Christmas Cookies Part 2

This is another old holiday family favorite.The cookie is rich, flavorful and chewy. I got the recipe from my mother. She got it from her mother, and now I give it to you. I hope you enjoy.

Hedgehogs

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped English Walnuts
• 1 cup chopped Pitted Dates
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 cups shredded Coconut
• 2 large eggs

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Combine the following ingredients:
   • Brown Sugar
   • Eggs
   • Dates
   • Walnuts
   • 1 cup Coconut
3. Form a bit of the mixture into a 1" by ½" log.
4. Roll the log in the remaining coconut.
5. Place on a greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes

makes about 60 cookies

Peppermint Pie

My grandmother Jessie was in love with peppermint candy. So it was no surprise that she would make a peppermint pie. She was a very intuitive cook who did not always write recipes down, or measure. Either you watched and figured out her tricks or you were left in her dust as she whipped up her delicious dishes.

One of my sisters wanted the recipe and I started thinking back to the days when I watched my grandmother make this dessert. I had a rough idea of the recipe and with a bit of searching and remembering I came up with something very close to her original recipe. The only real difference was using whipping cream instead of condensed milk.

Candy Cane Chiffon Pie

Ingredients

• 1 - 9" pie crust, prepared
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon. peppermint extract
• 3 egg whites
• 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 cups whipping cream, whipped
• 1/2 cups crushed peppermint candy canes

Preparation

1. Have the baked pie crust ready.
2. Soften the gelatin in water in a 1-quart saucepan.
3. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat.
4. Cook until the mixture bubbles and the gelatin is dissolved.
5. Remove from heat. Cool.
6. Stir in the peppermint extract.
7. Beat the egg whites in a 3-quart bowl with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form.
8. Beat in the sugar gradually until stiff and glossy.
9. Beat in the gelatin mixture at low speed until mixed.
10. Fold in the whipped cream and candy.
11. Heap into shell.
12. Decorate with small candy canes if desired.
13. Chill 2 hours or until firm.
14. Sprinkle with crushed candy just before serving for an added sparkle.

Yields: 1 - 9" pie

Preparation Time: 45 minutes, plus chilling time

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potatoes are a good food. They are fairly inexpensive, tasty, and very good for you. Personally I like sweet potato pie better than pumpkin pie. The bright color and flavor are wonderful. Add the fact that fresh ingredients are better than canned ones, it makes it a clear choice for me. Have you ever tried to prepare fresh pumpkin? It can be a lot of hard work, and that is the last thing I want when preparing for a holiday dinner.

Pie Crust:

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cups lard or shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 - 6 tablespoons water

Preparation

1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Work it into the flour till it is a uniform grainy consistancy.
3. Mix the water into the mixture but do not overwork the dough.
4. Form a ball and wrap it in a plastic wrap.
5. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for later use.
6. Once the dough is chilled roll the dough into the shape you need.

The pie crust can be prepared in advance and frozen. You can either freeze prerolled pie shells, or as slabs you can thaw and roll out as needed.

Filling

ingredients

• 4 large potatoes
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 stick unsalted butter (¼ pound)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 2- 8 inch pie crusts
• 1 cup evaporated milk

Preparation

1. Boil potatoes in their skins until tender.
2. Let them cool
3. Peel the sweet potatoes
4. Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
5. Mash them thoroughly with a potato masher.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
7. Melt the butter. Pour it into the potatoes.
8. Add vanilla, spices, salt and evaporated milk.
9. Stir the mixture until well mixed.
10. Pour the potato mixture into the pie crust.
11. Put into an oven preheated to 375°.
12. Cook for about 35-45 minutes.
13. If a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, it's done.
14. Let the pies cool for at least 1 hour before cutting and serving.

Makes 2 pies.

Simply Delicious

Pound Cake

A pound cake is one of life's simple pleasures. This golden, rich cake is the basis of many wonderful desserts. Making a pound cake is a very simple project..

This cake gets it's name from the fact that each of the ingredients used in the recipe weigh one pound. Try this recipe, you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients

• 1 pound cake flour
• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 1 pound granulated sugar
• 1 pound egg (8 large eggs)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Generously butter 2- 9 inch loaf pans.
3. Place a sheet of parchment in the bottom of the pan.
4. Cream the sugar into the butter.
5. Add the vanilla extract to the creamed sugar.
6. Mix the eggs into the mixture, one egg at a time.
7. Gradually fold ithe flour and salt into the mixture.
8. Mix until the ingredients are completely combined.
9. Pour the batter into the pans.
10. Tap the pans on a firm surface to remove any air pockets,
11. Bake the cakes for 1 hour.
12. Remove the pans from the oven.
13. Test with a toothpick, if it comes out clean, the cakes are done.

Talking Turkey

The holidays are upon us so I am posting a few links for anyone facing the task of cooking a turkey.

• Thanksgiving Survival Guide

  How to roast a stuffed turkey

  Good no nonsense advice.

• Turkey Basics: Safe Cooking

  Food Safety: United States Department of Agriculture

  Everything you need to know to have a safe holiday dinner.

• Roasting a Turkey

  Roasting a Turkey - Hormel Kitchens

  A well organized and informative site with a lot of tips.

Christmas Cookies- Part 1

Kolatchkis

No matter how you spell it these Polish or Ukrainian Christmas cookies are wonderful addition to any Christmas cookie list. These flaky pastry like delicacies were always the first to disappear during the holidays. My mother would make them by the gross. It was a very big family and they all were Kolatchki junkies. You can use any flavor filling you prefer, but most of the ones I have seen were either apricot, cherry, and almond. If you do not have a large family, or you are a dainty eater, you can scale the recipe easily. Just scale down the amount of flour, butter, cream cheese and filling.

Ingredients

• 1 lb unsalted butter
• 4 cups flour
• 1 lb Cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water for egg wash
• 2 cans Solo canned filling

Preparation

1. Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl until combined.
2. Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
3. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.
4. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap.
5. Chill until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Put oven rack in middle position
7. Preheat oven to 375°F.
8. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
9. Divid the dough into 8 equal pieces
10. Roll the dough between sheets of well-floured wax paper into an 11" square.
11. If dough gets too soft, and chill until firm.
12. Discard top sheet of wax paper
13. Trim dough with a pastry wheel or sharp knife into a 10-inch square.
14. Cut square into 4 equal strips
15. Cut crosswise in fourths again to form a total of 16 squares.
16. Place 1 heaping teaspoon filling in center of each square.
17. Brush 2 opposite corners with egg wash
18. Bring the coated corners together and pinch firmly to adhere.
19. If dough becomes too soft, freeze it on a baking sheet for a few minutes.
20. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
21. Bake 17 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
22. Transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely.
23. Sprinkle with powdered sugar .
24. Make more cookies with remaining dough and filling on a lined cooled baking sheet.

makes around 128 cookies.

Kitchen Bootcamp Number 1

This series is about getting back to basics in cooking. Tips and tricks for people wanting to roll up their sleeves, throw away the box and do some real cooking. Please feel free to share any questions or tips you may have in the comments.

Basic Pasta Dough

Fresh pasta is something that is so easy and cheap I wonder how they got people to eat the dried stuff. I got this recipe from my grandmother. The recipe is easily scalable so you can make large batches and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. I usually roll and cut mine as needed. It is still is faster than cooking dried pasta. Personally I like my Italian made pasta mill but roll and knife cutting works ok for a more homey feel. This dough makes great ravioli and lasagna noodles too.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of hard semolina wheat flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• a pinch of salt

Preparation

1. pour the flour on a clean work surface
2. make a depression in the middle of the mound
3. widen the "well" so you have room for the wet ingrediants
4. break the eggs into the well
5. add the salt. water and oil
6. use a fork to mix the eggs water and oil
7. begin pulling flour into the liquid as you stir
8. keep working the flour into the center till you have a ball of dough
9. dust the ball with flour and cover with plastic wrap.
10. let the dough rest for half an hour
11. roll into a thick sheet and cut into squares.
12. Dust with flour and stack them up
13. Seal the pieces in a plastic bag for storage

Ok, What Can I Do With All This Dough?

Think of it as play time. The choices are nearly limitless. For starters you can make your own home-made lasagna noodles.The beauty of home made pasta is you roll and cut the noodles as needed. It's faster and easier than you may think. Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried. The amount of time required for preparing fresh and dried pasta is the same.

The Joys of Harvest Season

The leaves have not begun to turn yet but the change is in the air. Autumn has arrived and the pace of harvesting and processing food for the long hard winter is in full swing. The orchards are pressing cider, the markets are full of this season's bounty and wild mushrooms are beginning to pop up.

Some Seasonal Food Recipes

Red Cabbage Hunter's Pot

This dish is influenced by Polish and Eastern European Cooking. It is a great cold weather meal using many of the autumn harvest fruits and vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1 large head Red Cabbage, roughly shredded
• 1 large Red Onion, crescent cut
• 2 tbsp Canola Oil
• 3 cloves of Garlic, minced
• 1 pound Smoked Sausage,
• ½ pound Slab Bacon, cubed
• 1 Large Bay Leaf (Laurel)
• 1 tsp Caraway Seeds, roasted
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• ½ tsp Black Pepper, coarse ground
• 1 cup Apple Cider, Fresh-Unfiltered
• ½ Chicken Broth or Stock
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 3 tbsp Cider Vinegar

Preparation

1. Roast the caraway seeds in a large dry skillet.
2. Keep the seeds moving so they do not burn.
3. Remove when the seed color turns a bit gray.
4. Set the seeds aside to cool.
5. Combine the cider, chicken broth and vinegar.
6. Add the mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper.
7. Mix well and reduce in a saucepan.
8. Remove from the heat and reserve.
9. Heat a heavy wall casserole
10. Add the oil to the casserole.
11. add the bacon and onion to the oil
12. Cook till the start to turn transparent
13. add the garlic and red pepper
14. Add the sausage and stir well
15. Use a slotted spoon to remove the food from the casserole.
16. Drain well so the fats go back into the pan, we will use this.
17. Lightly sauté the cabbage until it is beginnng to wilt.
18. The surface should be glistening and you hear a sizzle.
19. Add the caraway seeds and bay leaf, stir.
20. Add the meat and onion to the cabbage.
21. Stir Well to combine all the ingredients.
22. Add the cider sauce and toss well.
23. Reduce heat, cook covered till cabbage is just tender.
24. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings

Serving Suggestions

• A good pint of hard cider
• Rye Bread
• Lentil and Leeks Soup
• Roast Rosemary, Apple Stuffed Chicken
• Small Boiled Red Potatoes dressed with Parsley Butter
• Thick Egg Noodles in a Sour Cream Dill Sauce
• Hot Caramelized Cinnamon Apples on a scoop of French Vanilla Ice cream.

Maitake Mushroom Facts

Hen-of-the-woods or Maitake Mushroom

scientific name: Grifola frondosa

AKA Sheep's Head or Dancing mushroom

The Maitake mushroom has been cultivated for many years in Asia, especially Japan, where it originated. Maitake means "dancing mushroom," because they were so valued that whoever found them would dance for joy. It's a very versitile and delicious mushroom. Freshly picked and cooked Hen of the Woods are wonderful

Season and Habitat

Grifola frondosa fruits anytime from early September to late October and seems to be triggered by the first cold nights of the end of Summer. It is found mostly with dead or dying Oak trees, though some regularly find clusters under a dead Maple

Description:

Widely variable in color, from pure white to tan to brown to gray. It appears to get darker depending on direct sunlight. Large overlapping leaf-like fronds grow in bushy clusters that get larger with time. Each frond is from a half to four inches across and is usually darker to the outward edges. The entire fruiting body can be as big as several feet across. The underside of individual caps consists of a pure white pore surface. Grifola frondosa is a polypore, a mushroom which disperses its spores from pores as opposed to gills. The pores are close together and tiny, almost difficult to see. The caps are firm and juicy. The stem is thick firm, white and branched. The spore print is white.

Flavor:

Maitake mushrooms have a distinctive aroma with a rich, woodsy taste.

Cautions:

Many gilled mushrooms grow in large clumps-remember that hen-of-the-woods is a pore fungus. This mushroom has no poisonous look-alikes, but there are some similar species of pore fungi that are tough and inedible. If what you have tastes leathery or otherwise unpleasant, you probably didn't pick a hen-of-the-woods.

Shelf Life:

Maitakes usually last 7-10 days. Keep refrigerated in paper bags.

Some Serving Suggestions:

• Sauté lightly in butter or oil.
• Adds richer taste to any cooked recipe calling for mushrooms.
• Goes well as main dish ingredient, in side dishes and soups.

Storing The Hen of the Woods Mushroom

Hen of the Woods Mushrooms as big as forty or fifty pounds are not uncommon, I have tried numerous ways to store them for use all winter. Some people dry or can these mushrooms, but freezing is the best method of preserving them.

