"Hawaii Cookbook and Backyard Luau" - Steamed Pork Patties

Date I made this recipe: August 23, 2009

Hawaii Cookbook and Backyard Luau – The First Completely New Hawaiian Cookbook in 25 Years by Elizabeth Ahn Toupin, Introduction by James A. Michener
Published by: Silvermine Publishers, Inc.
© 1964, 1967
Recipe: Steamed Pork Patties

Well folks, on the 21st of August, Hawaii celebrated 50 years of statehood. Hard to believe that it hasn’t always been a state but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a popular tourist attraction even back then.

After exploring several possibilities, I decided on Steamed Pork Patties. These are really meant to be an appetizer but we accompanied them by a salad and all was fine…well, almost.

These turned out to be (to my palate) pretty darned salty. I tasted the sherry and the salt and little else. So my advice is to go with the ½ tablespoon of soy sauce (and I even used low-sodium!) and cut the additional teaspoon called for in the recipe and see how that works. (I also nixed the monosodium glutamate—does anyone even use that anymore?).

The other problem I initially had was that 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and ½ egg are not enough to bind the patties and so I kept adding cornstarch (approximately 3 tablespoons total) until it looked like the mixture would hang together a little bit better and then I stuck the bowl in the freezer for 10 minutes to seal the deal.

Finally, I would definitely serve with a sweet-sour sauce (or some kind of sauce) to add a little zip to the dish.

But other than all that, the dish was easy to make and I would probably do it again, sans the salt.

As to the introduction written by James A. Michener, those of my generation will know him as the author of the book, Hawaii, as well as several other books chronicling the evolution of Hawaii (and Africa – The Covenant - and outer space – titled, go figure, Space - and….). Michener leaves no detail behind and honest to God started one book by talking about a speck of dust that eventually turned into civilization. At any rate, Michener’s book, Hawaii, was made into a movie by the same name and from what I understand it.was.horrible. But if you want to really understand a particular culture, Michener’s your guy.

Happy Birthday, Hawaii! Aloha!

Steamed Pork Patties – Serves 6(May be prepared ahead)
1/3 pound fresh shrimp, finely chopped
½ pound pork, ground
1 tablespoon cornstarch (you’ll probably need more)
1 tablespoon sherry
½ tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt (I’d advise leaving this out)
½ teaspoon monosodium glutamate
½ egg, beaten (to make this easier on myself, I put one egg in a measuring cup, whisked it to blend and then poured half of it into the meat mixture).

Combined all the ingredients. Shape into 1 ½ inch rounds, ½ inch thick. Place in a serving dish. Set dish on a bowl and place in pot over 1 inch of hot water. Cover and steam for 20 minutes.

Serve with apricot hors d’oeuvre or spicy or sweet-sour sauce.

To prepare ahead: Follow instructions for making and steaming pork patties. Cool and refrigerate. Remove fat. Reheat by steaming for 5-10 minutes.

"The French Chef Cookbook" by Julia Child - Salad Nicoise

Date I made this recipe: August 16, 2009

The French Chef Cookbook by Julia Child, Drawings and Photographs by Paul Child
Published by: Alfred A. Knopf
© 1961 (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968)
Recipe: Salad Nicoise – p. 17 (plus Sauce Vinaigrette – p. 5 and French Potato Salad – p. 16)
Note: these recipes are all from Julia Child’s TV show, The French Chef

I don’t know about you, but I’m about ready to start a petition to rename August “Julia Child month” because our beloved Julia is all over the airwaves and in the press.

On August 7th, the movie Julie and Julia, based upon two books – My Life in France by Julia Child and Julie and Julia by Julie Powell - was released and though I haven’t seen it yet, I’ve lost track of the number of friends telling me “You would love it.”

Then on August 15th those of us in the know celebrated what would have been Julia’s 97th birthday (she died on August 13, just two days shy of her 92nd birthday).

So this dish is a birthday homage to the great lady who turned the culinary world on its ear. And I have to tell you that as was Julia’s style, making this seemingly simple salad turned out to be a rather long series of steps to get to the goal line.

