How To Take A Trick A Day With Bisquick

I love to watch the evolution of language.  I am sure that at the end of 2012, Bisquick does not want anyone "taking a trick" with them.  But tricking seemed to be just fine in 1935's How To Take A Trick A Day With Bisquick.   That was the year that Bisquick gathered a group of stars to share their Bisquick recipes. 

What hasn't changes since 1935?  The fact that these "stars" never stirred up a batch of Bisquick anything in their lives, but as we say at Christmas time, its the thought that counts.

For those of you who think a gourmet kitchen is a toilet with a microwave sitting on the back of the tank, Bisquick is a baking mix or flour that already has leavening and oil in the mix.  It is easy enough to DIY your own, but one must keep it in the refrigerator after adding the oil or butter.  Frankly, my refrigerator is jam packed and action filled, so I keep store-bought Bisquick on the shelf. 

Among the stars in this small pamphlet are Dick Powell, Bing Crosby, Joan Crawford and the incomparable Bette Davis. 

According to Bisquick, Bette loves "simple homey" things.  Tea in her dressing room for example.  Here is how Bette makes a nice afternoon tea sandwich.

Hunt Club Sandwich

Roll Bisquick dough very thin.  Dot surface with 4 tbsp. butter.  Fold so as to make three layers.  Turn half way round.  Roll out 1/2 the dough 1/8 inch thick to cover the bottom of oblong pan, about 12 by 9 inches.  Spread thickly with Chicken and Ham filling.  Cover with remaining dough rolled thin.  Cut through in desired shapes, such as squares, diamonds,etc., but leave in place.  Bake 15 minutes in  hot oven, 450.  Filling:  To 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cut up and flaked, and 3/4 cup cooked ham, cut in 1/2 inch pieces, add 4 tbsp. top milk, 3 beaten egg yolks, and 2 hard cooked eggs, chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

Bisquick is so easy there are no instructions for making the dough,  however, the assembly sounds a bit complicated to me!

Next week when you are stuck in the kitchen and beyond frazzled, just ask yourself  how Bette Davis would handle it.   You will no doubt come through the ordeal calm and smoking, with the melodies of Max Steiner dancing in your head.  Because Bette would have handled it with a caterer... and to all a goodnight.

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CHRISTMAS FUDGE

Christmas is almost here and everyone I know is running around looking for that last minute mini-gift for the mailman, a teacher, the newspaper boy or even the UPS man!!

This fudge recipe is the perfect answer!! Not only is it quick and easy to make, but it tastes great and I love that it can be made way ahead of schedule.

4 cups white sugar
1 twelve ounce can of evaporated milk
8 ounces of real butter (no margarine or spreads)
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 TABLESPOON vanilla
chopped nuts if desired (we like honey roasted peanuts)

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, mix the white sugar and evaporated milk; bring it to a boil over medium high heat.  Once it is at a full rolling boil (one that you can not stir down), turn the heat down to medium and boil for 6½ minutes (stirring CONSTANTLY). I stir with a wooden spatula that has a square end and I stir in a figure 8 (the flat blade of the spoon really scrapes the  bottom of the pan well).

After 6½ minutes at a full rolling boil, remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, a TABLESPOON of vanilla and all of the chocolate.

At first the butter will sort of stay separate from everything, but if you use a whisk, it will incorporate quickly. When it's all smooth, add the nuts if you are using them (as many as you like).

Pour into a FOIL LINED 9" x 13" pan and cool overnight in the fridge. If you are using these cute little tin foil stars (instead of the 9" x 13" pan), you can just wrap them in clear cellophane bag (after they are chilled) and tie it up with a bright Christmas bow!!

 MERRY   CHRISTMAS   FRIENDS!!!

NOTE: You can make this with any flavor chocolate chips you like.
I've tried them all and the only one I DON'T recommend is using ALL semi-sweet. The three chocolate blend listed above results in a wonderful flavor (you won't taste the white chocolate, but it adds a lot to the final taste).

Note: Make sure you use a good quality butter, not a soft spread butter or a diet butter and definitely no margarine.

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Christmas Memories With Recipes

Her is an oldie but goodie in the Christmas recipe genre.   Christmas Memories with Recipes was published in 1988.  It includes most of the big name food faces of the 70' and 80's.  This is very interesting as you look at all the foodie faces of today and wonder who will we still be talking about in 2050!

This is a wonderful collection featuring a young Martha Kostyra Stewart and Jaques Pepin to the august Maida Heatter and Craig Claiborne.  The stoically British Jane Grigson to the wildly Italian Edward Giobbi with a bit of Lee Bailey's Southern charm thrown in.

