For easy peel eggs from Pat and Gary Griffin
1 to 6 eggs (hardly worth doing 1. No duh!) - We tried doing 9 at a time but they did not peel as easily 1 cup water Trivet or steamer basket basket in the pot. Secure lid on pot. Close pressure real ease valve. For hard boiled eggs; Press EGG function button or Press PRESSURE COOK, normal/low, 5 minutes Use NATURAL RELEASE (takes about 20 minutes) Release lid, put eggs in cool water for a minute or so, and peel.
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From Hebe Garcia
Ingredients: 3 good quality sausages, either beef or chicken. 1 Can of chickpeas Olive oil 1 medium size shallot 5 Sweet Peppers (the small kind) 1 cup chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons of capers 2-1/2 cups of Jasmine Rice 2-1/2 cups of chicken broth 1 cup of Spicy Arabiata Pomodoro Sauce ( or if you rather Tomato Basil) Salt to taste Procedure: 1. Slice sausage into preferred size rings, I cut mine about 1/2” thick. In a Cast Iron Skillet brown sausage on both sides, and set aside. 2. Chop shallot, sweet peppers and cilantro. Sauté with a bit of Olive oil (I use my InstaPot as I find it works best for rice at High Altitude) until shallot is translucent. 3. Add sausage, chickpeas, capers and rice, and stir to mix everything well. 4. Add Arabiata sauce, chicken broth and salt to taste. Cancel sauté setting on InstaPot, close lid and set to Rice Normal setting. Enjoy 😊 image courtesy of Maggie Elliot One does not have to be pregnant to enjoy eating and benefitting from this healthy meatloaf. It is so very delicious. One of my daughters came across this recipe while she was pregnant. A celebrity pregnant at the same time (she does not remember who) touted the benefits of eating this meatloaf. My daughter raved about it, so I tried it. Both pregnant ladies were right. Delicious cold as well as hot. One could add other ingredients such as minced carrots to augment its long list of vitamins and minerals. EnJOY  The quantities of this dense meatloaf are up to the cook; this is just a guideline. This nutritious meatloaf—providing folic acid, calcium, protein and, thanks to the oatmeal: minerals, e.g., potassium, iron, and zinc, along with fiber and antioxidants—is almost better cold than hot for sandwiches.
The watercress is starting to appear!
Please learn and know the difference between watercress and water hemlock. Cashews 1 cup soak them for 1/2 or an hour. Olive oil or coconut oil Onion 1 coarsely chopped. Lots of clean washed watercress, salt toasted sesame seeds and salt ground together for topping, green onion for topping Saute the onions till translucent then add the water cress til it is well wilted, let cool. Put the cashews and water in a blender on high to make the cream, add a bit of salt. Blend the onion, watercress, and cashew cream. Serve hot or cold as you like it, sprinkling chopped green onions and sesame salt on top. Stay safe, happy and in solidarity with life Scott Markman Chicken breasts with sun dried tomatoes. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (as many as you want), 2 cloves garlic 3 tbs olive oil, sun dried tomatoes ( as many as you want). Drizzle oil in casserole dish, sprinkle crushed garlic over oil. Add chicken breasts sprinkled with salt, pepper and garlic. Add tomatoes which have been soaked in warm water. Drizzle a little more olive oil over all. Cover and bake @350 for about 45 min. depending on # of breasts. When chicken is tender, remove from oven. Serve on pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Delicious!
Get a big pot of water going and add whatever you have.
