American Samoa
Fa'Alifu Fa'I 2 bunches green bananas, peeled
2 cans coconut milk
1 cup chopped onions
Fill pot with enough water to completely cover bananas. Bring water to a
boil. Add bananas. Cook until tender when poked with fork. Drain water
completely when cooked. Mix coconut milk, onions and salt to taste. Stir.
Add to bananas and bring to a boil. Bananas are cooked when the coconut milk
has changed into a thicker consistency (like spaghetti sauce)
************************ Puerto Rico
Arroz con Gandules - Puerto Rican Red Beans and Rice 3/4 lbs green pigeon peas
3 cups of water (used to precook the green pigeon peas)
2 cups of white rice
2 ounces of smoked ham, diced (makes approx. 2/3 cup)
2 tablespoons of corn oil or olive oil
1/2 cup of sofrito
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp of salt
For soaking the green pigeon peas:
1 quart of water
2 teaspoons of salt
Rinse the rice and set aside. Soak the green pigeon peas in 1 quart of water
and 2 teaspoons af salt for 15 minutes. Then rinse them and cook them in 4
cups of water until they have softened. Test by picking up one pea in a
spoon and squeezing with between two fingers. You should be able to squeeze
it without much effort. Take care to not over cook them to point where they
break apart.
When they are cooked, set aside 3 cups of water used to cook them in. Rinse
the peas and set aside
In a 4 quart cooking pan, add the 2 tablespoons of oil, smoked ham and simmer
over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Then add the sofrito and the tomato sauce
and simmer for another 3 minutes as you mix the items.
Raise the heat to moderate-high and add two table spoons of the water that
was set aside and the green pigeon peas. Simmer for 3 minutes as you mix the
items.
Raise the heat to high and add the water that was set aside. Once the water
begins to boil, add the rice. Mix all the items well.
Once the water starts to boil again, reduce the heat to moderate high and
cook uncovered until most (but not all) the water has evaporated.
Reduce the heat to low. Mix the rice again then put the lid on the pan and
cook for 15 minutes.
Mix the rice once more and continue to cook until the rice is fully cooked.
You can sample the rice to see if it is fully cooked. It should be soft to
chew.
Makes approximately 6 servings.
*************************** U.S. Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands-style Meat Pate Turnovers 2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons shortening
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 sweet green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced celery
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
Vegetable oil, for deep fat frying
Place flour, salt and baking powder into a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening
until mixture turns crumbly. Add enough water to form a soft dough. Knead
dough for a few minutes, then cover with a damp cloth and let rest for about
10 minutes. Meanwhile, make filling by sautéing beef, green pepper, onion,
celery, parsley, garlic and oregano for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until
meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Drain fat from pan. Stir in
bread crumbs, tomato paste and hot pepper sauce. Form dough into golf-sized
balls. Roll balls out until ¼-inch thick and circular in shape. Place a
spoonful of filling on each circle of dough. Moisten edges of dough with
water and fold over turnover-style using the tines of a fork to seal the
sides of the dough with the filling tucked inside. Deep fry pates until
golden brown. Drain on paper towels. This is a popular snack eaten any time
of day. Serves 6.
*************************** Guam Coconut Candy 3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup milk
3 cups shredded coconut
In a saucepan, boil sugar and milk over medium heat until it becomes a thin
syrup (232 to 240 degrees on your candy thermometer). Add coconut, stirring
constantly to prevent burning. Color should be a nice golden brown. Spread
over a flat plate and let cool. May be eaten warm or chilled. Makes 24 pieces
*************************** Federated States of Micronesia
Qari Vakasoso - Coconut Crab 1 large or 2 med. crabs (about 2 c. meat)
1 coconut, halved
1 white onion
1 head nappa cabbage
1 large tomato
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut cream
Boil and remove meat from crab. Shred cabbage finely and blanch in salted
water; strain. Finely chop onion. Peel tomato and chop. Grate coconut meat,
taking care to keep shell intact and leave plenty of coconut in the shell
(extra coconut meat keeps well frozen.) Put shell aside. Mix crab, onion,
tomato, cabbage, and 2 T. grated coconut. Place in shell and pour coconut
cream on top. Place the top of the shell on the coconut half & steam in small
saucepan for 15 minutes. Serve in shell. Excellent for a buffet, it may also
be prepared with any available combination of fish or shellfish. Approximatly
4-6 servings as an entree. More delicious than fruit bat stew!
***************************
Northern Mariana Islands
Buchibuchi - Fried Pumpkin Turnover Filling:
1 small pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Peel pumpkin. Cut pumpkin into medium sized cubes and boil in water until
tender. Drain. Place pumpkin in a large bowl and mash. Add sugar and
cinnamon.
