"Cook, My Darling Daughter" - Chicken Sauteed with Brandy

Date I made this recipe: March 30, 2008

Cook, My Darling Daughter by Mildred O. Knopf
Published by: Alfred A. Knopf
© 1959
Recipe: Chicken Sauteed with Brandy – p. 137-138

Continuing on with my theme of “I Remember Mama” for my mother who recently passed away, I pulled this cookbook off the shelf, dusted it off and went on my next recipe search. Although several caught my eye, this one hit the jackpot because all I had to buy was chicken and some cream – sweet! As my husband said “We should be able to come in at under $10 on this one!” (By the way, film buffs, I Remember Mama was a film produced in 1948 about the adventures of a Norwegian immigrant family led by their pennywise mother, Mama (naturally!). The film later became a radio show and then a sitcom starring Barbara Bel Geddes (Mama Ewing from the TV show, Dallas) and Irene Dunn who was in the original film).

Not content to stop with those little bits of trivia, I also looked up Mildred O. Knopf and found out that she was married to motion-picture and television producer, Edwin H. Knopf, a brother of Alfred A. Knopf, publishing magnate in New York City. It doesn’t hurt to have an “in” in publishing, does it?! In Mildred’s bio it says that she was “for many years a well-known hostess in the motion-picture colony (don’t you just love that word?) in southern California.” The “darling daughter” she referred to is daughter Wendy and letters to Wendy are sprinkled throughout the book. Nice touch.

Speaking of nice touches, the book is inscribed “Happy Birthday! Happy Cooking!! Love, Mother & Dad.” Some lucky recipient received this book in 1962 and I hope she enjoyed looking through it and cooking from it as much as I did.

As to the recipe, the instructions do not say to make it the night before and then refrigerate it, but I found that the brandy and Madeira added more zip to the recipe after an overnight stay that wasn’t there when eating it hot off the grill so to speak. Were I to make this recipe again, I think I’d play around with the flavors a little more and substitute Calvados (distilled apple cider made in France) or even pear brandy to round out the flavorings. The recommended beverages were fine but I think the recipe suffered a little from blandness of taste that even the addition of salt and pepper didn’t resolve.

So speaking of brandies and Madeiras and whatnot, my mother was basically a teetotaler but on occasion, she would add brandy to something she was making, always concerned, of course, that it wouldn’t burn off like the recipe said it would. Not to worry, though, mom was always stone sober during cleanup after an excellent meal. She became totally enamored with my homemade cordials, such that she frequently poured them over her nightly ice cream and I say if you have to make exceptions, then pairing alcohol with food seems just the way to go!


Chicken Sauteed with Brandy – Serves 3 to 4
1 frying chicken (we used boneless breasts that weighed almost 3 pounds)
Flour
2 ounces sweet butter (4 tablespoons or ½ stick)
6 ounces fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup brandy
¼ cup Madeira or sherry wine
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon sweet butter
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Cut 1 tender, plump frying chicken into 6 pieces. Very lightly dredge with flour.

Melt 2 ounces sweet butter in a casserole or deep stewing pan. Allow the butter to heat until it foams, then brown the chicken on both sides, a few pieces at a time so they brown but do not steam. Place the casserole in a preheated 325 degree oven, basting the chicken with the butter. After a few minutes add 6 ounces fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the mushrooms begin to color. Add 1/3 cup brandy and ¼ cup Madeira or sherry wine and continue to cook another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.

Add 1 cup heavy cream, mixing it with the juices, using a wooden spoon and swirling the pan in a rotating movement. Pour the gravy over the chicken several times. Leave uncovered and cook 5 minutes more. If the gravy is too liquid, remove the chicken to a warm platter and put into a slightly warm oven while you boil the gravy a few minutes, until thickened. Add 1 teaspoon sweet butter, swirl it into the sauce, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Return the chicken to the casserole and baste with the sauce. Serve hot. (Note: I served this with noodles (or similar starch) and green beans as mom likely would have done.)

MILDRED’S NOTE: When serving do not let stand uncovered for any length of time (for instance, during a party, between the first and second helpings), as a slight “skin” forms on top which is unappetizing. When through serving the first time, or while waiting for people to come to the table, keep covered with a casserole lid.

