Fitz!

Thanks, Christy!!!

Good morning, friends. Hugs all around.

Greta, Jane and Pam!

Greta!

Jane!

Bon voyage, Greta!

Mrs. al-Scooter’s Ro*Tel Chicken

If you aren’t familiar with Ro*Tel, there’s more info here:

http://www.texmex.net/Rotel/main.htm

1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 10-oz. can diced Ro*Tel tomatoes and green chile
1/4 can orange juice concentrate
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. chili powder
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
shredded cheese (optional)
avocado slices (optional)

Prepare the barbecue grill (medium heat) or broiler. Saute garlic in olive oil. Add Ro*Tel, orange juice, soy sayce,and chili powder. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove 1/2 cup sauce for basting. Keep remaining sauce warm. Barbecue or broil chicken, basting as it cooks.

To serve, top each breast with remaining warm sauce, cheese and avocado.

Mrs. al-Scooter notes: “This is a very versitile sauce. Use it as a marinade for chicken or beef. Instead of broiling, simmer the meat in the sauce. If there are leftovers, they make great tacos!

“The sauce works on baked potatoes, rice and pasta. Once I started the sauce and I discovered I was out of Ro*Tel, but I still wound up with a decent orange chicken.”

So when you bite into this chicken, the chicken bites you back. That’s fair, innit?

Greta!
Jane!

Bon Appetit!!

Won’t be around this morning, as it’s a busy day for us - but as we sit down to eat today, I’ll be thinking of you all.

I made this last Christmas and it was beyond awesome. Use less salt than the recipe requires, maybe even half. Definitely marinate it overnight. Otherwise, succulent and absolutely delicious:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/foo.....98,00.html

Roasted Pork Shoulder (Pernil Al Horno)

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ratings and Reviews
User Rating: 5 Stars

1 boneless pork shoulder (about 4 pounds), skin on
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 handful fresh oregano
4 tablespoons Kosher salt (1 tablespoon for every pound of meat)
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Place the pork, fat-side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack insert, and using a sharp knife, score the surface of the meat with small slits. Mash the garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper into a paste on a cutting board with the flat side of a knife (this is the adobo); place the adobo in a bowl and stir in the oil and vinegar. Rub the garlic paste all over the pork, being sure to get into the incisions so the salt can penetrate the meat and pull out the moisture - this will help form a crust on the outside when cooked. Cover the pork with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Roast the pork for 3 hours, uncovered, until the skin is crispy-brown. Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing.

For Greta, Jane, Christy, and the whole FDL community

Olive Butter

1/2 cup diced kalamata olives
1 lb softened butter
Substitute 1/2 lb of goat cheese or feta for a 1/2 pound of butter

Take butter (and cheese if your using it) and let it soften about 1 hr. Place in a bowl, add the olives and use a spatula or the back of spoon, to mash the two together. Stir and mash until mixed.

Serve with crusty bread.

(The spatula/back of the spoon works best. I’ve tried mixing with my hands, a potato masher and an electric mixer.)

A couple things to keep in mind, if the olives you are using are salty, or if you add feta, use sweet butter, not salted butter. Kalamata olives work the best. I’ve tried many varieties of green olives, and it’s just not the same. You can add herbs to enhance the flavor, rosemary, parsley, thyme and chervil have all been used successfully. Also, some lemon zest is nice.

You can also use this for cooking, roasting potatoes or chicken, in mashed potatoes, or when preparing pasta sauces, or omelets.

I made this and brought it to a party. I had strangers come up to me to and say “You’re the olive butter guy”. It’s become legendary in this circle of friends that I have, and at gathering I show up to, I wonder if it’s me or the olive butter that they’re happy to see.

Mmm, already!

The dish I’m bringing to Jane and Pam hails from Iraq. Long ago on “Baghdad Burning,” Riverbend blogged about her favorite Iraqi foods, mentioning something called Bamia. Intrigued, I Googled around and found several recipes from various places in the Middle East. Because they were different enough to confuse me, I emailed two or three to Riverbend, asking whether they were close to her family’s. She replied:

Yes, those are similar, but here’s how we do it. First, we saute 4 or 5 pieces of garlic in corn oil, then we add the okra - whole - only the heads are chopped off. The okra and garlic are sauteed a little bit longer with about a cup of shredded tomatoes, then the cooked veal or beef is added (a few small pieces at most) and about two cups of broth. The whole mix is allowed to simmer for about 5 minutes. About 3 tablespoons of tomato paste is added with some black pepper and salt and the whole thing is covered and allowed to cook over low heat for around 20 minutes. You must be sure to turn it off before the okra gets mushy. Serve with rice.

It’s a favorite food here … just amazing. Riverbend.

Ah yes, there are many roads to Bamia in the Middle East, some crossing the stovetop, others entering the oven. One version I found calls for a teaspoon apiece of coriander and cumin, with a tablespoon of tamarind pods (soaked in water then drained) added toward the end of cooking. An Egyptian one, oven-baked and featuring 3 tablespoons apiece of plain yogurt and sour cream, calls for garnishing with thin slices of tomato and lemon. Well, I diddled around on my own a bit and finally came up with this version (because I especially love Greek flavors, I zing it up with dill and mint instead of coriander and cumin, but suit yourself as to savory spices or herbs):

Bamia Riverbend (sorta-kinda)

1 lb ground beef (I use ground sirloin)
1 large onion, chopped
4 good-sized cloves garlic, minced
2 medium to large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (or one 14.5-oz can)
3 tablespoons tomato paste (add a pinch of sugar to cut the acid)
1 lb whole fresh okra pods, stalks trimmed just above pod
1 14-oz can low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1 tablespoon dried mint flakes
salt and coarsely-ground black pepper to taste
olive oil for browning beef

Heat a large skillet or other stovetop pan on a burner set to medium high, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil to pan, and brown beef (may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding). Remove beef from pan and set aside. Lower heat to medium-low, add onion and garlic, and cook a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion softens. Return beef to pan and add remaining ingredients. Stir to mix well. Cover pan and let cook over medium-low heat until okra is fork-tender but not mushy, about 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice. Serve over hot rice with salad and hot crusty bread.

Serves 4.

P.S. If you’d like to learn more tasty Iraqi cuisine (with a good big side of Iraq’s cultural history), I suggest Nawal Nasrallah’s Delights from the Garden of Eden. From Christy’s description of her interests, I bet Greta would have loved it.

My Mother-in-law passed away in March of this year and I had the responsibility for making the dreaded “arrangements”. Instinctively, I made plans for family time alone just before interrment. It was the most wonderful half-hour I’ve ever experienced in those circumstances. Stories of childhood memories were shared among the members of the family, joy at the little things that she liked and did were expressed and final goodbyes were personal and heartfelt. There were no guests to consider, only those of us who knew her best.

