Foods for Celebrating

Tomorrow, we  will be celebrating the 🇺🇸 holiday by getting together with friends and sharing some popular and easy foods. As we did during our regular pandemic and dominoes playing meet-ups, we're splitting the food tasks. We'll also share eating 😋 and game playing.

Top, pork butt with spice rub; bottom, coleslaw & potato salad

The above photo shows what foods we will be bringing. All of these were being readied or prepared today, which is why this post was much later than usual. The coleslaw and potato salad (bottom left and right) have been made earlier today. The pork has been seasoned with a dry rub and is marinating overnight in the fridge. It will go in the crock pot very early Friday for a low and slow cooking and then shredding.

There are many different recipes for pulled pork rub and just as many preferences. A basic pulled pork rub includes a mix of sweet and spicy flavors. Often used ingredients include brown sugar, paprika (smoked or sweet), salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, chili powder, and optional cayenne pepper for heat. Some recipes also add in mustard powder, cumin or even cinnamon or coffee. I add in a bit of liquid smoke, a flavoring used as a substitute for cooking with wood smoke while retaining a similar flavor

Dry Rub for Pork Butt

As a general rule, use 1-2 tablespoons of dry rub for every pound of meat. You can experiment with different spices to personalize a rub. 

• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp paprika
• 1-2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 TBSP onion powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• ½ tsp dry mustard
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 TBSP smoked paprika
• ½ TBSP fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard powder
• Optional: 1 TBSP cayenne pepper to taste 

Pat pork dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Rub pork with some olive oil.

Generously apply rub, cover all sides and crevices. (Use one hand for the rub and the other for applying, so you save any leftover rub.) Massage rub into meat and let meat sit at least 1 hour, preferably overnight in fridge for best flavor.  When ready, put in crockpot,(no need to add any liquids). Cook on low for 7-8 hours until meat shreds easily. Cool before shredding. You can strain some of the oil from the crockput and skim off the fat, then apply to the shredded pork to add moisture OR you can use a homemade or bottled BBQ sauce.

Rather than shred a head of cabbage, I buy a package already shredded, then shred and add extra carrots as there's never enough (if any) in the package. The dressing used was originally included on a package of Dole shredded cabbage..

Cole Slaw Dressing

This recipe provides a base that captures the key characteristics of the Dole coleslaw dressing. You can adjust ingredients to your taste, like adjusting the amount of sugar or adding other spices.

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package classic coleslaw mix (optional)

1. Mix together dry mustard and celery seed in a small bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice.
3. Add spice blend to mayonnaise mixture and mix thoroughly.
4. Chill dressing for a few hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
5. Before serving, drizzle  chilled dressing over coleslaw mix (or your chosen coleslaw ingredients) and toss to coat evenly. 

The potato salad recipe I have been using most recently is from Joanne and Adam, the couple behind Inspired Taste. I've made a few substitutions and additions here and there, but here's the basic recipe.

Creamy Red Potato Salad

You can use dried herbs for this salad; add 1 to 2 tablespoons, dill and chives are recommended.

• 2 lbs small red potatoes
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or dill pickle juice
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup  mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, substitute Dijon or whole grain mustard
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
• 1 to 2 medium dill pickles, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with 1 ½ inches of water. Season with salt (one tsp for every quart of water).
2. Bring water to boil, reduce to simmer (boiling potatoes can cause them to hit one another and break apart). Cook for 15 to 20 min. until easily pierced with a fork.
3. Set up an ice bath. Add cold water to a medium bowl filled with ice. Drain potatoes, then place into ice bath.
4. When cool enough to handle, chop potatoes into bite-size chunks and add to a large bowl. Scatter vinegar over potatoes, lightly season with salt.
5. Stir mayonnaise, sour cream, mustardtogerther.
6. Add mayonnaise mix, celery, pickles and herbs to potatoes. Gently stir to combine, being careful not to mash potatoes.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. 

