Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

My husband caught a nasty cold last weekend, and promptly shared it with me. We came out of the haze just in time to hear from the NWS that our little area of the US is in the bull's eye for an official - and very rare - blizzard this weekend. We've been preparing, as we're largely concerned about a power outage.

I remember a few pretty bad snowstorms when I was growing up, but a power outage was never a real problem: we lived in one of those old buildings with radiators, whose hot water/steam was powered by burning coal; and with a gas cook-stove that could be lit with a match. I remember playing out in the snow for hours, the cold never bothering; and then seeing our mittens, hats, socks drying for awhile on a radiator or even on the open door of the stove while we ate lunch; before we were out in the snow and playing again.

Breakfast on days like this was, for some reason, always Cinnamon Toast and Tea. (I've never understood why, as kids, we were only allowed hot tea on snow days or when we were sick, even though we drank iced sweet-tea all Summer; but I guess hot tea was some kind of tradition or old-folks' notion of 'healthy'. )

Great slatherings of butter are KEY to good Cinnamon Toast. Spread a lot of butter on white sandwich bread, and make sure a few areas of the bread have thicker bits of butter than others. Top the butter with dark brown sugar, and then sprinkle all over with a generous dusting of powdered cinnamon.

Put this in the oven until the crusts of the bread are crisp, and everything is sort of melted, with the cinnamon looking a little shiny and like a glaze on top.

(The joy of eating this is when you hit one of those butter-soggy areas where the butter was thicker :-)

Kids tend to love this and gobble it up. In a pinch, you can make it with white sugar instead of dark-brown; but my brother and I recall the 'white sugar' days as offering very mediocre Cinnamon Toast!

Now, I live with all-electric heat, cooking, hot water. So we've stocked up on sterno, and foods and drinks that we can heat on a little camp stove or steam tray. We'll be doing a Boston Butt in the crockpot and roasting a chicken during the hours before the storm, so that we have something that is good enough cold or lightly warmed, if it comes to that over the next few days.

I am also roasting some eggplant, for a recipe that was, when I found it decades ago, labeled 'Eggplant Caviar'; but which I learned later is actually a version of a well-known Middle Eastern spread/dip called

Baba Ghanoush

2 small Eggplant

4 T. fresh Lemon Juice

4 T Olive Oil

1 large clove Garlic

1 seeded and chopped Tomato

1/4 tsp. Paprika

1/2 tsp. Cayenne

1 finely minced Scallion (Spring Onion)

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

Pierce Eggplant in several places and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until very soft. Split open and remove pulp.

Place pulp in blender with all other ingredients except Scallions and Tomatoes. Blend until smooth; add remaining ingredients and adjust seasonings.

Serve as an appetizer or snack with chunks of bread, fresh vegetable crudites, or crackers/chips.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

Lucky You!

I did try to make Challah once; the braid came out beautifully; the taste...not so much ;-)

Will have to try again.

Stay warm and safe.

-JT

[Marcella]

I hope you are okay during this storm. I will be watching its progress. Today I heard parts will have an ice storm and I know people are going to get hurt or worse if they leave their house and get on the roads. Be safe and stay home.
Marcella

[Yaelle]

I too wish that everyone in the blizzard’s path stays warm and safe.

I love your description of cinnamon toast. I have no idea why, but my mom only made it when we were sick, also. Made well, it’s like the toast equivalent of creme brulee with that crackling thin caramel of the cinnamon sugar on top. I’ve only made it a handful of times for my own children, and, yes, it was when they were sick: not out of a rule, just because that is when I think of it.

It reminds me of one of the well known American cooks, wondering why she always cut a piece of raw roast off the roast beef before cooking. So she asked her mom. Mom said, “I don’t know. Grandma always did it that way and so I always have too.” Grandma was still around, so they asked her. She burst out laughing and said, “That was because my pan was so small! It wouldn’t fit!”

I roasted a chicken tonight and at the bottom of the pan I put potatoes and sweet potatoes cut in big chunks, as well as onions and some garlic cloves still in their paper skins but with their tips nicked off. So good to get one on HR plate later and suck the melted garlic out of the skin.

