connieiscooking

I’ve talked about making homemade clam chowder for years – idle promises my husband would probably tell you. Somehow I never took the time to make it – or maybe I just hadn’t found the right recipe. And then I discovered a recipe in another one of those organization cookbooks that are on every shelf in my kitchen. You Ort To Cook is the name of the cookbook. I wish I could tell you when it was published. There’s no indication of what year anywhere in the book. I would imagine it dates back to the 70s when I was actively collecting cookbooks – especially when I traveled. Ironically I was once a member of the national organization behind this book – ORT, also known as the Organization for Rehabilitation through Training, which has chapters all over the world. I belonged to a chapter in Kansas City, Missouri back in the late 70s – not in Ambler, PA where this book is created. Nor have I ever traveled to Ambler, PA! In any case, it’s a great rendition of clam chowder, even better the next day. If you are a clam lover – you might add an extra can.

Clam Chowder

1 cup very finely chopped onion

1 cup very finely diced celery

2 cups finely diced potatoes

2 cans minced clams and juice

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1 quart half and half

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Drain juice from clams, reserve. Put all vegetables in a pot, pour juice over them and add water. Cover and simmer over medium heat until tender (about 20-25 minutes). In a second pan, melt the butter. Add flour, half and half, stirring constantly (use wire whisk for best results). Add the vegetables with the vinegar. Heat slowly stirring occasionally, but do not boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Yesterday was my husband’s birthday. So I pulled out an old St. Louis cookbook and searched for one of his all-time favorites – a beloved St. Louis recipe for Gooey Butter Coffee Cake. I found it in Cooking in Clover (1977), a cookbook created as a fundraiser for Jewish Hospital Auxiliary for Jewish Hospital of St. Louis. My copy is threadbare from use. Honestly I had a hard time finding it as its bright green cover is long gone. I remember making this decadent coffee cake a couple of times probably 40 years ago – not sure it was from this particular volume but knew the birthday boy would appreciate the effort! And it didn’t disappoint!

This is easy as it gets. Few ingredients, cake mix as the base – and a lot of powdered sugar – and you will have a scrumptious cake like none other. While its called a “coffee cake” – it would be the perfect dessert cake for a crowd! Believe it or not, copies of this cookbook are still available on Amazon and used book sites.

Gooey Butter Coffee Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

½ cup butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

Mix cake mix, butter, 2 eggs and teaspoon vanilla together until well-blended. Press into a greased and floured 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan making a 1/4-inch lip up the side of the baking dish. Beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, 2 eggs, teaspoon of vanilla and salt until well blended and pour over the top of cake batter. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 40 to 45 minutes. Cool. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar if desired. (Note, slice pictured is sans additional powdered sugar – wanted to make sure all the gooey layers were visible!)

I am finally going to see my three grandchildren face to face in May. It’s been a year since I’ve seen them – except on FaceTime. Like I always do when they visit, I plan Camp Nonnie which always includes crafts, cooking and games and more. Searching for ideas for the next camp “session” I came across several books by Vicki Lansky in my collection. Lansky was a best-selling author and publisher of cookbooks, parenting books, and household tips books; she passed away in 2017. Today I’m sharing her recipe for bird nest clusters from Vicki Lansky’s Kids Cooking (1987). They are an instant snack and one even little hands can master. Add marshmallow (eggs) or colorful jelly beans (think Easter). Vary the chips you use – try butterscotch and milk chocolate. And of course, if my grandchildren were making them, they would ask to add sprinkles!

Bird Nest Clusters

1 package (12 ounces or 1½ cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup peanut butter (“chunky” is better if you have a choice)

4 cups chow mein noodles (or a 6-ounce bag)

Colored candies or mini marshmallows (optional)

Put the chocolate chips and peanut butter into a large glass or microwave-proof bowl. Set the timer for 1 minute. Remove the mixture and stir. Place it back in the oven for 1½ minutes, or until chocolate chips are completely melted. Add the chow mein noodles. Mix the noodles by using one or two forks or spoons as though you were tossing a salad to get them evenly coated with the chocolate/peanut butter mixture. Lay a piece of waxed paper on two cookie sheets. Drop golf-ball size clusters on the covered cookie sheet to cool and set. Optional; add a few color candies or mini marshmallows as eggs to the nest. If you chill these in the refrigerator, it speeds up the hardening time so you can eat them sooner.

