Roast Beet Salad with Tarragon Dressing

One of my favorite plants to grow in the garden is beets. There is a variety of things you can do with beets, but unfortunately people are tainted against beets. how many of us have a horror story about tinny canned beets or God forbid the pickled ones. Beets are my friend. Welcome to my favorite garden salad - Cold roasted beets with tarragon dressing. These beets are roasted until caramelized. Yum! (and you can improvise and add carrots or onions, but plain beets works best with this dressing). Tonight's dish honors the last beets of this years crop - and they are the white ones in the picture! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 to 2 bunches beets
olive oil (sprayed)
for dressing:
2 Tablespoons Tarragon Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
A grind of salt
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons freshly chopped tarragon (the dry spice shelf stuff works fine in a pinch)
A grind of pepper

Process:

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees.

2. Wash, peel and chop beets.

3. Place beets in 9 x 13 baking dish with a spray of olive oil.

4. Cook in oven until caramelized 30 minutes or so. Chill in fridge.

5. Plate

6. Make Dressing: Stir together vinegar and mustard. Season with a grind of sea salt. Pour in olive oil in slow steady stream, whisking while you work! When emulsified, stir in sour cream and tarragon. Season with a grind of pepper.

7. Pour small amounts of dressing over salad and serve.

Potato Cream Soup

Yesterday our kids were playing in a leaf pile. I watched our 2 year old leave the pile and make repeated trips over to the stone wall. I walked over and saw that he was piling leaves and dirt on the wall. I said, "Hey! What are you making?" and he said,

"Soup!"

I think Mom would be so proud.

Ingredients
2 large Idaho Potatoes
1 cup cream
stock (from prior recipe)
salt
pepper
parsley

Process

• Peel and boil potatoes
• Drain and mash with 1 cup cream.
  
• Mix with stock
• Add salt and pepper and chopped parsley to taste.
  
• Reheat.
  

Simple, frugal, and tasty!

General Stock

This is a handy recipe to have with Thanksgiving coming!

You will also need this recipe made and on hand for some of the next soup recipes.

I love soup!

Ingredients
4 pounds lean meat
bones
salt
5 quarts water
carrots
onions

Process

• Put 4 pounds lean meat and bones in a pot with some salt and 5 quarts water.
• Boil
• Skim
• Add carrots and onions
• Cover and let simmer for 5 hours.
  
• Strain and pour into bowl.
  

I would then reserve the carrots and onions for a side dish for dinner. They must taste great!

Chocolate Whipped Cream

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons cocoa
Whipped Cream

Process:

• In double boiler combine 3/4 cup sugar and 3 Tablespoons cocoa.
• Set mixture to cool a bit.
  
• Add the whipped cream
• Freeze in a mold.
  

Zucchini Bechamel

Ingredients
Oil
Zucchini
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon butter
1 heaping Tablespoon flour.
Salt
Grated cheddar cheese.


Process

• Put oil in frying pan
• Peel zucchini and cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds.
  
• Fry both sides until brown. Remove and drain.
  
• Put squash in shallow casserole dish with salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Cover with Bechamel sauce

Sauce:

1. Heat 1 cup milk and remove from pan.
   
2. Melt 1 heaping Tablespoon butter in pan with 1 heaping Tablespoon flour.
   
3. Gradually add milk.
   
4. Add salt and 1 Tablespoon grated cheddar cheese.
5. Melt cheese but do not let it boil.
6. Serve hot over squash.
   

Chicken Burgers

Chicken burgers were for dinner tonight. It is one of those recipes which fortunately I have learned to wing - through some ingredients together with ground chicken, shape them into burgers and voila ready for the grill. Last nights burgers were inspired by ingredients I had on hand from the Crispy Yogurt Chicken a la Pioneer Woman. So while my measuring last night was far from exact, I will try to back track correctly for you.

Ingredients:
1.3 pounds ground chicken (yup that's how Perdue's measured)
1 cup Panko Flakes (I had the Japanese kind on hand)
a handful chopped scallions
a handful diced flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup diced chives
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 small clove garlic minced
a dash of lemon juice

Process

• Mix Ingredients together
• Shape into large patties as chicken shrinks a lot when cooked.
  
• Grill on gas or charcoal grill
• Serve on sliced olive bread with a piece of lettuce and the dressing of your choice (ketchup, ranch, etc.)

YUM!

Pesto Chicken with Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Pesto Chicken with Tomato Mozzarella Salad

This is one of those super simple meals which we make any number of ways when we want a simple supper. We don't follow any recipe to make this dinner because we wing it every time!

Ingredients
1 boneless skinless chicken breast per person.
pesto (and jar will do but it's best with freshly homemade)
1 or 2 tomatoes
ball of fresh mozzarella
balsamic vinegar (in the picture I used a balsamic vinaigrette)

Process

1. Cover chicken breast with pesto. Save some pesto for basting.
2. Choose method of cooking chicken (broil, bake, or grill) and begin.
   
3. While chicken begins to cook, slice tomatoes and slice mozzarella.
   
4. Go baste the chicken with pesto.
   
5. Layer tomatoes and mozzarella on top of each other on a large plate.
   
6. Sprinkle basil over each tomato pile and then add a drizzle of vinegar or vinaigrette.
   
7. Go baste the chicken again. Test with meat thermometer and remove when reached an internal temp of 170 degrees.
   
8. Slice breast into pieces. Dish with a few tomato stacks and enjoy!
   

Spoon Cornbread

Another classic dish from Baba

Ingredients
3 eggs well beaten
1 cup white corn meal
2 1/2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
large piece butter

Process

• Preheat oven 350
• Melt a large piece of butter in a baking dish.
  
• Mix ingredients well and pour into baking dish.
  
