Recipes by Jim Nabors: Old-Fashioned Pound Cake; Pecan Pie

Jim Nabors' Old-Fashioned Pound Cake

2 cups butter
2 scant cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or 1 teaspoon lemon extract)
8 large eggs, separated
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating well alter each addition; blend in flavorings.

Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored, stir into creamed mixture. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add flour to mixture, one third at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into yolk mixture until just blended (when patches of egg white disappear). Pour into greased, lightly floured 10-inch ring tube pan.

Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. and continue baking 30 minutes longer (or until cake is done). Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan; cool on wire cake rack.

Vary flavoring by using brandy, orange juice or caraway seeds. Cake flavor improves if stored for 24 hours before using. Frost, if desired with butter-lemon icing.

Jim Nabors' Pecan Pie

3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup pecan halves (broken)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Beat eggs and salt until light. Gradually add sugar; fold in butter, syrup and vanilla.

Pour mixture into unbaked 9-inch pastry shell (your own favorite pie crust or use a ready prepared mix). Cover the top with pecans. Bake in preheated 450 degrees F. oven 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees F. Bake 40 minutes longer (or until pie is nicely browned.) Serve cold or slightly warm with sweetened whipped cream.

Recipes by Edward Muskie: Boiled Maine Lobster; New England Boiled Dinner

Edward Muskie's Boiled Maine Lobster

4 live Maine lobsters (each weighing 2 lbs.)
6 quarts ocean water (or salted water, allow 1 tbsp. salt to each quart of water)
Melted butter
Lemon

Bring water to rolling boil; plunge live lobsters into boiling water, feet first. Cover and simmer 15 minutes for a 2-lb. lobster. Do not overcook. Remove from water with tongs; place on its back on a chopping block. Split it lengthwise down the middle with a heavy knife from head to tail. Remove intestinal vein and sac at back of head. Do not throw away the grayish-green liver or coral-colored roe. Crack claws before serving. Serve with warm melted butter (with or without lemon juice) or mayonnaise. Serves 4.

Thoughts: Lobster should be very fresh and tastes best when it is fresh out of the ocean. For a more highly flavored court bouillon, add freshly ground black pepper, a bay leaf and a pinch of thyme to the stock.

Edward Muskie's New England Boiled Dinner

4-5 lbs. corned brisket of beef
Cold water to cover
1/2 bay leaf
5 whole peppercorns
Pinch each: basil, thyme, parsley
6 turnips, peeled, sliced
8 medium potatoes, peeled
8 whole carrots. peeled
4 parsnips, peeled
10 small onions, peeled
1 green cabbage, cored, cut in wedges

Place beef in a deep kettle and cover with cold water. Add bay leaf, peppercorns, herbs, but no salt. Bring water to a boil. Skim off fat. Cover and simmer 3-4 hours. Add all the vegetables except cabbage and cook 20 minutes longer. Add cabbage wedges and cook until tender (about 20-25 minutes). Serve beef on hot platter surrounded with vegetables. Serve with mustard pickles, horseradish and hot buttered bread. Serve broth for soup. Serves 8.

Anne Murray's Cherry Cake

Anne Murray's Cherry Cake

1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon each vanilla, almond and lemon extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups each halved red and green candied cherries

With electric mixer, cream butter with sugar thoroughly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in extracts.

Combine 3 1/2 cups of flour with baking powder and salt; mix thoroughly. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Toss cherries with remaining 1/2 cup flour; fold into batter. Pour into well-greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan. Bake in 325 degrees F. oven for 1 3/4 hours or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes in pan, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

Ona Munson's Mexican Salad

Ona Munson's Mexican Salad

Line a large flat bowl with crisp lettuce. Cover with 4 tomatoes, sliced. Peel and slice 2 medium sweet white onions, and separate into rings. Arrange on tomatoes. Garnish with asparagus, radiating from center in two rows, with ripe olives in center and at intervals around the plate. Sprinkle with minced parsley, and serve with:
Piquante Dressing:
Mix together 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard. Mix to a paste with 1/4 cup vinegar, adding it gradually. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, and beat thoroughly.

