Mix water, sugar, yeast and oil together and let set.  In a large bowl, or on the counter sift out flour and salt.  Make a well in the middle.  Slowly mix flour into liquid.  Once dough is cohesive, knead until dough is smooth and elastic.  Cover, let rise in a warm place for one hour or until double in size.  Knead briefly, cut into 6-8 pieces, depending on what size pizza you want.

–

I’ve tried this recipe a million times, and it always works best for me when I use the 00 flour with the semolina.  This recipe makes a ton of dough, but I like making large pizzas, so I usually only get four pizzas out of it, six if I roll them super thin.  I usually roll out the pizzas about 15 minutes before they will be going in, and I cook them at 450 for about 15 minutes, on a pizza stone or the back of a baking sheet if I am making a huge one.  Sprinkle some corn meal or semolina on whatever surface you are cooking them on and they will slip right off.  You can freeze this dough really well, just take it out of the freezer and toss it in the fridge the night before you want to make pizza.

• 1 pound steak.  I use shoulder steak or rib-eye if I am feeling flush.  Put the meat in the freezer for about an hour to let it get slightly frozen and easy to cut.  If your freezer actually works properly, you will probably only need to have it in there about half an hour.  While you are waiting, whisk together…
• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 1 pear grated.  I use the peel, and the juices.  Asian pears are best, but they don’t exist in Maine, so I use the one that looks most Asian at the moment.
• a couple of tablespoons of garlic, finely chopped (I scoop it out of a can!)
• 2 T. brown sugar
• grated ginger to taste
• 1 grated onion
• 1 T. honey
• 1 T. sesame seeds, toasted (more if you like them)
• 3 T. sesame oil
• 2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 T. ground red pepper (if you like it spicy)
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper coarse ground
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 20 oz bottle lemon lime soda (like 7up)

Slice your meat very thin and place in a zip lock bag.  Pour the marinade over the meat and squeeze all the air out and place in the fridge for at least one hour.  I usually marinade it for about 24 hours.

Cook the meat when you make your BiBimbap!  Or you can cook it and serve on top of ramen noodles, or in soup, or just with some fried rice and a fried egg.  Seriously awesome stuff.  Can also substitute chicken!

Pour milk into large bowl.   Add dry pudding mix.  Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended.  Spoon half of the pudding into crust.

Gently stir 1 cup Cool Whip topping into remaining pudding; spoon on top of pudding.  Top with rest of Cool Whip.  Refrigerate at least three hours.

—

Such a classic.  I think this recipe is actually the first thing my Mother ever let me “cook”.

3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 (9-ounce) packages Nabisco Famous Chocolate wafers (I have also made this with just about every flavor of Anna’s cookies ever made. The ginger are the best. You will need three boxes or more of those.)

Chocolate shavings and/or cocoa powder or unsweetened chocolate.

Beat cream, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.

Using a FLAT plate, put seven cookies in a circle, and then plunk one in the middle.

Plop 1/2 cup whipped cream in the center, and smooth out to the edges with an off-set spatula. Repeat with the rest of the cookies and whipped cream. You should be able to make about 11 or 12 layers. The wafers break super easy, so be very careful when putting it all together. In fact, make sure you check the packages when you are in the grocery store, and don’t let the bagger boy touch them. Clutch them to your breast and give him the stink eye and tell him to back off. If you have a down pillow, carry them home on that. They will probably still be broken when you get home. I usually play the cookie puzzle game on the lower layers, so the top layers are pretty pretty. Also they cost as much as gold, so if you have children, you might want to consider selling them.

After all your cookies are in layers, put the cake under a cake dome and put it in the refrigerator. If you live in Maine, put it in the garage. If you don’t have a cake dome, use plastic wrap. As hard as this sounds, you have to leave it in the refrigerator or garage for 8 or more hours. The cake will shrink and all those cookies will turn all cakey and mooshy and everyone you give it to will love you.

I top this with big giant curly cues of bittersweet chocolate (use a vegetable peeler, it works awesome!) AND a very generous dusting (more of a blizzard) of Ghiradelli’s Hot Cocoa powder. You could just use regular old cocoa powder like the rest of the people in the world.

This recipe comes pretty much exactly from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook, but my mother made it when I was a kid, and I was reminded of it by the fantastic Deb at Smitten Kitchen. She has fantastic pictures of her version on her Wafer Wonderland post, which I go and look at sometimes when I am lonely. If you don’t read Deb’s blog and you like food, you should. It is a lot better than this pile of recipes.

Ok, back to frosting Mr. Boring Cake and wishing I had wafer cake.

Technorati Tags: cake, wafer cake, best cake in the whole world, stuff my face

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderate heat until onion is softened. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in bread crumbs, parsley, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir in buffalo (do not overmix) and form mixture into a 10- by 4-inch oval loaf in a large shallow metal baking pan. Toss shallots and tomatoes with remaining teaspoon oil and salt and pepper to taste, then scatter around meat loaf. Bake in middle of oven 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted 2 inches into center registers 160°F. Transfer meat loaf and vegetables to a platter and let stand 10 minutes.

