Doris Smith <dorisann@TENET.EDU>

Chocolate Fudge

 Combine margarine, evaporated milk and sugar in a large, heavy saucepan. Place over low-medium heat; stir until sugar is dissolved Bring to a boil, cover and boil exactly 5 minutes. Turn heat to very low. Add marshmallows and stir until dissolved.

Add chocolate, sweet chocolate and chocolate bits, one at a time, stirring after each addition until completely melted. Add vanilla and nuts. Blend well. Pour into lightly buttered oblong pan such as an 18x12-inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with sides. Let stand until firm before cutting into squares. Be sure fudge is completely cool before sealing in container. Makes about 125 (1-inch) squares. This is very rich, so cut it in very small pieces. (see also 'Cooking Hint')

Pralines

 (These are absolutely delicious, and have become a tradition in our family around holiday time. They are even good minus the pecans for those who don't like pecans in things.) Pinch of soda when it boils. Cook until it forms a soft ball. Take from heat and beat until it begins to lose it glossy look. Add pecans. Drop by teaspoonsful onto waxed paper. When cool, store in an air-tight tin. (see also 'Cooking Hint')

Instant Russian Tea

 [Portrait of the author as a young man] Mix all ingredients together, and store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Use about 3 tsp. to each cup hot water.

Toal House Cookies

 (The cookies are delicious, and the original name is Vanilla Milk Chip Oatmeal Cookies) Preheat oven to 375F. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in chips, rolled oats and raisins. Drop by well-rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes 7 dozen 2-inch cookies.

Pecan Pie

 Heat oven to 375F. Beat eggs, sugar, salt, butter, and syrup together with rotary beater or electric mixer. Stir in pecans. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake until pastry is nicely browned and knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Note: This is my daughter's favorite pie, with one difference. One day I didn't have 1 cup of either light or dark Karo, but I did have some of each. The dark Karo was *years* old - had been in the back of the pantry no telling how long, and smelled like old molasses, but I used it. That was the best pie I've ever made, and Michele now always requests my "pecan pie with old dark Karo."

Old Faithful

 (This is delicious with either pork chops or chicken.) Brown chops in fat in skillet. While they are browning, put rice in bottom of greased casserole and slice vegetables. Lay chops on rice, and top each with slices of onion, tomato, and green pepper, salting and peppering as you go. Pour in consommŽ, add marjoram and thyme. Cover and cook at 350F for 1 hour.

Kraut Salad

 (This tastes very much like chow-chow) Boil sugar and vinegar 3 minutes. Pour over kraut and boil about 10 minutes. Pour mixture over first 4 ingredients. Chill. Will keep for weeks.

Elephant Stew

 [graphic of ingredients] Cut elephant into bite size pieces. This should take about 2 months. Add enough brown gravy to cover. Insert probe and set to 180 degrees F. Cook on high until tender, about 4 weeks. Taste for seasoning. Serves about 3800 people. If more are expected, two rabbits may be added, but only if necessary, as most people do not like to find hare in their stew.

Asparagus and Green Pea Casserole

 (Another version of an old favorite [see Natalie Maynor section] ) Drain asparagus. Arrange half the asparagus in a buttered 6-cup casserole dish. In a bowl, mix gently the peas, soup and cheese. Spoon half the mixture into casserole. Add remaining asparagus, top with remaining peas. Toss crumbs with butter and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes.

Baked Asparagus

 (and yet another) Drain asparagus. Add the liquid to the milk, egg, and seasonings. Alternate layers of asparagus, toast, and cheese. Pour liquid over all. Dot with butter. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Doris' Spaghetti

 Brown the meat, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in hot oil in a large skillet or electric skillet. (I use the electric skillet, as it heats more evenly than a skillet on my electric stove.) When meat is nicely browned, add the canned tomatoes, chili powder, and water. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

At the end of 30 minutes, add the mushrooms, peas, salt and pepper to the meat mixture. Blend all of this into the cooked spaghetti.

Prepare a large rectangular baking dish by lightly greasing the bottom and sides (or by spraying with Pam). Spread the baking dish with half of the spaghetti/meat mixture. Cover this with 1 cup of the grated cheese.Repeat this, so that you have two layers, with the cheese on top. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 - 30 minutes.

Bandwidth Porcine Pie

 Cook the cauliflower until almost done in salted water. Drain and divide into small flowerets. Meanwhile, sauté the onions and garlic in salad oil. Add tomatoes, and/or pork gravy, thyme, salt, pepper and paprika. Simmer 10 minutes and put through sieve. Thicken sauce with the flour made into a smooth paste with a little cold water. Cook until smooth and thickened, stirring constantly. Place pork and cauliflower in a 2 1/2-quart baking dish and pour the sauce over it. Cover top with pastry or biscuit crust. Make individual pies if you prefer. Cut a small slit in the crust and bake in very hot over, 450F, until crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Six servings.

Roast Loin of Pork

 If you ask your butcher to cut the roast almost all the way through along the bone, it facilitates carving. Sift together 1/4 cup flour, cloves, salt, poultry seasoning, paprika, and cinnamon. Rub this mixture well into the surface of the roast. Put pork on rack in large roaster and roast uncovered for 10 minutes in extremely hot over, 500F. Reduce to a slow, 300F, and add about a cup of water, cover and roast until tender, about 3 1/2 hours. Loin of pork may also be roasted in a moderate over, 325-350F, for 35-40 minutes per pound, 185F on meat thermometer. Remove to platter and make gravy. Skim excess fat; heat about 1/4 cup flour in a skillet until slightly tan, add the drippings and gradually the milk. Heat, stirring constantly until thickened and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in gravy boat or bowl. 12 - 15 servings.

Cooking Hint -- Candy Making

 Fudge and the Pralines included in this book are of the type 'crystalline.' To obtain the tiny crystals necessary for creaminess in crystalline candy, sugar grains must not be permitted to collect on the sides of the pan during cooking, but must be wiped down with a damp cloth wrapped around the tines of a fork. Such crystals grow slowly into large ones, thus making the candy "grainy." If there is any sign of graininess on the sides of the pan at end of cooking, pour it into a clean pan or bowl immediately on removal from the heat, with no scraping whatever. Then cool the syrup enough so that the pan can be held on the palm of the hand without discomfort, before beating. Cooling may be hastened by setting the pan in a bowl of cool water, but no stirring should be done until it is cooled. This cooled candy requires a long beating to start the sugar crystals to form , but once they start, they form all at once and are all very tiny. And when all the crystals are tiny, the candy has the creamy quality which is so desirable.

Flavoring should be added to the candy after cooking since all flavorings are volatile and are dissipated rapidly in hot liquids. When candy is to be beaten, the flavoring may be added after the candy is cooled. You will always be more successful if you choose a clear, dry day for candy-making. A humid atmosphere or excessively hot weather add to the difficulties of making almost any kind of candy. This is especially true when making caramels and toffee, and dipping chocolates.

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