"How to Eat Better for Less Money" by Janes Beard - Old-Fashioned Beach Meat Loaf

Date I made this recipe: September 20, 2010

How to Eat Better for Less Money by James Beard and Sam Aaron
Published by: Simon and Schuster
© 1954, 1970
Recipe: Old-Fashioned Beach Meat Loaf – p. 100

When I was in my hometown visiting my dad in August of this year, one of the things I found was a fee statement from my undergraduate alma mater. The year was 1977, my sophomore year. The fee per credit hour was (brace yourselves parents of current college students) - $25.00. That’s right - twenty five dollars a credit hour. By my calculations, my dad (who paid for my education with U.S. Savings Bonds) was out a whopping $3,200 and change for my four-year degree. But of course that was a lot of money back then.

Well talk about how times have changed. By contrast, my law school education cost a lot more…and I mean a LOT more. I don’t think $25.00 even touched the cost of one of my books. I mean, I know it’s been a while but really—does it cost that much more to teach students today than it did 33 years ago?

So speaking of today, let’s do some fast forwarding. I toyed with getting either an MBA or a law degree and finally decided on law because I wouldn’t have to take statistics or the GMAT that contained math—I hate math and it hates me. (And for the record – calculating billable hours is “law math” and I stink at that as well). I was what was known as a “second career student”—someone who had a career and was looking to change it up. Yes, well, all I can say is I wish I would have read the fine print about how unemployable an older female law graduate would be. (But that’s another story best told over cocktails to other older female law school graduates who are in the same boat. We p&m and order more drinks and suddenly things look brighter…unless we’re in a dimly-lit bar to begin with, of course!).

Since graduating, I have pretty much been forced to become a legal contractor (some would say “whore”), going where the job is for as long as the jobs last. And in a “who would have thought” moment, contract jobs in corporations are generally more stable than jobs at a law firm where litigation support (for those in the know—“document review”) jobs can last for three days or three minutes...and you never know which until you get there. (I swear to you the drill goes like this: They say “The project will last 3 months.” And then two minutes after you’re in it to win it, it changes to: “Did we say 3 months? We meant 3 weeks. Did we say 3 weeks? We meant 3 days. Did we say 3 days? We meant 3 hours…”)

The current job I’m on (back at a corporation I worked for last summer) was supposed to come to an end this past Friday but at the last minute I got a stay of execution. So instead of hearing “One day you’re in...but please pack your knives and go” I heard: “We’re thinking three more weeks.”

By this time, of course, the loin-girding had already started as I performed a mental lockdown on our checking account. I’ve gotten over the stigma of going on and off unemployment but haven’t quite come to grips with the fact that my “hourly” on unemployment is equivalent to a salary last seen by me somewhere around the year 1977! Well, even for that time period, that was a little much so let’s go with
1987. Final answer.

Anyway...feeling the need to cook something on a budget, I pulled out James
Beard’s How to Eat Better for Less Money book. And then promptly cracked up laughing because many of the recipes called for cuts of meat that I consider to be expensive—like saddle of lamb, or even the veal used in my meatloaf (one package was priced at a whopping $8.50—for meatloaf?!) Had I not found a cheaper package of veal, I would have just gone with pork and ground beef although even that would also have been expensive; my recipe called for four pounds of meat. (Well mooo-oooo!) Instead, I made a half recipe and that was more within my budget.

This recipe was good and flavorful and somewhat cheap but you know what, it wasn’t my mom’s. Talk about economical—my mom used oatmeal as filler and that’s the taste I wanted. This one was close, but no cigar. And I didn’t use the amount of bacon called for because I considered that overkill and more expensive (I can buy my bacon by the slice at Whole Foods). But this was fine and we have leftovers and that is the whole point of meatloaf, am I right?

So kids, for three more weeks, I get to earn enough money to sweeten the pot to perhaps make something a little more expensive next week…or not. We’ll see where the recipe wind takes me. But for now I’m safe…and I didn’t even need to cook the meal of my life or channel Jackie Kennedy to do so. (And for those of you lost in America, I reference Top Chef and Project Runway; same with the “one day you’re in…” quote above).

In the words of Tim Gunn from Project Runway - “Make it work…”

Old-Fashioned Beach Meat Loaf (“Beach meatloaf?” As opposed to your “alley” meatloaf or your “swamp meat loaf”???!!) (This is the full recipe but I don’t know how many it is intended to feed. My guess is a lot!)
2 pounds chopped beef, ground twice
1 pound chopped pork, ground twice
1 pound chopped veal, ground twice
1 large onion, chopped or grated
1 carrot, grated
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon rosemary leaves, crushed
½ bay leaf, crushed
2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 eggs
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Bacon or salt pork strips

Mix all ingredients but bacon or salt pork together and knead thoroughly. Press down. Form into a tight loaf and place on strips of bacon or salt pork in a shallow baking pan. Cover with more strips of bacon and bake in 350 oven, basting frequently for 1 ½ to 2 hours, according to the size of the loaf. (Beard’s note: “This is delicious hot, but even better cold, when it resembles a good pate de campagne of the French provinces. It must not be baked in a loaf pan and it must be well pressed together with the hands before baking).

And now here are my notes: Get out a Cuisinart. Dump in your onion and your carrots and pulse until the vegetables are finely chopped. Add all ingredients, including the meat, turn the thing on and walk away for a minute. Blend the ingredients, turn it back on, walk away for another minute, come back and dump the mixture in a shallow pan. You will not believe how finely ground your ingredients are. Shape with hands then cover with some strips of bacon (as opposed to practically wrapping the thing in bacon like a snuggi), and bake for 1 hour or until the internal temp reaches 165. Serve. Eat the leftovers for several days until the meatloaf is gone or you can’t take it any more!

"The SPAM Cookbook" - Sam Choy's SPAM Loco Moco

Date I made this recipe: September 5, 2010

The SPAM® Cookbook – Recipes from Main Street by Hormel Foods, compiled by Linda Eggers
Published by: Gopher Prairie Press
ISBN: 978-0-9841674-0-1, © 1998
Recipe: Sam Choy’s SPAM® Loco Moto – p. 79

Well, kids, school is now in session and today’s recipe showcases how a word can have more than one meaning. Okay get your pencils ready for the word of the day: Spam.

