Appetizer Recipes From UseNet

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Appetizers

CHOPPED LIVER

CHUTNEY IN THE RAW COCONUT BEER SHRIMP Southwestern Cheese Rolls CRAB-BUTTER

MAMA STAMBERG'S CRANBERRY RELISH DILL DIP EGG MOUSSE SCOTCH EGGS

MARY'S GARLIC BREAD PAUPIETTES DE BANANES AUX JAMBON HIKER BARS

BYRON'S FAMOUS KILLER CHEESE DIP FRIED MOZZARELLA CHEESE KYLIE'S MUESLI BARS

HOT OLIVE CHEESE PUFFS MUSHROOM-BACON PATE POTSTICKERS EGGPLANT RELISH

SAMBAL BAJAK SAMBAL DABO LILANG SATAY I SAUSAGE BALLS SEVICHE ACAPULCO

STUFFED SHRIMP WITH BACON SPINACH DIP SPINACH DIP II TARAMOSALATA TUCSON TOSTADAS

WIGILIA-4 — Pickled Herring in Sour Cream

CHOPPED LIVER

CHOPPED-LIVER — Chopped liver just like Mom used to make

This is NOT liver pate; it's chopped liver. And lots of folks who claim to hate liver love this stuff.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

1 lb chicken livers

1 onion (large)

2 garlic cloves

3 Tbsp schmaltz (chicken fat; see note below)

3 eggs, hard boiled

PROCEDURE

(1) Melt the schmaltz in a large frying pan. Sauté the onions and garlic in the schmaltz until the onions are tender.

(2) Add the chicken livers, and sauté until done. (Livers are done when they are no longer red or pink on the inside.)

(3) Chop the cooked livers and onions, along with the hard boiled eggs. I always chop by hand, using a chopper and a wooden bowl. Regardless of how you chop them, they should be farily coarsly chopped.

(4) Season with a little salt, and a little more melted schmaltz if things are dry.

NOTES

Schmaltz is rendered (melted) chicken fat. If you want to make your own (which I recommend), get some chicken fat (from the butcher, or from a chicken you fix; one chicken's fat is plenty). Put the fat in a frying pan on low heat. Stir the pieces of fat frequently; if there's lots of fat, you can drain the pan into a container to keep things from splattering too much. The fat will eventually melt down to a tough, dry blob (the griveners, which are pure poison, but I love 'em!), at which point you're done rendering. The liquid fat is the schmaltz.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 30 minutes. Precision: no need to measure.

CONTRIBUTOR

Alan M. Marcum

Sun Microsystems, Mountain View, California

sun!nescorna!marcum

CHUTNEY IN THE RAW

CHUTNEY-RAW — An easy chutney with no cooking

This recipe filtered down to me through a grapevine of neighbours. You will need a supply of jam-jars, jam-jar covers and a large pan to keep the ingredients in.

INGREDIENTS (Makes several jars)

1 lb stoneless dates

1 lb apples

1 lb onions

1 lb sultanas

1 lb brown sugar

2½ cups vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp pickling spices, tied in a muslin bag

small piece ginger

PROCEDURE

(1) Mince the dates, apples and onions and place in a large pan.

(2) Add the sultanas and stir in the sugar.

(3) Add all the other ingredients and stir well, but make sure the bag of spices and the ginger are identifiable.

(4) Leave for 24 hours but stir occasionally (once every 4 hours or so).

(5) Remove the bag of spices and ginger.

(6) Bottle and store in a coolish place.

(7) Eat.

NOTES

I sometimes use currents in place of the stoneless dates, in which case you don't need to mince them. If the mixture appears too liquid after the 24 hour standing time, it is worth draining off some of the vinegar before bottling. The beauty of this recipe is that you don't have a vast pot of strange things bubbling away on the stove for hours. A big win!

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 25 minutes preparation, 24 hours standing time. Precision: approximate measurement OK, but don't go overboard with the vinegar.

CONTRIBUTOR

Julian Onions

University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.

jpo@cs.nott.ac.uk

Path: decwrl!recipes

COCONUT BEER SHRIMP

COCONUT-SHRIMP — Shrimp in coconut beer batter with dipping sauce

(adapted from Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen) A nice appetizer, though very caloric.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 12 as appetizer)

SEASONING MIX

1 Tbsp ground red pepper

1 tsp salt (optional)

1½ tsp sweet paprika

1½ tsp black pepper

1¼ tsp garlic powder

¾ tsp onion powder

¾ tsp thyme

¾ tsp oregano

DIPPING SAUCE

1 lb orange marmalade or apricot jam (use an entire jar).

5 Tbsp brown mustard

5 Tbsp horseradish

SHRIMP AND BATTER

2 eggs

1¾ cups flour

¾ cups beer

1 Tbsp baking powder

4 dozen medium shrimp, peeled with tails

3 cups grated coconut (unsweetened)

PROCEDURE

(1) Combine the seasoning mix together in a bowl.

(2) Stir the dipping sauce ingredients together in a second bowl. Have this ready at the table when the shrimp are done.

(3) Mix together 2 tsp of the seasoning mix, 1¼ cups of flour, the beer and the baking powder, and place this in a third bowl.

(4) Combine the remaining flour with another 2 tsp of the seasoning mix.

(5) Coat each shrimp with the remaining seasoning mix, then in the flour mixture, then in the batter, then in the coconut. Deep-fry the shrimp for about 1 minute and drain on paper towels.

NOTES

Don't put too much batter on or it will overwhelm the poor shrimp. The dipping sauce is great for other things as well.

RATING

Difficulty: easy if you can deep-fry. Time: 15 minutes preparation, 15 minutes cooking. Precision: Measure batter, improvise with spices and dipping sauce.

