Ghosts of Theatres Past.

 

Young's Theater

 

Opera House - Monticello Memories Calendar - 1988

 

 The Opera House aka Young’s Theatre has a history rich in entertainment.  Originally built in 1907, it was a community center for Monticellians to play basketball, put on plays, hold dances or watch movies (silent ones of course).  In 1918, a severe snowstorm dumped so much upon the building’s roof, it completely collapsed.  Along came Alfred Young, who built a new building, in a different location, and called it Young’s Theatre. Naming things after one’s self is definitely a way to be remembered.

The Theatre remained opened until 1931, and then was purchased by…, San Juan Record, May 10, 1934, page 5, “Marie M. Ogden last week purchased the Young show hall, a well-known building which has been idle for two or three years. It is expected that a community house will be made, that is, it will be converted into a place for her people to stop for rest while considering their future activities in this county.” 

However, in 1935, the controversy over the death of Home of Truth member, Edith Peshak, forced Marie Ogden to close the theatre, and it has remained closed since that time.  While the Monticello Community Foundation made many attempts to obtain funding, to renovate and save the building, it, sadly didn’t happen.  Now it is scheduled to be demolished as the San Juan County Public Safety Building Expansion Project plans to remodel and expand the existing facility, which houses the Sheriff's Department, courts, and corrections.

However, entertainment was not lost to the citizens of Monticello.  Mr. and Mrs. Claude Foy opened their first movie theatre, on Main Street, June 15, 1936. Then, in 1939, they opened a larger 120-seat theatre, located in the Moab Garage warehouse, which Mr. Foy also managed.   The first movie featured was “Young Mr. Lincoln”, with Henry Fonda. The seating was eventually increased to 225, and in 1953, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Randall bought the theatre, but alas, it too closed down.

 

The Little Theater - Cinema Treasures (https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/67616)

 

 

Personal story time!  Bill Boyle, editor of the San Juan Record, related, to yours truly, a story about his mother.  During the 1930s, she would go to the theatre daily, and with leading actors such as Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Robert Montgomery and Errol Flynn…hubba hubba, someone get me some cold water please!

In 2015, the San Juan Record’s editor hosted a haunted hayride, The Monticello Ghost Tour, and related ghostly stories of various buildings around the city.  This was one of the best events for Pioneer Weekend, so Bill, please bring it back, I’m begging you!!!  Anyway, the San Juan Credit Union, in 2015, was the former location of the movie theatre; the rooms over the San Juan Pharmacy (now Main Street Drug) were used for storage for the theatre.  Monticello was making headlines all over the United States when an armed gunman was noticed in the upper window.  A young police officer, Kent Adair (Monticello's long time Chief of Police for 34 years) deftly disarmed the culprit with an expert karate chop.  Only to find out he had knocked off the arm of "Rambo", a large cardboard display of Sylvester Stallone; Kent's call in to other officers..."The suspect has been disarmed."  

 

If you’re interested in seeing what The Monticello Ghost Tour was all about, go to my travel blog posting at: https://www.southwestbrowneyes.com/2015/08/hayriding-to-meet-ghosts-of-monticello.html

Now, after all that researching to find details and photos of the old theatres, I am hungry!  How about a comforting plate of creamed chicken over country biscuits?  The best part about this recipe is that you can make this dish over and over, but with different flavor enhancements.  This is a semi-homemade recipe, so using “cream of …” soups for the sauce making.  Two cans (10.75 oz.) of cream of chicken gives that downhome chicken taste that is so satisfying.  Use one can of cream of chicken and one can of cream of celery or cream of potato, you’ve got pot pie.  For a more savory taste, one can of cream of chicken plus one can of cream of mushroom; and adding some sliced mushrooms into the mesh won’t hurt either.  By the way, I boiled the chicken breasts, in salted water, over medium-high heat, about 20 minutes, and then diced it up.

 

Creamed Chicken

 

Ingredients:

1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can (10.75 oz.) cream of (see variations above)

1 cup half n’ half

1 (12 oz.) bag frozen peas, thawed and drained

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded or diced

Preparation:

In a saucepan or large skillet, over medium-high heat, combine contents of the soup(s) plus half n’ half, and whisk until smooth.

 

Two chicken breasts, boiled in salted water, then diced.

 

Add in peas, black pepper and chicken; stir and let cook until bubbles begin to form around interior wall of pan.

 

Serve immediately over biscuits, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Makes 6 servings.

So, put on a movie, and enjoy a bowl full of creamed chicken.  Um, don’t watch a very scary movie though, don’t want you throwing that bowl of food up in the air.

Mary Cokenour 

 

A Round and Crusty Old Soul.

Many a time I have written about a world renown comfort food called bread.  Every culture, every country, has a version that dates back historically to when grains were grown, ground and used to feed the community.  So, yes, it is a foundation for the continuance of a society, as is water, but why is it so comforting as well?

Scientifically, bread has a high carbohydrate content which contributes to the release of serotonin.  Serotonin is nicknamed the “feel good hormone” due its ability to regulate mood; namely feelings of happiness, well-being, and contentment.  It also promotes relaxation to induce sleepiness; interacts with cortisol and estrogen for hormonal balance, and influences cognitive functions for better learning and memory.

Remember when, at dinner time, a bread basket was always at the table.  Or, a basket of bread, crackers and butter was served at the table in restaurants.  Serotonin signals, to the body, when it is full, and helps to regulate digestion.  If you indulged the contents of that basket, now you know why you never did finish a complete dinner, and no room for dessert.

Serotonin, and the act of eating, is not all that makes bread comforting.   Baking bread can be therapeutic with its repetitive motions (kneading) which can relieve stress. Baking engages multiple senses of sight, smell, and touch. The aroma is associated with familiarity, tradition, gives a sense of security, and makes you feel pretty darned proud of yourself for creating something so tasty.

The focus of this article will be on Irish Soda Bread, but first a little information about round and crusty breads in general.  A "round, crusty bread" refers to a loaf shaped like a ball with a thick, crispy outer crust achieved through high baking temperatures and steam during the initial baking phase. While the crust of the bread has a firm crunch, the interior is an intricate webbing of ingredients that have been interwoven to create a softer and tender texture.

 

Types of rounds are the French Boule, Italian Ciabatta, Egyptian Sourdough (sorry San Francisco, but sourdough bread originated, in Egypt, around 1500 BCE), Irish Soda Bread and Basque (Spain) Sheepherder Bread (see San Juan Record, November 20, 2019, for full article).

…and now to my focus, Irish Soda Bread.

 

Irish soda bread is a quick bread made with baking soda, flour, salt, and buttermilk; no eggs needed. It is a traditional part of Irish cuisine that is often baked in skillets over coals.  Preparation is a one bowl mix, shaping the wet dough into a ball, placed in baking pan, and first baked at a high temperature, then finished off at a lower, yet still high, temperature.  This bread was created out of necessity due to the Irish Potato Famine of the 1800s.  Now here is a very interesting historical tidbit, this bread did not originate in Ireland, but from the Native Americans of the United States of America.  The natives used pearl ash which is a naturally formed “soda” from wood ashes, and acted as the leavening agent.  Their technique and recipe made it back to the Old-World countries, with actual sodium bicarbonate used instead of wood ash.  Sour milk was the liquid ingredient, but was later changed to buttermilk. Buttermilk reacts better with the soda to give an even rise, soft interior texture, and a tangy flavor to the bread.

Eaten plain, Irish soda bread is just that.  However, warmed up, smeared with butter and drizzled with honey, it becomes a perfect light breakfast, or snack for during the day.  It is best used for sopping up gravy and sauce from various dishes, such as stews, chili, and soups.  We even used it to sop up excess sauce from a stuffed shells meal, delicioso!

So, with St. Patrick’s Day coming soon, perhaps a round, crusty Irish soda bread to go along with the Irish stew, or corned beef and cabbage?

 

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

3 and ½ cups flour

1 and 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 and 3/4 cups buttermilk

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450F. 

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Gradually add the buttermilk, stirring with rubber spatula.  If dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour.

