Restaurant-Grade Buttermilk Pancakes

If you are looking for an easy-to-make pancake recipe, give this one a try.  These buttermilk pancakes taste identical to the ones that they serve at the Original Pancake House!  The only ingredient that you may not have already stocked in your kitchen is buttermilk.  But have no fear.  You can easily make your own for this recipe by pouring 3 teaspoons of white vinegar into a measuring cup and then adding enough whole milk to make 1 and 1/8 cup.  Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes and then you have a mixture that tastes just like buttermilk.  Here is the recipe for the pancakes.


Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tspn salt
1 tspn baking soda
1 egg
1 1/8 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp butter, melted

Preparation:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix wet ingredients and then add to the dry mixture.  Mix thoroughly until everything is well combined.
3. Preheat skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Pour about 1/4 cup of mixture per pancake onto the hot skillet.  Cook for about a minute on each side.
5. Top with your favorite syrup.  We used 100% pure Wisconsin Maple Syrup from Marquardt's Tree Farm.

 United States  [ print this recipe for Restaurant-Grade Buttermilk Pancakes ]

Mint Julep

Drinks of the Triple Crown
It's Derby Day at Churchill Downs and time to imbibe a few of these classic southern libations. Mint Juleps are distinctly American, originating in the Commonwealth of Virgina in the 1700s. Kentucky is where they make the best Mint Juleps, however, featuring the state's indigenous Bourbon whiskey and mint.

Recommended Equipment:
pewter or silver glass or mug

Ingredients:
3 to 4 oz. bourbon (I used Maker's Mark)
fresh mint leaves
1 oz. of simple syrup
crushed ice

Preparation:

1. Pour 1/2 oz. of syrup into glass.
2. Pour mint leaves into glass and mix with syrup using a wooden spoon.
3. Rub the entire inside of the glass with the syrup-covered leaves.
4. Pack the glass over the top with crushed ice.
5. Pour the remaining 1/2 oz. of syrup over the ice.
6. Pour in the bourbon.
7. Garnish with sprig of mint.
8. Place your bets!!

Related posts:
The Preakness - Black Eyed Susan
The Belmont Stakes - Belmont Breeze

United States Kentucky

Kentucky Derby Beer Cheese Recipe

This Saturday is Derby Day, the first stop on the road to the Triple Crown. It is a perfect excuse to get friends together for a little mid-day party just before Mother's Day. To do it right you will need to include the traditional food and drinks popular in the Bluegrass State.

Your bar should have each of the signature drinks from the Triple Crown on hand. These include the Mint Julep, the Black-eyed Susan, and the Belmont Breeze. Pair these with classic Kentucky dishes like the Hot Brown and Beer Cheese and your party will become an early May tradition.

Ingredients:
3/4 bottle of your favorite beer
1/4 large yellow onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tspn ground black pepper
1/2 tspn Tabasco sauce
1/2 tspn Worcestershire sauce
pinch of Kosher salt
1 tspn dry mustard
16 oz. grated cheddar cheese

Recommended Equipment:
food processor


Preparation:

1. Open a bottle of your favorite beer and let sit for at least 3 hours.
2. Add all of the ingredients except the beer to a food processor and pulse until all of the ingredients are well mixed.
3. Turn the food processor on continuously and pour the beer into the food processor.
4. Transfer the mixture to a sealable container. Place a piece of wax paper directly on the cheese and then put lid on container.
5. Refrigerate for 2 days.
6. Serve with your favorite vegetables, crackers, and pretzels.

United States Kentucky [ print this recipe for Kentucky Derby Beer Cheese ]

Swedish Pancakes

When our daughter is in the mood for pancakes, we usually make this recipe or the one for yogurt pancakes because they only require basic ingredients and are so fast and easy to make. This recipe makes pancakes that are thicker than crêpes and thinner than traditional pancakes. If you have fresh fruit on hand, this recipe for fruit pancakes is another good option.

Ingredients:
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tspn salt
2 cups whole milk
3 eggs
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

toppings:
confection sugar
maple syrup
strawberries and whipped cream

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, and salt.
2. Add the milk and eggs to the mixing bowl and mix well until all of the ingredients are well combined. The batter will be thin compared to traditional pancake batter.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pancakes.
4. Dust the pancakes with confection sugar before serving.
5. Serve hot with maple syrup or strawberries and cream.

