In the Kitchen with Mary

Morsel & Martha's Adventures in Cooking

My husband and I love to entertain. The atmosphere created by the tall pines that surround our home, situated in the Wenatchee National Forest, invites you to come in, share a meal, and perhaps have a touch of the grape.

My inspiration for this cookbook was a dinner request by my husband for a pasta dish that we had previously enjoyed. This request was not easily granted because I am constantly trying new recipes and rarely prepare the same dish twice. My recipe collection is extensive and not very organized. So, as I was searching and digging through recipe cards, newspaper clippings, magazines, and books trying to find a recipe that sounds like his request, I decided it was time to organize. Morsel & Martha's Adventures in Cooking is the result.

My cookbook is dedicated with love to my children Ron and Danielle, who think Mom's a good cook, and to my wonderful husband David, for being such a willing guinea pig for so many years.

You can order Morsel & Martha's Adventures in Cooking by printing the order form and mailing it to me or clicking the "Buy Now" button to order online. Be sure to try out the sample recipes below and let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you.

The cookbook is 132 pages, and includes recipes for Appetizers, Breads, Breakfast, Desserts, Meats, Pasta, Poultry, Rice, Salads, Sandwiches, Seafood, Soups, Stews and Chili, and Vegetables.

You can order Morsel & Martha's Adventures in Cooking by printing the order form and mailing it to me or clicking the "Buy Now" button to order online. Be sure to try out the sample recipes below.

Try out these sample recipes!

Chicken Salad Bundle

A sandwich like this one is fun because it is different and easy. Whether you choose to use pita bread or a tortilla to wrap it up, you have a very flavorful luncheon or lighter evening meal. I especially like the whole wheat tortillas.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound cooked chicken, shredded
2 plum tomatoes, sliced thin (seeded if you prefer)
2 green onions, chopped or sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
4 flour tortillas or use pita bread
Several leaves of mixed greens (romaine or red leaf lettuce, and/or spinach), torn
4 strips peppered bacon, crisp-cooked and drained
Bottled blue cheese salad dressing

Directions:

Divide all ingredients except dressing among 4 tortillas or fill pita pockets. Drizzle with salad dressing and serve immediately. Serves 4.

You can find this recipe on page 96 of - Morsel & martha's Adventures in Cooking.

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Roast Duckling with Orange Sauce

My husband is an avid duck hunter. I have tried unsuccessfully over the years to prepare duck so that it doesn't taste like duck. I have found that there is a big difference between the flavor of wild duck and tame duck. The following recipe creates a fine, crisp skinned duck. You must start by purchasing a TAME duck from the grocery store. Do not shoot your own! Do not cook one that someone shot for you. My personal preference for the preparation of wild duck is to give it to the dog. It gives her something to bury, but I digress. The following recipe is simply delicious. The long roasting gets rid of the fat and produces a crisp-skinned, juicy bird that actually tastes a lot like pork roast. That's good duck! The sauce is the best part. It's absolutely oozing with flavors from blending oranges, currant jelly, and cognac. It's one you have to try.

Ingredients for duckling:

1 5-6 pound duckling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 navel oranges, peeled, skinned and sliced thin

Directions for duckling:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub inside and out with salt and pepper, prick the skin all over with a fork, skewer the opening of the cavity and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Roast, breast down, on rack in shallow pan for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 325 degrees. Turn duckling on its back and continue roasting for another hour or longer, until the crisp skin clings to the meat with no fat between them. Serve with sliced oranges over the duck and the orange sauce.

Ingredients for sauce:

Duck drippings
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup each sugar, water, and currant vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons currant jelly
Juice from 2 oranges
Rind from one orange cut in a very fine julienne
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup cognac

Directions for sauce:

When duck is nearly done, transfer to another pan and use roasting pan with drippings to make the sauce. Skim fat from pan and stir in chicken broth with duck juices, being careful to scrape any crusty bits from sides and bottom of the pan. Simmer, skimming surface as needed. In a small saucepan stir together sugar and water. Cook over medium heat until water evaporates and sugar caramelizes to a light brown. Add currant vinegar, salt, and pepper and cook until caramel is dissolved. Add the currant jelly, orange, lemon juice and the orange rind. Blend and add to the duck stock. Stir in cognac. Reduce a little more and pour over the duck. Serves 4.

You can find this recipe on page 72 of - Morsel & martha's Adventures in Cooking.