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2002

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Lamb Cheeks

 
 ----- Original Message -----
From: DZimmer
To: phaed
Sent: Thursday, July 04, 2002 11:54 AM
Subject: Lamb cheeks

> Have you a recipe for lamb cheeks?

Hi DZimmer,

Well, I was not able to find a single lamb cheeks recipe as such. However, my experience is that in most cases one can use lamb very well in recipes that call for veal or beef, and I found several recipes for veal and beef cheeks. See below.

Phaed

Braised Beef Cheeks

You need:
4 large beef cheeks
4 rashers bacon
4 medium brown onions
12 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
4 sticks celery
1 medium leek
2 large carrots
2 red capsicum
4 egg tomatoes
2 tablespoons oil
seasoned flour
1 1/2 cups red wine
fresh thyme
salt
pepper
1 dessertspoon sugar
flour
2 litres beef stock

Method:
1.Remove fat and sinew and cut cheeks in half. Cut bacon in lardons, 
peel and dice vegetables.

2.Using a stainless steel pot, heat oil. Toss cheeks in seasoned flour 
and shake off excess. Brown in oil on both sides, then set aside.

3.Saute vegetables until golden brown, sprinkle with a little flour, 
add wine and reduce a little. Add cheeks, thyme, seasoning and stock 
and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook in 150deg.C. oven for 
approximately 1 1/2 hours.

4.When meat is cooked, remove cheeks and reduce sauce to a good 
consistency. Return cheeks to sauce and keep warm until ready to serve. 
Serve with garlic mashed potatoes topped with gremolata.

---------------------------------------
Madeira Braised Veal Cheeks with Creamy Polenta
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001

5 pounds veal cheeks
2 cups red wine
2 cups Madeira
2 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste
Creamy polenta, recipe follows
Using a very sharp knife, trim the extra fat and the tough silverskin 
from the veal cheeks. You should have approximately 3 pounds of 
cleaned meat remaining. Transfer the cheeks to a large non-reactive 
bowl or casserole and add 1 cup of red wine, 1 cup of the Madeira, 
1/2 cup of the onions, 1/2 cup of the celery, 1/2 tablespoon of the 
garlic, bay leaves, rosemary and peppercorns. Stir gently to blend and 
make sure that the wine covers the meat, cover the bowl with plastic 
wrap, and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.

In a large, ovenproof Dutch oven or rondeau, heat oil over high heat 
until almost smoking. Remove meat from marinade, pat dry, and season 
on both sides with some of the salt and pepper. Sear meat in hot oil, 
in batches if necessary, until well browned on all sides. Remove from 
pan and set aside. Add remaining onion and celery to the pan along 
with the carrots and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, 
until vegetables are very soft and beginning to caramelize. Add 
remaining garlic and cook 2 minutes. Strain the marinade and add to 
pan along with remaining red wine and Madeira. (Discard vegetables).
Bring to a boil, skim any foam off top of liquid, and add water, tomato 
paste, Essence, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper, and return 
to a boil. Add meat and any accumulated juices, stir well, cover tightly, 
and place in the oven. Cook for 4 1/2 to 5 hours, undisturbed, or until 
cheeks are very tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and serve 
over hot polenta.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or
container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and 
Jessie Tirsch.
Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Creamy polenta:
5 cups water
Salt
1 cup stone-ground cornmeal
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 pound cream cheese or mascarpone
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

In a large, heavy saucepan, bring water to boil with salt, to taste. 
While whisking constantly, pour the cornmeal into the water in a 
steady stream until thoroughly combined. Continue whisking to make 
certain there are no lumps of unincorporated cornmeal. Reduce the 
heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes, uncovering frequently 
to stir.

Stir in the heavy cream, cream cheese, and butter and continue to 
cook, covered, another 20 minutes or so, stirring often. When the 
polenta is smooth, with no taste of rawness, add salt and pepper, 
to taste (if polenta seems too thick, you may dilute with a bit of 
water or milk), and serve garnished with the grated cheese.