Sweden [ print this recipe for Swedish Pancakes ]

Red Cabbage Recipe

Red Cabbage is both sweet and sour and a great compliment to the rich flavors of beef, pork, or potatoes.

Ingredients:
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 head of red cabbage, shredded

Preparation:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, mix together the butter, red wine vinegar, and sugar and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to low and add the shredded red cabbage to the pot. Do not cover the pot.
3. Cook over low heat for 1 hour or slightly less time if you like your cabbage crisp.

Germany [ print this recipe ]

Udon Noodles in Tomato Broth Recipe

Last weekend, the temperature here was very cold so a pot of soup was just what the doctor ordered. So we decided to make udon noodles in tomato broth - a type of soup that is popular in Japan.

It was basically a two step process. First, boil the udon noodles and then distribute them in serving bowls. If you use ready to serve udons, you can skip the boiling of the noodles and cut about 20 minutes off the prep time. Second, prepare the tomato broth. This step is pretty simple as there are only a few ingredients. Give it a try this weekend.

Ingredients:
2 packets of dry udon noodles
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 tbsp canola oil
5 scallions
1/3 cup mirin
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
4 cups chicken stock
kosher salt

Preparation:

1. Fill a large pasta pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the noodles to the pot. Cook until al dente ~ about 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Drain the noodles and rinse them under warm running water.
3. Distribute the noodles to serving bowls. It is OK if they get cold.
4. Dice the scallions. Try to keep the white portion of the scallions separate.
5. Heat the canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and the white, diced scallions. Cook for about 1 minute.
6. Add the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar and cook for two minutes.
7. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt. Reduce heat to low.
8. Using a ladle, pour some of the broth into each of the serving bowls and garnish with the green part of the diced scallions.

Japan  [ print this recipe for Udon Noodles in Tomato Broth ]

Slow Cooker Gumbo Recipe

We only used to make gumbo on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras).  Even though this dish is outstanding, we would only make it once a year because it takes about 4 hours from start to finish!  This is a much simpler recipe for gumbo that tastes just as good.  You can add everything into the slow cooker before you go to work and have great tasting gumbo for dinner any night of the week.  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, diced
3 ribs of celery, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 serrano chilies, deseeded and finely diced
16 oz. smoked Andouille  sausage, cut into thin rounds
flour, for dusting chicken

2 chicken breasts, chopped into 1 1/2 inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste
ground cayenne pepper to taste

12 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 tspn Tabasco sauce

Preparation:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, heat the butter and olive oil.  Add the onion and saute for about 4 minutes.  After the onions have finished cooking, add them to the slow cooker.
2. Add the salt, pepper, garlic, celery, green pepper, red pepper, serrano chiles and Andouille sausage to the slow cooker.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Add the chopped chicken to the bowl.  Mix the pieces of chicken with the flour mixture so that they are well coated.  Remove the pieces of chicken from the bowl and add them to a skillet over medium heat.  Cook for about 8 minutes.  Add some of the chicken broth to the skillet to clean the bottom of the pan.  Add the chicken and broth to the slow cooker.  Discard the remaining flour mixture.
4. Add the remaining chicken broth, chopped tomatoes, and Tabasco sauce.
5. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
6. After 8 hours, taste the gumbo and season as needed with Tabasco.
7. Serve over warm rice. 

United States Louisiana  [ print this recipe for Slow Cooker Gumbo ]

St. Patrick's Day - Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Green Beer Recipe

This meal of corned beef, cabbage, and garlic mashed potatoes is a classic Irish St. Patrick's Day feast. I also included a pint of green beer just for the occasion. Sláinte!!

The preparation of the potatoes and the cabbage is pretty strait forward. However, the corned beef takes some planning ahead of time. You will need a brining bag or a few heavy-duty zip-lock plastic freezer bags that you will use to soak the beef in a brine (salt) solution. This process takes about 7 days (believe it or not). The recipe for corned beef that you will need is listed below. But if St.Patrick's Day is just around the corner and you want to make corned beef in a pinch, you can get a kit at most grocery stores that include a pre-seasoned brisket and spices. Either way, you will be able to make a great, traditional St. Patrick's Day feast featuring corned beef and cabbage!! Erin go Bragh!!!

