My 8-year old god-daughter, Lauren, has an over-the-top shopping gene so it didn’t really surprise me when her mother told me one night this week that they were baking Christmas cookies together and when I asked her what kind she said Lauren wanted to make Nieman Marcus cookies.

If you’re not familiar with the legend of this recipe, it’s a fun read at Snopes.com .

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds).
• Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds. 
• In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips. 
• Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie.
     
  Yield:   2 dozen cookies

If you’re trying to figure out what to serve for Christmas dinner, this would be spectacular. Glo says this is easy to do and unbelievably delicious and impressive.

Olive Oil cooking spray
8 celery ribs rinsed
1 ( 3-4 ) rib roast ( 41/2 Lbs. approx. )
         TIP: Buy the small end, as it will be more tender and will have less fat!
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1/4 C onion, diced
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 14-oz. can beef broth
16 oz. fresh whole mushrooms (rinsed)
 

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat 9 x1 3 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Cut celery into 7 inch ribs. Lay across center of dish; place roast on top. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onions and garlic.
• Add broth and mushrooms around roast. Bake 2 1/2 hours or until internal thermometer reaches 145 for medium-rare up to 170 for well-done. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serve.
   
  Note: The Au Jus is terrific!

This classic recipe is from a cookbook I owned back in the early 70’s and I’ve used it regularly ever since.  When I serve it to guests who have told me in they don’t like casseroles, I simply tell them it’s Greek lasagna and they wolf it down. 

If you can’t find ground lamb in your meat department, and your butcher won’t grind it for you, use some partially frozen lamb shoulder or leg steaks and grind them using either the meat grinder attachment for your Kitchen Aid mixer or pulse in a food processor until it’s the consistency of ground beef.

MEAT SAUCE 

2 T butter or margarine
1 C finely chopped onion
1 1/2 lb. ground lamb
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce

2 eggplants (1-lb., 4 oz. size), washed & dried
salt
1/2 C butter or margarine

CREAM SAUCE
2 T butter or margarine
2 T flour
1/2 tsp salt, dash of pepper
2 C milk
2 eggs

1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C grated Cheddar cheese
2 T dry bread crumbs

• Make the meat sauce.  In hot butter in 3 1/2 qt. Dutch oven, saute onion, meat and garlic, stirring until browned, about 10 minutes.  Add herbs, spices and tomato sauce; bring to boiling, stirring.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 1/2 hour.
• Halve unpared eggplants lengthwise, and slice crosswise, 1/2″ thick. Place in bottom of broiler pan; sprinkle lightly with salt; brush lightly with melted butter. Broil, 4″ from heat, 4 minutes per side or until golden.
• Make cream sauce: In medium saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat, stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk gradually. Bring to boiling, stirring until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat. In small bowl, beat eggs with wire whisk. Beat in some hot cream-sauce mixture; return mixture to saucepan; mix well, set aside. Preheat oven to 350.
• To assemble casserole: In bottom of a shallow 2-quart baking dish (12″ x 7 1/2″ x 2″), layer half of eggplant; sprinkle with 2 T each grated parmesan and cheddar cheeses. Stir bread crumbs into meat sauce. Spoon evenly over eggplant in casserole, then sprinkle with 2 T each of Parmesan and cheddar cheeses. Layer the rest of the eggplant, overlapping, as before.
• Pour cream sauce over all. Sprinkle top with remaining cheeses. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden-brown and top is set. If desired, brown top a little more under broiler, about 1 minute. Cool slightly to serve.  Cut in squares.

Makes 12 servings

This is an easy, do-ahead, delicious pork roast, perfect for entertaining. I like it because I can pulse everything for the rub in the food processor, rub it on the pork, cover, refrigerate, and cook at my convenience.

