World Famous Recipes

Stilton Cheese Straws

2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour

1/4 lb (110 g) butter

1 lb (450 g) Stilton or other good quality blue

cheese, crumbled

Coarse salt to taste

Mix the flour and butter with a fork or in a food processor until the

mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the cheese and knead by hand

until the mixture holds together, adding a few drops of cold water if

necessary. This mixture may be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen

until ready to use. Roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch (5

mm) and cut into strips about 1/2 inch (1 cm) wide and 4 inches (10

cm) long. Sprinkle with coarse salt and place on a lightly greased

baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 450F (230C) until golden brown,

5 to 8 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Serves

6 to 10.

The Best Crab Quiche

1 prepared 9-inch pastry shell, or your favorite recipe

2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

3/4 cup (180 ml) whole milk

3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream

2 Tbs (30 ml) dry sherry (optional)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

A grating of fresh nutmeg

Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

1 cup (250 ml) canned or cooked fresh crab meat

2 Tbs (30 ml) chopped fresh chives

Line the pie shell with aluminum foil and fill it with metallic pie

weights or dried beans or rice. Bake in a preheated 375F (190C) oven

for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the weights and foil and bake until

light golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Meanwhile whisk together

the eggs, yolks, milk, cream, sherry, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and

cayenne. Toss the crab meat with the chopped chives and spread evenly

over the bottom of the hot pie crust. Add the egg mixture and bake 30

to 35 minutes, until the tip of a knife comes out clean when inserted

about 1 inch (3 cm) from the edge of the crust. The center should be

slightly liquid but will firm up as it cools. Serves 6 to 8 as a

first course.

Humus Recipe - Tuscan Hummus Recipe

10 medium garlic cloves

3 cups drained canned cannellini beans or great northern, about two

15 ounce cans

1/2 cup sesame paste (tahini)

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup cold water, if needed

Checca - A RECIPE FOLLOWS

2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

Fit a food processor with the steel blade. Process the garlic cloves

until finely minced, stopping the processor occasionally to scrape

down the sides of the work bowl. Add the beans and pulse the machine

a few times to chop them coarsely. Then, with the machine running,

puree them while you slowly pour the sesame paste through the feed

tube. Still with the motor running, pour the olive oil, lemon juice,

and soy sauce through the feed tube, stopping the processor

occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Stop the

processor, open the lid, and add the salt, cumin, coriander, and

cayenne. Process until thoroughly blended. If the puree seems too

thick for dipping or spreading, pulse in the 1/4 to 1/2 cup cold

water. Transfer the puree to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and

refrigerate to chill well before serving.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Put the pita breads in the oven and heat until thoroughly warmed, 6

to 8 minutes.

Carefully remove and cut into wedges. Place the chilled hummus in a

serving plate or bowl and arrange the tomato Checca on top. Garnish

with the chopped parsley and surround with the pita triangles.

Serve immediately.

Checca

2 pounds Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a mixing bowl, toss together the Checca ingredients, mixing them

thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap an refrigerate until serving

time.

Caribbean Sausage Cheese Triangles Appetizer

1 pound ground pork sausage

1 cup minced sweet onion

3 large garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced

1/2 pound (8 ounces) mushrooms, chopped into 1/2-inch dice

1 scotch bonnet chile pepper, finely minced (optional)

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

8 ounces phyllo (fillo) sheets (half of a 1-pound package - see Note)

1 stick (about) butter, melted

In a large, deep skillet, saute pork sausage, sweet onion, garlic,

mushrooms, and chile, if using. Stir often to break up sausage. Cook

until no pink remains in the sausage. Add thyme, allspice, salt, and

pepper to sausage mixture. Turn off heat and stir in cream cheese

until combined. Cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove phyllo sheets from package and unroll so they are flat. Cut

stack in half lengthwise. Cover with plastic wrap so dough does not

dry out and become brittle.

Remove two strips of phyllo from the stack (remembering to re-cover

remaining strips each time) and place on a flat surface. Brush each

strip with melted butter. Place a heaping tablespoon of sausage-

cheese mixture on one end. Fold strip up to form a triangle. Continue

folding back and forth until you reach the end of the strip, forming

a filled triangle packet. Continue until all of sausage filling is

used up.

Place phyllo sausage triangles on an ungreased cookie sheet or jelly

roll pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until pastry is golden.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Caribbean Sausage Cheese Triangles may be prepared in advance and

frozen for later baking.

Yield: 3 to 4 dozen triangle appetizers

Note: Phyllo (fillo) sheets may be found in the refrigerated or

freezer section of most grocery stores. You may have some phyllo

sheets left over. You can fill them with fruit jam or preserves, fold

into triangles, and bake as above. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar

when cool for a sweet treat.

CUPID’S KABOBS

1-1/2 cups cold milk

1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup (8 ounces) cherry vanilla yogurt

1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Assorted fruit–seedless grapes, apple chunks, strawberry halves and/or

pineapple chunks

Fresh mint sprigs

In a bowl, combine milk and pudding mix; mix well. Let stand for 2-3 minutes

Add yogurt; mix well. Fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate. Thread fruit

onto bamboo skewers; add a mint sprig on the end of each to resemble feathers on

an arrow. Serve with dip.

Yield: 4 cups dip.