More Lemons: Starbucks Lemon Cake

Is there something more beautiful than a lemon anything? I finally found the recipe for Starbucks lemon pound cake. I have looked for it for years, but now that nothing is an Internet secret any more, I have discovered lemon cake heaven. Starbucks large, dense (yet light) slice of lemon cake, iced to a dripping seal over this luscious, velvety concoction will probably be even better straight from our kitchens. (I know they freeze their goodies to send to their many stores.) I first had this in a hotel in which we were doing an antiques show in Philadelphia. I waddled down every morning for a lemon hit before the long grueling day of selling Bleuette. In discovering this recipe, there were a few others that I thought you might like, so I am printing these too. Once I get a picture, I will post it so you can see the different textures.

But, before the baking I must report that someone has taken my granny fork. I paid $13. for that fork and only got to use it two times and then it was gone. I suspect the garden gang living right in this house. Once I found my favorite forty year old knife that has never needed sharpening in the golf cart which is used to get to the garden. The knife had the tell tale signs of garden soil, yet no one ever claimed to have misused it. I may have to swear off cooking. That should get those men hunting for my equipment. On the other hand, the President says we must stop the silliness because we have bigger problems to solve.

Okay. I have just finished the first of the three lemon cakes. Baking is tiring! This first cake is very like the Starbucks lemon cake only I made mine in a tube pan and they do theirs in a loaf pan. Also their glaze is with confectioner's sugar and this one, which is delicious, is clear as you can see from the plate puddle. I don't know... while delicious, it's just not the same. It is dense and a bit silky, but not as much as the one I want to copy. The lemon is there, but would be less without the hit in the icing. Maybe I would use some lemon extract in the batter next time too.

The first two pictures are of the incredible lemon gumdrop cake in a loaf pan, fresh from the oven.

Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake (I've discovered this cake tends to dry quickly, like the same day it is cut. It is good with tea or coffee, but it is not moist after a few hours out of the oven.)


1-1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 eggs
1 c granulated sugar
2 T butter, softened
1 t vanilla extract
1 t lemon extract
1/3 c lemon juice
1/2 c vegetable oil
Lemon Icing
1 c plus 1 T powdered sugar
2 T whole milk
1/2 t lemon extract

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt in a large bowl. Use an
electric mixer to blend together eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract
& lemon juice in a medium bowl. Pour wet ingredient into dry ingredients &
blend until smooth. Add oil & mix well.

Pour ingredients into a well-greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes
or until a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Make the lemon icing by combining ingredients in a small bowl with electric
mixer on low speed. When the lemon loaf is cool, remove it from the pan &
frost the top with the lemon icing. When the icing has set up, slice the
loaf into eight 1-inch-thick slices.

Makes 8 slices.

Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake w/Icing

Source of Recipe
Todd Wilbur

Recipe Introduction
"It would take quite a bit of real lemon juice to give this moist cake loaf clone the perfect lemony tang of the original. Plus, the batter ends up much too thin & the cake that comes out of the oven has a much lighter, less dense, consistency than the coffehouse original. So, to avoid producing a batter that's too runny, we must turn to lemon extract that can be found near vanilla extract in your supermarket. This concentrated lemon flavoring works well with real lemon juice to give us the intense lemon flavor we need. Plus this extract adds just the right amount of lemon goodness to the icing without thinning it out."
List of Ingredients
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 eggs
1 c granulated sugar
2 T butter, softened
1 t vanilla extract
1 t lemon extract
1/3 c lemon juice
1/2 c vegetable oil


---Lemon Icing---
1 c plus 1 T powdered sugar
2 T whole milk
1/2 t lemon extract



Recipe
Preheat oven to 350°.


Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt in a large bowl.

Use an electric mixer to blend together eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract & lemon juice in a medium bowl. Pour wet ingredient into dry ingredients & blend until smooth.

Add oil & mix well. Pour ingredients into a well-greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean. Make the lemon icing by combining ingredients in a small bowl with electric mixer on low speed.

When the lemon loaf is cool, remove it from the pan & frost the top with the lemon icing. When the icing has set up, slice the loaf into eight 1-inch-thick slices.


Makes 8 slices. .................................



