Recipes by William Conrad: Bouillabaisse; Gazpacho Valenciana

William Conrad's Bouillabaisse

1 lb. green (raw) shrimp in shells
3 lbs. assorted fish: sea bass, flounder, cod, perch, red snapper, mullet
or sunnies
5 small lobster tails, cut in pieces
1 lb. clams in shells or one 7-oz. can chopped sea clams
6 cups water
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1 medium onion, peeled, chopped
3 tbsps. butter
1 tsp. oregano
2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp. thyme
1 cup Moselle wine
1/2 cup Spanish olive oil
3 chopped leeks (white part only)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 pound can tomatoes, strained
2 tbsps. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. saffron threads

Shell shrimp, reserving shells. Cut large fish into serving-size pieces; leave small fish whole. Reserve fish heads and tails. Rinse and scrub clams thoroughly. In a soup kettle, combine reserved shrimp shells, fish heads and trimmings, water, 1 tsp. salt, onion, butter, oregano, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. thyme and wine to make fish stock. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes, uncovered. Strain. There should be 6 cups liquid. If needed, add water to make up the difference. Prepare sauce by heating olive oil in large skillet (or Dutch oven). Saute leeks and garlic in olive oil until golden. Add strained tomato, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. thyme, parsley and 1/2 tsp. salt. Mash saffron in a mortar or with the back of a wooden spoon, dissolve in a little hot water; add to olive oil sauce. Simmer about 45 minutes. Add to strained fish stock.

When guests have arrived, place all the fish and lobster in the combined sauce and fish stock, bring to a boil, and cook over moderate heat for 20 minutes. During the last 8 minutes, add shrimp and clams (if canned clams are used, these may be added with fish). Taste to correct seasonings. Serve in soup plates with slices of French bread (usually floated in the dish). Fingers are allowed while eating! Serves 8-10.

William Conrad's Gazpacho Valenciana

2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. salt.
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup Spanish olive oil
2 cups canned tomato puree (or 8 large, sun-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced)
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 cup bread cubes
Olive oil for sauteeing
1/2 large cucumber, peeled, coarsely chopped
12 small cleaned radishes, thinly sliced
1 sweet red (or green) pepper, coarsely chopped
Bottle of chilled club soda
2 scallions, diced

Mix garlic with salt and cumin, beat in olive oil, then combine with pureed tomatoes and vinegar. Beat in blender until smooth. Cover and chill thoroughly for 3 or 4 hours. Prepare croutons by frying bread cubes in olive oil until golden and crisp. Drain croutons on absorbent paper. Pour chilled tomato mixture into 6 soup dishes. Add small amount of club soda to each bowl and mix. Add croutons and pass diced vegetables served in separate bowls for garnish. Serves 6.

Mike Connors' Shish Kebab and Rice Pilaf

Mike Connors' Shish Kebab and Rice Pilaf

2 lbs. boned leg of lamb, cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup salad oil (or olive oil)
1 small yellow onion, peeled, thinly sliced
1 small clove garlic, pressed
Handful of minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground paprika
Pinch of dried herbs (thyme, marjoram or basil)
12 small onions, parboiled
4 small frying peppers, cut in half and seeded
6 bay leaves
16 cherry tomatoes

Arrange lamb in shallow glass dish. Prepare marinade by combining in bowl wine, salad oil (or olive oil), onion, garlic, parsley, pepper, salt, paprika and herbs. Mix well. Pour over lamb cubes. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator 4-5 hours. Alternate lamb cubes and bay leaves on skewers. Brush with marinade and broil 4 or 5 inches from source of heat 5-7 minutes on each side (or longer if desired). Place vegetables on separate skewers, allowing 1 pepper, 3 onions and 4 tomatoes per serving. Brush with marinade and broil 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve lamb and vegetables on rice pilaf.

For the rice pilaf:

1/4 cup butter (or margarine)
1/2 cup white roce
1/2 cup brown rice
2 tbsps. minced white onion
2 cups canned chicken stock or homemade lamb stock (made by simmering lamb
shank in salted water)

Melt butter (or margarine) in saucepan. Add white and brown rice with onion. Cook, stirring constantly, until rice is lightly browned. Add broth. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes (or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender). Serves 4.

Fay Compton's Spanish Rice

Fay Compton's Spanish Rice

Half cup rice, 1 lb. minced beef or other suitable meat, 1 tin tomatoes, 1 large onion, salt and pepper.

