More Baking Cooking Homemade Recipes

by Hugh Dessereau

Last week I discussed some bread dishes. This week highlights some fresh cooking ideas (main dish, side dish, and appetizer). Before cooking dinner, let your imagination run wild. Do these homemade recipes remind you of something else you would like to try or does one of these strike a chord? Either way, enjoy your own brand of cooking kitchen magic.

Watermelon-Rind Preserves

Cut the green skin and red flesh from a watermelon and cut the rind into uniform pieces. Soak the pieces overnight in a solution of 10 tablespoons slaked lime (calcium hydroxide to your druggist) dissolved in 8 quarts cold water.

In the morning drain the watermelon rind and rinse it thoroughly in several changes of cold water. Cover it with fresh cold water; soak it for 3 hours, and drain.

Stir 2 tablespoons ground ginger into 4 quarts cold water and add the rind. Bring the water to a boil, cook the rind for 20 minutes, and drain again.

In a preserving kettle, combine 8 cups sugar and 3 quarts cold water. Add 2 lemons, sliced, and bring the syrup to a boil. Add the watermelon rind and simmer until the rind is clear and tender and the syrup is thick. Pack the rind into hot, sterilized canning jars, cover with the syrup, and seal at once.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

Remove the outer leaves from 1 large head of red or green cabbage. Cut it into sections and remove the hard core. Shred the cabbage and rinse it in cold water. Drain, but do not dry.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the cabbage, cover the pan, and cook for 10 minutes.

Peel and core 2 tart apples, cut them into thin slices, and add them to the cabbage with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup boiling water. Stir, cover, and simmer over a very low flame for about 50 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender, adding a little more water if necessary. Add 4 tablespoons brown sugar and 4 tablespoons red wine or 2 tablespoons vinegar. Simmer for 10 minutes longer, and serve hot.

Ragout of Beef á Anglaise

(aka a beef stew)

Cut 3 pounds of the top of the rump into slices about 1/8 inch thick and season the slices with salt and pepper. In a large skillet sauté the slices in hot beef fat or butter until they are golden brown on both sides. Arrange the slices side by side in a casserole.

To the juices in the skillet add 1 cup brown sauce and 1 cup brown stock. lf no brown sauce is on hand, use 1 cup tomato juice or sauce and 1 teaspoon beef extract. Bring the sauce to a boil, correct the seasoning, and add 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Pour the sauce over the meat.

Parboil 2 cups carrots, diced, for 5 minutes. Drain and add them to the casserole. Add.1 cup small white onions, browned in butter, and a fagot made up of 4 sprigs of parsley, 1 small bay leaf, a little thyme, and 1 branch of celery. Cover the casserole and cook in a moderate oven (4OO° F) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the casserole from the oven, let it stand for 10 minutes, and carefully remove the fat that rises to the surface of the ragout.

Arrange the slices of meat in a ring on a warm serving platter, put the vegetables in the center and pour the sauce over all. Sprinkle with 1 cup cooked green peas.

Crab Meat Canapé Swiss Chalet

(Appetizer Dip)

In an electric mixer whip 3/4 pound cream cheese and 1/2 cup heavy cream until the mixture is smooth. Add a pinch of salt and beat in 1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise. Add 1 tablespoon minced onion, 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives, and 1 clove of garlic, minced, and blend well. Fold into the sauce 1/2 pound shredded back-fin crab meat, which has been marinated in a little lemon juice for 1 hour. Add a few drops of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce and serve on toast or crackers.

***