I never understood the term “celebrating” the life of a loved one before this. I can understand the loss that Jane feels, but I also hope she can experience the joy of the celebration of her mother’s life like my family did.

We’re with you in spirit Jane.

Hizzhoner

Okay, this recipe is almost embarrassingly suburban, but it is a powerful source of comfort on a cold rainy night when you don’t have much money:

RexMama’s Tuna Noodle Casserole

You will need:

1 large bag wide egg noodles.
1 medium sized can of solid white albacore tuna.
1 can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup.
1/2 cup mayonnaise.
1 tbsp. curry.
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 block sharp cheddar cheese, grated.

Boil noodles until tender. Drain. Mix mayonnaise,

Oh, fuck, the cat just brought a live chipmunk in here.

I’ll be back.

To Jane,

I’m so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you and your family.

My sincere condolences to all.

Shaw Kenawe

My Mom loved to travel too. She went on cruises all over the world but her favorite was Alaska. She passed away three days after Christmas in 2003 in Carmel, California after a long battle with ovarian cancer. My sisters and I were there. During her last week she had travel magazines spread all over her bed that she looked at!

Here’s my dish! Enjoy.

Cozumel’s ‘Hermosa Beach’ Gazpacho - Chilled Spanish Soup.

Serves - 6 - 8 large bowls…

Mix….

1 - Huge can of tomato juice (46 fl. oz.)
6 - Fresh Jalapeno Peppers (chopped, seeded)
1 - Tablespoon, Tabasco Sauce
3 - Shakes, Ground Black Pepper
2 - Table Spoons, Red Wine Vinegar
3 - Beef Bullion Cubes (ground up)

Bring to a boil while stirring occasionally and then turn off the heat as soon as it boils.

Add….Stir in…

6 - Romano Tomatoes (chopped)
3 - Celery Sticks (chopped)
1 - Bell Pepper (seeded, chopped)
1/2 - Onion (chopped)
3 - Table Spoons, Cilantro ( ground)

Chill in the fridge for a few hours and serve…

Note: Cilantro is a MUST, it takes the “burn” out of the “hot” among other things.

(I hope this thread means the covered dish-bringing starts now)

It sounds like Greta knew to live well. Tasting where we are is so important, and shows a willingness to adapt and learn and grow.

This recipe (below) that I’m offering is fairly healthy and you can use for almost any of a season’s fresh fruits. It’s from “Simply in Season: Recipes that celebrate fresh, local foods” published by Herald Press (an MCC cookbook in the spirit of More-With-Less)

I wish I could bring it to Jane, warm, with a half gallon of homemade vanilla ice cream. My heart is with you at this trying time. cgreen.

Four Fruit Crisp

1 1/2 c each of four fruits, 6 cups total. Use any combination of fruit if that’s what you have on hand, e.g. 3 c apples and 3 c peaches)
Mix together and pour into 10-inch, deep dish pie pan.

3/4 c flour
3/4 c rolled oats
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons oil
3/4 c brown sugar
1/3 c chopped nuts

Mix until crumbly. Evenly sprinkle topping over fruit. Bake in preheated oven at 375, until fruit bubbles and top is golden brown, about 30 min.

RE combining travel with food/cooking . . .

I spent some time in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and learned to cook:

Enchiladas Verdes

2 cups cooked tomatillos (Mexican green tomatoes)
2 chilies serranos
3 sprigs cilantro
1/3 cup milk
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
12 tortillas
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
2 oz crumbled white cheese (Monterey Jack works well)

Blend the green tomatoes with the chilies, cilantro, milk, garlic and salt until smooth. Heat oil over medium-high heat; add sauce and cook until reduced and seasoned, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove from heat, add sour cream, and set aside. Fry or microwave tortillas until soft and flexible; dip one at a time into green sauce. Fill with chicken, roll and place into baking dish. Spread remaining sauce over enchiladas, garnish with cheese and onion, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until warm.
# # #

Also, EPU’d from last thread: Grandmato — How do you like Elizabeth Peters?

Here’s something I’m doing right now, for my wife’s office picnic tomorrow. If Jane lived up the road, I’d bring some by. It takes a little time–three days!–but it’s worth it. The dry rub is from Steven Raichlen’s indispensable The Barbecue Bible.

North Carolina Hickory-Smoked, Pulled Pork Barbecue:

Serves 10-12

1 Boston Butt (bone-in pork shoulder roast, 5 to 6 pounds), covered with at least a 1/2 inch layer of fat

For the rub (optional):
1 tablespoon mild paprika
2 teaspoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1 and a half teaspoons hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt to taste

Two days before serving, combine the dry rub ingredients in a bowl. Rub this mixture into the pork on all sides, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight. Soak at least 4 cups of hickory chips in cold water overnight as well. If you’re not using the rub, generously season the pork with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper immediately before cooking.

Use a charcoal grill, and lump charcoal. Toss in a cup of drained hickory chips, and place the pork, fat side up, on the grate. Cover.

The name of this game is “low and slow.” Don’t let the heat get above 250 degrees F. Be vigilant: the hickory will want to burn, and the heat will quickly rise out of control.

Toss another cup of hickory on the coals every hour or so. Pork is done when its internal temperature reaches 195 degrees F; 4 to 6 hours. Tent the pork with tinfoil and let it rest for several hours.

You may want to wear gloves when pulling. Simply pull the pork off into pieces, discarding the rendered fat and bone.

Here’s a good vinegar sauce recipe, from my part of the state, courtesy of the late Bill Neal, author of Southern Cooking:

Vinegar Sauce:

Yields about 2 cups

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup minced onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
1 bay leaf
Two-thirds teaspoon thyme
2 to 3 teaspoons dry mustard
4 to 6 teaspoons cold water

Combine all the ingredients except the last two in a small saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil, then simmer five minutes. Remove from heat. Dissolve the mustard in cold water, then thin it out with some of the hot vinegar sauce. Stir the mustard into the sauce. Let cool.

Transfer the pulled pork to a non-reactive roasting pan. Stir in enough sauce to keep pork moist, 1 to 1 1/2 cups. Cover tightly with foil until serving.

A full-on NC picnic would also include a good slaw and a good corn bread or macaroni and cheese. You can make BBQ sandwiches with hamburger buns, a little slaw, and the vinegar sauce.

As I throw the next few chunks of hickory on, I will do so in honor of Jane, her family, and this community.

Good luck to TRex — WEAR THICK GLOVES!

I want to start off by making a couple of book recommendations to everyone. If you have not yet discovered the food writing of Laurie Colwin, and you love to read about nourishing the soul as well as the palate, then you need to pick up her Home Cooking and her More Home Cooking. They are infused with so much spunk and love and fantastic recipes and humor — I absolutely adore these books, and I think that Greta would have loved them, too.

It made me smile to read that Greta read cookbooks like novels, because I do that, too…

As those of us who have experienced death in our familes know, those days that follow are so crazy that it can be easy to forget to eat. Having some food in the fridge that only needs heating or plating is a godsend.

