tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76158152845321056992024-02-19T02:57:48.206-08:00Finding Fair FoodFood-triggered mind trips from an obsessed home cook with over 40 years experience. I love to eat, to cook, to go to restaurants, and I just may remember every meal I ever had.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-33795465787662359342012-06-01T14:46:00.002-07:002012-06-01T14:46:56.334-07:00The Best Food in FairhopeIn <i>That Was Tomorrow</i>, my novel set in Fairhope, Alabama, in 1921, Idella Cross, who ran one of the inns, was one of the town's best cooks. The young teacher Amelia, is treated to a groaning board at every meal. Idella is a fictional character, but her food inspired this writing:<br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Mrs.
Cross was pouring tea and the colored girl was clearing the table. She had
brought in a deep-dish peach cobbler, which Amelia could sense was still warm
because of the fragrance it spread throughout the room. Amelia wasn’t
accustomed to the big meals Mrs. Cross served, and she watched her dispense the
large wedges of cobbler with some apprehension. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> “I think I’ll just have coffee, Mrs.
Cross,” she said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> “Oh? You’ll love the cobbler— but
then maybe you’d like it for breakfast.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> “That would be wonderful, I’m sure.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> Mr. Taylor accepted both pie and
coffee, yet there was still enough left over to think about having a small
slice with coffee in the morning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">If you'd like to create an irresistible peach cobbler in the old-fashioned way that Mrs. Cross did, this is a recipe you might try. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">You'll have to make a pastry crust. Really. You. Not a packaged crust or a tube of pre-made biscuits. Pie crust is the easiest thing you'll ever do, and you can even use a food processor for it even though Idella didn't have one. Here is the basic technique: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour (If you're in the South, use Martha White or White Lily. One substitute is to use half cake flour and half all-purpose. No one will complain if you use basic all-purpose flour, but the most melting, tender crusts are made with special flour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">4 Tablespoons Shortening (Mrs. Cross would have used lard, but you may use butter or even Crisco.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">3 Tablespoons ice water </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Whisk or sift the flour with salt. Chop in shortening with a pastry blender, a fork, or pulse in the food processor until the mixture looks like small peas. Sprinkle with ice water and blend again until mixture easily forms a ball. You may have to use more water, but don't drown the dough. You want a nice firm disc. Chill this for at least an hour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Peel and slice about ten peaches (three cups sliced). Put 1 Cup of sugar into a saucepan with 1/4 Cup of water, bring to a boil, lower the hear and simmer for a few minutes before adding the peaches. Cook the peaches in the syrup for about ten minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, if desired. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Roll the dough and line a deep pie pan or a casserole with it. Add half the peaches and layer strips of dough over it. Add the rest of the peaches and top with a lattice of crust. Dot the top with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Your family and guests will never forget it. </span></div>Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-48278054384085836832012-05-19T12:51:00.001-07:002012-05-20T04:43:46.302-07:00Nourishing My Brain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From time to time on this blog, in between the many posts of recipes for calorie-laden treats, I write of the latest diet I'm on. The older I get the less effective any of them is, but I continue to think I can restore my youth if I can just change the way I eat for a couple of months.<br />
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The latest one I fell for was Dr. Amen's diet for brain health. I saw it on PBS, in fact I've seen him many times on PBS since there are three PBS options in this area, all of them using his lectures to raise funds. He seems so lithe, so reasonable, and everything he says makes sense, so he must indeed have a healthy brain himself. What he proposes is a version of the CRON diet, which I've read about and written about, but is so strict that I just don't seem to be able to do it. I certainly cannot claim that I've adhered to it strictly enough that I've lost any weight. I console myself with the notion that I just may be replacing fat cells with muscle, but I have no real evidence of that.<br />
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Last month I saw Dr. Amen talking about his sister-in-law who was on an extremely unhealthy diet and was feeling so listless and depressed that she went to her doctor. He prescribed that she change the way she ate--have NO sugar, NO bread, NO pasta, NO alcohol, and NO coffee. She responded, "Well, those are the only things I do eat!" but she followed instructions. Of course, within a month she had lost something like ten pounds and felt better than she ever had in her life. She has stayed with it and continues to lose weight and be happy. Dr. Amen stresses that this is not a weight-loss regimen, but a way to improve the function of the brain.<br />
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I decided that for the month of May I'd try it. And if it worked even a little, if I felt my brain was working better, and/or I was losing a little flab here and there, I'd continue for at least another month.<br />
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It hasn't been easy. I am not able to be very strict with myself, but I limit coffee to two cups a week at this point, spacing them from Wednesday to Saturday. Bread was probably the hardest thing to forgo, particularly living in a town full of Italian bakeries. I decided an occasional half of a whole wheat pita would be okay. I haven't been able to go completely sugar-free either, but I cut out the health-food-store cookies which I was eating daily. For other things I switched to agave nectar, which is as high in calories as sugar, but slower to metabolize.<br />
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I've been white-knuckling it to some degree. I keep seeing the end of the month in sight. I don't see any difference on the scale, but I'm sticking with this as best I can. And I feel a little smarter, more alert, more focused and very proud of myself. I'll let you know if I make it through June as well.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-30929564854931192072010-03-11T06:47:00.000-08:002016-12-20T17:30:22.881-08:00Crusty Me, And a Pecan Pie Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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March 11, 2010<br />
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I have made pies from scratch ever since I started cooking at the age of 17. I need not tell you that was many years ago. <br />
