I am going to share recipes on here that I have collected over the years. I am also going to give pointers on real French cooking; not the kind in the fancy and expensive restaurants of Paris and other places where chefs flaunt their ‘French’ techniques, but the way real French people prepare their daily menus. This has influenced the way I cook for friends in general, and is not difficult at all as most would have you believe. After all, it is just food; but of course, then there’s the wine, and the beer, and all of the rest of it!

[EDITORIAL ALERT: This is where I might lose some people, but if you are going to take the trouble to cook at all, use the best ingredients possible, which means GET REAL butter, cream, milk, sugar, eggs...you know what I mean! That’s what Julia told me, and she was always right about food.]

Eat Dessert First!

JILLY’s BASIC CHEESECAKE RECIPE
This isn’t as fancy as some of the cheescakes you can make, but it leaves room for your own experimenting, and is quick and delicious. You can make more than one easily and have a dessert party!

3 large packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese
(May use just 2 for a more compact cake, but 3 is best)
1-1 ½ c granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbls vanilla extract

Soften cheese to room temp and mix in sugar at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and beat thoroughly, one at a time.
Add vanilla extract.

This is where you can get creative: Add any other flavors you want, such as lemon (grated) peel with juice; orange peel (grated) with juice; almonds and almond extract; semi-sweet or sweet melted chocolate; white chocolate*; raspberries and juice (or other fruits); liqueurs; and the list goes on.

You can put in a springform pan with or without your favorite crust. Sometimes I just smash up graham’s with melted butter and sugar; or smash amaretto cookies and melted butter, or smash in a blender almonds or pecans with sugar and melted butter…then add the filling. Bake 350º for 1 hour.

*NOTE: To melt white chocolate so it doesn't burn, put in a pan over boiling water until it begins to melt, then take pan off the heat and keep stirring until smooth.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING (The real stuff)
Serves 4

4 Tbls cocoa*
4 Tbls cornstarch
2/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2c light cream
1 tsp vanilla

In top of double boiler, combine cocoa, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Add 1/2 c. cream and stir to a smooth paste. Scald remaining cream and stir slowly into cocoa mixture. Cook over hot but not boiling water, stirring constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vanilla and chill.

WHAT TO DO WITH THAT LEATHERY COATING THAT FORMS ON TOP OF THE PUDDING AS IT COOLS? To some, a delicacy, so chill uncovered; Offensive to others, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. If you are serving people who are a mixture of both, do it the way you like it, enough is enough, and they will probably eat it anyway!

*Use GOOD chocolate, such as Droste, or an equally good Dutch brand...Hershey's is out (surprised?)

BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING (More real stuff)
Serves 6-8

4 Tbls butter
1 3/4 c light brown sugar
1c heavy cream
2c milk
2 eggs
7 Tbls flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in 2 qt. saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir over low heat until it melts together and bubbles. Add cream and 1c milk. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, beat eggs, flour, and 1c. milk. Add to sugar mixture, and add salt. Return to stove. Over medium heat, stir constantly until thickened. While there, beat with mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes. Remove. Stir in vanilla and pour into 2 qt. casserole. Chill.

(Treat the leathery coating the same as for chocolate pudding.)

KATIE’s ICE CREAM
Serves just 1, me; remember I am an only child! (I really don’t know how many it serves.)

4 eggs
2c sugar
Dash salt
4 Tbls vanilla (at least)
2 qts half & half
1 qt heavy cream

Mix eggs and sugar together with a mixer until well blended. Add a little half & half to it and blend some more; then add the rest of the liquid, salt, & vanilla.

It's best to chill it in the ice cream freezer can for a few hours, or overnight, before using the machine. It takes an hour in the machine to get it done to the desired consistency; then you have to freeze it for 3 hours or more before serving. (The curing method of letting it sit packed in ice for a few hours that is suggested by the ice cream machine company is really not satisfactory.) The refrigerator freezer works best.

(NOTE: For extra rich ice cream, you can add an extra egg, 1/2c. more sugar, and a little more vanilla)

For other flavors, use this as a base and add fruit, like a large carton of frozen, sweetened strawberries, or canned peaches that have been cut up but not mashed with juice, (fresh don't seem to work), etc.

If you have qualms about all of the cream, you can use homogenized milk in place of the heavy cream, but it won't be as smooth (it will be icy), and it certainly won't be as good. (Remember, Get REAL!) If you're going to make it, you might as well go all the way! This was originally made in one of those machines where you keep adding ice and salt and ice and salt…

BANANA PUDDING (no-cook)
Serves 10-12, and it is so good that it should be illegal...somewhere!

1- 3 ½ oz pkg vanilla instant pudding
1- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1c milk
1c heavy cream
1c sour cream
1- 12 oz box ‘Nilla Wafers
3 or 4 bananas, sliced
*3 Tbls Hershey’s chocolate syrup (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pudding mix, condensed milk, and milk, and beat for 2 minutes, or until well-blended. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, whip the heavy cream, and add along with the sour cream to the pudding mixture.

Place ½ of wafers in the bottom of a nice round glass bowl; top with 12 of the sliced bananas, ½ pudding mixture, and *a drizzle of the chocolate syrup (optional). Repeat the layers and decorate the top with more syrup drizzle if you are using it.

Refrigerate for a few hours, and top each with a squirt of whipped cream if you like. This tends to get soggy overnight in the frig, but there might not be any left when you first serve it anyway.

CECE’s MEXICAN TRIFLE
This is sooooooo yummy, and a pleasant diversion from the usual Trifles!

