Purple Kohlrabi

1 medium purple kohlrabi
1 green onion
dry white wine
yogurt
cinnamon stick
green peppercorns
whole coriander seeds
cardomom [inner] seeds
salt
olive oil
water

Cut kohlrabi thin, into 1-2" rectangles. Cut green onion in 1/4"
pieces. Chop peppercorns coarsely in mortar w/ pestle. Add cinnamon
stick, coriander and cardamom seeds and chop all coarsely. Heat oil;
fry green onion and spices; add a splash of wine; continue cooking a
moment and then add the kohlrabi. Add a bit of salt; stirfry a few
seconds; add a large splash of boiling water; simmer 10 minutes
covered. Reduce liquid if too much; add about 1/3cup yogurt; mix
through and cook a minute longer.



Cold Pear Soup

8-10 ripe pears -- Bartlett or D'anjou or Forelle or Comice
2 cans coconut milk
1tsp cinnamon
4 cloves, 4 allspice berries
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup water

Actually, Boscs and even Asian pears [apple-pears] should work too.
Core pears and cut into manageable pieces -- ~6 or 8 per pear.
Put in a saucepan and cook 30 minutes with the wine, water, 3/4tsp
cinnamon,  cloves&allspice [I used a teaball to isolate the whole
spices so that I could remove them before I blended  the pears into
a sauce]
Blend the pears, add the two cans of coconut milk and the remaining
cinnamon. Refrigerate.



Snap Peas with Yellow Peppers

1+ lb snap peas
2 medium yellow peppers
3 turmeric roots
2" piece of ginger
1tb powdered coriander
1/8tsp cayenne pepper
2tsp black mustard seeds
1/4tsp fenugreek seeds
10-15 curry leaves
Roasted Peanut oil
Boiling water

All measurements are pure guesses -- you'll have to decide...
I love the smell of the roasted peanut oil--I doubt that it's
necessary. 
Peel the ginger; pretend to peel the turmeric--if you try too hard
you'll lose most of it. Cut both into chunky shreds.
Put about 2tb of the peanut oil in a heated wok with all the
flavorings; stir for a moment; add a very small amount of boiling
water and stir some more; toss in the snap peas and stir like mad for
a minute or two. Add a little more boiling water and stir another
minute. Add still a little more water and cover the wok for another
minute or 2. Add the cut up yellow peppers and stir fry another minute
or two--I don't want to cook the peppers much.



Summer Gazpacho

4 tomatoes, 1 large, 3 medium
1 yellow pepper
1 large cucumber
2tb white vinegar
2tb olive oil
fresh ground green peppercorns to taste [I used a mortar and pestle]

Blend the large and one of the medium tomatoes, 1/4 of cucumber
[peeled], 1/4 of the yellow pepper with the vinegar, oil and green
peppercorns.

Cut up the remaining tomatoes, yellow pepper and cucumber [unpeeled]
and mix with the blended stuff. Chill

That's all...

Why 'summer'? No onion, garlic, basil, cilantro.
I prefer minimal seasoning [and no cooking] on a hot summer day.



Instant 'Sauerkraut'

1 medium yellow summer squash
1/8 cabbage
2tblspn olive oil
1tblspn white vinegar
Cracked black Pepper
Fennel seeds

Slice squash thinly. Shred cabbage. Mix with olive oil. Mix in fennel
and pepper. Mix with vinegar. Cook in microwave as 'soft vegetable'.



Cauliflower w/ Peas


1 cauliflower
1 pkg frozen peas
5-6 Roma tomatoes
1 green onion
1 clove garlic
nigella
sesame seeds
mustard seeds
coriander
cayenne
turmeric
olive oil

Cut cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and microwave w/ about 1/2 cup
water for 5-7 minutes.
Cut up tomatoes, green onion, garlic.
Put olive oil into pre-heated wok; add mustard seed, sesame seeds, green onion,
garlic and nigella and fry a few seconds. Add cauliflower tomatoes,
peas and stir fry for 3-5 minutes. Mix coriander, cayenne, turmeric w/
about 1/2cup water and add. Stir until mixed and cook another
3-5minutes.



Microwave Potatoes

7 potatoes, sliced into 1/8-1/4" rounds
1 red jalapeno cut up
1 dry onion, sliced into rings
olive oil

Pile potatoes, pepper and onion into microwavable bowl.  Pour olive
oil over.  Microwave for about 15-20minutes.



Cabbage and Beancurd

1/2 large cabbage
6 dried black mushrooms
1 block frozen beancurd thawed
star anise; nutmeg
water

Shred cabbage coarsely. Break up mushrooms. Cut beancurd into sticks
Microwave beancurd w/ star anise and ~1/4tsp ground nutmeg
Stirfry cabbage and black mushroom in olive oil. Finish cooking w/ water. 
Mix in prepared beancurd and stirfry a little longer



Watercress Soup

3 potatoes, coarse cut, boiled in skin, w/ their water
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/3 cube of frozen beancurd, boiled and cut in cubes
1/2 cube of fresh beancurd cut in cubes
2 sticks of dry beancurd
~6-8 dried black mushrooms, coarsely broken
1" piece of ginger cut thin
1" piece of garlic stalk (not bulb) cut thin 
Cracked black pepper
1 bunch of watercress

It's probably best to use potatoes and water that were boiled the day
before. The cilantro, garlic, frozen boiled beancurd, 1/2 the black
mushrooms and ginger were stir-fried the day before.  Boil all these
ingredients together for 10 minutes.  Then add the watercress and
cracked black pepper to taste.  Boil for another 3 minutes.



Spinach

1 bunch spinach, thoroughly washed, separated into leaves but not stemmed
Oil for stir-fry

The water from washing is enough to cook the spinach.  Shake it partly
dry before using.  Stir fry the spinach in oil that has been flavored.
Stir fry only until all the leaves have wilted. Mix one or 2 cubes of
fermented bean curd w/ a little white vinegar and mix into the cooked
spinach. This is a favorite but we've had to abandon it since Eli's
seriously avoiding salt.  I've successfully substituted mustard powder
mixed w/ a little white vinegar, very different, but also good.
I've also used cracked black pepper in the oil.  This, too: Heat the
oil w/ a pinch of asafoetida, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and about 10 dried
curry leaves [I'd use fresh if I had them] and stir fry the spinach in
that. 



Cabbage with Yogurt

1 small head green cabbage, cut up
3/4 cup yogurt
1 small round hot red pepper, cut into sticks
2 green onions, chopped
1 tb ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cayenne
several curry leaves
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp black pepper berries
Oil for stir fry

Mix dry powders together; add to the yogurt and stir until blended in.
Crush black pepper, fenugreek, cardamom slightly w/ a mortar and
pestle.  Heat oil in wok.  Fry crushed spices in it for a few seconds.
Add green onion, curry leaves and red pepper.  Fry until green onion
wilts. Add cabbage.  Fry until it wilts some; add the yogurt mixture
Stir fry until cabbage reaches desired consistency, adding a little
boiling water and covering if necessary.  Serve with toasted cashew
nuts.



