Victoria's Bridal Shower Cookbook

From our Kitchen to Yours: A Cookbook for the Bride to Be

Ingredients for a Successful Marriage: A whole lot of love, a dash of spice and lots of answers to “What’s for Dinner?”

With love from your friends : Laura Peck, Morganne Rosenhaus, Emily Forch, Louise Eich, Kerry O’Connor, and Chloe Csadenyi-Benson

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To the Future Mrs. Shapiro

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Table of Contents From the Kitchen of Miss Laura Peck.................................................................page 4

Lemony Asparagus with Pine Nuts and Parmesan

Tina’s Mexican “Veggie” Tortilla Pie

Lemon Cream Pie

From the Kitchen of Miss Morganne Rossenhaus.....................................page 8

Spinach Enchiladas

Flourless Chocolate Cake

From the Kitchen of Miss Chloe Csadenyi-Benson...............................page 12

Grandma Janet’s Three Bean Salad

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Minted Kiwi Soup

From the Kitchen of Miss Emily Forch...........................................................page 16

Rosemary and Thyme Walnuts

Spiced Marinated Tomatoes

Warm Apple Buttermilk Custard Pie

From the Kitchen of Miss Kerry O’Connor....................................................page 22

Asian Noodle Salad

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

From the Kitchen of Miss Louise Eich............................................................page 26

Spicy Chicken Dip

Garlic & Shrimp Appetizers

Strawberry Cream Cheese Dessert

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Rec i pes f ro m th e Ki t c h en o f Miss Laura Peck

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Mac & Cheese Cups

Mac & Cheese Cups Ingredients 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni 1 tablespoon butter 1 egg, beaten 1 cup milk 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, olive oil and salt; set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes, it should still be a little bit firm. Remove from the heat, drain and return to the pan; stir in the butter and egg until pasta is evenly coated. Reserve 1/2 cup of sharp Cheddar cheese and stir the remaining Cheddar cheese, milk and mozzarella cheese into the pasta. Spoon into the prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and the bread crumb mixture over the tops.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is nicely browned. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan. This will allow the cheese to set and they will hold their muffin shape.

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Recipe Notes

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Lemony Asparagus with Pine Nuts and Parmesan

Lemony Asparagus With Pine Nuts and Parmesan Ingredients 2 tablespoons pine nuts 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds asparagus (2 bunches), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces kosher salt and black pepper 1 teaspoon thinly sliced lemon zest 1 ounce Parmesan, shaved Directions Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing once, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the pine nuts and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the lemon zest and Parmesan.

Tina’s Mexican “Veggie” Tortilla Pie

Tina’s Mexican “Veggie” Tortilla Pie Ingredients 1 Can (15oz) Fat Free Refried Beans 1 lb Light Sour Cream 1 Can (15oz) Red Kidney Beans 1 package (2 cups) Montery Jack Cheese (Shredded) 3 Flour Tortilla 1 Jar (16oz) Salsa Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut tortilla into 8ths. Place layers on the bottom of a sprayed 9x12 pan. Add can of refried beans, smoothing out into an even layer. Add can of kidney beans, sour cream and ½ of the cheese.

Place remaining pieces of tortilla wedges on top of these layers.

Spread salsa and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes covered. Bake uncovered for an additional 5 more minutes or until the cheese is melted on top. Enjoy!

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R ec i p es f ro m th e Ki t c h en o f M i s s Morg anne R osenhaus

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Spinach Enchiladas

Spinach Enchiladas 1 can black olives 1 package of frozen spinach 1 lrg can of enchilada sauce (el paso is the brand name) or 2 sml cans 1 container of sour cream (med size) 1 pkg shredded cheddar or shredded “Mexican” cheese mix 1 lrg onion 1 pkg of flour tortillas You can add mushrooms, peppers, corn and chicken too at your discretion.

Directions: (before anything preheat oven to 350) 1) Saute onions (and peppers and mushrooms if you want to add them) in some olive oil and salt/pepper.

2) Defrost the spinach (use microwave) and make sure to drain all the water.

3) Mix together the spinach, the onions (and peppers, mushrooms and chicken if you decided to add those) in a bowl. Add cut up olives (cut olives in half), only use half of the can of olives though because the rest will go on top.

4) Add some sour cream, some cheese and a little bit of the enchilada sauce.

5) You basically just keep adding stuff until it tastes good. If you want some spice you add some cayenne, chili powder, and some salt and pepper to taste. Be sure not to use all the enchilada sauce in the filling (use about 1/4 of the large can and half of one of the smaller cans) 6) Pour the remaining enchilada sauce into a larger pan.

7) This is where things get messy. You have to dip the flour tortillas into the enchiladas sauce and then put in the filling, wrap them up and transfer them to a greased baking pan. Once you have filled them all (usually can fill about 8), add the rest of the black olives and cheese on top.