• Bake in oven for 45 minutes
• serve with spoon as a dinner side dish.
  

Egg Salad Ring

Egg Salad Ring is compliments of Baba. SP and I are partial to this Knox add! There are some good ones out there!

Ingredients:

10 hard boiled eggs
small bunch parsley
1 green pepper
1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 cup mayonnaise
1 envelop Knox gelatin
crab meat or shrimp (which I would omit)
salt and pepper to taste
several stalks celery

Process

• Grind eggs, parsley, pepper, onion and garlic.
  
• Add mayonnaise.
  
• Mix gelatin with a little cold water then dissolve in boiling water.
  
• When cool add to mixture
• Pour in ring mold.
  
• Put crab meat or shrimp in center and surround with shredded lettuce.
  

Molded Halibut - a mousse - with almond cream sauce

Nothing about this recipe appeals to me except the fact that it was written by my Great-grandmother. I am sure someone would love this, but for me fish mousse is my Kryptonite. The almond cream sauce however is a keeper! I could see this making a nice appetizer for a party.

Ingredients
1 lb Halibut
I loaf crusty bread or 1 pint breadcrumbs
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
4 eggs separated

and ingredients for the sauce (to be made while mold cooks)
1/4 lb almonds
2 Tablespoons butter
1 pint cream, 2 Tablespoons flour
pepper
salt

Process

• Preheat oven 350 degrees.
• Chop the one pound of Halibut very fine.
  
• Cook 1 pint bread crumbs, from middle of loaf, with 1 cup cream to a smooth paste.
  
• Add fish, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon celery salt.
  
• Beat egg whites and fold into mixture.
  
• Bake in mold lined with well greased wax paper.
  
• Bake until firm - about 1/2 to 3/4 hour.
  
• While fish is cooking, blanch 1/4 pound almonds, chop fine and blanch in 2 Tablespoons butter.
  
• Make a cream sauce from 1 pint cream, 2 Tablespoons flour, pepper and salt.
  
• Add nuts and butter.
  
• When finished cooking, turn out mousse and cover with sauce.
  

Red Cabbage Salad

I of course love this one because of the artistic display involved in it. Kudos to Mima for thinking up such a thing!

Ingredients
2 red cabbages
1 apple; peeled,cored and chopped
1 onion peeled and chopped
1+ kippered herring, chopped
salt
mustard
mayonnaise
vinegar

Process:

• Scoop out the insides of one red cabbage, chop fine, and place in bowl.
  
• Add apple, onion and kippered herring. Stir.
• Add salt, mustard, mayonnaise, and vinegar stirring to desired consistency and seasoning to taste.
  
• Halve the second cabbage.
• Put first cabbage on plate, placing leaves of second cabbage around it. Fill shell with salad.
  
• Serve with toothpicks and leaves of second cabbage. Put scoop in shell to scoop out onto leaves. Enjoy.
  

Quiche Lorraine

A classic recipe for lunch or for dinner! I like the assembly in the version and that it uses sliced instead of shredded cheese! For those that don't like Swiss cheese, I am sure you can exchange it for any other sliced cheese! Yum!

Ingredients:
6 thick slices bacon
12 thin slices Swiss cheese
4 eggs lightly beaten
2 cups light cream
1 Tablespoon flour
ground nutmeg
freshly ground pepper
1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

Process:

• Preheat oven 400 degrees.
  
• Cut bacon slices in half and cut cheese slices the same size.
  
• Fry bacon until crisp. Drain.
  
• Line pie plate with unbaked pie shell.
  
• Overlap bacon and cheese slices to cover bottom of crust.
  
• In bowl, combine eggs, cream, flour pinch of nutmeg and a few grains cayenne and black pepper. Beat well, strain, and pour over bacon and cheese.
  
• Bake in oven until set.
  

Apple Surprise

In honor of our glorious apple season here in Maine, another wonderful dessert from my great grandmother! The recipe used spelling sirup vs syrup, so I have corrected the spelling but am left to wonder if this was some sort of vernacular or if Mima was a bad speller.

Ingredients
apples of uniform size
sugar
water
orange rind or marmalade
whipped cream

Process:

• Peel, but don't core, uniform size apples.
• Prepare a rich syrup with equal parts sugar and water and cook 5 minutes.
  
• Simmer apples in syrup until they are translucent. Remove from syrup and chill.
  
• Add 2 tablespoons grated orange rind or chopped marmalade for each cup of syrup.
• Simmer several minutes, then cool.
  
• When ready to serve, spoon syrup over chilled apples.
  
• Serve with whipped cream

Baked Grapefruit

Apparently my brother in law loves this dish - I wonder how Mushy makes it.

Ingredients
Grapefruit
brown sugar
butter
sherry

Process:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  
• Fix halves of grapefruit as usual
• Sprinkle with brown sugar.
• Put a dot of butter in the center.
  
• Bake for about 15 minutes
• Just before serving add 1 Tablespoon sherry to each half.
  

Watermelon with Brandy or Rum

Isn't this the way we would sneak booze into a concert?

Ingredients:
One round watermelon.
Rum or Brandy

Process:

• Cut out and remove a piece of the center of a watermelon.
• Pour in 1 pint liquor
• Replace the piece of watermelon in it's former position.
  
• Put melon in ice box for 6 hours before serving.
  

Marietta's Fried Chicken

I want to know who Marietta is!

Marietta's Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
3 fryer chicken
flour
salt
pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
some lard
2 cups cream

Process:

• Halve 3 fryers
• Roll well in flour, salt, and pepper
• Melt 2 Tablespoons butter and some lard in a deep iron skillet.
  
• Fry chicken quickly: cover tightly and steam for 1/2 hour until tender.
  
• Shake some flour over chicken.
• Pour 2 cups cream over all and simmer until gravy thickens.
  
