Chicken Curry with Pineapple (for MartianIceQueen)

People loved this, but had lots of suggestions/comments: grated fresh ginger much better than the ground ginger; canned pineapple works just as well; add some garam marsala; add a little nutmeg & cloves; add plain yogurt to thicken the sauce.

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• a 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 carrots, chopped coarse
• a 14- to 16-ounce can whole tomatoes including the juice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh pineapple
• cayenne to taste
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• cooked rice as an accompaniment

In a heavy kettle heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it brown the chicken, patted dry, in batches, transferring it as it is browned to a bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and in the remaining fat cook the onion over moderate heat, stirring, until it is golden. Add the garlic, the turmeric, the coriander, the cumin, the cinnamon, and the ginger and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the carrots, the tomatoes with the juice, the broth, and the chicken including any juices that have accumulated in the bowl and simmer the mixture, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink. Transfer the chicken to a plate, boil the sauce until it is thickened slightly, and stir in the pineapple, the cayenne, and salt to taste. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, stir in the chicken and the parsley, and serve the curry over the rice.

Spicy Pork & Kumquat Stir-Fry (for MartianIceQueen)

Not too many reviewers suggested changes, except for kumquat substitutions (generally snow peas) which rather ruins the point of the fruit recipe! A couple people did warn that this was really hot & recommended cutting back a little on the hot oil and the five spice powder.

• 1 pound 1/2-inch-thick boneless pork loin chops (about 6) cut
• crosswise into 1/3-inch-wide strips
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder*
• 5 ounces kumquats, quartered lengthwise, seeded
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons hot chili oil or chili sesame oil*
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup canned chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Blend first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Combine kumquats and sugar in small bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring kumquat mixture occasionally.

Heat oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add ginger and stir 1 minute. Add pork mixture and stir-fry until pork is just cooked through, separating pork strips, about 3 minutes. Add kumquat mixture, broth and vinegar and stir until sauce boils and thickens, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Endive, Stilton & Pear Tart (for MartianIceQueen)

Another recipe with rave reviews. For those who don't want to deal with the puffed pastry, one reviewer recommended baking everything in a small casserole dish, then serving it warm as a spread for crackers. Which is how I might try it. Puffed pastry hates me. So does fillo dough. People didn't really have any other changes, but many recommended that you thoroughly drain the endive.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 heads Belgian endive, cut crosswise into 1-inch slices
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 3 large pears, peeled, cored, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 17 1/4-ounce package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed (2 sheets)
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend (glaze)
• 1 cup crumbled Stilton cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add endive, shallots and curry; sauté until endive is golden, about 8 minutes. Add pears and vinegar and cook until pears are tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place both pastry sheets on lightly floured work surface. Cut one 9-inch round from each pastry sheet. Place 1 round on heavy cookie sheet. Brush pastry with egg. Stir cheese and chives into endive mixture. Arrange endive mixture atop pastry round, leaving 1/2-inch border. Cover with remaining pastry round. Press and crimp edges to seal. Brush tart with egg. Using small sharp knife, cut small hole in center of tart. Freeze 10 minutes.

Bake tart until puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let tart stand 1 hour before serving.

Red-Wine-Braised Duck Legs with Roasted Pears & Onions (for Martian IceQueen)

This one is cool because a lot of the reviewers said the best part of it was the pear & onion side dish that you serve with the duck. So, if you don't like duck or want to make something simpler, you can just make the pear part of the recipe. People raved about this one, by the way. Reviewer suggestions: mix in some oil with the butter to prevent burning; marinate duck overnight; have friends over for a Pinot Noir wine tasting & serve this dish.

• 4 large duck legs* (about 2 3/4 pounds total, cut from two 5 1/2- to 6-pound ducks)
• a 750-ml. bottle light fruity red wine such as Pinot Noir (about 3 1/4 cups)
• a bouquet garni of 10 lightly crushed juniper berries**, 3 whole cloves, a 4 by 1 inch strip orange zest, and 1 bay leaf tied together in a cheesecloth bag
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 large celery rib, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 large onion , cut 1/4-inch dice
• 2 large fresh parsley sprigs plus 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

For roasted pears and onions

• 3 medium onions, halved or quartered
• 2 ripe Bosc pears
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• a beurre manié made by rubbing together 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Trim excess fat from duck legs, reserving fat for the sautéed kale. In a large bowl marinate duck legs in wine with bouquet garni, covered and chilled, 2 hours.

Transfer legs to a plate, reserving wine and bouquet garni. In a heavy kettle large enough to hold legs in one layer heat oil over moderately high heat until hot. Pat legs dry with paper towels and season with salt. Cook legs, skin sides down, 20 minutes, or until skin is crisp and mahogany-colored, removing fat from kettle as it rendered with a metal bulb baster (or very carefully pouring it off). Turn legs and cook until browned on other side, about 2 minutes, transferring as browned to a plate.

Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons fat from kettle and sauté vegetables with salt to taste, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add duck legs, skin sides up, with parsley sprigs and reserved wine and bouquet garni and simmer, covered, 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Braised duck legs may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat mixture over low heat, adding 1/3 cup water, before proceeding with duck preparation.

Make roasted pears and onions during last hour of duck braising:
Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a shallow baking pan large enough to hold onions and pears in one layer melt butter in oven and swirl pan to coat. Add onion halves, cut sides down, and quarters, and bake 30 minutes. Add pears, cut side down, to pan and bake 20 minutes, or until pears and onions are tender and lightly browned. In a cup stir together lemon juice, honey, and salt and add to onions and pears, tossing to coat.

Transfer duck legs to a warm plate and keep warm, covered with foil. Discard parsley sprigs and bouquet garni and strain liquid into a 1-quart measuring cup, reserving vegetables. Let liquid stand until fat rises to top and skim and discard fat. Return liquid to kettle and simmer until reduced to about 2 cups. Add beurre manié, a little at a time, whisking, and boil 2 minutes. Stir reserved vegetables and minced parsley into sauce and heat through if necessary.

Serve duck legs, with sauce spooned over them and garnished with parsley sprigs, with roasted pears and onions.

Chicken with Peaches & Jalapenos (for MartianIceQueen)

This recipe was generally popular, and not too many changes were suggested. Reviewers did say, though, that frozen peaches worked just as well & recommended using boneless, skinless chicken instead.

• 2 whole chicken breasts with skin and bones (about 2 pounds total), halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 firm-ripe peaches, quartered
• 3 medium onions, quartered lengthwise
• 6 jalapeño chilies, quartered lengthwise and seeded (wear rubber gloves)
• 6 large garlic cloves
• 1 lemon, quartered

Accompaniment: basmati rice

Preheat oven to 450° F.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and arrange, skin sides up, in an 18- by 11 1/2-inch roasting pan. Drizzle chicken with oil and roast 20 minutes. Scatter peaches, onions, jalapeños, garlic, and lemon over and around chicken.