Here are a couple dishes I would bring to someone:

Hot Chicken Salad

4 cups cooked, diced chicken
2/3 cup mayo
2 cups sliced almonds
2 cups diced celery
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 tbsp diced pimento
1 cup cheddar cheese
potato chips

Mix all ingredients. Top with cheese and crushed chips. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Confetti Mashed Potatoes
7 medium russet potates
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green opions
1 2oz jar chopped pimento
1 egg, beaten

Cook peeled potatoes until done. Put through food mill or mash well. Add butter until absorbed, then milk. Beat in cream cheese and sour cream on low speed. Stir in onion and pimento. Stir in beaten egg. Transfer to 9 x 13 glass pan, or large casserole dish. Bake 25 minutes @ 350 degrees.

I had a great life experience that I would like to share – the death of my father. I am the third of three sons and definitely the one who had the closest relationship with my father. This is because, mostly, we grew up pretty poor – semi-rural poor – and my dad worked 70 or 80 hours every week when I was very young. He would come home on Thursday night (payday) for dinner, worked half of most Saturdays and didn’t have to work on Sunday, although in the summer he would spend half of that day golfing. So, up to the point my brothers were 13 and 12, and I was 6 we rarely had any time with the man.

But that changed in the late ‘60’s and he worked less and I got to know him pretty well. He still went golfing Sundays, but I would sit with him in the evenings and build flying wooden plane models with him (his passion/stress reliever) in the evening. He’d smoke and drink coffee and we would listen to the Yankees on the transistor. It was, sadly, a little late for my other brothers who were already on with their lives (i.e. girls). My brothers both stayed on in the same home town, but I left after college. One of my older brothers even worked for my father, but they were never close.

I went to law school in Boston, worked in Miami, then Boston again and then went in 1989 to Texas to represent folks on death row. In 1990, my father learned he had pancreatic cancer which had already metastasized to his liver. Chemo followed, pain, that slow slide to death. I was able to travel up and go to many of his Doctor appointments and chemo sessions. The only time I saw him cry in the process was when he worried out loud about my mother remarrying (she never has yet).

In Texas at work, we were buried – pun intended. There were execution dates everywhere, and no attorneys willing to take cases and those who were willing were not generally capable…. At that time, each lawyer in the office probably had a caseload of twenty or more death row inmates. We were working over 80+ hours per week – no golfing. The most we could do was get a stay of execution for one client and move on to stop the execution of the next. It wasn’t like we were doing great law work – just acting as the brakemen on the train.

I got a call from my Aunt – “Your Dad’s not doing well.” I had planned on going home in four weeks, “Should I come now or wait?” She couldn’t say. I went and within 36 hours my father died — at home (with some great hospice help — I heart Zennurse) with my Mom and me by his side. Early in the morning he called for us, said “bolet” which is “hurts” in Czech, looked at my Mom, said her name, squeezed her hand and died. Being there at that moment was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. My brothers, who were not around much at all at the end, are still suffering and working through all that they missed.

My Father, Josef Bohus _______: hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of him. Now with smiles much more than tears. He loved the following simple comfort food for meatless Fridays and Holy Days of Obligation:

Macaroni and Cheese

Cook 3 Cups elbow macaroni
12 oz extra sharp cheddar
1 cup milk
2T flour
Salt,
Pepper
Pinch of Paprika (for color, mostly)
Crush (not too much!) a sleeve of saltine crackers (I like whole wheat ones)

In a pan, put the cheese, milk, flour salt, pepper and paprika. Slowly melt the cheese – no boiling! Put the cooked macaroni into a large generous casserole dish, pour on the cheese mixture and stir it up. Spread the crushed saltines on top and
Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour or until top is golden brown

Fast recipe for a fast hors douvre . . .

Ham Tortilla Rolls

1 lb diced ham (1/4″ cubes - small!)
18 oz cream cheese, softened
1 7 oz can of diced green chilies
1/2 lb. black olives, chopped
tortillas - 6-8 burrito-sized

Mix the ham, cheese, chilies and olives in a bowl.

Take a tortilla, and spread a thin layer of this mixture down the middle of one of the torillas. Cut off the sides of the tortilla w/o the mixture, then roll up the tortilla into a log. Place it in a casserole dish and cover with a damp towel. Repeat until the mixture is gone. Refrigerate the dish for several hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to serve them, take the logs, cut them into 1″ rolls, and serve as is or with salsa for dipping.

Here is some comfort food for a hot summer day.

ZESTY GAZPACHO
1 Can (15 oz) Tomato Sauce (Del Monte works best)
1 Can (14-1/2 oz) Diced tomatoes.
3/4 Cup finely chopped celery
3/4 Cup finely chopped cucumber
1/2 Cup finely chopped onion
1/2 Cup water
1/4 Cup red wine vinegar
1/4 Cup finely chopped green pepper (Bell pepper)
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp Worchestershire sauce
1/4 Tsp pepper
Dash garlic powder

Combine ingredients; mix well. Chill several hours (best overnight). Serve with dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt, it desired.

6 to 8 servings.

MODIFICATIONS

First, I like to substitute mild red onions for the plain white onions.

Next, to add color, I use yellow bell peppers — and instead of a 1/4 cup, I just use a whole small pepper.

Also, just to make things simple, I use one whole cucumber, peeled, and two large stalks of celery. Both chopped to less than 1/4 inch sizes. You can use a food processor if that is what blows your hair back.

I don’t bother pureeing the diced tomatoes — gives it more body.

The only thing that should be name brand is the tomato sauce; it has a certain flavor combination that seems pretty good.

I use a very course grind of pepper, or even cracked peppercorns.

For vinegar, I use Balsamic vinegar (but seasoned rice vinegar is interesting too)
For oil, I use extra virgin olive oil or sometimes walnut oil.
You could experiment with this and give it a hint of oriental flavor by adding a few drops of toasted sesame oil (it’s pretty strong).
Also, instead of 2 Tbsp of olive oil, I put in a scant 1/4 cup. This is a BIG recipe, so don’t worry about the amount of fat, and the flavor of really good oil is worth it.

Finally, the “secret ingredient.” I like to add two heaping tablespoons of capers to the soup. I love the taste of capers and would add more if I thought I could get away with it.

Another possibility is pickled okra. It is crisp and not at all slimey, and has such a distinctive flavor that it would be a good addition. Besides, the pickled okra, when it is sliced crosswise makes little pinwheel like pieces that would add to the appearance of the soup.

I frequently add a small can (or - I like a big can) of black olives.

Gazpacho, like so many summer dishes (potato salad, macroni salad, etc.) has as many variations as there are people.

Make sure you chill it long enough. Overnight is best.

Enjoy!

TRex -

I’m sure someone here must have a recipe for chipmunk . . .