Lemon Gumdrop Bread
1/3 cup softened butter
1-1/4 cup sugar, divided
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbs. grated lemon peel
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/4-1/2 cup chopped gumdrops
3 Tbs. lemon juice
sugar

Beat butter and 1 cup sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add extract. Mix dry ingredients; add to egg mixture alternately with milk. Blend just enough to mix. Fold in lemon peel, nuts and gumdrops. Pour into greased loaf pan, bake at 325 for 70 minutes. Mix lemon juice and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Remove bread from oven and pour over at once. Cool

Adam's Lemon Yogurt Bread

No matter how many lemon bread recipes I try, I always revert back to the lemon bread recipe in the book Wake Up and Smell the Coffee (Bed and Breakfast Inns' recipes)

Ever since Adam was a small boy, his request to me was, lemon bread, please.

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/ tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups lemon yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon extract

~sift dry ingredients. Set aside.
~lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl
~add oil and sugar and cream well
~mix in yogurt and extract
~spoon into two well-greased loaf pans
~bake 325 for one hour

Pies, Oh My

There are worse things than growing old, and not growing old is one of them. I've decided to meet it head on instead of whining and dragging my feet like a tired toddler. There are definite things I do like about aging. I like learning new things and trying to master areas in which I am weak, like pie baking, not power walking or running, mind you. My Aunt Fausta, from Malta, Ohio was the best pie baker I have ever had the pleasure of loving. My father's sister was just all right with life. Anything or anyone she met she accepted, liked, or befriended. I never once saw her unhappy, mean or disgruntled. She had a nice, lazy husband who also liked his lot in life. He taught me to play solitaire, because he had the time. He let her work because she did it so well and so willingly. She could whip up a pie in nothing flat with the crust that could make one weep...not because it included lard (OMG, I wrote 'that' word), but because that flaky crust could hold any thing and make it seem special. One week-end I spent with her trying to perfect the roll out pie crust. We made a dozen or more and I came back to Columbus armed with the filled pies and what I thought was the skill. A week passed, the boys and Andy were napping on Sunday and I had the kitchen to myself. By the time they woke up I had flour in every nook and cranny of the kitchen (and other parts of the house if truth be told) not one crust to admire and five pounds of flour scattered everywhere except in a pie dish. I did have a new list of cuss words that I made up and have found useful through the years. I failed and failed badly at pie baking and have not made a real (roll out) crust on my own for years. There, you have it. I can knuckle in the crumble stuff for tarts etc., but no to the roll out skill.

Now, when I finally thought my life was cooking, Martha Stewart comes out with ANOTHER pies and tarts tome. Her first one is nearly ragged from my drools and thumbings. I once admired Martha because she had little and pulled herself up to make something of herself. I didn't know at the time she did it by standing on many, many shoulders to get where she is today. Any way, back when I admired her, I bought every cookbook, calendar, and video that she produced. I read her books like novels, never knowing that she did not actually write the books. I thought the books' photography was stellar. So this morning, there it is, the doyenne takes aim right at the sweet spot: Martha Stewart's New Pies and Tarts. Thank you very much! I'm not sure I can make myself give her another penny, but I am also not sure I can resist this book.

My Cincinnati friend, Saunie, whom I have never met, sent me this recipe this morning. She went to school with my husband and that entire clan meet and greet several times a year. She sent a Bob Evans recipe and I think it will be great for week end guests or when the boys-at-work (on Sundays) need refreshed. The pool has been opened and so this week is clean it out time. The table umbrellas are up, new chairs and lounges are out, the grass is green and has been mowed twice already...so I think we are in business. Let's try this yummy sounding dish.



Prep time :15 minutes
Cook time :15 minutes

Makes 8 servings


Ingredients
1 pound Bob Evans Original Recipe Sausage Roll (I am using Zesty)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (8 oz)
4 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 425F. Crumble and cook sausage in skillet over medium heat until browned. Drain sausage. Line bottom of greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish with crescent roll dough, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Sprinkle with sausage and cheese. Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl until blended, pour over sausage. Bake 15 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into squares; serve hot. Refrigerate leftovers.

ALL ABOUT HAM. AFTER ALL, IT'S EASTER.

Three major categories
Fresh Ham (a.k.a. Leg) is a raw uncured uncooked ham, usually with the skin still on. The meat is the typical pale pink to beige color of raw pork. It can be roasted, skin on or off, and it is especially good with the skin removed and smoke roasted. Use the skin for cracklins. Click here for some of the cuts that are available from the leg.

