History. Broccoli resulted from breeding of landrace Brassica crops in the northern Mediterranean starting in about the sixth century BC. Broccoli has its origins in primitive cultivars grown in the Roman Empire and was most likely improved via artificial selection in the southern Italian Peninsula or in Sicily.
The history of the beloved beignet dates back to the 17th century. We can trace the consumption of fried dough back to the times of ancient Rome. Beignets are thought to have migrated with French settlers and were introduced to Louisiana when settlers made their home there.
Cafe Du Monde is the pioneer of the New Orleans’ Beignet. Established in 1862 as a coffee stand in the French Market, it now operates about ten different locations in Louisiana. Cafe Du Monde is open 24 hours, seven days a week.
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt, eggs, evaporated milk, and blend well. Mix in 4 cups of the flour and beat until smooth. Add the shortening, and then the remaining 3 cups of flour. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours.
Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares. Fry in 360 degree F (180 degrees C) hot oil. If beignets do not pop up, oil is not hot enough. Drain onto paper towels.
Shake confectioners' sugar on hot beignets. Serve warm.
Notes
We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking.
Although the general idea of a cream pie may be able to trace its roots back to Europe, the Coconut Cream Pie may actually be an American invention. In the 1800s, as Americans were enjoying tropical fruits such as bananas and pineapple, coconuts also became more accessible in the United States.
Combine sugar, flour, and salt in top of double boiler, add milk and egg yolks; mix well. Place over rapidly boiling water & cook 10 minutes stirring constantly, remove from boiling water and add 1 cup of coconut and vanilla.
Cool slightly, then turn into pie shell.
Beat egg whites until foamy. Add sugar 2 tbsp. at a time, beating after each addition until whites stand in peaks.
Spoon your meringue on top and spread out to the edges of the crust. Then, use a knife or spatula to form peaks on pie. Add a small amt of coconut on top and bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) 10 minutes, until browned.
Take out of oven and let cool completely then refrigerate.
According to Food52, apple pie originated in England. It arose from culinary influences from France, the Netherlands, and the Ottoman Empire as early as 1390—centuries before the Pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock. Eventually, apple pie was brought to the colonies by European settlers, where the dish quickly caught on.
Toss sliced apples with lemon juice and set aside.
In a saucepan or a pot combine cornstarch, sugar, browned sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium-high heat whisking constantly. Let it boil 2 minutes until thick, then stir in apple slices.
Reduce heat to low, cover the pot and let it simmer about 10 minutes. Apples should be soft but not mushy (cooking time depend on sort of apples). Remove apples from heat and leave them covered to soften and cooled.
When it’s cooled take out the apples from the sauce and chop into small pieces, set aside.
Assembly
Preheat the oven to 350 F, line cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
Spread the caramel sauce onto one pie crust.
Spread chopped apple pie filling over caramel and gently tap the filling with your palms.
Cut second pie crust into 1/2 inch strips and create a lattice top over the filling.
Using round cookie cutter (about 2.5 inch) cut out the cookies and place them onto baking sheet.
Beat the egg with a fork and brush the top of cookies.
Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle the cookies generously.
Many sources say the first meatball was made in ancient Persia, but this is debated by food scholars. Nevertheless, these meatballs, called kofta, caught on and inspired new recipes as the Persians traded with neighboring countries and exchanged goods and knowledge.
Preheat oven to 400°. Prepare and bake muffin mix according to package directions. Cool completely and crumble; transfer to a large bowl.
Add 1 envelope taco seasoning, eggs, 1-1/2 cups enchilada sauce and meat; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape meat mixture into 1-1/2-in. balls; bake on greased racks in 15x10x1-in. baking pans lined with foil until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes.
Place meatballs in a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Combine remaining enchilada sauce, salsa, chiles, 1/2 cup cheese and remaining envelope taco seasoning; pour over meatballs. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cook, covered, on low until meatballs are cooked through, about 3 hours.
Notes
Tips
Serve enchilada meatballs with tortilla chip scoops to capture all the rich flavor. The chips and meatballs together taste like mini tacos.
Set these out on the buffet with traditional taco toppings, including shredded lettuce, diced tomato and cheddar cheese.
Cherry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake – A can of pie filling and a few tubes of crescent rolls help me assemble this sweet treat. It’s the perfect addition to hot cups of coffee and good conversation.
The origin of the croissant can actually be traced back to 13th century Austria, where it was called the kipferl, the German word for crescent. However it was an Austrian artillery officer August Zang who founded a Viennese bakery at 92, rue du richelieu in Paris.
A can of pie filling and a few tubes of crescent rolls help me assemble this sweet treat. It's the perfect addition to hot cups of coffee and good conversation.
Unroll the crescent dough. Separate into 16 triangles, and set 4 aside for decoration.
On a baking sheet, arrange the 12 triangles into a circle so that the longer points are in the center but do not meet.
Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 14-inch circle, pressing the seams together and leaving a 3-inch hole in the center.
For the filling, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla in a medium bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy.
Spread filling over dough. Leave about 1/2 inch uncovered at both edges of the dough.
Use a pizza cutter to cut those 4 triangles you set aside earlier into thirds. Start at the wider end, as it’s easier to judge where your triangle should be cut. Arrange the strips evenly over the filling and press the ends to seal at the center and outer edges.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it’s golden brown.
Prepare the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar and milk together. Then drizzle the glaze over the top!
Cheesy Doritos Chicken Casserole – If you are looking for a quick and delicious Mexican casserole dish, this Dorito chicken casserole is the perfect meal for you.
The first version of a Mexican casserole seems to have been the muk-bil (literally, “to put in the ground”). Made by the Mayans on the Yucatan Peninsula since pre-Hispanic times, it is the King Kong of tamales. Truly gigantic.
The corn dough wraps around a filling of turkey (after the Spanish arrived, chicken and pork were used as well) rubbed with a pungent paste seasoned with achiote (annatto) seeds, spices and tomatoes. It resembles the flavors of cochinita pibil, a robust Yucatan dish.
What many folks don’t know is that lemon meringue pie is actually a Philadelphia invention born out of the Victorian-era, courtesy of Mrs. Elizabeth Goodfellow, a 19th century pastry shop proprietress who ran America’s first cooking school. This classic pie of contrasting sweet-tart layers evolved from one of Mrs. Goodfellow’s signature desserts, a rich lemon pudding. At some point she cleverly thought to top her famous pudding with fluffy meringue. Although there are recipes for decorating cakes, tarts, and custards with sweetened and flavored egg whites starting in the 1600s, adding meringue to a pudding (pie) doesn’t appear until the nineteenth century.
Whisk egg yolks in medium size mixing bowl and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar and salt. Stir constantly over medium low heat until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and reduce the heat to low.
Pour half of this mixture into the egg yolk mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Now, pour the "hot" egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.
Return to the stove and cook for an additional 3 minutes stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and lemon zest. Finally whisk in butter one tbsp at a time. Stir occasionally until cool. (Setting in the bowl and placing in a larger bowl of ice will speed this up.).
Crust
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour (or use nonstick cooking spray) a mini-muffin pan. Set aside.
Roll the dough or pie crust out on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Using a round cookie or biscuit cutter (approximately 3 inches diamater) cut at least 24 rounds out ( or 12 rounds of each pie crust, if using store bought)
Carefully press each round into the mini-muffin pan. Use your fingers to round the ends into a pie crust.
Brush egg wash from one egg to the top edges of each pie.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden around the edges.
Remove from oven and let the crust cool. Once cooled, use the tip of a knife to loosen the crusts from the mini muffin cups, but keep them in the pan.
Spoon the lemon filling into each baked and cooled mini pie crust almost up to the top.
Meringue
In a large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the cream of tarter and salt and gradually beat in sugar until glossy, about another 10 minutes. Fill a pastry bag with the meringue and top filled mini pies.
When ready to serve, preheat the broiler to high. Place mini-muffin pan under the broiler until the meringue is evenly toasted, about 2 minutes, or brown the merinque with a kitchen blow torch.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers are a lighter option. All the flavors of the cheese steak and no bread! This easy-to-make recipe is a family favorite.
Stuffed peppers in American cuisine is a dish where bell peppers (often the green, yellow, orange, and red varieties) are typically filled with a stuffing such as ground beef, mixed with bread crumbs or cooked rice, eggs, herbs, and spices (especially paprika and parsley) and cheese. Recipes vary but often include hollowing out the peppers, boiling them, stuffing them, covering them with cheese, and baking or alternatively cooking them on the stove top at a slow simmer in canned tomato sauce until the peppers are soft. A sauce may be served with them, often a tomato sauce, but this, too, varies greatly.
Philly cheese steak-stuffed bell peppers are a lighter option. All the flavors of the cheese steak and no bread! This easy-to-make recipe is a family favorite.
Place peppers in a large baking dish and bake until tender, 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add onions and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, 6 minutes. Add steak and season with more salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning.
Add provolone to bottom of baked peppers and top with steak mixture. Top with another piece of provolone and broil until golden, 3 minutes.
Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies – This cookie gets high fives from adults and kids alike and the best part? You use a box of Devil’s Food Cake mix in the batter so not only does it taste awesome but the recipe is super easy too.
Lawrence, a dairyman in Chester, New York, was the first to mass produce an unripened fresh cheese known generically as cream cheese. In 1872, he began manufacturing Neufchâtel cheese. By adding cream to the process, he developed a richer cheese that he called “cream cheese”.
This cookie gets high fives from adults and kids alike and the best part? You use a box of Devil’s Food Cake mix in the batter so not only does it taste awesome but the recipe is super easy too.
