Recipes from Arizona and California

Arizona

The Cowbelles were a group of women from local beef ranches (headquartered at Laveen, Arizona) who held the contest every year to promote beef dishes.I was in high school, and was quite proud of the trophy (the only one I ever won--it still sits on my mantle, now in storage), and the fact that the recipe appeared in the paper. I even had grown-up women calling for cooking tips!

My Mother and I had a good time reconstructing the recipe for you:

Fire Balls

Combine:
1 lb. good ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 or more finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. oregano
2 Tbl. canned chopped green chilies
(for those who like it spicy, add 1/2 tsp. good New Mexico chili powder, or plain old chili power and a dash of cayenne to the above beef mixture)

1/4 cup raw rice

1 large (16 oz.) can mild (or hot) enchilada sauce

Roll beef mixture into walnut size balls and then roll each in raw rice. Brown quickly in a frying pan. Heat enchilada sauce, add meat balls, cover and simmer about 30 minutes.

Serve with cheese tortillas and salad. Serves 6.

I understand from one of the women who called after the recipe appeared in the Phoenix paper, that these can also be made smaller to serve as an hors d'oeuvre.

California

Connie's Crab Cioppino

1/3 c. olive oil (not virgin)
1 large onion, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
4 or 5 large garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/3 c fresh chopped parsley
2 cans stewed tomatoes, chopped
2 cans tomato puree
4 c red wine ( and one for the cook)
1 or 2 Bay leaves
3 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
generous pinch of thyme
generous pinch of rosemary
5 lbs.(about 5) Dungenous Crabs, cooked cleaned, and cracked
2 doz. small hard shell clams
1 lbs. large cooked shrimp or prawns shelled and de-veined

Saute onion, green onion, green peppers and garlic in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add parsley, stewed tomatoes, tomato puree, wine, bay leaf, salt, pepper and spices.

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add crab, clams and prawns. Simmer until clams open up and say "eat me!" (about 20 minutes). Serve with sour dough French bread and a good bottle of wine.

Bon Appetite!