Palate Pleasers

Moo's Cream of Zucchini Soup

2008-01-19T20:28:00.000-05:00

1 lb. zucchini, coarsely diced
2 T shallots or scallios, minced
1 clove garlic
2 T olive oil
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Wash zucchini but do not peel. Dice coarsely. Mince shallots (or scallions). Heat olive oil in large sauce pan and add zucchini, shallots and garlic. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Do not let vegetables brown. Put cooked vegetables into blender or food processor. Process then add the remaining ingredients and blend again. You can serve this soup hot or cold.

Moo's Cheese-Mushroom Crepe Filling

2008-01-12T18:42:00.000-05:00

1 cup cottage cheese (or 8 oz. cream cheese)
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
1/4 lb. fresh mushrooms, minced
1 T scallions or shallots, minced
1 T butter
1/2 T olive oil

Mash cheese in a bowl with salt and pepper. Sometimes I add a little chili powder for an extra zip. Beat in the egg. Saute mushrooms and scallions in butter and olive oil for 5 minutes. Stir sauted vegetables into the cheese mixture. Put some of the mixture down the center of each crepe, roll. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Serve with a white cheese sauce topping.

Moo's Basic Crepe Recipe

2008-01-12T18:25:00.000-05:00

3 eggs
1 cup sifted flour
1 1/2 cup milk
3 T melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Beat eggs slightly and stir in flour, salt and lemon rind. Mix in the milk and butter. Batter should be as thin as cream.

Heat a little non-stick skillet (6" or 8" dia.) and spray with Pam. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into a hot skillet. Tip skillet back and forth until there is a thin, even layer of batter covering the bottom of the pan. Cover over a brisk heat until crepe is golden brown. Flip and lightly brown the second side. Makes about 20-24 crepes

Moo's Salmon Aspic Mousse

2008-01-12T18:12:00.000-05:00

2 env. unflavored gelatin
2 cans jellied madrilene
2 cans salmon (you could substitute 2 pounds of fresh poached salmon)
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup sour cream

Soften gelatin in 1 can of madrilene in a large sauce pan over low heat. Stir constantly until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the second can of madrilene. Measure out 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside for the moment. Stir wine into the remaining madrilene mix in the sauce pan. Drain salmon, bone and flake (or flake your freshly poached salmon). Put salmon in a large bowl. Beat in the 1/2 cup of gelatin mixture and the Miracle Whip. Fold sour cream into the salmon mixture.

Pour gelatin wine mixture into a fish-shaped mold and chill until almost set. Then pour in salmon mixture and chill mold overnight.

When ready to serve, unmold salad and garnish with greens. You may want a little extra Miracle Whip on the side in a bowl. We like to tint it a light green.

Kendra's Choco-Mocha Punch

2008-01-12T18:01:00.000-05:00

Okay this may not be your ordinary punch, but it IS a delicious palate pleaser. It's like a frosty frappuchino.

1/2 gallon chocolate ice cream, softened
8 cups strong coffee, chilled
1 pint half and half
1 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp salt
Very dark chocolate, grated on top
Ground cinnamon on top

You don't want to make this very far in advance as it will melt. However, if you have room in your freezer, chill the punch bowl. So about 15 minutes before you are ready to serve put softened ice cream in a large mixing bowl. Add about 3 cups of the cold coffee and mix until smooth.

When it's time to serve, put the ice cream mix in the punch bowl. Add half and half, extract, salt and the rest of the cold coffee. Stir then sprinkle the top with grated chocolate an cinnamon.

Niki's Lacy Tempura

2008-01-12T16:18:00.000-05:00

Moo, Niki and I worked hard to create a tempura recipe that would enable us to create a light and lacy tempura. We experimented with many ingredients, temperatures and combinations. This is one of our better creations. Great with shrimp and vegetables.

1 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined and flattened
2 eggs
1 cup very cold water
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
10 ice cubes
4 T very cold water
Olive oil

Tempura Dipping Sauce #1
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry
Sprinkle a little minced ginger on each individual bowl of dipping sauce

Dipping Sauce #2 (not traditional but very good)
1 T dry mustard
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 T water

Once you have cleaned and prepared the shrimp, store them in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook. To make the batter, beat eggs with very cold water. Sift together flour, cornstarch and salt. Beat this mix into the liquid (this is not a lumpy batter). Because you want the batter to be very cold when you drip shrimp and/or vegetables into the hot oil, add 10 ice cubes to the batter and set the batter bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice.

Pour enough olive oil into a sauce pan to deep fry shrimp. Heat oil to 375 degrees. And it will be important for you to maintain a steady heat.

With your left hand dip into the lace batter and shake it into the hot oil. With right hand, dip a cold shrimp into the main batter and roll it onto the lace. Cook until golden

For lace, place 1 cup of batter into a smaller bowl. Stir in 4 T of very cold water.

Moo's Choco-Chip Coffee Cake

2008-01-12T16:06:00.000-05:00

Batter
1/4 lb. butter, room temperature
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips

Pecan Topping
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a spring-form pan. Mix up the topping in a small bowl. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese then gradually add the sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add vanilla, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Stir in cold milk and chocolate chips. Mixture will be very thick. Pour into prepared pan, sprinkle pecan mixture on top. Bake 50-55 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing the pan's outside ring.

Fettucine Alfredo a la Moo

2008-01-10T07:34:00.000-05:00

Moo wrote to me, "Fettucine Alfred is so classic but even so there are many great variations. This one is mine."

1/2 lb. noodles, Moo recommended a slightly wider noodle, she also preferred fresh, undried noodles
1/4 lb. unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream, warmed
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cook noodles al dente, drain and put in a hot serving dish. Add remaining ingredients and toss quickly and thoroughly. Cheese and butter should melt into a creamy sauce that coats the noodles. Use a large fork and spoon as if you are tossing a salad.

Moo's fresh noodle recipe: 5 eggs beaten with 2 tsp salt. Beat in flour until you can no longer use the beater (about 2 cups). Leave dough in the bowl and dust with a little more flour and start kneading with your hands until it really holds its shape. Transfer to a plastic bag and rest for 30 minutes. Knead and add extra flour as needed. Start making noodles.

Moo's Shredded Beef with Hot Sauce

2008-01-10T07:15:00.000-05:00

1 lb. flank steak
6-8 fresh water chestnuts
2 T tree ears fungi
2 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp. garlic clove, chopped
6 T olive oil

Marinade
2 T dark soy sauce
1 T sherry
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 T cornstarch

Seasoning Sauce
2 T dark soy sauce
1 T sherry
1 T sugar
1 T wine vinegar
2 T hot bean sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 T sesame oil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 T scallions, shredded

In a bowl, mix marinade ingredients: soy sauce, sherry, sugar and cornstarch. Cut flank steak against the grain in 2" long thin strips and marinate for about 20 minutes. Set aside. Soak tree ears in hot water for about 20 minutes. Then cut into small pieces. Peel water chestnuts and slice. Mix all seasoning sauce ingredients: soy sauce, sherry, sugar, vinegar, hot bean sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, pepper and scallions.

Heat 4 T olive oil in wok. Stir fry shredded beef for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Heat another 2 T oil in the same wok. Stir fry chopped ginger and garlic then add tree ears and water chestnuts. Stir a few times, mix in the beef, stirring constantly. Finally pour in the seasoning sauce (give it a stir before pour because the cornstarch will settle to the bottom). Mix well and serve hot.

Moo's Chicken Mousse

2008-01-10T07:02:00.000-05:00

1 env. unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. celery seed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 cup chicken, cooked and finely ground
1 cup whipping cream

Soften gelatin in 3/4 cup broth. In sauce pan, combine egg yolks, remaining broth, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir constantly over low heat until mixture thickens slightly. Do not let it boil. Add softened gelatin and cool slightly. Add celery seed and mayonnaise. Chill slightly. Fold in chicken and whipping cream. Pour into a jello mold.

Moo's Stuffed Lettuce

2008-01-10T06:45:00.000-05:00

This is a little recipe Moo created. It's simple and not very precise...on purpose. It's all about the combining of flavors. Experiment, enjoy. This is delicious palate pleaser.

Chicken thighs, boneless
Chicken broth
Curry powder
Sour cream (or yogurt)
mayonnaise
Flake coconut
Boston lettuce leaves, select the largest without tears
Chutney
Macadamia nuts

Cook boneless chicken thighs in chicken broth and curry powder. When done, allow to cool. Then chop up chicken and mix with sour cream (or yogurt) and mayonnaise and flake coconut. Roll this mixture in Boston lettuce leaves. I hold the rolls closed using toothpicks. In a small bowl, combine sour cream (or yogurt) and chopped chutney and coconut cream. In another bowl, combine chopped Macadamia nuts and toasted flake coconut. Pipe top of lettuce bundles with sour cream mix then dip into the chopped nuts/coconut mix.

Moo's Cream of Broccoli Soup

2008-01-09T09:30:00.000-05:00

When Moo sent this recipe to me years ago, she wrote: "This is my Cream of Broccoli soup we had for Easter, and it is delicious. You could easily substitute zucchini or another vegetable." She didn't call it a palate pleaser, but I will. You can serve this soup hot or cold.

1 bunch broccoli
1 stalk celery, finely sliced
1 small onion, finely sliced
3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegans)
Dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream (or a non-dairy substitute)
Sour cream and fresh chives, finely chopped for garnish

Combine in a sauce pan broccoli, washed and trimmed, celery, and onion. Add broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Pour into blender, add a pinch of dry mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and blend until smooth (or a little less if you like more texture). Stir in sour cream (or substitute). If soup is to be served cold, add a dollop of sour cream on top and sprinkle with fresh chives. If you want to serve the soup hot, mix 3 T of olive oil with 3 T flour over low heat to make a roux. Add to the soup...it really adds to the flavor.

Moo's Cream of Ginger-Lemongrass Soup

2008-01-09T09:08:00.000-05:00

I love this soup. It is light and flavorful. It's also got a little zip to it. Thank the chili bean paste for giving this soup that little something extra. Moo loved lemongrass and she liked to mix delicate flavors with a little spice. Dare it say it...chili bean paste was her "Bam!"