Dry-Cured Ham is cured (preserved) by burying it a big mound of salt or by rubbing the exterior with salt, often mixed with sugar, black pepper, garlic, and other spices. In some places sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are also added. It is then usually hung and air-dried for 6-18 months at cool temperatures, and it dehydrates significantly, concentrating its flavor. Often it is smoked at low temperatures. They are usually pink to brown and can be purchased as a whole ham, half a ham, and is usually served uncooked and sliced thin. Because their production takes a lot of time, dry-cured hams can be expensive. the most famous of this type is Prosciutto di Parma, the famous dry cured ham of Italy.

Wet-Cured Ham is the most popular ham in the US. It is meat that is usually skinned and cured by soaking in a brine or injecting it with a brine. A brine is a salt and water solution with some or all of these ingredients: Sugar, sodium nitrite, sodium nitrate, sodium erythorbate, sodium phosphate, potassium chloride, liquid smoke, and other flavorings. The ingredients will appear on the label. Some wet-cured hams are pre-cooked and labeled as "ready to eat". Some are sold uncooked as "cook before eating". By law these must have prominent labeling with safe handling and cooking instructions. When you get them home, they can be roasted or smoked depending on whether they have been pre-smoked or pre-cooked. For pre-cooked wet-cured hams, paint with a sweet and savory glaze, heat to 140°F, and serve. That's all there is to it. Yes, 140°F seems low, but that's what USDA says is safe since it is cured and pre-cooked. For uncooked wet-cured hams, take them up to 160°F.

Bayonne Ham is a dry-cured French ham.

Boiled Ham. See canned ham.

Black Forest Ham is a German dry-cured and smoked ham.

Brine Cured Ham. See wet-cured ham.

Canned Ham can contain scraps and pieces of meat pressed and formed to fit in the can and may contain up to 10% water or broth. Usually under three pounds. Canned ham labeled "shelf stable" can be stored at room temp for three years. I have no idea how to cook them and no interest in learning.

City Ham. An unofficial term used to describe wet-cured ham. It is usually sold in a plastic bag in the refrigerator case and labeled "ready to cook", "partially cooked" or "ready to serve". The better city hams also say "ham in natural juices".

Corned Ham. Corning is the word for curing with salt. Corned beef is fresh beef packed with salt and aged much like the dry cured hams above but not as long. Ditto corned ham. It is popular in Maryland and the Carolinas. Basically, you get a fresh ham, remove the skin (or not), pack it with kosher or pickling salt, wrap it with plastic wrap, put it in a pot in the fridge and turn it occasionally, then after a week, rinse off the salt and roast or simmer it. In Southern Maryland, corned ham is stabbed all over with a knife and the slits filled with a mix of cabbage, kale, collards, onions, and herbs to make a dish they call Stuffed Ham.

Country Ham is the generic name for American dry-cured ham. Sometimes it is smoked, usually it is not. It can be served uncooked like prosciutto or other European hams. If it is to be cooked, it needs to be soaked in an ice water bath for 4 to 12 hours, then simmered for 25 minutes per pound, then glazed, and browned at 325°F for 15 minutes. Whew.

Green Ham is not a ham covered with green mold meant to accompany green eggs and green beer, although some dry-cured hams do have a mold on them. It is a cured ham that has not been smoked. This is not an official USDA controlled definition, however.

Half Ham. Because whole hams are very large, many producers cut them into butt end and shank end. Butt half is from higher up, on the rump, and has more meat and fat. It is also easier to carve and usually more expensive. It is not to be confused with pork butt which is from the shoulder. Confused yet? The shank half is less fatty.

Ham Steak is usually a cross section slice of wet-cured smoked ham with a round section of thigh bone in the middle. It is good when grilled quickly with or without a glaze or sauce.

Picnic Hams are not really a ham, but a front leg from the shoulder socket through to the elbow sold raw. They usually run 5-8 pounds without the skin. To cook it, follow my recipe pulled pork.

Prosciutto is Italian dry-cured ham preserved with salt, lard, and often other spices. It is occasionally smoked, but usually is not. It is made in many locations around Italy and named after the area of origin such as Prosciutto di Toscano from Tuscany. It is best when the meat is pale pink and the fat is cream colored and is usually sliced paper thin and eaten uncooked (crudo), fat and all. When fresh cut, it has a concentrated briny flavor and the fat is buttery. It is often wrapped around melon chunks, chopped in salads, or on a sandwich. There are numerous recipes that use prosciutto cooked as an ingredient such as pizza.

Prosciutto di Parma or Parma Ham is prosciutto from the Parma region of Italy. It is regarded by many as the best of the Italian hams and made according to strict regulations and supervision. That's Prosciutto di Parma aging in the picture at the top of the page.

