Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

One of my favorite meals growing up was Saturday breakfast, which was usually served at more of a brunch hour. Sometimes it would be eggs, bacon or sausage, and hominy fried in the grease from the meat (which I loved, and if anyone has recipes for canned hominy, please post!). Or it might be waffles, or pancakes; and when it snowed, Cinnamon Toast, and tea or hot chocolate.

Many years ago I found a recipe that makes a great, quick brunch casserole at home – if you remember to grate the cheese the night before and store it airtight in the ‘fridge, this is fast and easy to put together (not sure where I found this - maybe in a Grange or Church recipe book):

Eggs Gruyere

½ pound grated Gruyere Cheese

4 T. Butter

1 C. heavy Cream

½ tsp. Salt

Dash of Pepper

1-1/2 tsps. Dry Mustard

12 eggs, slightly beaten

Spread the cheese in a buttered baking dish, and dot with butter. Mix the cream, salt, pepper and mustard, and pour half of it over the cheese. Add the slightly beaten eggs, and top with the remaining cream mixture.

Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes or until firm-ish and slightly golden. __________________________________________________

My favorite dish to eat out for brunch, is an Eggs Benedict that’s made with a crab cake and slice of tomato, instead of the Canadian bacon – we get this at our local Silver Diner (not always on the menu, but they'll make it for you). I’ve never made Hollandaise sauce from scratch at home, but recently found what looks like an easy, quick remedy for a broken Hollandaise, on Chef John’s ‘Food Wishes’ site:

http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-to-fix-broken-hollandaise-sauce.html _________________________________________________

Of course, you have to have bread. Some years ago I found a recipe for ‘Summer Solstice Bread’ which I’ve used many times – a quick bread for which I’ve always used the dried basil, and it turns out very well; but if you have some fresh in your garden, I'm sure if would be much better.

I must have gotten my old jotted-down recipe originally from Better Homes and Gardens, because they have it on their website:

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/breads/summer-solstice-bread/#page=0

(I’m sure Liz will be along eventually, with the perfect Saturday morning ‘hair-of-the-dog’ ;-)

-JT

[Yaelle]

And I had to give in and go clean that butt! Still this is my last "baby," not counting mom, so I'm a bit nostalgic. She turns 5 tomorrow and I appear to be done with children under 5. Sniff. If I had found the pot of gold AND that fountain of youth I would never have stopped having them. So today, we bake. We are making cupcakes for the birthday. The cakes will be chocolate with a Rolo hidden in each one, and the frosting will be fresh strawberry frosting with the bits of strawberry still visible. Then we will make moldable chocolate fondant (the only reason to use corn syrup, lol), and out of that we will make tiny fruit bats, one for the top of each cupcake. She is into fruit bats (and most other animals). It's a fruit bat birthday! (Below is just a cake we found online that we will try to copy in miniature)

[mylife]

Yeahmen

[V K Lee]

Imagine, living in the south but have never eaten this or Polk Salad (as in Polk Salad Annie) LOL perhaps one day.....

[mylife]

Greens are Delicious, lashings of hot sauce

[Yardstick]

I had dandelion greens for the first time a few weeks ago and was surprised by how good they were. According to my uncle who’s big into vedic medicine, whatever the compound is that gives the bitter flavor is supposed to be really good for you. Don’t know if it’s true, but that’s the claim.

[leaning conservative]

Those are absolutely adorable!!!! Happy birthday to your little sweetie : )

[Jamestown1630]

Maybe your Daddy thought it was a ‘ladylike’ drink - or was it morning? Very cute story.

-JT

[Jamestown1630]

I think grits amount to ground-up hominy (?)

-JT

[Liz]

RITZ CARLTON-LONDON

The next time you stay at the Ritz Carlton in London,
try their signature high tea beverage called "Pearadise."

PEARADISE
Grey Goose La Poire, club soda, lime juice.

[V K Lee]

A few comments/questions on WALMART grocery stores.

They’ve been stocking Tilapia, individual frozen, and selling in an embellished blue bag for some time now. The named supplier of same escapes me, but this was the only way to purchase. Now they are doing the same with SWAI fish, individual, frozen, in the same type of bag. A larger fish, but larger is not necessarily better. This fish is very soggy and mushy, not at all like tilapia. Searched for further information at the time the difference was realized, but have yet to find a recipe that really hits the mark in making them palpable. Fried, baked, blah!!

Another comment/question. The Clear American flavored water. Black Cherry is a favorite flavor, and have repeatedly praised it to friends and family. From this point forward found it best to keep my lips zipped. LOL Now find that there is virtually none on any shelves any longer. It must be the first flavor to travel out the door when the shelves are stocked.