2 T olive oil
1 T fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 T lemongrass, finely chopped
2 T shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
2 cups fresh corn
4 cups chicken stock (for vegan/vegetarian version use vegetable broth)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup half and half (vegan replace with a soy creamer)
2 tsp. chili bean paste
Coriander leaves for garnish

Heat olive oil in pot, add ginger, lemongrass, shallots and onions. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Add corn and cook for another minute. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, add salt and pepper, then sugar and half and half. Remove pot from heat and cool to room temperature. When ready to serve, stir to blend ingredients and return pot to heat. Ladle into soup bowls add a dot of chili bean paste to top and swirl it with a knife to create a pleasing pattern. Garnish with coriander.

Moo's Winter Melon and Chicken Soup

2008-01-09T08:51:00.000-05:00

This is a very light, savory Chinese soup. Moo made this often during the winter (after all it's made with winter melon). If you don't know, a winter melon looks a little like a watermelon from the outside. The flesh is a light green and cannot be eaten raw. I like to call this Chinese penicillin. It's light like chicken noodle with the winter melon providing an interesting texture. This is a palate pleaser.

6 cups chicken stock
1 lb. winter melon, cut into bite-size chunks
6 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 medium size knob of fresh ginger, minced
1 chicken breast, raw
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. sherry
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce, low sodium is best
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. olive oil

Cut flesh away from rind of winter melon. Cut flesh into chunks. Remove stems from mushrooms and slice caps. Bone raw chicken breast and cut into bite-size pieces. Mix chicken, garlic, sherry, sugar and 1/2 tsp. of the soy sauce. Let stand for 15 minutes. Mix salt, 1 1/2 tsp. of soy sauce, olive oil. Set aside. Heat stock to boiling, add melon, mushrooms and ginger and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chicken marinade mixture. Stir well. Add salt/soy/oil mixture. Cook until the chicken is tender.

Moo's Vinaigrette Dressing

2008-01-08T20:16:00.000-05:00

1 cup vinegar (you can cut this with some lemon juice if you prefer)
1 T sea salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 cups olive oil
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, mix vinegar (or vinegar/lemon juice), salt, sugar, mustard, garlic and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Refrigerate in a tightly covered jar.

Moo's Garlic Cream Salad Dressing

2008-01-08T20:09:00.001-05:00

Here's a simple salad dressing that goes great with sliced cucumbers and onions. It's one of Moo's original palate pleasers.

Mix frozen lemonade concentrate with sour cream or plain yogurt. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and crushed garlic cloves.

Moo's Exotic Chicken Salad

2008-01-08T20:00:00.000-05:00

This is a very good salad that's easy to make and hard to resist. Moo wrote up this recipe to enable you to make as large a salad as you need to feed your family and guests.

Cooked chicken, diced
Celery, sliced
Water chestnuts, sliced
Seedless grapes, sliced in half
Slivered almonds
Mayonnaise
Curry powder
Soy sauce

Combine 2 parts diced, cooked chicken with 1 part sliced celery, 1 part sliced water chestnuts, 1 part seedless grapes (sliced in half) and 1 part slivered almonds. Mix in mayonnaise to create the consistency you prefer. Season with curry powder and soy sauce to taste. Mix well, mound on lettuce and surround with lichee fruit.

Niki Dragon Raspberry Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

2008-01-02T13:26:00.000-05:00

Niki put this one together, and I've replaced the canola oil with olive oil. It's a great palate pleaser.

3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 - 2 tsp. honey
1/2 - 1 tsp. curry powder
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste
1 1/2 T poppy seeds

Mix ingredients. Put aside to allow flavors to mingle and merge. Store in refrigerator.

Moo's Lemon Spice Dressing

2008-01-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

This is an excellent salad dressing.

1/3 cup soft tofu
1/2 lemon, unpeeled and cut into pieces
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup white wine

Combine all ingredients, except the wine, in a blender until smooth. Add wine to desired consistency. Allow flavors to mingle and merge for several hours before using.

Moo's Honey Dressing

2008-01-02T13:15:00.000-05:00

Try making your own rather than buying a bottle of something at the store. Replace Miracle Whip with a vegan version of mayo for a vegan dressing.

3/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup honey
1 T lemon rind, finely grated
3/4 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

Mix all ingredients in blender. Make ahead to allow flavors to mingle and merge. Keep in the refrigerator.

Moo's French Dressing

2008-01-02T13:12:00.000-05:00

Again, try making your own salad dressing for a palate pleasing treat. Moo's recommendation: "Always try to get a good vinegar."

1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 can tomato soup
1 can olive oil
1 cup vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in blender. Make ahead to allow flavors to mingle and merge. Keep in the refrigerator.

Moo's Own Russian Dressing

2008-01-02T13:06:00.000-05:00

Believe me homemade Russian Dressing beats most anything you'll buy in a jar. And if you replace the Miracle Whip with a vegan mayo and leave out the hard-boiled eggs, this is a true vegan Russian Dressing.

1 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together. Keep in the refrigerator.

Moo's Cold Shrimp-Stuffed Avocado

2008-01-02T12:50:00.000-05:00

There are about 2 1/2 feet of snow on the ground here in Maine, and I guess I'm sorta dreaming of the summer sun. Also my brother reports that it's 70 degrees in Southern California. So here's a little summer treat for him. In fact, you can enjoy this summer palate pleaser anytime.

3 large avocados
Juice of 1 lemon
1 pound cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped (But put 6 whole shrimp aside)
1 jalapeno chili, finely chopped
1 hard-boiled egg, chopped
2 dozen pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
Mayonnaise
Salt & pepper to taste
3 T coriander, minced

Carefully cut avocado in half. Remove pit and scoop out the avocado flesh. Keep the shell halves intact because you'll be refilling them and using them like little bowls. Put avocado in in a bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice (this will help keep avocado from turning brown). Mash avocado, then add chopped shrimp, jalapeno, egg, and olives. Mix. Add mayonnaise to the consistency and taste of your choice. Season with salt and pepper. Fill the 6 avocado shells equally. Sprinkle top with coriander and top each with a whole shrimp.

Moo's Noodles Baked Like a Cake

2008-01-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

Noodles, while delicious any time, are real comfort food in winter. When it was cold outside, Moo loved to cook noodles, which we usually made from scratch. This is a great palate pleaser and quite unusual.

Pasta
1 pound rigatoni, cooked and drained
3 heaping T parmesan cheese
3 T sweet butter

Crust
2 T sweet butter, softened
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Filling
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
1/4 pound Italian ham (prosciutto), sliced thin

Cook rigatoni, drain and return to the pot. Add butter and parmesan cheese. Toss to coat the pasta. Set aside. Grease a round 1-quart baking dish (about cake height). In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Add about 1/4 cup of the crumb/cheese mix to the greased dish and shake dish to spread a thin coating of the mix across the bottom of the dish. Shake out the excess mixture that is not adhering to the bottom of the baking dish (reserve it). In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg and pour this in the baking dish. Tilt and move dish around until egg evenly coats the bottom. Again add about 1/4 cup crumb/cheese mix and shake around to coat bottom of dish again. Pour off excess (reserve it).

Layer 1/3 of the pasta into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/3 mozzarella and 1/2 of the ham strips and 1/3 of the remaining crumb/cheese mix. Repeat these layers twice over and top with crumb/cheese mix. You can refrigerate now until you are ready to cook and serve.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 20-30 minutes (if room temperature) or 45 minutes if coming directly from the oven. Cool about 10 minutes. Loosen around the edges and turn out like a cake onto a serving platter.

Moo's Sweet Noodle Kugel

2008-01-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

As I've said elsewhere, our family enjoyed kugel. This recipe is a variation on Moo's original recipe. It too is a palate pleaser.

5 eggs, separated
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled and grated
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
1 eight-oz. can crushed pineapple
3 T honey
8 oz. medium-width noodles, cooked and drained
3 T butter
Cinnamon sugar for garnish

Beat egg yolks, add grated apple, preserves, pineapple and honey. Add noodles and toss gently. In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Carefully fold egg whites into noodle mixture. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1-quart baking dish and pour in the noodle mixture. Dot top with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Lucy's German Coffee Cake

2008-01-01T15:54:00.000-05:00

Lucy Mosier's husband was a patient of Daddy's many years ago. Lucy gave this recipe to Moo, and it became of our three favorite holiday coffee cakes and a family tradition. We usually had one of the three on Thanksgiving (while watching the Macy's parade on television), Christmas morning (while opening gifts), or New Year's Day (while watching the Rose Parade).

Batter
1 stick butter (1/4 lb.)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. baking soda

Topping
6 T nuts (walnuts or pecans), chopped
6 T sugar (this is just shy of a 1/2 cup(
2 tsp. cinnamon

Cream butter, add sugar slowly. Cream well. Add eggs. Sift and measure flour. Resift with baking powder. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream. Blend in remaining ingredients (vanilla, almond extract and baking soda). In a separate bowl mix up the topping ingredients. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour 1/3 of the batter into an ungreased 9" tube pan. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the topping. Continue process for two more layers, ending with the last of the topping. Using a knife marbleize to swirl the topping through the batter a little more. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool. Serve.

Buehrig German Chocolate Cake

2008-01-01T15:33:00.000-05:00

This recipe has been in our family for as long as I can remember. It was my father's favorite cake and he often requested this on his birthday.

Cake batter
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups cake flour
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pkg. German chocolate
1/2 cup hot water

Filling and Frosting
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup flake coconut
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup butter

Dissolve chocolate in the hot water over low heat. Set aside. Dissolve baking soda in 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat shortening, sugar, and egg yolks. Add flour, buttermilk with soda and the remaining buttermilk. Add the melted chocolate. Beat well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, then fold into the batter. Pour batter into 3 or 4 layer pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until done.

Set aside on rack to cool while you make the filling. Cook all ingredients together over low heat or a double boiler until it thickens enough to adhere to the side of the cake. Stir occasionally. Don't let it burn. Set aside to cool.

Remove cooled cake layers from pans. Put one layer on serving plate and cover top with filling. Add next layer. Again add filling. Continue until cake is assembled. Then use the rest of the filling to frost the top and sides of the cake.