Simmer and Enjoy. From Iren Schio
St. Joseph’s Feast Day, March 19, is celebrated all over the world but probably most enthusiastically in Italy, especially Sicily, and in Italian-American enclaves in the United States. A wonderful custom started centuries ago when sailors returning to Sicily from the mainland were overtaken by a fierce storm. The sailors prayed to St. Joseph that if he helped them reach shore safely, they would gratefully prepare and share a large feast in his honor. St. Joseph did his part, and the sailors did theirs. To this day, people of Italian descent prepare elaborate St. Joseph’s tables for favors granted by their saint. I attended one such feast at St. Peter’s Church in Chicago’s downtown Loop. The hosts set up a separate table for seating twelve children in imitation of the twelve apostles. Strangers were invited in off the street outside to help themselves to some of the food, which kept being replenished. St. Joseph’s tables (generally meatless) usually have lavish displays of flowers, fruits, especially oranges, and breads shaped into religious symbols. In New Orleans, home to a sizable population of Sicilian descendants, the Rouse chain of grocery stores sets up a ‘display’ St. Joseph’s table in some of its stores. To honor St. Joseph in a simpler fashion, I offer this easy recipe for Chicken Cacciatore. The Italian word Cacciatore means ‘hunter’ as this dish originated with hunters who could cook it easily outdoors. It probably was made with rabbit rather than chicken as hunters could snare them while hunting for larger game. Wild herbs for seasoning were readily available. Originally, this stew-like one-pot meal did not have tomatoes as they had not yet been imported from the New World—which makes this dish akin to Hungarian Goulash, also a hunters’ meal, which also originally was not made with tomatoes for the same reason. Wear red for St. Joseph as you cook and eat this meal. EnJOY A New Mexico acquaintance told me she had a new friend who was building an horno for her. While he was mudding the structure, he told her of a dish—Chicken Cacciatore—he enjoyed eating while growing up in a family of Italian descent, but he had no idea how to make it. I also remember eating this dish in Chicago’s Italian neighborhoods but had never made it. “Do you have a recipe for this dish?” she asked. “I would like to make it for my friend.” I checked all of my Italian cookbooks to no avail, leading me to conclude that this is an Italian-American dish. Further research, however, indicated that this dish did indeed originate in Italy—with hunters. Finally, I found two recipes—one from Time-Life cookbook and one from Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery—and combined the best of both to develop this delicious version.
images courtesy of Iren Schio This month, EnJOY features two recipes to honor two saints: Irish Coffee to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, and Italian-style Chicken Cacciatore to celebrate St. Joseph’s Day, March 19—with the two recipes appearing in separate weeks. I had the pleasure of growing up on Chicago’s immigrant southside (yes, one word) with many Irish neighbors, who attended St. Cecilia’s Church and School, while my Austrian compatriots attended St. George’s Church and School, and we got along well. The lilt of Irish brogues contrasted with the heavier accent of German speakers. The Irish loved the corned beef my Father brined in our store before St. Patrick’s Day and put in their orders early for their brisket. Mounds of cabbage and overflowing bins of potatoes were at the ready for our customers. As in all large cities around the globe, Chicago annually mounts a big parade downtown after dyeing the dark Chicago River a bright luminous green, but the southside Irish hold a separate parade on a separate day as some people, especially politicians, participate in both—all wearing the green. While at this time of the year, newspapers and magazines feature recipes for Irish food, I want to present to you the authentic original recipe for and history of Irish Coffee. EnJOY Here are two recipes for Irish Coffee. One is a poem, and the other a hot libation—perfect for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. Both versions were created by the same individual, Joe Sheridan, chef at a restaurant at the Foynes airbase outside of Limerick, Ireland (replaced since by Shannon International Airport). In the mid-1930s, it was decided by the US and Canada that all eastbound transatlantic flights would terminate at Foynes, which could handle water landings of heavy flying boats. In 1942, a westbound flight destined for New York had to return to Foynes because a winter storm developed in the North Atlantic. To warm the disheartened passengers, Joe Sheridan served them Irish Coffee. As is well known, the Irish are a poetic people as evidenced by their literature and music, so it makes perfect sense for a chef to create a poem to help people remember the ingredients of his simple yet satisfying hot libation. FIRST, Joe Sheridan’s poem. . .
NOW, Joe Sheridan’s hot libation. . .
Toast like the Irish: Slainte (health - say slawn-che) — EnJOY
 The "mother" in this recipe refers to Brian's maternal Grandmother Helen Vaughan. We are in Phoenix this week where the lemon tree is loaded and ready to pick. Thank you Mary Helen for sharing this recipe (and for the lemons).
4 Tbsp Flour 4 Tbsp Butter 1 2/3 C Sugar Creamed together 2 Lemons (Juice and zest) 4 Egg Yolks 2 C Milk 4 Egg Whites (stiffly beaten) Add to mixture in this order Place in Greased 9 X 13 baking dish, set in oven in a pan of hot water. Bake 45 minutes at 350. Jan Bachman
Ingredients 1 large egg 1/4 teaspoon garlic 1/2 t paprika 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs coarse sea salt black pepper 1 1/2 pounds cod fillets cut into 4-inch sections 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1-2 T butter, melted Directions Whisk together the egg, garlic, paprika, and 2 tablespoons of water in a large, shallow dish. Mix together the panko and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in another large, shallow dish. Season the cod sections generously with salt and pepper. Dip each one into the flour to coat and shake off any excess, then into the egg wash, and then into the panko mixture to coat, patting so that it adheres. As you work, arrange the sections in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking tray. Using a pastry brush, brush them all over with the melted butter. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°. Bake the cod for 16 to 18 minutes, or until just cooked through. The fillets will begin to flake when they are done. Ingredients
4 eggs 3 tbsp flour 5 tbsp Sugar ½ cup butter 1 cup chocolate chips Separate eggs. Melt butter over low heat. Add chips to butter and melt until smooth. Mix sugar with yolks. In bowl with yolk mixture, add smooth chocolate chips mixture and mix. Add flour, tablespoon by tablespoon. Fluff egg whites and fold into chocolate batter. Pour into small, wax paper lined, spring form pan and bake covered with foil at 350° about 45 minutes. I now make this several different ways, trying to make it perfect. One thing I do to make it GF is to use corn starch instead of flour. Also, I sometimes use GF flour. Either works fine. I have been cooking it in a waterbath lately, though that slows down cooking time quite a bit. I have poured about a half cup of chocolate chips into the center of the cake after it's in the sprinform pan, to make it more molten. Finally, I've added flavors, like almond extract, or raspberry, which is very nice. Last night I added orange flavoring and orange marmalade and orange zest, which I quite liked.  Image Courtesy of Iren Schio IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN as Kermit the Frog sings to us. Why not? It should be, as greens are not only good for us but also because they can be incredibly delicious, especially when made from a recipe such as this one for Creamy Garlic Spinach—which is similar to dense well-seasoned steak-house spinach. This is the spinach I learned to love as a child, except my Mother made it with fresh spinach she chopped, after cooking the leaves, in a well-worn wooden bowl with a two-bladed rocking cutting tool having a green handle. She poured the hot strained spinach cooking liquid into a tall glass and handed it to me to drink as she also did with cauliflower, green bean, and carrot water so that the vitamins in these vegetables went into me instead of down the kitchen sink. After all these years, I still follow this practice. Do try this spinach recipe, which has converted spinach haters into spinach lovers. EnJOY Frozen spinach works well in this recipe. There is no advantage to using fresh spinach, and it is much more work. These measurements are not too specific and can be varied according to taste. As creamed spinach freezes well, one might as well make a large quantity and have it on hand.
