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.

_____________________________________________________

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

[Liz]

Make way for autumn. Apple pie you can really sink your teeth into.
Snickerdoodle cookie crust, apples, cream cheese, crumb topping.

Snickerdoodle Cream Cheese Apple Pie

CRUST ING lb 1.5 oz pouch Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix 1/2 cup butter,softened
Cream Cheese Filling 8 oz bar cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, Tablespoon flour, Teaspoon vanilla, 1 egg
FILLING 1 1/4 cups canned apple pie filling, chopped 1/2 Tsp cinnamon

METHOD work cookie mix/butter into crumbs. Press about 2 c crumbs into bottom/up sides greased 9" pie plate. Bake 10 min.

TOPPING Add Tb melted butter to rest crumbs, toss/combine.

CREAM CHEESE LAYER Beat cream cheese smooth, sugar and flour. Mix well. Add vanilla and egg, beat smooth.

FILLING Stir/combine apple pie filling, 1/2 Tsp cinnamon.

ASSEMBLY Layer in cookie crust, cream cheese, then chp apples (get more apple--less thickened filling on cr/cheese).
Sprinkle crumbs over evenly. Bake 30 deg about 35 min, top is golden. Let cool completely, refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

[Liz]

IOWA STATE FAIR boasts nearly 200 food stands and over 80 delectable items available on-a-stick. 2019 new foods include:

Apple Cider Shake Up
Apple Explosion
Apple Fritter Funnel Cake
Apple Nachos
Apple Slices With Fresh Ground Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
Apple, Cherry, Blueberry, Pecan Or Pumpkin Pie Shakes
Bacon Wrapped Pig Wings*
Bauder’s Ultimate Bacon Crisp (Ice Cream)
Beignets
Berkshire Bacon Balls
Berkshire Bacon Balls BLT
Big Grove Brewery Deep Fried Apple Pie Craft Beer
Boozy Apple Pecan Caramel
Breakfast Sandwich-Egg, Corned Beef And Cheese Biscuit
Breakfast Skillet Tots
Butter Cake Shake
Campfire Cracker Jacks Caramel Sundae
Caramel Apple Bites
Caramel Dipped Pecan Pie On A Stick
Chicken Bacon Ranch Poutine
Chicken Fajitas
Chicken Fried Tacos
Chicken Parmesan Stick
Chicken Street Tacos*
Chocolate Brownie Waffle Stick
Cookies And Cream Wonder Bar*
Court Avenue Brewing Co. Corn Dog Ale Craft Beer
Deep Fried Deviled Eggs
Dill Pickle Popcorn
Double Pork (Pork & Bacon) Poutine
Farmer Jon’s Cookies-N-Cream Popcorn
Farmer Jon’s Honey Caramel Popcorn
Farmer Jon’s Vanilla Caramel Popcorn
Fire Truck Punch
Flix Brewhouse Strawberry Sparkle Poney Craft Beer
Fried Avocado Slices
Funnel Fries*
Georgie’s Roast With The Most Wrap*
Jalapeno Popper Pizza*
Kickin’ Chicken Tots
Lemon Peppermint Sipper*
Monster Cookie Popcorn
Non-Fried Pickle Poppers
Orange Creamsicle Milk Shake
Orange Peppermint Sipper
Peach Empanadas
Pete’s Steak Popper*
Pork Strip Basket With Seasoned Fries, Creamy Cheese Sauce, Bacon Bits And Chives. Spicy Sriracha Sauce Is Available.*
Rainbow Poutine (Sriracha Sour Cream, White Cheese Sauce And Guacamole)
Ranch Hand Steak Salad
Reclaimed Rails Brewing Co. Funnel Cake Craft Beer
Dessert Poutine(Sweet Waffle Waffle Fries Drizzled With Chocolate And Spicy Honey Topped With Italian Sweet Cream Cheese And Candy Coated Pecans)
Scotch Eggs
Senora Dog (Hot Dog)
Sirloin Beef Tip Sandwich
Slaughter House (Pork Belly, Pulled Pork & Bacon) Poutine
Slow Roasted Half Chicken Dinner
Smoked Ham & Eggs
Soft Serve Cookie Dough Cones
Steak Fajitas
Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Chimi
Super Dog
Tangled Onion Pork Po-Boy
The Chief (Navajo Bbq Fried Bread Stuffed W/ Beef Brisket, Coleslaw, Drizzled In Salsa Cream)*
The Chinese Sweet Corn Cup
The Colossus*
The Corn Stalker Cocktail-Specialty Drink
Walt’s Lemonade Creamsicle Slushie
West O Beer Tee’d Off! Shandy Craft Beer
White Cheddar Popcorn
X-Treme Balls*

[Liz]

Impressive layered cake that softens and sets up in the fridge as it chills.
Easily made in the AM, chilled, then served at dinner. Nice for guests.

