Veronica's "Famous" Potato Salad

15/20 red potatoes.
1 pkg of bacon
1 small jar of pickles
6 large eggs – hard-cooked
2 cups mayonnaise – my favorite is Kraft
½ cup Grey Poupon Mustard
¼ cup yellow mustard
3 tbsp distilled vinegar
1 tbsp salt
Begin by washing then cutting the potatoes in quarters. If they are really small you can just cut them in half, but don’t peel them – the skin has nutrients and flavor that you want to preserve. Place cut potatoes in large pot and fill with cold water. Add salt if desired and bring to boil. After the potatoes come to a boil, let them cook for another 5-10 minutes or until fork tender. You don’t want to overcook the potatoes because they will be too mushy for salad. While the potatoes come to a boil, place the 6 large eggs in another pot filled with cold water. Place over high heat and bring them just to boiling. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Then drain, cool and peel.
Once the potatoes are done, drain them and place them in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle vinegar over top of potatoes and cool to room temperature. Cut pickles, bacon and eggs into small pieces and place in a separate mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise, mustard and salt. And for some added flavor, add a touch of pickle juice. Combine until incorporated. Add the mixture to the potatoes and mix.
Never let potatoes salad sit outside in hot weather for too long. Make sure salad is kept cold until serving. Serve only the amount of salad that will be consumed within one hour, and keep the rest in the cooler. If you need more, make sure to use a clean serving dish and spoon; don’t reuse the ones that have been sitting on the table.

Berry Crisp

4c fresh berries
1/3 c sugar
1/4 t lemon zest

3/4c flour
1/4c rolled oats
1/3c packed brown sugar
1/4t cinnamon
5T unslated butter

375 oven.  lightly butter 1 qt baking dish.  Mix berries sugar and zest in dish and spread in even layer.  Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cnnamon in bowl.  Cut in butter and wor until crumbly.  Sprinkle topping evenly over berries.  Bake 30-40 mins.  Serve warm.

Cookies 1-2-3

1-2-3 SHORTBREAD COOKIE RATIO: 1 part fat: 2 parts sugar: 3 parts flour
If you’re ready to dive into the world of baking ratios, Ruhlman’s 1-2-3 cookie dough (the
ratio is by weight) is the logical place to start. “The dough is easy to remember, easy to
make, and allows you to make one cookie or three dozen ” he says. In fact, he calls this
product of this dough “the essence-of-a-cookie” cookie: “One you know this dough, you
really see how cookies work.”

On its own, the combination of one part fat, two parts sugar, and three parts flour bakes
up into a crisp, buttery shortbread with just a hint of sweetness. It’s the kind of cookie
that’s perfect with tea, or as an after-dinner treat for an adult crowd who appreciates its
sophistication. But the real genius of this dough is its simplicity: Because the flavors are so
basic, the cookie can be endlessly modified. Doing one of three things-changing the flavor,
swapping an ingredient or altering the proportion of flour-will net a different result, giving
you literally hundreds of different cookies options.

Where to begin? Add almond or vanilla extract. Try brown sugar in place of white. Swirl in
a dollop of peanut butter. Throw in nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruit. Sprinkle in some
cinnamon or nutmeg. Experiment with eggs and baking powder-they’ll give the cookie a
lighter crumb. Don’t be afraid to try new combinations, Ruhlman says.

But if you’re going to stick close to the original ratio, he advises would-be bakers to pay
attention to the quality of your ingredients, especially the butter. “If you want to splurge
on Plugra, it’s going to be a better cookie, ” he says, “but I think the most important part
is to use fresh butter. Butter has a tendency to pick up odors from the refrigerator, so you
want a clean, fresh-tasting butter.”

After that, whipping up these cookies is as simple as one, two, three.
From RATIO: THE SIMPLE CODES BEHIND THE CRAFT OF EVERYDAY COOKING by Michael Ruhlman. Copyright 2009 by Ruhlman. Reprinted by permission of Scribner, a Division of
Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Pan-Asian Fried Rice

Recipe courtesy Padma Lakshmi

Prep Time:15 min

Cook Time:1 hr 0 min

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• For the rice:
• 3 cups water
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 3 small bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
• Salt, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups converted rice
• For the egg sheets:
• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg whites
• Salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced gingerroot
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and sliced
• Salt to taste
• 4 stalks celery, thickly sliced
• 3 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Szechuan stir-fry sauce, or to taste
• 1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained
• 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 to 3 teaspoons chili paste, or to taste
• 2 to 3 teaspoons Oriental sesame oil, or to taste
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro, or to taste

Directions

Make the rice: In a saucepan over moderately high heat bring the water to a boil, add the bouillon cube, bay leaves, sesame oil, and salt to taste, and stir to dissolve bouillon. Add the rice, bring back to the boil, stirring, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer rice to a bowl and fluff with a fork. Discard bay leaves. Make the egg sheets: In a bowl whisk together the whole eggs, egg whites, and salt. In a large non-stick skillet set over moderate heat, warm the oil until it is hot, add the egg mixture, lifting and tilting the pan to coat the bottom evenly with the egg, and let it cook until set on the underside. Turn and let cook until eggs are completely set. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Cut into shreds. In a wok or casserole set over moderately high heat, warm the 3 tablespoons of oil until it is hot. Add the garlic and gingerroot and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the onion, green pepper, carrots, mushrooms, and salt and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add the celery and cabbage and stir-fry 3 minutes more. Add the garam masala and Szechuan sauce, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and 1/2 cup water and let cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the rice and egg sheets, and stir-fry until rice is heated through. Season with the chili paste, sesame oil, and cilantro. Adjust seasonings. Transfer mixture to a large serving dish.

Asian Shrimp Salad

Recipe courtesy Padma Lakshmi

Prep Time:30 min

Serves:  6 servings

Ingredients

• For the shrimp paste:
• 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced gingerroot
• 12 black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• Salt, to taste
• 2 pounds large shrimp, shelled and de-veined
• For the vegetables:
• 4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 2 cups diced celery
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 5 scallions, minced
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, minced (after measuring)
• For the dressing:
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 3 dashes Asian hot chili oil, or to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Vegetable oil spray
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Directions

Make the paste: In a blender combine the first 9 ingredients and blend until pureed. In a bowl toss the shrimp with the paste and let marinate while prepping the vegetables.

Make the salad: In a large bowl combine the 6 salad vegetables. Make the dressing: In a bowl whisk together the 6 salad dressing vegetables. Spray a large skillet set over moderately high heat with some vegetable oil and heat until hot. Add the shrimp and cook, turning, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until just cooked. Add the shrimp to the salad bowl, drizzle with dressing to taste, and toss. Divide among serving dishes and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.