Kids are enthusiastic cooks—and good ones, too. Given encouragement and supervision they can become fantastic cooks who take a major role in preparing family meals. Not only is that a great help for the whole family, but it often leads to a life-long interest and love of cooking.
Take me, for instance. I started my cooking career at the tender age of 3. This actually is a perfect age, as parents of toddlers can tell you. A child of this age wants to do whatever the grown-ups do and often drives mom (especially) or dad crazy by following him/her around all the time trying to do whatever the adult is doing. Put toddlers to work and you won’t regret it.
Cookies make the obvious best first cooking experience. They are fun, they are easy, they are versatile and they can take a lot of abuse. Let your child have pretty much free reign, but explain as you go why you make yours as you do. My mom would say while making pie dough (her specialty), “See, I barely touch it as I gather it into a ball in the bowl. Then I only roll it out once.” I would continue to play with my dough, but after it was baked, mine was gray and tough. Then Mom could explain that all that handling had caused it.
By age 6 or so, I had learned to make a perfect pie crust and delicious, pretty cookies. The oohs and aahs I received from family and guests kept me going. This is a good age to teach your child to use the sharp tools. I remember my mom taking a carrot and with the sharp chef’s knife, lopping off a finger-sized piece. “That’s what can happen to a finger if you’re not very, very careful.” I remember my granddaughter Crystal at age 8, standing on a stool with a chef’s knife chopping vegetables for a dish we were making. I was right opposite her, watching carefully but letting her do it. She was ecstatic that someone was letting her use the knife—no one ever had before. She was very, very careful and did a great job. Graters are another tool that can be taught around this age.
Once the sharp tools are out of the way, the next hurdle is the range. This needs to wait until 10 or so I think. Supervision for quite awhile is a good idea. You know your child—some are capable earlier than others. When a child has shown the ability to handle the range, the time has come to allow him/her to make a complete family meal.
The first time this is undertaken, the adult should stay with the procedure from start to finish for a lot of reasons. First, planning and shopping are needed. But once the actual cooking is underway, timing becomes the biggest problem. I served my first family meal at age 12—I did everything alone. We ate at 11:30 PM.
Here are two dishes we made while down in Florida with the grandkids (ages 10 and 12). They were a great success—and two dishes the kids have now in their repertoire.
Tacos
This taco recipe came from my 7th grade Home Ec class when I was living in the Los Angeles area. The teacher was Mexican and she swore this was the authentic way to make tacos. The one change I have made is the taco seasoning pack instead of the individual seasonings. The potato not only adds flavor, but the potato starch helps to thicken the filling, so if you opt to use your own spices, the mixture still thickens well.
8 soft flour tortillas or 12 pre-formed crisp corn taco shells (we prefer the soft)
12 ounces hamburger meat
1 medium potato
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
½ onion, chopped fine (optional)
Condiments:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
Finely chopped fresh tomatoes (or use canned diced tomatoes)
Chopped ripe olives
Finely diced avocado
Sour cream
Taco sauce or salsa
Scrub potato well and grate with skin on, using medium grating blades of a box grater right into a bowl so juice is with potato. Do not squeeze or drain. Set aside.
Fry hamburger and onions (if using) and grated potato in skillet on medium heat. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes. When hamburger is medium brown, drain fat. Add the contents of the taco seasoning mix envelope to the skillet and follow directions on package. Fill tortillas with 2 Tbsp. of filling and set out the condiments in bowls.
Yellow cake with Penuche Frosting
Everyone raves about this frosting. It is a real winner.
1 Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix
Make cake exactly as the box says. This will require 3 eggs, 1 1/3 cups water and 1/3 cup vegetable oil.
Frosting
½ cup butter (one stick)
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
¼ cup milk
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in brown sugar. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in milk. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Set the pan in cold water. When syrup is lukewarm (bottom of pan is just warm, not hot), stir in powdered sugar. Set pan in ice water. Beat until thick enough to spread. If frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add a few drops of hot water.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Children's Day
When I was young my brother and I always protested on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day—why isn’t there a Children’s Day? And we got the parents’ stock answer—“Every day is Children’s Day. Didn’t you hear that, too? Well, little did I know (or probably you either) there is one—celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of June which this year is June 13.
Now that I’m old, I have to agree that every day is Children’s Day. I think it is celebrated in churches as church Sunday schools wind up for the school year and children are celebrated for their achievements, but it could be a great opportunity to cook with children and get them started on the greatest pursuit I know.
I have several cookbooks in my collection meant especially for children and some that are geared to children’s foods. As one of my books, Kim’s Cookbook for Young Children says, “Cooking is easy to do and there are so many fun things to make you will want to be cooking all the time.” Last weekend, while visiting my oldest son in Madison, I was astounded to find that he has developed a major interest in cooking and was very knowledgeable about many different facets of it. This is a relatively new development, although he has always enjoyed making a few specialties; he is now experimenting with many different techniques and foods. It was very satisfying—after raising three boys that I would never have dreamed would care about cooking. So you never know what you’re starting when you cook with kids.
To start with children it is a great idea to make something that is do-able, delicious and fun! Also, if it is possible, a dish that allows them to be somewhat creative. While you are there helping, you can make many things—leave the actual lessons in independent cooking for later. A great starter for any age is cupcakes.
Cupcakes are enjoying a surge of popularity right now—there are even special cupcake holders that form a cake with tiers of cupcakes. It’s great for a birthday party because it delivers an individual unit for each person. Also each cupcake can be different. A great idea is to pipe each child’s name on a cupcake and add a small flower or other decoration if there is room.
Here’s an easy, classic cake recipe to use as your base: (adapted from Little Cakes by Kaye and Liv Hansen)
Use paper liners in a standard 12-cup muffin tin. Spray each liner with vegetable spray—very lightly—so that they will peel away from cake cleanly.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1 ¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp. cake flour
¾ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup plus 2 ½ tsp. warmed milk
2 large eggs
1 stick soft butter
½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ tsp baking powder
Sift into mixer bowl the flour and salt. Add sugar and mix; then add milk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Beat on low speed with whisk attachment for 1 minute. Scrape bowl. Beat at medium low speed for 1 ½ minutes. Add baking powder last and mix on low for 30 seconds. Fill each liner ¾ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before decorating.
