Nassau Grits

If you hear GRITS and automatically think Rednecked Southern Trash just let your mouse move you on; you are not yet prepared for this manna from heaven. Be patient and strive to a higher plane where the nuances of GRITS can arouse and tantalize your taste buds. If you dare push the envelope and venture into new realms, perhaps even introduce a dish to challenge your children and grandchildren - try this. I guarantee once you do you will make it again and again.

The recipe is adapted from Southern Living (9/99 p. 193) and several others. It's a bit of trouble to put together but by doubling the ingredients above the and freezing half, it makes an easy second batch later on. You'll want a second batch!

1/2 pound spicy sausage bulk or links

1/2 pound diced ham steak

1/2 pound bacon (diced)

1 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 cup diced bell pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2-3 cups chopped fresh tomato (or large can [35 oz.] of peeled tomatoes - don't drain)

4 cups water (if using fresh tomatoes up to a cup more water may be used)

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (more or less, to taste)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

1 tablespoon hot sauce (Cholula- preferred or Tabasco, -- more or less, to taste)

1 cup uncooked quick-cook (not instant) YELLOW grits

DIRECTIONS
In a 3-½ quart pot, cook sausage, drain, crumble. Set aside.
In the same pot, cook bacon until crisp; drain & put with the sausage; reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in the pot.
Saute the onions, peppers and garlic until soft.
Add tomatoes (if fresh - saute with the above items).
Add the water and next 2 items - bring to a boil.
Gradually stir in the grits, cover, reduce heat to simmer.
Stir often for 5 - 10 minutes or until very thick.
Add salt and Cholula.
Add the ham, bacon and sausage. Stir.
Serve hot in small bowls as a side dish to eggs or as the main breakfast dish.
Have salt, pepper and hot sauce to add at the table.
Refrigerated left-overs keep several days and re-heat nicely in the microwave.
Serves 4-6

TANGERINE MASHED SWEET POTATOES
4 pounds sweet potatoes
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup orange liqueur
Grated zest of 2 oranges
1/2 cup tangerine juice or orange juice
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Scrub potatoes and place in a large saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to boil over medium heat; lower heat. Simmer 30 minutes or until just tender, drain. Peel when cooled.
Butter a 6-cup baking casserole dish. Place potatoes in large bowl, mash with potato masher. Add remaining ingredients. Beat until smooth with an electric beater. Spoon into dish.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until top is golden. Garnish with zest.
Serves 8.
Source: Ted Miller

Turkey Stuffing
This is the stuffing I make for Thanksgiving, and it's absolutely divine. The holiday just isn't the same without the taste of this dish. The day after it's cooked, it's wonderful cold, too! This recipe makes enough for a 12-pound turkey, about three quarts of stuffing.

12 cups bread, cubes
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup minced onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery, stalks and leaves
1 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)
2 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon ground sage
no-salt-added chicken broth (optional)

1. In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat melt the butter, then sauté the onion and celery (and mushroom, if using) until the onion is soft, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in the salt, pepper, and sage and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
3. Place the bread cubes into a large, deep bowl.
4. Pour 1/4 cup of the butter/celery mixture over the cubes and toss well, then repeat steps until all of the butter mixture is used.
5. Toss the cubes thoroughly to coat.
6. (Regarding the optional chicken broth: for dry stuffing, add little or no liquid; for moist stuffing mix in lightly with fork just enough chicken broth to moisten dry crumbs.) Let cool and use as stuffing for the turkey.
7. We've made this stuffing in the crockpot, as well, adding the chicken broth for moistness.
8. Note: regardling the amount of salt - yes, the amount listed above is correct to my taste. When the butter mixture is first added to the bread, if you taste it at this point it might seem salty (because it is sitting right on the surface of the bread) but remember that the liquid and butter soaks into the bread and redistributes evenly.
9. Note #2: again, regarding the salt. You're going to have to decide for yourself about the salt. Having eaten this recipe for every year of my life I know it tastes wonderful as it's written. But that's just me.

Cioppino with Lobster

My cousin Don Belew and his lovely wife Barbara, who lives in Kamiah, Idaho, are not having the traditional turkey or ham for their Thanksgiving dinner this year. Don's cooking Cioppino with Lobster. They have had it many times before and says it finger-licking good.

*****

Cioppino with Lobster recipe
Ingredients
1 pound haddock or halibut fillets, cut into bite sizes
1 pound small scallops
1 pound shrimp
1/2 cup chopped,seeded green or red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 can (28-oz.) canned tomatoes, chopped
1 can (28-oz.) tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried basil
1/8 teaspoon black ground pepper
1 cup dry red wine
24 clams in shell, (or 2- 7 1/2oz. can)
1 pound frozen lobster tail, partially thawed

Directions
In Dutch oven, cook peppers, onion and garlic in olive oil until tender, about 5 minutes but not brown. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, parsley, salt, oregano, basil and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes; add wine and simmer an additional 10 minutes.

