Maybe it's more of a personal preference rather than a regional thing. Lars, to you it might be a no-no, but I usually top my lingiune w/clam sauce with a sprinkle of parm/romano and I have had fish and shrimp "Romano" style in restaurants that were very good and they are loaded with grated cheese. I think we hit on the topic with the "Myths or Musts" thread I started a while back; it's interesting to note the differences of opinion. As a rule, I go by what my tastebuds tell me, as I think we all do. That's one of the things that I love about this forum; there is so much diversity that it drives me to try things that I normally wouldn't try, or even think of doing, when I cook.

Lemon Horseradish New Potatoes 4 servings. 1/4 cup butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1-1/2 pounds small new potatoes, unpeeled Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt butter in a 2 quart casserole dish in the oven. Stir in salt, pepper, horseradish and lemon juice. Place potatoes in dish and toss to coat with butter mixture. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender. Source: Posted by Daffodil at rec.food.recipes *********** Jalapeno Potatoes Ingredients: 3 lbs red potatoes (about 6) 1 chopped bell pepper 2 oz sliced pimiento 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 Tbsps butter (or margarine) 1 Tbsp All purpose flour 1 cup milk 6 oz jalapeno or garlic cheese Directions: Cube cheese. Cook potatoes in boiling water to cover for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool. Peel potatoes; cut into 1/4 inch slices. Layer potatoes and next 4 ingredients in a well greased 12 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish; set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan; add flour and milk and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese; stir until melted and pour over potatoes. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Source: "Progressive Farmer", January 1992 ********* Pommes de Terre a l'Huile (Potatoes in Oil) from The Hemingway Cookbook by Craig Boreth. Ingredients: 1 pound potatoes 6 tablespoons very fine olive oil 2 cloves garlic Salt Pepper 2 tablespoons dry white wine 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon beef broth Directions: Wash and peel the potatoes. Place in a saucepan with enough cold salted water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and cut into slices as soon as they're cool enough to handle. Put the sliced potatoes into a medium bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. In a small saucepan, heat the wine, vinegar, and broth until hot. Pour over the potatoes and toss gently. Be sure to include plenty of bread for mopping up the sauce. Makes 2 servings. *********** Olive Potatoes Ingredients: 3/4 cup evaporated milk 3/4 cup water 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, diced 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper 4 cups diced cooked potatoes 1/2 cup sliced ripe olives 1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs 2 tblsp. melted butter or margarine Directions: Combine milk and water; stir well, and set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk mixture. Add cheese and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in salt and pepper. Combine potatoes and olives; spoon into a lightly greased deep 1-1/2 quart casserole. Pour cheese sauce over the potatoes. Combine breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter, stirring to coat breadcrumbs. Sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake at 350 deg. for 35 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden. Yield: 8 servings Source: Southern Living, May 1980 ********** Oregano Potato Casserole Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes 1 cup cream-style cottage cheese 1/2 cup sour cream 3 eggs, seperated 2 tbps. minced fresh oregano or 2 tsp. dried oregano 2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley or 2 tsp. dried parsley flakes 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt 2 tbps. butter or margarine Directions: In a large bowl, combine potatoes, cottage cheese, sour cream, egg yolks, oregano, parsley, and seasoned salt. In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into potato mixture. Transfer to a lightly greased 2 1/2 qt. baking dish. Dot with butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for one hour or until lightly browned. Yield: 6-8 servings Source: 1999 Taste of Home Annual Recipes

Chicken and Rice Boil-in-bag brown rice 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon fish sauce (or use soy sauce) 1 tablespoon water 3 garlic cloves, minced and divided 1-1/4 pounds chicken-breast tenders 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided 3/4 cup sliced green onions 2 teaspoons grated ginger 1/2 cup light coconut milk 1 tablespoon lime juice 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon Tabasco green sauce, optional Cilantro, optional Prepare rice according to package directions and keep warm. 2 Combine cornstarch, fish sauce, the water, and one minced garlic clove in a shallow bowl. Toss mixture with chicken tenders, coating evenly. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high. Add chicken and cook 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan. Heat remaining oil in pan and saute green onions for a minute. Add the remaining garlic and the ginger and cook another minute. 3 Return chicken to pan for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it's cooked. Stir in coconut milk, lime juice, sugar, and, if you're using it, green sauce. Cook about a minute until heated through. Serve over brown rice with chopped cilantro, if using.

* Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Tue, Jan 19, 10 at 10:22 Another spinach lover here. We most often cook it the way Althetrainer mentioned, sauteed with garlic. I often buy the spinach pies at our Middle Eastern bakery but have never made them at home. Since I rarely buy tomatoes out of season, we eat a lot of spinach salads during the winter. I’ve posted this one before. It’s on the lighter side and a good complement to heavy dishes like lasagne. LEMON SPINACH SALAD 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms 1 lb. young spinach leaves, washed and stemmed 6 Tbs. olive oil 2 Tbs. lemon juice 1/4 tsp. salt 1 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese 1 clove garlic, slivered Finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon 1 hard cooked egg Freshly ground black pepper Wash mushrooms and combine with spinach. Chill. Mix oil, lemon juice, salt, cheese and garlic. Chop up egg and sprinkle over salad. Add lemon rind to salad and grind pepper on top. Pour dressing over salad right before serving and toss. Note: Best if dressing is made about an hour ahead of time and garlic pieces removed before pouring on salad. Crumbled bacon pieces can be added if desired. ------------ Vegetable timbales have always been one of our family favorites for meatless meals. It’s common to find recipes for them in early 20th century cookbooks. Photobucket SPINACH TIMBALES 2 (10 oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach 4 eggs 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice Cheese or hollandaise sauce, if desired Cook spinach according to package directions; drain thoroughly. In small mixer bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Stir in cooked spinach and remaining ingredients except sauce. Divide mixture between 5 greased 6 oz. custard cups. Place cups on a rack in a 10" pot or deep skillet. Fill skillet with hot (not boiling) water to 1/2". Put a loose piece of foil over the cups, shaped so that the steam drips back into the pot instead of on the custard cups. Cover with lid and cook over medium heat for 18 to 22 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Loosen edges with knife; unmold. If desired, serve with sauce. Makes 5 (1/2 cup) servings. o RE: Cookalong #19-------SPINACH clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Tue, Jan 19, 10 at 11:33 Elery and I even made AND ate spinach this weekend, we did individual spinach and swiss cheese quiches for the "appetizer tasting". They were fast and easy and we did them without crust in mini muffin pans. Annie o RE: Cookalong #19-------SPINACH clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by bob_cville (My Page) on Tue, Jan 19, 10 at 14:46 beanthere_dunthat, The mint chutney that I usually use is a dark green runny paste. If you have a Coconut-mint chutney that you like then I'd substitute that for both the mango chutney and the mint chutney. A more authentic version of this recipe I came across started with making your own cheese. Yeah I'll get right on that. I found a mexican farmer's cheese at one local grocery store that was more like the "paneer" that is typically used, but to me the Feta cheese is pretty similar in in texture and "bite" in the dish, and although the Feta is much more strongly flavored than then usual "paneer", there are enough other strong flavors in the dish that you really don't notice it, and it is much easier to find feta than "paneer" or mexican farmers cheese. o RE: Cookalong #19-------SPINACH clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by denise8101214 (My Page) on Sat, Jan 23, 10 at 15:49 I got this from a friend who got it from epicurious. I have made it MANY times and everyone loves it. It is nice to make for a big family breakfast as a savory casserole in addition to the french toast type ones. Spinach and Cheese Strata, epicurious * 1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed (fresh works great too) * 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large) * 3 tablespoons unsalted butter * 1 teaspoon salt * 1/2 teaspoon black pepper * 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg * 8 cups cubed (1 inch) French or Italian bread (1/2 lb) * 6 oz coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups) * 2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup) * 2 3/4 cups milk * 9 large eggs * 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop. Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat. Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses). Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours (for bread to absorb custard). Preheat oven to 350°F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Strata can be chilled up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking. Here is a link that might be useful: Spinach and Cheese Strata o RE: Cookalong #19-------SPINACH clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Jan 24, 10 at 19:45 There's some pretty tasty recipes here! I don't do spinach, so I couldn't help much. Maybe I'll give it a try again....in the next 7 years. Then again.... I just drew a name for the next Cookalong... Caliloo (Alexa) hope you can pick something fast, so I can get it started, I have to leave town for a few days tomorrow. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #19-------SPINACH clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Jan 24, 10 at 22:00 Caliloo?? o RE: Cookalong #19-------SPINACH clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Jan 25, 10 at 7:22 TTT o RE: Cookalong #19-------SPINACH clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by caliloo (My Page) on Mon, Jan 25, 10 at 7:46 Here I am! I actually already got to pick something (corn last time) so if I can have a second shot I will choose...... BROCCOLI! However, if you want to give someone else a turn to pick, I will certainly withdraw my suggestion :-) Alexa o RE: Cookalong #19-------SPINACH clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Jan 25, 10 at 9:07 Alexa, I drew your name fair and square so you are on! **********Broccoli*************** Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #20-----BROCCOLI o RE: Cookalong #19-------SPINACH clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 25, 10 at 10:02 Well, I almost didn't do spinach last night, because I've been eating spinach almost every day, and want to branch out into other veggies. But I decided to just try something different than what I usually do, which is spinach salad, or throwing a handful or two of spinach into whatever soup I'm heating up. So, I made spinach pesto. I used a basic basil pesto recipe as a template, but changed the ingredients quite a bit, keeping with the general idea of pesto. It turned out quite good, and even DH liked it. He says he doesn't like garlic with spinach (go figure) so I wasn't sure if he'd like this, but he loved it. I used 2 cloves of garlic, but I think one fat one would have been better - it was a bit strong. I'll write out the recipe as I made it, though. My recipe is adapted from Deborah Madison's recipe for Pesto, from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Spinach and Goat Cheese Pesto 1 or 2 plump garlic cloves salt 3 tablespoons (or small handfuls) of walnuts 3 big handfuls (or cups, loosely packed) of fresh spinach 1 4 oz. package goat cheese 2 tablespoons pecorino Romano (optional, to taste) 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 squeeze, aprox. 1 teaspoon lemon juice pinch cayenne pinch freshly ground nutmeg In a food processor, process the garlic, salt and walnuts until fairly finely chopped, then add the spinach and olive oil. When smooth, add the goat cheese, lemon juice, cayenne and nutmeg, and process to combine. Sally