"A Gracious Plenty" by John T. Edge & "At Grandmother's Table" & "The Church Ladies' Divine Desserts" - ham loaf, potatoes and dessert

Date I made these recipes: March 23, 2008 (Easter Sunday)

A Gracious Plenty – Recipes and Recollections from the American South by John T. Edge for the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi
Published by: G. P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 0-399-14534-6 © 1999
Recipe: Ham Loaf - taken from the book Virginia Celebrates written by the Council of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Richmond, Virginia– p. 178-179

At Grandmother’s Table – Women Write about Food, Life, and the Enduring Bond between Grandmothers and Granddaughters – edited by Ellen Perry Berkeley
Published by: Fairview Press Minneapolis
ISBN: 1-57749-096-7 © 2000
Recipe: Grandmother Rushmore’s Wednesday Casserole – submitted by Susan W. Rushmore for her grandmother, Bertha Jarrett Rushmore – 1884-1962 – p. 110

The Church Ladies' Divine Desserts – Heavenly Recipes and Sweet Recollections by Brenda Rhodes Miller
Published by: G. P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 0-399-14780-2 © 2001
Recipe: Sweet Potato Cake submitted by Ms. Willette Bailey of Brooklyn, NY – p. 33-34

Growing up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, you’d think I’d be used to snow falling on a major holiday and yet there I was, surprised as all get out that we had snow on the ground this Easter. I can’t tell you how many times growing up I had a perky little Easter bonnet displayed with a matching dress that was hidden under a winter coat. Phooey! Snow is also the reason that I really detest Halloween as what fun is it to dress up as some character when in the end, I always resembled Nanook of the North?!

Speaking of dressing up, in lieu of the standard ham recipe (my favorite recipe for ham was posted a while back), I decided to go for a ham loaf that was far more interesting and delicious and dresses up what can be boring ham into something fun. And then I dressed up the potatoes as well, using a potato casserole recipe that included diced ham and apple sauce. If you’re a person who ultimately merges all foods together on a plate (for me, mashed potatoes and peas always end up mushed together), you’ll like this recipe.

Finally, in lieu of sweet potatoes and ham, something we always had growing up (actually, canned yams that my mother doctored up), I made a sweet potato cake. The recipe came from The Church Ladies' Divine Desserts cookbook. Sure, it’s a little late in the game to ask for divine intervention for a warm Easter this year, but it’s never to late to open up the request line for next year!

Two of the recipes came from southern or southern-oriented cookbooks, the south being the one part of the region that has consistently had warm weather for Easter. Bet nobody down there ever had to suffer the indignity of winter coats paired with spring hats! Don't even get me started on patent leather shoes....

Ham Loaf – Makes two loafs serving 20 people (I made a half recipe)
Loafs
2 pounds ground smoked ham
2 pounds fresh uncooked pork
1 ½ cups fresh cracker crumbs
½ cup chopped onion
4 eggs, well beaten
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Glaze
8 ounces (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons dry mustard

Mustard Sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
½ cup prepared mustard
1 tablespoon minced chives
2 tablespoons or more horseradish

To make the ham loafs:

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the ham and pork; set aside. Combine the cracker crumbs, onion, eggs, salt, milk and parsley in a large bowl. Add the meat mixture and mix thoroughly. Shape into 2 loaves and put into two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. Bake 30 minutes. Remove the loaves from the oven, baste with glaze, and bake 1 hour longer. Remove the loaves from the pans. Serve 1 tablespoon Mustard Sauce on each slice of ham loaf. Serve the remaining sauce at the table.

To make the glaze:
Combine all ingredients for the glaze in a saucepan; boil for 1 minute before using to baste ham loaves.

To make the mustard sauce:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; mix well before serving.


Grandmother Rushmore’s Wednesday Casserole – Serves 4 to 6 people
5 large potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper
1 cup diced ham (boiled or baked)
¾ cup applesauce
Milk or cream for glazing
Paprika

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Peel and quarter the potatoes; boil them until tender. Mash them with a potato masher or electric mixer until smooth.

With a fork, beat in the butter, milk, salt and pepper. The potatoes should be slightly dry.

In a large casserole dish, layer half the mashed potatoes, then all of the ham and applesauce. Top with the rest of the potatoes, brush with milk or cream, and sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Sweet Potato Cake – makes 10 to 12 servings
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
2 cups sugar
1 cup peanut oil
4 large eggs, separated
1 ½ cups grated raw sweet potato
1 cup chopped pecans or sliced almonds
1/3 cup hot water
Powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and voles in a large bowl; set aside. Combine the sugar and peanut oil in another large bowl. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Add the grated sweet potato and chopped nuts. Add the dry ingredients alternatively with the hot water, mixing thoroughly. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into the sweet potato batter using a spatula. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 1 hour or until the cake springs back when touched and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

Note: Cake can be baked in a loan pan, sliced, and served with cream cheese.

"Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook" & "Favorite Recipes - Munising Memorial Hospital Auxiliary" - Porcupine Meatballs and Coconut Honey Dessert

Date I made these recipes: March 4, 2008

Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book by the Test Kitchen of Better Homes and Garden
Published by: Meredith Corporation
© 1976
Recipe: Porcupine Meatballs – p. 42 (Chapter 2 – Barbecues and easy meals)

Favorite Recipes – Munising Memorial Hospital Auxiliary by members of the Munising Memorial Hospital Auxiliary
Published by: General Publishing and Binding, Iowa Falls, Iowa
© 1986
Recipe: Coconut Honey Dessert (submitted by Rose Marie Verme - my mom!) – p. 51

So you’ll notice it’s been a while since I posted a blog entry. I had every intention of doing something for Oscar night in late February but I couldn’t commit to any recipe from all my cookbooks. And so like most people, I thought “Well, next week.”

Well, Thursday of the following week rolled around and I got a phone call that changed my life. My mother had suffered a massive stroke and was not going to make it. Of course, she and my father lived in a small town in Michigan’s U.P. and that’s an eight-hour drive in the best of conditions. My husband and I made it as far as Wausau, WI that night (in a snowstorm) and made it to the hospital in Marquette, Michigan the next day. It was the longest trip of my life.

Sad to say, mom passed away on March 2nd. We were up at my dad’s for so long that every morning since we arrived back in our own home, I’ve awakened totally disoriented with my surroundings. It will take a while to adjust to the loss.

One thing I am not at a loss for, however, is my cookbooks, now totaling over 900 and I have my mother to thank for that. My mom gave me my very first cookbook, the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, when I moved into an apartment with three other women during my junior year at college. We cooked a lot that year and on Thanksgiving, we did an elaborate turkey dinner with all the fixings as noted on the “menu” you can see hanging on our refrigerator in the background of our group photo.

Cooking, however, did not always come naturally to my mom as she was the youngest of seven children in a house that contained a phenomenal cook – her mother, Mary Wollner Barr. What my grandma did with a pot roast is legendary and her wild mushroom soup (dried herbs and mushrooms were constantly hanging in the basement) was out of this world although it was the stinkiest soup on the planet. When a bunch of us cousins rode shotgun back to grandma’s to pick up the soup one year for Christmas, it being forgotten in the rush and all, we made one of my uncles who volunteered for this mission, drive with the windows down (in the middle of winter) until the soup was safely delivered unto the adults who were eagerly awaiting its triumphant return to the table. We were grateful that grandma’s other specialty, poppy seed nuts rolls (we called them Kolache rolls) were far less…fragrant!

But my mom needed a little help and so one of the gifts from her wedding in 1957 was the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book—no “new” needed at that time. And she cooked from that book for the rest of her life. I am grateful that she had the wherewithal to give me the “new” version so that my roommates and I could eat high off the hog.

Mom also had help from my dad who liked to hunt and often brought home game birds and wild animals for mom to cook. He gave her some hints on how to prepare things but she pretty much figured things out on her own. Although mom hardly ever used cream of anything soup in our house, she managed to doctor up some wild birds with a can of cream of mushroom soup and for that I am eternally grateful.

Mom also became a pressure-cooker cook long before pressure cookers were in vogue. She always made beef stew and porcupine meatballs in the pressure cooker and both meals were quick and delicious. I made my porcupine meatballs the old-fashioned way in a skillet, on top of the stove, and it was good but not as moist as mom’s. By the way, one of the charities we are contributing to in memory of my mom is Susan G. Komen for the Cure. My mom was a 22-year, almost 23, breast cancer survivor. Wouldn’t you know, the can of Campbell’s Tomato Soup I used to make the meatball sauce had a pink and white label on it with the breast cancer ribbon logo. Campbell’s is donating a portion of the proceeds to fight cancer. I feel the hand of my mom in this one!

Mom’s only kitchen “misstep” if you will, and it was hilarious, was that after returning home from her honeymoon trip – three weeks in the southwest – she made my first-generation Sicilian father Chef Boyardee spaghetti. To this day, we think that is just one hilarious story. Although my grandma Verme lived a thousand miles away in New Jersey, she managed to teach my mom how to make really good sauce that could give many a chef, not just Boyardee, a run for his (or her) money.

