Sunday Sun Ahhhhhhhhhh

Before taking off for the sun drenched beaches and yes, Disney World, I continued to dig up former television cooking teachers. Today I received two more of Nathalie Dupree's cookbooks, and boy is she southern... but not so irritating as some southern TV cooks who over use y'all. (Drives me nuts!) The south is deep in her bones with all of its warm and cozy traditions and recipes. Listed with her books was a southern Mary Mac's Tea Room book that sounded enticing. I found some interesting recipes to try like blackberry jam cake with caramel icing, pecan pie muffins, black eyed pea cakes, and sweet potato souffle. (note the pictures) This tea room opened in the 1940's and is still in operation with different owners.

Madeleine Kamman was also a TV cooking star. She was or is French and loved her food and enjoyed preparing it for her vast family. When French Women Cook is her large and helpful cookbook. It is still available, but I've had mine for years. Madeleine loved American whiskey, I think it was Johnny Walker that she enjoyed giggling about as she prepared the most scrumptious down to earth French dishes under the hot lights of TV. One soup she called garbage soup was made from left overs in the frig or those items about to make a turn for the worse. A little neighbor boy came over and she asked him if he would like a bowl of garbage soup and he said no madam, I am not allowed to eat garbage.

The beach reading that I intend to do is Michael Palmer's newest medical thriller A Heartbeat Away. I've started it and can hardly put it down. I've read all of his books that he writes alone and have hooked Andy on them as well.

We are meeting family at Disney World. We will be there a few days and they will be with us three days and nights. Before that we are shopping the coast for a place to perhaps buy to invited family and friends for long periods of time, but keeping our home here. This Columbus house will be full while we are gone day and night because Matt and Nate are still in classes at various hours and someone familiar must watch Posy, Winston, and Bella. The police are on alert as well. One cannot be too careful in this day and age.

Every three years, or so, I call Mike Clum, a fabulous down-to-earth and honest, auctioneer in Rushville, Ohio to come to get a load of what I don't need and no longer enjoy. Yesterday was one of those days. Somehow I feel lighter and more free every time he pulls out of the driveway with a load of goodies for someone else to enjoy. Another thing about him that no other auctioneer that I know does, the check is in the mail the day after the auction. His wife stays up all night the day of the auction and accurately makes out each and every check. It is a wonderful, honest practice when someone does not keep your money in order to make more money for themselves. His commissions are fair as well and our items are well cared for as he makes the best possible choice of sales in which to put the things.

Pecan Pie Muffins from Mary Mac's Tea Room (I wrote three recipes from Mary Mac's and then the computer went out and they were lost in space. Get on line and google Mary Mac's Tea Room. There is no need to buy the book.)

1 cup chopped pecans
1 tbs. butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
8 tbs. butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 300°. Mix 1 tbs. melted butter with chopped pecans and spread on baking sheet in even layer. Toast pecans for 3 to 4 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 350°.

In large bowl mix together brown sugar, flour, and chopped pecans. Stir thoroughly and then make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the remaining 8 tbs. of melted butter and the eggs. Stir with wooden spoon until mixture is well mixed and all dry ingredients are wet.

Line a 6 cup muffin tin with paper liners and lightly spray with cooking spray. Fill each cup about 3/4 full with mixture. Place in 350° oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tops of muffins are lightly browned. Remove immediately from pan and allow to cool on wire rack.

Sunday Bread
I found this Fougasse (Provencal Bread with Olives & Herbs) on the web site of The Hungry Mouse several months ago. She has step by step pictures of how to make this easy bread. Her recipe was adapted from Saveur magazine. I have made it and it is rustic and delicious.
1 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/3 cups water warm enough to wash your hands but not too hot to ruin the yeast
Mix together in the mixer to make sure the yeast is good.
Add 4 1/2 cups of flour to the above mix and use the dough hook to knead it for a few minutes.
Pick up the dough and round it off in your hands...it should not be sticky.
Put olive oil in a bowl and roll the dough to coat and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours.
While that is rising cut up your olives and herbs. You can use most anything.
1/2 cup kalamata olives, minced
1/4 cup green olives, minced
2 tbsp. parsley, minced
2 tbsp. thyme, minced
1 tbsp. rosemary, minced
You can use dried but I happened to have fresh. Also, she did not put any herbs actually in the dough, but I did, so I will let you know if I ruined it. (It is difficult to ruin bread, however.)
Kosher or sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper.
Put risen bread on board and divide it into five wedges.
Roll each wedge to 8" long 5" wide, or about so. It is a rustic bread, so let yourself go.
Make four or five decorative slits in each rolled out wedge.
Prepare 3 parchment lined jelly roll pans. (2 per pan, I should think.)
Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, herbs and olives. Be generous.
Cover again with greased plastic wrap for 30 minutes on the pans.
Bake 15 minutes or until golden at 500 degrees. Scrumptious.

These two recipes should keep you busy until I get back.