CONTRIBUTOR

Nicholas Horton

Aiken Computation Lab, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., USA

horton@harvard.harvard.edu harvard! horton

Path: decwrl!recipes

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Southwestern Cheese Rolls

2 lb medium sharp cheddar cheese 1 lb cream cheese 1 TSP garlic powder 1 TSP seasoned salt 1 cup ground pecans (walnuts can be substituted) 1 jar chile powder wax paper Thoroughly mix above ingredients except for chile powder. For each roll grab a palmful of material and roll until about 1 inch thick by 8 inches long. Then roll in chile powder to coat outer layer. Place in wax paper and refrigerate overnight . This is best served with crackers, and the rolls can be frozen.

hIRISH'S CRAB BUTTER

CRAB-BUTTER — Incredible crab or shrimp dip

My first encounter with this dip came at a New Year's party a few years ago. I was standing by the munchies table trying not to embarrass myself too much, when a woman came up to me and pointed out this dip. She explained to me that at a previous party she had lost control eating it and got a spoon! It's incredibly rich, and requires a lot of will power not to eat too much.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6 gluttons)

½ cup butter

1 cup cream cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise

6 oz crab meat

1 onion (medium to large, chopped fine)

some cocktail sauce

2 Tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp crushed garlic (or a pinch of instant garlic)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

PROCEDURE

(1) Allow butter and cream cheese to soften before starting.

(2) Mix mayo, butter and cream cheese. Do not use a blender, as the mixture will get soupy.

(3) Add lemon juice, garlic, worcestershire sauce, pepper, etc. to taste.

(4) Mix in crab (or whatever) and onion. Of the choices, I feel crab is the best.

(5) Chill at least two hours, cover with cocktail sauce. This is an important part of the recipe.

NOTES

I recommend Wakefield crab meat, Shrimp or Shrimp & Crab. I usually use Crosse & Blackwell's cocktail sauce, but feel free to use any kind that you trust. You can make your own simple cocktail sauce by mixing 3 parts catsup to 1 part horseradish and adding tabasco, garlic, worcestershire sauce to taste. Serve over Triscuits (they're nice and strong, to survive heavy scooping) or veggies. Irish is the friend from whom I got this recipe.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 5 minutes preparation, 2 hours cooling. Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Larry Tepper

AT&T Information Systems, Denver

lat@druil.UUCP

MAMA STAMBERG'S CRANBERRY RELISH

CRANB-RELISH-3 — Frozen cranberry relish with horseradish

Susan Stamberg, former co-host of National Public Radio's All Things Considered, used to broadcast this recipe every year around Thanksgiving. She claimed it was her mother's, but it turned out that her mother got it from a Craig Claiborne column many years before. Very few people are neutral about this unusual, rather strong relish—they either love it or hate it. I'm in the former group.

INGREDIENTS (3 cups)

2 cups raw cranberries

1 small onion

½ cup sugar

¾ cup sour cream

2 Tbsp prepared white horseradish

PROCEDURE

(1) Grind the onion and cranberries together.

(2) Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

(3) Put in a plastic container and freeze. One hour before serving, move to the refrigerator to soften.

NOTES

This relish is shocking pink in color, so plan your table setting accordingly.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 5 minutes preparation, overnight freezing. Precision: measure the horseradish.

CONTRIBUTOR

Jan Wolitzky

AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ USA

wolit@mhuxd.att.com

DILL DIP

DILL-DIP — A cold dip

I first discovered this dip at a reunion of old college roommates. It comes from the wilds of Farmington, Connecticut.

INGREDIENTS (Makes 2/3 cup of dip)

3 oz cream cheese

1 Tbsp pimento-stuffed green olive (finely chopped)

1 tsp grated onion

¼ tsp dried dill

dash salt

1–2 Tbsp light cream

PROCEDURE

(1) Combine first 5 ingredients

(2) Stir in enough cream to make the mixture have dipping consistency.

(3) Chill.

NOTES

Serve in a hollowed-out whole loaf of bread. Use the discarded bread for dipping.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 3 minutes preparation, several hours chilling. Precision: no need to measure.

CONTRIBUTOR

Sid Shapiro — Wang Institute of Graduate Studies, Tyngsboro, Massachusetts

[decvax, linus, masscomp]!wanginst! ss

ss%wang-inst.CSNET@Csnet- Relay.ARPA

EGG MOUSSE

EGG-MOUSSE — Simple appetizer for summer days

This dish was served at a dinner I was invited to at the Vice-Chancellor's Lodge at the University of Liverpool when I was a student. Mrs. Whelan, the VC's wife, gave me the recipe later.

INGREDIENTS (serves 6)

6 hard-boiled eggs

1 tsp gelatine

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp anchovy essence

5 fl. oz chicken stock

1 cup whipped cream

paprika

salt

PROCEDURE

(1) Finely chop the egg whites.

(2) Sieve the egg yolks.

(3) Add gelatine to chicken stock and heat until it dissolves. Cool and allow mixture to begin to set.

(4) Put stock and seasoning into whipped cream. Fold in yolks and whites, place in dish, and chill.

(5) Decorate and serve.

NOTES

A nice way to decorate is to peel some white grapes and chill. Then before serving spread thinly a little caviar on top and place halved grapes on top of that.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 20 minutes preparation, several hours chilling. Precision: Measure gelatine and stock.

CONTRIBUTOR

Marcus G Hand,

AT&T Information Systems, Middletown, New Jersey, USA

mtuni!mgh

Path: decwrl!reid

SCOTCH EGGS

EGGS-SCOTCH — Hardboiled eggs in a sausage/oatmeal crust

Scotch eggs are great as appetizers, lunches or dinner! I took this recipe from my Mom's collection, but I'm not sure where she got it.

