Slivered Chicken and Walnuts

From: "Sunset Cooking Two." Menlo Park, California: Lane Publishing Co., 1985.

My lack of posting has less to do with my busy, fun summer than the fact that I'm in a culinary conundrum. In order to rearrange my cholesterol numbers (raise the good, really lower the bad), I've been sticking with the safest foods possible: lots of oatmeal with blueberries and walnuts (they top the list of healthy cholesterol foods). But it's time to branch out (somewhat, this recipe does have walnuts).

One of the new leaves I'm turning over is to - gasp! - alter the recipes I'm posting. I'm such a rule-follower that, as you can tell from some of these recipes, I've copied them here verbatim. I promise the changes I'll make will be improvements taste-wise, not just health-wise.

The absolute best Chinese restaurant in South Bend, Indiana is J.W. Chen's, near the University of Notre Dame on State Road 23. I wish I could say this recipe is as good as Jean's walnut chicken, but it probably isn't. And it definitely isn't served to you after Jean pulls up a chair to take your order. You have to do all the hard work. But it's worth it - it tastes as close to a Chinese restaurant dish as I've ever made.

Cooking sauce (recipe follows)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons olive or Canola oil
1/2 cup walnut halves
1 medium-size green pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger [don't even bother with ground ginger - you have to use fresh in this recipe or the flavors will be off]

Prepare cooking sauce; set aside. Cut chicken into thin strips; mix with soy and cornstarch and set aside.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a wok or wide frying pan; add nuts and cook, stirring, until brown; remove with a slotted spoon. Add chicken to oil; cook, stirring, until opaque (about 90 seconds); lift out. Add pepper and ginger; cook, stirring, until pepper is bright green. Add chicken and cooking sauce; cook, stirring, until thick (about 1 minute); add nuts and serve over steamed rice.

Cooking sauce: Thoroughly blend 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, dash liquid hot pepper seasoning, 3/4 teaspoon each sugar and rice wine [or white] vinegar, 1 teaspoon dry sherry or water, and 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce.

'Possum Supper and Squirrel with Cider Sauce

From: "Better Homes and Gardens Meat Cookbook." Des Moines: Meredith Corporation, 1977.

I remember somebody in my family (a cousin, an uncle, possibly my dad) hunting one time when I was young and bringing a squirrel or squirrels to my grandma (raised in the hills of Tennessee) to prepare. More than one family member sampled the finished product (not me, I promise) but I don't recall anyone's reaction.

Meat is meat, right? There's no difference between eating a cow, a rabbit or a possum. Or is there? Personally, if I think too much about any meat, I lean toward veganism very quickly. I'd like to think that if conditions became apocalyptic, I could get along just fine without being forced to kill an animal to survive. But you never know when a possum or squirrel recipe might come in handy.

The possum and squirrel recipes are my favorites from this cookbook only because of the sheer novelty of them being in a cookbook in the latter part of the twentieth century. And I only own a cookbook entirely devoted to meat because it was in an auction box lot. Otherwise, I probably eat less meat in a year than many Americans eat in a week.



'Possum Supper - "Opossum is often said to have a pork-like flavor"

1 1 1/2 - 2-pound opossum
2 medium sweet potatoes
Butter, melted
Cayenne

Wash opossum; trim off excess fat. Season cavity with salt and pepper; close with skewers. Tie legs together. Scrub sweet potatoes; do not peel. Place opossum and potatoes in shallow roasting pan. Add 1/2 cup water. Brush meat and potatoes with 1/4 cup melted butter. Sprinkle with cayenne and some salt. Bake, covered, in 350 degree oven about 1 1/4 hours or till meat and potatoes are tender; baste occasionally with melted butter. Uncover; bake 15 to 20 minutes more or till brown, basting often with butter. Serves 2.

Squirrel in Cider Sauce

2 1- to 2-pound squirrels, halved
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup apple cider or juice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon honey
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Sprinkle squirrel halves with some salt and pepper. In medium skillet brown squirrels in butter. Add cider, onion, honey and bay leaf. Simmer, covered, about 1 hour or till tender. Remove meat to heated platter. Remove bay leaf. Blend cold water into cornstarch. Stir into pan juices. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Pass with meat. Serves 4.

Pesto alla Genovese (Basil, garlic and cheese sauce)

From: "Recipes: The Cooking of Italy." New York: Time-Life Books, 1968.

It's basil season! Just when you think you can't eat any more of whatever was last in season, along comes the next great item. Right now, for me, it's basil. I can get armfuls of basil at the farmers market for less than $5, so I'm making every recipe that contains basil and freezing what I can.

