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.

Comfort Me with Potatoes...and Flowers

You can have your chocolate and sweets, just comfort me with potatoes. There is not one style that I will refuse, I am simply enamored with potatoes. I am fighting the flu, since Nate and Matt both have it, and I do not need that experience since we are leaving on a trip in the near future. So... I pulled out my trusty bag of Yukon Gold and prepared roasted potato slices with herbs, sea salt, and pepper. When I get old and cranky I hope someone will remind my care givers that I can be soothed with anything potato.

Is there an all potato cookbook? I have hundreds, yet I have yet to see one that is all on my favorite food subject. I am sure there is one or two. I am going to look up all of my favorite ways to produce a potato dish and I hope you will share yours with us as well. I'll keep adding to this post as I find something delicious (and while I nibble on my roasted potato slices.)


What ever happened to Nathalie Dupree? She had a cooking show on public television years before the Food Network and she was so gracious and so in love with cooking good food. I have not heard a word about her for years. I am going to give you her recipe for potatoes Anna. I first made this dish while watching one of Martha Stewart's videos. While she was pouring on the butter, between each layer mind you, she was trying to convince us that it was not fattening. It was seriously good, but you can imagine how thunder thighs could increase after one helping, according to Martha's recipe. Nathalie's is just a bit more sensible even though she is a southern gal who likes her butter too.

POTATOES ANNA

1/2 c. soft butter
2 lbs. (about 5 c.) Idaho potatoes, pared and thinly sliced
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. With 3 tablespoons butter, grease an iron skillet. Dry potato slices.
Gently toss potatoes with salt and pepper. Layer a third of potato slices, circular fashion, around bottom and side of skillet. Dot with butter or pour melted butter over the layer and each layer after that. Repeat twice or as many times as you have potatoes and butter. Remember the bottom will actually be the top once it is inverted, so make the first arrangement pretty and add a sprig of thyme in the middle for added flavor and beauty. The potatoes should be golden brown and crunchy. When inverted it will look like a cake. You slice it like a cake as well.

Another version:

POTATOES ANNA

5 med. Idaho potatoes
1/2 c. butter, melted
Seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Garlic salt
Parmesan cheese

Cut potatoes into thin, even slices. Place in water until ready to bake. Dry thoroughly. Arrange slices in circles, overlapping each slightly to cover bottom of greased pie plate. Sprinkle with seasonings and drizzle with butter. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with cheese. Drizzle remaining butter over top. Bake in 400 degree oven about 45 minutes or until brown and crusty. Invert onto platter; lift off pie plate; cut in wedges to serve.

I looked up Ms. Dupree on the Internet and WOW, she is still active and even ran for senate on a write-in ticket. http://www.nathalie.com/bio.htm She is such an interesting person and cook. Just google her name and have fun reading about her and her eight cookbooks.

Nathalie Dupree's
Southern Memories
Welcome to Nathalie Dupree's South, a place of ladies' luncheons, bake sales, fresh fish dinners, and pit barbecue, where time seems to move a bit more slowly and fresh, flavorful food is an indispensable part of everyday life. For years, PBS host and author Nathalie Dupree has led the renaissance of Southern cooking, bringing the best of the region's fare to the country. Now she recalls the people and the places that have shaped her philosophy of cooking and entertaining in Nathalie Dupree's Southern Memories, the culmination of her lasting love affair with Southern food and Southern living.

For anyone who has longed to step into Nathalie's world as seen on her PBS series, Southern Memories will be as welcome as a cool iced tea on a hot summer day. I've ordered this and another of hers. I'll let you know how they are.

Everyone in the family gets this when they are feeling poorly.
Potato Leek Soup Recipe
Ingredients
3 large leeks, cut lengthwise, separate, clean. Use only the white and pale green parts, chop.
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)*
2 lbs potatoes, peeled, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
Marjoram - dash
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Tabasco sauce or other red chili sauce
Salt & Pepper
Method
Cook leeks in butter with salt and pepper in a medium sized sauce pan. Cover pan, cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Check often. Do not brown leeks! Browning will give leeks a burnt taste.

2 Add water, broth, and potatoes. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Scoop about half of the soup mixture into a blender, puree and return to pan. Add marjoram, parsley, and thyme. Add a few dashes of chili sauce to taste. Add some freshly ground pepper, 1-2 teaspoons salt or more to taste.

Serves 4-6.

In 1985, a Cincinnati, Ohio woman hit the Ruth Lyons show when Bob Braun (sp.?)took over for Ruth. Her name was Beverly Nye and she became an instant celebrity. She knew how to do everything in a homey way from preparing the pantry for disastrous events, to home making in a grand wifely style. I guess it became too much ado because her great newsletters, which I have all of, and her home made style book, I think there was only one, disappeared and she was heard from no more. She was a dedicated family woman and perhaps she knew when to call it quits and concentrate on her husband, Roy, and the family. Here is her country potato cheese soup.

In a sauce pan, melt: 2 T. butter or margarine

Add: 6 large diced potatoes
2 medium chopped onions
3 stalks chopped celery
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add: 2 c. chicken broth
Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Put mixture in blender and blend to smooth
Return to heat and stir in 1 cup half and half and 2 cups of cheese of your choice--Colby, American, (Brie make sure it is a non- reactive pan or Gruyere, a Swiss cow's milk cheese that melts beautifully)
Heat until cheese is melted. Serves 4, but can be stretched.

I just got on line and found other people looking for this woman. Many people thought she was dead, but someone had this web site, apparently hers, with the following message. (After more searching I found that she did die in 2005. Perhaps her family sells her books.)


Golly, it's been so fun hearing from "old" friends who have just discovered my website. Thank you all for remembering me and recalling memories and recipes from past shows. The world really is full of wonderful people!

My newest book, Year Round Sunshine, is still going strong and is still available by internet or mail. I am so pleased so many of you are enjoying it.

People are asking if my other books are still available. A Family Raised on Rainbows is out of print and I no longer have any. However, I do still have a few copies of my other titles. To place an order simply send check or money order to the address below.

A Family Raised on Sunshine $5.95 plus $3 s&h
Everyone's a Homemaker $7.95 plus $3 s&h
The Best of Beverly $7.95 plus $3 s&h
Year Round Sunshine $24.95 plus $3.50 s&h


Just email me, me@beverlynye.com, or write to:

Bev Nye
1493 West Cornerstone Drive
South Jordan, UT 84095


Well, stay in touch everyone!

Smile Always!

Bev Nye

I am a busy woman, today, digging up the long gone.






http://www.thehungrymouse.com/ The Hungry Mouse says grab your fork and put on your fat pants for this mashed potato dish. This recipe looks wonderful and she pictures it step by step. I like following her blog, too. I am going to try this!

