Eaten Not Stirred

My mother’s great grandparents came from Russia and one of the stories that I found most fascinating was their tradition for a Bloody Mary. According to them the Bloody Mary’s that we are all familiar with stray far from its origins. There was a time when the tomato and the vodka never married together in a glass instead the tomato was eaten with a little salt and then washed down with ample amounts of vodka. Over time when the Russians introduced this tomato eating vodka drinking tradition to the United States many people started to add their own twists and created the many versions of the Bloody Mary that we are all quite enjoyably familiar with today.

Since my cherry tomatoes in my garden are red, ripe and bountiful why not pay homage to them by making some bite size Bloody Mary's.

Please make sure you have some ice cold vodka chilling to wash these down with, we wouldn’t want to break from tradition afterall.

Bite Size Bloody Mary’s

1 box ripe cherry tomatoes or fresh from the garden, even better

1/4 c. very cold vodka

2 tbsp. kosher salt

Save the rest of the Vodka for drinking

Poke 3 to 4 holes in each cherry tomato using a toothpick, place tomatoes in a container that has a cover. Pour vodka over tomatoes, give them a stir then cover and refrigerate over night or longer if necessary. To serve place tomatoes in serving dish, in separate dishes have toothpicks and kosher salt. To eat place tomato on toothpick, dip in kosher salt and eat.

FYI- may also provide dishes of chopped dill and some hot pepper for those who like it spicy.


Bloody Mary

Stale Goodie Pudding " Bread Pudding made from Love"

My mother loved to tell me the story of the big ceramic crock that sat on the counter in the kitchen of her childhood home. My mother loved this crock because it became a magic vessel that would hold the ingredients of a special dessert that could only be made once the crock was full. Everyday her mother would put stale bread, cookies, crackers even cake, whatever could no longer be eaten as is but was much to useful to throw away into this crock. Nothing that would rot or breakdown of course. Usually by the end of the week the crock would be full and the magic would begin. Her mother would take all the goodies from the crock and put it in a big bowl, she would add dried fruits if she had them such as raisins or apricots. If she was fortunate enough to have some nuts on hand those would go in as well. In another bowl she would mix some milk, eggs and a little bit of sugar (only because a lot of what was in the crock was already sweet). She would then pour the egg and milk mixture over the stale goodies let that sit in the fridge for an hour to thoroughly soak up all the liquid, place it in a deep baking dish, then into the oven it would go. My mother said she would just stare at the oven with anticipation; it was the longest hour she ever knew. But once the hour was up with bowl in hand she got a nice warm scoop of her mother’s “Stale Goodie Pudding”.
There really was no actual recipe for this but this is the recipe we follow when we need to indulge in the memory and feed our senses.

6 to 8 large eggs
1/2 gallon of milk
5 to 6 cups of bread cubed (any kind you like) the drier the bread the better the pudding.
1 cup of dried fruit (whatever you like)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)

Whisk eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. In another bowl have your cubed bread and dried fruit. Pour the liquid mixture over the bread let it sit in the fridge for at least a half hour to completely absorb all the liquid. Pour mixture into buttered 9 x 13 pan sprinkle cinnamon over top before baking at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes. Great as is but a little vanilla ice cream couldn’t hurt.

Bert and Angie's Meatball Subs

We use to have this little Mom and Pop store called Bert’s at the corner of our street. Bert and his wife Angie use to offer Meatball subs every Tuesday and Saturday. The store smelled great on those days because Angie would be cooking her sauce and meatballs in the kitchen in back of the store. Once a week my parents and I would get one. They were so big all you needed was one to feed the three of us. Angie would use a whole loaf of Italian bread, eight to ten meatballs the size of your fist, sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese all for only $1.49 sure it was the late 70’s but look at all the food you got for your money. Bert’s went out of business years ago but every now and then we just crave one of those meatball subs.

1 lb. ground chuck

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon of Garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of oregano
1/4 teaspoon of basil
Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

16oz of your favorite jarred sauce or homemade if you’ve got it

1 Loaf of Italian bread, rolls or what ever bread you like
Mozzarella, shredded or sliced

Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on sub

Mix ground beef, cheese, bread crumbs, adding salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and basil, roll into good size meatballs.
Meanwhile put sauce in large pot. When hot, add meatballs to pot of sauce, simmer about 30 minutes.
put meatbals and sauce on your bread of choice, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and cover with mozzarella.

