BLUE CHEESE COLESLAW

“Ahhooh… I love that stuff.” This was my husband’s response when I told him about my next posting. There really isn’t a whole lot to say about this posh twist on slaw except that anyone who says they don’t like coleslaw generally likes this. I have no idea where this recipe came from, but people used to beg my mother to make it for almost every summer cookout … So, I will give her all the credit.
Ingredients:

1 x 2lb Head of Cabbage - 6 Cups of Shredded Cabbage; if you want to add color, you can always get red cabbage to give the slaw a visual pop.
8 oz Blue Cheese Crumbles
1/3 cup cider vinegar
¼ tsp of dry mustard
1 tsp of celery seeds
2 large garlic cloves minced
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of white pepper
2 Tbsp sugar
¼ cup minced or finely chopped white onion
¾ cup of vegetable oil

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine cabbage and blue cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The dressing is made separately. For the dressing, combine cider vinegar, dry mustard, celery seeds, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, and onion. As you whisk (or mix with hand blender) these ingredients together, add vegetable oil in a steady stream. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When you are ready to serve, combine dressing with cabbage & blue cheese and toss until well combined. Serve immediately!

PASTA with BRIE, MUSHROOMS, & ARUGULA

On a trip to Italy, my mother and I had the joy of eating lunch at a home literally “under the Tuscan sun.”  They served the most amazing pasta dish, and the only features I remember (besides how delicious it was) were the mushrooms, a semi-pungent cheese, and penne pasta. That's it... Simple enough, I thought.  My efforts to replicate the recipe would suggest otherwise.  I've destroyed about two pots by melting Gorgonzola cheese, which I later couldn't scrub away.  Finally, after several ill-fated attempts, I found a recipe in Real Simple magazine that seemed like it might match the pasta dish from Italy.

To be totally honest, although I’ve made this recipe, I still cannot say with total certainty that it is as good as the Italian's. Bascially, I blew it!  I added too much water ruining the sauce. When I tried to rebound by adding every other type of cheese I could get my hands on: Gouda, Romano, maybe even a bit of Cheddar (I know – WRONG), it just made it more and more like watered-down bizzaro mac-n-cheese.  Not what I was going for.  My undiscriminating husband said it was delicious, but I know better. I’ve come to understand that his compliments, while greatly appreciated, sometimes are not particularly constructive. Honestly, the dish was awful.  In fact, I literally just dumped all the leftovers in the trash. But, I KNOW the recipe is good… I believe in it! I will make it again, AND I will know where to find the recipe… because now I have a blog! Thank you Blogspot!

Ingredients:
12oz Penne
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
16oz Cremini Mushrooms - quartered
1 Small Red Onion - sliced
1/2 Cup of White Wine or Vermouth
Kosher Salt
8oz Brie (Cut into 1" pieces)
4 Cups of Baby Arugula (or Spinach)

Instructions: 
Cook pasta, drain noodles, and reserve  1/2 cup of the pasta water.  Put the drained pasta back in the pot and set aside.  In a large skillet (I used a wok) heat the oil  over medium high.  Add the mushrooms and onion and cook tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until the mushrooms begin to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.  Back to the pot with the pasta, toss the pasta with the Brie pieces and reserved pasta water until the pasta is coated.  Stir in the mushroom mixture and arugula.  Voila!

MIXED BERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Without the help of an electric mixer, this recipe can cause

carpal tunnel, muscle strain, maybe even tennis elbow because it takes a ton of elbow grease to whip egg whites in to stiff peaks, but nothing is too great of a challenge when it comes to my darling husband’s birthday. Since the man loves everything “berry” i.e. cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc., I’ve made berry pies every year we’ve been together. Remembering my mother’s Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, I decided that I could easily substitute the pineapple for berries and come up with something pretty tasty! After it was all finished, I was sure I had a masterpiece. When I finally had a bite, I knew it would knock his socks off! Not hearing any feedback, I asked, “What do you think? Good, huh?” He says, “Yeah, but you know that Duncan Hines cake you make with the Jello? That is so good! Next year make that!” My first impulse was to smack him, but thankfully, my arm was still sore from whipping and folding egg whites. All I could mutter was “you mean, I whip egg whites into stiff peaks for you by hand and all you want is cake from a damn box? …with Jello!”

Ingredients for the Top …On the Bottom:

4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

¾ Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar

¾ Lb Of Any Berry You Desire. I’d Say, Stick with Three and Preferably Tart Berries.

