Conference turris::cooks

  "Mike's Favorite Recipe"

  - Bone one duck.
  - Stuff it with your favorite stuffing recipe (mine is a standard
    turkey stuffing to which garlic cloves, tangerine sections and
    sausage are added).
  - Tie it up so the stuffing doesn't fall out.
  - Sprinkle a mixture of soy sauce and Grand Marnier on top.
  - Roast it.
  - Serve with very old red burgundy.

  The last part (about the red burgundy) is a bit tricky, but the rest
  is pretty straightforward.

    Place 4 boneless chicken breasts in a greased baking dish.
    Sprinkle with garlic salt.
    Cover with slices of swiss cheese.
    Mix 1/2 cup dry white wine with cream of mushroom soup (may also use
    any type of cream of whatever soup depending on your taste).
    Pour the soup and wine mixture over the chicken and spread evenly.
    Melt one stick of butter and mix in 2 cups of Pepperidge Farms herb
    stuffing mix.
    Sprinkle over the chicken.
    Bake at 325 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 min.
    Serves 4.
    Easy and delicious!!!

    Not sure of exact measurements, but you'll get the general idea.
    
    8 oz raisins
    8 oz golden raisin
    16 oz chopped dates
    1 pkg red candied cherries
    1 pkg green candied cherries
    1 pkg candied citron
    1 pkg candied orange peel
    1 pkg candied lemon peel
    1 pkg candied pineapple
    6 eggs, beaten
    1 small bottle rum or brandy flavoring (approx 2T)
    1-2 c flour
    ? sugar
    
    Blend all together.  Makes about 3-4 regular loaf pans of fruit cake.
    Bake very low (300 deg) oven for several hours until brown.  
    
    Now the best part and why my fruitcake gets rave reviews from even
    people who HATE fruit cake.  While still hot, pour 151 Bacardi Rum
    over all the cakes and let sit.
    
    When cool, pour more rum.  Seal in plastic bags or containers.  Every
    5-6 days, take out fruit cakes and pour more rum, let soak in and upt
    put back in plastic bags.  Suggest you make fruit cakes at least one
    month before serving.  Cakes will be very moist.
    
    Linda
    

    Ooooh, this is a hard one.  Is this our favorite for EACH category
    (i.e. dessert, main dish, casserole, soup, bread...etc?)  ;*)
    
    I guess if I had to put one in here that people keep asking for it
    would have to be Chicken Divan.  Not only do they ask for the recipe
    but when they come to my house for dinner - they ask me to make this -
    AGAIN!  
    
    I know as soon as I enter this - another willpop up in my mind...and 
    it will be too late!
    
    Anyway...
    
                              CHICKEN DIVAN
    
    1  3-4 lb. Chicken roaster/fryer
    9 cups water
    6 green pepper corns
    1 Bay leaf
    2 Tablespoons Basil
    3 cloves garlic
    1 onion (quartered)
    1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    1 teaspoon Sage
    1 teaspoon Thyme
    
    Put chicken in large pot and cover (2 inches over) with water.  
    Bring to a boil and then simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours.
    
    Take chicken out (as well as the pieces that have fallen off the bone)
    and put in a big bowl to cool.
    
    DON'T DRAIN THE STOCK!!
    
    In the chicken stock, gently simmer 2 bunches broccoli.  For
    approximately 8 minutes.  You want the broccoli HALF cooked.  Take out
    the broccoli and cool.
    
    DO NOT DRAIN THE STOCK!!
    
    Sauce:
    
    2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
    4 Tablespoons butter/margerine
    salt and pepper to taste
    dash nutmeg
    dash paprika
    
    Put all of this in a large fry pan and make a 'roux'!  
    
    Slowly add:
    2 Cups heavy whipping cream
    1 cup chicken stock
    1/2 cup wine (preferably white - or you can use a blush)
    1/2 cup grated romano cheese
    
    If too thick - slowly add in more stock.
    
    De-bone chicken.  In a 9 x 13 baking dish layer the broccoli pieces on
    the bottom - then pieces of chicken - then another layer of broccoli.
    
    Pour the sauce over it...sprinkle with a combination of plain bread
    crumbs and romano cheese.
    
    Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour...uncovered.
    
    Serving suggestions:
    
    Caesar Salad
    Garlic Bread
    White rice
    
    and....for dessert ->   Hershey chocolate cake with frosting,
                            but that's ANOTHER story!
    