Before I get into the recipe, I have to recount (again) the tale of purchasing Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia’s culinary contribution to the world. It goes like this: There I was, minding my own business, happily shopping for cookbooks at Joan Hendricks bookstore in New York, when I spied a couple of copies of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Believe it or don’t, up until then, I had trouble finding a copy. There were two books on the shelf, one that was close to being a first edition and reasonably priced and another that was a second printing (and therefore less desirable to collectors like me). The second-printing book was priced at $200 (and yes, that was for one book) and that’s because it was signed by both Julia and Paul Child.

So I hemmed and hawed about what to do—buy the stack of books in my hand that probably totaled $200 or go for what’s behind the curtain and plop all my money down for this one, solitary book? Joan was clearly cheering for me to buy the $200 book but I just couldn’t justify spending that much money on one book when I had others that sounded more interesting (I mean, I ask you—would you have passed up Jack Knife Cookery? I didn’t think so.)

And so I walked away from the $200 book. And Julia Child passed away two weeks later. #$%@!!!!! You’ve gotta know that the book probably sold for double that amount but so it goes. I still think I made the right decision just as I’m sure Joan made sure that book went to a good home. As for me, I walked away with a Julia Child book, just not the one that cost me a quarter of my mortgage and that made me happy.

So to the recipe -- it was okay but not great and that was a disappointment. Julia used way (and I mean way) more vinaigrette than I was comfortable with, such that the potato salad and overall salad was just swimming in oil. So my biggest advice to those who want to recreate this recipe is to start small – I’m talking tablespoon by tablespoon – until you get the result you want. When I made the potato salad, there was so much oil in it from the vinaigrette that I had to use a slotted spoon to transfer the salad to another bowl and then back again. And then she called for vinaigrette on the lettuce…and then again once the dish was made. If you ask me, too much of a good thing is still too much.

Plan on this recipe taking just a bit to pull together because you must cook the potatoes and the beans and then slice and dice and whisk and…well, you’ll be busy. It took considerably less time than when I made her Boeuf Bourgignon (we’re talking hours and hours of work for that one) but you’re still in the kitchen for quite some time.

Sauce Vinaigrette – for about ½ cup, enough for salad for 6 (Ann’s Note: it made just shy of a ½ cup. You will need ½ cup alone for the potato salad and then another ¾ to 1 cup for the salad itself (although as I said, this is overkill).
1 to 2 T excellent wine vinegar or a combination of vinegar and lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
¼ tsp dry mustard
6 to 8 T best-quality olive oil, salad oil or a combination of both
Big pinch of freshly ground pepper
Optional: ½ T minced shallots or scallions and/or ¼ tsp dried herbs, such as tarragon or basil

Either beat the vinegar, salt and mustard in a bowl until dissolved, then beat in the oil and season with the pepper and herbs, or place all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to blend thoroughly. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pommes de Terre a L’Huile (French Potato Salad) – for about 6 cups
Note: again, I would season as I went along. 2 T chicken bouillon is a lot of bouillon. The dish wasn’t salty but it sure could have been. I also used less of the shallots and parsley than called for as 2 (and 3) tablespoons seemed like way too much. You’d be wise to use more than 2 lbs of potatoes.

8 to 10 medium “boiling” potatoes (about 2 lbs)
2 Tb dry white wine or dry white vermouth
2 T chicken bouillon
½ cup of the vinaigrette
2 T minced shallots or scallions
3 T minced parsley

Boil or steam the potatoes in their jackets until just tender. Peel and slice while still warm. Toss gently in the mixing bowl with the wine and bouillon, and after several minutes, toss again. When liquid has been absorbed by the potatoes, toss with the vinaigrette, shallots or scallions and parsley.

Salad Nicoise for 6 to 8 people
3 cups previously cooked green beans in a bowl
3 quartered tomatoes in a bowl
¾ to 1 cup vinaigrette (I’m telling you, just say “no!”)
1 head Boston lettuce, separated, washed and dried
3 cups cold French potato salad
½ cup pitted black olives, preferably the dry Mediterranean type
3 hard-boiled eggs, cold, peeled and quartered
12 canned anchovy fillets, drained, either flat or rolled with capers
About 1 cup (8 ounces) canned tuna, drained

Just before serving, season beans and tomatoes with several spoonfuls of the dressing. Toss the lettuce leaves in the salad bowl with ¼ cup of the vinaigrette and places leaves about bowl. (Again with the vinaigrette!) Arrange potatoes in bottom of bowl, decorate with the beans and tomatoes, interspersing them with a design of tuna, olives, eggs and anchovies. Pour remaining dressing over salad (!!!!), sprinkle with herbs, and serve.

