Any gathering is probably best remembered for the food that was served. Here is a unique selection of tried & true taste-tempting dishes popular around the world ... certain to ensure the success of your next party.
English Cheddar and Bacon Bits
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese
10 slices bacon, cooked
1 medium onion
4 tbsp. prepared mustard
12-14 slices white bread
Grind together cheese, bacon and onion. Marinate mixture with mustard. Let stand several hours. Spread on bread and toast until brown. Trim off crusts and cut in desired shapes. Serve hot. Makes about 50.
Italian Parmesan Wafers
Wafers
6 tbsp. butter
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 cup sifted flour
½ tsp. double-acting baking powder
Spread
2 tbsp. butter
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Wafers: Combine butter and cheese. Sift flour with baking powder. Blend thoroughly into butter mixture. Form into a smooth ball. Begin heating oven to 400ºF. On floured board, roll out dough 1/8” thick. Then cut out 1½” diam. circles. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Prick with fork. Bake 7 minutes or until golden. Cool on rack. Yield: 50 wafers. Spread: Combine butter and cheese. Spread very gently on 25 wafers. Top with remaining wafers.
Yugoslavian Eggplant Spread
1 medium eggplant
4 green peppers
1 ½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ cup olive oil
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice
crisp crackers
Heat oven to 475ºF. Place eggplant and green peppers in shallow baking dish. Bake 30 minutes or until tender. Cover dish and cool 10 mins. Using paring knife, remove skin from eggplant and skin and seeds form peppers. Finely chop eggplant and peppers. Add salt, pepper, salad oil and lemon juice. Mix well. Refrigerate. Serve on crisp crackers. Makes 1½ cups.
Banjo’s Greek Dish
31bs. chuck steak, cut into strips
4 ½ cups water
3 medium onions
3 cans string (green) beans, drained
3 cans carrot slices, drained
3 stalks celery, diced
3 8oz. cans tomato sauce
3 cups water
salt, oregano, garlic salt, bay leaves to desired taste.
In large Dutch oven, thoroughly brown steak strips in cooking oil (about 15-20 mins.). Add 4½ cups water; simmer for one hour. Add remaining ingredients; simmer until vegetables are tender. Serves 18-20.
Oriental Delight
2 cups green pepper strips
1 1/3 cups bias cut celery strips
4 tbsp. olive oil
4 lbs. minute steaks, cut into 1”strips
1 1/3 cups cold water
4 tbsp. soy sauce.
8 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 medium tomatoes, peeled & cut into wedges
4 cups hot cooked rice
1 tsp. ground ginger.
In Dutch oven, quickly cook green pepper and celery in oil until crisp and tender. Remove from pot and set aside. Add meat to hot pot; brown quickly. Combine water, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar & salt; add to pot. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and bubbles. Add celery, green pepper and tomato. Heat through. Serve over ginger rice: toss rice with ginger. Serves 10-12.
Roasted Chicken with Albanian Sweet Stuffing
6-8lb. roasting chicken
4 cups soft bread crumbs
1 cup butter
½ cup currents
½ cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
½ cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. chicken broth (from dissolved bullion cubes)
Thoroughly wash and prepare chicken. Brown bread crumbs in butter. Add rest of ingredients and toss lightly until thoroughly mixed. Stuff neck and body cavity of prepared chicken. Serves 10 to 12.
Russian Tea
1 cup tang
½ cup instant tea
½ cup sugar (granulated)
½ tsp. each of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together. Put 2 teaspoons in cup, fill with boiling water. Stir well.
Polynesian Party Punch
1 ½ cups pineapple juice
3 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup strong tea
1 ¾ cups sugar syrup (2 cups sugar to 1 cup water)
Just before serving, add 2 quarts ginger ale. Makes 4 quarts.
Warm Wassail Punch from England
3/4 cup red cinnamon drops
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
10 crab apples
1 gallon apple cider
4 lemons, thinly sliced
10 whole cloves
22 cinnamon sticks
In sauce pan, combine cinnamon drops, sugar, corn syrup and 1½ cups water. Heat, stirring often, until mixture boils. Then heat without stirring until a little dropped in very cold water separates into threads which are hard but not brittle. Remove syrup from heat. In syrup, coat apples, one at a time, removing each from pan with slotted spoon. Place on greased cookie sheet to cool. Store in cool, dry place. In kettle, combine apple cider, lemon slices (studded with cloves), and 2 whole cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, about 45 mins. With slotted spoon, remove lemon slices and cinnamon sticks. Pour steaming punch into serving bowl. Let apples bob on top (Candy coating on apples will dissolve and help to flavour punch). Ladle Wassail into punch cups with cinnamon stick as swizzles in each. Makes about 20 6 oz. servings.
German Apple Kuchen
1 cup sifted flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 ½ tbsp. butter
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
about 3 apples, sliced
Sift dry ingredients. Cut in butter, like pastry and add egg and milk. Stir. Spread dough 1/4” thick on greased 9” pie plate. Arrange apple slices closely on dough. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and dot with butter. Bake at 425ºF for 25 mins. Very good with canned or fresh peaches too!
Finish Strawberry Puff
4 cups fresh strawberries, washed & cup up
1 cup granulated sugar
4 egg whites
1 ½ cups heavy cream
12 whole strawberries
In medium bowl, crush 4 cups strawberries. Then stir in ½ cup sugar. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, then gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff. Whip cream until thick, reserve about 2/3 cup. Then fold rest of cream with beaten egg whites into strawberries. Spoon into sherbet glasses, decorate top with dab of reserved cream. Garnish with whole strawberry. Serves 12.
Good Old American Cheese Cake
Crust:
1/3 box graham crackers, crushed
¼ cup butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
Blend ingredients. Press evenly onto 9” ungreased pie plate. DO NOT BAKE.
Cake:
3 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp. almond extract
1 lb. cream cheese
Beat ingredients with mixer until thick and smooth. Pour onto prepared graham cracker crust. Bake 30-35 mins. at 350ºF. Turn off oven. Let stand 20 additional mins. in oven
Topping:
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
1 pint sour cream
Fold these ingredients together. Spread over top of cake. Bake entire cheesecake 15 mins. at 350ºF. When cool, cut into small triangles. About 16-20 servings.
