biscuits

Biscuits

Makes 10-12

Ingredients

2 cups flour, plus more for kneading

1 Tbl baking powder

1 tsp sugar, plus more to taste

½ tsp salt

8 Tbs butter, cold (1 stick)

¾ cup half-and-half or buttermilk

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease a baking sheet or cast-iron skillet.  Mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Cut the stick of butter to pieces and work it into the flour mixture with your hands or pastry blender until it resembles pea-size crumbs. (I use a cheese grater to cut the butter into small pieces)  Add the half-and-half or buttermilk, mixing until the dough is a bit loose and sticky.

Pour the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a minute.  Dough should be smooth and no longer wet.  You can sprinkle more flour on the surface if you find it’s sticking.  Make the dough into a ball and hit it with a rolling pin, (I just punch it) turning it and folding it in half every few whacks.  Do this for a couple of minutes.

Roll out the dough until it’s ¼ of an inch thick and then fold it in half.  Using a round biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits from the folded dough.  Place on a greased baking sheet or in a cast iron skillet close together, about 1/8 of an inch apart (so they rise up not out), and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

If you don’t want to roll and cut them out, after kneading and beating the dough drop the dough onto the baking sheet with a spoon.  They’re not as symmetrical biscuits are also known as cat-head biscuits), but they’re no less delicious.   

Derby Pie (as in Kentucky Derby)

Start with unbaked pie crust.

Mix all of these ingredients together in a bowl:  

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup flour

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup pecan pieces

Pour into pie crust.  Bake at 350.  if you want a slightly gooey cookie like center bake for 25-30 minutes.  Toothpick will come out a little gooey but top should be golden brown.  Most people like gooey version better.

Or you can have a firm center by baking it 30-35 min.

by Sarah Phillips

Drunken Noodles

Drunken Noodles        Fox Magazine 8/15/2016  Jet Tila

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. mushroom soy sauce

2 Tbsp. sweet soy sauce

1 Tbsp. oyster sauce

1.5 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp. sriracha sauce

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. garlic, minced

6-8 Thai basil leaves

3 Tbsp. canola or peanut oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 serrano chiles, sliced thin

2 eggs

1/3 lbs. beef, pork, or chicken, thin sliced against the grain

1/2 medium white onion, sliced

3-4 cups fresh rice noodles, separated

1/4 cup Chinese rice wine

1 cup Thai basil leaves, loosely packed

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Instructions:

Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat oil to medium high in a medium sauté pan and sauté garlic until light brown.

Add eggs in and lightly scramble until barely set.

Add meat and onions folding constantly until the meat is half cooked, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add fresh rice noodles and sauce. Toss to combine for about 3 to 5 minutes. Make sure the noodles are cooked until the edges are slightly crisp.

Deglaze pan with rice wine, and then add basil and tomatoes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Old Time Beef Stew (Shtoup)

Old Time Beef Stew               Jaci Kern

2lb beef chuck cut into 1” cubes

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 clove Garlic

1 medium Onion, sliced

1 or 2 Bay Leaves

1 Tbls Salt

½ tsp. Paprika

¼ tsp Pepper

dash Allspice or Cloves

6 carrots, sliced

4 potatoes, quartered

1 lb small white onions

4 stalks celery, sliced

Gravy

In the dutch oven, thoroughly brown meat in 2 Tbl hot shortening, turning often.  Add 4c. hot water and 8 ingredients.  Cover; simmer 1 ½ hours stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Remove bay leaves.  Add vegetables; cover and cook 30-45 minutes until vegetables are tender.  Add gravy and serve.

Gravy – Combine 1/3 c. water with 3 Tbl cornstarch.  Stir into hot stew.  Cook and stir until bubbly and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.  Serves six.

I add more spices and worcestershire than called for and a bit more cornstarch.