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How to use these pages:  Below is a list of the recipes on this page.  You can either scroll down the page and look at all of the recipes, or look at the titles.  When you find one that seems interesting, use your web browsers FIND function to take you directly to that recipe (on my IE browser it's Edit/Find (on this page)   or Ctrl - F on your keyboard).

44 HOMEMADE ORANGE LIQUEUR

APPLE CRISP

BLUEBERRY SYRUP

BRAGGIN RIGHTS CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

BRAN COOKIES

BUNUELOS

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

CARAMEL BAKED PEARS

CARROT AND ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CAKE

CHERRY CREAM PIE

CHICK PEA SALAD

CHICKEN and RICE

CHICKEN WING SALAD

CHOCOLATE RUM SAUCE

COQUILLES ST JACQUES A LA PARISENNE.

CORNMEAL ORANGE BISCUITS

CRANBERRY BLUEBERRY BARS

CUMIN CRUSTED BEEF STEAKS

CURRIED CHICKEN SPRING ROLLS

DRIED APRICOT LIQUEUR

EASY DO AHEAD TURKEY SKEWERS

EXPRESSO DRINKS

FIG JAM WITH PECTIN

FIGS PICKLED IN BALSAMIC VINEGAR

FOODS FIT FOR AN INDIAN FESTIVAL

GRATED TOMATO SAUCE

GRILLED SALMON WITH TROPICAL FRUIT

HOMEMADE RICE A RONI

HOT DOG ONIONS

INDIA KALA CHANNA

INDIA POTATOES IN YOGURT SAUCE

INDIA PURI

INDIA SOOJI KA HALWA

ITALIAN LENTIL AND ESCAROLE SOUP

LEMON PEPPER BROCCOLI

LEMON PUDDING CAKE

LOTSA BURGERS

MICROWAVE PUDDING

ONION RINGS

PEACH CROSTADA

PEAR AND RAISIN COBBLER

PEAR COBBLER BAKED WITH CHEDDAR TOPP

PEAR CRISP

PICKLED BEETS

PICKLED BEETS II

PLAZEK POLISH COFFEE CAKE RECIPE

PUMPKIN SOUP

PURIM STICKY SQUARES

RED LENTIL AND WILD RICE STEW

RICE SIDES

SPANISH STEWED CHICKPEAS

SPECIAL ORANGEADE

SPICY BEEF STEW

STRAWBERRY BREAD PUDDING

SUESSAPFELGEMUSE

SUMATRAN BUTTERFLIED CORNISH GAME HE

SWEET CORNMEAL BUNS

SYCAMORE FIG SOUP

TEXAS BRAG CAKE

THE BEST SWEET POTATO PIE

THE INCREDIBLE EDIBLE EGG

THE IRON FIST OF THE CAST IRON CULT

THE SHARONS SUBSTITUTE SUKIYAKI

VEGETABLE TIAN

44 HOMEMADE ORANGE LIQUEUR

Makes 1 quart

Orange liqueur, or "44," is one of the most traditional European homemade aperitifs. You'll find versions in Spain, Italy and France -- some made with cloves and cinnamon; some with a mix of oranges, bitter oranges and lemons; some flavored with coffee beans; and those sweetened with honey. The original recipe given to me called for a single orange studded with 44 coffee beans, mixed with 44 sugar cubes and a bottle of clear eau de vie. The mixture is then set aside for 44 days. The result is a fragrant, fruity drink that can be mixed with a bit of white wine as an aperitif or served "as is" with dessert or as an after-meal liqueur. I found the original version too sweet for my taste, so have cut the amount of sugar in half.

1 large orange, preferably organic

44 coffee beans

22 sugar cubes (or 6 tablespoons granulated sugar)

1 quart clear eau de vie or vodka

Thoroughly scrub and dry the orange. With the end of a sharp knife, pierce the orange all over. Insert the 44 coffee beans into the skin, embedding each bean into the orange. Place the orange in a 11/2-quart canning jar. Add the sugar cubes and the eau de vie. Cover securely.

Turn the jar upside down and shake to help dissolve the sugar. Place in a cool, dry, dark spot. Shake the jar daily until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Set aside for 44 days. During this time, the liquid will turn from clear to a pale orange and will take on a lovely coffee-orange fragrance. The 44 can be stored indefinitely as is, or the liquid can be filtered and transferred to an attractive liqueur bottle.

The orange and coffee beans are not consumed and should be discarded once they lose their vigor.

Serve 44 chilled or at room temperature, added to white wine, or in tiny liqueur glasses as an accompaniment to fruit desserts or as an after-dinner drink.

Variation: In Provence, many cooks prepare their orange liqueur by piercing the orange with cloves, tying the fruit with string, then suspending it in a clear glass jar partially filled with clear eau de vie. (The orange should never touch the alcohol.) The jar is sealed, and the aromatic oils of the orange infuse the alcohol with their fruity essence, turning the eau de vie a pale, glistening orange. After about one month, the orange is discarded, and the aperitif is sweetened to taste and transferred to a sealed bottle.

APPLE CRISP I

5 pounds apples -- peeled and diced

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup butter -- melted

Heat oven to 375`. Grease large cake pan. Place apples in pan and sprinkle

with 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside. In bowl combine other

things. Mix well, until crumbly. Spoon over apples. Bake for 35 minutes, or

until apples are tender and bubbly. Can use pie filling. Serve hot or cold.

APPLE CRISP II

3 cups apples -- chopped

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon water

Topping

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine first 6 ingredients and put in a greased casserole. Cut together the

remaining ingredients. Sprinkle onto of apple mixture. Bake 35 minutes.

APPLE CRISP III

4-6 cups apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 1/4 to 1 3/4 cups sugar divided

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

Mix together apples, 1/2 - 1 cup sugar depending on apples and cinnamon.

Arrange in ungreased 13x9 pan. In separate bowl, mix together 3/4 cup sugar

and remaining dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture forms crumbs.

Sprinkle crumbs on top of apples in pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or

until top is golden brown.

APPLE CRISP IV

4 lg. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced.

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

3/4 of a box of yellow cake mix

Preheat oven to 350. Lay apples in bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle brown

sugar over apples. Pour dry cake mix over apples. Drizzle melted butter

over all. Bake for 30 minutes.

BLUEBERRY SYRUP

2 cups berries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix the cornstarch and water in a sturdy saucepan over low heat until smooth. Add the berries and sugar and cook until thick and transparent. Stir in the lemon juice and cool. This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks and makes a lovely blue gift.

BRAGGIN RIGHTS CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

(from Texas Home Cooking)

2 lbs round steak, sliced 1/2 in thick, twice tenderized by butcher (or use cube

steaks. Place in Ziploc bags and beat with mallet or rolling pin until thin)

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 egg

1 T Tabasco (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

shortening (Crisco)

Cut steak into 4 equal portions. Pound until each is about 1/4 in thick. Place flour in shallow bowl. In second dish, stir together the baking powder and soda, pepper, and salt, and mix in the buttermilk, egg. Tabasco, and garlic. The mixture will be thin. Dredge each steak first in flour and then in batter. Dunk the steaks back in the flour and dredge them well, patting in the flour until the surface is dry.

Add enough shortening to a deep cast iron skillet or Dutch oven to deep fry the steaks in at least 4 inches of fat. Bring temperature to 325 degrees F. Fry steaks, pushing them down under the fat or turning them over as they bob to the surface, for 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Drain the steaks and transfer to a platter. Keep warm while you prepare cream gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable. [] Spike believes that "cream gravy" is really "white sauce." []

BRAN COOKIES

Makes 4 dozen

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unprocessed wheat bran

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon dark rum

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional unsalted butter for baking sheets (optional)

Additional flour for work surface

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour and baking soda into a mixing bowl. Stir in bran and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar. Using a hand-held mixer set on medium speed, beat ingredients until mixture is fluffy, light and pale in color, about 5 minutes. Continuing to beat on medium speed, add egg and beat thoroughly, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in rum and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, one third at a time, beating well after each addition until thoroughly incorporated. Dough should be smooth except for the bran flecks.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or grease with butter. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide dough in half. Roll out half of dough until 1/4-inch thick. Using a round plain or fluted cookie cutter 2 1/2-inches in diameter, cut out as many rounds as possible. Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Gather scraps, reroll them, and again cut out as many 2 1/2-inch rounds as possible. Do not reroll dough a third time, as those scraps will produce cookies that are tough. Repeat with remaining dough portion. Using tines of fork, prick each cookie several times.

Bake cookies until they are golden, firm, and give only slightly when touched in center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in a covered container at room temperature up to 1 week.

BUNUELOS 1

4 cups flour

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups hot water

cooking oil

sugar

ground cinnamon

Mix flour and shortening and add water. Blend like bread or tortilla dough. Let sit for about 20 minutes, covered. Shape into quarter size balls, and let sit 20 minutes more. Roll out very thin, pulling with hands if necessary. If dough is sticky, sprinkle flour on the rolling area. In a frying pan place 1 inch of oil and allow it to get very hot. Place bunuelo in pan, let brown to a golden brown on each side. Remove and quickly sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mixture on both sides. Do not cover the bunuelos or they will get soggy.

BUNUELOS 2

2 eggs

2 tsp. sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup flour, sifted

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

oil

powdered sugar

cinnamon

syrup

Add sugar to eggs and beat. Add milk and continue beating. Add sifted flour and salt to above mixture while beating. Add vanilla. Fry in hot oil using a Rosette wheel. May be dusted with powdered sugar, cinnamon, or served in bowls with syrup.

SOPAPILLAS (BUNUELOS 3)

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons shortening

1 1/2 cups warm water

2 quarts oil for frying

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and shortening. Stir in water; mix until dough is smooth. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes. Roll out on floured board until 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch squares. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve hot. Pass honey for dipping.

BUNUELOS 4

(from Authentic Mexican Cooking by Luis and Marilyn Peinado)

1 (1/4oz) packet yeast

1/4 cup warm milk (105-15 degrees F)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 tsp salt

4 cups flour

1/2 cup milk, warm

2 cups corn oil

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

In a 5 quart mixer, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk with 1/4 cup sugar, about 5 minutes. On stir speed with shield protector, mix in butter and vegetable shortening and beat until well mixed, about 2 minutes. On stir speed, mix in salt and all the flour (1 cup at a time) alternately with 1/2 cup warm milk, until dough forms a light paste. Transfer to a greased bowl and let rise until double in size. Punch down, transfer to plastic bag, and place in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

Divide dough into 1 inch balls. On a lightly floured board, using a rolling pin, flatten the balls to 5 inch rounds. Heat oil in a wide deep fryer and fry rounds in very hot oil, turning once. Transfer to platter with paper towels to drain off excess oil. Sprinkle with 1 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Makes 24.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

AND CURRIED APPLE SOUP

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 cups finely chopped sweet yellow onions

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 medium-size butternut squash (11/2 pounds) peeled, seeded and chopped

2 tart, green apples, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 cup apple juice

Salt and pepper

Sour cream (optional)

Apple slices, for garnish

Melt butter in stock pot. Add onions and curry powder. Cover and cook over low heat until onions are tender, about 20 minutes.

Add squash, apples, chicken broth, hot pepper sauce, salt, marjoram and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are tender, about 25 minutes.

In several batches, puree soup in food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until smooth. Return pureed soup to stock pot and add apple juice. Heat through, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Garnish soup with dollop of sour cream, if desired.

CARAMEL BAKED PEARS

Makes 8 servings

A recipe from an old family friend. It makes a simple, yet elegant dessert when you are having company. It should serve 8, but they are so good it usually turns out each person eats 2 halves, so really it serves 4. -- Maureen Wells

4 ripe Bosc pears

Lemon juice

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup water Ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Halve and core pears, but don't peel. Brush each with lemon juice. (If you slice a small piece off the bottom of each pear half, they won't wobble in the pan.) Place cut side up in baking dish.

Combine brown sugar, butter and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Pour over pears. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes, basting pears with pan juices. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

CARROT AND ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CAKE

Makes 12 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

11/2 cups shredded carrots

11/2 cups shredded zucchini

1 6-ounce package chocolate chips (1 cup)

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. Stir in carrots, zucchini and chocolate chips.

In a small bowl, beat oil with eggs; add to dry mixture and stir to moisten.

Spread batter in an oiled 9-by-13-inch pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool on a rack. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and cut into squares. If made ahead, cover and store up to 2 days.

Note: This works in a Bundt pan, but baking time may take longer. From Mary Sutton, Spokane Sunset magazine, September 1989

CHERRY CREAM PIE

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese softened

1 cup of sour cream

1/2 cup of milk

1 pkg. (3 3/4 oz. size) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (1lb 5oz can) of cherry pie filling

1 baked frozen or unbaked crumb pie crust

Beat together first 3 ingredients using slow speed on your mixer. Fold in pudding mix. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cherry pie filling; marble the remainder into the pudding mixture. Pour into the pie shell; top with the remaining pie filling. Chill thoroughly.

CHICK PEA SALAD

1/2 pound dried chick-peas (garbanzo beans)

salt

1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (optional)

Dressing:

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp wine vinegar

1 tbsp salad oil

1 tbsp olive oil

dash hot pepper sauce

dash paprika

1/8 tsp dried tarragon leaves

salt

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Cook chick-peas according to basic directions. (Rinse chick-peas, and place them into a pot; add 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, simmer until they are soft but not mushy.) (Legumes cooked for salads should be firmer than those for soups.)

Drain and lightly salt.

Place chick-peas in a shallow bowl. Distribute tomato halves, green onions, and basil over the beans.

Prepare dressing and stir or shake well. Pour over salad and stir to distribute dressing evenly. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top. Serves 4 to 6 as salad or first course.

CHICKEN and RICE

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb. cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

2 big cans of tomato sauce

1 cup of water

1 small can of tomato paste

2 chopped peppers (I use green and red bell)

1 chopped medium onion

2 chopped cloves of garlic

Spices to taste - chili powder and a couple of dashes of hot sauce or cumin

Lots of white rice

In a large pot, sauté the peppers, onion and garlic on medium-high, just until the peppers are almost soft. Add the tomato sauce, water and paste. Cook until it starts to boil. Add the chicken. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 30 minutes. Add spices. Now, start the rice. The rice and the sauce should be done at the same time. Serve the rice in individual bowls with the sauce on top.

CHICKEN WING SALAD

WITH TOASTED GARLIC VINAIGRETTE

Serves 4

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

10 cloves whole garlic, peeled

1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

Salt

16 chicken wings

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup sherry vinegar or other vinegar, or to taste

6 cups romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn

Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare grill or preheat broiler. Fire should be moderately hot and the rack 4 to 6 inches from heat source. Put olive oil in a narrow saucepan and add garlic. Turn heat to medium-low. When garlic begins to sizzle, swirl pan occasionally so garlic rolls about in oil. When garlic is lightly browned and tender (a thin-bladed knife will penetrate easily), turn off heat.

Combine 2 tablespoons garlic oil with cayenne and a big pinch of salt. Toss chicken wings in garlic-pepper mixture. Grill or broil, turning occasionally (do not scorch), until wings are crisp and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, once remaining garlic oil has cooled, put it in a blender with salt and vinegar. Blend until smooth; if sauce is too thick, add a little more oil or some hot water or more vinegar to taste. Toss with greens and black pepper. Serve salad and chicken wings together.

CHOCOLATE RUM SAUCE

This chocolate sauce can be served with the pudding in place of caramel sauce.

1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

1/4 cup whipping cream

2 table spoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons rum

In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, cook and stir morsels, cream and syrup until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipes from the California Strawberry Commission. On the Net at Web site www.calstrawberry.com

COQUILLES ST JACQUES A LA PARISENNE

from WULFF'S

makes 4 appetizer servings

1 1/2 cups white wine

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pound scallops

1 cup quartered mushrooms

Sauce:

2 tablespoons sweet butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup poaching liquid

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup half and half

Salt and white pepper to taste

Assembly:

4 scallop shells

1/4 cup bay shrimp

1/4 cup bread crumbs, toasted with butter in oven

Combine the wine, shallots and salt in a saucepan and simmer for a few minutes. Add scallops and mushrooms and return to simmer; simmer for only a few minutes. Remove scallops and mushrooms with a slotted spoon and reserve. Boil down the cooking liquid to 1 cup and reserve.

For the sauce: Cook the butter and flour together slowly for 2 minutes. Add the poaching liquid and continue to cook and stir until thickened. Add the lemon juice and half and half. Season with salt and white pepper.

To assemble: Divide the scallops and mushrooms among the 4 shells. Cover with sauce. Garnish with bay shrimp. Sprinkle with crumbs. Reheat in a 400 degree oven just until bubbling. Don't overcook or scallops will toughen. May also be refrigerated and reheated later.

Serve with: Mashed potatoes, piped around the edge of the plate, and brushed with melted butter.

CORNMEAL ORANGE BISCUITS

2 tablespoons Flour -- for sprinkling

2 tablespoons Cornmeal -- for sprinkling

3 cups Flour

1 cup Yellow Cornmeal -- fine, stone ground

2 tablespoons Baking Powder

2 tablespoons Sugar

1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Orange Zest -- (1 orange)

3/4 cup Butter or Margarine -- diced, chilled

1 cup Buttermilk -- cold

1/2 cup Orange Juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease cookie sheet and sprinkle with flour

and cornmeal.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, salt and orange zest. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender or knives. Add buttermilk and orange juice, stirring just to moisten all ingredients. The dough will be moist, then stiffen while stirring. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently about 6 times or just until the dough holds together. Roll or pat out the dough into a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Do not add much flour at this point, or dough will become tough. Cut dough into squares using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, form 16 squares in all. Place biscuits 1/2 inch apart on the cookie sheet. Bake on center rack for 15 - 18 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

CRANBERRY BLUEBERRY BARS

Crust/Topping

1 1/2 c oats

1/2 c flour

1/2 c brown sugar, packed

1/4 c walnuts, chopped [optional]

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/8 t salt

6 T butter, melted

Filling

1 1/2 c fruit [1/2 each cranberries and blueberries, or whatever you like]

3 T sugar

2 t cornstarch

Place aluminum foil into an 8" square pan, with it hanging over two sides to be able to grip and lift when done. Mix crust ingredients and press firmly onto foil-lined pan, reserving 1/2 cup. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 12 minutes.

Stir filling ingredients in a small pan over medium low heat. Simmer 2 minutes until slightly thick. Pour onto crust and smooth evenly. Sprinkle reserved topping all over. Return to oven and bake 30 minutes, checking to be sure that the top does not burn. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Lift out with the foil edges and place on serving plate. Cut into squares. From the kitchen of: Gary R Beck

CUMIN CRUSTED BEEF STEAKS

WITH ORANGE-OLIVE RELISH

The $50,000 steak: Concord cook wins

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

This recipe blending cumin, oranges, olives and chuck steak that takes a scant 30 minutes to cook proved to be a winner for Priscilla Yee of Concord.

Her fresh-flavored dish, which uses only six ingredients apart from salt and pepper, won top honors in the 2001 National Beef Cook-off. The biennial competition attracted nearly 5,000 entrants.

Yee, a retired telephone company employee, competed with 20 other finalists at the cook-off in Tucson, Ariz., and took home the $50,000 grand prize.

For a copy of all this year's winning recipes, call (800) 848-9088. On the Net: www.beefcookoff.org

4 boneless beef chuck eye or chuck top blade steaks, cut 3/4-inch thick (about

11/2 pounds)

2 to 3 medium oranges

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, diced

1/3 cup coarsely chopped Kalamata olives

1/3 cup diced red onion

Orange slices and Kalamata olives for garnish

Grate 2 teaspoons orange peel from oranges; reserve oranges. Combine orange peel, cumin and salt in small bowl; remove and reserve 2 teaspoons of this seasoning for relish.

Heat ridged grill pan or large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add pepper to remaining seasoning; press evenly onto beef steaks. Place steaks in grill pan; cook chuck eye steaks 9 to 11 minutes (top blade steaks 10 to 12 minutes) for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning once.

Meanwhile, peel and dice enough reserved oranges to measure 11/2 cups. Combine diced oranges, red peppers, olives, onion and reserved 2 teaspoons seasoning in medium bowl; mix well. Serve steaks with this relish.

Garnish with orange slices and olives.

CURRIED CHICKEN SPRING ROLLS

Source: www.kitchenlink.com

1 tbsp Soy sauce

1 tbsp Coconut milk

1 3/4 tsp Curry powder

3/4 tsp Salt

4 tsp Vinegar, cider

2 tsp Ginger root, minced

5 Chilies, mild green

3 Garlic clove

1 1/2 tsp Garlic, minced

1 cup Celery, diced

3/4 cup Carrot, grated

16 Spring roll wrappers

3/4 cup Pickled ginger juice or:2 tbsp peanut oil

2 tsp Soy sauce

1 tsp Vinegar, white

1/2 lb Chicken, ground

3/4 tsp Sugar

1 tbsp Cornstarch

Dipping Sauce:

2 Chilies, yellow wax (WEAR GLOVES)

1 Cilantro, bunch, minced

2 Jalapeno chilies, minced (WEAR GLOVES)

2 cups Napa cabbage, diced

1 cup Cellophane noodles

1 Egg yolk, beaten

3/4 cup Unseasoned rice vinegar

Salt to taste

Soften cellophane noodles and cut into 2-inch lengths. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 Tbsp water. Cut chilies in halves. Marinate chicken for 1 or 2 days in bag with 1 Tbsp soy sauce, coconut milk, white vinegar, and 3/4 tsp curry powder. Heat 1 to 2 Tbsp oil in wok and stir-fry chicken until mostly white. Remove, set aside, and then clean wok. Combine salt, sugar, remaining soy sauce and cider vinegar. Place in wok with chicken. Heat through, add cornstarch, and cook 2 to 3 minutes until glossy. Spread on large plate and cool in refrigerator. Combine ginger, garlic, remaining curry powder, and chilies. Heat 3Tbsp. oil and cook chili mixture 1 to 2 minutes. Should foam without browning. Add celery then cabbage. When translucent, add carrots and noodles. Combine chicken and noodle mixtures. Use 2 Tbsp filling per spring wrapper. Tuck in ends and include sprig of cilantro in last turn (to show through when fried). Seal with egg yolk. Deep fry about 3 minutes at 350 degrees, and drain. To make dipping sauce, blend chilies and garlic until pureed. Add ginger juice and oil until blended. Season with salt. Add cilantro just before serving. (If serving right away, cilantro may be pureed

with chilies.) Makes one cup.

