Pilar Achila is Your New Cook

I adore Pilar. She is always happy and energetic. She brought a group of children through the Newspaper on a tour recently and I was reminded of what a lovely person she is...but can she cook? After reviewing her recipes- I think so. Let's see what you think, but I know the first thing you will want to know is

Who is Pilar Achila?

Q. Write a short 3-sentence biography of yourself?

A. I am married to José Archila; we have 3 sons (Juan Camilo, Santiago and Felipe Andrés), one daughter in law, Sarepta (our first daughter) and one grandson, Camilo David. I LOVE to cook, especially when the family gets together.

Q.What is your favorite recipe? Share it.



A. One of my favorite recipes is: "Arroz con Chorizo o con Pollo" (Sausage or Chicken with Rice") because it's fast and easy to make.

"Arroz con Chorizo o Pollo"
(Sausage or Chicken with Rice)

6 T. corn oil

1 green onion

4 ½ c. water

½ tsp. Salt

3 env. "Sasón Goya with Culantro y Achiote" (you can buy it at the store)

1 ½ c. frozen carrots and peas.

1 c. Sausage or chicken cut in cubes

3 c. Rice, uncooked

In a medium saucepan, put the oil, the sausage or chicken with the onion (med-high heat) until it is cooked. Add all the ingredients but the rice. Bring to boil and add the rice. When the water evaporates, bring the temperature to low. Cover the saucepan for 15 minutes. Do not forget to take the green onion out when it's done. You can serve this rice with a nice salad on the side.



Q. Call a good friend. Who is she and what is her favorite recipe? Share it.

A. My good friend Carolyn Hampton likes the "Pastel de Pollo y Jamón" that I make.

"Pastel de Pollo y Jamón"
(Chicken and Ham Casserole)

6 pieces of chicken thighs

1 T. butter

1 green onion

1 clove of garlic

1/2 tsp. powder pepper

6 ham slices

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 c. evaporate milk

¼ c. white wine

Slices of white bread

¾ c. milk

4 eggs

1 T. vinegar

1 T sugar

1 tsp. Salt

Mozzarella cheese

Parsley

In a pressure cooker, cook the chicken, with the butter, the onion, the garlic and the ¼ tsp. pepper for ¼ hour.
In a medium saucepan mix the chicken shredded, with the ham cut into pieces, the chicken broth (after cooking the chicken), the cream of mushroom soup, the evaporated milk, and the wine. Leave this mixture on low heat.
Apart, grease a square pan; cover the pan with the white bread without the crust.
Mix ¾ c. of milk with 1 egg, 1 T. vinegar, 1 T. sugar, 1 tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Place this mixture on top of the bread.
On top of this mixture pour the chicken mixture.
Apart, mix 3 eggs with the bread crust cut in cubes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt and pepper.
Pre-heat the oven at 350 and bake until the cheese melts and turns into a golden brown.

(O.K. so we know Pilar can cook.
Now for the Fun part! What are her tips?)

Q.What is your biggest time saver in the kitchen?
A. Using the blender and the food processor are the two tools I use to save time. They are my right hand in the kitchen.

Q. What was the first thing you ever cooked?
A. Rice. We always eat rice, lunch and dinner.

Q. What is your family's favorite home-cooked dish?
A. My mom's red beans. She learned from her mother, and it has been in our family for generations.

Q. What ingredient do you love to use the most?
A. Onions! They give a good taste to food (especially the Vidalia onions).

Q. What and where is the best food you have ever eaten?
A. Paella!! At a friends house in Madrid, Spain! His mother made the paella for José and me.

Q. What tricks do you use to ease clean up?
A. I clean as I go, so in the end, there really is not much to clean.

Q. If you cook do you also clean up? If not you, who?
A. After dinner if I cook, José will clean up the dishes, and if he cooks (he is an excellent cook), I clean up the dishes.


Uh-oh. Pilar just gave away a great seceret. Jose` is a great cook ! I think he should take our cooking quiz. Hello Jose. I will be looking for you to take the quiz too. And while I am at it...

I need more Cooks to take my quiz,
so send me an e-mail and I will send you one right out.
Thanks for reading Your Courier Herald Cooks.
cporter@courier-herald.com

To find out who will be next week's Cook
read tomorrow's Courier Herald

A New Tammie (Lawrence) Cooks

We have a new cook for you this week and her name is Tammie also- Tammie Lawrence! The first thing everyone will want to know is -just who is Tammie Lawrence? To answer that question I asked her to:

Q.Write a short 3 sentence biography of yourself?

A. I am married with one son and a step daughter. My husband is a policeman and my son is
18, they can eat me out of house and home. My sister and my grandma taught me the most about cooking. My grandma can make any recipe taste wonderful. She always adds her special touch.

