Recipes

Buttermilk Herb Baking Powder Biscuits

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 ounces or 8 Tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening

4 Tablespoons fresh minced chives

4 Tablespoons fresh minced parsley

2 eggs

1 ½  cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Then cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it is in small pieces.  Stir in the herbs.  Whip together the wet ingredients.  Briefly blend the wet ingredients into the shortening mixture.  Turn mixture onto a floured board and knead.  Pat flat to ½” or more.  Cut into rounds with a glass with its rim dipped in flour.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.   

*Taken from An Appetite for Life- Biography of Julia Childs  by Noel Riley Fitch


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Zuppa Toscana Soup (similar to Olive Garden)

1 lb. mild Italian sausage (you can use hot sausage)

6-7 slices bacon ( ½ lb)  or ¼ cup bacon bits

1 Tbsp. minced garlic (2 cloves)

1 large white onion – diced  ( ¾ cup diced)

6 cups chicken broth

4 cups water  (or you can just use 10 cups of broth total)

1 cup ( 8 oz.) heavy whipping cream

2 cups shredded or chopped or ripped kale or Swiss chard (about ¼ of a bunch)  - washed and dried

1 lb. Russet potatoes ( 3 large potatoes)  - cut in half lengthwise, then ¼” slices, then quartered

salt and pepper to taste

*1 ½ teaspoon crushed red peppers* (optional)

1)      Brown sausage.  Drain.  Set aside.

2)      Fry bacon with garlic and onions.  (10-15 mintues or until onions are soft and almost clear.)

3)      Crumble up bacon into pieces.

4)      Pour broth and water in large soup pot.  Add bacon, garlic and onions.  Bring to boil. 

5)      Add potatoes and simmer covered over medium heat for 30 minutes (or until potatoes are soft). 

6)      Add sausage.  Heat through on low heat.

7)      Add kale and cream right before serving.  Heat through.  Simmer 10 minutes. 

8)      Add salt and pepper to taste. 

*To make the soup thicker, you can add instant mashed potatoes.  Or you can add 2 Tbsp. cornstarch.  Or you can shred one of the potatoes before you add it to the broth.  Or you can take a ladle of two of soup, then puree it and put it back in. 

*You can use spinach instead of kale or Swiss chard.

*Put a paper towel over top of soup to soak up the fat before serving.

*A worker at Olive Garden said that they use Johnsonville spicy sausages and pancetta (Italian bacon) and a touch of crushed red peppers. 

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Tempura Asparagus

Preparing the Asparagus:  Need 1 bunch of asparagus (or more because you will have leftover batter if you only have 1 bunch).  Rinse asparagus and snap the ends off.  There is a spot at the end of the asparagus that will lend itself to being snapped off.  Place asparagus in a frying pan with enough water to cover the asparagus.  Salt the water.  Boil for 3-5 minutes (until very green and tender). 

Making the Batter:    Basic Tempura Batter (from one of my mother’s cookbooks)

2  cups sifted all-purpose flour

3  egg yolks

2  cups ice water

1) Sift flour 3 times. 

2) Combine yolks and water over ice.  Whisk until well-blended. 

3) Add flour gradually, stirring and turning mixture from the bottom with a spoon.  Do not overmix.  Batter should still be lumpy.  Flour should be visible on the top (or batter will become gummy).  Keep batter over ice while dipping and frying. 

*Can refrigerate the batter for an hour or overnight instead of using ice water.  Also, before making the batter, you can keep all three ingredients in the refrigerator so they are all at the same temperature.  It is important to make sure the batter is cold to prevent it from absorbing the oil while frying.  This will guarantee that the final product is crispy. 

*Can use cold beer or club soda instead of the ice water. 

*Can use rice flour instead of the AP flour.

*Can add ¼ tsp. of baking powder to batter.

Frying the Asparagus:

Pour 2” oil in a frying pan.   Can use vegetable, corn, sunflower, peanut or even sesame oil.  Heat oil to 340° - 360°.  You can test the temperature of the oil by dropping a little batter in the oil.  If the ball of batter comes up right away- the oil is too hot.  If it goes halfway down, then comes up, then it’s the perfect temperature.   If oil keeps bubbling when heated, change it. 

Dredge asparagus in batter, then fry in pan until golden.  Place on a cooling rack.  Salt and pepper to your taste.  Serve immediately.