kitchen notes

Pumpkin Pound Cake

2010-12-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

It's always baking as I'm frantically wrapping the last of the presents, the Christmas morning birthday cake.

Our tradition is to open stockings and then have a little "birthday" cake in honor of Jesus. While it is a nice reminder in the midst of Christmas morning, it's also my way to sneak some food into the kids before we have a big late breakfast. Hypoglycemia on Christmas morning leads to nothing but tears and frustration for both children and adults. My solution has been a cake of sorts. Usually a banana bread full of nuts or maybe a pumpkin bread. This year my husband found a recipe for pumpkin pound cake that he really wanted me to make. It's Christmas and who am I to say no to such a simple request.

The result was the most fabulous pound cake that I have ever made or tasted! I mean it is really good...really, really good! The crust is spectacular!

I used the glaze but it really wasn't necessary and when I make it again, I don't plan on using it.

I was out of heavy cream so I used egg nog. It's such a small amount that I'm sure it made little to no difference.

PUMPKIN POUND CAKE
from chowhound.com posted by Mel

cream together
3 c extra fine sugar (oh please, just use plain sugar as I did)
3/4 c unsalted butter, room temp

then add one at a time
2 eggs
4 egg yolks

set that mixture aside.

whisk together the dry ingredients
2 3/4 c sifted AP flour
1/4 turbinado sugar (also known as "Sugar in the Raw")
1 T baking powder
1 3/4 t ground cloves
1/2 t table salt
1/8 t ground allspice

mix together the wet ingredients
1 15oz can pumpkin
5 T heavey cream (this is where I substituted egg nog)
1 T honey
1 T vanilla extract
(can also add in 1 T dark rum but I did not)

preheat oven to 350

once the sugar and butter have creamed together, for about 5 mins, add the eggs and yolks one at a time.

Alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients to the egg/butter/sugar mixture on low speed. Make sure to scrape the botoom of the bowl.

Pour into nonstick flour sprayed bundt pan. The bater will be thick, just even it out on top. Bake for about 55 to 60 mins. Insert skewer till it comes out nearly clean. Let rest 5 miutes in pan. Turn out onto serving tray. Cool to room temp.

Glaze: I just made a simple glaze of powder sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and water. I then drizzled/poured it over the top once it had cooled quite a bit.

Thanksgiving Kitchen Labors

2010-11-25T03:58:00.000-08:00

I am up before dawn this Thanksgiving cooking away. I know, Pilgrims and Native Americans, the harvest, the cooperation, the thankfullness for a better life, God's providence. I get it. Really, I do. But why does that translate into the craziness in the kitchen that we call Thanksgiving?

I heard Christopher Kimball's annual talk on NPR Wednesday morning and I was thrilled with some of the recipes (posted below). Yet, I sit here this morning while a cake is in the oven thinking on why I am doing all this today. Well, I ran across this and it just spoke to me. It has nothing to do with Thanksgiving but everything to do with why traditional family meals matter and why you should go to the trouble of doing it yourself. Thank you Monica Bhide. Your thoughts inspired me this morning.

Why I Don't Cook For My Parents

by MONICA BHIDE

November 10, 2010

Mussels cooked in a saffron coconut stew, shrimp fritters with just the right crispness, chicken kebabs laced with brandy — these are dishes I tell my dad about all the time. They are my passion, my creations as a food writer. He often advises me on the recipes, telling me what to add, what to change, what to increase and what to substitute. I listen, because my dad is one of the best home cooks I know.

Just a few months ago, he and I were discussing our favorite chicken curry recipe that shines with flavors of green and black cardamom. I love the way he makes it, and we were discussing changing the texture of the onions. He is in Delhi and I am in Washington, D.C., and these discussions form the crux of our conversations. Yet, in our last talk something was different. Dad kept asking when I was going to cook all these dishes for him.

About The Author

An engineer turned food writer, Monica Bhide writes about food and its effect on our lives. Her work has appeared inThe Washington Post, the New York Times, Food & Wine, Prevention, Cooking Light, Healthand Self. Her latest book is Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen(Simon & Schuster). Read more at her blog, A Life Of Spice.

Not A Fan Of Beer? These Pairings May Win You OverOct. 6, 2010

Why The Priest Fainted: An Ode To EggplantSept. 8, 2010

Making Butter Chicken With DadJune 16, 2010

Into The Mouths Of Babes: The Foods That BindMay 5, 2010

Indian-Chinese Cuisine: Of Spice And ZenJan. 12, 2010

Strangely, I rarely cook for my parents. It isn't because I am afraid to, feel that they won't like my dishes, that they will complain or that my dishes won't be up to their standards. That isn't it at all.

I grew up nourished in spirit by my father's travel stories involving food and my mother's unerring, mouthwatering dishes. His stories evoked a world of Irish pubs, French bistros, Indian curry houses, Swiss chalets, Austrian pensions that I had never seen, and my mother's hand created perfectly spiced dishes without ever holding a measuring cup, spoon or bowl. She practiced the art of what I call andza cooking, estimation cooking — always adding a little of this and a little of that — and always created a memorable dish. My sister and I would take turns doing dinner chores. We would spend time around the dinner table talking about our day, about life in general, about the cost of okra, but always together.

I left home when I was 17 and wandered the world: college, marriage, babies, careers. I grew up in the Middle East, my parents settled in India, and I settled in the U.S. When I visited them, I just wanted them to cook for me. I longed for my mother's crisp fried okra, my dad's cardamom-scented oatmeal, or the best dish — having both of them in the kitchen discussing and making a mutton curry. I love that they have been married for more than 40 years and possibly making that same curry for that long, and yet they always discuss how to make it and what to do.

Rarely, I will volunteer to cook my creations for them. I tell them about my food, they cook from my cookbooks, but when I am there with them in their home, I don't cook for them. I was raised on their food — it is the memory and the home of my childhood. While they may miss my chicken kebabs, I know they don't long for it as I do for my father's butter chicken.

I cook for my own children in the hope that I create similar memories. I cook for my kids in the hope that when they go off into the big wide world, the memory of their mother's chicken curry, the scent of her caramelized onions with garlic, the whiff of her cinnamon-scented rice pudding will tug at their heart and bring them back home — just like my parents' cooking does for me.

Old Fashioned Pecan Pie

2010-11-25T03:39:00.000-08:00

I have looked for a pecan pie recipe without corn syrup for years. Finally, Christopher Kimball has some to my rescue!

Old-Fashioned Pecan Pie

America's Test Kitchen

Old-fashioned pecan pie

Pecan pie, often called 'Karo pie' in the South, is reinvented using maple syrup, brown sugar and molasses rather than corn syrup.

Ingredients

1 cup maple syrup
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon molasses
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell, chilled in pie plate for 30 minutes
Serves 8 to 10

Instructions

Make Filling: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat syrup, sugar, cream, and molasses in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes. Whisk butter and salt into syrup mixture until combined. Whisk in egg yolks until incorporated.
Bake Pie: Scatter pecans in pie shell. Carefully pour filling over. Place pie in hot oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake until filling is set and center jiggles slightly when pie is gently shaken, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool pie on rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate until set, about 3 hours and up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.

recipes from america's test kitchen

Apple Slab Pie

2010-11-25T03:35:00.000-08:00

What would I do without Christopher Kimball in the kitchen to help me muddle through? I post this here just so it won't get lost!

Apple Slab Pie

America's Test Kitchen

Apple slab pie

Runny filling, a soggy bottom crust, and a lot of work for just a few slices are among the traditional downsides of the classic apple pie. Kimball's solution is the Apple Slab Pie, which he says "looks like a huge Pop-Tart." It can feed about 20 people, and can be easily sliced and served.

Ingredients

Pie

8 Granny Smith apples (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and sliced thin
8 Golden Delicious apples (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and sliced thin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups animal crackers
2 (15-ounce) boxes Pillsbury Ready to Roll Pie Crust
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 tablespoons Minute tapioca
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Glaze

3/4 cup reserved apple juice (from filling)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions

For the pie: Combine apples, 1 cup sugar, and salt in colander set over large bowl. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until apples release their juices, about 30 minutes. Press gently on apples to extract liquid and reserve 3/4 cup juice.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers and remaining sugar in food processor until finely ground. Dust work surface with cracker mixture, brush half of one pie round with water, overlap with second pie round, and dust top with cracker mixture. Roll out dough to 19 by 14 inches and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Brush dough with butter and refrigerate; roll out top crust in the same way.
Toss drained apples with tapioca, cinnamon, and lemon juice and arrange evenly over bottom crust, pressing lightly to flatten. Brush edges of bottom crust with water, and arrange top crust on pie. Press crusts together and use a paring knife to trim any excess dough. Use fork to crimp and seal outside edge of pie, then to pierce top of pie at 2-inch intervals. Bake until pie is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 1 hour.
For the glaze: While pie is cooling, simmer reserved apple juice in saucepan over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and butter and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in confectioners' sugar and brush glaze evenly over warm pie. Let pie cool completely, at least 1 hour longer. Serve.

Pancake Mix

2008-08-17T10:50:00.001-07:00

I haven't made this in a while, but a friend just asked me for the recipe. I thought I would go ahead and post it. It comes from the King Arthur 200th Anniversry Cookbook.

Pancake Mix

6 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 wheat germ or bran (optional)
1 1/2 cups non-fat dry milk or 1 1/2 cups dry buttermilk powder
1 Tablespoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, white or brown
1/4 baking powder
1 cup vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, combine flours, wheat germ or bran, dry milk, salt, sugar, and baking powder, and mix well. Cut in the shortening until it is evenly distributed. (It is important to use shortening instead of butter as it is stable at room temperature)

To store this mix, place it in a large, airtight container, or put it up in premeasured (don't pack it), 2-cup portions. It will make approximately seven.

To Use Your Pancake Mix

Each 2-cup batch of mix makes about a dozen 12" pancakes

1 egg, slightly beaten
1 to 1 1/4 cups warm water (depending on how thick you like your pancakes)
2 cups Pancake Mix, not packed

Combine the egg and water in a bowl. Stir in the mix until it is just moistened. Cook pancakes as you normally would.

