This Little Piggy.

This Little Piggy

By Mother Goose

“This little piggy went to market,

This little piggy stayed home,

This little piggy had roast beef,

This little piggy had none.

This little piggy went ...

Wee, wee, wee,

all the way home!”

However, my little piggies ended up inside bacon, crescent roll dough and pancakes!

 

In 1957, a cute recipe appeared in the new Betty Crocker’s Cooking for Boys and Girls cookbook.  This cookbook was geared towards parents, alright, let’s be honest, the homemaker mom, to teach her children cooking skills.  Hotdogs were baked inside a bread dough, and enjoyed for lunch or dinner.  In 1965, Pillsbury introduced crescent rolls, and included a recipe for crescent roll dogs which added slices of American cheese to the process.

The name “pigs in a blanket” is another one of those “Who claims to have invented it first?” origins.  Essentially the “pigs” refer to sausages that were roasted, wrapped in rolls, and eaten by laborers.  This is traced back to Germany, around the 1400s (remember, they also invented the ever-popular hotdog) where they were called Würstchen im Schlafrock (translation: sausages in pajamas).  In the 1600s, the Irish, English and Scottish laborers were following the lead of German laborers, and ate these sausage rolls alongside meat pies and pasties.  In the 1900s, a recipe for “kilted soldiers” became popular for the Christmas holiday.   Small sausages, named chipolatas, were wrapped, and roasted, in bacon. The “cocktail” pigs in a blanket were basically born, and the bread wrapped version followed.

 

 

 

The breakfast style pigs in a blanket?  Grilled sausages wrapped in fluffy pancakes, drenched in maple syrup, breakfast style pigs in a blanket?  As far as I could ferret out of culinary sites, full of historical data, was linked to IHOP.  The first International House of Pancakes opened in a suburb of Los Angeles in 1958, and breakfast style pigs in a blanket was on the menu.  I have to presume that they got the idea from the 1957 Betty Crocker cookbook, revised it by using thinner pancakes for easy rolling, instead of bread or crescent dough, and it was a hit.

 

 

 

The concept of wrapping sausage inside some type of dough is worldwide, however, in America, hotdogs are used more often.  Sausage is primarily made with meat from the pig, while hotdogs can be all-beef, poultry only, or some combination of pork, beef and poultry.  For a meal, full length hotdogs, smoked sausages, or grilled brats can be rolled in dough, baked in the oven, and served with condiments and side dishes.  The cocktail style are the mini versions of the meats, again, also wrapped in dough and baked. 

 

Now making those is a lot of work, but there is a much easier way of course.  Purchase the full length, wrap in the dough and cut them up into bite size, individual pieces before baking.  First off, this is less work than wrapping those tiny “little smokies” or cocktail franks, and price wise, less expensive in the long run.  Do a price comparison, and depending on where you live, and prices charged at your favorite market, it probably will be less in price.  Also, compare your prices to buying the premade, frozen brands; make sure to check how many are in the package.  One can of crescent roll dough has eight pieces; one package of hotdogs is, usually, also eight.  After rolling the hotdog in the dough (make sure to seal up the dog completely), cut into four sections; that is 32 pieces.  Unless you are buying from a bulk store, the average size at a local market is 12-24 pieces, and the price is kind of high for the amount inside the package.  You are paying, for the convenience, of having the work done for you.

 

20 minutes at 375F.

Another plus, to making it at home, is you can add what you want; press shredded cheese, bacon bits, diced jalapenos, diced onions, or savory seasonings onto the dough, then procced with the wrapping and baking.  The dough is your canvas, now be a culinary artist!  As I have pushed in many of my articles, children at home, get them involved, and they do not have to be little ones.  Get those teenagers and college-aged to learn kitchen skills as well; prep work, creation, completion, and clean up!

 

Summer will be officially beginning soon, and here come all the summery events, parties, picnics and simply having fun in the sun times.  Do not forget the perfect little snack for all those times, pigs in a blanket.

 

Mary Cokenour

 

Oatmeal Any Time.

Oatmeal has been, well as far as my life time is concerned, been advertised as one of the best foods to have for breakfast.  On its own, oats are low in fat, high in protein and fiber; contain antioxidants that reduce inflammation, and relax arteries which means “heart healthy”. Oats are naturally gluten free, but high in carbohydrates, so folks with blood sugar issues need to watch out for the latter. 