INGREDIENTS (makes 6)

6 eggs, hard boiled

COVERING

1 lb sausage meat

½ cup rolled oats

1 Tbsp mustard

¼ tsp black pepper

COATING

1 cup bread crumbs

2 eggs, beaten

PROCEDURE

(1) Preheat oven to 400º F.

(2) Make the covering: mix all ingredients thoroughly and divide into six portions.

(3) Cover the eggs: uniformly cover each hard boiled egg with its portion of the sausage mixture.

(4) Bread the covered eggs: roll each egg in bread crumbs, then into beaten egg, and once again in bread crumbs.

(5) Set eggs on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn them over and bake another 15 minutes.

(6) Serve sliced in half.

NOTES

Scotch eggs are delicious either hot or cold.

RATING

Difficulty: moderate. Time: 30 minutes preparation after eggs are hard-boiled. Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Violet R. Syrotiuk

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

vrsyrotiuk@watdragon.waterloo.edu

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MARY'S GARLIC BREAD

GARLIC-BREAD — Addictive and fattening garlic bread

This recipe is from The Garlic Lover's Cookbook, which is a must for all folks interested in keeping vampires away.

INGREDIENTS (serves 6)

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

½ cup mayonnaise

5 garlic cloves minced or pressed

3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

½ tsp oregano

1 loaf French bread, (baguette), cut lengthwise

PROCEDURE

(1) Preheat oven to 375º F.

(2) Mix all ingredients except the bread together in a bowl.

(3) Spread the mixture onto the French bread.

(4) Wrap bread in aluminium foil.

(5) Bake for 20 minutes.

(6) Unwrap and place under broiler to brown.

NOTES

We never finish the last step. By the time we have the stuff unwrapped, we just have to eat it!

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: preparation: 10 minutes, cooking: 25 minutes. Precision: No need to measure.

CONTRIBUTOR

Sharon Badian

AT&T Information Systems, Holmdel, New Jersey

ihnp4!mtgzy!seb

PAUPIETTES DE BANANES AUX JAMBON

HAM-BANANAS — Bananas with ham and paprika

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4)

4 bananas (fairly unripe, but not green)

4 slices of ham

6 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

½ cup double cream (whipping cream)

paprika

salt and pepper

PROCEDURE

(1) Peel bananas, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika (be generous with this).

(2) Wrap a slice of ham around each banana.

(3) Place bananas in a greased, oven- proof dish and pour cream over them.

(4) Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.

(5) Bake at 400º F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

(6) Serve cold (but not refrigerated).

NOTES

This comes from the Vogue French Cookery Book. It seems to go down rather well as an appetizer, although it would make a nice supper snack, I suppose.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 5 minutes preparation, 20 minutes cooking. Precision: Approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Nigel Titley

British Telecom, Ipswich, UK

mcvax!ukc!btnix!titley

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HIKER BARS

HIKER-BARS — Caloric, filling, and tasty bars for the trail

These bars give a flavorful and filling treat along the trail. The recipe came from Ben Branch of AT&T Bell Labs at Columbus (cbdkc1! blb).

INGREDIENTS (24 to 48 bars)

½ cup chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup butter

2 medium bananas, (mashed)

½ cup molasses

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ginger

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/3 cup white flour

4 cups Kellogg's Special K cereal (crushed)

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

6 oz chocolate chips

1 cup salted peanuts (chopped)

6–8 oz dates (chopped)

PROCEDURE

(1) Preheat oven to 350º F. In a large bowl cream together peanut butter and butter. Mix in bananas, molasses, sugar, and vanilla.

(2) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.

(3) Stir in the cereal. Sift together dry ingredients and mix into batter. Add chips, peanuts, and dates.

(4) Pour batter into greased 9×13 pan.

(5) Bake in preheated 350º F oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Cut into bars.

PROCEDURE

(1) Cream butters in processor. Add cut- up bananas and blend.

(2) Add molasses, sugar, vanilla. Blend.

(3) Add eggs. Blend.

(4) Pour batter into large bowl and stir in sifted dry ingredients.

(5) Stir in other ingredients, one at a time. Continue with step 4, above.

RATING

Difficulty: easy to moderate. Time: ½ to 1 hour work; 1 hour waiting. Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

John Daleske

AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio

ihnp4,cbosgd,desoto!cbdkc1! daleske

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BYRON'S FAMOUS KILLER CHEESE DIP

HOT-CHEESE-DIP — A hot spicy party cheese dip

Here it is, folks! By popular demand, the cheese dip known to make women faint, strong men cry, and small children run for their mommies. This started out as an attempt to replicate a Chili con Queso dip, but took off in its own direction.

INGREDIENTS (makes 18 oz of dip)

11 oz cheese soup (one can of condensed canned cheese soup).

4 oz chopped green chilies (I use Old El Paso canned chilies)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 Tbsp crushed red pepper

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 garlic clove, crushed.

1/4 tsp hot sauce (Tabasco sauce or hot pepper sauce)

8 oz sour cream

PROCEDURE

(1) Mix together all ingredients except the sour cream; heat to boiling at low heat.

(2) When blended, correct seasoning (usually needs more cumin and garlic.)

(3) Add sour cream and heat until it bubbles slightly. Serve with Tostitos or any natural Mexican-style corn chip.

NOTES

This recipe may be doubled, quadruped or even sextupled without problem. Go easy on the red pepper if your guests don't like hot food. The effect, if done correctly, should be an initial impression of cheese, cumin, sour cream and garlic followed a second later by a sinus-cleaning heat. As one partaker has put it "You have to keep eating because if you don't, you'll die." Guaranteed to increase beer consumption at parties. Good Luck!