Note: I’ve had Salad Nicoise several times when in France and never did I see this much dressing but if you cut back, this is one rockin’ summer salad!

"Sunset Potluck Cookbook" - Dark Chocolate Chewy Brownies

Date I made this recipe: August 1, 2009

Sunset Potluck Cookbook – Pride & Joy Recipes You Can Take To The Party by the editors of Sunset Magazine
Published by: Lane Publishing Co.
ISBN: 0-376-02545-X © 1988
Recipe: Dark Chocolate Chewy Brownies - p. 90

I am told these brownies were really good. The reason I say “I was told” is because allergy season has kicked it (it is August, you know) and I really can’t taste much of anything. Phooey. I hate this time of year.

It’s been bad enough that the weather has been sub-par as far as summer goes (cold, cold, clouds, rain, cold, clouds, rain) but to have the pollen come out and slap you upside the head until the first hard frost comes is really too much to bear. All I can say is that the pharmaceutical companies are having at happy dance at my expense.

Anyway…today was the day that Arlene hosted the Ladies’ Lunch and I really wanted to make up for what I considered to be my lousy entry when Vicki hosted the group. We don’t always meet at each other’s home but Arlene and her husband had just moved to a new apartment and last year Vicki wanted to show off her old home (she has since moved) and so there it is. Of course, I’ll be hosting the next one in October and after that I say it’s time to make reservations instead of recipes.

Even though I pulled this cookbook off the shelf some time ago, I was still undecided on what to make right up until liftoff. In the running was an Amaretto Cheesecake but it just took too long to make so brownies it was!

This is one ridiculously simple recipe but very chewy and moist and chocolaty…or so I’m told.

Dark Chocolate Chewy Brownies – makes 12-18 servings

1 cup (1/2 lb – or two sticks) butter or margarine, cut into chunks
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 2/3 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup slivered almonds or chopped walnuts

Combine butter and chocolate into a 3-4 to 4-quart pan and place over low heat. When ingredients begin to soften, stir until blended; remove from heat. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Blend in flour. Spread in a greased 9- by 13-inch baking pan; sprinkle with nuts.

Bake in a 350 oven just until edges feel firm and center springs back when gently pressed (25 to 30 minutes). Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. (Note: when I say I waited until nearly liftoff, I meant it: These bars were pretty darned warm when I cut into them to take them to Arlene’s. The pan wasn’t necessarily pretty but the taste was great…or so I’m told).

"Michigan Herb Cookbook" - Santa Fe Salmon Salad

Date I made this recipe: July 26, 2009

Michigan Herb Cookbook by Susan Breckenridge and Marjorie Snyder
Published by: The University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0-472-08694-4
Recipe: Santa Fe Salmon Salad – p. 101

People, my cookbook collection is now up to 1,086 (and still counting) and last weekend, that was just 1, 085 books too many to contemplate. I could not come up with a recipe to make if my life depended on it.

At first, I thought of paying homage to Bastille Day (July 14) but the date came and went and all the recipes I looked at just seemed too heavy for summer.

Next up was a possible homage to Walter Cronkite who passed away last week. But again – what does one cook to honor the most trusted man in news? I didn’t even know where to begin so I passed on that as well.

I then pulled out a couple of other cookbooks but just couldn’t bring myself to really commit to finding a recipe and so they sat (and still sit) on my dining room table.

It didn’t take long for me to throw in the towel, make myself a bowl of pasta using sauce from a (gasp) jar and call it a day. It also didn’t take too long for blogger’s guilt to set in—you know the “I should have made a recipe for my blog this weekend except I was too lazy” guilt. But this, oddly enough, gave me the strength to carry on.

And so for no discernable reason whatsoever, I pulled the Michigan Herb Cookbook off the shelf and found something that turned out to be exactly what I needed— a refreshing, summer recipe using fresh herbs and vegetables and even fish (and I am not too fond of fish). And now I am renewed of spirit and ready to roll.

This salmon salad recipe is definitely a keeper and was just what the doctor ordered on a somewhat dreary (and a little bit nippy) day. Even the salmon passed muster and for me, that’s a biggie.

Enjoy!

