Lacy Parmesan Crisps

 These pair very well with similarly made salami crisps for the perfect salty snack or appetizer.

Ingredients

Thickly shredded Parmigian

Process

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. On a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet, place tablespoon mounds of the shredded cheese. Keep the mounds separated. 

3. Bake, on  a center rack, until golden brown and melted, about 5 minutes. 

4. Cool on wire rack and Enjoy!

Pasta al Limone

 Quick simple and yummy, I highly recommend this. It would also be great with shrimp. Serves 4 and easily double. I  originally got this recipe from WellPlated.com but we made some modifications along the way.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed

8 ounces pasta of choice (spaghetti or fettuccine ideally)

5 Tablespoons butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium lemons

1 cup finely grated parmesan

1/2 cup White Wine

 Salt

lots of Ground black pepper

Process

1. Thinly slice one lemon and render in 2 Tablespoons butter in a saute pan (like for a masala). Remove and dice. 

2. Add oil to the pan and saute the chicken cubes. Add the rendered lemon slices and simmer. Put aside to be added back in at the end. 

3. According to the pasta instructions, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta water. Then  drain. 

4.  Melt the remaining butter in a large pan, add the garlic, and cook for about a minute. 

5. Immediately add the hot pasta to the garlic skillet. Add 1/2 cup reserved water and the white wine. Toss to combine and continue cooking. Add the chicken and lemons and continue to saute. 

6. When ready to serve, serve with zested lemon rind and lemon juice form the remaining lemon. Sprinkle on the Parmesan and stir to combine. Keep stirring until it is smooth. 

7. Transfer to plates and season with salt and pepper.

Tait Pumpkin Pie

 The Tait Pumpkin pie is a boozy and delightful treat for Thanksgiving and Christmas. You need to prepare them days ahead so that they can cure (in other words, have some of the booze evaporate). This recipe makes three pies, so you have plenty to share or gift to others. This recipe is from my childhood next door neighbor "Granny Boultbee" and I had the pleasure of playing with her grandchildren when ever they visited.

Granny's daughter Marion shared the recipe with a little tale of it's origins.

"Mum kept the bottom of her no-longer-functioning pressure cooker just to make the pie filling. The Testa girls and I shed a tear when we dumped it as we were cleaning out the kitchen after Mum died. BTW, the recipe comes to us from Mum's mother's family, who came from Virginia/Maryland.  There's a family legend that my great grandmother (Mae Easter) was a Rebel spy, dancing with Union officers in Alexandria.  So of course, we always said the booze in the pie comes from our "southern roots." 

 And I thought they were Canadian! lol

Ingredients

4 cups canned pumpkin

2 sticks butter, softened

8 Tablespoons flour

2 and 1/3 cup Half & Half

2 and 1/3 cup white sugar

1 cup Molasses

Grated peel of 2 oranges

3 and 1/3 teaspoon cinnamon

3 and 1/3 teaspoon ginger

1/3 teaspoon ground cloves

1/3 teaspoon allspice

1/3 teaspoon mace

2/3 teaspoon salt

10 eggs

4 tsp rum

4 tsp brandy

3 pie crusts

Later: 1/2 cup rum

           1/2 cup brandy

Garnish: Whipped cream

                chopped nuts (optional)

Process

1. Measure pumpkin and set aside. 

2. In a heavy pot, cream the butter and flour. 

3. In a bowl, mix the spices with the sugar.  

4. Place pumpkin, cream, molasses, sugar, spices, and orange peel in the pot with the butter-flour mixture. 

5. Heat to bubbling hot, stirring often. 

6. Take off the heat. 

7. Beat eggs well with the teaspoons of liquor. 

8. Add 4 or more Tablespoons of the hot mixture to the eggs. 

9. Gradually work the eggs into the hot mixture, being careful not to cook the egg. 

10. Bring to bubbling hot again, stirring all the way. 

11. Stir and cook for two minutes. 

12. Set aside to cool. 

13. When cool, stir in the 1/2 cups of rum and brandy. 

14. Age in a cool place for at least 3 or 4 days before proceeding. It keeps well in the refrigerator but also freezes well. 

15. Fill uncooked pie shells generously. 

16. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes, then at 350 degrees until crust is done (about 30 minutes). 

17. Top with whipped cream and nuts (if you wish) and enjoy!

Mulligatawny soup

 This recipe was my beloved Shani's favorite version of this Indian classic. Serves 4 to 6 people.

Ingredients

1 cup red split lentils, picked washed and drained

7 cups chicken stock

3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 medium potato

7 cloves garlic, peeled

2" cube fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 

1.5 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Process

1. Combine the lentils, chicken stock, and turmeric in a heavy, medium sized pot and bring to a boil. 

2. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, turn heat to low, and simmer gently for 30 minutes. 

3. While the soup simmers, peel the potato and cut it into 1/2 inch dice. 

4. When the soup has cooked for 1/2 hour, add the cut potato and cover slightly ajar again, and continue simmering for another 30 minutes. 

5. During the second simmer, put the garlic and ginger into a blender, adding 5 Tablespoons water and blend until smooth. 

6. Once the soup base has finished simmering, add the contents of the blender to the soup and the spices and then blend using an immersion blender. 

7. Add the lemon juice and adjust seasonings according to taste. 

 

 

Serve as a first course to any Indian meal or enjoy this hearty soup any other time!

