Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.'s Boston Brown Bread

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.'s Boston Brown Bread

1 cup graham or whole wheat flour
1 cup corn meal
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup molasses
2 cups sour milk

Mix and sift the dry ingredients, add the sour milk and molasses. Beat well and fill buttered molds with closely fitting covers, 2/3 full. Let stand 1/2 hour and then steam 3 hours, taking care that the water does not come over the rack on which the tins are placed. Boston brown bread is sometimes not steamed but baked in a moderate oven, but the result is not so satisfactory.

The Everly Brothers' Very Hot Barbecue Sauce with Smoked Spareribs

The Everly Brothers' Very Hot Barbecue Sauce with Smoked Spareribs

2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup catsup
1/4 cup minced yellow onion
1 clove garlic, pressed
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons chill powder
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
5 pounds spareribs
Cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients except spareribs; mix well. Bring to boil, simmer slowly about 1 hour (or until sauce thickens). Stir often to prevent burning. Set aside.

Put spareribs in large stock pot. Cover with water; cover, simmer for one hour. Drain meat well on absorbent paper towels. Smoke over hickory chips and charcoal for about 45 minutes (or until rust-colored). Add cayenne
pepper to taste. To serve, cut spareribs in serving pieces. Dip in sauce and beware. Serves 4 to 6.

Thoughts: Indoor chefs can prepare the "ribs" by placing meat (cut in pieces) on rack in shallow baking pan, meaty side up. Brush ribs lightly with liquid smoke. Roast in preheated 450 degrees F. oven about 30 minutes. Continue baking in moderate oven (reduce temperature to 350 degrees) about an hour longer (or until meat is tender). Baste ribs with sauce every 10 or 15 minutes.

Madge Evans' Cottage Meat Pie

Madge Evans' Cottage Meat Pie

4 cups boiled lean beef, chopped fine
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 finely chopped pimentos
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
Dash of nutmeg
Mashed potatoes

Mix boiled lean beef with parsley, onion, pimentos, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Butter a baking dish, fill with meat mixture, and cover with mashed potatoes which have been seasoned with salt and pepper. Rub smooth with a knife dipped in milk and mark with cross lines with a fork. Brush with melted butter and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 45 mins.

Evans Evans' Coulibiac

Evans Evans' Coulibiac

2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
About 4 1/2 cups flour
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 scant tablespoons sugar
2 sticks butter, softened

Prepare yeast sponge: Soften yeast in 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Add 1 cup flour, beat until dough forms ball; turn out on lightly floured board. Knead until smooth, shape into ball. Cut cross on top with sharp knife. Plunge sponge in pitcher filled with enough lukewarm water to barely cover dough. Cover, let dough swell and rise to the top of the pitcher (about 15 minutes) while preparing "dough."

Prepare the dough:
In bowls of electric mixer (or hand mix) put eggs, salt, sugar and remaining flour. Beat until smooth; add butter, mix well. Remove sponge from water, squeezing well to remove excess water. Add to dough. Beat until smooth and satiny in appearance. Place in buttered mixing bowl, cover, place in warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour). Punch down. Cover; place in refrigerator overnight.

For the Coulibiac:

2 pounds beef fillet, cut from thick end
1 teaspoon coarse salt
A few gratings freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Calvados
4 thin slices boiled ham
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 ounce can liver pate
1 stick butter, softened
Salt
Pinch of white pepper
1 egg, beaten

Oven-roast unseasoned beet fillet in preheated 375 degree oven 45 minutes. Partially cool cooked beef, trim off excess fat and skin. Rub all sides with coarse salt and black pepper. Secure meat with string, tying around ends and middle. Douse meat generously with Calvados. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil; chill quickly in freezer part of refrigerator about 1/2 hour. Arrange ham slices, closely side by side on waxed paper. Spread lightly with mustard, sprinkle with Calvados. Combine liver pate, butter, salt and white pepper to taste, 1 1/2 tablespoons Calvados, spread evenly on ham.

