Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

The first cookbook that I ever bought with my own earned-money was a copy of the Culinary Arts Institute's 'Encyclopedic Cookbook'. I had a newspaper route throughout Junior High and High School and - money always burning a hole in my pocket then, exactly as now - I knew every month what I would buy with my little profits; and I had seen and coveted this book at the local drugstore.

The odd thing is that I was not particularly interested in cooking at the time; but I was - and had always been - intensely interested in BOOKS. And this was definitely a BOOK! It was the size of our family Funk & Wagnall, with the same kind of finger-tabs giving quick access to general topics; and had pictures of wonderful 1960's-type dishes on every page (the word "Encyclopedic" would get me every time, and probably still does ;-)

I remember walking home from the store with it, thinking that I had acquired a real treasure; I think I felt that it was a valuable 'reference', and I was building a Library. But for a long time, all I did was LOOK at it.

A few years later, when I actually became interested in the nuts-and-bolts of cooking, I was especially impressed with the section on cruciferous vegetables. Except for my Grandmother's plain boiled cabbage, and the very occasional head of cauliflower (sitting on the dinner table like an anemic brain-in-a-bowl with a douse of pallid cheese sauce) I didn't know much about these veggies. I had never seen a Brussels Sprout, and didn't know what a 'Broccoli' was.

I opened this book recently for the first time in ages - it's very yellowed, the spine splitting from the covers; and as I handled it the spine split even more. But I saw the first recipe I ever cooked from it, which was a Broccoli Souffle. (I had written notes in pen, indicating that in my considered Tyro opinion, the recipe really needed the addition of onion.)

Time went on, and I acquired more cookbooks, along with a great love affair with Broccoli, Cauliflower, and sometimes Cabbage.

One recipe that I found during my first forays into cooking has become a staple, and a nice improvement on plain boiled cabbage; it came from a book on Shaker recipes:

Cabbage in Caraway Cream

2 tsps. Butter

1 T. caraway seeds

1 small head cabbage, Shredded Coarsely

1 tsp. Sugar (opt.)

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 tsp. Salt

1-1/2 T. Vinegar

½ C. Sour Cream

Heat butter in skillet. Add cabbage, salt and garlic, and stir well. Cover tightly and steam 10 minutes, or until tender (a little water may be added, but if you cook slowly, the cabbage will wilt and give up its own water.) Add caraway seeds, sugar (if used) and vinegar. Stir in Sour Cream, and serve immediately. ________________________________________________________

A Broccoli recipe that I've made at least once or twice a month for over thirty years, involves steaming broccoli until it's just shy of tender, and then layering it in a casserole with a white cream sauce (seasoned with a little bit of garlic powder, salt and pepper), diced onions, and grated Cheddar cheese. Put more grated Cheddar on the very top, sprinkle with Paprika, and bake at 350 degrees in the oven until everything is bubbly and the cheese on top has melted and slightly scorched. Here is a recipe for a basic, medium-thick White Sauce, or 'Roux':

Medium White Sauce (makes 1 cup, can be increased for a larger casserole)

2 tablespoons Butter

2 tablespoons Flour

1⁄4 teaspoon Salt

1⁄8 teaspoon Black Pepper

1 cup whole Milk

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.

Blend in flour,salt,pepper.

Cook over low heat,stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly

Remove from heat.

Stir in milk.

Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.

Boil and stir 1 minute.

(For the Broccoli Casserole, I add a pinch or two of granulated Garlic)

________________________________________________________

My husband and I found a recipe for Cauliflower which is probably quite familiar to anyone who has switched to a low-carb way of eating for weight-loss or health reasons - sometimes it's called 'Loaded Cauliflower', to summon the idea of a loaded baked potato. But the recipe is wonderful as a side dish, whether one is dieting or not. I usually make this with cream cheese and bacon in the mashed cauliflower, and grated Cheddar on top. Here is a typical recipe:

http://lusciouslowcarb.blogspot.com/2011/02/cheesy-bacon-potato-bake.html

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

This Week: Cruciferous Veg! (And I would like to see any interesting Brussels Sprouts recipes that folks may have. I love these ‘tiny cabbages’ but haven’t found exactly the right recipe for them yet - maybe something with ‘fruity-ness’ added?)

If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread, please send a private message.

-JT

[Artemis Webb]

"The first cookbook that I ever bought with my own earned-money was a copy of the Culinary Arts Institute's 'Encyclopedic Cookbook'"

My first cookbook was The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. A friend gave it to me when I moved from home. She said it was the ONE indispensable cookbook. Over the years I've found she was right.

[berdie]

later

[Jamestown1630]

I don’t have that one. My best friend from High School gave me the Fanny Farmer, when we graduated (she became a Home Economics major in college); that has also been a great reference.

-JT

[luvbach1]

I thought this was going to be a thread about one’s favorite cookbook. I guess not but I’m going to volunteer mine. It’s an oldie first published in the early 1900s (1903 I think), The Settlement Cook Book, complete with a “sexist” subtitle: The Way To A man’s Heart,” a treasure trove of American and ethnic home-style recipes. You name it and it’s probably there.