Pumped Ham. See wet-cured ham.

Serrano Ham (Jamón Serrano) and Ibérico Ham (Jamón Ibérico) are the most prized Spanish dry-cured hams. Ibérico Ham hogs are fed acorns and there are several grades depending on how much of their feed is acorns.

Smithfield Ham is a dry-cured country ham from Smithfield, VA. There is a potential point of confusion because the world's largest pork product producer, Smithfield Foods, originally founded in Smithfield but now with plants all over the world, makes a range of hams, most of which are not country hams. Got it?

Smoked Ham has usually been wet-cured and then smoked. It is, sometimes, simply smoked without the cure.

Smoked Ham Rump. A big gumdrop shaped portion of a smoked ham.

Spiral-Cut or Spiral Hams are skinned, wet-cured, and pre-cooked, usually coated with a sweet glaze and vacuum packed in plastic wrap. They usually weigh 7-10 pounds. They can be cooked but be careful because they can dry out easily. To heat them, wrap in foil and cook at 325°F for about 10 minutes per pound. Bring it up to 140°F.

Turkey Ham is turkey thigh meat wet-cured and cooked. Why does USDA let this be called ham?

Virginia Ham is similar to Smithfield Ham, but it is not from Smithfield proper.

Westphalian Ham is dry-cured and smoked German ham from hogs fed acorns.

Amen.

Pucker up...it's Lemon Time

Anything lemon gets my attention. It makes me think of Spring and it is a beautiful color. It is light and refreshing and satisfying. I have never known anyone in this family to refuse something lemony. Cooks Corner in the Columbus Dispatch featured a lemon cake which I am sure I have made variations of, but I can't remember using a box of lemon Jell-o in the mix. So here is the recipe that is on the agenda to be tried before Easter and then maybe used on Easter. (I am not having a big to-do this Easter because of the May 29th party.) I do think I might try a lamb dish for the main course, however...something different for us.

Lemon Cake (from the Columbus Dispatch)
1 box lemon cake mix
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
4 eggs
1 small box lemon Jell-o
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup cold water
Topping:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
5 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and flour a 13-by-9 inch baking dish (I may use a decorative tube pan)
Pour into prepared pan.
Bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven.
Mix confectioners' sugar and lemon juice together. Poke holes in the warm cake with a fork. Spread topping over.
Cool

Hot Cross Buns:

A traditional favorite on Good Friday in England, Hot Cross Buns are a spicy currant or raisin studded yeast bun, topped with a "Cross" of lemon flavored icing. While Christians have adopted the cake and the symbolism of the cross, it wasn't always so. To Pagans, then as now, the cross was is representative of the sun wheel, which symbolizes perfect balance at the time of the Spring Equinox.
Hot Cross Buns were probably originally used in ceremonies and rituals and the Christian Church attempted to ban the buns, although they proved too popular. Left with no alternative but defeat, the church did the next best thing and "Christianized" the bread with Queen Elizabeth I passing a law which limited the buns' consumption to proper religious ceremonies, such as Christmas, Easter or funerals.

In England, hot cross buns -- soft and slightly sweet little cakes with a cross cut into the tops -- are traditionally served on Good Friday. This recipe is from Martha Stewart's mother. All of these recipes are time consuming. You could just buy them at the bakery. LOL

Yield
Makes 24 buns Add to Shopping List
Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for bowl and baking sheet
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons plus one pinch salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
5 1/2 cups all-purpose, flour plus more for dusting
1 1/3 cups currants
1 large egg white
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
Generously butter a large bowl. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat 1 cup milk until it is warm to the touch.

Pour warm milk into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. With mixer on low, add yeast, granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and beaten eggs.

With mixer on low, add flour, 1 cup at a time, until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms around the dough hook, about 3 minutes. Continue kneading, scraping down hook and sides of bowl as necessary until smooth, about 4 minutes longer. Add currants, and knead until combined, about 30 seconds.

Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Knead by hand to evenly distribute currants, about 1 minute.

Shape dough into a ball, and place in the buttered bowl; turn ball to coat with butter, and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour 20 minutes. For a richer flavor, let dough rise in a refrigerator overnight.