 Carol and Brian, Positano Brian Bondy
We first discovered Limoncina’s stronger brother drink, Limoncello, while visiting the Amalfi coast with Mary Helen and Natalia. I brought home the recipe on a kitchen towel purchased on Capri. It’s a great after dinner drink. As an alternative to sipping, try pouring a shot over lemon sorbet or mix with seltzer water over ice. 6 Ripe Lemons 2 1/2 Cups Vodka 2 Cups Sugar 2 Cups Water ½ vanilla bean. Wash the lemons well. Carefully remove the peel only, cutting away as much of the white pith as possible. Use a carrot peeler. Put the rind in a sterilized glass jar with a lid, and pour the vodka over top, add the ½ vanilla bean. Cover, and store for 10 days. After 10 days, prepare sugar syrup with the sugar and water. Bring them to a boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Filter the vodka and lemon peel, by pouring through cheesecloth. Mix with the syrup, and leave for about 10 days to mature. Place in the refrigerator before serving. This liqueur will keep for months and makes a great holiday gift or hostess gift. Note: Chill and serve in chilled liqueur glasses; it is a refreshing summer after dinner drink. Use Grain Alcohol (same recipe) for Limoncello, which can be stored in freezer.  Image courtesy of Iren Schio Intro – January 2020 The New Year usually gets off to a very wet start—champagne or eggnog or punch, etc. My personal preference to greet the New Year is hot-buttered rum. This is a very old libation much loved by the American colonists, but it probably descended from drinks imbibed at the time in Merry Olde England, whose citizens loved quaffing hot spicy drinks in Winter. One Colonial practice was to warm the ingredients by plunging a red-hot poker into the mug. Rum was cheap and originated in nearby Caribbean islands, where sugar cane was grown with slave labor. The cane was cooked down to molasses which was shipped to New England, where distilleries were built to turn molasses into rum. Nowadays, the entire process usually takes place close to sugar-cane production not only in the Caribbean but also in Latin America. Recently, good friends and I gathered around a blazing fire burning in a firepit set up in the snow and drank hot-buttered rum. We did not feel the cold. National Hot-Buttered Rum Day is coming up soon--January 17. Get ready to celebrate by mixing up a batch of spicy hot-buttered rum mix per this recipe This drink is wonderful on a cold wintry day especially in front of a roaring fire—indoors or out. It can be given to children without the rum, and it will soothe sore throats and reduce coughing. A covered batch of hot-buttered rum mix can sit in the refrigerator for months and still be good. Developed by a bartender in Oregon, this recipe was published in Gourmet magazine in the ‘60s.
Eunhee Lee
Thank Eunhee for this recipe! The only planning needed is to purchase the rice wraps (I used to buy at Smith’s in Los Alamos or you can purchase on Amazon). Everything else is likely in your fridge already. Do not layer rolls over 2 layers as they get sticky and become difficult to remove. If rolls are sticky when serving, tell your guest to remove slowly to prevent damage. (This is not a bandaid!!!) Enjoy! We miss everyone’s beautiful smiles. Vegan Spring Rolls
Thai-Style Peanut Sauce
Directions: Whisk together until consistency of honey Credit to: Jeramyn Feucht, Allrecipes.com for sauce  Mary Helen, Brian and Natalia making wreath cookies 2017 There are a lot of traditions in the Bondy family at holiday time. Fried Bologna at breakfast and wreath cookies - always a favorite with the kids of all ages. ¼ cup butter 40 regular or 4 cups mini marshmallows 5 cups corn flakes green food coloring red hots Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan. Add marshmallows and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until marshmallows are melted. Add food coloring to make a deep green. Stir in corn flakes, working quickly, spoon cornflake mixture into 24 2” mounds onto waxed paper. Add 3-4 red hots to top and shape round. It helps to spray your teaspoons and waxed paper with Pam. Watch out for the green tongues!  Christmas and cookies go together ofcourse. I have many happy memories of cookies sweetening this year-end holiday, but my favorite is of a woman with whom I worked who took Christmas cookie baking seriously. Every December 1, she bought 20 pounds of butter. Every day after work, she would make a light dinner and go to bed early. Then she would awake about two o’clock in the morning and bake a batch of cookies. These would be packed into candy boxes she collected throughout the year at the office, where we had a custom of celebrating our birthdays by buying two pounds of chocolates, passing them around after lunch, and then giving my friend the empty box. These boxes of cookies would be stashed in her freezer to be shared at Christmas, especially at her annual Christmas open house. In addition to all the Swedish recipes she learned early in life, she made Mexican besos (kisses) and a shortbread cookie so rich that she cut the dough into half-inch cubes, sprinkled with red and green sugars. Another woman, with the help of two of her friends, gathered all of her grandchildren into her large kitchen on a Saturday early in December for a full day of baking and decorating cookies while their parents had the day free for serious Christmas shopping. When their parents returned, each child offered them a tin of Christmas cookies. My all-time favorite Christmas cookie is my Mother’s unusual butter cookie, which is offered here for you to try. Please do and remember to leave some out for Santa Claus. EnJOY Christmas Eve in our Unger household always was scented by pine from the Christmas tree, furniture polish in the living room, the fishy smell of tuna salad (the only time in the year that this meal was served due to a meatless vigil), and the best smell of all---Christmas butter cookies. My Mother’s Christmas butter cookies are like no others due to their 1/4-inch thickness and primarily due to the inclusion of sieved hard-boiled egg yolks, which affect the texture and enhance the yellow color. The cookies should be golden yellow, not brown, so one must watch the baking carefully (my Mother would pull up a chair to the oven with its light on to watch color). This recipe was lost for many years until a happenstance long-distance phone call with our long-time next-door Illinois neighbor, Laverne, gratefully brought it to light. On Laverne’s recipe card, this recipe was attributed to another neighborhhood baker with whom my Mother shared it but who claimed it as her own. I still use my Mother’s five old Christmas cookie cutters; they are willed to my children, Lisa, Sheila, and Patrick, and to my granddaughters, Haley and Zoe.
