By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer

Cooking is definitely a family affair for Pam Laaker. She grew up surrounded by good cooks -- both grandmothers, her parents and a host of aunts and uncles -- and good food.

Today, Laaker recreates some of those treasured family recipes, sometimes with a few healthier substitutions, in the kitchen of her Quincy home.

Watching fat and sodium intake is a way of life for Laaker, but it doesn't rule out family favorites or looking for new ways to prepare chicken and other popular menu items with her husband, Chuck, their three daughters and two granddaughters.

"A variety of spices and sauces are the spice of life," said Laaker, who often reaches for dillweed, Louisiana Hot Sauce and pepper to flavor dishes. "We like hot stuff."

Chili powder flavors family favorite Chili Snack Mix, a recipe from Laaker's Aunt Eve that will be published in the January-February issue of "Taste of Home's Simple and Delicious." Hot Sauce Fish Fillets have the same flavor, without all the fat, as buffalo chicken wings.

"My thing is hors d'oeuvres and snacks," she said.

Laaker does some baking, with Pumpkin Cookies a favorite in the fall, but leaves most of it to her sisters, who turn Abracadabra Dough into Christmas cookies every year.

Laaker focuses more on main dishes with family connections like the City Chicken, made by her grandmothers using beef, pork or veal and eaten "like a chicken leg," or Italian Beef, a recipe from her brother Perry. It cooks all day while she does other things.

The Laakers both work at Gardner Denver, and both cook -- he even makes her lunch each day. For evening meals, "whoever has time starts to get things going," she said. "I'm a big weekend cook, making things ahead, freezing them and getting them out during the week."

Turkey and Biscuits is a perfect make-ahead dish and a tasty way to use leftover turkey. Similar to a pot pie, the recipe was a favorite of Laaker's Aunt Pat, who hosted Christmas dinner each year. Egg Biscuits with a variety of breakfast toppings also can be made ahead, frozen and served for breakfast or brunch during the busy holiday season.

Laaker grew up in a traditional meat and potatoes household, so a main dish like Mexican Casserole, a recipe first made by her sister Peggy, was a special treat. A spicy filling is sandwiched between flavored tortillas -- Laaker likes the jalapeno cheddar ones -- and topped with cheese.

Nothing goes to waste in her household.

"What's in the fridge is what I'm cooking," she said.

Even pickle juice can be used in marinade, stirred into maid rites or to flavor a Bloody Mary. Greeting and postcards, along with Hallmark's Gold Crown stickers, mark favorite recipes in cookbooks, like the "Taste of Home Cookbook 2000," which featured one of her recipes.

"I love finding new things," she said. "I don't say I collect cookbooks, but one thing we like to do is traveling. I'll pick up a cookbook. It helps you remember where you've been."

Laaker takes help where she can get it -- "I have every kitchen gadget you can imagine," she said -- but she draws the line at a dishwasher because she doesn't want to give up any cabinet space.

She needs the space to store serving pieces and dishes collected over the years. Family connections with those pieces, some in the same pattern used by her parents, aunts or grandmothers, are just as important as the family recipes because of one key ingredient -- love.

Chili Snack Mix

12-15 ounces corn chips

10-11 ounces pretzels (small bow-shape are best)

12-16 ounces mixed nuts (lightly salted)

8-11 ounces Pepperidge Farm Cheddar Goldfish

2 sticks margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic power

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom of large roaster with cooking spray. Add first four ingredients, mix lightly and set aside.

In medium saucepan, place margarine, brown sugar, chili powder and garlic powder. Over medium-low heat, heat and stir occasionally until boiling. Boil one minute. Turn off burner. Stir, then add baking soda (mixture should foam up some). Immediately pour evenly over dry ingredients, then stir lightly to coat well. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, but remove from oven to shake and stir every 10 minutes to avoid clumping and sticking to the pan.

NOTE: Laaker finds it easier to use one large roaster pan to have plenty of room when shaking and stirring the snack mix, but two 9x13-inch metal baking pans also can used. Stir the snack mix together in a larger bowl before dividing it between the baking pans.

Italian Beef

5 pounds beef roast

2 packets dry Good Seasons Italian Dressing

Juice from 1 (12- or 16-ounce) jar of pepperoncini peppers (salad peppers)

Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse roast. Cut in two to three pieces, trimming excess fat (leave some fat for flavor that can be removed after cooking). Place roast in slow cooker.

In small bowl, whisk the dry dressing seasoning and the juice from the pepperoncini peppers. Pour the seasoning juice over roast. Cook on low for eight hours.

With fork in each hand, shred beef (do not slice). Remove any excess fat, if necessary. Serve on buns for sandwiches.

Note: Boneless roast is best, but not necessary. Bones can be removed after cooking. Cooking on low in crock pot for eight hours makes the beef tender and easier to shred. Can shred beef while in juice or remove roast from juice to shred then return to crock. Leftovers are just as good reheated or can be frozen. If roast needs more juice second time around, add in appropriate amount of beef broth. Leftover peppers can be used with a lettuce or pasta salad.

Mexican Casserole

4 10-inch flour tortillas (plain or flavored)

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 envelope (1-1/4 oz) taco seasoning mix

1 (eight-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (six-ounce) can tomato paste

1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 cup dairy sour cream

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups broken tortilla chips

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Note: These are the microwave directions. Microwaves can vary on cooking time. This recipe can be adapted to cooking on the stove.

Crumble ground beef into a 2-quart casserole. Add green pepper and onions. Microwave at high 3 to 5 minutes or until meat loses its pink color and vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir and drain. Mix in taco seasoning, tomato sauce and paste, olives, water and chili powder. Microwave at 50 percent power (medium) 10-15 minutes, or until thickened.