Remember Bubba from "Forrest Gump"? He listed every possible shrimp recipe imaginable as he and Forrest went through basic training. I could probably do that with basil recipes.

This little cookbooklet only has one basil recipe, but it's the best recipe for pesto I've found. The cookbooklet is a keeper, too. The recipes create very fresh tasting Italian food and make me think I can master international cuisine (i.e. they're easy).

This pesto recipe will not disappoint you. It's basic, doesn't get fancy with the ingredients (not that there's anything wrong with that) and it freezes like a dream. You can either spoon a portion into a Ziploc freezer bag, fill an ice tray with pesto and bag the cubes after they're frozen or use your favorite freezer container. I've been happy with frozen pesto well into a cold Indiana winter.

This recipe makes about 2 cups.

2 cups fresh basil leaves, stripped from their stems, coarsely chopped [I used a food processor] and tightly packed
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic [I throw that in the food processor, too]
2 tablespoons finely chopped pine nuts [you guessed it, the food processor]
1 to 1 1/2 cups olive oil [start with less - too much will negatively affect taste]
1/2 cup freshly grated imported sardo, romano or Parmesan cheese

Combine the coarsely chopped fresh basil, salt, pepper, garlic, pine nuts and 1 cup of olive oil in a blender jar. Blend at high speed until the ingredients are smooth, stopping the blender every 5 or 6 seconds to push the herbs down with a rubber spatula.

The sauce should be thin enough to run off the spatula easily. If it seems too thick, blend in as much as 1/2 cup more olive oil. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese.

Dick Van Dyke, the Stepford Cook

As I was working through my piles of old cooking magazines I came across this ad for Hunt's Barbecue Sauce. Now, I love Dick Van Dyke as much as the next person, but doesn't he look a little too perfect in this photo? Granted, it's from an early 1980s "Bon Appetit" and the 80s were all about perfect hair, but still. His teeth are too white, the shirt too starched, that chicken is too delectable.

In addition to the 1980s being Dick Van Dyke's era of celebrity endorsements, it was also the era of the food processor. "Bon Appetit" had a monthly column devoted to that new-fangled kitchen appliance, the food processor. What I noticed, though, is that every single recipe can be made more easily without a food processor. So not only was DVD trying to sell barbecue sauce, "Bon Appetit" was trying to sell food processors.

However, if there's anything we learned from the 80s, it's that life is better without a food processor. It might have taken some cooks (and "Bon Appetit") almost the entire decade to figure it out, but buying frozen chopped spinach is much easier than buying frozen leaf spinach and spending the time and energy with ye olde food processor to chop it. But that sums up what "Bon Appetit" was suggesting in their food processor column and recipes. "Hey, all you at-home chefs! Why not make cooking more difficult and really appreciate your efforts?"

I'm happy to say that "Bon Appetit" has been very responsive to trends and their readers. Current issues have streamlined processes and simplified recipes. And, Dick Van Dyke? He has aged very well, in my humble opinion, and is still making great movies like "Night at the Museum."

Mississippi Mud Cake

From: "Omaha Home for Boys Anniversary Cookbook." Kearney, Nebraska: Morris Press Cookbooks, 2005.

At first glance, this cookbook has an impressive collection of recipes. Even better, the three-ring binder style cookbook also comes with a mini-plastic stand that holds the book upright and open. However, almost every recipe I tried seemed to be a family recipe - that is, the combination of ingredients probably pleased the author of the recipe and his or her family, but only one suited my tastes. And even then, I'd reserve this recipe for large gatherings because it's super rich, with plenty of sugar and fat/cholesterol. In fact, the recipe says it serves 12-16 people but based on my experience, it probably serves 40. Because it's so rich, most people can only tolerate a small piece. But they do love that small piece and come back for more!

The good news is that you can easily halve this recipe and get the same results (not true for all dessert recipes, I've found).

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/3 cup coconut
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 jar marshmallow creme (large jar for full recipe, small jar for half recipe)

Cream butter, sugar and cocoa together. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add flour, baking powder, coconut and pecans; beat well for 2 minutes. Spread batter in greased and floured 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Spread marshmallow creme over top while cake is still hot. Cool and frost.

Frosting
4 cups sifted powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat together 1 cup of the powdered sugar with butter, cocoa, evaporated milk and vanilla. When well blended, gradually add additional 3 cups of powdered sugar and beat until creamy. spread on cooled cake. Serves 12-16.

Cup Cakes with Marshmallow Frosting

From "Rumford Common Sense Cookbook," Lily Haxworth Wallace. For the Department of Home Economics of the Rumford Company, Rumford, Rhode Island.

