Ingredients

FOR THE BARBECUE MAYONNAISE:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup barbecue sauce
• Lime juice, to taste
• Sriracha, to taste

FOR THE ROLLS:

• 1 block (about 7 ounces) rice vermicelli
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 8 to 12 rice-paper wrappers for summer rolls, about 8 1/2 inches wide
• 8 sprigs mint, leaves picked off
• 8 sprigs Thai basil or basil, leaves picked off
• Pickled carrots and daikon (do chua), homemade or fresh or jarred from Vietnamese markets
• ¾ to 1 pound barbecued beef brisket, thickly sliced
• ½ cup thinly sliced red cabbage
• 16 sprigs cilantro
• Whole lettuce leaves

Preparation

MAKE THE BARBECUE MAYONNAISE: Combine mayonnaise and barbecue sauce, and stir until smooth. Season to taste with lime juice and sriracha, and set aside. (Can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.)

MAKE THE ROLLS: Put the rice vermicelli in a large bowl. Cover with boiling water, add the salt and let soak, swishing occasionally, until soft but still resilient, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Let drain for at least 30 minutes, or spread on a plate and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

When ready to serve, set out all the ingredients on a clean surface. Half-fill a bowl wide enough to fit the wrappers with lukewarm water. Place 1 wrapper in the water and pat it, gently bending to test, until pliable but not completely soft. Shake off excess water and lay the wrapper down.

Place a straight line of mint and basil leaves across the circle, about 2 inches up from the bottom edge. Plump up that line with a small clump of vermicelli, a pinch of do chua and 1/8 of the brisket. Drizzle a scant teaspoon of barbecue mayonnaise over the meat. Finish with red cabbage and 2 cilantro sprigs. Bring bottom edge of wrapper tightly up over the filling, then fold the sides in to cover. Continue to roll upward, tightly but gently, and place finished rolls on a plate, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining rolls. Cover rolls with lettuce leaves to keep them fresh. Serve as soon as possible.

Julia Moskin, The New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds Spanish chorizo, sliced thin [CP: We did this with 6 oz. of super nice (Olli) chorizo, and that was enough.]
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 rib of celery, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound split peas, picked over
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
• croutons as an accompaniment

Preparation

In a heavy kettle brown the chorizo over moderate heat, stirring, transfer it with slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. In the fat remaining in the kettle cook the onion, the celery, and the garlic over moderately low heat, stirring, until the celery is softened, add the split peas, the broth, the water, the thyme, and the bay leaf, and simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/4 hours, Stir in the carrots [CP: and the chorizo] and simmer the soup, uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. [CP: Both of these were covered, and if you did that, you’d have way too much liquid.] Discard the bay leaf, season the soup with salt and pepper, and serve it with the croutons.

Gourmet, March 1992

Ingredients

• 1 c. dry black beans
• 2 c. black bean stock
• 3 strips bacon (or, for vegetarian, 1/4 c. vegetable oil)
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 sweet red or green bell peppers, cut into thin strips
• 2 c. long-grain white rice
• 1/2-1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 1 lg. bay leaf

Preparation

Soak the beans overnight in a pot of water and drain well (or fast-soak). Place on the stove with plenty of fresh water. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, until nice and tender but not mushy. Reserve 2 c. of the stock and then drain the beans. Sautee the bacon (or heat the oil) in a pot with the onion, garlic, and peppers until the onion is golden. Add rice, salt, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf, then bean stock and beans. Cover and place on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Stir to prevent from sticking to the bottom of the pot, reduce heat to low and cook until the rice looks completely dry. Should take 10-15min. Stir and serve.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 2 baking potatoes, cubed
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed a bit smaller than the white potatoes
• 3 tbsp. butter, divided
• 3 tbsp. curry powder, divided
• 1 12-oz can coconut milk, divided
• 1/4-1 tsp. salt, to taste
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 lg. onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. ground beef or pork
• 1 lb. mixed peas and carrots (frozen or fresh)
• 2 tbsp. golden raisins

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and sweet potatoes and cook until tender, around 15 min. Drain well and mash with 2 tbsp. butter, 1 tbsp. curry, 1/2 c. coconut milk, salt, and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat remaining butter and oil over medium heat. Add remaining curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, onions, and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until spices are fragrant. Add ground meat and cook until browned, stirring to break up clumps. When nicely browned, drain off excess fat. Add peas, carrots, and golden raisins. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the vegetables have thawed (if frozen). Add remaining coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes. Mixture should be thick and saucy. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.