Those of the more modern generation associate the word “spam” with junk emails sent out to numerous individuals in an attempt to wreck havoc with the world…and specifically my computer.

This past Friday, someone hacked into one of my email accounts and sent a spam email to my entire address book saying that I was in London (ha! I wish!), that I was mugged and I needed money. (And while it is true that a buck or two would be helpful, I would likely have not contacted my friends via email to hit them up for $1500 bucks!).

This spam caused me to be locked out of my email account for two days running. Can we talk about how frustrating that is? It also caused no less than 7 people to call me to see if I was okay. And the thing that cracked me up most of all is the requirement that I sign in to my email account to email the support team to tell them that I’m locked out and need my password reset. Not to be snarky but how, pray tell, am I supposed to sign in to say I need help signing in when I cannot sign in?

So I wish I would have been the recipient of the other spam…as in SPAM®, the precooked canned “ham” product made by one of Minnesota’s own, Hormel Foods Corporation, located in Austin, MN. (By the way, years ago, I did some work with the Hormel Credit Union. The woman who answered the phone always pronounced it “Hor-mull” but we (we rubes, perhaps?) always called it Hormel…like caramel. I’m not sure which is correct but it made me chuckle).

Okay, show of hands: how many of you had SPAM® as a kid? Because I have to tell you folks, you were either in the rank and file of families whose moms stretched a food budget by including an occasional Spam® dinner in the mix or you weren’t. And to my amazement, several of my friends, all whom grew up like me in the 60’s, seemed to have missed out on this life-changing experience. I am happy to say that we were a SPAM® household! (Although not often and when it was, it was always doctored up (as my mom would say) by cloves and a ham glaze.)

So, okay…SPAM®…the history…SPAM® was first produced in 1937 and was widely used by US troops during WWII. Perhaps this is why my father, a WWII vet, didn’t mind my mom making SPAM® for dinner every once in a while.

In 1970, the comedy troop, Monty Python, wrote the SPAM® song (which I always thought went “Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spamity Spam…” but a quick check of the lyrics indicates that it did not. How disappointing. But who cares? I’m going to sing it the way I sing it and there it is.). And years later, SPAMALOT, a spoof of Camelot, and likely the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, hit the Great White Way and that, as they say, was that. I’d venture a guess to say that SPAM® likely experienced resurgence after that and rightly so.

So by now you must be wondering how it was that I even came to go down memory lane and make this SPAM dish and for that you can blame it on the Minnesota State Fair.

Although I’m usually on an “every five years” attendance plan, I went to the fair this year with my friend, Mary (for reasons too long and involved to go into here). And not more than two seconds into the place, we spied the SPAM® sign on one of the buildings. And it turned out to be a SPAM® gift shop. And people—oh, the joy of seeing that beloved SPAM® name (not to mention the blue and gold colors which, by the by, are the same as the University of Michigan’s – Go Blue!) on everything from golf clubs to flip flops. (The flip flops were especially cool because the word SPAM® was carved out on the bottom so it would leave an imprint in the sand).

And so of course there were two SPAM® cookbooks for sale, one of which I had seen before but have not yet purchased, and the other was new to me and so that’s the one I went with. It’s a little book and while lacking in photos, it more than made up for it because there were recipes from around the U.S. just in case you wanted to tailor-make your recipe to your region.

And so that led to me making the infamous (I am not kidding here) Hawaiian dish, Loco Moco. And not just any Loco Moco but Sam Choy’s Loco Moco, Sam Choy being a famous Hawaiian chef and all. And actually, not just Sam Choy’s Loco Moco but Sam Choy’s SPAM® Loco Moco. Does it get any better? I think not.

Now before I get into the Loco Moco recipe, I have to pause here for station identification and to tell you that prior to me buying this cookbook, I had decided to try to make something that was “fair-worthy” for this blog but was having a heck of a time doing so. I don’t have that many Minnesota cookbooks and the ones I looked through did not have a recipe that really sent me flying.

And then there’s the problem of “the stick”—as in the running joke for years and years and years is that all the State Fair food is on “a stick.” Because, people, most of it is!

This year, for instance, you can get deep-fried bologna (wow—I spelled bologna wrong and had to run through the Oscar Mayer song until I got the letters right!) …on a stick, and deep-fried bacon cheddar mashed potatoes…on a stick…and so on and so forth. In previous years, it was pork chop…on a stick and alligator…on a stick and “hot dish” (casserole)…on a stick. We don’t have time to discuss the “deep-fried” portion of our program but let me just say four words that should make you shudder: “deep-fried cheese curds.” (Okay, technically “deep-fried” is a compound word and only counts as one word…so sue me).

So…if I had purchased the other cookbook, I could have made a SPAM shish kabob on a stick (because there was a recipe for that) and called it a day but that was way too easy. And so I locked and loaded on that island favorite, Loco Moco.

For those not familiar, Loco Moco is a favorite Hawaiian dish that includes meat and gravy, a fried egg and rice. Although I didn’t have a loco moco while in Hawaii (why, I do not know) at least I tried the Hawaiian lunch plate that consists of meat (usually fish) plus rice plus macaroni salad. Ours is not to question why.

And given how Hawaiians love their SPAM® (for reasons that are still had to fathom), it should come as no surprise that it was included in a Loco Moco recipe.

Now I will give you this: I am not a big fan of salt and although I could have gone with low-sodium SPAM, that would be cheating, and I’m not too fond of brown gravy, especially the mix kind that is loaded with sodium. But when in Rome…or when in Hawaii…or when at the Minnesota State Fair, one makes compromises. So eat it and enjoy it! Mahalo (or should I saw “Moo?”)

Sam Choy’s SPAM® Loco Moco (*not currently on a stick but give us time) – Serves 2
1 can SPAM® Luncheon Meat, chopped (the recipe says 7 ounce but all I found was 12)
½ cup chopped onions
1 package brown gravy mix
4 cups cooked white rice
4 eggs, fried any style

In a large skillet, sauté SPAM® and onion until lightly browned, and set aside.

