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

APPLE BUTTERSCOTCH BARS

APPLE PEANUT CRUMBLE

APPLE SOUR CREAM PIE

BABY CARROT AND ALMOND SALAD

BAKED YAMS

BAKING MIX BREAD

BORSCHT

BROCCOLI CHEESE BREAD

CAKE PAN SIZE CONVERSION

CALAVERAS DE ALFEÑIQUE

CANDY BAR MILK SHAKES

CARAMEL CORN

CHEESE DATE BISCUITS

CHILLED PRAWN SALAD

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

CHRISTMAS CANDY

CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST WAFFLES

CLEAR SOUP WITH FISH CAKE AND MUSHRO

COCONUT BONBONS

COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN BREASTS

CRAB STUFFED MUSHROOMS

CRANBERRY CARROTS

CREAM CHEESE and CHOCOLATE CHIP MUF

CROCK POT INFORMATION

DIPPING SAUCE FOR STEAK

DIRTY RICE

DONUT MAKER DONUTS

ELEGANT SQUASH CASSEROLE

ENDANGERED FOOD LIST

ENGLISH MUFFIN BREAD

FARMHOUSE PUMPKIN BISCUITS

FREE SOUP

FRUIT CAKE 01

HONEY RIBS AND RICE

INEDIBLE SKIN HOLDS IN SWORDFISH FLA

ITALIAN PUMPKIN BEAN SOUP

LEFTOVER HALLOWEEN CANDY CAKE

LOADED POTATO SOUP

MARTHA WASHINGTON CANDY

MAYONNAISE BISCUITS

NECTARINE CHICKEN

NO BAKE FRUITCAKE 02

NO BAKE FRUITCAKE

NUT LACE COOKIES

OLD FASHIONED DONUTS

OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

PEANUT BUTTER DONUTS

PEAS EPICUREAN

PLAIN DONUTS

PUMPKIN PIE

PUMPKIN TORTE

RICE COOKING INFORMATION

ROBERTAS RICE

SALSA DE PEPITAS

SEITAN KEBABS

SIX DOLLAR BURGER

SKULLS ARE SWEET SIGN OF DAY OF THE

SLOW FOODERS RELISH EACH MEAL

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

SPICY BUTTERNUT CURRY

STRAWBERRY JELLO SALAD

STUFFED ZUCCHINI

SWORDFISH WITH GREEN SAUCE

TEXAS MARSHMALLOW FRUITCAKE

VIRGINIAS SCALLOPED POTATOES

WHOLE WHEAT RAISIN DONUTS

APPLE BUTTERSCOTCH BARS

1 cup flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup softened margarine

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup finely chopped apple (unpeeled)

3/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup uncooked oats

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. In a larger bowl, cream margarine. Gradually add brown sugar and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with applesauce. Stir in apples, oats, and chips. Pour into a greased a floured 11 X 7 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

APPLE PEANUT CRUMBLE

Makes 5 or 6 servings

5 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/3 cup margarine or butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons peanut butter

Place apples in a slow cooker. In a bowl, combine sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix in margarine or butter and peanut butter with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Cover and cook on low five to six hours.

Serve warm, plain or with ice cream or whipped cream.

APPLE SOUR CREAM PIE

2 cups finely chopped tart apples (peeled)

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp Flour

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream (Lite work fine)

1 egg

1 pie shell, unbaked

Topping

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

Mix 3/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp flour; add sour cream, egg, vanilla and salt. Add apples; pour into unbaked pie shell (9" pie pan). Bake at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes. Combine 1/3 cup sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/3 cup flour; cut in butter. Sprinkle over pie and return to oven. Bake another 20 minutes at 325 degrees F.

BABY CARROT AND ALMOND SALAD

(INSALATA DI CAROTE MIGNON E MANDORLE)

1 pound baby carrots, peeled and lightly steamed

1 tablespoon slivered and toasted almonds

1 small heart of red radicchio

1 white heart of thinly sliced celery

1 heart of thinly sliced fennel bulb

Mayonnaise:

1 egg yolk

Dash of cider vinegar

Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

After steaming and cooling carrots, combine all vegetables and toasted almonds in a serving bowl and dress with the mayonnaise.

BAKED YAMS

1 (29 oz) canned yams; drained

3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup orange juice.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place yams in a shallow baking dish, a pie plate works well. Combine brown

sugar, butter and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour sauce over yams and bake at 350° for one hour.

[] Seems to me one could cook fresh, peeled, cubed yams as usual, then put

into the baking dish with the boiled sauce poured over them. That would be

less expensive and probably taste better - but would take more time. []

BAKING MIX BREAD

3 cups All Purpose Mix -- or Bisquick

1/2 cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 1/4 cups Milk, 2% low-fat

1 1/2 cups Pecans -- chopped, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, mix All Purpose Mix,

Sugar, Egg and Milk together. Beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Stir in

pecans. Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Cool

before slicing.

Source: "adapted from original recipe by: Susan Carlisle (Bisquick

Bread)"

Per serving: 260 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat; (47% calories from fat); 4g

Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 17mg Cholesterol; 368mg Sodium; 2g Fiber

Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2

1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : Pan Alternatives: Soup cans, No. 2 cans or 1-pound coffee tins may

be used for baking bread. To prepare cans for baking thoroughly wash and

dry, then grease them well with vegetable shortening. Follow your favorite

bread recipe. Fill can slightly more than half full of dough. Cover and put

in a warm place to rise if making a yeast bread. Bake in a preheated 350

degree F oven as follows: soup cans: 40 minutes; No. 2 cans: 45 to 50

minutes, and coffee cans: 50 to 55 minutes.

*1 loaf pan equals 5 soup cans, 3 No. 2 cans or 2 one pound coffee tins.

BORSCHT

Serves 8

1 1/2 cups potatoes, cut up

2 cups beets, cut up

5 to 6 cups Swanson's beef broth

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

Salt to taste (optional)

2 large carrots, sliced

1 stalk celery, chopped

3 cups chopped cabbage

2 teaspoons sea salt

Black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

3 to 4 teaspoons dill weed

2 tablespoons honey

1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes, chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Sour cream, garnish (optional)

Dill weed, garnish (optional)

Chopped tomato, for garnish (optional)

Place potatoes, beets and beef broth in a saucepan and cook until everything is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove potatoes and beets with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Reserve broth.

In a large kettle, cook the onions in the butter. Add caraway seeds and salt, if desired. Cook until onions are translucent, then add carrots, celery and cabbage. Add reserved broth and cook, covered, until all vegetables are tender. Add potatoes and beets and all remaining ingredients (except garnishes). Cover and simmer slowly for at least 30 minutes.

Taste to adjust seasoning. Serve topped with sour cream, dill weed and chopped fresh tomatoes, if desired.

BROCCOLI CHEESE BREAD

Source: www.bread-bakers.com

Recipe By: Bread Machine Magic, Lois Conway & Linda Rehberg, p 81

Serving Size: 1

Ingredient -- Preparation Method

1-1/2# loaf -- (1# loaf size)

1 pkg frozen broccoli w/cheese sauce (10 oz) (same)

3/8 cup milk -- (none)

1 egg -- (1 egg)

3 cups bread flour -- (2 cups)

1 teaspoon salt -- (1 tsp.)

1 1/2 tablespoons butter -- (1 tbsp)

1/4 cup Minced onion -- (3 tbsp)

1 1/2 teaspoons Red Star yeast -- (1-1/2 tsp.)

Cook the broccoli as directed on the package. Place cooked broccoli in food

processor. Chop briefly to cup up the large pieces. Allow mixture to cool to

room temperature. Place all ingredients, including broccoli, in bread pan. Press

Start Crust: Regular Menu Selection: Bake

CAKE PAN SIZE CONVERSION

I have a problem. Most cake recipes call for a 9 X 13 in. pan. I bake things for work and put them into a 10 X 14 1/2. How do I make the conversion?

