Cake Mix Muffins are Killer Good.

"Do you know the Muffin man

The Muffin man, the Muffin man

Oh, do you know the Muffin man

Who lives on Drury Lane?"

This song, or nursery rhyme, was first published in 1820, but its origin story goes back farther than that.  It is based upon an urban legend about a baker in London’s West End, a poor slum region that saw little of the law.  Born 1563, and died in 1612, Frederick Thomas Lynwood, aka “The Drury Lane Dicer,” would tie strings around muffins, toss them outside his shop, and lure children inside.  During the years 1589 and 1598, he “diced” up 15 children, and stabbed to death 7 rival bakers with a sharpened wooden spoon. This is where the urban legend comes in, there is no documentation, no birth/death records, no court records, no written materials at all that can corroborate any of this. 

The song, again, did not even come into existence until 1820, and the last line about Drury Lane was originally Blueberry Lane.  There are several stories about why the line was changed, so this makes it an urban legend unto itself.  Of course, this makes another nursery rhyme, with rather dubious connotations, sung to, and by, children.

When we think of muffins, it us usually the denser than a cupcake type of cake, and with a paper wrapper around its bottom half.  However, muffins can be traced back to 10^th century Wales, when they were made from a yeast-leavened baked cake called "bara mean". The word muffin originates from the French word moufflet, which means "soft bread".  This soft bread was cheap to make, and buy, and was later on given a more genteel name, crumpet. 

In America, we equate this muffin type to the most popular brand known, Thomas’ English Muffins.  During the colonization of North America’s east coast, English immigrants brought many of their traditional recipes with them.  It was in 1874 that Samuel Bath Thomas created his “toaster crumpet” while working in a New York City bakery.  The name was changed as its popularity grew, and became a household breakfast item.

So, how did the crumpet become a type of cake?  It was later on in the 19^th century that bakeries, and baking companies, experimented with the muffin recipe to create a sweeter baked good.  In the 1920s, the first muffin mix was created by Mr. McCollum of New Brunswick, NJ.  By the 1950s, muffin mixes were made available, to local market and supermarket shelves, for at home use. 

A basic muffin mix is a blank canvas; the pantry is a paint palette; your imagination creates the final portrait of flavors and textures.  Adding in extracts, nuts, chips (chocolate, toffee, cinnamon) dried or fresh fruits, even coconut flakes, provides an endless possibility of variety.

Basic Muffin Recipe

Ingredients:

¾ cup warmed milk (not hot or scalding)

 ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 

 2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar or equivalent sugar substitute

2 tsp. baking powder

 ½ tsp. salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line muffin pan for 12, or 2 pans for 6, with paper liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, butter, and eggs together until well combined.  Note: if adding a liquid extract, this is where it should be added.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together. Add the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until combined.  Note: if adding in nuts, chips, etc., this is where it should be carefully added, as to not over mix.

Use a 2 and ¼-inch wide ice cream scoop to fill each paper liner 2/3s full of the batter.  

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly.  Note:  a few moist crumbs attached is alright as well.  Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Makes 12.

Ah, but I have discovered a semi-homemade way to make muffins, using store bought cake mix and a little imagination, Cake Mix Muffins.

Here is the basic recipe…

Basic Cake Mix into Muffins

Ingredients:

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

2 large eggs

1 (15.25 oz.) box cake mix (only have 13.25 box, then add ¼ cup flour)

1 cup add-ins (chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, berries)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line muffin tin(s) with paper liners.

Add the milk, oil and eggs to a large mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.

Add the cake mix and mix until just combined; do not overmix (the mixture may still look a little lumpy). Fold in add-ins.

Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 of the way full. Sprinkle extra add-ins over top, if desired.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden and toothpick comes out of center cleanly.  

Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes 12.

Notes:

Muffins are denser than cupcakes, so liquid needs to be reduced.  For high altitude, adding extra flour will not be necessary.

Basically, any flavor of cake mix can be used, but white and vanilla mixes are more versatile. The main difference between white cake and vanilla cake is the presence of vanilla extract. White cake is a plain cake with no additional flavors or extracts, while vanilla cake is infused with the flavor of vanilla.  White cake typically uses all egg whites, no yolks. This means less fat and more sponginess.  Vanilla cake uses the entire egg which gives a richer texture.

Armed with this basic information, I created the most scrumptious Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip muffins.  The cinnamon chips are simply dreamy; pumpkin and cinnamon…’tis the season! 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

2/3 cup pure pumpkin

1/3 cup oil

2 large eggs

1 (15.25 oz) box vanilla cake mix

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mix (store bought or homemade)

½ tsp. cardamon

1 cup cinnamon chips

 

Preparation:

Follow directions from Basic Cake Mix into Muffins recipe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There you have it, muffin recipes that even an urban legend, serial killer, baker would be proud of.