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When I started baking pies, the only shortening I knew of was margarine. It was the South; my mother was not much of a cook, and the table spread in our home was the artificial yellow stuff that nobody much (including me) would think of touching nowadays. <br />
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I found a recipe for pecan pie and one for pie crust, and used to make it to show off every chance I got. I collected pecan pie recipes and selected the best of them and it became my basic go-to pie for the rest of my life.<br />
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As I conferred with other cooks I learned that the shortening of choice for pie crusts was usually Crisco, which delivered a consistently flaky and melt-in-the-mouth crust. I switched to that with good results. Then I moved to Geneva for six years, and discovered the French custom of all-butter pie crusts, which was not as satisfying to me, but became an option. The French add an egg to the recipe, and a little sugar, which I did not find to improve the product. I even heard that the best American cooks used lard in the crust, but could not bring myself to do that. I never put any sugar in a pie crust--to me the slightly salty tang is the perfect complement to a sweet filling.<br />
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In the 1980's we discovered that all the pie crust shortenings were absolutely life-threateningly high in trans-fat and should be shunned. This created the dilemma: No-crust pies, or just cut it down to one pie or so a year? I can tolerate a no-crust quiche or savory pie, but knew that pecan pie and fruit pies were greatly enhanced by a crust. And I love pie crust! <br />
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I decided to accept the fact that the crust, delicious as it may be, was not something one should eat much of, and pies were something to save for very infrequent ingestion. I then experimented again with combinations of shortenings to achieve the irresistible pie crust experience. I hit on this recipe, which I guarantee will deliver an absolutely perfect pie crust for a 10-inch pie (if you only make a pie every other year or so, why not go ahead and make a big one?):<br />
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1 1/2 Cups Flour<br />
5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter<br />
5 Tablespoons Lard<br />
3/4 teaspoon Salt<br />
4 Tablespoons Ice Water<br />
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Sift the flour and measure. Combine with the salt and cut in the chilled shortenings by hand with a pastry cutter until well and evenly blended. This takes some patience and elbow grease, but you can tell when it is well mixed, and you are unlikely to overwork the mixture. Sprinkle the water on and mix until the dough holds together when gathered by hand into a ball. You should not need more water than this, but if absolutely necessary you may add another teaspoon or so. Form into a disc using the least handwork possible, wrap in plastic film and chill several hours or overnight.<br />
It should be rather easy to roll out. <br />
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Now that I've taken you this far, I'll give you the ultimate traditional Southern recipe for pecan pie filling.<br />
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1 1/2 Cups clear Karo Syrup<br />
1 1/2 Cups pecan halves<br />
1 Cup light brown sugar<br />
1/2 stick butter<br />
3 eggs<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
Dash of salt<br />
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Mix the Karo Syrup with the sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved. It may boil--but stir, and remove from the heat when the sugar has melted. Add the butter to this while you beat the eggs. When the sugar mixture is cool enough, add a little at a time to the egg mixture, add pecans, vanilla and salt. Pour this into an unbaked 10" pie shell.<br />
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It will bake at 325 degrees for about an hour. Keep an eye on the pie during the last 15 minutes of baking. <br />
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It's probably best not to tell your guests what shortening you used. They will love the pie until they hear--I had a friend stop eating when I told her about the lard, saying that it tasted like pork as soon as she heard that. <br />
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Being from the South, tasting pork is never an excuse for me to stop eating.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-13759406074638414082009-12-07T07:56:00.000-08:002010-01-07T14:08:12.065-08:00The Old-School Pot RoastI got a Facebook message asking for my recipe for Crock Pot Pot Roast, which is rather odd because I don't own a crock pot and never have. I do make a killer pot roast, however, and I'm sure it could be adapted to the slow cooker.<br /><br />Here's my message to the Facebook friend:<br /><br />I don't see that cookbook anywhere--methinks it didn't make the trip with me. But here's what I did, and I don't have a crock pot:<br /><br />Chop about two medium onions, a few carrots, a clove or two of garlic--and hold onto the potatoes (as many as you would like) for later. Season the roast (chuck), pat with flour, and brown on all sides in a hot dutch oven or cast iron fryingpan with about a tablespoon of oil in it. This is the pan I cooked the pot roast in. When roast is brown remove from the pan and soften the onions and carrots in it, adding the garlic for about one min at the end. Put the roast on top of this. (If using a crock pot, put onions and carrots in at this point and put the roast on top, leaving some of the onion mixture to put around and on top of the roast. Add a bay leaf and any other herb you like.)<br /><br />Here is the trick: Now add one cup of tomato juice. You may add just a little more, but don't forget the meat will render a lot of its own liquid and you don't want too much. I cover the dutch oven with its lid and put in the oven at 275 or 300 for THREE HOURS. I would think the same thing would work with a crock pot.<br /><br />The recipe can be made with red wine, which also tenderizes the meat and adds flavor--but it's different.<br /><br />Easy to do and a wonderful winter treat.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-58531444531555627072009-10-04T10:34:00.000-07:002009-10-04T10:59:55.501-07:00Cooking Basics: The Ultimate CustardWhen I was a bride, back when the earth was still cooling, I took it upon myself to learn the basics of cooking. This was before Julia Child had her PBS series, so it was up to me to find books and magazines with instructions I could follow.<br /><br />One of the first things I learned to make was superb egg custard, which can easily be the filling for an old-fashioned custard pie or the basis for a crême caramel. I have made many of both over my lifetime of cooking.<br /><br />For a beginning cook the techniques used in making custard will get you through many more complicated dishes. Custard couldn't be easier or more satisfying, so let me walk you through the steps.