I used to work with someone who would put on her Nonni's (Italian grandmother) hat when she was going to clean her house. It made her more industrious (like her Nonni). She told me about this when I admitted that the way I got my own house clean was to fix myself a frozen margarita and pretend I was my own cleaning person. I paid myself at the end of my cleaning session.

These two stories are related to these two recipes because of their origin. They're from a very old, very quaint cookbooklet circa 1920. There's no publication date in the booklet, but I'm making the assumption based on the illustration and the instructions for baking by temperature: "For the benefit of housewives who follow the new method of temperature cooking, and for those who wish to learn how, the following table is given." My guess is that people were still using wood stoves for cooking during this transition period and had used wisdom and expertise vs. relying on the stove science of selecting a cooking temperature. In some ways, we all still rely on wisdom and expertise with our own stoves. I know that my over cooks low (below the selected temperature) and that my stove burners cook hot.

When I prepare these recipes, I like to imagine how early 20th Century bakers might have done things, for whom or what occasion they might have prepared these cupcakes, how those newfangled stoves worked. I have not, however, prepared this recipe while drinking a margarita. Too many eggs to deal with (requires all my faculties).

Note that the cupcakes will be much denser (and, I think, more flavorful) than the cakes we're used to in this century. The crust will be a little tougher as well, so keep an eye on them while they bake (you can't get away with over-baking even a little bit with this recipe).

Cup Cakes
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2/3 teaspoon flavoring (I used vanilla)
1 1/2 cups flour (I used Softasilk cake flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Rumford Baking Powder (don't even try - they don't make it anymore!)

Cream the shortening, add the sugar gradually and beat well. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks and add these to the first mixture. Then put in the milk and flavoring alternately with the sifted dry ingredients. Lastly fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Half fill greased cup cake pans [I ALWAYS use cup cake liners] and bake about twenty minutes in a moderately hot oven - 375-400 degrees [I went with 375]. Serve plain or frost with any desired frosting.

Marshmallow Frosting
1/3 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cook the water, sugar and cream of tartar rapidly to the soft ball stage - 238 degrees F. While the syrup is boiling, occasionally remove with a small damp brush the drops with gather on the sides of the saucepan.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and dry. Pour the syrup very slowly over them, beating while pouring and continue the beating until cool, adding the vanilla while beating.

NOTE: This frosting is very "wet" (aka gooey, not stiff). I added some powdered sugar to create a stiffer consistency. If you do this, add small amount of the powdered sugar and wait five minutes - the frosting becomes stiffer with time.

Chicken Triangles

From: "Easy Cooking Step by Step," Bev Bennett. Woodbury, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 1985.

There's a reason you'll find this cookbook at every garage sale and thrift store. A lot of people liked the idea of a step-by-step cookbook but this cookbook doesn't really deliver - definitely not on the step-by-step aspect and not on quality of recipes. However, these chicken triangles are incredibly tasty and, although they require you to be something of a culinary construction worker, are worth the time they take.

The recipe suggests serving them hot or tepid. Don't be afraid of the word tepid. It just means you don't have to time everything perfectly so you can take them out of the oven the minute guests arrive. You can make these a few hours ahead and pop in a 200 degree oven to reheat for about 15 minutes and the flavor is even better than out of the oven the first time.
1 cup butter, melted (divided)
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups chopped cooked boneless chicken breast
1/4 teaspoon saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoons chicken broth (if desired, just use the broth)
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground gingerroot
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (divided)
3 tablespoons sugar (divided)

1/4 cup light or dark raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts
Salt and freshly ground pepper
16 sheets phyllo dough

Place 2 tablespoons melted butter in top of double boiler. Add beaten eggs and cook, stirring often, until mixture resembles slightly underdone scrambled eggs. Stir in chicken. Add saffron mixture, along with coriander, nutmeg, ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon sugar, raisins, pine nuts and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lay 2 sheets of phyllo dough, one on top of the other, on board or cookie sheet (keep remaining 14 sheets covered with slightly damp cloth). Brush generously with melted butter. Cut into 3 vertical strips. Place a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture in corner of one strip and fold into triangle, then continue folding into triangles all the way up the strip. Trim off excess. Press edges of dough in to seal using more butter. Place triangle on ungreased cookie sheet.

Repeat making triangles with remaining 2 strips. Then repeat the entire process 7 more times (using 2 sheets of phyllo for each, cutting each into 3 strips). You'll have 24 triangles in all.

Mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Brush triangles with remaining butter and sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot or tepid.

