.

When you’re ready to assemble the salad, toss ONLY the vegies in the dressing, and let it sit for ten minutes. JUST before serving, add the crunchies from the ziploc bag and toss again. Everyone goes wild for this! If you keep the components (vegies/dressing/crunchies) separate until serving, it’s perfect to take to a picnic, potluck or party.

Tip: surimi (fake crab), cooked shrimp, or shredded cooked chicken are all excellent additions to this salad.

84

After seeing so many recipes full of eggs and cheese and cream, I thought I’d add a main dish recipe for those wanting something light and healthy. If you think this is going to be a hard one, this recipe was developed with a chef instructor & myself for a group of doctors that we were teaching a “light & healthy” cooking course. It seems like a lot to work with, but it’s deceptively simple.

Spice-crusted Salmon on Black-eyed Peas & Steamed Lemon Spinach

Serves 4

For the black-eyed peas:
(1) 12 oz bag of fresh shelled black-eyed peas (not the dried!)
vegetable oil as needed
1 small onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4-1/2 cup beer
1/4 cup whiskey
1/4 cup prepared barbeque sauce
2 T. honey
vegetable or chicken stock (low-salt or homemade), as needed
chopped parsley, for garnish

  1. Rinse and pick over black-eyed peas, discarding any foreign material. Place in a small pot with 1 quart of water. Season if desired. Place on high heat to boil, lower to simmer and cook, uncovered, until peas are tender (around 25 minutes).
  2. When peas are tender, strain, and reserve.
  3. Warm a 4 qt. pot; add oil to cover bottom, add onions and cook until glossy. Add carrots, celery, and bell pepper, and cook until glossy. Add jalapeno, garlic, and dried herbs, cook until aromatic, deglaze pan with beer & whisky, and cook until liquid is reduced by half.
  4. Add peas, with honey and barbeque sauce. Add enough stock to cover peas, reduce heat to a light simmer and cook uncovered 20 to 40 minutes.

For the spinach:
1 bunch of trimmed and washed spinach
juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt & pepper

Place cleaned spinach in steamer basket and set over simmering water. Wilt spinach (3 to 5 minutes) and season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

For the salmon:
(4) 6 oz salmon filets
2 t. dried thyme
2 t. dried oregano
1 T citrus zest, grated
1/2 t. each cayenne, white pepper, black pepper
1 t. salt
1 t. paprika
vegetable oil, as needed

  1. Combine all the seasonings in a shallow bowl or plate
  2. Check salmon to make sure it is free of pin bones. Ten minutes before cooking, dredge filets in seasoning, on both sides.
  3. Warm a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add vegetable oil, to coat bottom of pan, and add filets. Cook 3 to 5 minutes on each side. If filets are thick, you can put in a 350° oven for a few minutes to cook the center).

To serve:

On a warm plate, place spinach first, then top with a scoop of black-eyed peas. Place salmon filet on top. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

85

Thanks for the kind words Zenster. I.m glad to be here.

I noticed a couple of posts dealing with Jambalya back there and they reminded me that I’d promised a co-worker to write down my recipe for it.
Being a frugal sort, I thought I’d also post it here for everybody’s edification and amusement.
Unfortunantly, I don’t have my nifty little menu program here at work to format it all pretty-like. Nevertheless, here it is:

**JAMBALAYA

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
1 lb shrimp, preferably medium sized
1 BIG yellow onion, chopped
1-2 cups long grain white rice
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 green, or red, or yellow, bell pepper
2 regular sized cans of stewed chunked tomatoes
2 (or more) cans of chicken broth
1-2 Tbsp chili powder
cayenne pepper
salt
pepper
cooking oil
water

optional (see text):
bay leaves
thyme
Old Bay Seasoning
poultry seasoning
Crab and Shrimp boil
whatever
**

Jambalaya is kind of like spaghetti in that everyone has their own recipe, and no two ever seem to be the same, but the basic premise is: two or more kinds of meat, or shellfish, cooked with rice, tomatoes and other vegetables.
The variation most often asked for around my house is chicken and shrimp, and I do it this way: (How you do it is up to you. Improvise.)

