Italian Easter Pie

Italian Easter Pie Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004 Show: Emeril Live Episode: Irresistable Sweets

For the crust: 3 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes 1/4 cup vegetable shortening 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 to 3 tablespoons cold milk For the filling: 1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese, drained well 3/4 cup sugar 5 large eggs 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate 1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts or almonds Make the pie crust by sifting the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening and, using your hands or a pastry blender, work the fat into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla and add to the crumb mixture. Work the mixture with your hands, adding only as much milk as is needed to form a dough. Work only until the dough just comes together; do not overwork. Divide the dough into two portions, one slightly larger than the other, and wrap both portions in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove the larger portion of dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Fit the dough into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch deep dish pie pan. Trim the edges so that an inch hangs over the sides and refrigerate. Roll out the second portion of dough to a thickness of 1/8-inch and transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate, wrapped in plastic, while preparing the filling. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the ricotta cheese with the sugar until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the orange zest, cinnamon, chocolate, and pine nuts and stir to combine. Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pie pan. Using your fingers, lightly moisten the edges of the pastry with a bit of cool water. Place the second portion of pastry over the top of the pie and cut the edges to match those of the bottom crust. Press edges together then fold inward to make a raised edge. Crimp the edges decoratively using either your fingers, a fork, or a crimping tool. Make several small slits in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape while baking. Bake the pie for 1 hour, or until the pastry is light golden brown and the filling is just set. If the edges of the pie begin to get too brown, shield them with a piece of aluminum foil wrapped around the pie. When the pie is set, remove it from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve the pie either slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Riceballs Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Short-grain rice

1 1/3 cups Water

2 teaspoons Black sesame seeds

50g Smoked salmon, chopped

2 tablespoons Finely chopped pickled ginger

2 Finely chopped onions

Method:

Wash the rice thoroughly in a sieve under running water until the water runs clear. Place the rice in a heavy-based pan with the water and bring it to the boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and stand, with the lid on for 20 minutes. Dry-roast the sesame seeds in a frying pan over low heat, constantly shaking the pan, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the seeds begin to pop. Combine the salmon, ginger and spring onion in a small bowl. Using wet hands, form 1/3 cup rice into a ball; push 2 teaspoons of the salmon mixture into the center of the rice and reform the ball around it. Repeat with the remaining rice and salmon, keeping your hands wet to prevent the rice from becoming sticky. Arrange the balls on a serving platter and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Apple Chicken Stir Fry recipe

Ready in: < 30 minutes
Difficulty: 3 (1=easiest :: hardest=5)

Serves/Makes: 4

Ingredients:
1/2 cup onion, vertically sliced
1 medium Fuji or Winesap apple, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound cubed boneless, skinless, chicken breast
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 cup fresh or frozen Chinese pea pods
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon water
2 cups cooked rice

Directions:

Stir fry cubed chicken breast in 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil in non stick skillet until lightly browned and cooked. Remove from skillet. Stir fry onion, carrots and basil in oil in same skillet until carrots are tender. Stir in pea pods and water; stir fry 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in apples. Add to chicken. Serve hot over cooked rice.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Apple Chicken Stir Fry serves/makes 4

Tucker Surprise Jerky recipe

2 hrs"> Ready in: > 2 hrs
Difficulty: 3 (1=easiest :: hardest=5)

Serves/Makes: 3 lb

Ingredients:
1 cup Soy sauce
4 ounces Mesquite smoke (hickory works well also)
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Cayenne pepper
3 pounds roast

Directions:

Go to the butcher and have them slice a 2 or 3 lb rump roast into slices as thin as bacon(It sometimes takes a while to convince them that you really want it as thin as bacon) put soy sauce and mesquite smoke in a gallon size ziplock bag. if the smoke came in a 4 oz bottle, use the water to rinse the bottle, pour water into bag. Add pepper. Close bag and let sit for a couple of hours. Trim all fat from the beef. Add beef to the mixture. Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes(I've not had any trouble if left overnight) Remove meat from bag one or two at a time, and lay on trays from dehydrater(I've never made it without a dehydrater). Put trays in dehydrater, opening vents to about half.

Egg strip bundles recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon White sesame seeds

10 Spring onions

5 Eggs

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon White pepper

3 teaspoons Cooking oil

2 tablespoons Rice vinegar

2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce

Method:

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan gently, until the seeds are golden brown; remove from the pan at once to prevent burning. Trim the white ends from the spring onions and discard; take off the outside layer and discard. Make a bunch of the green stems, then trim them all to the same size, cutting off the skinny tip. Plunge 2 spring onions at a time into a large pot of boiling water and cook for about 30 seconds or until softened. Remove with tongs and place in iced water. Repeat for all the spring onions. Drain well and dry lightly on paper towels. Cut each spring onion in half lengthways using a small sharp knife.

Beat the eggs with the salt and pepper until they are foamy. Brush a medium sized frying pan with the oil, and place it over medium heat. Pour in half the eggs, cover and coco for 2 minutes. Run a spatula around the edge of the omelet to loosen it, then turn the omelet over and cook it for a further 2 minutes. Remove the omelet from the pan and cook the remaining egg mixture. Trim the curved edges from the omelets to make a square shape. Cut thin strips of omelet about 7 cm long and 5 mm wide.

Gather together 8 strips of egg, carefully wrap one piece of spring onion 4 or so times around the middle of the bundle, tucking in the ends. Repeat with the remaining egg strips and arrange the bundles on a serving platter. Combine the vinegar, Japanese soy sauce and sesame seeds, drizzle over the bundles and serve.

Nasi Goreng

2 1/4 teaspoon 1/3 cup 3 cloves 1 2 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon 400g 200g 1 cup 2 teaspoons 1 tablespoons 4 1/2 1 3 tablespoons

Eggs Salt Cooking oil Finely chopped garlic Finely chopped onion Seeded and very finely chopped red chilies Shrimp paste Coriander seeds Sugar Raw prawns, peeled and deveined Rump steak, finely sliced Long grain rice, cooked and cooled Kicap manis (sweet soy sauce) Soy sauce Finely chopped onions Finely shredded lettuce Thinly sliced cucumber Crisp fried onion

Method : Beat the eggs and salt until foamy. Heat a frying pan and lightly brush with a little of the oil. Pour about one quarter of the egg mixture into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat until the omelet sets. Turn the omelet over and cook the other side for 30 seconds. Remove the omelet from the pan and repeat with the remaining egg mixture. When the omelets are cold, gently roll them up and cut them into fine strips; set aside. Combine the garlic, onion, chili, shrimp paste, coriander and sugar in a food processor or mortar and pestle, and process or pound until a paste is formed. Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or large deep frying pan; add the paste and cook over high heat for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the prawns and steak and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they change color. Add the remaining oil and the cold rice to the wok. Stir-fry, breaking up any lumps, until the rice is heated through. Add the kecip manis, soy sauce and spring onion and stir-fry for another minute. Arrange the lettuce around the outside of a large platter. Place the rice in the centre and garnish with the omelet strips, cucumber slices and fried onion. Serve immediately.

Chasen's Shirley Temple Cocktail

Ingredients

5 ounces ginger ale

1 ounce grenadine

1 slice oranges(to garnish)

maraschino cherries(to garnish)

ice cubes, to taste

Directions

1. Place a few ice cubes in a highball glass.
2. Add ginger ale and grenadine, stir gently; add enough additional ice cubes to fill the glass.
3. Garnish the glass with a split orange slice that straddels the side of the glass.
4. Add a maraschino cherry and serve with a straw.