Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Question: At a recent presentation you mentioned a recipe for sugar water to use when planting trees and shrubs. Can you tell me more?
Answer: According to the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories in England, scientists found that newly planted trees responded favorably when water with a sugar water solution for the first four weeks. The trees experienced less transplant shock and the solution seemed to stimulate root development. Here’s the recipe: Mix 1 1/2 cups of white sugar into one gallon of warm water. Blend until dissolved. Water new trees and shrubs with 1/2 gallon per week for four weeks.
from newsletter: http://www.garden.org
Bird Feeding Update
Got Milk? Birds need calcium too!
Instead of tossing those eggshells in the trash, feed them to your birds. Rinse in plain water and bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool, then crush shells into small pieces and scatter on a deck, patio, or driveway. Fruit is another welcome treat and is particularly attractive to warblers and orioles. Slice oranges in half and place cut side up on a raised platform feeder. To keep squirrels away, be sure the fruit feeder is not too close to trees or roof overhangs and is at least four feet off the ground.
Keep bird seed fresh
Make sure your bird feed is fresh each season, since old seed stored in the basement or the garage can get moldy and contain harmful toxins and bacteria. When you buy seed in bulk, store in a clean, waterproof and rodent-proof container with a secure lid to keep out mice, squirrels, and other rodents. Make a scoop by cutting off the top of a plastic milk jug, and use a funnel to make it easy to refill feeders.
http://www.garden.org/celebratingtheseasons/?page=bird-feeding
http://www.garden.org/celebratingtheseasons/?page=march-qa
Gabby Gardeners
Question: Is it true that daffodils can’t be put in the same vase with other flowers?
Answer: Daffodils produce a sap that can reduce the vase life of other flowers. It’s best to either keep them as a separate bouquet, or allow them to sit in their own vase of water for a day before adding them to an arrangement with other fresh flowers.
Question: I’m new to gardening, and last year I started seeds indoors. They were growing nicely, but then toppled over! What happened?
Answer: Sounds like your seedlings succumbed to damping off, a disease caused by a soil-borne fungi called fusarium, which weakens stems so they can no longer take up water. Overwatering and poor air circulation encourage the disease. Next time, allow more space between seedlings. Water only as needed, preferably in the morning on sunny days, and place a fan near the plants to keep the air circulating.
Question: When can I repot my houseplants? Are there any rules I must follow?
Answer: It’s a good practice to repot houseplants every year, and spring is an excellent time. Repotting will help your plants grow larger, and it is an opportunity to replenish the soil with nutrients that will give your plants a boost. Select a pot that is one size bigger than the one your plant is currently growing in. Gently remove the plant from its pot by turning it on its side and tapping the bottom. Fill the new pot 3/4 full with fresh potting soil. Carefully shake off as much of the soil as you can from the roots of the plant, being careful not to disturb the roots too much, and place the root ball in the new pot. Fill with soil to just below the lip of the pot, tamping the soil around the edges to remove any air pockets. Welcome the roots into their new home by watering with warm water. Then water as needed to keep the soil moist but not too wet.
For instructions on keeping the same plant in the same pot, see my February newsletter for step-by-step instructions on pruning the root ball.
http://www.garden.org/celebratingtheseasons/?page=power-of-scents
The Power of Scents
Isn’t it funny how certain scents have the power to take us back to another place or time? The smell of lilacs in bloom always reminds me of my grandmother’s garden. The sweet fragrance of ripe peaches takes me back to my mother’s kitchen and jam making.
The influence of scents is real and in many cases scents can alter your mood or emotion — it’s a science called aromatherapy. Scientists have been able to connect specific scents to particular emotions. Want to fall asleep? Take a whiff of lavender. Need energy? Look for citrus scents. Want to feel amorous? Bring out the roses!
If you don’t have the real thing you can still reap the benefits of aromatherapy through essential oils. Essential oils are highly concentrated oils extracted from plants and flowers. It takes about 250 pounds of rose petals to produce just one ounce of oil. Essential oils can be found at most natural food stores and co-ops, and cost anywhere from $4 to $10 a bottle. The price is high, but the drops are so concentrated you only need a few to get the effect.
To be sure you’re getting what you pay for; avoid oils stored in clear glass. Heat and sun exposure can ruin the oils. Also, make sure to read the label. Some aromatherapy oils have been mixed with carrier oils, which reduce the concentration of the essential oil. Look for pure essential oils; that way you control any blending.
Common essential oils
Essential oils should not be used directly on the skin as they are too potent at full strength and tend to evaporate quickly. Essential oils should be mixed with a “carrier oil” such as sweet almond, grape seed, jojoba, olive, or sunflower. All these oils condition the skin and assist in absorption of the essential oil. (If you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, or diabetes check with your doctor before using essential oils.) Typically you should use a ratio of one-drop essential oil to 10 drops carrier oil.
Relaxing: Bergamot, chamomile, citronella, clary sage, eucalyptus, jasmine, lavender, lemon balm, lemon grass, marjoram, neroli, orange, rose, and tangerine.
When used sparingly frankincense and myrrh (both can irritate when used on the skin or in the bath), and ylang-ylang (over-inhalation may cause headaches) have relaxing properties.
Revitalizing: Cinnamon, geranium, grapefruit, juniper (also has antiseptic properties), rosemary, and vanilla. Lemon essential oil also can revitalize but use sparingly as it may irritate the skin, especially when exposed to the sun.
Stimulating: Cinnamon, clove, oregano, and thyme. Peppermint and eucalyptus, both stimulating essential oils, act as a decongestant when inhaled, but can be irritating when used directly on the skin.
Using essential oils —
— in the bath (add essential oils directly to the bath water in the following combinations)
Stress-Relieving Bath: Combine four drops lavender and three drops clary sage with a teaspoon of milk or cream, and add to bath.
Sleepy Soak: Three drops lavender, two drops citrus, and one to two drops frankincense.
Invigorating Bath: Three drops bergamot oil, three drops petit grain oil, and two drops lemon or other citrus oil.
— around the house
Linen/Home Spray: Mix 2 parts essential oil to 10 parts water. Combine in a spray bottle, and enjoy the scent wherever you choose.
Laundry: Shake 10 drops of a clear essential oil (clear oils will not stain), such as lavender or peppermint, on wet linens or towels. Dry as usual.
— to improve health
Clearing Congestion: Boil a pot of water and remove from the stove. While still steaming, add two drops eucalyptus, two drops lavender, and two drops tea tree oil. Create a steam tent by covering your head with a towel and lean over the pot. Keep your eyes closed and be careful not to get your face too close to the steaming water. Inhale for at least three minutes.
Headaches: Massage two drops of lavender oil into your temples and at the base of your skull.
Combating Colds and Flu: Add two drops lavender and two drops tea tree oil to a steaming bowl of water — let stand so that the steam diffuses into the room.
Making Your Own
Massage Oils
Create a 1-ounce bottle of your own massage oil by mixing ½ teaspoon of an essential oil with five teaspoons of your preferred carrier oil. Use a funnel to fill a small bottle with the carrier oil. Add the essential oil and shake vigorously. Keep adding essential oils until you achieve the desired aroma. Keep the bottle capped when not in use.
Stress-Reducing Mixture: Mix together four tablespoons of a carrier oil such as jojoba, eight drops of lavender, four drops of ylang ylang, and eight drops of petit grain oil. Gently stir or shake together. (Makes approximately 2 ounces.)
Spirit-Boosting Mixture: Add two drops of geranium oil, two drops of rosewood oil, and two drops of bergamot oil to six teaspoons of a carrier oil. Massage into the skin or inhale from a bottle. (Makes approximately 1 ounce.)
Bath Salts
5 cups salt (sea, table, Epsom or kosher)
10-20 drops essential oil of choice
Decorative jars or containers, or sealable plastic bags
Place salt in a glass or metal bowl. Shake on about 10 drops of essential oil. Toss. Add additional drops until you achieve the desired aroma. Fill jars or bags with salt.
Add approximately 1 cup of salts to running bath water. Enjoy!
All about edible insects:
Edible insects; you may feel that these two words do not even belong in the same sentence. You have every right to be skeptical. In all probability, you have never deliberately eaten an insect. However you have probably inadvertently consumed over a pound of insects in your lifetime.
Your insect consumption adds up. Flour beetles, weevils, and other insect pests that infest granaries are milled along with the grain, finally ending up as tiny black specks in your piece of bread. Small grubs and other tiny insects can be found in your fruit and vegetables. Insects are especially common in canned and other types of processed food, and even in certain beverages; I once went on a tour of an apple orchard and while the group was viewing the area where they separate the rotten and bug infested fruits from the good ones, I asked the tour guide what they did with the bug infested apples. She told me that they use them to make cider; waste not, want not! It is virtually impossible that you have not ingested insects in one form or another during your lifetime. And it probably did not harm you, but instead did you some good by providing extra protein in your meal!
