Native American pumpkin bread (Natif du pain de citrouille américaine)

The dried pumpkin is pounded, sifted, then soaked in cold water for an hour to an hour and a half. It is then sweetened and grease added. A pan is greased, the pumpkin placed in it, marked with a knife into cakes, and baked in the oven." ... "Cornmeal and Pumpkin: The pumpkin is sliced, boiled, sugar is added, also Indian corn meal to make a pudding. This is eaten with sutgar and milk."

Assemble these supplies:

1 1/2 cups (200g) flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin purée*
1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped walnuts

*To make pumpkin purée, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a foil or Silpat lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use. Or, if you are working with pumpkin pieces, roast or boil them until tender, then remove and discard the skin.

Steps in preparation:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
2 Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts.
3 Pour into a well-buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Bake 50-60 minutes until a thin skewer poked in the very center of the loaf comes out clean. Turn out of the pan and let cool on a rack.
Can easily double the recipe.

Yield: Makes one loaf.

Beet cake

Assemble these supplies:

1 1/2 cups beets, cooked and mash-ed and put through sieve and measured
3 eggs
1 cup salad oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
2 squares melted chocolate
1 1/2 teaspoons soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tablespoon vanilla


Cream cheese frosting 


1/2 cup (115 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups (250 grams) powdered sugar
1/2 cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 teeny-tiny pinch citric acid (or 1/4 tsp lemon juice)
1–2 tbsp milk


Steps in preparation:

1.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 10x15-inch rimmed sheet pan by greasing it and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Set it aside for later.
2.In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
3.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugars until they are well combined on medium-low.
4.Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5.Add the vanilla and beat again.
6.With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk and the grated beets. Continue mixing and scraping down the bowl until the batter is well mixed.
7.Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake it for about 40 minutes or until a cake tester poked through the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan when it is done.
8.Let the cake cool completely before proceeding.

To make the cream cheese frosting

9.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.
10.With the mixer on low, add the other ingredients, except the milk. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue beating. Thin the frosting out with 1–2 tbsp of milk, as needed, to achieve the desired consistency.

To assemble

11.With a 3.5-inch cake ring or round cookie butter, cut out 8 circles of cake.
12.For each mini cake, rim the cake ring with an 11x4 inch strip of acetate. Secure the ends of acetate ends with a small piece of tape. Place the lined ring on a baking sheet lined with parchment (make sure the sheet fits in the freezer!).
13.Begin building the mini cake by placing one layer of cake at the bottom of the acetate-lined ring. Gently press it down so that it is even. Top with a tablespoon or so of frosting, spread evenly, then another round of cake (pressed down gently) and then another tablespoon of frosting. If you only have one cake ring (like me). Gently pull up the cake ring and repeat the building process.
14.Place the baking sheet with the cakes in the freezer and freeze them overnight or until about 3 or 4 hours before you are ready to serve them. Carefully peel off the acetate strips and let the cakes defrost in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.

Calumet Devil’s Food Cake

The modern devils food cake recipe that my daughter made was from my Betty Crocker Cookbook. The recipe called for red food coloring—but otherwise seemed similar to other modern chocolate cake recipes. The cake was awesome.

Assemble these supplies:

2 cups flour
2 level teaspoons Calumet (or any other brand) baking powder
2 level teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup warm mashed potatoes
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup chopped nuts

Steps in preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour baking pan, 13 X 9 X 2 inches. Melt butter and chocolate. Combine with all of the other ingredients except nuts. Beat until well-blended. Stir in nuts.
Pour into pan. Bake approximately 45-50 minutes or until pick comes out clean.