In addition to cooking, cleaning and otherwise keeping a happy home, my mom was a member and former president of the Munising (Michigan) Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, authors of the second cookbook showcased in this week’s blog. The recipe I selected, Coconut Honey Dessert, was actually prompted by two of the Verme cousins who came to her funeral. They included a honey bear jar in the flowers they sent because my mother always called them (and everyone else) “honey.” She called me “sweetie” so I guess I had some kind of pull. This dish is just so representative of my mom – sugar and spice and everything nice. I hope you like it and the meatballs. They’re both comfort food at its best at a time when I need some comforting.

As a final note, inside the auxiliary cookbook that she gave to me in 1986, there’s a post-it note: “Hi Sweetie, Hope you’ll enjoy using some of these recipes. Love you, Mom”

I do indeed, mom, I do indeed.

Porcupine Meatballs – Makes 4 or 5 servings
1 pound ground beef
¼ cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tablespoon snipped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 10 3/4 –ounce can condensed tomato soup
½ cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine meat, rice, egg, parsley, onion, salt, pepper and ¼ cup condensed tomato soup. Mix thoroughly; shape in about 20 small balls and place in skillet. Mix remaining soup, water and Worcestershire sauce; pour over meatballs. Bring to boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer 35 to 40 minutes, stirring often.

Note: I don’t know why, but we always served these with mashed potatoes.

Coconut Honey Dessert – no serving size noted
¼ cup margarine or butter
1 c. coconut
1 ½ c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. evaporated milk
1 c. boiling water
1 pkg. lemon Jell-O
½ c. honey
2 T. lemon juice

Melt butter or margarine, add coconut and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden. Mix in graham cracker crumbs (I used a Cuisinart to pulverize my graham crackers) and press the mixture onto the bottom of an 8 inch square pan. Put evaporated milk in the refrigerator to chill. Pour boiling water over Jell-O and stir until dissolved. Add honey and lemon juice and cool in refrigerator until thick as raw egg whites (Note: about 40 minutes). Beat the chilled evaporated milk until it holds a shape. Then fold gently into the Jell-O mixture. Spoon over crumbs and chill until firm.

"The Casserole Cookbook" by James Beard & "The Seducer's Cookbook" by Mimi Sheraton - Veal and Noodles and Apple-Pecan Tart

Date I made these recipes: February 17, 2008

The Casserole Cookbook by Jim Beard (as in the legendary James Beard)
Published by: The Bobbs-Merril Company, Inc.
© 1955
Recipe: Veal and Noodles – p. 25

The Seducer’s Cookbook by Mimi Sheraton
Published by: Random House
© 1962, 1963
Recipe: Apple-Pecan Tart - p. 58-59

Valentine’s Day this year found me working days and my husband working nights. I left him cupcakes and a card for when he came home and he left me cookies and a card for when I woke up. It was actually kind of fun—sort of like Santa coming only in February.

So dinner had to wait until the weekend when we were both home. I don’t know why I pulled out Jim Beard’s Casserole book but I just did although I’ll argue that a veal casserole is slightly more romantic than say, tater tot casserole.

As to dessert, I thought the Seducer’s Cookbook by Mimi Sheraton would be a good place to look for a recipe although the chapter it came from - How to Get Him to Marry You - is a moot point seeing as how we already passed Go on that almost 17 years ago. Recipes in this section, however, were a far better choice than The Gay Divorcee and Can’t We Be Friends.

On the “how cosmic is that?” front, I had just finished making out a shopping list that included Damson Plum Jam when a neighbor popped over to check out our kitchen (we remodeled years ago and she wanted to see what we had done). As I was showing her the panty, I opened the door and danged if right there, front and center, was a jar of Damson Plum Jam, given to us by friends who now live in Maine. I was meant to make this tart!

As to the recipes themselves, they were good but not great, certainly not the level of a seductive meal. I never anticipated the difficulty in finding a simple veal cutlet in a city of this size but we went to a couple of stores before finally settling on veal stew meat. I cut down some of the pieces so as to make them stretch as buying three pounds of veal was out of the question at $12.00 a pound. So we had ourselves noodles and veal instead of veal and noodles! Were I to do this recipe again, I would also substitute small, white onions with diced onions as the white onions tend to run on the large size and therefore get picked out of the recipe.

As to the tart, it was good although I thought the topping was a little heavy for the thinly sliced apples resting below it but it didn’t affect the taste at all. I forgot to buy pecans but my husband is not a big fan of nuts so it all worked out in the end.