There are a number of points that I would like to make:
* Some insects are edible. In fact, most insects are edible, but there are a few species that are especially palatable, nutritious, and easily obtainable. I will concentrate on these.
* Many species of insects are lower in fat, higher in protein, and have a better feed to meat ratio than beef, lamb, pork, or chicken.
* Insects are tasty. Really! Even if you are too squeamish to have them as a main dish, you can make insect flour and add it to bread and other dishes for an added protein boost.
* Insects are easy to raise. There is no manure forking. No hay bale lifting. No veterinary bills. You can raise them in an apartment without getting complaints.
* Insects are beautiful. I think that all insects are beautiful, but most people I know will marvel at the iridescence of a butterfly, but shudder at the striping of a mealworm.
* Most people do not mind butchering insects. The butchery of insects is very simple compared with that of cattle or poultry, and nowhere near as gory.
* Raising insects is environmentally friendly. They require minimal space per pound of protein produced, have a better feed to meat ratio than any other animal you can raise, and are very low on the food chain. They are healthy, tasty, and have been utilized for the entire history of mankind (after all, it is easier to catch a grub than a mammoth).
* Also, as far as I know, no animal rights activists object to the eating of insects. You don’t need to destroy any wildlife habitat to eat insects, and you can incorporate insects and earthworms into a recycling program......vegetable waste in, yummy insect protein out.
O.K., O.K., I admit the slight possibility of disadvantages...
The only real problem you may run into while utilizing insect protein is the lack of social acceptance. That is why we sensible insect eaters must make it our duty to educate the public about the value of insect protein. You may encounter widespread disbelief, “You’re kidding me. You don’t eat insects!”, revulsion “Yuck! You eat insects!?! “, and refusal “You will not ever get me to eat insects.” Press on! Remember, insects are the food of the future, and you are paving the way for future generations.
Is there a better name for it than insect eating?
Why yes, there is. The word is Entomophagy. You would think that a word this melodious would be in common usage, but sadly this is not the case. In fact, you probably have never heard this word before (unless you happen to be a friend of mine). Find ways to interject the word entomophagy in casual conversation, as in: “Did I ever tell you about the stunning array of culinary options revealed through the study of entomophagy ?”
Other Random Entomophagy Factoids
In case you need a little more persuasion:
There are 1,462 recorded species of edible insects. Doubtless there are thousands more that simply have not been tasted yet.
100 grams of cricket contains: 121 calories, 12.9 grams of protein, 5.5 g. of fat, 5.1 g. of carbohydrates, 75.8 mg. calcium, 185.3 mg. of phosphorous, 9.5 mg. of iron, 0.36 mg. of thiamin, 1.09 mg. of riboflavin, and 3.10 mg. of niacin.
Compare this with ground beef, which, although it contains more protein (23.5 g.), also has 288.2 calories and a whopping 21.2 grams of fat!
How to Obtain Edible Insects
By far the most difficult part of attempting any insect recipe is acquiring the necessary ingredients. Insects are rarely sold in supermarkets, nor, aside from various novelty items, are there many pre prepared insect food products. Therefore, those who wish to eat insects must acquire them either by catching insects in the wild, by buying insects from pet stores or bait shops, or by raising their own.
Catching insects in the wild, unless you’re fortunate enough to live in a rural area, is a laborious and potentially dangerous task. I advise this type of insect collection only if you’re sure that the insects you’re collecting are edible (doyous...), and that the area where you’re collecting is free of pesticides. Cicadas, field crickets, grasshoppers, grubs, tomato hornworms, and so forth, are among the edible insects one is likely to find on such hunting expeditions.
Buying insects is the easiest way to get edible insects, but it is also the most expensive (ain’t it always the way?). Most pet stores and bait shops carry crickets and mealworms, two of the most easily raised and prepared insect species. You can also buy these insects in bulk from various insect suppliers (see my Links, Etc. page for more information on the subject). The only preparation that you need give to insects acquired in this manner is that of feeding them for a few days on fresh grain; most insects you buy at bait shops or pet stores have been eating newspaper, sawdust, or similarly unsavory packing material, which, while completely harmless, might affect the insect’s taste if you ate them while the material was still in their digestive tract.
Raising insects, in my opinion, is the optimum way of ensuring a steady supply of palatable insects. While not entirely as convenient as simply popping into the pet store whenever you need insects, it is far cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and more rewarding in the long run. See my page on Raising Insects for all the juicy details.
How to Prepare Insects for Cooking
Those who are accustomed to eating animals probably know that most animals must be killed, cleaned, and cooked before one can eat them. The case is similar with insects. While there are many people in other countries who prefer to eat insects live and raw, and while it is true that you could probably get the most nutrients that way, I prefer food that won’t crawl off my plate. I have tried eating live ants and mealworms, and in fact present a “recipe” for live insect consumption below; however, I would advise that beginning insect eaters start with cooked insects.
To prepare a batch of crickets or mealworms:
Take the desired quantity of live insects, rinse them off and then pat them dry. This procedure is easy to do with mealworms, but fairly hard to do with crickets. To do so with crickets, pour them all into a colander and cover it quickly with a piece of wire screening or cheesecloth. Rinse them, then dry them by shaking the colander until all the water drains. Then put the crickets or mealworms in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer until they are dead but not frozen. Fifteen minutes or so should be sufficient. Then take them out and rinse them again. You don’t really have to clean mealworms, though if you want, you can chop off their heads. Cricket’s heads, hind legs, and wing cases can be removed according to personal preference; I like doing so, since cricket legs tend to get stuck in your teeth. You are now ready to use the insects in all kinds of culinary treats!
Mealworm Chocolate Chip Cookies
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 cup all purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 cup oats
* 1/2 cup chocolate chips
* 1/4 cup mealworm flour
Cream butter well, then mix in sugar, egg, vanilla flour, salt, baking soda, chocolate chips, oats, and mealworm flour. Drop batter by the teaspoonful on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees farenheit. This recipe doesn’t have much in the way of palpable insect content, but is an excellent way to introduce others (or yourself!) to entomophagy. Even many rather squeamish people will try mealworm cookies, since the cookie format doesn’t look “gross” to most people, and since it is rather difficult to actually taste the mealworms, though they enrich the cookie with a somewhat nutty flavor and extra protein.
To make insect flour:
Spread your cleaned insects out on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Set your oven 200 degrees and dry insects for approximately 1-3 hours. When the insects are done, they should be fairly brittle and crush easily. Take your dried insects and put them into a blender or coffee grinder, and grind them till they are about consistency of wheat germ. Use in practically any recipe! Try sprinkling insect flour on salads, add it to soups, your favorite bread recipe, on a boat, with a goat, etc.
Chocolate Covered Crickets
* 25 adult crickets
* Several squares of semisweet chocolate
Prepare the crickets as described above. Bake at 250 degrees until crunchy (the time needed varies from oven to oven). Heat the squares of semi sweet chocolate in a double boiler until melted. Dip the dry roasted crickets in the melted chocolate one by one, and then set the chocolate covered crickets out to dry on a piece of wax paper. Enjoy! This is a little time consuming to make, but definitely worth it...the crickets are deliciously crunchy!
Ant Brood Tacos
* 2 tablespoons butter or peanut oil
* ? 1/2 pound ant larvae and pupae
* 3 serrano chilies, raw, finely chopped
* 1 tomato, finely chopped
* Pepper, to taste
* Cumin, to taste
* Oregano, to taste
* 1 handful cilantro, chopped
* Taco shells, to serve
Heat the butter or oil in a frying pan and fry the larvae or pupae. Add the chopped onions, chilies, and tomato, and season with salt. Sprinkle with ground pepper, cumin, and oregano, to taste. Serve in tacos and garnish with cilantro. (Not living in an area exceptionally prolific with ants, I have never been able to try this recipe. But it sounds perfectly delicious! I found it in ‘Creepy Crawly Cuisine’, an excellent recipe book.)
“Natural Style”
* As many mealworms as you can sanely eat
Open mouth. Insert live mealworms. Chew. Swallow.
You can eat almost every kind of edible insect raw; however, this method of eating insects should only be performed on insects that you keep yourself or know are free from pesticides. Do not snag passing cockroaches, ants, or termites in an urban area unless you have developed a natural immunity to pesticides. And don’t forget to wash your insects before eating them!
Also links to buy or grow your own..............
http://www.texascooking.com/features/jan2007_chili_refresher_course.htm
From Texas Cooking Online
http://www.texascooking.com - Printed on 04/08/08
Chili Bowl
Chili Refresher Course
by John Raven, Ph.B.
Chili Refresher Course
Day in and day out here at Texas Cooking, Texas-style chili gets more than its share of attention. Everyone loves chili and wants to be able to turn out their very own pot of delicious chili when the occasion demands.
As we all know, chili seems to have originated in south Texas as a peasant food, and then as the first fast food in the Military Plaza in San Antonio under the management of the “Chili Queens”.
Chili is a simple dish of meat seasoned with chile and comino. Of course, other seasonings are included, but these two are the main flavoring agents.
Uncountable recipes have evolved from the first one. Just about every seasoning and method of stewing has been tried but the old faithful original recipe seems to get the most votes for best. Here is my standard recipe.
Basic Texas Chili
* 2 pounds beef (round or chuck) cut into 1/2-inch cubes, all white removed
* 1 small onion, chopped fine
* 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 to 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced (optional)
* cayenne (optional, see below)
* salt and black pepper to taste
* 2 to 3 tablespoons blended chili powder (Adams preferred)
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
In a heavy skillet sauté the meat in a small amount of oil or shortening until it is gray and gives up its juices. Transfer the meat to a stew pot and discard juices.
While the meat is still hot, mix in the onion and garlic, salt and black pepper to taste. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Add enough water to cover the meat. Put in the spices and bring to a simmer. Cook until the meat is tender. You may have to add water if the mix becomes too dry. Add the tomato sauce and simmer another 20 minutes.
If the chili is not spicy enough for your taste, add a small amount of cayenne.
Mix two tablespoons flour with one half cup of water. Raise the heat under the chili until you get a good boil. Stir in the flour/water mixture, and continue stirring until the mixture thickens. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 more minutes. Serve with saltines or tortillas.
The above recipe will make a good pot of chili every time. There are a couple of things that can be changed when you start experimenting with developing your very own best chili recipe.
At the risk of being stoned in the town square, I say that changing the meat from all cubes to a mix of grind, cubes and hamburger works real well. The ratio would be about one part “chili grind”, one-half part cubes and one-half part hamburger fine grind. This will give what I think is a better texture to the finished product. Your butcher can make the “chili grind” for you. It is just a coarse grind of the meat. Be careful with the hamburger so that you don’t get a lot of fat in the meat. It would be best to get custom grind with nothing white in it. Chili does not have to be greasy.
The next thing to work on is getting some flavor in the meat and not merely having roast beef in chili gravy. For me, steeping the sautéed meat with the onion, garlic, jalape˜o and salt and pepper gets a good flavor in the meat. One of our better chili cook-off competitors used some jalape˜o sauce in the pan with the meat as it was sautéed. This seems to impart a really good jalape˜o taste to the end product.
Now a few words about the seasoning
The onion should be a white one. I just think they have better flavor. Sometimes the yellow ones are a bit sharp, and the purple or red onions give an odd appearance to the chili, and they are really too sweet. The garlic needs to be firm and not growing in the hand. Mince it just as fine as you can. The jalape˜o should have the seeds and veins removed before mincing. (Here is one of my secrets: I put the onion, garlic and jalape˜o in the blender and reduce it to purée. That way you don’t get any lumps of vegetable floating in your chili).
Salt is salt. Just don’t put in a whole bunch during the cooking stage. Make your final adjustments after the pot is done.
Black pepper should be fine grind for this application. A lot of the better chili chefs on the contest circuit use some white pepper in their pot. Now white pepper is nothing but black pepper with the black scraped off, but the bite is different for some reason. The black pepper has more of a “back bite”. That means it takes a few seconds for you to feel the pepper on your taste buds. The white pepper is “front bite”, which means you taste it right away. A little front bite is good. Cayenne is a way back bite. It seems like you can swallow before the bite kicks in, which is also good.
Comino is usually used in the form of powder, which is called cumin or ground cumin. Some folk use the whole seed but not many. To really get the flavor from the comino you need to process your own on cooking day. You put some comino seeds in a dry skillet and toast them just until you can smell them. Then you powder them in a spice grinder or some such.
The ratio of comino or cumin to the chili powder is about three to one in favor of the chili powder. In other words, three tablespoons of chili powder requires one tablespoon of cumin.
If you use the blended chili powder, the ratio does not necessarily change. The blend contains cumin, but it dies out with age and may not be strong enough to even taste in the blend. You need the cumin fresh.
A tad of oregano is good in chili. Use the Mexican variety, if you can get it, and just use a tiny bit as it is very potent. Some use a pinch of basil also. This is where individual taste comes in. Do what is best for you.
If you absorb this information and read the rest of my chili articles in the archives, I guarantee you will know more about chili than nearly any man or woman on the street.
Good chili results not so much from what you put in it as what you don’t put in it. Good chili contains no arrowroot, anise, aspirin or arrowheads. Also no chocolate, sour cream or flax seed. Leave out rawhide doggie chews and empty cans. No seafood allowed. We don’t want to see any whole Jap peppers floating in a sea of red grease either.
You know what to do; just do it.
END OF ARTICLE
URL for this article: http://www.texascooking.com/features/jan2007_chili_refresher_course.htm
From Texas Cooking Online
http://www.texascooking.com - Printed on 04/08/08
Hush Puppies
Cornmeal: A Texas Kitchen Staple
by John Raven, Ph.B.
Every respectable Texas pantry has a supply of cornmeal. In Texas, it is yellow corn meal. White corn meal is favored east of the Mississippi and north of DFW. There are advocates of the less popular blue cornmeal in New Mexico and Arizona, but there is just something about blue cornbread that doesn’t agree with me.
There are two main types of cornmeal, if you don’t count the color — stone ground cornmeal and roller ground cornmeal. Stone ground is closer to the real thing of yesteryear. We have all seen the illustrations of the Indians hard at work grinding corn on a flat rock with a stone rolling pin. The roller ground meal gets heated in the process of being ground in the metal rollers. There is nothing wrong with it; it’s just more Texas correct to use stone ground.
Corn is a New World staple crop. It seems to have originated in southern Mexico anywhere from six to ten thousand years ago, depending on who you ask. When the Europeans came poking around in the Americas, they found corn and took some back home with them. From there it just spread all over. Today the United States grows the most corn. Next runner-up is China.
You can’t live off corn alone. There is some deep mumbo-jumbo about corn having an “incomplete protein” or some such. If you eat just corn you get pellagra, which is caused by lack of Vitamin B. But if you boil your corn in water containing wood ashes or lime, some chemical process releases the Vitamin B, and it’s a whole lot better for you. When you do this it becomes “hominy”. Or, you can consume beans and/or fish and meat with it, and the combination produces a very healthy diet.
The alkaline in the ashes or the lime causes the corn to swell up and the tough outer husk can be removed. With the husk removed, grind up what’s left and you’ve got “masa”. Masa is the principal ingredient of many Mexican recipes, notably tortillas and tamales. Dried, course-ground masa is “grits” — popular with the Southern aristocracy (common folk, too).
Enough of the lore and legend. Let’s get to some recipes.
Cornmeal Mush
This is one of my favorite treats. It is easy to prepare and very good for you. I really like it for supper on a cold evening.
* 1 cup yellow cornmeal
* 3 cups water
* 1 teaspoon salt
In a deep saucepan, whisk the cornmeal and salt into the water. Turn the heat up to medium-high. When it starts to boil, start stirring. You need to stir it constantly until it thickens, then turn the heat way down, cover and let cook another 10 minutes.
Serve it like hot cereal with butter, milk and sugar. You can add other things as you desire.
If you pour your cornmeal mush in a bread pan and let it cool and then put in ice box overnight, the next morning you can slice it and fry it and have a thin, tasty breakfast bread. Most folk want butter and maple syrup on it.
Cornbread
There’s an article in the archives of texascooking.com called Cornbread Seminar. You will find everything you need to know about corn bread there.
Hush Puppies
Right after cornbread, hush puppies is the most popular cornmeal dish. Mostly they are served with fried catfish, but they fit well in a lot of menus.
Back home on the farm, our hush puppies were called “sinkers” because Mama molded them in a table spoon the same way Daddy and I molded lead sinkers for our fishing tackle. Mama’s hush puppies were very plain. She poured some boiling water into cornmeal and mixed it up to a thick dough. The dough was then dropped into hot fat and fried until golden brown or a little darker. This is still my favorite hush puppy recipe. Here’s one a little more fancy.
* 2 cups yellow cornmeal
* 1 teaspoon sage
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
* 1 small onion, minced
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1 egg, beaten
Heat your oil in the deep fryer to 375°F. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls and fry until golden brown or as done as you like them. Drain on paper towels or in a brown paper bag.
