Poinsettia Cocktail - Bill Parker Sr.

• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup Champagne
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• Crushed ice
• 2 strips orange zest, each about 1/4-inch wide and 2 inches long

Directions

Combine the vodka, Champagne and juice in a large-stemmed red wine glass. Add crushed ice and stir until the mixture is well chilled. Twist the orange strips over the glass, drop them in, and serve.

Welsh Cookies - Bill Parker Sr.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup dried currants
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

Directions

1. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and the 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl until well blended Cut in butter or margarine and shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Toss in currants.
2. Beat egg and milk with a fork in a 1-cup measure; add to flour mixture; mix gently with fork, just until blended. Dough should be consistency of pastry dough.
3. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness with floured rolling pin on lightly floured pastry cloth or board. Cut with 3 inch floured cookie cutter
4. Heat greased griddle or large heavy skillet over moderate heat until few drops of water jump when dropped on surface. Cook cakes, a few at a time, 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn with pancake turner and cook another 3 minutes, or until golden brown on second side. Remove to wire rack. Sprinkle with sugar. Let cool completely, then wrap in plastic bags to store. Can also be frozen.

Fabada Asturiana (Bean stew) - Bill Parker Sr.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, diced
• 1 Bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 5 cloves Garlic, whole
• 8 ounces Jamon Serrano or Salt Pork, coarsely diced
• 8 ounces Chorizo sausage, coarsely diced
• 6 ounces Morcillia (Spanish sausage), coarsely diced (optional)
• 5 cups, Alubia Vasca (White Long Beans)
• 5 cups Chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• Salt to taste

Prep Time/ Cook Time

10 minutes preparation, 45 minutes on the stove top

Recipe Size

Serves 4-6

Basic Instructions

Add the oil to a large cast iron pot (but use what heavy pot you have), over medium heat, and saute the onion, pepper, and garlic and until just tender. To the onion mixture, add the ham and sausages. Cook for 3 minutes. In a bowl, mash 1 cup of the white beans and add to the pot. Next, add the remaining whole beans, chicken broth, and smoked paprika to the onion-sausage mixture. Simmer for 40 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve and enjoy! 

Beans, Bacon and Potatoes -Mom's Recipe - Bill Parker Sr.

Mom's Recipe, But Origin unknown

• 1 lb Bacon, cut into pieces and fried
• 1 lg pack fresh Green Beans cut bite size, boiled
• 6 Potatoes, peeled, diced boiled (in enough water to cover) semi-soft

Once potatoes are close to, but not quite, completely soft, add bacon, beans and some of the bacon grease into pot with potatoes and their water.Make a roux of flour & (water or bacon grease) or corn starch & liquid, add as needed to boiling mixture to thicken, salt & pepper to taste.

Jambalaya - Bill Parker Sr.

 One of my favorite Cajun dishes.

• 2 1/2 pounds meat, some combination of pork chops chicken, andouille sausage, or smoked or Italian sausage
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, and/or bunch scallions
• Cajun/Creole spice (Emeril's works) to taste, or equal amounts of black, Cayenne, and white pepper; some garlic powder, and salt)
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 2 cups uncooked rice

If the meat has bones, boil it in enough water to cover to a depth of one and 1/2 inch until it’s reasonably easy to get it off the bone. (save the stock)

Dice up meat, fry it until some fat is rendered, add diced up veggies, fry until they are coated with fat and begin to soften. Add some spice and herbs, toss around until the meat and veggies are coated. Add water, bring to a boil.

Boil/simmer until the meat is over half done. (taste the stock occasionally to make sure the spices are OK) Add the rice and cook until the rice is done.

Serve with Tabasco and bread.

Lobster and Corn Chowder - Bill Parker Sr.

 Add some crab or shrimp to this chowder to make it a seafood corn chowder.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter or part bacon drippings
• 5 or 6 green onions, with about 3 inches of green, thinly sliced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 3 tablespoons diced sweet red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning (Emeril's works OK)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups diced cooked lobster meat
• 1 medium tomato, seeded, diced, optional
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry, optional
• crumbled cooked bacon, optional

To Make:

Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; add green onion, celery, and bell pepper. Saute until celery is tender, stirring frequently. Add flour and stir until blended. Stir in Creole seasoning and chicken broth. Stir in corn kernels. Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in heavy cream, lobster, and tomato. Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in sherry and heat through.

