Christos' Briam

• 5-6 medium potatoes
• 5-6 small zucchini
• 1-2 green peppers
• 4-5 carrots
• 1 1/2 cup Olive oil (don't try anything else :-)
• 3-4 cups tomato sauce
• One medium onion
• Garlic, salt and pepper according to your taste

Chop potatoes and zucchini to disc shaped pieces (1/4" thick by 1" wide, this helps the baking process). Chop the peppers into thin slices, the carrots into small pieces and the onion as small as possible. If you do have ripe tomatoes, then the best sauce can be had with 2-3 large ones passed through a blender. If not, ready made sauce of similar quantity will do. Put all pieces in a large pan, starting with the potatoes and the carrots in the bottom, sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic bits (optional). Sprinkle everything with the olive oil and the tomato sauce and put into a preheated oven at 390 F. For the first baking hour, almost every 15 minutes, sprinkle the pan with 3/4 of a cup of water, so that the materials do no dry too much. After the first hour, every 15 minutes stir everything in the pan, so that the stuff bakes regularly from all sides. Take it out of the oven in about two hours. As always with Greek foods, taste before you stop baking, or if you think it's overdone.

Preferably served cold, the taste gets better by the hour !!! The name is obviously Turkish, but this is a very popular food in Greece, especially in the summer when vegetables are fresh.

Art's Cilantro Soup

• 4 tbsp butter
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 6 cups water
• 1 lb zucchini, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tsp flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt
• pepper

Sautee garlic and onion in 2 tbsp of butter until soft, add water and bring to a boil. Add zucchini and simmer until tender. Cool slightly and puree the zucchini mixture with the cilantro leaves. In another large saucepan, melt remaining 2 tbsp butter and add flour, cook until it bubbles. Slowly add soup mixture, whisking constantly. Gradually stir in cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with chunks of cheddar cheese, homemade salsa and tortilla strips.

Art's Egypt Ridge Catfish

• 1 lb. catfish nuggets
• 1 Tbsp curry powder
• 1 heaping Tbsp. salt
• 1/2 ts cayenne pepper
• 1/3 scant cup flour
• 1 large red onion, sliced
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp chopped parsley (optional garnish)

Unwrap catfish and place on paper towels. Assemble ingredients, measuring all dry ingredients into a plastic bag. Heat oil in skillet to high heat.

Shake catfish in bag to coat with flour mixture. Brown catfish on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on fresh paper towels. Add onion to pan, stir to distribute oil. Turn heat to low and cook until limp, about 2 minutes. Add vinegar, cook 2 minutes. Add honey, cook until mixture comes to a boil, about 2-3 minutes.

Add catfish pieces back to pan, coat with sauce, cover pan and warm the catfish or wait and reheat later. Serve catfish and sauce with steamed white rice and a salad or green vegetable. Garnish, if desired. Sliced orange sections are a compatible dessert.

Kenn's Southwestern Wrap

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• salt
• black pepper
• Tabasco sauce
• basil
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 10 oz can diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 1 package black bean and rice mix
• 6 flour tortillas (10")
• shredded lettuce
• shredded cheese (mozzarella or pepperjack)

Prepare black bean and rice to package specifications (adding Tobasco, of course).

Brown ground beef over medium heat, adding salt, black pepper (preferably fresh), fresh basil, and Tabasco sauce to taste (amounts would be offered, but not everyone has taste buds quite as desensitized as mine). Drain cooked beef of excess grease.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add prepared rice mix and diced tomatoes and green chilies, stir to blend. Remove from heat. Fill each tortilla shell with beef and about 3/4 cup rice mixture. Top with lettuce and cheese. Wrap and serve hot.

Jill's Tex-Mex Dip

• 3 medium-size avocados
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (8 oz.) dairy sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 1 package (1/4 to 1-1/8 oz) taco seasoning mix
• 2 cans (10-1/2 oz each) plain or jalapeno-flavored bean dip
• 1 large bunch green onions with tops, chopped (2 cups)
• 3 medium-size tomatoes, cored, halved, seeded and coarsely chopped (2 cups)
• 2 cans (3-1/2 oz. each) pitted ripe olives, drained, coarsely chopped
• 1 package (8 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Large round tortilla chips

Peel, pit and mash aocadoes in a medium-size bowl with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Combine sour cream, mayonnaise and taco seasoning mix in bowl.

To assemble:

• Spread bean dip on a large shallow serving platter
• Top with seasoned avocado mixture
• Layer with sour cream-taco mixture
• Sprinkle with chopped onions, tomatoes, and olives
• Cover with shredded cheese

Can be served chilled, but best at room temperature, with round tortilla chips.

Jill's Jewish Bar-B-Q

1. Buy a nice hunk-o-brisket
2. 1 bottle michelob light beer
3. 1 package Lipton onion soup mix
4. 1 bottle Heinz chili sauce

Mix up 2-4 in a bowl; place brisket in roasting pan (fat side up) and cover with sauce. Cook in 325 degree oven, 20 minutes per pound When cool, slice; do not trim fat; keep sauce to side.

To serve, pour sauce over sliced meat and reheat, covered.