Smoked Salmon and Arugula Salad

2008-08-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

I went to Tampa with my friend Renee for our friend Christine's funeral last month. While we were in Tampa, we stayed with Renee's sister Belinda. Belinda made this salad for lunch one day and it was divine!!

Smoked Salmon and Arugula Salad

1.5 oz arugula
1 Tbs chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 scallions, finely diced
2 large avocados
1 Tbs lemon juice
8 0r 9 oz smoked salmon

Lime Mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs lime juice
finely grated rind of one lime
1 Tbs chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Wash and drain arugula, if necessary. Shred the leaves and arrange in four small or one large bowl. Top with the chopped parsley and scallions.

Halve, peel, and pit the avocados and cut into thin slices or smally chuncks. Toss with lemon juice and place in bowl with arugula. Cut the smoked salmon into strips and scatter over the top.

Put the mayo into a bowl, then add the lime juice and rind and the chopped parsley. Mix together well. Spoon some of the lime mayo on top of the salad, garnish with parsley sprigs and lime wedges.

Ms. Patsy's Cream Cheese Pound Cake

2008-08-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

Ms Patsy crafted my wedding cake and it was beautiful and delicious! Several years later, I took cake decorating classes and guess who was my teacher. These are her recipes and I am so thankful to have been taught by her. What an amazing woman!!

This recipe makes an excellent wedding cake base or the simple dessert for a summer afternoon picnic with friends. I sometimes add the "guts" of a vanilla bean that has been soaking in vodka. You can change the exracts around and make this something totally different.

Ms. Patsy's Cream Cheese Pound Cake

3 cups sugar
3 sticks butter
1-8 oz package cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 large eggs

Cream sugar, butter, and cream cheese. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla. At low speed add flour and salt. Pour into large greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Deviled Eggs

2008-02-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

One of the best things in the world is a really good deviled egg. One of the worst things in the world is a really bad deviled egg. I don't make mine with a recipe. I just eye it. I think the difference is the Pick-A-Peppa Sauce. I add just a bit and it really makes the eggs have a great flavor.

I boil the eggs for about 10 minutes and then turn the stove off and let them sit in the hot water for about 10 minutes. Rinse the eggs with cool water and then peel. I mix a bit of minced sweet onion, sweet relish (always better with my homemade), the dash or so of Pick-A-Peppa, and a bit of mayo. Mash this all together with the egg yolks, add salt and pepper, and adjust the mayo to desired level of creaminess. Arrange on a platter with Boston or Bib lettuce and sprinkle with paprika. These are really good. My kids will eat them for breakfast.

Monster Cookies, aka Ralph's Addiction

2008-02-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

This is a HUGE recipe! It is also my husband's most favorite cookie. Before you begin make sure that you have a really large bowl to mix all of this in. I can get the wet ingredients to all mix up in my 6 qt mixer, but then I have to add all the oats in a much larger bowl.

I only bake a few at a time and then freeze the rest of the dough for slice and bake cookies. If you don't use sucannat, just exchange with white sugar for the sucannat with honey and I would use 2 lbs of brown sugar for the sucannat.

By the way, notice that there is no flour in these cookies!

Monster Cookies

1 doz eggs

4 cups sucannat

4 cups sucannat with honey

4 sticks butter, soft

16-18 cups old fashioned oats

3 lb "natural" peanut butter

8 tsp baking soda

1 TBS Kosher salt

1 TBS vanilla

2-5 lbs "other" stuff...coconut, raisins, chips of any variety, dried fruit, just whatever you want

Depending on "other" stuff, you might want to add cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices

Cream eggs, sucannat, vanilla, and butter together. Mix int he peanut butter. Add the soda and salt and mix well. In your very large bowl mix together oats (start with 16 cups) and "other" ingredients. Fold butter mixture in until well combined. You might need to add a couple more cups of oats just depending on the amount of "other" stuff that you add. You can bake right away or chill first. I think they are much better if chilled first. Bake for 10-14 minutes at 350 degrees. Let them sit for 1-2 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

I use waxed paper to form logs of dough and then over wrap with foil, and freeze. You can take them straight from the freezer to the oven, just slice and bake. You might need to adjust the cooking time when doing this.

Overnight Slow-Roasted Pork

2008-01-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

Not that anyone ever asked me BUT this is the single best roast I have ever tasted!! Sometimes things just all come together and maybe this was one of those times, but I can't wait to try it again to see if it really was THAT good. My guess, it really was that good!! This picture was taken about 4 hours into the roasting. There is no scale in the shot so you can't get a feel for how huge this roast was. If you try it, please let me know!!

Overnight Slow-Roasted Pork

Cook with Jamie by Jamie Oliver

2 TBS fennel seeds

1 TBS sea or rock salt

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and roughly chopped

4 medium carrots

3 onions, peeled and roughly chopped

1 bulb of garlic, cloves unpeeled and smashed

a bunch of fresh thyme

1 X 11-14 lb shoulder of pork on the bone, preferably free-range or organic, skin scored

olive oil

a 750 ml bottle of white wine

1 pint chicken or vegetable stock

Preheat your oven to maximum. Smash the fennel seeds with the salt in a pestle and mortar until fine. Put the roughly chopped vegetables, garlic and thyme sprigs into a large roasting pan. Pat the pork shoulder with olive oil and sit it on the vegetables. Now massage all the smashed fennel seeds into the skin of the pork, making sure you push them right into the scores to maximize the flavor. Put the pork into your preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until it's beginning to color, then turn your oven down to 250 degrees and cook the pork for 9 to 12 hours, until the meat is soft and sticky and you can pull it apart easily with a fork.

Tip all the wine into the roasting tray and let it cook for another hour to give you a perfect sauce. Once the pork is out of the oven, let it rest for half an hour before removingit to a large board. I like to brush off any excess salt from the meat, then I mash up the veg in the pan using a potato masher. Add the stock to the roasting pan, put it on the heat and boil until you have a lovely, intensely flavored gravy (you can thicken it with a little flour). The pork is great served with some good cranberry beans, braised greens, your roast veg mash and tasty sauce.

New Year's with crown roast of pork, orange rice and roasted brussel sprouts

2008-01-01T05:42:00.000-08:00

I actually bought this roast from the grocery. I called and asked them to make it and my husband went and picked it up. I didn't realize they put pink frills on the top of the bones!! What the heck ever happened to white?? Notice the pink dye that was left of the top of the bones!!

Anyway, for grocery store meat it was pretty good and it was a nice meal I was able to throw together limping around the kitchen in my cast!

Happy New Year!!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

2007-12-25T15:25:00.001-08:00

I have made this cake around Christmas for the last few years because it combines 2 of Ralph's most favorite things...chocloate and gingerbread. It is really good...I mean REALLY good!!

Chocolate Gingerbread

Feast by Nigella Lawson

Cake

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup plus 2 TBS dark brown sugar

2 TBS superfine sugar

3/4 cup golden syrup or light corn syrup

3/4 cup black trectale or molasses

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

2 TBS warm water

2 eggs

1 cup milk

2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

6 oz package or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting

2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 TBS unsalted butter

1 TBS unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup ginger ale

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and tear off a big piece of parchment paper to line the bottom and sides of a roasing pan, 12 X 8 X 2.

In a suacepan melt the butter along with the sugars, golden syrup, trectale or molasses, cloves, cinnamon, and ground ginger. In a cup dissolve the baking soda in water. Add the milk and lightly beat eggs and mix well. Stir in the flour and cocoa and beat with a wooden spoon to mix. Fold in the chocolate chips, pour into the lined pan and bake for about 45 minutes until risen and firm. It will be slightly damp underneath the set top and that's the way you want it.

Remove to a wire rack and let cool in the pan. Once cool, get on with the frosting.

Sift the cofectioner's sugar. In a heavy-based sauce pan heat the butter, cocoa and ginger ale. Once the butter's melted, whisk in the confectioner's sugar. Lift the gingerbread out of the pan and unwrap the paper. Pour over the frsoting just to cover the top and cut into fat slabes when set.

Kitchen Notes

-I have made this in two smaller pans. One to keep and one to give away. Otherwise, I just eat too much of this super yummy cake. If you do this, just reduce the cooking time a bit.

-I don't know if I have ever used the parchment and it aleays comes out just fine. I just pour the frosting over right in the pan.

Christmas French Toast

2007-12-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

I love to make French Toast. I normally use old bread that I have baked. I love cinnamon and fresh nutmeg and generally use a lot of them in my French toast. I starting making Panatone and Stollen at Christmas a few years back (I need to post that recipe). I found both Panatone and Stollen make great French Toast. Also, I was reading a couple of years ago about using leftover eggnog to make French Toast. A light bulb went off and now I make this special Christmas French Toast every year. You can use Panatone or Stollen, which ever you have and I will guess at the ingredients but this is something I never measure.

Christmas French Toast

1 loaf Stollen or Patatone

3 cups egg nogg

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp fresh nutmeg, or 1/2 tsp powdered

1/2 tsp vanilla

Make thick, even slices of the bread. In a flat pan, mix wet ingredients and spices. Briefly soak the bread in the mixture and dain the best you can. Cook in a medium hot skillet with melted butter.

Cardamon Cookies

2007-12-24T05:59:00.000-08:00

Possibly the best cookies that I have ever eaten. Not ooey gooey but thin, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside with a perfect spice. I love these cookies!!

Cardamon Cookies

1 c butter

1 1/2 c sugar

1 egg

2 Tbs dark corn syrup

3 c flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cardamon

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and syrup. Mix in remaining ingredients. Mold into rolls approximately 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for at least 1 hour. Slice and bake on greased cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes.

Snickerdoodles

2007-12-24T05:54:00.000-08:00

2 3/4 c flour

2 TBS cream of tartar

1 c butter

1 1/2 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

Rolling mixture:

Equal parts cinnamon and sugar

Beat butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until light and creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix throughly. Chill 1-2 hours. Roll into balls, about a teaspoon each, and then roll in rlling mixture. Bake 8-10 min each at 400 degrees.

Kathie's Turtles

2007-12-19T05:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I used this recipe from my online friend Kathie and they sure are good. I did use the corn syrup. I think you could try making the standard sugar and water subsititution for the corn syrup. It's so hard to make candy here where we live because it is so very humid all the time! I picked a couple of "drier" days and made these turtles and the peanut brittle. I think that's about it for candy for the year.

