12/01/2006

At home in the kitchen, especially at the holidays

Cook turns it up a notch for special occasions

By ELIZABETH KANE BUZZELLI

Special to the Record-Eagle

Record-Eagle/Douglas Tesner
"I make a lot of the food ahead of time and reheat it in crock pots the day of the dinner. I have crockpots in three different sizes." — Dorothy Wonacott

ELK RAPIDS — For Dorothy Wonacott, cooking has always been a means to an end — with the end being a table filled with family and friends enjoying good food. The holidays mean "family and togetherness,” she says.

For this owner of over 150 cookbooks, cooking didn't come easily. It wasn't until she married that she decided she'd better learn how — especially after the evening her new husband, the late Dr. Robert Wonacott, who had a family practice in Elk Rapids, said he'd like spaghetti for dinner. Never having cooked spaghetti, she opened a can of Franco American and set it before him. All he could do was shake his head and say a reluctant, "No. No, Dorothy. This isn't it.”

At holiday time, when Wonacott had his practice, he would learn who, among his patients, had nowhere to go for the holidays and invite them all to their house on Torch Lake to share the holiday meal. Twenty or more would gather, including daughters Laura and Lynne and sons Jeff and Paul, and often, exchange students who were living with them. Everyone was welcomed to share a buffet of turkey with all the trimmings.

She did the cooking for all four of the kids' graduation parties.

"I also hosted and cooked for each of them on prom night,” she said. "They chose the menus. I'll never forget my daughter, Lynne, asked for Cornish Hens. Can't you just picture those girls in their gorgeous dresses trying to eat a Cornish Hen? Needless to say, I had a lot of leftover hens.”

In addition to her cookbooks, Wonacott has amassed a file of 600 favorite recipes. One year, as a Christmas present for her children and sister, she arranged the recipes into categories, copied and collected them into looseleaf folders with each recipe in its own plastic sleeve.

She has her own ways in the kitchen, one being getting food to the table hot and keeping it that way.

"I have a thing about keeping things warm,” she said. "I make a lot of the food ahead of time and reheat it in crock pots the day of the dinner. I have crockpots in three different sizes.”

She makes vegetable casseroles ahead, has done rice pilaf (once for her son's wedding rehearsal dinner), and even has a trick to keep the turkey warm.

"I take the skin off the turkey, all in one piece,” she said. "I carve the turkey, then slip the skin back over it to keep the meat warm and moist.”

This year she'll do a Christmas brunch as her children gather from Bay City and Richmond, Virginia. She recommends make-ahead breakfast casseroles put together the night before and baked in the morning while the children open presents.

"I love the book, 'Sleep On It' by Carol Gordon, for easy make-ahead dishes,” Dorothy said. "I even make up a scone recipe the day before, roll it out, and bake them in the morning.”

Cowgirl Breakfast Casserole

• 1 lb. bulk sausage, browned and drained
• 1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and diced
• 12-oz. frozen hash browns
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 2 T. chopped scallions
• 2 c. shredded sharp cheddar
• 3 c. milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1 c. Bisquick
• 1/2 t. salt

Spray a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with Pam. In a large bowl, combine the sausage, bacon, hash browns, pepper, scallions and 1 cup of the cheese. Spread in the baking pan.

In another large bowl, whisk together the Bisquick, milk, salt and eggs until blended. Pour over the potato mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight (no longer than 24 hours)

The next day:

Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake the casserole, uncovered, until light golden brown around the edges and the cheese is melted, 35 to 45 minutes (may take longer). Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves six to eight.

Sugar Hill Inn Scones

• 2 c. all-purpose flour, plus additional flour as needed
• 2 c. cake flour
• 5 T. sugar, plus more for dusting
• 1&1/2 T. baking soda
• 1&1/2 T. cream of tartar
• 1 t. salt
• 2-1/2 c. heavy cream
• 3 T. milk to brush scones

Sift together the cake flour, 2 c. all-purpose flour, 5 T. sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Sift two more times, then place in a mixing bowl. Add the cream and stir until the mixture holds together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead twelve times. Roll the dough to a 3/4-in. thickness. Cut into the desired shapes (triangles, rounds, or squares), sized for individual portions. Cover tightly in plastic wrap and chill overnight.

The next day: Brush with milk and dust with sugar. Bake at 375° until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm. Serves eight.

Bacon Roll-Ups

• 1 loaf white bread, crusts removed
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• Garlic powder
• 1 lb. bacon

Spread each slice of bread generously with cream cheese. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Cut each slice of bread into 4 strips. Roll each strip and wrap with 1/2 slice bacon. Place on broiler tray and broil, turning once.

Can be placed on cookie sheets and frozen. Then, place in Zip-loc bag and freeze. Does not have to be thawed before broiling. Yields between 56 and 64 roll-ups

Dilly Cheese Cubes

• 1 loaf French bread, unsliced, crust removed
• 1/2 c. butter
• 4 c. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 t. dill weed
• 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. grated onion
• 2 eggs, beaten

Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. In medium pan, stir butter and cheese over low heat until melted. Stir in dill weed, Worcestershire sauce and onion.

Beat in eggs and whisk. Using a fork, dip each cube into hot cheese mixture, turning to coat all sides. Shake off excess. Arrange cubes on ungreased baking sheet. Refrigerate one to two days or freeze.

Store frozen cubes in airtight containers up to six months. Bake refrigerated cubes in a 350° oven for 10 minutes. Bake frozen cubes 15 minutes. Serve hot. Yields 64 pieces.

Zuppa Toscano

• 1 lb.(8 links) spicy Italian sausage links
• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 quart water
• 1-1/2 T. chicken base
• 2 medium potatoes, cubed
• 2 c. kale leaves, cut in half, then sliced thin
• 1/3 c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If the sausage links are not the thin links (eight to a pound), then slice them in half, lengthwise. Place sausage links on a baking sheet with raised edges and bake until done, turning once (about 20 minutes).

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large saucepan or small soup pot until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to a paper towel to drain.

Add onions to bacon drippings and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add water, chicken base and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Cut cooked sausage into 1/2-inch slices. Add to soup along with kale and cream. Simmer until soup is hot, four minutes. Stir in bacon.

To prepare the day before, add all ingredients except kale, cream and bacon. Refrigerate soup. When ready to serve, add the three ingredients, then simmer. Yields 1-1/2 quart.

Note: This is similar to the soup that is served at the Olive Garden. As with any soup, it is better served the next day.

Apple, Dried Cherry and Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing

Maple Dressing:

• 1/4 c. mayonnnaise
• 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
• 3 T. white wine vinegar
• 1 t. sugar
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk mayonnaise, maple syrup, vinegar and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil until mixture thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Dressing can be prepared three days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewhisk before using.

Salad:

• 10 c. lightly packed mixed baby greens
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips
• 1/2 c. dried tart cherries
• 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped and toasted

Toss greens, apples, cherries and 1/4 c. walnuts in large bowl to combine. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Divide salad equally among plates. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. walnuts and serve. Serves six.

Crockpot Orange Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

• 3 sweet potatoes, sliced 1 inch thick
• 6 chicken breast halves, skinless and boneless
• 2/3 c. flour
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. nutmeg
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. black pepper
• 1/8 t. garlic powder
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1/2 c. orange juice
• 4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 3 T. flour
• 1/2 t. grated orange rind
• 2 t. brown sugar

Spray crockpot with Pam. Layer sweet potatoes on bottom.

Combine flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and garlic powder. Dredge chicken breast halves in mixture and lay on top of sweet potatoes. Combine soup, mushrooms, orange juice, 3 T. flour and brown sugar. Pour over top of chicken. Cook on low six to eight hours (no longer) or on high three to four hours. Serve with rice or noodles. Serves six.