All you need to prepare for freezing is a knife, a towel, a bowl and lots of freezer bags. It is simply a matter of cleaning and bagging them, then popping the bags directly into the freezer. That's all there is to it, sweet simplicity. No pre-cooking or par-boiling is needed. Once frozen the mushrooms can last up to two years. Chop the mushrooms into different size pieces in different bags to use different ways. I also shred it like you would string cheese.

The cleaner the mushroom the better when bagging because you'll want to defrost right in the pan. If the mushrooms were growing under a rotten tree, the mushroom can actually grow around the wood particles and they'll be embedded in the mushroom flesh. Those mushrooms may not worth cleaning unless you have no choice.

Wild Mushroom Season is On it's Way!

Hen of the Woods Fritters

This experiment turned out quite well. This may become a favorite seasonal recipe, A light, crispy and very tasty batter filled with fragrant succulent mushroom shreds.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups hen of the woods mushrooms
• 1 cup flour
• 2 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• cold beer
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Preparation

1. Pull apart the mushroom into long thin strands.
2. Beat the yolks of the eggs well.
3. Add the flour, beating very lightly.
4. Add the melted butter and the dry ingredients.
5. Thin with water to the consistency of a very thick crepe.
6. Add the egg whites beaten to a stiff froth.
7. Dip the shredded mushroom into the batter.
8. Immerse them well at one dipping.
9. Lift out with a large cooking spoon.
10. Drop into 350 degree oil and fry to a golden brown.
11. Drain well and serve immediately.

These make a great appetizer or side dish. Try it with your favorite dipping sauce. The batter must be thick enough to coat the shredded mushroom all around in one immersion, yet it must not be so thick as to be heavy or tough.

Makes 4 servings.

Filipino Chicken and Pork Adobo

Adobo is considered the national dish of the Philippines. This dish consists of chunks of chicken or pork or both cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaf, lots of garlic and whole peppercorns. The stew is allowed to cook until the meats are tender and the remaining sauce slightly thickened. Some people prefer their adobos dry which may entail frying them afterwords, while others prefer them moist served in their original sauce. As a style of cooking, it can be applied to fowl, fish, shellfish and vegetables.

Chicken & Pork Adobo

Ingredients

• 1 cup distilled white or cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbs. peeled & crushed garlic
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 bay leaves (laurel)
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 2 pounds pork butt, cut into cubes
• soy sauce
• vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Combine the vinegar, water, garlic, salt, bay leaves & pepper into a large casserole.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil.
3. Add the meat to the mixture and stir.
4. Cover the Casserole & bring to a boil.
5. Simmer & cook for about 30 minutes.
6. Sprinkle liberally with soy sauce
7. Cook for an additional 10 minutes.
8. Remove the meat & reduce sauce.
9. Remove sauce to a bowl.
10. Put oil into the casserole & brown cooked meat.
11. Drain oil from the casserole,
12. Return the sauce to the meat.
13. Serve with rice.

In Memory of What We have Lost

I have not posted here in a while. Recent events have forced me away to write about the ruin that I had called my home years ago. To me the Gulf Coast was paradise. Friendly living in a place where people had a deep and abiding joy of living and a wonderful tradition of excellent cooking. I lived close to Biloxi, near to Ocean Springs and Vancleave.

I see images of restaurants where they knew our names and drink orders. The building is now hundreds of feet from where it stood. A gutted derelict beached and broken. You always think that our dreams work out. I have longed to return to the Gulf, but it looks like a while before I could make a real difference by being there.

I have not been able to contact people I care about, a friend shared the good news that her family in New Orleans is safe. I am so happy for her. I send my prayers to all those people who are without a home tonight. Please help in whatever way you can. What hurts one hurts us all, What heals someone heals us all.

Confessions of a Foodie

It's no secret to those who know me that I am seriously into food. Whether I am cooking it, eating it, thinking about it or writing about it; food is a very important part of my life. I see it as something that brings people together in shared pleasure, which is always a good thing. It binds generations together through recipes passed down from long ago. The next generation building on and interpreting a living culinary heritage.

I grew up in an ethnically rich area where we ate at Greek picnics, Polish weddings, Italian home cooking and Christmas tamales from our next door neighbors. My grandmothers were both formidable cooks with completely different styles. I was a quick learner, grabbing as many of their secrets as I could.

Recently I have been busy rebuilding my Thai cooking site. I had forgotten how big the damn thing had become. It is a complex project but the work is worth it. I need to get a new camera so I can get enough pictures of food to suit me. I like to use my camera to get into kitchens of restaurants. Sometimes I even get to cook.

Chicken Sausage Red Jambalaya

My last two posts on Jambalaya were Shrimp Jambalaya and a Brown Chicken Jambalaya. This time I am going to post another New Orleans style of Jambalaya with a creole influence. The tomatoes add to the flavors married together. This is the home style jambalaya I remember from living on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. You can use substitute shrimp, crab, or any meat you have on hand.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Boneless Chicken Breast or Thigh
• 1 lb Smoked Andouille or Kielbasa Sausage
• ½ stick Butter
• 1 medium Onion, chopped
• 1 Bell Pepper, chopped
• 2 stalks Celery, chopped
• 4-6 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 2 Bay (Laurel) Leaves
• ¼-½ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 tbs. Lea & Perrins® Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco® Sauce
• 1 tsp. roux - dark caramel color
• 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 1 10-oz can Rotel Tomatoes/Green Chilies
• 1 cup White Rice uncooked
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning Mix

Preparation

1. Chop the vegetables.
2. Wash chicken thoroughly.
3. Cut the chicken into half-inch cubes.
4. Slice sausage into bite sized pieces

Sauté Meat and Vegetables

1. Heat a large, heavy dry pan over high heat.
2. Brown the sausage.
3. Remove sausage from pan with slotted spoon
4. Reserve drippings for next step.
5. Brown the chicken in the remaining oil.
6. Return sausage to pan
7. Add butter, onion, celery, garlic and peppers.
8. Sauté until vegetables are cooked through.
9. Add the tomato paste to the pan
10. Stir to prevent burning as you caramelize the sugars in the paste slightly.
11. Add the Rotel diced tomatoes.
12. Stir well to get those tasty bits off the bottom of the pan.
13. Add the Worcestershire sauce, roux and seasoning.
14. Season to taste with Tabasco®.
15. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or so.

Mix and cook the jambalaya

1. Add the uncooked rice and broth to the meat and vegetable mixture.
2. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the mixture.
3. Add water if needed.
4. Cook in a heavy walled pot until the rice is soft, but firm.
5. Keep the lid on the pot, especially once the mixture comes to a boil.
6. Do not stir the pot or peek!

Yield:

Makes 4-6 Servings

Final Notes:

A good jambalaya should be moist. It is best served and eaten right after it is finished cooking. After sitting too long, the rice absorbs the moisture and the jambalaya drys out.

I also like to use a rice cooker to cook this dish. A rice cooker makes it easy and foolproof. Besides with the tomatoes adding more sugars that can scorch to the mix you can use all the help you can get. The rice cooker automatically cuts off when the rice is done, so you never burn the rice and the jambalaya is always cooked just right.

Some say a rice cooker is just another gadget. But I say if you like rice and low temperature cooking a rice cooker is a handy tool. After all, several billion Asians can't be wrong. Personally I like to automate some of the mundane tasks so I can get on to the fun stuff and eventually get to eat.

Some Thoughts on Brining

I have been busy recently doing some research into brining meats. This new mania started out with an experiment on brining wild game. Some of the most well known brined meats are corn beef and pastrami. For lean meats such as pork and venison it can add a lot of juiciness to the cut of meat.

Ok... So just what is the difference between brining and marinating? Both are a wet precooking process; each method has it's special usage. So I counted off the various items that are needed for each method. In the end it looks like a question of Ph whether you use an Acid or a Base.

Brines versus Marinades

Brining

Is the process of soaking meat in a saline solution. The brine solution permeates throughout the meat to enhance moisture. Other spices can be added to the saline solution to impart flavor. Whether or not the spices impart any significant flavor is debated by some. The primary ingredients used for a brine are water, salt, sugar, and spices.

Marinating

Is the process of soaking meat in an acidic solution, typically a vinegar and oil solution. Other spices are usually added to the solution to impart flavor. The meat is tenderized by the acid breaking down the cell structure of the meat. The primary ingredients used for a marinade are an acidic liquid, oil, sugar, and salt.

Brining Information Sites

• http://bbq.about.com/od/brinerecipes/
• http://www.bbq-porch.org/brining00.asp
• http://www.bbqlodge.com/brine/brine.htm
• http://www.moscowfood.coop/archive/brine.html

Confessions of a Chocolate Junkie

Chocolate Decadence

I had a treat today from the bakery around the corner. It was a chocolate overload. First they take a chocolate box, place a layer of chocolate cake inside on the bottom. Next they fill the box with chocolate mousse and put a huge slab of chocolate on top. I was in hog-heaven even though I got it on my glasses somehow...

Brown Chicken Jambalaya

This recipe makes very good jambalaya, it is a brown Cajun style rather than the red tomato-based jambalaya you see in New Orleans. This one doesn't need a chicken stock because the dish makes it's own while it cooks. But using broth instead of water makes it extra savory.

Ingredients

• One 3 to 4 pound hen cut into serving pieces
• 3 cups long grain rice - uncooked
• ¼ cup cooking oil
• 3 medium white onions - chopped fine
• 6 cups Water or Chicken Stock
• 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
• 2½ teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 cup green onions - chopped
• ½ cup green peppers
• ½ cup celery - chopped fine
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce

Preparation

1. Fry chicken in cooking oil until golden brown.
2. Remove chicken and oil leaving just enough oil to cover bottom of pot.
3. Add onions, and fry until golden brown.
4. Put chicken back into pot with onions
5. Add 6 cups of water to the skillet.
6. make a note of the water level.
7. Add remaining seasoning.
8. Simmer covered until chicken is tender.
9. If necessary, add enough water to bring back to previous level.
10. Bring back to a rolling boil, and add the rice.
11. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes
12. Turn the rice gently from the bottom to avoid scorching.
13. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid
14. steam for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
15. Turn rice once more, and remove from heat.
16. Let stand covered for 10 minutes Do Not Peek.
17. Turn out the rice out gently into a serving container.

Jambalaya is more tasty if highly seasoned, so don't forget the cayenne pepper. When adding salt, water should taste a little too salty, as rice absorbs a considerable amount of salt.

Yield: 6 to 8 generous servings.

Helpful Hints For Jambalaya Virgins:

Most jambalaya cooks prefer to cook in cast iron pots. Whether a cast iron or aluminum pot is used, it should be heavy enough to prevent easy burning, and have a tight fitting lid.

To brown onions:

Onions and oil are put into the pot, covered, and cooked over low heat until golden brown, stirring frequently. A little water added to the onions will help prevent sticking.

Jambalaya should never be stirred - turn rather than stir after the rice has been added. This prevents the grains of rice from breaking up. Most cooks turn jambalaya only two or three times after the rice is added, being sure to scoop from the bottom of the pot to mix rice evenly with other ingredients.

A Little Jambalaya History

Similar in many ways to Spanish paella, the term "jambalaya" is derived from the Spanish Jamón for ham. Jambalaya found its way into Creole cookery in the late 1700's where it soon took on the flavor of added local ingredients.

It can be made (separately or all together) with ham, chicken, sausage, fresh pork, shrimp and oysters, to which is added shortening, rice, onion, garlic, pepper and other seasonings.

Thai BBQ Chicken with Sticky Rice

Ingredients

• 1 whole (about 3 pound) chicken, cut in half
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 Teaspoon white pepper
• 1 Teaspoons minced cilantro
• 2 Tablespoon cognac, whiskey, or rice cooking wine
• 2 Tablespoon coconut milk
• 1 Teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 Teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
• 2 Tablespoon soy sauce

Preparation

1. Rub the entire chicken with the marinade ingredients .
2. Marinade the chicken for at least 15 minutes.
3. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes
4. Then broil or grill for 10 minutes until done.
5. Cut into smaller pieces before serving.

Serve with Sticky Rice

Fried Rice With Basil

Fried Rice With Basil - Koa Pad Krapao

This is a tasty and fragrant dish that is easy to make. Any meat will do, or you can substitute fried tofu for the meat if preparing a vegetarian meal.

Ingrediants

• 6 cloves Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 Teaspoons Fresh Thai Hot Chili, finely chopped
• 6 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1 Pound Fresh Chicken, pork or shrimp, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 Pound Cooked Jasmine rice, preferably chilled overnight
• 2 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
• 2 Tablespoon Sugar
• 2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 4 Tablespoon Green Onions, finely sliced
• 8 Tablespoon Fresh Sweet Basil Leaves
• 2 Teaspoons Fresh Coriander Root, chopped

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a wok or fry pan.
2. Stir-fry garlic until golden.
3. Add Chili and chicken, cook until done.
4. Add cooked rice, sugar, fish and soy sauce.
5. Cook over medium heat, stirring and tossing gently.
6. Continue stirring until it is mixed well
7. Stir in green onions, basil leaves & coriander.

