COOK OF THE WEEK - REX AND LISA DAISY

It was interesting to visit with Rex and Lisa Daisy, this week’s Cooks of the Week! Rex grew up in the Fort Dodge and Humboldt areas. His mother still lives in Fort Dodge. Lisa grew up in Audubon, where her parents, Eugene and Linda Mennenoh, still reside. They met when she was a Physical Therapy Technician at Trinity Hospital. They were married September 25, 1993.
Rex graduated from Humboldt High School and Iowa State University. Lisa graduated from Audubon High School, Wartburg College and Des Moines University. Rex is a scientist and works at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Pharmaceutical Company in Fort Dodge. Lisa is a Physical Therapist and is employed at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion. They have one daughter, Kaitlyn, 20. She was busy getting ready to go back to UNI when I visited with them. They are members of Faith United Methodist Church.
Rex is active in the American Legion Post 415 at Livermore and also in the Hawkeye Community Theatre in Fort Dodge. Rex’s hobbies include theatre, reading and trying to exercise. Lisa’s hobbies are quilting and reading. With work, keeping Lisa busy she isn’t in any quilting groups except that she enjoys the quilting time she gets to spend with her mother, grandmother, aunt and sister-in-law.
Rex is retired from the service as a Medic, having served 18 years in the Air Guard and 8 years in the Army Guard so in those 26 years of service to our country (THANKS TO REX AND ALL OTHERS WHO HAVE SERVED OR ARE SERVING OUR COUNTRY!), he has seen many countries and tried out lots of different food cuisines. And he didn’t just forget about the food when he came home. He learned how to cook many different kinds of food. He follows a given recipe once, then he tweaks it until he has the flavor or texture that he thinks it should be. I could have sat all day visiting with them about all the different kinds of foods he has tried and then came home and mastered the art of cooking that same food. Along with the tours of duty in Turkey, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Panama, and Alaska (which started out to be to Okinawa, Japan but ended up only 24 hours in Alaska) that he has experienced, together they have traveled to Germany and Austria where they have family. The Spätzle and Ham they were served and have shared the recipe with us today, was originally a meal they served to lumberjacks in Germany. It isn’t really a pasta but they roll the little dumplings out kind of like noodles. Lisa is of German, Danish and Swedish descent and Rex is of English, Irish, Native American and – “just a Heinz 57”, he said! When in Turkey he learned to make a Turkish Stew called “Tava” that is served with a flat bread. They enjoy that meal but didn’t give the recipe for that.
Lisa said she was an ordinary meat and potatoes cook but Rex likes to try new and different foods. They both like to travel and enjoy trying new foods. They agreed that their favorite meal is sushi. My nose must have curled about then because they explained to me that sushi is not necessarily raw fish (as I thought it was!) They told me that 80 per cent of all sushi is cooked. Their two favorite kinds of sushi are maki and nigiri. When I looked on line to check for the correct spelling for these I found out there are many more kinds of sushi also.
While visiting with Rex and Lisa I learned about a shop in Des Moines called Penzey’s where they buy a lot of their spices. They also shared with me about a little French bakery and restaurant in Des Moines that I can hardly wait to find when I get back down to Des Moines sometime soon. They shared so many ideas about food with me I can’t begin to write about all of them but I just have to repeat that they were a very interesting couple to visit with. We hope you will enjoy their recipes as much as the three of us enjoyed visiting together.

