The Christmas of 1932 my aunt Theresa gave my grandmother a cookbook titled: “Reliable Cook Book” - Trinity Ladies Aid and Missionary Society in Moorhead, Minnesota. Dispersed throughout the cookbook are advertisements for businesses in the Moorhead, Minnesota area. (The ads are almost as interesting as the recipes contains within the pages.) I have not had the opportunity to try any of these recipes but I have included some of the ones that sounded “interesting.” You will notice some of the directions assume that you know how to assemble and cook/bake the item!

Potato Dumplings
1 1/2 lb. lean salt pork
2 qts. cold water
8 med. sized potatoes
1 large onion
1 T. salt
1 t. pepper
1 c. dry bread crumbs
1 c. flour
Boil 1 pound salt pork slowly in water. Grind potatoes, onion, 1/2 pound salt pork and mix well with other ingredients. Shape into balls size of an egg and drop into kettle with salt pork. If necessary, add sufficient water to cover dumplings. Boil about 3/4 hour. Caraway seeds may be used, if desired. Any left overs may be sliced and fried in butter.

Six-Layer Dinner
2 c. sliced raw potatoes
2 c. chopped celery
2 c. raw ground meat
1 c. sliced raw onions
1 c. finely cut green peppers
2 c. canned tomatoes
2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
Place ingredients in order in greased baking dish, sprinkle salt and pepper on each layer. Bake 2 hours in moderate oven (350º F.). Add butter to each layer if desired.

Scalloped Corn
1 can corn
4 eggs, beaten
1 T. flour
1 T. butter
2 c. milk
2 T. sugar
Cover with bread crumbs and bake.

Escalloped Spinach
1/2 pkge egg noodles
1 can spinach
cheese
milk
Cook noodles until tender, place layer of noodles in greased casserole, next layer of grated cheese, layer of spinach, continue until dish is full, having layer of noodles and cheese on top, salt & pepper to taste fill with milk and bake 1/2 hr.

Vegetable Meat Casserole
3 med. potatoes
1 lb. hamburger
1 large onion (chopped)
1 small chopped green pepper
Butter
1 can tomato soup
1/2 c. water
1 c. Rice Krispies
1/8 lb. grated cheese
Salt and Pepper
Place layer of sliced raw potatoes in bottom of greased casserole; then a layer of meat with chopped onion, pepper and seasonings. Alternate layers of meat and potatoes until casserole is filled. Add tomato soup diluted with water. Sprinkle Rice Krispies on top, then cheese and dot with butter. Cover and bake in moderate oven (350º F.) for about one hour. Remove cover the last 10 minutes so the Rice Krispies will brown.

Creamed Cabbage and Ham
1 small head cabbage
1 t. salt
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
2 c. milk
1/2 lb. ham, cooked
1 c. corn flakes
Shred cabbage. Cook uncovered in boiling water, salted, until tender.
Melt butter, add flour and mix well. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly. Cook until sauce thickens. Add chopped ham. Drain cabbage, mix thoroughly with ham sauce. Put in buttered casserole and cover with corn flakes. Put in oven until thoroughly heated (370º F.) Any left-over meat or 1/2 c. grated cheese may be used instead of ham.

Potato Omelet
1 c. mashed potatoes
3 eggs, beaten separately
1 heaping t. flour
1 scant t. salt,
pepper
1/2 c. sweet milk
Heat and butter a large frying pan, pour mixture into it. Keep on top of stove at moderate heat until set and browned on under side. Set on grate in oven to brown on top. Serve hot.

Cucumber-Salmon Salad
Select short thick cucumbers cut in halves lengthwise. Scoop out seeds to from boat. Cut slices of cucumber into small strips, marinate in French dressing and let stand 1/2 hour. Drain salmon form oil, remove skin and bones, marinate in french dressing. Let stand 1 hour. Drain and mix lightly with cream mayonnaise. Sprinkle boat with finely chopped parsley and fill with salmon over which sprinkle strips of cucumber. Make a frill of mayonnaise lengthwise across boat. Place on lettuce leaves.

