122923

Chocolate Chip Date Cake

My favorite cake.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons soda
1 cup water (boiling)
one third pound dates

1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup mayonnaise
-- salt

1 cup dark brown sugar
one half cup chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips



Directions

Finely chop dates. Mix with soda and water and let stand.

Combine next four ingredients. Beat until smooth. Combine with dates. Pour into 9 x 12 inch prepared pan.

Combine last three ingredients and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.

122323d

Fostman's Kransas

1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream
1 egg yolk

Sugar for top


Cream butter and sour cream with flour and egg yolk. Chill. Roll in flour till thin (1/8 to 1/4"). Cut with a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter. Bake at 350° to light brown -- about 12 minutes.

Delicious!

122323c

Graham Cracker Toffee



Julia Baker



Ingredients:
8 sheets graham crackers
8 oz salted butter (2 sticks)
1 C packed brown sugar
1 C chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 350F, grease & line 13 by 9” baking pan
2. Break graham crackers into 1 by 3“ rectangles, lay on baking sheet as close together as possible, cover entire sheet
3. Mix butter & sugar in saucepan over medium heat. When mixture comes to a bubble, add pecans and stir
4. Pour mixture evenly over crackers, bake 10 min, cool for 30, break or cut to serve

012922

Pumpkin bread

Ingredients

Two thirds cup margarine
2 2/3 cup sugar
four eggs
1 pound canned pumpkin
two thirds cup water
3 1/3 cup flour
one half teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
two thirds cup nuts
two thirds cup raisins or dates (we usually use dates)

Procedure

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, pumpkin, and water. Sift together dry ingredients -- add to pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts and dates. Pour into two 1-quart loaf pans. Bake one hour at 350°F.

012822

Pan biscuits

{camping food}

Ingredients

one half cup milk
two tablespoons vegetable oil
one tablespoon vinegar
one half teaspoon onion powder
1 cup unbleached flour
one half cup cornmeal
one tablespoon baking powder
one tablespoon sugar
one half teaspoons salt
one half teaspoon soda
two tablespoons butter

Procedure

You can mix the dry ingredients ahead of time.

In a measuring cup combine the milk, oil, vinegar, and onion powder. In a mixing bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the milk mixture with a fork. Form the dough into a ball and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it about 10 times. Shape the dough into 18 smooth balls about 1.5 inches in diameter; flatten with the palm of your hand to thickness of about 0.5 inches. In a skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat; add the biscuits. Cook over the coals until lightly browned on both sides and cooked through, approximately 15 minutes.

Makes 18 biscuits.

012622c

Barbara Merkel's spiced peach jam

Yield: about 11 medium glasses (5.5 pounds of jam)

4 cups prepared fruit (about 3 pounds of ripe peach or pear)
one quarter cup lemon juice (two lemons)
7.5 cups (3.25 pounds) sugar
one half bottle Certo fruit pectin

First, prepare fruit. Peel and pit peaches or core pears. Grind or chop very fine. Measure 4 cups into a very large saucepan. Add one quarter cup lemon juice. For spiced peach jam, add one half to 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, or any desired combination of spices.

To the measured fruit in saucepan, add the exact amount of sugar specified in the recipe. Mix well. Place over high heat, bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; at once stir in Certo. Skim off foam with metal spoon. Then stir and skim for five minutes to cool slightly, to prevent floating fruit. Ladle into glasses. Cover at once with 1/8" hot paraffin.

There is no better jam in the universe!

011922b

Garlic Green Beans

Serves 6

Ingredients

1.5 pounds green beans, trimmed at the ends
3 T soy sauce
1 t sugar
1 T sesame oil
3 T peanut or other vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
½ t red pepper flakes
salt

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop in the beans and cook rapidly for four to five minutes or until just crisp-tender. Drain, and if not serving very soon, rinse under cold water. Leave to drain in a colander.

Mix together the soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat a wok or large cast-iron frying pan over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the peanut oil. It should heat up in seconds. Now put in the garlic. Stir once or twice. Put in the red pepper flakes. Stir once and put in the drained green beans. Stir them around until many of them are lightly scorched. Pour in the soy sauce mixture. Continue to stir and fry until most of the sauce is absorbed. Turn the heat down and taste for salt: you might want to add a little bit more. Stir to mix and serve.

