Arlene Correll's Recipes (by permission, as they appear in her newsletter) 

Soups, Stews, Gravy, Sauces

Vegetables & Rice

Bread, Sweets, Stuffing, Spice Mix

12-15-03 New Recipes Below: (past recipes are filed into above sections)

^{Any chocolate or vanilla cake mix made as per package directions. Add two cups sour cream and 2 cups of chocolate chips.  Stir well and pour into your crock pot. Pam says cook on slow for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Serve warm right from the pot, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some hot fudge sauce for real decadence!}

^{I was making Carl a Christmas fruit cake the other day and discovered I did not have mace in among a spice rack that is the size of the side of my refrigerator. So here is a good mace substitute. Usually I cook when I get the urge and making the Old World Fruit Cake was an urge. I had all the ingredients in stock except for the mace and dates. I substituted the mace with the below mace substitute and I substituted the dates with chopped pecans as we like nuts in our fruit cake. Also, I used a baking pan that had 8 small loaves in it. Hence the baking time was reduced to 1 hour. This is a very tasty fruit cake, especially if you let it age a few days before consumed.}

^{Bake at 300 degrees F. for 2 hours or until done (it will separate from the sides of the pan). Make glaze when almost completely baked: Melt (do not boil) butter. Add rum and sugar. Stir by hand. Remove the cake from the oven and pour half of the glaze over it. Let it cool 25 minutes, then turn it over and pour the remaining glaze on the other side.}

Don't use glass pans. This freezes well, if you make more than you can eat; just be sure to wrap it carefully so it doesn't get freezer burn. Warm frozen cake in the oven, not the microwave.

: Difficulty: easy to moderate.

: Time: 15 minutes preparation, 2 hours baking, 30 minutes finishing.

: Precision: measure the ingredients.

Here is a good Onion and Fennel Bisque ( This bisque is the same as served at the Blue Heron Inn, on Porpoise Bay, in Sechelt, in British Columbia.)

This bisque is so lush that demitasse cups make an ideal serving size.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 hr

2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped (1 cup)
3 medium red onions, chopped (3 1/2 cups)
1/2 lb fennel bulb (sometimes called anise), stalks discarded and bulb cored and chopped (1 1/4 cups)
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups vegetable stock or low-sodium broth
1 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons Pernod

Garnish: chopped fresh chives

Wash leeks well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.

Cook onions, leeks, fennel, and garlic in butter in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes. Add wine and boil, uncovered, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add stock, water, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and liquid is reduced to about 6 cups, about 15 minutes.

Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then transfer to a soup tureen and stir in Pernod. Cooks' note:
Soup can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, then chilled, covered. Reheat, adding more water if necessary to thin to desired consistency.

Makes 12 servings.

Another one of my articles has be published on the web. Please check it out. "Dry it, You'll Like It!

To finish off any dinner here is a great recipe from the Mon Ami Gabi, in Chicago.

The soft caramel filling is a terrific showcase for — and contrast to — the toasted nuts.

Crust
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup slivered almonds
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten Filling
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/3 cups whipping cream
4 ounces imported milk chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups chopped pecans (about 8 ounces), lightly toasted

3 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped For crust:
Blend flour, sugar, and almonds in processor until nuts are finely ground. Using on/off turns, cut in butter until coarse meal forms. Add egg; blend just until dough forms. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk, wrap in plastic, and chill 1 hour.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer dough to 10-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom and trim edges. Refrigerate crust 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake crust until golden brown, about 17 minutes.

For filling:
Stir sugar and corn syrup in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Boil mixture without stirring until syrup turns golden brown, swirling pan occasionally and brushing down sides often with wet pastry brush, about 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup whipping cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until any caramel bits dissolve. Remove mixture from heat. Place milk chocolate and honey in medium bowl. Pour caramel over and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in chopped pecans. Transfer filling to crust. Chill until set, about 4 hours.

Place bittersweet chocolate in small bowl. Bring remaining 1/3 cup cream to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour over bittersweet chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate mixture evenly over tart. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead; keep refrigerated.) Cut tart into wedges and serve. (Serves 10)