A few words about the Ov Glove

In a nutshell: If you don't have at least one Ov Glove, go out right now and buy one. One will lead to two. Everybody should have two.

It was Christmas 2008 and when my nephew handed me the gift that I'd eventually discover was the Ov Glove, I shook the box and said, "I hope this is Dance Dance Revolution." Don't laugh. I've heard that DDR is a lot of fun and good aerobic excercise.

When I opened the gift and saw it was the Ov Glove, I said, obviously disappointed, "Oh, it's the Ov Glove." My mom (who the gift was from) said, "Don't you want an Ov Glove?" I hadn't asked for an Ov Glove and my mom didn't own an Ov Glove about which she could be excited and want to give me, so, no, at that time, I did not want an Ov Glove.

But I soon became an Ov Glove convert and asked for Ov Glove #2 for Christmas 2009 (which, thank you very much, I received).

How can the Ov Glove improve your life? Let me count the ways.

#1 Even if you go Ov Glove Lite and just get one, your cooking life just became 100 times better. The burns you might have gotten through cloth potholders are now a thing of the past. Your cooking confidence will go through the roof.

#2 Two Ov Gloves are better than one. Your cooking life becomes 200 time better and there is no stove/oven anywhere that can intimidate you.

#3 Ov Gloves are more flexible than those crazy silicone oven pads and mitts, and offer the same (if not more) protection.

#4 If you quilt (doesn't everybody?) you know that you press/iron as much as you sew. And sometimes you steam press tiny little 1/4 inch seams open. It's an accident waiting to happen. But not with the Ov Glove! Although I don't recommend it, you can touch the iron plate wearing an Ov Glove without fear or pain.

There are probably more than four ways to love the Ov Glove (Ov love, I call it), but these are the reasons I profess my Ov love.

Go get one today!

Sage Cookies

From: "Better Homes and Gardens The Ultimate Cookie Book." Des Moines: Meredith Books, 2007

What is it with me and sage? If I think about how prominent sage is in stuffing, I'm not much of a fan. But used in alternative ways, I'm in love with it. Just wait until I find the recipe that calls for sauteed fresh sage!

Don't let the ingredient combo in these cookies fool you. They are lovely, tasty cookies and the sage will surprise you. Its flavor is actually very subtle so it leaves you intrigued and wanting more.

As an extra bang for your buck, these cookies look impressive. If you're stumped for a costume at Halloween, put on khakis, an untucked shirt and carry a tray of these cookies and - voila! - you're Martha Stewart.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons snipped fresh, sage, lemon thyme or rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried sage or rosemary
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg white, beaten
1 tablespoon water
32 fresh sage leaves or lemon thyme leaves
Sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar and cornmeal. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Stir in sage. Add milk and stir with a fork until smooth. Divide dough in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until 1/8 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2 inch round or oval cookie cutter, cut out dough. Place cutouts onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

In a small bowl, stir together egg white and water. Brush cutouts with egg white mixture. Place one or two small sage leaves on each cutout. Brush leaves with egg white mixture. Sprinkle cutouts with sugar.

Bake about 7 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very light brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Apparently 1960 was a very unappetizing year

Was it the photography, lighting or print technology? Or were meals as unappetizing in 1960 as this cookbooklet would lead you to believe?

"Prize Winning Recipes" was published by the American Beauty Macaroni Co. in 1960 and promises that each recipe is "restaurant tested." It's sad enough that these dishes might have been served in somebody's home, but I can't imagine there was much hope for Americans if they were served some of these dishes in restaurants. No wonder a good-looking John Kennedy was elected to the presidency that year. America needed something easy on the eyes.



Take, for instance, the macaroni loaf seen here. The caption is a little confusing: "As prepared by Winning S. Pendergast School Lunchrooms, Detroit Public Schools." This is what was served in Detroit Public School lunchrooms during boom years. Can you imagine what kids are eating there now?

There's also baked salmon and shell macaroni au gratin, "A recipe tailor-made for Friday menus, using macaroni shells to create interest." Yeah, it's interesting all right.



No recipes with this post. I'm only keeping this cookbook as a novelty from a bygone era. However, if you're a school cafeteria employee and you'd like the macaroni loaf recipe, let me know.

Beef Roast with Sweet Potatoes

From: "Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes." Des Moines: Meredith Books, 2002.

I got this cookbook at a garage sale and I know two things: #1 why the owner was getting rid of it and #2 why she was only charging 25 cents. There are plenty of great slow cooker recipes out there, but this cookbook only seems to have one - Beef Roast with Sweet Potatoes. Other than that, it's about 400 pages of only slight variations on the boiled meat theme.

You definitely need the gravy that this recipe includes. And that's about all I can say about this recipe and this cookbook. Sorry - I wish I could be more enthusiastic about a boiled meat cookbook.

Wait - I do have one more thing: The sweet potatoes need to be in large chunks. The recipe calls for them to be quartered. Lean toward bigger sweet potato pieces, not smaller. Otherwise you'll have very mushy sweet potatoes.

1 2-pound boneless beef chuck pot roast
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 medium onion, sliced
6 medium sweet potatoes or regular baking potatoes (or a mix of the two), peeled and quartered (about 2 pounds)
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons instant beef bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
2 tablespoons cold water (optional)

Trim the fat from the pot roast. If necessary, cut roast to fit a 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. In a large skillet brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Drain well.

Place onion and potato(es) in cooker. Place meat over vegetables.

In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup water, bouillon granules, celery seeds, cinnamon, and pepper. Pour over meat and vegetables. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.

Remove meat and vegetables from cooker and place on platter; reserve juices. If desired, for gravy, pour juices into glass measuring cup. Skim of fat. If necessary, add water to equal 2 cups liquid. In a saucepan stir cornstarch into 2 tablespoons cold water; add cooking juices. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Serve gravy with roast and vegetables.

Serves 6

Mock Stroganoff

From: "Better Homes and Gardens Ground Meat Cook Book." Meredith Corporation, 1969.

I can't believe that I'm endorsing anything with "mock" in the title, but I do like this recipe!

I'm a stickler about many things and if beef stroganoff is on the menu, my expectation is that the beef in question is at the best, filet, and at the worst, your every day beef stew meat. I also detest Hamburger Helper. I'd rather eat Ramen noodles three times a day for an entire month than one serving of Hamburger Helper (any variety).

But here I am, promoting a recipe that is a glorified version of Hamburger Helper. I like this recipe and I don't know why. It's a culinary mystery that may never be solved.

If I don't have tomato paste on hand, I leave it out and the recipe is none the worse for the change. Don't you love recipes like that?

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 10 1/2-ounce can condensed beef broth
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 3-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained (approx. 1/2 cup)
1 cup dairy sour cream
Hot buttered noodles

In skillet, cook meat and onion till meat is lightly browned. Combine flour, sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt, basil, garlic powder and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle over meat. Stir in broth and tomato paste. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in mushrooms and sour cream. Heat, but do not boil.

Serve over noodles.

Makes 6 servings.

Corn Bread

From: "Sugar an' Spice and All Things Nice," Julia Kiene. Mansfield, Ohio: Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Appliance Division, 1951.

I love vintage and antique cookbooks for many reasons, but especially because the recipes often call for lard or bacon fat. Unhealthy? Heck, yeah! But delicious? Holy moley, you betcha!

Bacon is one of the pleasures that makes me feel the guiltiest, not only because of how unhealthy it is (artery clogging fat, nitrates, etc.), but also because I try to limit the amount of meat I eat (better for the planet, don'cha know). So I don't buy it very often which, of course, means I don't have much bacon fat on hand. But when I do, this corn bread recipe is worth my limited supply of the delicacy known as bacon fat.

I also love old cookbooks because they are so audaciously sexist. Women cooked, men ate. "Sugar an' Spice" is a cookbook for kids and the author does acknowledge that boys might want to cook, but they can use their "own judgment about the apron." Girls, meanwhile, "can wear a simple, little cotton dress, and always an apron. You will look your very prettiest in clean cotton dresses with an apron tied around your middle." And, as every cook knows, looking your prettiest is key while cooking.

Sift together:
1 cup All-Purpose flour
3/4 cup corn meal
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup sweet milk [fresh milk that is not spoiled, sour or decaying - not as easy to have on hand in 1951 as it is today]
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted bacon fat

Put bacon fat in 9" x 14" baking pan, then place in oven while it is preheating to 425 degrees. Grab a pot holder when you take the pan out [when the oven reaches 425 degrees]. It's hot!

Beat the egg in separate bowl. Add milk to the egg. Add the egg and milk mixture to the sifted dry ingredients and add bacon fat. Mix thoroughly, but don't be too energetic about it. Take it easy.

By now, the pan is cool enough to rub the remainder of the grease that is left in the pan all over the bottom. Be sure your hands are clean and use your fingers.

Pour corn bread batter into greased pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Protein Jolt Smoothie

From: "Super Smoothies," Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2000.

I wish somebody would make this smoothie for me right now. There's something about it that always comforts me and makes me feel cared for. Maybe it's the combination of peanut butter and bananas. Elvis loved that combo, too.