In a sauce pan, boil two boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about a pound), seasoned with salt, pepper, a little poultry seasoning, and bay leaves (or just salt and pepper, if you’d rather.)
Meanwhile, chop up one big yellow onion, three or four celery stalks, three or four cloves of garlic, and a green bell pepper. Taste the pepper when you chop, sometimes they’re bitter. A red or yellow bell would be more than welcome here instead, if you like.
Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and sauté the onion, garlic, celery and pepper over medium heat until the onion is translucent, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.
Pour in at least two cans of chicken broth and two cans of peeled tomato chunks.
Put in at least a tablespoon of chili powder. Most folks also add cayenne pepper, but my friends and family are a little timid about that stuff, so I take it easy on them. A little dried thyme would be welcome here also. Taste! Taste! Taste!
Strain off the chicken, and add the broth to the pot. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and add to the pot.
When the pot comes up to a slow boil, add at least a cup of long grain white rice. Remember that a cup of rice will absorb about two and a half cups of liquid, so adjust your liquids accordingly.
If you want the rice to absorb all the liquid, the traditional way, cover, and reduce to a simmer, just as if you were cooking any rice dish. You may, at your discretion, come back and stir the top down to the bottom part way through.
If you are serving it as a soup, (some people do), put in more liquid and stir every few minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse out the saucepan and cook the shrimp as you would normally do, using crab and shrimp boil, Old Bay Seasoning, or whatever you prefer. You may add this stock to the pot later if you wish.
When the shrimp are done, drain and peel and set aside.
When the rice is done, (half an hour to an hour), turn off the heat, stir in the shrimp, and, as soon as the shrimp are hot again, serve, with Louisiana Hot Sauce on the table.

If the proportions seem sketchy, I’m sorry. I taste as I go, and so should you, and by all means, use fresh ingredients instead of canned if you have them.

I’ve been messing with this recipe for close to thirty years and I’m not finished with it yet.

Later, I’ll post something without shrimp.

86

One of my all time favorite sandwiches:

[li]Dark Rye (nothing else is the same)[/li][li]Rare Roast Beef[/li][li]White Meat Turkey[/li][li]American or Cheddar Cheese[/li][li]Lettuce[/li][li]Tomato[/li][li]Onion (light)[/li][li]Horseradish (light)[/li][li]Heavy Mayo[/li][li]Heavy Mustard[/li]
Pepperoncinis and some potato chips on the side. We’re talking major taste bud orgasm here. In a pinch, you can use the marbled rye, but light rye and other breads just don’t cut it. Same goes for the cheese, stick to the recipe. Very rare roast beef is preferable to overcooked.

87

Jacketed Fish Filets
(Main seafood course)
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4-8 Filet of sole, butterfish or cod
1-2 Russet potatoes
1-2 Lemons
1/2 Cube butter
Salt to taste
Preparation:

Peel potatoes and discard peelings. Continue to peel off large, thin slices of potato into a bowl of water (try to obtain the largest sheets possible). Once the potatoes are sliced, drain the water and refill (this is to wash the potatoes, see the hash browns recipe). Check the filets for pin bones while the potatoes soak. Warm a large, well seasoned skillet over a low heat. Drain the potato slices and dry them on a cloth or paper towel. Lay one of the fish filets on one half of a sheet of waxed paper. Cover the filet with a layer of overlapping potato slices (similar to the scales of a fish). Carefully fold over the waxed paper to flip the filet and leave the other side of the fish exposed. Cover the filet with another layer of potatoes like the first. Set aside (or refrigerate) each finished filet and complete the others in the same fashion.

Increase the heat to medium and melt half of the butter in the pan. When the butter begins to foam, swirl it around and carefully deposit the fish in the pan. Avoid disrupting the potato jackets as you do so (flip the filet onto a spatula and transfer it into the pan). Sprinkle the jacketed filets with a little salt and continue to cook over medium low heat. Once the potatoes are browned on the underside, carefully turn the filets and salt lightly. Continue frying until the other side is cooked through but not necessarily browned all of the way (this helps to avoid overcooking). Add more butter if needed and while the filets cook, cut the lemon into wedges for garnish. Serve browned side up with salad and some tartar sauce.
(Tartar sauce recipe to follow soon)

88

Tartar Sauce

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Makes ~1 Cup
Ingredients:

1/2-3/4 Cup Best Foods/Hellman’s mayonnaise*
1 Tsp Yellow or white onion pulp (freshly grated)
1 Tsp Sweet pickle relish
1 Tsp Dill pickle relish (or chopped dill pickle**)
1/2 Tsp of prepared yellow mustard (not brown)
1/4 Tsp Sweet pickle relish juice
1/4 Tsp Dill pickle relish juice (or pickle brine)
1/4 Tsp Ground white pepper
1/4 Tsp of white wine vinegar
Juice of one half a lemon
Dash of white sugar
Dash of Crystal hot sauce or Tabasco
Dash of garlic powder
Salt to taste

For more texture add the chopped white of a hard boiled egg.