Icing
2 sticks butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 Tbsp meringue powder
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp milk or half and half
In bowl of an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter until creamy. Add sugar, meringue powder, vanilla and salt all at once and beat at low speed until smooth. Add milk and continue beating until light and creamy.
To make a chocolate buttercream, combine 2 to 3 ounces of melted semisweet chocolate at body temperature to each cup of above recipe. Mix until smooth and completely blended.
With colored icing and nonpareils and other candies of your choice decorate cupcakes to your and your children’s content and delight.
CHILDREN—take ‘em as they run—
You kin bet on ev’ry one!—
Treat ‘em right and reco’nize
Human souls is all one size.
Jevver think?—the world’s best men
Wears the same souls they had when
They run barefoot—‘way back where
All these little children air.
--James Whitcomb Riley
Happy Children’s Day!
Here are a few of my favorite cookbooks for and about children:
Little Cakes From The Whimsical Bakehouse by Kaye Hansen and Liv Hansen (2008)
Betty Crocker’s Cook Book for Boys and Girls (1957)
Kim’s Cookbook for Young People from Red Farm Studio (1971)
The Country Mothers Cookbook by Jane Watson Hopping (1991)
Young Children’s Mix and Fix Cookbook from Parents’ Magazine (1975)
Now that I’m old, I have to agree that every day is Children’s Day. I think it is celebrated in churches as church Sunday schools wind up for the school year and children are celebrated for their achievements, but it could be a great opportunity to cook with children and get them started on the greatest pursuit I know.
I have several cookbooks in my collection meant especially for children and some that are geared to children’s foods. As one of my books, Kim’s Cookbook for Young Children says, “Cooking is easy to do and there are so many fun things to make you will want to be cooking all the time.” Last weekend, while visiting my oldest son in Madison, I was astounded to find that he has developed a major interest in cooking and was very knowledgeable about many different facets of it. This is a relatively new development, although he has always enjoyed making a few specialties; he is now experimenting with many different techniques and foods. It was very satisfying—after raising three boys that I would never have dreamed would care about cooking. So you never know what you’re starting when you cook with kids.
To start with children it is a great idea to make something that is do-able, delicious and fun! Also, if it is possible, a dish that allows them to be somewhat creative. While you are there helping, you can make many things—leave the actual lessons in independent cooking for later. A great starter for any age is cupcakes.
Cupcakes are enjoying a surge of popularity right now—there are even special cupcake holders that form a cake with tiers of cupcakes. It’s great for a birthday party because it delivers an individual unit for each person. Also each cupcake can be different. A great idea is to pipe each child’s name on a cupcake and add a small flower or other decoration if there is room.
Here’s an easy, classic cake recipe to use as your base: (adapted from Little Cakes by Kaye and Liv Hansen)
Use paper liners in a standard 12-cup muffin tin. Spray each liner with vegetable spray—very lightly—so that they will peel away from cake cleanly.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1 ¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp. cake flour
¾ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup plus 2 ½ tsp. warmed milk
2 large eggs
1 stick soft butter
½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ tsp baking powder
Sift into mixer bowl the flour and salt. Add sugar and mix; then add milk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Beat on low speed with whisk attachment for 1 minute. Scrape bowl. Beat at medium low speed for 1 ½ minutes. Add baking powder last and mix on low for 30 seconds. Fill each liner ¾ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely before decorating.
Icing
2 sticks butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 Tbsp meringue powder
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp milk or half and half
In bowl of an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter until creamy. Add sugar, meringue powder, vanilla and salt all at once and beat at low speed until smooth. Add milk and continue beating until light and creamy.
To make a chocolate buttercream, combine 2 to 3 ounces of melted semisweet chocolate at body temperature to each cup of above recipe. Mix until smooth and completely blended.
With colored icing and nonpareils and other candies of your choice decorate cupcakes to your and your children’s content and delight.
CHILDREN—take ‘em as they run—
You kin bet on ev’ry one!—
Treat ‘em right and reco’nize
Human souls is all one size.
Jevver think?—the world’s best men
Wears the same souls they had when
They run barefoot—‘way back where
All these little children air.
--James Whitcomb Riley
Happy Children’s Day!
Here are a few of my favorite cookbooks for and about children:
Little Cakes From The Whimsical Bakehouse by Kaye Hansen and Liv Hansen (2008)
Betty Crocker’s Cook Book for Boys and Girls (1957)
Kim’s Cookbook for Young People from Red Farm Studio (1971)
The Country Mothers Cookbook by Jane Watson Hopping (1991)
Young Children’s Mix and Fix Cookbook from Parents’ Magazine (1975)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Vacation Home Cooking
I used to wish that I had a vacation home, better known in Minnesota as a “cabin up North.” That was before I spent all of my time cooking, cleaning and maintaining a big old Victorian home that operates as a bed and breakfast. Now, what I really want is to visit other people’s vacation homes wherever they are.
My parents had such a place when I was young and when my children were young and we all loved it. Of course, my mother and father did most of the work while we were there and all of the work before we came and after we left. My memories are of fishing, berry picking, water skiing, swimming, eating wonderful barbeques and freshly caught fish (which somebody else, usually my Dad, cleaned and filleted.)
Carefree Cooking by Jacquelyn Reinach, written 40 years ago, is a cookbook for the people who want to own a cabin and actually enjoy it. She opens her book with this description: “Owning or renting a second house seems so luxurious, doesn’t it, as you lie in your apartment bathtub, envisioning that get-away-from-it-all place where you can turn off the world, gaze at clouds and have your family snug and secure. Unfortunately, by the time you pack, get the car loaded, drive to where you’re going (on I94, ugh), stop on the way or market after you get there, put away groceries, unpack, scrub bathrooms, make beds, arrange flowers, cook breakfast, followed by lunch, followed by dinner, followed by breakfast, and so forth, do dishes, wind the eight day antique clock, sweep, clean, throw out flowers, take out garbage…” Parentheses mine.