If a home stand in the kitchen is not what you had in mind, there are a few cities here in the States that have sizable Irish immigrant populations and also have respectable St. Patrick's Day celebrations. These include Boston, Chicago, New York and Savannah, Georgia. Out of these four cities, Chicago would be my first choice. Here is a guide to additional events happening in the Windy City this weekend...

If you do decide to go to Chicago, I recommend going to McGees and Kelly's. These two pubs are conveniently located across the street from one another in the Lincoln Park neighborhood on Chicago's north side. As stated in an earlier post, if you visit McGee's be sure to try the Irish Nachos!! Anyway, back to the recipes....

Recommended Equipment:
Dutch oven
brining bags (you can get them at Sur La Table) or heavy-duty plastic Ziploc Freezer bags

Corned Beef
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pound beef brisket
5 cloves garlic, cut in half
8 cups water
1/2 cup vinegar
4 tbsp sugar
1 cup kosher salt
3 bay leaves
1 tspn dry mustard
2 tspn peppercorns
1 pinch of ground cloves
1/4 tspn whole cloves
1/2 tspn allspice
4 garlic cloves, diced

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, mix together the water, sugar, kosher salt, white vinegar, bay leaves, 1 tspn of the peppercorns, 1/2 tspn of the dry mustard, and a pinch of ground cloves.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil and then let it cool. This mixture is called the brine.
3. Put the beef brisket in a brining bag. Then pour in the brine mixture and the 5 garlic cloves. The brine should cover the beef at all times so try to seal the bag with as little air remaining as possible. Then, place the bag in a larger bowl (in case the bag leaks). You may have to place a can of soup on top of the bag to keep the beef below the surface of the brine.
   
4. Place the bag in the refrigerator for 7 days.
5. After 7 days, remove the beef brisket from the brining bag and discard the brine.
6. Rinse the brisket with water and then place the meat in an oiled Dutch Oven or large pot.
7. Add enough water to cover the lower 2/3 of the beef brisket.
8. Add the remaining 1 tspn of peppercorns, the allspice, the remaining 1/2 tspn of dry mustard, 4 diced garlic cloves, and 1/4 tspn of whole cloves.
9. Heat the pot over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Skim off any foam that forms.
10. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer for 4 hours.
11. Remove from pot and cut the brisket across the grain of the meat.
    

Cabbage
Ingredients:
3 cups of the mixture in which the brisket was simmering.
1 head of cabbage, sliced into thin ribbons.
salt and pepper to taste
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Preparation:

1. Add the 3 cups of the brisket mixture and the cabbage to a large skillet.
2. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper.
3. Heat the skillet over medium heat.
4. Heat the cabbage until it has softened but still has a slight crunch.
5. Remove from heat and drain off any excess water.
6. Add butter to the cabbage and stir.
7. Serve hot.

Ireland [ print this recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage ]

Chocolate Guinness Pancake Recipe

This recipe for Chocolate Guinness Pancakes is a great choice for a post-St. Patrick's Day breakfast. All you need is a left-over bottle of Guinness Stout and a few basic ingredients.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn kosher salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Guinness Stout
dark chocolate chips
butter
maple syrup

Preparation:

1. Heat a greased skillet over medium heat.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
3. In a separate large bowl, mix together the egg, milk, and Guinness.
4. Gradually mix in the dry flour mixture with the wet Guinness mixture.
5. When the skillet is hot, pour in about 1/8 cup of the batter and top it with a few pieces of the chocolate chips.
6. When the pancake starts to bubble on top, flip it over and cook it until golden brown.
7. Place the pancake in a warm oven until they are ready to serve.
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 until you have used all of the batter.
9. Serve pancakes topped with butter and maple syrup.

Ireland [ print this recipe for Chocolate Guinness Pancakes ]

Char-Siu Bao Puffs Recipe

Excerpted from 150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury © 2013 www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission.


Here, I've transformed one of my all-time favorite dim sum dishes - char siu bao, steamed buns stuffed with barbecue pork - into a quick and easy ebelskiver supper to be made anytime, in no time.

Recommended Equipment:
Æbleskiver pan (We bought a used cast iron pan on Ebay, you can also buy them new from Aunt Else's Æbleskivers)
Electric mixer

Ingredients:
Filling:
2 tspn vegetable oil
6 oz. extra-lean ground pork
1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

Puffs:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tspn baking powder
1/4 tspn salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup water
1 tspn vegetable oil
1 tspn sesame oil

Preparation:
Filling:

1. In a large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add pork and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, for 5 to 6 minutes or until no pink remains.  Add hoisin sauce and green onions; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Puffs:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, water, 1 tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil and sesame oil until well blended.
3. Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just blended (the batter will appear slightly lumpy).
4. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until frothy.  Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form.  Using a rubber spatula, gently mix one-third of the egg whites into the batter.  Gently fold in the remaining whites.
5. Brush walls of pan lightly with vegetable oil.  Set pan over medium heat.  When oil begins to sizzle, add 1 tbsp (15 ml) batter to each well.  Place 1 tspn (5 ml) filling in the center of each well and top with 1 tbsp (15 ml) batter.  Cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.  Using 2 skewers, flip the puffs over.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a bit of filling and a few moist crumbs attached.  Remove pan from heat and transfer puffs to a plate.  Let pan cool slightly.
6. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling, brushing wells with oil and reheating pan before each batch.  Serve warm.

Excerpted from 150 Best Ebelskiver Recipes by Camilla V. Saulsbury © 2013 www.robertrose.ca May not be reprinted without publisher permission.

Related Posts:
Basic Aelbelskiver Recipe

  China  [ print this recipe for Char-Siu Bao Puffs ]

Slow Cooker Chicken Biryani Recipe

Also spelled biriani, this dish originally comes from Persia (modern day Iran). It is popular throughout the Middle East, Pakistan, and India as well. Chicken biryani has been enjoyed by the people in these regions for centuries and as such has many varieties. In general, it is a spicy dish of layered meat and basmati rice. Biryani is usually an elaborate dish that requires many hours of preparation. However, this recipe for chicken biryani is much simpler to prepare but the flavor is just as rich and complex as traditional chicken biryani.  Try it with Homemade Tabasco Hot Sauce.

Recommended Equipment:
slow cooker

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into 1 - 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tspn cayenne pepper, ground
1 tspn turmeric, ground
2 tspn fresh ginger root, minced
4 -5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tspn 5 spice powder
pinch of Kosher salt


5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tspn cardamom, ground
1 1/2 tspn chili powder
1 tspn dried coriander, ground


1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
7 cloves
1  1/2 cups basmati rice
1 tspn ground cinnamon


sour cream or yogurt

Preparation:

1. Mix together the yogurt, cayenne pepper, turmeric, ginger root, garlic, 5 spice, and Kosher salt. Place the pieces of chicken breast into the marinade being sure to coat all of the pieces. Refrigerate the chicken and marinade for at least 2 hours.
   
2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the diced yellow onion until some of the onions become crispy and dark brown.
   
3. Remove the onions from the oil and retain the oil.
4. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and mix in the mint, cilantro, cardamom, chili powder, coriander and the oil from the onions. Refrigerate the chicken mixture for another hour.
   
5. Add 5 cups of water to a large pot over medium heat. When the water is about to boil, add the basmati rice, cloves, bay leaf, and the cinnamon stick. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes.
6. Remove the rice from the heat and strain off any excess water. Remove the cloves, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick from the rice.
   
7. Grease the bottom and sides of the slow cooker.
8. Place the chicken evenly across the bottom of the slow cooker.
9. Next, cover the chicken with half of the rice
10. Top the rice with the onions and ground cinnamon.
11. Cover the onions with the remaining rice topped with one fresh mint leaf.
    
12. Cook on low heat for 4 hours in your slow cooker.
13. Serve the chicken biryani in bowls with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

Iran [ print this recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Biryani ]

Jalapeno Corn Muffin Recipe

This recipe for jalapeno corn muffins is another favorite dish on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). They are a perfect complement to chicken gumbo or other types of soup. These jalapeno corn muffins are rich and spicy with a hint of salt.

The first time that we tried jalapeno corn muffins was at the restaurant Heaven on Seven in Chicago. We soon became regulars of this establishment and would have these for lunch along with a cup of their famous gumbo not only during the week of Mardi Gras but every week! If you're ever in Chicago, you should definitely pay Heaven on Seven a visit.

Recommended Equipment:
2 12 count muffin pans

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tspn baking soda
4 tspn baking powder
2 tspn kosher salt
5 tbsp sugar
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup corn kernels, frozen
3 - 4 jalapeno peppers, minced

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease 2 12 count muffin pans (total of 24 muffins).
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, melted butter, and buttermilk.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
5. Add the corn, jalapenos and shredded cheddar cheese to the bowl containing the dry ingredients. Mix so that the corn, jalapenos and cheese gets coated with the dry mixture.
6. Add the bowl containing the egg, milk, and butter mixture to the dry mixture. Mix together so that all of the ingredients are distributed evenly. Try not to over-mix the batter.
7. Divide the batter evenly to make a total of 24 muffins. Each cup should be roughly 2/3 full.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes. Muffins are done when you can insert a fork into the muffin and it comes out clean.

United States Louisiana [ print this recipe for Jalapeno Corn Muffins ]

St. Charles Street Chicken Gumbo Recipe

About four years ago, I realized that we didn't have a good recipe for chicken gumbo. So I found 4 or 5 recipes and combined parts from each of them to make the one that I'm listing in this post. Since then, my family and I have been kicking off Fat Tuesday with a huge pot of this chicken gumbo.

I wanted it to try to replicate the taste of the gumbo served at Heaven on Seven, a great Cajun restaurant located on Wabash Street in Chicago. Although this recipe is not quite as good as the Heaven on Seven version, it does come close.

Preparing chicken gumbo is a little labor intensive since we are making the chicken stock from scratch. It will take a couple of hours from start to finish. But hopefully it will be worth the effort. Just put on a Clifton Chenier CD and be patient. There is nothing better than a hearty dish like this in early March!!

Recommended Equipment:
Large, deep stockpot
Cast iron skillet

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into major parts (wings, thighs, breasts, etc.) - do not remove the skin
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 handful of parsley, finely chopped
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 bay leaf
1 cup of white wine
10 pepper corns
1 tspn kosher salt
1 tspn black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cups of okra, sliced into wheels

3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 medium yellow onions, diced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
7 cloves of garlic, diced
1 package of andoullie sausage (about a pound), cut into thin wheels
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 tspn basil
2 tspn cayenne pepper
2 tspn thyme
Tobasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Add chicken, carrots, parsley, onion, bay leaf, celery, white wine, pepper corns, kosher salt, and black pepper to the pot and cover with water (about 10 cups of water).
2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat then reduce to low and simmer for 2 hours.
3. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool on a cutting board. When the chicken has cooled, remove the skin and place it in a medium sized pot. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and place it in a bowl and set aside. Place the bones in the pot with the skin. Cover the skin and bones with water and then place the pot over low heat for at least 1 hour.
4. Pour the remaining contents of the large stock pot through a strainer into another large pot or bowl. This is the chicken stock that you will use for the gumbo. Discard the spent vegetables and small pieces of chicken that were caught in the strainer.
5. Pour the chicken stock back into the large stock pot. After the pot with the chicken bones has simmered for at least an hour, strain it into a bowl, discard the bones and skin, and then add this chicken stock to the stock pot as well.
6. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the okra to the skillet and cook for about 20 minutes. Remove the okra from the skillet and reserve for later. Do not clean the skillet.
7. Add 3 tablespoons each of butter and all-purpose flour to the skillet over medium heat. Whisk the butter and flour constantly for about 15 to 20 minutes until they form a roux that is the color of peanut butter.
8. Add the diced onions to the roux and cook until the onions have softened and become translucent. Add the onions and the roux to the stock pot. Do not clean the skillet.
9. Add 3 tablespoons each of butter and all-purpose flour to the skillet over medium heat. Whisk the butter and flour constantly for about 15 to 20 minutes until they form a roux that is the color of peanut butter.
10. Add the diced garlic, green pepper, and celery to the roux and cook until the vegetables have softened. Add the vegetables and the roux to the stock pot.
11. Add the chicken, okra, tomatoes, andoullie sausage, basil, cayenne pepper, and thyme.
12. Partially cover the pot and simmer for at least 2 more hours.
13. Season with Tobasco sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.

United States Louisiana [ print this recipe for St. Charles Street Gumbo ]

Halushki Recipe

Halushki is a simple Polish recipe that is easy and inexpensive to make. There are basically three separate components that are combined during the final assembly of the dish: a spicy onion and garlic sauce, egg noodles, and cabbage.

Halushki is a hearty dish with a subtle, spicy flavor from the olive oil infused with crushed red pepper. It's a great choice if you want to feed alot of people at a low cost.

This Halushki recipe serves 4 to 6 people.

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage
8oz. of egg noodles (1/2 of 1 pound bag)
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 tbsp butter
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 tspn brown sugar
1/2 package of turkey bacon, chopped
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Cook turkey bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Set aside on a paper towel leaving a small amount of fat in the skillet.
2. Add butter and olive oil to the skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the red pepper flakes and the diced onion. Cook until onion changes color and becomes translucent.
   
4. Add the garlic, brown sugar, salt and pepper (to taste) to the skillet. After about 3 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
5. In a separate pot, add about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of water along with the cabbage. Put a lid on the pot and lightly steam the cabbage. Be careful to not overcook. Cabbage should be tender but crisp. Strain the cabbage and set aside.
   
6. In a separate pot, boil the egg noodles for 5-6 minutes until al dente. Be careful not to over cook. Strain the noodles and set aside.
7. In a large serving bowl, add the noodles, then stir in the onion and oil mixture so that the noodles are coated.
8. Add the cabbage and stir into the noodle mixture.
9. Add the crispy bacon and stir all of the contents of the bowl together so that they are well integrated. Serve hot.

Poland [ print this recipe for Halushki ]

Cioppino Recipe

Cioppino is a rich, red, seafood-based soup that was developed in the early 1800s by Portuguese and Italian fishermen that settled along the Northern California coast around San Francisco.  It was first prepared on their fishing vessels from leftover pieces of fish, clams, mussels, and dungeness crabs.  Cioppino, which has many similarities to other mediterranean fish dishes such as bouillabaise, grew in popularity in the Bay Area and has been on the menus of many of San Francisco's restaurants ever since.  It is a great winter-time dish and is best served with toasted sour dough bread and a Oregon Pinot Noir.  If sour dough bread is unavailable, you can make yourself a loaf of Easy Artisan Bread which will work just as well.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 - 4 flat anchovie fillets
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 cup California Chardonnay
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
32 oz. crushed red tomatoes
1 cup clam juice
1 tbsp thyme
1 tspn oregano
1 tspn basil
1 hand full of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 pounds cod or other white fish, cut into 2 inch chunks
8 large shrimp
16 mussels or clams
1 can of lump crab meat or fresh crabs (if you can get them) - Dungeness crabs are the best with this but they are usually only available on the US west coast.  Blue crabs would also work with this recipe for cioppino.

+ sour dough bread or Easy Artisan Bread.

Preparation:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, anchovies, garlic, and the bay leaf.
2. As  the anchovies begin to disintegrate, add the diced yellow onion and cook the onion for a few minutes until it becomes translucent in color.
3. Add 1 cup of chardonnay and continue to cook for a few minutes to allow the wine to reduce.
4. Add the chicken stock, crushed red tomatoes, clam juice, thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Let the soup simmer for an hour.
5. Season the white fish on both sides with salt and pepper.  Set aside while the soup simmers.
6. After an hour has passed, add the shrimp, mussels or clams, crab meat, and pieces of white fish to the cioppino.  Do not stir the mixture so that the pieces of white fish do not break apart.  Let the cioppino simmer for another hour to allow all of the flavors to meld.
7. Serve cioppino hot with slices of toasted bread and red wine (Oregon Pinot Noir or this Pinot Noir one from Chile if you can find it).

 United States  [ print this recipe for Cioppino ]