<br /><br />You'll bake the mixture in a water bath (called a <span style="font-style:italic;">bain marie</span> in French and in serious cooking circles, but let's stick to American English here). What it is is a pan of hot water into which your baking dish is placed to keep the delicate eggy mixture from getting too much heat at once, causing it to curdle.<br /><br />The basic recipe is 1 1/2 Cups whole milk, 1/2 C half and half. Scald the milk--that is, heat it until tiny bubbles form around the edge--but do not allow to boil. This may sound rich, but you will truly have an elegant custard if you use whole milk. You can skip the half-and-half if you have cholesterol issues, and just use two cups of milk, but the outcome will be better if you do use a little cream. If you use two cups of half-and-half you just may die of the ecstasy.<br /><br />In the meantime combine 1 whole egg and two egg yolks--save the whites for adding to omelets--with 1/3 C sugar. Add about 1/2 tsp vanilla and a dash of salt. Cool the milk slightly and add a splash to the egg mixture to combine. Then slowly mix in the rest. <br /><br />This goes into custard cups or into a small casserole like those ubiquitous Corningware things with a stylized blue flower on it that all of us 1950's housewives have lurking in our pantries. Put in the water-bath and bake at 325 for about 45 mins, testing by inserting a knife into the center. If the knife comes out clean, the custard is done. <br /><br />Of course the most delicious thing to make with this recipe is creme caramel, which is also easy but requires one more step. The custard is the same, but caramel is made by slowly browning about one cup of sugar and pouring it into the chosen vessel(s) for the custard while still hot. If using individual custard cups, just pour about a tablespoon in the bottom and swirl it to cover the bottom. If you're using a big pan pour the caramel into the bottom of the pan. The custard will dissolve it somewhat and when you invert the pan(s) it forms a sauce coating the little custard. You really can't invert them until the custards are chilled a while. To get them out, gently run a knife around the edge of the cup first to loosen. You probably won't need to do this with caramel custards; you have a built-in sauce. <br /><br />You have to pay close attention when you're browning sugar. It's exciting to make, but if you overcook it it burns and is useless. Just watch it go from tan to brown and then remove immediately from the heat.<br /><br />You'll look like an expert cook, and you will have mastered some of the important techniques any cook should know. I can promise you'll be proud of the result. Please comment here if you have any problems--or especially if you have success!Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-43563764240616077012009-09-30T15:11:00.000-07:002009-10-01T01:29:27.883-07:00Cooking in HobokenOctober 1, 2009<br /><br />If you check out this blog for specific posts you'll notice that I've blogged very little since moving to Hoboken almost two years ago. I love cooking, eating, and writing about food, but in Hoboken until two weeks ago, I didn't really have a place that inspired me to cook. That has changed.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbruwQx2WSCQJpJIHXr0cpsn9ZiWAfI92y0S_H4R7ZUJorIXBQfQ_hqnBTajy7ircNmIf_nQaglDjegrMcY7x0WWPzF9fAxeoUflIWK18RPQ45cFd0aafPSDesVIeVX658JhNZ3NUdKkwb/s1600-h/IMG_0945.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbruwQx2WSCQJpJIHXr0cpsn9ZiWAfI92y0S_H4R7ZUJorIXBQfQ_hqnBTajy7ircNmIf_nQaglDjegrMcY7x0WWPzF9fAxeoUflIWK18RPQ45cFd0aafPSDesVIeVX658JhNZ3NUdKkwb/s400/IMG_0945.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387387155471907154" /></a>This is just a little corner of my new kitchen, and it seems I can think of nothing but cooking. There is a whiff of fall in the air and I'd love nothing more than to bake an apple pie.<br /><br />You'll see I took a cue from the Home and Garden cable network by putting my cookbooks on top of my cabinets. This is going to require getting a nice little step stool to reach them, but I'm game for that. Until I get the step stool home, I have a ladder. And as a matter of fact, I can cook pretty well without the cookbooks.<br /><br />It crossed my mind that I have no buddies in Hoboken who are avid cooks. They are all good cooks, but they don't get excited sharing recipes and techniques. I know such foodies are out there in Hoboken--because it's a food town if there ever was one--but there are such great restaurants that the enthusiastic home cooks are under the radar. Maybe this blog post will bring out a few and we can talk FOOD. I hope so.<br /><br />I had lunch at Biggie's Clam House yesterday with a couple of Hoboken b 'n' r's, (that means, "born and raised in Hoboken" to you who are not in the know). We saw a nice older man--meaning older than us, which is indeed pretty old--eating something like greens out of a bowl. Carolyn's husband Rich said, "That man over there is eating something you'd love," to his wife. When Brother, the son of Biggie, and now the heir apparent to the title of "Biggie," came by our table, we asked what the man was eating. "Brocolli rabe," he said. "We make it with sausage."<br /><br />I sighed that I had done the predictable thing and ordered fried clams. (I must say the others at the table had done the more Hoboken thing and ordered "Italian hot dogs," which are sausage sandwiches with onions and peppers and a sausage-and-pepper sandwich, which is just a little different. <br /><br />Today I had a phone call from Connie, who was one who had ordered a hot dog yesterday. I told her I was going to try the brocolli rabe the next time. I have never been a fan of brocolli rabe--I find it bitter--and Connie said, "I always add fresh lemon juice. If you don't do that it will be bitter."<br /><br />This triggered a long conversation about how Italians cook vegetables, the dependency on fresh lemon juice for vegetables (I have to have lemon juice on my spinach), and other food notes. She said she adds olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice to everything from cauliflower to escarole. I realized I had been missing this offhand swapping of recipes and kitchen ideas.<br /><br />I'm looking to meet others who love to talk about food and cooking. If you live in Hoboken and have ideas on the subject, get in touch with me. I'll cook up a little something for us someday soon.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-78925253022079518262009-07-02T08:07:00.000-07:002009-07-02T08:20:54.238-07:00Red, White and Blue FoodJuly 2, 2009<br /><br />July 4th requires that we come up with something patriotic to eat. Obvious choices are watermelon and fresh corn on the cob, but last year I added a salad that just about made me burst into a few choruses of "The Star-Spangled Banner."<br /><br />It's easy to make and very festive for any day of the year, but most appropriate for Independence Day.<br /><br />Take your usual salad greens and my usual vinaigrette--about two parts olive oil to one part of white wine vinegar, stirred into a slap of Dijon mustard with just a dash of honey and salt to taste. (Actually, as I've directed here before, I put the mustard in the bowl first, cover it with Kosher salt, and then whip in the honey followed by the vinegar.) Some fresh lemon, lime, or orange juice can be added at this point, if desired. A slow drizzle of olive oil, whisking all the time, makes the dressing just as you like it.