Spoon the meat mixture into an ungreased 9x13 pan and press down gently. Spoon the potato mixture over the top and spread to cover. With a fork, make tine marks all over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until the top is lightly browned and meat is bubbly, about another 15 minutes.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c. cooked brown rice
• 1/4 c. walnuts, roasted and chopped
• 2 tbsp. sunflower seeds, lightly roasted
• 1/4 c. minced onion
• 1/4 c. minced celery
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sage
• 1 c. grated cheddar cheese
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 3 lg. onions, diced
• 3/4 c. cashew butter
• 1/2 c. tamari
• 2 1/2 c. water
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. sage

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the first 11 ingredients (until and including the cheese) and mix well. Put in a greased 8 1/2x4 1/2" loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and pulling away from the sides a bit, 60-90 minutes.

Meanwhile. heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until caramelized. Add cashew butter, tamari, water, and spices, and cook until heated through. Place in blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

Boulettes

• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1 c. chopped celery
• 1 c. chopped green onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 lb. peeled crawfish tails
• 2 c. plain breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1 tsp. hot sauce
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 tbsp. melted butter

Bisque

• 1 c. flour
• 1 c. vegetable oil
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1 c. chopped celery
• 1/2 c. chopped bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 c. chicken broth
• 2 tbsp. Kitchen Bouquet
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 lb. peeled crawfish tails
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. Cajun seasoning
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce
• rice

Preparation

Sautee the onion and celery in the butter for 3-4 minutes until they become soft. Add garlic and green onions and sautee for another minute. Fold in crawfish tails and sautee for 2-3 minutes more. Cool. Pour into a food processor and pulse until chopped. Place in a bowl and add eggs, breadcrumbs, seasoning, and hot sauce. Mix well. Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the stuffing to ping-pong ball size, then mold into the shape of a small football. This should make 18-20 boulettes. Place on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Set aside.

In a stockpot, heat oil and add flour. Cook until the roux is the color of peanut butter. Add chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 15-20 seconds, then slowly add the chicken broth and stir until smooth. Whisk in tomato paste, Kitchen Bouquet, salt, seasoning, pepper, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add crawfish tails and boulettes. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Serve over rice.

225 Magazine

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 lb. ground goat
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 lg. onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 2 c. chopped tomatoes (2-3 fresh, 14.5 oz can)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. pepper

Crust

• 1 c. coarse blue cornmeal
• 1-2 tbsp. flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2-3/4 c. plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Topping

• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. smoked chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook until it starts browning. Add the onion and garlic and spices and continue cooking until the meat is thoroughly browned. Add the tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add more spices if necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be moist; neither dry nor soupy.

While the filling simmers, prepare the crust. Combine cornmeal, 1 tbsp. flour, salt, baking powder, yogurt, and vegetable oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. It should be a very thick consistency batter, just pourable. The extra 1/4 c. of yogurt or 1 tbsp. flour can be added to adjust either way.

Pour the meat into an 8x8" baking dish. Pour the crust on top of it. Bake at 450 until the top is crusted over and a bit browned, about 20-25 minutes. Serve with topping.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 3/4 c. lentils, rinsed
• 4 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 1/3 c. diced carrot
• 1/3 c. diced celery
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 1/2 c. dry red wine
• 1 1/2 c. water
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1-2 tsp. spice blend (optional)
• 1/4-1 tsp. salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. pepper
• 12 red pearl onions
• 1 lg. bunch kale, washed and chopped coarsely
• 1 tbsp. walnut or almond oil
• loaf rustic bread

Preparation

Parboil the lentils for 5 minutes, drain, and rinse. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and celery. When slightly browned, add garlic and tomato paste and mash into the vegetables. Pour in the wine, water, and mustard. Add the drained lentils, herbs, and a bit of salt. Simmer, covered, until lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, blanch the onions in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and peel. Put them in a heavy frying pan with the other tbsp. of olive oil and cook over medium heat until tender and beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water or wine near the end to deglaze the pan. Season with salt and pepper and remove from skillet.

