Gathering brings together friends and food

Tracey Tripp of Cape Girardeau has been a part of an Internet community where the common interest is cooking. She has been chatting and sharing recipes with this group for about seven years. The membership has remained relatively stable, and over the years they have shared much more than recipes. They have been through marriages and divorces, job loss, children and grandchildren being born, moves; you name it, they've shared it. She had met a couple of the members before, but recently she was a part of the first large-scale gathering.

The group met near St. Louis on a weekend in October. There were about 25 people attending from Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and, of course, Missouri. They spent the weekend cooking, eating, sharing recipes and techniques and just chatting and visiting. Tracey said it was very relaxing and so much fun. The group hopes to make this an annual event.

Tracey wanted to share some of the recipes with you they enjoyed making together.

Marie's Pumpkin Bread Pudding

This is the perfect fall dessert.

1/2 loaf raisin cinnamon bread, unsliced

2 cups half and half

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Lightly grease a large casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350. Tear the bread into medium pieces and place into casserole dish. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs, add the half and half and sugar, spices and the pumpkin. Mix together. Pour half of the mixture onto the bread in the casserole dish and toss. Then pour the remaining mixture over the bread. Sprinkle the top heavily with sugar (this will glaze during cooking). Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until firm and lightly brown. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla or butter pecan ice cream.

Chicken 'n Noodles

3 to 4 pounds chicken legs and thighs

3 to 4 ribs celery, diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

Bouillon cubes or chicken soup base

Place the chicken and vegetables in a Dutch oven along with a couple bouillon cubes, to your taste. Add water or stock to cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for approximately 45 minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock. Cool, then skin, bone and cut into bite size pieces and return to stock.

For the noodles:

2 whole eggs

2 eggs yolks

3 tablespoons of cream (milk, half & half, or skim will work)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour, approximately

Lightly beat eggs and yolks together with the cream and oil. Mix the salt and baking powder with 1 cup of flour. Stir this into the egg mixture. Gradually add remaining flour, more or less, to form a stiff dough. It will be somewhat sticky. Let rest for about seven minutes. Liberally flour your rolling space and pin. Pat the dough into a rough triangle. Roll quite thin, adding more flour as you go to prevent sticking. Cut the noodles into three strips and stack together with a hefty amount of flour between layers. Slice into noodles, thick or thin, as you like. Separate noodles by gently tossing them on the counter. Bring your chicken and stock to a rapid boil. Add the noodles in small batches. As you add, shake off excess flour. Keep the pot boiling as much as possible. If it becomes too thick, just add more water or canned chicken stock. These will cook in about 15 to 20 minutes.

This was one of Tracey's favorite recipes from her recipe reunion weekend. She said it was really fantastic.

Chicken Pasta Salad

1 chicken, cooked, boned and cut in bite-sized pieces

12 to 14 ounces of bow tie pasta, cooked, drained and chilled

2 ribs celery, small dice

1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries

1 cup seedless red grapes or choice of chopped apples, oranges or pineapple chunks

16 ounces commercial poppy seed dressing

1/2 cup of slivered toasted almonds

Toss all together, except almonds, with about two-thirds of dressing. Let rest; refrigerate for a couple hours. Add more dressing if needed. Just before serving stir in almonds (or try walnuts or pecans).

For even more variety mix and match the fruits. For an even quicker chicken option, pick up a rotisserie chicken at the local deli. When making grilled chicken, cook some extra just for this salad.

Pizza Bread

Try this savory bread toasted in the oven with pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, and green olives. Makes 2 loaves (24 slices total)

2 cups tomato juice

1/2 cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons butter

6 to 6-1/2 cups flour

2 packages (2 tablespoons) dry yeast

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground rosemary

1/4 teaspoon ground fennel

1 garlic clove, crushed

Heat tomato juice, sauce, and butter to 120 degrees. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups flour with yeast, sugar, salt, basil, oregano, rosemary and fennel; add warmed tomato mixture and garlic. Mix with dough hook (or by hand) 3 minutes or 300 strokes, scraping bowl frequently. Add 3 to 3 1/2 cups additional flour, until firm enough to handle; turn out onto floured board. Add enough flour that dough is not sticky; knead until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down; let rest 15 minutes. Shape into two loaves; place in greased 9-inch bread pans. Cover loosely; let rise until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes longer, until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans; cool on a rack.

Tracey said this next recipe was one of her favorite recipes of the weekend. She said it was good the first night and then the second night they sliced and grilled it and it was fantastic.

Cheese Bread

2 packets (2 tablespoons each) active dry yeast

2 cups warm milk

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

6 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Seasonings of your choice, like Italian or crushed red pepper flakes

Dissolve the yeast in the milk in a large mixing bowl and allow to proof for 5 minutes until it begins to form a froth on the surface. Add the sugar, butter, and salt and stir to dissolve. Add the flour and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the cheese and mix to thoroughly combine. Knead, and divide into two loaf pans, and cover loosely with waxed paper. Allow to sit at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes 2 loaves.

Texas Perfect Pecan Pie

1 cup dark brown sugar

2/3 cup white or dark syrup

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3 tablespoons bourbon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

3 tablespoons half-and-half

2 cups pecan pieces

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Whole pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350. In a large saucepan, melt the brown sugar, syrup and butter together with the bourbon, vanilla and salt. Continue heating the mixture to the boiling point, stirring frequently. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and let mixture cool. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the half-and-half until they are light and frothy. Add to the cooled syrup, beating until the mixture is well incorporated. Stir in the pecan pieces. Pour the filling into the pie shell. Top with a layer of pecan halves. The total baking time is 45 to 50 minutes. Bake first 10 minutes open in oven, then very carefully place inside a large paper bag, puffed so not to disturb pie. Finish baking but check after 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean when done.

I find Tracey's story fascinating and a real adventure. I also appreciate her sharing her recipes with us today. Have a great week and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.