Gorgonzola Spread

This one is breaking the mold just a bit, because it doesn't take a whole lot of time to prepare, with the exception of finding a source for Gorgonzola cheese if you don't live in an area with a good grocer.

Serve this with a good-quality cracker.

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Gorgonzola Spread

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
2/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon of milk
1/2 cup chopped pimento-stuffed olives
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped.
1/2 clove minced, fresh garlic

Mix it all together and serve!

Chicken Noodles

2 tablespoons butter
1 14 1/2 oz can chicken broth, plus water enough water to make 5 cups
1 tablespoon non-msg chicken base
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 8oz pkg fine noodles

Brown the butter in a 2-quart saucepan. Add the chicken broth/water, chicken base and salt.
Stir the noodles into the broth.
Bring to a boil.
Stir, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 20-25 minutes. Add chunk chicken, if you like.
Stir and serve.

Hungarian Pork Roast and Caraway Sauerkraut

For our New Year's Even houseconcert, I wanted to try something different, something other than my standard Lentil Soup fare. And since I'm a very big fan of pork roast, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, I went searching for a recipe that would make my mouth water. This recipe was surely it, and ended up being a very big hit with the houseconcert guests. The comments were made mostly in regard to the thickened sauerkraut and the onion gravy. Cook the pork sl-o-o-o-o-w-ly for maximum tenderness and flavor!

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Hungarian Pork Roast with Onion Gravy and Caraway Sauerkraut

1 large pork roast (6-7 pounds)
7 large onions, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons sugar to caramelize the onions
salt and pepper

Seer all sides of the roast in a hot roasting pan over high heat. Do not add any fat.
Put all the chopped onions and 2 tablespoons sugar into a roasting pan (I use my electric roaster when doubling this for a great big batch) and cover.
Cook at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Check periodically to turn it over and push the onions around. The onions should caramelize, or take on a rich, brown color.

When roast is finished cooking, remove it from the roasting pan.
Mix 2 tablespoons of flour into 2 cups of water.
Stir the water/flour mixture into the onions, scraping the sides of the pan to get all of the onions/juices into the gravy. Season with salt and pepper.

Caraway Sauerkraut
2 pounds of Sauerkraut, preferably the bagged kind, rinsed and drained
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of caraway seeds
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 tablespoons of lard or butter, partially melted
2 tablespoons of flour

Put the sauerkraut in a pot. Add the caraway seeds, sugar and water.
Slowly cook until the kraut is soft, about a 1/2 hour.
In a small bowl, mix the lard or butter and the flour. Stir into the kraut. Stir until thickened.
Simmer for five minutes.

Serve this with mashed potatoes (be sure to make your mashed potatoes with plenty of butter, cream cheese, heavy cream and salt/pepper).

Original recipe found at June Meyer's Authentic Hungarian Recipes. It's packed with fabulous foods! This particular dish includes a recipe for Farina dumplings which I have not yet tried, but look fabulous and can be frozen for use in other recipes. Her recipe for mashed potatoes looks great, with the addition of egg and sour cream.

Breaded Chicken Fingers

Some of the best meat dishes I have call for some type of brining or marinating before cooking. This recipe infuses the chicken breast with flavor by a 2-4 hour marinade in egg, buttermilk and garlic. Using a cast-iron dutch oven for the frying is the best way to get a beautiful, golden brown pile of chicken fingers. Serve with a heap of mashed potatoes and a scoop of fresh corn. You'll be smitten!

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Breaded Chicken Fingers

6 partially frozen chicken breast halves
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
oil for frying (about 4 cups)

Cut the partially-frozen chicken into 1/2 inch strips using a sharp knife. In a zip-lock-type bag, combine beaten egg, buttermilk, garlic and chicken strips. Refrigerate in the sealed bag for 2-4 hours or more. In another bag, combine the flour, bread crumbs, salt, baking powder. Drain the chicken and discard the liquid. Place the chicken in baggie, seal, and shake to coat. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet to 375 degrees F. Carefully place coated chicken in hot oil. Fry until golden brown and juices run clear, about 4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. It takes about 4-5 batches to cook them all.

