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
Just a good memory——reading, and waxing nostalgic, about classic restaurants.
Has to be lots of reviews....as I recall, it was a celebrated eatery at the time.
Vitamin B12 is not naturally found in yeast extract, but is added to Marmite during manufacture.
Yes; I did not remember that it was in the Beekman. There was a time when there were so many small classic French restaurants and inexpensive French restaurants like Rene Pujol. Most, if not all, are gone, taken over by the unending Italian craze.
My nephew when he visits from Los Angles begs us not to take him to another Italian restaurant!
GRATED POTATO PANCAKES / from Child's 2009 "Kitchen Wisdom" cbook.
French cooks call these Potato Galette. Nice way to use leftover baked potatoes.GOOD DO-AHEAD Make entire recpe---reheat 425 deg when ready to serve.
METHOD Steam 3-4 large unpeeled baking potatoes 15-20 min (not quite tender). cool several hours completely cold. Then peel and rub through large holes of hand grater. Toss w/ s/p. Divide loosely into 6 mounds.
Spread 2-3 portions in pan of hot 1/8" clarified butter, press together lightly w/ spatula 4-5 min. Saute several min (brown bottom), turn with care, brown 2nd side.
Goyishe latkes!
Heh.....one and the same.
The difference, of course, is that in Jewish cooking, you would cook them in vegetable oil and grate them raw.
French techniques are always better——par-boiling the potatoes makes a more tender superior product.
MARMITE CHEESE WHIRLS
ING 9 ounces puff pastry;2 teaspoon marmite (or more depending on how strong you like it) 1 egg, beaten 2 ounces red leicester cheese or 2 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
METHOD Roll out the pastry to about 14x10 inches. Spread the Marmite on the pastry, leaving an inch border. Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle cheese over Marmite. Roll up like a jelly roll, starting from the long edge. Roll it quite tightly. Brush the outside with beaten egg. Cut thick slices; place on parchmented baking sheet.Cook 425 deg or 12-15 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden.
SERVE warm or cold.
I think ‘Gourmet’ was the magazine that used to have a feature where people would write in and ask the editors to ferret-out the recipe for something wonderful they’d had in a restaurant. I found the recipe for one of my favorite ‘mall eatery’ dishes that way, and saved a lot of others from that feature as well.
-JT
Yes, that was the one feature that remained with the magazine until the day it folded. I once requested sweet potato poopies from a diner in Montgomery, Alabama but they never answered me. Too bad, they were delicious, lol!
I knew you’d find a use for Marmite!
Well, I didn’t actually write-in; but just happened to read the feature one day, when someone else had requested the recipe that I had enjoyed. Apparently it was a popular dish at malls all over the country.
I have a hunch - maybe ‘wishful thinking’: I think folks might get tired of everything being online; and the actual publishing of paper magazines - or even mailed ‘newsletters’ like John Thorne’s - might come back again for some subjects :-)
There’s just something more personal, tactile, and substantial about them. Over the weekend I was in a bookstore for the first time in ages: the magazine section isn’t shrinking, it’s expanding, especially in the hobby and home-arts areas.
(I love the Internet; but there is still a place for old-school publishing of certain things, and I think there will always be.)
-JT
I’ve emailed with John Thorne. He’s a great guy. For those who don’t know, he’s a Maine food writer (he may have moved, though) who with his wife, Matt, writes wonderful, homey books and as Jamestown said, newsletters. Another writer I learned through the great Laurie Colwin. And that was back in the early 90s!
I believe that Carla Emery’s book, ‘The Encyclopedia of Country Living’ also began as a snail-mail newsletter. Compiled, it’s still available as a (very BIG) book:
http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Country-Living-Anniversary-Edition/dp/1570618402
-JT
And Ree Drummond started out as a blogger.
There’s room for all kinds of stuff :-)
-JT
I don’t think the recipe will generate a run on Marmite supplies.
Oh, Ye of Little Faith! Marmite Rules!
These crab-stuffed leeks w/ "gelatin caviar" are a prime example.
CRAB-STUFFED NAGANEGI (LEEKS)
METHOD Cut naganegi (leeks) into 1 1/2" lengths, cook a bit soft
in boiling water 6-7 min. Drain/cool; then push out and remove centers,
making double-layer tubes.
STUFFING Liftout 2 2/3 tb gelatin to bowl, add 2 tb fresh cream, tb mayo,
dash sugar and 3 1/2 oz cooked/shredded crabmeat, and mix. Set over ice to
chill. Now stuff naganegi. Chill rest gelatin mixture firm 2 hours.
PLATE spread chilled gelatin on plate, stuffed naganegi on top.
GELATIN Micro covered a min Combined 5/6 cup (200cc) water, tsp
plain gelatin, 1/2 chix bouillon cube. (use some in stuffing, rest as garnish).
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