DU Cookbook thread

[rogerashton]

I seem to remember, quite a while back, talk about a DU cookbook. Let's see if we can get it going.

Quick Pasta Frutti di Mare

Serves 2-3

At the grocery store:

Pasta of choice – I like vermicelli but anything from angel hair to fettucini should be fine.
5 oz. can whole shelled clams. Cento and Mitsubishi Three Diamonds brands are good.
Frozen sea food – shrimp (raw shelled) or bay scallops or both are good.
Hard Italian sheep or goat cheese – Locatelli, Parmegiano Reggiano, or other pecorino della pecora della montana
Freeze-dried parsley
Other seasoning to taste (I like Sunny Paris blend from Penzey’s Spices – available by mail order).
Onions
Garlic
Olive oil
Cognac

40 minutes before dinnertime – grate 3/4 cup cheese, dice two cloves of garlic and 1/2 cup of onions. (Well, I use frozen diced onions and 2 tsp chopped garlic). Remove tails of shrimp. Shrimp defrosted in the microwave oven for 3 minutes thaw just enough to get the tails off.

30 minutes before dinnertime – brown garlic and sauté diced onions in 2-3 TBSP olive oil. Add clams, clam juice, 2 TBSP Cognac, 1/4 cup dried parsley and other seasoning, (TBSP Sunny Paris Blend). Add 1/4 cup grated cheese, reserving the rest to serve at the table. Stir in and simmer. Put on water for pasta, adding 1 TBSP olive oil.

15 minutes before dinnertime. Put pasta to boil. (Depends on choice of pasta – for fettucini, for example, this stage will start earlier.)

10 minutes before dinnertime. Add 5-10 oz frozen sea-food. Sautee until shrimp are opaque, scallops or other seafood are firm.

Dinnertime. Drain and serve pasta, sauce and grated cheese family style.

[molly]

1. Yum!!!

[chiburb]

2. Is that a threat? n/t

.

[Solly Mack]

3. Better idea..an actual cookbook to raise money for DU

200 cookbooks printed up for about 800 dollars, with 200-300 recipes, and let them go for a 10-15 dollar donation (or more)...earning between 2300-3200 for an 800 dollar investment...all going to DU...the offical DemocraticUnderground Cookbook.

We supply the recipes. DU makes initial investment...then DU members buy the cookbook.

I know of several companies that do this as a business for non-profit organizations.

I've spearheaded several cookbooks over the years.

Course, I could just be out of my mind. But your post got me to thinking...

[pagerbear]

4. Not a bad idea

If a substantial number of DUers donate one recipe each, and a substantial number buy cookbooks for their own use and as gifts, this could go far!

[Solly Mack]

5. I think so

and thanks!!!

[m-jean03]

7. It would be a cool keepsake too!

To remember DUers by the recipes they'd contributed. :-)

[Solly Mack]

8. Exactly!!!

and we could have some artwork inside..not too much as it raises the cost...the cover could be designed by a Du'er.

It's worth considering for so many reasons..and I believe Du'ers would buy them.

[pagerbear]

17. I nominate Rabrrrr's artwork

...if he agrees, of course.

[NashVegas]

11. I Got Dibs on FRENCH Onion Soup

best you'll ever have.

[molly]

6. Better idea than a DU pin-up calendar!

[pagerbear]

19. Oh, I don't know

Some of our DU guys and gals are hotties!

[Solly Mack]

26. Nothing wrong with eye-candy while cooking!!!

:)

[The empressof all]

9. Great Idea

I'd contribute recipies and buy at least 10 for Christmas presents. How long would it take to put something like this together?

[Solly Mack]

12. It can be accomplished in 3-4 months...

the gathering of recipes and organizing. It takes about 3-4 weeks from the time the company gets the recipes, returns a copy for proofreading, and the final printing...so it could be completed by October.

it really depends on how dedicated the volunteers are...and we would need people to volunteer collating the recipes. But it can be accomplished on line through emails and chatrooms...I know firsthand. lol


It's just an idea..and we would have to get people involved.

[dmr]

38. This is a wonderful idea

I would buy a couple of cookbooks in a heartbeat! I would also contribute recipes.

If you are going to do this, please remember me via private message. I don't come into the lounge on a regular basis (I found this thread in ATA), so I probably would miss any subsequent threads.

I think it's a wonderful idea to help fund DU, and add to my DU collectibles (like DU mouse pad, clock, shirts, etc).