 Quite a few years ago I assembled a family cookbook with recipes from members of our extended and blended family. This recipe is from my Grandchildren's French Grandmother Laure Nikolic (and an excuse to include a picture of my much younger grandson).
Laure Nikolic Ingrédients 1 stick unsalted butter 1 cup cake flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla Madeleine mold Set oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until light and foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating constantly at high speed, and continue to beat until mixture is tripled in volume. Add flour and melted butter slowly. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of batter into each mold. Bake for 8 minutes until golden brown.  Jessica Rath
I know of three other vegans in the Greater Abiquiu Area. I bet there are many more people who are curious and would like to give it a try, if they had some guidance and inspiration. For example, my baking skills greatly improved after I learned about this fantastic egg substitute: Mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with about 3 - 4 tablespoons of water in a small cup (it should be quite liquid) and let sit for 5 minutes or so. It will become quite gelatinous. Use whenever a recipe asks for 1 egg; increase flax/water amount accordingly when more eggs are required. This rich, moist, chocolaty cake may be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving Dinner; it is delicious! Vegan Chocolate-Cherry Cake Dry ingredients: 2 c flour ½ rolled oats pinch of salt 1 TS baking powder ½ TS baking soda 2/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder 1 c chopped walnuts 1 c vegan chocolate chips (Trader Joe’s) Wet ingredients: 1 TS ground flax seed, mixed with some water ½ c vegetable oil ¾ c brown (organic) sugar 1 c soy milk 1 c juice from cherries 1 tea spoon vanilla 1 glass jar canned cherries (Trader Joe’s) Mix first 8 dry ingredients in a larger bowl. In a smaller bowl, beat oil and sugar with a wire whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add flax-seed mix, vanilla, and soy milk. Empty the cherries into a strainer over a small bowl, saving the juice. Add 1 c of juice (or more) to liquid mix. Prepare baking form: rub a bit of vegan butter onto bottom and sides of a spring form, then dust with flour. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour liquid mix into dry ingredients, mix well, then add the cherries. It should have the consistency of thick mud; add a bit of juice or milk if too dry. Pour into spring form. Bake about 50 - 60 min., test that it’s done. Let cool a bit, then open the spring on the side of the form so that cake can cool. I always cover everything with a clean white cotton cloth, to absorb any moisture. Sprinkle organic powdered sugar on top, or – use vegan whipping cream! Or – use vegan Cool Whip, available at Sprouts in Frozen section.  One of the best things about our traditional American Thanksgiving dinner is the choice of leftovers and the creative uses to which such leftovers can be put. Thanksgiving evening, shortly after we think, “I can’t eat another thing,” we may find ourselves heading to the kitchen and opening the fridge to see what would make a quick snack. For me, that is usually a leftover biscuit split in half, dabbed with mayo, and filled with a small piece of cold turkey and topped with a spoonful of cranberry sauce. My favorite leftover, however, is Turkey Carcass Soup. Making it also clears out the fridge a bit. Though not as rich as a traditional bone broth because the turkey bones have given up most of their goodness during the roasting process, this soup is satisfying because of the addition of fresh vegetables, frozen corn, and wild rice. It became even more filling the year I decided to make croutons from leftover stuffing. The morning after Thanksgiving, while the Turkey Carcass Soup was simmering gently on the stove, perfuming the whole house, and working up appetites for lunch, I was rearranging the fridge. “What can I do with all this leftover stuffing?” I wondered. I transferred it to a large rectangular baking dish and baked it until crisp and cut it into small squares for topping the soup. Ever since, these croutons have been part of this soup recipe, which I hope you will try this Thanksgiving. A New Mexico friend—when she lived on a small farm in Michigan—threw a star-gazing party