Hank Williams, Jr.'s Cajun Rice Casserole

Hank Williams, Jr.'s Cajun Rice Casserole

1/2 pound bacon
1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 pound okra, trimmed and cut into small pieces
2 (16 ounce) cans tomatoes with juice
1 (10 ounce) can Ro*Tel tomatoes and green chiles
3 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Rice

Fry bacon in skillet and drain. Cool; crumble into small pieces. Set aside for serving.

Sauté onions in bacon grease until golden. Add garlic salt, onion salt, okra, tomatoes, Ro*Tel tomatoes, parsley flakes, salt and pepper. Mix well. Simmer uncovered 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare rice according to package directions. Serve cooked mixture over rice. Top with crumbled bacon.

Recipes by Guy Williams: Cantonese Beef with Black Bean Sauce; Chicken Breasts a la Ranieri

Guy Williams' Cantonese Beef with Black Bean Sauce

1 pound sirloin tip, cut in 1-inch strips
1 pound washed Chinese string (or regular) beans
2 scallions
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon fermented black beans
1 tablespoon gin (or sherry)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup canned beef broth
2 tablespoons peanut oil

Preparation: Slice beef diagonally with Chinese cleaver into bite-size pieces. Remove stem ends of string beans, slice diagonally into one-inch pieces Cut scallions into two-inch pieces. Crush ginger, garlic and black bean together. In small bowl mix together gin (or sherry), soy sauce and sugar. Mix cornstarch and water in a bowl until smooth.

Cooking: Heat oil in Chinese wok (or electric frying pan) over high heat. Add ginger mixture, stir-frying about 1 minute. Add beef, stirring constantly until meat turns white. Add gin mixture and scallions, stir 1 minute. Add string beans and toss. Add beef broth, cover, lower heat and cook 5-7 minutes or until beans are crisp. Stir in cornstarch mixture, stirring until thickened. Pour in egg, turning off heat. Stir again and serve at once over steamed rice. Serves 4.

Guy Williams' Chicken Breasts a la Ranieri

6 chicken breasts each weighing about a pound
Seasoned flour
3/4 stick sweet butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (or Romano) cheese
1/4 cup coarsely grated Swiss (or Gruyere) cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
A few gratings freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons dry vermouth

Have butcher bone chicken breasts, flatten with meat cleaver (or Chinese vegetable cleaver) and trim off any loose skin so each breast is compact in shape. Place seasoned flour in paper bag, put chicken in bag, shake vigorously; coating each piece lightly.

Heat butter in large 12-inch skillet until sizzling. Brown breasts on both sides over medium heat until fork-tender and golden-brown; remove pieces to aluminum foil-lined broiling pan. Combine Parmesan and Swiss cheese, salt and pepper, mix well; press on top of each chicken breast.

Gradually stir flour in skillet with pan drippings, heating over low flame several minutes while stirring. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly over low heat. Cook until smooth to desired thickness.

Run chicken breasts under broiler until cheese is melted and golden. Reheat cream gravy, adding vermouth (or extra milk) as needed. Correct seasonings. Serve with cooked wild rice. Serves 6.

Recipes by Andy Williams: Asparagus, Hot or Cold; Filet of Sole Saute

Andy Williams' Asparagus, Hot or Cold

2 pounds fresh tender asparagus
Boiling salted water
Cord
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of white pepper

1. Select if possible, tender stalks of uniform thickness and length. Cut off and discard tough white ends; shave off scales below the tips. Cut spears into uniform length. Wash under running cold water; drain.

2. Tie spears loosely into a bunch near tip and butt ends. Place bunch upright in an asparagus cooker (or lower half of a double boiler). Add heavily salted boiling water to cooker (or pan) up to an inch or so of the tips. Cover (or invert upper part of double boiler) so steam will cook the tips.

3. Boil 12-15 minutes or until stalks are barely tender and a knife can easily penetrate the butt end. Drain at once, remove cords.

