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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL FIREHOUSE Curtis Lindsey Engineer Perry Fire Department Chocolate Royale Cheesecake 18 Oreo cookies, finely crushed 2 tablespoons butter or margarine melted 4 packages (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons flour 4 eggs 1 pkg. (8 squares) Baker’s semi-sweet baking choco late, melted 1/4 cup hazelnut liqueur (optional) Mix crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom of a 9 inch silver springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla with an electric mixer until well blended. Pour over crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until cen ter is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake. Cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate for four hours or overnight. Garnish with sifted pow dered sugar and mixed berries if desired. Makes 12 servings. EATER From page 6A desired letter.) Particularly curious Stem Pluckers con tinue the ritual by poking the outside of the apple with the stem to determine the number of children they will have, said to be equal to the number of pokes it takes to break the skin of the apple. (Hey, we don’t make these things up, we just reprint ‘em.) In a recent, incredibly unscientific poll, three out of four people surveyed reported themselves to be Stem Pluckers. - from the U.S. Apple Association ( y T&tterfly stationery • invitations • notes Selection of j-Mcfey & IdviMiods IropriDting is ★ ★ 915 Carroll Street i Downtown... Perry; Georgia l 987-1311 or 952-0438 j y v.uio~~i □ Friends 4 £|lfts □ How~t Accessories J Stationary g m i iA/teno r t>es Ig D Downtown... Perry, GA LJ Delicious Greek fare you can make “A good cook is like a sor ceress who dispenses happi ness. ” - Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973) One of the highlights of fall in Columbia is the Greek Festival hosted by the Greek Orthodox Church member ship. It is always wonderful to see the art displays, the dancing, hear the music and eat the delicious foods pre pared by many of the mem bers. I really get into the music and love to watch the children perform the tradi tional dances. Personally, I can’t resist the variety of foods offered and try to taste as many as I can. The fla vors are meant to be savored. There is also a gro cery where you can purchase items and a bakery serving delicacies to take home. I must admit that the Greek beer and wines should not be missed. I tried them both. In honor of our Greek com munity, I’m going to share some of their traditional recipes, which I think you’ll find interesting. At this writing, I am still working to prefect my baklava. Enjoy! Baklava 1 pound frozen phyllo dough (21 16x12-inch leaves) 1 cup walnuts 1/2 cup blanched almonds 1 cup butter, melted 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinna mon 1/2 teaspoon ground nut meg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Lemon-Honey Syrup Thaw phyllo dough at room temperature for 2 hours. Finely chop or grind nuts. Cut phyllo in half crosswise. Cover with slight ly damp towel. Lightly but ter the bottom of a 14x10x2” baking pan. Lay 10 of the Follow instructions with corticosteroids Dear David, I recently had a bad case of poison ivy and my doctor pre scribed a steroid dose pack where I had to take a decreasing number of tablets each day until they were gone. Why does this medicine have to be taken this way? Dear reader, the type of steroid you were given belongs to a class of medica tions known as corticos teroids. Some examples of this type of steroid are pred nisone, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone and corti sone. These steroids are similar to a class of steroids actually manufactured in the body by the adrenal glands. The adrenal glands, locat ed near the upper portion of each kidney, secrete differ ent types of hormones, all of which are types of steroids, which serve various func tions within the body. These hormones regulate func tions such as sodium and water balance (which helps regulate blood pressure), blood glucose levels and, to a lesser extent, hormone lev els of sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone. The adrenal glands also secrete steroids that help fight inflammation. In a sit- APPLE From page 6A 1 cup fresh or frozen Chinese pea pods 1 tablespoon water 1 medium baking apple, cored and thinly sliced 1 tablespoon oil 2 cups cooked rice Stir-fry cubed chicken breast in 1 tablespoon veg etable oil in non-stick skillet until lightly browned and cooked. Remove from skil let. Stir-fry onion, carrots and basil in oil in same skil let until carrots are tender. Stir in pea pods and water; stir-fry 2 minutes. Remove FOOD&STYLE Catherine Collier Rentz Let’s Get Cooking catrent3@mindspring.com half sheets of phyllo in pan, brushing each sheet with some of the melted butter. Mix walnuts, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over phyllo in pan. Drizzle with some of the melted butter. Top with another 20 of the half sheets of phyllo, brushing each with more of the melted but ter. Repeat with another layer of the nut mixture, remaining butter and remaining phyllo. Cut with out cutting through bottom layer into diamond-shaped pieces or squares. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Finish cutting, cool thoroughly. Pour warm Lemon-Honey Syrup over. Makes about 24 diamonds. Lemon-Honey Syrup: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water and 1/2 lemon, sliced. Boil gently for 15 minutes. Remove lemon slices. Add 2 tablespoons honey. Stir till blended. Keep the syrup warm until used. Pastitsio 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1 cup chopped onion 1 16-ounce can tomatoes, cut up 1 6-ounce can tomato paste 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed ’®r $ ' \ si&Llm W. ‘j&r Mt David Voltz Pharmacy Q&.A voltzrph@hotmail.com uation where the amount of inflammation occurring exceeds the body’s ability to fight it off (such as poison ivy, arthritis, asthma or any chronic inflammatory condi tion) your physician may prescribe a corticosteroid. Since the body manufac tures some of these steroids, what your physician is doing is simply augmenting the body’s natural ability to fight inflammation, thereby alleviating the problem or (in the case of chronic inflammation) reducing the symptoms. With chronic inflammato ry conditions, the physician may prescribe low dose, con tinuous therapy with a steroid. With acute condi tions (such as poison ivy or from heat; stir in apple. Add to chicken, serve hot over cooked rice. Makes 4 servings. This is an official 5 A Day recipe. This recipe is approved by the “5 A Day - For Better Health” Program because it provides at least one serving of fruit and/or vegetable per serving, and gets less than 30% of its calories from fat, less than 10% of its calories from sat urated fat, has less than 100 mg of cholesterol and not more than 480 mg of sodi um. 1 7-ounce package elbow macaroni (2 cups) 4 slightly beaten egg whites 1/2 cup cubed feta cheese 1/2 cup butter or mar garine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon ground cin namon 4 cups milk 4 slightly beaten egg yolks In skillet cook beef and onion till meat is browned; drain off excess fat. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile, cook macaroni according to package direc tions; drain well. Stir egg whites and cheese into mac aroni; stir in meat mixture. Turn into 13x9x2-inch bak ing pan. In large saucepan melt butter. Blend in flour, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt. Add milk all at once. Cook, stirring constantly, till thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in some hot sauce into egg yolks; blend well. Return yolk mixture to remaining sauce, stirring rapidly. Pour atop meat mix ture. Sprinkle lightly with additional cinnamon, if desired. Bake at 375 degrees till heated through, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 12. Psomi 3 3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 package active dry yeast 1 1/3 cups milk 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon shortening 1 1/2 teaspoons salt Melted butter In large mixing bowl com bine 1 1/4 cups flour and the yeast. Heat milk, sugar, shortening and salt just until warm (115-120 degrees); stir constantly. Add to dry mixture. Beat at severe allergic reaction), it is more common to see a high initial dose given with the dose taped off over several days. This “dosepack” for mulation is probably the most commonly used. The reason this medica tion has to be tapered off is because it is similar to steroids that are manufac tured by the body. And because these steroids are potent in nature, the body’s manufacturing of them is a very delicate system, designed to ensure that just the right amounts are made and blood levels are kept consistent. This system of manufac turing is known as negative feedback, which means that high levels of these steroids and hormones in the blood stop further production. The adrenal glands constantly monitor the blood for the amounts of steroids and hor mones that they When the level is too high, the adrenal glands stop making steroids and hor mones. When the level is low, the adrenal glands resume production. When a high initial dose of a corticosteroid is given and the subsequent high blood level is noticed by the Approximate nutritional analysis (per serving): calo ries, 365; fat, 9 g; choles terol, 62 mg; sodium, 71 mg; fiber, 3 g; percent calo ries from fat, 22percent. Source: Washington Apple Commission Apple Pizza Two 7 x 7” pieces of plain focaccia bread, split in half and toasted, for crust 1/2 cup natural-style applesauce Juice of 1/2 lemon 1/2 teaspoon ground savory low speed of electric mixer for 1/2 minute, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes at high speed. By hand, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough. Turn dough out on lightly floured surface; knead till smooth and elastic (8 to 10 minutes). Place dough in lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in warm place till double (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch down. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 10-inch long loaf. Place loaves on greased baking sheet. Brush tops with melted butter. Cover; let rise till almost double (about 1 hour). Bake at 375 degrees till golden, about 45 minutes. Makes 2 loaves. Greek Moussaka 2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices 1 pound ground beef 1 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup burgundy 2 tablespoons snipped parsley 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2/3 cup soft bread crumbs 2 beaten eggs 1/2 cup shredded sharp American cheese Dash ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups milk Dash ground nutmeg 1 beaten egg Cooking oil Sprinkle eggplant slices with a little salt and set aside. In skillet cook beef and onion till beef is browned; drain. Add Burgundy, parsley, tomato paste, 1/4 cup water, 1 tea spoon salt and dash pepper. Simmer till liquid is nearly absorbed. Cool. Stir in half the bread crumbs, 2 eggs, adrenal glands, they stop producing. The dose has to be tapered off in order to allow the blood levels of cor ticosteroids to gradually return to normal and to allow the adrenal glands to resume production normal ly- If a high dose were given and not tapered off, the adrenal glands would inter pret the subsequent huge drop in corticosteroid levels as a complete shut down and begin producing massive amounts of corticosteroids themselves. This could cause very serious health problems (such as elevated blood pressure and/or blood glucose alterations). As you can see, taking prescribed corticosteroids exactly as directed is very important. While these med ications are very helpful, they are very potent and need to taken cautiously. It is important to take these medications with food. And since these medications may alter blood pressure and blood glucose levels, be sure to let your physician know if you have any problems and/or family history of hypertension and/or dia betes. Lastly, make sure you Salt and black pepper, freshly ground 2 ounces white cheddar, grated 1 ounce goat cheese, crum bled 1 ounce blue cheese (Stil ton, roquefort), crumbled 1 apple, coreless, cut into thin slices Combine applesauce, lemon juice, ground savory, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium-low beat until all lemon juice is evaporated and mixture is dried out slightly. Divide applesauce equally WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2003 ♦ half of the cheese and cinna mon. In saucepan, melt but ter. Stir in flour. Add milk all at once; cook and stir till thick and bubbly. Stir in nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and dash of pepper. Add a small amount of the sauce to the one beaten egg; return to hot mixture. Cook and stir over low heat for 2 min utes. Brown the salted egg plant slices on both sides in a little hot cooking oil. Sprinkle bottom of 12x7 l/2x2-inch baking dish with remaining bread crumbs. Cover with half the eggplant slices. Spoon on the meat mixture. Arrange remaining eggplant slices atop. Pour milk-egg sauce over all. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Kourabiedes 1 cup butter 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar 1 egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon ground aniseed 1/4 cup finely chopped almonds 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking pow der Whole cloves Sifted powdered sugar Cream butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Stir in egg yolk, vanilla and aniseed. Stir in almonds. Stir togeth er flour and baking powder; blend into creamed mixture. Wrap and chill for 30 min utes. Form into 1-inch balls; stud each with a clove. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 325 degrees till a pale sand color, about 20 minutes. Cool. Top with powdered sugar. Makes 48. These are served at Christmas and during the celebration of the Epiphany. Bon appetit understand exactly how to take the medication. In some instances, the physi cian may not prescribe a convenient “dosepack” and may have you taper the medication over several days or weeks. Don’t hesitate to ask your pharmacist to explain to you what you should do. I’ve always sug gested writing the dosing schedule out on a calendar and marking the doses off as they are taken, but your pharmacist may have a bet ter idea. The question from our reader also reminds us that poison ivy and allergies can occur just as much in the fall as in the spring. So be care ful doing that fall gardening. Thanks to our reader for the question and remember readers, write to me if you have any questions regard ing medications or pharma cy practice in general, or comments, or suggestions for topics you’d like to read about in this column. 1 can receive email via voltzrph@hotmail.com or postal mail at Pharmacy Q&A, do The Houston Home Journal, 2060 Watson Bloulevard Warner Robins, GA 31093. All questions are confidential, so you don’t have to give your name. among four crusts, spread thinly. Top with cheeses, then apple slices. Bake at 450 S F for approximately seven minutes, until cheese is melted and golden. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings. Approximate nutrition analysis (per serving): calo ries, 240; fat, 10 g; choles terol, 26 mg; sodium, 438 mg; carbohydrates, 29 g; dietary fiber, 2 g; protein, 9 g; Source: Mark Rosenstein, author of In Praise of Apples (Lark Books, 1996.) 7A