Let's do the math:

Assuming the pans are filled with batter to the same depth:

9 times 13 = 117 square inches in a 9 by 13 pan

10 times 14.5 = 145 square inches

145 minus 117 = 28 square inches (this is how much more batter the larger pan will hold)

28 divided by 177 = 24% (percent more batter you need to fill the larger pan)

So, you would need to increase the amount of batter you make by about 25%, or 1/4, in order to use the larger pan.

CALAVERAS DE ALFEÑIQUE

(Sugar skulls) Makes 8

For the dough:

1 tablespoon powdered egg white (available at health food stores, online and at some supermarkets)

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup light corn syrup

8 cups powdered sugar

2 cups cornstarch

For the icing:

1/2 teaspoon powdered egg white

3 tablespoons water

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 drops red food coloring

2 drops cinnamon extract

3 drops blue food coloring

2 drops peppermint extract

To make dough, whisk together egg white powder and water until foamy. Add remaining ingredients, except cornstarch. Mix until a firm dough forms. Pour 1 cup cornstarch into a wide, shallow pan. Knead sugar dough in cornstarch until dough becomes smooth and pliable. Roll dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled through. Shape dough into balls, using more cornstarch as needed, and then into skull shapes. Use toothpicks and other tools to make eye and nose sockets, and the traditional big teeth.

To prepare icing, whisk together egg white powder and water. Stir in powdered sugar. Divide mixture into two bowls. To one bowl, add red food coloring and cinnamon extract. To the other, add blue food coloring and peppermint extract. Place icings into separate pastry bags and decorate skulls. Set skulls aside to dry for several hours.

CANDY BAR MILK SHAKES

Makes 1 20-ounce shake

3 ounces of chopped candy bar (see Note)

1/2 pint premium ice cream

1/4 cup chocolate syrup or flavor of choice

3/4 cup milk

In food processor or blender, chop candy into small pieces. Add ice cream, syrup and milk. Blend to desired thickness. For a thicker shake, reduce milk by 2 or 3 tablespoons. Pour shake into glass and garnish with chopped candy bar pieces.

Note: Freezing candy bars before processing makes them easier to chop.

Great candy bar-milk shake combinations:

Chocolate ice cream with M&M's, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Mounds, Junior Mints, or Three Musketeers.

Vanilla ice cream with Clark, Snickers, Heath, Almond Joy, 100 Grand, Nutrageous, or Twix.

CARAMEL CORN

12 C. Popped Corn (place in large paper grocery bag)

In microwave safe 1qt container melt 1/2 C. margarine. Add 1 C. brown

sugar,1/4 c. corn syrup, and 1/4 t. salt. Cook in microwave till hard boil.

Boil 2 minutes. Remove and add 1/2 t. baking soda. Stir Well. Pour caramel

over popped corn in bag. Roll down top of bag and shake well. Cook in

microwave for 11/2 minute shake cook another 11/2 minute shake well and pour

on cookie sheet to cool. This is quick and easy to make. I use an air

popper and pop the corn right into the grocery bag.

CHEESE DATE BISCUITS

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups packed)

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper -

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

1 8 ounce package whole pitted dates

Preheat oven to 375. Using electric mixer, beat butter and cheese in bowl until well blended. Mix in flour, cayenne and salt. Add milk; stir until stiff dough forms. Wrap 1 level tablespoon dough around each date, completely encasing date and forming a small cylinder. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake biscuits until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

CHILLED PRAWN SALAD

WITH THAI RED CURRY SAUCE AND CRISPY RICE NOODLES

Serves 4

1 pound large prawns, peeled, tail removed

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

For sauce:

1/2 cup finely minced roasted red bell pepper

2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons finely minced, peeled ginger

2 tablespoons finely minced lemon grass

Zest from 1 lime

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoons ground coriander

For noodles:

1 cup rice noodles or mung bean threads

1 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Clean and devein prawns and split down the center. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Stir prawns into boiling water and cook 2 minutes, or until white in center. Transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process. Refrigerate.

Place sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Set aside and refrigerate.

For rice noodles, in a large sauté pan using high heat, heat oil until almost smoking. Place noodles in a paper bag and break them up slightly, then add noodles to hot oil. They will expand immediately. Turn noodles over and cook other side. Remove immediately and drain on a paper towel.

To serve, place prawns in a bowl and toss with the sauce. Spoon sauced prawns over noodles. Garnish with cilantro.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

WITH HERSHEY'S ASSORTED MINIATURES

Makes 3 dozen cookies

45 Hershey's assorted miniatures

8 ounces butter (2 sticks), room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

Coarsely chop candy bars.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add baking soda, salt and flour; mix until well blended. Fold in chopped candy bars.

With an ice cream scoop or teaspoon, scoop 1-inch rounds of dough onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 9-11 minutes or until just golden. Let cookies rest for 2 minutes before transferring to a rack. Cool completely before storing.

CHRISTMAS CANDY

1 Stick butter or margarine, soft

1 Box sugar, confectioner's

4 C pecans

1 Bag coconut flakes

1/2 Can Eagle Brand Milk

1/2 cake Paraffin

1 Pkg Chocolate chips

Mix butter and Eagle brand milk (work in with hands). Add sugar, pecans and

coconut. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, then form into balls. Melt paraffin and

chocolate in double boiler. Roll balls in chocolate/paraffin mix to cover. Cool

on wax paper. Will keep several weeks in refrigerator. Freezes well.

CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST WAFFLES

2 slices Whole-wheat Bread

1/4 cup Egg Substitute -- liquid

3 tablespoons Milk

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 dash Salt -- optional

Vegetable Oil Spray

Pre-heat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's directions while

mixing up the following:

In a medium sized shallow bowl, stir together the egg substitute, milk,

vanilla, cinnamon, and salt (if desired). Dip bread into mixture, making

certain to soak up all of mixture between the two slices. Spray the bottom

of your waffle iron, and place one slice of bread in the center. Quickly

spray the top of the waffle iron, and close it. Cook waffle/toast for 2 - 3

minutes, or until steam stops coming from the iron. Repeat with second

slice of toast, and serve plain or with a desired topping. Fresh fruit, or

applesauce make wonderful toppings, although, this is also very good eaten

plain. copyright 1999, Kaylin Cherry/Real Food for Real People

CLEAR SOUP WITH FISH CAKE AND MUSHROOMS

Rice goes with everything. (Yes. My uncle used to eat it with spaghetti.) But to fully appreciate new-crop rice, don't overpower it with marinara sauce. Rather, a meal with assorted Japanese pickles and a soup like this one will let you enjoy the delicate smell and flavor of the rice. This recipe serves 5.

1 (1 2/3 inch) piece kamaboko (fish cake) (see Notes)

1/2 bunch (about 1/8- 1/4 pound) shimeji mushrooms (see Notes)

4 snow pea pods

4 cups dashi stock (see Notes)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Cut kamaboko in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut off the rough bottom and break apart the shimeji mushrooms. In a small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil; add snow peas and cook for 20 seconds. Remove snow peas and slice on the diagonal, about 1/2-inch wide.

In a separate saucepan, bring dashi to a boil; season with salt and soy sauce. Add shimeji; cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the kamaboko slices and cook for 30 seconds more. Ladle the soup into four owan, small wooden bowls, or other small bowls. Garnish with snow peas.

Notes: Kamaboko is fish paste, similar to imitation crab, shaped in a mound on a wooden board. It's often white, with the surface tinted pink.

Shimeji are clump mushrooms, from 3 to 5 inches tall.

Dashi is soup stock. It is made from bonito shavings or kelp, or can be made quickly from instant powders and stock bags. To make a kelp or kombu dashi, wipe a 2-inch-square piece of kombu with a wet cloth; bring it just to a boil in 4 cups of water. Remove kombu.