Optional: Sprinkle with smoked paprika before serving

Storing: Make potato salad up to 3 days in advance. Keep covered in the refrigerator.

Sour cream: Substitute 1/2 cup crème fraîche for sour cream.

And there you have the basic prep of food we will be bringing to our friend's home. They will be providing everything else including appetizers, drinks, dessert; however, the best thing about the day is sharing our continued friendship. Hopefully, this post didn't make anyone too hungry today. 

Your turn — are you preparing any foods for the July 4 holiday?

Trading Off & Nonna's

That's what we have been doing in the kitchen the past few weeks — only for dinner. Breakfast and lunch are excluded aside from Grenville's weekend breakfast prep.

This routine started soon after Grenville said complained that I was hogging the kitchen. He explained that he wanted his own kitchen time to try some new recipes from his America's Test Kitchen subscription.

This is our apartment kitchen, both sides

Before this changeover, we usually took turns cooking dinner depending on which one of us volunteered or insisted (guilty as charged). He was right in that I was spending the most time there.. The exception was on weekends when pancakes (sometimes crepes) or omelets were for breakfast, Grenville's favorites.. 

A small kitchen is nothing new to us. In our former NJ homes we had small galley-style kitchens (sorry, no photos,). Back then, there were outdoor grills there, so most warm weather, even in colder temps we cooked outdoors. Now, living on the 5th floor of a former mill, outdoor grilling is in the past. There's no open spots on the grounds because of the parking lot. Such is one of the drawbacks of apt life, but there are also pluses, like so many local restaurants in walking distance.

Later, after we purchasing and relocating to VA, we knew that a larger kitchen definitely was in the future. So, as part of the renovations, we replaced a very small kitchen there. It was really smaller than in our NJ homes and even our current NH kitchen.

This was the kitchen in our former VA home

The above photo shows the remodeled VA kitchen looking from the entry near the refrigerator.

Another view of the VA kitchen

This photo shows the opposite end of the remodeled VA kitchen looking to the stove. There was a lot of counter space to work. we often shared kitchen duties with one doing the prep and the other the cooking, a joint effort. We miss this space.

Now, living on the 5th floor of a former mill, there's no outdoor cooking. not even on the grounds since there's an outdoor parking area.

Dining out is nice when we travel and also as we have so many restaurants in downtown Nashua, NH (about 30 within walking distance). We both enjoy cooking at home, but tend to get in each other's way — two chefs and limited counter space. Yes, it can be done, but our styles of food prep and cooking are different.

Grenville does crepes in VA

Beatrice prefers to have ingredients prepped, chopped, measured (spices, liquids) and put in bowls or containers for quick access when cooking starts. She also spreads kitchen utensils, cookware and cutting boards on counter space. (Some of you may know this by the French term, mise en place or everything in its place.)

Grenville is less ordered and doesn't like to clutter the counter space. The best way to describe his style is as you go; meaning he gets ingredients and pans out as needed.

At first, we considered alternating kitchen days; but, Grenville said that he would rather have an entire week, so we agreed on Monday - Sunday, seven days and started trading off about 6 weeks ago. Also, when one of us cooks, the other does cleanup (usually). If we've been away or dined out with friends during the week, we don't add or subtract a day(s) to one another's week, overall it sort of evens out.

Our cookbook collection which was downsized, slightly

One thing is definite, there's no shortage of cookbooks in our apartment as shown in the above bookcase collection. Yes, they are used depending on what's planned for dinner during the week. Our preferences tend toward fish and chicken, then pork with beef in last place. Vegetables and salads are also favorites here. I don't know if it's the same for any of you, sometimes we have to look through a few to find a recipe. And, when all else fails, we search online — doesn't everyone?

Giveaway cookbooks went to friends and the library

This photo above was taken, after we downsized the collection (a bit) and found new homes for them. The biggest book on the bottom was given to a friend, the others were donated to the Friends of the Nashua Public Library for a future sale. Cookbooks are always big sellers; there's never a shortage of donated ones.

