I have just started using our smoker. From what I have read the variety in
equipment is significant. Follow the basic instructions that came with your
smoker. You can adapt any marinade, rub or paste recipe to be used with the
smoker. If it is a water smaoker try varying the liquid that you use in the
pan. I often put herb prunnings or the stems from the fresh herbs that I
have cooked. Dried orange or lemon peels are good too. You can also use
onion skins, celery tops, any good garbage that will add aroma to the mix. I
work at home so it is easy for me to start the fire when the kids leave for
school, they catch a 7 am bus and ususally by dinner it is ready. I use dry
rubs because I like the way they taste and it takes less fussing during the
day. I put the meat in a plastic bag with the herbs the night before so that
the flavors can penetrate. Don’t know if it is better but it makes the
morning easier. As long as the fire stays going I have found I only have to
work with it every two hours or so. It is actually better if I don’t fuss
too much. Once during the day I will empty the fire pan into the Weber grill
and them use tongs to put the coals back in the fire pan and add fresh coals
and wood. I like fish, beef and pork the best. Chicken seems better to me on
the regular grill. It gets crunchier. For wood we use mostly found wood. The
prunnigs for a neighbors grape vine, my mother’s crabapple, an oak tree that
a neighbor cut down. Just don’t use any soft wood such as pine. Experiment
and have fun.

Kathy

HUMMUS BI TAHINI (CHICK PEA SESAME PUREE)

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Sauces

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 c Chick peas
3 c Water
1/3 c Tahini
1/2 c Lemon juice
2 Cloves garlic — crushed
Salt
—–FOR SERVING—–
Parsley — chopped
1 tb Olive oil
Paprika or cayenne pepper

1. Wash chick peas well, cover with the water and soak
for 12 hours or overnight. 2. Boil gently for 2 hours
in the water in which they were soaked, add 1 teaspoon
salt and cook until very tender, about 3 hours in all.
Drain and reserve some of the cooking liquid and 1
tablespoon of the peas. 3. Press peas through a sieve
or food mill, adding about 2 tablespoons of the
cooking liquid to separate the last of the peas from
the skins. 4. Slowly blend the tahini and most of the
lemon juice into the puree. 5. Crush garlic with 1/2
teaspoon salt in a mortar and add to puree. Adjust
flavour and consistency with lemon juice or cooking
liquid and add salt if necessary. Hummus should be
thick and smooth. 6. Spread in a shallow serving dish,
swirling it with back of a spoon. Pour olive oil in
centre and garnish with reserved chick peas, chopped
parsley and a sprinkling of paprika or cayenne pepper.
Makes 3 cups. Cooking time: 3 hours Blender or food
processor method: Puree peas to separate skins, add to
container or processor bowl with remaining
ingredients, holding back some lemon juice and salt to
adjust flavour. Blend or process until thick and
smooth. Note: Even if using a modern appliance the
chick peas must be separated from their skins for a
successful hummus.

Preparation time can be shortened by removing the
skins either after the initial soaking, or after
boiling.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

FRESH AND SMOKED SALMON PATE

Recipe By :=20
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Dips

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1/4 cup Heavy cream
1/4 cup Dairy sour cream
3 cups Cold water
1 Peeled and sliced thin
Carrot
1 Thin sliced small onion
1 Bay leaf
3 Thin lemon slices
1 Fresh red chili pepper
1 pound Fresh salmon fillets w/skin
4 Shallots fine chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons + 1/2 cup (1 stick)
Unsalted butter at room
Temperature
8 ounces Smoked salmon diced
2 tablespoons Lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/4 teaspoon White pepper
1 tablespoon Fine chopped fresh dill
Plus a few sprigs for
Garnish
6 tablespoons Clarified butter

Whish together heavy cream and sour cream in small bowl. Refrigerate.
Combine cold water, carrot, onion, bay leaf, lemon slices and chili pepper
in skillet large enough to hold the salmon fillets in one layer. Bring to
boiling; continue to boil 10 minutes. Lower to simmer. Add salmon, skin side
up. Simmer very gently over medium low heat until salmon is just cooked,
about 10 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove salmon from poaching liquid;
remove and discard skin. Cool completely. Saute shallots in the 1 1/2
tablespoon butter in small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden,
about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl of food processor. Add salmon, smoked
salmon and cream mixture to food processor. Puree until smooth. With
processor running, add remaining 1/2 cup butter, bit by bit, until smooth.
Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Fold in dill. Spoon mixture into 4 cup
souffle dish or decorative serving dish. Smooth top with rubber spatula.
Garnish with a few fresh dill sprigs, and a whole bay leaf and small sweet
red pepper strips, if you wish. Pour clarified butter over top of pate to
cover completely. Refrigerate 4 hours to set pate. NOTE: To clarify butter,
melt 6 tablespoon butter in saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat;
skim off foam from top. With small ladle, spoon clear liquid butter into a
dish, leaving milky solids behind. Discard milky solids. Use clear butter.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -=20

