Dear Liz,

Years ago, there was a little Italian takeout place on Jog Road, just north of Lake Worth Road. It was called Dinolfo’s and they made the BEST chicken wing sauce on the planet!

Can you ask your readers if anyone knows the recipe and whatever happened to the Dinolfo’s?

Sorry, but this is a two-parter: I make a yellow squash and zucchini dish with butter, garlic salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese in a frying pan. I was wondering if there is a way to make this concoction into a casserole so it would be easier to make.

Thanks for your help and I love your column. It’s very insightful.

Joyce Pickren

Greenacres

Dear Joyce,

Thanks for your kind words. Let me address the second part of your question first:

Your yellow squash/zucchini dish sounds yummy. But simple as it sounds, the dish works in part because the hot, open frying pan allows for the liquid in the vegetables to evaporate. The same ingredients could yield a more watery dish if baked – unless the liquid is reduced before adding the Parmesan cheese for a final browning.

Let me offer a two-parter of my own: two equally delicious zucchini casserole recipes. The first comes from an episode of Paula Deen’s Food Network show, Paula’s Home Cooking. The second comes from Avec Eric, the newly released cookbook of star chef Eric Ripert (of New York’s Le Bernardin).

As for your first question, let’s pose it to our readers: Does anyone remember Dinolfo’s chicken wing sauce? Better yet, does anybody have a recipe they can share with us?

The best to you,

Liz

Recipe by Paula Deen.

Squash Casserole
Serves 6
6 cups large diced yellow squash and zucchini
Vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon house seasoning, recipe follows
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed butter crackers (recommended: Ritz)

Preheat oven to 350°. Sauté the squash in a little vegetable oil over medium-low heat until it has completely broken down, about 15 to 20 minutes. Line a colander with a clean tea towel. Place the cooked squash in the lined colander. Squeeze excess moisture from the squash. Set aside.
In a medium size skillet, sauté the onion in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

FOR THE HOUSESEASONING:
Yields 11/2 cups
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Recipe from “Avec Eric, a Culinary Journey with Eric Ripert,” (Wiley, $34.95).

Baked Zucchini with Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Serves 4
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup water
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 400°. Combine the olive oil, basil, parsley, oregano and garlic in a food processor and blend well. Add the bread crumbs and water and blend to create a smooth paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange the zucchini halves in a 12- by 9-inch gratin dish. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper, and spread a thin layer of the bread crumb mixture over the zucchini. Bake until the zucchini are tender and the crust is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Salty pecan bars?

The amount of salt indicated in the Pecan Pie Bars that appeared with the “Cooking With” profile of Tequesta caterer Holly Reith (Oct. 20) can be adjusted to 1/8 teaspoon, less than the original recipe stated. The full updated recipe appears at www.pbpulse.com/dining.

I know a girl going off to college in a few weeks. She asked for good recipes for college: no obscure ingredients, either quick to make, or long cooking (like in a slow cooker). Dinners that freeze well would work. I gave her several, and it got me thinking, LOTS of kids need good recipes for college.

Got one to share? Please add it below in the comments. Then we can all share the knowledge with our college-bound kids. Here are the recipes I gave her:

Slow Cooker Lasagna
Cooker: Medium round or oval

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (Pam)
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, crushed(or 1/2 t. garlic powder NOT garlic salt)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (16-ounce) box Mrs. T’s® potato and cheddar pierogies (freezer section)

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground meat and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove to medium bowl with slotted spoon. Add onion and garlic to drippings remaining in skillet; cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, salt and ground meat mixture. Heat to a boil over high heat; simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors.

Grease 5-quart slow-cooker*. Stir ricotta, egg and 1/2 cup mozzarella together in medium bowl. Spoon 1/3 of tomato mixture into slow-cooker. Top with half of frozen pierogies. Spread one half of ricotta mixture over pierogies. Repeat with half of tomato mixture, remaining pierogies and remaining ricotta mixture. Top with remaining tomato mixture and remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover slow-cooker and cook on HIGH 2 to 2 1/2 hours or on LOW 4 hours. (Do not stir.) Serves 6.

*Oven Version: Prepare mixture as above. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 3-quart casserole. Bake 45 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly.