Reduce temperature to 375° F. and roast chicken, covered with foil, 30 minutes more. Remove foil and roast chicken, basting occasionally with pan juices, until peaches and onions are soft, about 30 minutes more. Transfer chicken mixture to a platter, spooning any pan juices over it.

Serve chicken with rice.

Chicken with Sauteed Pears & Rosemary (for MartianIceQueen)

The reviews for this at Epicurious were great, people were almost crazed in their admiration of this recipe. A bunch of them did mention, though, that the sauce was a little too sweet & recommended that instead of 2 cups of apple juice, you substitute 1 cup of apple juice & 1 cup of chicken broth.Other reviewer recommendations: simmer sauce longer so that it thickens; double amount of pears; use olive oil instead of vegetable oil; substitute sage for the thyme, which might be fun to try for a different flavor; use more red pepper if you like it spicier; use pork instead of chicken; serve over polenta; add cinammon to the pears.

• 3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 cups apple juice
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup whipping cream

• 1 Bosc pear, quartered, cored, thinly sliced

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup Marsala

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add apple juice, red wine, vinegar, rosemary, thym and crushed red pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until mixture is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Strain mixture into small saucepan; discard solids. Add cream a simmer until reduced to sauce consistency, about 12 minutes.

Meanwhile heat 2 teaspoons oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add pear slices; sauté until tender and golden brown, about 8 minutes. (Sauce and pears can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover seperately and refrigerate. Rewarm pears over medium-low heat before serving.)

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and sauté until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Add Marsala and bring to boil. Stir in reserved sauce, turning chicken once to coat. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes longer.

Divide chicken among 4 plates. Spoons some sauce around chicken on each plate. Garnish with pear slices.

Gorgonzola & Red Pear Risotto (for MartianIceQueen)

Very popular recipe. Suggestions from reviewers include: using more gorgonzola; add broth mixture a little at a time for a creamier texture; add shitake mushrooms;

• 3 1/2 cups (about) canned vegetable broth
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
• 1 cup arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
• 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 1 ripe unpeeled red-skinned pear, halved, cored, diced

Bring vegetable broth and white wine to simmer in heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; keep mixture warm.

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add all but 1/2 cup broth mixture to rice. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring often. Mix in sage. Cook until rice is tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, adding remaining broth mixture 1/4 cupful at a time if risotto is dry, about 5 minutes longer. Mix in Gorgonzola and pear. Cook until cheese melts and pear is heated through,about 1 minute. Season with salt and generous amount of pepper.

Pinon (for MartianIceQueen)

I'd never heard of Pinon before, so I looked it up & it's either a classic Cuban or Puerto Rican savory pie. Both cultures seemed to stake an equal claim. Anyone of Cuban or Puerto Rican ancestry in the Hizzy who can chime in on this? ;) Regardless, though, it sounds amazing - I loooove platanos, so am going to have to try this at some point.

Some interesting suggestions from Epicurious reviews: if you don't like olives, subsitute capers; add a chipotle pepper & some chili powder for more heat; cook plaintains in microwave for a healthier version - 4 minutes per plaintain; use vegetarian ground beef substitute for a healthier and/or vegetarian version.

• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 small green bell pepper
• 1/2 small red bell pepper
• a 14- to 16-ounce can whole tomatoes
• 1/3 cup drained pimiento-stuffed green olives
• 1 pound ground beef chuck
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground achiote (optional)
  

• 6 semi-ripe (yellow with some spots) plantains
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive or canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cut onion and bell peppers into 1/4-inch dice. Drain whole tomatoes, reserving juice, and chop. Halve olives crosswise.

Heat a large nonstick skillet until hot and crumble beef into skillet. Sauté beef over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up any clumps, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt, black pepper, onion, and bell peppers and sauté, stirring, until vegetables are softened, any juices are evaporated, and meat begins to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with reserved juice, olives, and remaining filling ingredients and simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Cool filling uncovered. Filling may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Cut ends from plantains and peel fruit. Diagonally cut plantains into 1/3-inch-thick slices. In a large nonstick skillet heat 1/3 cup oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté plantains in batches, without crowding, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes on each side, adding remaining oil to skillet as necessary. With a slotted spatula transfer plantains as fried to paper towels to drain.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil a 2 1/2-quart baking dish (about 1 1/2 inches deep).

In a small bowl beat together eggs and water and pour half of mixture into baking dish, tilting to coat bottom and sides. Arrange about one third plantains over bottom and up sides of baking dish tightly in one layer. Spread half of filling in dish and sprinkle with half of Parmesan. Arrange half of remaining plantains on top of Parmesan in one layer. Top plantains with remaining filling and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Top pie with remaining plantains. Pour remaining egg mixture over pie, tilting dish so egg spreads to edges.

Bake pie, covered with foil, in middle of oven until heated through and bubbling at edges, about 1 hour. Cool pie 10 minutes. (If desired, unmold before serving: Run a thin knife around edge of pie, invert a serving plate on top of pie, and invert pie onto serving plate.)

Moroccan Lamb Stew with Blood Oranges (for MartianIceQueen)

Epicurious recommends serving this over couscous. Popular recipe, though there was a bit of a flame war! Some of the reviewers got very annoyed with each other - tres amusing. Anyway, suggestions/comments include: you can use regular or mandarin oranges if you can't find blood oranges; kick up the spices - increase amounts listed here, and add fresh garlic & cumin as well; substitute cilantro for the parsley.

• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 1/2 pounds o-bone (round-bone) lamb shoulder chops, well trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces, or 2 pounds lamb stew meat
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/3 cups water
  

• 2 large blood oranges
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon honey

Mix salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice in medium bowl. Add lamb and toss to coat with spice mixture. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add lamb to pot and sauté until brown on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Return all lamb to pot. Add onion, garlic and ginger to pot and sauté 5 minutes. Add 1 1/3 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until lamb is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, grate peel from blood oranges and reserve. Cut all remaining peel and white pith from oranges and discard. Coarsely chop oranges. Add oranges and grated peel to lamb. Cover and simmer until lamb is very tender, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in parsley and honey. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Normande with Mashed Apples & Potatoes (for MartianIceQueen)

Brandy, apples and cream add a taste of France's Normandy region to this entrée. Well-reviewed and popular on Epicurious. Some recommendations included: adding oregano as well; making a day in advance to let the flavors meld; brown chicken before coating with flour.