• Serve hot chicken and gravy separate.
  

Chilled Baked Fruit with Sour Cream

I know when Mom used sour cream as a dessert topping, she would pep it up a bit with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a dash of orange or vanilla extract.

Chilled Baked Fruit with Sour Cream

Ingredients
Fruit - in large cubes
sliced orange
sliced lemon
brown sugar
honey
water

Process:

• Take any fruit and back in a covered glass dish with orange and lemon slices, brown sugar, and honey.
• Add 1 cup water for every 3 pounds fruit.
  
• For pears, mix red wine with the water
• Before putting in over bring to a boil on the stove.
  
• Bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes
• Chill thoroughly before serving.
  
• Serve very cold, topped with sour cream.
  

Meatloaf

Meatloaf - that's what was for supper tonight! Well we also had left over salad and crispy yogurt chicken along with Ree's homemade (garlicky) ranch dressing. I love meatloaf - always have. My favorite meatloaf is the leftover meatloaf that I can make into a sandwich, both pieces of bread covered in mayonnaise and chili sauce. I never make meatloaf the same way twice. In fact this makes this recipe very hard to write out. There fore I have chosen to write it using the EITHER/OR method, coupled with a list of optional additions. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground meat - EITHER/OR beef, turkey, pork or chicken. feel free to mix and match.
2 cups EITHER/OR Stove top stuffing or bread crumbs (*I used Stove top tonight, but Erin told me it has HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) in it so I will be eliminating that pantry ingredient too*)
1/4 cup A1 sauce
1/4 cup EITHER/OR Chili Sauce (my preferred) or Worcestershire (# cause I didn't have chili)
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 package low sodium packet onion soup mix


Optional ingredients (adding a couple of these highly recommended (# = I added it tonight)
chopped Cornichon pickles #
chopped green bell pepper #
1 cup shredded cheese #
shredded carrots
chopped mushrooms (I will never cook with mushrooms but I know some people like SP love them)

Process:

• Preheat oven 350 degrees.
  
• Combine all ingredients.
  
• Fold into two loaf pans or one 9 x 13" baking pan
• Bake for one hour.
  
• Remove, enjoy, refridgerate left overs.
• Serve with mashed potatoes and salad, with A1 on the side.
  
• Make sandwiches with cold (or hot) leftovers, lining bread with mayo and chili sauce.
  

Baked Salmon in Cream Sauce

This is another one of those recipes written without weights or proportions and with archaic directions that only confuse me. Unless someone can explain to me the history of using white paper in cooking, I am omitting the confusing part and replacing it with instructions about what type of dish to use. This recipe is clearly one way to take a heart healthy fish and use it to clog your arteries!

Baked Salmon with Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
Salmon
Butter
Water
cream
cornstarch
parsley
salt
pepper

Process:

• Preheat oven 350.
• Take a middle cut of salmon and place it in a loaf or other fitting pan.
  
• Melt 4 Tablespoons butter in 3 Tablespoons boiling water.
  
• Pour butter water over the fish.
• Cover and put in over for 1 hour.
  
• To make the cream sauce, Boil 1/2 pint cream with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Add 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Serve piece of salmon with sauce over top. Garnish with parsley.
  

Crispy Yogurt Chicken

This is what's for dinner tonight. Another one from Ree. I didn't have Ian's Panko flakes. I used the Japanese ones. I hope the extra clove of garlic makes up for the lack of seasoning, because it looks like the Pioneer Woman gets some fancy looking Panko! She has the best pictures!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/08/crispy-yogurt-chicken/

Crabmeat Claridge

I am unsure if Claridge refers to the famous hotel in London, but many of their more famous recipes do involve crab meat. I can just picture Baba strolling into this foyer of the Claridge, sending Lambert to the kitchen in order to get recipes for the farm! What ever it's origin, this one sounds delicious (and easy!)

Ingredients:
Cream
Mustard
Worcestershire
1 can Campbell's tomato soup
Canned Alaska Crab meat
grated cheese


Process:

• Make a rich cream sauce and season with mustard and Worcestershire. Make enough to make one pint.
  
• Add one can Campbell's tomato soup to one pint sauce.
• Add canned Alaska King crab meat and heat.
• Put in baking dish.
  
• Sprinkle with grated cheese on top.
  
• Bake until cheese melts.
  

* Back in the day, "make a rich cream sauce" was probably a standard statement, but today I am sure many readers won't know the first place to start. While any good remedial cookbook should have a recipe for this in it, and I know Joy must have handfuls of recipes, I thought I should add a link to a cream sauce recipe.

http://www.kitchenlink.com/cookbooks/2002/1893062295_2.html

---

Chocolate Roll

This is another Baba dessert! She wrote, "Great for a party!"

Ingredients:
5 egg yolks beaten for 5 minutes
5 egg whites, beaten stiff
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 level teaspoon cornstarch
2 Tablespoons ground chocolate
5 egg whites , beaten stiff
1/2 pint whipped cream
sugar and vanilla to taste

Process:

• Preheat oven 350
• Combine first 5 ingredients
• Fold in whites of eggs.
• Bake in flat pan lined with paper, buttered and floured, about ten minutes
• Turnout on board and roll up while warm.
  
• Before serving unroll and spread with 1/2 pint whipped cream with a little sugar and vanilla.
  
• Re-roll and slice.
  
• Serve with chocolate sauce.
  

Chocolate Ice Box Cake

This recipe is credited to Baba again. What I would like to know is how, with all these wonderful dessert recipes, did Mom never bake?I like how this specifically calls for Hershey's.