All are available in Asian food stores.

COCONUT BONBONS

2 pounds powdered sugar

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

14 ounces flaked coconut

1 stick butter -- melted = (1/4 pound = 1/2 cup)

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cake paraffin

1 cup walnuts -- opt., chopped

Mix all but chips and paraffin together by hand, roll into balls and chill. Melt chips and paraffin in double boiler. Use toothpicks to dip balls into chocolate. Put on wax paper and refrigerate. Keep chocolate hot while dipping.

I have also done this by putting them in mini paper candy cups and pouring the chocolate over them, this is much quicker than dipping but takes more chocolate.

COUNTRY CAPTAIN CHICKEN BREASTS

serves 6

2 medium-size Granny Smith apples

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons dried currants

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 can (about 14 1/4 ounces) diced tomatoes

6 small skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 3/4 pounds)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 pound large raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

1/3 cup slivered almonds

Salt

Chopped parsley

Quarter, core and dice apples. In a 4-quart or larger electric slow cooker, combine apples, onion, bell pepper, garlic, currants, curry powder, ginger, and red pepper; stir in tomatoes.

Rinse chicken and pat dry; then arrange, overlapping pieces slightly, on top of tomato mixture. Pour in broth.

Cover and cook at low setting until chicken is tender when pierced (six to seven hours).

Carefully lift chicken to a warm plate, cover lightly, and keep warm in a 200-degree oven. Stir rice into cooking liquid. Increase cooker heat setting to high; cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until rice is almost tender to bite (30 to 35 minutes).

Stir in shrimp, cover, and cook until shrimp are opaque in center; cut to test (about 10 more minutes).

Meanwhile, toast almonds in a small nonstick frying pan over medium heat until golden brown (five to eight minutes), stirring occasionally. Set aside.

To serve, season rice to taste with salt. Mound in a warm serving dish; arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle with parsley and almonds.

CRAB STUFFED MUSHROOMS

1 lb. button mushrooms ( brushed free of dirt, DO NOT wash mushrooms!)

1 Tbsp. butter

3 cloves of garlic chopped

4 green onions chopped

1 (6 oz.) can of crab lump meat ( I used Star Kist ) drained well

1 can of water chestnuts ( drained and chopped )

1/2 cup of mayonnaise ( do not use light or fat free )

2 Tbsp. chopped chives or parsley

1 tsp. Lawry's garlic salt

4 slices of fresh bread made into crumbs in the food processor

pepper to taste

Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

Melt the butter in a small frying pan and sauté the chopped garlic and green

onions. Add the flaked crab meat and the bread crumbs. Remove from the heat and add the water chestnuts, the mayonnaise and the salt and pepper. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture sticks together.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms. (Use a melon scooper, being very

careful to hollow them out.) Fill the mushrooms with the bread crumb mixture and pat into a ball on the top. Sprinkle the tops with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. They may be made ahead at this point and covered and refrigerated for several days.

Put mushrooms on a ungreased baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 350

degrees or until mushroom caps begin to brown. If you would like them a little crisper place under the broiler for a minute or two. The water chestnuts give the texture a little surprised crunch. Let them sit for several minutes before serving since they are very hot. They are even tasty at room temp, but don't leave them out too long since they have fish and mayo in them.

CRANBERRY CARROTS

1 small bag (16 oz) baby cut carrots

1/2 bag (16 oz) fresh cranberries

3 tablespoons brown sugar (adjust to taste)

Begin cooking carrots with a small amount of water in the microwave (5-10 minutes depending on your microwave and the size of the carrots). When softened but not completely cooked, add cranberries and continue cooking for 3 minutes until

cranberries pop. Stir in brown sugar and cook for one minute.

CREAM CHEESE and CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

5 tablespoons Butter or Margarine -- melted and cooled

2/3 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 teaspoon Salt

8 ounces Cream Cheese -- softened

1 Egg

3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 1/2 cups Flour

3/4 cup Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter,

sugar, vanilla, salt, cream cheese, and egg. Mix well. Stir in baking soda

and baking powder. Add flour and stir until well combined. Stir in

chocolate chips. Fill paper-lined or greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for

18 minutes or until done. Cool.

(These muffins freeze very well. This makes them perfect for those rushed

mornings when you don't have time to make anything. Just pop into the

microwave on defrost for 30 seconds, and you have a great breakfast!)

CROCK POT INFORMATION

The Crock-Pot: Hail 'Old Faithful'

BEE NEWS SERVICES

October 31, 2001 Posted: 06:20:04 AM PST

Trapped in time, the slow cooker remains the most maligned kitchen appliance to come along since the Veg-O-Matic.

It's bland and badly decorated. It has a throw-in-all-the-ingredients quality that many serious cooks shun.

And yet, in the curious, time-honored way that hand-cranked can openers have prevailed over the electric variety, the slow cooker -- the Crock-Pot -- endures. Today, three decades after

It was introduced to convenience-hungry cooks by the Rival Company, the slow cooker is a staple in countless kitchens. There's a slow cooker in two of every three homes in America, according to trade groups.

And in spite of its lack of elan, the slow cooker is the gift that more brides receive -- 62 percent -- than any other, according to retailers.

Operating on a no-brainer principle, the slow cooker is a stoneware crock set in a pot with heating coils embedded in the surrounding metal or, sometimes, underneath it. It cooks whatever you put in it at a consistently low heat for a long time -- usually six to 10 hours.

Busy singles, working couples and people with children like the idea of an unhurried and unattended dinner that's ready and waiting when they get home.

Slow cookers come in a variety of patterns and in sizes ranging from one to six quarts. The smallest pots are usually used for dips, melted cheese or potpourri, while the largest can handle whole chickens.

Most have a three-position switch: off, low and high. At low heat, food cooks just below the boiling point; at high, it simmers and cooks approximately twice as fast.

A clearer advantage is that slow cooking tenderizes foods, allowing you to use less-costly cuts of meat.

More than money, though, it's the time saved that wins over most slow-cooker enthusiasts. Time, and more than satisfactory results.

"I think most people simply can't believe that dishes turn out as well as they do," says Mable Hoffman. "You're getting good, nourishing food, and convenience."

She should know. Hoffman is a home economist from San Diego who has been singing the Crock-Pot's praises for more than 20 years. She even wrote the book on it: "Crockery Cookery" (HP Books, revised in 1985; $14), which has sold more than 5 million copies.

Her recipes range from the mundane (chili con carne, meat loaf) to the tempting, if not trendy (curried island chicken, stuffed honeyed sweet potatoes, apple peanut crumble).

And she is quick to defend the Crock-Pot against its critics.

It's a fact that the dishes that made the slow cooker famous -- fat-laden stews and pot roasts -- just don't appeal to many who watch what they eat. But Hoffman points to the numerous recipes that have been revised over the years -- and she advises cooks to simply trim meats well and not add ingredients that are high in fat.

There's no question that at the end of a long day, it's nice to be greeted by an aroma, instead of a lump of frozen food that needs to be defrosted and then cooked before you can sit down to dinner.

DIPPING SAUCE FOR STEAK

("WAKE UP LITTLE WOOZY!)

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced dried onion

1 tablespoon bourbon

2 teaspoons hot sauce

Whisk together and allow to refrigerate overnight. It is similar to Applebee's

sauce.

DIRTY RICE

"Dirty rice" is a catch-all terminology from Louisiana for the following

recipe, which absolutely must be served with Tabasco sauce. meaning real

Tabasco sauce. (if it isn't made in Avery island by the McIlhenny company,

it isn't Tabasco sauce.)