• 3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 8 ounces parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 3/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 pound Golden Delicious apples (about 2 large), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 6 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  

• 1/3 cup brandy
• 1/3 cup whipping cream

Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy large pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until parsnips are tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer parsnips to small bowl. Add potatoes and apples to same pot. Cover; simmer until very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes and apples to large bowl; add 3 tablespoons butter. Mash until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour broth mixture from pot into medium bowl; reserve pot.

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and 4 teaspoons thyme; dust with flour. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in reserved pot over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning with tongs, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sautéed chicken to 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken. Top with parsnips, remaining 2 teaspoons thyme and peas. Return broth mixture to same pot; add brandy and whipping cream. Boil over medium-high heat until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, scraping up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken. Cover with potato-apple mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake casserole uncovered until potato topping is crusty and chicken filling is heated through, about 35 minutes (about 45 minutes if refrigerated).

Ham and Peach Kebabs (for MartianIceQueen)

Not too many suggestions from Epicurious reviewers - but it sounds like you can skip the mustard (but why would you want to?!?) and that adding a little balsamic vinegar is yummy.

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 8- to 10-ounce ham steak (1/2 inch thick), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk marmalade, oil, mustard and lemon juice in small bowl to blend. Alternate ham pieces and peach chunks on 4 metal skewers. Brush with marmalade glaze. Sprinkle with pepper. Grill until ham is slightly charred and fruit is softened, turning and brushing often with glaze, about 6 minutes.

Cumin-Crusted Lamb with Apricots (for MartianIceQueen)

These flavors and aromas transport me to Marrakesh, where our friend Latif, son of the late imam of the great mosque there, guided us through the bustling and mysterious spice markets. Here's how I've recaptured the memory: a boned leg of lamb is stuffed with intensely flavored dried apricots, high in beta-carotene and potassium, then rubbed with aromatic cumin. Buy your cumin from a Middle Eastern market or spice store for the most flavorful results.

7 pound leg of lamb, boned and butterflied by the butcher (net weight about 4 1/4 pounds)
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/2 pound large good-quality dried apricots

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove all visible fat from the lamb.

In a small skillet, put cumin powder plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Heat over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the aroma rises. Let cool.

Place apricots in a bowl. Pour boiling water over apricots to cover. Let sit for 15 minutes to plump. Drain thoroughly.

Open lamb and place on a work surface so that it remains flat. Sprinkle lamb with half the cumin-salt mixture and freshly ground black pepper.

Place drained apricots in a long, overlapping row, lengthwise down the center of the lamb. Roll lamb tightly around the apricot filling. Using heavy string, tie the roast at 1-inch intervals.

Rub roast with remaining cumin-salt mixture. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

Coat a large shallow roasting pan with nonstick vegetable spray. Place roast in pan. Roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 135°F for medium-rare.

Remove roast from oven. Place on a large cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil. Pour off almost all the fat from the roasting pan and pour in the boiling water, scraping up browned bits. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into saucepan.

Carve lamb into thick slices. Add any juices from board to saucepan. Heat briefly, adding salt and pepper to taste. Pour over lamb.

Fettuccine with Figs, Rosemary & Pancetta (for MartianIceQueen)

Egg fettuccine, rather than regular durum pasta, makes all the difference in this dish. It's usually sold curled in nests or loose in trays.

Hugely popular & well-reviewed recipe at Epicurious. Suggestions/comments include: use more rosemary; add sundried tomatoes; go easy on salt - pancetta is very salty; good with spinach fettuccine; normal bacon works if you can't find pancetta; people used all sorts of different figs from fresh to dried & it all seemed good; add chopped baby arugula.

• 3 slices firm white sandwich bread
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 oz sliced pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or to taste
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 lb firm-ripe fresh figs, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 3/4 lb dried egg fettuccine

Accompaniment: freshly grated parmesan

Tear bread into pieces and pulse in a blender or food processor until reduced to coarse crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook bread crumbs with salt and pepper to taste, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Heat remaining tablespoon oil in cleaned skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook pancetta, stirring, until golden brown and crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add onion to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in wine and boil, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Remove from heat and stir in broth, figs, parsley, half of pancetta, and lemon juice.

Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.

Add fettuccine to fig mixture with 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and salt and pepper to taste. Heat over low heat, tossing gently and adding more cooking water if mixture becomes dry, until just heated through.

Serve pasta topped with bread crumbs and remaining pancetta.

Pan-Grilled Sausages with Apples and Onions (for MartianIceQueen)

Extremely popular & well reviewed at Epicurious - might be the most popular dish I found today, actually. I'm definitely trying this myself. Comments/suggestions include: fresh sausage much better choice than pre-cooked; chicken sausage a good, healthier substitution; cut down on sweetness by halving the amount of apple cider & adding half a cup of chicken broth; serve with potato pancakes; good with chorizo sausage; add cabbage.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 fully cooked sausages (13 ounces total)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 medium-size tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, sliced
• 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and cook until beginning to brown, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add onion and apple to sausages in pan; cook until onion and apple are tender and brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add apple cider and chopped sage; increase heat to high and stir until liquid is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Using slotted spoon, transfer onion and apple to 2 plates, dividing equally. Top with sausages. Whisk remaining 2 tablespoons butter into cider mixture. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle over sausages and serve.

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Apples (for MartianIceQueen)

Okay, this recipe had eighty-one reviews!!! And the majority are decidedly positive - the extreme tenderness of the pork & ridiculous ease of this recipe seem to be the two big contributing factors. Comments/suggestions include: serve with red potatoes & double sauce for them to soak up; try non-grainy Dijon; fennel lovers added some - fennel haters reduced or cut out all together. All seemed happy; add white wine to sauce; use Calvados (apple brandy) instead of apple juice.

Oh, and this comment cracked me up, so I had to share. We need to make sure unpossible learns to cook this for ladies... "Holy rock my world Batman. I made this one my 1st anniversary with my GF, and served it up with nugget potatoes and green beans in butter. This has become my fave for Pork Tenderloin. Needless to say, guys, if you're looking to impress her, and enhance the *ahem* romance - then definately make this dish. The shaggability rating is off the charts!"

1 large pork tenderloin (about 14 ounces) 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 large onion, sliced
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup dry white wine or apple cider

Preheat oven to 450°F. Season pork with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and sear until all sides are brown, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer pork to plate. Cool slightly. Spread mustard over top and sides of pork; press fennel seeds into mustard. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add onion slices and apples; sauté over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Spread evenly in skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place pork atop apple-onion mixture.

Transfer skillet to oven and roast until apple-onion mixture is soft and brown and meat thermometer inserted into center of pork registers 150°F, about 15 minutes. Transfer pork to platter and tent with foil. Let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour white wine over apple-onion mixture in skillet. Stir mixture over high heat until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Cut pork on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Spoon apple-onion mixture onto plates. Top with pork and serve.