8) Put the pan with all the enchiladas into the oven with aluminum foil over the top for 35 minutes and then for another 10 you take off the aluminum-- a total of 45 minutes (this is flexible though...be sure to check them).

Keep in mind you cannot under cook them because all the ingredients are cooked already. So do not worry about that! Disfrutalo! (Enjoy!)

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Recipe Notes

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake: Makes 1 round layer cake (9 by 1 inch or 8 by 1 and ½ inches) Butter and flour the pan ½ cup of almond flour ½ cup plus 2 tbs butter 3 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (chopped) 5 egg yolks ¾ cup plus 2 tbs sugar 4 egg whites Pinch of cream of tartar (unless using copper bowl) 2 tbs Cognac (optional) Directions: (before anything preheat oven to 350) For springform cake pan coat liberally with butter and some flour. For a regular cake pan, link the bottom with a round of parchment paper.

Combine butter and chocolate in a stainless steel bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water. When the mixture has almost completely

melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth While chocolate is melting, beat the egg yolks in a stand mixer on high speed with ¼ cup of the sugar for about 8 minutes or until the egg yolks become pale and quadruple in volume. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg yolk mixture with the chocolate-butter mixture.

Using a stand mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar (if you use) for about 1 minute, or until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar and beat for about 1 minute more, or until medium peaks form (beating takes longer if using whisk or hand mixer) Add the cognac to the chocolate mixture and fold in the almond flour. Stir in one-quarter of the egg whites to lighten the mixture, then fold in the remainder. Fold only long enough to the make the mixture homogeneous.

Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, and bake for about 20 minutes.

The cake is supposed to be loose in the middle so a toothpick interested into the center will not come out clean.

Let cake cool completely. Just before unmolding, place the cake pan over a burner on high heat and move it back and forth for about 15 seconds to loosen the cake. You can frost it with chocolate icing or just a dollop of whipped cream!

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R e c i p es f ro m t h e Ki t c h en o f M i s s Chloe Csadenyi-Benson

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Grandma Janet’s Bean Salad

Grandma Janet’s Bean Salad Ingredients: 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp salt 1 can of pinto beans drained & rinsed 1 can green beans drained 1 can wax beans (yellow) drained 1 can lima beans drained & rinsed 1 can kidney beans drained & rinsed 1 medium white or yellow onion cut fine 1 medium green pepper cut fine 1/3 cup vegetable oil dash of salt dash of pepper

Directions: Whisk vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper Toss beans with onion & pepper Combine ingredients and pour oil over until evenly coated Put in refrigerator and turn container upside down periodically to keep beans coated.

Serve with a kiss and enjoy!

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Recipe Notes

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Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Linguine with White Clam Sauce 1 clove garlic, minced 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups bottled clam juice 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cups minced clams or 3 6oz cans minced clams 12 ounces linguine, cooked al dente and drained In a large skillet, saute garlic in butter over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Whisk until mixed. Add pasley, thyme, salt and pepper.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced by 1/3. Add clams and heat through. Place warm linguine in heated serving dish. Pour sauce over linguine and toss gently. Serve immediately.

Minted Kiwi Soup

Minted Kiwi Soup 8-10 servings 6 kiwis 10 fresh mint leaves 2 cups plain yogurt 3/4 cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup apricot nectar 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup sugar garnish with fresh mint leaves Cut each kiwi in half and scoop out fruit with spoon. Discard skins. Put kiwi and mint leaves into blender or food processor and puree. Add yogurt, cream, cider vinegar, 1 cup sugar and apricot nectar. Blend until smooth. Pour into large bowl. In small mixing bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream to soft peaks, beating in 1/4 cup sugar.

Fold into kiwi mixture and chill. When ready to serve, pour into champagne glasses and garnish

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Rec ipes f ro m th e Ki t c h en o f Miss Emily Forch

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Rosemary and Thyme Walnuts

Rosemary and Thyme Walnuts Makes 2 cups Ingredients: Parchment paper 5 teaspoons olive oil 5 teaspoons pure maple syrup ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped 3 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped 2 cups walnut halves ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl whisk 5 tsp olive oil with 5 tsp pure maple syrup and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper.

Stir in 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary and 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme.

Add 2 cups walnut halves; toss well to coat. Spread evenly on baking sheet combined with parchment paper.

Bake until fragrant and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.

Sprinkle with 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme and ¼ tsp kosher salt. Cool completely.

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Recipe Notes

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Spiced Marinated Tomatoes

Spiced Marinated Tomatoes Serve with a grilled burger of chicken. You can prepare this recipe up to two days in advance. The longer the tomatoes marinate, the more flavor they acquire. Remove the seeds from the pepper if you prefer mild heat.

