Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

Last week I got to thinking about Sloppy Joe sandwiches, which I hadn't had in ages but loved when I was a kid. We decided to try making it from scratch, and settled on Chef John's recipe. It came out really good - I think I might add some jalapeno next time - but it doesn't really taste like the Sloppy Joe made from the canned sauce. I'm not sure what to do to it, to make it more like the childhood favorite (except buy a can of sauce ;-) and I'm wondering if anyone else has made it. Here's is Chef John's recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/219635/chef-johns-sloppy-joes/

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I happened to be browsing archive.org for old cookbooks, and found Rufus Estes' cookbook 'Good Things to Eat, as Suggested by Rufus'. Estes, born a slave, was one of the first famous African American chefs, and the first to write and publish a cookbook. The recipes are sometimes kind of sketchy, as they are in all of these old cookbooks, but the instructions are adequate to figure out the dish. Cherry Season is coming on, and I was intrigued by his recipe for pickled cherries:

"CHERRY PICKLES

Stem, but do not pit, large ripe cherries. Put into a jar and cover with a sirup made from two cups of sugar, two cups of vinegar and a rounding teaspoon each of ground cloves and cinnamon cooked together five minutes.

Let stand two days, pour off the vinegar, reheat and pour over the cherries, then seal."

I searched for more modern recipes and was surprised that most are pretty much exactly as Rufus made them; but here is a recipe that pits the cherries, and adds lemon and star anise:

http://janesadventuresindinner.com/2014/09/celebratingtheharvest-pickled-cherries.html

You can read or download the Rufus Estes book at Archive.org (lots of great antique cookbooks there):

https://archive.org/details/goodthingstoeata00esterich

or purchase a newer edition hard copy at Amazon or Dover Publications:

http://www.amazon.com/Good-Things-Eat-Suggested-Rufus/dp/0965433315

http://store.doverpublications.com/0486437647.html

-JT

[kalee]

I’ll let you know how they are. I have not made sloppy joes in years, but saw this recipe and thought it sounded good. I have used root beer in a recipe for crock pot pork roast and we liked it. That sauce recipe is similar to this one for the sloppy joes.

[RoosterRedux]

I toss out their seasoning and add my own (2 cans of Rotel hot with lots of fresh cayenne pepper)

[reformedliberal]

Simple Sloppy Joes

Brown 1 pound hamburger. Remove from pan. Saute rough chopped onion in drippings until edges brown (amount onion is to taste). Remove onion. Drain pan; some drippings will remain. Mix sauteed onion and browned burger with 1/4 cup ketchup mixed with 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar. Let simmer while stirring until color changes from red to reddish brown and meat is uniformly small pieces (10 minutes). Cover, let stand; longer is better. Serve on toasted buns with bread and butter pickles, vinegar coleslaw and fries, if desired.

Vinegar slaw

Shred cabbage and carrots. Mix 1/4-1/3 cup white vinegar with sugar to taste (I use about 2 Tbs). Mix well, cover and let sit in fridge at least 20 minutes or until volume of cabbage and carrots has reduced and vegetables have released liquid into the vinegar/sugar dressing.

Very simple. Both can be prepared ahead or even the day before. No idea where the Joe recipe comes from, but it tastes like our childhood. The vinegar slaw is refreshing and reminiscent of Kosher deli slaw.

[Liz]

.....chocolate covered cherries......nothing is as good.....

[miss marmelstein]

Joy of Cooking is the greatest cookbook on the planet.

I have become a major producer of bread for my household. The old 70s Beard on Bread is the simplest and most elegant way to learn how to make a nice loaf for supper.

I make raisin bread once a week based on one of his recipes and get a high, rounded loaf that could come from a fine Manhattan bakery. (If any existed anymore.)

[miss marmelstein]

I’ve used it. I don’t see any appreciable difference between using vodka or water. So now I drink the vodka while making pie crust.

[kalee]

I have Beard on Bread and Beard on Pasta, both good books.

[IamConservative]

The Hurst packaging facility is literally in the parking lot of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. If you look on Google satellite, it is just South of the Stadium. The place had been there for decades and they more or less built around it when the stadium was built.

[miss marmelstein]

His books are very simple. Sort of the opposite of America Test Kitchen which I know is loved by some but makes me confused and crazy.

[Jamestown1630]

:-)

One thing I’ve found with pie crust is that it’s never the same when you use a food processor, as when you cut the fat in by hand with knives or a pastry blender. The processor just seems to make it tougher and less flaky.

-JT

[pugmama]

I love Ottolenghi’s recipes and his cookbooks.

