Stuffed Shrimp Florentine Topped with Alfredo Sauce.

Stuffed Shrimp Florentine Topped with Alfredo Sauce
From The Original Oyster House

Florentine Mix Ingredients:

3/4 pound Frozen Spinach
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella
1/2 cup Melted Butter
1/8 cup Half & Half
1/2 cup Diced Onions

60 peeled, split and deveined medium shrimp
6 medium casserole dishes lightly buttered

Thaw and drain spinach. Put in mixing bowl and add all ingredients mixing together. Cover and refrigerate. Lay the shrimp split side down in the dish add 2 oz of spinach mixture on top of each shrimp, lightly butter the top of the mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until top of the mixture turns brown.

Alfredo Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup Flour
1/2 pound Butter
1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
3/4 quart Half & Half
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 pound Shredded Mozzarella, for topping

Melt butter over low heat slowly add flour. Using a whisk mix throughly, slowly add heated half & half until it becomes thick, add garlic and keep warm. When the Florentine shrimp come out of the oven, place on top of mixture 3 oz per dish and top with 2 oz mozzarella cheese.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie

8 oz. Cream cheese
(1) 16 oz. tub Cool Whip (thawed)
(1) cup creamy peanut butter
1 TBSP Kahlua
8 oz. Powdered sugar
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
(1) Oreo pie shell

Mix cream cheese, peanut butter, Kahlua, and powdered sugar together. Add cool whip and blend well. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell.

Note: Keep refrigerated. Serve with a dollop of whip cream.

Baked Oysters with Tasso Ham Cream Sauce.

Baked Oysters with Tasso Ham Cream Sauce
from The Original Oyster House

16 oysters on the 1/2 shell
1 cup medium diced tasso ham
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
1/2 cup finely diced green onion
1/2 cup finely diced green pepper
1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups half and half
1 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400.

Shuck oysters leaving on the half shell and place on baking sheet.
Melt butter in thick walled sauce pan.
Brush oysters with melted butter and set aside.

Use melted butter in sauce pan to heat and saute yellow onions and green peppers until onions are clear, add tasso ham and green inions continue to saute for a few minutes. Add flour and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Heat half and half in microwave for 30 seconds and gradually stir into flour mixture. Salt to taste. When mixture is thickened remove from heat. Place oysters in oven and bake until oysters begin to plump. Remove & set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Turn oven to broil. Top with tasso ham sauce and shredded cheese. Place under broiler until cheese melts.

Key Lime Pie.

This recipe is from the Original Oyster House, a local favorite.
Key Lime Pie

(2) whole eggs
3/4 cup real lime juice (key limes, if possible)
24 oz sweetened condensed milk
(1) 9" graham cracker pie shell

Pre-heat oven to 325. Beat eggs well, then condensed milk and mix with eggs. Add lime juice to eggs mixture (mix well). Pour mixture into pie shell evenly. Bake for 30 minutes

Note: Keep refrigerated. Serve with a dollop of whip cream.

Chicken Divan.

We made this tonight, and it was fantastic! I used Paula Deen's recipe as a basis, but altered it a little. This is the way that I made it.

Chicken Divan

2 bags frozen broccoli florets, cooked & chopped
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned & chopped (or 4 chicken breasts)
1 can cream of chicken or cream of celery
3/4 cup mayo
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
Juice of one lemon
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 TBSP curry powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 small package slivered almonds
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 TBSP melted butter

Empty the broccoli into a microwave-safe container and cook until thawed, about 2-3 minutes per bag. In a large bowl, mix the cooked broccoli and chicken.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, mayo, sour cream, cheddar, lemon juice, chicken broth, curry, garlic salt, pepper, onion powder, and almonds. Stir into the chicken mixture, and pour into a 9X13 pan.

Combine the parmesan, bread crumbs, and butter; place evenly on top of casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

Optional: (1.) Substitute spinach for broccoli to make this Chicken Florentine. (2.) If you have an open bottle of white wine, substitute 1/2 cup for the chicken broth. (3.) Water chestnuts could also be added. (4.) For extra crunch, chow mein noodles can be added to the top in the last five minutes of baking.

Debby's Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad.

My friend, Debby, the culinary goddess, sent me this one today. I have no doubt that it is truly delicious!

Debby's Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad

2 whole chicken breasts
1{12ounce} bag multi-colored rotini pasta
1 {20 ounce} can pineapple tidbits, drained
2 cups seedless purple or red grapes halved
1 large granny smith apple, chopped into bite size pieces but not peeled
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 to 6 green onions chopped
1 {8 ounce can water chestnuts, drained and chopped}

Dressing:
¾ cup prepared ranch salad dressing
¾ cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken breasts, cool, cut into bite size pieces
Cook rotini according to package directions. Rinse in cold water, drain, and set aside
Combine next 6 ingredients in a separate bowl.
In a large bowl, combine chicken, rotini, and fruit mixture
In a separate bowl, combine ranch dressing and mayonnaise, blending with a wire whisk.
Pour dressing over pasta, chicken, and fruit, and mix thoroughly but gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate.

French-Style Scrambled Eggs.

I don't like eggs, but I've never served these that egg-eaters didn't rave! I usually double the recipe. The eggs are dense & rich, and so don't appear to make nearly as much as the regular heavily-beaten eggs.

French-Style Scrambled Eggs

2 TBSP unsalted butter
4 large eggs
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Warm buttered toast

1. Place 1 inch of water in the bottom of a double boiler and heat until boiling; reduce the heat to very low. When the water is simmering, place the top of the double boiler over the water. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and heat until melted.

2. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl just until combined. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces, salt to taste and a grinding of pepper. Pour into the double boiler.

3. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heat-proof rubber spatula, until the eggs are thickened into soft curds, 10-15 minutes.

4. Serve over toast.

Roasted Asparagus.

This is the easiest thing in the world. If you like asparagus, this is a great way to make a quick side dish. I don't even use the butter at the end, because the asparagus is so good by itself.

Roasted Asparagus

1 1/2 lbs. fresh asparagus, trimmed
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spread asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and roast the asparagus in the upper third of the oven until the spears are tender when pricked with a tip of the knife; about 10 to 12 minutes depending on their thickness. Remove baking sheet from oven.
Immediately place the butter on a corner of the hot baking sheet to melt with tongs, transfer the asparagus to a serving platter. Pour melted butter over the asparagus and serve.

Asparagus Chicken.

Asparagus Chicken

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used monterey jack and colby. it was all I had)
1 can asparagus spears
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup water
salt
pepper

Flatten out chicken with a mallet or bottle. Salt and pepper them. Spread cheese over each. Place 4-5 asparagus spears on each breast. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Place in casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Mix together water and soup; pour over chicken, bake at 325 for 45-50 minutes.

White Jambalaya

White Jambalaya

2 pounds medium peeled shrimp
1 lb. Crab Claw Meat
1 lb. Tasso meat diced
1 tbls Butter
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 diced Green Bell Pepper
3 stalks diced Celery
1 diced Onion
½ cup Flour
3 cup Chicken Broth
1 qt. Heavy Cream

Heat the butter in a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Add the tasso ham, bell pepper, onion, celery and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and crab meat, sauté until they begin to turn pink, no longer than 1 minute. Add the flour to create a roux. Add the chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Bring up to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Then add the heavy cream slowly, stirring to incorporate. Cook for 10 minutes and serve over the cheese grits.

"Westminster" Indies Salad.

This is a slightly different take on the local favorite, West Indies Salad.

"Westminster" Indies Salad

1 pound of fresh lump crab meat
1 medium onion, chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
3 oz. cider vinegar
4 oz. light olive oil
1 TBSP. capers
½ tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. fresh chives
dash of fresh lime juice
dash of fresh lemon juice
4 oz. ice water

1.. Divide the chopped onions in half and spread one half over the bottom of a mixing bowl. Spread crab meat over this. Spread the remaining onion over this. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. In a small bowl, combine cider vinegar, olive oil, capers, spices, lime juice, lemon juice and ice water. Mix together.
3. Pour this mixture over the crab and onion.
4. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 12 hours before serving.

Mexican Wedding Cookies.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

1 cup butter
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. black walnut flavoring
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. Mexican vanilla

Mix, roll into small balls. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. While still warm, roll in powdered sugar; let cool. Roll again in powdered sugar.

Corn Salad.

Corn Salad

2 cans white corn - drained
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies - drained
1 small green bell pepper - chopped
1 small red onion - chopped
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and chill.

Bananas Foster French Toast.