I appreciate the concept of this cookbook, but the authors over-deliver on their promise to provide a collection of smoothie recipes. There are no simple recipes in this book. All of the recipes require you to purchase (or beg or borrow) at least one unusual ingredient (that is, an ingredient you probably don't have on hand). I don't have a problem with the almond milk, plain yogurt (I keep it on hand to keep my dogs regular) or even the tofu. It's the dates. They're expensive and often aren't of very good quality. So I leave 'em out. Simple solution.

Unfortunately, the other recipes in this book can't be so easily fixed. To further add to the frustration that comes from an exotic shopping list, most of the unusual ingredients don't add much to the overall smoothie experience because the quantities are very small.

Enough about me - it may not be obvious, but YOU can easily substitute the almond milk for cow's milk in this recipe. Hopefully you're buying organic milk that is collected from family farms ;-)

3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup silken tofu
1/3 cup firmly packed chopped dates (about 8 dates)
2 tablespoons tahini or smooth peanut butter
1 frozen banana, sliced

Combine the almond milk, yogurt and tofu in a blender. Add all of the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Zucchini Parmesan

From: "Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars." Ceil Dyer. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1979.

This book (and its brother which I also have - "More Best Recipes...") is pretty handy when you want to use up an ingredient. These two have never failed me if I have extra of an ingredient that will just serve as a host for mold cultures if I don't use it up.

I need to get better about posting seasonal recipes. Local zucchini is actually a summer vegetable and the zucchini available now spends a lot of time and resources getting to your local supermarket. Forgive me and promise me that you'll wait until summer to try it.

I'm well aware of how unhealthy peanut oil can be, but it's one of those oils that makes everything more flavorful. Fortunately for my heart - it doesn't stay fresh very long (it can taste rancid after just a couple of weeks in the cupboard after opening and refrigeration changes the chemical balance of the oil)so I don't buy it very often. I usually substitute olive oil for the peanut oil in this recipe.

This recipe makes quite a bit and I usually cut it in half.

1/4 cup Planters Peanut Oil
8 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 tablespoons parsley
1 large clove garlic, crushed or minced
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon rosemary leaves
4 cups peeled chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat Planters Peanut Oil in large skillet. Add zucchini, onion, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano and rosemary. Saute mixture over medium heat, stirring often, until zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes. Toss in tomatoes and continue to saute until tomatoes are thoroughly heated, about 5 minutes. Turn mixture into a serving dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

One-pan Chicken, Sausage and Sage Bake

From: ?? It's a mystery, Scooby-Doo. Here's what I know: It's a Nigella Lawson recipe and you can find it on the Food Network website, but I'll be darned if I know where I got it.

It's delicious, it's easy and it's a loaves and fishes recipe. If you keep dividing the sausage and remove the chicken from the bone, you can feed two or three times as many people as planned. I know this from experience and everybody got plenty.

A word about our friend, sage. If you only know sage from Thanksgiving stuffing, I encourage you to give him another chance. Next to mint and lemon balm (just typing those words means I'll have an even bigger invasion of both this summer), sage is the easiest herb to grow. Why? Because you can plant the tiniest plant or even the tiniest seed in the saddest location ever and you will have fresh sage growing every summer through fall forever. FOREVER.

But sage can be used so many ways and it's easy to store any extra you have. I just snip off the remaining leaves in November (it withstands the first few frosts in my yard) and put it in a Ziploc freezer bag and pop in the freezer. Fresh sage forever. FOREVER.

Note: You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe but, as in all recipes, the chicken is so much more flavorful if you use the whole chicken piece (bone and skin).

1 lemon, halved
2 small onions, peeled and quartered through the root ends
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground pepper
One 4 pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces [I use 4 large chicken breasts]
Kosher salt
12 sweet Italian sausages
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Squeeze the lemon halves into a large, resealable plastic bag. Cut each lemon half into 4 pieces and add to the bag along with the onions, olive oil, mustard, 1 tablespoon of sage and Worcestershire sauce; season with pepper. Seal the bag and squish the ingredients together until well mixed. Add the chicken pieces to the bag and coat thoroughly. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Let the chicken stand at room temperature in the marinade for 30 minutes. Pour the contents of the bag into a large roasting pan. Turn the chicken pieces skin side up and season with salt. Arrange the sausages around the chicken and sprinkle all over with the 2 tablespoons of sage. Bake for 1 hour, until the chicken and sausage are browned; turn the sausages halfway through cooking. Transfer the chicken, sausages, onions and lemons to a platter; drizzle with some of the pan juices and serve.