1/4 c sugar
1 Tbls cornstarch (important for the texture of the custard; no flour here)
1/4 tsp salt
2c milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
4c cubed Pound Cake (I use Sara Lee)
4 Tbls APRICOT brandy
4 Tbls apricot preserves
1/2 c whipped cream
1 Tbls XXX sugar
Grated semisweet chocolate
Toasted slivered almonds

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium saucepan. Stir in milk until well-blended; Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils (it will be quite thin). Add a little to eggs; beat well.  Add mixture to rest of sauce in pan; and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to bubble. Stir in vanilla, cool, cover with waxed paper.

Place cake cubes in glass bowl. Sprinkle with 3 Tbls brandy, drizzle with preserves.  With preserves, add either cut-up dried apricots that have been soaked in brandy OR cut-up canned apricots, drained. Pour custard over cake cubes.

Whip cream with XXX sugar until stiff.  Fold in 1 Tbls brandy.
Top cake and custard with whipped cream.  Garnish with grated chocolate and almonds.  Cover & chill several hours before serving. 

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Use Duncan Hines Pineapple cake mix and follow the directions on the back of the box. (The secret to great food is that sometimes you just don’t mess with a good thing.) BUT, put extra butter and even more brown sugar in the pan for an extra coating of that syrup drizzling into the cake from the coated pineapple...YUM!

ANGEL FOOD CAKE
This was my dad’s favorite cake, and my mom always made it from scratch. All of those egg whites, and then what to do with the yokes! Then one day, she had one of those ahh-hah moments, and discovered the box mix. Really, we compared them. The box mix comes out higher than the one from scratch which is a little more compact in texture, but they all taste just as good, with the box being less work. Dad never knew...or did he, since he emptied the trash?

CLEMENTINE CAKE
I love Clementines, and this cake might sound a little weird, but it is delicious, moist, and worth the effort.

4 to 5 clementines (about 1# total weight)
6 eggs
1c + 2 Tbls sugar
2 1/3 c ground almonds
1 heaping tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Put the clementines in a pot with cold water to cover, bring to the boil, and cook for 2 hours. Drain and, when cool, cut each clementine in half and remove the seeds. Then finely chop the skins, pith, and fruit in the processor. Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Mix well, adding the chopped clementines. I don't like using the processor for this part of it because some of the essence of this cake gets lost with it, and frankly, you really shouldn’t complain about a little stirring!

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, when a skewer will come out clean; you'll probably have to cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes to stop the top from burning. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan on a rack. When the cake has cooled completely, you can take it out of the pan. I think this is better the day after it's made, but there aren’t any complaints when you serve it earlier.

JILLY’s CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Serves 8-12

6 egg whites
½ c sugar
8 oz chocolate chips
¼ c water
4 egg yolks
1 Tbls vanilla
1c heavy cream, whipped

Whip egg whites & sugar until stiff. Put chocolate & water in double boiler and allow to melt. Cool to room temp. Stir in egg yolks & vanilla. Alternate by folding whites & whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Refrigerate.

JILLY’s WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Serves 10

5 oz white chocolate
1¼ oz butter
1½ Tbsp Bailey’s
3 beaten egg yolks
1 qt heavy cream
3 egg whites
½ c sugar
pinch salt

Melt chocolate & butter in double boiler. Add Bailey’s & egg yolks, and let cool to room temp. Whip cream. Whip egg whites, sugar, & salt. Fold ½ white mixture & ½ whip cream mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining. Refrigerate.

SUMMER PUDDING
4 Servings (maybe more)

(Almost any fruit in season will work for this, except citrus, usually 2 or 3 combined varieties...plenty of juice is a must. This is the only British dish worth bringing back to the USA!!)

One 4 or 5 cup bowl
2c quartered fresh strawberries
1c fresh blueberries
1c fresh raspberries
1c peeled, finely chopped Golden Delicious apple
1/2 c pitted, quartered fresh sweet cherries
1/3 c sugar
5 (1 oz) slices day-old white bread
3/4 c vanilla yogurt

Combine strawberries & next 5 ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 15 min. or just until fruit is tender. Drain fruit reserving 1 c liquid. Line the 4 or 5 cup bowl with 3 bread slices, cutting & arranging slices to fit bowl. Drizzle 1/2 c reserved liquid over sides & bottom of bread and let stand 2 minutes.

Spoon fruit mixture into bowl. Place 1 whole bread slice over fruit mixture; tear remaining bread slices into small pieces and arrange around whole bread slice. Drizzle 1/4 c reserved liquid over bread; cover & refrigerate remaining 1/4 c of liquid. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap and place a small plate over that, and place a weight on top of that. Refrigerate pudding for at least 8 hours.

To serve, let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Gently loosen edges of pudding with a knife, and invert pudding onto a serving plate. Drizzle remaining 1/4 c liquid over it. Cut into 4 wedges, and serve each with 3 Tbls vanilla yogurt.

KATIE’s SPECIAL PIE CRUSTS
These are exceptional pie crusts, especially if you are a little ‘flakey’ when making the regular dough-kind (get Pillsbury® Refrigerated Pie Crusts, who knew?)

Toasted Coconut Pie Crust
Take 2c of shredded coconut, separate in a bowl and pour 1/4 c melted butter on it. Stir to blend. Press evenly into a 9” pie plate and spread out on the bottom and up side. Bake in 300° for 30-35 minutes or until a little brown for firmness but not burnt. Allow to cool before filling.

Best to fill with chocolate pudding (cooked, never instant is nice IF you add 2 squares of melted semi-sweet chocolate squares for added richness, then stir to fully blend; (or use the recipe on this website). Top with REAL whipped cream and chill in frig before serving – delicious.

Meringue Pie Crust
Make a meringue* and place in pie plate. Bake according to meringue directions. Fill with REAL whipped cream to which sour cream has been folded in, and fold in sweetened strawberries. Can also fill with other fruits, as well as chocolate pudding filling as per above.

