Essays Archives - Williams Class of 1971

In the summer of 2023, Steve Brown proposed Wine Tasting 401 as a twice-a-year event leading up to our 55th Reunion. Long story short, we ended up with a lot of suggestions for barbecue food to go with the inaugural event. They have been collected here for those who were not on the original email chain to see.

Feel free to comment (waaaaay down at the bottom of the page), add new recipes, etc. Send your favorites to [email protected] and we’ll post them.

We have recipes for drinks, appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts, and more, along with an alphabetical index. Click on the recipe names in the list, and you’ll be taken to the recipe.

Happy cooking!

Table of Contents

Drinks

Mojitos (Bob Eyre)

Port Tonic (Steve Brown)

Appetizers

Comte and Sesame Twists (Jacques Pepin) (Bob Eyre)

Crabmeat Dip (Bob Eyre)

Grilled Octopus (Kent Rude)

Grilled Vegetable Dip (Bob Eyre)

Oysters (Steve Latham)

Salmon Mousse (Bob Eyre)

Entrees

Cheese and Spinach Souffle (Jacques Pepin) (Bob Eyre)

Crispy Sour Cream and Onion Chicken (NY Times Cooking) (Bob Eyre)

Grilled Octopus (Kent Rude)

Mackerel (Wally Schlech)

Marinated Flank Steak (John Untereker)

Meatballs (From Rao’s) (Bob Eyre)

Paella on the Grill (Steve Latham)

Pork Tenderloin

John Ackroff

Dave Olson

Ken Richardson

Speidi Marinade (Rob Farnham)

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf (Bob Eyre)

Swordfish Steaks and Vegetables (Steve Brown)

Sides

Fresh Corn (Paul Willis)

Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad (John Ackroff)

Roasted Beets with Chèvre (John Ackroff)

Desserts

Apple Crisp (Bob Eyre)

Blackberry-Vinegar Caramel Sauce (Bon Appetit) (John Ackroff)

Cape Breton Oat Cakes (From Cook’s Illustrated) (Bob Eyre)

Cranberry “Pie” (From Boston Symphony Cookbook) (Bob Eyre)

Cultured Butter Cookies (NY Times Cooking) (Bob Eyre)

Emilie’s Brownies (Bob Eyre)

Eyre Family Coffee Sponge Cake (Bob Eyre)

Hot Milk Cake in a Bundt Pan (Bob Eyre)

Lemon Posset (from Best American Recipes 2003 – 2004) (Bob Eyre)

Potato-Chip Pecan Sugar Cookies (Bob Eyre)

Spanish Almond Cake (Torta de Santiago) (Bob Eyre)

Swedish Apple (or Peach) Pie (Bob Eyre)

Swedish Nuts (Bob Eyre)

Other Recipes

BBQ Marinade (John Ackroff)

Lamb Marinade (Rod Brown)

Mustard Vinaigrette (Jacques Pepin) (Bob Eyre)

Old Milwaukee Rye Bread (John Ackroff)

Class of ’71 Recipes

Apple Crisp (Bob Eyre)

½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
¾ cup flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
dash of salt
apples (Mac and/or Cortland work well, as does a 50-50 mix)

Combine all ingredients except apples in Cuisinart.

Slice apples and spread out in casserole dish. The amount of apples depends on the size of the dish; it should be fairly full. A large dish will probably take 12 – 16 apples.

Cover with topping and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. It also freezes beautifully uncooked; thaw before baking.

This amount of topping will only cover a relatively small casserole. We tend to double it for a larger casserole.

An apple slicer makes quick work of coring and slicing the apples.

BBQ Marinade (John Ackroff)

¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne

Mix ingredients. Marinate meat in a plastic bag, refrigerated, 4 to 6 hours, turning occasionally. Or brush on burgers, chicken, whatever, before and/or after grilling.

other REcipe

Blackberry-Vinegar Caramel Sauce (Bon Appetit) (John Ackroff)

1 c sugar
1/4 c unseasoned rice vinegar
10 oz. fresh or frozen blackberries (about 2 cups)

Cook sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, without stirring, until it begins to turn golden brown around the edges. Stir to incorporate melted sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until all sugar is melted and caramel turns a deep amber color, 6–8 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and carefully add vinegar to caramel (mixture will bubble vigorously and seize), then add berries. Return pan to medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until seized caramel is melted and berries are softened, 6–8 minutes. Let cool.