The caramel is chewy and the chocolate has a good shell. These are really tasty. I think the one change I would try is toasting the pecans as the first step. Then again...they'rre really good the way they are. Thank you Kathie!!

KATHIE'S TURTLES
1 lb. small pecan halves
2 cups light cream
2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dipping chocolate (I used Ghiradelli bitterweet chips, melted in a double boiler, and then put the candy in the fridge for 10 minutes or so to get it to set after I dipped the turtles)

On buttered cookie sheets, arrange 6 dozen groupings of 4 pecan halves, to
resemble turtles; set aside.
In a large heavy saucepan, heat 1 cup cream to lukewarm. Add corn syrup,
sugar and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, over moderate heat, until
mixture boils very slowly.
Stir in remaining 1 cup of cream that has been heated to lukewarm. Add
slowly so mixture does not stop boiling. Cook and stir constantly for 5
minutes.
Stir in butter, 1 teaspoon at a time. Turn heat low; boil gently and stir
constantly until mixture reaches 245 degrees F.
Remove from heat; gently stir in vanilla.
Cool slightly. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of syrup over each group of pecan
halves. Cool. Spread with melted dipping chocolate, or dip each turtle
separately.

Johnny's Broccoli Cole Slaw

2007-12-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

I got this wonderful little salad from our friend Stella at the hunting lodge. Ralph has been eating it hand over fist for the past few weeks and I can barely keep enough made. I have brought it to several holiday parties as an alternative to the heavy baked casseroles and I have been asked for the recipe every time.

Johnny's Broccoli Cole Slaw

Dressing:

1/4 cup oil

6 TBS white vinegar

4 TBS sugar

2 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp pepper

Wisk together.

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 TBS sesame seeds

2 packages broccoli cole slaw

1/2 c unsalted sunflower seeds

6 firmly chopped green onions

Saute almonds and sesame seeds until light brown, then toss with other ingredien. Pour dressing over all and mix well. Best if made one day in advance.

Buttery Peanut Brittle

2007-12-15T12:27:00.000-08:00

Peanut brittle is not something that I love, nor would I normally make. I had bunches of red skin peanuts left over from the wedding so I decided to make some. I had to compromise my ethics and buy Kayro syrup, but it still turned out pretty well. I will pack most of it up in gift baskets for gifts this year.

BUTTERY PEANUT BRITTLE

courtesy of cooks.com

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup white Karo syrup

1 candy thermometer

Cook sugar, water and Karo syrup together until temperature is 240°F degrees, then add 1 lb. nuts.

Cook until candy thermometer reads 300°F degrees. Butter the cookie pan and have ready (this is very important!):

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoon butter

Measure out and have ready:
2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Quickly add salt, vanilla and butter, and have the 2 1/2 teaspoon of soda ready. Remove from heat, quickly add the soda (when adding the soda the mixture will fizz). Pour the (very hot!) mixture onto the greased cookie sheet or pan. Don't touch it or try to level the mixture with spoon.

Hint: During the cooking period, the mixture must be stirred constantly to prevent the nuts from burning.

Wild Mushroom Chicken pasta with Basil Asiago Cream Sauce

2007-12-12T05:35:00.000-08:00

At our house, you get to pick anything you want for dinner on your birthday and I will do my best to make it. We have been to the Crystal Palace at Disney many, many times and Ralph LOVES 2 things there--the salmon and the pasta. I made this pasta for the wedding a few weeks ago so I guess he had it on the brain, because this is what he wanted for his birthday dinner.

Sorry that I forgot to get a picture of this but if you are going to make something with pasta, this is something to consider since it is so very good!

WILD MUSHROOM CHICKEN PASTA WITH BASIL ASIAGO CREAM SAUCE

The Crystal Palace Restaurant

Magic Kingdom

Serves 4 to 6 people

Mini Penne Pasta:1/2 pound Mini Penne Pasta (dry/uncooked)

1. Follow direction on the package to cook the pasta to al dente.

2. Cool pasta with cold tap water and set aside at room temperature.

ASIAGO BASIL SAUCE:

1-1/2 cups heavy cream1 tablespoon fresh basil (wash, stemmed, and chopped)

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning

1/2 teaspoon chicken base or powdered chicken bullion

1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic

1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1. Bring heavy cream, all seasonings, garlic, basil, and chicken base to a low simmer in a 2-quart saucepan. Let it simmer to 10 minutes to develop flavors.

2. Carefully add the shredded cheese. Stir constantly to avoid breaking the sauce. You must not boil the sauce at any time.

3. Add the butter to thicken the sauce slightly. Cover the sauce & set it aside from the heat until you are ready to add it to the pasta.

Pasta Completion:

6 each skinless boneless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/4 cup sliced button mushrooms

1/4 cup sliced Shitake mushrooms (be sure to discard the stem)

1/4 cup diced Portobello mushrooms

1 cup Basil Asiago Cream Sauce (full amount from recipe above)

1-1/2 pounds cooked Gimelli pasta (full amount from recipe above)

2 tablespoons chiffonade (thinly sliced) fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1. Dice chicken and remove excess fat.

2. In a large saute pan, heat oil until it begins to smoke.

3. Add chicken and season with salt, white pepper, and granulated garlic.

4. Once chicken is fully cooked, add mushroom and cook them thoroughly.

5. Add the pasta to the saute pan and stir for three minutes.

6. Now add the sauce and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Remove the pasta from the heat and place it on to serving dishes and garnish with basil and Asiago cheese.

New Orleans

2007-12-10T04:56:00.000-08:00

On the route home we stopped in New Orleans. We stopped and I jacked the kids blood sugars up on bignets and then walked them around the city until they crashed. Then of course, I put them in the car and drove as far as possible! :)

You know I really work hard at giving my children the best nutrition that I can. The thing is, in my humble opinion, that there has to be a balance. I don't make anything taboo but there is always moderation. I don't want them to be so anxious to get away from me just so they can have something that they want to eat. As it turns out, neither of the three children finished one bignet and they all had a mild stomach ache. That in my opinion is a much better lesson!

Louisiana

2007-12-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

The middle of October saw the death of my dear friend May. I made an epic trip (28 hours in the car roundtrip) over 3 days with our three kids to attend her funeral in LA.

After the funeral we headed home. My goodness, there were farm stands all over the bayou. It was great to see. Not to mention, the huge fields of sugar cane that were being harvested. The sugar cane was so beautiful it almost made me not have disgust for the affect that it has had on so many of us.

We only stopped at one of these stands. This little place was in Raceland on LA Hwy 1. I bought Satsumas and the single greatest "prawlines" I have ever tasted. I tasted one and then bought everyone she had!! They had militons growing all around and the lady's husband was grinding sassafras for gumbo file' around back. I didn't get near enough pictures of this beautiful little place.

Peaches

2007-11-10T05:11:00.000-08:00

I love roadside stands...LOVE them!! Always have. Not the kind where they get all their stuff from the local wholesaler, but the kind that are only open for a few months out of the year. The produce is local and they can tell you all about where they got it and the guy who grew it...which is often themselves.

I've stopped at this place twice this year. Once early in peach season and once late. Both times I got great produce. If you're ever in Edgefield County, SC please stop in and give them a try.

Super Canning Day

2007-09-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to make a record of which recipes I used for what things since it was such a super busy day in the kitchen!

Blue Ribbon Preserves, Linda Amendt (BRP)

Ball Blue Book (BBB)

Blackberry Jam, BRP 69

Fig Jam, BRP 72

Cherry Jam, BRP 71

Apple Jelly, BRP 104 (just used the same as the grape juice)

Grape Jelly, BRP 104

Hot Pepper Jelly, BBB 36

Scuppernong Jelly, used the instuctions for grape jelly in the pkg insert

Peach Jelly, BRP112

Cherry Jelly, BRP 98

Peach preserves, BRP 151

Blackberry Preserves, BRP 147

Pear Jelly, BRP

Chicken

2007-09-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

We have dear friends that raise pastured poultry. One of them has been very sick and in the hospital. There were about 140 birds that needed to be processed. I volunteered to help. Oh my, the things that I get myself into!!

After a day of farm chores and butchering and processing 70 chickens, I have a few thoughts...

--We do not give our farmers the respect they deserve

--I am blessed that I have never had to work in a poultry plant

--If this is how tough it is on a farm where the animals are treated very well, I can't imagine what it would be like under factory farming conditions

--I never want to eat conventionally farmed meat again (not that we eat it that often anymore)

--I didn't have nightmares but I wouldn't have been suprised if I did

--That chicken plucker is one seriously amazing invention

Muscadine Grapes

2007-08-04T11:13:00.000-07:00

Scuppernogs last weekend at the farmers market and now the muscadines are in this weekend. I ran some through the juicer. The juice is just so beautiful!! I think I will make some jelly, not sure about the rest. I ended up with 5 quarts of juice.

August Update

2007-08-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been bad about updating my blog over the past few weeks. The trip to Alabama seemed to mark a lull in my canning energy. Time to get back with it!! Last week, I found some scuppernogs at the farmers market. I juiced them on Monday morning and then had surgery on Monday afternoon. Needless to say, no jelly or syrup out of them yet. Expect those pictures in the next week or so.

Update on the cukes I have been fermenting for weeks on end...I give up!! They have fermented well but after over 2 months they aren't even close to being finished. It's time for me to cry uncle on this batch and consider doing a late summer batch. Then again, I can always try again next year.

I have lots and lots of things in the freezer that are in mid-canning. Over the next two or three weeks, all of these are joing to have to find their way into jars. Juices of blueberry, strawberry, peach, muscadine, scuppernog, blackberry. There is tomato water to be canned. Tomato pulp to go through the strainer. There are more blackberries, peaches, and blueberries that are just begging to be made into jam or preserves!

Apples and pears will be here soon and I need to start planning. I also need to get some soups made. I was hoping to can a bunch of tomato soup this summer but the local tomatoes are already gone. One of the local farmers tells me that there should be a late crop of both tomatoes and cukes, if the weather holds. We'll see...