Turnover Pastry
4 cups flour
1 tbs.. sugar
3/4 coconut milk
1 tsp. shortening
1/2 tsp. baking powder (optional)
Mix flour and coconut milk until easy to handle. Roll dough thinly and cut
into inch rounds. Fill one tablespoon onto dough, fold over and press ends.
Pinch ends with fork. In a deep skillet, fry turnovers in hot oil until
golden brown.
Cream sugar and shortening together. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add peach
puree and dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Add vanilla and chopped pecans and
stir until blended. Pour into two loaf pans approximately 5- x 9-inches in
size, that have been well greased and floured. Bake at 325 degrees F for 55
minutes to 1 hour. Let bread cool a few minutes before removing from pan.
******************* Spareribs Hawaiian 2-1/2 to 3 lb. meaty pork spareribs (or lamb breast)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/4 c. thinly sliced celery
1/4 c. green pepper, cut in 1/2 inch squares
2 Tbsp. margarine or butter or pork fat
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2-1/2 c. (one No. 2 can) pineapple chunks or tidbits
1/4 c. vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Arrange spareribs (or lamb breast) meaty-side up, in shallow pan; salt and
pepper lightly. Roast in fairly hot oven (400 degree) 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook chopped onion, celery and green pepper in margarine or pork
fat 5 minutes; sprinkle with cornstarch, then stir in 1 cup syrup drained
from pineapple chunks, and cook, stirring until transparent. Add vinegar and
soy sauce. Add pineapple chunks. Pour off fat from roasting pan; pour
pineapple and liquid over meat. Reduce heat to 350 degree, and cook about 45
minutes or until done, basting with liquid in pan. Serves 4 to 6.
******************** IDAHO Chicken 3 T Butter or margarine
1/2 c Celery, chopped, with leaves
2 c Milk
2 t Salt
1/2 t Marjoram, dried leaf
4 ea Idaho potatoes
1/2 c Onion, chopped
2 T Flour
1 T Lemon juice
1/4 t Pepper
2 1/2 c Chicken, cooked, cut up
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Add onion and celery with leaves; cook until tender.
3. Blend in flour; stir in milk.
4. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and comes to a boil.
5. Stir in lemon juice, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, pepper, marjoram and chicken;
remove from heat.
6. Pare potatoes; cut in very thin slices.
7. Place sliced potatoes in a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish; sprinkle with
remaining salt.
8. Pour chicken sauce over potatoes; cover and bake in preheated 425'F. oven
1 hour, or until potatoes are tender.
********************** ILLINOIS Apple Pie CRISCO CRUST
2 c All-purpose flour
1/4 ts Salt
1 c Crisco shortening
1/2 c Ice water
1/4 c Milk
1/4 c White sugar
APPLE FILLING
6 c Tart apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 c White sugar
1/2 c Brown sugar
1 ts Cinnamon
2 tb Lemon juice
1/4 ts Salt
1/4 ts Nutmeg
1 tb Butter
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. For crust, combine flour and salt in mixing
bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or 2 knifes until mixture is
uniform. Add water; toss lightly with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide
dough into 2 parts. On lightly floured surface, roll bottom crust into circle
1/8" thick and about 1 1/2" larger than inverted 9" pie plate. Gently, ease
dough into pie plate, being careful not to stretch dough. Trim edge even with
pie plate. For apple filling: Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Stir
until mixed well. Spoon into unbaked pie shell. Use remaining half of dough
to roll top crust, as instructed for bottom crust. Lift onto filled pie. Trim
1/2" beyond edge of pie plate. Fold top edge under bottom crust; flute as
desired. Cut slits or design in top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush top
crust with milk; sprinkle with white sugar. Bake @ 450 degrees for 20
minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes or
until crust in golden brown. Cool and serve .
********************* INDIANA Butterscotch Pie 1-1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
2 cups milk
Melt brown sugar and butter in saucepan. Add rest of ingredients. Cook until
thick in double boiler. Put in baked crust. Top with Meringue.
Meringue:
2 egg whites
pinch salt
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
Dash vanilla
*************************** IOWA Corn Casserole 1 lb Bacon, diced
2 c Bread crumbs
1/4 c Minced onion
2 can Cream style corn (16.5 oz. ea.)
In a skillet, fry the bacon until lightly browned. Remove and set aside. Pour
1/8 to 1/4 cup of the bacon drippings over bread crumbs; set aside. Discard
all but 2 tablespoons of remaining drippings; saute onion and green pepper
until tender. Stir in corn and bacon. Spoon into a 1 quart baking dish;
sprinkle with crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly
and heated through. Yield: 6-8 servings.
