My Favorite Recipes By Linda Marler

Meet Will Ferguson, Colfax

Will Ferguson learned to cook from his mother, but he didn’t realize how many of his law school classmates were great cooks until after graduation.

Will left high school at age sixteen to attend Lewis & Clark State College and graduated at the age of 20. His hometown is Ahsahka, Idaho, near Orofino.

He attended law school at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.

Although it seemed that law school worked students to death for three years, “they really wanted you to learn everything you possibly can.” He appreciated the strong points of a Jesuit education.

Law school debt, however, makes post-law school budgeting interesting for young attorneys.

Will started watching Emeril LaGasse on the Food Network and was blown away with the process, food and the fact that cooking looked fun. He decided to cook barbecued spare ribs, his mom’s favorite. The dish was successful, and that got him cooking.

Now he accumulates recipes he will probably never have time to cook. He owns more cookbooks than all other books combined, which are numerous. Favorite recipes are memorized, and a few recipes he can’t quite share. His no-bake peanut butter cookie recipe took seven or eight trials to perfect, but Will may share it, he said, when he is more mature.

After Emeril, Will’s mother is his second biggest influence on cooking. Although she does not give herself credit, he thinks she is a phenomenal cook. She cooks from memory and is really into canning and preserves. Apple trees, a pear tree and a cherry tree on the family home place provide delicious fruit for their cooking.

Used bookstores are a source of great cookbooks. A favorite, “The Butte Heritage Cookbook,” has a great variety of different ethnic foods and even some home remedies.

Will believes balance is important with food. He likes pies with adequate crust in relation to the filling. Interesting combinations catch his attention. He recently tried pine nut ice cream drizzled with olive oil served with a citrus cake.

A pizza purist, he does not like mushrooms and lots of vegetables on his pizza. He likes prosciutto and arugula with lots of mozzarella and with the right amount of sauce, it does not get any better.

He enjoys listening to music while cooking and creating something while gathering with friends. Will’s parents were both into music. His father is a self-taught musician who plays piano, guitar, and fiddle, among others. He played a lot of old-time country when Will was growing up. His parents had an extensive collection of vinyl recordings.

His mother’s stepfather lives in Napa, Calif., half-Danish and half-Italian. He coached track and ran in the Helsinki races. He has wonderful recipes from his Italian grandmothers. Papa Jim makes the best pesto Will has eaten, and he plans to visit his grandfather and learn everything he can.

Will’s mother’s friend, Francesca from Brazil, is another phenomenal cook whose food is delicious, and she is so happy to share, the Brazilian complement to Papa Jim.

A trip to Ireland staying in bed and breakfasts gave Will an opportunity to know people and enjoy terrific food, especially the bacon. He advises travelers to pick a town, rent a car, next a house or B and B, and then get acquainted.

Das Rhineland Restaurant in Omaha is popular with German students and a great introduction to German food and beers. He enjoyed this restaurant with friends while in law school.

Will enjoys baking, so he has shared some favorite recipes that he has tweaked.

Recipes:

Heaven in a Bowl (Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle)

1 fudge brownie mix (13 x 9-inch pan size)

1 package (13 ounces) miniature peanut butter cups

4 cups cold 2% milk

2 packages (5.1 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup creamy peanut butter

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 pints whipping cream, whipped

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions. Bake in a greased 13 x 9-inch pan at 350 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (Do not overbake.). Cool on a wire rack; cut into 3/4-inch pieces.

Cut peanut butter cups in half; set aside 1/3 for garnish. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes; mixture will be thick. Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well. Whip cream and fold into pudding mixture.

Place 1/3 of the brownie pieces in a 5-quart glass bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top. Repeat layers twice. Cover with remaining whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups. Refrigerate until chilled.

Philly Bavarian Apple Torte

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar, divided

1 cup flour

1 package (8 oz.) Philadelphia Brick cream cheese, softened

1 cup Ricotta cheese

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, sliced

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Beat butter and 1/3 cup of the sugar in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour; mix well. Spread into bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup of the remaining sugar in same bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Spread evenly over crust. Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Add to apples in large bowl; toss to coat. Spoon over cream cheese layer; sprinkle with almonds.

Bake 10 minutes at 425. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees F; continue baking 25 minutes or until center is set. Cool on wire rack. Loosen torte from rim of pan. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours before serving. Store any leftovers in refrigerator.

Winemaker’s Grape Cake

Butter and flour for preparing 9-inch springform cake pan

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of sea salt

grated zest of 1 lemon

grated zest of 1 orange

10 ounces small, fresh purple grapes (Zinfandel, Cornith, Cabernet, Syrah, Grenache, Morvedre, or Red Flame)

confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Generously butter and flour springform pan, tapping out any excess flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, oil, milk, vanilla extract, and the lemon and orange zest, and mix until well blended.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Spoon flour mixture into the bowl of batter and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix once more. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquids.

Stir about 3/4 of the grapes into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.

Place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes; then sprinkle the top with the remaining grapes. Bake until top is a deep golden brown and the cake feels quite firm when pressed with a fingertip, about 40 minutes more, for a total of 55 minutes baking time. Remove to rack to cool. After 10 minutes, run a knife along the sides of the pan. Release and remove the side of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the pan base.

Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Serve at room temperature, cut into thin wedges.