DRIED APRICOT LIQUEUR

Makes about 1 quart

When fresh apricots aren't available, you can still make apricot liqueur. Dried apricots are excellent as a liqueur base. You get a bonus with the plumped, liqueured apricots after making the liqueur. Use in desserts and compotes, or stuff a pork roast with a mixture of apples, prunes and the liqueured apricots for a special Scandinavian treat.

1 pound dried apricots (31/4 cups)

1 fifth vodka

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

Cut apricots in half, if necessary. Place apricots and vodka into a container large enough to hold them and the sugar solution (once it is added).

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

When cool, pour sugar liquid into container. Stir to combine. Cover with a lid and place in a cool, dark place.

Stir weekly with a clean spoon for 1 month. Taste and evaluate flavor at this time. If more time is needed, allow 2 to 4 more weeks.

Place a colander or large strainer over a large mixing bowl. Pour the mixture through colander. Remove dried apricots, which are now plumped and liqueured. (These can be used in a variety of recipes or eaten as is.) Pour liqueur through finer strainer. Repeat as needed until the liquid is somewhat clearer (it will never be completely clear).

Bottle and label as desired. Liqueur is ready but improves with additional aging.

Brandy variation: Although the authors haven't suggested this, I found it to be a delicious change from the original recipe: Use a fine-quality brandy instead of vodka.

EASY DO AHEAD TURKEY SKEWERS

By SUSAN SELASKY, DETROIT FREE PRESS

(see recipe below)

This recipe is for skewered turkey, or "Spiedini di Tacchino," as Petronilla "Nell" Benedict calls it in her cookbook "Italian Recipes from Nell's Cucina"

This dish is a winner in the do-ahead category. Thin turkey cutlets are breaded and rolled with a thin slice of prosciutto -- seasoned Italian ham -- into a cylinder shape, then pan sautéed in oil that has been seasoned with garlic. Benedict advises refrigerating the rolls for at least 30 minutes before sautéing to ensure the breading is adequately adhered.

The rolls can be skewered and pan sautéed in batches. Or you can sauté the rolls all at once. Either way, the pan juices are deglazed with sweet marsala wine and chicken broth, which complements the turkey and prosciutto.

Benedict suggests serving the rolls on a bed of pasta or rice with parsley or cherry tomato garnish.

SPIEDINI DI TACCHINO

(SKEWERED TURKEY)

18 turkey breast cutlets, about -inch thick

2 cups (or more if needed) Italian-seasoned bread crumbs

2 or 3 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons of any cooking oil

18 slices prosciutto, sliced very thin and cut into halves

6 metal or wooden skewers, 6-8 inches long

4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil

4 to 6 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half

1/2 cup dry marsala wine or dry sherry wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

Dry the turkey cutlets with paper toweling. Place the seasoned bread crumbs in a pie plate or shallow dish. In another pie plate or shallow dish pour the egg mixture.

Dip the cutlets into the egg mixture then into the bread crumbs.

Place 2 halves of prosciutto on each cutlet and roll up into a cylinder. Slide 3 rolls onto each skewer. Lay side-by-side on a platter and refrigerate 30 minutes or longer to allow the breading to adhere. Or proceed with next step.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until soft and fragrant. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and discard. Working in batches, add the turkey skewers to the skillet and sauté until golden on all sides.

Transfer to a platter. If not skewering the turkey, place the rolls in the skillet and sauté until golden on all sides, then remove to a platter.

Add the wine to the skillet and boil briskly until the flavorful bits clinging to the bottom loosen. Add the chicken broth and the turkey rolls. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce the heat and simmer about 15 minutes.

EXPRESSO DRINKS

DRINK NO. 1

1 1/2-ounce shot Italian-style espresso

1 ounce Kahlua

1 ounce powdered chocolate

Fill serving cup or glass with steamed milk and top with whipped cream

DRINK NO. 2

1 1/2-ounce shot Italian-style espresso

1 ounce sambuca

Fill serving cup or glass with steamed egg nog and top with nutmeg or cinnamon

DRINK NO. 3

1 1/2-ounce shot espresso

1-ounce shot cinnamon Italian syrup

1 ounce shot of vanilla Italian syrup

Fill cup or glass with steamed milk.

DRINK NO. 4

1 1/2-ounce shot espresso

1-ounce shot strawberry Italian syrup

1-ounce powdered chocolate

Fill with steamed milk and top with whipped cream.

FIG JAM WITH PECTIN

Makes about 8 half pints

3 1/4 pounds figs (about 26 large figs)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 13/4- or 2-ounce box dry pectin

7 cups granulated sugar

Wash 8 half-pint jars; fill with hot water until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.

Wash figs. Trim off hard part of stem end. Pull off thin skin if desired. Cut figs into chunks and then mash enough fruit with 1/2 cup of water to equal 5 cups of fruit and water.

In a large pot, combine the fruit, lemon juice and pectin. Place over high heat; stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Still stirring, add sugar. Return to a boil that cannot be stirred down, then boil for exactly 2 minutes. Remove from heat and skim off foam.

Ladle hot jam into 1 hot jar at a time, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (15 minutes at 1,000 to 6,000 feet; 20 minutes above 6,000 feet). From "Sunset, Fresh Produce, A to Z" by the editors of Sunset Books and Sunset Magazine

FIGS PICKLED IN BALSAMIC VINEGAR

AND HERBS DE PROVENCE

Makes 3 half pints

11/2 cups granulated sugar

3 cups water

6 allspice berries

4 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

4 juniper berries

4 fresh or dried bay leaves (divided)

1 piece dried orange peel, about 2 inches long, plus 3 additional pieces, each

about 1 inch long (divided)

31/2 pounds firm, ripe figs, such as Mission or Adriatic

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 fresh thyme sprigs, each 2 inches long

3 fresh rosemary sprigs, each 1 inch long

Wash 3 half-pint jars; fill with hot water until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.

Combine the sugar and water in a non-aluminum saucepan large enough to hold the figs eventually. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until a light syrup forms, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut out an 8-inch square of cheesecloth. Place in the center the allspice berries, chopped thyme and rosemary, juniper berries, 1 bay leaf, and the 2-inch-piece orange peel. Gather up the corners and tie them with kitchen string to make a spice bag. Add the spice bag to the syrup, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the figs to the simmering syrup. Continue to cook over low heat for 15 minutes, turning the figs gently from time to time.

Remove the spice bag and discard (after giving the bag a vigorous squeeze against the side of the pot to release as much of the spicy juice as possible). Using a slotted utensil, firmly pack the figs into 3 clean, dry half-pint jars. Divide the balsamic vinegar equally among the jars (1/4 cup in each jar).

Ladle the hot syrup into 1 hot jar at a time, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Tuck a sprig each of the thyme and rosemary, a bay leaf, and a 1-inch-piece orange peel into the jar. Wipe jar rim with a clean damp cloth. Attach lid. Repeat the procedure with remaining 2 jars.

Process the jars in a boiling-water canner for 20 minutes (25 minutes at 1,000 to 6,000 feet; 30 minutes above 6,000 feet).

If you don't want to process the jars, store them in the refrigerator (up to several months for best quality).

Adapted from "The Glass Pantry, Preserving Seasonal Flavors" by Georgeanne Brennan

FOODS FIT FOR AN INDIAN FESTIVAL

BY ANITA PAUL, Special to the Mercury News

The lives of the Indian people are steeped in tradition, with as many as 700 ceremonies that can be performed during an individual's lifetime. The calendar is full of festivals to celebrate, fasts to keep and rituals to mark the passage of time.

But almost no festival or ceremony is complete without tables laden with food, made from recipes that also have been carefully guarded and handed down from generation to generation. Even when fasts are kept, food is in the foreground. Tradition dictates which foods are acceptable during a fast and which are to be eaten when the fast is broken.

Fall is the busiest season of the North Indian festival calendar. This year, the season begins Oct. 17 with the festival of nine nights, or Navaratri, one of the most prominent festivals of Hinduism. Navaratri is celebrated in honor of the seven goddesses of the Indian pantheon. Though it is a time for prayer and fasting, it is also a time for giving thanks and enjoying the gift of life.

Devotees fast for seven or eight days. During the fasts, milk and milk products as well as fruits and certain vegetables are permitted. The fast ends either on the eighth day (Ashtami) or the ninth day (Navami), depending on a person's religious preference.

Navaratri, which occurs twice a year in spring and fall, comes to an end with the performance of the Kanjaks. This a ceremony in which the Kanjaks -- young girls who symbolize the goddesses -- are invited into the home. People wash the girls' feet, prayers are said and, to honor the goddesses through the girls, the Kanjaks are given plates laden with halwa, chickpeas and puris (deep-fried, unleavened bread), as well as bangles and red scarves. Then it is the family's turn to enjoy a feast, usually of halwa, channas (chickpeas), puris and potatoes.

There is a perception that Indian cooking is difficult and time-absorbing. While there certainly are dishes that require a lot of time and effort, that is true of all cuisines. Also, customs vary from family to family and within particular regions in India.

Growing up, I remember how my mother made the cooking around many of the festivals look easy. As I grew older, I realized she used simple ingredients to create wonderful dishes. After I got married I found myself using some of the same techniques and ingredients my mother used. It did help, however, that I had made a small recipe book for myself before I got married and came to the United States.

GRATED TOMATO SAUCE

Makes 11/2 cups

Use this uncooked tomato sauce as a vinaigrette or as a sauce for grilled fish, poultry or vegetables. Because the water is not cooked out of the tomatoes, the sauce is too wet for pizza, but it can be added to pasta or made into a cold tomato soup. This recipe is perfect for tomatoes that are a little too ripe for salads.

3 large ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters (about 1 pound)

1/4 cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and cracked (see note)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place a box grater over a bowl and grate the tomatoes on the large holes, catching the juice and tomato pieces in the bowl. If the seed and skin content are heavy, strain the tomatoes through a sieve.

Stir in the onion, parsley, basil, fennel seeds, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Let stand for a few minutes to let the flavors blend.

Note: To toast seeds, heat in a dry skillet over medium heat until they start to brown. Stir occasionally. Be careful not to scorch them. Adapted from "Wildwood: Cooking From the Source in the Pacific Northwest" by Cory Schreiber

GRILLED SALMON WITH TROPICAL FRUIT SALSA

Serves 4

1 small ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced

1 small papaya (avocado-size), peeled, seeded and diced

2 navel oranges, peeled and diced (see Note)

1 cup full-bodied white wine

3 tablespoons honey mustard

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 salmon fillets, with skin (about 1 pound)

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Medium bunch fresh basil, cut thin, plus additional for garnish

Prepare the grill.

