I have an "unofficial" recipe - if you can even call it that........... It's sort of a "technique" on how to make GOOD COFFEE......... wanna hear it? Here it is:

Always remember "Fresh" grounds are the best, but if not possible, vaccuum seal your grounds in tupperware or other airtight container; THEN in an AUTO DRIP MAKER (NOT a percolator/boil type), measure about 1 well rounded TABLESPOON (NOT heaping) of grounds for each 1 cup of prepared coffee in your pot. The type of filter you use is pretty irrelevant for taste/flavor, BUT the best water is FILTERED water, so if you have one of those fridge water systems that has a filter.....GREAT! Or use one of those separate water container filter systems or even a filter on your kitchen tap.......... but using GOOD WATER makes for GREAT coffee.

Ok......... when you're done there and have everything in place, turn it on and just wait, get yourself a nice hot cup and depending on your personal taste (I like halfNhalf with a bit of sweetner) you'll have yourself a nice "strong" cup of great coffee.

NOTE: If you can grind your own, the finer the grind, the more of the coffee's flavor you will get out of it when making it. Also note that DARKER roasts tend to have LESS caffeine, as roasting removes caffeine, and ALWAYS throw away the used grounds and do NOT reuse.

Mocha Fireside Coffee Mix
makes 80 cups


Ingredients

2 1/2 cups powdered non-dairy creamer
2 cups hot cocoa mix
1 cup instant coffee ( 2 cups if you like it strong )
1 cup olaltine chocolate drink mix
1/4 cup surgar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg


Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large plastic ziplock back ( or coffee container ); Mix well. Store in an airtight container. to make 1 cup, add 4 teaspoons mixture to 1 cup boiling water.

this is by Dotti Jones of Etiwanda High School.

Great idea here for this thread. One thing we have to do is if these are not your own original recipes and your getting them from the Net, we have to link to the source of your material. Thanks guys.

okay jojo i went through and added the sources....
most of my books are from the 40's.

The King's French Toast
Serves 3-4

Ingredients

6 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons Triple Sec
1/3 cup Half & Half
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch salt
Zest of 1/2 an orange
8-10 3/4" thick slices French bread ( I myself use 1" thick slices )
3-4 tablespoons butter
1 can mandarin oranges
Broken pecans
1/2 pound butter
1/3 cup orange marmalade


Directions

The night before:

Beat eggs in a medium-size bowl with a wire whisk. Mix in orange juice, triple sec, half & half, sugar, vanilla, salt, and grated orange peel. Dip bread into egg mixture and coat well. Layer dipped bread in a glass dish. Pour remaining batter over the bread (liquid will be absorbed). Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Soften 1/2 pound butter, whip until light. Mix in 1/3 cup of orange marmalade and 3 tablespoons mandarin oranges. (Keeps well in refrigerator.)

In the morning:

Melt the butter in a large skillet (or griddle) over medium heat. Add the bread slices and cook until lightly browned on bottom. Flip bread and spread orange butter over the first cooked side. When second side is lightly browned transfer toast to a serving platter. To garnish top with mandarin oranges and pecans and dust lightly with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup.

presented by The King's Cottage - A Bed & Breakfast Inn
BBOnline

I'd like to report that I made the Chicken Piccata tonight...... although I DID do a bit of "modification" to the original recipe (I like to do that, as I tend to like more "seasoned" fare.....) The family LOVED IT!! I was even surprised at the outcome, but I am a pretty decent cook so I shouldn't have been....lol

The modifications I made to this outstanding recipe.................
-Instead of flour, I substituted seasoned Italian bread crumbs
-I soaked the chicken breasts in EggBeaters solution to better hold the crumbs
-Added fresh Cilantro instead of Parsley
-Substituted Rice Wine (Japanese) for the white wine
-Neglected the capers altogether....................

You should have smelled the house............................. my wife was SO amazed at the taste of this dish........ I will definately have to make it again! Thanks for the idea!!

Well done, i am very glad it was liked!

PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!!

kd1966 wrote:

I have an "unofficial" recipe - if you can even call it that........... Also note that DARKER roasts tend to have LESS caffeine, as roasting removes caffeine, and ALWAYS throw away the used grounds and do NOT reuse.

I had a man who fancied himself an intellectual tell me that the 2nd brewing, using old and new grounds, has MORE caffeine! ( I can see the response already!! )

Well, I don't mind letting my coffee pot sit over night with 1/2 the pot full, getting cold, all alone!! and then reheating the remainder for the next morning! YUM! (I am of the cook-once-eat-many school of thought!) I guess that since I corrupt my coffee with both sugar and flavored creamer I might be accused of not liking coffee, but I do. I just don't like the darn stuff black.

I have of course "corrupted" my 3 children. They all enjoy a cup or 3! The oldest has even secured a place at STARBUCKS! (Yes, I get a freebie once in a while, or her discount if she's there! Always a venti! Frequently a Frappuccino! )

I presume you "could" get additional caffeine benefits from a 2nd brewing, as you're simply extracting the remaining "stuff" from the grounds........... but from a personal taste standpoint, it makes for bitter flavor and not worth the effort. Most people don't like coffee because of the bitter taste, and the only thing you'll get from a 2nd brewing is some additional caffeine and alot of bitterness, as the "coffee flavor" was extracted from the first brewing.

Also, many people misinterpret bitter coffee as strong coffee, which is actually opposite........... bitter coffee is weak coffee, but too much water/too little grounds were used and you end up with "overused" grounds that extract bitterness into the brew. Strong coffee is actually not bitter at all, and depending on the type of coffee used, fairly nutty in flavor, along with that "roasted" flavor

Mandrin Orange Chicken
serves 3 to 6 as part of a multicourse meal

This version of Mandrin orange chicken requires no deep-frying, so there is a savings of time, effort, and calories. If you dont like chilis you may omit them.
stir-frying the snow peas seperately and using htem to ring the chicken makes for very nive presentation at dinner parties. for a family meal, you can return the peas to the pan just after the oranges and mix them in.


Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4 inch dice ( about 2 cups )
2 teaspoons dry sherry
3 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tespoons surgar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
4 tablespoons corn, canola, or peanut oil ( i use canola )
1/4 pound snowpeas, ends snipped off and strings removed, cut on the diagonal into 1/2 inch pieces
2 to 4 dried chilis, seeds removed
1 garlic clove, peeled and and crushed
2 slices gingerroot, 1X1/8-inch each
1 (11 oz) can mandrid oranges, drained.


Directions

1. Place the chicken ina bowl, stir tinthe sherry and cornstarch and mix well. Set aside. Ina nother bowl, combine the suugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and orange juice concentrate and mix well. Set Aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or srit-fry pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Test by dipping the end of a snow pea in the oil, it should sizzle. Add the snow peas and stir till they turn a darker green, about 30 seconds. Transfer the snow peas to a large serving platter and spread then out. Do not pile the snow peas up, but spread them out so they wont overcook in their own heat.

3. In hte same pan heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil with the chili peppers over medium heat. As the oil heats up, the peppers will turn dark brown and become very fragrant. Discard the chilis when they are almost black, but not burned. Add the garlic and gingerroot and stir around the pan a few times until they begin to sizzle.

4. Increase the heat to high, stir up the chicken again, and add it. Stir for about 1 minute, add the orange sauce, and continue stirring another minute or two. when the chicken is almost done discard the garlic and gingerroot. Add the mandrin oranges and stir gently to heat the oranges and finsh cooking the chicken - not more than a minute or the oranges will fall apart.

5. Arrange the snow peas in a ring around the platter and spoon teh chicken and oranges into the center. Serve hot.

Helen Chens chinese home cooking