BOILED PEANUTS
2 cups peanuts, raw and in the shell - 4 cups water - 1½ teaspoons salt
(some people like them much saltier)
Put the peanuts, in their shells, into a saucepan, add the water and salt, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a good simmer and cook approximately 25 minutes. Time will vary depending
upon the size and freshness of the peanuts. When done, the kernel should have swollen to fill the
pod well and the taste of raw starch will have been dissipated. The peanut will remain slightly
chewy. Serve hot still in the shell, or cold after draining.Some people add packaged "Cajun
seasoning mix," or similar flavorings.
CARAMEL APPLES
1 pound caramel candies 3 tablespoons milk 6 medium apples
Wash apples and skewer them. Prepare a cookie sheet by placing waxed paper on it. Unwrap
caramels and place in double boiler or microwave-safe dish. Add milk and melt, stirring until
smooth. Holding onto skewer, dip apples into melted caramel, coating evenly, and roll in nuts if
desired. Place on waxed paper to cool.
PIZZA
Preheat your oven as hot as it will go; 500° is not too hot. The best tools for the job: really heavy
pizza pans or the screen-type pan, and a really heavy rolling pizza cutter. And, making your life
so much easier (but you can get away without it) a pizza bail (that's the long-handled wooden
"giant spatula" used for putting in and taking out of the oven.
1 packet (=1 tablespoon) active dry yeast 1 cup warm water (test on your wrist - warm, not hot)
1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon oil About 2½ cups flour
Dissolve the yeast in the water and let it soak a couple of minutes. Mix in everything else and
knead by hand or in a good mixer with dough hook in it, 5 minutes or so should do. Add and
knead in flour until dough is just a tiny little bit sticky (gummy dough needs more flour). You can
roll it out and cook it now, but you'll get better flavor if you let it rise 20 minutes or so, punch it
down and knead a little more, then roll it out after a 5-minute rest. Roll into shape and fold into
quarters, then unfold onto bail or (carefully) onto pan. Add sauce to taste and add cheese (about
8oz. grated mozzarella. Bake until crust is browned and cheese is melted.
CORN DOGS
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup flour 1½ teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, slightly beaten ¾ cup milk 1 pound hot dogs (boil first)
Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the egg and oil with the milk. Add to the dry ingredients
and mix well. Insert wooden skewers into the sausages. Cover the wieners with the cornmeal
mixture and fry in deep fat heated to 375°-385° until golden brown.
SNO-KONE SYRUP
2 cups sugar ¾ cup water
1 pkg unsweetened Kool-Aid®
Bring sugar and water to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in Kool-Aid ®
Chill. Pour onto scoops of crushed ice.
GYROS
1 pound lamb, or ground lamb, or beef, or ground beef 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon pepper 3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup chopped onion 4 pita breads Shredded lettuce, onion, tomato for garnish
CUCUMBER GYROS DRESSING
1 cup PLAIN yogurt 1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon sugar 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
Mix meat and seasonings; grill over charcoal or cook well done in cast-iron skillet. Serve in pita
bread, just folded over in half. Top with lettuce, tomato, onion and cucumber dressing.
KEBABS
1 pound beef steak, chicken or lamb, sliced bite-size 1 medium tomato, in small chunks
1 medium onion, cut in half and each half quartered 1 small green pepper cut bite-size
Dust meat and vegetables with salt and pepper and (except shrimp) a very light dusting of cumin.
Heat cast-iron skillet very hot. Add vegetables. Sear and toss 2-3 minutes, then remove to a
serving bowl. Re-heat pan, but do not clean. Add meat and cook until well done, then remove to
a separate serving bowl. Douse pan with a glass of water for easier cleaning later. Fajitas are
similar to kebabs, but cut smaller - grill or quick-fry in a hot iron skillet. Serve with corn tortillas
with garnishes.
NACHOS
½ stick margarine ½ cup chopped onion 1 pound Velveeta® cheese
2 to 3 tablespoons sliced canned jalapeño peppers 12 ounce can stewed tomatoes
Sauté onions in a little oil for 10 minutes. Add cheese, cut in hunks. When cheese is melted add
can of drained stewed tomatoes (crush any that are too big first). Heat but do not allow to boil.
Serve with nacho chips.
SALSA
1 can (15oz-28oz) Stewed Tomatoes 1-3 Tablespoons Canned Jalapeño Peppers
Salt Fresh Cilentro (if available)
Use a food processor to make this very quickly. Put in Jalapeños and process with the regular
knife processor blade just a second. Reserve liquid from can for extra "heat" if desired, adding to
taste at the end. Add can of tomatoes, including liquid, a bit of salt if desired, and a few sprigs of
cilentro, and process 2-3 seconds more. Done! Serve with tortilla chips.
HAMBURGERS
You know how to make hamburgers. You take some ground beef and fry it, and serve it on a bun
with choice of condiments. But did you know that the grab joints used to add oatmeal to the
hamburger meat? It blended well, took on the right color and absorbed juices and flavor while
lowering the cost per portion. It does increase the fat calories, since much of the flavor it absorbs
is fat, but it does make a nutritious alternative to bread crumbs when used to make meat loaf.
FRENCH FRIES
Enough Russet or Yukon Gold baking potatoes (at least one large per person)
Corn Oil Salt
Leave skin on potatoes but cut out any roots. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half
lengthwise into 2 or 3 sections. Alternatively, quarter small new redskin potatoes. Microwave with
a small amount of water until almost done (just soft but not mushy).
Heat deep oil in a sturdy pot to 375°-400°. Be sure to use a large pot and fill no more than
halfway with oil. Put drained potatoes into oil a few at a time; do not overcrowd the pot and wait
for the oil to stop foaming before adding more (when deep frying, oil will bubble and even
threaten to "boil over" until the food's coating of water has cooked off; avoid letting the oil bubble
over the edge of the pot unless you like kitchen fires). Fry each batch until lightly browned, then
remove with a slotted spoon or similar tool and drain on paper towels as next batch cooks. You
may find that you need to wait between batches as the oil reheats.
CARAMEL POPCORN
1 cup real butter 2 cups dark brown sugar ½ cup white Karo® Syrup
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking soda 8 quarts cooked popcorn
Boil butter, sugar and syrup for 5 minutes. Then add vanilla and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Stir
hard. Pour over popcorn. Mix and put into cake pans. Bake 1 hour at 300 degrees and stir every
15 minutes.
Smaller Recipe
3 quarts freshly popped popcorn½ cup butter 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon vanilla
Melt butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt; bring to
boil, and boil 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat, stir in soda and vanilla. Pour syrup
over popcorn mixture in jelly-roll pan, stirring until popcorn is evenly coated. Bake at 300 degrees
for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Cool completely and break into small pieces.
BELGIAN WAFFLES & FUNNEL CAKES
1 cup flour 1 cup water 1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt ¼ cup sugar 1 egg
Whisk all together and cook till brown in waffle iron. Works well as a pancake batter, too. For
fluffier pancakes and crisper waffles, use a little extra baking powder.
FUNNEL CAKES
Heat at least 1" of oil to 375°-385° in either in a deep fryer or a skillet. Any lower temperature and
the waffle quickly absorbs much more oil, which you don't want. To form each funnel cake, place
one finger over the hole in a funnel. Carefully fill the funnel with batter. Over hot oil, carefully
remove finger from funnel opening, allowing batter to go out the hole into the hot oil. Make
circular or other shapes with batter; for best results contain the spread of the shape inside a
metal ring set onto the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute, then (using tongs) turn to cook the
other side. Cook until golden brown, about another minute or so. Drain on paper towels. Add
topping, serve warm. Top with canned Cherry Pie Filling, hot fudge, or simply whipped cream or
a dusting of powdered sugar, or vanilla ice cream. Or try applesauce, or apple slices cooked in
butter and sugar and pinch of cinnamon, or fresh fruit slices.
ONION BLOSSOM
4 very large yellow onions, preferably Vidalia or Texas Sweet
Batter:
1/3 Cup Cornstarch 1½ Cup Flour 2 teaspoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Salt ½ teaspoon Pepper 24 ounces Beer
Seasoned Flour:
2 Cups Flour ½ teaspoon each Salt & Pepper ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper (optional)
Mix cornstarch, flour, and seasonings until well blended. Add beer, mix well. Cut about ¾" off top
of onion and peel. Cut onion into 12 to 16 vertical wedges, but do not cut through bottom root
end. Remove about 1" of petals from center of onion. Dip onion in ice cold water and it will open
up into "petals." Shake dry, then dip it into seasoned flour and remove excess by shaking. Dip in
batter to coat thoroughly. Gently place in fryer basket and deep-fry at 375° to 400° 1½ minutes.
Turn over, and fry an additional 1½ minutes. Drain on paper towels. Place onion upright in
shallow bowl and remove center core with circular cutter or apple corer, or with knife. Serve hot
with Creamy Chili Sauce or other dip.
Creamy Chili Sauce
1 pint Mayonnaise 1 pint Sour cream ½ cup Chili sauce ½ tsp Cayenne pepper
ELEPHANT EARS ( Indian Fry-Bread) - makes 12
4 cups flour 1 to 1½ tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt ½ cup dry powdered milk
Mix all ingredients together. Add enough lukewarm water (about 2 cups) to make soft dough. Let
rest 20 minutes. Pat or roll out 1/4 inch thick, fry in hot oil in skillet (400°). Brown on one side and
turn. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with honey. Makes 12 pieces. Alternatively, cut in ¼ cup
shortening to the dry ingredients above, mix until crumbly, add liquid, roll out thin and fry on 400°
griddle or iron skillet. Brown one side and turn.
LEMONADE CONCENTRATE (Serves 24)
1½ cups sugar 2½ cups water 9 whole lemons
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Remove
from heat, cool slightly. Juice eight lemons or use equivalent bottled lemon juice (again, real
lemons are worth it.) Combine juice and zest with warm syrup. Steep one hour. Strain.
To serve: Mix 1 part lemonade concentrate with 2 parts water. Serve over ice.
COTTON CANDY
Oh, dear … I'm going to have to upset you. Like the Sno-Kone, which really takes a $500+ ice
shaver to do properly, Cotton Candy is one of those things that just can't be made at home.
Unless, of course, you're very wealthy or just plain addicted, in which case get yourself an
"Econo-Floss" (that'll be $1099 in 2001 bucks, please) and go to it!
