Elegant Survival

Assembling an Elegant Spinach and Artichoke Casserole: Line Bottom of Baking Pan with Butter. Spread with Artichoke Pieces and Fresh Spinach

Spinach and Artichoke Casserole is Topped with Cream Cheese and Mayonnaise Mixture, then Sprinkled with Grated Parmesan

See ELEGANT VEGETABLES for M-J's  Elegant Spinach and Artichoke Casserole Recipe

Elegant Survival and THE ELEGANT COOK Wish You the Best of Everything in 2012!

This elegant dip straight out of the 1960s has two ingredients: pineapple and cream cheese. Drain and chop the pineapple--I prefer the canned type without added sugar--and blend with sightly-softened cream cheese. The crackers you serve with this cream-cheese-pineapple dip ought to be the original, plain Ritz brand. Acceptable substitutes are Waverly crackers. ©M-J de Mesterton 2011

Christmas Cookie Design ©M-J de Mesterton 2007

Easy-to-Make, Pure and Simple,

American Classic Style Christmas Biscuit Recipe

"Elegant Christmas Cookies", adapted from a 1950s recipe by Antoinette Pope (The Antoinette Pope School of Cookery). I’ve been enjoying these since I was a child. Here are the ingredients:

One half-pound of butter

Two and a half cups of flour

One cup of powdered sugar

One tablespoon of milk (full-fat, of course)

One teaspoon of vanilla (imitation vanilla is just as good as the real thing)

One egg yolk mixed with two tablespoons of cream (to brush on top, as a base for sprinkles–adds nice flavor, believe it or not). If you are going to use icing and a piping bag to decorate these Christmas cookies, skip this decorating step.

Method:

The ingredients, except for the egg yolk and cream, are mixed together and rolled out to a quarter (1/4) inch thickness. Then cookie-cutters are employed; the things are brushed with egg yolk/cream and sprinkled with coloured sugar. I prefer Swedish pärlsokker, or white pearl sugar. Transfer the cut-out cookies to an upside-down cookie-sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until their edges have turned light brown. Allow the cookies ("biscuits") to cool before removing them from the baking sheet.

©2007 M-J de Mesterton

Elle Fitzgerald Sings Cole Porter: Great Cocktail Music

Courtesy of THE GREATEST STUFF

These ingredients arranged neatly in a bowl make an elegant luncheon dish.

©M-J de Mesterton

http://www.elegantcook.net/elegantsalad.htm

This Saturday's dough yielded two flavours of brioche au sucre ( fleur d'orange and cardamom) and an almond roll, which is filled with home-made almond paste. ©M-J de Mesterton The Elegant Cook

M-J's Elegant Cocktail Buffet, with Her Teriyaki Angels on Horseback in the Foreground[/caption] M-J's Teriyaki Angels on Horseback Whole water chestnuts Streaky American-style bacon Teriyaki sauce and soy sauce Aluminium or aluminum foil Barbecue grill, gas or charcoal-powered Cookie-sheets Toothpicks, preferably the round variety

Marinate the (drained) water chestnuts in a combination of teriyaki sauce and soy sauce for several hours (three hours minimum for best results).

Chop bacon into thirds, making a series of short strips, each about two inches long.

Wrap a strip of bacon around each water chestnut, secure it with a toothpick, then set them on a cookie-sheet, inside of which lies a sturdy platform of foil--you can construct it with two sheets layered, with the sides folded up an inch around the perimeter. You will lift the foil out and onto the barbecue grill when your assembled angels on horseback are ready to cook. Pierce a few fine holes into the foil so that the smoke reaches them from the bottom. When the bacon is browned to your satisfaction, gently lift the foil assembly back onto your cookie-sheet. Remove angels on horseback to a serving platter. If you cannot use an outdoor barbecue, an oven broiler will work just fine, but you can skip the foil and just cook the angels on horseback in the grill-pan, turning them once. Tip: you can make your own teriyaki sauce.

Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2001

Rita Hayworth, Fred Astaire, Adolphe Menjou and Xavier Cugat star in the charming 1942 romantic comedy, You Were Never Lovelier