tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5836159322192894612024-03-17T23:01:38.800-04:00Cookbook Of The DayLucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.comBlogger870125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-81735557459146459122017-04-12T22:04:00.000-04:002017-04-12T22:04:04.630-04:00RIP Lucinda EbersoleDear Readers of Cookbook Of the Day:<br />
<br />
I am sorry to pass along the sad news that Lucinda Ebersole passed away on March 20, 2017 after a three month fight with cancer.<br />
<br />
Lucinda loved writing these posts but was unable to do so the past several months.<br />
<br />
I hope that you enjoyed reading her posts over the last few years.<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
AnnLucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-6418930184297581482016-09-06T11:14:00.002-04:002016-09-06T11:14:44.328-04:00 Requiescat in Pace -- Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Famous Geechee Girl, Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor died this weekend. To hear her speak and to read more about her legacy check out <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/09/04/470547500/remembering-culinary-griot-and-npr-commentator-vertamae-smart-grosvenor" target="_blank">NPR's coverage</a>.<br /><br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-90345002975631218312016-08-01T15:41:00.001-04:002016-08-01T15:41:33.175-04:00I Love Curry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Yes, I love curry, too. Alas, it is one of those items that often seem to be a bit complicated. On more than one occasion, I have reverted to a generic curry powder. I find curry recipes are often incredibly long and on any given occasion, I have about half the spices. While surfing Twitter, I ran across a recommendation for this book, <i>I Love Curry</i> by Anjum Anand. <br />
<br />
<br />
Anjum is a frequent BBC presenter with several books under her belt. She also has a brand of mixed curry spices that one can find on Amazon, but not in most grocery stores.<br />
<br />
This book is a great introduction to making curry. Yes, the recipes have a lot of ingredients, but many of them are already in your pantry. You will need to read your recipe very carefully and you might need a day to gather all your ingredients, but for most part, the recipes are easy to replicate. There is a good mix of spicy and mild recipes, both meat and vegetarian, so there is something for everyone.<br />
<br />
Here is her take on a spicy lamb curry that is very nice, a bit spicy.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Spicy Lamb, Tomato, and Coconut Curry</blockquote>
<div class="ingredients">
<div class="parbase ingredients text waitroserichtext">
<div class="richtext componentBottomMargin" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-color: #;">
<blockquote>
1 tbsp coriander seeds<br />
1 tsp cumin seeds<br />
15 black peppercorns<br />
5cm cinnamon stick<br />
4 cloves<br />
500g boneless or 600g bone-in lamb leg or shoulder, cubed<br />
3 small onions, finely chopped<br />
3 tomatoes, chopped<br />
15g ginger, peeled weight, grated into a paste<br />
8 fat garlic cloves, grated into a paste<br />
3-6 green chillies, whole but pierced<br />
Salt, to taste<br />
2 tbsp ghee, or vegetable oil and butter<br />
200-300ml coconut milk, or to taste<br />
1½ tsp lemon juice, or to taste <br />
<br />
Using a spice grinder or a good mortar and pestle, pound the whole spices to a fine powder.<br />
<br />
Place the lamb, two of the chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger,
garlic, chillies, spices and salt in a large saucepan. Add 500ml water,
bring to a boil, then cover and cook gently for 45-60 minutes, or until
the lamb is cooked and tender. Give the pot a stir every 10 minutes or
so.<br />
<br />
After about 45 minutes, melt the ghee in a small saucepan and fry the remaining onion until well browned.<br />
<br />
There shouldn’t be too much liquid left in the pan once the lamb
is cooked. Cook off any excess moisture in the pan over a high flame for
six or seven minutes, stirring quite often, until the sauce has mostly
been absorbed by the lamb. This bhunoing process will help homogenise
the sauce and deepen the flavours. Add the browned onion and ghee.<br />
<br />
Pour in the coconut milk and lemon juice, bring to a boil and
simmer for five minutes; the sauce should be thick and creamy. Taste and
adjust the seasoning, adding lemon juice or coconut milk until the dish
is perfect for you, then serve.</blockquote>
<br />
I do love getting recommendations from the Internet! This one was a winner. <br />
</div>
</div>
</div>
Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com101tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-63388464203613168482016-07-25T17:32:00.000-04:002016-07-25T17:32:15.510-04:00Cooking Wild<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45pB9ECn1fEKl299OHqDCN2lv7XPNVAJLDakAcYjy9S9DJ4K9qV9Ph77G8AzRz09vWQ6u4sSKWPP9-hLLoRTF2bR2HmpWmANFs9uOLK95Ent619nKs58PHEN_dLmItv5Icgu-2mFVdRVO/s1600/cookingwild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh45pB9ECn1fEKl299OHqDCN2lv7XPNVAJLDakAcYjy9S9DJ4K9qV9Ph77G8AzRz09vWQ6u4sSKWPP9-hLLoRTF2bR2HmpWmANFs9uOLK95Ent619nKs58PHEN_dLmItv5Icgu-2mFVdRVO/s1600/cookingwild.jpg" /></a></div>
John Ash is known as "The Father of Wine Country Cuisine." Since 1980 Ash at his John Ash & Company restaurant was one of the leaders in California cuisine. For over 35 years he has featured local, seasonal ingredients in the dishes he serves. <br />
<br />
He and James Fraioli's new book, <i>Cooking Wild</i> offers up more than 150 recipes "for eating close to nature." Ash's grandmother taught him to forage as a child. He relished the books of Euell Gibbon's and Billy Joe Tatum. And while the book advocates foraging, Ash points out that in this day and age, many wild foods can be found in local groceries.<br />
<br />
While one does not always need to be out in the wild searching for ingredients, it is important to use the same due diligence in the grocery store as one does in the wild. Buy local and seasonal. Buy sustainable. Above all else, be simple, let the food speak for itself.<br />
<br />
The great thing about this book is the dual nature of the book. Yes, you can grab your copy of Euell Gibbons and head out into the woods, but the recipes are also written to allow the average couch potato to have his couch and eat his potatoes, too, or maybe asparagus.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Olive Oil, Pecorino, and Prosciutto<br />
<br />
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed<br />
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />
Flaky sea salt such as Maldon<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
3 tablespoons or so Italian or California lemon infused extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 ounces pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, thinly shaved with a vegetable peeler<br />
8 very thin slices prosciutto<br />
2 tablespoons drained capers, patted dry and fried in olive oil until crisp <br />
Lemon wedges, for serving<br />
<br />
Prepare a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill for medium high.<br />
<br />
Brush the asparagus with the extra-virgin olive oil and season generously with
salt and pepper to taste. Grill the asparagus, turning as needed, until lightly browned on all sides but still green and crisp. Place on a
plate and drizzle with lemon olive oil. Scatter the cheese over the asparagus, arrange the prosciutto attractively on top, and sprinkle with the capers. Serve with the lemon wedges. </blockquote>
Go forth and forage. Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-62685529701063450932016-07-20T16:23:00.000-04:002016-07-20T16:23:15.466-04:00A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKEFaoVTo_6PwOiiCh6YX78tLbHfgWY20Im_P3SnZogZqxTPgwqnP_dsG-JSUdLlKpc87B6UkKyJPo85ij3gVFwcwsN-ovLo-F2QJKOIem1scZCkStdrNKl5FFIEjubd1EzMvKVkZhEfV/s1600/Sandwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKEFaoVTo_6PwOiiCh6YX78tLbHfgWY20Im_P3SnZogZqxTPgwqnP_dsG-JSUdLlKpc87B6UkKyJPo85ij3gVFwcwsN-ovLo-F2QJKOIem1scZCkStdrNKl5FFIEjubd1EzMvKVkZhEfV/s320/Sandwich.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
Yes, Virginia, the cover of this cookbook is actually black & white with bits of blue on the cellophane toothpicks. That should be a hint that this not your average cookbook, though far from being an upsetting one. I think <i>A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches</i> should have been titled the <i>The Super Upending Cookbook About Sandwiches</i>. Tyler Kord really does upend the traditional notion of the sandwich. The venerable old Earl must be turning in his grave.<br />
<br />
Tyler Kord has a few sandwich shops in NYC or perhaps "restaurants" since <i>Bon App</i><i>étit</i> named one of them as a top ten new restaurant in the country. What you need to know about Tyler Kord is that he is unnaturally in love with broccoli and Van's made a shoe for him. (Yes, you can buy your own pair, if you have the dough.)<br />
<br />
As someone who has read thousands of cookbooks, I can tell you that many of those that rise from the back rooms of restaurants are pompous. Yes, chefs do "write" them on occasion, but in an attempt to describe that grand world of restaurant cooking, the voice is often <span class="st" data-hveid="76">pretentious or really just tool-y. Kord is not pretentious.</span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="76"><br /></span>
<span class="st" data-hveid="76">He understands that he is making sandwiches. He will not be making you a BLT. He might make you a sandwich with curry chicken salad and squid. He might make you a sandwich with black bean hummus and ceviche. He might make you sandwich named after a battle. As you read through the book, you will think about sandwiches differently. (Really, roasted cauliflower and a raisin scallion sauce?) You will think about food differently. (Do lychees and broccoli really go together?) You will even think about cookbooks differently. (Who chats with their editor in the middle of a cookbook?) </span><br />
<br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="76">Now here is where we put a recipe from the cookbook. There are so many sandwiches, but... one of our favorite things in the world is a jar of pickled blueberries. Every year I get 10 pound boxes of blueberries from a farm in Maryland. After eating a pound right out of the box, there are jams, jellies, catsup, pies, tarts, shrubs, and finally, several jars of pickled blueberries. So herewith, Kord's recipe.</span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="76"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="st" data-hveid="76">Pickled Blueberries</span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="76"><br /></span>
