How about a forum on favorite family recipes? Actually, it doesn’t even have to be ‘family’ recipes...maybe just a recipe that you really, really, love. I think this could be pretty neat; getting recipes from around the world. But everyone will have to make sure to actually try them out and report back here. 

I will start it off by putting three recipes here.  The first two are ones my mom used to make when I was growing up, and the last one is one my sister used to make that I really loved. 

Football Rice  

1 cup rice
2 tablespoons shortening
½ pound ground beef
½ cup chopped onions
1 can (1 ½ cups) tomato soup
½ can water 
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon vinegar 
½ teaspoon salt
2 whole cloves garlic (if desired)

Cook rice as directed on package. Combine beef with onion and form into small footballs.  Lightly brown in shortening. Combine tomato soup, water, green pepper, vinegar, salt and cloves. Mix with rice. Lightly stir in footballs. Pour into 1 ½ quart casserole and bake in hot oven.     400 degrees F. for 20 minutes

Note: nowadays you don’t have to use the old-fashioned shortening if you don’t desire. You can use the spray-on shortening, or butter, or nothing at all.

This next recipe used to be everyone in our family’s favorite. We used to beg my mom to make it for us. Since she’s been gone, I have tried to make it quite a few times and it just never seems to turn out as good for me. There must be something I’m doing wrong or maybe my mom just had the ‘magic touch.’  I put it up here just as she wrote it on her piece of paper.

Dorothy’s Coffee Cake

Cream together:   1 stick butter (soft)
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs

Sift three times:  2 ¼ cup flour
 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
 Pinch of salt

 Add together alternately with the above:
 1 cup milk
 1 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare streusel topping:
1 cup sifted flour
6 Tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon
8 Tablespoons butter

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40 to 45 minutes.

Note: just to clarify things…after you mix together the ingredients, you put it into a square or oblong cake pan. (My mom had an old pan that she used just for this coffee cake and I have not ever found one like it, but the size is about 13 ½ inches x 8 ¼ inches x 1 ¾ inches.) Then, after preparing the streusel topping, you sprinkle it on top of the cake mix. Also, my mom used to mix in chopped walnuts into the streusel topping, which is how I personally love it. 

 And the last recipe is from my deceased sister.

Romance Cookies

Cookie Layer:
1 cup butter
2 cups sifted flour
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Press into a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Top Layer:
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons flour
1 ½ cups brown sugar
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix by hand all the ingredients. Put on top of baked cookie layer. Bake 20 minutes more. Cut into bars while warm.

ENJOY!

Instructions
1. Mix seasonings, vinegar and beer (or water) well.
2. Put one-half crabs in a very large pot with rack and TIGHT fitting lid.
3. Pour one-half of seasoning mixture over top.
4. Add rest of crabs and remaining liquid.
5. Steam covered, until crabs turn bright red color, about 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Serve hot or cold. Serves 9-12, depending on the size of the crabs.

• To pick crabs, place crab on its back. With thumb or knife point, pry off "apron" flap (the "pull tab"-looking shell in the center) and discard.
• Lift off top shell and discard.
• Break off toothed claws and set aside. With knife edge, scrape off 3 areas of lungs and debris over hard semi-transparent membrane covering edible crabmeat.
• Hold crab at each side; break apart at center. Discard legs. Remove membrane cover with knife, exposing large chunks of meat; remove with fingers or knife.
• Crack claws with mallet or knife handle to expose meat.

• bananas
• Elvis

Last edited on Sun Jul 22nd, 2007 08:18 pm by Sily

• 3 - 3 1/2 pounds of red snapper (or slightly more if uncleaned)
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 4 fresh tomatoes, cut into chunks (about 1 pound)
• 1 pound of carrots, cut in chunks
• 5-6 stalks of celery, with leaves, chopped
• 1 pound of small zucchini, cut part-way through, lengthwise
• 2 pounds of medium potatoes, peeled, sliced lengthwise into 6 pieces each
• 2/3 cup of olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• sea salt
• water
• 2/3 cup of rice
• ------------
• Oil and Lemon Sauce comprises of:

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• 10 firm ripe tomatoes
• 6 large green peppers
• 4 medium eggplants
• 2 1/5 pounds of ground beef
• 1 cup of uncooked rice
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 3 teaspoons of salt
• 1 level teaspoon of pepper
• 6-7 stalks of fresh parsely, chopped (using 2-3 inches of the stems as well)
• 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• dried breadcrumbs

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• 3 - 3 1/2 pounds of stew meat (or chuck steak), cut into serving-sized chunks (not bite-sized)
• 6 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 large onions, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 small hot pepper (Hungarian wax-type)
• 1 pound of ripe tomatoes or 3 cups of canned stewed tomatoes
• 2 allspice berries
• 4 cups of beef broth or water
• 1 pound of small or medium kritharakia (orzo barley pasta)
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• grated pecorino cheese (or regato)

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• 3 1/3 pounds of fresh spinach
• 3/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 8 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound of firm feta cheese
• 3 fluid ounces of evaporated milk
• 4 eggs
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound package of phyllo pastry sheets

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• 2 cups of semolina, coarse grind (or cream of wheat or farina)
• 1 cup of oil
• 2 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 5 cups of water
• 1/4 cup of walnuts, crushed
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• 1/4 cup of raisins (golden, seedless)
• 3 sticks of cinnamon
• 2-3 cloves, whole
• slice of lemon peel
• sugar for sprinkling
• ground cinnamon for sprinkling

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