Dovell and Moo's Missionary's Downfall

2008-01-01T15:01:00.000-05:00

There used to be a restaurant in Chicago called Don the Beachcomber. As I understand it, Don's was part of a chain and was the original "tiki" restaurant and bar (predating Trader Vic's). Well there was a rum drink that my parents loved. As the family lore goes, Don's bartender wouldn't give them the recipe so they decided to figure it out for themselves. They'd drop in, have a Missionary, discuss what they thought were the ingredients, and then they'd rush home and try to reproduce the drink. Sometimes they'd do this several times in the same night. No fear of drunk driving in those days because they lived within walking distance. But they did tell us how once they got the idea to walk down Michigan Avenue with their eyes closed. The plan was one would keep their eyes open and serve as the guide for the other. But roles got crossed and they both closed their eyes as they walked down Michigan Avenue together. Ah youth! Here is their version of the Missionary's Downfall, which is pretty close to the recipe I've since found on the Web.

1 1/2 oz. light rum (kept in the freezer for maximum chill)
1 1/2 oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water boiled until sugar completely dissolves, this keeps well)
Juice of one lime
10-12 mint leaves
1/2 jigger of peach liquor (today I use Peachtree)
1 oz. of canned, crushed pineapple

Put rum, syrup, lime juice, mint leaves, Peachtree and pineapple in blender. Blend until mint leaves are completely chopped up and give a green tinge to the drink. Add crushed ice to your preference. You want the drink icy but not completely frozen. This should make one drink. I like to serve in a large martini or champagne glass (not a flute). For the full effect, keep glasses in freezer until ready to serve. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Pasta del Moo

2008-01-01T14:43:00.000-05:00

This is a little something Moo made up. She wrote it down in a letter she sent to me while I was in college. I guess Daddy considered it a real palate pleaser because Moo wrote, "It was delicious--Daddy ate his and part of mine." She didn't give me quantities for every ingredient. It's an intuitive thing based on how many people you will be serving and the flavor you're going for, and I've left it as she originally wrote it.

Several slices of firm white bread, cubed
Butter or olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Green noodles
Salt
1 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix (dry)
1 1/2 cup sour cream

Cube several slices of bread and saute in butter (or olive oil) and garlic. Set aside. Cook green noodles in salted water. Drain then dump noodles back in pot. Add a little more butter and a package of Italian salad dressing mix. You can do this all ahead if you want. When you are ready to serve, add sour cream a little more olive oil or butter and the sauted bread cubes. Mix thoroughly, head and serve.

Moo's Imperial Avocado Crab Crepes

2007-12-31T13:12:00.000-05:00

Start with your favorite plain crepe recipe, then try Moo's palate pleasing filling and curry sauce.

Filling
4 ripe avocados
2 cups crab meat
1 T scallions, minced
1 T coriander, minced

Curry sauce
1 T lime juice
1 T brandy
1 T Dijon mustard
1 tsp. curry powder
1 egg white. slightly beaten

Garnish with avocado, mandarin sections, lime slices

Prepare filling by mashing avocados until smooth. Add crab meat, scallions, and coriander. Mix thoroughly. Prepare curry sauce by mixing together lime juice, brandy, mustard, curry and egg white. Mix all ingredients until creamy smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill crepes and pour curry sauce over the top. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook for 12 minutes. Garnish with avocado slices, mandarin orange sections and lime slices.

Moo's Piquant Lemon Potatoes

2007-12-31T12:58:00.001-05:00

Get everyone to love vegetables. This recipe is guaranteed to do it. Palate pleasing vegetables every time.

2 pounds red potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 T lemon juice
1 1/2 T fresh basil, finely chopped
Grated rind of 1 lemon

Peel potatoes and slice thickly. Parboil potatoes in lightly salted water for 5-10 minutes. Potatoes should still be slightly uncooked and firm. Drain. While potatoes are cooking, combine butter, sugar, lemon juice and basil. Heat slowly, stirring until butter is melted and resulting in a a bubbly syrup. Add drained potatoes to syrup and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are richly glazed. Spoon syrup over potatoes often during the cooking period. Serve with a sprinkle of lemon rind. This recipe works equally well with green beans, peas, asparagus, beets or broccoli.

Moo's Curried Shrimp in Coconut Rolls

2007-12-31T12:46:00.000-05:00

This one's fun. Great for picnics.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 T curry powder
1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh mint, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
20 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 hot dog rolls
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup unsweetened, finely chopped coconut

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, curry, ginger, mint and garlic in bowl and toss with shrimp. Marinate for 8 hours, turning several times for good coverage. Drain and put on skewers. Separate the rolls into two halves. Cream butter and add coconut. Mix well and spread on the face of the bun. Grill shrimp. Do not overcook. Toast rolls and arrange cooked shrimp on top.

Moo's Beer Puffs w/Coconut Chicken Filling

2007-12-31T12:27:00.000-05:00

Here's a versatile appetizer. You can come up with all kinds of fillings. I've included Moo's coconut chicken filling. The filling alone is a real palate pleaser.

Puffs Batter
1 cup beer
Pinch of salt
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup), cut into small pieces
1 cup flour, sifted
4 eggs
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Glaze
1 egg yolk
1 T milk

Filling
Chopped chicken
Angel Flake coconut
Coconut cream
Mushrooms or nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a large cookie sheet. Put beer in saucepan with salt and add butter pieces. Bring to boil (you want to watch heat carefully so that butter melts at same time beer starts to boil). Add flour all at once. Add nutmeg. Remove from heat and add eggs (one at a time and stirring in between). Stir until dough forms into a ball (about 2 minutes). Drop dough from a teaspoon onto the prepared cookie sheet. Combine glaze ingredients and brush on each puff before popping into the oven. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Let puffs cool on racks. Fill with desired filling or freeze in plastic bags until ready to fill and serve.

Moo's Marinated Mushroom Salad

2007-12-31T12:01:00.000-05:00

1 1/4 lbs small mushrooms
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Marinade
6 T olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. whole black pepper, crushed
1/2 tsp. whole coriander seed
1/2 tsp. whole mustard seed
1/2 tsp. salt

Wash mushrooms and remove stems. Add mushrooms to a sauce pan of boiling salted water (enough water to cover mushrooms). Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Drain and let mushrooms cool. Set aside. Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pepper, coriander seed, mustard seed, and salt. Add mushrooms, onion and parsley. Blend thoroughly. Cover and chill, stirring occasionally. Set aside for at least 2 hours (best overnight). Serve in the marinade.

Spicy Prosciutto Wrapped Avocado

2007-12-31T11:37:00.000-05:00

This is a little something special Moo cooked up. It's hot. It's delicious. And it's fast and easy to make. It's a palate pleaser.

Prosciutto, sliced just thick enough to stay together when you wrap around avocado
Ripe avocado, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

Hot Sauce
4 T butter
2 T water
4 T ketchup
2 T vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 tsp. salt
Dash of Tabasco sauce

Prepare prosciutto by cutting slices in half. If you want more prosciutto per bite, use a whole slice. Peel avocado, remove seed and cut into bite-size pieces. Wrap prosciutto slice around avocado. Hold in place with toothpick. Prepare hot sauce in a double boiler with water simmering: combine butter, water, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, Tabasco sauce. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Drizzle a little over the hors d'oeuvres--not too much you don't want it to be messy when picked up. Serve additional hot sauce in a bowl on the side for dipping. This thing has zing!

Moo's Thai Green Chicken Curry

2007-12-31T11:17:00.000-05:00

Here's a simple Thai curry you'll love.

1 stock butter
8 T flour
1/4 cup green curry paste
3 1/2 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
2 T soy sauce (low sodium)
2 tsp. coconut extract
1/2 bunch coriander, chopped
8 kefir lime leaves
Chopped chicken
Fresh mint, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped

Boil chicken. While chicken is cooling, you can create the curry: In large sauce pan, melt butter add flour to create roux. Slowly add green curry paste, milk, broth and bring to boil. Add soy sauce, coconut extract, lime leave and continue to cook for about 5 minutes. Stir regularly. Pick chicken off cooled carcass. Shred chicken to bite-size pieces and add to curry. Bring to boil and cook for about 3 minutes more. Garnish with fresh mint and basil. You can serve with additional condiments such as shredded coconut, chopped nuts, chutney, and lime pickle.

Moo's Tapioca Asparagus Soup

2007-12-31T10:59:00.000-05:00

This is a simple recipe and very good. You'll get raves as a palate pleaser when you serve this. I mention using a Hot and Spicy seasoning (your choice) because it's up to you how much zip you want to give the soup and the flavor enhancement you're looking for. There are many spicy seasoning mixes on the market so experiment with different flavors. Enjoy!

1 1/2 T butter (vegans can use a non-dairy butter substitute like Earth Balance)
1 T flour
1 cup asparagus water (the water your fresh asparagus is cooked in or the juice in a can of asparagus spears)
1 quart chicken broth (you could use a vegetable broth for vegan version)
1/2 cup quick cooking tapioca
salt and pepper to taste (watch salt if you use canned asparagus)
Hot and Spicy seasoning (your choice)
asparagus spears for garnish

In a large sauce pan melt butter. Add flour to make roux. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add asparagus water slowly. Simmer about 5 minutes. Then add broth. Add tapioca and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes or until the tapioca is cooked and soft. Add salt, pepper and hot/spicy seasoning. Prior to serving put a couple spears of cooked asparagus in the soup bowl and ladle soup over the spears.

Moo's Pina Colada Cake

2007-12-30T21:21:00.000-05:00

1 pkg. yellow cake mix**
1 pkg. Instant vanilla pudding and pie mix
1 1/3 cup water
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
2 cups angel flake coconut
1/4 cup white rum
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1-1 1/2 jars pineapple preserves

Frosting
1 cup butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup rum

Mix cake mix, pudding, water, eggs oil and coconut. Beat batter, pour into two layer pans and bake according to directions on the cake box.

**Note if the cake mix has pudding mix already in it, just make the cake as directed on the package. Just add the coconut.

When the cake is cool, slice the two layers to make 4 layers. Put the first layer on the cake plate and give it a liberal sprinkling of the pineapple juice/rum mix. Then spread a layer of pineapple preserves. Add another cake layer and repeat process. Do the same with the third layer and top with the fourth.

