Hey look at some stupid videos

I hear that youse guys can't access Instagram because you don't have mobile devices. Well follow this link on you computer and you can see some stupid videos the wife and I made while I was experimenting with my zucchini fritter recipe:

 http://instagram.com/lisajimdolan#

That's a Spicy Sauce!

john said...
Troop (or anyone) -

Do you have a good o'le family spaghetti sauce recipe, preferably one that has few to no cans of tomato whatever than need to be opened? (Tomato paste is OK.)

We've had too many years of kids to remember what it was like NOT to just open a bottle of store-bought sauce.

Any good recipes or suggestions sincerely appreciated.

Ok here goes.


4 cloves of garlic
1 large sweet onion
1 table spoon salt
1 table spoon sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
3 Cans crushed tomatoes
3 glasses of wine.

Ok here's a quick and dirty sauce reciepe. Chop up the galic and fry it in olive oil. Now use just enough oil to thinly coat the frying pan. Use a large pan or even a wok for that matter. When the garlic is soft add a chopped up union. You can put it in the food processor to really mince it up. It will give the sauce body. Keep turning it as it camelizes.

Add one glass of wine to debride the pan. Then continue to drink the other two glasses while you are cooking.

Add the 3 cans of crushed tomatoes. Now my mom used to love to use Tomato puree but I never did. I prefer to use chopped tomatoes because once again it gives it a thicker country style flavor. If it feels too thick you can add a little water or even chicken stock. Just one tip. Try to add something at the same temp as what you are cooking. Don't put ice cold water into the mix as it is bubbling on the stove. Have a side pan of water boiling for the pasta and as it heats you can add a little to the sauce if it seem too thick to you.

Stir in the salt, sugar, pepper and bay leaves for flavor. Now you can leave out the bay leaves and instead substitute some fresh basil leaves. Put some in at the start to cook in the sauce and reserve some to add in at the end. That would make for an even sweeter sauce.

Bring this to a soft boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Let it cook for about a half an hour. Now some people boil their sauce for hours. Overnight. What a bunch of bullshit. You can make a tasty sauce in an hour. The longer simmer is if you are making a meat based sauce to cook the meats in it. Not so much for a quick marinara sauce.

After it has simmered for between 45 minutes and an hour you are ready to cook your pasta. I persoanlly prefer angel hair. Now your pasta should always be al dente. Or hard. You see it will still be cooking while it is in the bowl on the table. So put the pasta in the hot water you have on the stove and cook it from four to six minutes. Then take it out and add it a few strands at a time to your sauce. Stir it around so the pasta is fully coated. Now you can reserve a couple of cups on the side while you do this. Stir in the pasta and then put in a shitload of grated cheese. And if you use Kraft's I will personally come to your house and slap you.
Get a good pecarino or parmesan and add it to the pasta and sauce in the pan. That's why I like to use a wok sometimes. Hey I am a non-traditional cook.  Smush it all around and when you take it out and put it in a bowl. You can add a scoop of the sauce to the top.

Serve with a bottle of wine and some crusty Italian bread.

Mangia!

Get stuffed!

So I will be making my usual stuffed mushrooms tomorrow.

I usually chop some garlic and parsley and add bread crumbs and pecorino romano cheese to stuff the shrooms. Lately I have also been adding ricotta and finely chopped scallions but I might omit the ricotta because everybody else likes it dry. I also squeeze a couple of lemons over them while I am cooking.

The wifes family likes tons of bread crumbs in everything and likes stuff a lot drier than I do. Since I am cooking for them I will make it the way they like it.

Me I like it juicy. Just sayn'

I didn't just get here on the turnip truck!

So I have never made turnips before. We are going to my in-laws. They were supposed to come to me but my father in law is not feeling well so we are bringing everything to them. My father in law wanted some turnips so I have to make them to cheer him up.

I have a handle on everything except for the fuckin turnips.

Now they are diabetics and the funny thing is that every recipe seems to call for a ton of sugar. White sugar. Brown sugar. More sugar than the Crack Emcee gets in a month of Sundays. So since I am a simpleton I am going simple.

I am going to peel them and quarter them and put them in a pan with salt and pepper and roast them of a while. When I turn them over I am going to put a big pat of butter on each slice so it melts and covers the turnip. When it is ready I will serve as is.

What do you think?