And yet…it really is fun! While reading the above-mentioned book, I realized that we new millennium folk have adopted the more casual and care-free style which 40 years ago was being suggested for cabin cooking. We are making progress.
Here are some of the suggestions posed by Ms. Reinach for coping with guests and family at your summer home.
Breakfast: If you’re not an early riser, leave the makings for simple breakfasts out or prepared in the refrigerator such as dry cereals (those individual boxes are nice), with bowls, sugar and bananas and sweet rolls or coffee cake, covered with foil; perhaps a bowl of fresh fruit. In the fridge you can have pancake batter or the makings of French toast. Something like the motel breakfasts of today.
If you’re an early riser and a breakfast lover—as I am—it’s not difficult to come up with crowd-pleasing but simple breakfasts. Scrambled eggs are always a winner and there are so many variations. Or you can bake a large number of eggs—here’s how:
Baked Eggs for a Crowd
8-10 commercial shells for baking or any individual ramekins or baking dishes
16-20 eggs (allow 2 per dish)
Per shell: 1 tsp. melted butter, 2 tsp. heavy cream, 1 tsp. grated parmesan cheese, Salt and Pepper, Kosher coarse salt to hold shells steady in large baking pan
Swirl the melted butter around the bottom of each seashell to coat it. Set the shells on a bed of coarse salt in a large baking pan. Add 1 tsp. cream, cheese and salt and pepper. Break in two eggs, gently. Spoon the other teaspoon of cream over the top, salt and pepper again. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes, depending on how set you like your eggs. If you prefer a runnier yolk, cover the entire baking pan with foil.
You could serve cantaloupe wedges, and brioche (store-bought) with butter and jam and lots of coffee to round this out.
Here’s a different dinner menu that caught my eye:
Italian Roast Beef
Angel hair pasta with butter and cheese
Zucchini and Mushroom salad
Orange Oranges
The roast can be done ahead and frozen. Bring to room temperature before reheating for about half an hour. Angel hair pasta can be made just before dinner. Zucchini and mushroom salad is made from marinated zucchini and mushrooms (which have been lightly sautéed) in an Italian dressing for several hours, then drained and served on crisp romaine. The oranges can be made ahead any time and kept frozen.
Italian Roast Beef
½ stick butter
4-pound eye of the round roast
1 onion, peeled and sliced
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
1 Tbsp grated Romano cheese
1 cup dry vermouth
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. chopped lemon rind
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. anchovy paste (optional)
Melt half of the butter in a shallow, flame-proof casserole and brown the meat and onion. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Sprinkle grated cheese over all. Roast uncovered at 350 about 40 minutes for rare. Baste now and then with half the vermouth. Just before serving, add a mixture of parsley, lemon rind, garlic, anchovy paste, rest of the butter and vermouth to the juices in the pan. Serve separately as sauce. Serves 6 to 8
Orange oranges
Cut a lid from the tops of oranges. Scoop out the fruit. Pack the orange shells with orange sherbet. Put the lids back on. Wrap each orange in foil and freeze until serving time.
My parents had such a place when I was young and when my children were young and we all loved it. Of course, my mother and father did most of the work while we were there and all of the work before we came and after we left. My memories are of fishing, berry picking, water skiing, swimming, eating wonderful barbeques and freshly caught fish (which somebody else, usually my Dad, cleaned and filleted.)
Carefree Cooking by Jacquelyn Reinach, written 40 years ago, is a cookbook for the people who want to own a cabin and actually enjoy it. She opens her book with this description: “Owning or renting a second house seems so luxurious, doesn’t it, as you lie in your apartment bathtub, envisioning that get-away-from-it-all place where you can turn off the world, gaze at clouds and have your family snug and secure. Unfortunately, by the time you pack, get the car loaded, drive to where you’re going (on I94, ugh), stop on the way or market after you get there, put away groceries, unpack, scrub bathrooms, make beds, arrange flowers, cook breakfast, followed by lunch, followed by dinner, followed by breakfast, and so forth, do dishes, wind the eight day antique clock, sweep, clean, throw out flowers, take out garbage…” Parentheses mine.
And yet…it really is fun! While reading the above-mentioned book, I realized that we new millennium folk have adopted the more casual and care-free style which 40 years ago was being suggested for cabin cooking. We are making progress.
Here are some of the suggestions posed by Ms. Reinach for coping with guests and family at your summer home.
Breakfast: If you’re not an early riser, leave the makings for simple breakfasts out or prepared in the refrigerator such as dry cereals (those individual boxes are nice), with bowls, sugar and bananas and sweet rolls or coffee cake, covered with foil; perhaps a bowl of fresh fruit. In the fridge you can have pancake batter or the makings of French toast. Something like the motel breakfasts of today.
If you’re an early riser and a breakfast lover—as I am—it’s not difficult to come up with crowd-pleasing but simple breakfasts. Scrambled eggs are always a winner and there are so many variations. Or you can bake a large number of eggs—here’s how:
Baked Eggs for a Crowd
8-10 commercial shells for baking or any individual ramekins or baking dishes
16-20 eggs (allow 2 per dish)
Per shell: 1 tsp. melted butter, 2 tsp. heavy cream, 1 tsp. grated parmesan cheese, Salt and Pepper, Kosher coarse salt to hold shells steady in large baking pan
Swirl the melted butter around the bottom of each seashell to coat it. Set the shells on a bed of coarse salt in a large baking pan. Add 1 tsp. cream, cheese and salt and pepper. Break in two eggs, gently. Spoon the other teaspoon of cream over the top, salt and pepper again. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes, depending on how set you like your eggs. If you prefer a runnier yolk, cover the entire baking pan with foil.
You could serve cantaloupe wedges, and brioche (store-bought) with butter and jam and lots of coffee to round this out.
Here’s a different dinner menu that caught my eye:
Italian Roast Beef
Angel hair pasta with butter and cheese
Zucchini and Mushroom salad
Orange Oranges
The roast can be done ahead and frozen. Bring to room temperature before reheating for about half an hour. Angel hair pasta can be made just before dinner. Zucchini and mushroom salad is made from marinated zucchini and mushrooms (which have been lightly sautéed) in an Italian dressing for several hours, then drained and served on crisp romaine. The oranges can be made ahead any time and kept frozen.
