SHRIMPETTI

SHRIMPETTI

4 medium onions, chopped fine

2 tsp olive oil

2 small cans tomato sauce

2 small cans tomato paste

4 Tbsp. minced garlic

4 Tbsp. minced basil or 3 tsp. fresh

Creole seasoning to taste

Sugar to taste (optional)

2 Lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined

32 ounces spaghetti

Garlic Bread

In a large Dutch oven set over medium high heat, sauté onions in olive oil until translucent.  Add tomato sauce and paste and cook until paste is melted.  Add 6 cups water; bring to a boil.  Add garlic, basil, Creole seasoning and sugar.  Reduce heat to low; cook for two hours.  Just before the sauce completes cooking, cook the spaghetti according to package directions.  Drain; reserve 2 cups of the cooking water.  Add shrimp to sauce; increase heat to medium and cook until shrimp are pink, about 8 minutes.  Add pasta to pot with shrimp and sauce.  Toss thoroughly to coat, adding pasta cooking water as necessary if mixture becomes too thick.  Correct seasoning with Creole seasoning.  Serve with garlic bread.  
Serves 8

CATFISH GUMBO

Catfish Gumbo

1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped parsley
1 c. chopped green pepper
1 c. chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
4 c. beef broth
1 can (16oz.) tomatoes
1 pkg. (10oz.) frozen sliced okra
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
4 catfish fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes

Heat oil in stockpot.
Sauté celery, green pepper, onion and garlic. Add beef broth, tomatoes, okra, thyme, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, oregano and salt. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.Add catfish and continue simmering 15 minutes or until catfish flakes easily. Remove bay leaf. Serve over cooked rice, if desired.
Makes 10 servings.
　

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO PIE

Chocolate Espresso Pie

For Chocolate Pastry:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, cut up

5 tablespoons cold water

For Chocolate Filling:

2 cups whipping cream

6 ounces 60% to 70% dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup granulated sugar

6 egg yolks, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons brewed espresso or strong brewed coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sweetened whipped cream

Chocolate curls and/or shavings (optional)

1. For Chocolate Pastry: In a food processor, combine flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar and salt. Cover; process until just combined. Add butter. Cover; process with on/off turns until butter pieces are pea-size. With processor running, quickly add water through feed tube until dough just comes together.

Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl; gather flour mixture into a ball, kneading gently until it holds together. Gently pat dough into a disk.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough from center to edges into a 12-inch circle. Wrap pastry circle around rolling pin; unroll into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry even with edge of plate. Crimp edge as desired. Using a fork, prick the bottom and side of the pastry shell, being sure to prick where bottom and sides meet. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil.

Bake in a 450 degrees F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes more or until pastry is set and looks dry. Cool on a wire rack. Set baked pie pastry shell aside.

For filling: In a medium heavy saucepan, combine the whipping cream, chocolate and granulated sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat about 10 minutes or until mixture comes to boiling and thickens. (If chocolate flecks remain, use a wire whisk to beat mixture until blended.)

Gradually stir about half of the hot mixture into egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in espresso and vanilla. Cool slightly. Pour warm filling into the baked pie pastry shell. Cover and chill for 8 to 24 hours or until filling is set.

To serve, cut into wedges and top each serving with whipped cream. If you like, garnish whipped cream with chocolate curls and espresso beans.

NAPALM SAUCE

NAPALM SAUCE

2 tablespoons butter
I teaspoon of garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 to 2 oz of blue cheese
Add wasabi to taste

Melt butter slowly add garlic and sauté slightly.  Add lime juice
Slowly add cream until mixed
Add blue cheese until mixed
Now add wasabi until
You get the "heat" level where you want it!
Pour over the grilled fish and enjoy!
　
　

