A great family dish.

Turkey (or Chicken) Tetrazzini

from The American Century Cookbook

5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons dry sherry or Madeira
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 pounds medium mushrooms, sliced
3 medium scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained well
1/2 pimientos, diced (optional)
4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking dish and set aside.

2. Melt three tablespoons of the butter in a medium heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Blend in flour, and slowly add broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in cream, sherry, 1/4 of the cheese, and pepper. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then take off the heat.

3. Melt the rest of the butter in a skillet over moderate heat. Cook mushrooms and scallions until limp, about 3 minutes.

4. Toss spaghetti in a large bowl with sauce, mushroom mixture, pimientos (if used), and turkey. Transfer to baking dish, and spread remaining cheese over the top.

5. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and brown, about 25 minutes.

This is a big favorite with my family, and also for church potluck suppers. I've had to share the recipe often!

I got this cookbook for Christmas in 1999. It has great recipes, and excellent histories behind them, as well as a timeline of trends in cooking and prepared foods.

From the Dinner Doctor...

A simple but lovely pasta dish.

Angel Hair Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

8 oz angel hair pasta

2 tbs olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 12 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 cup half and half
Basil for garnish

1. Bring water to a boil (salt if desired), add angel hair and cook until al dente, about four minutes. Drain pasta and toss with one tbs olive oil, cover to keep warm.

2. Heat remaining oil in a skillet, and cook onion and garlic on medium heat until onions are softened, about three minutes.

3. Place onion, garlic, peppers, and half and half in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Spoon sauce over pasta, stir together, and garnish with basil leaves.

This book is a life saver when you have stuff in the fridge or pantry that you don't know what to do with!

Thou shalt not covet thy sister's cookbooks!

On my sister's cookbook shelf...

Hot Sour Salty Sweet. A terrific tour of Southeast Asia's cuisine. Well written directions, lovely photographs, brief histories of each region, and a glossary of ingredients and techniques.



My sister got it for Christmas several years ago from our mother- and I was the one who wanted it! I keep saying that I'll borrow it and try stuff from it....but I never get around to it. I'm watching her house while she's on vacation, so I'll take time to study the book and copy down a few recipes.

Too much zucchini!

My mom's garden is producing a good crop of squash. I've picked enough zucchini and patty pan squash to make casseroles several times.

I don't have a real recipe. I just sort of throw everything together:

Two cups of assorted squash, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheese (Swiss or a mild cheddar)
1 cup breadcrumbs or crushed crackers (I use Panko breadcrumbs)

Salt and pepper to taste

Stir first four ingredients together in a baking dish. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Sprinkle top with cheese, then add breadcrumbs. Bake until crumbs are nicely browned.

Another older recipe...

A recipe I found in The Washington Post a few years ago. It's a Peruvian dish, and it's delicious! Recipes from Peru often have a blend of native, Spanish, and Asian flavors, as in this dish.

Lomo Saltado

Stir-fry of beef with onions and tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce

1¼ pounds beef tenderloin, cut into thin strips (1/2 -by 1/2- by 2-inch)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium red onion, sliced
3 tomatoes, seeds removed and sliced into wedges
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Makes 4 servings.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, cumin, 1 teaspoon vinegar or lime juice and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Add meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and toss meat to cover with liquid. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.

When meat is ready, heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a wok or frying pan until smoking. Oil must be very hot. Add beef strips and stir-fry until meat is browned on all sides, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn meat constantly and cook in batches, if necessary, to avoid steaming meat.

Add onion and stir-fry until slightly transparent but still firm, about 1 to 2 minutes. Toss in tomatoes and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Stir-fry just to combine ingredients, taking care not to overcook tomatoes. Tomatoes should be slightly firm and just heated.

Sprinkle cilantro over mixture and toss lightly to distribute evenly. Remove immediately from heat to prevent overcooking.

Serve with rice. I like Goya's Spanish-style yellow rice, but plain white rice is fine, too.

I also make a vegetarian version- I substitute Japanese eggplant and tofu for the beef. I slice the eggplant lengthwise and stir-fry it with the onions, adding the tofu just before the tomatoes.