Guilty Peasure : Brownies....

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Brownies Mix ( the kind with the Syrup pack)
Chocolate Pudding Mix
Kahlua or Coffee Liqueur
( if you don't drink Coca Cola)
2 eggs
Crushed Up MM's
Butterscotch Bits

Mix all like you normally would, but instead of water use the Kahlua or Coke. And add a third cup more liquid. Then cook in greased glass pan at 350 for about 40 minutes. Do Spread the mixture, and sprinkled the MM's and Bits across top and smooth in....Amaretto is also nice to try. Let cool for about 2 hours before eating. Brownies should be fudgey, not cake-like.
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Tonight is the Saddleback Event for the Election...I am dreading it...so this will really help.

Hmmmmm, Hot Steamy Buns ( homemade)

Cucumber Cheese Soup

Cheese Cucumber Soup
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( serve with Garlic Bread)

2 English Cucumbers Sliced
one small container Sour Cream
1 Cup Vanilla Flavored Creamer ( less fat, but still seems creamy)
I package KNORRS Leak Soup( powder)
Half stick butter
I cup water ( add more if needed till consistancy creamy)
1 teaspoon Worstshire Sauce
1 teaspoon Honey Mustard
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Dash of Nutmeg

Cheese: shredded, Havarti, Sharp Chedder, Monterey,Smoked Goulda totalling One Cup, mix in even amounts, some can be bought already shredded.

Crabcakes....Baltimore Style

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Enigma Crab Cakes:
I have made these since I was a kid with my grandmother and greatgrandmother.....and then after waitressing in many Seafood Houses along the Atlantic Coast and tha Baltimore Harbor, I altered the receipe over the years.

WHAT YOU NEED:
Crab ( 16 oz. prepicked Lump and canned- Fresh)
One Mini Heinken
One tin of Old Bay Seasoning *Critical*
One Egg
Hungarian Paprika
Garlic Powder ( NOT salt)
Parmesan Cheese ( the powdery kind)
One jar of Mayo
Dijon Mustard
Box of Ritz Crackers
Buttered Glass baking pan

(1) In a bowl mix the Crab and even it's canned juices, with cup of mayo, 2 teaspoons mustard, and one tablespoon of Beer.
(2) In a seperate Bowl, Bowl A, crush up about 30 Ritz Crakers, nice and fine, then add a dusting of Old Bay, and some garlic powder, and some paprika...
(3) Now crush up some more crackers, about 20 and add them to the Wet mixture and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese( the powder kind), just sprinkle lightly.
(4) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
(5) Now take the crab and measure with your hands, and make balls gently molded with your hands.
(6) Once you have molded, then roll in Cracker Bowl until the ball is fully covered with crackers, then place in the baking pan.
(7) If mixture is too wet, don't be shy about adding crushed crackers to the Wet Bowl.
(8) Make the balls, and place in circle and in pan ,so there is space between to cook.Sprinkle more Old Bay lightly across the top.
(9) One can makes approximately 8 Crab Cakes.
(10) Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes.

Serve with salad, tomato aspic, potato salad, and garlic bread......and fruit...

* Background: This is a 4th Generation Baltimore Reciepe, handed down through the women of my family. Grandmother Flo taught me...she would stand in the kitchen and crack open a Heiniken and my grandfather would come and stand and nibble on the crackers and the crab and drink a beer, and she would put on Johnny Mathis and Nat King Cole and then they would slow dance while they baked....and I would sit and soak in the smell of the Baking Crab and Heiniken....Old Bay wafting on a warm summer night still melts my heart....
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8.11.08....Please make them this week and have a cold beer with them ...Toast Phelps and Baltimore !!!

Why Naked Sushi ?

(originally posted 7.16.08)

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Why Naked ? And did I mean Me or the Sushi ? I meant the Sushi....sorry. See here is the thing I was remarking to a friend that I can't eat Hot Food right now, spicy or temperature wise.( I have a Gatroeneritis thing going on....so the Some Changes were kind of in Order)...... And then I joked " Oh, gee , I am really really craving sushi right now, I guess it will have to be naked."

So I have been eating Cold Naked Sushi and Cold Rice Noodles all week, No Wasabi, No Horseradish, No Ginger.....but that one comment got me thinking about how much Food can be a Diversion, a Distraction.....an Escape. We are living through Dark Times right now, if we had a little snack shop on the corner to meet , we could share our snacks and Iced Cold Tea and food and Cooking Ideas....and yeah , Soulfood.

So let's meet here, and share Receipes and some Soulfood here.
We can have All Kinds of Food and Themes.

But for tonight....Some Sushi...the Best Soulfood around.
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Video treat: How to Make Sushi ( wonderful video)

Best Damn Cornbread

I am wandering around the Kitchen, and hungry to make something. Son is upstairs Not to Be Disturbed reading the New Harry Potter.I have Sophie Hawkins on, and I am humming, which means I will only offend my deaf dog. So here is my Gift to you tonight, a little Cornbread....passed down countless generations of Kentucky women served with Chili, or Soup, whatever your heart desires.And here is some Sophie for you, singing one of her best "Damn" songs....and fellas tell me is a girl in faded old jeans hot or not ? It doesn't matter....cuz with old jeans and cornbread on a Saturday Night you can't go wrong.

Cornbread:
Cornbread Mix ( sue me it works great when doctored-better than some fluffyass Martha Stewart reciepe). Jiffy is great, or others that have low Sodium and also be aware that some of the brands have more corn meal and can be gritty.....add some pastry flour for lighter cornbread.

Cornbread:
Cornbread Mix ( sue me it works great when doctored-better than some fluffyass Martha Stewart reciepe)
Can Creamed Corn-use .5 or more of can- not too runny.
Brown Sugar 2tables
Paprika- smidge
Cinnamon-smidge and sprinkled on top
Nutmeg -smidge
Maple Syrup- 1 tsps.
Evaporated Milk-1 tablespoon
one egg
water .5 to 3 quarters cup

Mix it all together, and it should be somewhat thick- like cement, slightly lumpy, but still smooth. Bake in a buttered pan, a cake pan and set oven to 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Eat hot- have butter ready.Great withPumpkin Butter or Apple butter. If Granny Ethel made it and you complained it was TOO Dry, she would serve you a shot of Bourbon and tell you to shut up. ( Yup, she was raised by moonshiners and rummrunners-all class).

Best Enigma Chili

Big old Pot.
4 cans of Chili Beans
1 Pound of Ground beef
1 spanish onion ( chop finely)
1 sweet red onion
1 red pepper ( small)
1 green pepper ( small)
1 quarter cup banana peppers chopped

In a Frying Pan brown up the following, the ground beef and add in the chopped onions and peppers. And one Beer ( I reccomend Heinken ). Sprinkle Hungarian Paprika, Sea Salt, Cayenne Pepper, one tablespoon of Wasabi Sauce, one tablespoon of dijon mustard, one tablespoon of Worstshire sauce, and Chili Pepper as much as you want. And of course Black Pepper and Garlic Powder.For some reason Wet Rainey Nights are the best nights to fix up a big batch of Chili.

Once the beef and peppers are all browned and throw it all in the Big Pot with the 4 cans of beans and simmer for about 40 minutes.

Serve with Cold Beverage and Garlic Bread......Enjoy...Share with a Fireman. ( the story that goes with this- is about Firemen, posted Sept 26,2007 on Watergate Summer).

Enigma Pancakes....

I make the Best Pancakes, seriously, Everyone Knows it, my family, friends and neighbors. So enjoy....I use the Best Mix I can find, the flour has to be light and Not Clumpy- this is critical, and it has to be low Sodium, less than 20%.Belgian Waffle mix tends to have less Sodium and also works great.

2 cups Pancake Mix
2 eggs
NO FEAR Energy Drink -2 tablespoons
( it has just enough Fizzz to activate the Baking soda in the Mix,
Gingerale also works ....)
Brown Sugar- One tablespoon
Vanilla 2 tsps.
Cinnamon-sprinkle
White Sugar-One tablespoon
Sour Cream -one tablespoon
Cream-two tablespoon
Water -half cup

Blend this all smooth, and creamy and then use an old teacup to pour pancakes in the pan,
they should be saucer sized....grease pan with Almond or Olive oil first, then use butter
between rounds of cakes....Never put the lid on- unless you want greasy cakes.And yes, Do
Use REAL Maple Syrup, Vermont is the best. Eat up..Happy Sunday.
Labels: Best Pancakes in the World

Pineapple Pizza and Jimmy Buffet

( Stolen from July over at Watergate Summer....learned how to make this living on Sanibel Island and listening to Jimmy Buffet)
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PINEAPPLE PIZZA....( white fish too)
Pop'N'Fresh Pizza Dough
Hidden Valley Dressing( 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons Sour Cream
2 lemons
Cilantro ( fresh sprigs)
Sweet Basil ( full leave, fresh)
Cucumber( one half- quater inch slices)
Fresh Pineapple( thin chunks)
Fresh Orange slices ( navel, seedless, one whole orange).
Fresh Sweet garlic finely minced
* Fish - in Florida Grouper if available, or any white Fish precooked with lots of butter and capers.

Spread the Dough out in pan, across the top spread the sour cream and dressing across the dough. The add the garlic- spread lightly across the chopped vegis. Now I did figure out this summer that Boboli Pizza Rounds are also wonderful to cook this on and you don't have to experience any Dough Anxiety......

Now for the cheese; grate and slice, Mozzarella, and some farmers cheese, and you can also add some white sheep cheese.

Across the top sprinkle some Mrs Dash.......cook for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Soup

( there is a whole story that goes with this over at Watergate Summer,
about losing an English Lover....10.05.07 )
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PUMPKIN SOUP
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Big pan on stove.
1 large can Pumpkin Pie filling
One Frozen Box of Squash
1 cup International Delight Pumpkin Pie Coffee Creamer
1 cup regular cream
1 tablespoon coffee
half stick butter
half cup orange juice
spices:
Hungarian Paprika-1 tsp
Tumeric-smidge
Black Pepper-smidge
Sea Salt-sprinkle across top
Curry-2 tsp.
Ginger-smidge
Chili Powder (optional) smidge
brown sugar- 2 tsps.
Hot Coco-2tsps.
lemon zested over the top
orange zested over the top.

Heat on low, stir gently.Cook for about 20 minutes, serve with dollup of sour cream and sprig of fresh cilantro.Enjoy.

Chedder Cheese Soup

CHEDDER CHEESE SOUP.....
One block of Sharp White Chedder (shredded)
One Block of Monterrey Jack (shredded)
6 Oz. Low fat Amarretto Coffee Creamer ( you can use real Cream if you want)
1 cup Milk
Half Stick Butter (unsalted)
(Mix all in a Soup Pan, stir over low heat, nice and slow .)
Then add :
3 tsps. Worstshire Sauce
Hungarian Sweet Papricka-sprinkle
Dash Of Old Bay
Nutmeg- Sprinkle on top
Smidge of Sherry for taste
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1 Cup Mushrooms ( Caps chopped)
One Small Spanish Onion
One small red onion
Sautee in a seperate pan,drain and then add to soup.

Stir the Soup over a low heat. Serve in a hearty big bowl, sprinkle some fresh cut cilantro and throw on a couple of croutons.Soup for Two....great with Bisuits or warm bread.

COLD COMFORT SOUP....

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So this week across the Country the heat is staggering....there is no way that any of us should be cooking or slaving over a hot stove. Growing up my grandmother used to make soups...Cold Soups. They were so soothing . I would sit in her living room, wet from running in the sprinkler, curl up on her back porch with her dog and a bowl of wonderful soup. She would place a nasturium on top.

So if you have a Cold Soup that you love please share in the Comments....let's have some soup.

Mix in Large Cuisinart Bowl ( blend til Smooth)
Bolthouse Protein Vanilla Chai -Full 16 bottle
I small container Plain Yogurt
1 Avocado (puree)
2 Banana ( crushed)
1 Can Coconut Milk
dash of Nutmeg
dash of cinnamon
dash of dill
1 tablespoon brown sugar

After this is All Smoothly blended,
Slice nickel thin English Cucumber wedges, and
place in soup.

Set if Frig for over 2 hours to chill.
When serving place a sprig of Cilantro,
and dash of Lemon zest on the top of the bowl.

*** Information***
Bolthouse Perfectly Protein Vanilla Chai is a smooth blend of soy protein, brewed green tea, and chai spices all naturally sweetened with a subtle hint of vanilla. In addition to energizing the body with a heart-healthy supply of protein, this delicious drink is brimming with nutrients like Vitamin C, B6 and B12, iron, zinc, magnesium, 18 amino acids, and 37 grams of isoflavonoids per serving. Only the best ingredients go into our beverages, and the same should go for your body.

Pear Crunch....

Pear Crunch
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4 Big Juicy Pears
1 Cup Juicy Seedless Red Grapes
Chop all fruit and peel and chop the Pears, place in a buttered pan.

Mix the following dry ingredients in a bowl and
scatter over the fruit.
1 Cup Flower.
Half Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup regular sugar
1.5 cups Granola
spices:clove, nutmeg,cinnamon,pumpkin pie spice- quarter tsp each.
mix and cover the fruit.

Creamy Drizzle:
Pumpkin Pie flavored Creamer ( or Amaretto) half cup drizzled over the pan,
after it has cooked for 15 minutes.
and then cook for 15 minutes more at 350 degrees.