PORK CHOP COSTUME RECIPES

Steps:

• DUCK-FRIED RICE: This works with either homemade or doggie-bag rice and duck from a Chinese dinner out. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a wok. Add 1 clove of garlic, minced, a quarter-sized piece of ginger, minced, and cook until fragrant. Add 1/2 carrot, grated, a strip of red pepper, chopped, and 3 scallions, sliced. Break in an egg and cook until it forms curds. Add 1 cup of shredded cooked duck and 2 cups of cold, day-old rice. Heat through and season to taste with soy sauce and pepper flakes. Makes enough for two.
• SALAD: Toss mixed salad greens with vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Divide the greens among plates. Lay a few slices of duck breast on each plate and garnish with a dollop of cherry marmalade next to the duck.
• ANOTHER SALAD: Take a page from a chicken-salad recipe. Mix diced, smoked duck with diced celery, chopped scallions, roasted and chopped hazelnuts and a little good mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper and serve as an open-face sandwich.
• SOUP: Use the duck carcass the same way you would make chicken soup and you'll have, you guessed it, rich duck soup.

Steps:

• Place the ground beef in a large pot and pour in enough water to cover beef. Boil until beef is cooked through. Drain.
• Add water to cover cooked beef, add onions and enough bouillon granules to taste. Cook until the onions are soft. Season with salt and pepper to your taste and make sure the filling has enough bouillon to have a nice beef flavor.
• Combine the 1/4 cup water with the cornstarch and stir until smooth. Add to the beef mixture and cook until mixture has thickened. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Roll out pastry to fit a 9-inch pie plate.
• Pour beef mixture into the pastry crust and cover the top with pastry. Crimp edges and prick top.
• Bake in preheated oven until pie crust is lightly browned, about 40 minutes.