Note: keep them refrigerated as they can get slightly melty! And don’t kid yourself, you don’t need to be a kid to like these crunchy chocolate candies!

I had no idea today was National Margarita Day, Actually I had no idea there was such a thing. Coincidentally I had already planned to share this recipe for the classic Mexican cocktail today! Honest! When Covid-19 hit and restaurant dining was banned nearly a year ago, I set out to perfect several single-serve cocktails I used to enjoy when we were out and about. Sure, there are plenty of recipes for batches of drinks but I’ve been trying to perfect cocktails strictly for me, myself and I. Harder than it sounds, trust me! It’s helpful if you can find a mini measuring cup which includes both ounces and tablespoons for precise measuring. And a cocktail shaker is essential for all well-mixed cocktails.

I found this recipe in Mexican Cookery by Barbara Hansen (1980). Not sure this is the perfect version, but it will do until I find it. Note: I like to rub the glass rim in both salt and sugar!

Margarita

1 lime wedge

Salt

2 ounces tequila

¾ ounce Triple Sec

1 tablespoon lime juice

Ice cubes

Rub rim of glass with lime wedge, then swirl in salt to coat rim. Combine remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously, then strain into prepared glass.

Makes one cocktail. Try not to notice that yes, I took a sip before snapping the picture.

As far as I’m concerned, I can never have enough chicken breast recipes. So I was happy to find a simple one in From Generation to Generation, B’nai Amoona Women’s League Cookbook II (1989). My husband grew up in St. Louis, home of B’nai Amoona Synagogue, but I’m not exactly sure how this particular book ended up in my collection. Again those locally kitchen tested cookbooks are often better than the one’s by world renowned chefs. Thank you to Bernice Brusca and Florence Cohen who contributed this recipe.

This is one of those recipes that doesn’t call for any unusual ingredients; everything you need is on hand. And yes, the chicken breasts do puff up. “It reminds me of Shake ’n Bake chicken,” my husband commented. I admit it. I made Shake ’n Bake chicken in early years of our marriage – before I realized I could just as easily create my own coating mixture, like this one. For those of you too young to remember that famous commercial, a little girl proclaims: “Mama made Shake ’n Bake and I helped” – of course with an adorable Southern accent. You don’t need any help making this recipe!

Puffy Chicken Breasts

Boneless chicken breasts (in steaks or cutlets)

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Seasoned salt

Lemon juice or dried lemon peel

1 egg, or egg substitute

Water (amount equal to egg)

Bread crumbs

Margarine/butter

Wash and dry chicken. Season breasts heavily with all seasonings. Pour bread crumbs into a flat soup bowl; add additional seasonings, including lemon. In another flat bowl combine egg or egg substitute and water. Dip chicken breasts in egg mixture, then in seasoned crumbs. Place on cookie sheet lined with greased foil., Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovered. Cover with foil, bake an additional 15 to 25 minutes. Chicken breasts will pull up after covering with foil.

What’s not to like about mashed potatoes? The ultimate comfort food – they enhance any meal. I rarely serve conventional mashed potatoes without my homemade brown gravy. Unless I make garlic mashed potatoes like today’s recipe. This one is from Someone’s in the Kitchen with Dayton’s, Marshall Field’s, Hudson’s (1992). I can say that I worked for all three store chains consecutively. I first went to work for Dayton’s as a culinary specialist in 1996. That’s a fancy name for food demonstrator. That’s where I expanded my cooking chops and actually taught cooking classes. I loved that job and at the time, Dayton’s had an impressive gourmet foods section, along with a full-time kitchen staff that turned out soups, salads and an array of hot foods – everything from quiche and roasted chicken to meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes. These potatoes bring back some fun memories. Note, I’ve included tips in the recipe to make sure those potatoes are extra creamy! By the time I left in 2004, the formerly Dayton’s, then Marshall Field’s had transitioned to Macy’s. Sadly that kitchen closed up shop several years ago but the cookbook is still available on Amazon and other outlets. You’ll find favorites like Boundary Waters Wild Rice Soup, Mandarin Salad and more – for a trip down memory lane!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 ½ tablespoons salt

½ cup whipping cream

1/4 cup butter

1 heaping tablespoon chopped garlic

⅛ teaspoon white pepper.