<br /><br />Add the following ingredients to the greens: Blueberries, strawberries, and maybe a few Craisins. Toss with the vinaigrette and add a dash of Kosher salt over all. <br /><br />The obvious place to go with red, white and blue food is to dessert. I like to mix a little low-calorie sweetener to yogurt (the one place it cannot be detected) and add a drop of vanilla and a drop of orange extract. This makes a delicious base for your blueberries and strawberries. Of course you can use raspberries and some dried cranberries as well. If you absolutely want something besides yogurt for the holiday, go ahead and use a premium vanilla ice cream (or make some yourself). <br /><br />Have a safe and glorious 4th!Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-47291123520655743132009-03-15T09:40:00.000-07:002009-03-15T10:40:56.239-07:00Back To Baking: Oatmeal Quick BreadMarch 15, 2009<br /><br />Since living alone in a new location, I pretty much stopped my practice of baking. If you read much of this blog, you'll have noticed a recurring theme of dieting and worrying about my middle-age weight gain. Removed from family and old friends with whom I could always share baked goods, I refrain from baking on a whim for fear I'll eat it all myself and regret it later. I call the condition "eater's remorse," and it's a terrible feeling.<br /><br />A few weeks ago, I noticed Irish Soda Bread at the local A & P. I just couldn't resist, and the product was tasty, so I boought another when the loaves were marked down to $1.99. I loved the bread, but was all too aware that they were made with white flour and more sugar than should be in the authentic version. <br /><br />So I broke down and bought myself some buttermilk, whole wheat flour and unbleached white. I had some raisins, so I went to <a href= "http://findingfairfood.blogspot.com/2008/03/eating-things-irish.html">my own recipe</a> on this blog, and made a batch of the genuine article. In two days the loaf was gone and I was yearning to bake something else, to use up some of the flour and buttermilk. The obvious course would be to make pancakes or biscuits, both of which would use the ingredients. Again, I could bake lots of fattening and delicious things, but to justify baking just for myself I decided to use some of the other leftovers in my pantry in something that would be nutritious as well as creative and tasty.<br /><br />What I came up with, having about a cup of steel-cut oatmeal on the shelves, was an oatmeal quick bread. I also had a softening banana (and I don't like overripe bananas except in breads), so I put together my own recipe. I had to climb on a ladder to find my old loaf pan, which had been waiting patiently in a box of kitchen miscellanea I had stored away for the future. (The future has arrived!)<br /><br />I checked <span style="font-style:italic;">The Joy of Cooking</span> which advised that I pour boiling water over the oatmeal and let it steep for ten minutes. For quick-cooking oatmeal, you could skip this step.<br /><br />Oatmeal Banana Quick Bread<br /><br />1 Cup Steel-Cut Oats<br />1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour<br />1 Cup Unbleached White Flour<br />2 teaspooons Baking Powder<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br />1 tablespoon honey<br />1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda<br />1/2 teaspoon Salt<br />1/2 banana, mashed<br />1/2 to 3/4 Cup Buttermilk<br />1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit (I used dried cranberries), if desired<br />1/2 cup chopped nuts if desired (I desired, but didn't have any on hand)<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak the oats in 2 cups boiling water for ten minutes. Prepare the loaf pan by greasing and putting a greased and floured sheet of parchment paper on the bottom for easy removal.<br /><br />Mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together with a whisk. Drain the oats but keep wet; add to dry mixture. Add buttermilk to make a stiff batter. Mix in the mashed banana and any of the optional choices.<br /><br />Bake for one hour. Let it cool slightly before removing from the pan. I just had my first slice, and it's excellent with a little butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. Of course, if you want to avoid eater's remorse, you could eat it plain.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-72028791107832700942009-03-04T11:25:00.000-08:002011-12-16T14:10:22.321-08:00Snickerdoodles<span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;">What a great name for a cookie--almost as much fun to say as it is to eat 'em.<br /><br />A few months ago I sent this recipe to my friend Nan who has <a href="http://www.lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/"> a blog describing her idyllic life on a farm </a>in Vermont (luckily she loves cold weather!) I just heard from her that she tried the Snickerdoodles and loves them!<br /><br />Here's how to do it:<br /><br />1 stick butter, room temperature<br />1 1/2 cups sugar<br />2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />1/4 cup milk 3 cups flour<br />3/4 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cream of tartar<br />1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg<br />1 tablespoon cinnamon mixed with 3 tablespoon sugar<br /><br />Beat the butter with 1 1/2 cups of sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Add milk and stir. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, cream of tartar, salt and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and stir thoroughly. Chill this dough for at least 2 hours.<br /><br />Heat the oven to 350º. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into large, walnut-sized balls and dip tops into cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place galls about 3 inches apart on baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes. Cookies will appear undercooked when removed form the oven; the centers will be very moist and light. As they cool, the cookies will firm up and be delicious.<br /><br />I realized when I sent Nan the recipe that she might not have cream of tartar, and suggested that she just increas the baking soda to 2 teaspoons. (One of its principle ingredients is cream of tartar; this is an old recipe when the cook sometimes made her own baking powder, half baking soda, half cream of tartar. Actually I got the recipe from the wonderful Christopher Kimball's <span style="font-style: italic;">Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook.)<br /><br /></span>Have a cookie and a glass of milk!<br /><br /></span>Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-61857247140473767112009-01-06T15:22:00.000-08:002009-01-06T15:36:11.629-08:00The Most Wicked Chocolate DessertJanuary 6, 2008<br /><br />I had a few friends in for dessert today after a lunch at a restaurant. I decided to make one of those molten-chocolate cakes, and it was superb.<br /><br />Here's how I did it:<br /><br />I melted one Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate bar (4 oz.) with one stick of unsalted butter. While it was melting I buttered and floured four ramekins (custard cups would do) and I separated two eggs and mixed the yolks with 2 whole eggs, beating well. I added 1/4 cup of sugar to the eggs. Then I let the melted chocolate mixture cool slightly and added a dollop into the beaten eggs, beating hard to temper the eggs. Then I slowly added the rest of the chocolate, beating all the while. I added a pinch of salt, two teaspoons of flour, and about a half teaspoon of vanilla, mixing well.