(Tammie sounds like a great person to me, but let's see if she can cook:)


Q. What is your favorite recipe? Share it.

Bacon wrapped chicken fillets

Wrap 6 boneless chicken fillets with bacon,

pour cream of chicken soup over chicken and cream of mushroom soup,
top with cream cheese cut into small chunks,
bake until chicken is done
approx 45 min on 375

(This sounds "soup-er" easy. I plan to try it next time all four of the boys are home. I bet it is great over rice.)

Q. Can you imitate a restaurant dish? If so, share the recipe.
A. I made Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad once. It was NOT worth all the time
it took. LOL.

( I have to admit that is probably my favorite salad of all time. Tammie didn't include her time consuming recipe... so I went to a great stand-by on the Internet- www.recipezaar.com and found this one posted by "Graybert" on Feb. 9, 2002. It sounds delicious, but I can see why Tammie said it took way too much time. See if you have half a day to fit this one in, if not I suggest a trip to Applebee's and tell them Carol sent you:

Almost Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

SERVES 2

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Ingredients

Oriental Dressing

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil

Salad

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 skinless chicken breast half
• 2 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
• 3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup red cabbage
• 1 cup napa cabbage
• 1/2 carrot, julienned or shredded
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup chow mein noodles

Directions

Preheat oil in deep fryer or deep pan over medium heat. You want the temperature of the oil to be around 350 degrees. Blend together all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Put dressing in refrigerator to chill while you prepare the salad. In a small, shallow bowl beat egg, add milk, and mix well. In another bowl, combine flour with corn flake crumbs, salt and pepper. Cut chicken breast into 4 or 5 long strips. Dip each strip of chicken first into egg mixture then into the flour mixture, coating each piece completely. Fry each chicken finger for 5 minutes or until coating has darkened to brown. Prepare salad by tossing the chopped romaine with the chopped red cabbage, Napa cabbage, and carrots. Sprinkle sliced green onion on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle almonds over the salad, then the chow mein noodles.Cut the chicken into small bite-size chunks. Place the chicken onto the salad forming a pile in the middle. Serve with salad dressing drizzled over it or on the side.

(I put the steps in paragraph form so it would not take up so much space if you want to print this one out, which I suggest you do if you want to try it at home . This salad is truly delicious. )

Q. What cook taught you the most about cooking and give an example?
A. My grandma, she was always cooking. When I smell Fried Chicken cooking to
this day it reminds me of my grandma’s on Sundays.

Q. Who is your favorite media food star and why?
A. Paula Deen. She is so southern.

Q.What is your favorite comfort food?
A. Mac and cheese.

Q. What was the first thing you ever cooked?
A. Chocolate no bake cookies with my sister, Lisa.

Q.What is your family's favorite home-cooked dish?
A. My sisters crock pot mac/cheese.

Q. What is your favorite seasonal produce and how do you use it?
A.Peaches. I love anything with fresh peaches.

Q. What ingredient do you love to use the most?
Chicken broth makes everything taste better.

Q. What is your favorite cooking gadget? Why?
A. My timer. I would burn everything without it.

Q. What and where is the best food you have ever eaten?
I love the Oyster Bar in Savannah on Wilmington Island.

Q. What tricks do you use to ease clean up?
A. Trick my husband into cleaning up.


It sounds to me like Tammie knows what she is doing. Mac and Cheese is a true favorite and getting your husband to clean up is a great trick. Actually, I have a policy that whoever cooks-someone else cleans up. It doesn't always get the job done the way I think it should be, but it always gets me at least a little ahead. Not wanting to get ahead too much I will give you a little tease and tell you to be sure and check out Your Courier Herald Cooks in Thursday's newspaper to see who will be next weeks featured Cook...and keep sending in those cooking quizzes. We have a long way to go until A Taste of Home comes back to town!

To take the quiz
or have it sent to
a great Cook that you know-
send me an e-mail -
cporter@courier-herald.com

Tammie Bayto and Me-We're Back

I went out of town and left the computer, so you are late in getting Tammie's Tips (sorry) , but here you go- the best of Tammie Bayto's Tips:

Q. Who is your favorite media food star and why?
A. Paula Dean because she makes me laugh and she is so real. She’s comfortable in her own skin and doesn’t try to be something that she is not.
Q. What is your favorite comfort food?
A. Buttered Pecan Ice Cream (must be pronounced pee-can, not pee-con, or I won’t eat it.)
Q. If you are having a party what do you always cook?
A. Broccoli Salad
Q. What was the first thing you ever cooked?
A. Scrambled eggs for my brother. I put garlic in them, and he wouldn’t eat them.
Q. What store-bought item do you use that is closest to homemade?
A. Mary Hill Dumplings
Q. What is your family's favorite home-cooked dish?
A.Chicken Pan Pie
Q. What is your biggest extravagance at the grocery store?
A. Crab Legs
Q. What ingredient do you love to use the most?
A. Garlic
Q. What and where is the best food you have ever eaten?
A. Carolina Ribs in Port Royal, SC…excellent shrimp and catfish
Q.What tricks do you use to ease clean up?
A. Clean as much as possible as I go so there’s not a big mess when I’m done
Q. If you cook do you also clean up? If not you, who?
A. I normally clean, but if my but if my husband (Johnny) is at home, he helps.