Basically, each person tells stories of their favorite Christmas memories and includes in the recipes that made it great.  For Edna Lewis, Christmas began in September when she was sent out to collect nuts for fruitcake.  IT was the children's job to gather the nuts, crack them and extract the meats from the shells.  Every sunny day in September, her mother set out to make the fruitcakes.  Through October and November they were doctored with spirits until they saturated for giving.    Here is her recipe.

Edna Lewis' Fruitcake 

1 cup diced glazed candied orange peel
1 cup diced glazed candied lemon peel
2 cups diced citron
1 cup currants
2 cups seedless raisins, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup brandy
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 cups brown sugar
5 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sorghum molasses

Mix all the fruit in a large bowl and pour in the wine and brandy. Stir gently and set aside to marinate for a few hours.

Butter a 10-inch tube pan or two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans and line it (or them) with clean parchment paper. Butter the paper.

Sift the flour with the spices twice. Add the baking powder and salt and sift again.

Put the butter into a large mixing bowl and cream until satiny. Add sugar and, using an electric mixer, cream until light and fluffy. Beat the egg yolks slightly and then add them to the bowl. Mix the batter well before you start to add the flour-spice mixture. Stir the batter as you add the flour, a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the flour is thoroughly incorporated, add the molasses and stir. Finally, stir in the fruit and any soaking liquid in the bowl.

Put the egg whites in a grease-free bowl and beat with a clean beater until they hold stiff peaks. Fold them into the batter thoroughly and then spoon the batter into the prepared pan ( or pans ). Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let the batter sit overnight in a cool place to mellow.

On the next day, heat the oven to 250 degrees. Place the fruitcake on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 3-1/2 to 4 hours. After 1-1/2 hours, cover the pan with a piece of brown paper (do not use foil) or set the pan in a paper bag and return it to the oven.

When the cake has baked for 3-1/2 hours, remove it from the oven and listen closely for any quiet, bubbling noises. If you "hear" the cake, it needs more baking. Or test the cake with a toothpick or cake tester. If the toothpick or tester comes out of the center of the cake clean, the cake is ready to take from the oven. Put it on a wire rack to cool, still in the pan.

When the cake is completely cool, turn it out of the pan (pans), leaving the brown-paper lining on the cake. Wrap the cake with parchment, then aluminum foil, and pack the cake in a tin. Homemade fruitcakes need air, so punch a few holes in the lid of the tin or set the cover loosely on the tin.

Set the tin in a cool, undisturbed place, and every two or three weeks before Christmas, open the foil and sprinkle the cake with a liqueur glassful of brandy, wine, or whiskey. The liquor will keep the cake most and flavorful and help preserve it as well.

On Christmas morning her father would wake the children and set off Roman candles.  I am sure that today there are local ordinances that would prevent fireworks on Christmas, but fruitcake is still acceptable.

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APPLE PIE JAM

This jam is the perfect topping for just about anything; it is very versatile and delicious.

Apple pie jam is very economical  to make and it is just unique enough that it makes a great gift for co-workers, church friends, babysitters, etc. (any time you need a small gift from the heart for friend).

 

It really does taste just like an apple pie!!

APPLE PIE JAM

6 cups diced granny smith apples (6 or 7 apples)

1/2 cup apple juice  (you can use water in a pinch)

1/2 teaspoon butter

3 cups granulated sugar

2 cups brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best)

(1) small box (1¾ oz.) Sure-Jell Premium powdered pectin

Dice the apples, then put them in the food processor for just a (very) few pulses. You don't want the pieces too small.

Cook the apples, apple juice and butter (in a large heavy pot with tall sides) over low heat until the apples are soft but not mushy.

Stir in powdered pectin and bring to a full rolling boil (one that does not stop boiling when you stir it); stir constantly.

When it comes to a full rolling boil, add the sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir well and bring back to another full rolling boil.  Keep it at a full rolling boil (while stirring) for exactly one minute, no longer.

Remove from heat and skim off any foam from the surface of the jam(if there is any). Pour the jam into HOT clean jars, leaving 1/4" head space. Wipe the rims of the jars with a CLEAN wet cloth and put on the two piece lids (hand tighten). 

Process in a hot water bath:  half pints for 10 minutes; pints for 15 minutes.  This recipe makes (7) half pint jars.

 

NOTE: As (with a lot of jams that have chunks of fruit), if you aren't careful, the fruit will "float" in the jar and it won't be evenly distributed throughout the jam. It doesn't change the taste at all, but it isn't "picture perfect" for gift giving either.

To avoid that:  After you take the cooked jam off of the heat for the last time, Sit it on a towel or a pot holder so that the pan stays as hot as possible. Let  the hot jam sit in the hot p an for five minutes before you put it in the HOT jars. Stir the hot jam every 60 seconds or so with a CLEAN spoon. After the five minutes is up, put the jam in the hot jars and proceed with the same directions.  This little trick will stop the fruit bits from floating to the top.