<br /><br />I divided the mixture equally among the ramekins. <br /><br />I met my friends at the restaurant, leaving the ramekins to set on the the kitchen counter until we go there. I could have chilled the mixture and left it for some time, bringing it to room temperature before baking, or I could have baked it right then if they were there and ready to eat. Since we were going to be a couple of hours, I decided just to leave them out.<br /><br />When we got in, I preheated the oven to 450° and baked the puddings for about 7 minutes. This is the only tricky part: Too long and they'll just be cakes, and not long enough and they'll just be soup. Ideally they should be cakes with a soupy middle. I let them cool about 3 minutes and turned them out into dessert bowls, topping with about a teaspoon of vanilla ice cream. They weren't quite cakey enough, but nobody complained. We ate the pudding-cakes with spoons and there wasn't any left. They were as divinely chocolate as we could have hoped for.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-77524492863129973872008-07-15T07:45:00.000-07:002008-07-15T07:59:56.961-07:00What Gumbo Isn'tJuly 15, 2008<br /><br />I grew up with gumbo. It's a staple in Gulf Coast towns; an unusual soup with a smoky, distinctive taste and a mystique all its own. At our house it always contained local seafood -- shrimp and crabs -- along with okra and <span style="font-style:italic;">filé</span>, that powdered sassafras spice that is used in nothing else I ever knew of.<br /><br />Nowadays my home town is full of trendy restaurants. If gumbo is on a menu it is usually made from a packaged mix and is comparatively tasteless if not downright nasty. We went to a place known as "Jus' Gumbo" and were offered a number of combinations that sounded like anything but gumbo. We settled on the one they said was made with a tomato roux, which made no sense to anyone in our group. Tomatoes can be a componenent of gumbo, but they can't be the centerpiece of it, and there's no way you can get them into the roux.<br /><br />The roux for gumbo is unlike any other. It is made with fat and flour, but from there it's totally different. In the old days the fat called for was bacon grease, but I don't think anybody does that any more. You can use colorless cooking oil, in an equal amount to flour, but the trick is to cook the two slowly and for a long time, bringing the mixture to a brown color, dark as you like. Most like it a little darker than peanut butter, but you can go as dark as black coffee and it will make a hell of a gumbo.<br /><br />The soup they brought us in the restaurant was more like cioppino than gumbo. It was bright red, spicy as chili, and I would say that the only thing it had in common with gumbo was that it was served over rice.<br /><br />The word "gumbo" has come to be interpreted to mean any hodgepodge. This is misleading. Gumbo is a specific entity, requiring certain ingredients and coming up with an expected result. You can have your sausage, your smoked duck, or your seafood -- but unless they're put together in that certain way, don't call the outcome gumbo.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-29217178704387371212008-03-29T08:26:00.000-07:002008-03-29T08:37:35.974-07:00A Salad for a ColdMarch 29, 2008<br /><br />Nothing tastes better to me when I have a cold than an orange. Perhaps its the long association -- after all, oranges and grapefruit are forced upon us as a source of vitamin C -- from childhood forward. But the tart sweet orangeness is unmistakably a friend that will surely make the cold go away.<br /><br />Coming down with a cold last week, I bought six oranges and began finding ways to eat them. Usually a sliced orange at breakfast did the trick, but I also came up with one of the best salads I've ever tasted the other night.<br /><br />Like everyone, I really enjoy the packaged salad greens, but I tend to augment them with a head of romaine or oak leaf just to add some texture. This time I used about a cup of mixed lettuces and two big leaves of romaine, washed and chopped together into bite-sized pieces. Then I peeled and segmented an orange, eating the connecting membranes and scraping any orange meat off the skins with my teeth. I've heard that the white part of the peel is rich in calcium, and I don't find it has any taste, so I eat as much of it as I can.<br /><br />To make the dressing, I created a basic vinaigrette using fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar. I start with about a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, salt to taste, a drop of honey, and whisk it with the juice of half a lemon. This much will take a little over a quarter cup of olive oil, and some of the dressing will be left over for another day. <br /><br />The sectioned orange had rendered a few tablespoons of juice, so I incorporated that into the salad dressing. I tossed the greens with a few tablespoons of juice, added a pinch or two of salt, the orange sections, and had a delicious salad. I'm sure this cold is on the way out.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-47186314956142362782008-03-14T11:45:00.000-07:002008-03-14T11:52:55.028-07:00Eating Things IrishMarch 15, 2008<br /><br />If you're like me and like to bake and are thinking of all things Irish in honor of the upcoming holiday, you'll want to produce this simple and tasty bread.<br /><br />Irish Soda Bread<br /><br />Preheat oven to 375°.<br /><br />1 Cup all purpose flour<br />1 Cup Whole Wheat flour<br />3/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 tablespoon sugar<br /><br />Whisk the above ingredients together and put into the food processor. Add 6 Tablespoons chilled shortening and process until mealy. Then remove back into the bowl and stir in 1/2 to 1 cup raisins or dried currants or cranberries, 1 Tablespoon caraway seeds, and a few chopped nuts if desired (I don't think the Irish do this.) Gradually add 1/2 to 3/4 Cup buttermilk or soured milk and shape into a round loaf or put into a greased loaf pan. <br /><br />Brush the top with milk. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-75937652079035220482008-03-08T11:10:00.000-08:002008-03-08T11:26:18.812-08:00Comfort Food, Italian StyleMarch 8, 2008<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Spaghetti alla Carbonara</span> is an Italian specialty of uncertain origin and certain soothing properties. What could be more comforting than spaghetti with eggs and bacon in it?<br /><br />It's easy and exciting to make too. Exciting because it's hard to believe the pasta will cook the eggs, but it always works. I've seen several recipes for this, some using cream, some white wine, some with garlic or onions, but my original comes from <span style="font-style:italic;">The Romagnolis' Table</span>, based on the old PBS series, and it has none of those things. (Did I ever tell you I learned to cook by watching PBS?) The Romagnolis' book came out before pancetta was widely used in this country, so they substituted salt pork. Go ahead and use pancetta.<br /><br />Chop up 4 oz. of pancetta and sauté it gently in a few tablespoons of olive oil until translucent. Crack three eggs onto a warm serving platter and beat until foamy. Grind some fresh pepper into the pancetta and into the eggs.