Pork Loin with Apples, Prunes & Mustard Cream Sauce (for MartianIceQueen)

This dish, or some form thereof, can be found in most Scandinavian countries. The apples and prunes are usually stuffed inside the pork roast, but here we've put them in the sauce.

• 1 (4-lb) boneless pork loin roast, tied by butcher
• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Granny Smith apples (3/4 lb total)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup packed dried pitted prunes (sometimes called dried plums; 4 1/2 oz), quartered
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (12 oz)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Halve pork loin crosswise, then pat dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper (total). Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, 1 piece at a time, turning occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes per piece. Transfer to a small flameproof roasting pan as browned (do not clean skillet) and roast pork until thermometer inserted diagonally at least 2 inches into meat registers 150°F, 40 to 50 minutes.

While pork roasts, peel, quarter, and core apples, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook onion in skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add apples, prunes, broth, and water and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in cream and mustard and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep sauce warm, partially covered.

Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Add wine to roasting pan and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir pan juices into cream sauce along with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper and heat sauce over moderate heat, stirring, until hot.

Discard string from pork and cut each half crosswise into 4 slices. Serve pork with sauce.

Grilled MahiMahi with Pineapple Sambal (for MartianIceQueen)

In Indonesia, the term sambal encompasses a wide range of condiments and side dishes. Our version gets its sweet and spicy flavor from pineapple and chiles.

Another well-reviewed & popular recipe (would I choose anything else for our recipe blog?!?) Some suggestions/comments: add corn; canned pineapple is fine instead of fresh; add a dash of curry powder; cook pineapple longer so it's tender & slightly carmelized.

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 oz shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (2/3cup)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 fresh Thai or serrano chiles (2 to 3 inches long), minced, including seeds
• 3/4 pineapple (preferably not labeled "super sweet"), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (4 cups)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 (1- to 1 1/2-inch-thick) pieces mahimahi fillet with skin (6 oz each)

Cook garlic and shallots in 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chiles and pineapple, then sauté over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until pineapple is softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add fish sauce, sugar, and salt and sauté sambal, stirring, 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature, then stir in cilantro.

While sambal is cooling, prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderate.

Brush fish all over with remaining tablespoon oil, then season with salt. Grill, skin sides down, on lightly oiled grill rack, covered only if using gas grill, until skin is crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn fish over and grill until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more. Serve fish with sambal.

Cooks' notes:
• If you can only find pineapple labeled "super sweet," omit sugar in sambal.
• Sambal can be made, without cilantro, 4 hours ahead and kept chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature and stir in cilantro before serving.
• If you aren't able to grill outdoors, fish can be cooked in a well-seasoned large ridged grill pan (without crowding) over moderately high heat, skin sides down first, turning over once, until just cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes total.

Spiced Lamb Steaks with Poached Quince (for MartianIceQueen)

The combination of meat and fruit is common in Middle Eastern cuisine. If you aren't familiar with quinces, you might mistake them for hard, yellow apples. They are too tart to eat raw, but become fragrantly delicious (and a lovely shade of pink) when cooked with sugar.

Only had three reviews on Epicurious, so not too many suggestions or comments. But the three reviewers were unanimously thrilled with this & gave it highest marks. One reviewer did say that she tried it with pork tenderloin & it was delicious.

For quince and sauce
2 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 quince (about 10 oz), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

For lamb
2 (3/4-inch-thick) bone-in lamb steaks from leg (1 1/2 lb total), trimmed of excess fat
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Poach quince
Bring water, sugar, and lemon juice to a simmer in a 2- to 2 1/2-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then add quince. Cut out a round of parchment or wax paper to fit just inside saucepan and cover quince directly with parchment or wax paper. Simmer, gently stirring once or twice, until quince is tender, about 35 minutes. Drain quince in a sieve set over a bowl and reserve 1/2 cup syrup for sauce.

Cook lamb (10 minutes before quince is done simmering)
Pat lamb dry. Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle spice mixture all over lamb. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Cook lamb 4 minutes, then turn over and cook 3 minutes more for medium-rare. Transfer lamb to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.

Make sauce while lamb stands
Reduce heat to moderate and add reserved quince syrup to skillet, then boil, scraping up any brown bits, until liquid is reduced by almost half, about 2 minutes. Transfer sauce to a gravy boat or small bowl and stir in lemon juice and salt to taste.

To serve
Thinly slice lamb and serve with quince and sauce.

Vietnamese Chicken & Pineapple Soup (for MartianIceQueen)

Kia Ly Dickinson of Miami, Florida (not a Hizzy member, but an Epicurious one!), writes: "This fragrant soup is so good you will be freaking out. It can be served hot or cold, with rice. The recipe is an ode to my homeland, Vietnam, and I'd like to share it with my new friends in America."

This recipe calls for fresh lemon verbena, but you can substitute 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass if lemon verbena is unavailable. Both ingredients are sold at specialty produce markets, but lemongrass is also sold at Asian markets and some supermarkets, so it may be easier to find. If using lemongrass, discard 1 or 2 outer leaves, then thinly slice lower 6 inches of stalk. Finely chop, then sauté along with chiles and garlic.

• 1 pineapple (preferably labeled "extra sweet"; about 3 1/2 lb)
• About 2 qt water
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (3/4 lb total)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 (1-inch) fresh red Thai chiles*, minced, including seeds
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1/2 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps thinly sliced
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped (2 cups)
• 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts (2 oz)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh lemon verbena
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Accompaniment: rice

Cut peel from pineapple in a thin layer and discard, then trim outer layer of pineapple, cutting just deep enough to remove eyes but allowing pineapple to remain intact, and transfer trimmings to a blender. Quarter pineapple lengthwise and cut out core, then coarsely chop core and transfer to blender. Purée with 2 cups water until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart glass measure, pressing hard on solids (discard solids), then add enough water to measure 8 cups pineapple broth.

Cut remaining pineapple into 1/2-inch pieces and put in a bowl.

Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Gently pound chicken 1/4 inch thick with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin. Cut chicken across the grain into 1/4-inch-wide strips and transfer to a bowl, then chill, covered.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté chiles and 2 tablespoons garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup fish sauce and boil until sauce is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. (Fish sauce will be extremely pungent when first added but will have a mild flavor in soup.) Add pineapple broth and bring to a boil. Stir in pineapple pieces, mushrooms, tomatoes, bean sprouts, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. While soup simmers, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté remaining tablespoon garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 2 tablespoons fish sauce and simmer until sauce is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and add to garlic mixture, then sauté, stirring, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Stir chicken into soup along with herbs and salt and simmer 1 minute.

