Cella's News February 2011

"providing you with recipes to help make you the best cook in the neighborhood"

Cella's News

February 2011

Don't Say You're Not Important

Don't say you're not important,
It simply isn't true,
The fact that you were born,
Is proof . . . God has a plan for you.

The path may seem unclear right now,
But one day you will see,
That all that came before,
Was truly meant to be.

God wrote the book that is your life,
That's all you need to know.
Each day that you are living,
Was written long ago.

God only writes best sellers,
So be proud of who you are,
Your character is important,
In this book you are the "Star."

Enjoy the novel as it reads,
It will stand throughout the ages,
Savor each chapter as you go,
Taking time to turn the pages.

(Author Unknown)

Got 60 Seconds? Mix Up Some Bread

My favorite recipe this month is the 60-second bread. I saw it being made online - no kneading. You just mix up four ingredients in less than a minute, let it rise eight to twelve hours, plop it out of the bowl onto a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 30 or 40 minutes. Now how hard can that be for delicious, chewy bread? Every time I've made it, it's been eaten; excuse me, it's been devoured.

Special thanks to Edgardo Delagado II for his delicious Puerto Rican Rice and Beans recipe. It contains some ingredients that I have never used before, but I bought them, all in Aisle 5 of the Tops store in Springville; pigeon peas are in a yellow can, right next to the Sofrito, a rich-tasting tomato-based sauce containing green peppers, onions, cilantro, garlic, and olive oil. You'll have some left over after making the Puerto Rican Rice and Bean dish. The sauce can be added to some of your favorite tomato-based dishes, sauces, and soups. The Spanish-style tomato sauce and Adobo all purpose seasoning salt with cumin, used in the recipe are also in Aisle 5.

Today I made two pints of canned butter for the first time, and I am in the process of making Hamburger Rocks - dehydrated hamburger. Five pounds of hamburger is suppose to dry down to fit into one quart. I'm dehydrating the burger in the oven. It's taking much longer than expected. If you'd like to know about how to make these recipes, visit endtimesreport.com online or contact me. Buy extra butter when it is on sale and can it.

I'd like to recommend the Italian Pasta Diet for those wishing to lose weight: You walka pasta da bakery, you walka pasta da candy store, you walka pasta da ice cream shoppe, and you walka pasta da table and fridge. But before you go on the diet, be sure and try my new recipes. My brother especially likes my mom's Date Nut Cake. And I sampled Anna's pasta recipe at work and just had to have the recipe.

60-second bread
(Lazy Man's Bread)

Note: Bread can be mixed up in less than a minute, but it must rise for 8 to 12 hours. Mix up bread at night and bake while you are getting ready for the day, or mix up bread in the morning to bake for your evening meal. Use bread flour if you have it.

4 cups sifted flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry yeast
2 cups warm water

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Dissolve the yeast in warm water and combine with the flour mixture. Mix with a spoon until dough leaves sides of bowl (less than one minute). Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with dish towel, or plastic, and let rise 8 to 12 hours. Dump dough onto a greased baking sheet and with floured hands, form into a large round ball, or an oblong roll. Bake in 350 degree oven until bread is lightly browned; bread is done when you tap the top of the loaf and it sounds hollow. Remove bread to wire rack to cool, and rub butter on top of loaf when hot for a soft crust.

Nut Cake with Brown Sugar Syrup
(Florence Richards)

Cake
1 cup chopped dates
1 level teaspoon baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 large egg
2/3 cup flour, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Brown Sugar Sauce for Cake
1 cup boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter

Combine dates, baking soda, and boiling water. Let sit while you combine in a large mixing bowl the white sugar, butter, egg, flour, vanilla, and walnuts. Mix in the date mixture. Pour into a greased 8x8-inch baking pan and bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Prepare brown sugar sauce by combining sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring sauce to a boil and boil lightly for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken more as it cools. Serve sauce hot or cold on cake when ready to eat.

Pasta alla Boscaiola (Pasta Woodman Style)
(Anna Porter)

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3/4 to 1 pound Italian sausage (casings removed)
4-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
14-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pound rigatoni or large spiral macaroni
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Ricotta cheese
grated cheese, your favorite, amount as desired
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan, add garlic and lightly brown. Stir in chopped onions and sauté until soft. Stir in sausage and cook until no pink remains. Add mushrooms and tomatoes. Bring to a boil then simmer 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Add heavy cream to sausage mixture. Bring to a boil. Spoon Ricotta into sauce and mix well. Add cooked pasta and stir to coat evenly. Mix in grated cheese and serve.

Puerto Rican Rice and Beans
(Edgardo Delgado II)

1/4 cup ham, diced
1/4 cup pepperoni, diced
1/4 cup green olives, diced
2 (8-oz.) cans Goya tomato sauce (Spanish style)
2 tablespoons Sofrito (Tomato cooking base)
1 or 2 tablespoons Adobo seasoned salt
15.5-oz can pigeon peas (Pois Congo)
2 cups uncooked rice
3 cups water

Place ham, pepperoni, green olives, tomato sauce, Sofrito, and seasoned salt in a large pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add one can of pigeon peas, 2 cups rice, and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Stir a lot until rice is tender.

Send your favorite family recipes to Marcella Stockin, 5200 Riceville Road, West Valley, New York 14171 or e-mail me at marcellastockin@yahoo.com. Providing you with recipes to help make you the best cook in the neighborhood. Visit my website at cellascookbook.com for more recipes and archived newsletters.