In a medium bowl, combine mango, papaya and orange. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together wine, mustard, orange juice and salt and pepper. Add about a third of this marinade to fruit mixture, toss to coat and set aside.

Place a double layer of aluminum foil on a work surface. Place salmon fillets, skin-side down, next to one another in center of half of the foil. Push foil edges up slightly. Brush salmon lightly with oil and drizzle with remaining marinade. Fold other side of foil over the top and crimp edges to seal tightly.

Transfer foil package to grill and cook until fish flakes easily, about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.

Add basil to fruit salsa and toss to coat. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.

Open salmon package, being careful of the steam. Transfer salmon to individual plates. Spoon salsa on the side and, if desired, garnish with basil.

Note: To segment an orange, slice off the bottom and top. Stand fruit on a cutting board with one of the cut sides down. Using a serrated knife, cut peel and pith away from fruit from top to bottom, following the curve. Holding fruit in your hand, cut orange segments out of their membranes. The idea is to remove all the orange skin and white pith.

HOMEMADE RICE A RONI

1/4 Cup butter or margarine

1 Cup long grain rice

1/2 Cup uncooked fine egg noodles or vermicelli

2-3/4 Cup chicken broth (use the real thing, or bouillon)

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add the rice and noodles; cook and stir until lightly browned, about 3-5 min. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 min. or til broth is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in parsley. Yield: 4 servings.

HOT DOG ONIONS

for Coney Island Hot Dogs

6 medium onions

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Cup ketchup

10 drops Tabasco Sauce

Slice onions into rings. There should be about 6 cups. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onions and stir fry for 5 min. Stir in the ketchup and the Tabasco. Cook for 30 min or until the onions are tender. Recipe can be halved.

INDIA KALA CHANNA

(dry black chickpeas)

Serves 4

1 cup black chickpeas

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons ajowan seeds (also called carom or bishop's weed, see Note)

Salt to taste

3 cups water

Soak chickpeas overnight in 4 cups of water in a covered container.

In a medium pressure cooker, add all ingredients and steam on high heat 25-30 minutes. Then turn the heat to low and cook for 1 hour. Check for doneness, being careful to wait until cooker is depressurized. Chickpeas should be soft but firm to the touch. If needed, cook 30 minutes longer.

Cooked chickpeas will keep in your refrigerator for at least a week.

Note: Ajowan (which is also spelled as ajwain) can be found in Indian markets.

INDIA POTATOES IN YOGURT SAUCE

Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

3 med. potatoes, boiled until partly tender, pared and diced in small cubes

1/2 cup yogurt

1 1/2 cups water

Salt and garam masala (see Note) to taste

Fresh coriander (cilantro) for garnish

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the turmeric and let sizzle for a few seconds. Add cumin seeds and ginger and saute for a minute. Add potatoes. Stir well. Add yogurt and stir to coat potatoes. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add water, salt and garam masala. Cover and cook on high heat till the water boils. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with puris, rice or pita bread.

Note: Garam masala is a spice blend available in larger supermarkets or Indian groceries.

INDIA PURI

A puri is one of the prerequisites of a fancy meal. But it can also be a full, satisfying meal in itself, accompanied by a dish of channas or potatoes.

Serves 6

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/3 cup water

Oil for deep frying

Add water and vegetable oil to flour. Knead into a dough for 3-4 minutes or until firm. Dough should be of medium consistency, neither too hard nor too soft. Cover and keep at room temperature 15 minutes.

Place oil for deep frying in a heavy skillet and heat to medium.

Make dough into about 10 medium-sized balls. Then, place some wheat flour in a small mixing bowl and, using your hand, flatten the dough ball. On a flat surface, roll the dough out into a small, circular tortilla-like shape about 1/3-inch thick. Repeat until all 20 dough balls are flattened and rolled.

Using a small piece of dough, test oil to see if it's ready. If dough remains at bottom of the skillet, the oil needs to be heated more. If dough floats to the surface, the oil is ready. When ready, gently place one puri into oil. Fry bottom by gently pressing on top of dough so that the puri swells. Turn and fry other side. Strain oil before removing puri and placing on paper towel. Continue the same procedure with the other puris. Serve hot.

Helpful hint: It helps to roll out 4-5 puris at a time and then fry them at one time. Remember to turn the heat to low for the oil while rolling out the puris, so as not to overheat it.

INDIA SOOJI KA HALWA

Serves 4

10 pieces cardamom seeds

1 1/2 cups water

5 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee

1/2 cup sooji (semolina, see Note)

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped almonds, raisins and cashew nuts

Shell cardamoms and fine-grind seeds. Add shells and ground seeds to water and bring to boil. Remove pan from heat and strain water, setting cardamom seeds and shells aside. Return pan to heat and keep cardamom-flavored water hot while assembling remaining ingredients.

Heat butter in a heavy skillet. Add sooji and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, whisking until brown. Sprinkle sugar on sooji and immediately add boiling cardamom-flavored water. Stand back because the hot water will sputter when mixed with sooji and sugar. Stir quickly, breaking up any lumps, until mixture thickens, about 1 minute or so. Reduce heat to low and stir vigorously, making sure halwa does not stick to bottom of skillet.

Cook 1-2 more minutes. Remove skillet from stove, top mixture with chopped nuts and raisins. Serve hot.

Note: Whole wheat flour can be substituted. Wheat flour halwa has a slightly more earthy flavor, but is not very different from sooji halwa.

ITALIAN LENTIL AND ESCAROLE SOUP

1 lb lentils

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp oregano

1 head escarole or endive, washed and cut in 2-inch lengths

3 cups water

salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

Cook lentils according to basic directions, using 7 cups water. (Rinse lentils, and place them into a pot; add 7 cups water. Bring to a boil, simmer until they are soft but not mushy.)

In a soup kettle, heat olive oil and brown the garlic pieces on both sides. Add onion and oregano, and sauté until onion is soft and lightly browned. Garlic pieces may be removed if desired. Add escarole (or endive) and 3 cups water. Cook about 10 minutes or until escarole is tender. Add lentils, with their cooking broth, salt, and cayenne. Let soup cook for 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Pass cheese at the table. Serve with crusty, whole wheat Italian bread and perhaps a salad of julienne cut beets with olive oil and wine vinegar dressing.

[] Lentils have a bad name because Cinderella was forced to pick them out of the fireplace. They are quite delicious, properly cooked, and go well with almost anything. They have great nutritive value, and are inexpensive. Try some tomorrow! I have some red lentils that I bought just because they are pretty. I am now on a quest for a proper recipe. []

LEMON PEPPER BROCCOLI

4 cups small broccoli florets

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp freshly grated lemon peel

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

1/8 tsp salt

Bring 1-inch of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Place broccoli in a vegetable steamer, set into saucepan, cover and cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove insert and let broccoli drain. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add lemon peel and crushed red pepper and stir until peel begins to brown, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli and salt and stir until hot, about 1 minute.

LEMON PUDDING CAKE

This gift from Marion Cunningham is almost like mousse. It is especially good served with whipped cream.

1 1/2 cups milk

4 tbsp butter

3 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (5 tbsp)

grated zest of 1 lemon

1/8 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Get out a slightly larger pan at least 2 inches deep, which will hold the cake pan comfortably.

Put the milk and butter into a small saucepan and heat until hot and the butter has melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Put the egg yolks into a mixing bowl and whisk until blended. Add the sugar, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and the hot milk mixture. Stir until thoroughly blended.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but still moist, then fold them into the batter. Spoon the batter into the baking dish. Set the dish in the larger pan and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool. Don't refrigerate. Serve with softly whipped cream. Serves 6.

[] That will serve one person like me! That is so good, it seems like a sin to enjoy it so much! I prefer Meyer lemons, which are less acidic than the others, but it is a lovely and wonderful dessert regardless of what type fresh lemons one has. []

LOTSA BURGERS

Tamarind Glazed Thai Burgers

Norma Molitor

Austin, TX

Tamarind Glaze:

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons tamarind paste (wrapped in plastic with seeds or in jar)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Mash tamarind paste and mix well with other ingredients. Strain into another small bowl, gently pushing any thick paste and tamarind seeds against the strainer with a spoon or spatula to get as much paste as possible, and to get a smooth consistency. Set glaze aside.

Burgers:

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground chicken (preferably 1/2 thigh meat and 1/2 breast meat, mixed)

6 scallions thinly sliced, just white and pale green parts

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, no stems

1/4 cup fresh Thai basil or regular basil leaves, chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 teaspoons lime zest, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (for grilling)

6 sesame hamburger buns

1 large bunch watercress or arugula

1 hot house cucumber, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced crosswise, making rings

Procedure:

Prepare grill to medium-hot heat. In a large bowl combine first 7 ingredients mixing gently with hands or spoon. Add cilantro, basil, mint, lime zest, salt and pepper mixing gently with hands or spoon. Form into six patties.

Brush grill with toasted sesame oil. Place patties on grill. Cook until brown, about 4 minutes, then turn over. Brush with sesame oil and then baste with glaze. Cook until juices run clear when meat is pierced in the center, about 5 minutes depending on thickness. Toast buns lightly while patties are cooking on the outer edges of the grill.

Serve placing some watercress (or arugula) on the bottom half of the buns, then cooked patties and top with a little more tamarind glaze, cucumber slices, red pepper rings and top half of buns.

Makes six servings. Serve with Sutter Home Sauvignon Blanc or

Gewurztraminer.

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Tuscan Turkey Burgers

Patti Honda Blezard

Honolulu, HI

Pesto

(yield: 1 pint):

5 ounces or approx. 3 cups lightly packed basil leaves

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

6 cloves peeled garlic

1 medium Serrano chili pepper, seeds removed

4 ounces Romano cheese cut in 1/4" cubes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Tuscan Turkey Burgers:

3/4 cup finely chopped onions

8 ounces firm Brie cheese, cut into 3/8" cubes

1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey

1 cup panko (or other bread crumbs)

1/2 cup Pesto (recipe above)

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 egg, beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Roasted Eggplant:

3 Japanese eggplant, sliced lengthwise 1/4"

3/8 cup olive oil

1 clove minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon salt

Additional olive oil for grilling burgers/eggplant

Garnish:

1 1/2 cups Pesto (recipe above)

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt

20 slices chewy/crusty bread (3/4" thick) such as sour dough, Italian or ciabatta

Baby greens

Ripe red tomatoes, sliced

Thinly sliced red onion

Prepare Pesto: Rinse and dry basil leaves. Lightly toast 1/2 cup pine nuts in dry skillet and cool. In food processor, mince garlic and seeded Serrano chili pepper. Cut Romano cheese into cubes, add to minced garlic/chili pepper in food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add salt, pepper, basil and 1/4 cup pine nuts (reserve 1/4 cup for burger mixture) to machine bowl. Gradually add olive oil through feed tube with machine on, until paste forms. Set pesto aside. Part will be used in turkey burger mixture and part as a garnish.