Fig & Rosemary Pot Roast (for MartianIceQueen)

Bone-in cuts (like this pork loin roast) require a longer cooking time, but the payoff is big flavor and succulent meat. The meat closest to the bone is always the juiciest, and bone marrow enriches the sauce as the roast cooks. Market tip: You can use a center-cut pork loin roast (the most commonly available cut), but for more succulent meat, ask your butcher for a six-rib blade-end pork loin roast, which is fattier and a bit moister after braising. This cut isn't stocked by many markets, so be sure to order it in advance.

Not too many have reviewed this, but those that did say it's amazingly succulent & delicious. No changes were suggested, which is amazing at Epicurious!

2 cups dry white wine
1 8-ounce package dried Calimyrna figs, stemmed, halved lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 6-rib blade-end or center-cut pork loin roast, chine bone removed, ribs cracked

1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 14-ounce can low-salt chicken broth

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 300°F. Bring wine and figs to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat and let stand until figs soften, about 15 minutes. Drain figs, reserving wine and figs separately.

Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add pork to pot and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer pork to platter.

Add onion and carrot to same pot. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Stir in rosemary and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add broth and reserved wine.

Return pork to pot, meat side down. Bring to boil. Cover and transfer to oven. Bake until thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 150°F, adding figs during last 10 minutes of roasting, about 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer pork to cutting board. Using slotted spoon, transfer figs to small bowl. Tent pork and figs with foil to keep warm. Spoon fat from surface of sauce. Bring sauce to boil. Stir butter and flour in medium bowl to blend. Whisk 1 cup sauce and mustard into butter mixture. Whisk mustard-butter mixture into sauce in pot. Boil sauce until thickened and slightly reduced, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer pork to platter, surround with figs, and pour sauce over. Carve pork between rib bones.

Meldraw's Honey-Glazed Chicken Stir-Fry

This recipe has been brought to you by the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, because Meldraw is not "slow" when it comes to cooking...she's "special."

• 12 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or thighs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 4 cups cut-up veggies (broccoli, sweet peppers, onions, squash, zucchini, WHATEVER)
• 2 cups hot cooked rice

1. Cut chicken into bite-size strips; set aside. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together honey, vinegar, orange juice, soy sauce, and cornstarch; set aside.
2. Pour oil into a wok or large skillet. (If necessary, add more oil during cooking.) Heat over medium-high heat. Add veggies to wok; cook and stir for 3 or 4 minutes or until veggies are crisp-tender. Remove veggies from wok. Add chicken; cook and stir for 3 or 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Push chicken from the center of the wok. Stir sauce; add to center of the wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
3. Return cooked veggies to wok. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through. Serve over rice.

blue artemis' Mexican Rice

Good luck! I'm trying to recreate what I see when I cook this.

• Long Grain Rice (It has to be long grain.)
• tomatoes
• onion
• garlic (optional)
• chicken stock or bullion
• salt
• oil or lard

In the blender, put in 2 small tomatoes or 1 large one, about 1/4 to 1/2 an onion, (depends on size, and how much you like onion), and 2-3 garlic cloves if you want them. I like garlic in my rice. Set this aside. It is called recaudo.

Have either the chicken stock or some water at hand.

OK, for about 1 cup of rice, use a fairly deep frying pan or an all purpose type of pan.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil or lard. (I use oil. Mom says Mexican food needs lard. Choose your own grease, I say!)

Put the rice in, and stir fry it until it is starting to brown. Once that happens, pour in the tomato/onion mixture and stir that in.

Pour in the chicken stock almost to the top of the pan, leave about 1/2 inch from the top. Or, pour in the water to the same level, and add either 1 tsp of bullion or 2 bullion cubes. Add a little bit of salt. (You can taste the liquid so that the flavor is how you like it). Let it cook like that. Don't stir it, or the rice will break. Keep an eye on it, to make sure that it doesn't burn to the bottom. When all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is soft, it is done. If at any time, the rice is still hard, and there isn't enough liquid, you can add some.

WackieJackie's Chicken with Lime Ginger Sauce

When I made this I mis-read the recipe and put in two heads of garlic (yes I am an idiot). It still turned out good, if you like garlic. I like this recipe because clearly it cannot be ruined.

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken pieces
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp ginger root, grated
• salt and pepper (I used just a small sprinkle of each)

Mix together yogurt, lime juice, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper.

Place chicken in a greased baking dish. Spoon yogurt mixture over chicken. Turn chicken pieces to coat both sides. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

WackieJackie's Moroccan Oven Roasted Sesame Potatoes

I made these with deekay's Moroccan chicken, and they went great.

• 2 lbs potatoes, scrubbed (I used russets)
• 1 Tbsp harissa (I didn't know what this was or have time to find it, so I left it out, but I've recently learned that it a Moroccan chili paste which sounds excellent. They were good without it, but I'm excited to find the harissa and try them again)
• 2 Tbsps olive oil
• 1.5 Tbsp coarse sea salt (I used more - maybe 2.5 Tbsp)
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds (I used more - probably 3 Tbsp)
• 1/2 a lemon

Preheat oven to 375F.

Peel the potatoes if you like, but as long as they are well scrubbed you can leave them on.

Cut potatoes into approximately 1" chunks.

Place chunks in a bowl, add harissa and toss until potatoes are evenly coated.

Add olive oil and toss again.

Sprinkle potatoes with salt and sesame seeds and toss again.

Spread foil on a large baking sheet and oil lightly.

Place seasoned potato chunks on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake potatoes at 375F for 30 minutes, then flip using a spatula and bake for 15 more minutes or until potatoes are tender and a deep golden color.

Squeeze lemon over potatoes and serve.

dandieandie's Artichoke-Parmesan Spread

I'm still diggin' for the Halloween/Thanksgiving-esque recipes, but in the meantime I stumbled upon this one.

• 1 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs (seasoned bread crumbs are extra yummy)
• 1/4 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 14-oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• vegetable cooking spray

Combine first six ingredients, gently fold in artochokes, spoon into 1-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Shelwood's Grandma's Stuffing

I like using eggy breads, like challah. To sage it up, use the pork sausage with sage added and throw in some fresh chopped sage. My arthritis won't let me squeeze the soaked bread well, so do a cup or so at a time in my (large) salad spinner. The original recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter, but even I have my limits.

3 qt Stale hard rolls/bread (can be mixed, for ex: 12 rolls, two loaves bread)
1 tbsp chicken boullion or stock
1 onion, diced
6 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 lb butter (1 stick)
1/2 lb pork sausage
3 eggs
2 tbsp poultry seasoning
1 tbsp sage
salt and pepper

One day in advance, leave bread/rolls unwrapped.

In heavy pot, cook onions and celery in butter or oil until clear.