Generously butter an 11-by-17-inch baking sheet. Turn dough out onto work surface, and knead briefly to redistribute the yeast. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces, about 2 ounces each. Shape pieces into tight balls, and place on baking sheet, spaced 1/2 inch apart. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until touching and doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees, with rack positioned in center. To make egg wash, whisk together egg white, 1 tablespoon water, and pinch of salt in a small bowl; brush tops of buns with egg wash. Using very sharp scissors or a buttered slicing knife, slice a cross into the top of each bun. Transfer pan to oven, and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.

Make glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon milk, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon juice. Pipe or ladle glaze over buns, and serve.

Clean and Dump Day

April has always been a big month for me. Andy and I got married on April 4th fifty-two years ago and a year later our first child was born on April 29th. It has been a month of good ideas and good luck for me since I can remember.

Aprils are a bit tamer now and thoughts of opening the pool, setting out the outdoor furniture, and the constant update of table umbrellas fill the mind. Today Matt and Nate are taking on the April chores before Nate leaves, tomorrow, for a spring break where it is warm and friendly. We have a dumpster at the ready and today is a total clean and dump day in preparation for spring, graduations, and a special party on May 29th. Donatos (pizza) is on the menu today.

Things start off in the living room where we are dumping the two couches and the area rug...and off we go. From the attic to the apartment it is clean and trash, hopefully all day (if they want to get paid.) Wish me luck.

Is Food in Retro Mode?

Have you tried the Kraft Food and Family magazines yet? The only problem I have found is that they don't come monthly--they seem to sputter and it takes months and months to receive the first copy after registering. It isn't like the issue is big in any way, but the recipes are doable and the pictures are splendid.I first found copies at my sister-in-laws just before our Alaskan trip. As soon as I got home I subscribed and months later my first issue came and then months later the next etc. So maybe its a quarterly, but I am receiving them now because my niece made a gift of a subscription which was nice and that was months ago too. I've received two at once, so far. It seems the company needs to work out the kinks in this area. The slim issue introduced a new Philadelphia cooking creme. These items include: Italian cheese and herb, savory garlic, original, Santa Fe blend each in its own little tub. They add creaminess to any dish that needs a silky goodness. How about using it in the old fashioned creamy tuna noodle casserole? How long has it been since we have made this dish?

You need:
1 tub Philadelphia original cooking creme
2 cups cooked egg noodles
2 cans chunk light tuna in water, drained and flaked--I'd use the one in olive oil
1 cup frozen peas
sliced mushrooms
8 Ritz crackers crushed
1 tbsp. butter melted.
Oven 350
combine first 5 ingredients in a 1 1/2-qt. casserole; cover
bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile mix cracker crumbs and soft butter.
Stir casserole; top with crumbs and bake 5 more minutes until topping is golden brown.

I've noticed too the re emergence of the wedge salad. I cannot believe in the fancy restaurants in Florida that they offer this for a grand price. To me iceberg lettuce is totally tasteless (in more ways than one) yet people who are even picky about food, like one son, gobble this up with gusto. Go figure. The magazine shows how to whack the head of lettuce to de core it: Grasp the head of lettuce with both hands, core facing the counter, hit the bottom firmly against the counter, twist and pull the loosened core out of the head of lettuce. Then cut into thick, tasteless, wedges. Dress it with what ever floats your boat to give this thing flavor. The magazine used Kraft Catalina dressing, bacon crumbled after crisp frying, crumbled Feta cheese, chopped red onion. Well, good luck with that one. The magazine's, spring edition, had a nice little cook book with the recipes for all of the tubs of creamy goodness.

Remember in the Florida blog I carped about the Contemporary Hotel's Contempo Cafe? I wrote to the powers of Disney World to warn them trouble would be afoot if they did not straighten up that awful place to 'dine'. I heard from Disney World and 'they' are investigating that place and will let me know their findings. I forgot to tell you about their carrot cake? It was disgusting: a half- inch of dry cake (if that) in a cup, with an inch and a half (or more)of super glue icing. No one I know could or would eat that. Their so called Tuscan flatbread with marinated beef and feta cheese gagged me. What in the world did they marinate that beef in...mouse droppings?

Now here's a carrot cake (from Cook's Corner, Columbus Dispatch)

Cake:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3 cups shredded carrots (what a blessing to have them pre shredded in the store's bags)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups chopped nuts
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

Topping:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk (I questioned this because buttermilk is known to separate when heated--Robin Davis of Cook's Corner said she did not know this.) I plan to use cream instead.)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cake: mix all cake ingredients together well. Pour into tube pan. Bake 1 hour in and 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 350.

Topping:
Cook all sauce ingredients in a pan until sugar dissolves. Boil 2 to 3 minutes. Pour over hot cake.

