Monthly Cooking Thread - July 2020

[Jamestown1630]

I’ve been sick the last couple of weeks, and have had energy for the absolutely necessary – and the nice distractions!

I thought I’d share with you some of the things that have distracted me from my personal issues, and from the larger issues that most of us are facing.

I guess it isn’t a surprise that I’ve been drawn, for distraction, to people and places who aren’t really dealing with all the cr*p that many of us are. One of the websites I’ve greatly enjoyed has been ‘Whippoorwill Holler’, offered by Mr. and Mrs. Brown in Northeast Arkansas.

Lately, Mrs. Brown has begun a series on very fresh, cold Summer salads, and will be posting more. (And she has a really wonderful old ‘country-store-style’ kitchen, if you like that):

The Recipe:

Tomato, Cucumber, Onion Salad

4-5 medium cucumbers

1 onion

Bell peppers

Thyme, oregano, dill optional

3 tomatoes

1 cup water

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 t. Salt

1 t. Pepper

And how you do it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJRcsaw-GpM

________________________________

Another place that has intrigued and distracted me is Smith Island, Maryland - an isolated and endangered island in the Chesapeake Bay.

Mrs. Mary Ada Marshall and her husband Dwight have been longtime caretakers of the Smith Island way of life – and here is a video of Mary Ada making the Maryland State Cake, Smith Island Cake. The cake isn't so much a recipe, as a construction and presentation; so you can use any recipe you like. As my Granny did, Mary Ada seems to prefer Duncan Hines (and if you try to make this as one big cake and cut it into tiny layers, YOU ARE CHEATING!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpY-a6M4nOE

(Mary Ada also makes prize-winning crabcakes. She doesn't give that recipe away, but if you hunt her down on the Internet, you can mail-order them :-)

__________________________________

And finally, Animals! They can always distract us and remind us of what it means to simply LIVE, exuberantly, as creatures upon the Earth:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKwRW0l-Qk

-JT

[V K Lee]

You Tubes to share with those who might be interested.

IN THE WAR TIME KITCHEN AND GARDEN
Understand this is an 8 part series. *Find it posted by
various you tube users) Interesting commentary on life in
Great Britain during the five year long, WW2

Episode 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YELl6NM96g

Episode 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DwIWMTMTU0

Episode 3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6FQ9rQxets

Episode 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdAw2_laZXE

Episode 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqn2glcgmlM

Episode 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUVd_kH46n4

Episode 7
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M07uOfEfb8

Episode 8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoHXPPavb3g

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I thought many here would enjoy this easy, tasty recipe!

[Jamestown1630]

I think it probably needs more veggies to go with so much whale. And a house-sized cauldron.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

And BACON! ;)

[Jamestown1630]

Well, that would certainly be a tasty substitute for some of the BLUBBER that would be included in those tens of thousands of pounds :-).

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Diana's Summer Pasta Salad Recipe:

Prepare one 16 oz. box of tri-colored corkscrew pasta. Rinse and cool. Core, seed and chop up two paste tomatoes. Chop up one sweet red bell pepper. Use about 3/4 of a can of medium black olives, halved, and half a brick of Sharp White Cheddar, cut into small chunks. Chop up one medium green or yellow zucchini. Use 1 bottle of your favorite Italian Dressing (16 oz.) , a number of good shakes of Italian Seasoning and 1 Tbsp. Poppy Seed. Keep in the fridge, covered, but let sit out for a while before serving. (I think the flavors are better when it's at room temperature.) You're Welcome!

[mairdie]

Hope you’re well now and staying moderate temperatured in all this weather. Sorry to be late with get well wishes. Haven’t been to the thread this month. Saw this recipe on CTH and thought of your thread.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2020/07/20/recipe-for-perfect-pancakes/

Recipe For Perfect Pancakes….

Just made it through a Chinese drama series “The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty” by not sleeping for TWO nights and napping in the day. It’s from Jackie Chan, though he’s not in it, and only moderately action. What it has, amazingly enough, is everyone cooking Chinese food with closeups of the chopping and cooking. Expressions of caring revolve around food. I LOVE THIS SHOW!

[Liz]

A nice treat to store away in the fridge. Intense-taste, lovely texture, can overpower other flavors so keep that in mind.
The unwhipped mixture keeps refrigerated for over a week. Prepare it on Sunday and, during the week, you can
add a Caramel Cream touch to plain angel food cake topped with strawberries, or top a just-baked brownie, cake or pie.

CARAMEL WHIPPED CREAM

METHOD gently heat/melt 1/2 c br/sugar. Stir gently after it begins to melt; completely melt (becomes slightly darker).
Offheat gradually add 3/4 c 35% h/ cream (careful, it splatters). Then simmer/stir til caramel almost completely melts.
Add an extra 3/4 cup h/cream; BTB. Strain out unmelted caramel bits. Cover/chill 8-24 hours.

TO SERVE Elec/mixer desired amount to stiff peaks.

CHEF NOTES: Needs a degree of skill when melting the sugar. Proceed til sugar melts--no longer
or else you'll have burnt sugar. Mixture separates overnight but whips up beautifully when needed.

[Liz]

FR POST: the ADA is asking for stories about diabetes. (Keto)

FR Posted on 8/2/2020, 11:37:36 AM by Drango

Share Your Story | the ADA is asking for stories about diabetes.

Let’s send them some keto4diabetes anecdotes.

Lowered your A1C by restricting carbs? Tell them!

Link at ADA site.

[Liz]

Amazing low-carb vegetable casserole--- use low-carb vegetables that cook in the oven in less than 20-25 minutes, such as broccoli zucchini, asparagus, cauliflower, eggs and whipping cream as a base and then be creative with your veggies and spices.

Great low-carb vegetables to add: broccoli, spinach, kale, green beans….just to name a few.

INGREDIENTS 1 small zucchini 4.5 oz smoked salmon 1 bunch asparagus 6 large eggs cup whipping cream 35% fat sea salt, pepper, pinch nutmeg 5 oz grated Swiss, cheddar, gruyere anything that melts easily parsley

INSTRUCTIONS layer in oven proof casserole or baking dish thin slices or rounds of zucchini and asparagus. Add combined 6 eggs, cream and spices, top with grated cheese and bake 350 deg 20-25 min (eggs are set).

SERVE sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley.

NUTRITION Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 405mg | Sodium: 603mg | Potassium: 542mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2570IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 371mg | Iron: 4.3mg