Monthly Cooking Thread - October 2019

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve had a request from Freeper MomwithHope to post this month on ‘Hearty Fall Fare’ - and even though it’s still hot here in DC, with Wednesday threatening record-breaking temperatures, the leaves are falling and the trees are beginning to morph into their Autumn glory. We can smell Fall.

One of my first posts to FR, before I officially began this cooking thread, was about Virginia Peanut Soup. I can still remember how surprised I was on tasting it - while there was little in the soup other than peanuts, it was so rich and the flavor so unexpected. I originally posted a link to a recipe that was non-dairy:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/virginia-peanut-soup/14444/

But here is a recipe, enriched with cream, from the King’s Arms Tavern in Williamsburg:

https://www.history.org/Almanack/life/food/fdpnutsp.cfm

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I’ve been interested in things to do with nuts, and recently remembered a recipe for spiced nuts from ‘Russel Wright's Menu Cookbook’, written by the industrial designer’s daughter, Ann Wright, from her memories of growing up; these would go nicely with drinks in front of your first hearth fire of the season:

Margaret Spader’s Chinese Spiced Walnuts

6 C. Water

2 C. Walnut Halves

½ C. Sugar

1 tsp. Hot Pepper Flakes

2 C. Salad Oil (any vegetable oil without a really pronounced flavor.)

Kosher Salt to Taste

Bring water to a boil in a 2-qt heavy saucepan. Add walnuts, reheat to boiling, and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under hot running water, and shake to drain well.

Turn the walnuts into a bowl, add the sugar and pepper flakes, and toss to coat the nuts.

In a heavy bottomed saucepan or electric skillet, heat the oil to 350 degrees. (Oil should be about 1 inch deep.)

Add half the walnuts, stirring occasionally, and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a cloth towel (not paper as the hot nuts have a tendency to stick) or place the nuts in a colander over a deep bowl, so that the oil drains off. Sprinkle lightly with salt and toss gently to keep nuts from sticking together.

Fry the remaining walnuts. Keep tightly covered, these should keep for 1 to 2 months in the refrigerator. Makes 4-1/2 cups.

If you’re into Low-Carb/Keto/Paleo, here is a savory spiced nut without sugar:

https://www.thespruceeats.com/spiced-mixed-nuts-3058563

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Also from The Spruce Family, here are some clever but easy patterns for carving jack-o-lanterns:

https://www.thespruce.com/free-jack-o-lantern-patterns-4061776

(The painting at the beginning of this post is Camille Pissarro's 'Harvest', 1882.)

-JT

[Library Lady]

This sounds great and Keto friendly.

[pugmama]

I did this dinner on the weekend and it was really a great fall menu. The polenta and sausages for a crowd was terrific.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/27/dining/dinner-party-david-tanis.html

[MomwithHope]

Yes and a big serving of kraut is always good for you. I call it nature’s brillo pad.

[MomwithHope]

Here's that white turkey chili recipe. One I actually wrote down although I use twice as much garlic at least.

[Jamestown1630]

I like polenta - it’s like grits with more flavor.

[MomwithHope]

I remember getting cream of wheat for breakfast sometimes. Did not like it - I think it was the texture. I don’t like peanut butter either, too pastey. Could be why the grits did not impress me.

[Jamestown1630]

Well, different strokes (I didn’t like cream of wheat either :-)

Have you tried polenta?

[MomwithHope]

No, I guess I really have a mush-aversion. I do like roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a yam every now and then.

[Jamestown1630]

Try that roasted garlic smeared on buttered, toasted Italian or French bread :-)

[Liz]

[Calvin Locke]

"You know: I can’t stand people who won’t give away their recipes."

Reminds me of:

Yet, the Chef who has had the felicity to succeed in turning out an original and skilful preparation approved by his public and producing a vogue, cannot, even for a time, claim the monopoly of his secret discovery, or derive any profit therefrom. The painter, sculptor, writer and musician are protected by law. So are inventors. But the chef has absolutely no redress for plagiarism on his work; on the contrary, the more the latter is liked and appreciated, the more will people clamour for his recipes. Many hours of hard work perhaps underlie his latest creation, if it have reached the desired degree of perfection.

- A. Escoffier, "A Guide to Modern Cookery"

[right way right]

Yum.
I’m going to make that pork and Sour kraut for my wife tomorrow.
I think I will add some bacon.

(I always add bacon)

Thanks for the easy one.

[boatbums]

Ah, the colors and smell of Fall! One of the MANY things I miss since moving from North Carolina back to Florida.

[Jamestown1630]

I’m not sure that still applies, at least in the US.

If a recipe is published in a book, it seems to me that it is copyrighted. Outside of quoting it under’fair use’ in a review or otherwise, with attribution, I think you are liable if you quote it verbatim and claim it as your own.

(Admittedly, though, cooking is one of those areas where everything gets fuzzy...change one measurement of an ingredient, and you’ve got a new recipe :-)

[boatbums]

Decided that I’m making lentil soup this weekend. Sure it’s still over 90 degrees here in Florida, but I’ve waited long enough for Fall!

[boatbums]

My hubby's from Yonkers and he LOVES sauerkraut mixed together with buttered egg noodles. Ick!

Now, the best recipe for the topping of knockwurst, bratwurst or wieners is:

1 lb. bacon, cook until crisp, remove from pan to a paper towel lined plate. Crumble when cool and set aside. Leave bacon grease in the skillet

2 large Spanish or white onions sliced thin, cook in skillet with the bacon grease on low until golden. Season onions with a little salt and pepper and saute until wilted. Add a tablespoon of white sugar and cook on low until golden. When onions are done, turn up heat to medium and stir in 1-2 lbs. of rinsed and well-drained sauerkraut. Cook covered another 10-15 minutes. Before serving, stir in crumbled cooked bacon. Makes plenty to top enough “dogs” for a crowd.

P.S. This is about the ONLY way I will eat sauerkraut.

[mylife]

Yum!

[boatbums]

Heck... bacon grease in grits are great!

[MomwithHope]

That sounds like it would be great on a hot dog or kielbasa. Hungarians I knew once loved cabbage and noodles. Just shredded sautéed cabbage, real bacon buts, buttered noodles added at the end. And just a little sour cream mixed in.

[mylife]

Never throw away bacon grease!

Now the way I make kraut is put it in the crockpot, brown kl
kielbasa and add that with fat, add brown sugar and caraway seed, and here is the secret....

cut up some peeled granny smith apples and put that in there.

That apple takes all the funk off.