Zero Mostel's Poached Salmon with Green Mayonnaise

Zero Mostel's Poached Salmon with Green Mayonnaise

For the fish:

1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 1/2 cups water
Bouquet garni (1 small bay leaf, 2 sprigs of parsley, 1 sprig of fresh thyme [or 1/2 tsp. dried], tied in a cheesecloth bag)
1 small onion stuck with 2 cloves
1 stalk of celery with tops, chopped
8 bruised peppercorns
1 small carrot, cleaned and cut in hunks
1 1/2 tsps. salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
5-6 lbs. whole fresh salmon
Parsley or watercress
Lemon slices
End slice (white) of hard-cooked egg
Black olive (or truffle)

Place ingredients, except fish, parsley, lemon slices, egg and black olive (or truffle) in fish kettle (or pan deep enough and long enough to cook a whole fish). Bring to boiling point, simmer uncovered 45 minutes to reduce volume slightly. Strain and set aside. Prepare fish by drawing, leave head and tail on, remove eyes. Wipe fish with clean, damp cloth; wrap in double thickness of cheesecloth. Bring to boiling point, lower fish slowly and carefully into pot.

Bring to boiling point, lower heat, let simmer only 3 minutes, remove pot from heat. Let fish cool in stock. Carefully lift fish from pot. Place on long, narrow plate. Chill; carefully remove skin, keeping fish intact. Decorate with parsley or watercress. A realistic eye can be fashioned by egg white, centered with speck of black olive (or truffle). Arrange thin slices of lemon around fish to complete. Serve with green mayonnaise for main dish or buffet offering. Serves 4-6.

For the green mayonnaise:

1 large egg yolk
1/4 tsp. salt
Sprinkling of white pepper
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (or vinegar)
1 cup salad oil
1 tbsp. boiling water
Few drops pressed garlic
1 tbsp. capers
2 tbsps. finely chopped (or sieved) fresh basil (or watercress or parsley)

Mix egg yolk, salt, pepper, and a few drops of lemon juice in a small, deep bowl. Add oil drop by drop, beating constantly with whisk or wooden spoon after each addition. Sauce should be thick and creamy. Thin down mayonnaise by adding remaining lemon juice along the way. To "set" mayonnaise and prevent curdling, add boiling water at end, beating vigorously. Add garlic, capers, basil; mix well. Chill before serving.

Thoughts: Zero suggests using only fresh whole fish in preparing salmon in the European manner. Trout or striped bass may be substituted for salmon.

Karen Morley's Steamed Cottage Pudding

Karen Morley's Steamed Cottage Pudding

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
small cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs, separated

Cream butter and sugar until smooth; add well-beaten egg yolks, beating constantly, add milk; add to this mixture dry ingredients, constantly beating; fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Steam entire mixture over boiling water tor 1 1/2 hours. Serve with hot chocolate sauce.

Recipes by Jane Morgan: Clam Chowder; Honey Cake

Jane Morgan's Clam Chowder

6 dozen fresh steamer clams
1/2 cup cold water
3 cups peeled, diced potatoes
8 strips lean bacon, cut in 1/2-inch squares
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small rib of celery, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Good pinch of oregano
Good pinch of basil (or tarragon)
Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Scrub unopened clams in cold water. Rinse well. Cover with cold seawater (or salted water allowing 1 tablespoon salt per quart of water); let bathe 15 minutes. Repeat twice to rid clams of grit and sand; drain well. Add clams to a large, deep stock pot with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Steam 5-10 minutes (or until shells open, releasing liquor into the water making the clam broth). Drain well, reserving broth. Remove clams from shell, discarding dark parts, rinse under water; set aside. Strain clam broth through cheesecloth to remove sand.

Parboil potatoes in water to cover 15 minutes, to remove excess starch. Drain, discard water. Put potatoes in large stock pot.

Fry bacon in skillet until crisp, lift out, drain well; set aside. Pour off most of the bacon fat; saute onion in bacon fat until limp but not brown. Add onions to potatoes in stock pot with carrot, celery, salt and pepper. Add 4 cups liquid (clam stock plus canned clam broth or water). Cover, simmer gently about 45 minutes.

Add tomatoes, oregano, basil (or tarragon) and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 1/2 hour longer. Add more liquid if desired. Add clams, heat but do not boil. Pour immediately into large, warmed soup plates. Serve with pilot crackers. Serves 4-6.

Thoughts: Select steamer clams (Ipswich) about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, in season from May to October. Dig your own soft-shell clams, or buy fresh from the market and use the same day.

Jane Morgan's Honey Cake

6 eggs
1 pound honey
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cold coffee
1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
1 cup orange juice
5 1/2 cups cake flour
3 tsps. baking powder
2 tsps. baking soda
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Beat eggs until lemon-colored. Add honey, sugar, coffee, lemon rind, orange juice, cake flour (sifted together with baking powder), baking soda and vegetable oil. Blend well.

Pour batter into a well-greased, deep, square cake pan. Bake cake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven about 1 1/4 hours or until cake tests done when a toothpick comes out dry. Let stand 10 minutes before turning out on cake rack. Serves 15-20.