Recipes by Dinah Shore: Beef Brisket with Pureed Vegetable Gravy; Cheesecake Cookies; Chicken Soup Stew; Dinah's Potatoes; Red Snapper; Zucchini Stuffed Chicken

Dinah Shore's Beef Brisket with Pureed Vegetable Gravy

3 or 4 lbs. lean beef brisket
Salt and pepper to taste
About 3 tbsps. vegetable oil (or butter)
4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1/2 green pepper, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup beef broth

Season brisket generously with salt and pepper. Brown meat on both sides in vegetable oil (or butter) in a Dutch oven or heavy skillet. Add vegetables to form layer on bottom of pan, replace meat on top. Cover and bake in preheated 300 degrees F. oven about two hours, occasionally basting with juices from the meat. Uncover, add wine and beef broth. Continue baking uncovered until meat is tender. Remove meat to a platter. Skim excess fat from pan and discard. Strain vegetables and remaining pan juices, pressing through a sieve, or using a food mill to make the puree. Return this puree to pan and cook, stirring, until smooth and thick. Season to taste, and return meat to pan to reheat. Serve with kasha or potato pancakes, or with potatoes, cut in half, roasted and basted with meat-vegetables juices during the last hour of cooking. Serves 6-8.

Dinah Shore's Cheesecake Cookies

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup melted butter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix brown sugar, nuts and flour together. Stir in butter and mix with hands until crumbly. Remove 1 cup. Press remainder in an 8-inch square pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes.

Beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Beat in lemon juice, cream and vanilla extract. Pour into baked crust. Top with reserved crumbs.

Return to 350 degrees F. oven for 25 minutes. Cool thoroughly. Cut into 2-inch squares. Serves 6.

Dinah Shore's Chicken Soup Stew

2 qts. water
1 tbsp. salt
6 slices bacon, chopped (or 1/4 lb. salt pork, minced)
2 chickens, cut in serving-size pieces
2 carrots, peeled, sliced
2 onions, peeled, cut in half
1 pkg. frozen lima beans
1 pkg. frozen corn
1/4 tsp. cayenne
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
A few sprigs of fresh parsley
1 bunch celery, cleaned, chopped
2 or 3 potatoes, peeled, cut in cubes
1 can (16 ozs.) tomatoes
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 pt. heavy cream

Boil water with salt. Add bacon (or salt pork), chicken, carrot, onion, lima beans and corn. Add cayenne, pepper and parsley. Cover tightly, bring to a boil, then skim, if necessary. Reduce heat, cover again and cook slowly for about two hours. Stir gently but often. Parboil celery, set aside. Add potatoes, tomatoes and sugar to soup mixture. Continue cooking, covered, for 1 more hour. A few minutes before serving, gently pick off skin from the chicken where it can be done easily without tearing meat too much. Add celery and heavy cream. Bring mixture to a boil. Taste to correct seasonings. Pour into large heated soup tureen. Serve in soup bowls with crusty French bread. Serves 6-8.

Dinah Shore's Potatoes

2 lbs. sliced potatoes, skins on
2 cups whipping cream
2 tbsps. Dijon mustard
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 tbsps. butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Grease 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Lay sliced potatoes in dish, add salt and pepper. In saucepan, combine cream, mustard, garlic, and butter. Heat to boiling. Pour over potatoes. Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for approximately 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake an additional 1/2 hour. They should be a bit brown and crispy.

Dinah Shore's Red Snapper

4 red snapper fillets
1/2 stick butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 2 limes
Lime halves for garnish
1/2 bunch chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Brush red snapper fillets with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil quickly on each side under a very hot broiler. Sprinkle generously with lime juice. Before serving, pour on a bit more melted butter. Garnish with lime halves and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serves 4.

Dinah Shore's Zucchini Stuffed Chicken

8 to 10 chicken pieces (with skin on)
2 zucchini, washed and shredded
4 cups bread, shredded
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons chicken seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder)*
(* 2 tablespoons combined spices)
1 large onion
1 to 2 cup water

Wash and clean chicken.

Mix all stuffing ingredients except water. Add water, a little at a time, until mixture is soft but of a fairly firm consistency. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of mixture under the skin of each chicken piece and place on baking tray. Bake at 375 degrees F for 40 to 50 minutes. Drain off fat and serve.