Make frosting by creaming (beating) butter until light and smooth. Slowly beat in a can of condensed milk and 2 egg yolks. Add rum slowly so that it doesn't curdle. Beat constantly. When thick enough to spread, frost the cake.

Champagne Sour Cream Mousse

2007-12-30T21:09:00.000-05:00

2 T. gelatin
1/3 cup cold water
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup dry champagne
2 T mustard
1/4 cup minced chives
1/4 cup chopped pimento

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water to soften. Set aside. Heat sour cream in top of double boiler over simmering water until steamy hot. Stir constantly. Do not boil. Stir in soft gelatin until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add champagne, mustard, chives, and pimento. Blend well. Pour into prepared mold. Chill for several hours.

Moo's Maui Papaya Salad

2007-12-30T20:55:00.000-05:00

On one of the family's trips to Hawaii, Moo had a room with a small kitchen. And she had access to all the wonderful fruit and seafood. This recipe was the result. A Hawaiian palate pleaser.

1 head lettuce, torn to bite-size pieces
1 bunch watercress, stems removed
1 pound cooked shrimp, lobster, crabmeat (any one or all)
1 papaya, peeled, halved, seeds removed
1 can hearts of palm

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 T white vinegar
2 T ketchup
salt and pepper to taste

Select a very fresh, flavorful lettuce, mound seafood in center. Slice papaya and arrange in a pinwheel around the seafood. slice palm heart and arrange around seafood. Decorate center with a few watercress leaves.

Moo's Lemon Curd Cake

2007-12-30T20:32:00.000-05:00

Moo made her cakes from scratch...except when she made a dessert where the cake was secondary to the other flavors. In this case, she started with a Betty Crocker or Hines white cake mix. You can always make your cake from scratch...I'm sure it will be a real palate pleaser.

Filling
2 cups sugar
1/4 pound butter
4 eggs
4 lemons
4 tsp. lemon rind, grated

Frosting
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook cake in two layer pans. When cool, slice each layer in half for a total of four thin layers. Prepare the lemon curd filling: Melt butter in top of double boiler. Beat eggs thoroughly and add sugar plus lemon juice and rind. Heat over hot water just below the boiling point until it thickens. Prepare the frosting: Put ingredients (except vanilla) in the top of double boiler over boiling water and beat with rotary beaters until mixture stands in stiff peaks. Scrape bottom and sides occasionally. Fold in vanilla. Put lemon on each layer except the top one. Then frost.

Moo's Oyako Donburi

2007-12-30T19:23:00.000-05:00

After years of Chinese cooking lessons, Moo started experimenting with Japanese. She had a lot of fun and shared several of her dishes with me. Here's a palate pleaser of a side dish.

8 large scallions, slivered
A knob of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin
6 peapods, strings removed, sliced
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 T mirin
4 T soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 pkgs udon noodles
4 eggs

Mix chicken broth, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Prepare scallions, ginger, and peapods. Stir fry in olive oil. Add sauce to vegetables. Mix thoroughly. Cut noodles into bite-size pieces an add to the vegetable mixture. Stir fry for a couple of minutes. In a separate bowl lightly beat eggs. Add to the mixture and turn until scrambled. Serve with a meat, seafood or chicken dish.

Gladys Steers' Coffee Cake

2007-12-30T19:08:00.000-05:00

Gladys Steers gave this coffee cake to Moo years ago. It's one of three we enjoyed during the holidays. Try to find a cake mix without pudding in the mix. If that's all you can find, omit the separate package of pudding mix. Niki has added lemon juice and almond extract for palate pleasing enhancement.

1 pkg lemon cake mix
1 pkg. Instant lemon pudding
1 1/3 cup water
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp. almond extract
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar (Niki uses a little less sugar)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix and dry pudding mix, add eggs and beat well. Add sour cream and oil. In a separate bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Pour half the batter into well-oiled bundt pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mix in the middle. Then cover with the rest of the batter. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Bundt pan trick: If you are using one of the new bundt pans with an intricate design, you'll need a little help getting cake to release easily. Put batter in a warm bundt pan. When you turn on oven to preheat, pop the bundt pan in the cold oven. Leave it there about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, apply nonstick spray (baker's formula). Add batter and bake.

Moo's Steamed Asian Dumpling Filling

2007-12-30T18:49:00.000-05:00

This is an excellent all-around filling for dumplings. You can use it to make pot stickers, Siu Mai or 4-color dumplings. Your dumplings will be real palate pleasers.

1 lb. ground pork
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 T sugar
1 T soy sauce, I prefer low sodium
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. teriyaki sauce
1/2 tsp. sherry
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped and packed tight
8 water chestnuts
4 fresh shitake mushrooms
1 scallion, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1/4 cup cornstarch

Dumpling skins

To the pork, add broth, sugar, soy sauce, salt, teriyaki sauce, sherry and sesame oil. In food processor, fine chop all vegetables. Fold vegetables into pork mixture. Finally add cornstarch. Fill dumpling skins and either freeze until you need them or steam and serve.

By the way, here's a simple but good dipping sauce: 3 T low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp. rice vinegar, and 1 tsp. sesame oil

Moo's Cold Poached Salmon w/ Cucumber Salad

2007-12-30T18:22:00.000-05:00

Nothing says summer party favorite like cold salmon. Moo had several recipes, and this is a favorite...a real palate pleaser.

4 salmon steaks, about 3/4" thick

Stock for Poaching
1 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 small onion, sliced
1 small carrot, sliced
2-3 parsley sprigs
1 small bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. peppercorns

Green Sauce
2 egg yolks
1 T prepared mustard
1 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parsley, minced
1/3 cup watercress, minced
1/3 cup spinach, minced
1 tsp. sage, crumbled

Cucumber Salad
2 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced thin
1 T fresh dill weed
Mix oil, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add cucumber slices and dill weed. Toss.

Prepare Green Sauce: With a small whisk, beat egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper until well blended. Slowly beat in oil, drop by drop at first and then in a thin stream until mixture forms mayonnaise. Fold in parsley, watercress, spinach and sage. Refrigerate overnight.

Poach Salmon: In skillet, bring stock ingredients to a boil. Add salmon steaks, cover and simmer until fish flakes easily (about 10 minutes). Do not overcook. Cool salmon in stock at room temperature. Carefully transfer steaks to serving platter with slotted spatula. Spoon on some green sauce (serve remainder on the side). Garnish and serve with cucumber salad.

Kendra's Venison Bourguignon

2007-12-08T08:53:00.000-05:00

Wow, I love this dish. It started as a beef recipe but venison is much healthier. And I happen to be a fan of game. This recipe serves four.

2 pounds venison, cut into bite-size cubes
5 medium onions, peeled and sliced
3 T olive oil
1 1/2 T flour
Big pinch marjoram
Big pinch dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle red wine, burgundy or zinfandel works well
1 large can or box of condensed beef broth, I use organic and you could easily substitute with vegetable or mushroom broth
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

Peel and slice onions, set aside for a moment. Cube venison and set aside. Heat a large, heavy skillet and add 2 T olive oil. Saute onions until browned. Remove them from skillet and set them aside. Now add 1 T olive oil to your still hot skillet then add the venison. Once they are brown on all sides sprinkle with flour and seasonings. Stir together well then add 1/2 cup broth and 1 cup of red wine. Stir and let simmer. You want the mixture to be just barely bubbling. Now this process is going to take about three (3) hours. And as the liquid begins to cook away you keep adding more in the same proportions (1/2 cup broth to 1 cup of wine). You want the liquid to almost cover the meat at all times, so check regularly. And give a little stir every time you add more liquid. When the bottle of wine is used up, you've added enough liquid. DON'T COVER DURING THIS PROCESS. You want the liquid to evaporate and leave the flavors behind.

At the end of about three hours you reintroduce the browned onions and the mushrooms. Stir well and simmer very low for about 45 minutes more. The dish will look very dark and thick at the end. You can set aside now, even refrigerate overnight. In fact I think it's better made ahead. When serving, first warm it up. If you think it's too thick you can always add a little broth and wine to thin. It should be bubbling when you are ready to serve. Prepare noodles or rice. Mound onto dinner plate and cover with the venison.

Cracked Crab with Curry and Ginger Sauce

2007-12-07T14:22:00.000-05:00

King Crab legs or Dungeness Crab, pick meat from shells
2 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 slices fresh ginger
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 green pepper, finely chopped
2 heaping tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
3 T sherry
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 T cornstarch
2 T water

Place wok over high heat, add oil. When oil is very hot, add garlic, ginger, scallion, green pepper. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add crab meat and stir fry for 1 minute. Combine curry powder, salt, sugar and sherry. Pour the curry mixture over crab. Stir fry for 30 seconds more. Add chicken broth. Cook 5 minutes or less. Combine cornstarch and water in small dish. Stir into stir fry dish to help thicken slightly. Stir until smooth and thickened. Serve immediately.

Moo's Coconut Shrimp

2007-12-07T14:06:00.000-05:00

You're going to love these shrimp. They are a palate pleaser you have got to make. Like a lot of health-conscious people, I don't eat much fried food these days. That's not to say the taste isn't a real palate pleaser. And there is the rare occasion and the right food can tempt. Moo used to make this one a lot...back in days when we all ate more fried food. You might come up with a way to take this taste and prepare it without the frying. In any case, I don't deep fry any more, I saute in the skillet with a little olive oil.

24 jumbo shrimp, clean and flattened
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 bag flaked coconut, slightly toasted
2 eggs
4 T coconut cream

Marinade
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Dipping Sauce
To taste combine orange marmalade, hot Chinese mustard and Curaco.

Clean and flatten shrimp then marinate overnight. Line cookie sheet with wax paper and combine flour, salt and dry mustard on the wax paper. Spread toasted coconut on another cookie sheet. In a bowl, combine eggs and coconut cream. Heat a deep fryer, skillet or wok with olive oil. Dredge shrimp in flour. Then egg mixture. Then coconut. Deep fry (375 to 400 degrees) to a golden color. Serve with dipping sauce. Note: if you do 30 shrimp or more, double the flour and marinade mixtures.

Moo's Colcannon

2007-12-07T13:48:00.000-05:00

Okay Bruce, this one is for you! I know you love it. If you don't know what colcannon is...it's an Irish favorite with mashed potatoes and cabbage. It certainly qualifies as vegetarian, but you can make it vegan by using soy milk and a non-dairy butter like Earth Balance or Smart Balance.

