2 envelopes active dry yeast (2 1/4 t; easpoons each) -or-
2 cakes compressed yeast (0.6 ounces; each)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoon salt, plus salt for the egg glaze
4 cup bread or all-purpose flour, or more; as needed (up to 5)
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter (optional)
1. Dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 3 tablespoons water in a large mixing bowl. When the mixture is foamy (5 to 10 minutes), stir in the remaining water and sugar, the oil, and all but 1 tablespoon of the beaten eggs. Beat the remaining 1 tablespoon egg with a pinch of salt to make an egg glaze. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Stir the 2 teaspoons salt and the flour, 1 cup at a time, into the liquid ingredients, to obtain a dough that is stiff enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl, but soft enough to knead. The dough can also be mixed and kneaded in a mixer fitted with a dough hook or in a food processor fitted with the dough blade.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes, adding flour as necessary, to obtain a soft dough that is pliable but not sticky. It will be a little moister than regular bread dough.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough.
5. Form the rolls: Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each on the work surface with the palm of your hand to form a tube 5 inches long with tapered ends. Transfer the rolls to lightly greased baking sheets, leaving 3 inches between each.
6. Cover the rolls with a dampened cotton dish towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. (The rolls can be allowed to rise at a lower temperature - even in the refrigerator - but the rising time will be 3 to 4 hours.)
7. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
8. Brush the rolls with the reserved egg glaze and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake the rolls until golden brown and hollow sounding when lightly tapped, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the rolls from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Brush the tops with melted butter, if using. Serve warm or cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Recipe From: Miami Spice by Steven Raichlen.
Paneer (Indian Cheese)
8 cup whole or lowfat milk; not skim
4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or
3 tablespoon cider vinegar mixed with 3 t. water or
1 cup plain yogurt
Bring the 8 cups of milk (whole or low fat, skim doesn't work) to a boil in a deep heavy-bottomed 3-4 quart saucepan or casserole, stirring often to prevent sticking. Reduce heat and add _one_ of the above-listed starters: (lemon juice is the best 2- 3 T)
Stir gently until white curds form and separate from the greenish-yellow whey (about 10 seconds if using lemon juice or 30 seconds if using alternatives). Once the curds begin to form, the contents of the pan should be stirred very slowly & gently, as though stroking it, so that the freshly formed fragile curds do not disintegrate into small pieces. The curds should be in lumps. Immediately turn off the heat.
Pour the cheese and whey through a colander or large sieve, lined with a thin fabric or 4 layers of cheesecloth and placed in the kitchen sink. Save the whey if desired to use within 24 hours to make the next batch of cheese (use instead of other starters) or make rice (subbing for plain water) or soup or whatever.
Hold the colander or sieve under the tap & let cold water run, at medium flow, through the curds in the cheesecloth for 10 seconds - to wash away whatever remains of the smell of lemon juice, vinegar, or yogurt. Bring up the 4 corners of the cheesecloth & tie them together. Gently twist to extract as much water as possible. Hang the cheesecloth to drain for 1 1/2 hours. (The door handle on a kitchen cabinet directly over the sink or I just hang the bag from the sink faucet, as long as they can support the weight).
At this point the drained, crumbly cheese is called chenna. You can stop here & flavor the chenna to taste and use as a spread, dip, whatever you like. To make the cheese into cakes (paneer), set the cheese - still in the cheesecloth - on a clean flat surface and place a weight (such as a large pot filled with water, or a big plate covered with heavy cans) on it for 1/2 an hour. Remove the weight, take the compressed chesse out of the cheesecloth, and place it back on the flat surface. With a sharp knife cut the cheese into neat rectangles. Paneer keeps well in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Note: Even though exact amounts of starter are called for, sometimes the curd forms before all the starter has ben incorporated. If that happens, do NOT incorporate the full amount of starter, as that only hardens the curd. Alternatively, if you use the full amount & curds don't form, just keep adding a little more until the curds do form.
Recipe by: Julie Sahni, Classic Indian Cooking
Pan-Fried Catfish Fillets
3 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 cup orange juice
3 tablespoon minced ginger; or powdered ginger
4 catfish fillets, 6-7 oz each
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 cornstarch
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Combine soy sauce, 1/2 cup orange juice and ginger in a bowl, add the catfish, cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 6. Place remaining cup of orange juice in a saucepan, place over medium heat and cook, reducing the liquid by about 1/2. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Add the rind, cover, and keep warm. Drain the marinade and pat the fillets dry with a towel. Dust with cornstarch and shake off excess. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the catfish, 2 fillets at a time. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes, then turn and fry until done, another 3 to 4 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining 2 fillets. To serve, dress a warm platter with the sauce, arrange catfish on top and garnish with chopped parsley.
Pan-Fried Coleslaw
2 slice sweet hickory-smoked bacon
6 cup very thinly sliced green cabbage, (1 pound)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp; remove bacon from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet. Set bacon aside.
Cook cabbage in drippings over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add sugar, vinegar, water, salt, and celery seeds, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; crumble bacon, and stir into cabbage mixture. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup).
Per serving: 35 Calories; 1g Fat (28% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 2mg Cholesterol; 222mg Sodium
Serving Ideas : Serve warm.
Recipe by: Cooking Light, Jul/Aug 1995
Penuche
Penuche is a fudge-like candy made from brown sugar, butter, and milk,[1] using no flavorings except for vanilla. Penuche often has a tannish color to it and is lighter than regular fudge.[2] It is formed by the caramelization of brown sugar, and thus its flavor is said to be reminiscent of caramel. Nuts, especially pecans, are often added to penuche used for texture, especially in the making of penuche candies.[1] It is primarily a regional food, found in New England and some places in the Southern United States, though in the latter it goes by different names, usually "Brown Sugar Fudge Candy".
1 cup milk
3 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp.butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lb english walnut meats; chopped fine
Boil the milk with the brown sugar until it candies; just before it is done, add the butter and vanilla extract. Add the walnuts just before taking the candy from the fire. Stir the nuts in thoroughly, and pour the mixture into buttered tins. With a sharp knife divide at once into squares.
Recipe is from the 1890's.