CABBAGE GUMBO

Cabbage Gumbo (Gombo Choux)
Makes about 8 servings

1 large head cabbage (2 or 3 pounds)
1 round steak or brisket (about 1 pound, trimmed)
2 large slices lean ham (about 1 pound, trimmed)
1 tablespoon lard (or oil)
1 large onion, chopped
2 pounds Creole sausage, thinly sliced
1 pod cayenne pepper, without the seeds
1 pint (whole) milk
2 tablespoons flour
Salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste

Wash and shred the cabbage , then chop the entire head very fine, into pieces about half the size of dice.
Cut the steak or brisket and the ham into small squares, and fry in the deepest kettle you have, putting the meat into the pot when the lard (or oil) is very hot. When it begins to brown, add a chopped onion and the sausage, and then add the chopped cabbage, stirring and pouring in enough water to prevent it from burning. Throw in the red pepper pod and a dash of cayenne, and salt to taste. Add a little black pepper
.
Stir often and allow the ingredients to cook well, gradually adding, if necessary, a little water, and stirring frequently to prevent burning. (I added water to just barely cover the ingredients, then covered the pot and turned the heat to low to simmer until the cabbage and onion were well cooked.)

When thoroughly cooked, make a cream sauce as follows: Take one pint of (cold) new milk and two tablespoonfuls of flour and mix thoroughly, so as not to be lumpy. (Shake well in a container.) Stir this into the gumbo while boiling, and continue stirring for five minutes.
Serve with boiled rice.

The gumbo must not be allowed to stand on the fire after the flour has been boiled on it for five minutes.
　

MUFFULETTA PASTA SALAD

Muffuletta Pasta Salad

1/2 pound parmesan cheese, grated
1 pound tri-colored fusilli or rotini pasta, cooked al dente, drained, cooled
½ pound Black Forest ham, diced small
½ pound salami, diced small
½ pound provolone cheese, diced small
3 cups (from a 32-ounce jar) Italian olive salad

Set aside 2 tablespoons of Parmesan for garnish. Thoroughly mix the remaining Parmesan, pasta, ham, salami, provolone, and olive salad in a large bowl. Garnish with reserved Parmesan curls.

For the olive salad I used half a 16 ounce jar each of Mazzetta California Hot Mix (giardinera) and Mazzetta pickled (cocktail) onions and a small jar of cheap sliced olives. It was a darn good olive salad!

　

　

SHRIMP AND CORN STEW

Shrimp and Corn Stew

6 ears fresh white corn on the cob
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large white onion, diced
2/3 cup fresh celery, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies (10.5 ounce size)
2 cans crushed tomatoes with liquid
1 quart concentrated seafood stock, as needed
Cajun all-purpose seasoning, to taste
1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
2-3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 pounds medium-size fresh Louisiana shrimp, peeled and chopped
4 hard-boiled eggs
6 cups cooked and buttered rice
Minced flat leaf Italian parsley

Before you begin the dish, take a sharp knife and cut the kernels of corn off the cob and soak then briefly in cold water (for about 15 minutes or so).
While they are soaking, melt the butter in a heavy, high-sided, 12-inch, non-stock or anodized skillet and sauté the onions, celery, garlic, and bell pepper until they soften.
Next, stir in both the Rotels and the crushed tomatoes and combine them into the veggies.
At this point, add in the seafood stock—a little at a time—blending everything as you go.

This is also the time when you sprinkle in the Cajun seasoning along with the black pepper and fold them into the mixture as well.
Now increase the fire to medium high and bring the contents in the skillet to an easy boil. When the process is done, sprinkle in the flour, stirring as you add to keep it from getting lumpy. It should thicken the tomato gravy slightly.

Here is when you add the corn and stir it around completely to create a perfect blend.
When the mix is uniform cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Complete this part of the recipe by reducing the fire to low and simmering the stew for about an hour and a half.