Recipes by Joanna Shimkus: Angel Food Cake; Shrimp Creole

Joanna Shimkus' Angel Food Cake

1 cup cake flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups egg whites (at room temperature)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsps. cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract

1. Sift flour once and measure; sift 1 cup of the sugar with flour three times; set aside.

2. Put egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl. Beat until egg whites will stay in points but still look moist and shiny. Beat in remaining 3/4 cup of sugar, adding 2 tbsps. at a time, beating after each addition until mixture is stiff and glossy.

3. Sift about one-fourth of the flour-sugar mixture over the batter. Very gently fold in using a large spoon or rubber scraper with an up, over, and down motion, making 10-12 strokes.

4. Repeat until all of the flour-sugar mixture is gently folded in. Pour batter into ungreased 10-inch tubular pan. Bake in preheated 375 degrees F. oven for 35 minutes. Invert pan, let cake cool for about an hour in a place without any drafts.

Thoughts: Joanna's angelic fare works best when ingredients are all at room temperature and exact measurements are used. Serve alone or with slightly sweetened strawberries or red raspberries in season.

Joanna Shimkus' Shrimp Creole

1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 large stalks celery, chopped
1/3 cup butter
One (1 lb. 3 oz.) can tomatoes
2 tsps. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 small bay leaf, crushed
Dash of Tabasco
1 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 lbs. raw fresh peeled, deveined shrimp
Handful minced fresh parsley

1. Saute onion, pepper, garlic and celery in butter until vegetables begin to soften. Stir frequently. Add tomatoes and all the remaining ingredients except the shrimp and parsley. Simmer 20-25 minutes over medium heat until mixture thickens and reduces one-third. Stir often.

2. Add shrimp and parsley. Cook 4-5 minutes (or until shrimp are barely cooked). Serve at once over mounds of fluffy cooked rice. Serve with crusty French bread and salad. Serves 6.

Thoughts: Joanna's favorite fish creation can be changed to please the palate: substitute fresh crab meat for shrimp (or use half crab meat, half shrimp); season the sauce by adding a pinch of thyme or a smidgen of grated lemon peel. Substitute fresh garden-ripe tomatoes for the canned variety. Add a hint of saffron to season the rice. To create Joanna's favorite salad, mix crisp greens--romaine, Boston lettuce--with endive, scallions, tomatoes, avocado, carrots, slivers of cheese and dress with an oil-and-vinegar dressing (available at health food stores).

Recipes by Bobby Sherman: Artichokes with Hollandaise Sauce; Beef and Noodle Goulash

Bobby Sherman's Artichokes with Hollandaise Sauce

For the artichokes:

4 large artichokes
Boiling salted water
2 tbsps. lemon juice (or vinegar)

Choose smooth, dark green, tightly-closed artichokes. Wash thoroughly. Cut off stem close to leaves. If tops are very prickly, cut them with scissors (or sharp knife on a cutting board) about 1/2-inch from top. Cook artichokes in boiling salted water to which lemon juice (or vinegar) has been added. Cook about 25 minutes (or until tender; test by piercing with fork). Drain upside down. Cut out choke (thistle-like part it center). Serve upright, hot or cold, with Hollandaise sauce. Serves 4.

For the Hollandaise sauce:

3 egg yolks
2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
2/3 cup butter

Combine egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and cayenne in electric blender. Blend on high speed 3 seconds. Melt butter and cook over low heat until butter begins to bubble; very slowly add butter to egg mixture with blender on high speed. If necessary, keep sauce over warm water. Serve warm sauce with artichokes (hot or cold).

Bobby Sherman's Beef and Noodle Goulash

1 tbsp. salad oil
1 lb. ground chuck
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1/2 tsp. leaf sage
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 can (6 ozs.) sliced mushrooms, undrained
1 cup dairy sour cream
8 ozs. medium egg noodles (about 4 cups)
3 qts. boiling salted water

Heat oil in large skillet. Cook onion and meat until meat is browned. Pour off excess fat. Add tomato paste, salt, sage, pepper and mushrooms. Set aside. Cook noodles uncovered in rapidly boiling salted water. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain in colander. Add sour cream to meat mixture. Heat just to serving temperature. Toss with noodles to serve. Serves 4.

Allan Sherman's Omelet

Allan Sherman's Omelet

6 eggs
2 teaspoons cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1/16 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated pimento processed cheese
1 small can tuna
2 teaspoons sweet butter
1 tablespoon minced yellow onion

Beat eggs with cold water. Add salt, white pepper, cheese and tuna (well drained and rinsed in hot water). Beat well but not too frothy. Melt butter in iron skillet until butter sizzles without browning. Add minced onion just before adding the egg mixture. Stir quickly with a fork, shake pan until eggs begin to set. Then stir more slowly for 1/2 minute. Leave a second. Fold over to edge of pan. Turn out on a heated platter. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with thick slices of cold tomatoes and Melba rounds. Serves 3.