To assemble:
Unwrap, untie beef, top with ham layer, (pate side down), pressing ham securely over beef roll. Roll out 2/3 of the brioche dough on lightly floured board, in oblong shape, wide enough to fit a large glass bread mold. Butter well, line bottom and sides of mold with the dough. Brush ends of dough with beaten egg. Place ham-wrapped fillet in lining in mold. Roll out rest of the dough to form the "lid." Cover meat roll, pinching edges of pastry together, completely sealing in the meat. Cover, let rise in warm place about 30 minutes. Remove to a baking pan, lined with aluminum foil.

Brush top with beaten egg. Bake in preheated oven, 400 degrees, for 1/2 hour, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees, continue roast 1/2 hour longer. Let coulibiac stand a few minutes before removing to a warm platter. Cut through roll with sharp knife. Serves 6-8. Garnish with watercress. Complete menu with endive salad dressing made from fresh lemon, oil, Dijon mustard, freshly ground pepper and salt. Rub salad bowl with cut garlic. Also chocolate mousse for dessert. 

Dame Edith Evans' Red Raspberry Tart

Dame Edith Evans' Red Raspberry Tart

For Rough Puff Paste:
2 2/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup each, chilled sweet butter and lard
1 tsp. lemon juice
About 1/2 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt in bowl. Cut fat (about size of walnut) in the flour, mix lightly with fork, keeping shortening intact. Combine lemon juice and ice water, add enough liquid to flour-fat mixture to form stiff paste. Knead lightly in bowl, forming ball. Roll in waxed paper, chill 10 minutes. Roll dough into long oblong on lightly floured board; fold it equally in thirds; half turn it so you have folded edges to the right and left. Roll out again; repeat twice. Chill 1/2 hour.

Cut off 2/3 of the dough, roll out 1/4 inch thick, cut circle (for bottom crust of a deep 8-inch, 2-quart casserole). Line casserole with lower crust. Roll out the rest of dough for upper crust allowing 2/3 inch for crust edge, cut a vent hole in center for the pie funnel. Chill crust while preparing fruit filling.

For the Filling:
6 cups red raspberries (or blueberries)
About 3/4 cup sugar (depending on acidity of fruit)
Scant 1/4 cup flour
1/2 pinch salt
2 tablespoons sweet butter
Egg yolk beaten with 1/2 tablespoon water

Wash fruit, drain on paper towel, pick over carefully. Place fruit in mixing bowl and sprinkle lightly with sugar, flour and salt. Mix well. Pour fruit mixture in casserole, dot with butter. Bury pie funnel (or a ceramic bird) in center filling. Put on upper crust allowing funnel to extend through vent hole. Seal lower and upper crust. Bake 30 minutes in preheated 450 degrees F. oven. Reduce to 350 degrees F. and continue baking about 30 minutes longer or until done. Brush top crust with egg to brown during last 1/2 hour. Serve warm with sweetened whipped cream, chilled sour cream or stirred custard. Serves 8.

For flavor accent, sweeten raspberries with vanilla sugar (made by putting slit vanilla beans in sugar bowl). If blueberries are used, sweeten with brown sugar, flavor with lemon juice and a hint of ground nutmeg or cinnamon.

Dale Evans' Salad

Dale Evans' Salad

1 clove garlic
1 rounded teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 lemon, cut in half
Leaf oregano
1 medium head romaine lettuce
1 small bunch green onions or scallions, chopped
Extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil

Using a garlic press, squeeze garlic into the bottom of a wooden bowl. Cover it with salt and sugar. Squeeze juice from lemon into the bowl. Cover with the oregano. Let this stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Tear up (do not cut) lettuce into bite-size pieces and drop them on top of ingredients in the bowl. Sprinkle green onions over lettuce. Drizzle olive oil over lettuce, starting in center of bowl and working outward in circles. Toss ingredients from bottom up. Makes 4 servings.

Patricia Ellis' Lime Sauce

Patricia Ellis' Lime Sauce

4 tablespoons catsup
1/2 teaspoon salt
few drops of Tabasco sauce
7 tablespoons fresh lime juice (4 good-sized limes will give this amount).

Blend together the catsup, salt, fresh lime juice, and Tabasco. Chill thoroughly. Serve on shrimp or seafood cocktails.