Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) olive oil
• 4 cups (8 oz) mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red chile, seeded and crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon Spanish paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation

Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the mushrooms over high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, sherry, lemon juice, dried chile, paprika, and salt and pepper.

Cook for about 5 minutes or until the garlic and mushrooms have softened.

Remove from the heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve on small earthenware platters.

Spain-Recipes.com

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 3.52-ounce bars Toblerone bittersweet chocolate or 7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon kirsch (clear cherry brandy)
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• Assorted fresh fruit (such as whole strawberries, 1-inch-thick slices peeled banana, peeled pear wedges and orange segments)

Preparation

Bring cream and honey to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Add chocolate; whisk until melted. Remove from heat. Whisk in kirsch and extract. Pour fondue into bowl; place on platter. Surround with fruit. Serve with skewers.

Bon Appetit, December 1997

Ingredients

• 4 double lamb chops
• salt and black pepper
• 125 grams butter
• 2 shallots
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 deciliter / ½ cup red wine
• 4 deciliter / 2 cups meat ‘fond’ (glazed crystallized drippings) or stock
• 3 tsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp parsley

Preparation

Rub salt and freshly ground black pepper on the chops and fry them in 75 grams of butter in a skillet for three minutes each side.

Put them in a lightly buttered oven dish and bake them for 12 to 15 minutes in a warm oven at 120ºC/235ºF.

Take the dish from the oven and cover with foil or with a fitting lid.

Sautee the finely sliced shallots and pressed garlic in the grease/butter left in the skillet. Mix in the coarsely chopped rosemary and thyme, add the crumbled bay leaf and the wine. Bring to a boil and add the fond or bouillon. Slowly bring to a boil again and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Mix in the cornstarch and pour the stock through a sieve into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil again and whisk in the rest of the butter.

Put the chops on individual plates and pour the glazed sauce over them. Garnish with parsley. Serve with pan-fried potato slices, and green beans or spinach.

Adapted from goDutch.com

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped orange zest
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons softened mascarpone, to garnish
• Powdered sugar, to garnish
• 2 cups fresh sliced strawberries or 1 bag (12 ounces) frozen mixed berries, defrosted, to garnish

Preparation

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the milk, flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla and citrus zests in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, a blender, or in a bowl, and whisk or process until smooth.

Place the butter in a 10-inch pie plate or ovenproof skillet and put it in the oven to melt, for about 3 minutes. Swirl the inside of the pan to coat it evenly with butter.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for about 15 minutes longer or until the pancake is nicely browned, cooked in the center and well puffed. Remove from the oven and slide onto a round platter, using a spatula. Spread the pancake with the mascarpone and sprinkle powdered sugar generously on top. Accompany with the berries and serve immediately.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 (2 kg) pounds fresh mussels in the shell
• 6.7 ounces (200 mL) dry white wine
• 1/2 pound leeks (white and light green parts) cleaned
• 4 1/2 ounces lightly smoked streaky bacon, thickly sliced
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1 ounce unsalted butter
• Fine sea salt and freshly milled black pepper

Preparation

Clean the mussels and put them in a sauteuse pan with the wine. Bring to a boil, and cook just long enough for all the shells to open. Drain and remove the mussels from the pan.

Halve the leeks lengthwise and cut them in finger-thick slices. Cut bacon slices in very small pieces. Heat the oil in a large skillet, turn down the heat to medium, add bacon, and stir-fry until the bacon begins to render its fat (don’t let it get crisp).

Add leeks and stir-fry until they just begin to soften. Lower the heat, add the butter, and when melted, stir in the mussels carefully. Simmer together just long enough for the mussels to warm up. Add salt to taste and be generous with the pepper. Serve on a heated platter with warm French bread or ciabatta. Any leftover mussels can be used the next day to stuff an omelet.

Serves 4-6.

Florine Boucher, via National Geographic

Ingredients

• 1 quart milk
• 5 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
• 3.5 ounces cocoa powder

Preparation

Pour the milk, sugar, and pepper in a medium-size saucepan. Keep stirring to avoid burning the bottom until almost cooked. Put the cocoa powder in a big bowl and add one cup of the hot milk. Mix the milk and cocoa powder. Add the mix to the rest of the milk in the pan and keep stirring. Stir until it starts cooking and thickens. Pour the hot chocolate into cups and enjoy.

Makes 4 mugs.

Kees Raat, via National Geographic

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
• 2 tsp salt
• 360 g whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 Tbsp gluten

Preparation

Place all ingredients in the bread machine in the order given. Use whole wheat cycle and 1.5 lb loaf size.

My Byrd House

Ingredients

• 5 cups fresh strawberries
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1 9inch graham cracker pie crust
• cool whip for serving

Preparation

Place 4 cups strawberries pointing up in pie shell. Mash remaining strawberries. Cook water and mashed strawberries (1 cup). Cook in microwave on high 4 minutes, stirring once. Combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir into strawberry juice. Cook 2 - 3 minutes in microwave on high until transparent, stirring often. Pour glaze over berries, chill. Serve with cool whip.

Emily Weiburg

Ingredients

• 1 whole fish (800 g, or about 1 3/4 lb.)
• 1 tbsp shao xin wine (or rice wine, or sherry)
• 2 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely sliced in strips
• 2 tbsp. green onion strips
• 3 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 4 tbsp. black vinegar
• 4 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. chicken or fish stock
• 1/2 tbsp. corn starch and 2 tbsp. water, mixed well
• sesame oil (optional)

Preparation

1. Remove the scales & clean the fish. If the fish is thick, butterfly it. Make a couple of slashes on the thickest part of the body to help it cook faster. Put the fish in a skillet with high sides and scatter ginger strips under and over the fish. Pour the wine all over the fish.

2. Steam the fish for 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the body. Test with a fork by flaking the thickest part of the body. If it flakes off easily from the bone, it is done. Do not over cook.

3. While fish is steaming, put the soy sauce, black vinegar, brown sugar, and salt into a small pot and cook over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When sugar is dissolved, add 1 cup stock to the sauce. When sauce boils, add the corn starch solution and stir well until sauce becomes shiny and thickened. Taste and adjust with more sugar, vinegar, or salt to taste.

4. Add a splash of sesame oil (if using) to the thickened sauce and pour it over the steamed fish. Sprinkle the green onion strips on the fish. Serve hot.

Adapted from Terri at Hunger Hunger (A Daily Obsession)

Ingredients

• 3 mint sprigs
• 2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• 3/4 oz simple syrup
• 1 small dash bitters (optional)

Preparation

Bruise two sprigs of mint gently in a cocktail shaker. Add ingredients. Add ice. Shake. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with remaining mint leaf.

Toby Maloney, Chicago Tribune