Mary Cokenour

 

Japanese Cuisine Returns to Ja-Roen Thai & Sushi.

Saturday night is “date night” for Roy and myself.  Often times I cook up buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, hand cut fries, homemade pizza, even do all the work required for authentic English style fish n’ chips.  Then we pick out a movie, usually a mystery, horror, sci-fi, or comedic mystery, dating anywhere from the 1930s to the 1980s.  When movies were made with the reality of what was available on set, or locations, and movie stars did acting, not pushing opinions or fads.

Once in a while though, we splurge and order take-out, or actually get away from the home and mingle at a restaurant.  Now during the summer, Ja-Roen Thai & Sushi, unfortunately, got hit with staffing issues, so American breakfasts, sushi and Japanese specialties were benched.  So, it happened that an announcement was made, on Facebook, that Ja-Roen had a new sushi chef, and sushi was back.  This announcement was the best news ever!

Walking into Ja-Roen, we were met with warm greetings, and it was so wonderful to see Palm again.  Remember, she was the woman who gave me the lesson on making bubble tea.  Oh, and now she has warned me that I will be learning to make temaki (hand rolled sushi), and egg rolls.

Also, planned for February 2025, new additions to all their menus; and we hope to get calls for taste testing before then.

Sushi Chef, Dos

Since I have mentioned temaki, time to relate our date night dining to you.  Not on the menu as yet, we were honored to taste test temaki, expertly done by their new sushi chef, Dos.  Yes, we teased him about being a computer operating system, but, indeed, he is an important operating chef for the restaurant.  One hand roll contained crab stick, Japanese omelet (Tamako), avocado, cucumber, shrimp eggs (Masako).  The second contained salmon, cream cheese and avocado; of course, both had the traditional short grain sticky rice.  Oh, the tastes were heavenly, no one item overwhelming the others, just a pure blending of flavor.

Temaki - Hand Rolled Sushi

 

 

 

 

 

 

While popular specialty rolls, sushi (nigiri) and sashimi have returned, there were new items on the menu as well.  To make it even more exciting, Japanese meals such as katsu and grilled eel rice bowl were back.  We chose, however, two of our favorite specialty rolls, Shrimp Tempura Roll and Orange Dragon Roll.  Now, if you are unsure as to which roll to choose, the menu has specific details listed, so you know exactly what is inside.  After our visit, the menus had some slight changes.  There was the addition of Poke Bowls, Hawaiian salads which contain salmon, shrimp, scallops or tuna.  Also, the names of the sushi rolls we know and love have been changed to reflect San Juan County natural sites.  However, if you ask for your favorite roll, such as Orange Dragon Roll, the staff will happily make it for you.

 

Orange Dragon Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll

 

Not to ignore their classic Thai menu, we also ordered Cashew Nut with chicken, and Fresh Roll.

 

Cashew Nut has stir-fried mushrooms, red bell peppers, onion plus chunks of pineapple; and a delicious sweet chili sauce.  The cashew nuts were just the right texture, and the addition of slices of chicken made it a perfect dish.

 

 

 

 

Fresh Roll is an appetizer, but can be a stand-alone meal option, or paired with one of their tasty soups.  It is fresh julienned vegetables, wrapped in rice paper, and served as is; no steaming or deep frying involved.  You get the crisp crunch of the vegetables in every bite; the rolls are served with a light sauce filled with crushed peanuts, or you can order the traditional smooth peanut sauce.

 

This was definitely a great start for date night, and back home, we laughed our way through the 1988 film, High Spirits, featuring Steve Guttenberg, Peter O’Toole and Liam Neeson (the ghost with stinky feet).

Mary Cokenour

 

Japanese and Sushi Menus - current as of October 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nursery Rhyme Recipes - Shortenin' Bread and Pease Porridge.

"Put on the skillet, put on the lid

Mama's gonna make a little short'nin' bread

That ain't all s Mama's gonna do

She's gonna make a little coffee, too

Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin',

Mama's little baby loves short'nin' bread

Mama's little baby loves short'nin', short'nin'

Her little baby loves short'nin' bread"

James Whitcomb Riley wrote a poem, published in 1900, based upon a song that had been sung by plantation slaves.  Rewritten in 1915, it became a folk song which relayed the hardships of being a plantation slave, and, not just adults, but small children starved to death while asleep in bed.  The song became popularized in 1948 with its release on the album, The Greatest Guest, by the Andrew Sisters.

For those of you whose eyes just popped at the mention of the Andrew Sisters, Maxene, Patty and Laverne were a spectacular trio during the 1930s, 40s and 50s.  They appeared in several movies, including “Buck Privates” and “Hold That Ghost” with Abbott and Costello, and “Road to Rio” with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby.  Their most popular song is “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”, (1941), and brought back into the limelight by Bette Midler.