most every August during the Persied Meteor Showers. Friends from several states would arrive in campers and trucks loaded with food. One year, three turkeys were brought—my smoked turkey, a roasted turkey, and one made on site on a Weber grill. After a long, sumptuous outdoor feast and lots of oohs and aahs as we watched the meteors, several women gathered in the farm-house kitchen and began stripping the turkey carcasses of meat, and all during the night a large stock pot simmered with turkey bones and meat and lots of vegetables. The first person to waken was expected to enter the kitchen and turn on the huge coffee pot already filled with water and coffee. As I crawled out of my pup tent, I realized I was the only person there to see the sun rise. Walking up the steps to the kitchen, I was overwhelmed with the smell of turkey carcass soup. Sometimes I think I can still smell it. Yes, I know I can!
Julie Talatinian via Carol Bondy
From “Sunset Less Than 7 Ingredients” via Mary Helen Bondy The first time I remember having this at my mother in law Mary Helen’s and she made it with Spaghetti Squash instead of the Linguine in deference to Brian’s gluten free diet. Since then I’ve had it with Linguine and Rice noodles but my favorite remains the Spaghetti Squash. But really the sauce is so delicious you can put it on anything! 8 oz Linguine or Spaghetti (or 1 Spaghetti Squash) 1/3 lb thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 1/4 “ strips (or packaged chopped prosciutto) ¼ cup olive oil ½ cup thinly sliced green onions with tops 3 oz jar pimiento stuffed green olives drained and chopped 1 cup chopped tomatoes Cook Pasta al dente, Drain and place in a warmed bowl or Poke holes in spaghetti squash and cook at ….. for one hour Meanwhile, combine prosciutto and oil in a large frying pan. Cook, stirring over a medium high heat until proscuitto is lightly browned (approximately 3 minutes.) Add onions and cook, stirring until limp (the onions, not you) (approximately 2 minutes) Add olives and tomatoes and cook, shaking pan often, until olives are hot (approximately 2 minutes) If using spaghetti squash, bake until soft, remove seeds and with a fork scrape out the “noodles” into a bowl. Pour prosciutto mixture over noodles and toss well. Transfer to warm serving bowl and top with grated parmesan cheese. Makes two to four servings. (Usually I double this recipe) Per serving: 387 calories, 798 mg sodium  This cake became popular in the 1930s Depression era, when sugar and other items normally used for baking cakes were a luxury. Assemble all items to make ‘The Glue’ and add ‘The Stuff’ as, once the process starts, one must work quickly (forget about answering the phone or doorbell). To serve, tear cake apart in chunks (it is too difficult to cut with a knife). Keeps well. Ships well. Note from Brian: Hilda made this cake for us, and it was wonderful. It's interesting how our foods change over time, and how what we cook changes, and why, such as in the Depression. This cake was strangely addicting and I kept going over and getting another slice. It was a nice mix of salty, sweet, and crunch.
While visiting family in New Orleans, I checked out local cooking shows and really enjoyed watching a jovial and enthusiastic chef named Kevin Belton. When I returned to New Mexico, I discovered his cooking shows here on PBS. Belton does not bother to give out measurements. He just starts throwing ingredients together, and soon a dish is plated and ready to serve. He likes promoting the many food festivals that occur all year long all over Louisiana and recently taught his viewers that Oktoberfest is celebrated throughout his state, thanks to the influx of Germans in past centuries. They, of course, established beer breweries and started bakeries that to this day continue to supply NOLA’s many stores and restaurants with tasty bread. Virtually every Louisiana community celebrates Oktoberfest. Chef Belton recently presented a menu that started with large soft pretzels for dipping into mustard while drinking beer, pork schnitzels, and sauerkraut. I jotted down the ingredients for this dish but had to guess at measurements based on using one pound of sauerkraut. Here is my result, but please do use your own judgment about measurements when you “throw together” this traditional German October dish, which you may want to serve with bratwurst and potatoes. Prosit!
Intro — Afternoon Snack While Autumn mornings in northern New Mexico can be quite chilly, Autumn afternoons are pleasantly warm but, blessedly, not hot—a good time for a snack. Why not crunchy chocolate chip cookies washed down with REAL lemonade? The crunch in these cookies comes from 1 cup crushed corn flakes. The refreshing lemonade is made from real lemons. These recipes are provided by Maggie Elliott of Santa Fe, a frequent visitor to Abiquiu with many friends here. Maggie believes that sharing recipes makes the world a better place and a more delicious place, especially on an Autumn afternoon. LEMONADE NECTAR Every refrigerator should always have fresh lemons on hand. A few drops of these golden citrus orbs, loaded with Vitamin C and its myriad health benefits, can give a fresh taste to vegetables, fish, salads, dips, beverages, or even to a glass of plain water. In our always-in-a-hurry society, refreshing good old-fashioned lemonade has been replaced with hard-to-swallow and bitter powdered liquid. The real thing can be prepared just as quickly as the artificial drink--if one keeps a jar of this easy-to-make lemonade nectar in the refrigerator. Try this recipe just once, and you will not be tempted ever again to drink the powdered imitation.
BEST-EVER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES This recipe was given me by dear friend Maggie Elliott after I tasted her gift of them and declared them the best-ever chocolate chip cookies. Maggie received this recipe from Marge Mann in Michigan, and now it is time to share it. Enjoying these cookies reminded me of other versions of America’s favorite cookie. When I needed a large-quantity recipe for a Girl Scout project, Illinois neighbor Henrietta Hertel generously shared her recipe, which also contained oatmeal, coconut, and nuts. Henrietta baked these cookies for children, teachers, and staff in the Palatine school system. Regrettably, I no longer have this nummy and generously sized recipe. Another fond chocolate chip cookie story that comes to mind is of 1970s co-worker Helen Applebaum, who danced disco every other night and came home so late that—instead of going to bed because she was afraid she might not get up to make it to work on time—she would stay up and bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies which she brought, still warm, to the office for her grateful co-workers.
Next to tomatoes, zucchini must be the garden staple most-often shared with friends and neighbors by zealous gardeners who are over-whelmed by the bounty of zucchini. Resourceful cooks and bakers have developed recipes such as zucchini bread and zucchini cake so as not to let this precious vegetable go to waste. Zucchini is loaded with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. Growing up, the only zucchini with which I was acquainted was more than a foot long, very dark green, and weighing several pounds. It arrived in my parents’ Chicago grocery store late in summer, always early on Friday mornings delivered in a red truck with gold lettering that proudly read Panzarella & Son, our produce vendors. While his son Tony carried in the many boxes, baskets, and hampers of vegetables and fruit, Senor Panzarella, whom my Father always greeted in Italian, would make himself comfortable on a chair in our store’s back room and patiently trim away excess greenery from heads of lettuce and such, and he made sure that only the freshest, unblemished produce would be left with us. One customer always came just as soon as she saw the red truck arrive from Chicago’s Randolph Street Market, founded in 1850. Edna Ferber wrote about this famous market in So Big. As each fruit and vegetable was unpacked and inspected, my Father would display it artistically on oak shelving in front of the store—veggies by the long window and fruits on a perpendicular wall. Our early Friday customer would pluck each produce item she wanted and set it on the counter with her other groceries. I don’t know how she cooked super-sized zucchini, but my Mother made it per this recipe. If zucchini is bolting in your garden or you find a super-sized one in a farmers market, try this recipe. EnJOY The roux-and-sour cream sauce for this version of zucchini also works very well for green beans, wax beans, and white turnips. These vegetables, however, require blanching before being added to the sauce. Can be made ahead. Freezes well. Simply thaw and reheat slowly.
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