Recipes by Jeane Dixon: Buttermilk Pancakes; Cannelloni

Jeane Dixon's Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
1 1/2 tsps. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsps. melted butter (at room temperature)
2/3 cup buttermilk

1. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and sugar. Combine egg, butter and buttermilk; add to the dry ingredients, stirring just enough to dampen the flour. The batter should be lumpy.

2. Heat ungreased griddle (or frying pan) over moderate heat. Griddle is hot enough when few drops of cold water skid across the griddle. Pour about 3 tbsps. of batter for each cake onto griddle. Cook until cakes are bubbly and nicely browned. Flip over to brown on other side. Serve at once with butter, strained honey, applesauce, (orange marmalade or strawberry preserves), fresh fruits in season (crushed sweetened strawberries or blueberries) and crisp bacon, sausages or grilled ham steaks. Serves 3-4.

Jeane Dixon's Cannelloni

For the pasta:
About 6 qts. water
Salt
4 ozs. manicotti

1. Bring salted water to rolling boil; add few manicotti at a time. Cook about 6 mins. (or until pasta is barely tender). Plunge in cold water to rinse. Continue cooking until all the pasta is cooked.

For the filling:
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 cup cooked, drained, chopped spinach
1 hard-cooked egg, minced
About 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tbsps. chopped parsley (or watercress)
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients; blending well. Set aside.

2. Stuff both ends of the noodles with filling.

For the cheese sauce:

3 tbsps. butter
2 tbsps. flour
2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
6 tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Melt butter; blend in flour, stirring. Cook over low heat a few mins. Add milk gradually, add seasonings to taste and 4 tbsps. cheese; cook until smooth and thick, stirring.

2. Grease a flat baking dish with butter. Spoon a few tbsps. cheese sauce over the bottom of baking pan. Lay stuffed noodles carefully in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce over all. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven about 20 mins. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top of noodles. Bake 10 mins. longer or until the sauce is nicely browned and bubbly. Serves 6.

Jeane's Thoughts: Variations on the filling are legion. One favorite is chicken-with-spinach filling, with butter-fried crumbs, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, cinnamon or nutmeg. Others include beef, anise-flavored sweet sausage, chicken livers, prosciutto, chopped mushrooms. An alternate sauce might be a good marinara or Boulognaise sauce.