Magician's "I Can Make Your Stomach Lining Disappear" Habanero, Orange, and Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients

1 lb. Tomatillos

5-6 Large ripe habanero peppers (or fewer if your taste buds are delicate)

2 Oranges
5-6 Green onions
Salt
Lime juice

Dice (about ¼" to ⅜") half the tomatillos. Halve the remaining tomatillos and put them under a broiler, skin side up, along with the peppers, until the skins are charred (about 5 minutes).

Put the charred tomatillos and peppers in a blender and puree until smooth; add the puree to the diced tomatillos.

Add the juice of one orange to the tomatillo mixture.

Peel the second orange, removing as much of the pith as possible. Separate the segments and dice them (about ¼"-⅜"); add the orange to the tomatillo mixture.

Thinly slice the green onions and add to the tomatillo mixture.

Add salt and lime juice to taste. Mix well, refrigerate, and enjoy.

This is especially good as a garnish to chili or black bean soup.

Prov's "Genuine, This Is Really It, I've Made It And It Will Knock You On Your Patriotic Tail" George Washington's Eggnog

I found this recipe in a Southern type living magazine, probably 20 years ago.  It has a load of alcohol in it, but does not taste like it, at least not strongly.  The dairy smooths it all out and it is better in two days than it is the first, but still good on Day One.  I have made a lower calorie version without noticeable taste difference; it's just less thick and rich.  I do not cut the alcohol.  I just substitue half and half for the cream and 1 or 2 % milk for the whole milk. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pint brandy
• 1/2 pint rye whiskey
• 1/2 pint jamaican rum
• 1/4 pint sherry wine
• 12 eggs, separated
• 12 tablespoons sugar
• 1 quart milk
• 1 quart heavy cream

MIX LIQUOR FIRST.

Separate yolks and whites of the eggs.  If you worry about salmonella and all that, you can find pasteurized eggs. 

Add sugar to beaten yolks and mix well.

Add combined liquors to the yolk and sugar mixture, drop by drop at first, slowly beating it all the while.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold these into the egg/liquor mixture.

Add the milk and then the cream, always beating slowly.

Let this sit in the refrigerator for several days.

Taste frequently.

Irish Assassin's "Acquired Taste" Carolina Red BBQ Sauce

Carolina Red (for pulled pork)

[Editor's note: oops!

This is a traditional Carolina red sauce. That means vinegar. It is not for everyone. If you are serious about learning BBQ and its history, this recipe is a must.  For those of us from anywhere other than the southeast, this might be an acquired taste.  This is the basic recipe, you may have to tweek it to your liking.

11/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (cayenne works well too)

Stir all ingredients until sugar and salt dissolve. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Irish Assassin's "Gameday Bean Dip" aka Irish's Bean Dip

Simple, and the ingredients will surprise you, but this is excellent.  Trust me.....


1 lb ground beef -- cooked
1-15 oz can red beans -- mashed with liquid
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 package dry taco seasoning mix
1 cup ketchup 

All you have to is cook the meat, chop the onion, and mash the beans..(a potato masher works best, and a paste consistency is what you are aiming for).

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker, mix throughly, and set on low for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs, mixing every 2 timeouts.

Serve with tortilla chips and ice cold beer.

I usually put half a habanero in my mix, and jalapenos work well too.

Seriously, consider doubling this recipe, it will go fast.

Missy Gator's "Tebow Harvin Double Trouble Big Time Football Game" Dips

If you want a great dip for a football party, I have 2.

One...you take 1 lb. of gound beef, 1 lb. of country sausage (like jimmy dean) or whatever is in your area. Cook both and drain. Then add 1 block of cream cheese, 1 lb. of velvetta, and a jar of spicy salsa. Let it all melt together and its great!

Two.....you need refried beans, sour cream, taco seasoning, guacamole, finely shredded mexican cheese or taco cheese, then add chopped green onions, tomatoes, and black olives. You take a good size pizza pan, round or rectangle and in the order I gave you make a very thin layer of each ingredient. Its the most addictive thing you'll ever eat, even if you say you dont like guacamole....lol

[Editor's note: I have had a variation of this (saw it called "seven layer dip") and it is sensational, particularly chilled.  And yes, very addictive.  One variation I make is that I get kalamata olives, chop them, and substitute them for the canned black olives; they are softer, juicier and have more flavor, for my taste.  Also, I normally spice the refried beans (or the Frito's bean dip I've also used) with cumin, cayenne, chili powder and a little garlic powder.  But a great choice, Missy.]