<span class="st" data-hveid="76">1 cup white vinegar, plus some more if needed</span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="76">1/4 cup sugar</span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="76">1 3/4 tablespoons kosher salt</span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="76">1 1/4 pounds blueberries</span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="76">1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced</span><br />
<br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="76">Combine everything in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid. There should be enough vinegar to completely cover the berries and onions, if not, add a little more. Pretend it is those pickled red onions that you hate so much and shale vigorously. You want to bruise the berries a little and also get out some aggression you feel toward your roommate. Why would you still have a roommate? Why do you hate pickled red onions so much? Let sit for at least 2 hours, but preferably longer, shaking occasionally. They will last in the refrigerator for a long time.</span></blockquote>
<span class="st" data-hveid="76">Kord suggests they make a fine replacement for tomatoes on your sandwich. So make yourself a BLB while reading <i>A Super Upsetting Cookbook About Sandwiches.</i></span><br />
<span class="st" data-hveid="76"><br /></span>
<span class="st" data-hveid="76"><br /></span>
Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-66284868578148356352016-07-18T16:06:00.000-04:002016-07-18T16:06:58.406-04:00Cowgirl Creamery Cooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Once upon a time...the short version.<br />
<br />
Sue Conley and Peggy Smith were both from the D.C. area, but they met in a dorm room at the University of Tennessee. They became fast friends. After college, they worked in D.C. until they save enough cash for a beat up Chevy van. They packed it up and headed to San Francisco.<br />
<br />
San Francisco in the 1970's was a hotbed for food innovation and what would later be called California cuisine. After several years, Peggy Smith wound up at <i>Chez Panisse</i>, spending nearly 17 years working there. Sue Conley worked at her own restaurant finally selling her share and moving to Point Reyes. With all those years in the food business, the duo knew just about everybody. After becoming involved in an organic dairy, Sue called Peggy and suggested a new business.<br />
<br />
As their barn was being renovated, they saw a guy ride up on horseback, tie his horse up, and stroll into the bank. When someone said it was the wild, wild, West, Sue laughed and said, "I guess that makes us cowgirls, and this is the Cowgirl Creamery." <br />
<br />
And the rest is...history.<br />
<br />
With years of making award winning cheeses, the duo decided it was time to gather their favorite recipes into a cookbook, <i>Cowgirl Creamery Cooks</i>. In addition to tasty cheese recipes, the book serves as a primer for eating, making, and putting together a fine and dandy cheese plate. <br />
<br />
Now what would be the ultimate cheese dish? That would be mac and cheese. The most amazing thing about mac and cheese is that is, well, macaroni and cheese. Add those two ingredients and the possibilities are quite literally, endless.<br />
<br />
The Cowgirl Creamery's version features there own Wagon Wheel cheese along with a wagon wheel pasta, <em>rotell. </em><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Cowgirl’s Version of the Classic <br />
<br />
1 tablespoon kosher salt<br />
1 pound large <em>rotelle </em>pasta<br />
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided<br />
1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />
4 cups whole milk, at room temperature<br />
1½ pounds coarsely shredded Wagon Wheel cheese<br />
8 ounces coarsely shredded sharp white cheddar<br />
5 slices bacon, diced, fried crisp and drained<br />
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper<br />
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg<br />
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder (such as Coleman’s)<br />
1 cup fresh bread crumbs<br />
4 medium red heirloom tomatoes, cored and sliced<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart baking dish.<br />
<br />
Bring an extra-large pot of water to boiling. Stir in the salt and <em>rotelle</em>. Cook the pasta until it’s just shy of being tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain well.<br />
<br />
In
a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of the
butter. When the butter is bubbly and fragrant, whisk in the flour to
form a smooth paste. Cook, whisking, until the mixture turns golden, 2
to 3 minutes. While still whisking, slowly pour in the milk. Whisk over
the heat until the mixture thickens and bubbles, an additional 3 to 5
minutes. Remove from the heat.<br />
<br />
With a wooden spoon, stir in both
cheeses, the bacon, pepper, nutmeg and mustard powder. Add the cooked
pasta; mix well but gently.<br />
<br />
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan, remove from the heat, and combine with the bread crumbs. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Transfer
the cheese mixture to the prepared baking dish. Arrange the sliced
tomatoes in wagon-wheel fashion over the top of the pasta mixture.
Sprinkle with the buttered bread crumbs.<br />
<br />
Bake, uncovered, until the top is a nice golden brown and bubbling on
the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the dish cool for at least 10 minutes
before serving.</blockquote>
Check out the <a href="https://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/" target="_blank">Cowgirl Creamery web</a> site for info in where you can buy their wonderful cheeses or you can sign up for a monthly cheese collection. Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-36596657155226481962016-07-15T15:39:00.000-04:002016-07-15T15:39:49.102-04:00The Photographer's Cookbook
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<br />
<br />
Today's Famous Food Friday over at Lucindaville, is the old, but new <i>The Photographer's Cookbook</i>.
Old because the book's inception took place in 1977 when a bored worker
at the George Eastman Museum, Deborah Barsel, decided to ask
photographers to contribute recipes.<br />
<br />
Before completing
the book, Barsel left and over thirty-five years later, Lisa Hostetler
pulled a box labeled "Photo Cookbook" off a shelf and found a treasure
trove. After some judicious editing, <i>The Photographer's Cookbook</i> is now in the world.<br />
<br />
We
love "artist" cookbooks and they are one of the reasons Famous Food
Fridays came about. Now photographer's have their own cookbook. As with
many a "famous" cookbook, the range of recipes can be daunting.<br />
<br />
John Gossage sent a postcard from Conrad's Colonial Steak House & Cocktail Lounge stating, "I eat out."<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGid5f7KLWt_hInHz3eP3ZYplcBvGOQBCLkkZhNpITOkB4h7jtNpO2Bly7Qmmvvxj4WhxtsFG9HSz1Xd6YoZboD7h3W7g0RFNnYTMda3DAIJWNsHYLHpAB4bFFojETPqRHSd3a-ZCE7gk/s1600/Still.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGid5f7KLWt_hInHz3eP3ZYplcBvGOQBCLkkZhNpITOkB4h7jtNpO2Bly7Qmmvvxj4WhxtsFG9HSz1Xd6YoZboD7h3W7g0RFNnYTMda3DAIJWNsHYLHpAB4bFFojETPqRHSd3a-ZCE7gk/s320/Still.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Ansel Adams, <i>Still Life, San Francisco</i>, 1932</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Contrast
that sentiment to Beaumont Newhall. Newhall was not only the first
director of the Eastman Museum, he also wrote a cooking column for a
newspaper in the Rochester suburbs. The "Epicure Corner" ran for nearly
15 years in the 1950's and 60's. His choucroute garnie was featured
at a luncheon for James Beard and is featured in the cookbook.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihceuQ3mDDJoBS2a5SwWYcA5wSu5sXl9lPYQli8sM1dMJQNdvQxHlVAtXfSKDfBSw88scQfk-SdB6PD1h0ngoFrXTHsq80cAreQ1G4nQy8sSqCXNQXV408S0Q-Zw6XJq1YQGNSrJUy_1c/s1600/Weston+Kitchen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihceuQ3mDDJoBS2a5SwWYcA5wSu5sXl9lPYQli8sM1dMJQNdvQxHlVAtXfSKDfBSw88scQfk-SdB6PD1h0ngoFrXTHsq80cAreQ1G4nQy8sSqCXNQXV408S0Q-Zw6XJq1YQGNSrJUy_1c/s320/Weston+Kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaumont Newhall, <i>Edward Weston's Kitchen</i>, 1940</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Imogen Cunningham offers up an unusual
recipe for borscht. We would love to see an entire cookbook where all
the recipes were "storyfied" like this one.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxU521qeCQUbamIXKXxON6XOX61lH3oEHlSK0Lzw8oEKdP7Mb_ErNHT69lxawmLaUipMMJ0NdjmD65FocKzOzeJ4nWFhrjO_XysB7p2JUCy-Xg7rf_jEOK6LJw5-LHB254XZK6R5eYaOg/s1600/Imogen-Cunningham-Kitchen-Sink-Borscht.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxU521qeCQUbamIXKXxON6XOX61lH3oEHlSK0Lzw8oEKdP7Mb_ErNHT69lxawmLaUipMMJ0NdjmD65FocKzOzeJ4nWFhrjO_XysB7p2JUCy-Xg7rf_jEOK6LJw5-LHB254XZK6R5eYaOg/s320/Imogen-Cunningham-Kitchen-Sink-Borscht.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imogen Cunningham, <i>My Kitchen Sink</i>, 1947</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
Imogen Cunningham's Borscht<br />
<br />
For
one thing I do not consider Alice B. Toklas a GREAT cook. Very likely
her cooking contributed to the death of Gertrude and herself. Besides
her beef stew cooked in burgundy, I can think only of her beautiful
soups beginning with gazpacho from everywhere. I do not know how to put
it, but exotic eatery is very interesting to me. I think we are all TOO
addicted to salt and that we can get enough in vegetables that offer
it. We do not know the flavor of anything because we doctor it too
much. While I am on soups, I should tell you what I do for borscht. I
make a good soup of beef and meat and bones; put some fresh beets in,
and when I am ready to serve it, I make it half mine and half
Manischewitz (commercial bottle of borscht). I prefer it cold with sour
cream.</blockquote>
<br />
