Shrimp with Shell Macaroni

Ingredients

 2 cupe macaroni

2 cups cooked shrimp

2 cups stewed or canned tomatoes

1 cup Italian tomato paste

1 choipped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon fat

1/2 teaspoon tarragon

salt and pepper

Process

"Remove black strip (de-vein) from the shrimp. Cook garlic and onion in the fat. Add tomatoes and paste, stir until well blended; add seasonings and shrimp and simmer while macaroni is boiling. Cook macaroni in 2 quarts salted boiling water for about 13 minutes or until tender. Put in strainer and rinse quickly in cold water. Put in large greased casserole and add sauce. Mix gently and heat for 10 minutes in medium oven. Serve immediately."

Steak and Kidney Pie, Churchill

 Is this a nod to Winston Churchill? I know we're not related but yes, yes it is.

Ingredients

2 pounds Beefsteak

12  Mushrooms

2 lamb kidneys

2 hard boiled eggs

1 onion, cut into rings

bunch of mixed herbs

Biscuit or Pastry dough

Process

"Cut the steak and kidneys into small pieces and stew them gently for 1/2 hour with onion. When cold, place meat with gravy in pie dish, together with mushrooms and hard boiled eggs cut into slices. Pile them in the center so as to hold crust. Cover with crust, making air holes. Bake. All meat and filling should be cold before crust is laid on. "

Smelts in Oil

Smelts are a spring tradition in Maine. Smelts run through April even thought the fishery varies year to year. 

"Remove backbones from 12 smelts, leaving on the heads and tails. Season with salt and pepper. Chop a large onion with 3 sprigs parsley to a pulp. Cook 5 minutes in butter the size of an egg. Season and add some bread crumbs/ Stuff fish with the mixture and place in a making dish on their backs, side by side. Pour olive oil over all until dish is half full. Bake 20 minutes. "

Baked Sardines

Ingredients

 1 dozen sardines

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

yolk of 1 egg

1 cup water

salt

cayenne

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon mustard

Process

 "Heat sardines in oven. Boil oil of sardines with water until thick. Add Worcestershire and seasonings. Move from fire and add beaten egg, vinegar, and mustard. Pour sauce over sardines and serve immediately. "

Creole Shrimps and Red Rice

Ingredients

2 cups shrimp, cooked

3 Tablespoons tomatoes

1/2 Tablespoon salt pork

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon hot pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 Tablespoon lard

Process

 "Fry pork and onion, add butter, olive oil, tomatoes and pepper. Combine with cooked shrimp and salt pork. Serve with Red Rice. "

Red Rice

1 cup rice, cooked

1 cup coconut water

1/2 cup tomatoes

Queens Toast

 I am not sure if this is a dessert or a breakfast but I really just want to know which queen came up with this. 

"Take crusts off 8 slices of bread. Saute in butter. Chop almonds, saute in butter, add to honey in double boiler. Pour over toast slices. "

There's a couple of directions this recipe can go the way it is written, so, good luck.

Moulded Salmon

Ingredients

 1 can salmon

1.5 Tablespoons melted butter

1/2 Tablespoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1.5 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

yolks of 2 eggs

3/4 Tablespoons gelatin

2 Tablespoons cold water

Process

 "Rinse salmon with hot water and separate into flakes. Mix dry ingredients, add egg yolks, butter, milk, and vinegar and cook over hot water (double boiler) stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Add gelatin soaked in cold water, strain, and add salmon. Fill mould and serve with cucumber sauce after being chilled."

I am not sure what cucumber sauce is but THIS recipe is my best guess so far. "

Rice Pudding Babette

 "Put a quart of milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add a little rum to 1/2 cup dried raisins (and let soak for an hour before). When milk boils add 4 Tablespoons rice and stir. Add 4 Tablespoons sugar and stir. Cook 1/2 hour stirring often. Let cool. Add 4 eggs and mix thoroughly. Add raisins and mix well. "

Caramel Top

"Put 2 Tablespoons sugar in saucepan and add 2 Tablespoons water. Boil rapidly. Line buttered pan with caramel. Pour in rice. Bake an hour in a hot oven. Put pan in another pan of water. Chill. TUrn out before it is completely cold. Eat ice cold. "

