3 medium onions
2 medium green peppers
2 large stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
1 small Jalapeno pepper, fresh, seeded & diced
8 lb lean chuck, coarsely ground
7 oz diced green chiles
28 oz stewed tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
6 oz chili powder
2 T cumin
Tabasco sauce to taste
12 oz beer, divided into two portions
12 oz mineral water
3 bay leaves
garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Dice and saute the first five ingredients. Add the meat and brown
it.

Add the remaining ingredients, including half the beer (Annie sez to
drink the remainder!). Add water just to cover the top of the
mixture.

Cook about 3 hours on low heat, stirring often.

Serves 24

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1/4 C Olive oil
2 C chopped onions
2 Leeks, white part only, trimmed and chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
5 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
35 oz Italian plum tomatoes, undrained if canned
16 oz Clam juice
2 C dry red wine
1/2 C “Santa Cruz Red Chili Paste”
5 tsp freshly toasted cumin seed
1 T. salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 red Bell peppers,seeded, deveined, cut into 1/2 inch dice
12 Littleneck clams
12 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 1/2 lb Scrod or other lean white fish, cut into 1 inch pieces
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 lb Bay scallops
1/2 C minced fresh cilantro (Chinese parsley, coriander)

Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over low heat. Add onion, leeks, and
celery. Cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add garlic
and oregano, cook another 10 minutes then add tomatoes, breaking up
with a spoon. Blend in the clam juice, wine, chili paste*, cumin,
salt and cayenne. Bring to a boil, skimming occasionally. Reduce
heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 1 hour, skimming. Mix
in bell peppers. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Cool.
Refrigerate overnight.

Bring chili to a boil. Adjust heat so that liquid simmers briskly.
Skim well and adjust seasonings. Add clams and mussels. Cover and
cook until shellfish open, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard any that do not
open. Gently stir in scrod and shrimp. Cover and simmer for a
minute. Add scallops, cover and simmer until fish is just opaque,
about 2 minutes.

Ladle chili into bowls. Top with cilantro.

“Santa Cruz Red Chili Paste” is available from The Santa Cruz Chili
and Spice Co., P.O. Box 177, Tumacacori, AZ 65640.

Serves 6 generously.

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1 3/4 C Black beans, sorted and rinsed
2 Qt Water, or more as needed
2 lb. Lamb bones
4 Thyme sprigs |
4 parsley sprigs | bouquet garni
1 Bay leaf |
3 Garlic clove, crushed
6 T. Olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 1/2 lb Lamb shoulder, ground
2 T. chili powder
2 T. fresh minced ginger
2 T. fresh Thyme, minced OR
2 tsp Dried Thyme, crumbled
1 T. red hot chilie, seeded and deveined (Jalapeno)
1 1/4 tsp Dried Marjoram, crumbled
3/4 tsp fresh ground white pepper
3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp allspice
2 lb Italian plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 C. light Zinfandel wine
salt as needed

FOR BEANS: Soak beans overnight in 2 qt. water. In a large
saucepan, bring beans to a boil. Add lamb bones and bouquet garni
and 1 crushed garlic clove. Reduce heat and simmer till beans are
tender but not mushy. Skim occasionally and add more water if
necessary to keep beans submerged. 2 hrs.

FOR CHILI: Heat 3 T. oil in large heavy saucepan over moderate heat.
Add onions and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cloves
garlic, minced, and stir about 3 minutes. Transfer onion and garlic
mixture to a plate, using a slotted spoon. Add remaining oil to pan.
Increase heat to med. high. Add lamb and cook until no longer pink,
breaking up with spoon, about 6 min. Return onion mixture to pan;
add chili powder, ginger, thyme, red chili, marjoram, peppers and
allspice. Stir 5 minutes. Add tomatoes ( and half of their liquid,
if canned). Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for another
5 minutes. Add 3/4 Cup of Zinfandel. Simmer, skimming occasionally,
for 30 minutes.