Any non sugar turnip recipes will be greatly appreciated.

I will settle your hash buddy!

Man I love me some corned beef hash for breakfast. With an egg on top. With black coffee and some rye toast. That's eating. Here's a quick and dirty recipe:

6 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 (12 ounce) can corned beef, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup beef broth

1.In a large deep skillet, over medium heat, combine the potatoes, corned beef, onion, and beef broth. Cover and simmer until potatoes are of mashing consistency, and the liquid is almost gone. Mix well, and serve.

2.Poach and egg until it is the consistency of a Wisconsin union guys brain and gently transfer it from the pan and settle it on top of the hash.

3.Brew up some strong black coffee and toast a couple of pieces of rye bread and then you have a party.

Paula Deen's Southern Fried Chicken Recipe

Hey Southern Fried Chicken seem real popular in our poll so here is a recipe from my favorite Southern cook Paula Deen from the Food Network Website:

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Southern Fried Chicken:
4 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup hot red pepper sauce
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon pepper

House Seasoning

2 1/2-pound chicken, cut into pieces
Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil


To make the House Seasoning, mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.


In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the House Seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.


Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer than white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.

Trooper Yorks Two Cheese Pasta with Spinach and Tomato

So here is a quick and dirty recipe for a great pasta. The Ingredients:

1 lb Shells

1 box cherry tomato

1 bag spinach

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup asiago cheese grated

1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese grated

1 teaspoon Vietnamese garlic chili sauce

Put the oil in a frying pan and add the garlic chili sauce under a low flame. Boil salted water and cook the pasta al dente. Add the spinach to the frying pan and mush around till you distribute the oil and the garlic chile sauce. Add the pasta which is al dente and continue to cook it in the pan. After about four minutes shut off the flame and add the tomatoes which you have cut in half. Mix thouroughly. Add the assiago and mix once more. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the pecorino romano to taste.

Summer pasta salad-Trooper York Style

2 lb boxes of wagon wheel pasta
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 quart boxes of cherry tomatoes
1 large bunch bail
1 large hunk of ricotta salad cheese (approx 2 lbs at least)
1 cup of grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
Salt

This is a quick and easy summer salad.

Boil a big pot of water and when it is bubbly toss in the two pounds of wagon wheel pasta. Any odd shape will do like bow ties or rotelli springs like in this photo but I particularly like wagon wheels because the stay all dente and firm longer. Cook for about six or seven minutes until the pasta gets a little soft, not mushy but still very firm.

Drain and put in a metal mixing bowl. Pour in the Olive oil and salt the macaroni liberally. Then cover it with aluminum foil and let it sit for twenty minutes. It will continue to cook in the bowl while you are preparing the other ingredients.

Wash and then cut the tomatoes in half. Dice the ricotta salad into small hunks about an inch all around. This might sound big but this is a soft cheese and when you mix it the pieces will break up into smaller units. Clean the basil so you have only the leaf as the stems might be bitter.

Uncover the bowl and add the tomatoes and cheese. Take a large wooden spoon and place the salad in our serving bowl. Be gentle and try not to break apart the pasta or the cheese.

Right before serving add ¾ of the cup of Pecorino Romano and mix thoroughly but gently. Reserve the remainder of the cheese for anyone who likes it extra cheesy. Add the basil at the last minute for freshness, mixing once again thoroughly but gently.

This is my favorite quick and easy summer pasta salad that can be assembled while you are doing a lot of other stuff. The cheese and the freshness of the basil make it particularly tasty.

Salud.

Check out Dust Bunny Queens Pasta dish.

Dust Bunny Queen was nice enough to post a recipe for PASTA PUTTANESCA on her great blog Recipe Junkie.

2 or 3 large tomatoes *seeded and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp capers crushed
1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
1/4 cup chopped fresh italian parsley
1/2 cup chopped calamata olives
1 small tin of anchovies in oil
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 pound linguine
fresh Parmesan or asiago cheese

In a medium sauce pan over low heat saute the garlic anchovies in the olive oil. Don't over cook, just smoosh the ancovies and garlic and oil around to make a paste and to release all the yummy flavors. Add the chopped tomatoes, capers, chili flakes, olives and simmer on low for about 10 to 15 minutes, stiring occaisonally.

Meanwhile. Cook the linguini to al dente in a large pan that has been salted with about 1 tbsp kosher salt.