Silver King Corn

2007-07-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

We stopped at Mark's Melon Patch on the way to Alabama last week. They were unloading the truck with Silver King corn. Silver Queen I know of, but Silver King? I wasn't too sure, but I bought a peck basket since there would be a lot of people where we were going.

The corn got cooked and it was without a doubt the best corn that I have ever had!! Therefore, with the Explorer packed to the brim we stopped on the way home. Ralph said very confidently before we stopped, "Oh, we have plenty of room!" Famous last words! We were able to get two bushel bags into the car. He said that he was terrified that I had gotten three when he saw the size of them.

I don't can corn unless it is a relish. All of this got cut off the cob and frozen...of course, a large amount was and is still being eaten fresh on the cob.

I am sure that Silver King is some mutant hybrid from some wretch of a company like Monsanto...but, it was really tasty!!

Large Mouth Bass

2007-07-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

We caught a bunch of bass while we were on vacation. I am sure that there will be many bass recipes coming soon as my freezer now has many bags, cleaned and ready to go!

This is a picture of Alexander carrying one to the cooler! He learned how to really fish on this trip!

Chocolate Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream

2007-07-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

Our oldest turned 7 today. I just have to wonder where the time has gone. I can't believe that it has been 7 years!! We had chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream...

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

1-Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2-Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans.

3-Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-Melt butter. Stir in cocoa.

2-Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

NOTES

-This is the quickest, easiest, best tasting chocolate cake around!!

-I double the frosting recipe to really have a nice amount for frosting.

-About half of the frosting and cake cocoa in the picture was the Special Dark kind. It gives it that darker chocolate flavor. You could do the whole thing that way, I just didn't have enough.

Vanilla Ice Cream

By Cuisinart for their 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker

1 cup whole milk, well chilled

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups heavy cream, well chilled

1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, to taste

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes on low speed. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla to taste. Turn machine on, pour mixture into freezer bowl through ingredient spout and let mix until thickened, about 25-30 minutes.

NOTES

-I take this out after going through the Cuisinart and place it in the deep freeze for several hours.

-I use one of my vanilla beans soaking in vodka (see earlier post) and squeeze the beans out of it when I am adding the vanilla extract. This gives it that nice vanilla bean taste and look.

Freshwater Mussels Steamed in Wine Broth

2007-07-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I have never cooked freshwater mussels but I gave it a try this past week while we were in Alabama. The boys waded into the water with Gene and came out with a sackful. Here is what I did with them.

Freshwater Mussels Steamed in Wine Broth

1 large onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups white wine

1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

30 Mussels cleaned and scrubbed well. Only use ones that are tighly closed or will close when tapping on them.

Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent in a large pot. Add the garlic being careful not to burn. Add the thyme and stir. Then add the chicken broth and wine. Bring to a boil and boil for about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and adjust the salt and pepper. Add the mussels, stir and cover. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Check and remove any mussels that have opened. Don't over cook. Continue to take them out and place them in a serving bowl as they open. Once all the mussels are cooked pour some of the sauce over them and serve with bread for dipping in the sauce.

NOTES

--You could really use just about any herbs that you have available

--I think a slosh of heavy cream would be nice in the sauce, after the mussels are removed but before you pour it into the bowl.

Bread-andButter Pickle Slices

2007-07-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

Bread-and-Butter Pickle Slices

So Easy to Preserve, 2006

yield about 8 pints

6 pounds of 4 to 5-inch pickling cucumbers

8 cups thinly slices onions, about 3 pounds

1/2 cup salt

Crushed or cubed ice

4 cups vinegar (5%)

4 1/2 cups sugar

2 Tablespoons mustard seed

1 1/2 tablespoons celery seed

1 tablespoon ground tumeric

1 cup pickling lime (optional)

Preparation-Wash cucumbers. cut 1/16-inch off blossom end and discard. Cut into 3/16-inch rings. Combine cucumbers and onions in a large bowl. Add salt. Cover with 2-inches crushed or cubed ice. Refigerate 3 to 4 hours, adding more ice as needed.

Preparation variation for Firmer Pickles-Wash cucumbers. Cut 1/16-inch off blossom end and dicard. Cut into 3/16-inch slices. Mix 1 cup pickling lime, 1/2 cup salt and 1 gallon water in a 2 to 3 gallon crock, glass container or enamelware container. CAUTION: Avoid inhaling lime dust while mixing the lime-water solution.

Soak cucumber slices in lime water for 12 to 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from lime solution, rinse and resoak one hour in fresh cold water. Repeat the rinsing and soaking steps two more times. Handle carefully, as slices will be brittle.

To Make Pickles-Add sugar and remaining ingredients to vinegar in a large pot. Boil 10 minutes. Add well drained cucumbers and onions and slowly reheat to boiling. Fill pint or quart jars with slices, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Fill to 1/2 inch from top with hot cooking liquid. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids. Process pints or quarts for 10 minutes in a Boiling Water Bath.

After processing and cooling, jars should be stored 4 to 5 weeks before use to develop ideal flavor.

NOTES

--I had never used lime in making pickles so I chose this recipe and went with the lime variation. There is no doubt that they are crisper than using the standard ice method.

(I did these last week before we went on vacation)

Pickled Green Tomato Relish

2007-07-07T18:44:00.000-07:00

Pickled Green Tomato Relish

So Esay to Preserve, 2006

yield about 8 pints

10 pounds small hard green tomatoes

1 1/2 pounds red bell peppers

1 1/2 pounds green bell peppers

2 pounds onions

1/2 cup canning salt

1 quart water

4 cups sugar

1 quart vinegar (5%)

1/3 cup prepared mustard

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Sterilize canning jars. Wash and coarsley grate or finely chop tomatoes, peppers and onions. Dissolve salt in water and pour over vegetables in large saucepot. Heat to boiling and simmer 5 minutes. Drain vegetables and return to saucepot. Add sugar, vinegar, mustard and cornstarch. Stir to mix. Heat to boiling and simmer 5 minutes. Fill hot pint jars with hot relish, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rims. Adjust lids. Process 5 minutes in a Boiling Water Bath.

NOTES

--This looks more mushy or cooked or something than what I expected. I'll give it a few weeks and we'll see how it tastes.

--I had issue with the cornstarch in the recipe as the new standards are so against using it in the latest canning guidelines. I wrote the the University of GA and that stated that in this instance it is safe because this recipe has been tested. So there...go forth and use the cornstarch in this recipe!!

(I did these last week before we went on vacation)

Blueberries in Syrup

2007-06-27T05:39:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday I took 4 dry pints of blueberries and mixed them with about 3/4 c of sugar. I let them sit for a couple of hours and then put them on the stove under gentle heat. I watched them very closely. I wanted the sugar to melt but not get them hot enough for the berries to pop. Once they were off the heat, I added a generous "glug" of Grand Marnier. They are very tasty. I ended up with 3 pints canned.

Sweet Icicle Pickles, the conclusion

2007-06-27T05:33:00.000-07:00

Well, this is how they ended up. I am overall happy with them. They are very sweet, but yeah, they are "sweet" icicle pickles!! Anyway, for some unknown reason I didn't trim the blossom end and I think they are a bit limp due to that. Otherwise they are a bit sweet for my taste but still really good. I think they would pair well with something really spicy!

Dilled Green Tomato Pickles

2007-06-27T05:25:00.001-07:00

Dilled Green Tomato Pickles
Ball Blue Book, page 54
yield about 6 pints

5 pounds small, firm green tomatoes
1/4 cup canning salt
3 1/2 cups vinegar
3 1/2 cips water
6 or 7 cloves garlic
6 or 7 heads fresh dill or 1/4 cup dill seeds
6 or 7 bay leaves

Wash tomatoes; drain. Core tomaotes; cut into halves or quarters. Combine salt, vinegar and water in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil. Pack tomatoes into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Add 1 clove of garlic, 1 head of dill (or 2 teaspoons dill seeds) an 1 bay leaf to each jar. Ladle hot liquid over tomatoes, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

NOTES
--I used the dried dill
--I don't know how these taste yet as they need to sit for 6-8 weeks for the flavor to develop.

Peaches!

2007-06-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well, that bushel of peaches finally got peeled and cut up last week. Most of it got cut up and put in bags of 4 cups for later preserving. Of course there were several 2 cup baggies that are the perfect size for homemade peach ice cream!

This is a shot of the peach preserves that I made the other day. I used the Old Fashioned Peach Preserves recipe from So Easy to Preserve. I looked away and let them boil over...uggh, but I still think they turned out well. I wish they had gotten a bit thicker. I think I might try making a batch with pectin and see what the difference is.

Sweet Icicle Pickles, part 2

2007-06-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I completed the one week brine. Then made the pickling solution and have one more day of boiling the liquid and pouring it back over the pickles. They will be jarred up tomorrow so expect an update! I think they look pretty good so far...

Squash Pickles

2007-06-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends Jim and Renee gave us a huge bag of squash the other day. A few of them were too large to cook so I thought I would make some squash pickles. I've never had them but from the samples I had, they are very tasty. I used the recipe in the BBB. The picture is before adding the liquid.

Blackberries in syrup

2007-06-02T20:28:00.000-07:00

It was a long drive and a lot of great places to see, but now that I am home the canning has started. I wanted to get a start on some of the wonderful blackberries so I began with these blackberries in syrup. They are hot packed. I used the BBB recipe that calls for macerating the berries in sugar for 2 hours prior to hot packing.

Today's Haul!

2007-06-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

Today was the dairy run, 600 miles roundtrip. Today was Tropical Storm Barry. My butt hurts from 13 hours in the car. In the end it was a wonderful day. I stopped at some of the most wonderful farms and roadside markets...more on that later...

Sweet Pickle Relish

2007-05-30T09:57:00.001-07:00

I used the recipe strainght out of the BBB and boy is it ever tasty! Part of the cucumbers I chopped up in the food processer, and the other part I did in the grinder attachment on my Kitchen Aid mixer. can't say for sure which turned out better but they are really pretty.

Sweet Icicle Pickles

2007-05-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

These started today and will sit under the brine for only one week. I love these pickles! It seems like every large container I have currently has something "brewing" in it! I like to use a dinner or salad plate to weight the cukes but I didn't have one that would fit inside the glass container so I cut part an odd sized plastic plate and then used a Ziploc bag filled on top of it. I usually use a canning jar on top but this recipe calls for the lid to be on the jar and it would not have fit if I used jars to weight.

