articles online: food & wine

Specialties of the House
A supplement to the food article in the August/September 2004 issue of Decatur Magazine.

Recipes may not be reprinted without permission from the publisher.

City Councilman Mike McElroy's Sour Green Beans

3 cans green beans
1/2 to 1 lb. bacon
Chopped onions
Chopped garlic (optional)
1/2 cup vinegar

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet and mix with chopped onions. Leave 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease in skillet, and add vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir, on high heat. Add beans, and stir until hot. Combine bean mixture with bacon and onions. Mix and serve. *Recipe can also be made with raw cabbage.

Illinois State Representative Bill Mitchell's Irish Soda Bread

2 cups buttermilk
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. caraway seeds
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 T butter
1 cup raisins
1 egg

1 T melted butter
2 tsp. sugar

Sift dry ingredients in bowl, including sugar. Add butter, raisins, egg and caraway seeds. Mix lightly with fork. Add buttermilk. Stir, don't overbeat. Put in buttered 8-inch bread pan. Pour melted butter over dough and sprinkle sugar on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 50 minutes.

1 large head cabbage
2 cups browned ground beef
2 cups uncooked rice
1 T salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 stick melted oleo or butter
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
5 cloves garlic, halved
1 tsp. salt
4 tomato paste cans of water

Core out center of cabbage. Put head of cabbage in pan of boiling water. Separate leaves and wilt slightly. Remove wilted leaves from water and set aside to drain. Cut rib of cabbage leaf out and cut leaves into thirds or in half, depending on size of leaves.

Wash rice and add meat, melted oleo, and seasonings, and mix well. Line bottom of medium-size pan with cabbage ribs or a few cabbage leaves.

Put small amount of meat mixture in cabbage leaf and roll in shape of cigar. Place rolls of cabbage close together in layers in pan. Place halved cloves of garlic between layers. Sprinkle one teaspoon salt on top of cabbage. Dilute tomato paste with four paste cans of water and pour over top of cabbage rolls. More water may be added if necessary so that tops of cabbage rolls are completely covered. Place flat saucer on top to hold rolls in place. Bring to a boil and then lower gas (or heat) to simmer. Cook 45 to 60 minutes.

City Councilman Patrick Laegeler's Hawaiian Soy Chicken Kebabs

Combine in saucepan:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 T brown sugar
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Simmer for five minutes and cool. Marinate 5 to 6 cut up, boneless/skinless chicken breasts for 1 hour. Reserve marinade for basting. Skewer chicken with green peppers, water chestnuts, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions. Grill over direct fire for about 20 minutes, basting several times with reserved marinade. Serve with rice and/or salad.

Step 1:

3 T olive oil
1/8 tsp. caraway seed
1/8 tsp. oregano
2 lbs. ground chuck

Season oil with caraway and oregano. Heat for a few minutes, but don't burn. Add ground chuck and brown. Meat texture should be fine. Drain excess juice.

Step 2:

1 can Rotel green chilis
1/4 medium onion
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 cloves garlic
3-1/3 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
3 cups tomato juice
Pinch of red pepper

Puree above ingredients and add to meat mixture.

Step 3:

Stir in the following:
10 oz. can refried beans
1 can beer
3 cans chili beans

Step 4:
Simmer for a couple of hours. Thicken, if desired, with 1/2 cup of water mixed with 3 T corn starch.

Decatur Magazine Contributing Writer Andra Lee Bez's Glazed Poppyseed Bread
(Makes two loaves)

3 cups flour
2-1/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1-1/8 cup oil
1-1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 tsp. each of vanilla, almond, butter flavoring
4 tsp. poppy seeds

GLAZE:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp. each of almond, vanilla, butter flavoring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the middle of the mixture. In another large bowl, beat the eggs together and then stir in the remaining ingredients. Fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just blended. Pour the batter into pans. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes until golden. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then turn onto wire rack.

Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl, stir until smooth and drizzle over bread. Cool completely before slicing. Freezes well.

Publisher's Note:
These recipes may be printed for personal use only.

This is an online supplement to an article which originally appeared in the August / September 2004 issue of Decatur Magazine.
It may not be reproduced or redistributed in whole or in part without the publisher's consent.
© Copyright 2004 Decatur Magazine - First String Productions. All rights reserved.