This would make a great Christmas, Mothers/Fathers Day, Birthday, etc gift.

[commander bunnypants]

10. sorry to rain on the parade

but the admins wont allow it due to copyright problems that could arise.

Sorry folks

DDQM

[Solly Mack]

13. Bummer...thanks for letting me know!!!!

[bratcatinok]

14. What copyright problems and how do

the different churches that put out a cookbook get around that? Couldn't DU do the same as the church people do?

I had to teach myself how to cook and one of the best cookbooks I ever had was a cookbook put together by a Baptist Church in Dumas, Texas. It taught me how to cook "Texas" style.

[supernova]

15. Was thinking the same

Lots of churces and civic organizations, esp in the south, publish cookbooks. How do they get around the "oh Ruth's recipe for potato salad really came from James Beard's book" claim?

edit: spelling.

[Solly Mack]

16. lol I've worked on several cookbooks and never had a copy right

problem before

But who knows...I've asked and am now awaiting the answer.

Generally, we always asked that people only submit their recipes.

[rogerashton]

18. Copyright problems?

As I understand it, cookbooks are an exception to the copyright laws. Yah might wanta double-check that.

[Solly Mack]

20. Hi rogerashton. Please forgive me for sorta hijacking your thread

I'm sorry...I just go excited.

[rogerashton]

22. 'at's OK.

I was transcribing a recipe or two from my diary -- I tend to cook Italian despite my redneck upbringing -- and thot I might share.

But if there is interest in a cookbook project, highjack away!

I do think cookbooks are a special case under copyright. My impression is that they are not copyrightable as they are not considered to have original content -- are "arrangements." It is just possible that individual recipes might be copyrightable, but just a few changes of details (and who doesn't change the details!?) should make them different enough not to be covered.

Intellectual property enters with recipes that are trade secrets. If you ask Chef di Lagroovio for the recipe for that wonderful flan you had in his restaurant, he has every right to charge you for it. Often, such recipes are sold under a contract that they will not be resold or published. One of the most profitable recipes in history is the formula for coke -- a trade secret. Not protected by copyright (it couldn't be) and not patented.

Alas, the flan has flown ....

[Solly Mack]

24. I love Italian cooking!

and I'm always looking for more recipes.

[Maddy McCall]

30. Recipes are PUBLIC DOMAIN and cannot be copyrighted

Only descriptions of recipes can be copyrighted. Therefore, there is NOTHING wrong with reproducing recipes here.

Say I have a great cornbread recipe. Well, I put the recipe in my cookbook and then I write a description of the recipe, including the history of the Cherokee people who developed the recipe, how frontier people changed the recipe, and how modern corn production has affected cornbread eating. Well, you can copy my recipe, because recipes cannot be copyrighted. BUT you cannot reproduce my description of the recipe, because that CAN be copyrighted.

Hope this helps everyone posting in this thread. Please continue to list recipes. I am enjoying reading them.

More info on what materials are public domain is available here:

http://www.usg.edu/galileo/skills/unit08/credit08_10.phtml

[Solly Mack]

31. Thank you!!!! Could you maybe let Elad..err..Earl... know?

If enough people were interested in a DU Cookbook, maybe we could have one published with profits going to DU.

edit: for brain fart

[Maddy McCall]

32. I PM'd Earl--

I think that was the admin to whom you asked the question about copyrights.

:-)

[Solly Mack]

33. oops..You're correct. Thank you!!!!!!!!

I never had problems wiht copyright before but wanted their input.

Thank you, again!!!

[fishnfla]

40. Huh? Screw that, I'm all in!!!

My recipes are all original.



Screw the wet blanket, count me in.

[BigMcLargehuge]

21. Authentic Portuguese Cacoila

What you need:

five pounds of pork blade meat
quarter cup Kosher salt
Two cups red wine vinegar
half cup hot chopped red peppers (or crushed peppers)
5-8 bay leaves
quarter cup paprika
water

Cut pork into lean cubes (blade meat doesn't have much fat to begin with) about 2 inches across

Place pork cubes in bucket

Add salt, paprika, bay leaves, hot chopped peppers, red wine vinegar to bucket

Add water to bucket until it just barely covers the meat

Stir with hand to ensure marinade is well mixed and all pork is exposed to the ingredients

Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge

Forget you've done these steps for 48 hours

To cook place pieces of pork (but not marinade, don't just dump it all in, actually use tongs to remove the pork) into a 4 quart saucepan or deep pot. Put on low heat and cover. Leave it like that for about three hours, stirring occasionally. when pork becomes stringy and flaky under a wooden spoon, it's done.