*Meringue Recipe:
4 egg whites, at room temperature
1c sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 250º. In large bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, about 30 seconds. Still beating, gradually add the sugar. Add the vanilla and beat for 5 minutes longer or until the mixture is glossy and stands in stiff peaks. Drop the meringue into a lightly buttered 9” pie plate, preferably one of the glass Pyrex® ones with the higher side.

Swirl it around with the back of a spoon, then depress the center to form a raised border. Bake for about 1 hour or until firm. Turn off the oven and in it to dry out, about 2 hours. Fill with whatever moves you! (If you have your own meringue recipe, use that.)

Birthday Cakes
AND OTHER CELEBRATIONS!

I imagine any cake could be considered a birthday cake. After all, my dad loved angel food cake (no icing), so that was his; and I love my mom’s French Ribbon Loaf, so as I got older, that was mine; and my mom loves carrot cake, or her white chocolate cake, but really any cake, but certainly not one from the grocery stores for any of us! There were some great bakeries around that did the usual wedding cakes, as well as special-occasion theme cakes. When I was growing up there was a big deal about getting a special b-day cake from Forrester’s, with the appropriate plastic stuff and decorative icings on them, and you paid for it too! My son loved Tremont Goodie Shop’s white cake, and really it is the perfect white cake when you are craving it and can’t make the white cake that is included below in a separate title. I first made it as a simple wedding cake for a friend, but it can be a b-day cake as well.

It seems nowadays, birthday cakes are purchased more frequently at the grocery stores, and they are surprisingly good. After all they are an easy way out in these busy times. But, in my opinion, nothing beats having someone you know bake one just for you and slap a few candles on it to rub the age into it (or not), and VOILA, a great cake enjoyed with friends and/or family! (You may be lucky enough to know someone who is a real whiz at decorating, but a plain cake is just as nice, and makes its own statement.)

I have collected a few no-fail recipes for cakes that are perfect for just this occasion. These are perfect examples of traditional iced cakes that can be decorated, or not. I once took a special decorating class just to learn how to make roses, so once-in-a-while I can make a cake with a single rose in the middle of it; it’s quite an elegant touch!

STORAGE NOTE: A glass cake stand with matching dome is a nice investment for cake presentations, and a lot of them are not an expensive purchase. Not only are they nice to look at, but the dome cover keeps the cake from drying out IF there’s any left after serving everyone! What’s nice is that it is difficult to take the dome off and put it back quietly; so there’s no sneaking a piece in the middle of the night!

BAKING NOTE: Cake is done when is shrinks from the sides of the pan or if it springs back when touched lightly with the finger.

YELLOW CAKE
Makes 2 -9” layers

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus extra for greasing the pans
1½ c all-purpose flour, plus extra for pans
1½ c cake flour (not self-rising)
1 Tbls baking powder
½ tsp salt
1¾ c sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1¼ c milk
Pick one:
*Chocolate Frosting (most popular)
*Caramel Frosting
*7-Minute Frosting

Preheat oven to 350º. Butter two 9 x 2” round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined after each addition.

Divide batter between the prepared pans, and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until cakes are a bit golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment. Re-invert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE
Makes one 8” round 3- layer cake
Everyone has to have a good chocolate cake in their repertoire; life wouldn’t be complete without it.

1½ c (3 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pans
¾ c Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pans
½ c boiling water
2¼ c sugar
1 Tbls pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3c sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1c milk
Pick one:
*Chocolate Frosting
*Caramel Frosting
*7-Minute Frosting

Heat oven to 350º. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Butter three 8 x 2” round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment. Dust bottoms and sides of pans with cocoa powder; tap out any excess. Sift cocoa into a medium bowl, and whisk in boiling water. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on low speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides twice. Beat in vanilla. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating between each addition until the batter is no longer slick, scraping down the sides twice. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk milk into reserved cocoa mixture. With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour and cocoa mixtures to the batter, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with flour mixture.

Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of each layer comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pans for even baking. Transfer layers to wire racks; let cool, 15 minutes. Turn out cakes, and return to racks, tops up, until completely cool.

Remove parchment from bottoms of cakes. Place one cake layer on a serving platter; spread 1½ c chocolate frosting over the top. Add the second cake layer, and spread with another 1½ c frosting. Top with third cake layer. Cover outside of cake with the remaining 3c frosting.

COCONUT LAYER CAKE
Makes one 3-layer cake
This is my favorite cake next to the French Ribbon Loaf. Lots of people don’t like coconut so you have to be sure of your ‘audience’ before you plan to serve it. What’s wrong with those people?

¾ c (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
2c sifted cake flour, not self-rising, plus more for pans
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1c superfine sugar
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
2/3 c sour cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use 2)
* 7-Minute Frosting for filling (need 4 c)
11 ounces (about 3¾ c) sweetened angel-flake coconut
*7- Minute Frosting for the rest of it (need 4 c)

Heat the oven to 350º. Arrange two racks in the center of the oven. Line the bottom of three 6 x 2” buttered cake pans with parchment paper. Dust the bottom and the sides of the cake pans with flour, and tap out any excess. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set the bowl aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-low speed until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, and keep beating until the mixture is fluffy and light in color, about 3 minutes. Gradually drizzle in egg yolks, beating on medium-low speed between each addition until the batter is no longer slick. Beat until the mixture is fluffy again, about another 3 minutes.

Alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream to the batter, a little of each at a time, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Beat in vanilla. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 30-40 minutes, rotating the pans in the oven, if needed, for even browning. Transfer cake pans to wire racks to cool, about 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, and let cool completely on racks, tops up.

To assemble, remove parchment paper from the bottoms of cakes.. Set aside the prettiest dome; it will be used for the final layer. Place another layer, dome side down, on the serving platter. Sprinkle 2-3 Tbls of flaked coconut over the cake. Spread a generous ½- ¾ c frosting over coconut flakes. Repeat sprinkling and spreading process on the remaining layers until all but the reserved domed layer are used. Top cake with the reserved domed layer, and swirl the rest of the frosting over all of it, then sprinkle the remaining coconut flakes all over it. It should sit and settle at least several hours before serving…don’t ask me why, it just works.

*THE ICING ON THE CAKE!*
You can’t go wrong with these basic frostings…they are timeless!

*NOT MY MOTHER’s CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Makes 6 cups
This recipe was in my mother’s files scribbled on an envelope. She made it often but I don’t know where she got it...if it’s scribbled on an envelope it must have been from a friend when she was talking to them over the phone.

24 oz NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate morsels
4c whipping cream
1 tsp light corn syrup

Place chocolate morsels and cream in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until combined and thickened, between 20-25 minutes. Increase the heat to medium low; cook, stirring, 3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat. Stir in corn syrup, and transfer frosting to a metal bowl. Chill until cool enough to spread, about 2 hours, checking and stirring every 15-20 minutes (important). Use immediately.

*SEVEN MINUTE FROSTING
Will cover & fill two 9” layer cakes
This is the first frosting I learned to make by watching my mom do it. There are some recipes out there that seem way too time consuming for this frosting, and to top it off, they require the dreaded candy thermometer…you didn’t expect me to include that here, did you?

2 unbeated large egg whites room temperature
1½ c sugar
5 Tbls water
2 tsp corn syrup
1 tsp (or more) vanilla extract OR
*Flavoring of your choice

Combine egg whites with sugar, water, and corn syrup. Place over boiling water (in a double boiling pan apparatus), and beat on high with an electric hand mixer approximately 7 min, or until the mixture peaks (kitchen science at its finest). Remove from stove, add flavoring, and beat until mixture is a good spreading consistency.

The original version of this calls for vanilla flavoring, and is a nice shiny consistency, but James Beard (who has the same recipe in one of his books), allows for other flavors to be added to it. Almost any other extract flavor can be added to this in place of the vanilla, but some of the better variations are below. Also, any artificial coloring may be added as well. However, the original white shiny vanilla is the best!

*7-Minute Frosting Variations:
Chocolate: 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and added after frosting is removed from stove;
Lemon: Omit corn syrup and add 1 Tbls fresh lemon juice after frosting is removed from the stove;
Mocha: Add 1 tsp instant coffee and 1 Tbls of cocoa with the sugar;
Rum: Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 Tbls dark spiced rum like Meyer’s;
Almond: Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract.

*JILLY’s CARAMEL FROSTING
3c light brown sugar
1c evaporated milk
1 stick (½ c) unsalted butter

In a saucepan combine the brown sugar, the evaporated milk, and the butter, cook the mixture over moderately low heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, and cook it, undisturbed, washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the side of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water, until it registers 238° on a candy thermometer (I know, I said I didn’t like them but it’s really needed here). Transfer the mixture to a bowl and beat it until it is of spreading consistency. If the icing gets too hard to spread, dip the icing spatula in hot water. Transfer one of the layers, bottom up, to a cake plate, frost the top with the icing, and top it with the remaining layer, bottom down. Frost the top and sides with the icing.

EASY WHITE WEDDING CAKE
For those who yearn for that particular "taste" of white wedding cake without all of the expense and emotional turmoil of going through an actual wedding, or buying a gift for someone who is! Also, this can be a great white cake in general for b-days or any other celebration.

(Follow the recipe exactly; no substitutes)
3c Bisquick
1c sugar
1 pkg (4-serving) instant vanilla pudding
5 eggs
1c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla (or more)
1/4 c vegetable shortening, melted

Beat Bisquick, sugar, pudding mix, eggs, milk, oil, almond extract and vanilla together in bowl for 4 minutes; then mix in shortening (this does something to the actual "texture" of the cake). Bake at 350* in a greased and floured 13 X 9 pan or 2 - 8" or 9" layer pans.

Bake until tests done...do not open oven for the first 30 minutes (25 minutes for layer pans). Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn out on rack to cool. Ice with White Frosting below, then decorate, if desired. (Unless it somehow enhances the flavor, forget the wedding cake ornament!)

White Frosting for above cake only!
2c vegetable shortening (Do not use butter or margarine for this one...exception to the “Get Real” rule!)
2# XXX
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp almond extract
Dash salt
1/2 c plus 2 Tbls. milk

Beat all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. This frosting can also be used to make decorations

Cookies

My son felt that the only cookie in the whole world was the Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookie, and the recipe is on the back of the bag…what luck! Of course, I’ve added a few of my own personal touches. (I’m a vanilla and nut freak.)

2 ¼ c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp coarse (Kosher) salt
1c (2 sticks of butter), at room temperature
¾ c granulated sugar
¾ c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (I usually add 2 tsp)
2 large eggs
2c (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-sweet Chocolate Morsels
1c chopped pecans (I usually add 1 ½ c)

PREHEAT oven to 375°. I think this is too high, but I guess it depends on your oven. I bake these @ 350°. COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. I use an ice cream scope and drop the cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. It says to remove onto wire racks to really cool, but does anyone really use wire racks? Makes about 5 doz. You can make the dough ahead and store in the frig for up to 1 week; freezer up to 8 weeks.

Other Cookies

PETER DANIS’s VERY SIMPLE OATMEAL WALNUT COOKIES
I have to admit that life wouldn’t be complete without a great oatmeal cookie in your recipe arsenal (and they are even good for breakfast). For this recipe, don’t get all crazy, just mix it all up the way it is written! This is Peter Danis’s original recipe, (owns Figlio’s & VinoVino in Upper Arlington & Grandview OH), and he gave me permission to list it here. What a guy!