4. Place asparagus on heated serving dish. Dress with hot melted butter mixed with lemon juice and white pepper. Serves 4 generously.

Some Like It Hot
Serve spears of hot cooked asparagus with any of the following sauces:

Hollandaise - Plain or flavored with orange juice or diluted with 1/2 cup salted whipped cream.

Pecan Piquant -  Heat 1 stick salted butter until foaming with 1/2 tsp. tarragon vinegar and handful chopped pecans browned a few seconds.

Parsley Plain - Melt 4 tbsps. sweet butter with a few drops fresh lemon (or lime juice), add 2 tsps. minced fresh parsley, 2 sieved hard-cooked egg yolks, dust with a dash of nutmeg.

Some Like It Cold
Chill cooked asparagus (or use drained, chilled canned white asparagus) in salad bowl (or serving plate). Serve with any of the following:

Vinaigrette Sauce - 5 tbsps. olive (or vegetable oil) blended with 2 tbsps. lemon juice (or wine vinegar), 1/2 tsp. salt, ground black pepper to taste, 1/4 tsp. dry mustard (or 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard), 1 to 2 tbsps. snipped fresh herbs (use alone or in combination)--parsley, tarragon, chives or chervil.

Herbed Mayonnaise - Combine 1 cup mayonnaise with 2 tbsps. minced fresh parsley (or watercress), 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, a few drops pressed garlic, salt and white pepper to taste.

Sour Cream Mayonnaise - 1 cup sour cream mixed with 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. lemon rind and a dusting of ground nutmeg for garnishing.

Andy Williams' Filet of Sole Saute

4 filets or sole, each weighing 1/2 lb.
Salt and white pepper to taste
1/2 cup sweet butter
Juice of 1 lemon
Chopped fresh parsley

1. Wash filets, wipe dry, salt and pepper on both sides. Heat half the butter in a large skillet until foaming. Quickly saute soles in butter until brown on both sides, being careful not to overcook.

2. Remove filets to heated platter. Add remaining butter to skillet, heat until golden brown; add lemon juice, heat, pour over filets. Serve with minced parsley and wedges of cut lemon. Serve with steamed white long-grain rice and green vegetable (asparagus or petits pois cooked with butter or lettuce).

Thoughts: Filet can be broiled by rubbing both sides lightly with melted sweet butter, lemon juice, salt and ground pepper and served with a compound butter (1 stick sweet butter mixed with 1 tbsp. parsley, a few drops lemon juice (or tarragon vinegar), salt, pepper and 1 tbsp. chopped herbs (chives, parsley or tarragon). 

Recipes by Warren William: Baked Onions with Rice; Stuffed Pork Chops

Warren William's Baked Onions with Rice

6 or 8 onions
1 cup white sauce
3/4 cup grated American cheese
2 cups rice

Peel six or eight onions and parboil until almost tender, changing the water once. To one cup well seasoned medium thick white sauce, add three-fourths cup grated American cheese. Bring to the boiling point over a low heat, stirring constantly. Place in a buttered casserole alternate layers of cooked rice, and the onions, broken apart. Cover with the cheese sauce and bake in a moderate oven for about twenty minutes.

Warren William's Stuffed Pork Chops

6 thick (one inch or inch and a half) loin pork chops

For the dressing, mix together:
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped tart apples
2 tablespoons green pepper
1 tablespoon chopped onion
2 tablespoons melted butter
salt and pepper

Wipe pork chops and slit a pocket the entire length of the fat side of each chop. Avoid cutting too near the ends, which will spoil the pocket. Stuff each pocket as full as possible with the dressing. Skewer each chop with two toothpicks. Arrange in a shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tuck leftover dressing around chops. Pour in enough water barely to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake an hour or longer, depending on the thickness of the chops, at 325 to 350 degrees. Baste the meat occasionally.