Concord Grape Jam

 I was ecstatic to find Concord Grapes at our local farmers market. It is such a delightful fruit to work with and nothing is better than a PBJ with home made jam!

I used 4 pounds of grapes, off the stem and rinsed in cold water. 

Ingredients

4 pounds de-stemmed and washed grapes

1/2 cup water

3 and 1/2 cups sugar

Juice of one lemon

Process

1. De-stem and rinse all of the grapes. 

2. Add the grapes and water to a non reactive stock pot and bring to a boil. 

3. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until they pop open like cranberries and soften. This takes about 20 minutes. 

4. Using a food mill and it's finest sieve, grind the grapes into a pulp over a bowl. 

5. Return the pulp to the cook pot, measuring how much pulp you have.

6. Using a 2:1 pulp:sugar ratio, add half that amount of sugar. For example, I have 7 cups of pulp, therefore I added 3.5 cups sugar. 

7. Add the juice of the lemon and bring to a simmer. 

8. Continue simmering until it thickens which was also roughly 20 minutes. 

9. Funnel jam into jars, wiping the rims before adding the lids. 

10. Process in a hot water bath for ten minutes. 

Enjoy!

Key Lime Poundcake from delish!

This simple recipe yields high levels of yum! I made the mistake of doubling it so I now have key lime pound cake for dessert, for a gift, and for the freezer! Thank you delish!

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a46946/key-lime-pound-cake-recipe/

Ingredients

For the cake:

3 sticks butter softened

1 block cream cheese

3 cups sugar

5 large eggs

3 Tablespoons lime juice

3 cups all purpose flour

Zest of 1 lime

For the glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon lime juice

2 Tablespoons water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lime

Process

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.

3. Mix in sugar, then gradually add in eggs 1 to 2 at a time, beating on low until combined.

4. Mix in lime juice, then flour.

5. Fold in lime zest.

6. Grease bundt of loaf pans.

7. Pour  cake batter into pans.

8. Bake in oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, roughly 75 minutes.

9. Make the glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, lime juice, water and vanilla. (If the glaze is too thick, add extra water, about a teaspoon at a time.)

10. Pour on top of cooled pound cake, then top with lime zest and serve.

Oronoka Bread

The Oronoka was a special place in Orono, ME that made my college years even more special. This picture of me and my mother was taken the night before graduation. The boots of beer were one of the many quirks about the Oronoka. Believe me when I say you need to know how to drink the boot or it will kick you at the end.

The Oronoka knew how to feed you - no portions were small and the at home cooking never ended. One of the more special features was the bread, brought to your table with butter. The other night in quarantine our friend Norm mentioned having the recipe which I had to have. So before the printed recipe disappears, here it shall live forever on my blog. Thank you Ellen from Oronoka for sharing it so long ago.

Ingredients

3/4 cup milk, warmed but not hot

3/4 cup hot water

12 grams instant yeast

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup sugar

half a beaten egg

11 grams salt

~ 600 grams flour

Process

1. Combine the water and milk. They should be warm but not hot.

2. Whisk in the yeast.

3. Whisk in the oil, sugar, beaten egg, and salt.

4. Add in the flour.

5. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Form dough into a ball and let rise for an hour.

7. When risen, punch down and form into a ball.

8. Repeat 6 and 7.

9. When it has risen the third time, separate dough into two balls.

10. Place the balls into two buttered loaf pans.

11. Achieve authenticity by making a six braid loaf of each. (if someone can translate exactly what that means I would much appreciate it).

12. Let rise until a little more than doubled.

13. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Serve warm with butter. Enjoy!

Chicken Pesto Pasta

This crowd pleasing pasta was a landmark feat for SP for, after years of despising pesto since my last pregnancy, getting me to not only try but also love this dish. SP glowed when he last made it and I took seconds. The pasta cooked in the broth is the best part and I may never cook pasta in water again! I recommend prepping your ingredients in advance of starting the process.

Ingredients

1.5 pounds chicken breasts, cut into cubes and tossed with salt and pepper

1 large head broccoli, cut into florets

1 box gemelli pasta

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups pesto

Process

1. Saute chicken in a large skillet. Remove from pan.

2. Put pasta and broth in the pan and cook until al dente (add water if necessary)

3. While pasta cooks, microwave the broccoli with a little water to soften.

4. When pasta is ready, add the chicken, broccoli and pesto, stirring to combine.

5. Cook a little while longer and if necessary add a little more broth to keep it saucy!

Enjoy!

Cheese Dollars or Cheese Pennies

This recipe was given to me by Susan Parker after a wonderful Christmas visit. This yummy appetizer is easy to fill up on!

Ingredients

1 stick butter - at room temperature

1/2 pound Sharp cheddar - finely shredded - at room temperature

1 cup flour

1/2 envelope of onion soup mix

Dash of cayenne pepper

Process

1. Mix all the ingredients until well blended. The Mixing is essential so take your time and do it thoroughly.

2. Divide the dough into 3 parts.

3. Roll each part out into a tube that is 6 inches long and 1.5 inches thick.

4. Wrap each in wax paper and close the ends.

5. Freeze at least over night, but could be as much as days.

6. Remove from freezer and let stand until slightly soft (check every 5 minutes).

7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

8. Slice each thinly, about 1/2 inch thick.

9. Bake in hot oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until they slightly darken.

10. Cool on rack and then keep in an air tight tin.