When dough is still wet, but not sticky, turn out onto a floured workspace. Shape dough into a ball.  Pat the ball in a round loaf to fit into a nonstick 9-inch baking pan. Place dough inside pan, but make sure it does not touch the sides of the pan.  Score an X on top of the loaf, approximately 1/4 inch deep.

   

Bake on center rack of oven for 20 minutes.  Do not remove pan from oven, but turn oven temperature down to 400F.  Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.  Cool on wire rack before slicing and serving.

Makes one round loaf.

Mary Cokenour

 

The Chicken Who Would Be King.

A number of times I have heard someone refer to my research techniques as being part ferret and part pitbull.  I believe I have always been like this, even as a child, being interested in a subject and wanting to know more and more about it.  Even now, my bookcases are filled with all kinds of books on the Four Corners states.  When writing my travel blog, I like to give accurate and historical insight to places we have visited.  Cookbooks?  I have one bookcase full of cuisines from all over the world.  With the knowledge available via the internet, I can dig up, and latch onto, more information than I know what to do with.  Gaining knowledge is like learning the tricks of a magician; something up my sleeve as you are distracted by another recipe to try.

So, as I began researching this newest interest in a chicken recipe, the information I found simply kept expanding.  Why?  Seems that from 1665 to 1972, someone, in some country was trying to take credit for its creation.  I cannot understand why myself as, no matter how fancy the added ingredients got, it still reminded me of one thing…Sh*t on a Shingle.  Yes, I consider this recipe the poultry version of Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast, just with some fancy veggies added in, maybe a drop of sherry or two.

While I attended university, this was a comfort food for me, along with shepherd’s pie, pizza and the greasier the cheeseburger, the better.  Ramen?  No, no, did not eat that dried out stuff when one could go to New York City’s Chinatown, and for five dollars buy enough food and eggrolls to last three days.  Try doing that now!

The name of the dish being referred to is Chicken A La King; small pieces of chicken and vegetables simmered in a thick cream sauce.  While some like to eat it over rice or egg noodles, toast cut into triangles is the more popular fashion.  It can be made from scratch, or semi-homemade using canned chicken, mushrooms and frozen vegetables; semi-homemade is quicker or course.

Back in 1665, the name of the dish was A La Royale, developed in France and served to royalty and aristocracy.  Even though it was mentioned in several cookbooks, no real written recipe ever appeared.  In the 1880s, Delmonico’s of New York City called it A La Keene, after Foxhall Keene who was an Olympic Gold Medalist in the sport of Polo.  But the Claridge Hotel of London claimed they named it A La Keene after Foxhall’s father, James, who was a famous horse breeder.  Sounds like a bit of father-son rivalry going on there.  The name change to A La King began in the late 1890s when the Brighton Beach Hotel, Brooklyn, NY, named the dish after their most popular patrons, E. Clarke King and his wife.  However, the Bellevue Hotel, Philadelphia, claimed it was created by hotel cook William "Bill" King.  When he died in 1915, his obituary stated that while he had no real claim to fame, his inspired recipe for Chicken A La King would be a testament to his cooking genius.  In 1972, James Beard inserted the recipe in his cookbook, American Cookery, called it Chicken A La King, and along with the chicken added mushrooms, green bell pepper, onion, and pimiento in a cream sauce with sherry.   …and that was that!

Now to ferret out an original recipe, and I am blown away how difficult that was. References to James Beard’s recipe was plentiful, but not available to look at unless the cookbook was purchased.  How rude!  I also found references to the same recipe on food blogs, but when looked for, surprise, no longer available for viewing.  How strange!  Then there were the celebrity, home cooks, food bloggers, etc. that claimed they were using an original recipe, but with a twist…the addition of peas.  No, No, No Peas!  Egads, just because Paula Dean loves butter and peas, does not mean you have to add them into every recipe.

This recipe is as close to original as I could come up with, and never got any complaints.

 

Chicken A La King

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted butter

8 oz. white or crimini mushrooms, rough chopped

½ cup diced green bell pepper (or mix with red and yellow bell pepper for more color)

1/4 cup diced onion

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups heavy cream

1 Tbsp. sherry wine (never use cooking wine, that stuff is full of salt!)

¼ cup diced pimentos

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

Preparation:

In a 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms, bell pepper and onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

  

Add in flour and stir until well incorporated in the vegetables. Pour in chicken broth, cream and sherry; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in pimientos and chicken; let cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until all ingredients become evenly hot.

   

 

 

Serve over cooked rice, egg noodles, toast, or biscuits.

Makes 6 servings.

 

To create a semi-homemade version of this recipe, use canned mushrooms and canned all-white meat chicken; drain the liquid for both, and chop up the mushrooms.  For the peppers and onions, I always have a frozen bag of the stir-fry ready variety, so a quick defrost and dice them up.  Simply follow the directions for the rest, and if you do not have pimentos, this dish has so much flavor, you will not miss them.

Mary Cokenour 

Comfort During Isolation.

Day 10, or is it 11…12, I have lost count, of quarantine.  Once again I have been asked to share a homemade meal, I posted about on Facebook.  I am sorry, but with my husband being an “essential” employee, we worry daily if he will become infected.  As much as I want to say yes to sharing, I do not know how I would handle the guilt, if someone became ill, due to being kind.

This is what life has come down to during the Covid-19 crisis.  Will the virus infiltrate our bodies; when will it be safe to go to a store or restaurant without worrying? Will the situation worsen to the point of having the military closing off highways, and nightly curfews?

My husband and myself post funny videos on Facebook, make up funny memes.  Laughter will lighten the mood, chase the tendrils of fear from lodging into the brain…we hope.  I encourage folks to watch my food vlogs on Youtube, few as they are.  I am a character, you will laugh while learning to cook and/or bake.

There are many articles being written about the virus; some with updated and factual information.  Some seem to be taken from a science fiction novel, and we wonder when the zombie apocalypse will be announced.  Health, state and other governmental agencies seem to have the best information.  Your cousin, coworker, neighbor down the street?  Not so much; do not take too much heed to rumors, especially when they seem to wallow in fear.  I am sure you have heard this many times, so off the soap box I descend.

So now to some comfort cooking that can easily be made at home; a savory soup for lunch or dinner.  This recipe almost became a product of the Progresso company, but it contained two, too many ingredients, so did not make the cut.  Cannot win them all, but you never know if you do not try, right?  The meatballs are a mixture of beef and turkey; the turkey actually gives a more tender texture to them.  An all-beef meatball has been tried, but seemed to be a bit too firm, when matched with the tender vegetables.  We have found that no other side is actually needed with this soup, no crusty bread or simple side salad; it is an all-in-one meal.

Once again, bored children at home; bored to insanity yourselves…be creative.  Write poetry or short stories; paint, draw or sketch pictures; stick figures count!  When it comes to meals though, become a master chef or baker, even if it is only in your own mind.  Children can be your sous chef, and who knows, one day they may even graduate from a culinary institute like the C.I.A.!  Never say never; chin up; especially when stirring the soup.  Yes, do not put your face into the pot, especially when the liquid is bubbling.

Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 medium onions, diced

6 cups beef broth

1 and ½ cups cold water

4 medium potatoes, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 (8 oz.) bag of baby carrots, cut in halves

2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 lb. ground turkey

1 tsp. each dried savory (or sage if you cannot find savory), garlic powder, onion powder

1 and ½ cups plain bread crumbs (dried, fine ground variety)

3 eggs, beaten

Grated cheese

Preparation:

Heat oil, on high, in a 6 quart stock pot; sauté onions till tender, about 3 minutes.  Add beef broth and water; bring to a boil.  Lower heat to medium; add in potatoes and carrots.

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl, combine beef, turkey, seasoning, bread crumbs and eggs.  Mix together thoroughly; form meatballs of about a 1 inch diameter; makes about 60 meatballs.

Place meatballs on baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes; just to brown the meat, not cook all the way through.  Dab each meatball on a paper towel to remove excess grease before putting into the stock pot.  Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are very tender.

