Mrs. Field's Butterscotch Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 C butter, softened
1/2 C shortening
4 C packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
6 C all-purpose flour
3 t baking soda
3 t cream of tartar
1 t salt
1 package English toffee bits (10 ounces) or almond brickle chips (7 1/2 ounces)
1 C finely chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in toffee bits and pecans.

Shape into three 14" rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Unwrap and cut into 1/2" slices. Place 2" apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1-2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Old-Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup

I used 2 frozen chicken breasts and two chicken bouillon cubes, which cut down on the cooking time.

INGREDIENTS:
1 4-5 pound stewing chicken, cut up
12 C water
1/2 C chopped Onion (1 medium)
2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 C dried medium noodles (I use rotini noodles)
1 C chopped carrots (2 medium)
1 C chopped celery (2 stalks)
2 T parsley
4 chicken bouillon cubes

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot combine chicken, water, onion, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 2 hours or until chicken in tender.

Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones. Discard bones. Cut meat into bite-size pieces; set aside. Discard bay leaf. Skim fat from broth.

Bring broth to boiling. Stir in chicken, bouillon cubes, carrots and celery. Simmer, covered, about 5-7 minutes or until veggies are tender but still firm. Stir in noodles and parsley; heat through until noodles are firm, but cooked (5-7 minutes).

Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

Even though this recipe calls for pork tenderloin, I used boneless pork chops and it turned out GREAT!

INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds pork tenderloin
1/4 C olive oil
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 t thyme
1/2 T rosemary
1 T salt
2 T pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Mix ingredients together and let pork marinate for at least one hour. Place pork in baking dish and add whole baby carrots, cubed red potatoes, and chopped onion. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
3 lbs chicken
1 t garlic salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 beaten egg
4-6 T cornstarch
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C vinegar
1/2 C chicken stock
3 1/2 T Ketchup
1 T soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and pepper. Let stand for on hour or more. Preheat oven to 325 F. Dip chicken in beaten egg and then in cornstarch. Brown in hot oil. Place in baking dish.

Heat sugar, vinegar, chicken stock, ketchup, and soy sauce in pan mixing well. Once the sugar is dissolved pour over chicken and bake uncovered for 1 hour. Turn chicken over once or twice. Serve over rice.

Grandma's Cheese Cake

INGREDIENTS:
1 package lemon jello
1/4 lb (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 T powdered sugar
30 Graham crackers
1 8 oz package cream cheese
2 t vanilla
1/2 C sugar
1 C evaporated milk

DIRECTIONS:

Dissolve jello in 1 cup hot water. Let cool until syrupy. Melt butter and mix with powdered sugar and graham crackers. Mix well.

Cream the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar and then add to jello. Chill and whip evaporated milk. Combine with jello mixture and whip.

Line bottom of pan with cracker mixture leaving 1/4 to sprinkle on top. Pour jello mixture on crackers. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 crackers on top. Chill at least 6 hours.

English Pastry

Ingredients for short crust pastry:
4 cups flour
1 cup either margarine or butter or a combination of these
pinch of salt
cold water to mix

DIRECTIONS:

Rub the butter or margarine into the flour but not too finely. I sometimes cut the fat into small lumps. Add the salt and then start adding the water gradually until it works together into a ball without being sticky. Put aside in a cool place.

Ingredients for filling
3/4 lb beef, not stewing beef
raw potato
raw swede (also known as rutabaga or yellow/swedish turnip)
small onion
salt and pepper
a walnut sized piece of butter

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the steak into small pieces but do not mince. Slice potato and swede into thin, small pieces about half an inch across. Chop onion finely. Dust the work surface with flour. Roll out the pastry to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a small plate cut out circles. Moisten the edge with milk or water and support half of the pastry nearest to you over the rolling pin. On the other half, put a small layer of prepared vegetables then a layer of beef. Repeat this once but be careful not to have too much filling which would cause the pastry to burst during the cooking process. Sprinkle sparingly with salt and pepper then add a small bit of the butter. Sprinkle a dusting of flour over the filling (this helps to make the gravy). Fold the other half of pastry which has been resting on the rolling pin over the filling and squeeze the half circle edges firmly together. Starting at the right side whilst supporting the left side with other hand, using first finger and thumb turn the edge over to form a crimp. Repeat this process all along the edge. This will come with practice but you must get a good seal. Brush pasty with beaten egg wash to help with browning process and put a small one inch cut in the centre of the top to allow steam to escape. Bake in a hot oven 420 F for about 20 minutes then reduce temperature to 320 F for a further 40 minutes. Smaller pasties need less time. If they are browning too quickly cover loosely with greased paper.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

INGREDIENTS:
1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup shredded parmesan-Romano cheese blend
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
10 ounces prepared Alfredo sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounces softened cream cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Combine ingredients thoroughly in a bowl and spread mixture into a medium baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling and melted.

NOTE:
I usually put all the ingredients in a crockpot and let it melt together before it is served stirring often.