Pasties
These are heavenly!
1 pound ground beef
1 cup frozen potatoes (O’Brien
or frozen hash browns),
defrosted
1/2 cup thinly sliced or
coarsely chopped carrot
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion (may
use frozen)
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (or 1/4
teaspoon garlic powder)
black pepper
1/4 teaspoon fine herbs or
bouquet garni
10-3/4 ounce can cream of
mushroom soup OR
10-1/4 ounce can beef
gravy
15 ounce package all-ready pie
crusts
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium skillet, brown beef; drain well. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic salt, pepper, herbs, and soup. Mix well with spoon and heat through. Unfold crusts and cut into quarters at fold marks. Place 2 tablespoons or so of meat mixture on one side; fold other side over to cover meat mixture. Quickly seal edges by pressing together with fork tines. Prick tops with fork to allow steam to escape. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Remove with spatula and serve immediately.
NOTE: Nothing new about Cornish pasties, but they are exceptionally good and enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Cornish pasties are those wonderful meat and potato filled turnovers named after the town of Cornwall, England where children and miners carry them for lunch. Frugal housewives would chop leftover meats from roasts; combine them with vegetables and spoon the mixture into a pastry and then bake them. Our easy version today calls for ground beef, but any leftover trimmed meat could be used. Freeze a batch (already bake and reheat in microwave). Great for after school snacks.

Sticky Toffee Pudding
3/4 cup dates, chopped and
dried
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 cups boiling water
4 tablespoons softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Toffee Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
8 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking pan with butter. Place chopped dates in a cup with baking soda, then add boiling water and set aside. Combine flour and baking powder. Next add sugar and softened butter to mixer. Mix until combined. Now add egg and vanilla. Continue to mix. Add flour and baking powder mixture. Then pour in date and baking soda solution. Mix until a thin batter is formed breaking up any clumps. Pour batter into greased baking pan and place in 350 degree oven and bake for 35 minutes. When pudding is almost done melt butter in a pan on top of stove. Add brown sugar and cream. When pudding comes out of oven turn on broiler. Pour Toffee Sauce over pudding and place under broiler for 1 to 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it does not burn. This is best if served with a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Black Bean Cakes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped green bell
pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
(2) 15 ounce cans black beans,
rinsed and drained
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs, plain o
seasoned (I prefer seasoned)
1 cup grated sweet potato or
yam
sour cream
lime wedges
Lime zest
1 cup of crumbled or finely
grated cheese (any you like)
FIRST: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic with olive oil about 3 to 4 minutes; then add green peppers and continue cooking an additional 3 minutes, or until onions are tender. Stir in cumin and chili powder; set aside.
NEXT: Rinse the first can of beans. Place into a large bowl and mash beans up with a fork or potato masher, then add the second can of rinsed black beans, the onion mixture, eggs, bread crumbs and sweet potato and cheese. You can season generously with salt and pepper if desired. Mix all ingredients as you would a meatloaf. Make into patties and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and olive oil.
LAST: Bake in oven 10 minutes or until crispy. Remove and flip bean patties. Return to oven for an additional 10 minutes or until crispy. Shortly after removing from oven squeeze lime juice onto the bean cakes. Top the cakes with sour cream and lime zest, then enjoy!

Crème Brulee
3 jumbo egg yolks
1/3 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon flavoring (any
flavor you would like in your Crème brulee)
(i.e.: Bailey’s Irish Cream,
Banana Liquer, Hazel nut
coffee syrup –
Sky’s the limit on what you want to try – just try to keep it at 1 tablespoon)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate egg whites from the yolk. You can have an egg white omelet with the whites later if you like! Place yolks into a 2 cup or 4 cup measuring cup. Combine the egg yolks, sugar and your 1 tablespoon of flavoring in a two or four cup glass measuring cup. Mix them together with a fork. Heat the heavy whipping cream on the stove top until really close to boiling. Slowly a little at a time, add the hot heavy cream to the egg yokes, sugar and flavoring, stirring the mixture the entire time. When all of the cream is added, pour through a strainer into another measuring cup. Then pour into ramekins. Then place ramekins into a small pan and fill with boiling water or hot water until it is about half way up the ramekin. Place the pan into the 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool, then place into the fridge. When serving, put about 1 teaspoon of sugar on top and melt with a torch.

