Cooking

Herb Onion Batter Bread 2 C water 2 Tbs sugar 1 Tbs active dry yeast 2 tsp salt 2 Tbs olive oil 1.5 tsp Italian spice mix (Penzey’s Buttermilk Ranch works great) 4 C flour 1/2 onion, dice and cooked till carmelized Combine water, sugar and yeast. Add salt, oil, spices and 2 cups of … Read more

Similar in some ways to a traditional pecan pie, this recipe was borne of necessity. I had ample supplies of chocolate* and walnuts, and company was on the way! A quick search located a number of good looking recipes, and here’s what I ended up making (based on this recipe): Chocolate Walnut Pie Ingredients 2 … Read more

I went to double the original Swedish Pecan Cookie recipe and due to a momentary inability to add two small numbers ended up using the wrong amount of flour. Except it turned out to be the right amount for a nice variation of an already popular cookie. Instead of the 3.5 cups the doubled recipe … Read more

This was my first real attempt at making a Vietnamese dish and I was fairly pleased with the results. I adapted the recipe from one I found online and it turned out pretty well. I didn’t have lemongrass, and the substition of lemon juice wasn’t quite the same, though it was good enough I’d make … Read more

This recipe is adapted from one found in a recent Penzey’s spice catalog. Penzey’s is a great place to purchase all manner of herbs and spices. We’ve always been very happy with their quality and selection. Cinnamon Shortcake Recipe 2 C flour 1 tsp cinnamon 1 Tbs baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 C butter, … Read more

1 C butter 1/2 C granulated sugar 1 C packed brown sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 12 oz. chocolate chips 1 cup toasted and chopped walnuts Cream together butter and sugars with electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. In … Read more

Originally from the Girl Scouts, this quick and easy recipe is surprisingly good. It’s more or less become our standard when the occasion calls for a baked bean type dish. Camp Fire Beans Dice one small onion and 3-4 slices of bacon. Cook together till browned to taste. Add 1/2 C of brown sugar and … Read more

I made one of my favorite dishes tonight, for the first time, and it turned out great! Posole (also spelled pozole) is a hominy and pork based stew from Mexico; I first tried it at our company cafeteria where it was quite a hit, but had never tried to make it before. It’s really pretty … Read more

This recipe, based on one from the Cake Bible, produces a rich, tasty cake with a fine crumb and a soft texture. The lemon flavor is not overwhelming, but still strong enough. It sure went over well enough at a small family gathering today! This is a generous recipe; it may be cut in half … Read more

Motivated by a grocery store display of pickle-making ingredients, I made my first batch of pickles this weekend. I have canned jellies before, and had thought about making pickles in the past, but hadn’t ever done it before. Wasn’t too hard, and in a few weeks we’ll know how they turn out. The samples I … Read more