Cat in the Hat NYC

Adrienne took on the challenge of making a Cat-in-the-Hat Hat cake after she had checked with 2 bakeries and they wouldn't couldn't do it. Mike ordered the pans. Adrienne bought cake mixes and confectionery sugar and red food coloring. We made the cakes Friday night, placing all 6 in the oven at one time. Because some of them were close to the oven wall they rose a little unevenly, but that turned out to be a good thing. We tried freezing the cake So it would frost better but that really didn't help. Saturday morning and we are getting ready to ice the cakes. 2 white and 3 red. It is close to 10:00 and the frosting is still pink after adding 2 full squeezey bottles of red food coloring. Adrienne goes to Gristedes and buys them out red decorator icing and that worked. 5 layers on a ruffle plate, long bamboo skewers in the middle to keep them from sliding, and cool candles. Adrienne accomplished her first children's party cake. Now what to do with all of that cake! I am sure I made cake for the kids, but Adrienne didn't remember any. I'll have to look through the pictures to prove I was a good birthday cake mom. I should have paid better attention when my mother was alive and. /or had her make the cakes. Maybe there will be some clues in the recipe file and i can still learn. Or maybe I'll tackle marzipan. But you can't stick your finger in marzipan, or ice graham crackers with it, or bite it like Alesandro did after the singing. Buttercream icing is still the best!

Recipe #8 Seafood Puffs

"Try this recipe ...as served at Boston's famous seafood cafes! (frozen fish from California, go figure.) I think the taste was fine, meringue tartar sauce, but I overcooked the flounder and had too much lemon when I baked it.

1 pkg. Captain's Choice Fillets
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 egg separated
Dash cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped pickle
1 tablespoon parsley

Partially thaw fillets. Combine mayonnaise, pickle, pepper, parsley. Beat egg white until stiff; stir in egg yolk. Combine with mayonnaise mixture; spread evenly over top of fish 2 minutes before end of broiling. Broil 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce has puff and is golden brown. Serve immediately. Makes 1 cup sauce, enough to cover 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe #7 Hungarian Goulash

Picked this recipe because beef was on sale at Kroger and it is a wet cold winter day and requires a stew to bring some warmth to the day. I just love reading recipe hyperbole. "Men like it because of it's stick to the ribs qualities; women are intrigued by the use of spices, especially the paprika." mom over wrote the papika, I can't tell if she used more or less. Same thing with the tomato paste.

3lbs. Beef shoulder (cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes)
1T. Shortening
1T. Bon Appetit (celery salt, onion salt, garlic, msg.)
2 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Garlic powder
1tsp. Black pepper
1T. Paprika
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup water
3 slices bacon
3 medium onions
3 medium potatoes
2 green peppers

Brown the beef on all sides in shortening. Combine seasonings and sprinkle over meat uses. Add tomato paste and water; stir. Lay bacon strips over top and cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Cut onions, potatoes and peppers into medium size pieces and add to meat. continue cooking until vegetables are tender. Makes about 3 quarts or 6 to 8 servings.

Canned

I found out that people have pretty strong opinions about Spam. My father said mom's Spam with cloves and brown sugar glaze was the best. My sister said it was awful. My husband was pretty sure he did not want to try it. It couldn't be worth eating because his mother never cooked it. Vince, from Triology, Velvet, and Longboards said oh yeah it's great especially with a Hawaiin twist. I asked my friends and invoked memories of other mystery meats: deviled ham, Vienna sausages, chipped beef, beans and franks, and military rations.

I sliced it thin and pan fried it and then baked it with a mushroom sauce and a baked egg. I fixed the leftovers to give to dad, baked Spam with cloves, brown sugar, and pineapple. I could eat it again, but why?. At $2 something for a 7 oz can why wouldn't you buy a boneless ham or a regular ham for less and skip the processed taste, fat, and salt.

New Orleans Revisited

The page from the October 1960 Woman's Day was definitely a find. I had just enough leftover Bienville sauce to dress up 6 Oysters Rockefeller and also use it in the sauce for Thomas Keller's "Oysters & Pearls" = oyster tapioca pudding and it is yummy! The recipe calls for 1/3 cup of whipped cream, but I ran out of cream and used stiff whipped egg white. That worked and made it have a few less calories.

The Egg's Hussarde were a big hit with Lenny. His only complaint was that I skimped on the Marchand de Vin sauce. It said a spoonful and I probably put on 3 tablespoons; but being the gravy lover that he is that wasn't enough. Tonight I will make it up to him when I serve it with beef tenderloin and sauted mushrooms.

I am anxious to move on to recipe # 7 but have not decided whether or not to introduce Lenny to SPAM.