Grandma's Borscht

Visiting my mother this week she started talking about Borscht. When she was growing up it was one of her favorites. Her little Russian grandmother (she was 4’6”tall, absolutely adorable) use to make it. My mother’s maternal grandparents escaped from Russia in a row boat during the war. When they got to this country they taught themselves English and worked long and hard hours to feed their family. It has been hard over the years trying to duplicate some of grandma’s recipes; she wasn’t big on writing things down she would just tell you what to put in. We are still trying to make a carrot cookie that she made that was very thin and very crisp, still with no success. Hopefully we will figure it out someday. But luckily we have had great success with her version of Borscht, it really is delicious hot or cold.

Grandma's Borscht

2 quarts beef stock
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup potatoes, diced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
put the beet juice from the can into the borscht
1 cup canned beets, diced
1 teaspoon vinegar
sour cream

In a large heavy pan, melt butter and lightly sauté cabbage, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion for approximately 5 minutes. Add beef stock. Add crushed tomatoes and beet juice to stock. Cover and simmer over low heat until vegetables are tender but not mushy. At this point, add the chopped beets and vinegar. Season well with salt and pepper and remove from heat before the beets begin to lose their color.
Serve with a dollop of sour cream

A little girl walks into a bar.........

One of the jobs my grandfather had when I was little was at a country club as bartender.
I use to love going there, they always had the neatest swizzle sticks. They were almost like little toys, some had little whistles that actually worked others had moveable parts. To this day in my china cabinet I have a little jar filled with all the swizzle sticks I collected as a child, there has to be at least 30 of them if not more. Of course a young lady that was all of 4 or 5 couldn’t just get these swizzle sticks unless she ordered a drink and this young lady’s drink of choice…..why a “Shirley Temple” naturally and since I had an in with the bartender, I always got extra cherries!

Shirley Temple

7-Up, ginger ale or club soda
Maraschino cherries

cherry juice/grenadine

Pour glass about 2/3 full of 7-Up. Add about 3 maraschino cherries, also add about 1/8 teaspoon of cherry juice. Mix together and add ice.

Meat for Mother's Day

My mother lives in a very nice Nursing Home where she is quite happy. The people there are very nurturing and attentive and the quality of care has been exemplary. The only thing that she is unhappy with is that they don’t give her enough meat and she is and always has been a big meat eater. Her food is actually pretty good and she enjoys almost everything that they give her which usually consists of; “quiches, sandwiches, soups, salads, fish, Salisbury steak, meatloaf and some different versions of chicken”. But they are usually all chopped or small pieces added to rice or macaroni. What she misses are pieces of meat that require a knife in order to eat them such as; “pork chops, chuck steak, lamb chops or even a nice roasting chicken”. So this mother’s day I decided to go with the pork chops and because they are thick, they will require a knife which will make my mother quite happy.

Pork Chops with Dried Fruit

6 large center cut pork chops,1 1/2 to 2 in. thick

1 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

6 oz. dried apricots

6 oz. prunes or figs

3 yellow onions, sliced

1/4 c. brown sugar

Use a wide open casserole. Arrange pork chops in a single layer. Cover with fruit, onions, chicken broth, mustard and brown sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Open foil, push fruit aside and allow to brown for 30 minutes.

High School Chicken Ala King

When I was in high school which was many moons ago I remember hating just about everything in the cafeteria except their version of chicken ala king it was very creamy and thick and they would serve it over a scoop of their plaster of Paris mashed potatoes. I actually looked forward to chicken ala king day (it really wasn’t so bad, very comforting). The other days of the week were less than inviting, sure on any given day you could get their drier than a drive-in hot dogs or their infamous hamburger with those still to this day unknown white and clear plastic like bits (yum). Pizza day wasn’t too bad, more like eating a thick slice of bread with tomatoes, meat and cheese or you could get some chicken flavored fried breading if you ordered their version of chicken nuggets. On a really good day if you were lucky you got to snag some of the really good food your friends brought from home.
All in all it was always a culinary adventure into the mysterious that you got to share with your friends and classmates.