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Makes about 30
I had to include these; you have to be in a special mood for them, but peanut butter RULES! This is one of those recipes where I don’t use the ice cream scope to slap the balls onto the sheet…not in the nature of this cookie!

1 1/3 c flour
½ tsp baking soda
8 Tbsp softened unsalted butter
¾ c granulated sugar
¼ c packed dark brown sugar
½ tsp Kosher salt
1 ¼ c smooth peanut butter (or chunky if you prefer, but smooth is better)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift the flour and baking soda together in a medium bowl and set aside. Put the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk and beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy but not fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla, and beat until just smooth, about 30 seconds. Stir in the reserved flour with a wooden spoon until just combined. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 12.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, then preheat oven to 325°. Pinch off heaping tablespoon-size pieces of dough and roll into balls. Arrange balls 2 ½ '' apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Use tines of a fork to flatten balls to a thickness of about ½ '' and to make a grid pattern on top. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool cookies completely before storing in airtight containers for up to 2 weeks.

SPICE-WALNUT COOKIES
Makes about 3 doz
These are great Xmas cookies, but, of course, anytime can be cookie time! Also, chilling this dough before rolling will reduce crumbling.

1⁄2 c finely ground walnuts
1 1⁄4 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1⁄8 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg
1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp ground cloves
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1⁄2 c granulated sugar
1⁄2 c light brown sugar
1 large egg

Combine walnuts, flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed. Gradually add white and brown sugars; beat until mixture is fluffy. Beat in egg, reduce speed, and add flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Divide dough into four portions. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 325°. Roll out one portion of dough on a floured surface, cut into desired shapes, arrange 1" apart on buttered nonstick baking sheets, and decorate as desired. Bake for 5 minutes. Rotate baking sheets and bake until cookies are golden, 5 minutes more. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat process with remaining dough. Finish decorating and serve.

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES
2 doz large
This is a great recipe for making cutouts for any occasion. I make sure that I roll them for a thinner, more crispy cookie but that is just me; you can make your own adjustments. I used to make 2 shapes for Xmas: trees and/or stars, and lightly dust with white granulated sugar either before or after baking (work fast before they cool), and put out in a big glass container…nice! BUT they can be cut-out any shape or size, and decorated with icing, sprinkles, dragées, whatever you like.

6c flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
3 c sugar
1 ½ c (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3 eggs

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside. In a mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together sugar, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time; beat. Add dry ingredients; mix. Transfer dough to a floured surface; divide into 4 pieces. Shape each piece into a flat disk; wrap each disk in plastic; chill 1 hour.

Heat oven to 325°. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll to 1/8" thickness on a floured surface. Using various large cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on parchment paper—lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 2" apart. Re-roll and cut scraps. Bake until lightly browned, 12–15 minutes. Let cool. Decorate (or not).

JILLY’s COOKIE ICING
Enough for 1 dozen normal-size cookies
This icing dries hard and shiny and the colors don’t change! My favorite flavoring is vanilla, but you can use any that you like.

1c XXX sugar
2 tsp milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
¼ tsp vanilla, almond or any other flavored extract
Assorted food coloring

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

AMARETTI COOKIES
Makes about 30 cookies.
You can buy one of those neat red tins full of these wonderful Amaretti di Saronno Italian Macaroons that has each cookie all wrapped in tissue paper. I will buy those in a pinch to put out on a plate, or to crush for a crust or topping on fruit or ice cream, or to add to a pound cake or icing for a special flavor. However, these are really simple to make for a special occasion when you don’t want to crush them up to put into something else, and they are delicious! Make them at least once just to say you did!

3c of blanched slivered almonds, finely ground up
1¼ c of baker's sugar (superfine sugar)
3 egg whites
½ tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of almond extract
Extra sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 300º and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a food processor, mix together the almonds and sugar. Add the vanilla and almond extract and pulse for a few seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to process until the dough is smooth.

Place teaspoons of the dough on the parchment paper and dust with sugar. Bake for 24-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before serving. (They become crispy if stored for a day or 2.) If you like them chewy, bake them 20-24 minutes.

Appetite Spoilers

Lots of cultures have little things to nibble on before they dig into the main meal. I remember that when I was growing up, especially when my parents took me along to dinner at the really great restaurants of the day, such as the Claremont, Grandview Inn, and The Top. There were plates that appeared on the table, along with the bread baskets (a real appetite killer), with pickles, olives, nuts and some other odd things that were supposed to go along with the cocktails. Eventually this eating ritual appeared to be lost even at those restaurants, but I noticed in Europe that it is alive and well. For the most part, this spoils my appetite, but I have a few things that are nice to put out to keep guests from drinking all of your booze while the finishing touches are being put on the meal.

FIRST, I have to include this: If people are just dropping by for drinks and a chat, 2 words: Triscuits & Sardines...YUM! (You won’t have to feed them a meal after that!)

BAR NUTS
Preheat the oven to 350º

17.6 oz (500g) assorted unsalted nuts, including: peeled peanuts, cashews,
        Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans and whole unpeeled almonds
2 Tbls coarsely chopped fresh rosemary (from 2 x 8cm sprigs)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I’ve also used smoked paprika and it is delicious
        although less spicy)
2 tsp dark muscavado sugar
2 tsp Maldon salt
1 Tbls unsalted butter, melted

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven till they become light golden brown, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, muscovado sugar, salt and melted butter. Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts with the spiced butter and serve warm. And once you eat these, you will never want to stop.