Keeps well in the fridge. Spoon over ice cream, or whatever you want to.

Cape Breton Oat Cakes (From Cook’s Illustrated) (Bob Eyre)

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ tsp Kosher salt
¾ tsp baking powder
1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
10 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
2 TBSP hot water

Using a pencil and ruler, draw a 10×12 inch rectangle in the center of each of 2 large sheets of parchment paper, crisscrossing lines at corners.

Process flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder in food processor until fully blended, about 10 seconds. Add oats and pulse until oats are coarsely chopped, about 4 pulses. Add melted butter and hot water and pulse until most ingredients are evenly moistened, about 6 pulses. Transfer the mixture to a work surface and press and knead until all ingredients are evenly moistened. Gather into a 1-inch thick disk.

Place a piece of marked parchment over the disk and roll until about ½ inch thick and to conform to the edges of the marked rectangle. Slice off any excess at the edges to fill in any gaps in the rectangle of dough. Place the parchment on a baking tray and place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and slice into about 4 long strips and then crosswise to make about 20 cakes. Spread out onto the two parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 32-36 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through (middle shelves of oven).

Can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Cheese and Spinach Souffle (Jacques Pepin) (Bob Eyre)

I’ve never had this flop – very impressive for a company dish.

Serves 4

3 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. unsalted butter
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups cold milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 cups baby spinach leaves
1 ½ cups grated Gruyere (about 4 oz)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil

Melt 3 tbsp. of the butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the flour and stir with a whisk until well combined and sizzling, then whisk in the cold milk and bring to a boil, stirring and mixing with the whisk so the mixture doesn’t stick as it thickens. Boil for about 20 seconds, mixing continuously with the whisk. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and remove the pan from the heat.

Use the remaining 1 tsp. of butter to grease the bottom of a 3-4-cup gratin dish. Place the spinach in a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes, or until wilted. Add the spinach and cheese to the white sauce and mix with the whisk. Add the eggs and parsley and mix well. Pour the mixture into the gratin dish. This step can be done a couple of hours ahead and the dish kept in the refrigerator until cooking time. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the dish on a cookie sheet lined with foil and bake for about 40 minutes, until well puffed and brown. Serve immediately.

Comte and Sesame Twists (Jacques Pepin) (Bob Eyre)

I use Trader Joe’s all-butter puff pastry when available (often just around holidays). Can also find most times at Whole Foods, though it requires some rolling.

One 14 oz package all-butter puff pastry (if Trader Joe’s, don’t roll thinner)
1 ½ cups grated Comte cheese
2 TBSP sesame seeds
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Flaky sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

Transfer the puff pastry to a lightly floured surface and roll into a 20×10 inch rectangle. Sprinkle the Comte and sesame seeds on one long half of the dough rectangle, leaving a ¼ inch border around the edges. Fold the other half over the cheese-and-sesame filling. Cut the dough crosswise into 32 strips (each about 2/3 x 5 inches). (I use a pizza cutter to slice. It works better if the dough is cold).

Transfer the strips to the prepared baking sheets, brush lightly with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until deeply golden brown, 18-25 minutes. Serve warm or cool completely.

Freezes well.

Crabmeat Dip (Bob Eyre)

This is a wonderful (expensive) dip suitable for special occasions. I do not recommend using canned crab meat.

1 8 oz package cream cheese
4 TBSP sour cream
4 TBSP mayo
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp dry mustard
5 shakes cayenne
Heaping 1 TBSP horseradish
1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 lb. lump crab

Mix (in Cuisinart) all ingredients except cheese and crab. Fold crab into sauce. Put ½ into pie plate, then ½ cheese on top, then crab, then cheese. Back at 325 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling.