Chocolate Caramel Icebox Cake

ING 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder 13.4-ounce jar dulce de leche
3 1/2 cups heavy cream 9 chocolate wafer cookies 24 ladyfinger cookies
Garnish 1/4 cup crushed chocolate-covered espresso beans, or cookie crumbs.

PREP Whisk /dissolve espresso powder and 1/4 cup hot water. Add to 3 c h/cream beaten to med peaks.
Add the espresso ; beat very stiff about a min.

ASSEMBLY Arrange chocolate wafers into 9 1/2X4" rectangle in center of flat platter (fill gaps w/ broken cookies).
Spread 1/4 cup espresso cream on top. Drizzle with dulce de leche.

Lay 8 ladyfingers flat across cream layer, then 1/3 coffee cream mixture, drizzle of dulce de leche.
Repeat twice. Spread the top layer of cream evenly over top and down the sides to cover cake completly.
Saran and chill 8-24 hours.

FINAL remove saran from chilled cake. Spread more whipped cream on top. Drizzle w/ dulce de leche.
Sprinkle with crushed espresso beans or cookie crumbs

[MomwithHope]

OK this is a cross post - I posted on the garden thread too. (Where we see Liz a lot)

I came up with this a few weeks ago and I have made at least 6 times. If this is not the best wrap you've ever had I'll eat the plate under my lunch. Let's see, I'll call it -

Crunchy Chicken Wrap

Delicious with La Banderita low carb tortillas. They actually have some flavor. In a bowl mix up some diced leftover chicken breast, it doesn't take much. This was a marinated (mostly soy based) and grilled one.
Add some thin sliced sweet onion, one sweet banana pepper sliced thin, one diced cherry tomato, some small cubes of a good jarlsberg cheese, mix in bowl. Sprinkle with a good shredded parmesan. I used what I had on hand. Stir again and put in the tortilla skin. Put on some of the cilantro lime sauce I found at Costco, not too heavy. Fold up the tortilla from both sides, pressing together tight is good. I let sit a few minutes. I could eat one every day.

[Jamestown1630]

That looks very good. I can probably find the sauce; but lately we haven’t seen the low-carb tortillas and wraps we used to get.

[MomwithHope]

Yeah I could not find our local store chain brand of low carb for many months so I got the LaBanderita ones.

[Liz]

That recipe looks OOTW.......gotta get me some of that cilantro lime crema.

Amazon has quite a page of enticing cilantro lime products.

CHECK IT OUT HERE.

www.amazon.com/s?k=cilantro+lime+crema&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhdTqBRDNARIsABsOl999dYHwLjG7GffHsepiBKIuKVNtlS_XgYtbTPjZ9R3bmqwyv_nOs50aAgzREALw_wcB&hvadid=376147730334&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1021995&hvnetw=g&hvp .

[Jamestown1630]

We went looking for the ‘crema’ in your recipe at our grocery store, and couldn’t find it. But while we were looking, my husband remarked that it sounded a lot like the sauce for Peruvian Chicken that I posted a while back from ‘dot2trot’s’ website. I liked this sauce very much and it might work as a replacement for those who can’t find the one in your post:

Green Sauce For Peruvian Chicken (dot2trot)

Ingredients

(Note: lasts about 3 days in the fridge)

3 Jalapenos or 1 Hatch/Anaheim pepper, stem & seeds removed, roughly chopped

1 C Packed cilantro (leaves and stems)

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 Scallion, chopped

½ C Mayonnaise

¼ C Full Fat sour cream

1 tbsp. Lime juice

½ tsp. Sea salt

Pinch ground black pepper

2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the garlic in the olive oil until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add all the remaining sauce ingredients to a food processor or blender until well combined. Be sure to scrap down the sides as you go.

Add the olive oil and garlic and blend until smooth.

Place the sauce in a covered container and refrigerate until needed.

https://dot2trot.com/easy-spatchcocked-peruvian-chicken/

[Liz]

Caffè Shakerato For Two Italians or One American: Combine 3/4-1 cup fresh-made espresso (2 long shots) or strong-brewed coffee with sugar to taste (hot espresso dissolves sugar quickly). Add to pint Mason jar 8-10 ice cubes (crack if large; about 1/2 cup total); shake vigorously til jar feels cold. An American drinks from jar w/ straw. An Italian strains it into two glasses (no ice). The foam is prized; spoon off and reserve; pour the drinks, then divide up foam.

