Serves 8 to 10 • ½ lb. pot cheese • 3 oz. cream cheese • 3 Tbs. butter • 1 to 1½ tsp. French mustard, to taste • 2 Tbs. beer • 1 Tbs. minced capers • 5 Tbs. finely minced onion • 1½ tsp. paprika • cayenne pepper to taste • ¼ to ½ tsp. ground cumin or caraway seeds, to...
Bibbelkäse (spiced white cheese)
It makes a little more than 2 cups. • 2 cups small-curd cottage cheese • 6 Tbs. sour cream • 3 cloves garlic, minced or mashed to a pulp; 2½ Tbs. minced fresh parsley • minced chives (optional) • fresh-ground pepper to taste • salt to taste 1. Press the cottage cheese...
Italian fondue
For a really special meal, try this: Prepare an antipasto assortment of, for example, Marinated Mushrooms, Peperonata, Garbanzo Bean Salad, and Insalatone. Add some hot peperoncini and a few cured olives and serve everything at once with a good Italian white wine. For...
Egg croquettes
Serves 6 to 8 • 5 Tbs. butter • ¾ cup flour • 2 cups warm milk • 1 raw egg • 6 hard-boiled eggs, sieved or finely chopped • 5 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese • 5 Tbs. chopped parsley • 1½ tsp. salt • fresh-ground black pepper to taste • dash of nutmeg • dash of cayenne...
Corn and cheese pudding
Serves 4 to 6 • 2 eggs • 3 Tbs. flour • ½ cup cream • 1 cup milk • ½ tsp. salt • ¼ tsp. white pepper • 1 Tbs. sugar • 1½ cups fresh-scraped corn (about 3 ears) • 3 Tbs. butter, melted • 3 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, grated • ¼ cup finely chopped California green chilis...
Eggplant with cheese and walnuts
Serves 8 • 2½ lbs. firm eggplant • salt • 3 or 4 cloves garlic, sliced • ½ cup olive oil • 2 red onions, peeled, halved, and sliced • 3 cups peeled plum tomatoes (with all their juice) • ⅓ cup dry white wine • fresh-ground black pepper • 1⅓ cup walnut pieces • ½ lb....
Giant mushrooms stuffed with eggplant
Serves 4 • 8 very large, firm mushrooms (about 3 inches across) • 2 to 3 Tbs. butter • 1 medium-sized eggplant • 1 tsp. salt, and more to taste • 1 medium-sized red bell pepper • 2 Tbs. olive oil • ½ tsp. ground cumin • 1 tsp. paprika • 3 large cloves garlic, minced •...
French fried mushrooms
The mushrooms can be fried ahead of time and then reheated for about 10 minutes in a very hot oven, but the crusts will lose just a bit of their crispy pizzazz that way. Serves 6 • 1½ lbs. fresh, firm mushrooms • 1 cup dry bread or cracker crumbs • ⅓ cup minced fresh...
Potato kugel
A kugel is a puddinglike dish, best eaten hot or warm. Potato Kugel is generally a side dish, but it could be used as the basis of a light meal, with the addition of a soup or salad and some fruit. Serves 6 to 8 • 4 medium-sized potatoes (about 2 lbs.) • 1 large...
Red cabbage with apples
Serves 6 to 8 • 2 lbs. red cabbage, cored and shredded • 1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped • 1½ lbs. tart green apples (about 3 large), peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced • ½ cup butter • 1 tsp. salt • 2 Tbs. brown sugar • 2 Tbs. cider vinegar • ¼ tsp. ground...