Bananas Foster French Toast

1 loaf of French bread, cut into 1 in. slices

Batter is:
1 egg for every 2 slices
1 TBSP cream for every 2 slices
1/4 Tsp vanilla for every 2 slices
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Dredge bread in batter and grill in buttered pan or griddle until golden brown.

Sauce:
1 stick of butter (melted) for every 2-3 servings
1/3 Cup of Brown sugar (stirred into butter until granulation disappears)
1/4 Cup of Banana liqueur for every 2 servings
2 TBSP of Butterscotch liqueur
Add 1 sliced banana per every 2-3 servings

Once sauce is allowed to boil 20-30 seconds, alcohol dissipates. Sprinkle finished toast with chopped pecans.

Alabama Caviar.

ALABAMA CAVIAR

INGREDIENTS:
2 CUPS COOKED BLACK EYED PEAS, RINSED AND DRAINED
1 CUP FRESH OR FROZEN COOKED CORN, CANNED WILL DO, DRAIN CORN FIRST
2 MEDIUM CELERY RIBS, CROSSCUT INTO ¼ INCH PIECES
¾ CUP SEEDED, DICED FRESH TOMATOES
1 MEDIUM RED BELL PEPPER, CUT INTO ¼ INCH DICE
3 GREEN ONIONS MINCED, TOP AND BOTTOMS
½ MEDIUM FRESH JALAPENO PEPPER, SEEDED, MINCED (OPTIONAL)
1 TEASPOON DRIED LEAF THYME

DRESSING:
5 TABLESPOONS BALSAMIC VINEGAR
1 TABLESPOON PLUS 1 TEASPOON HONEY
2 TEASPOONS DIJON MUSTARD
1 TEASPOON SALT
¼ TEASPOON FRESH GROUND BLACK PEPPER
½ CUP VEGETABLE OIL
¼ CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

PROCEDURE:
1. IN A LARGE BOWL, NOT ALUMINUM, MIX FIRST 8 INGREDIENTS

2. IN A SEPARATE BOWL, NOT ALUMINUM, WHISK DRESSING INGREDIENTS, EXCEPT OILS, TOGETHER. SLOWLY ADD OILS WHILE WHISKING. (THE RECIPE CAN BE PREPARED AHEAD UP TO 4 HOURS. REFRIGERATE THE VEGETABLES AND DRESSINGS AHEAD)

3. TO SERVE: TOSS VEGETABLES WITH ENOUGH DRESSING TO CAOT VEGETABLES. SAVE THE REMAIDER FOR A LATER GREEN SALAD. SERVE ON CHILLED PLATES LINED WITH LETTUCE LEAVES (YOUR CHOICE OF LETTUCE).

4. GARNISH WITH TOMATO QUARTERS, KALAMATA OLIVES AND TOP WITH (OPTIONAL) CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE.

TO REALLY MAKE IT A SPECIAL MEAL, SERVE WITH GRILLED SAUSAGE

West Indies Salad.

This is a specialty of our part of the Gulf Coast.

West Indies Salad
Recipe by Chef Bill Vogtner, Oysterella's

2 lb Jumbo lump crabmeat - picked through shells (not to break up lumps though)
1T Salt
1T Black Pepper
3C White Vinegar
2C Salad oil
1 Yellow Onion - julienned

Chop onions. Add salt and pepper. Add vinegar and oil. Mix well to break up onions. Pour mixture over picked crabmeat. Marinate overnight.

Beer Cheese Soup.

Beer Cheese Soup

8 oz. Butter
1 cup Finely Chopped Onions
½ cup Finely Chopped Celery
½ cup Finely Chopped Carrots
1 tbls. Minced Garlic
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
½ cup Flour
3 cups Chicken Broth
2 cups Heavy Cream
1 tbls. Sugar
1 tbls. Tony’s Creole Seasoning
2 tsp. Ground Mustard
1 tbls. Roasted Garlic Pepper
4 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 ct. Dark Beer

Heat butter in a heavy soup pot. Add onions and minced garlic. Sauté until onions are translucent; add celery and carrots. Cook 2-3 minutes; stir in flour. Add chicken broth and bring to a high boil. Add beer, Worcestershire sauce and heavy cream. Reduce heat to low. Add remaining ingredients and stir constantly until soup begins to bubble. Add additional broth or beer if too thick. Garnish with paprika.

Butter Pecan Cookies.

Butter Pecan Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients, add to creamed mixture, and mix well. Fold in pecans. Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: 4 dozen

Naman's Etouffee.

Crawfish Etouffee
Compliments of Naman's Catering.

1/2 cup onion (chopped)
1/2 cup green pepper (chopped)
1/2 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup green onions (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon Tony's Creole seasoning
2 tablespoons shrimp (peeled)
1/2 cup celery (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/4 teaspoon dried whole thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 quart heavy cream
2 cups water
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce


Melt butter in a large heavy skillet. Saute onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in butter until tender. Mix in thyme, basil, bay leaves, and chili powder; stir well and cook over low heat, stirring often.

Deglaze with the wine and let reduce by half. Add flour, making a roux, add tomato paste while roux is brewing; add cream and water slowly, bringing the heat back up; cover and simmer for fifteen (15) minutes. Stir in green onions, parsley, Tony's Creole seasoning, and hot sauce. Cover and cook five (5) minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand fifteen (15) minutes before serving. Serve over rice!

Gazpacho.

Gazpacho
Recipe by Chef Tom Houle, Naman's Catering

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped or one 28 ounce can of tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, preferably sweet
1 large cucumber, peeled
1/2 green pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 or 2 teaspoons pepper sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 to 1 cup chilled tomato juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Croutons
Chopped fresh herbs
Sliced scallions or diced avocado
Sour cream

Extra add-ins:
2 Tablespoons dry white wine
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
4 basil leaves
1 sprig parsley
1 large can mushrooms, stems & pieces
2 cans pimentos, chopped

One by one, chop ingredients in a food processor or by hand. Add each item into a large bowl. As you add each ingredient to mixture, stir well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until very cold, for a couple of hours or for up to two days. Stir the gazpacho and ladle into bowls, or pour it at table from wide-mouth pitcher. Garnish with croutons, herbs, scallions, avocado or sour cream.

Crawfish Delight.

Crawfish Delight
Recipe by Naman's Catering

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chppped celery
1/2 cup green pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon dried white thyme
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup seafood stock
1/2 cup dried white wine
10 3/4 ounces cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
2 pounds peeled crawfish tails
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Saute first four ingredients in butter until tender. Mix in thyme and next four ingredients, stir well and cook 15 minutes over low heat, stirring often. Add seafood stock and wine, cook 10 minutes. Stir in mushroom soup, crawfish tails, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in green onions, parsley and Creole seasoning and hot sauce. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add cheese and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serve over rice.

Lump Crab Soup.

Lump Crab Soup Recipe
Recipe by Tom Houle, Naman's Catering

1 quart heavy cream
½ gallon milk
¼ lb. of butter
1 lb. diced red bell pepper
1 lb. diced yellow onion
1 bunch green onion
2 oz. seafood base
3 oz. chicken base
1 lb. lump crabmeat, picked very well
3 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons white pepper
1 cup corn starch
1 quart cold water

Heat the heavy cream and milk on low heat in a two gallon sauce pot.
In a separate saucepan, add butter and place on medium heat until melted. Add yellow onion and red peppers to saucepan with butter. Sauté until the onions are clear. Do not brown the onion. Add seafood and chicken base. Then add white pepper and granulated garlic. Stir well and add to hot milk and cream. Mix the corn starch and water and stir well. Brink milk to a slight boil then add cornstarch to the milk. Stir well until thick. Turn off the heat and add crab meat. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add the green onion and serve hot.

Mediterranean Wild Rice Dressing.

This is a recipe from Naman's, one of our favorite places.

Mediterranean Wild Rice Dressing Recipe
Recipe by Alec Naman, Naman's Market

2 cups wild rice
4 tablespoons butter
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
4 1/2 cups chicken stock
10 ounces diced chicken breast
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt to taste
1 once pignolia nuts

Cook wild rice in 3 cups of chicken stock. Reserve aside the other 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Brown ground beef in skillet with chicken breast. Add onions and celery in the same skillet with beef and chicken and continue to saute. Add salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Continue to cook until chicken and ground beef are done. Add pignolia nuts to mixture when meat is almost cooked. Then combine the rice and meat mixture when the meat is almost cooked. Then combine the rice andmeat mixture in baking dish, pour remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock on the combined mixture . Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Mini Frittatas.