For Saturday lunch I fixed pasta with turkey meatballs that had carrots, aperagus tips, onions, bread crumbs, eggs...the usual with the unusual.

Meaty cookbook---for $625.

Call me if you buy this 2,400 page modernist cuisine cookbook. The title is Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking and it arrived last Monday! But not to my house. Amazon already has it on sale for $467.62. It weighs 49 pounds in a five- volume package. It all started with a Microsoft millionaire, Nathan Myhrvold who loves science and cooking and the combined science of the two. At one time 36 people worked with him on this project without a pesky publisher telling him to cut back on the number of pages and pictures. This guy had the money and proved it with a technically inspired behemoth of a cookbook! He is keenly interested in food and what makes it taste and look good. Sometimes, I simply want to cook it and eat it and I don't care what makes it come out the way it does. (I make trash ,too, and want it gone but I don't care to see the dump.) But, good for him. Modernist Cuisine delves most deeply into a realm of cooking called molecular gastronomy, the study of the physical and chemical processes that occur in cooking. Sounds yummy! But no thanks. This set might be excellent text books for the culinary arts.

When I traveled to London many times a year I always looked forward to the week end, Saturday afternoons, maybe Sundays, when Nigella Lawson would cook on TV. She is a beauty who has an easy gait in the kitchen and who loves to eat at all hours of the day and night. If she rides in a cab, you can be sure a sandwich is tucked in her purse, just in case. She is on TV in America too, at odd times on the food network. I never get to see her any more because of the changing (times) schedule which she is offered in the USA. This marble cake recipe is adapted from Feast by Nigella Lawson. She is not a complicated cook and she offers simple, reasonable, recipes with nary a mention of molecular gastronomy yet I bet she knows all about the subject.

Marble Cake:
1 1/2 sticks of soft unsalted butter
1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp.baking powder
zest of 1 orange, plus 3 tbs. of its juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1 tbs. milk
Makes about 20 slices (and Nigella could eat them all in one day.) LOL
Preheat oven to 350
Generously grease a 9-inch pan or rind mold.
Place butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, baking powder and orange zest into the bowl of a food processor and whiz until combined. With a spatula, scrape sides of bowl, the add orange juice and vanilla and whiz until just combined. Spoon batter out of processor and divide between two bowls. In another small bowl, combine cocoa and espresso, whisking in milk until creamy. Fold this mixture into one of the cake batter bowls; color will darken. Pour batter into greased pan, alternating between dark and light batters.
Bake 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes before inverting.

See, it can be done without a mention of culinary movements through history, microbiology in the kitchen or the physics of food and water. Just mix it in a bowl, put it in a pan, bake it, eat it.


Lemon drizzle cake (the English have such wonderful names for things)

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
6 ounces sugar
5 ounces soft butter or margarine
1 lemon, grated zest only
6 ounces super-sifted self-raising flour
4 ounces milk
pinch of sea salt
***For the lemon syrup:***
5 ounces icing sugar
1 lemon, juiced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Line the bottom of a well-oiled (9 x 5 x 3in) loaf tin with baking parchment. Put the eggs and sugar in the bowl of the food processor and process for 2 minutes, scraping the sides down once with a rubber spatula. Take off the lid and drop spoonfuls of the soft butter or margarine on top of this mixture, together with the lemon zest, then pulse just until it disappears. The mixture should now resemble mayonnaise. Add the flour, milk and salt, cover and pulse just until the mixture is smooth in texture and even in colour, scraping the sides down with a rubber spatula if necessary. Do not over-beat or the cake will be tough. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown on top and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and stand the tin on a cooling rack. To make the syrup, gently heat the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan, stirring until a clear syrup is formed, about 3 minutes. Do not boil. Prick the warm cake all over with a fork, then gently pour the syrup over it, until it has been completely absorbed. Leave until cool, then carefully ease the cake from the baking tin and remove the baking parchment. Just before serving, sift a little more icing sugar on the top. Serve in generous slices.

Sunday Oldies, But Still Good

I had not heard of German meatloaf and when the recipe appeared in Cook's Corner from a respected and generous recipe 'offer er', one who seemed to get every recipe he sent in published, I thought it might be a really interesting loaf to try. If you like sauerkraut and my husband, who is German through and through, does. This is from Classic Corner, recipes from ten years ago repeated.