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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
(Serves 4)
Cooker: Medium round or oval
Setting and Cook Time: LOW for 6 to 7 hours
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. lean ground beef (you could use ground chicken pork or turkey)
• 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 large bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 large rib celery, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar, or more if needed
• 2 Tbsp. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar, or more if needed
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder, or to taste
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• dash of cayenne pepper
• hamburger buns or other soft sandwich rolls for serving
Directions:
1. In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef with the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic, stirring to break up the meat.
2. When the meat is cooked through, transfer the meat and vegetables to the slow cooker.
3. Add the remaining Sloppy Joe ingredients and stir to combine well.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
5. Taste and add more vinegar or sugar, if desired.
6. Serve the meat mixture spooned on to the buns.

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Mexican Stew
(on stovetop, in a big saucepan or stewpot)

1 bag of frozen chopped onions (or 2 bags, if you really like onions)
2 cloves garlic, chopped, (or some garlic paste, or even garlic powder, a spice)
About 1.5-pound package ground chicken, turkey, pork or beef (or even firm
tofu, crumbled)
1 can black beans, preferably low sodium, drained (if you don’t like beans, use hominy, a form of corn, in the canned vegetable aisle)
1 can diced tomatoes, preferably low sodium (I use Rotel tomatoes with
peppers, mild) with liquid
1 jar salsa (i use Zapata green chile salsa from Publix, on the chip
aisle, or the Greenwise area)
2 C. corn, frozen or canned
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder

Optional: 1 C. pre-chopped celery, red onion, or even shredded carrots or cubed zucchini
Optional: 2 C. V-8 or chicken or beef broth (I prefer low-sodium)
See end of directions for ideas on toppings/garnishes

Brown the meat, then the onions (you want them golden brown), add the garlic, spices and the contents of
the cans/jar, liquid of your choice + corn. Simmer 20 minutes and serve.

You can serve this over rice, if desired. If you don’t like beans, leave them out. If you like things hot, use hot/spicy Ro-Tel tomatoes (and/or hot beans and hot salsa) if you like it hot. It freezes well.

To serve, top with a little grated cheese, and/or guacamole or chunks of avocado, and/or sour cream, and/or chopped fresh cilantro or parsley. Or go minimalist, as this stew is delicious alone.

Robust food. Glorious wine. Outstanding company. Fabulous weather.

Thanksgiving in South Florida promises a bounty of gifts made even more special when enjoyed among the flowers and foliage of our local settings.

The Palm Beach Post’s sirens of the celebrated sip gather at the home of Swirl Girl Earthy to share their favorite Thanksgiving dishes and wine pairings. It is a feast as eclectic as the girls themselves.
Read the full story

These mashed sweet potatoes are delicious — and slightly sweet — without the benefit of marshmallows.

But if you must have marshmallows on them, transfer the mashed sweet potatoes to a casserole, top with small marshmallows and broil until just golden.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 to 8

4 to 5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
5 cinnamon sticks
15 whole cloves
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, combine the sweet potatoes, cinnamon sticks and cloves. Add enough cold water to cover, then set over medium-high and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
When the potatoes are tender, drain them. Discard the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Press the potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer into a large bowl.
Add the cream, butter and nutmeg, then use an electric mixer to beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Per serving: 171 calories; 100 calories from fat; 11 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 33 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 348 mg sodium.

Earthenware brings out flavors like no other cooking implement. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

I don’t think I’ve ever met a clay cooking pot I didn’t like … or want to own. And I have more than 100 clay pots of every size in my kitchen to prove it: Moroccan tagines, Provençal daubieres, Spanish cazuelas, Italian bean pots, Turkish guvecs and even ceramic colanders, including one I use to steam couscous. I love the way these pots tie me to traditions, deep-rooted ways of cooking, and add flavor and finesse to my food.

I bought my first clay pot at age 19, just weeks after starting cooking lessons with legendary teacher Dione Lucas. She sent me to a French restaurant supply store in Lower Manhattan where my eyes immediately fell upon an odd-looking, low, pot-bellied, earthenware vessel with a tiny covered opening. The sales clerk told me it was used to cook tripe. Back then I had no idea what tripe was, but the shape of the pot fascinated me, and so I bought it for its beauty.