Orange Biscuits
2 c. white flour
4 t. baking powder
3 T. lard
1 t. salt
3/4 to 1 c. milk to make soft dough
Roll dough thin and spread with orange filling.

Orange Filling
2 T. butter
1 T. orange juice
1 orange, grated rind
4 T. sugar
Cook until slightly thickened, cool and spread over dough. Roll up like a jelly roll. Cut in 1/2 inch slices, sprinkle with sugar and bake in muffin tins in hot oven.

Sugar Cookies
1 c. sugar
1 c. butter
1/2 c. (scant) milk
3 1/2 c. flour
2 level t. cream of tartar
1 level t. soda
Mix and shape into a roll. Cover with wax paper and place in refrigerator until chilled. Cut into thin slices. Bake.
Date Rocks
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. butter
2 eggs, well beaten
1 c. walnuts
1 1/2 c. chopped dates
1 t. soda
3 T. hot water
3 - 3 1/2 c. flour
1 t. vanilla
Drop from spoon. Bake in 350º F. oven.

Peanut Bars
1/2 c. sugar
1 heaping t. butter
3 eggs, beaten separately
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. boiling milk
Pinch of salt
Bake in loaf. Cut in squares. Roll in powdered sugar icing, roll in ground peanuts.
Mock Angel Food Cake
1 c. milk
1 heaping c. cake flour
1 c. sugar
3 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
3 egg whites
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. vanilla
Sift dry ingredients 4 times. Heat milk to boiling point and pour into flour mixture. Beat until smooth. When eggs are half beaten add cream of tartar, then fold into cake the beaten egg whites. Bake in ungreased angel food cake tin in slow oven.
Banana Chiffon Pie
1 1/2 t. gelatin
2 T. cold water
3/4 c. mashed bananas
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. grated lemon rind
1/8 t. grated orange rind
3 T. sugar
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/8 t. salt
2 egg whites
2 T. sugar
1 - 8 inch pie crust, baked
Mix gelatin with water. Mix bananas & lemon juice. Add lemon & orange rind, 3 T. sugar, egg yolks and salt. Cook slowly, remove from heat; add gelatin, cool. Beat egg whites until stiff, then add 2 T. sugar gradually and beat. Fold in banana. Pour into crust.
Mock Cherry Pie
1 large cup cranberries cut in two
1 c. sugar
1 T. flour
1/2 c. water
1 t. vanilla
1 t. almond extract
pinch salt
Mix all together and bake with two crusts.

Last weekend, May 3rd, was the Kentucky Derby and one of the favorite things to eat while attending is the Kentucky Hot Brown. In watching the Food Network a few weeks ago I saw an episode where Bobby Flay did a “Throwdown” with Joe and John Castro, Hot Brown chefs of the Brown Hotel in Kentucky. The natives of Kentucky came through and won the challenge of this indigenous dish.
The Wikipedia, the free Internet encyclopedia, said the following about a Hot Brown:
“A Hot Brown is a hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923. Fred K. Schmidt created it as an alternative to ham and egg late-night suppers.
The Hot Brown is an open-faced sandwich of turkey and bacon, covered in Mornay sauce and baked or broiled until the bread is crisp and the sauce begins to brown. Many Hot Browns also include ham with the turkey, and either pimentos or tomatoes over the sauce, and imitation Hot Browns sometimes substitute a commercial cheese sauce instead of the Mornay sauce, but fans of the dish usually decry this substitution. Some restaurants even offer a ‘veggie brown’ nowadays to attract vegetarians as the recipe is easy to modify with avocado, or, less commonly, soy burger.
More common alternatives to the Hot Brown include using cheddar cheese or American cheese for the sauce. Alternatives for garnishes include tomatoes, mushroom slices, and, very rarely, canned peaches.
When Fred K. Schmidt created the Hot Brown, its sliced roast turkey was a rarity, as turkey was usually reserved for holiday feasts. The original Hot Brown included the sliced turkey on an open-faced white toast sandwich, with Mornay sauce covering it, with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, completed by being oven-broiled until bubbly. Pimento and bacon strips were then added to it. After its debut, it quickly became the choice of ninety-five percent of the customers to the Brown Hotel’s restaurant.
The ‘cold brown’ was baked poultry (varied between chicken and turkey), hard-broiled egg, lettuce and tomato open-faced on rye bread, and covered with thousand-island dressing. It is rarely served anymore.
The dish is a local specialty and favorite of the Louisville area, and is popular throughout Kentucky. It was briefly unavailable at its point of origin, as the Brown Hotel was shut down from 1971 to 1985.
On menus within the Louisville area, the Hot Brown often appears as titled ‘Louisville Hot Brown’, elsewhere in Kentucky outside Louisville as the ‘Kentucky Hot Brown’ and outside the commonwealth simply as ‘Hot Brown.’”