Filled with funky recipes and great photography, we are so glad that this box of recipes got pulled off the shelf.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-9884177598885281782016-06-28T15:36:00.002-04:002016-06-28T15:36:28.847-04:00In Good Taste<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHyV6rRVUOHzFfSyzbZ7hz09y6Sgc6HIj8oYG9PpXFpM-4OdaeWyVW6J2QFKqcOugXVBelrSZu6FjaUCJvoKdqcx9U0kzbqXs0aO35GiBy904_oiWdugBAlzcp7hZWeTW5X-768g2qvn8/s1600/JoanDowns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHyV6rRVUOHzFfSyzbZ7hz09y6Sgc6HIj8oYG9PpXFpM-4OdaeWyVW6J2QFKqcOugXVBelrSZu6FjaUCJvoKdqcx9U0kzbqXs0aO35GiBy904_oiWdugBAlzcp7hZWeTW5X-768g2qvn8/s320/JoanDowns.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
While we are on the topic of Southern parties...<br />
<br />
This oldie but goodie is one of my favorites. I<i>n Good Taste: A Collection of Occasional Buffet Menus</i> is a very stripped-down version of how to throw a party, without glossy photos. The author, Joan Downs, writes the introduction to the book to her "Daughters" that would be you the reader. (If you are a son, well, you can still use the cookbook.) She signs her introduction, "Momma." Momma says that a buffet, while signalling abundance, can be a small affair. She wants you to break out your sideboard or your huntboard, whichever is available and serve up some food. And while there are no photos, there are suggestions for wine and decor. <br />
<br />
There is als a bit of back and forth between Momma and her Daughters just in case you have a question or two. There are bon voyage buffets, Superbowl buffets, Christmas buffets, and simple Sunday night suppers. The cookbook has a ringed top and hard covers that allow the cookbook to stand on the counter. <br />
<br />
Remember we told you of the simple Sunday night supper. Here is what you will be serving:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Drink<br />
<br />
Bourbon Sours<br />
Vodkatini<br />
<br />
Starters<br />
<br />
Sherried Mushrooms<br />
<br />
From the Huntboard<br />
<br />
Minestrone<br />
Italian Filled Bread<br />
Pepper, Olive, Beet, Red Onion Salad<br />
or Valdalia Onions, Baked<br />
Baked Chantilly Potatoes<br />
or Souffle Potatoes<br />
<br />
From the Dessert Board<br />
<br />
Creamy Ices Chocolate Cake<br />
or Sabayon<br />
or Ice Cream Pecan Balls and Chocolate Sauce<br />
or Angel Food pie<br />
or Rhubarb Cake<br />
Flaming Brandy Coffee<br />
<br />
Wine Suggestion<br />
<br />
Red Burgundy of Italian Borolino<br />
<br />
Decoration<br />
<br />
Wooden or pottery bowls filled with celery stalks, green peppers. fresh tomatoes and fresh basil.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br />
Granted, it looks a bit longer than it actually is. You need to pick a single dessert to go with the Flaming Brandy Coffee, but still...<br />
<br />
In this menu we decided to opt for the Valdalia Onions. And here is where we get to talk to Momma:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
D. What's the difference between a Valdalia onion and a plain white onion?<br />
<br />
M. Valdalia onions are grown in Georgia. They cost about 35 cents <i>each</i>. they are seasonal, usually through the month of June. They are very sweet, and there are some who eat them raw like an apple. I prefer an hour at 325 myself!</blockquote>
We love the emphasis on "each." We also noticed that they are spelled Vidalia, but Momma tried. She would be shocked to go grocery shopping today!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Valdalia Onions, Baked a la Maude<br />
<br />
Valdalia onions (one per person)<br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
2 tbs. brown sugar<br />
1 tbs. butter or margarine<br />
<br />
Skin onions. Cut a slice from the root end, so it will sit in a pan evenly. Cut out a small hole from the top of the onin. Place onions, side by side, in a buttered baking dish or pan. Add water to the pan of 1/4 " depth. Pour seasonings in hole. Bake at 325 degree F. oven until onions are done. (for about 1 hour.)</blockquote>
<br />
Just guess what the Christmas Buffet entails! A quick google will point you to your own downloadable copy of <i>In Good Taste</i>. Now clear off that huntboard and get to work.<br />
<br />
<br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-30892125531102028762016-06-23T15:08:00.000-04:002016-06-23T15:09:45.364-04:00Julia Reed's South<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cBASF1AW1Nn-qghpL67q49ZhvFXc4kUgSA68wxtQGuRrFswcueL6iXbRvIRrkw6dioAcwHOXTgppLht8vCt8kOpdlGNcCF8TZM8RWTK43o1HyVFuUrvG7GPker4-yfyj0D98GuAq_IRe/s1600/JREED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cBASF1AW1Nn-qghpL67q49ZhvFXc4kUgSA68wxtQGuRrFswcueL6iXbRvIRrkw6dioAcwHOXTgppLht8vCt8kOpdlGNcCF8TZM8RWTK43o1HyVFuUrvG7GPker4-yfyj0D98GuAq_IRe/s320/JREED.jpg" width="256" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I got <i>Julia Reed's South</i>
as a birthday present (thank you Anne.) But it wasn't published till
after my birthday, so it was one of those gifts that keeps on giving.
Julia Reed is great ol' broad, in the truest sense of the phrase. The
spirit of this greatness comes through in her book.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My
Mother had a friend and she would say about her: "She always has
champagne in the fridge, but she never has toilet paper." While my
Mother saw this as a weakness, I was rather enamoured of this philosophy
and it seemed all together Southern to me.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here are some of the things we know about Southerners.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Give
them a minuet or two and they can party for weeks. Kentucky Derby:
about two minutes. Parties: two weeks. Mardi Gras: Fat Tuesday becomes
Ash Wednesday at midnight. Parties: three weeks.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Southerners have loads of china and other forms of dishes. I personally have 4 sets of picnic dishes and I am not ashamed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Baptists
aside, a Southerner can mix up a fine cocktail with little more than a
jar of grain alcohol and a peach from Chilton County.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As
Julia Reed will tell you in her book, you can set the most elaborate
table, order new napkins, have engraved invitations and still serve
Popeye's... and that's what I like about the South.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now <i>Julia Reed's South</i>
is one of those books that is often classified as "aspirational" that
is to say you probably can't call your favorite Pulitzer Prize winning
author and get them to loan you their house for a party that involves a
photo shoot for your cookbook like Reed can, but we know in your heart
of hearts you want to.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So
each "party opportunity" comes complete with exactly which china it was
served on, who printed the invitations, where the napkins were bought,
what vintage the wine was, and who lent the gorgeous property where the
party was photographed. Frankly, we love that kind of info. In fact,
many cookbooks go to enormous lengths to make you think that you have
just stumbled on some grandly orchestrated tableaux, without filling in
the details. We love the details.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The
food is delightful and runs the gamut from tea sandwiches to a fine
pulled pork. One of our favorite party items is a savory sorbet and
Reed weighs in with variation of the Belle Meade Country Club tomato
sorbet. Mac and cheese is elevated to Gratin de Macaroni. Chess pie
becomes squares. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I
do love this book because it follows in the tradition of one of my
favorite cookbook authors of all time, Lee Bailey. Bailey would revel
in the new found adoration of Southern food. Frankly, he should be
adored even more. Reed writes:</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"But the book that had the greatest impact was <i>Lee Bailey's Country Weekends</i>."</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Many
years ago, my friend Harry Lowe and I were cooking. He had a recipe he
wanted to try and he was reading it to me. "It sounds like Lee
Bailey," I said. Harry Lowe looked and said it was indeed. You could
just tell. Bailey had the ability to take high and low and mix it up
into something wonderful. He would be very proud of Julia Reed.</span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This recipe is a take on a crab dip that one often sees at fancy soirees, but here it becomes a rather heavenly grilled cheese. </span></span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Grilled Deviled Crab & Cheese Sandwiches </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, plus more for grilling<br />
1 cup finely diced andouille sausage<br />
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)<br />
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions, including some of the green tops<br />
¾ cup heavy cream<br />
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese<br />
¾ cup grated good Cheddar cheese<br />
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce<br />
1 ½ teaspoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce<br />
1 large egg yolk<br />
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and patted dry<br />
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice<br />
1 loaf Pepperidge Farm Very Thin Sliced White Bread</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">½ cup finely minced Italian parsley or chives, or a mixture of both </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and fry
for 5 minutes. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the onion
and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the scallions, cream,
Parmesan, Cheddar, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce and still until the
mixture is bubbling and thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the
heat. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Beat the egg yolk in a large bowl. Gradually add about 1 cup
of the cheese mixture, mix well, and stir in the rest. Toss the crab in
the lemon juice and fold it into the filling. Taste for seasoning and
refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour before
making the sandwiches. (At this point the filling may be refrigerated
overnight.) </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> To make the sandwiches: Cut the crusts off the bread,
spread a layer of crab filling between 2 slices, press them together,
and repeat. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium
heat. Place as many of the sandwiches in the skillet as it will hold.
Press down lightly with a spatula and turn over after about 2 minutes,
or as soon as the underside is golden brown. Press down again and remove
the sandwiches to a warm baking sheet when the flipsides have browned.
