Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thrad

[Jamestown1630]

Back in the 1980s my girlfriend and I frequented a shopping mall in Montgomery County, MD that was one of the loveliest indoor malls of that extravagant era.

White Flint Mall, on Rockville Pike, had beautiful decor and lots of wonderful shops and department stores. I remember seeing what appeared to be polished copper lining the sides of the escalators; the indoor water fountains; and the see-through, bullet-shaped elevator that seemed to be made of lucite - and feeling a tinge of guilt at the money spent on all of it. And I remember being struck by the thought that most of the architecture that we retained from ancient times was devoted to religion and spirituality; and when future generations came to dig up 20th Century America, they'd find that the most durable structures were these immense buildings dedicated to consumerism.

But I liked going there anyway ;-) and now, it seems that all of these huge malls are coming down, and 'shopping centers' are morphing into a very different architecture and aesthetic.

One thing I always enjoyed when I went there, was a lunch plate that was sold in the "eatery"; I think this broccoli casserole was marketed as a 'healthy' choice, and it was served with a little salad, and a couple of crisp-bread crackers. I loved it, and I don't think I ever ate anything else at White Flint Mall.

I kept trying to figure out how it was made; and one day I happened to hit on the recipe in a magazine - I think it was the feature in 'Gourmet', where people would write in requesting recipes they'd had at restaurants (apparently, this dish was something served at many mall eateries.)

I usually do this in a large, oblong baking dish instead of a deep one; that way you can cut it into nice square slabs for serving:

Monterey Jack Vegetable Bake (6 to 8 servings)

2 T. Oil or Butter

½ lb. fresh Broccoli florets

1 to 2 T. Soy Sauce

1-1/2 tsps. Minced Garlic

1 tsp. Celery Seed

½ tsp. dried Dill

Salt and Pepper

½ lb. Carrots, sliced

1 small Onion, diced

1-1/4 C. Milk

7 Eggs

1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut broccoli into ½ inch pieces. Melt Butter in medium skillet until foam subsides. Add broccoli stems and sauté briefly.

Add soy sauce, garlic, celery seeds, dill and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add Carrots and Onions, cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Beat eggs and milk in large bowl. Add cheese and vegetables. Turn into lightly greased deep 3-qt. baking dish. Place in a large, shallow pan and add boiling water to a depth of 1 inch. Bake until knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 or 60 minutes.

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Every year, my office holds two big parties: a Summer barbecue, and a Christmas party. We invite all the other departments in our institution that our office serves, and there is always a LOT of planning and cooking. This year, the party is coming earlier and at a time that's not convenient for me personally; so I'm looking for a casserole that goes together easily but has lots of flavor - and I don't think Broccoli will do it, for my crew ;-)

I've seen many references to the 'King Ranch Casserole', and this recipe looks good:

http://www.thekitchn.com/retro-recipe-king-ranch-casserole-recipes-from-the-kitchn-193912

But there are so many versions of it, I can't figure out which is 'Classic'. I think I'd like to do that, or some kind of Mexican or Southwest casserole. Any ideas?

[V K Lee]

This link should take you directly to the recipe
http://www.homesicktexan.com/2007/10/king-of-casseroles-king-ranch-chicken.html

Eat hearty. Eat often

[V K Lee]

An interesting observation to share. This week DH was watching an assortment of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ episodes. Out of the blue, there in the scene was Cathy Mitchell (dump food recipes seen on TV —all the time!) Unfortunately, will need to take his word on this as I wasn’t in the room. But he is good with remembering faces and shocked to find her playing herself on the film. Natural, it is guessed. They did tend to eat on that show, often. Do any remember ever seeing her on this sit-com?

Eat well, even if you must cook it yourself.