Lorraine made these yesterday. Personally, I prefer quiche because I love the crust. I'm not the biggest fan of the eggs. Here's her reaction:

I made these tonight, and I don't know why I would make quiche instead of these ever again. They are so quick to cook, and they can be individualized. Plus, there is no empty-calorie crust! I used only 3 eggs per batch, and my muffin cups were quite full.

Mini Frittatas

For a fun and easy morning meal, try these small-scale egg dishes. Baked in individual muffin cups, they ensure that everyone gets the mix-ins they like.

4 large eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
Assorted mix-ins (such as shredded cheese, diced vegetables, and cooked and chopped bacon, ham, or sausage)
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Heat your oven to 350° F and coat a 6-cup muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, and salt in a medium bowl, then evenly distribute the egg mixture among the muffin cups.

3. Add about 2 tablespoons of mix-ins to each cup, then sprinkle on a bit of Parmesan cheese, if you like.

4. Bake the frittatas until they are puffy and the edges are golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. (If necessary, run a butter knife around the edge of each one to loosen them before removing them from the pan.) Makes 6 mini frittatas.

Faidley's Crab Cakes.

Faidley's Crab Cakes
Faidley's is a Maryland institution.

If you prefer a spicier crab cake, you may add finely chopped bell pepper, onion, and Old Bay seasoning to taste.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, drained
1 cup crushed saltines (about 20 crackers)
1 quart vegetable oil
Tartar sauce (optional)

Stir together first 5 ingredients; fold in crabmeat and saltines. Let stand 3 minutes.
Shape mixture into 8 patties. Place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet; cover and chill 1 hour.

Fry crab cakes, in batches, in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with tartar sauce, if desired.

Note: To sauté crab cakes, cook in 3 tablespoons butter or oil in a large nonstick skillet 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden.

Chicken-Fried Steak.

Chicken-Fried Steak

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 (4-ounce) cube steaks
38 saltine crackers (1 sleeve), crushed
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
4 3/4 cups milk, divided
2 large eggs
3 1/2 cups peanut oil
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over steaks. Set aside.

Combine cracker crumbs, 1 cup flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper.

Whisk together 3/4 cup milk and eggs. Dredge steaks in cracker crumb mixture; dip in milk mixture, and dredge in cracker mixture again.

Pour oil into a 12-inch skillet; heat to 360°. (Do not use a nonstick skillet.) Fry steaks 10 minutes. Turn and fry 4 to 5 more minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack on a jellyroll pan. Keep steaks warm in a 225° oven. Carefully drain hot oil, reserving cooked bits and 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.

Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 4 cups milk. Pour mixture into reserved drippings in skillet; cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Serve gravy with steaks and mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp.

New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp

4 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp or 6 pounds shrimp with heads on
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 lemons, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons Creole seasoning
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
French bread

Spread shrimp in a shallow, aluminum foil-lined broiler pan.

Combine butter and next 12 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until butter melts, and pour over shrimp. Cover and chill 2 hours, turning shrimp every 30 minutes.

Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes; turn once. Serve with bread.

Mexican Lasagna.

This one has been lurking in my files since the December 2001 issue of S.L.

* Note: if yours does not look like the photo, it is because this was made with green-chile enchilada sauce, which adds a different, but also delicious flavor...

Mexican Lasagna

1/2 pound ground mild pork sausage
1/2 pound ground beef
1 (15-ounce) can jalapeno ranch-style pinto beans, drained
2/3 cup canned diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce
9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium avocado, chopped

Cook sausage and ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in beans and next 5 ingredients; cook until thoroughly heated.
Stir together soups and enchilada sauce in a saucepan; cook until thoroughly heated.

Spoon one-third of sauce onto bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish; top with 3 tortillas. Spoon half of beef mixture and one-third of sauce over tortillas; sprinkle with half of Cheddar cheese. Top with 3 tortillas; repeat layers ending with tortillas. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese and next 3 ingredients.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Top with avocado.

Cherry Cream Pie.

This one showed up yesterday in an email from The Farmer's Almanac online. They also have a recipe collection, linked in the sidebar.

Cherry Cream Pie

Easy to make and wonderfully versatile. Try it with any type of fruit pie filling or with fresh or frozen fruit -- strawberries or raspberries, for instance -- over the cream cheese base.

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 baked 8-inch or 9-inch graham cracker pie shell
1 can (16 ounces) cherry pie filling

Blend the cream cheese, sugar, and almond extract until smooth. Whip the cream until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Pour into the baked pie shell. Top with the pie filling. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Cherry-Walnut Bread.

Washington's Birthday Cherry Walnut Bread

1 egg, room temperature
4 ounces maraschino cherries, cut into quarters
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup each cherry juice, orange juice, water
2 cup flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, chopped

In a bowl, beat the egg; add the cherries, and stir in the sugar and melted butter. Pour in the cherry and orange juices and water. Sift the dry ingredients together, then add them to the liquid mixture a spoonful at a time, blending thoroughly. Stir in the chopped nuts.

Pour the batter into a medium (8-1/2 x 4-1/2) loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 1 and 1/4 hours, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the loaf comes out clean and dry. Let the bread rest for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool. Makes one loaf.

Loaded Barbecue Baked Potato Casserole.

Loaded Barbecue Baked Potato Casserole

6 bacon slices
1 (22-oz.) package frozen mashed potatoes
2 cups milk
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
1/2 (8-oz.) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups (12 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (8-oz.) container light sour cream
1 (4-oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
3 cups shredded barbecue pork or beef
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings. Crumble bacon; set aside.

2. Stir together reserved bacon drippings, potatoes, next 5 ingredients, and 2 cups Cheddar cheese in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 4 minutes. Stir in sour cream and chiles until well blended.

3. Spoon potato mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with bacon and remaining 1 cup Cheddar cheese. Arrange pork evenly over cheese. Drizzle barbecue sauce evenly over pork.

4. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.

Shrimp Casserole.

Shrimp Casserole
Southern Living, April 2007

1 1/2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
1 1/2 pounds medium-size raw shrimp
1/2 cup butter
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, chopped
2 (10 3/4-oz.) cans cream of shrimp soup, undiluted*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar-colby cheese blend
1/4 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs

1. Prepare rice according to package directions.

2. Peel shrimp, and devein, if desired.

3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add bell pepper and next 4 ingredients, and sauté 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Stir in soup, shrimp, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. (Do not overcook.)

4. Combine shrimp mixture and rice. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs.

5. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

*2 (10 3/4-oz.) cans cream of celery soup, undiluted, may be substituted.

Chicken-and-Rice Casserole: Substitute 3 cups chopped cooked chicken for shrimp and 2 (10 3/4-oz.) cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted, for cream of shrimp soup. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Praline Pecan Cakes.

Praline-Pecan Cakes

These make fantastic gifts!

Use the small disposable foil pans, available at the supermarket, for this recipe; the shiny surface (which reflects heat away from the pan) and the shorter bake time ensure the praline coating doesn't over-brown. Be sure to generously butter the pans before sprinkling with pecans. We used about 1/4 cup of softened butter to grease 9 (5- x 3-inch) pans.


4 cups finely chopped Praline Pecans
1 recipe Sour Cream-Pecan Cake Batter

Sprinkle Praline Pecans evenly into 9 buttered 5- x 3-inch disposable foil loaf pans; shake to coat bottoms and sides of pans. Spoon batter evenly into prepared pans (a little less than 1 cup batter per pan).

Bake at 325° for 28 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Makes 9 (5-inch) loaves.


Sour Cream-Pecan Cake Batter

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped, toasted pecans

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla; stir in pecans. Use batter immediately, following baking directions for desired cake in "Pick a Pan" below.

Pick a Pan: Sour Cream-Pecan Cake Batter can be baked in lots of different shapes and sizes--just use these times as a guideline, and be sure to grease and flour your pans. With smaller muffin pans and molds, we found it easier to use a vegetable cooking spray with flour. Check for doneness at the minimum time range, continuing to bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Variations with added fruit and nuts will require the maximum time and yield more mini cakes.

Bake at 325° in 1 (12-cup) tube pan for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Bake at 325° in 3 (8- x 4-inch) loaf pans for 55 to 65 minutes.

Bake at 325° in 7 to 9 (5- x 3-inch) loaf pans for 25 to 35 minutes.

Bake at 325° in baby Bundt pans for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 14 to 16 baby Bundt cakes. (Spoon 1/2 cup batter in each 1-cup mold.)