Special cookbooks have their own shelf space

The left side of this bottom shelf is reserved for specialty and/or holiday cookbooks. The right side has vintage cookbooks that belonged to our mothers. Two that are taped and wrapped are from Patrick's mom, the red one above those was my mom's basic cookbook. The classic Betty Crocker Cookbook was bought 40 years+ ago after a move to my first apartment.

As this is a food post and we both cooking in and dining out, here's where we dined at a NH restaurant in February while on our road trip to the White Mountains. We had spent the afternoon traveling on the Snow Coach on Mt Washington as part of my birthday celebration. We learned about this area restaurant from a couple who had dined there the night before and were going back that night.

It was a happy coincidence as we had recently seen the Netflix film, Nonnas, based on the true story behind the founding of Enoteca Maria, a restaurant in Staten Island, NY, where actual grandmothers (nonnas) cook from traditional cook family recipes. The film is focused on owner Joe Scaravella, who risks financial ruin to honor his late mother and grandmother by opening an Italian restaurant, hiring local grandmothers as chefs. The restaurant is well known for hiring nonnas from around the world. 

The stars of the Netflix Film, Nonnas (Internet source)

The film features Vince Vaughn as Scaravella and Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro and Susan Sarandon as the nonnas. We found it to be a heartwarming, very enjoyable film which focused on food and family complete with strong performances from the lead actresses who played the nonnas. 

Nonna's Kitchen in Gorham, NH

While we haven't been to Enoteca Maria, we found something just as good and so much closer in the small town of Gorham, NH. This small restaurant, Nonna's Kitchen, is located in what was once a barber shop on historic Exchange Street. The interior has the original tin walls and ceiling and is very cozy, It was the perfect setting to enjoy a delicious Italian meal on a Saturday evening. While the restaurant looks empty in the photo below, we dined early, within a half hour, tables were filling up. 

Interior of Nonna's Kitchen

After dinner, we talked with the mother of the current owner, who is now the Nonna. She had opened the restaurant in April 2017 with her husband and it was named in honor of her mother (also Nonna). Although her husband and mother have since passed, the family has carried on the tradition. The restaurant is now run by herself and her son along with his wife.

Tomato-basil soup, homemade pasta and tiaramisu

The family-owned restaurant continues their passion and love for cooking. Recipes have been passed down from generations with some added new creations. All the pasta is made fresh daily and cooked to order. Everything was delicious, including the homemade dessert of tiramisu. If you're ever in NH, do yourself a favor and eat here. You won't be disappointed.

How about You ?

Are kitchen chores and cooking shared or is it a solo effort? And, do you cook from a book, online recipe, freestyle method or all (or some) of these?

BIG THANKS to fellow bloggers who read the previous post about how this blog started and commented too. Also, thanks for sharing your own blog journey, and in such great detail which were shared with Grenville/Patrick. We appreciate that sharing our lives and adventures is interesting and plan to continue.

One Pan Short Ribs

As mentioned earlier, my ♥️ Day gift to Grenville was a cookbook, Simple One-Pan Wonders (Jamie Oliver). As much as we like dining out, we also enjoy home-cooked meals, plus this gift is longer lasting than candy or flowers. We have watched Oliver's show online and since Grenville had mentioned he wanted the accompanying book, it was a win-win surprise.

When I mentioned the book in that previous post, several folks commented that they would be interested in reading about any recipes tried from the book. Last weekend, we enjoyed the first of many future meals. 

The recipe is exactly as shown in the book. However, there were some changes in our home: Walnuts were omitted (we did not have any). Sweet potatoes replaced the white potatoes. Onion marmalade is not a pantry staple; Grenville found an online recipe. And, the recipe was halved.

That said, here's the first recipe chef Grenville prepared from Simple One-Pan Wonders.