While meat loaf is standing, deglaze baking pan with water over moderate heat, scraping up brown bits, and pour through a fine sieve into a bowl.

Serve meat loaf with shallots, tomatoes, and sauce.

Technorati Tags: meatloaf, meatloaf bakeoff recipes, buffalo

From Gourmet Feb 2000

• 1/2 lb. Crisco  (if you are awesome you will forget the Crisco and use butter or lard)
• 1 c. boiling water
• 4 c. flour
• 1 T. water

Filling:

• 8 potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1  rutabaga, peeled and cubed
• 1  pound  ground beef  (i use steak, sliced thin or cut in chunks–you can use whatever meat you like, I won’t tell)
• 3 Vidalia onions chopped
• 1 T. salt  (the original recipe calls for 2, but it is super salty.)
• 1 T. pepper

Crust:

Pour boiling water over the lard, stir until lard is dissolved.  Add salt to flour and combine with lard mixture.  Mix to form ball.  Divide into eight balls, flatten each slightly, wrap in saran wrap and let sit in refrigerator at least one hour.

Filling:

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.  Roll out each  crust until 1/8 inch thick on well-floured surface.  Will be about the size of a plate.  Place one cup of filling on  each circle.  Place a tsp. of butter on top of each filling before sealing.  Fold in half and seal with a bit of water. Go over the edges with a fork to make sure the are super sealed.  Cut a slit in top of each, place on a baking pan and bake at 425 for 15 minutes and then at 350 for sixty minutes.  Serve with ketchup or Harriet’s Hotpants Mustard.

–

This is one of my all time favorite foods. Every time I re-read American Gods I make these.  I would like it for dinner tonight, but I am not getting it.  Boo.

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless Boston butt pork roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
• Cooking spray

Place half of pork in food processor; pulse until coarsely ground. Place pork in a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining pork. Add water and remaining ingredients except cooking spray. Knead mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate mixture 8 hours or overnight.Divide mixture into 16 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add half the patties; cook 6 minutes. Turn patties over; cook 5 minutes or until done. Repeat procedure with remaining patties.

Cooking Light 2005

–

This is excellent for making biscuits and gravy

Technorati Tags: homemade sausage, breakfast, biscuits and gravy

Preheat oven to 400°.Combine onion, ginger, and garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add curry and coriander; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add water, currants, sugar, salt, and chicken; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Uncover; cook 20 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Stir in sour cream. Place the chicken mixture in food processor; pulse until finely chopped.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface (cover remaining dough to prevent drying); lightly coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon coconut. Repeat layers 4 times. Cut crosswise into 4 strips. Spoon about 2 tablespoons chicken mixture onto one end of each strip. Fold 1 corner of edge over mixture, forming a triangle; continue folding back and forth into a triangle to end of strip. Repeat procedure with remaining phyllo, cooking spray, chicken mixture, and coconut.

Place triangles on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray; coat with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until golden brown.

—

I forgot all about these nuggets of pure bliss.  I made these for one of the many clan parties, and had one before we went.  It was all I could think about the entire way to the party, and then when we got there, I turned around and they were gone.  The next day I made a triple recipe of them and froze them, and baked some whenever I wanted them.  They freeze great and the recipe is easily multiplied.  I recommend multiplying it alot.  People ask me about them and I could never remember where the recipe came from.  Cooking Light December 2005.  duh.

Technorati Tags: appetizers, recipes, Indian food, nuggets of joy, chicken, curry, turnovers, phyllo dough

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and 2 teaspoons ginger to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add water. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Remove broccoli from pan; keep warm.Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in pan; add remaining 1 teaspoon ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.

Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Return broccoli mixture to pan; toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Cooking Light December 2005

—

really good with cucumber salad.

Preheat oven to 400°.Pierce squash with a fork. Place squash on a baking sheet; bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove spaghetti-like strands to measure 4 cups.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, crushed red pepper, tomatoes, oregano, and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Discard oregano and thyme sprigs.

Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, Parmesan, and remaining ingredients. Spoon 1/2 cup squash into each of 8 (8-ounce) ramekins. Spoon tomato sauce evenly over squash; divide ricotta mixture evenly among ramekins, spreading to cover. Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until lightly browned.

From Cooking Light December 2005

—

This is one of my top five recipes for dinner.   Most of the time I just make it in a 9×13 pans because the whole ramekin thing is kind of a pain in the butt.  I also add chicken sausage.   You can use any tomato sauce you want, this sauce is very good, but I have used jarred sauce, and my own recipe.  yum yum.  I want this for dinner.  The best part of this recipe is that it is actually good for you, but it tastes really bad for you.