Then about 10 minutes before you’re ready to eat, drop in the shrimp, stir them briskly into the mixture, turn off the fire, remove the pot from the burner, cover it, and allow the residual heat to cook the shrimp until "just pink" and tender.
Do not overcook the shrimp or they will turn rubbery!
To serve, chop up the hard-cooked eggs to the same consistency you’d use to make tuna salad, drop them into the stew, and gently fold them in!
All that’s left is to spoon it all out over a mound of hot, steamed buttered rice and top with a touch of finely minced parsley.
For the coup d’ grace, a cold Romaine salad with olive salad dressing turns this recipe into a favorite Southern meal! Oh, yeah—a few hot buttered pistolettes only adds pizzazz to the presentation.
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Chef’s Hint: If fresh corn is not available, this recipe can be prepared with frozen corn (especially shoe peg corn). If possible, try to avoid using canned corn—too much crunchy texture is lost when using canned corn.
　

OKRA HAM AND TOMATO GUMBO

Okra, Ham and Tomato Gumbo

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 strips hickory-smoked bacon, chopped
2 packages sliced, frozen okra, 16-ounce size
2 cans chopped tomatoes, 14.5 ounce size
1 -1/2 cups store-bought chopped vegetable seasoning
1 cup frozen yellow corn
2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¾ cup vegetable or seafood stock
4 whole bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 pounds 51-60 shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup small diced ham
1 pound tiny elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
Flat leaf parsley, finely chopped for garnish
½ cup green onions, thinly sliced for garnish

Put a 5-quart heavy cast iron Dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat. Then fry down the bacon in the vegetable oil until lightly browned and crispy. Remove it from the pot and set it aside for a while.
Now drop into the pot the frozen okra and fry it down, too, until the okra begins to brown and the "rope" starts to disappear (about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally). Then, with the fire still at medium heat, drop in the chopped tomatoes, the vegetable seasoning mix, the corn, the seafood seasoning, they cayenne pepper, the bay leaves, and the dried thyme.
Next, stir everything together well, making sure it is all totally combined. Now reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the gumbo simmer for about 20-25 minute or until the veggies are tender.
At this point, drop in the shrimp and the ham, stir them into the mixture, cover the pot, and let the pot of gumbo simmer once more for about 10 minutes.
When you’re ready to eat, spoon out a generous helping of elbow macaroni in a large soup bowl, ladle the gumbo over the pasta, and garnish the bowl with a scattering of parsley and green onions and top off the dish with a light sprinkling of bacon.
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Editor’s Note:
Traditionally, gumbos, regardless of the kind, are served over hot, steamed, white rice. But not this one. The elbow macaroni lends a different dimension and rounds out the depth of flavor.
If you can find really tender, young okra at, say, a farmers’ market, you can substitute it for the frozen stuff. But make certain the pods are young and tender otherwise the okra will turn out tasting tough and "woody."
It is perfectly permissible to use "fresh" tomatoes (preferably Roma) when making this recipe. Just remember to peel and de-seed the tomatoes before dicing them an smothering them down in the Dutch oven.
In lieu of frozen corn on the cob, you may also prefer to use fresh corn. Simply strip off the kernels (along with the corn "milk") and blend them into the other ingredients, allowing them to smother long enough to soften and tenderize the hulls.
　

SIMPLE DIRTY RICE

Simple Dirty Rice

1/2 cup chicken livers (8 to 10 medium livers)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 pound ground pork
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 stalks celery, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
3 green onions, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 cups cooked rice

Puree chicken livers in a food processor. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat; add liver and pork, and cook, stirring, until browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and chili powder, and cook 2 minutes more.

Add 1/4 cup stock, and cook until evaporated, about 8 minutes, allowing mixture to brown and stick to skillet. Stir in onion and next 3 ingredients, and cook until well browned and sticking to skillet, about 8 minutes.

Add remaining 1 1/4 cups stock, and cook 2 minutes, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Add green onion, parsley, and rice, remove from heat, and stir thoroughly.

LANE CAKE

Recipe out of the Golden Heritage cookbook from Ft. Benning, Georgia.

