Posted on 10/22/2015 3:26:51 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
The first cookbook that I ever bought with my own earned-money was a copy of the Culinary Arts Institute's 'Encyclopedic Cookbook'. I had a newspaper route throughout Junior High and High School and - money always burning a hole in my pocket then, exactly as now - I knew every month what I would buy with my little profits; and I had seen and coveted this book at the local drugstore.
The odd thing is that I was not particularly interested in cooking at the time; but I was - and had always been - intensely interested in BOOKS. And this was definitely a BOOK! It was the size of our family Funk & Wagnall, with the same kind of finger-tabs giving quick access to general topics; and had pictures of wonderful 1960's-type dishes on every page (the word "Encyclopedic" would get me every time, and probably still does ;-)
I remember walking home from the store with it, thinking that I had acquired a real treasure; I think I felt that it was a valuable 'reference', and I was building a Library. But for a long time, all I did was LOOK at it.
A few years later, when I actually became interested in the nuts-and-bolts of cooking, I was especially impressed with the section on cruciferous vegetables. Except for my Grandmother's plain boiled cabbage, and the very occasional head of cauliflower (sitting on the dinner table like an anemic brain-in-a-bowl with a douse of pallid cheese sauce) I didn't know much about these veggies. I had never seen a Brussels Sprout, and didn't know what a 'Broccoli' was.
I opened this book recently for the first time in ages - it's very yellowed, the spine splitting from the covers; and as I handled it the spine split even more. But I saw the first recipe I ever cooked from it, which was a Broccoli Souffle. (I had written notes in pen, indicating that in my considered Tyro opinion, the recipe really needed the addition of onion.)
Time went on, and I acquired more cookbooks, along with a great love affair with Broccoli, Cauliflower, and sometimes Cabbage.
One recipe that I found during my first forays into cooking has become a staple, and a nice improvement on plain boiled cabbage; it came from a book on Shaker recipes:
Cabbage in Caraway Cream
2 tsps. Butter
1 T. caraway seeds
1 small head cabbage, Shredded Coarsely
1 tsp. Sugar (opt.)
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Salt
1-1/2 T. Vinegar
½ C. Sour Cream
Heat butter in skillet. Add cabbage, salt and garlic, and stir well. Cover tightly and steam 10 minutes, or until tender (a little water may be added, but if you cook slowly, the cabbage will wilt and give up its own water.) Add caraway seeds, sugar (if used) and vinegar. Stir in Sour Cream, and serve immediately. ________________________________________________________
A Broccoli recipe that I've made at least once or twice a month for over thirty years, involves steaming broccoli until it's just shy of tender, and then layering it in a casserole with a white cream sauce (seasoned with a little bit of garlic powder, salt and pepper), diced onions, and grated Cheddar cheese. Put more grated Cheddar on the very top, sprinkle with Paprika, and bake at 350 degrees in the oven until everything is bubbly and the cheese on top has melted and slightly scorched. Here is a recipe for a basic, medium-thick White Sauce, or 'Roux':
Medium White Sauce (makes 1 cup, can be increased for a larger casserole)
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
1⁄4 teaspoon Salt
1⁄8 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 cup whole Milk
Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.
Blend in flour,salt,pepper.
Cook over low heat,stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly
Remove from heat.
Stir in milk.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
Boil and stir 1 minute.
(For the Broccoli Casserole, I add a pinch or two of granulated Garlic)
________________________________________________________
My husband and I found a recipe for Cauliflower which is probably quite familiar to anyone who has switched to a low-carb way of eating for weight-loss or health reasons - sometimes it's called 'Loaded Cauliflower', to summon the idea of a loaded baked potato. But the recipe is wonderful as a side dish, whether one is dieting or not. I usually make this with cream cheese and bacon in the mashed cauliflower, and grated Cheddar on top. Here is a typical recipe:
http://lusciouslowcarb.blogspot.com/2011/02/cheesy-bacon-potato-bake.html
-JT
I’m baking some cauliflower tonight:
Cut up cauliflower into small pieces
add a little olive oil, stir
add garlic, salt and pepper
bake at 425 for about 25 minutes
last 5 minutes sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese
very very tasty!
I usually like my brussels sprouts lightly steamed with butter salt and pepper but at times I fancy it up a bit.
Pell them apart and deep-fry the leaves. Serve as a salad with a granny-smith-vinaigette and bacon-bits.
Normal American Fare: Saute shallots in bacon fat, add halved sprouts and cook until golden brown. Fennel is optional and I usually add it before I take the sprouts off the fire (the fennel will “bloom” in those final moments).
Here’s a recipe that we use frequently; I usually double the water, because it’s VERY vinegar-y otherwise:
Dilled Brussels Sprouts
¾ lb. fresh Brussels Sprouts (or 1 bag of frozen Baby Brussels Sprouts)
1 Cup Cider Vinegar
½ Cup Cold Water (we use a full cup, to make it less sour)
1 clove Garlic, split (we use two)
1 dried Chili Pepper (we use two)
1 Tablespoon dried Dill Weed
1 Teaspoon Salt
(We use one bag of frozen Hanover Gold Line baby Brussels Sprouts)
If using fresh sprouts, remove any yellow or wilted leaves on the outside, cut a small x in the base of each, and soak them for a few minutes in a bowl of cold water. If using frozen sprouts, just thaw them before beginning.