RATING

Difficulty: very easy. Time: 10 minutes. Precision: Measure the spices, just so you'll know how much you have put in.

CONTRIBUTOR

Byron Howes

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

FRIED MOZZARELLA CHEESE

MOZZ-FRIED — Fried mozzarella sticks with marinara

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4–8)

1 lb mozzarella cheese

½ cup flour

3 large eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp oregano

½ tsp ground cumin

pinch salt and pepper

8 oz marinara sauce, chilled

vegetable oil

PROCEDURE

(1) Cut the mozzarella into sticks a bit more than about ¼ in thick, and about 1½ in long. Coat the sticks with flour, shaking off excess.

(2) Combine the bread crumbs and seasonings in a flat dish. Beat the eggs and place in a separate bowl.

(3) Coat the sticks by dipping them in the egg and then in the bread crumbs. The coating on the first stick should be fairly dry when you finish the last stick. Repeat with another dip in the egg and then in the bread crumbs.

(4) Deep-fry the coated sticks in oil for about 3 to 4 minutes until the coating is cooked. Fry in batches, keeping the finished ones warm in the oven.

(5) Serve with chilled marinara sauce or salsa.

NOTES

Use your imagination when choosing spices. The spices listed here are just a suggestion. Be careful when frying, as some sticks split open when they are done, leaving lots of cheese in your frying oil. You may need more egg or bread crumbs, depending on how many sticks you have and how thick you coat them.

RATING

Difficulty: moderate (frying skill required). Time: 10 minutes preparation, 5 minutes cooking. Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Robin Harris Foster

AT&T Information Systems, Lincroft N.J.

mtuxo!rfoster

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KYLIE'S MUESLI BARS

MUESLI-BARS — Delicious and nourishing bars for hiking or home

This is a recipe that my daughter, Kylie, has perfected, starting from one published in some magazine. They are ideal to use as trail bars, being both filling and full of energy, but are also perfect as snacks at home or work. When on a hard bushwalk, eating these is a real highlight of my day.

INGREDIENTS (Makes 15)

1 cup rolled oats

3 cups crushed cornflakes

1 cup dessicated coconut

1½ cups mixed dried fruit

3½ Tbsp full cream milk powder

4 oz butter

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup honey

½ cup peanut butter

PROCEDURE

(1) Mix the oats, cornflakes, coconut, dried fruit and milk powder together in a big bowl.

(2) Simmer butter, sugar, honey and peanut butter together for 3 minutes, or microwave on high for 4 minutes (from cold), stirring every minute.

(3) Pour sauce into dry mixture and mix well.

(4) Press into a biscuit tray and put in refrigerator until cold. Cut when cold.

NOTES

The bars are best kept in the refrigerator, although it's by no means essential. They soften in the heat but don't disintegrate. Any other cereal crumbs can be combined with cornflakes to make up the 3 cups. It's a good way to use up those otherwise annoying scraps. If too much powdery stuff goes in, the bars can be somewhat dense. Using Rice Bubbles (Rice Krispies) gives a lighter texture.

Dessicated coconut is best, as shredded coconut is too course.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 30 minutes. Precision: Approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Peter C. Maxwell

Dept. of Comp. Sci., University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

peterm %cadvax.oz@seismo.css.gov

HOT OLIVE CHEESE PUFFS

OLIVE-PUFFS — Delicious hot appetizers

INGREDIENTS (Makes about 25 puffs)

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

3 Tbsp soft butter

½ cup flour

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp paprika

25 olives (approx)

PROCEDURE

(1) Blend cheese with butter.

(2) Add flour, salt, paprika. Mix well.

(3) Dry olives. Wrap a spoonful of dough around each and seal well.

(4) Bake at 400º F for 15 minuntes.

NOTES

You can freeze the unbaked cheese puffs on a cookie sheet and then store them in the freezer in a plastic bag.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 30 minutes preparation, 15 minutes baking. Precision: measure the ingredients.

CONTRIBUTOR

Katherine Rives Albitz

Hewlett-Packard, Ft. Collins, Colorado, USA

hplabs!hpfcla!hpcnof! k_albitz

Path: decwrl!recipes

MUSHROOM-BACON PATE

PATE-1 — PARTY PATE WITHOUT LIVER

This is heavenly stuff for a buffet, and for those people who love to munch, but hate liver pate. We found it in a magazine some years ago. The magazine has long since been forgotten, but this I know by heart!

INGREDIENTS (1 large loaf)

2 lbs fresh mushrooms, chopped very fine

½ lb bacon (or more, to taste)

2/3 cup onion, chopped very fine

2/3 cup celery, chopped very fine

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

4 eggs

½ cup parsley, chopped very fine

2 cups dry bread crumbs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp ground black pepper

PROCEDURE

(1) Fry the bacon and crumble it as fine as possible. Reserve some of the grease.

(2) Chop the mushrooms, onion, celery, and parsley as fine as possible. A food processor works best, but you can do it by hand if need be.

(3) Sauté the onion and celery in the bacon grease until soft, then remove from the grease, and drain.

(4) Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese slightly, and then beat in the eggs. Add all other ingredients to the eggs/cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly.

(5) Grease a large loaf pan or two small, line with foil, and then grease the foil. Pat the mixture into the loaf pan and cover loosely with foil. Bake for 1½ hours at 400º F.

(6) Let cool completely before serving.

NOTES

This pate is actually best when refrigerated before serving. Serve with crackers, or with bread cut into shapes with cookie cutters. American bacon is called "smoked back bacon" in many other places.

To make this a more elegant buffet dish, garnish the top with a thin layer of aspic.

