China's Kitchen

Thymely Cream of Carrot Soup

In Pecan Springs, Texas, soup always seems to taste better in the winter -- but this thymely soup is good hot or chilled. Serve it to 4-6.

• 2 pounds carrots, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 tblsp butter or margarine
• 6 cups chicken stock
• a bouquet garni made with 6 parsley sprigs, 3 thyme sprigs, and a sprig of marjoram tied together with string
• 1 cup half/half (no-fat is fine)
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• 2 tblsp chopped parsley leaves
• 1 tblsp chopped thyme leaves

Over low heat, saute the carrots and onion in the butter or margarine in a covered soup pot until soft, about 15 minutes. Add the stock and heat to a simmer. Add the bouquet garni and simmer 20 minutes. Take out the bouqet garni and puree the soup in two or three batches. Add half and half and reheat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and serve, garnished with chopped thyme and parsley. To serve cold, chill for several hours and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and the chopped herbs.

Hot Mulled Cider

At the Halloween party in Witches' Bane, China and Ruby enjoyed plenty of Witches' Punch. Here's the recipe:

• 2 quarts apple cider
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 orange slices
• 4 lemon slices

Combine ingredients in a large non-reactive saucepan. Heat almost to boiling. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 1-2 hours. Remove cinnamon sticks and orange and lemon slices. Reheat and serve in mugs with cinnamon stick stirrers. An ideal punch for your favorite Halloween witches, for Christmas carolers, or just for sitting in front of the fire with a bowl of popcorn.

Castagnaccio

In the last chapter of Hangman's Root, China, Ruby, Smart Cookie, and the Whiz gather around the kitchen table to speculate about the future of Dotty and her rescued guinea pigs. As they talk, they munch on pieces of castagnaccio, a flat, crusty cake that comes from Tuscany. The traditional recipe calls for chestnut flour, but China uses ground pecans instead. This recipe makes two cakes, the surface of which will be cracked and strange-looking. Be brave. It tastes good.

• 1/4 c raisins
• 1 lb nut flour
• 4 cups cold water
• 1 tblsp rosemary leaves, chopped fine
• 2 tblsp olive oil
• 2 tblsp honey
• 1/3 c chopped nuts (pecans or almonds)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tblsp rosemary leaves, whole

Heat your oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil two glass or ceramic pie pans with olive oil. Soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes, drain and press out the water. Put the nut flour into a large bowl and add the cold water, a cup at a time. Add drained raisins, chopped rosemary, half the olive oil, honey, nuts, and salt. Mix well. Divide and place in the pie pans, patting into shape. Sprinkle each cake with the whole rosemary leaves. Bake for 75 minutes, until the top is crispy.

Rosemary Biscuits

Ruby makes the best rosemary biscuits in the world. She serves them at breakfast with strawberry jam, or cuts them small and serves with ham roll-ups for appetizers. She says they're fast, and special enough for company dinner. This recipe makes about 15 tender, flaky biscuits.

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tblsp butter
• 1 tblsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped fine
• or 1 tsp crumbled dried rosemary
• 3/4 cups milk

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a baking sheet. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar together. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Add the rosemary and the milk and mix together into a soft dough. On a lightly floured board, roll out dough 1/2" thick. Cut into 1 1/2" squares and place close together on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on a rack, or serve hot.

Garlic Spread

At St. Theresa's, the sisters love this garlicky spread for crackers. (Of course, they grow the garlic themselves.) You'll also enjoy this fast, flavorful treat. It's good for you, too. Garlic helps to lower cholesterol, fight colds, and boost the immune system. Eat lots.

• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1-2 tblsp milk (if necessary, for proper consistency)
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and mashed with the flat of a knife
• 2 tblsp minced fresh parsley
• 1 tsp minced fresh basil
• cayenne pepper

Stir the cheese, adding milk if it is too stiff. Add garlic, herbs, and cayenne to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours to blend the flavors.

South of the Border Hot Chocolate

Here is China's recipe for the South of the Border Hot Chocolate that she makes in Chapter 17 of Love Lies Bleeding. You may double or triple this recipe for convenience. And if you're into spicy stuff, experiment by adding a pinch of zippy cayenne.

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tblsp flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp salt

Combine and store in a closed container until you're ready to use it. To make the hot chocolate, add 3/4 cup of the mix to 2 cups water and simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in 6 cups milk. Add 1 tsp vanilla and a dollop of whipped cream, and serve to six people (to three, if they're really thirsty).

Texas Chuckwagon Chili

Here it is--genuine Texas chili, the way the cowboys made it. (Well, almost. You probably can't buy longhorn chuck steak at your corner grocery.)

• 12 dried Anaheim chile peppers, split, stemmed, and seeded
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 onions, finely chopped
• 4 pounds beef chuck steak, cut in 1/2" cubes
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 3 bay leaves
• salt, pepper to taste

Put chiles and water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove chiles from pan, set pan aside. Finely chop chiles. Heat oil in a large pot. Add garlic and onions and saute 2-3 minutes. Add meat and brown until cooked through (7-10 minutes). Add chopped chiles, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and half of the chile cooking liquid you've saved. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, adding a little chile cooking liquid to keep the meat moist. Cook about 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves. Makes 8-12 servings.

Lavender Muffins

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried lavender
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another. Add the wet to the dry, stirring only until the dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Fill greased muffin tin (or paper muffin cups). Bake about 20 minutes, until golden. Makes 1 dozen.

China's Hot Spiced Christmas Eve Tea

This warm and cheering cranberry- and orange-flavored tea is a natural for Christmas Eve. The recipe makes 12 cups.

• 12 cups water
• 12 whole allspice
• 3 small cinnamon sticks
• 2 tsp whole cloves
• 12 tea bags (an orange-spice tea is nice)
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice

Combine allspice, cinnamon, and cloves with the water in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Cover and steep for about 5 minutes. Stir and strain. Strain a second time to clarify (a coffee filter is handy here). Add sugar and stir until dissolved. At serving time, stir in juices, pour into a glass or stainless steel pan and reheat to serving temperature. (Don't boil)

Queenie's Rosemary Biscuits

• 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, chopped very fine
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Cut the butter into pea-sized lumps in the flour mixture. Add rosemary and milk and mix with a fork to form a soft dough. (Do not overmix.) Roll out dough 1/2-inch thick on lightly floured board. Cut into circles with a biscuit cutter and place close together on a greased and floured baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 12.

Norwegian Pepper Cookies

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the shortening and the sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Sift the flour and spices into the butter mixture. Mix well. (You can use a mixer for this.) Roll into 1/2" balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork in a cross-hatch pattern. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until edges are lightly brown. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 48.

Ruby's Better Bones Soup

A good-tasting soup made from plants that are are high in protein and good for your bones!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14- or 16-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
• 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 4-ounce can water chestnuts, drained
• 2 baby bok choy, white and green parts sliced separately
• 1/2 pound fresh kale, stems removed, chopped
• 2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs (try parsley, sage, summer savory, chervil, rosemary)
• 1 bay leaf
• 6-8 ounces hard tofu, cubed

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté onions and carrots for 7-8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add tomatoes, stock, water chestnuts, bok choy (white parts), bay leaf, and herbs and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add green parts of bok choy and kale and cook until just tender (1-2 minutes). Add tofu and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve hot. Makes 6-8 servings.