Bake at 350° in muffin pans 23 to 28 minutes. Makes 32 to 38 cupcakes.

Bake at 350° in miniature muffin pans for 9 to 11 minutes. Makes about 9 to 10 dozen cupcakes.



Praline Pecans

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons corn syrup
5 cups toasted pecan halves

Stir together first 5 ingredients in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, 7 to 8 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 234°.

Remove from heat, and vigorously stir in pecans. Spoon pecan mixture onto wax paper, spreading in an even layer. Let stand 20 minutes or until firm. Break praline-coated pecans apart into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week. Freeze in an airtight container or zip-top plastic freezer bag up to 1 month. Makes about 8 cups.

Chocolate-Red Velvet Layer Cake

Chocolate-Red Velvet Layer Cake

We baked our cake layers in 6 (8-inch) disposable foil cake pans, so we could fill all the pans at once. This way, if you need to bake the cake layers in batches, the second batch will be ready to put in the oven as soon as the first one is done. To allow the heat to circulate for even baking, space pans at least 2 inches apart from one another and away from the inside walls of the oven. Although the pans are disposable, they can be washed and reused.


1 recipe Chocolate-Red Velvet Cake Batter
1 1/2 recipes Cream Cheese Frosting
Garnishes: fresh mint sprigs, raspberry candies

1. Spoon Chocolate-Red Velvet Cake Batter evenly into 6 greased and floured 8-inch round foil cake pans.

2. Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

3. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.

4. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.


Chocolate-Red Velvet Cake Batter

1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (1-ounce) bottles red food coloring

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

2. Stir together flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla; stir in red food coloring. Use batter immediately, following baking directions for desired cake in "Pick a Pan" below.

Pick a Pan: Chocolate-Red Velvet Cake Batter can be baked in lots of different shapes and sizes--just use these times as a guideline, and be sure to grease and flour your pans. With smaller muffin pans and molds, we found it easier to use a vegetable cooking spray with flour. Check for doneness at the minimum time range, continuing to bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Variations with added fruit and nuts will require the maximum time and yield more mini cakes.

Bake at 325° in 1 (12-cup) tube pan for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Bake at 325° in 3 (8- x 4-inch) loaf pans for 55 to 65 minutes.

Bake at 325° in 7 to 9 (5- x 3-inch) loaf pans for 25 to 35 minutes.

Bake at 325° in baby Bundt pans for 25 to 30 minutes. Makes 14 to 16 baby Bundt cakes. (Spoon 1/2 cup batter in each 1-cup mold.)

Bake at 350° in muffin pans 23 to 28 minutes. Makes 32 to 38 cupcakes.

Bake at 350° in miniature muffin pans for 9 to 11 minutes. Makes about 9 to 10 dozen cupcakes.


Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 (16-ounce) packages powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla extract.

Chocolate Glaze: Melt 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels and 1/2 cup whipping cream in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Makes about 2 cups.

Vanilla Glaze: Stir together 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, 5 tablespoons milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract just until powdered sugar is moistened and mixture is smooth. Add an additional tablespoon of milk, if needed. Use immediately. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Coconut-Lemon Cake.

Coconut-Lemon Cake

This is a classic in every way with three golden yellow layers and a fluffy, light-as-meringue seven-minute frosting. The flavor profile pairs two seasonal Southern favorites—fresh lemon and coconut. The Lemon Filling is a quick and easy stovetop stir-together that can also be used to fill tart shells.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Lemon Filling
Fluffy White Frosting
1 cup flaked coconut
Garnishes: fresh cranberries, fresh boxwood sprigs

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.

2. Combine flour and baking powder; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.

3. Beat egg whites and salt at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Stir about one-third of egg whites into batter; fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

4. Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

5. Spread Lemon Filling between layers. Spread Fluffy White Frosting on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle top and sides with coconut; garnish, if desired.

Note: Boxwood is poisonous if ingested. If boxwood sprigs are used as garnish, cut small circle of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and position in center of cake before arranging sprigs and cranberries on top of cake. Remove garnish before serving.


Lemon Filling

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; stir in 1 cup boiling water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar and cornstarch dissolve (about 3 minutes). Gradually stir about one-fourth of hot mixture into yolks; add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Stir in lemon juice.

2. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Cool, stirring occasionally. Makes 1 & 2/3 cups.


Fluffy White Frosting

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until clear. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches soft-ball stage or candy thermometer registers 240°.

2. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; slowly add syrup, beating constantly. Beat until stiff peaks form and frosting is desired consistency. Makes 7 cups.

Cream cheese-coconut-pecan Pound Cake.

Cream Cheese-Coconut-Pecan Pound Cake (photo link)

The bourbon gives this pound cake a wonderful aroma and flavor, but you may substitute an equal amount of milk, if desired.

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup bourbon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup shredded coconut
Powdered Sugar Glaze (optional)
Sugared Rosemary (optional)
Sugared Cranberries (optional)

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until the yellow yolk disappears.
Sift together flour and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with bourbon, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat batter at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla, pecans, and coconut. Pour batter into a greased and floured 12-cup tube pan.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 35 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.


Powdered Sugar Glaze

Stir together 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth, adding another 1 tablespoon milk, if necessary, for desired consistency. Makes about 1 cup


Sugared Rosemary

Ingredients
1/2 cup corn syrup
12 rosemary sprigs
granulated sugar

Microwave 1/2 cup corn cyrup at HIGH for 10 seconds or until warm. Brush 10 to 12 rosemary sprigs lightly with corn syrup; sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar. Arrange in a single layer on wax paper. Use immediately, or let stand at room temperature, uncovered, for up to 24 hours.


Sugared Cranberries

Bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water, and 1 cup fresh cranberries to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring often, over medium-high heat. (Do not overcook; cranberries should swell and just begin to pop.) Remove from heat, and drain, reserving liquid for another use. Toss cranberries with 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and arrange in a single layer on wax paper. Use immediately, or let stand at room temperature, uncovered, for up to 24 hours.

Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake.

Fresh Orange Italian Cream Cake

(You'll need to start this cake a day ahead because the Fresh Orange Curd must chill for 8 hours.)

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Fresh Orange Curd
3 cups Pecan-Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted (optional)
Glazed Pecan Halves (optional)
Boxwood Garland (optional)

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add vanilla; beat until blended.
Combine flour and soda; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in 1 cup flaked coconut.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread 3/4 cup chilled Fresh Orange Curd between layers; spread remaining Fresh Orange Curd on top of cake. (The Fresh Orange Curd layer on top of cake will be very thick.) If desired, loosely cover cake, and chill 8 hours. (Chilling the cake with the curd between the layers helps keep the layers in place and makes it much easier to spread the frosting.) Spread 3 cups Pecan-Cream Cheese Frosting on sides of cake, reserving remaining frosting for another use. Sprinkle 1/2 cup toasted coconut over top of cake, if desired. Arrange Glazed Pecan Halves around top edge of cake, if desired. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. Arrange Boxwood Garland around bottom edge of cake before serving, if desired.

Note: Cake may be frosted with Pecan-Cream Cheese Frosting immediately after adding the Fresh Orange Curd, but the cake layers will not be as steady.


Fresh Orange Curd

You can substitute reconstituted orange juice for fresh; however, squeezing navel oranges only takes about 15 minutes and can make all the difference in this cake's fresh flavor.

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups fresh orange juice (about 4 pounds navel oranges)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon grated orange rind

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a 3-quart saucepan; gradually whisk in fresh orange juice. Whisk in lightly beaten eggs. Bring to a boil (5 to 6 minutes) over medium heat, whisking constantly.
Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture reaches a pudding-like thickness. Remove from heat, and whisk in butter and grated orange rind. Cover, placing plastic wrap directly on curd, and chill 8 hours. Makes about 3 cups.


Pecan-Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed until smooth; stir in pecans. Makes about 4 cups.


Glazed Pecan Halves

2 cups pecan halves
1/3 cup light corn syrup
Vegetable cooking spray

Combine pecan halves and corn syrup, stirring to coat pecans. Line a 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil; coat with cooking spray. Arrange pecan halves in an even layer in pan.
Bake at 350° for 12 minutes; stir using a rubber spatula. Bake 8 more minutes. Remove from oven, and stir; arrange in an even layer on wax paper, and let cool completely.


Boxwood Garland

2 dozen small sprigs fresh boxwood
3 dozen sour cherry candies*
Glazed Tangerine Seqments
Sugared Fruit Ribbons

Just before serving, arrange boxwood sprigs, cherry candies, Glazed Tangerine Segments, and Sugared Fruit Ribbons in a decorative pattern to form a wreath around the outer edges of your holiday cake.

