Yield: 8 pretzels
Bath: 4 cups warm water
Toppings
Salted: Kosher or pretzel salt
Cinnamon Topping: ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon
1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a small bowl or cup. Let sit for a few minutes.
2. Combine flour, powdered sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add water with yeast and vegetable oil. Stir with a spoon and then use your hands to form dough into a ball. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. (Dough will be nice and smooth when ready). Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, store in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until dough rises to double in size.
3. When dough has risen, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Make a bath for the pretzels by combining the baking soda with the warm water and stir until baking soda is mostly dissolved.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 even portions. Roll each portion on a flat non-floured surface until it is about 3 ft long. Pick up both ends of the dough and give it a little spin so the middle of the dough spins around once. Lay the dough down with the loop nearest to you. Fold the ends down toward you and pinch to attach them to the bottom of the loop. The twist should be in the middle.
6. Holding the pinched ends, dip each pretzel into the bath solution. Put each pretzel on a paper towel for a moment to blot the excess liquid. Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. If you want salt, sprinkle pretzels with kosher salt or pretzel salt. DON'T salt any pretzels you plan to coat with cinnamon sugar. You will likely have to use two baking sheets and bake them separately. Bake the pretzels for 4 minutes and then spin the pan around and bake for another 4-5 minutes or until the pretzels are golden brown.
7. Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes. If you want to eat some now, brush them with melted butter first before serving.
7a. If you want the cinnamon sugar coating, make it by combining the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the unsalted pretzels with melted butter. Sprinkle a heavy coating of the cinnamon sugar on the pretzels over a large plate.
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Wash and scrub all the vegetables. Remove the parsley and basil leaves from their stems. Dice the green bell pepper, eggplant, and onion. Quarter the zucchini lengthwise then slice into 1/4-in. (1/2 cm) segments. Quarter the mushrooms. Chop the parsley and the basil.
Start cooking by heating olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté about one minute.
Add the diced onion and continue to sauté until they turn translucent, about 4 more minutes.
Once the onions are translucent, add 1 Tbs. tomato paste. The tomato paste will be in a clump and will take a bit of stirring and pressing to get it to spread out and cover the onions and garlic.
As you work at spreading the paste out and mixing it with the onions and garlic, the paste will cook and darken in color. Once some of the paste starts to stick to the pan and brown, it's time to add the stock.
Pour in chicken stock and stir until the broth begins to simmer. Using your spatula scrub the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits of garlic, onion, or tomato paste.
Add the diced eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Stir to combine thoroughly and cook for 10 to 12 minutes.
The eggplant will release a lot of liquid (slowly) into the pot and it's in this liquid that you'll want to simmer the other ingredients in.
Add the diced tomatoes and stir in. After about a minute, the tomatoes will have heated through. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting.
Stir in the chopped parsley and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Although ratatouille is usually served hot, we love eating this dish cold (usually at room temperature) with freshly toasted slices of a baguette especially during the summer.
In small sauce pot bring wine and garlic to a boil.
Toss corn starch in with shredded cheese and slowly stir into boiling wine.
Remove from heat once you have stirred in the last of the cheese.
Add Kirshwasser and serve immediately with your favorite vegetable or cubed bread.
Yield: 3 quarts
Render bacon in grease and butter until crisp. Sautee onions and celery until onions are transluscent.
Add herbs and cook for 2 minutes.
Add flour and cook for additional 30 minutes.
Add clam juice and clam base disolved in 2 quarts (or 1 ½ cups for small batch) of water. Add white wine, salt, pepper, clams and potatoes.
Cook until the potatoes are done.
Yield: 11 oz
Portion: 2 oz
Place all ingredients in a jar and mix until combined.
4 oz. Whole Wheat Flour
4 oz. All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Spinach Powder
½ Cup Egg Beaters
2 Tbsp of Apple Sauce
2 Tbsp Water
Pinch of salt
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl whisk the egg, applesauce and water and set aside. Dump the flour mixture onto a table; make a well with a fork large enough to hold all of the liquid. Pour the liquid mixture into the well and slowly start to incorporate the flour into the liquid. Once it becomes dough like use your hands to knead the dough for 10 – 15 minutes. Wrap in plastic and let rest in refrigerator for 15 minutes before rolling out.