Monthly Cooking Thread - August 2019

[Jamestown1630]

My husband got to reminiscing recently about a cake his mother used to make – a molasses flavored confection called ‘Shoo Fly Cake’, apparently a classic Pennsylvania recipe. (He remembers catching his grandmother sneaking into the kitchen and dragging a finger through the rich, gooey remains on the bottom of the pan after everyone had been served. And he insists that this MUST be made in a metal pan, never glass, so that those 'goodies' at the bottom are done to perfection ;-)

I had heard of Shoo Fly Pie, but not cake; so I went looking.

Here, from the ‘Yesterfood’ blog is a recipe done in a skillet:

https://yesterfood.blogspot.com/2012/11/shoo-fly-cake.html

And from 'Helga’s Pennsylvania Cooking', a video where Helga makes it as a sheet cake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otQygwOvS8g

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If you have an abundance of Zucchini coming on – or a neighbor who generously gifts you from their own abundance – this is a great sauce to serve over steamed Zucchini:

Tarragon Mustard Sauce for Steamed Zucchini

Mix in a saucepan:

½ Cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 shallot or scallion, minced

1-1/2 tsp. fresh tarragon

2 T. dry white wine

1 T. cornstarch (or arrowroot)

1/8 tsp. Black pepper

Cook uncovered for 2 or 3 minutes; and add 1 T. butter (without the butter, this is low-fat.)

Serve over steamed Zucchini.

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I was home one day last week dealing with a maintenance issue, with nothing much to do but wait around, and watch TV. I happened to find videos of a delightful woman humorist – and spent an entire afternoon watching her videos and laughing hysterically. (This happened to be on July 24, and my afternoon viewing was a great antidote to that of the morning :-)

North Carolina native Jeanne Robertson is a humorist, author and motivational speaker who was named Miss North Carolina in 1963, and went on to become Miss Congeniality in the Miss America pageant that same year. Among other awards, she has won the Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award.

Here is Jeanne telling us why we should NOT send a man to the grocery store:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YFRUSTiFUs

and here is Jeanne’s website:

http://www.jeannerobertson.com/

-JT

[combat_boots]

I take it you hire out, huh, Liz

[combat_boots]

Shoo fly pie

Takes me back

[Liz]

Might be time to get those wintertime recipes out.

Beer-Braised Brisket with Honey-Lime Glaze

ING 2 tsp canola oil (5-lb) flat-cut beef brisket, trimmed k/salt, tsp freshly ground black pepper 4 cups water cup vertically sliced onion 1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger 1/4 cup salt-free ketchup tsp low-sodium soy sauce 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 20 cilantro sprigs 10 thyme sprigs 6 orange rind strips 6 lemon rind strips 2 bay leaves cored apple in 6 wedges 3-inch cinnamon stick 1/4 cup honey 3 tbsp fresh lime juice 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

METHOD Heat oil in heavy roaster on stovetop over med-high heat. Sprinkle beef with 3/4 teaspoon k/salt and black pepper. Add beef to pan; cook/brown both sides 15 min. Drain oil. Add water and next 14 ingredients (to cinnamon). BTB; cover with foil; bake 325° 4 hours. Remove beef from pan, reserving cooking liquid.

FINAL Strain liquid through a sieve into a bowl, and skim fat from surface. Return liquid and beef to pan. Cook beef, uncovered, at 325° for 1 1/2-2 hours til fork-tender; baste occasionally. Remove beef to server, reserving cooking liquid; cover and keep warm.

SAUCE Place large zip-lok inside bowl. Pour in cooking liquid. Carefully snip off bottom corner of bag, and drain liquid into saucepan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening. Discard fat. Cook liquid on med-high; reduce to about a cup. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon k/salt, honey, and lime juice.

Cut beef diagonally across grain into thin slices; plate.

SERVE with sauce, sprinkling of chopped cilantro.

[Liz]

These would be good with the brisket. Every diner at Trump's DC hotel restaurant "BLT" gets these w/ a pot of butter and a sea salt shaker.

BLT Steak House Famous Gruyere Popovers

Complimentary popovers arrive w/ butter pot and sea
salt shaker......and the recipe. Recipe makes 12 popovers.

ING 4 cups milk, warmed 8 eggs 4 cups Gold Medal flour 1 ½ heaping tbsp. salt 2 ¼ cups Gruyère cheese, grated

METHOD Place popover pan in oven. Heat the oven and pan to 350 degrees. Gently warm milk, and set aside. Whisk eggs until frothy, and slowly whisk in milk (so as not to cook eggs). Set mixture aside. Sift flour with salt. Slowly add dry mixture, and combine until mostly smooth.

FINAL Once combined, remove popover pan from oven and spray with nonstick vegetable spray. While batter is still slightly warm, fill each popover cup three-quarters full. Top each popover with 2 tb grated Gruyère. Bake 350 deg 50 min, rotating after 15 min. Remove from oven and liftout to server.

Serve immediately w/ butter pot and sea salt shaker.

[Liz]

If you have any leftover brisket, make this outrageously deliciously version of the famous Banh Mi sandwich.
At the end, you can also drizzle over a lime/cilantro salad dressing if you have it.

ASSEMBLY Add/combine 6 tb mayo to brisket juices. Spread on 3-12" split baguettes, top w/ brisket slices,
matchstick carrots, thin cucumber spears, shredded daikon, thin-sliced scallions and coarse-chp cilantro.

Slice the sandwiches in half. SERVE

[Liz]

This recipe turns the home cook into a French confectioner.

Orange Marzipan Balls

METHOD Fill well in center of 7 oz box almond paste w/ tb triple sec, zested orange. Knead together. Form bite-size balls.

COATING Dip candies into cup melted coating chocolate. Liftout; drip-off excess.

FINAL Roll in sweetened coconut flakes. Dry/set on parchment. TOOL TIP: fork w/ two center tines bent up makes dipping a breeze.