Japanese Fruitcake with Filling

Ingredients

(8 servings)
1.00 c Butter,at room temperature 2.00 c Sugar 4.00 Eggs 3.00 c Flour 0.50 ts Salt 3.00 ts Baking powder 1.00 c Milk 1.00 tb Orange rind,grated 1.00 ts Vanilla 1.00 ts Allspice 1.00 ts Ginger 0.50 c Raisins 0.50 c Pecans,chopped 1.00 tb Flour 1.50 c Coconut,grated Candied cherries (opt) FRUIT FILLING: 2.00 tb Flour 1.00 Juice of 3 lemons 1.00 c Sugar 1.00 cn Pineapple (20 oz)* 2.00 Egg yolks 0.50 c Pecans chopped

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350'F.

2. Grease and flour 3 9-inch layer cake pans. Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until soft and fluffy. Beat eggs until light and add to butter-sugar mixture.

3. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together and add alternately to batter with milk. Stir in vanilla and orange rind; beat well. Spread 2/3 of the batter into 2 of the 3 prepared pans.

4. Add allspice and ginger to remaining batter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon flour over the raisins and nuts to coat, then add to batter and mix well. Spread spiced batter into remaining third pan.

5. Bake layers at 350'F. for 30 minutes, or until cake tests down and sides shrink from pan. Invert on wire rack and allow to cool.

6. When completely cool, spread fruit filling between layers and thinly over the top and side of cake, using a flat-bladed knife to spread evenly. (Place the fruit/spice layer in the middle when stacking layers.) Cover top and side of cake with the coconut. Decorate with red and green candied cherries in a wreath design if desired.

FRUIT FILLING: * - pineapple should be crushed & drained. Combine all ingredients in top half of a double boiler over, not in, simmering water and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens. It should be quite thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool, stirring occasionally.

Sukiyaki Pronounced tskee-yaki

Ingredients
(4 servings)
1 piece beef suet, about 2" x 2" x 1/2" (enough to lightly grease hot pan) 1 Lb. lean beef, sliced paper-thin across the grain, then cut into bite-sized pieces 1 bunch Scallions, cut into 2" lengths, both white and green parts or 1 large white onion, peeled, halved and sliced thick 1 block of fresh tofu, cut into bite sized squares 1-12 oz. can of shirataki (yam noodles) (This is optional as they are very expensive on the east coast) 1-16 oz. can of bamboo shoots, sliced thin 1/2 Lb. fresh bean sprouts 8 fresh brown mushrooms, sliced about 1/4" thick 1/2 c. Soy Sauce 1/2 c. Sugar 1 c. Water 2 T. Sake Mirin or dry sherry
Instructions
Heat skillet until the suet sizzles when it touches. If the suet does not sizzle, remove it and heat the pan further. Move the suet around the pan, putting a coat of oil over the whole surface. Place about 1/3 of the sliced beef in a corner of the pan, mix it about a bit to brown for about 1 minute. Add the begetables, 1/3 of each in their own 'corner' of the pan, except the scallions. Pour sauce (see following recipe) over these but not so much that the vegetables are swimming (about 1/2 the sauce). Bubble for 4-5 minutes, gently turneverything over and place scallions on top in a neat pile. Bubble 4-5 minutes more and it is ready to serve. Carefully place 1/4 of the meat in each person's bowl. Then immerse the scallions in the pocket you have just created in the skillet. Serve the other ingredients and by the time you have served all, the onions/scallions should be wilted and cooked just right. Spoon a bit of sauce over all. Start the next batch of sukiyaki when the first half of the dish has been served. SAUCE: Combine the soy sauce, sugar, water and mirin in a bowl or pitcher. Stir well, set aside for cooking/serving.
Serving
Sukiyaki is generally served with rice. Also, to be totally authentic people serve themselves out of the bubbling mass in the center of the table (on a hot dish). Also, each person has a little bowl with raw egg in it. You take the boiling hot item from the central cooker, and dip it in the egg. This transfers the heat to the egg so you don't scald your mouth.