Place pork inside cut Portuguese bread (pops, as we call them) and enjoy.

Other variations include:

Cacoila and baked potato (place on baked potato)
Cacoila and cheese sandwich (add piece of Sao Jorge cheese to cacoila sandwich)

You can also add slces of pickled red pepper as a tasty accoutrement.

[rogerashton]

23. I'm saving that one!

They do great things with pork in Porktugal!

[BigMcLargehuge]

25. let me know how your first batch comes out :)

[rogerashton]

27. Here's another --

May not be as popular, though, blue cheese being, um, a cultivated taste.

Gnocchi con Gorgonzola

Serves 2-4

At the grocery store:

Retorted gnocchi – Gnocchi are North Italian potato dumplings. No, you need not make them from scratch. (Anyway, they are better if you start with potatoes. Apologies to my late father-in-law for stealing his joke). Buy a one-pound package of gnocchi at a grocery store – Alessi is a good brand.
Hard Italian sheep or goat cheese – Locatelli, Parmegiano Reggiano, or other pecorino della pecora della montana.
Gorgonzola sufficient for 1/4 pound after crusts are trimmed.
Butter.
Heavy cream.
Rubbed sage.
White paper.
Nutmeg.

Takes about 5 minutes but start 20 minutes before dinnertime.

Crumble gorgonzola and grate 1/4 cup pecorino cheese. Heat water in a double boiler and melt a pat of butter. Add crumbled gorgonzola and melt, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add pecorino cheese, spices, 1/2 tsp rubbed sage, 1/2 tsp white pepper, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, heavy cream to taste. (I use about 2 ounces). Stir until uniform. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool and firm just a little and serve over the gnocchi.

Gnocchi – place in vigorously boiling water and boil until they rise to the surface; then drain and serve.

[rogerashton]

28. By the Bye --

for the faint of heart -- gnocchi can be served with a variety of sauces. Gnocchi ala marinara is a way-easy option most folks will like -- one of the best dishes I ever had was gnocchi in an artichoke sauce. Of course, the fact that I had it on the Fondamente alle Burchielle in Venice couldn't have hurt. That's a recipe I have not yet found ... hm ....

[ACK]

39. Love Bleu Cheese and Ghocchi yum!

That sounds damn good.

[Solly Mack]

29. kick

[johnnie]

34. I have seen some of the recipes on here

I would buy one. There are certainly a lot of people who know their food here.
I don't think that there is a problem with copyrights. Although getting my ice cube recipe might take some doing.

[dryan]

35. Favorite recipe--unfortunately very complicated

Bologna and cheese sandwich

Open refrigerator
take out bread - preferably whole wheat
2 slices - cover with either mayo or mustard - your choice
2 slices of cheese - your choice
2 slices of bologna - your choice of either spicy or mild
cut in half
enjoy while you are watching the returns on the Presidential election

[ACK]

36. Its the Spicy Gumbo

Spicy Gumbo

* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup flour
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 2 stalks celery, chopped
* 2 green peppers, finely chopped
* 2 cloves Garlic, minced
* 3 15 oz cans chicken broth (1 in reserve for adding more liquid if needed)
* 1 8oz bottle of clam juice
* 1 16 oz cans chopped tomatoes
* 1 16 oz pkg frozen okra, sliced, thawed
* 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon hot sauce
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
* 1 teaspoons fresh whole thyme
* 1 teaspoons fresh whole basil
* 1 teaspoons fresh whole oregano
* 1 teaspoons sage
* 1 teaspoon pepper
* 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning powder
* 2 pounds shrimp, medium size, unpeeled
* 1 pound andouille sausage
* hot cooked rice
* file powder, optional

First, you have to stir the roux constantly so go ahead and cut up the onion, green peppers and celery ahead of time or get someone else to do it for you as you stir the roux. Also, use the biggest saute pan you have because you saute the vegetables in the roux and that is a lot of vegetables.

Put the cold sticks of butter in the saute pan on medium-high heat and let the butter melt. Be patient because the cold butter actually helps the butter stay clear and not brown too quickly. Add the cup of flour slowly 1/3 cup at a time whisking the flour in each time. Yes, if you have a saute pan with a non-stick surface this is a no-no so be careful not to scar the pan up too much. Then after the flour has been whisked in stir it constantly with a wooden spoon or if you have a cast iron pan just go ahead and whisk it constantly. The trick is to not let the roux burn. The medium-high heat method allows you to make a roux quickly (30 minutes or less) but if the mixtures starts putting off smoke or it seems like it is about to burn do not be afraid to take it off the heat for a minute and then put it back on. I had to do this about 3 times.

The color of the roux is very important and belies the amount of thickening it will provide. The roux should be a dark brownish red but NOT black. Once it attains the proper color, stir in the onion, celery, green peppers (the Trinity in Cajun food speak). Once the onions begin to soften then put in the garlic to assure the garlic will not burn. You saute the vegetables till they are softened nicely and the onion and garlic has begun to carmelize. Put everything into a big dutch oven or a nice size soap pot. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, okra, sausage, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, basil, oregano, sage, clam juice and pepper. Usually, dried herbs are fine for a soup or a gumbo. However, I have found that fresh herbs give a kick to the flavor that was unexpected and really nice. Since you are using shrimp, the clam juice adds to the seafood flavor and cannot be left out or replaced unless you abstain from using chicken broth all together and use shrimp or seafood broth as a complete replacement for the liquids called for in this recipe. Let the whole thing simmer for about 2 hours.

As it simmers, check the thickness and add broth if needed for file powder if you have to thicken it up. It is important to taste the gumbo occasionally and add Cajun seasonings, and hot sauce to taste. Remember that the file powder adds a smoother finish to the gumbo and that while it may taste spicy on the burner simmering that time and reheating will take a bit of the edge off so do not be afraid of the heat and be liberal with the hot sauce.

Peel and devein shrimp. Frozen shrimp is ok but nice small count or even larger Gulf shrimp fresh are better. Add shrimp; simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve gumbo over hot rice and, if desired, sprinkle with file.

[rogerashton]

43. Here I grew up in LA and

I can't make a roux -- maybe I'll try again.

Of course, Shreveport doesn't quite count, for these purposes.

[ACK]

37. What about Hoppin' John?

Hoppin' John



1 cup black-eyed peas or cowpeas prepared for cooking as directed below.

a small chunk of lean slab bacon, sliced thick, or a cracked ham or beef bone (George Washington Carver recommends the latter, saying "it adds much to the flavor") or a small chunk salt pork, sliced and simmered in ample water for 15 minutes to reduce the salt

1 onion, chopped

1 cup raw rice

2 teaspoons salt

1 hot red pepper, fresh or dried, seeded and diced, or Tabasco sauce to taste
optional

(all, some, or one of the following, as you choose)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

minced fresh parsley

a litttle thyme

black pepper

Pick over the black-eyed peas carefully, removing any bits of rock and unsavory-looking peas. Rinse well and cover with 5 cups of water. Soak for four hours before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.

Strain out the beans and bring the water to a boil. Return the beans, with the bay leaf, if using, plus a teaspoon of the salt, and let them simmer for about 45 minutes. (If you are using a cracked pork or beef bone, add it now, also, and ignore all bacon/salt pork instructions, frying up the onion in a bit of melted fat or oil and adding it when you add the rice.) While the beans are cooking, prepare the bacon/salt pork by frying it until the pieces are crisp. Either reserve these until the end of cooking (to lend a touch of crispness) or put them into the beans when the rice is added. Fry the onion in the fat once the pork has been removed until the onion translucent but not brown. Either way, reserve the fat.

At the end of 45 minutes, taste the beans for doneness; if they are soft but not mushy, they are just right. Eyeball the remaining liquid in the pot -- there should be at least 21/2 cups. If not, add more water. Pour in the rice and mix in all the other seasonings including the second teaspoon of salt, the bacon/salt pork bits (unless holding them for the end), and all -- or as much as you want of -- the cooking fat. Stir the mixture well and bring the liquid up to a simmer. Let cook for another 20 minutes.Then turn off the heat and let the dish rest for 10 minutes. Taste. The beans should be just a little more tender, the rice perfectly cooked. Crumble over the reserved bacon or sprinkle over the crisp salt pork bits, if any, and serve. Pass around a platter of cornbread and a salad of fresh greens or a bowl of cooked ones.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

41. I could contribute some Pakistani recipes if desired

[ACK]

42. Geez go for it!

This thread is sooo cool and went down in flames too quick.

_

[rogerashton]

44. Been lookin' for a real hoppin' john recipe

I'd put on my fried chicken recipe, no, that one is not Italian, but I've never written it down.