By the time the Andrew Sisters sang “Shortenin’ Bread”, the detrimental meanings, behind the song were lost, and it was often looked at as a simple "nursery rhyme" mothers sang to their children.

A recipe I found, for Shortenin’ Bread, reads as follows: Cream together one stick of oleo margarine with a quarter-cup of light brown sugar, then mix in 1¼ cups of flour. Roll the resulting crumbly dough out on a floured board until it’s about a half-inch thick, then use a fruit jar or jelly glass to cut it out into rounds.  Put the rounds in a greased and floured shallow pan, bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes

This recipe sounded so familiar and then I had a “Duh!” moment.  This is when it can be referred back to the San Juan Record article of December 31, 2021, and recipe from The Mormon Pioneer Cookbook for Scottish Shortbread.  Only three ingredients, but confectioners' sugar is used while shortenin' bread uses light brown sugar; measurements are the same for both recipes.  While slaves used lard, margarine is the next best substitute for butter.  Many plantations also harvested sugar cane, and workers were given rations of sugar or molasses.

So, it did make me wonder how a recipe of the 1800s was so similar between Mormon pioneers, and plantation slaves.  Coincidence, I do not believe in those; so, a bit of digging into history was called for. 

Wikipedia article, Mormonism and Slavery, Brigham Young and Joseph Smith were, initially, proslavery.  Smith began to change his views on this issue, and by 1844, his campaign, for President of the United States, ran on an anti-slavery platform. However, this was also the year that he was murdered in Illinois.  Brigham Young led the followers to Utah, and helped to make Utah a "slave state".  One of his teachings was, "inasmuch as we believe in the ordinances of God, in the Priesthood and order and decrees of God, we must believe in slavery".  This quote is taken from, The Teachings of President Brigham Young: Vol. 3 1852–1854, Fred C. Collier, Colliers Publishing Company.

Slaves worked the kitchens of their masters, and used the recipes they were taught by them.  Taking the same recipes and adapting them to provisions available to the slaves was simple enough.  They made do with what they had, or could get their hands on without getting caught.

I baked up a batch, following the recipe I found. While they were good, they were not as sweet as the Scottish type.  The texture was firmer and not as melt-in-the-mouth, so butter does make it better.  Using a ¼ measuring cup as the mold, I was able to create 10 cookies, as that is truly what they are…cookies.  A little hint, a smear of lemon curd, or prickly pear jelly, does a cookie good.

 

Flour Added

Cream Margarine and Brown Sugar

Roll Out Dough

Cut Out Circles of Dough

Before Baking

Let Cool Completely

Next nursery rhyme is Peas Porridge, later reworded as Pease Porridge.  This is going back later in time, around the Medieval Era, but the song relates to the same theme: starvation.

In those olden days, cooking was done with a big kettle that always hung over a fire. Every day the fire was lit, and ingredients added, such as beans, grains, vegetables, and sometimes meat, if lucky.  This stew was for dinner, leftovers stayed in the pot, got cold overnight, and the whole process started over the next day. Nothing was thrown away, only added to.  Sometimes the stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while, hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."

Cooking over an open fire, fueled by wood, coal or peat could be compared to modern cooking via crock pot.  Slow, over low heat, and taking many hours to complete.  This became the typical cooking method for those labeled as peasants; eking out a living in agriculture and/or animal husbandry.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, in the 16th century, this stew was called "pottage", and it was not until the 17th century that the word "porridge" was created.  In 1760 the song was published as a nursery rhyme with creator's name unknown.  "Peas" was changed to "Pease" which is a generalized term for oatmeal, since this was the main ingredient for porridge or pudding.   However, in the United Kingdom, pease pudding, also known as pease porridge, is a savory pudding dish made of boiled legumes, typically split yellow peas, with water, salt and spices, and often cooked with bacon or a ham joint.

I was able to find a recipe for Pease Porridge on the food blog, The Spruce Eats, which does not include bacon or ham, but no one will complain if you add either in.  It is rather long in preparation, but you can find the recipe here:  https://www.thespruceeats.com/easy-pease-pudding-recipe-435628

There you have it, two nursery rhymes, sung even in this day and age, and both referring to starvation.  Like Grimm’s Fairy Tales, a bit of darkness can be hidden within a tale meant for children.

Mary Cokenour

Which Side of the Dish is the Side on?

The “side dish”, what does that exactly mean?  After laying out the main meal, then comes the sides, sort of like an after-thought.  Sort of like, “Hey, we have all these extra cans of green beans about to expire, let’s gussy them up and serve them with dinner!”.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the side dish as, “A food served separately along with the main course.”, and all I can think is, “Duh!”  Not a very good definition to truly explain its inclusion to a meal.  In Mexico, meals include beans and rice; in Japan, rice is served with every meal, including breakfast.  These are traditional culinary staples of these cultures, and are meant to enhance the main item of the meal.