1/2 lb ground pork

1/2 lb chopped chicken livers

1/2 lb lean ground beef

1 to 2 large onions (diced, fine)

3 tablespoons fresh crushed garlic (or more)

1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper (or more, preferably)

dash or two fresh oregano

2 celery stalks, chopped fine

1/2 green pepper, chopped fine

*2 cubes Knorr fish flavor bouillon

and any thing else you'd like to throw in except tomato products

2 to 4 cups rice (Uncle Ben's is best because it stays dry and separate) water (ratio: 2:1) 2 parts water, one part rice (example: 3 cups rice, 6 cups water)

or use chicken broth instead.

Cook everything slowly for 1 to 2 hours (excluding rice and water) in a large oven-ready pot on top of the stove, meaning a pot that can be eventually placed in the oven. The pork, chicken livers, and ground beef will requiring draining of the fat and subsequent juices. save this for inclusion with the 2:1 parts rice and water

Add the raw rice and liquid mixture to the above mess. Place in 275-degree (slow) oven and cover until rice is completely cooked and all liquid is absorbed. Stir frequently until all liquid is absorbed. This should take several hours.

When everything is dry, it's done. Serve with real Tabasco sauce.

The author (unknown) said, "This stuff freezes extremely well, which is why I make huge batches. I prefer not to defrost the frozen dirty rice using a microwave. Instead, let thaw overnight in a refrigerator."

DONUT MAKER DONUTS

2 cups sifted flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat eggs slightly,

add sugar, beat at medium speed until mixture is lemon colored and well

blended (about 2 minutes). Add milk, oil and dry ingredients alternately to

egg-sugar mixture. Beat well after each addition. Add batter to each donut

mold in pre-heated oiled donut maker. Bake until browned. Yield: 10-12.

ELEGANT SQUASH CASSEROLE

1 1/2 pounds yellow squash

2 small onions, chopped

4 small carrots, grated

1 cup sour cream

1 small jar pimento

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 8 oz. package herbed bread stuffing (Pepperidge Farms-crunchy)

1 stick butter or margarine

Cook squash and onion in salted water. Drain. I use food processor to grate carrots and usually just add the squash and onions. Add one half of stuffing, sour cream, soup and pimento to the squash/onion/carrot mixture.

Butter casserole dish and sprinkle with small amount of stuffing. Add the squash mixture and top with remaining stuffing and top with squares of butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 8 - 12

ENDANGERED FOOD LIST

October 31, 2001 Posted: 05:50:02 AM PST, Modesto Bee

Slow Food USA has selected these foods as "passengers" on ARK U.S.A., a project that aims to protect endangered foods from extinction.

ARK U.S.A. is interested in food that reflects the history and culture of a region and in food that is endangered by industrial and agricultural standardization. Slow Food gives priority to foods that are produced organically, on a small scale.

1. Sun Crest peach: Unique fruit with excellent taste. High risk because of fragility and difficulty in shipping.

2. Red abalone: Protected mollusk now cultivated by aquaculturists.

3. Green Mountain potato: Hybrid potato developed in mid-19th century. Once was most sought-after baking potato.

4. Bleinheim apricot: Unique fruit with excellent taste. High risk because of fragility and difficulty in shipping.

5. White oak cider: Made with rare apple varieties. An unpasteurized product, it risks elimination if FDA requires pasteurization of all ciders.

6. Chimayo chili: This variety of chili is found principally in northern New Mexico, although flavors and heat vary from place to place. Generally not available as a commercial product; difficult to grow.

7. Creole cream cheese: The resurgence of this cheese in home kitchens might spur new commercial interest. A New Orleans specialty, it has the texture of very thick sour cream and slightly more tart flavor.

8. Non-flavored traditional black tea: An intriguing product that captures an historic tradition in South Carolina.

9. Wild rice: Naturally grown, hand-harvested and hand-processed

10. Monster Ale: Brooklyn Brewery makes limited quantities of this high-quality ale, available only in late January. It has a unique sherry-like flavor.

11. Dry Monterey Jack Cheese. Manufactured by one of America's oldest cheesemakers, Vella Cheese of Sonoma (see www.vellacheese.com)

12. Love Tree Farm's Trade Lake Cedar Cheese: A highly regarded aged raw milk sheep cheese from Wisconsin, it is made from specially bred animals.

13. Delaware Bay Oyster: Valued for its mild taste and firm texture, this oyster has been in steady decline because of changes in water circulation and natural factors. Currently only five producers remain.

14. Heritage Clone Zinfandel: Zinfandel vines have been growing in Northern California since the 1870s. Originally planted in small family vineyards by Italian immigrants, Heritage vines were abandoned in favor of a super-clone Zinfandel, developed in the 1970s, that could tolerate the hot interior valleys of California.

ENGLISH MUFFIN BREAD

1 pound loaf (8 slices)

water: 1 cup

sugar: 2 tablespoons

nonfat dry milk: 3 tablespoons

salt: 1 teaspoon

baking soda: 1/4 teaspoon

bread flour: 2 1/2 cups

gluten (optional): 1 tablespoon

Fleischmann's Bread Machine Yeast: 1 3/4 teaspoons

1 1/2 pound loaf (12 slices)

water: 1 1/2 cups

sugar: 3 tablespoons

nonfat dry milk: 1/4 cup

salt: 1 1/2 teaspoons

baking soda: 1/4 teaspoon

bread flour: 3 1/2 cups

gluten: 1 tablespoon

Fleischmann's Bread Machine yeast: 2 1/4 teaspoons

Measure all ingredients into the bread machine pan in the order suggested by

the manufacturer. Process on basic/white bread cycle; use medium/normal

crust color setting. Do not use the delayed-bake feature. Remove bread from pan; cool on a wire rack. Slice and toast to serve. Store bread in airtight container or plastic storage bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, slice, wrap airtight and freeze for up to one month; toast frozen slices, without thawing, as needed.

FARMHOUSE PUMPKIN BISCUITS

Makes 8 round biscuits or 12 cut-out biscuits

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

6 tablespoons sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup cooked mashed pumpkin (see Notes)

2 1/4 cups self-rising flour, sifted (see Notes)

A pinch of salt

Extra beaten egg or milk, for glaze

Using an electric beater, cream butter and sugar in a bowl, then beat in 1 egg, a little at a time. Beat in mashed pumpkin, then stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon. Bring mixture together to form a soft but not sticky dough. If it seems dry and won't come together, add 1-2 tablespoons milk.

Transfer to a floured work surface and pat out to about 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 8 squares; pat each square into a ball. Alternatively, using a 2 1/2-inch plain or fluted cookie cutter, stamp out rounds. Gather trimmings, pat out again and cut more rounds. Don't handle too much or biscuits will become tough.

Arrange biscuits on lightly greased baking tray and brush tops with beaten egg or milk. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Note: In this recipe it is important to use a dry-fleshed mealy pumpkin -- other varieties are too wet, and you have to add extra flour. Find dry-fleshed varieties in Asian, African or Caribbean markets -- you'll know them by their green, gray or gray-green skins. Japanese kabocha is also suitable.

If you don't have self-rising flour, substitute 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

FREE SOUP

1 - 46 oz. V-8 juice (Hot and Spicy is okay)

23 oz. water

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and chili peppers (Hot ones are okay)

1 cup celery, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 can (14.5 oz) green beans

1 jar mushrooms (optional)

4-6 carrots, sliced

2 Tbsp. parsley

2 pkg. beef bouillon

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

Mix all ingredients together. Cook until vegetables are tender. Serve.

[] I don't know why this is called "free soup." All this stuff costs money! I think we could add shredded, cooked beef - or use chicken bouillon and chunks of pork,

chicken, or turkey. On the other hand, perhaps the meaning of "free soup" is similar to the animal-huggers slogan, "FREE THE WHALES," and this recipe

would be in the interest of releasing all soup from bondage. ??? []

FRUIT CAKE

32 sm. marshmallows

1 1/2 lbs. graham crackers, crushed

1/2 pt. whipped cream

1/4 c. sour pickle juice or wine

1 c. dates

1 c. pecans

1 c. raisins

1/4 c. figs

1/2 c. pineapple

3/4 c. cherries

1/4 c. citron

2 tbsp. grated orange peel

Mix all fruit with juice or wine. Then mix this with the marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs and press into a buttered pan. Leave in refrigerator for 24 hours (covered). To remove from pan, press hot towel around pan. Keep refrigerated.