Oatmeal Scotchies and Mocha Walnut Cookies

From "Nestle Toll House Recipe Collection." Nestle Foods Corporation, 1987.

I'm going to maintain that age-related memory issues can be fun. You forget a lot (while at the same time you remember, in great detail, things that have very little relevance to anything). Because of the forgetting, I can pretty much count on being surprised at least three times a week. Most recently I was very pleasantly surprised by a gorgeous pair of blue suede shoes that I don't remember buying.

I'm often surprised by a cookbook - I don't remember where or when I got it or that I even had it. This cookbook is one of those.

Nestle's purpose in this cookbook seems to be to convince the reader that adding chips of any kind (chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate, etc.) can make any recipe better - including pumpernickel bread, carrot cake and Irish soda bread.

The two recipes here are indeed "chip stars." The Oatmeal Scotchies are better than you remember and, without fail, get eaten very quickly and garner rave reviews. The Mocha Walnut Cookies are worth the slightly extra work and, dare I say it, better than a basic chocolate chip cookie.

Oatmeal Scotchies
Makes about 4 dozen 3-inch cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups oats (Quick or Old Fashioned)
One 12-ounce package (2 cups) Nestle Toll House butterscotch flavored morsels.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract; beat until creamy. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in oats and Nestle Toll House butterscotch flavored morsels.

Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes for chewier cookies, 9-10 minutes for crisper cookies.

Note: I've found the cookies are easier to handle if I allow them to sit on the cookie sheet for 1 minute after removing them from the oven before I remove them from the sheet.

Mocha Walnut Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen 3-inch cookies

One 12-ounce package (2 cups) Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided
2 tablespoons Nescafe Classic instant coffee [I use instant espresso powder]
2 teaspoons boiling water
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1/2 cup Nestle Toll House semi-sweet morsels over hot (not boiling) water; stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In small cup, dissolve Nescafe Classic instant coffee in boiling water; set aside.

In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and coffee; beat until creamy. Add egg and melted morsels; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels and walnuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Allow to stand 2-3 minutes before removing from cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

From "The Silver Palate Cook Book." New York: Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 2007.

The cover shown here is the 25th anniversary edition. I also have (and prefer the layout of) the original - published in 1982, although it sustained significant water damage when I knocked over a Pyrex measuring cup of boiling water in the late 1980s.

I love fresh Michigan asparagus and have become a snob about only using in-season, locally grown asparagus purchased at the South Bend Farmer's Market. That means that my asparagus consumption is condensed and intense. I eat copious amounts of asparagus for a month and then miss it (and look forward to its return) for 11 months.

I usually make a weekly batch of this soup during asparagus season. The serving size is much too small in my opinion. I find that this recipe more reasonably makes three or four meal-sized servings.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
4 cups chopped yellow onions (about 4 large onions)
2 quarts chicken stock/broth [I've substituted vegetable broth before, but prefer chicken]
2 pounds asparagus [Buy local and in season!]
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream or buttermilk (for cold soup) [I always add cream to the hot version, too]

Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat and simmer the onions until very soft and golden, stirring often, about 25 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, trim the tips from the asparagus and reserve. Cut about 1 inch from the butt ends of the asparagus spears; don't try to remove all of the tough parts, just the very woody ends. Chop the spears into 1/2 inch pieces and drop into the boiling chicken stock, cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the asparagus is very soft, 45 minutes.

Force the soup, broth and all, through the medium disc of a food mill. Return the puree to the pot, add the reserved asparagus tips, and simmer until they are tender but still firm, 5 to 10 minutes. If serving the soup hot, season with salt and pepper and serve.

If serving the soup cold, remove from the heat, cool, stir in the cream or buttermilk, and refrigerate, covered. Season with salt and pepper. Serve very cold.

8 to 10 portions


Coming soon: An easy, delicious chicken and sausage dish

Macaroni and Cheese

From Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. Unfortunately, this cookbook is so well loved that the cover pages are missing. Based on when we used this cookbook growing up, I'd say it's an early 1970s version.

This recipe is one of my absolute favorites. It's a no-messing-around, no-frills, basic macaroni and cheese recipe and it's my go-to comfort food. Because I've made this recipe so much, it's how I became a bechamel/white sauce expert.

I never add the tomato slices that are suggested within the recipe. I just love the creamy, cheesy pasta unadorned.

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1/4 cup minced onion (optional) [I never add the minced onion]
2 cups shredded sharp process cheese [Ha! I wouldn't be caught dead using processed cheese, but I wanted to remain faithful to the recipe. I always use a quality sharp cheddar]

Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water until tender; drain.

