Review of last recipe (photo above) - The cake got stuck to the bottom of the pan when I inverted it (talk about a mess!), and I had to piece together something to photograph.  It's quite delicious, with the instant potatoes being substituted for flour (and I used buttered flavored since that was the only 4 serving size available for me to buy, and I wouldn't think of eating instant mashed potatoes).  I would make this again, and would serve it with a dollop of whipped cream.

TODAY'S RECIPE - BASQUE CHICKEN
Serve over rice...

Serves 4-6

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 3 1/2 lb frying chicken, cut into 6 pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped
4 oz lean ham, diced
1 4 oz jar pimientos, drained and sliced OR 1 small roasted red pepper,
      peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, shaking off excess.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken pieces and brown on all sides.  Transfer to a 3-4 qt baking dish with tight-fitting lid. 

Drain oil from skillet.  Add tomatoes and ham, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently; 5 minutes.  Stir in pimientos or roasted red pepper.  Add wine and simmer 3-4 minutes.  Pour over chicken in dish. 

Cover and bake until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.  Garnish with parsley and serve over rice.

Review of last recipe (photo above) - The picture isn't representative of the recipe.  Because this was going to be dinner for me and my husband, I needed an accompaniment, and I thought it might work with pasta.  So you can't really see the mushrooms, tomatoes and green onions because they were mixed with the linguine underneath the calamari.  This was my first time frying calamari, and I know that it either has to cook very quickly or very slowly in order to be tender.  Well, it was chewy, and way too big of a process (ie. mess) for me to ever want to make it again.

TODAY'S RECIPE - ALMOND-POTATO CAKE

Serves 8

1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg (4-serving size) instant mashed potatoes
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp almond extract
3/4 cup unblanched almonds, ground
confectioners' sugar (optional)

Bring water and salt to a boil, then remove from heat.  Stir in potatoes; cool.

Cream butter and sugar until light.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then almond extract, almonds and potatoes until blended.

Turn into greased and floured 8" square baking pan.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely on rack. 

Sprinkle top with confectioners' sugar or serve with a custard sauce, if you'd like.

Review of last recipe - I didn't thicken the sauce (would rather go sauce-less for lower caloric intake), so it looks a little greasy in the pic, but the meat is tender and flavorful; it just melts in your mouth.

TODAY'S RECIPE - CALAMARI PROVENCALE
From a Bon Appetit October 1983 column from a Trenton NJ woman asking for the recipe from Charley's Place in Langhorne PA.  Looked online, but the restaurant doesn't appear to be in existence anymore.

Serves 6-8

4 lbs cleaned squid
milk
2 eggs, well beaten
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
oil

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 medium tomatoes; peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup quartered mushrooms
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dry vermouth
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Place squid in large non-aluminum bowl and cover with milk.  Let stand 3 hours.

Discard milk.  Add eggs to squid and toss to coat.  Combine flour, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in medium bowl.  Dip squid into flour mixture, coating completely and shaking off excess.  Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or tray.

Pour oil into a large saucepan or deep fryer and heat to 375 degrees.  Add squid in batches and deep fry until golden on all sides.  Drain well on paper towels.

Melt 1/2 cup butter with parsley and 1/4 tsp chopped garlic in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add fried squid and saute 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to heated platter and keep warm.

Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in large skillet over high heat.  Add tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, lemon juice, vermouth, garlic, thyme and seasoning and cook 3 minutes.  Spoon sauce over squid and serve.

Review of last recipe - YES, just what I remembered.  I had low expectations when I piped the batter onto the cookie sheet, but they puffed up while cooking and are really delicious!

TODAY'S RECIPE - BARBECUED SHORT RIBS
Cook these in a slow cooker.  What could be easier?

Makes 4-6 servings

6 lbs. short ribs
1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion (I'm using fresh)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp salt

Trim excess fat from ribs and place in a single layer on a pan (disposable foil pan, or foil lined jellyroll pan), and bake in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes, turning once.

Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.  Place 1/3 cup of the chili mixture in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Dip ribs, one at a time, in the remaining chili mixture and place in the slow cooker.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the ribs.

Cover the slow cooker and set to low.  Cook for 8-12 hours or until they are tender.

Remove the ribs to serving platter.  Pour cooking liquid into a 4-cup measure and allow the fat to rise to the top.  Skim the fat off.  If desired, to thicken the sauce, combine 1 tbsp cornstarch with 1/4 cup water for each cup of the cooking liquid in a small cup.  Heat cooking liquid in a medium sized saucepan and stir in cornstarch mixture.  Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles.   Spoon some over the ribs, and serve additional on the side. 

Review of last recipe (photo above) - Sorry ... I had taken a picture of just the shrimp, but my card wasn't in the camera (I left it in my computer), so had to take the picture while my husband was in the act of eating dinner.  On the side, I sauteed veggies and added some bulgher to it.  This was easy and quite delicious!

TODAY'S RECIPE - ALMOND MACAROONS
Another macaroon recipe .. and I'm hoping more like what I used to have in my youth.  Chewy and golden. This is from October 1983 Bon Appetite column that ran asking for this recipe from The Denver Athletic Club.  In looking up the DAC, it's a huge place with 150,000 square feet of fitness area and 150,000 feet of social area (with a ballroon, etc), and multiple dining options.  Those lucky Denverites!

Makes about 5 dozen

8 oz almond paste
1/3 cup egg whites (2-3)
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Combine almond paste with 1/4 of the egg whites in a medium bowl, and blend with an electric mixer at low speed until just combined.  Add remaining egg whites with sugars and blend about 2 minutes; do not overmix.

Spoon mixture into pastry bag fitted with #8 plain round tip.  Pipe onto prepared baking sheets in rounds about 1" in diameter, spacing 1" apart.  Bake until lightly colored, about 10 minutes.  Slide macaroons (still on parchment) onto racks to cool, then peel off paper.

Store macaroons in airtight container.

Review of last recipe (photo above) - The meat was tender, but was in need of salt and pepper.  The sauce broke down too much.  It was just ok, although the husband liked it.

TODAY'S RECIPE - BROILED SHRIMP WITH GARLIC SAUCE
Circa 1980 ...

Serves 2 (+) ... it's 1980, 1/2 lb of shrimp per person was the norm

1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup oil (it's 1980, so it states vegetable; I will substitute olive)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped shallots
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Preheat broiler.

Melt butter in a shallow broiler pan large enough to hold one layer of shrimp.  Do not let the butter brown.  Stir in oil, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add shrimp and turn them in the mixture until well coated.

Broil 3 inches from the heat, about 5 minutes, turn and broil 5 minutes longer on the other side until slightly browned and tender, but firm.  Do not overcook.

Transfer shrimp onto serving dish, pour sauce on top and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve with rice.

Review of last recipe - Not really that great to look at, but they taste really good. 

TODAY'S RECIPE - BARBECUED BEEF STRIPS
This recipe was created by Mrs. Leroy Scott of Hecla, SD ... you can imagine how old this recipe is as Mrs. Scott doesn't have a first name.  In googling leroy scott helca sd, nothing came up ... This recipe was one of 168 National Beef Cook-Off prizewinners that were published in a paperback cookbook by the American National CowBells, Inc., in cooperation with the National Live Stock and Meat Board.  The Cowbells weren't google-able either.  I'm guessing this recipe goes back pre-1980.

Bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours
Serves 6

2 lbs. round steak,  3/4" thick
1/3 cup spicy brown mustard
1/4 - 1/3 cup flour
5 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I prefer red, so will substitute)
1/4 cup minced celery leaves
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Cut the steak into strips about 1 1/2" wide and 3" long.  Lightly brush each with mustard, then dip in flour.  Allow coated strips to air dry at room temperature about 30-45 minutes (this helps to make the coating stick for even browning).