Recipe #5/6 Brennan's Eggs Hussarde

When we went to New Orleans in 2000. We almost ate at Brennan's. We were a group of about 17 people various ages and tastes. It was late and wall to wall people. we were there for the Orange bowl that Virginia Tech was playing in. The group can't make up its mind, but Matt went in and asked about us getting served. They said yes and were going to open up a side room. But the group moved on, thinking it would be too expensive. We should have stayed.

I made the Marchand de Vin sauce today, and didn't think it had any depth to it. I checked Julia, no help. I checked Joy, and they started with a brown roux and added Demi glace at the end. I made the roux, added the sauce, added a cube of Demi glace and now I am happy with the taste. We'll see tomorrow how it is with the eggs. Joy says the sauce is meant for steak.

Brennan's Marchand de Vin Sauce

Combine the following ingredients, all finely chopped: 1/2 pound mushrooms, 1/4 pound ham, 4 shallots, and 1 onion. (Another onion may be substituted for the shallots.) Stir in 1/2 cup beef bouillon and 1/2 cup red wine. Mix 1/2 tablespoon flour to a paste with a little water and add it to the first mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly. Simmer for 20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes enough for 6 to 8 servings.

Brennan's Eggs Hussarde

On individual serving plates put a piece of Holland rusk. Cover the rusk with a slice of cooked, lightly broiled ham cut to fit, and pour over the ham a spoonful of Brennan's Marchand de Vin sauce. Cover the sauce with a slice of tomato, peeled and lightly broiled if desired, and on the tomato arrange a poached egg. Top with a dollop of Brennan's Hollandaise Sauce.

Recipe #4 Arnaud's Oysters Bienville

I found a folded page in mom's fish and meat envelope of her recipe binder for recipes from the French Quarter. On the page I googled the ad for Lydia O'Leary's Covermark to try to find a year. It looks like Covermark is still being made. The website says that Covermark was the only foundation ever given a patent. Also Lydia invented it to cover a birthmark on her face that prevented her from getting hired. I wonder if makeup artists still use it today?

After searching for a date, I was placing the page during the late 1950's but then after I looked again at the page, the date is right there at the bottom = October 1960. Despite a comment by an aquaintance that "all the food in New Orleans tastes the same!" the article states: "Americans go to New York to do the theaters, to Washington to see the White House. They go to New Orleans, quite simply, to eat."

After I selected Arnaud's Oysters Bienville, I had to do another google search for the recipe because the amount of onion was vague. At Arnaud's there are oysters Bienville, Rockefller, Kathryn, Suzette, and Ohan...mushroom, spinach, artichokes, peppers/pimentos, and eggplant\andouille sausage based sauces. What is the problem with eating just a plain oyster?

Back to the page in hand. In addition to Arnaud's Oysters Bienville there are recipes for Antoine's Oysters Rockefeller, Brennan's Eggs Hussarde, Commander's Palace Crab Meat Imperial, and Dunbar's Stuffed Squash. Do you think that if I send a self addressed, stamped envelope as it suggests for more of these restaurants recipes that Woman's Day would send them to me?

Arnaud's Oysters Bienville is definitely a keeper!

Prepare the sauce first: brown lightly in 3 tablespoons butter 2 minced onions. (I used 2 tablespoons of onion.) stir in 3 tablespoons flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is lightly browned. Add gradually 1 1/2 cups chicken consommé, 2/3 cup white wine, 1 cup minced raw mushrooms, and 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked shrimp. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes.

Open 3 dozen oysters and put them in their deep shells on individual, ovenproof baking dishes. A bed of rock salt will help keep the shells firmly upright. Bake the oysters in their own juices in a moderate oven (350* F) for about 6 minutes. (I used a 400* oven on broil per another recipe.)

Thicken the prepared sauce with 2 egg yolks beaten with 2 tablespoons cream and heat the sauce without allowing it to boil. Cover each oyster with some of the sauce and sprinkle with equal parts of dry bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. Return the oysters to the oven for about 10 minutes, until the topping is browned.

I served this on retro divided diner plates, 4 oysters on the small section and on the larger section Romaine lettuce (from my garden) duck proscuito and feta cheese salad with balsamic vinegar and EVO. YUM!

Play with your food

Also in Borden's Chateau Cheese booklet is a page about forming it into carrots, little pumpkins, and the like. If I still have the Velveeta when Leanna comes to visit we'll use it instead of Playdough!