Put rice on to boil. While rice is cooking, chop onion and fry it in fat until nearly brown. Add meat and fry with onion until just cooked through (not overdone). Turn into a bowl, add cooked rice and tomatoes, salt and pepper. Mix well. A little Worcester sauce adds to the flavor, or a few chopped mushrooms.

Turn the whole thing into a casserole and bake in a moderate oven for three-quarters of an hour. A few sliced tomatoes laid on top before serving makes the dish look appetizing.

Alex Comfort's Vegetarian Curry

Alex Comfort's Vegetarian Curry

2 tbsps. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
3 jalapeno chiles, seeded and sliced
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 or 2 cans (16 ozs. each) garbanzos, drained
1/2 cup water
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
3 cups hot cooked rice
Sliced cucumber and onion for garnish
Plain yogurt

Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and jalapenos; saute until onion is tender but not browned. Stir in curry powder. Cook until browned. Add garbanzos and water; simmer 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate overnight to blend flavors.

The next day, reheat with garlic. Serve over hot rice. Garnish with cucumber and onion and top with yogurt. Serves 6.

Tina Cole's Pancakes

Tina Cole's Pancakes

1 cup packaged pancake mix
3/4 cup buttermilk (or sour milk)
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. butter (or margarine)
2 cups thinly sliced raw apple
2 tsps. lemon juice
2 tbsps. brown sugar
1 tsp. sweet sherry
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar

In blender jar combine pancake mix with buttermilk (or sour milk) and vegetable oil; blend until smooth. Set aside. In a medium-sized skillet, melt butter (or margarine), add apples sprinkled with lemon juice. Saute apples 5 minutes, remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients, mix well, set aside. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into hot, lightly greased griddle. Cook and turn when top is covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Brown on other side. Repeat, using remaining batter. Place about 2 tbsps. apple filling in center of each pancake. Roll up. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve as breakfast or dessert offering. Makes 8 pancakes.

Thoughts: For special dessert, flambe pancake with Calvados or Grand Marnier.

Recipes by Claudette Colbert: Caramel Custard; Cheese and Olive Puffs

Claudette Colbert's Caramel Custard

3 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup boiling water
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Scald 3 cups whole milk. Melt 1/2 cup of sugar in iron frying pan and stir constantly until light brown. Add 1/4 cup boiling water and stir until dissolved. Now add milk. Pour the hot mixture over 3 slightly beaten eggs and place in double boiler. Cook over hot (not boiling) water until mixture coats the spoon, stirring constantly. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Chill and serve ice cold in small glass dishes.

Claudette Colbert's Cheese and Olive Puffs

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
2 (10-ounce) jars of pimento-stuffed green olives, drained and blotted dry

Add cheese and butter to bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Add flour, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce to form dough. Wrap each olive in a small amount of dough, completely covering the olive and forming a ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and freeze. Transfer to a plastic bag and store in freezer until ready to use. To cook, place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until crust is golden. Serve hot.

Recipes by Myron Cohen: Potato Latkes; Red Pepper-String Bean Stew

Myron Cohen's Potato Latkes

5 large potatoes
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt
A few gratings freshly ground black pepper
Sweet butter

Peel, grate and drain potatoes. Add eggs, matzo meal and seasonings, mix well.

Drop batter by spoonfuls in melted butter deep enough to cover the pancakes. Brown on both sides over moderate heat. Serve piping hot with sour cream or chilled applesauce. Serves four.

Myron Cohen's Red Pepper-String Bean Stew

3 lbs. boneless lean beef chuck, cut in 2-inch cubes
1/16 teaspoon red pepper (cayenne)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/16 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup tomato sauce
About 2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon crushed tarragon
2 small yellow onions, peeled
4 medium potatoes, peeled, cut in large pieces
8 small carrots, peeled, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 pound string beans

Roll meat in blended red pepper, salt and black pepper. Brown meat in heated vegetable oil in heavy kettle. Add tomato sauce and enough water to barely cover meat. Cover and simmer slowly 1 1/2 hrs. or until meat is quite tender. Watch carefully so meat does not burn or stick. Add water as needed.

Add tarragon, onions, potatoes and carrots. Cover and simmer 30 minutes (or until potatoes begin to soften). Meanwhile, wash beans thoroughly, rejecting any limp or shriveled beans. Remove blossom and stem ends, pull off strings. Add whole beans to kettle, cook over medium heat about 20 minutes (or until beans are barely tender). Correct seasonings. Serves 8-10.

Thoughts: Select small, garden-fresh string beans for best flavor. Ad lib the quantity of cayenne to suit the palate, but be sparing on the quantity of liquid used. The stew should be thick and vegetables barely tender to insure optimal flavor and texture.