Santa Fe Salmon Salad – serves 4

1 lb salmon fillets (not steaks)

Vinaigrette
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
½ c. EACH fresh lime juice, orange juice, and oil
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Salt
¾ tsp EACH sugar and ground cumin

Salad Mixings
2 bunches watercress, picked over and cleaned
1 head romaine, cleaned and shredded
½ c. cilantro, chopped
½ c. EACH red and green pepper, julienned
(optional) 1 jicama, peeled and chopped

Salsa
4 scallions, chopped
2 tomatillos, husks removed and minced
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped (the recipe recommended Italian but they looked horrible so I went with Bushel Boy)

Combine the vinaigrette ingredients and pour about ¼ cup over salmon and place in a resealable plastic food storage bag and refrigerate for 1 hour. Combine salsa ingredients and set aside.

Grill or broil salmon till done. Salmon can be served cold or warm. On a large platter place the salad mixings and toss with a little of the vinaigrette. Place salmon around salad mixings and top with salsa.

By the way, I have to confess that I accidentally made a recipe from a cookbook I previously cooked from, sort of my own personal “No-no” for this blog (my rule is one recipe per book). The book is called Food in Good Season by Betty Fussell and I made the Sweet Corn and Cucumber Soup on page 152. I liked it so you may want to give it a try; it went great with the salad.

"Oscar Mayer Cookout Fun" - Smokie Curry

Date I made this recipe: July 12, 2009

Oscar Mayer Cookout Fun by Oscar Mayer & Company (pamphlet)
Published by: Oscar Mayer & Company
© 1959
Recipe: Smokie Curry – p. 11

Well, as per usual, it seems as if celebrities die in threes: Michael Jackson died, Farrah Fawcett passed away, and my own personal hero, Oscar Mayer—as in Oscar Mayer of Oscar Mayer Weiner fame – left us at age 95.

Now I hate to say but when I heard that Oscar Mayer died, I said to my husband “didn’t you think he was already dead?” No offense to the man, but seeing as how I grew up eating Oscar Mayer products (and I will be 51 in October) it just seemed like the namesake of the company would be long gone but surprise, surprise he hung in there for 95 years – good for him!

We traveled a lot as a family and lunch almost always consisted of sandwiches made out of…wait for it….Oscar Mayer products. In addition to the famous bologna, we often purchased a variety pack and to this day I have cravings for pickle and pimento loaf and the olive loaf that were part of that pack (there is nothing more fun that pushing the olives out of the loaf and then sticking one’s tongue through the hole…usually at my sibling). And of course, no bonfire at the beach would be complete without Oscar Mayer Wieners; I preferred them with one heck of a charred (read: crispy) skin that had been blackened by a fire comprised of driftwood – ah, that smell! There wasn’t anything else that said “summer at the beach” like an Oscar Mayer hot dog.

So of course, upon hearing the news, I had to pull out this little pamphlet and wouldn’t you know, the recipe I selected had diddley boo to do with outdoor cooking (as the title says), and instead involved a chaffing dish. But I like to be different and hey, we can’t always go with the obvious salute to Oscar Mayer (i.e. hot dogs) and so I made this recipe instead. By the way, the title of this section is “The gourmet touch! CookOut Fun with a Foreign Flavor,” featuring Ham Polynesian, Little Italian Pizzas (English muffins with spaghetti sauce and little sausages) and this recipe for Smokie Curry.

Now I wouldn’t go so far as to call this gourmet food but back in 1959 this was downright exotic so what the heck, give it a whirl. But the next time you’re in the lunch meat section of the grocery store, take a moment to honor the man who made bologna (and hot dogs) king and start singing (to yourself) these well-known ditties: “My bologna has a first name, it’s O.S.C.A.R….” and “Oh I’d love to be an Oscar Mayer Wiener, that is what I’d truly like to be-eee-eeee….” I’m sure Oscar would be happy.

Smokie Curry- makes 4 servings
1 package Oscar Mayer Smokie Links, cut in thirds
1 can (1 lb 4 oz) sliced pineapple
¼ green pepper, thinkly sliced
1 Tbsp. butter
3 cups cooked rice
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups liquid (pineapple syrup plus water)
1 bouillon cube

Brown Smokie Links, drained pineapple and pepper in butter. Arrange on hot rice and keep warm. Blend remaining ingredients, add to butter in pan. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Pour over rice.