OLIVES
1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c garlic cloves, cut in halves
1/4 red onion, julienned
1/4 red bell pepper, julienned
2 fresh rosemary sprigs, cut in 1/2
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp (mixed) peppercorns
1c large Spanish olives
1/2 c black olives, seeded
1/2 c kalamata or jumbo gaeta olives, seeded
1/4 c whole pepperoncini
1/2 c baby carrots
3 Tbls balsamic vinegar

In a medium saute pan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil, garlic, onions, red bell peppers, rosemary, chili flakes, and peppercorns. Let saute for 10 minutes. Add olives, pepperoncini, carrots and vinegar, stir and simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Serve warm.

RADISHES WITH BUTTER & SALT
2 bunches radishes with the tops intact
Sea salt
Good salted butter or Herbed Butter (recipe below)
1 French baguette, sliced diagonally, and lightly toasted

Arrange the radishes on a bed of good sea salt. Spread the butter on slices of toasted bread and arrange artfully on a platter. Serve at room temperature.

Herbed Butter:
¼# unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ tsp minced scallions
1 ½ tsp minced fresh dill
1 ½ tsp minced fresh parsley leaves
½ tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Do not whip.

Popcorn

Snack or its own food group?
I love popcorn. As a matter of fact, I used to go to the movies just for the popcorn! I saw a lot of bad movies, but had a lot of good popcorn. You can say a lot of things about movie popcorn, how bad it is for you, but once-in-a-while you have to live a little! I’m not going to discuss Microwave Popcorn because I cannot think of one nice thing to say about it, and OMG, it’s so easy to burn it, and when you do, it practically takes a bottle of shampoo to wash the stench out of your hair. (OK, I had to say something.)

POPPIN’ FOR THE POP AT HOME
Making the perfect bowl of popcorn at home in a pan on a stove can be nerve wracking, but when you get it right, it is heaven (and better than the movie stuff).

3 Tbsp canola, peanut or grapeseed oil (high smoke point oil)
1/3 c of high quality popcorn kernels
1 3-qt covered saucepan
2 Tbsp or more (to taste) of butter
Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan on medium high heat. Put 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil and cover the pan. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the
1/3 c of popcorn kernels in an even layer.

Cover, remove from heat and count 30 seconds. (Count out loud; it's fun to do with kids.) This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.

Return the pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release (the popcorn will be drier and crisper).

Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl. With this technique, nearly all of the kernels pop (I counted 4 un-popped kernels in my last batch), and nothing burns. If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the now empty, but hot pan. Salt to taste. Makes 2 quarts, a nice amount for two people.

NOTE: If you add salt to the oil in the pan before popping, when the popcorn pops, the salt will be well distributed throughout the popcorn.

ANNE’s TERRIFICALLY FANTASTIC POPCORN
This is Delicious…Different…Addictive, and I never thought that I would like something like this, but you should try it, at least once.

Season (find your own way with the amounts) hot popcorn (NOT MICROWAVE) with: 1) Melted butter; 2) Sea salt; 3) Kelp (from health food store); 4) Cayenne pepper; 5) Parmesan cheese; and 6) Brewer’s yeast (with vitamins) (from health food store).

HOT ’n’ SWEET KETTLE CORN
½ c unpopped corn kernels
¼ c white sugar
¼ c vegetable oil
1 tsp chipotle powder
1 tsp salt

Place popcorn, sugar, oil, chipotle and salt in a large kettle or pot with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. When corn begins to pop, shake the pot constantly. When popping slows, remove from heat and transfer popped kettle corn to a bowl. To keep the kettle corn sweet, omit the chipotle powder and adjust sugar to 1/3 c.

CARAMEL POPCORN
This recipe allows for a ridiculously huge batch of this stuff. You could halve it, but if you are going to go thru all of the trouble of making it, you might as well go for it big time. You can get all fancy and put a Cracker JackⓇ edge to it by dumping in any kind of high quality honey glazed nuts before it has cooled. (Don’t forget the prize!)

1 ¼ c unpopped popcorn kernels
1 ½ sticks salted butter
1c packed brown sugar (preferably light brown, although dark brown will work if that’s all you have)
1/3 c light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 200°. (If your oven doesn’t go this low, simply heat it to the lowest temperature it can maintain and take a few minutes off the total baking time.) Pop the popcorn in an air popper or the conventional stove-top. The unpopped kernels should yield about 6 to 8 quarts (24 to 32 cups) of popped corn. Transfer the popcorn to 2 large roasting pans.

In a small saucepan, heat the butter and brown sugar until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Add the corn syrup and salt and bring to a boil. Keep at a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately and carefully stir in the baking soda (the mixture may roil and sputter). The caramel will be thick. Quickly pour the caramel over the popcorn, drizzling it back and forth as you stir the popcorn with a wooden spoon. The caramel should be pretty evenly distributed, although it may be impossible to coat every single piece of popcorn. This is okay.

Bake the caramel corn for 1 hour total, making sure that you stir it every 15 minutes. (The corn will not darken that much, so don’t sweat the timing of this process; it will be coated.) Remove the pans from the oven and let the popcorn cool for 1 hour, if you can wait (this is when you can add those nuts if you want to); then stir again. If by chance you have any leftover, you can store it in an airtight container for up to a few days.

Pasta
Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.
SOPHIA LOREN

What can I say? Pasta deserves its own section by default! There are 4 essential things to know about cooking pasta.

The first 1) is that you should always salt the water, and then 2) let it come to a roaring boil before adding the pasta. Salt seasons it internally as it absorbs the liquid and swells, and if you don’t do it you will notice the difference in the taste. There is a rumor going around that the salt keeps the pasta from sticking, maybe, maybe not; but the thing that really keeps it from sticking is 3) to cook it in a big enough pot with enough water to allow it to move around when boiling, and 4) not to overcook it, which leaves it in a globby mess. (Note: when a box says to cook it 10 minutes, cook it no more than 8 to retain its ‘al dente’ status. Always take off 2 minutes from whatever cooking time the box gives you.)

