Gourmet Foods

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups pineapple juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups crushed pineapple
• 4 egg whites
• A baked pie shell

Mix the cornstarch with a little pineapple juice until smooth. Combine in a saucepan with the rest of the juice, half a cup of the sugar and the salt. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in the pineapple and cool.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry; then beat in the remaining sugar. Fold into the pineapple mixture and fill the pie shell. Chill. Serves 6 to 8.

• 8 slices stale white bread
• 3 ½ cups milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup sherry
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup seedless raisins

Cut the bread into small cubes (this should be about 2 cups). Scald the milk and add the butter; pour over the bread cubes. Let soak for 10 minutes, then blend in sugar, eggs, sherry, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and raisins. Pour into a 1 ½ quart buttered baking dish and place in a pan of hot water.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serves 6.

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1/3 cup ice water
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter or shortening

Sift together flour and salt. Gently blend in shortening; add flavouring; gradually add sufficient water to hold ingredients together. Gently form a smooth ball. Cut in half.

Roll out dough in circular piece about ½ inch thick on lightly floured board.

Sufficient for a 2 crusts 8 or 9 inch pie.

• 6 eggs
• 1 lb. flour
• 6 drops anise oil
• ½ lb. butter or shortening
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt

Beat 5 eggs with salt; add sugar; blend thoroughly.

Sift flour and baking powder; add to eggs and sugar mixture. Add anise oil (which may be purchased at the drugstore), softened butter or shortening; mix well. Knead until dough is smooth and manageable. Then roll dough into oblong loaf 5 inches broad and about ¾ inch thick. Brush with 1 beaten egg; sprinkle with sugar; cut into 1 inch slices.

Place slices in greased baking pan; bake for 15 minutes in moderate oven, or until light brown.

Enough for 2 ½ dozen slices. An unusual flavour!

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup salad oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup sifted flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons poppy seeds (optional)

Beat the eggs until light, and then beat in the oil, sugar, flour and salt. Beat until very smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds, if you like.

Drop by the teaspoon onto a greased baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches between each. (They spread and puff during baking.)

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes or until brown on the edges. Makes approximately 36.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups sifted flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup ground poppy seeds

Cream the butter, gradually adding the sugar. Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and add to butter mixture. Pat into an 8 inch square buttered pan. (The mixture won’t hold together when you’re handling it, but will when baked.)

Beat the egg whites until they begin to stiffen, and then beat in the brown sugar. Fold in the poppy seeds. Spread over the dough.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until delicately browned and set. Cool and cut into squares.

• 1 pound poppy seeds
• 2 cups honey
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 cups chopped nuts
• ½ teaspoon powdered ginger

Have the poppy seeds ground for you when you buy them. If this is not possible, grind them in a food chopper or pound with a mortar and pestle.

Cook together the honey and sugar until syrupy. Stir in the poppy seeds and cook until mixture is thick, about 20 minutes. Stir frequently. (Drop a little on a wet surface; if it doesn’t run, it is thick enough.) Stir in the nuts and ginger.

Moisten hands; pat out mixture onto wet board to thickness of about ½ inch. Let cool 5 minutes, then cut into diamonds or squares with a sharp knife. When knife sticks, dip into hot water. Cool completely and lift from board with a specula.

Cook the rice in the salted water for 15 minutes. Drain, then add the milk.

Beat the eggs, and then add the sugar, vanilla, raisins, butter and rice mixture. Pour into a 2 quart casserole; place in a pan of water.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. Stir and sprinkle with nutmeg. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake 1 hour longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold. Serves 6 to 8.

• 7 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• ¾ cup sifted potato starch
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 7 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Beat the egg yolks until thick. Add the sugar and salt and beat until fluffy and lemon colored. Stir in the bananas and potato starch, then the walnuts. Fold in the egg whites. Pour into 2 greased 9 inch layer cake pans.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a cake rack. Spread whipped cream and sliced bananas on one layer and cover with the other. Serves 6 to 8.

• 6 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ pound Passover almond paste
• ¼ cup matzo meal

Beat the egg whites until peaks begin to form; beat in the sugar and fold in the almond paste and matzo meal. Drop by the teaspoon onto a greased baking pan and flatten slightly with a wet knife.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until delicately browned. Makes about 6 dozen.

• ¾ cup matzo meal
• ¾ cup potato starch
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 ½ cup ground walnuts
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
• 6 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Mix the matzo meal, potato starch and salt together.