[V K Lee]

Thought if you like these two southern food staples, you might wish to sample a few southern recipes Southern Lady and Southern Plate are great “go to’s” for these type of dishes.
The South Will Rise is fairly new, and have not attempted anything shown there as yet. However, the thought came this morning of a cornbread variation....drain a can of hominy (perhaps saute a little in butter), and add to the cornbread mixture, baking as usual. Along with the chopped jalapeno. Now this might make me desire another try at Cornbread Salad!

THE Southern Lady Cooks
http://thesouthernladycooks.com/

SOUTHERN PLATE
http://www.southernplate.com/

THE SOUTH WILL RISE
http://thesouthwillrise.com/

[V K Lee]

Yaelle, you might find this site interesting.

WILD MAN STEVE BRILL
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/plant-recipes.html

[Yaelle]

I don’t forage but I have a friend who does. She makes her own tinctures and stuff. She loves it so much. I am new to herbal remedies but I am having wonderful success using them to treat our ills. Saving this site. Bet my friend knows this.

[V K Lee]

A believer in natural remedies for whatever ails ya.

Here are a few sites you might want to glance

Found that the information on the net re cinnamon’s helping to control diabetes is worthwhile It drops your blood sugar levels.

In addition the information on cayenne. The spice is most helpful in healing cuts and scrapes, in lowering blood pressure, and in contributing to a healthy heart

LEARNING HERBS
http://learningherbs.com/free-herbal-remedies/

MIND BODY GREEN
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11522/diy-how-to-store-make-your-own-herbal-remedies.html

KITCHEN WICCAN
http://www.kitchenwiccan.com/witchs-cupboard/apothecary/

http://learningherbs.com/free-herbal-remedies/

http://www.anniesremedy.com/

http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/natural-remedies/best-healing-herbs-top-10

http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/Culture/General/CherokeeMedicinalHerbs.aspx

http://www.motherearthnews.com/natural-health/herbal-remedies/homemade-herbal-medicines-zm0z14fmzsor.aspx

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/herbs-directory-culinary-medicinal-zl0z1401zhir.aspx

http://www.grandmas-wisdom.com/medicinal-teas.html

http://www.anniesremedy.com/chart.php?gc=c101&gclid=CIWBhujywc4CFQouaQodwZYGCA

[Liz]

Cinnamon is therapeutic / drops blood levels.

Good.....b/c I’ve added a delicious cinnamon chip muffin to my breakfast menu.

[Liz]

OMG---Pineapple Raisin Brunch Cake----southern heaven on a plate.

[V K Lee]

:-) The muffins sound good, hot with lots of butter. Here cinnamon was stirred into unsweetened applesauce and eaten. Not bad, the the muffins would certainly be an alternative. Serious, I was on statins for a time, which do rise blood sugar levels, increase chances for diabetes. They also cause a good deal of pain in muscles and joints. Found a step could not be taken without pain; A walker had to be used to feel some security. One week so many bananas were eaten, vine swinging would have been a normal activity, all this just to raise the potassium levels. Tests that week proved blood sugar too high and they were to begin medical therapy. I begged don’t, give me a week and test again. Ground cinnamon by the teaspoon full, washed down with clear water, daily, and the next weekly test the staff was truly amazed how far my numbers had fallen. I’m sold on cinnamon, and my other half feels the same about cayenne. BTW, the statins are no longer being taken....it is now just Niacin (hip hip hooray!)

[Liz]

Great realtime cinnamon story.....

As you know, saffron is also tagged as therapeutic.

[Liz]

Oops, I almost forgot my best food/therapy tip.

Coffee.

A doctor once told me ....a molecule in caffeine is similar to the medicine in 500 dollar inhalers....caffeine is a lung inflater.

Even so.....don’t drink too much coffee.

A cosmetic giant is also putting out an under-eye solution for those ugly bags——yup, made from coffee.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Here is what I made for brunch today. Normally I bake this in the oven but it was too blamed HOT to turn the oven on today.

Chop up one zucchini, small onion and sweat them in some butter until soft. Add in chopped tomatoes and chopped garlic.

When softened add in a squirt of Dijon mustard and a splash of heavy cream. (It's brunch be indulgent!)

Now add in beaten eggs, (I used four) salt, pepper and chopped fresh parsley. Cover and let cook for a couple of minutes, mix so that the uncooked egg has a chance to cook. Sprinkle with whatever white cheese you have handy. Munster, mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, it's all good!

Cover and let the eggs cook though and the cheese melt. Maybe another minute.

I served it with cream biscuits that I cooked on the stove top and fresh fruit. Peaches in case you were wondering.