Red Lobster Biscuits

INGREDIENTS:
2 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 c. melted butter
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:

Mix Bisquick, milk and cheddar until a soft ball forms. Beat
vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop by balls onto an ungreased
baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
Mix butter and garlic and brush on rolls while still on the
pan and hot.

PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

INGREDIENTS:
8 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons dry sherry
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons water
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, minced
2 small dried chilies (optional)
1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, minced
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, minced
1 package cellophane Chinese rice noodles,prepared according to package

INGREDIENTS (For Cooking Sauce):
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Iceberg lettuce leaves.

DIRECTIONS:

Cover mushrooms with boiling water, let stand 30 minutes then drain. Cut and discard woody stems. Mince mushrooms. Set aside.

Mix all ingredients for cooking sauce in bowl, and set aside.

In medium bowl, combine cornstarch, sherry, soy sauce, water, salt, pepper and chicken. Stir to coat chicken thoroughly. Stir in 1 teaspoon oil and let sit 15 minutes to marinate. Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 tablespoons oil, then add chicken and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to pan. Add ginger, garlic, chilies (if desired), and onion; stir fry about a minute or so. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir fry an additional 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan. Add mixed cooking sauce to pan. Cook until thickened and hot.

Break cooked cellophane noodles into small pieces, and cover bottom of serving dish with them. Then pour chicken mixture on top of noodles. Spoon into lettuce leaf and roll.

PF Chang's Mongolian Beef

INGREDIENTS:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 pound flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large green onions

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the sauce by heating 2 teaspoons of vegetable in a medium saucepan over med/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot or you'll get a major spatter when adding the other liquids. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.

2. Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4-inch thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.

3. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.

4. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and sauté for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon or a spider to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate. Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.

Penne Chicken Alfredo from Johnny Carino's

BUILD FOR ALFREDO SAUCE:
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1 C parmesan cheese
1 T black pepper
1/4 C whole milk

Saute heavy cream, milk, and black pepper to a consistent boil. Remove cream mixture from heat and fold in parmesan cheese. Store completed sauce in refrigerator until use.

BUILD FOR THE PENNE ALFREDO:
1 oz. melted butter
1/4 C chopped cooked bacon
1/4 C diced roma tomatoes
1 C sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 t garlic salt
1/4 C peas
3 oz. sliced cooked chicken (or shrimp - highly recommended)
4 oz. alfredo sauce
10 oz. penne pasta

In a warm saute pan combine butter, mushrooms, bacon, peas, tomatoes, chicken (or shrimp), and spice mixture. Saute until mushrooms are a golden brown and tomatoes begin to dissolve. Add alfredo sauce and continue to saute until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. Remove from flame, add pasta, toss, and serve.

Bangja Gui

This is a good Korean dish. I'd test the chili powder before putting the whole teaspoon in - they like hot dishes.

INGREDIENTS:
1 ¼ lb sirloin or rib steak
½ t. salt
1 T. sesame oil
¼ t. black pepper
4 green onions; in 2" long strips
3 T. soy sauce
2 t. sesame oil
1 t. hot red chili powder
1 t. sugar
1 T toasted sesame seeds
10-12 large lettuce leaves
3 garlic cloves; sliced thin

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the steak into thin slices 3 inches long and 2 inches wide. Mix the steak with salt, 1 T. sesame oil, and pepper; put seasonings into the meat. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Soak the green onion slices in ice water for 15 minutes. Drain well. Mix together the soy sauce and the remaining 2 t. sesame oil and toss this with the green onion slices. Set aside.

Mix the chili powder, sugar, and sesame seeds together. Rub this seasoning on the inside curl of the lettuce leaves. Set aside.

Grill the steak to desired temperature according to taste. Take 1 lettuce leaf, put several slices of steak in the center, add about 1 T. of the seasoned green onions, sliver or two of garlic, fold the lettuce over the steak and eat. Serve with rice.

Lobster Bisque

INGREDIENTS:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 to 8 lobster bodies, cooked or uncooked. Or imitation lobster (Sold near imitation crab)
1 cup white grape juice
1 cup cored, peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes (canned are fine, don't bother to drain)
6 cups chicken or fish stock, or strained liquid reserved from boiling lobsters
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, deep saucepan or casserole over medium heat. When it melts, add the onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, and thyme and cook, stirring, until the onion softens, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the lobster bodies and, if they are uncooked, cook, stirring, until they turn red, about 10 minutes (if they are already cooked, cook, stirring, about 5 minutes).

Add the white grape juice and tomatoes and turn the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the stock, turn the heat to high, and bring back to a boil. Once again, turn the heat to low and cover; cook 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Remove the lobster shells, crack them if necessary, and pick off any meat you find. Return the bits of meat to the soup (reserve any large pieces of meat you have for the final addition, below).