1-1/2 cups water
3/4 pounds cabbage, cored and shredded
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 pound boiling potatoes, scrubbed
1-1/4 cups milk, scalded
1 T onion, minced
cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste
In a saucepan, combine water, cabbage and salt. Bring the water to a boil over moderately high heat and cook the cabbage, stirring until the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and cover pan loosely.

In a large saucepan, combine potatoes with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender. Drain and shake dry over high heat for a few seconds. Cool. Peel the potatoes and puree while warm. Beat in scaled milk, cabbage, onion, salt and peppers to taste. Heat over low heat, adding more milk, if necessary, to achieve the desired consistency. Heat until hot. Mound into a warm serving dish. Make a depression in center and add 1/2 stick softened butter. Let begin to melt and serve hot.

Moo's Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

2007-12-07T13:34:00.001-05:00

Oh boy, HICCUP, this is a HICCUP real palate pleaser.

1-1/2 cups raisins
2/3 cup rye whiskey
1-1/4 loaves day-old French bread (about 8 cups of 1/2" cubes)
6 cups milk
5 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
6 T butter, melted and cooled
2 t. vanilla
1 T salt

Sauce
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup whiskey

Soak raisins in 2/3 cup whiskey. Cut French bread into 1/2" cubes. Combine cubes with milk at room temperature, stirring occasionally for about 2 hours. Shortly before that time is up, beat eggs, sugar, melted (and cooled) butter, vanilla, and salt then ad to bread mixture. Combine well. Pour into a well-buttered souffle dish. Cover and chill overnight. Next day bring to room temperature, stir a bit. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 1-1/2 hours, until edge is puffed and golden brown (center will not rise as much).

Sauce
Cream the stick of butter with sugar. Beat in the eggs in one at a time. Transfer to a double boiler over simmering water. Add the cup of whiskey. Cook, stirring until slightly thick.

Serve hot.

Moo's Gingered Melon Balls

2007-12-07T13:28:00.000-05:00

Let the quality and ripeness of the melon in your supermarket dictate what melon you choose. They're all good. Enjoy a palate pleaser.

6 cups melon balls
3 T honey
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Garnish with mint leaves and a little more chopped crystallized ginger.

Combine the melon balls with honey and crystallized ginger. Spoon fruit into a large glass compote or serving dish. Cover and chill until you're ready to serve. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and a little chopped crystallized ginger.

Kendra's Cold Zucchini with Salsa Verde

2007-12-07T13:06:00.000-05:00

You have a few options with this recipe. You can serve it as an appetizer or as a salad. With the exception of the herbs, I did not tell you how to chop the vegetables. This should be your preference. Some people like a smooth salsa, others like it chunky. Personally, I think you might want to blend in food processor until smooth if you are serving this as a salad.

8-10 small zucchini, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped coarsely
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 small onion, chopped
4 anchovy fillets
3 t. capers
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
Ground pepper to taste

Cook zucchini in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water to cool quickly. Drain. Refrigerate. Combine coarsely chopped parsley with olive oil, lemon juice, onion, anchovies, capers, garlic, shallot and salt in food processor. Blend on pulse so you can control the consistency. Transfer to a bowl for serving and stir in finely chopped parsley and basil. Season with pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

When ready to serve, arrange zucchini on cold platter. For appetizers, slice zucchini into sticks and serve salsa in a bowl for dipping. As a side dish/salad, arrange zucchini halves on cold plate and spoon salsa over the top.

Moo's Lychee Kumaki

2007-12-04T18:09:00.000-05:00

Well, this is different sort of appetizer that will have your guests wondering where it's been all these years.

1 can lychee fruit, drain and reserve syrup
1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
15 bacon slices, cut in half
Soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar

Drain lychee fruit thoroughly, reserve the syrup. Fill the cavity of each lychee with some of the chopped peanuts. Wrap a piece of bacon around the fruit, be sure to cover the opening with the peanuts inside. Secure with toothpick. Make a mixture of equal parts lychee syrup and soy sauce (about 1/4 cup of each should do it). Dip prepared lychee in liquid then roll in brown sugar. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place lychees on cookie sheet and into oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Watch carefully. Serve with plum brandy sauce.

Moo's Pirate Rummy Spoonbread

2007-12-04T17:52:00.000-05:00

This stuff is amazing. And that's all I have to say about that. A major palate pleaser.

2 cups whole milk
1 can coconut flakes
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 T butter
1 package frozen corn souffle, defrosted
1 package frozen kernel corn, defrosted and drained
4 eggs, separated
2 T dark Jamaica rum

Heat milk and coconut together. Do NOT boil. Gradually add cornmeal. Stir constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Add salt, nutmeg, butter. Fold in the defrosted corn souffle and corn. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fold in rum. Beat egg whites until stiff, then fold into mixture. Turn mixture into a buttered baking pan, set that pan in boiling water in 350 degree oven. Bake for 1 to 1-1/2 hours (you'll have to check regularly as the water slows down the baking process and all ovens are different). Serve immediately with butter.

Niki's One and Only Hot Buttered Rum Recipe

2007-12-04T17:19:00.000-05:00

This makes a big batch, which means you'll have plenty for yourself and enough to share with friends. Fill a small decorative jar and give as gifts for the holidays. It keeps well in the refrigerator.

2 pounds brown sugar
1 pound butter
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice

melt the butter in saucepan. Remove from heat and add beaten eggs, sugar and spices. Beat until smooth. Bottle and keep in the refrigerator.

When making a hot buttered rum, put one heaping teaspoon full in a mug, add rum and boiling water.

Moo's Clam Puffs

2007-12-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

These are fun and they taste good too.

3 6-1/2 ounce cans chopped clams, drained (save 1/4 cup of liquid)
2 eggs, separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
Olive oil for deep frying

Combine clams, clam liquid and egg yolks in medium bowl. Add flour, baking powder, melted butter, salt and pepper. Mix well. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold into clam mixture. Chill at least 3 hours (even overnight).

Heat oil in deep fryer or large frying pan to 375 degrees. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls; don't crowd. Fry until brown and crisp, turning once. Drain on towel, sprinkle lightly with salt. Serve hot.

Moo's Jellied Beef a la Mode

2007-12-04T11:48:00.000-05:00

This is a little different. These jellied meats used to be very popular in the 50s and 60s. I think they're worth revisiting. This is a palate pleaser for anyone who likes cold beef. (By the way, the witches are some of Moo's last artwork.)

2 pounds stew beef
1 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup water
2 cups white wine
1 T soy sauce
1 whole clove garlic, peeled
2 whole, small onions, peeled
1 carrot, washed and cut in 2" pieces
2 T parsley, chopped
2 T brandy
1 envelope gelatin
Extra parsley for garnish

Cut beef in 1" cubes, removing any fat. Heat olive oil in heavy pot until hot (on high heat). Quickly brown beef on all sides. Season beef with salt and pepper. Add water, wine and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low, add garlic, onions and carrot pieces. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Strain cooking liquid, reserve and cool. Discard garlic, onions and carrots. Sprinkle meat with parsley and brandy. Refrigerate to remove any fat. Place reserved liquid in pan. Sprinkle gelatin powder over the cold liquid. This will help soften gelatin. make sure you have at least 2 cups of liquid. Heat enough to completely dissolve gelatin. Stir thoroughly. Then remove from heat, cool and then chill until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Fold chilled meat mixture into the slightly thickened gelatin. Mold. Chill. Serve.

Moo's Zesty Stir-Fry Chicken

2007-12-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

Moo sent this recipe to me while I was in college. Said this would be a palate pleaser at my next dinner party. It was...and it still is.

4 whole medium chicken breasts
1/4 cup soy sauce (I prefer low sodium)
2 T. sherry
4 T. orange marmalade
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 small orange
2 cups fresh peapods
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste
1/2 - 3/4 cup almonds, sliced
1 bunch scallions, sliced into 1" pieces

Remove skin and bone from chicken breasts. Cut each into medium-size chunks. Create marinade of: soy sauce, sherry, marmalade, cornstarch, ginger, and red pepper; 30 minutes before cooking, marinate chicken bits. Peel orange and separate wedges. Cut each wedge in half and set aside. Clean peapods (remove tips and string). Blanch in boiling water for about 1 minute (until bright green). Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Wrap in foil and set aside in refrigerator.

Heat olive oil in wok. Cook almonds until lightly browned. Remove almonds from oil and drain on paper towel. In same oil, cook scallions, stirring until dark brown (to infuse flavor into oil). Remove onions from oil and discard. Now add marinated chicken until chicken has turned white. Add peapods, almonds and orange slices. Salt to taste. Turn a few times and serve.

Moo's Stuffed Peapods

2007-12-03T08:43:00.000-05:00

Here's another of Moo's favorite, holiday appetizers. They're easy to make, but to make a large batch will take you some time. Be patient, put on some music or a favorite movie while you work. The results of this palate pleaser are worth the time.

3/4 pound snow peapods
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, cut in bits for easier blending
1/2 cup chives, chopped
Worcestershire sauce to taste
Salt and white pepper to taste

Blend in batches, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt and white pepper. This is really a personal taste thing and how spicy you want the peapods. Blend all the mixture until it is smooth. Put it in the refrigerator to chill. Now prepare the peapods by breaking off the ends and removing the strings. Wash then toss into boiling salted water for about 1 minute (until bright green). Drain peapods and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Pat dry. Slit open each peapod to within 1/4 inch of each end. Once all peapods are prepared, get ready to fill. Apply a decorative tip to your pastry bag, fill bag with cream cheese mixture. Pipe cheese filling into each peapod and arrange on serving plate. Chill, loosely covered, for at least an hour.

3/4 of a pound of peapods should yield about 50 appetizers.

Moo's Avocado-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

2007-12-03T08:34:00.000-05:00

This is a very simple recipe. Personally, I love the grape tomatoes for their sweetness, but you may prefer the cherry tomatoes. They are bigger and not quite as sweet. Which ever you choose, these are fun and pretty.