RATING

Difficulty: easy if you have a food processor. Time: 20 minutes preparation, several hours baking and cooling. Precision: Approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Terry Grevstad

Network Research Corporation, Oxnard, Calif., USA

sdcsvax,hplabs!sdcrdcf!psivax!nrcvax! terry

POTSTICKERS

POTSTICKERS — Delicious Northern Chinese snack and hacker's staple

Hackers on both coasts and most places in between love potstickers (though if you're from the Right Coast, you probably know them as Peking Ravioli, or just ravs. This recipe is based on one found in Chef Chu's Distinctive Cuisine of China. Total preparation time is about 45 minutes. They don't come out as good as the ones from Cho's in Mountain View, but if you don't happen to be within 45 minutes of Mountain View, they'll do very nicely, thank you.

INGREDIENTS (Makes about 2 dozen)

DOUGH

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup water

FILLING

½ lb ground pork

½ small Chinese (Napa) cabbage, cored and chopped

1 green onion, coarsely chopped

2 thumb-sized slices fresh ginger, minced

2 water chestnuts, chopped

1 tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

pinch white pepper

1 tsp sesame oil

TO COOK

5 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup water

SAUCE

hot chili oil

red rice vinegar

soy sauce

PROCEDURE

(1) In a bowl, combine flour and water, mixing to form a ball. Remove to a floured board and knead with your palm for about 3 minutes. Shape into a ball, cover with a damp towel, and let stand for about 10 minutes.

(2) Make the filling by combining the Filling ingredients above. Refrigerate until ready to use.

(3) To shape and assemble, knead dough for about 3 minutes. Roll into a cylinder that is about 1 inch in diameter. Cut off the ends, then cut into about 24 pieces, each about ¾-inch wide. With the cut side up, press the dough down with your palm to flatten. Use a rolling pin to make pancakes about 2½–3 inches in diameter. (They get quite thin; that's what you want.)

(4) Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each pancake. Fold the dough over to make a half circle and pleat the edges firmly together.

(5) To pan-fry, heat cast-iron or other heavy-bottom skillet over moderate heat. Add 3 Tbsp oil, swirling to coat bottom. (Watch out, it sizzles quite a bit. Don't get burned!) When oil is hot, place potstickers, seam side up, in skillet and agitate (shake) for 30 seconds. Pour in water, cover, and gently boil over moderate heat for 7 to 8 minutes. When oil and water start to sizzle, add remaining 2 Tbsp oil. Tip skillet to distribute oil evenly; watch carefully (uncovered) to prevent sticking. When bottoms are brown (usually several minutes later), remove from heat and carefully lift out potstickers with spatula.

(6) To serve, turn potstickers over (dark side up) and arrange on serving platter. Combine chili oil, vinegar, and soy sauce in proportions to suit your taste and offer sauce for dipping. Alternatively, cut up a hot chili pepper into red rice vinegar.

NOTES

You can freeze uncooked potstickers for later use, if you squeeze out the water from the cabbage during preparation (in a colander or cheesecloth). Freeze potstickers separately on cookie sheets until firm, then put them in plastic bags. When rolling out the pancakes, leave the centers slightly thicker than the edges. A thicker center will hold up better during the browning.

If you prefer, steam potstickers for about 12 minutes over boiling water instead of pan-frying. (No self-respecting hacker would be caught eating steamed potstickers, though.)

These are really not hard to make, and come out quite nicely! Following the dough recipe above leads to a fairly dry and floury dough; this makes it hard to roll out and pleat. Feel free to add a little more water. There are also now commercially available potsticker presses that take care of folding and pleating; they're cheap and plastic and work rather well.

The perfect potsticker is uniformly brown with a thick brown area on the bottom (where it sticks to the pot); it seems that achieving this only comes with practice. I tend to fry both sides a bit before adding the water; this helps. Beware of too much heat; the bottom will bubble and crack. This doesn't taste any different, but doesn't look as nice.

If you don't cook the whole batch at once, store the potstickers so that they don't touch; the dough tends to stick to itself, so the potstickers may tear as you remove them.

Many restaurants serve Hoy Sin sauce instead of hot sauce.

RATING

Difficulty: moderate. Time: 45 minutes. Precision: measure the ingredients.

CONTRIBUTOR

Chris Kent

DEC Western Research Lab, Palo Alto, California

kent@decwrl.DEC.COM ihnp4,ucbvax,decvax! decwrl!kent

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EGGPLANT RELISH

RELISH-1 — Eggplant relish vinaigrette

This is my mother's recipe. It can serve as either an appetizer or a relish.

INGREDIENTS (several cups)

1 eggplant (medium)

1 egg, hard boiled.

1 green pepper

1 onion (medium)

oil

vinegar

garlic

salt

pepper

sugar

PROCEDURE

(1) Bake eggplant until soft.

(2) Grind together the baked eggplant, egg, green pepper and onion.

(3) Add oil, vinegar and seasonings to taste. Chill. Serve cold.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 20 minutes baking, 5 minutes mixing. Precision: no need to measure.

CONTRIBUTOR

Jan Wolitzky

AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey, USA

ihnp4!mhuxd!wolit

Path: decwrl!recipes

SAMBAL BAJAK

SAMBAL-BAJAK — Fried chili-pepper sambal relish

Indonesia is not known to have nuclear weapon capability, but visitors to Djakarta often suspect that if enough Sambal Bajak is put into an artillery shell it will have the same general effect. Indonesian hosts normally warn Westerners that this is "an acquired taste."

INGREDIENTS (makes 1 cup)

½ lb fresh red hot chilies, chopped coarsely

1 large onion

6 cloves garlic

8 kemiri nuts, chopped fine

3 Tbsp peanut oil

½ tsp laos powder

1 Tbsp trasi (dried shrimp paste)

1 tsp salt

5 Tbsp tamarind liquid

2 Tbsp sugar

PROCEDURE

(1) Chop the chilies, onion, and garlic in a food processor.

