(Well, at least three times…)

Most good cooks (our Cook’n Club audience for sure) have their favorite recipes that they like to use over and over. And for good reason — these jewels are crowd pleasers — they’re fun to make, beautiful to behold, and taste amazing.

I did a random, informal survey of neighbors, family, and friends to see what the favorites are in my neck of the woods. I was interested at the variety folks came up with. Everything from seafood, bread (no surprise there), dessert (and still no surprise), to a flavorful entrée. When you read the history of cookbooks, though, you can see this theme repeated. In fact, these are the categories that most cookbooks are organized into.

All this rah rah aside, what I wanted as part of my survey is just what I got—the recipes! These generous cooks were more than happy to pass on their all-time favorites and are quite anxious for you to try them and share your reactions.

So while you’re trying these new recipes out, be thinking of what you make that’s so good that you make it over and over again. I’m guessing your family will be thrilled at the idea of you whipping it up yet again!

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Roasted Shrimp with 1000 Island Dressing

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Dressing
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon minced capers
1 teaspoon minced gherkins
1 tablespoon sweet pickles
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the shrimp on a sheet pan and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Pour the olive oil and juice over the shrimp, and roast in the oven for 5 to 6 minutes.
For the dressing, place the mayonnaise, ketchup, capers, gherkins, sweet pickles, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a bowl, and stir until blended. Serve with the roasted shrimp.

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No-Knead Bread

Yield: One 1 ½ lb loaf
(Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising; great bread makers say the secret is to let TIME do the work)

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt

Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

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Peanut Butter Pie

1 pack Nabisco chocolate wafers
1/4 c. butter, melted (more if needed)
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. peanut butter (more if needed)
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 to 1 c. whipping cream
1 tbsp. vanilla

Crush wafers into crumbs. Add melted margarine and press into 9” springform pan. Bake 5 minutes at 350°. Chill. Whip cream until stiff. Transfer to another bowl. Into mixer bowl put cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, butter, and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping bowl. Fold in whipped cream. Spread over crust and chill.
Sometimes I put a layer of straight peanut butter on the crust before putting in the filling, and then drizzle some chocolate ganache on the top.

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Pork Tenderloin with Honey, Mustard and Rosemary Sauce

3/4 cup beer
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 package pork tenderloin (found wrapped in plastic package at the store, will contain 2 tenderloins)
1/2 cup whipping cream

Whisk first 6 ingredients to blend in a glass baking dish. Add pork and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Transfer tenderloins to rack set in roasting pan. Reserve marinade. Roast until thermometer inserted into center registers 150°F., about 55 minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit on cutting board, covered with aluminum foil 15 minutes.

Strain marinade into heavy medium saucepan (you can use cheesecloth for this, or a fine-meshed strainer). Add 1/2 cup cream and juices from roasting pan. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat a bit and simmer for 15 minutes. Be careful the first five minutes or so, as the sauce will want to boil over, so keep a good eye on it. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice pork into 1 inch slices. Serve with sauce drizzled over.

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