Brian's Cioppino

• 3/4 cup butter
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups white wine
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 1 1/2 pounds bay scallops
• 18 small clams
• 18 mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 1 1/2 cups crabmeat
• 1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, cubed

Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large stockpot,add onions, garlic and parsley. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions are soft.

Add tomatoes to the pot (break them into chunks as you add them). Add chicken broth, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, water and wine. Mix well. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Stir in the shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels and crabmeat. Stir in fish, if desired. Bring to boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer 5 to 7 minutes until clams open. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with warm, crusty bread!

Brian's Pad Thai

• 8 oz Thai rice noodles
• 1/4 cup tamarind paste
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 4 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast
• 4 oz fried tofu
• 6 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 8 large shrimps, shelled and deveined (50 oz)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 stems green onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 tsp roasted chilies

1. Soak noodles in plenty of cold water for at least 1 hour.
2. Combine tamarind paste with a 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl and let soak for at least 15 minutes.
3. Slice the chicken into 1/4-inch strips. If you find it difficult to cut thinly through fresh meat, leave it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden slightly and then slice. Reserve.
4. Slice the fried tofu into 3/4-inch cubes. Reserve.
5. Blend or process peanuts into coarse meal. Reserve.
6. Return to your reserved tamarind paste in its water. Mash it and transfer the mud-like mixture to a strainer set into a bowl. Mash and push with a spoon, forcing liquid to strain into the bowl. Scrape off the juice that clings to the underside of the strainer. You will have about 5 tbsp of tamarind juice. Add to it the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Beat to thoroughly mix and reserve. Discard the solids left in the strainer.
7. Heat oil in a wok (or large frying pan) until it is just about to smoke. Add garlic and stir, letting it cook for about 30 seconds. Add chicken and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add tofu and shrimps and stir-fry for 1 more minute. Break eggs into wok and let them fry without breaking them up for 1-2 minutes.
8. While eggs cook, quickly drain the noodles and then add to wok, giving them a quick fold, stir-frying for 1 minute from the bottom up. Add reserved tamarind juice, etc. (from step #6) and continue stir-frying, mixing everything together for 1-2 minutes. Your noodles will have subsided to half their original volume and softened up to al dente.
9. Add about 2/3 of the reserved ground peanuts and stir. Add about 2/3 of the bean sprouts and all the green onion pieces. Stir-fry for 30 seconds and take off heat.
10. Transfer noodles to a serving dish and sprinkle with roasted chilies. Top with the rest of the ground peanuts, the rest of the sprouts, some strips of red pepper and fresh coriander leaves. Stick a couple of lime wedges on the side and serve immediately.

Mary Fran's Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup

• 2 T. cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, slivered
• 3 carrots, cut into thin diagonal slices
• 3 cloves of freshly minced garlic
• 1 T. fresh minced ginger (I admit to using an equivalent amount of
• powdered ginger here)
• 4 cups defatted chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 2 cup white mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch fresh watercress w/stems removed (can use chopped spinach or
• swiss chard)
• 1/2 lb. fresh snow peas
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 t. sesame oil
• Dash of chili oil to taste (white pepper works too!)

Heat 2 T. cooking oil in heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring constantly for approx. 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, for approx. 1 minute more. Add broth, water, soy sauce and bring to a boil; bring to a boil and boil partially covered for approx. 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and watercress; boil one minute more. Turn off heat and add snow peas and bean sprouts. Cover and let rest 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil to taste. Heat through one minute and serve immediately.

Markus' Australian Galah Soup

The Australian Galah is a medium-small parrot, grey on the back, pink breast, white crest, and are found in vast numbers all across Australia. While being highly intelligent they are also the craziest birds on the planet, making noise far beyond their size, and flying upside down whenever the mood strikes them. Hanging upside down from branches and powerlines (alive!) is a reasonably common way to see them.

They are not renowned for good eating, but there has been centuries of research into the topic. The following recipe is its result

• 1 large saucepan, filled with cold water
• 1 galah, plucked and cleaned
• 3 riverstones of reasonable size
• seasoning to taste
• a heat source, such as a campfire

Place galah, stones and seasoning into cold water. Place saucepan onto fire, and bring to the boil. Continue to boil, replenishing water as necessary. Boil until stones are soft and tender. Throw out the galah and water and eat the rocks.

Marc's Roasted Almond and Tangerine salad

• 6 cups Mixture of cut or torn greens, lightly packed
• 10 oz. Canned mandarin orange segments, drained
• 1/4 cup Sliced almonds, toasted in 350degF oven for 5 to 8 minutes
• 6 Bacon slice, cooked crisp and crumbled
• Dressing:
  • 3 tbsp. White vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. Prepared mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. Paprika
  • 1 tbsp. Cooking oil

Place first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir vinegar, sugar, mustard and paprika together well in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Drizzle cooking oil over greens, toss well, add dressing then toss again.