Pickle Season Has Begun!

2007-05-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

I started a 20# bucket of cucumbers brining last week (5/25 for reference sake). There is a nice scum starting to form on top of the brine which is a good sign. Also, there are nice little lacto-fermented bubbles starting to come to the surface. Won't be long before we will have pickles. This process will take between 4 and 6 weeks. Then I will de-salt the cukes and then make the pickles.

Memorial Day Grill

2007-05-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

We went to a Memorial Day service downtown this morning. It was very nice but we had to leave before it was over. It was close to Eliza's nap time and she really started whinning. The boys walked right up front and sat down so they could see everything. They thought it was great and had lots of really good questions. We had a few of the usual routines after that and then headed home for a cook-out.

Menu

Grilled Grass-Fed Beef Patties

Grilled Vidalia Onions with Mustard Tarragon Sauce

Grilled Corn with Pecan Butter

Sliced Tomatoes

The Best Ever Baked Beans

Mustard Tarragon Sauce

1/3 cup olive oil

2 TBS dijon mustard

2 TBS white wine vinegar

1 TBS or so dried tarragon

salt and pepper

Wisk it all together. Let it sit for a bit so the flavoers come together.

The Best Ever Baked Beans

I just eye this so I will "guess" the best I can. My Aunt Nancee taught me to make these and they are oh so good!

2 large cans baked beans

about 1/2 cup ketchup

1 pound bacon cut in pieces

1 medium onion diced

1/2 cup (maybe a bit more) brown sugar, packed (light or dark)

Mix everything together in a large baking dish. Cook at 350 degrees for a really long time...Maybe 2 or three hours. Just stir it every now and then and when it starts to get really thick, sticky, and black around the edges then you know it's ready! It's just as good if not better reheated.

Muffins, Banana/Pecan/Chocolate Chip

2007-05-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

2 1/4 cups fresh flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg (less if not fresh)

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg slightly beaten

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup honey

3 medium mashed bananas

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans (you could toast them first)

Mix dry together. Mix wet together in a seperate bowl. Mix together lightly. Standard muffin tins will cook for 15 min at 400 degrees. yield about 15.

NOTES

-The kids just love these!

-I need to try making this savory sometime when I don't want to make rolls or cornbread.

Pancakes

2007-05-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

I get asked a lot for my pancake recipe. This is the basic starting point. I like to liven them up with lots of fun seasonal or home canned yummies.

Basic Whole Wheat Pancakes

courtesy of The Bread Beckers Recipe Collection

3 cups freshly milled flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup oil (I use melted butter)

4 eggs

3-4 cups buttermilk

Mix together dry ingredients. Add liquids. Stir just until mixed. I let it sit for about 30 minutes prior to cooking. I fry them on a griddle with melted butter.

Dehydrated Strawberries

2007-05-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

I think there is no way I could have made enough of these. Eliza loves them and eats them like most kids do candy.

Notes

-The larger berries seem to do better, look nicer. The bigger berries are at the beginning of the season, so I will be better off doing lots of drying early on in the season and then doing soft spreads later in the season.

Strawberry Jelly

2007-05-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friends on the Canning 2 yahoo group, I bought a steam juicer. This is the most beautiful jelly I have ever seen and it tastes like biting into a fresh ripe strawberry.

Notes

-I used the Linda Amendt recipe and went with the liquid pectin. It tooks several days before it was completely set. I might try some later this week with powdered pectin and see what the difference is.

Leftover Beef Tenderloin

2007-04-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well there was this whole thing with us having people over for our celebration of a Christian Passover Seder. Well, I made a beef brisket but I burned it! Ugghhh, at the last minute I ran to the store and picked up a beef tenderloin. Ironically, I ended up overcooking it! Over the years, whenever I have made a tenderloin we have always had lefteovers and this is just what I started doing with it. Years ago there was a Juilia Child recipe that I would make that was similiar to this but this is nowhere as complex. Here's what I do...

Cubed the leftover beef. Chop an onion (or a couple). Saute the onion in a little butter and olive oil until translucent, then add some chopped garlic. Don't let the garlic burn. Remove the garlic and onions to a plate. Add the beef to the skillet and brown it just a bit. Add some concentrated chicken or beef stock, return the onions and garlic and let the mixture simmer for a few minutes. Add some fresh herbs if you like and check the salt and pepper. Then, add a splash of heavy cream, just before serving.

I serve it over browned skillet potatoes or brown rice. Just garnish with some fresh parsley.

NOTES

-This is really good with mushrooms in it.

-Make sure not to add too much stock. You don't want this "soupy". I guess you could use plain stock without reducing it first but be careful not to get too much liquid in there.

-Don't return to a boil after you add the cream or the sauce will break.

Chops and cabbage

2007-04-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

This is one of Ralph's all time favorite things for me to make. I don't know when or where I started making it but it is tasty. All I do is season the chops with salt, pepper, and ground celery seed. The celery is the important thing here. Brown them off and set to the side. I then put chopped cabbage (sometimes with onions or even apples) on the bottom of the pan and stir it around in the left over drippings from browning the chops. I put the chops on top of the cabbage and then (very important) cover the pan. I finsih them off in the oven at 350 degrees. It works better with thicker chops because they don't get over cooked.

NOTES

-The celery seed is what makes this dish. I have tried to grind my own with little success. They are so fine the electric grinder doesn't pick them up, even if you add salt to them. A mortar and pestel works but this is one of those times that buying it ground is the way to go.

-I have made this with an open iron skillet before but you need to steam the cabbage first or it won't have the right texture.

Nathaniel's 5th Birthday

2007-03-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

We had a swamp party for Nathaniel's birthday. The recipes for the cake and the icing were from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. The White Chocolate Whisper Cake did not turn out as well as it could. I will say that it was me and not the recipe. I had to make a couple of substitutions and they, I believe affected the outcome of the cake. I also used the Neoclassic Lemon Buttercream and the Winter Blueberry Topping. They both were spot on perfect!!

Field Day

2007-03-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

Our dear friends Jim and Renee had a field day on their farm. I helped their friend Curtis with the bar-ba-que. It was so much fun, no to mention how good the food was!! I think I have BBQ fever now!

Tangerine Marmalade

2007-02-14T12:10:00.000-08:00

"Blue Ribbon Preserves"
Linda Amendt

Tangerine Marmalade

makes about 6 half-pint jars

1 cup zested or thinly sliced tangerine peel (do not pack)
1 cup water
1/2 strained fresh tangerine juice
3/4 cup water
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 3/4 cups supremed and finely chopped fruit plus enough reserved juice to equal 3 cups (18 to 24 tangerines)
5 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 (3-ounze) pouch liquid pectin

In a small bowl, combine the peel and 1 cup water. Drain the peel and discard the water.

In an 8-quart pan, combine the peel with the tangerine juice, 3/4 cup water and baking soda. Over medium-high heat, bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the fruit. Cover and simmer 10 minutes more.
Remove the cover and stir in the sugar and butter. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the entire contents of the pectin pouch. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Skim off any foam.
To prevent floating fruit, allow the marmalade to cool 5 minutes before filling the jars. Gently stir the marmalade to distribute the fruit. Ladle the marmalade into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims and threads with a clean, damp cloth. Cover with hot lids and apply screw rings. Process half-pint jars in a 200F (93C) water bath for 10 minutes, pint jars for 15 minutes.

NOTES

-It really took a while to supreme that many tangerines!

-This is really a fantastic marmalade.

-My yield ended up being exactly 7 half pints.

Altamaha Apiaries

2007-01-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

I love this building and I always say I am going to stop and take a picture of it. Last weekend on the way to Atlanta, we pulled over and I took a couple of shots. Last spring when we were going to Baxley to pick strawberries, it was covered in beautiful purple wisteria. This picture just doesn't do it justice. I would have loved to have tried their honey...

Sourdough Chocolate Cake with Orange Frosting

2007-01-20T13:40:00.000-08:00

Sourdough Chocolate Cake
(adapted from the King Arthur 200th Anniversay Cookbook)

1 c sourdough starter
1 c milk
2 c flour (I used freshly milled hard white whole wheat)
1 1/2 c sugar (I used succanat with honey)
1 c vegetable oil (I used melted unsalted butter)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 c cocoa
2 eggs
Frosting

Combine starter, milk and flour. Let work 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350.

In another bowl, cream sugar, oil, salt, vanilla, baking soda and cocoa. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine the creamed mixture with the sourdough mixture. Be gentle but make sure it is well blended.

Grease two 9" cake pans (I used one large bundt pan). Bake for 40-45 min, cool on a rack.

NOTES

-Less moist than when made with vegetable oil

-I made one of the frostings out of the same cookbook and it turned out to be a glaze instead of a frosting. It was still very tasty, just not the texture I was looking for.

Monster Truck Jam (aka Life Lessons)

2007-01-17T10:56:00.000-08:00

Just in case you are ever in doubt--Do NOT eat the nachos at the Georgia Dome...

Every little boy should get to go to a show like this once in their lives. I decided that I would embrace the experience. I had a good time, but once is enough for the rest of my life!

There were many more life lessons learned from this experience last weekend but this is a kitchen blog. Really, don't eat the nachos...

Roasted Green Onion Soup with Spicy Farm Sausage

2007-01-17T10:47:00.002-08:00

I had this enormous bunch of green onions that I had no idea what to do with, so this is what I did. Cleaned and dried them, then tossed them in olive oil and roasted them in a 400 degree oven. I brought some roasted turkey stock to a boil, added the roasted onions, salt, and pepper. I boiled it for just a few minutes and then pureed it with the immersion blender. A little heavy cream at the end, and topped it with some browned sausage. It was a really tasty lunch. When in doubt...make soup! (The color on the picture makes it look really disgusting, but it was super good!)

A Birthday Party and the Sad Truth

2007-01-13T07:42:00.000-08:00

Our daughter, our youngest of the three, turned 3 yesterday. We had a nice little party planned for her with one other family coming over. I put some thought into what I should make. We were planning on a Princess and Pirate Party. Everything was great but one thing...the food...It was awful...I am sad and disheartened. Why?