German Meatloaf

2 cups soft unseeded rye bread crumbs
16 ounces of well drained sauerkraut
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/2 cup milk1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons ketchup or chili sauce
2 pounds ground beef (I used chuck)

Heat oven to 350
Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil, insert a rack
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the meat. Mix well. Add the meat and mix thoroughly, but lightly.
Pat into a thick flat loaf abut 10 inches long. Place on rack in prepared pan. Bake 75 minutes or until nicely browned. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. I did not bake it that long, but I have a convection oven which bakes quickly.

English Trifle

1 recipe Vanilla Pudding Sauce, cooled (recipe follows)
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
2 tablespoons red raspberry preserves
1 (10 inch) round sponge or white cake
¼ cup dark Puerto Rican rum, optional
¼ cup dry sherry
1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
Fresh raspberries for garnish (use any fruit you like)


Carefully combine cooled Vanilla Pudding Sauce with 1 cup whipped cream. Coat the inside of a deep 10-inch glass bowl with raspberry preserves to within 1 inch of top. Slice cake horizontally into fourths. Place top slice, crust side up, in bottom of bowl, curving edges of cake upward. Combine rum and sherry; sprinkle about 2 tablespoons over cake slice. Spread 1/3 of chilled pudding mixture over cake. Sprinkle 1/3 of raspberries over pudding. Repeat procedure twice. Cover with remaining cake layer, crust side down. Sprinkle with remaining rum-sherry mixture. Place remaining whipped cream in pastry bag with fluted tip; pipe rosettes around edge of bowl and in center. Top with fresh raspberries. Chill at least 8 hours before serving.

Makes 12 servings.

Vanilla Pudding Sauce

¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 (3 inch) piece vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, well beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine


In heavy saucepan, blend sugar, cornstarch and salt; add milk and vanilla bean; blend well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly; continue cooking 2 minutes. Stir small amount of hot mixture into beaten egg, return to pan and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and remove vanilla bean; add butter and stir to blend. Chill thoroughly, covering top with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming.




When Andy and I were just married Battelle sent Andy to California to work on the Minute Man Rockets. We left for California right after the wedding reception and each week end we were there we did something special. We saw it, tasted it, and were pleased about everything in California except for the smog, which was vicious. One night we went to Lawry's for prime rib and I still remember it today with fondness. The meat was so delicious and so tender you could cut it with a fork. We kept eating and drinking and eating and drinking, but then the open freeway was ahead of us. Columbus had not seen the freeways yet and we faced six lanes of highway with crazy drivers while we were a bit tipsy. It was dangerous and foolish as I look back now, but it fades with the memory of Lawry's prime rib.(Lawrey's also sold packets of spaghetti sauce to grocery stores years ago and I loved that taste on pasta, but now those seem to have disappeared.)

Lawry's Prime Rib Roast

1 (4 rib) standing rib roast
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1 bag (5 lb.) rock salt


Sprinkle fatty cap of roast with Lawry's Seasoned Salt. Spread rock salt evenly over bottom of heavy roasting pan; place wire roasting rack on top of salt. Place the roast on the rack, fatty side up. Make sure no salt actually touches the beef. Insert meat thermometer in thickest part of meat, making sure it does not touch a bone. Roast in preheated 350 degree F oven until thermometer registers 130 degrees F for rare, 140 degrees F for medium, or approximately 20 to 25 minutes per pound. Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes before carving. Using a sharp carving knife, slice meat across the grain for serving. Discard rock salt.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: If desired, use an instant read thermometer and insert to test internal temperature periodically; do not leave this type of thermometer in roast.

Lawry's Whipped Cream Horseradish

1 cup whipping cream
¼ teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, well drained, or 4 tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish root
Dash Tabasco sauce


Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in Lawry's Seasoned Salt, horseradish and Tabasco until well mixed.

Makes 6 servings.

What are you reading?

Nancy Drew taught me to read. I had never heard the word phonics until I went to Otterbein College. Back then we learned by seeing and memory and repetition, by rote. That method served me well and so I taught a mixture of the two. If one didn't work, certainly the other would help out. Once I caught wind of Nancy Drew's adventures, I never looked back. I was and am a reader. One time I told a reading teacher how I got started reading and her question was...are you still reading trash? Well, yes, I guess I am and I am enjoying every minute of it. Now I am reacquainted with James Patterson. I had read all the books that he wrote himself but I did not care for the ones with co-writers (which is rarely a good idea anyway, in my opinion.) But, never say never, so I met his other works on vacation and read three of his back novels and got Andy hooked as well.(I just finished Private. Could hardly put it down.) I also read The French Gardener by Santa Montefiore which grounded me after three books of killings and mayhem. The French Gardener is a slow quiet read that put me in mind of being young with a long hot summer day stretching endlessly. Those days seem to happen more rarely now.

