If Only Vlad the Impaler Had Better Taste in Food.

One of the most famous gothic horror classics is Dracula, written by Bram Stoker, published in 1897, and retold by Hollywood too many times to count.  Stoker claimed that the story came from his own mind, however, scholars have suggested otherwise.  While visiting the University of Budapest, Stoker met with Professor Ármin Vámbéry who was an expert on the Ottoman Empire.  The professor, supposedly, suppled Stoker with tales of the empire, Vlad the Impaler, and the horrors of war during the 14^th century. 

Vlad was ruler of Wallachia which is actually south of Transylvania, but both part of the country of Romania.  Previously, during his father’s reign, he, and his brother Radu, were held hostage by the Turks.  Vlad, after becoming king himself, was finally able to defeat the empire, but many years later on, and via betrayal, was captured by the Turks again, and beheaded.  Hmm, perhaps a bit of history on the Ottoman Empire would explain Vlad’s leaning towards his own horrific acts of torture. 

The Ottoman Empire, aka the Turkish Empire, controlled much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa between the 14th and early 20th centuries.  It was brought down, at the end of WW2, for being aligned with the Nazi regime.  The empire was mainly Islamic Caliphate/Muslim, but also contained Christians, Jews and other religious minorities. However, during its 600-year existence these non-Muslim subjects endured discrimination, persecution, torture and death.  Anyone reading, or listening, to the daily world news will probably think, “Nothing seems to have changed much in that regard.”.

Leaping into the 18^th century, King Charles XII of Sweden, ended up living in the Ottoman Empire after his assault on Russia ended in mass defeat.  While there, he lived a better lifestyle, more suited for a king, than Vlad had endured; and that included feasting on Turkish cuisine.  Once he returned to Sweden, he brought with him a recipe for “little meatballs”.  The recipe for kötbullar, or Swedish meatballs, first appeared in print in the 1760s, Guide to Housekeeping for Young Women, by the cook Cajsa Warg. Warg worked for a family that had been close to the king, and her book also contained the first recipe for the dolma-like stuffed cabbage kåldolmar.  What is dolma?  Short or medium grain rice mixed with ground lamb (or beef), finely diced vegetables, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses and spices, wrapped in grape or cabbage leaves, and boiled till liquid is fully absorbed.  King Charles also introduced his subjects to sherbet and Turkish coffee; the sherbet was a hit, the coffee, not so much.

Traditionally, Swedish meatballs are served with boiled or mashed potatoes, and lingonberry jam.  Why the jam?  Cultural superstition!  While the foods of the Turkish empire were intriguing, the people were considered to be heathens, and unclean.  The Swedes believed that using lingonberries would ward off all types of cancer, and other deadly infections, that they might “catch”.  Sounds ridiculous now, but this was the 18^th century, and medical sciences were not very advanced.

Since the meatballs are served with a brown gravy, substitutes for potatoes are rice or noodles; with pickled cucumbers as a side dish.  Of course, lingonberry jam is still a staple.  The meatballs are generally made with ground beef and pork, similar to making Italian style meatballs.  However, using ground turkey, instead of the pork, brings a more savory flavor to the meatballs, but that is my experience anyway.

 

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs:

2 lbs. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork (or ground turkey)

1 cup whipping cream (or whole milk)

1 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 eggs beaten.

1 small onion, finely diced

2 tsps. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

3 tsps. ground black pepper

6 Tbsp. butter.

Gravy

4 Tbsp. flour

1 cup whipping cream

2 Tbsp. beef bouillon

Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients for the meatballs, except butter.  Mix together well, with hands, and do NOT overmix.  Form the meat mixture into 1-inch balls (1-inch ice cream scoop is helpful).

In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter on medium heat.  Place meatballs into skillet, leaving room between each for turning.  Cook, and turn every 1-2 minutes, to brown all exposed areas. Remove to paper towel covered plate to drain excess fat.

To make the gravy, whisk flour into the hot drippings remaining in skillet. Whish in cream and bouillon; simmer, on low heat, until thickened. Add salt & pepper to taste, but should not actually be needed.

Makes 50 meatballs, and 10 servings.

Mary Cokenour

 

Sloppy Joes Are a Delicious Mess.

 March 2023 came in like a lion, so should end peacefully like a lamb.  Yes, the snow is very much appreciated, but did it have to come all at once?  We, like many others, just do not have any clue as to where to put the shoveled snow any longer.  The piles have become so high, but with the sun shining down the past couple of days, they are melting and compacting downward.  We can actually see outside our kitchen window again!

