Posted on 04/14/2016 3:24:45 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
Long before we had 'The Pioneer Woman', we had a Pioneer Lady: Jane Watson Hopping, who published many cookbooks featuring old-fashioned recipes and reminiscences of country life.
Last weekend, while Liz was posting those beautiful, fresh, Spring-like salads, we were having weather that was very bitter for April - biting winds, low temps, and even some snow. At the thrift store I found Hopping's book, 'The Pioneer Lady's Hearty Winter Cookbook', and it seemed perfect for the strange April day that we were experiencing.
The book is full of recipes; but remarkable for how the recipes are framed by old family photos and memories, tales of country life in a long-gone era, poetry, and reproductions of pretty vintage drawings. It's a book to be quiet with, curled up by a fire; and reminds me somewhat of Gladys Taber's many books and articles from Stillmeadow Farm (q.v.).
(The cover of the book is a detail from Grant Wood's 1934 painting 'Dinner for Threshers' - which is probably what first attracted me, as he is one of my favorite 20th Century American painters :-) - and many of Hopping's books appear to be still available through Amazon:)
http://www.amazon.com/Jane-Watson-Hopping/e/B001HMMP7G
One of the recipes is described as a 'late harvest' dish; but looks good for us now all the year around:
Ida Louise's Late Harvest Jeweled Slaw
6 Cups shredded White Cabbage
1/2 yellow Bell Pepper, cut into slivers
1/2 Cup red Bell Pepper, cut into slivers
1 Cup Pineapple Tidbits, drained
2 T. Chopped Chives or Sweet Onion
1/2 tsp. Salt
Dash of freshly-ground Pepper
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1 T. Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dry Mustard
1/4 tsp. Paprika
In a medium to large salad bowl, combine cabbage, red and yellow peppers, pineapple and chives. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
In a smaller bowl, mix together remaining ingredients. Toss the dressing lightly with the vegetables, and chill at least an hour before serving. _________________________________________________________
I promised to try a hummus recipe this week, and I was intrigued by Califreak's post about “Authentic Syrian Kicked Up Hummus”, because the garlic was roasted first, which is very different from every recipe I've used before; and that's the one I tried this week.
I was all geared-up to pick the skins off of those chickpeas, but the brand I used was 'Iberia': much smaller chickpeas and with very little skin, so I didn't bother with that 'peeling' business, this time.
The recipe used a bit more Tahini than I was used to using; and I wondered if that would create the silkiness of my remembered 'Excellent K Street Hummus'.
As it turned out, this is a really good recipe for what I recall as 'Sandwich' hummus - mine came out thick, not silky; might have used a little more salt; and depending on your chickpeas, you might want to add a little more lemon juice, or a little water, to make it better for dipping. Roasting the garlic gives it a more mellow hint of garlic, far less sharp than recipes calling for raw garlic. But overall, an excellent recipe for hummus!
After chilling, we drizzled a little olive oil on top, sprinkled paprika, and spread it on Naan that we found in the grocery. I couldn't find the frozen brand that Miss Marmelstein recommends, but will keep looking (and Miss M. was absolutely right about packaged Naan from supermarket bread shelves - it's gummy, and has an odd flavor.)
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/126786/authentic-kicked-up-syrian-hummus/
-JT
Very nice Liz. We are having a block party and I think this will be a great appetizer.
Hot tea in a charming pot, butter curls, and warm scones, spread w/ strawberry jam and
Devonshire cream. Brits enjoy their tea w/ a spot of cream. (High tea is something else, again).
Very easy.......and can be done day ahead.
That’s what started my weight problem! My husband and I used to order up tea every year we went to London. The results are not pretty and we’re still trying to fight off the fat!!!
Thanks a lot, Liz, lol!
If you go to a chic hotel or even Richoux of London, you’ll be rewarded with the most wonderful food. English food at its finest. Try the Worsley.
High Tea at the Worsley w/ champagne....oh my.
I just now found out about Ranch Flavored Sunflower Seeds. Yeah, we’re behind the times here. Anyway, I did a search to see if there were recipes online before having to experiment. Sure enough, here’s some notes and ideas:
spiced sunflower seeds. combining 3 T brown sugar, 1 T chili powder, 1 t ground cumin, 1/2 t cinnamon, pinch of ground cloves, 1/2 t cayenne pepper, 3/4 t salt and 3/4 t dried chili flakes. First toss the hulled sunflower seeds in one beaten egg white (this will help the spices to stick to the seeds) then add the spices and toss to coat. Roast at 350 for 8-10 mins
ranch flavored sunflower seeds. mix 3 T melted butter with 1 1/2 T dry Ranch dressing mix. Toss in 2 C in-shell sunflower seeds to coat, then roast at 350 for 8-10 mins.