Recipes by Bud Westmore: Tiger's Milk Cookies; Westmore's Vegetables

Bud Westmore's Tiger's Milk Cookies

1 cup "raw" sugar (or processed light brown sugar)
1/2 cup tiger's milk (powdered drink mix)
1 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup polyunsaturated oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup chopped English walnuts (optional)
3/4 cup raisins

Combine all dry ingredients except eggs, nuts and raisins in large mixing bowl. Add vegetable oil, mixing well. Beat eggs until light in separate bowl, stir into sugar mixture, mixing well. Lastly, stir in chopped walnuts and raisins. (You may use at once, but for best results, wrap lightly in aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.) To bake, rub hands lightly with flour. Break off bits of dough forming balls the size of walnuts. Place cookies on well-greased cookie sheet about one and one half inches apart. Bake in preheated 350 degrees oven about 15 minutes (or until lightly browned).

Bud Westmore's Vegetables

2 to 3 slices lean bacon
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 large green pepper, chopped
4 peeled plum tomatoes, chopped
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced in one-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove and drain well. Reserve a few bacon bits for garnish and discard half the bacon fat. Saute onion and pepper lightly in remaining bacon fat. Add chopped tomatoes; simmer a few minutes to reduce volume slightly, stirring often. Add eggplant to other vegetables. Add herbs and seasoning. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes (or until vegetables are tender), stirring occasionally. Serve hot garnished with bacon bits as side dish with steak or as a supper dish.

Recipes by Mae West: Breakfast or Lunch Fruit Compote; Detoxification Beauty Magic (Citrus Juice Drink)

Mae West's Breakfast or Lunch Fruit Compote

1 large apple, chopped
1 large pear, chopped
1 large banana, chopped
2 or 3 almonds, grated

Combine fruits; top with almonds. If desired, apples may be sliced and combined with raisins and topped with a syrup made of powdered almonds, milk and honey. Serves 1.

Thoughts: Serious dieters, of course, should check their food intake with their doctors.

Mae West's Detoxification Beauty Magic (Citrus Juice Drink)

For two or three days:
Take two lemons, four grapefruit and six oranges, squeeze the juices. Measure the squeezed juices and combine with equal amounts of bottled (or purified) water. Drink every 20 or 30 minutes during the day. Refrain from eating all other foods.

Variations: Drink one large glass of carrot juice prepared from organically grown carrots without other foods. Or spike with a jigger of other homogenized juices (prepared in a blender), such as celery, watercress, parsley or cucumber. Or drink fresh celery tonic.

Thoughts: Serious dieters, of course, should check their food intake with their doctors.

Recipes by Oskar Werner: Cucumber Salad; Wiener Schnitzel

Oskar Werner's Cucumber Salad

2 large cucumbers
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley (or dill or basil)

Peel, score cucumbers, cut in thin slices. Add salt. Place in glass bowl. Let stand 1 hour to draw off fluid. Squeeze and discard juice from salted sliced cucumbers. Combine with vegetable oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and chopped parsley.

Oskar Werner's Wiener Schnitzel

1 pound veal steak (cut from leg) cut 1/4-inch thick
1 egg
A few drops water (or milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
3 tablespoons sweet butter (or half butter, half bacon grease)
Cooked beets
Sliced lemon
4 anchovy fillets
8 capers

Pound meat with wooden mallet to flatten. Beat egg with water (or milk). Season meat well, dip steaks into the bread crumbs. Heat butter in heavy skillet; brown meat quickly on both sides. Remove steaks to heated platter. Garnish with sliced small beets, slice of lemon over which cross two anchovy fillets and sprinkle with capers. Serve with mixed cooked vegetables (Brussels sprouts, asparagus tips or green beans) and boiled (or mashed) potatoes. Serves 4.

Thoughts: For California touches, Oskar used paprika, a dash of nutmeg and white pepper, to season the meat. Add grated Parmesan or Swiss cheese to bread crumbs. Deglaze pan using white wine flavored with chopped fresh basil, rosemary or tarragon mixed with sour cream.