I’d offer one, but my chipmunk recipes all call for a dozen of the critters.

Quick summer dish - CATFISH MORCELS

1 pound catfish morcels
3 cloves garlic - pressed
2-3 spoons olive oil
3 tomatoes cut in circles
salt and pepper to taste

HEAT the olive oil and add the pressed garlic. Saute the garlic for 60 seconds.

Add the tomatoes and cook for one minute.

Add the catfish and cover the pan for 10 minutes.

You’re done.

For more Mediterranean flavor you can add 1 spoon chopped parsley to the garlic…

Whaddya do, Peterr, fry ‘em like squirrels or quail?

To Josef Bohus!

immanentize @ 19

Dude you made me cry.

For me, food cooked slowly overnight is comfort food. Here’s a recipe I enjoy a lot:

Slow-cooking—braising—works wonders on things like beef short-ribs, shanks, oxtails, and the like: the highly flavorful meats that require long, slow cooking to become tender. You can use a slow-cooker on “low” or—exactly equivalent—a covered pot in a 200-degree oven. Cook overnight, or all day%u2014a long time, at any rate. The meat should be falling off the bones.

The secret ingredient that adds a lovely flavor is horseradish. It takes about 2 Tbs to do the trick. Here’s a recipe:

Salt and pepper the beef (oxtails, short ribs, shanks, or a combination) and then brown in a little oil. You can use olive oil, but the fat will congeal at the top better if you brown 4 pieces of chopped bacon in a saute pan and then remove the bacon to the cooking pot so that you can brown the beef thingies in the bacon grease. Remove browned beef to the cooking pot.

Saute a large chopped onion (or two, depending on the amount of beef) in the saute pan, using a wooden spatula to stir and scrape up all the brown bits left from browning the meat. Put the onions in the pot, and add juice of 4 lemons, 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, a cup of red wine, one bunch of Italian parsley chopped, 6 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped, 2 Tbs of horseradish, 1 Tbs of Worcestershire, several dashes of Tabasco, 1 Tbs each of dried thyme and dried basil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. If you want, add enough crushed red pepper to add some body, but not enough to make it noticeably spicy.

Cover the pot and put it into a 200-degree oven all day or overnight. Use tongs to remove bones, leaving meat in the pot, torn into pieces. Put pot in fridge uncovered until fat on top solidifies. Remove the disk of fat, add about a cup and a half to two cups of small crimini mushrooms and a half cup of pearled (or hulled—your choice) barley. You might have to add a little water as well. Bring it to a boil and then simmer covered for an hour, then turn off heat and just let it sit until ready to eat.

This same recipe also works well with lamb shanks.

To All,

Does anyone have any good Vegetarian recipes. My girlfriend is a vegetarian and I’ve really had my fill of looking at tofu and tortellini. My own cooking skills are atrocious. My idea of a different meal every night it to change the sauce on my spagetti.

Millenry Man (#8) — your Olive Butter sounds absolutely delish! Thank you so much for sharing it. Am heading to the farmer’s market later and will pick up the kalamatas and crusty bread and give try it this afternoon.

Jane, losing a parent is one of the worst feelings in the world — no matter what age you are, there’s a sense of being ‘orphaned’ somehow. I’ve experienced that feeling and it hurts.

My heart goes out to you in this sad time. From what Christy wrote however, it sounds like you have some wonderful memories of your mom and that’s so good. Let them sustain you in the years to come. May her spirit and all the good times you had together envelop you and soothe you, now and for the rest of your life.

There is a P.S.to my Dad’s death — and as promised yesterday, how I know — beyond peradventure — that Antonin Scalia is a heartless bastard who does not deserve to have so much power over actual humans:

I included all that background about what I was doing then to supply this punchline: While I was out for about three weeks (getting the funeral reading, being with my mom, insurance, banks, etc.) one of the triage clients I was assigned, Karl Hammond, had a petition for certiorari due in the United States Supreme Court. Up until the time that Justice Ginsburg was added to the court, the Circuit Justice for the Fifth Circuit was Justice White. He had a limited policy of granting some extra time in death penalty cert. petitions. Well, when Ginsburg was sated, the Court shuffled the circuit justices and the Fifth ended up with Justice Scalia. So I file my motion for continuance and he issues an opinion saying that the death of my father is not sufficient cause for any extension of time in the case. No shit. Which is why I hate him.

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/.....invol=1301

At least if I ever want to relive that time, all I need is a Supreme Court Reporter!

And what I am taking to Jane and Pam? Here is the ultimate/classic Texas comfort casserole:

King Ranch Chicken:

5 or 6 Split Chicken Breasts and/or thighs (You can use a whole chicken if you like)
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes (ed. Note: This is an eight ounce can which is diced tomatoes and jalapenos together. There are other brands, but Rotel is the classic)
4 Cloves garlic crushed
2 T Chili Powder (or to taste)
Salt, black pepper to taste
1 Large onion diced
1 medium Green Bell Pepper diced
1 medium Red Bell Pepper diced
1/2 pound grated cheese (mixed Cojita and Asadero are best, or just use your favorite cheddar)
1 Dozen corn tortillas (softened in chicken broth)

Cook the Chicken in salted water. Cool, de-bone, tear apart a bit and set aside, reserving the broth. Mix together the soups (no water!) Rotel, garlic and chili powder. Put the softened tortillas in the bottom of a greased 9X13 pan or casserole. Layer chicken, diced onion and diced bell pepper. Pour the soup mixture over it all. Top with the grated cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (until cheese is toasted a bit)

lisadawn82, I’ll be back ASAP with a couple for you.

A quick (and easy) one before jetting off to work:

CEVICHE

1 lb of a flavorful white-fleshed fish
-I’ve been using Ling Cod lately
and loving it, other cod family
or not-too-oily rockfish will work
3 limes, juiced
1 tomatoe
1 medium shallot
2 jalopena chiles
1 small clove garlic

Juice the limes, cut the fish into 1 inch cubes (or so), dice the shallot and one of the chiles; put all this into a container that will let the fish be wholly submerged in the lime juice, put in the fridge 8 hours/overnight. Chop everything else the next morning, mix in with the fish, salt and pepper (lightly) to taste, let sit in the fridge again until the ‘que or dinner party - or just the end of the work day. Garnish with thin strips of Basil or parsley, dip into with crackers of your choice.

I love this at the end of a long, hot day. The lime ‘cooks’ the fish well without loosing the taste or the texture of the uncooked flesh - think sushi, with a slight tang of citrus. If it ends up being too juicy, drain off some of the lime juice. Lighter beers are better.