lime toasted sunflower seeds. make an excellent addition to salads, noodle dishes and soups. Just toss the hulled sunflower seeds in a mix of 2 T lime juice, 2 T soy sauce, 1 t agave syrup, 1/2 t hot chili powder, 1/2 t paprika powder and 1/2 t canola or olive oil. Roast as normal.
honey roasted sunflower seeds. melt 3 T honey in a small saucepan over a low heat. Add 1 1/2 t sunflower oil and 1/2 t salt. Toss in hulled sunflower seeds to coat and roast as normal.
salt and vinegar sunflower seeds. toss hulled sunflower seeds in 1 Tapple cider vinegar and 1 t salt and roast as normal.
sweet cinnamon sunflower seeds. toss sunflower seeds in 1/4 t cinnamon, 1/4 t coconut oil and 1/4 t artificial sweetener
Maybe sprinkle on popcorn seasoning.
Also, Cajun or Old Bay seasoning.
Chex Mix seasoning?
Ramen Noodle spice packet.
Any salad dressing mix.
Onion soup mix or bullion or chicken stock seasoning.
Really nice post! My husband loves rabbit - his family raised them when he was growing up - and would love to have fresh bay leaves.
My favorite Ogden Nash:
To My Valentine
More than a catbird hates a cat,
Or a criminal hates a clue,
Or the Axis hates the United States,
That’s how much I love you.
I love you more than a duck can swim,
And more than a grapefruit squirts,
I love you more than a gin rummy is a bore,
And more than a toothache hurts.
As a shipwrecked sailor hates the sea,
Or a juggler hates a shove,
As a hostess detests unexpected guests,
That’s how much you I love.
I love you more than a wasp can sting,
And more than the subway jerks,
I love you as much as a beggar needs a crutch,
And more than a hangnail irks.
I swear to you by the stars above,
And below, if such there be,
As the High Court loathes perjurious oathes,
That’s how you’re loved by me.
-JT
That is so wonderful. I’m trying to learn crewel now; I have a pattern I’ve saved for over a decade, and hopefully I’ll learn enough to work it.
-JT
Great for tea: Lucille Wright, famous Savannah caterer, made these tomato sandwiches that were featured in the book and film of ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’; I think the secrets were patting the tomatoes very dry, and the VERY finely minced touch of sweet onion:
http://mercadoslifelessons.blogspot.com/2013/08/miss-luciles-tomato-sandwich.html
http://savannahnow.com/stories/051800/LOCpolly.shtml#.VxF3N3ry_m4
(There’s some confusion as to how she spelled her first name; in Berendt’s book, it’s with two ‘l’s)
-JT
I’ve done it. Great restaurant.
Mmmmm....those tomato sandwiches would be good at tea.
Her directions are so specific——even to spreading the bread....fridging it overnight.....then assembling the next day.
I love tomato sandwiches. Since kid-dom, my favorite summer meal is a tomato sandwich on white bread toast, with mayo, salt and pepper. Nothing else.
(A note about Lucile Wright’s name: she appears to have spelled it, herself, with only one ‘l’. But a search on that will bring up first hits on the aviatrix, not our caterer. Probably best to search either way, and include ‘Savannah’ and ‘recipes’.)
-JT
That’s a very interesting recipe! I had never heard of ‘frizelle’ before.
(I followed your links, and saw that frizelle stored well for sailors. My husband is a fan of the Horatio Hornblower books, and is always, wickedly, telling me about ‘tapping the weevils out of hardtack’ :-)
-JT
LOL!
On your suggestion, I looked up ‘thermospodium’. In Google Images, I saw something that looked like a modern day prepper’s ‘rocket stove’.
And then I found this:
COOKERY AND DINING IN IMPERIAL ROME, by Apicius:
https://archive.org/stream/cookeryanddining29728gut/29728.txt
Anyone who has the time will find this a very witty read - though perhaps not very useful for modern cookery. And: The Romans seemed to be into ‘fast food’.
The Hildesheim Roman Treasure, referenced in the book about Apicius, is beautiful:
-JT
Raising a bay tree (Laurus nobilis) is very simple. Unless you leave in a warm climate you will need to keep it inside in the winter.
They don't grow very fast but you will have more bay then you will know what to do with.
I live in Maryland, and could keep it as a container plant outside for about six months during Spring and Summer. What would I do with it during Winter? We don’t have very sunny windows, in Winter.
Thanks,
JT
“For the price of two bottles of bay leaf you can get a live tree.”
I just did this myself two weeks ago, although it was more than the price of two bottles of leaves. But I’ll recoup the cost soon enough.
I’ve got bay, basil and thyme growing. Now I need to find a Piper Nigrum vine.
I am blessed with a nice bay window (no pun intended!)
Never thought of growing that. I have grown my own ginger.
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