Monthly Cooking Thread - October 2020

[Jamestown1630]

I used to buy a really great bread flavored with dill at a local health-food/Co-op sort of place; but haven't been able to find it in recent years.

I recently purchased a book, the 'Herb Farm Cookbook', by Jerry Traunfeld:

http://www.amazon.com/Herbfarm-Cookbook-Jerry-Traunfeld/dp/0684839768

There was an interesting biscuit recipe in the book that seemed like it would go nicely with soup or stew, in the Fall (the book indicates that these are shaggy, firm biscuits, not fluffy ones):

Dill and Cheddar Three-Grain Biscuits

Makes 8 large biscuits

1 cup all-purpose flour (spoon and level; 4 1/2 ounces)

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup rye flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 T baking powder

1/2 t. salt

4 T. unsalted butter, slightly softened and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz.)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill

1 cup plus 1 T. whole or low-fat milk

DOUGH: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Stir together the flours, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the largest pieces are smaller than a pea (or pulse mixture in a food processor). Stir in the cheese and dill.

Pour in the milk and stir just enough to moisten all the ingredients. The dough should be soft enough to scoop with a spoon.

SHAPING AND BAKING: With a large spoon or your hands, form 8 large shaggy mounds of the dough, each a little more than 2 inches in diameter, and space them evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake the biscuits until they are speckled brown on top and deeply browned on their bottoms, 20 to 25 minutes. Let the biscuits cool slightly on the pan but serve while still warm.

_____________________________

It's apple season, and this Apple Caramel Cake recipe posted by the lady at Whippoorwill Hollow looks very easy, and very good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLxdp8fS3vY

________________________________________

I like watching animal videos, and was greatly touched by this man's story of his unique relationship with a goose:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tMNsQ32Jas

-JT

[Liz]

Why he was fired.....

The arrogant Kimball made a derogatory remark to one of the equipment testers ......
on-air he told the poor guy that his presentation was "grounds for firing."

Viewers were incensed..... Kimball lost a lot of good will.

[Liz]

Recipe is ideal for a joyful Christmas morning breakfast.
Feather light, crisp waffles, perfect foil for addictive hazelnut butter spread.
Spread of hazelnut Praline, butter, bit maple syrup, is delicious on warm biscuits, muffins or cornbread.
CHEF NOTE Use teaspoon instant yeast (or 1 ½ tea active dry yeast)

Belgian Waffles with Nougatine Butter

METHOD Warm/melt/on low 2 c whole milk, stick sweet butter in 8 pieces. Cool to lukewarm (100°F) then stir in tbl sugar,
2 lge egg yolks, 1/2 tsp vanilla. Mix smooth then add combined 3 c flour, 1/2 tsp salt, yeast; rubber spatula smooth.
Fold in 2 egg whites beaten to soft peaks. Cover/set 30 min. Depending on size fill heated deep waffle iron w/ 1 ½ c batter.
Bake crusty and golden. Keep warm 250 deg.

SERVE warm w/ dab of Nougatine Butter, conf sprinkle, maple syrup.

Nougatine Butter Blend w/ stiff rubber spatula smooth/creamy 2/3 c Hazelnut Praline,
6 Tb sweet butter, tea cognac, brandy or vanilla, 2 tea maple syrup. Cover/fridge 8-10 days.

[doorgunner69]

Birds: A year or more ago we were somewhat adopted by a Khalij Pheasant couple. They had been in the neighborhood strutting around and visited out bird feeding area. We had been feeding Grey Frankolins for quite a while, so these ground birds felt at home.

So far Karl and Karla have raised two families.

[Jamestown1630]

That’s a beautiful bird!

[Flaming Conservative]

Ok. I’m not sure when I’m going to make an attempt, but I will send the recipe to you. Actually, I’ll go ahead and give you the link. I would only be using the crust. I’d layer the apples, then pour the topping as I recall it -— 2 cups sour cream, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 beaten egg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and zest of 1 lemon. Pour over and bake. I’m guessing 325°F. Check after 30 minutes, to see if knife comes out clean.
Here’s the link for the cake -—
https://www.shugarysweets.com/swedish-almond-cake/

[lizma2]

Bet you remember this too! I thought this was soo cool.

[Flaming Conservative]

That sounds good, too!

[MayflowerMadam]

Aw... I do.

[Jamestown1630]

Our FRiend, nopardons, submits a recipe for Apple Fritters (with further comments on how to revise for Corn Fritters, after our back-and-forth over using canned corn or fresh :-):

Apple Fritters chez Nopardons

Peel and core 3 or 4 apples ( red delicious works well and what my family has always used ) and chop them up into medium or slightly larger piecs and squeeze a bit of lemon juice on them to keep them from browning.

