[CH] Murder She Wrote
Sandy Olson (sandyo@willowtree.com)
Fri, 30 Mar 2001 20:35:35 -0600
Hi All...My Murder She Wrote Cookbook came in todays' mail. I bought it
from someone at half.com. It's a great book so far with many recipes and
stories about the cast and crew of the show. I watch very little television
but over the years there have been some shows I viewed religiously every
week...Murder She Wrote was one of them. The book says it was on for twelve
seasons...an impressive record as television series go.
Angela Lansbury has several recipes in the book...this one sounds good:
Cottage Pie
4 pounds lean ground beef 1 stick unsalted butter
2 medium onions, finely chopped 4 carrots, finely chopped
3 medium leeks, finely chopped 3 stalks celery, finely
chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth 1 cup tomato puree
10 oz. green peas (1 1/2 cups) 8 medium potatoes, peeled
and chunked
1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup heavy
cream
salt/pepper to taste freshly ground
nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet over high heat, saute the
ground beef, breaking up the pieces until it loses its raw appearance.
Drain and set aside.
In a large pot over low heat melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the
onions, leeks, carrots and celery and cook, covered, for 20 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Do not brown. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the mixture into a 11x17" baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, stirring
occasionally. Remove from the oven and stir in the peas.
Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in lightly salted water for 20 minutes or until
soft. Mash the potatoes or press through a food mill. Stir in the milk
and cream to get a creamy consistancy. Stir in the remaining butter and
season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spread the mashed potato on top of the
meat mixture. Using a fork, draw a crisscross pattern on top of the mashed
potatoes. Bake in the over for 35-45 minutes or until the cottage pie is
golden and bubbly. Serve immediately.