With joints aching, I bet, like myself, prepping to cook meals was something not looked forward to.  So, the go-to item, that makes it less painful, is that wonderful invention, the crock pot.  All ingredients go inside, set the temperature, pop on the lid, and it is all ready to eat in a certain number of hours.

Now it is March, so I decided to look up what foods happen to have a silly national day devoted to them; and sloppy joes day is on March 18^th.  Perfect!  The origin of the original sloppy joe recipe is very much in debate; being very popular will do that.  One theory of the origin is that in 1917, Havana, Cuba, bar owner José "Sloppy Joe" Abeal y Otero put together a sandwich of ground beef mixed with stewed tomatoes.  In 1937, Ernest Hemingway (yes, I am one of those readers that enjoys his writings) convinced Joe Russell, a bar owner in Key West, Florida, to rename his Silver Slipper bar, Sloppy Joes, for serving a similar sandwich.  However, the Heinz company said the “loose meat sandwich” was invented by a cook, named Joe, and sold in Sioux City, Iowa, in the 1930s.  …and yes, there are a few more stories, with origin dates from the 1930s to 1950s.

 

Whatever the truth is, this sandwich is easy to make, messy to eat, and a favorite in the majority of households throughout the United States.  On “Big Bang Theory, it happened to be one of Sheldon Cooper’s favorite meals, along with a side of fries. Alright, he ate it using a knife and fork, but still, we all know it was a messy sandwich to deal with, but he loved eating it!

 

Sloppy Joes can be made in one pan on the stove, or in the crock pot. While basic ingredients are meat, tomatoes and a sauce; other veggies can be added to boost up the nutritional value, and it is fun to eat!!! It can be stretched to feed a large family; especially with the addition of a side salad or macaroni and cheese. I made a crock pot of it during one, of many, snow storms, and Roy could not wait to dive in. Umm, to eating the sloppy joes, not the crock pot itself; just want to clarify that.

By the way, did you know that sloppy joes make great nachos?  A couple of days later we were in the mood for nachos, but out of ground beef which I had used up for the sloppy joes. Hold on I thought, sloppy joes have ground beef, tomatoes, chile peppers; all I really need to make nachos is to add beans, mix and pour over the tortilla chips. One big difference, instead of Mexican seasoning, there was barbecue sauce and it was delicious! The barbecue sauce was zesty and smoky; but the beans, shredded Mexican mix cheese and sour cream gave the illusion of chili.  

 

Homemade Sloppy Joes

 

Ingredients:

3 lbs. lean ground beef

1 small onion, diced

¼ cup each of diced green bell and red bell peppers

1 Tbsp. non-salt seasoning mix

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

4 cups barbeque sauce (KC Masterpiece, Bullseye, Sweet Baby Ray’s are the best choices)

12 sandwich buns

Preparation:

In a large skillet, high heat, brown the ground beef.  When partially browned add diced onion, bell peppers, seasoning mix and garlic; mix well and fully brown meat; drain off the excess oil.  Place in a 4-qt crock pot; add in remaining ingredients (except the sandwich buns) and stir well.

Put on the lid, set temperature, and try to be patient while it cooks.

Low heat – will cook in 4-5 hours.

High heat – will cook in 2-3 hours.

 Makes 12 servings.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

Dumplings or Lumplings?

 “Asleep he rides the range.

On a saddle that has seen its better days.

And hear the coyotes call.

They sing the sun to rest as evening falls.”

Cowboy

Recorded by Eddy Arnold

Written by Harry Shannon and Ron Fraser

Growing up, and learning about American History in school, the books used did not go past the Mississippi River.  Surprisingly, when my son was in elementary, middle and high schools, the history books used were the very same ones that I had learned from.  American History began with the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock and ended with the Vietnam War; and no mention of any of the states west of the Mississippi.

Being a “latch-key kid”, my best friend, and babysitter, was the television, and I would watch westerns like they were about to go out of style.  I loved the cowboys, and the indigenous people referred to as Indians, the ramshackle towns with the sassy, brassy female tavern owners.  The gun fights were exciting, as well as the posse going after the villain.  Oh, but the landscapes, how wondrous were they!  I never thought I would actually get to see the states where out of this world landscapes were the norm, and now I live there!

Of course, every good western had the chuck wagon rolling along with the cattle drive.  Huge cast iron pots elevated over roaring fires, steam rising up from whatever was being cooked.  The men sitting around with empty bowls, full bellies, and then someone would pull out a guitar, begin strumming, and the singing would begin.

Cattle Drive near Looking Glass Road

 

What I wanted to know was, what were they cooking, eating, and was so good?  Picking up a copy of The Cowboy Chuck Wagon Cookbook, by Kelsey Dollar, I was hoping to be educated on this subject.  Published in 2003, and even though the author has been born, raised and lived in the southwest, I had much doubt that the cowboys of the 1800s ate as well as the recipes listed in this manual.  I could imagine rabbit or venison stew, beans and potatoes, but zucchini bread and banana cake?  I just could not imagine zucchini plants and banana trees growing amongst the sage and rabbit brush.  Of course, chuck wagons did have basic staples such as beans, rice, potatoes, flour, sugar, and seasonings; maybe some dried fruits, hardy vegetables and herbs.  Then again, I am an east coast gal who learned about the southwest via Hollywood invented shows and movies, so what did I really know?

Anyway, back to the cookbook; eyes closed, flipping the pages, and my finger landed on “Aunt Polly’s Dumplings” (page 80).  Depending on the area you might have been raised in, dumplings are very different in definition.  There are the Asian based dumplings which appeared in the January 13, 2023 issue of the San Juan Record; have you tried making those yet?  In the Slavic areas of Europe, pierogies, filled with meat or cheese, were considered a dumpling.  In the British Isles, and America, though, a mixture of salt, water, fat and flour created a very lumpy batter.  This batter was separated into portions and dumped into a simmering stew or soup; hence, they were called either lumplings (due to the batter texture) or dumplings (due to being dumped into a cooking pot).  Of course, with the invention of baking soda and baking powder, plus an increased use of milk and butter, the totally edible, and very enjoyable, biscuit was created.

So, as I watch the snow being plastered onto my windows, the hankering for a hot and hardy helping of chicken and dumplings is feeling good right now.

 

Aunt Polly’s Dumplings

Ingredients:

Pinch of salt

1 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. butter

½ cup milk

1 egg (optional)

Preparation:

Mix top ingredients together like a pie crust. (I think they mean salt, flour, baking powder and butter) Then mix all ingredients together. (I think that means add milk and the optional egg)  Drop spoonfuls into your favorite soup. (For me, I top my chicken mixture) Cover.  Cook until centers are not doughy.

I realize the directions are a bit, huh?  However, I think the author is trying his best to imitate the style of a chuck wagon cook, in the 1800s.  Nothing fancy, just get ‘er done!

Mary Cokenour

Hungry? Eat Some pillows.

“Behold! I am Cashios, god of cash back!  Can you tell me where to find gnocchi?”, he asks of the grocery store employee stocking shelves.  Alright, this may just be another, let’s dumb down viewers’ minds, commercial, but still, how many know what food item he is looking for?  I do, I do!

We are talking about Gnocchi (nok-ki); light, small dumplings made from semolina or wheat flour, potatoes or ricotta cheese.  Tracing back their history to ancient Roman times (no wonder the commercial actor was dressed as a Roman), gnocchi is a popular dish, not only in Italy, but in coastal Croatia as well. The making of it is similar to pasta making; simple ingredients of a "flour", whether a ground grain or potatoes, egg and salt. Some recipes can be quite inventive, inducing cheese, sweet potatoes, or a vegetable such as spinach into the mix.

If you are pasta making challenged like myself, there are many brands of gnocchi available on the market such as DaVinci, Colavita and Don Peppe. Sold in one-pound packets, prices can vary from $4 to $8 dollars, depending on the type of market purchased from.

Interested in the attempt to make your own, here is how.

 

 Gnocchi

 Ingredients:

2 lbs. potatoes (not baking potatoes)

1 and ½ cups flour plus additional for rolling

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

Preparation:

Boil the potatoes in hot salted water until fork tender. Let cool before removing skins; put through a ricer or grater into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 and ½ cups flour, egg and salt; knead together until a ball forms.

On a floured board, cut dough into 6 portions; roll out each portion to a ¾ inch diameter. Cut the rolls into one-inch pieces; use a fork to roll each piece.

The best way to prepare gnocchi is by finishing them off directly in the sauce being served with them. They will pick up all the flavors of the sauce, so you will not be overwhelmed with just a flour or potato flavor for the entire dish.

 

Wanting to make a fancy meal to impress your hunny, for Valentine’s Day, a birthday or anniversary?  How about gnocchi in a sauce of browned butter, white wine and shallots. Shallots are basically "onion candy"; a delicate scent and sweet taste that will make you smile with delight, not cry your eyes out in pain.

Browned Butter Sauce with White Wine and Shallots

Ingredients:

 

4 Tbsp. salted butter

2 large shallots, diced

¼ cup white wine

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

In a large skillet, melt butter on medium heat; add shallots and stir occasionally to make sure butter and shallots are not sticking or burning. At same time, bring a large pot of water with salt to boil.