Missy Gator's "They Do BBQ Different in North Carolina" Bar-B-Qued Chicken

BBQ is different in NC depending on which side of the state you come from....either sweet and hickory smoke, or a vinegar base....

I love to soak chicken (bone in) in some warm water for a couple of hours.

Makes it very tender and then throw it on the grill. When the outside starts to brown just a little I put my sauce on it. It consists of: 

2 cups ketchup
2 cups tomato sauce
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
some hickory-flavored liquid smoke
a little butter
[Then,to taste:]  garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper (probably like 1/4 to 1/2 tsp each, depending on how spicy you like your sauce)

I've been cooking so long I just throw stuff together and to be honest I think I got this offline. But its really good.

 

Thud the Almost Human's "Better Way To Use Chicken Tenders" Chicken Corn Chowder

In a soup pot melt 1 stick of butter and cook 1 chopped onion a heaping tablespoon of minced garlic and 2 sm cans of green chiles.

Cook in 2 pounds of chopped chicken tenders. When the chicken is done add 3 cups of chicken broth and 4 tablespoons of cumin.

When hot

add 4-5 chopped roma tomatoes (or two cans of diced tomatoes, drained) and 2 bags of baby sweet corn or white corn...

Then add 1 quart of half and half and 3 cups of shredded Monterey jack cheese and 1 c chopped cilantro.

Make some friends!

Cuban Assassin's "No Name" Caribbean Chicken Wings

Ok, so here is a pretty good Caribbean chicken wing recipe that can be made during tailgate time.

Ingredients

5 cups of a BBQ sauce, mustard based
5 Tbsp soy sauce
1 12oz can of pineapple
1 cup brown sugar
2.5 tsp of ginger
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Some packs of Jamaican jerk Seasoning
Big ole bag of chicken wings (although I have used this with breasts and thighs too)

In a sauce pan heat all of the ingredients except for th jerk seasoning and chicken.


While that's heating and mixing together, rub the wings with the jerk

seasoning.

Put the wings on the grill until done, liberally basting them.  Save the rest of the sauce for dipping.

Again, goes great with a cold beer!

Prov's "I Stole This From The Great Maida Heatter, Who Stole It From Someone Named Barbara" Barbara's Milk Chocolate Biscotti

I make this recipe every Christmas.  There is NO cookie that I like better with coffee.  I am a terrible baker, but even I can do this.  The hardest part is spreading the dough in the plastic wrap and getting it to the right length, thickness and width.  If it isn't, they won't cook exactly right.  My advice is to put in the plastic wrap, but leave one end open while you push and pat and mold it (like Ara Parseighian) into a splendid work of art that is, more or less, the right size.

Ingredients

• 7 ounces whole blanched almonds
• 7 ounces milk chocolate bar (I use Hershey's Symphony bar, but you can use any kind, I suspect)
• 1 3/4 cups sifted unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder  (Heatter uses Dutch-process cocoa)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toast the almonds in a shallow pan in a preheated 350- degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly colored, shaking the pan once or twice. You can tell when they are done by the strong smell of toasted almonds when you open the oven door. Set aside to cool.

Cut or break the chocolate into small pieces and place it in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade. Let stand.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa and sugar. Add about 1 cup of the flour mixture to the chocolate. Process for about 30 seconds, or until the chocolate is fine and powdery.

In a large bowl, mix together the processed ingredients with the remaining sifted dry ingredients. Stir in the almonds.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla just to mix. With a large rubber or wooden spatula stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. You may think there is not enough liquid, but there is.  Just keep stirring with a spoon until it is all mixed and you have a thick, dark pasty dough.

Now place two 20-inch lengths of plastic wrap on the work surface.

To shape two loaves, spoon a strip of the dough down the middle of each piece of plastic wrap. Each strip should be 13 to 14 inches long. Flatten the tops. Lift the two long sides of the plastic wrap (hold them together as close as hands, press on the plastic wrap to smooth the dough and shape it into an even strip 14 to 15 inches long, 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick (no thicker), with squared ends. If the strips of dough are t hicker than they should be, the baked strips will not slice neatly. Transfer to a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for about 2 hours (or as much longer as you wish), until firm enough to retain the log shape when the plastic wrap is removed.

(After mixing and being shaped, the dough has to spend about 2 hours in the freezer before it is baked (it can stay longer). Then, there are two bakings, which will total about 1 hour and 40 minutes.)