Italian Roast Beef
½ stick butter
4-pound eye of the round roast
1 onion, peeled and sliced
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
1 Tbsp grated Romano cheese
1 cup dry vermouth
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. chopped lemon rind
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. anchovy paste (optional)
Melt half of the butter in a shallow, flame-proof casserole and brown the meat and onion. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Sprinkle grated cheese over all. Roast uncovered at 350 about 40 minutes for rare. Baste now and then with half the vermouth. Just before serving, add a mixture of parsley, lemon rind, garlic, anchovy paste, rest of the butter and vermouth to the juices in the pan. Serve separately as sauce. Serves 6 to 8
Orange oranges
Cut a lid from the tops of oranges. Scoop out the fruit. Pack the orange shells with orange sherbet. Put the lids back on. Wrap each orange in foil and freeze until serving time.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Denmark's Constitution Day
Time to celebrate another ethnic holiday—and this times it’s another Scandinavian country—Denmark! Constitution Day is June 5 and is traditionally celebrated at a picnic on the Sunday closest to that date.
The Danes’ food customs and styles are very similar to those of Norway and Sweden; but there is subtle sense—portrayed by the Danes themselves—that their’s is a bit more refined and displays a certain elegance of style a cut above the others. That may be attributed to the circumstances of immigration to America which were generally devoid of the poverty and serious adversity of the other immigrations. Or, perhaps, it is just the usual rivalry found among the descendents of these countries.
Because of the numbers of immigrants from Norway, Sweden and Finland, Danish cuisine has a lower profile; nevertheless there are many dishes distinctively Danish that abound. Danish pastry is the one that most people think of—it is so delicious and universally liked. I am not talking about what passes for “Danish” in some places, but the real thing, made with several rollings of the butter-laden dough which appeared in an earlier column. Less common is the Danish aebleskiver. Aebleskiver require specially designed, cast iron, skillet-like pans with seven cup-shaped wells into which a dollop of rich batter is dropped, cooked briefly on the top of the stove and (sometimes) filled with a skiver (sliver) of apple or a spoonful of applesauce.
Perhaps another reason for the Danish “food snobbery” is because of their demand for an exceptionally high quality of ingredients. And the service or presentation is very important to the Danes. The menu for Syttende Mai is almost identical to the menu that is common for Denmark’s Constitution Day: Smorrebrod (open-faced sandwiches) in dozens of varieties, herring, kringler, kransekage (the multi-ringed almond paste cake) topped with Danish flags, beer, akvavit and, of course, coffee. Oh yes, and the famous cream cake, blodtkake—Danish style. But the care taken in the preparation and presentation of the smorrebrod sets them apart from all others.
The smorrebrod are the Dane’s real claim to culinary fame. They have a certain protocol surrounding the creation and the eating. All components must be thinly sliced. The bread must have a minimum of crust and any crust that doesn’t comply will be cut off. The butter is then spread thinly to the very edges of the bread.
The combination of the ingredients on top of the bread is proscribed rather restrictedly and even the order in which they are eaten is determined by custom: herring and fish; chicken or egg salad; meats, pate, sausages and frikadeller (meatballs); and finally cheeses, with Havarti, bleu and Camembert the most commonly used. Most importantly,
Danish open-face sandwiches must never be eaten by hands but with silver utensils.
If you are artistic and a real gourmand, you may want to give these beautiful, delicious but labor-intensive sandwiches a try. I began mine with authentic bread, used for the majority of the sandwiches. White bread is for shrimp, salmon and cheese.
Danish Pumpernickel Rye Bread (Dansk Rugbrod)
1 pkg. dry yeast
1/4 cup water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
¼ cup molasses
1 Tbsp. salt
¼ cup butter
3 ¾ cups medium rye flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 ½ to 2 cups all-purpose flour
Dissolve yeast in water. Set aside. Heat buttermilk to 105-115 degrees over moderate heat. Add molasses, salt and butter. Stir until butter is melted. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add dissolved yeast. Add rye and whole-wheat flours, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Gradually add all-purpose flour, stirring in small amounts until dough can be turned out on lightly floured board and kneaded. May need to add more flour during kneading process. Knead on floured surface for 7-10 minutes. Place in greased bowl and lightly grease top of dough. Allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 1 ½ hours. Punch dough down well. Grease pans with shortening and shape dough into 1 long loaf or 2 smaller loaves. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in bulk or until dough is just a little higher than sides of pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake 1 hour. Check bread. If it sounds hollow when rapped, remove from oven. May need up to 15 additional minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on baking rack. Cut in thin slices.
The list of toppings ranges from smoked eel, flaked crab, raw steak, specially made cold meat loaves, sausages, hard-cooked eggs and a myriad of cheeses. Garnishes are crucial; nearly anything goes and the cook’s imagination is the only limit; the most common are lemon twists, aspic, beet pickles, bacon, cucumber, grapes, mandarin oranges, capers, pickled onions, and the almost always included parsley. Let Sunday be a salute to the Danes!
The Danes’ food customs and styles are very similar to those of Norway and Sweden; but there is subtle sense—portrayed by the Danes themselves—that their’s is a bit more refined and displays a certain elegance of style a cut above the others. That may be attributed to the circumstances of immigration to America which were generally devoid of the poverty and serious adversity of the other immigrations. Or, perhaps, it is just the usual rivalry found among the descendents of these countries.
Because of the numbers of immigrants from Norway, Sweden and Finland, Danish cuisine has a lower profile; nevertheless there are many dishes distinctively Danish that abound. Danish pastry is the one that most people think of—it is so delicious and universally liked. I am not talking about what passes for “Danish” in some places, but the real thing, made with several rollings of the butter-laden dough which appeared in an earlier column. Less common is the Danish aebleskiver. Aebleskiver require specially designed, cast iron, skillet-like pans with seven cup-shaped wells into which a dollop of rich batter is dropped, cooked briefly on the top of the stove and (sometimes) filled with a skiver (sliver) of apple or a spoonful of applesauce.