Somehow it survived numerous moves, to Europe, Morocco and the East and West coasts, always beautiful and always producing soft and exceedingly rich beef stews.

Oddly, I’ve used it only once for tripe, until this past year, when San Francisco chef Loretta Keller, who collects clay tripieres, came to my house in Sonoma, Calif., to cook with me. The tripe cooked so slowly and evenly that when she uncovered the pot, it fell apart at the touch of a fork. The resulting dish was wonderful, rich, layered flavors and sensual melting textures, further proof, if I still needed it, that food — almost any food — always tastes better when cooked in clay.

Read the full story

Parolee Ellington gets asked to make summer squash casserole for church functions and family parties. (Ray Graham / The Post)

The cook: Parolee Ellington of Boynton Beach

Her story: I was born and raised in Abbeville, S.C. I was an only child. My name, Parolee, came from my father, who had a cousin in Michigan with the same name.

My dad worked as a porter for the railroad, and my mom was a homemaker. I traveled a lot as a child with my dad. I would go to bed dressed to travel. I loved going wherever the train went, all around the South and up North.

I was a churchgoer. My dad was a deacon in the church, so I had to go. I graduated from Abbeville County Training School and I was the salutatorian. I received my bachelor of science degree from Florida A&M University in 1947 and graduated from Nova University in 1978 with a master of science degree in administration and supervision.

Read the full story

With households watching every penny, a growing number of Americans are ditching their takeout menus and heading into the kitchen to cook dinner at home. The trouble is, many don’t know how.

“We have forgotten how to cook,” says author Mollie Katzen, best known for The Moosewood Cookbook. As families learned to rely on dialing for pizza, they stopped being able to bake their own.

Now, lots of people want to save money but can’t even make eggs, she says. We’ve become a nation of inexperienced but newly determined cooks, and that has given cookbook authors and publishers a promising new niche.

After years of cookbooks that ranged from pretentious celebrity chef volumes to glossy tributes to cupcakes, the latest trend embraces Cooking 101 — books that take readers back to the basics.

Read the full story

Every weekday for a month, someone reading these posts and sharing their knowledge will win a generous bag of cool groceries. Why not you?

To enter today, share your pot-luck recipe.

(Each weekday’s contest will be different.)

Post your tip in the comments section at the end of this entry.

Please use your real email address when you register, so we can reach you when you win. (We won’t use it for any other purpose, I promise.) We’ll pick the best idea or recipe and award that person yummy foods to try!

When you win, we’ll contact you about how to collect your bag ‘o yummies in a reusable, eco-friendly shopping bag (Thanks, Whole Foods, for the bags!).

Watch this space for new questions and prizes every weekday for a month!

The bags contain lots of new foods you might not have tried. A few prizes are coupons for free items which will be sent to you, at no cost. Each bag also has extra packets of grocery coupons.

Every bag is different, but some of the items included are: Hungry-Man meals, Lance whole-grain snack crackers, Crisco olive oils, Skinny Cow ice cream treats, Wickles pickles, Penzey’s cinnamon, Orbit gums, Pepperidge Farm 100-calorie packs and granola cookies, Tyson products, Truvia sweetener, Eagle Mills Ultragrain flour, Zen Crunch, Dunkin Donuts, and lots of grocery coupons, too.

Kelly is today’s winner, and here’s the winning recipe: Kelly says:
I’m a hardcore slow cooker fan, and I love to dispel the myth that only overcooked stews and gloppy casseroles can come out of them.

The slow, even cooking makes for some of the best gourmet food you can make, and you can even mimic French-style sauces that would normally take a double boiler and an eagle eye.

This recipe is the proof, plus it’s on the quick side for slow cooking (only one hour), so it’s perfect for a busy summer day.

Slow Cooker Salmon Risotto

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp real butter, melted
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup quick-cook rice
3 cups hot vegetable stock
1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth
1 lb. fresh salmon fillets, skinned and roughly chopped
3 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except salmon in the bottom of your slow cooker’s crock. Cook on medium for 45 minutes. Add salmon and cook an additional 15 minutes until salmon is cooked through. Remove lid just before serving and allow to sit for a few minutes, and risotto will “set” perfectly.