Chocolate Ice Box Cake

Ingredients:
30 lady fingers
4 eggs separated
3 Tablespoons water
1/2 pint whipped cream
1/2 lb. Hershey's
3 Tablespoons sugar

Process:

• Line sides and bottom of mold with Lady Fingers
• Melt chocolate in double boiler.
• Add sugar and water
  
• Add well beaten yolks of the eggs.
• Cook slowly until thick and smooth. stirring constantly.
  
• When cool, add beaten whites.
• Put in mold alternating filling with lady fingers.
• End with lady fingers on top
• Place in ice box for 12 hours or more
• Serve with whipped cream. Good for a party!
  

Fans

These cookies are credited to my great-grandmother. There are no eggs in this recipe and with some simple replacements these could even be made for Vegans. The instructions are a bit tricky but a little hands on learning always works for me. These cookies are to look like fans - the old traditional type of hand held fans. For antiquity's sake I have left her wording as is.

Ingredients:
2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cups butter

Process:

• Mix ingredients and roll.
• Take a circular cover and cut into 4 parts
• Crease with knife handle like a fan
• Bake on cookie sheet.
  

* no temp or time is given so presume 350 degrees until golden brown.

Mexican Souffle (Baba)

This is a fantastic dessert.

Ingredients:
1 cup black coffee
3 tablespoons butter
2tablespoons grated chocolate
3 eggs, separated. Beat yolks well with 1/3 cup melted butter. Beat whites stiffly.

Process:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Scald one cup coffee.
• Cream 3 tablespoons butter creamed with 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons grated chocolate.
  
• Stir coffee into above mixture and remove from fire.
  
• Stir mixture slowly into beaten yolk mixture.
• Fold in egg whites.
  
• Bake in medium oven in dish set in hot water (hot water bath) for 25 minutes.
  

Sleepin' In Omlette (Pioneer Woman)

This is dinner tonight, and breakfast tomorrow.
I'm home alone with the kids, and this makes enough for two meals and then some!
We had breakfast for dinner!

Tonight's dinner and tomorrow's breakfast:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/05/sleepin-in-omlette/

Pioneer woman cooks is a seperate blog. I love her use of picture led one step at a time directions
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

And I highly recommend her main blog, if you don't know it already:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Ham and Potato Casserole

This recipe makes me think of Scalloped Potatoes made into a meal.

Ham and Potato Casserole (Baba)

Ingredients:
thinly slice ham
thick sour cream
sliced cold boiled potatoes
chopped parsley
salt
pepper
celery seeds
bread crumbs

Process:

• Preheat oven 350
• Lay thinly sliced ham in bottom of dish
• Sprinkle some chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and celery seeds.
  
• Layer thick sour cream
• Sprinkle some chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and celery seeds.
• Layer sliced cold boiled potatoes
• Sprinkle some chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and celery seeds.
• Top it all with bread crumbs.
  
• Heat thoroughly until bubbling.
  

Rice Spoon Bread

This recipe is accredited to my maternal great grandmother Baba. I guess writing maternal is redundant, since the bulk of these recipes were passed on to me by my mother. In fact, if rumor is correct, my father's mother wasn't much of a cook, so I am guessing the name KK will never be mentioned although I do have a memory of her, in our Bush Avenue house, making hard sauce, probably to accompany mince meat pie for one of our winter celebrations. I hope that recipe shows up sometime. Well, without further ado.

Rice Spoon Bread (Baba)
Ingredients:
1 cup water
3 tablespoons white corn meal
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup cooked and drained rice
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs separated
1 cup milk

Process:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Pour one cup water over 3 Tablespoons white corn meal and mix until smooth.
  
• Add 1 tablespoon flour, I teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon sugar.
  
• Cook in double boiler until thick, stirring constantly.
• Stir in one cup drained cooked rice and 1 tablespoon butter.
  
• Add beaten yolks of 1 eggs and one cup milk.
• Fold in two stiffly beaten egg whites
• Pour into greased baking dish
• Place in pan containing an inch of hot water and back in moderate oven at 35 minutes

* Note: this method of cooking in a hot water container is called a hot water bath and is used to prevent scorching.

*For more information on double boilers, please see first double boiler recipe.

Delice Dauphine

This recipe is once again accredited to Mrs. Moore. Who was Mrs. Moore anyway? I am currently unable to find a good translation for this name. Dad pulled out his Larousse Gastronomique. Dauphine is a region of France that stretches along the Alps to the Rhone Valley. The area is known for it's gratin type dishes for which this recipe seems to fit. Delice in French refers to a certain type of pastry, but has no precise culinary meaning, implies that the dish is delectable or delicious.

Ingredients:
1 un-sugared pancake
1 thin slice ham
2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese

Process:

• Spread 1 tablespoon cream over pancake.
  
• Place slice of ham on top of pancake.
  
• Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese.
  
• Roll and place in shallow baking dish.
  
• Add the other tablespoon cream and the rest of cheese.
  
• Brown under broiler, up to 7 or 8 minutes.
  

And here begins those yummy recipes that show where my love of cheese came from.

Mom's pancakes

 

This is the recipe kept inside my head. I had to consult Joy of Cooking just to confirm that my proportions were right. This recipe has become a little dusty since my husband chose the Cooks Illustrated recipe over these crepe like wonders. They are simple and thin.

Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon melted butter.
1 egg
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Process:
Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix with a whisk. Ladle onto a hot buttered griddle. Sprinkle with berries if you have them. You can make them large or small.

Pizza Dough

Pizza is a standard Sunday night meal around here. We make the dough in the bread maker and my husband spins out the dough and makes everyone in the family their own custom pizza. The youngest gets the plain cheese, the middle girl likes tomatoes, and my oldest boy likes his as a Hawaiian. My pizza has feta cheese, capers, and sun dried tomatoes, while my husband prefers chicken pesto pizza with pine nuts. However you want to make your pizza, cook it on your hottest oven (ours is 550) on a preheated pizza stone. Yum! Happy Sunday!