In a small saucepan, empty brown gravy mix and stir in 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and let simmer 1 minute. Place warm rice in bowls. Fill with SPAM® mixture, then eggs and top with gravy.

"Bill Neal's Southern Cooking" - Chicken Purloo (Chicken and Rice Stew) and Beet and Endive Salad

Date I made these recipes: August 22, 2010

Bill Neal’s Southern Cooking by The University of North Carolina Press
Published by: The University of North Carolina Press
ISBN: 0-8078-1649-3 © 1985
Recipe: Chicken Purloo – p. 63 (and poached chicken p. 131)

Remembering Bill Neal – Favorite Recipes From a Life In Cooking by Moreton Neal (foreword by John T. Edge)
Published by The University of North Carolina Press
ISBN: 0-8078-2913-7
Recipe: Beet and Endive Salad – p. 16-17

So people, before we can “remember” Bill Neal as the title of the book suggests, we have to know him.

From what I can tell, Bill Neal turned southern cooking on its ear a while back, bringing a more haute cuisine approach to southern cooking than had ever been seen before. When his restaurant, La Residence, opened in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, rumor has it the residents about went Cuckoo for Coco Puffs lining up to get their southern favorites with a twist. Not bad considering it was the ‘70’s! Bill and his ex-wife, Moreton (author of the book Remembering Bill Neal) were the talk of the town back then, both as restaurant owners and cookbook authors.

Fast forward to today. I’m reading my latest Food & Wine Magazine, featuring southern cooking and found an article about Bill’s son, Matt Neal, who now owns and operates Neal’s Deli in Chapel Hill. And of course, talk about Matt made me think about Bill that made me think about the cookbooks I have on hand and there you have it!

Now you may question why on earth I paired a chicken and rice dish with a heavy salad made with beets but I did so because someone had given us a few beets from the garden. And since we love beets (and you either do or you don’t), I decided to use them up and make this salad, summer temperatures be damned! I have to say though, that whereas the chicken dish was very good, the beet dish was just okay. But such is life.

And for those of you who have been waiting for me to explain just what the heck a “purloo” is— it is a chicken and rice stew dish brought over by African slaves and made popular in the Low County of South Carolina.

And thus we conclude our southern history lesson for the day—now go eat!

Chicken Purloo – Yields 6 to 8 servings
1 chicken weighing about 4 pounds, poached (recipe to follow)
3 cups stock from poaching
6 slices bacon
2 ½ cups chopped onion
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ cup chopped, peeled carrot
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
1 14-ounce can whole Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ to ½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
½ ounce dried French cepes or Italian porcini, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 ounces cold butter
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 cups hot, cooked rice

After poaching the chicken, bone, skin and chop it into regular pieces (3/4 inch by 1 ¼ pieces). (Note: I think it’s funny that the author uses the word “regular” pieces—like we would know what that means. And is this opposed to your “irregular” pieces? Just asking.)

Chop and render the bacon in a Dutch oven or other heavy cooking pan, cooking slowly until it browns at the edge; do not let it become crisp. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic and continue cooking until vegetables are tender. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly until the flour browns lightly. Pour in stock and tomatoes with the chicken, thyme, basil, red pepper flakes, and chopped mushrooms. Bring to a simmer, taste for salt and pepper, and cook for 30 minutes.

Before serving, stir in the fresh parsley and the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Serve over hot rice.

Poached Chicken
Note: for my money you don’t need to add as many ingredients to this chicken since it will be used as a base for another dish, but since I had most ingredients on hand, I did. But I tell you what, folks, if you follow the directive to poach about 90 minutes in all, you will be crying. I poached it for just over 30 and some pieces were already leaning toward the tough side. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Also, this recipe advises you to run the chicken under cold running water and drain. I have since read that washing chicken might spread salmonella and it’s better to let the heat kill any germs that might be lingering. It’s up to you of course but I am happy to say we didn’t rinse and lived to tell about it!

Wash the chicken under cold running water and drain in a colander. Combine the onion, celery, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, thyme, salt, peppercorns, and water in the stockpot. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat. Carefully add the chicken and return to the boil. Immediately reduce heat to low and poach about 90 minutes in all (**30 minutes is about right).

Beet and Endive Salad – serves 4
4 medium beets
2 heads Belgian endive
½ - 1 cup vinaigrette made with half walnut oil, half olive oil (see p. 36)
6 T. chopped fresh parsley
½ c. Walnuts, toasted and chopped coarsely
½ c. crumbled fresh goat cheese

La Residence House Vinaigrette (Note: I did not use this recipe for the beets and maybe that was my problem, but I was running short on time and so just used half walnut oil, half regular oil for my salad. Let that be a lesson to me…)
¼ c. white wine vinegar
2 T. Dijon mustard (preferably Maille or Grey Poupon)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. finely minced shallot
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ c. olive oil (here’s where I think you could go half walnut, half regular oil…or not. The directions were unclear!)

With a whisk blend together all of the ingredients except the oil. Gradually add the oil, whisking constantly. The dressing should be a thin emulsion.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the beets and place them in a baking dish with just a little water. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and roast the beets until they are tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 45 minutes. When the beets have cooled, peel them, slice them into thin strips (julienne) and toss with a little vinaigrette.

Slice the Belgian endive crosswise into thin slices (chiffonade). In a glass or wooden bowl, toss the endive with vinaigrette and chopped parsley. Pile the endive onto serving plates. Arrange julienned beets over the endive, taking care not to stain the endive red.

Sprinkle the walnuts and goat cheese over the salad. Add a little more vinaigrette and serve immediately.

"Michigan Facts, Food & Fun!" - (Kellogg's) Corn Flake Bars

Date I made this recipe: August 16, 2010

Michigan Facts, Food & Fun! – Composed and Edited by Judith Bosley
Published by: Grand Books, Middleton, Michigan (Grand Books – P.O. Box 7, Middleton, MI 48856) – Price: $6.50
ISBN: 0-930809-18-1
Recipe: Corn Flake Bars – p. 11

Novelist Thomas Wolfe famously said “You can’t go home again” but I disagree. After a trip back to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a place I’ve always had mixed feelings about, I think you can.