Sugared Fruit Ribbons: Create ribbons from strawberry-flavored chewy fruit rolls by the foot. (They come in 4.5-ounce packages. One roll from the package will provide enough ribbon for the garland.) Unroll fruit roll, and remove paper backing. Using scissors, cut roll in half lengthwise to form 2 narrow ribbons. Brush both sides of each ribbon lightly with water, and sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar. Let dry for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Cut into desired lengths, and arrange as desired in the garland.

Glazed Tangerine Segments

Separate a peeled tangerine into individual segments, and brush lightly with corn syrup to create the look of glazed fruit.

*Sour cherry candies are available by the pound at Target and candy outlets. They are also available at some grocery stores in packages. Any round, red candies may be substituted.

Note: Boxwood makes a nice garnish but is poisonous if ingested, so be sure to warn guests not to eat it.

Red Velvet - Peppermint Cake.

Red Velvet Peppermint Cake

1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix
3 egg whites
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (9-ounce) package yellow cake mix*
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

Garnishes: Holiday Trees, 6 (5-inch) red and white peppermint candy canes, crushed; 12 (5-inch) green candy canes, broken; 12 round peppermint candies

Beat first 4 ingredients according to cake mix package directions.

Beat yellow cake mix and next 6 ingredients according to package directions. Spoon red batter alternately with white batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Swirl batter gently with a knife.

Bake at 350° for 22 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks.

Spread Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. (Cake may be chilled up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month.) Garnish, if desired. Serve within 2 hours.

If cake is frozen, thaw completely before garnishing to prevent crushed candy from running. Do not refrigerate after garnishing.


Peppermint Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (2-pound) package powdered sugar
2 teaspoons peppermint extract*

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at low speed until smooth. Add extract, beating until blended.
*2 teaspoons vanilla extract may be substituted.

For Quick Peppermint Frosting, stir together 3 (16-ounce) containers ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting and 2 teaspoons peppermint extract. Yield: about 5 cups.


Holiday Trees

Royal Icing
6 (4-inch) sugar ice-cream cones
12 (5-inch) red and white candy canes, coarsely crushed
12 (5-inch) green candy canes, coarsely crushed
Edible glitter or sparkling sugar (optional)

Spoon icing into a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Snip a 1/4-inch hole in 1 corner of bag. Pipe 2 rows of points around 1 cone, beginning at large end and working upward, to resemble a tree. Sprinkle with candy and, if desired, glitter. Repeat procedure until cone is decorated. Invert 2 cones; stack, securing with icing. Repeat decorating procedure. Invert remaining 3 cones, and stack, securing with icing; repeat decorating procedure. Insert larger candy pieces into trees, if desired. Let stand 8 hours. Store in a cool, dry place up to 1 month.
NOTE: For fuller trees, double icing recipe, and repeat piping procedure.

For the kids: Cut marshmallows from 1 (16 ounce) package in half with powdered sugar-coated scissors; cut each half into 4 pieces. Spread cones with 1 (16 ounce) container ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting. Press marshmallow pieces in rows around cones according to directions, adding frosting as necessary. Insert candy into icing between marshmallows; lightly rub additional icing on marshmallow leaves. Sprinkle with candy and glitter. Yield: 3 trees

Lemon Coconut Cake.

Lemon-Coconut Cake

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Filling
Cream Cheese Frosting
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Garnishes: fresh rosemary sprigs, gumdrops

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
2. Combine flour and baking powder; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
3. Beat egg whites at high speed with electric mixer until stiff peaks form; fold one-third of egg whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining beaten egg whites just until blended. Spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
4. Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
5. Spread Lemon Filling between layers. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle top and sides with coconut. Garnish, if desired.


Lemon Filling

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup boiling water
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter

1. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; whisk in 1 cup boiling water. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until sugar and cornstarch dissolve (about 2 minutes). Gradually whisk about one-fourth of hot sugar mixture into egg yolks; add to remaining hot sugar mixture in pan, whisking constantly. Whisk in lemon rind and juice.
2. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat. Whisk in butter; let cool completely, stirring occasionally. Makes about 1 & 2/3 cups.


Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; stir in vanilla. Makes about 3 cups.

Even More Recipes.

Just in case I'm not giving you enough food for thought, I've just added four new RSS recipe feeds in the sidebar - Epicurious, FoodGeeks, Food Network Highlights, & RecipeZaar.

Pecan Divinity Cake.

Southern Living did a special issue for Christmas preparation this year. One of the articles was titled "Our Most Showstopping Cakes Ever." The next few posts will be from those offering.

Pecan Divinity Cake (click link for cake photo)
originally published in Southern Living, December 2001

Divinity Frosting
Sour Cream Cake Layers (using 8-inch round cakepans)
Toasted pecan halves (optional)
Divinity Candy (optional)
Sugared Maraschino Cherries and Mint Sprigs (optional)
Small candy canes (optional)

Spread about 1/2 cup Divinity Frosting between each cake layer, and spread remaining Divinity Frosting on top and sides of cake.

Arrange toasted pecan halves and Divinity Candy on top of cake, if desired. Arrange Sugared Maraschino Cherries and Mint Sprigs and candy canes around bottom edge of cake, if desired. Store at room temperature. Makes 1 (4-layer) cake.


Sour Cream Cake Layers

1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix*
2 large eggs
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Beat all ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds or just until moistened; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter evenly into 4 greased and floured 8-inch round cakepans.
Bake at 350° for 15 to 17 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Wrap layers in plastic wrap, and freeze 2 hours or up to 1 month, if desired.

Note: To prepare 9-inch round Sour Cream Cake Layers, use 4 greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 12 to 14 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

*Spice, chocolate, or your favorite cake mix may be substituted. Yield: 4 (8-inch) layers.


Divinity Frosting

1 (7.2-ounce) package home-style fluffy white frosting mix
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted

Place first 4 ingredients in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Beat at low speed with a heavy-duty electric mixer 1 minute or until mixture is blended. Beat mixture at high speed 3 to 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in toasted pecans. Spread Divinity Frosting immediately on cake. Makes about 4 1/2 cups.


Divinity Candy

1 (7.2-ounce) package home-style fluffy white frosting mix
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
Toasted pecan halves

Place first 4 ingredients in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Beat at low speed with a heavy-duty electric mixer 1 minute or until mixture is blended. Beat mixture at high speed 3 to 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in chopped nuts.
Drop mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls onto wax paper. Garnish with toasted pecan halves. Let stand 8 hours; remove to wire racks, and let stand 8 more hours or until bottom of candy is firm. Store in airtight containers.

Divinity Candy With Sugared Maraschino Cherries: Substitute Sugared Maraschino Cherries for toasted pecan halves. Drop mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls onto wax paper. Press tip of a lightly greased wooden spoon handle into center of each piece of candy, making an indentation. Let stand as directed. Place 1 Sugared Maraschino Cherry in each indentation just before serving. Makes 5 dozen.


Sugared Maraschino Cherries and Mint Sprigs

16 to 20 maraschino cherries with stems, rinsed and well drained
12 to 16 fresh mint sprigs, rinsed
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon meringue powder
1/2 cup sugar

Place cherries and mint on paper towels, and let stand until completely dry.
Beat powdered sugar, 1/3 cup water, and meringue powder at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth and creamy.

Brush cherries and mint sprigs with meringue mixture, using a small paintbrush; sprinkle with sugar, and place on a wire rack. Let stand 2 to 3 hours or until dry. Makes 20 cherries and 16 mint sprigs.

Fried Pickles X 4.

If fried pickles are offered on a restaurant menu, for the love of God, order them! They can't be messed up. At least I've never had a bad one. I haven't tried these particular recipes, but the first one is close to the recipe that I have used in the past. NOTE: while you are frying, open up a jar of sliced jalepenos and fry them too! They are divine, and the cooking removes most of the heat from the peppers.

Fried Dill Pickles

1 pint sliced dill pickles, undrained
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons ground red pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
Vegetable oil

Drain pickles, reserving 2/3-cup pickle juice. Press pickles between paper towels. Combine 2/3 cup pickle juice, egg, 1 tablespoon flour, and hot sauce. Stir well and set aside.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour with ground red pepper, garlic powder, salt, and paprika. Blend well. Dip pickles in egg mixture, then dredge in flour mixture. Fry coated pickles in 375-degree oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.