Veal and Noodles - Serves 8
1 pound noodles
1 pound small white onions (or substitute sliced or diced onions)
1 can condensed chicken broth
1 can white wine
1 package frozen peas
**note, I had to double the broth and wine in order to make the 2 cups necessary to finish the dish
3 pounds veal (I used 1.5 pounds)
Flour for coating the veal
Dry mustard, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper to season the veal
Grated lemon rind, enough to coat veal slices
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk

Cook the noodles in boiling salted water about 9 minutes until tender, not mushy. Peel 1 pound small white onions and boil until tender in 1 can condensed chicken broth and an equal amount of white wine. Skim out onions, reserving broth (note, you will need 2 cups by the time you are done; if you fall short, add broth and/or wine to the pan).

Dredge well 3 pounds of veal, sliced very thin, in flour seasoned with dry mustard, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper. Brown the veal well in fat in a skillet. When browned and drained on absorbent paper, sprinkle each slice with grated lemon rind. Cook 1 package of frozen peas according to instructions.

In a large, shallow casserole place layers of veal, noodles, onions and peas.

Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in top of a double-boiler then blend in 6 tablespoons of flour. Add 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of the onion broth. Stir constantly until creamy smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour this mixture over the layers in casserole and bake at 375 until bubbly – about 45 minutes.

Apple-Pecan Tart - serving size not given
4 apples (firm but not too sour)
3 tablespoons butter
½ cup Damson Plum Jam
1 tablespoon rum
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
½ lemon rind, finely grated
1 tablespoon flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups breadcrumbs, preferably made from light pumpernickel
1/3 cup finely ground pecans
2 egg whites
Salt

Peel, quarter and core apples and slice into thin lengths. Put 1 ½ tablespoons butter into a 10” skillet and when it bubbles, add half the apple slices. Saute until apples are golden brown on both sides and are firm but tender. Put them into a buttered 8” baking dish about 1 ½” to 2” deep. Add another 1 ½ tablespoons butter to the skillet, sauté the remaining apple slices and put them into the baking dish when they are done.

Rub the jam through a sieve into the skillet and add the rum. Cook slowly for 4 or 5 minutes so that the jam melts, but be careful that it does not scorch. Add this mixture to the apples and turn it through them gently.

Cream 3 tablespoons butter with the sugar in a mixing bowl, add yolks, lemon rind, cinnamon and flour and mix lightly before adding breadcrumbs and ground nuts. Add salt to the egg whites, beat until stiff, and fold into egg-crumb mixture. (Pet peeve: how MUCH salt? She doesn’t say so I threw in a very small amount. I would have liked to have known what effect this would have on the mixture but alas, it will remain a mystery).

Spoon mixture onto apples and spread evenly over them with a spatula. Bake in 325 oven for 40-50 minutes or until the topping is a deep golden brown.

This tart is best made a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator overnight. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving and/or whipped cream.

"Louisiana Real & Rustic" by Emeril Lagasse and Marcelle Bienvenu - Red Beans and Rice

Date I made this recipe: February 5, 2008 (Mardi Gras’ Fat Tuesday)

Louisiana Real & Rustic by Emeril Lagasse and Marcelle Bienvenu
Published by: William Morrow and Company
ISBN: 0-688-12721-5
Recipe: Red Beans and Rice – p. 226-227

“Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez, “ Mes Amis – Let the Good Times Roll, My Friends!

Today is Fat Tuesday for those cities, such as New Orleans, celebrating Mardi Gras (which means…Fat Tuesday!). Mardi Gras kicks off Lent and Fat Tuesday is a day of feasting and revelry before serious fasting (typically for members of the Catholic Church) begins. I’m all about feasting and am all about New Orleans, a city I visited a couple of times prior to the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. It is a testament to the resiliency of New Orleans and a love of celebration amidst devastation that the residents continued to have their Mardi Gras celebration before the city could even grasp what exactly happened. Talk about being down but not out.

Although not a native of New Orleans, Emeril Lagasse has come to embody New Orleans cooking. I first saw him years ago on PBS with Julia Child. He did a crawfish boil that made my mouth water. Years passed and then Bam! There he was on the Food Network, cooking his way through several different TV shows and several different cuisines. For a while, I suffered from Emeril overkill (much the same as the current Food Network Queen, Rachel Ray), but eventually I grew to really like the guy, so much so that I spent over 3 hours in line several years ago waiting to meet him and have him sign my cookbooks. Emeril looked exhausted having likely come from who know what city, but he stayed until the last person came through. I have a lot of respect for a guy like that.

Although I have several New Orleans cookbooks, most of them featured fish and seafood (plus the elusive crawfish—like I’m gonna find that in this state in the winter!) and while I love that food, I opted for something simpler and something that is really the essence of Louisiana and New Orleans cooking – Red Beans and Rice. It is such a staple in that state that famed trumpet player, Louis Armstrong, used to sign his letters “Red Beans and Ricely Yours.”

