Buckeyes from the Buckeye State

I am originally from Ohio.  As any Ohio State fan knows, Ohio is the Buckeye State.  I think that with your birth certificate, you are issued this recipe...........

Buckeyes

2 sticks margarine or butter
2 cups peanut butter (I prefer to use extra crunchy for texture but you can use smooth if you prefer)
1 box (1 lb) confectioners sugar

mix well.  Make balls, the size of marbles - refrigerate1 hour or so on wax paper.

Melt semi sweet chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, add a little bit of wax(parafin) to make the chocolate shiny.
with a toothpick, dip each ball into the chocolate to cover all but a little circle around the toothpick.  Put back onto the wax paper and put into the refrigerator to harden ............these little candy/cookies melt in your mouth and are a holiday favorite for all who taste them!

Corn Stuffing Balls - the root of all things Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has always been a favorite holiday of mine.  When we were kids, my sister came across this recipe and made it...........it has become a family tradition.  We enjoyed Corn Stuffing Balls this  year as we always do...........next year you can add it to your repetoire too!

Gina's Corn Stuffing Balls

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup butter or margarine
13 oz can creamed corn
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon pountry season
1/4 teaspoon tyme

8 oz bag prepared corn stuffing (Peppridge Farm)
3 egg yoks\1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

put first 8 ingredients into a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Pour over the bread stuffing, add 3 egg yolks and stir so eggs don't cook.  let cool - shape into 12 balls.  put into baking dish, drizzle with 1/2 cup butter or margarine and bake uncovered for 1/2 hour at 350.

Aunt Agnes' Fruit Squares

Childhood memories grow richer with age.  I often think back to our first little house on Clifton Drive where our neighbors were part of our family. 'Aunt' Irene across the street, 'Aunt' Agnes and 'Uncle' Andy next door.  Aunt Agnes was from Ireland, Andy from Scotland...........both mystical places for our little Italian family.  Aunt Agnes had a repetoire of many Irish specialties....one of our favorites were Fruit Squares which I still make to this day.  The memories flood back....it is comfort in every bite. 

1 box currants
1 box mincemeat
2T sugar
1T cornstarch
pie crust - 2  ( use the Pilsbury refrigerated pie dough...I just roll them out to the shape that I need)
sprinkle of sugar

Place 1 box currants and 1 box mincemeat in a sauce pan.  Cover with water.  Add 2T sugar.  Bring to a boil, lower and let simmer 10 minutes.  Add 1T cornstarch.  Thicken mixture and let it cool.

Line a small rectangular metal tray with pie dough.  Spread cooled filling mixure on top (fruit squares are about 3/4" -1" deep).  Cover with second pie shell.....make holes in top crust.  Bake at 375 until crust is slightly browned (about 30 min).  Sprinkle some sugar on  top while still hot .  Let cool.  Cut into 2" or 3" squares. 

Quick Marinara sauce

Sometimes when you come home from work, only the satisfying flavor of a bowl of pasta can soothe your days worries away.  Penne, capellini, tortellini......any of these will do.  I usually prefer a white sauce, but on certain occasions, only the comfort of a red sauce will do. 

I make a very quick Marinara sauce.  I just cannot fathom opening a jar of sauce for those fast meals when it only takes 15 minutes to make a quick sauce..........

2 cans Redpack crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic - crushed
oregano
basil
black pepper
red pepper flakes
a pinch of sugar or honey
a bit of red wine
2 bite sized carrots
2 tablespoons chopped vidalia onion

in a saucepan, heat the oil- brown the garlic slightly, add onions and chopped carrots and saute for a few minutes.  Add the crushed tomatoes.  Add all other seasonings, and wine and let cook for about 15 minutes. 

By the time you boil water for your pasta, your sauce is ready to eat.  This is a light sauce - just enough to have a 'red sauce' fix.........Bon Apetit!!

Crocodile Bread from Nonna Maria

Every special occasion during my childhood had a crocodile.  My Nonna Maria would make homemade bread and shape it into the most amazing crocodile.  She had an artistic flare that was so evident in her baking.  Each loaf was a work of art.  I can still smell the yeasty dough rising....the simple pleasures of childhood. 

After her death, I realized that I had never learned this fine art.........so I called my Uncle Ray to see if he had learned the secret tradition of the crocodile............of course he was an authority. 