Beef Short Ribs

Beef Short Ribs 

(Simple-One Pan Wonders)

Serves 6 / Prep 26 min / Cook 4 hours

• 6 beef short ribs bone in (approx 3-1/2 lb)
• 2 heads celery
• 6 carrots (1-1/4 lb total)
• 1-3/4 oz shelled walnuts
• 6 oz onion marmalade or jam
• 2 C smooth ale
• 6 baking potatoes (3 lb)
• creamed horseradish (to serve)

Preheat oven to 325℉.

 

Put a large shallow casserole pan on medium-high heat, and brown ribs all over, turning with tongs, for about 15 minutes. Trim the celery using a vegetable peeler to remove stringy outsides. Chop off the bottom 5 inches of each and cut lengthways into quarters, finely slice the remaining stalks, reserving any nice leaves. Peel the carrots and leave whole.

Once ribs are browned, remove to a bowl. Put all the celery and carrots into the pan with the walnuts and onion marmalade, toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Pour in 2-1/2 cups of water and the ale, then nestle the ribs back into the pan, making sure they’re submerged. Cover with a sheet of damp parchment paper. Roast 4 hours, or until the meat easily pulls away from the bone, basting halfway.

Scrub the potatoes, prick all over with a fork and bake alongside the ribs for the last 1 hour and 30 minutes. Skim any fat off ribs, remove bones, and serve with dollops of horseradish, sprinkled with any reserved celery leaves and potatoes on the side.

Fat 32.2g / Sat Fat: 12.2g / Protein 32.3g / Carbs 66.4g / sugars 28.6g / Salt 0.9g / Fiber 7.6g

Our recipe rating was a definite two forks up and will be on a future dinner menu. 😋

Grenville, a well pleased chef

What's (Been) Home Cooking

It's been months since my last at home cooking post, back in early May. While, we've taken several road trips in recent months, we've done much home cooking in between. Looking through my photo files, it seems I always forget to take a before shot and then remember after there's little or no dinner left to show.

Despite the variety of restaurants in downtown Nashua within walking distance of our apt, we only dine out once every couple of weeks. It's because we eat out when on our road trips and being home and cooking a meal is enjoyable. As for take-out, I honestly can't recall the last time and, most likely, it was for a pizza delivery. 

Broccoli salad with dried cranberries and almonds

We like salads, but more so variety and this broccoli salad has been a big favorite. We've enjoyed it as a side dish many times with chicken and fish.

Chicken tenders

It was great when paired with these home-made chicken tenders that were baked with a mustard, mayonnaise, and toasted panko coating.

Chicken breasts with spinach

This one-pan dinner consisted of chicken breasts, spinach, mushrooms and shallots, cooked separately but in the same pan. The baby Yukon potatoes were roasted in the toaster oven.

Vegetable frittata

Here's a great way to use up veggies like zucchini, peppers, scallions, spinach by making a frittata. The best part about this dish is that it's like a quiche, but crustless. The leftovers are also good for next day's breakfast.  

Riced cauliflower

Do you recognize what's in the above photo? Yes, it's riced cauliflower as last week I decided to try a cauliflower pizza crust and, of course, home made pizza is the best. Grenville is on a low carb eating plan (we dislike the D word). 

Here's an overview of the process: get a fresh cauliflower, break into florets, pulse in batches in a food processor until fine. (Yes, you will find little white pieces all over at clean-up time.) Steam in a basket or microwave, in the oven or in a pan over the stove  method tried this time). 

Cauliflower pizza crust 

Drain well by using a tea towel. Mix with an egg and seasonings (oregano, basil, salt, garlic powder) and cheeses (Parmesan, Romano, Mozzarella). Transfer to parchment paper, form into a pizza crust circle and pre-bake (400 degrees) without toppings.

