This recipe originally appeared in the New York Times. Seems too simple to be this delicious but it is a wonderful marriage of flavors. Red Wine Pinto Beans with Smoky Bacon Ingredients: 1/2# smoky bacon, diced 1 large onion, peeled and diced 2 celery stalks, diced 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 large sprigs rosemary 1# dried pinto beans, soaked overnight 1 T. coarse kosher salt 2 c. dry red wine Optional toppings: olive oil, coarsely grated Parmesan, black pepper or red pepper flakes In the bottom of a large pot over medium-high heat, brown bacon until golden, about 5 minutes. (I like to remove the crisp bacon and add it back at the end). Stir in onion, celery, carrots, garlic and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegies are tender, 5-7 minutes. Drain beans and add to pot along with 1 T. salt. Pour in enough water to just cover the beans (about 7-8 cups). Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently until beans are just tender, 45 mins - 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small pot over medium heat, simmer wine until it is reduced to 2/3 cup, 20-30 mins. Remove rosemary branches from bean pot and discard them. Pour wine into beans and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-20 mins. longer to meld flavors and thicken broth to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired; add more salt and black or red pepper to taste.

While I use cilantro in Mexican dishes, I also use it in Asian dishes. Here's a couple that my family enjoys. Becky * Exported from MasterCook * Asian Coleslaw Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (I used chunky) 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root (I use the micoplane grater) 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (I use a garlic press) 5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage 2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage 2 cups shredded napa cabbage 2 red bell peppers -- thinly sliced 2 carrots -- julienned 6 green onions -- chopped 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro roasted peanuts -- optional 1 In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic. 2 In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red cabbage, napa cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. Toss with the peanut butter mixture just before serving. Source: "www.allrecipes.com" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : This is really good with chopped cooked chicken added. To make it really fast you can use bagged coleslaw mix. Don't mix it until right before you serve it - it wilts quickly. The dressing can be prepared a day or two ahead and kept in the fridge. * Exported from MasterCook * Thai Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut Sauce Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 4 Boneless skinless chicken breast halves 2 tablespoons Orange juice 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon Sesame oil 1 large clove garlic -- minced SPICY PEANUT SAUCE 2 tablespoons Finely chopped fresh cilantro 3 tablespoons Warm water 3 tablespoons Chunky peanut butter 1 teaspoon Brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce Cut each chicken breast half into 8 cubes. Thread 4 cubes onto each of 8 skewers. Place in an ungreased shallow dish or 13X9" baking dish. Combine orange juice, soy sauce, oil and garlic; mix well. Pour over chicken; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes, turning once. Combine sauce ingredients and set aside. Line broiler pan with foil; broil chicken 4-6" from heat 6-8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once. Serve immediately with sauce. If desired, longer skewers can be used. Alternate chicken with cut up vegetables such as red or green peppers and mushrooms. Marinate and broil as directed above. Source: "http://www.hugs.org/Thai_Chicken_Sate_with_Spicy_Peanut_Sauce.shtml" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Exported from MasterCook * SWEET & SOUR CUCUMBER RELISH (TAENG KWA BRIO Recipe By : Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 2 large Cucumbers -- peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly 1 small Red onion -- peeled, halved and sliced thinly 1/2 teaspoon Dried red chili flakes (or more, to taste) 4 tablespoons Granulated sugar 1/2 cup Water 5 tablespoons rice vinegar 1/2 teaspoon Salt chopped cilantro -- to taste Toss the cucumber, onion and chili flakes together in a bowl. In a small saucepan, over low heat, dissolve the sugar in the water. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar and salt. Pour this mixture over the veggies. Stir and refrigerate until served. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Grilled Chicken/Veggie Kabobs W/Yogurt Sauce Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- Yogur Sauce 16 oz. Plain whole-milk yogurt (if skim or low-fat yogurt is used -- strain in coffee filter overnight before using, to remove excess liquid) 1 Cucumber - peeled and seeded - grated 4 T. Olive oil 3 Garlic cloves - minced (pressed through a garlic press) 1 T. White vinegar Salt/pepper to taste Kabobs 6 Boneless chicken cutlets 2 Packet Good Seasons salad dressing mix - prepared according to packet instructions 3 Zucchini - sliced into 2" rounds 2 Large onions - quartered 2 Green peppers (can use any color pepper) - trimmed an cut into 2" squares 2 Cans small -- whole potatoes Skewers Pita bread (optional) Olive oil (optional) For Yogurt Sauce, mix all ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Kabobs Cut chicken breasts into 2" pieces Marinate in 2 of the prepared Good Seasons dressing for at least 1 hour.(The other 2 will be used for basting) Remove chicken from marinade - discard marinade. Alternately thread chicken, zucchini, onions, and green peppers on skewer (can cook veggies separately from chicken if desired) Thread potatoes onto separate skewers. Preheat grill til hot. Baste potatoes with dressing and place on grill, turning and basting occasionally - cook until browned. Grill chicken until cooked, basting occasionally. Brush both sides of pita with olive oil and grill for 3 minutes each side. Serve with yogurt sauce.

Thanks guy/gals! That pepper relish and the cantaloup sounds yummy! Here's what I have, now mind these are OLD recipes so they aren't written in cookbook format: Yellow cantaloupes or musk- Sugar melonsWater Select the large yellow variety of cantaloupe or the old-fashioned muskmelons when they are beginning to turn a little yellow in ripening. Peel the thin outer rind, and cut a very thin slice next the seeds; cut the sections in pieces one inch thick, and put them into a preserving pan with six pounds of sugar to ten pounds of fruit. Add one-half gallon of water, cover and boil until the melon becomes clear and transparent. Remove the cover and boil until the syrup is thick. Seal in jars. ====================================== Spiced Fruits: To eight pounds of fruit allow four pounds of sugar, one pint of good vinegar, one table-spoonful of ground cinnamon, one tablespoonful of ground allspice, one tablespoonful of ground ginger, one teaspoonful of ground mace, one teaspoonful of ground cloves, one tablespoonful of grated nutmeg and six crushed bay leaves; mix the spices, put them in four muslin bags and tie them loosely. Boil the sugar and the vinegar for five minutes, add the spices and the fruit and cook until the fruit is tender. Soft fruit must not remain long on the fire. Remove from the fire and cool. Next morning lift the fruit with a skimmer and put it into glass or stone jars. Boil the syrup, pour it over the fruit and let cool; do this for nine mornings. This recipe will answer for pears, peaches, apples, currants, apricots, watermelon rind, citron melon and cantaloupes. Rather than doing it for nine mornings, I would process it hot in the waterbath for whatever time your cookbook says to do the particular fruits, LOL! ====================================== Here's one that sounds more modern! CANTALOUPE OR MUSKMELON PRESERVES The melons should be ripe but firm. The rind is removed and the firm pulp is cut into pieces of desired size and shape. The prepared material is weighed and ~ pound of sugar is allowed for each pound of melon. The melon and sugar are packed in alternate layers and allowed to stand for 24 hours. At the end of this period the juice from one small lemon per pound of melon is added and the materials are set over a slow fire. Slow boiling is maintained until the syrup sheets or flakes from the stirring spoon. The hot preserve is filled into clean jars and is processed in the water bath for 2 or 3 minutes. Steph