French Onion Soup with Shaved Swiss Cheese

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

3 pounds yellow onions, peeled and slice thinly

1/3 cup bourbon whiskey

3 quarts stock

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup freshly grated Swiss cheese

Directions

1. In a large, heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.
   

2. Add half of the onions and cook, stirring, until dark golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes.
   

3. Add the remaining onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until a deep caramel color, about 1 hour.
   

4. Add the bourbon and cook, stirring occasionally, until evaporated, about 5 minutes.
   

5. Add the remaining ingredients except the cheese, and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and fragrant, about 1 hour.
   

6. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
   

To serve, sprinkle each portion with grated Swiss cheese.

Monie's Cranberry Liqueur

1 12 oz package fresh cranberries

4 C sugar

2 C water

2 tsp. lemon zest

2 tsp. orange zest

6 C vodka

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil. Let cool to room temperature.
   

2. Wash, pick and chop the cranberries (a Cuisnart is great).
   

3. In large glass, enamel or other non-reactive bowl, mix cranberries, lemon zest, sugar syrup, vodka
   

4. Mix gently.
   

5. Divide into 1 or 2 large glass jars or ceramic crocks with tight-fitting lids.
   

6. Let sit in cool dark place for several weeks (up to two months).
   

7. Strain (coffee filters are great) into gift jars.
   

You can use the chopped fruit in cranberry bread, on ice cream, etc.

from Cindy Frank (Monie was her mom's nickname)

Lynne’s Homemade Russian Vanilla

Buy large bottle of Vodka (the better the vodka the better the vanilla.)

6-14 Vanilla Beans (whatever you can afford)

1. Slit the vanilla beans lengthwise, almost all the way through
   

2. Put into Vodka bottle and let sit for at least a month on a dark shelf,
   

3. Shake up and down once or twice a week.
   

It just gets better and better the longer you let it sit.  For gifts buy small brown bottles, fill them and put in a half of a vanilla bean (slit lengthwise).

from Lynne Calder

Mushroom-Barley Soup

The following recipe is from our editor, Joe, which he says is for International Soup-optimists' Day:

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

1 lb. Crimini mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 quarts chicken stock

1 cup pearled barley, rinsed and drained

2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried)

salt and pepper, to taste

¼ cup parsley, chopped

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, and sweat them for 6–8 minutes. Add the mushrooms, raising the heat to medium, and cook 5 minutes more. Add the garlic and cook another 3 minutes. Now remove the vegetable mixture to a bowl.

In soup pot combine broth, barley, carrots, and sage. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Stir in the vegetable mixture, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve.

from Cindy Frank

Two Turkey Tips

1) You can cook a 20 lb turkey in 2 hours using this method:

Season and butter the turkey breast, remove any metal pieces and place the unstuffed turkey in a plastic turkey baking bag and then a glass baking pan. Cook on medium in the microwave for 60 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. Remove the turkey after an hour, stuff if desired, place in a roasting pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour. The turkey will be moist and juicy with a nicely browned skin.

2) Use eggnog in place of milk or cream in your pumpkin pie recipe. This makes for a special and delicious taste.

from Lonna Oliver

Patricia Brown’s Wild Rice & Apple Stuffing

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped,

      peeled apples

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp rubbed sage

2 tbl butter/margarine

1 1/3 cups water

1 4oz pkg brown & wild rice

2 beaten eggs

2 tbl chopped parsley

salt & pepper to taste

1. ✤Preheat oven to 350°
   

2. ✤In medium saucepan saute mushrooms, onion, apples, pecans and sage in butter/margarine 5 -7 minutes.
   

3. ✤Add water, bring to boil.
   

4. ✤Add rice, reduce heat; cover and simmer 20-25 minutes. or until liquid is absorbed. Cool slightly.
   

5. ✤Combine rice mixture with eggs, parsley, salt & pepper.  Place stuffing in cleaned turkey or chicken.  Cook turkey/chicken as you would. 
   

6. ✤For turkeys over 5 lbs double the recipe