Category Archives: Recipes

New York Egg Cream

When I was a little girl, my father would take me to the Posh Nosh restaurant after Karate Class every Thursday. I so looked forward to this night out so I could get a New York Egg Cream and a Hot Pastrami sandwich! So yummy! At the cash register they sold gormet jelly beans and sometimes my father would buy a bag and we would spend the ride home eating the jelly beans and screaming the flavor…. “Coconut! Peanut Butter! Vanilla! Licorise!” I remember one evening as we drove home, a deer ran right in front of our car. Only by the grace of God did we not hit the poor creature. I can still see the deer’s eyes. I have no clue how we escaped hitting it. It was so close and I tell you, we would definitely have died had we hit it. Whenever I see deers on the road, I think of the Posh Nosh and those wonderful egg creams! Here’s a recipe:

Ingredients:
Large Glass, or Large Size Coca Cola Glass
Fox’s U-Bet Chocolate Flavor Syrup
Large Spoon
Whole Milk
Bottled Seltzer Water (if you cannot get a seltzer pressurized cylinder)
A Long Straw

Directions
Get a tall, chilled, straight-sided, or Coca Cola 8oz. glass.
Spoon 1 inch of U-bet Chocolate syrup into glass.
Add 1 inch of whole milk over the syrup.
Pour in cold seltzer making a nice foamy head to within 1 inch of the top of the glass. Use the spoon when pouring to prevent direct pouring into the syrup and milk. The foam will turn an egg-white color (hence the name).
Stir vigorously with a long spoon to mix the chocolate and milk into the seltzer oam.

Enjoy the true experience by sipping it slowly with a long straw. Use the straw to stir in between sips. Allow yourself to make sipping noise with the straw as you clean up the foam around the edge of the glass.

TIPS
Skim or 1% milk won’t foam as well, but can be used in a pinch. Non-homogenized milk is not recommended.
Bottled seltzer water will not pour out of the bottle with enough velocity to foam the milk, so stir vigorously to get the real thick foam.

Warnings
Do not let Egg Cream sit for a long period of time-5 minutes or more; it will go flat.

Midori Cake

Spring is here! The lilacs are in bloom! That means it is time for Midori cake. Back when I was in college, my old college friend (who no longer talks to me because she thinks I am evil since I am a registered Republican) would bring back from spring break a midori cake her mother baked and clippings from her mother’s lilac bush. It was so lovely to eat the midori cake and see and smell the beautiful lilac flowers. Every spring I think back to that time and hunger for midori cake. Here’s the recipe:

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
1 package (4 serving size) instant pistachio pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup Midori Melon Liqueur
1/2 teaspoon coconut flavoring
Frosting (see recipe)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In bowl, combine all ingredients except frosting; beat 4 minutes. Pour into well-greased Bundt pan. Bake 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan about 15 minutes. Remove from pan, prepare frosting and frost cake while still warm. Cool completely.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Midori liqueur
1/4 cup cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon coconut flavoring

In bowl, mix and beat all ingredients together at high speed until smooth and spreadable. Frost cake while still warm.

hummus

4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed
2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Pine nuts (toasted) and parsley (chopped) for garnish

In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.

Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.

Serve with crackers, raw dip vegetables such as carrots or celery, or with pita bread. You can cut the pita bread into thin triangles, brush with olive oil and toast for 10 minutes in a 400°F oven to make pita chips with which to serve the hummus.

Makes about 3 cups.

Preparing Frozen Edamame Soybeans

I just recently discovered how easy it is to make Edamame Soybeans. They were always something I enjoyed when I went to Japanese restaurants but I never considered making them at home. The last time I was at HMart, I noticed they had bags of frozen Edamame Soybeans. I bought a bag but I was pretty sure they wouldn’t taste as good as what is served at the Japanese restaurants. I WAS WRONG! They are DELICIOUS. Here is how I prepared them:

1. Boil water.
2. Throw in some salt (4 or 5 shakes of a salt shaker)
3. Throw in the Edamame Soybeans
4. Set the timer for 5 minutes.
5. After 5 minutes, drain, rinse, drain.
6. Pour the Edamame Soybeans into a bowl
7. Salt the Edamame Soybeans profusely.
8. ENJOY!!!!!!!

Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar

Erin described this recipe today at the grocery store and it sounded so good, I actually bought some acorn squash. I will try it soon and update with the results.

Ingredients:

* 2 tablespoons butter –plus more for baking sheet
* 2 medium acorn squash
* 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
* Coarse –salt and ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 . Generously butter a rimmed baking sheet. Halve 2 medium acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds each) crosswise. Scoop out seeds; discard. Slice a small piece off bottom of each squash half just enough to level.

Set squash halves, scooped sides down, on prepared sheet. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn squash; prick insides all over with a fork. Divide 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons light-brown sugar among halves; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Continue to bake until flesh is easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

This recipe for Baked Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar serves/makes 4.

Pasta and EGG Sauce

My mother made a wonderful lunch this afternoon. It didn’t take her more than 15 minutes and it was DELICIOUS!

Here’s what she did:

She boiled tortiglioni (spiral) pasta

She emptied a jar of Paul Newman tomato sauce into a sauce pan and brought it to a boil.

In a bowl, she broke three eggs and scrambled them. (There were three of us so I guess she figured an egg for each)

Very slowly she drizzled the raw eggs into the boiling tomato sauce, stirring constantly. The eggs cooked in the sauce. Then she sliced a bunch of meatballs and put them into the sauce as well.

I’m sure you know what she did next. She drained the pasta, put it on plates and poured the sauce over it.

IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! Different from the usual spaghetti and meatballs but just as easy.

Give it a go!

How to Deciper an Intimidating Wine List

Chardonnay
Tastes Like: Tropical fruits, with a buttery finish
Pair it with Pork, chicken, seafood, strong cheeses

Pinot Grigio (Gris)
Tastes Like: Lemons, green apples, pears
Pair it with Salads, light fish, light cheeses, white pizza

Sauvignon Blanc
Tastes Like: Citrus, tropical fruits, herbs, gooseberries
Pair it with Salads, vegetables, fish

Riesling
Tastes Like: Apples, pears, flowers, minerals
Pair it with Fish, cheeses, chicken, light appetizers, desserts (for sweet Riesling)

Gewurztraminer
Tastes Like: Lychees, spices, flowers
Pair it with Asian foods, spicy foods, strong cheeses

Cabernet Sauvignon
Tastes Like: Cassis, black currants, herbs, cedar
Pair it with Beef, lamb, stews

Merlot
Tastes Like: Black cherries, plums, spices
Pair it with Lamb shank, duck, sausage

Pinot Noir
Tastes Like: Cherries, strawberries, spices, flowers
Pair it with Salmon, tuna, pork, chicken

Syrah/Shiraz
Tastes Like: Blackberries, black pepper, spices
Pair it with Chicken, BBQ, curries, stews

Lemon Crisp Cookies

1 package (18.25) lemon cake mix
1 cup crisp Rice Krispies cereal
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the cake mix, Rice Krispies and grated lemon peel.
Add the butter and egg and mix well. The dough will be crumbly.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie
sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until set. Allow cookies
to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to remove cookies
from cookie sheets and place on wire racks to cool completely.
Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

These Lemon Crisp cookies are great! Very lemony and refreshing with a nice crunch. Perfect for summer or when you are dreaming of summer. My only deviation from the recipe is that I used lemon cake mix that contained pudding. Oh, and I threw in a couple drops of water because the dough was really, really dry. The cookies were very soft when they came out of the oven and at first I wondered if I should bake them longer but the edges were getting brown so I took them out. Once they cooled they became nice and crisp.

Hearty Spinach and Chickpea Soup

This looks soooooo good to me. I must try it!

SERVES 4

2 cups uncooked brown rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 4 cups), stems removed, thinly sliced

6 cups store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled

One (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Two (5-ounce) bags baby spinach leaves

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Stir in brown rice and return to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan or Dutch-oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Cover, and remove from heat.

3. Check rice after 30 minutes; if it is not yet tender, cover and continue cooking, up to 10 more minutes. Stir 2 cups cooked rice (reserve remaining rice for another use) and chickpeas into broth; return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking for 5 more minutes to allow flavors to blend.

4. Stir in spinach; cook, uncovered, until just wilted, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cheese; serve immediately.

THE MAN-MAGNET CAKE

I’m not sure how this works… maybe if you eat a lot of it men will be attracted to you?

Ingredients for cake:

1 package yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

Ingredients for cake filling:
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Ingredients for vanilla glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons warmed milk (do not boil)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine all cake ingredients and beat at high speed for 2 minutes. Pour about two-thirds of the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube or bundt pan. Combine filling ingredients and sprinkle liberally over cake ingredients in pan.

Spread remaining batter over filling mixture and bake for approximately 50 minutes, until cake springs back when touched. Cool in pan for half an hour, then turn pan upside down and gently remove. Prepare vanilla glaze when ready to use by sifting powdered sugar into a bowl, then adding vanilla and heated milk. If glaze is not liquid enough to drizzle, a little more milk (up to 1 teaspoon) may be added. Drizzle vanilla glaze on top of cake, letting it drip down the sides. Stand back, and watch the men come running.