As you cook, you will likely need to add more butter. If the butter gets
too brown after a few batches, you may need to wipe out the pan and
start over. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When all the sandwiches are done, spread the minced
parsley on a plate. Cut each sandwich in half into triangles and dip the
long edges into the herbs. Serve immediately. </span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Feel free to serve them on your Grandmother's Haviland or on a My Little Pony paper plate! Julia won't mind. </span></span>Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-80121567952681299242016-06-21T17:41:00.000-04:002016-06-21T17:41:35.940-04:00A Mouthful of Stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs49DDW2j9OmFWddNGAjiK33WGfX0rAmAI107KoNVQW83xN28ChD2O6pNH0GR6v6SwGXhXzaHdUr4dUu355BleVD1xRHGSoVndP4vEncfoQR9NlSCTmVu8vxcjgADKW2obymb4sqQeGl0/s1600/a-mouthful-of-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs49DDW2j9OmFWddNGAjiK33WGfX0rAmAI107KoNVQW83xN28ChD2O6pNH0GR6v6SwGXhXzaHdUr4dUu355BleVD1xRHGSoVndP4vEncfoQR9NlSCTmVu8vxcjgADKW2obymb4sqQeGl0/s1600/a-mouthful-of-stars.jpg" /></a></div>
Rarely does a cookbook fly under our radar. Somehow, <i>A Mouthful of Stars</i> by Kim Sunée was one of those books. The good news is, we found it! Sunée has lead an interesting life. As a young child, she was adopted from Korea. She grew up in New Orleans. She lived in Sweden, spent nearly a decade in France, she even owned a poetry bookstore! Her memoir, <i>Trail of Crumbs</i>, was a best seller. <br />
<br />
Sunée took a look at all those various places that she had live in, traveled through, and eaten well. She dives into food in these areas and offers up a series of recipes featuring local foods presented in new and exciting ways. The book is a tour of the world, a travelogue in recipes that visits the places near and dear to the heart of Kim Sunée. <br />
<br />
In surfing the web, we ran across this recipe. Nothing makes us happier than a good pots de <span class="st">crème</span>. Since we gravitate toward the savory, this recipe hit the spot.<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Cheese and Thyme Pots de <span class="st">Crème</span><br />
<br />
¾ cup heavy cream<br />
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed<br />
1 clove garlic, crushed<br />
2 to 3 thyme sprigs<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
2½ ounces Comté or Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated<br />
¼ cup hazelnuts or walnuts<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
Toasted baguette slices and endive spears to serve<br />
<br />
<div class="entry_widget_large entry_widget_right" id="asset-14877597">
<span class="adv-photo-large"><span class="photo-data"><span class="caption"></span><span class="byline"></span></span></span><strong> </strong></div>
<div class="entry_widget_large entry_widget_right" id="asset-14877597">
1. You’ll need 2 ovenproof glass jars, such as short
widemouthed (4-ounce) Mason jars, or ramekins. Place the jars or
ramekins on a baking sheet; set aside. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. </div>
<div class="entry_widget_large entry_widget_right" id="asset-14877597">
</div>
2. Heat the cream in a medium pot over medium-high
heat to a very low boil. Add the peppercorns, garlic, and thyme sprigs.
Turn off the heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain the cream through
a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.<br />
<br />
3. Combine the egg yolks, infused cream and the
cheese in a bowl and blend until well combined. Divide the mixture
evenly between the ovenproof glass jars; it will probably fill the jars
about three-quarters of the way. Bake for 25 minutes.<br />
<br />
4. Lightly toast and chop the nuts. Sprinkle the
nuts and pepper over the custards and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.
The custards should be slightly jiggly in the center but mostly set.
Let rest for a few minutes before serving with toasted baguette slices
and crisp endive spears.</blockquote>
<br />
Glad we found <i>A Mouthful of Stars.</i>Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-40206604152426625652016-06-16T15:57:00.000-04:002016-06-16T15:57:48.625-04:00Pride and Pudding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjXO7JPTTnmxPGqpausouTIBplMLaWbUKSItjW-VCfdqcIrV9ohWSopFgg_Hzlmw1dGSG2bMeKlZKZhfu2hCrJGZYt1MNMu9o9Wezsth16AMQIIc4xQPs1eq_h14tmeXjNoHd3nfSJ0YK/s1600/P%2526P.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjXO7JPTTnmxPGqpausouTIBplMLaWbUKSItjW-VCfdqcIrV9ohWSopFgg_Hzlmw1dGSG2bMeKlZKZhfu2hCrJGZYt1MNMu9o9Wezsth16AMQIIc4xQPs1eq_h14tmeXjNoHd3nfSJ0YK/s320/P%2526P.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
Brit's love to label any dessert a "pudding" but in reality British puddings started out being savory foods, before the word was used as a generic term. A while back, a nice Flemish girl named Regula Ysewijn delved into the history of proper English puddings and wrote <i>Pride and Pudding</i>. We cannot tell you how happy we are that she did.<br />
<br />
We, too, are fond of proper English puddings. We, too, collect ancient pudding tins and molds. We, too, collect old cookbooks. Really, nothing says loving like a good spotted dick. Seriously, this is one of those cookbooks you simply have to love. <br />
<br />
First, Ysewijn, gives credit to all those who have gone before. Some Flemish girl didn't invent steamed pudding, but she sure knows a thing or two about them. She traces the history of pudding in English culture from <i>A Book of Cookrye</i>, published in 1584 right through to Heston Blumenthal. She shoots her own photos, and each image resembles a painting. She shows off her collection of pudding basins along with many cookbooks. There is a large bibliography tucked in the back. It is a true embarrassment of riches. <br />
<br />
Again, simply ask yourself, when was the last time you found a really great blancmange recipe? That calf's foot blancmange from Catharine Beecher get old real fast!<br />
<br />
If you buy one cookbook this week (OK, "this month" is the best we can do) grab a copy of <i>Pride and Pudding</i>. Before the book was published, one cold actually purchase a matching pudding bowl to accompany the book. Now you know we want to order one, but shipping books to the US is hard enough without adding a ceramic bowl. Still, we are really sorry we didn't get one.<br />
<br />
Take a look at this recipe for rice pudding. Ysewijn lists a series of cookbooks that offer up a "rice pudding" that made with a stock. Rice pudding as it known today is often a cloyingly sweet mass of rice sugar and milk. Traditionally, a rice pudding was more like an Italian risotto. Given the choice, we choose this recipe.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Rice Pudding <br />
<br />
120g short-grain rice, such as arborio<br />
500ml beef broth<br />
500ml almond milk<br />
A few saffron strands<br />
<br />
Put the rice and broth in a deep saucepan and heat gently. Stir well
and bring to the boil. Simmer and stir often so the rice doesn’t stick
to the bottom of the pan.<br />
When the liquid is almost completely absorbed, after about 15
minutes, add the almond milk and saffron. Stir well, then simmer gently
for 20-30 minutes, stirring every now and then until all the liquid is
absorbed and the rice is cooked and thick. Spoon the cooked rice pudding
into a serving dish. </blockquote>
<br />
<br />
You can keep tabs on Ysewijn, AKA Miss Foodwise <a href="http://www.missfoodwise.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-35366351555142355522016-06-14T16:19:00.003-04:002016-06-14T16:19:48.189-04:00Woodward & Lothrop Cook Book <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcMvrp0DtJB1FxPE9CeyKtbW5xF7e0n7QgdIV6z1Z_k2kAE01jTQxC0D3hZqRZqb5BL0bH2-fKZWDOhdk7OrJL0TQgEH8vwrzfPM9y146n6bPe39oXgkwx2ofx2wCGkatXdYXHHvTgPVT/s1600/IMG_7579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcMvrp0DtJB1FxPE9CeyKtbW5xF7e0n7QgdIV6z1Z_k2kAE01jTQxC0D3hZqRZqb5BL0bH2-fKZWDOhdk7OrJL0TQgEH8vwrzfPM9y146n6bPe39oXgkwx2ofx2wCGkatXdYXHHvTgPVT/s320/IMG_7579.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
Last week when I was sick, I was reading a lot of stuff on the web. The problem with reading stuff on the web is the links. One site leads you to another and that one leads you somewhere else. Three days later when you are thinking about something you read, it is hard to remember where exactly you read it.<br />
<br />
I read about someone making a recipe from the <i>Woodward & Lothrop Cook Book</i>. I went and pulled out my Woodies cookbook and started reading up on it. Then I decided to write about it, but I wanted to give a shout out to the person who sent me looking more deeply at the cookbook. So, I searched and luckily, the post I read was recent, and it didn't take long before it popped up. It was in the pie blog <a href="http://www.nothinginthehouse.com/" target="_blank">Nothing in the House</a>. One of the founders is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Emily Hilliard a folklorist and writer who lives just down the road(about 2 hours) from me in Charleston, WV. So here is your SHOUT OUT.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Woodward & Lothrop was THE place to shop in D.C. It was like a shopping mall in the middle of a city. There were clothes, shoes, and bridal wear. There was china, glassware, cooking <span style="font-family: inherit;">equipment</span>, and dining sets. There were toys, food, cameras, art, and candy. If you needed it, Woodies had it. </span><br />
<br />
<i>Woodward & Lothrop Cook Book</i> was written by Mabel Claire. The subtitle of the cookbook reads: <i>For the Busy Woman including a Complete Guide to Kitchen Management</i>. The cookbook was published in 1932. What is wonderful about this book is its marketing. As I said before, if you needed it -- it was at Woodies. That is, if you needed it in Washington, D.C.<br />
<br />
But what if you lived in Chicago? Well, do not fear. If Carson's was the place that had everything you needed there was the <i>Carson, Pirie Scott & Co's Cook Book</i> <i>For the Busy Woman including a Complete Guide to Kitchen Management</i>. In New York City there was the <i>Macy's Cook Book</i> <i>For the Busy Woman including a Complete Guide to Kitchen Management</i> as well as the <i>Gimbels Cook Book</i> <i>For the Busy Woman including a Complete Guide to Kitchen Management. </i>There was a copy for the May Company, The Emporium, Meier & Frank, Bamberger's and more. I am not sure how many different copies of Mabel Claire's cookbook is out there under a different store title. If you think of it, though, it was a great idea. There are still tons of people out there who were born BEFORE Amazon. Writing a single cookbook and selling it to a dozen department stores across the country was brilliant.<br />
<br />
One recipe that many Woodies customers remember is a cookie called the Woodies cookie or the English Drop cookie. People remember it having raisins, butter, and brown sugar. Knowing the history of this cookbook, I am not sure this is actually the recipe, but here is the closest thing in the <i>Woodward & Lothrop Cook Book. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Drop Spice Cookies<br />
