Lakes Region Foodie — Some more "Gifts from the Kitchen"

Some more “gifts from the kitchen”

You can’t have enough jars, tins, etc. holding a delicious taste from your kitchen. I’ve picked three more favorites to pass on to your friends, guests and family. Tape a bow or label (or both!) to the container so that the recipient knows what is inside, bearing in mind nut allergies.

This recipe comes from my friend Betty Rosbottom’s cookbook “Betty Rosbottom’s Cooking School Cookbook.” Betty’s school was located in Lazarus’ Department Store in Columbus, Ohio, while mine was also in a Lazarus store, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Unsalted, raw cashews can be found in health food stores. If you cannot find unsalted, just omit the salt when preparing the recipe.

CAJUN CASHEWS

1 TB. sweet (unsalted) butter

2 tsp. white or red wine vinegar

2 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. each garlic salt and Kosher salt

2 cups unsalted raw cashews

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a jelly roll or sheet pan with foil and set aside.

Place the butter, vinegar, Tabasco Sauce, cayenne pepper, garlic salt and salt in a medium size heavy saucepan or skillet over medium heat and stir until the butter has melted and the seasonings are well incorporated. Add the cashews and toss until they are well coated with the mixture.

Pour the nuts onto the prepared pan and spread so that they are in a single layer. Bake until the nuts are a dark golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Check at 10 minutes to make sure they are not browning too quickly. When the nuts are done, remove from the oven and cool 5 minutes, then scrape the nuts and any dried seasonings on the pan into a mixing bowl. Toss well.

Serve the nuts warm or at room temperature. The nuts may be made several days in advance and stored in glass jars or other airtight containers. Cool thoroughly before putting into containers.

Makes 2 cups.

Anna Teresa’s Marinated Mushrooms

When I taught at my school in Cincinnati, we had occasional guest teachers, one of whom was Anna Teresa Callan. This recipe for marinated mushrooms was a favorite of mine, and packed in a glass jar, make a delicious “gift from the kitchen.”

1 lb. small, fresh mushrooms

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

2 parsley springs, minced

Fresh ground black pepper

¼ cup dry white wine

Juice of ½ a lemon

1 TB. red wine vinegar

1 bay leaf

1 clove

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and reserve for another use. (soup, stew, etc.)

In a large skillet, warm the oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic, mushrooms and half the parsley.

Stir-fry 3 minutes. Add pepper to taste, along with the wine, lemon juice to taste, vinegar, bay leaf and clove. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate in a closed jar.

These mushrooms should be done at least a day before you want them.  They will keep a week. Use the balance of the parsley as a garnish, sprinkled over the mushrooms just before serving.

African Curry Dip

10 years ago, I went to Tanzania on a family Safari, with my then 9-year-old grandson. The food was amazing, served under a tent from the camp kitchen. I managed to have a tour, and was surprised at the quality of the meals served from the bare-bones kitchen. One appetizer that was served had an interesting history. It seemed that Indian immigrants, who worked building the railroads of Africa, popularized curries all over the continent. Serve this dip with raw vegetables or crackers.

1 cup mayonnaise

2 TB. commercially prepared salsa

½ to2 TB. Malawi curry powder (or any curry powder).

1 TB. Worcestershire sauce

1 TB. grated onion

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

Blend all the ingredients until well combined. Chill.

Yields about 1 cup. Chill until ready to serve or giving as a gift.

Surround with colorful vegetables or crackers, or pita chips. To give as a gift, put in a glass jar, with veggies or crackers in a plastic bag, Put a bow on top of the jar.