Beat the egg yolks until thick; gradually add the sugar, beating till lemon colored. Add the matzo meal mixture alternately with the orange juice. Fold in the walnuts and lemon rind, and then the egg whites. Turn into a 9 inch tube pan.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour or until brown and the cake shrinks away from the sides of the pan. Cool on a cake rack. Serves 6 to 8.

• 2 jars strained prunes (baby food)
• ½ cup prune juice
• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
• ½ cup heavy cream, whipped

Combine the prunes, prune juice, boiling water, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Mix the cornstarch and cold water until smooth and stir into the prune mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches the boiling point. Cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Cool and stir in the lemon juice and walnuts, if used. Fold in the egg whites and whipped cream. Pour into a mold or 8 individual serving dishes.Chill and garnish with a dab of whipped or sour cream. Serves 8.

• 1 cup sifted cake flour
• ½ cup sifted unsweetened cocoa
• ¼ pound butter
• 1 ¼ cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecans

Sift the flour and cocoa together. Cream the butter and gradually add the brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and salt, mixing well. Add the cocoa mixture alternately with the milk.

Stir in the vanilla and pecans. Pour into a greased 8 inch square pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cut into 1 ½ inch squares before cooling. Makes about 25.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

• ¼ pound butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/8 cups sifted flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda, in 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon hot water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 package (6ounce) chocolate bits
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Cream the butter and beat in the granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Work into the butter mixture. Stir in the hot water, vanilla, chocolate bits and nuts. Drop by the teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a 375 degree oven 10 minutes or until brown. Makes about 40.

• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2/3 cup honey
• ¾ cup sliced almonds
• 2 ½ cups sifted flour
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ½ nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup chopped candied fruit peel

Beat the eggs and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the honey and then the nuts. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and baking soda. Work into the honey mixture and add the candied fruit. Form into a ball and chill.

Roll out as thin as possible and cut into shapes. Place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until brown. Makes about 36 3-inch cookies.

• 1/2 pound butter
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup sifted flour
• 1 cup ground almonds
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 16 blanched almonds

Cream the butter; gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, almonds and salt.

Add a little at a time to the butter mixture, alternating with 1 egg yolk at a time. Turn into a buttered 8 inch square pan. Mark off 16 squares and place an almond in the center of each square.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes or until browned. Cut into squares.

• 7 egg yolks
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind
• 7 egg whites
• 7/8 cup sifted potato flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat the egg yolks and eggs; gradually add the sugar, beating until thick and light in color. Stir in the lemon juice and rind.

Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Pile onto the sugar mixture. Sift the potato flour and salt over it and fold in gently. Turn into a 10 inch tube pan.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until lightly browned and the sides shrunk from the pan. Invert and cool.

• ½ pint (1 cup) chilled heavy or whipping cream
• A chilled 3 quart bowl
• A large wire whip, chilled
• 2 tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons liqueur or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 thickness of damp, washed cheesecloth set in a sieve over a bowl

Pour the cream into the chilled bowl and beat slowly with the whip until the cream begins to foam. Gradually increase beating speed to moderate, and continue until beater leaves light traces on surface of cream and a bit lifted and dropped will softly retain its shape. (In hot weather, it is best to beat over cracked ice.) Gently fold in the sifted sugar and the flavourings. If you are doing the cream in advance, turn it into cheesecloth-lined sieve and refrigerate; the cream will stay beaten, and the delicious liquid that has seeped into bottom of bowl may be used for something else.

Melting the chocolate

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate bits or 6 square semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 4 tablespoons strong coffee
• A small saucepan and a wooden spoon for stirring the chocolate
• A larger pan with almost simmering water

Place the chocolate and coffee in the small saucepan. Remove the larger pan with water from heat and place chocolate pan in it. Stir for one minute or so until chocolate begins to melt slowly over the hot water while you go on with the recipe.

The egg yolks and sugar

• 4 egg yolks
• A 3quart mixing bowl of an electric mixer
• A large wire whip
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup orange liqueur, rum, orange juice, or really strong coffee
• A pan of almost simmering water

Place egg yolks in mixing bowl and start beating with whip while gradually pouring in sugar in a thin stream. Continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes until mixture is thick, pale and forms a slowly dissolving ribbon when a bit is lifted and falls back onto the surface. Beat in the liqueur or other liquid, and set the bowl in a pan of almost simmering water. Beat at moderate speed for 4 to 5 minutes, or until foamy and warm when tested with your finger. Remove the bowl from the hot water and either beat the mixture in mixer for several minutes until cool, or set it in a bowl of cold water and beat with your wire whip. It should again form the ribbon, and have the consistency of thick, creamy mayonnaise.

