OxfordPress.com

Cook of the Week: Debbie Ramsey

Name: Debbie Ramsey.

Home: Hamilton.

Work: Traffic manager and membership assistant at WMUB Public Radio, at Miami University in Oxford.

How long cooking: She has been cooking for about 35 years. Ramsey started baking oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips while in high school.

How often she cooks:

Several times a week.

Cooking mentor: Ramsey learned about cooking from her mother, Bettie Vogt of Hamilton and her aunt, Nancy Pridemore of Hamilton. When Ramsey first started cooking, she'd call both women for help with a dish.

Specialty: Ramsey loves to cook from scratch. For example, she enjoys canning homegrown tomatoes and later making spaghetti sauce from it.

Favorite cookbook

An older edition of The Betty Crocker Cookbook and The Joy

of Cooking.

Favorite restaurants: Cracker Barrel, Red Lobster, Kona's and High Street Grill in Oxford.

Special interests: Sewing, walking, book club, Oxford Woman's Club, Red Hat Society, outdoor concerts, wine tasting, learning to play the djembe (drum), and entertaining family and friends.

Two favorite recipes: Vidalia onion pie and potato doughnuts.

Vidalia onion pie

1 9-inch deep pie shell, unbaked

1/2 cup butter

5 medium-sized Vidalia onions, sliced

2 shakes of Tabasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs, well beaten

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On the stove top, heat the butter in a frying pan. Add onions and saute until onions are translucent, but not brown.

In a bowl, combine salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce, dry mustard, beaten eggs and sour cream. Stir in the onions. Pour the mixture into the pie crust; then top with grated cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes; then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until the filling is set and the top is golden brown, or about 20 minutes or less. (Note: She says to watch pie while baking. Her oven is hot and it does not cool quickly, so it only takes her about 12 to 15 minutes to bake it.) Yield: 4-8 servings.

Potato doughnuts

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons Crisco

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

1 cup mashed potatoes (no milk or seasoning added)

powdered sugar, to coat doughnuts

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except for mashed potatoes and powdered sugar. Then stir in mashed potatoes. Chill dough for 2 hours. Roll out 1/3-inch thick on a floured board and then let it rest for 20 minutes. Cut and fry until browned. Roll in powdered sugar. Yield: 2-3 dozen.

Sweet potato casserole

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup melted butter

In a bowl, combine sweet potatoes, 1 cup of brown sugar, milk, 1/4 cup of melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Pour mixture into a greased or buttered 10 x 10-inch or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan or dish.

In a separate bowl, mix together coconut, nuts, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, flour, and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Sprinkle this over top of the casserole. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Yield: 15 - 18 servings.