Cauliflower pizza 

After 20 minutes, remove from the oven, add your favorite toppings, and cook for another 10 minutes. Above is the finished result. The crust was not as dry as others seemed in online videos. (I didn't squeeze the cauliflower after roasting on the stovetop based on advice in a video, this wasn't the best decision.) Using a tea towel next time to squeeze out more water.

Would I try it again? Yes, as with most recipes I will give it a second try

Does it taste like regular pizza? Not really, cauliflower is bland, more seasonings next time

I've made regular pizza dough and this process was more time consuming from cutting into florets, ricing in batches (then cleaning the food processor), steaming, draining, mixing and pre-baking. You can buy pre-made cauliflower crusts or riced cauliflower which would eliminate some steps. However, a pre-made cauliflower crust in a local supermarket was double the cost of buying a fresh cauliflower on sale, and fresh is always better (usually).

Crockpot roast pork and squash

Now is the time of year when our crockpot comes out of its pantry hiding. The above shows dinner last week —roast pork, butternut squash, carrots, onions and a side of mashed cauliflower. (The photo would have been better if taken when the meal was first plated.)

Ice Box cake

While it's not the prettiest looking dessert, leftovers of this ice box cake never lasted long when it was made in recent months. We invite friends over to help avoid leftovers. 

This no-bake dessert is a childhood throwback. I can recall when my mother made it using stove-cooked pudding and whole milk not instant pudding that used for mine. While good, it definitely wasn't like mom's. Basically, it's a simply layering graham crackers and pudding which is refrigerated before serving with a dollop of whipped cream. There's many variations online. 

Blueberry zucchini bread 

Zucchini bread is delicious, and better with add-ins like blueberries and chocolate chips. These do get a bit messy, if you are like us and cut the bread while it's still warm — but so good.

Sorry, there's no sampling here, unless someone can find an app for that. There's no recipes or links as there's so many recipe variations either in everyone's favorite cookbooks or online.

There isn't an air fryer appliance in our kitchen. Counter space is at a premium in an apartment kitchen and (for now) the crockpot works well. 

How about You — Do you have a favorite kitchen appliance?

If you enjoy home cooking too, do you have any favorite meals ?

Oversized and New Cookware

Grenville and I order online mainly through Amazon. Although we're so much closer to shopping outlets in Nashua, NH than when we lived on the VA Eastern Shore (we had to drive 90 minutes then) we don't frequent them often, Amazon Prime membership offers 2-day delivery. That's often easier than driving to a store especially in cold or rainy weather,  and we can shop at home in our "jammies" too. What's not to like about that?

That said, some recent Amazon packages we've received have been perfect for the contents, but on the other hand, some not so much. These have made us wonder whether or not there wasn't a smaller size box available.

Shown above are outer views of a package delivered yesterday. There was also a lot of brown paper packing. If you're curious as to the contents of this box, here it is:

That's it, a single 10-inch fry pan that was shrink-wrapped in two layers of plastic (cut off free before the photo). The cookware was bought through an Amazon Warehouse "deal" with a bigger discount, so there was no manufacturer's box. That's OK with us as it's less cardboard to recycle.

As many folks may know, All-Clad is not inexpensive cookware. Grenville and I enjoy cooking (and eating). After years of buying and using assorted cookware brands: WearEver, Farberware, Caphalon, Ikea and Vollrath, we wanted to upgrade to a single brand that was USA made and opted for stainless steel as well. We've filled a boxfull of pots and pans for giveaways; always a good thing.

This isn't our first USA made cookware.Vollrath is made in Sheyboygan, WI. However, some of the ceramic coated pans we owned, started showing wear marks on the interior. 

Not every All-Clad piece is USA made, some accessory items are not. However, based on our research, it appears that even these non-USA made products carry the manufacturer's guarantee. We've never had to seek warranty assistance on any of the other cookware which was even less costly.

A ❓to our fellow bloggers who enjoy cooking . . . what cookware do you prefer and why?

Do you Zoodle?

