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***Weekly Cooking Thread Ping List***
(to be added/deleted - please post here or PM me)

Recap of last week’s thread:(Oct 15th)

Appetizers/Sandwiches __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 04 Redneck Sushi
Appetizers/Sandwiches __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 10 Olive Cheese Balls
Appetizers/Sandwiches __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 16 Various Cream Cheese Balls
Appetizers/Sandwiches __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 29 Ham Roll Up:
Appetizers/Sandwiches __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 31 Olive Spiders (Halloween)
Appetizers/Sandwiches __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 31 Ear Wax on a Q-Tip (Halloween)
Appetizers/Sandwiches __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 58 Old-Fashioned Popcorn Balls

Cake __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 15 Chocolate Cannoli Cake Roll
Cake __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 53 Foolproof Bundt Cake

Eggs __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 13 Eggs Madison

Ham __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 14 Wild Pig Ham

Pasta __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 60 Halloween Dinner

Pie __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 30 Apple Crisp/ Apple Filling

Poultry __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 36 Roast Pheasant

Salad __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 59 Broccoli Cranberry Slaw

Soup/Stew/Chili __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 45 Cream soup base
Soup/Stew/Chili __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 46 Lazy Day Chili Recipes
Soup/Stew/Chili __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 22 Curried Autumn Harvest Soup

Vegetables __ Week 10/15/11 __ Post # 38 How to cook corn clean

(Oct 15th Link)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2793219/posts?page=86#86

There is ONE classic New Orleans sandwich: the Muffaletta. Best ones in the world are sold by street vendors in the old quarter, but here's a pretty good recipe.

New Orleans Muffaletta

Make this in two stages. First, the olive salad.

1/2 c. black olives, pitted (kalamatas go very well here, just a thought)
3/4 c. medium stuffed Manzanilla olives
2-3 medium pepperoncinis
3-6 large cocktail onions
2 TBSP medium capers
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 TBSP extra-v olive oil
Optional: you might add 1/4 c. giardiniera, which is a mix of Italian pickled vegetables. I happen to think that giardiniera is redundant here.

Place all ingredients in a bowl and drain thoroughly. Pour into food processor and chop to desired consistency (I like the mix WELL ground up). Do NOT re-drain. Put back into bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour, overnight is better.

Second, the sandwich.

1 loaf Muffaletta bread, sliced once horizontally (see note 1)
4 oz. EACH of good sliced ham, mortadella, Italian (preferably Genoa) salami
Optional, but tasty! 4 oz. good prosciutto
4 oz. EACH of sliced provolone and sliced mozzarella
1 c. olive salad, see recipe above

On bottom half of loaf, spread a THICK schmear of the olive salad. Layer up the ingredients as follows: sliced ham, provolone, mortadella and prosciutto (if using), mozzarella, salami. Drizzle a bit of good olive oil on top, and cover with other half of the loaf.

Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate, TOP SIDE DOWN, for 15-30 minutes, then flip to top side up and refrigerate for another 15 minutes. This mixes the salad and the natural meat juices pretty well.

Remove from fridge, remove wrap, and place sandwich on large plate (the muffaletta loaf is traditionally an 8" wide round loaf). Microwave according to your microwave's directions for warming until cheese has melted, or, remove top loaf and bake in a pre-heated 300 F oven until cheese has melted (10 minutes?), then replace top loaf.

Remove to cutting board and cut into 6 or 8 pieces (I prefer 6, but then I love this sandwich). Serve on plates, with LOTS of napkins.

A little bit of work, but the Muffalettas (as long as you're making one, make 2 or 3!) will absolutely vanish at any Super Bowl or holiday party.

Note 1: Muffaletta loaves are sometimes hard to obtain. Any largish loaf of Italian bread will substitute nicely, with one caveat -- you DO NOT want 'hard'; soft or medium is where it's at.

Yo' gon' lahk dis one, mes amis!

