Recipes by Dick Van Dyke: Hot Dogs au Vin; Macaroni-Hot Dog Salad

Dick Van Dyke's Hot Dogs au Vin

8 frankfurters
2 tbsps. butter (or margarine)
3 tbsps. chives, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups burgundy wine
1 (5 oz.) can button mushrooms, drained
2 cups brown gravy (left over or canned)
1 - 10 1/2 oz. can tiny white potatoes, drained

1. Saute the hot dogs, cut crosswise into thirds, in butter. When the hot dogs are brown, remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the chives and garlic to the skillet and saute. Slowly add the wine.

2. Allow to simmer for 10 mins. Add the onions, mushrooms, and brown gravy. When it begins to simmer again, add the potatoes and browned hot dogs. Serve hot. Serves 4.

Dick Van Dyke's Macaroni-Hot Dog Salad

10 hot dogs, cooked, cut in 1/8 inch rounds
2 cups cooked macaroni, chilled
3 tbsps. sweet pickle relish
1 1/2 tbsps. minced white onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
3 tbsps. mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. prepared mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine hot dog rounds with macaroni, sweet pickle relish, onion, celery, mayonnaise, and mustard. Season to taste, mix well. Chill several hrs. before serving. Serve with corn (cooked over the grill, or wrapped in foil and oven-baked). Serves 4-6. 

Recipes by Trish Van Devere: All-Day-Chili-in-the-Pot; Guacamole; Vichyssoise

Trish Van Devere's All-Day-Chili-in-the-Pot

3 cups dry kidney (or pinto) beans
3 tbsps. fine grade olive oil
3 large white onions, peeled, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
3 lbs. lean ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (more if desired)
3 Spanish chili pepper pods (or 3 tbsps. fresh chili powder)
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup undiluted canned beef stock
1 tsp. cumin seed

Wash, pick over beans, cover with cold water in a vast pot, bring to a boil. Remove from heat, let stand 1 hour. Add water to cover, bring to boil again; lower heat, simmer slowly. Stir from time to time. Meanwhile saute onion in olive oil with pressed garlic until onion is golden in large Dutch oven (or stock pot). Remove onion from Dutch oven with slotted spoon. Add meat to pan drippings, cook slowly over low heat, stirring with spoon until meat is crumbly and light. Add meat and pan drippings to large cooking pot with beans. Add remaining ingredients including sauteed onions. Cook over very low heat stirring with wooden spoon to blend and mix well. Keep on low simmer, stirring often to prevent burning. Add more liquid (beef stock) to keep beans covered. Continue cooking until beans are tender, but not mushy. Just before serving, taste to correct seasonings. Serve in bowls garnished with minced raw white sweet onion, shredded lettuce and-or grated aged sharp cheddar cheese. If desired, chili can be served over hot cooked rice. Serves 10-12.

Trish Van Devere's Guacamole

2 ripe California avocados, mashed (or pureed)
1/4 cup dairy sour cream
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or cayenne)
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
2 pkgs. frozen cocktail tacos (12 tacos in a package)

Blend together avocados, sour cream, onion, lemon juice, salt, chili powder (or cayenne), garlic and tomato.  Cover and refrigerate until serving time.  Makes about 2 cups. Place cocktail tacos on baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F. oven 15 minutes (or until crisp). Garnish with cherry tomatoes speared with cocktail picks.

Trish Van Devere's Vichyssoise

6 large potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
2 large leeks, sliced
1 large bunch of watercress
5 cups chicken stock (homemade or undiluted canned)
1 small ham bone
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 cups heavy cream
Watercress (or chives) to garnish

Cook sliced potatoes, leeks, watercress and ham bone in chicken stock until vegetables are tender. Remove bone, put through a blender (or puree through a fine sieve). Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Chill thoroughly before serving. Add cream before serving, mix well; pour into small glass dishes, bury in ice. Garnish with chopped watercress (or chives). Serves 6.

Vivian Vance's Chicken Kiev

Vivian Vance's Chicken Kiev

32 ounces boneless chicken breasts (four 8 oz. each, cut in half, pounded thin)
8 tablespoons butter (cut into 1 T pats, frozen)
4 teaspoons onion powder
4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Dredge:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Dip:
1 large egg
2 tablespoons sour cream

Coating:
2 cups corn flakes (crushed fine)
1 tablespoon parsley, minced fine

Pound all the chicken breasts until thin.