Blend sour cream, eggs and pepper together in a small bowl. Place two tortillas on bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture followed by half the sour cream mixture. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle with Tostitos chips and cheese. Microwave at 50 percent power for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes.

City Chicken

20 (one-inch) cubes beef sirloin

20 (one-inch) cubes pork tenderloin

8 wooden or bamboo skewers (soaked in water)

2 large eggs slightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water (egg substitute optional for heart healthy choice)

fine seasoned bread crumbs

1 sleeve whole wheat saltine crackers, ground to fine crumbs

canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chicken or beef broth, plus more if needed

Rinse meat cubes in strainer; sprinkle with tenderizer (MSG free). Alternate beef and pork cubes on skewers, five cubes to a stick. Dip in bread crumbs, then in egg mixture, then in cracker crumbs. Place on platter. In a heavy skillet, brown on all sides in hot oil over medium heat (can brown in two batches). Place city chicken on wire rack in 9x13-inch baking pan. Add chicken or beef broth in bottom of pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, adding a little more broth if necessary. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes; check for doneness.

Alternatives: Veal cubes also can be incorporated into the mix of pork and beef. Instead of egg and bread and cracker crumbs, coat well in flour seasoned with salt and pepper, then brown and bake.

Abracadabra Dough

(for cut out cookies)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

assorted food colorings (optional)

Mix flour, soda and tartar in small bowl; set aside. In large mixing bowl, blend sugar and butter (due to consistency of dough, use dough beaters). Add egg and vanilla; blend thoroughly. Blend in dry ingredients. (Note: If desired, divide dough in half, thirds or fourths and blend food coloring into each part.) Wrap dough in wax paper, and refrigerate at least an hour. Roll out dough and cut out with desired cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees for eight minutes. Let cool on racks. Decorate cookies with frosting and/or seasonal colored sugar or sprinkles.

Turkey and Biscuits

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon onion salt

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup (reduced fat)

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup (reduced fat)

2 1/2 cups milk

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded processed American cheese

4 cups cubed/chopped cooked turkey

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen peas and carrots, thawed enough to separate

2 (six count) tubes refrigerated biscuits

In a Dutch oven, melt shortening; blend in flour and onion salt. Stir in soups and milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in turkey and vegetables. Turn into two 1 1/2 quart casseroles. Let one casserole cool, then cover and freeze.

Bake unfrozen casserole covered, for 30 minutes in 425 degree oven (stir twice). Top with six biscuits around edge of casserole. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, then bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

For frozen casserole, place in unheated oven. Bake, covered, at 425 degrees for 1 hour; stir occasionally during the last 20 minutes. Top with six refrigerator biscuits around edge of casserole; lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup raisins (golden)

1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

3 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix together flour, baking soda, baking power, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Blend in egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients until mixed well. Stir in raisins (and nuts, if using) by hand. Drop on cookie sheet using a tablespoon and spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for eight to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire rack while making icing. (It is best to place newspaper or wax paper under cookie racks to catch glaze icing drips.)

Icing: In small saucepan, bring butter, milk, and brown sugar to boil; boil two minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and powdered sugar; blend well (texture of icing is more like a glaze). While icing is still warm, work quickly to drizzle icing over cookies. Let cool completely.

Egg Biscuits

4 eggs

1 cup 2 percent milk

1 cup half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tube refrigerated flaky biscuits (reduced fat)

shredded Swiss cheese

dill weed (optional)

Suggested meat and/or vegetable toppings: cooked and diced ham, sausage or bacon; canned shrimp; minced and sauteed vegetables such as sweet red peppers, onions, button mushrooms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two muffin tins lightly with cooking spray; set aside. (Note: Newer muffin pans work best, and use regular size, not mini).

In a six-cup bowl with a spout and handle, whip the eggs, milk, half and half, salt and pepper; set aside. Tear each biscuit into thirds (keep biscuits refrigerated until ready as dough separates easiest when cold). Place dough in each muffin cup. Press dough in bottom and up sides approximately halfway; piece and even out dough as much as possible where dough did not separate evenly. Tap a little dill weed in each muffin cup (optional).

Stir the egg/milk mixture, and fill muffin cups half to two-thirds full. Drop up to one tablespoon of your favorite topping(s) into each well. Top each with one tablespoon of Swiss cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let set a minute. Remove from muffin pan using knife to loosen sides if necessary. Serve while hot or cool on rack before refrigerating or freezing. This recipe can easily be doubled.

Frozen: From freezer to microwave, place biscuit on plate, cover with paper towel and heat an average of 60 seconds per biscuit, depending on your microwave. For heating a larger number of biscuits, take from freezer to cookie sheet and warm in preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes. In both cases, check and heat longer if needed.

Hot Sauce Fish Fillets

6 (six-ounce) fish fillets such as tilapia or catfish

1 jar of your favorite hot wing or hot sauce (Hooters, Franks, Louisiana)

1 box rosemary and black pepper Triscuits, ground to near fine crumbs

Kraft Romano, Asiago, Parmesan cheese blend

Marinate fish fillets in hot sauce in a gallon zippered plastic bag for 12 to 24 hours. Coat fillets well with Triscuit crumbs. Place on rack in 12x16-inch baking pan. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Sprinkle about one tablespoon cheese over top of each fillet after 30 minutes or at end.

Contact Staff Writer Deborah Gertz Husar at dhusar@whig.com or (217) 221-3379