Lane cake

Cake
3 ½ cups flour
Pinch of salt
2 tsp. Baking powder
2 cups sugar, sifted
1 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
6 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Sift flour, salt and baking powder several times. Cream sugar with butter until foamy. Alternately add small amounts of flour and milk. Stir in vanilla and fold in egg whites.

Bake in 3 buttered paper-lined 9" pans at 350 for 30-35 min. Cool

Filling
A day or 2 before you are to make the cake cover 1 cup seedless raisins with bourbon, cover and let sit.
6 egg yolks, well beaten
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut

Combine eggs, sugar and butter in the top of a double boiler and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in raisins with bourbon, nuts, vanilla and coconut.
　
　
My mom recommends adding an extra half-cup of milk to keep the cake from being too dry.

ROBERT E. LEE CAKE

Robert E. Lee Cake

For the Lemon Curd Filling:
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 1/3 cups (233 grams) granulated sugar
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, chopped


For the Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (200 grams) granulated sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups (315 grams) cake flour, sifted
2 1/2 teaspoons (12.5 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking soda
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the Buttercream Frosting:
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, strained
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice, strained
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon (2 pinches) cream of tartar
Pinch of kosher salt

1. To prepare the lemon curd filling, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice and lemon and orange zest. Place the pan over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the cold butter. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and cover the surface directly with plastic wrap. Make sure that plastic wrap is right up against the lemon curd filling so that it doesn’t form a skin. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.
2. When you’re ready to prepare the cake, preheat the oven to 350̊F. Grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with butter or spray with cooking spray and line with baking paper.3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add sugar and lemon and orange zests and beat the mixture until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to incorporate all the sugar with the butter. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and vanilla. Beat the flour mixture into the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until incorporated and scrape the sides of the bowl down occasionally. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops. Bake about 23 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Then remove from pans by inverting and peel off baking paper. Thoroughly cool your cakes on wire racks before frosting them.
5. While the cake layers are cooling, prepare the buttercream frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until soft and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the lemon and orange juices until combined, about 1 minute. Place in a small bowl and clean out bowl of electric mixer.
6. Place a medium saucepan of barely simmering water on the stove. In the bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt on medium speed. Set the bowl over the pan of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture registers 140
̊F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. Set the bowl on the mixer and beat on high speed until the mixture has cooled and soft peaks form, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the creamed butter 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth.7. Once the cake layers are cool, assemble the cake.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate, with the flat bottom side facing down. Spread half of the lemon curd filling over the surface of the cake. Top with another cake layer, inverted, so the bottom of the cake is facing up. Spread remaining filling over this cake layer. Place the remaining cake layer, also inverted, on top. Spread the buttercream frosting over the top and sides of the cake. And then just try not to cut yourself a piece before the guests come over.
Serves 10 to 12　

MRS. WASHINGTON'S DIRTY RICE

Ms. Washington’s Dirty Rice

2 containers chicken livers-20 oz. Each, I think (they’re big down here)
Fry livers in butter with lots of garlic. You could puree the livers if you have a blender before you saute them but otherwise don’t bother, just finely chop or break up the livers afer they’re cooked.
Prepare 1 box Zatarain’s Dirty Rice Mix. Using the chicken livers only, no ground meats.
Add a bunch or two of chopped parsley.
When done garnish with 2 bunches chopped green onions (about 2 cups, chopped, serve.



To make regular Dirty rice ANOTHER WAY......
Saute chicken livers and garlic with lots of garlic as above. Add 2 cups chopped of green onions, ½ finely chopped green bell pepper 2 ribs of celery and 2 chopped white or yellow onions. Add a cup of fresh chopped parsley and a 6 to 8 cups cooked regular rice and mix together well, Salt and Pepper. C’est tout! (This is much like the first Dirty Rice I ever had. You could
cut the cooked chicken livers small but I wouldn’t bother processing them. I like chunks. A finely chopped jalapeno pepper is nice. You could also throw in some chili powder, I don’t.

