Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons butter, cubed (tiny)
3/4 cup milk

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter. Add milk and mix until combined.  Knead. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface, folding twice. Cut into 12 squares. Bake in 400 degree oven for 11-12 minutes.

Rice Cooker Golden Rice

13.5 oz can of coconut milk (shaken or stirred til smooth, full fat)
2 1/4 cup stock (beef or chicken)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 Tablespoons fish sauce
pinch saffron threads (optional)
2 cups rice

Place all ingredients in rice cooker and stir.  Cook on white rice setting.

Slight variation of recipe found in Knack Thai Cooking.

1/2 batch:

6.9 oz coconut milk

1 1/8 cup stock

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 Tablespoon fish sauce

1 cup rice

Rice Cooker Coconut Rice

13.5 oz can coconut milk (shaken or stirred till smooth, full fat)
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups rice

Place all ingredients in rice cooker and mix well.  Cook on white rice setting.

Slight variation of recipe found in Knack Thai Cooking.

Gingerbread Cookies

Making them for a wedding, like we did?  Multiply by 7!  Whew!

6 cups flour (1 lb, 11 oz)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon ginger
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cloves

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large bowl, whisk first six ingredients until combined.

In a mixer fitted with the beater blade, beat butter until smooth.  Scrape down, add next four ingredients. Mix, scrape, mix, scrape.

On lowest possible speed, gradually add dry ingredients until just combined (scrape down occasionally, paying particular attention to the area under the beater).

Divide dough into 3 pieces and flatten into round discs.  Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (overnight is great).

Roll out on a lightly floured surface*. Cut dough with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes.  Let cool for a minute on the cookie sheet, then move to rack to cool completely.

*I made guides by gluing together two paint sticks (making a set of two).

Slight variation of this recipe by Glorious Treats.

Mushroom Bisque

1 quart chicken broth
1 pound finely chopped shitake and crimini mushrooms (or variety of your choice)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 shakes hot sauce

Bring chicken broth to a boil.  Add mushrooms and onions.  Simmer, covered, one hour.

In a separate pan, melt butter.  Whisk in flour and cook for a minute or two.  Continue whisking as you as the half-and-half.  Whisk until thickened.

Combine the mushroom broth and roux.  Add salt and hot sauce.  Blend with an immersion blender for a minute or two, not completely blending in all the mushrooms.

Serve immediately.  To make it a Zupas Night, serve with a thick slice of french bread and a chocolate covered strawberry (Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers make it easy).

Three Pound Meatloaf

Three Pound comes from the amount hamburger used in making this meatloaf.  I have no idea how much it weighs with all the fixings.  Make this meatloaf for larger dinners (serves 8) when it is just easier to buy the three pound package of meat.  This is an adaptation from Ina Garten's recipe (hence the strange amounts).

2 Tablespoons fat
3 1/2 cups onions, small dice
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 1/3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

3 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon chicken stock or broth
1 1/4 Tablespoons tomato paste

3 pounds hamburger (85% lean)
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 Tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
3 large eggs, beaten

enough ketchup to generously cover the loaf (a little over 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat the fat in a large skillet on medium-low heat.  Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.  Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste.  Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, break apart the hamburger with a fork.  Add the onion mixture, bread crumbs, and beaten eggs.  Gently mix all together with fork(s).  Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper.  Spread the ketchup evenly on top (yes, I use my fingers).  Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours (should register 160 degrees with a meat thermometer).

Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.