The butter, wine, stock combination in this risotto is dreamy. No one will ever believe you made it in a crockpot!
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There’s 6 questions and 6 grocery goodie bags left in our contest. This question will stay open all weekend, and we’ll pick a winner on Monday.

Every weekday for a month, someone reading these posts and sharing their knowledge will win a generous bag of cool groceries. Why not you?

To enter today, tell us your favorite slow cooker recipe. (Each weekday’s contest will be different.)

I love my slow cooker. It is such a treat to have a warm meal, and a homey dinner smell when I walk in the door after work.

Post your tip in the comments section at the end of this entry.

Please use your real email address when you register, so we can reach you when you win. (We won’t use it for any other purpose, I promise.) We’ll pick the best idea or recipe and award that person yummy foods to try!

When you win, we’ll contact you about how to collect your bag ‘o yummies in a reusable, eco-friendly shopping bag (Thanks, Whole Foods, for the bags!).

Watch this space for new questions and prizes every weekday for a month!

The bags contain lots of new foods you might not have tried. A few prizes are coupons for free items which will be sent to you, at no cost. Each bag also has extra packets of grocery coupons.

Every bag is different, but some of the items included are: Hungry-Man meals, Lance whole-grain snack crackers, Crisco olive oils, Skinny Cow ice cream treats, Wickles pickles, Penzey’s cinnamon, Orbit gums, Pepperidge Farm 100-calorie packs and granola cookies, Tyson products, Truvia sweetener, Eagle Mills Ultragrain flour, Zen Crunch, Dunkin Donuts, and lots of grocery coupons, too.

Thanks to everyone who entered. ensgordon is the winner! Here’s ensgordon’s recipe:

Warm Flourless Chocolate Cakes with Chocolate Sauce Centers
(makes 4 individual cakes)

yes, these are very rich and probably only for special occassions but are so good and are great because you do most of the work the day before!!! and, they are easy to make. be sure to save the seperated egg whites and freeze – once you get enough (around 12) there is nothing like a home made angel food cake.

5 whole eggs
5 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
9 ounces dark chocolate
2 sticks unsalted butter
3 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 c. (approximately) dark or bittersweet chocolate chips or
small chunks of chocolate

Day before serving –
in a large mixing bowl, wisk together whole eggs, egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. melt dark chocolate and butter together (carefully in a microwave or in a bowl set over slowly simmering water). cool chocolate mixture slightly and then fold into beaten egg mixture. fold cocoa powder into mixture. chill for 24 hours or up to 36 hours.

To serve –
divide batter evenly and spoon into four 4-ounce custard cups (or other similar vessels). bury 8 to 10 chocolate chips (or chunks) into center of each cup of batter, making sure chocolate chips are not visible. bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. (note: do not attempt to test doneness with cake tester).

remove from oven and using a pot holder, turn each cake on to a plate and serve immediately with small scoop of quality vanilla ice cream (and some raspberries, if desired).
—————————-
Every weekday for a month, someone reading these posts and sharing their knowledge will win a generous bag of cool groceries. Why not you?

To enter today, tell us your favorite make-ahead recipe. (Each weekday’s contest will be different.) Post your tip in the comments section at the end of this entry.

Please use your real email address when you register, so we can reach you when you win. (We won’t use it for any other purpose, I promise.) We’ll pick the best idea or recipe and award that person yummy foods to try!

When you win, we’ll contact you about how to collect your bag ‘o yummies in a reusable, eco-friendly shopping bag (Thanks, Whole Foods, for the bags!).

Watch this space for new questions and prizes every weekday for a month!

The bags contain lots of new foods you might not have tried. A few prizes are coupons for free items which will be sent to you, at no cost. Each bag also has extra packets of grocery coupons.

Every bag is different, but some of the items included are: Hungry-Man meals, Lance whole-grain snack crackers, Crisco olive oils, Skinny Cow ice cream treats, Wickles pickles, Penzey’s cinnamon, Orbit gums, Pepperidge Farm 100-calorie packs and granola cookies, Tyson products, Truvia sweetener, Eagle Mills Ultragrain flour, Zen Crunch, Dunkin Donuts, and lots of grocery coupons, too.