Beer-Batter Fried Pickles from Southern Living magazine.

2 (16-oz.) jars dill pickle sandwich slices, drained
1 large egg
1 (12-oz.) can beer
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
Spicy Ranch Dipping Sauce

1. Pat pickles dry with paper towels.
2. Whisk together egg and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl; add 1 1/2 cups flour, and whisk until smooth.
3. Pour oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches into a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven; heat over medium-high heat to 375°.
4. Dip pickle slices into batter, allowing excess batter to drip off. Fry pickles, in batches, 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Drain and pat dry on paper towels; serve immediately with Spicy Ranch Dipping Sauce.


Spicy Ranch Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Garnish: seasoned salt

Whisk together first 6 ingredients. Garnish, if desired. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Makes about 1 cup.



Tempura Dill Pickles

1 (24-ounce) jar sliced kosher dill pickles
Vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup club soda, chilled

Drain pickles, reserving 2 tablespoons pickle juice. Press pickles between layers of paper towels. Set aside.
Pour oil to a depth of 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 370°.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in club soda and reserved 2 tablespoons pickle juice, stirring just until combined. (Batter will be lumpy.)

Dip pickles into batter, letting excess drip off.

Fry pickles, in batches, 2 1/2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on wire racks over paper towels, and serve immediately.



Fried Dill Pickle Spears
Alton Brown likes his fried pickles to be spears. I've never had fried spears, but I'm certain they are fantastic.

Peanut oil
1 quart whole dill pickles
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups plain cornmeal
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more, if desired

Place enough peanut oil in a 4 to 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven to come halfway up the side of the pot. Place over medium-high heat and bring to 390 to 400 degrees F.
Remove the pickles from their brine and cut lengthwise into quarters, like spears. Lay the spears on a sheet pan lined with paper towels and pat them dry.

Place the buttermilk in 1 shallow dish and mix together the cornmeal and salt in a separate dish. Dip each pickle, 1 at a time, first into the buttermilk, then into the cornmeal and then repeat. Carefully place each spear into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 minutes. You can fry 3 to 4 pickles in the pot at a time. Adjust the heat, if necessary, in order to maintain a constant temperature of 390 to 400 degrees F. Transfer the pickles to a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan and allow to cool for 5 minutes before eating. Season with additional salt, if desired.

Candied Bacon.

Strange, but true. I ran across this one in "A Love Affair with Southern Cooking" recently. This is a wonderful cookbook, by the way. This is really very good, and very different. An excellent appetizer.........

Candied Bacon

3/4 cup light brown sugar, not packed
2 TSP dry mustard
1/2 TSP black pepper
1 pound thickly sliced bacon, each slice halved crosswise

Preheat oven to 325. Lay a large baking rack (preferably with a cross-hatch grid) on top of an ungreased 15X10X1 jelly roll pan. Spritz the rack well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Combine the brown sugar, mustard, & pepper in a pie pan, whisking out any lumps. Dredge each piece of bacon on both sides in the sugar mixture until thickly coated.

Arrange the bacon on the rack, preferably not touching, and sprinkle generously with the remaining sugar mixture.

Slide the pan onto the middle oven rack and back uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until the bacon is richly browned and crisp. No need to turn the bacon as it cooks.

Cool the candied bacon to room temp and serve with cocktails.

Turkey Hash.

This is post #100! Not bad for less than one month!

Turkey Hash

To prepare the turkey:

1 eight pound turkey breast (producing 9-10 cups chopped white turkey meat)
1/2 stick butter softened
1 TBSP thyme
1 TBSP poultry seasoning
1 TBSP beaumonde
1 TBSP Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rub butter over turkey breast. Sprinkle all over with seasonings. Tent with aluminum foil and bake for 3.5 hours. Reserve any drippings for making hash.

To prepare the hash:

2 sticks butter
3 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped onion
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1 TBSP dried thyme, or 3 TBSP fresh chopped thyme
2-3 TBSP Tony Chachere's roux
1/2 package Ore-Ida Southern style frozen hash browns
2 cups turkey stock (preferably Better than Bouillon turkey base combined with water to create 2 cups liquid)
Reserved turkey drippings
9-10 cups chopped turkey
1 cup cream

Melt butter in a large skillet and saute celery, onion, parsley, and thyme. Sprinkle roux mixture over sauteed veggies. Set aside. In the meantime, boil hash brown potatoes in turkey stock until tender, but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Add the drippings to the mixture and bring to a boil. Combine potato mixture with chopped turkey. Add potato-turkey mixture to veggies, stirring constantly to combine & thicken. Let simmer for at least one hour. Add cream before serving and reheat. Serves 25 or so.

Note from chef: the only way to beat this meal is to serve the hash on top of Incredibly Good Grits.

Kit's Homemade Rolls.

Kit's Homemade Rolls

2 packages yeast
1 cup warm water
1 pinch of sugar (for testing)
1 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup sugar
1 TSP salt
1 cup boiling water
2 eggs, slightly beaten
6 cups all purpose flour (do not sift)
1 stick butter, melted (divided, reserved for basting)

Dissolve the yeast in warm water, stir, add pinch of sugar to determine if yeast is active.

In mixer, cream shortening, sugar, and salt until mixed. Turn mixer to low setting; add boiling water. When mixed, add beaten eggs and yeast/water mixture. Measure flour onto waxed paper. Use wax paper as a funnel to slowly add flour into the mixture. Mix well on a medium for a minute or so until combined. Place a damp towel over the top of the bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Roll out dough onto lightly floured surface to half-inch thickness. Use a 1.5 inch diameter biscuit cutter to cut into rounds. Place rolls, barely touching, in greased 9X13 foil baking pans. Baste with half the butter. Cover with dry kitchen towels and let rise again at room temperature, approximately 2-3 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 18 minutes or until slightly brown on top. Baste again with butter and let cool. Makes approximately 7-8 dozen..

To freeze rolls, wrap pans in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Place inside a plastic bag. To reheat, let thaw and bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes.

Shrimp Remoulade.

Shrimp Remoulade

25 pounds boiled shrimp, peeled & deveined
Red & White remoulade sauces

Place a layer of shrimp on a large platter. Drizzle with red remoulade, and then with white remoulade. Place another layer of shrimp on top and drizzle with sauces again. Repeat as necessary. Serves 75-100.

White Remoulade Sauce.

White Remoulade Sauce

1 hard-boiled egg
2 shallots
1/4 of a (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, cooked and squeezed dry
4 garlic cloves
2 cups mayo
1 TBSP Worchestershire
1 TBSP creole mustard
1 TBSP lemon juice
1.5 ounces anchovy paste
dash of tobasco

Finely chop the egg, shallots, spinach, & garlic cloves in a food processor. Combine with remaining ingredients, stirring to mix well. Makes a little over a pint.

Red Remoulade Sauce.

Red Remoulade Sauce

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
1/4 cup creole mustard
1/4 cup yellow mustard
2 TBSP paprika
1 TSP cayenne
1 TSP tobasco
6 cloves garlic
2 TBSP worchestershire
6 green onions
3 talks chopped celery
2 extra large eggs
1.5 cups olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt & pepper to taste
3 bay leaves

Combine vinegar through eggs in a food processor and process until smooth. Add oil in a steady stream processing until mixture is thick. Stir in lemon juice, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Let sit to combine in refrigerator at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Discard bay leaves before serving. Makes about a quart.

Incredibly Good Grits.

Incredibly Good Grits

2 cups chicken stock (author uses 1.5 TBSP "Better than Bouillon" chicken base added to 2 cups boiling water to make stock.)
2 cups milk (or better yet, half & half)
1/2 stick butter
1 cups grits (author uses Hoppin' John stone-ground grits)

Bring stock, milk, & butter to a boil; add grits and stir to combine. Turn heat to low and cook, uncovered, stirring very frequently, for about 30 minutes. To keep warm & ready to serve, put cooked grits into the top of a double boiler, keeping the water below at a simmer, and cover the grits, stirring from time to time. Grits will keep for 2-3 hours.

Creamed Crab. And Party Patty Shells.

I was flipping through the current issue of "Mobile Bay Monthly", and ran across an article about two sisters who are renowned for their cooking skills. I'm going to post the recipes included in the article over the next few days.

Creamed Crab

1 eight ounce cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 lemon
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together cream cheese & butter. Squeeze lemon juice over crab meat, then carefully fold crab meat into cream cheese mixture. Stir carefully to warm through. Turn into chafing dish and keep warm. Serve in patty shells. Fills about 5 dozen shells.