In very large bowl or pan, mix boullion in 1 cup boiling water. Add 1.5 qts cold water. Break up bread/rolls and place in boullion until soaked through.
Squeeze bread/rolls dry and add to onion/celery mix. Add pork sausage and eggs. Add poultry seasoning, sage, salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughtly with hands.

Transfer mixture to pan. Dot top with butter pats. Cook at 325 until brown and heated through, about 40 minutes.

Britomart's Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa

I have two salsas I make, and this is the fussier, more annoying of the two. If you don't find cooking relaxing or fun, this is not the salsa for you. I'll post my easier one sometime soon. This is a good thing to make on a day when you have a bunch of other stuff to do around the house, too, there's a lot of downtime in between some of the steps.

This recipe began life as an attempt on my part to recreate the salsa I ate at a restaurant in Dallas, Uncle Julio's. If you are ever in the area, eat there! Fantastic margaritas & amazing salsa. Oh, and a really good, fresh guacamole they make there, as well as a marinade for their steak fajitas that's so good, some of the ingredients must be illegal substances. My attempt to recreate the salsa failed, but morphed eventually into this, which I do love, even though it began life as a failure.

I paid attention to measurements as I made it this afternoon! It was really exciting. I even measured some stuff before I threw it in. The only thing I forgot was the cumin. But I stared at it intently after adding it & after some significant medidation, am pretty sure I know the amount. Also, I was making a large batch on purpose, it would be pretty easy to halve this recipe.

• Tomatoes: enough so that you end up with 24 ounces of pureed tomato at the end. If tomatoes are out of season & the ones at your market look anemic & mealy & gross, just use canned tomatoes. Or, if you don't want to bother with the roasting & peeling, just use canned tomatoes. :-) Today I used 5 largish heirloom tomatoes & a generous handful of grape tomatoes & ended up with the 24 ounces. I don't recommend using grape or cherry tomatoes for this as the peeling takes longer (though is oddly fun - they kinda explode out of their little grapey skins), but I had some lying around that were in danger of going to waste.
• 1/4 cup, generously rounded, finely chopped cilantro*
• 1 chipotle pepper & some of the sauce from the can
• 2 TBSP lime juice (ideally fresh)
• 1 medium onion
• A few TBSP of vegetable oil
• 2 TSP chili powder
• 2 TSP cayenne powder
• 1 1/4 C sweet corn kernals (frozen is fine)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 TBSP butter
• 2 TSP cumin
• salt to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice your onion into quarters, place on a small baking sheet and drizzle with vegetable oil. Then sprinkle with the chili & cayenne powder. Bake in oven for 40 minutes. About halfway through, you'll want to flip the onions over. Check in occasionally, too, to make sure onion isn't drying out. There will be extra oil on the sheet, so you can use tongs or a spatula to move the onion around & redistribute the oil. Onions are done when they're soft & slightly browned. Set onions aside to cool. There should be a bit of oil & spices clinging to the sheet. Save this! Scrape this off & put in a cup.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Place tomatoes in a 13x9x2 baking pan and bake for 40 minutes. Check on tomatoes & carefully (you don't want them to burst) turn over with a spatula every 10-15 minutes. Tomatoes are done when skin is blistery & a little browned. Set aside on a plate to cool. There will be a bunch of tomatoey liquid in the bottom of the cooking pan. Save this, too! Dump into the cup that has the bit of spicy oil. As your tomatoes cool, more liquid will pool on the plate. When you notice this, add it to the cup or the reduction, depending on where you are in the process.

On a cutting board, chop up your cilantro*. Put cilantro to the side, and without cleaning the board, chop your garlic cloves very finely. Melt butter in saucepan and sautee garlic until it's soft and golden. Add tomato juice/spicy oil mixture you thought I was insane to have you save. Simmer until it becomes nice and thick. Probably a good 30-45 minutes. Add corn. Cook until corn is all happy & plump & has completely forgotten it was recently sad & frozen.

Once the tomatoes are cool (and be careful - they remain hot inside for awhile) peel away the skin & dump tomatoes into a blender or food processor. Chop roasted onions coarsely & add to tomatoes. Chop chipotle coarsely & add it to the blender, along with a couple teaspoons of its sauce. Add cilantro & lime juice. Briefly mix on lowest setting of blender/processor - no more than a minute.

Pour mixture into bowl, stir in corn mixture. Add salt to taste. You also might want to throw in more lime, cilantro, some additional hot sauce. Your call. It'll probably still be pretty warm, so cover & keep in fridge until it's cool.

If you make this salsa according to my directions above, it will be moderately hot - probably a strong "medium." So, adjust the chipotle & cayenne powder according to your heat tolerance. If you want it to be mild, I'd halve the amounts of both. If you like things really hot, you probably know better than I do how hot you want to make it. :)

* Cilantro generally comes in big bunches that are far more than you need at any given time. Consequently, much of it often goes to waste. It's one of those secret, shameful kitchen tragedies no one's comfortable talking about. Here's a solution! Whenever you get a bunch, wash & dry all of it, then finely chop all of it. Use the amount you needed & put the rest in a plastic storage container & stick in the freezer! Then, whenever you need some, you can just use some of the frozen. It will still taste fresh & lovely.

You can do this, by the way, with just about any herb, and for those of you lucky enough to have your own herb gardens, this would be a great thing to do at the end of the season before the first frost kills all your plants.

bibliosylph's Apple Bread

This recipe is from Better Homes & Gardens, but I made a couple of changes. There are other good apple bread recipes that have nuts, orange juice, orange peel, and other stuff in them. But I've stuck with this simple one because I always have all the ingredients. I usually use Golden Delicious apples, but you can use others. The best ones for this recipe are medium crisp and medium-sweet, with a thin skin that's easy to peel.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs, beaten
3 cups shredded, peeled cooking apples (about 4 medium)
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cooking oil

Directions

Grease and flour two 8x4x2-inch baking pans. (I actually use one 9x7x2.5 instead.) Set aside. In a medium bowl combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder; set aside.

In a large bowl combine eggs, apples, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture just until moistened. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 45 to 55 minutes (the larger pan will take around an hour) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.

Remove from pans. Cool on wire racks. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

You don't have to wait til the next day to cut it. You should wait at least a couple of hours. If you don't, though, it's no big deal; it just won't slice neatly. At all. :-).

Shelwood's Another Easy Dessert

The person who gave me this recipe insisted it only be made with French Vanilla ice cream and chocolate pudding (a fine combo), but it's really infinitely flexible. Use vanilla ice cream to play up the pudding flavor, vanilla pudding to emphasize the ice cream or sherbet flavor, or have fun combining flavors. I like dulce de luche ice cream with chocolate pudding. The finished filling is mousse-like.