Caffe Latte Shakerato Make shakerato above, adding milk to taste before shaking.

Caffè alla Salentino - A specialty of the Salentino area in Puglia Make Caffè Shakerato; sweeten with Italian almond syrup (latte di mandorla--not American-style almond milk). Orgeat syrup is similar to almond syrup; some versions include a bit of orange or rose essence.

Caffè Freddo alla Vaniglia Make the same way as Caffè Shakerato but sweeten with vanilla syrup or vanilla liqueur.

Caffè Macchiato Freddo / Italian version of a Frappuccino. Blender/mix 3/4-1 cup espresso (2 long shots) or strong-brew, 1/4 c cold milk, 1-2 tb maple syrup, 3/4 cup ice cubes (cracked if large). Blend smooth. Latte Macchiato Freddo / reverse proportions of Caffè Macchiato Freddo. Blender 1/4 cup espresso or strong-brewed coffee, 3/4 cup ea cracked ice cubes, cold milk, tb maple syrup.

[Jamestown1630]

I still dream of Sorrento...

[Liz]

Sigh.......

[Liz]

I highly recommend this when you want a super, delicious dessert with coffee.

White Raspberry-Filled Cake

CAKE Bake pkg white cake mix as per pkg cake for 2-9" layers. Cool/ halve into four layers.
Spread 16 oz can raspberry filling between layers, then cream; chill 30 min. Frost sides.
SERVE sauce drizzled over top; garnished with fresh raspberries.

FROSTING whip 2 c h/cream, 1/4 c conf, tsp vanilla to soft.

SAUCE Combine 1/2 c raspberry jam with tb warm water.

[Liz]

Delightful addition to holiday cookie trays, Save this one.

CHERRY JEWELS / Makes about 36 cookies.
You can sugar the baked cookies---adds a nice crunch---but it's not necessary.

METHOD Cream 1/2 c butter, 1/4 c sugar; beat light/fluffy. Add egg yolk, tsp lemon zest, tb ea l/juice, o/j, tsp vanilla; beat well. Gradually blend in 11/4 c sifted cake flour; chill. Shape inch balls; roll in 3/4 c fine-chp nuts; set on buttered sheetpan. Press candied cherry half in centers. Bake 350-deg 10-12 min. Remove immediately; wire rack cool.

[MomwithHope]

This thread is growing! I've been too busy in the kitchen to cook.
What ?!?!?!?!?! Canning, blanching, vacuum sealing, freezing, dehydrating, managed to put a pork loin on the charcoal rotisserie. Used our new meat slicer to slice it thin after it cooled down. Vacuumed froze 6 bags of slices to warm up for sammys in the winter time. And today I finished up with the dehydrator for the year, and just put a boneless leg of lamb on the rotisserie. Will have some for dinner and the rest sliced thin and freeze for the winter. We don't grill in the winter anymore. Have plenty of veg put up but not enough protein. I've been copying some great sounding recipes.

[MomwithHope]

Hot off the spit.

[Liz]

Mouth-watering.

[MomwithHope]

Even the netting looks edible. LOL. We like it pink in the middle and we let it sit for 1/2 an hour at least. We get all our lamb at Costco these days, quality and a great price. I prep it the way my dad did, make a bunch of X’s (10 for this one) and shove a garlic clove down in. Rub with olive oil and I made a rub of pepper, salt, Lawry’s seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder, a tiny bit of rosemary, Montreal steak seasoning, and dry chimichurri spices.

[Liz]

Quick breakfast wrap...eat running out the door or at your desk. At room temp its still delicious.

METHOD Have a small skillet ready w/ tsp or so of melted butter. Scramble 1-2 eggs in a bowl w/ s/p then into the pan to cook for 45 sec.

Swirl the egg around like a crepe so it's all one, super-thin layer, flip just to set (not cook) the underside.

Now slide it into a tortilla; roll it all up with maybe ham, turkey, cheese, a handful of spinach if you have it on hand.

Eat it as you run out the door. Or wrap it in foil and bring it to work. Even at room-temp, it's still satisfying.

[Jamestown1630]

That looks good.

[Liz]

You could jazz it up.......add thin slices avocado.

Maybe add condiments like bottled red pepper relish for heat.

Or the night before..... make a condiment of minced fresh green peppers, black olives, and scallions steeped in a bit of olive oil.

The latter is also good on a sub.