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GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Gingerbread houses make wonderful gifts. Not only are they easy (you really can't goof them up because frosting fixes everything) but they are an impressive GIFT FROM THE KITCHEN!!

You can make them out of gingerbread dough, like this one (it is delicious and smells fantastic), or you can make them out of graham crackers (glued together with royal frosting). You can make them simple or elegant. You can use any candy, cereal, cookies, crackers or pretzels you have on hand... let your imagination be your guide.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Upside down (and frosted) ice cream sugar cones (decorated with sprinkles) make wonderful Christmas trees next to your gingerbread house. Pretzels make perfect fences, marshmallows make cute snowmen and if you really want to get fancy, you can use tufts of cotton candy coming out of a chimney for smoke and marshmallow cream frosted around the bottom of the gingerbread house makes wonderful snow ....the sky is the limit. Decorated gingerbread houses have a LONG shelf life if you use royal frosting (recipe below). It dries rock hard and is very strong.

5 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs

Beat the shortening and sugar together until well mixed and creamy. Add the molasses and eggs and beat until well combined.

Combine the flour, spices, baking soda and salt and slowly add it to the shortening-sugar mixture; beat until everything is smooth. 

You will be rolling out the gingerbread house pieces on the BACK of ungreased cookie sheets. The reason for this is so that after you cut out the pieces, they don't have to be moved before baking and they won't get mis-shapen.

CLICK ON THIS PICTURE TO ENLARGE

Use the above measurements to make a pattern on paper or a manila folder, even waxed paper will work. Roll out some of the dough right on the back of a big cookie sheet, using a lightly floured rolling pin, to about 1/8" thick.

Lay the paper pattern pieces right on the rolled out dough and cut the dough out with a sharp knife. Remove any excess scraps so that just the gingerbread piece is left on the back of the cookie sheet. Using the BACK of the cookie sheet also makes it a lot easier to slide the baked cookie onto a cooling rack (no cookie sheet "edge" to deal with.

Bake the pieces in a pre-heated 350° oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Let the baked pieces cool on the pan a little before you try to remove them. Cool them completely on a wire rack.

Now the fun starts!!

ROYAL FROSTING 
This is what you glue the pieces together with

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 egg whites (if you are going to eat this use egg white powder)

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and egg whites until smooth. Place in a pastry bag with a star tip (or place in a resealable plastic bag and cut the corner off).

Use a large serving tray or a foil lined piece of heavy cardboard to hold the finished gingerbread house. Put a few dots of this royal frosting on the underside of the "floor" piece and stick it to the serving tray. This will keep it from sliding around if its moved.

Lay an end and one side of the gingerbread house down flat(where they are supposed to go) around the edges of the "floor". Pipe a generous line of the royal frosting around the edges of each piece.

Carefully lift and press the edges of one end of the house to the side of the house.Repeat for the other side.

Now, I've made these for years, and there is a trick I'll share with you.  Get the ends and sides up and use a little extra royal frosting on the seams but DON'T put on the roof until the next day.  If you wait until the next day, the walls will be VERY strong and there is no chance that the roof will be too heavy.

Day two, put the roof on and let the royal frosting harden until day three......now you are good to go, you can almost drive a truck over it after this point, and it won't break on you.

White tree's with sprinkles, green trees with sprinkles, pretzel fences, gum drop topped candy cane's, Necco shingles (frosted shredded wheat also makes great shingles).

This older photo is a "house" I made using chocolate graham crackers. I hope you try it. It might seem complicated, but once you make ONE......you'll be hooked.

NOTE: If your making this to eat (some people eat them, some people just display them), make the royal frosting using powdered egg whites (sold in the baking isle). If you are going to let little guys eat the gingerbread house..... use royal frosting to glue the structural pieces together, but use a softer frosting to embed the shingles or frost the trees. It makes it easier for the kids to "pick off" the candy goodies.
NOTE:  Royal frosting dries out almost instantly if it isn't covered with plastic wrap (that is why it makes such a great frosting "glue". Keep a wet dish towl over your frosting bowl while you work.

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CROCKPOT SHORT RIB TACOS

The next two weeks are very busy "baking" weeks for me, how about you? I've made three different kinds of jam to put in gift baskets, and now I'm starting the fun stuff like cookies, breads and a gingerbread house.

While I'm happy to be in the kitchen, I'm not as happy about cooking real food (like dinner), so my crockpot is getting a workout while I have fun baking cookies.

Today's post came about the other day when I had some BONELESS beef short ribs thawed out and I had no clue what to do with them.  I decided to make boneless short rib tacos and they were SO GOOD, I will definitely be making these again!!

 

Start with 2½ pounds of BONELESS beef short ribs. I'm sure every butcher shop has their version, but the ones I use look like this and they are about 1/2" thick:

 

In a small cup, mix 3 teaspoons of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin (don't leave that out), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of oregano and 1 tablespoon of dry onion flakes. Mix well and sprinkle both sides of the meat evenly as possible (no need to brown the meat). 