(2) In a small frypan, sauté this mixture in oil until well cooked. Do not brown.

(3) Add the kemiri nuts, laos, trasi, and salt. Stir and mash until it is well blended.

(4) Add the tamarind liquid and sugar; simmer until the oil separates out.

(5) Cool, and serve cold.

NOTES

Laos is a form of ginger. Other names for it are galangal, Java root, galingale, or lengkuas. If you can't find it, use 1 tsp of powdered ginger mixed with ¼ tsp of powdered cinnamon. Trasi is shrimp paste; it can be left out. Tamarind liquid is made by soaking dried tamarind pulp in hot water for 1 hour and then straining. To make 5 Tbsp of tamarind liquid, use ¼ cup of pulp and ½ cup of hot water.

RATING

Difficulty: easy if you have the ingredients. Time: 30 minutes. Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Brian Reid

DEC Western Research Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA

reid@decwrl.DEC.COM -or- decwrl! reid

SAMBAL DABO LILANG

SAMBAL-LILANG — Indonesian relish with lime, chili, and basil

This recipe comes from the Time/Life Pacific and Southeast Asian Cooking. I've been unable to find a recipe even remotely resembling it in any other Indonesian cookbook. I like to cross-reference recipes and learn where they came from, but only the Time/Life reporters seem to have found this one. In any event, it's quite wonderful. Not for the faint of heart.

INGREDIENTS (makes 2 cups)

1 medium onion, cut into thin strips

1 small ripe tomato, cut into small cubes

1 tsp fresh basil, chopped fine

1 small fresh hot red chili, stemmed, seeded, and cut into thin strips

1 small fresh hot green chili, stemmed, seeded, and cut into thin strips

¼ cup fresh lime juice

1 lime rind, chopped into tiny pieces

PROCEDURE

(1) Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Let it sit for several hours, stirring occasionally.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 5 minutes preparation, 2 hours sitting. Precision: no need to measure, but count the chili peppers.

CONTRIBUTOR

Brian Reid

DEC Western Research Laboratory, Palo Alto CA

reid@decwrl.DEC.COM -or- decwrl! reid

Path: decwrl!recipes

SATAY I

SATAY-1 — Indonesian barbecued beef

This is my favorite satay recipe.

INGREDIENTS (serves 8–10)

SATAY

2 lbs beef, chicken, or mutton

6 Tbsp castor sugar

1½ cups ground peanuts

1 piece lemon grass

1 tsp cumin (ground or use powdered)

1 tsp salt

1–2 large onions

5 cloves garlic

1 tsp turmeric

2 Tbsp coriander (roasted pounded or use pre-ground)

1 oz lengkuas (or substitute ginger)

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup water

SATAY GRAVY

1½ lb peanuts

5 cloves garlic

2 pieces lemon grass

½ cup sesame seeds

2 Tbsp dried ground chili pepper (or substitute fresh chopped red chilies)

1 Tbsp dried shrimp paste

2 large onions

3 oz tamarind

½ cup sugar

1 piece lengkuas (or substitute ginger)

4 tsp salt

6 cups coconut milk (or substitute water)

PROCEDURE

(1) Cut meat into strips, pound meat, then cut into cubes and season with meat tenderizer.

(2) Pound separately garlic, onions, lemon grass, and langkuas.

(3) Mix together meat, pounded ingredients, salt, and sugar. Marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

(4) Thread meat onto skewers. Sprinkle oil mixture (½ oil, ½ water) over meat and grill until done.

PROCEDURE

(1) Make the tamarind paste: add the tamarind to water and soak for 2 hours. During this time, squeeze the tamarind so that it becomes pulpy. Filter the liquid through a strainer to remove seeds, stem and skin of the fruit.

(2) Pound the onions, garlic, and lengkuas.

(3) Roast the peanuts, remove skins, and grind finely.

(4) Fry the shrimp paste on medium heat for a few minutes. Add the onion and garlic paste to the frying pan. Fry the onions until white. Don't brown them.

(5) Add the lemon grass, lengkuas, dried chilies, peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut milk, sugar, salt and tamarind paste.

(6) Cook until the gravy is thick.

NOTES

Lengkuas is the Malay word for the root known in English, Spanish, and German as galangal; it is otherwise known as laos (Indonesia), souchet long (Vietnam), or kha (Thai and Laotian). If you don't have any, then use a mixture of 4 parts ginger to 1 part cardamom.

RATING

Difficulty: Moderate. Time: 2 hours preparation, ½ hour cooking. Precision: Approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Joe Sotham <joseph@ubc- medgen>

University of British Columbia

It is better to travel happily than to arrive

SAUSAGE BALLS

SAUSAGE-BALLS — A spicy snack to be eaten with cocktail sauce

I got this from my sister who got it from my mother. My mother has been cooking it for a long time.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 10–12 as appetizer)

1 lb bulk hot sausage

3 cups biscuit mix (e.g. "Bisquick")

1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated

PROCEDURE

(1) Preheat the oven to 375º F. Grate the cheese.

(2) Combine all the ingredients and knead until well mixed. You may need to add a little beef broth to get it to stick together.

(3) Shape into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet or broiler pan.

(4) Bake at 375º F for 25 minutes.