1 half-gallon ice cream or equivalent (froyo, sherbet)
1 lg (5.9 oz) pkg instant pudding
1 9" deep dish pie shell (graham cracker or other) OR 2 8" pie shells
Whipped cream or non-dairy whipped topping

Let ice cream melt completely. Mix melted ice cream with pudding mix (Optional: Add up to 1 tsp vanilla or other extract or any liquor or liqueur for added flavor). Beat for 2 minutes, per package directions. Pour into pie shell(s). Chill for an hour. Top with whipped cream.

ersatzreality's Fried Eggs & Rice a la Vinegar & Soy Sauce

ersatz writes, "Most folks I know consider it gross - it does look kind of goopy." I feel that anyone who offers a recipe with that description must absolutely believe in how good it is. By this yardstick, this might be the most delicious dish on the blog!

Fry the eggs, put the rice on a plate, and put the eggs on the rice. Then add three tablespoons each of soy sauce and vinegar. Chop and mix thoroughly.

how many eggs? why, as many as will combine well with some amount of rice that wants 3tbs of soy sauce and vinegar, of course!

*** Breaking news! ersatz has just emailed and says 3 eggs, 3 cups of cooked rice! Thanks again, ersatz.

Shelwood's Tomato & Mozzarella Salad

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 9 oz pkg fresh mozzarella (cherry size), drained
1/4 cup sweet basil, julienned

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp + 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic (fresh or dried)
1 tsp mixed Italian seasonings
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp onion powder

Combine oil, vinegar and seasonings. Toss tomatoes, cheese and fresh basil with vinaigrette. Pack tightly in a sealable container. If possible, refrigerate overnight, turning over to fully marinate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

bibliosylph's Baba Ghanouj

This recipe is from Mediterranean Light by Martha Rose Shulman. My hardbound copy is nearly 20 years old, but I just learned you can find a paperback of it here.

2 lbs (2 medium-large) eggplant
juice of 1-2 lemons, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 Tbs plain yogurt
2 Tbs tahini (sesame paste)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tomato, chopped
1 green pepper, minced
2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the eggplants in half and score on the cut side with a sharp knife, down to the skin but not through it. Place the eggplants cut side down on an oiled baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, until charred and shriveled. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Remove the eggplant flesh from the skins, discard seeds, and mash flesh to a puree in a mortar and pestle, blender, or food processor. Stir in the lemon juice, garlic, yogurt, tahini, salt and pepper to taste, tomato, and green pepper. Mound in a bowl and sprinkle the parsley on top. Serve with crudites, pita, croutons, etc. This dish will keep in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.

The Easiest Apple Cobbler Ever

Hey there, this is Examorata, with the easiest dessert recipe ever. I usually make apple cobbler because it's my favorite, but this can be done with basically any kind of canned fruit pie filling you'd like to cobblerize. Peach, blueberry, it's up to you! I especially love apple cobbler and other apple desserts in the fall. Mmmm, seasonal.

Also, in my grand tradition, the recipe is not mine originally. It's from a friend of mine's Mom. She is awesome.

Two cans apple pie filling
One box white cake mix
One stick butter (1/2 c.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour the two cans of apple pie filling into a 13X9 standard type of pan you'd use for brownies or whatnot. Dump the white cake mix on top of the apples, making sure it is fairly evenly distributed. Take the stick of butter out of the fridge (don't let it get melty beforehand, it's easier to slice up this way) and slice it up over the cobbler. Evenly distribute butter slices on top of the cake mix. If you can't quite fit the whole stick on that that's okay, but come on. The more butter, the better. Place into over for 40 minutes. Because ovens are fickle, you want to keep an eye on it - if it doesn't look golden-brown and bubbly enough after 40 minutes, keep checking at 5-minute intervals until it looks good. Remove from oven. Eat with vanilla ice cream. Die happy.

hakirby's Paella the Second!

The second paella hakirby posted in the Hizzy for mujer. Perhaps if mujer is lucky, hakirby will break into mujer's house, make these paellas, rearrange everything in her cupboards using arcane & amusing logic, and fold all sorts of things into lovely, origami shapes. Or, you know, something entirely different & wondrously creative that I can't even imagine.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 8 pieces
• 4 raw king prawns, shell and head on
• 20 mussels, cleaned
• 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
• 3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
• 200g/7oz paella rice
• a pinch of saffron
• 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock, boiling
• 8 small cherry tomatoes
• 110g/4oz broad beans, fresh or frozen

Method

1. In a paella pan, heat the olive oil and fry the chicken pieces for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add the prawns, then stir; add the mussels and stir again, then add the garlic and tomatoes. Fry for a couple more minutes.
3. Sprinkle in the rice. NOTE: Do not stir the ingredients, just shake them.
4. Add a good pinch of saffron, and pour on up to 1 litre/1¾ pints of boiling chicken stock (about 1cm/½in above the level of the rice).
5. Finally add the small cherry tomatoes and broad beans and season and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Serve with a rocket salad and crusty bread.

hakirby's Paella the First!

hakirby posted not one, but two, paella recipes for mujer! And as our official interpreter of doctrine, I bet she interprets a mean paella. ;)

Ingredients

• 255g/9oz long grain rice
• 85g/3oz butter
• 1 handful spring onions, chopped white bulbs only
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp crushed chilli flakes
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 squid, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil.
2. Preheat a large sauté pan.
3. Add the rice to the pan of salted water and boil for 12 minutes, or until soft. Drain the rice.
4. Heat the butter in the sauté pan. Add the spring onions, spices and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
5. Add the cooked rice, stir well and sauté for 2 minutes.
6. Add the seasoning and squid and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
7. Remove paella from heat and add the parsley.
8. Spoon the paella on to a large serving plate, top with the lemon wedges and serve.

Beach Bum's Paella

Beach Bum sent this in for mujer. Thank you, Beach Bum! She writes: "I haven't tried this one, but my mom swears by it."

Simmer 2 large whole chicken breasts about 45 mins in water, 1 pinch celery seed, salt & pepper to taste, poultry seasoning, 2 onions (diced). Cool and tear into pieces. Reserve broth.

In large frying pan, fry chicken in 3 T olive oil until chicken begins to brown. Then add one large onion (diced) and one clove garlic(crushed). Fry until onions become transparent.

Add two tomatoes, skinned and mashed, a pinch of saffron (disolved in 1 t. hot water) and 1 cup chicken broth. Simmer 10 minutes.

Add salt to taste, 1 cup canned or bottled clam juice and 10 pkg frozen peas. Bring to boil.

Add 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled.

In another pan, heat 1 T olive oil and 1 cup rice. Stir until rice is well-coated, add to frying pan.

Stir in 12 medium cherrystone clams (in shells). Boil 10 minutes.

