Gale Gordon's Beef Stroganoff Supreme

Gale Gordon's Beef Stroganoff Supreme

1/2 cup sweet butter
3 tbsps. peanut oil or fine-grade light vegetable oil
3/4 lbs. fresh mushrooms, cleaned
3 tbsps. shallots
Salt, freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. lean, boneless, top grade beef filet
1 cup beef broth
1/3 cup Madeira wine
2 tbsps. medium-dry sherry
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
Beurre manié (2 tsps. flour, 1 tsp. sweet butter)
1 1/2 cups dairy sour cream
Fresh parsley sprigs

Melt 3 tbsps. butter in heavy skillet. Add half the peanut or vegetable oil. Slice mushrooms; saute in butter and oil until lightly browned over low heat. Add shallots, salt and pepper to taste.

Cook 1 minute over low heat; remove from heat and reserve. Trim off all fat from meat; slice into strips no more than 1/4-inch thick, cutting across the grain of beef with sharp knife. Melt remaining butter and peanut oil in heavy skillet.

Saute beef quickly over high heat, a few pieces at a time. Do not overcook. Remove to heated platter. Add beef broth to pan with Madeira and sherry. Cook, stirring over high heat until volume is reduced by half. Add Worcestershire sauce and herbs.

Combine flour and butter, form into pea-sized balls and add them to the skillet. Add only as much as needed to thicken sauce slightly. Reduce heat to lowest possible flame, stir in sour cream, mushrooms, shallots and beef.

Heat a few minutes but do not boil. Taste to correct seasonings. Serve at once over hot buttered noodles or rice.

Thoughts: Recipe can be varied. Dry vermouth works well in place of Madeira and sherry if a tarter sauce is desired. Can be made with lean lamb or veal, too. Recipe is deliciously different, as it is not made with tomato paste. A touch of Tabasco and Dijon mustard gives stroganoff a sharp flavor.

Recipes by The Golddiggers: Boiled Cauliflower with Butter Sauteed Almonds; Enchiladas a la Golddigger

The Golddiggers' Boiled Cauliflower with Butter Sauteed Almonds

1 large head cauliflower
Boiling salted water
1/2 stick sweet butter
Handful (more if desired) slivered almonds
Salt and white pepper to taste

Choose cauliflower that is close and white. Trim off outer leaves. Trim away the stalk, cutting a well at the bottom of the cauliflower (makes cauliflower cook faster). Plunge cauliflower head into briskly boiling salted water (enough to cover). Cook 15-20 minutes (or until head is barely tender). Drain and put in heated vegetable dish. Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet over very low flame. Add almonds, cook until golden, turning occasionally to brown on all sides. Pour butter and almonds over top of cauliflower. Season liberally with salt and white pepper to taste. Makes 3-4 servings.

The Golddiggers' Enchiladas a la Golddigger

4 tbsps. shortening
12 tortillas (frozen, fresh or canned)
1 lb. canned chili with beans
1 lb. ground beef, optional
1-2 tsps. chili powder
One 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
1 cup minced onion
1 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded

Melt shortening in skillet and heat tortillas on both sides (tortillas should be lifted out of fat with tongs). Drain on absorbent paper.

Heat canned chili with beans in saucepan. If using ground beef, saute lightly in separate skillet until crumbly and pour off fat before adding meat to chili with beans. Add chili powder and a few tsps. enchilada sauce to saucepan with chili with beans and ground beef.

Place dab of onion and cheese in center of each tortilla. Moisten slightly with small amount of enchilada sauce; roll up jelly roll fashion. Place in greased baking dish. Repeat, using up all the cheese and all but a few tsps. of onion. Spoon seasoned beans-ground beef mixture and remaining sauce over enchiladas. Bake in preheated 400 degrees F. oven for 10 minutes (or until cheese is melted). Garnish with grated onion or lettuce to serve. Makes wonderful main course meal. Makes 12 servings.

Thoughts: Enchiladas can be made many ways using leftover cooked chicken or served vegetarian style using cheese (and-or avocado) and hot chili pepper. If desired, chili beans can be used as filling with cheese garnished over top.

