Treasured recipes scribbled on weathered, butter-stained oak tag paper are tucked into hefty cookbooks and passed between generations. That tradition isn’t going away, but with today’s technology and social networks, trading culinary secrets has become a lot easier for cooks who want to share recipes with people outside the family, in a network of home cooks from around the world.
Hermon resident Gale Herbest, 58, joined the online culinary community Just A Pinch Recipe Club in June and recently received her fourth blue ribbon from the club’s kitchen crew for her antipasto squares.
“I’ve had the recipe for Antipasto Squares forever,” said Herbest. “It’s addicting, a really wonderful dish. Usually if I’m going to have company to come over and play cards or something like that, I’d make that.”
Antipasto means “before the meal” and is a traditional first course in an Italian meal. In the U.S., we might call it an appetizer or finger food. Herbest’s squares are a combination of meat and cheese sandwiched and baked between crescent rolls. After cooling for a few minutes, they can be picked up and eaten like a sandwich and dipped in marinara sauce.
About the squares, club’s hostess and recipe taster Janet Tharpe wrote: “This is the type of dish that is so good it will haunt you … to the point where you find yourself having eaten the whole pan. Ideal party treat or game day snack.”
Since becoming a member, Herbest has submitted 95 recipes including pretzel bread, marshmallow fondant, easy pizza soup and Maine potato candy. She has received a blue ribbon for homemade apple butter, a blueberry-apple pie titled “Blapple Pie” and a fruit and cream desert with graham cracker crust titled “Heavenly Pie.”
Some of the recipes she submits are copied from the handwritten cookbooks that belonged to her mother, grandmother and aunt. She also submits recipes she has modified or gives credit to other people if she shares a recipe that isn’t a family creation.
Herbest, a full-time nurse, considers cooking to be a hobby, and especially likes baking different breads. She cooks for her husband, three grown sons and her English bulldog, Kevin, who likes everything she cooks.
“Most people want jewelry for Christmas. I want spices and mixers,” she said.
When looking into online recipe swapping, there are a lot of websites to choose from. Just search for “recipe sharing” and you will get www.recipe.com, www.myrecipe.org, sharerecipe.com, www.letssharerecipes.com and www.mixingbowl.com.
Herbest surfs on several recipe sites, but Just a Pinch is the only website she submits recipes to and uses daily.
“With Just a Pinch, it’s more a sense of community,” said Herbest. “Everyone’s so busy now. You don’t know your neighbors. [On Just a Pinch], everyone shares recipes, it’s more personal and it’s just nice to know someone tries your recipes.”
She also likes the type of food club members make — family meals rather than fancy cuisine.
“I don’t want poached pears in chocolate sauce or pate,” she said. “It just isn’t my thing. It’s just housewives with normal everyday food.”
In addition to sharing recipes, members can chat, save recipes to a personal online recipe box, create grocery lists, plan meals and print hundreds of recipe coupons.
You don’t have to be a member of the club to view and print Herbest’s recipes, along with thousands of other recipes. But basic membership is free and it allows you to post comments and rate the recipes.
Herbest has never seen any negative feedback on the site. Her fellow cooks from around the world are full of encouragement and suggestions.
“If someone doesn’t get on the site for a while, the other girls will ask, ‘Where is she?’” Herbest said. “It’s a club. It’s friends. And the kitchen crew is awfully nice.”
For more information about Just a Pinch Recipe Club, visit www.justapinch.com.
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Antipasto Squares by Gail Herbest
2 cans 10 oz size refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 lb. thinly sliced boiled ham
1/4 lb. thinly sliced provolone cheese
1/4 lb. thinly sliced Swiss cheese
1/4 lb. thinly sliced Genoa salami (about 12 slices)
1/4 lb. thinly sliced pepperoni (about 30 slices)
1 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into thin strips
3 medium eggs
3 tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and very lightly spray 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray
2. Unroll one package of the crescent rolls and cover the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. Layer with ham, provolone, Swiss, salami and pepperoni in the order shown above, distribute drained and sliced roasted red peppers over top.
4. In a small mixing bowl combine eggs, Parmesan, pepper and beat lightly.
5. Pour 3/4 cup egg mixture over top of peppers; distribute evenly.
6. Unroll the second package of crescent rolls and place over the top of the red peppers.
7. Brush with remaining egg mixture
8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
9. Remove foil and bake another 10-20 minutes until dough is golden brown and slightly puffy.
10. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes for easier cutting.
11. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Homemade Apple Butter by Gail Herbest
5 ½ lbs. apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 c white sugar
½ c brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla – optional
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
- Place the chopped apples in the crockpot and add the rest of the ingredients, stir to blend well.
- Cover and cook on high for an hour.
- Reduce hear to low and cook 10-11 hours, stirringsmo occasionally until mixture is thickened and dark brown.
- Uncover and continue cooking on low for an hour. Stir with whisk if desired to increase smoothness.
- Spoon mixture into clean freezer containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.
- Note: You can add more sugar (up to 4 cups), but I like mine just a little tart but still sweet. I don’t think I would ever use more than 2 cups, even if the apples are tart.