Showing posts with label Holiday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holiday. Show all posts

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Join a Pig Club for Valentine Circus Fun Every Day!

I know we live in an age when twisted, nonsensical humor is hot. And I like it. Ridiculous imagery and word pairings tickle me.

But this valentine...


I just don't know what to think. And I don't know what the designers were thinking.

But there's one thing I DO know. Pigs in Blankets are the perfect dish to go along with this disturbing Valentine.


These little guys, a box of chocolates, and a bottle of bubbly... Need I say more?

Ok, I'll say one thing more. Did you know there was an effort in World War I to get kids to raise pigs? (Me either.)


Don't delay. Join a pig club today.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Veggie Valentines and Sauteed Tomatoes

Valentine cards were made in all sorts of themes, including fruits and vegetables. Here are some samples for you, followed by a simple recipe appropriate for a St. Valentines Day themed meal.







Sauteed Cherry or Grape Tomatoes

1 pt grape or cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil or garlic herb basting oil
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a skillet, and add rinsed tomatoes. Saute over medium heat, turning often. Tomatoes will split as they cook, some sides browning and caramelizing into sweet goodness.  Pierce with the tip of a knife any stubborn tomatoes that refuse to pop on their own. When tomatoes are uniformly softened and popped, add basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for another few minutes to blend flavors. If using fresh basil, add just before serving.

Serve as a side dish for red meats or roast chicken. Crusty bread is wonderful for scooping up the warm, salty, sweet tomato flesh.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Valentines to Relish!

Four our second day of the valentine countdown, I figured we might as well not waste time, and jump right into the hot dog cards.

No commentary. Just lots of weiners, wurst, and relish.





Thursday, February 2, 2012

Happy Groundhog Day, Country Style!


Hope you planned ahead, because this little guy needs to a cure for a few days before cooking.

Country Style Groundhog
1 groundhog
1/2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. soda
1/4 c. cooking oil
1/2 tsp. sugar

NOTE: Clean and skin as soon as possible. Remove all scent glands. Cut off head, feet and tail. Cure in cool place by suspending from hook approximately 4 days. When ready to cook, lard according to recipe.

Dress groundhog as for rabbit, removing the small sacs in the back and under the forearm. Soak groundhog overnight in salted water to remove wild flavor. Combine flour, salt, pepper and soda; rub into groundhog pieces. Brown groundhog in hot oil in skillet; sprinkle with sugar. Reduce heat; add 1/2 cup water. Cover; simmer for about 30 minutes or until tender. Remove cover; cook for 10 minutes longer.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Valentine Luncheon Menus: Veal Croquettes, Sunshine Sauce, and Gay Garnishes!

Planning lunch for your honey on Valentine's Day? Here are a few menus suggested in Meals Tested Tasted and Approved, published by the Good Housekeeping Institute in 1933.

..... 1 .....

Tomato Bouillon
Jellied Crab Meat Salad
Clover Biscuits
Steamed Chocolate Pudding
Sunshine Sauce (Recipe at the bottom of this post)
Coffee


 
..... 2 .....

Fruit Cocktail
Veal Croquettes with Tomato Sauce
Baking Powder Biscuits
Celery stuffed with Cheese
Strawberry Ice Cream in Heart Molds
Cake

..... 3 .....

Chicken Bouillon
Creamed Scallops and Mushrooms on Toast
Pimiento Sandwiches
Radish Roses
Celery Hearts
Tangerine Tapioca
Sponge Drops
Candy Hearts
Coffee

..... 4 .....

Cream of Celery Soup
Croutons cut in Heart Shapes
Chicken Mousse
Green Peas
Potato Chips
Raspberry Ice Cream
Cake
Coffee

Sunshine Sauce
2 egg yolks
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy cream

Beat the egg yolks, add sugar and vanilla and beat together. Just before serving add the cream which has been whipped until stiff.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Product Recommendation: Betty Crocker Gingerbread Mix


Some of you may be thinking I'm a month or so late with this post, and I admit: those some have a point.

For the record, I did write a post about gingerbread in that most gingerbready of seasons. But since the weather here is only beginning to get frightful, it's still a great time of year for warm, spicy cake, fresh out of the oven.

And that's what I made this afternoon.

My oh my was it good.

I don't usually do product recommendations, but in this case I have to make an exception. Here's why.
  1. The mix only requires water and 1 egg. (True confession time: I was out of eggs, and so substituted an egg-sized dollop of mayonnaise.)
  2. The directions call for mixing it together right in the baking pan. No extra dishes to wash! LOVE!
  3. The smell was heavenly, and the gingerbread is moist, flavorful, soft, spicy, and tender.
It almost literally could not be easier. And I don't mean virtually. I mean literally.

I think this mix is going to become a pantry staple. Not only is it great for whipping together something warm and sweet on a snowy, blowy day, I'm already thinking up ways it could be glammed up when I need an easy to prepare dessert  to complete a meal I've fussed over for friends.