It turns out that we have changed more than I guess I ever knew. I took some short cuts and the food was not lousy, but it certainly was not good.

The Menu

Nutella Rollovers
Apricot-Cream Cheese Uncrusties
Egg Salad on Pumpernickle
Palmiers 2-Ways
Mini Quiche Lorraine

Shirley Temples

Strawberry Shortcake Torte

We started on this journey of increasing the quality and nutrient density of our food several years ago. It has led us to feeling healthier, strong and robust children, and on most occasions, very tasty food. The other side of that is that now it is so had to take any kind of short-cut. Our tastes have changed and that is a good thing but at the same time it makes it rather difficult.

NOTES

-I did not like the taste or the texture of the cake, Strawberry Shortcake Torte from the King Arthur Whole Grains Cookbook, and I will not make it again.

-Frozen Puff Patry does not taste very good anymore

-The mini quiche cups that you buy frozen are not very good anymore either

-Nutella, no matter how bad it is for you, rocks!

All about the Brine

2007-01-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

I pulled together an email today for an internet friend who needed some brine recipes. I thought I would post the email here since it is all my best brine information all together in one area...

The most basic-no frills brine is a 1:1 ratio of kosher salt to water. So, it would be 1 cup kosher salt to 1 gallon of water (not a true 1:1 but you know what I mean). You can make as much or as little of it as you need. Just dissolve the salt in the water and put your meat in. I put a plate on top with a canning jar with water and a lid on it to keep all of the meat under the brine. Keep it in the fridge, brining away, for up to about 12 hours. Take it out and cook as you would normally.

Now, that was the basic. You can add just about anything to this brine in the way of spices and herbs.

This is the holiday brine that I use. It is pricey to put together but I do it once a year for Thanksgiving and it makes the most amazing turkey ever! It is a Wolfgang Puck recipe. As a matter of fact because it was expensive, this is the brine that I put the extra turkey parts in after I got the Thanksgiving bird out just so I could make it a little more cost effective.

Brine:1 gallon water
1/2 ounce ground cloves
1/2 ounce ground ginger
4 ounces cracked black peppercorns
12 bay leaves
1 pound kosher salt
24 ounces honey
24 ounces maple syrup

In a large stockpot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower to a simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water. Reserve the neck and specialty meats for pan gravy. Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine. Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine. Marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, depending on the weight of the turkey, in the refrigerator.

This one from Alton Brown is also very good for turkey.
For the brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

Basic Bread

2007-01-11T05:24:00.000-08:00

We had company last night and I made rolls and ended up making 2 braided loaves with this recipe. The kids love to help shape the three balls for each of the cloverleaf rolls.

Cynthia--These are the rolls I made the last time yall came over. I added chives to the dough and used all white flour.

Basic Bread

adapted from King Arthur 200th Anniversary Cookbook

16 rolls or

2 loaves

1 egg PLUS

enough milk to equal 2 cups

1 Tbs instant yeast

2 1/2 whole wheat flour

3 c unbleached flour

1 Tbs salt

Mix it all together and knead (hand or machine). If the humidity is really low you might need another 1/2 to 1 cup flour. Lightly grease the bowl and the dough. Cover. Let rest until doubled (1-3 hours depending on weather conditions). Deflate and shape into final form. Turn oven on to 400 degrees 15 minutes before dough is finished rising. It will need about an hour to rise, again, depending on weather and kitchen temp.

Rolls-400 for 15 to 20 min

2 braided loaves OR 2 loaf pans-400 for 15 min then 350 for 20 min

NOTES

-This is the most flexible of recipes. You can use an egg wash, cream, or melted butter on the top prior to baking. You can add seeds, nuts,herbs, or dried fruits while mixing the batter. Top it wih salt, sugar, sprinkles of what ever kind you want.

-This is not all whole grain so I don't make it that often. Mostly I make this when we have company who are not accustomed to the whole grains that we normally eat. You can make this with up to about 4 c of whole wheat or you can make it totally with white bread (unbleached) flour.

...and a salad too

2007-01-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

So, I chopped up the turkey left over last night from the brine/freeze experiment, tossed it in the iron skillet with a little butter and browned it up. I made a quick orange vinegrette (still using those Paige oranges we picked up in the Indian River area over New Years) and chopped some beautiful leaf lettuce from my CSA box. It was great along with the cream of brocolli soup!

Cream of Brocolli Soup

2007-01-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

I got beautiful stalks of brocolli from my CSA yesterday (www.sapelofarms.com). We are going out of town on Friday so I need to get all my fresh produce in by then. I thought it would be great to have some brocolli soup. I read a bunch of different recipes on the net and then I just sort of "did" this...

Cream of Brocolli Soup

serves 6 or 3 as a main course

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Tbs dried herbs or 3-4 Tbs fresh (I used tarragon today and it was good)

1 qt stock (chicken, vegetable, turkey-I used chicken)

4-5 stalks fresh brocolli

1/2-1 c heavy cream (could use half and half)

salt and pepper

sour cream, optional

Heat pan with 1 Tbs of olive oil and/or butter. Cook onion over medium-low heat in a saucepan with a bit of salt until it is translucent. Add the garlic and herbs. Don't let the garlic brown.

Add the stock and bring to a hard boil. Add the brocolli. I use the stalks, florets and leaves so nothing was wasted. Cook covered until bright green and tender, about 10 min. Careful not to over cook the brocolli. Remove from heat.

Use and imersion blender (or food processor) to blend everything together. Stir in heavy cream. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve with a small bit of sour cream on top.

NOTES

-I actually added much more tarragon that what I posted in the recipe. I think 1 TBS dried would be plenty as I did about 2 1/2 or 3.

-It was really good. Ralph ate 4 bowls and then scraped the pot with his spoon.

Brined and Frozen Turkey Breast

2007-01-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

I posted in November that I used the left over brine from my Thanksgiving turkey to brine additional turkey "parts". I had no idea if you could brine, freeze, and then cook after thawing. So, today I thawed one of the breasts and it was just as great as it was from the first Thanksgiving turkey. This is great news and it will change how I order turkeys this year.

(Yikes! The picture looks pink, but it was cooked through...)

Shrimp Flowers

2007-01-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

These are the beautiful flowers on my table this week.

Pear Cobbler

2007-01-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

Well, it always seems to start this way...I begin with a recipe but what I end up making is far from the original...I mean far...

What I ended up with was this

Pear Cobbler

Topping

2 c hard white whole wheat flour, freshly milled so they were generous cups

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut in pieces

1/4 c sucannat with honey

1 egg

2/3 c milk

Filling

1 qt jar home canned pears in light syrup

2 tbs cornstarch

1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

Coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all dry filling ingredients together. Cut in the butter. Mix the egg and milk and add wet to dry. Stir just enough to moisten and then let it sit while you make the filling.

Add the pears to a 9 X 9 pan. Mix in cornstarch and nutmeg. Mold bicut-round shapes of the dough and place them on top of the filling, covering most of the top. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.

Bake for 40-45 min and serve with sweet whipped cream.

NOTES

-This biscut topping was fabulous, well, the whole thing was fabulous BUT...

-Next time I would leave out the cornstarch. There was not enough liquid in my one jar of pears to justify the starch and I like a "juicy" cobbler anyway.

-I would leave out the nutmeg (even though it is one of my favorites) and give it a try with fresh grated dried ginger. Then again, the nutmeg was really good! :o)

Potato Soup

2007-01-03T07:27:00.000-08:00

Part of the reason that I am blogging many of the things I make in the kitchen is so that when I get in a rut and can't think of things to cook, I can go back and look at things that I have made (and loved) in the past.

Yesterday for lunch I peeled a bag of potatoes and boiled them in salted water. I brought a couple of cups of chicken stock to boil in a seperate pan. In a skillet I sauteed a bunch of onions and garlic. I drained the potatoes (reserving the potato water for bread making) leaving about 1 cup of water behind, added the onion mixture and the chicken stock. I used my stick blender to blend until all smooth. I added salt and pepper and then a dash of heavy cream at the end. I served it up with shredded cheddar cheese and left over crumbled bacon. A salad on the side and lunch was done.

For some reason, potato soup is something that I never think to make. I don't know why, because it is so tasty and easy to make. This is on eof those things I need to think about when I can't think of what I should make...

Rice Cooker

2007-01-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

My other big Christmas gift was the Zojirushi Induction heating 10 cup rice cooker. Let me just say that it is the "mack daddy" of all rice cookers. If anyone is interested it is beyond my wildest expectations. It is fantastic!! It makes brown rice fluffier and moister than even white rice. I can't say enough good things about it.

Da Bomb

2007-01-03T06:45:00.000-08:00

I got a new canner for Christmas. It is an All-American 930 and I will be able to do some serious canning now; however, it really does look like a bomb!!

All American Pressure Canner 30 Qt Specifications:
Capacity - 30 Quarts (Liquid)
19 Pint Jars or 14 Quart Jars
Inside diameter - 13.375 inches
Height - 14 inches
Overall Height - 19 inches
Weight - 21.25 lbs; Ship-Weight - 29 lbs

New Year's Dinner

2007-01-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

Today being the New Year I cooked the traditional southern dinner-blackeyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread. Yummmmmm!

NOTES

-I boiled the ham hocks in some of my browned turkey broth for about 2 hours. Along with the hocks I added sauteed onions and garlic, pepper, and hot sauce. After it boiled, I added the greens, then the salt.

-I used the Cornbread recipe out of the King Arthur Whole Grain Cookbook and did the Cheddar-Bacon Variation. It was really tasty. I baked it for 30 minutes (the lower of the range given) and it was a little over done for me. In the future I would start at 25 minutes.

Cranberry Mustard

2007-01-01T06:23:00.000-08:00

My husband loves all sorts of spicy and full-flavored "things". I saw this while I was looking for cranberry recipes and I thought he might like this. Turns out he LOVES it!! I will certainly make this again.

Cranberry Mustard
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
page 273

Yield seven 4 ounce jars

1 c red wine vinegar
2/3 c yellow mustard seed
1 c water
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 3/4 cranberries (fresh or frozen)
3/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c dry mustard
2 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Bring the vinegar to a boil over high heat, remove from heat, add mustard seeds, cover and let stand 1 1/2 hours until all moisture is absorbed.

