Did I Mention the Curry Powder?

[carolion]

Oh yes, Gracie - there is NO WAY I would not be interested in these recipes. I have this gut feeling you're an incredible mega fantastic cook. So - pllllleeeeeeeez? And Thank YOU.

[Jane]

So I have three new recipes I'm going to try for Thanksgiving. My sister told me to bring something pumpkiny and something sweetpotatoy. Actually, my father is the one who liked sweet potatoes, and he, being deceased, will not be joining us. But I got a recipe for Indian Pudding (which my husband loves and I fix maybe once a year) from the Splendid Table, one recipe also from ST for Pumpkin Upside-Down Cake with Cranberry Pecan Topping and another for Spiced Sweet Potatoes. Can't wait for Thursday!

And my other thread is about weight loss! Why is food so damned tasty?!?!?

[Gracie]

Gut feeling! Humor! I get it!

Actually I'm only funny because I THINK I am.

But I'm an okay cook, 'tis true.

SO away we go........


Delta Cream Cheesecake

(2) 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened (mascarpone is even better if you can get it...)
(2) c. sour cream
(2) large eggs
(2) tablespoons pure vanilla extract
(1) c. granulated sugar, divided
(1) crumb crust (cinnamon graham cracker or butter cookie are our favorites here) pressed into a springform pan

Blend 1/2 c. sugar, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and cream cheese until very thick and smooth. Spread over crust in pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. The top of the cake will be dulled and smooth, lightly puffed and may crack (it's okay if it does.) Blend sour cream with remaining sugar, egg, and vanilla and pour over hot cake. Turn oven up to 400 degrees; when it's reached that temperature, bake cake an additional 5 minutes. The edges will just begin to bubble when it's done.

You can make this in an ordinary pan and it turns out just fine, but it's easier to cut and serve if made in a springform. It's good chilled or room temp and it freezes beautifully (and yes, you can even eat it frozen!)

If you want it to be supercreamy, wrap the outside of the pan in heavy duty foil, then set it down into a pan of water and bake as directed.


and the cookies:

Butter Cookies

(2) sticks sweet butter, softened (do not substitute margarine here)
(1) c. vegetable oil (I usually use corn oil for these)
(2) large eggs
(1) c. granulated sugar
(1) c. confectioners' sugar
(1) teaspoon baking powder
(1) teaspoon baking soda
(1&1/2) teaspoons pure vanilla extract
(4&1/2) c. unbleached all purpose flour (or 4 c. all purpose and 1/2 c. rice flour, which gives an incredible texture)

Blend butter, oil, sugar and confectioners' sugar together until very creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat again until very light. Whisk together flour(s) with baking powder and baking soda and fold into butter mixture. Stir well and then smooth and press dough down tight (it looks just like homemade vanilla ice cream) and cover and CHILL OVERNIGHT. (Don't skip these two steps. For some reason, they're essential.) Shape into small balls (I use the purple ice cream scoop I got at Gordon Food Service--each color is a different size, and the purple one makes perfect cookies) and place on ungreased (I line the pans with parchment paper). Flatten lightly with fingertips and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or JUST until cookies begin to turn golden around bottom edges. (If you let the tops brown, they will be crunchy, but if you bake as directed they are crisp without being hard.)

You can do many things with this recipe; wash with an egg wash and put an almond in them, as you said you liked (if you did this, I would use butter-nut vanilla extract to echo the taste and mouthfeel), or press a small well into each one (I use a 1/4 teaspoon to do this) and fill with seedless raspberry jam. You can use lemon or coconut extract in place of the vanilla.

Store tightly covered. These freeze well, IF you have any left over!

[hartlikeawheel]

Curried Rice

Here's a fool-proof recipe.

In a heavy saucepan with a tight lid put one cup of raw long-grained white -yes white - rice and two cups cold water. Or you can used chicken broth, if you wish. Add your favorite curry powder, golden raisins and slivered almonds to taste. Let stand for about a half an hour.

Cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to the lowest setting and let cook for 14 min. Remove from heat and let stand covered to steam for ten more minutes. Open and toss. Let stand about five more minutes to dry.

This is good with all Indian food and I like it for breakfast!

[carolion]

Gracie - Thank you, Darlin'! And I'd add almond flavoring to the dough, as well.
Good reminder to freeze leftovers - unfortunately I'm not good at leaving leftovers alone, frozen or not - so I will just take them to work to fatten up the other library folk; and take them to neighbors as well.

[joew]

Don't use oatmeal stout at the liquid in lamb stew.

And now the rest of the story.

I bought about 3/4lb. of "lamb neck for stew," and as I thought about how to cook it I recalled that my uncle had told of a dish they called "graveyard stew" at Niagara University in the late 1920's. Apparently it was made with lamb, which, regrettably, does not impart much flavor or color to the liquid in which it is cooked.

So I decided to brown a chopped onionand a sliced carrot and the lamb (seasoned with celery salt, pepper, mild paprika, and tarragon) and deglaze the pan with oatmeal stout, which then became the cooking fluid. A second deglazing was done with some water and 1/4 cup of barley, which I added to the stew after it had simmered for a while on the stovetop. (The oatmeal stout was brewed by Ipswich Ales, and it is dark and thick like Guinness Stout — and if you like heavy beer, it's worth trying.)

Unfortunately, the lamb did not add much to the flavor of the liquid, which tasted quite bitter. It was helped somewhat by the adition of a bit more tarragon, salt and pepper. But I think that the proportions need to be changed, if one is to use the oatmeal stout at all. Half stout and half water might work. Maybe a teaspoon of sugar or honey would cut the bitterness. Maybe a bay leaf or two would sweeten it.

After 2 hours in the oven at 300° the lamb was tender, the onion had just about completely dissolved, and the crrot pieces were soft. But the liquid was too bitter.