Doug's Liberty Street's Bourbon-mashed sweet potatoes

8 medium sweet potatoes - about 4 lbs.

2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 cup cream

4 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup Steen's Cane Syrup or white corn syrup

1/2 cup bourbon

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into quarters. Cut each quarter in half again. Place in pot and cover with cold water.

Add the 2 teaspoons salt and granulated sugar. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until very tender.

(Potatoes should mash easily with fork.)

Drain potatoes and return to pan. Over very low heat, return to burner until all moisture has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat

and mash or rice until very smooth.

Stir in brown sugar. Combine the 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl; stir into potatoes.

Place cream and butter in a saucepan. Heat until butter melts. Stir into potatoes. Stir in the corn syrup and bourbon.

Serves 8 to 10.

Note: Potatoes may be made up to a day in advance and reheated in a saucepan with an additional 1/4 cup of cream.

MARIA'S BORSCHT

Maria's Borscht
First get a big slab of beef. At least a couple of pounds. Cut it up. Brown it in your biggest soup pot. Then add some Beef broth or water and bullion (I like Better than Bullion which is like a paste, a couple teaspoons to start) to beef up the stock simmer it until it's nice and tender. At least an hour. Then add some more beef broth or water. Throw in a couple of bay leaves, salt and pepper. Chop all the following vegetables julienne or at least in little rectangles. My mom says this is important for presentation. Everything is basically the same shape. After you chop it, add it. Then chop the next thing.
An onion
a small half head of cabbage
a few carrots (2-4)
a few beets ( I used 3 big ones because when they're big, they aren't as red and we want this soup to be red)
potatoes (2-4)
If there's not enough liquid, add some water. If it tastes too strongly of beets or needs more flavor, add some more beef bullion with the water.
When everything is tender, (at least 20 min after you add the potatoes) it's almost done. You now have a big vat you won't eat in one day. Take out as much as you are going to eat today and put it in a smaller pot. Add a teaspoon or tablespoon of white vinegar to the hot soup and then don't let it boil anymore after you add it. Don't as me why. Now it's done.
You may serve this with sour cream for those who like to stir it in and watch the soup turn pink.
yum

ANN LANDERS MEATLOAF

2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
1 /12 c bread crumbs, unseasoned
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 warm water
1 pkg dry onion soup mix

Add fresh garlic, kosher salt, pepper, Italian spices to taste.
Bake 50-60 min at 350

PAM'S NEW ORLEANS BREAD PUDDING

1 loaf French bread
1 quart milk
2 c sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 c raisins

Soak bread in milk. crush with hands til well mixed. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Pour butter in bottom of glass baking pan and bake until very firm. Let cool. cut into squares and serve with whiskey sauce.


Whiskey Sauce
1 stick butter
1 c sugar
1 egg

Cream sugar and egg until well mixed. Add melted butter and continue to dissolve sugar. Add whiskey to taste, which should make the sauce creamy smooth.

PAM'S SALTINE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 sticks butter, melted
1/2 c sugar
saltines
1 12 oz package of white chocolate chips
1 12 oz package of chocolate chips
finely chopped nuts.

Line jelly roll pan with saltines, and cover with melted butter, making sure all saltines are covered. Bake at 350 for 10 min.
Cover with the white and dark chocolate. Return to oven until melted (about 5 min; chips will retain their shape and not look melted). Remove from oven and spread the chocolate over the crackers. Sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate for 2 hours and break into chunks for serving.

MOM'S ICED APRICOT BRAID

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
10 sheets phyllo dough
1/2 c butter, melted
1/2 c apricot or cherry filling

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice. Set aside. Unfold Phyllo dough. Cover with waxed paper and damp towel. Take one sheet of dough and brush top with butter. Fold sheet in thirds. Place folded dough cross-wise at one end of baking pan. Repeat with remaining dough and butter. Arrange dough by overlapping 2 1/2" in the pan and let ends hang over.

Spread cream cheese down the center of dough. Starting at one end, fold and twist strips at an angle over the filling. Tuck end under and brush again with remaining butter. Bake at 350 for 30 min. until golden brown. Spoon apricot filling down the center of the braid and bake 3-5 min more.

PAM'S CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING AND CHERRIES

1 Duncan Hines Chocolate Moist Cake Mix
2 cans cherry pie filling (tart)

Bake cake mix in 9x13 pan. Cool. Frost and top with Cherry pie filling

CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 3 oz package cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 Tbsp cocoa or 1/2 c chocolate chips, melted

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add sugar, chocolate and vanilla.

This is best if prepared a day in advance