<br />
1/2 Cup Softened Butter<br />
1 1/4 Cups Flour<br />
1/2 Brown Sugar<br />
2 Egg Yolks<br />
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder<br />
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon<br />
1/2 Teaspoon Cloves<br />
1/2 Cup Stoned Dates Cut in Pieces<br />
Nut Meats<br />
<br />
Mix the softened butter with the brown sugar. Beat in the egg yolks. Add the dry ingredients sifted together. Beat them in, a little at a time. Add the dates and a few nut meats. Drop in tablespoonfuls on a buttered cookie sheet. Bake in a moderate oven for 10 minutes (375 F.). Makes eighteen cookies.</blockquote>
<br />
Finally, Mable Claire will tell you that one of the most important kitchen tools is a mirror: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Above my stove I have hung a mirror in a green and gold frame. It reflects all the jolly kitchen as well as the cook. A cook should consult a mirror often. For what use is a decorative kitchen without a decorative woman in it! At least a woman as decorative as is humanly possible!</blockquote>
<br />
Really Mabel? <br />
<br />
<br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-49997738063599036432016-06-07T16:49:00.001-04:002016-06-07T16:49:39.523-04:00Princess Pamela's Soul Food Cookbook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveGv2naUQ5g6o8vGve-sbSVWPj1VLNlRC2JM8gfuq0_d4yUpAekAOkyuzMhU1ZKSCv-h7ipd1nT4Y68r9BLrOh2yJPKsQ3DsUI8r5KT8rm6zYEyTvs_4wmSD-fy2jtdPV8T9JhinmEd9C/s1600/PrincessP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveGv2naUQ5g6o8vGve-sbSVWPj1VLNlRC2JM8gfuq0_d4yUpAekAOkyuzMhU1ZKSCv-h7ipd1nT4Y68r9BLrOh2yJPKsQ3DsUI8r5KT8rm6zYEyTvs_4wmSD-fy2jtdPV8T9JhinmEd9C/s320/PrincessP.jpg" width="186" /></a></div>
In the late 1960's and early 1970's, Signet published a handful of cookbooks. One of their authors was Princess Pamela. She ran a little <span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span>restaurant in New York called Princess Pamela's Little Kitchen. The menu featured many soul food specialties like collards, black-eyed peas, and ribs. The meal would cost you about $2.00.<br />
<br />
In 1969, signet published Princess Pamela's Soul Food Cookbook, with recipes for many favorites. Pamela tells us:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
To someone like myself, cooking is a very personal kind of thing. I still use a domestic stove in the back of my small place, and preparing things about the way you would at home for regular meals. So I never gave much thought to getting my cooking down on paper.</blockquote>
Luckily for us, she did get them down on paper. The recipes are faced on each page with a sassy quote, may relating to food. The recipes are simple, pared down instructions that one might get from a relative. Remember, she never much thought about writing down her recipes.<br />
<br />
One of our favorite recipes that she wrote down was a popular way to cook pork -- in milk. It was a "Sunday" dish. In the quote on the facing page, Pamela wrote:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
On Sundays when I was nine<br />
there was always lots of Bible<br />
readin"<br />
and milk-baked ham<br />
and singin' to the good Lord<br />
before the biscuits got cold.</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Milk-Baked Ham<br />
<br />
A 2"-thick slice of ham<br />
1 tablespoon flour<br />
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard<br />
2 tablespoons brown sugar<br />
Sweet milk<br />
<br />
Combine the flour, dry mustard, and brown sugar. Work the mixture into both sides of the ham. Place in a baking dish and cover completely with milk. Bake at 350 for about an hour, or until the ham is tender. When the ham is done, its surface should be browned and the milk almost entirely disappeared.</blockquote>
<br />
I always look forward to Sundays!Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-40933659394281945082016-05-23T17:35:00.000-04:002016-05-23T17:35:54.009-04:00Some Oyster Recipes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
It seems that we start EVERY post by how much we like X Y or Z. I know you have heard this exact phrase before with a different subject, but we do love little oyster books. Oysters are not everyone's cup of tea, so when a series of books has a volume featuring the oyster, the oyster book is often one of the hardest to find. And face it, there is nothing better than an oyster on the half-shell, so all the recipes in the world don't amount to a vast culinary exploration. One of my favorite books is M. F. K. Fisher's <i>Consider the Oyster</i>. It is quite remarkable to me because there are numerous recipes for oyster stew. Almost every recipe has exactly the same ingredients, and yet Fisher writes about them as if each one is unique.<br />
<br />
Helen Evans Brown wrote a tiny book called <i>Some Oyster Recipes</i>. The book was published by Ampersand Press in Pasadena, California. Ampersand Press published small editions of books that were more works of art than actual books. <i>Some Oyster Recipes</i> is a scant 28 pages. Published in 1951, it was voted one of the 50 Books of the Year by the American Institute of Graphic Arts.<br />
<br />
Helen Evans Brown was a noted food writer in the late 1940's and 50's. She was a leading proponent of West Coast and California cuisine until her untimely death in 1964. This appetizer is the height of elegance.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
Oyster and Caviar Sandwich<br />
<br />
This is for one of those festive moments when champagne is being served and you are in an expansive mood. Cut rounds of fresh bread, spread half with butter, half with caviar; dip small oysters in lemon juice, put in between tow slices (one of each), and press firmly together. The oyster should be smaller than the bread so that its existence is unexpected. Serve these delectables very cold.</blockquote>
<br />
Ah, to be in an expansive mood! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-77991066707055737262016-05-10T15:14:00.000-04:002016-05-10T15:14:01.796-04:00Pie!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We love a good pie. Let's rephrase -- no we do love a good pie. We REALLY love a savory pie. In the U.S., we primarily think of pie as a sweet confection, but in Britain and many other places, the word "pie" evokes a savory concoction. We love a good savory pie. We love finding a book that expands our notion of pie. <br />
<br />
We saw a photo of one of Genevieve Taylor's pies at <a href="http://app.1000cookbooks.com/people/lucinda-ebersole" target="_blank">1000 Cookbooks</a> and we were smitten. So we tracked down her book, <i>Pie!</i>. Then we realized this wasn't the first time we had run across Taylor. Egg-lovers that we are, we also have a copy of her book, <i>A Good Egg</i>. <i>Pie!</i> is part of series by Absolute Press. In addition to <i>Pie!</i>, Taylor has published <i>Soup!, Stew!</i>, and <i>Mince!</i>. The titles offer up an idea of Taylor's food philosophy. <br />
<br />
Taylor uses simple, readily available ingredients to construct pies that as tasty as they are lovely. Don't be too alarmed at what may seem like longs lists of ingredients and instructions. Yes, some of the pies seem a bit complicated, but don't despair. Take a breath and remember there is a crust, there is a filling, and there is cooking. <br />
<br />
Start with the crust. Taylor gives specific and cogent instruction on making the various crusts. Her fillings for her pies explode with flavors. Yes, for you sweet lovers, there is a fine apple pie, a lovely lemon meringue, and more than a few tarts. The book really shines with its savory options. The traditional steak is there along side an ox cheek, oyster, and stout. There are hand pies like Cornish pasties, but there are also vegetable options like squash and cumin yogurt, and pear and walnut with gorgonzola. The is pork, game, fish, chicken, lamb along with lots of vegetable options.<br />
<br />
<i>Pie! </i>has a great mix of options that will make you a star in your kitchen. Here is a favorite. It has beef and rich sweet potatoes that are spiked with a spicy horseradish. We followed it with Taylor's recipes for making the shortcrust pastry. In her introduction to her book, Taylor offers up the option to go ahead and use a store bought pastry. That is one of our favorite shortcuts, so go ahead and cheat a bit. But whatever you do, grab a copy of this book.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Roast Beef, Sweet Potato, and Horseradish Pie</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">For the pie</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2 tbsp olive oil</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2 large onions, chopped</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and roughly chopped</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">600g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">300ml beef stock</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">300g cold roast beef, cut into bite-size pieces</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">2–3 tbsp grated horseradish (available in jars), or horseradish sauce for a milder flavour </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">plain flour, for dusting</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">1 batch of Shortcrust Pastry (see page below for the pastry recipe)</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">salt and freshly ground black pepper</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">For the crumble topping</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">100g plain flour</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">50g butter, chilled and cut into little cubes</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">75g mature Cheddar cheese, grated </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">To
make the pie, put the oil into a large frying pan and set over a medium
heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, along with the rosemary, and
fry for 15–20 minutes or until lightly caramelised, stirring from time
to time. Stir through the sweet potatoes and then pour in the stock,
seasoning well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the
boil, then cover with a piece of damp greaseproof paper pressed down
over the sweet potatoes, tucking it under snugly at the edges – this
creates a steamy lid to help cook the sweet potatoes. Simmer until soft –
this will take around 15 minutes, depending on the size of the chunks. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Remove
and discard the paper – the sweet potatoes should have absorbed most of
the stock; if it is still quite liquid, then simmer, uncovered, for a
few minutes. Remove from the heat, stir through the beef and horseradish
and set aside to cool completely.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Once the filling is cold, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">On
a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to a thickness of
about 4mm (the pastry needs to be slightly thicker here as the filling
