The Laughing Wolf

Ingredients
Tilapia ends, pieces, etc.
Oyster juice
Water
Butter
Capers
Heavy cream
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

To Prepare
See if your fishmonger has some scrap tilapia, or if they only get what comes in, purchase a small fillet or such. Place fish in saucepan and add about a cup of water and half the bottle of oyster juice. Over medium heat, let the mixture simmer for an hour or so until the fish is done and the flavor of the tilapia has spread. Remove the fish and then add pepper and some capers. Reduce the mixture by at least two thirds, maybe a bit more, until the flavors have intensified. Then and only then add salt to taste. Add in 1T or so of butter, and then a small amount of cream and mix/whisk well. Remove from heat, taste, and re-season as necessary. Serve warm over the tilapia fillets.

Side 1: Roast Garlic and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Hardware
Boiler
Peeler
Knife
Fork
Aluminum foil
Oven or toaster oven

Ingredients
Two or more bulbs of garlic
Yukon gold or other potatoes as needed
Cheddar cheese
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Butter
Cream
Milk
Oil

To Prepare
Cut the tops off the bulbs of garlic, coat with oil, and wrap bulbs in aluminum foil. Bake at 250-350 degrees for an hour or so, until garlic has carmelized on top and roasted tender. Remove roasted garlic from the bulbs and mash into paste using fork. Peel potatoes and place in boiler with salted water and cook until fork tender. Drain the water and add in roast garlic paste and enough cream to whip the potatoes until desired texture is achieved. Use milk to augment cream or to replace cream as needed. Add in cheddar cheese (at least a cup if using four or more potatoes) and continue whipping until incorporated. Add pepper and whip. Salt to taste.

Side : Peas

Hardware:
Sauce pan or boiler
Knife
Fork

Ingredients:
Fresh or fresh frozen peas of some type
Bacon (pref. end piece)
Fresh ground pepper
Kosher salt

To Prepare
Place peas in pot with bacon/bacon end, cover with water, and simmer until tender (this may take several hours). Once tender, check taste and add salt and pepper as needed. With good bacon, you will not have to add much salt if any.

Dessert: Chris’s Pumpkin Cheesecake

Hardware:
Springform cake pan
Oven
Mixer w/bowl (or large bowl and a whisk)
Medium bowl
Larger pan for water bath
Parchment paper

Ingredients:
Four 8-oz. packages of cream cheese
Five eggs
One cup sugar
One T flour
One can pumpkin
One T vanilla
One T allspice
One T cinnamon
One T nutmeg
One T ground cloves
Eight ounces sour cream
One sleeve graham crackers
Butter

To Prepare
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place packages of cream cheese and eggs out on counter until at room temperature. Crush one sleeve of graham crackers and pour into medium bowl. Mix with one half stick of butter. Prepare springform pan by greasing side and lining bottom with parchment paper. Put cracker crumb and butter mixture into bottom to form bottom crust. In large mixing bowl/mixer, blend cream cheese and sugar until well blended. Add eggs one at a time while mixing constantly. Add flour and blend well. Add pumpkin and blend well. Add sour cream and blend well. Add dry spices and blend well. Add vanilla and blend well. Pour mixture into prepared springform pan and place pan into water bath (make water bath by using larger pan and putting water in it so that it comes half way up the springform pan). Place into over and cook for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 300 degrees and cook for one hour. At the end of the hour, cut the oven off and let cool in the oven.

Enjoy!

-30-