July 29, 1955 Picnic Fare Meat Balls en Brochette, A Good Barbecue Sauce, Cherry Upside Down Cake

Picnic Fare

Meat Balls en brochette

Potato Chips      Cole Slaw with Green Pepper

Cherry Upside Down Cake

Meat Balls en Brochette

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
Tomato wedges
Cooked Whole Onions
Barbecue sauce or melted butter

Combine meat and seasonings. Form into 16 balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on skewers first a meat ball, then an onion, another meat ball and a tomato wedge. Broil 2 or 3 inches from the heat, turning them so they are browned on all sides. Excellent for outdoor grilling also. Makes 8 kebobs but my guess is you'd better plan on two per person, especially if you are eating outdoors. Be sure and brush kebobs with butter or barbecue sauce during cooking.

A Good Barbecue Sauce

2 T. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. brown sugar
Dash cayenne
1/2 t dry mustard
1 t. salt
2 T. Vinegar
4 T. lemon juice
1 c. ketchup
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. water

Cook onion in butter for a few minutes, Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Use for basting meat while cooking. Will keep in covered jar in refrigerator.

Cherry Upside Down Cake

2/3 c. sugar
2 T. clear jel
1 #2 can unsweetened sour cherries, drained
1/3 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. grated orange rind
1 3/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. all bran

Add drained juice to clear jel. Cook until thick and clear, stirring constantly. Add sugar and continue cooking until very thick and shiny. Add cherries, pour into greased 8 x 8 x 2 pan. Cream shortening, add sugar gradually and continue creaming until fluffy. Add egg and orange rind and beat until well blended. Sift flour with baking powder, soda and salt. Add alternately with orange juice and milk to creamed mixture. Fold in all bran. Spread batter over cherries at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Invert on serving plate. Serve warm.

Note: You may use 2 1/2 T. cornstarch instead of clear jel. Combine sugar and cornstarch, add cherry liquid. Cook until thick and clear and proceed as above. Clear jel is a fruit pie thickener available at Atlantic Supply, 30 East Main Street.

April 27, 1954 Italian Stuffed Tufoli, Italian Tomato Sauce and Meat Balls, Chocolate Peppermint Pie

Italian Stuffed Tufoli

3/4 lb. Bravo Tufoli
4 quarts boiling water
1 T. salad oil or vegetable shortening
1 1/2 T. salt
1 recipe Italian Tomato Sauce and Meat balls
1 recipe Ricotta Filling
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook Tufoli and the 4 quarts of boiling water with the salad oil and salt for 30 minutes or until crispy tender. Pour a little cold water in utensil and drain in colander. Place Ricotta Filling in pastry bag with plain opening or tube. Fill tufoli being careful not to overfill. Place filled tufoli in greased baking dish measuring 12 x 8 x 2. Sprinkle each layer with 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese and spread with 1/2 c. or more of the Italian Sauce. It is better not to have more than 3 layers of tufoli in the dish. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 1 hour. Remove from oven. and pour more sauce over top if it appears dry. Letr stand q15 minutes before serving. Pick up carefully with a large serving spoon.

Ricotta Filling

3 pounds ricotta cheese
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 T. salt
1/4 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. pepper
1/3 c. finely chopped parsley

 Combine all ingredients and beat until well blended. See recipe above for stuffing.

Italian Tomato Sauce and Meat Balls

1 pound ground beef
1 c. bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 t.salt
1/8 t.pepper
1 T. chopped onion
1 T. Parmesan cheese
2 T. diced salt pork
1 clove garlic
2 cans tomato paste
1 large can tomato puree

Combine meat, bread crumbs, eggs salt, pepper, onion, Parmesan cheese. Shape into 12 balls. Melt salt pork in skillet, brown meat balls, remove to saucepan. Mince garlic and and brown in skillet; add to meat balls in saucepan. Combine tomato paste and puree and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add to meat balls and garlic. Simmer 3 to 4 hours. Serves 8.

Editor's Note: The number of cans of tomato puree was illegible. You may need to adjust.

Chocolate Peppermint Pie

2 sq. unsweetened Chocolate
2 T. butter
2/3 c. confectioners sugar
2 T. hot water
1 1/2 c. shredded coconut, finely snipped (4 oz.)
1 quart peppermint ice cream

Melt chocolate and butter together over low heat. Add sugar and water. Reserve 2 T. chocolate mixture for garnish. Fold in coconut to remaining chocolate mixture. Pour into well buttered 9 inch pie plate; freeze until firm (about 10 min.).

To serve immediately: Remove chocolate shell from freezer, scoop out ice cream in small rounds and place in shell. Garnish with reserved chocolate.

To store in freezer: Freeze shell until firm; fill with softened ice cream; garnish with reserved chocolate. Return to freezer until firm. Package and freeze for several weeks. Or just shell may be packaged and frozen. Serves 6 or 7.

March 3, 1955 Bravo 60 Second Macaroni with Special Sauce and Meat Balls, Custard Pie

Bravo 60 Second Macaroni with Special Sauce and Meat Balls

Meat Balls:

1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/4 c. corn meal
1 pound ground beef
2 T. shortening

Beat egg well, add milk, salt and corn meal. Combine thoroughly with been and shape into 12 balls. Brown in shortening in skillet.


Quick Sauce:

1/2 c. minced onion
1 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
2 c. spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. sliced mushrooms, cooked or uncooked
2 c. tomatoes
1 1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 box Bravo 60 Second Macaroni

Add all ingredients except macaroni to meat balls in skillet. Simmer over very low heat for 1 hour. 5 minutes before serving time cook macaroni according to directions on package.

Custard Pie

Prepare pastry and make an unbaked 9 inch pastry shell. Chill thoroughly.

4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 c. milk, scalded
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. nutmeg

Beat egg slightly, add sugar and salt; slowly stir in scalded milk; add vanilla. Strain mixture into pastry shell, sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 450 degrees 10 minutes, then 325 degrees 20 minutes or until custard is firm.

Tips to prevent soggy crust:

1. Chill crust before adding filling
2. Scald milk, this makes the custard start baking faster.
3. Bake on lower shelf of oven.
4. Start baking in hot oven to set crust, reduce temperature to finish baking.
5. Too long baking makes custard "watery." Bake just until a silver knife inserted into side of custard comes out clean. The center will still be a bit soft, it will set later on.

Tip:  For coconut custard pie follow recipe above except omit nutmeg, stir into custard 1 c. shredded moist coconut before baking. For a richer pie use part light cream for the milk.