Brown strips a few at a time in 4 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet.  As the meat browns, transfer to a shallow 2 quart casserole.  Add remaining oil to the skillet and stir fry the garlic, onion, pepper, celery leaves and parsley just until limp; about 5 minutes.  Blend in tomato sauce, water, cider vinegar, sugar and salt and simmer slowly, scraping up browned bits on bottom of skillet, about 10 minutes.  Pour tomato sauce over meat, cover and bake in 325 degree oven for 2 hours, or until meat is fork tender.  Serve over potatoes or rice.

Review of last recipe (photo above) - I like spicy, but it was a bit too harsh tasting ... maybe a lighter white wine would have been better than my always on hand vermouth.  I added a couple tablespoons of butter to mellow out and lighten the flavor.

TODAY'S RECIPE - CLASSIC ALMOND MACAROONS
From one of the big three ...

Makes about 20

1 1/2 cups blanched almonds (instructions below)
1 cup sugar
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp almond extract
4 tsp powdered sugar

Position rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper and butter the paper lightly.  Finely grind almonds with 1/4 cup sugar in processor.  Add egg whites and almond extract and blend until smooth, about 20 seconds.  Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar in 2 batches, blending until smooth after each addition, about 10 seconds.

Roll about 1 tbsp almond mixture between moistened palms into a smooth ball.  Transfer to prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining mixture, spacing cookies 1" apart.  Press to flatten each macaroon to 1/2" high.  Gently brush surface of each with water.  Sift powdered sugar over. Bake until very light brown, about 25 minutes (centers will be soft).

Remove baking sheet form oven.  Immediately lift one end of paper and pour 2 tbsp water onto sheet; water will boil.  Lift other end of paper and pour 2 tbsp water under it.  Tilt baking sheet to spread water.  When water stops boiling, gently remove macaroons from paper using metal spatula.  Cool on rack.

To Blanch Almonds:
Bring enough water to generously cover almonds to a boil.  Add almonds and boil 10 seconds.  Remove one almond, using slotted spoon.  Press end with thumb and finger; almond should slip out of skin.  If not, boil a few seconds longer and try again.  When almonds can be peeled easily, drain and peel remainder.  Spread blanched almonds in a single layer on paper towels.  Pat dry.  Almonds must be completely dry before grinding.

Review of last recipe (photo above) - Just when I needed a great homecooked meal ... the pork was juicy and succulent.  I added the pan juices to the sauce, which unfortunately, thinned it out abit too much, but it was the type of thing that really didn't matter in the end.  It was delicious!  I roasted some potatoes and steamed some carrots, and an easy meal it was.

TODAY'S RECIPE - BRODETTO DI FRUTTI DI MARE (Shellfish in Broth)
From one of the big three cooking magazines of my early recipe clipping days (Bon Appetit, Food and Wine or Gourmet) ...

Serves 4-6

3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced shallot
20 fresh littleneck clams
10 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chorpped parsley
1 tbsp dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
salt
10 small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup enriched clam juice* (recipe below)
1 cup Valentino's Basic Tomato Sauce** (Yikes ... didn't see that I had to
     clip it from another recipe in the article; will substitute my homemade
     sauce.)
3/4 lb bay scallops

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, garlic and shallot and saute until translucent.  Stir in clams and mussels.  Add wine, vinegar, parsley, red pepper flakes and oregano with salt to taste, and simmer until clams and mussels open; about 5 minutes.  Remove opened clams and mussels from skillet using slotted spoon.,  Continue simmering any remaining clams and mussels until opened; about 5 minutes discarding any that do not open.  Return opened clams and mussels to skillet.  Add shrimp and clam juice and cook 1 minute.  Blend in sauce and scallops and cook until just heated through; 2-3 minutes.  Serve immediately.

*Enriched Clam Juice
Makes about 1 cup

1 cup clam juice
1 tsp chopped parsley
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
pinch of black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped onion
1/4 tsp minced garlic

Combine clam juice, parsley and peppers in small saucepan.  Heat oil in small skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute until limp.  Add onion mixture to clam mixture using slotted spoon.  Place over medium-high heat and simmer 15 minutes. Strain mixture before using.