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until sprouts are tender.
(Additional garlic, and/or additional chili pepper, can be used, depending on how spicy you like it. We keep these in a mason jar in the fridge, like a pickle; but they’re not really ‘preserved’, so eat them up within a week.)
-JT
I have a ^very well worn^ copy of James Beard’s “American Cooking”.
Pub date unknown since it ain’t right-in front of me.
This is one of my favorite ways to make cauliflower (besides in minestrone).
Boil together orecchiette (or your favorite pasta) with fresh cauliflower florets. When done, drain most of the water leaving about a half a cup with the pasta.
In a small pan, sauté a chopped green onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil for a couple of minutes.
Pour over pasta mixture and mix well. In a little bit of olive oil, sauté some breadcrumbs until toasted and then serve over the pasta.
It’s very simple and delicious.
Yup. As long as you don’t sell it or give it away to go...and you don’t make too much per year.
Are you frying green tomatoes ? Do you dredge them in a batter?
The wine and capers sounds awesome. I’ll definitely try that.
I often use Louisiana fish fry batter for green tomatoes.
Sometimes I use tempura batter.
The tomatoes would be great beside Brussels sprouts, with some oil & vinegar or wine, and the capers drizzled over all.
What does cutting the X do?
Squash and apples cooked down in veg stock
then seasoned with tarragon and coriander.
Plate, then top w/ goat cheese crumbles.
Served w/ artfully made crostinis layered w/ fresh
soft goat cheese, thin-sliced beets, radish, and apple.
Relaxing on the back porch after a hard days work I'm enjoying my favorite single malt scotch McClellands Speyside and a few Ritz crackers.
As to the book part, near my wife's chair on the other side of the porch is a box I gave her packed full of Better Homes and Gardens Cookbooks. Its like a series or a collection published in 1965 that belonged to my mother. Several dozen hardcover books each on a unique cooking subject.
Anyways, I've to sign off now and figure out....What's for dinner.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
(lots of these types of recipes online - here’s my recipe)
Fresh Brussels Sprouts only here. Frozen doesn’t work.
Put the pan you’ll be roasting the sprouts in a cold oven.
Heat up oven to 400’-450’ with the empty pan in it.
(I do this while I’m cutting up the Sprouts)
Halve sprouts, place in bowl with sliced shallots, S&P and olive oil.
Cook up bunch a of 1 inch cut bacon - set aside bacon, pour a little (or a lot) of the bacon grease in the bowl and toss the sprouts some more.
Once up to temp, pour the sprout mixture into the pan. If you put all the sprouts cut side down they get all equally caramelized and yummy, but not necessary.
Roast 10 minutes, toss them around and roast 10 minutes more, during the last 5 minutes throw the cooked bacon on there and toss it around.
Out of the oven, drizzle balsamic vinegar(or glaze) on to taste and toss again.
Serve Hot. (plate last to keep it hot)
Even Brussels Sprout haters will eat this with vigor.
I have a similar cookbook from the same era from my grandma. My favorite part is her notes in the margins. One of them talks about a mistake that she made with hot sugar and egg whites. It still makes me laugh. I can only imagine what kind of a mess that was... it’s a good memory of just the kind of thing she would do.
Well, I wouldn’t know how to build the apparatus - though I’ve always wanted to learn how to distill flower essences, for perfumes.
I think I’ll stick to wine (love beer above all, but the sugar in it is the absolute worst for the endocrine system ;-)
-JT
I make butter garlic sauce and pour over them after slicing them in half.
Nuke for a bit and throw parmesan cheese on top.
Seasoned salt too. Nummy.
Thank you for your ‘chime’! I appreciate it. Please join us more often!
-JT
> sugar in it is the absolute worst for the endocrine system
Roger that. That is why it’s best to ferment completely and distill exactly.
Works every time. :-)
My sweetie & I make fruit wines. We’ve had them ‘judged’ at state fairs, mostly to get comments on how to improve. We’ve become pretty good at it, but it’s taken a while. Apple, apricot, blueberry, plum, cherry, even banana (which was weird) - but we have a good time doing it.
We’ve also made some real wine (meaning with wine grapes - pinot noir & chardonnay) we got from a vineyard that lost the contract on its produce. Once in a lifetime chance, unfortunately. That was some good wine!
It appears to open up the core to the cooking heat; you can’t ‘pare’ a Brussels sprout, like you can the tough stalk-ends of Broccoli:
http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-cut-brussels-sprouts.html
-JT
My Father-in-Law (R.I.P) made lots of wines like that. The only one I didn’t like was the Dandelion - very bitter; but I thought I would like it, because it reminded me of my favorite Ray Bradbury book:
http://www.amazon.com/Dandelion-Wine-Grand-Master-Editions/dp/0553277537
-JT
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.