I'm afraid I'm going to get notorious for posting recipes featuring under-represented, minority garden vegetables. But gardeners will understand: These Vegetables! Something! Must! Be! Done!

And FReeper Foodies, I beg you to believe me: these recipes are GOOD!

Velvety Red Chocolate Cake with BEETS!
(Really!)

3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups pureed cooked beets
....(cook beets, drain, reserve the juice, puree beets)
½ cup beet juice

*(Use this amount---1/2 cup---if you want it deep-chocolaty in color and flavor. Or sse just a couple Tbs of cocoa--- your choice---if you really want the red color to come through.)

Preheat oven to 350'F. Cream the butter and sugar and beat in the eggs until light, pale, and fluffy. Add vanilla. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and add, alternating with the milk and beet juice. Add the beets and mix for a couple minutes until very smooth.(You may also use canned beets for this: canned PLAIN beets, not pickled.) Pour into two greased 9-inch cake pans and bake for about 25 minutes. Layer with lightly sweetened whipped cream topping..

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING

1 pint whipping cream, chilled
2 Tbs vanilla instant pudding mix
1 tsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Plus some cocoa if you like

Chill the bowl and beaters in the fridge. This helps the cream whip better. Then whip and spread.

ISRAELI CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE with TURNIPS!
(REALLY!)

(You can NOT taste the turnips at all, but they make the cake nice and moist)

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup pureed cooked turnip (2 med)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat to 350ºF. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, turnip puree, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and chopped nuts. Pour batter into pan. Bake 50 minutes .Cool 5 minutes before removing side of pan. Cut horizontally through center of cooled cake, making 2 layers.

Frosting:
Scant cup butter
2 egg yolks
4 cups powdered sugar
More cinnamon if you like
3/4 cup grated walnuts

Cream butter, egg yolks and powdered sugar (and cinnamon, opt.). Spread 1/3 of the frosting over lower half of cake; place other half of cake on top. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake; sprinkle evenly with grated nuts. Refrigerate until served; refrigerate unused portion.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CRUMBLE BARS

1/2 CUP BUTTER 3/4 CUP SUGAR
2 EGGS 1 TEASPOON VANILLA
3/4 CUP FLOUR 1/2 CUP CHOPPED NUTS
2 TABLESPOONS COCOA 1/4 TEASPOOONS BAKING POWDER
1/4 TEASPOON SALT
2 CUPS MINATURE MARSHMALLOWS
6 OUNCES CHOCOLATES CHIPS
1 CUP PEANUTBUTTER
1 AND 1/2 CUP RICE KRISPIES
CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR. BEAT IN EGGS AND VANILLA.
COMBINE FLOUR, NUTS,COCOA, BAKING POWDER AND SALT AND STIR INTO ABOVE MIXTURE. pOUR INTO GREASED 13X9 BAKING PAN. BAKE 350 15 TO 20 MINUTES UNTIL TESTS DONE.
REMOVE FROM OVEN AND POUR MARSHAMLLOWS OVER. RETURN TO OVEN. BAKE 3 MINUTES. REMOVE FROM OVEN.
HEAT CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND PEANUT BUTTER UNTIL MELTED. ADD RICE KRISPIES AND POUR OVER ALL.
CHILL IN REFRIGERATOR AND CUT INTO SQUARES. KEEP IN REFRIGEERATOR TIL USING.
ENJOY

I hope the formatting turns out right on this.

Banana-Nut Bundt Cake
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup whole wheat flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 eggs, beaten (egg beaters) 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup applesauce	1/4 cup apple butter 2 cups finely chopped ripe bananas (about 3 medium) 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 cup flaked coconut 1 cup chopped nuts 1 tsp flax meal (optional)
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon. In another bowl, combine the eggs, oil, bananas, applesauce, apple butter, pineapple and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Fold in coconut and nuts. Pour into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing cake from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 12-16 servings.