Split Pea Dal

1 cup red lentils
3/4 cup green split peas
1 quarter-size piece of ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch of asafoetida
4 cups boiling water

Cook lentils and split peas in boiling water for about 30 minutes.
Add ginger, turmeric and asafoetida and cook until you have a thick
sauce, adding more boiling water if necessary.



Squash Stir Fry

1 small butternut squash
1/2 tsp cardamom
6 whole cloves
1" stick cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice berries
1" ginger root, peeled and cut into thin sticks
Oil for stir fry

Peel and seed the squash and cut into 1/8" thick rounds.  Cut each 
round in 4. This won't work after the squash flares, so try to cut 
that part in pieces of about the same size.  Heat the oil, add ginger,
cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and allspice and fry about 30 seconds. Add
squash, stir fry a while, then add a small amount of boiling water.  
Continue stir frying the squash and adding small amounts of boiling
water when necessary until the squash is of desired softness.



Black Devils' Food Cake
adapted from rec.food.recipes archive 1993-2001 Stephanie da Silva

2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar [I used saccharine]
1/2 cup cocoa [I used Scharffenberger]
1 tablespoon baking soda [I use potassium bicarbonate to avoid sodium]
1 egg [I used a jumbo sized egg]
1/3 cup oil
1 cup yogurt
1 cup stong, black coffee [I used instant decaf]

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and egg and buttermilk.  Stir until
blended.  Add coffee.  You now have a very thin batter; put it in 
a 9" x 13" cake pan (thinly spread w/ oil). Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.



Cabbage with Bamboo Shoot

1 small cabbage, coarsely shredded
1/2 can baby bamboo shoot, cut into rings [TAS brand if possible]
1green onion
6 black mushrooms, broken up
1/2 jalapeno pepper, cut into rings
1package soy noodles, cut up
Olive oil
1 cap shao xian wine
Water

Fry green onion, pepper and mushroom in olive oil.  Add cabbage, 
stir fry for about 3 minutes; add bamboo shoot and wine, stir fry 
for another 2 minutes; add soy noodles and sprinkle with water;
stir fry until done.



Chocolate Oat Crisp

1 1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup steelcut oats
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped pecans
chocolate bits
cocoa
saccharine
oil
water
chocolate liqueur [john dubois]

I really didn't measure anything.  Put oats, saccharine, cocoa in a
bowl.  Mix in 'enough' oil and water.  Mix in pecans and chocolate
bits.  Oil a cookie sheet. Spread the mix on it.  Bake 12 minutes at
400 and another 7 at 350.  



Mock Strawberry/Blackberry IceCream

1 pint blackberries
1 pint strawberries
Ricotta
Water
Vanilla
Saccharine
Yogurt

Blend 1/2 the strawberries and blackberries w/ ricotta, water, vanilla
and saccharine.  Mix with the rest of the blackberries and with the
remaining strawberries, cut up.  Serve w/ plain yogurt spooned over
the top of each serving.



Maithreyi's Chicken Curry

1 2 1/2 lb chicken, quartered, with all fat, skin removed
1 fresh hot green pepper, diced
1 1/2" piece of ginger, slivered [peel if you have the patience --I don't]
1 medium onion, diced
2 cinnamon sticks, 2" to 3" long
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
Mix ground coriander/turmeric/cayenne in a ratio of 3/1/x, where
    x decides how hot you want to make it -- my x is probably 
    somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4.  I also can't give you absolute
    amounts -- you're mixing enough to coat all the chicken pieces 
    completely.
cumin powder I don't know how much: I can't use it; it makes Eli sick
salt
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
oil for frying
water

Coat skinless chicken in coriander/turmeric/cayenne mixture.
[I use a big old Dru dutch oven]
Fry onion, anise, casually broken cinnamon sticks and cloves in hot
oil until onion is golden. Add chicken and fry a couple of minutes.
Add enough water to keep from burning. Simmer 10 minutes; add lemon
juice and cumin powder. Simmer until it's done.
[It's been so long since I've added extra salt to a dish that I don't
remember when it should be added, and how much, of course is up to
you]



Potatoes with Peas

6-8 medium russet potatoes
2 miniature red hot peppers
1 green onion
1/2 package curry leaves
1 cup green peas
Roasted peanut oil
asoefetida
boiling water
Slice potatoes into pieces about 1"x1 1/2"x1/4". Cut peppers small.
Chop up green onion.  Fry onion, peppers and curry leaves in peanut
oil. Add potatoes, sprinkle w/ asoefetida and fry for a minute or
two. Add boiling water to half cover the potatoes.  Transfer to 
350degree oven for 30 minutes. Add peas and cook on top of stove
until peas are done, 6-10 minutes.



Green Beans w/ a History

1 lb green beans
4 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 green onion cut up
Few leaves cilantro
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup liquid w/ a history *
1 tsp whole toasted sesame seeds
Olive oil
Fry mushrooms onion and cilantro in olive oil for about 30 seconds.
Toss in whole green beans and stir fry for a few seconds.  Add the
liquid, fry another minute or so.  Add ~1/2 cup water, stir fry til
hot, cover and let cook about 5 minutes.  Add cornstarch mixed w/ cold
water and enough boiling water to make a thick sauce. Toss on the
sesame seeds and mix through.
*liquid w/ a history: first I cooked broccoli w/ green onion, hot
peppers and preserved radish in it.  Then I cooked bokchoy and added
it along with a little liquid from preserved bean curd.



Corn Meal Biscuits
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup white flour
1 tsp potassium bicarbonate
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp corn oil
3/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup walnut pieces
Mix all dry ingredients, sifting the flour.  Cut in the corn oil. Add
the yogurt and mix until no dry spots remain.  Grease cookie tin and
spoon mixture onto it in biscuit sized pieces.  Bake 15 minutes at
400deg.



Long Bean w/ Peppers

1 bunch long bean
2 plum tomatoes
1 large yellow pepper
1 large green pepper
1/2 jalapeno pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 slices boiled ham
black mustard seeds
nigella
Widmer LakeNiagara Wine
Olive oil
Cut beans,tomatoes,peppers into bite sized pieces.  Cut ham in small
pieces. Slice jalapeno and garlic cloves small.  Fry black mustard,
garlic, jalapeno pepper in olive oil.  Add tomatoes and peppers and
fry for a minute or 2.  Add the long beans and stir fry til almost
done, adding a cap or 2 of the wine as it cooks.  Add ham and stir fry
til it adds its flavor.