Review of last recipe (photo above) - Could have set up the shot better ... the salad is quite delicious, though would have been better on a day warmer than 15 degrees.  The herb dressing is really good.   A keeper!

I've been quite excited of late, because I knew I would be moving from the Vegetables/Pasta/Soup/Salad/Sandwich category to entrees and desserts.  My plan going forward is to continue alphabetically, but to go from A-Z in each category of my accordion file.  To finish off this file, I will be jumping from Poultry/Meats to Fish/Seafood to Desserts, and moving from A-Z.  Although making desserts for a year or so may have sounded good, in reality, it would have killed any attempt at keeping my weight down.  I usually halve or quarter my testing recipes, but it's more difficult to do that with desserts (it changes the pan size, baking time, etc), so this approach is more balanced.  When I'm not able to make a smaller dessert, my friends at work will be the beneficiaries.  And, I don't have to go from front to back A, then Z, then B, then Y ... just from category to category to category from A-Z.  In any case, I'll see how this works out, as I'm now counting that there are over 30 recipes that start with the word 'chicken' (at least it'll be chicken every third blog, not every other).

TODAY'S RECIPE - Apple-Glazed Roast Pork
Accompany with roasted potatoes and a light, fruity Gamay, Beaujolais or dry Sauvignon Blanc.

Serves 6

1 jar (12 oz) apple jelly
4 tsp dijon mustard
3 tsp lemon juice, divided
1 2 1/2 lb pork loin roast, at room temperature
salt and pepper
1 tbsp brandy

In a small saucepan, melt jelly over low heat.  Stir in mustard and 1 tsp lemon juice, and set aside. 

Rub roast generously with salt and pepper.  Place on rack in shallow foil-lined roasting pan.   Roast in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.  Brush lightly with jelly mixture and continue roasting, brushing with jelly once more, 30-45 minutes.  Let stand in warm place for 10 minutes more.

Scrape any browned drippings from roasting pan into remaining jelly.  Add remaining 2 tsp lemon juice and the brandy and heat through.  Season generously with salt and pepper.

Slice roast thin and serve with sauce.

Nutritional Information:  399 calories, 30 G protein, 35 G carbs, 15 G fat 90 mg cholesterol

Review of last recipe (photo above) - As in all the carrot based soups I have tried, just not that good.  Disappointing ...

TODAY'S RECIPE - ITALIAN RICE SALAD (From Sandra Hitchens)
The recipe is from The New York Times (unknown date), and I don't know who Sandra Hitchens is, and in a Google search, didn't come up with anything definitive.

Serves 8-10

The salad:
1 lb tiny bay scallops
5 cups cooked rice
1 lb shrimp, cooked, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2  cups finely diced green pepper
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1-1 1/2 cups cooked quartered artichoke hearts
1/4 cup capers
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill

The dressing:
10 tbsp olive oil
6-7 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp minced parsley

Saute scallops in hot butter for about 3 minutes, just enough to cook them lightly.  Combine scallops with remaining salad ingredients in a serving bowl.

Whisk oil and vinegar and beat in remaining dressing ingredients.  Pour over salad and toss gently.

Chill or serve at room temperature.  It's better if the salad is not too cool, as this detracts from the flavors.

Review of last recipe (photo above) - I didn't know if I liked fennel (I don't like licorice flavor, but don't mind slight anise flavor, which is just what fennel is), but the salad was good, and made better by some great sausage from my local butcher ... it's was just not good enough to make again.

TODAY'S RECIPE - LEMON-CARROT BISQUE
This soup is also good cold.