To bake, adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with baking parchment or aluminum foil, shiny-side up. To transfer the frozen dough to the sheets (the dough may still be a bit sticky; if so, it is okay ), open the two long sides of plastic wrap on top of one strip of dough and turn the dough upside down on the lined sheet, placing it diagonally on the sheet. Slowly peel off the plastic wrap. Repeat with the second strip and the second sheet.

Bake the strips in the preheated oven for 1 hour, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking to ensure even baking. During baking the strips will spread out (7 to 8 inches wide).

After 1 hour of baking, reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees and remove the sheets from the oven. Immediately, with a wide metal spatula, release a strip from the parchment or foil and place it on a board.

Repeat with the second strip.

Use a pot holder or a folded towel to hold one of the hot strips in place, and use a serrated French bread knife to cut the strip crosswise into slices 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. Repeat with the second strip.

Place the slices, standing upright, on unlined cookie sheets with a little space between them. Return to oven to bake at 275 degrees for 40 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking.

Let cool and store in an airtight container.
Per cookie: 80 calories

As though we care about calories......

2 gm protein, 11 gm carbohydrates, 4 gm fat, 17 mg cholesterol, 1 gm saturated fat, 41 mg sodium

I sometimes add a half cup or more of chocolate chips to the mixture, just because I like chocolate.  It probably violates some international convention of chocolate use, but I don't care.



*  Recipe By : Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies

Dench's "I expect to make this chili 1000 times before my Bengals actually win a Super Bowl" SKYLINE CHILI

Ingredients

1 qt. water
1 1/2 tsp. vinegar
1 (12 oz.) can tomato paste
2 cloves minced garlic OR 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 med. onions, chopped
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. allspice
4 to 5 med. bay leaves
3 sm. red peppers
2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. ground beef

Bring all ingredients except ground beef to a boil. Add raw ground beef. Bring to a boil again and let simmer 3 hours.

It is best to skim

off grease after allowing to rest in fridge overnite; that's one reason i prefer grandma's.  Also, you don't brown the beef in Skyline version.  [editor's note: I prefer Grandma's version, too, because I favor skimming; by doing so, you can save a number of calories better spent on beer.]

Big J's World Famous "Not In the Herschel Walker World Famous Sense, But Loved By Those Who've Tried It Sense" Gameday Chili

In a standard crock pot:

1 can dark red kidney beans
2 14 1/2 cans of tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 white onion chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cumin

Put kidney beans in colander and rinse of juices. Place in crock pot.

Place both cans of tomatoes in crock pot.

Chop onion and place in crock pot.

Place ground chuck in crock pot.

Put in:

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper and cumin.

Now here is where the chef in you comes in: put in liberal

doses of soy sauce and worcestershire sauce.

Add 2 cloves of chopped garlic or garlic salt equivalent.

Then to top it off, put in as much or as little of your favorite hot sauce as you like.  I've used many different kinds and am currently using Frank's Red Hot original.  I like my hot sauce hot enough to make tabasco sauce seem like a glass of cold water.  But put in as much or as little as you want.
[Chef's Note: You may have to experiment some with how much of the sauces you want to put in till you get it to your taste. It took me a couple of tries till I got it to my taste.]

Now mix ingredients thoroughly with large spoon and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours.

[Editor's note: Serve with Zantac.]

Dench's "I'm Not Italian, But I Play One In My Life" Pizzelles

Ingredients

6 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 (1/2 lb) cup oleo (margarine)
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbls vanilla or anise

Beat eggs adding sugar gradually.

Beat until smooth.

Add cooled melted margarine and vanilla or anise.

Sift the flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture.  (Dough should be sticky.)

Spoon onto iron and press.

Discard the first pizzelle like a resume from a Michigan grad.

Remove from iron while still soft and light.  Let cool on paper towel they will become crisp and brown slightly. 

You can flavor them but i prefer them this way.

This recipe should yield 60 pizzelles.

Big J's "I'll Have A Diet Coke With That" 3 CHEESE, BACON-WRAPPED MEATBALLS

Take one slab of bacon and slice in half

Taking extra lean ground beef, work in salt, pepper, and garlic salt.

Roll into meatballs small enough to be wrapped by the half slices.

Get your 3 favorite cheeses, I use American, Swiss, and Provolone.