Food For Thought

Food For Thought

This morning, as every morning, I have a three-dog paper- reading, coffee- sipping experience. One puppy in my lap, one at my right hip and one with her head on my shoulder as though she is enjoying Cook's Corner with me. We especially like Wednesday mornings because of this experience. Not as much as we once did, when Cook's Corner was whole, but nice just the same. The economy has caused the down sizing of the once prized section of The Columbus Dispatch and now it is wedged in with gossip, crosswords, advice, and horoscopes. It has lost a bit of panache and some of its best food writers.

This morning the recipe for chocolate bourbon butterscotch souffles evoked a memory of the best souffle I have ever tasted. Never having made one in my entire life, it has been on my bucket list since I first flipped a pancake. Chartres Hotel Best Western Le Grand Monarque, France makes the best souffle I have ever tasted. Their food, actually, ranks up there with the best food in France, but then that is just the opinion of a hungry auction attendee from Ohio. Several times a year I went to, and enjoyed, the Galerie de Chartres an auction house for the very best French dolls and toys. I never collected dolls, but I bought and sold and wrote about a certain doll called Bleuette for six or so years. The auction at Chartres was one of my favorite places to go and Le Grand Monarque was one of my favorite places to stay. Each room was decorated differently and well.

The Grand Marnier (orange liqueur) souffle at Le Grand Monarque tops my scrumptious list. One had to order it before the meal in order for it to be perfect in all of its quivering glory as it was carried to the table with ohhhs and ahaaaas greeting this sweet perfection. I searched the web and there are tons of recipes for Grand Marnier souffles and I bet they can't be that much different from the one I tasted with friends, dealers and collectors in France.

Today I am printing the chocolate bourbon butterscotch souffles which serves eight as shown in this mornings Cook's Corner. This one is different because you can make it a day ahead and pop it in the oven at the last minute, according to instructions which indicate the cold rest helps it hold its fluff and height. Let me know what you think. I am trying it once I get back to sampling sweets , but for now I am content with my memories of the Grand Marnier at Le Grand Monarque.

Chocolate Bourbon Butterscotch Souffles

Butter and sugar to coat the ramekins
6 tablespoons butterscotch sauce from a jar
1/4 cup butter, 1/2 stick
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 eggs, separated
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Lightly coat the inside of 6 ramekins with butter. Coat them with sugar, tapping out any excess. Place one tablespoon of butterscotch sauce in the bottom of each ramekin.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and both chocolates. Zap it on high in 20 second-intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. (Or melt it as you usually do.)
In another large bowl, combine the egg yolks and salt. Use an electric mixer to beat until slightly thickened and pale.
In a small saucepan over medium-high, combine the water and half the sugar and bring to a boil.
Resume beating the egg yolks. With the mixer running, drizzle in the hot sugar mixture. Whip on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Fold the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture. Stir in the bourbon.
In a clean fresh bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until frothy. Slowly add the remaining sugar while continuing to beat, beating until the whites hold a stiff peak. Gently fold into the chocolate and yolk mixture. Spoon into the ramekins, smoothing the tops and wiping the rims. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to bake the souffles, heat the oven to 350 and bake them for 15 to 17 minutes, or until risen and puffy with a soft-firm top and a set center. Serve immediately. Good luck.

This is an on line recipe.
Grand Marnier® liqueur gives this classy dessert dish a fabulous orange flavor. Plan on serving this right away. The souffle will fall if held long.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons or 1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup flour
1-1/3 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 egg yolks (reserve whites)
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons Grand Marnier® orange liqueur
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-cup souffle dish with butter. Set aside.

Whisk together butter, flour, milk, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Beat yolks with sugar, vanilla, and Grand Marnier® until smooth and slightly thickened. While constantly whisking, slowly blend in 1/4 cup of the milk mixture until blended. Continue whisking and blend in the remainder of the milk mixture in a slow, steady stream until combined.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Fold into the egg yolk mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve immediately. (Souffle will fall if held long.)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Uh Oh

Uh Oh...
Residents of Columbus have long known that this place is a (shhhhh) foodies' paradise. If a new restaurant or food product is to be tested in the nation, it is tested in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus supports restaurants and has for as long as I can remember. A good antique show, not so much. But now, we have been discovered. We have been 'explored' by Jane Black and found worthy. She believes the capital has blossomed into a food lover's town over night, with serious cocktails and micro brews, pastries worthy of Paris, fantastical ice-cream and extraordinary shopping. Long dismissed as Applebee country, we have become a city- worthy food destination. Jane extols the North Market and calls it the city's food hub.

Jane points out that the North Market is open year-round. It is a converted warehouse that hosts 35 vendors, including butchers, bakers and ice cream makers. There are shelves of Ohio-milled grain, grass-fed beef, Lake Erie-caught walleye, cheeses, wines and spices. Jane is in love with Columbus...now. Could it be the case of $11 a bottle French Bordeaux or was it the cinnamon roll from Omega Artisan that led her down our primrose path? Maybe it was the live opera singer upstairs who inspired her to try the Hurbert's Polish pirogi. Maybe it was the Mexican hot chocolate ice cream, or could it have been the grapefruit lingaberry sorbet that urged her to write glowingly about Columbus? (Could be she was just especially hungry that day and we happened to hit the spot.)

Jane has also sampled German Village and found it scrumptious, so I think we are in for an influx of food writer attention. They are on the scent and soon we will have the food focus denied us for so long. Are we ready for our close up?

Note:
How did I get along without my 'granny fork'? It mashes, it lifts, it stirs, it spears; it's an all purpose tool of old. It is nestled among my French kitchen towels in a festive red and green (with my initials) that I found in Vanves, a French flea market of note. The fork is sold on Amazon. com

Cookbooks. Kitchen Stuff. Blogs. Love'em all.

I bought my first cookbook in the south; Alabama to be specific, in 1955, the year I graduated from high school. What possessed me, I have no idea, but I was destined to learn to cook. My first cookbook has wooden covers and is called Fine Old Dixie Recipes. Some of the pictures would not be politically correct today. Things and people were different then. Looking at the book now the southern cookbook made it seem that people were once delighted to be picking cotton in the heat of the sweltering day. Or a large fat woman appeared giddy to be cooking over a wood stove when it was one hundred degrees in the shade with only a bandanna tied to her head to keep the sweat from dripping into the three daily meals, all the while children sat on stumps eating watermelon. I have never made one dish from that recipe book, but continue to hold on to it as though it were my favorite. Dishes like molasses pudding and raw apple float and hot frosted gingerbread sound delicious but I have no desire to try to make them. (Hot frosted gingerbread sounds good to me at the moment, since I have had no sweets for two weeks.)