Cranberry “Pie” (From Boston Symphony Cookbook) (Bob Eyre)

This is a great recipe for Thanksgiving.

2 cups raw cranberries
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup flour
¾ cup melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp almond extract (can be omitted)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Combine the cranberries, nuts, and ½ cup sugar in a bowl and then place it in a buttered 10-inch pie plate. Beat the remaining ingredients into a smooth batter and spread it over the cranberry mixture. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the batter is crisp and golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Crispy Sour Cream and Onion Chicken (NY Times Cooking) (Bob Eyre)

This has wonderful flavor and keep the chicken very moist.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally and pounded 1/8 inch thick (I’ve used boneless thighs with no prep)
Kosher salt and black pepper
½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (I‘ve only done with sour cream)
¼ cup thinly sliced chives or 1 TBSP dried chives
2 TBSP onion powder
2 cups panko bread crumbs
Canola oil, for frying
1 lemon, cut in wedges

Pat chicken dry and season both sides with salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, chives and 1 TBSP of the onion powder. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for up to 8 hours, let come to room temperature before cooking.

In a shallow bowl or lipped plate, stir together the panko and remaining 1 TBSP onion powder.

Working one at a time, press the chicken pieces into the panko.

Heat 1/8 inch oil in a large skillet and cook chicken until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate.

John Ackroff suggests a variation: Toast the panko in oil or butter, press the chicken pieces in, then put them on a rack on a sheet pan and bake at 350°. The amount of time will depend on how thick they are. Watch the panko carefully while toasting; it takes a while to start, then goes quickly.

Cultured Butter Cookies (NY Times Cooking) (Bob Eyre)

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
2 sticks salted, cultured butter and room temperature (tastes almost as good with regular salted butter)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
¼ cup demerara sugar, for rolling

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk until combined. With mixer on low, add flour mixture until incorporated.

Divide dough into two balls. On a clean surface, roll each ball into a 1 ½ inch log. Sprinkle with demerara sugar over a sheet of parchment. Roll each log in the sugar until the outside of the dough is thoroughly coated. Cover logs tightly in a plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight.

When ready to cook, heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Use a large knife to cut each log into ¼ inch thick rounds. Depending on how thick you slice them, you’ll probably get 12 – 16 from each log. Place on baking sheet and cook until edges and bottoms begin to brown, 15-18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before removing.

(These rolls can be refrigerated or frozen until you want to cook them without any loss of flavor).

Emilie’s Brownies (Bob Eyre)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Butter a 9×9 pan
Melt together: 4 squares Bakers’ unsweetened chocolate (see note)
½ pound butter (2 sticks)

Mix in bowl: 2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
dash salt

Add 4 eggs
Add chocolate and butter to contents of bowl
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bake exactly 20 minutes.

These are very rich, so small ones are fine — you’ll easily get a couple of dozen.

Webmaster’s note: Baker’s has changed their packaging; use 4 ounces. Also, these will not look done at the end of 20 minutes, but have faith.

Eyre Family Coffee Sponge Cake (Bob Eyre)

This is a 100+ year old family recipe that can be a bit tricky to make, but definitely worth the effort.

Grease only the bottom of 2 9″ layer cake pans and flour
Bake at 350 for 20 min.

Cool 5 min. before removing from pans

Cake:

5 extra large or 6 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sifted flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. Coffee liquid (hot water plus about 2 heaping tsp. of instant coffee)

Beat yolks with sugar. Add coffee liquid. Mix flour and baking powder together in separate bowl. Beat egg whites until stiff in separate bowl. Alternately fold in flour and whites into yolks (very gently!) Bake in 2 layers (I have found that non-stick pans don’t allow the cake to rise as well)

Filling:

1/2 pint heavy cream (I add a little extra)
3 Tbsp. Confectioner’s sugar
2 tsp. or a bit more of instant coffee granules (or add about 2 tsp water with 2 or more heaping tsp instant coffee)

Beat cream with sugar and coffee granules mixed in until it is whipped.