Perhaps another reason for the Danish “food snobbery” is because of their demand for an exceptionally high quality of ingredients. And the service or presentation is very important to the Danes. The menu for Syttende Mai is almost identical to the menu that is common for Denmark’s Constitution Day: Smorrebrod (open-faced sandwiches) in dozens of varieties, herring, kringler, kransekage (the multi-ringed almond paste cake) topped with Danish flags, beer, akvavit and, of course, coffee. Oh yes, and the famous cream cake, blodtkake—Danish style. But the care taken in the preparation and presentation of the smorrebrod sets them apart from all others.
The smorrebrod are the Dane’s real claim to culinary fame. They have a certain protocol surrounding the creation and the eating. All components must be thinly sliced. The bread must have a minimum of crust and any crust that doesn’t comply will be cut off. The butter is then spread thinly to the very edges of the bread.
The combination of the ingredients on top of the bread is proscribed rather restrictedly and even the order in which they are eaten is determined by custom: herring and fish; chicken or egg salad; meats, pate, sausages and frikadeller (meatballs); and finally cheeses, with Havarti, bleu and Camembert the most commonly used. Most importantly,
Danish open-face sandwiches must never be eaten by hands but with silver utensils.
If you are artistic and a real gourmand, you may want to give these beautiful, delicious but labor-intensive sandwiches a try. I began mine with authentic bread, used for the majority of the sandwiches. White bread is for shrimp, salmon and cheese.
Danish Pumpernickel Rye Bread (Dansk Rugbrod)
1 pkg. dry yeast
1/4 cup water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
¼ cup molasses
1 Tbsp. salt
¼ cup butter
3 ¾ cups medium rye flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 ½ to 2 cups all-purpose flour
Dissolve yeast in water. Set aside. Heat buttermilk to 105-115 degrees over moderate heat. Add molasses, salt and butter. Stir until butter is melted. Pour into large mixing bowl. Add dissolved yeast. Add rye and whole-wheat flours, 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Gradually add all-purpose flour, stirring in small amounts until dough can be turned out on lightly floured board and kneaded. May need to add more flour during kneading process. Knead on floured surface for 7-10 minutes. Place in greased bowl and lightly grease top of dough. Allow to rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 1 ½ hours. Punch dough down well. Grease pans with shortening and shape dough into 1 long loaf or 2 smaller loaves. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in bulk or until dough is just a little higher than sides of pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake 1 hour. Check bread. If it sounds hollow when rapped, remove from oven. May need up to 15 additional minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on baking rack. Cut in thin slices.
The list of toppings ranges from smoked eel, flaked crab, raw steak, specially made cold meat loaves, sausages, hard-cooked eggs and a myriad of cheeses. Garnishes are crucial; nearly anything goes and the cook’s imagination is the only limit; the most common are lemon twists, aspic, beet pickles, bacon, cucumber, grapes, mandarin oranges, capers, pickled onions, and the almost always included parsley. Let Sunday be a salute to the Danes!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Go Bananas in June
I know it’s June and June is strawberry month but I’d like to say a word for the banana. Yes, that old, common staple of the produce shelf which is available all year around and is probably not an exciting fruit this time of year. Well, I’ve learned a lot about this old stand-by fruit and found a recipe that is really great.
I love to go to estate sales and auctions to buy old cookbooks. The more beat up and used they look, the more treasures they usually have inside. When you open one that has writing all over the inside of the front and back covers and in all the margarines, one that has stains on most of the pages, and where such things as old pay slips are stuck inside with recipes scrawled over them with titles like “Bessie’s crumb pudding”—those are the treasures. It always makes me feel a little sad as well. I imagine a housewife and mother lovingly copying down her favorite “receipts” and cooking or baking them for the Ladies’ Aid, church potluck, family reunion or, even better, her own dearly loved family. Now her beloved stash of recipes is in the hands of someone that doesn’t know her or her family. And yet, they live on.
It’s another thing to actually try these old recipes, however. They are usually a list of ingredients, written in ink, sometimes illegible. There are rarely, if ever, any directions for pan sizes or techniques. It was serendipitous, then, when I had a faded-ink, 3x5 lined card, yellowed with age, fall out of an old cookbook titled simply “Banana Cake” just when I had two overly-ripe bananas on the counter.
I decided to try it out and was sure it would be okay for us, if not for our guests at the inn.
Without directions or pan sizes, I made my own changes. It was delicious. So delicious that our housekeeper sampled it and wanted the recipe—and my husband, who doesn’t usually like banana cakes or breads or muffins—loved it.
Here first, is the recipe exactly as it appeared:
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup shortening
2 eggs beaten
¼ c. sour milk
1 c. banana pulp
2 c. flour (cake flour)
1 pinch salt
1 teas b soda
1 teas vinegar in milk if sweet
1 teas vanilla
350 oven for 50 min.
Based on the time given for baking, I am guessing that this is a loaf cake, but I didn’t want to make a loaf cake and I used a few different ingredients. Here then, is the recipe as I baked it:
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 eggs
¼ cup buttermilk
1 cup pureed bananas
2 cups cake flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream sugar and butter in stand mixer for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift together the cake flour, salt and baking soda; set aside. Mix together the buttermilk, pureed bananas and vanilla. With mixer running, add dry ingredients alternately with fluids, beating until smooth after each addition. Pour into 9x13 baking pan sprayed with vegetable spray and bake at 350 degree oven for 28-32 minutes or until cake tests done.
Cake can be frosted with a thin coat of cream cheese frosting, a coconut frosting or just dusted with sifted powdered sugar.
I decided that I will experiment and bake it again, this time in a loaf pan for the specified time. I’m sure it will be good but different. This cake had a crunchy sugar bottom—not tough or burned, just a little layer like the top of Crème Brule upside down. Everyone loved it. Since bananas and strawberries have such an affinity for one another, and it is June, after all, I served this cake with sweetened, sliced strawberries and whipped cream. Delicious!