Put the seasoned meat in the crockpot and top with a 4 ounce can of undrained mild green chile's (I use Ortega).

 

Cook on low for 6 hours or until they are fall apart tender (it really depends on how thick the meat is). Don't add any liquid.

 

Remove the meat from the crockpot and cover with foil to keep warm for a few minutes. There will be about a cup of broth in the bottom of the crockpot...thicken it and coat the meat with the "taco gravy". Each boneless short rib makes one awesome taco!!

 

The leftovers (sliced on the bias) made fantastic grilled beef and cheese subs.



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Polpo

Polpo was on the Lucindaville list of books to give (get) for Christmas.  We admit it, when we first saw the cover for this book we were really excited at the prospect of cookbook that dealt entirely of octopus recipes.  Alas, it was not to be.  Polpo is the name of restaurant in London, now several restaurants or more specifically bàcari.  A bàcaro is a Venetian kind of wine bar/snackified eatery.  A place where one gets a a small glass of wine, called an ombra and some cicheti or small bites.

Polpo is subtitled A Venetian cookbook (of sorts) and it was written by the rather unVenetian sounding Russell Norman.  Norman fell in love with Venice, not the tourist traps of Venice but the back streets and all the food in the bàcari.  He wanted to translate the feel and food of those small neighborhood places to London.  From all indications he succeeded with great aplomb.

The recipes are exactly the kind of food Norman wanted offer, simple, easy dishes with a handful of ingredients.  They appeal to both the palate and the eye.  And while it is not an entire book of octopus recipes there are one of two.  There are entrees and desserts but Polpo shines with its simple small plates like this one.

Goat Cheese, Roasted Grape and Walnut Bruschette

16 grapes, any seedless variety
1 small handful of fresh thyme leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
10 walnut halves
2 half-inch slices of good sourdough or soda bread, each cut in half
1 garlic clove, with one end cut off
4-ounce log of goat cheese
Honey

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Scatter the grapes on a small baking sheet with almost all of the thyme, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake to coat. Roast in the oven until the grapes are starting to blister and color, 10-15 minutes. Coat the walnuts with a little olive oil and roast on another small baking sheet until fragrant and toasted, 5-6 minutes.

Set the oven to the broil setting and toast the slices of bread until browned and crunchy, just a couple of minutes. Flip the bread about halfway through. Take the cut side of the garlic clove and rub it over the toasted slices of bread. It'll melt into the hot bread and smell amazing. Drizzle the bread with olive oil.
Crumble the goat cheese with a fork onto the toasted bread. Top the slices of bread with the grapes and walnuts. Drizzle bruschette with honey and garnish with the rest of the thyme leaves.

Goat cheese, grapes and walnuts is a favorite pizza topping combo at Lucindaville and this is way easier than pizza dough.

The other amazing aspect of this book is the lovely binding that exposes the signatures neatly tied with green thread.  This one is definitely a keeper!

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A Savannah Christmas

We have been rather enamoured of picture books lately.  A Savannah Christmas by Kimberly Ergul & Holley Jaakkola is a vision of Savannah at Christmas time.  OK, we admit it not so much a cookbook as a Savannah Wonderland with a handful of recipes.  Yes, you have to wade though page after page of gorgeous homes, lovely tables settings and wonderful rooms to find the recipes, but what better way to spend Christmas.

Let's face it.  You overdo everything at Christmas.  This book has everything you need:  pickled shrimp, warm pimento cheese, a red velvet cake and a big old vat of Chatham Artillery Punch.   Really you will be the talk of Christmas.  Throw in this classic from Martha Nesbit and you are good to go.

Crab Stew

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 cup green onions roughly cut
1/2 cup celery, roughly chopped
1 (2-inch) piece of carrot
6 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
ı⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup cream
1/4 cup sherry
1 pound claw crab meat, picked through for shells

Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan. Mince the green onions, celery, and carrot in a food processor, or by hand. Add the vegetables to the butter, over the saucepan, and sauté over low heat for 5 minutes.

Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes more to remove the starchy taste. Whisk in the milk and broth. Bring to a boil, whisking occasionally. Add seasonings, cream, sherry, and crab and mix. If you’re not serving immediately, refrigerate in an airtight container.

Reheat over very low heat until very hot.


It helps if you serve it on trays just like this.

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Edible Selby

Todd Selby is a photographer.  He loves to shot folks in their natural environment and recently he turned his camera to trendy food folk.  The result is Edible Selby, a true vision of gastroporn if ever there was one.  Cooking in one thing but letting someone roam around your kitchen, well that is revelatory. 

The text, as you can see from the table of contents, is handwritten.  The book is filled with drawings and pertinent questions to chefs and home cooks alike.