Makes 4 servings.

Wild Rice with Mushroom Duxelle

Wild Rice with Hen of the Woods Mushroom Duxelle

Mushroom Duxelle is a very classic french method. It is a way to concentrate the flavor of a mushroom.The basic idea is to reduce the moisture content, I have seen some cooks, including Julia Child wring out the excess moisture from the raw chopped mushrooms in a cheesecloth before cooking.

Since I am still on the new uses of Hen of the Woods mushrooms I am using them today. Crimini, Button, Portabella all work well in a duxelle. If fresh Chantrelles can be found they might work well in this recipe.

This is a great accompaniment to almost any meat dish or can be part of a vegetarian menu.

Wild Rice with Mushroom Duxelle

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 8 ounces fresh Hen of the Woods mushrooms
• 2 shallots finely minced
• 2 cloves of garlic finely minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon herbs, thyme, rosemary, sage or marjoram.
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Clean the mushrooms well and chop fine.
2. Heat a large skillet on the top of the range.
3. Add oil and mushrooms.
4. Add the shallots and garlic.
5. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, until the moisture has been absorbed.
6. Add cooked wild rice and heat through.
7. Add fresh herbs. Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 Servings

Chicken Satay

Chicken Satay (Kai Satay)

Satay was originally an Indonesian appetizer. Satay is meat skewered on sticks that is marinated and grilled to perfection. The meat is tender and aromatic. Satay is served with a spicy peanut dipping sauce. It is a wonderful start to a meal.

Ingredients

• 1 Pound Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 Teaspoons Coriander powder
• ½Teaspoons Cumin powder
• 1 Teaspoon Galangal or ginger , finely chopped
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon grass, finely chopped
• 1 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ¼Teaspoon Ground black pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Palm sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Melted butter
• ½ Cup Coconut milk
• 50 pieces Bamboo skewers (6 inches long)

Preparations

1. Cut the meat across the grain into ¾ inch wide and 2 inches long.
2. Pound the coriander, cumin, galangal, lemon grass, turmeric, salt and pepper in a mortar until it is finely ground.
3. Pour the spice mixture over the meat along with the palm sugar, melted butter and the coconut milk.
4. Mix thoroughly, and set aside to marinade 45 minutes.
5. Skewer the meat strips lengthwise and broil over a medium charcoal fire
6. Brush occasionally with the remaining marinade.
7. Serve them with satay sauce and the cucumber salad.

Satay Sauce:

Ingredients

• ¼ Cup Red curry paste
• 2 Cup Coconut Milk
• ½ Cup Ground roasted peanuts
• ¼ Cup Sugar
• ¼ Cup Tamarind concentrate
• 1 ½Teaspoon Salt

Preparations

1. Mix the peanuts and the red curry paste together well.
2. Heat the coconut milk in a wok until the oil surfaces
3. Add the peanut-curry mixture and mix them well.
4. Add the remaining coconut milk and reduce the heat.
5. Continue to stir regularly.
6. Season to the taste with sugar, tamarind juice and a little salt.
7. When the sauce has thickened, spoon it into a serving bowl.
8. Serve with Cucumber Salad.

Catfish in Red Curry

This is a quick and simple to make dish that is packed with flavor. The red curry paste and coconut milk goes well with the earthy taste of catfish.

Catfish in Red Curry (Pad Phed Pladuk)

Ingredients

• 2 ½ pound Catfish fillet.
• 1 can (13.5 FL.) Coconut milk
• 4 Tablespoons Thai Red Curry Paste
• 5 Fresh very hot Thai Red Chillies.
• 4 Kaffir Lime leaves torn in half
• 2-3 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 3 sprigs Cilantro chopped
• ¼ of a lime in thin half-moon slices

Preparation

1. Cut the catfish fillet into medium size cubes about 2" x 2"
2. Separate about ½ cup of cream from the coconut milk, and heat.
3. Cook the catfish pieces in the coconut cream until just done.
4. Put the cooked catfish aside.
5. Bring the remaining coconut milk & curry paste to a boil.
6. Lower heat to medium and stir till oil starts to form on top.
7. Add the cooked fish pieces and the coconut cream mixture.
8. Lower the heat to low, and gently cook till heated.
9. Adjust taste with fish sauce and a little sugar.
10. Add the kaffir lime leaves and simmer for 2 more minutes.
11. Place the fish on a serving platter.
12. Garnish with slices of fresh chili peppers and lime
13. Sprinkle on the chopped cilantro leaves.
14. Serve with jasmine rice.

Makes 6 servings

Thai Coconut Mango Pudding

Coconut milk paired with mango makes an extra smooth and delicious pudding. Creating the perfect ending to any meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe mango
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 can Coconut Milk
• (Optional) Toasted flaked coconut, extra chopped mango

Directions:

1. Peel and chop mango into small cubes.
2. Reserve 1 cup and set aside.
3. Use any remaining mango to eat or to garnish pudding.
4. Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium non-aluminum sauce pan.
5. Add eggs and Coconut Milk and beat until well mixed.
6. Cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly until pudding thickens.
7. If lumps start to form, turn heat to low, and whisk vigorously until smooth.
8. Remove from heat.
9. Gently mix reserved mango into pudding.
10. Pour into small custard cups or decorative bowl.
11. Cover and refrigerate until cool.
12. Option: Decorate with toasted coconut or extra mango before serving.

• Yield: 4 - ¾ cup servings
• Time: 20 minutes

Thai Curry Pastes

When most Westerners hear the word curry they think of a mild yellow Indian-style seasoning. However, in Thai cuisine it has many colors and levels of fire. There is a distinct Thai identity in it's lemon grass, shrimp paste, dried chilies and shallots.

Cardamom and Cinnamon were brought to Thailand by Indian Muslim traders and dishes using these are referred to as Mussaman or Muslim curries.

• Thai Green Curry Paste

  The cool jade green color of this type of curry is very deceptive for the uninformed diner. The green variety is the hottest of all the Thai curries.