This recipe is very pungent while cooking; it will affect the smell of your entire house.

011822

Curried Turkey Chutney Salad in Cantaloupe Halves

Serves 6

ENTREE

T=tablespoon; C=cup; t=teaspoon

Ingredients:
A 3.5-4 lb turkey breast, thawed if frozen
1 onion, halved and stuck with a clove
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk of celery, sliced
1 C Mayonnaise
2 t curry powder
¾ C drained and chopped mango chutney
1.5 C thinly sliced celery
salt and pepper
3 cantaloupes, halved and seeded

Tie together in a cheesecloth bag or put in large tea strainer:
6 sprigs of parsley
1 bay leaf
1.5 t minced fresh thyme or ½ t dried

For the condiments
½ pound toasted cashews
½ pound lean bacon, cooked and crumbled
¼ pound raisins
½ C minced red and green sweet bell pepper
½ C minced scallion

Directions
In a kettle bring to a boil enough water to cover the turkey breast with the onion, carrot, celery stalk, and the herbs in a cheesecloth bag. Add the turkey breast and boil it for 1 minute. Reduce heat and poach turkey, partially covered, at a bare simmer, skimming off the froth that rises to the surface, for 40 minutes, or until tender. Let turkey cool completely in the liquid, discard the skin and bones, and cut turkey into ½-inch cubes.

In a small bowl combine well the mayonnaise, curry powder, and chutney.

In a large bowl combine turkey, the 1.5 C celery, curry mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve curried turkey salad in the cantaloupe halves with the condiments in separate bowls.

011722b

Fostman's Kransas

1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream
1 egg yolk

Sugar for top

Cream butter and sour cream with flour and egg yolk. Chill. Roll in flour till thin (1/8 to 1/4"). Cut with a doughnut-shaped cookie cutter. Bake at 350° to light brown -- about 12 minutes.

Delicious! One of our holiday favorites.

011622d

English trifle

Traditional holiday dessert

Sylvia Hodgson Merkel

Ingredients

One recipe sponge cake, one day old
or purchased pound cake, one day old
seedless raspberry jam
14 oz canned chunk pineapple
one recipe boiled custard
2 c. milk
quarter cup sugar
four egg yolks
8 oz. whipping cream
about one quarter cup sherry

Directions

trim all the brown off the cake, spread jam over the cake, cut it into 1 in. cubes. Cut the pound cake into two layers, drizzle sherry over the cake, put the cake and pineapple chunks in a bowl, put about a tablespoon of sherry into the custard, whip cream, fold two thirds of it into the custard, pour the custard over the cake/pineapple mixture. Top with the rest of the whipped cream.

Boiled custard:

In the microwave heat 2 c. milk and a quarter cup sugar for three to four minutes on high. Slightly beat 4 egg yolks, drizzle one quarter cup of the hot milk into the egg yolks and then mix the egg yolk/milk mixture back into the rest of the milk. Microwave on high four minutes, stirring twice. Blend in a food processor until smooth.

Trifle should sit in the refrigerator for several hours before you eat it.

011422

Chinese Walnut Chicken

Modified from The Best of Bon Appetit

Nominally eight servings, but it isn't really

2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
two egg whites
three large whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into 1-inch cubes
three-quarter cup soy sauce
1/4 cup bourbon
2 teaspoons sugar
8 tablespoons oil
six green onions, cut into 2 inch slivers, including stems
five slices fresh ginger root minced
two or three garlic cloves minced
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Rice

Mix together cornstarch, water, and egg white. Add chicken and toss until thoroughly coated.

In small bowl combine soy sauce, bourbon and sugar.

Heat skillet or wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. Stir-fry chicken for about 3 to 5 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove from pan.

Add remaining oil to pan and stir-fry onions, ginger, and garlic 1 minute. Return chicken to pan and continue cooking one minute. Add soy-bourbon mixture and cook quickly until sauce thickens. Stir in walnuts. Serve with rice.