There are small workrooms...

Back alley gardens...

and a handful of handwritten recipes like The Mast Brothers explaining how to make chocolate at home.

If you love trendy food purveyors, you will love this.  More pictures than recipes, but who cares!

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Salt Sugar Smoke

 Sometimes there is a book out there that catches your attention from the moment you hear about its impending publication.  That was the case with Salt Sugar Smoke: How to preserve fruit, vegetables, meat and fish by Diane Henry.    I pre-ordered the book about a week before it was written!   In fact, I ordered it so long before it was published that I almost bought a second copy because I had forgotten I ordered it.

The book did not disappoint.  It was one of those books that sat on the table a while because I didn't want reading it it be over so I was sad to even start reading.   Since then, Sugar Salt Smoke has been like a favorite novel, read and re-read.

I know what you are thinking, there are tons of new preserving books out there and I don't need another one.  I beg to differ -- you need Salt Sugar Smoke, trust me on this one.

My favorite recipe is for the Beet-Cured Gravlax.  Stop buying smoked salmon and do it yourself.  The beets impart a glorious red color to the salmon without a "beety" taste.  Set out on a buffet this dish is a showstopper.

Beet-Cured Gravlax
 

2 3/4 pound tail piece of salmon, cut into halves, filleted, but skin left on

1/3 cup vodka

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup sea salt flakes

2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

large bunch of dill, roughly chopped

5 raw beets, grated

Check the salmon for any bones your fish dealer might have missed (rubbing your hand along the flesh is the best way to find them). Remove any you find with tweezers.

Line a dish big enough to hold the salmon with a double layer of aluminum foil (I usually use a roasting pan). Put one of the pieces of salmon, skin down, on top. Rub it with half the vodka.

Mix together the sugar, salt, pepper, dill and beet and spread it over the salmon. Pour the rest of the vodka over the fish and put the other piece of salmon (skin up) on top.

Pull the foil up around the fish, then put some weights on top (such as cans, jars or a heavy cutting board).

Refrigerate and let cure for two to four days, turning every so often. Liquid will seep out of the salmon in this time; just pour it off.

Remove the foil and scrape the cure off both pieces of fish. To serve, slice as you would smoked salmon (leave the skin behind). Use as needed and keep, wrapped, in the refrigerator for a week.

At thefoodiebugle.com they published this photo of Diane Henry's window filled with preserves.  

Not to mention she has gigantic wall of cookbooks.   If you have never read Diane Henry, I can't think of a better book to start with.  Once you finish it, you will buy them all.  And why do they always choose better covers for the British editions of books??

For more about Diane Henry,  the Telegraph has a wonderful article about her life as a writer. 

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GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN

Over the Christmas season, I will be posting a variety of easy recipes that I'm calling GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN. The beauty of this idea is that you can make these gifts far in advance of your hectic holiday baking schedule and they will be "waiting in your pantry" for that neighbor, school teacher, office friend or unexpected last minute guest on Christmas Eve!! (check out link at end of this post for some wonderful (and free) "From the Kitchen of..." gift tags you can download).

My first GIFT FROM THE KITCHEN post is for Blueberry Jam... a quick and easy recipe that uses frozen blueberries (I don't even thaw them first). This jam has a wonderfully fresh taste!!

BLUEBERRY JAM (makes 8 cups of jam)

5 cups finely chopped frozen blueberries (see notes below)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
7 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon butter
(2) 3 ounce pouches of liquid Certo pectin

Prepare your jam jars. Personally, I put them through the hottest setting on my dishwasher, and then let them sit/steam in there while I make the jam. For the lids, I wash and rinse them, then let them sit in a pan of almost boiling water, while I make the jam.

We like a jam that doesn't have a lot of serious "chunk-age" (as picky-picky husband calls it) so I put the frozen blueberries in the food processor (a few cups at a time) and process them until they are about the size of rice, so the final jam has the consistency of a fruit spread. If you like "chunk-age" in your jam, just don't chop the berries so small.

The recipe calls for five cups of chopped berries. I use a regular measuring cup and pack as many chopped berries as I can in it (do that for each of the 5 cups). Place the chopped berries, lemon juice, sugar and butter in a large heavy kettle.

Heat on medium, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved.  Increase the heat to medium high and bring it all to a FULL ROLLING BOIL (one that will not stop boiling when you stir it).

Remove from heat (but don't shut off the burner) and add BOTH pouches of liquid Certo pectin (make sure you squeeze it all out of the pouch). Put the pan back on the heat and bring the jam back to a FULL ROLLING BOIL FOR ONE MINUTE.

Turn the heat off and skim any "foam" that is on top of the jam  (if there is any) and fill HOT jars, leaving 1/4" of head space.  Wipe rims of glass jars with clean, wet towel. Put on the two piece lids and tighten. 

