From Chef Ike's Kitchen to Yours

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Contents

Introduction.........................................1Chapter 1. Appetizers and Snacks.....................3Chapter 2. Salads and Dressings......................23Chapter 3. Soups and Stews...........................41Chapter 4. Breads....................................61Chapter 5. Seafood...................................81Chapter 6. Poultry...................................99Chapter 7. Meats.....................................117Chapter 8. Side Dishes...............................139Chapter 9. Sweet Treats..............................163Chapter 10. Beverages................................187Chapter 11. Basics...................................195Acknowledgments......................................211Abbreviations........................................213Volume Measurements..................................215Index................................................217

Chapter One

Spinach Artichoke Dip 4 Benedictine (Cucumber) Sandwich Spread 5 Baked Pimento Cheese Dip 6 Corned Beef Reuben Balls 7 Italian-Fried Cauliflower 8 Spicy Buffalo Wings 9 Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms 10 Crustless Quiche Bites 11 Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie) 12 Hot Crab Dip with Sherry 14 Jelly Sauce Meatballs 15 Spicy Sausage Balls 16 Middle Eastern Cucumber Dip 17 Poppy Seed Fruit Dip 18 Pesto-Baked Oysters or Clams 19 Spinach Roulade with Virginia Ham Filling 20

Spinach Artichoke Dip

This recipe has been a country club favorite for years. I first learned about it while living in Cleveland, Ohio, where I had it at a church football party. Everybody went crazy over the dip.

1. With an electric mixer, combine the sour cream, cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

2. Mix until well blended.

3. Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix until evenly blended.

4. Place the mixture into a greased baking pan, and bake at 350°F till bubbly. Timing will range from thirty to sixty minutes, depending on the size of your baking dish and the quantity you are making. (Note: The larger the baking dish, the longer the cooking time.)

5. Serve with crisps or toasted breads.

Variations:

You may add garnishes, such as pimentos, or add a crust to the top by sprinkling it with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Add some zing to your dip by adding Dijon mustard, Cajun seasoning, or white pepper.

Benedictine (Cucumber) Sandwich Spread

Every country club and caterer in the South has a variation of this recipe. This is classic is always present at teatime in your better Southern tea houses.

1. Place the grated cucumber in a clean cloth and squeeze out the excess liquid. Place the cucumber in a bowl.

2. Add the cream cheese, onion flakes, seasoned salt, and hot pepper sauce. Mix well.

3. Add enough mayonnaise to give it a good spreading consistency.

4. Add green food color, then mix well until a pale light green. Chill for at least four hours to blend the flavors.

5. Use this mixture as a sandwich spread or as a dip for crackers.

Baked Pimento Cheese Dip

This recipe is a favorite party dip that I learned from Bill Hockenberry, a restaurant owner in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was a retired sailor who decided to go into the restaurant business.

Mix the ingredients together and place in a baking dish. Bake at 350°F until the mixture is bubbly and the top has a browned crust. The times will vary depending on your oven and the size of the baking dish, usually between forty-five and seventy-five minutes. Serve with crackers or toast triangles.

Corned Beef Reuben Balls

This is a favorite hot appetizer around the holiday season and at sports get-togethers. The meatballs can be made ahead of time, frozen, and then thawed and fried just before serving.

1. Sauté the onions in butter. Add the corned beef and cook until hot.

2. Add the flour to coat the onions and beef. This will cause the mixture to thicken. Add the sauerkraut, mustard, and beef stock. Cook the mixture until it becomes very thick and forms a paste. Spread the paste on a sheet pan and chill.

3. Mix the cheese into the chilled paste. If the paste is too loose, add bread crumbs to bind it.

4. Form the paste into one-inch balls. Dip the balls in an egg wash and roll them in bread crumbs.

5. Fry at 350°F until golden brown. Serve hot.

Italian-Fried Cauliflower.

I learned this recipe while working at Sabatini's Restaurant in Niles, Ohio, from Grandma Sabatini herself. It works as a great first course or as an interesting side dish.

1. Thaw cauliflower.

2. Make a batter of eggs, Parmesan cheese, water, garlic powder, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.

3. Dust cauliflower with flour and dip into egg-cheese batter. Deep fry at 375°F until golden brown.

4. Drain and serve with lemon wedges and hot marinara sauce.

Spicy Buffalo Wings

As I hope you know, buffaloes do not have wings. The name comes from the town in New York where they were invented.

1. Make the sauce: Combine sauce ingredients. Mix, chill, and1. reserve.

2. Prepare chicken drumettes: There are two ways to cook the drumettes. The first way is to deep fry them in 375°F oil until the juices run clear. The second way is to bake them on a baking sheet at 425°F for thirty minutes.

3. Combine hot sauce, butter, and seasoned salt. Mix well, and toss with chicken wings. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425°F for ten minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and serve with sauce and celery sticks.

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Crabmeat and mushrooms are always a winning combination. These freeze very nicely and can be cooked to order as needed. At the holidays, I always keep these in my freezer for unexpected guests.

1. Clean mushrooms quickly under cold water, remove stems, and dry tops. Leave caps whole. Chop and reserve stems to use later in stuffing.

2. Heat (first portion) butter, onions, and mushroom stems until onions are transparent. Cool.

3. Combine onions, chopped mushroom stems, crabmeat, lemon juice, parsley, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix and stuff into mushrooms caps.

4. Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese and sprinkle on stuffed mushroom caps. Place in a sided baking dish.

5. Sprinkle with melted butter and place dry wine in bottom of baking dish.

6. Bake at 350°F for twenty-five to thirty-five minutes.

Crustless Quiche Bites

This quick appetizer is a great way to use what you have on hand in the refrigerator. The fillings are changeable—your imagination and taste are the only limitations.

1. In a food processor combine the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, flour, onion powder, and salt. Blend until smooth.

2. Spray nonstick mini-muffin tins and place shredded cheese evenly in bottom.

3. Pour blended...