Bread

2 cups water
1 envelop yeast
1/4 cup sugar
5 cups flour
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon salt

You will need long pointed scissors, and a tall glass filled with oil to dip the scissors into.  You will also need a few pieces of foil

in small bowl, put sugar and water (water should be a bit warm) - add yeast and let proof for about 15 min. 
put 4 cups of flour in a bowl, add proofed yeast, salt and oil.......mix...then pour out onto a well floured board and knead the dough........keep adding flour (about a cup) until it feels elastic and smooth...... put dough in a warm place to rise for about an hour.

punch down bread
divide the dough into 3 pieces, 2 small cylinders (8" long, shape like a pepperone) and 1 larger piece to form the body.

place the 2 cylinders about 5" apart in the middle of a cookie sheet.  with the oil dipped scissors, make 4 cuts into the end of each cylinder to form 'fingers' (long thin cuts about 3/4" long)

Over the cylinders you will place a long tapered shape.  the head end should be about the width of a waterglass, the other end should taper into a thin tail about the width of your finger - lay across the leg pieces, curl tail section around like a comma.  At the big end cut horizontally 1/2 way to form jaws 94 or 5 incles deep).  Oil thoroughly - form a wedge with some crumbled foil to hold the mouth open.  cover bottom jaw with smooth foil, insert the wedge to keep mouth open.  Bottom jaw sill be larger than the top because of the baking.......

make 2 small slits for eyes - with scissors pointed toward the tail, make V cuts - insert raisins if you want, or just small balls of dough- to form eye balls.  Also make small slits at end of snout to form nostrils.

with scissors facing nose, make rows of V cuts.  ring around the neck, below the eyes, keep going to the end of the tail to form 'scales'.  make smaller cuts on each of the legs  to also give them texture. 

make teeth - 1-1/2" long bits of dough - you can insert these in after baking with toothpicks.

Brush all over with an egg yolk glaze (egg yolk with a little water).  Bake in 350 oven  for about 40 minutes. 

Crocodile will rise again as it is baking, but it should just fill in and really look like a crocodile when you are finished. 

This has become a Christmas tradition.  I will make this with my niece..........

Mom's Spare Ribs

Few recipes can conjure up memories like Mom's Spare Ribs.  This incredible dish was the centerpiece of  conversation at many cocktail parties and family gatherings.  The gooey carmelized coating seemed to put everyone into a state of nirvana.........I have never come across anyone who did not like these ribs.  The secret is to have the butcher cut a rack of baby backs into 3 sections horizontally so that you have tiny little 1-1 1/2" ribs.   The are little explostions of taste and easy to pop into your mouth.  You do need to serve with a dish though....there is always a pile of bones, the score card of the eaters appetite!

cut ribs into 1 - 1 1/2" pieces and place into a large roasting dish.
generously sprinkle with brown sugar
generously sprinkle with freshly crushed garlic
generously sprinkle with molasses
generously sprinkle with soy sauce. 

sorry folks, but I don't have measurements for these things.....they just generously cover the ribs.  the balance is something that you may  have to experiment with.............I like a rich garlickly flavor...the molasses and brown sugar create the carmelized goo..........the soy sauce offsets the sweetness with the perfect salty match.

bake ribs for 1 hour....let set for about 15 minutes for sauce to thicken a bit.


serve with rice...or by themselves...............ah......................the smell alone will make you a convert!

Roasted Peppers

When we were kids, mom did all kinds of canning.  One of my favorites was always roasted red peppers.  Mom modernized this process by cooking the peppers on the grill, our gas grill.  Once the peppers were nice and charred, we would put them on a tray and cover them with a wet dish towel and let them steam.  The smell is amazing................there is something so earthy and rich about the aroma of a pepper.    Once the peppers are steamed, the skin will separate from the flesh of the pepper............peel them and discard the skin.  In a bowl, put the roasted peppers (you may want to cut them into strips, or smaller pieces) and cover them with a good olive oil.  Add a little parsley and garlic........and let them sit for just a little while to absorb the flavors.  Roasted peppers are the perfect addition to any sandwich, or just as a side dish to almost any meal. 

ahhh....the aroma still brings back memories of sandwiches of crusty Italian bread, peppers and some nice parmesean shaved on top..................