Part 4 (1/2)

1/2 gallon skim milk 6 to 8 drops liquid vegetable rennet 1/4 tablespoon salt Mix the milk, rennet, and salt together in a big gla.s.s or a stainless-steel bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and leave out at room temperature for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, there will be a large single curd floating in whey. With a slotted spoon, spoon pieces of the large curd into pint-size cheese molds. (Poppy uses plastic pint containers that she has dotted with holes using a soldering iron.) Put molds on a rack in a pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to drain while refrigerated for 8 hours. Turn cheeses out of the molds and store in covered containers for up to 2 weeks.

Note: Creole cream cheese is usually eaten by covering with a small amount of cream and sprinkling with sugar for breakfast. Or also, it is eaten savory style with salt and pepper.

Serves 4 Frozen Creole Cream Cheese Recipe courtesy of Poppy Tooker from Savvy Gourmet and Slow Food New Orleans.

4 pints Creole Cream Cheese (see previous recipe) 1 cup sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup heavy cream Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Using an ice cream maker, freeze according to the manufacturer's directions and freeze to soft serve consistency, then serve.

Serves 8 (yields 2 quarts) Calas Recipe courtesy of Poppy Tooker from Savvy Gourmet and Slow Food New Orleans.

2 cups cooked rice 6 tablespoons flour 3 heaping tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 4 teaspoons vanilla Nutmeg Powdered sugar Mix the rice and dry ingredients together thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and, when thoroughly mixed, drop by spoonfuls into 360-degree deep fat and fry until brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve hot.

Note: Maintain mixture below 70 degrees or separation will occur when dropped into the hot oil.

Serves 6 (yields approximately 12 calas) Turtles Recipe courtesy of Mary Ann Meyer.

1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter, softened 1 pound pecans 1 pound caramels 2 tablespoons water 8 ounces semisweet chocolate Spread b.u.t.ter on a baking sheet and then lay nuts over top. Melt caramels in a double boiler with the water. Drop 1 teaspoon melted caramel over each pecan. When cool, lift each nut off of the pan and then place on b.u.t.tered tin foil. Melt chocolate in microwave and then spread over each nut; cool.

Note: You may cl.u.s.ter the nuts together for larger turtles.

Serves 10 to 12 White Chocolate Bread Pudding Recipe courtesy of John Folse from The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine (Chef John Folse & Company Publis.h.i.+ng).

4 eggs 6 egg yolks 4 cups heavy whipping cream 1 cup milk 1 cup sugar 9 ounces white chocolate 3 (10-inch) loaves French bread, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and egg yolks; set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine cream, milk, and sugar. Bring mixture to a low simmer then add the white chocolate. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Remove pot from heat and quickly stir in eggs. Blend thoroughly to keep eggs from scrambling.

In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, place bread slices to make two to three layers. Pour half of the cream mixture over bread. Press bread gently allowing cream mixture to be absorbed evenly into bread. Once most of mixture has been soaked up, pour remaining cream over bread and press gently. Cover dish with foil and let soak a minimum of 5 hours prior to baking.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake, covered, approximately 1 hour. Remove foil and bake 45 minutes more, or until top is golden brown. This bread pudding is best chilled in the refrigerator overnight then cut into squares and heated in individual portions in the microwave. If desired, create a white chocolate sauce for topping bread pudding by combining 8 ounces melted white chocolate with 3 ounces heavy whipping cream. This may be done in a double boiler or microwave.

Serves 6 to 8 Apple Frangipane Tart Recipe courtesy of Tariq Hanna from Sucre.

Short Dough 1 pound Plugra b.u.t.ter or other unsalted b.u.t.ter 1/2 pound sugar (or 1 cup plus 1 heaping tablespoon) 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-1/2 pounds cake flour (or 5-1/3 cups) Frangipane 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter, melted 10 ounces powdered sugar combined with 10 ounces almond flour 1/3 cup bread flour 5 eggs Apples 2 to 3 Fuji apples, peeled Cinnamon sugar For the dough, cream b.u.t.ter and sugar well. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour and mix until just blended. Refrigerate before use.

Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and place in a tart mold. Trim excess dough and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until very lightly browned.

For the frangipane, combine all ingredients until smooth.

To a.s.semble, slice apples into 1/4-inch wedges and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Fill the pre-baked tart sh.e.l.l two-thirds with the frangipane. Arrange apples over top and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: As a variation, use pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, figs, or any other firm fruit of your choice.

Serves 6 to 8 Dough Variations For chocolate short dough, replace 4-1/2 tablespoons of flour with cocoa powder (about 2-1/2 ounces). For nut dough, simply add 3 ounces ground nuts of choice after flour has been added. For citrus dough, add 1/2 tablespoon citrus oil of choice and 2 tablespoons zest.

Frangipane Variations For a deeper nuttier flavor, brown the b.u.t.ter first. Replace almond flour (finely ground almonds) with any other nut of your choice. For enhanced flavor, add 1/4 cup amaretto or Frangelico.