2 tbsp butter
2 medium carrots, grated
1/4 cup minced onion
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp grated lemon peel
3/4 cup half and half
salt and freshly ground pepper
dash of hot pepper sauce
2 lemon slices for garnish
minced fresh mint or parsley for garnish

Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat.  Add carrots and onion.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally; 5 minutes.  Blend in chicken broth, lemon juice and peel.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally; 15 minutes.  Add half and half and cook 10 minutes.  Transfer to blender and puree until smooth.  Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce.  Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with lemon slices and minced mint or parsley.

Review of last recipe (photo above) - I really had high hopes for the recipe, and maybe because I used store bought sauce, when I usually make my own, I was disappointed.  Sometimes I buy Classico Four Cheese just to have something that can be added to the remains of some of my homemade sauce, but thought I'd try Paul Newman's Marinara since I think he makes a really good product.  It's not a bad sauce; I don't know the results weren't better.

TODAY'S RECIPE - HOT SAUSAGE SALAD IL CAPRICCIO
The recipe comes from The Boston Globe (undated), so I'm assuming it's from Il Capriccio in Waltham.

Serves 8

1 lb Italian pork sausage (preferably homemade ... I don't think so)
1 head fennel, sliced thin
2 red peppers, sliced thin
3 tbsp olive oil
8 leaves radicchio
8 leaves arugula
8 leaves boston lettuce
8 tsp balsamic vinegar

Prick the sausage and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until done.  Drain, cool and slice thinly.

In the meantime, blanch the fennel in boiling water for 10-15 seconds and immediately chill in cold water and dry.  Blanch the red pepper for 5 seconds, chill and dry.  Put the olive oil into a nonstick frying pan.  Add the sausage, fennel and pepper.  Heat, tossing the ingredients together.  Serve on warm plates lined with a leaf each of radicchio, arugula and boston lettuce.  Top each portion with 1 tsp vinegar. 

Nutritional Information:  240 calories, 10 G protein, 20 G fat, 5 G carbs, 300 mg sodium

Review of last recipe (photo above) - It's a pretty dish, but nothing I would want to make again.

TODAY'S RECIPE - LINGUINE WITH QUICK RED SEAFOOD SAUCE
Make this sauce up to the point of adding the seafood.  Return to heat, and finish when pasta is almost ready.

Serves 4

1 lg onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups meatless tomato sauce (store bought or homemade)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp dried basil
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp brandy (optional)
1 1/2 lb. seafood; combination of medium sized shrimp (shelled and
     deveined) and quartered sea scallops
12 oz linguine, cooked and drained

In a large heavy pot, saute onion and garlic in oil over medium-high heat until golden.  Add wine and cook until reduced to 2-3 tbsp.  Stir in tomato sauce, parsley, basil, bay leaves and salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover, simmering for 10 minutes.  Add brandy and seafood and cover, simmering for 4 minutes or until seafood is just barely firm.  Toss with hot linguine and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information:  663 calories, 37 G protein, 84 G carbs, 20 G fat, 199 mg cholesterol, 1,153 mg sodium

Review of last recipe (photo above) - What a surprise! These were really good, and I think a good use for canned potatoes would be for home fries.  The nice thing was they didn't taste old, like second time around potatoes usually do.

TODAY'S RECIPE - HOT POTATO-KIELBASA SALAD
Whenever this recipe was published (no date on it), the cost per serving was 79 cents ... $4.74 total!

Serves 6

3 lbs. small red skin potatoes
1 lb kielbasa
3/4 cup water
1 medium sized onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp caraway seed
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup sliced radishes
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Scrub potatoes and cut into quarters.  Cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and keep warm.

Cut kielbasa into 1 1/2" lengths and cut 3 slits in each piece, cutting almost to the bottom.  combine with 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, cover.  Lower the heat and simmer 3 minutes.  Drain, saving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.  Keep kielbasa warm.

Saute onion in oil in a large skillet until lightly browned, stirring often.  Blend in flour until smooth.  stir in reserved cooking liquid, vinegar, sugar, caraway seed, celery seed and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens and bubbles.

Add potatoes, kielbasa, radishes and parsley; toss to mix.  Serve.