Ingredients for the Cake:
1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
¼ Tsp. Salt
8 Tbsp (1 Stick) Unsalted Butter
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs, Separated
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Milk
1/8 Tsp. Cream Of Tartar

Ingredients for the Whipped Cream:
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Sugar

Instructions:
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Then butter a 9” round cake pan. Put the butter and brown sugar in the prepared pan and place the pan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Scatter the berries over the butter-sugar mixture. Set aside.

In the 1st bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. In 2nd bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar (on medium-high speed if you have a mixer) until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add one egg yolk at a time, beating well after each addition; then add the vanilla mixing well. Using spatula, fold in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk.

In a 3rd bowl, using a whisk (get an electric mixer!), beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Using the spatula, fold the whites into the batter. Spoon the batter over the berries in the cake pan, spreading it evenly. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean – about an hour.

This next part is really important: transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake and invert onto a serving plate, let stand for 5 minutes, then lift off the pan. For the whipped cream, of course you can always use Cool Whip, but you’ve come this far, I’d say make it from scratch! In a bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer (I can’t emphasize this enough: Get a mixer!), whip the cream until soft peaks form. Then you can stir in the vanilla and sugar. Cut cake and serve with the whipped cream!!

COTTAGE CHEESE PANCAKES

I am no authority, but I got the distinct impression that Serbian cooks love cottage cheese; it seems like it is in everything. Yes, this is another “Sigi Beck-Hodjera” recipe, which I love because it is a lighter version of pancakes. Some people swear they cannot stand cottage cheese, but I promise the textury goop is undetectable in these pancakes – even for the most discerning of palates.

Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 TB sugar

4 eggs

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup milk

2 TB canola oil

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, blend the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, milk and oil. Add the flour mixture to the liquid ingredients, whisking until completely blended.  It is best if you can let the batter sit over night. 

Spray a skillet or a griddle with canola oil spray. Heat over medium. Drop batter by the quarter cup onto the hot skillet. Cook just a few minutes, checking the underside and adjusting the heat as needed. Flip when browned and continue to cook on the other side until lightly browned.

GIBANICA

This dandy of a dish came from my Serbian friend, Sigi Beck-Hodjera. I don’t know if this is actually her recipe or not; if memory serves, her Gibanica was always an extemporaneous masterpiece. In the few years I spent with Sigi and her family, I attended several Serbian Slavas; a Slava is a feast of thanksgiving in honor of the patron Saint of the entire family. For me, Gibanica was the highlight of this mind-blowing spread Sigi would lay out in honor of the day. With life thwarting any possibility of attending another Hodjera Slava, I was forced to learn to make Gibanica on my own. So, now I make in honor of cold-weather and usually pair it with soup for the perfect wintery meal. Thank you for this goodie, Sigi!

Ingredients:

1 Packet Filo Dough

1 Container 2% Cottage Cheese

1 container 4% Cottage Cheese

8 eggs

1 tsp Salt

1/3 Cup Light Oil – Sunflower, Vegetable, or Canola

1 Cup Milk

¼ Heavy Whipping Cream

¾ Cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Melted Butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Combine two types of cottage cheese in large mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add salt, oil, milk, and buttermilk, and beat until well combined. Place one layer of pastry in the bottom of a deep pan. Dip almost all of the remaining pieces of pastry into the batter and then place them at random in the pan. Reserve about three undipped pieces for the top, as well as several tablespoons of batter. Cover the top of the mixture with the remaining pastry layers. Cut up the butter into small pieces and place on the pastry. Spoon the remaining batter and the additional tablespoon of milk over the top. Cook for about 40 minutes, until nicely browned on top.

AUNT DOT'S MACARONI & CHEESE

In a college crunch, I sometimes lived on what I thought was macaroni and cheese. I could get three boxes for ninety-nine cents and with enough ketchup that powdery based, pasty slop tasted like powdery ketchup, only more filling. A decade later there’s my wife (was she my wife at this point?) telling me I’ve never had mac’n cheese like she makes. I should mention that between college and her version came Big Pete’s mac’n cheese artery clogging masterpiece, replete with two pounds of bacon and more cheese than a South Beach nightclub on ladies night. Hers, she says, is fluffy yet cheesy and doesn’t have the Hiroshima like after effects of Big Pete’s recipe. Could it compare? Hell, it is, literally, the best mac’n cheese that’s ever passed these horribly non-discriminating lips. However I should warn you that the secret to this dish is sometimes so closely guarded that some have been known to exclude vital ingredients. I promise you, it’s all there. Really, it is. Right?