Pizza Dough
(enough to make 2 large pies)

Ingredients:
1.5 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
4 cups bread flour
10 oz. Luke warm water (yes his cousins name is Luke and he gave us this recipe)
1.5 teaspoon salt
2 T olive oil

Process:
Put ingredients, in order, into bread maker and start on dough setting.

Gateau de Framboises

Gateau de Framboises (translated as raspberry cake) is credited to a Mrs. Moore. I believe this was a Stonington crony, but maybe Dad can clarify that one. I particularly like this recipe because, in Maine, raspberry has it's own season. I am pretty sure my husband is inspired to make this recipe from scratch. He's been reading Julie and Julia. I wish him luck!

Gateau de Framboises
(Mrs. Moore)

Ingredients:
27 lady fingers (*why the odd number?*)
2 cups sugar
1.5 pound fresh raspberries
1 full wineglass kirsch (*I love that measurement*)

Process:

• Use a plain cake mold, a little deeper than the length of a lady finger, and long enough to line with 15 lady fingers just overlapping each other.
• Put raspberries in large bowl with sugar and pour in Kirsch. Soak 5 or 6 minutes. Stir gently with a wooden spoon.
• Line mold with 15 lady fingers - put 3 in the bottom.
  
• Place layer of juice less berries and cover with 4 lady fingers.
  
• Repeat and top with 5 lady fingers.
  
• Leave mold in icebox for 9 or 10 hours.
• Strain the rest of the juice through a very fine sieve and serve separately with the gateau.
  

I find the assembly instructions a little confusing, but once you get your hands into it it should make sense. Here's to hands on learning!

Banana Bread

For such a simple standard recipe, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw one of the ingredients. I kept thinking, "This must be a typo!"But when I looked closer I realized there was no oil or shortening listed. Kristen helped me put it all together and sure enough such a think does exist called spry. This fact clearly dates this recipe as originating sometime between the 1930's and 1970's. My belief is that is has been outdone by Crisco.

To quote my lovely Wiki, "Spry was a brand of vegetable shortening produced by Lever Brothers starting in 1936. It was a competitor for Proctor & Gamble's Crisco, and through aggressive marketing through its mascot Aunt Jenny had reached 75 percent of Crisco's market share. The marketing efforts were phased out in the 1950s, but Aunt Jenny and her quotes like With Spry, we can afford to have cake oftener! have been reprinted in books such as James Lilek's Gallery of Regrettable Food. Though the product is discontinued there are anecdotal reports of it being used through the 1970s."

Aunt jenny is pictured above. It's fun to know that that face was a contemporary of many women in my family. Without further ado, here is Mima's Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1/2 cup spry (* my guess is today you would use Crisco*)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 bananas (but Mom wrote in 4)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup nut meal (*I use crushed or ground nuts*)

Process:
Mix in Given order and bake in moderate oven for 40 minutes.

*to me a moderate over is 350 degrees.

Sauce Bearnaise

Ingredients: 

5 egg yolks 

3 tablespoons 

butter 

salt 

Parsley 

vinegar  

Process:

• Beat 5 egg yolks in saucepan.
• Add 1 Tablespoon butter, salt.
• Stir over a slow fire until it starts to thicken.
• Remove from fire, stir in 2 tablespoons butter.
• Stir at side of fire until butter is dissolved.
• Season with chopped parsley and 1 teaspoon vinegar.

A famous sauce - good on steak. * Clearly the farm had a wood cook stove in the kitchen. I think the directions are easily enough translated into the modern stove language. I love Bearnaise on my steak, but only have steak once a month so I don't clog my arteries every time. I am curious about her using parsley and not tarragon. When I make it, it is made with tarragon.

Bankers Onion Soup - for 8

As I mentioned, soup is a huge family tradition. But any onion soup reminds me of these fall days when I want something warm and soothing on the chilly evenings. This one has a bit of a twist too it, because apparently my mothers sense of adding beverages was taught to her by her mother.

Bankers Onion Soup - for 8
(With Champagne - Blunt White)

Ingredients:
4 large Spanish or Bermuda onions
1/4 pound (one stick) butter melted
4 cans beef stock
salt
pepper
Maggi sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Champagne (blunt white)
croutons or toast.
Parmesan cheese

Process:

• Slice thin 4 large Spanish or Bermuda onions.
  
• Place onions in skillet with 1/4 lb melted butter and cook slowly for 30 minutes.
  
• DO not really brown the onions but they should be relatively dark in shade at the end of the cooking period.
  
• Add 4 cans Campbell's beef bouillon or other stock
• Simmer for 20 minutes.
  
• Flavor with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire to taste
• This base can be used immediately, but improves with age if made 2 or 3 days in advance.
• Add 1 cup champagne (domestic) when heating. Pour a little champagne in each cup when serving.
• Top with croutons or a small piece of toast, covered with freshly grated Parmesan cheese when serving.
  

Delicious! A real conversation piece!

* I had to call Mushy about the Maggi sauce. She knew what it was right off the bat. I am surprised now that I have googled it that Mima used such a thing when I thought I knew of all her food as bland and American! Anyway, it sounds like it is a sauce thickener. Here's the Wiki link and a pic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggi

Our favorite pancakes - Cook's Illustrated

The other day Mushy was asking me if I had Mom's pancake recipe. I said yes, it's in my head, just like so many other great recipes she gave me. She and I recalled the thin cakes the batter made, the same thinness that my husband compares to crepes. This crepe like consistency is why we don't make them regularly for the family. We have chosen instead a recipe from a free issue of Cook's Illustrated (if you don't know this magazine and like to cook, I highly recommend a subscription). So without a single alteration, here is Cook's Illustrated's Blueberry Pancake recipe. Living in Maine, we have quarts of blueberries put up in the freezer. If you are not so lucky, I highly recommend buying Wyman's canned or frozen blueberries if you can fine them. Oh and yes, this is what we made for breakfast for our family and our good friend visiting with their 3 kids! Yummy!