Prepare Tuscan Turkey Burgers and Grilled Eggplant: Finely dice onions. Cut firm Brie into 3/8" cubes (skin on). Remove sun-dried tomatoes from oil, dry with paper towels and dice into 1/4" squares. In a bowl, mix together all the Tuscan Turkey Burger ingredients with hands. Make ten 4-ounce patties and chill. Prepare grill and coals. Slice Japanese eggplants lengthwise in 1/4" widths, marinate in olive oil, garlic and salt. When grill is medium-hot, grill eggplant slices for 1-2 minutes per side or until tender. Take off grill and drizzle with olive oil. Brush top of turkey patties lightly with olive oil. Place patties on grill, oil side down, for about 4-5 minutes until turkey is fully cooked. Slice bread into thick 3/4" slices and place slices of bread on grill to lightly toast both sides; remove from heat.

Garnish Burgers: Make yogurt-pesto sauce by whisking equal parts yogurt with remaining pesto and fill squeeze bottle. Place a piece of toasted bread on the plate and generously squeeze on yogurt-pesto sauce until bottom toast is covered. Top with baby greens and then Tuscan Turkey Burger. Cut eggplant length in half and put two half-slices side-by-side on top of burger. Add slices of ripe tomato and a few rings of thinly sliced red onion and then a drizzling of yogurt-pesto sauce. Place another piece of toast resting on one side of burger. Serve with Sutter Home California Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc or a refreshing sangria made with a Sutter Home red.

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Ranch-Hand Grilled Buffalo Burgers with Chipotle 'n Honey Glaze

and Corn 'n Avocado Salsa

Joyce L. Bowman

Raleigh, NC

Burgers:

1 1/2 pounds ground buffalo *

1/4 cup Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon

2 cloves minced garlic

6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 chipotle peppers, minced (from 7 oz. can of peppers in adobo)

1 teaspoon salt

Glaze:

1/2 cup chipotle peppers and adobo

3 tablespoons honey

Salsa:

1 11 oz. can whole kernel sweet corn, drained

1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 ripe avocado, seeded, peeled and diced

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 small chipotle pepper in adobo, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons Sutter Home Cabernet Sauvignon

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

Salt to taste

4 large seeded sandwich rolls, split

Toppings:

4 thick sweet onion slices and lettuce leaves

Procedure:

In a grill with a cover, prepare a medium-hot fire for direct-heat cooking.

Combine buffalo and remaining burger ingredients in a large bowl, mixing lightly. Shape into 4 patties and chill.

For glaze, puree 1/2 cup chipotle peppers and adobo. Mix in honey and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine salsa ingredients. Set aside.

When the fire is ready, brush grill rack with vegetable oil. Place patties on the grill, cover and cook until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. With a wide spatula, turn the patties and cook until desired doneness. About 2 minutes before burgers are done, brush both sides a couple of times with glaze. Place burgers on bottom halves of rolls and top with onion slices and lettuce leaves. Replace roll tops. Serve with salsa. 4 servings.

*Ground buffalo has been sold for months at the Harris Teeter stores here in North Carolina and is very popular.

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Pastrami Bagel Burgers with Quick Zinfan Dills

Norma Fried

Denver, CO

2 seedless English cucumbers, peeled and sliced into thin spears

Sea salt, as needed (or Kosher salt)

6 large peeled cloves garlic, plus 2 teaspoons finely minced

1 handful dill leaves (one small bunch)

12 peppercorns plus 2 tablespoons peppercorns, cracked

1/2 cup Sutter Home Premium Chardonnay Vinegar

2 pounds coarsely ground round 80-85% lean

1 tablespoon Pastrami Spice Mix*

6 pumpernickel bagels, or pumpernickel-raisin bagels where available, plus 1/3 cup soft crumbs

6 slices aged Gouda or Gruyere, optional

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, or margarine if preferred

Sutter Home Sweet Fire Mustard, as needed (or your favorite premium mustard)

A handful of wood chips, soaked at least 30 minutes (optional)

6 red lettuce leaves, washed and well dried

Oil grill rack. Prepare a medium-hot direct-heat fire in a covered charcoal grill.

Place cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons sea salt. Set aside 15 minutes in a cool spot. Drain, rinse and squeeze out excess liquid. Place in a quart jar or bowl with garlic cloves, peppercorns and dill (reserve 2 tablespoons dill). Cover with 1/4 cup Zinfandel, vinegar, and 1/4 cup ice cubes. Set aside until ready to serve.

Meantime, chop reserved dill and combine with beef, minced garlic, pastrami spice mix (see below), salt, bagel crumbs, and remaining Zinfandel. Form into 3/4" patties, avoid compacting too firmly. Press cracked peppercorns onto surface of one side for the "pastrami" effect.

Add soaked wood chips, if using, according to manufacturers directions before beginning to grill. When coals have grayed over, place burgers on the grill rack, 4"-5" from coals. Close cover and cook until first side is browned. Turn with a wide grill spatula, and grill until done to taste (instant read thermometer should register at least 160F) about 4 minutes on each side for medium. Add a slice of Gouda, if using, about 30 seconds before they are done. Toast bagels cut side down around cooler edges of grill, while burgers are cooking. Drain pickles. (The brine may be re-used one more time. Keep refrigerated.)

*Your secret very easy pastrami mix: Purchase a high quality pickling spice mix. High quality blends, such that from Penzey's Spices, Spice Islands (in supermarkets) or Adriana's Caravan usually include brown and yellow mustard seeds, coriander, allspice, dill, bay leaves, cloves, juniper, mace, red pepper. Find a brand you love and use a fresh jar. Grind as finely as possible in a coffee mill or spice grinder. Tip: grind twice as much as you need, store in the fridge and use within a month or so.

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Anytime Grilled Brunchburgers

TerryAnn Moore

Oaklyn, New Jersey

While inspired by favorite brunch foods, these burgers will open eyes at any hour of the day. Do feel free to serve them as a different breakfast entree, if you wish.

Burgers:

1 pound good quality bulk pork breakfast sausage-preferably sage

1/2 pound ground ham

3 tablespoons snipped chives

1 egg, slightly beaten

2/3 cups soft bread crumbs

Black pepper to taste

2/3 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons Worcestershire

French-Toasted Bread:

12 slices French or sourdough bread, 1" thick

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup milk

Salt, pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

Cranberry Orange Mustard:

1/4 cup finely chopped dried cranberries

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons snipped chives

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

To Serve:

2 Granny Smith apples, pared, cored and sliced into 1/4" slices

3 tablespoons orange juice

1/4 pound cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

Fresh chives

For Burgers: lightly mix burger ingredients together and shape into 6 oval burgers. Grill over hot coals until cooked through.

For French-toasted Bread: Slice bread. With a fork, mix the eggs, salt, pepper, milk and Worcestershire. Dip bread in mixture and grill on grill sprayed with cooking spray until toasted on one side. Grill until golden.

For Cranberry Orange Mustard: mix ingredients together, set aside until needed.

To Serve: Brush apple slices with orange juice and grill until just tender. For each serving, place a slice of French toast, add a burger, 2-3 apple slices, 1-2 slices cheddar cheese, a dollop of the cranberry mustard and a few blades of chives. Lean the remaining slice against the stack.

Optional serving suggestion: garnish plate with thin slices of melon and a sprinkling of fresh berries. Serves 6.

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Bayou Burger with Balsamic Spinach Slaw

L. Monique Porche-Smith

Canton, GA

Burger:

1 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper

2 tablespoons Sutter Home White Zinfandel

1 pound ground chicken

6 ounces turkey andouille sausage, casing removed, finely chopped

1/2 cup peeled, deveined, and chopped shrimp

1/2 cup chopped crawfish tails

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup crumbled Ritz crackers

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Spinach Slaw:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 cup washed, stemmed, and chiffonade-cut spinach

1 cup julienned Granny Smith apple

1 cup roasted corn

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Vegetable oil for brushing grill

6 burger buns (your choice), split

Roasted garlic flavored olive oil, to taste

Creole mustard, to taste

Procedure:

Preheat grill to medium hot flame. Combine the first 4 burger ingredients in a foil packet and place on grill. Grill 5-7 minutes or until soft. Remove from grill and allow to cool. Combine ground chicken with the cooled onion mixture and the remaining burger ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Shape into 6 thick patties. Set aside until ready to grill.

Whisk vinegar, oil, and honey together in a bowl, then add remaining slaw ingredients. Set aside.

Brush grill with oil to prevent sticking. Place the burger on the preheated grill and cook about 6-8 minutes or until desired degree of doneness is achieved. During the last minute of grilling, brush the buns with the garlic-flavored olive oil, place cut side down onto grill and grill lightly. Remove when done.

Spread the bottom bun lightly with Creole mustard, place burger on top, then a heaping serving of spinach slaw finished with grilled top bun. Serves 6

Suggested wine: Sutter Home White Zinfandel

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Grilled Eggplant and Fennel Burgers with Tomato Tapenade

Richard Rizzio

Traverse City, MI

2 1-pound eggplants, pared and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices

4 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs

4 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

1 (7.5 oz. jar) flame roasted Italian style red peppers, coarsely chopped

1 egg, beaten

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Additional bread crumbs

1/4 cup fresh chopped mint

1/4 cup Asiago cheese, shredded

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices

4 round focaccia rolls, split

Tomato Tapenade

1/3 cup ricotta cheese (may need more for spreading consistency)

12 anchovy-stuffed (or plain) green olives, chopped

8 Kalamata olives, chopped

1/4 cup marinated dried tomatoes, drained and chopped with 1 tablespoon oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons Sutter Home Zinfandel

2 tablespoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Procedure:

In a grill with a cover, prepare a medium-hot fire for direct-heat cooking.

Brush grill rack with oil or spray with cooking spray. Arrange eggplant slices on grill, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 9-11 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove from grill, cool a little bit and cut slices into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine eggplant, bread crumbs, Romano cheese, roasted red peppers, egg, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix lightly but well and shape into patties. Carefully roll patties into additional breading crumbs pressing lightly. Spray grill again with cooking spray. Place burgers on grill and cook until golden brown on both sides, 7-10 minutes.

While burgers are cooking, place fennel slices on grill and cook until golden brown and crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes per side. During last minute of cooking time, place rolls, cut sides down on edges of grill to toast.

Place eggplant burgers and some fennel on bottom halves of rolls and top with some Tomato Tapenade, fresh mint and Asiago cheese. Replace roll tops.

Makes 4 servings.