If you need any more reasons to eat and enjoy this old stand-by fruit, here is a little information I came across: bananas can be used to lose weight. Yes, they are somewhat caloric, as fruit goes (80 calories in a medium banana), but they supply potassium that helps balance the sodium that, in excess, causes water retention or “bloat.” Everyone knows that jeans zip up better without that problem. They also supply fiber, and vitamins A and B. They are the handiest snacks around, as they can be carried in their bacteria-proof wrapper and opened whenever wanted.
I love to go to estate sales and auctions to buy old cookbooks. The more beat up and used they look, the more treasures they usually have inside. When you open one that has writing all over the inside of the front and back covers and in all the margarines, one that has stains on most of the pages, and where such things as old pay slips are stuck inside with recipes scrawled over them with titles like “Bessie’s crumb pudding”—those are the treasures. It always makes me feel a little sad as well. I imagine a housewife and mother lovingly copying down her favorite “receipts” and cooking or baking them for the Ladies’ Aid, church potluck, family reunion or, even better, her own dearly loved family. Now her beloved stash of recipes is in the hands of someone that doesn’t know her or her family. And yet, they live on.
It’s another thing to actually try these old recipes, however. They are usually a list of ingredients, written in ink, sometimes illegible. There are rarely, if ever, any directions for pan sizes or techniques. It was serendipitous, then, when I had a faded-ink, 3x5 lined card, yellowed with age, fall out of an old cookbook titled simply “Banana Cake” just when I had two overly-ripe bananas on the counter.
I decided to try it out and was sure it would be okay for us, if not for our guests at the inn.
Without directions or pan sizes, I made my own changes. It was delicious. So delicious that our housekeeper sampled it and wanted the recipe—and my husband, who doesn’t usually like banana cakes or breads or muffins—loved it.
Here first, is the recipe exactly as it appeared:
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup shortening
2 eggs beaten
¼ c. sour milk
1 c. banana pulp
2 c. flour (cake flour)
1 pinch salt
1 teas b soda
1 teas vinegar in milk if sweet
1 teas vanilla
350 oven for 50 min.
Based on the time given for baking, I am guessing that this is a loaf cake, but I didn’t want to make a loaf cake and I used a few different ingredients. Here then, is the recipe as I baked it:
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 eggs
¼ cup buttermilk
1 cup pureed bananas
2 cups cake flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream sugar and butter in stand mixer for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift together the cake flour, salt and baking soda; set aside. Mix together the buttermilk, pureed bananas and vanilla. With mixer running, add dry ingredients alternately with fluids, beating until smooth after each addition. Pour into 9x13 baking pan sprayed with vegetable spray and bake at 350 degree oven for 28-32 minutes or until cake tests done.
Cake can be frosted with a thin coat of cream cheese frosting, a coconut frosting or just dusted with sifted powdered sugar.
I decided that I will experiment and bake it again, this time in a loaf pan for the specified time. I’m sure it will be good but different. This cake had a crunchy sugar bottom—not tough or burned, just a little layer like the top of Crème Brule upside down. Everyone loved it. Since bananas and strawberries have such an affinity for one another, and it is June, after all, I served this cake with sweetened, sliced strawberries and whipped cream. Delicious!
If you need any more reasons to eat and enjoy this old stand-by fruit, here is a little information I came across: bananas can be used to lose weight. Yes, they are somewhat caloric, as fruit goes (80 calories in a medium banana), but they supply potassium that helps balance the sodium that, in excess, causes water retention or “bloat.” Everyone knows that jeans zip up better without that problem. They also supply fiber, and vitamins A and B. They are the handiest snacks around, as they can be carried in their bacteria-proof wrapper and opened whenever wanted.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Summer Celebrations
If you’re not going to a Father’s Day party, a wedding fete, or a graduation open house, you’re probably hosting one these first three weeks in June. The question then becomes what can I serve that is festive, different and not too difficult and time consuming?
Father’s Day is relatively easy—men don’t usually appreciate the really fussy, detailed parties that women fancy. Grilling is the time-honored fallback, but really, there is nothing wrong with tradition. A big steak or some juicy ribs, with hamburgers and hot dogs on the side for the youngest will be festive and not difficult, although it flunks the “different” category. Potato salad is a must; maybe a coleslaw or tossed green salad. Finish with chocolate cake and watermelon. Add plenty of beer and lemonade and you’re all done! Don’t do different on Dad’s Day. (I couldn’t resist the alliteration).
The graduation open house has some built-in problems: what do you serve that will please the teenagers and the adults? I think a good place to start is with beverage. A really good punch is easy, more economical than soft drinks and more open to the imagination. We have a lot of teenagers that work at the inn, and I overheard one tell another that she had been to an open house that had a wonderful slushy punch. I would sure love to have that recipe. (Email me at lgudrais@charter.net if you know the punch I overheard about.
A few years ago, we attended a Graduation open house that had the cutest and best little sandwiches—everyone there remarked on how delicious and satisfying they were and asked the hostess for the recipe. I share it with you below. You might want to couple this with some “real” baby burgers and a wild rice salad, your own recipe or the one here.
I think you can get extra small burger buns most places, but Braschler’s might make them if you ordered ahead. I believe you can never go wrong with a hollowed out watermelon half--the proverbial “watermelon boat”--filled with fresh fruit, tossed in a little lemonade or limeade concentrate. A combination of bars such as really good chocolate brownies and lemon bars should please everyone. This is a very festive, easy menu that covers all the bases.
Baby Chicken Burgers
Baby beef burgers
Wild Rice Salad
Watermelon Boat
Chocolate Brownies
Lemon Bars
Baby Chicken “Burgers”
1 6-7 oz. can chicken (white meat preferred)
One-half cup chopped celery
1 small onion, chopped
One-half cup diced process cheese (I use Borden brand)
One-half cup chopped ripe olives
One-fourth cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
6 small buns, buttered
Mix all ingredients together and fill buns. Wrap in foil; refrigerate. Before serving, heat for 15 to 20 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Wild Rice Salad
1 cup uncooked wild rice (3 cups cooked)
2-7 oz. jars of marinated artichoke hearts
3 diced tomatoes
1 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 4-oz can mushrooms, drained
1 cup bottled Italian dressing (I use Good Seasons dry mix, mixed as per instructions)
Cook and cool wild rice. Drain one jar of artichokes and add to rice; combine one jar artichokes with liquid and the rest of the ingredients. Marinate overnight. Drain before serving.