Drain the pasta. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss in the Italian Parsley (bet you thought I forgot about it, didn't you?). Mix the linguine with the sauce and parsley.
Top each serving with a bit of shaved Parmesan or Asiago cheese.
Serve with a green salad, fruit (cantaloupes are really good right now), crusty french bread .....oh and of course a good wine.

My husband hated the Kalamata Olives. He thought they were too salty with the anchovies so you might substitute milder ripe olives. For those of you who don't like hot/spicy dishes you can also lighten up on the chili flakes (weenies). I also like this sauce over Farfalle pasta. Soon, I plan to try it with a mixture of yellow and red tomatoes from my garden.

* to seed tomatoes: cut the tomato in half crossways and simply squeeze the seeds and juices into a bowl. You want as much of the juice removed from the tomatoes or else your sauce will be watery and you will have to cook it much longer which will ruin the delicate flavor of the capers.

You have to check out some of the recipes in the archives. I have made several of them and they are easy to follow and very tasty.

Alfredo, you were my brother.

Here is a recipe from Little Big Head Giada DeLaurentis for a quick and dirty fettuccine alfredo.
Please be sure to use a lot of cheese.

Ingredients
18 ounces fresh fettuccine
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice from four lemons
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper.

Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Giada talks about her breasts?

Well about her chicken breasts. Or her chicken cutlets which she stuffs her bra with. Just sayn'

Here is a recipe from her Food Network web site. Enjoy.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 (3-ounces each) chicken cutlets
1 1/2 cups Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows or purchased marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
16 teaspoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Stir the oil and herbs in a small bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Brush both sides of the cutlets with the herb oil. Heat a heavy large oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add the cutlets and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Spoon the marinara sauce over and around the cutlets. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of mozzarella over each cutlet, then sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Parmesan over each. Sprinkle the butter pieces atop the cutlets. Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Simple Tomato Sauce:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.
Add half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to 2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6 months.

I am all mixed up. Can we put the cake and the comfort food polls together?

You won't believe what google brings up when you search hot chicks eating Meat Loaf. But one of the things was this cool website Not Quite Nigella at : www.notquitenigella.com

Anyway they had this cool reciepe for meatloaf and mashed potato cupcakes.

Makes 12-15 cupcakesMeatloaf filling
500g minced beef
500g sausage meat
80g quick cook oats
70g A.1. Steak sauce
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Maldon salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1. Preheat the oven to 200c/gas mark 6
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, mixing really well with your hands or a fork
3. Divide mixture into cupcake liners and then press firmly to reduce holes and spaces and give it an even top (these will not rise)
4. Cook in oven for 30 minutes
5. Top with mash potato piped using a star nozzle (I used the recipe for mash here omitting the cheese and garlic)
6. Top with puff pastry hearts

Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson recipe for Mini Meatloaves from Nigella Express

I think I might try this myself.

Hey meat loaf is kicking ass!

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1/2 cup milk1 lb ground chuck

1/2 lb ground pork

1/2 lb ground veal

2/3 cup crushed saltine crackers, about 16

1/3 cup minced parsley

For the glaze, mix all ingredients in small pan, set aside. For the meatloaf, heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion and garlic; saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Mix eggs with salt, pepper, thyme, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and milk. Add to meat in large bowl along with crackers, parsley and cooked onion and garlic. Mix with fork until evenly blended and mixture doesn't stick to the bowl. If it sticks add milk. With wet hands, pat mixture into 9x5-inch loaf shape. Place in foil lined baking pan for easy clean up. Brush with half the glaze. Bake until crisp, about 1 hour. Cool at least 20 minutes and serve with the remaining glaze.

This is a meatloaf recipe I actually made. I did substitute homemade bread crumbs from half a loaf of Italian bread for the crackers. And of course I put bacon on top of it. But it was still damn good.

Meatloaf is out in front on our little poll but not everyone has been heard from. I guess people are much more emotional about their cake.

Screw you Colonel Sanders

Scott Peacock's and Edna Lewis's Miraculously Good Fried Chicken
- makes 4 servings -Adapted from The Gift of Southern Cooking.

Hands-on time, 1 to 1 1/2 hours; total time, 24 hours or more.