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Green Mountain Burgers

Claudia Shepardson

Loudonville, NY

Peppered Cheddar Cheese Spread:

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2/3 cup sharp Vermont cheddar, shredded

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Spicy Sweet Onions:

1 tablespoon golden raisins

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 medium sweet onions, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon country style mustard

2 tablespoons pure Vermont maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Maple Mustard Burger Glaze:

1/4 cup Vermont maple syrup

3 tablespoons country style mustard

1 tablespoon chili sauce

Country Bacon Burgers:

6 slices thick-cut apple smoked bacon

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin

1/2 pound ground pork

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For Serving:

6 large hamburger buns, split

1/2 cup softened butter

6 pieces red and green leaf lettuce

Prepare a medium-hot fire for direct heat grilling. Oil the grill rack.

To prepare the Peppered Cheddar Cheese Spread, combine all ingredients in a small bowl until well-blended, cover and set aside until serving time.

To prepare the Spicy Sweet Onions, soak the raisins in the vinegar for 10 minutes in a medium bowl. Add all the other ingredients, mix well, and place the mixture on a large square of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Fold up the foil to make a loose packet around the onions, and place on the grill to cook, turning occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until onions are golden brown and caramelized. Remove the packet from the grill and set aside.

While the onions are cooking, combine all the glaze ingredients in a small bowl, mixing until smooth. Set aside.

To prepare the burgers, place the bacon slices on a large square of aluminum foil, turn the edges of the foil up slightly and place the foil on the grill. Cook the bacon, turning frequently, until golden brown and crisp. Remove to drain on paper towels. In a large bowl, place the rest of the burger ingredients. Crumble the bacon coarsely and add to the bowl. Mix the ingredients lightly until well combined, and form gently into 6 equal burgers shaped to fit the rolls. Grill the burgers about 6 minutes per side, or to desired degree of doneness, brushing both sides with the glaze. During the last few minutes of grilling, spread the cut sides of the buns lightly with butter and place around the edges of the grill to toast. To serve, spread the cut sides of the buns with the cheddar spread, and place a lettuce leaf on each bottom half, followed by a burger. Divide the onions over the burgers and cover with the top halves of the buns. Serve with Sutter Home California Zinfandel, if desired. Serves 6.

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Fruit of the Vine Burgers with California Relish

Diane Sparrow

Osage, IA

California Relish:

1/2 cup California Golden Raisins (approx. 2 ounces)

2 tablespoons Sutter Home California Zinfandel wine

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (approx. 1 ounce)

1/2 small red onion, cut in chunks

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 small chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

3 tablespoons tomato preserves

Burgers:

12 ounces lean ground beef

12 ounces lean ground pork

8 grape leaves, packed in vinegar brine (approx. 1 ounce)

2/3 cup chopped black grapes (approx. 4 ounces)

1/4 cup Sutter Home Zinfandel Wine

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon crushed dry green peppercorns

2 ounces crumbled Feta cheese

1 1-lb loaf country style bread, preferably roasted garlic or herb flavor

1 small bunch crisp lettuce leaves

4-8 grape leaves packed in vinegar brine

Additional grape leaves and black grapes for garnish (optional)

Prepare a grill for moderate direct-heat cooking.

Place the California Relish ingredients in a small food processor. Pulse machine until relish is coarsely chopped. Remove and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Place the beef and pork in a mixing bowl. Remove the tough stems from the grape leaves. Roll up and cut into julienne strips. Add to the bowl. Add the grapes, wine, salt, crushed pepper and Feta cheese. Mix lightly and form into 4 oval patties.

Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the prepared mat patties over the hot coals. Grill for approximately 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness is reached. While the burgers are cooking, cut the bread into 1/2" slices. When burgers are almost finished, place the bread on the grill to lightly toast on both sides. Place a piece of grilled bread on each plate. Top with some of the lettuce. Place a burger on the lettuce and top the burger with one or two grape leaves. Spoon on a generous amount of California Relish. Top with second piece of grilled bread. Place on grape leaf lined plates and garnish with bunches of black grapes if desired. Serves 4.

MICROWAVE PUDDING

3 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cup milk

dash salt

1/2 cup of chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon butter

Directions: In a 1 quart microwave proof bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar and cocoa. Whisk in the two cups of milk and the teaspoon of vanilla until they are well combined. Cook on high in the microwave for 3 minutes. Whisk again and cook on high for an additional 3-8 minutes. (It usually takes no more than 3 minutes to cook) After each minute whisk again. When the pudding comes to full boil and thickens remove from microwave and stir in butter and chocolate chips. Serve this pudding warm or cold.

ONION RINGS

Note from Kaylin (realfood4realpeople.com) "When I was a teenager, I worked at a fast food place which made wonderful onion rings. One of the first jobs they gave me to do, was cut up onions."

onions, sliced and towel dried

buttermilk

flour

fine cracker crumbs

Dip onion slices into the buttermilk, then into the flour. Dip them again into the buttermilk, and then into the cracker crumbs. "We placed them in the walk-in cooler, in batches, and fried them as they were ordered."

PEACH CROSTADA

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

5-6 peaches, peeled and sliced

3/4 cup sugar

Cinnamon to taste (optional)

1 cup heavy cream, sour cream or yogurt, to taste

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press into 9-10 inch pie plate. Arrange peaches over crust and sprinkle with 3/4 c. sugar and cinnamon. Bake 15 minutes. With a fork or whisk, beat together cream and eggs. Remove crostada from oven. Pour over egg mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm. Do not refrigerate.

PEAR AND RAISIN COBBLER

WITH CHEDDAR TOPPING

For the filling:

6 large, slightly under-ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and sliced (about 6 cups

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish and set aside.

Combine all filling ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until pears are hot and mixture is slightly thick, about 5 minutes; pour into prepared baking dish.

To prepare topping: Stir together flour, sugar and baking powder in a small bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese, milk and egg (mixture will be very thick). Drop by spoonfuls over pear filling.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until topping mixture is set, tenting loosely with foil if topping browns too quickly.

Let cool slightly and serve. This dessert is best when still slightly warm. Top with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

PEAR COBBLER BAKED WITH CHEDDAR TOPPING

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

An old-fashioned fruit cobbler sounds like a homey way to chase away autumn chills. Bartlett pears are in season, bake well, and in this cobbler with a Cheddar topping are transformed into an easy-to-prepare but distinctive dessert.

Cheese and fruit make a wonderful combination. Here, the cobbler's filling of pears and raisins, spiced with cinnamon and sugar, is baked under a biscuit dough that's seasoned with a tangy touch of Cheddar. Don't smooth the dough too much -- it's meant to be bumpy, and properly "cobbled."

When you choose Bartletts, look for relatively smooth skin. If they are green and firm, let them sit in a fruit bowl at room temperature for four to six days to ripen.

When they are golden yellow, they are at their juiciest, most flavorful stage and are ready to eat. Depending on their stage of ripeness, they can hold in the refrigerator for almost a week.

PEAR CRISP

Makes 8 servings

Pear mixture:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups sliced pears (Bartlett or Packum; about 4 medium)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash salt

Topping:

1/3 cup old-fashioned or quick oatmeal, uncooked

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 teaspoon baking powder

4 tablespoons butter (see note)

Cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the pear mixture: In a small bowl, mix together granulated sugar, flour, sliced pears, cinnamon and salt. Spread in a greased 9-by-9-inch baking pan.

To make the topping: Mix oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, baking soda and baking powder together. Add the butter and work in until the mixture is like coarse crumbs.

Spread this mixture over the pears and pat firmly, covering all the pears. Bake for 40 minutes. Best served with plain cream, not whipped cream.

Note: Use real butter or stick margarine. Do not substitute reduced-fat spreads; their higher water content often yields less-satisfactory results.

PICKLED BEETS

This is a great and easy recipe for pickled beets, slightly sweet. The original recipe did not include onions, but they can be included or not, as you choose.

2 cups sugar

4 bay leaves

1 cup white vinegar

4 cups fresh cooked, or 32 oz. canned beets

3 Tbsp pickling spice

2 med. sweet onions, sliced

Combine all ingredients, except beets and onion. Bring to a boil. Add beets and onions, simmer about 5 minutes. Good served hot or cold. Keeps several weeks in the refrigerator.

PICKLED BEETS II

4 cans of sliced beets (with juice)

2 whole onions, sliced ( quarter them first if they are large)

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients; bring to a boil, then cool. Pack beets and onions into pint jars, pour in the liquid from the pan, and store them in the refrigerator. [] Spike thinks they should be processed for 15 minutes in boiling water bath. []

PLAZEK POLISH COFFEE CAKE RECIPE

3 packages of dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

2 tablespoons sugar

Mix together and set aside:

6 eggs

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 large can evaporated milk

1/2 cube butter (1/4 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp lemon juice

Beat eggs and salt until creamy. Add sugar and beat well until thick. Warm milk and add butter to milk until melted. Add vanilla & lemon, mix flour, milk and yeast mixture alternately. Beat well. You may add 1 cup raisins. Put into 3 bread pans, 1/2 full. Add topping (below). Let rise 1 hour or until double its size. Bake 20 min at 375 then drop heat to 325 and bake about 30 minutes. Test with toothpick. Cover pans with a dish towel when cooling.

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup of flour

Mix to a crumb consistency.

PUMPKIN SOUP

serves 6 to 8

6 slices bacon, diced, cooked crisp, fat reserved

1 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup Marsala

1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon thyme

2 cups heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Heat bacon fat in stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and shallots. Sauté until onions are transparent. Combine onion mixture and canned pumpkin in food processor. Blend until smooth.

Return pumpkin mixture to stock pot. Stir in chicken broth, Marsala, hot pepper sauce and thyme. Bring to a boil; simmer 15 minutes. Add heavy cream and bacon; simmer 10 minutes.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Hollow out small pumpkins, reserving seeds. Use pumpkins as soup bowls.

Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, toasted as follows: Rinse seeds and pat dry. Spread on a baking sheet; let dry for several hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss seeds with a combination of 3 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce.

Toast seeds in oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

PURIM STICKY SQUARES

for Purim

"In the Bible (Ezekiel 27), we learn how the merchants of yore traded in all manner of ingredients which were used in their cooking. Honey was the sweetening agent of their confections, so we have good reason to believe that their sweetmeats were sticky, spicy, nutty, and of a plain baked dough baked and then boiled in honey. Mediterranean cakes have indeed retained those characteristics through the present." Israeli Cookbook

2 cups sifted flour

1 tbsp sugar

4 eggs

3 tbsp cooking oil

1 lb honey

1/4 lb poppy seed

Mix the flour, sugar, eggs, and oil. Knead together and roll out very thin. Cut into squares and prick with a fork. Bake in a 375 degree oven until the dough is crisp (7-10 minutes). Boil the honey, and dip the squares in it for a few minutes. Remove and roll in the poppy seed.

RED LENTIL AND WILD RICE STEW

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup diced celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red lentils, sorted and rinsed

1 cup wild/brown rice mix

1 cup diced carrots

2 cups diced fresh or canned tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

9 cups water or vegetable broth

In a soup pot, cook onion, celery and garlic in a little water until soft. Add remaining ingredients except water or broth. Mix well. Add water or broth. Stir and bring to a boil. Lower heat. Cover and simmer 40 minutes or until lentils and rice are soft. Add water if needed.

