Weekly Cooking(and things related)Thread

[Jamestown1630]

I thought it appropriate to start with Appetizers :-)

Meals made up of a lot of small, different things are my favorites; I'm very happy at potlucks, or restaurants with wide and diverse appetizer menus. Appetizers are among my favorite things to cook.

I found this recipe over 30 years ago - I think it was in a Junior League cookbook. At the time it was very new to me but I learned later that ladies had been making these for decades, for cocktail or bridge parties. There are lots of variations.

Some people just don't like olives; but usually, when I take this to a party, it gets 'scarfed-up' pretty fast. (It's also make-ahead/freezable.)

Olive Cheese Puffs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

2 Cups grated, sharp Cheddar Cheese

¼ lb. Butter (one stick from a pound)

1 cup of Flour, salted to taste (I usually don't use salt; the olives and cheese are enough)

pinch of Cayenne

Jar of Pimento-Stuffed Olives

1.Blend together in a food processor the grated cheese, butter, and flour.

2.Process until dough comes together in a ball.

3.Chill, covered, for about 20 minutes before forming puffs. (You don't want it to get too hard. When I've tried making the dough the day before and doing the balls the next day, it's been very subpar. You want to make the balls the same day that you make the dough, and chill just a bit, to get it firm enough to handle well.)

4.Pinch off a ball of dough, about an inch in diameter, and pat it into a thin disc in your palm; then place an olive in the middle. Pinch up the dough to cover the olive, and roll between your palms until smooth. (Or, dough can be rolled out to ¼ inch thickness, cut into 2 inch squares, and each square wrapped around an olive - but that's too much trouble for me, and usually results in too much dough.)

5.Place puffs on a cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes. ( I usually use parchment paper on the sheet.) Then remove to a wire rack to cool.

(To freeze unbaked, freeze on cookie sheet and remove to freezer containers when hard. When ready to bake, allow 3-5 minutes extra baking time.)

Enjoy! -JT

[V K Lee]

NEW PRODUCTS

Dole Garden Fresh soups
http://dole.com/gardensoup?gclid=CPiQgrbr0sMCFcxj7AodzGQApg

Dawn dish washing liquid - this brand has been used for years. They now offer a super de-greaser (both liquid and spray) WHICH IS WONDERFUL. Spray it on the greasiest of ranges, pots and leave it for a bit. Wipe off with a damp cloth. The elderly lady across the road has a model ‘50’s white enamel range which she claimed just wouldn’t come clean. Years of grease had accumulated on the surface top. A new bottle of this stuff under my sink, so out it came and used on her range. WOW - Put my claim in early. After telling her, that retro hunters would pay a pretty dime to buy her range, my request is made early to be remembered in her will :) That and her clawed-foot bathtub. Name tagged.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese spreads has some new flavors as well. Strawberry cream cheese, bacon cream cheese.

And that’s the news for today. Always looking for new stuff better than the old stuff. Sometimes pleased as punch; sometimes, not

[V K Lee]

Another vintage recipe site for you to check. Unable to find it was posted prior.
http://www.vintagerecipes.net/

[V K Lee]

Geeze...and another
http://vintagevictuals.com/

After Google’s visit a few months ago, they were worse than the children about leaving toys scattered about the room. The address changes which were made did nothing but make a complete mess of my home. Working on cleaning and tidying it up. When complete, will leave the address and invite ya’ll on over. Until that time, when a new one seen which might be of help, it’s posted immediately or else left forgotten in the cobwebs of the mind, behind the drapes.

[V K Lee]

You’ve stated don’t do Facebook. How about Pinterest?
Both wear the same hat - neither are done here either. Anyway, here is a good site if you wish to visit. To see the sites there completely requires logging in ...which has never been done. Unfamiliar territory so it remains unconquered and left to others.

https://www.pinterest.com/cress1993/old-time-recipes/

[V K Lee]

This is the last, a vintage site for 1700’s
http://www.thehenryford.org/food/cookbookera.aspx?categoryID=3
http://www.thehenryford.org/food/recipedetail.aspx?recipeID=128
http://www.thehenryford.org/food/recipebank.aspx

[Jamestown1630]

Thanks very much; I really appreciate the vintage cooking links, and I know others do as well.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

I enjoyed pinterest when it first started; then after a long time away from it, I discovered that they had begun requiring sign-in. Too much trouble.

-JT

[V K Lee]

For those who enjoy retro/ancient recipes, perhaps this will grab your interest. The site features midevil recipes. If you cook for the shining white knight, you might wish to take a look.
http://www.bayrose.org/recipes/index.html

[Jamestown1630]

I’m not sure I’d want to go that far back, but I’ve always wanted a ‘tin kitchen’ (I think now they call them ‘reflector ovens’):

http://www.grit.com/food/roasting-a-turkey-1860-style.aspx

http://corgyncombecourant.blogspot.com/2009/12/dianes-tasha-tudor-tin-kitchen.html

In the absence of SHTF, I’d probably only use it twice: once to test and learn, and once to have a bang-up historic Thanksgiving party. But it’s a cool thing. (When we speak of ‘roasting a turkey’ nowadays, we aren’t really roasting; we’re baking :-)

I do have one of the old Farberware open-hearth rotisserie/roasters;

https://usabaker.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/farberware-open-hearth-rotisserie-broiler-grill-manual/

But it needs a three-prong cord and some other parts; and I can’t imagine what the electric cost would be if I used it. Just another thing I bought at the thrift store for what I thought might be a very dramatic party; and then stuck it in storage and never used it.