Quiche Lorraine

 Ingredients

6 thick slices of bacon

12 thin slices Swiss cheese

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups light cream

1 Tablespoon flour

ground nutmeg

freshly ground black pepper

1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

Process

"Cut bacon slices in half, cut cheese in pieces the same size. Fry bacon until crisp, drain. Line pie plate with unbaked pie shell. Over lap bacon and cheese slices to cover the bottom of crust. Combine eggs, cream, flour, nutmeg, a few grains cayenne and pour over the bacon and cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven until set. "

Pate de Foie Gras Mousse

 "Open large can of pate and work to a smooth paste. Soak 1 Tablespoon gelatin in 8 Tablespoons luke warm water. When dissolved, beat, to make sure there are no lumps. When cool fold in 1 cup whipped cream. Work in pate paste, season with salt and paprika and pour into wet mold. Serve on lettuce with French Dressing and  garnish with stoned (pitted?) olives and jelly."

This makes 4 slices.

Progress

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I continue the slog through the ancient ends of the recipe box, I stumbled upon a photo from a few years ago when I began the box. The above photo reminds me of the progress I have made.  That little "Breads, Cookies, Cakes, Pies..." label divider is my book mark for there I am. That book mark is now about two inches from the back of the box. The front is so much more orderly now that I have gotten through it. The end is in sight but it is a bitter sweet reality.

Chicken Francese

 

This recipe by Julia Moskin of New York Times Cooking is a family favorite. Left overs are great on sandwiches or by them selves the next day - cold or hot! This is truly a favorite of ours. Please try it! It even comes with THIS handy video!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 4 to 6 large boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (buy the cutlets thinly sliced, or buy regular boneless breasts and slice them in half horizontally to make thin pieces)
• 3 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed (optional)
• ½ cup dry white wine
• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon, more to taste
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 3 to 4 tablespoons freshly minced parsley 
•  

• Preparation

• In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper until blended. Place the flour in a separate bowl. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• In a wide skillet, heat olive and vegetable oils over medium heat until shimmering.
• Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, lightly dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess. Dip into egg batter, let excess batter drip back into the bowl and place in the skillet. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Adjust the heat as the cutlets cook so they brown slowly and evenly, with a steady bubbling. Transfer to the paper-towel-lined pan and repeat with remaining cutlets.
• When all cutlets are browned, remove the pan from the heat and pour off the oil. Wipe out the pan with paper towels. Return the pan to low heat. 
• If making the lemon slices (if not, skip to Step 6 below): Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and then scatter the lemon slices over the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring gently occasionally, until the lemon slices are golden and browning around the edges, about 3 minutes. Scoop out the lemon slices and set them aside. 
• Add 3 tablespoons of butter, the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Boil until the liquid is syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil and cook until thickened into a sauce, about 5 minutes. (It will thicken more when you add the cutlets.) Taste and adjust the seasonings with lemon, salt and pepper; it should be quite lemony and not too salty.
• Reduce the heat, tuck the cutlets into the pan and simmer very gently until the sauce is velvety and the chicken pieces are heated through, about 4 minutes. Turn the cutlets over occasionally in the sauce. Place the browned lemon slices on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve, spooning some of the sauce over each serving.
•  

Pizza Night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pizza night is always a fun adventure of smoke alarms and creativity. It has been nice having friends living on our property during this pandemic to share this tradition with and see G&C's creative ideas for pizza.  This weeks is featured below. 

 

 

Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

 

 

My creation : beets and goat cheese. 

 

 

SP's creation - Buffalo chicken with Ranch 

 

 

My repurposing of left overs with a Chana Masala pizza. This is not the first time we have done it. And then below is red pepper, fresh Mozz and onions.

Orange Nut Bread

 Ingredients

 2 cups flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans because walnuts make my mouth itch)

3 Tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg, beaten

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 large oranges, quarter and peel

Process

 "Slice oranges thinly and cover with cold water. Boil ten minutes and change water 3 times. Drain. Return to pan and add 1 Tablespoon sugar. Heat until sugar melts. Combine flour, orange rind, walnuts, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Moisten with egg. If not damp enough add 1 Tablespoon milk. Put into a greased loaf pan. Let stand covered for 10 minutes. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 45 minutes."

Oysters on Spinach

 Makes 10, 4 a piece? I do not understand the notation but here is the recipe. 