  Ingredients

  • 15 Green Chilies
  • 3 Tablespoon Chopped shallots
  • 1 Teaspoons Chopped Garlic
  • 1 Teaspoon Chopped Galangal
  • 1 Teaspoons Chopped Lemon Grass
  • ½ Teaspoon Chopped Kaffir Lime Rind
  • 1 Teaspoons Chopped Coriander Root
  • 5 Peppercorns
  • 1 Teaspoons Coriander Seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Shrimp Paste

  Preparations

  1. Put the coriander seeds, and cumin seeds in a pan over low heat.
  2. Dry roast the seeds for about 5 minutes.
  3. grind the roasted seeds into a powder.
  4. Put the rest of the ingredients except the shrimp paste into a food processor.
  5. Blend them together until mixed well.
  6. Add the coriander-cumin seed mixture and the shrimp paste
  7. Blend this into a fine-textured paste.

  You can make a large batch of paste, portion out 3 Tablespoon size mounds on sheets of plastic wrap. Place the wrapped portions in a sealed container and freeze it for later use. The paste can be stored for 6 months

• Thai Red Curry Paste

  This is a moderately hot Curry paste. It is a complex mix of many flavors that goes well with meat, fish, or vegetables. Red curry paste is used in several other dishes that are not considered as curries including Thai Satay sauce.

  Ingredients

  • 9 Dried Red Chillies
  • 5 Shallots
  • 1 Teaspoon Shredded Galangal
  • 1 Tablespoon Sliced Lemon Grass
  • 2 Tablespoon Coriander Root
  • 1 Teaspoon Kaffir Lime Peel
  • 1 Teaspoon White Pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 2 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon Caraway Seeds
  • 2 Teaspoon Sliced Shallot
  • 2 Tablespoon Garlic
  • 1 Teaspoon Shrimp Paste
  • ½ Teaspoon Kaffir Lime Skin
  • 1 Teaspoon Coriander Root
  • 5 White Peppercorns

  Preparations

  Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until you have a smooth paste. You can make a large batch of paste, portion out 3 Tablespoon size mounds on sheets of plastic wrap. Place the wrapped portions in a sealed container and freeze it for later use. The paste can be stored for 6 months

• Thai Panang Curry Paste

  This is a perfect example of what Thai cooks aspire to, having many distinctive flavors held in a beautiful balance, with no single taste predominating over the others.

  Ingredients

  • 5 Dried Chilli
  • 5 Shallots
  • 10 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 Teaspoon Galangal
  • 1 Teaspoon Lemon Grass
  • ½ Teaspoon Kaffir Lime Skin
  • 1 Teaspoon Coriander Root
  • 5 White Peppercorns
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Shrimp Paste

  Preparations

  Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until you have a smooth paste. You can make a large batch of paste, portion out 3 Tablespoon size mounds on sheets of plastic wrap. Place the wrapped portions in a sealed container and freeze it for later use. The paste can be stored for 6 months

• Thai Mussaman Curry Paste

  This is the spice paste which you use for Mussaman Beef. Spices such as cardamom nutmeg and cinnamon were brought to Thailand by Indian Muslim traders and dishes using these are referred to as Mussaman (Muslim) curries.

  Ingredients

  • 7 small dried red chillies
  • 2 pieces dried galangal
  • ½ Cup warm water
  • 1 Teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon cumin or fennel seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1 stalk lemon grass
  • 2 Tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • ¼ Cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 1 Teaspoon shrimp paste
  • ½ Teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon ground nutmeg

  Preparations

  1. Remove the stems and seeds from the chillies.
  2. Soak the chillies and galangal in the warm water from 20 minutes.
  3. After soaking, drain and discard the soaking water.
  4. Put the coriander seeds, and cloves in a dry skillet over medium heat.
  5. Roast them for about 2 minutes until the cumin seeds have darkened, the cloves are a green-gray color, and the mixture is very fragrant.
  6. Chop the chillies, galangal, and lemon grass finely.
  7. Combine with the remaining ingredients
  8. Grind to a smooth paste in a blender with a small amount of water.

  You can make a large batch of paste, portion out 3 Tablespoon size mounds on sheets of plastic wrap. Place the wrapped portions in a sealed container and freeze it for later use. The paste can be stored for 6 months

• Thai Yellow Curry Paste

  This curry paste is closet in taste and color to what Westerners think of when they hear the word curry. That’s because this mellow, sweetly spiced paste is based on Indian-style seasonings

  Ingredients

  • 3 Dried Chilli
  • 5 Shallots
  • 10 Cloves Roasted Garlic
  • 1 Teaspoon Galanga
  • 1 Tablespoon Lemon Grass
  • 1 Teaspoon Ginger
  • 1 Teaspoon Curry Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Roasted Coriander
  • 1 Teaspoon Roasted Caraway
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Shrimp Paste

  Preparations

  Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until you have a smooth paste. You can make a large batch of paste, portion out 3 Tablespoon size mounds on sheets of plastic wrap. Place the wrapped portions in a sealed container and freeze it for later use. The paste can be stored for 6 months

• Sour Curry Paste (Nam Prik Kaeng Som)

  This is a simple curry paste that goes well with fish and vegetables.

  Ingredients

  • 10 Dried chilies
  • 5 Shallots, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoons Shrimp paste
  • 1 Tablespoons Salt

  Preparations

  Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until you have a smooth paste.You can make a large batch of paste, portion out 3 Tablespoon size mounds on sheets of plastic wrap. Place the wrapped portions in a sealed container and freeze it for later use. The paste can be stored for 6 months

Thai Egg Rolls

Poh Piah Tod

Almost everyone loves egg rolls. Myself included. These luscious crispy golden treats that are a favorite start to a meal. Egg rolls are another example of the strong Chinese influence on Thai cuisine. This recipe makes quite a few egg rolls.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Bean thread noodles
• ¼ Pound Ground pork
• 1 large Egg
• ¼ Pound Cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 Teaspoons Garlic, chopped
• 2 ounces Bean sprouts
• ¼ Teaspoon Ground white pepper
• 1 Teaspoons Light soy sauce
• 12 ounces Egg roll wrappers
• 3 Cups Cooking oil for deep frying
• 2¼ Cups Warm water
• 2 Tablespoon tapioca flour

Preparation

1. Mix 2 Tablespoon tapioca flour & ¼ Cup water.
2. Stir the paste over low heat till it thickens.
3. Soak noodles in water until soft and drain.
4. Cut noodles into 3-inches length.
5. Mix the ground pork, egg, cabbage, bean sprouts, pepper, & soy sauce.
6. In a wok, heat 3 Tablespoon of oil on medium heat
7. Stir in garlic until light brown.
8. Add in noodles and the pork mixture.
9. Stir fry to cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
10. Place a Teaspoonful of filling on an egg roll wrapper.
11. Fold the wrapper over the filling, roll about half a turn
12. Fold in the ends to close them, then roll up tightly
13. Seal the wrapper closed with the paste.
14. Heat the oil in a wok to around 350 degrees.
15. Deep fry the egg rolls until they are golden brown.