"Betty Crocker's Outdoor Cook Book" & "Real American Food" by Jane and Michael Stern -Burger Dogs and (Cinncinati) Queen of Chilis

Date I made these recipes: July 5, 2009

Betty Crocker’s Outdoor Cook Book by Betty Crocker/General Mills
Published by: General Mills
© 1961
Recipe: Burger Dogs – p. 84

Real American Food - Jane and Michael Stern’s Coast-to-Coast Cookbook by Jane and Michael Stern
Published by: Alfred A. Knopf
© 1986
Recipe – Queen of Chilis – p. 244

As per usual, the 4th of July weekend snuck up on me. We have barely had a summer in Minnesota (lots of rain and cold) and now we’re on the descent – rats! Okay, perhaps that is a little pessimistic, but we all know how it goes—no sooner have we taken out the summer clothing than the winter stuff gets hauled back out. (And might I just say that although I understand the fashion industry simply can’t help themselves by putting out fall stuff in July—stop it! Stop it now!). We like to joke that there are two seasons in Minnesota – winter and road construction. A friend in Ohio said that they like to joke that the orange construction barrel, found along highways everywhere in the summer, is the state flower. Good one!

And as per usual, I am always stumped with what to make for the 4th of July. (As it turns out, we spent part of the 4th with Andy’s mom and so moved our feast to the 5th). Corn seems in order and yet corn is best on the cob (roasted or boiled) with lots of butter. Don’t need a recipe for that one.

When I queried my husband, he had two words for what he wanted for the 4th: hot dogs. So this brings to mind a funny scene from the movie, Big Night.

In the movie, brothers Primo (played by Tony Sholub) and Secondo (played by Stanley Tucci) are tying, most unsuccessfully, to set up a true Italian restaurant in New Jersey in the 50’s at a time when spaghetti and meatballs were all the rage. In one scene after a customer sniffed at the risotto, Prmio and Secondo were talking about how to make the restaurant work. Secondo wants to take the risotto off the menu and Primo replies something to the effect of “maybe we should just serve a…what do you call it? Hot…Hot dog? Hot dogs? I think people would like that.”

Of course, Primo didn’t really want to lose the risotto to the hot dog and the way he delivered the line, sort of drawing a hot dog with his hands was hilarious. Whenever my husband and I say we want a hot dog, we use that line although we add an “a” to the phrase which is how my grandma Verme used to say it “Hota doga!”

So we had hota dogas. I knew that the recipe I selected was a bit boring but it was in the cookbook I pulled out and Andy wanted them so there.

Now the chili recipe is another story. I’ve heard about Cincinnati’s chili in that the thing comes in layers: spaghetti, chili meat sauce, kidney beans, cheese and raw onions (we passed on those) but have never made it. But people, you just can’t go wrong with a dish served up by my favorite authors, Jane and Michael Stern, who never fail to find the best of American cuisine (although given the fact that they travel the states in search of good food, it would be disappointing if they didn’t find the best!).

This recipe has a lot of interesting spices – cinnamon, allspice, cumin, coriander and even grated unsweetened chocolate – stuff that might normally give me pause but I tell you what, it’s a winner. As Jane and Michael indicate, the flavors are best when the mixture sits overnight although truth be told, we barely had any leftovers!

So about Cincinnati—I’ve been on the beltway around the city several times but have never stopped downtown to look around. Nonetheless, there wasn’t a time that I didn’t think of the popular TV show from the 70’s – WKRP in Cincinnati. What was not to love about that show? We had Les Nessman delivering the farm report (and who taped the floor to show where his “office” was); bombshell Jennifer (Loni Anderson) whose doorbell sounds like one that my girlfriend has, prompting me to dub it her “Loni Anderson doorbell;” Venus “I am the air” Flytrap (you don’t know how often I use that line) and Mr. Carlson “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.” And then there was Herb Tarlek, the polyester pantsuit-wearing radio-station salesman. I often reference Herb when I tell people about a salesperson at one of my former companies. All I have to say is “This guy was the Herb Tarlek of data processing” and they get it. Then there’s Bailey Quarters, Andy (Randy Andy) Travis and Johnny (Dr. Fever) and you have yourself a whole team of crazies. And I loved them so.

Enjoy your post-4th of July repast!