NOTES

Don't put too many on a cookie sheet or the grease will fill it up and run off into your oven. These should be served with cocktail sauce. They are very rich. They can be made ahead and frozen until your party, then warmed before serving. Cooks outside North America should remember that a biscuit is a scone. If you don't have any biscuit mix, you can make some by cutting together 2½ cups of flour, 4 tsp of baking powder, and ½ cup of vegetable shortening or butter.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 15 minutes preperation, 30 minutes cooking and cooling. Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Pat Caudill

Software Productivity Technologies

Tektronix, Inc., Portland, Oregon, USA

patc@tekcrl.TEK.COM

Approved: reid@decwrl.dec.com

SEVICHE ACAPULCO

SEVICHE — A tasty marinated fish appetizer from Mexico

This recipe comes from the Delicias Culinarias cookbook that I brought from Mexico. The introduction to the recipe reads: "Seviche is prepared with raw marinated fish. It is very popular in Ecuador, Peru, and in the north of Chile. Depending on the region in Mexico, there exist several different styles to prepare it. This recipe comes from the Acapulco region". I am sure that you have tasted this appetizer if you have ever been to a beach in Mexico. It is usually served right where you are "roasting" in the sun or swimming. Yes, the fish in this recipe is raw. However it is "cooked" by marinating it in lime juice.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)

1 lb turbot fish, in fillets.

1 onion, chopped.

2 tomatoes, chopped.

1 avocado, chopped.

1 cup small green olives

6 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 cup lime juice

1 serrano chile, chopped.

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp white wine

2 jalapeno chilies, chopped.

2 oz capers

PROCEDURE

(1) Cut the fish fillets into 1-inch cubes. Marinate it for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) in ½ cup of lime juice.

(2) Rinse the fish in a colander and let it dry for 5 minutes. Put it in a large bowl along with the rest of the lime juice.

(3) Put in the rest of the ingredients. Add salt, pepper and oregano to taste. Mix.

(4) Serve with salted crackers.

NOTES

Use fresh lime juice. You can use any kind of fish that you like with the condition that it does not fall apart after marinating. For instance, it does not work with white fish.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 20 minutes (after marinating the fish). Precision: no need to measure.

CONTRIBUTOR

I. Arieh Cimet

Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA

ihnp4,chinet!nucsrl! cimeti

Path: decwrl!recipes

STUFFED SHRIMP WITH BACON

SHRIMP-BACON — A high-cholesterol appetizer with shrimp, cheese, and bacon

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2–4)

12 large shrimp (The larger the better)

1 lb low moisture mozzarella

1 lb bacon (as little fat as possible)

PROCEDURE

(1) Steam shrimp lightly—just about 30–60 seconds after they begin to turn orange.

(2) Plunge shrimp into ice water to cool. Do this immediately.

(3) Peel and butterfly the shrimp.

(4) Cut the mozzarella into strips that are a little smaller than the shrimp.

(5) Put mozzarella in shrimp and (this is important) roll shrimp from tail to head while it is open (butterflied). This keeps the cheese from leaking.

(6) Wrap shrimp-cheese roll in ½ slice of bacon and put on skewer.

(7) Cook on grill or barbecue, over moderate heat, until bacon looks done.

NOTES

When shrimp are butterflied, cut them almost all the way through so they can lay flat when open. This makes them easier to roll. The fire will flare up due to bacon fat. Turn the skewers often to cook evenly. The bacon should be slightly charred when done. The reason why the shrimp are cooked lightly first is that they tend to cook slower than the bacon.

RATING

Difficulty: easy to moderate. Time: 5 minutes preparation, 5 minutes cooking. Precision: no need to measure.

CONTRIBUTOR

Robert Diamond

Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey

diamond@andromeda

Path: decwrl!recipes

SPINACH DIP

SPINACH-DIP — Party dip with spinach and water chestnuts

People like this dip. It's a hit a parties. It is good to dip vegetables into, or to spread on crackers.

INGREDIENTS (makes 4 cups)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

8 oz water chestnuts, drained and diced (one large can)

5 green onions, chopped (with tops)

10 oz cooked spinach, drained well. Use one package of frozen spinach.

1 envelope Knorr dry vegetable soup mix, (a Swiss import)

PROCEDURE

(1) Mix everything together and refrigerate overnight.

(2) Stir again before serving.

NOTES

Serve with sturdy dip-ables or crackers, as it will break chips.

RATING

Difficulty: trivial. Time: 15 minutes preparation. Precision: Approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

shore@adobe.UUCP (Andy Shore)

Adobe Systems Incorporated, Palo Alto, California

SPINACH DIP II

SPINACH-DIP-2 — Simple party dip with spinach, leek, and sour cream

Anything that tastes this good couldn't be good for you.

INGREDIENTS (makes 2 cups)

12 oz cooked spinach, chopped

1 pkg dried leek soupmix (dried soup mix sufficient to make 4 cups of soup)

1½ cups sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 scallion (green onion)

PROCEDURE

(1) Cook or thaw the spinach, then squeeze it dry.

(2) Mix the spinach with the mayonnaise, sour cream, green onion, and soup mix.

(3) Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

NOTES

Knorr brand soupmix is available worldwide, but other brands will work. one package, approximately enough to make a liter of soup. Serve with triscuits or a sliced baguette.

RATING

Difficulty: trivial. Time: 10 minutes preparation, 30 minutes waiting. Precision: no need to measure.

CONTRIBUTOR

Brad Chen

DEC Western Research Laboratory, Palo Alto, California, USA

chen@decwrl.dec.com decvax,ucbvax,cbosgd,pyramid!decwrl!chen

Approved: reid@decwrl.dec.com

TARAMOSALATA

TARAMOSALATA-1 — Greek smoked fish-roe pate

This is a particular family favorite at my parents' house. The word Taramosalata means "fish egg salad" in Greek.

INGREDIENTS (serves 6 )

½ cup smoked cod roe

1 cup olive oil

1 garlic clove

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 Tbsp finely chopped onion (or more to taste)

freshly milled black pepper

PROCEDURE

(1) Cover cod roes for a few minutes in boiling water to loosen skins, then peel them.