Fruit Cocktail

2 cups applesauce
1 cup yogurt
1/3 6oz can orange juice concentrate
1/4 honeydew
1 bartlett pear
Blend the applesauce, yogurt, orange juice.  Cut pear and honeydew in
bite sized pieces.  Pour sauce over fruit and serve.
               Long Bean w/ Curry Leaf

1 bunch long bean
~5 curry leaf stems
1/2" fresh turmeric
1/3 banana pepper
cassia buds
cardomom seeds
black mustard seed
fenugreek
1 cap rice wine
oil
water
Cut up long beans.  Remove curry leaves from stems.  Cut turmeric into
shreds.  Cut pepper small.  Toast cassia cardomom mustard and
fenugreek dry.  Add oil, curry leaves, banana pepper, turmeric and
stir fry about 30 seconds.  Add long beans and stir fry about 2
minutes.  Add rice wine and a splash of water. Cover and cook 1 or 2
minutes more.



Cabbage and Cauliflower

1 cauliflower
1/2 cabbage
1 pkg beancurd, frozen
1 pkg portabella mushrooms
1/2 banana pepper
1 fingerhot pepper
handful of garlic sprouts
2 cubes fermented bean curd
rice wine
Coarse grind black pepper
nigella
Break cauliflower into small florets.  Cut cabbage into thin strips.
Defrost beancurd and cut into cubes.
Cut mushrooms into large pieces
Cut peppers small
Cut garlic sprouts into short strips
Mix fermented beancurd w/ enough rice wine to make a thick liquid
Fry garlic sprouts and peppers in olive oil.  Add cauliflower and
cabbage and stir fry for awhile.  Add about 1/2 teaspoon of nigella
and sprinkle in a fair amount of black pepper.  Add beancurd and
mushrooms and stirfry til done, adding hot water as necessary and
covering for a few minutes at the end.



Bean Soup

Red beans
Black half-beans
Yellow Split Peas
White Beans
Soybeans
Popped Popcorn [unpopped--the kernels that didn't]
Dry Beancurd--about 4 sticks
Whole black,white,green peppercorns, allspice: crack in mortar w/ pestle
Cardomom seeds--lots
1 cut up green onion
few field mushrooms
barley
water to cover
Toss in everything but the beancurd and cook 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Add
the beancurd and cook until everything's done.



Daikon w/ Peas

1 daikon cut into matchsticks
3/4cup frozen peas
2" of leek cut up
Green peppercorns,white peppercorns,black mustard
seed,fenugreek,nigella,'spice beans'
Olive oil
3/4 cup cut up thin sliced ham
Fry ham and leek in olive oil.  Remove, leaving a bit of ham and the
oil for frying daikon.  Add more olive oil. Stir fry the daikon and
peas with pounded peppercorns and mustard, and with fenugreek and
'spice beans'.  A little leftover bitter melon is good in this,m if
you have any.



Chow Mein?

1 daikon
1/2 cooked orange squash w/ seeds
1 cup frozen peas
6 small black mushrooms
1 pkg soy noodles
1/4 hot banana pepper
1/2 cup cooked oatmeal
chinese dry cabbage
olive oil
Rehydrate mushrooms in boiling veg broth or water
Peel daikon and cut in 1/2" squares
Cut squash in 3/4" pieces
Cut soy noodles 
Dice pepper
Fry diced pepper in olive oil.  Ad daikon and squash and stir fry a
while.  Add lots of dry cabbage and the peas and stir fry a while
longer. Add the oatmeal and break it up into the dish, using some
liquid.  Cover and cook 3 minutes.  Add the soy noodles and toss fry
for 1 minute and cover again and cook 1 more minute.



Spaghetti with Zucchini/Tomato Sauce

1 lb angel hair spaghetti
2 medium zucchini
1 quart fresh plum tomatoes
1 large clove garlic
dry white mushrooms
olive oil
1 hot finger pepper
dried fennel and basil
Chinese rice wine
3 slices boiled ham
Cut zucchini thin, tomatoes in 4. Peel and cut up garlic.
Cut pepper in small rings.
Cut up the ham.
Fry garlic, pepper and ham in lots of olive oil
Add tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms and stir fry for a while
Add wine fennel and basil, stir fry a while, then cover and cook about
10 minutes.  Serve sauce over the cooked spaghetti
Boil spaghetti in lots of water w/ olive oil



Cauliflower Stew

1 medium cauliflower
3 double sticks dry beancurd
5 black mushrooms
Large piece [4"?] preserved radish
Chinese pepper
leftover choy w/ fresh beancurd in furu
leftover macaroni [penne]
Water
Break cauliflower into large florets.  Put in dutch-oven w/ about 1
cup water.  Start boiling.  Break in the beancurd and the mushrooms.
Slice in the preserved radish.  Add the chinese pepper, cover and cook
for about 20min.  Add the leftover macaroni and cook for another 10
min, covered.



Chocolate Cake

1 cup ground hazel nuts
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
> 1/2 cup cocoa
saccharine
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup yogurt
1 egg
6 tblsp oil
1 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 350.  Mix dry ingredients.  Beat egg, mix in vanilla, yogurt
Mix into dry ingredients.  Pour boiling water over and mix in well.
Pour into pan and bake about 40min in 350 oven.  Serve w/ plain
yogurt.



Mixed Vegetables

1 pickle cucumber
1/3 large daikon
1 can bamboo shoot
1/2 lb frozen peas
1 tbspn brown bean sauce
1/2 tspn dry mustard
1 1/2 tbspn starch mixed w/ water
1 block soft beancurd
pinch of dry chives
Olive oil
Cut cucumber, daikon and bamboo shoot into semi-thin rings.  Mix
mustard powder w/ brown bean sauce.  Mix cornstarch w/ water.  Fry
dried chives in olive oil; add daikon and peas; stirfry ~1 1/2 min.
Add beancurd and bamboo shoot and dry mustard mixed w/ brown bean
sauce; stir fry another 1 1/2 min.  Add cornstarch mixture and mix
well.   



Rutabaga w/ Cold Kasha

Leftover cold kasha
1 medium rutabaga
1 tablespoon preserved radish
1 tablespoon brown bean sauce
1 block beancurd, frozen, thawed
Water
Peel rutabaga and cut into small squares.  Cut frozen beancurd into
such 'squares', too.  Throw preserved radish into hot olive oil in
wok, add rutabaga and stirfry a few seconds.  Add bean sauce, mix over
high heat a while, add a little boiling water, cook covered for 4 to 5
minutes.  Add beancurd, mix well, cover and cook about 3 minutes more.
Serve over cold kasha



Protein Chow Mein

1 package soy noodles
1/4lb boiled ham
3 medium black mushrooms
Leftover bok choy/bean curd in fu ru sauce
1/4 cup cooked macaroni shells
Water
Salt
Crumble black mushroom into hot bok choy mixture w/ extra boiling
water added.  Cover and boil for about 5 minutes.  Add soy noodles and
macaroni and some salt and cook for a minute or 2 more.  Add the cut
up ham and stir fry another few seconds and then cook covered for one
more minute.