My hometown of Munising, Michigan is home of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. These “painted” rocks used to be a well-kept secret. But times have changed and now people from all over the planet are coming in to hike, kayak or take one of the many commercial cruise boats to tour the spectacular shoreline. I almost fell out of my proverbial chair the day my dad, husband and I took a boat tour. Ever single, previously-deserted beach was filled with people. Tons and tons of people. Jet skis were everywhere, a beautiful kayak flotilla bobbed near the rocks and pontoons filled the beaches. Where on earth did everyone come from??

And then there was the cruise itself. Back in the day, my friends and I got to ride for free so we jumped onto the “Miss Munising,” and out we went. Back then, the captain sold tickets right on the boat (as well as film to capture those Kodak moments); today, there is a huge ticket sale/gift shop building occupying a place by the docks and everything is run with naval efficiency even if the navy isn’t involved. One must reserve a place on the boat and have tickets in hand before jumping on board. Gone are the on-board film sales; today you can buy a digital camera memory card if you need one (although they do sell disposable cameras in case of emergency).

And people—can we talk about the boat docks themselves? When I was growing up, there was one dock and one dock only. Now there’s a second dock of slips and a few of the boats moored there showed “Munising” as the city of (boat) residence. Say what? Nobody had any money to buy a boat when I was younger (something I always thought was hilarious: we all lived on a lake but couldn’t afford to “be” on it.)

Too bad the boat didn’t serve cocktails because I could have used one—for the shock, you understand.

Still, Munising retains its quaint little feel. Downtown is still downtown—one main street and a couple of side ones. To combat summer traffic, the city fathers put in a stop light at the busiest intersection. Naturally my dad almost ran it the first time around.

Many of the same businesses exist although sometimes in a different location. As I made the rounds of banks with my dad to take care of some things for him, I marveled that until we got to the last place, I didn’t know anyone. Most last names meant nothing to me and that was unheard of when I was living there. But time marches on.

Nearby Marquette, Michigan, also on Lake Superior, fared much better in the “remember this?” game. Marquette was just featured in my local paper, the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune since it, too, is absolutely gorgeous. Marquette looks a lot like Duluth, Minnesota, right down to the ore docks and the high, San Francisco-like hills.

My mother grew up in Marquette and I went to school there and I tell you what, the place still looks about the same. Many of the same businesses are where they were supposed to be and the campus of Northern Michigan University looks virtually unchanged since I left it 30 years ago. In what has to be a cosmic moment, I am currently working on a project in Minneapolis with a guy who graduated from Northern four years ahead of me. He’s from the Detroit area (“downstate”) but loved spending time up in the UP and since he’s also a nature photographer, this makes sense to me. You can’t get any closer to nature (or rumor has it, God) in that area!

While in Marquette tooling around town, I spied Donkers candy store. When my mom was growing up, Donkers was THE hangout as it had a soda fountain that served up luscious treats in addition to their famous candy. When I was teenager the soda fountain closed and my mom and her friends were devastated. So she’d be happy to know that the fountain has now reopened for business. It doesn’t quite look the same but it is there nonetheless. If we had more time, I would have opted for one of their Tin Roof Sundaes.

Across the street was a little gift shop called Michigan Fair and it is there that I bought today’s featured cookbook. But first, a word about an actual department store called The Fair Store that used to be the place to shop in the nearby town of Escanaba, Michigan. (In case you haven’t figured it out, the UP is rife with Indian names).

The best thing about the Fair Store was that when you purchased an item, the clerk put the sales slip (written in triplicate) and your money in a cylinder and sent it up through a pneumatic tube to the accounting department. My brother and I were fascinated by that contraption and used to wait with bated breath until the cylinder came back down with the receipt and mom’s change. Modern payment systems have nothing over this one!

But I digress…so Michigan Fair, not to be confused with The Fair (department) Store, had several cookbooks but the one I selected was Michigan Facts Food & Fun!. I am pleased to say it delivered all three.

Out of all the recipes listed, some were clearly out of bounds—anything containing “wild” animals like venison or bear, anything containing “foraged food” like morel mushrooms (not that they aren’t good) and pasties, the famous Cornish meat pie. And it’s not because I don’t like pasties, I do, but pasties seem like winter food and we were in the midst of summer.

And then…I spied with my little eye the blurb for Battle Creek Michigan-Cereal City and the recipe for Corn Flake Bars.

Battle Creek, Michigan is indeed “Cereal City” because of the presence of the mighty cereal maker – Kellogg’s. Those of my generation will remember ads for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes® (“They’re great!”) and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies® (“Snap, Crackle, Pop, Rice Krispies!”) but the company also made the ever-popular Kellogg’s Special K® and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes®. (And let’s not forget Pop Tarts, shall we?) And so when I saw the Corn Flake bar recipe, it was all over but the crying.

This was so easy to make it was just silly and the bars are tasty if not a bit messy. And so you see, you can go home again, even if it’s just taking your favorite cereal for a walk down memory lane.

Enjoy!

Corn Flake Bars – makes an 8x8 pan of bars
3 T. butter
32 large marshmallows (because studies have shown that 33 is too many??)
4 C. cornflakes
½ C. chopped nuts
½ C. shredded coconut
4 ozs. Semisweet chocolate

Melt butter and marshmallows over low heat; stir in cereal, coconut and nuts. (We left out the nuts). Press mixture into a buttered 8x8-inch buttered pan. Melt chocolate and spread over mixture. Cut into bars.

Warning: For those who use the microwave to melt the chocolate, keep your eye on the prize! I was going along just fine until I smelled something burning and sure enough, it was my chocolate. I think a minute in the microwave is about enough to melt the chocolate. Anything more is asking for a visit from the fire department!