Blessings to you all -

I’m going to tell a story about how i found that moms still care - even at the other ends of the earth. Well, during all the anti-war protests in Washington, DC, i was driving my 1941 Chevy down to the Mall to check out the protests and the car stalled out. I and my car looked funky enough that obviously we were a credible threat, so four plainclothesmen jumped out from the four corners of the intersection, put their handguns to my head and told me to get that car in gear and get out of here. I did so. In fact, upon hearing of someone going hitchhiking in South America, i decided to go, too. So, right after Richard Nixon was reelected, we jumpstarted the hitching by taking a train to Mexico City and then hitching from there. Seven months later, i found myself in a huge marketplace in Cuzco, Peru, and one section of the marketplace consisted of a row of young women and their Waring Blenders. They were liquado makers and behind them was a slate board with the flavors they offered; the basic mixture of milk, banana, and your choice of mango, pomela, etc. Each made ‘come to me’ noises and gestures, but i was attracted to the mom at the end of the counter who was smiling at the whole scene, because i, too, was doing a bit of theater, reading the boards, hmmmmming, making appreciative noises, etc. So, i sat down on her bar stool and chose my drink, made more appreciative noises, drank with gusto, and thanked her profusely, saying it was delicious, and paid up. (PS, everywhere i went,there was the Gringo tax = slightly {or egregiously} higher prices.)
Just as i was hiking my backpack on again, the mom called me over and gave me an orange so i wouldn’t be hungry on my travels. Thanks, mom. I remember you to this day.

TRex, your kitty brought you a present, how sweet! Well, it’s the thought that counts, right?

Sorry cozumel, I posted my recipe and yours was already on when I looked. So, I will post an alternate. We live in coastal northern California (we call it Baja Oregon), and seafood is important to us. Here is a recipe for baked fish in pie crust.

Baked fish in pie crust

Firm-fleshed fish of any kind - fillets (we use salmon or halibut, but cod is good too)

One six-inch fillet per person, or more if you wish.

Make a pie crust dough, and roll it out very thin.

Cut enough of the pie dough to completely wrap each fillet with a little left over for pinching it to seal it.

Put one fillet on a sheet of pie dough and sprinkle the fish with a little soy sauce. Dice a clove of garlic and sprinkle on the fish. Salt and pepper the fillet and then put a long sprig of fresh rosemary along the length of the fillet. Smear a little butter on the fillet.

Close up the pie dough and seal it by pinching. Brush with butter and bake at 450 until crust is brown.
Serve with steamed asparagus and mushroom slices, along with sliced tomatoes with vinegar, oil, a drop or two of seseme oil and sprinkle with parmesan.

Mama’s Chili

2.5 lbs ground beef
2 chopped onions
2 garlic cloves
2 whole garlic cloves
2 cans chopped tomatos
2 tsp cumin

1.5 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp flour

Brown onions in oil. Take out, put on dish. Brown meat in the same pan. Add spices and flour. Add tomatos and 1/2 tomato can of water. ut onions back in. Simmer 2 hours. After one hour, add 2 cans kidney beans .

I lived for four years in a Greek village on Lesvos with my icon-painter (now ex-)husband. I learned to cook Greek food from the women, who were canny, opinionated, gossipy and kind…kinda like FDL folks. To honor Jane’s mom and her fondness for authentic food, here’s a recipe I learned for stewed leeks. Don’t be put off — this is a savory vegetable dish, excellent on its own for lunch or light dinner, with a dollop of feta or Greek yogurt in the center that melts like cream. Or, it can be a side to grilled meat or chicken. (Millineryman, I like your Olive Butter. All the recipes thus far are fab!) There are no exact measurements, typical of most of the recipes I have from Greece.

Stewed Leeks (pronounced “PRAH-so” in Greek)

1. Fry a very large, sliced onion in olive oil in a heavy casserole until soft.

2. Add leeks (around 6 large ones, well cleaned and rinsed and sliced about 1-2 inches wide, some green OK) and a little water.

3. Add thinly sliced carrots (two or three) and big chunks of potato. Add chopped flat-leaf parsley if desired.

4. Add salt and pepper.

5. Stir a half-teaspoon of tomato paste with a little water until smooth. Add to pot. You don’t want a thick sauce, just a light tomato flavor. You can also use fresh chopped peeled tomato or a small can of stewed tomatoes, chopped if necessary.

6. Cook on the top of the stove under low heat 1-1-1/2 hours until leeks and all ingredients are soft. Add a little water if necessary during the cooking.

This is better the second day. Also freezes well.

lisadawn — sorry. kinda made myself cry, too.

immanentize #20–Very moving story.

I am a horrible cook but I want to share in this wonderful FDL potluck.

I do a mean artichoke dip. It is easy–you can’t make a mistake b/c less or more of any of the ingredients will work out nicely.

1 can of artichoke hearts
2 or more heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon (give or take) of garlic (minced or fresh)
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan
pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the artichoke hearts with the mayo, the garlic, the pepper and the parmesan. (I do it in the food processer but you can do it by hand too–I recommend if you do it by hand, that you break up the artickoke hearts a bit.) Sprinkle some parmesan on top and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve with pita bread.

All my love to the FDL community and especially to Jane and her family. And to dear Greta, I hope that you are cooking up a storm in Heaven.

Whew, okay. I think it ran out the front door when I was running around the house shutting all the other rooms. I was trying to corral it with the broom. Of course, Juan Carlos dropped the little rodent and completely lost interest when I opened the door to the patio. “OoooOOOoooh,” he said, “I want to go outside through this door now.”

Anyway.

RexMama’s Tuna Noodle Casserole

You will need:

1 large bag wide egg noodles.
1 medium sized can of solid white albacore tuna.
1 can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup.
1/2 cup mayonnaise.
1 tbsp. curry.
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 block sharp cheddar cheese, grated.

Boil noodles until tender. Drain. Mix mayonnaise, condensed soup, curry and lemon juice in a bowl. Pinkie taste. Add curry and lemon to your preference.

Drain tuna, fold into soup mixture. Mix with cooked noodles and pour into a casserole dish. Top generously with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-23 minutes. It’s kind of important not to undercook it. Until it reaches a certain bubbling, browning at the edges point, it’s just going to taste like the sum of its parts. But once the cheese gets good and melted, the flavors kind of synergize and it gets really, really yummy.

Ohh, imm - my dad had pancreatic cancer, too. His wasn’t diagnosed until he had fluid that built up around and was compressing his heart. The fluid was filled with cancer cells, so things were definitely not confined to the pancreas.

My dad died three months after he was diagnosed. God must have realized how fearful he was of the pain and agony that awaited, and chose to take him quickly - he had a massive heart attack while in the hospital for yet another session of having fluid drained off his lungs. My poor Mom arrived to have dinner with him while they were trying to resuscitate him, to no avail.

Seeing abject fear on the face of the father who was always the strong one was as heartbreaking for me to see as it was for him to show me. What he hated most was that people no longer saw him, they saw the disease, and so I tried to focus on just him - not all the constant talk of how are you, and what are you feeling, but just normal father-daughter talk.