Cornbread

1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup semolina
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed
1 tablespoon nigella
black pepper
yogurt
Mix all the dry ingredients.  Sieve through a strainer and toss all
the seeds that won't go through on top and mix thoroughly.  Add oil
and enough yogurt to make a dough -- too wet to roll or knead, too dry
to pour.  Put in rectangular glass dish and bake at 425 for 20
minutes, 350 for 20 more.



Black mushroom Potato Soup

5 small black mushrooms
4 medium potatoes
1 cup liquid from cooking beansprouts
1 tablespoon jas chai
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups vegetable cooking water
1 clove garlic
1 small pkg white bean thread
left over beansprout dish
Mix liquids with broken up black mushrooms.  Put to cook. Cut up
potatoes and add.  Cut garlic in about 4 pieces and add.  Cook for
about an hour.  Add salt and jas chai.  Cook about 30 minutes.  Add
bean thread.  Cook about 15 minutes.  Add beansprout leftovers.  Warm
through and serve.



Potatoes

Peel potatoes
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes
Cut into thick slices
Bake for about another hour



Oyster Mushrooms w/ BeanCurd

~6oz oyster mushrooms
1lb soft bean curd
red rice-wine
salt
toasted sesame seed
olive oil
Stir fry oyster mushrooms in olive oil.  Add a little rice-wine.  Stir
fry a little longer.  Add cut up bean curd and salt and stir to mix.
Flake sesame seed densely over top and cover for one minute.



Lobak Curry

1/2 medium lobak
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 green onion
coconut
yogurt
green pepper corns, black pepper corns, fenugreek, nigella, 
coriander seed, cilantro seed, salt
olive oil
Cut lobak into small squares.  Cut peppers into small cubes.  Cut
onion into small pieces.  Crush spices w/ pestle in mortar.  Fry 
spices in olive oil; add green onion and fry a few seconds more.  Add
vegetables and fry a minute or 2.  Add 1/2cup water, cover and cook 3
minutes.  Add coconut and cook another 1-2 minutes.  Add salt and
yogurt and mix through well.



Taro w/ Lebanese Lentils

1/2 Medium Taro, cut into 1/2" pieces
3/4 Cup Lebanese [red] Lentils
1.5 Tbspn Shredded Preserved Radish
Pinch Chive Flakes
Flat Coriander Seeds, Nigella
Water
Oil
Fry Chive, Radish in oil.  Add Taro and stir fry awhile.  Add lentils
and stir up.  Add enough boiling water to cook the lentils.  Simmer
for at least 40 minutes.  The taro should have combined w/ the water
to make a very gluey sauce for the dish.



Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts
Black Mushrooms
Potato Water
Curry Leaves
Mustard Seeds
Salt
Fermented Bean Curd
Olive Oil
Cut brussels sprouts into vertical thirds.  Microwave black mushrooms
in water 5 minutes at high.  Stir fry mustard seed, black mushroom and
curry leaves in olive oil.  Add brussels sprouts and salt and mix
well.  Add a little potato water, cover and cook 1 minute.  Add
fermented bean curd mixed w/ more potato water and the water that the
black mushroom cooked in and mix well 



Potatoes and Peppers

4 medium potatoes, cut up
1 green pepper, cut up
1 red pepper, cut up
1/2 small pickling cucumber, cut up
1/4 tomato, cut up
1/4 cup Indian white dhal
1/3 cup yogurt
2 tbsp almond meal
yellow mustard seed,cumin seed,fenugreek,dill seed
cracked black pepper,salt
olive oil
Mix cucumber, tomato and yogurt in the blender
Boil dhal in water to cover, 20min.  Add cut up potatoes; cook another
20min.  Drain, but save potato water.
Fry spices except pepper and salt in olive oil.  Add a little water
and boil it out.  Add the peppers and stir fry a while.  Add the
almond meal and stir fry some more.  Add drained potatoes and dhal and
stir fry; add the salt and pepper; add a little of the potato water
when dry.  Cook a few seconds more and then add the yogurt mixture and
cook w/o boiling until all is well blended.



Sesame Noodles

Cooked Chinese Noodles [eggless]
5-8 Black Mushrooms
1 Zucchini
Heaping tblspn toasted tahini
Salt
Roasted Sesame Seeds
White Vinegar
Water from Steamed Vegetable
Mix the tahini w/ enough water from steamed vegetable to make soupy
liquid -- add 'enough' salt.  Cut zucchini in 1/8" rings, and cut each
ring in 4.  Crumble blacks mushroom into pieces w/ fingers. Combine
all in a microwave safe bowl, add enough more vegetable water to cover
the black mushrooms, cover bowl and microwave on high for 6
minutes.  Add 1/2 cap of white vinegar and mix.  Mix well with cut up
noodles; grind sesame seed over entire top of serving bowl.



Spaghetti Sauce

1 large eggplant
6-8 Plum tomatoes
1/4 cup Indian small white dal
Asafoetida
Salt
Water
Cut eggplant in rounds.  Cut rounds into quarters, sixths or eighths,
depending on size.  Quarter tomatoes.  Boil ~1 cup water. Throw in
dal.  Add tomatoes, eggplant and asafoetida.  Cook about an hour.  Add
salt before serving.  [This was cooked in a pot in which potatoes w/
Chinese preserved cabbage had been cooked before, so is probably had
some residual garlic flavoring]



Soup

Leftover SoyBean Sprouts cooked in soy sauce w/ lots of ginger
4 Black Mushrooms
Leftover potatoes cooked w/ preserved cabbage and thawed bean curd
3 small zucchini
Toasted sesame seed
Salt
Cut the zucchini into 1/4" rounds.  Throw all the ingredients except
sesame seed together and cook for about 30minutes.  Grind sesame seeds
over individual bowls when serving.



Green Beans w/ Olive Paste

             [and everything else but the kitchen sink]
1 lb greenbeans
3 oz oyster mushrooms
tomato soup*
1 tablespoon olive paste
Olive oil for stir frying
Rice wine cooking wine
cracked black pepper
anise seeds
1 tbs cornstarch mixed into cold water
Steam greenbeans ~5 min.  
Stir fry mushrooms in olive oil; add a spill of wine.  Throw in
steamed greenbeans; stir fry a few seconds; add tomato soup and black
pepper and anise seeds and stir fry another few seconds; add olive
paste and cornstarch mixture and stir fry til gloppy sauce forms.
*the 'tomato soup':  I made a bean soup; when there was almost none
left I used it and liquid left over from steaming vegetables to make a
soupy dish w/ Japanese eggplant, a whole quart of cut up plum
tomatoes, field mushroooms, leftover Chinese noodles, garlic oil,
basil, oregano,etc: this complex 'tomato soup' was the liquid for the
greenbeans: good luck trying to repeat this dish...