"Wash and cook, uncovered, 2 pounds spinach. As soon as leaves are withered remove from fire and chop very fine. Add 1/2 small onion, chopped fine, a 1/2 cup thin white sauce, 1/8 teaspoon Mace, pinch of garlic salt, salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon Brandy. Put in the top of a double boiler over fire. Take oysters out of shell and lay on good firm bed of spinach with in shell oyster on top. Cover each with seasoned white sauce, sprinkle with mace, and set all in oven to bake bedded in pan, already heated with rock salt. Bake ten minutes. Serve Immediately. "

Onion Pie

This sounds good! The last couple of recipes have been hidden gems in the depths of the archaic recipes!

 Ingredients

1 pound onions peeled

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups milk

3 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon parsley, minced

1 unbaked 8 " pie shell

Process

 "Boil onions until very soft. Drain, press through a fine sieve (or food mill). Melt butter, blend in flour. Add milk and onion puree, gradually, stirring over a hot water bath until smooth and thick. Blend with beaten egg yolks. Let cool. Add salt, pepper, parsley. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold in. Turn into unbaked pastry shell, and place in very hot oven (450 degrees F) for 10 minutes, then bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 10 minutes or until knife blade inserted in the center comes out clean. 

 

Serve at once with plain boiled beef, freshly grated horseradish, and black bread. "

OK that last sentence needs to be disregarded and replaced with an updated version of dinner.

Onion Soup

 "Take any kind of bone..."

Human? Ok I am already done with this recipe!

"...put in seasonings and boil a long time and season with salt, pepper, and spices (unspecified). Put in 1/2 bouillon and 1/2 cup water, making at least a quart of liquor.

Put 2 Tablespoons butter in frying pan. Slice 6 onions into frying pan and slice 6 onions into the butter and brown well. Add liquid and brown slices of bread and butter and add to bouillon adding cheese on top of the bread. Put in oven. You can put a little flour with the onions, stir, add bouillon and then proceed as above."

Ok, note to self, do not make this recipe as it does not make sense.

Mustard and Mayonnaise over Fried Cucumbers

 Um, yum? I'm not entirely sure about this one but I would give it a try.

Ingredients

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup hot water

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoons dry mustard

1 Tablespoon chopped chives

Process

"Stir oil into egg yolks a few drops at a time. Mix vinegar and water and pour into mixture slowly. Cook in double boiler until sauce thickens. Add seasonings and chives. 

Pout over prepared cucumbers. 

 

Cucumber prep: cut lengthwise and then in 1/2 slices. Dip in egg and bread crumbs and then fried in butter. "

Onions A Bellagio

 

Process

 "Cut Spanish onions in half and cook in salted water, drain, and put in well buttered baking dish. Prepare sauce as follows:

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 and 1/2 cup milk

salt and pepper

1/2 cup grated cheese. 

Mix in a pan and stir until boiling. Remove from fire and add the yolks of 3 eggs. Allow to cook a little and then pour over onions. Put melted butter on top and put in oven until brown. "

Left Over Ham

 

 

 

 

 

Process

"Mix  1/2 cup wine and 1/2 cup water, reduced to half with a bay leaf and cloves. Remove bay leaf and cloves. Brown slices of ham in their own fat, turn and brown the other side. Put in shallow baking dish. Put large piece of butter in pan and let brown. Add 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons flour, let burn, and add wine and water gradually. Add 3/4 cup hot water to make roux. Pour over ______ and heat in oven."

Let the mystery be! That card is so old the last sentence is cut off!

Mulligatawny Soup

 Serves 8 to 10. 

I am delighted to see that this recipe has an earlier origin in my family, long before Mom and Dad met Shani in NYC. Shani went on to give me his favorite Mulligatawny Soup recipe, found here: Shani's Mulligatawny. Let's see how this one compares!

