Pasta            Fiffaro                                          

While the noodles are cooking, heat the oil in a skillet. Add onion and spinach; cook over a medium high heat for 4-5 minutes or until the onion is cooked and the spinach is wilted. Stir in the sour cream, garlic, basil, oregano and 1¼ cup of the olives (save ¼ cup of olives for the garnish at the coda).

Return the drained noodles to the kettle. Add the cup of Monterey Jack cheese and only 1/2 of the cup of Parmesan cheese (like the olives above, save the remainder for the coda). Heat, stirring until melted. Then stir in the spinach combination. Heat gently but do not boil! Turn into a serving dish and sprinkle the remaining olives and Parmesan cheese on top.

Robert J’s Potage Pro Musica

Potage coq d’or

Robert J. Lurtsema

REGISTRATION

One barbecue chicken carcass (with meat)

Two large broccoli stems

Five carrots

One large onion

Three large garlic cloves

Celery with leaves

1/2 cup orange juice

Parsley sprigs

1/4 teaspoon sage

Seasoning salt

Pepper

PERFORMANCE PRACTICE

Boil barbecued chicken leftovers in 1/2 gallon water until chicken separates (ca. 5 minutes). Let stand until room temperature.

While waiting, mince garlic very fine. Clean broccoli stems and dice into quarter inch cubes. Chop onion similar size. Grate carrots. Chop celery into quarter inch pieces, and finely chop celery leaves.

When broth has cooled, skim off and discard fat. Pour liquid through sieve. Pick meat from bones. Discard skin and bones and return meat to liquid. Add vegetables, herbs, seasoning salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil. Then simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Add orange juice. Turn off heat. Serves four to six.

Filling:

3-5 T sugar (to taste, depending on the sweetness of berries)

(Mix with strawberries and let them absorb the sugar.)

Whipped Cremona Topping:

1 C (=1/2 pint) heavy (or whipping) cream

2-4 tsp. vanilla extract to taste

1-2 T sugar

Whip cream in mixer (use chilled/frozen bowl & beaters). For optimal results, add sugar and vanilla after whipping the cream -- sometimes ingredients added early can interfere with the whipping chemistry, especially if you use supermarket (highly pasteurized) cream. Don't overwhip, else you'll have butter. To have your guests guessing your registration, add

1-2 tsp. orange extract for a nice complement to the strawberry and chocolate flavors.

Assembling your creation

Feel free to experiment with splitting apart the shortcake biscuits and assembling a "sandwich" using the strawberry mixture. Optionally put some strawberry mixture on the top of the biscuit before topping with the cremona. If you're worried about the caloric content of the whipped cream, substitute (1 C.) non-fat plain yogurt, mixed with (real) maple syrup (2 T.) and optionally (1 tsp.) orange extract.

Add a whole strawberry or split slice(s) on the very top as an accent garnish. For a contemporary presentation, "spill" some strawberry slices down the side and onto the plate, perhaps accompanied by either or both of:

· chocolate "sauce" (or shavings or powder)

· puree' of strawberry on the plate or drizzled over the entire dessert.

In any case, have fun!

"Uncle T's"  Chocolate Pipe-Chest Pie

Dr. Thomas Richner

REGISTRATION

1 stick butter (melted)

PERFORMANCE PRACTICE

Mix butter and dry ingredients well; will look like dark wet sand. Add the yogurt and eggs. Scrape down sides of bowl. Pour into a greased (buttered) pie pan (glass is preferable, approx. 9") and bake for 45-60 min. at 350 degrees F.

Makes 1 pie; warning: will not last very long if people are around.

Variations on the theme:

Try one or any combination of:

- Add a (not-pre-baked) pastry-dough crust of your selection

- Add 3/4 C.of dried cherries or sweetened dried cranberries

- Add 1 tsp. orange or almond extract instead of vanilla extract

- 2 T. flour for a thicker texture

Brian Jones:

A Yankee Organist’s Indian Pudding

(from an old Duxbury recipe)

REGISTRATION

3 C milk

PERFORMANCE PRACTICE

Scald the milk; then combine the corn meal and molasses (stir constantly to prevent scorching).

Remove from heat; add

1 egg

butter the size of a walnut (honest!)

Mix thoroughly. Pour into buttered baking dish and bake in 300-degree oven for 30 minutes. Then pour in 1/2 cup additional cool milk (this slows too-rapid cooking.) Continue to bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours more; check occasionally to make sure it does not overcook or burn!

Serve while still warm with plenty of vanilla ice cream (Haagen-Daas is best, and no small dollops allowed!) or whipped cream.

This is an authentic New England dish, and tastes much better than the objective ingredients would indicate! Serves 6 (I usually make a double batch for seconds or leftovers.)

©1997 Worcester Mass. Chapter, American Guild of Organists

Marketing plan by Will Sherwood; typesetting by Nancy Avila; original recipe card ad printing: Image Press/West Boylston MA.