Taro and BeanCurd Stew

1/2 large taro root
1 slab beancurd
2-3 tblsp chili preserved bamboo shoot
1 medium clove garlic, peeled and cut into several pieces
Cut the taro into 1/2" cubes and steam
Cut the beancurd into 1/2" cubes and microwave w/ the garlic and
bamboo shoot
Mix all in wok w/ a little added boiling water until well heated.



Noodles and Soy Noodles

Chinese noodles broken in 3
1 pkg soy noodles
6-8 black mushrooms
~3 tblsp bamboo shoot in chili oil
 
Cook chinese noodles in boiling water til almost done.  Drain.  Layer
noodles, soy noodles, black mushroom, bamboo shoot in baking dish.
Cover w/ aluminum foil.  Bake 30 minutes and serve.  (You might try to
put the mushroom water in, too--these came out a little dry.)



Bitter Melon and Daikon

1 bitter melon
1/2 medium daikon
large piece of ginger
2 tblsp brown bean fermented bean curd
Black mushroom water
cut melon and ginger and daikon into comparably sized strips.
Stir fry in olive oil.  Add the brown bean... stir to mix and serve.  



Bamboo Shoot Omelet

		    [ eli's description: piss and vinegar]
2 extra large eggs
~3 tblsp bamboo shoot in chili oil
~3 tblsp flour
~1/4 cup whey
salt
olive oil
Beat eggs w/ salt and whey. Mix in flour, but not very well
Heat oil and bamboo shoot in omelet pan.  Pour in egg mixture and make
an 'omelet'--it's still good if it falls apart.



Chocolate Cake 1 cup ground hazel nuts 2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder > 1/2 cup cocoa saccharine 2 tsp vanilla 1 cup yogurt 1 egg 6 tblsp oil 1 cup boiling water Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. Beat egg, mix in vanilla, yogurt Mix into dry ingredients. Pour boiling water over and mix in well. Pour into pan and bake about 40min in 350 oven. Serve w/ plain yogurt.



Cashew Crackers

~1 1/2 cups whole cashews
~1 cup semolina
~3 Tbs cornstarch
~2 Tbs roasted sesame seeds
~1 tsp nigella
sprinkle cracked black pepper~
1 tsp salt
oil
Grind cashews in blender.  Mix all ingredients except oil.  Press onto
oiled cookie sheet in small 'round', 'flat', crackers.  Bake at ~375
for 20 min.  (i did 25 min and they started to burn--maybe the whole
time at 350?)



Instant Sauerkraut

1/3 cabbage
3 large yellow asparagus squash
Olive oil
yellow mustard seed; dried onion
dried chive; nigella (kalonji);
tiny half beans or seeds--don't know
what they are
tabasco
black pepper
yogurt
salt
Chinese wine
asefoetida
 
Fry seeds, onion in olive oil.  Add cabbage and squash.  Stir fry; add
wine and boiling water and cook.  Add black pepper,salt lots of
asefoetida and tabasco.  Mix in some yogurt and serve



Daikon and Dried BeanCurd Soup

1 medium daikon
4 sticks dried beancurd
1 tablespoon preserved radish [canned]
1 teaspoon preserved radish [jarred]
1 tablespoon dried white mushroom flakes
Fujo [fermented beancurd]
Small handful dried lima beans
Water
Salt
Small shake dried onion
1 cup whey
Peel daikon and cut into 3/4" pieces.  Put in large pot w/ broken up
beancurd, mushrooms, lima beans,onion, water.  Mix fujo w/ some water
and add.  Use a little vinegar, as you won't likely have whey.
Cook until done, adding a little salt at some point



A Meal: PastaShells w/ TomatoCurry; LimaBeans w/ FuJo

 
Pasta Shells
Boiling Water
Olive Oil
12 PlumTomatoes
1/2 large red onion
Olive Oil
1" diced GingerRoot
Cardomom pods; cumin seeds;
fenugreek; cracked black pepper;
coriander seeds; salt
LimaBeans
Dry BeanCurd
SoySauce
Dry WhiteMushrooms
1 Dry BlackMushroom
1 Cap Rice Wine
BlackPepper
1 tablespoon preserved radish
Cook the pasta
Cut up onion and tomatoes.  Fry spices and ginger and onion in olive
oil.  Add tomatoes and cook
Put lima beans, bean curd, soy sauce, mushrooms, wine and black pepper
in a casserole dish.  Add boiling water.  Cook in microwave ~15min.



Bin-lon-woo and Daikon

1/2 bin-lon-woo [large taro root]
1/2 daikon
1 heaping tbspn preserved radish (jas-chai)
4 ripped up dried shiitake mushrooms
soy sauce
2 anise stars
Boiling water
Cut both vegetables into similar 1" squares
Add star anise, black mushroom, jas-chai, lots of Kikkomen Milder Soy
Sauce, and boiling water to cover.  Stew until done.



Potato w/ Red Lentils

8 Potatoes
1 cup RedLentils
asafoetida
1 tbspn preserved radish (jas-chai)
Black pepper
Boiling water
Cube potatoes.  Add lentils, asafoetida, jas-chai, black pepper,
boiling water.  Cook until done.



On and Off Spice Soup

Mixed beans and dhals: lebanese lentils, yellow split peas, lima
beans, black and white split peas, other beans,failed popcorn...
1 quarter sized piece of ginger
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Water to cover
2 large [or 4 plum] tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
dried red pepper flakes
Coriander berries
Cumin seeds [just a few]
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic
Pinch of asafoetida
Water to cover
1 bunch of Spinach, cut up
Cook the first set of ingredients as for a bean soup.  Cook the
second, except for the spinach in a second pot.  Add the spinach about
5 minutes before serving.  When spinach is cooked, put bean soup in
bottom of bowl, then add some of the spinach soup and serve.



Fried Potatoes

6 medium Wisconsin russet potatoes
1 teaspoon black mustard seed
Large pinch asoefetida
Sprinkling dried chives
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
Peanut oil
Peel and dice potatoes.  Pour ~2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil in wok.
Fry w/ the mustard seed, asoefetida, chives and salt.  Add turmeric
and mix in.  Toss in the potatoes; toss until well mixed.  Cover and
turn flame to simmer; cook  20-30 minutes.



Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons salad oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup yogurt
1/4 tsp salt
Mix all the dry ingredients.  Mix in the yogurt.  Spoon biscuits onto
oiled cookie sheet.  Bake at 425 for 12 minutes.