Scrapple
This is a peasant dish that probably originated in Europe and then traveled to the United States with the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers. My grandmother Raven’s family came to Central Texas from Pennsylvania in the mid-1800s, so this is a family recipe for me. You don’t see it much any more since, as with so many traditional recipes, there is a lot of labor involved. I try to make it about once a year just to keep the recipe alive.
* 1 3-pound pork butt, bone in
* 4 quarts water
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
* 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
* 1 teaspoon ground savory
* 1/8 teaspoon allspice (start with less)
* 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (start with less)
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
* 3 cups cornmeal
Place the pork and water in an 8-quart stockpot. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until pork is tender, about 2 hours. Place the meat on a large plate; reserve the stock. When the meat is cool enough to handle, remove it from the bones and discard excess fat. Chop the meat very finely; set aside.
Place 2-1/2 quarts of the stock in a 5-quart pot. Add the thyme, sage, savory, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. Bring to a boil and gradually add the cornmeal, stirring or whisking rapidly until it is all combined. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue to cook, stirring often, until the mixture is very thick, so that a spoon almost stands up on its own, about 15 minutes. (If it gets too thick, just add a little more of the broth and stir well.)
Add the chopped meat and stir well to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. After a couple minutes, taste for seasoning and adjust as desired. Scrapple must be well seasoned or it will taste very bland when fried.
Place a piece of waxed paper into two 9x5-inch loaf pans so that the ends extend over the two long sides. That will make it easier to lift the refrigerated loaf out of the pan later. Pour half the mixture into each pan. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight or until chilled and solid.
To fry, remove the loaf from the pan and place on cutting surface. Slice into quarter- or half-inch slices. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add some butter and, as soon as it melts, add the scrapple slices. It is critical with scrapple to let each side brown thoroughly before attempting to turn it over or it will stick and fall apart, so be very patient. Serve as is or, as many Pennsylvania Dutchmen would do, with ketchup or apple butter.
END OF ARTICLE
URL for this article: http://www.texascooking.com/features/feb2007_cornmeal_recipes.htm
The tender squash don’t need cooking before going on the table. As long as the skin and seeds are within acceptable boundaries, they can be eaten raw as a finger food or included in various salads. The squash don’t have a whole lot of flavor, but the texture of raw squash is very good. They also act as a fine butter delivery system.
Mama’s fried squash
Our favorite family recipe for squash was fried squash. Mama used the yellow crooknecks. The squash are washed and dried. You slice them into half inch slices. You will need either a saucepan or skillet with a lid.
Put some butter or other grease in the pan and let it melt over medium heat. When the grease is hot, add the squash and stir them around to get all coated. Then reduce the heat a bit and put the lid on. Let them simmer until they are very tender. Remove the lid and raise the temperature a bit to evaporate the water that has cooked out of the squash. Careful not to let them scorch. You do want to cook them until they are just browning. Season with salt and pepper or with Lawry’s seasoned salt. This makes a very good side dish for most any meat.
Raven’s Squash Patties
My favorite recipe for squash is fried patties. Start with summer squash. Dice the squash very fine, about 1/8 inch if you can manage it. If you shred or slice squash with the food processor, there is too much water released to have a good product.
Beat a fresh egg in a good size bowl. Add the squash and about a half teaspoon of minced onion per squash. Salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Add yellow cornmeal a little at a time until you get a mix that will stick together. Form patties about a half inch thick and four inches in diameter. Fry in your choice of fat until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with ketchup.
You can deep-fry squash either breaded or in batter. Just use small size portions of squash so they will fry quickly. Too long in the hot oil makes the squash sweat and the batter comes off.
Spaghetti squash
Spaghetti squash can be baked or microwaved until tender. Split it down the middle and spoon out the seeds. Shred the meat with a fork. It will be stringy and have a semi-spaghetti look to it. A pat of butter and a little salt and pepper makes it table ready. Now if you like the spaghetti squash, you can have my part of them. To me, eating spaghetti squash is like trying to eat a string mop.
Stuffed Pattypan Squash
* 1 cup grated zucchini
* 1 cup grated yellow summer squash
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 6 small pattypan squash
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Toss together the zucchini, yellow squash and salt. Let stand 30 minutes; then drain well. Press between layers of paper towels to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
Cook pattypan squash in boiling salted water to cover 8 to 10 minutes or until tender but still firm. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut a 1/2-inch slice from the stem end of each squash. Scoop out the seeds, leaving the shells intact. Place shells in a 9x13-inch pan that has been sprayed with vegetable cooking spray.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the zucchini, yellow squash, onion, thyme and pepper for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and spoon an equal amount into each pattypan shell. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
Baked Acorn Squash with Apples and Pecans
* 2 medium acorn squash (1 to 1-1/4 pounds each)
* 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
* 2 cups chopped, unpeeled apple
* 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut acorn squash in half and remove the seeds. Place each squash half, cut side up, in a shallow baking dish (a 9x13-inch Pyrex baking dish works well).
Combine the brown sugar, butter and chopped apple. Spoon an equal amount into each squash shell. Add boiling water to the baking pan to a depth of 1/2 inch.
Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour or until squash is tender. Sprinkle each squash shell with chopped pecans before serving. Makes 4 servings.
END OF ARTICLE
URL for this article: http://www.texascooking.com/features/oct2007_squash_recipes.htm
From Texas Cooking Online
http://www.texascooking.com - Printed on 04/08/08
Pan de nuevo
Pan de Campo: The Official State Bread of Texas
by John Raven, Ph.B.
In June of this year, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed into law a bill designating Pan de Campo as the official State Bread of Texas.
The translation for pan de campo is “camp bread”. It is just as often called cowboy bread. It is a simple baking powder bread that was a staple of the early Texans. It’s still very popular today, and there are several pan de campo cook-offs in South Texas every year.
I know a lot of you are thinking that sourdough was the bread of the cowboys. Well, if you had a chuck wagon and a cook to man it, sourdough was a real treat. But if you were eating out of your saddlebags, a jug of sourdough starter was a mite difficult to manage. The baking powder required to make pan de campo can be carried in an old snuff can if need be. Just as long as it’s kept dry, it’s happy. Flour, baking powder, salt, lard and some water is all that’s required to make pan de campo. There are recipes that call for oil and milk, but that detracts from the basic nature of this bread. Cowboys on a trail drive were unlikely to have fresh milk handy, and they knew better than to try and milk a steer.
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The classic pan de campo is baked in a Dutch oven. It comes out as a round loaf the diameter of your Dutch oven and about an inch and a half or two inches thick. It can also be cooked in a skillet with a lid, or it can be fried. If things are really scarce, you can wrap the dough around a stick and cook it over coals. Oh, and if you are up-to-date, you can bake it in the oven in the comfort of your kitchen. Baking the pan de campo in a Dutch oven gives it a moist atmosphere to cook in, which I believe makes for moister bread. The “crust” will be soft. However, pan de campo baked in a dry oven will have a crisp crust which I like a lot.
My favorite pan de campo is made into biscuit size rounds. I pat the dough out to about a half-inch thickness and cut it with a biscuit cutter. The finished product doubles in thickness.
The ingredients used in pan de campo can stand some inspection. The main ingredient is flour. Most any all-purpose wheat flour will do. I prefer unbleached all-purpose flour. I just think it has a better flavor. It is also a little darker than the bleached flour. If you use whole wheat flour, it will not rise as well as regular flour. But you can mix half and half regular flour and whole wheat and get a good product.
The shortening for the bread is also subject to debate. The original recipe would have used hog lard. Being that November is National Hog Lard Month, give it a try. The lard imparts very little flavor to the bread, and it does make for a moister end product. Some recipes call for oil such as canola or corn oils. The oils tend to separate in the mix and don’t give as good a result to my way of thinking. The vegetable shortenings are good. My favorite for most baking is butter flavored Crisco.
Baking powder is pretty much baking powder. Any brand name will do. Just make sure it’s fairly fresh and hasn’t come in contact with moisture.
Regular table salt works in all recipes, as does granulated sugar or the baking style artificial sweeteners.
As for water versus milk, you takes your pick. I don’t think you would be able to tell the difference in the finished product.
Pan de NuevoPan de Nuevo
Pan de Campo Recipes
Time to check out a couple of recipes. The first comes from down in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where pan de campo is very popular.
Valley-style Pan de Campo
* 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup shortening
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* hot water
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening. Add just enough hot water to make a thick dough. Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead two to three minutes or until smooth. Don’t overwork it.
Divide the dough into two portions. Let it rest covered with a damp cloth for 15 to 20 minutes.
