Hot and dry days lend themselves for picnics outside or dinners on the deck. Bratwurst on the grill and German potato salad as a side dish would be a great start to planning your menu. This week we have several more salad recipes to share with you. We had some shy readers who did not include their names, but we appreciate the submissions all the same.

German Potato Salad

1 gallon boiled, peeled and sliced potatoes

1 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 slices bacon, fried crisp

1/2 cup onion

1/2 cup celery

Fry bacon, onion and celery together; drain. Combine water, cornstarch, pepper, vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer until thick. Pour over potatoes. Add onion mixture; stir until well blended. Serve warm. This may be kept hot in oven or slow cooker.

Warm German Potato Salad

1 gallon small white potatoes

1 large onion

1/2 pound bacon

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups vinegar

1 1/2 cups water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Wash and boil 1 gallon potatoes until tender, but not too soft. Allow to cool, then peel and slice potatoes thin. Boil vinegar with water. Cut bacon into bits and fry. Peel and slice onion thin on top of potatoes. Add sugar, salt and pepper. Have bacon very hot and pour over sugar; add hot vinegar. Mix all together and keep warm. Serve warm. Serves 12 to 15 people.

German Hot Potato Salad

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup vinegar

parsley flakes

2/3 cup water

1/4 cup bacon drippings, about 6 slices

1 quart cooked cubed potatoes

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 cooked egg, diced

Combine dry ingredients in top of double boiler. Stir in vinegar, water and bacon drippings. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add onions, potatoes and eggs to dressing. Serves 6.

One more German potato salad recipe. I was told this is THE recipe for potato salad. It is the recipe used for many gatherings in the Altenburg area and a favorite of many families. This recipe makes a large batch and would probably serve some 35 to 45 people.

Large Batch German Potato Salad

Cook 30 pounds potatoes with jackets. Cool and slice thin. Mix together:

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups cider vinegar

3 cups water

5 1/2 cups sugar

5 heaping tablespoons cornstarch

4 heaping tablespoons salt

Mix together and boil until thickened. Add 3/4 tablespoon pepper.

Last, add 1/2 pound fried bacon pieces, celery and onion. Pour over potatoes. Best to let sit for awhile for flavors to blend.

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Jodi Thompson of Jackson shares a blonde brownie recipe that has the wonderful combination of white chocolate and cashews.

Cashew Blondies

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 squares, 1 ounce each, white baking chocolate, melted and cooled

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 to 1 cup chopped salted cashews or pecans

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla on medium speed for 1 minute. Beat in chocolate and butter. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture. Stir in cashews. Spread into a greased 9-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield: 2 dozen bars.

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A Cape Girardeau senior of Danish descent was interested in the recipe from Betty Heise for friccadillies. She shares her recipe for frikadeller, which is the Danish name for meat patties.

Frikadeller

1/2 pound veal

1/2 pound pork

1 medium onion, chopped or grated, about 1/2 cup

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups club soda

1 egg, well beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons oil

Put veal, pork and onion through meat grinder twice. Beat flour and meat mixture with wooden spoon or electric mixer. Gradually beat in club soda until meat is light and fluffy. Now thoroughly beat in egg, salt and pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour. Shape into oblongs 4 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick. Melt butter and oil in skillet. Add meat patties 4 or 5 at a time. Cook about 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Makes 8 to 10 patties.

Frikadeller are traditionally accompanied by boiled potatoes and pickled beets, cucumber salad or red cabbage.

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From a recent request we have a recipe from a Cape Girardeau baker who found a recipe for old-fashioned red devil's food cake. This recipe has a pecan filling and a seafoam icing. The cake is very rich and moist. I am not sure if this is the cake Frances Sanders was looking for, but we will keep trying.

Old Fashioned Red Devil's Food Cake

Cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour milk

1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups white sugar

Filling:

1/3 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup milk

3 egg yolks

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

Seafoam icing:

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/3 cup hot water

3 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9-inch pans. Sift together 2 cups flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream shortening and 1 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add flour mixture alternately with sour milk. Add 1 cup boiling water and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Divide batter into two 9-inch pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow layers to cool, then spread pecan filling between layers.

To make pecan filling: In a saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, butter, milk and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat, add 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in pecans and set aside to cool. Spread between layers of cake, then frost with satin seafoam icing.

To make satin seafoam icing: In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup white sugar, cream of tartar and 1/3 cup hot water. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and cook until 246 degrees. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. While beating with an electric mixer at medium speed, slowly pour hot syrup in a thin stream over egg whites. Turn mixer to high speed, and continue beating until stiff peaks form, and frosting is thick enough to spread. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

That is all for this week. Be sure to send in your favorite recipes to share and your requests. Have a great week, and happy cooking.