<br /><br />Cook your pasta -- about 1 1/2 lbs. in about 6 quarts of water with 6 tsps. salt -- until it's just <span style="font-style:italic;">al dente</span>. Drain it fast and reserve a little water in case you need it later. Pour the drained pasta into the eggs and toss well until the pasta is coated with eggs. Add the pancetta-olive oil mixture. Grate Pargianno Reggiano cheese on top and add more pepper if desired.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-10968292713484664662008-02-27T04:55:00.000-08:002008-02-27T05:26:02.766-08:00Something Good with NutmegFebruary 27, 2008<br /><br />Research shows that most of the hits on this blog come with the search words "Health Benefits Nutmeg," with "Garlic Soup Colds" coming in second.<br /><br />There is an early post about my discovery of <span style="font-style:italic;">chai</span> tea which discusses the health benefits of nutmeg -- and cinnamon and cloves -- in the tasty tea known as <span style="font-style:italic;">chai</span>. You can find this post and the garlic one by browsing the blog. This post is about a wonderful cake with a large nutmeg component.<br /><br />The recipe, with some tweaking from me, is found in Nick Maglieri's cookbook <span style="font-style:italic;">Perfect Cakes</span>. It has the charming name of "Fresh Apple Cake from Mrs. Appenzeller (5D)." Maglieri got the recipe from the superintendent of a Greenwich Village apartment building who in turn obtained it from the tenant in Apartment 5D. I can't help but love this Mrs. Appenzeller -- after all, I lived in Switzerland for six years, and Appenzel is a quaint canton in the mountains. Besides, the cake, with its high nutmeg content is not only delicious but probably will help with joint pains and indigestion. Obesity is another matter.<br /><br />For health considerations, I decreased the amount of oil, added some whole wheat flour as well as brown sugar, and for esthetics used Granny Smith apples where Mrs. Appenzeller and Nick Maglieri use Golden Delicious. Applesauce would probably work well too. I do recommend the cake, and admonish the baker to use all the nutmeg suggested.<br /><br />1 1/2 Cup Unbleached White Flour<br />1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour<br />1 Teaspoon Baking Soda<br />1 Teaspoon Nutmeg<br />1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon<br />3 Eggs<br />1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, 1/2 Cup White Sugar<br />1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil<br />2 Teaspoons Vanilla<br />3 Cups Peeled, Chopped Apples<br />1/2 Cup Dark Raisins<br />1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts<br /><br />Butter and flour a 12-Cup tube pan and preheat the oven to 350°.<br /><br />Whisk together flours, baking soda, and spices.<br /><br />In a large bowl, beat the eggs to break them up, whisk in the oil, sugar and vanilla. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients and apples, raisins and nuts.<br /><br />Bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.<br /><br />The cake is excellent with coffee or tea, or can be dressed up with ice cream. It freezes well.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-9859872514038683482008-02-20T08:49:00.000-08:002008-02-20T09:17:16.206-08:00Watching People EatFebruary 20, 2008<br /><br />Maybe there are people out there in television-watching-land who really enjoy the numerous shows and segments of shows in which people stick food into their mouths and then try to describe to the viewers what they're experiencing.<br /><br />They carefully close their lips over the bite (thank goodness and Emily Post) and then roll their eyes to the heavens and chew. This part gets tricky because they have to get most of the bite down before they start talking. Usually they use this time to make odd "mmmm" sounds, close their eyes, and try to think of something not obscene-looking to do while we wait for them to clear the mouth and talk to us.<br /><br />Then, food removed, they start saying bizarre things like, "There's this gentle flow of spice followed by a little kick..." which is supposed to enlighten us about the experience of eating.<br /><br />I cannot understand why there are so many shows that feature this embarrassingly un-entertaining display. There are restaurant shows, where the host, usually an affable enough person, goes to some restaurant, orders something, then goes through the eating-for-the-camera exercise described above, and tells us how to go to a restaurant. Or how to put food in our mouths. Or how to taste it. All of which most self-respecting adults have long since learned how to do. <br /><br />There are cooking shows in which abnormally slim people demonstrate a recipe and then start eating it for our pleasure. <br /><br />Two exceptions to the above tirade, in my view, are people I don't mind telling me what they're eating or how the food they cook tastes. These are Anthony Bourdain, whose show is more a cultural exchange than a food show, and Paula Deen, who so obviously enjoys scarfing down that fattening food that she can joke about it.<br /><br />But a show based on watching people eat is a bad idea. When I catch myself watching such a show, I worry about my life.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-65194545067684946062008-02-16T06:45:00.000-08:002008-02-16T07:03:24.199-08:00Not Fattening CheesecakeFebruary 16, 2007<br /><br />First, let me offer this disclaimer: If you like to eat, but want to lose weight, you gotta believe.<br /><br />Me, I believe mostly in Atkins. That hasn't lost a lot of weight for me, but it helps me believe I'm dieting when I eat the foods I like. The trick is to stop before you want to. That's one I haven't mastered yet.<br /><br />Here's a trick for a cheesecake that I won't promise will help you <span style="font-style:italic;">lose</span> weight, but you'll hardly notice the artificial sweetener, and you can feel pretty good while you're eating it. In moderation, of course. I've served it at parties and nobody knows. (Or so they say.)<br /><br />Make your crust using ground almonds instead of graham crackers.<br /><br />The filling consists of:<br /><br />3 8-oz pkgs. cream cheese, at room temperature<br />1/2 Cup sugar<br />1/2 Cup Splenda<br />4 eggs, separated<br />1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />1 tsp. lemon juice<br />Grated lemon rind (optional)<br /><br />Pre-heat your oven to 325°.<br /><br />With an electric mixer, cream the cheese with sugar and Splenda. Add the egg yolks, extract and lemon juice.<br /><br />Beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks and gently fold them into the cream cheese mixture. Turn this batter into a baking pan prepared with the nut crust. If you're using a spring-form pan, wrap its bottom well in aluminum foil to prevent water leaking in. Put the baking pan into a larger pan and fill the larger pan with hot water up to about an inch from the top of the smaller pan. Bake until the cake is lightly browned, about one hour.<br /><br />Let cool completely. The water bath will prevent cracks from forming on the top of the cake. This can be eaten as is, or topped with sour cream slightly sweetened and with a bit of vanilla added, or with fresh fruit.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-24865359273832757412008-02-13T07:16:00.000-08:002012-05-10T07:03:18.178-07:00Dueling CornbreadsFebruary 13, 2008<br />