Give it a try. You just might love it.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Wishes

I've been too busy working and baking to post over the past few days!


My guess is that you've been too busy to read, so it probably all works out for the best.

Hoping you have the very merriest of Christmases.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Creamy Green Beany Oniony Goodness

One word:

Green bean casserole!

Just a few simple ingredients plus pepper and you are good to go!




Three great tastes that go great together.

Make some for your next holiday gathering. Throw in some chopped water chestnuts or canned mushrooms if you feel the need to switch it up.

But do it. You won't be sorry.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Rich Guy Plum Pudding

Look, it's a one pudding open sleigh!


This morning's offering comes from Favorite Old Recipes. The book was produced by speculator rich boy Joseph Leiter, and subtitled "Being a Comprehensive and Diverse Collection of Favorite Recipes Diligently Gathered from Many Sources".

Publication of the title was such big news that the Milwaukee sentinel from April 15, 1928 offered an article on the subject:

The article states:
"Time and expense do not enter into the mind when giving directions for the proper way of preparing a dish. Ingredients are marshaled from every country and every season, and liberal use is made of wines and brandies. But the wealthy author, who maintains a famous wine cellar, explains that in place of the rare vintages called for in the recipes, the non-alcoholic wines and cordials sold at the grocery stores may be sued with satisfactory results.

Mr. Leiter is the son of the late Levi Z. Leiter, early partner of Marshall Field, the Chicago merchant prince, who left an estate of $30,000,000, of which Joseph is trustee. One of his sisters married Marquis Curzon, formerly Viceroy of India, and another is the Countess of Suffolk."
Here's a better picture of old Joe:

Only 1,000 copies of the book were printed, and I'm a lucky girl to get one!

You'll be seeing more of this title in days to come. Today you get a look at the second of two plum pudding recipes Mr. Leiter cooked on his yacht or one of several homes around the country. You can tell it is an oldie by the way the ingredients are handled: small glasses of this, "some milk", etc.

Now run off to the store to get some beef marrow, and cook like a tycoon!

Plum Pudding--No. 2
Have two pounds of beef marrow or suet, chop it well and put it into a large pot; seed a pound and a half of package raisins, wash and clean half a pound of Corinthian raisins, and mix these raisins with the suet; add to this three pounds of bread crumbs, a good glass of Malaga wine, two small glasses of Cognac brandy, the rind of half a lemon, chopped fine, a handful of preserved lemon cut in pieces, a good handful of flour, some salt and eight whole eggs; moisten the lot with some milk; mix it with the hands, so that it will be thoroughly mixed; form a liquid paste. Tie this mixture in a sack and put this sack into a pot of previously boiling water. Let it cook six or seven hours, making sure that the sack is always covered with water and that the water is boiling. While it is cooking, make the following sauce:

Put a quarter of a pound of butter into a casserole, a pinch of flour, a pinch of lemon rind, and candied lemon chopped fine, a pinch of salt and a spoonful of sugar; moisten the lot with some Malaga wine, let cook as you would any ordinary sauce. At time of serving strain your plum pudding for a few minutes, take it from the sack, set on a plate and glaze it with this sauce. Serve.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Sugar Plums Oh Sugar Plums, What Pray Tell Art Thou?

The first recipe in this month's holiday extravaganza led me on a quest.

Not being much of a candy maker (I'm afraid of boiling sugar), I can't quite tell what the texture of the candies is like, but their snowy whiteness makes a great backdrop for the neon-colored candied fruit of the era.

We always had little plastic tubs of the stuff in my childhood kitchen. I never liked it, but it was a holiday staple, as you will see from recipes to come throughout the month.

I imagine this candy to be very sweet, slightly chewy, and studded with the weirdly textured candied fruit flavors of the past. But they aren't what I ever imagined sugar plums to be.

And so I set out to find out what a sugar plum is. Turns out this is not a straight forward question.

Here are a few examples of the most common version found on the interwebs today:







In contrast, Epicurious says that they are candied or dried fruits surrounded by fondant.

Other sources say they are a comfit; a confectionary item usually small in size which is arduously coated in multiple layers of sugar:


So I'm still confused.

Perhaps I should ask the Patron Fairy for answers:

Look! She's wearing candied cherries! Surely she will know.

I'm off to Google her contact info...

Happy December!

Christmas makes you feel emotional
it may bring parties or thoughts devotional
whatever happens or what may be
here is what Christmas time means to me...

(Or rather, to Cookbook Love)

That's right! The month of December will be devoted to Christmas recipes. I'll be on the hunt for vintage Hanukkah recipes as well, and will post interesting examples of anything I find after the 20th.

(I wonder if Spry ever had Aunt Jenny make latkes?)

Only one way to find out! Stick around for ideas about how to jingle bell rock your holiday kitchen, old school style.