Party Patty Shells

1 package ready-made refrigerated pie crusts
Flour
miniature muffin pan

Preheat oven to 375. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pie crusts to about 1/8 inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut rounds of pie crust. Turn mini muffin pan(s) over and press a round over each mold. Lightly prick the bottom of each round with the tines of a fork. Bake for about 8 minutes. Makes approximately five dozen shells.

Mobile's Original Creole Gumbo.

Yes, I know that I supposedly brought the gumbo posts to an end. But I picked up one of the local free papers today, and this recipe struck me. It has all sorts of things in it - beef, chicken, blue crabs, shrimp, & oysters!

Mobile's Original Creole Gumbo

2 pounds lean beef, cubed
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
6 cups of water
3 pounds cut okra
2 TBSP vegetable oil
3 cups roux
1/3 cup file
2 cups each - chopped onions, celery, & green pepper
1 cup chopped parsley
6 TBSP chopped garlic
2 TBSP thyme leaves
1-2 TSP cayenne pepper
1 dozen whole bay leaves (do not crush)
3 cups peeled crushed tomatoes, with juice
1 gallon chicken stock (or water)
1 dozen whole cleaned blue crabs
3-4 pounds peeled, deveined shrimp raw shrimp
2 quarts oysters, with liquid

This makes about three gallons.

Roux - traditional method: 1.5 cups vegetable oil or shortening, 1.5 cups plain all-purpose flour. Mix oil & flour in heavy bottom Dutch oven. Whisk constantly over medium heat until medium brown in color, 20-30 minutes.
Modern Method - Mix oil & flour in a microwave-safe dish and cook on high for 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly and return to microwave for another 5 minutes, repeating until roux is a medium brown color.

You will need a 5-6 gallon pot with a heavy bottom. Cook the cubed beef in 6 cups of water seasoned with salt & pepper until the meat is tender. Reserve liquid. Cook the sliced okra in vegetable oil over low heat until okra is no longer "ropey." Do not brown or burn okra. Put roux in gumbo pot. While the roux is hot, add file powder and stir for two minutes. Add peppers, celery, onions, bay leaves, & seasonings. Cook slowly until peppers, onion, & celery are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add parsley & garlic and cook until the roux forms a large ball, about five minutes. Add stock (or water) and tomatoes, juice, and cooked okra. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add cubed raw chicken and the whole crabs. Simmer 15 minutes. Add beef and beef broth and all remaining ingredients, including shrimp. Cook five minutes. Return to boil. Adjust seasoning. Remove from heat. Serve over steamed rice. (For seafood gumbo, omit beef & chicken and use seafood broth or water. Add more seafood is desired.)

Gumbo Z'Herbes.

(This will bring the gumbo section to an end. Unless someone requests the "Duck & Guinea hen Gumbo" or the "Wild Goose Gumbo" that I saw in "Talk About Good!")

I ran across this style of gumbo in the Gumbo Shop Restaurant cookbook. I saw this version & history online. Emeril also has a version. I now am certain of the mysterious origins of the "Gumbo Zabb" that a friend's father made. I can easily see how the cajun pronunciation was corrupted from "Z''Herbes" to "Zabb."

"Local folklore has it that you must make Gumbo Z'Herbes with an odd number of greens, and what ever the number of greens in the gumbo eaten on Good Friday, that is the number of new friends that you will make during the following year. Another version holds that a Holy Thursday supper of Gumbo Z'Herbes containing seven greens, followed by chance meetings of seven people on Good Friday, blesses the fortunate diner with good luck all year."

Gumbo Z'Herbes from the Gumbo Shop Restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

1 cup olive oil
2 cups flour
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped bell peppers
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup minced garlic
6 bay leaves
1.5 TSP thyme
1.5 TSP black pepper
2 TSP white pepper
3/4 TSP cayenne pepper
2 TBSP salt
1 pound mushrooms, smoked
1 gallon water
1 bunch collard greens
1 small head cabbage
1 bunch turnip greens, chopped
1 bunch mustard greens, chopped
1 bunch green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 pound red beans, cooked

(To cook the red beans, rinse & sort 1 pound of red beans, cover with water, and soak overnight. Simmer over low heat for 1-2 hours, until just tender. Drain, reserving the water to use as part of the water for cooking the greens. In a pinch, you can use canned beans (two 15 oz. cans), drained and rinsed well.

To smoke mushrooms, wash one pound of medium sized mushrooms, trim the bottoms of the stems, and place on a pan in a smoker for about 45 minutes.)

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over a medium high heat. Add the flour and stir until a peanut butter colored roux is attained. Immediately add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Saute until veggies are tender and start to stick and brown a little. Add the shallots, garlic, herbs, salt, & peppers. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, bring the water (and bean water) to a boil. Chop the collards & cabbage into one-inch squares and boil until just tender. Add the turnip greens, mustard greens, and green onions and return to a boil. (A 10 ounce package of frozen greens may be substituted for any of the fresh greens.)

Coarsely chop the smoked mushrooms. Add it to the roux mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Carefully stir the roux-veggie-mushroom mixture into the simmering greens, and return to a boil. Add the parsley, cooked red beans, and soy sauce to taste. Bring to a boil one more time, then turn off the heat. Serve over rice.

This dish is best if refrigerated overnight, and then reheated. This recipe yields about two gallons of gumbo. It also freezes well.

Okra Gumbo.

This one is from the Louisiana cookbook Bible, "River Road Recipes." It contains at least 4 gumbo recipes, but this one is unlike any of the others that I have seen. Although, I haven't a clue what a "No. 2 can" of tomatoes is.

If "River Road" isn't the Bible of Louisiana cuisine, it is at least the New Testament. The Old Testament would be "Talk About Good!" from Lafayette. It contains 12 gumbo recipes.

Okra Gumbo

50 pods fresh okra, chopped
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 chicken, cut up
Meat of 1 ham bone, or 1 pound ham, chopped
1 No. 2 can tomatoes
1 large onion, diced
3 sprigs parsley, chopped
3 quarts boiling water
Salt to taste
Red pepper to taste
1 bay leaf

Wash, stem, & cut okra into 1/2 inch pieces. Fry until brown, being careful not to scorch. Season with salt & pepper. Do this with as little grease as possible. Put cooking oil into deep pot. When hot, add chicken and ham. Cover and let simmer about 10 minutes. Chop tomatoes fine and save juice. Add the onion, parsley, and tomatoes to the cooking meat mixture, stirring frequently. Add fried okra and juice of the tomatoes. Immediately add the bay leaf and water which has been boiling. Simmer for about an hour. Salt & pepper to taste. Serve over hot rice. Makes about 4 quarts.

Chicken Gumbo File.

This is from the well-known Louisiana cookbook, "Recipes & Reminiscences of New Orleans." It is interesting as it contains no tomatoes or okra.

Chicken Gumbo File

1 large chicken, cut up
4 TBSP vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 quarts chicken stock, heated
2 TBSP parsley, minced
2 TBSP green onion chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Thyme, fresh if possible
salt & pepper
1 pound smoke sausage or andouille
1 pin oysters
1 TBSP file powder

Using a heavy bottomed pot, brown the chicken slowly in oil. Remove the chicken. Saute the onion until soft, but not brown. Return chicken and and juice that ran out of it to the pot with the onions. Cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heated stock, parsley, green onion, and garlic. Season generously with thyme. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cook over low heat until chicken is tender. Add sausage and cook for 10 minutes. Add oysters and oyster-water and cook for 10 minutes more. Skim off excess fat. Remove from heat and immediately add the file powder, stirring while adding. Serve over steamed rice.

Mrs. Sledge's Gumbo.

This begins the gumbo recipes from local cookbooks.

This one is from the Junior League of Mobile's classic "Recipe Jubilee!" They lost their mind back in 2002 and let this one go out of print. I've had my copy for ages, and it was from the 10th printing way back in 1987.

Mrs. Edward Sledge, Sr.'s Gumbo

5 TBSP bacon drippings
6 TBSP flour
2 onions, finely chopped
1.5 cups celery, finely chopped
1 garlic pod
1 large can tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
5-6 cups water
3 TSP salt
1 TSP pepper
2 pounds shrimp or crab
1 package frozen okra, cut up
1 pint oysters
3 TBSP Worcestershire

Brown flour in bacon drippings to make roux. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Brown for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, salt & pepper, and boil for one hour over medium heat. Add srimp (or crab) and okra, and cook 20 minutes longer. Add Worcestershire, stir well, and serve with steamed rice.