In America though, the side dish plays several roles, and the variety has infinite possibilities.  The best way to explain this is by quoting Quora which is a question-answer site that offers up academic and professional information.  However, online users are allowed to post their own comments and “knowledge”, and you have to take these responses with a grain, or huge shaker, of salt.   

Anyway, Quote, “American food often includes side dishes for a few key reasons:

Variety and balance - Side dishes allow for more variety in a meal and help balance out the main dish. They provide complementary flavors, textures, and nutrients.

Portion control - Sides help control portion sizes of the main course. The side dishes can be smaller portions that supplement the larger main dish.

Cultural tradition - Serving multiple dishes together is a longstanding culinary tradition in American cuisine, influenced by the diverse cultural backgrounds of Americans. It allows for sampling of different flavors.

Accommodating preferences - Sides cater to individual preferences and dietary needs. Guests can customize their plate by choosing which sides to include.

Extending a meal - Additional side dishes help stretch a meal and make it more filling and satisfying, especially for larger gatherings or hearty appetites.

So, in summary, the side dish format in American meals provides flexibility, balance, and a more complete dining experience compared to a single main course alone.”

Here is a test for all those home cooks about to put dinner on the table, “What do you typically serve and why?”.  Since the first settlers stepped foot upon Northern America, cooking and eating what they knew was what they strived for.  First, a protein of some type: poultry, meat (beef or pork), seafood; while the British love their bit o’ beef, Italians and Germans like their pork, while Greeks and Spanish favor seafood.  All depends mainly on the region of the country, what was bred, or what was more easily accessible.  Bread is definitely a food item that could be found at every table, used to sop up any lasting gravy or sauce on the plate.  Fresh garden grown vegetables were a treat, and if stored correctly, fed a family throughout the harsh and barren winter months. 

One vegetable that is most versatile is the potato; it can be steamed, boiled, mashed, baked, fried, and roasted. When added to a casserole, or fancied up into a side dish, well, for a good many of us, we are tasting nirvana.  By the way, sweet potatoes are not potatoes, and true yams are not sweet potatoes.  All three are root vegetables, but have different genealogy.   Potatoes come from the nightshade family, and toxic if eaten when they are green in color.  The sweet potato comes from the morning glory family and can be eaten raw. True yams, while they look like sweet potatoes, are darker in color (dark red or brown), less sweet, starchier, drier, and poisonous if eaten raw.

Now that I have you thinking about side dishes, here is my chance to share a favorite potato recipe with you.  For you, it could be same old-same old, or something completely new, but definitely a plus when added to a meal.

Scalloped vs. Au Gratin potatoes, what is the difference?  They are both baked in casserole dishes, have a creamy sauce and use thinly sliced potatoes.  The sauce for scalloped potatoes can be made with either heavy cream or broth, and there is no topping, on the potatoes, that will bake to a semi-crunchy texture. If anyone has a dairy issue, using broth to create the sauce means this potato side dish can be enjoyed.

Au gratin also has a cream sauce, but with shredded cheese in-between the potato layers.  The topping is either more shredded cheese, or buttered bread crumbs. To balance the taste of the cream sauce with the cheese, use a sharp cheese like Cheddar, white Vermont Cheddar, aged Swiss, or aged goat cheese.

Russet potatoes are typically used for these side dishes, but if potatoes are not your vegetable of choice, try using sliced yellow squash.  Leave the skin on the squash when slicing as it will soften up in the baking process. The thickness, for either vegetable, should be ¼-inch or thinner.  Depending on your knife skills, you can also use a mandoline slicer, or the slicing side of a grater (the openings look like smiles).

 

Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

2 and ½ cups shredded sharp cheese, divide into 1 cup, 1 cup and ½ cup portions

6 medium potatoes, skinned removed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup diced onion

Optional: ¼ cup crushed, dried parsley – sprinkle over potatoes before adding cheese and topping with sauce.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F, and butter the inside of a 2-quart baking dish.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.  Stir in cream, increase heat to medium and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat; stir in one cup of cheese until melted.  

In the buttered baking dish, begin layering 1/3 potatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, 1/3 potatoes, ½ cup cheese, ending with 1/3 potatoes.  Pour the cheese sauce over top, and work it carefully down among the layers with a fork or spatula.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake one hour. Uncover and sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over top. Bake 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, and sauce is bubbling and cheese slightly browned.  Let rest about five minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Beef Wellington with a side of Potatoes Au Gratin.

 

If using yellow squash for this recipe, cut the initial baking time down to a half hour covered, and 15 minutes uncovered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the way, next time you decide to make candied sweet potatoes (molasses + brown sugar is way better than using corn syrup), add chopped walnuts to the mix instead of marshmallows.  Sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet, and the taste and texture of the walnuts brings this side dish to a whole new level.

Mary Cokenour