MR. KIMBALL'S MAC & CHEESE

Kimball’s Mac and Cheese

5# Shredded Cheddar Cheese
9 eggs
3 cans evaporated milk
3# pasta
2 sticks butter
Beat eggs and milk
Put pasta in deep full pan.
Slice butter over it and mix it in.

Add cheese, Mix in Take it easy so as not to break up the pasta
Beat eggs and milk till well combined
Pour milkand egg mixture over pasta mixture, combine well. Top with parmesan.

Bake at 300 for 1 hour, covered.
Charlie’s addition, Buttered bread crumbs instead of or tossed with Parmesan cheese.

MRS. WASHINGTON'S ROAST PORK LOIN & HER CORN RECIPE

Ms. Washington’s Pork Loin

A 3 or 4 lb. Pork Loin. The night before cooking stab holes all over the loin and poke chopped fresh garlic into all the holes-use about a whole head of garlic. Then sprinkle the Loin with salt, pepper, granulated garlic and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning all over the outside of the roast. Put into a 400 degree oven while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

Brown flour in a dry frying pan, over medium heat, stirring constantly till brown. Add water and stir till smooth. Pour the flour mixture over the roast in the oven and top with 2 cut up onions, 4 more chopped cloves of garlic 1 large chopped green bell pepper and dried parsley flakes and a can of condensed mushroom soup. Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil or the lid and cook (still at 400) for 3 to 3 ½ hours.
Take the roast out of the oven to baste about every half hour, returning it (covered) to the oven after basting. Raise the heat to 500 degrees for the last 30 minutes of cooking (uncovered). When ready to serve lift the roast to a cutting board and cut into serving pieces, Arrange the pieces on a serving platter. Serve the gravy on the side and/or on top of the slices of roast.
　
Beef roasts are done the same way but generally take longer. A rump roast will require the longest cooking time; about 4 ½ hours. cooking time a sirloin tip roast will take about 3 to 3 ½ hours.
Serve with rice and corn.

Corn
One can whole kernel corn, drained. Add diced red and green bell pepper and about 3 Tbsp. Butter, Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning and black pepper and salt to taste. Simmer on low heat until peppers are soft and all is harmoniously blended.
　

MAPLE & HERB RICE

MAPLE and HERB RICE

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons butter
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, slicked
1/2 cup pecans, toasted & chopped
1/2 cup Bourbon
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1-1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Cook rice according to package directions. Cook onion and garlic in butter until tender, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms; continue to cook about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients and cooked rice. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook uncovered 8 minutes or until rice and mushrooms are glazed, stirring occasionally.
　

BOURBON CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE

Bourbon Chicken Liver Mousse

10 tablespoons Bourbon
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, peeled and sliced thin
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pound chicken livers, cleaned
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Pinch sugar
Salt and black pepper



                                                                                         Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots and garlic, season with salt and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes.



Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with 4 tablespoons of Maker’s Mark® Bourbon; carefully ignite the pan to burn off the alcohol. Keep the pan on heat until the flame goes out. Transfer the cooked shallots and garlic to the bowl of a food processor or blender.



Return the skillet to high heat and add another 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Pat the chicken livers dry and season well with salt and pepper. Add the chicken livers and cook until slightly brown, about 1 minute on each side. Remove the skillet from the stove and deglaze with another 4 tablespoons of Maker’s Mark® Bourbon. Carefully ignite the pan again and cook until the flame has disappeared.



Place the chicken livers and cooking liquid into the food processor/blender with the shallots and garlic. Add the butter, vinegar, pinch of sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons of  Bourbon. Pulse until a semi-creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate in sterilized jars or food containers. Serve warm or chilled.