Pasta keeps cooking after you drain it from the pan, so in no time you can hit globby if you go the full indicted cooking time. You can stop it from cooking by pouring cold water on it after you’ve drained it, but if you are going to season it by swirling it around in a pan, cold water isn’t a good idea. Some recipes suggest using some of that pasta water to mix in with your sauces, so tread lightly in this area and plan your attack. You have barely a minute to get it done right after you take it off the burner! Another thing is that some people add olive oil to the pot, but this isn’t a good idea, as any sauce you put on the pasta tends to slide right off from the oil

FETTUCCINE ALFREDO
Serves 4

For many pasta dishes with sauces I prefer dry pasta in a box to freshly made because the pasta holds up better to the sauce. Also, most chefs and restaurants tend to make a huge deal of sauces, and they don’t have to be that complicated. Most all can be made quickly and fresh right there in the pan and tossed with the pasta for serving. This is my favorite pasta dish!

1# dry fettuccine pasta
6 – 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/3 c finely grated parmesan cheese
1c heavy cream
Nutmeg, fresh ground
White pepper, fresh ground if you can get it (optional)

Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil and drop in your fettuccine. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan set over low heat. Add the cream to the butter as it melts. Stir often to combine the two, do not turn off the heat, but keep the heat at its lowest setting while the pasta cooks.

When the fettuccine is al dente (cooked, but still a little firm) lift it out of the pot with tongs and move the pasta to the sauté pan. Do not drain the pasta. You want it dripping wet with the cooking water. Turn on the heat under the sauté pan to medium and swirl the pasta and butter/cream sauce together to combine. Add half the cheese, then swirl and toss the pasta until it has incorporated into the sauce. If needed, add a few spoonfuls more of the pasta cooking water. Add the rest of the cheese and repeat. You do this in steps in order to incorporate all of it into a smooth sauce. Serve at once with a dash of the fresh ground nutmeg, and less than a dash of the fresh ground white pepper if you are so inclined for that.

LEMON SPAGHETTI
Serves 4
1# spaghetti
3 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 lemons, zested and juiced
½ to ¾ c heavy cream
1c grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
½ c (10 or 12 leaves) fresh basil, very thinly sliced

Salt the water and bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil, and then drop the spaghetti into the pot. Heat a large deep skillet over low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.

When the pasta has been cooking about 5 minutes, add lemon juice, a ladle of the cooking water from the pasta and the cream to the garlic and oil. Raise heat a bit to bring sauce to a bubble.

Drain pasta when it still has a good bite to it, al dente. Add lemon zest and half of the cheese to the cream sauce. Season the sauce with salt, to taste. Add pasta to pan and turn off heat. Toss the pasta with sauce a minute or 2, allowing it time to soak up the sauce. Top the plates of pasta or platter with remaining cheese, parsley and basil.

[Sometimes I add big fresh shrimp to this. Just sauté it in another pan with more oil, garlic, lemon and pepper flakes, and then toss all of it together. YUM!]

SPAGHETTI ALL’ MAMA ELSA SCUDERI
Serves 4
1# spaghetti
3 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ - ¾ tsp red pepper flakes (this can be considered optional if you don’t
    like the heat, but even a little dash is a nice surprising touch)
1/3 c chicken stock or white wine, eyeball it
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes, plus 1 (14-oz) can
Several leaves basil, torn or chopped, a handful
2 Tbls butter, cut into small pieces
1c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; then add the pasta. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it, about 8 min.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and red pepper and let them cook 5 minutes, garlic will be soft and light golden. Remove garlic. Add stock or wine and stir 30 seconds, add tomatoes and combine. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, then stir basil in and reduce heat to low.

When pasta is cooked, turn off the heat, drain the pasta then add it back to the still-hot, deep pan. Add butter to spaghetti and toss to melt and coat. Add half the red sauce and all of the cheese, work in a handful at a time as you toss to combine. To serve, use tongs or a meat fork to swirl the pasta into buttery, cheesy mounds to pile onto each plate. Top each portion with spoonfuls of remaining sauce. Whoa, Mama!

RECKLESS PASTA W/OSSO BUCCO SAUCE
Serves 4
1# of any shape pasta
1# ground veal
3 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
10 fresh basil leaves
1 clove of garlic, minced
bay leaf
¼ tsp of nutmeg
½ c of beef or chicken stock
½ c of white wine (or use more beef stock instead & drink the wine)
1 big can of crushed tomatoes (28 ounces or 2.5 qts)
1 Tbls of olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a nice big pot on high heat, add some olive oil until hot and sauté the veal while stirring it around for 2 minutes. Then lower heat to medium and add carrots, onion and garlic and continue cooking and stirring until the veal is cooked through and the vegetables start getting tender, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, wine, nutmeg, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20-40 minutes depending on how hungry you are and whether you can wait. Then add fresh basil, then toss in the pasta. (You don’t have to simmer a sauce all day for it to be great.)

JILLY’s MAC ‘N’ CHEESE
(Can serve 1 person several times or several people once…YUM!)
1 Tbls salt, plus more for pasta water
1# large elbow macaroni
6 Tbls butter
6 Tbls all-purpose flour
3c milk
1c heavy cream
S & P
1# Cheddar, shredded
8 oz Jarlsburg, shredded
8 oz Gruyère, shredded
2c Panko bread crumbs (available at most markets)
2 Tbls chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional, this is a French thing)

Preheat oven to 325º. In large pot filled with water add 3 pinches of salt and the macaroni and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and let cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Sprinkle flour over butter and cook 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat, whisking until a roux or paste forms. Add cold milk and whisk vigorously until dissolved. Cook sauce on medium-low heat until thick and bubbly. Add heavy cream, all cheeses (one-at-a-time), 1 Tbls of salt (some cheeses are salty enough, be careful), and 1 Tbls pepper. Cook until cheeses are fully melted, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked macaroni to cheese mixture and mix thoroughly. Place macaroni mixture in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake for 15 min., or until it starts to be a golden brown, then top with Panko Bread Crumbs, and bake 8 min more for a nice semi-crusty top. Top with fresh parsley (optional) and serve.