Chicken Ala King

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

2 cup chicken, diced

1 (3 oz.) can mushrooms

1/4 cup pimento, chopped or red bell pepper (optional)

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen peas
Instant mashed potatoes, noodles, toast or rice to pour mixture over.

In a saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter. Blend in 1/3 cup flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup milk all at once. Cook, (stir constantly until sauce is thick and bubbly). Add 2 cups diced cooked chicken, drained mushrooms, chopped pimento and frozen peas, stir to combine. Heat thoroughly and serve over mashed potatoes, noodles, toast or rice.

Good Luck To All

In keeping with the food theme and Friday the 13th here are some interesting food superstitions. Most of this information was obtained from Factmonster and HGTV websites.

Food and Superstitions

The ancient Egyptians thought onions kept evil spirits away. When they took an oath (made a promise), they placed one hand on an onion.

The custom of throwing rice at weddings goes back to the time when people thought rice, a symbol of health and prosperity, would appease evil spirits so they would not bother the wedding couple.

In Hungary, salt is thrown on the threshold of a new house because it is thought that salt will protect the inhabitants from evil.

Europeans who believed in vampires sprinkled mustard seed on the roof of their homes to keep them away.

Throwing spilled salt over your left shoulder will prevent bad luck.

Eating carrots supposedly improves night vision. However, a cup of spinach works better.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Here's another fun apple myth: Peel the apple until it breaks and toss the rind. Whatever letter it forms is supposedly the first letter of your true love's name.

For many years, Europeans have used garlic as a charm against the evil eye. Some wore bulbs of garlic around their necks. Others placed wreaths of garlic over their doors for protection.

Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:

3 lbs of chicken pieces(thighs, legs, breasts)

1/2 cup pesto

40 cloves of garlic(peeled)

1/2 cup chicken stock

Preparation:
Brown chicken pieces, then place in a pan with pesto and garlic cloves. Add chicken stock. Bake at 375 degrees for an hour.

Happy Easter Everyone

This was one of the recipes my grandmother found back in 1973 in either a Woman’s Day or Family Circle magazine. Since we did not eat meat on Good Friday she thought this would be a nice recipe to try. Everyone loved it so much that for awhile it became an every friday night meal. Served with a salad and some type of potato or rice on the side made for a very satisfying dinner.

This photo shows it being served with mayonaise on the side which is good but it's even better with the warm cheese sauce.

Tuna Roll recipe

Filling:

2 cups tuna, drained (she usually used 6 cans)

4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon celery salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 egg (raw)
3 hard boiled eggs, shelled and chopped (will be sprinkled on top of filling when assembling your roll)

Crust:

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup waterSauce:
1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 cup Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

1cup of milk

Mix tuna, cheese, celery salt, pepper and raw egg together,set aside.

Mix Bisquick and water to form soft dough. Roll into a 12 x 14-inch rectangle and spread tuna mixture over and sprinkle hard boiled egg over tuna mixture. Roll up and join ends. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Sauce:

Put soup, milk, salt and pepper into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese until smooth. Now it is ready to serve with your tuna roll. Makes 4-6 servings

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits

I have to dedicate this recipe to John Dodge. He was a cute southern gentleman in his 80’s and cantankerous to boot. He had a great love and appreciation for good food.
He had a particular fondness for Sausage gravy and biscuits, just ask the still red faced waitress at a little restaurant we use to take him to. The waitress no sooner would arrive at our table and Mr. Dodge would say loudly and I quote;” You got any of them damn sausage gravy and biscuits”? Thank goodness she said yes we do. He just loved them.
Then I told my friend Pamm, John’s daughter that I could make some small batches for him to have at home. All he would have to do is warm it in the microwave and I could have the biscuits for him split and wrapped in saran. Pamm told him my suggestion; he was surprised that I knew how to make them.
I got what I needed at the supermarket and went to John’s apartment to prepare them.
He sat at his kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal while I was cooking. All he kept saying
was;” that smells damn good”, a man of few words. When everything was done, before I started to put the gravy in containers I asked him if he wanted some while they were hot and fresh. He said no that he was full but would have some later. So I proceeded to package things up then I heard; “You know maybe I will have some, they smell mighty good”. I plated him up a couple biscuits with a couple ladles of sausage gravy placed it in front of him. I finished cleaning up the kitchen while he ate all the while muttering damn good, damn good.
After I left, his daughter called me and said that I had no sooner walked out the door and he called her to say;” Those were the best damn biscuits and sausage gravy I’ve ever had”!
Thank you John


