Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

I love thrift stores - you never know what you'll find, and nearly all of my extensive cookbook collection has come from the local 'thrift' - not to mention my ever-growing collection of vintage Pfaltzgraff 'Yorktowne'. (My husband has finally surrendered, ceased wondering just how many dishes a woman really needs, and now proudly ferrets-out the best pieces that are hiding somewhere behind all the other 'junque' in the store ;-)

A few weeks ago I found a New Orleans cookbook that had an interesting cake recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but I thought I'd post it here and ask all of you about it.

First: what kind of Jam? I'm wavering between Peach and Apricot; I think I was attracted to this because of the 'Penuche' icing - a favorite flavor - and the jam should go with that. Also, the recipe seems a little odd to me: will the icing actually spread, and frost a three layer cake? I've never made a cake like this.

From 'La Bonne Cuisine: Cooking New Orleans Style', compiled by the Women of All Saints' Episcopal Church of New Orleans, LA:

JAM CAKE ;-)

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Cup Sugar

1 tsp. Baking Soda

8 T. cold Water

4 Eggs

2 Cups Flour

1 tsp. each ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg

1 cup thick JAM

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. In a measuring cup, dissolve the soda in the water. Add the eggs to the butter/sugar mixture, one at a time, alternating with the soda and water mixture, and beat well.

Into another bowl, sift together the flour and spices and gradually beat the dry mixture into the egg mixture.

Add the jam and beat vigorously for 1 minute. Pour the batter into 3 greased and floured 8- or 9-inch cake pans. Bake the layers at 375 F for 20 to 25 minutes. Let the layers cool and frost the cake with the Penuche icing. Serves 14 to 16

PENUCHE ICING

3 Cups Brown Sugar

1 Cup Sugar

1-1/2 Cups Milk

6 T. Butter

2 tsps. Vanilla

In a heavy pan thoroughly combine the brown sugar, sugar, milk, and butter. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until a candy thermometer registers 242 F to 248 F, or a firm ball forms when a small amount of syrup is dropped into ice water.

Remove the mixture from the heat, add the vanilla, and beat with an electric mixer until the icing is of spreading consistency. If the mixture starts to harden while being mixed, add a small amount of milk to thin it.

[kalee]

She is not very ladylike and she’s not one of my favorites when I do watch TV. However I do have a few of her recipes which are popular with my family.

[MomwithHope]

I did some pear preserves a few years ago. Found they make the absolute BEST turnovers. Easy too, buy a box of pastry sheets. Box has 2 sheets. Each sheet makes 4 turnovers. Let sheet semi-thaw on the counter. Get a non-stick cookie sheet or spray with spray butter. Preheat oven to 375.When sheet can be unfolded without cracking, cut into 4 equal squares. Sheet should still be very cold. Put a small spoonful of preserves in the center and fold in half like a triangle. Lightly press open ends. Bake for about 14-15 minutes until tops are just lightly browned. Make a easy glaze. For 4 turnovers use 5 heaping tablespoons (not a measuring spoon)of powdered sugar in a bowl. Add about 2 tablespoon (measured)of milk. Stir, add a drop or 2 at a time. until it will drizzle off a spoon. Drizzle on hot turnovers. Easy and yummy. Any preserves will work, we just loved the pear best.

[MomwithHope]

At least 35 years ago I was at a garage sale and bought a 2.00 Braun citrus juicer, still in the box. Looked unused. We used it a lot for those 35 years and I would sometimes joke about “my 2.00 juicer”. Finally a couple of years ago, the strainer basket got so old the plastic dried up and started cracking. Could not find a replacement as the motor was still good. So I chucked it. That summer I stopped at an estate sale and found another 2.00 unused looking juicer.

[ken5050]

I see you're fond of proper usage ( sorry, I couldn't resist)

Hope the paperwork goes well...I had an advanced degree in paperwork...actually..a PhD in paperwork..Piled Higher and Deeper

[caww]

Thank you....

I watched my son cook in cast iron and he just loves it. Me, not so much because I can taste the metal. He doesn’t wash them after use either and will season them as well.

[caww]

Thank you for writing about this...

I recall something about letting steaks come to room temp. before cooking...so this makes sense.

[Trillian]

I’ve never heard of it before, so I looked it up.
What does it taste like?

7 ounces of sugar
1.5lbs Fuchsia berries
1 Fl ounce Pectin
Juice of half a lemon

Heat the water and dissolve the sugar in it, when cool add the berries and the lemon juice. Bring to boil while stirring constantly and strain the liquid (fuchsias have a lot of seeds) and add the pectin to the strained liquid. Continue to boil until it thickens. Pour into heated glass jam jars and seal with a round of grease proof paper and a tight fitting lid.

Read more: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/53203/

[Trillian]

Wow, you really lucked out! I need to find my dutch ovens. They’ve been missing since we moved so hopefully I can find them soon.

[Jamestown1630]

Penuche fudge is wonderful, too!

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks for your research, and thanks to all who posted Jam-Cake recipes!

-JT

[JRandomFreeper]

Has anyone dehydrated bananas? I'm looking for real experience, including failures (what doesn't work)

Big question is whether or not acidulated soak is required before drying?

I could try to get info from a search engine, but I don't know those folks, and I do know this crowd.

/johnny

[Jamestown1630]

My husband bought a lot of bananas a few weeks ago, but didn’t get around to drying them. So, I froze them for future smoothies.

We’ve now situated the dehydrator in a more convenient place and will be using more; I’ll get him to try bananas this weekend, if we don’t get ‘hurricaned’.

-JT

[JRandomFreeper]

Turns out that the frozen bananas look better than the dehydrated....

It also turns out that because I had a little company this afternoon that the banana bread got inhaled.

I managed to save a couple of slices for myself for a breakfast snack in the morning.

The visitors got the other 14 pieces. ;)

They have requested banana bread for Saturday morning at the family reunion.

They need to provide butter...

/johnny

[Jamestown1630]

I have a book entitled ‘Making and Using Dehydrated Foods’, by Phyllis Hobson - I think it was recommended as a good book on the subject.

It does advise a dunk in acid, either ascorbic acid, pineapple juice, or a mixture of 1/4 C. lemon juice and 2 C. water.

I can’t find the Excalibur book right now, but I’ll check tomorrow.

-JT

[JRandomFreeper]

I did use acidulated water for the dehydrated bananas. I didn't use anything when I froze them. As I said, the frozen ones look better. doesn't matter because they all get mixed pretty finely.

/johnny

[Jamestown1630]

Do the dried bananas turn out hard? (I’ve never eaten them.)
The book I have said that you can dip them in a mixture of dissolved sugar and honey to make them ‘crisp’, but I always thought they came out crisp anyway (?)

-JT

[JRandomFreeper]

Without my teef, it's hard to tell.

I think they turn out crispy.

The way I am, they WILL turn out the way I want them. ;)

/johnny

[Jamestown1630]

Can you reconstitute them, for baking? I’ve just never dried anything with that sort of consistency - if there even IS anything like bananas :-)

[JRandomFreeper]

I'm sure I could, but I would use a zinfandel to rehydrate the bananas.

I would also experiment with rum depending on the recipe.

I'm generally pretty lucky with rehydration

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

Look for a breakfast on my FR home page ;).

/johnny