And so although this dish was traditionally a Monday dish (Monday was wash day and “when the laundry was done, so were the beans), I couldn’t resist making this New Orleans treat for Fat Tuesday.

So put on some Louis Armstrong, or even Louis Prima (Jump Jive an’ Wail, Oh Marie and I’m Just a Gigolo) who is also from New Orleans, or even (more contemporary) Harry Connick, Jr. and Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!

Red Beans and Rice – 8 servings
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped celery
1 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 bay leaves
1 pound boiled ham, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes
6 ounces smoked sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (1 cup) (Note: I used up some leftover Kielbasa from the Beet Borscht recipe a few weeks ago)
1 pound dried beans, rinsed and sorted over, soaked overnight and drained
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (or “chawped gawlik” as Emeril would say)
8 to 10 cups water
Steamed rice

Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, bell peppers, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, black pepper and thyme for about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, ham, and sausage and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the beans, garlic, and enough water to cover the contents in the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours. Add more water if the mixture becomes dry and thick.

Use a wooden spoon to mash about half of the mixture against the side of the pot. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 ½ hours, or until the mixture is creamy and the beans are soft. Add more water if it becomes too thick. The mixture should be soupy, but not watery.

Remove the bay leaves and serve over steamed rice.

"Spirit of the West - Cooking from Ranch House and Range" - Vaquero Chicken Stew

Date I made this recipe: February 3, 2008 (Super Bowl Sunday!)

Spirit of the West – Cooking from Ranch House and Range by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs (The IACP Cookbook Awards Winner)
Published by: Stewart, Tabori & Chang New York
ISBN: 1-58479-197-7
Recipe: Vaquero Chicken Stew – p. 42

As if the southwest of the United States didn’t have a lot going for it already what with great winter temperatures and beautiful scenery, now Glendale, Arizona has the honor of hosting what has to be one of the best Super Bowls ever – the defeat of the 18-0 New England Patriots by the underdog New York Giants. It was a total nail-biter --as in… the Giants scored with just over two minutes to go, the Pats took possession and with 25 seconds to go, almost looked like they would pull out a touchdown to go ahead and, of course, complete a perfect season…but the Giants won 17-14. You couldn’t ask for a better game.

In anticipation of the game, I started thinking about doing something special for Super Bowl Sunday. At first, I thought about chili but that seemed so….well, standard fare for a big game and I wanted something else, something fun and unique but that could be done by game time so I didn’t miss any of the commercials. Oh yeah, and the game J
(By the way, my favorite commercial was one for Honda involving a car, a pig and a crab. It was hilarious and aired just before the game started).

Now, I could have made a dish from many of my New England cookbooks, or I could have made a dish from one of my many New York cookbooks to “honor” today’s contestants but I didn’t. (Confession: despite the fact that they beat my Packers to advance to the Super Bowl, I still favored the Giants). Instead, I split the difference and made this delightful vaquero (cowboy) stew from a cookbook showcasing food of the West/Southwest. The authors indicate that Miguel Gamez brought his family to Arizona in the mid-1800’s and that this dish was described to the authors by Julie Gamez, who is married to Ramon Gamez, Miguel’s grandson. I love recipes that travel through time and are handed down through the generations.

As to the chicken, I tend to like white meat so I bought what turned out to be three huge chicken breasts and after they were cooked, I shredded the meat and put it back in the pot. I think it’s easier to deal with that than several pieces of chicken but that is just my preference.

Vaquero Chicken Stew – Serves 4 to 6
3 ½ to 4 pound chicken, cut into 8 to 10 serving pieces
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon cumin seed or ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon peppercorns or ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano leaves
1 (14 ½ -ounce) can stewed tomatoes and green chiles, Mexican-style, Spanish-style, or Rotel
2 large red potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
½ cup olive oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (if desired)
2 limes, cut into wedges (if desired)

Place the chicken and 2 quarts of water in a large, heavy pot. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam from the top.

Meanwhile, with a mortar as pestle, grind the garlic with the salt, cumin, peppercorns, and oregano. Add the seasoning mixture to the pot and stir in tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until very lightly browned but not burned, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour the rice into a strainer placed over a bowl and reserve the oil for another use. Stir the drained rice into the stew and continue to simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked, about 30 minutes. Spoon the stew into large bowls and serve sprinkled with cilantro and lime juice, if desired.