1 Boneless pork roast, 2 to 3 lbs.
3 T softened butter
3-oz. finely chopped prosciutto
3 T finely minced garlic
3 T freshly minced rosemary (or 1 1/2 T dried)
freshly ground black pepper
2 T freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 C dry white wine

• Mix together butter, prosciutto, garlic, rosemary, and black pepper by pulsing in the small bowl of a food processor and set aside (can be made in advance and refrigerated up to one day, but warm to room temperature before proceeding).
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cut slits about an inch or so long and a half inch or so deep all over the top of the roast.
• Spread the butter mixture over the roast, working to get it into the slits you made earlier - very important.
• (At this point you can wrap roast in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight and up to 1 day).  Put prepared roast in a roasting pan, pour wine slowly over it, and cook for about 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the roast, basting about every 30 minutes or so with pan drippings.  I like to pull it when it reaches an internal temp of 135 and then let it rest under foil for about 15 minutes before serving.

My friends Les and Andrea are both wonderful cooks and an invitation to dinner at their gulf-front home is a guaranteed gourmet treat.  Les has spent a lot of time in Budapest recently and he brought this soup recipe back which he served to us the other night as a first course.  I was amazed.  This has such a deep, rich flavor you’d swear you were eating something slow simmered in beef but no - it’s just mushrooms.  This could be a full winter meal with just some crusty artisan bread on the side and a salad.

Many thanks to Les for sharing this terrific soup which I know I’ll be making quite often.

4 T unsalted butter
2 C chopped onions
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 t dried dill weed
1 T paprika
1 T soy sauce
2 C chicken broth
1 C milk
3 T all-purpose flour
1 t salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 t fresh lemon juice
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
1/2 C sour cream

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Saute the onions in the butter for 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more miutes.  Stir in the dill, paprika, soy sauce and broth.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk the milk and flour together.  Pour this into the soup and stir well to blend. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Finally, stir in the salt, pepper, lemon juice, parsley and sour cream.  Mix together and allow to heat through over low heat, about 3 to 5 minutes.  Do not boil. Serve immediately.

We have a lot of appetizer buffet get-togethers out here on the Cape and Andrea inevitably is asked to bring this flavorful favorite dish as her contribution.  They’re usually the first plate to disappear from the table, so those into arriving ‘fashionably late’ are sure to miss out!

1 stalk celery diced small
1 sm. onion diced small
1/2 small green pepper diced small
1/2 c dried bread crumbs
1 egg 1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp prepared mustard (I used Grey Poupon and would add more the next time)
1 tsp seasoned salt
2 c or 1 lb. crab meat  

• Use foil shells or clean and prepare 10 crab shells or use small baking dish.  Spray with Pam.  
• Saute celery, onion, and green pepper in pan with olive oil.  Cool.  
• Mix remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and then mix in sauted vegetables when they are cool.  Place in shells or baking container.  Brush with butter (I topped with fresh bread crumbs and butter). 
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

I like having this on an evening when we’ve been out on the bay sailing all day as it goes together in just a few minutes, perfect when all you want to do is stay kicked back and relaxed. 

4 chicken thighs w/skin & bones
flour seasoned with salt  pepper
2 T EVOO
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T tomato paste
1/2 t dried rosemary, crumbled
1/4 t dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 C dry white wine
2/3 C chicken broth
chopped fresh parsley for garnish
buttered egg noodles as an accompaniment, if desired

• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and dredge it in the flour, shaking off the excess.
• In a flameproof casserole heat the EVOO over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking.  In it brown the chicken and then transfer to a plate.
• Add to the casserole the onion, mushrooms, garlic, tomato paste, rosemary and thyme and cook over moderate heat, stirring, for 1 minute.  Return the chicken, skin side up, to the casserole; add the wine and broth, and bring to a boil.
• Braise the chicken, covered, in a pre-heated 400 oven for 20 minutes or until it is tender.
• Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve over hot noodles.  

Homemade stock is so much better than canned and wonderful to have on hand to throw together a quick bowl of soup. Your frugal side will enjoy using every last little bit of the bird. I keep a plastic bag in my freezer where I collect onion, celery and carrot trimmings (cleaned) to add to the stock pot next time I have a carcass on hand.
   