Wash a basket or two of cherry or grape tomatoes (depending on the size of your gathering). Slice off the tops and scoop out most of the seeds. Chill, as this makes them easier to work with. Now peel and pit a couple of nice ripe avocados. Add about 2 T lemon juice, 1 t. salt and a dash of cayenne pepper. Chill. When ready to assemble, fill a pastry bag with the avocado mixture and pipe into the tomatoes.

Moo's Japanese Chicken Wings

2007-11-28T07:33:00.000-05:00

If you don't like wings...move along! Okay, I'm assuming about 98.9 percent of you are still with me. These are great. I think they are my all time favorite wings. An appetizer palate pleaser. Warning: Make plenty.

2 Plastic bags (you need clean bags--like garbage bags--with no scent or deoderizer imbued and no holes)
Start with about a dozen wings (about 2 1/3 lbs)
1 medium clove garlic
1 piece of fresh ginger (about 1”x1”), peeled
½ c. Japanese rice wine (sake)
½ c. soy sauce
¼ c. firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ t. dried hot red pepper flakes

Remove the tips from the wings and discard. Separate the remaining two joints. Place two plastic bags inside one another and place the wings inside. Place the bags (and their contents) in a large bowl.

To make the marinade, run garlic and ginger through a food processor. Chop about 10 seconds--until very fine. Scrape down the work bowl then add the remaining ingredients and process 5 seconds.

Pour the marinade over the bagged wings and toss to coat thoroughly. Seal each bag tightly with a twist tie. Let wings marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight, turning the chicken occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a shallow broiler pan or baking dish with heavy foil. Remove the wings from the bags and arrange them in a single layer in the pan. Reserve the marinade. Bake the wings uncovered until golden brown and crusty, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn and baste them every 15 minutes.

Glenda's Greek Chicken Wings

2007-11-28T07:28:00.001-05:00

You can't have too many chicken wing recipes...Really. You can't. Wings ARE palate pleasers. This one comes from the mother of a friend of mine. I've been making this one for 20 years. They are soooo simple. Glenda doesn't use quantities. She just does this by starting with the number of wings she wants and then does everything else by eye and taste. You really can't go too wrong with this.

Chicken wings
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour
Whole and ground oregano
Olive oil
Fresh lemon juice

Lightly salt chicken, then dredge with flour that is seasoned with oregano. Put chicken into a baking dish that has about 1/4 inch of olive oil in bottom. Bake, covered with foil, for about 25-35 minutes at 450°. Remove foil and brown wings on both sides. Squeeze lemon juice on each wing (each side) and bake 5 minutes longer.

Moo's Very Best Clam Chowder

2007-11-27T22:04:00.000-05:00

Prepare 10 dozen clams for steaming (i.e., soak in water and cornmeal to clean the sand out of the clam. If particularly sandy, you might have to change water/cornmeal more than once.). Steam until clams open and can be easily removed from shells. Save 1 ½ cups of the clam broth, poured through cheese cloth to catch any residual sand.

In a kettle, sauté 1 ½ cups diced onion in a generous amount of butter until soft and transparent but not brown. Add 2 ½ cups diced potatoes and the reserved clam broth. Simmer 20 minutes. Add clams and simmer 5 minutes. In a sauce pan, heat 2 ½ cups milk and ¾ cup heavy cream (or sour cream). Pour into the soup pot and add 2 t. salt and ½ t. crushed thyme, pepper to taste. Make a mixture of butter and flour (roux), add to hot soup. Do not allow to boil. Finally add 2 cups chicken broth. When plating the soup, add a pat of butter to the top of each bowl.

Moo's Chicken Ginger Coriander Soup

2007-11-27T22:01:00.000-05:00

8 cups chicken stock
6 slices fresh ginger
5 stalks fresh lemon grass
1 bunch coriander
Fresh, raw dark meat of chicken (legs and thighs)
Fresh spinach, chopped
Japanese Udon noodles or Chinese noodles
Fresh mushrooms
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Suggested garnishes: scallions, chopped tofu, chopped hard-boiled eggs, coriander leaves, lime slices, fresh bean sprouts

To chicken stock, add ginger, lemon grass and coriander. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes in order for flavors to merge. Remove ginger, lemon grass and coriander. Add chicken (still on bones) to the flavored broth. Once cooked, remove chicken. Cool enough to debone and chop into bite-size pieces. Now prepare soup: To flavored broth, add chopped chicken, fresh spinach, noodles and mushrooms. Simmer until noodles and vegetables are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Prepare separate bowls for garnishes. Serve soup and invite diners to garnish soup to their taste.

Moo's Three-Mushroom Soup

2007-11-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

This can easily be turned into a vegan soup by using mushroom or vegetable broth in place of chicken. Olive oil or a non-dairy butter can replace the butter. Omit the sherry and sour cream. I've also taken to playing with the original recipe. I sometimes add fresh ginger, finely chopped, and cilantro, chopped. This is my all-time favorite palate pleaser soup.

4 cups chicken broth
1 large leek (white part only), coarsely chopped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1 can (15 oz.) straw mushrooms
2 oz. dried Polish mushrooms
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
6 T butter
3 T flour
¼ cup sherry or white wine
½ t. salt or to taste
Lots of freshly ground pepper
¼ cup sour cream
Chives or coriander for garnish

Soak dry mushrooms in warm water until pliable (about 1 hour). Cut mushrooms into ½” pieces. Discard stems and woody pieces. Heat butter in saucepan. Sauté mushrooms, shallot and leek until soft but not brown. Stir in flour and gradually add hot broth, stiring continuously. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add wine, salt and pepper. Stir in sour cream just before serving. Add garnish.

Shrimp Bisque a la Dovell

2007-11-27T21:51:00.000-05:00

Hot or cold, this soup kicks. It's one of my brother's favorite palate pleasers.

1 pound cooked shrimp
1 small carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 T butter
Pinch of thyme
¼ cup brandy
½ cup sherry
1 cup chicken broth
2 cans frozen shrimp bisque

In a saucepan, sauté carrot and onion in butter. Add a little thyme. When golden brown, add shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes. Add brandy and flame. When the fire is out, set aside. Thaw frozen shrimp bisque in a large saucepan, and add sherry and chicken broth. Put thawed bisque mixture in blender along with 1 cup sour cream and a little red food coloring. The soup should be a light pink. Put the cooled shrimp mixture in the food processor. Combine the two mixtures and serve hot or cold.

Cucumber Dill Vichyssoise

2007-11-27T21:46:00.000-05:00

This is a refreshing, flavorful soup. And because there are such interesting flavors going on here, it's best to make this a day ahead to give the flavors a chance to mingle and merge. A summer palate pleaser.

¼ cup butter
2/3 cup leeks (white part only), chopped
1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
¾ pound potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups chicken broth
2 ½ cups cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 cup half and half cream
Salt & white pepper to taste
3 T fresh dill
2 t. “Hot & Spicy” seasoning

Melt butter in saucepan. Add leeks, bay leaf and onion. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Add potatoes and chicken broth, simmer about 20 minutes. Mix chopped cucumber into soup. Puree in blender or processor in batches. Add cream, dill weed, salt, pepper, and “Hot & Spicy.” Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Serve chilled. If it gets too thick overnight, you can thin to preferred consistency with a little additional chicken broth.

Moo's Cold Stuffed Sushi Clams

2007-11-26T13:20:00.000-05:00

Moo served these as either hors d'oeuvres or as part of a selection of sushi. The number of clams you'll need to prepare will depend on how you plan to use this dish.

Seasoned sushi rice
Little neck clams
Japanese rice vinegar
wasabi

Use your best recipe to make a batch of seasoned sushi rice. Steam little neck clams. Remove clam meat from shell, keeping clams intact. Clean shells because you are going to use them to serve these little treats. Moisten hands with a little Japanese rice vinegar. Pick up a small portion of sushi rice and press into a ball. Set rice in a clam shell half. Dab a little wasabi on top and add a clam. If you wish, place the other half of the clam shell on top. Serve soon after making and at room temperature.

Moo's Brie Quiche

2007-11-26T13:13:00.000-05:00

1 pound of brie
4 egg, separated
1 1/2 cup light cream
1/8 t. salt

Take out brie ahead of time to soften. Shave off the crust. When soft you can beat egg yolks and cream. Add brie to yolk mixture in chunks. Blend thoroughly. Add salt. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into cheese mixture. Pour the entire mixture into a shallow baking pan or dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (until custard is set). Cool slightly before serving.

Moo's Hot Black Bean Dipping Sauce

2007-11-26T12:41:00.000-05:00

Moo sent this recipe with the following note: This is excellent. And it keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

1 pint olive oil
1/2 cup dried red chili flakes
2/3 cup fermented black beans
2/3 cup Tientsin preserved Chinese vegetables
1/4 cup Mainland preserved cabbage
1 T fresh garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup scallions, minced
1 T sherry
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup cilantro, minced

Heat olive oil in your wok. One at a time and in the order listed, add all the ingredients except the cilantro. Mix thoroughly between ingredients. Take care not to let ingredients boil over. Once you are satisfied that ingredients are well infused, remove from head. Add cilantro. Cool and store in refrigerator.

Moo's Lemon Soy Dipping Sauce

2007-11-26T12:34:00.001-05:00

Another of Moo's palate pleaser dipping sauces. This one is perfect for Japanese dumplings like gyoza and for tempura.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 T Mirin
3 T water
2 T rice vinegar
1 T bonito flakes

Combine all ingredients in sauce pan, cover and steep for 2-3 hours. Strain and serve.

Moo's Cauliflower Salad

2007-11-26T10:27:00.000-05:00

This is a vegetable salad of cauliflower, celery and onion (I think you could easily add some sliced carrots too). Moo received this recipe from a friend, but she then took the recipe apart and recreated it. The lemon dressing makes it a Moo palate pleaser.

fresh cauliflower, sliced
celery, sliced
raw onion, chopped
salt & pepper

Lemon Dressing
2 large lemons, use juice of both and grated rind of one
2 T sugar
3 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 cup sour cream

Lightly beat the egg yolks and set aside. Combine lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Reserve the rind. Bring ingredients slowly to a boil, swirling the pan to dissolve the sugar. Stir a little of the hot juice into the egg yolks to warm them. Return all the egg mixture to the juice saucepan over low heat. Whisk briskly until the eggs have thickened slightly. Remove from heat and immediately whisk in sour cream and rind. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Pour over vegetables, mix well and serve.

