The County Review
The County Review
The Voice of Business and Community
In Central New York

The County Review
The Cooking Corner                                         by .... Vera Neroni

          Once again it is time for the Cooking Corner! I would like to first of all wish everyone very happy holidays and many merry days ahead of them, and, of course, share some holiday recipes.
          The first dish that I am going to introduce is at once a main course and a side dish that goes with it, and while made without any hassle at all, it still tastes, smells and even looks very delicious. You only have to slice the ingredients (potatoes and onions) and arrange them with a few steaks. When baked, the potatoes absorb the juices from the meat, and can be served as a side dish, while the combination of baked onion and mayonnaise provides an unforgettable new flavor for the meat. This dish is so tasty and versatile that it can be prepared for any occasion from a simple family dinner to a large gathering and is also perfect for a quick yet impressive meal to make for surprise guests.
          The next recipe is definitely one of if not the favorite of my cookie recipes. I can still remember myself enjoying these light and crispy yet very tender cookies when I was a little girl and lived in Russia. This recipe was very popular as were the cookies. The combination of fragrant almonds with sugar, and of a light crinkly crust with a chewy interior makes the cookies so good they literally melt on your tongue. There is nothing like a large warm golden cookie with a cup of hot chocolate to cheer you up on a long winter evening.

Baked Meat w/Potatoes & Onions
(each steak is a serving by itself so the amount of ingredients can be varied according to necessity; I will list ingredients needed for about six servings) six medium or small sized steaks 8 small or 6 large potatoes-1 onion 6 tbsp mayonnaise-½ cup water (amount may vary according to the size of your dish)

          Prepare a large deep oven-safe dish. Cut the potatoes into thick (1/4-1/2 inches) slices and lay them out on the bottom of the dish. Take the steaks and lay them out on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the steaks with steak seasoning. Peel the onions and cut into thin circles, put a circle or two (depending on steak size) onto each steak. Put a few bay leaves and black peppers in between the steaks, and a tablespoonful of mayonnaise onto each steak. Place the dish into an oven preheated to about 380 degrees and bake for about half an hour or until the meat is cooked all the way through (or according to how you like your meat cooked) and the mayonnaise attains a deep brownish color. You may, if you wish, cover the dish with aluminum foil to retain more of the juices and uncover it to brown a bit; the result will be great both ways.
          To serve just take one steak and a few potato slices, and garnish with some fresh greens, like a sprig of dill or parsley.

Golden Almond Medallions

1 cup fine sugar (or a little less than a cup powdered sugar) 100 g (about 3.5 oz by weight) almond paste (you may substitute the paste with powdered almonds) 1 ½ tbsp regular white rice (not instant) 2 large egg whites and 1 additional for the glazing 8 (or as many as there are cookies) whole almonds, without the brown skin

          Grind the rice very finely. To take the brownish peel off the almonds, pour scalding water over them, drain, pat dry and either rub between two paper towels or peel with a thin sharp knife.
          Beat the egg whites until soft white peaks form. It is best to mix in all the following ingredients with an electric mixer on very high speed. Add the sugar and the rice powder in small amounts. Break the almond paste into small pieces as you add it to the egg whites and mix very thoroughly until there are almost no lumps. Add a couple drops of almond extract.
          Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper (you also could lightly butter the cookie sheet but then there is a greater possibility of the cookies sticking to the sheet) and place the dough in tablespoonfuls onto it, a considerable distance between each spoonful. Pat the cookies with the spoon lightly to flatten them, place an almond in the middle of each and glaze with the remaining egg white. Place into an oven preheated to about 300 degrees, and bake for 23-28 minutes or until the cookies are a very light golden color and covered with a fine crackled crust. It is also a possibility to cook the dough like jellyroll dough in a thin sheet and then cut it into squares when it is baked, if you like the square shape better. The cookies will keep soft longer if you store them in a tin or other airtight container (one used for store-bought shortbread cookies may come in handy), yet I am sure that keeping them for a long time will be the least of the problems because the cookies are so popular with everyone in my family.


Cooking Archive

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