Anise-Pepper Liqueur

Ingredients:

1 quart (1 L) 80 or 100 proof vodka
2/3 cups sugar (or to taste)
6 whole star anise
8 whole black peppercorns, crushed
Combine all ingredients in a large bottle or glass jar. Let sit in a cool, dark location for 5 to 7 days, or longer. Taste daily, and when flavor has reached desired level of intensity strain and bottle.

Creamy Fresh Coconut Dessert

Yields: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 medium (1-3/4-pound) fresh coconut with lots of liquid inside
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons good-quality sweet or dry sherry
6 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons milk or whipping cream
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) sliced almonds
1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small bits
1. The coconut. Hull and peel the coconut as directed on page 341, reserving and straining the liquid. Grate the meat (it should be medium-fine).

2. Cooking the coconut. Measure the coconut liquid and add enough tap water to bring the total quantity to 1 cup. Place the grated coconut in a medium-size, heavy saucepan, store in the liquid and sugar and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the coconut becomes transparent (it will look almost candied) and the liquid has reduced to a glaze, 20 to 30 minutes longer, to evaporate its liquid, then remove from the fire.

3. Thickening the cocada. Beat the yolks with the milk or cream, stir in several tablespoons of the hot coconut, then carefully stir the warm yolk mixture into the coconut remaining in the pan. Return to medium -low heat and stir constantly until lightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Scrape the cocada into an ovenproof serving dish.

4. Browning the finished cocada. Spread the almonds onto baking sheet and toast in a 325 oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Shortly before serving, heat the broiler. Dot the cocada with butter, run under the heat and let brown for a minute or so. Watch carefully: The sugar in the cocada will caramelized very quickly. Strew with the toasted almond slices and the dessert is ready to serve.

Cook's Notes
Techniques Thickening the cocada: After the egg-yolk mixture goes into the hot coconut, make sure the heat under your pan isn't too high, or the yolks can curdle . In no case should the coconut mixture come near a boil.

Hints:
Coconut: Desiccated coconut is inappropriate here.
Timing and Advance Preparation
If you work quickly, the coconut can be prepared in 45 minutes (including the initial 15 minutes more and the cocada will be ready. It may be completed through Step 3, covered and refrigerated for 2 or 3 days. Let it warm to room temperature, then brown shortly before serving.

Beef Ragout

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb Top round, 1 inch thick
1 10 3/4 oz can Condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/4 c Dried minced onion
3 T Tomato paste
1/2 t Lemon pepper seasoning
2 c Small mushrooms, halved
9 oz Frozen Italian green beans
1/2 c Buttermilk
9 oz fettuccine
Trim fat from steak. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Spray a pan, heat over medium heat and cook the steak, half at a time, until brown. Place meat in a 3 1/2 or 4 quart crockpot. Combine soup, onion, tomato paste and lemon pepper in a medium bowl. Pour mixture over meat. Add mushrooms. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours (or high for 4 to 5 hours). Turn heat to high. Add frozen green beans and buttermilk. Stir, cover and cook for 30 minutes more. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine. Serve meat over fettuccine.

Zucchini Bars

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup chopped dates Or raisins
2 cups grated zucchini with peel -- drained
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 ounces cream cheese -- softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk Or as needed
Beat together eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Mix into egg mixture. Blend in dates or raisins, zucchini and nuts. Place into greased and floured 15x10x1" jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Icing: Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Blend in sugar, vanilla and milk. Add a little more milk if necessary to reach spreading consistency. Spread over cooled bars

Shepherd's Pie

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
4 - 5 large potatoes
6 Sliced mushrooms
Salt 2 tbsp Chopped parsley
2 tbsp Butter/margarine
1 tb Tomato paste
1 dash Milk/whipping cream
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch Pepper
1 cup Brown gravy
1 lb Lean ground beef
1 pkg (10-oz) frozen peas or 1 lb peas shelled
1 large Tomato chopped
Boil potatoes in salted water to cover. Drain, cool and peel. Mash in large bowl with butter, milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Saute beef until browned, stirring to keep meat crumbly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, parsley, tomato paste, worcestershire and gravy. Stir to mix. Add peas and cook about 5 minutes. Turn mixture into casserole. Spread potatoes evenly over meat. Bake at 400 degrees 40 minutes until top is crispy brown.

How Canning Preserves Foods

The high percentage of water in most fresh foods makes them very perishable. They spoil or lose their quality for several reasons:

growth of undesirable microorganisms- bacteria, molds, and yeasts, activity of food enzymes, reactions with oxygen, moisture loss. Microorganisms live and multiply quickly on the surfaces of fresh food and on the inside of bruised, insect-damaged, and diseased food. Oxygen and enzymes are present throughout fresh food tissues. Proper canning practices include:

carefully selecting and washing fresh food, peeling some fresh foods, hot packing many foods, adding acids (lemon juice or vinegar) to some foods, using acceptable jars and self-sealing lids, processing jars in a boiling-water or pressure canner for the correct period of time.

Collectively, these practices remove oxygen; destroy enzymes; prevent the growth of undesirable bacteria, yeasts, and molds; and help form a high vacuum in jars. Good vacuums form tight seals which keep liquid in and air and microorganisms out.

Chocolate-Covered Cherries

Yields: About 3 dozen

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 Tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 (8 oz. each) jars maraschino cherries with stems, well drained*
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons shortening
In mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, milk, and extract; mix well. Knead into large ball. Roll into 1 inch balls and flatten each into 2 inch circle. Wrap around cherries and lightly roll in hands. Place with stem up on waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and refrigerate 4 hours or over night. Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a double-boiler or microwave-safe bowl. Holding onto stem, dip cherries into chocolate; set on waxed paper to harden. Store in a covered container. Refrigerate 1-2 weeks before serving. The longer the candies sit the juicier the center will be.

*We have found that the cheap brand of cherries make a very dry cherry so you may not want to drain them much. If you end up with a dry filling store them on the counter for a week, which seems to help some.

Buttermilk Biscuit

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 fl oz unsalted butter, chilled, diced
7 fl oz buttermilk
1 Preheat oven to 350ºF(175ºC). Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor outfitted with a plastic blade. Pulse until well-blended. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 5 seconds.

2 Transfer mixture to a bowl and add the buttermilk.

3 Stir with a fork until it forms a dough.

4 Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a greased baking sheet, 1-inch apart from each other. The dough may also be spooned on top of savory fillings to form a crust. Bake until golden-brown, about 25 minutes.

Mexican Black Beans

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large jalapeño chili, seeded, chopped
1/2 teaspoon (generous) ground cumin
2 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
Fresh lime juice
Chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, chili and cumin and sauté 30 seconds. Add beans and broth and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Coarsely mash beans with potato masher. Continue boiling until thick, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with lime juice, salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Barbecued Salmon with Mango-Chile Sauce

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 eight-ounce salmon steaks, 1 inch thick
1 cup Southern Barbecue Dry Rub
1 1/2 cups Mango-Chile Sauce
1. Heat a charcoal grill until the coals are white-hot, about 30 to 40 minutes. Coat the salmon steaks with barbecue dry rub.

2. Grill steaks over a medium-hot fire, 4 to 6 minutes per side; sear crosshatched grill marks into each side by turning steaks 90 degrees halfway through cooking time. Check for doneness by making a small cut in center of each steak; fish should be opaque-pink in center. Top finished steaks with Mango-Chile Sauce, and serve.