Sour Cream Curry Dip

I got this recipe when we were at Edwards AF Base, out in the middle of the Mojave Desert in California, on our first Air Force assignment. I've been making it regularly ever since. It's always a big hit, served with an assortment of raw, fresh vegetables.

1 cup sour cream
6 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
!/2 tsp curry powder, at least
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, less if desired
1 clove garlic finely minced [I use 2 or 3]
dash salt

Mix all ingredients together and chill in refrigerator to allow flavours to blend.

The original recipe called for half of these proportions, but that would be like feeding buns to elephants, so....

Easy Asian Chicken

8 chicken drumsticks, skin on
1 cup water 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
 1 clove garlic, peeled and bruised
1 small hot chili pepper, slit open, seeds removed

Place all ingredients in a saucepan over high heat.

Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for about 20 mins.

Remove any scum that rises to the surface.

Increase heat, turning drumsticks frequently in sauce, and cook until liquid reduces to a sticky glaze.

Arrange chicken on a platter, remove garlic clove and chili and spoon glaze over chicken.

Serve with rice and a salad, or refrigerate, and when cold, remove skin and bones and cut into bite sized pieces to use in stir fry.

Palachinki a la Maria

Every time I make crepes [once in a blue moon] I wonder why I don't do it every week! You'd expect that something so delicate and dainty and scrumptious would be difficult to make but they're super easy.......
My mother-in-law, Maria, who is gone to her hard-earned, eternal reward, R.I.P. called them palachinki, which seems to cover Ukrainian, Czech and Polish versions, and possibly others. She always made them with a sweetened cheese filling, and if she needed something from The Prince, making palachinki guaranteed she'd get it! Back in the Old Country,  The Prince's  mother went to what would now be called "culinary arts school" but was probably called plain old cooking school back then! He frequently waxes poetic about what a wonderful baker and cook she was. Maria, my mother-in-law, was the only cook who came close to being the equal of Mama!

He is 89 years old now. Mama is long gone, and so is Maria. And his teeth don't fit properly, and are uncomfortable, in spite of the small fortune he spent on dental work. He can't hear, and doesn't listen anyway, and keeps his hearing aid in the safety of a velvet lined box. He's on a mission to find a cure for old age, but he's not having much success. Everything but the blandest food upsets his stomach.  He laments loudly and frequently that Americans don't know what good cooking is. And me?  Can't refuse a challenge. He's probably manipulating me!  But no matter. Today I made palachinki. Because I can! I mixed up the batter last night which didn't take more than five minutes. The crepes are lighter if the batter sits overnight [or at least a few hours] in the fridge.

My first few are  usually not so good, but after I hit my stride [or the pan gets hot enough!] I'm as good as his Mama! Who's going to prove me wrong?!  I cook them just until the edges look dry,  then flip, or, if  not feeling courageous, turn them with a spatula, and cook a few seconds  more, until some freckles form on the underside.

I cool them on a wire rack, then stack them on a plate with wax paper between.

The cook always has to sample a few. Wouldn't want to go poisoning anyone! This cook tried a few, a la Blister, with a sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Oh, yum!

She did manage to restrain herself so there were a few left for The Prince! This last one, obviously, would not pass quality control....but the cook's not fussed. It tasted just as delicious to her as the perfectly round ones!

When the children were growing up palachinki disappeared as fast as they came off the pan! Sugar and cinnamon was the favourite topping.  Roll them up and eat them on the spot!  They also taste yummy spread with your favourite jam. And, if you want to get really fancy,  pour brandy on them, light a match and you have Crepes Suzette!  Leave the sugar out of the batter and you can fill them with vegetables or any other savory filling.

But for tonight---Maria's cheese filling, which mixes up in about five minutes. It consists of 1 lb.Farmers' cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1-2 tsp vanilla, a handful of raisins, two egg yolks and a dash of salt. If Farmers' cheese is not available you can substitute half cream cheese and half cottage cheese, well drained, or half ricotta. If the mixture is too thick you can add a tablespoon or two of sour cream.

Mix  together, spoon onto the crepes, roll them up and place in a single layer in a baking pan. Sprinkle with sugar and chopped nuts and they're ready for the oven.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for twenty minutes. Remove the foil and bake five minutes more.

