Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen

First published here in 2005, it's time for a reprint! Especially during Lent! I don't know where my mother got this recipe but it is the touch of nutmeg and the walnuts that make it shine. I often leave the nuts out so don't let those stop you in making this. It was one of our favorites growing up and my kids love it too. Step 1: 2 tablespoons shortening 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon Worcestershire 2 dashes Tabasco 2 cups milk Make a white sauce. Stir over low heat until thickened. (For instructions on making a white sauce, take a look at the recipe for Pasta Baked with Bechamel and Parmigiano ... bechamel is Italian for white sauce.) Step 2: 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 12 ounces tuna Sautéed sliced mushrooms (optional) 1/3 cup broken walnuts (optional) Add cheese, stir until melted. Add remaining and heat to serving temperature. Serve over rice or noodles.

From Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri; I edited these instructions for simplicity's sake.   I first ran this recipe in 2004 and all these years later it is still my go-to pound cake. It isn't fussy but it is simply delicious. It never fails, it lasts a long time and my husband has found that a thin slice is almost as good as a donut with his breakfast. Plus you will impress your friends who didn't know people made pound cake anymore. Sour Cream Pound Cake Step 1: 3 cups flour 1/2 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour 12-cup tube or Bundt pan. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Step 2: ½ pound butter, softened 2¾ cups sugar Beat on medium speed until very light, about 5 minutes. Step 3: ½ t. lemon extract ½ t. orange extract ½ t. vanilla Beat into batter (I also have used 1½ t. vanilla instead of the above combination). Step 4: 6 large eggs Beat into batter, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Step

 This is perfect for a meatless meal anytime. It was on one of those handy, dandy recipe cards in Cook's Country way back in 2018. The photo isn't preposessing but it is simply delicious. AND inexpensive! Don't skip the parsley. For me, that makes the dish.  This is mildly flavored so it might be good for kids. Also, since the zucchini is shredded and the chickpeas are mashed up some, it might be easy to slip past kids who might otherwise balk at such ingredients.  This is also good without the red pepper flakes if you have people who can't eat those. They designed this recipe to be made sequentially in one pan. I'd rather make two and have the rest done at about the time the pasta is. If fewer pans matters more, then cook and drain the pasta. Use the Dutch oven to make the "sauce." Linguine with Chickpeas and Zucchini 1 pound linguine 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin 1/2 teaspoon red pepper

Taste of the South photo (in a few days I'll put my own photo in here) Traditional for Mardi Gras, this is worth spending the time on.  A few years ago Taste of the South magazine published this recipe. I'd only had store-bought King Cakes and they were no treat, believe me. So I gave this a whirl. Not only was it easier than I thought it would be, but it was absolutely delicious. In fact, my friend Patsy, who grew up in Dallas, said she'd never had one that tasted so good.   I hereby pass it along to anyone who wants the real reason to celebrate right before Lent begins.  I didn't have the traditional purple colored sugar to go along with the green and yellow, but red makes a nice display also! After all, it all tastes the same. Leftovers freeze well. Or you can look at it as the perfect opportunity to share with friends and family. Everyone likes it when I make King Cake! Also a 12" wreath is quite large. I always vow to make two smaller wreaths. Maybe this is t

This is absolutely delicious and makes a simple but taste-filled dinner. It's also darned good when heated up in the morning for a flavorful breakfast if your taste runs to goat cheese early in the day. It's from Gordon Ramsay's Home Cooking although you also can find the recipe at his website . The recipe has you broil it until the top is cooked but we don't have an oven-proof nonstick pan. We simply cover the pan and cook it for a while on a low heat until it is set all the way through. I'm leaving the broiler instructions if you've a mind to go that route. If we have basil we use it. If we don't, it is still delicious. Bacon, Pea, and Goat Cheese Frittata Serves 4-6 INGREDIENTS Olive oil, for frying 8 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped into bite-sized pieces 1 red pepper, seeded and sliced 3 scallions, trimmed and sliced diagonally 1 cup frozen peas Handful of basil, leaves roughly chopped 4 ounces goat’s cheese 8 eggs, beaten