For more information on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, go to: http://www.nps.gov/piro/
For more information about the Pictured Rocks Boat Cruises go to: http://www.picturedrocks.com/Home.php
For more information about Marquette, Michigan go to: http://www.mqtcty.org/
For more information about Michigan Fair go to: http://michiganfair.com/
For more information about Kellogg’s go to: http://www2.kelloggs.com/

"The Madison Avenue Cookbook For People Who Can't Cook and Don't Want Other People to Know It" - Eggs Benedict "Arnold"

Date I made this recipe: August 1, 2010

The Madison Avenue Cookbook For People Who Can’t Cook And Don’t Want Other People To Know It by Alan Koehler
Published by: Holt, Rinehart and Winston
© 1962
Recipe – Eggs Benedict “Arnold” – p. 33

The other day, a friend was telling me about a problem she was having with a neighbor’s rooster. Now this would be interesting anyway but the fact that she lives in urban St. Paul (where roosters should be banned but apparently aren’t) made it all the more so. That, however, is not the point of the story and so moving on…I couldn’t resist emailing her the lyrics to Green Acres where Lisa Douglas sings “Darling I love you but give me Park Avenue” to her lawyer-turned-farmer husband, Oliver.

This then reminded me of another famous New York City street, 5th Avenue, mentioned in the song, Easter Parade (from the movie with the same name) sung by Judy Garland.

But as fun as these two upper-East side streets are, there’s nothing like Mad Ave – Madison Avenue.

Besides being quite the fun shopping street, lined with stores from every famous designer worldwide, Madison Avenue is the famous, or perhaps infamous, home to “Mad Men” – the name given to the advertising men whose agencies basically owned the street in the late 50’s and 60’s.

Mad Men is also one of the most popular TV shows ever and people, I have never waited in anticipation for a Sunday night to come around so much in my entire life (remember the days when we used to whine about it being Sunday night because we knew Monday morning was right around the corner?).

Mad Men is one sharply written show and I think it gives a very accurate (if not naughty) view of life in the 60’s overall and life in advertising in the 60’s most specifically.

And can I tell you how pleased I was to recognize two famous advertising agencies when they were mentioned by their acronyms in the last two episodes - Y&R (Young & Rubicam) and JWT (J. Walters Thompson)? Well, once upon a time I was really into advertising so maybe those famous ad agencies stuck in my brain, who knows? (I can still sing advertising jingles going back to the early 60’s).

The author of this tiny cookbook, Alan Koehler, was himself a “mad” man although it says in his bio that he worked on 5th rather than Madison. I can’t feel like that was the equivalent of being a country mouse to a city mouse back then but maybe not. (Although I can’t say as I ever heard a comparable term for Mad Men used to describe 5th Avenue advertising people!). (By the way, the subtitle of this book “For People Who Can’t Cook and Don’t Want Other People to Know It” is a little misleading because it seems to me that those who worked on Mad Ave probably didn’t give a damn that they couldn’t cook nor did they care who knew it!)

One recipe that I came close to making but didn’t was “Shell Steak in the Bag Ogilvy.” Now, he doesn’t tell you that the “Ogilvy” in this recipe is none other than David Ogilvy, one of the most well-known “mad men” ever but I knew that—again, I seem to be a walking ad agency historian as of late! (So maybe, just maybe, I should suit up in a very cool 60’s dress I have and see if I can’t get a spot on the show and maybe give Peggy Olson a run for her money to boot?!)

As yummy as Mr. Ogilvy’s steak sounded, I chose a very delicious egg recipe, one that has you basically scrambling the eggs in a mixture of cream cheese, butter and half and half—in other words, a light recipe! It was really quite good and I would definitely make it for a brunch—perhaps with some of my Mad Men viewing friends. (I should tell you that when I purchased this book a few months ago, I had no idea of the connection to the advertising world. I just thought it sounded like a fun book about a fun street in NYC—silly me!)

The only complaint I have about this recipe is that I couldn’t imagine eating it while sipping my usual and customary martini. Eggs and gin just don’t go together. So I did what any self-respecting Mad Men viewer would do and finished the eggs, allowed a little time to digest and then made a martini! I think I was channeling my inner Joan who is so adept at problem-solving (while filling out a dress like nobody’s beeswax!).

Eggs Benedict Arnold (so named because instead of poaching the eggs, you scramble them, and instead of ham you use sausage. Living life on the edge…) – Serves 4
1 package cream cheese
1 tbsp. butter
1 cup light cream (Half and Half)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cracked pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
6 eggs
2 tbsps. sherry (I used dry sherry)
Chives or parsley
4 English muffins
12 little sausages (optional)

In a double boiler, melt the cream cheese and the butter. Once melted add the cup of light cream and mix well. Note that the author suggests that you scald the milk but since milk is pasteurized these days, heating it up will do nicely.

Add to this mixture the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Break the eggs gently into the sauce and let set briefly. Before the whites are firm, stir the eggs into the mixture and add the sherry. Note: this took longer than I thought—I didn’t want the egg whites to set completely but I got them as close as possible and then stirred.

Continue to stir the mixture until thickened.

The recipe says to serve this on top of toasted English muffins but I used little sausage patties (which I browned) and the put the eggs on top of the sausage which sat on the top of the muffin (which sat on the house that Jack built) and then topped that whole concoction with parsley!

"Everyone Eats Well In Belgium Cookbook" - Belgian Waterzooi of Scallops (Scallop Stew) and French Poached Chicken with Vegetables

Date I made these recipes: July 25, 2010

Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook by Ruth Van Waerebeek
Published by: Workman Publishing
ISBN: 1-56305-411-6
Recipe: Aunt Lucette’s Waterzooi of Scallops (Scallop Stew) – p. 96 -97

Clementine in the Kitchen by Samuel Chamberlain
Published by: David R. Godine, Publisher
© 1943; revised edition © 1988
Recipe: Poached Chicken with Vegetables – p. 187

So today endeth the annual Tour de France, the bicycle race that starts in Belgium and ends in Paris, and my husband is most bereft. Unlike me, the man loves to bike, often putting in 25 miles or more per day. And while he never pretends to be Lance Armstrong (or Alberto Contador or Andy Schleck or Alessandro Petacchi…or even Mark Cavendish, also known as the Manx Missile) he does enjoy watching these up and comers slug it out to win the yellow jersey (indicating the leader) for the final time.

After today’s contest was over and Contador won it all by a very controversial 39 seconds over Andy Schleck (you had to be there), Andy looked at the TV screen and said what many of us said after the Olympics were over: “Now what do I do?” Because, trust me, these races are addictive.