Burger Dogs – 8 servings (I made half the recipe)
1 lb. ground beef
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
8 frankfurters, split lengthwise
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 tbsp. water
8 frankfurter buns

Brown beef in vegetable oil in heavy skillet over hot coals (or on a burner). Add frankfurters, tomato sauce, onion and water. Cook about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat buns wrapped in foil. Serve hot mixture on heated buns.

(Note: for a little more flavor, you can doctor up the tomato sauce or add condiments like relish or mustard).

Queen of Chilis – serves 4
3 onions
1 pound ground chuck
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ ounce unsweetened chocolate, grated
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon tumeric
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
Tomato juice, as needed (I didn’t)
9 ounces spaghetti, cooked and buttered
1 16-ounce can kidney beans, heated
1 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded
Oyster crackers

Chop 2 of the onion and set aside; chop remaining onion fine. Salt a large skillet. Turn heat to medium and add meat, finely chopped, onion and garlic. Break up the meat with fork and cook until it is browned. Drain fat.

Add barbecue sauce and water. Bring to a boil. Add remaining seasonings.

Cover and simmer over very low heat 30 minutes, stirring and tasting occasionally, adding tomato juice if mixture is getting too dry to ladle up easily. (We like this chili best when it is reheated after being allowed to “age” overnight in the refrigerator.)

To construct the plate of 5-way, layer spaghetti on a plate (a small oval plate is traditional), top it with hot chili, then with a sparse layer of beans, then reserved chopped onions. Pat on plenty of cheese while chili is still hot and serve immediately, with oyster crackers on the side.

Note: For the barbecue sauce, I went with local favorite, Ken Davis but there are plenty on the shelves from which to choose. (Shopping used to be so easy, didn’t it?!).

"Stafford's (MI) Cookbook" & "Favorite Recipes from Great Midwest Cooks" & "Historical Mackinac Island Cook Book" (assorted recipes)

Date I made these recipes: June 21, 2009

Stafford’s Cookbook – 40 Years of Recipes from the Bay View Inn by Stafford and Janice Smith
Published by: Stafford and Janice Smith
ISBN: 1891143484 © 2000
Recipe: Cherry Pepper Steak p. 110

Favorite Recipes from Great Midwest Cooks by Midwest Living
Published by: Midwest Living Magazine/Meredith Corporation
ISBN: 0696019787 © 1992
Recipe: Herbed Rice – p. 118

Historical Mackinac Island Cook Book
Published by: Mackinac Island Medical Center
© 1965 – Eighth Edition 1980
Recipe: Won’t Fail Fudge – submitted by Mrs. Earl L. Chapin – p. 187-188

Well, June is wedding month and at the end of the week, my husband and I are motoring to Ohio to attend the wedding of my mom’s sister’s daughter’s son’s wedding—in other words, my second cousin is getting married! Hooking up with us will be my dad who is flying in from Michigan, my home state, and my brother and sister-in-law who live in upstate NY. Andy and I are responsible for picking dad up at the airport so fingers are crossed that all goes well and we all get to the hotel when we are supposed to.

My mom’s family is from Michigan so two of these recipes are from Michigan cookbooks and one is an homage to my new cousin-in-law who hails from Ohio (or at least we assume so given the wedding is being held there).

According to my mom’s sister, my Aunt Mary, my maternal grandparents, John and Mary (Wollner) Barr were married in Petosky, Michigan (located in the northern part of “the mitt”) and had a wedding feast of some sort (don’t know if it was breakfast, lunch or dinner) at The Bay View Inn, now known as Stafford’s Bay View Inn. So of course I had to make a dish from the inn’s cookbook that I picked up several years ago while visiting my aunt. After much to do about selecting a recipe I settled on the Cherry Steaks. (There were several whitefish recipes but here in Minnesota, walleye, not whitefish is king and I’m not a big fish fan to begin with so I went with beef.)

Now for you non-natives, cherries (Bing and other) are a huge item in the northern half of Michigan’s lower peninsula and Traverse City, Michigan is the cherry capital of the world. So when I saw that the recipe called for dried cherries as well as port, my husband’s favorite drink, I knew we had a winner. The only complaint is that while we love steak au poivre (pepper steak) as much as the next person, too much of a good thing is still too much. I would maybe use one tablespoon of cracked pepper instead of two just for a little seasoning.

You should know that I made a few substitutions in the recipe department, namely with the Demi Glaze and the wine reduction.