Tiramisu

Recipe By : Vince Tyler of Carlucci in Rosemont (Chicago), IL
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:30
Categories : Desserts Italian

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
3 tablespoons sugar
2 egg yolks
2 ounces cream cheese
5 3/8 ounces mascarpone cheese
3 teaspoons marsala wine
7 ounces heavy whipping cream — whipped
2 cups espresso or strong coffee
1 ounce additional marsala
2 tablespoons additional sugar
1/2 cup warm water
24 French-style ladyfinger cookies
3 tablespoons powdered sweetened cocoa mix

STEP ONE: Prepare Cream Mixture–
In an electric mixer, prepare cream mixture by whipping sugar and egg
yolks on high speed until pale yellow and thick. With mixer on medium
speed, add cream cheese and whip until smooth. Add mascarpone and
Marsala. Mix until incorporated. Fold in whipped cream. Refrigerate.

STEP TWO: Prepare Espresso Mixture–
To prepare espresso mixture, combine espresso, additional Marsala,
sugar, and warm water.

STEP THREE:
To assemble, dip ladyfingers in espresso mixture. Place one layer of
dipped ladyfingers on bottom of serving platter. Top with one layer of
cream mixture. Add another layer of dipped ladyfingers, topped with a
second layer of cream mixture. Sift cocoa over top.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Suggested Wine: Moscato d’Asti

Title: The Care and Feeding of Woks
Categories: Information, Ceideburg 2
Yield: 2 servings

1 Wok Information

This should answer all your questions about the care and feeding of
woks.

A Wok That Can Rust Is a Wok Worth Cleaning by Joyce Jue

Recently, a reader wrote asking if he should throw out his rusty wok
and start with a new one. Keep it! An old wok that can rust is a
wok worth owning.

Unless the cooking surface has deep pits from rust, a wok can be
cleaned and reseasoned. It should stir-fry better than when it was
new.

Wok Talk:

Why an I writing about woks again? Because the “rusty wok” question
is the one I’m most frequently asked, followed by: How do you season
a—-wok??

If you want to feel like a Chinese cook and produce dishes that taste
authentically Chinese, I highly recommend using a carbon spun-steel
or thin iron wok for stir-frying. Both require initial seasoning,
but regular use will maintain the seasoning and eventually produce a
shiny black patina finish.

Chinese cooks are persnickety about their woks. It takes time, care
and lots of cooking before a wok develops a patina that almost
impervious black coating found on well-used woks. The ultimate goal
is for the wok to impart wok hay, an elusive pan flavor and aroma
that is associated with Chinese restaurant dishes.

Actually, wok hay comes from cooking over extremely high heat in a
well-seasoned pan.

Finely Tuned Implement:

Once a wok imparts wok hay, it is respected like a finely-tuned
instrument.

A well-seasoned wok is almost non-stick. I often stir-fry vegetables
using just a thin film of surface oil.

As the patina builds up, less cooking oil is required.

A wok is quite sturdy. It stands up to high heat better than any
other cooking pan. It seems impervious to being banged or battered –
I have accidentally dropped mine down four flights of concrete stairs
and it came through intact with patina unscratched.

A wok’s worst enemies are soap and scouring pads – they’ll remove any
seasoning the wok has acquired.

Until a wok takes on a shiny, smooth, black patina, the initial
seasoning must be strengthened by frequent use of the pan, and
fortified by an occasional light re-seasoning.

There is no shortcut to achieving a perfectly seasoned wok. It comes
from use.

Seasoning: To season a new carbon spun-steel wok or to re-season an
old rusty wok, thoroughly scrub it inside and out with soap and a
steel wool scouring pad to remove the manufacturer’s protective
coating on a new wok, or the rust on an old one. Rinse thoroughly
with hot water. Some manufacturers apply a coating that is hard to
remove, so set the wok on the stove, fill it with water and boil it
for several minutes until the coating dissolves. Pour out the water
and scrub the surface clean with steel wool and soap.

Set the clean wok over high heat. Heat until a few drops of water
sprinkled into the wok immediately turn into dancing beads. While
the pan is heating, it will change from shiny steel gray to blue,
purple, red and, finally, black.