Beaumont Inn
Kentucky Hot Brown
From Chef Nick Sundberg:
This is a regional favorite that originated at Louisville’s Brown Hotel earlier in this century. Many variations can be found, most commonly country ham is added and a cheddar sauce is substituted. This is our version which I feel is closer to the original recipe. It is offered on our lunch menu.
3 ounces turkey breast, roasted, sliced
1 slice toasted white bread
2 slices tomato
2 slices bacon, cooked and drained
Sauce:
2 ounces butter
3 ounces flour
3/4 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, grated
salt and white pepper to taste
Heat butter and add flour. Whisk and slowly cook for 5 minutes. Whisk in cream and milk and heat. Whisk in cheese until melted. Season. Simmer for 30 minutes. Sauce should be very thick.
Quarter toast and place in an oven safe dish.
Top with turkey and tomatoes. Cover well with sauce. Bake at 400º for 10 minutes. Garnish with bacon.
Kentucky Hot Browns
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2007
For the turkey:
1 turkey breast - about 4 to 5 pounds
4 tablespoons unsalted soft butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the egg bread:
4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices day old white bread - (recommended: Pullman or Pain de mie)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
For Assembly:
Egg battered bread
Roasted turkey breast - sliced into 1/4-inch thick
slices 3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes - cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and griddled until slightly charred and just cooked through
1 1/2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 thick slices slab bacon - cooked until crisp
fresh chives - Finely chopped
Fresh flat-leaf parsley - Finely chopped
For the turkey:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Rub entire breast with butter and season with salt and pepper. Place in a small roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 155 degrees F, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
For the sauce:
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the flour has cooked out, about 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in cheese and cook until the cheese has melted. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste.
For the egg bread:
Whisk together the eggs, milk and salt in a medium bowl. Dip each slice of bread in the mixture and let sit about 30 seconds, or until completely soaked through.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook 4 slices of the bread at a time until golden brown on both sides. Remove and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bread.
For assembly:
Preheat broiler. Place the egg bread on a baking sheet, place under the broiler and heat on both sides for 20 seconds just to warm through.
Top each slice of bread with 2 to 3 slices of turkey and 2 slices of tomato, ladle sauce over the top and divide the cheddar cheese and Parmesan over the top of each slice. Place under the broiler and cook until bubbly and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, top each slice with 2 slices of bacon and sprinkle each slice with chives and parsley.

Hot Brown Turkey Sandwich
A vintage recipe for the Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich.
8 slices sandwich bread, toasted
3/4 pounds sliced turkey
2 cans (10.5 oz each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon, partially cooked
Cut 4 toast slices into halves diagonally. For each sandwich, place 1 whole toast slice with 2 halves on each side, on baking dish or individual ovenware plate. Lay sliced turkey over toast. In a saucepan combine soup and water; heat until smooth.
Spoon sauce over turkey; sprinkle cheese over the sauce. Place 2 bacon slices on each sandwich. Put sandwiches under broiler until cheese is melted; serve hot.
Makes 4 hot brown special sandwiches.