In a food processor or blender combine mustard seeds, water and worcestershire sauce and process until blended and most of the seeds are well chopped.

Transfer to a stainless steel pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce to medium and boil gently, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Whisk in sugar, dry mustard and all spice. Continue to boil gently over low heat, stirring frequently, until volume is reduced by a third, about 15 minutes.

Ladle hot mustard into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a BWB for 10 minutes.

NOTES

-I didn't have enough yellow seeds so I added black to make the total amount.

-The yield was about right. I used half pint jars and got 3 1/2 jars.

-This is really tasty and not very hot. We tried it straight out of the pan on pieces of cheese and it was great!

Now or Later Pizza

2006-12-28T05:09:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post this since it was a really nice crust. I don't usually use all white flour like this but I had a supply left over from Christmas baking that I thought I would try to use before going stale. The other thing, I had half a pound of crab meat to use up. I thought it could make a fun pizza topping to stretch it for a family of five. This is what happened.

Now or Later Pizza
King Arthur Baking Companion
page 247

Dough
3 c unbleached AP flour
1 tsp instant yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 c water

Mix together until you have a soft dough. Don't overknead; it should hold together but look fairly rough on the surface.

Cover and let rise for 45 min, then refrigerate it for 4 hours (up to 36 hours); this step will develop this crust's flavor.

Divide the dough in half. Shape in 9 to 12 inch rounds. Cover and let rest for 30 min while you heat the oven to 500 degrees.

Bake in the middle rack for 4 minutes then remove. Add toppings and bake an additional 8 minutes or save for later.

If saved for later, cool the crust and wrap and refrigerate or freeze. When you are ready to cook them, remove, add toppings and bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. (I would think you would need to let these come to room temp)

NOTES
-One pizza had garlic, browned butter, goat cheese, parmasean, and crab. It wasn't bad but the crab was too heavy and overwhelmed the taste of the dough.
-The other crust was topped with a pizza sauce the I used tomato paste, water, salt, and a heavy sprinkle of Penzey's Pizza Seasoning. The rest of the toppings were sharp cheddar and mozerella. It was a very tasty pizza!
-I left the cust to develop in the refrigerator for about 24 hours and I thought that it had a nice flovor and a great texture.

Cranberry-Apple Preserves

2006-12-27T12:12:00.000-08:00

This recipe was straight out of the Ball Blue Book. I don't think it is much different from the Whole Cranberry Sauce that I made earlier in the year.

Cranberry-Apple Preserves

BBB pg 39, 2006

Yield: 9 half-pints

2 pounds cranberries

3 green apples, cored, peeled, and chopped

1 orange, seeded and chopped

3 c sugar

2 c water

1/2 c honey

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil gently almost to the gelling point. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessar. Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process in boiling water canner for 15 minutes.

NOTES

-For some reason the thermometer didn't seem to be a good indicator of the gelling stage. I don't know why that was but something certainly was not right.

-I used frozen cranberries and they seemed to work well.

-I thought this would be sweeter than what it is, still rather tart.

-The yield was 9 half-pints, just as the recipe stated.

Marzipan

2006-12-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

Speaking of marzipan...This is the best! http://www.amazon.com/Stramondo-Organic-Marzipan-8-8-oz/dp/B0000U3AQ6/sr=8-1/qid=1167167420/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-0301410-5302240?ie=UTF8&s=gourmet-food
I was standing in line at the grocery store one day when a gentleman asked the lady behind me if she knew of any organic food shops in town. She said "no", but I butted-in and spilled my guts! Micheal was in town for a few months doing some training and was from CA. South GA not being the hot-bed of the organic food movement, I helped him the best I could. One day he brought me a gift, a box of this marzipan that he had brought from home...heaven in a box it is. Even if you don't like marzipan you should give this a try, it is so delish! Micheal left town but www.amazon.com started carrying this. I think of him every time I eat it. Thank you Micheal!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

2006-12-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

I don't have a picture of these but I wanted to get the recipe in here anyway. I make these to go with ham and people go crazy for them. When I make them at home, I substitute home lard for the shortening.

These come from a fabulous cookbook http://www.amazon.com/Gracious-Plenty-John-T-Edge/dp/1557883882/sr=8-2/qid=1167155764/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-0301410-5302240?ie=UTF8&s=books

Sweet Potato Biscuits
3 c flour, plus more for rolling and shaping
3/4 c sugar
1 tbs salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c shortening
2 c mashed sweet potatoes
1/3 c milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowel, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, allspice, and cinnamon. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the sweet potatoes. Ads the milk and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface; roll to 1/2 inch thickness and cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Notes
-I never roll these out! The dough is way too slack for rolling. You would have to add an enormous amount of flour to get them to roll and that would ruin the biscuit. What I do is get a good pinch of the dough and shape it in my floured hands, then place it on the cookie sheet. Now this will vary the size of the biscuit from what is said in the recipe and you will have to adjust the cooking time.
-These keep for a couple of days and then reheat well.

Chocolate Fondue

2006-12-26T08:52:00.000-08:00

I went back and forth on whether or not to use an actual fondue pot. In the end I decided to just put the chocolate mixture in individual ramikins for saftey sake with the children. I just couldn't see a trip to the Emergency Room as the finish to a great Christmas.

Chocolate Fondue
12 oz good quality chocolate, I used a combination dark and semi-sweet Ghiradhelli
1 cup heavy cream

Melt slowly in a double boiler. Transfer to a fondue pot or like I did, ramikins.

I served with
-Sliced apples
-Homemade fruitcake slices
-Pretzels
-Dried apricots
-Marzipan balls
-Strawberries
-Prunes
-Homemade marshmallows

Notes
-I think some flavored liquor would have been really tasty in it.
-In the end I was glad that I made the decision to use the ramikins. It was messy enough as it was, I can't imagine what it would have been like if the children had been dipping into a central pot. When the children get older we will certainly do the pot. You could also have used one of those chocolate fountains that are so popular these days.
-It was a lot of fun and we are going to do this again very soon.

Scalloped Potato Gratin

2006-12-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

Well, what can I say about this recipe ...good, basic, a starting point, easy, quick...a little bland...

Scalloped Potato Gratin
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Butter
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for broiling

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a saucepan, heat up the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg.

While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.

Crab-Stuffed Red Snapper

2006-12-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

NOTES

This was the main course of Christmas Dinner. It was very good and rather simple to put together. The kids really liked it as it was mild and not very...fussy. I was not very happy with the outcome of the crab stuffing. I had a little left over from stuffing and I baked it alongside the fish. I thought this stuffing baked seperate tasted much better than what was in the fish. I think this is due, in part, to how fast the fish cooked, it didn't allow the stuffing to get up to temperature long enough to really meld with the fish. I think the children enjoyed the head on the fish more than anything!! There was as much talk of eyeballs at the table as there was about the toys under the tree! I found this recipe at

http://foodgeeks.com/recipes/recipe/601,crab_stuffed_red_snapper.phtml

Crab Stuffed Red Snapper

Ingredients:
1/3 cup minced onion

3 tbsp. butter

1/2 lb. crab meat

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tsp. lemon thyme

4 lb. red snapper, dressed for stuffing

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup melted butter

Directions:
Saute onion in butter until golden. Remove from heat and mix in the crab meat, bread crumbs, parsley, heavy cream, and lemon thyme. Sprinkle cavity of fish lightly with salt and pepper. Stuff the fish and skewer edges securely. Mix wine and butter together. Place fish in a greased baking pan, pour wine-butter mixture over fish. Bake in 400°F oven, uncovered for 30 minutes or just until the flesh is opaque, basting frequently with wine sauce.

Our Christmas Table

2006-12-26T08:03:00.000-08:00

I decided to keep Christmas dinner very simple this year. Spending time with Ralph and the kids was much more important than being in the kitchen all day. Not to mention that I was really tired by this time. Here were the menus for the day...

Breakfast
Gingerbread pancakes (from the King ArthurBaking Companion)
Sweetened whipped cream with cinnamon
Bacon
Mulled Cider

Lunch
Turkey sandwiches

Dinner
Crab Stuffed Whole Red Snapper
Sauteed Vegetables
Potatoes Au Gratin
Chocolate Fondue

I think I will post and review some of the recipes individually...

Mark's Melon Patch

2006-12-26T07:03:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite road-side markets is Mark's Melon Patch. They have the usual canned stuff but also have beautiful melons, pumpkins, pecans, boiled peanuts, sunflowers, just whatever is in season!

They are located in Sassar GA (thanks to my friend on Canning2) and we pass by several times per year on the way to Alabama.

Liz Pecans

2006-12-26T05:53:00.000-08:00

In my quest to find quality food, local, and hopefully sustainable family farms...I was on a mission to find pecans as we travel through south Georgia pecan country early this December.

We had stopped at several places but they were either way expensive or I just had a bad feeling about where we were buying them from. This was a bad year for pecans due to the drought and there just aren't as many around as usual. The pecans I could find were small and expensive. I had given up just west of Waycross and then I saw a sign in Alapaha...

Several miles and a couple of turns off the main road, we found Liz Pecans. The open sign was up but there was no one in the little make-shift store that was at the back end of their pecan orchard.

We tried to find some one but ended up doing as others had done-leaving a note as to what you are buying and putting the cash on the table. Their pecans were beautiful and tasty, the price was fair for the season. What more can you ask for??

Ricotta Cheese Poundcake

2006-12-26T05:34:00.000-08:00

Yet another recipe trying to use up the ricotta before it went out of date. I had this favorite ricotta pound cake recipe in a cookbook, but I lost the cookbook. I think I must have loaned it to someone but after a google search I found one that looked very similar.

I think this is almost better the next day. I had leftovers of cake two days later when our friends came to dinner. I toasted slices in an iron skillet with a little butter, and then served the cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of homemade caramel sauce.

http://www.thatsmyhome.com/sweetspot/cakes/ricotta-cheese-poundcake.htm

Ricotta Cheese Poundcake
1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups packed light brown sugar

6 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

finely grated zest of 2 lemons

2 cups unbleached flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 3/4 cups milk or light cream

1 cup ricotta cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and lightly flour a 10 inch tube pan. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer, gradually beating in the brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest. Sift the flours, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg into another bowl, adding any pieces of bran that remain in the sifter; set aside. Puree the milk or cream and ricotta cheese in a blender.Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk/ricotta; do this in several stages, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Do not beat the batter. Distribute the batter evenly in the prepared pan, then bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes; a tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto the rack and cool the cake for at least one hour before cutting. Transfer the cake to a serving platter.