So, I have used the words “oatmeal” and “oats” in the same paragraph, and are they referring to the very same thing?  Sort of.  Typically, when we hear the word “oatmeal”, we picture a steaming bowl of, what was initially called, porridge. This might be eaten as is, or topped with a sweetener such brown sugar, sugar, maple syrup, or even jelly or jam.  Cut up fruits can be added for more flavor, and slightly different texture.  However, oat meal, and oat flour, are processed the same way while meal is coarse in texture, and the flour is a powdered form; both used in cooking and baking recipes.

Historically, China was cultivating oats around 7000 BCE, and its main function was medicinal.  Oats were thought to have the ability to tone, and circulate, “qi” (energy) which calmed spirit, and cleanse blood.  Ancient Chinese texts describe oats as "restorative" to the major organs: lungs, spleen, stomach, heart, large intestine, and kidneys.  Now in ancient Greece and Rome, oats were looked down upon as a weed that stowed away during the transport of wheat and barley.  The oats were grown, but used as cattle feed, since it was “inferior” for human consumption.

It was not, until around 1000 BCE, the Bronze Age, that oats proved to be a reliable crop in cold and wet conditions.  It grew better, than wheat and barley, in Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Poland, and Germany; and the people of these lands needed to feed themselves as well as their cattle.  As tools were being invented, harvesting and processing of grain became easier; so, creating and experimenting with oat flour produced edible breads.

What got me started on this oatmeal journey?  Woke up this morning to a very dark sky and cool breezes coming down from the Abajo mountains, and it smelled of rain. This was the perfect weather for cookie baking as there is nothing like a cool breeze to cool a hot kitchen, and carry the scent of baking cookies throughout the house.  Also, a good time to try out a pioneer recipe for oatmeal bread.

This recipe for oatmeal bread was passed down from Scottish immigrants, and is found in The Pioneer Cookbook, Recipes for Today’s Kitchen by Miriam Barton, page 102. The bread is not as firm as a typical bread, that could be sliced and placed in a toaster; but laid on a baking sheet and toasted in the oven is plausible.  This is a rustic bread with full flavor of the molasses, and sweetness coming from the raisins.  No yeast is involved, so it is a quick and easy recipe to create, and I liked that!  In parenthesis, on the recipe, is what I used to make the bread.

 

Oatmeal Bread

 

Ingredients:

1 and ½ cups of milk (2%)

1 cup rolled oats (old fashioned)

1 cup raisins

1 egg, well beaten (large egg)

¼ cup molasses

2 cups flour (all-purpose)

1 and 1/2Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. butter, melted (unsalted)

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325F.  Lightly butter (non-stick baking spray) a bread pan (loaf pan).  In a small saucepan, heat the milk, but do not let it boil.  Remove from heat and stir in the oats and raisins.  Cool for about 10 minutes, then stir in the egg and molasses.

 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Gradually stir the sifted mixture into the batter.  Stir in the melted butter.

 

Spread the batter into the prepared bread pan and bake for about one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

 

Makes one loaf.

 

 

 

 

 

Since I did previously mention cookies, here is a favorite oatmeal cookie recipe of my own creation.  Instead of just raisins though, I add another dried fruit to make it doubly comforting.  

 

Double Fruit Oatmeal Cookies

 

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter

1 large egg

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. each baking powder and soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

½ cup each of two dried fruits (raisins, golden raisins, dates, cherries), diced

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups Old Fashioned Quaker Oats (or your favorite brand, but do not use instant oats)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. Use nonstick baking sheets, or spray with baking spray (contains flour).

In a large bowl, cream together butter, egg and sugars. In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix dry ingredients into creamed mixture.

Add dried fruits, vanilla and oats; mix thoroughly. Place tablespoons of batter 2-inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes; until cookies are golden brown; remove to wire baking racks to cool.

Makes 3 dozen.

Enjoy your oatmeal any time, it does not just have to be for breakfast.

...and since I had a couple of very ripe bananas, making banana walnut bread was a bonus!

 Mary Cokenour

The Mysterious Creation of Peanut Brittle

When I write about new recipes and food items, enjoyment does come from looking back in history, and finding out how it came about. Many origins are straight forward, and then there appears one that boggles the mind.  While researching the origin of peanut brittle, well, the origin stories need to be taken with huge grains of salt.  Alright, maybe the second story is more plausible, but still.