Hot Brown Recipe
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound cooked turkey, thinly sliced
8 slices toast, crusts trimmed
4 slices tomato
8 strips bacon, cooked
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Melt butter in saucepan over medium-low; add flour and stir until smooth and bubbly. Add milk, salt, Worcestershire sauce, cheddar cheese, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly.
Cut toast in half diagonally and place on a baking sheet (or use individual baking dishes). Arrange turkey slices on the toast and cover with hot cheese sauce. Top with tomato slices and bacon strips then sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over each sandwich. Place under broiler until hot and bubbly and lightly browned. Serves 4.

This last weekend I went to my sister-in-law’s sister’s 60th birthday party in Billings. My sister-in-law, Jan, lives in Arizona and flew up as a surprise for her sister Loween. Jan had emailed me to let me know she was coming so I could attend as well.
As I have said before, “There is always a story to go with food… or food to go with a story…” and in this case there is no exception! The party was catered by one of Loween’s friends by the name of Deborah and I was lucky enough to be able to help her in the kitchen. A trick that I learned, that I felt was worth getting to help, was that after you slice apples for a fruit tray, you dip them quickly in 7-Up so they don’t turn brown. It really works too!
In talking to Deborah I found out that she had learned to cater from her father when she was growing up. They would work together catering parties and he taught her that presentation is very important and at times they would have competitions as to who did the best job - and she would win, after telling the guests which was hers! She has now passed her talent on to her son and daughter.
Her church brothers and sisters also know what a good cook she is as she makes the bread for communion, and she doesn’t just make unleavened bread, she makes a variety and keeps them guessing as to what kind will be served. She enjoys making bread so much that she is in the process of writing a cookbook on bread.
One thing I noticed was she was very well organized and had prepared a lot of the items in advance so all that had to be done was arrange things on a plate. Loween was also very organized. One thing that she did was put out photos of herself as she was growing up and also more recent photos of herself with some of the guests that attended. Loween also ordered special decorations that we put up around the living and dining room to go with the 60th birthday theme. The atmosphere, food and friends all came together to make for a wonderful evening of fellowship.
The following was sent to me by email from Deborah:

Mushroom Cups
Cups:
30 slices white sandwich bread
Spray Olive Oil
With a 3-inch round cookie cutter, make a round of bread from each slice. Spray a “tiny” muffin tin. Press bread into muffin cup making a bread cup. Bake in 400º oven for 10 minutes.
Filling:
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
1/2 pound chopped fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
4 drops of red pepper sauce
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Melt butter and cook onions 4 minutes, but don’t brown. Add mushrooms and cook until water evaporates, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir. Add cream. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add lemon juice, salt, red pepper and red pepper sauce. Cool and chill until serving time. To serve fill cups with mushroom mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place in mini tin and bake in a 350º oven for 10 minutes.
(From the Living History Farms cook book Harvest of Favorite Recipes.)

Vanilla Cream Tarts
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup whipped cream partially frozen
prepared small pastry shells
fresh strawberries
Soften gelatin in water, stir over low heat until dissolved. Place cream cheese, sugar, milk lemon juice and whipped cream in food processor and blend until smooth. Add gelatin.
Place in pastry shell and garnish with strawberries.
(From the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Cheesecakes)
French Silk Chocolate Pie
Story first. My future daughter-in-law, Missy told me that her favorite pie is the French Silk Chocolate pie. So when we decided to go to spend Thanksgiving with our children including Missy. I knew I had to find a recipe for the French Silk Chocolate pie to make for her. I looked on the Internet and found the recipe below. This recipe had so much fat that I decided to go on the search for one that had a lower fat content. Well I would challenge anyone to find it. I found several, over five, all exactly the same recipe. So I conceded and made the recipe as it was. Well long story not short, but at the end, this pie is worth every bite. I wouldn’t make it very often; however as one of the reviews of this recipe said, it is a little piece of heaven.
1 cup butter – room temperature
1 1/2 cups white sugar
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate – melted and cooled
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs (use the pasteurized eggs as they are not cooked)
1 prepared 8 inch pastry shell, baked and cooled - or small tart pastry shells
Cream butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the sugar with an electric mixer until light colored and well blended. Stir in the thoroughly cooled chocolate, and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 5 minutes on medium speed after each addition. Spoon the chocolate filling into a cooled, baked pie shell(s).
Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Top with whipped cream.