Note: I have a perverse sense of humor and so the line “reserve the oil for another use” cracked me up—I mean, technically, this would require me to find a recipe for rice oil and I’m thinking that might be rather difficult. But if you like to conserve oil, then by all means, go for it.

"Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library: Soups; Chicken; Potatoes" - Potato Leek Soup, Rosemary Chicken with Potatoes and Cheese Potato Gratin

Date I made these recipes: January 30, 2008

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Soups by Chuck Williams (General Editor) and Norman Kolpas (Recipes)
Published by: Time Life Books
ISBN: 0-7835-0250-8
Recipe: Leek and Potato Soup – p. 54

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Chicken by Chuck Williams (General Editor) and Emalee Chapman (Recipes)
Published by: Time Life Books
ISBN: 0-7835-0225-7
Recipe: Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes – p. 77

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Potatoes by Chuck Williams (General Editor) and Diane Rossen Worthington (Recipes)
Published by: Time Life Books
ISBN: 0-7835-0275-3
Recipe: Cheese Potato Gratin – p. 59

Okay, before I get to the recipes, let me rant just a little bit about the weather (Yes, again!). How is it people, that we started the week on Monday at 45 degrees (that’s above zero), and by Wednesday, the day I made these recipes, we were at -14 below? I mean…how is that possible???

So I guess timing was everything when I decided to use up some potatoes we had on hand to make soup, potato gratin and roast chicken—all perfect cold weather foods.

I’ve had these three Williams-Sonoma books for years and as I leafed through them, I was pretty sure I made recipes from all three before, but since I didn’t make them for purposes of writing for my blog, I decided to start over.

The only disappointment (to me, not my husband) was the leek and potato soup. It was just missing something, some ingredient that I couldn’t put my finger (or spoon) on. Maybe it was missing an herb, maybe I should have added cream but I didn’t have an “Oh Wow!” moment when I tasted it.

On the other hand, I had to stop myself from eating the entire dish of potato gratin before my husband got home, it was just that good! (You know how that starts—it’s out of the oven and you decide that you have to just “sample” a potato slice, a small one, of course…and then have another and so on and so forth until you have almost snarfed the entire thing) We are blue cheese freaks in this house so we had no trouble whatsoever adding gorgonzola to add some zing to what otherwise would have been an average potato gratin.

The chicken recipe was no slouch, either, as the lemon rub made the chicken very moist and flavorful.

On Saturday, the day I am writing this, the weather is now a sane 28 degrees above zero. The potato gratin is gone, baby, gone to my husband’s great disappointment. We have some shreds of chicken left (not much) and still some soup to go through. And life is good.

Leek and Potato Soup – Serves 8-10
¼ cup unsalted butter
2 lb leeks, white portions only, trimmed, carefully washed and thinly sliced
6 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
2 lb baking potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
Salt and white pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives (for garnish)

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté just until they begin to soften, 3-5 minutes. Add the stock and potatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Laddle into warmed bowls and garnish with chives.

If you wish, puree the soup then stir in about 1 cup cream and gently rewarm. You might also consider topping the hot soup with shredded Swiss or Cheddar cheese.

Rosemary Chicken with Potatoes – Serves 4
1 chicken, about 3 ½ pounds
1 lemon, cut in half
6 fresh rosemary sprigs
4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 350. Trim any excess fat from the chicken. Rub inside and out with a lemon half. Place 2 rosemary sprigs in the cavity and tuck 1 rosemary sprig under each wing. Place the chicken on its side in a roasting pan and surround with the potatoes. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the oil. Brush the butter mixture evenly over the chicken and potatoes and then sprinkle with the dried rosemary and thyme.

Place chicken in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken so its rests on the opposite side. Add the stock to the pan and baste the chicken with the pan juices. Roast for another 30 minutes. Turn the chicken breast-side up, baste with the pan juices and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast until the chicken is tender, another 20-30 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and surround with the potatoes. Garnish with the 2 remaining rosemary sprigs. Serve the pan juices in a bowl on the side. Carve the chicken at the table.

Cheese Potato Gratin – Serves 6-8
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
3 pounds white, red, yellow-fleshed or baking potatoes, peeled and cut into slices ¼ inch thick
1 ½ cups half-and-half (Note: I already had cream in my refigerator so I made my own half-and-half; just add milk in equal parts to your cream and there it is).
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat an oven to 375. Brush a 10-inch baking dish with 2-inch sides with melted butter.

In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, basil, thyme, salt, white pepper and Gorgonzola.