Remove skillet from stovetop and add wine; set skillet back on stove. Add gnocchi to boiling water; gnocchi will be ready when they float to the top; about 3-4 minutes. At the same time, the alcohol from the wine will burn off and the butter will begin turning brown. Strain the gnocchi well (water will dilute the sauce) and add directly to the skillet; let cook for 3 minutes, turning the gnocchi once in the sauce.

 

Plate and top with freshly ground black pepper.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Another sauce that is easy to make, and one to impress is one of my favorites, Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce.  I tweaked the original recipe by adding in four types of Italian cheese.  Again, this is a sauce that will be done by the time your pasta or gnocchi are cooked and ready to eat.

Creamy Four Cheese Tomato Vodka Sauce

Ingredients:

4 cups (32 oz.) tomato puree

1 and 1/4 cups heavy cream

½ cup vodka

¼ cup each grated Asiago, Romano and Parmesan cheeses

½ cup ricotta cheese

1 tsp. each garlic and onion powders

1 tsp. Italian herb mixture, dried and crushed

1 lb. hot, cooked pasta or gnocchi

Preparation:

In a large pan, on medium-high heat, mix puree, cream and vodka together; let cook until small bubbles begin to form around rim. Whisk in and continuing whisking until smooth, the four cheeses. Whisk in the powders and herb mixture; serve over hot pasta or gnocchi.

Makes 4 servings.

This sauce is lovely over lobster, or shrimp, ravioli, so if available, make sure to purchase a package, and experiment for yourself.  My taste buds, and my hubby’s were definitely very, very happy.  

Mary Cokenour

Pork Barbecue from a Crock Pot?

While we do own two smokers, they are not the type of equipment that can be set up and forgotten about; specific temperatures, wood supplies, and maybe even water in a pan must be maintained.  Considering the several feet of snow outside, and especially blocking the door to the shed, where the smokers are housed, they will not be used any time soon.

How to get a good pork barbecue if not using a smoker?  Believe it or not, but it can be done simply in a crock pot; a piece of equipment that can be set up and walked away from until ready to eat.

 

Attempts have been made using pork roast or tenderloin, however, Boston butt is the way to go whether using a smoker or not.  This section of pork comes from the upper part of the shoulder, on the front leg, of the pig; usually sold with the bone intact.  Unless you have plans for that bone, have your butcher take it out; why pay per pound for something you will more than likely throw away?  Sometimes the butt is sold with the bone already out, but the cost is more; I was very, very lucky to find a nice four pounder without the bone and on sale. Think about it, I have 4 pounds of meat as compared to perhaps 3 to 3 and 1/2 pounds after the bone is removed; definitely a bargain!  By the way, it is a given that the meat might have to be cut apart here or there to get the bone cleanly out; you want those sections!  If in a package, you will find them tied together into one big roast with butcher's twine; just remove the twine before cooking...well this recipe anyway.

Personally, most times I have found pork to be on the dry side.  To solve this problem, the meat will be brined, overnight, before cooking it. This salt water soak will help to open up the meat fibers to allow the fat, as it melts, to flow into the meat and keep it moist and juicy. It also allows seasonings, and sauces if simmered in them, to do the same thing.  If there is a lot of extra fat hanging off the butt, it is alright to trim some of it off as there is plenty within the Boston butt itself.  Now, when you are ready to begin the cooking process, set up a 6-quart crock pot (spray the inside with nonstick cooking spray) and set the temperature on low; place the brined Boston butt inside.  Some folks rinse the brine off the meat before cooking, but it really is not necessary, and the salt helps to flavor the meat itself.

Whether you use homemade barbeque sauce, or store bought bottled, make sure to add two cups of diced onions.  When all is cooked and ready to be devoured, you will appreciate the addition of those onions.  Cover the meat with six cups of sauce; cover and cook for 6-8 hours.  The meat should be so tender, it simply comes apart with a fork.  With my crock pot (Hamilton Beach 3 in 1 with tall, round crock pots), the four pounds of pork only took six hours before perfection was achieved.  Depending on how your equipment works, it could be the same or longer; but you want it so tender that it shreds without effort.

 

I serve up my pork barbecue sandwiches two ways; first off, large potato buns for both; the first way is simply with barbecue sauce on top.  The second, and our very favorite way, is with coleslaw layered on top.   In case you missed the August 3, 2022 edition, of the San Juan Record, here are the recipes for Coleslaw Dressing, and putting together Coleslaw itself.

Roasted Potatoes is a tasty side dish.

  

Coleslaw Dressing 

Ingredients:

2 cups mayonnaise

2 and ½ Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp.  lemon juice

3 Tbsp. white vinegar

½ tsp. ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

½ tsp. celery seed

Preparation:

Whisk all ingredients together in bowl until smooth and creamy.

To Make Coleslaw

In a large bowl containing 1 lb. shredded white cabbage (or ½ lb. white plus ½ lb. purple) plus ½ cup shredded carrot, pour dressing over; toss until all vegetables are coated.

Makes 8 servings of Coleslaw.

In case you have a good amount of barbecue sauce left over after the pork is all gone; put it into a plastic bowl and into the freezer for about an hour.  Any fat in the sauce will solidify at the top and you can scoop it off to throw away.  Seal the container, label it, and keep it in the freezer, up to six months, until you need barbecue sauce again.  Cooking it with the pork does not ruin the flavor, only enhances it.

There you have it, smoky, juicy pork barbecue, made in the kitchen, simply with a crock pot.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

 

Failure Still a Sweet Success.

When it comes to perfection, I am far from it, and proud of my quirks.  They make me unique, the square peg that does not fit into the round hole, and most of all, a character.  Enjoyment comes from attempting new things; little adventures that make life very interesting.  When it comes to cooking and baking, there are so many adventures that do not always end up as planned.

Take, for example, an attempt at making chocolate lava cakes.  You know, those little round chocolate cakes, that when broken open with a fork, liquid chocolate oozes out.   While downsizing older cooking magazines, I found a recipe, from Ghirardelli, for their Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes and decided to try it out.  All the ingredients were in the well-stocked pantry; but only needed to purchase another set of custard cups (safe for oven use) as I only had a set of 4 and the recipe made 6 cakes.

Now mind you, I am still not a big fan of baking from scratch; all that measuring and calculating, but I was up for giving it a go.  It was chocolate, so how wrong could that be, right? I followed the directions, made the chocolate that would go in the center of the cake and waited the two hours recommended. Then it was time to make the batter and assemble in the cups; easy peasy. Only problem is that, even tempering in the oven, beforehand, my metal tray decided to warp, so the cups could not sit on it properly.  I ended up balancing the cups on the oven's metal rack; the oval cups had no problem; the round ones kept me on my toes to make sure they stayed up straight.

 

After baking the required 15 minutes, the cups were moved to a rack on the counter for 5 minutes of cooling. I could see the cakes begin pulling from the sides of the cups as they cooled, so was happy no knife was required to help remove them. Inverting one cup over a dessert plate, the cake easily came out.  The chocolate smell was incredible!!!

 

 

Slowly slicing open the single cake, expecting to see molten chocolate ooze out; and what did I see? Cake; super moist, decadently rich cake, but no melted chocolate center! The melted chocolate had been absorbed into the cake batter as it baked and gave me...cake!

 

 

Maybe it was just this one, so I tried another only to find the same result. To the computer I ran to read up on molten lava cakes; some recipes had higher temperatures and less bake time; some had higher temperatures with more baking time. Many recipes incorporated the melted chocolate into the batter and baked them at the same temperature and timing as I had done. Cooking forums were a little more helpful than straight recipes; the conclusion was to use the same temperature, but lower the baking time to 10 minutes instead of 15. Ovens are all different and I guess mine baked quicker which resulted in the chocolate ball melting and then being absorbed into the batter.

 

So alas, my hubby and I had to bite the cake bullet with a whipped cream topping and sliced strawberry. Oh, the agony of defeat never tasted so deliciously sweet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...and here is the recipe and directions from Ghirardelli:

Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars

2 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup cake flour

Directions:

To make centers, melt 2 ounces of chocolate (1/2 a baking bar) and cream in double boiler. Whisk gently to blend. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. Form into 6 balls; refrigerate until needed.

To make cake, heat oven to 400°F. Spray six 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups with cooking spray. Melt 4 ounces of chocolate (1 baking bar) and butter in double boiler; whisk gently to blend. With an electric mixer, whisk eggs, yolks, sugar, and vanilla on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and light. Fold melted chocolate mixture and flour into egg mixture just until combined. Spoon cake batter into ramekins. Place a chocolate ball in the middle of each ramekin.

Bake about 15 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch (remember, with my attempt, the baking time should have been 10 minutes maximum). Let it sit out of the oven for about 5 minutes. Run a small, sharp knife around inside of each ramekin, place a plate on top, invert and remove ramekin. Garnish with raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

Makes 6.

Note:  Do NOT use baking chips for this recipe.  They are manufactured to resist melting quickly, so their shape and consistency will be maintained in cookies and dessert breads.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, maybe homemade chocolate lava cakes for yourself, and your sweet hunny, whomever it is?

Mary Cokenour