the 44 cordial

the 44 cordial ~
rigidily ritualized: an orange pierced 44 times, stuffed with 44 coffee beans, white rum sweetened with 44 tsp of sugar. steep for 44 days in a cool, dark spot, swirling occassionally. on the 44th day, remove the orange and strain the liqueur through cheese cloth and transfer to a clean container, freeze until ready to serve. serve neat.

buy a wide mouth jar that is holds 1 quart. pierce a large navel orange (make sure it fits in your jar) 44 times with a paring knife 1" deep per slit. then stuff each slit with a coffee bean (i used french roast). place your orange and 44 tsp sugar (1 scant cup) in the jar. top it off with white rum (a 750ml bottle of bacardi will do and leave you extra for your bar). and let it steep for 44 days in a cool dark spot.

mushroom - leek quesadillas

serves 8

time: 1 hour

4 cups well rinsed and chopped leeks, white & tender green parts only (about 2 large leeks)

3 tbls vegetable oil

4 cups sliced mushrooms (12 ounces)

8 ounces cream cheese or neufchatel at room temp.

2 tbls minced green olives

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

12 nine inch flour tortillas

1 cup prepared salsa

to make the filling:

saute leeks in a large skillet with 2 tbls of oil for 5 minutes. add shrooms and saute on medium heat until juices have evaporated. remove from heat and add the cream cheese, olives & cheese.

to prepare:

heat a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. lightly oil the pan and brown one side of all 12 tortillas & set them aside.

preheat oven to 400*

to assemble:

take one browned tortilla and with the browned side down, top it with 2 tbls salsa and 1/2 cup of shroom mixture, spreading to cover. place another tortilla, browned side up ontop. repeat until you have finished all 6 quesadillas.

to finish:

place the quesadillas on two cookie sheets and place in preheated oven for 5 minutes, until piping hot. remove, slice & serve immediately.

chocolate pudding cake

serves 6 - 8
prep time - 20 minutes
bake time - 25 minutes
cool time - 15 minutes

" there is an uncanny sense of kitchen magic at work with this cake. when you follow the recipe, it seems strange --as if it won't work. but the results will surprise and please you! this is a great cooking project with children, who will enjoy both the making and devouring of it. " moosewood celebrates

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup unbleached white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy milk or milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups boiling water

preheat oven to * 350 & oil a 9 x 13 inch baking dish

in a mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the cocoa powder with the flour, baking soda & powder and salt. mix well. stir in the milk & vanilla and mix into a thick batter. spread into the prepared dish.

in a seperate bowl, mix the brown sugar with the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the rest of the cocoa powder. sprinkle mixture evenly over the batter in the dish. pour the boiling water over the top.

bake until the pudding cake is set around the sides and the top is loose and slightly bubbly, 20 - 25 minutes. cool in the dish for 15 minutes before serving. the pudding layer thickens nicely as it sits.

serve warm or at room temp. with berries, whipped cream or ice cream