011322d

Boiled cookies

Recipe found by Sheila Kopaska Merkel

(original source, Headstart recipe collection, Stuart IA, sixties)

Ingredients

1 2/3 cup sugar
one half cup milk
one quarter cup (original recipe only called for 3 tbsp.) cocoa
3 c. quick oatmeal
one half cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
one half cup nuts (small pieces)

Directions

Put first three ingredients in pan, bring to boil for one minute.

Remove from heat, beat in the last four ingredients quickly.

Quickly drop the cookies onto foil or wax paper using spoons before they cool and solidify.

Children love to help with this recipe.

112417d

English trifle

Sylvia Hodgson Merkel

Ingredients

One recipe sponge cake, one day old

or purchased pound cake, one day old

seedless raspberry jam

14 oz canned chunk pineapple

one recipe boiled custard

2 c. milk

quarter cup sugar

four egg yolks

8 oz. whipping cream

about one quarter cup sherry

trim all the brown off the cake, spread jam over the cake, cut it into 1 in. cubes. Cut the pound cake into two layers, drizzle sherry over the cake, put the cake and pineapple chunks in a bowl, put about a tablespoon of sherry into the custard, whip cream, fold two thirds of it into the custard, pour the custard over the cake/pineapple mixture. Top with the rest of the whipped cream.

Boiled custard:

In the microwave heat 2 c. milk and a quarter cup sugar for three to four minutes on high. Slightly beat 4 egg yolks, drizzle one quarter cup of the hot milk into the egg yolks and then mix the egg yolk/milk mixture back into the rest of the milk. Microwave on high four minutes, stirring twice. Blend in a food processor until smooth.

Trifle should sit in the refrigerator for several hours before you eat it.

072817c

Yellow Chicken Curry (Kaeng Karri Kai)

(Thai)

Serves 5-7

ENTREE

T=tablespoon; C=cup

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast, skinned and boned [can substitute 1.5 lb chicken legs, cut in half]

2 T oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges

3 T Yellow Curry Paste

2.25 C thick coconut milk

1 small potato and 1 small sweet potato, peeled, and cut into chunks

1 C frozen corn (thawed) or 1 C green beans

2 kaffir lime leaves, shredded (optional)

Directions

1. Cut chicken into even-sized chunks (or halve chicken legs)
2. Heat oil in wok, fry garlic and onion 3 minutes. Add curry paste and fry 1 minute.
3. Stir in half the coconut milk and bring to boil. Boil rapidly 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining coconut milk, bring to boil, and add potatoes, sweet potatoes, and chicken. If green beans are raw, add now.
4. Reduce heat and simmer gently 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked and potato is tender. Add corn or green beans [if already cooked] in last 5 minutes.
5. Spoon into serving dishes and sprinkle with lime leaves

Serve with rice.

072717b

Turkey a la Campagne

Serves 10-12

ENTREE

T=tablespoon; C=cup; t=teaspoon

Cooked, 3 lbs of turkey breast, pulled into chunks.

Have ready:

2 C frozen or canned corn, drained

14 oz canned artichoke hearts

1 C each cooked carrots and white turnips (or rutabaga), Cut carrots into disks no thicker than 1 inch and turnips or rutabagas into pieces of similar size.

Arrange these ingredients in a 3-quart casserole, alternating layers of turkey and vegetables until all are used, with turkey on the top layer.

Make the sauce by melting in a saucepan:

3 T butter

Add and stir until smooth over low heat:

3 T flour

Continue to stir over low heat and add:

1.5 C strong chicken stock

3 T sherry

1 C cream or half and half

½ C parsley

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Continue to cook sauce over low heat 10 minutes. Pour sauce over the food in the casserole. Shake the dish well, so the sauce penetrates all layers. Cover the top with bread crumbs and heat about 30 minutes in a 350F oven.