Around My French Table by Dori Greenspan is a five hundred-thirty page tome. I am enjoying it to no end because it is not just recipes but Paris experiences, some of which I have had myself. Each blurb before the recipe is extensive, different, and well put together. I saw her picture of short ribs in wine with carrots and potatoes and made it the next day. (The picture here is from Williams-Sonoma, although mine looked pretty good too.) I made a beef-vegetable soup from the left overs the next day. One looks at short ribs and may think there is not much meat there, but the meat is so rich with wine and herbs that one cannot eat a lot of it...or at least I can't, so it suits my expandable family as a good winter meal or two. Dori's recipe is pages long and must be delicious, but she had me at her picture of the dish. Mine is short, sweet, and delectable. Buy the beef short ribs, season and sear them. Slice a sweet onion and pop it in after the meat has been seared. Caramelize it all around and then put it in the crock pot along with the seared short ribs. Put in a bouquet garni of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, a little sage, parsley--any herbs that meet the occasion. Pour a good red wine over the meat and onion, put in some beef stock, a hand full of garlic cloves, some stalks of celery, some carrots (and later potatoes and some fresh carrots). Put the crock pot on high until it is all perking along and then put it on low if you have plenty of time to let it go, if not, keep it on high. It's done when the meat seems as though it will fall from the bone, but not quite. (I put the fresh carrots and potatoes in about an hour before serving.) This can be done in a Dutch oven and placed in the oven or even on top of the stove to simmer all day. I like the crock pot or the oven best. This is a French bistro dish and when you order it there, you had better be hungry. It is served with knuckles of toasted croutons or the regular baguette. The French do not like you to leave food on your plate--it's insulting to them.


Betty Rosbottom's blog turned me on to the new kitchen tool shown above.(Be sure to check out her blog as presented in my previous entry.) The fish turner has so many uses it needs a new name. I ordered mine from Amazon.com and it came pronto. There are several different kinds averaging around $13. I have yet to buy the mashing fork (shown on Dori Greenspan's blog.) 'Julia" introduced it on television many years ago. I need that too.

Cooking Blogs:
A couple of months ago, The London Times published a list of The World's 50 Best Food Blogs : among them Smitten Kitchen, Orangette, Chez Pim, Steamy Kitchen, Simply Recipes, The Bitten Word, David Lebovitz, Tartelette, The Kitchen, Cafe Fernando, La Tartine Gourmande, The Wednesday Chef, Chocolate and Zucchini, The Amateur Gourmet. I thought you might like to check some of these out for yourselves. (Mine was not on the list. LOL)

Since this winter goes on forever, I have read until I am nearly blind. C'est la Vie by Suzy Gershman is a fun read--she writes the 'born to shop' books and moved to Paris six months after her husband died. I am on a Paris reading kick, but not because I want to go back. I just like the different points of view about the City of Light and its inhabitants. 'The read' was triggered by my Paris driver who emailed me in January to tell me about all the changes in his life. Changes that I did not even imagine happening to him. He now lives in CANADA with a new wife and new family. How does that happen in such a short period of time? The cadence of life seems off to me.

Almost French by Sarah Turnbull is next on my list. I have often been told that a novel is in me, but I think I have moved to a phase in my life where family is front and center and my whims have been satisfied. I've had the notes and pages of ideas and funny and sad situations on hand for a long time, but the effort to put them all in order seems gone. Eight books about antiques is enough for me, I think.

I have also just found the delight of On Demand television. I have ignored it for years, but the reruns and lack of interesting shows has driven me to the movies on demand at $6. a pop. Cheaper still than leaving the home in this weather to trot to the movies. A couple spends close to $40. to see a movie with snacks now days. I remember seeing a movie for fourteen cents! So far I have been watching The Girl movies--The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest. Normally, for me, the books are better than the movies, but in this case, the movies are better. There are sub titles, but that is not annoying to me. The acting is good, the story lines are compelling, but the one draw back is the graphic rape scenes in one of the movies. It's something you don't want to watch with anyone else in the room, but necessary to the plot. I saw Wall Street 2 last night. (They should have stopped with the first one.) The first on demand that I watched was Eat, Pray,Love
Hated it!

To me, the worst movie of last year was Sex and The City 2. When Carrie Bradshaw went shopping in Dubai in a ball gown skirt and tee shirt, I could have slapped her. It was ridiculous! The entire movie set my teeth on edge as Mama Mia had done the year before. Eat, Prey, Love was not far behind the other idiot movies.

Back to food:

Ohhhh, I like to fix frittatas. They are fast, easy and full proof. They can stretch a menu for unexpected pop in guests or to take to a neighbor in need.

Baked Potato Frittata (from Williams-Sonoma)

My comments are here and there in this recipe:
2 russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced
(or use left over potatoes)
Preheat oven to 400. Combine potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes.
crisp the bacon, discard fat (I save it for the rest of the recipe)
In large bowl, whisk eggs, salt and pepper, 1 cup cheese and 1/4 cup chives. In frittata pan (or a skillet) warm 2 tsps. oil (or I use the bacon fat that some discard) Put the potatoes in the pan with the diced, cooked bacon, pour egg mixture over potatoes and bacon. Cook, using a spatula to lift the cooked edges so the egg mixture can seep--seep and lift, seep and lift. Once the bottom is set, sprinkle the top with cheese and slide it into your preheated oven at 400. (They say 500, but that ruins the eggs in my opinion.) Bake until the egg mixture is set and no longer jiggles.

You can set yourself free with a frittata. I've used ham, tomatoes, vegetables of various kinds--as long as your egg mixture is basic, what is under the eggs should please you and your guests.

Biscuits and Slices

I have made many, many trips to London and one trip stays in my mind when I think of sweets. (By the way, I have given up sweets, but more on that later.) There was an antiques show in London inside a tented area. I found one nice furniture piece and then stopped for a slice and tea. The slice was a low chocolate cake like brownie in which something like a wafer, Kit Kat maybe, candy bar had been baked. Each slice contained the bar and it was all topped off with a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar. To take a bite one encountered a soft brownie and then a slim crisp snap topped off with a cloud of sugar. Very nice and I have yet to see a recipe. For months I haunted bookshops in London looking for the recipe and that is where I encountered the Women's Weekly from Australia. If it isn't in there, it isn't anywhere. I am getting another of the books (magazines) called Biscuits and Slices, so I hope I find the recipe which I won't be able to taste since I have given up sweets. I am not a fan of desserts though I like to make them. I taste them when they come from the oven and lose interest once a day has passed. I read about a new diet where this 300 pound woman gave up ice cream for three months and lost 30 pounds. (Now she must have eaten a gallon an evening, but it worked.)For three months ice cream is the only thing she gave up. Then she gave up another thing and so on until she lost all her weight. I am a week into it and don't miss the sweets at all. Monday I am giving up bread, another thing that I won't miss that much. I am not waiting three months to see if there is a difference before I give up something else. Another article said one could lose 18 pounds in a year by just giving up cola--even diet cola. I don't care for that either--but Diet Snapple is my drink of choice. I will give it up down the road for water, but one week at a time. I don't want to make a big fuss about this because nothing bores me more than hearing about someone's diet after I have worked all day on a special meal. It's just a little experiment for me, but I will let you know what happens.