After his first bite The Prince gave me a thumbs up! Gasp! No complaints? I hope Maria is watching from the Great Kitchen In The Sky. I was never quite good enough, but damn! I can make palachinki fit for a Prince!

Brat Wraps

This recipe makes an interesting change from grilling steak, burgers and hot dogs. It is basically a bratwurst wrapped in a tortilla and crisped on the grill.

Ingredients:   

4  fresh bratwurst [1 lb]  [or more. Adjust other ingredients accordingly.]

1 12oz. bottle beer

1 cup chopped onion

2 Tbsp. oil

1 lb. fresh sauerkraut, rinsed and drained, or use a 1lb. can.

2Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

4 10" flour tortillas

1/4 cup honey Dijon mustard

4 slices smoked Swiss cheese

Place bratwurst and beer in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; let bratwurst cool in the beer.

In a 10" skillet cook the onion in oil over medium heat until browned, 8-10 minutes.

Add sauerkraut, sugar, salt and red pepper; mix well. Continue cooking for 5 minutes to blend flavors.

Grill bratwurst 5-6 minutes, until browned and heated through, turning once. Split each in half lengthwise.

Place about 1/4 of sauerkraut mixture down center of each tortilla. Place 2 bratwurst halves on top.

Spread 1 Tbsp. mustard on the bratwurst and top with a slice of Swiss cheese.

Fold in a little on each side of the tortilla, then roll up, burrito style, and secure with a toothpick.

Place wraps flap side down on the grill and grill 3-4 minutes or until browned and heated through, turning once.

The original recipe recommends a Muscat from Alsace as a wine to accompany this dish, or a strongly malted lager such as the French beer Kronenburg.

Grandma's Potato Soup

7 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped

Fry onion in 1/3 cup butter in large pot over medium heat until it starts to turn yellow.

Add 1 1/2 full Tbsps. flour and fry a little longer.

Add 1 tsp. paprika. Boil water. Add slowly to onion mixture. Bring to boil.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cubed potatoes and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Add one small container [8 fluid ozs.]of heavy cream. You can use milk instead but cream is yummier! Cook 3-4 minutes until cream is warmed through [do not allow to boil.]

Stir in 1 1/2 -2 Tbsps. vinegar just before serving. Sprinkle chopped parsley and some grated Parmesan cheese on each serving.Serve with hunks of fresh bread.

Sometimes I substitute a couple of leeks for the onion. Use only the white and pale green parts. Rinse thoroughly and thinly slice.

Optional: add some chopped carrots and/or celery along with the onion/leeks and any herbs you have on hand.

Turkey Gravy

4 tablespoons turkey fat[from the drippings]
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups turkey stock, chicken stock or chicken broth heated almost to boiling
defatted drippings from the turkey roasting pan to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the turkey fat in a medium saute pan or pot over medium heat.
Whisk the flour into the fat and cook for two minutes.
Add the hot stock or broth whisking to combine.
Continue to heat, whisking occasionally, until the gravy shimmers and thickens, about five minutes.

Add the defatted drippings and the salt and pepper to taste and strain if desired.

Thin with a little more stock if necessary. Serve immediately. [About two cups eight servings.]

This is from the Washington Post---according to my aged newspaper clipping!

Yummy Yams

This is our all-time favorite way to cook sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving.
I read the recipe over the phone to California Girl every year. She makes it, loves it, then promptly loses the recipe. So, a few days before the next Thanksgiving [namely today!] she calls, begging for the recipe, again! So, here it is, on the blog for all future Thanksgivings!

Yummy Yams

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp butter at room temperature

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

6 medium yams or sweet potatoes--about 3 lbs. peeled and sliced 1/2 thick

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, heated.


Work brown sugar, butter and flour 'til well combined. Work in the pecans. Set aside. Can be prepared up to eight hours in advance and kept at room temperature...

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13 pan.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the sliced yams/sweet potatoes. Cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook! Drain and rinse under cold running water.

Arrange yams in overlapping rows in the pan.[This can be done up to eight hours in advance of baking time, covered tightly with cling wrap and refrigerated.]

Pour heavy cream over yams and bake for twenty minutes.

Crumble pecan mixture over yams and continue baking 'til yams are tender and topping is browned, 20-30 minutes longer. Serves 8-12.