Fudge-type chocolate brownies
2 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate
One-half cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
One-half cup flour
One-half cup chopped walnuts
Melt chocolate. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Blend in melted chocolate, vanilla and flour. Mix nuts into batter. Pour batter into greased 8x8x2-inch pan. Bake at 325 for 35 minutes. Frost or leave plain and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Lemon Squares
1 cup flour
One-half cup butter, softened
One-fourth cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
One-half tsp. baking powder
One-fourth tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel.
Thoroughly mix flour, butter and powdered sugar. Press evenly in bottom of ungreased square pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Beat remaining ingredients about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Pour over hot crust. Bake about 25 minutes longer or until no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Cool; cut into 16 squares.
Happy Summer Celebrations!
Father’s Day is relatively easy—men don’t usually appreciate the really fussy, detailed parties that women fancy. Grilling is the time-honored fallback, but really, there is nothing wrong with tradition. A big steak or some juicy ribs, with hamburgers and hot dogs on the side for the youngest will be festive and not difficult, although it flunks the “different” category. Potato salad is a must; maybe a coleslaw or tossed green salad. Finish with chocolate cake and watermelon. Add plenty of beer and lemonade and you’re all done! Don’t do different on Dad’s Day. (I couldn’t resist the alliteration).
The graduation open house has some built-in problems: what do you serve that will please the teenagers and the adults? I think a good place to start is with beverage. A really good punch is easy, more economical than soft drinks and more open to the imagination. We have a lot of teenagers that work at the inn, and I overheard one tell another that she had been to an open house that had a wonderful slushy punch. I would sure love to have that recipe. (Email me at lgudrais@charter.net if you know the punch I overheard about.
A few years ago, we attended a Graduation open house that had the cutest and best little sandwiches—everyone there remarked on how delicious and satisfying they were and asked the hostess for the recipe. I share it with you below. You might want to couple this with some “real” baby burgers and a wild rice salad, your own recipe or the one here.
I think you can get extra small burger buns most places, but Braschler’s might make them if you ordered ahead. I believe you can never go wrong with a hollowed out watermelon half--the proverbial “watermelon boat”--filled with fresh fruit, tossed in a little lemonade or limeade concentrate. A combination of bars such as really good chocolate brownies and lemon bars should please everyone. This is a very festive, easy menu that covers all the bases.
Baby Chicken Burgers
Baby beef burgers
Wild Rice Salad
Watermelon Boat
Chocolate Brownies
Lemon Bars
Baby Chicken “Burgers”
1 6-7 oz. can chicken (white meat preferred)
One-half cup chopped celery
1 small onion, chopped
One-half cup diced process cheese (I use Borden brand)
One-half cup chopped ripe olives
One-fourth cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
6 small buns, buttered
Mix all ingredients together and fill buns. Wrap in foil; refrigerate. Before serving, heat for 15 to 20 minutes in 350 degree oven.
Wild Rice Salad
1 cup uncooked wild rice (3 cups cooked)
2-7 oz. jars of marinated artichoke hearts
3 diced tomatoes
1 8-oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 4-oz can mushrooms, drained
1 cup bottled Italian dressing (I use Good Seasons dry mix, mixed as per instructions)
Cook and cool wild rice. Drain one jar of artichokes and add to rice; combine one jar artichokes with liquid and the rest of the ingredients. Marinate overnight. Drain before serving.
Fudge-type chocolate brownies
2 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate
One-half cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
One-half cup flour
One-half cup chopped walnuts
Melt chocolate. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Blend in melted chocolate, vanilla and flour. Mix nuts into batter. Pour batter into greased 8x8x2-inch pan. Bake at 325 for 35 minutes. Frost or leave plain and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Lemon Squares
1 cup flour
One-half cup butter, softened
One-fourth cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
One-half tsp. baking powder
One-fourth tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel.
Thoroughly mix flour, butter and powdered sugar. Press evenly in bottom of ungreased square pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Beat remaining ingredients about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Pour over hot crust. Bake about 25 minutes longer or until no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Cool; cut into 16 squares.
Happy Summer Celebrations!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Southern Cooking
The Admission days of both Kentucky (15th state, admitted 1792) and Tennessee (16th state admitted 1796) are this week; if that weren’t southern enough, Jefferson Davis’ birthday is June 2nd. It seemed like a good idea to give this area of the country a culinary look.
What is the south, really? For the purposes of dividing the country into culinary regions, the south means the nine states of the old Confederacy—Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas—along with southern Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, which are essentially Southern in their cooking. Texas and Louisiana are in their own separate worlds, as far as cooking styles. But there are culinary similarities that tie the whole region together:
Gumbo born and gumbo bred,
Tabasco follies fuzz my head.
South is my blood and South my bone
So haply formed on pork and pone.
Incan, African move in me.
You say: “South? Where can it be?”
Chewing my sugar cane, I repeat:
“Why, in all we like to cook and eat.”
(Southern folk song)
The Great River Road, which runs along the Mississippi on both sides and passes right through our own Red Wing, meanders through some of the best cookin’ country in America. New Orleans has been the subject of many food writers’ pens, but there is some pretty interesting food in the back country along the Mississippi in Tennessee and Kentucky. After the Civil War, the entire region decided to become set in their ways and to observe traditions that would define them and set them proudly apart—and no where more than at the table.
Alton Brown of Food Network fame, has recently published a book “Feasting on Asphalt” in which he chronicles his food adventures on the Great River Road, starting south of New Orleans and following the “Big Brown” all the way to Lake Itasca on a motorcycle (hence the “asphalt”). Here is some of what he found in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Of course, the entire South Lives and breathes barbecue. Woe to you if you don’t love it. And every restaurant and little BBQ Shack serves their own version along with their own version of slaw. Here are two recipes, basic and simple—and delicious!
