Chapter 10. Dumplings, Fritters, Pancakes, Noodles and Stuffings

Browned Cabbage and Noodles, Hungarian Style
3-pound cabbage
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 sticks(1/8 pound) butter
3 tablespoons grated onion
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground back pepper
1 pound broad noodles, cooked and drained

Wash the cabbage and grate or shred very fine. Mix in the salt and let stand 2 hours. Rinse, drain and dry.

Melt half the butter in a deep large skillet or Dutch oven. Mix in the cabbage, onion, sugar and pepper. Cook over low heat 1 1/4 hours, stirring frequently. Add the remaining butter after 1 hour. Toss in the noodles until thoroughly mixed with the cabbage. Taste for seasoning and cook over low heat 5 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Corn Fritters
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups corn kernels
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon melted butter Vegetable oil for deep frying

Combine the egg, milk and corn. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; add to corn mixture and beat well. Stir in pepper and melted butter. Heat the fat to 375. Drop the batter into it by the tablespoon and fry until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Serves 4-6.

Corn Pancakes
2 cups cream-style corn
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2 egg yolks, beaten
2 egg whites, beaten stiff

Combine the corn, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, pepper, butter and cream. Stir in the yolks, then fold in the whites. If too thin, add a little more flour. Drop by spoonfuls onto hot, greased griddle; turn to brown both sides. Makes about 4 dozen 3-inch cakes.

Beignets de Mais
(Corn Puffs)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup cooked or canned corn kernels
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Combine and bring to a boil the milk, salt, cayenne pepper and butter. When butter melts, mix in the flour all at once. Cook over low heat, stirring steadily, until mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the corn.

Heat the fat to 375. Drop the batter into it by the tablespoon. Fry 5 minutes, or until browned. Makes about 16.

Fritto Misto

Any combination of ingredients can be used in a Frito misto-green beans, cauliflower flowerets, mushrooms, sliced artichokes, sliced eggplant, sliced zucchini. Have everything cut in bite-sized pieces; sprinkle with salt and pepper, then dip in the batter. Fry in deep 370 fat until browned. Drain and heap on a serving dish. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges.

Batter:
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons oil
1 cup lukewarm water
2 egg whites, beaten stiff
Fat for deep frying

Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Stir in the oil, then gradually mix in the water until creamy and smooth. Set aside for 2 hours. Just before using, fold in the egg whites. Makes enough batter for 8 portions.

Potato-Cheese Fritters
2 cups seasoned mashed potatoes
2 egg yolks
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced parsley
2 egg whites, beaten stiff
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Beat together the potatoes, egg yolks, Parmesan cheese and parsley; fold in the egg whites.

Heat the oil to 370; drop the mixture into it by the tablespoon. Fry until browned. Drain well. Makes about 24.

Potato Dumplings
2 1/2 pounds potatoes
1/2 cup minced onion
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sifted flour
4 slices crisp bacon, crumbled(optional)

Cook the unpeeled potatoes until tender. Peel and put through a ricer, or mash very smooth. Saut the onion in the butter until soft and yellow. Beat into the potatoes with the salt, pepper, eggs, flour and bacon. Shape tablespoons of the mixture into balls. Cook in boiling salted water 5 minutes, or until they rise to the surface. Drain well. Don't cook too many at once. Serve with browned butter. Serves 6-8.

Onion Stuffing
1/4 pound butter
3 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 cups hot water
5 cups soft bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons sage or thyme(optional)

Melt the butter in a skillet; saut the onions 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Mix in the celery and parsley. Pour the hot water over the bread crumbs; cool 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, sage or thyme and the sauted vegetables. Makes enough for a 10-pound turkey, 2 chickens, a suckling pig or a crown roast of pork or lamb.

Sweet Potato Stuffing
6 cups mashed sweet potatoes(about 8 potatoes)
1 1/4 cups unstrained orange juice
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1/4 cup dry sherry

Mix all the ingredients together lightly. Taste for seasoning. Makes enough for a 6-pound chicken, a duck, or a crown roast of pork.

Grated Potato Stuffing
2 pounds potatoes, peeled, grated and drained
1/4 cup grated onion
1/2 cup sifted flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon while pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup melted butter or chicken fat

Mix all the ingredients together. Makes enough for a 5-pound chicken, or a breast of veal.

Risi e Bisi
(Rice and Peas)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup raw rice
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 cups shelled peas, or 1 package frozen, thawed
2 cups hot chicken broth
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan; saut the onion 5 minutes. Mix in the rice until translucent. Add the sherry; cook over low heat 1 minute. Add the peas, broth, salt and pepper. Cover, bring to a boil and cook over low heat 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Taste for seasoning; mix in the cheese and remaining butter. Serves 4-6.

Spinach-Cheese Dumplings
1 pound ricotta or cottage cheese
2 pounds spinach, or 2 packages frozen, thawed
5 egg yolks
3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup melted butter

Press all the liquid from the ricotta or cottage cheese -it must be very dry.

Bring the spinach to a boil in salted water and drain thoroughly at once. Pure in an electric blender, or chop very fine. Drain again if necessary.

Beat the egg yolks, then mix in the drained ricotta or cottage cheese, spinach, 2 cups Parmesan cheese and the nutmeg. Beat well with a wooden spoon. Shape into balls and roll lightly in the flour.

Use a large deep skillet and almost fill it with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Carefully add the dumplings one at a time. Cook over low heat until they rise to the surface. Drain well. Pour the melted butter over them and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Serves 6-8.

La Mein
(Vegetables and Noodles)
1 raw chicken breast
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onions
1 cup sliced celery
2 cups shredded Chinese or green cabbage
2 cups bean sprouts, fresh or canned
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked, drained fine noodles

Remove the skin and bones of the chicken; cut in julienne pieces. Heat the oil in a skillet; saute the chicken 5 minutes. Mix in the onions, celery, cabbage, bean sprouts, salt, pepper, soy sauce and sugar. Cover and cook over low heat 3 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and broth together until smooth. Add to the skillet, stirring constantly until thickened. Add the noodles; cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Serves 3-4.

The mushroom is a fungus, not a true vegetable, although it is so considered by most people. Botanists, indifferent to popular beliefs and fancies, call the mushroom the "fruiting body of an edible fungus." The Egyptians were the first to proclaim the marvels of mushrooms, often associating them with divinity. Folklore, notably that of Central Europe, is replete with references to mushrooms and the little people that inhabited them. During the reign of Louis XIV, mushroom culture began on a large scale in the faubourgs, or suburbs of Paris. A few decades later, this first attempt at mass production had proved so successful that there were well over a thousand miles of mushroom beds in these suburban caves.