Wilt the kale in the skillet, season with salt and pepper. Stir into the lentils. Serve with a swirl of walnut oil, a garnish of pearl onions, and with a thick, toasted slice of rustic bread.

Penzey’s Spices

##Brine

• 4 cups of water
• 1 tbsp white Vinegar
• 1 tbsp table salt, non iodized
• 1 tbsp Sugar, white
• 1 tbsp MSG

After 4 hours, remove the chicken from brine and rinse in fresh water. Add the brined chicken to egg wash.

Egg Wash

• 1 cup milk (The Col. used skim or reconstituted)
• 1 large egg

Combine well, dip chicken in egg wash dredge in 1- 2 cups seasoned flour depending on the size of your bird.

Seasoned Flour

• 4 cups cake flour (low protein flour is very important here)
• 4 tsp freshly ground white pepper
• 3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tsp freshly ground sage
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground coriander
• 1 1/4 tsp high quality ground ginger
• 1 tsp freshly ground Ancho chile
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground whole vanilla bean
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground bay leaf
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground savory
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground green cardamom seeds
• 1 tsp MSG

The salt is added after the chicken has been cooked, for each 4lb chicken use about 4ts popcorn salt. Some people find that too salty so you might want to reduce it some. I use finely ground sea salt.

You need about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of this breading for a 3 1/2 to 4 lb bird plus extra for gravy. The original chicken was cut into 9 pcs and cooked in corn oil. The Colonel would use the flour mix left over after breading the chicken to make his famous milk gravy.

This method is for people who don’t want to pressure cook the chicken. It produces a tasty result but it is no where as moist as the pressure fried chicken, it is much less complicated though. If you want crunchier chicken mix a little milk with the breading, about an ounce or so, enough to make the flour shaggy. Press the flour firmly on the egg/milk dipped chicken.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Heat corn or vegetable oil in 11-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Carefully place chicken pieces in pan, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip and continue to cook until golden brown on second side, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Bake chicken until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160 degrees for breasts and 175 for legs and thighs, 15 to 20 minutes. (Smaller pieces may cook faster than larger pieces. Remove pieces from oven as they reach correct temperature.) Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

Colonel Sanders’ Original “Cracklin’ Gravy” (1952-1964)

• 1 TBSP butter
• 1/4 cup Original Recipe breading flour
• 1/2 cup cracklings strained from the pressure cooker or frying pan
• 1 cup whole milk, cold
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup whole cream, cold

Put the butter, flour and cracklings into a frying pan over low to medium heat. Stir continuously until the ingredients are fully blended and the raw flour is lightly browned. This takes a few minutes. The roux should not be darker than peanut butter brown. If you burn it, dump it, clean the pan start again. (If you are a novice gravy maker you might want to save your cracklins until the end so you won’t waste them on a burned batch.)

Gently pour the milk, hot water, and cream, continue stirring until it begins to thicken. Taste the gravy and add extra salt or pepper if needed. Allow the mixture to come to a light boil, when it is the thickness you want turn off the heat and serve.

A bunch of crazy people on an entire forum dedicated to KFC recipes, via Reddit

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound firm tofu, drained
• 1/3 cup sliced scallions
• Soy sauce

Preparation

Put the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until their juices release and they begin to dry out slightly, 5 to 10 minutes.

Crumble the tofu with your fingers and add it to the pan along with the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is heated through and dried out a bit, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve, drizzling with soy sauce at the table. Note: To make Scrambled Tofu With Corn, Tomatoes and Basil, use olive oil instead of neutral oil and reduce the amount of tomatoes to 1 cup. Substitute 3/4-cup corn kernels for the scallions and stir in some chopped fresh basil before serving. Skip the soy sauce and drizzle with a little more olive oil at the table if you like.

Mark Bittman, New York Times