For more piquant flavor add ~1 Tsp of small nonpareil capers

  • Unless you are making your own mayonnaise.

** Use Claussen’s dill pickles or relish for best results.
Preparation:

Reserve 1/3 of the mayonnaise for adjusting texture and flavor later. Mix all of the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and chill well before using. If the final product is too runny or spicy add more mayonnaise. Omit any salt if using the capers. Go easy on the salt, sugar and garlic powder, you should not be able to taste them. Do not use Miracle Whip or other inferior pseudo/low fat mayonnaise products. This is not a diet recipe!

Note: Some of you may have noticed that this is also an excellent start for an egg salad recipe as well.

89

Another recipe from my College days:

Before there were Chalupas there was Chalupas

This recipe was reputedly stolen from Sanborn’s Palace of Tiles in Mexico City and immortalized in a little booklet entitled ‘The Impoverished Student’s Book of Cookery, Drinkery, & Housekeepery’ by Jay F. Rosenberg, copyright 1965.
Said booklet has been in my possession since the early 70s, which predates that little dog by a good bit.
Of course, I don’t exactly follow that recipe, so here’s how I do it:

**Chalupas

1 lb (cooked) chicken meat, shredded
12 corn tortillas, see text
1 large onion, diced
1 pint sour cream
2 small cans peeled mild green chili peppers

cooking oil
salt
pepper
chili powder
cayenne pepper**

If you’re starting with raw chicken, boil it up however you like, but do season the broth.
Dice the onion and set aside. Cut up the tortilla in one-half inch to one inch strips, then cut them in half so they’re not too long. Sauté the tortilla strips in oil and margarine over medium high heat, seasoning with salt, pepper and chili powder. Dump out onto a plate with a paper towel on it to absorb extra oil. Refresh your oil if necessary and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the chilis, chicken, and sour cream, and mix together. Season with salt and pepper, rather much chili powder, and rather less cayenne. (You can leave out the cayenne if you’re timid.)
Now stir the tortilla strips back in, reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, mushing together and tasting periodically.

If you’re worried about your caloric intake, you can reduce the sour cream to half a pint.
But, if you’re worried about your caloric intake, you probably shouldn’t be eating this anyway.
In a fit of political correctness, I’ve made this with yogurt, but it was horrid.
IMO is better, but it still ain’t right. Sour cream is the way to go.

90

Red Pepper Couli
(Vegan appetizer, dip or sauce)
Preparation time: 45 minutes

Serves: 2-4 people
Ingredients:

3-6 Ripe red bell peppers
3-4 Cloves of garlic
2-4 Shallots
1/2 LB. Small button mushrooms*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.
1 Tsp of red wine vinegar
Dash of Cayenne powder
Dash of Sherry

*For more flavor, use small Crimini mushrooms

Note: Use mushrooms that are small and with unopened caps. Do not wash mushrooms prior to use. Brush off any dirt with an unused paint brush. Crimini mushrooms are also called Italian brown field mushrooms. They are really immature Portabello mushrooms. Please try them, they are far superior to ordinary white mushrooms and sometimes sell at the same price. They have more flavor and lend a more noticeable taste to vegan fare.
Preparation:

Preheat oven to Broil. Start to saute the chopped mushrooms in some of the olive oil with a dash of salt. Place the peppers in the broiler and turn them every 5 minutes or less until they are blistered on all sides. When the mushrooms are brown add the chopped garlic. After the garlic has cooked (but not browned) add the Sherry and turn off the pan. Place the roasted peppers in a plastic bag and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.

Remove the garlic and mushroom mix and proceed to saute the onion in the same pan. Add extra oil if needed. Turn off the pan once the onions are translucent. While the onions saute, peel and seed the peppers. In a small bowl, use a hand blender to puree the onions and peppers. Add the rest of the oil and spices. Salt to taste. Once the puree is smooth, strain and add all the other ingredients.

It is best to allow the couli to chill so that it sets up correctly. Remove it before serving and allow it to reach room temperature. If your peppers were ripe, the couli will gel from all of the pectin in them.

Serve with a good Chibatta or pita bread.

91

Head over here for a good time.

92

Only a week or so later…(computer problems)…

This is deceptively simple, but swooningly good Tex Mex food. Of course the results depend on the quality of beef and chili powder used.

CARNE GUISADA con PAPAS

3 lb. round steak (1/2" thick, cut into bite-sized pieces)
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed (@ 1/2" cubes)
1 large onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. oil (canola preferred)
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. chili powder
2 large cloves garlic, crushed (I use more)
1 cup water, stock or half red and liquid of choice)

Brown steak in heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add potatoes and onions and continue to brown, stirring frequently. Reduce heat (medium low) and add spices. Goop around well. Add liquid of choice and simmer; stir once in a while until meat is tender( @30 minutes). Or let it go longer; just add “liquid of choice” if it gets too thick. The potatoes will thicken the sauce naturally.

Serve w/ flour tortillas to mop up the juices; refried beans; avacado spritzed w/ lime…you get the idea.

It isn’t glitzy or complicated, but truly fine eating.

Veb

93

Lighter fare; unusual and delicious…

BEAN SPROUT SALAD WITH GARLIC

2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 lb. fresh bean sprouts, washed and drained (don’t use canned)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 scallions, finely minced
1 1" cube fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce (I use tamari)
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. spicy sesame oil

Toast sesame seeds in dry skillet or 300 oven; don’t burn them!
Put bean sprouts in heat-proof bowl; set aside.
In medium skillet, stir-fry garlic, scallions and ginger in oil (2-3 minutes) or until limp. Add remaining ingredients, up the heat a bit to boil mixture (uncovered) for a minute or so to slightly reduce the liquid.
Pour over bean sprouts; toss well.
Serve chilled or at room temperature; toss again before serving.

(Note: I’ve substituted basalmic vinegar, downed the brown sugar a titch in turn; added a generous dash of Tabasco, lacking spiced sesame oil. Came out fine!)

Veb

94

Veb that bean sprout salad sounds delicious, so many of my favorite ingredients. I’m drooling!

Let’s not forget our faithful friends as we play in the kitchen:

For Zen and other puppies:

DOG BISCUITS

3 1/2 cups Flour
2 cups Whole wheat flour
1 cup Rye flour
1 cup Cornmeal
2 cups Cracked wheat
4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Dry milk
1 Egg
1 package Dry yeast
1 pint Chicken stock

Prep: Ingredients not generally available may be found at health food stores. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 c warm water. Add chicken stock and pour into dry ingredients. Knead for 3 minutes, working into a stiff dough. Roll dough into a 1/4 in. thick sheet and cut with cookie cutters (cutters shaped like dog biscuits are available). Bake in 300 degree oven for 45 minutes, then turn oven off and leave biscuits in oven overnight. In the morning the biscuits will be bone hard.Note: This dough is extremely stiff to work with, but the end product is excellent.

  • From the Chester County, PA ASPCA

For Piewacket and other kitties:

MIKEY’S MACKEREL CAT MUNCHIES

1/2 cup Canned mackerel, drained
1 cup Whole-grain bread crumbs
1 tbs Vegetable oil
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 tsp Brewer’s yeast, optional

Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, mash the mackerel with a fork into tiny pieces. Combine it with the remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop mixture by 1/4 teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

  • from “Cat Nips!” by Rick and Martha Reynolds

note: Some cats apparently have problems with tuna products, forming something akin to kidney stones. I do not know if this applies to all fish products, so if your kitty is prone to this, I’d substitute some type of meat mush.

95

You rule Lisa, way cool to remember the critters!

96

Pico de Gallo
(Stolen from Mexicali Rose in Oakland, CA)

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4-8 people

Makes ~1 quart

Ingredients:

4 - 8 Large Jalapeño peppers (adjust for octane)
3 - 6 Large salad tomatoes (no Roma/plum)
2 - 4 Large white onions (white onions only)
¼ - ½ Cup Chopped cilantro
¼ Cup Lemon juice
2 Tbs. White vinegar
~1 Tbs. Salt
Preparation:

To control the heat of this relish, vary the quantity of peppers . For the least heat, remove seeds and ribs from the chiles. For best results all ingredients should be diced finely (2-3mm. cubes). Do not use a food processor as it will tend to shred or pulp the vegetables. The best results are obtained using a sharp chef’s knife, steeled at intervals during the process. Mince Jalapeño peppers, tomatoes (seeded & peeled), cilantro and the onions into very small dice. Mix in large bowl. Add vinegar and lemon juice. Salt to taste. Mix well and chill before serving with yellow corn tortilla chips.

97

TVeblen, the only thing I would change in the bean sprout salad is to blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for about thirty seconds (rinse under cold water afterwards). This can help to eliminate a slightly bitter flavor that they sometimes have. The only other additions would be a few drops of sesame chile oil and some grated carrot shreds.

