Liberace Cooks
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 79-124561
Copyright ©1970 By Carol Truax
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition
Baked Stuffed Mostaccioli (serves 8-10)
Liberace Special
2 pounds mostaccioli
3/4 pound lean beef, ground twice
1/4 pound ground lean pork
1/4 pound grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Grating of nutmeg
3 eggs
Tomato Sauce*
Grated parmesan or Romano cheese
(Liberace uses mostaccioli but a pasta larger in diameter such as ziti or rigatoni is easier to fill). Parboil the pasta to make it pliable, drain, and cool. Mix the meat with cheese, garlic, parsley, and bread crumbs. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the eggs, which have been slightly beaten. The mixture although similar to Italian meat balls must be softer so you can squeeze it through the large opening of a pastry tub. If necessary, add a little of the tomato sauce or some broth. Fill the mostaccioli. Put a layer in a buttered baking dish, cover with tomato sauce, and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat, ending with sauce and cheese. Back for an hour in a 350˚ oven.
Avocado Stuffed with Shrimp
4 avocados
1 lemon
1 1/2 pounds cooked shrimp
4 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons minced parsley
3/4 cup Lemon French Dressing
Cut the avocados in half lengthwise. Remove pits and sprinkle once with the lemon juice. Mix the shrimp, celery, and parsley with 1/2 cup dressing. Make nests of shredded lettuce, place the avocado halves in the nests, fill with shrimp mixture and spoon remaining dressing over.
Lemon French Dressing
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
Mix, the lemon juice with salt, pepper, and sugar. Add the oil slowly, a tablespoon at a time, while stirring.
Roast Cornish Game Hens Wild Rice Stuffing
Stuffing
1 cup wild rice
1/2 cup rice
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup buter
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Cornish game hens
1 teaspoon salt
8 slices bacon
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons soft butter
Cook the rice according to package instructions. Mix the wild and regular rice. Sauté the onion and celery in butter for 5 minutes. Add thyme and salt. Mix with the rice. Sprinkle the hens with salt inside and out. Stuff them loosely and secure cavity. Lay half slices of bacon over each breast and divide the other half slices over the legs. Roast in a 350˚ oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, basting with pan drippings to which you have added 1/2 cup water and the butter.
Green Beans Au Gratin (serves 8)
3 1/2 pounds green beans or 3 to 4 packages frozen French-cut
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
3/4 cup coarsely grated Swiss cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Trim the beans and cook in a small amount of salted water until just tender; if using frozen beans, follow package instructions. Make the sauce by melting 3 tablespoons butter, blending in the flour, and stirring in the milk. Cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the swiss cheese until melted. add salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Spread some of the sauce in a baking dish, cover with the beans and pour over the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and dot with remaining butter. Heat in a 400˚ oven until beans are hot and sauce slightly browned on top.
Celery Victor
8 celery hearts or 4 heads pascal celery
Consommé or beef broth
Water cress of leaf lettuce
1 cup Vinaigrette Dressing
Wash and trim the ends of the celery. If using hearts, leave whole. If using large heads, remove a few outside leaves and cut the head in half. Cook the celery in consommé or other broth until just tender. Let it cook in broth after you turn the heat off. Drain and chill. Serve on a bed of greens on individual salad plates. Stir the dressing thoroughly and spoon over the salad.
Vinaigrette Dressing
3/4 cup olive or salad oil or a mixture of both
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
Few drops garlic juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped dried tarragon or 2 tablespoons fresh
1/4 cup finely chopped Bermuda onion or scallions
2 tablespoons minced chives
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet pickle
3 tablespoons minced parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped pimento
Combine all ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate in a jar. It isn’t necessary to use all the ingredients each time; make a selection that complements whatever you are dressing. Shake well before serving.
Meringue Kisses
3 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup diced candied fruit or ½ teaspoon instant coffee or cocoa (optional)
*** I made my own version, 2 teaspoons Sanka (yes SANKA), 2 teaspoons cocoa, 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, and 2 Tablespoons pistachios. I ground them up and used and folded into the mixture, and sprinkled on top.***
Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating until the sugar is dissolved and the meringue stands in a stiff peak. Fold in the vanilla, and the fruit or coffee or cocoa if you wish. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake in a 275˚ oven for about an hour until delicately browned.