072617d

Tom Kha Gai

four to six servings

Ingredients

5 cups chicken stock

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

one half cup lemon juice

one half cup fish sauce

three or four pieces dried galanga root (this is the Kha. Use the dried disk or if not available substitute powdered) (this is a relative of ginger, but the taste is different and it's better not to use ginger. You can freeze fresh galanga root)

three or four lemon leaves or 1 teaspoon lemon zest, grated

two stalks finely minced lemongrass or 2 teaspoons dried lemongrass

8 ounce can straw mushrooms (It tastes different if you substitute another kind of mushrooms, but it still works)

two whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned and sliced into 1 inch pieces (this is the Gai)

two fresh green chile peppers, diagonally sliced 1/8” thick (other hot peppers can be substituted with no problem)

one half teaspoon sugar

Procedure

Heat chicken broth in large pot. Add coconut milk and stir vigorously until blended. Add the lemon juice and fish sauce. Stir in the galanga root, lemon leaves, lemongrass, straw mushrooms, and chicken. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chicken meat is just cooked. Stir in the chili peppers and sugar and serve hot.

072417b

Nut Kisses

Sheila Kopaska-Merkel

Back by popular demand after a triumphant tour of the Ethnic Dinner (2000).

(about 40 cookies)

Meringue-type cookies are sometimes known as “kisses.” These have a good caramel flavor and are full of pecans. Dry and crisp on the outside, they are slightly chewy on the inside.

3 egg whites (about 1/2 C)

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 C dark brown sugar

3 T flour

1/2 C coarsely chopped pecans

1 1/2 C coarsely chopped walnuts

Force the brown sugar through a sieve after measuring to remove any lumps.

Preheat oven to 300F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or foil, cut to fit. Get out another baking sheet, about the same size, so you can double-pan when you bake.

Combine egg whites and salt and beat until they stand in soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar, continuing to beat until the whites stand in stiff peaks. Sprinkle on the flour and pecans, and fold them in, using a rubber spatula or an electric mixer turned to lowest speed for 3 or 4 seconds.

Shape the meringues on the parchment- or foil-lined sheets, using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip—or, if you don’t have a pastry bag, use a teaspoon and form small mounds about 2 inches across, placing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Double-pan the sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes. Turn off the oven, and let remain there for another 20 minutes to dry out. Peel off the foil or parchment and let cool completely. In a dry climate, store at room temperature in a sealed container. If it’s damp or humid, freeze for storage.

072217c

no-bake cheesecake

Ingredients

3 ounces of lemon flavored gelatin

1 cup boiling water

8 ounces of cream cheese

half cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

one tall can MILNOT (13 ounces) with

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

half cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Chill until slightly thickened. Cream together cheese, sugar and vanilla; add gelatin and blend well. Fold in stiffly whipped MILNOT. (This can be done with electric mixer.) Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together; pack two thirds of mixture on bottom and sides of 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan (or larger). Add filling and sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Chill several hours. Cut into squares and serve plain or garnished with fruit.

072017

Sunny Pate

Jennifer Alaine

one cup sunflower seeds (hulled), soaked for two hrs., rinsed, & sprouted (0-18 hrs.)

one cup walnut halves & pcs., soaked for four hrs., rinsed, & sprouted (0 - 8 hrs.)

juice from one lemon

four cloves garlic

approx. 1/8 of a large onion

3 or 4 tablespoons miso, or to taste (we use South River sweet-tasting brown rice miso)

one cup water

In a food processor or blender, chop the garlic & onion. Add the walnuts and chop coarsely. Combine

the miso & the water. Add this mixture and all the other ingredients to the food processor. Blend until

smooth. Serve with raw veggies, alfalfa sprouts, bread or crackers. Or use as a filling for nori rolls,

stuffed raw peppers (try anaheims or ripe bells), or stuffed raw mushrooms.

Delicious!

071317b

Lemon tea muffins

Ingredients

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

one quarter teaspoon salt

one half cup butter or margarine

one half cup sugar

two eggs, separated

three tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

two tablespoons sugar

one quarter teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°F

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter and one half cup sugar till light and fluffy. Beat egg yolks till thick and lemon colored; blend well with creamed mixture. Add flour mixture alternately with lemon juice. (Do not overmix.) Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold whites and lemon peel into batter. Fill small greased 2 inch muffin pans two thirds full. Combine two tablespoons sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle about one half teaspoon over each muffin. Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes about 18 muffins.