[Jamestown1630]

Just a quick post tonight, as we hunker down for a storm that we hope will NOT be ‘historic’, against all prevailing predictions (one model suggest an incredible amount of snow).

I hope that everyone in our little area of the Mid-Atlantic stays warm and safe over the next few days.

(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.)

-JT

[miss marmelstein]

That’s how I grew up eating French toast - we made it with butter, cinnamon and powdered sugar. I made it this morning using Texas Toast and maple syrup. Texas Toast is no substitute for Challah.

[Trillian]

That sounds really good, I’m surprised I’ve never tried it.
I’m a big fan of eggplant.

[umgud]

So now you have electric heat and cooking. So what do you do if the power goes out?

[Trillian]

I’m making these either tonight or tomorrow. They look so good:

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup (74g) unsalted butter, softened
4 Tbsp (60ml) vegetable oil, divided
1 1/4 cups (265g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup (175ml) milk
1/2 cup (122g) sour cream
1 1/4 cups (220g) mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter, 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in remaining 3 Tbsp vegetable oil. Blend in eggs one at a time adding in vanilla with second egg. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup measure out milk then add sour cream and whisk to blend.
Remove mixing bowl from stand mixer and add 1/3 of the flour mixture and fold until nearly combined, then add 1/2 of the milk mixture and fold until nearly combined, repeat process once more with flour and milk mixture. Add in last 1/3 of the flour mixture and fold until nearly combined then add in chocolate chips (you can set aside about 2 tbsp to sprinkle over the tops before baking so more show through if desired) and fold until just combined. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups filling each slightly mounded full. Bake in preheated oven 8 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue to bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 - 11 minutes longer (they should be nicely domed and edges of cupcakes will likely just be slightly touching). Transfer muffins to a wire rack and let cool (I highly recommend trying at least one while still warm!). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2016/01/bakery-style-chocolate-chip-muffins/

[cloudmountain]

Baba Ghanoush....

Gesundheit!!

.

.

Good stuff especially with the flatbread. Haven't had that in 30+ years. Enjoy.

[This I Wonder32460]

Boston Butt? I’ve never heard that term and my family has lived in the Boston area for generations. I looked it up and it sounds like what my parents and grandparents always called a smoked shoulder which they used to make a New England boiled dinner - smoked shoulder, potatoes, carrots & cabbage.

Your eggplant dip sounds good. I printed that out to try sometime. Hope all is well with you during and after the storm.

[bgill]

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

High five. Was thinking of y'all today so stocked up a dozen more cans of soup. Whenever there's bad weather, be it a freeze or tornadoes, it's wise to get the house cleaning done and food cooked because you never know if or for how long the power will be out. Get the bathrooms clean, don't put off your shower until the morning, wash the dishes, do the laundry (including all sheets and blankets) and fill water jugs just in case. Make sure the pets are taken care of. Charge your electronics and toothbrush. Make sure flashlights and radios have fresh batteries. Top off the gas in your vehicles and have some extra. Bake up some cookies, bread or a cake since those don't have to be heated or refrigerated. Cook that pot roast. Most canned goods taste fine straight from the can but make sure you have a manual can opener.

[Twinkie]

For years, I cooked EVERY day. Now, I heat TV dinners in
the microwave & boil up a pot of ramen noodles pretty
often. I *can* cook; but I am tired.

[Maudeen]

About your cold. . .stock up on some Gaia Elderberry Syrup, silver biotics, silver biotics asap gel (put a little in the nose), and the silver biotics lozenges. Works for me and members of my family. Stay warm!

[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.

[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

[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.

[V K Lee]

A few weeks ahead of myself, but thinking of Super Bowl snacks - not that I really care about the super bowl game this year ;-/ (our team was awful)
Anyway, back to food product We’ve eaten this for many years when snacks are appreciated. They are easy to make, can be made and baked then frozen in zip lock bags and reheated when you see fit.

SAUSAGE BALLS
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/sausage-balls-recipe.html

DRIED BEEF AND CREAM CHEESE BALL
Another favorite is the Dried Beef and Cream cheese Ball - basically use this recipe w/o the MSG and onion salt, (but do use onion powder. The ball is then rolled in finely chopped pecans. Served with regular Ritz crackers. And, yes, it is so good there are times when making it actually save a bit before the ball and eat a few bites with a spoon (tisk tisk)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/17132/dried-beef-cheese-ball/

Dried Beef is at times hard to find on store shelves. Usually with canned meat products; a glass pop top jar - medium size drinking glass a bit more slender, a HORMEL product