16  C water 
1  turkey carcass, bones, skin 
 leftover prepared stuffing 
1  large onion, in chunks 
2  stalks celery, in chunks 
2  carrots, in chunks 
2  bay leaves 
10  peppercorns 
4  T salt, to taste 
1/2  tsp dried thyme 
1  garlic clove, sliced 

• Break the carcass into pieces in a large stock pot. Add water, dressing, vegetables and peppercorns. Heat to boiling, skim off any foam on the surface, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 4 hours. Stir from time to time to make sure there aren’t any ‘hot spots’ scorching on the bottom.
• Add salt to taste as you go along, not all at once. After four hours, remove large chunks to a bowl and discard.
• Carefully drain stock through a colander lined with cheesecloth into a large mixing bowl.
• Ladle into freezer containers, cover and set in the fridge overnight.
• On the following day, skim off the fat that has congealed on top.   Cover the containers, label and date and freeze until needed.

My friend Pat and I enjoyed a girls afternoon out of day-after-Thanksgiving shopping in Apalach yesterday and we had lunch at my favorite restaurant over there, The Owl Cafe.  I’ve never ordered anything that wasn’t perfectly done, and the clam chowder they served was no exception.  I tracked down the recipe, picked up a sack of fresh clams at Seafood-2-Go and made a batch this morning. Every bit as good as the original.  

If you can find clams still in the shell by all means use them as they really add so much to the flavor of the broth, and since they pop wide open while simmering it’s no trouble at all separating the clam meat.   

3 1/2 C water
5 dozen cherrystone clams, scrubbed and rinsed
4 T unsalted butter
1/4 C all-purpose flour
2 to 3 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 carrots coarsely chopped
1/2 C coarsely chopped onion
2 small celery ribs, coarsely chopped
2 medium red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 1/2 C heavy cream or half and half
1 1/2 C milk
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t dried thyme

• Bring 2 cups of the water to a boil in a large soup pot.  Add half of the clams, cover and cook just until they open, 5 to 8 minutes; remove the clams to a platter as they open.  Return the water to a boil and repeat with the remaining clams.  Strain the clam broth through 4 layers of dampened cheesecloth to remove any sand or grit (or a strainer lined with a coffee filter; slow, but it works in a pinch if you’re out of cheesecloth); reserve 4 cups of the broth.  Remove the clams from the shells and coarsely chop them.
• In a skillet, melt the butter until foamy.  Add the flour and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until the roux is lightly golden, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, wipe out the soup pot.  Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly brown and crisp, about 6 minutes.  Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.  Add the carrots, onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes.  Add the potatoes, raise the heat to moderate and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water to the pot along with the reserved clam broth, the cream, milk, pepper and thyme. Simmer over low heat until the potatoes are just tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the roux and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Add the clams and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.  Laddle the clam chowder into soup bowls and serve piping hot.

Serve 8

If you just can’t wait until Thanksgiving for a taste of turkey, this quick and tasty recipe should tide you over.  Simple and satisfying; serve over either cooked noodles or rice.

2 t EVOO
4 turkey cutlets
1 shallot, chopped fine
8 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/3 C dry white wine i.e. Chardonnay
1 can  cream of mushroom soup
1 t dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 C water
several dashes of Worcestershire sauce

• In a large skillet, heat EVOO over medium heat.   Add cutlets and cook briefly, only 2 to 3 minutes per  side, or just until they lose their pink color.  Be careful not to over cook!
• Add shallot and mushrooms to skillet and cook about 5 minutes until tender. Add wine, stir and simmmer for an additional minute. Stir in soup, thyme, salt & pepper, water and several dashes of Worcestershire sauce. 
• Return the cutlets to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Turn cutlets over to coat, heat briefly just until heated through.  Remove from heat and serve over either cooked egg noodles or rice.