HONEY RIBS AND RICE

Serves 4

2 pounds extra-lean back ribs

1 can (101/2 ounces) condensed beef consumme

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 1/2 cup quick cooking rice

If ribs are fat, place on broiler rack and broil for 15 to 20 minutes; drain well. Otherwise, wash ribs and pat dry. Cut ribs into single servings. Combine remaining ingredients except rice in slow cooker; stir to mix. Add ribs. Cover and cook on low for eight to 10 hours or on high for four to five hours.

Remove ribs and keep warm. Turn slow cooker to high; add 11/2 cups quick-cooking rice and cook until done. Serve rice on warm platter surrounded by ribs.

INEDIBLE SKIN HOLDS IN SWORDFISH FLAVOR

STUFFED-FISH DISH IS MOIST, MILD, BY MARK BITTMAN, New York Times

The skin of the swordfish is tough as leather, and no amount of cooking or clever technique will turn it into anything delicate or crisp or even edible, for that matter.

But it can be useful, as I discovered when I was experimenting with a stuffed-fish dish. If you take a thick steak and cut it in half horizontally right down to the skin, you end up with two attached flaps of fish. Then you can spread whatever you like on the inside, close the fish, stick a toothpick through it to hold it closed, and grill or broil.

The stuffing can be almost anything, as long as it has a pasty consistency. Otherwise, it will leak. Among the many possibilities are pesto or a puree of other herbs, a paste of sun-dried tomatoes, a sausage-like mixture or tapenade.

I like a strong mixture of anchovies, garlic, parsley, lemon and capers, which can serve as a stuffing and a table sauce. When cooked, the mixture keeps the fish moist and becomes somewhat milder. What's served at the table retains all its rather considerable power.

Like any paste with a good deal of herbs, it needs some liquid to make it smooth. Traditionally, that is olive oil. But although a little olive oil adds flavor to the mix, too much makes it overly rich. The easiest way to avoid this is to wash the parsley and leave it wet. The water clinging to its leaves is just about the right amount. I stir the capers in, whole, at the last minute, to retain their pop and vary the texture of the sauce.

Because the sauce is so moist, swordfish treated this way will take a little longer to grill than usual. Instead of cooking a 1 1/2-inch-thick steak -- about the right size for this procedure -- for 8 to 10 minutes, I'd estimate 12 to 14.

ITALIAN PUMPKIN BEAN SOUP

Serves 4

4 red bell peppers, seeded and halved

1/4 cup olive oil

4 onions

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3- pound pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes or wedges

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

6- ounce cavalo nero or other cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces

3 cups canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh Parmesan cheese, cut into long shavings, to serve (optional)

Put peppers under a hot broiler, skin side up, and cook until skins blacken. Transfer to a small saucepan. Cover tightly with lid and let stand 5-10 minutes to steam. Remove pan and scrape off and discard skins. Cut each half into 3 pieces. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan. Add onions and sauté gently until softened and translucent. Add garlic, sauté until golden. Add pumpkin and toss until well covered with oil and lightly browned.

Add stock and bring to a boil. Add cabbage and peppers; return to a boil, then simmer about 6 minutes. Stir in beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat until bubbling and serve sprinkled with shavings of Parmesan.

LEFTOVER HALLOWEEN CANDY CAKE

Serves 18-20

For cake:

12 ``fun size'' candy bars (8 to 8.5 ounces candy total)

2 tablespoons milk

1 box white cake mix with pudding in the mix (18.5 oz.)

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 tablespoons flour

For frosting:

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

6 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons milk

To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour a 13x9-inch cake pan.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt candy bars with milk. Stir until candy has melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend cake mix, water, oil and eggs on low, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat 2 minutes on high.

Stir 2/3 cup cake batter and flour into cooled chocolate and mix thoroughly. Pour remaining white cake batter into prepared pan. Spoon chocolate mixture on top. Swirl chocolate into batter with a knife.

Bake 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Completely cool cake in pan before frosting.

To prepare frosting: In a large bowl using electric mixer, cream together cocoa, powdered sugar, vanilla and butter on high. Gradually add milk and beat until frosting is spreadable. Frost top of cake.

LOADED POTATO SOUP

(O'Charlie's Famous)

3 lbs red potatoes

1/4 cup melted margarine

1/4 cup flour

8 cups half & half

16 oz Velveeta Cheese, melted

white pepper, to taste

garlic powder, to taste

1 tbsp hot pepper sauce

1/2 lb bacon, fried crisp

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped chives

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Dice unpeeled potatoes in cubes and place in Dutch oven, cover with water

and bring to boil. Boil 10 minutes. In separate pan combine melted

margarine and flour, mix till smooth. Place over low heat, gradually adding

half & half stirring constantly. Continue to stir till liquid thickens.

Add melted Velveeta. Drain potatoes and add to mixture, stir in seasonings,

cover and cook 30 min. approx. and watch for thickening, stirring

occasionally. Place soup in bowls and top with shredded cheese, bacon,

chives and parsley.

MARTHA WASHINGTON CANDY

1 stick margarine, melted

pour over:

1 lb. pecans, chopped,

add:

1 1/2 lbs. confectioners' sugar

1 can angel flake cocoanut

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 teaspoons vanilla

Blend all ingredients well, chill overnight. Roll in small balls. Dip in 2 large milk chocolate bars and 3/4 bar of paraffin, melted in a double boiler. Drop on wax paper to cool. Store in an air tight container.

MAYONNAISE BISCUITS

(1/2 dozen)

1 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing

3/4 teaspoons sugar

Combine all ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Spoon batter into greased muffin pan, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 425 degrees

for 15 minutes.

NECTARINE CHICKEN

Serves 4

3 1/2 pounds chicken

4 to 6 nectarines

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour to thicken, optional

Cut chicken into pieces; remove skin and fat and set aside. Leave peel on nectarines, remove pits and slice.

Place chicken in the slow cooker and add remaining ingredients, except butter and flour. Set on low and cook for five to six hours.

Cooked chicken can be either removed and kept on the bone or deboned and returned to pot. Adjust seasonings to your taste. The sauce will be thin.

If you prefer it thicker, mix butter and flour together to form a paste; stir into hot mixture and allow to thicken gradually. If you left chicken on bone, pour sauce over chicken to serve.

NO BAKE FRUIT CAKE

32 lg. marshmallows

1 1/2 lbs. crushed graham crackers

1/2 pt. XX cream

1 c. sweet pickle juice

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. chopped dates

2 lbs. shredded orange peel

2 c. pecans (or other nuts), chopped

1 c. raisins

1 c. currants

1/4 c. chopped figs

1/2 c. each candied pineapple (red, green and white)

3/4 c. candied cherries

1/4 c. chopped citron

Cut up marshmallows, add XX (heavy)cream and pickle juices. They will melt together. Crush graham crackers. Mix all ingredients together. Cut some paper sacks to fit your cake pans, then put the above mixed ingredients into pans. Let set for a while, inside the sacks (& in the refrigerator), at least 24 hours.

NO BAKE FRUIT CAKE

1 box graham crackers

1 lb. walnuts

1 lb. pecans or other nuts

1 lb. dark raisins

1 lb. light raisins

1 lb. currants

1 can Eagle Brand Milk

1 jar maraschino cherries

1 jar green cherries

1 sm. bag miniature marshmallows

1 sm. box figs

1 sm. box dates

Mix together and press into buttered cake mold. Leave in

refrigerator for 24 hours (covered). To remove from mold, press hot

towel around pan. Keep refrigerated.