    Marilyn
    

    Yum, .2 is very similar to the recipe I use from the back of the Arnold
    stuffing bag.
    
    1 can cream of chicken soup              \
    1/2 cup sherry                            :  mix together
    Add 1/4 cup cream (I use half 'n half)  /
    put boneless chicken in baking dish
    top with Swiss or Havarti cheese
    pour soup mixture over chicken 
    top with stuffing (I thought the original recipe called for too much so
    I just cover chicken about 1/2 inch - and I like Pep. Farm stuffing
    better than the Arnold which is cubed)
    pour melted butter over top (one stick might be too much)
    bake at same temp as .2 for same time..... or 350 for an hour
    
    note... if you want a lot of sauce, add a little more sherry or cream
            so your dish doesn't dry out.
    
    I don't remember how many chicken breasts this recipe originally called
    for, but I use 2 whole breasts split & boned.
    
                            

             
    Easy, elegant and very good. 
    
    Parmesan Chicken
    
    2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, split 
    1 TBS crushed garlic 
    1/4 cup flour 
    1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan (or romano)
    2 TBS butter 
    2 TBS olive oil  
    1 1/2 cups dry white wine 
    
    Mix the flour and all but a couple of tablespoonsful of the parmesan on
    in a shallow plate.  Dredge the chicken in the flour/parmesan mixure,
    pressing the cheese into the chicken.  Melt the butter with the olive
    oil over medium heat in a large saute pan.  Add the garlic, being
    careful not to let in brown.  Cook the chicken until golden brown and
    remove to a casserole, along with the oil/butter and any brown bits you
    can scrape from the pan.  Pour the wine over chicken, top with the
    remaining parmesan and bake at 350 for 30 mins, or until chicken is
    completely cooked.  Serve the chicken topped with some of the baking
    liquid.  

This chicken dish requires some preparation (cutting olives and chicken) but
the cooking time is minimal.  It is my all time favorite!  I serve it with
rice pilaf and a green veggie (best with broccoli). 


		Chicken with Capers

	2 or 3 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
	flour
	salt
	pepper
	butter (I use margarine)
	oil
	1/2 jar capers, some liquid
	1 small jar salad olives, sliced, and some liquid
	1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
	1 TBSP. parsley flakes

	Dredge chick in flour, salt, and pepper.  Heat butter and oil (1/2
	and 1/2) in frying pan.  Add chicken and brown on all sides on high
	heat.
	
	Place capers, garlic, olives, and parsley in a small bowl with caper
	and olive liquid.  Add water to make enough liquid to surround chicken
	in pan.  Pour over chicken.  Cook covered until liquid thickens.  
	Simmer with cover off until chicken is tender.

    
    
    Please help me out.  What are Capers and where would I purchase this
    item?
    
    Thanks,
    M.

>>    Please help me out.  What are Capers and where would I purchase this
>>    item?
    
capers are a small bud off a bush that grows in the areas around the
mediterranean...they are pickled.  Very strongly pickled, so a little goes
a long way.....a usual recipe that calls for capers uses them by the
tablespoon or even teaspoon.

Look for small jars in the special foods section of the supermarket, or
perhaps near the pickles - I find them in the Italian food section of
some markets for some reason....perhaps due to veal piccatta, which is
the most common recipe that uses them.

    I've seen small capers just about everywhere.  Supermarkets, even
    convenience stores.  The BIG capers (size of a small black olive) are
    difficult to find.  Capers add an interesting flavor to tomato sauce,
    especially when used for cooking fish, like bluefish or cod.

    Yes, use the small capers -- found near the pickles in my supermarket. 
    Buy the small jar (tall and thin!) and use half of it.
    
    My mother and I don't really measure when we make this, but after you
    make it a couple of times you won't have to either!
    
    Cara
    

    
    Capers are used as a garnish on "Schnitzel ala Holstein", more or less
    a breaded veal cutlet topped with a poached egg. (And an anchovy, and
    capers, as aforementioned).
    
    This would be going a little out of your way if your aim is to simply
    try a caper.
    

    Caper: the flower bud of a Mediterranean shrub, pickled for use as
    a relish.
    
    ed, who has never actually seen one

    You find them in tall skinny jars like olives, usually next to the
    olives.  The are pretty salty - you might like them better if you rinse
    them off before adding them to your recipe.  The bush they grow on
    grows in semi-arid areas around the Mediterranean, like Israel.  I;m
    not a big eater of capers - to me, they mostly taste like the brine
    they are packed in.
    
    /Charlotte