Serve with egg roll sauce and a sliced cucumber salad.

It is a great family fun dish if you can get enough eggroll helpers. Rolling your own egg rolls is easy to do and you can assemble them beforehand and then fry them at the last moment before serving. They make great finger food at parties or buffets.

Grilled Pinapple Chicken

Grilled Pineapple Chicken

I get tapped as grill master at gatherings. We can throw down a lot of food in a hurry. This recipe has been a winner at some good sized cookouts. One afternoon I cooked over 200 of these for a birthday barbecue. They disappeared quickly and we got a lot of compliments and people searching for more of them..

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless Chicken Breast
• 1 large Green Bell Pepper
• 1 Sweet Onion
• 1½ cups Cubed Pineapple
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
• ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ½ cup Pineapple Juice
• ½ cup Coconut Milk
• 2 tablespoons Green Thai Curry Paste
• 1 teaspoon Fish Sauce
• 1-2 teaspoon Chilli Paste
• Bamboo Skewers soaked 24 hours

Preparation

1. soak the bamboo skewers for 24 hours
2. Cut the chicken and pineapple into 1½ " cubes.
3. Cut the onion and green pepper into 1½ " squares.
4. Combine the dry ingredients until mixed well
5. Use the dry spice mix a a dry rub on the cubed chicken breast.
6. Cover, refrigerate and let the chicken rest at least an hour.
7. Combine the wet ingredients in a bowl for the marinade.
8. Skewer the chicken, onion, pepper, & pineapple alternating ingredients.
9. Place them in a large flat low container with a cover.
10. Pour the marinade over the skewered ingredients.
11. Make sure the marinade covers everything evenly.
12. Let them set refrigerated for at least an hour.
13. Pour the marinade into a saucepan
14. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat
15. Simmer a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
16. Grill the skewers over medium heat.
17. Baste them with the cooked marinade.
18. Turn and baste them frequently to prevent burning.
19. Cook until the chicken is tender, juicy and firm.

Chicken Creole Cassoulet

For the beans:

1. In a 6 quart stock pot, combine all of the ingredients.
   • 2 pounds white beans (dry weight)
   • 2 ½ quarts chicken stock
   • 4 smoked ham hocks
   • 1 large yellow onion, diced
   • 4 large cloves garlic, minced, or about 1 tablespoon
   • 4 bay leaves
   • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2. Simmer until the beans are tender, approx. 1 ½ hrs (this will vary).
3. Drain the beans and reserve liquid.
4. Pick out the bay leaves.
5. When the ham hocks are cool to the touch, pick the meat off the bones,
6. roughly chop it and set aside.

For the garnish:

• 2 chickens, cut up
• Creole seasoning, recipe below
• 1 cup flour seasoned with 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• ½ cup diced bell pepper
• ½ cup diced celery
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 pound smoked sausage
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Reserved cooking liquid from the beans, still warm
• 1 cup tomatos diced
• Salt and pepper
• Bread crumb crust, recipe below

Preparations

1. Heat a 6 quart Dutch oven to medium high heat.
2. Season the chicken generously with creole seasoning
3. Dredge in the seasoned flour.
4. Add the olive oil to the pan and lightly brown the chicken.
5. Remove them from the pan and place them on paper towels.
6. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery to the pan.
7. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping the pan periodically.
8. Add the garlic and the smoked sausage and cook for 3 minutes.
9. Add ¼ cup of the seasoned flour and stir to form a roux.
10. Add additional flour as needed to form a stiff roux.
11. Cook the roux for 5 minutes, constantly stirring.
12. Cook until roux is the color of peanut butter.
13. Add the Worcestershire sauce to the roux & vegetables in the pan.
14. Slowly add the stock from the beans, stirring to dissolve the roux.
15. Cook for 10 minutes.
16. Add the tomatoes, the chicken, and reserved ham hock meat.
17. Take a taste and adjust the seasoning with some salt and pepper.
18. Add the beans to the pot and mixing all the ingredients well.
19. Top with breadcrumb mixture and bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and crust is golden brown and crispy.

Creole Seasoning:

• 2 ½ tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Bread crumb crust:

• 2 cups unseasoned bread crumbs
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 egg yolks

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds until combined.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Chocolate Ganache

Ganache is a rich, silky, chocolate mixture that is a delicious filling for candy, chocolates, truffles, cakes and other confections. Ganache is made with only two ingredients: heavy (whipping) cream and chopped semisweet chocolate. Butter can sometimes be added. You can create various textures of ganache by varying the proportions of cream and chocolate. Fruits, spices and liquors can be added if desired.

For best results, you will want to use an excellent quality chocolate. Chocolatiers like Valrhona, Schokinag and Callebaut are known world-wide for their couvertures and mixing chocolates. (The high quality chocolate used for melting is referred to as "couverture"). The couvertures from various chocolatiers produce a different taste and texture in the finished ganache. Experiment to find the ones that you like best. A friend of mine said she would definitely go with scharffen berger chocolate. She's made truffles with it using both the semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder components and it's the best she had used.

Warning!

Chocolate can easily scorch during the melting process. This is especially true when melting the chocolate in a pot or microwave. But there’s good news. When you are making a ganache, you can melt the chocolate safely by stirring it into hot cream.

Water and melting chocolate do not mix! Make sure your utensils are very dry. Even a small amount of moisture, will ruin the chocolate. You will get a nasty gritty mess. When you see it happen once and you are not apt to make the same mistake again.

Ganache for Truffles

Ingredients

• 8 oz. heavy cream (unwhipped)
• 8 oz. milk baking couverture, chopped
• 8 oz. vanilla couverture, chopped

Preparation

1. Bring the heavy cream to a boil
2. Remove hot cream from heat.
3. Pour hot cream into chocolate, stirring constantly.
4. Add butter and stir till smooth.
5. Cool uncovered.
6. Refrigerate when cool.

Ganache for Cake Frosting

This is a softer ganache made with equal portions of cream and chocolate. It is ideal for use as a filling for cookies, cakes or other confections.