Layer one-third of the potatoes in the bottom of the prepared dish. Sprinkle one-third of the herb-cheese mixture over the top. Repeat the layers once and then top with the remaining potatoes. Pour the half-and-half evenly over the potatoes and sprinkle the remaining herb-cheese mixture evenly over the top. Dot with the butter pieces. Butter a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the dish and place it, buttered side down, on the dish.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the top is brown and crusty and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 30-40 minutes longer. During the last 30-40 minutes of baking, baste occasionally with the liquid that forms in the dish from the half-and-half and cheese. (Doing this will make the potatoes softer). Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

"Birthday Cakes - Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers" - Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Date I made this recipe: January 19, 2008

Birthday Cakes – Recipes and Memories from Celebrated Bakers by Kathryn Kleinman
Published by: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 0-8118-4019-0
Recipe: Pineapple Upside-Down Cake – p. 102-103

January is birthday month around here. On Tuesday of this week, one of my best friends celebrated her 50th birthday. She’s the first one in our group to turn 50 and although I thought for sure she’d catch on to the party some of us planned for her that day, she was truly speechless when she walked in a local restaurant to see some of her oldest and dearest friends. One of the gang ordered a most delicious cake - yellow cake with raspberry filling and chocolate icing - to be served for dessert. Yum!

Then on Wednesday, my mother-in-law turned the big 8-0. She celebrated by flying to California to visit my sister-in-law (just as the weather got a little nippy...and our furnace went out...). When she came back, we invited her and a family friend over for dinner and I made this cake.

My parents, bless their hearts celebrate their birthdays the week of the 21st. Dad, who will be 84 on the 24th, is followed closely by mom, who will be 82 on the 25th. They live in Michigan and so we won’t be celebrating together but I think they would have enjoyed this cake as it is nice and light and contains yummy pineapple. And let’s face it fruit makes every cake healthy, right? (By the way, this recipe was submitted for this cookbook by restaurateur and cookbook author, Cindy Pawlcyn who made this cake for Chuck Williams’ (he of Williams Sonoma fame) 80th birthday. If it was good enough for Chuck, it was good enough for my mother-in-law, Ruth!)

You should know that this recipe calls for the cake to be baked in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and we do not have one so we had to substitute. Had I been at my parent’s, I could have used any number of their well-seasoned skillets but such was not the case. So instead of the skillet, we used a glass baking pan that was slightly smaller than a 9x13 cake pan and it worked out fine. Left to my own devices, I wouldn’t have known what to substitute, but my husband, the math whiz, did and so all was well with the world.

This recipe makes a lot of cake and my mother-in-law is continuing to enjoy her cake as we sent her off with a big plateful. If you can’t pig out on cake on your 80th birthday, when can you?

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake – serves 12 generously

For the topping:
1 small ripe pineapple (3 ½ to 4 pounds)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup pitted fresh or brandied cherries, halved or pecan halves (I used canned and threw in a couple of drops of brandy!)

For the batter:
3 ¾ cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups milk
1/3 cup dark rum

Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

Place an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350.

To make the topping: Slice off the top and bottom of the pineapple so you have a stable base. Place the pineapple on end and use a large knife to cut down the side, removing the skin. Use a paring knife to cut out the “eyes.” (Or, do as I did and buy the thing all ready to roll.) Cut the pineapple lengthwise into 4 wedges and cut out the core. Slice the wedges into 3/8-inch-thick slices and set aside.

In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat, then sprinkle in the brown sugar. Cook just until the mixture begins to bubble, then remove from heat. The mixture will continue to cook, so take care not to overcook it. Arrange the pineapple slices in tightly spaced concentric circles in the pan. Tuck the cherries or pecans into the spaces between the pineapple slices. Set aside.

To make the batter: Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper. Note: you will need to sift enough flour for the 3 ¾ cups called for in the recipe and then sift it again with the baking powder and salt. I sifted my ingredients into a bowl as that seemed to be a lot easier than to deal with waxed paper.

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, or in a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the milk and rum in a large measuring cup. Add the dry ingredients and milk mixture alternately in small increments, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir or mix on low speed until blended. If using a mixer, remove the paddle and scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and stir to blend the batter evenly.

Pour the batter over the fruit in the pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. The pan will be quite full and some of the liquid may peek out at the edges. Place the pan on the upper rack, and place a baking sheet lined with parchment paper on a lower rack to catch any drips. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cake is springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about 3 minutes, then invert onto a large cake plate. Use a spatula to remove any caramel or fruit in the pan.

Serve warm, with whipped cream or ice cream.