Process in hot water bath: Pints for 15 minutes or half pints for 10 minutes.

NOTE: If you decide to thaw the berries (I never do)make sure you do not rinse them or drain them (you will want to include any berry juice that results from thawing.

NOTE: I can't tell you exactly how many pounds of frozen blueberries makes 5 cups of chopped berries. I'm guessing that I used about 1½ or 2 pounds?

NOTE: This recipe uses LIQUID pectin, I have never made this with powdered pectin. Certo is made by Sure Jell and there are two 3 ounce pouches of liquid pectin in each box.

NOTE: I found a trick in an OLD cookbook that has worked wonders to eliminate "floating jam pieces"...those bits of fruit that work their way to the top of each jar, but THIS STEP IS NOT NECESSARY!!! IT IS SIMPLY COSMETIC!!!

Right after you take the jam off of the heat for the last time, let it remain in the hot pan for FIVE MINUTES; gently stir (with a sterile spoon) every 60 seconds. It really does eliminate problems with floating fruit).

NOTE: I found some fantastic gift tags for "Home made gifts from the Kitchen" that you can download (free) at: www.unsophisticook.com   CLICK HERE       You can print them on cardstock or photo paper and they look excellent!!

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The Complete Southern Cookbook

Tammy Algood is not the name that comes to mind when one thinks of "complete" Southern cooking, unless you live in Nashville.  Algood is quite the star on local television and at many Tennessee wineries.  Tennessee, not just for whiskey anymore! 

The Complete Southern Cookbook features 800 recipes spanning nearly 500 pages and not a picture to be found.  A cookbook with out photos these days is a rare commodity --in fact, it is often thought of as poor "commodity."  We have often complained this year (and last) bout the dearth of  seasonal-farm-to-plate-eat-locally cookbooks with chickens and tractors adorning the cover.   So the plain cover with the single etching of a Southern vernacular home and the straight forward, recipe upon recipe actually makes Algood's book stick out in this era of overproduction.  

And, it is an abecedary!  We just  love those.  Not a winter-spring-summer-or-fall recipe in the entire book.  Cook the dish when you want to without being scolded for making Fried Green Tomatoes in the middle of December.   Got bacon?  Algood has recipes with bacon.  Cola? She has cola recipes.  Mac and Cheese?  Page after page of ooey gooeynes.

(As an aside, I must admit to going back on more than one occasion to search the book for ant type of illustrative graphic as it does seem inconceivable in this day and age that a cookbook would off the press without anything...and yet.)

Yes, this is Southern cooking from A to Z.   And speaking of "Z" here is one of Oprah's favorite things. 

 Savory Zucchini Pie

2 cups shredded zucchini
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 white onion, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup all-purpose baking mix
3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp. paprika

 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.

 In a mixing bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onions, baking mix, cheese, oil, salt, pepper, sage, and paprika. Blend well. Transfer to the prepared pie plate.

 Bake 45 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack before slicing and serving. 

This recipe is both retro and tasty.   In many ways, a fitting example of Tammy Algood's The Complete Southern Cookbook.  While no one is more overjoyed than I to see the plethora* of Southern cookbooks on the market filled with new and innovative ideas, it is equally as joyous to find a cookbook, devoid of any embellishment, that so beautifully captures Southern food.

* I recently read in some cooking magazine (hum...it just doesn't seem to stand out, now) that one should never use the word "plethora" in writing about food, something about trying to sound smarter than you are.  This begs the question -- What if you ARE smarter than the person telling you not use plethora? I personally love "P" words and plethora is one of my favorites -- so read this a veritable plethora of screw you.

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My Squirrel Rant

This morning my inbox was stuffed with copies of the Washington Post article entitled, Squirrel: It’s What’s for Dinner in Romney,W.Va.    The article is a rather thoughtful look at an annual squirrel dinner organized in the area.  Not everyone who sent it to me meant it to be received in such a thoughtful manner.  So you must bear with me while I rant a bit, both here and at my other blog…

I’ve eaten squirrel since I was a child.  My first encounter with squirrel came when I was about 4 years old.  My great aunt was very excited that she was going to make squirrel dumplings.  My four-year-old self herd squirldumplin’s run together with Aunt Ruth’s Southern accent and thought it sounded magical.    After being cautioned by the adults at the table, Aunt Ruth gave me a little spoon full of fluffy dumpling, thick cream and flecks of dark, rich meat.   Then she gave another little spoon full and I wanted more. The third time she dipped her silver spoon into the bowl she went deep and as the gravy flowed off the spoon it reveal something unusual.  With a big smile on her face Aunt Ruth said, “Look, Baby, you got the teeth.”She proceeded to set a perfect set of tiny dentures on the edge of my plate.  At that moment, I realized that dinner was Squirrel Dumplings.  Two distinct and less than magical ingredients.    As an aside, I will confess that I was nearly 13 before I realized that Astaire was Fred’s last name.  I thought Fredastaire was like Liberace or Madonna, but I digress...