I still miss him. Am forever grateful he experienced the arrival of two grandchildren who were the light of his life. Ache that he never saw my brother’s kids.

January of 2005, my brother and I were at the bedside of my father’s brother, who was dying of lung cancer. His wife had died 10 years earlier, and they had never had children. I’d never been present for death before, but it was peaceful and loving, and I was glad to have been present to ease his passage.

I suppose this week has, for all of us who have lost loved ones, taken us back to those losses, and in some small way, that pain has connected us to Jane in a way that we had not been connected before.

Love to Jane and to all of you who have lost people you loved.

For lisadawn at 26 — this is one of my fave recipes, completely vegetarian, and very easy (if slightly time consuming in the assembly). It is from the Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook — highly recommended, btw, and one that we use often, even though we are no longer vegetarian in our house. The best part of this recipe is that it is incredibly flexible, and is great for cleaning out the remnants of your vegetable drawers in the fridge.)

PAN-FRIEND VEGETABLE WONTONS WITH SESAME DIP
Makes 24
DIP:
1/3 c. rice vinegar
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. water
2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
1 tsp. chili oil (or 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste)
WONTONS:
1/2 c. shredded cabbage
1/3 c. shredded carrots
3 scallions (green and white parts, minced)
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. dark sesame oil
24 wonton wrappers (in refrigerator section at the grocers)
1 to 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/8 c. water

DIP: Combine all ingredients in small serving bowl. Place in center of serving platter. (NOTE: I also like to add some grated, fresh ginger.)

TO FINISH THE DISH: In bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, scallions, cilantro, garlic, cayenne, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well. Put small spoonful of this mixture into center of wonton wrapper. Fold corner to corner to make a triangle, then fold in sides, like an envelope. Repeat with remaining cabbage mixture and wonton wrappers. (NOTE: I use water to seal — just dip your finger tip into a cup of water, and rub across the edges — the liquid will seal the edges of the wonton together so you don’t get filling leakage.)

COAT the bottom of a nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Gently place filled wontons in skillet and let cook until the bottoms are golden and crusty, about 3 minutes. Then pour water into the skillet, cover and let steam for 2 minutes. Arrange on a platter and serve with dipping sauce.

lisadawn82– this is so easy and delish– no crust(sparing calories) and versatile (breakfast, lunch or dinner)

Italian Spinach Pie

1 container 16 oz lowfat cottage cheese
1 pkg 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (squeeze it and get the liquid out!)
1 cup shredded cheese– (preferably reduced fat mozzarella)
4 eggs beaten
1 jar –7 0z– roasted red peppers well drained and chopped (can substitute fresh red bell pepper)
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp oregano (I prefer fresh Italian parsley and/or fresh basil)
1/4 finely chopped onion

a tad of salt and as much pepper as you like to taste.

Preheat oven to 350, mix all ingrediants until well blended. Pour into a greased 9 inch pie plate, bake 40 minutes until center is set.

Christy, I have one of Laurie Colwin’s. Simple, flavorful home cooking (for while she wrote, no doubt–could also work for bloggers!) I like her chicken baked with some whole garlic cloves and a cut up lemon inside, and I share her affection for roasted red peppers. Laurie is dead, but I expect her family often feels her presence in one of her favorite meals.

Every momentous occasion in my south-western West Virginia family centered around the meal, whether it was a holiday feast, a birthday dinner and party, a wedding banquet, or an after-funeral buffet. This is the time we all came (those of us who are left still come) together and reminisce, cementing and tightening our blood ties that become somewhat loosened by the great distances between us.

My dear, sweet Grandparents passed away in the last few years and it was (and still is, for the most part) their home where we met over the enormous dining room table to conduct our family business and catch up on the comings and goings of each other. My memories are so rich and fulfilling and I will always associate my family with the foods that they lovingly prepared and shared with us so many times.

Here is a simple summer recipe, in honor of Jane and Greta, that is quick to fix, refreshing and delicious!

Old-Fashioned Pickled Cucumber Salad

1 large (or 2 or 3 small) cucumbers from the garden, peeled and sliced thin

(of course, my garden is now the local supermarket and I use a mandoline to slice the cucumber and onion)

1 small sweet onion, peeled and sliced thin

3/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

cold water from the well (or tap, or bottle)

Combine the sugar, vinegar, and about 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Heat until sugar dissolves.

Add 1 teaspoon fresh dill weed, chopped fine, or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed. Stir to combine.

Pour over sliced cucumbers and onions and let marinate over night.

(if necessary add enough additional water to cover the sliced vegetables)

Fresh tomatoes from the garden can also be quartered and added to the pickle. This tasty dish gets better the longer it sits. It is a delicious accompaniment to freshly steamed or roasted corn-on-the-cob, boiled new potatoes, West Virginia-style half-runner beans (slow cooked at low heat for hours with a piece of fatback/bacon/smoked ham and/or sliced onions until dark green and rich with pot liquor), and fresh bread.

My absolute favorite summer meal, which I often fix in one pot, cooking the beans first and then steaming the corn and potatoes on top of the heated beans until tender. This is the meal that makes me think of family most; it is inexspensive, which got us through the hard times, easy and quick to prepare, and takes advantage of the bounty of summer.

Blessings and friendship to all!

Anne. Just so.

For Greta, Jane,Pam and the Firedoglake Family,
Laurie Colwin is the best!
Some other favorite cookbooks, most with stories too:

Clementine in the Kitchen, Samuel Chamberlain
Seductions of Rice, Jeffery Alford & Naomi Duguid
Flatbreads and Flavors, Jeffery Alford & Naomi Duguid
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking Marcella Hazan
The Greens Cook Book, Deborah Madison
Bugialli’s Italy, Giuliano Bugialli
Asian Cookbook, Charmain Soloman
French Cooking in Ten Minutes, Edouard de Pomiane
Cooking with Pomian, Edouard de Pomiane
Choice Cuts Mark Kurlansky
The Gastronomical Me, MFK Fisher
French Country Cooking. Elizabeth David
The Food of Italy, Waverly Root

Christy, I LOVE Laurie Colwin and her food! I also love the French writer Colette, who beautifully wove food references into her writing.

Lisadawn, I have several simple Greek vegetable and legume recipes that make good main dishes. Can I e-mail them to you?

Here’s one I adapted a few weeks ago from the “Corn Oyster Fritters” recipe in the book, Bill Neal’s Southern Cooking.

Corn-Crab Fritters

1 cup lump crab, picked through and shells removed
4 eggs, separated
1 cup fresh corn, shaved from the cob, w/ corn milk (scrape the cob with the blunt edge of a knife)
1/4 cup minced chives
1/2 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks, add the corn and chives. Slowly add flour while stirring until evenly mixed. Add the seasonings. When ready to start frying, heat 1/2 inch of canola or peanut oil in an iron skillet to 360 degrees. Stir the crab into the egg/flour mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff; stir a third of the egg whites into the egg mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Drop by spoonfuls into the hot oil. Cook about 90 seconds or until golden brown on one side, then turn. Remove to a wire rack to drain, and serve immediately.