RICE SIDES

Onion Rice Mix

4 cups uncooked rice

1 envelope. onion soup mix

1/4 cup dried minced onion

1 tablespoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon Dill Rice Mix

4 cups uncooked rice

1/4 cup grated lemon peel

1/4 cup powdered chicken soup base

2 tablespoons dill

1 tablespoon chives

1/2 teaspoon salt

Vegetable Rice Mix

4 cups uncooked rice

1 envelope vegetable soup mix

2 tablespoons dried minced onion

2 tablespoons dried minced celery

2 tablespoons dried minced pepper

1 tablespoon parsley

1 teaspoon salt

Spanish Rice Mix

4 cups uncooked rice

1/2 cups Mexican seasonings mix (taco seasoning)

1/2 cup dried corn

2 tablespoons parsley

1 tablespoon basil

Creamy Herb Rice Mix

4 cups uncooked rice

1/2 cup instant nonfat dry milk

1/4 cup dried minced celery

2 tablespoons parsley

2 tablespoons thyme

1 tablespoon marjoram

Combine the ingredients specified for each mix. Store in different glass jars or tightly closed containers on pantry shelf for up to 4 months.

To Use:

Mix 1 cup of any of the rice mixes with 2 cups liquid, either water, juice, broth, or a combination. A tablespoon of butter or margarine is a nice addition. Place the rice, liquid, and butter on high heat and bring to a rolling boil. Immediately reduce the heat to very low, cover, and simmer the rice for 10 to 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

SPANISH STEWED CHICKPEAS

serves 4

1 teaspoon saffron threads

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

13 ounces fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded and minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Two (15-ounce) cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Place the saffron threads in 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over a very low flame. Remove from flame and allow to steep for 15 minutes for flavors to develop.

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over a medium flame for 1 minute. Add the garlic, spinach, tomato, salt and pepper.

Stir and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the chickpeas and cook until they are heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the saffron and water to the chickpeas and allow to simmer until water cooks off, about 3 to 5 minutes.

SPECIAL ORANGEADE

"About 1600, when sugar cane became plentiful, orangeades rose to popularity. They were made highly aromatic by the addition of flowers such as jasmine and carnations for perfume. Spices such as coriander seed, cinnamon, mace, and essences of rose water made the drink even more heady. The aphrodiasiac musk was sometimes added, so that the drink had much more than taste appeal as an aim. Orangeades are everyday drinks in Israel, the squash coming bottled in mandarin, orange, lemon or mixed syrups. Every housewife makes her own specialties, and here is [the author's] mine." Israeli Cookbook

sugar for frosting

crushed ice

6 tbsp mandarin syrup (or juice of 3 oranges mixed with 6 tbsp sugar)

2 tbsp lemon juice

6 tbsp light wine

1 tbsp ginger syrup or dash or ginger powder

6 cups water

6 orange slices, unpeeled and studded with a clove each, for garnish

6 sour cherries and 6 sprigs mint for garnish

Wet the tops of 6 glasses and dip in sugar to "frost" the rims. Half fill with crushed ice. Mix all the ingredients except the garnishes and pour into the glasses. Garnish with the orange slices studded with cloves, cherries, and mint sprigs. Serves 6

[] Here's to you, Molly! []

SPICY BEEF STEW

2 pounds Stew meat -- cut in 1" pieces

4 medium potato -- cubed

4 medium carrot -- sliced

1 medium onion -- chopped

2 cloves garlic -- minced

2 cans tomato soup, condensed -- 10 3/4 ounces each

2 cans water -- soup cans

1 cup Burgundy

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

Coat stew meat with flour, salt, paprika and pepper. Place in crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for

4 to 5 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.

STRAWBERRY BREAD PUDDING

WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

Serves 9

Nonstick cooking spray

4 cups (about 8 ounces) stale egg or white bread cubes (1-inch)

2 1/2 cups (about 12 ounces) coarsely chopped stemmed strawberries

2 cups half-and-half

4 large eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup prepared caramel or butterscotch sauce, warmed (or alternative

chocolate rum sauce, recipe follows)

Sweetened whipped cream (optional, see note)

Whole strawberries (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly coat 9-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.

In large bowl, combine bread and strawberries, tossing to combine. Arrange in baking pan; set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together half-and-half, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt until well-blended; pour over bread mixture.

Let stand 10 minutes, pushing bread down into egg mixture occasionally.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until top is golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Serve warm with caramel sauce; garnish with whipped cream and whole strawberries, if desired.

Note: To make 2 cups sweetened whipped cream, in mixer bowl beat together 1 cup whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (if desired), until soft peaks form.

SUESSAPFELGEMUSE

Vegetable Apples

"Somehow the apple, even more than the Biblical pomegranate, has become the symbolic "first fruit" of Rosh Hashanah. It therefore goes into the making of countless dishes both in Eastern and Western lands for this festival. The following is a Swiss-Jewish dish that is eaten instead of vegetables with the main dish, since sweet foods are eaten in every course on Rosh Hashanah. " Israeli Cookbook

3 lbs apples

4 tbsp fat

4 tsp brown sugar

4 tbsp water

1 cinnamon stick

Wash, slice, and core apples, but do not peel. Heat the fat and put in the brown sugar. Add the apple slices and toss. Put in the water and the cinnamon stick and cook over low heat until the apple slices are tender but not mushy (10-20 minutes). Serves 8 to 10.

[] Nice of me to send this out right after Rosh Hashanah - although there is no rule saying we can't enjoy this dish any time. []

SUMATRAN BUTTERFLIED CORNISH GAME HENS

2 Cornish game hens, about 1 1/2 pounds each

4 shallots, sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced (or a generous tsp commercially prepared minced garlic)

1 tbsp ground coriander

3 to 7 fresh hot red chilies, seeded and sliced (WEAR GLOVES)

(3 chilies will make it hot. 7 will prompt a visit from the fire department)

1/2 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced ( I find it is better to grate it)

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

salt to taste

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

2 cups coconut milk (check Oriental section in supermarket, or Asian store)

2 stalks lemon grass, or 1 lemon slice

Preheat the broiler. Split open the hens from the breast side and flatten them out into a butterfly shape. Discard loose skin and fat. Broil the hens for 3 minutes on each side.

Using a blender or food processor, process the shallots, garlic, coriander, chilies, ginger, turmeric, salt, lime juice, and 1/2 cup of the coconut milk to a smooth sauce. Marinate the hens in the mixture for 15 minutes.

Transfer the hens and their marinade to a large skillet and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the remaining coconut milk and the lemon grass. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, basting occasionally, until the hens are tender and almost all the liquid has evaporated. Serves 2 to 4

[] Purchasing a small jar of minced garlic has been a boon in many ways. Having fresh garlic on hand at all times is impractical unless one really uses it in almost everything. It saves labor, and is much easier to control than variable sized fresh cloves of garlic. Fresh ginger is another issue. I have not seen it prepared in a jar, so always buy a piece of it in the produce department of the supermarket. If it is sliced and put into a recipe, it does not permeate the dish like it should. Being rather fibrous, it doesn't do well in the blender. Grating it, however, with a hand-grater, does the job quite nicely, and it doesn't burn one's gizzard like getting a slice of it in one forkful. It is important to take care of our gizzards. []

SWEET CORNMEAL BUNS

Makes 12 buns

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup fine-grind yellow cornmeal

1/4 pound plus 4 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional flour for work surface

Additional unsalted butter for baking sheet (optional)

For tops:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder and cornmeal into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar and honey. Using a hand-held mixer set on medium speed, beat ingredients until fluffy, and light and pale in color, about 5 minutes. Continue to beat on medium speed, adding egg yolks one at a time. Beat well after each addition and scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

Reduce speed to low. Add half the flour mixture and beat until dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Beat in cream, milk, lemon zest and vanilla. Continuing on low speed, add remaining flour mixture and beat until soft dough forms, about 2 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dough will be sticky, but try not to incorporate too much flour as you shape buns. Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Dust your hands lightly with flour and shape each portion into a golfball-size sphere. With palm of one hand, flatten each ball slightly on floured surface into a disk about 3/4-inch thick.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with butter. To decorate tops of buns, put granulated sugar into a small, shallow bowl. Brush top of each disk lightly with water and dip dampened top into sugar. Place disks, sugared sides up, on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. When all disks have been dipped, sieve powdered sugar over tops.

Bake buns until tops begin to crack and rim of each bun is a light golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on baking sheet. Store in covered container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

SYCAMORE FIG SOUP

"The sycamore fig tree is native to Israel and even in biblical times its figs were eaten and the trees tended. The prophet Amos was a "dresser of sycamores." During Israel's austerity days, with years of drought, this fruit was not disdained. It is good in fruit soups, along with other figs. The sycamore also grows in Egypt and is known abroad as Pharoah's fig." Israeli Cookbook

3cups sliced sycamore and/or other figs

3 cups water

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 cups orange juice

dash of ginger

sugar to taste

lemon juice to taste

2 fresh apples, grated

sour cream, if desired

Cook the figs in the water until mushy. Add the cornstarch and cook until clear.

Whirl the mixture in the blender. Add the remaining ingredients and chill thoroughly. Serve with a garnish of sour cream, if you like. Serves 4 to 6

[] I have to comment that it would serve about a thousand people like me! If somebody knows why one would eat fig soup, that person should send me an e-mail immediately. I am democratic enough to include recipes that I do not or would not like, because others may very well like them. I just have not under stood why people eat soup that is not hot and comforting or has no meat or veggies. When I declare that I am the "ultimate authority on everything," it is obviously untrue, but it is great fun! []

TEXAS BRAG CAKE

1 can (no. 2) pie cherries

1 cup sugar

1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine

1 box white or yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped nuts

Pour and spread fruit into 9 X 13 baking dish and sprinkle on sugar. Sprinkle cake mix over this evenly. Melt margarine and pour over mixture evenly. Sprinkle on nuts. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour. From the Bulldog

Cookbook

THE BEST SWEET POTATO PIE

serves 8

Pie dough:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

3 tablespoons chilled all-vegetable shortening

4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 small to medium)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 tablespoons bourbon

1 tablespoon molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup whole milk

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

In a food processor with a steel blade, pulse flour, salt and sugar to combine. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses.

Add shortening and continue cutting in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, about 4 more 1-second pulses.

Turn mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle 4 tablespoons ice water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to evenly distribute water into flour mixture until small portion of dough holds together when squeezed in palm of hand. Add up to 1 tablespoon more ice water if necessary.

Turn dough onto work surface, gather and gently press together into cohesive ball. Flatten into 4-inch disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Remove dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 30 minutes, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Roll dough on lightly floured work surface to 12-inch disk, 1/8-inch thick. Fold dough into quarters, place point in center of 9-inch pie plate, unfold dough.

Ease dough carefully into pan corners. Trim edge to 1/2-inch beyond pan lip. Tuck rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edges are about 1/4 inch beyond pan lip. Flute dough. Refrigerate pie shell for 40 minutes, then freeze for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 375 degrees. Press double 18-inch square of heavy-duty foil inside shell and fold back edges to shield fluted edge. Evenly distribute about 2 cups pie weights over foil.

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights and bake about another 9 minutes. Remove from oven, reduce heat to 350 degrees.

Prick sweet potatoes with fork and place on double layer of paper towels in microwave. Cook for 5 minutes, turn each potato over and cook about 5 minutes longer, just until tender.

Cool 10 minutes. Halve potatoes and scoop out flesh into medium bowl. Discard skins. You should have about 2 cups. While potatoes are still hot, add butter and mash with fork; small lumps should remain.

Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Stir in bourbon, molasses (if using) and vanilla, then whisk in milk. Gradually add egg mixture to sweet potatoes, whisking gently to combine.

Heat partially baked pie shell in oven until warm, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle bottom of pie shell evenly with brown sugar. Pour sweet potato mixture into pie shell. Bake until filling is set around edges, about 45 minutes.

Transfer pie to wire rack, cool about 2 hours, and serve.

THE INCREDIBLE EDIBLE EGG

How do we love the incredible, edible orb? Let us count the many tasty ways ...

By WILLIAM RICE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE

At odd moments that old advertising slogan "the incredible, edible egg" pops into my mind. In addition to being a pleasing bit of wordplay, it represents truth in advertising.

Honored in song and story, its distinctive beauty recorded by countless artists and photographers, the egg is enjoyed everywhere and in many guises.

The egg repertoire is too vast to do anything more than nibble at it in this limited space. A few of my personal favorites are the cheese souffle, egg salad, stuffed eggs and soft-scrambled eggs. A mouth-watering variation on the latter is eggs scrambled with peppers.

The Italians prepare this dish with their lovely green frying peppers and may add sausage to the mixture.

I have two versions to share, one with sausage and one without. In the first, from John Thorne's food newsletter, "Simple Cooking," the mixture becomes the filling for a hero-sized sandwich. In the second, from my kitchen, sausage, corn and onion are added to the eggs and peppers.

PEPPER AND EGG SANDWICH

The roll:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon softened butter

1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic

2 tablespoons good grating cheese, such as grana

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 (8-inch) Italian sandwich roll

The filling:

1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 each red and green bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 eggs, gently beaten

Grind of black pepper and salt to taste

For the roll: In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, butter, garlic and grated cheese. Mix thoroughly as you sprinkle in the ground red pepper.

Slice the Italian sandwich roll open at the top, cutting from stem to stern. Open it up as wide as possible without splitting the roll apart. Generously coat the exposed surfaces with the garlic-cheese spread.

For the filling: Heat the olive oil in a 9-inch nonstick skillet over a medium-high flame. Add the onion and bell pepper slices and sauté until they are tender and show a touch of char.

Turn the flame under the skillet down to medium-low. Pause to slip the dressed sandwich roll under a preheated broiler or into a toaster oven and leave it there to toast until the edges are nicely browned and the garlic-cheese spread is bubbling hot. (Don't let this burn.)

Pour the beaten eggs over the onion and pepper mixture, tipping the pan to let the eggs spread all through it. Cook until the eggs have set, tilting the pan and lifting the edge of the eggs with a spatula to allow any remaining liquid to come in contact with the pan's surface. Season with salt and pepper.

Take the toasted roll, spoon the pepper and eggs over it, and close it up. Serve at once.

EGG, SAUSAGE AND VEGETABLE SCRAMBLE

serves 2

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound hot (or mild) Italian sausage, broken into chunks; or chopped ham

1/4 cup white wine or water

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup corn kernels, preferably cut from the cob with a sharp knife

1/2 cup grated onion

1/2 cup grated green bell pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Pinch of sugar

4 eggs

3 or 4 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Heat oil in a skillet, preferably cast-iron, with the sausage.

Cook and stir until no raw surfaces remain. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Deglaze the pan with wine or water, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until liquid evaporates.

Add butter, corn, onion and green pepper. Sauté until vegetables are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Return the sausage to the pan.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water. Pour over the mixture in the pan and stir over medium heat until the eggs are scrambled, 3 to 4 minutes. Taste, adjust seasoning and portion onto two warm plates. Garnish with cherry tomato halves and serve with toast or English muffins.

THE IRON FIST OF THE CAST IRON CULT

October 17, 2001 Posted: 04:15:02 AM PDT, By J.M. HIRSCH

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CONCORD, N.H. -- There is something immensely satisfying about cooking with cast iron.

Men especially love it. That's probably because of its heft; cast iron feels great in the hand, weighing more than just about any other comparably sized pot or pan.

The versatility is great, too. The pots are rugged enough to go from the campfire to the stovetop to under the broiler, yet gentle enough to produce light and fluffy corn bread and succulent soups.

Compared to other metals, cast iron cooks faster and more evenly and holds heat longer. Plus, it adds iron to the food and, with use, is naturally nonstick, meaning less oil is needed.

All this adds up to a great choice for vegetarians looking to reduce the fat in their diets. Cast iron excels at gently browning vegetables and tofu with little or no oil.

Many vegetarian foods tend to be low in fat. While that is good, it also means that browning may require a plentiful amount of oil.

Cast iron can help avoid that.

Iron pots and pans become nonstick because of the way they must be cared for, explains Mara Reid Rogers in her recent book, "Cooking in Cast Iron" (HP Books, 2001, $17.95).

New cast-iron pots (which are inexpensive and widely available at kitchen supply and camping stores) must be seasoned with oil before using. This helps prevent the pans from rusting, which can happen quickly if they are exposed to water.

To season, Rogers suggests wiping vegetable oil all over the pan, inside and out. Line the bottom of the oven with foil to catch drips, then bake the pan upside down for one hour at 350 degrees. When the pan is cool, wipe it dry.

Over time, the original oil seasoning builds up with the natural oils in foods, giving the pan a black patina, and a naturally smooth surface perfect for cooking with minimal amounts of oil.

For this reason, care must be taken when cleaning cast iron, so as not to wash off the seasoning. Never put the pans in a dishwasher. Gently wash them in warm water and a mild soap.

Also, never let them air dry, or they will quickly rust.

Instead, place pans on the stove over a medium flame. Let them heat until dry, then turn off the burner and let them cool before putting them away.

For a quick dish that demonstrates cast iron's strengths, try Spanish Stewed Chickpeas (garbanzo beans). If using a well-seasoned cast-iron pan, reduce the oil by half.

THE SHARONS SUBSTITUTE (or not) SUKIYAKI

A nice Purim dish from The Israeli Cookbook, published in 1964. Since that time, Oriental vegetables, spices, and herbs have become available almost everywhere.

"Though Israel has no Jewish-Japanese community, it does have cultural and economic ties with the "Land of the Rising Sun." The Japanese ambassador introduced the traditional sukiyaki "Friendship Dish" to Israel at the Sharon Hotel, and this Israeli version has become a piece de resistance on the menus. You can prepare it for parties as the Sharon does, substituting local fur unavailable Japanese ingredients, in a chafing dish at table, with all the ingredients beautifully laid out on a platter (or cook it in the kitchen in a heavy skillet, in about 20 minutes).

"Celery stalks are used to replace the traditional Chinese cabbage, kohlrabi is a substitute for water chestnuts, and sweet potatoes replace the shirataki or bean sprouts (you can use carrots if you wish). These vegetables are not tradition to the dish, but the results are almost as good. This recipe should be made in two batches (unless your skillet is very large)."

6 tbsp peanut oil

2 lbs steak, cut into thin strips

1 cup thinly sliced onions

2 cups bean sprouts (parboiled sweet potatoes or raw carrots, in thin 3"strips)

2 cups coarsely shredded Chinese cabbage (or white cabbage)

2 cups water chestnuts (or kohlrabi, cut into thin strips)

1 cup bok choy, in thin strips (or celery)

6 oz mushrooms, sliced thin

1 cup hot water

6 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp dehydrated chicken soup (dissolve 1 bouillon cube in 1 cup hot water)

Heat the oil and fry the meat for 3 minutes, then push it to the edge of the pan.

Do the same with each vegetable, frying them for 2 minutes each, in the order in which they are listed (longest-cooking are fried first). Mix the water, soy sauce,

and soup powder. Sprinkle over each vegetable right after frying. Add any of the remaining liquid after all vegetables have been fried, and cook everything for 5 minutes longer, stirring often. The vegetables should be crisp, but not raw. Serve with boiled rice and more soy sauce, if desired. Serves 6 to 8.

[] I would cook this in my wok. Since I am a person who never sends for things seen on television, it came as a surprise to me that I actually did that - I ordered

"The Great Wok of China." It is about as ugly a thing as one could have, but it does a marvelous job of stir frying. One must be quick upon washing it, to get it perfectly dry and apply vegetable oil to its surface immediately, or it will rust. I have been using that wok for about 15 years now, which means that it cost me about $1.00 per year! It is also good for deep frying, and actually anything that can be cooked can be cooked in a wok. A wonderful utensil.[]

[]For this recipe, virtually any veggies will do very nicely. I would put celery, as well as the Chinese cabbage, and carrots, whether bean sprouts were on hand or not. I find that most large cities in the US have ethnic markets where the esoteric ingredients can be found, in addition to ethnic sections of supermarkets.

I now live in a small town of about 50,000 people. We have a Chinese market, a Mexican market (Mercado), an Afghan market (wonderful flatbread and Oriental rugs for sale!), and a Kosher market. Incidentally, the Afghan market has a huge

American flag in its window! 10/18/2001

VEGETABLE TIAN

Marlena Spieler contributed this lovely casserole, a specialty of Provence.

2 onions, peeled and sliced lengthwise

1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and sliced

1 green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and sliced

1 eggplant, thinly sliced, then cut into strips

6 tbsp olive oil

5 to 8 garlic cloves, chopped (or 2 tsp purchased minced garlic)

2 tsp chopped fresh herbs: marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

pinch sugar

2 lbs young, tender zucchini, cut into thin slices

2 lbs tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup grated Parmesan or other grating cheese (Aaiago, locatelli, romano,

pecorino, or bread crumbs if dish is to be served cool.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly sauté the onions, peppers, and eggplant in 4 tbsp of the olive oil; when softened and lightly browned, add half the garlic and cook a few minutes longer. Season with half the herbs, as well as salt, pepper, and sugar. Spoon the vegetables into a large baking dish. Arrange the sliced zucchini and tomatoes on top, in overlapping rows so you see stripes of white-green, red, white-green, then red again, etc. Sprinkle the top with salt, pepper, and the remaining herbs, garlic, and olive oil.

Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese (if serving hot) or bread crumbs (if serving at room temperature), then bake for 15 to 25 minutes longer. Serves 4

[] I don't think we really need all that salt. Other veggies, in season, would be good in this dish, provided that they were prepared in a manner concomitant with the regime of slicing thinly and/or in strips. Remember, if you don't have fresh herbs, it is okay to use dry herbs; however dry herbs are much stronger than fresh. 1 tsp of dried herbs would undoubtedly be sufficient. If Vidalia onions or

Walla Walla onions are in season when you prepare this dish, those onions would be supreme. []