SAUSAGE GRAVY WITH BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
In Memory of John H. Dodge

BISCUITS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
½ cup of butter (1stick)
2/3 cup buttermilk

SAUSAGE GRAVY:

8 ounces breakfast sausage, crumbled
3 tablespoons of butter
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 450°. For Biscuits, in large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture is size of coarse crumbs. Gradually drizzle in buttermilk, and then stir until just moistened. On lightly floured board, gently press into 8-inch round. Using 3-inch biscuit cutter cut out 6 biscuits. Place on baking sheet (does not need to be greased), arrange biscuits. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, for Sausage Gravy, in 12-inch nonstick skillet or large saucepan, brown sausage, breaking up with wooden spoon. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside. In same skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of butter, with wire whisk, stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in milk and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and return sausage to skillet. Simmer 1 minute or until desired thickness. To serve, top biscuits with Sausage Gravy.

If you do not have the time to bake biscuits store bought or Pillsbury works just fine.
But just remember…..Homemade biscuits are “Damn Good”!

De-Liver-ance

The one thing I always had trouble eating when I was younger was liver. Specifically beef liver. I loved chicken livers, especially when my mother made chopped liver just like what we would buy at the Jewish Deli. The majority of my family would actually crave liver and onions. For some reason just the smell would send me running the other way.
My mother and grandmother would always soak the raw beef liver in milk for a few hours or overnight before cooking. They said it would take away the strong odor and taste………yeah, right! I’d always try it, but just didn’t like it.
One day at my grandmothers house she said;” Julie I made a batch of cutlets, have some”. I love cutlets, so I said yes immediately. My grandmother made cutlets out of everything;” Chicken, pork, beef, catfish and tilapia, each one delicious. So as I was munching on the room temperature cutlet, which tasted fabulous by the way, my grandmother says;” I thought you didn’t like beef liver”? I don’t! Well you must like it, because that is what you are eating.
I was in shock, my grandmother tricked me……oh who cares, that was the best beef liver I ever ate.
I still to this day prepare my beef liver cutlet style but my tastes have grown, I can now eat plain old liver and onions with a smile on my face.

Beef Liver Cutlets

6 medium to large slices of beef liver

3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs (add some fresh or dried basil and parsley to the crumbs for extra flavor).

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper

In a shallow bowl mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Dip the beef liver in the eggs, then in the crumb mixture. Place the crumbed cutlets in the refrigerator until nearly time to serve. In large skillet, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat until hot. Cook cutlets on each side until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.

This can be adapted for use with any meat or fish. If using meat or chicken, pound between plastic wrap to flatten out and tenderize. No need to pound the liver or fish.

Sunday Gravy

My Great, Great Grandparents
Mama Rose and Poppy

When my great great grandparents came to America from their beloved Italy, they endured many prejudices as was the case with all people of different ethnic backgrounds and religions. They had to work very hard for very little pay. They swept floors, did other peoples laundry and ironing. Times were hard but never the less they loved this country and were willing to work hard and raise a family. Even though money was scarce the dinner table was rich with tradition and love. The love of food bridged many differences between people through the ages. I’ve always been amazed at how you can place a variety of foods from many different cultures on one table and it exudes love and togetherness. It’s too bad that placing many different cultures on one planet does not do the same.
Growing up I remember all the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen, especially on Sunday. What we all commonly called sauce would be simmering on the stove in the wee hours of the morning. The smell would drive us nuts along with the smell of the meatballs frying. It was only a matter of time before those wonderful aromas got the best of us. My great Aunt would get some fresh bread from the bakery and we would start breaking off pieces of the bread and dunking it in the pot of sauce. My grandmother would lovingly yell at us to stop dunking. She would make each of us a meatball sandwich to hopefully keep us out of the pot of sauce until dinner. Actually it really wasn’t sauce at all it was“Sunday Gravy”. This is what it is truly known as in Italy. The meat from the Sunday gravy which always consisted of;” Meatballs, pork ribs, Italian sausage and pork hocks”. Was always served on a separate platter. My grandmother told me that in Italy they really do not do Spaghetti and meatballs that is actually an American interpretation of the dish. In Italy the meatballs are more a main dish to be served with salad or potatoes.
Here is an old recipe that I dug up. Make extra and freeze it. Your house will smell like a little slice of heaven and fill your senses with love.