Have you seen the book Monet's Table?It's the cooking journals of Claude Monet with wonderful pictures of his home and various scenes. His stuffed onions are pictured here and I have made his recipe except I used Georgia's vidalia onions. Pretty soon we can have these outdoor meals like Claude and I am sure he would be pleased with his recipe using our vidalia onions even though he was a cranky old sort.

Monet's Stuffed Onions
1 cup cooked roast pork, chicken or calves'liver
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons dried mixed herbs
1/2 cup rated Gruyere cheese
1 hard boiled egg

Cut 1/2 inch slices off the tops of the onions. Blanch the onions, by putting them into boiling water to cover and cooking for 30 minutes. Drain and cool. Scoop out the center of each, leaving about a 1/2 inch wall. Combine the ground cooked meat with the chives, dried herbs, half the cheese. Mash the egg yolk and chop the white;combine them with the rest of the mixture and stuff the onions. Mound the mixture because it sinks a bit. Preheat oven to 350, place onions in a greased roasting pan and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.


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. (This bread looks and tastes like it could be on Monet's table shown above.)

Sundays In Florida

Southern Florida was in the eighties all the time we were there. It was heaven for these old bodies, soaking up the sun and tanning in February. I thought this too would be a perfect time to spend five days in Disney World with David and his wife and son. I thought there would be fewer people and not so many children. THINK AGAIN. Are they EVER in school? Evidently all the children there either skipped school or were on spring vacation. Nevertheless, we had a lovely time and the weather was in the high seventies in that spot. Once David arrived Andy would have he and J.D. and sometimes Johnna to run with while I continued to store up vitamin C. (I also read four novels.) A hint here is to not go to Disney for the food. Since there were five of us we bought the meal plan. We didn't go hungry, but SKIP CONTEMPO CAFE at the Contemporary Hotel on the grounds of Disney. The food is ineatable. I mean gaggingly bad. It is a waste of food points. At the Wave we did have nice steak in red wine sauce as pictured. I think Disney figures they cater to children and there is no need for fine dining.

I did get a fabulous idea. When I ordered creme brulee I received this lovely dish with a length wise slice of banana with demerara sugar (partially refined raw cane sugar, naturally light brown in color from the molasses)on the cut side and it had been torched like the creme brulee so that the sugar was crisp and crackly. It is a beautiful presentation and a good trim and tasty idea for a dish.

When I taught school we had a cooking class every Monday. The children learned to cook and to do fractions at the same time. We loved that time together and my former students still comment about that aspect of our time together as well as the afternoon 'read'. I read to them every day after lunch while they digested their school lunch and their love for future reading at the same time. Loved it!

Have you seen Williams-Sonoma's filled-pancake pan? I bought one a couple of years ago when it was $29., now it is $39.95. I am not fond of one purpose kitchen gear, but this one is fun to surprise family and friends with little pockets of pleasure on a Sunday morning at the beach. Williams-Sonoma offers the mix for these little jewels and adds if you have the can of pancake mix all you have to add is milk, butter, eggs, and the filling of your choice...duh! What else is there to add but the flour? So you are paying $10.50 for 1 lb. 3 oz. of flour. I'd like another pan to work at the same time, but I don't think I could stay on top of a second pan. It is a fast process. After the mix is made (you can use bisquick or any pancake concoction you like) you spoon the mix into each of the seven indented rounds in the skillet. Once you are certain the bottom is cooked, quickly add your favorite surprise for the middle, chocolate (chips or other), apple, jams, cinnamon, nuts berries, the list is endless. I use skewers to immediately flip the tasty buns (over), to cook the other side. Never walk away. These things are done in a flash and you need a flash because they are popped into some one's mouth right out of the pan. If you have time, offer various sugars, melted chocolate or carmel sauce or your own berry sauces or syrups. Sonoma offers turning tools for $12.95. Don't fall for that one either.

Pina Coladas (not from a mix)
Crushed pineapple from a can with its juice in a blender with ice, a can of cream of coconut, and lots of dark rum. Pour it in glasses after a good whirl and pop on a pineapple wedge from a fresh golden pineapple( because it has the most intense flavor.)
Note:Idea from the Smitten Kitchen

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