Icing:

1 box Confect. Sugar (minus the 3 Tbsp. Above)
4 Tbsp. Melted butter
4 Tbsp. Hot water mixed with 2 Tbsp. Instant coffee

Mix all ingredients together. I add a few Tbsp. Heavy cream to smooth it out.

Once layers are completely cool, place filling between them, then spread icing over the sides and top.

Fresh Corn (Paul Willis)

Fresh Corn, Husked and then grilled; frequently turn bathing with oil and butter combo creating some char on the surface. (takes about 10 minutes). Once cooled slightly, slather with a combo of mayonnaise and sourcream (equal parts), chili powder, crushed garlic, lime zest mixed together
Top with cotija cheese, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. See a related recipe from the Spruce Eats

Grilled Octopus (Kent Rude)

Here is something new to me largely inspired by the presence of my son-in-law from Northern Spain…..grilled octopus! It must still be boiled first for 40-45 minutes sans head and beak, so essentially just arms. Let them cool to room temperature in EVOO and minced/crushed garlic. Throw on a hot grill until charred, 4-5 minutes per side. Put them in a light marinade of EVOO, garlic, lemon juice, parsley or cilantro, salt and pepper. (I like to add Trader Joe’s grind-it-yourself garlic salt and smoked paprika.) Serve as whole legs or if an app cut them into rings for easier consumption. As is or more lemon juice or cocktail sauce or spicy mayo. (Or in my 3 year old grand daughter’s case ketchup.)

Grilled Vegetable Dip (Bob Eyre)

I saw the recipe for grilled veggies and would add this variation for making a wonderful grilled vegetable dip. I use 4-5 red/yellow/orange peppers and 2 large Vidalia onions, sprinkled with olive oil and seasoned salt, grilled until lightly charred. These are great on their own, but I will then use the leftovers to grind in a Cuisinart with 8 oz. of cream cheese to make a great veggie dip to go with crackers or raw vegetables. I wouldn’t use summer squash or zucchini if you’re going to make dip, as they tend to water it down and dilute the flavor.

Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad (John Ackroff)

1 small red onion, sliced
3 large or 4 small 1-inch thick slices of watermelon (seedless makes it easier)
3 Tbsp EVOO
2 tsp sherry vinegar
salt to taste
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper or mild chili powder (to taste)

Place onion in a bowl; cover with water and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar. (If you don’t like raw onions, leave this out.)

Prepare a medium-hot grill. Brush the watermelon with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and grill, about 3 minutes per side until a bit charred.

Remove from heat, dice, and place watermelon and juice in a large salad bowl.

Add remaining ingredients, toss, and let sit for a few minutes (up to an hour) before serving. Toss again before serving.

Hot Milk Cake in a Bundt Pan (Bob Eyre)

I’ve made this recipe countless times and it always comes out well. The cake is like a very rich pound cake, freezes very well.

Hot Milk Cake in a Bundt Pan

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
10 TBSP unsalted butter
5 eggs
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Confectioner’s sugar (for sprinkling_

Set oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch Bundt pan very thoroughly. Dust it with flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and butter over medium heat just until the butter melts and the mixture is hot (150 degrees on a food thermometer).

In an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is thick and light colored. Mix in the vanilla. On low speed, blend in the flour, Slowly add the hot milk mixture just until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and transfer to the hot oven. Bake the cake 45-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake’s center comes out clean

Let the cake cool slightly in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle the cake with confectioner’s sugar. Cut into thick slices for serving.

(If you use extra-large eggs, as I did, it’s a bit more moist and takes longer to cook. I turn the oven down to 300 degrees after 45 minutes, then give it about another 20 minutes.)

Lamb Marinade (Rod Brown)

Enough for 1 pound of lamb kebabs; also works for fish.

Version I:

2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Marinate meat refrigerated and covered for 2 – 3 hours. Turn frequently.

Version II:

1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1 small pressed garlic clove
2 to 3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind

Toss the meat in this mixture, coating it thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Version III:

1/4 c pineapple juice
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
1 minced clove garlic

Marinate the meat covered for 2 hours. Turn it frequently.