Italian Sunday Gravy

Ingredients:
2 large cans of tomato puree
1 6oz. can of tomato paste
1 quart chicken or beef stock
2 cups of dry red wine
¼ cup olive oil
2 yellow onions peeled and minced
½ cup chopped parsley
6 garlic cloves, chopped
½ pound of fresh mushrooms, chopped
½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil or 3 times as much fresh basil
½ tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound pork neck bones (this is what truly adds that special flavor)

Directions:
In a large pot, place tomato puree, tomato paste, chicken or beef stock and the wine. Heat a frying pan and add the olive oil. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft but not too brown (or else it will taste bitter) Add to the pot along with all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a light boil and then turn to simmer. Simmer for 2 hours partly covered, stirring often. Remove the bones and discard (or save as a snack for yourself)
Skim the fat from the top and discard, store in the refrigerator or freezer

Makes 3 quarts

Touch of Spring

Strawberries and Rhubarb have always been a perfect marriage of flavors. The most popular and most well known of course is; “strawberry rhubarb pie”.
Did you know that a half-dozen plants will provide enough rhubarb for a family of four?
Something to think about for that backyard garden.
My mother use to make what we called; “rhubarb sauce” which really was applesauce without the apples. We really loved the rhubarb sauce as a side when we had pork chops for dinner. It was also great poured over vanilla or strawberry ice cream.
Rhubarb is just one of those economically sound ingredients with limitless cooking potential.
To welcome in spring here is a recipe that is easy to make and even easier to eat.

Touch of Spring Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
¾ cup of milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
½ cup sliced fresh strawberries
½ cup sliced fresh rhubarb
Topping:
2 teaspoons of sugar

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat egg, milk and oil until smooth. Stir into the dry ingredients, just until moistened. Fold in strawberries and rhubarb.
Fill greased or paper –lined muffin cups three fourths full. Sprinkle each with a little sugar before baking. Bake at 375 degrees for 22-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.
Makes 1 dozen muffins

I also thought that I would include my mother’s recipe for Rhubarb Sauce…..enjoy.

Rhubarb Sauce

Ingredients:

4 cups rhubarb chopped

3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cups water

Place all these in a saucepan; cover, and let simmer over medium heat until all the rhubarb has melted down(about 20-30 minutes).

You may also add additional flavorings such as cinnamon or ginger, the choice is yours. We just had it as is.

Here is an interesting tip regarding color; if you peel the rhubarb your sauce will be green, if you leave the peel on, your sauce will be red. No matter which method you choose the taste will be the same.

Zucchini Patties

My grandmother makes these at least a couple times a week if not more. My grandmother is a huge fan of bisquick, especially those impossible pie recipes that they have. These are also great made with
Those canned artichokes. My poor grandmother tries to have these as an extra side dish at the dinner table but by the time we’re all done munching they’re just about gone. These taste great hot or cold.

5 tbsp Bisquick
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Pepper
2 Eggs, Beaten
2 tbsp Butter
2 cups Zucchini, Grated

Blend the bisquick, parmesan, salt, pepper. Add eggs. Mix zucchini into batter. Grease hot pan or griddle with butter. Pour batter into pan and fry 3 minutes on each side. Serve warm, a delicious way of serving zucchini. Makes 8 to 10 fritters.