Cold Spiced Beef

1 1/2lb tenderloin (2 pieces)
1/4 cup Kikkoman Milder Soy Sauce (low salt soy)
Peanut oil
1 clove garlic
Pinch of dried chive
4 whole cloves
Small handfull (small!) of allspice
1" cinnamon stick
1 1/4 stars of star anise
Sesame oil
Slice partially thawed meat thinly.
Stir fry in about 6 batches in peanut oil with the one clove of garlic
cut up, and with the pinch of chive.  Put into a large bowl--add the
spices and soy sauce and leave for 1 or 2 days.  Transfer to serving
bowl; add a little more soy sauce and about 1 teaspoon sesame oil and
mix well.



Bitter Melon

2 Bitter Melons
Olive Oil
Soy Sauce
Rice Wine
Salt
Black Pepper
    Cut bittermelon in half lengthwise and then in thin pieces across.
Stir fry in olive oil w/ black pepper and salt.  Finish by adding soy
sauce and rice wine and stir frying a bit more.  NO water; NO cover...



Fishy Seitan

1/2 Package Frozen Seitan
3/4 lb Peapods
Lobak
Black Pepper
Tabasco
Fu ru
Vinegar
Corn Starch 
Olive Oil
    Cut seitan like tenderloin.  Cut lobak into long, thin pieces,
sort of the size of the peapods.  Mix fu ru, soy liquid from seitan,
~12 drops tabasco, 1 tablespoon vinegar.  Mix cornstarch w/ water.  
Stir fry lobak and peapod in olive oil.  Add the seitan and stir fry 
a little more. Mix in the cornstarch liquid until thickened.  Serve.	



Tomato Sauce

2 very large tomatoes
1 cucumber
Olive oil
Dried Basil
Cracked Black Pepper
Dried Chives
Salt
    Cut up tomato and cucumber. Put oil in bottom of saucepan; add
spices and fry a little--add vegetables and simmer about 1/2 hour.
                     Cabbage and Oyster Mushrooms

1/2 Cabbage
6oz Oyster Mushrooms
1 Red Pepper
	Cut cabbage coarsely. Cut up the red pepper.  Fry oyster
mushrooms in olive oil, salt and pepper. Remove.  Fry cabbage in olive
oil, salt and pepper. Remove. Fry red pepper in olive oil, salt and
pepper.  Combine all vegetables and eat.



Bean Curd Stew

1 Slab Bean Curd
Chinese White Noodles
Sliced Bamboo Shoot
Soy Sauce
2 sections from 1 flower of a Star Anise
Fu ru
Sesame Seeds
    Cut up bean curd into small cubes.  Soak in soy sauce with the
bamboo shoot and the star anise. Stir fry with the cooked noodles, a
little fu ru and just a few sesame seeds. (These last 3 were left over
from other dishes when I made it)



Bitter Melon w/ Cucumber

1 Bitter Melon, sliced
1 Cucumber, sliced [or zucchini,bottle gourd, 'hairy' melon..]
Olive Oil
Pepper
Salt
Soy Sauce
Whole Toasted Sesame Seed
   Stir fry melon and cucumber in olive oil w/ salt and pepper.  Add
soy sauce midway through and sesame seed at the end.  This uses no
water.



Cabbage Stir Fry

1/2 head sliced Cabbage
1/4 can sliced BambooShoot (WeiChen)
2"  Piece of Chinese PickledCabbage
 1/2 Cup broken Cashews and Slivered Almonds
1   tblspn BrownBean Sauce w/ 1 cap white Vinegar
1/4 cup Water mixed w/ 1 tblspn CornStarch
Olive Oil
Stir fry cabbage and pickled cabbage in olive oil.  Add bamboo shoot
and stir fry some more.  Add brown bean sauce and vinegar; mix
through.  Add corn starch mixture and mix until it congeals.  Put in
nuts and mix through again.



Soup with Daikon

1/4 Daikon
2 Sticks Dry Bean Curd
1/2 Cup Medium Shell Macaroni
3 Black Mushrooms, crushed
1 Tbs Black Fungus
~6-10 Lily Buds
A few Spinach Leaves in FuRu
Water
Sprinkle Dried Chives
2 Heaping tbs. Miso
2 tsp Vinegar
Sprinkle Black Pepper
Cook everything except the shells,spinach leaves,vinegar and miso, until
the dry bean curd is ready.  Add shells and cook another 10 minutes.
Mix miso w/ vinegar and ~1/2 cup of the soup.  Add back to soup and
mix well.  Add spinach leaves and serve.



Daikon and...

1/3 Daikon
Frozen Green Peas
1/4 Baked Acorn Squash
Bamboo Shoot Sticks
Macaroni
Ham
Brown Bean Sauce
Bean Curd
Dried Bean Curd
Black Mushroom
Chayote
Olive Oil
Salt
Vinegar
Corn Starch
Water
   Obviously, this was made on leftovers.  I had baked a squash with
black pepper and cinnamon.  I had made a dish with dried bean curd,
black mushroom,chayote,stick bamboo shoot and ham.  I had leftover
cooked macaroni.
   Stir fry the daikon in olive oil, salt and pepper.  Add the acorn
squash and green peas.  Stir fry some more, adding boiling water as 
necessary.  Add the 'other dish':ham,chayote... Add about a capful of
vinegar. Add the cornstarch dissolved in water and stir until you get
a thickened sauce.



Beans and Barley

Split, Hulled, Mung Beans
Partially Hulled Barley
White Pepper
Salt
Dried Onion Flakes
Water
Cover Beans,barley, etc. with water.  Cook more than an hour.



Noodle Dish (or Soup)

Water
Dried White Mushroom
Asparagus Ends
Failed Popcorn  ~1/2 cup [I make popcorn in microwave,save failures for soup]
Galanga
Lily Buds
Shredded Black Fungus
Salt  ~1tsp     
Black Pepper
Bean Thread Noodle
Chinese White Noodle  1 small handful
   Mix everything but the noodles and boil for about 45minutes.  Add
the noodles and boil for about another 30 minutes.
   This was made in a pot that had yesterday's rice still at the very
bottom.



Daikon with Furu

Daikon
Furu
Fresh Ground Sesame Seed
Salt 
Olive Oil
Water
Cut daikon into very thin rounds.  Mix furu with a little water and
ground sesame seed.  Stir fry daikon in olive oil with a little salt
and the furu mixture.  That's it.



Asparagus and Oyster Mushroom

1 lb thin asparagus
6 oz oyster mushrooms
1/4 large garlic clove
olive oil
salt
Saute garlic w/ olive oil for a few seconds in wok.  Add the asparagus
cut into 2" pieces.  Stir fry for 1 minute. Cover for one minute.
Stir fry several seconds more and salt.  Stir to mix the salt through
and remove from pan.  Add more olive oil (leave the garlic in the pan)
and when it's heated add the mushrooms and stir fry for one minute.
Cover for one minute on a simmer flame.  Throw the asparagus back in
and stir until everything's mixed.