Marinate meatballs in liquid of choice. (I have used Soy Sauce and Worcesteshire Sauce, or Beer, or Wine. I've toyed with the idea of using Jack Daniels. [editor's note: this is genius]) I usually marinate for 30 to 45 minutes.

Place in oven on 325 until done.

Take slices of bacon 

and cut 1 piece of each type of cheese and place on bacon.

 

Remove meatballs from oven and allow to cool.

When cool wrap in bacon and cheese, pierce with toothpick and return to oven at 325 till bacon is done being careful not to let it get too crispy.

Remove from Oven and serve.

PS-Using pre-made frozen meatballs greatly reduces the amount of time required and they aren't too bad. They've already been spiced and you can just drop them in the marinade. Also, my personal favorite marinade is red wine.

Leif's "It Tastes Just Like Chicken" Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1TBS veg. oil
3 lg green onions.

Cut chicken into half inch strips and put into a large bowl.
Add cumin, tabasco, chile powder and salt, and toss/mix.

Heat a large skillet, add the oil, and cook the chicken mix for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add green onions and cook 12 minutes more or until chicken is browned and tender.

Spicy tomato salsa:

1 lg ripe tomato diced
1 tbs chopped cilantro
1 tbs lime juice
1/4 tsp tabasco
1/4 tsp salt

Corn relish:

1 11 oz can corn, drained
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 TBS lime juice
1/4 tsp tabasco
1/4 tsp salt

For the tortillas I use a crepe recipe:

2 cups all purpose fl
2 TBS corn starch
1 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp sugar
water
peanut oil, (or any oil if you don't have that)
mix until smooth.

Heat a 10" skillet, add some oil before each one.
Make like 9" pancakes...so you can flip them.

Once you're all done with everything.

Put a pancake down, and add some from each bowl.

You can add sour cream, cheddar cheese, sliced avocado...

These are some work, but they seem to be very popular.

Prov's "If You Thought Bill Romanowski Was Dirty, You Should See This" Dirty Rice

This recipe is tremendous with less spicy meats, such as turkey, roast pork or chicken (broiled, roasted, or grilled).  It takes a little prep time, measuring out all the spices and cutting up everything, but it is worth it.  I have never tasted a storebought, boxed, or even restaurant, version as good.  I admit it is based on a Cajun recipe by the great Paul Prudhomme, whose cookbooks I recommend.  This makes its appearance on my Thanksgiving Day table every single, stinking year.

Spice Mixture (mix first):

1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black pepper
2 tsp  Paprika
1 tsp  Dry mustard
1 tsp  Cumin
1/2 tsp  Thyme
1/2 tsp   Oregano
A dash or two of cayenne pepper (careful here -- some recipes call for a 1/2 tsp or more, but it can be very hot if your cayenne is fresh; I cut it to a couple of shakes)

Other Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 pound ground chicken gizzards (I just chopped 'em fine with a knife)

1/4 pound ground pork

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup finely chopped diced onions

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup finely diced green bell peppers

2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

(the preceding four ingredients you can chop and just store together until you're ready to use; they go in together)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup uncooked converted rice

2 cups chicken or pork stock

1/3 pound ground chicken livers (again, I just chop 'em fine)

****************************
Place the oil, gizzards, pork and bay leaves in a large, heavy skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat and stir well.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is thoroughly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. 

Stir in the spice mixture.

Add the onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic.  Stir thoroughly, scraping the skillet bottom well, and add the butter and stir until melted.  Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly and scraping the skillet bottom well, for 4 minutes. 

Add the rice and cook, constantly stirring and scraping the skillet bottom, for 4 minutes, when the rice should start to crackle and pop.

Add the stock and stir to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet, then cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. 

Stir in the chicken livers, cover the skillet, and reduce the heat to very low. 

Cook for 10 minutes, remove from the heat, and leave covered until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.  (The rice is finished this way to preserve the delicate flavor of the livers by not overcooking them.)

Remove the bay leaves and discard like a decisive schematic advantage. 

Serve immediately.

You can double this and it turns out great.