Thanks for contributing. I’ll be posting a mui authentico chili recipe that makes grown Hispanic men weep with homesickness when they taste it.

98

Chili De Guaillo
(Very Authentic Mexican Chili)
Preparation time: 1-2 hours

Serves: 4-8 People
Ingredients:

2-3 Lbs. Beef round or London broil
2-3 White onions (no yellow or red)
1-2 Qts. Chicken broth
6-8 Garlic cloves
4-6 Dried Gauillo chile pods
1-2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Cup oil or fat
1/2-1 Tsp Powdered cumin
1/2 Tsp ground white pepper
Preparation:

Heat the stock in a large cook pot. Peel and cut the onions into medium pieces. Peel the garlic and chop coarsely. Add the onions and garlic to the stock. Trim and cut the meat into one inch cubes. Put the meat into the pot, bring to a simmer and cover tightly. Heat the oil in a dry skillet. Slit open each of the chile pods and remove the ribs and seeds. Flatten the pods and soften them in the hot oil. When the pods are flexible remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Reserve the oil.

Once the onions are completely cooked in the broth, pick out the chunks of meat. Begin to fry the meat in the reserved oil. Pour the broth and vegetables into a medium sized bowl. Cut up the fried chili pods and add them to the broth mix. Use a hand blender to puree the broth mixture completely. Strain the mixture and return it to the cook pot. Check on the meat and make sure to salt and brown it a little before returning it to the broth mix.

Simmer the chili for another 30-60 minutes or until the meat is tender. Add the spices during the last half hour of cooking and salt to taste. Leave the top off of the pan until the sauce reduces to twice its thickness. Serve with hot, soft white corn tortillas (see the Carnitas recipe). Accompany with Spanish rice and beans (recipes to follow), Pacifico beer, some Herdez brand Salsa Casera. A little Monterey Jack cheese on the beans, some corn chips for the salsa and you will go back in time to old Mexico.

99

racinchikki, here’s a little Italian feast just for you my dear exhaust breathin’ gal. (Remind me to show you my photos of Laguna Seca CART competition.) You will be able to do this with your limited kitchen. Let’s go;
Menu:

[li]Grissini with Parma prosciutto[/li]
[li]Antipasto[/li]
[li]Salad with Italian dressing[/li]
[li]Ricotta ravioli with Pesto sauce[/li]
[li]Garlic bread[/li]
(a) Get some bread sticks and wind pieces of thin sliced prosciutto ham around them. Hold covered for one hour before serving.

(b) Some marinated artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, sardines*, pepperoncini, olives and maybe some tomato wedges.

© Some nice tossed greens with endive, arugula or baby lettuces.

(d) Heat a pan of water to boiling and place the plastic container of pesto sauce in it to warm. Nuke up the biggest pot of boiling salted water you can, dump in the frozen raviolis, nuke gently for another three to five minutes. Strain off the raviolis and dust them with a good bit of real Parmesan cheese. Pour over the pesto sauce, toss gently and it tastes so good you’ll forget your name.

(e) Go with a microwave garlic bread until I post a garlic bread recipe.

Biscotti and some cappucino that your lover ran out and got after dinner, and you’re home free!

Who loves you baby?
*Use the tiniest sardines you can buy. Look for the highest count of sardines per can. Norwegian brand “Tiny Tots” are excellent.

100

Scrambled Eggs
Large curd Danish style
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2 People
Ingredients:

6 Large eggs
1-2 Tsp Butter
1-2 Tsp Water
Salt and pepper to taste
Chives for garnish
Preparation:

Bring the eggs to room temperature. Warm a skillet over low heat. Break the eggs into a small bowl and add the water. Add the butter to the skillet. Mix the eggs gently*. Do not beat the eggs! Pour them into the pan.

Once the eggs begin to set, take a spatula and gently bring the more cooked edges of the pan back into the center. This allows the more runny eggs to reach the edges and cook through. Do not beat the eggs in the pan as this will deflate them. Once the entire pan of eggs has set, turn off the heat. You may wish to remove the pan from the heat so that the eggs do not overcook.

This method yields scrambled eggs with a large curd (cooked areas of both yolk and white). The eggs will be soft and creamy without being runny in any way. Serve these on buttered toast with some salt, ground black pepper and chopped chives.

*Jab each of the yolks and stir slowly.

Note: This style is especially good to use for an appetizer at parties. Place a spoonful of scrambled egg on a slice of cocktail rye bread and top with some smoked salmon or a dollop of caviar. Garnish with dill or chives.