Every day for two weeks he’d come home from work and tune in on the tour. And every weekend, my man, who starts work at 6 a.m., would bypass sleeping in late in order to get up at dawn-o-clock to watch the race. Short of being there, you couldn’t ask for a more devoted fan.

So to cheer the guy up, I cooked him some Belgian food and some French food in honor of the race.

Although we’ve been to Europe, we’ve never been to Belgium and that is something we need to address in short order. Belgium is known for their mussels, their endive and their beer (and no doubt you can find a recipe incorporating all three). Oh, and chocolate - lots and lots of chocolate. But I went with this stew called “waterzooi” because there were three recipes for it in my cookbook and it seemed very traditional. If this were the tour, this dish would be wearing the yellow jersey, it was that fantastic.

And the French dish was good although it proved to be Andy Schleck (who took 2nd place) rather than winner Alberto Contador—tasty but 39 seconds behind. The cookbook, though, is an interesting read as it tells the story of the Chamberlain family who lived in pre-WWII France and employed their darling Clementine to cook for them. The first part of the book is the story, the second part, the recipes.

As to the recipes, it didn’t dawn on me until I started shopping for the ingredients that these were basically the same dish with only slight variations. The waterzooi had cream in the sauce, the poached chicken had butter. Both used the same vegetables and both used protein but in the end, the scallops (cooked to perfection if I do say so myself) won the day.

So for all you tour fans, make these dishes and you’ll feel better about it having come to an end. And then get on that bike while the getting is good and pretend you are Alberto Contador and bike away your troubles. And dream of Belgium and France and next year’s tour.

Aunt Lucette’s Waterzooi of Scallops – serves 4 (we halved the recipe)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed well and cut into matchstick-size strips
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick-size strips
3 ribs celery, cut into matchstick-size strips
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme or large pinch dried thyme
½ cup water
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 ½ pounds scallops (4-6 large sea scallops or 6-8 bay scallops)

A couple of notes: we had leftover champagne and used that instead of wine and it was yummy. I’d also recommend halving your leek matchsticks because they were a little hard to eat (the carrots and celery were fine).

Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat until it foams. Add the shallots, garlic, leeks, carrots and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until softened slightly but not browned, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the bay leaves, thyme, water and wine. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. (Note: I was worried that what little liquid there was would evaporate but this was not the case.). Stir in the cream and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (You can prepare the dish in advance up to this point).

Just before serving, reheat the broth and vegetables to a simmer and add the scallops. Poach at a simmer, uncovered, until the scallops turn opaque, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the size of the scallops. (I’d say I went about 2.5 minutes before removing the pot from the stove and transferring the dish to a bowl to prevent overcooking). Do not overcook or let the liquid come to a boil as it will overcook the scallops. Serve immediately in soup dishes, sprinkling each with the remaining parsley.

Poached Chicken with Vegetables – serves 3 or 4
2 quarts of chicken stock
1 3-pound chicken (Note: the recipe called for a whole chicken but we used a 3-pound already-cut up chicken)
2 carrots
2 turnips
2 celery stalks
4 leeks
2 slices bacon or 1 cube lean bacon
Pinch of thyme
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of parsley
2 tablespoons of creamed unsalted butter (for sauce)

Heat 2 quarts of chicken stock with 2 carrots, cut into pieces, 2 small white turnips, quartered, 2 stalks of celery, cut into pieces, 4 leeks with most of their green tops cut off, a cube of lean bacon 1 inch square (or two slices), a pinch of thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 2 sprigs of parsley. Simmer this court-bouillon for 10 minutes, then added a trussed 3-pound chicken.

Simmer the chicken, covered, for 20 minutes after the stock comes back to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the chicken stand and continue to poach in the hot stock for 20 minutes. Remove it to a hot platter, carve it, pour a little of the stock over it so it will not dry out, and keep it warm. The vegetables should be tender by this time, but if they are not, continue cooking them while you make the sauce.

In a small saucepan, over a brisk fire, reduce 1 ¼ cups of stock to ¾ cup. Taste it for seasoning and whip in 2 tablespoons of creamed unsalted butter in the last minute, off the fire. Serve the chicken surrounded by the vegetables and pass the sauce separately.

"To Your Kitchen, from the Castle Rangers Booster Club" - Barbecued Pork Chops

Date I made this recipe: July 19, 2010

To Your Kitchen, from the Castle Rangers Booster Club compiled by the Castle Rangers Drum & Bugle Corps Booster Club and Friends (Munising, Michigan)
Published by: Circulation Service
© 1974
Recipe: Barbecued Pork Chops submitted by Mrs. Ed Matson – p. 20

People, I’ve often said that I have a cookbook for just about everything and this week is no exception. After attending, of all things, a Drum Corps International competition with a friend, I came home, pulled the Castle Rangers (Drum & Bugle Corps) Booster Club cookbook, To Your Kitchen off my shelf and away we went!

The Castle Rangers was the name of a drum and bugle corps from my hometown, Munising, Michigan. The Castle Rangers were organized in 1973 to take the place of the Silver Echoes that performed from 1962 to 1971. The Castle Rangers lasted until 1977 and sadly, that was the end of the line for the drum and bugle corps.

I tell you what, folks I wanted to be a Silver Echo in the worst way, particularly a member of the color guard. Flag bearer, rifle twirler, it didn’t matter to me just as long as I got to wear those satiny uniforms, plumed hats and best of all, the white majorette boots. (It was, and remains, all about those boots!) But alas, I was too young. One of my former next-door neighbors, though, was the corps commander, sharply issuing orders to her crew – “Mark Time March!” “Forward March!” and I would snap to attention as though she were talking to me. (And don’t get me started on those snappy salutes they gave at the start of each parade as they still bring chills.)

By the time the Castle Rangers came along, I was no longer interested. (Much of it, I hate to say, was due to their outfits. Miner's Castle, the inspiration for the groups' name, is part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and that prompted the (park) ranger outfit. But people, the colors they selected, green and orange, were a definite turn off. And I didn't quite fancy looking like a forest ranger at the time so there it is.) Be that as it may, I still hung out with some friends in the Rangers and managed to learn how to twirl a rifle or two.