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My cyberfriend Nan, who publishes <a href="http://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/2008/02/lentilcannellini-bean-stew-and.html"> a beautiful blog</a> making women all over the world want to move to a New England farm, cook from scratch, and raise a family, recently gave info on how to make a delicious bean stew with cornbread.<br />
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On her blog she runs pictures of her dogs, the snow-covered woods, the cozy house, and mouth-watering food, complete with recipes.<br />
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Even so, she used a little sugar in the cornbread. I curmudgeonly made the comment on her post that Southerners didn't allow sugar in cornbread. The fact that I know that South Carolina and probably certain other pockets in the South they do serve sweet cornbread didn't stop me from my niggling complaint. Where I come from, the Gulf Coast of Alabama, a hint of sugar in cornbread makes it pure cake.<br />
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Here's the recipe I always use for cornbread, from Mrs. S.R. Dull's cookbook <span style="font-style: italic;">Southern Cooking</span>, first published in 1941. Mrs. Dull was the food editor of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Atlanta Constitution</span> for many years.<br />
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I have changed her recipe by substituting half unbleached white flour for half of the cornmeal she used. But I do recommend using buttermilk as she does, and I must tell you that that this should be baked in a 10-inch cast iron frying pan.<br />
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2 eggs<br />
1 1/4 Cup yellow corn meal<br />
1 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour<br />
2 Cups buttermilk<br />
3 Tablespoons melted butter<br />
2 teaspoons salt<br />
1 teaspoons baking soda<br />
3 teaspoons baking powder<br />
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Beat eggs together until light. Add buttermilk, butter and salt. Add meal and flour mixture, being careful putting in, as meal varies and the batter should be a medium batter. Beat smooth. Put about a tablespoon of bacon fat into the pan (vegetable oil can be used) and keep the pan hot. Sift the baking powder into the batter. Dissolve the soda into a spoonful of cold water and add to the mixture and stir well. Bake at 400° for about 15 to 20 minutes, until brown and crusty.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-6983338520556909692008-02-12T06:20:00.000-08:002008-02-12T06:36:16.235-08:00Waking Up to Broccoli SoupFebruary 12, 2004<br /><br />Due to popular demand, I am reviving this blog. Wake up, blog!<br /><br />That being said, I add the disclaimer that although I haven't posted here since late November, surfers find the blog when looking for recipes for "fair food," which is not what it's about, or using words on their search engines such as "garlic soup cold cure" or "health benefits nutmeg," which they can indeed find here.<br /><br />This is the blog of a good home cook who prefers simple, fresh food and enjoys cooking from scratch. Most of the recipes are more like instructions for producing old-fashioned and tasty foods. Sometimes I'm on a diet, but there are a few dessert recipes that will indicate why I have that need.<br /><br />Today's food is one that comes from that not-too-fattening group. It is a variation of a soup in the cookbook of one Suzanne Sommers, sometime actress and age-obsessed blonde who found a second career in writing about health food and selling exercise devices. Be that as it may, it is a delicious version of vichysoisse (no potatoes!) and filled with vitamins instead of calories.<br /><br />Leek and Broccoli Soup<br /><br />Chop and wash one leek and sauté it in a little olive oil for about five minutes. Add about 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. You'll need about 3 cups of chopped broccoli. Add this, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and process in a blender, food processor or with a stick blender until fairly smooth. To serve, (particularly if you'd on Atkins) you may top with a dollop of sour cream.<br /><br />If you're not dieting, this soup is excellent with about one cup of cooked brown rice added before the blend. Of course the whole thing is flexible -- tomatoes can be added or any other leftovers if you want to use it as a base for another soup, or if you have any left over and want to extend the life of all the things in little jars in your refrigerator.<br /><br />Now that you've discovered the revived food blog, come back sometime and explore.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-40056285468451421742007-11-24T13:19:00.000-08:002007-11-24T13:29:28.945-08:00Thanksgiving Dinner Idea: One Sweet PotatoNovember 24, 2007<br /><br />I was alone this Thanksgiving, and the big dinner had been highly untraditional: Seafood Gumbo prepared by my sister at her house. Delicious and comforting, it nonetheless left me wanting a little something more in keeping with the season for supper.<br /><br />I came home to find one sweet potato and an orange in the house. Oh, I had more items, but decided to make a meal of these two finds.<br /><br />A fan of baked potatoes that are actually baked -- and this includes sweet potatoes -- I set the oven at 350° and pierced the potato all over and smeared it with butter. I let it roast in the oven for about 50 minutes. <br /><br />In the meantime I combined about two tablespoons of butter with an equal amount of brown sugar and grated the orange rind into it. Then I peeled and sliced the orange into sections and mixed the orange with the creamed butter and sugar. <br /><br />When the sweet-spud was done, I sliced it down the center and cut it crosswise into chunks and spread it with the orange butter. The result was a perfect meal for one! <br /><br />You don't have to wait until next Thanksgiving to try this. It's a nice trick for any day of the year, and easy to prepare for as many as you like.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-31350949867660481282007-09-08T07:51:00.000-07:002007-09-08T07:56:50.312-07:00A Nice Diet BreakfastSeptember 7<br /><br />I discovered some time ago that a little artificial sweetener (I use Splenda) mixed with cinnamon is almost undetectable. I also add about half as much sugar as the ersatz stuff just to deflect attention.<br /><br />Therefore, this is how I make cinnamon "sugar" for one: A few generous dashes cinnamon, one teaspoon Splenda, one-half teaspoon sugar. Mix well.<br /><br />For breakfast this morning I had half a piece of pita bread, toasted in the toaster, spread thinly with butter, sprinkled with the cinnamon mixture with about three walnut halves and about four raisin tucked in. <br /><br />Delicious and nutricious. Whether it's low in calories or not I don't know, but I tell myself it is. And the amounts, completely under my control, could make that difference.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-75080106301487042812007-09-06T05:54:00.000-07:002007-09-06T06:05:10.247-07:00How To Make PopcornSeptember 6, 2007<br /><br />If you're worried that the popcorn you're accustomed to may be saturating your air with the harmful compound called diacetyl (added to impart the flavor of butter), I have a simple suggestion.<br /><br />Popcorn is as easy to make as anything you can do, and it's fun too. Here's how to do it. <br /><br />Buy a can of unpopped popcorn. Pour about a tablespoon of unflavored oil -- canola is the least harmful -- into a saucepan and turn the heat to medium beneath it. Then pour about 1/4 cup of popcorn into the simmering oil and put a lid on the pot. <br /><br />Soon you'll hear the delightful sound of pops, one at a time, from the pot. Old directions suggested you start shaking the pan, but this is really not necessary. It adds to the fun, however, and makes you feel a part of the process. Those accustomed to using microwave popcorn will not miss feeling part of the process, but you might try it if you're a pro-active kind of person.<br /><br />Turn the heat to low and keep it on until the pops slow from a crescendo of activity to a gentle, occasional pop, pop, pop. Then immediately remove from the heat until the pops stop altogether. You may then remove the lid, pour in a tablespoon or two of melted butter (yes!), and add some salt. Toss well. One or two kernels may still have a pop in them; that's part of the fun.<br /><br />You will have a nice pot of delicious popcorn, probably three or four cups full. And you will have had fun too. And you won't be poisoning yourself or anybody else.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-20310695551658203032007-08-29T05:47:00.000-07:002011-01-14T19:31:45.337-08:00Holy TrinitiesAugust 29<br /><br />You'll notice I've blasphemed by pluralizing in my title, but I'm not talking about <span style="font-style:italic;">that</span> holy trinity. The path to cooking salvation includes many deities, and I'm going to cover just a few here.<br /><br />In New Orleans, so many recipes begin with the sautéing of chopped onion, celery and bell pepper that the three became known as the <span style="font-style:italic;">holy trinity</span> in the cuisine of that very Catholic city. There are a great many other elements to New Orleans cooking, including local seafood, local coffee, a <span style="font-style:italic;">roux</span> the color of chocolate, ground sassafras root known as filé (feelay), ham stock, turtle eggs, and on and on -- but everybody in New Orleans knows the holy trinity, intimately.<br /><br />Other cooking styles require other basic ingredients, and interestingly they come in threes as often as not. To cook Italian, you must have this three on hand: Olive oil, Parmagiano Reggiano cheese, and garlic. A tomato also helps (canned is allowed, or in paste form). Other cheeses can be added, juice of a lemon is often added at serving time, and of course either red or white wine often enhances the dish. But everything from salad to meat requires a nodding acquaintance with the holy trinity of Italian food. <br /><br />Basic food can be made to seem Asian with the addition of this three -- Toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and grated fresh ginger root. I have added this trinity to slaw, to stove-top-rice-based casseroles, to vegetables and meats with equal success. A real specialist in Chinese, Japanese, or Thai cooking would suggest a range of other additions, but if you have the Asian trinity in the mix, you're getting there. Garlic and honey add something to Chinese; cilantro and lime at the finish make Thai. I know there's more to it than that, but I'm talking basics.<br /><br />When I want to make a dish with a Mexican flair, I add some cumin, some Monterey Jack cheese, and I might squeeze a fresh lime over all. It's not a holy trinity, and it's more of a finish than a basic, and I don't know if it's really Mexican, but it will pass. It's not take-out, and the amounts are up to you. <br /><br />God bless good cooking!Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-83625366598857552352007-08-18T08:32:00.000-07:002007-08-18T08:45:57.608-07:00Yogurt, Better than Ice CreamAugust 18<br /><br />It's blasphemy, even to me to consider yogurt to be better than ice cream. But if you're watching your caloric intake, and your carbs as well, and thinking about your general health, and you have figured out a couple of ways to make yogurt actually taste good, then you must admit that at least in some ways it's a little bit better than ice cream.<br /><br />We all know it has health benefits. Because of its additional cultures, it is more healthful than a commensurate amount of milk. Yogurt cultures are composed of unique living microorganisms which make it easier to digest than milk, and it is an excellent source of calcium and it also offers benefits to the immune system.<br /><br />I make my own with a yogurt maker I bought for a dollar at a yard sale a couple of years ago. I had one of these devices that I had discarded and when I saw that the new ones cost upwards of $30 I began scouring yard sales until I found just what I wanted. It has five milk-glass cups in it and has served me very well for three or four years.<br /><br />Making yogurt is easy and you get a wonderful product. I use 2 per cent milk and the yogurt comes out creamy, soft, and a little tart to the taste. To it I add articificial sweetener which cannot be detected -- I use less than a teaspoon to 3/4 Cup size glass -- and add a drop of vanilla extract and a drop of almond extract. This can be used as a sauce for blueberries or any fruit you like, or eaten as is.<br /><br />It's hard to stop eating it, and I often hear myself saying out loud when I have a spoon of it, "This is better than ice cream!"<br /><br />Of course, I don't eat much ice cream these days anyway.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7615815284532105699.post-54249259810804805892007-08-15T10:50:00.001-07:002007-08-24T07:26:00.854-07:00Cole Slaw To Die ForAugust 15<br /><br />One of my 93-year-old mother's favorite foods is cole slaw. Never a cook, as far as I know she never tried to make it, but when it's served at the nursing home, she lights up like a Christmas tree.<br /><br />I've taken to making batches of it to take to her for snacks, and she eats it with gusto. In the process, I've gotten a bit hooked on the stuff myself. I've got a couple of ways to make it.<br /><br />The basic is made by shredding about a quarter of a head of cabbage. Carrots grated on the shredder can be added, as well as one paper thin slice of onion. Chop all pretty well together and add the dressing, which is made of a couple of tablespoons of a prepared mayonnaise, maybe half a teaspoon of some sweetener (of course the original recipe was sugar, but I find that Splenda cannot be detected. I also like to try a little agave nectar, which is a diabetic health food sugar substitute available at any health food store). To this about a teaspoon of white wine vinegar and dash of salt.<br /><br />Today I had a few pears off Mama's old La Compte pear tree that I had to dispose of before they spoil on me, so I chopped up a small one and added it to the slaw. I had a box of raisins so about half a dozen of them went in. If I had had Craisins I would have used them instead. <br /><br />Coleslaw with pears is a delicious variation. You have my word on it.Mary Loishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01515655542270431289noreply@blogger.com2