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Brownie Bean Pot

In Mom Sliwa's Recipes by Steve Sliwa

This is an easy dish that Mom Sliwa made for the girls during Brownie scout outings, but the family grew to like it.  The boys were known to finish full pots.  It is both hearty and sweet while being easy to make.  Perhaps it has drugs, hard to put down.  It can be eaten hot, warmed, or cold.

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Sloan Class of 1989 Cookbook

In Recipes by Steve Sliwa

This is a cookbook that the 42 fellows of the Class of 1989 pulled together.  In actuality, it has some of our favorite recipes.  So we are including it here to share with our friends. From the book’s forward: For each of us, this cookbook will stir fond memories of our Sloan year:  potluck dinners, international nights, tailgate parties, picnics, baby showers, Sloan-alone dinners … our year together.  This cookbook is composed of more than mere recipes … mixed in with the other ingredients are generous portions of sharing, caring, and laughter.  We dedicate this book, The Best Cookbook Ever, to the best cooks ever.

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Crème Brûlée French Toast

In Dave's Recipes by Steve Sliwa

This is the dish that Michele and Dave frequently prepare for Christmas morning. Although the original recipe calls for using large slices from a round loaf of bread and removing the crust, we also tried the recipe with a baguette, leaving the crust on, and found it just as delicious. At La Maison, challah is often the bread of choice.Calories: [You don’t want to know]

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Steve’s Hearty Salsa Mix

In Steve's Recipes by Steve Sliwa

I like a hearty salsa. I experimented with making my own salsa from scratch, but it’s quite messy.  Additionally, most recipes call for using tomoate paste and or chopped tomatoes from cans as ingredients.  It seemed to me that if the recipe was going to include some of these we might as well jump to a mixing strategy.   I personally think Safeway’s Select Medium Chunky Classic Salsa is pretty good, but I like to freshen it up and add some common ingredients from the grocery store.  I sometimes include other ingredients but the ones listed below are quick and upgrade the salsa to a homestyle medium chunky quite nicely.

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Steve’s Multi-Bean Salad Royale

In Steve's Recipes by Steve Sliwa

I am a big fan of 3-bean and 4-bean salads but prefer something with a little more substance, variety, and depth of flavor than what is typically available from grocery stores or delicatessens.  Here is my favorite combination.

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Steve’s Chocolate Éclairs

In Steve's Recipes by Steve Sliwa

Chocolate éclairs are just about my favorite dessert. There are generally three types of fillings: custard, cream, and pudding. I tend to prefer the former. But here I make all three and combine them. My view is that if you have a favorite, you will find the taste you like. So far, in a sampling of several dozen, I believe I have found the desired effect.

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Steve’s Quinoa Edamame Salad

In Steve's Recipes by Steve Sliwa

I developed this salad based upon the Emperor’s Select Salad that is sometimes available in Safeway’s Deli Section and is Quinoa Edamame salad.  I didn’t know all of the ingredients, but I continued to adapt my version until I got to a point where really like this for flavor and content, much better than the starting point.  It seems to disappear whenever I make it.  My guests say the salad grows on them.  They think it’s interesting on the first bite, but then it sneaks up on them and they find themselves getting seconds and/or snacking on it.  I believe it can keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, if it lasts that long.  I hope you enjoy it.