Moo's California Ceviche

2007-11-26T10:16:00.000-05:00

2 pounds fresh lean fish fillets
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 medium size onions, finely chopped
3 fresh green chilies, roast, peel and chop (or 1 can Mexican-style green chilies)
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 t. dry oregano
1/2 t. marjoram leaves
1 t. celery seeds

Dice the fish, taking care to discard all bones and skin. Pour lime juice over fish, cover and refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally to ensure good coverage. Drain fish well, then add onions, chilies, tomatoes, orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, celery seed and herbs. Mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to about 6 hours for freshest flavor.

Denny's Corn Souffle

2007-11-26T10:09:00.000-05:00

Dennis used to enjoy trading recipes with Moo. This is one of his palate pleasers.

6-7 ears fresh corn, boil and strip kernels from ears
6 T butter

Combine the following:
4 cups whole milk
4 eggs, beat lightly
1/4 cup honey
2 T flour
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread corn in the bottom of a 9 x 12 pan. Pour the milk/egg mixture over corn. Place the butter in chunks on top of the corn mixture. Bake about 1 hour, until golden brown and springy.

Moo's Avocado-Chicken Salad

2007-11-25T16:03:00.000-05:00

It's a simple salad but always good for a quick, light lunch.

2 ripe avocados
2 cups chicken, cooked, diced
2 eggs, hard boiled, sliced
2 T sweet red pepper, diced
2 T coriander, finely chopped
1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
pinch of tarragon
salt to taste
pepper to taste
3 T lemon juice
Romaine lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices

Combine the first 10 ingredients and toss with lemon juice. Serve on a bed of lettuce and garnish with tomatoes and cucumbers.

Moo's Fluffy Chicken Pancake

2007-11-25T15:51:00.000-05:00

Moo used to make this as an entree, but as a smaller helping it would be an excellent side dish. She often put a little of her fabulous all-purpose lemon sauce on top. What a palate pleaser. Experiment with different sauces and toppings for new tastes.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 chicken breast, finely chopped
4 egg whites
2 T coriander, chopped
2 t. sherry
salt and pepper to taste
Few drops of sesame oil

Bone and chop chicken. Beat egg whites until foamy. Mix in chicken, sherry salt and pepper. Put olive oil in flat frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken mixture. When firm, turn mixture. Cook until both sides are firm but NOT brown. Add sesame oil and serve.

You can give a little more flavor to the chicken by marinating it in: 1 tsp. sherry, 2 tsp. soy sauce and 1 star anise

Moo's Litchi Sauce
2 T sugar
2 T vinegar
2 T catsup
3/4 cup litchi juice (drained from a can of litchi fruit)
2 tsp cornstarch
Boil and stir all ingredients until think enough.

Moo's Chocolate Omelet

2007-11-25T15:35:00.000-05:00

This chocolate omelet makes a great brunch item. You could also serve it as a dessert with dinner. Also, I like to add a little ice cream for a change. It's a delicious palate pleaser.

2 eggs
2 T cocoa
2 T coconut rum liqueur
4 T sugar
6-8 fresh strawberries, sliced
White creme de menthe
Dark swiss chocolate, grated
Whipped cream
Powdered sugar

Mix eggs, cocoa, liqueur and sugar for omelet. Set aside. Slice strawberries, put in a bowl and drizzle a little creme de menthe on top. Whip up some cream or use prepared whipped cream if you like. Pour egg mixture into hot omelet pan. When the omelet is ready to fold, sprinkle grated swiss chocolate and the strawberries on top then fold. Remove from pan. Add whipped cream and a little powdered sugar.

Moo's Cheese Pie

2007-11-25T15:16:00.000-05:00

This is a Fifties vintage recipe of Moo's. I've found some of these older recipes are fun to bring back and enjoy. An old palate pleaser is now new again.

2 cups cheese-flavored crackers, finely crushed
2 cups sour cream
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup stuffed olives, chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
2 T lemon juice
1 small onion, minced
1 t. salt
1/4 t. paprika
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco

Brush sides and bottom of 8" cake pan with butter (or spray with Pam). Cut a circular piece of wax paper to fit in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle about 1/4 of the crackers in the bottom of the pan. Mix remaining ingredients together thoroughly. Spread layer of cream mixture on top of crackers. Alternate layers and finish with crackers on top. Store in refrigerator for 24 hours. Turn on to a plate shortly before serving. Garnish with crisp greens and olives.

Moo's Asparagus Custard Casserole

2007-11-25T15:01:00.000-05:00

This is a little something Moo threw together. It's a great side dish that's a great way to enjoy asparagus.

5 eggs
2 cups milk
2 T butter
2 T onion, chopped
2 T flour
1 can mushroom soup (concentrated)
1 cup cheese, shredded (Moo usually used either Jack or mozzarella)
I large bunch of asparagus cut into bite-size pieces
Bread crumbs
Slivered almonds

Beat eggs and milk. Saute chopped onion in butter. Combine these ingredients, then add flour. Turn oven to 350 degrees and preheat. Put cut asparagus in souffle dish. Pour egg mixture over asparagus. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and slivered almonds. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes or until the custard is set. Serve warm

Moo's Basil Sauce

2007-11-25T14:47:00.000-05:00

Here's a light, fresh sauce for pasta. Moo often used this sauce to create one of her palate pleasing pasta casseroles.

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
4 T butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 large tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
6 sprigs fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Saute all the ingredients in the butter for 5-10 minutes. Pour on top of pasta and top with parmesan cheese.

Coriander Dipping Sauce

2007-11-25T14:30:00.000-05:00

Moo loved to create her own special dipping sauces for her many original Asian dishes. She felt this one was a real palate pleaser.

In a small bowl, combine the following ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce (I prefer low salt)
2 T scallion tops, minced
1 1/2 T rice wine
1 1/2 T Chinese black vinegar
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T fresh coriander leaves, minced
2 t. sesame oil
2 t. fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
2 t. fresh garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 t. hot chili oil

Stir ingredients until sugar is fully dissolved.

Moo's Corn Crepes with Chili Butter

2007-11-19T10:08:00.000-05:00

2 cups white cornmeal
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
3 T all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
3 T scallions, minced
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup corn nibblets, pureed
1/2 cup olive oil
3 T melted butter

Filling
1 1/2 pounds of cooked shrimp
2 1/2 T chopped chilies
1/2 pound of shredded Jack cheese

Chili Butter
1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 T chilies
1/2 pound cooked shrimp

Sift dry ingredients, including salt into a large bowl. Stir in onion, buttermilk egg, oil and butter. Fold in pureed corn. Heat crepe pan and brush lightly with olive oil (or spray with olive oil Pam). Pour 1/4 cup of batter into hot crepe pan and swirl to cover evenly. Return to heat and cook until golden on both sides. Crepes may be kept in 200 degree oven.

Puree chili butter ingredients.

Toss shrimp, chopped chilies and cheese to make filling. Place a liberal amount of filling in crepes, roll and heat. When ready to serve, spread chili butter liberally on each crepe and serve with your favorite combination of toppings: guacamole, ranchero sauce, sour cream, chives and coriander.

Moo's Exotic Chicken Livers

2007-11-19T09:58:00.000-05:00

We don't eat fried livers very often these days, but if this appeals (and it is a real palate pleaser) I recommend organic chicken livers and skillet cooking rather than deep frying. Olive oil, of course, helps too. Enjoy this guilty pleasure.

1/2 pound chicken livers
2 T Hoisin sauce

Fritter Batter
1 cup flour
1 t. salt
2 T cornstarch
2/3 cup water

Prepare livers by cleaning and cutting into bite-size pieces. Marinate in Hoisin sauce for 2 hours, turning regularly. Make batter about 20 minutes before you are ready to cook livers. Combine all the ingredients and beat until smooth. Dip livers in batter and skillet fry in olive oil. You can deep fry if you prefer. If you make ahead, reheat in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes.

Niki's Chili

2007-11-19T09:37:00.000-05:00

While this is my sister's favorite chili recipe, she gave it to Moo who would make it a palate pleaser for Daddy and me by using venison. Also Niki says the quality of the chili powder makes all the difference...this is, after all, chili!

2 pounds ground sirloin (or chopped into bite-size pieces--cook's choice)
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup onion flakes
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup yellow mustard
Slightly less than 1 cup catsup
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 T chili powder
Mesquite seasoned salt, to taste
Steak seasoning, to taste

Cook meat in large skillet with olive oil. As meat begins to cook, add onion, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, catsup and chili powder. Mix thoroughly. Add can of beans and tomatoes. Add mesquite salt and steak seasoning to taste. Simmer for half an hour and until thickened a bit. Best made ahead to allow flavors to mingle and merge.

Moo's Asian Crab Balls

2007-11-18T17:03:00.000-05:00

This crab appetizer goes fast, so make enough. Also you'll probably find other good uses for this dipping sauce. This is a palate pleasing crab dish.

1 pound crab meat, mince
1 egg
2 T scallions, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1 t. sherry
1 t. fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 t. sesame oil
1 T cornstarch

Olive oil

Dipping Sauce
1 t. hot soy bean paste
1 T catsup
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T sugar
1 T soy sauce
1/2 T garlic, crushed
1 T fresh ginger, very finely chopped

Mix crab meat with all other ingredients. Form into bite-size balls. Deep fry or pan fry until slightly brown. Serve with dipping sauce.

Moo's Simple Stuffed Mushrooms

2007-11-18T16:53:00.000-05:00

Want to whip up a palate pleasing appetizer in no time? Try these stuffed mushrooms.

1 pound fresh mushroom caps
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 T butter
1 T flour
1/2 cup cream
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley for garnish, finely chopped

Wash and dry mushrooms and remove stems. Chop up the stems and any poorly shaped caps. Saute the onion in butter, add chopped mushroom stems and lemon juice. Cook until softened (about 3 minutes). Add flour and stir until thick. Add cream, season with salt and pepper and cook until thickened again.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill mushroom caps and bake on a buttered or Teflon cookie sheet for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve hot.

