KELLENE DUNIVAN

I met Kellene Dunivan as I was strolling through the Hum-boldt Farmer’s Market one Sat-urday morning. The foods on her table looked like she had been a pretty busy baker so I asked her if she would like to be a Cook of the Week for the Humboldt Paper. To my sur-prise she immediately said “Yes.” Of course that is what I love to hear! I get way to many refusals with way to many ex-cuses!! “Only I’m from West Bend, she said.” I told her that didn’t matter. She was in Humboldt at the Farmer’s Market and West Bend wasn’t that far away from me anyway. When I went to visit Kellene we had such a nice visit. Her cousin, Marlene Banwart, was also there. And a cup of coffee and a few samples of their deli-cious baking were included with the visit. The samples were yummy! Marlene even agreed to be a Cook of the Week at a later date. Kellene was raised an Air Force child as her father was in the Air Force. She has lived in England, Japan, Kansas, North Dakota, Utah, “just about eve-rywhere,” she said. And five years ago came to Iowa from Washington State. Her father was born in Odebolt so she had some roots in Iowa and was fa-miliar with Iowa. It was her cousin in West Bend that finally got her to come back to Iowa. After graduating from Taco-ma Community College in Ta-coma, WA, she worked in real estate for 23 years, managing other realtors nationwide for the last five of those years. When everything financial went upside down she knew it was time for a change and retired to a much quieter and simpler life. She is a part time cashier at Casey’s in West Bend. She keeps busy on Thursday and Friday baking for the West Bend Farmer’s Market on Friday evening and the Hum-boldt Farmer’s Market on Satur-day morning. Kellene is single now, but raised three children: Kalli, 32; Jessa, 31; and Joey, 29. They all live in Washington State. The day after this article is in the paper she will be grandma for the fourth time. She has two granddaughters that are 4 years old but are not twins, they are cousins; a 6 month old baby girl and a new baby scheduled to be born on July 17. How exciting for her! Besides baking, Kellene’s other hobbies are painting, sculpture and gardening. Shown in the picture with Kellene is some of her baking already for the weekend. I also snapped a picture of half of the pies she had baked. They looked so good! She still had bread to bake. In her dining room was hanging one of the many pic-tures she has painted. I thought it was so pretty so I took a close-up picture of that also. Of course the photo of the picture doesn’t really show the beauty and detail in her picture as her picture is almost 3-D or has a sculpted look to the layers of oil paint on the tree. When I asked her what her favorite food was, she said she had too many to pick just one. Because of her living in so many places she has eaten many dif-ferent foods from many places. She loves fresh seafood and sushi, which are both hard to get in the Midwest. She has shared a nice variety of recipes with us today.Bacon Jam1-1/2 lbs. bacon – cut into 1/2” pieces (plus 3 more pieces to eat!)2 medium onions (chopped)3 garlic cloves (peeled and smashed)1/2 cup cider vinegar1/2 cup brown sugar1/4 cup PURE maple syrup3/4 cup strong brewed coffee Brown bacon, add onions and garlic, cook until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on medium until thickened, (about 1 hour). Transfer to food processor – pulse until smooth/small chop. Pour into 1/2 pint canning jars following preparation directions – process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.Barbecue Sauce Combine all of the following ingredients:2 cups ketchup1/4 cup brown sugar1 tablespoon dry mustard1 tablespoon garlic powder1 tablespoon onion powder1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce1 tablespoon liquid smoke1 tablespoon lemon juice2 tablespoon Jack Daniels – or more!salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste Store in air tight container in refrigerator. Use on any meats, fish or vegetables when grilling.Meat Marinate Combine the following ingredients in a sealable plastic bag:1/2 cup soy sauce1/2 cup wine or sherry2 tablespoons minced garlic1 tablespoon olive oil1 tablespoon lemon juice1 tablespoon garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon Johnny’s season salt1 teaspoon pepper1 teaspoon ginger1 teaspoon sugar Add desired meat and rub until completely coated. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze until ready to use. Any meat marinated in this is perfect for grilling. YUMMMM!Chicken Casserole3 cups cooked chicken breast1 can cream of onion soup3/4 cup mayonnaise1 can mushrooms1 can water chestnuts, (chopped)1/2 teaspoon celery seed2 tablespoons lemon juice1/2 cup onion1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper Mix everything above togeth-er.Topping:1/4 cup butter2 cups corn flakes1/4 slivered almonds Mix together and place on top of chicken mixture. Bake in 325 degree oven for 40 minutes.Crab Cups3 tablespoons butter1/4 cup flour1/2 cup milk Melt butter, add flour, and stir until incorporated. Add milk. Stir until thick and smooth. Add and Mix the following together:1 cup sharp cheddar cheese1 cup crab meat1 tablespoon minced (fresh) onion1 tablespoon lemon juice1 teaspoon lemon rind1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce1 teaspoon dry mustard1/2 teaspoon salt1 loaf soft white bread, remove crusts Brush with melted butter and place each slice in cupcake pan. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Fill cups with crab mixture and return to oven for 10 minutes.Mexican Chef Salad1 pound ground beef1 can kidney beans1 package taco seasoning mix1/2 teaspoon sugar1 head lettuce1 large onion4 tomatoes1/4 cup cilantro1 large avocado1 can sliced black olives1 cup shredded cheddar cheese2 cups corn chips Brown ground beef. Add Taco seasoning mix, sugar and kidney beans (with juice). Bring to simmer and set aside. Into a large salad bowl, place lettuce and tomatoes cut into bite size pieces. Add chopped cilantro and sliced olives. Add beef mix-ture to salad. Toss. Add cheese and crushed corn chips. Toss salad with your favorite salad dressing, (try Western dressing – it’s a yummy choice!)Salmon Cheesecake12 Ritz crackers4 tablespoons melted butter4 ounces cream cheese4 ounces sour cream2 eggs1 cup cheddar cheeseyour favorite combination of herbs – (basil, cilantro, chives, parsley, thyme, tarragon)1/2 teaspoon Beaumont seasoning1 bunch green onion, (chopped)4 ounces smoked salmon Crush crackers, add melted butter and press into bottom of small cheesecake pan. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour on top of the cracker base. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-45 minutes. Cool com-pletely before un-molding. Spread over assorted crackers or vegetables.White Lasagna This recipe can be made to be vegetarian by eliminating the noodles. Substitute spinach to separate layers.Garlic White Sauce (See recipe below)1 package no-cook Lasagna noodles1 large can artichoke hearts, slightly chopped1 large can black olives, slightly chopped1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped1 cup onion, chopped1 cup sliced mushrooms1 package spinach leaves1 cup cheddar cheese1 cup mozzarella cheese1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese1 cup Provolone cheeseGarlic White Sauce3 tablespoons butter3 tablespoons flour1 cup milk4 tablespoons sherry1 teaspoon minced garlic1/3 cup Parmesan cheesesalt and pepper to taste Melt butter, add flour and stir until incorporated. Add milk and sherry and stir until it thickens. Add minced garlic and Parme-san cheese. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour small amount of Garlic Sauce into 9x13” pan (just to coat). Layer sauce, noodles, spinach and 1 cheese with 1 vegetable to create 4 layers. Top with Sauce and any extra cheeses. Cover and bake in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.Broccoli Soup1 package frozen broccoli pieces1/2 cup butter1/4 cup flour2 tablespoons lemon juicesalt and pepper to taste3 cups milk1/2 cup heavy cream Cook broccoli according to directions. Drain. Add butter and flour, mixing until butter is melted. Add milk, stirring until thickened. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add cream. Cheese may be added at this time if de-sired. Stir just until melted. Re-move from heat and eat!Thai Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango1/2 cup uncooked short-grain white rice1 cup water1/2 cup coconut milk1/4 cup white sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1 mango, peeled and sliced1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds Combine the rice and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil; cov-er and reduce heat to low. Sim-mer until water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. While the rice cooks, mix together coconut milk, sugar and salt in a sauce-pan over medium heat; bring to a boil; remove from heat and set aside. Stir the cooked rice into the coconut milk mixture; cover. Allow to cool for 1 hour. Place the sticky rice on a serving dish. Arrange the mangos on top of the rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with caramel rice crackers.Grape Pie1 pound seedless green grapes, rinsed, dried and halved1/2 cup honey2 tablespoons brandy2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juiceCrust:40 vanilla wafers4 ounces toasted walnuts1/4 teaspoon kosher salt6 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedFilling:16 ounces sour cream1/2 cup packed light brown sugar1 tablespoon vanilla extractTopping:3/4 cup packed light brown sugar6 tablespoons unsalted butter1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt For the grapes: Combine the grapes, honey, brandy and lime juice in a zip-top bag, seal and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours. For the crust: Process the va-nilla wafers, walnuts and salt in the bowl of a food processor for 15 seconds or until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse 6 to 8 times to combine. Press into the bottom of an 11- by 7- inch glass baking dish. Set aside. For the filling: Whisk the sour cream, brown sugar and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl. Drain the grapes and reserve the liquid for another use. Add the grapes to the sour cream mixture and stir gently to combine. Pour the grape mixture on top of the crust and set aside. For the topping: Combine the brown sugar and butter in a 1-quart saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir constantly and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and pour over the grape mixture. Do not stir into the sour cream mixture. Cool at room temperature for 5 minutes, and then sprinkle the sea salt on top. Chill in the re-frigerator for at least 1 hour be-fore slicing. Cooks note: You may use the reserved grape liquid to mix with your favorite adult bever-age for a cocktail or with soda water for a refreshing non-alcoholic drink. If you are reading this, then you probably enjoy new recipes. If you would like to share some of your recipes with the com-munity YOU could be Cook of the Week. Please contact me, Sally Cuthbertson, if you would like to be in this column some week. I can be reached by phone at 515-373-6346 or email me at sacuthbe@msn.com. I will be happy to email or send you my short questionnaire and set up a time to come and visit you at your convenience. I’m always looking for NEW Cook’s of the Week. Also, if you are new in town, this is a good way to introduce yourself to the Humboldt community and surrounding communities. I look forward to visiting with you. The COOK OF THE WEEK 3rd Edition Cookbook is available. Cost per copy is $10.70, plus $4.80 shipping/handling. Order a copy today by sending a check or money order, along with name and shipping address, to: Humboldt Independent, 512 Sumner Ave., Humboldt, IA 50548.