Notes

-Add the lemon zest last and stir in or it will just wrap itself around the paddle of the mixer.

-Keeps in the fridge really well.

Homemade Marshmallows

2006-12-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

These were really easy and rather tasty. I made one batch and they turned out great. I made a second batch, was distracted and messed up the amount of sugar...they were a flop but it was entirely me and not the recipe. I will make these again but I think there is room to jazz them up!

I really like this recipe because it does not call for corn syrup as many of them do.

Homemade Marshmallows
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
3 tablespoons (3 packets) powdered gelatin*
2 cups cold water
2 cups sugar
2 egg whites**
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting pan and marshmallows
Butter, for greasing pan

In a medium sized saucepan soak the gelatin in the cold water. After the gelatin has softened, approximately 10 minutes, add the regular sugar and then gently dissolve over low heat, approximately 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

In a mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks and then fold in the sifted confectioners' sugar. While the mixer is on low, slowly pour in the cooled gelatin mixture. Increase the speed and beat until white and thick. The volume should double in size and should form between soft and firm peaks.

Line an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with high sides with foil, grease slightly with butter, and coat with confectioners' sugar. Alternatively, you can use a baking sheet, but the marshmallows will not be as tall. Pour marshmallow mixture in and top with more sifted confectioners' sugar. Leave out overnight or for at least 3 hours to set. The marshmallow should be light and spongy when set.

Loosen marshmallow from edges of tray and invert onto a large cutting board. Peel off foil and use a large knife to cut the marshmallows into cubes. Dredge each piece in confectioners' sugar.
* We retested this recipe. It works best with 3 tablespoons gelatin. FN Kitchens
**RAW EGG WARNING Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

NOTES
-Next time I will try peppermint extract and swirl some red food coloring thorugh
-I wonder if you could not add a bit more gelatin and then add a small amount of a fruit puree
-Maybe I could roll them in toasted coconut
-Gotta watch what day you do these, as humdity is a factor.

Ricotta Cheese Doughnuts

2006-12-26T04:48:00.000-08:00

After we got back from Disney, I realized that I had 2 large containers of ricotta cheese that needed to be used or would be past the date. I googled ricotta recipes and came up with this jewel from www.cooks.com

AUNT AL'S RICOTTA BALLS
Printed from COOKS.COM
1 lb. Ricotta cheese
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Fill emptied 1 pound Ricotta container with flour.

Beat Ricotta, eggs, and vanilla well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Drop by teaspoon in hot oil. Deep fry over medium heat until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Roll in any kind of sugar - ie. powdered cinnamon or granulated.

NOTES
-This is one fo the best things that I have ever eaten!
-They are really only good right then, still warm. After that, they really are nothing special
-I rolled mine in granulated sugar and cinnamon

Browned Turkey Stock

2006-12-26T04:23:00.000-08:00

Well I'm a little late getting a few of these things blogged but here we go...

Stock, bone broth, whatever you want to call it, I make a lot of it. I always find a use for it and it adds a depth of flavor that is very nice. After Thanksgiving, I was left with a couple of turkey carcasess. I ended up with 2 huge pots of cooking broth and was able to can 16 quarts of the rich liquid.

NOTES
-Bird parts, anything but the offal. For the brown version I brown the parts under the broiler before putting them in the stock pot.
-Fresh herbs, what ever is on hand
-Onions, carrots, celery, garlic. No need to peel them, just chunk them up. -Peppercorns
-Bay leaf, or a few depending how big your pot is
-White wine, a slosh or so for the acidity
-Cold water, enough to cover everything
-I don't usually add salt because I may be reducing it--a lot
-I bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and start removing the scum, then the fat.
-When it's done I strain it through a flour sack towel, chill it , and remove the fat
-Freeze or pressure can

Cranberry-Orange Bread Pudding

2006-11-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

King Arthur Whole Grain Baking
Page 119

Made several changes to the recipe but it was really good and the children loved it! It made a nice creamy/moist dessert after a dinner of the leftover wild rice and sausage with chopped turkey. It was not overly sweet and I think it will be fine to serve to the children for breakfast in the morning.

NOTES

Used 3 c whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream since I had no half-and-half.
Used succanat instead of brown sugar.
Lost the bottle of vanilla extract (How is that possible I ask?!), so I squeezed a bit of vanilla seed out of one of the beans I have soaking in vodka.
For bread, I used the leftover rolls and loaf bread from Thanksgiving. There were lots of nuts and dried raisins and cranberries so I didn't add the cranberries called for in the recipe.
I think it would have been good with just milk and then use the cream over the top when served...more bang for your calorie buck!
I think some coarse sugar sprinkled on top would have added a nice crunch.

End of the Season

2006-11-25T08:20:00.000-08:00

I have only one rose bush left. It's in a pot on the back patio. This was the last rose of the year from my little bush. I love old fashioned roses.

Lard and Cracklings

2006-11-24T12:34:00.000-08:00

Well, last week I decided that with Thanksgiving coming, I had to learn how to render lard. I had this HUGE box of fat and skin from the last hog we bought. It was taking up a large space in the freezer and I needed room. I had this idea that the kitchen would be full of grease and that the entire house would smell for days. I had visions of getting burned and that somehow the entire process would be difficult. Boy was I wrong!

NOTES

The lower, the slower, the better...seriously. It took about 8 hours and I think I could have gone even slower. I cooked it on my back left burner. Next time, I should use my back right burner with the ultra-low simmer.
This was the best starting place on how to do it http://www.obsessionwithfood.com/2006_01_01_blog-archive.html#113709378997673043 At the last minute I decided to skip the step of putting it in water, chilling it overnight, then melting it and jaring it. Instead, I removed as many of the cracklings as I could and set them to drain. I let the lard cool in the pan for about an hour and then drained it through a flour sack towel. It looked completely clear so I decided to jar it up. If it had particles I could always remelt it and then take the other steps. Turns out it was perfectly clear and creamy white when it cooled.
It was not hard! There was very little splashing. I used my largest stock pot which is 3 gallons and used about 10# of fat and skin. I was able to get 4 quarts of lard and 3 large plates full of cracklings. There was very little smell. Overall, a great experience.

Vanilla

2006-11-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

I came across a deal a couple of weeks ago on vanilla beans. I never thought I would be able to afford to make a large batch of vanilla extract, but I have always wanted to try.

NOTES

I used Absolut Vodka and 28 vanilla beans. I am shaking it every few days and after a week it already has a strong vanilla flavor. I am thinking it will be about 8 weeks or more before it will be close to being ready. I would not be suprised if it takes much longer.

The County Fair

2006-11-24T09:35:00.000-08:00

I usually enter the local fair but usually only one or two items. This year I entered 8 out of the 9 categories and did very well with the judges.

ENTRIES

Fruit-Whole Cranberry Sauce (2nd)
Vegetable-Boston Baked Beans
Jam-Carrot Cake Jam (1st)
Jelly-Red Pepper Jelly (1st)
Preserves-Apple with Lemon Preserves (3rd)
Butter-Carmel Spice Pear Butter (1st)
Pickles-Pineapple Pickles (2nd)
Relish-Dill Relish (1st and overall Sweepstakes Award for outstanding canning)

This canning season was one of my very best. I learned a lot of new things and tried things that I have never done before. I had some big mistakes and some great successes. I love the fair and I am so glad that I was able to get my friend Cynthia to enter. Next year we will both enter all of the categories. Next year I will also find some one else to enter and I have challenged Cynthia to do the same. It's sad how few people know how to do these things in the kitchen anymore. I love that I have been able to put locally grown wholesome food in the pantry for my family.

Thanksgiving

2006-11-24T07:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving. Ralph and I both had to work but we had a beautiful dinner and friends over. Alexander got sick mid-afternoon and slept through the meal.

MENU

Herbed Maple and Honey Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy
Sweet Potatoes Baked in the Jacket
Whole Cranberry Orange Sauce with Grand Marnier
Roasted Carrots, Parsnips, and Brussel Sprouts
Wild Rice with Sausage and Vegetables
Fruits of the Earth Bread
Pull Apart Cranberry-Pecan Buns
Golden Pumpkin Pie
Cranberry-Apricot Surprise Pie
Fresh Whipped Cream

Oh, and there was a Mixed Greens Salad with Pears, Toasted Walnuts and Gorganzola then tossed with an Orange Vinegrette.

NOTES

Love, love, love the brine http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_25005,00.html The only problem is that is is VERY expensive to make a double batch for a large turkey. I have one turkey left to cut up and freeze. I think I will use the left over brine to soak the other turkey in parts and then freeze prior to cooking. If it doesn't work well then it will still be good for soup.
The 2 pie and both breads came from my new favorite cookbook http://www.amazon.com/Arthur-Flour-Whole-Grain-Baking/dp/0881507199 I was a little heavy handed when adding the almond extract in the Cran-Apricot Pie, otherwise all 4 recipes were excellent. The stars were the pie crusts in my opinion, both were fabulous.
I made the Wild Rice recipe up while in the kitchen. I didn't account for the water in the veggies when I cooked the rice so it was a bit "soupy". I had an extra box of rice and added it and cooked it for about anther 30 minutes. As it turned out there was a very pleasing combination of textures. One of those flops that you rescue and they turn out really well!!
I used a Merlot in the gravy and it was good but the Madeira would have been better.
This year was about not doing a lot of the same ole, same ole. It was nice and I didn't miss any of my Mom's old heavy casseroles...well, yeah, I did miss the Frosted Cranberry Squares... :)
When I made Turkey Stock a few days ago, I forgot to add the extra necks and it really does affect the quality of the stock.
Pastured birds cook really fast! I thought last year was a fluke, but it happened again this year. 26 pounds and it was done perfect in 2 hours and 15 minutes. If I had not used a continuous read thermometer it would have been dreadfully overcooked. Thankfully, it was perfect!