The two pictures will show you what the 'cake' looks like. Instead of nuts as in one of the pictures, a thin sliver of crisp wafer was offered to set the entire thing off as special. If you know the recipe or how to accomplish this, please email me or comment on this post. dorislechler@aol.com


Writing about England made me think of my very favorite times that I spent there. Hands down it was the Newark Antiques Market that was held several times a year. I have not been in five or so years and wondered, today, if it still existed. Seeing as how one can barely get ones stripped down body on an airplane, it does not seem logical that I could get on with twenty trunks and cartons filled with antiques...not any more. It was always a problem getting the stuff to the airport, on the plane, checking into customs, sometimes twice, getting it off at home, security and customs again...it wore me out and I did it one third of each and every year. The customs officials started calling me by name, after they discovered I always had paper work for every item I bought.

Maybe it was the baked potatoes that drew me to England. At the Newark flea market they were remarkable. Slathered in real butter, cheese, slaw, or any condiment you wanted the potato itself could stand alone. It was always large, white, fluffy,and begging for a dollop of butter and or sour cream. Once we arrived the potato started the long arduous day off properly. Most of us did not stop to eat the entire day, but bought other treats to take with us on the ride home. Their sliced pork sandwiches were outstanding as well. Yum!

We would board a chartered bus that arrived at our hotel, yes, there were that many of us, usually forty or more, at 4:00am. This was not a tour. Everyone arrived solo and equipped to shop. The driver was familiar with the routine and joined in the fun of it, or so we thought. Two hours later, still in the dark during the winter months, we arrived to wait in line for the gates to open. The race was on and it was literally every man and woman for herself or himself. Friendships were left at the gates or on the bus. We were snarling at each other if we encountered one another while shopping because everyone wanted nearly the same things. These were American dealers who watched what every one else was buying and tried to buy it first and as cheaply as possible. We were competing with our dealer contacts in England and France as well. They tried to buy it first to sell it to us at great mark ups and we tried to buy it first to cut out the middle man. It was dog eat dog. Many a pill was popped to get some of us through the day which did not end until late into the night. The walking! OMG, our dogs were barking but we carried on. I had bags on wheels and pulled them over the bumpy terrain, so it was my arms, my legs, my head. We were all a mess in so many ways. We, usually pulled out at 6:00pm. If the buying was especially good, some of us went back the next day--if we had any money left. It was strictly cash and carry so there was the conversion of money and the amount to consider before even starting that trek.

On the way home the bus was so packed that people had to hold their packages on their laps because both sides of the under bus was full, the over heads were jammed and we could not stow anything in the aisles. It was soooooo worth all of the trouble, the cold of the winter, the heat of the summer, the fluctuating money conversions, the waiting for the English banks to give us our own money, the packing of it all to get it home and the joy of opening the boxes in the comfort of home to find everything arrived without breakage (which happened rarely.) It was the phone calls that made me the happiest. The finding for collections, mine and my customers, that gave me pleasure, and the profits to feed my habit so I could go back and start all over again. Our Cooke Rd. home can thank those many trips for its extras.

I have no idea how big the market is now, but then it had 4,000 dealers with a waiting list. It covered the entire fairgrounds. I have listed the information that I got on the Internet in case you are a lover of antiques and exquisite torture. LOL

Europe's largest Antique Fair


Europe's largest antiques event takes place in Newark, Nottinghamshire. Stall holders and buyers from around the globe come to the Newark & Nottinghamshire Showground every other month to take part in this internationally renowned trading event.

With up to 4000 stalls, the fair holds quite possibly everything you could imagine from furniture, rugs, paintings and textiles, to sports memorabilia, toys, grandfather clocks and antique maps

The Newark fair has to be experienced to be believed. It's a treasure trove of possibilities for your interiors. Here you'll find everything you could possibly need to decorate and stylize your home.

Cost: Thursday - 9am - 6pm: £10 (Allows entry on Friday also)
Friday - 8am - 4pm £5

Accompanied under 16s are admitted free of charge


Forthcoming event dates:
Thursday 03 February 2011
Friday 04 February 2011
Thursday 07 April 2011
Friday 08 April 2011



We are going to Florida soon and I believe Andy and I will look for a condo on or near the water to buy. We have heard of good buys and this may be the time to take the plunge. We'll see. It will be fun to look. (We are not giving up Cooke Rd.)

Happy New Year 2011

We are starting off 2011 with pretty good news. I was worried there for a minute, but today was full of good news. Matt, our oldest grandson, was accepted into The Ohio State University today. He graduates from Columbus State in March and then attends Ohio State, a long time dream of his. Nate graduates in the spring, so we are having a double party in May for sure. I must gear up for that event, because we have invited all the relatives from three different family branches to come to party for the day and evening. Hopefully another grandson will join us soon and begin his college career also in the spring or summer. That's three, now for the grandson in Florida--he was asked to be on the varsity baseball team and he is in the 7th grade! He's that good!(I taught Robert O'Neil, a famous Reds ball player, so I am hoping his success rubbed off on the Lechlers.)

I am trying a series of cake mixes from Trader Joe's. I have yet to try any product from that store that has not been successful. Last week I made their packaged gingerbread cake and Andy commented on it with every slice he ate. Today I just took their truffle cake out of the oven. You don't even need a mixer for these 'stir up' cakes. Very simple, but with a deliciousness that is unexpected for a mix...however, I am not putting down mixes. I think they are great. Bless them...the ones who invented these time savers.

I read this morning that Maya Angelou has written a cookbook. Seems everyone is in on the cooking action, but I wonder how long people are going to continue buying cookbooks when all of the recipes are available free of charge on the Internet. I read cookbooks like novels from cover to cover, if I like the author, so maybe that is the saving grace of a cookbook author. I must admit, however, my cookbook buying is way down. I will not buy any more of the Barefoot Contessa's books; she is repeating herself (how many ways CAN she actually cook a chicken) and stretching the limits in her last book. Back to Basics is really basic and How Easy is That? was a ho hum that I didn't even get through. When I remember, I still watch her show but repeats are frequent.

Having written the above, I thought about our formally wonderful Cook's Corner in the Columbus Dispatch now squeezed in by crossword puzzles and celebrity gossip. I wondered at not seeing Betty Rosbottom's semi weekly column any more, so I Googled her and find that she has a fledgling web site that is very nice and will soon be exceptional if I know her--and I do, a little bit. She was my former cooking teacher at Lazarus Department store in Columbus years ago--in the eighties. She has written several really good cookbooks and her classes were absolutely inspiring. They happened in the midst of my, every- other- month, trips to Paris and since she spends so much time there, even now, I will visit her web site often, I'm sure of that. I will print this blurb of her talents and her web site address so you can enjoy her too.

Betty Rosbottom http://bettyrosbottom.blogspot.com/
Amherst, Massachusetts
As a food writer, Betty was a nationally syndicated food columnist for over twenty years and a frequent contributor to Bon Appetit Magazine. She is the author of eight popular cookbooks and working on her ninth, "Sunday Roasts" to be published in the fall of 2011 by Chronicle Books. She was the founder of the nationally recognized La Belle Pomme Cooking School in Columbus, Ohio and served as its director until 1995 when she moved to New England. Betty currently is the Cooking School Coordinator for the "Different Drummer’s Kitchen" in Northampton, Massachusetts. Her PBS television program produced by WGBY in Springfield, Massachusetts “On the Menu” continues to air in western New England. She has also made appearances on both NBC’s "Today Show" and "The Early Show" on CBS.

The Cooking School Cookbook shown here is from 1987 when she, Betty Rosbottom, was directing La Belle Pomme cooking school in Columbus, Ohio. She now has eight cookbooks published and another is due in February. I am still cooking from the recipe hand-outs from the 1980s that she graciously gave to attending students. Those hand-outs fill an entire binder. We also got to sample each dish that was created and the room was always packed with students...well, we sampled all but the brie soup. LOL Diaster ensued when they made this expensive soup in a pan that caused a chemical reaction to the contents and they had to ditch the entire batch made for thirty or forty people.


Someone sent me this in an email, thinking I was old enough to remember these things (and I am). LOL I hope you enjoy this trek down memory lane.



... THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY THIS ....
'Someone asked the other day, 'What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?'
'We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,' I informed him... 'All the food was slow.'
'C'mon, seriously. Where did you eat?'
'It was a place called 'at home,'' I explained. ! 'Mom cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.'

By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table. But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it:

Some parents NEVER owned their own house, never wore Levis, never set foot on a golf course, never traveled out of the country or had a credit card. In their later years they had something called a revolving charge card. The card was good only at Sears Roebuck. Or maybe it was Sears & Roebuck. Either way, there is no Roebuck anymore. Maybe he died.

My parents never drove me to soccer practice. This was mostly because we never had heard of soccer.
I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow)

We didn't have a television in our house until I was 12. It was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at midnight, after playing the national anthem and a poem about God; it came back on the air at about 6 a..m. and there was usually a locally produced news and farm show on, featuring local people.

I was 21 before I tasted my first pizza, it was called 'pizza pie.' When I bit into it, I burned the roof of my mouth and the cheese slid off, swung down, plastered itself against my chin and burned that, too. It's still the best pizza I ever had.

I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone in the house was in the living room and it was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line.

Pizzas were not delivered to our home But milk was.

All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers --my brother delivered a newspaper, six days a week. It cost 7 cents a paper, of which he got to keep 2 cents.. He had to get up at 6AM every morning. On Saturday, he had to collect the 42 cents from his customers. His favorite customers were the ones who gave him 50 cents and told him to keep the change. His least favorite customers were the ones who seemed to never be home on collection day.

Movie stars kissed with their mouths shut... At least, they did in the movies. There were no movie ratings because all movies were responsibly produced for everyone to enjoy viewing, without profanity or violence or most anything offensive.

If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren Just don't blame me if they bust a gut laughing.

Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?

MEMORIES from a friend: My Dad is cleaning out my grandmother's house (she died in December) and he brought me an old Royal Crown Cola bottle. In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it. I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea. She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. I knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to 'sprinkle' clothes with because we didn't have steam irons. Man, I am old.

How many do you remember?
Head lights dimmer switches on the floor.
Ignition switches on the dashboard.
Heaters mounted on the inside of the fire wall.
Real ice boxes.
Pant leg clips for bicycles without chain guards.
Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner.
Using hand signals for cars without turn signals.

Older Than Dirt Quiz:
Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about. Ratings at the bottom.

1. Blackjack chewing gum
2.Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water
3. Candy cigarettes
4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
5. Coffee shops or diners with tableside juke boxes
6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
7. Party lines on the telephone
8 Newsreels before the movie
9. P.F. Flyers
10. Butch wax
11. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning (there were only 3 channels - if you were fortunate)
12. Peashooters
13. Howdy Doody
14. 45 RPM records
15. S& H greenstamps
16. Hi-fi's
17. Metal ice trays with lever
18. Mimeograph paper
19. Blue flashbulb
20. Packards
21. Roller skate keys
22. Cork popguns
23. Drive-ins
24. Studebakers (we had a brand new one)
25.. Wash tub wringers
26. How about wax lips?

If you remembered 0-5 = You're still young
If you remembered 6-10 = You are getting older
If you remembered 11-15 = Don't tell your age
If you remembered 16-25 = You're older than dirt!
I might be older than dirt but those memories are some of the best parts of my life.

Glad 2010 is Over!

We have spent the most boring but peaceful holiday season ever--except for those years in London. In London EVERYTHING closes down and there is no food to be had unless you happen on to a side street that has a foreign (country) owner who does not hold the holiday season in great esteem. We did spend several Christmas seasons there because on Boxing Day, which is the day after Christmas, there was (or is) a big antiques fair. It was a good show and one where we bought well for our American customers. London does not decorate much or well at Christmas time and it is not like the old fashion book scenes. It is a busy place and the holidays are family times and mostly their events are out of sight.

The first picture is from New Year's Eve day, 2010. The light in the house was perfect and it was about 50 degrees outside after a month of snow and cold.

Anyway, there is absolutely nothing to report activity wise on Cooke Rd. We are, however, planning a Florida trip in the near future. We have a travel agent working on it because travel is such a pain in the butt now days. We were booked using my travel miles but they had a 1 1/2 hour trip turned into a seven hour horror excursion. So we are abandoning those miles and paying to get a straight shot.

I must say the quiet times allowed for several delicious recipes to be tried--speaking of delicious recipes, Bella, our little Yorkie, literally eats my recipes when ever she can get a hold of them. They are like a little doggie delicacy for her. She managed to digest several of them while I was reorganizing my recipe drawers. Very clever at slipping up grabbing one in a dainty fashion and then chewing it to bits.

Cakes were on the agenda this week, pound cakes to be specific. I tried two out of four recipes that I considered interesting. The eggnog pound cake was delicious, but not too pretty. The vanilla and spices turned the batter a tan color and it was baked in a loaf pan, so the top should have been prettier than it was. Actually, Giant Eagle has delicious pound cakes, but they cut them in half and it makes me so mad I won't buy them. They act like I am crazy when I ask for an entire, one piece, pound cake. It reminds me of Hilton Head where one cannot buy an entire ham...at least in October.

The second one I tried is pretty and delicious, except it was too sweet. I am cutting down on the sugar the next time I make it and I will indicate that when I write the recipe for you. The eggnog pound cake was in the Columbus Dispatch's Cook's Corner and the 'something different' pound cake was found on line at allrecipes.com I have always found the exact recipe I am looking for on line. There is no need to buy cookbooks any more, so I don't know what those authors are going to do and what am I going to do with hundreds of cookbooks that I have collected through these many years. I still have the first cookbook I bought as a teenager over 50 years ago on a trip to Alabama. It has wooden covers, if you can believe that.

Something Different Pound Cake
Big and delicious.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups white sugar (I am cutting back on the sugar, the cake is too sweet.)
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon rum flavored extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract

glaze:
1 cup white sugar (I will only use 1/2 cup next time)
1 teaspoon rum flavored extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup water

Directions
preheat 325, greased 10 inch tube pan
sift flour, salt, baking powder together and set aside

In a large bowl cream butter, shortening and 3 cups of sugar (use less) until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add 1 teaspoon rum extract, 1 teaspoon coconut extract. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and evaporated milk. Mix to smooth.
Bake at 325 for an hour and 15 minutes. I have a convection over, so I bake it for an hour. You know how to test to see if a cake is done.

Make the glaze by putting the following in a sauce pan and bringing to a boil stirring constantly:1 cup (way too much) sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon rum ex., 1 teaspoon coconut ex. and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pierce the cooled cake with a skewer and pour the glaze over the cooled cake and allow it to soak into the holes. Cool the glaze a bit too before pouring.

Andy's Staff Christmas Potluck Recipes

I thought you might like some of the (50 dishes) recipes from Andy's staff potluck that took place today, December 17th. I didn't have a chance to submit the cheese ball recipe that I had Andy offer. These recipes seem really interesting.

Also, here is a summer picture of a dish I miss more than any other summer food. Waaa, I want tomatoes! Now!
However, I will settle for this cauliflower-bacon gratin that's pictured. When I traveled to Paris to buy antiques I mostly stayed in a family owned hotel in Nation. Beside this hotel was a tea room that was only open for lunch...so French. They had a limited menu: quiche, gratins, desserts, tea, coffee. Their gratins were wonderful if you got there at 11:00 or even 12:00 after that, forget it; the cheese starts to separate and it is not a pleasant sight. Also their salads were awful--lettuce, no dressing, but, their seafood gratin was out of this world. That and the cauliflower gratin had me coming back. (I find it is better to eat the gratin right away or at room temperature, otherwise it gets watery...does not store well) Their variety of teas was staggering and I brought many bags of tea home with me each time along with one of those little iron tea pots that you can buy in most cook speciality stores all over the country now. It was so pleasant to sit in that tea room and have a pot of Christmas tea in the winter after a long day of antiquing. It was one of my best memories of Paris.(Scroll on down for the recipe from Dori Greenspan's Around My French Table.)

Andy especially liked the red skin potatoes dish from the potluck. I am going to try it for sure.2010

Holiday Potluck Recipes




Hot Artichoke Dip


1 large can artichokes in water - drained
3/4 c mayo
1 clove garlic - chopped
4 oz shredded Swiss cheese
4 oz shredded Parmesan cheese
1 small can diced green chilies (optional)

Chop artichokes
Mix the remaining ingredients with the artichokes
Spoon into a pie plate
Cook, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes
Serve with tortilla chips



Submitted by Amy Shaffer







Salsa Hors D’oeuvres Wraps

1 pkg - 8 Fajita Tortillas
16 oz - cream cheese
A few tablespoons - salsa (medium flavor)

Soften cream cheese and mix in salsa. Lay tortilla out and spread mixture on tortilla until covered (almost to edge). Roll up. Repeat until everything is used up. Store in a container and place in refrigerator overnight. Before serving, slice roll into 8 pieces each, discard edges (or eat them while slicing!). Place pieces on a platter and serve with unmixed salsa as a dip.

Submitted by Chuck Weiden




Barbecue Lasagna


1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup ketchup
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (I use Barilla Lasagne, Oven Ready no boiling required noodles)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Colby or mild cheddar cheese
1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
1 egg


Meat: In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.

Barbecue sauce: Combine the next 13 ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Layering: Spread about ¼ cup barbecue sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles and half of the beef. Spread with half of the remaining barbecue sauce; sprinkle with half of the mozzarella, cheddar and Colby cheeses. Repeat layers.

Topping: Combine cottage cheese and egg; spoon evenly over the top.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting.
Yield: 8 servings

Submitted by Patti Guseman
Swedish Meatballs

Meatballs Sauce

1 lb. Hamburger 1 - 15 oz. Tomato Sauce
1 Chopped Onion 1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C dry Bread Crumbs 2 Tbsp. White Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Pepper 1 1/2 tsp. Seasoning Salt

Combine ingredients for meatballs and brown. Simmer sauce uncovered for 15 minutes.
Add browned meatballs & simmer uncovered for 3 hours.

Submitted by Kelly Gaier













Red Skin Mashed Potatoes


1 5 lb. bag of red skin potatoes
1 3 lb. tub of Daisy Sour Cream
1 2 lb. tub of Smart Balance Margarine
Salt

Serves many! (at least 15 servings)

• Wash potatoes and peel away only the bad spots/blemishes so that most of the peel stays on the potato.
• Place potatoes into a large cooking pot on stove and fill with water to about ¾ full (Note: I do not salt the water.)
• Boil potatoes until fork tender (This can take about a half hour, and then if fork slides easily through potatoes, they are ready to be mashed.)
• With a large slotted spoon, remove/drain potatoes and place well-drained potatoes into a large mixing bowl
• While the potatoes are steaming hot, add about one cup of margarine, and about one cup of sour cream into to the bowl, and sprinkle in some salt. (You’ll “taste test” as you go along to add in generous amounts of margarine, sour cream and some salt, so add salt sparingly as you blend.
• Mix the margarine and sour cream into the potatoes (I use an electric hand mixer.)
• Taste the mixture. You’ll need to add more margarine and sour cream and a little salt until the potatoes are creamy white and well mixed. Note: I use at least half of the tub of margarine and about half of the tub of sour cream for this dish.