Lemon Posset (from Best American Recipes 2003 – 2004) (Bob Eyre)

This recipe literally takes 5 minutes to make and is wonderful, especially as a sauce over cut fresh fruit. It is also excellent on its own. Serve in a cut glass dish and garnished with backberries or raspberries. Can also substitute lime for the lemon.

2 cups heavy cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
Juice of 2 lemons

Bring the cream and sugar to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes. (I let the mixture boil for 3 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Pour the cream into small cups or glasses (or use a larger bowl), cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until set, about 4 hours.

Mackerel (Wally Schlech)

In the summer, I use my Big Green Egg as a smoker. The mackerel are running in the Bay so I catch a dozen, split them, then soak them in a brine consisting of rum, salt, brown and white sugar , and crushed bay leaves for 6-8 hours before smoking for 2-4 hrs. Then I pick the flesh, mix with lime juice , mayo , and sriracha for a smoked mackerel spread!
Delish!

Marinated Flank Steak (John Untereker)

Start with a 11/2-2# flank steak and score the meat, both sides;
he marinade consists of 1/3 cup each of canola or light olive oil, light soy sauce and sherry wine vinegar. Add 1/2 tbs dried ginger, dried mustard and Montreal steak seasoning. Emulsify these ingredients;
Place the meat and marinade in a plastic baggie and refrigerate overnight ideally or at a minimum of 2 hours;
Remove meat and pat dry, grill over high heat to your desired doneness, for us it’s medium rare;
Let meat rest uncovered for 15 minutes;
Carve in thin slices at 45 degree angle.
The steak is great with sautéed onions cooked with butter and slap ya mama seasoning, also grill roasted corn on the cob and a green salad.

Meatballs (From Rao’s) (Bob Eyre)

Makes about 28 meatballs

Most supermarkets have readily available beef/veal/pork combo, which is what I use.

1 lb. lean ground beef
8 oz ground veal
8 oz ground pork
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 ½ TBSP chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ small clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fresh bread crumbs ( make my own with thin-sliced Pepperidge Farm white bread, baked until dry at 250 degrees and then ground in Cuisinart. It takes a lot of bread to make 2 cups)
2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup olive oil for cooking

Combine meats in a large bowl. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, blend the ingredients together. Mix the bread crumbs into the meat mixture, then slowly add water, 1 cup at a time until the mixture is very moist. Shape into 2 ½ to 3 inch balls (I do smaller).

Fry the meatballs in batches and cook until brown. Drain on paper towel.

I often double or triple the recipe and freeze the cooked meatballs, to add to sauce at a later date. These always draw raves.

Mojitos (Bob Eyre):

One of my favorite summer drinks is a Mojito, but I make it differently than you might get in a restaurant. For two drinks: I use about 30 large mint leaves, grind them with a mortar and pestle, juice two limes and add the juice to the mint and grind it again. I then dump the juice and mint plug into a fine strainer and squeeze all the juice and oil from the mint by hand into a glass until no more juice comes out. I then add 2 oz. of simple syrup and 4-6 oz. of light rum to the glass, divide it in half, fill the glasses with ice and fill to the top with seltzer. I typically use about a 12 oz. Glass. It will come out a pale green from all the mint, but the flavor is great.

Mustard Vinaigrette (Jacques Pepin) (Bob Eyre)

An excellent and easy salad dressing to make.

1 cup oil – ½ olive and ½ canola
2 tbsp. tarragon red wine vinegar (I have substituted fig balsamic vinegar with great results)
1 ½ tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Dressing does not emulsify, so shake dressing before placing on salad.

Old Milwaukee Rye Bread (John Ackroff)

(Based on a recipe of the same name in Baking with the St. Paul Bread Club.)
Makes two 9×5 loaves.