Creepy Susan's

My Great Aunt Mimi on occasion would take me to a very fancy restaurant to experience the etiquette and the culture. All those different forks and knives were a bit overwhelming to say the least. But she was patient and step by step helped me navigate a seven course meal.
I remember that I was fascinated by something one of the waiters was doing at the next table. He had a little cart with a fry pan that had flames shooting out of it. The people at that table were oohing and aahing. I asked my aunt about it, she said it is considered very elegant to get your dessert done table side, like cherries jubilee or in this case she thinks they were making Crepe Suzettes. I had never heard of Crepe Suzettes but I sure was curious to know more. As we made our way through our meal my aunt asked me if I would still have room for dessert. I said yes.
When the waiter came to our table he asked; “would you ladies be interested in some dessert”? Before my aunt could utter a word, I said quite assertively; “I will have some of your Creepy Susan’s”. My aunt howled as did the waiter once she explained.
My aunt decided that we would both have the “Creepy Susan’s” the waiter put on quite a show for us while he explained each step of what he was doing. We oohed and aahed, I was so wide eyed with anticipation. When he put the plate in front of me he said; “Bon Appetit`”. The Crepe Suzettes were so good; they just melted in your mouth.

Crepe Suzettes:

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter

peel of 2 oranges,thinly slivered

peel of 1 lemon, thinly slivered

¼ cup sugar

juice of ½ orange

juice of ½ lemon

1 tablespoon Cointreau

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

2 tablespoons brandy
12 crepes

Melt the butter in a chafing dish or skillet. Add the orange and lemon peel to the pan and cook briefly until tender. Stir in the sugar, orange juice, and lemon juice; cook the sauce, stirring, until syrupy. Place the crepes in the sauce, three at a time. When the crepes are coated with the sauce, fold each crepe in half and then into quarters. When all 12 crepes have been added to the pan, pour the Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and brandy over them, and then tip the pan slightly to ignite the brandy. When the flames subside, place 3 crepes on each plate, and top with some of the sauce and citrus peel.
Serves 4

I Love Almond Paste

I have loved almond paste for as long as I can remember. Whenever their was a wedding I’d wait for them to put out the Italian cookie tray and pick out all the almond paste ones. There were usually four different types of almond paste cookies on the tray; Pignoli (pine nuts), Slivered almond, crushed cashew or the ones with the halved maraschino cherry pressed in the middle. If my grandmother and Aunt went to a wedding or a function that had almond paste cookies they would wrap some up in a napkin, put it in their purse and bring them home as a surprise for me.

These cookies do not store that well, so if you need to keep them longer than a couple of days, store them in the freezer and remove them as needed. If you bake the cookies a little less, you will have a soft cookie, bake them longer and you will have a chewy cookie. There really is no need to add flour to these cookies they will still turn out fine but by adding the flour it prevents the cookies from spreading leaving you with a more uniform cookie. When done these cookies should have a light golden color.
You may completely omit the flour if you so choose.

Pignoli Cookies

1 (8 oz) Can Almond Paste

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

1/4 Cup All-purpose Flour

2 to 3 Medium Egg Whites, Lightly Beaten

8 Ounces Pine Nuts

Extra Powdered Sugar To Finish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper, or use silicone linings. Place the pine nuts in a bowl.In a food processor, break up the almond paste into small pieces, and pulse with the two sugars and the flour. Once the mixture is finely ground, begin to add the egg whites a little at a time, just until the dough comes together. Depending on the humidity or the size of your egg whites, sometimes you may need all of the egg whites, while other times you won’t.Using a spoon and slightly wet hands, scoop a small spoonful of the dough, and place this into the bowl of pignoli. Roll the cookie around until it is lightly coated, and then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Continue forming the cookies in this manner, placing them 2 inches apart on the baking pan. Bake the cookies 20 to 25 minutes, and then cool. Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving.

Egg Creams, no eggs and thats no yolk !

It isn't made with eggs, or cream it is actually a mixture of milk, syrup and seltzer water. If done properly the mixture is very creamy and frothy. The stories vary on how egg creams actually came to be but a lot of people are glad that they did. Egg Creams were something you always associated with New York City. I believe they originated in Manhattan. Over the years soda fountains started to dwindle along with those wonderful soda jerks who would whip up those egg cream masterpieces. Little by little soda fountains and egg creams are making a come back.
But if they are hard to find in your area, I found a place that makes a bottled version that might just ease your egg cream craving until a soda fountain comes to town.

EGG CREAM AMERICA, INC. - MANUFACTURER OF JEFF'S SODAS
In 1990's the founders of Egg Cream America developed their initial corporate mission - in simpler terms, to put the delicious fountain egg cream in a bottle for mass consumption.

Finger Bowl Soup

Every year my parents and I would go to Canada for our summer vacation. Part of the ritual was driving to the Thousand Islands (Alexandria Bay) and spending the night at the Sir Robert Peel Motel. We would site see and then go to dinner at a place called Cavallarios Steak & Seafood. This place was known for its huge lobster tank where you could pick out the lobster you wanted for dinner. I always wanted to try a whole lobster but my father said they were a lot of work. So each year I would just get a seafood platter, my mother got scallops and my father always got steak This one particular year during our usual ritual dinner at Cavallario’s these guys came in from fishing holding this lobster that they caught that must have weighed at least 6 or 7 pounds. It had the biggest claws I had ever seen. They asked if the chef would cook it for them. That made me start nagging my father about having my own lobster again. He finally gave in. When it came, my eyes lit up. I hadn’t a clue what to do with all the different shiny silver tools that they brought me.
So my father showed me how to use the picks and crackers to uncover that sweet lobster meat. I could not wait to submerge it in the melted butter.
I was happy but my father wasn’t, because while he was helping me enjoy my dinner, his steak was getting cold not to mention his mood.
But I sure did enjoy that lobster even though you could have heard a pin drop at the table…..until.
The waitress came over to see if we needed anything and preceded to place in front of me this beautiful bowl of clear hot liquid with a lemon slice floating on top. She also brought me another little plate with a warm towel on it (she probably thought I’d be as sloppy with the soup as I was with the lobster). By this point I am in my own little world contemplating all this stuff in front of me. My mother and father still weren’t saying anything so I reached over and got a spoon so I could eat the stuff in the bowl before it got cold. All of a sudden my parents are howling with laughter, even people at the next table were laughing (I was clueless). What’s so funny?
My mother said; "Honey, that isn’t soup it's a finger bowl for washing your hands after eating that sticky old lobster". OOPS!
All anger was forgotten and I’ve loved lobster ever since.

Pork and Sauerkraut

My mother’s side of the family loved this dish. Whether it was a holiday or just a regular Sunday dinner, pork and sauerkraut made them happy. If anyone in her family was having a birthday and you asked them what special kind of food would they like? The answer was always the same; “Pork and Sauerkraut”.
If you are one of those people who avoids sauerkraut because you find it too strong. Just put in colander, rinse a little, then drain. It becomes much milder but retains a good deal of flavor. The sauerkraut is what actually keeps the pork moist, tender and juicy.


1 (10-15 lb) pork shoulder
4 lbs sauerkraut, with juice (canned or bagged)
Salt and pepper
1 lb bag of carrot (cut in big chunks)
2 large onions peeled and cut into big pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse pork and place in large roasting pan.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover with 1/3 of the sauerkraut.
Cover roasting pan and put in oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from oven and add another 1/3 of sauerkraut.
Cover and put back in oven for another hour.
Remove from oven and add the remaining sauerkraut.
Cover and put back in oven for another hour.
Remove from oven and enjoy! Boiled or mashed potatoes are a must with this dish.

Meema's Manhattan A Day

My grandmother has been drinking these for as long as I can remember. My grandfather would make a decanter full (he would water them down a little) and keep them in the fridge for her. My grandmother never exceeds two Manhattans in a day but she does have at least one every day. At 87 years old, four foot eight and 80 lbs. soaking wet she is still a force to be reckoned with. The family saying is; “If Meema’s not happy, then no ones happy” but we love her just the same. To this day when three o’ clock rolls around its cocktail time, funny how some things never change.

Cheers Meema…

1 1/4 oz rye whiskey
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
Maraschino cherry for garnish

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
Stir well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass
Garnish with the cherry.

Variations on the Manhattan:
Dry Manhattan- Use a dash of dry vermouth and garnish with a lemon twist.
Perfect Manhattan- Equal parts of sweet and dry vermouth.