Decorate with sliced pimento.

eyeroller's Make Your Own Ketchup, first in a series

eyeroller isn't just someone who knows how to kill cleverly, she actually knows how to make ketchup. From scratch! From her recipe title, I expect there's more bounty to come.

• 1 peck tomatoes (approximately 8 quarts)
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon ground allspice
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Select good, ripe tomatoes. Scald and strain through a coarse sieve to remove seed and skin. Measure 1 gallon. When the tomatoes become cold add the remaining ingredients. Let simmer slowly for 3 hours.

Pour into hot sterilized 1-pint jars and seal. Yes, this is canning. No, it is not hard.

Let ketchup cool slightly before decanting into sterile pint jars. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Water should not cover the tops of the jars. Place a rack, like a small baking rack, on the bottom of the pot. (If you cook, you probably have a rack. You need your jars not touching the bottom of the pot. You can also use a thick plastic plate, inverted.

Fill the pot half way with water and bring to a boil. Use tongs to place jars in the water. Cover your pot. Add more hot water as needed to keep the jars covered.

Boil for 15 minutes. Use tongs to remove jars from the water bath. Stores just fine for a year or so.

Easier prep: decant cooked ketchup into plastic containers and freeze.

Easier ingredient trick: use canned crushed tomato (roughly six 16 ounce cans) plus tomato paste (two 8 ounce cans) instead of fresh tomato, but if you can get fresh, locally grown tomatoes, that's the best ketchup ever. If you use the canned, reduce cooking time to one hour, or desired thickness.

Mom & Dad o' Britomart's Cedar-Planked Salmon w/ Dijon Sauce

Okay, as anyone in the Hizzy knows, I'm quite insanely enthusiastic about my love for mustard. That said, though, the concept of "mustard sauce" on fish was, well, something I was skeptical about. Until my mother fed this to me. It's divine. It's one of my favorite dishes & one I've been known to beg for on visits home. And it's not super-mustardy, if you're imagining salmon just covered in mustard. My brother, for example, really doesn't like mustard (he's a part of the ketchup hegemony) and loves this dish. So, try it! You won't be sorry. Though, if you don't like salmon, yeah, this probably isn't for you. Oh, and the cedar planking is optional - it's much better prepared this way, but I have skipped that before & still enjoyed. More detail on that below.

• 1/2 C olive oil
• 4 TBSP dijon
• 2 TBSP mustard seeds
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 2 TBSP of lemon juice
• wee bit of orange juice to thin it out a bit if the sauce is too thick, it should be a little runny This is an exact quote from my mom, including the "wee." ;)
  

To make the salmon - you're supposed to grill it over a cedar plank. You could just grill the fish sans cedar, but the cedar plank thing is divine & adds the most wonderful & subtle flavor to the salmon. If you're like me and don't have a grill, see below for oven directions.

You can get your cedar plank at a couple places. Williams Sonoma has very, very nice cedar planks, but they're a little pricier. Alternatively (and this is what my parents did for years before swank foodie stores started carrying cedar planks), you can purchase untreated cedar shingles at your local home improvement store, Home Depot, Hechingers, what have you. The untreated part is mucho important. Throw away any of the planks that are too thin at the ends or are too short for a piece of salmon. My dad says that you'll still end up with 20-30 usable planks for about $5, as opposed to Williams Sonoma's 4 planks for about $15.

Then you must prepare cedar plank with vegetable oil - some people soak it for awhile. Some people just rub them generously with oil. That method, though, will result in the cedar charring quite a bit during the grilling process, and you'll have to keep a close eye on them, lest they burst into flame & destroy your yummy meal. (That's very unlikely, by the way, but you know me & my love of melodrama. Still, probably better to soak.)

Anyway, prepare your plank as you see fit, place salmon on plank, then cover with yummy sauce. Grill for about 15 minutes depending on thickness (My dad says he grills for about 15 minutes for a piece of salmon that is an inch thick at its thickest point.)

If you're like me, and don't have a grill & are stuck using an oven, you can still do this! Prepare the cedar plank in the same way, then put plank in baking dish in a cold oven, and then preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once preheated, remove dish, place salmon on plank, then cover with the sauce. Use the official Canadian Cooking theory to determine how long to cook: measure fish at thickest point, then 10 minutes per inch. I did not know of this Canadian Cooking theory until my father enlightened me this afternoon. Go Canada! As all ovens are not equally calibrated, though, I would periodically check the salmon. I prefer salmon closer to medium/medium rare anyway, but even if you don't, there's nothing worse than overcooked salmon. ::shudders at the thought::

All this having been said, I did make this for myself years ago, and lacking a grill, and too lazy to do the cedar plank thing, I just made it in the oven. It wasn't quite as good, but still ridiculously delicious.

Optional serving idea: This dish is wonderful served over sauteed red cabbage. Here's what to do if you're interested.

Slice up a bunch of red cabbage, you want thinnish ribbons of red cabbage. Or, you know, just chop it up into bite-ish sized pieces. Then, put some olive oil, a couple tablespoons, into a pan over medium heat. Sautee the cabbage until it's tender (and maybe a little sentimental), towards the end, sprinkle liberally with some balsamic vinegar. Stir it in well, cook for another few minutes, arrange on a plate & artistically place you salmon on top of its comfy bed of cabbage.

Britomart's "I Love Mustard" Salad Dressing

I also love shallots. Combine shallots and mustard, and I'm in heaven! Heaven! It occurs to me as I happily type here in the happy Hizzy recipe blog, that I have no real recipe here in terms of exact measurement. I will do my best. Taste as you go, though - you might want to play with the vinegar/oil ratio a titch. I do think this'll be pretty close, though.

• 1/4 C olive oil
• 2 TSP balsamic vinegar
• 2 TSP red wine vinegar
• 1 TBSP dijon mustard
• 2 shallots, chopped so finely they almost don't exist any longer
• salt & pepper to taste

Whisk olive oil, vinegars & mustard. Add in shallots, salt & pepper. Mix them in. Pour over salad. I like this dressing best with mixed baby greens. Or hearts of romaine. Not so good with spinach & I don't believe in iceberg lettuce.

Optional addition (but only optional if you don't like nuts; if you like nuts you must do this!): Coarsely chop a bunch of pecans. Let's say about a cup. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a small sautee pan, add pecans, generously salt. Sautee until cooked and slightly browner, but don't burn them or anything rash like that. Remove from heat, and let them cool a bit. Or, if you're feeling adventurous, I like to toss the salad, add the hot pecans, toss some more to slightly wilt the salad, then add the dressing. Divine.

Other things I tend to add to the salad that are awfully good with this dressing: goat cheese, asparagus (blanched, but cool), tomatos & red peppers.