"providing you with recipes to help make you the best cook in the neighborhood"

 Cella's News

November 2009

http://cellascookbook.com

My Christmas Message to You

I have a list of folks I know, all written in a book,

And every year at 
Christmas time, I go and take a look.

And that is when I realize that these names are a part

Not of the book they're written in, but of my very heart!

For each name stands for someone who has crossed my path sometime,

And in that meeting they've become the "rhythm of the rhyme . . ."

And while it sounds fantastic for me to make this claim,

I really feel I am composed of Each Remembered Name.

And while you may not be aware of any special link,

Just meeting you has shaped my life, more than you can think.

For once you've met somebody, the years cannot erase

The memory of a pleasant word or of a friendly face.

So never think my Christmas card is just a mere routine

Of names upon a Christmas list, forgotten in between.

For when I send a Christmas card that is addressed to you

It's because you're on the list of folks that I'm indebted to.

For you're part of the total of the many folks I've met

And you happen to be one of those I prefer not to forget.

And whether I have known you for many years or few,

In some way you have had a part in shaping things I do.

Every year when Christmas comes, I realize anew

The biggest gift that life can give is meeting folks like you!

Merry Christmas to each one of you.  If you have been enjoying this column, please drop the Springville Journal a Christmas Card and tell them thanks.  The recipes this month are easy to make and will free the cook to spend some quality time with the family.  The addition of salsa to the corned beef hash is a nice surprise taste and the hash looks great topped with a poached egg.  Visit foodwishes.com to see this dish being prepared.  I'm a recent convert to raw spinach salad as made by thepioneerwoman.com.  The raw spinach is topped with fried red onions, fried mushrooms, and crumbled bacon.  Then it is tossed with hot bacon dressing (3 tablespoons bacon grease, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and a dash of salt), and topped with slices of boiled eggs.

Two-Layer Fudge
(Bryan Bower)

Bottom Peanut Butter Layer:
12-oz. package peanut butter chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 can vanilla frosting

Top Chocolate Layer:
12-oz. package semi-sweet chocolate or milk chocolate chips
1 can chocolate frosting

Bottom Layer:  Melt peanut butter chips in the microwave (stirring every 10 seconds until melted) or in a double boiler.  Stir in peanut butter and vanilla frosting until smooth.  Pour into a 13x9x2-inch buttered baking pan.  Top Layer:  Melt semi-sweet chocolate or milk chocolate chips, stir in chocolate frosting.  Spread on top of Peanut Butter Layer.  Refrigerate for one hour.  Remove and cut into 2-inch squares.

Marianne's Traditional Shortbread
(Moira Maloney)

1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup cornstarch
3 cups flour
1 pound (2 cups) butter at room temperature (no substitutes)
red and green glace cherries, as desired

Sift dry ingredients.  Cut in butter,  then knead until mixture holds together, mix in cherries.  Divide dough into four balls.  Roll each ball into a column on a lightly floured surface . Wrap each column in wax paper and chill until firm (about 1 hour).  When firm, use a sharp knife to slice into cookies about 1/8 inch thick.  Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes.  Tip:  Do not let the cookies get brown in oven as they tend to crumble. Recipe makes 6 dozen.  Store in airtight container.  They freeze well too.

This recipe makes two dozen cookies.  You can fit one dozen on each cookie sheet.  While one batch is baking, you can prepare the next.

Dough:
4 cups all-purpose white flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
2 cakes or 2 packages yeast
2 1/2 sticks butter (no substitutes)
3 large eggs, separated (reserve egg whites for filling)
1 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream

Filling:
reserved 3 large egg whites
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup ground nuts
1 to 2 cups confectioners sugar for rolling and coating

Dough:  Sift together flour and salt.  Place in a large mixing bowl.  Crumble in yeast and butter, working with fingers until butter is mixed throughout and resembles crumbs.  Mix in EGG YOLKS, vanilla, and sour cream.  Work into a smooth dough.  Divide dough in 4 equal-size balls and refrigerate.  Filling:  With clean beaters, in a medium-size mixing bowl, beat reserved egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff; gradually beat in sugar. Mix in vanilla and nuts.  Assemble butter horns:  Sprinkle a light layer of confectioners sugar on a wooden cutting board or parchment paper, and roll out each ball, one at a time, in a 9-inch circle.  Cut each circle into 6 equal pie-shape wedges (a pizza cutter works great for this).  Place a heaping teaspoons of filling in each triangle, spreading out slightly.  Starting with the large end, roll butter horns to the point of the triangle, slightly curving into a crescent shape.  Place up to 12 butter horns on a cookie sheet with parchment paper (or lightly greased).  Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle butter horns with confectioners sugar.  Cool on wire rack.

Shredded Savory Pork (Crock pot Recipe - 10 hours)
(Josh Bower)

2 - 3 pounds boneless pork roast
2 large onions, quartered
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Corned Beef Hash (Internet Recipe: foodwishes.com)
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 pounds cooked corn beef, finely diced
1 1/2 pounds cooked white potato, quartered, cooked 15 minutes, finely diced
1/4 cup roasted tomato salsa
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 bunch green onions (white chopped; save green for garnish)

Combine all ingredients above in a hot frying pan over medium heat.  Cook and turn four or five times until the meat is crisp.  Serve topped with poached egg and slivers of green onion top.