Saniches

You know how you like your saniches, and you are an expert at it, but here I am getting my 2¢ worth in! There are a lot of things I could say about saniches, but they are indeed a matter of personal taste, not to mention convenience; and more important, taken from early memories. My son made the perfect bologna saniches: he fried thick slices that had been slit several times (to avoid curling up) in a pan, put on a slice of Pepperidge Farm bread, a little Hellmann’s mayo, maybe some good mustard, and VOILA, he was happy! I know, I know, processed meats being what they are, and ‘store-bought’ bread, and you can get all ‘healthy’ and really fancy with some of this, but c’mon!

BROWN SUGAR-CRUSTED BAKED BOLOGNA
1 (6½#) chunk of all-beef bologna
½ c Dijon mustard
1½ c golden brown sugar
1 loaf sliced white bread from the bakery (or Pepperidge Farm will do, but not the thin sliced)
1 jar Maille (or other) yellow mustard

Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a large roasting pan with foil to cover well. Using a small sharp knife score the top of the bologna, cutting about ¼“ deep, to create a diamond design.

Place the bologna, cut side down, in the foil lined pan and spread a thin layer of mustard on the exposed areas. Using your hands, press the brown sugar onto the Dijon mustard to create a coating. Carefully turn the bologna over, so that the cut side is facing up, and spread the top and sides with the remaining Dijon mustard. Press the remaining brown sugar onto the mustard to coat the entire bologna well.

Place the bologna in the top third of the oven. Bake for 5 hrs, rotating the bologna slightly during cooking to keep the bottom from burning. Remove the bologna from the pan and place it on a large platter. Slice the bologna ¼ to ½” thick and make sandwiches on fresh white bread with Maille or other yellow mustard. YUM!

SLICED-EGG SANICH W/HERB MAYO
1 Serving

In a small bowl, combine 1 Tbls mayo (Hellmann’s), 1 Tbls chopped parsley, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Spread on 2 slices of pumpernickel bread and form a saniche with 2 sliced hard-boiled eggs and 1/2 c watercress. Season with S&P. Can make up to one day in advance if stored, tightly wrapped, in the frig.

THE PERFECT GRILLED CHEESE SANICH
Serves 2

The secret to making a perfect grilled cheese sandwich is cooking it over low heat, which brings out the subtle flavors of a cheese, and slathering the bread with butter, which crisps it in the pan. The usual cheese for this is Cheddar or Colby on basic white or sourdough bread; but the possibilities are endless…there’s also Swiss or Jarlsberg on rye. Do your own thing!

4 Tbls unsalted butter, softened
4  1⁄2"-thick slices bread
1 8-oz. piece cheese, grated

Spread butter evenly on both sides of each slice of bread. Put half the cheese on one slice and half on another. Top each with remaining bread slices. Heat a 12" cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add sandwiches to skillet and cook, flipping once with a metal spatula, until golden brown and crusty on both sides, 15–18 minutes. Transfer sandwiches to a cutting board and slice in half with a knife. Serve warm.

CUBAN SANICHES
1 loaf French bread
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
1/2 # thinly sliced ham
4-6 slices Swiss cheese
Kosher dill pickles, sliced
Butter for the skillet

Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Spread one half with mayonnaise and the other with mustard. Layer the ham and Swiss cheese on 1 half of the bread. Layer the pickle slices over the cheese. Top with the other bread half. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat enough butter to coat the cooking surface. Place the sandwich in the pan and weight with another heavy pan or a brick wrapped in foil and grill until the cheese is melted. Cut the loaf to make 4 saniches.

MEAT LOAF, BABY ARUGULA & RUSSIAN DRESSING
ON WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD
Makes 1
I’m not sure any of you need a recipe for meatloaf at this point in time; your meatloaf will certainly do for a sanich. BUT I have included a recipe for a meatloaf that is perfect for saniches if you normally balk at making a whole meatloaf for a regular meal, but love the sanich part of it...I am one of those!

1 Tbls mayonnaise
1 tsp ketchup
2 slices whole-grain bread, toasted
2 slices *Jilly’s Easy Meat Loaf, about ½” thick
¼ c baby arugula leaves

Stir together the mayo and ketchup in a small bowl. Spread on one side of each slice of bread. Lay the meat loaf over one slice and top with the arugula leaves. Cover with the remaining slice of bread, mayo-side down. Cut in half and wrap in aluminum foil.

*Jilly’s Easy Meat Loaf
2 servings
8 oz. ground beef chuck
2 Tbls grated fresh or dried onion
1 tsp each chopped thyme & parsley & oregano (dried is best here)
3 Tbls American chili sauce
1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce
S&P to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the chuck, onion, thyme, 2 Tbls of the chili sauce, the Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Toss together lightly. Form the meat into a 3x5-inch oval loaf on a lightly greased rimmed baking pan. Brush the remaining Tbls of chili sauce over the meat loaf. Bake for 30 min or until cooked through. Do not overbake. Let rest for 15 min so juices can settle. Cool to room temperature. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight for saniches.

Salt
(& things that were alive before you got them to cook!)

I will go into more detail about this with my meat & fish recipes, but when you are cooking these (or grilling, yuk, which isn’t cooking), do not salt them before or during cooking. It depletes the moisture and compromises the true taste. Of course, if you must, salt to your taste afterwards. Exception: pasta water, which I have already mentioned, then stews and such, which swim around in their own juices anyway so salting can be part of the flavor blending process.

More on its way!