They should be fluffy pillows of fresh lump crab and summer corn. Great with tartar sauce or a roasted-red-pepper remoulade.

Demetrios,

I also used one of Bill’s recipes above. I knew Bill, and worked with him at Crook’s Corner in the nineties.

Thanks Christy,

After reading that I’m hungry again and I just had a bowl of cereal.

My longish post follow up just came out of pergatory/moderation @ 31. Great casserole recipe to boot!

Katheryn in MA — great tale!

My father died in October 2002, after many years of Parkinson’s disease. When we got the call, they thought it would be very quick, 24 hours at most, because he had lost his swallow reflex. But his heart was still so strong, despite the Parkinson’s, that it took several days.

The wait was both the worst thing and the best thing, because my brothers, my mother and I gathered in his room, and told stories, and jokes, and reminisced. If dad was aware at all, that’s what he was surrounded with in his final hours. I hope it gave him comfort.

I don’t have a lot of time to cook, and when I do I don’t use written recipes; I’m more of a concoct-something-with-whatever’s-on-hand type of cook. I will say, however, that I’ve discovered that toaster ovens are a great way to cook fish, because they don’t dry the flesh out as much as a full-sized oven. One of my favorite meals is Toaster Oven Teriyaki Salmon.

To me, “comfort food” almost always means meat & potatoes. But I don’t hardly eat red meat, so here’s a simple (but foolproof) roasted chicken. Since Jane hails from the NW, this is a recipe I’ve liberally (!) adapted from Judy Geise’s New NW Kitchen. And I add garlic mashed potatoes to go with. If you’re dieting…well…

ROAST CHICKEN WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC

2-1/2 to 3 lb chicken
2 lemons
3 or 4 springs fresh rosemary
about 1 tsp. dried herbs
1 head garlic, broken into cloves
3 tbls butter (room temp and soft)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 450*

Heat stock to low simmer. Meanwhile…

Wipe chicken inside and out with cut side of one lemon. Into the cavity put one or two sprigs fresh rosemary, the cloves of garlic, the lemons cut in half, 1 tbls butter, and light sprinkle in salt & pepper. Truss chicken tightly. Make two slits in each breast. (Otherwise lemon cooking inside chicken could cause explosion. You probably don’t want that.)

Rub remaining butter all over outside of chicken. (This will ensure the crispiest skin ever!) Sprinkle remaining rosemary and dried herbs, plus salt & pepper over chicken. Place on a rack in a large oven proof dish or roasting pan. Pour chicken stock into the bottom of pan.

Turn the oven down to 400* and cook for about one hour and 10 minutes, basting the bird every 15 minutes. When done, remove from oven, cover with tin foil (don’t use the one from your hat) and let sit for 30 minutes.

ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

3-1/2 lbs red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 or 9 large roasted garlic cloves
2 tbls (1/4 stick) butter
2 tbls chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup or more low salt chicken stock
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cut off top 1/4-inch of garlic head, drizzle w/ olive oil, wrap in tin foil (not from hat!) and roast in oven for about 30-35 minutes. Obviously, it would be good to “kill two birds with one stone” and roast it in the oven with chicken.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes in large pot of boiling, salted water til tender - about 30 minutes. Drain.
Transfer potatoes and garlic to large bowl. Using electric mixer beat potatoes and garlic. Add butter and chopped rosemary until smooth. Bring 1 cup stock to simmer (again, you could heat all the stock for the chicken and the potatoes at same time). Gradually mix stock into potato mixture Stir in parmesan, season with salt and pepper. (The ingredients can also be mixed in a food procesor, but in batches).

I’m not a wine expert, but I would likely pair this with a nice Bordeaux. Also good would be the (California) Marietta Old Vine Red.

Salut!

A beautiful post that brought tears to my jaded eyes. The description of Jane and her sister sitting with their mother in the last hours is strikingly similar to my mother-in-law’s passing, where my wife and her sister were with her at the end.

A rite of passage each of us will complete if we are lucky, because it’s tragic if our parents bury us.

I second the motion on Laurie Colwin. i have one of her novels, too. Talk about spunky!

Italian Sausage Soup

1 1/2 pounds mild Italian sausages, cut into 1/1 inch slices
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 large onions, chopped
1 large can (28 oz) Italian-style tomatores
3 cans (14 1/2 oz) beef broth
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 medium green pepper, chopped into chunks
2 medium size zucchini cut into 1/2 inch slices
5 oz medium size bow-shaped noodles
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

In a 5 quart soup pot over medium heat cook sausage slices until slightly browned. Drain off all but 3 tablespoons of the drippings. Add onion and garlic, cooking until onions are soft. Add peppers and zuchinni, saute for a few minutes.

Stir in tomatores (break them up) and their liquid, broth, wine, parsley and basil. Bring to a rolling boil and add noodles. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until noodles are al dente (approx 20 minutes). Skim off any oil if necessary. I have used Linquesa sasuage with great results.

Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese on the soup with fresh crusty rounds of sourdough bread and a glass of Lambrusco, merlot or other hearty red wines.

~~Anyone thought about compiling a FDL cookbook dedicated to the memory of Jane’s mother?

This soup can be cooked in a crockpot or on the stove top. It is one of my favorite quick cook meals.

For some of us, cooking is not just food on the table, it’s sustenance, community, comfort, expression, escape, even a zen state of mind. Greta sounded like such a person.

Here’s a easy to make, healthy, intensely flavored but not burn-your-taste-buds-off chicken dish that we make frequently.

GREEN CHILI CHICKEN

Cut up (and, optionally, skin)
1 whole chicken.

Rub outside of chicken with a mixture of:
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground caynenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin

In a Dutch oven heat:
1 Tbsp. oil.

Brown the chicken on all sides. Add:
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 finely diced onion
4 oz can diced green chilis, or green chili sauce.
1 cup chicken stock

Cover, simmer 35 minutes.

Remove chicken to platter (or don’t if you’re lazy)
Skim any fat from sauce in pan.

Blend together (shake in a jar):
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. water
and stir into sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Stir in:
1 cup yogurt at room temp.

Add salt to taste. Excellent with rice.

Optional but highly recommended: stir in lots of chopped cilantro just before serving.

Hint: double it and freeze the leftovers.

I liked reading that Greta read cookbooks like novels - I enjoy reading them that way, too.

Here’s a recipe for a marinara sauce that my sisters (all 6 of them) say cures anything. Good on any type of pasta and on polenta, too.