NUT LACE COOKIES

Makes 10 large cookies

1/4 cup ( 1/8 pound) butter or margarine

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup mixed whole or half almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts,

pistachios and walnuts, plain or salted (or any combination)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 1- or 2-quart pan, melt butter over low heat. Add corn syrup and brown sugar. Stir over high heat until boiling. Remove pan from heat and blend in flour and nuts.

Grease and flour 12-by-15 or 14-by-17-inch baking sheets (they must be flat, not warped). For each cookie, place 2 tablespoons of nut mixture about 8 inches apart on sheet. Put only 2 cookies on a pan at a time. (Note: You can also make the cookies smaller and put 3 or 4 on each pan). With your fingers, push nuts apart into a 3- to 4-inch circle. Bake until cookies are a rich golden brown, about 19 minutes. If you have 2 pans in the oven, alternate positions at midpoint of baking to ensure even browning.

Remove cookies from oven and let cool on pan until they firm up slightly, about 2 minutes. To test, slide a spatula under a corner of a cookie. If the cookie is stretchy, wait a few seconds longer. If it is hard, slide spatula under carefully and lift on to a rack to cool completely. If cookies get too hard and stick to pan, return to oven briefly to soften slightly.

When cookies cool, serve or immediately store them in an airtight rigid container. Cookies absorb moisture and lose crispness quickly. When stacking in container, separate layers with a sheet of wax paper to protect cookies from breaking and sticking together. Store at room temperature up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.

OLD FASHIONED DONUTS

4 1/2 cups flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

7 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups milk

1 cup oil

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. At medium speed, beat

eggs and vanilla. Add milk, oil and dry ingredients alternately to

egg-sugar mixture. Beat well after each addition. Add batter to each donut

mold in pre-heated oiled donut maker. Bake until browned. Yield: 20-22

OVEN FRIED CHICKEN

2 eggs, slightly beaten (or egg substitute)

1/4 cup milk (can use low fat)

4 1/2 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed

2 Tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

6 chicken breast halves

6 tsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together eggs and milk in a shallow dish.

Mix cornflake crumbs, salt and pepper in a separate dish.

Dip chicken first in the egg mixture, then dredge in crumbs to coat evenly.

Arrange chicken in a greased 13x9x2" baking dish. Drizzle with melted

butter. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Serves: 6

PEANUT BUTTER DONUTS

2 cups sifted flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky, as desired)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat eggs slightly,

add sugar, beat at medium speed until mixture is thick and lemon colored

(about 2 minutes). Stir in peanut butter. Add milk, oil and dry ingredients

alternately to egg-sugar mixture. Beat well after each addition. Add

batter to each donut mold in pre-heated oiled donut maker. Bake until

browned. Yield: 10-12

PEAS EPICUREAN

1 box (10 oz.) frozen peas, cooked and drained

1 c. heavy cream

4 strips bacon

1/2 medium size onion, chopped

1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained

1 T. flour

salt & pepper to taste

Worcestershire sauce, 1 to 2 T.

Chop bacon and brown with onion. Add flour and cream stirring constantly

until it thickens and is smooth. Add seasonings and mushrooms. Add peas.

Serves 6 to 8

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, but you will need to remove a little of the bacon drippings if you triple it before adding the flour.

PLAIN DONUTS

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup milk

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Beat eggs. Slowly add sugar. Stir in milk and mix thoroughly. Add oil and

vanilla to mixture. Sift all dry ingredients together and blend into egg

mixture. Beat slowly for 30 seconds or until batter is smooth. If batter

thickens, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of milk. Batter should always pour easily.

Bake 2 minutes. Yield approximately 24 donuts.

*Time and yield may be different on your machine, mine makes small donuts.

You can vary the type by changing nutmeg to cinnamon or adding 2 squares of

melted chocolate, or 1/2 cup peanut butter. If you want them sweeter add 1/2

cup more sugar. I've even used the cake mix with cherry chips in it. You

can use your favorite muffin or pancake recipe or mix.

PUMPKIN PIE

1 9-in crumb crust

1 15-oz can pumpkin

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp each ginger & nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

Mix last six ingredients in bowl with a mixer. Pour into crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, reduce heat and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes

PUMPKIN TORTE

9 x 13 cake pan

crust:

1.5 cups crushed graham cracker (12 long grahm crackers)

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter (melted)

Mix together and press very gently into bottom of pan.

Cream cheese mixture:

2 eggs (beaten)

3/4 cup sugar

8oz cream cheese (philedelphia preffered)

Mix and pour over crust. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees, then cool to

room temperature while pumpkin mixture is cooking.

Pumpkin Mixture:

2 cups pumpkin (canned)

3 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar (granulated)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mix together thoroughly and cook in a saucepan, stirring frequently,

until thick. Remove from heat.

Dissolve one envelope knox gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water, add to mixture.

Cool to room temperature.

Whip 3 egg whites, gradually adding 1/4 cups sugar, until stiff.

Fold into pumpkin mixture. Fill cake pan, chill, top with whipped cream.

RICE COOKING INFORMATION

From the San Jose Mercury News

Washing, measuring, timing crucial for rice.

Surely, I think, nearly everyone who cooks East Asian food must own an electric rice cooker. Then I remember that when I lived in Japan, I did not buy a rice cooker. There was no room to put one in my tiny kitchen. ``What?! You cook your rice on the stove?'' people would exclaim. ``No one in Japan even remembers how to do that!''

They were exaggerating, of course. But especially with the ``fuzzy logic'' rice cookers, which will prepare brown rice, porridge, or white rice to varying degrees of hardness and have it ready at a preset time, why would anyone bother watching a pot on the stove?

For those determined to be authentic, a rice pot should never be used for anything except rice. And chawan, the inverted pyramid-shaped rice bowls, should never hold anything but rice. There are notions of purity and propriety that, I admit, don't make logical sense, but still -- I shudder when my husband serves ice cream in rice bowls.

The rice of choice among Japanese and Japanese-Americans (as well as Koreans and Filipinos) is short- or medium-grain white rice. It must first be washed, either in a bowl or in the cooking pot, to remove its glucose coating. (If you are making long-grain rice, such as Texas or Carolina long-grain, jasmine or basmati, follow these directions but add about 25 percent more water. For converted rice, such as Uncle Ben's, use the instructions on the box.)

Measure the rice, fill the bowl with cold water and swish the rice gently, then drain. Stir the moistened rice gently, to remove any stray bits of rice bran and coating, add more water and repeat the process several times until the water is nearly clear. Be careful not to break the grains of rice.

Empty the rice into the cooking pot and add water to equal 120 percent of the volume of rice. So, if you're cooking 2 1/2 cups of rice, add 3 cups of water. The amount of water may vary according to taste and to the age of the rice. New-crop rice takes perhaps 5 percent less water; people who like softer rice add more water.

Let it sit at least 30 minutes. Otherwise, the rice will turn out hard.

If you don't have a rice cooker, cook the rice, covered tightly, on high until it comes to a boil; lower heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Resist the urge to open the pot to check. To cook properly, the rice needs to be steamed, not boiled. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand 10 minutes to continue steaming.

Because rice hardens as it cools, gently mix the rice by loosening it from the sides and bottom, turning it over carefully. This is best done with a plastic or wooden rice paddle, moistened to prevent sticking. A flat wooden spoon will do.

Recipes generally suggest 1/2 cup of uncooked rice per person. But that depends on your diners' appetites. And many of us come from the school where, if there isn't rice left over, you didn't cook enough. Besides, since most of us don't take time to cook rice in the morning, you need to prepare enough at dinner to have leftovers for lunch fixings.

If using a rice cooker, the only tricky part is remembering that rice cooker cups are 180 cc, or 3/4 of an American cup, so adjustments need to be made when following recipes.