Gosh, retirement can’t come soon enough; I have so many untried toys to play with :-)

-JT

[V K Lee]

DH will never use poisons to rid us of anything. The aphids we spray with soapy water; the grasshoppers, soapy water or they are caught by hand, placed in glass jar (holes on lid) and taken to Wally World on our next visit...to feed the birds. The snakes, he shoots; the spiders we step on, and the fire ants are fed corn meal. After attempting to give them a charge of electric, and getting one himself, DH gave up that particular method of helping with their extinction. Ah,life in the country :) A matter of note..never knew ants could fly. Yes, seen the movie ‘THEM’ several/many times but never considered our ants being so travel experienced. It’s true, they do! Learn something new if not every day then frequently. Enough to know there’s little room left to store too
much more. You will never wish to be bitten by a fire ant. Blisters and pain. Texas has lost a good bit of wildlife due to this little critter..’The NAKED JUNGLE’ COMES TO MIND.

So that’s the down side of Texas country living. On a more positive note...we have hummingbirds for several months in the spring/summer, and Painted Buntings have been spotted often. When these were first seen, it was an experience like none other. They are beautiful in colors of red, blue, gold. Had never seen a bird like that before Lots of animal life here. Some are even friendly!

[V K Lee]

We are thinking positive thoughts, WTSHTF, concentrating on how to cook and not on the possibility what will there actually BE to cook? We have a small pond out back that at one time held a good many crappie, catfish, and probably a bass or two. As Texas as suffered such a severe drought, there are no more fishes. The cranes and blue herons just walked right in a number of times and then came back for seconds. They thought they were at Golden Corral. The garden — gone. The elderly lady across the road has a few cows and there are a number of rabbits romping around the homestead. No chickens, pig was slaughtered years ago. At least we have the fireplace, and a cast iron skillet. And coat hangers for the hot dogs should we be so fortunate. :)

The tin roaster for the FP looks to be something to consider. And to make a solar oven should be easy enough to do (as well as inexpensive to make) Of course there is always the bbq grill. LOL one winter we lost power and lacked electricity and. thus, heat. The fireplace came to the rescue. Kept us from freezing to death until the elec co-op could get out an replace our pole. DH caffeine urge was satisfied by ...hammered coffee beans. Don’t remember how the coffee was made, but we had no coffee grinder nor peculator, and most definitely no instant. Geeze that was over 30 years ago. Time marches on.

[Jamestown1630]

Have you ever seen these ‘flower pot heaters’?

(Disclaimer: I have never tried this, and I am not a scientist; I have no idea how safe it is, and I wouldn’t want to try it on a table or counter-top, and I’m not sure I’d even try the hanging one.)

But I’d be very interested in other Freepers’ thoughts about this, especially the science/engineer-minded folks.

We were thinking that if we lost power in the winter, a couple of these in the fireplace, with the flue closed, would keep us warm enough to survive. Please give opinions!

(The bit that worries me, is the possibility of fire, when the tea-lights go to all-liquid. This issue has caused me to re-think the Herc stove...I’m really scared of Fire!)

Anyway:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b11dqKJrulk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3iWEclgj8Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL7xkCno9Mc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHXaO1VF5pA

(Gosh; maybe we’ll have to conflate the Cooking Thread, with the Prepper Thread :-)

-JT

[V K Lee]

Never seen the flower pot heater.

Link #1 - We’ve a good many road side signs around here (always working on the roads & building new ones...at least were building) If they start to go missing could be a first hand look at a flower pot heater might be just around the corner. It looks simple to make, but like you - afraid of fire. How much?? Just leaving a snow ball on a window sill is to daring. A crystal paper weight left on a window sill (east window) actually left burnt tracks where the sun had hit it and burned the wood. Now that this has been known, fearful of anything on the window sill.

The flower pot might be ideal for the patio. Still a fire warning in effect..but not nearly as likely.

#2 link- this looks to be the favored experiment. It has possibilities!!!

#3 link- listened to this twice but failed to hear just what he used as a base to hold the tea lights and sauce cups. Seems to be a bit safer but the heat on the bottom ...what would it do to the surface on which it was placed? It appeared to be plastic, but that cannot be correct...too much heat. That settled, would love one of these for the feet under the desk.
#4, personally, looks to be the safest and the temp achieved is outstanding.

All this links will be saved, along with a few tuna cans for the #4 experiment. DH might like like of these for his workshop. As the materials are inexpensive and can be reused, if one doesn’t work, it’s time to try the next. Thanks, JT

[Jamestown1630]

V K Lee Said:

“Seems to be a bit safer but the heat on the bottom ...what would it do to the surface on which it was placed?”

_________________________________________________

That’s why I said I wouldn’t want it on a table or counter-top surface. But we’re going to try it in the fireplace, and see how it does. Will let you know!

-JT

[hoagy62]

Tried the ‘flower pot heater’...didn’t really work.

[JRandomFreeper]

maybe we’ll have to conflate the Cooking Thread, with the Prepper Thread

Call it a 'lifestyle' thread. ;)

/johnny

[Jamestown1630]

Hello!

It was suggested that I ping the people who were previously on Libertarian27’s Cooking Threads, in case they would like to be on our new one.

I will only ping this once; and I won’t add you unless I receive a *private response* indicating that you would like to be pinged to the new weekly thread.

(If you’ve already asked to be pinged, my apologies. I’m working with a huge list, and tried my best to remove repetitions.)

Best,
Jamestown1630

[2nd amendment mama]

Yes, please add me to the ping list! Thanks a bunch.

[freeangel]

Please add me. Thanks, freeangel

[Jamestown1630]

You’ve been added!

Folks, PLEASE respond privately (post private reply) if you want to be pinged. The list is so huge, I think that the only way I’ll be sure to see your request is to do it that way.

-JT