Season with 1/2 teaspoon onion and garlic powder. Sprinkle on little salt, pepper and tarragon. Dot with butter in center.

Fold up tightly and secure with toothpicks.

Dredge in flour, then dip in egg mixture, then roll in cornflakes-parsley mixture.

Freeze until completely chilled, can wrap individually.

Deep fry at 370 degrees F. until browned, turning only once.

Rudy Vallee's Lamb Stew

Rudy Vallee's Lamb Stew

Take 5 lb. shoulder of spring lamb, cut into 3-inch squares. Season with salt, pepper, and a little garlic. Place in a saucepan with one bay leaf and brown to a golden color. Sprinkle a little flour over the meat, add enough beef stock to cover, and simmer for about 50 minutes. Then add a few carrots, a few small onions, 4 sliced parsnips, and 5 ripe tomatoes. When done serve the stew sprinkled with cooked new green peas. Serve new, small boiled potatoes on the side.

Karen Valentine's Beef Shish Kebabs

Karen Valentine's Beef Shish Kebabs

For the marinade:

1 cup salad (or vegetable) oil
3/4 cup white wine (or 1/2 cup wine-vinegar plus 1/4 cup water)
1 clove garlic, pressed
Ad lib the herbs: 1/2 crushed bay leaf, big pinch fines herbs, 1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers or 1/2 tsp. each oregano and basil, spring parsley or 1/2 tsp. thyme, 1/2 tsp. basil, pinch dry sage)
1 1/2 lbs. boneless lean tender steak (porterhouse or club steak or top round) cut in 2-inch cubes
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1. Combine oil, wine (or wine-vinegar and water), garlic, your choice of herb combination, salt and pepper; mix well.

2. Trim meat well, add beef to marinade. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours, turning occasionally.

For the skewers:

8 small whole onions, cooked
6 cherry tomatoes
1 large green pepper, cut in large pieces
8 mushrooms caps (fresh or canned)

1. Arrange beef on skewers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Arrange onions, tomatoes, green pepper and mushrooms on 4 skewers. Brush lightly with marinade.

3. Broil beef quickly on one side, turn. Broil vegetable and beef kebabs at the same time. Broil until meat is cooked to desired doneness and vegetables are brown. Remove meat and vegetables from skewers. Arrange alternating meat and vegetables on mounds of hot cooked rice. Serves 4.

Caterina Valente's Portuguese White Fish

Caterina Valente's Portuguese White Fish

2 tbsps. olive oil
6 beefsteak tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. powdered oregano
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped parsley
2 1/2 lbs. filet of pompano (or flounder, sole or haddock)

1. Moisten bottom of a shallow earthenware (or glass) baking dish with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Arrange tomato slices on bottom of dish. Top with half the minced garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.

2. Place fish, skin side down, over seasoned tomatoes. Rub top of filets with olive oil. Finish with tomato layer, repeating seasonings. Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees F.) 20 mins. or until fish is done. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately. Serves 4-6.

Caterina's Thoughts: "I serve the above with a first course of steamed artichokes stuffed with parsley and minced garlic, mixed green salad, crisp Italian bread and sweet butter, fresh strawberries laced with Kirsch, coffee espresso and a dry white wine."

Brenda Vaccaro's Terrific Italian Sausages

Brenda Vaccaro's Terrific Italian Sausages

1 lb. sweet Italian sausages
Salt
2 tbsps. fine grade olive oil
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
3 large sweet peppers (green, red or yellow), diced
2-3 Italian plum tomatoes
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cut lemon

1. Separate sausages into individual links. Spread thin layer of salt evenly on large iron skillet; heat over high flame. Add sausages. Reduce heat and cook sausages slowly until brown and crisp on all sides.

2. In separate skillet, heat olive oil. Add onion and peppers; cook over low heat, stirring. Cut and seed tomatoes, press through sieve. Add to skillet with peppers. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until thickened and nicely colored. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Drain cooked hot sausages on absorbent paper, removing excess salt and grease. Serve sausages on plate, squeeze lemon juice over sausages. Serve sauce hot on the side, or spoon over sausages. Serves 2.

Thoughts: Brenda's specialty can be more pungent made with pressed garlic, or herbs (basil, oregano or Italian parsley). Sweet Italian sausages are available in supermarkets, but for optimal results, buy luganica (pork sausage) from a good Italian butcher or sausage maker.