Sponge

1¾ tsp SAF yeast (or 1 package active dry yeast)
1½ c warm water (around 105⁰)
2 c rye flour (280 g King Arthur Medium Rye)
1 Tbsp caraway seeds

Dough

1 c all-purpose flour (130 g)
1 c rye flour (140 g)
1¾ tsp SAF yeast (or 1 package active dry yeast)
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp caraway seeds
6 Tbsp King Arthur Rye Flavor Enhancer
1 c water
Scant ¼ c molasses (I use 65 g)
3 Tbsp shortening, melted (35 g)

Two to three days before baking, mix yeast and warm water in a nonmetal mixing bowl, stirring until dissolved. With a wooden spoon, mix in rye flour and caraway seeds. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a towel, and set aside in a warm spot. The longer the sponge works, the more bite the bread will have. Stir twice a day.

On the third day, in a large bowl or a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients and mix well. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat water, molasses, and shortening until warm (again, about 105⁰). Shortening probably won’t melt completely, which is OK. Add to flour mixture, stirring well. Melt some more shortening in the pan before you wash it – you’ll need it once the dough is ready to rise.

Stir down the sponge, and add to the flour mixture, beating well to blend. Using a dough hook, beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Gradually add up to 2 cups more flour to make a workable dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (I usually need a bit more to get something that’s not too sticky.)

At this point, you can hand-knead it on a lightly-floured surface for about 10 minutes, or give it another 5 minutes with the dough hook.

Place dough in a warm bowl with the melted shortening, turning to coat the surface. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (I turn on the oven for 50 – 60 sec and use that for rising.)

Punch the dough down and divide in half. Form each half into a loaf, and place in a greased 9×5 baking pan. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. Make a few 1/4” slashes with a sharp knife, preheat the oven to 375⁰, and let the breads rise 15 minutes more.

Bake about 35 minutes. They should be 205 – 210⁰ in the center. Let cool on a wire rack.

other REcipe

Oysters (Steve Latham)

Wally’s smoked mackerel reminded me of a really simple way to enjoy oysters. If you haven’t mastered the art of opening them (as I haven’t), next time you’re heating up the grill for Johnny U’s marinated flank steak, put a dozen oysters on a hot grill for 3-4 minutes until they open. A little melted tarragon butter spooned on the top and you have a nice appetizer as well as all your fingers.

Paella on the Grill (Steve Latham)

My contribution to this BBQ-Fest is Paella, which sounds complicated, but which is quite simple once you’ve tried it once or twice. It’s really a social/cultural event, so I don’t think giving you a single paella recipe makes any sense. If you like to entertain and cook and want to be able to spend time (and cook with) with your guests, rather than being stuck in the kitchen, there’s no better meal. I’m sure there are hundreds of paella recipes out there, but I recommend that you buy a small cookbook by Jeff Koehler called “La Paella” which has everything you need to know, clearly explained.

Paella is incredibly versatile – you can make fish, vegetable, chicken or meat versions, or combine elements to suit you. My favorite involves shellfish; some firm whitefish or scallops; chicken; chorizo; spareribs; and flat beans such as Roma’s. The broth used to cook the rice and other ingredients can be anything from water to a flavorful stock to match the ingredients in your paella.

You’ll need a paella pan, probably 20” + for 6-8 people and a grill large enough for the base of the pan. Maintaining a consistent heat is also important. You’ll also need special paella rice and of course, all the ingredients for whatever paella you’re making.

The beauty of paella on the grill is that all the prep is done before the guests arrive. All the ingredients are moved out to the grill area when it’s time to cook. Once you have made the sofrito on the grill (a mixture of garlic, peppers and tomatoes cooked in oil), added the rice and stock, it’s simply a matter of adding the other ingredients based on the length of time they need to cook (scallops and fish would be added last; chicken and meat sooner).

From the time the grill is hot and you start the sofrito until the paella is done is maybe 35 minutes. The rice isn’t stirred, so basically you and your guests watch it cook, take turns adding the ingredients and making sure everyone’s glass is full. When the paella is done, you bring it right to the table (on a hot pad!) and serve from the pan. The perfect paella has a thin layer of slightly caramelized rice on the bottom (called socarrat) which some would think is just burned. It’s the best part.

Try a small paella for a couple of friends some time (on maybe a 14”pan) and then wow a larger group for a great social event.