How?
By spiralizing your veggies.
Not "spiraling" down something, like these stairs . . .

or even like these . . .

This post is about using a spiralizer kitchen gadget. These are available in different types from  smaller hand-held ones to larger counter-top models. The compact models resemble an oversize pencil sharpener; larger ones are about the size of a toaster. 

How do they work?

It's like using a pencil sharpener. Spiralizing is a way of turning vegetables and fruits into noodles using this new and, if you believe advertisements, must-have kitchen gadget that originated from Japan (although most of them are made in China). 

On smaller spiralizers, the vegetable is twisted by hand, whereas on larger ones, turning a hand crank makes the gears work. The end result is a pile of curled vegetable (or fruit) ribbons.  Here's a pile of zoodles we made last week using yellow squash and zucchini. It's quite colorful too.

We read that health conscious folks like using the spiralizer because spiralized vegetable pasta, for example, is gluten-free, vegetarian, low carb friendly, nutritious and a more wholesome way to eat. 

So, who doesn't want to eat healthy, have kitchen fun and buy a new gadget too?

That said Grenville and I have climbed onto jumped into this new food prep method and bought first one, and then a second, larger spiralizer.  

Our spiralizing fun started with buying a small spiralizer that looks like a stubby pencil sharpener. Accessories included a ceramic peeler, small cleaning brush and carry bag. While we were having a good time playing with prepping vegetables,but learned we couldn't do ALL veggies using one type or spiralizer. Any that were rounded, like onions, didn't work in the smaller one. So Grenville upgraded to a larger model. (Isn't that what guys do?)

The above photos are not an endorsement for either product since you can find comparable ones in stores or online. These are just the ones we purchased and used.

And, did I mention, that it's fun to make noodles. There's a LOT of veggies and fruits than can be spiraled,  like: apple, beet, bell pepper, butternut squash, carrots, cucumber, potatoes, parsnip, onion, rutabaga, zucchini. We haven't tried them all — yet.

Finding recipes is easy as there's a LOT of online websites. You can also buy spiralizer recipe books or you could just have fun in the kitchen, like we've been doing.

Which leads me to the post title. We've done several batches of zoodles the past 2 weeks; it's the the term for spiralized zucchini noodles. We sautéed these with olive oil and herbs; others were topped with tomato sauce. There's a lot less calorie guilt with zucchini pasta! 

You could slice and shred vegetables into ribbons with a julienne peeler or mandoline slicer. Being kitchen nerds and foodies, both are in our kitchen arsenal. But using some other gadgets can be more time consuming and not nearly as much fun. 

Have you ever zoodled?

Good Reads

As most regular readers of this blog already know, Grenville and Beatrice (Pat and Dorothy) enjoy cooking — and eating as well.

We share a collection of cookbooks and clipped recipes, culled out over the years, but then added to over time, And, there's the endless variations of online recipes. 

That said, reading about food prep and cooking is enjoyable. And, two recently read works of fiction by Erica Bauermeister feature both. Unlike other novels, like the Hannah Swensen mysteries by Joanna Fluke which include recipes for baked goods or the delightful recipes in Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes, there are no recipes in Ms. Bauermeister's works. She has, however, provided some recipes on her website.

Ms. Bauermeister's style reminded me of a favorite author Maeve Binchy as she focuses on strangers brought together and united by their kitchen creations.

The School of Essential Cooking (2009) relates the story of a once-a-month cooking school that's set in a restaurant kitchen and led by the owner/chef, Lillian. Classes are held on Monday night when the restaurant is closed. Lillian neither tells the students about the recipes in advance or provides cooking instructions or precise measurements. 

Instead, her eight students learn by doing and experiencing.  Among them is Claire, a young woman coming to terms with her new identity as a mother; Tom, a lawyer whose life has been upended by loss; Antonia, an Italian kitchen designer adapting to life in America; and Carl and Helen, a long-married couple whose union contains unsuspected surprises. 