Fritter batter:

1 cup of flour

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 egg

2/3 cups of milk

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

Mix all dry ingredients together and then add the beaten
egg and milk slowly, to combine the ingredients.
When the mixture is smooth, add the chopped apples, mixing thoroughly.

Drop teaspoon full of the mixture into already heated vegetable oil and fry until golden brown, turning them with a slotted spoon, so all surfaces get cooked.

Remove the fritters from the oil and drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle heavily with powdered sugar.
Some people do this with apple rings, but we’ve never done that.

For Corn Fritters, Nopardons continues:

“It calls for the corn to be boiled and then the kernels removed from the cob.

“I distinctly remember my mother draining the can of corn ( Delmonte ! ) into the fritter mixture.

“You can use the fritter recipe I sent, but add a bit more baking powder, 1 teaspoon of melted butter, a bit more salt than what was called for, a bit of pepper ( if desired ) and a small can ( or the medium sized one, if you want a lot of corn ) and fry up in veggie oil. I use Crisco and I fry my fritters in a large frying pan.

“My family always served the corn fritters with maple syrup, NOT powdered sugar.

“I love baked apples but I assume that everyone on the thread knows how to make them. :-)”.

[doorgunner69]

He is a character, fearless. Strolls right past our two outside cat visitors when he is hungry and wants attention.

[Jamestown1630]

That was my first cookbook.

They had a sugar cookie recipe that I tried, and at the time, I didn’t understand the difference between self-rising flour and regular flour; so I used self-rising (it was in the house), but otherwise followed the recipe.

Those cookies turned out so well that to this day, I still put extra salt in my sugar cookies ;-)

[Jamestown1630]

Nopardons has requested that I remind you to be sure to drain the corn, before adding to the corn fritter recipe, if you’re using canned corn.

I’m sure most assumed that - but she’s very precise and specific, like that; and regrets the omission of the point :-)

[Silentgypsy]

Thanks. I’ve put it on my desktop with your instructions for the topping.

[Flaming Conservative]

You’re welcome. The amounts are from memory. The amount of powdered sugar may be less. You might want to taste it after 1 cup of sugar. It shouldn’t be too sweet. I wish I could be more specific.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

At one time I had a REALLY old recipe book from the Carolinas. One of the chicken recipes involved plucking the chicken at the beginning.

[bgill]

Thanks for the Pepin deboning link.

Adding to that, cut the whole wing off and then into pieces and freeze. Eventually, there will be enough for a batch of hot wings for practically free. Store bought raw wings are simply too expensive for what is half bones. Too bad whole chicken prices are up so we’ve gone to just buying leg quarters.

We like chicken (boneless breasts or thighs) with a spinach stuffing with a homemade boursin cheese - cream cheese, dill, chives, parsley, garlic and pepper. Again, much cheaper than store bought.

Of course, as Pepin says, boil the carcass down. Makes for good soup stock with winter coming on.

Speaking of soup, I made split pea soup the other day and added some nasty canned ham just to use it up. I freeze fresh cooked and canned vegetable liquid for soup stock but freeze canned pea liquid in a separate container. It’s too strong for regular veg stock but works fine in pea soup.

[Silentgypsy]

Some of the Swedish recipes look amazing—can you recommend any of those pastries?

[Flaming Conservative]

Actually, I haven’t made any of them. I used to make a Swedish torte, which was layers of hot milk sponge cake, filled with raspberry and lemon filling (in separate layers). You can use seedless raspberry jam and cooked lemon pudding for the fillings. In Sweden, apparently they cover this cake completely with marzipan. I have never used marzipan, but it sounds yummy!
Of course, I’ve made Swedish spritz cookies. The internet or any comprehensive cookbook should have recipes for them.

[Liz]

I made a Swedish torte, layers of hot milk sponge cake, with raspberry and lemon fillings.......
use seedless jam and cooked lemon pudding. In Sweden, they cover this completely with marzipan.

OMG.....that sounds de-e-elicious. Recipe?

[Flaming Conservative]

It’s been 45 years. I don’t have a recipe. Here is an example of some Swedish backed goods available at the Swedish bakery back home (Rockford, Illinois). Those almond starlets at the bottom are what I was trying to explain the other day, plus a picture of the Swedish torte with marzipan.

Here’s a recipe for the torte, except they used a vanilla cream instead of lemon. I prefer the lemon, which can be lemon curd, or just plain old cooked lemon pudding mix.
Hope this helps!