PS – Cleaning paella pans is a pain. They’re iron and while not heavy, they will need to be soaked, scrubbed and then dried so they don’t rust. It’s worth it.

Pork Tenderloin

John Ackroff

For two pork tenderloins at about 1 pound each:

Marinade:
1/2 c orange juice
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp minced garlic

Put in a bag with meat, refrigerate 1 – 2 hours. Roll them around every now and then.
Dry them off, and apply rub:

2 tsp chili powder (I use a mix of hot and medium)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Let stand at room temperature 20 – 30 minutes; grill over indirect medium heat to 155, 25 – 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Dave Olson

Marinated in juice or three lemons which had been zested and finely chopped with salt and pepper and EVOO for 3 hours. Bring up to room temp for at least an hour. Grill over medium hot fire.
While grilling strain marinate and add 1/2 cup white wine or vermouth and heat on stove. Add two large scoops of Dijon mustard and reduce to make sauce. Add some cilantro to sauce as it thickens
Added carrots cut in odd shapes and parboiled in chicken stock and honey until tender drain and add butter and fresh dill.

Ken Richardson

Meat 1.5 to 3 lbs. pork tenderloin

Marinade:
1 part each blueberry jelly or similar , French mustard , soy sauce

Spice meat with sage thyme rosemary. Salt and pepper
Apply marinade
Grill covered about about 13 to 15 minutes per pound
Turn about every 7 to ten minutes

Let the internal temp get to about 150
Extra marinade makes a nice sauce
Let stand a few minutes if possible. Enjoy

Port Tonic (Steve Brown)

Sue and I will recommend a Port Tonic which we just discovered on trip to Portugal in late April- early May of 2023:

Fill tall (or highball) glass with ice
Pour White Port ( yes, White Port) from ¼ to ½ of glass depending on taste
Fill rest of glass of glass with regular or sugarless tonic
Finish with ½ slice of orange and lemon.
Stir and enjoy

Potato-Chip Pecan Sugar Cookies (Bob Eyre)

Makes about 2 dozen

16 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus more for brushing
½ cup sugar, plus more for topping
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp kosher salt
2 cups flour
½ cup finely chopped pecans
½ cup crushed plain potato chips

Heat oven to 350. Using a hand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and salt until smooth. Fold in flour, pecans, and potato chips until just combined.

Working in batches, shape dough into 1 “ balls and transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 “ apart. Brush the bottom of a heavy glass with butter and dip in sugar. Press glass onto each dough ball and flatten into a 3” circle. Bake until cookies are golden brown at edges – 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

My helpful hints: I cheat and use almost a full cup each of chips and pecans. Makes the dough a bit harder to work with, but it’s worth it. If using very salty chips, I reduce the added salt to ½ tsp. Rolling the dough in your hand to make the ball makes it easier to work with, as it softens the dough a bit. I use the bottom of a pyrex dish to flatten the dough. Important to brush the bottom of the dish each time with melted butter and dip in sugar. Even doing that, they often stick and I use a fine sharp knife to peel it off the bottom. Can then reshape cookie by hand if need be. Don’t try to fit more than 8 on a tray at a time. The original recipe calls for drizzling semisweet chocolate over the cookie once cooled – I haven’t done that and don’t know that you need more added flavor.

Roasted Beets with Chèvre (John Ackroff)

Beets
Chèvre (about 1/4 to 1/3 as much, by volume, as beets)
Thyme
EVOO
(White wine) vinegar

Peel beets and slice into 1/4″ discs. Oil them up, and put them on the grill, turning half-way through so they’re al dente. They’ll take 15 – 20 minutes depending on how hot your grill is and how thick you slice them. A basket will help to prevent some slices from making the ultimate sacrifice when you flip them, but is not strictly necessary.