BUTTER BEANS & SEVEN DAY PICKLED PORK

Butter Beans and Seven Day Pickled Pork

1 pound Large Lima (Butter) Beans
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound pickled pork or smoked ham hocks
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
Salt, pepper and/or hot sauce, to taste
Hot cooked rice
Hot buttered French bread

Sort beans, removing debris and broken pieces; place in a large bowl and rinse beans under running cold water until water runs clean. Cover beans with one inch of cold water; let stand at least 8 hours or until needed (do not soak longer than 24 hours). Completely drain beans before cooking.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. If using pickled pork add to pot; sauté 5 minutes or until browned. Add onions, and garlic; sauté 15 minutes. Add 2 quarts water, bay leaves and smoked ham hocks, if using; bring to a boil. Add soaked beans; stir well. Return to a low boil; cover with lid, reduce heat to low and simmer 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until lima beans are soft and creamy in texture, stirring occasionally.Taste; adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and/or hot sauce. Serve hot over hot cooked rice with hot buttered French bread. Makes 8 servings.

Seven Day Pickled Pork

1 (6 ½-pound) pork shoulder roast
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne red pepper
3 cups apple cider vinegar
5 cups water
2 large onions, sliced
1 head garlic, separated, peeled & crushed
4 tablespoons mustard seed
4 bay leaves

Trim pork roast of excess skin and fat. Cut roast in half along the bone; remove bone and reserve it for other uses. Cut pork into 2-inch pieces; score a 1/4-inch slice into the surface of each piece. In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, salt and red pepper. Dip each piece into the brown sugar mixture; rub seasoning well into meat and shake off any excess. Divide pork chunks into 2 large zip-top freezer bags; let stand at room temperature 2 hours.

Combine remaining brown sugar mixture, apple cider vinegar, water, onion, garlic, mustard seed, bay leaves and peppercorns in a large saucepot (not aluminum) over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to the touch.

Divide cooled brine evenly into each zip-top bag, squeeze to remove air and seal. Refrigerate at least one week, turning each bag once daily.

Remove pork from brine; freeze or use within two weeks.

NAVY BEAN SALAD

NAVY BEAN SALAD

1/2 pound cooked and cooled Navy beans  2/3 cup finely julienned carrots 1/2 cup finely sliced red onion 1 cup canned or fresh corn kernels1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar) 2 tablespoons olive oil2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro)1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperMix navy beans, carrots, red onion and corn in a bowl.
Add vinegar, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper.

BAKED YELLOW SQUASH and SHRIMP

Baked Yellow Squash & Shrimp

If you know how to do it, there ain’t nothing to it."
Small squash without blemishes are best.

½ lb. Raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half
1 ½ lbs yellow squash, sliced
1 qt vegetable stock
1 medium onion, chopped
2 toes garlic, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
½ small bell pepper, chopped
4 Tbsp. Butter
½ cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
Hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Parboil squash in vegetable stock. Drain and set aside. Saute onions, garlic, celery and bell pepper in 2 Tbsp of butter. Add shrimp and cayenne. Saute until shrimp are pink. Combine with squash and turn into a basking dish. Combine bread crumbs and 2 Tbsp of melted butter. Crumble over squash and shrimp mixture. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until crumbs are brown. 
Serves 6.

BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING

　
　
Butterscotch Pudding

A little Scotch whiskey in this is permissible, probably not more than a Tablespoon.

Oil any molds you are using: 4 5-6 oz. Cups
Melt over low heat in a small, heavy saucepan:
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
Stir in:
½ cup packed dark brown sugar

Cook, stirring, until melted and bubbly. Gradually stir in:
1/2 cup cream (not milk)
Stir over low heat until the butterscotch is dissolved.

Add and stir until blended:
1 ½ cups whole milk plus whiskey if using
Remove from the heat and let cool to barely lukewarm.
Mix until smooth:
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water
Stir into the milk mixture, Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low; stirring briskly, bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; then stir in
1 tsp vanilla

Pour the pudding into the cups, then press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Serve with whipped cream.
　
　

CAJUN POTATOES

Cajun Potatoes

1 lb. Smoked sausage
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 lbs. Onions, chopped
½ bell pepper, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped 
4 pounds potatoes, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Fry it up and dish it out.