It seems that Tammie is a great cook and I have another great Tammie cook coming. You get a real bonus from my forgetting the computer- I am going to give you an entire Your Herald Cooks in one post...and don't forget to look for our new cook in tomorrow's Courier Herald.

Tammy Bayto Cooks

We have a new guest cook for this week's Your Courier Herald Cooks - Tammy Bayto. So just who is Tammy Bayto?

Q. Write a short 3 sentence biography of yourself?
A. My name is Tammy Bayto. I was born and raised in Laurens County and have enjoyed eating home cooking my entire life. There are many excellent cooks in my family who are much better than me. That’s probably because I try to cook healthy, and healthy isn’t always the best tasting.

Sounds like this is a cook that tells the truth. She is correct, if diet food were tasty we would all be thin!

Q. Which dish do you always get raves over? Share it.

Dirt Cake

Mix and set aside 2 packages of French Vanilla Pudding (using 4 cups of milk)
In a separate bowl, mix together:
8 oz. softened cream cheese
¾ stick of softened butter
1/3 cup of powered sugar
Beat pudding into cream cheese mixture
Fold 12 oz Cool Whip into pudding/cream cheese
Break 1 package of Oreos into bite-size pieces
Layer Oreos and pudding mixture for 3-4 layers with Oreos on both top and bottom layer
Refrigerate 24 hours

If you have ever made a dirt cake and let your kids throw a few gummy worms on top while you "mock horror" - you know what is truly a good time!

Q. What is your favorite recipe? Share it.

Souped-up Cubed Steak

Heat 3-4 tbsp of oil in a Dutch oven on top of the stove
Place two pounds cubed steak, seasoned and floured in the hot oil
Lightly brown both sides of steak
Remove from heat and add 1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix and 3-4 cups water
Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour
Serve over rice


Now it doesn't get much easier than this. A can of english peas, some canned rolls and you have a real meal in almost no prep time. Love it. Come back tomorrow for the best part of the quiz, when we get Tammy's Tips!

Vidalia Onion Exec. Wendy Brannen

This week's Cook is Wendy Brannen who is the Executive Director of the Vidalia® Onion Committee. Her contact information is
VidaliaOnion.org or
100 Vidalia Sweet Onion Drive (30474)
P.O. Box 1609 (30475)
Vidalia, GA
in case you need even more onion recipes and info.

She sent us a Press Release on an e-mail
and I sent her one back with the cooking quiz.

Courier Herald Cooks, you are in for a treat. In honor of my being out of town until Monday, instead of breaking her quiz into three parts, I am giving you the whole encha...onion. Follows is what Wendy has to say about her love for cooking:


Q. What is your favorite cookbook & why?
A. Eatin’ with Edna by Mrs. Edna Cason from Statesboro, Ga. I’ve had this signed cookbook since 1991. My mom bought it for me when I left home to attend my freshman year at the University of Georgia, and it’s been my standard for simple, southern cooking. If I don’t remember how to make Macaroni & Cheese or Pecan Pie, I can look up even the basics and be assured the recipes will taste almost exactly like Mom’s or Grandma’s. Mrs. Cason, who has since passed away, was such a sweet person. I remember her at church and about town, and it seems her family all taught me, graduated with me, or went to Sunday school with me. Preparing Mrs. Edna’s recipes always makes me smile—the spirit of this simple, Southern woman is still alive through her simple, southern recipes. I know because hundreds of graduating seniors just like me got her delicious books every year!

Q. What is your favorite recipe?
A. Oh, I’m such a good Georgia girl! Give me some creamed corn, butter beans or the last scoop of almost any type of casserole and I’m good to go—no dessert necessary. Here’s one of my favorites from growing up (and it has my favorite onions in it—Vidalias!)

Vidalia® Onion Sausage Casserole

5 Vidalia onions, sliced
12 Ritz crackers, crushed
1 lb. ground sausage, browned & drained
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. seasoning salt
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup
½ c. grated Cheddar cheese
1 small jar pimento peppers

Put Vidalia onions in the bottom of casserole dish. Add crackers, then sausage. Add another layer of onions then spread the soup, salt & seasoning. Sprinkle on cheese and pimentos. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for one hour.