Dice them, and toss with crumbled chèvre. Sprinkle on some thyme, oil, and vinegar, and toss some more. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Salmon Mousse (Bob Eyre)

1 ½ envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 slice small onion
½ cup boiling water (use water left after boiling salmon)
½ cup mayo
½ tsp. paprika
Pinch of salt
¼ cup or more of fresh dill
1 lb salmon (cooked in boiling water in fry pan)
1 cup heavy cream

In blender at high speed for 40 seconds, mix: gelatin (that has been mixed with the boiling water), lemon juice, mayo, paprika, dill and cooked salmon. Add 1/3 of cream and blend for a few seconds. Add 1/3 more cream, blend for a few seconds, then last 1/3. Blend. Pour into 4 cup oiled mold and chill. (I spray our mold with PAM.)

Spanish Almond Cake (Torta de Santiago) (Bob Eyre)

Makes 8 servings

Be sure to fully bake the cake; rather than using a skewer or toothpick to test the center for doneness, check the browning and crust development. The cake is ready when the surface is deeply browned and the crust feels firm when gently pressed with a finger.

1 cup plus 2 TBSP white sugar
3 large eggs, plus 3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. almond extract
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cups blanched almond flour (try to get this rather than the flour that still has the brown outside covering)
3 TBSP turbinado or demerara sugar
1/3 cup sliced almonds, chopped

Heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle position. Mist the bottom and sides of a 9-inch-round cake pan with cooking spray, line the bottom with a round of parchment paper, and mist the parchment.

In a large bowl, combine the white sugar, whole eggs and egg whites, salt and both extracts. Whisk vigorously until well combined, 30-45 seconds; the mixture will be slightly frothy and the sugar will not be fully dissolved. Add the almond flour and whisk until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle evenly with the turbinado sugar and chopped almonds. Bake until deeply browned and the crust feels firm when gently pressed, 45-55 minutes (I generally do it for 50). Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Run a knife around the edges of the cake, then invert onto a plate. Remove the pan and parchment, then reinvert the cake onto a serving plate. Let cool completely before serving.

Speidi Marinade (Rob Farnham)

A favorite of Binghamtonians, NY: (good for chicken, lamb, beef or pork and served on a hoagie or piece of Italian bread… hot dog style)
3-4 lbs of meat cubed
1-2 bay leaves
2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp oregano
2tsp sweet basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (Lawry’s)
1 onion
2-3 garlic cloves

Blend all ingredients in blender. Marinate overnight. Grill on skewers or wire mesh grilling utensil. Use marinade to brush the cubes. Enjoy with a good VT craft beer.

Swedish Apple (or Peach) Pie (Bob Eyre)

Cut peeled and cored apples (Macs or Cortlands work well for this) into slices and fill a pie plate about 2/3 full with slices. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon and sugar

Top: mix together:

1 egg
¾ cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
salt

Pour this over apples

Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. If using peaches, it may take closer to an hour.

Swedish Nuts (Bob Eyre)

1 stick of unsalted butter
2 lbs. pecans
2 eggs whites
1 cup of sugar
dash of salt

Melt butter in large sheet pan. Add pecans and coat with butter. Put in oven at 325 degrees for about 5 minutes, stirring often to coat pecans. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then slowly beat in sugar and salt, beating constantly. Don’t overbeat, as they don’t coat the nuts as well.

Combine egg mixture and nuts in the same pan to coat pecans. Bake in 325 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once cooled, store in airtight container.

This recipe can easily be doubled.

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf (Bob Eyre)

1 lb. ground beef
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup rolled Ritz crackers
1 small onion, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 raw egg, beaten
Salt and pepper

Mix tomato and brown sugar and divide in half. Into one half place egg and other ingredients. Shape into a loaf and place in loaf pan. Cover loaf with remaining sauce.

Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

Swordfish Steaks and Vegetables (Steve Brown)

Marinate in Ken’s Italian dressing for 30-45 minutes (no longer because fish will lose firmness); cut-up veggies of your choice and marinate in balsamic dressing for couple of hours. Grill at 425 degrees or so and cook veggies in basket for 25 minutes or to your taste , mixing every 5 minutes or so, and cooking swordfish 11-12 minutes (turning halfway through and adding or subtracting tome depending upon thickness of steaks).

Veggies we use are zucchini, cherry tomatoes, bella mushrooms, onion, and red/orange pepper.