Alex Trebek's Tourtiere Trebek

Alex Trebek's Tourtiere Trebek

1 pound ground pork
3/4 pound ground veal
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup red wine, beef stock or water
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inch)
Milk or lightly beaten egg

In large pan, combine meat, onions, seasonings and wine; cook over low heat for 1 hour.

Drain fat. Stir in bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Let cool for about 45 minutes.

Roll out pastry and line a 9-inch pie plate. Spoon in filling; cover with pastry. Cut steam vents in top and seal edges. Brush lightly with milk or egg. Bake in 350 degrees F. oven for 1 hour or until pastry is golden brown.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Recipes by Arthur Treacher: Leg of Lamb Roasted in Coffee and Port; Sussex Pudding

Arthur Treacher's Leg of Lamb Roasted in Coffee and Port

4 1/2 pounds of rolled, boneless leg of lamb
Cut garlic
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Salt pork (or bacon) cut in thin slices
Dry mustard
1 1/2 cups strong coffee (freshly brewed)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup tawny port

Rub roast with cut garlic. Cover with salt pork (or bacon). Roast uncovered one hour In 300 degree oven. Remove salt pork and discard. Season roast liberally with salt, pepper and dry mustard. Combine coffee and cream, pour over roast. Continue roasting two hours longer (or until meat thermometer registers 170 degrees).

Baste often with coffee-cream mixture. During last half hour, pour port over top of roast. Baste three times. To serve, remove roast to a heated platter. Strain gravy and cook over low heat to reduce one-third. Stir often. Correct seasonings. Serve separately. Serves 6 to 8 people.

Arthur Treacher's Sussex Pudding

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
About 5 tablespoons milk
Lamb pan drippings

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Mix in enough milk to form a ball. Turn out on a lightly floured cloth. Form into a "sausage" shape roll. Handle lightly. Pin it up in a "pudding cloth" (several thicknesses of non-absorbent pastry cloth) or tie with cord.

Plunge roll into boiling water. Cover and boil one hour. Do not lift the lid. Remove cloth. Cut roll into one-half inch thick slices. Fry on both sides until crisp and brown in lamb drippings. Arrange around a roast leg of lamb. Serves 4 to 6. 

Recipes by Rip Torn: Omelet Mexicali; Omelet with Shrimp Filling

Rip Torn's Omelet Mexicali

2 tsps. butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 or 2 finely chopped hot green peppers (or chopped canned mild green chilis to taste)
2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. canned red taco sauce
1/2 tsp. monosodium glutamate
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated American cheese
1 small ripe avocado, peeled and diced
Chili powder

1. Melt butter, add onion and green pepper. Cook over low heat until vegetables are tender.

2. Add hot pepper. tomatoes, taco sauce, monosodium glutamate, salt and pepper. Simmer 20 mins. over low heat until sauce is the consistency of a thick puree.

3. When top of omelet is still runny, top with grated cheese and avocado. Spoon sauce over all. Sprinkle with chili powder to taste. Serve omelet open face style. cutting into pie-shaped wedges to serve 3 or 4.

Rip Torn's Omelet with Shrimp Filling

6 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/16 tsp. white pepper
3 tbsps. sweet butter

1. Separate yolks and whites. Beat yolks until thick, whites until stiff. Fold whites into yolks, add seasonings.

2. Heat 2 tbsps. butter in heavy skillet. When butter is sizzling but not brown, add eggs. As the eggs begin to set, reduce heat.

3. As omelet cooks, push back from the edges of the skillet, let the liquid foam run to edges, keep adding butter. Cook until golden brown on bottom but slightly runny on top. Remove from heat, loosen the edge of half the omelet from skillet with a spatula. Add filling, fold one half over the other. Turn upside down on a heated dish. Lightly brush top with absorbent paper to remove excess butter. Serve at once. Serves 3-4.

Shrimp Filling

3 tbsps. sweet butter
2 tsps. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/16 tsp. white pepper
1 1/4 cups light cream
1/3 cup dry Vermouth
1 1/2 tsps. minced fresh dill
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 lb. frozen deveined shrimp

1. Melt butter over low heat, stir in flour. Stirring, cook 2 mins. over low flame. Add seasonings and gradually add cream and vermouth. Cook over low heat, stirring until sauce begins to thicken. Add dill, lemon juice and shrimp. Continue cooking over low heat until sauce thickens and shrimp are barely cooked.

