Rumtopf (Rum Pot) German Recipe

The tradition of the Rumtopf in Germany goes back centuries as a way to preserve fruits of the season. Now it has become a favorite way to celebrate any special occasion or to enjoy whenever you want the taste of delicious fruit soaked in rum.

The ingredients:
1. fresh fruit (approximately 1 pound) It's traditional to begin with the first fresh fruit of the new growing season.
2. sugar (approximately 1/2 pound)
3. Good quality (unflavored) dark rum to cover the fruit by 1 inch

Ideal fruits are:
Pineapple (remove rind & core and cut in large cubes)
Cherries (any variety, stemmed and pitted)
Apricots (halves, pitted)
Nectarines (halves, pitted)
Peaches (remove pits and cut in halves, quarters, or slices)
Pears (cored, peeled & sliced)
Plums (remove seed and half or quarter)
Grapes (sweet seedless red or green grapes are ideal)
Strawberries (don't wash, just remove stem & leaves). Strawberries will soften and lose their bright red color as they soak up the rum.
Raspberries (don't wash). Raspberries will lose some of their bright red color.
Red currants (removed from stem)
Gooseberries (remove stems)

The following fruits are not recommended:
Blackberries or Blueberries (they can be bitter and can discolor the other fruits)
Watermelon and Cantaloupe chunks (can make the mixture watery)
Rhubarb (can make mixture sour)
Bananas (too mushy)
Citrus (too acidic)
Apples (take on an odd texture)

Directions:
Wash and dry the inside of the Rumtopf.
Wash and dry the first chosen fruit.
Remove any stems, seed and pits.
Place the one pound of fruit and a half pound of sugar into the Rumtopf.
Pour in enough rum to cover the fruit by at least one inch.
Cover the opening of the Rumtopf with tightly with plastic (to avoid evaporation) and place the lid firmly on top.
Store in a cool place away from heat and direct sunlight.
You may even store the Rumtopf in the refrigerator.

Every month add an additional layer of fruit:
For each additional layer of fruit follow the instructions above.
Throughout the summer, repeat the process for each new fruit layer until your Rumtopf is full.
If all the fruit you want to use is available on the same day, you may fill up the Rumtopf with layers of fruit and sugar and rum.
Then allow the entire mixture to sit for another 4 to 6 weeks. By all means feel free to "test" the fruit along the way for "Yumminess". Check periodically to make sure their is no extra fermentation taking place. If you see bubbles beginning to develop, you have fermentation. If this happens, add rum that is 151 proof to suppress the fermentation.

How to serve:
Serve the Rumtopf fruits with its syrup (hot or cold) over ice-cream, cake, flan, puddings, or cheese cake. Serve in an elegant dish topped with whipped cream or crème frâiche.
Serve as a side dish with any game meat.
Serve the strained liquid as a liquor or after-dinner cordial.
Add two tablespoons of the strained liquid to Champagne for a unique and elegant cocktail.
Lay some of the warmed fruit onto a thin crepe-like pancake and roll up. Add whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Gambino Family Bruschetta

Simple, and satisfying.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of plum tomatoes.

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar

• 6 - 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped and diced

• a dash of Kosher salt

• 1 baguette french bread, or similar Italian bread

Directions:

1. Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute, in water that has just been removed from the burner. drain water. remove the skins from the tomatoes. cut into quarters, and remove the seeds, and juice from the tomatoes. (doing this help keep enough liquid from turning the bread soggy) This is why you want to use plum tomatoes too, the skins are thicker, and they have less juice.

2. put the rack of your oven on the top, and pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

3. while the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes, garlic, and basil, mix with olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. add salt to tase, then place in the refrigerator.

4. slice the baguette in 1/2 inch diagonal slices.

5. take a plate, and pour a little oil in it, then soak one side of the bread slices in the oil, and place each slice on a baking sheet.

6. place bread in pre-heated oven, and toast for 5-6 minutes.

7. when the bread is ready, put a spoon full of the tomato/basil mixture on top of each slice.

8. serve and enjoy.

Amish Bread Pudding

This bread pudding recipe is from and old Amish cookbook. It is simple, yet delicious. It was copied, loaned out, scribbled on note cards, and passed on by Grandmothers, Great-Aunts, Beloved Neighbor Ladies, and those whose home cooking touched the soul of the Family. This is the bread pudding people get dreamy eyed over. Nothing beats warm Bread Pudding, on a cold rainy day, to fortify you against the cold.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk (or 2 cups of cream)

• 1/4 cup of butter

• 1/3 cup of Brown sugar

• 3 eggs

• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 cups of bread (I like sheepherders bread, but French bread works well too)

• 1/2 cup of raisins. (you can add other fruits as well, such as sliced apples, or figs, etc...)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, add milk, til milk warms up, then add butter, and stir lightly with a wooden spoon until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

2. Combine Brown Sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Mix at a medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add the milk and butter mixture.

