Penn’s Pecans
I got this recipe from my friend Marsha, who got it from her friend Penn. So they are called Penn’s pecans. They are a bit of work, but easy and so good!
Makes one pound.
2/3 cup bourbon
1 lb. whole pecans
1 Tbsp. oil
Several dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Angostura bitters
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. chipotle
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. plus 1/2 tsp. salt
Reduce bourbon to a third of a cup.
Preheat oven to 325.
In a bowl combine oil, Worcestershire sauce, bitters, half a cup of sugar, cumin, chipotle, a quarter teaspoon salt, and a quarter teaspoon pepper. Add the reduced bourbon and mix well.
Blanch pecans in boiling water for one minute, drain well, and while still hot toss with bourbon-spice mixture. Let this sit for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Place nuts on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. They will seem wet at first but the liquid will absorb and be baked off. Turn oven up to 350 and continue baking. At first they will make a soft hissing sound as they cook. Then they will become quiet. Then they will sizzle again; this means they are done. This will take about 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and toss with remaining one tablespoon sugar and half teaspoon salt. Let cool, then transfer to airtight containers.
Deviled Ham
When we were little, we were occasionally fed Underwood Deviled Ham sandwiches. Go look at a can in the grocery store, but don’t buy it; it is nasty stuff. We loved it. Underwood Deviled Ham product is one of the oldest canned (originally glassed) meat products in America, and it has the oldest, continuously used logo (a heckin’ spooks devil!) of any American product, trademarked in 1870. Here is a tasty and easy homemade version. Serve it with toasts, crackers, in sandwiches, deviled eggs, and more. This will keep for approximately four days refrigerated.
Makes 8 to 10 servings as an appetizer.
1/2 lb. good baked ham
1/4 cup chopped onion (I use milder Vidalia)
1/4 Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. horseradish
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
In a food processor or blender, chop ham and onion finely. Add mustard, mayo, horseradish, and cayenne. Blend well again. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Birdseed Cookies
Let’s feed the birds!
Amount varies, depending on the size of cookie cutters.
2 cups birdseed
1 envelope gelatin
2 Tbsp. cold water
1/3 cup boiling water
Gather some cookie cutters, spray them with nonstick cooking spray, and lay on cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat mat.
Let gelatin bloom in two tablespoons of cold water until softened, then add boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Once dissolved, add the birdseed, blend very well, making sure all the birdseed is coated. Pack seed-gelatin mixture into cookie cutters and let set for several hours. You can speed this up by refrigerating. You can poke holes in the cookies with a skewer so you can put string through them, or just tie strings around them when finished.
Remove cookies from cutters, attach string, hang from trees near windows. Try to find a squirrel-proof branch, otherwise the squirrels will steal these cookies before the birds get a chance to find them.
Cafe Brulot Base
In New Orleans they serve a drink called Cafe Brulot. It can be served hot or cold. The hot version involves fire and equipment and show-off waiters who drizzle flaming booze down a coil of orange peel studded with cloves that spark.
This drink was invented at Antoine’s Restaurant many years ago. This recipe is for the flavored base. You can finish it yourself with hot or cold coffee and sugar syrup. Use two ounces of brulot mix per serving of coffee. To be really authentic, use coffee with chicory like they do in New Orleans. It is an acquired taste. “Brulot” has many translations: biting crane fly, fire ship, scathing report, highly seasoned, or incendiary. They all work.
As with many recipes, the quality of your ingredients will affect the quality of the final product. Buy the best cognac or brandy you can afford.
Makes a lot.
1 bottle VS cognac (750 ml)
1 cup kirschwasser or cherry eau de vie
6 broken cinnamon sticks
10 cloves
Zest/peel (without pith) of 3 oranges and 3 lemons
Place all ingredients in a glass bottle or jar and let sit for a day or two. Decant into gift bottles. To serve, add two ounces per serving of hot coffee and add sugar syrup to taste.
Turkish Zucchini Pancakes
These zucchini latkes are so good, I make them all the time, especially in summer when zucchini is plentiful. It is very important to squeeze as much water out of them as possible. Thank you, Toby Spitz for this recipe (originally from Bon Appetit, 1996).
Makes 20.
1 lb. zucchini, trimmed, coarsely grated
2 cups chopped green onions
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill or 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped tarragon or 2 tsp. dried
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 oz.)
2/3 cups chopped walnuts (about 3 oz.) I leave this out, I don’t like walnuts.
Olive oil
Place zucchini in colander, sprinkle with salt and let stand 30 minutes to drain. Squeeze zucchini between hands to remove liquid, then squeeze dry in several layers of paper towels (or a clean dish towel).
Combine zucchini, chopped green onions, four eggs, flour, chopped dill, parsley, tarragon, and a half teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well. Fold in crumbled feta. This part can be prepared three hours ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Stir to blend before continuing. Fold chopped nuts in before cooking.
Preheat oven to 300. Place baking sheet in oven. Cover bottom of large nonstick skillet with olive oil. (I do two skillets at a time to speed things up.) Heat skillet to medium high. Working in batches, drop zucchini mixture into skillet by heaping tablespoonfuls. (I spread them out a little bit as well). Fry until pancakes are golden brown and cooked through, about three minutes per side. Transfer each batch of pancakes to a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Serve hot.