is robust so it needs a sturdy crust to hold it in) and use it to line a
23cm springform cake tin, bringing it about 4cm up the sides of the
tin. Spoon in the filling, levelling it out as you go.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">For
the crumble topping, lightly rub the flour and butter together in a
mixing bowl. When the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, mix through the
cheese and season well with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the crumble
mixture evenly over the pie filling, but don’t pat or press it down as
you want to leave it light and airy. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Bake
in the oven for 40–45 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through and
the crumble topping is crisp and golden. Remove from the oven, leave to
cool for a few minutes, then slide a knife around the inside of the tin
and release the springform. Carefully transfer the pie to a serving
plate or wooden board and serve hot. Green vegetables on the side are a
great accompaniment for this pie, and perhaps a little extra horseradish
sauce for those who like things fiery.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Shortcrust pastry recipe</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Makes about 325g</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Takes 10 minutes to make (plus chilling)</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">180g plain white flour</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">a pinch of fine salt</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">90g cold butter, cut into small cubes</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">3–4 tbsp ice-cold water </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Food Processor Method</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Put
the flour and salt into the food processor and whizz briefly together
to mix, then add the butter cubes and pulse briefly a dozen times or so
until you have coarse crumbs. If you use the pulse function in very
short, sharp bursts (rather than just leave it in the ‘on’ position) to
rub the fat and flour together, then I think it works more like super
fast fingers and there is less chance of overdoing it. Next, you trickle
in the ice-cold water, whilst pulsing all the while, just until the
mixture resembles rough lumps and looks a bit like overcooked and dry
scrambled eggs. Add only as much water as you need. Don’t keep
processing until the mixture comes together in a big ball as that will
develop the gluten in the flour too much, so be sure to stop before you
get to that stage. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Tip
the clumped crumbs onto a sheet of cling film and gently squeeze
together into a ball without pressing too hard – little air gaps are a
good thing and will add a lightness and crumbliness to the cooked
shortcrust. Wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before
rolling out.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Traditional Rubbing-in (by hand) Method</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The
method is essentially the same, but your fingertips and thumbs work
together to literally rub the flour, salt and butter together until you
have coarse crumbs. Lifting your hands out of the bowl as you rub adds
air. Then once again, add just enough cold water to bring the mixture
together into clumps – I find a blunt table knife is best to use here,
using it to stir and cut through the crumbed mixture as you mix. Again,
tip the clumped crumbs onto a sheet of cling film and squeeze gently
into a ball, then wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
before rolling out. </span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-89510639260720177352016-04-20T16:18:00.001-04:002016-04-20T16:18:42.910-04:00Home Cooked<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1Ad3d0NjARsZNO92_n-87YI17Z4__Ff8cFooMfzeR29KybktrJa7xGcPigLSDjbATeo362FB2HHG2nh1ZC0wMgYQQlOD-rPUu0yUPGQcBzKKkgfG3gzNW4vwtIEVAy5cAx6OfsjLKUPU/s1600/HC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX1Ad3d0NjARsZNO92_n-87YI17Z4__Ff8cFooMfzeR29KybktrJa7xGcPigLSDjbATeo362FB2HHG2nh1ZC0wMgYQQlOD-rPUu0yUPGQcBzKKkgfG3gzNW4vwtIEVAy5cAx6OfsjLKUPU/s320/HC.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
<br />
As Sara Morrow said in Modern Farmer, "Leave it to a woman to revolutionize cattle ranching." The woman she was writing about is Anya Fernald. Fernald has been roaming about the food world for many years from traveling around Europe offering help at dairy farms, to working in Italy with Carlo Petrini and Slow Food, to bringing Slow Food to America, to being a judge on Iron Chef, to running a cattle ranch. I'm already tired!<br />
<br />
As CEO of Belcampo, Fernald set out to develop a source for pasture-raised organic meat. There was a farm, then a slaughterhouse, then a butcher shop and restaurant, then multiple locations -- even a resort in Belize, and now, a cookbook.<br />
<br />
<i>Home Cooked</i> is just that, home cooked recipes without fuss and flourish. What the recipes do posses is bold flavor that comes from fresh ingredients and a firm lack of fear in using everything her animals have to offer. There are no foams or tweezers in Fernald's kitchen, there is fire and flame; braises and confits; beef and vegetables covered in sauces and soaked in wine. It seems that on any given day, a party is just around the corner!<br />
<br />
I know one can't, as they so often say, judge a book by its cover, but I love giant, nested bowls, and have some of the same bowls on my shelves, not to mention a beaten up wood table. Also, my favorite recipe in the book is one of my fave recipes. As a child, I never had to eat anything I didn't want to eat, but I had to try everything. It made me an adventurous eater from the start. You might think that whole animal cooking and braised veggies with garlicky sauces might not be something your family wouldn't eat, think again.<br />
<br />
Fernald has small children and (aside from being one of my favorite foods) this recipe is her daughter's favorite. I like my chicken hearts skewered on stalks of rosemary, but brown butter has a certain appeal. Fernald warns that the hearts should never be cooked beyond medium-rare. So remember, brown on the outside, pink in the middle.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Chicken Hearts Cooked in Brown Butter<br />
<br />
<span class="recipe-list-quantity">2</span>
<span class="recipe-list-item-name">
tablespoons unsalted butter</span><span class="recipe-list-quantity"> </span><br />
<span class="recipe-list-quantity">1 1/2</span>
<span class="recipe-list-item-name">
cups chicken hearts </span><br />
Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for serving
<br />
<br />
<section class="clearfix">In a small cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. When the milk solids are beginning to brown and the
butter has a rich, nutty smell, add the chicken hearts and cook, tossing
them around in the pan as if you’re making popcorn, until browned on
all sides, no more than 2 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with flaky salt, and serve immediately. </section></blockquote>
<section class="clearfix"> </section><section class="clearfix">Hey, organic meats, big bowls, chicken hearts, we so want to party with this girl. You will, too. </section>Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-32945854150169070732016-04-06T15:18:00.002-04:002016-04-06T15:18:43.945-04:00The Yellow Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RSojpaVkYDpdL50Ujf6Oh-a5N0bmDswEPqWD490fTCxIruAl76avIm2hJr20qOW5SzujO0_EuFkXZYQr152snYnLYB-96tp2Mzo5BgJtwZChTiK4pYoh02mApF-H0smwhOPaqKxOKmll/s1600/yellowtable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5RSojpaVkYDpdL50Ujf6Oh-a5N0bmDswEPqWD490fTCxIruAl76avIm2hJr20qOW5SzujO0_EuFkXZYQr152snYnLYB-96tp2Mzo5BgJtwZChTiK4pYoh02mApF-H0smwhOPaqKxOKmll/s1600/yellowtable.jpg" /></a></div>
When Anna Watson Carl was growing up, she ate dinner with her family on a big, yellow table. There was nothing particularly interesting about the table, except for the fact that it was yellow. When Carl graduated from college, her mother gave her the yellow table. While it might not seem like such a great present, the family totem proved to be just the right inspiration. Carl began throwing dinner parties at the table. Over the years, she immersed herself in her passion, food. She wrote, edited, and took off for France, then she uprooted for New York. The economy ebbed and flowed and finally, after much consideration, the yellow table came to New York.<br />
<br />
A short time later, the yellow table became The Yellow Table, a blog. While writing the blog, she dreamed of a cookbook and faced those daunting "cookbook questions." Do you own a restaurant? Do 100,000 people visit your blog -- every day? Do you have a television show? If you answered no to the preceding questions, well then, you are not going to get a book deal.<br />
<br />
Now most folks would be daunted, well, even crushed by this prospect, but Carl, who had spent time writing, editing other people's cookbooks, and setting up photo shoots decided she could do it herself. She began the process by offering up daily updates on her blog, she logged onto Kickstarter, and took The Yellow Table on the road...not the actual table, but, you know. <br />
<br />
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Before long, the yellow table that she colored on as a child was transformed into <i>The Yellow Table: A Celebration of Everyday Gatherings</i>. The book is filled with seasonal, easy recipes that you can serve on a table of any color. "This is my go-to lunch,' says Carl, 'I call it a detox salad, because it’s packed with
nutrient-rich vegetables and has protein from the quinoa. To save time, I
stop by the Whole Foods salad bar and stock up on shredded carrots, red
cabbage, and cooked quinoa. Feel free to toss in some roast chicken if you want a heartier meal."</div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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Detox Kale Salad<br /></div>
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<span>4 packed cups chopped kale (curly, Lacinto, red, or a combination), stems removed<br />1 cup shredded carrots (from about 2 medium carrots)<br />1 cup shredded red cabbage (from about 1/8 head cabbage)<br />3/4 cup cooked quinoa, cooled<br />1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed<br />2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)<br />1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil<br />Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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In a large bowl, toss together the kale, carrots, cabbage, quinoa, and avocado.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Pour
the lemon juice into a small bowl. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady
stream, whisking constantly Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drizzle over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and add additional
salt and pepper, or another splash of lemon if you like. Serve