Place potatoes in 3 quarts boiling water. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and boil for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat (reserve at least one cup of water) and drain. Transfer to a serving bowl. Place cream and butter in a small pan. Heat until butter is melted. Add garlic, remaining salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until mixture begins to boil. Add to potatoes. Using a potato masher, mash together ingredients. (Add extra potato water if potatoes are too dry and add additional seasoning as needed). Serve warm.

I’ve already declared my love and respect for the slow cooker – having worked for the creator of that handy dandy Crock-Pot. It’s ideal for soups, stews, chili and the like but I wouldn’t say the results are necessarily company-worthy. Until now. I discovered a recipe that produces restaurant quality beef ribs. Honestly, I’ve never prepared beef ribs – opting instead for pork. We were gifted with several racks of both and I have been trying to find novel ways to prepare them. This recipe is so outstanding that I would serve it at a dinner party. Furthermore it is super easy. The only caveat? It must be prepared a day in advance. Don’t expect great results if you try and make/serve it the same day!

I found the recipe in The Gourmet Slow Cooker Volume II (2006) by Lynn Alley and there are several others I can’t wait to try in this slim paperback cookbook – that is still available in bookstores on online. Beverage recommendations are included with every recipe!

The bones had already fallen off the ribs when I took off the lid after 7 hours of slowing cooking. I also was able to remove a thin layer of fat that clung to the meaty ribs. Here’s what you do next. Place the ribs, sans bones unless they are still attached, in a casserole dish, cover and refrigerate. Pour the sauce left in the slow cooker into a plastic or glass container and also refrigerate overnight. By the next day you will see an impressive amount of fat – probably as much as the remaining “gravy” – has risen to the top and you can simply scoop it out (it will be solid) and discard. Pour the now fat-free sauce over the ribs and reheat 20-30 minutes at 325 degrees. Meat will be fork tender and luscious!

Korean-Style Ribs

3 pounds pork or beef ribs, trimmed of excess fat

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup freshly squeezed orange or tangerine juice

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon finely minced or grated fresh peeled ginger

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

2 green onions, green parts only, thinly sliced, for garnish

Place a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the ribs and cook, turning, for 15 to 20 minutes, until browned on all sides. Transfer the ribs to the slow cooker. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, orange juice, vinegar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and brown sugar and mix well. Pour the sauce over the ribs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until the meat is very tender.

To serve, arrange the ribs on plates or a serving platter and spoon the sauce on top. Garnish with the sesame seeds and green onions.

Tip: Tropicana OJ won’t cut it. Pick up a small bottle of freshly squeezed OJ in your grocer’s produce section.

Love, love, love eggplant in any form or shape. Last month I posted a Baba Ganoush recipe that even eggplant haters would/should swoon over. I’ve tried numerous eggplant parm recipes over the years – some fried, some baked, some requiring salting slices, others weighing them down to remove excess liquid. No matter how I prepared the dish, the results were simply “eh”! So when I found a simple recipe for this eggplant favorite – it’s actually more an outline, giving you much latitude for how much or how little to use of certain ingredients – I had to try it. It’s in The Cook Book (1979) from the National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Kansas City Section. It’s another one of those locally produced cookbooks that benefit an organization and offer great recipes! I was a member of this group when we lived in Kansas City in the late 70s.

Cook’s notes: I used bread crumbs and liberally seasoned them with spices. I used fresh Parmesan cheese and sliced (with my mandoline) a block of Mozzarella cheese. And I wasn’t stingy about that cheese – see pictures below. The more cheese, the more gooey, melting goodness so each slice as as good as the next (unlike pizza). I keep frozen containers of homemade spaghetti/pizza sauce in the freezer. Let me know if you would like my favorite sauce recipe. You can easily sub in a good jarred or canned sauce.

Eggplant Parmigiana

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/2 cup flour or 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons water

Cooking oil

Parmesan cheese

Sliced Mozzarella cheese

Spaghetti Sauce

Combine flour or bread crumbs, salt, pepper and garlic power. Dip eggplant into beaten egg mixed with water and then in dry mixture. Brown (on both sides) in hot oil (you don’t need a lot – start with a couple of tablespoons and add more as needed), drain well on paper towels. Place eggplant slices on greased jelly roll pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, spoon on spaghetti sauce, top with Mozzarella cheese, spoon on more spaghetti sauce and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered in preheated 400 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

Added note: We ate this dish two nights in a row…and honestly it was even better reheated. Don’t think you’re a fan of eggplant? You will swear you are eating anything but!

