Homemade Potato Chips with Rosemary

-- You need

Russet (Idaho) potatoes
Peanut oil
Flaky sea salt
Chopped rosemary

-- Steps

1. Scrub potatoes clean then slice them crosswise on a mandoline about 1/8 - 1/4-inch thick (make sure the thickness is consistent, otherwise the chips will cook differently)

2. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat enough oil to fill the pan 3/4 - 1-inch deep. (get two pans going at once if you can work that quickly, otherwise it can take a while to get through all the slices)

3. When oil reaches about 350° F (176°C - see tips), gently but quickly lower in enough potato slices to loosely cover the surface area of the pan

4. Use a set of metal tongs to nudge the potatoes away from each other if they start to stick

5. When the edges begin to curl and color starts to emerge, turn them over. They should cook about 1-2 minutes per side

6. Pull them out with the tongs and set on the paper to drain. Immediately sprinkle with pinches of salt and chopped rosemary

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Smoked Salmon Cheese Ball

-- You need
2 cups grated (extra) sharp cheddar
8 ounces cream cheese, room temp.
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 oz smoked nova salmon
1 inch chunk of shallot, minced
1/2 cup minced flat leaf parsley
-- Steps
1. Place the cheese, cream cheese, shallot, salmon and Worcestershire sauce in a blender, pulse until smooth

2. Scrape into a bowl and chill for 30 mins - an hour

3. Scrape it out of the bowl and shape into a ball

4. Sprinkle parsley in a shallow bowl and roll the ball into the parsley until evenly coated

5. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temp. before serving

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Angel Biscuits

-- You need

1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/2 cup warm water (270°C - 252°C)

5 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

2 cups low-fat buttermilk

Cooking spray

1 tbsp melted butter

-- Steps

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl, let stand 5 mins
2. Combine the dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal

3. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk, stir just until moist. Cover and chill 1 hour
4. Preheat oven to 350°C.

5. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface, knead lightly 5 times

6. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness, cut with a 3 inch biscuit cutter. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray

7. Brush melted margarine over biscuit tops

8. Bake at 350°C for 12 mins or until golden


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紅豆餡

-- 材料

紅豆 - 200g
砂糖(冰糖也可) - 100g (甜度可自己調)

-- 做法

1. 紅豆放在鍋子裡, 加入水(至少1.5 L), 大火煮

2. 約20-30分鐘後, 看一下紅豆是否全部變軟. 如果軟了, 放入網子裡面, 隔掉水份

3. 大概乾好後, 再放回去鍋子裡. 再加水(約1 L)

4. 大火煮紅豆至開始破開, 轉小火繼續煮到全部破開

5. 確認紅豆全部破開後, 鍋子裡輕輕沖水等到水變透明

6. 放在網子裡隔掉水分, 再回鍋子裡, 加入糖

7. 用木頭湯匙拌一下, 中火煮. 紅豆的水分都出來了, 繼續攪拌

8. 開始蒸發水分. 就看自己喜歡的濕度, 喜歡碎泥的, 就打碎煮好的紅豆

9. 放涼後即成

** 可把紅豆餡放入密封袋裡, 冷藏備用

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Yorkshire Pudding / 約克夏布丁 (香腸)

-- 材料

蛋 - 2 隻
牛奶 - 300ml
麵粉 - 100g
鹽 - 少許
-- 做法

1. 微煎香腸, 不用煎到熟透, 置旁備用

2. 先打蛋汁, 然後加入麵粉攪拌. 再加入牛奶

3. 把剛煎香腸的油倒進麵糊裡, 攪拌完全. 把麵粉倒進容器, 把香腸和其他配料(若有) 擺入
4. 200°C 烤20-25 分鐘 (只要麵粉糊膨起來顏色轉金黃就可以取出)

** 肉類或蔬菜可依個人口味轉換

recipe from...

1. reference

冰糖話梅車厘茄

-- 材料
車厘茄 - 300g (約20 粒)
冰糖 - 35g
水 - 250ml
話梅 - 8-10 粒
-- 做法
1. 燒開一鍋水, 另預備一盤冰水

2. 用小刀在車厘茄底部刺一個十字, 放進沸水中煮約20 秒至外皮裂開, 然後撈起浸進冰水中一會兒, 便可把外皮撕去
3. 冰糖與水煮至沸騰, 轉小火煮1 分鐘左右使糖水變得略為濃稠, 加入話梅, 關火放涼
4. 待糖水放涼後, 加入已去皮的車厘茄, 蓋好放雪櫃一晚即成

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日式照燒醬

-- 材料

醬油 - 1/2 湯匙

蠔油 - 1 湯匙

糖 - 1/2 湯匙

麻油 - 1 茶匙

水 - 1/2 杯

太白粉 / 粟粉 - 1 茶匙

黑胡椒粉 - 少許

鹽 - 少許

-- 做法

1. 小鍋煮滾醬汁即成

recipe from...