Drain beans and reserve the cooking liquid. Discard the bones and
garni. Add beans and remaining Zinfandel to chili mixture. Salt and
season as necessary. Simmer 30 minutes, adding bean cooking liquid
as needed to keep chili moist (or soupy, as you like it). This chili
is best made ahead and allowed to season in the refrigerator for 24
hours. Reheat before serving.

Serves 8.

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1/4 C olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped, about 4 cups
2 lb coarsely ground beef (shank, shoulder or chuck)
2 lb coarsely ground pork
salt
1/3 C mild, unseasoned chile powder
3 T ground cumin, from toasted seeds, if possible
3 T dried oregano, preferably Mexican
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder (NOT DUTCH PROCESS!)
2 T ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 C tomato juice
3 C beef stock or canned broth
8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 T yellow cornmeal as optional thickener (more as needed)
32 oz dark red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

In a large skillet, over medium heat, warm the oil. Add onions and
cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a 4 to 5 qt. heavy flameproof casserole or Dutch oven
over medium heat, combine beef and pork. Season with 2 T salt and
cook, stirring often, until meat has lost all its pink color and is
evenly crumbled, about 20 minutes.

Scrape onions into casserole with meats. Stir in chili powder,
cumin, oregano, cocoa, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring,
5 minutes. Stir in tomato juice and beef stock. Bring to a boil
then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Taste, correct seasonings and simmer another 30 minutes or until
chili is thickened to your liking. Stir in garlic. To thicken chili
further or to bind any surface fats, stir in the optional cornmeal.
Stir in the beans and simmer another 5 minutes.

Serves 6 or more.

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Bill Pfeiffer, 1982 World Champion Chili

1 T oregano
2 T paprika
2 T MSG (monosodium glutamate)
11 T Gebhardt’s Chili powder
4 T cumin
4 T beef bouillon (instant, crushed)
36 oz Old Milwaukee beer
2 lb pork, cubed (thick butterfly pork chops)
2 lb chuck beef, cut into cubes
6 lb ground rump
4 large onions, finely chopped
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 C Wesson oil or kidney suet
1 tsp mole (powdered), also called mole poblano
1 T sugar
2 tsp coriander seed (from Chinese parsley, cilantro)
1 tsp Louisiana Red Hot Sauce (Durkee’s)
8 oz tomato sauce
1 T Masa Harina flour
salt to taste

In a large pot, add paprika, oregano, MSG, chili powder, cumin, beef
bouillon, beer and 2 cups water. Let simmer.

In a separate skillet, brown meat in 1 lb. or 1 1/2 lb. batches with
Wesson oil or suet. Drain and add to simmering spices. Continue
until all meat is done.

Saute chopped onion and garlic in 1 T. oil or suet. Add to spices
and meat mixture. Add water as needed. Simmer 2 hours. Add mole,
sugar, coriander seed, hot sauce and tomato sauce. Simmer 45 min.

Dissolve masa harina flour in warm water to form a paste. Add to
chili. Add salt to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add additional
Louisiana Hot Sauce for hotter taste.

Makes 1 pot.

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Steve Strattman’s Winning Chili

3 pounds beef chuck tender
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 cubes beef bouillon
1/2 cup canned beef broth
3 ounces tomato sauce
1 tablespoon juice from cooked jalapeno (see note)
1 quart water
6 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3/8 teaspoon salt

Cut meat in cubes, brown in a large, heavy dutch oven. Add
onion powder, paprika, cayenne, bouillon, beef broth, tomato
sauce, jalapeno juice and water.
Cook over low heat for about 2 hours, adding more water as
needed, until meat is tender.
Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and pepper, cook for
20 to 30 minutes more. Add salt just before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

note: To make jalapeno juice, chop pepper coarsely and boil in
small amount of water, reduce slightly, then strain out pepper
and seeds.