[Jamestown1630]

This weekly thread is about anything related to cooking. I like to start out with some sort of ‘theme’; but basically, this is a free-for-all :-)

Thanks for your suggestion. I like old cookbooks.

-JT

[Sacajaweau]

I’m frying tomatoes....cuz I got too many tomatoes. Added wine, capers and bacon grease. Who knows...

[soycd]

Ferment 20 lbs corn mash and 20 lbs corn sugar.
Distill * 3 at 173.05 F and set aside for fuel.
Distill remaining * 3 at 173.09 F and set aside for fuel.
Distill remaining * 3 at 173.07 F and jar for drinking.
Add ice and friends as needed.

[Trillian]

Mushroom and Brussels Sprouts Penne with Crispy Fried Shallots

Serves 4

Ingredients
8oz gluten-free penne pasta
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 jumbo shallots, sliced into thin rings
8oz sliced mushrooms
9oz bag shredded brussels sprouts (or 12oz whole brussels sprouts, trimmed then shredded)
salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup gluten-free chicken broth
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 fresh lemon
parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain then set aside.
Meanwhile, heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add half the shallot rings then fry until light golden brown (dark brown will taste bitter,) 1-2 minutes, stirring often and being careful as the oil may spatter a bit at the beginning. Transfer shallots to a paper towel lined plate to drain then sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with remaining shallots then set plate aside.
Turn heat down slightly then add mushrooms and saute until they begin to shrink and release some of their liquid, 3 minutes. Add brussels sprouts then turn heat up to medium-high, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until brussels sprouts are cooked but still have a tiny bit of bite, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic then saute for 30 more seconds. Add chicken broth then simmer until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes.
Stir in chopped dill, butter, and juice from 1/2 lemon (if you are sensitive to lemon, add just a little bit then more later if you want.) Taste then add salt, pepper, and/or lemon juice and then combine mixture with pasta and stir well. Scoop pasta into bowls then top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fried shallots.

http://iowagirleats.com/2015/09/28/mushroom-and-brussels-sprouts-penne-with-crispy-fried-shallots/

Personally, I don’t like brussel sprouts, so I would make this without them or with the addition of another vegetable.
It looks very flavorful in the pictures.

[Original Lurker]

Seems it took 35+ years and the death of my younger brother on 05Oct15 for me to get the BBQ sauce recipe we both looked for, for said duration.

I’m thinking homemade Worcestershire Sauce “might” make the difference.

(the BBQ recipe is over the top with a butt roast as it totally cuts through the fat of the pork to deliver a total punch of sauce)

Here’s the Worcestershire Sauce recipe I’m leaning towards..
(I’m open to suggestions..!!)

The Worcestershire recipe...

http://www.thejoykitchen.com/recipe/worcestershire-sauce

[Jamestown1630]

One year for Christmas, my sis-in-law gave me a Wine Making Kit (I like red wine).

That wine turned out like very strong Port, and gave me the only real hangover I’ve ever had.

I’d like to try wine again, but I was obviously not very good at it :-)

-JT

[doorgunner69]

I always loved B sprouts with vinegar, wife hates them, so we never seem to eat them.

[soycd]

Understandable. Both wine and beer retain the fusel oils (alcohols on either side of ethanol).

With the Shine recipe, you get just the real thing and can dilute as needed.

[Patriot Babe]

I love Brussel Sprouts they are like little cabbages to me. However, I don’t have a specific receipe for it. I do tend to mix it up with other food items to make a dinner.

I mix Mexican Rice, and my choice of Beef or Chicken. I just saute the Sprouts in a pan of Margarine (Butter). Once slightly tender I stir in the Meat then the Rice. Cover until the meat is cooked stirring occasionally so meat won’t get stuck on pan.

I then serve it in a bowl and I eat it with a side of Wheat Bread. I have lost weight making this and for an evening snack. A small bowl of Jello with Peaches.

So that is what I do with my Brussels.

[notaliberal]

Sometimes I steam brussel sprouts and pour a white sauce over them.........soooooo good!

[katana]

I have a Culinary Arts Institute cookbook that my grandmother had saved up to buy back in the thirties, passed down like a family heirloom from my mother. I love reading the recipes in part because they don’t use any health or light eating, low calorie euphemisms. It’s never “vegetable oil” or “shortening”, and the word “margarine” never appears. It’s just fat, lard, butter, and sugar, and plenty of them all.

[Jamestown1630]

Um...is that legal?

[luvbach1]

The Settlement Cook Book was first published in 1903 but has been revised and re-published many times since so it’s also a modern cook book.

[Liz]

Usually at Christmas one finds fresh chestnuts in the market. I oven-roast
them, peel, then crumble. Add crumbles to cooked buttered Brussels sprouts. (I also add chestnut crumbles to stuffing).

=========================================

This one's a fave---ridiculously easy.
Gives an Asian bite to pedestrian brussel sprouts.

Buttered Brussel Sprouts w/ Chopped Roasted Peanuts
Drizzle 2 lb cooked fresh brussel sprouts w/ 1/2 c melted Keller's
Creamery Butter. Top w/ 1/2 cup chp roasted peanuts. Stir/coat evenly.