Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

[Jamestown1630]

While roaming on Youtube last week, I found a video from the Southern Foodways Alliance about ‘Sally Bell’s’, a little Richmond, Virginia bakery which is famous for it’s boxed lunches. This is a very interesting short video about a family business that has become beloved for its made-from-scratch-everyday menu:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVm0CaOxEQY

I searched to see if some of their recipes might be available, with no luck; but I did find a recipe for Cheese Wafers with Pecans, which looks similar to those that are always included in Sally Bell’s lunch boxes:

http://www.sweetpaulmag.com/food/my-happy-dish-cheese-wafers-with-pecans-1

Apparently the Chicken Salad is the favorite sandwich at Sally Bell’s; and since they aren’t giving their recipe away, I’ll share mine again. The lemon-basil butter is what really makes this, and for parties I do this on little flower-shaped tea breads made from a special mold. I believe I first found this recipe in the booklet that came with my ‘Pampered Chef’ molds:

Almond Chicken Salad Sandwiches with Lemon-Basil Butter

To make butter spread:

Combine ¾ Cup softened butter with 2 tsps. Lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and ½ cup fresh basil leaves finely chopped, or 2 T. dried basil.

To make filling:

Combine 1 C. finely chopped cooked chicken with ½ Cup mayonnaise, ½ cup slivered almonds, and salt and pepper to taste. (I shred the chicken in the food processor, to get a very smooth, consistent texture.)

To make sandwiches:

Carefully spread each slice of bread on one side with thin layer of butter spread. Then place filling on one bread slice, and top with second buttered slice.

If you take these to a party, they can be made the evening before, and stored in a container with a double layer of paper towels between each layer of sandwiches. The butter spread will help keep the bread from going soggy.

(If you DO want to make fancy bread: I usually use the Bridgford frozen bread dough, cutting dough in half and baking each half in a canapé bread mold sprayed with PAM. To slice the bread for sandwiches, it helps to partially freeze it. Slice thinly.)

Here’s a link to Sally Bell’s website, in case you make it to Richmond this summer:

http://www.sallybellskitchen.com

I know that some of our cooking thread members are familiar with ‘La Tienda’, the online purveyor of gourmet Spanish food items; but I didn’t realize that they have a retail store and a tapas bar at Williamsburg, VA:

https://www.tienda.com/aboutus/retailstore.html

La Tienda has lots of recipes on their website; I’ve never made Paella, and want to try theirs.

-JT

[pugmama]

I use this as a salad dressing:
Nuoc cham
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 1/3 cup Asian fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

Directions:

Make the nuoc cham In a bowl, whisk the sugar into the hot water until dissolved. Whisk in the remaining ingredients.

[pugmama]

This is a spicy version of peanut sauce:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/04/spicy-peanut-sauce-recipe.html

[pugmama]

I love Food52. They have a fantastic collection of chicken salad recipes:

https://food52.com/recipes/chicken-salad?page=1&recipe_landing_term=chicken-salad

[bgill]

My regular potato salad - mashed potatoes, hard boiled eggs, dill pickles, pickle juice, onions, mayo, mustard, s&p.

My fancy potato salad - cubed potatoes, gherkins, onions, sour cream, mayo, s&p.

Grandma said she grew up with vinegar potato salad because mayo wouldn’t last without refrigeration.

[bgill]

If you’re Texan, you can make Tex-Mex all day long so a neener-neener to those demwits in Oregon. Throw in some German and you can use chili powder. Surprise, a German invented chili powder in Texas. How many of those complaining eat pizza, tacos, kung pao chicken and are planning to grill a brisket this summer, uh huh. Throw a bunch of these morons in jail and that’ll put a stop to this ridiculousness.

[bgill]

I now know why old people walk bent over and shuffle along. Dang it, they hurt!

[bgill]

Where can I trade this rusty beat up clunker in for a shiny sleek sports car?

[bgill]

Yum, egg salad sandwich!

[Jamestown1630]

LOL!

I’m waiting for them to perfect the ‘whole skeleton transplant’.

[Yaelle]

A good potato salad can be amazing. I am partial to the German version, having eaten it all my life. No mayo and lots of vinegar. To get the sour flavor to stay, right after you strain your boiled to al dente peeled potatoes, you sprinkle in the vinegar. To be eaten warm or cooled (your gut bugs crave cooled potatoes so that’s a plus - when they are happy you will be happy).