Melt butter; blend in flour. Add milk. Cook and stir till thick. Add salt, pepper, onion and cheese; stir till cheese is melted.

Mix sauce with macaroni. Turn into 1 1/2-quart casserole. If you like, sprinkle tomato slices with salt; arrange on top, pushing edge of each slice into macaroni. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) about 45 minutes, or till bubbly and browned.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Coming soon: To get you ready for asparagus season - a lovely asparagus soup recipe.

Ravioli with Sage Cream Sauce

From "Culinary Treasures: Hilton Head Island" compiled by the Avid Gardeners, Hilton Head Plantation. Cairo, Nebraska: Record Printing Company, 1999.

The first version of ravioli with sage cream sauce I tried was a Linda McCartney frozen dinner version that was actually very good. This recipe is even better. I use Nuovo Butternut Squash & Grana Padano. You can find it (and other vegetable raviolis) at Bamber's Supermarket if you're in the South Bend, Indiana area.

This recipe is easy, but requires focus so I'd suggest a mise en place approach (gather all the materials before you begin) and don't try to prepare anything in addition to this recipe at one time.

Another strong recommendation is to not substitute the white wine with chicken broth. The wine flavor is really key to this recipe's success.

2 8- to 9-ounce packages refrigerated vegetable filled ravioli or tortellini
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 1 1/2 teaspoons crumbled dried sage leaves
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 1/3 cups whipping cream
Parmesan cheese shavings

Cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but firm to bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add pecans and stir until slightly darker and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pecans to small bowl. Add shallots and sage to same skillet. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and cream. Increase heat and boil until sauce is reduced to generous one half, about 5 minutes.

Add ravioli or tortellini to sauce; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Divide between serving bowls. Sprinkle with pecans and Parmesan shavings. Serves 6 as a first course or 4 as an entree.

Coming soon: The best no-frills, basic macaroni and cheese recipe

Ginger Cookies

From “Cookies! The Collector’s Series/Volume 26,” edited by Marian Levine. Gaithersburg, MD: The American Cooking Guild, 1989. Page 29

I got this booklet at an auction and the cover says, “A gift to you from Sears,” so I’m assuming it’s a premium of some sort.

I’m always on the hunt for an excellent cookie recipe. This is by far the best gingerbread cutout recipe I’ve come across. I’m a follow-the-recipe-to-the-letter cook and doing so with this recipe is definitely recommended. All the ingredients, in the listed proportions, are necessary for ultimate success with this cookie.

“This gingery cookie is crisp and has a hint of orange flavor. It is ideal for gingerbread people or holiday cookie shapes.”

An added bonus with these cookies is that they get better with age. They’re the cookie version of a fine wine. I pipe on white royal icing to decorate, although these cookies don’t need the frosting for flavor by any means.

An interesting note: My friends who like my gingersnaps don’t like these cookies. These are much more flavorful (but not necessarily sweeter) than the standard gingersnap.

3 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons [powdered, not fresh] ginger

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon [ground] cloves

¼ teaspoon cardamom

½ cup sweet [unsalted] butter

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

¾ cup molasses

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and spices. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together, then add egg, molasses, salt and orange rind. Mix well. Stir into dry ingredients. Form dough into a ball shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight [this allows the flavors to marry and is highly recommended].

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough out to ¼-inch thick on floured surface. Cut into desired shapes. Place shapes onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Note: Dough will keep up to one week, refrigerated. Cookies can be stored up to three weeks in cookie tins [cookies were still edible, although not fresh, after six weeks in Ziploc bags].

Variation: Decorate cookies with raisins, colored sugar, silver dots, etc. [I used cinnamon red hots successfully, but didn’t like the flavor combo] before cooking. Or ice them after they have cooled.

Yield: 3 ½ dozen

Coming soon: Ravioli in sage cream sauce

Hello

I've been collecting cookbooks for decades now. I'm on a decluttering jag and have spent some time with the (I'm going to admit it) hundreds of cookbooks I have. You and I both know that, on a good day, the majority of those cookbooks might have three good recipes each.

There are some cookbooks that are good cookbooks, but - be honest - those cookbooks are few and far between.

So, in the spirit of "Julie and Julia" (which, shockingly, I haven't even seen yet), I'm going to go on a quest through all my cookbooks and find the best recipes and share them here. I'll note the cookbook title and other bibliography information and the recipes should be noted as copyrighted (both by the publisher and via my blog). As an ethical bibliophile, I'll respectfully ask that you acknowledge the source if you pass the recipe on.

Coming soon: More progress on the look of my blog page and the best gingerbread cookie cutout recipe.