Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup lemon juice (depending on taste)
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons olive oil

Garnish:

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake eggplant for 30 minutes, or until outside is crisp and inside is soft.

Allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Cut open eggplant and scoop out the flesh into colander and allow to drain for 10 minutes. Removing the excess liquid helps to eliminate a bitter flavor.

Place eggplant flesh in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mash together. You can also use a food processor instead of by hand. Pulse for about 2 minutes.

Place in serving bowl and top with lemon juice and olive oil. Add other garnishments according to taste.

Serve with warm or toasted pita or flatbread. Enjoy!

Saad Fayed, About.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pecans

Preparation

Heat oven to 325. Cream softened butter, add sugar and eggs and mix throughly. Add flour and baking powder to bowl and mix well. Add vanilla and pecans. Bake in well greased 8 x 8 pan for 40 minutes. Cool in pan. Cut into small squares.

Ingredients

• ½ c butter (1 stick)
• ½ c flour
• 8 c milk
• 2 small packages American cheese, torn into pieces
• saltines

Preparation

Melt the butter, add flour and cook for a few minutes until light brown. Gradually add the milk, stirring continuously to avoid the formation of lumps. Bring to a boil. Add the cheese in increments, allowing one addition to melt before adding the next. Cook until all cheese has melted and the cheese sauce is smooth. Place saltines on a plate and ladle cheese sauce over them. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

• 7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preparation

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 16 oz. box wheat Chexs
• 1 3 oz. can chow mein noodles
• 1 cup (or more) cashews
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Preparation

Heat oven to 250. Combine first three ingredients in a 13 x 9 inch pan.

Combine remaining four ingredients in a small bowl; quickly pour over cereal mixture. Stir to coat evenly.

Bake 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes; cool. Makes 10 cups.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Chicken, cut into strips
• 1 lb. Green beans, ends snapped off and in bite size pieces
• 1 package sliced mushrooms
• 1 large can or 2 small cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can French’s fried onions

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375°. Mix together the green beans, mushrooms, soup, and half the fried onions. Arrange the chicken on the bottom of a casserole dish. Pour the green bean mixture over the chicken. Bake the casserole for about 45 minutes, or until the soup is bubbling. Sprinkle the rest of the fired onions on top of the casserole and cook for another 5 minutes, until the onions brown.

Ingredients

• 200 g dark chocolate (7 oz)
• 6 eggs
• pinch salt

Preparation

Melt chocolate and let cool. Separate the eggs. Add salt to the whites and beat them into firm peaks. Slowly pour the chocolate over the yolks and beat energetically.

Translated from French by Jenny

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound smoked meat (ham hocks, smoked turkey wings, or smoked neck bones)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 1 tablespoon hot red pepper sauce
• 1 large bunch collard greens
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation

In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add smoked meat, house seasoning, seasoned salt and hot sauce. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 1 hour.

Wash the collard greens thoroughly. Remove the stems that run down the center by holding the leaf in your left hand and stripping the leaf down with your right hand. The tender young leaves in the heart of the collards don’t need to be stripped. Stack 6 to 8 leaves on top of one another, roll up, and slice into 1/2 to 1-ince thick slices. Place greens in pot with meat and add butter. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. When done taste and adjust seasoning.

Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 1 lb box brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 12 oz bag chocolate chips (or other kinds of chips)
• 2 ¾ cups flour (11 oz.)
• 2 ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

Preparation

Melt shortening, add sugar, and cool. Beat 1 egg at a time into sugar mixture. Add dry ingredients, blend well. Then add chips and nuts.

Use a well greased cookie sheet (with sides). Spread dough evenly with greased hands into pan.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Ott family recipe

Ingredients

For tomatoes:

• 6 scallions, white and pale green parts separated from dark green parts and both finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (3 to 4 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For fritters:

• 2/3 cup corn (cut from 2 ears)
• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

For arugula:

• 2 1/2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb arugula, coarse stems discarded (8 cups)

Preparation

Prepare tomatoes:

Cook white and pale green scallions in oil in a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until tomatoes begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallion greens. Transfer to a bowl and cool to warm.

Make fritters while tomatoes cool:

Cook corn in a small saucepan of boiling water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain in a sieve, then rinse under cold water and pat dry.

Whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar in a bowl. Whisk together milk and egg in another bowl, then add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined (do not overmix). Stir in corn.

Heat oil in cleaned skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon 1 heaping tablespoon batter per fritter into skillet and fry, turning over once, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes total. Transfer with a spatula to paper towels to drain.

Prepare arugula:

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Add arugula and toss to coat.

Divide arugula, fritters, and tomatoes among 8 small plates.

Gourmet, August 2003