Ingredients: 4 cups halved red, yellow or orange cherry tomatoes 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions (about 4) 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 jalepeno pepper, thinly sliced 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 1 tablespoon extravirgini olive oil

2 1 ½ ½

teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger teaspoon ground cumin teaspoon salt teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stir until blended.

Pour vinegar mixture over tomato mixture, tossing to coat.

Chill 1 hour. Yield: 8 servings

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Recipe Notes

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Warm Apple Buttermilk Custard Pie

Warm Apple Buttermilk Custard Pie Recipe for 1, 9 inch pie shell 1/4 cup butter 2 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 1/3 cups white sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons butter

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

To Make Apple Filling: Melt 1/4 cup butter or margarine in skillet over medium heat. Add apple, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, until tender. Set aside.

To Make Buttermilk Custard: In a large mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup softened butter or margarine with 1 1/3 cups white sugar. Beat until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until yellow disappears. Mix in vanilla, then 2 tablespoons flour. Combine thoroughly, then pour in buttermilk, beating until smooth.

Fit pastry into pie pan and prick with a fork. Spoon apple mixture into crust, then pour buttermilk custard over it.

Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.

To Make Streusel Topping: While pie is baking, combine 1/4 cup white sugar, brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 3 tablespoons butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly.

Remove pie from oven after 30 minutes and sprinkle streusel topping over custard. Return to oven and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 1 hour before serving.

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R e c i pes f ro m th e Ki t c h en o f M i ss Kerry O’Connor

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Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup Adapted from Gourmet, November 1996 Yield: 9 cups Three 15 1/2 ounce cans black beans (about 4 1/2 cups), rinsed and drained 1 cup drained canned tomatoes, chopped 1 1/4 cups chopped onion 1/2 cup minced shallot 4 garlic cloves minced 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth a 16-ounce can pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup dry Sherry 1/2 pound pancetta, diced 3 to 4 tablespoons Sherry vinegar Garnish: sour cream and coarsely chopped lightly toasted pumpkin seeds In a food processor coarsely puree beans and tomatoes.

In a 6-quart heavy kettle cook onion, shallot, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened and beginning to brown. Stir in bean puree. Stir in broth, pumpkin, and Sherry until combined and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Just before serving, add pancetta and vinegar and simmer soup, stirring, until heated through. Season soup with salt and pepper.

Serve soup garnished with sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds.

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Recipe Notes

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Asian Noodle Salad

Asian Noodle Salad 12 oz angel hair pasta 1/2 c. julienned carrots 4 green onions sliced thin 2 cups haricots verts (or very thin green beans) either frozen or blanched For sauce: 1/3 c. soy sauce 1/2 c. oil 1 T. sesame oil 1/2 t. crushed red pepper 2 T. sesame seeds 4 t. ground coriander

To blanch green beans, bring a pot of water to boil, cook green beans for 2-3 minutes depending on thickness (you want them crisp) then submerge in ice water until super green.

Cook pasta and combine with vegetables. Combine all sauce ingredients except soy sauce in saucepan and cook for 5-10 min. Let cool and add soy sauce. Toss into salad. Serve cold.

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Rec ipes f ro m th e Ki t c h en o f Miss Louise Eich

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Spicy Chicken Dip

Spicy Chicken Dip (serves about 10 people 2 lbs precooked chicken strips, cut into pieces 1 16 oz ranch dressing 1-2 8 oz packages of cream cheese 1 8 oz bottle of red hot 16 oz shredded cheddar cheese Mix all ingredients together (except for cheddar cheese). Better if you cream the cheese (beat it to death) and then stir in the ranch dressing and red hot to make a creamy dressing. Then add 8-16 oz cheddar cheese to mixture.

Place this is a pan and cover with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly (about 1/2 hour). Serve with tortilla chips.

Garlic & Shrimp Appetizers

Garlic & Shrimp Appetizers 1 lb frozen cooked shrimp 1 container garlic/cheese spread (Rondele has some delicious spreads) 1 loaf pumpernickel sliced bread 1 cucumber Cut pumpernickel bread into round circles (either using a cookie cutter or using top of a glass). Spread garlic cheese spread on top of circles.

Slice cucumber. Place slices on top of the bread. Defrost shrimp and remove the shell. Place a dab of spread on shrimp and place on top of cucumber.

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Recipe Notes

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Strawberry Cream Cheese Dessert

Strawberry Cream Cheese Dessert Crushed oreo cookie crust mix 1 package cream cheese 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup confectioners sugar 1 package blueberries 1 package strawberries 1 pint heavy cream

Directions: Follow instructions on Oreo mix to make crust; refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.

Mix together cream cheese, vanilla extract and confectioners sugar.

Whip the heavy cream (the the whipped cream should be standing in peaks) and add cream cheese mixture.

Pour dessert on top of Oreo crust.

Top with blueberries and strawberries, arrange as you see fit.

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