MURGH DO PIAZA

MURG DO PIAZA A famous chicken dish that can be prepared in a jiffy

Ingredients
Chicken pieces 1 kg.
Onions, sliced 500 gms.
Garlic, sliced 50 gms.
Ginger, sliced 50 gms.
Red chili powder 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp.
Whole red chili 4 nos.
Garam Masala 10 gm.
Tomato puree 300 ml.
Coriander powder 15 gms.
Water 500 ml.
Ghee 150 gms.
Salt To taste

Instructions
1.Slice the onions, ginger and garlic and keep aside.
2.Heat ghee for 1 minute, then add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chili powder, red chilies and
coriander powder, cover the dish and cook on high for 3 minutes.
3.Put the sliced onions, ginger, garlic and cook for 3 minutes on high.
4.Mix chicken in the above ingredients and 500 ml water and cook for 8 minutes.
5.Stir well, add salt, garam masala and cook for 7 minutes, till done.

CHICKEN MAKHANI (BUTTER CHICKEN)

CHICKEN MAKHANI (BUTTER CHICKEN) A rich preparation of chicken marinated in a curd and spice mixture.

INGREDIENTS
Chicken 800 gms.
Kashmiri Red Chili Powder 1 tspLemon Juice 1 tbsp.
Salt To taste
Marination
Curd (Yogurt) 1 cup.
Ginger paste 2 tbsps.
Garlic paste 2.tbsps.
Garam Masala powder 1/2 tsp.
Kashmiri Red chili powder 1 tsp.
Lemon juice 2 tbsps.
Butter 2 tbsps.
Mustard oil 2 tsps.
Salt To taste
Makhani Sauce
Whole garam masala 1 tbsp.
Tomato puree 400 gms.
Sugar/Honey 2 tbsps.
Ginger paste 1 tbsp.
Garlic paste 1 tbsp.
Red chili powder 1 tbsp.
Garam masala powder ½ tsp.
Fresh cream 1cup.
Kasoori methi ½ tsp.
Chopped green chilies 1 tsp.
Butter 50 gms
Salt To taste

METHOD
1. Skin and clean the chicken. Make incisions with a sharp knife on breast and leg pieces.
2. Apply a mixture of red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and leave aside for half an hour.
3. Hang the yogurt in a muslin cloth for 15-20 minutes to remove extra water. Add red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala powder and mustard oil.
4. Apply this marinade to the chicken pieces and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
5. Put the chicken onto a skewer and cook in a moderately hot tandoor or a preheated oven (200 degrees celsius) for 10-12 minutes or until almost done. Baste it with butter and cook for another 2
minutes. Remove and keep aside.
6. Heat butter in a pan. Add whole garam masala. Let it crackle. Then add ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chillies. Cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add tomato puree, red chilli powder, garammasala powder, salt and one cup of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add sugar or honey and powdered kasoori methi.
8. Add cooked tandoori chicken pieces. Simmer for 5 minutes and then add fresh cream.
9. Serve hot with naan or parantha.

KADHAI CHICKEN Traditional Cooked

KADHAI CHICKEN Chicken cooked in a traditional Kadhai. This dish is a good indicator of a cook's expertise!

INGREDIENTS
Whole Chicken 1 no.
Medium Tomatoes 8-10 nos.
Coriander leaves 2 tbsp.
Medium onions 2 nos.
Garlic paste 2 tbsp.
Ginger, finely chopped 2 tbsp.
Dry red chilies 6-8 nos.
Chopped green chilies 8 nos.
Red chili powder 1 tsp.
Whole Coriander (dhania) 1
tbsp.
Garam masala powder 1 tsp.
Coriander powder (dhania
powder) 1tsp.
Whole Garam masala 1 tsp.
Oil 2 tbsp.
Salt As per taste

Procedures
1. Skin and cut the chicken into pieces.
2. Take whole dhania, dry red chilies and pound together.
3. Slice the onions.
4. In a Kadhai take oil, add Whole Garam Masala, garlic, whole dhania, green chilies and red chilies
mixture. Add onions. Fry till onions are golden brown.
5. Put in tomatoes, ginger, dhania powder and red chili powder.
6. Add some water. Cover and let it cook. Once the gravy is reduced put in the chicken pieces, salt and coriander leaves.
7. Mix well, sprinkle the Garam Masala Powder. Cover and cook for 8-10 mins on low flame.
8. Serve hot.