Make a 43things Cookbook

From a Postcrossing postcard.

The pastry came to America and became a staple food carried by miners and loggers in Northern Michigan. Pasty “Pass-Tee” is a pastry case with a sweet or savory filling baked without a dish to shape it.

Pasty Recipe
3 lbs. potatoes diced
1 cup carrots diced
2 cups onions diced
2 cups rutabega diced
2 lbs. meat or fish diced or ground
Season to taste

Take about a dozen 4 oz. pie crust dough balls that have been cooled then warmed to room temperature. Roll each into a 10 inch oval. Put 10 oz. of pasty filling that has been mixed together on a dough sheet, pull over the top and crimp the edge. Bake for one hour at 350 degree. Enjoy!

I received this recipe on this Postcrossing postcard.

“Cooked Bananas”

Ingredients:
4 Bananas
50g Butter
1 DL Fariinsuggar
2 (Table-spoon) Hashed up Nuts
1 (Table-spoon) cinnamon

Directions:
Cut bananas lengthwise.

Melt butter and mix with sugar, Hashed up nuts and cinnamon.

Put the mix at bananas.

Baked it 250 degrees C for 10 minutes.

Here’s another recipe from my friend in Ann Arbor.

Ingredients
5 lb Ground Beef (fine grind)
2 large Onions, diced
3 pints Tomato Sauce
3 oz Tomato Paste
2.5 oz Vinegar
1 Qt Water
1/2 Tblsp Granulated Garlic
2 tsp Cinnamon
4 tsp Allspice
1 tsp Oregano
6 Bay Leaves
2 Tblsp Dark (Hot) Chili Powder
3 Tblsp Mild Chili Powder
2 tsp Cumin
1 Tblsp Salt
1 Tblsp Beef Base Paste

Saute beef and onions together until meat is browned. Pour off grease (they use a spaghetti strainer/colander). Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for two hours.

Note: This is for the Full Moon restaurant (formerly known as The Monkey Bar) so it’s a massive quantity that you wouldn’t normally make at home. Though when I make chili I do make huge batches like this and freeze it.

I received this recipe on a Postcrossing postcard from New Zealand.

Ingredients:
700g chicken mince
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 Tbsp peeled and grated ginger
1 Tbsp coarsely ground coriander seeds
Finely grated zest 1 lime
1 hot red chilli, finely chopped
Ice cream sticks (available at supermarkets)

Directions:
In a bowl mix chicken mince, egg yolk, and salt. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape into elongated patties on the ice cream sticks, putting them on a plate as they are done, and chill for 2 hours.

Cook patties on an oiled barbecue hotplate heated to medium and cook until golden brown all over (keep patties lightly oiled during cooking to prevent them becoming dry). Serve hot with lime wedges for squeezing over.

Ready in 30 minutes plus chilling time
Makes: 24

My friend from the Monkey Bar in Ann Arbor sent me this recipe.

Sift together:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup raisins

Work in (with fingers or knives):
3 tbsp butter or margerine

With fork, quickly stir in :
2/3 cup water

Add more water until dough is soft and light but not sticky.
Turn out onto a floured board and knead 20 strokes.
Shape/portion as desired, and put on greased baking sheet or pie tin.
Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Increase heat to 400 degrees and bake for another 5 minutes.

My friend notes that the bread doesn’t rise much. He uses pure corn-oil margerine and water, but suggests that people without his food allergies could try butter and milk. He also notes that currants would be more traditional than raisins, but it’s not something that most people keep on hand.

I received this recipe on a Postcrossing postcard from Kaire in Estonia. She said it’s their traditional food.

Ingredients:
1 kg pig’s head
1 kg pettitoes (potatoes?)
1 kg veal meat
1 pig tail
1-2 onions
1 parsley
piece of celeriac
1 carrot
15 peppercorns
salt
2 bay leafs
6-7 liters water

Directions:
Start to boil the meat in smaller pieces. After removing excess foam from boiling, add spices, onions and carrot. Then boil over low heat until the meat starts to come off from the bones.

Cut the meat into very small pieces, throw off the bones, mix the meat with filtered broth, heat until boiling point and then pour into small bowls for cooling and hardening.

Eat with mustard or horseradish.

and I’m in. Now, to select the recipe.

Do I go national dish
or offer a tasty vegetarian delight?

(To make up for all the times vegetarians are faced with what everyone else has except for the meat. Or the inevitable ‘vegetable platter’ where bulk replaces quality?

A friend of mine is allergic to milk, butter, eggs, chocolate and nuts, so this is his favorite cookie.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp powdered cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tblsp cooking oil
2 Tblsp water

Directions:
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, powdered cloves and ginger. Separately bring to boil the molasses taking care to not let it boil over. Once boiling, stir in the sugar, cooking oil and water. Heat until it all dissolves together.

Pour dry ingredients into the molasses mixture, and mix well. You may add more water if needed. Spoon onto greased sheet pan. Bake 8 minutes at 375F.

Makes about 20-24 cookies.

While I’ve not adopted this goal, I will share a favorite refreshing beverage recipe here as part of the 43Things Cookbook goal.

Ingredients:
6 tea bags (your choice though white or green work well)
3 white peaches, pitted and chunked
1/4 cup fresh raspberries, cleaned
about 2 quarts water

Directions:
1) Place peach chunks and raspberries in bottom of a clean 2 quart glass jar. Fill half-way with water then use potato masher to crush the fruit, infusing the water with the juices.

2) Fill jar with remaining water leaving room to add tea bags at top. Seal jar with lid and place outside in direct sunlight for 3 to 5 hours depending on how strong the sun is, and how strong you like your tea. Monitor the jar so that the sunlight continues to strike the jar, so the tea will seep.

3) Once the tea has reached the desired strength, move it into the refrigerator to chill or serve immediately over ice. You may remove the tea bags, or leave them in.

Again a recipe from one of the chefs of the world-famous Monkey Bar of Ann Arbor.

12 Avocados; scooped, pitted and mashed
1/2 (large) tomato; diced
1 (large) onion; diced
5 Serrano Peppers; roasted, seeded, and chopped finely
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
1.5 tablespoons black pepper
1.5 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon granulated garlic

Combine all ingredientes in a large bowl.

Makes about two quarts.