Alton’s Amalgam Cole Slaw
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 head green cabbage, grated
2 carrots, grated
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the cabbage and carrots and toss to combine. Cover, place in the refrigerator and let sit for at least 2 hours before serving.
Simple, Straightforward Sauce for Barbecue (makes a very large batch, but it keeps well in the refrigerator and it’s good on scrambled eggs.)
32 ounces tomato ketchup
48 ounces white vinegar
8 ounces light brown sugar
½ ounce ground cayenne
¼ ounce red pepper flakes
Combine all the ingredients in a large stainless-steel pot. Stir and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour. Let the sauce cool, then pour it into a clean container with a lid. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. This yields about 3 quarts of sauce. (Prince Pit BBQ in Bardwell, Kentucky)
Melanie’s Soul Food in Memphis Tennessee inspired this great way to use your barbecue sauce
Memphis-Style Turkey Legs
4 smoked turkey legs (available in some supermarkets)
1 Tbsp. seasoned salt such as Lawry’s
1 cup hot barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the legs in a 9”x13” metal baking pan and sprinkle with the seasoned salt. Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, gently uncover the pan and turn the legs over. Continue to bake for another hour. Remove from the oven and drain off any remaining water. Combine the barbecue sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and glaze the turkey legs with the sauce. Serve immediately. 4 servings.
Here is a recipe for scrambled eggs, good with or without that barbecue sauce:
Kentucky Scramble
6 slices lean bacon
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup fresh corn kernels cut from 3 medium-sized ears of corn or substitute 1 cup canned or defrosted frozen corn kernels, thoroughly drained
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
1/ cup finely chopped pimiento
1 ½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
In heavy large ungreased skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat. Turn the slices with tongs until they are crisp and brown, then transfer them to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the skillet and in its place add the butter. Drop in the corn and stir over moderate heat for 1 or 2 minutes until the kernels glisten. Then add the green pepper, pimiento, salt and black pepper and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not brown. Break the eggs into a bowl, beat them lightly with a table fork and pour them into the skillet. Stirring with the flat of the fork or a rubber spatula, cook over low heat until the eggs begin to form soft, creamy curds. Mound the eggs on a heated platter, arrange the bacon slices attractively on top and serve at once.
What is the south, really? For the purposes of dividing the country into culinary regions, the south means the nine states of the old Confederacy—Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas—along with southern Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, which are essentially Southern in their cooking. Texas and Louisiana are in their own separate worlds, as far as cooking styles. But there are culinary similarities that tie the whole region together:
Gumbo born and gumbo bred,
Tabasco follies fuzz my head.
South is my blood and South my bone
So haply formed on pork and pone.
Incan, African move in me.
You say: “South? Where can it be?”
Chewing my sugar cane, I repeat:
“Why, in all we like to cook and eat.”
(Southern folk song)
The Great River Road, which runs along the Mississippi on both sides and passes right through our own Red Wing, meanders through some of the best cookin’ country in America. New Orleans has been the subject of many food writers’ pens, but there is some pretty interesting food in the back country along the Mississippi in Tennessee and Kentucky. After the Civil War, the entire region decided to become set in their ways and to observe traditions that would define them and set them proudly apart—and no where more than at the table.
Alton Brown of Food Network fame, has recently published a book “Feasting on Asphalt” in which he chronicles his food adventures on the Great River Road, starting south of New Orleans and following the “Big Brown” all the way to Lake Itasca on a motorcycle (hence the “asphalt”). Here is some of what he found in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Of course, the entire South Lives and breathes barbecue. Woe to you if you don’t love it. And every restaurant and little BBQ Shack serves their own version along with their own version of slaw. Here are two recipes, basic and simple—and delicious!
Alton’s Amalgam Cole Slaw
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 head green cabbage, grated
2 carrots, grated
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the cabbage and carrots and toss to combine. Cover, place in the refrigerator and let sit for at least 2 hours before serving.
Simple, Straightforward Sauce for Barbecue (makes a very large batch, but it keeps well in the refrigerator and it’s good on scrambled eggs.)
32 ounces tomato ketchup
48 ounces white vinegar
8 ounces light brown sugar
½ ounce ground cayenne
¼ ounce red pepper flakes
Combine all the ingredients in a large stainless-steel pot. Stir and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour. Let the sauce cool, then pour it into a clean container with a lid. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. This yields about 3 quarts of sauce. (Prince Pit BBQ in Bardwell, Kentucky)
Melanie’s Soul Food in Memphis Tennessee inspired this great way to use your barbecue sauce
Memphis-Style Turkey Legs
4 smoked turkey legs (available in some supermarkets)
1 Tbsp. seasoned salt such as Lawry’s
1 cup hot barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the legs in a 9”x13” metal baking pan and sprinkle with the seasoned salt. Pour 1 cup of water into the bottom of the pan and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, gently uncover the pan and turn the legs over. Continue to bake for another hour. Remove from the oven and drain off any remaining water. Combine the barbecue sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and glaze the turkey legs with the sauce. Serve immediately. 4 servings.
Here is a recipe for scrambled eggs, good with or without that barbecue sauce:
Kentucky Scramble
6 slices lean bacon
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup fresh corn kernels cut from 3 medium-sized ears of corn or substitute 1 cup canned or defrosted frozen corn kernels, thoroughly drained
½ cup finely chopped green pepper
1/ cup finely chopped pimiento
1 ½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
In heavy large ungreased skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat. Turn the slices with tongs until they are crisp and brown, then transfer them to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat remaining in the skillet and in its place add the butter. Drop in the corn and stir over moderate heat for 1 or 2 minutes until the kernels glisten. Then add the green pepper, pimiento, salt and black pepper and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not brown. Break the eggs into a bowl, beat them lightly with a table fork and pour them into the skillet. Stirring with the flat of the fork or a rubber spatula, cook over low heat until the eggs begin to form soft, creamy curds. Mound the eggs on a heated platter, arrange the bacon slices attractively on top and serve at once.
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