Sherman's afterthoughts: Serve for lunch or dinner. And if you forget the "extras," it only adds up to about 330 calories per serving.

Recipes by Ann Sheridan: Italian Chicken; Mexican Chicken; Spaghetti Sauce

Ann Sheridan's Italian Chicken

Clean, disjoint, then roll a 3 lb. fowl in mixture of half a cup flour, one teaspoon salt, and l/8 teaspoon rosemary. Brown lightly in saucepan containing 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, previously heated. When chicken is hot add 1 tablespoon minced onion, 1 clove minced garlic, 4 cups chopped tomatoes, 2 cups diced and pared Italian squash, 2 cups cubed potatoes.

Cook 20 minutes in covered saucepan, occasionally stirring. Turn into oiled casserole and add 1/2 cup peas. Heat through in moderate oven and serve garnished with watercress.

Ann Sheridan's Mexican Chicken

Two young chickens cut into serving pieces; 1 teaspoon salt; pepper; 6 tablespoons butter; 1 finely chopped onion; 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic; 3 tablespoons flour; flavoring of peppercorn.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Saute in three tablespoons butter. Add one teaspoon salt, onion, garlic, peppercorn and boiling water to cover. Cook until chicken is tender. Remove to serving dish and thicken in pan with remaining butter and flour.

Ann Sheridan's Spaghetti Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves,minced
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
1 cup raw carrots, minced
1 cup celery, minced
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup raw, coarsely cut calf or chicken liver
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 cups canned tomatoes
2 cups water

Combine in saucepan the butter and olive oil. When bubbling, add onions and garlic. Cook one minute and add parsley, carrots, celery, mushrooms, cloves, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and chopped livers. Cook and stir five minutes. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes and water. Bring to boil and allow to simmer gently an hour or until thick. Serve with regular boiled spaghetti.

Cybill Shepherd's Cheese Souffle

Cybill Shepherd's Cheese Souffle

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
White pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups finely grated cheese (Gruyere, Cheddar or American)
4 large eggs, separated
Dash of cayenne

Melt butter, blend in flour to form smooth paste. Gradually add milk, stirring, and cook over low heat until smooth and thick. Add salt, white pepper and cheese; stir until cheese is melted and well-blended. Set aside. Beat egg yolks until thick; gradually add hot cheese sauce and cayenne to taste. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry; fold into cheese sauce. Pour into well-greased 1 1/2-qt. souffle dish (or straight-sided baking dish). Fill souffle dish only three-quarters full. With teaspoon, make track 1-inch from edge of dish so souffle can break and puff. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven about 50 minutes (or until well-puffed and golden brown). Serve alone or with chicken cream sauce, artichokes, or watercress-endive salad. Serves 4.

Recipes by Norma Shearer: Chicken a la King; Chicken Croquettes

Norma Shearer's Chicken a la King

The chicken is cut up fine and is then added to a sauce prepared as follows: A quarter of a pound of butter melted in a chafing dish, to which is added three level tablespoons of flour. When this is well blended add gradually two cups of cream. Let this cook for a minute, stirring constantly, then add pepper, salt, paprika, a teaspoonful of garlic and onion minced so finely that it is a paste, and two tablespoonfuls of grated cheese. When this sauce has become smooth, add the chicken and serve instantly over buttered toast.

Norma Shearer's Chicken Croquettes

1 cup minced chicken
1 dessertspoon (2 teaspoons) chopped parsley
1 dessertspoon (2 teaspoons) flour
1 pint milk or chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. ham
grated nutmeg
1 dessertspoon (2 teaspoons) butter
2 hard-boiled eggs
bread crumbs

Make a thick white sauce, using the butter, flour and milk or chicken stock. Mix together the minced chicken, ham, nutmeg, parsley and chopped, hard-boiled eggs; add to sauce and mix well. Take one tablespoon of this mixture and roll in a long shape to form a croquette. Cover with seasoned flour, dip in egg glazing and toss in bread crumbs. Deep fry In fusing hot fat until a golden brown. Drain on white paper. Serve on a paper d'oyley (doily) piled on a hot dish.