PERCE EG OS GR AAG st Sie hdd

SOME OF the recipes in this

DADE PERUAUL WN RAR eal Se ks

column will seem like old

friends, but this time let your children do some of the

work,

PORCUPINE BALLS
(serves 4-6)

These are a part of my
childhood, though this recipe is
much better than the one I
remember as a kid.

If you think that this dish is a
product of the American Depres-
sion of the ‘30s, you’re wrong.
The Greeks have been eating a
similar dish for many generations.

Your kids will have fun molding
these balls and watching them
cook up into prickly little
creatures, .

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
i medium yeliow onion, peeled
and chopped fine
% cup long-grain rice
Ya cup water :
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
Y% cup bread crumbs -
2 eggs, beaten
“1 pound lean ground beef
2 pound lean ground pork
Salt amd freshiy ground black
Peppertotaste -
1¥%2 cups shicken steck, fresh or
“canned
- Ya cup heavy cream, half-and-half
or milk .
. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
‘2. Heat a large frying pan and add
the oil, garlic and onion. Saute

“. until the onion is transparent.

- Remove the sauteed onion to a
mixing bowl and allow to cool.

-.. In a small saucepan place %
cup ‘rice, and the water. (The re-
maining % cup raw rice will be

“used later.) |

“+. Bring: the rice to a simmer,
=edver- and cook for 15 minutes.

, Allow to cool and add the cooked
ricé.tc the bow! of onion. ;

" Add’ the rest of the ingredients '

except the remaining raw rice, the

chicken stock, cream and dill. Mix

“very well with your hands.

‘Form into 1'%-inch balls aad

‘ roll.in the raw rice. Pack the balls
with your hands so-the rice will

’ stick.:

Return the frying ‘pan. to the
burner. and add the chicken
stock, cream and dill. Bring to a
simmer and add salt and pepper

“£0 taste...

Add the rice-coated meatballs and
simmer very. gently, covered, for

30 to 35 minutes. ;

a Carefully turn the meatballs so
a they cook .evenly. Remove the

Methusaleh and the

inquisitive
Cook —

ANNE
GARDINER

Jeff
Smith

THE FRUGAL GOURMET

meatballs with a slotted spoon to
a warm plate. Cook to reduce the
sauce until thickened slightly.
Pour over the meatballs.
CHICKEN DRUMETTES
FOR KIDS

(makes 24 pieces, or servings

for 3 youngsters)

This one is such fun to prepare,
but it takes some time and your
kids must know how to deal. with
a sharp paring knife.

I suggest that you do the cutting
and let the kids prepare the fittle
drumsticks by pulling the meat
down on the bone. They will need
some help, but dinner will be ter-
rific!

12 chicken wings

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano, whole
Suice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
cheese

Cut each wing into three pieces
at each of the two joints.

You wind up with the wing tip
(which I generally set aside and
use for soup), the middle portion
and, finally, the thickest part of
the wing, that part closest to the
bird, literally the upper arm of the

bird. The upper arms make mar-|

velous little drumsticks.

Use the middle portions of the
wings for this recipe as well.

Cut the meat of the upper arm
of the bird from the bone at the
smallest end. Then push the meat

A HARD little muffin sat
ploink on the plate, better
suited 40 a doorstop than a
snack. And all because
there’s an impression that,
like Methuselah, baking
powder has a remarkable
life span.

While indeed, Methuselah may
have lived to an incredible age,
it’s certain baking powder doesn’t
keep forever.

The misconception about keep-
ing qualities likely began with
confusion about the differences
between baking soda and baking
powder, .

Baking soda and baking powder
each help baking rise. But baking
soda, on its own, is just tiny
alkaline crystals of sodium bicar-
bonate. It can’t leaven anything
independently, and so it keeps in-
definitely, in an open box on the

thus
very

down to the largest end,
forming a small drumstick,
tich in flavor.

Place the cut-up wings in a
bow! and add everything but the
Parmesan cheese. Toss and allow
to marinate for 30 minutes.

Place the chicken pieces on a
broiler pan. Broil in the top part
of the oven on high broil.

Turn and baste the chicken
pieces with the remaining
marinade every few minutes.

When they are nicely browned
sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and
allow the cheese to melt and
brown. Watch closely so the
cheese doesn’t burn.

TUNA SALAD SANDWICH

(makes about 3 cups)

1 thought everyone was raised
on tuna salad sandwiches.

I know I was. But | often meet
kids who don’t know what I am
talking about.

They live on stuff from the deli
case at the supermarket or on

. frozen foods prepared in the mi-

crowave.
{ include this. sandwich so

young people can have their own

recipe and prepare it themselves.

1 6%-ounce can tuna fish, packed

in water, drained

Y% cup mayonuaise or more to

taste

3 scallions, chopped

% cup chopped celery

Sait and freshly ground black

pepper to taste

Mix everything together using —

plenty of mayonnaise so the salad
isn’t dry. Serve on your favorite
bread.