Potatoes should have a nice balance of flavor with the butter and sour cream (you should not notice one flavor over the other), and the potatoes shouldn’t taste salty, just flavorful.

Serve immediately (note that the margarine and sour cream cools down the potatoes, so you may need to pop them into microwave for a few minutes to get them nice and hot again to serve), or store the mashed potatoes in a sealed container in the fridge until ready to heat and serve. These ‘taters re-heat well in the microwave or on the stove top.


Submitted by Char Rogge
Raspberry Punch

1 2 liter bottle of Sprite
1 gallon jug Hawaiian Punch Fruit Drink
½ gallon Raspberry Sherbet
1 pint fresh Raspberries (or thaw 1 package of frozen Raspberries)

A few minutes before serving the punch, set out the Raspberry Sherbet so that it softens some at room temperature (you want it to be soft and easy to scoop out). If fresh raspberries are not available, thaw frozen raspberries at room temperature (do not defrost raspberries in the microwave!)
In a large punch bowl, pour in ½ jug of Hawaiian Fruit Punch Drink. (Reserve the other half jug for a second serving of punch.)
Pour in ½ of the 2 liter bottle of Sprite. (Reserve the other half of the bottle for a second serving of punch.)
Scoop out large dollops of Raspberry Sherbet and place on top of the fruit punch (try to cover sherbet all over the top of the punch. The Sprite soda will help the sherbet foam up to cover the surface.) Reserve half of the sherbet for a second serving of punch.
As a garnish, place a fresh raspberry (or thawed from frozen) on top of each sherbet scoop. (Reserve half of the raspberries for a second serving of punch) Note: If you try to move the punch bowl after you garnish with raspberries, the berries will drop down to the bottom of the bowl!
Serve and enjoy (serves many!)

Submitted by Char Rogge

Cauliflower-bacon Gratin
1 cauliflower
1/2 pound bacon, cut crosswise into slender strips
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup whole milk
salt and pepper and freshly grated nutmeg (Nutmeg is needed in this dish as well as green vegetable dishes to give any of them a boost.)
3 ounce Gruyere cheese
Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 425
Generously butter an oven dish that holds about 2 1/2 quarts. Put the dish on a baking sheet.
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Pull or cut the florets leaving about an inch stem. Drop the florets into the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse the cauliflower under cold running water to cool and PAT DRY. (Cauliflower is like a sponge, so pat it dry.)
While the cauliflower cooks, toss the bacon strips into a heavy skillet and crisp it up, drain it and dry it too.
Spread the cauliflower in the buttered pan and scatter over the bacon bits.

Put flour in a bowl and gradually whisk in the eggs. When the flour and eggs are blended, whisk in the cream and milk. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir in about 2/3 cup of the cheese. Pour the mix over the cauliflower, shake the pan to settle the liquid and scatter over the remaining cheese.
Bake the gratin for 25 minutes until puffed and golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. (It's like a quiche, except for the flour) If you need it to be browner, run it under the broiler...it's a pretty dish alone with a salad, or as a special side dish. I love it!

Christmas Baking in the Lechler Kitchen

For many years my nieces, Linda and Nancy, and my mother and I met for week ends on end from Thanksgiving until two weeks before Christmas baking cookies. (One year I got stung by a honey bee in December while cooling hard candy outside.) There are many tales to tell about those fun times. I don't think there is a cookie recipe that we didn't try and we always doubled or tripled the recipe. On Sunday we divided all the goodies and set off for another week of work.

When I gutted, added to, and designed my kitchen here on Cooke Rd., my neighbor, Pauline and I baked cookies the first and second year. After that I cut down on the cookies that I made to just a few favorites. I have two recipes, one of which I have never seen in print, and one that takes three days to make. The latter was given to me and I promised never to reveal the recipe but I have seen it lately pegged as clothes pin cookies (because they are baked on dowel rods or clothes pins, and I forget what Mary M. called them...I think Lady Locks. I will never make them again because it is just too time consuming. The interesting thing about them is that they are good to eat frozen or thawed, and they are adorable. Now one can use puff pastry from the store instead of making puff pastry from scratch which is a real pain. Also, instead of the Crisco filling (I know it sounds gross) I see the filling as anything you want to squirt in there. One recipe called for marshmallow fluff from a jar, I guess.

Here is the Lady Locks recipe as printed in the Columbus Dispatch, Cook's Corner December 2010--I didn't give out the recipe, Mary M. Not until it appeared in the Dispatch. This is the recipe that takes three days to make, unless you want to die trying.


COOKIE
LADY LOCKS
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
For Nancy Johnson, Columbus
Makes about 6 dozen
Pastry:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups ice water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)

Filling:
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
Jimmies
Confectioners’ sugar

To make pastry: Mix flour, water and salt to form a dough. Divide into 3 equal portion. Take one part and roll out on a floured surface. Divide shortening into 9 equal parts. Spread one part on square. Fold sides in and place on a well-floured baking sheet. Cover well. Refrigerate 1/2 hour. Repeat with remaining dough squares.

Roll each piece to a square again. Cover with shortening. Fold. Refrigerate 1/2 hour. Repeat one more time then refrigerate squares overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll each piece to a 12-inch square. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips about 3 inches long. Wrap each strip on a metal clothes pin (or tapered pastry forms available at baking and cookware stores), overlapping dough. Secure ends with a dab of water.

Arrange on baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes. Cool. Remove clothes pins.

To make filling: Mix milk and flour in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick paste forms. Cool completely.

Scrape cold paste into a bowl. Add shortening, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat for 20 minutes or until fluffy and sugar dissolves. Refrigerate overnight.

Pipe filling into locks. Dip ends in jimmies. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Barbara Kochick, Pickerington





When Andy and I were first married the ladies in my apartment complex and I had a cookie exchange. Everyone but one person worked very hard on their batches to make them the most desirable. One person, if you can believe this, bought her cookies and tried to pass them off as having slaved over the oven for days. You didn't fool anyone Carol M. LOL

Now days I enjoy making simple, tasty bunt cakes and fruit bread...like lemon or banana or chocolate breads. I have found many great recipes of all kinds by just googling the title or the ingredients for any of the recipes I am looking for on the Internet. Clothes pin cookie recipe, like the ones I used to make: http://louisj80sgarden.blogspot.com/2008/12/clothespin-cookies.html Read the different recipes and select the one that suits your needs best--not just this one. This one, however, shows pictures step by step of what they look like in different stages.

This year I am eager to try Sandy's Mound Cake from Cook's Corner in the Columbus Dispatch. I love Mound candy bars, so I assume they will taste like the bar.