But I’m still American and the mayo potato salads, made just right with a few added ingredients, still make me happy. Some mustard maybe, some capers or sour pickled something all up in there, even hard boiled eggs. It’s good. But I might avoid it at a hot picnic.

[Yaelle]

You’re getting all waldorfy with your chicken salads there. I’d love one with the fruit in it, but I’d be forced to leave out the delicious nuts. I have substituted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for nuts before though. Sometimes it works better than other times.

[Yaelle]

When I crave one thing from a certain restaurant, it becomes too high a priority to avoid it just to “try something else.” My dad used to beg us to all try different things at a restaurant so that we could sample them all. He wasn’t always successful.

[Yaelle]

If you are in Portland Oregon, make sure you are not making ethnic foods if you aren’t said ethnic - like whites making tacos or blacks cooking Chinese...

---

Isn’t that just disgusting?!?

Libs, you can’t have it both ways. Either Diversity Is Good, or “Stick With Your Own Kind.”

We are supposed to be an open country where we all came from somewhere and it blesses us to enjoy the different cultural things like food, art, and music. Most of us are mutts that would starve to death if we could only eat “our own” food.

[Yaelle]

Bunny Slippers, I am so sorry. At any age, slipping in the shower is dangerous. I’ve done it too, really hurt my back, and it was while I was recovering from brain surgery. It did fade and I hope your pain does too.

I believe you live in one of my potential future neighborhoods, and you aren’t too far away, so PM me if I can do anything to help.

[Yaelle]

I am very sorry you have depression. There are some less medical, more natural things to do to help. Hope you find something that gives you even just a whiff of some joi de vivre. It changes one’s perspective.

I have to take hormones (bioidentical) and a new doctor has made a wonderful adjustment. I’m glad because my life is very stressful and my perspective on it makes it more bearable, you know?

[Yaelle]

I want this. Don’t know if it is easy to find the coriander plants.

[Yaelle]

I’m loving all of your sauce recipes!! And so will my older kids!

[kalee]

It is excellent value for a good lunch. I am funny about chicken and potato salad. I used to be a caterer and no one matches my own recipes for some foods, IMNSHO. I like Sally Belle’s chicken salad, but I don’t like potato salad with eggs in it.

[Trillian]

I’m going to try this one:

Farmhouse Chicken Salad

For the chicken
1 whole chicken, 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
A handful of fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, chives, and tarragon)
1 small onion, peeled and julienned
1 small carrot, peeled and cut
A handful of celery leaves
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

For the salad
1 juicy lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons cooking juices (from the bottom of the bag or the tray on which the chicken was resting)
1/2 cup carrot, grated on the large holes of a grater
1 1/2 cups green beans, blanched in a big pot, then cooled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 red potatoes, boiled, cooled, and quartered
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, roasted and salted by you
A healthy handful of arugula (wild rocket is good, too)
1/4 cup mix of basil, tarragon, chives, and thyme, minced
1/4 cup blue cheese

1. Place the chicken, a pinch of salt and pepper, and all the aromatics into a vacuum pack bag, or if you want, just poach it with the aromatics (but you won’t have the juices for the dressing). Vacuum seal the bag and place it into a large pot. Cover with cold water by at least 6 inches.
2. Bring the water to a high simmer, around 180 to 200? F. Let the chicken poach for 2 hours or until cooked thoroughly. Remove the chicken from the pot, then cut open the bag, being careful not to lose the juices. Let the chicken cool. Once it’s cool enough to handle, remove the skin and pick the meat from the bones.
3. For the salad dressing, combine the juice from the lemon with the olive oil and broth or fat. Add the mustard and whisk to combine. Taste and add a pinch of two of salt and a few grinds of pepper. If it’s too tart, add more chicken broth or olive oil.
4. With the exception of the blue cheese, combine the remainder of the salad ingredients in a bowl. Season the salad with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and then add the dressing. Toss again, top with the crumbled blue cheese and serve.

https://food52.com/recipes/23378-farmhouse-chicken-salad

[kalee]

I have a similar cheese wafer recipe that came from an old Southern Living cookbook. You can keep the cheese dough in the freezer, slice it as needed, top with a pecan half and bake as needed. I always have a roll or two in the freezer for a quick bite if someone drops in or to bake and eat with a light supper.
I used the recipe when I catered.