Debby's Potato Salad.

Debby sent me this one last week after I requested it. It may be the best potato salad that I've ever had.

Potato Salad

Red Potatoes - washed and cut any bad spots off. Leave rest of peeling on potatoes. New potatoes are also good to use. Cut into chunky pieces, boil until tender. Drain and cool.
Chopped red onion
Chopped green bell pepper
Bacon pieces or Hormel real bacon pieces
Ranch dressing
Salt and pepper to taste - ranch dressing is salty so taste before adding more

The secret to this recipe is to make the ranch dressing from scratch and use the buttermilk recipe. Very easy to make.

Debby's Grape Salad.

Grape Salad

3 pounds or so of green seedless grapes
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup powdered sugar – packed in
½ cup brown sugar – packed in measuring cup
Chopped pecans

Wash the grapes and pull from vine – make sure the grapes are dry. I usually wash the grapes the night before and leave out on paper towels to air dry overnight and mix up the next morning.
Cream together the cream cheese, sour cream and powdered sugar and add vanilla
Put grapes into the bowl with cream cheese mixture and stir until they are all coated. Put into serving bowl: sprinkle brown sugar over the top and if you like pecans sprinkle pecans over brown sugar. Refrigerate

This salad is good with anything.

Debby's Tomato Bacon Appetizers.

Today, I got a couple of recipes from one of Lorraine's mom's dearest friends, Debby, who I consider to be a culinary goddess. I must share them here.

Bacon Tomato Appetizers

Mayonnaise
Sour Cream
Hormel Premium Real Crumbled Bacon (This is what it says on the bag)
Black pepper
Bread
Roma tomatoes

Mix mayonnaise and sour cream together with a spoon or Wisk – I use a little less sour cream than mayonnaise
Example – 1 cup mayonnaise and ¾ cup sour cream add black pepper to your taste ( I like a good bit ) Add Hormel crumbled bacon – again do this to your liking – I like for it to look kind of meaty – there is no need to add salt because the bacon does this for you. Keep in refrigerator until time to serve. Slice small loaves of bread; spread the spread on bread and top with a slice of tomato. Roma tomatoes are usually better because they are not drippy with juice. You can use whatever bread is your favorite. I like the baguette French bread and the small loaves of wheat. Make sure you get the crumbled bacon instead of bacon bits. This is so easy and everybody seems to always like it.

Southern Cakes.

I rarely insist that my reader's take an action, but today is an exception. You must acquire the book, Southern Cakes. It is a moral imperative. Whether or not you are Southern, whether or not you even cook, it is worth owning. It is a stunning compilation of cake masterpieces. There is an anecdote accompanying each recipe. Plus, the book is truly beautiful. There is not a photo of every cake, but there are photos of many of them.

If you have spent time in the South, order this book. If you have longed to visit the South, order this book. If you love to cook, order this book. If you eat cake, order this book. If you know someone who enjoys baking, get them this book. If you want to take up baking, start here.

Here are the main chapters: Baking 101; Pound Cakes; Antiques & Heirlooms; Coconut Cakes; Fruitcakes & other Holiday Favorites; Layer Cakes - Plain & Fancy; Everyday Cakes; Chocolate Cakes - Southern Style; & Frosting, Icings, and Fillings.

I'll even offer a money-back guarantee. If you don't love this book, I'll buy it back from you. You've got nothing to lose.

Tyler's Gumbo.

Shrimp and Oyster Gumbo with Okra
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Shrimp Stock:
1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, with heads and shells
1 blue crab
1 onion, halved
2 bay leaves
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 lemons, halved and squeezed

Gumbo:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound okra, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained
3 bay leaves
3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves striped from the stem
2 quarts Shrimp Stock
1 1/2 pounds reserved peeled shrimp
1 pint raw, shucked oysters (about 20 pounds unshucked)
3 cups cooked long-grain white rice
Chopped flat-leaf parsley and green onions, for garnish
Crusty French bread
Fire Water, recipe follows

To make the shrimp stock: Peel the shrimp, and toss the heads and shells into a large stock pot; refrigerate the peeled shrimp until ready to cook in the gumbo. Add the crab, onion, bay leaves, thyme, cayenne, Old Bay, and lemons to the pot. Cover with 2 1/2 quarts of cold water. Allow the liquid to slowly come to a boil, and then lower the heat. Gently simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered, skimming any foam that rises to the top. Strain the stock into a heatproof container or another pot to remove the chunky solids; at this point you should have about 2 quarts of flavorful broth to use in the gumbo. Cool until needed.
To make the gumbo, you must start with a roux base: Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps - it may lock-up like cake frosting but just keep stirring through it. Cook the roux until it's the color of a walnut and smells equally as nutty, this should take about 15 minutes.

Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and okra (if it ain't got okra, it ain't gumbo!); season with salt, cayenne, and Old Bay. Mix in the tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are soft. Pour in the cooled shrimp stock and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce the heat. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gumbo is dark and thick. Toss in the shrimp and oysters, cook about another 15 minutes; adjust seasoning.

To serve: Ladle the gumbo into shallow bowls and pile some rice in the center. Sprinkle the parsley and green onions over the top. Pass the French bread and hot sauce at the table.


Fire Water

12 cayenne chiles, stems removed
2 garlic cloves
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and slowly bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour the mixture into a blender and puree until smooth. Pass the hot sauce through a mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth, if desired.

Delmonico's Gumbo.

Delmonico is one of Emeril Lagasse's restaurants in New Orleans.

Delmonico's Seafood Okra Gumbo
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

1 pound gumbo crabs without the legs, rinsed well and quartered
1 1/4 pounds andouille or other spicy sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 pound small okra, stem ends trimmed and sliced 1/2-inch thick
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup lager beer
10 cups shrimp or fish stock
1 teaspoon liquid crab boil
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup cooled Light Brown Roux, See How To Roux, recipe follows
2 pounds medium (26 to 30 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
1 pint oysters, with their liquor
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Steamed White Rice, for serving
Chopped Green Onion Tops, for serving
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place gumbo crab quarters on a small baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside.

Cook the andouille, in batches, in a large stockpot, over medium-high heat until browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove the andouille with a slotted spoon, place on a paper towel-lined plate, and reserve. Add the vegetable oil to the stockpot and heat with any excess fat from the sausage over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the okra and cook, stirring, until the vegetable has released most of its slime, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, basil, thyme, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the beer to the vegetable mixture, stirring to incorporate, and then slowly add the stock, stirring well. Add the reserved gumbo crabs, browned sausage, liquid crab boil, salt, and pepper to the stock and bring mixture to a boil. When mixture is at a boil, add the roux, a little at a time and whisking to incorporate. Wait until mixture returns to a boil before adding more roux. When all of the roux has been added, bring gumbo to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Using a clean ladle, occasionally skim any impurities or foam that rises to the top of the gumbo.

Season the shrimp with the Essence in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp, oysters, and their liquid to the gumbo, stir well, and cook until the shrimp are pink and just cooked through and the edges of the oysters start to curl, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Serve immediately over steamed white rice and garnish with chopped green onions tops, if desired.

How to Roux:

3 cups vegetable oil
5 cups all-purpose flour
Place a heavy, iron Dutch oven, (or iron skillet with deep sides) over medium heat and heat the oil until just smoking. Whisk in flour, a little at a time and cook, whisking constantly, until roux becomes smooth and thick. Continue to cook, constantly stirring with a wooden spoon and reaching all over bottom of pan, until roux darkens to desired color. Be careful not to produce specs of black. The roux must remain an even color throughout process. If specs appear you must start over.

For a Light Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, or until the color of peanut butter. Remove about 1 cup of the light colored roux, cool completely, and set aside for the Delmonico's Seafood Okra Gumbo.

For a Medium Brown Roux, cook the mixture, over medium heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until the color of a copper penny when ready. Remove about 13/4 cups of the medium colored roux, cool completely, and set aside for Emeril's Country File Gumbo.

For a Dark Brown Roux, cook the mixture an additional 35 to 45 minutes. The color should resemble dark chocolate when ready. Remove all of the remaining dark roux from the pan and cool completely. Set aside for the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.

Yield: about 4 1/2 cups roux

NOTE: The timings for various shades of roux will vary depending on the cooktop as well as the amount of roux made. (A smaller amount will cook in much less time.) If this is your first time making a roux, the slower you cook it, the less likely you will be to burn it. The important thing is to cook the roux to the desired color, as specified above.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 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

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William and Morrow, 1993.