Ingredients
1/2 cup kosher salt (do not use table salt for brining)

2 quarts cold water

1 three-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 quart buttermilk

1 pound lard

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup country ham pieces, or 1 thick slice country ham cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Procedures
1. To make the brine: Stir kosher salt into cold water until dissolved. Place chicken parts in a nonreactive bowl or pot; add enough brine to cover completely. Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours.
2. Drain the brined chicken and rinse out the bowl it was brined in. Return chicken to the bowl, and pour the buttermilk over. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. Drain the chicken on a wire rack, discarding the buttermilk.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the fat for frying by putting the lard, butter and country ham into a heavy skillet or frying pan. Cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, skimming as needed, until the butter ceases to throw off foam and the country ham is browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ham carefully from the fat.
4. Just before frying, increase the temperature to medium-high and heat the fat to 335 degrees. Prepare the dredge by blending together the flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or on wax paper. Dredge the drained chicken pieces thoroughly in the flour mixture, then pat well to remove all excess flour.
5. Using tongs, slip some of the chicken pieces, skin side down, into the heated fat. (Do not overcrowd the pan or the cooking fat will cool. Fry in batches, if necessary.) Regulate the fat so it just bubbles, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on each side, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Drain thoroughly on a wire rack or on crumpled paper towels, and serve.
Fried chicken is delicious eaten hot, warm, at room temperature or cold.

Fish and Chips Mate!

Ingredients
For the chips:
3 3/4 pints (2 liters) vegetable oil
2 pounds (950 grams) floury potatoes, like russets, peeled and cut into large chips
For the batter:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup beer
2 egg whites, whipped to soft peaks
Salt
4 (9 ounce/250 gram) fillets haddock or cod, skin on, and pin boned

Directions
Pour all the vegetable oil into a deep pan or deep fat fryer, and heat to 300 degrees F (160 degrees C.) Blanch the cut potatoes in the oil until soft, but not colored, about 4 minutes. Remove and drain.
Mix together the flour and the beer, then fold in the egg whites. Turn up the heat of the oil to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Dip the fish in the batter and fry for a few minutes with the chips until golden brown.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve with bread and butter, wally's (battered, deep fried pickles served with ranch dressing), and pickled eggs.

From Jamie Oliver that English poofter guy from the Food Network

ITALIAN MEAT LOAF, so go f yourself you skinny bitches.

Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
ITALIAN MEAT LOAF
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red pepper, seeded, small diced
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the peppers, onions and garlic. Saute until just soft, remove to a plate and cool.
When the peppers and onions are cool, combine all of the remaining ingredients together except for the marinara. Pack the meat mixture into an oiled loaf pan, if you do not have a loaf pan, form the meat mixture into a loaf shape on an oiled oven tray or baking dish. Top with the marinara making sure to spread evenly over the top.
Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the middle of the meatloaf. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

(Trooper York note: I always add strips of bacon to the top of it)

Hey Darcy some cake for you baby.

Carrot cake with a citrus icing
This makes a large 3 layer cake but feel free to halve the recipe and make 2 x 20cm/8inch cakes. The layers freeze beautifully, but wrap them doubly in cling film to prevent ice crystals. The icing will keep well in the fridge for at least one week.

Serves 12-15 (UK portions)

Diet Facts: carrots and wholewheat flour may be healthy but sugar and cream cheese are not-but don't be a pussy, use plenty of both.
For the cake layers:

400g/ 2 1/2 plus 1/3 cups of wholemeal or wholewheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1 Tbsp ground cinnamongood pinch of nutmeggood pinch cloves

350g/ 2 cups (tightly packed) dark brown sugar

4 large eggs300ml/10 fl oz sunflower oil (canola oil)

zest of 2 oranges

400g/ 14 oz peeled, grated carrot

225g/ 1 1/3 cup chopped dried (french) apricots (size of raisins)

100g/ 1 1/4 cup dessicated coconut

100g/ 3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
For the syrup glaze:

juice 2 small oranges

1 tbsp lemon juice

55g/ 1/4 cup (tightly packed) dark brown soft sugar
For the icing:

3 x 225g/8oz packages of cream cheese

1 x 225g/8oz tub crème fraîche

5 Tbsp/ 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp runny honey

zest of 2 lemons and juice of 1 (about 1 Tbsp of juice)

zest of 1 small orange, juice of half (about 2 tbsp)
To decorate:

2 Tbsp dessicated coconut, lightly toasted (optional)

handful of chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

alternatively dust with ground cinnamon

You will need:

3 x 23cm/9 inch cake tins

An electric whisk (or even better an electric mixer)

A box grater or a grater attachment on your food processor

1/ Heat the oven to 400F/200C/Gas 6.