My friend, Ann, was coming out for Thanksgiving and given the traffic and afore mentioned Ruby Slippers, I had no idea when she might arrive.  I thought a nice ragu could simmer for hours and be ready at anytime, so it became my Wednesday night menu item.  I went to Kroger’s, the large grocery chain, intent on buying some stew meat for the ragu.   I picked up a small package of stew meat and it was $12.  It was stew meat!  Not strip, not rib eye -- stew meat.  I finally found a package just north of $7 that contained 8 cubes of meat.  

The American Farm Bureau Federation released figures stating that a 2012 Thanksgiving Dinner for 10 people would run the average family $49.48.  I would like to know where they shop. 

Which brings us back to squirrel.   I have spent my life around hunters.  Hunting is one of those topics one should not discuss in polite company.   While there is a fringe of rich old white guys who pay a lot of money to shot fish-in–a-barrel, most people actually hunt to feed their family.  I won’t lie to you, there is ritual and sport in the whole endeavor, but in the end, the animals killed are eaten.  Thankfully, I don’t have to try to feed 10 people for $50.  Thankfully, I can afford $7 stew meat.  There are far more people than one could possibly imagine who can’t feed their family.

As might be expected, the few comments about the West Virginia Squirrel Fest, were of the why-eat-those-little-garden-creatures-hunting-is-so-bad-yuch-nasty vein, with the exception of the people from WV.  While there haven’t been a lot of comments on this story per se, they are the kind of reactions one always gets from these stories.

The same people who are happy to call poor white Southerners eating squirrel "nasty" would never in a million years think of making disparaging remarks about African- Americans eating watermelon, or Hispanic being beaner.  They would be appalled; shocked and appalled. Yet, it seems to be perfectly fine to demean Appalachian Southerners. Ask yourself if Honey Boo Boo would be on television if the child was black.

On Thanksgiving Day, I butchered a deer.  While there may be sport in hunting, actually butchering an animal is hard work; messy, and tough, and at times, disgusting.   You actually look into the eyes of the animal that gave up its life so you could eat.  

 I can honestly say that I am glad I was not at the first Thanksgiving.   While my friends decided that they would definitely want to be in my group during the zombie apocalypse, I am sure we would starve, the same way we would have starved at the first Thanksgiving.  

Which brings us back to Per Se.  If Thomas Keller put squirrel on the menu at Per Se, all the food blogger would be so enamored of the idea.  We would see squirrel recipes on all the food blogs and it would be the “it” thing to eat in Food & Wine and the foodie hipsters would be so excited and telling their buddies that they were the first ones to eat  Keller's Squirrel Dumplings. 

I am a committed carnivore.  I also know where my food comes from.  The next time you eat meat, think about that animal that gave its life for your ragu.

The next time you blog about the $225 tasting menu at José Andrés’ Minibar, remember that there are untold families who don’t have $225 to spend on food for the month.

Next time you go into Whole Foods for $7 of stew meat,  add a bag of groceries to the food bank basket.

And the next time you want to make fun of someone, make fun of yourself…

...seriously, I really thought his name was like  --  Fredastaire Smith. 

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Giving Tuesday

It's Giving Tuesday.  I'm not sure that Giving Tuesday should be stuck behind Thanksgiving Dinner, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday!  Who would have any leftover MONEY.   But it is a great idea.  

Harry, like many people who have ever given a dollar, gets tons of requests for charity.  So many we never know which one to give to.  When you give once, it seems they send a notice every other week.   (And I think that makes money for the company that is SENDING the requests and not the actual charity...but I digress.)  To combat this excess, we set aside Harry's birthday as the one day of the year to make ALL his charitable contributions. That way, we know who we have given to and we can throw away all those repetitious mailers. 

As for Giving Tuesday, you are probably broke, but here is my favorite charity:  Heifer International

In a survey 79% of Americans would rather have a charitable donation made in their name than to receive a gift they wouldn't use.   Make someone you love or like or whose name you got in the Secret Santa drawing HAPPY by donating to a good cause like Heifer International.

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HOME MADE PANKO CRUMBS

Panko (breading) crumbs are the absolute best for many, many recipes. I recently used them to turn "ho-hum" shrimp into "Wow, these are GREAT" shrimp.  I've heard of people using Panko in meatloaf and meatballs (I haven't tried that yet) as well as a ton of other recipes.

My biggest problem with panko bread crumbs is that they can be expensive AND they are NOT something I routinely keep in my pantry.  That's why I was thrilled to make this discovery!!