Meat Balls
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb pork sausage
2 slices of bread
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
2 buds garlic chopped
½ small onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon basil
3 tablespoons rib rub seasoning
Soak the bread in milk. Thoroughly mix beef and pork. Crumble bread into meat mixture. Combine all remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. If there is time allow meat mixture to sit in refrigerator for 4 to 8 hours before making into meatballs.
Form meatballs and cook at 350º for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with favorite bar-b-que sauce.
Carol, the empanada recipe was totally off the cuff and I really don’t know what went in it. I made it once and then I added stuff to it, so I have no idea the amounts of anything.
I can tell you that there was ground beef, ground pork, enchilada sauce, cilantro, chipolte, onions, garlic and raisins.
Editor’s note: Deborah then placed the filling in squares of pastry, sealed the edges and baked them until golden. She said she purchased the Mango Salsa to go with them.
Here is a recipe that I found on the Internet for the pastry that had very high ratings.

Empanada Dough Recipe
3 cups flour (plus a little more for kneading)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold water
1 egg
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 tablespoons shortening
1. In a bowl, beat the water, egg, egg white and vinegar together. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the 3 cups of flour and salt.
3. Cut the shortening into the flour mix with a pastry blender or two butter knives.
Make a well in the center of the flour mix and pour the liquid ingredients from the first bowl into the center.
4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a fork until it becomes stiff.
5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it just until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth.
6. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but never more than 24 hours.
Tip: If you want to keep the dough longer than 24 hours, you can freeze it.
Makes approximately 10 six-inch empanadas.

Another item that she made was Baked Brie that she served with crackers.
Baked Brie
1 large circle of brie cheese, rind removed
puff pastry, thawed and rolled out to about a 12x12 inch square or large enough to go all the way around the cheese and filling
your favorite preserve - (She made one strawberry and one apricot)
Feta or Blue Cheese
candied pecans
Cut the brie in half crosswise. Lay one half on the puff pastry. Spread preserves over the cheese. Top with Feta or Blue Cheese, then the other 1/2 of the brie and fold the puff pastry over all and seal very well. Bake at 350º until golden brown (about 20-30 minutes, depending how cold the cheese is)
Serve with candied pecans and assorted crackers.
Now, you should be able to throw a birthday party of your own!

Last weekend I went to Bozeman for the OES homecoming and in the motel where I stayed they were having another conference that had venders selling things… well, guess what? - There were some cookbooks!!! The one I found I couldn’t be without was a book of appetizers put out by “Taste of Home” - so I knew it had to be good! It got me thinking about how sometimes I will make a meal of just appetizers, whether at a restaurant or at home. I started looking through some of my appetizer recipes and thought I would share a few with you this week.

Crab Wontons
1 lb. package cream cheese - softened
1/4 lb. lump crab meat
1 t. garlic powder
Salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 T. green onions, chopped
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. lime juice
1 package wonton wrappers
Pepper Jelly
Whip cream cheese until light and smooth. Stir remaining ingredients and season to taste. Chill while preparing the wontons. Lightly grease mini-muffin tins. Press one wonton in each cup and bake 5 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from tins and place on baking sheet. Fill each wonton with 1 T. crab mixture. Bake an additional 10 minutes until heated through. Serve with Pepper Jelly.