Ingrediants

• 8 oz heavy cream , unwhipped
• 8 oz good quality couverture (semi sweet)

Preparation

1. Chop chocolate into small pieces.
2. Heat cream in saucepan.
3. When cream boils, remove from heat.
4. Place a damp cloth on your counter top,
5. Place the pan of hot heavy cream on the cloth.
6. Add the chocolate to the hot cream
7. Beat the mixture with a Dry spoon until mixed.
8. Cool the ganache, uncovered.
9. The ganache will solidify as it cools.
10. It is ready when it reaches spreading consistency.

Crawfish Etouffee

• 2 sticks butter
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped bell pepper
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic -- minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon thyme
• 2 cups fish stock
• 2 pounds crawfish tails, peeled
• 1 cup chopped green onions, with tops

1. Make a roux of 1 stick of butter and flour
2. Stir constantly over low heat until flour is dark brown.
3. Add the chopped vegetables and seasonings
4. Cook until vegetables are softened
5. Gradually stir in stock
6. Simmer 15 minutes or until thickened.
7. Add crawfish, green onions, remaining butter.
8. Bring to a simmer.
9. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes, cover, remove from heat
10. Let sit 15 minutes.
11. Serve hot around a mound of rice.

Serves 4.

Shrimp Jambalaya

Jambalaya is one of the most versatile dishes in Southern cuisine. Jambalaya is pronounced jum-buh-LIE-uh or jahm-buh-LIE-yah.

The origin of the name is uncertain, but as with many dish names, there are a few good guesses along with a bit of folklore. Most believe the name came from the Spanish word for ham, jamón, a prime ingredient in the first jambalayas of the eighteenth century. John Mariani in "The Dictionary of American Food and Drink" offers a more colorful origin of the name: A gentleman stopped by a New Orleans inn late one night to find nothing left for him to dine upon. The owner thereupon told the cook, whose name was Jean, to "mix some things together" --balayez, in the dialect of Louisiana -- so the grateful guest pronounced the dish of odds-and-ends wonderful and named it "Jean Balayez." The first reference to the word in print was in 1872, and "The Picayune's Creole Cook Book" (1900) calls it a "Spanish-Creole dish.

Rice has been an important crop in the South for several hundred years. Rice production in the South began in North Carolina in the late 1600s, with great success. By the late 1800s, after a series of problems from labor to weather, the Southern Atlantic states production faltered. Rice production in Louisiana began late in 1889. Louisiana is now one of the major producing states, along with Arkansas, California, and Texas.

The following excerpt from "Bill Neal's Southern Cooking" sums up Louisiana's success in the production of rice and its creation of Jambalaya: "In Louisiana, rice achieved its American culinary apotheosis. In a great variety of jambalayas, it became the central element around which a number of complex combinations were arranged. Rice was no longer a bland foil for setting off exotic flavors but the featured item absorbing, reacting with, and defining other ingredients."

Jambalaya is a rice dish where the rice is cooked with a meat or seafood and vegetable mixture. Jambalaya is prepared with just about any meat, including chicken, sausage, pork, gator, rabbit, beef, or seafood. Often several different meats are used in the same jambalaya. You can also use left over meat and gravy from a roast or rice and gravy. The meat is browned, the vegetables are sautéed, then rice, water and stock are added and cooked until the rice is done.

Jambalaya may have had its origin in paella. Jambalaya; it is easy to make and tastes great. I have read about cooking jambalaya in an automatic rice cooker. The rice cooker automatically cuts off when the rice is done, so you never burn the rice and the jambalaya is always cooked just right. I like anything I can put on autopilot and get on with the next dish on the menu.

Shrimp Jambalaya

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb shrimp
• 1/2 stick butter (not margarine)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3-5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4-1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/4-1/2 cup green onion tops, chopped
• 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. roux
• 1 14-oz can diced stewed tomatoes, or
• 1 10-oz can Rotel tomatoes/green chilies
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp. cajun seasoning mix (homemade, Chachere's or Zatarain's)

Sauté shrimp

1. Peel the shrimp and remove the vein. Cut the shrimp in halves or thirds. Buy the smaller shrimp; they're cheaper and I cut them up any way.
2. Sauté the shrimp in the butter just long enough until they are firm. Use a heavy walled cast iron or aluminum pot. Shrimp have a delicate flavor, hence I prefer to use butter and not margarine.
3. Remove the shrimp from the pot and set aside.

Sauté vegetables

1. Sauté all the vegetables together until the onions are clear.
2. Add the diced tomatoes or Rotel. Use Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies if the want the dish to have a hot flavor.
3. Add the Worcestershire sauce, roux and seasoning. The small amount of roux adds a bit of body to the flavor.
4. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or so.

Mix and cook the jambalaya

1. Mix the shrimp, uncooked rice and water into the vegetable mixture.
2. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the mixture. If necessary add water.
3. Add the mixture to the rice cooker and cook until the rice is done.
4. Cook the dish on the stove until the rice is soft, but not mushy. Make sure you do it in a heavy walled aluminum or cast iron pot, or else you are sure to burn the rice at the bottom. Keep the lid on the pot, especially once the mixture comes to a boil, and do not stir the pot.

Serving 4

Jambalaya is moist and best served and eaten right after it is finished cooking. Upon sitting, the rice absorbs the moisture and jambalaya becomes more dry.

Shrimp Panang Curry

Shrimp Panang Curry is one of my personal favorite foods. The way it's flavor notes dance on your tongue is a delight to your sense of smell and taste. So many intense flavors held in a perfect balance.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ Pound peeled shrimp
• 3 Tablespoon Panang Curry Paste
• 15 leaves Sweet basil leaves
• 1 can (13.5 FL.) Coconut milk
• 3 Teaspoons Fish sauce
• 3½ Teaspoons Sugar
• 6 Red Chili peppers cut in half lengthwise

Preparation

1. Clean the shrimp, remove the vein along the back.
2. Heat in a saucepan, ¾ Cup of coconut milk & the curry paste on high heat.
3. Cook until the sauce bubbles.
4. Add Shrimp, 2 Tsp of fish sauce and 2 Tsp of sugar
5. Stir continually and cook for about 2 minutes.
6. Add ¾ Cup of coconut milk, 1 Tsp fish sauce, 1 ½ Tsp of sugar & 10 sweet basil leaves
7. Stir occasionally until the shrimp are cooked pink.
8. Garnish with red chili peppers and 5 basil leaves.
9. Serve immediately with hot steamed Jasmine rice.

Makes 4 servings