Toast your nuts in the oven(Hee, hee) (about 5-8 minutes, until you can smell them roasting)

and then turn the heat down to 325F/170C/Gas 3 for the cake.

2/ Spray three 23 cm/ 9 inch cake tins with cooking spray with starch (such as Baker’s Joy). Make sure that the sugar has no hard lumps in it by squishing it between your fingers. Whisk together the sugar, eggs and oil for 2-3 minutes.

3/ Whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a large bowl. Stir the gently into the sugar/egg/oil mixture and then add the remaining cake ingredients. Don’t be alarmed at the thickness of the batter. Divide the mixture evenly between the 3 tins and bake in the centre shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until nicely risen, firm and springy to touch and with visible signs of shrinking away from the sides of the tin.

4/ Meanwhile, make the glaze by combining the juices and sugar in a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. In fact you can put more sugar in if you are not a limey poofter who can't handle the sweetness. Once the cake has finished cooking, stab it all over with a skewer and gently spoon the syrup over the 3 cakes evenly. Allow to cool.

5/ Make the icing by beating together the cream cheese and crème fraîche until smooth. Fold in the honey, zest and juices with a large rubber spatula and check the taste. Add more honey or juices to your desired taste.

6/ To assemble the cake, turn the cakes out from their tins. Place one layer top-side down onto a cake stand. Spread the top evenly with 1/3 of the icing using a palette knife (offset spatula) or rubber spatula. Top with another layer, again top-side down and repeat until you have the final layer topped with the last of the icing. Scatter with the coconut and walnuts (if using) or dust with cinnamon.

From:londonfoodieny.wordpress.com/.../ A London Foodie in New York by Anna Helm

Hey short cake can I put some whipped cream on you and eat you up?

From 1957, a strawberry shortcake recipe:

Filling:
1 quart strawberries, rinsed, hulled, sliced
1/3 cup sugar
.
Shortcake:
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter
1 cup milk
melted butter
whipped cream, sweetened with a little sugar if desired

Preparation:

Place strawberries in a large bowl; sprinkle with 1/3 cup of sugar. Let stand, covered, for at least 1 hour before serving.

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture is fine. Add milk; stir with a fork until all flour is moist. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently for 20 seconds. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Gently roll out or pat each portion to fit a 9-inch round cake pan. Place each portion into a lightly buttered pan; press edges to form a slight ridge. Brush with melted butter. Bake at 450° for 12 to 15 minutes. Brush each layer with butter. Spoon sweetened strawberries and juice between layers and on the top. Serve warm, cut in wedges, with whipped cream. Serves 10.

If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt.

Hey we are off to a hot start in our new poll.

I didn't want to load the dice "Barbara Eden" style by having a great cheese cake photo as enough of you knuckleheads love it as it is. So I cheated a little and used a smaller photo to give the other cakes a fighting chance.

The cheesecake discussion is very interesting to me because I think most cheesecakes are really overrated. And Nichevo, sorry but Junior's is way overrated. It is often dry and sour because they mass produce it . And the Cheesecake Factory, shit that really sucks wind. They must have illegal immigrants sewing those cakes together for 50cents an hour.

By far the best cheese cake I ever had is from Court Pastry in Carroll Gardens. Yes I am prejuidiced but so what. It is a ricotta cheese cake which is always light and fluffy and they will put six different types of fruit on it if you want. Pineapple, cherry, blueberry, strawberry, peach and kiwi. I once brought a cheesecake from Court Pastry where there five other cheesecakes including two from Junior's and my cake was totally devoured while the rest sat alone like Alphaliberal at his high school dance.

Here is a reciepe for a great ricotta cheese cake. Try it and get back to me.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
2 pounds ricotta cheese
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Set rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9 1/2 inch springform pan, and tap out excess flour.
Place the ricotta in a large mixing bowl, and stir it as smooth as possible with a rubber spatula. Stir the sugar and flour together thoroughly into the ricotta. Stir in the eggs 1 at a time. Blend in the vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm, and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. It will sink slightly as it cools. Cover, and chill till serving time.