The story is not as much about food, as on the personal lives of students in the cooking school and their relationships with others — in and out of class. They've come to learn the art behind chef Lillian's creations, but it becomes apparent that each seeks a recipe for something else in their lives. 

Only after finishing the previous novel, did I learn of a 2013 follow-up, The Lost Art of Mixing, that continued the stories of some characters in the previous novel and introduced four new characters. It starts one year after the cooking classes has ended.

The sequel, like its predecessor, is about food, but isn't centered around a cooking class. Chef Lillian is still a main character, but not the only one. There's the accountant Al, who finds meaning in numbers; Louise, his anger-laden wife; Chloe, an emerging sous chef; Finnegan, the tall and reticent dishwasher and Isabelle, whose memories are slipping quickly.

Both these novels were enjoyable and fast reads. At present, Ms. Bauermeister hasn't prepared (or cooked up) any similar novels. 

What's YOUR "taste" in reading?

Favorite Celebrity “Cook”

Years ago, chefs were only found in restaurants and a cook was in your own home, usually your mom.LONG before there was Ms. Deen or other celebrity chefs, the US had a favorite cook rated as the second most famous and popular woman just behind Eleanor Roosevelt — and she wasn’t even a real person.

Betty Crocker never existed. Aside from being a cultural icon, she is entirely fictional. She originated in 1921 when a Minneapolis milling company, Washburn Crosby Company, wanted a way to personalize answers to consumers baking questions. The name Betty was considered warm, friendly and all-American; Crocker was after William Crocker, a retired company executive. Betty’s replies were signed and her signature was by a company secretary who won a contest. It’s still used on products today.

In 1924, Betty Crocker made her radio debut with the nation’s first cooking show, featuring 13 actresses working from radio stations across the country. The Betty Crocker School of the Air became a national broadcast, airing for 24 years.

Betty’s first portrait appeared in 1936 and while changed over the years always accommodated General Mills’ cultural perception of the American homemaker as knowledgeable and caring. The widely circulated portrait reinforced the popular belief that she was a real woman. An artist brought together women in the company’s Home Services Department “blending” their features into an “official” likeness.
Betty’s portrait has changed over the years. No one has ever  posed as a model, rather the image is a composite of many women.

Betty’s face was recreated 8 times over the past 75 years. In 1955, she became younger and in 1980 thru 1986 became a “professional” woman. In 1996, “Betty” became multicultural acquiring  a darker, more “ethnic” look. The current image is a combination of 75 women of diverse backgrounds and age. Betty is only shown in head shots and never seen from the shoulders down.


The impetus for this post was finding a copy of Betty Crocker Good and Easy Cookbook on the local library’s sale table last week. It seems that the 1996 publication date was older than books the staff reserves for major book sales (like the Firecracker Book Sale this week). The $1 shown is the price paid — SOLD!

Even though we’re downsizing cookbooks, some things, like favorite recipes don’t go out of style, just get revised or updated.
 
I still have my original Betty Crocker Cookbook in the 3-ring binder. It was bought after moving into my first apt and still in use today, over 25+ years later.

In my mind, certain things go together like cooking and Betty Crocker. Sorry, Paula, Rachel, Ina, Giada, Alton and others, but she has a lot more years of popularity in her favor, even if she’s only a fictional character.

What about you — favorite chef or cook ?

The Princess Returns

WOW… that sounds like something out of King or Tolkien. ‘Return of the King’ or ‘Return on the Gun Slinger’. For a special welcome home dinner i made Turkish Braised Lamb Shanks. Now these poor lamb shanks had been languishing in the back of the freezer just begging to get out and onto a plate. And we had talked about this even before the NJ Trip. So today they became “Turkish Braised Lamb Shanks”. This is a recipe for four (4) but i cut it in half and it worked pretty well.

