The Congressional Club Cookbook - Take 3!

The Congressional Club Cookbook, published in 1998. This is the third iteration I own of this cookbook (the other copies are from 1961-6th edition and 1970 - 8th edition). This copy is the 13th edition and was published to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the club's founding. All recipes were contributed by members and wives of both the House and Senate.

Appetizers and Beverages opens the book with dips (hot crab or artichoke, warm blue cheese, spinach), oysters Rockefeller, roll-ups (asparagus or Mexican), salsas, shrimp crescents, clams casino, several variation on brie, pesto cheesecake, cheese balls, fruited mint tea, eggnog and mocha punch. A few of the soups in Soups and Salads include duck gumbo, pumpkin with wild rice, lentil, minestrone, chilled avocado, cheeseburger and several recipes for chili, while Salads are comprised of cucumbers & roast beef, crab, mandarin, fruity chicken, Iowa pea, Watergate, cornbread, strawberry & brie and Champagne (cream cheese, strawberries, pineapple, bananas, pecan and cool whip).

Moving on to Main Dishes and Casseroles, we are offered apple French toast, a ham & cheese casserole, bacon cheese souffle, eggs Andouille  casserole, glazed tenderloin of pork with carrot stuffed potatoes, steak & shake chili (made with coffee), Basque halibut and potatoes, venison stroganoff, oyster spaghetti, beef stew, pork & apple casserole, glazed buffalo medallions, pork pie and Bulgar stuffed eggplant. The entrees continue in Meats, Seafood and Poultry with etouffe,  fried trout, pork roast with coconut, shrimp Pernod, salmon Riesling, lamb curry, lobster stew, Bulgogi, scampi, citrus grilled chicken, crab cakes, Kathie Lee chicken (Russian dressing, apricot preserves, dry onion soup mix & pineapple) and directions for a whole  hog barbecue.

For Pasta and Vegetables, we are given the option of curried apricot rice, perogies, lasagna, crawfish linguine, raclette pot, Vadalia onion pie, Texas drunken beans and Hungarian noodles.

Desserts are numerous with many selections ~ homemade almond roca, death by chocolate (super hot in the 1990's)m orange souffle, pound cakes , caramel rum flan, Kentucky jam cake, chocolate brioche bread pudding, Watergate cake, chocolate raspberry squares, rum raisin ice cream, potato chip cookies, butter thins, key lime cheesecake, Italian coconut cream cake, pecan tarts, biscotti, trifle, brownies, fudge, pralines, honey walnut cake, apple tart pizzas, angel lemon pie, Swedish tea ring and another blast from the past - grasshopper pie.

The last chapter, Etc., is filled with miscellaneous recipes composed of muesli, brandies cranberries, sauces (chili, BBQ), sourdough bread, Russian black bread, biscuits & rolls and a honey oatmeal bread.