I love cooking and eating; if I’m not already on your ping list, please add me.

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve added you to the list; and Yaelle, you are exactly correct! Everything we eat, comes down to Tradition. It’s all stuff passed-down to us from the old folks - and not just the food, but the habits and the stories, and all the other connected ‘parts’ that go with it.

It is a HERITAGE, one that we may often add to, build upon, etc. - but the past is always the Foundation, with everything added just grafted upon the old bones.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

Thank you, Marcella. We’re preparing for the worst, but expecting, with Faith, the best.

We don’t have to go anywhere, but have taken care to warn everyone we know that they may be about to experience something that hasn’t been seen in these parts. Sincerely hope that the extreme predictions are incorrect.

Best Always,
-JT

[Aliska]

Oh I hope and pray you will be able to shelter in place and not lose your power. Plenty of warm cocoa sounds great.

Speaking of cocoa, I'm waiting for my expensive red Dutch process cocoa to make Chef John's mix. I will not be making his Italian maraschino clafouti as the jars are $18.

Just finished using some milk before it turns, made 2 Jello flans. They are my comfort food, will have one for breakfast.

Tomorrow I have a shopping cart coming and hope that it will work to get my groceries up the steps, all the way thru the house to the kitchen. It has 3 wheels for the back ones, nifty. Lugged bags of groceries to my porch and on in, am nursing a cracked rib.

Now tomorrow I have to go back to the store to pick up things I forgot AND find time to make Phyllis Stokely's German Chocolate Pound Cake.

Got some taco seasoning from Amazon, so hope it is the same stuff my fav taco place uses. Picked up a bag of Maseca to make deep fried corn tortilla puffy tacos and other things if I ever get to it.

I hadn't been able to get out because it had been too cold to deal with car and groceries, was happy to pick up on sale some Angus bottom round, need some beef better than boullion, store was out of it. Did grab a can of consomme, soups on sale for $1, and looked up a recipe only to see I need two for au jus.

Also when I go back for the rest of things I need, I will pick up some boneless chicken breasts on sale so I can make your chicken and dumplings. I hope that isn't cheating and I should use the dark meat thighs? I found your recipe. Did you also give me one for chicken pot pie? I put the dumplings one under that. I may have to wait until I can get a good whole chicken. and use the breasts fried in panko crumbs . . .

Now it will be fun to see what the rest of you are up to.

[Aliska]

I roasted an eggplant last week, it had been in the fridge too long so had to cut spots out of it. So instead of like you are doing, the way the recipe said, I put in a nonstick square pan, pricked a couple places. It worked fine.

The stuff looked so slimy and gross. I wanted mine peeled so did that. Went on to make my eggplant hummus. The food processor ground everything, even the seeds. You really can't taste it in the hummus but it's so good for you.

[pugmama]

I always keep this in the freezer. Changes I made: 1) added 2 pkg frozen chopped fully drained spinach to the cottage cheese, 2) I used half cottage cheese and half ricotta,3) add a bit of grated nutmeg to the cottage cheese, 4) for the red sauce, I used bottled red sauce I get from Costco, but you can make your own, 5)By increasing all the items a bit, I was able to put together 3 pans.
I love the idea on not having to boil the lasagna noodles.I was quite skeptical of this until I tried it.

https://www.plantoeat.com/blog/2012/05/classic-lasagna-from-the-freezer/

[pugmama]

This is a great site. Have made the cassoulet-was a lot of work, but so worth it.

http://cooking.nytimes.com/68861692/922671-cooking-for-the-storm?em_pos=medium&emc=edit_ck_20160122&nl=cooking&nlid=69965010

[Twinkie]

Thanks. I had not even thought of that. I *had* tried
dropping a beaten egg into chicken broth before; but it
just clumped up and got tough. Maybe the noodles would
make the egg separate out at least. :o)

[kitchen]

Sorry for the delay but I wanted to get in the store and take a look. We have the Model #8254 rather than the one pictured. 7,200 BTU/hr burner, a variety of safety interlocks, etc., made in Korea by Athena International. It comes in a small briefcase that carries and stores conveniently.