Ohio Buckeyes

When a group of young choristers from Germany came to visit my area recently, I thought long and hard about what I would give them as a welcoming gift. It finally occurred to me that I should offer what I love most--food! So I contacted local businesses and gathered together our rural county's best tastes--cheese, fresh-pressed cider, and chocolate buckeyes.

I remember buckeyes from my childhood, how my neighbor mixed the big bowl of peanut butter stuff which her daughter and I rolled into little balls. I thought it was magical, how she dipped the peanut butter balls into melted chocolate and they looked just like buckeyes.

Now we make these treats at Christmastime to share with friends and neighbors. They do seem to be time-intensive, but I have a lot of hands to help with the work, so it goes quickly. But as good as these little treasures are, they go quickly, too!

I like this particular recipe because it doesn't call for paraffin.

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Buckeye Candies

3 cups creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 sticks softened butter
2 lbs confectioner's sugar

Mix together. Form into small balls.

For coating: melt 16 oz of melted dipping chocolate. Using a toothpick, dip the balls into the chocolate, leaving some of the peanut butter exposed on top to look like a buckeye nut. Refrigerate until firm.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sure, chocolate chip cookies are ubiquitous. But there's a good reason for that! When it's a cold night in the bleak midwinter, a warm batch of gooey chocolate chip cookies are just what a body needs to begin to look on the bright side of things. Send the kids to their baths, make your dough, eat a few bites before it pops into the oven, and when the kids come down all squeaky clean and jammied, they'll love you more than ever. As a matter of fact, seems to me they should call 'em "chocolate chip cookie points."

Make sure your butter is softened before you start, and begin with room temp ingredients. I also like to use parchment paper on my cookie sheets for a nice, even baking. At 375F, I find that 11 minutes and 30 seconds is just right for a soft, golden brown cookie.

Don't forget that delicious raw milk!

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Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup light sugar, packed
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth, add brown and white sugars, then beat until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, on at a time, mixing on low speed. Add vanilla. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture little by little, mixing just until all of the flour is absorbed. Add the chocolate chips and the nuts, and mix. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 11.5 minutes at 375F, or until golden brown.

Macaroni and Cheese--the Original Comfort food!

Recently my daughter's choral ensemble was hosting a lunch for the singers, and someone had requested a macaroni bar--a sort of buffet featuring different types of macaroni dishes. My contribution was homemade macaroni and cheese, a favorite around here that is much creamier and tastier than that blue box stuff. Experiment with the combinations of cheeses for your own unique dish!

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Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Serves a large family or a small family with guests

4 cups elbow macaroni
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk
2 cups grated Vermont sharp cheddar (white cheese)
8 ounces cubed flavorful melting cheese, cut into small cubes
(optional) 1 cup crumbled Ritz crackers and 2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Butter a 13x9x2 baking dish (I use my stone cookware and then I don't butter it)
Cook the macaroni according to the al dente package directions. Drain and spread into your baking dish.
Melt the butter slowly, then whisk in the flour, mixing completely. Add milk.
Stir until it's smooth and thick.
Add the grated cheddar; stir until melted.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the sauce to the macaroni in the baking dish, stirring until the sauce is evenly distributed over the macaroni.
Evenly distribute the chunks of cheese throughout the macaroni. It won't be melted just yet, but will melt as you bake the dish.
At this point, you can cover the top of the macaroni with the crushed crackers and dot with 2 tablespoons of butter, if you like. I don't care for it, so I leave it off, but you could do it half and half the first time to see which one you like best.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and very bubbly.
Serve with hunks of buttered bread and a fresh salad. Yum!

Adapted from The Tasha Tudor Cookbook.