Panko bread crumbs are different from standard bread crumbs because they are a made from SHREDDED bread, not bread crumbs.  With that in mind, I FROZE 4 slices of regular (cheap) sandwich bread. I  then cut the crusts off and cut the resulting "squares" of sandwich bread in half.  I then stacked them up and fed them through the SHREDDER in my food processor.  This is what they looked like:

 

They were light and fluffy, just like
commercial Panko crumbs!!

I then sprinkled them evenly over a dry cookie sheet, gently spreading them as thin as I could and baked them in a pre-heated  300° oven for about 10 minutes.  Actually, they were dry in 8 minutes, but I let them stay in their for a couple more minutes to be sure.  Just don't let them turn color.

This "recipe" will make about 1½ cups of crumbs, so if you double the recipe, make sure you bake it on two cookie sheets so the crumbs can spread out and dry properly.

 

 

I'm thinking of making whole wheat panko crumbs next!!

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Roots

There are some people who can wax poetic about a leafy green salad.   

Iceberg

Romaine

Chicory

Frisee

Mache 

mix them with mint, coriander, chive, and parsley.  Yeah, yeah yeah… but me, give me a dirty old root anyway.

Roots are my favorite, so you cannot imagine how happy I was to grab a copy of Diane Morgan’s Roots.  

If you are thinking potatoes and carrots, well you are right but there is so much more.   Take the wonderful rutabagas.   How often do I see folks stroll right past this titanic taproot without ever giving it a second look?  I admit, the rutabaga is a bit hard to peel and in order to keep the root moist for travel; it has to be coated in paraffin so it doesn’t dry out.  And we call it a rutabaga instead of the more friendly British “swede.”  Rutabaga is named from the Swedish rota bagge or “root bag” but since it is from Sweden, it is called a swede or a neep in Scotland.  Frankly I believe more people would eat rutabagas if we called them swedes, but I digress…

The rutabaga is a true root, a taproot like the carrot, and turnips and radishes and salsify.  There are tuberous roots like sweet potatoes and yuca.  There are rhizomes like ginseng and ginger.  Corms like water chestnuts and taro. And finally stem tubers like the great potato.  Yes, Virginia, root veggies are a complicated matter and Diane Morgan is more than happy to explain it all to us.

Roots is both a detailed examination into the history and botany of root vegetables, but more importantly, a collection of more than 225 recipes for great main dishes and glorious sides.  Really, you can’t beat a big old pan of roasted root vegetables, but they are ever so versatile.  The book is filled with salads and gratin, pickles and biscuits and my favorite parsnip cake (a carrot cake with grated parsnips instead of carrots). 

Roots gives the respect and admiration to the root, which is a kitchen workhorse and now, the star of the show.  As a root lover, even I was impressed with the amazing versatility of roots.  Not wanting to overwhelm you, but being very desirous that you grab up a big old rutabaga on your next shopping trip, here is a simple and tasty root bag of goodness.

Honey-braised Rutabagas

3 tbsp unsalted butter

2 lb rutabagas, ends trimmed, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

2 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth

3 tbsp honey

1 tsp kosher salt or fine seas salt

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper

1.  In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat and swirl to coat the pan bottom.  Add the rutabagas, stock, honey, and salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat so the liquid just simmers, cover and cook, stiffing occasionally, until the rutabagas are fork-tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes.

2. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to high, and boil the braising liquid, stirring occasionally, until it reduces to a syrup consistency and coats the rutabagas, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the nutmeg and season with pepper.  Serve immediately.

Go ahead, tell your family that swedes are on the menu.  The sweetness of this recipe will counteract the spiciness of the rutabaga.  Who knows, this just might become your go-to tuber; and face it, everyone needs a go-to tuber.

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CROCK POT SHORT RIBS

 We are starting our 4th day of 20° weather combined with non-stop wind gusts up to 50 mph... cold wind that goes right through your bones...that means it is definitely crockpot time.

I found this recipe on food.com and picky-picky husband gave it two thumbs up this evening. It smelled wonderful cooking all afternoon and we are already envisioning hot sandwiches with the leftovers. The meat was fork tender in 6 hours and the sauce thickened itself to a wonderful consistency. This is a great winter recipe.

CROCK POT BONELESS SHORT RIBS

2½ pounds boneless beef short ribs
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix the flour, salt and pepper and coat the boneless short ribs with it. Brown the meat in
1/4 cup of butter then put them in the crockpot.

In the same frying  pan, mix:
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup beef broth
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup chili sauce (I used Heinz Chili sauce)
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons minced garlic (see note)

Bring to a boil then poor it over the meat in the crockpot.  Cover and cook on LOW for 9 hours Warning, this HAS to be a mistake). I know all crockpots are different, but our ribs were fork tender in 6 hours, so keep that in mind.

NOTE: Hubby is allergic to garlic, so I left it out. 

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