Form into rounds and bake. (Here it’s up to you as to the form of baking used, Dutch oven or conventional oven. Conventional oven should be about 350F degrees. Bake until golden brown.
Note: the small amount of baking powder used indicates that the shortening will be relied upon to do the rising in the bread. The shortening goes through all kinds of processes with the flour to get steam pockets to form in the dough, which produces the “rise”. If it doesn’t rise enough to suit you, use about a big teaspoon of baking powder.
Spindle Top Pan de Campo
This one has the oil.
* 8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* 8 teaspoons baking powder
* 4 teaspoons salt
* 4 teaspoons sugar
* 3 cups milk
* 1-1/2 cups canola oil
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in the oil as best you can. (I found that after the initial mix of oil, the pastry cutter was the best way to proceed.)
Add enough of the milk to make a stiff dough. Divide into four portions and form into rounds and bake.
Cowboy Yeast Bread
* 1 packet yeast
* 1 quart warm milk
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 6 to 8 cups flour, to make a thick dough
Put the yeast in a quarter cup of warm (110F degrees) water and let dissolve for 15 minutes. In large mixing bowl, combine everything but the flour. Add the yeast mixture and mix well.
Work the flour in a half cup at a time until you get a thick dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl and let dough double in a warm place.
This recipe will make enough for two 9x13-inch baking pans. Oil the pans before putting the dough in. No need for second rise, just pop in a 350F degree oven.
You can refrigerate this dough, and it will last up to three weeks. No need to let it rise after you take it out of the ice box for use.
Raven’s Pan de Campo
* 2 cups unbleached all-flour
* 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup butter flavor Crisco
* water
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening with pastry cutter until cornmeal like texture results.
Add just enough water to get a thick dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out on a floured surface and knead just until it comes together smoothly.
This recipe will make about a dozen biscuit-size portions or you can form the dough into one round no more than one inch thick. In a conventional oven, bake at 400 degrees until golden brown.
None of the above recipes is written in stone. You can experiment with them until you get the perfect pan de campo.
I had good success baking biscuit size “pans” in an iron skillet with a lid to cover the dough. I will bet you a pretty that an electric skillet would do a bang up job, too. You will have to turn the “biscuits” after the bottoms brown to get the tops to brown this way. I would start with a setting of about 350F degrees.
Now that you have a house full of pan de campo, it’s time to lay in some cream gravy and butter and jelly.
More articles and recipes
* Rites of Spring
Outdoor grilling
* Grilling It All
* Frills for the Grill
* Odds and Ends from the Grill
END OF ARTICLE
URL for this article: http://www.texascooking.com/features/nov2005_pan_de_campo.htm
Marta offered up two recipes for sauce that form the basis for most Mexican dishes. Salsa Verde (green sauce) and Salsa Roja (red sauce). Here is the first:
Martas Red Chile Sauce
* 5 dried chile Anchos
* 15 dried mild New Mexico chiles
* 4 small tomatillos
Remove stems and seeds from the dried chiles. Rinse in cold water. Place chiles in a saucepan and cover generously with water. Bring pan to boil, remove from heat, cover and let stand about 30 minutes or until the chiles are tender. Meanwhile, place the husked tomatillos in a small saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes or until very tender.
Place half the chiles with half the tomatillos in a blender with about ½ cup of the water the tomatillos were simmered in. Blend until pureed. Repeat with the remaining chiles and tomatillos. Process the chili sauce through a food mill to remove seeds and bits of the chile peel.
This version of Salsa Roja is the basis for chile con carne, enchiladas, tamales, menudo, posole and chilaquiles. Double or triple the quantities, depending on how much you need.
For making enchiladas or tamales the sauce is modified as follows:
Mince 2 cloves of garlic and saut in 2 tablespoons of lard (or shortening, but lard is better) until tender. Dont brown it. Add the red chile sauce and season with teaspoon Mexican oregano and 1 teaspoon ground comino (cumin). Mix and simmer until heated through. If the sauce is too thick, you can add chicken broth to get the desired consistency. Add salt to taste.
Martas Green Chile Sauce
* 8 tomatillos (about golf ball size), remove husks
* 2 large, ripe tomatoes
* 3 jalapeños (more or less according to your taste)
* 1 medium onion, chopped fine
* 1 clove of garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
In a saucepan, cover the tomatillos with water. Bring to boil and reduce heat, cover and gently simmer about 10 minutes or until very tender. In another pan, bring the tomatoes and jalapeños to a boil and simmer five or ten minutes. (The skins will slip off after they are done.)
Drain and tomatillos and tomatoes, but reserve some of the tomatillo cooking water. Puree the tomatillos and tomatoes, along with the garlic. Use a little of the reserved cooking water from the tomatillos to smooth it out, if you like. Add the chopped onion and the finely chopped fresh cilantro. If the sauce is too thick, you can add chicken broth to get the desired consistency.
This Salsa Verde is the basis for Green Enchiladas, Pork Guisado and other recipes calling for green sauce.
One of Martas grandfathers recipes is also one of Georges favorites, with modifications of course.
Popular Tex-Mex Recipes:
* Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas
* Chicken Flautas
* Guacamole
* Carne Guisada
* Making Fajitas
Grandfathers Roasted Chiles
* 6 large, fresh chiles such as Anaheims
* 1/2 mild onion (10-15s, if they are in season) sliced
* olive oil
* Mexican oregano
Roast and peel the chiles and remove the seeds and membranes. Cut them into narrow lengthwise strips. Separate the onion into pieces. In a bowl with a cover, drizzle enough olive oil on the chile and onion to just dampen them. Season with Mexican oregano. Mix well and refrigerate, mixing several times to get even coating of spice.
This is served with any grilled meat or fowl. Georges version of this recipe includes tender banana peppers in season. They dont need to be roasted and skinned, just seeded and sliced. Also a jalapeno or two, seeded and sliced. George sauts all his ingredients in the olive oil instead of refrigerating them.
Another favorite recipe around the Pearce ranch is Chilaquiles (chee-la-key-ahs).
Chilaquiles
* One corn tortilla per portion
* Red or Green sauce
* Shredded, cooked chicken or other meat
* Shredded cheese
* Sour cream, if you like it
Cut the tortillas into halves and then cut the halves into one-inch strips. Fry the tortilla strips in shorting or oil of your choice until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Keep the strips warm in a slow oven until you are ready for them. Place a portion of the tortilla strips on a plate. Stack with shredded chicken, spoon on a generous amount of sauce, add shredded cheese and top with a dab of sour cream.
There you have it, boys and girls. Authentic Texas-Mexican style cooking from the Pearce kitchen.
END OF ARTICLE
URL for this article: http://www.texascooking.com/features/april2002texmexfood.htm
From Texas Cooking Online
http://www.texascooking.com - Printed on 04/08/08
Sausage
The Wurst of Times: Making Sausage
by John Raven, Ph. B.
The nip in the air must be responsible for all the sausage questions weve been getting. Always eager to please our readers, here comes some sausage lore.
Sausages come in all shapes and sizes, and nearly every culture has several versions. More than likely, sausage was invented as a way to preserve meat. Its a lot easier to preserve small, uniform packages of meat than to preserve large chunks of it. Sausage meat is chopped or ground, mixed with seasonings, and sometimes other things, and then stuffed into casings. I cant think of a vegetarian version of sausage, although boudin comes close, being mostly rice.
Sausage is then preserved by smoking it. Some people used to preserved sausage by immersing it in rendered lard, but that method has fallen out of favor with the cholesterol police. Most of the sausage you buy today is fully cooked. All it needs is a little warming. Be sure your package of sausage says “fully cooked” before you dig in just to be on the safe side.
Sausage came to Texas with the German and Czech immigrants and remains a staple on the tables of their descendants. However, the Tex-Mex version, chorizo, has its roots in Spain and could well have been the first Texas sausage.
The deer hunters render a lot of Bambis relatives into sausage. Bambi usually ends up sharing his casing with relatives of Porky Pig. The combination of venison and pork makes a wonderful sausage.
The casing into which the sausage is tightly packed is the cleaned intestine from hogs or cattle. Some of the commercial sausage producers use a man-made casing. The one disadvantage of the man-made casing is that it will not fry up crisp like the natural casing.
Pan sausage is sausage that has not been stuffed into a casing.
My generation of Texans prefers country sausage, that is, sausage that has been made by an individual rather than by a commercial operation. The problem I see with commercial sausage is that in this age of not wanting to offend anybody, the production line sausages tend to be rather bland.