*********************** KANSAS Omelet 12 Slices thick white toasting bread
6 eggs
1-1/2 c milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb Flavorful ham, finely diced
2 c Grated white cheddar cheese
1. Butter a shallow 10 inch baking dish. Remove the crust from the bread
and cut the bread into fourths. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs
and milk. Add plenty of salt and pepper.
3. Put a third of the bread into the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping
the squares. Add half of the ham, then half of the cheese. Continue
layering in this way, ending with bread.
4. Ladle the egg mixture onto the bread, letting it trickle down the sides of
the pan.
5. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it overnight or
for as long as 2 days. 6. Set the oven at 400F. Bake the omelet for 50-55
minutes or until it is browned and puffed. Serve at once. 6 servings
************************* KENTUCKY Bourbon Brown Sugar Pound Cake 3 c all-purpose flour
3/4 t salt
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 c milk
2 t vanilla extract
6 T bourbon
1-1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c plus 1/3 cup sugar
1 c butter (2 sticks), softened
5 eggs
2 T orange juice
strawberries and blueberries for garnish
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan. In medium
bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Combine milk,
vanilla, and 4 tablespoons bourbon. In large bowl, with mixer at medium
speed, beat brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar until free of lumps.
Add butter and beat at high speed until light and creamy, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed,
alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with
flour mixture. Pour batter into pan. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until
cake springs back when lightly touched with finger and toothpick inserted in
center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.
Remove cake from pan. In small bowl, combine orange juice, 1/3 cup sugar,
and remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon; brush mixture all over warm cake.
Cool cake completely. Garnish with berries if you like.
************************ LOUISIANA Red Beans and Rice 1 lb red beans, soaked in about 2 quarts water overnight
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
dash of ground cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 package smoked sausage, cut in 1/4-inch thick slices
Rinse and drain soaked beans; place in a 5 to 6-quart Dutch oven and add
about 6 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for
about 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are tender. Stir occasionally. Add
remaining ingredients and salt to taste; simmer for about 1 hour, stirring
occasionally. Add water as necessary. Serve over hot rice. Serves 6.
************************** MAINE Lobster Rolls This popular Maine sandwich couldn't be easier!
3 ounces of cooked lobster meat for each roll
Mayonnaise
Choice of dinner rolls
Cut the cooked lobster meat into bite size pieces. Mix with mayonnaise to
desired consistency. Place in dinner roll. Traditional Maine lobster rolls
are often made with fresh hot dog rolls, but any dinner roll will do. Eat as
is, or butter both sides of the roll and grill in a frying pan until golden
brown.
*************************** MARYLAND Crab Cakes 1 lb. fresh backfin crabmeat
1 large egg
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning, optional
2 tbsps. regular, low-fat, or nonfat mayonnaise
8 saltine crackers, crumbled
vegetable oil for sauteing, optional
Homemade Cocktail Sauce for serving, recipe follows
Carefully remove the cartilage from the crabmeat, keeping the pieces as large
as possible. Blot crabmeat with paper towels. In a medium bowl, mix the egg,
Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, and mayonnaise until combined. Add crabmeat
and crackers and toss lightly but thoroughly. Shape the mixture into 6 large
crab cakes or 24 small crab balls. Place on a baking sheet or platter. If not
cooking immediately, refrigerate covered. Pour about 1/4 inch of oil into a
large skillet and heat over moderate heat until hot. Add crab cakes or balls
without crowding and saute' on each side until golden, about 2 to 4 minutes
per side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Or, if desired, broil as close to
unit as possible on each side until golden. Serve with Homemade Cocktail
Sauce. Makes 6 main-dish crab cakes or 24 appetizer crab balls.
Homemade Cocktail Sauce: 8 to 10 plum tomatoes about 1 1/4 lbs.)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
2 tbsps. sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice
3 tbsps. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
1 tbsp. cream-style horseradish
Cut tomatoes in half crosswise (not through stem end), squeeze out seeds, and
chop into about 1/4-inch dice. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, stir together
tomatoes, onion, celery, garlic, vinegars, sugar, pepper, Worcestershire
sauce, lemon juice, tomato paste, and salt. Cover with lid or vented plastic
wrap and microwave for 30 to 40 minutes or until very thick, stirring every
10 minutes. Stir in horseradish. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for
flavors to blend. (The sauce may be refrigerated up to 2 weeks.) Serve with
crab cakes, shrimp, or other seafood. Makes 2-1/4 cups.
**************************