2 Tbls Paprika	2 Tbls Ground Cumin
2 tsp Ground Cardamom	2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Allspice	.5 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp Salt	1 tsp Black Pepper
4 Lamb Shanks 1-1.5 Lb	.25 cups olive oil
2 Lg. Onions chopped	.5 Lb Plums
.25 Cups Sugar	1 cup White Wine
2 cups HOT chicken Stock	Salt & Pepper to Taste

Mix the Paprika, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, salt 7 pepper in a bowl. Rub the spice mix into the lamb shanks creating a spice covering that coats the shanks completely. Set them aside in the refrigerator. Cut the plums in halves or quarters and remove the pit. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the  onions and cook till they begin to brown. Add the plums and the sugar and cook for about five more minutes. Remove the onions and plums with a slotted spoon and set aside. Brown the lamb shanks in the hot oil. Make sure they are well browned on all  sides. Add the white wine and cook till it is reduced by half. Next add the chicken stock (did you remember to warm it????) Now return the onions and plums. Set to simmer covered for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until lamb almost falls off the bone. After about an hour you might want to turn the shanks so both sides have time in the broth.

I served this over a bed of wild rice with a side of fresh cut Asparagus and fresh baked Italian bread.

 

 

 

Sorry, No left overs!!!!!! And you thought just the Princess could cook. We will finish tonight off with some HOT FUDGE on top of Chocolate Peanut butter ice cream and part 1 of H.P. and the Deathly Hallows.

Victory Garden - Now & Then

The Frog & PenguINN mini-farm produced a lot of veggies this summer. So when looking for new ways to prepare our garden bounty, I relied to one of my favorite cookbooks: The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash pub. 1982 (Alfred A Knopf, New York). While I have cut down on cookbooks – much to Grenville’s relief – this one remains a “keeper.”

Because it’s NOT just a cookbook. Of course it has recipes – more than 800 in over 370 pages, arranged A-Z (asparagus to zucchini). Vegetables are the main ingredients in soups, appetizers, salads, relishes, breads, pies, cakes, cookies. But, this is not strictly a vegetarian cookbook and it includes recipes with meat, fish, and poultry. But it also has lots of gardening tips and information on storing veggies.

The Victory Garden Cookbook evolved from The Victory Garden, a Boston  public TV series on WGBH which premiered in 1975 and remains the oldest gardening TV program in the US. The show started as a how-to program for home gardeners with a recipe segment added in. As the show's popularity grew, so did the demand for recipes.

Marian Morash, a self-taught cook, was Chef Marian on The Victory Garden  show and also the executive chef for the Julia Child cooking shows. Morash had an all-women kitchen in the mid-'70s, before women had a presence in the culinary scene. When she wrote The Victory Garden Cookbook, her goal was to so show readers the benefits of using home-grown vegetables so that they would garden or shop for the freshest ingredients vs. using canned or frozen goods.
Where did the term “Victory Garden” originate?
This title is reminiscent of the homespun victory gardens of WW I and WW II. Victory gardens or war gardens/food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in both the US, Europe and Canada to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort.

In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were considered a civil "morale booster" — in that gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce they grew. In this way, victory gardens become a part of daily life on the home front as shown in these vintage posters.



 
 



Both the government and businesses urged people to make gardening a family and community effort. National magazines like the Saturday Evening Post and Life printed stories about victory gardens; women's magazines gave instructions on how to grow and preserve produce. Families were encouraged to can their own vegetables to save commercially canned goods for the troops. In 1943, families bought 315,000 pressure cookers for canning compared to 66,000 in 1942. Was it successful? 
Yes, while it lasted. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that more than 20 million victory gardens were planted. Fruit and vegetables harvested in home and community plots was estimated to be 9 to 10 million tons, an amount equal to all commercial production of fresh vegetables. But when World War II ended, so did the government’s promotion of victory gardens. In the spring of 1949, many people did not plant a garden and the country experienced some food shortages.