I had a hard time finding Demi Glaze (for the record, my local Rainbow store did not carry it) and finally found chicken Demi Glaze at Whole Foods. Although the recipe didn’t specify the flavor to use, I know Demi Glaze is made in chicken, beef and veal flavoring and so technically I bought the wrong one but hey—sue me! The flavor was fine. Note that you mix the glaze with water and that makes the one cup called for in the recipe. (By the way, the French way of saving Demi is Demi Glaze.)

As to the wine, we had some port on hand but ran out so I used Merlot to finish up the dish. Again, the flavor was fine. By the way, you’ll want to use a Ruby Port for this endeavor.

As to the accompanying rice, I got this recipe, “allegedly” from Ohio, from a book of Midwestern Recipes. The rice got a little squishy while I was waiting for the steaks to cook but I loved it. My husband humored me and had a spoonful as he is not a big rice fan. The flavors were mild and so it worked as well with the steak as I’m sure it did with the chicken for which it was intended.

For those of you who are geographically challenged like me, here’s a little information about Mackinac Island, (pronounced Mack-in-naw) the subject of my third cookbook selection.

Mackinac Island is an island situated between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island is only accessible by ferry and no cars are allowed on the island once you get there; you can rent a bike, hike it yourself or hire a horse to tour the island! That’s right: horse.

When I was born in October of 1958, the famous (and imposing) Mackinac Bridge wasn’t completed and so ferry service between the peninsulas was a must. I rode the ferry when I was six weeks old; my dad dropped me and my mother off at my aunt and uncle’s house in Detroit while he went on to be in his brother’s wedding in Texas.

I must confess that even though I’ve crossed that bridge a thousand times as a kid, to this day it still scares me to death. It wasn’t so bad being a passenger but being in the driver’s seat is another story altogether. And once my fear of heights manifested itself, it was the truly the Ride of Terror.

Many years ago, my mom, who was also afraid of heights, and I went to visit her sister; my aunt and uncle had relocated from Detroit, an 8-hour drive to a town just a couple of hours past the bridge – about a four-hour trip for us each way. As we approached the bridge, we got more and more tense and honestly thought about having someone else drive our car across (yes, Virginia, drivers are available for the timid—at least they were the last time I crossed the thing). But we decided we would tough it out and so we flipped a coin to see who would drive it across to the Lower Peninsula and who would drive back to the U.P.

People, you have never been in such a quiet car in your life. Hands were in the 10 and 2 position (basically fused with the steering wheel), eyes were front and not one word was spoken. The only noise, and it is most unsettling, came from the sound of the tires on the grated section in the middle of the bridge; this is not for the feint of heart as you can see the Straights of Mackinac through the grate holes!!! I still have nightmares about crossing that bridge. (To see photos of the behemoth bridge click on this link: http://www.mackinacbridge.org/about-the-bridge-8/ .

Besides the ferry and the well-known Grand Hotel on the island, where men and women are required to dress for dinner, Mackinac Island is known for fudge -- lots and lots and lots of fudge. Trust me on this: you may love it before you get there but you will most assuredly never want to look at the confection again—at least not for a good long while—once you leave there.

So it would be remiss of me to make any other recipe other than fudge from the Historic Mackinac Cook Book when putting together this blog posting.

So here it is—my homage to Michigan and a small salute to our newest family member, Carrie who is marrying my second cousin Jeff on June 27th. Congratulations to the newlyweds (who are smart enough to live in Chicago where one doesn’t have to cross a big, honkin’ bridge to get to and fro!)!

Cherry Pepper Steak – serves 4

3 (or 4) 1 ½ oz to 2 oz medallions of beef per person; I bought a six-ounce piece of beef tenderloin and sliced it into four medallions. The authors note you can use a different cut of beef if you want.
2 tablespoons cracked pepper to dredge steaks in (warning: a little goes a long way!)
½ teaspoon garlic *more garlic is needed for the sauce below
½ teaspoon shallots *more shallots are needed for the sauce below
1 cup Demi Glaze (Note: you will mix the Demi Glaze with water to make 1 cup)
¼ to 1/3 cup dried cherries
1 ½ cups port wine
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon shallots
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
4 peppercorns, crushed
1 whole bay leaf
4 juniper berries, crushed

Add hot water to the dried cherries to reconstitute and set aside.

