RKC-The Recipe File

I will post this as originally written, Oma Katies’ sarcastic humor comes through loud and clear………..

5 medium sized potatoes

1 small onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons flour

2 eggs

Oil for frying

1. Peel the potatoes, if you are not going to use them right away, put them in a bowl and cover them with cold water.
2. Grate the potatoes into a bowl, It really doesn’t matter which holes of the grater you use. Larger holes are the only ones that will do the job some people think, since they produce crunchier latkes. Others insist on using medium sized holes for smoother latkes, It’s up to you, watch your knuckles though.
3. Grate the onion into the same bowl. Of course peel the skin off first.
4. Get rid of the liquid that has collected in the bowl.
5. Beat the eggs in another bowl and then add to the potato/onion mixture.
6. Add the flour, salt and pepper, Mix well.
7. Turn oven on to 250′, This is so you can keep the first latkes you fry warm while you are cooking the rest.
8. Pour enough oil into the bottom of a large frying pan so it’s about 1/4 inch deep. Heat the oil, and keep it hot at medium to medium high heat. Put a tablespoon of the batter into the oil and press it with a slotted pancake turner to a thin pancake. Do as many as these as the pan will hold. Each latke gets turned once.
9. You can tell when they’re ready to turn because the edges get brown. You should cook the latkes so they’re golden brown and crisp on each side. As they’re done, put them in a shallow pan lined with some paper towels and keep them warm in the oven. Serve them with sour cream and applesauce.

Ingredients

2 cups chilled heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped Garnish: lightly sweetened whipped cream
Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer

Directions

Heat 3/4 cup cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until hot. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl until combined well, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until it registers 160°F on thermometer. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in vanilla. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a glass bowl in a microwave at 50 percent power 3 to 5 minutes), stirring frequently. Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth, then cool.

Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.

Spoon mousse into 8 (6-ounce) stemmed glasses or ramekins and chill, covered, at least 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.

Cooks’ notes:
• Mousse can be chilled up to 1 day.
• To vary the flavor, you can replace the 1 teaspoon vanilla with 2 teaspoons instant-espresso powder (dissolve it in the hot cream) or 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier or 2 tablespoons Cognac (either one whisked into strained custard).

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, blend the sour cream and baking soda, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt. Cut in the butter. Stir the sour cream mixture and egg into the flour mixture until just moistened. Mix in the raisins.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly. Roll or pat dough into a 3/4 inch thick round. Cut into 12 wedges, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom.

Creamy rich chicken in white wine sauce. Serve over rice, noodles or garlic mashed potatoes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup butter
• 4 boneless chicken breast halves, with or without skin
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, or as needed
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper and cook until nicely browned on both sides. Pour in chicken stock and white wine, using enough chicken stock so that the chicken pieces are covered halfway to two thirds by liquid. Add whole garlic cloves. Reduce heat to medium-low, sprinkle flour over the top of the contents of the pan and cover with a lid. Simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
2. When chicken is cooked through, remove to a dish, and keep warm. Boil the liquid in the skillet until it is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups. Whisk cream into the reduced liquid, breaking up the garlic cloves as much as you can. Return chicken to the pan, and heat through.

For this recipe you want to use very ripe pears, almost “too ripe”. The result is a delicately flavored “honey” that is fantastic on hot biscuits, pancakes, waffles or french toast.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups peeled, cored and chopped very ripe pears
• 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• 4 cups sugar
• 4 cups light brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chopped pears into a large pot, and pour pineapple juice over them to prevent them from browning. Stir in sugar, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. When the pears are at a full boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is the color and texture of honey. (Stir frequently) The longer you cook it, the thicker it gets. Cooking time is usually 2 to 3 hours.
2. Ladle into hot sterile jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe rims with a clean damp cloth, and seal jars with lids and rings. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Makes approx  4 pints.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 1/2 lbs. medium pears, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the pears in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, zest, spices and salt. Pour the mixture over the pears in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with an immersion blender, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Ladle the pear butter into hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles by sliding a metal spatula around where the pear butter touches the glass. Wipe jar rims clean, and seal with lids and rings. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. The water should cover the jars by 1 inch.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 onion, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup bourbon whiskey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic, and whiskey. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Mix in the ground black pepper, salt, ketchup, tomato paste, vinegar, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and hot pepper sauce.
2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Run sauce through a strainer if you prefer a smooth sauce.

For best results, refrigerate for a day or two, allowing the flavors to blend.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup applebutter
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, mix applebutter, ketchup, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic, and cinnamon. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Use to baste the meat of your choice.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup raspberry jam
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup malt vinegar
• 10 drops hot pepper sauce
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan over high heat, blend raspberry jam, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, malt vinegar, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes, or until thickened.