Long Beach Iced Tea - Bill Parker, Sr.

Ingredients:

• 1 shot Vodka
• 1 shot Light rum
• 1 shot Gin
• 1 shot Tequila
• 1 shot Triple sec
• Few cube Ice
• 1 splash Cranberry juice
• 1 wedge Lemon

Mixing instructions:

In a tall glass, pour shots over ice and top off with cranberry juice and lemon wedge (squeeze if you like).

Stiw Pysgod (Welsh Fisherman's Stew- Bill Parker Sr,

Ingredients:  

• 2 dozen clams
• 3 pints water  
• 1 onion, quartered
• ½ pint fish stock
• Salt, pepper and bouquet garni  
• 1 teaspoon saffron
• ½ teaspoon mace
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 lb. cod or haddock fillets, skinned
• 1 lb. plaice (sole) fillets, skinned
• 2 oz. butter
• 2 oz. flour
• 8 oz. crab meat
• 8 oz. shelled shrimps (fresh or frozen)

Scrub the clams and rinse well. Place in a large pan, pour over water and bring to the boil. As soon as clams open, remove from heat and drain, reserving liquid. Allow to cool slightly and, discarding any NOT opened, remove from shells and set aside. Strain liquid into clean pan, add stock, lemon juice, sliced onion and fish. Poach 30 minutes. Remove herbs and fish. Cut plaice fillets in half, flake cod and keep warm. Melt butter in a pan, stir in flour and cook, stirring, for ½ minute, then stir in liquid, a little at a time. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring until thickened. Add crab meat and shrimps (thawed and/or drained), clams and saffron. Simmer until thoroughly heated, then add fish and simmer for a further minute.

Stiw Eidion Cymreig (Welsh Beef Stew) - Bill Parker Sr

• 1 oz. butter
• 2 small turnips, peeled & cubed
• 1½ lb. stewing steak, cubed 
• Fresh herbs (Parsley, sage, thyme, etc)
• 8 oz.  bacon (diced)
• Salt and white pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ¼ pint cider
• 1½-2 pints water
• ½ lb. potatoes, peeled
• 2 onions, peeled & sliced
• 3 leeks, washed & trimmed
• 2 carrots, peeled & sliced
• Chopped fresh parsley garnish

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and fry the beef and bacon lightly, then sprinkle the flour over and fry a further minute. Add the water and bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and skim, then add the onions, carrots and turnips, herbs and seasoning and bring to a boil. Add the cider, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the potatoes and leeks. Cover and simmer for a further 20-30 minutes. Serve, sprinkling each portion with a little finely chopped parsley.

White Sangria with tropical fruit - Bill Parker Sr.

You need:

• Plenty of ice cubes
• 1 bottle (750 ml) crisp white wine (avoid chardonnay)
• 1 cup tropical fruit juice such as mango, papaya or guava
• 2 ripe peaches, pitted and cut into 8 wedges each
• 1/2 cup Grand Marnier
• 1 orange, thinly sliced 
• 1 lime, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Fill a large pitcher halfway with ice, then pour in the wine, fruit juice, peach wedges, Grand Marnier and about three-quarters of the orange and lime slices. Stir until cold and well mixed.

Pour into glasses, adding a few of the reserved fruit slices to each.

Coney Island Hot Dog Meat Sauce(alt.) - Bill Parker Sr.

• 3 1/2 Lbs. of Lard
• 6 Lbs. Ground Chuck, needs to be ground twice or run through food processor.
• 2 Lbs. Finely chopped Onion
• 2 TBLS. Each of Cinnamon, Curry, *Whole Cloves and Salt.
• 2 TBLS. Celery Seed
• 3 TBLS. Chili Powder
• 1 TBLS. Paprika
• 6 Quarts Water

* unless you grind up your mixture very fine, please use ground cloves.

Brown lard, onions and chopped meat. After Twenty Minutes add spices and water. Bring to boil and allow mixture to thicken. Simmer for at least one hour.