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Welcome to Spike's & Jamie's "Spike’s Good Eatin’ Recipe Collection Archives"!!  Here we store all the back issues of the original "Spike’s Good Eatin’ Recipe Collection" and of the "Spike’s Jewish Good Eatin’ Recipe Collection". These newsletters were written by Spike (Jann McCormick) and published by Jamie from 2000 until Spike's death in 2008.  Spike loved to cook and share her cooking with those she loved.  Sharing her recipes was the next best thing.

[Spike’s Jewish Good Eatin’ Recipes]  [Spike’s Good Eatin’ Recipe Collection]

October 24, 2002
from: Spike's and Jamie's Recipe Collection
http://www.spike-jamie.com/

Many of these recipes have not yet been added to the recipe web site - so you are getting a "sneak peek" of future additions. We hope you enjoy these recipes!!!

Shalom, from Spike the Grate and Jamie the Webmistress

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[] Tangerines are available in the supermarkets now, and they are simply lovely.[]

TANGERINES INFORMATION

In the dark ages citrus fruits were thought to be harmful if consumed, although the Mesopotamians loved them for their fragrance and beauty, and the Egyptians employed them in their embalming rituals. Most cultures used citrus fruits in some form even before they were accepted as a food: aphrodisiacs, a prevention or cure for fever, colds and scurvy; an antidote for poison, a deterrent for bugs.

Mandarin oranges, or tangerines, in their many forms are, perhaps, the most loved of all the citrus fruits. They are the perfect size for a single snack, their unique flavor and low acid content make them a welcome change from the ubiquitous orange and their short season of availability makes them seem even more precious.

Tangerine Tips:

When purchasing, choose tangerines that are plump and heavy for their size and soft to the touch, but firm underneath the skin. The loose-skinned varieties like Satsuma appear puffy.

Store tangerines at room temperature for a week, or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks
When using the zest or peel of any citrus fruit, it is preferable to buy organic fruit as it has not been sprayed.

Tangerine zest is almost as useful and prized as the flesh. In Chinese cookery it is an important seasoning that is sold as dried tangerine peel. It is soaked and used, sparingly, to flavor meat, poultry, soup and sweet dishes. The older skins are very expensive, some are said to be more than one hundred years old and are highly prized.

There are many everyday applications for the use of tangerine zest. It can be used in place of lemon zest to add a zing with less acid than lemon and a tangerine flavor for a sweeter taste.

Some tangerines don't zest as well as others, due to bumpy loose skin, or to thin skin that turns to mush when zested. Tangerine skin does not have a thick white layer (pith) between the skin and flesh. Thus, the entire skin can be used rather than cutting away the colored part and avoiding the pith, as is necessary with other citrus fruits. The skin, while tangy, is sweet and flavorful and tastes much like the tangerine flesh. It is good fresh, dried and frozen.

Tangerine skin may also be grated on any type of grater with tiny holes. Grating produces a more compact, moist zest, one teaspoon of which is equivalent to one tablespoon of zest produced from a zester.

Tangerine zest may be slightly dried, then frozen for use as needed.1 average tangerine equals about ¼ cup juice-more or less, depending upon size, type and juiciness of tangerine.

Tangerines lose some of their flavor when heated or cooked. If substituting tangerines for oranges in a recipe, use a bit extra tangerine or tangerine juice.

Add tangerine zest and minced garlic to soft butter to make a compound butter for vegetables, bread, seafood or poultry.

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[] Speaking of sea food, we fixed Dover Sole Filets last evening. Rolled them in flour, dipped them in egg beaten with 1 tsp water, then in crushed corn flakes. sprayed no-stickum on the baking dish, dropped the corn-flakey filets into the dish. Sprayed with butter flavored no-stickum, squirted some lemon juice, sprinkled some herbs and put into the oven at 325 deg. F. for about 15 minutes.

(The herbs I used are Lawry’s Perfect Blend Seasoning and Rub for Fish and Seafood. It is a wonderful blend, and includes pepper. It was not expensive.) []

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TANGERINE CHICKEN

Serves 6

Fresh tangerines are a cool foil to the slightly spicy chicken in this dish, with a sauce that must have rice to absorb every drop.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 24 strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup tangerine juice (juice from 4 tangerines)
2 tangerines, peeled, halved crosswise, seeded, and broken into segments

Mix flour, thyme, salt and peppers together. Pat chicken dry and coat with the flour mixture, saving any extra flour (tossing in a zip-style bag works well).

Heat the oil and butter together in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. When butter is melted and foam subsides, reduce heat to medium, add onions and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken breast strips with any remaining seasoned flour and cook 5 minutes,  stirring constantly.

Raise heat to high and add broth and tangerine juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until thickened. Add the segments from the 2 tangerines and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until chicken and tangerine segments are hot. Serve with rice, noodles, or crusty bread.

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CRANBERRY -TANGERINE SALSA
Makes 2 cups

This is a savory salsa, not a traditional sweet cranberry sauce. It is an ideal accompaniment to pork, veal, lamb, poultry, or hearty fish such as halibut or tuna. Use it on chicken, turkey or pork sandwiches as a wonderful condiment. Try it with mild sausages, or as a topping for goat  cheese or cream cheese to serve with crackers.

1 16-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/4 cup minced onions
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons tangerine juice
Zest from 1 tangerine (1 tsp. grated; 1 tablespoon zested)
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoons salt

Combine all ingredients and mix to blend. Best if made several hours before serving. May be made several days ahead and stored in refrigerator (it even freezes reasonably well). Serve at room temperature.

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HALF MOON BAY PUMPKIN BREAD 
Makes 3 loaves

3 C. sugar, granulated
3 1/2 C. flour, all-purpose
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
4 eggs
1 C. vegetable oil
2 C. pumpkin (cooked)
2/3 C. water
1 1/2 C. walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter your containers well. Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the eggs, oil, pumpkin and water. Beat thoroughly. It's easier to get all the lumps out if you use an electric mixer. Stir in the walnuts with a wooden spoon. 

Pour the batter into the containers, filling each only half to two-thirds full. Bake for 60-90 minutes, depending on the sizes of your containers. If you're using a very small container, start checking much sooner. The bread is done when a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Cool about ten minutes, then loosen the edges of the bread with a knife, and turn out of the pans to cool the rest of the way on a rack. 

For baking containers, you can use a loaf pan or metal cans. If you use 1-pound coffee cans, it takes three of them. For tiny loaves, use soup cans or mini loaf pans.

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RICE CAKE 
(TORTA DI RISO)

This recipe is an Easter tradition in Bologna, but it's good anywhere, anytime. This cake improves with age, so cook it up to several days in advance for best results.

4 cups (1 L) milk
1 1/4 cups (310 ml) sugar
1/4 tsp (1 ml) salt
The grated zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup (80 ml) rice, preferably Arborio
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped blanched almonds
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped candied citron or lemon peel
2 Tbs (30 ml) rum (optional)
Butter
Dry, unseasoned bread crumbs

Combine the milk, sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a pot and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Stir in the rice and simmer uncovered on the lowest possible setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes a dense, pale-brown mush. Set aside to cool. 

In a mixing bowl, beat the rice mixture into the eggs, adding it a little at a time, until combined. Stir in the almonds, citron, and optional rum until thoroughly combined. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 6-cup (1.5 L) rectangular cake pan and coat with bread crumbs. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake in a preheated 350F (180C) oven for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack and invert onto a serving platter. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or at room  temperature for 24 hours before serving. Serves 6 to 8. Bon appetit from the Chef at World Wide Recipes

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[] Would anybody like to know what treacle is? We see it in recipes rather often, especially from readers who have sent them from the UK. I’ve probably looked in my dictionary 100 times, because I can’t seem to remember what it is. Here we are:

“Treacle, a byproduct of making sugar, is available in two varieties. Dark treacle is very similar to dark molasses, and the two can be used interchangeably in recipes. Light treacle, also known as golden syrup, is similar to corn syrup which can be substituted. Lyle's is a popular brand of golden syrup which is available in some gourmet shops in the United States.” from www.worldwiderecipes.com []

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[] Here is a recipe from Chef Herschel, who “chairs” the kitchen at a yeshiva in Jerusalem: []

SEA BASS WITH MOROCCAN SALSA

This recipe is a lot of fun -- much easier than it looks and they'll love it!

Mint, orange peel, cinnamon and raisins give this dish the distinctive flair of North African cooking, which has become so popular. Couscous with minced green onions would be a delicious accompaniment. 

3 medium-size red bell peppers

5 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives or other brine-cured black olives
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (packed) chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon (scant) cayenne

6 6-ounce sea bass fillets 

Char peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides, turning frequently with tongs. I don't use a gas flame. I put peppers stem side down in a pan in a hot oven and cook them until the skin blackens. No fuss, no bother. I seed them but I don't peel them. Transfer peppers to medium bowl. Cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed and coarsely chop peppers; return to same bowl. 

Heat 1-tablespoon oil in heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add cumin and cinnamon; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour oil mixture over peppers. Mix in olives, next 7 ingredients and 2 tablespoons oil. Season salsa with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature, tossing occasionally.)

Preheat broiler. Brush fish all over with 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until fish is opaque in center, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Spoon salsa over. 

Makes 6 servings.

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Nice stuff, all of it! I apologize for the lapse of time between newsletters, and will attempt to prepare them more timely in future. 


Shalom, from Spike and Jamie

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