Sweet Pea Guacamole
2 tb Virgin olive oil
2 tb Fresh lime juice
1/4 bn Cilantro trimmed of long stems
1 Jalapeno pepper - seeded, - OR 2-Serrano peppers - seeded
1 lb Frozen peas - defrosted
1/4 ts Ground cumin
3/4 ts Salt
1/4 md Red onion - finely diced
Combine oil, lime juice, cilantro and pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until cilantro and peppers are roughly pureed. Add peas, cumin and salt and blend until smooth. There will still be some lumps, but this adds to the textural interest of the guacamole. Scrape into a mixing bowl and add the diced red onion.

Tomato-Basil Dip
1 (8 oz.) pkg. Cream Cheese, softened
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 T. Zesty Italian Dressing
2 T. Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 T. finely chopped fresh basil
Spread cream cheese onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate. Mix tomatoes and dressing, spoon over cream cheese. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and basil. Serve with Wheat Thins Snack Crackers or assorted cut-up fresh vegetables. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Cucumber Canapes
1 c. mayonnaise
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 T. grated onion
1 T. minced chives
1/2 t. cider vinegar
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 t. paprika
1/8 t. curry powder
1/8 t. each dried oregano, thyme, basil, parsley flakes and dill weed
1 (1 lb.) loaf white or rye bread
2 medium cucumbers, scored and thinly sliced
Diced pimientos
additional dill weed
In a blender or food processor, combine the mayonnaise, cream cheese, onion, chives, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Cover and process until blended. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Using a 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter, cut out circles from bread slices. Spread mayonnaise mixture over bread; top with cucumber slices. Garnish with pimientos and dill.

This last weekend I tried a couple new recipes that I thought were outstanding so I thought I would share them with you along with a variety of others.

Glazed Cumin Carrots
2 pounds carrots - sliced 1/4” thick
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1garlic clove - minced
1 tablespoon ginger root - chopped fine
1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups chicken broth - or water
Heat oil in deep skillet and add garlic and ginger. Cook gently for 1 minute. Add cumin and cook for 30 seconds.
Add carrots, honey, salt and stock., Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until all liquid evaporates and carrots are tender. If liquid evaporates before carrots are tender, simply add water.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
2 whole Chicken breasts boneless and skinless
2 Egg whites
2 T Cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 c Dry - course bread crumbs
1 T Fresh parsley chopped
1 t. Kosher salt
1/4 t Ground black pepper
1 lemon, zest - minced
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
3 T Olive oil
Sage-Butter Sauce:
3 T. Shallots - minced
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. Heavy cream
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 t. lemon juice - fresh
4 T. unsalted butter - cold, cubed
1 t. salt
white pepper - to taste
cayenne - to taste
1 t.sage - fresh, minced
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare the chicken by halving and then halving again lengthwise. (Whole chicken breast are a bit too big. Making smaller pieces ensures that the coating will not burn before the chicken is cooked through.) Pound to about 1/2 inch thick. Blend the egg whites, cornstarch, and lemon juice with a fork in a wide, shallow dish; set aside.
Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, and zest in a second wide, shallow dish.
To crust the chicken breasts, dip each in the egg white mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. Then transfer the chicken to a rack set over a baking sheet. Air-dry the chicken for 20-30 minutes to help set the crumbs.
To cook, first saute the chicken on the stove in an ovenproof skillet. As you put the chicken in the pan, lay it towards you. This way each piece will rest on top of any crumbs that fall off. Saute until the chicken is golden and crisp on one side, then carefully flip the pieces over. Cook until golden. Finally, transfer the whole pan to a 450 degree oven to finish. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes in the oven.
Prepare the sauce and keep it warm in a warm water bath. It will hold just fine for at least an hour.
For the Sauce - saute the shallots in butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until soft, 2 - 3 minutes. Add the wine, cream, broth and lemon juice. Simmer until reduced by half, 8 - 10 minutes. Whisk in butter, 1 Tbl at a time, stirring constantly. Do not add more butter until previous addition has melted completely. Finish sauce with sage and seasonings. Keep warm in a warm water bath until ready to serve.