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Spicy Cheesy chili with hot or mild peppers for dipping .. Bueno
Prep:10m Cook:15m Servings:8

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 14-oz. can stewed tomatoes, or stew 3 of your own fresh tomatoes
4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
One quarter cup light cream

Directions
Heat olive oil in a skillet and saute onion until tender. Add tomatoes and pepper and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add cheese and cream and continue to heat for several minutes stirring continuously. Serve warm with tortilla chips. You may substitute any kind or pepper for the jalapeno such as like serrano or Anaheim depending on how hot you like you would like the dip to be. Jalapeno peppers have a heat index of 5.5 on a scale of 1-10.
Serrano peppers rate a 7 and Anaheim rates a mild 2-3. The big bad Habanero pepper rates a 9, so be careful if you select this super-hot pepper.
The Skinny: Use low-fat milk and cheese and substitute fat free Half and Half for the cream. You could serve the dip with fat free tortilla chips or even sliced veggies such as carrots or celery to cut out some fat and calories.

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Here’s a clone recipe for a delicious new burger from Chili’s unlike any you may have tasted before. It was designed by the folks at this popular chain to incorporate several of restaurant’s prepared sides — all of which you will now have clones for — including Chili’s chili queso, Chili’s pico de gallo, and Chili’s guacamole. Stack it all onto a bun with a juicy 1/4-pound ground beef patty and some crumbled tortilla chips for crunch, and you’ve got a slightly spicy, South-of-the-border taste. Muy bien, amigos!

Pico de Gallo
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced Spanish onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and de-ribbed
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh cilantro
Pinch of salt

Guacamole
2 small or 1 large Haas avocado
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/2 teaspoon diced jalapeno
1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Chili Queso
3 ounces ground beef
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
pinch of ground black pepper
16-ounce bottle Cheez Whiz
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika

2 pounds ground beef
4 large sesame seed buns
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded or chopped thin
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 green onion, chopped
16-20 tortilla chips
2-3 fresh jalapenos, sliced

• First make the pico de gallo. This is easy. Just combine all of the ingredients for the pico in a small bowl and mix well. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
• Now we’ll make the guacamole. In a small bowl, smash up most  of the avocado, but be sure to leave several unsmashed chunks.  Add the remaining ingredients for the guacamole to the avocado and mix well. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator, next to the pico.
• Next we’ll make the chili queso. In yet another small bowl, mix together ground beef, flour, a pinch of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and a pinch of chili powder. Use your hands to work the dry ingredients into the ground beef. Brown the beef in a small skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Use a spoon or spatula to crumble the beef as it cooks. Cook until it’s brown, then set aside.
• Melt the Cheez Whiz with 2 tablespoons of milk over low heat. When milk and cheese has been combined, add the remaining queso ingredients. Heat while stirring often until cheese is smooth and creamy, then cover saucepan and remove it from the heat.
• Pre-heat a griddle or large frying pan over medium heat. Lightly butter the face of each bun and brown the buns face-down on the heat.
• Separate the ground beef into four 1/2-pound portions. Roll each portion of meat into a ball and then pat the meat down into a circular patty slightly larger in diameter than the hamburger buns. Cook the hamburger patties for 5-10 minutes per side, until done. Lightly salt and pepper each burger patty.

Build the burger open-faced in the following order starting with the bottom bun:

On Bottom Bun
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
hamburger patty
2 tablespoons chili queso
4 or 5 crumbled tortilla chips
2 teaspoons green onion

On Top Bun
1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pico de gallo
2 tablespoons guacamole
4 jalapeno slices

Serve burger with extra queso and guacamole. May also serve french fries on the side and use the chili queso for dipping.

Makes 4 burgers.

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We all know how important food is, and what part it plays in our daily lives. It’s what makes any occasion “extra special”. Love is one of the key secret ingredient behind every good recipe; and to me nothing can seal the approval better than the smile that i see on my wife’s face after eating the dish I cook.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cups of Basmati/Long Grained Rice
• 1 Green Bell pepper chopped length wise
• 1 Orange Bell pepper chopped length wise
• .5Cup of frozen corn
• .5 Beans chopped
• .5 Cup Cabbage Shredded
• 1 Big Onion sliced
• 1 Jalapeno pepper chopped
• 2 Green chilies chopped
• 1 Bunch of Spring Onions chopped
• 6 Garlic Flakes Chopped lengthwise
• 1.5 inch Ginger chopped lengthwise
• 1 Tbsp Soya Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Sambal Oleak( this is used to get that kick that is needed in shezawan fried rice)
• 1 Tbsp jeera seeds
• 1 Tbsp of fresh / dried Mint leaves
• 1 tsp fresh Black pepper corns mashed lightly
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt as per taste.

