Notes:
Kudumulu are steamed rice balls with sweet coconut stuffing. No South Indian needs introduction to kudumulu or an translation for it. The translation is for the unfortunate ones who have not tasted this yummy, delicious and melt-in-the mouth delicacy.

Servings: 3

Ingredients:
2/5 cup grated jaggery (granulated sugar can be substituted)

1 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1 cup rice flour

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a pan, melt the jaggery and remove any impurities from it. Add the grated coconut and allow it to cook until all the water in it is dried up. Remove from heat, add cardamom powder, and set aside.

In a bowl, make a dough by mixing the rice flour, oil and salt.

Roll dough into small balls and stuff with the coconut mixture. Steam cook the dough balls in a steamer or idli maker.

Submitted by:
abigail

Notes:
Watch Chef Johann Lafer prepare this delicious dish of deer fillet served with crepes and chestnuts.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 3/4 lbs. prepared deer (venison) fillet, 1 ½ tablespoons ginger, 5 Indian verbena leaves, 3 shallots, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, allspice, pepper, 1 bouquet coriander, white wine, 2 tablespoons bouillon, salt, pepper, 1/2 lb. chestnuts, 3 1/2 tablespoons cane sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup, 4 crepes, ¼ lb. blueberries, 1 spoon cornstarch, 1 ½ tablespoons butter, carrots (with their greens attached), 4 small broccoli bouquets, , 4 asparagus spears, ¾ cups of game fond and reduced red wine

Directions:
Place the ginger, Indian verbena, shallots, and garlic in a cocotte pan (Dutch oven) and sear in sesame oil. Add some allspice, pepper, coriander leaves, white wine, and bouillon. Cover with a lid and allow to cook slowly. In the meantime, season the deer (venison) fillet with salt and pepper. Quickly sear in a pan with very hot sesame oil. Place the deer fillet in a sieve and cook it in the steam of the Indian verbena. Cover with a lid and allow to slowly cook. Prepare the glazed (sugarcoated) chestnuts by putting some cane sugar in a saucepan and adding peeled chestnuts. Sprinkle with some maple syrup. When the chestnuts are well cooked and the liquid turns into a thick syrup, prepare the crepes as an accompaniment. Fill these crepes with blueberries that have been previously mixed with cornstarch. Place the stuffed and folded crepes in a pan with warm butter and brown them. Cut the meat and place it on a serving dish, along with the stuffed crepes, chestnuts, a carrot with its green, some broccoli, and asparagus. Sprinkle the dish with the game fond sauce and red wine. Add some parsley leaves for a garnish.

Submitted by:
olivia

Notes:
Fried golden brown, cauliflower makes a great side dish for a meal of fish or steak.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets

1 egg

1 tbsp. milk

Cracker crumbs, enough to coat all the cauliflower, approx. 1 1/2 cups.

Directions:
Pour 2 tbsp. water into a microwave-safe container large enough to hold the cauliflower. Cover and heat on high for about 2 minutes. Check for doneness. If not fully cooked, continue on high heat for 30-second intervals until cauliflower is tender. Drain.

While cauliflower is cooking, heat some olive oil in a large frying pan or deep fryer, enough to cover the cauliflower pieces.

In a small mixing bowl, beat egg and milk together.

Put cracker crumbs in a small mixing bowl.

Dip florets in egg. Roll in cracker crumbs.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain and serve.

Submitted by:
shelly

Notes:
Pressure cookers have always been known for quick cooking - but have you ever tried making bread in a pressure cooker? This recipe shows you how.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 large egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/5 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup buttermilk - from dried milk

1 cup nuts - dates, or raisins

4 cups water - in pressure cooker with rack

Directions:
In a bowl, beat the egg and sugar until fluffy. Add the flour, soda and baking powder. Mix well. Add the buttermilk and stir well. Fold in the fruit or nuts. Pour into a greased bowl and cover with buttered parchment paper.

Place bowl on pressure cooker's rack with 1-2 inches of water in the bottom of the cooker. Cover the cooker, without using the pressure weight.

Turn the stove heat to medium. Allow the steam to escape the pressure cooker for about 15-20 minutes.

Allow to cool, then cut into desired shape and serve.

Submitted by:
evangeline

Notes:
This delicious corn pudding is steamed, and therefore much more healthy than similar puddings that are fried.

Servings: 2

Ingredients:
3 cups corn, off the cob

1 1/4 cup raisins, cleaned

1 1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk, scalded

3 medium eggs, well beaten

4 tablespoon white sugar

4 tablespoon flour

Directions:
In a bowl, beat together the eggs, breadcrumbs, flour, sugar, milk and raisins.Mix well. Add the corn and mix well.

Place in a cheesecloth. Tie with a string.

Place in a double boiler and steam for about 50 minutes.

Remove the pudding from the cheesecloth. Then serve.

Submitted by:
helen

Notes:
This salad is made with a mixture of ingredients, like mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, walnuts and sunflower seeds, topped with a special dressing, making it a perfect addition to any meal.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb small fiddleheads and/or asparagus

6 baby potatoes OR 1 large potato, peeled

6 hard-boiled eggs

6 hothouse cocktail tomatoes

½ cup crumbled walnuts, pumpkin seeds and/or sunflower seeds

6 green onions OR one small yellow onion, diced

2 handfuls wild garlic-mustard greens (small leaves only)

For the Dressing:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp grainy (Dijon Style) mustard

1 tsp tamari

1 clove garlic (wild, if possible), minced

Directions:
Pick over the fiddleheads, removing as much of the papery skin as possible and discarding any greens that are more than 2 inches long. If using asparagus, wash and chop it into two-inch lengths.

Steam the fiddleheads and/or asparagus in a steamer/basket for 15 minutes, or until brightly colored.

Meanwhile, shell the eggs and quarter them, and quarter the cocktail tomatoes.

Make the dressing by mixing together all the ingredients. In a large skillet, combine the fiddleheads/asparagus, onion, potatoes, nuts, seeds, and dressing. Saute the mixture until onions are translucent.

Spoon the asparagus/fiddleheads mixture, hot, onto beds of mustard greens, and top with the hard boiled eggs and the cocktail tomatoes. Serve and enjoy.

Submitted by:
lonnie

Notes:
This delicious corn pudding is steamed, and therefore much more healthy than similar puddings that are fried.

Servings: 2

Ingredients:
3 cups corn, off the cob

1 1/4 cup raisins, cleaned

1 1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk, scalded

3 medium eggs, well beaten

4 tablespoon white sugar

4 tablespoon flour

Directions:
In a bowl, beat together the eggs, breadcrumbs, flour, sugar, milk and raisins.Mix well. Add the corn and mix well.

Place in a cheesecloth. Tie with a string.

Place in a double boiler and steam for about 50 minutes.

Remove the pudding from the cheesecloth. Then serve.

Submitted by:
karan

Notes:
American recipes for frogs’ legs usually involve grilling or frying, but this more European-style dish steams the legs and serves them with a sauce

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1/3 lb. mushrooms

1 + 2 tablespoons butter

12 frogs’ legs

½ lb. crab meat

½ cup sherry

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

1 1/3 cup scalded cream

1 egg yolk

Directions:
Wash the mushrooms and cut off the caps. Reserve the stems for another dish. Cut the caps into strips about ¼ in.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes.

Fill a pan with hot water and place over high heat. Put a steamer over the top of the pot. Add the frog legs when the water begins boiling. Cover and cook until tender. Remove from the streamer and place on a baking dish.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

Add the crab meat to the frog legs and pour the melted butter over the top of both. Pour sherry over the whole. Cover tightly with foil and allow to infuse for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove about half the liquid, and sprinkle the mushrooms over the frog legs. Place in a warming drawer.

In a saucepan, mix together the cornstarch and water. Add this mixture to the scalded cream, little by little until well blended. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring constantly until thickened. Blend in the egg yolk. Serve this sauce over the frog legs.

Submitted by:
maria

Notes:
Kozhukkattais are steamed rice balls with sweet coconut stuffing. No South Indian needs introduction to kozhukkattai or an translation for it. The translation is for the unfortunate ones who have not tasted this yummy,delicious and melt in the mouth delicacy, one with very little oil in it.

Servings: 3

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup fresh grated coconut

2/5 cup sugar

½ teaspoon cardamom powder

1 cup rice flour

1 tablespoon coconut oil

½ teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together the coconut and sugar. Spinkle with cardamom and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, oil and salt to create a soft dough.

Use the palms of your hands to roll walnut-sized balls

Submitted by:
gloria

Notes:
The dish more people probably associate with Sicily than any other is caponata, a (generally) eggplant delight that has now spread throughout the Peninsula, much in the manner of cotoletta alla milanese. As is the case with the cotoletta, which is one thing in Milano and too often something else elsewhere, much of the caponata one encounters outside of Sicily is a shadow of what it should be — a zesty summer dish that’s ideal for perking up an indolent appetite on a hot day.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:
3 eggplants, 2 oz. capers, 1 heart of celery branch, 4 oz. green olives,1 large white onion, 5 large tomatoes, 1 oz. garlic, ¾ cups olive oil, 1 tsp. wine vinegar, 3 bay leaves, salt, pepper. One can add to these ingredients: 8 anchovies in olive oil, 1 oz semolina sugar , 1 large bunch parsley, 1 small bunch thyme, 1 box of tuna in olive oil

Directions:
Peel and dice the eggplants. Heat oil in a frying pan. Once it’s very hot, toss eggplant in the oil and brown. Drain. Boil a pot of water (with 1 oz. salt for every 4 cups of water used). Wash celery, shred it, and toss it in the boiling water. Blanche for 5 minutes, then drain. Peel the tomatoes, dice, and remove seeds. Peel garlic and onion. Dice. Pit and chop green olives. Coarsely chop capers.

Submitted by:
dulce