Blueberry Pancakes
makes about sixteen 4-inch pancakes, serving 4 to 6

When fresh blueberries are not in season, frozen blueberries are a good alternative. To make sure that frozen berries do not bleed, rinse them under cool water in a mesh strainer until the water runs clear, then spread them on a paper towel-lined plate to dry. If you have buttermilk on hand, use 2 cups instead of the milk and lemon juice. (*we like using buttermilk better*)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon juice from one lemon
2 cups milk
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 - 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, preferably wild, rinsed and dried

Process

1. Whisk the lemon juice and milk in a medium bowl or large measuring cup; set aside to thicken while preparing other ingredients. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to combine.
2. Whisk egg and melted butter into milk until combined. Make well in center of fry ingredients in bowl; pour in milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined (a few lumps should remain). Do not over mix.
   
3. Heat 12-inch skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes; add 1 teaspoon oil and brush to coat skillet bottom evenly. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto 3 spots on skillet; sprinkle one tablespoon blueberries over each pancake. Cook pancakes until large bubbles begin to appear, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using thin wide spatula, flip pancakes and cook until golden brown on each side, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes longer. Serve immediately, and repeat with remaining batter, using remaining oil only if necessary (* step 3 is identical to how Mom taught me to make pancakes except we used butter in place of oil*)

Serve with real maple syrup and enjoy! Have a great morning!

Blueberry Loaf (cold) (no bake)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 quarts fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cold water
2 teaspoons gelatin soaked in 1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
14 1/2 slices bread
melted butter
glass or tin loaf pan or mold
Rum (and I chuckle because again the Rum is written in in Mom's handwriting but not put into the process notes. So chefs, you are allowed to put it in where you see fit!)

Process:

• Place berries, sugar, and water in saucepan.
  
• Cover and cook until berries start to soften and there is plenty of juice (about 15 minutes)
• Add enough hot juice in gelatin to fill cup and stir until it is dissolved.
  
• Add lemon juice and mix with berries.
  
• Trim off crusts of bread and brush both sides generously with melted butter.
  
• Line bottom and sides of dish with slices.
  
• Trim off any ends and use to fill chinks. (what a funny term for a cook to use)
• Turn a third of berry mixture over bread and this lay more bread.
  
• Repeat until you have 3 layers of berries and bread, ending with bread.
  
• Place in the icebox for 5 to 6 hours. (yes she wrote ice box because that is what they had)
• Serve with slightly beaten cream, sweet and flavored.
  

Sprigged Lamb

In honor of the fall round up that is occurring, from cattle weighing out west to Tom's slaughters on a small farm in CT, I chose this as my next recipe. I can recall many a family dinners that involved lamb, particularly the Easter dinners that didn't serve goose. I remember my sister's love of lamb and my dislike - I was always bothered by the animal being an adorable fuzzy little baby. If you know me well, you know I have gotten over this. Lamb is one of my favorite meats to cook and eat with Indian foods. Before I digress into the joys of Indian foods and my beloved Uncle Shani, may I present Mima's sprigged lamb.

Sprigged Lamb
Serves 8 and is very good warmed over in slices.

Ingredients:
Leg of lamb - 5 1/2 to 6 lbs, boned and rolled if preferred.
bunch of parsley, all stems removed
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Process:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  
• Wipe the meat with a cloth wrung out in hot water that contains a little vinegar.
  
• With point of a sharp knife, make 25 to 30 incisions in the tops and sides of meaty part and insert 2 or 3 leafy tops parsley in each.
• Rub roast with seasoning. (that's all it says but I think she meant the S and P)
• Place on a rack, meaty side up, in roasting pan and roast, uncovered, in a moderate slow oven (325) ( *what is a slow oven?*) for 2 and 1/4 hours or until tender - allowing 25 minutes per pound.
• Baste every 15 minutes after the first hour. (near end boil water as you will need it when the meat is done)
  
• If not a crusty brown when done, turn heat up to 500 degrees for 5 minutes (* let me insert that DH and I are fans of Barbara Kafka's high temp roasting methods*)
• Remove meat to a platter and add boiling water to the pan to make as much sauce as you desire. Bring to a boil stirring around edges. The juice is so delicious it seems a pity to make regulation gravy.
  

I love that and it brought tears in my eyes to write out her words. Even my Grandmother was a nonconformist in the kitchen!

Orange Marmalade Souffle

My father in law loved marmalade. I wish I had made this for him while he was still alive. I know my father likes marmalade too so maybe on my next visit I will choose this for his dessert. Oh wait... I can't I took his double boiler. Ho hum YUM!

Orange Marmalade Souffle
(steamed)
Ingredients and materials:
6 egg whites
1/2 cup orange marmalade, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
1.5 quart double boiler with lid, buttered and sprinkled with sugar

Process:

* Beat egg whites
* Fold in marmalade and turn into double boiler.
* Cover and cook over not too rapidly boiling water 1 hour.
* DO NOT LIFT COVER - IT MAY GO UP WITH THE SOUFFLE!
* Turn out on a serving platter
* Serve with marmalade sauce (chopped marmalade heated with a little water)

Prunes

This recipe is clearly from the years before Metamucil. I remember days in the old house on Maher Ave, sitting at the counter, being fed prunes against my will. I too have put those little packaged prunes into my children's lunch boxes. We've settled on the chewable fiber supplements. But as you will see from this simple recipe was meant to get your G.I. motor running fast! This recipe does not deserve a bon appetit either!