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies
Wet ingredients:
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 generous teaspoon vanilla
2 sticks of butter, melted
2 eggs
splash of milk
Dry ingredients:
2-1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package instant pudding,
usually vanilla or Pistachio
pudding
bag of milk vhocolate chips
Combine all dry ingredients into a container and mix with a fork. Place all wet ingredients except milk into a mixing bowl and using a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine all ingredients except milk. Once all wets are mixed together, slowly add the dry ingredients. If dough looks dry add the milk until the dough looks the right consistency. Place cookie dough into a sealable container and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes minimum. Preheat oven to 350 to 375 degrees depending on your oven. Drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Time also depends on your oven. I place the cookies onto a cooling rack then put them into an airtight container. Enjoy!!!

Apfelpfannkuchen
(German Apple Pancake)
3 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Sifted powdered sugar
In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs with a wire whisk until frothy. Add flour, milk, 1 tablespoon of the melted margarine or butter, and salt; beat until smooth. Heat an 8-inch baking pan or ovenproof skillet in a 450 degree oven for 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 Tablespoon melted margarine; swirl to coat pan. Pour batter into hot pan. Bake pancake in the 450 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until puffed and golden.
Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons margarine or butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar until combined. Stir in apple slices, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes or until apples are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. To serve, remove pancake from oven. Spoon some of the filling into center of pancake. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges. Pass the remaining filling. Pancake will collapse as it cools. Makes 6 servings.

Spaetzle Dumplings
1 package of Spaetzle
dumplings
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound of diced ham
Diced onion, small, medium or large, depending on how well you like your onion.
Frozen peas
Shredded cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack (if you like spicy) (can use your preference)
Prepare dumplings according to package. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and peas to the dumplings. Sauté the ham and onion with the other tablespoon of butter. Onions can be cooked as desired either leaving them with a little crunch or caramelizing. (Chef’s choice)

Perky Potatoes
1 (2 pound) bag frozen
hash browns, thawed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
5 or 6 ounces cheddar cheese,
grated
Topping:
2 cups crushed corn flakes
1/4 cup melted butter
Mix together all ingredients EXCEPT butter and cornflakes. Put into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Mix together melted butter and cornflakes. Spread over the top of potatoes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Calico Bean Casserole
15 ounce can kidney beans,
undrained
15 ounce can butter beans,
undrained
16 ounce can baked beans with
pork
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons white vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
4 ounces bacon, chopped
dalt to taste
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
nlack pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef. Add the bacon and onion together until beef is no longer pink. Drain fat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the kidney beans, butter beans and baked beans with pork. Stir in the ketchup, white vinegar, dry mustard, brown sugar and cooked meat mixture. Mix thoroughly, adding salt and pepper to taste. Pour the bean and meat mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Miles Inn’s
Charlie Boy Sandwiches
(Here is as close as I’ve ever come to a duplicate of that sandwich. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!) (Originally from Charlie Boy Sandwich from Miles Inn, 2622 Leech Ave, Sioux City, IA.)
1 pound ground chuck
1 tablespoon shortening or
butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 tablespoon prepared yellow
mustard
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet, preferably cast iron, melt shortening or butter over medium heat and sprinkle salt across the bottom. Add ground chuck and break up into small crumbles while cooking. Add chopped onion and keep working to break up the meat. When meat is browned, drain off any fat. Add mustard, vinegar, sugar and just enough water to barely cover meat in the pan. Cook, at a simmer, until water is all cooked out, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat your hamburger buns. (They were traditionally steamed at the Miles inn – or you can use your microwave.) When buns are warm, spoon on the loose meat and add yellow mustard and dill pickle slices.

If you are reading this, then you probably enjoy new recipes. If you would like to share some of your recipes with the community YOU could be our next Cook of the Week. Please contact me, Sally Redenius, if you would like to be in this column some week. I can be reached on either my cell phone (515-368-3650) or my home phone (515-373-6346) if you wish to be contacted by me or you may 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 Cooks of the Week. Also if you are new in town this is a good way to introduce yourself to the Humboldt 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.