Crab Cakes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced
3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pinch Old Bay seasoning
1 pinch salt
3 ounces mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 pound lump crab meat
Olive oil for sauteing
Combine the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, egg yolks, mustard, peppers, Old Bay seasoning, salt and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add the bread crumbs and parsley and mix well.
Gently sift through crab meat to remove any shells. Add to the mixture and fold in gently. Do not break up the crab meat. Make into patties and saute in olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Sicilian Scampi
6 pieces fan tail shrimp - (uncooked)
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon onion - finely diced
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup white wine - (Chablis)
1 tablespoon flour - (mix with 1 tablespoon water)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 to 1/3 cup water - (only if needed if sauce -is too thick)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon asiago cheese - finely-shredded
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese - finely shredded
1 tablespoon Romano cheese - finely shredded
Presentation:
6 pieces cooked shrimp
4 black olives, sliced
1 green onion - (sliced - measure out about 1-tablespoon)
1/4 cup diced tomato
4 slices Italian bread - (lightly toasted 4 to 6-inches long x
1 1/2-inches thick, diagonally cut)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Heat olive oil in a saucepan, add wine and lemon juice, when mixture starts to boil, place shrimp in pan an cook on medium heat until shrimp curls and they are done. Remove shrimp but leave wine mixture in pan. In the same saucepan add onion and garlic salt, saute until the onions are transparent. Add flour and water paste, stir and cook until sauce is thick. Pour cream in sauce, stir, add the cheeses one at a time and whisk constantly after each addition. Sauce should be a medium thick consistency and smooth, if sauce is too thick add a little water and whisk. Remove from heat.
Place Italian bread on serving tray in an X. Arrange shrimp in the middle of the placed bread. Spoon sauce in the middle of the bread covering the shrimp. Sprinkle with sliced green onions, olives, and tomatoes. Sprinkle crushed red pepper on top. Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top if you would like.

Donut Muffins
1/3 cup shortening (not margarine)
1/2 cup sugar
1 medium egg
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar, mixed with:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup melted margarine
In a mixing bowl mash together the shortening and sugar. Add the egg and whisk it all up until it is smooth. Make sure you use shortening, Not Margarine. The shortening gives this recipe it’s special texture. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg into the bowl. Pour in the milk. Mix the batter with a whisk until it is smooth. Drop the mixture into 12 oiled muffin cups. Make sure not to over fill the muffin cups, 1/2 to 2/3 full is full enough. Bake the muffins at 350° for 25 minutes, or until the muffins are brown on top. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Take the muffins out of the pan. When they are cool enough to handle, dip the tops of the muffins into the melted margarine. Then dip them into the powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture. Arrange the prepared muffins on a large plate and serve while still warm. Makes a dozen. Very good for breakfast and after school or midnight snacks.
This recipe is very very old, at least 80 years old. It was created by a cook with leftover donut batter who didn’t have time to deep fry them. She added a little milk to make the batter thinner, and cooked it in muffin cups instead of deep frying it. The nutmeg is the secret ingredients which gives these muffins their special old fashioned donut flavor. Necessity is the mother of invention, and bless the cook who invented these.

Frozen Fruit Slush
3 medium firm bananas, sliced
1/2 c. lemonade concentrate
6 medium ripe peaches, peeled and cubed
3 c. water
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. seedless red grapes, halved
1 c. orange juice concentrate
In a large bowl, stir the bananas and lemonade concentrate until coated. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and freeze for 8 hours or until firm. Remove from the freezer 1 to 1 1/4 hours before serving so mixture becomes slushy. (12 servings)

Maple Apple Rings
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. buttermilk
3 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch rings
Oil for deep-fat frying
Confectioners’ sugar
In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, egg, syrup and buttermilk Dip apple rings on both sides into batter. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat 2 inches of oil to 375ºF. Fry apple rings, a few at a time, for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.