Q. What is your favorite seasonal produce and how do you use it?
Since I’m the Executive Director of the Vidalia® Onion Committee and work for a hundred Vidalia growers, you know my answer. In truth, it really is my favorite seasonal treat. Besides the rush of my onion marketing season and the subsequent harvest, I have access each spring and summer to as many of these Georgia beauties as I’d like. I love to just sauté them in a little olive oil (Pam olive oil cooking spray if I’m watching my waist) and add them to about anything. Of course, on TV I like to say my favorite way to eat Vidalias is cut up raw and added to black-eyed peas or on top of a grilled hot dog. These are things I do, but it’s just fun to say on national TV because it sounds so southern!

Q. What is your biggest time-saver in the kitchen/shortcut from the grocery store? A.I’m single and my job keeps me on the run, so I love all the new sliced and diced veggies you can buy. Pre-cut peppers, onions (preferably Vidalia!), mushrooms, etc., are a God-send on the go. Can we say, “Fajitas!”?

Q. Who is your favorite media food star and why?
A. I love Tom Collichio on Bravo’s Top Chef. First of all, I’m still amazed that four seasons in, I still find a cooking show this riveting—you can’t smell or taste the food, but the creativity, skill, and agility of the aspiring top chefs continues to enthrall me. Tom adds to the show as the “Simon Cowell” of the culinary challenge. And, I got to eat at his restaurant, Craftsteak in Las Vegas, recently. Of course, I also like Rocco Dispirito, just because he’s cute!

Q. What is the first thing you ever cooked?
A. Well, I cooked with Mom some, but on my own was probably (guess what) a casserole. Either green been or brown rice (which has no brown rice oddly). Both are still among my favorites.


Q.What tricks do you use to ease clean up?
A. We have a joke in my family that every female on my mother’s side was born with a sponge in her hand. We’re all clean freaks and constantly wiping counters. I guess my biggest trick is what Mom always said, “clean as you go.” Of course, she always cleans in between clearing dinner plates and serving dessert, too. While this does allow for more dinner conversation, it may also lead to impatient guests (my dad!).

Q. What is your biggest extravagance at the grocery store?
A. To me, time is money, so I don’t care if a bagged salad is $5 and a head of lettuce is $.50—I’m going with the bagged salad. I like to dress them up with fresh, colorful peppers and sweet Vidalias when they’re in season, though.

Q. If you are having a party, what do you always cook?
A. I do a dip that is actually called, “Vidalia’s Favorite Onion Dip.” It’s quick, easy, and always a hit. Here it is:

Vidalia’s Favorite Onion Dip

3 cups chopped Vidalia® onions
3 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 ½ cups mayonnaise
Garlic salt to taste

Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased 1 ½ quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes until lightly browned. Serve with corn chips.

You can serve with crackers or tortilla chips, but the best in my opinion is those Fritos made for dipping. Yum!

Q. Write a short biography?
A. Wendy Brannen is the Executive Director of the Vidalia® Onion Committee, the national promotional organization for the Vidalia onion growers and shippers. After living in several different states and working as a television news anchor and reporter, she is happy to be back home in Georgia. Wendy is from Statesboro but now resides in Vidalia, where, besides marketing sweet Vidalias, she enjoys Georgia football, traveling to new places, reading crime novels, and occasionally cooking.

Thank you Wendy!

...and look for this Wendy's quiz in tomorrow's Courier Herald on page 8a.

The Best is Free

Father's Day Chocolate Cupcakes*

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
3. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with your favorite frosting when cool

Cupcakes are something fun to make with kids. Moms- if you set it all up- so all the items, ingredients and utensils are there and then let your kid(s) and their dad make these together and you clean up- that is all the Father's Day you will need to do. A memory is more valuable than any thing you can buy ( for a dad or a kid). Have a Happy Father's Day!

*The recipe is from allrecipes.com

Doris Barnes' Tips

The fun part of every Cook's Quiz is when they answer the Tips. Let's see what Doris has to say:

Q. What is your favorite cookbook?
A. I collect cookbooks and get teased a lot because I can spend all day reading recipes. I really enjoy church cookbooks and Southern Living cookbooks. There are always so many ways of doing the same recipe.

Q. My favorite media food star and why?
A. I loved Justin Wilson.... He had a great sense of humor . Since his death I watch Paula Deen a lot. I love her southern style and her southern cooking.

Q. What and Where is the best food you have ever eaten?
Germany... I loved Jager Schnitzel with mushroom sauce.

Q. What is your Favorite Comfort Food?
A. Anything with a lot of cheese and of course chocolate.

Q. Do you cook all at once or work ahead?
A. For just my family, I cook all at once. When planning for a large crowd I work ahead so I can spend time with my company.

Q. What is your favorite short cut from the grocery store?
Flour Tortillas for making chicken and dumplings.

Q. What is your biggest Time saver in the kitchen:
A. my mini chopper or my stand mixer. They do the work for me .

Be sure and look for Doris Barnes' in Thursday's Courier Herald and also find out who next week's cook will be!