I am seriously not a fan of this cookie dough – or do I blame it on my decidedly lacking baking skills? I’ve never made molasses cookies – a bakery favorite – and after my experience with this recipe, probably won’t do so again. I was struck by the fact that the recipe is eggless. If you’re considering  making this old-fashioned cookie, use a stand mixer. I did not. And I can’t help but wonder if the speed of the mixer  might have blended the batter better – made it more cohesive and not as crumbly!

I found the recipe  in The Grass Roots Cookbook by Jean Anderson (1974). I distinctly remember it as one I reviewed for the Kansas City Star years ago. It’s an interesting cookbook exploring regional recipes by cooks and bakers back in a day when everything was “made from scratch.” This recipe is one of Mrs. Willard Laurie’s favorite recipes from Bennington County, Vermont in the New England and Middle Atlantic States section. We do learn that Mrs. Laurie actually does have a first name – it’s Mary.

Rolled Molasses Cookies

4 ¼ cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

1 cup molasses

½ cup melted vegetable shortening

½ cup buttermilk or sour milk

Sift together the flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt: set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, molasses, shortening and buttermilk. Mix in sifted dry ingredients, about one-third at a time, beating after each addition. Divide dough in 3 equal parts, wrap in foil or plastic food wrap and chill about 8 hours or until firm enough to roll. Roll the dough, one-third at a time, very thin (about like pie crust) on a lightly floured pastry cloth with a floured, stockinette covered rolling pin. Cut with a 2½ inch biscuit cutter or in fancy shapes. Space cookies about 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheet.

Space cookies about 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets and bake in a moderate oven – 375 degrees about 8 minutes or until browned around the edges. Remove from oven and let cookies firm up a minute or so on the baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool. Let cookies “crispen” about 30 minutes before serving.

Makes about 7 dozen

Baker’s note: Find a better molasses cookie recipe. Preferably one made with eggs.

There’s nothing like a bowl of steaming cabbage borscht (it’s even better than chicken soup!) when you have a head cold or sinus infection. I’m grateful to Crossroads Deli for always having that favorite on their menu. Years ago I tried making it myself but I was disappointed with the results – and decided it was not worth the effort. But paging through The Gan Goes Gourmet (2011), a cookbook from my synagogue’s* preschool I came across Grandma Ethel’s Cabbage Borscht, submitted by the Grais family. I personally knew and loved Etheldoris Grais – as did anyone who came across the diminutive woman with a big name. She was well known throughout the Twin Cities for her cooking prowess. She passed away eight years ago but I immediately knew if Etheldoris supplied this recipe, it was going to be worth trying. And I wasn’t disappointed!

Cook’s notes: I used plain old water and added a tablespoon of Better than Beef Bouillon Roasted Beef Base for a richer flavor. I also cut the meat off the ribs and trimmed the fat before allowing the mixture to sit. I initially thought the broth was way too sweet but after refrigerating it overnight (which is a “must do” – do not eat this the same day you prepare it) I decided it was just right. Start with less sugar and taste as you go. Citric acid crystals are available in the bulk section of Whole Foods and many natural food stores. It’s an essential ingredient to give the borscht that desired sweet/sour taste. You can always add more. Yes, you can substitute lemon juice – but it won’t be as good!

Grandma Ethel’s Cabbage Borscht

2 pounds short ribs

1 onion, pierced

2 celery stems & leaves

4-6 parsley stems

1 clove garlic

1 bay leaf

3 peppercorns

3 quarts water or stock (beef, chicken or vegetable)

2 ½ pounds canned whole tomatoes

6 ounces tomato paste

1 can shoestring cut beets (I could only find sliced beets and simply cut them into shoestrings)

½ teaspoon citric acid crystals to taste

1½ cups sugar

5 cups cabbage, thickly chopped

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Add short ribs, onion, celery, parsley, garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns to water/stock and bring to a boil. Skim and turn short ribs to simmer until meat is done. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beets, citric acid crystals (to taste), sugar and cabbage. Cook until cabbage is done (15-20 minutes). Do not overcook. Let sit for 2 hours. Refrigerate to cool. Skim off fat. Reheat and serve. Best if it sits overnight. If too strong, add water, salt and pepper to taste.

*The Gan Shelanu Preschool was the first Jewish nursery school in Minneapolis. I am proud to say that all four of my children are graduates!