Chicken Soup
1 fryer, cut up or whole (including back and neck), and wrapped in cheesecloth.
2-3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 celery ribs, roughly chopped
2-3 onions, roughly chopped
1 parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped (optional)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped (optional)
4 bouillon cubes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh dill (optional)

Place wrapped chicken in large pot and cover with cold water. Bring water to boil and skim any scum that rises to surface. Add chopped vegetables, bouillon, salt, pepper and optional dill. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 1 1/2 hours.

Remove chicken and vegetables from soup. Puree vegetables and return to soup. Remove skin and bones from chicken and chop. Return chicken to soup.


Aunt Mickey's Brisket
1 beef brisket (about 4 pounds)
2-4 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
To taste: seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and paprika
2 large sweet onions, sliced thinly
1 package onion soup mix
1 cup red wine (optional)
6 medium carrots, peeled
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 bay leaves

The day before cooking, trim most of fat from brisket leaving a thin layer on top. Make slits all over brisket and insert garlic slivers. Rub brisket generously with seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and paprika. Wrap brisket and refrigerate over night.

The next day, brown brisket on both sides on top of stove or under broiler. Place brisket in large roasting pan. Dissolve soup mix in 2 cups of boiling water and add to pan along with red wine, if using. Add sliced onion to pan.

Cover pan and roast at 350 degrees 11/2 hours. Add whole carrots, sliced mushrooms and bay leaves. Continue roasting another hour, covered, until fork tender. (If not tender, cook another 30 minutes.) Remove brisket to platter and cover. Roast pan drippings in oven, uncovered, another 30 minutes to concentrate flavor. Allow brisket and gravy to cool separately. (Brisket is easier to cut when cold.) Slice brisket thinly against grain. Store sliced brisket and gravy separately in refrigerator until ready to serve.

To serve, pour gravy over sliced brisket in pan and heat at 300 degrees about 45 minutes.


Cynthia's Apricot Chicken
2 chickens cut into 8 pieces each
2 boxes onion soup mix
2 cups ketchup
1 7-ounce jar Dynasty Plum Sauce
2 18-ounce jars apricot preserves
1 16-ounce can crushed pineapple
2 15-ounce cans lite apricot halves
4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons mild madras curry powder, or to taste
2 teaspoons garam masala powder, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and coat chicken well. Cover chicken or seal in plastic bag and refrigerate a few hours or overnight.

Bake chicken at 400 degrees until it tests done, about 11/2 hours. If you'd like a more crispy texture, drain off some of the sauce after baking and broil chicken a few minutes to finish.


Florence's Honey Cake
2 large eggs
3/4 cup honey
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 scant cups flour
1 teaspoon each: baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, cloves and nutmeg
1/2 cup maraschino cherry halves, drained well and dusted with flour (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup strong coffee, cooled

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 2 large loaf or 3 small loaf pans with vegetable oil spray.

Beat together eggs, honey, sugar and vegetable oil.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and spices. Add dry ingredients to beaten egg mixture in mixer, alternating with coffee, ending with dry ingredients. (Fold in cherries and chopped walnuts, if using.) Pour batter into pans until each is half full.

Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake on rack.