You might try adding a bit of
sweet pickle relish. If you have
fresh chives handy, replace the
scallions with the chives. That’s
delicious!

PITA BREAD PIZZA

This is much more creative than
the melting of a frozen pizza, En-
courage your kids to think up
their own toppings and go to it!

Spread some tomato or
marinara sauce on a round of pita
bread.‘Add your favorite toppings
plus cheese. Broil until bubbly and

‘nicely browned.

For toppings, try leftover lunch
meats, chopped meatloaf, sausage
and anything left in’ the
refrigerator. .

FIRST-CLASS
TOASTED CHEESE

I love toasted-cheese sand-
wiches, but not the grilled kind. I
think this is much easier to make

NEWS photo Terry Petors

CASEY MAKES a pizza for herself using pita bread, , crust, tomato -

sauce, cheeze and toppings.

and much more delicious. ©

Toast a thick slice of caraway
rye bread on both sides. Spread
one side with plenty of -mayon-
naise and a little Dijon mustard.

Top with grated white cheddar
or Monterey Jack cheese. Broil
until the cheese is melted and
lightly browned.

CORN SALAD

Please think about making
quick salads from frozen
vegetables. Nothing could be more
convenient or versatile. This one is
a good example. I’m sure you and
your children will think up many
more.
3 10-ounce boxes frozen corn
kernels, thawed
Y, cup chopped parsley
2 bunches scaliions, sliced
Y2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste

Blanch the thawed corn in boil-
ing water for 1 minute and drain
well. Rinse. quickly in cold water
to stop the cooking and drain well
again.

Combine with the parsley and

scallions. Mix the remaining in-
gredients together and toss with
the corn.

Serve right away or chilled. .
FROZEN CHOCOLATE
BANANAS
(makes 4)

I receive recipes from young
people on a regular basis. This
one is from 11-year-old Jennifer
Reiffer, who lives in New York
state. ;

Adults will enjoy these bananas
as well as the youngsters.

8 ounces Baker's semi-sweet a

chocolate oy
2 bananas
4 popsicle sticks .
i cup sweetened shredded coconut
Melt the chocolate ina small
pan. Cut the ‘bananas in half
crosswise. ;
Peel the bananas and insert a.
popsicle stick lengthwise into
each. ,
Roll the bananas one at a time
in the melted chocolaie.. Remove
from the chocolate and roll in the
shredded coconut.
Place on waxed paper. Freeze
for 2 hours. Save any leftover
chocolate for another batch.

latest buzz on baking powder

kitchen shelf.

In order to make batters and
doughs lighter and higher, baking
soda must be combined with
acidic ingredients, such as
molasses, buttermilk, or orange
juice.

Baking powder, however, com-
bines baking soda with an acid in
the same container. These ingre-
dients can react whenever there’s
Moisture present.

Technically, a very small chem-
ical change occurs each time the
container is opened because the
baking powder is exposed to hu-
midity in the air. In practical
terms, the accumulation of tiny
changes decreases its effectiveness
over time.

One of the reasons manufactur-
ers add starch to baking powder is
to protect its ingredients from
moisture, preventing premature
reactions.

Baking powder tins are also
designed so air can't enter easily.

Notice the screw tops, or the lids
that need prying off,

Containers have firm sides.
Across the top, there’s often a
tight foil seal.

Leaving the lid ajar defeats the
efforts of manufacturers to keep
baking powder at its best for as
long as possible. Likewise, in bulk
Storage or plastic bags, baking
powder deteriorates quickly.

It’s recommended that you
teplace your supply every 12 to 18
months. To always keep baking
powder fresh, the wisest buy is to
purchase only the quantity you
can use within six months.

And if baking powder has been
stored over the winter at the
summer cabin, it’s easy to test its
effectiveness,

Mix together | tablespoon (15
mL) of baking powder and % cup
(125 mL) warm water. As baking
powder dissolves, tiny bubbles of
carbon dioxide should churn en-
thusiastically to the surface.

This mimics what happens in
baking, as leaveners dissolve in
the eggs, milk or other liquids,
and their bubbles are coaxed up
through the batter by the heat of
the oven.

If there’s only a limp sort of
fizz when baking powder is tested,
it’s time to purchase a new supply
because your baking isn’t rising
properly either.

You can make an old-fashioned
version of baking powder by sif-
ting % teaspoon (2 mL) of baking
soda and | teaspoon (5 mL) cream
of tartar with the dry ingredients.

This type is no longer made
commerciaily because 70% of the
carbon dioxide is produced within
two minutes of mixing.

If you work fast, however, it’s
handy in an emergency.

This is roughly equivalent to 2
teaspoons (10 mL) of commercial
baking powder, and leavens 1 cup
(250 mL) of flour.

Aerator