So fast forward to the DCI competition held this past Saturday at the new University of Minnesota stadium that was built near my house. Ai yi yi, people, talk about a change to the corps!

First let’s start with the fact that today’s drum corps don’t march and given the number of guitars, marimbas (xylophones), and even tympanis (kettle drums) that were used, you can see how that would be a problem. I’ve never seen so many percussion accoutrements in my life!

Style wise, today’s “march” consists of this interesting heel and toe combination that always triggers me to “sing” “Heel, toe, heel, toe, slide, slide, slide, slide…” like I learned during dance class during PE (physical education) in high school. I’d rather see some military-styled marching because that’s what I’m used to but I fear those days are long gone.

Third, call me a dinosaur (It’s okay—I do!) but what on earth are these groups playing? Most songs, a term I use loosely, were unrecognizable. And okay, so the Silver Echoes played the song “Tammy” from the movie, "Tammy and the Bachelor” (popular in the 60’s) but what’s your point? At Saturday’s performance, the Madison Scouts earned big brownie points by playing a medley that included "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" (from the musical "On Your Toes," music and lyrics by Rogers and Hart, 1963) as well as Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue." Now that’s music!

But what wasn’t music…or at least music I’m not used to hearing from a drum & bugle corps was a religious medley played by one of the groups we heard on the field. The first piece they played sounded a lot like "Beauty and the Beast"…until the flag corps came out in choir robes carrying crosses. Excuse the pun but what.the.hell???! The group ended with a piece that took me about a half an hour to name ("Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow") and the piece de resistance was the group unfurling a large banner with hands clasped in prayer in the middle. Oy vez!! We didn’t know what on earth to make of that performance—heavenly? Divine? (And while I’m at it, drum and bugle corps started to lead troops into battle and while I’m sure the troops called upon divine intervention to keep them safe, I’m not sure that today’s troops could get their battle groove thing on with that music as a warm up!).

And finally…I would be remiss if I did not talk about the modern day concept of a color guard. I realize time has marched on (hahaha) without me but since when does a color guard consist of dancing and prancing flag bearers and riffle twirlers? And can we TALK about the outfits? Oh.my.word. Let’s be clear—lyrca is nobody’s friend and lyrca plus major polyester is just against the laws of fashion. And the COLORS! Holy Moly—hardly anybody’s outfits matched those of the drum and bugle players. Where are Clinton and Stacey from TLC’s What Not to Wear when you need them? (And no, Clinton and Stacey, we are not talking about a little pop of color to accentuate an outfit. We are talking about a paint spattering of what was left over at the Home Depot paint department that day!)

All that being said, it was most unfortunate for all that the Twin Cities experienced major storms and only 14 out of 23 corps competed so we were unable to take in the full drum corps experience. Kudos, though, to the ones who performed, especially an itty bitty drum corps from St. Peter Minnesota. It was nice to see some local groups mixed in with the big guns from either coast.

So back to the cookbook--there’s nothing like a community cookbook, is there? I love the fact that I know just about everyone in this cookbook, a cookbook by the way that I took from my mother’s collection. After much discussion and lobbying, we settled on the Barbecued Pork Chop recipe. It was ridiculously easy to make and (and this I love), I had all ingredients on hand so all I had to buy was the pork chops. The only advice I have is to watch the chops as pork tends to get dried out very quickly. The sauce was a winner and is something I can see putting on many a cut of meat.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go back to viewing and listening to vintage sounds from the Silver Echoes on YouTube…already in progress. (Their rendition of “Look for the Silver Lining” is giving me goosebumps!)

Barbecued Pork Chops – makes 4 to 6 chops or pork steaks
For the sauce:
½ c. catsup
½ c. chili sauce
¼ c. chopped onion
2 tsp. prepared mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. celery seed
1 clove garlic
Dash Tabasco sauce
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients, mix well.

In a large saucepan cover meat with water. Salt to taste. Simmer covered over medium heat 20 minutes. Drain the chops and place in a covered dish. Pour the sauce over each chop. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Grill over hot coals until browned, about 20 minutes, brushing with sauce if necessary.

"Family Circle Great Ground-Beef Recipes," "John Michael Lerma's Garden Country," "Cool Entertaining"

Date I made these recipes: July 5, 2010

Family Circle Great Ground-Beef Recipes by the Family Circle Food Staff
Published by: A New York Times Company Publication
© 1965, 1966, 1971
Recipe: Double onion burgers – p. 24

John Michael Lerma’s Garden County by John Michael Lerma
Published by: Syren Book Company
ISBN: 0-929636-50-3
Recipe: Cherry Tomato Pie – p. 171-172

Cool Entertaining by Irma Rhode
Published by: Atheneum
© 1976
Recipe: (My Grandmother’s) Apple Cake – p. 151

Well, there’s no time like the 4th of July to break out the All-American items—with variations of course!

Burgers were kind of a given but I’m not exactly stocked with burger books (even fewer hot dog books). After a careful shelf by shelf search, I pulled this one out at Memorial Day and kept it on my dining room table so I didn’t forget that I had it. (Because trust me, out of sight, out of mind!)

Next, I felt that something fresh from the garden was in order and so I pulled John Michael Lerma’s Garden County book off the shelf. I was almost set to make a pasta salad using tomatoes and corn but the recipe for the pie (and of course, pie is usually a given on the 4th of July) sounded more interesting.

Finally, I also yanked out Cool Entertaining a few month’s back in anticipation of the summer holidays but sheesh, people, finding a recipe I liked was a challenge and a half. Practically everything in the book required that the meat or vegetables be encased in clear gelatin and while I’m not opposed to it, I wanted something a little less wobbly for the day and so went with apples…but not in a pie.

So back to the pie…John Michael Lerma can often be seen on the Food Network in pie-making competitions. He also wrote another cookbook about pies, one that I have yet to bake from, but will soon. Actually, I mean that my husband will bake a pie fairly soon seeing as how he’s the “pie guy” in our family. I conscripted him into action this afternoon, pleading with him to make the crust so that I could concentrate on the filling. When I make a crust, it’s okay. When he makes one, it’s divine! And so he cracked open a beer and got to work—love that about him!