Recipes by Arthur Godfrey: Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Livers and Water Chestnuts Rumaki; Hawaiian Spareribs; Sashimi

Arthur Godfrey's Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Livers and Water Chestnuts Rumaki

4 chicken livers
12 water chestnuts
8 slices bacon cut in half crosswise
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

Cut each liver into several parts, fold around a water chestnut, wrap bacon around liver and chestnut, fasten with toothpick. Marinate in ginger-flavored soy sauce 1 hour. Place on rack in shallow baking pan. Bake in 425 degree oven 10 minutes or until bacon is crisp and brown. Replace toothpicks with cocktail picks. Serve with Chinese duck sauce or chutney or a favorite dip.

Arthur Godfrey's Hawaiian Spareribs

3 pounds spareribs cut into individual ribs
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon syrup from preserved kumquats
1 mashed clove of garlic
3 tablespoons ground sesame seeds
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
Canned, drained pineapple chunks
Preserved kumquats

Mix together cornstarch, soy sauce, syrup, garlic, sesame seeds and scallions. Marinate ribs 2 hours in mixture. Thread ribs alternately on skewers with pineapple chunks and kumquats. Broil 8 minutes per side or until meat is tender and brown.

Arthur Godfrey's Sashimi

1 pound boneless raw fish (tuna, red snapper or sea bass)
1 cup shredded lettuce (or 3/4 cup thinly sliced daikon and cucumber)
1 teaspoon dry mustard (or grated fresh or dry ginger roots)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice (or soy sauce)

Cut fish diagonally into strips 1 1/2 inches long, 3/4-inch wide, and 1/8-inch thick. Chill, then arrange slices on bed of shredded lettuce (or daikon and cucumber). Make sauce from mustard (or ginger), olive oil and lemon juice. Serve in a separate dish. Dip fish strips into sauce singly and eat.

Recipes by Peter Glenville: English Apple Dumplings; Spotted Dick

Peter Glenville's English Apple Dumplings

For Suet Paste:
1 cup grated suet
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 cup cold water

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add suet, mix well with pastry blender. Add sufficient cold water to form a stiff paste.

For Apple Dumplings:
4 tart apples
1/2 suet paste
1/3 cup light brown sugar (or vanilla sugar made by putting 2-inch slit piece of vanilla bean in the sugar bowl)
6 whole cloves
Raisins (or stoned dates)

1. Peel, core apples. Roll out pastry, cut in round shape large enough to wrap around each apple.

2. Fill the core cavities with brown sugar, cloves, raisins (or stoned dates). Mold paste over the apples. Wet edge of round to close. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees F.) about 1 hour. When nearly done, brush lightly with water, sprinkle tops with brown sugar. Serves 4.

Peter Glenville's Spotted Dick

1 cup suet paste
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup large raisins (or currants)
About 1/3 cup cold water

1. Prepare half of suet paste as directed above but add sugar and raisins to flour mixture before adding the water. Grease and flour a pudding cloth (non-absorbent pastry cloth).

2. Shape dough into a long sausage roll. Tie it in the cloth, secure both ends with string allowing room to expand.

3. Cook in boiling water about 45 minutes. To serve, remove the cloth, slice to serve. Top with soft custard sauce, treacle (golden molasses), jam or stewed fruit. Serves 4.

Lillian Gish's Gnocchi Verdi with Pesto Sauce

Lillian Gish's Gnocchi Verdi with Pesto Sauce

1 cup finely minced fresh basil
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/3 cup freshly grated Sardo (or Parmesan) cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Pound basil, garlic, pine nuts and cheese in a mortar (or mix at high speed in electric blender). Whisk in olive oil adding a few drops at a time. Beat until sauce is the consistency of creamed butter.

For the gnocchi:

1 pound fresh spinach
1/16 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup softened butter
8 ounces ricotta cheese or 4 ounces each demi-carre and Primula cheese)
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons flour
Grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Wash spinach leaves thoroughly, discard any bruised or yellowed leaves. Dry thoroughly. Place spinach with a little salt, but no water in saucepan; cover, cook spinach until barely tender; watch closely. Drain until absolutely dry; chop finely. Add nutmeg to spinach in saucepan, season with salt and pepper to taste, add 1/4 cup butter, and sieved mashed ricotta.

Cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring. Cool, stir in beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese and flour. Let stand several hours.