Soaking Black Mushrooms

to soak black mushrooms in ample water with a little salt: Microwave on
high for 4 minutes.  Let stand in the water another 15-30 minutes.



Eggplant with Dhal

1 Oriental eggplant
~2/3 cup hulled mung beans
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms
Large Pinch of Dried Chive
Large Pinch of Cardomom Seeds
Small Pinch of Cracked Black Pepper
Boiling Water
Cut eggplant into 1/2" slices.  Microwave mushrooms on high for 5
minutes.  Put mung beans, eggplant,chive,soy sauce and water from 
microwaved mushrooms into a 3 quart saucepan.  Add boiling water to 
cover.  Bring back to boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.  Add cardomom,
mushrooms,black pepper; cook until eggplant is as mushy as you want it
to be;add boiling water if necessary to keep consistency of a dhal dish.



Daikon with Peas

1 small daikon
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons jas chai
2 lumps furu
1 tablespoon cornstarch
pinch of salt
ground sesame
olive oil
Peel daikon and cut into very thin slices (cutting almost parallel to
surface)  Put about 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in wok.  Heat w/ the jas
chai. Add daikon and stir fry for about one minute.  Add greenpeas and
salt and stir fry one more minute.  Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of water
and cover over high heat for about one minute more.  Mix furu and
water w/ a little juice from the jas chai.  Add the cornstarch and
stir.  Mix this into the dish, then grind the sesame over all.



Potatoes and Cabbage

8 medium Wisconsin russet potatoes
1/2 Cabbage
1 clove garlic, split
Olive oil
Salt
Dried green onion flakes
  Peel potatoes; cut very thin and relatively small.  Shred cabbage, not too
fine.  Fry salt and garlic in olive oil.  Add potatoes and fry until coated
w/ the oil.  Sprinkle w/ green onion flakes, fry a while longer, add water,
stir until absorbed, add more water.  Repeat a few times til potatoes begin
to look cooked.  Add cabbage, stir fry a minute of so; add more water,
continue stirring.  Cover pan, let steam about 2 minutes.  Keep stirring and
covering until done.



Never Fail Lotus Root

1 Lotus Root
Sesame Seeds
Cooking Wine 
Soy Sauce (kikkoman milder)
Water
Olive Oil
Stir fry lotus root in olive oil with a handful of sesame seeds.  After
lotus root is mixed w/ the oil, add wine and soy sauce and stir some
more.  As it dries, add a little water and keep stir frying til it dries
again; do this 2 or 3 times, ending with a little gooey sauce in the wok.



Egg Rolls

Egg Roll Skins
1/2 Nappa
4 Hydrated Black Mushrooms
Bamboo Shoot
Cooked Dried Bean Curd
2 Tbsp JasCha'i (Chili Preserved Radish)
2 Tbsp Yeo's Brown Beans
2 Tbsp Freshly Ground Toasted Sesame Seed
1 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed into water
Oil
Cut nappa, mushroom, bamboo shoot and bean curd into small pieces
Stir fry JasCha'i in 1+ tbsp of oil. Add the cut up stuff and stir fry
without adding water til done.  Mix cornstarch liquid w/ brown bean, add
and mix well into stir fry.  Add sesame seed and mix well again.  Do your
best to stuff mixture into eggroll skins and fry in more oil.



Pork and Bamboo Shoot Soup (Bela Lubkin from Wanghwa)

Soak bamboo shoots in hot water, leave for at least 1/2 hour, drain and
discard the soakwater.
Cut up the mass of bamboo shoots (a few parallel cuts across the matte
will do).
Cut the ribs into individual ribs, then cut those into finger-joint
length pieces, if possible (Wanghwa says the cut of ribs she uses
naturally breaks into those lengths.  The ones I used while we were out
there, I had to chop by *whamming* the knife into them).
Cover pork, shoots with *cold* water, bring slowly to a boil, then
simmer forever.  Wanghwa steams the pot in a rice cooker; this produces
a clearer soup.  If you can rig a way to steam your soup that would be
better; else you might be able to simulate the same effect by baking the
pot, though I can't guess at what temperature.
You may need to add salt; taste the soup after it's well-cooked and salt
it if necessary.  You don't want to pre-salt it because the dried shoots
are very salty.
I think she may add a few green onions; a couple thick slices of ginger
are nice; and when I was there I broke a few dried black mushrooms into
the water.  I recommend adding all ingredients (except salt) at the
beginning, before the water heats up.
>Bela<



Whey Drink

In a blender, pour about 2 cups of whey, 5 crushed curry leaves (if you can find it)1 heaped tablespoon of plain non-fat yogurt, 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice (if avail) , 1/4 of an inch of ginger minced, 2 sprigs cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Briefly belnd it for a while, and voila, you have a very tasty drink! In fact, in the Southern parts of India, where it can be really hot, this is drunk regularly. Only they do not always add whey, it is just watery buttermilk, to which is added lime juice, salt and crushed curry leaves. Make more and store it in a juice container in the fridge. Just shake well before use! :) Aruna



Hot HOT Pepper Dish

	I still had about 1/8 of that little yellow pepper we heisted
from the domes sitting in a spice islands glass jar.  It had become
dried pepper so I stuck the whole thing into an eggplant stew:
	
	3 large oriental eggplant [long,skinny,lavender]
	1 lb field mushrooms
	~8 plum tomatoes
	3 fistfulls of dried beans: 1 kidney, 1 black eyed pea, 1
          pinto
        1 1/2 garlic cloves, peeled and rough cut
        Squirts of thin Thai fish sauce for salt
	Generous toss of nigella
	Miserly toss of cumin seed, whole
	the crumbled 'hot' [note the pun] pepper
	medium pour of white wine
	enough boiling water to cook the stuff--not enough to cover
Stick in 300 degree oven and leave for about 2 hours.
The liquid was too hot for me, but the solids were nice over spaghetti 
I'm saving the liquid to mix w/ enough water to make some sort of soup



Moo Dish

what to make.  Went to Safeway, saw a likely looking package of pork
chops, so I bought some brown rice and rutabagas.  Put rice on to cook
in a 2:3 mixture of chicken broth & water.  Meanwhile, smeared pork
chops with a mixture of some beer, tabasco sauce, soy sauce, and grated
ginger.  Peeled and sliced up the rutabaga and nuked until "nearly
done". In lasagne pans, put layer of rice, then rutabage slices, then
pork chops, baked 20 minutes at 375 with aluminum foil, then 20 minutes
uncovered at ~390 [times & temps very approximate].  It came out pretty
darn good, and Liz even liked the rutabaga "even though it tastes like
cabbage".  John didn't, though.



Sue's Brisket

Whole Brisket 4-5 Lbs.		1 Can Beer
Chopped Onion			1 Bottle Chili Sauce
Pkg. Lipton Onion Soup		6 Carrots- Sliced
1/4 C. Water			2 Celery Stalks- Diced
Place chopped onion in bottom of roasting. Place brisket on top of onions, fat 
side down. Pour water over brisket. Bake for 45 minutes at 425. Remove from 
oven. Cover with mixture
of chili sauce, soup mix, and beer. Add carrots and celery. Cover. Bake at 325 
for 2 1/2 hours. Cool and slice thin across grain before serving. Serve with 
noodles or rice.
This is a great dish, as well as teriffic leftovers.
Mike Loewe, Milwaukee, Wi. 



Moo's Squash Soup

I went from start to soup-is-done-and-simmering in about 1/2 hour.  It
would probably have taken a whole hour if I wasn't in a frantic rush,
about to be late for the potluck...
Start with one buttercup squash, about 2.5-3 lbs.  Wash it well.  Using
a flat blade, *heavy* knife, cut it open.  Scoop out all the seed mass.
Cut away the stem.  Don't peel; it's perfectly edible and adds texture.
Cut the flesh into pieces about 1" square.  Put them in a big glass bowl
and nuke for 10-15 minutes, until they're soft.
While nuking, peel a medium-large yellow onion.  Cut it into thin (1/8")
rings, then cut those in quarters.  Fry in a large soup pot, in a
generous amount of olive oil.  Fry on medium-low heat, stirring
frequently, until onions brown, the squash is ready, or you get bored...
While frying, add 1 tsp. ground allspice, 1 tsp. ground cardamom, 1/4
tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper.
When squash is soft, add 6 cups of water to the bowl and nuke for
another 5-10 minutes, until the water is quite hot.  (Continue dealing
with the onion.)
When squash/water bowl is hot, scoop it into the blender.  Add 2/3 of
the onion mixture.  Blend until well pureed.  Add to the rest of the
onion mixture in the soup pot.  Run another blender load (fill blender
no more than 1/2 full, to avoid messy explosions) -- repeat until 2/3 of
the squash has been pureed.  Add the rest to the soup intact.
Simmer until you have to leave.  ;-}
While simmering, add 1/2 tsp. powdered galanga, 1/4 tsp. powdered
cayenne, 1/8 tsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. salt.  Use your nose, spice to
taste...
All spice amounts are quite approximate; I wasn't measuring at all.
>Bela<



This is from Irene (February 12, 2000)
   I wanted to make ginger beef for the potluck last night.  So I made
up a recipe for it and it came out pretty good.  The weird thing was that
it tasted like bitter melon but no bitterness.  It was yummy.  I know
you'll never make it because it's meat and also because it's a recipe :-)
But here it is anyway:
Mock Bitter Melon
2 pounds new york strip steak cut up for stir fry
1 fresh jalepno pepper minced
3 medium cloves garlic minced
1/2C fresh ginger sliced thin in rounds
2 Tbsps low sodium soy
1 Tbsp corn starch
24 medium white mushrooms sliced thin
2 Tbsp sherry

   Put meat in a large bowl with the garlic, pepper, soy sauce, sherry and
cornstarch.  Mix everything up to coat meat evenly.  Marinate for 2 hours.
   Stir fry the mushrooms in abut a tablespoon of olive oil and a couple
turns of black pepper from a mill.  Cook the mushrooms until very limp.
Pour off mushroom water and set aside mushrooms.  Cook meat in three batches
using about 2 tablespoons of olive oil per batch and using 1/3 of the sliced
ginger with each batch.  Take meat off a little before it reaches the stage
you like for the first two batches.  When the third batch reaches the same
stage, throw all the meat in the pan along with the mushrooms and heat 
everything until hot.  If you want a bit of a sauce, you can add the
mushroom water in when the dish gets hot with some cornstarch stirred in.

   This dish tasted a lot like bittermelon.



Egg-foo-yong [thelma-style]


~3/4lb beansprouts
5 eggs
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
2 green onions
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2cup cooked macaroni
olive oil

Fry diced peppers, cut up green onions in olive oil.  Add beansprouts
and macaroni and fry til beansprouts are close to done.  Pour beaten
eggs over and fry on high heat until partly set and browned on bottom.
Cover and cook at simmer flame for about 10 minutes.  Finish uncovered
by more browning, and some turning--it will fall apart...



Simple Tomato Sauce


1 Can Italian tomatoes [no salt added]
1 green onion
1 fingerhot pepper
1/2 banana pepper
2 cloves garlic
3 fresh tomatoes
olive oil

Fry cut up peppers, garlic, green onion in olive oil.  Add fresh
tomatoes and fry a little longer.  Add canned tomatoes and their sauce
and cook 20 at least 20 minutes.  Serve w/ spaghetti and soft white
cheese [ricotta or Russian farmer's cheese]



Minimalism: Noodles w/ Steak Shreds


Chinese thin, flat noodles
Steak shreds

We had a good Black Angus top sirloin steak yesterday, and left over
about 6oz of the cooked meat.  Eli shredded that and I boiled the
noodles.  Put the steak on top of cooked noodles.  The noodles are
enough to warm the shreds.



'Plate' Noodles


Chinese thin, flat noodles, cooked
Frozen green peas
1/2 lb cube of tofu
Left over stir fried bok choy
Left over stir fried bean sprouts w/ ginger, jalapeno & stick tofu
Left over bean soup made w/ soy beans, barley, indian yellow split
peas, & a yellow Indian bean even smaller than a split pea, a few 
white beans, a handful of the Indian black split pea, cardomom,
whole allspice, whole black pepper
Olive oil

Fry noodles and cut up cube of tofu in olive oil.  Add everything else
and mix and warm until warm enough and mixed enough



Baked Oatmeal 'Crepe'

1 cup steel cut oats
2.5 cups water
flour
broken pecans
1 cut up pear
broken cocoa beans
3 tablespoons walnut oil
saccharine
1 cap vanilla

Cook the steeel cut oats as if making oatmeal.  Mix oatmeal, flour and
saccharine.  Mix in vanilla w/ enough water to make a dough.  Add
pecans and pear and mix again.  Add oil; mix through. Mix in the cocoa
bits. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.



Swamp Grass

1 bunch of swamp grass
1lb field mushrooms
1 pkg soy noodles
1/3 poblano pepper
3/4tsp dry mustard powder
1/2" fresh ginger
2caps white vinegar
Olive oil

Cut swamp grass into 1 1/2" pieces; separate stems and leaves
Cut poblano pepper into thin rings. Cut mushrooms into halves.
Dice ginger; mix vinegar w/ mustard powder and throw the ginger into
mix.  Fry poblano pepper in olive oil; add swamp grass stems and stir
fry until coated w/ oil; add mushrooms and stir fry until they begin
to run liquid; add leaves and stir fry until they'r all wilted; add
soy noodles and mustard liquid mixed w/ a little hot water.  Stir 
fry about 2 minutes, until done.