Ingredients

3 quarts water

3 onions, finely cut

1 Tablespoons flour

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1/2 pound sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup cream

4 or 5 pounds chicken, cut in pieces

1 pod garlic, minced

4 Tablespoons butter

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 Tablespoon curry powder

2 Tablespoons parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Process

"Place chicken in soup kettle, add water, salt, pepper, onions, garlic, celery and carrots and cook until tender, about two hours. Melt fat in skillet and mushrooms and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms to the soup. Brown flour in the fat in which the mushrooms were cooked and add 1 cup soup stock to make a smooth sauce. Pour into soup and continue cooking until the chicken falls off the bones (about 1 hour). Remove bones and skin from soup (maybe this isn't a recipe for me) and skim off excess grease. Dissolve cury powder in a few Tablespoons of soup and allow to simmer for 1 minute before adding cream. When soup is ready to remove from the stove, stir in parsley. When plated st the table, add a heaping Tablespoon of cooked rice. "

Lobster A L'Americana

 

Ingredients

 3 Tomatoes

3 cloves garlic

2 Tablespoons oil

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

Lobster

Process

"Put all ingredients but lobster in pot and reduce a little. Shake 1 Tablespoon flour into it and add 1 cup cold water mixed with white wine.  Season with salt and red pepper. Add 1 dried red pepper (remove before eating) , 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, a piece of fennel leaf and saffron and 1 teaspoon sweet vermouth. Strain tomatoes into pot. Add uncooked lobster in shell, cut up. shake pot. Cook 25 minutes after it comes to a boil. Add a little burnt clcohol. Mix well and often."

Lamb , Oranges, and Barley

 Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound lamb shoulder, cut in 2 inch pieces

4 oranges, sliced thin, seeds removed but not peeled

1 cup barley

1 Tablespoon fat

1 teaspoon Marjoram

3/4 teaspoon chopped mint

salt and peper

Process

"Add barley slowly to 1 quart of salted boiling water. Boil gently for 30 minutes. Salt and pepper the lamb and scald in fat for about ten minutes. Put everything in a large greased casserole and stir well. Add more seasoning if barley absorbs too much. Cover tightly and bake 25 minutes at 375 degrees."

Kidney Beans and Red Wine

 Ingredients

 2 No. 2 cans baked kidney beans

3 small spring onions (aka scallions), tops and bulbs chopped

1 small can Italian Tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped cooked ham

1 bacon strips

1 cup red wine

1/2 green pepper chopped (without seeds)

salt and pepper

Process

 "Saute onions, pepper and ham in butter. Add tomato paste and wine and cook for 5 minutes. Add kidney beans, turn onto low. Turn into low buttered casserole and cover with bacon strips. Kake for 30 minutes in a medium oven. 

Serve 4 or more.

Kidney Stew with Chicken Livers

 

 

 

 

 

 

This recipe is the epitome of why I became a vegetarian. 

Ingredients

2 veal kidneys

1/4 pound sliced mushrooms

1/4 pound chicken livers

3 oyster plants (also called salsify), scraped, slices, and soaked in vinegar and water

1 cup red wine

2 Tablespoons fat

2 Tablespoons flour

Juice of 1/2 lemon, grate part of peel

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

Process

"Remove fat and white hard material from kidneys, and cut in small pieces. Soak for 1 hour in salted water. Parboil oyster plant for 15 minutes. Rinse kidneys carefully and saute in the fat with the chicken livers. Put in individual casseroles. Saute the mushrooms, garlic, and oyster plants in the same fat. Put in casseroles. Blend the flour with the fat and juice remaining in the skillet and wine and seasonings to the ingredients int he casseroles. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes."

Ice Box Rolls

 Ingredients

1 cake yeast

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups cool water

1 egg

7 cups flour

4 teaspoons Spry

Process

 "Crumble yeast into bowl, add sugar, salt and water. Add well beaten egg. Sift flour once before measuring. Add half the flour and beat well. Add melted spry and mix in remainder of the flour with your hands. Let it rise to double its bulk and punch down. Cover tightly and place in ice box. For making rolls, remove desired amount of dough, shae, let rise to double its bulk and bake 20 minutes in a hot oven. "

French Dressing and Salad

 The French dressing I know today is red in color and none of these ingredients are red so this must be pretty old! Looking at the process it sounds like this might be a fermented version.