2. After filling omelet, garnish outside with a sprig of fresh dill. 

Angel Tompkins' Vegetarian Cheese Tart

Angel Tompkins' Vegetarian Cheese Tart

4 large bunches spinach
2 pounds broccoli, washed and finely chopped
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound raw (unblanched) almonds, chopped
5 hard-cooked eggs, grated
3 large red tomatoes skinned and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
Seasoned vegetable salt to taste (available in health food stores)
About 1 pint sour cream
1 pound good aged cheddar or Monterey Jack, grated

Carefully wash spinach to remove sand, drain well on absorbent paper. Pick over carefully, remove stems. Cut in 1 1/2-inch pieces. Mix together spinach and broccoli; divide evenly and place in bottom of four 8-inch aluminum foil pie plates. Top with layer of sliced mushrooms. Put remaining ingredients in blender, except sour cream and cheese. Blend, forming a smooth paste; blend in sour cream. Pour over vegetable-mushroom layer in each pan. Top with grated cheese; cover each pie tightly with aluminum foil; freeze until ready to use. Thaw before baking. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 20 minutes (or until cheese is bubbly and top is nicely browned). Serve with crisp green salad or with cracked crab, shrimp or lobster, for early summer entertaining. Makes four 8-inch pies. Each pie serves 4 generously.

Burr Tillstrom's Vegetable Bake

Burr Tillstrom's Vegetable Bake

1 pound small fresh mushrooms
4 medium-size zucchini, cut in 1/2-inch thick slices
4 medium-size green peppers, cut in 1-inch squares
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 tsps. oregano leaves
Good pinch of thyme
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups fresh string beans, partially cooked
1 cup grated Romano cheese

Clean and trim stems of fresh mushrooms. Arrange alternate layers of mushrooms, zucchini, green peppers, onion, tomatoes and celery in ovenproof baking dish. Sprinkle each layer with  oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil through layers, lifting with a fork so oil is evenly distributed through the casserole.

Cover and bake in 350 degrees F. oven for about 35 minutes. Add string beans, dividing among layers of vegetables. Spoon natural juices over vegetables. Sprinkle top with Romano cheese. Return casserole to oven and bake 15 minutes longer (or until vegetables are tender and cheese is golden brown). Great to serve with meatloaf for summer dining. Serves 8.

Thoughts: Feel free to experiment. Eggplant, corn, brown rice, julienne strips of ham or smoked turkey make fantastic flavorful additions to Burr's dish. If desired, cheese may be omitted and passed at the table.

Recipes by Pamela Tiffin: Breaded Pork Tenderloins; Glazed Apple Rings

Pamela Tiffin's Breaded Pork Tenderloins

8 pork tenderloins (1/2-inch thick)
Ground sage
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Unseasoned bread crumbs
1 beaten egg diluted with 2 tablespoons water
Sweet butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups milk

Wipe chops with damp cloth. Rub both sides with sage, salt and pepper. Dip chops in bread crumbs, then in egg, again in bread crumbs. Let stand 30 minutes.

Quickly brown meat on both sides in a minimal amount of butter in heavy skillet. Reduce heat, pour off excess grease. Cover, cook until meat is tender, about 1/2 hour (or in moderate oven 325 degrees).

Remove meat to a heated platter. Prepare gravy by blending flour into pan drippings. Stir, cook over low heat 1 minute. Add milk, salt and pepper to taste. Cook slowly to thicken, stirring often. Serve gravy as side dish. Serve chops with glazed apple rings. Serves 4.

Pamela Tiffin's Glazed Apple Rings

3 tablespoons sweet butter
2 red apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
Cinnamon

Melt butter. Brown rings lightly on both sides in a heavy skillet. Sprinkle sugar over apples and spoon the resulting butter-sugar mixture over slices until they are glazed. Add water, cover. Cook 10 minutes or until rings are tender. Dust lightly with cinnamon. Serves 4.

Richard Thomas' Applesauce Cake with Whiskey Frosting

Richard Thomas' Applesauce Cake with Whiskey Frosting

For the cake:

3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsps. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
pinch of salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups light raisins
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 can (16 oz.) applesauce

Sift flour with soda, spices and salt. Combine nuts and raisins in bowl; stir in 1/2 cup of the flour mixture. Cream butter in another bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each. Alternately add flour mixture and applesauce, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in raisin mixture. Spoon into greased 10-inch tube pan. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 1 hr and 20 minutes (or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.) Cool in pan for 15 mins. then remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack. Spread with frosting. Cover until ready to serve. Cake keeps well; in fact, it's better several days after baking. 8-10 servings.

For the whiskey frosting:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tbsp. heavy cream or milk
1 lb. (4 cups) confectioners sugar
pinch of salt
3 to 4 tbsps. bourbon

Stir together butter and cream; beat in 1 cup of the sugar. Blend in remaining sugar and the bourbon until proper spreading consistency. Makes enough frosting to generously cover a 10-inch tube cake.