Turn out on lightly floured board. Roll into long sausage rolls one-half inch in diameter. Pinch off half-inch pieces, forming gnocchi. When all the dumplings are ready, fill several pots with lightly salted water and bring to a boil.

Cook gnocchi over low heat until they rise to the surface (about 5 minutes); remove at once with a slotted spoon. Drain well in a colander.

Put first batch in shallow buttered fireproof baking dish; top with melted butter and a layer of grated Parmesan cheese. Put dish in preheated 275 degree F. oven to keep hot while completing the rest.

When all the gnocchi are done, top with two more tablespoons melted butter and a generous amount of grated Parmesan. Leave in oven about 5 more minutes. Serve with dollops of pesto sauce. Serves 4.

Thoughts: Foreign cheeses are available in gourmet or cheese specialty shops. Otherwise, substitute top-grade Parmesan and ricotta cheese, available in most supermarkets, as indicated. It fresh basil is not obtainable, use fresh minced parsley with 1 tablespoon dry basil.

Susan George's Quiche Lorraine

Susan George's Quiche Lorraine

One unbaked 9-inch pie shell, homemade or prepared
6 to 8 slices lean bacon
2 tbsps. butter
1 small onion, peeled, minced
6 to 8 cleaned mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 cups grated aged cheddar cheese
4 eggs
2 cups whipping cream or half and half
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Few drops of pepper sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
2 or 3 large ripe tomatoes

Line 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Partially bake pie crust in preheated 400 degrees F. oven 7 to 8 minutes or until pastry begins to brown. Remove from oven; cook on wire rack. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp and brown. Drain bacon well, crumble; set aside.

Saute minced onion in 1 tbsp. butter until transparent. Cook mushrooms in remaining butter until barely golden; remove from heat. Sprinkle bacon on bottom of cooled pastry shell. Arrange cheese and mushrooms over bacon.

Prepare custard by beating together eggs, cream, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Add cooked onion to custard mixture. Pour custard into pie shell. Slice tomatoes and place in an attractive design in shell.

Bake in preheated 425 degrees F. oven for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake 40 minutes longer or until silver knife inserted in filling comes out clean.

Cut to serve piping hot or at room temperature. Delightful with a tossed green salad and very dry white wine. Serves six to eight.

Thoughts: The quiche is easy to prepare and hearty enough for any steak-and-potato lover. Ground cooked ham may be substituted for crumbled bacon. Aged cheddar gives a hearty smoked flavor to the custard. A milder Gruyere, Swiss, Camembert, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Liederkranz or cream cheese may be substituted. Use more cheese if desired, particularly if using a mild cheese.

With cream cheese, use extra grinds of pepper, dashes of hot sauce and nuances of fresh herbs (parsley) or spices (nutmeg). This French classic can be made in advance, reheated to serve, or frozen and served as main dish or hors d'oeuvre offering.

Lynda Day George's Peach Omelet

Lynda Day George's Peach Omelet

8 ripe fresh peaches
1 tsp. finely grated lemon rind
Juice of 1 large lemon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
3 tbsps. peach brandy
Few dashes of brandy extract (or almond extract)
6 eggs, separated
2 tbsps. heavy cream
2 tbsps. sugar
Pinch of salt

Peel peaches, cut in quarters; arrange in bottom of aluminum-foil lined skillet. Sprinkle lemon juice and lemon rind evenly over peaches. Top with nutmeg, peach brandy and brandy extract (or almond). Let peaches marinate about 15 minutes at room temperature. Drizzle 3 tbsps. melted butter over peaches in skillet; cook slowly over very low heat about 5 minutes (or until marinade forms a thin syrup in pan). Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare omelet. Beat egg yolks in small bowl with cream, sugar and salt until frothy. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into egg yolk mixture until well-blended. Heat remaining butter in 12-inch omelet pan (round or square); rotate butter on pan to spread evenly.

Pour in beaten egg mixture; cook omelet slowly until light brown on bottom. Run under broiler a few minutes until top is golden. Carefully remove omelet from pan.

Spread peach mixture on one half of omelet and roll up jelly roll fashion. (If desired, divide peaches, use half inside; spread outer layer of omelet with remaining fruit to form a glaze. Serve at once! Serves 4.

Thoughts: Apricots may be substituted for peaches. Taste is tart and fruity. (Sugar may be added to fruit during heating if desired.)