Adding butter and chocolate

1 ½ sticks (6 ounces) softened unsalted butter

Stir the chocolate again and continue until perfectly smooth. Gradually beat the softened butter into the chocolate. Beat the chocolate and butter into the yolks and sugar.

The egg whites

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• A very clean, dry bowl and beater
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons instant superfine granulated sugar
• A rubber spatula

Beat the egg whites slowly until they begin to foam then beat in the salt. Increase speed gradually to fast until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle on the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks are formed. Stir one forth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it; scoop the rest of the egg whites on top and delicately fold them in.

Chilling and serving

Immediately turn the mousse into a lightly oiled 6 cup metal mold, a serving bowl, or individual cups. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.

If you are unmolding the mousse, dip mold for several seconds in hot water, run a knife rapidly between edges of mousse and mold, and turned a chilled serving dish upside down over mold; reverse the two giving a sharp downward jerk, and the mousse should drop into place in a few seconds.

You may wish to pass with the mousse a bowl of lightly whipped cream flavoured with powdered sugar and liqueur. If you are serving a ring-molded mousse, you could put the cream in the center and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee
• 1 package vanilla instant pudding
• 2 egg whites

In a small saucepan, place 1 cup of milk, sprinkle with gelatin over milk and heat over low heat until gelatin is dissolved, stirring. Stir together remaining milk and pudding in a mixing bowl; add gelatin mixture and beat. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold in pudding. Turn into a mold. Chill and set.

• 1 package chocolate wafers
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, mint or almond extract

In chilled bowl, mix whipping cream, sugar, and extract until stiff peaks form. Spread 1 teaspoon whipped topping on each wafer and stack in a low dish in piles of 6. (Assemble like logs.) Cover with remaining whipped cream and refrigerate for 4 hours. You can sprinkle with nuts, chocolate chips, etc.

• 2 squares chocolate
• ½ cup boiling water
• Pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate and add sugar. Add boiling water, salt, and boil until thickened. Cool, and add vanilla. Dilute with milk for iced chocolate.

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 4 packages light, cream cheese spread, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 cups mixed berries, thawed and well drained
• 3 cups light, whipped topping

Line 13×9 inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan.

Refrigerate while preparing filling.

Beat cream cheese spread and sugar in large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Smash drained berries with a fork; stir into cream cheese mixture. Gently stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping. Spoon over crust; cover.

Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight until firm. Use foil handles to remove cheesecake from pan before cutting into pieces to serve. Top with remaining 1 cup whipped topping. Store leftover cheesecake in the fridge.

Use a heavy-duty, thick sided tube pan. For this recipe, do not preheat the oven. Turn the oven on only after the cake is put into the oven.

• 1 ½ cups salted butter, softened
• 1 (8ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons vanilla extract

1. Grease and flour a 10 inch heavy sided tube pan, or spray with non-stick cooking spray with flour.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and the cream cheese with an electric mixer on high speed until combined. Add the sugar and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Stir in the flour and salt. Add the vanilla. Blend well.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Start in a cold oven, and bake at 300 degrees F. about 2 hours, until the top is light golden brown and crunchy. (A toothpick stuck in the center of the cake should come out with batter on it- it will never come out completely clean.)
5. Cool the cake 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan onto a plate, then immediately turn onto a wire rack so cake is right side up (this will allow the crust to develop on top). Be careful not to break the crispy brown top as you turn the cake out.

For the Baklava:

• 1 pound (approximately 3 cups) blanched almonds, coarsely ground
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• Peel of 1 orange, grated finely
• 1 ½ pounds phyllo dough

For the syrup:

• 4 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon peel
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

1. To make the baklava: In a bowl, combine nuts with the sugar. Add the orange peel and set mixture aside.
2. Brush a 9×13 inch baking pan along the bottom and sides with some of the melted butter.
3. Place one sheet of phyllo in the pan.
4. Brush the phyllo generously with the melted butter. Repeat layering and brushing with butter 8 sheets of phyllo, working quickly.
5. Sprinkle approximately ½ cup (more or less according to taste) of the nut mixture evenly across the top.
6. Layer 3 more phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Then sprinkle nut mixture evenly across the phyllo. Repeat this step until you run out of nut mixture.
7. After the last of the nut mixture, layer 8 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter. Cover the pan and place in the fridge for approximately 1 hour.
8. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
9. When the baklava is chilled, remove the pan from the fridge. Using a long, very sharp knife, Cut the baklava into small diamonds: First make 6 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts. Cut straight down until the tip of the knife touches the bottom of the pan, and keeping the knife straight, cut in a straight line all the way. Next, begin at the upper left end and cut diagonally across the lengthwise cuts to form diamonds, starting in one corner and making cuts until you reach the opposite corner. You should have about 48 diamonds.
10. Bake 90 minutes or until golden brown.
11. To make the syrup: Mix the sugar and water in a medium saucepan, Add the lemon peel.
12. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 25 minutes, until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat and remove the lemon peel with a slotted spoon.
13. Add the lemon juice and stir. Set the syrup aside to cool.
14. Remove the baklava from the oven and spooned the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava.
15. Cover and allow to rest, at least several hours and preferable overnight, at room temperature, before serving.

One cup custard cups work well for baking the puddings. Cake flour may be substituted for the rice flour. The ground almonds can be omitted for a smooth textured pudding.

• 1 pound (good quality) bittersweet or dark chocolate, divided
• ¼ cup hot espresso or good strong coffee
• 9 tablespoons butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• Generous ½ cup finely ground almonds 3/4 cup rice flour
• 6 eggs, separated, at room temperature

1. In a saucepan, melt 4.5 ounces of the chocolate with the coffee. Pour into six small ice cube molds and freeze 20 to 30 minutes, until hard.
2. Grease six 1 cup oven safe cups or molds with the butter. Place in the fridge while preparing the pudding mixture.
3. Melt the remaining chocolate with the butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water. Set melted chocolate aside to cool. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with the sugar until stiff. Fold the yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture, and then add the almonds and the flour. Carefully fold in the beaten egg whites.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the molds from the fridge. Spoon a little pudding mixture into each one. Push a cube of frozen chocolate into the pudding mixture. Cover with the remaining pudding mixture so each ice cube is completely enveloped.
5. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. While the pudding is hot, remove carefully from molds. (Insert with a knife around the edges to loosen if necessary.) Serve Immediately.

Keep the cookies small, using no more than one teaspoon of batter per cookie, so they will bake up crunchy rather than crunchy.

• 6 large egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. 3 ½ cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place parchment paper on two ungreased baking sheets.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed 4 minutes, until very thick and almost white. Add the walnuts and mix well.
4. Drop spoonfuls of the batter 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until dry, firm, and golden brown. Cool the cookies completely on baking sheets before removing.

The Aztecs were credited with the discovery of chocolate. The Olmec Indians of South and Central America, ancestors of the Aztecs, were the first known to use the fruit of the cacao tree. Mayans first created a beverage made by roasting and pounding the raw cacao beans with maize and Capsicum peppers and letting the mixture ferment. Cacao is the Mayan word meaning “God Food”.

The Aztecs could not cultivate the cacao tree, as they existed at a much higher altitude where the climate was not suitable. They acquired the beans through trade - and war. The Aztecs used cacao beans for religious services, gifts and even as currency.

The Aztecs created their own beverage by roasting the beans and grounding them into a paste. They mixed them with water and maize flavored with chilies. It was called xocolatl (pronounced “shoco-latle”).

In 1519 AD, Montezuma introduced Spanish explorer Hernan Cortéz, to the drink. Finding the name hard to pronounce, he called it Chocolat - which was later changed to Chocolate. Montezuma, who valued chocolate more than gold or silver, said of it, “The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk for a whole day without food.”

Chocolate has long been thought to help improve libido and was given as an offering by the Aztecs to the God of Fertility. Casanova was known to take a cup of cocoa before bed as an aphrodisiac. Science has proven that there are valid reasons for these claims. The following elements support this theory:

• Phenyl ethylamine - is similar to an amphetamine, which raises blood pressure and blood glucose levels and gives a person a natural high.
• The amino acid, Tryptophan, also contained in chocolate is the same thing that is in turkey. It helps the body produce the B-vitamin Niacin, which in turn, produces a calming agent in the brain known to play a role in sleep. Consuming chocolate also produces endorphins.
• Endorphins are a group of substances formed within the body that naturally relieve pain. Their chemical structure is similar to morphine. They have an analgesic affect and are thought to play a part in controlling the body’s response to stress and determining mood.
• Another chemical in chocolate, Ana amide, targets the same cell membrane receptors as the active ingredient in marijuana and hashish. Experiments have shown that this chemical plays important roles in the regulation of mood, memory, and appetite and pain perception.
• And lastly, chocolate contains caffeine. Most of us are aware of the affects of caffeine on our bodies. At moderate levels, caffeine can cause pleasant effects with improved attention and concentration.

So, the next time you’re feeling stressed but don’t want to make it worse by eating, consider a chocolate bar! It may very well be better than “an apple a day”, and in any case, it certainly tastes better!