Tyler's H.323 Noodles with SIP Sauce

• 4 teaspoons fresh ground ginger
• 6 cloves garlic
• 8 teaspoon white vinegar
• 4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 teaspoon sugar or honey
• 8 tablespoons tahini
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil tabasco to taste soy sauce to taste pinch cinnamon

Puree all ingredients in a food processor. Add water to maintain a thin syrup consistency. Adjust tabasco and black pepper to control spicy/mild. Serve over thin noodles.

Mary's Favorite Marinated Vegetable Salad

• 1/2 head of cauliflower, washed and cut into flowerets
• 1 cup cooked green beans, cut into thirds
• 1 cup cooked carrots, cut into rounds
• 1/2 cup sliced green pepper
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
• 2 large green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 can (3 oz) black or green pitted olives, drained
• 1 can (2 oz) sliced pimientos

• 1/3 cup oil
• 5 to 7 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dill leaves
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine in a large bowl all of the salad ingredients, mixing thoroughly but gently. Prepare the dressing in a separate bowl, mixing all the ingredients until well combined. Pour the dressing over the prepared vegetables, mixing well. Cover and chill overnight, stirring once or twice. Drain dressing if too liquidy, transfer to salad bowl (on a bed of lettuce) and serve well chilled

Ed's Cheesy Bacon Grits

Note: This is not breakfast food, but a side dish for dinner. I like this with a blackened steak, or served under a spicy beef stew.

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse's "Emeril's TV Dinners"

• 4 oz precooked bacon, chopped (or 1/2 pound raw bacon chopped and cooked)
• 4.5 cups milk
• 1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt
• .5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups quick cooking white grits
• 8 oz White Cheddar Cheese, grated (I like Cabot Farms Hunter's Cheddar)

In a medium saucepan combine milk, salt, cayenne, and butter. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to keep the milk from sticking. Add the grits and reduce the heat to medium. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the cheese and stir until the cheese melts. Add the bacon and stir until it is mixed in. Cook, uncovered until the grits are tender and creamy, about 4-5 minutes.

Ed's Vegetarian Curry Puffs

Note: The filling should be very spicy. Once it gets wrapped in puff pastry, the heat will become balanced. Inspired by 2 recipes on www.epicurious.com

For filling

• 3/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup minced canned green chilies
• 4 teaspoons minced peeled fresh gingerroot
• 1 3/4 teaspoons curry powder (I like spicy foods, so I use Vindaloo or Madras Curry powder)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large boiling potatoes (1 pound), peeled and minced (about 2 cups), reserved in a bowl of cold water
• 1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped fine (1/3 cup)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• Pepperidge Farm pastry sheets (2 sheets to a box. 1 box makes 18 puffs).

Make the filling:
In a large skillet cook the onion, the chilies, the gingerroot, the curry powder, the chili powder, the cumin, the cloves, the cinnamon, and the salt in the oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened. While the onion is cooking, in a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook the potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato, the coriander, the yogurt, and black pepper to taste, cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it boil), and let it cool. (The filling may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.)

Make the puffs:
Thaw pastry sheets according to box. Cut pastry sheets into 9 squares. Fill each square with curry mixture. Fold the square into a triangle. You will probably have extra potato mixture left over. Put triangles on pan and brush the top of each with a beaten egg (to give it a nice yellow color). They can rest at this step for a while in the fridge before baking. If you chill them, give them a half hour on the counter to warm up before baking.

Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Mary Fran's Cabbage Supreme

Sauce (really just a white sauce):

• 1/2 cup margarine, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 3 Tbsp flour,
• 1-1/2 cups milk

Melt margarine over low heat. Add flour, salt and pepper and stir until well blended. Add milk and bring to a boil slowly, stirring frequently to constantly until mixture thickens.

• Medium cabbage
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cracker crumbs

Boil cabbage until tender; set aside. Make sauce. Create layers of cabbage, then sauce, then parmesan cheese, then cracker crumbs, repeating layers to fill a casserole dish (dish better higher than lower in height).

Mary Fran's Quick and Easy Cheddar Skillet Dinner

• Approx. 1 lb. ground beef (or meatless ground product, e.g., Boca crumbles, Quorn, etc.)
• 2 medium onions
• 3 - 4 medium potatoes
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can condensed cheddar cheese coup

Slice potatoes in "planks" and cook. (Remember: leaving those skins on adds flavor and vitamins!) Set aside. Brown ground stuff w/onions. Add potatoes and soup; also salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve.

Bob's Mandarin Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Put in TWO bags of chips instead of one.
2. Add 1-2 teaspoons of Orange extract (adjust to taste)
3. Do not bake as long as specified. Check the cookies carefully during cooking and take them out while they are still a little moist and above all not crisp and hard.

   Eat some while still warm. Store the rest in a container with a slice of fresh bread, so they do not get dried out.

Mary Fran's Tomato Soup Cake

Frosting: Mix 3 oz. cream cheese, 1 c. confectioners' sugar, and 1 . vanilla.

Cake:

• 2 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup melted shortening
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 1/2 t. ground cloves
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Sift dry ingredients. Dissolve baking soda in tomato soup (note: may foam up) and add to the dry ingredients. Add melted shortening, raisins, and nuts. Bake in lightly greased and floured bundt pan. Cool, frost, eat!