Recipes, we got 'em ...

When I wrote the introduction to the Alt. Country Community Cookbook, it seemed pretty hilarious that the first words in it were actually a name--one you'd least expect to find there. The name was James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins, a band I love so much I named my cat after it. Now, it turns out, James Iha recently has been recording a country-influenced project, with background vocals provided by another favorite of mine, Hazeldine. Recently signed to Polydor, Hazeldine were featured in the national tour sponsored last year by No Depression magazine.

In honor of Country Pumpkin James Iha, then, posters to AOL's No Depression/Alt-Country folder offer these tips for making your holiday pumkin rock like the Dickens:

From: Miniprljam: My Charleston roommate crumbled up pralines and sprinkled them across the top of pumpkin pe, then fresh whipped cream (no cool whip at my house; my grandmother wouldn't have allowed it!

From: Muzic girl (of KPIG radio): I personally don't like pumpkin pie, but I have a friend who makes a pumpkin/pecan pie; which is pretty good. I also think a ginger-snap crust is good on pumpkin pie

From: Luvnctry: When the Pumpkin pie is topped with Whipped cream, you can always drizzle a liqueur on top (say Cinnamon Schnapps). Just be sure you have a proper pour spout and use your finger to control the flow.

From: KBolin0418:

Pumpkin Ice Cream

• 22 vanilla wafers (or ginger snaps? LR)
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1 lb. can pumpkin
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup slivered, blanched almonds

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Amy Rigby's Pork Chop Casserole

• 8 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 5 sour apples, peeled and sliced
• 1 c. water
• 5 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Tabasco sauce
• 4 strips bacon
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped

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Ciskoe's Microwave Corn-on-the-Cob

• Take ear(s) of corn out of the shopping bag.
• Soak corn, still in its husk, under the kitchen faucet for 15 sec. Optional
• Put corn in microwave, one ear at a time.
• For al dente (crisp, or, warm and raw for you southerners), cook on *high* for 5 min., 55 sec. Pushing 5-5-5 is easier than 6-0-0; remember, this is a single guy's recipe.
• Cook longer for more well-done COTC.
• Very carefully (it's hot), shuck corn husks, slather with butter, salt and pepper to taste.
• Don't worry about the silks, they come right off with the husks.
• Wrap in paper towel; go watch TV, and try not to get any butter on the sofa.

And read on to learn how to make this tasty deep south rib sticker.

KEVIN GORDON'S CHEESE GRITS

• 1 cup quick-cooking "instant" grits
• 3 cups water
• 2 eggs
• 8 oz. referred quality pepper jack cheese
• milk
• garlic powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter

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Uncle Phil's Navy Bean Soup

Take half a pound of navy beans, wash 'em and put 'em in a pot of cold water. Cover 'em good! You want it soupy, don't you? Bring to the boil and leave for an hour and a half. Chop a couple of medium-sized onions - chunky, not too fine - put 'em in the pot, they make the food sweet. Add twice as much chopped celery as you have onions then some parsley and a couple of cloves of garlic (chopped) and a bay leaf. Throw a can of tomatoes in the pot and some pepper. Bring it to the boil and let it cook for an hour and a half. No salt 'til the end (very important). Pour in 3/4 of a cup of good olive oil and serve with fresh bread.

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Eden's Salsa (Serves 6-8)

This tastes best if you let it sit over night in the fridge.
Brian Davis, Heliumkidz@aol.com

Ingredients...

• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 hand fist full of fresh basil
• 3 limes, juiced
• 3 fresh garlic cloves
• 1 or 2 fresh serrano chilies
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3 or 4 ripe medium tomatoes
• 1 avocado (optional)

* This is not true. LR

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Valentine-Testing Pasta Sauce

Admittedly, I've gotten somewhat lazy with the recent discovery of the Classico brand of sauces (flavorful, and you get to keep the mason jar they come in when you're done), but nothing beats doing it yourself. This is good to cook for a date, 'cause the longer it simmers, the better it is (and side dishes - salad, garlic bread - are a snap). And if he/she doesn't like garlic, did you really want them around in the first place?

All ingredients here are to taste, and I always cook too much anyway (a typical single guy, I like to have lotsa leftovers in the fridge and eat this for a week).

Randy Silver, Prodigy Music Guy, DocNervine@Prodigy.com

Basics...

• 1 16 oz. can Italian-style Plum Tomatoes, crushed & peeled
• garlic. lots of garlic. chopped.
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 lb. mushrooms, chopped or sliced
• extra-virgin olive oil (never skimp and buy cheap olive oil)

• black pepper
• oregano
• thyme
• rosemary
• more garlic

Pasta hint: I like the dish to look as good as it tastes, so I try to use some tri-color or spinach pasta mixed in with whatever other noodles are being prepared. The color variety always looks nice.

The meat option: Meat is always welcome in pasta sauce. (Unless your heart's desire is a Vegetarian. LR) Brown it in a pan with scallions, then add it to the sauce just before the vegetables.

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Happy Birthday Elvis Salad

Nicked from Kinky Friedman's "Elvis, Jesus & Coca-Cola" (a good read, screw Angela Lansbury & Murder She Wrote; this is the kinda stuff that should be on TV). Credited to the Big E and Rita Jo Thompson (who 1st got it out beyond the Graceland gates).

Alec Pappas, Alechockey@aol.com

First: take a large package of black-cherry flavored Jell-O and mix it in a bowl according to the directions

Then add (while stirring):

• 15 oz. crushed pineapple
• 1 cup seedless golden raisins
• 1 cup apple, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/2 cup white grapes
• 8 oz. (softened) cream cheese
• 16 oz. Coke (add last)

Now:

• Stir a little more
• Pour into oiled mold
• Refrigerate 6 hours+

Serves 6 to 8, or 1 King

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Paint Brush Cookies

The following is offered to the world by the Tweedy family: Bob, JoAnn, Debbie, Steve, Greg; and, of course, Jeff, Sue and Spencer. We always double (or more) this recipe! Uncle Tupelo (Jeff, Jay, and Mike) got in on the act once we added music theme cutters. You can't bake these without personalizing a few for those who are worthy. Anything goes: Plaid Easter bunnies. Blue pumpkins. AOL triangles. Polka-dotted Santas. *Anything!*

Steve Tweedy, SKTweedy@aol.com

1. Mix dough. First combine:
1 c. butter or margarine
3 c. flour
Cut together with pastry blender as you would pie dough.

2. Mix these dry ingredients with the flour and butter mixture
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda

3. Now add one large egg, beaten well. Blend entire mixture by hand.

4. Mix paint for cookies.
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp. water
food coloring

Experiment with food coloring: Mix at least four (4) primary colors. Add coloring to get the depth and range of colors you prefer. Use as many colors as you like.

6. Roll out dough on floured pastry sheet. Use cookie cutters of any shape or size. (Usually seasonal and tied to holidays; but, hey, anything goes. The guitar cookie cutter is a favorite in the Tweedy household.)

7. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

8. Place cookies on untreated cookie sheet and *paint* before baking. Paint with small art/craft paintbrushes. (To avoid quarrels, keep at least two brushes in each cup of paint.)

9. Bake at 300 degrees for 12-15 min.

If, indeed, we have formed a quasi-community in the ND folder (one that surely has spilled over into our real-world lives) then these cookies are the perfect dessert. They are community cookies. They're best made by a group of people who care about each other.. .people who enjoy sharing...and people who delight in a damn good dunkin' cookie.

Enjoy!

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