The Hammel Recipe Convention

[Roger Vandelay]

Some of us in the cbox had a terrific idea (we're still not sure who thought of it...) of having each member of the Hammel community share a recipe that represents who they are and/or where they come from. Sort of like a culinary cultural exchange.

So go ahead and share your recipes! And feel free to explain why it represents you/your home, or any fun stories/traditions related to the dish.

Have fun!

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE WALNUT BROWNIES

This recipe has been in my family for three generations now. They make an appearance at every holiday for which the whole extended family gathers together, from Christmas to Easter to Father's Day. I have so many fond memories of my mother making these for my brother and I and my cousins at big family meals. They were always a big hit! These brownies are extremely fudgy, packing an awful lot of chocolate and butter - these are no every-day treat! I'm very happy to share this family recipe with you now. Please enjoy.

4 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 sticks margarine or butter (I find margarine works best)
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 t vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped walnuts, divided (OPTIONAL: brownies are great with or without)
1 cup semi-sweet morsels (or more if not using nuts)

Heat oven to 350; spray disposable 13x9 pan with cooking spray (note this recipe comes out best when using a disposable foil pan, as opposed to a non-stick or glass pan)

Melt chocolate and margarine/butter over very low flame in pot large enough to hold remaining ingredients. Stir with wooden spoon til blended.
Remove pot from heat and use wooden spoon to stir in sugar.
Stir in eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition.
Stir in vanilla and then flour.
If using nuts, stir in 1/2 cup now.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Combine remaining nuts with morsels; top batter and bake for 35 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

[Judah Linn]

So, my recipe isn't from where i'm from (as i'm from Japanese and English descent), but it's literally the only thing I can cook without burning. It's one of my favorite foods too. I was taught to make it through one of my Israeli friends. PS: this is really fun to make with other people.  cx

(Warning! This makes for four people with generous portions! Either plan for whoever is eating to have leftovers or adjust the recipe to fit however many you're feeding.)

Shakshouka

So, before you actually start cooking, you'll need to pick up your shit from the grocery store. 

• 15 ripe tomatoes (and tomato concentrate if you don't think it tastes like tomatoes)
• 4 eggs
• 2 big onions
• 3 sweet red peppers 
• 3 cloves of garlic
  On all of the following spices, I recommend one spoonful, but add as you wish. 
• Powdered turmeric
• Cumin 
• ground black pepper
• sweet paprika 
• spicy paprika 
  {Not mentioned in list, but you have to serve this with pita bread. Buy it.}
  
  
  After you get your food items, you can start cooking. 
  
  First you get a big, deep pan like the one below or you'll get food all over the fucking place. You'll also need some tin foil because usually these things don't come with covers. If yours has a cover, that's cool too. 
  . 

After you get your skillet (or whatever the hell that pan thing is called) and turn your stove on medium heat, you chop up the onions in no specific fashion and chuck 'em in with a little bit of olive oil. 


Then, while the onions are frying, cut up the red peppers and garlic into little squares. You put those in the pan too and mix it all up.

Meanwhile, hack those tomatoes up until their juicy guts are all over your counter, releasing your anger towards the world while doing so. Just kidding, but not. You still need to cut them, just less viciously. After all, they are basically the whole sauce. Stick the tomatoes in the pan too and mix it again. Then you cover the sucker with tin foil and keep it on medium heat 
{Every 8 to 10 minutes, check on it. If there is a bunch of juice in it, spill out the juice. It'll make it all watery, which is what you don't want. That would be gross. Meanwhile, you have time to kill. Watch Doctor Who or some Walking Dead. Read a few pages of your book. Try to finish that post on Hammel because you have nine unfinished and you're so behind.}

Once the tomatoes stop making their juice, you take the top off and mix it because it'll be all thick and amazing smelling. Time for some spices because who doesn't like that shit?
{I suggest just dumping all the spices in. I mean... it all ends up in the same place. And it tastes good. Whatever. I have no preference on these things.}

Stir it again. You get your four eggs out. You make pockets in the sauce for each of the eggs. Then you crack one egg in each pocket. You cover the damn thing with your lid or tin foil and wait until the eggs are poached. Meanwhile, stick your pita bread into the oven for maybe two minutes just so it's A) toasty, and B) warm. 

Take out your pita and let that cool before you burn your damn tongue, you greedy bitch. Turn off the stove once your eggs are cooked in their egg-pockets and take off the foil. Let that cool too. After 8 to 10 minutes, serve it. Everyone gets an egg and you better share that pita. 


Then eat it.
~You're welcome. 

[Stefan Spencer]

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

So I'm not really a cook. Most of my meals are things you can just pop in a microwave or heat up on the stove. So this pie is amazing...and requires NO SKILL AT ALL.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
1 8oz thing of cream cheese
1 16oz thing of cool whip
1 graham cracker crust

optional - mini reeses, coconut flakes, etc.

So basically mix together the peanut butter, sugar, and cream cheese. Then add in half of the container of cool whip. Put this all on in the crust and then layer the remaining cool whip on top. Then stick it in the fridge for at least an hour and TA DA!

For added fun, stick mini reeses on top (or coconut flakes or whatever really).