Prunes (credited to a Mr. Charles Simmons)

Buy large pitted prunes. Cook in strong hot coffee. Let cool in coffee.

(The recipe says nothing more. I will let my readers decide for themselves!)

Peanut Butter Soup

As I said, soup was and still is a huge tradition in my family. This recipe goes back at least 4 generations. The problem I have is that in this generation, my eldest child hates soup. At the very mention of soup he cringes and screws up his face as if it were some despised potion used to turn him into a spider. The best part is, he loves this soup! Imagine that! But then again, my grandmother wrote in the composition book, "Really very good. If the children like Peanut Butter, they'd love this!"

Enjoy - with love from all the women in my lineage!

Peanut Butter Soup
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon minced onion
1 Tablespoon butter
3 Tablespoons peanut butter
2 Tablespoons flour
3 Cups scalded milk
salt and pepper
and in my mothers own handwriting is written, Sherry and parsley or coriander to garnish. The only problem is she didn't write the Sherry into the directions. But my guess is you cook the onion in it with the butter.

Process:

• In a soup/stock pot, cook onion in butter.
  
• Add peanut butter and cook 5 minutes.
  
• Add flour and stir until smooth
• Add milk slowly, cook 20 minutes in a double boiler.
  
• Season to taste
• Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley or coriander.
  

Now some of you might wonder about scalded milk. Others may wonder about a double boiler (which I finally have now that Dad sold the house and dismantled Mom's immaculate kitchen).
Let me start with the scalded milk. Never fear - Google is here and I got me some Wikipedia!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalded_milk

And now onto what to do if you do not have a double boiler. The simplest remedy is to ignore that part of the directions - just continue cooking it in what ever stock or soup pot you were using to being with. But if you are "epicurious" like we are, you would want to know why it calls for a double boiler and how to make do when you lack such a kitchen tool.

This is what a double boiler looks like:



For info about what a double boiler is:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-double-boiler.htm
And let me quote from that site about how to improvise:

"If a recipe calls for a double boiler, there is rarely an alternative method. Cooks without an official double boiler can improvise one with two sauce pans or a large pot of boiling water and a Pyrex bowl. Most double boiler models have a single lid, but many sauce recipes require constant stirring. If a cook is using an improvised double boiler, he or she needs to be careful around the steam. The two elements should be kept separated -- if the inner pan touches the bottom of the outer pan, the result could be a counterproductive direct heat."

I can not stress the importance of caution. Please, when improvising, be careful of steam and or imbalance. My makeshift double boiler was not a perfect fit once and things cascaded on me. Be careful please!!!

Enjoy with love from my Mothers mother!

Crockpot Meatballs

Through out my documenting the family recipes, I will of course be adding our nightly dinner recipes. I also haven't said it yet, but it goes without saying that any of the crock pot recipes are the modern recipes. I don't think Mom owned a crock pot and her idea of slow cooking would have been the ritual of chutney making every winter. Then again maybe it would have been HER meatballs that she made for every Christmas Eve Cheer. These meatballs are NOT those meatballs, so if that is what you are wanting you can stop now. In fact this recipe calls for frozen meatballs, but you COULD make your own. It just defeats the point of this recipe - quick and easy and perfect for kids. The meatballs come from a friend, one that encouraged me to get a crock pot just so I could make these. They are simple and perfect for a busy night with hockey! It is versatile and proportions are highly dependant on what you get in your grocery store. My 10 year old had a rough day at school, and these were his comfort food request. Beef meatballs - this is what's for dinner!

Ingredients and Materials
Crockpot
Frozen meatballs - tonight I used two 16 ounce bags Wolfe's Neck Farms Italian style All Natural beef meatballs.
1 10 ounce jar Polaner all fruit grape jelly - organic works too we just don't use High Fructose Corn Syrup in our food.
1 jar organic ketchup (again we don't use HFCS). Start with 1/2 use more along the way.
I 20 ounce can diced pineapple
tonight I added some diced green peppers, fresh from our garden (not a usual ingredient)


Combine all ingredients in crockpot. The sauce should be enough to cover the meatballs, but they are not soaking in sauce. As the meatballs thaw and cook, it will soften up. You can check and stir once an hour. Cook on low 4 to 6 hours, or on high 3. Can serve on own or with pasta but there is not a lot of sauce.

Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)

Soup is a H U G E tradition in my family. We used to play "Mystery Soup" at every big family meal. During these meals, such as Thanksgiving or a Birthday, only the chef knew what kind of soup it was. The prize was being the first to accurately guess it - we just all had to take our first tastes at the same time. The chef will always try to keep the soup a secret and many a garbage has been checked for revealing ingredients or remains.

The title of this recipe has always given me great pause because no one in my family is Spanish. If I didn't know they came over on the Mayflower, I might have thought that they got this recipe from Columbus - he was kind of Spanish right?

This recipe is a favorite over many years. I know my father would request it for Mom to make, but I am hoping that my sister Mushy will help fill in some of the stories of our grandparents. This seems like the perfect first soup for my blog. Many many more soups to come - in fact my next recipe is a soup!

Happy Autumn!

Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)
Ingredients:
5 cups beef stock
1 cup sherry
1 garlic set
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
French Bread
Parmesan Cheese

Process:

• Heat stock and sherry. Bring to a boil.
  
• Peel, slice and dice the garlic.
  
• Heat olive oil in pan and saute the garlic until golden brown.
  
• Add to boiling stock with salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Simmer 30 minutes.
  
• Strain out garlic and reheat.

Serve hot with slices of French Bread toasted with Parmesan Cheese.
Enjoy!
Here's to you Mom!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe is something I crave. It is so good. You can use all non fat products and I started with ground chicken. It works too. I also put it all in a crock pot. The first time I broiled tenders up and then shredded them in the Cuisinart. I think I like that better.