Here goes, the first origin theory goes back to before merry old England was even thought of as England.  The Celts (no, not the Boston Celtics; sometimes I really hate Google) lived during the Iron Age, from about 600 BC to 43 AD; this is when iron was discovered and developed into tools and weapons.  The Iron Age ended when the Romans invaded Britain and set up fortresses, took over established villages, and forced Christian religion and Roman government onto the locals. At that time, the people were not called Celts (that name was given in the 1700s), but the Romans sent back stories of the people they referred to as Druids.

Now here is where the origin becomes a bit mucky.  The Celts, and it is unclear if this is before they were named Celts, or after, thought to have served the brittle during holidays. They made the sheet of candy by baking a mix of sugar and peanut butter. The candy then made its way from Europe to America in the 1830s by way of Irish settlers coming to the New World. However, peanuts are not native to the British lands.  They came to Europe, via Spanish and Portuguese explorers, in the 1500s. They were very popular in Africa and Asia, but did not become popular in the UK until the 1800s.  So, did the Celts, who were not Celts until the 1700s, begin making peanut brittle between the 1500-1600s, or afterwards during the 1700-1800s?  Of course, no one really knows.

Now to the second origin story which takes place in the United States’ deep south.  During the Civil War soldiers survived on peanuts because of its high protein content, were easily transported, and the shells were natural waste.  After the war and the reconstructionism of the south, peanut farming found its niche, and became a huge commodity.  Around the year 1890, a Southern woman (unnamed) created peanut brittle by mistake. Apparently, she was making taffy, added baking soda instead of cream of tartar.  Waste not, want not, she continued cooking the mixture which resulted in a crunchy brittle, instead of a chewy taffy. 

But wait, there is one more story which deals with a “maybe he was, or maybe he was not” a real person in history.  Tom Beaver, a West Virginia woodsman and lumberjack, who was often associated with Paul Bunyan, supposedly created peanut brittle.  A leak had erupted in a dam, and a town was in danger of being flooded, destroyed and many lives lost.  Tom created a goopy concoction of peanuts and molasses, plugged up the leak, and the town and people were saved.  He gave the “recipe” to the people, and they, in turn, cooked it up into a tasty treat.

Originally, peanut brittle began with a sugar and water mixture, but other sugary liquids began to be used; many adding unique flavoring.

What can be used instead for peanut brittle?

 -corn syrup.

-honey.

- light molasses.

- agave nectar.

-brown rice syrup.

-maple syrup.

One of the most delicious peanut brittles I have ever eaten came from Honeyville, in Durango, Colorado.  It was light, airy, crispy and had such an addicting flavor to it; and nope, the recipe was not available to the public.

After experimenting with an easy recipe, I did find, here were the conclusions.

Honey: A lighter-flavored honey works better, especially if you do not like an aggressive honey flavor.  

Texture: While it is initially a crispy candy, even stored in an air-tight container, the candy does soften up into a smooth treat that does not stick to the teeth when eaten.  A huge plus!

Samples were given out, and not one complaint; instead, the recipe was requested.  Whether completely crunchy, or it has softened up, I am declaring this peanut brittle a winner!

Hint: With the recipe I will share, it calls for two cups of honey.  To obtain, and keep, that crunchy texture that most enjoy, use one cup honey with one cup corn syrup instead.

 

 Honey Peanut Brittle

 

Ingredients

2 cups honey

1⁄4 cup water

1 and 1⁄2 cups raw peanuts (roasted and salted nuts can be used, skip 1/8 tsp. salt))

1and 1⁄2 Tbsp. butter

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1⁄8 tsp. salt (skip if roasted and salted nuts used)

 

Preparation:

Line a large rimmed baking sheet (aka jelly roll pan) with baking parchment paper, a silicone baking liner, or butter very well. 

 

Combine the honey and the water in a 3-quart saucepan.  Boil, on medium-high heat, until it reaches the hard crack stage; remove from heat. (See Notes).

 

 

 

 

Add the rest of the ingredients; mix thoroughly.  Pour mixture from saucepan onto sheet, spreading thinly.  Wait until brittle is hardened and totally cool to the touch (20-30 minutes); break into pieces.

 

Makes about 2 lbs. or 16 servings of one ounce (about 1/4 cup)

 

 

 

Notes:

The hard-crack stage is the highest temperature (300° F–310° F) you are likely to see specified in a candy recipe. At these temperatures, there is almost no water left in the syrup.  It will take a good 25-30 minutes to reach the temperature. Drop a little of the molten syrup in cold water and it will form hard, brittle threads that break when bent.

After hardening and cooling, if the brittle is still somewhat soft and sticky, place pan in a preheated 325° F oven for 5 minutes to harden up completely.

Peanuts: Spanish or Virginia. The skins add a deeper nut flavor and a lovely light brown color to the brittle. However, remove half the skins from the peanuts, or the mixture will become too “gunked” up and be difficult to process correctly.   Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, Walnuts or Pepitas can also be used.  With the larger sized nuts, chop up before using.

Mary Cokenour

 

A Return to the Homestead

Homestead Steak House

121 East Center Street

Blanding, Utah,  84511

Phone: (435) 678-3456

Website: https://www.homesteadsteakhouseut.com/

Hours of Operation:

Dine In or Take Away

Monday - Friday: 11am - 8pm

Saturday: 4pm - 8pm

Sunday: CLOSED

The usual date night for the Cokenours is Saturday; watching anime, scarfing down pizza, and making fun of the commercials.  However, we happened to go down to Blanding on a Friday night, around dinner time, and decided to visit Homestead Steak House.  We had not been there since before the “Covid years”, and wondered how it had fared.

We were greeted by Linda, who also happened to be our waitress for the evening.  She has only been working at the restaurant for one year, but was knowledgeable enough to answer most questions.  What she did not know, she found out as soon as possible.  She is a very friendly woman, and made our dinner out enjoyable.

A steady stream of diners was going in and out, many from out of state and visiting the area on vacation.  Steak and seafood seemed to be the most requested dishes, but we were in the mood for something simpler.  Roy ordered the Mushroom Bacon Swiss Burger with fries, while I opted for the All-You-Can-Eat Soup and Salad Bar.

Roy let me have a taste of his burger and fries, and have to admit that I was jealous; yes, they were that good.  The burger definitely needed two hands to hold it, but it was the charbroiled taste that completely grabbed me.  The mushrooms are sauteed, and the bacon was crispy.  The fries were awesome; crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, no condiments needed as they were tasty as is.

 

Due to Covid, many restaurants that had salad bars did away with them.  Thankfully, Homestead kept theirs which has a large assortment of vegetables, mixed salads, dressings and crunchy toppings.  Two soups are still served with Friday’s being New England Clam Chowder and Chili.  As much as I like chili, New England Clam Chowder is still my overall favorite, especially when it is chock full of chopped clams and soft potato chunks.  It is a cream-based soup, so very comforting, like a soft blanket around the tongue.

 

The dressings, except French and 1000 Island, mixed salads and soups are housemade; the price you pay is for quality as well as quantity.  Desserts, except for the cheesecakes, are also made in house, but we had not had cheesecake, since the holidays, so ordered Turtle cheesecake.  The cheesecake is simply to die for!  So rich and creamy, with a luscious caramel sauce on top; simply orgasmic!

 

Being a dry town, Blanding still does not allow liquor sales of any kind, and Utah state law prohibits bringing in your own.  While a few customers get angry about this, and leave less than stellar reviews, the majority understand the situation better once it is explained to them.  One funny story that Linda related to us was about a motorcycle touring group, of about 40 people, from Germany.  It is well known that Germans love their beer, and beer is what this group demanded.  How did the Homestead staff handle this?  A non-alcoholic beer, O’Doul’s was served to all, and it was a huge hit.  Even though the staff explained that it was non-alcoholic, the diners did not care; they got their beer, and the Homestead was given huge thanks for the liquid accommodation.

By the way, pizza, which we often went down to Homestead for, has been off the menu for a while; however, it is back.  So, a great excuse to visit once again, and this time to try it out, and see if it is as good as it was before, or maybe better?  Taste testing will tell.

Now here is a hint of what is in store for owners Gary and Sharon Guymon.  No, not an expansion of the Homestead itself, but how about second restaurant?  There are plans, in the works, for opening up a Chinese restaurant, and having a Chinese cooking staff is a definite must.  Two other Chinese restaurants had tried to make a go of it, in Blanding, but failed miserably, and the Guymons have no desire to do the same mistakes.  Speaking with Gary, we were able to give him a few pointers on where to find the cooking staff they needed.  Also, a push towards bringing in Chinese baked goods as appetizers and desserts, as they are always huge sellers.

So, there you have it if looking for a lunch, dinner or pizza, visit Homestead Steak House in Blanding.  The tourist season is in full swing, so do not be surprised if you have to wait a bit as the do get busy, busy, busy.

Mary Cokenour