METHOD:

* Heat about 1 Tb spoon of olive oil and add in jeera seeds and pepper corns and wait until jeera starts sputtering.
* To this add nicely washed basmati rice and fry for another 3 mins.
* Add 4 cups of water and cook the rice in an open pan until done and cool it.
* Now heat the remaining oil and add in onion and fry until the onions are browned.
* To this add garlic and fry until soft.
* Then add ginger and all the other veggies except cabbage and spring onion along with required amount of salt and fry them for another 2 mins. Note that the veggies need to be crisp.
* Now add in the spring onions and cabbage + soya souce+ sambal oleak and fry for just a min.
* Sereve hot.This is so tasty that it does not need any kind of ketchup or raitha.
* Enjoy!!!

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Traditional white birthday cakes are pretty boring
by themselves.  Scoop a little ice cream onto the
plate and I’ll perk up a bit.  But, hey baby, bring
a Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake to the party and I’ll
be the first one in line with a plastic fork.  This
4500-unit ice cream chain stacks several varieties of
pre-made ice cream cakes in its freezer, but I’ve
discovered the most popular version, over and over
again, is the one made from white cake with pralines
and cream ice cream on top.  So that’s got to be the
version we clone here.  But don’t think you’re locked
into this formula – you can use any flavor of cake and
ice cream you fancy for your homemade masterpiece.
Just be sure the ice cream you choose comes in a box.
It should be rectangular shape so that the ice cream
layer stacks up right.  Then you’ll want to find a real
sharp serrated knife to cut the ice cream in half while
it’s in the box.  And check this out:  That white stuff
that coats the cake is actually softened ice cream spread
on a thin layer like frosting, and then re-frozen.
After it sets up, you can decorate the cake any way
you like with pre-made frosting in whatever color suits
your festive occasion.  Voilà!  You’ve just made an ice
cream cake at home that looks and tastes like those in the
stores that costs around 35 buck each.

Cake
1 box white cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites

1/2-gallon box pralines and cream ice cream
4 cups (2 pints) vanilla ice cream
1 12-ounce container white frosting

Optional
colored frosting
A sharp bread knife makes box slicing easy

Ice cream on top of the cake, and all the trimming

1. Make your cake following the directions on the box.
If you are making the white cake you will likely blend
the cake mix with water, oil, and 3 eggs. Pour the batter
into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees
for 30 to 35 minutes. This will make a thin cake for our bottom
layer. When cake is done, let it cool to room temperature.
2. When the cake has cooled, carefully remove it from the
pan and place it on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet, or a
platter or tray that will fit into your freezer.
3. Use a sharp serrated knife (a bread knife works great)
to slice the ice cream lengthwise through the middle, box
and all, so that you have two 2-inch thick sheets of ice cream.
Peel the cardboard off the ice cream and lay the halves next
to each other on the cake. Slice the edges of the cake all
the way around so that the cake is the same size as the ice
cream on top. Work quickly so that the ice cream doesn’t melt.
When the cake has been trimmed, place it into the freezer
for an hour or two.
4. When you are ready to frost the cake, take the two pints
(4 cups) of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer for 20 to 30
minutes to soften. Sitr the ice cream so that it is smooth,
like frosting. Use a frosting knife or spatula to coat your
cake with about 2 cups of ice cream. Cover the entire surface
thoroughly so that you cannot see any of the cake or ice cream
underneath. Pop the cake into the freezer for an hour or so
to set up.
5. When the cake has set, fill a pastry bag (with a fancy tip)
with white frosting to decorate all around the top edge of the
cake. Also decorate around the bottom of the cake. Use colored
frosting and different tips to add inspired artistic flair and writing on the cake, as needed. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and keep it in your freezer until party time.
6. When you are ready to serve the cake, leave it out for 10
minutes before slicing. Cut the cake with a sharp knife that
has been held under hot water.
Makes 1 large cake (16 – 20 servings).

Tidbits
You may wish to use another flavor cake mix such as chocolate
or devil’s food for this dessert – even low-fat cake mix works.
It’s up to you. Just follow the directions on the box for making
the cake in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
You can also use any flavor of ice cream. Just be sure to get
it in a box.

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Don’t even try to find this one on the menu at Applebee’s,
because it isn’t there; though it’s the most popular soup
served each day at this huge restaurant chain.  This is the
first of several big-time soup clones we’ll unveil here in
the next few weeks to help get you through the cold winter
months. And they’re all a cinch to make. Just be sure you
have some oven-safe soup bowls for this one, since we’ll
have to broil it a bit before serving. Under the gooey
melted provolone of the original version you get from A
pplebee’s is a unique round crouton that’s made from bread
similar to a hamburger bun. So that’s exactly what we’ll use
in our clone.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 medium white onions, sliced
8 cups beef broth (Swanson is best)
1 cup water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
5 plain hamburger buns
10 slices provolone cheese
10 teaspoons shredded parmesan cheese

1. Add 3 tablespoons oil to a large soup pot or saucepan
over medium/high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté
for 20 minutes until the onions begin to soften and start
to become translucent. You don’t want them to brown.
2. Add the beef broth, water, salt, garlic powder and
black pepper to the pan and bring mixture to a boil.
When soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for
45 minutes.
3. To make the croutons cut off the top half of each top
of the hamburger bun so that the bread is the same thickness
as the bottom half of each bun. Throw the tops away. Now you
should have 10 round pieces of bread — 5 bottom buns, and 5
top buns with the tops cut off. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Place the bread in the the oven directly on the rack and bake
for 15 to 20 minutes or until each piece is golden brown
and crispy. Set these croutons aside until you need them.
4. When the soup is done, spoon about 1 cup into an oven-safe
bowl. Float a crouton on top of the soup, then place a slice
of provolone cheese on top of the crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon
of shredded parmesan cheese over the provolone.
5. Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil. Broil the
soup for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and
starting to brown (you may need to broil longer if you are
making more than one bowl at a time). Sprinkle an additional
1/2 teaspoon of shredded parmesan cheese over the top of the
soup and serve. Repeat process to prepare remaining servings.
Makes 10 servings.

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Servings Size: 1
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 tsp Yeast, 1/2 tsp Brown sugar, 1 tsp Salt, 1 1/2 c Water,
4 c Bread flour, 2 tsp Baking soda, 2 c Warm water, 1/2 lb Butter,
2 Tbsp Honey, White sugar Brown sugar.
*********
Preparation Instructions: Mix yeast, brown sugar, dash of salt
and 1 1/2 cups water. Let sit for five minutes. Add bread flour.
Knead well. Let rise for about one hour. Grease baking sheet.
Mix baking soda and warm water. Take a piece of dough and roll
and shape into a pretzel. The easiest way to shape is to roll
into a rope, whatever size you prefer. Pinch ends of rope then
bring ends of rope to other side of circle. Dip pretzels in
warm water and baking soda mixture and put on baking sheet.
Bake at 425F for about 12 minutes. While still hot, brush
with melted butter and honey. Sprinkle with white and brown
sugar (approx. half and half mixture).

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Grill these Australian rolls the traditional way, on hickory or maple twigs. Camping? Reconstituted powdered milk works great, too.

3 cups self-rising flour
1-1/4 cups milk
Vegetable oil for brushing dough
Butter
Jam or marmalade

In a large bowl or food processor bowl combine flour and milk. Mix to make a stiff dough, kneading and adding more flour if necessary. Form dough, 2 tablespoons at a time, into balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll balls into 2-1/2-inch “sausage” shapes. Lightly oil skewers; push single skewers lengthways through the shaped dough. Lightly oil dough on skewers and place in centre of cooking grate. Grill 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve warm with butter and jam.