Make the sauce by placing the ingredients below in a sauce pan and simmer over medium heat until liquid is reduced to about 1 cup. Strain liquid and reserve.
1 ½ cups port wine (if you run out, use a red wine like Merlot or Cabernet)
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon shallots
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
4 peppercorns, crushed
1 whole bay leaf
4 juniper berries, crushed

When the sauce is ready and the cherries are reconstituted, complete the dish: Heat just enough oil to cover the bottom of a sauté pan. Add beef medallions that have been dredged in cracked pepper corns. Sear both sides to seal in juices and cook to desired temperature. With steaks still in pan and on the head, add garlic (1/2 teaspoon) and shallots (1/2 teaspoon) and cook slightly. Remove from heat and add Port Wine Reduction and return to heat to deglaze pan. Remove steaks from pan and add one cup Demi Glaze and the cherries. Simmer over medium heat until thickened. Just before serving, add steaks back to sauce to coat. Serve a ladle of sauce over steaks.

Note: Demi Glaze (or Demi Glace) is a reduced broth—not quite bullion and not quite a paste. Look for it in a more upscale grocery store (here in Minneapolis: Byerly’s, Lund’s and Whole Foods carry it).

Herbed Rice – no serving size given but the chicken recipe listed with this said 4 servings
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1/3 cup long-grain rice
2 tablespoons sliced scallions
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed

In a saucepan, mix the chicken broth, rice, scallions and thyme. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Won’t Fail Fudge – makes about 2 lbs.
2/3 cup Evaporated milk (1 small can)
16 large marshmallows – or a 5-10 oz. jar marshmallow cream
1 1/3 cups sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup butter
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the first five ingredients in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, heat to boiling and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add chocolate bits, and stir until melted.

Stir in vanilla and nuts. Spread in a buttered 8 inch pan. Cool until firm.

"Taste/best of Taste II" (a Minneapolis newspaper publication) - Peanut Butter Dreams

Date I made this recipe: June 14, 2009

Taste/best of Taste II
(Same as Son of best of Taste)
From the Minneapolis Star
Published by: Minneapolis Star and Tribune Company
ISBN: 0-87518-051-5; © 1974

Recipe: Peanut Butter Dreams

Well, the 2009 summer season for my community band, The Calhoun-Isles Community Band, kicked off on Sunday June 14th. (http://www.calhounislesband.org/) Prior to our concert at Como Park Pavilion in St. Paul, MN, we had our annual picnic and for this I needed to bring a dish to pass. And so I went with dessert and what better combination is there on the planet than peanut butter, chocolate and coconut?

This recipe is from a cookbook of selected recipes that were previously printed in the Minneapolis Star’s (now known as the Star Tribune) Taste Section. This is the second compilation and is known as “Taste/best of Taste II (Same as Son of best of Taste – clever!).” I wasn’t living in Minneapolis at the time so I don’t know if all the recipes were submitted by readers or if only some of them were, but no matter—good recipes are good recipes.

So this recipe was a big hit, especially with my dad who came into town for the concert; he has quite the sweet tooth and wouldn’t you know there were several sweets at the picnic from which to choose!

Tonight (Tuesday) is the next concert in our summer series and right now, it’s raining. But unless the weather really takes a turn for the worse, we will be playing under a semi-enclosed band shell. Depending on audience size, we might invite the audience to join us under the shell; we’ve done that before with interesting results! Of course, it would help if the audience members could play an instrument, particularly drummers (we always need drummers) but we’ll have to see how it goes.

At any rate, I highly recommend these bars for your next pot-luck event. They’ll be inhaled and you’ll be praised for being either a master baker or a genius at selecting just the right thing!
You’re welcome.

Peanut Butter Dreams – makes 2 ½ dozen bars
½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup margarine (or butter)
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup sifted flour

For topping:
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup flaked or shredded coconut
1 cup (6 oz.) chocolate chips

Blend peanut butter, margarine and sugar together. Stir in flour. Press and flatten with hand to cover bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch oblong pan. Bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes.

Meanwhile mix eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in coconut and chocolate chips. Spread on baked crust. Return to oven and bake 25 minutes or more until golden brown. Cool slightly, then cut in bars.

PS-- I was updating my list of cookbooks from which I had made recipes and chuckled when I saw that I bought this cookbook back in my hometown in Michigan when I was home for my mother's funeral. I don't know what on earth this book from Minnesota was doing there but I think I was meant to have it!