Gelato di Sesamo, Miele E Latte di Capra Recipe courtesy of Carmello Truillo from La Divina.

Gelato 4 large free-range egg yolks 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice 3 cups goat milk 1/3 cup honey 1/3 cup tahini Sesame Candy 2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds A pinch of sea salt 2 tablespoons honey For the gelato, heat the egg yolks, salt, and evaporated cane juice together until pale ribbons form.

Heat the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. As the milk warms, add the honey, stirring constantly. Cook until the milk is warm. If you have a thermometer, cook the milk to 145 degrees.

Slowly pour some of the warm milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks, mixing well. Pour the yolk mixture back into the milk.

Continue to heat the milk until small bubbles rim the pan and the mixture coats the back of the spoon, being careful not to let the milk scald. If you have a thermometer, cook the milk to 185 degrees.

Mix some of the hot mixture into the tahini, then add the tahini to the hot mixture and mix well.

Put the mixture in an ice bath to cool it down as much as possible, as quickly as possible. Warm milk put directly in the refrigerator will not cool down quickly enough to keep it safe.

Allow the mixture to age for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. Gelato, like red beans and rice, tastes better the day after it is cooked.

For the candy, bring the roasted sesame seeds, a pinch of salt and honey to 280 degrees. Then spread thinly on a silicon mat and place in the freezer.

Freeze the gelato mixture in your ice cream maker according to its instructions. While the mixture is freezing, break the candy into small bits and return to the freezer. When the gelato is ready, mix in the sesame candy. You may either serve the gelato immediately, or store in your freezer for up to 3 days. Allow the gelato to sit for about 20 minutes in your refrigerator before serving if you have stored it in the freezer.

Serves 6 Sorbetto di Fragola e Balsamico Recipe courtesy of Carmello Truillo from La Divina.

2-1/2 cups fresh Louisiana strawberries, or other strawberries 1 cup organic evaporated cane juice, divided 1-1/3 cups mineral water 3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar Freshly ground white pepper The day before you make the sorbetto, wash the strawberries under cool running water and pat dry with paper towels. Hull them and then cut in half. Put strawberries in a bowl and cover with 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. The cane juice draws out the flavor of the strawberries and improves the consistency of the sorbetto without giving the strawberries a ”cooked” flavor.

Bring the mineral water to a boil, add the remaining evaporated cane juice and then let boil for 2 minutes. Put the mixture in an ice bath to make it as cold as possible, as quickly as possible.

Puree the strawberries with the balsamic vinegar and mix thoroughly with the water mixture. Add about three grindings of white pepper and mix well.

Freeze the sorbetto in your ice cream maker according to directions. You can serve the sorbetto directly from the machine or you can store it in your freezer for up to three days. Let the sorbetto soften in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before serving if you have stored it in the freezer. Garnish with sliced strawberries.

Serves 4 (yields 1 quart) Lavender Honey Creme Caramel Recipe courtesy of Ryan Hughes from Cafe Degas.

b.u.t.ter 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons) 3 tablespoons water 8 egg yolks 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 2-1/2 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon dried lavender 2 teaspoons vanilla Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

b.u.t.ter ramekins. Combine sugar and lemon juice for caramel, cook until brown and then add water. Divide into ramekins.

Whip egg yolks, honey, and sugar until light ribbons form. Scald cream with lavender and vanilla and then whisk into egg mixture. Pour into ramekins and then place ramekins in a water bath. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Allow to cool in water bath until it reaches room temperature.

To serve, use a paring knife to release the creme from the sides of the ramekins and turn over onto individual plates.

Serves 12 Banana Bread Recipe courtesy of Hollis Hindman Woodrow.

2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 3 ripe bananas, mashed 1/4 cup yogurt, plain or vanilla flavored 2 eggs 6 tablespoons b.u.t.ter, melted and cooled to room temperature 1 teaspoon rum 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

b.u.t.ter and flour loaf pan. Whisk dry ingredients together to combine. Whisk wet ingredients together to combine. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and then sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake 50 to 55 minutes; cool in pan for 5 minutes and then turn onto cooling rack.

Yield 1 loaf Divinity Fudge Recipe courtesy of Mary Ann Meyer.

4 cups sugar 1 cup water 1 cup light corn syrup 4 egg whites 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped pecans Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup and then cook to hard-ball stage (260 degrees on a candy thermometer). Beat egg whites to soft peaks and then pour hot sugar over egg whites while beating constantly. Continue to beat mixture while adding the vanilla and nuts. Pour into a b.u.t.tered 9-inch-square pan and then let cool; cut into squares.

Makes 12 pieces Angel Food Cake Recipe courtesy of Elizabeth ”Buzzy” McFerrin.

2 cups large egg whites (about 15 large eggs), at room temperature 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 cups cake flour 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar Using an electric mixer fitted with a wire whip, beat the egg whites on medium speed with the cream of tartar until frothy and soft peaks start to form, about 2 minutes. With the machine running, gradually add the sugar and beat until thick and opaque. Add the vanilla and salt; beat to glossy soft peaks.