Makes 6 servings.

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1 tbsp Sesame seeds – crushed & toasted
3 tbsp Dry mustard
2 tbsp Hot water
3/4 cup Soy sauce
1/4 Garlic clove – crushed
3 tbsp Heavy cream – whipped

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place sesame seeds in flat pan in
oven to toast. (about 10 – 15 minutes) Mix mustard and water
in a small mixing bowl until it forms a paste. Place in blender
with sesame seeds, soy sauce and garlic. Blend at high speed
for about 1 minute. Remove and stir in whipped cream.

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This recipe shows off one of salmon’s most endearing qualities: its compatibility with a variety of herbs.

For the herb paste:

1/4 cup tightly packed parsley
1/4 cup tightly packed cilantro
1-1/2 teaspoons chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground Mediterranean oregano
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 salmon fillets, about 4 to 5 ounces each
1/2 teaspoon salt

In food processor process all herb paste ingredients until smooth.

Season the salmon fillets with salt and spread about 1 tablespoon herb paste on flesh side of each salmon fillet. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 1 to 12 hours.

Place marinated fillets in centre of cooking grate. Grill 6 to 10 minutes or until fish is opaque and flesh flakes easily with a fork.

Makes 4 servings.

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• Rudolph the Reindeer Kiwi Christmas Cookies
  Who can resist raindeer cookies at chirstmas, they are a must have maybe show Grandma and she may make you some
  (tags: onlywire)

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Ingredients
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup coconut
1 cup nuts, chopped
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 cup cherries, finely chopped
1 cup dates, chopped
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Granulated sugar

Method
1. Beat egg whites until stiff. Beat in sugar; fold in the remaining ingredients, except the cherries.
2. Place into an ungreased 8×8 inch pan; bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Put into a bowl and add the cherries.
3. Shape into small balls; roll in granulated sugar.
4. Cool and store in tightly covered container.

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Ingredients

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Pair with: Riesling or Syrah
Serves 6

Chutney:

• 1 pound firm, ripe Fuyu persimmons or nectarines, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
• 1⁄4 teaspoon almond extract

Empanadas:

• 4 ounces thawed frozen spinach (half of one 10-ounce package)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1⁄4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1⁄4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons golden raisins, chopped
• 3⁄4 cup shredded cooked duck, chicken, or turkey meat
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 package (2 crusts) refrigerated pie pastry
• 1 large egg, beaten

Method:
For the chutney: In a small saucepan, combine the persimmons, honey, lemon juice, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the persimmons are soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds and almond extract. Let cool. (This can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

For the empanadas: Drain the spinach. Firmly squeeze to remove any excess liquid, then chop.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sherry and raisins. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring often, until the sherry is nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach and meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer 1 pie dough round to a lightly floured board and roll out to thin slightly. Cut the dough into 9 circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Repeat with the remaining dough round. Place 1 scant tablespoon of filling in the center of each circle, then fold the pastry over, brush the edges with egg, and press together with a fork to seal. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the top of the empanadas with the remaining egg. Bake until the pastry is golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and arrange on a large serving platter or divide among 6 small plates. Serve with the chutney alongside.

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Golden Chanterelle–Topped Crostini
Pair with: Pinot Noir
Serves 6

• Eighteen 1⁄4-inch-thick diagonal baguette slices
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 ounces chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into 1⁄4-inch thick strips
• 1⁄4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1⁄2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1⁄3 cup fromage blanc or fresh ricotta cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the baguette slices with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and sauté until almost dry, about 3 minutes. Stir in the butter, shallots, and thyme and sauté until butter is browned and shallots are translucent, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread each crostini with 1 teaspoon of the fromage blanc or ricotta and top with an equal amount of the mushroom mixture. Arrange 3 crostini on each of 6 small plates and serve.

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