Yield: 6 servings
------------------------------------------------------------
Beef Cheeks a la Souvavou
Yield:4

Ingredients:

Beef Cheeks a la Souvavou

4 large beef, cheeks, halved
3 cup Pelee Island Merlot red wine
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup diced white leek
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 thyme, sprigs
2 bay leaves
8 juniper berries
1 tsp crushed peppercorns
flour, for dusting
2 cup veal stock
8 large bacon, lardons
8 cloves roasted garlic
butcher's twine
2 tbsp cold butter
chives

Directions:

Beef Cheeks a la Souvavou

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Trim any exterior gristle off the cheeks. Do not trim the silver 
skin, which runs through the middle. (This will cook tender.)

Place the clean cheeks in a container and add the vegetables, 
herbs, spices and red wine. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.

Remove the cheeks from the marinade and set aside. Strain the 
vegetables and spices from the wine. Place the wine in a small 
saucepan and quickly bring it to a boil. Remove it from the heat 
and strain it through a fine strainer.

With a boning knife, puncture 3 holes in the side of each portion 
of the cheek. Place 2 lardons and 1 garlic clove into each cheek 
Tie each cheek with butchers twine, "parcel style". Season the 
cheeks liberally with salt and pepper, and then lightly dust them 
with flour.

Bring a large casserole to medium-high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of 
olive oil. Then add the cheeks. Brown for 3 minutes per side. When 
golden brown, remove and reduce heat to medium, then add the marinated 
vegetables and spices. Brown lightly for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the 
strained red wine to the vegetables, deglazing all caramelized residue 
off the bottom of the pot. Reduce by a half and add the cheek parcels. 
At this point, add the veal stock, bring to a boil, then lower heat 
to a simmer, and check the seasoning.

Place the dough seal on the inside of the casserole lid. Then place 
the lid on the casserole and check to make sure you have a good seal. 
Place cheeks in a pre-heated oven and braise for 3 hours.

Let the cheeks cool in the liquid. When cool, remove them. Strain 
the braising liquid from the vegetables, spices and herbs. Transfer 
to a small pot. Place cheeks into the strained liquid and bring to 
a simmer. Cheeks should be very soft and tender. Remove the cheeks 
from the pot to a plate. With scissors, carefully remove the twine.

While the "sauce" is simmering, add 2 tablespoons of cold sweet 
butter and check the seasoning. Finish with 1 tablespoon of minced 
chives.

Place each cheek in the centre of a potato, apple, and celeriac 
mash.Drizzle the sauce around and a little on top. Finish the dish 
with freshly grated horseradish.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Veal Cheeks with Red Wine Sauce

 Ingredients
5  LB  Veal Cheeks
1/2    Bottle Red Wine
    Veal Stock (to cover)
    Chicken Stock (to cover)
    Olive oil
    Salt & Pepper
1    Whole Carrot, diced
1    Medium Onion, diced
5    Cloves of Garlic
    Sprig of Thyme
1    Bay Leaf
4    Whole Tomatoes Seeded
6    Fresh Basil Leaves
4 -1 1/2  OZ  slices Foie Gras (optional)

Putting it Together
1. Season veal cheeks with salt and pepper and brown nicely in 
   olive oil.
2. When brown, place cheeks in a casserole dish.
3. Sauté the vegetables and add to the casserole dish.
4. Add the wine to the pan and deglaze over medium high heat. 
   Add this to the casserole along with thyme, bay leaf, parsley 
   and chopped basil.
5. Cover veal chops with half the veal stock and half the chicken 
   stock.
6. Cover the casserole and cook in oven at 350 degrees until very 
   tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
7. When cooked, remove veal cheeks and strain sauce into a sauce 
   pot.
8. Reduce sauce by half, or until you get a nice consistency.
9. Place sliced foie gras on top and wrap in caul, season with 
   salt and pepper and sear until golden brown.
10. Add to braising juice until ready to serve.
-----------------------------------
Beef Cheeks in Italian Sauce

Ingredients Method
1.5 kg Beef Cheeks or Blade (diced)
2 x 415g tins diced tomatoes
250 grams tomato paste
1 teaspoon basil (dried)
1 teaspoon oregano (dried)
1/2 teaspoon thyme (dried)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Place diced tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs and salt in a large boiler 
or Crockpot and bring to the boil, simmer uncovered whilst preparing 
the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Wok or heavy based frypan, sauté 
onions and garlic gently for 3 minutes add to simmering sauce and stir. 
Add 1 tablespoon oil and brown meat (just till meat changes colour) in 
batches and add to simmering sauce immediately, continue till all beef 
is browned. Place lid on boiler and simmer gently for 2 - 3 hours. 
Let stand overnight. Reheat gently and serve on a bed of rice or noodles.

Options
Add 1/2 cup sliced olives to sauce or Add 1 cup sautéed button mushrooms 
to sauce. Serves 6 - 8

Strawberry Pie

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Barb 
  To: phaedrus
  Sent: Thursday, July 04, 2002 10:29 AM
  Subject: pie

  In the mid nineteen seventies, there was a recipe for several years 
  in women's magazines for a strawberry cream pie. It had dream whip, 
  strawberry jello, water, a little lemon juice and the strawberries 
  in it.  I have even gone to the jello people and they told me they 
  do not have a record of this pie.  It was so creamy and one of my 
  husband's favorites.  I lost this recipe years ago and would really 
  love it if you could locate it once again. Thanks.

Hello Barb,

Below are several recipes that I found that were similar to what you describe. The recipes that I found that were called strawberry CREAM pie contained either sour cream or vanilla pudding or both in addition to the strawberry jello.

Phaed

   Strawberry  Pie

   Ingredients : 
   1 pt. strawberries
   1 c. sugar
   1 1/4 c. water
   1 pie shell
   4 tbsp. cornstarch
   2 tbsp. lemon juice
   3 tbsp. strawberry Jello
   Cool Whip

   Preparation : 
     Cook in microwave.  Mix sugar, cornstarch and water.  Cook on high
   3-6 minutes, stirring after 3 minutes.  Add lemon juice and Jello. 
   Cook on high for 3 minutes, stirring each 1 minute.  Cool.  Stir in
   strawberries.  Pour in shell.  Top with Cool Whip.  
   ----------------------------------
   Strawberry  Pie

   Ingredients : 
   2 baked pie shells
   2 pts. fresh strawberries
   2 c. sugar
   2 c. water
   6 tbsp. cornstarch
   1 sm. pkg. lemon Jello
   Red food coloring
   1 med. size Cool Whip

   Preparation : 
      Stem berries, wash, drain and dry, do not slice.  Mix Jello,
   water, sugar, and cornstarch together, cook over low fire until
   thick.  Remove and add red food coloring (2 drops).  Cool and place
   berries in baked pie shell.  Pour cooled filling over berries. 
   Chill until set, add Cool Whip.  
   ----------------------------------
   Strawberry  Dream  Pie

   Ingredients : 
   1 pkg. vanilla pudding and pie filling
   1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry Jello
   1 c. sliced strawberries
   2 c. water
   1 tsp. lemon juice
   1 1/2 c. Dream Whip
   1 (9 inch) graham cracker pie shell

   Preparation : 
      Combine pudding mix, Jello, lemon juice and water in saucepan. 
   Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.  Pour
   into bowl, chill until thickened.  Blend prepared Dream Whip and
   strawberries into thickened mixture. Pour into pie shell, chill
   until set 1 to 2 hours.  Garnish with additional strawberries.  Use
   sugar-free pudding and Jello for low calorie pie.
   ----------------------------------
   Fresh  Strawberry  Pie

   Ingredients : 
   1 sm. pkg. vanilla pudding
   1 pkg. strawberry Jello
   2 c. water
   1 tsp. lemon juice
   1 1/2 c. Dream Whip (prepared)
   1 c. sliced fresh strawberries
   1 baked 9 inch pie crust

   Preparation : 
      Combine pudding mix, Jello, water and lemon juice.  Cook and stir
   over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil.  Pour into bowl and
   chill until thickened. Fold in Dream Whip blending well.  Stir in
   strawberries.  Pour into crust and chill 1 to 2 hours.
  -----------------------------------------------
  Strawberry  Dream  Pie

   Ingredients : 
   1 (4 oz.) Jello vanilla pudding & pie
      filling
   1 (3 oz.) pkg. Jello strawberry
      gelatin
   2 c. water
   1 tsp. lemon juice
   1 1/2 c. Dream Whip (1 pkg.)
   1 c. strawberries (fresh)
   9" pie shell

   Preparation : 
     Combine package of Jello vanilla pudding and pie filling,
   strawberry gelatin, water and lemon juice in saucepan.  Cook and
   pour over medium heat until mixture comes to boil.  Pour over bowl
   of ice and water for fast thickening (stir).  Stir in 1 cup sliced
   strawberries.  Pour in cooled baked pie shell, chill until set (1 to
   2 hours).  Garnish with additional whip topping and strawberries.  
 

Soft as Silk Strawberry Cake


 ----- Original Message ----- 
 From: jewel
 To: phaedrus
 Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2002 11:46 AM
 Subject: Recipe Search

 Many years ago I spotted a recipe on the back of either Swan's 
cake flour or Soft as Silk cake flour for a strawberry cake.  It 
had fresh cream as the filling between layers and the cake was very 
plain, but delicious.  Not sure whether it was called strawberry 
shortcake or just plain ol' strawberry cake (I think it was the latter!).  
Please help me.  Thanks.

Jewel 

Hi Jewel, I'm not finding anything that simple. Every recipe that I find has whipped cream and sour cream or cream cheese or nuts or coconuts. Nothing with just fresh cream as a filling.

Phaed

----- Original Message ----- From: jewel To: phaedrus Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 5:30 AM Subject: RE: Recipe Search I'm sorry, I should have said fresh "whipped" cream. Even moreso, it was featured on the front of the Swan's or Soft as Silk cake flour box-- a beautiful white cake with strawberries on top against the whipped cream frosting as a beautiful garnish and around the sides of same. Nowadays they have this chocolate cake with white frosting, which is good too. But is there such a thing as looking up the featured recipes from the front of the box?

Hello Jewel,

Sorry, no. Where would one look? Soft As Silk cake flour doesn't have a website. Swan's Down has a small one, but there's no recipe like you describe there. There's a "back of the box" recipe site, but no strawberry cake recipe there. Even if the recipe is online somewhere, it won't say "from the front of the Swan's Down cake flour box." or "from the front of the Soft As Silk Cake flour box." People just don't list recipes that way. "Strawberry Cake" is too general - it brings up hundreds of recipes. Sometimes I can luck up on a particular recipe by searching on the ingredients, but not this time. The most findable recipes are those that have a unique name or one or more unusual ingredients or combination of ingredients. Restaurant recipes can be found if they are on the copycat sites. Recipes from cans or boxes or packages are the most difficult because when people copy them and put them on the Internet, they don't state where the recipe came from. Sorry.

Phaed


Blackening Spice

----- Original Message -----
From: Robert
To: phaedrus
Sent: Friday, July 05, 2002 12:14 PM
Subject: question about blackening spice

> I am trying to find a recipe for a blackening spice such as Outback
> Steakhouse uses on their seared steaks. Something with some zip but
> doesn't cover up the flavor of the meat. Any help or suggestions you
> could give me would be most appreciated.  Thanks!
>

Hello Robert,

You want to stay away from the recipes that call for chili sauce. Not only do they overpower the meat, they aren't authentic.
"Top Secret Recipes" claims to have duplicated Outback's spice mixture, and they sell it as a steak rub here:
Top Secret Steak Rub

However, below are some ideas if you want to make your own. Both of the below recipes sound right to me. They don't contain chili powder as many of the spice recipes do. You can use any type of steak you wish in these recipes. Remember, as the first recipe says, you can't truly "blacken" a steak on a charcoal grill. You must do it in a cast iron skillet.

Phaed

Cajun Prime Rib - Blackened

Ingredients

(6 servings)

10 1/2 lb Prime rib roast (4 bone)
1/4 c Black pepper
1/4 c Garlic powder
1/4 c Salt
2 Onions, thinly sliced

Seasoning Mix (Optional:
1 tb Plus 1 tsp, salt
1 tb Plus 2 tsp, white pepper
1 tb Plus 2 tsp, fennel seeds
1 tb Plus 3/4 tsp, black pepper
2 1/2 ts Dry mustard
2 1/2 ts Ground cayenne pepper

Instructions

This recipe produces a volume of smoke that would rival a tire dump fire,
but the aromas will drive everyone crazy. It's even worth having your
neighbors and landlord upset with you. ;-) Cajun Prime Rib - Blackened
Remove fat cap off top of meat (butcher can do this for you) and save. Place
the roast, standing on the rib bones, in a very large roasting pan. Then
with a knife make several dozen punctures through the silver skin so
seasoning can permeate meat. Pour a very generous, even layer of black
pepper over the top of the meat (the pepper should completely cover it);
repeat with the garlic powder, then the salt, totally covering the preceding
layer. Carefully arrange the onions in an even layer on top so as not to
knock off the seasoning. Place the fat cap back on top. Refrigerate 24
hours.
Bake ribs in a 550F oven until the fat is dark brown and crispy on top,
about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Refrigerate until well
chilled, about 3 hours. (This is done so the juices will solidify and the
steaks can be cooked rare.) Remove fat cap and disgard. With the blade of a
large knife, scrape off the onions and as much of the seasonings as possible
and discard. Then with a long knife, slice between ribs into 6 steaks (4
will have bones); trim the cooked surface of meat from the 2 pieces that
were on the outside of the roast. Season and cook in your favorite way for
steaks.
TO BLACKEN THE STEAKS: Combine the ingredients of the seasoning mix
thoroughly in a small bowl; you will have about 8 Tb. Sprinkle the steaks
generously and evenly on both sides with the mix. using about 4 ts on each
steak and pressing it in with your hands.
Heat a cast iron skillet over very high heat until it is beyond the smoking
stage and you see white ash on the skillet bottom--at least 10 minutes. (The
skillet cannot be too hot for this method.) Place one steak in the hot
skillet (cook only one side at a time) and cook over a very high heat until
the underside starts to develop a heavy, black crust, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn the steak over and cook until the underside is crusted like the first,
about 2 to 3 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining steaks. Serve each
steak while piping hot.
(*NOTE*: If you don't have a commercial hood vent over your stove, this dish
may smoke you out of the kitchen. It's worth it! But you can also cook it
outdoors on a gas grill; a charcoal fire doesn't get hot enough to "blacken"
the steak properly. (FHT-if you have a smoke detector in your house, you
will be able to determine if it is working correctly.) This is NOT a dish to
prepare in an apartment building with a central fire alarm system wired into
your smoke detector. It causes great excitement! Also, you can be guaranteed
you will meet your landlord.)
---------------------------------
Blackened Sirlion
Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

      1 tb freshly ground black pepper
      1 tb ground white pepper
      1 tb salt
      1 tb dry mustard
      1 tb paprika
      2 ts cayenne pepper
      1 ts dried fennel
    1/2 ts dried oregano
    1/2 ts dried thyme
    1/3 c  unsalted butter
      2    gloves garlic, minced
  2 1/2 lb sirloin steak,
      1    about 1 1/2 inches thick
      1 tb vegetable oil

Instructions

Make seasoning mix by combinning in a bowl the salt and all the
spices. Melt butter with garlic and place in a flat dish. Prepare
barbecue. Dip steak in garlic butter, then pat seasoning mix onto
both sides of meat. Brush grill with oil and barbecue steak for 8
minutes per side for rare meat. Steak will blacken as it cooks and a
lot of smoke will be created by the seasoning mix. Remove steak from
grill to hot platter and let stand for 5 minutes. Slice thinly on the
diagonal. SERVES 6.

Louisiana Cherry Nectar

----- Original Message -----
From: Mary
To: phaedrus
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 9:34 AM
Subject: Cherry Nectar

> I am looking for a recipe for "Cherry Nectar" , a soda fountain drink 
> that we used to get at the corner drugstore in the 50's.  I think it 
> must have had milk and some type of carbonated water in it.  Delicious!  
> I've been looking for years.  Please help.
> Thanks,
> mary

Hello Mary,

I could not locate the recipe. I did find a nostalgia site on which a man said that the only place he ever saw a "cherry nectar" soda was at the Walgreen's Drugstore soda fountain in Bunkie, Louisiana in the fifties.

Where did you get them? Was it a Walgreen's? In Louisiana? Maybe even in Bunkie?

Interesting. I've never heard of a cherry nectar. We had cherry phosphates and cherry cokes, but no cherry nectar that I can recall.

Phaed

From: Mary
To: phaedrus
Subject: Re: Cherry Nectar
Date: Saturday, July 06, 2002 2:20 PM

Hi.

Thanks for your quick response.  Yes, I am in Louisiana.  Bunkie is 
160 miles south of here.  We used to get them at Smith Maloy's Corner 
Drug Store, a very small family-owned (I think) store.  It's been out 
of business for many, many years.  I'll keep asking around here.  

Thanks again,
mary

""


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