ROBERTAS RICE

1 cup uncooked long grain rice (such as Uncle Ben's)

1 can Campbell's French Onion soup

1 can Campbell's Beef Consume

1/2 stick margarine or butter

1 can mushrooms, stems and pieces, drained

Mix ingredients together in a casserole dish, covered, and bake at 400 degrees F. for 40 minutes. A larger, wider dish works better than a smaller dish. I bake mine in a 9x13" pan. Be sure to cover before baking. Pass sour cream for

optional garnish.

SALSA DE PEPITAS

Makes 2 cups

2 tomatoes

1 cup hulled, toasted, unsalted pumpkin seeds

2 serrano chiles, stemmed and minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup minced sweet red onion

1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro

Plunge tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds. When cool enough to handle, peel. Chop pumpkin seeds in food processor until they form a fine powder. Add tomatoes and process again. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or raw vegetables.

SEITAN KEBABS

WITH MOROCCAN MARINADE OVER COUSCOUS

Serves 4-6

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons harissa (see Notes)

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 (8-ounce) package seitan loaf, cut into 1-inch dice (about 4 cups) (see Notes)

2 zucchini, cut into 1-inch dice

2 red onions, cut into 1-inch dice

1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch dice

2 cups water, boiling

1 cinnamon stick

12 ounces couscous (2 cups)

Fine sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

In a non-reactive bowl, combine olive oil, harissa and vinegar. Add seitan, zucchini, onions, red pepper and toss to combine. Marinate 2 hours.

In a heat-proof bowl, combine boiling water, cinnamon stick and couscous. Cover and steam for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove seitan and vegetables from marinade. Thread onto short wooden skewers. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 25-30 minutes, basting with remaining marinade.

To serve, place couscous on serving platter and arrange skewers over top.

Notes: Harissa is a hot sauce usually made with chilies, garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway and olive oil and can be found in cans and jars in Middle Eastern markets. Seitan, which is made from wheat gluten, can be found in the refrigerated section at natural food stores and Asian markets.

SIX DOLLAR BURGER

(tm) Carl's Jr.(r) (cloned from T.G.I. Friday's)

by Todd Wilbur

A big, juicy restaurant-style burger.

This west coast chain came up with a great idea: clone the type of burger you'd get at Chili's or T.G.I. Friday's for around six bucks, but sell it for just $3.95. It's 1/3-pound of ground beef stacked on top of plenty of fixings including red onion and those sweet tasting bread & butter pickle slices. And check this out: cloning your own six dollar burger at home will cost you less than 2 bucks.

From Top Secret Recipes:

1/3 pound ground beef

salt and pepper

1 large sesame seed bun

3 teaspoons mayonnaise

1 teaspoon mustard

2 teaspoons ketchup

2 slices American cheese

3 to 4 bread & butter pickle slices

iceberg lettuce

2 large tomato slices

4 to 5 red onion rings

1. Preheat barbecue or indoor grill to medium heat.

2. Form the ground beef into a patty with a slightly larger diameter than the sesame seed bun.

3. Grill the burger on the grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until done. Be sure to generously salt and pepper each side of the patty.

4. While the patty grills brown the faces of the bun in a hot skillet over medium heat.

5. After the buns have browned, spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise on the face of the top bun, as well as on the bottom bun.

6. Spread 1 teaspoon of mustard on the face of the top bun, followed by 2 teaspoons of ketchup.

7. Arrange 3 or 4 bread & butter pickles slices on the bottom bun.

8. Arrange lettuce on pickles followed by the tomato slices and red onion.

9. When the beef is cooked arrange two slices of American cheese on the patty, let it melt a bit, then place the top bun on the cheese and scoop up the whole thing with a spatula and place it on the bottom half of the burger. (http://www.topsecretrecipes.com)

Makes 1 hamburger.

SKULLS ARE SWEET SIGN OF DAY OF THE DEAD

BY JENNIFER VIEGAS, Special to the Mercury News

El D(acu)a de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is bursting with life.

The holiday is marked with flowers, sweets, special foods and, in some Latin countries, fireworks and marimba music. Although the Day of the Dead falls on Nov. 2, the three-day celebration begins today.

Why is a holiday about death so lively? The answer goes back more than 3,000 years, when Aztecs saved skulls of the dead to honor them in rituals at the end of October. Believing death was simply a part of life and nothing to fear, the Aztecs would mock death, even laugh at it.

Today, in a modern extension of those rituals, children make sugar skulls, or calaveras de alfeñique. The skulls sometimes become ofrendas, or offerings, on altars for loved ones who have died. Photographs, flowers, votive candles, pan de muertos (bread of the dead) and favorite foods and drinks of the person being honored also may be placed on the altar, with personal belongings.

In Guatemala, as in some other Central and South American countries, people often picnic in the graveyards. Bands entertain visitors later in the evening, and the night is capped with fireworks.

The South Bay has a variety of Day of the Dead festivities planned, including a free community festival at the Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Ave. Events begin at 3:30 p.m. at the Mayfair Center and include a procession through the neighborhood to the plaza, altar exhibits by students and a chance for children to make sugar skulls. For more information, call the plaza at (408) 928-5500 or access www.mhcviva.org.

In general, the colder wrapped candy is kept, the longer it will keep. Refrigerated candy stays fresh for several months. Frozen candy will stay fresh indefinitely. When thawing, remove frozen candy from wrapper and re-wrap in plastic wrap before thawing to prevent candy from developing any taste or odors picked up by the wrapper.

SLOW FOODERS RELISH EACH MEAL

October 31, 2001 Posted: 05:50:02 AM PST

By ARLENE COCO, DULUTH (MINN.) NEWS TRIBUNE

Close your eyes and imagine the fragrant spices of Cajun cooking or the bouquet of world-class wines.

These foods are more than great-tasting -- they are part of our cultural identity.

An organization called Slow Food USA -- yes, there is a Great Valley chapter, led by Modesto attorney Therese Tuttle -- believes there can be more pleasure and quality in everyday life simply by slowing down, respecting the convivial traditions of the table and celebrating the diversity of nature's bounty -- course by course.

"People don't slow down enough to eat, let alone digest what's happening in their lives," says Sara McGinley, who helps clients achieve their personal, professional and life goals. "The thing that is so powerful about Slow Food is that it is a way of living, not something you have to put on your to-do list."

Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food, explains: "Slow Food is not a knee-jerk reaction to the homogeneity of fast food. It's a call for consideration of the effect speed has on our lives."

The Slow Food movement got its start in 1986 in Piedmont, Italy, when Petrini decided that fast-food culture had gone too far. The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back: The opening of a McDonald's on the 18th-century Piazza di Spagna in Rome.

"Fast food is the enemy. It's the abnormal rhythms in which we are living our lives," Petrini writes. "Being slow does not mean you have to move more slowly, chew a certain number of times per bite.

"Slow means you govern the rhythms of your life. You're in control of deciding how fast you have to go. Today, you might want to go fast, so you do. Tomorrow, you may want to go slow, so you can. That's the difference!"

The Slow Food philosophy is resonating worldwide: Slow Food now has more than 70,000 members and 650 chapters, which are called conviviums.

A convivium is not a social group; it's an educational organization with an agenda to promote taste education. Each convivium meets on an informal basis to promote micro-purveyors of traditional foods, learn about culinary traditions, arrange tastings and discuss philosophies of how eating well improves mental and physical well-being.

"To me, life is not about the number of toys I have, but the amount of time I have with the toys I do have," Minnesota chef Ron Huff said. "I want to educate people, let people know there is a whole different lifestyle."

Slow Food has pioneered projects such as Ark of Taste, which is aimed at saving endangered food products, cultivators and livestock breeds. Current Ark projects include oranges from Morocco, barbecue from the Mississippi Delta and Minnesota wild rice.

