Cheese Sauce from Pat Macko

Early days of marriage/cooking, i'd add this to some fish fillets baked in oven.  Tasty.

Melt in saucepan:
3 T butter
Add 3T flour - stir until blended.

Slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups milk.

When the sauce is smooth and hot, reduce heat and stir in 1 cup of mild grated cheese.

Season the sauce with
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp paprika
A few grains cayenne
1/2 tsp dry mustard

Stir the sauce until the cheese is melted.

Brisket

Mosley or Mosher
flat cut, not brisket

cut on bias

Berry Chili Barbecue sauce

1 16 oz can Jellied Cranberry Sauce
3.4 cup chili sauce
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Tabasco

In a saucepan, mix together all ingredients.  Cook over medium heat until cranberry sauce is melted.  Use as a baste for broiling or grilling meat or poultry.  Serve with additional sauce.  Makes about 2/ 1/2 cups.

Mom's clam dip

1 cup ketchup
2T white horseradish
1 tsp lemon juice
1 can minced clams

Drain clsms,  Mix all ingredients together.  Chill.  Service with chips or shrimp. Spread over a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers.

Blacksmith Tavern's Chocolate Almond Ricotta Pie

Dessert of choice at Blacksmith Tavern - great restaurant in Glastonbury - in courant 5.16.1990

Crust:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2-3 ounces melted butter
2 T sugar

Filling:
1 pound ricotta cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup dry toasted almonds, chilled
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, chilled
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

To make crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar, and press into 9 inch pie plate.  Chill.

To make filling:
Combine nuts and chips, and grind, one -third at a time, in an electric blender until they are ground medium fine.  Keep mixture cold so chocolate does not melt.  Set aside.

Combine ricotta, sugar and almond extract, and mix well.  Fold the nut mixture gently and quickly into ricotta mixture.

Whip heavy cream until stiff.  Fold half of the cream into ricotta mixture; repeat with remaining cream. The first half lightens the mixture, the second half gives the pie volume.

Spoon into chilled crust and smooth. Let pie set several hours or overnight in refrigerator.

Shepherd's Pie

recipe dated 3/6/97! An early marriage favorite, made often

1 lb ground beef
1 clove garlic
Mushrooms
Carrots
Celery
Onion
1 T thyme
cheese
mashed potatoes
Chicken stock

Brown ground beef and onion and garlic. Saute mushroom, carrots, and celery until tender.
Stir in 1 T thyme, salt and pepper.

in a measuring cup, stir together 1 cup chicken stock and 1T flour.  Stir into vegie mixture.  Bring to boil, lower heat, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Add 1 can corn, beef and any juices.  Spread in a deep pie plate or casserole.
Spread mashed potatoes on top.  Bake uncovered @350 for 30 minutes

Another version written on a phone message page - the first is more of a gravy filling.
this one adds 1/2 can (small) tomato sauce and cooked corn to the beef mixture instead of the broth.  Place layer of cheese over beef mixture, then mashed potatoes. Bake

Baked Caramel Corn

Always a hit and easy to make.

2 sticks butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup (light or dark)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
6 qts popped popcorn

Melt butter and stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, & salt.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Boil without stirring for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in baking soda and vanilla.  Gradually pour over the popped popcorn, mixing well.  Turn into a LARGE, shallow pan (roasting ) .  Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Remove from over and cool slightly.  Break apart.  Store in airtight container