Artichoke Balls

I made these for the first time last night, but I've already modified the recipe. I'll provide the original, and then my modifications underlined.


Original:
3 cans artichoke hearts
3 c Romano cheese
3 c Italian breadcrumbs
3 beaten eggs
1/4 c olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder

Modified
3 cans artichoke hearts
3 c shredded Parmesan
3 c Italian breadcrumbs
3 beaten eggs
1/4 c olive oil
1tsp garlic powder
1 c chopped parsley
Tobassco and Chacheres to taste

Mash or blend artichoke hearts. Mix cheese and breadcrumbs. Add artichokes, eggs, oil, parsley, and seasoning. Mix together. Roll into bite-sized balls and bake for five minutes.

That much Romano can come off being quite strong. I think Parmesan is a milder and more thrifty choice, and it gets the job done quite well. The parsley lifts the flavor of the dish, and the Tobassco and Chacheres give it a nice kick.

For a vegetarian meal, you can serve these instead of meatballs with the sans beef version of my Babushka Bolognese.

Oysters Paltron (à la Wyatt)

This recipe comes from my aunt (first cousin, twice removed, actually) Mary-Elizabeth Paltron. Once, for my birthday we decided to cook oysters three ways using three of her excellent recipes. I like this one because it is so simple and delicious. She has it listed as an entrée served over saffron rice. I like it as an appetizer with hot french bread. Your call.

She asks for two dozen oysters in the recipe. If you're in the South, go for it. If you're in the West, you're probably using oysters from Washington or Portland. These oysters are typically much larger than the ones in the South, so you probably only need to use somewhere between twelve to eighteen. Just use your own judgement. Also, her recipe calls for dried herbs; I use fresh, mostly because I think it looks better on the sliced bread. It really doesn't matter.

1 stick butter
3-4 small cloves of garlic
1 stalk green onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
Worcestershire sauce (several dashes)
Tobasco sauce (several dashes)
salt
pepper
2 bay leaves
white wine
oyster water
Parmesan cheese
Italian bread crumbs
chopped parsley

Sauce:
In sauce pan, melt butter and sauté garlic and green onion until transparent. Then add herbs, sauces, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Cook until blended.

Oysters:
Lay oysters in a baking dish. Do not stack them. Lightly salt and pepper oysters, then pour in the sauce. Wash the pan with white wine and add to dish along with spare oyster water. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in 325º for fifteen minutes, or until it starts to bubble. Add parsley and additional cheese when done baking.