Sandy's Mound Cake

Cake:
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup water
3 eggs

Filling:
24 large marshmallows
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 scant tablespoon cornstarch
1 package (14 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut

Frosting:
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups chocolate chips

To make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch pan. Combine all cake ingredients. Beat 2 minutes. Pour into a pan. Bake 30-35 minutes.
Five minutes before the cake is done, start making the filling: Combine filling ingredients in a large pan. Stir over medium heat until marshmallows melt. Spread over hot cake. Cool cake afterwards.
To make frosting: Boil sugar, butter and milk 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Pour over coconut mixture. Let stand several hours until chocolate mixture is set.

One of the most festive and easy things I have ever made is homemade marshmallows. I use The Barefoot Contessa's recipe which I will list here. This is a wonderful easy, cheap, elegant, looking gift to give in an holiday exchange. It looks complicated, but if you have a sturdy mixer, it does ALL the work. You can add flavorings to the outside of marshmallows. You can use toasted coconut, or leave it out. You can dip them in chocolate, roll them in cinnamon sugar or eat them plain. Kids think you are really special having presented them with these delights.

Marshmallows:
2 packages unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Toasted coconut for the end product if you like coconut
Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and allow to sit while you make the syrup.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat to high and cook until the syrup reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the dissolved gelatin. Put the mixer on high speed and whip until the mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes. (I found it dangerous for the mixer to do this at high speed for 15 minutes because I have a super duper mixer and it labored.)My friend called Kitchen Aid and they said not to use it on high speed for 15 minutes if the mixture is really thick, and it does get thick. I started it on high and when it started to get really thick, I reduced the speed and it still 'got there'.

When it is really thick add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

With a sieve, generously dust an 8x12-inch non metal baking dish with confectioners' sugar. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan, smooth the top, and dust with more confectioners' sugar. Allow to stand uncovered overnight until it dries out.

Turn the marshmallows onto a board and cut them in squares. Dust them again with more confectioners' sugar...or, the toppings of choice. You will never enjoy a store bought marshmallow again after making these delights. Cut them any size or shape you like but they look best big. Slip them into a cellophane bag tied with a festive ribbon for giving.

Since our Christmas is a quiet one this year, I'll have time to mix up and serve these scrumptious banana sour cream pancakes. Friends who have tried them, love them.

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes from Ina Garten's Family Style book:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 extra large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
unsalted butter
2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
pure maple syrup

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute, until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup. I Use a 1/4 CUP MEASURE TO DROP THE BATTER INTO THE PAN. The pancakes stay warm in a 200 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Walnut-Cranberry Biscotti

1/4 (1/2 stick) butter,
softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Cinnamon-sugar for sprinkling
Cream butter and both sugars until well-blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in walnuts and cranberries.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a 1- 1/2-inch long, 2 1/2 inch wide and 1 inch thick rectangle. Chill 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350. Bake rectangles 30 minutes. Cool.
Cut rectangles into 1/2 thick slices. Arrange on baking sheets. Rebake 15 minutes longer, turning once. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Cool completely.(They get hard and crisp.)

Columbus Dispatch Holiday Cookies (insert in the paper of 50 festive recipes)

December 6th found me still in my pajamas baking up a storm. Did the beds get made...no. It scared Matt so badly he cleaned his apartment and did his laundry, in between studying for two finals, while giving me odd looks. But, once he tasted the first batch of cookies, he forgave me, understanding first things first. It's cookie time. I made two batches of a molasses cookie, sending Nate out the door with three warm cookies and a hot Latte to start his school week. I quickly whipped up another favorite, Virginia O'Neils French almond crescent cookie. It makes thousands, but then she had many children, so this one recipe serves well instead of making several batches. I start out making them too big, but got the hang of the small crescents after several batches of large quarter moons. One enhancement, I roll them in crushed almonds instead of putting one almond on each cookie for charm. It is a very good recipe, as is the molasses cookie recipe from my cooking teacher Betty Rosbottom who has written several reliable cookbooks--she tests and retests, as does Ina Garten. My all time favorite is tastier the next day after it has time to soften up. I love this recipe from a friend that I have lost touch with named Lavonn. It is her Butterscotch Dessert Cookie. (Remember to wait until the next day to eat them, it's that important.)

I look forward to tomorrow when three more batches will be on the baking counter: Rich Filled Cookies with sour cream, honey, and coconut (It's the recipe I have never seen in print.) YUM ! Another is Vermont Maple Cookies, a soft delicacy which the family seems to enjoy. I am not a chocolate lover, but I will try a frosted chocolate drop cookie from the same recipe collection as the butterscotch dessert cookie.

After Thanksgiving Plans

This is Nate soaking up the sun Thanksgiving Day..NOT IN OHIO.

There is by a brand new author, Kathryn Stockett, who has zoomed to #1 in the New York Times bestseller list. I haven't been able to put down this book once I opened it. It is called .The Help I hope you can get it and that you will enjoy it as much as I do.


We have booked the Hilton Head beach house for next Thanksgiving. There will be more than twenty of us. We planned it on Thursday and everyone is making plans to have five or seven fun filled days together. Life is good!

I am almost finished with the book Bed and Breakfast by Lois Battle. I liked it very much. I ordered Dorie Greenspan's new book, Around My French Table. It is a BIG, heavy book. I am going through each of the 530 pages of this book because I recognize many of the places in Paris that she mentions. She entertains a lot so I enjoy her descriptions of these get-togethers while comparing it to my experience of feeding the French Bisquick...well, not just Bisquick, but it was my crowning glory. I've been to London and Paris over one hundred times but have not been back to either since 2005. I don't miss it. Usually, when I am done, I am done, rarely looking back.

This week it is Thanksgiving and I have fewer than twenty people to enjoy. Probably eighteen or so. I'll do two turkeys, one to cut up for the guests to take home, and one to accompany the standing rib roast slashed with garlic, red wine, olive oil, fresh herbs, resting in the frig for two or three days before roasting at a high temperature to a medium rare condition. I am blessed with relatives bringing sides and pies, but I can't resist adding to the groaning table. The guests come around 1:00 for starters and drinks. About an hour later they can select from four different soups or stews, salads, and crusty breads of various kinds. Around 6:00 we light the candles and sit down to pretty tables to enjoy the feast, good wine, and fine desserts. It all ends around 10:00 pm and I am done! I am so blessed with nieces who whip the kitchen and dining room back to pre-eating conditon. They are fast and efficient and they are greatly appreciated. I must mention too, the guys, George, who is the master carver, and Joe Firetag who makes the best Bloody Mary's I have ever tasted. Tom and the rest of the guys are famous for eating... a lot. The car carvan leaves for Cincinnati and some of our boys go to work. It is a full and happy life, when you play the cards that are dealt you. Thank God.