Not on the bland list were the good, old-time Texas Hot Guts. Many a person has fond memories of the hotter-than-blazes, grease-squirting morsels that were found at most barbecue joints. The hot guts were pork sausage with a high fat to lean content, seasoned with the usual garlic, salt, and black pepper, but boosted with a lot of fiery hot cayenne flecks throughout the mix. They would bring tears of joy to your eyes and clean out the most clogged up sinuses. If you didnt break the casing before you bit into one, it would squirt a stream of hot grease all the way across the table. The hot guts were cooked in a special smoking chamber on most pits until they wrinkled. Thats how you could tell if they were done. If your hot gut aint wrinkled, it aint done.
Making sausage is one of your more labor-intensive projects. In the old days, it was done as a part of the ritual fall “hog killin”. Neighbors would get together to share the labor, as well as the rewards, of the day.
You can make very good sausage in your own kitchen if you like. There are many books available on the subject. You will need something to grind the sausage, a big container to mix it in, and a tool to stuff the meat into the casing. This can be accomplished with a funnel and a stick, but its slow going. Your butcher can supply you with casing that has been cleaned and only needs a good rinsing in cold water before use.
One word of caution: When making sausage you need to keep the meat cold at all times. If it gets above 40F degrees, all kinds of bad things can happen. This means that you keep it in the fridge as much as possible, and you may have to stop and re-chill the meat from time to time if it begins to get warm.
Sausage Formulas
These are basic recipes that will give you a place to start. You will probably want to adjust the seasonings to suit your taste. Make a small amount with the basic recipe and then you can personalize it to perfection.
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Authentic Mexican spices at MexGrocer.com
Country Sausage
* 2 pounds of pork (one-third fat, two-thirds lean), ground and mixed
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons coarsely ground fresh black pepper
* 2 cloves garlic, smashed
* ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
Mix seasonings into ground meat until well incorporated. Stuff into casings. Sausage should be cooked in boiling water until done, and then smoked or fried or however you want to prepare them.
Hot Guts
Use the Country sausage recipe adding two teaspoons of cayenne. If you can find hot pepper flakes they are even better. These sausages can go directly into the smoker without precooking them, but be sure they are wrinkled before you serve them.
Chorizo
* 2 pounds of pork (one-half fat, one-half lean), ground and mixed
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons coarsely ground fresh black pepper
* 3 cloves of garlic smashed or teaspoon of garlic powder
* 2 teaspoons chili powder
* 2 teaspoons white vinegar
Mix seasonings into ground meat until well incorporated. Stuff into casings. Note, Fiesta brands has a great packaged chorizo seasoning.
Venison Sausage
Use equal parts lean venison and 50/50 pork mix, and use the country sausage seasonings here.
Boudin
Heres a favorite of mine from the Cajun folks over in East Texas and Louisiana.
* 2 pounds lean pork
* 1-½ pounds pork liver
* 1 large onion
* ½ bell pepper
* 1 stalk celery
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 bunches green onions, chopped (reserve ½ cup)
* 1 bunch parsley, chopped (reserve ½ cup)
* 6 cups cooked white rice
* Broth from cooking the meat
* Salt, black and red pepper to taste
Simmer, covered, the meat and liver with the onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic until meat falls apart. Remove meat, strain the broth, and discard the vegetables. Grind and mix together the meat, chopped onion, green onions and parsley. Mix with reserved green onion, parsley and rice. Add enough reserved broth to make damp mixture. Season to taste. (The Cajuns like it very spicy.) Stuff into casings.
All ingredients are cooked so you need only to warm the boudin. You can pan fry it, or poach it. I prefer it slow smoked on the grill. This is a whole meal deal: meat, vegetables and cereal all in one neat package.
Happy Thanksgiving all!
NOTE: Texas food writer Robb Walshs Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses is a perfect book that expands on the topics Dr. John covers here.
END OF ARTICLE
URL for this article: http://www.texascooking.com/features/nov2002countrysausagechorizo.htm
© 2006 Texas Cooking Online, Inc. — ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
From Texas Cooking Online
http://www.texascooking.com - Printed on 04/08/08
Gravy boat snapshot
Taking Stock
by John Raven, Ph. B.
Often we find recipes calling for “stock”. In this case, stock means the broth of meat, poultry or fish, and is used in making sauces or gravies.
You can get stock in a can or process it from the little bouillon cubes or granules. In either case you get too much salt and little flavor.
Its easy enough to make homemade stock. All it takes is a big pot and some time. Really a good thing to do on cool fall days.
Beef Stock
Beef stock is first on our list. You will need four or five pounds of beef bones with a little meat on them. If you de-bone beef at home, you can save the bones in the freezer until you have enough for making stock. Otherwise you can get them from your butcher in the form of soup bones. Tell your butcher what you want, and hell fix you up at small cost.
The bones go in a large roasting pan, and then into a 350-degree oven where they will bake until they are crispy brown. You may need to rearrange them once or twice to get an even browning. When you decide the bones are ready, put them in a large stock pot and cover with cool water. Scrape the roasting pan real good and add all the scrapings to the pot. To the pot add one large onion, chopped, one or two stalks of celery. chopped, and two or three carrots, chopped. Also, two or three dozen black peppercorns and a couple of cloves of garlic, chopped.
Bring all this to a boil and then cut the heat back to get a very gentle boil. Nothing less than one hour will do. Three or four hours or longer is preferred. If the pot starts going dry, add some boiling water.
When you decide your stock has boiled long enough, remove it from the heat and let it cool to working temperature. Strain it through a rather fine sieve into another clean pot. Put the strained stock back on the stove and slow cook it until it is reduced by about one-half. This concentrates the flavors. Cool again. Put the stock in a suitable container and refrigerate it overnight. Next morning you will find the fat congealed on top. You can then remove all or as much of the fat as you like without much effort.
This stock is used in soups, stews or sauces for your beef dishes. It can be frozen and will keep in the freezer for quite some time (a month or longer).
Poultry Stock
Making poultry stock is a little different from making beef stock. You can use the trimmings from chicken or turkey, i.e. wing tips, neck, giblets and any skin or fat you trim off. You can also use bones from the cooked poultry. You dont bake the poultry bones. They just go in the pot for boiling. For seasoning use, chopped onion and chopped celery in equal portions, and several chopped carrots. Black peppercorns and a little thyme or sage give a real poultry flavor. No garlic in poultry stock.
As with the beef stock, strain and reduce the poultry stock. Cool and refrigerate it so the fat can be removed. This stock goes with any of your poultry recipes calling for stock. Also, with a little salt added, and the stock warmed, it makes a great pick me up on cold evenings. This is also the basis for the chicken soup that cures the common cold.
Fish Stock
Fish or seafood stock is not a staple in Texas. We all believe that God intended fish to be fried. Anyway, if you are a seafood lover you will have the ingredients for fish stock on hand at some time.
Use the head and bones from your fish, the shells and heads from the shrimp or crayfish or crabs. They all go in the stock pot along with onion, celery and carrot. Boil, strain and reduce as for the other stocks. I dont think you will have to remove much, if any, fat from this stock. You now have a good, flavorful stock for your seafood gumbo or whatever other recipe that calls for fish stock.
Vegetable Stock
Vegetable stock is a tasty addition to any recipe calling for stock. As the name implies, its made from vegetables. There is no specific recipe; you will just have to find what combination suits your tastes.
Start off with onions, celery and carrots. You dont need new, whole vegetables here. You can use the onion peelings you have on hand and celery tops and stalks that are too tough to chew. Dont put in any carrot tops or potato peelings. Any other vegetables you have on hand can go in the pot. Some tomatoes would be good.
Season the vegetable stock with black peppercorns and garlic. If you have herbs such as basil or rosemary, put some of them in.
Boil as for the other stocks and strain. There wont be any fat on this stock. A glass of cold vegetable stock would make a good summer refresher. V8 style.
None of the above recipes calls for any salt. You add the salt to your taste when you use the stock. Otherwise you will end up with a dish that is too salty.
For a good sauce for roast beef, measure out one and one-half cups of beef stock into a saucepan. In a small mixing bowl, measure one-half cup of stock and add a heaping tablespoon of corn starch and mix well. Bring the saucepan up to a boil and quickly stir in the stock/corn starch mixture, stirring all the while. This will thicken the sauce. Add about a teaspoon of catsup or tomato paste and salt to your taste. Serve hot over the roast beef and mashed potatoes.
Texas Brown Gravy
Texas brown gravy is made by first making a roux of equal parts shortening and flour in large, heavy skillet. Start with about two heaping tablespoons of each. Stir and mix it until it turns a dark brown, but is not scorched. Add beef stock, and stir. If it is too thick, just add more stock. For best results, make the brown gravy in the same skillet you just country fried your steak in using the leftover shortening and leaving the “crispies” in the skillet. Season with salt and black pepper.
Butter Bean Soup
My favorite recipe using poultry stock is Butter Bean Soup. Remove any stones and debris from one pound of large dried butter beans. Cover them with cool water and let them soak overnight. When you are ready to cook them, drain off the water and cover them with poultry stock. Bring them to a boil, and then reduce the heat to get a slow simmer. When the beans begin to get tender, after an hour or so, add two cups of diced potatoes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, fresh ground. Cook until potatoes are tender.
So there we have it, stocks that always holds their value no matter what Wall Street says.
More Articles On Making Good Stocks & Gravy:
* Great Gulf Red Snapper
* The Art Of Making Gravy
END OF ARTICLE
URL for this article: http://www.texascooking.com/features/aug2001makingstock.htm
From Texas Cooking Online
http://www.texascooking.com - Printed on 04/08/08
Gravy boat snapshot
Taking Stock
by John Raven, Ph. B.
Often we find recipes calling for “stock”. In this case, stock means the broth of meat, poultry or fish, and is used in making sauces or gravies.
You can get stock in a can or process it from the little bouillon cubes or granules. In either case you get too much salt and little flavor.
Its easy enough to make homemade stock. All it takes is a big pot and some time. Really a good thing to do on cool fall days.
Beef Stock
Beef stock is first on our list. You will need four or five pounds of beef bones with a little meat on them. If you de-bone beef at home, you can save the bones in the freezer until you have enough for making stock. Otherwise you can get them from your butcher in the form of soup bones. Tell your butcher what you want, and hell fix you up at small cost.
The bones go in a large roasting pan, and then into a 350-degree oven where they will bake until they are crispy brown. You may need to rearrange them once or twice to get an even browning. When you decide the bones are ready, put them in a large stock pot and cover with cool water. Scrape the roasting pan real good and add all the scrapings to the pot. To the pot add one large onion, chopped, one or two stalks of celery. chopped, and two or three carrots, chopped. Also, two or three dozen black peppercorns and a couple of cloves of garlic, chopped.
Bring all this to a boil and then cut the heat back to get a very gentle boil. Nothing less than one hour will do. Three or four hours or longer is preferred. If the pot starts going dry, add some boiling water.
When you decide your stock has boiled long enough, remove it from the heat and let it cool to working temperature. Strain it through a rather fine sieve into another clean pot. Put the strained stock back on the stove and slow cook it until it is reduced by about one-half. This concentrates the flavors. Cool again. Put the stock in a suitable container and refrigerate it overnight. Next morning you will find the fat congealed on top. You can then remove all or as much of the fat as you like without much effort.
This stock is used in soups, stews or sauces for your beef dishes. It can be frozen and will keep in the freezer for quite some time (a month or longer).
Poultry Stock
Making poultry stock is a little different from making beef stock. You can use the trimmings from chicken or turkey, i.e. wing tips, neck, giblets and any skin or fat you trim off. You can also use bones from the cooked poultry. You dont bake the poultry bones. They just go in the pot for boiling. For seasoning use, chopped onion and chopped celery in equal portions, and several chopped carrots. Black peppercorns and a little thyme or sage give a real poultry flavor. No garlic in poultry stock.
As with the beef stock, strain and reduce the poultry stock. Cool and refrigerate it so the fat can be removed. This stock goes with any of your poultry recipes calling for stock. Also, with a little salt added, and the stock warmed, it makes a great pick me up on cold evenings. This is also the basis for the chicken soup that cures the common cold.
Fish Stock
Fish or seafood stock is not a staple in Texas. We all believe that God intended fish to be fried. Anyway, if you are a seafood lover you will have the ingredients for fish stock on hand at some time.
Use the head and bones from your fish, the shells and heads from the shrimp or crayfish or crabs. They all go in the stock pot along with onion, celery and carrot. Boil, strain and reduce as for the other stocks. I dont think you will have to remove much, if any, fat from this stock. You now have a good, flavorful stock for your seafood gumbo or whatever other recipe that calls for fish stock.
Vegetable Stock
Vegetable stock is a tasty addition to any recipe calling for stock. As the name implies, its made from vegetables. There is no specific recipe; you will just have to find what combination suits your tastes.
Start off with onions, celery and carrots. You dont need new, whole vegetables here. You can use the onion peelings you have on hand and celery tops and stalks that are too tough to chew. Dont put in any carrot tops or potato peelings. Any other vegetables you have on hand can go in the pot. Some tomatoes would be good.
Season the vegetable stock with black peppercorns and garlic. If you have herbs such as basil or rosemary, put some of them in.
Boil as for the other stocks and strain. There wont be any fat on this stock. A glass of cold vegetable stock would make a good summer refresher. V8 style.
None of the above recipes calls for any salt. You add the salt to your taste when you use the stock. Otherwise you will end up with a dish that is too salty.
For a good sauce for roast beef, measure out one and one-half cups of beef stock into a saucepan. In a small mixing bowl, measure one-half cup of stock and add a heaping tablespoon of corn starch and mix well. Bring the saucepan up to a boil and quickly stir in the stock/corn starch mixture, stirring all the while. This will thicken the sauce. Add about a teaspoon of catsup or tomato paste and salt to your taste. Serve hot over the roast beef and mashed potatoes.
Texas Brown Gravy
Texas brown gravy is made by first making a roux of equal parts shortening and flour in large, heavy skillet. Start with about two heaping tablespoons of each. Stir and mix it until it turns a dark brown, but is not scorched. Add beef stock, and stir. If it is too thick, just add more stock. For best results, make the brown gravy in the same skillet you just country fried your steak in using the leftover shortening and leaving the “crispies” in the skillet. Season with salt and black pepper.
Butter Bean Soup
My favorite recipe using poultry stock is Butter Bean Soup. Remove any stones and debris from one pound of large dried butter beans. Cover them with cool water and let them soak overnight. When you are ready to cook them, drain off the water and cover them with poultry stock. Bring them to a boil, and then reduce the heat to get a slow simmer. When the beans begin to get tender, after an hour or so, add two cups of diced potatoes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, fresh ground. Cook until potatoes are tender.
So there we have it, stocks that always holds their value no matter what Wall Street says.
More Articles On Making Good Stocks & Gravy:
* Great Gulf Red Snapper
* The Art Of Making Gravy
END OF ARTICLE
URL for this article: http://www.texascooking.com/features/aug2001makingstock.htm
From Texas Cooking Online
http://www.texascooking.com - Printed on 04/08/08
Spinach
A Mess of Greens
by John Raven, Ph.B.
When you speak of greens in Texas, you always refer to “a mess of greens”. Theres no such thing as a serving, or a portion. Its always a “mess”. Be it enough for one person or a whole pickup truck bed full, its a mess.
Greens are most anything eatable that is in leaf form and not a grass. We have collard greens, turnip greens, beet greens, Swiss chard, pig weed, dandelion and poke salat greens.
Greens can be eaten raw in a green salad or cooked is several ways. The young, tender leaves and stems are best for eating raw, the more elderly leaves benefit from cooking.
Spinach
Theres a big statue of Popeye the Sailorman in Crystal City, Texas that honors our seagoing friend and his favorite green. As I remember, Popeye gained super hero strength from ingesting the leaves of spinach. He preferred canned spinach as the situations he found himself in demanded immediate action. There was not time to cook up a mess of greens. Popeye also liked Olive Oyl with his spinach. (Miss Oyl was his girlfriend and later, wife).
As with the rest of our greens, spinach is a cool-weather crop. It grows best in early spring or late fall. With modern transportation, it is available year round nearly everywhere. In selecting your spinach (the same applies to all greens) look for a good color on the leaves. Avoid those with yellowing or obvious insect damage. The leaves should be crisp and not limp.
In recent times “baby spinach” is getting a lot of attention. Its the immature leaves of the spinach plant. They dont resemble the mature leaves in that they lack the crinkled effect of the older leaves. They are smooth and nearly round. Baby spinach shines best in a green salad.
Collards
Collard greens are a member of the non-heading cabbage family. That is, they dont form a head. Actually collards are a cross between cabbage and kale, the oldest cultivated member of the family.
Kale
Kale is the grand daddy of all greens. Records of it being on the menu date back some 2000 years. Kale is also non-heading. Kale is dark green with tinges of purple and deep blue along the lower part of the leaves. This color trait has been developed into ornamental kale, which can be lavender. You see a lot of it in pots used for decoration.
Chard (Swiss chard)
Chard is a member of the beet family. It has dark green leaves and a sturdy stem. There is a variety with reddish stems that is known as Rhubarb chard. In either case, the stems are a bit chewy for salads but can be cooked like asparagus. Whether you cook the chard or use it in a salad, its a good idea to remove most of the stems. You can cook them on the side.