immediately.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Store the salad, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 1 day.</div>
</blockquote>
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<br /></div>
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This week, <a href="https://www.theyellowtable.com/" target="_blank">The Yellow Table blog</a> got a fresh, new design. Head over and take a look. </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-35869238218648613232016-04-04T13:39:00.001-04:002016-04-04T13:39:06.651-04:00James Beard's Menu's For Entertaining<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Entertaining is another sub-genre in cookbooks that we just love. Now to be totally fair, we have never, ever cooked a menu, nor set a table based upon anything in one of these books, but we do love to watch other people entertain. One of the best loved books on entertaining is James Beard's <i>Menu's For Entertaining</i>. There are tons of copies out there, and though we have no firm facts, it seems to be one of Book-Of-The-Month Club's best sellers, making the hunt for a nice First Edition a daunting task.<br />
<br />
These days, James Beard is known more for awards than recipes, but in the 50's and 60's, if Beard cooked it, it would likely find its way onto a table near you. Of entertaining he wrote:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Entertaining is my main pleasure, my forte;and beyond that is essential to my livelihood. I do it frequently with little help and often with none at all. It is not unusual for me to arrive home at 5:30 after a full day's work, with eight guests due for cocktails and dinner two hours later."</blockquote>
<br />
In moving things around, I picked up <i>Menu's For Entertaining</i> and found it to be beyond charming. Beard cooked before the proliferation of take out, specialty shops, sous vide, and molecular gastronomy. What would he think today?<br />
<br />
As chef's and their restaurants tout their recent listing on the James Beard awards pages here is our favorite recipe from <i>Menu's For Entertaining.</i><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Whole Hominy<br />
<br />
Open and wash two No. 2 1/2 cans whole hominy. Heat with 6 tablespoons butter in a covered pan over medium heat. Salt and pepper to taste and add 1/3 cup of sour cream.</blockquote>
<br />Now you, too, can entertain like James Beard. And don't you feel better about it.<br />
<br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-23619749004964402052016-04-01T15:39:00.001-04:002016-04-01T15:40:43.040-04:00A Boat, a Whale & a Walrus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are those cookbooks we read about that are just signed to a contract, so we wait and wait and finally find them on a wish list, with the author's name and just a tentative title, then one day a cover photo appears, and then you pre-order, and finally that pub date comes around and a week or so later, there it is, the cookbook you have been waiting for.<br />
<br />
That was the story of Renee Erickson's <i>A Boat, a Whale & a Walrus</i>. When it finally arrived, it just sat on the table, because we wanted to savor the moment. Then we got all excited because we wanted to write about it. And then...<br />
<br />
So today, I picked up <i>A Boat, a Whale & a Walrus</i> and began flipping through it like I had just gotten my copy. So I checked to see what I had written about it. Like this happens all too often, there was no "there" there. How in the world did we never write about this book. We hang our head in shame.<br />
<br />
First, Renee Erickson just looks like she would so much fun, we really don't care if she can cook a lick. We are also fond of the idea that she went to school to be a painter. The world needs more cooks who are painters. She opened her first restaurant when she was young and enlisted her entire family to help her out. She cooked because she wanted to cook, to offer up a small, fun place for people to break bread.<br />
<br />
She learned to cook reading Julia Child and our fave, Elizabeth David, she loves France and her favorite Birthday dinner is steak! Who doesn't love her?<br />
<br />
The book features stories about various providers for her restaurants, stories about the dishes, helpful notes, and the occasional shopping tip. The recipes in the book are seasonal, and organized in menu's. One can cook a menu or an individual dish. One of my favorites is Mussels in Cider.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mussels in Cider <br />
<br />
In
Blainville-sur-Mer, a tiny town on Normandy’s Cotentin Peninsula,
there’s a quirky little restaurant called La Cale, whose official street
address is “La Plage,” or, simply, “the beach.” It overlooks the tidal
flats that stretch five kilometers into the sea—an area that accounts
for more than 10 percent of France’s oyster production—but at high tide,
when all traces of aquaculture disappear, it’s simply a beachfront
bistro with a few legs of lamb on an open hearth. It’s homey, complete
with picnic tables and a “serve yourself ” rule that explains why
patrons cut their own bread, fetch their own water, and choose their own
wine from a shelf next to the bar. The rule does not explain why the
room is adorned in giant needlepoints of various nudes, both male and
female, but the artworks add a<i> </i>je ne sais quoi<i> </i>that I’d miss if I
returned to find them replaced with something more modest.<br />
When
you order mussels there, they come in the pot they were cooked in,
steamed in cider and topped with a generous dollop of creme fraiche,
which whoever has thought to grab a ladle gets to stir into them just
before serving. This recipe is similar. And as you do at La Cale, you
should eat a small mussel first, then use its shell as a utensil to pry
the mussels out of the remaining shells.<br />
<br />
3 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />
2 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)<br />
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard<br />
3 cups dry hard cider<br />
3 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded<br />
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, for seasoning<br />
Kosher salt<br />
3/4 cup creme fraiche<br />
1/2 cup loosely packed whole tarragon leaves (no stems)<br />
Crusty bread, for serving<br />
<br />
In
a large, high-sided saucepan or soup pot, melt the butter over
medium-low heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallots and cook,
stirring, until the shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the
mustard, add the cider, then increase the heat to medium-high. Add the
mussels and cook, covered, until they begin to open, about 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and begin transferring the mussels that have cooked to a
large bowl, stirring and prodding until all the mussels have opened and
have been transferred to the bowl. (Discard any mussels that do not
open.) Increase the heat to high and simmer the cider for 3 minutes, or
until it has reduced by about a third. Season the liquid to taste with
lemon juice and salt, then reduce the heat to low. Return the mussels to
the pot, add the creme fraiche and tarragon, and stir gently until the
mussels are warmed through and coated with the cream. Serve immediately,
with the bread.</blockquote>
<br />
Now if only Renee were here to enjoy them with us. Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-88322222644489319792016-03-29T16:37:00.000-04:002016-03-29T16:37:50.105-04:00The Amateur Cook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>The Amateur Cook</i> by Katharine Burrill and Annie M. Booth is one of the most beautiful cookbooks out there. It is illustrated with drawing by the famed children's book illustrator, Mable Attwell, which adds to its collectability. The book is this strange amalgam of story, recipes, and illustrations that lend it to being often described as a children's book.<br />
<br />
<br />Published in 1905, it was perhaps meant to telegraph such feelings. Burrill authored a collection of essays for young girls with good breeding entitled <i>Corner Stones</i>. Booth wrote a cookbook, <i>Simple Cookery</i>. Combined with drawings by Attwell, that might be a foregone conclusion. However, the illustrations seem to be of mostly grown-ups, the dedication of the book is for famed Shakespearean actress Ellen Terry. The recipes run the gamut from creamed rabbit to surprising sweetbreads, a cold preparation of ox brains with whipped cream and yellow and green aspic, so they are not terrible child friendly, nor some might say adult friendly!<br />
<br />
Before the actual recipes begin, there are several chapters telling a story about women who can't cook and how they set out to be women who can cook. It is very odd. Every so often, within the recipes, the charters from the story make an appearance:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Edinburgh Fog<br />
<br />
Take half pint of cream, mix with a little pounded sugar, and switch to a thick froth. Mix in a good handful of ratafia biscuits and chopped, blanched sweet almonds with the cream, Flavor with vanilla and pile up in a crystal dish.<br />
<br />
'That last dish, Delecta, sounds rather like the "little Cupids" sopped in brandy that Miss Barker gave the ladies in <i>Cranford</i>.'<br />
<br />Delecta looks perfectly blank. Her whole soul is set on cooking, and she brooks not interruption. I hasten to say, 'Never mind.' So she reads out the recipes for a pale-green luncheon.</blockquote>
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<i>Cranford</i> was a very popular 19th century novel by Elizabeth Gaskell.<br />
<br />
If you are a cookbook collector, this is one to seek out. It is becoming quite rare and a tad expensive. But ask yourself, where else will you find an illustrated, novella, cookbook dedicated to a Shakespearean actress.<br />
<br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-68732348967198444662016-03-17T14:52:00.002-04:002016-03-17T14:52:55.659-04:00Notes From The Larder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let's start with this. Nigel Slater is a fine writer. Many a cookbook suffers from lousy writers. Slater is a cook, not a chef, a point he is quick to make. He gives you straight forward recipes, not always measured out to the gram. He tells you if something failed and how he corrected the problem.<br />
<br />
<i>Notes From The Larder</i> is a rare case where the American version is nicer than the the British version. In England the book was called <i>Kitchen Diaries II</i> and bore a black and white image of Slater. Perhaps the title change was to try and underplay the idea that it was, indeed, a diary. Now I love a good diary design, but it is a deal breaker for many. I think some people dislike diary entries because they simply cannot face the face that there is no way in the wold they could keep it up for an entire year or two. It does seem daunting, I mean, I love to talk about food every day, but keeping track of it in great detail, I too am a bit miffed that Slater is so good at it. <br />
<br />