Ingredients

 1/4 Tablespoon salt (this translates today to 3/4 teaspoon)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon mild mustard

1 cup good vinegar

cream

Process

 "Mix salt, mustard, and pepper together and add vinegar. Put it in a bottle or jar and let stand for a week, shaking every day. To mix dressing use a Tablespoon of vinegar with 4 to 6 Tablespoons cream according to taste. Rub salad bowl with garlic. Toss in well dried greens in the dressing so that every leaf is coated. If necessary, add more dressing but never start with too much. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. For a change, add either crushed soft-boiled eggs, a pinch of curry, a chopped deviled egg, some chopped herbs, or a minced shallot. "

Hominy Grits Soufflee

 "Take 2 cups cold cooked Hominy grits and add 1 cup warm milk. Heat mixture to soften, beat well and stir into it 1 teaspoon salt and 2 Tablespoons butter. When it has cooked somewhat add well beaten yolks of 2 eggs. After mixture has become quite cool, gently mix in stiffly beaten egg whites. Turn into a buttered baking dish, place in oven, and cook until it becomes delicate brown and firm through out. "

Eggplant Soup

 "Peel and slice 3 medium eggplants. Soak in salt water for 20 minutes and drain. Cook in 4 to 5 Tablespoons chicken or meat fat in large heavy pot, covered, over a slow fire. Stir occasionally and let brown. After 1.2 hour, add 2 crushed bay leaves, a pinch of marjoram, 4 unpeeled chopped tomatoes, a clove of garlic minced, and 1 finely chopped onion. Cook, stirring, for 15 minutes. Add 1/2 cup rice (cooked?), 2 and 1/2 quarts water or boillion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook slowly, covered, for about 40 minutes. Put through a strainer. "

Egg Salad Ring

Ingredients

10 hard boiled eggs

small bunch parsley

1 green pepper

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

1 cup mayonnaise

1 envelope Knox Gelatin

crab meat or shrimp

salt and pepper

several stalks celery

Process

 "Grind together eggs, parsley, pepper, onion, and garlic. Add mayonnaise. Mix gelatin with a little cold water. When cool add to mixture. Pour into ring mold and let set. Serve with crab meat or shrimp."

Duck Garnish

 "Squeeze 3/4 cup orange quice and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Grate rind of oranges and half the lemon. Mix and sweeten with 1/4 cup sugar. Section 2 more oranges. Melt 2 Tablespoons gelatin in a cup of cold water, dissolving it in a cop of boiling water, and add to it other ingredients including orange sections. when cool, poit out into flat pan and set to chill. When very firm, cut in squares like fudge and use to decorate roast duck. "

Eggs in Jelly (canned consoume)

 "Boil eggs in very salted water, for 5 minutes after water is rapidly boiling. Put in cold water right away. Take individual cups and put jelly in the bottom. Add egg ..."

I presume peeled?

"... fill cup with more jelly. Put tarragon and strip of carrot on top. Put on ice to jell. "

Duck Casserole

 "Cut a 5 or 6 pound duck into pieces for searing. Dredge in flour and sear carefully in skillet with 2 ounces of butter, fairly hot. When well browned on all sides, put pieces in a casserole dish with salt, pepper, a pinch of thyme, leaves of sweet basil, and one small white onion that has been finely chopped, a Tablespoon chopped parsley, the chopped giblets and a  glass of white wine that has been heated. Cover casserole and put in the oven to cook for about an hour. Then add 1/2 cup cream and finish the cooking, which should take another 20 minutes to a half hour. Serve with braised celery. "

Curry of Meats

bouquet garni

Serves 4 to 6 people

"Use 2 pounds of meat or 5 pounds chicken. Cut into small pieces (if veal use 1 pound shoulder) ..."

yea none of that makes any sense

"... 4 onions, Brown in 2 Tablespoons peanut oil. Heat water to boil 3 cloves garlic. Put meat with onions when they are brown. When it is brown gradually cover with bouillon and ounces of hot water. Add salt and pepper, bouquet garni, 2 carrots, 1 to 2 cloves, and ginger. Don't let it boil too hard. Prepare sauces: 3 Tablespoons flour, 3 Tablespoons  curry, 3 Tablespoons peanut oil. Mix well. Make sauce with butter, flour, and tomato paste. Cover and cook for 1 hour. When ready to serve, add 1 Tablespoon soy sauce. Serve with chopped hard boiled egg, chutney, coconut, sliced radishes, lettuce leaves, chopped peanuts, Bombay duck, dry rice, soy sauce in cups, a little bit of green onion, and thin slices carrots."