I can't comment on other devices but our experience with this model consists of sending one to Mom in S. Florida. Over about 10 years it served to heat meals and make coffee for her and some neighbors during hurricane season if the power went out.

The butane fuel canisters, sold separately, require a Hazmat label that adds quite a bit to the shipping. You're better off visiting the big box home improvement stores to buy fuel. I'd also consider snagging a 12" slate tile as a buffer underneath the unit.

The butane canisters have a long history of use in a variety of applications. You can bet that fed.gov would be all over these things if there was any negative history. The biggest in-use concern would be adequate ventilation. In a small confined space the flame would be competing with you for the available oxygen. Crack a window open for a few minutes or open the door into the hallway.

[Jamestown1630]

Folks;

We have lost our friend Johnny (JRandomFreeper) today, after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

His friend Marcella has posted a beautiful eulogy. God Bless Johnny’s soul in Heaven:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3387331/posts

-JT

[Vietnam Vet From New Mexico]

We got a little snow here in Mississippi, not the 6 inches they were predicting. Wind chill of 12 degrees now, that is cold for these parts. We keep a weeks worth of bottled water and two weeks of MRE’s for emergencies. If the power goes out we have a gas wall furnace. We also have a fireplace. I haven't tried cooking on it, but we have cast iron skillets and dutch oven and it shouldn't be much different than cooking over a campfire. We also have sleeping bags and a down quilt.

Hope the storm isn't as bad as predictions and you all stay safe.

[Jamestown1630]

Hi, and thank you;

So far, it’s been like storms we get every year or so; we had about 5 inches when we went out to look, about two hours ago. But the worst is coming overnight and tomorrow - up to 40 - 50 MPH gusts, and snow falling a couple of inches per hour. Pepco is worried about the wind and falling tree limbs.

Luckily we’ve had time today to get all our preps in order (followed all of bgill’s advice in post 26 :-).

I was concerned about peoples’ roofs if we get all the snow that they predict we will; but the wind is starting to gust now, and most of the snow from today has blown off of the roofs, LOL.

I know there are people reading this who see storms like this routinely; but DC is just not used to it. So far, the local govts. seem to be doing a very good job, and people are being smart and staying off of the roads; but again, it hasn’t even really started yet.

My meteorology-nut husband went to bed disappointed, because he’ll probably miss any ‘thunder snow’ that we may get. I’ll just be glad to wake up tomorrow to power.

If I don’t check in, you’ll know what happened ;-)

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

Ping to the Cooking List:

We have lost Johnny (JRandomFreeper), a longtime and beloved contributor to FR and its cooking threads. Please see Marcella’s eulogy:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3387331/posts

(Apologies if you receive this twice; I did it incorrectly last night.)

-JT

[r_barton]

That portable gas burner and a French press coffee maker (you can get them made from stainless steel so it’s unbreakable) and in 4 minutes you have the best coffee.

stainless steel French press
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=+Stainless+Steel+French+press

[miss marmelstein]

Yes, I know. So sad. I sent a card to him not too long ago.

[miss marmelstein]

Love thunder snow! It must be bad out there: two snow plows got caught in the drift outside our house and had to be pulled out. Wind howling and several avalanches off the roof.

Made two pots of coffee, French toast with our challah from Zaro’s along with some crispy bacon. Watching the idiot mayor DeBlasio tell kiddies not to play in the snow.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

If you use a Weber kettle, use the indirect method to avoid burning. I use the little Weber gadgets to keep the coals on the sides of the kettle and not underneath the meat. We have done our Thanksgiving turkey that way for 30 years and it works every time.

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks very much, especially for the tip about shipping costs.

Coincidentally, my brother called yesterday (he’s about 25 miles NW of us, and getting the storm even worse)and he’d just bought a new one.

I’ll get one as soon as we can get out.

-JT