Turnip greens
Turnip greens come loose or attached to the turnip root they bear. The more mature leaves like the chard have rather tough stems. Best to discard them. If you choose to cook your turnip greens with the turnips, you want to detach the turnips and peel them. They should be cooked separately as their cooking time is longer. When they are tender you can add them to the greens.
Other greens
There is a large selection of greens not usually found on the modern menu. The pioneers ate nearly anything that didnt eat them first so they experimented with a lot of different greens.
Poke salat is the pokeweed. Its the one pioneer green that has held its own in lore and legend through the years. From Texas through the Southeastern United States there are cults of poke salat eaters. The pokeweed grows wild along streams. The young leaves are harvested and mostly eaten cooked. The raw leaves are bitter as all get-out. Lore says poke salat has to be boiled three times to remove the poison. I suspect it has more to do with getting out the bitter taste than detoxing it. Anyway, you boil the greens, throw out the water, add fresh water and boil them again and then repeat the process.
Poke salat is so popular that several companies put out a canned version. Serving directions on the can say to scramble up four eggs, add a can of well-drained poke salat and mix.
The dandelion, that obnoxious little weed that is forever popping up in our manicured lawns, is a big menu item with the Mother Earth folks. The dandelion is the most nutritious garden vegetable. It contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and D. All parts of the dandelion are eatable. The stems and leaves are a mite bitter, but double boiling should remedy that. The flowers are a colorful and tasty treat. The tuber root can be used like water chestnuts. So, dont put Round Up on your dandelions, harvest them and serve them to the family.
There are many other greens that are eatable, such as Pig Weed or Wild Amaranth, but we just dont think they are used enough to get space here. Onward, to the table.
Cooked greens
All your popular greens are cooked in the same fashion. You can either boil them covered with water, as was preferred by the pioneers, or sauté them as the modern chefs prefer.
Plain boiled greens
Wash the greens well. Remove any tough stems. Put them in a large pot with three or four inches of water in it. Add several slices of bacon or some salt pork, and salt and pepper. Simmer them until they are quite tender. This gives you a lot of pot liquor for sopping with your cornbread.
Sautéed greens
Again, the big pot. A bushel of fresh greens will cook down to about a quart of the finished product. Dice a slab of salt pork about the size of a deck of playing cards. Cook the salt pork in the pot until it is crisp. Rinse the greens and shake off most of the water. Add them to the pot and stir. When they start to steam, cover the pot and simmer until tender as you like them, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from scorching.
Most of the folks who eat a lot of greens insist on having pepper sauce to go with them. This is usually in the form of a little bottle of chile petins or Tabasco peppers in vinegar. This stuff can be HOT! So watch it if its offered to you.
Creamed greens (my favorite for turnips with greens)
Cook the turnips and greens until tender, drain, reserving some of the pot liquor. In a heavy skillet heat two tablespoons of bacon grease or butter and mix in two tablespoons of flour. Stir and let brown slightly. Add about a cup of heavy cream or milk. When it begins to thicken, add enough of the pot liquor to get the consistency you desire. Season with salt and lots of fresh ground black pepper Add the cooked greens and turnips and mix well.
Green salads
All the greens except poke salat go well in any green salad. Just make sure you get the young, tender greens. Salads with a majority of this type greens like to have bacon bits and hard-boiled egg included.
There you have it. Eat your greens. They are good for you. They are low in calories, high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. And be sure and wear a sprig of your favorite green behind your ear for St. Patricks Day. An old custom I just made up.
END OF ARTICLE
URL for this article: http://www.texascooking.com/features/mar2004spinachcollard.htm
****trail of breadcrumbs****
http://www.justslowcooking.com/slo-0011500.html
Savory Salsa-Corn Cake
2 packages corn muffin mix - (8 oz ea)
1 can creamed corn - (15 oz)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can chopped green chiles - (4 oz) — undrained
2 tablespoons soft margarine
3 tablespoons chunky salsa - (to 4 tbsp)
In a medium bowl, combine creamed corn, eggs, sour cream, chiles, and margarine. Whisk together until well combined. Add corn muffin mix, stirring well to combine.
Generously grease a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker with margarine or butter. Pour batter into the slow cooker. Spoon salsa over the top and cut into the batter. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 1/2 hours.
Turn heat off and let cool with lid ajar, for about 15 minutes. Loosen sides with a knife and invert onto a large plate. If a little of the top sticks to the bottom of the pot, dollop a little salsa on the top, or decorate with sour cream and chopped green onion. Delicious side dish!
This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.
Upside Down Chocolate Pudding Cake
1 cup Bisquick
1 cup sugar
1/3 c. and 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 2/3 c. hot tap water
Mix Bisquick, 1/2 c. sugar, 3 T. unsweetened cocoa, milk and vanilla. Spoon batter evenly into greased slow cooker. Mix remaining sugar, cocoa, and hot tap water. Pour over batter in slow cooker. Cook on High 2-21/2 hours or until batter no longer looks shiny on top. DO NOT OVERCOOK!
Self Frosting Fudge Cake
2 1/4 cups chocolate fudge pudding cake mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup walnut halves
3 Tbs oil
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
1/4 cup warm water
3 Tbs sugar
Combine cake mix, 3/4 cup water, oil and eggs. Beat 2 minutes. Pour into greased cake bake pan. sprinkle walnut halves over batter. Blend together choc. syrup, 1/4 cup water and sugar. Spoon syrup mixture evenly over batter. Cover, bake in covered c/p on high 2 hours.
Dried Fruit and Zucchini Cake
1/2 c Butter; melted SEE NOTE:
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c Firm packed brown sugar
1 tb Vanilla
4 ts Ground cinnamon
1 ts Ground nutmeg
2 c All-purpose flour
1 1/2 ts Baking soda
1/4 ts Baking powder
1/4 ts Salt
1 1/2 c Shredded zucchini; packed
1 1/2 c Coarsely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 c Chopped dried apricots
1 c Raisins
1/4 c Brandy (optional)
NOTE: Use real butter or stick margarine. DO NOT substitute reduced-fat spreads; their higher water content often yields results that are less than satisfactory.
In a large bowl, beat together butter, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until well-blended. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until mixed. Add zucchini, walnuts, apricots and raisins and blend well. Scrape batter into a buttered 3-1/2 quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high heat setting 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove lid. Carefully, using potholders or mitts, remove ceramic liner from slow cooker and place on a rack.
Sprinkle brandy over top and around edges of warm cake. Let stand until almost cool.
To unmold, run a sharp knife around inside edges of cooker and with a large spatula, lift out cake in one piece. Let cool completely.
To store, wrap cake well in plastic wrap and in foil. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
Makes about 12 servings
Just Slow Cooking is located at www.justslowcooking.com
Beer Cake
2/3 c Butter
1 1/2 c Brown sugar
3 Eggs
2 1/2 c Flour
1 1/2 ts Baking powder
1/4 ts Baking soda
1 ts Cinnamon
1/4 ts Nutmeg
1 1/2 c Beer
1 c Chopped walnuts
1 c Raisins
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time mix well. Add flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg to creamy mixture alternately with beer. Stir in walnuts and raisins. Pour mixture into well buttered and floured cake pan that will fit into slow cooker. Cover tin with four or five paper towels. Put into pot. Put lid on slow cooker loosely to allow steam to escape. Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours or until cake is done. Remove pan from pot and allow cake to cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan.
Just Slow Cooking is located at www.justslowcooking.com
Spiced Pumpkin Cake
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 egg
18 oz. ready-to-use pumpkin pie filling
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup raisins
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup nuts, optional
Cream softened butter or margarine. Gradually add sugar and beat until light. Beat in egg. Add flour, salt, soda and spices alternately with pie filling, mixing until smooth. Stir in raisins and chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans), if using; spoon into 2 well-greased coffee cans or 2-quart mold. Set in cooker and cover with 6 paper towels. Cover cooker and cook with lid slightly ajar, on high for 3 hours, or until done. Let stand in cans on cake rack about 10 minutes, then turn out and turn right-side-up to cool.
Just Slow Cooking is located at www.justslowcooking.com
Old Fashioned Pumpkin Cake
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
In a large bowl, mix together the oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and water. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Blend well. Stir in the pecans. Turn into a buttered 2 1/2-quart round soufflé dish. Carefully place the soufflé dish in a 5-quart electric slow cooker.
Cover and cook on the high heat setting about 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 hours, or until a cake tester inserted in center of the cake comes out clean. (Do not attempt to cook on the low heat setting for a longer time. )
Remove the lid and turn the cooker off. Leave the cake in the cooker until the dish is cool enough to handle. Remove from the cooker. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.
Just Slow Cooking is located at www.justslowcooking.com
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