Huff bemoans the demise of the family structure and the unhealthy eating habits of Americans.

"We are an impatient lot in America. We can shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said. "Slow food has answered my philosophical needs -- its time has come and it is essential in today's society."

For guidance, Huff says, Americans need only to look to Europe, where food is still purchased daily from butchers, bakeries, chocolatiers and other small food shops -- all fresh, none designed to travel. Slow Food USA wants Americans to rediscover the joys of buying fresh local foods in season.

I loved my life and breakneck pace in Chicago, but there was so little down time. I moved to Minnesota, and my quality of life dramatically improved.

I've grown a large vegetable garden. I've found small producers and farmers to supply my restaurant and catering business. I shop the farmers markets in season.

I'm not advocating we all start a farm, but we should realize how lucky we are to have such incredible resources, even if it is for a short time each year.

A compatriot of mine in the Slow Food philosophy is Eric Goerdt. When I began my catering business, I shared kitchen space with Goerdt, who also shared my philosophy of quality food and commitment to hand-craftsmanship and taste.

He opened a shop that features his own smoked fish, artisan cheeses and hard-to-find foodie items.

"Ya gotta taste this!" he shouts as he offers a generous chunk of black pepper-coriander salmon to shoppers. His smoking process for German brown trout, rainbow trout, whitefish, lake trout and salmon takes a minimum of three days.

"Everything that's worth eating takes a little time," Goerdt says. "As food companies in our country grow larger and larger, there is a growing number of people who really want to know where their food comes from. They are hungry for quality and attention to detail."

SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Serves 4 to 6

1 (4-pound) roasting chicken, disjointed, or 4 pounds breasts and thighs

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper (for seasoning flour)

2 tablespoons paprika

2 cloves garlic

3 sprigs tarragon, chopped

1/4 cup oil

2 generous cups heavy cream

2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Heat oil in large sauté pan. In a plastic bag, combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Add chicken pieces to flour mixture and shake to coat chicken. Fry chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Remove chicken and place on a plate.

Add chopped garlic to sauté pan and cook for 2-3 minutes; do not let burn. Return chicken to pan, add cream and butter. Cover pan and simmer for 30-plus minutes. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, add tarragon, cover and cook for remaining time. Serve chicken with the cream gravy in the pan.

SPICY BUTTERNUT CURRY

WITH CHICKEN AND SPINACH

Serves 4

2 tablespoons sunflower or peanut oil

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 pound butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 onions, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated (optional)

Salt and pepper

Pinch of ground turmeric

4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, cut into 1-inch slices

1 pound tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (or use canned)

1 cup heavy cream

1 large package of spinach, about 1 pound

A pinch of ground cumin or garam masala (from Indian stores)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet or wok, add mustard seeds and stir-fry until they pop. Add half the butternut or pumpkin and all the onions; stir-fry gently until onions are softened and translucent. Add garlic, ginger, salt and pepper and stir-fry 1 minute. Add turmeric and stir-fry for 1 minute more.

Add chicken. Stir-fry until seared on all sides, then add tomatoes and remaining butternut or pumpkin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until tender.

Add cream, bring to a boil and simmer until thickened -- cream will boil first with large bubbles, then small. Remove from heat at this point or cream will curdle. Add spinach and cumin or garam masala. Cover with lid and steam 2 minutes until leaves collapse. Season to taste. Serve with steamed basmati rice, other curry dishes or nan.

STRAWBERRY JELLO SALAD

2 boxes (3 oz.) strawberry jell-o

2 c. boiling water

2 small boxes frozen strawberries (10 oz. size)

1 small can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple

1 box (12 or 16 oz.) cultured sour cream

Dissolve jell-o in water. Add frozen berries and stir until dissolved apart. Add pineapple. Divide in half in an oblong serving dish, or can use a large decorative bowl. Put bottom layer in refrigerator until set. Spread sour cream over bottom layer. Pour other half of jell-o mixture over sour cream. Refrigerate until set.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI

Serves 4

4 large zucchini, each about 8 ounces

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup finely chopped carrot

4 cloves minced garlic

2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

3 tablespoons dry white wine

1 pound boneless veal, in small pieces

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 large egg, beaten

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Slice the top third, lengthwise, off of each zucchini. Scoop out the centers and discard them, being careful to leave the shells about 1/2 thick. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and bay leaves; sauté over low heat until the vegetables are soft but not browned. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaves, and add the basil, rosemary and wine.

Stir in the veal and grind the mixture in a food processor. Add the cheese and egg to the meat mixture and mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Pack the mixture into each zucchini shell and dot with butter. Place the stuffed zucchini in a baking dish and add water to a depth of 1/2 inch. Cover the dish with a sheet of foil and bake for 25 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle, if you wish, with a little fresh basil oil.

SWORDFISH WITH GREEN SAUCE

Serves 4

10 to 15 anchovy fillets

1 1/2 cup parsley leaves, washed and left wet

2 cloves garlic

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons capers, with their liquid

1 1/2 to 2 pounds swordfish steak, skin on

Salt and pepper.

Prepare a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill or broiler; the fire should be moderately hot and the rack 4 to 6 inches from heat source. In a small food processor or blender, combine anchovies, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and zest, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Process until pureed, adding a little hot water (or more oil) if necessary to allow the machine to do its work. Stir capers into puree.

Cut swordfish steaks in half horizontally, leaving skin attached as a hinge. Spread about half parsley mixture on inside of fish, then close with a couple of toothpicks. Brush with remaining oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill or broil 6 or 7 minutes a side, or until swordfish is done (swordfish is best when it is still slightly pearly, or you can cook it until it is flaky and well done).

Serve with remaining green sauce.

TEXAS MARSHMALLOW FRUITCAKE

Makes 1 2 1/4-pound cake

1/2 cup Pet evaporated milk

16 marshmallows, finely chopped or cut

3 teaspoons orange juice or alcohol flavoring of your choice

48 (2 1/2-inch) graham crackers, rolled into fine crumbs

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup dates, finely chopped

3/4 cup broken walnuts

1/3 cup candied pineapple, finely chopped

1/3 cup candied cherries, finely chopped

1 tablespoon candied orange peel, finely chopped

Mix together milk, marshmallows and orange juice and let stand as you combine other ingredients in a large bowl. Then, add milk mixture. Mix with a spoon, then with your hands until crumbs are moistened. Line bottom and sides of a 5-cup loaf or tube pan with waxed paper. Press mixture firmly into pan. Top with additional fruits and nuts if desired. Cover tightly. Chill two days before slicing. Keep in cool place.

VIRGINIAS SCALLOPED POTATOES

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 1/2cups of scalded milk (heated just until a skin forms)

1 medium onion, chopped

Salt, pepper, garlic powder

3 tablespoons of flour

1 1/2 cups of cubed ham OR 4 large pork chops (optional)

Set out all of the above ingredients on a counter or tabletop with a casserole dish. Spread the following over the bottom of the dish in this order: 1/3 of the sliced potatoes, 1/3 of the onions, 1 tablespoon of flour, sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic to taste, 1/2 cup of milk and (if you are using it) 1/2 cup of the ham cubes. Repeat until all ingredients are used. If you are using pork chops place them on the very top of the casserole just before you put it into the oven. Bake at 450 degrees for half an hour. Turn the temp down to 350 and bake for another 1/2 hour. Test with a knife to see if the potatoes are tender. Serves 4-6.

WHOLE WHEAT RAISIN DONUTS

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup raisins

Sift flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat eggs slightly,

add sugar, beat at medium speed until mixture is thick and lemon colored

(about 2 minutes). Add milk, oil, raisins and dry ingredients alternately

to egg-sugar mixture. Beat well after each addition. Add batter to each

donut mold in pre-heated, oiled donut maker. Bake until browned. Makes 10-12