Add lobster tail (cut shell into serving size). cover and simmer for 5 minutes.Add fish, scallops and shrimp.; cut fish into bite-size pieces. ( Cut scallops in half if large)cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Add clams in shell--continue simmering until the shells open --approximately 5 minutes. (discard any that do not open)Serve in soup bowls.
Serving Size: 8

The weather is cold enough for a bowl of HOT Chili
Chili is the official state dish of Texas. Texans claim that chili originated in their state. Other rivalries between states involve recipes (of course), but even semantics - New Mexicans use "chili" to describe the plant, the pod, and various dishes made with chili peppers (see New Mexico State Vegetables - chili and frijole), while to Texans, the word "chili" is a very specific culinary dish. In 1977 Texas legislature proclaimed chili the official state dish of Texas "in recognition of the fact that the only real 'bowl of red' is that prepared by Texans."

Chili is of Tex-Mex origin (Tex-Mex food, originating in the American southwest, is a combination of American Indian and Spanish cuisines. Although some chili recipes are bean-less, most people consider them a main ingredient of chili. Two other foods that are key ingredients in chili are also official state symbols of Texas : onions and peppers.

Barry Goldwaters Chili recipe
1 pound coarsely ground beef

1 pound dried pinto beans

1 can (6oz) tomato paste

2 cups chopped onions

3 tablespoons hot unspiced chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

salt

water

Soak beans in water, covered overnight. In a large Dutch oven, cook beef until browned, stirring to keep crumbly, Drain off drippings, if needed.

Add tomato paste, onions and drained beans.

Mix chili powder, cumin and season to taste with salt. Stir into mixture.

Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 5 hours.

Serves 6

Neiman-Marcus Cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, slightly crushed
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Cream the butter with the sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract. Combine the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or 10-12 minutes for a crispier cookie. Makes 15 large cookies.

German Chocolate Cake
4 oz German sweet chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
egg yolks
4 Egg whites, stiffy beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/3 cups coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Oven Temp ~ 350 degrees.

Baking Time ~ 30 - 35 minutes ~Pan Type ~ Three 9 inch round pans.

Preheat oven, spray pan with non-stick spray and line pans with parchment paper.

Melt chocolate in boiling water. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add egg yolks, vanilla, and chocolate. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Fold in egg whites.

Pour into three prepared pans. Bake.Frost tops with Coconut Pecan Frosting, leaving sides unfrosted.

Coconut Pecan Filling and Frosting
Combine all ingredients except coconut and pecans in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 12 minutes. When mixture thickens, remove from heat. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool until spreadable.

Fried Green Tomatoes
From the first day my mother served fried green tomatoes, I liked them. While living on a Tennessee farm during the great depression, we survived by growing almost all our food. As we all know, tomatoes are green before they turn red. We enjoyed green tomatoes while waiting for others to become red. We ate them for breakfast, dinner and supper. As you can see from the recipe, they are easy to make. I think the secret in making them better is taking out some of the biter taste by soaking them about 15 minutes in a bowl of sightly salty water after they have been sliced. However, they must be rinsed with clean water before they are prepared for cooking.

3 medium, firm green tomatoes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup milk2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal

1/4 cup olive oil1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Cut unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2 inch slices.

Sprinkle slices with salt and pepper.

1. Let tomato slices stand for 15 minutes in a bowl of slightly salty water.

Meanwhile, place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.

2. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4-6 minutes on each side or until brown. As you cook the rest of the tomatoes, add olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Brown Gravy
Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons meat drippings

3 Tablespoons flours

Sprinkle of onion powder

Sprinkle of garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup sherry (opt.)

1 clove garlic, minced

Sprinkle of crushed rosemary

Chicken broth or water

Directions:

Add garlic to meat drippings in pan....stir several minutes over med. high heat...stir in flour...cook another minute, add liquids...cook until mixture bubbles and begins to thicken....(add liquid as necessary to get desired thickness) Add spices...reduce heat to a low simmer and cook about 5 minutes....Very good over pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes.

Pumphin Pie
Makes 4 pies
4 pie crusts
2 large cans of pumpkin
2 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
5 to 6 eggs beaten lightly
2 12 oz. cans of evaporated milk

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin with brown sugar and spices. Whisk eggs slowly then blend milk thoroughly. Let chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Pour into pie shells. Cook in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.