Pass the soup through a food mill or puree it in a blender. (You may prepare the soup in advance up to this point. Cover, refrigerate for up to 2 days, and reheat before proceeding.) Return the soup to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the remaining butter, in bits, until it melts. Add the cream and any bits of lobster meat and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, garnish, and serve.

Seven Layer Dip

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
4 cups shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 cup guacamole
1 cup salsa
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, chopped
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Set aside to drain and cool to room temperature.
Spread the beans into the bottom of a 9x13 inch serving tray that is about 1 1/2 inches deep. Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheese on top of beans. Sprinkle beef on top of cheese. Spread sour cream very slowly on top of beef. Spread guacamole on top of sour cream. Pour salsa over guacamole and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese. Sprinkle black olives, tomatoes, and green onions on top.

You can serve this dish immediately, or refrigerate it over night and serve cold.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.
Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours.

Porcupine Meatballs

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 egg, beaten
1 (26 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
26 fluid ounces water

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl combine the beef, rice and egg beat. Mix well with hands, making mixture into medium sized meatballs. Set aside.

Pour soup into a large saucepan, and dilute with 1 can of water. Heat to simmering over medium heat.

Lower heat to low, drop meatballs into soup and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Crepes

INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

In a blender combine eggs, milk, flour, salt and oil. Process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Pour 1/4 cup of crepe batter into pan, tilting to completely coat the surface of the pan. Cook 2 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden. Repeat with remaining batter.

Fill with desired filling. For example, fresh strawberries mixed with strawberry jam topped with whip cream.

Clam Chowder

INGREDIENTS:
3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.

Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Roll with Toffee filling

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
6 egg yolks
6 egg whites
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
10 tablespoons crushed toffee candy
1 (16 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping, warmed
1/2 cup crushed toffee candy

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 15x10 inch baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Sift flour, cinnamon, ginger and allspice into small bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat egg yolks, 1/3 cup white sugar and 1/3 cup brown sugar until very thick, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer. On low speed, beat in pumpkin, then flour mixture.

Using clean, dry beaters, in a large bowl, beat egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into batter in 3 additions.

Spread into prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Place smooth (not terry cloth) kitchen towel on work surface; dust generously with powdered sugar. Cut around pan edges to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto kitchen towel. Fold towel over 1 long side of cake. Starting at 1 long side, roll cake up in towel. Arrange cake seam side down and cool completely, about 1 hour.

To make the filling: Pour 2 tablespoons rum into small heavy saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Stir over low heat just until gelatin dissolves, then remove from heat. In a large bowl, beat chilled whipping cream and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Beat in gelatin mixture. Fold in 6 tablespoons English toffee pieces.

Unroll cake, sprinkle with 4 tablespoons English toffee pieces. Spread filling over. Starting at 1 long side and using kitchen towel as aid, roll up cake to enclose filling. Place cake seam side down on platter. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.) Cover with foil and refrigerate.

Trim ends of cake on slight diagonal. Dust cake with powdered sugar. Spoon some of the warm caramel sauce over top of cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup toffee. To serve, cut cake crosswise into 1 inch thick slices. Serve with remaining sauce.

Good reference

Here are some websites that have good substitutions for when a recipe calls for alcohol:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/alcoholsub.htm
http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/alcoholsubstitutes.htm

Pumpkin Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup ground pecans
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3/8 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and the melted butter or margarine and mix well. Firmly press mixture into one 9 inch springform pan.

Combine 3/4 cup of the white sugar, the pumpkin, 3 egg yolks, ground cinnamon, ground mace, ground ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well, and set aside.
Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; gradually add 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar and mix well. Add the whole egg, remaining egg yolk and the whipping cream, beating well. Add cornstarch and vanilla and lemon flavorings, beat batter until smooth. Add pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes. Do not overbake. Center may be soft but it will firm up when chilled. Let cheesecake cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate.

Potstickers

Yields about 48 potstickers.

INGREDIENTS:

Dumpling Dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup boiling water

Filling:
8 ounces celery cabbage (Napa cabbage)
2 tsp salt
1 pound lean ground pork
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, with tops
1 TB white wine
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil
Dash white pepper
Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Other:
2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

PREPARATION:
Cut the cabbage across into thin strips (omitting stem). Mix with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, mix the celery cabbage, pork, green onions, wine, cornstarch, the remaining 1 teaaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and the white pepper.In a bowl, mix the flour and 1 cup boiling water until a soft dough forms.

Knead the dough on a lightly flour surface about 5 minutes, or until smooth. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a roll 12 inches long and cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices. Roll 1 slice of dough into a 3-inch circle and place 1 tablespoon pork mixture in the center of the circle. Lift up the edges of the circle and pinch 5 pleats up to create a pouch to encase the mixture. Pinch the top together. Repeat with the remaining slices of dough and filling.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. If using a nonstick skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

To make a dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Serve with the dumplings.

Garlic Bread

INGREDIENTS:
1 16-ounce loaf of Italian bread or French bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
1 heaping tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 and wrap in foil. Bake for 15 minutes.