Dip several sheets of wadded-up paper towel into peanut or corn oil
and wipe the oil on the entire inside surface of the wok (you may
want to use long-handled tongs to hold the towels). Reduce heat to
low and let the wok sit over the heat for 15 minutes to absorb the
oil – the color changes will continue and, hopefully, the bottom of
the wok will darken. In time and with frequent use the entire wok
will turn black. if the surface looks dry, wipe with another thin
film of oil. Remove wok from the burner and let it cool.

Reheat the wok and repeat the oiling and heating process once more
before using it for stir-frying.

S.F. Chronicle, 9/18/91.

Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; December 13 1991.

MMMMM

Title: Mango Yogurt Parfait
Categories: Mangoes, Desserts, Yogurt
Yield: 2 servings

1 c Cubed mango pieces
1 c Vanilla low-fat yogurt
-(or peach-flavored without
-the fruit)

Layer mango cubes and yogurt into parfait glasses. Serve with a long
spoon and garnish with a mango cube and a sprig of mint.

Nutritional analaysis per serving: 158.9 calories; 1.6 grams total
fat; (1.0 grams saturated fat); 0.7 grams protein; 22.1 grams
carbohydrates; 6.5 milligrams cholesterol; 82.6 milligrams sodium.

MMMMM

Jicama-Black Bean Salsa

Recipe By : Stephan Pyles via The Dallas Morning News
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beans and Legumes Salsas
Southwestern Texas

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 cup black beans — cooked
1/2 cup jicama (peeled) — cut in 1/4″ dice
4 tablespoons mango — diced
2 tomatillos (husked) — rinsed and diced
1 small clove garlic — minced
1 medium red bell pepper — seed finely dice
1 medium yellow bell pepper — seed finely dice
2 scallions (white part only) — thinly sliced
2 serrano chilies — seeded and minced
2 teaspoons fresh cilantro — chopped
1/4 cup fresh corn kernels — roasted
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons vinaigrette dressig
salt — to taste

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl; mix well. Let sit for at least an
hour. Makes 4 servings.

Chef’s Notes: This recipe appeared in a recent Dallas Morning News column in
the Food Section. Chef Stephan Pyles is the chef/proprietor of Star Canyon
restaurant in Dallas and the author of the cookbook __The New Texas Cuisine__.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

TWINKIE PIE

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pies Desserts
Chocolate

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
Butter
9 Twinkies
3 Eggs; large — seperated
1 Dash of Cream of tartar
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
6 ounces Chocolate chips — semisweet
1 cup Pecans — chopped
1 cup Heavy cream — whipped

Grease pyrex square or rectangular casserole with butter. Cut 8 Twinkies in
thirds, LENGTHWISE, and put one layer on the bottom of the casserole. Beat egg
whites, with the cream of tartar and sugar, adding vanilla. Melt chocolate
chips in the top of a double boiler. Add egg yolks to chocolate, slowly,
continuing to stir over boiling water. Fold chocolate into egg whites. Spread
over Twinkies, then sprinkle with about half of the nuts. Layer on more
twinkies, more chocolate, more nuts. Continue layering. Top with whipped cream
and a single whole Twinkie. Chill and serve.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Title: Boston Baked Beans
Categories: Side dish
Yield: 4 servings

3 tb Teriyaki Marinade Sauce
— (Lite, Kikkoman)
3 tb Molasses
2 tb Brown sugar; packed
1/2 ts Instant minced onion
1/4 ts Dry mustard
1 cn Pork and beans (31 oz.)
— rinsed and drained
1/8 ts Liquid smoke

Combine first 5 ingredients in medium saucepan. Carefully stir in beans.
Bring to boil; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, gently stirring once. Blend
in liquid smoke; simmer 30 seconds longer.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Source: An American Cooking Tour Featuring Kikkoman Low-Salt Sauces
Reprinted with the permission of Kikkoman International Inc.
Electronic format courtesy of Karen Mintzias

—–

Peach Or Apricot Butter – Crock-Pot

Recipe By : Rival Crock-Pot Book
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Crockpot Peaches

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
4 Cans Peaches — 28 oz. cans, drained
3 C Sugar — or 4 to taste
2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Cloves
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Drain fruit and de-pit. Puree using blender or food processor. Pour in to
the crock-pot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover; cook on High 8 to 10 hours.
Remove cover during last half of cooking. Stir occasionally. Store in
refrigerator.

Variation: Fresh Peach or Apricot Butter – Wash, peel, pit and cook fruit til
soft. Add sugar when cooked [using /2 to 3/4 c sugar to each cup of fruit].
Add spices and cook as directed in recipes.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –