MARINATED OLIVES

When I want to serve olives with cocktails, I usually buy them at my grocery store. But this recipe imparts a little different flavor I can call my own. Two cloves of garlic is a little much for my taste so I only use one. These will keep, covered and chilled, indefinitely.

MARINATED OLIVES

serves 4, with cocktails



2 C assorted olives, pitted or not

2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 t fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 lemon, cut in half and segmented like grapefruit.

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Marinate for an hour or longer at room temperature. Refrigerate overnight, if not using immediately. Remove from the refrigerator an hour or two before serving to allow the olives to come to room temperature..

CUCUMBER PICKLES WITH CHEESE AND RYE BREAD

This recipe comes from "Gourmet," my now long-lost source for so much wonderful food. The results of its recipes were always good and sometimes spectacular. When I was in a position to buy ads from top magazines, I was once invited to lunch in the Gourmet kitchen in New York and had a chance to see all they did and to eat the delicious results. Alas, they're now gone. But their recipes linger on

This one has the advantage of being both easy to make and unusually good, a combination to which I am always attracted. I've found that one English cucumber will suffice, especially if you have other hors d'oeuvres. These can be arranged on a nice platter in the kitchen and brought to the place where you're serving cocktails. Be sure to let the cheese come to room temperature before spreading it it on the bread. I leave mine out at least an hour ahead. And cut the cucumbers very thinly. So long as they're the Engish kind, wrapped in a plastic sleeve, It isn't necessary to peel or seed them.

CUCUMBER PICKLES WITH CHEESE AND RYE BREAD

serves 6-8

2 English cucumbers (1 will do)

1 t Kosher salt

1/2 C cider vinegar

1/4 C sugar

1 T dry mustard

2 t drained, bottled horseradish

1 t chopped fresh dill

1 loaf party rye bread, the square kind

6-8-oz semi-soft cheese, preferably German, such as Cambazola or Mirabo

1. Cut cucumbers croswise into 1/8 inch thick slices, prefereably on a mandolin, then toss with kosher salt in a bowl and let stand 15 minutes. Rinse and drain cucumbers and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Whisk together vinegar, sugar, mustard, horseradish and dill until sugar is dissolved. Stir in cucumbers and let stand at least 5 minutes.

3. Slice bread, slather with thin layer of cheese and place a cucumber slice on top of each slice.

Note: pickles can be made 2-4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

COWBOY CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST

This recipe will serve 12 easily (and more if you have a guest accept unexpectedly at the last minute, or if one of your favorite friends wants to bring their Aunt Clutty). It's the usual recipe; sausage suspended in custard, with cheese and other flavorings. But boy, is it good! Why Christmas? I guess whoever named the recipe served it then, when the family was all together. Serving it to your guests will make them all feel like family, too.

COWBOY CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST

serves 12



1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for greasing baking dish

1 (1 lb) package bulk, breakfast sausage (not links)

1 (15" long) loaf Italian bread, about 4" wide

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 dozen large eggs (yes, honey, 2 dozen)

1 C whole milk

2 t salt

1 t black pepper

1 large bunch scallions, choppped (you can use the green parts as well as the white)

1/4 lb sharp Cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1 cup)

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375. Generously butter bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

2. Cook sausage in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat, stirring frequently and breaking up any large lumps with a fork, until browned, about 10 minutes. Pour off fat from skillet, then cool sausage to room temperature.

3. Cut half of bread into 1 inch thick slices and reserve remining half for another use. Pulse butter and garlic in a food processor until smooth. Spread a thin layer of garlic butter on both sides of each bead slice, arranging bread in 1 layer in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle sausage on top.

4. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl until frothy, then whisk in scallions and half of cheese. Pour egg mixture over sausage (bread will float to the top), pushing down on bread with spatula to help it absorb liquid. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Bake, tightly covered with a large sheeet of buttered foil (buttered side down), 30 minutes, then carefully remove foil and bake until top is slightly puffed and custard is set in center, about 20 minutes more. Transfer baking dish to a rack and let stand 10 minutes. Cut into 12 squares and serve immediately.

To Do Ahead: this can be assembled (but not baked) 12 hours ahead and chilled, tightly covered with  buttered foil. Allow to come to room temperature and bake as directed above.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Here's another egg-y, cheese-y casserole, this time with sausage. It's simple and easy and will feed 10-12 so long as you're having other things on your menu. I no longer grate Cheddar cheese but now buy it already grated in a package at my grocery store. I've served this many times for brunch; it's always a hit. You can buy the sausage in a big link and remove the casing.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

serves 8



1 t butter

2 lb loose fresh pork sausage meat

8 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into large cubes

2 C grated sharp Cheddar cheese

6 eggs

3 C whole milk

1/2 t dry mustard

1/.2 t salt

1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish with butter and set aside.

2. Break sausage into chunks and put into a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook sausage, breaking it up with a slotted spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer sausage with the slotted spoon to paper towels to let drain.

3. Scatter bread cubes in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Scatter sausage meat over trhe bread cubes and sprinkle the cheese on top.

4. Lightly whisk eggs together in a large bowl. Add milk, dry mustard, and salt and mix well. Pour custard evenly over sausage mixture in casserole. Bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes. Cover with foil to prevent casserole from becoming too brown and continue to bake until center is barely set, about 15 minutes more. Uncover and set aside to let firm up for about 20-30 minutes before serving.

SUE RAY'S BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Like the other breakfast casseroles on my blog, this one is basically a custard with bread cubes and flavorings. This uses kielbasa, a Polish sausage, hot mustard and mushroom soup. It will have a more biting taste than some of the others I've posted. Although the recipe calls for a green pepper, I'd use a red or yellow bell pepper in order to make the color of the dish more interesting. Note that this has to sit, refrigerated for at least 8 hours or overnight before baking.



SUE RAY'S BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

serves 8

1 t butter

7 slices bread, cut into 1/2" cubes (about 5 cups)

1 lb kielbasa, cut crosswise into 1/4" slices

3 C grated sharp Cheddar cheese

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped

1/4 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped

5 eggs

2 C milk

1/3 C mayonnaise

1 t hot prepared mustard (or if you have it, use Phil's mustard)

1/2 t salt

1/4 t ground black pepper

1 10 3/4-oz can cream of mushroom soup

1. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish with butter and set aside. Put bread cubes, sausage, cheese, celery, onions and bell peppers into a large bowl and toss well. Transfer bread mixture to prepared baking dish, spreading it out in an even layer.

2. Whisk eggs, milk, mayonnaise,  mustard, salt and pepper together in a mixing bowl, then pour evenly over bread mixture. Spread soup completely over bread mixture with a rubber spatula. Cover dish and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake casserole, uncovered, until bubling hot and browned on top, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Let casserole rest for 20-30 minutes before serving.

BACON AND EGG PIE

It appears as though I've been neglecting egg recipes here on my blog so I'll spend the next few days posting some dishes that work for brunch. This one is from a farm in New Zealand. I found it in an issue of Saveur, one of my favorite cooking magazines (although lately it's been too devoted to ethnic food for my taste). This uses puff pastry, which dries out quickly so work quickly.

BACON AND EGG PIE

serves 12



1/2 C ketchup

1/4 C Worcestershire sauce

2 9"x11" sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed and chilled

20 eggs (yes, 20; you are feeding 12 people!)

1 T heavy cream

1 lb sliced bacon, roughly chopped

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Whisk together ketchup and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Using a rolling pin, roll one sheet of puff pastry on a floured work surface to form an 11" x 14" rectangle; transfer to a 9" x 12" baking pan and let excess dough hang over sides. Try not to stretch the dough.

4. Separate one of the eggs and place the egg yolk in a small bowl; stir in the cream and set the egg wash aside.

5. Place remaining egg white on top of pastry. Crack and drop the remaining eggs on top of the pastry, spacing them evenly apart, and sprinkle evenly with bacon. Drizzle ketchup mixture evenly over eggs and bacon, and season with salt and pepper.

6. Fold dough hanging over the edge of the pan back over the ingredients and brush with some of the egg wash. Roll second pastry sheet into 10" x 13" rectangle and place on top of eggs and bacon, tucking edges into sides of pan so the dish is totally covered.

7. Cut four slits in the top of pastry with a paring  knife, and then brush completely with egg wash. Bake until golden brown and eggs and bacon are cooked through, about one hour. Cut into squares and serve.

INDEX TO RECIPES

Here's an updated index of all the recipes on my blog as of this date, May 13, 2013. My apologies for my computer, which doesn't want to publish a list in a straight line.

Phil’s Favorite Food

Blog Entries

Index by Category (as of May 13, 2013)

This is a list of recipes posted on Phil’s blog, Phil’s Favorite Food. Each recipe shows the date of posting so it will be easier to find. These can all be accessed and downloaded at philsfavoritefood.blogspot.com

Drinks

Bloody Marys                                                              Feb 5

Creamsicles                                                               Feb 5

The Authentic, Traditional Mint Julep                          May 2

Hors d’Oeuvres

Bar Nuts (Phil’s Nuts)                                                 Jan 16

Roasted Eggplant Dip (for Chicken Curry)                 Jan 30

Artichoke Squares                                                      Feb 1

Jim’s Olive Tapenade                                                 Feb 24

Curried Cheese Spread                                              Mar 3

Rice Krispie Squares                                                  Mar 5

Creamed Mushroom Bruschetta with Onions            May 10

Mexican Appetizer                                                       May 13

Soup and First Courses

Cold Curried Apple Soup                                            Jan 17

Corn Chowder                                                                        Feb 3

Melon Carpaccio                                                         Mar 4

Tomato Aspic                                                              Mar 13

Cold Tomato Soup with Cucumber and Melon          Mar 15

Easy Oysters Rockefeller                                           Mar 20

Minted Pea Soup                                                         Mar 22

Nancy Hernke’s Onion Soup                                      Mar 24

Salads and Dressings

Vinaigrette Dressing                                                   Jan 24

Ina Garten’s Green Salad Vinaigrette             Jan 24

Raita (for Chicken Curry Dinner)                                Jan 29

Sweetheart Salad                                                       Feb 14

The Best Caesar Salad Ever, No Kidding                  Mar 8

Chicken Salad Veronique                                           Mar 10

Aunt Nola’s Boiled Dressing                                       Mar 11

Chicken Salad a la Danny Kaye                                 Mar 12

Peggy’s Sweet and Sour Dressing                            Mar 16

Cobb Salad                                                                 Mar 28

Meat

Beef Stew                                                                   Jan 19

Bill Blass’s Meatloaf                                                    Jan 20

Meatloaf, Maple Glazed                                               Jan 21

Country Style Sausage and Fried Apples                   Feb 7

Moroccan Lamb Stew with Prunes                            Feb 11

Lemon and Ginger Pork Roast                                   Feb 12

Beef Bourguignon                                                       Feb 16

Sauteed Pork Chops                                                  Feb 21

Veal Marsala                                                               Feb 28

Saltimbocca                                                                Mar 1

Pineapple and Molasses Spareribs                            Mar 2

Roasted Pork Loin with Fig Sauce                             Mar 6

Choucroute a l’Alsacienne                                          Mar 23

Dinah Shore’s Meatloaf                                               Apr 2

Chili                                                                             Apr 7

Chicken and Turkey

Chicken Cutlets                                                          Jan 25

Chicken Curry                                                             Jan 26

Chicken Stew with Italian Sausage                            Feb 1

Chicken Cacciatore                                                    Feb 25

Chicken with White Wine and Tarragon                     Feb 25

Turkey Tetrazzini                                                        Feb 27

Chicken Marsala                                                         Feb 28

How to Cook Chicken, Roasting, Poaching               Mar 9

Chicken Marengo                                                        Mar 25

Curried Chicken and Shrimp                                      Mar 26

Grilled Chicken Breasts                                              Apr 9

Perfect Roast Chicken                                               May 11

Seafood

Curried Chicken and Shrimp                                      Mar 26

Salmon Mousse with Dill Sauce                                 Apr 9

Mussels with Parsley and Garlic                                Apr 13

Crab Imperial                                                              Apr 17

Tartar Sauce, or Remoulade                                      Apr 18

Scallops with Leeks and Pernod                                May 3

Eggs

M & J Egg Casserole                                                  Feb 6

Cheese Souffle                                                           May 8

Side Dishes and Vegetables

Corn Pudding                                                              Jan 22

Asparagus                                                                   Jan 23

Hashed Browns                                                          Feb 8

Tomato Pudding                                                         Feb 13

Haricots Verts in Mustard Sauce                                Feb 14

A Riff on Side Dishes                                                  Mar 14

Scalloped Potatoes (Gratin)                                       Mar 19

Fennel Potato Gratin                                                   Mar 19

Chunky Applesauce                                                    Mar 21

Comfort Carrots                                                          Mar 29

Barb’s Baked Mushrooms                                          Mar 30

Succotash                                                                   Mar 31

Brussels Sprouts                                                        Apr  1

Another Corn Pudding                                                Apr 12

Broiled Tomatoes                                                       Apr 15

Peperoni                                                                      Apr 20

Sweet Potato Spears, Molasses and Horseradish    Apr 23

Bread, Rice and Pasta

Basmati Rice (for Chicken Curry)                              Jan 28

Nann (for Chicken Curry)                                            Jan 29

Classic Macaroni and Cheese                                   Feb 17

Barb’s Mac and Cheese                                             Feb 17

Ina Garten’s Mac and Cheese                                    Feb 17

Mark Bittman’s Mac and Cheese                                Feb 17

Giada de Laurentiis’s Mac and Cheese                      Feb 17

The Ultimate Mac and  Cheese                                  Feb 17

Lasagna with Sausage                                               Feb 18

Easy Cheese Lasagna (Weight Watchers)               Feb 19

Bert’s Vegetable Lasagna                                           Feb 19

Bert’s Tomato Basil Sauce                                         Feb 19

Nick and Tony’s Penne with Vodka                            Feb 22

Spaghetti Carbonara                                                   Feb 23

Noodles with Carrots and  Dill                                    Mar 27

Wild Mushroom Lasagna                                            Apr 3

Pasta with Four Cheeses                                           Apr 10

Jenny’s Keugel                                                            Apr 11

Baked Rice                                                                 May 4

Dessert

Macaroons with Ice Cream                                         Jan 24

Cardamom Pound Cake (for Chicken Curry)             Jan 31

Fresh Fruit                                                                  Feb 9

Tiramisu                                                                      Feb 26

Pistachio-Crusted Cheesecake                                 Mar 18

Warm Fruit Compote                                                  Apr 4

Alexander’s Apple Cake                                              Apr 5

Apple Brown Betty                                                      Apr 6

Chocolate Amaretti Cake                                            Apr 8

Sweet Potato Pie                                                        Apr 12

Ginger Pound Cake                                                    Apr 14

Sableuse                                                                     Apr 16

Pie Crust, Foolproof                                                    Apr 21

Derby Pie                                                                    Apr 22

Grandmother’s Key Lime Pie                                     Apr 24

Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart                                   Apr 25

Cherry Tortoni                                                             Apr 26

Chocolate Flan                                                            Apr 30

Pernod Flan                                                                May 1

Uncle Dutch’s Pineapple Pudding                              May 5

Katherine Hepburn’s Brownies                                   May 6

$1000 Peanut Brittle Cookies                                     May 7

Rum Raisin Rice Pudding                                          May 9

Strawberry Short Cake                                               May 12

Other

Condiments for Chicken Curry Dinner                       Jan 28

How to Hard Boil Eggs                                                Feb 6

How to Segment Fruit                                                 Feb 9

Hints for Making Brunch Easier                                  Feb 10

Giada’s Bechemal Sauce                                           Feb 17

To Do Ahead                                                               Mar 8

Mom’s Pancakes                                                        Apr 19