Ingredients:

8oz Macaroni Elbows - 1 box

2 Cups of Sharp Cheddar

16oz Cottage Cheese

8oz Sour Cream

1 Egg

1 Tsp Salt

Dash of White Pepper

Dash of Paprika

Instructions:
Cook, Drain, and Cool Noodles, make sure they are dry before mixing them into the cheeses. In large bowl, mix cheddar, sour cream, cottage cheese. Mix all this together. Add egg and mix well. Sprinkle with Shredded Cheddar to melt on top. Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

PS: Play around with the cheeses for funkier Mac-N-Cheese!

ZUCCHINI CAKE

Life Rule: Politics have no place in the kitchen. Scratch that. When you’re dealing with a devil red commie, politics are everywhere. Typically it’s the commie who infuses every conversation with a dash of political scientology, like a tainted compass pulling the needle to a most untrue north. But when it comes to this dish it was all commie karma. See, my wife wasn’t quite my wife or even my fiancé when she whipped up this dandy of a dish, and from what she tells me I liked it. Wish I could say I remember. But what I do remember is that her commie roommate, Becky, (and she’s an avowed commie so I’m not insulting her even though her entire political philosophy is based off the same premise that says it’s okay to use a guillotine for circumcisions) made the same dish and I DO remember hers. The commie crashed, Sputnik spiraling to earth. You see, my wife, who stands at 5'9", placed the baking soda too high on the shelf for commie roommate to reach. In a pinch, Becky decided to substitute baking soda with baking powder, which equals brick! ...That's ok; the quiche restored her reputation in the kitchen.  

Ingredients:

3 Eggs

2 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Tbsp Vanilla

1 Cup Raisins

2 Cup Loosely Grated Zucchini

2 Cup Flour

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

Instructions:

Beat eggs until frothy; beat in sugar, oil, and vanilla until mix is thick. Stir in zucchini. Sift flour with rest of dry ingredients. Stir into mixture with raisins.  Bake in 2 greased and floured loaf pans for 1 hour at 350°.

CRAB, ARTICHOKE, & SPINACH DIP

Some of you may not know that I am haunted by parades. The first time I made this recipe was St. Patrick’s day in 2002. Of course, waiting until the last minute, I went to the downtown Harris Teeter to pick up the ingredients but was delayed by the St. Paddy’s Day parade. With Market Street barricaded, I was forced to watch the entire stinkin’ parade on King Street … steps away from my front door. In spite of the delay, the dip was a delicious success!

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped shallots
1/2 cup chopped garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces chopped artichoke hearts
8 ounces crab meat (not imitation; not claw...get the white stuff)
4 cups spinach
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup Boursin cheese (Garlic Herb)
1 cup bread crumbs

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil until caramelized. Add the artichokes and crab, and sauté. Add spinach, cream, crushed red pepper, tomatoes, and cheese. Stir. Let it simmer then puree mixture. Place in casserole dishes and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 7 minutes. Hollow out two loaves of round bread loaves and use as dip bowls so that the bread “walls” can be eaten.

AUTUMN CARROT-GINGER SOUP

This soup can be scary good. And I mean that. I made it two Halloween's ago for my husband. We were carving pumpkins. Well, I was carving them, he was butchering them. And between stealing bite-sized Snickers' meant for the walk-ups my husband would sneak sips of the soup, asking "Are you sure this is right?" I think it went right. He's not sure. Guess it was so scary good I frightened the memory of this concoction clear out of his brain. So my recommendation is, pick the right occasion. Make it for Christmas and you never know what you'll find in your stocking!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

2 ½ lbs Carrots

1 Medium Yellow Onion

2 Tbsp Chopped Ginger

½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

3 Qts. Chicken stock

1 Cup Heavy Cream

2 Tbsp Chopped Garlic

Salt to Taste

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Allspice

1 tsp Nutmeg

½ Cup Brown sugar

Instructions:

Peel and chop onions, carrots, and ginger.  Heat olive oil and butter in a large stock pot (taller is better). Add onions and sweat until translucent. When onions are translucent, add carrots, garlic, and ginger.  Sauté for two to three minutes to release flavor and add chicken stock.  Simmer for forty five minutes or until carrots are soft but not falling apart.  Purée using a buerre mixer or cuisinart. Add salt, soy sauce, cayenne pepper, heavy cream, and remaining ingredients; continue to cook for fifteen minutes.