(2) Crush garlic and rub around a mixing basin (bowl). Discard garlic.

(3) Dice roe, add 2 Tbsp oil, and stand for 15 minutes to soften.

(4) Pass roe through sieve into garlic- rubbed basin and beat until smooth.

(5) Add half the lemon juice, gradually beat in the rest of the oil, adding the remainder of the lemon juice at the half-way stage.

(6) Stir in the chopped onion, parsley and black pepper to taste.

(7) Chill and serve.

NOTES

This recipe can be made with any kind of fish roe. Greeks sometimes add ½ cup of cooked potatoes. The only tricky bit comes in adding the oil: you should do it a little at a time like preparing mayonnaise, and be careful not to let the oil separate. If it does begin to separate, add another dash of lemon juice.

Taramosalata will keep for about a week under refrigeration.

RATING

Difficulty: moderate. Time: 40 minutes off and on. Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Marcus G Hand

AT&T Information Systems, Middletown, New Jersey, USA

Path: decwrl!recipes

TUCSON TOSTADAS

TUCSON-TOSTADA — A toasted cheese tortilla snack popular in southern Arizona

I first discovered this recipe in 1978 when I went to Tucson to visit my prospective in-laws. Such visits are often tense; Loretta's parents knew that I liked Mexican food, so they took me to their favorite restaurant, Casa Molina. The appetizer, a toasted cheese tostada, was so good that I forgot my nervousness and just chowed down on serving after serving. I think that her parents remembered from that visit more about my appetite than my personality. I tried several times to make Tucson tostadas, but they always ended up tasting like pizza. Then a recipe appeared in the April 1986 issue of Sunset magazine, and after reading it, I was able to reconstruct this replica of the Tostada Casa Molina. The secret is to use Mexican cheeses.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)

3 medium flour tortillas (buy the largest flour tortillas that will fit in your biggest frypan)

½ lb Oaxaca cheese, shredded

½ lb Monterey jack cheese, shredded

1/3 lb anejo cheese, grated

½ lb poblano peppers, sliced (or any other mild chili pepper)

¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped fine

lard or oil for frying

PROCEDURE

(1) Preheat oven to 350º F.

(2) If you are using fresh poblanos, roast them and remove their skins and seeds, If you are using canned poblanos, wash and drain them. Slice the peppers into thin decorative slices.

(3) In a big frypan, fry a tortilla in lard or oil until it is golden brown. Remove to paper towels, drain well, then place on a baking sheet or pizza pan. Although lard is bad for you, the grim truth is that tortillas taste very much better when they have been fried in lard. Live dangerously.

(4) When the tortilla has cooled and hardened, cover it with a thin layer of Oaxaca cheese, then with the jack cheese. Crumble anejo on top of those layers, then sprinkle finely-chopped coriander on top of that.

(5) Arrange the pepper slices in a geometric pattern on top of the cheeses. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted but not browned. Remove from the oven, and use a pizza cutter to slice into individual portions. Serve immediately.

NOTES

Oaxaca (pronounced "oh-HOCK-a") cheese is a Mexican string cheese. You can substitute any Mexican cheese marked "asadero" (melting cheese). If you're desperate, you can use Armenian mozzarella, which has the right texture but the wrong flavor. Monterey jack is a bland American cheddar; you can substitute good-quality Muenster.

Anejo cheese is somewhat like Parmesan, dry and crumbly. You can substitute Mexican cotija cheese, but that is probably pointless, because a store that carries cotija will probably also carry anejo. Fresh-ground parmesan will do in a pinch, though it is not the right flavor. In one of my many attempts to get this recipe right, I tried a mixture of Greek feta and cow's-milk romano cheese. It tasted very interesting, though not at all authentic.

RATING

Difficulty: easy once you have found the ingredients. Time: 10 minutes each. Precision: no need to measure.

CONTRIBUTOR

Brian Reid

DEC Western Research Laboratory, Palo Alto, Calif., USA

reid@decwrl.DEC.COM ihnp4,ucbvax,decvax,sun,pyramid!decwrl!reid

SLEDZIE MARYNOWANE W SMIETANIE

WIGILIA-4 — Pickled Herring in Sour Cream

This recipe could be used as part of a 12 course meal known in Polish as Wigilia, or on its own. Wigilia is eaten after sundown on Christmas Eve.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4–6)

drained

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped

1 apple, cored and chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup sour cream

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 Tbsp fresh dill or parsley, chopped

PROCEDURE

(1) Cut herring into small cubes. Mix herring with onion, eggs, apple, and lemon juice.

(2) Combine sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper; add to herring mixture and mix well. Sprinkle with dill or parsley.

(3) Serve with rye bread.

RATING

Difficulty: easy. Time: 30 minutes. Precision: approximate measurement OK.

CONTRIBUTOR

Original recipe passed down through the generations and

translated from Polish into English (with a few mods) by

Edward Chrzanowski

MFCF, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

echrzanowski@watmath.waterloo.edu or ihnp4,allegra,utzoo!watmath!echrzanowski

Path: decwrl!recipes

Approved: reid@decwrl.dec.com

Beef Jerky

Requires 2lb of lean roast cut in 1/4 inch or less slices. Also: 1 pint Soy Sauce 1 pint Teryaki Sauce 1 TBSP Liquid Smoke 1 TSP Garlic Powder 1 TSP Onion Powder 1/2 can of beer, malt liquor preferred Mix ingredients in large bowl. Place beef strips in and refrigerate. Suggest 1 hour for optimum soak time, otherwise it gets too salty. Place beef strips in dehydrator for 12 hours @ 125 degrees OR Place beef strips on cookie sheets in oven on LOWEST possible setting for 8 - 10 hours.

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