I like this as you can make individual portions. I’ve used various fruits with this but prefer plums and cherries. Now and then, I make home made ice cream and it is such a nice combination.

http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/individual-plum-clafoutis-shop

[Liz]

Could not agree more......Test Kitchen directions are "too scientific."
They forget its supposed to be delicious food. I love this pie crust recipe
by Crisco---who should know how to make pie crust.

CRISCO CRUST Cut 1/2 c chilled Crisco into combined 1 1/3 c flour/1/2 tsp salt. Stir in 4 tb ice water til dough holds together. Test by squeezing---should hold firmly. If crumbly, add tb water at a time. Saran/chill 30 min (up to 48 hours). Roll dough center out on lightly floured surface--into circle 2" larger than pie plate. Set in pie plate. Trim edges, fold under then flute; dock bottom. Bake golden 425 deg (in lower third) 10-12 min. Remove, cool completely on counter.

FILLING beat 8 oz cr/cheese, 1/2 cup dulce de leche, 1/4 c conf. Set aside. In 2nd clean/COLD bowl, beat stiff 2 1/2 c h/cream, 1/4 c granular sugar. Hold 1/2 cup for garnish. To remainder, fold in/fully blend caramel cream cheese.

ASSEMBLY Spread dulce de leche on cooled pie crust bottom. Top w/ caramel cream, then whipped cream garnish. Drizzle w/ 2 tb dulce de leche. Frige 4-24 hrs.

SERVE Slice and enjoy!

[miss marmelstein]

Looks very good. I generally mix Crisco with butter for my crusts.

[miss marmelstein]

There was a huge spread on his food in last week’s Times. I just got curry leaves (never used those before!) to make his basmati rice. Not an expert on basmati, which I adore, so we’ll see if it’s mushy or separates.

[samiam1972]

We make poor man sloppy joe’s. Using canned Manwich or a homemade recipe, we always add a can of pork and beans to the mix to stretch it a bit further. It’s cheaper than adding more meat. That’s what my mom used to do and now my kids eat it. Definitely not fancy but there it is!

[pugmama]

Was it this one?
I plan to make this menu for my gourmet supper club:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/magazine/revel-in-the-bounty-of-spring-with-a-feast-from-yotam-ottolenghi.html

I miss being able to get fresh curry leaves in the asian markets in CA-can’t get them here in SC. They really add great flavor to a dish.

[miss marmelstein]

Yes, that’s it. I found curry leaves at my local Indian market. Had to search a while because no one helps you in these stores. Customer service is nil but the stores and great and inexpensive.

[Liz]

This is a fantastic chocolate covered cherry treat. Hard to believe how easy
they come together b/c they're so fab looking---like a professional
confectioner made them. Nice on party trays.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CONFECTIONS / makes about 3 doz

PREP Blend cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl until moistened. Using a hand held mixer, beat on medium speed for two minutes. Pour batter into 2 sprayed cake pan/s. Bake 29-35 min (cake package has specific times for each pan size). Cool cake completely.

ASSEMBLY Crumble cooled cake into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup frosting and mix until well combined. Add more if needed (experiment b/c cake might differ WRT moisture content). Scoop mixture out by the tablespoonful or use a small ice cream scoop. Roll each scoop into a ball.

Drain maraschino cherries w/ stems; pat dry with paper towels. Press one cherry into the center of each cake ball. Bring the cake mixture up and around the cherry. Roll in between your two hands to form a nice ball.

Melt and temper semi-sweet chocolate or use pre-tempered confectionery coating/candy melts. Dip cake covered cherries in chocolate.

Set on parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate if using tempered semi-sweet chocolate until set, about 10 minutes. If using dark candy melts, place cherry bombs in the freezer until set, about 5 minutes. Bring to room temperature before serving.

============================================

ING pkg Pillsbury Devil’s Food Cake Mix 1 1/4 cups water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1/4 cup from tub Pillsbury Classic White Frosting* 30-48 Maraschino Cherries with stems* 16-22 oz. tempered semi-sweet chocolate (or dark confectionery coating/candy melts)

[miss marmelstein]

There’s only one cake mix I use: devil food, generally Betty Crocker. I have fooled many people into thinking this was the real thing (not that I really like fooling people). I do doctor it a bit but not that much.

I only wish yellow cake mix was good - but it still has that chemical taste.

This looks great, Liz.

[miss marmelstein]

What’s in Manwich? Are you on a budget, if you don’t mind me asking. (Not that we all aren’t!) I was kinda brought up not to like this type of canned food but I’d love to hear more about it.