When serving, sprinkle grated cheese on top of soup.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Presidential Mac and Cheese.

Macaroni and cheese has been around longer than 1937 when the Kraft Company put it inside a small blue and yellow box.  Traveling back in time to Italy again, remember, those Romans invented meatloaf, with two versions of the origin.

13^th Century Neapolitan cooks were using a recipe called “de lasanis”, sounds a lot like lasagna and for good reason.  Fermented dough sheets were cut into two inch strips, boiled in water, drained and tossed with grated Parmesan cheese.  Whole sheets were also used as a layer between other layers of cheeses and spices, an early version of lasagna.

However, Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, Mary Randolph, is credited for making the American version of macaroni and cheese.  After visiting Italy, Jefferson brought back a pasta making machine, and a recipe for a pasta dish, using Parmesan cheese.  His daughter changed the recipe and substituted Cheddar, as Parmesan wasn’t readily available in Virginia.  Jefferson was fascinated with Italy’s culture and cuisine, and named his home Monticello (pronounced Mont-eh-chello (like the musical instrument – Cello).  Its translation is “hillock” or “little mountain; in 1888, founding residents of Monticello, Utah (there are 16 Monticello towns in the USA) adopted the name for their town, but its pronunciation is Mon-ti-sel-o.  What can I say, Americans are hooked on phonics!

Why do we love macaroni and cheese so much?  It goes back to basic needs for nurturing and comfort.  The taste, smell, texture allows our brain to remember memories long past of being held, comforted, protected.  Then again, put a load of chilies or hot sauce in macaroni and cheese to kickstart memories of wild times that felt just as good as the comforting ones.

Basic recipe for macaroni and cheese typically uses one cheese, but my recipes usually aren’t typical.  Depending on how creative I feel like being, it could be 2-3-4, even 5 cheeses; made in a pot on the stovetop, or baked in the oven for a slight browning and crisping on top.  No matter how many cheeses used, it always begins with the making of a roux (fat plus flour), adding milk to create béchamel sauce (white sauce), then the mixing in and melting of the cheese(s). 

The recipe I’m going to be giving is for the stovetop, but can always be spread into a baking dish for getting that browned, crispy topping.  I named this version of my mac n' cheese "Heart Attack Mac n' Cheese" for a very good reason; anyone who tried it said, "Eat this mac n' cheese every day, and you'll end up having a heart attack!"  I used a friend as a guinea pig, who shared some with her son; she asked if there was any way she could get more.  I considered that request a great complement in itself, so of course gave her another container full.  By the way, I break a rule on making the roux by not using equal parts fat with flour, but once you taste this, forgiveness is easily given.  One more thing, as I'm making the sauce I'm also cooking up the elbow macaroni; that way it all comes together piping hot and fresh.

Ready for a heart attack?

Heart Attack Mac n' Cheese

Ingredients:

16 Tbsp. salted butter

1 cup flour

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp. fine sea salt

1 tsp paprika

4 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup crumbled goat cheese

2 cups shredded, extra sharp Cheddar cheese

6 cups cooked large elbow macaroni

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, melt the butter on medium-high heat (make sure to watch and not let burn or brown); begin whisking in the flour until well incorporated.  Continue whisking for five minutes as the roux begins to turn a golden color.  Add in the black pepper, sea salt, paprika, heavy cream and milk; bring to a boil. 

Immediately add in the Monterey Jack cheese and begin whisking until smooth; add in the goat cheese, whisk until smooth; repeat with the Cheddar cheese, but one cup at a time.

If you took my advice and cooked the macaroni while making the sauce, drain it, but put it back into the pot it was cooked in.  Once you begin adding the cheese sauce, the heat from the pot will keep it from clotting around the drained pasta.

 

Mix it all together gently; you don't want to smash or break apart the macaroni.  Now serve it up and enjoy; and we found out that even eaten cold, it was delectable!  Servings?  Good question and I'm going to estimate 12 to 16.  While I could only eat a half cup before going into "this is so good!!!" shock, Roy was able to eat a whole cup full and still want more.

Mary Cokenour