And before I beat the pie topic to death…I have a love/hate relationship going with Top Chef (not to be confused with Top Chef Masters that I love!) and last week, everybody had to make a pie. And people, to my amazement, this year’s contestants who claim to be chefs copped to never having made a pie at all or maybe making it once.

What the ???!! How can you be a “chef” without ever having made a pie? This is just inconceivable.

Now I know, I know—in chef-land there are those who are pastry chefs and those who are not and usually the twain never meet. But honestly, folks, how many of us non-chefs starting baking and cooking when we were youngsters? My guess is a lot. So if you then go on to cook for people for a living, it seems like a no-brainer that you should know how to make all kinds of food. The fact that some of these contestants didn’t know how just seems odd to me.

And speaking of odd…every year on Top Chef, there’s one contestant who stands out as being the biggest a-hole of the season. (Having an ego is one thing but displaying it for all to see on cable TV is another!) This year, it’s Angelo, who is one of the aforementioned “non pie guys.” The dude never made a pie before—ever. So of course, it stands to reason that the first time out of the chute, he manages to make a respectable pie. Hate.him.

Previous year’s villains have been Mike Isabella (season 6), (make that Ickabella—or, if you are a true Minnesotan, make it Ishabella!) whose misogynist thinking was a total turnoff to me and thousands of viewers and Illan Hall, winner of season 2. Just the image of his smug mug makes me want to change the channel. So of course, who shows up as guest judges at the Judge’s Table on this week’s show? Mike and Illan. Lord help me, Jesus!

CORRECTION: I could have sworn Illan was shown in the previews but when I watched the show last night, he wasn't there. My bad...but I still don't like the guy. And I still can't figure out why, out of all the former contestants, Mike Isabella was there. But to make up for that snafu, the judges did include cutie pie Bryan Voltaggio, last season's runner up. That I can live with!

Well, anyway, as I am wont to do, I digress. So here’s my selection of 4th of July recipes guaranteed to make you feel patriotic.

By the way, the following lyrics from a song that I sang in childhood, kept running through my head as I put the pie together:

Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she bake a cherry pie, Charming Billy?
She can bake a cherry pie, quick as a cat can wink her eye
But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother

Catchy, right?!!

Double Onion Burgers – makes 6 servings
1 large Bermuda (purple) onion, peeled (I used a Vandalia onion and it was glorious)
¼ cup salad oil
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
¾ cup soft bread crumbs (1 ½ slices) (I used a hamburger bun)
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup catsup
6 slices bacon, halved

Cut Bermuda onion into 6 slices; arrange in a single layer in a shallow baking pan; pour salad oil over top. Bake in a moderate oven (350) for 20 minutes.

While onion cooks, mix ground beef lightly with chopped onion, parsley, bread crumbs, egg, salt, and pepper until well-blended; shape into 6 patties about 1 inch thick.

Place one each on a baked onion slice; spread with catsup; top each with 2 half slices of bacon.

Bake 30 minutes longer, or until bacon is crisp and meat is done as you like it.

Ann’s Note: dang, these burgers were yummy. I was thinking about grilling the stuff but the weather was bad so I went with the oven instead and am glad I did.

Cherry Tomato Pie – serves 6 to 8
Note: plan on allotting at least 1 hour to chill the dough.
For the crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher or Hawaiian salt
½ cup cold all-vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup cold water
1 large egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
For the filling:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground mustard
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ pounds assorted cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Kosher or Hawaiian salt

Make the dough by first combining all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add shortening and butter (these should be cold as directed). Using a pastry blender cut in the shortening and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Drop by drop, add the cold water. Mix in with the fingertips; do not use your hands as the palms will warm the dough. Continue mixing water in until the dough begins to hold together without being sticky but not crumbly.

Divide dough into two pieces and place each in plastic wrap. Fold over plastic wrap and press down to form a disk. This will make rolling out easier after chilling. Finish wrapping in plastic and place in the refrigerator for at last 1 hour.

Lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate with butter or vegetable cooking spray. Roll out dough and place in pie plate. Return to the refrigerator until the filling is ready. Roll out top crust.

Next, make the filling. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a heavy-bottom skillet over medium, heat oil. Add onion and garlic. Cook until translucent. Do not brown the garlic as it will become bitter. (Ann’s Note: And so will you if you end up with ruined garlic!)
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, mustard, and pepper. Blend in the cooked onions and cherry tomatoes. Stir to mix well.

Remove bottom pie crust from refrigerator and layer with half the cheese. Cover with tomato and onion mixture. Spread remaining cheese evenly over the mixture. Brush edges of pie crust with egg wash. Attach top crust, fold edges together, and crimp. Create a decorative edge. Brush top crust with egg wash and sprinkle with kosher or Hawaiian salt.

Bake for 30 minutes. (Ann’s Note: plan on allotting more time for this. After 30 minutes, the crust was still soft and the cheese wasn’t melted. I put it back in the oven for another 30 and that seemed to do the trick. But everyone’s oven is different so check the pie after 15 minutes to make sure you don’t overbake it.)

Let pie cool on a rack for 20 minutes before serving.


My Grandmother's Apple Cake – 8 servings (that would be the author's grandmother, not mine)
NOTE: This dish is supposed to cool overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
2 large apples (I found one was sufficient but buy 2 just in case)
Strawberry jam
½ cup sugar
9 medium egg yolks (NOTE: medium egg yolks are required. If you only have large, you should be fine using them in this recipe. If you only have extra-large, I’d check on the internet for conversions)
9 medium egg whites
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 9-inch springmold

Heat oven to 325. butter the springmold, then place a round of aluminum foil over the bottom and butter again. This is to prevent discoloration of apple slices. Peel and core apples. Cut them into rings and place into mold in one layer. Fill center of apple rings with strawberry jam.

Beat together sugar and egg yolks until thick and lemon colored. Add flour and mix. Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually adding cream of tartar. First fold in 1/3 of egg whites into egg yolk mixture, then reverse and fold into egg whites. Pour dough over apples and bake for 45-50 minutes. Cool in the mold overnight. Place on a coffee tin, push rim down and turn cake upside down on a service plate. Take off bottom part, then peel off aluminum foil.