Really, though, I am happy that Slater is so good at it. He is frank, funny, and his love of food pour out onto the pages. I suppose they also poured out in his "Simple" series of cooking shows that were wildly successful on the BBC. (Alas, we never saw them here in the states, but with all these cooking channels, it would seem that someone would buy them and air them in the wee hours of the morning!)<br />
<br />
Here is a recipe from last weeks diary entry. As you can see, they are diary entries, though not every day is represented. The recipes are a bit more conversational and friendly, rather than listed and mandated. The book has the feel of a early 19th century cookbook rather than the formal, restaurant tome we have grown used to. <br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
MARCH 11<br />
Surf and turf<br />
<br />
One of the most successful recipes to come out of the “Surf and Turf” program in the <i>Simple Cooking</i> series on BBC1 was the fillets of trout baked with Parma ham. The feedback was heartwarming. Today I make a similar dish with salmon and bacon,mostly because that is what I have brought back from the shops. My bacon is on the thick side, so I stretch the slices out by pressing them down on a chopping board with the flat side of a knife blade before wrapping the salmon in them.<br />
<br />
<br />
Bacon-wrapped salmon<br />
<br />
salmon: two 9-ounce (250g)<br />
steaks or fillets<br />
thinly cut bacon: 4 slices<br />
lemon thyme: a couple of sprigs<br />
a little oil<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Season the fish with black pepper and a very little salt. Wrap each piece in 2 slices of bacon, tucking a sprig of thyme under the bacon. Brush with a little oil and bake for fifteen to twenty minutes, till the fish is cooked through.</blockquote>
<br />
For my money, <i>Notes From The Larder</i> has a feel I would like see in more cookbooks, and not just the ones by Slater.Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-37181782944766456782016-03-02T12:56:00.005-05:002016-03-02T12:56:54.708-05:00The Duchess of Devonshire's Cookbooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you follow our site, Lucindaville, you will know that we are big fans of the Mitford Sisters. One of our early posts on Cookbook Of The Day was the <a href="http://cookbookoftheday.blogspot.com/2008/12/chatsworth-cookery-book.html" target="_blank">Duchess of Devonshire's Chatsworth Cookery Book</a>. While many famous folk produce ghost-written cookbooks and then claim them to be their own, the Duchess was very upfront in her book that she didn't really cook, but she had eaten most of the dishes.</div>
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<div class="lotdetail-guarantee">
Today, Sotheby's held an auction entitled: <span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire: The Last of the Mitford Sisters</i>. Among the items were her cookbooks. The original estimate for over 40 books was 300 -500 pounds. Has anyone at Sotheby's purchased cookbooks recently? Needless to say, the lot sold for 3125.</span></span></div>
<div class="lotdetail-guarantee">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"></span> </div>
<div class="lotdetail-subtitle">
A COLLECTION OF COOKERY BOOKS, 1875-2011, including:</div>
<div class="lotdetail-subtitle">
<br /></div>
<strong>Cooke, M.C. </strong>British Edible Funghi. <em>Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1891</em>, 12 colour plates, <em>library stamp to title, frontispiece and list of plates loose, worn at head and foot of spine</em>)<strong> </strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Beeton, Isabella. </strong>Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management. <em>Ward, Lock & Co., 1907</em>, 30 colour plates, later dark red backed green boards, lettered in gilt on spine)<br />
<br />
<strong>Boulestin, X. Marcel and Jason Hill. </strong>Herbs, Salads and Seasonings. <em>Heinemann, 1930</em>, number 23 of the edition of 75 copies signed by both authors, <em>spine</em> <em>faded</em>)<br />
<br />
<strong>Heath, Ambrose. </strong>The Country Life Cookery Book. <em>Country Life Limited, 1937</em>, wood engravings by Eric Ravilious, <em>boards rubbed</em>)<br />
<br />
<strong>Maclean, Veronica. </strong>Lady Maclean's Diplomatic Dishes. <em>Collins, 1975</em>, inscribed by the author, <em>head of spine worn with loss</em>)<br />
<br />
<strong>Parker Bowles, Tom. </strong>E is for Eating. <em>Long Barn, 2004</em>, inscribed by the author and the illustrator, dust-jacket)<br />
<br />
<strong>Green, Rachel. </strong>Chatsworth Cookery Book. <em>Green Shoots, 2007</em>,
inscribed by the author.<br />
<br />
An additional 32 others, of which 6 inscribed
to Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, mostly original cloth
and wrappers, many with the Duchess's bookplate, some wear to dust-jackets.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">What do we most covet from the list? Ambrose Heath's <i>The Country Life Cookery Book</i>.</span></span><br /><br />
<br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-30379009462792484392016-02-29T14:45:00.002-05:002016-02-29T14:45:41.616-05:00CCCP Cook Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes, Virginia, we love French cookbooks and Southern cookbooks, but we also have a soft spot for the weird and unusual. Olga and Pavel Syutkin have hit both of those ideas in the <i>CCCP Cook Book</i>. Let me clarify that, the book is not weird or unusual if you grew up in the Soviet Union in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. These are dishes that the former Soviet Union loved, while perhaps having no desire to replicate them in any way.<br />
<br />
This period in history saw a land that was plagued by food shortages, and long winters. Faced with few options, creativity was at a premium. Look at a dish like <i>Okroshka</i>. The translation means "mystery ingredients." Such a name doesn't inspire culinary confidence. The dish is composed of small cubes of whatever there was. The authors tell us:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The reason for its success is simple; it is almost impossible to judge the quality of ingredients such as frankfurters, cucumbers, or radishes when they have been diced into cubes and are floating in a generous portion of kvass and smetana (sour cream)."</blockquote>
Originally, the dish was created with high-end meats and fish, fresh vegetables, and spices. It was a comforting winter dish that could be served cold in the summer. As food became more and more scarce, the dish kept its name, but the quality of the ingredients suffered.<br />
<br />
Like most cookbooks, <i>CCCP Cook Book</i> offers a glimpse into a particular era of history through its cuisine. Imagine taking those tacky photos from many 60's era cookbooks in America and trying to explain tuna casserole to the rest of the world.<br />
<br />
While there was little diversity in the Soviet diet, there was always a desire for their vodka. As with much drinking, snacks are required. Here is a recipe for a popular Soviet appetizer to help soak up the alcohol.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Salo<br />
<br />
500g pork fatback or belly (with 3-4 cm of fat)<br />
3-4 large cloves of garlic<br />
1/2 tsp black pepper<br />
3 tbsp coarse sea salt<br />
<br />
Cut the fatback or belly of pork into pieces of approximately 10 X 20 cm.<br />
Rub the pieces all over with salt and pepper.<br />
Slice the garlic and push slices into the meat, roughly 1 cm apart.<br />
Roll in paper and refrigerate for at least 4-5 days.<br />
Serve as an appetizer.</blockquote>
<br />
It may be an old Soviet appetizer, but it looks like the very kind of thing that might just make a comeback. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-81377982675237019272016-02-26T14:28:00.001-05:002016-02-26T14:28:45.560-05:00Requiescat in Pace -- Sam Beall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We were saddend to learn of the death of Sam Beall. <br />
<br />
He authored one of our <a href="http://cookbookoftheday.blogspot.com/2009/11/blackberry-farm-cookbook.html" target="_blank">favorite cookbooks</a>. <br />
<br />
He was a Southern gentleman of the truest sense. He is gone way, way, way too young.<br />
<br />
Our thoughts are with his family.Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-583615932219289461.post-63470148469524211022016-02-24T13:30:00.000-05:002016-02-24T13:30:09.363-05:00The Fish and Oyster Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the early 20th century, The Hotel Monthly Press printed a series of book designed primarily for hotel staff. One particular series of recipe books were very plain little volumes designed to fit in a jacket pocket. They were filled with recipes for vegetables, sauces, pastries, and eggs. There was also an edition for fish and oysters. <i>The Fish and Oyster Book</i> was written by Leon Kientz who was the longtime chef at Rector's in Chicago. The noted fish restaurant made its chef the likely author for this edition.<br />
<br />
Like most of these books, The Fish and Oyster Book contains over 400 recipes and nearly 30 menus featuring these recipes. jammed into a tiny approximately 3 X 7 inch book. No wonder they were wildly popular with chefs and copies are often beaten, stained and well used.<br />
<br />
The recipes are straight forward little paragraphs requiring a bit of knowledge to pull off. Even with sparse instructions, they are often much easier to understand than many a well executed recipe. For instance this recipe for cod tongues, Who knew cod had tongue? Well, I guess most every living thing has a tongue. But still. In order to pull off this recipe, one would need to know how to acquire cod tongue, and I don't recall ever seeing them in my grocery. The recipes says you will need to clean the tongue. Well, I, for one am stumped.<br />
<br />
Let's see where the recipe goes.<br />
<br />
Fresh Codfish Tongues, Meuni<span class="st" data-hveid="34">è</span>re.<br />
<br />
Clean, wash and wipe dry;season with salt and pepper, roll them in flour, and fry in a frying pan in clarified butter to a nice color. When done, place them on a hot platter; besprinkle with chopped parsley and lemon juice; pour over some brown butter (hazelnut color), and serve hot.<br />
<br />
Concise and to the point. Yes, we need to know how and where to get the cod tongues, and we need to know what clarified butter is, but the rest is quite understandable. While we don't know what the "nice" color is for the fried tongues, we do know the color of the brown butter. I think most anyone might just be able to pull of this paragraph of tongues. Of course, most people wouldn't even try.<br />
<br />
A cookbook like this offers up two things. One, it gives the reader tons of ideas for dishes, many of them, like the cod tongue, one might never have thougth of. The second is finding really cool new words like "besprinkled." I love besprinkled and plan to get about besprinkling many items in my cooking repertoire. And so should you.<br />
<br />Lucindavillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16706865784070675588noreply@blogger.com5