It is time to get real and to stop musing about the heat of Florida. One way to accomplish this is to create a crock pot full of Rose's ham and tiny butter beans. I put this array on low about midnight and this morning lovely aroma wafted through the house. Snow is falling all day, according to reports and this steaming pot of goodness will be enjoyed through out the day. I can't give you the recipe because none of my crock pot creations ever taste the same. Luckily if it isn't baking, then one's creative instincts can take over and a little of this and a lot of that ensues. Baking...a different ball park, one must follow the exact measurements. (Matt and I have discovered a squirt of mustard in a bowl of this ham and bean soup adds another dimension of goodness.)
There are a couple of hints from Cuisine at Home which I have used at one time or another--now this pot shown above, slow cooked all night after the beans had soaked during the day, but, if you are in a bit of a bind, add baking soda to soften the beans so they will cook faster. Soda creates an alkaline environment which helps the beans on their way to lushness. Also, and this is good, add instant mashed potato flakes near the end of cooking to your soups or stews. This addition slightly thickens the soups or stews if you haven't given it enough time to develop on its own. It also adds to the goodness.
Next, a couple of hints for the kitchen that I had not thought of were listed in a full magazine of the best 300+ tips and techniques from the readers and test kitchen of Cuisine at Home (It is now my favorite cooking publication because it has NO ADS!)
If you have an indoor grill like a George Foreman grill or a panini grill use it to do your bacon. The grease drips out of the escape spout into the grease catcher, the bacon comes out flat and crisp. Why didn't I think of that? Just do a few pieces at a time.
You know how the sausage squirts out of the casing when you try to slice it? Freeze it for about 15 minutes and then the slices come out clean and smooth.