3. Place bread in a lightly greased 1 quart Casserole dish, or an 8x8 glass baking dish, or a 10" cast iron dutch oven.

4. Sprinkle with raisins (or fruit) and pour batter on top of bread. Do not mix, let the batter just soak into the bread.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes +/-

While That is baking make the sauce for the bread pudding. This is a necessary part of the recipe, as half the sugar for this is in the sauce.

Sauce ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk

• 2 tablespoons of butter

• 1/3 cup of granulated white sugar

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon of flour

• 1 dash of salt

Directions for Sauce:

1. Mix everything together and bring to a slow boil for 3 - 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Set aside for 5 minutes, then pour on bread pudding as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

• First, fry up that bacon. Not all the way–give it sort of a half-fry. You don’t want to make it too crunchy because it’ll snap when you try to roll it up into those cinnamonny buns. Plus, it’ll cook more in the oven.

• Let it drain on paper towels. For big cinnamon rolls, you’ll need two slices of bacon per roll. For the tiny guys, you just need one.

• Pop that can. How I looove that sound. Separate the rolls. Unroll them on a piece of parchment paper or a big ol’ cutting board.

• Lay the bacon strips across the dough, then roll them up.

• lay them in a greased cast iron skillet and bake according to package directions. You can grease the pan with bacon grease for that "extra" goodness.
  

• Don't forget the frosting!

To simplify these instructions:

1. Buy bacon.
2. Buy cinnamon rolls.
3. Cook bacon.
4. Roll bacon into cinnamon rolls.
5. Bake cinnamon rolls.
6. Frost cinnamon rolls.
7. Eat cinnamon rolls.

You can be a little more ambitious and make the cinnamon rolls from scratch (see my sourdough cinnamon roll recipe) however I find it saves a lot of time, and taste great from the can as well.

Pancho Villa's Roast Beast

Ingredients:

• 1 ( 2 - 3 LBS. ) Beef Roast
• 1 package of Lawrey's Taco Seasoning
  
• 1 14.5 oz. can Hunt's fire Roasted tomates (diced)
• 1 7 oz. can Embasa Chiptle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
• 2 beef bullion cubes
• 12 oz water
• 2 Table Spoons of dried minced onion
• 1 - 2 cups of cactus (from the can or jar)
  

Preparation:

1. in a Crock Pot combine all the ingrediants, and cook on low for 8 - 12 hours.
   

Various uses:

• Obvious, great for tacos and burritos


• taco salad: bowl of salad topped with a cup of refried beans, a cup of shredded meat, cheese, onions, sour cream, guacamole, etc...


• Use the shredded beef in a quesadilla


• enchilada meat

Split Pea, Beef, and Barley Soup

Ingrediants:

A hearty and flavorful soup. perfect for a rainy day.

• 2 Table Spoons of Olive Oil


• 2 LBS Beef Chuck (cut into small pieces 1 inch or smaller)


• 5 teaspoons Kosher salt


• 1 Table Spoon black Pepper


• 4 large brown onions, chopped up


• 1 leek, finley chopped


• 2 parsnips, peeled and chopped


• 5 stalks of celery, choped


• 2 cups of green split peas (1-16 oz. package)


• 3/4 cup dried Baby Lima Beans


• 3/4 cup pearl Barley


• 5 carrots, peeled, and cut diagnoly in 1 inch slices

Preperation:

1. Heat oil in a 10 Quart pot over medium heat(this is a large recipe, make sure your using a very large pot, or cut the recipe in half). Brown beef in the pot. set aside.


2. add onions, leek, parsnips, celery, and salt and pepper. cook stiring ofter til onions soften, about 5 minutes. Return Beef to the pot, and add split peas, lima beans, and 4 quarts (16 cups, one gallon) of water. increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 1 hour, stirring occationaly.


3. Add Barley, and simmer for 45 more minutes, stir in carrots and cook 20 minutes more. season to taste with additional salt and papper to taste. then serve.

Simple Crepe Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cap full of vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

In a blender, mix everything but the flour. Gradually add flour until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled cast iron griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. with a baking spatula spread the batter with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

variations:

butter crepe, and sprinkle with powdered suger

mix cream cheese frosting, and cottage cheese, add a little cinnamon, and nutmeg, and raisins, and roll in crepe, top with jelly or pie filling, and whip cream.

butter crepe, and spread jelly

spread nuttella, a little choclate syrup, freash fruit, and ice cream.

Don Jose's Salsa Recipe

Don Jose's Salsa recipe



1 cn (large) tomatoes; drained
-(you may use fresh, but
-suprisingly it works better
-with canned)
1 Onion; minced
1 bn Green onions; minced
1 Garlic cloves; minced (up to
-2)
1/4 bn Cilantro (guessing here);
-minced
Jalapeno or serrano chiles; to taste
1 ds Vinegar

Instructions:
The recipe is loose, but you'll manage just fine by taste.