Recipe # 3 Creole Eggs

This next recipe comes from a booklet printed by Kraft Foods Company, no copyright date, "Casserole cookery with Protein-Rich cheese". it gives you a description of Old English "sharp", American "medium-mellow", and Velveeta "rich yet mild" and 7 recipes. To make Creole Eggs I used the eggplant creole I used previously for the Chateau Chops, the Mexican Velveeta for the cheese, and DID NOT use peas. Until today I had not baked an egg, but had wanted to try. I was pleasantly surprised that after 30 min in a 350* oven the white was set and the yolk runny. If I were to make this dish again I would use regular shredded cheddar cheese. Nothing in the house is exempt from my theme of use it or lose it, so I pulled out my French Onion soup dishes being as I don't have any individual gratin/casserole dishes. They worked very nicely once I wrapped the handle with a napkin. Nice Saturday brunch of creole eggs, salad,and Perrier.

Creole Eggs

2 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped onion
3 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1/2 cup diced celery
1 bay leaf
Salt, pepper
3/4 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 cup cooked peas
1 cup shredded Kraft American
4 eggs

Combine the tomatoes, onion, pepper, celery and bay leaf. Cook slowly until the celery is tender. Remove the bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the bread crumbs and peas. Into four individual casseroles pour part of this sauce, and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat, using the remaining sauce and cheese.

Make a depression in each casserole, and break an egg into each. Sprinkle eggs with salt. Bake in a moderate oven, 350*, 30 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

A tossed green salad is a delightful accompaniment to any of these casserole cheese dishes.

100 saltines make a pound

Last night we went to Still and had fab apps. I found a new favorite - warm duck salad. I asked Mike if he knew what Chateau cheese was and a suitable substitute. Answer was Velveeta. He checked an old loved cookbook (thus the reference to a penciled comment of 100 saltines equals a pound) and googled for the answer.

Recipe # 2 Chateau Cheese Chops

After much web browsing and consideration I decided to use Velveeta in place of Chateau. Partly because I had it on hand and partly because it sounds like the closest thing. My search for the answer to what exactly was chateau cheese took me through many websites, eBay postings of ads, Life magazine ads, and an article with a picture of a real cow claiming it was invented by a Canadian. So, Elsie and I decided to make Chateau Chops with horseradish sauce. The recipe comes from a 16 page booklet with lots of recipes and advice on how to use Borden Chateau cheese printed in 3-1951. I've got Pandora Frank Sinatra station on, going to get an old apron with ruffles, and the martini ready to go to greet the mister when he comes home. I did cut the recipe in half and placed the Velveeta in the freezer for about 15 minutes for easier grating. I should have left it in a little longer.

The verdict is "pretty good". I did use Mild Mexican Velveeta as a substitute for the cheese and chives. Half a recipe made 6 two inch cakes. Mom had cut out the same recipe from a later source and it suggested the horseradish sauce or creole sauce. I thawed some eggplant creole from the freezer and recommend serving it with both. I liked the creole better as a contrast, my husband liked both. I would serve them as an appetizer or maybe a lunch item with a salad as a "meatless" meal as the recipe suggests.

Chateau Chops
(Makes 6 chops)
1/2 lb Borden's Chateau coarsely shredded
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley or chives
2 eggs, beaten
1 2/3 cups cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers)
Mix together all the ingredients. Shape like chops. Brown chops on each side in a little hot fat in a skillet. Serve hot with Horseradish Mustard Sauce, made by flavoring 2 cups medium white sauce with 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard and 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish.

Recipe # 1 Waldorf Chicken Salad

I picked this recipe because I always make chicken salad for our lunches for the week. First problem the recipe is for a "mold" not salad! It's 8:30 pm and requires chilling the gelatin and I am not sure my husband will go for a mold. Here goes, we will see how it turns out.

Here's the results. I made half with the gelatin & half without for regular salad.For one thing "mold" when you have a cold and are trying to tell your husband to check the mold translates to something growing on the food. The gelatin chilled quicker than I expected & I had to whip the heck out of it to get it smooth. The plus side of the mold is it creates a silky congealed salad  that spreads easily on crackers, the down side to me is the texture - it really needs the cracker.

Score = 86

59 in 2012

The reason for this blog is a decision to make at least 1 dish a week from my mother's recipe collection. 59 actually because it seemed like a good number being as I actually turn 59 this year.
Mom died 2 years ago and it has been a slow process to help dad clean out the closets, drawers, and cupboards. Now my closets, etc. are overflowing and I don't know why I am compelled to hold on to everything that was hers. I will never be the seamstress, crocheter, knitter that she was, but I have always thought I was a better cook. Everything we every ate growing up was boiled and uninspiring. But when I look through her recipe collection, I am amazed at all of the recipes that she cut out or wrote down from magazines and friends. It is evident that at one time she was creative in the kitchen. The other thing that strikes me when looking at these recipes is there are a whole lot of foods and cooking methods and essentials that we take for granted. There are a little booklets on how to grill food in aluminum foil, cook using cream cheese, and.....
So this will not only be a food adventure but a food history lesson.