Black Pepper Sauce / 黑胡椒醬

-- 材料

牛油 - 2大匙

蒜茸 - 2瓣
洋蔥末 - 3大匙

粗黑胡椒粒 - 1-2大匙

水 - 240ml

淡忌廉 - 1大匙

鹽 - 少許

麵粉水 - 適量

rum - 少許

-- 做法

1. 融化牛油, 爆香蒜末和洋蔥末, 加入黑胡椒粒炒香

2. 加水, 淡忌廉煮滾. 再加鹽, rum 調味

3. 以麵粉水芶芡即成

** 可依個人口味增減調味料

recipe from...

Banana Walnut Cake / 香蕉合桃蛋糕

-- 材料 (11.5cmx22cmx6cm)

牛油 (室溫置軟) - 100g

黃砂糖 - 90g

香蕉泥 - 200g

雞蛋 - 120g (約2隻)

牛奶 - 50ml

低筋粉 - 120g

baking soda - 1/2茶匙

鹽 - 1/4茶匙

合桃 (切粗粒) - 55g

-- 做法

1. 預熱焗爐至180°C

2. 打發軟化了的牛油和糖至淡黃色

3. 蛋汁分3 次加入打發的牛油中, 每次完全混合

4. 加香蕉泥入蛋漿中, 用膠刮或木匙拌勻

5. 先把麵粉，baking soda 和鹽混合, 然後篩入，拌勻成麵糊

6. 最後加入合桃 (留少許合桃灑在麵糊上面), 倒入長型蛋糕模中

7. 焗約40 - 45分鐘, 或表面金黃色．放涼即成

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Peppermint Mocha

-- You need (1 drink)

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
3 tbsp powdered cocoa, sifted

3 tbsp warm water
1/2 cup hot espresso
1 1/2 cups hot milk or soy milk

Whipped cream (optional)

-- Steps

1. In a small saucepan, stir together the water and sugar, bringing to a soft boil, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves.

2. Reduce heat to a low simmer and add the peppermint extract, and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. In a large mug add the cocoa and water and mix together until a creamy paste forms.

4. Add the espresso on top, then 1 1/2 teaspoon of the peppermint simple syrup, and stir to mix.

5. Top the mug off with the hot milk and stir. If desired, add whipped cream.

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Peppermint Schnapps

-- You need (1 quart)

1 bunch peppermint
1 quart unflavored vodka
1 quart mason jar
Fine Mesh Strainer

-- Steps

1. Wash and de-stem your peppermint leaves. Leave on towel to dry.

2. Fill jar 1/3 full with leaves (a little less or more is ok) and then fill the remainder with Vodka.

3. Stir gently to remove air bubbles and screw on lid.

4. Let sit in a dark, cool place for a week or more depending on how stiff you'd like your schnapps to be.

5. Strain mixture into a new jar and you're all set to add it to any number of holiday beverages (or drink it straight).

** If you bruise your leaves, this process will take considerably less time, but can alter color and sometimes taste depending on time left in jar. Make sure to check often for quality.

recipe from...

Rhoda’s Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce

-- You need (4 cups)
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
2 tsp peppermint extract (substitute vanilla, if you don’t want the mint flavor)
-- Steps
1. In a double boiler over medium heat stir in cocoa, sugars and salt.

2. Add the cream and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the butter is melted and the sauce comes together and is smooth and glossy.

3. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Then, remove the bowl from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the peppermint extract.

5. Store in the fridge and re-heat when ready to use.

**This sauce will stay in the fridge for up to two weeks or more.

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Hot Chocolate On A Stick

-- You need
8 oz. chocolate (bittersweet, semisweet, milk, and white chocolate all work)
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
pinch of salt
(6 cups milk and 2 cups heavy cream if you plan to enjoy these right away)
-- Steps
1. If your chocolate is in a block, chop it into pieces. Simmer some water in a pan, and keep the water is below a simmer. Dump chocolate into the clean, dry bowl and stir as the chocolate melts.
2. Once the chocolate is 2/3 melted, remove the bowl from the pan, dry the bottom with a towel and continue stirring until chocolate is fully melted.
3. Add cocoa, sugar, and salt and continue to stir until combined. The chocolate will be thicker, almost as thick as frosting, but still glossy and smooth and very fun to stir.
4. Scoop chocolate into a ziplock bag and clip off the corner.
5. Pipe the chocolate into your chocolate mold, tapping the mold on the counter to make sure all the chocolate settles into the mold. Add a stir stick and it should stay upright without any trouble.
6. Let the chocolate cool either at room temperature or in the fridge if you’re in a hurry.
7. If you don’t like the look of the chocolate once it is removed from the mold, you can dip the cubes into a new batch of plain melted chocolate for a shinier finish, or add sprinkles or crushed candy or just lets you dip in fun patterns.
8. In order to enjoy these, heat up any combo of milk, water, half and half, or cream. One oz. of chocolate on a stick should be melted into one cup milk or cream. So a standard ice cube-tray block, which is 3/4 oz, should be melted into a mug with 3/4 cup milk or cream.

** Chocolate will keep in an airtight container for up to a year. Don’t keep it in the fridge because it is really good at absorbing odors.


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