My favorite recipes

Janie Salvadalena loves to cook, but does not enjoy daily meal preparation.

If it were up to Janie, she would rather cook for a large group than make dinner for three. Janie’s first experience cooking for large groups came when she was in charge of organizing and preparing the food for 60 members of her church youth group. She was so successful, she was then asked to prepare the meals for a women’s retreat.

“I would rather cook for groups of people than on an everyday basis,” Janie said.

Janie’s husband, Russ, is the manager of Washington State University’s Cougar Gold Creamery. He spends his days making cheese and ice cream. They have four children: Adam, Anthony, Shianne and Nic.

Adam, their oldest son who lives in Pullman, helped begin one of their favorite family traditions. He was a freshman at WSU when his parents moved from California to Pullman.

On weekends, Janie invited Adam for a home-cooked meal, and he often arrived with several friends. Eventually, she was hosting at least 20 hungry college students.

“I like to cook for people who like to eat,” Janie said with a smile.

They have had international students living with their family for the last 10 years.

“It began with one Colombian student from our church needing a place to live for a short period of time,” Janie said.

Since then, students living in their home have come from Colombia, Portugal, Uruguay and many other countries. Several students have lived in the Salvadalena home for their entire four years at WSU. Many of the students who have lived with the Salvadalena’s have also worked with Russ at the creamery. Their international students also now bring home friends for dinner.

“Every Easter we host at least 20 students for dinner,” Janie said. “It has become our favorite family tradition.”

There is an informal waiting list to live with the Salvadalena family. After attending an Easter dinner, Romulo Amado, a Colombian college student, had to wait a year and a half for the opportunity to live with them. He has now lived with the family for four years.

“It helps me improve my language,” Amado said. “Here I have the greatest experience.”

Yerledy Renteria, also of Colombia, is a short-term student and will live with the Salvadalena family for six months before returning home.

“When I come here I can only say ‘Hi’,” Renteria said with a heavy accent. “I can speak much better now and understand people, and sometimes they can understand me, too.”

The students have become family. Many of them are close to their children. Nic, their youngest son, and Amado are like brothers, Janie said. Nic, a freshman at Spokane Community College, comes home most weekends to spend time with his family.

Janie graduated from WSU with a degree in food services. However, she now works with special needs students at Pullman High School.

“There are not a lot of jobs in Pullman that fit my degree,” Janie said smiling. “My husband would not hire me.”

Janie has lived all over the states as she has followed her husband’s career. They have lived in Pullman for 11 years. Janie does miss California’s weather during Pullman’s winters. However, she really enjoys summer on the Palouse.

“We have liked everywhere we stayed,” Janie said. “There is something good about everywhere we have been.”

Recipes:

Pulled Pork

1 lg. pork shoulder

2 lg. onions sliced into rings

8 whole cloves

1 liter lemon lime soda

Montreal Steak seasoning

1 bottle (12 oz) chili sauce

3 small bottles barbecue sauce

Put one onion on the bottom of the slow cooker and top with the pork shoulder. Season with the Montreal Steak seasoning and stick the cloves into the pork. Layer the second onion onto the top of the pork and pour the soda into the slow cooker until it is 2 inches from the top. Put the lid on and cook on high for 6 hours. Pour off the liquid and onions and allow it to cool until you can shred the meat. Once the meat is shredded, add the sauces into the meat and return it to the slow cooker to cook on low for 2 more hours. I add more soda to keep it moist as it cooks. Use your judgment on how much to add. I just keep pouring some on top and stir every so often.

Serve with buns or rolls.

Baked Potato Cheese Soup

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

7 cups whole milk

3 Lg. baked potatoes

1 bunch green onions diced

12 slices bacon cooked and crumbled

1 1/2 cup Cougar Gold cheese (Add to taste)

1 cup sour cream

3/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Pepper

Melt butter, stir in the flour to make rue. Gradually add the milk while stirring.

Cook until the milk thickens, Add the potato peeled and cubed and simmer. Then

add the rest and cook until the cheese melts.

Broccoli Salad

2 heads broccoli chopped small

1/2 red onion chopped fine

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 Fuji apples diced

1 cup chopped pecans

12 slices cooked and diced bacon

Dressing:

1 TB prepared mustard

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

Chop the broccoli finely. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix the dressing at least 2 hours prior to adding to the salad in order allow the sugar time to dissolve. Sugar substitute can be used as well. Refrigerate the salad and dressing mixed together for at least 2 hours before serving.

Teriyaki Chicken Pasta Salad

4 grilled teriyaki chicken breasts cooled and diced

1 lb. spiral pasta cooked and cooled

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 red onion chopped

1 small can chopped olives

1 red pepper chopped

Dressing:

1 TB prepared mustard

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

Teriyaki chicken:

6 boneless skinless chicken - breasts cut in half

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup soy sauce

2 TB pineapple juice

1 tsp. ginger

1 clove garlic crushed

Marinate the boneless skinless chicken for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Warm the meat before grilling for 2 hours. Grill for 5 min. per side until pink is gone, about 15-20 minutes,

Breakfast Brunch Cake

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup sour cream

Topping:

2 tsp. sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Cream the butter and sugar then add the eggs and the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream. Place 1/2 the batter in the well greased and floured Bundt pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of the topping on the batter. Add the remaining batter and then top with the remaining topping. Swirl with a knife through the batter in an “S” pattern and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cool for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan.