Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

While enduring a ‘bug’ this week that left me unable to do much but sleep or sit in front of the TV, I happened upon Clarissa Dickson Wright’s series, ‘Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner’, which you can find on YouTube, and which is a really interesting history of how our 'three squares', and the ways we partake of them, have evolved over time.

In the Lunch episode, she featured a pasty (yes, no 'r') crust design, executed by food scholar Ivan Day. This was so beautiful, I had to find the design, and know more about it.

On the way, I found some interesting stuff – including Day's great website on historic food:

http://www.historicfood.com/portal.htm

The pasty design seems to have been derived from Edward Kidder’s ancient ‘Receipts of pastry and cookery, for the use of his scholars’, published in 1720 (you can still buy a copy on Amazon ;-):

http://www.historicfood.com/Edward%20Kidders%20Lamb%20Pasty.htm

I’m not personally a fan of British pasties; but it seems to me that we could decorate our sweet or savory pies just as beautifully – it just takes practice, and starting small! And you don’t need cutters to do this; just find a design, make a cardboard cutout of it, and find a sharp knife to cut the pastry to each of the shapes; then do some detail on the pieces.

Food52 has a lot of starter ideas for ‘fancying up’ your pie:

https://food52.com/blog/8744-9-ways-to-fancy-up-your-pies

-JT

[kalee]

Please share the recipe. :)

[Jamestown1630]

Menaquinone - in forms MK4 and MK7, which some nutritionists have come to believe are important in calcium metabolism:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_K2

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-k2#section2

[lizma2]

“Is Boston Brown Bread made with molasses? I love molasses!”

Not sure about Boston but I know about Irish.

Irish Brown Bread.

1 cup + 1½ teaspoons whole wheat flour
½ cup + 1½ teaspoons wheat bran, oat bran or wheat germ, or a combination (pick wheat germ!)
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1¼ cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon molasses
Throw in a bit of brown sugar. About a heaping tsp.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and put it on the center oven rack.
Whisk together the whole wheat flour and wheat/oat bran or WHEAT GERM (!) (LOL) in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the wheat flour mixture and whisk to combine
Add the butter pieces and rub them into small pieces with the flour mixture using your fingers, until as small as possible. (Oh get serious!!Use a dang fork!)
Stir in the buttermilk and molasses, brown sugar, until the dough is uniformly damp. Turn out onto a lightly floured countertop and knead gently, until the dough forms a smooth ball.
Use a sharp serrated knife (or a lame)(WHAT THE HECK IS A LAME!!!!! LOL!) to slice a cross deeply into the top of the bread, about 1-inch deep. Place the loaf on the hot baking sheet.
Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until the loaf is firm on top and when you tap the bottom, feels hollow.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for about one hour before serving.

Love this stuff with smoked salmon, cream cheese and all the usual fixings.

[Jamestown1630]

It is definitely made with molasses.

We used to buy it in cans in the grocery, where I don’t seem to see it anymore; but B&M still make it:

http://www.bmbeans.com/products/bm-brown-bread-plain/

[MayflowerMadam]

“Oh and you cant make decent corn bread without cast iron”

Hmmm... I’m fixin’ to make cornbread in an iron skillet for family dinner tomorrow. Haven’t made it in about 30 years. It’s a Craig Claiborne recipe and has jalapenos and cheddar cheese — and LOTS of butter. Hope it turns out!

(Why do cornbread recipes generally call for buttermilk?)

[lizma2]

Never heard of this and it's been 30 years since I read biochem stuff, gotta do some studying.

But the big K food... Natto.

"Nattō may be an acquired taste because of its powerful smell, strong flavor, and slimy texture." LOL! I do Kimchi, but I'm not sure I can go there!

Thanks much for the info. Love science!

[Aliska]

I made delicious Indian Pudding once, a certain recipe. But I shrink from making it because you have to fuss with the corn meal and temper the eggs and such. I tried a shortcut years ago, and it was a flop.

On to the Boston Brown Bread. Would you believe I found enough keywords from when I copied and saved the recipe that google cooperated and found that site back for me? Subscribed to her newsletter, don't usually do that. And don't always copy all the blog and pictures but just recipes and one photo.

http://plantwhateverbringsyoujoy.com/boston-brown-bread/

I just liked the look of it. I use 3 large fruit cans with the white-finished insides, used the pliers to press that sharp tab from the can opener down as much as I could so I wouldn't snag my fingers. Have learned the hard way with sharp edges on cans and more than once :-(

I use 3/4 cup dark raisins soaked for 45 min or so and drained well (she used part sultana). And used white flour in place of rye like she does.

I love your Christmas Village. My son gave me one Dept 51 is it? The little light burned out and I broke it trying to get it out, too much trouble to send for some spare bulbs.

[Aliska]

My #213, talking about thoughts on your little house cakes but used the word dangerous. Wonder where on earth that came from? I didn't mean it whatever I was thinking when I wrote that.

[Jamestown1630]

I like Kimchi, but I don’t think I could ever do Natto!

[CottonBall]

Sounds delicious, and actually incredibly healthy. It’s amazing how the “peasant” breads from centuries ago were healthier than the white stuff the royalty ate.

Thanks, I’ll give it a try. And I think a lame is a French knife used for putting those slices on the top of fridge. Only the French would have a knife that only does one thing.

[CottonBall]

LOL, I was afraid to ask… You always come up with the most interesting things.

[Aliska]

How did I miss most of your post? So sorry. Irish Brown Bread is very similar but I think you will find the steamed is much more moist and flavorful. Wrapped in foil, keeps well in fridge or could probably wrap better and freeze.

You will have to go to the link for the one I make now (all are about the same). I didn't know if 3/4 cup molasses was enough but hate to tinker with that. I was going to suggest some brown sugar but held back. Now I think I will try that if I make it again. I've bought one kind at the store years ago, maybe the date version, and it had a certain sweetness and finer texture mine has always lacked.

Just thought of that chocolate dipped sponge candy I used to buy at that store (long gone). I made some, and my kids just love it. Mine didn't get quite spongy enough to suit me. It's the kind of thing you have to keep working on.

The way I make brown bread now is one pot. I pick my largest saucepan, 5 quart or so, with a sturdy handle. Mix the dry ingredients. Take out a little to coat the drained raisins later so they don't all sink to the bottom. Then I stir in the molasses and buttermilk slowly all all at once, maybe in thirds or so. Gently stir in the raisins last.

And use floured spray in my cans. Perfectemundo.

My mom had one of those Chambers gas stoves when I was growing up, heavy monsters those things. I had it in the early years of my marriage. It had a thermowell (cooked all night with the pilot light only like a crock pot now). My mom would make bean soup, then under the big lid that clamped to the part that fit nicely into the well, there was a smaller maybe sized like some coffee cans, a little taller than wide. That's what she would put the brown bread in and cook all night. I loved that stuff since I was a kid.

I asked for her electric stove when my dad broke up housekeeping to remarry after my mother had died and got rid of the Chambers. Kind of miss that thing although I prefer electric now. I loved the broiler with the griddle on top which I never used for pancakes as I preferred my electric skillet back then, don't have one for years. Didn't have to make the oven double as a broiler and the food was all easy to access at stovetop level.

A tip maybe someone can use. I probably blot the raisins a little because the flour will gunk up if too wet.. To save on multiple layers of paper towels which were once quite a luxury, I use a couple layers of fresh towels on top of several thicknesses of newspaper, throw it all away when done.

[CottonBall]

It looks good, sounds healthy also. I’ve always wanted to make it since baking things in cans sounds intriguing. I have a panettone recipe that you bake in a metal coffee can. I’ve been wanting to try that one also. I bought the extract from King Arthur but I’ve never made it. I just open the bottle from time to time and sniff it, it is heavenly.

Got lucky, my little village uses Christmas tree lights. I just have to try to find the clear ones or white ones. Actually I think they’re called nightlights the rest of the year. I hate it when companies use specialty items that are impossible to replace. Or rather , expensive.

[Aliska]

Probably dangerous things lol.

Thanks for the compliment. Others might disagree. Won't tell the whole story, but it's regarding my grandson and his addiction to the tv since he was old enough to sit up. Now it's games. And his big sister is giving him an x-box for Xmas.

Well, some of those games are evil imo, and I asked my daughter if she monitors those games she spoils him with. Then I told her about Charlie Charlie. She was curious so I told her to look it up and read what is said about it. It's Mexican. That is not the problem.

So she finds one on youtube and starts playing it on her iphone, then flashed the screen at me. I got extremely uncomfortable with the hypnotic sound of whatever it was and told her to turn it off..

[Jamestown1630]

A lame is actually a little razor; but I don’t think it will impact your fridge very much ;-)

[Jamestown1630]

The bulbs that you use in village houses are just the C-7 type that are in strings of Christmas tree lights. You can usually buy replacement packs this time of year in the department stores or hardware stores.

[lizma2]

Only the French would have a knife that only does one thing.

LOL, but I'm bit envious.

[Aliska]

Thanks JT. I probably have some buried in my Christmas box, used to do things more or less right. The last year I decorated for Christmas I did tt prettier than I ever had before, did take some pictures. Or I can easily buy some more. That little house, Dickens, has special sentimental value to me.

My heart just isn't in Christmas since I lost my son. He used to have it and have the house all nice and plenty of room for lots of people. His sisters have been able to move on but I can't. Am worried about the daughter who had the heart surgery. Won't go into too much detail, but she used to do bad drugs and prayed for deliverance from them.

Now she has a nurse practitioner that sounds like a little too permissive with the drug count. Was taking too much xanax. Now she's taking is it Percocet? I think it's an opiod. She seldom calls because they are always out of money and phones out of service. Then they get them back on for awhile. So I hate to even try to get ahold of her.

But she doesn't sound right, very drowsy, like almost drunk. I don't talk like that on my meds. Yet anyway.

So last Friday night, I finally worked up the courage to go to the emergency room. Her younger sister gets stuck with it. Well, it was awful with my rude grandson who complained about GRANDma (very derisively) and it's been 2 HOURS! I WANT TO GO HOME. Right in front of me. I started crying, then I got mad. This is eating away at me so I will say it, have no one to talk to any more.

I didn't know if they would admit me but finally wanted to go home myself and so that visit ended. Stopped at McD's and asked my daughter to run into the 24/7 store to get some seed for my "little birds". Like they need me. But I love them. Had some of the good stuff left.

So we saw some pretty lights along the way, and pulled up in front of my house. My grandson irately demands the phone from his mother. I don't know what made me say it, but it just popped out like that dangerous word. I asked something about those "demonic characters" in those games he plays. He asks me to print out pictures of them from the web so he can draw them. He used to draw happy stuff but not it's all dark and sinister.

And he threatens his mother by pulling out his private and threatening to pee on her. Years back it was stab her.

But I really hit a nerve. He got terribly agitated when I used that phrase and started ordering us not to talk about it. Demanding that we not talk about it.

She just came in from therapy. Must have talked about that. She walks in and says I'd better get on my will or it will be bad if I don't. Wow. It's so hard to deal with stuff like that.

[Jamestown1630]

I’m very sorry that you are going through all of that. I hope that the New Year will be a much better one for you and your family.

[Aliska]

That's sweet of you. I don't like being dependent on my children. I forgot she asked me for gas money for Christmas. So I told her to fill up her tank with my debit card today and she didn't, just $11 worth. It's fair enough because she does errands for me and if she can to my appointments which I have to keep to an absolute minimum.

But the other daughter, craps out when I need most things. Last summer I went to the ER with the paramedics. $250 deductible for ambulance and $80 ER and I thought something else. So the older daughter I told her I hate to spend that to go to the ER. Well if I pay her $100 she would take me.

Thanks for listening. And caring. I meant to tell CottonBall and have held back from saying much. And it may not turn out to be as serious as I fear. But stuck. And in a lot of pain for much of the time.

I can't imagine ever charging my mom gas money but never took her much. She could still drive until the day she died.

I usually start feeling a little better after New Year's. I need to learn to quit putting everybody else's needs ahead of mine (habitual) and find other ways to get my needs met and people to help me.