Thud the Almost Human's "If I Give Them A Really Good Recipe, Maybe Next Year They'll Let Me Join The Refugees' Page" Really Good Seafood Pescatore

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil
12 clams, scrubbed
1 tablespoons garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 cup fresh diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups fish stock (may substitute chicken stock)
12 sea scallops
28 mussels, washed and debearded
12 jumbo shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined
2 cups marinara sauce or fra diavalo (spicy marinara)
1/2 pound or 2 cups fresh squid, cleaned and cut
1 pound angel hair pasta
2 ounces cold butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup chopped mixed herbs (parsley, basil, thyme)
_______________________________________________

Directions

In hot pan, heat oil. Add clams, garlic and shallots and saute for approximately 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, white wine, and fish stock and cook until clams open. Add sea scallops, mussels, shrimp, and marinara. Cook 3 minutes. Add squid and cover and cook just until mussels and clams open. Discard any unopened mussels or clams.

Bring 6 quarts salted water to a boil. Cook angel hair (or linguine) approximately 6 or 7 minutes until al dente. Drain well and place into 4 hot bowls.

Arrange seafood around plate. Add butter and herbs to sauce. Stir until butter is melted. Spoon over pasta and garnish with fresh thyme.

Dench's Grandma's "I'll Never Get Over You Being A Buckeye Fan, But I Love You Anyway" Coney Islands (with a nod to Cincy Chili)

2 lbs ground beef
1 tsp garlic powder
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp red pepper
2 dashes lee and perrins worcestershire sauce
1 qt cold water
1/2 bag frozen onions
1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper (according to taste pref)
in a spice bag 5 bay leaves and 35 wholespice

_________________________________________


In a skillet brown the ground beef (dont overcook).

Mix remaining ingredients in a large saucepan and add the drained beef.

Hang the spice bag into the mixture.

Bring to boil.  Then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 3 hrs.

You can thicken by uncovering about 1 1/2 hrs after starting.  (I prefer it juicy).

My wife and I cook spaghetti al dente the first night.  We use Barelli #3 but any thin spaghetti will work.  Ladle the sauce over the spaghetti and top with a good quallity shredded cheddar and finely diced white or yellow onion. cheese and onion are optional. serve with plain oyster crackers.

You will have a lot of sauce left over so you can freeze and save. but we usually eat it all in about 2-3 days so we dont freeze it.  We serve it next on a steamed hot dog bun and dog.

Steam the buns, spread yellow mustard on the bun place dog on bun and cover with sauce. again top with shredded cheese and onion. oyster crackers as well.

Tats' "This Is Almost Better, But Not Quite Better, Than THE USC Beating Florida in Gainesville" Boneless Pork Loin

This recipe of mine is done at the tailgate.


One fullsized boneless porkloin (not tenderloin).

A couple of red and yellow bell peppers.

A half of a clove of garlic or less if you prefer.

3 - 16 oz. bottles of your favorite Italian dressing.

______________________________________________

Marinade the porkloin  in the dressing for as long as you like.

You can do this on the grill in a deep pan covered .

Slice the peppers and cut the garlic and smother the loin in the pan and let it cook for at least an hour and a half at about 350 degrees .

Flip over after about the first hour.

And yes, cook it in the same dressing that it was marinaded in .

Delicious!  Especially at the tailgate.  Basically, just boiling it in the dressing .

Feeds alot of people.

Cuban Assassin's Genuine "They'd Make This In Havana, If They Only Had The Pork, If They Only Had The Spices, If They Only Had The Sherry" Roast Pork

First, take fresh garlic, salt (preferably sea salt), and oregano.

Peel the garlic and take a fork and mash it all together, make kind of a paste with it.

Then stir in some sherry (your tastes of course), extra virgin olive oil, then some orange, lime, and lemon juice. About 3 or 4 times as much OJ as the other two; you just want the citrus to add some acidity to the mixture.

Then add a little cumin (freshly ground is best but powdered will do) and freshly cracked black pepper.

Take this mixture and pour it over your pork loin seal it in a plastic bag and marinate it overnight.

The next day, remove only the loin, but save the marinade. take a cast iron pan and heat it to super hot! put a touch of olive oil in the pan and sear the outside of the loin to lock in the juices.

Next you can either finish it in the oven or on the grill. I prefer the charcoal also. wrap the loin in aluminum foil pinch off the ends and pour the marinade in the foil and grill it to your liking, if you have a meat thermometer, to about 170-180 inside.

Serve it with black beans and rice, and a delightful pinot grigio.

Post Script :

The samdwiches you can make with this meat the next day will be worth all the effort taken to cook it. Some french bread, dijon mstard, grilled onion, swiss and pepper jack cheese. Press it all down in a buttered pan with nothing more than a foil wrapped brick. Lord have mercy, and a ice cold beer! nothing better