Moo's Favorite Green Chili Salsa

2007-11-18T16:36:00.000-05:00

Salsa is a wonderful condiment and dip. Most recipes are fast and easy to make and so much better than anything you can buy. Moo liked to collect, invent and reinvent salsas. As a result I have a lot of recipes to offer in this category. I'll be sharing many of her palate pleasing salsas with upcoming posts.

6 tomatillos, husks discarded and fruit quartered
1 T Olive oil
5 green chile peppers, I like to roast and peel
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1/2 to 1 t. salt (to taste)
1 cup sour cream
1 t. fresh lime juice

Place husked and quartered tomatillos in a skillet with olive oil and cook over low heat until softened (3-4 minutes). Transfer tomatillos to food processor. Add chilies, garlic and avocado. Blend until smooth. Add sour cream, cilantro and salt. Puree until smooth.

Moo's Quick Cracker Dumplings

2007-11-18T16:29:00.000-05:00

This is a very quick and easy way to make dumplings. Excellent in soup or stewed vegetables, such as tomatoes. It's part of a palate pleasing comfort meal.

23 soda crackers or saltines, crushed
2 T flour, unsifted
1/2 t. baking powder
1 whole egg, beaten

Combine crackers, flour and baking powder. Crack egg into a small bowl so you can beat with a fork. Then add to the cracker mixture. Mix into a dough. Mold each dumpling with the help of a teaspoon, then drop into simmering chicken stock. Cook until done. It will float to the top.

Moo's Szechwan Lobster

2007-11-18T11:26:00.000-05:00

It's lobster with a Szechwan flavor...of course it's delicious. This is Moo's version and she declared it a palate pleaser. I love boiled lobster right from the pot, but I have to say this is a very good dish. And easy to make.

1 two-pound live lobster
1 t. soy sauce
1 1/2 t. white vinegar
12 drops chili oil
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. salt
3 t. sherry
12 water chestnuts, cut in 1/2" pieces
3 T cloud ear fungi, soaked about 30 minutes to soften
20 peapods
1/4 cup scallions, minced
1/4 cup Olive Oil for stir frying

Select a pot large enough for boiling the lobster. Add water and salt water enough to simulate sea water. Bring to a boil, add lobster and cook for just 10 minutes. The lobster will not be completely cooked but enough so that removing meat from shell is easy. Allow lobster to cool enough that you can handle it. Remove all meat from the shell and cut into 1 1/2" pieces.

Wash and pull strings from peapods. In pot of boiling water, blanch peapods for just 15 seconds--until bright green. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix sauce ingredients together: soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, garlic, salt and sherry. Heat oil in wok on high. Add lobster and water chestnuts. Stir fry about 3 minutes. Add cloud ears and scallions for about 30 seconds. Add sauce and cook another 15 seconds. Finally add peapods and cook another 15 seconds. If you like a thicker sauce, you can prepare a teaspoon of cornstarch with a little water and add to the dish. This will thicken dish slightly.

Moo's Chicken Wing Appetizer

2007-11-18T11:09:00.001-05:00

When Moo first gave me this recipe, she wrote: This is as good as the old standby. The use of chicken broth makes this one very moist.

18 (or about 3 pounds) chicken wings
Olive oil
3 scallions, cut into 3" pieces
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sherry
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup catsup
3 whole star anise
2 T sugar
1/4 t. ground ginger
1 large head iceberg lettuce, shredded

Cut wing tips off at the joint and discard. Cut the remaining two joints apart. Heat oil in skillet and saute wings until golden brown. Remove wings and pour off the excess oil. Combine soy sauce, sherry, chicken broth, catsup, scallions, star anise, sugar and ginger in skillet. Add wings and simmer 25 minutes or until tender, basting occasionally. Then cover and cook 10 minutes longer. Serve wings on bed of shredded lettuce.

Imperial Moo Chicken Salad

2007-11-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

This is a palate pleasing salad with an Asian flavor.

2 large chicken breasts, boned
1/3 cup sherry
1/4 cup soy sauce
6 thin slices ginger

Olive oil for frying

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
6 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

2-3 ounces of Chinese rice sticks or bean thread

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
2 T lemon juice
1 T plus 1 t. soy sauce
3 t. sesame oil
2 t. dry mustard
2 t. sugar
1 t. fresh ginger, minced
1/2 t. hot chili oil

Combine sherry, soy sauce and ginger slices to create marinade. Marinate chicken breasts for several hours (overnight, if possible). Turn chicken breasts over a couple times. When ready to cook, drain chicken breasts, pat dry and lightly salt. Then coat with cornstarch. Refrigerate for an hour to allow cornstarch to set.

Heat olive oil in skillet and deep fry chicken breasts for about 5 minutes per side or until golden and crisp and cooked through. Drain chicken on paper towel then slice into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add lettuce, scallions, almonds, sesame seeds.

Heat olive oil in skillet or wok. Deep fry rice sticks or bean threads. They will puff up very quickly. Drain, salt lightly and add to salad. Mix dressing ingredients, add to salad, toss and serve.

Moo's Coconut-Coriander Chutney

2007-11-17T20:21:00.000-05:00

If you like chutney, you'll love this. Who'd have thought making a palate pleasing chutney would be so easy.

1 bunch coriander
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 fresh or canned chili (if fresh, you'll need to roast and peel off skin)
1 cup coconut
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
1/4 cup water

Trim leaves from coriander stalks and put them into blender with remaining ingredients. Blend and pour into serving bowl. You can make ahead and refrigerate, but I think it tastes best at room temperature.

Day Ahead Potatoes

2007-11-17T20:11:00.000-05:00

Although you have to begin making this the day before, it is a fast and easy side dish. I guarantee your guests will love it. I give this 5 palate pleaser stars.

12 potatoes, peeled
1 pint whipping cream, unwhipped
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Boil potatoes the day before your dinner. Refrigerate over night. This will firm the potatoes up a bit and make them easier to grate. So grate potatoes on the day of the party and lightly layer into a casserole seasoning throughout with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Drizzle whipping cream over the potatoes. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 12

Moo's Chinese Noodle Custard

2007-11-17T20:02:00.000-05:00

This is a good first course or side dish for any Asian dinner. It's light and not what most people expect when ordering Chinese. I prefer light (low sodium) soy sauce and organic chicken broth. If you want to avoid the chicken broth, try vegetable broth.

1 pkg fine noodles
4 eggs, whisked
1/2 t. salt
2 t. soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk

Cook noodles until tender. Rinse and drain. Set oven to 325 degrees. Pour noodles into a 2 quart casserole. Whisk eggs well and add other ingredients. Pour over noodles and fold in. Set casserole into larger pan with some water and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Moo's Peanut Butter and Pepper Sauce

2007-11-17T19:55:00.000-05:00

There's something about a good peanut butter sauce. This is a palate pleaser...Asian style!

2 T peanut butter
3 T warm water
2 T soy sauce
1 T cider vinegar
2 T sesame oil
1 t. cayenne pepper
2 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 T scallions, finely chopped

Combine peanut butter with warm water to make a smooth, thin sauce. Then combine the remaining ingredients except the garlic and scallion into a very smooth dressing. Add garlic and scallion just before serving.

Blue Cheese Dressing

2007-11-17T19:44:00.000-05:00

This is a delicious blue cheese dressing for any salad. But while I like it on greens, I adore it on cold pear slices (either fresh or canned). An unusual palate pleaser.

1/4 cup wine vinegar
1/8 t. pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 t. salt
3/4 and 2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup apple sauce

Combine vinegar, salt and pepper in blender. Slowly add oil while running blender at low speed. Add sour cream, apple sauce and blue cheese. Blend until smooth.

Thai Tartare

2007-11-17T19:27:00.000-05:00

Given my concerns about hormones and antibiotics given to many commercial cattle, I prefer to use organic beef. I don't have tartare as often as I used to, but this is a good palate pleaser.

1 lb raw, high-grade ground lean beef
Grated rind of 1 1/2 limes
3 shallots, minced
3 scallions, minced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 T cilantro, finely chopped
6 T lemon grass, minced (cut off sticklike part and remove outer leaves of bulb before chopping)

Place all the ingredients together in large bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place several lettuce leaves on a serving plate. Mound tartare up on top of lettuce. Garnish with mint leaves.

Moo's Best Barbecue Sauce

2007-09-23T15:54:00.000-05:00

I love this barbecue sauce. Everyone in my family loves this sauce. I guess you could call it a family-wide palate pleaser. I hope you love it too. And when I want to do something a little more on the edge, I add some Maker's Mark whisky.

½ cup vinegar
2 T prepared mustard
¼ cup water
1 t. freshly ground pepper
4 T sugar
1 T salt
2 slices lemon
½ cup butter
1 cup catsup
4 T Worcestershire sauce

Mix and simmer for 5 minutes. If you want to kick it up a notch, add ½ t. cayenne pepper.

Dovell's Tomato Dumplings

2007-09-23T15:41:00.000-05:00

This is real comfort food. It's also something my grandmother used to make for my father. She gave the recipe to Moo and when Moo wanted to please us with something special, she'd make tomato dumplings. As an aside, Moo used to can her own tomatoes, which made for very flavorful tomatoes all year long. This is best served as a winter dish, so good canned tomatoes made this a real palate pleaser.

Dumplings:
2/3 cup flour
¼ t. baking powder
1 egg
Water

Tomatoes:
1 quart tomatoes
½ cup sugar
1 heaping T butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix dumpling ingredients to make a batter. Set aside. In a pot or large saucepan, mix tomatoes, sugar, butter, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. To make dumplings, drop batter in boiling tomatoes one teaspoon full at a time. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Asian Mashed Potatoes

2007-09-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

Here's something a little out of the ordinary. Give your mashed potatoes a little Asian zing for a real palate pleaser.
1 lb. potatoes
1 t. salt
2 T rice vinegar
2 t. oil
3 T cilantro, chopped
3 T green onions, chopped
1 T toasted sesame seeds

Peel potatoes and quarter if particularly large. Boil in salted (1 t.) water until soft and ready for mashing. Pour off most of the water, reserving some for adding moisture as you begin the mashing. Note that is no milk added to these potatoes so reserve enough of your potato water. Begin mashing, add rice vinegar and oil first so you can judge your use of the reserve potato water as you go along. Shortly before potatoes reach the right consistency, add cilantro, green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy.