What is your specialty?!

The first one is Baked Potato Soup -- I don't follow a receipe for it. I had it once at a restaurant and I figured that I might just be able to do that. I take 4 to 6 large potatoes and I bake them either in the oven or in the BBQ. Then in a pot I add a little bit of olive oil, red onion, garlic, spices and I saute them. Then I add powdered beef broth and water and bring it to a boil. I then take 1 or 2 of the baked potatos, peel them and cut them into cubes and add it to the pot. I take the remaining potatos and scoop out the insides and mash them up and add that to the pot. I then add milk and sour cream and bring to a boil. I then will add a little bit of flour to thicken it up just a little bit. Once cooked serve in a bowl and top with green onion, cheese and bacon bits -- SOOOOO YUMMY!!

The second dish that I do is a simple vegitable stir fry. The night before I plan to make this I cut up all the veggies that I want -- I like to use peppers (green, red, yellow and orange), baby corn, carrots, mushrooms, snow peas. In a bowl I mix olive oil with spices, garlic and a little bit of white wine. I mix it all up with the veggies and I place it in a bowl in the fridge. I like to have my veggies marrinate overnight. Then the next day place in a wok and fry until veggies are tender. LOVE IT -- I usually serve this with steak!

My real specialty is my Italian sauce recipe. It takes 8 hours to cook. I learned it from my friend Rose's grandmother when I was 16. She didn't speak any English and I didn't speak any Italian, but we both loved to cook. My friend Rose had no interest in cooking at all, so her grandmother took me under her wing and passed all the family recipes down to me. She made me promise that I would only pass the sauce recipe on to my daughter. In the past 39 years I have had many requests for this sauce recipe. I even won an expensive dinner to a fancy Italian restautant from one man that swore my sauce couldn't be better than the one his Italian mother made. I never did have children, but I will pass the recipe on to one of my friends daughters when they be come old enough to cook, and make her promise to keep the recipe a secret until she passes it on to her daughter.


So CK, you will have to settle for my other specialty. This recipe is also always requested and is given gladly.


Indian Chicken Curry

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups chopped onions
1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Serve with the curry:
Steamed basmati rice
Mango chutney
Shredded unsweetened coconut
Chopped toasted peanuts


Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until golden, about 15 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; saute 1 minute. Add curry, cumin and cinnamon; saute about 1 minute. Add flour, then yogurt and tomato paste, whisking until sauce is smooth, about 1 minute. Add broth and applesauce. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.


Add chicken and peas to sauce. Simmer until chicken is almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add sour cream and coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens enough to coat spoon, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.


Place rice, chutney, coconut and peanuts in separate bowls. Serve alongside curry.
This serves about 8 -10

My meatloaf---I just throw different stuff in it. Bread, eggs, a little water, onion & ketchup. Everyone loves it. My future son-in-law told his grandma he likes mine better!!!

Potato Salad---My grandma's recipe. I make it for many occasions.

Macaroni Salad---Grandma's recipe again. Another favorite

Linguini Salad.---Everyone raves over it. I put broccoli & tomatoes in it. That's all in addition to the usual stuff.

I owe it all to grandma. She taught me how to cook, sew, iron & clean.

I can cook anything with chicken and have the chicken turn out moist and flavorful. I know that is a broad answer, but cooking chicken truly is my specialty

I also make rice better than anyone on the planet

I make artichoke dip. I have been bringing it to parties since I was still in college. I would like to make other dips sometimes but there is usually a request or demand for my artichoke dip. It's my art history professor's recipe.

Just for myself. It is a chipotle cream sauce with mushrooms, shallots, garlic, wine and cilantro. It is great with steak or chicken cut up in it all over linguine. MMMM.

Not to be contrary, but chefs and people like me who call themselves cooks have many things they make well. Folks who Don't consider themselves cooks usually still have ONE thing they can make really well.

Everyone asks me to make

Potato Salad
Spanish pork roast (Pernil)
Peanut butter brownie trifle
My famous crab stuffing

Cookies... LOVE THEM... I am the cookie monster.... Love warm googey chocolate chip... oatmeal scotchies... peanut butter.... all made FROM SCRATCH.. no boxes here....

I make a mean italian sauce with pork ribs and meatballs.

I've got a few.
COurgette and garlic cream soup.
Channa dal with onion,
bacon salad
enchiladas
noodle pagi

i make pasta very good and tasty.

the "company dinner" I know I can nail every time and that people will take a taste and go "WOW" for is my saurbraten with gingersnap gravy, served with latkes and homemade baked apples or applesauce, and soft ryebread homemade dinner rolls. We have 2 sets of neighbors who come over for this dinner once a year, in the winter--I'll say "I'm thinking it's time for saurbraten" and I get "SIGN ME UP! WHEN?" and folks taking seconds and thirds off the plate.

Sauerbraten 6 pound BONELESS rump of beef or rolled boned chuck (I use venison)
2 cups of vinegar
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
5 peppercorns
3 whole cloves of garlic, crushed
2 onions, sliced very thin
8 to 10 crushed gingersnaps It is best to have the meat in one solid piece, but if it is boned and rolled, make sure it has no added covering of suet. Combine the vinegar, water and seasonings, pour this mixture over the meat. Add the sliced onions. Keep meat in the refrigerator, covered with marinade, for 3-5 days, turning occasionally. (—I turn it twice a day) Remove meat from marinade, wipe dry with paper towels and brown over high heat Strain and add marinade, cover, lower heat and cook gently for 4-5 hours (sometimes less-keep testing it), until fork-tender. Remove meat and keep in warm place. Gingersnap gravy Pour off the stock and retain it. In a skillet (or in the cooking pat), add a TB of olive oil or butter and melt, add the onions and sauté until tender and transparent. Add the stock. Add the crushed gingersnaps, and cook until dissolved. Sour Cream Potato Latkes 2 lbs potatoes ( 3 large) 2 eggs 1 small grated onion 8 oz dairy sour cream (low fat) 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. baking powder Pare potatoes, shred into large bowl of cold water. Drain, rinse, squeeze firmly in a towel to remove water. Beat eggs in large bowl until frothy. Stir in other ingredients. Heat oil 1/4 inch deep in skillet over medium heat. Drop mixture by TB’s, flatten, turn. Keep warm in oven until ready to serve. The potato pancakes make it a fussy meal at the end. They don't make ahead very well.