4 chicken breasts broiled or pan cooked and then shredded. Or 2 + pounds of ground chicken cooked.
2 rectangles of Cream cheese

a bottle of buffalo sauce (I like Texas Pete's) or for a lower sodium recipe use the hot sauce.

and a bottle of blue cheese salad dressing


Melt cream cheese in pan with buffalo or hot sauce. When melted add cubed and processed chicken. Season to taste with blue cheese dressing. Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or make as a dinner in wraps with a little spinach and chopped celery.

Taco Ring

This is what's for dinner tonight, the night I started my recipe blog. This is a modern meal that serves a family of five. Not the heart healthiest, but a promises to please the kids.

This recipe is a FAVORITE from one of my other PW boards. This is a GREAT dinner for kids. Its a variation on the taco theme, and can be fun for the kids to help assemble!

TACO RING

Ingredients: (as with many recipes, your ingredients can be tinkered with. And ground meat works, and I bet crushed tofu would too. I often add corn to the meat mix as well)
~1lb ground beef
~2 cans refrigerated croissants dough
~taco seasoning (any brand will do)
~grated cheese (cheddar, Monterrey jack, or "Mexican" mix - use whatever you like)
~sour-cream
~Picante sauce

Directions:
Prepare the ground beef according to the directions on the taco seasoning. Heat the oven to the specified time on the croissant package.

While the taco meat is simmering, prepare the "ring"... see assembly pictures below. Open both cans of croissants and separate each piece. Create a "star" pattern with the croissants on a pizza stone or other similar type of pizza pan... I use a small cup in the center as the base and lay the short flat edge of the croissant about 1 inch up the cup, then just continue to overlap the pieces all around the cup until you have used all the pieces... make sure there are no open spaces along the base.
Flatten the center of the ring to create a base for the filling.... then working quickly, scoop the taco meat onto the base you've created.... layer cheese on top of the meat... then close the ring by pulling the long ends of the croissants up and over the meat and cheese. Make sure the filling is completely sealed inside the croissants... remove the cup and smooth the croissants along the ridge... place in oven and cook for according to the directions on the croissant package.

When fully cooked the crust will be a light golden brown. I let it sit for 2-3 minutes before cutting so the breading has time to "set". We use a pizza cutter to cut into the ring. Use the sour cream and Picante as a topping if you wish.









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Fritatas

The perfect use for farm eggs and fresh garden vegetables. You could make this for Breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

A favorite recipe because is it SO SIMPLE and offers a diversity of ingredients that fits the packed summer gardens! You don't have to use cheese - or egg yolks. Very versatile and excellent for using up extra veggies from the fridge too!

Need:
glass pie pan
2 TBS olive oil
6 eggs (lightly scrambled). Start with 6, if not enough to cover at end, make sure you have a few extra on hand.
onions
cheese (shredded, crumbled or even curds)

your choice of hard veggies:
onions, squash, broccoli, beans, etc.

your choice of soft veggies:
herbs
tomatoes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice or dice your hard veggies and layer on bottom of pan (no more than 1cm. high with a dash of oil. Cook for 25 to 20 min , stirring once, or until browning or caramelizing. Remove from oven.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cheese, and add 1/2 the 6 eggs. Layer soft veggies on top but not to lip of pan. Cover with remaining cheese. Pour eggs over - making sure the contents are covered (wet).

Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 min., until browning on edges, and center is solid and not wobbly.
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Crockpot Mexican Chicken

Crockpot Mexican Chicken

This is one of my all time favorite crock pot recipes. Ingredients can be modified to make it low fat. Serves a family of five with lots of leftovers.

Crock Pot Mexican chicken (aka sour cream and salsa chicken)

4 - 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I cut them into chunks)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 cup salsa
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spray Crockpot, add chicken and sprinkle with taco seasoning. Mix salsa and sour cream together and then pour on top of chicken. Sprinkle with cheese. Cook on low for 6 -8 hours, or high for 4 hours. You can serve this with tortillas to wrap it in (incorrectly assumed I had them tonight - bummer!) or on top of rice. Can sprinkle with chopped scallions or cheese as well.

Yum yum enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Custard

No Bake Chocolate Custard

Just got this from my sister in a recipe exchange we are doing.

total:20 min: 2 servings
serve slightly chilled

1/4 cup milk
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons sugar
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped, plus shaved chocolate for serving
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of ground cinnamon (which I omit)


1. In a small saucepan, combine the milk and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and heat until steaming and the sugar is dissolved. Put the egg yolk in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the hot milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
2. Off the heat, add the chopped chocolate and salt and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the butter. Pour the custard into 2 shallow bowls and refrigerate briefly, about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream with the cinnamon and the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar (I substitute vanilla for cinnamon) until softly whipped. Dollop the cream on the custards, sprinkle the chocolate shavings on the cream and serve. (I also serve with fresh raspberries...mmm!)

Make ahead-The chocolate custards can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerate overnight. Serve the custards chilled or at room temperature.

I've doubled this recipe and it seems to work fine.

Bon appetite

Crockpot BBQ Lentils

This was so yummy, lots of leftovers, and the kids loved it!

Ingredients
2 cups BBQ sauce
3.5 cups H2O
1 lb dry lentils
1 package vegetarian hot dogs (I used tofu pups)

1. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Refried Bean Burgers

Refried Bean Burgers

Ingredients:
1 can refried beans (we used black but I guess any would do)
1 egg
1/2 to 1 cup bread crumbs (with more for coating)

Mix ingredients together until its sticky but not TOO sticky. Shape into desired form (we had hot dog buns tonight so we made really turd like things) and roll in bread crumbs. Brush with a tad bit olive oil, and grill.

Serve like you would burgers or YUM!!!

quick, easy, low cal and nearly fat free!