I'm spending this holiday weekend with some friends and my boyfriend in a little cabin in the woods of Lancaster County. We'll be in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country and so I though it was fitting to feature the Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book. This is another volume from the batch of books I acquired through my friend Fran a month or so ago.

It was printed in 1959 and announces on the second page that the recipes were, "compiled from tried and tested recipes made famous and handed down by the early Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania." For a little paperback book, it has stood the test of time well, much like the recipes it contains (well, at least most of them - most home cooks these days don't make Stuffed Beef Heart).

Other, more appealing, recipes include Roast Pork, Dutch Sausage with Gravy, Shartlesville Corn Pudding and Lancaster County Lima Beans (I don't know about you, but I love lima beans). On the sweet side, you'll find Thanksgiving Butterscotch Pie, Country Molasses Pie and Eggless Corn Muffins. If you want to give one of your Memorial Day Weekend meals a special flare, why not try this creamy Dandelion Salad (the recipe is after the jump).

Dandelion Salad

/2 cup cream (scant)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vinegar
1/4 cut butter
Paprika
Black pepper
4 thick slices bacon (cut in cubes)
Dandelion

Carefully wash and prepare the dandelion as you would lettuce. Roll in cloth and pat dry. Then put into a salad bolw and place in a warm place. Cut bacon in small pieces, fry quickly and drop over the dandelion. Put the butter and cream into a skillet and melt over a slow fire. Beat eggs, add salt, peper, sugar and vinegar and mix with slightly warm cream mixture. Pour into skillet and under increased heat, stir until dressing becomes thick like custartd. Take off and pour piping hot over dandelion. Stir thoroughly. Never use dandelion after is has begun to flower, for then it is apt to be bitter.