Kabler's Chatter -- Dining in Philadelphia

By Jane Kabler Staff Writer

Sunday, June 1, 2008 6:24 PM EDT

Brie and Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

(great appetizers served in many restaurants)

18 large mushrooms, stems removed and chopped

3 tablespoons of butter, melted

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 tablespoons of onion, minced

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce

4-5 oz. of jumbo lump crab meat

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise

3 oz. of Brie Cheese, cut into 18 small pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wipe off mushrooms with a damp towel. Snap out stems and chop them. Salt a cookie sheet really well so that they do not stick and place mushrooms on the cookie sheet. Brush the mushrooms with one tablespoon of melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder. In a skillet, saute the mushroom stems with onion, Worcestershire and the remaining butter. In a bowl, mix crabmeat and mayonnaise. Fill the caps with mushroom and onion mixture. Top with crabmeat mixture and small pieces of Brie Cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until they are tender and the cheese is melted.

Potato Cakes with Sour Cream and Chives

( make them small and serve as an appetizer or larger and serve with a meal)

1 lb. of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

1/2 cup of packed Asiago Cheese, shredded

4 tablespoons of canola oil

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of chopped fresh chives

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, drain. Use a hand masher and roughly mash them or push them through a ricer. Mix the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of oil, pepper, cheese, onion powder and chives. Shape into patties, place on a tray and cover. May be made a day ahead of frying. Heat remaining two tablespoons of oil and fry the patties on both sides until browned. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on each patty and sprinkle with chopped fresh chives. Quick recipe is to use frozen shredded hash browns which have thawed and do the same steps. Tips: Fry until really brown or they will break up when you flip them over to the other side. Don't top with sour cream until just before serving or the heat from the patty will melt the sour cream down and it won't be as attractive.

Red Leaf Lettuce Salad with Tarragon Chicken

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

5 tablespoons of chopped tarragon

5 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

1 large chopped shallot

1 tablespoon of honey

1/3 cup of mild olive oil, plus one tablespoon

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper

1 head of red leaf lettuce, torn into bite size pieces

1 cup of shredded red cabbage

3/4 cup of crumbled blue cheese

Marinate the chicken in one teaspoon of honey, 3 tablespoons of tarragon, 2 teaspoons of mustard, and one tablespoon of oil, add salt and pepper. Marinate for two hours. Grill chicken and then cut it into bite size pieces. For the dressing, whisk in 2 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar with 2 tablespoons of tarragon, 1 teaspoon of honey, 3 teaspoons of mustard and the chopped shallot. Whisk in the 1/3 cup of oil and a little salt and pepper. Tear the head of red leaf lettuce into bite size pieces and shred the red cabbage. Toss cabbage and lettuce with 3/4 cup of crumbled blue cheese and add cooked, cooled, chicken pieces. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serves four. Tip: Make extra dressing with more of the following: 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons of tarragon, 1/2 cup of oil, pinch of salt and pepper, 2 teaspoons of honey and another small chopped shallot.

Stuffed Chicken Breast

4 breast halves

3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup of feta cheese

4 slices of cooked, crispy bacon, crumbled

salt and pepper to taste

paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a sharp knife and cut a slit side to side leaving the edges intact. Mix cheeses with bacon and pack this inside the slit area. Pack it in tightly. Place chicken bone side down in a baking dish. Add salt, pepper and sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered for 55 minutes.

Philly Artichoke Dip

(served in many restaurants as an appetizer)

8 oz. of cream cheese

14 oz. of can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

1/8 teaspoon of Tabasco

2 tablespoons of Mayonnaise

pinch of salt and pinch of pepper

3/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese

Spread cream cheese over the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate.

Mix all other ingredients. Spread the mixture over the cream cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with Triscuit crackers or a good saltine.

Glazed Pork Roast

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of dried thyme, crushed

1 teaspoon of chili powder

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon of dried Rosemary, crushed

1 2 1/2 lb. boneless pork top loin roast

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Mix sugar, thyme, chili powder, rosemary and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle over all sides of the meat. Rub it in good with your fingers.

Place roast in a shallow pan and roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until it registers 155 degrees. Cover with foil and let it stand for 15 minutes. Slice with an electric knife and serve warm.

Blueberry Fritters

( great at breakfast or a brunch)

1 cup of all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder

3 tablespoons of powdered sugar

1/4 tablespoon of salt

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1 tablespoon of vanilla

1/3 cup of milk

1 egg

1/2 cup of frozen blueberries

Maple Syrup

Mix all the dry ingredients. Mix the milk, vanilla and egg, beat well then add this into the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the blueberries. Drop 2 oz. of batter into 360 degree vegetable oil, and cook until brown. Remove fritters and drain off any excess oil. Serve with maple syrup.

Philadelphia Style Butter Cake

1 egg

1 yellow cake mix

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 cup of butter or margarine, softened

8 oz. of softened cream cheese

1 16 oz. bag of powdered sugar, sifted

2 more eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the pan with foil bringing it up over the sides of the pan enough to take hold of it. ( Do this so that when the cake is totally cooled, you can lift the whole thing out of the pan before cutting it, then you will not mess up any pieces). Spray the inside of the foil with cooking oil. Mix 1 egg, cake mix, one teaspoon of vanilla and butter for 5 minutes. Spread in the lined pan. Try to make corners a little thinner. Then mix cream cheese, confectionary sugar, 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla and pour this on top of the base mixture. Bake about 40-50 minutes on the middle shelf. It should be lightly browned and firm. Cool completely before lifting it out to cut. Makes 24 pieces.

Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

16 oz. of cream cheese

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

2 eggs

3 1 oz. squares of good white chocolate, melted

1 homemade Oreo crust

3 tablespoons of raspberry preserves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, mix just until blended, stir in white melted chocolate. Pour into the crust. Heat preserves in the microwave on high for 15 seconds or until melted. Dot top of cheesecake with small teaspoons full of preserves. Cut through the batter with a knife several times for the marble effect. Bake 35-40 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool in refrigerator overnight. Keep stored in refrigerator.

Crust: Mash Oreo Cookies very fine, until you have about 1 3/4 cups of fine crumbs.

Stir in 3 tablespoons of melted margarine.

Mix and pat into the nine inch pie pan and up the sides. Fill with filling, bake, cool and refrigerate.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

3 heaping cups of strawberries

3 tablespoons of water

1 1/2 cups of sugar

2 pie crusts, roll out to the shape of your pan

3 heaping tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water

3 cups of diced rhubarb, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

2 heaping tablespoons of flour

4 tablespoons of butter

Cap and clean berries, slice into halves and place in a medium size sauce pan. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, three tablespoons of water and cook. Stir cornstarch into 4 tablespoons of cold water and dissolve and add to the berries. After the berries come to a good boil, turn down the heat, cook gently until clear and juice is thickened. Keep stirring. Spread the raw rhubarb over the crust in a deep pan. Sprinkle with one cup of sugar and flour. Dot with butter, then when the cooked strawberries are thickened, pour them in over the rhubarb. Cover the cobbler with the other crust and seal the edges the best you can. Cut vents in the top. Bake in a 450 oven for 10 minutes and reduce to 350 degrees for 30 more minutes or until browned. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream topping.