1 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 head of garlic (that’s right, one head)
To taste: fennel seed, dried oregano and hot pepper flakes
Fresh basil
Good red wine, the kind you drink
Extra virgin olive oil

Head olive oil in bottom of deep frying pan. Add the coarsely chopped garlic and saute a couple of minutes. Add in the dried oregano, fennel see and hot pepper flakes - sorry, I don’t have exact measurements for these as I sprinkle them into the oil and garlic by sight and smell.

Add in the canned San Marzano tomatoes and stir to break them up - I like sauce that has pieces of tomatoes in it. Add the can of tomato paste and stir again. Fill up the tomato paste can with the red wine and pour into the sauce - stir to combine thoroughly. Turn the heat down to simmer and let this mixture cook for about 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.

Take a nice handful of fresh basil and chop roughly. Add to the sauce, stir to combine and let cook for another 1/2 hour. Stir frequently to prevent sauce from sticking to bottom of pan.

I usually turn the flame off while I cook the pasta. Don’t forget to grate some asiago or parmaggiano cheese.

Serve with grilled chicken Italian sausage, grilled zucchini/yellow squash combo, along with a green salad with fresh baguette. Goes well with a nice Petit Sirah.

Lisadawn - grill some polenta rather than the chicken sausage and serve with ravioli, along with the salad and zucchini.

I borrowed my mother’s recipe boxes for a month after she died and scanned all of the cards. (How else to divide the recipes?) To honor Jane’s mom, Oklahoma A&M chili sauce:

CHILI SAUCE
5 quarts chopped tomatoes
2 cups chopped sweet red pepper
2 cups chopped green pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 tbsp salt
1 cup sugar, preferably brown
3 cups vinegar
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Combine chopped vegetables, salt and sugar, and simmer until the mixture begins to thicken. Then add vinegar and spices and cook down until it becomes a thick sauce. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal. Store in a dark cool place.
Yield about 3 quarts.

–Oklahoma A&M

“There aren’t any chilis in it” I hear you say. Back then, sweet peppers were called chili peppers, too, when they weren’t being called mangos. (And if that doesn’t confuse you when you’re reading a recipe for ‘chili sauce’, you’re doing better than me!) This sauce is really good on turkeyburgers.

Last week someone brought bread and butter pickles. Here’s another version, this one from my mother’s mother (died early of metastasizing breast cancer; her sisters made it past 80 and even 90).

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
1 gal cucumbers
3 large onions
Cut in slices and soak in salt water (1 cup to 1 gal water) overnight.
2 qt vinegar
4 cups sugar
1 tbsp turmeric (level)
1 tbsp ground mustard
1 tbsp celery seeds
Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes.
Drop cucumbers and onions in and bring to boil. Can.

I like to read MFK Fisher’s books about food and travel and life.

My dad was my hero and although he left us 17 years ago I think of him nearly every day. One of his best gifts was travel, I can honestly brag that I have been almost everywhere. While I was in the army, I spent almost a year in Oklahoma and I can tell that of all the places I have ever been the nicest people come from Oklahoma.So when you think of Jane and Greta know that if they are true Oklahoma women they are undeniably the nicest people on the face of the earth.

Clam Chowder

2 ribs celery chopped
5 red potatoes diced
2 small onions chopped
2 8oz bottles clam juice
1/2 tsp thyme
2 can canned clams
1/2 tsp basil
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup fish bouillon
1tsp white pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/2 stick buter
1/2 gallon milk
cup heavy cream

combine celery, onions,potatoes, clam juice,clams,thyme,basil bouillon, and pepper covered by water cook 30-45 minutes until potatoes are soft.

melt butter add flour and garlic and cook until slightly browned combine with potatoes and add milk and cream cook until thickened.

hmmm.. mine doesn’t qualify as comfort food so I’ll just post it next week.

Well, it’s comforting to me, but….

This is, in my opinion, the best tasting pound cake in the world. The recipe is on a yellowed piece of paper, stuck in my mom’s “Southern Cooking” cookbook. The book itself is missing the cover, and I keep it wrapped in brown paper to preserve it. Anyway, here’s the recipe:

Cream Cheese Poundcake

18 oz cream cheese
3 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour (self-rising)
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients, pour in tube pan and bake at 250 degrees for two hours (my mom said the baking time was what made it so good). Et voil! Comfort food :)

You guys have done a GREAT job under strenuous and emotional circumstances.

Keep up the great work.

Anyone like chicken gumbo, scampi, conch salad, harvard beets, black-eye peas with okra and jalapenos, potato coquettes and rice pudding? Margarita-Cointreau with maraschino slush for after dinner. That would be supper tonight.

tommy yum:

I dropped a few those crab fritters off at your house when I made them three weeks ago :)

jayt at 64 — I say post it anyway. :)

From ye olde Mayo Clinic…

Quinoa Risotto with Arugula and Parmesan (serves 6)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Cup quinoa, well rinsed
2 1/4 cups vegetable stock or broth
2 cups chopped, stemmed arugula (rocket)
1 small carrot, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 Cup thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/4 Cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute’ until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and quinoa and cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Don’t let the garlic brown.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the quinoa is almost tender to the bite but slightly hard in the center, about 12 minutes. The mixture will be brothy. Stir in the arugula, carrot and mushrooms and simmer until the quinoa grains have turned from white to translucent, about 2 minutes longer.

Stir in the Parmesan and season with the salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
~
It is the great mystery of human life that old grief passes gradually into quiet, tender joy.
Fyodor Dostoevsky

Much joy to Jane and Pam as they bask in the tender memories of Greta.

Okay, kids, I have to do some stuff out in the Big Room. Y’all play nice. Christy, let me know if you need anything.

It’s a little sick that I will miss the blog while I’m gone, isn’t it?

I love to travel and especially love New Orleans. One year we went for the Jazz Fest and ate to our hearts content. There was a wonderful pasta salad that I came home and kept working on until I came up with my own version. It is sort of a dump recipie, hope it works for you.

About one to two inch of summer sausage, cut in very small pieces. (Chopped hard pepperoni is also good.)

A 4 ounce bag of baby salad shrimp, thawed and drained on paper towels to get rid of the moisture. (Sometimes I buy whole shrimp and cut into small pieces, whatever is available.)(You want equal parts of sausage and shrimp.)

Cooked Zita pasta, (8 ounce bag).

Small bottle of chopped pimento, drained.
Small can of sliced black olives, drained.

A 12 ounce bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing, preferably without sugar in it. Spike this (in the bottle) with Tabasco sauce until pink and of desired heat. (You can use “lite” dressing but not fat free.)

Mix well and let sit in the fridge, preferably overnight.

Before serving, stir well (to get the oil well mixed with the pasta again) and then mix in 1/2 cup of grated Ramona (or Parmesian).

I call this Cajan Pasta. It is Yummy.

I couldn’t get out to Buffalo, so I went down to Gilchrest (OR) and spit in the millpond as they buried m’da a week ago. We were close, though never spent a great deal of time together. I’ve always been alone, but never lonely. Wow.

Thanks for the sense of community.