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Popovers          

                     3 large eggs, room temperature

                     1 1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature

                     1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

                     1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

                     Vegetable-oil nonstick cooking spray

   Directions       

If eggs and milk are cold, before combining, submerge whole eggs in warm water 10 minutes and heat milk until just warm. Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a nonstick popover pan on rack in lowest position.          

After you have combined eggs and milk in a large bowl, whisk together until very frothy. This should only take about 1 minute. Have the flour and salt measured out and ready to go.          

Add flour and salt to egg mixture whisking by hand produces the most tender, airy popovers.          

Whisk flour and salt into egg mixture just until batter is the consistency of heavy cream with some small lumps remaining. See those air bubbles? They are what will cause the popovers to rise.         

Remove popover pan from oven and coat with cooking spray. If you prefer a standard muffin tin, only coat (and fill) the outer cups; they get better circulation in the oven. (Also, reduce baking time by 5 minutes.)          

Fill popover cups about three-quarters full with batter. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to bake until golden brown and dry to the touch, about 20 minutes more.         

 Turn them out on a wire rack immediately and poke a small opening in the side of each with a paring knife to let the steam escape. Serve right away. 

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BAKLAVA

For the filling:

 2 teaspoons ground

 1 teaspoon allspice

 16 ounce nuts

 2/3 cup sugar

 1/4 cup water

 1 pound phyllo dough, thawed

 8 ounces clarified unsalted butter, melted

For the syrup:

 1 1/4 cups honey

 1 1/4 cups water

 1 1/4 cups sugar

 3 cinnamon stick

 1 (2-inch) piece fresh orange peel

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F

2.Place the Nuts, sugar and ground spices into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pasty or powdery, approximately 15 quick pulses. Set aside.

13 by 9 by 2-inch glass or metal pan. Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with butter; lay down a sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. Repeat this step 9 more times for a total of 10 sheets of phyllo. Top with 1/2 of the nut mixture Layer 8 more sheets of phyllo with butter in between each of them, followed by the rest of the nuts Repeat with another 10 sheets of phyllo if you have more add them, butter, brushing with butter in between each sheet. Brush the top generously with butter. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cut into 28 squares. Return pan to the oven and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for 2 hours before adding the syrup.

Make the syrup during the last 30 minutes of cooling. Combine the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon stick and orange peel in a 4-quart saucepan and set over med high heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Once boiling, boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon sticks.

After the baklava has cooled for 2 hours, re-cut the entire pan following the same lines as before. Pour the hot syrup evenly over the top of the baklava, allowing it to run into the cuts and around the edges of the pan. Allow the pan to sit, uncovered until completely cool. store at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to overnight before serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days I do put them in the fridge after eating the first few .

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Kolaches adapted from recipes found inon internet

Ingredients:

1 package of active dry yeast

1 cup of warm milk

1/4 cup sugar

3 cups of all-purpose flour

2 eggs

3/4 cup of melted butter

1 teaspoon of salt

Method: In a large bowl, combine yeast, warm milk, sugar and one cup of flour. Cover and let it rise until doubled in size.

Beat together eggs, 1/2 cup of melted butter (reserve 1/4 cup for brushing on the pastry) and salt.

Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and blend.

Stir in about two more cups of flour, 1/2 cup at a time.

The dough should be soft and moist. Knead dough for about 10 minutes on floured surface. Don't worry, it’s a joy to knead as the dough is smooth and highly malleable.

Put dough in a greased bowl and let rise covered until doubled in size—about an hour. After dough has risen, punch it down and you can put it in the ref ridge overnight just take it out about 1/2 before you are ready to start

roll out and whole for smokies and cut in to even rectangles

pull off egg-sized pieces. In your hands, roll pieces into balls and then flatten to about three inches in diameter. Brush with melted butter.

Place flattened pieces on a greased cookie sheet, cover and let rise again for another half-hour. After second rising, with your finger gently make an indention in the center of the dough (be careful not to flatten it too much) and fill with one tablespoon of fruit filling (recipe to follow) and sprinkle with posypka (recipe to follow).

Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter when you take them out of the oven and serve warm. 

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Almond Pie Crust

Makes 36 nutty fragrant shortbread shells that freeze beautifully; the toasted almonds add a depth to the shortbread that is unexpected and addictive.

Ingredients 

1 ¾ c all-purpose flour 

¾ c confectioners' sugar 

1/3 c cornstarch 

¼ t salt 

1/3 c blanched whole almonds , toasted and ground fine 

1 c cold unsalted butter , cut into bits 

1 t almond extract 

Instructions 

Butter 36 mini-muffin cups 

Sift together flour, icing sugar, cornstarch, and salt into bowl of food processor; pulse mixture with almonds until well combined 

Add butter and almond extract; blend until a dough begins to form (about 1 minute) 

Preheat oven to 350°F 

Press dough lightly into mini muffin cups; bake 12-15 minutes in middle of oven until pale golden 

Cool 5 minutes, and then gently loosen sides of shells with a thin knife to carefully remove from cups as shells will be very fragile 

Freeze, layered, in air tight container until ready to use 

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Shell

Makes 20 manicotti                                                                                                                                                                        1 1/2 C flour

  1 1/2 C water

  6 eggs

   1 t salt

  + margarine or cooking spray

FILLING

1 1/2 lbs ricotta

1 1/2 lbs mozzarella

  1/2 C grated pecorino Romano

    3/4 t parsley

 Sauce                                                                               

2 T olive oil                                                        

1 lb pork sausage, sliced on a bias into 1/2” pieces                                    

2 cloves garlic, chopped                                                        

1/2 C tomato paste (1 4-oz can)                                                        

2 28-oz cans whole peeled tomatoes                                                        

1 lb pork ribs   OR PORKCHOPS                                               

 + salt          

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Pot Stickers Simple Sauce

Dipping Sauce

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:

1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoon  sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar