Bemidji, The First City on the Mississippi, Minnesota USA

Blueberry Pie
One 9� deep-dish pie plate
One 9� pie crust � or graham cracker crust

7-8 C blueberries � fresh or frozen (drained)
7 TBS cornstarch (or equivalent amount of tapioca)
� tsp cinnamon
� tsp allspice - optional
2/3 C sugar
3 TBS water (or grape juice)
2 TBS lemon juice
Mix dry ingredients in bowl, add liquids � stir.  Add blueberries. Gently mix or put blueberries in pie crust, pour mixture over them. (Should be mounded above edge of pie plate � will cook down)
Choose topping:
Crumb topping                                              
   � C sugar
   � C flour
   � C butter or margarine
Mix together in small bowl.  Sprinkle over berries.
Dough top
Pie dough larger than plate to accommodate stretching over mounded berries.  Cut slits in dough, place over filling, seal and crimp edges.
Bake 375 degrees for about 1 hour.  Remove when crust isGolden brown and filling is bubbling.  Cool or serve warm with ice cream.  Refrigerate after cooled.

Lumberjack Pancakes
Dry Ingredients:
   1 cup flour
   2 teaspoons baking powder
   1/2 teaspoon salt (don't forget the salt!)
   1/2 teaspoon sugar
   1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Liquid Ingredients:
   2 eggs
   3/4 cup milk
   1 tablespoon cooking or vegetable oil
Sift dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, beat together the eggs and oil. Gently fold in the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until mixed � do not beat the batter.
Add half the milk. Fold some more. Add the rest of the milk. Your batter will be like a thick goopy liquid. Don't worry if there are a few little lumps in it � for pancakes that's a good thing. Hint: Batter is better if you make it the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight!
Heat stove or griddle to medium heat. (It should be hot enough that when a drop of water is dropped on it, it bounces! Very lightly grease the frying pan or rub the griddle with cooking oil, margarine, or butter. Drop a ladle full of batter for each flapjack onto the griddle � slowly, so it doesn't get too big. Let it gently cook until the top starts to bubble. When bottom is golden, lift with a firm spatula. Flip the flapjack and cook until golden on the other side.
Serve with a teaspoon of fresh butter and a drizzle of real maple syrup for a Paul Bunyan-tastic breakfast!

(Eat a balanced breakfast, get fresh air and exercise every day, and who knows � maybe you'll grow up to be as big as Paul Bunyan!)

Wild Rice Hot Dish
1/2 lb. bacon                                1 tsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 lb. ground beef                      1 1/2 C. wild rice (cooked in 4 C. water)
3 Tblsp. butter                              1 can Cream of Chicken soup                             
1 can sliced mushrooms                  1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
2 C. diced celery                           1 1/2 to 2 soup cans of milk
1 small onion                               
Brown hamburger and bacon (chopped) in fry pan.  Cook rice in water 15-20 min until done. 
Saute' butter, mushrooms, onion and celery until tender.  Mix all ingredients together, place in large roaster or casserole dish.  Bake 350-375 for 45 min - 1 hour.

Wild Rice Soup
1/2 lb bacon, crisply fried and crumbled
1 med. onion, diced. Saute' with bacon
3 C. cooked wild rice
2 cans Cream of Potato soup
5 C. milk
1 1/2 C Velveeta cheese, cubed
   Combine all ingredients in large saucepan.  Heat until cheese is melted.  (Can be crock pot prepared, stirred occasionally until cheese melts.)

Wild Rice Salad
3 C. cooked wild rice - cooled  
1 C chopped celery
1 C red grapes, halved
1 C. chicken, cooked & diced
1/3 C. slivered almonds
1/2 C. craisins
Honey-Dijon Salad Dressing- to desired wetness
Mix all ingredients together.  Chill.  (Keeps about a week in refrigerator)

Golden Pan-Fried Walleye
4-6 oz. walleye fillets (Can use on Northern Pike also)
1 larage egg lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cornmeal
Salt & Pepper 
1 cup vegetable oil
Pat fillets dry ad dredge in flour. Combine cornmeal, salt and pepper in shallow bowl.  Mix egg and milk together in separate bowl for wash.  Dip fillets in egg wash, shake off excess liquid and immediately roll fillets in cornmeal mixture, pressing gently to make sure cornmeal sticks to fillet. (If have time, let fillets sit for 15-20 min, to let breading set.) 
In cast iron skillet (or other frying pan) heat oil on medium high. (Water will skitter across th top of the oil when it is hot enough.) Arrange fillets in the hot pan, and fry one side for three minutes.  (Don't move the fillets around while cooking - breading will fall off)  Flip the fillets and fry the other side for another two or three minutes or until golden brown.
Serve immediately - can garnish with fresh lemon and/or tarter sauce.

Crisp Beer-Batter Fish
1 egg                                             1 lb. fish fillets
3/4 C. beer, at room temp                  1/4 C. additional flour
1 C. flour                                        Vegetable oil for frying
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. baking powder
Beat egg, then beat in beer.  Whisk in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.  Cover and let stand 30 minutes.  Just before frying, stir in baking powder.  Pour enough oil in fry pan to cover fish, but no more than 2/3 full to allow for rapid bubbling.  Heat 375 degrees.  Cut fish into serving size pieces and pat dry with paper towels.  Dip into flour and then batter. Lower into hot oil and fry about 3 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.  Drain. Approx. 4 serv.

Mix flour and cornstarch.  Beat egg yolks, add to flour mix.  Stir in beer and egg whites.  Dip fish in batter and deep fry in hot oil.

Conversion for the average person
1/4 C flour
1/4 C cornstarch
1 egg yolk
1/2 C stale lite beer
2 TBS melted butter
1 beaten egg white
Follow same directions as above.

Paul's Favorite Dessert
Made from Northern Minnesota Strawberries
1-10 foot pie crust - pre-baked
1 strawberry patch
1 field of sugar cane
lots of butter
1 field of corn(starch)
1 lemon tree
125 oz cream cheese

Line pie crust with cream cheese.  Mix all remaining ingredients -except butter- in sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, add butter, stir constantly for four minutes.  Remove from heat, cool 15 minutes.  Pour in to crust.

Conversion for average person
1-9 inch pie crust - pre-baked
1 quart strawberries
1 C sugar
2 TBS butter
2 TBS cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice
2 oz cream cheese
Follow same directions as above.

Paul Bunyan Sugar Cookies  Yeild: 14 cookies
1 1/2 C butter or margarine
1 1/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1 TBS vanilla
2 TBS milk
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 flour
Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Stir in milk. Sift together dry ingredients, stir into creamed mixture.  Blend well.
Chill 1 hour.
On lightly floured surface, roll chilled dough to 1/4" thickness.  Cut with a 2 pound coffee can lid  (about 5 inches in diameter)  Place cookies about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle tops of cookies with sugar. 
Bake 375 degrees for 10 min. or until cookies are lightly browned.  Remove from pan with wide spatula.

Hearty PAUL BUNYAN COOKIES
           Yeild: about 18 cookies
1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 twelve-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (5 ounces) chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheet. (Non-stick baking sheet  recommended) Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ginger in a medium bowl.
 
2. In large bowl, cream vegetable shortening and sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add molasses, and beat to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture, one cup at a time, beating on low speed until dough comes together. Using a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips, oats, walnuts, and raisins.
 
3. Using a 2-inch ice-cream scoop, drop dough onto prepared baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake until firm, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Courtesy of Carol Osgood, Littleton , Colorado