Experiment Recipe #2; CARAMEL PUDDING

PUDDING!! Every time I hear the word, I think of the movie Hot Shots!, when the Admiral is "drinking" pudding from a mug.

Funny as that was, pudding is no laughing matter to a serious cook. Good thing I don't take anything too seriously, even my pudding. But making it at home from scratch is crazy easy and so much better than the stuff from the J-E-L-L-O box. No offense to Mr. Cosby.

So it was with great enthusiasm that, as I was thumbing through my Classic Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking book that I found this recipe for Caramel pudding (page 221).

It was beyond simple, so there aren't any horror stories to go along with this post. Just remember one thing when you are eating pudding- it's best when served in the appropriate bowl, and for Pete's sake if you must use a mug, grab a spoon!!

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups milk (I used 2%, but I bet whole milk would have been better!)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter in heavy skillet or large saucepan. Add brown sugar and salt, stirring constantly over medium-high heat until it caramelizes, about 5 minutes- be careful not to burn it.

Remove from stove and slowly mix in 2 cups of milk. Return to stove and heat to near boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Combine flour and cornstarch and stir in; then slowly add remaining cup of milk. Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened and smooth.

Remove a few tablespoons of pudding, and stir them into beaten eggs; then return mixture to pudding. Cook another 2 minutes, being careful not to let it boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. To prevent skin from forming on top, lay wax paper over it. Serve warm or cold. (And with a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream, as did I.)

Banned From Marshalls

Yesterday I was in some hot water. I was officially eighty-sixed from Marshalls department store by way of a self-imposed punishment.

Do not- I repeat- DO NOT go into Marshalls unless you have self-control. I lost mine, and a lot of money from my wallet. Gulp.

Normally I find interesting things there, but I've never ever gone completely mad in the housewares department as I did yesterday. In hindsight, it was embarrassing- the way I smiled like a Cheshire cat all the way to the check out.

I found the perfect lamp. It has a toile shade, exactly the same as the Waverly fabric that covers my kitchen chairs. I found an incredible basket for on top of the fridge, you know for dumping all of the crap that collects up there. Oh, and the ramekins I found. Perfect little round dishes for, uh, whatever. And unbelievable Easter decorations. Just thinking about it makes me want to run up there again during my lunch. But I must exercise the utmost restrain.

Hey- wait a minute. I have a gift card for Marshalls. Leaving... now... must... go...

Recipe of the Week; CAJUN-STYLE CATFISH

I like to celebrate Fat Tuesday, so I can inevitably wake up the next morning feeling like it's even Fatter Wednesday. Not this year, however, I'm on a lean, low-carb kick. No sugar either, so we'll be without the King Cake or beignets.

From what I understand, catfish is controversial when it comes to dieting (how I hate that word). It's controversial in that it is apparently a fattier fish, but it's still a good source of protein and B12. I was once told that because it's a scavenger-fish (think goat- it eats anything) it can contain excessive toxins. I just hope the fish I'm eating tonight isn't from the BP oil-saturated waters of the Gulf Coast, but chances are it's farm raised. I can do without the petroleum, thank you very much.

At any rate, I'm not frying the fish, so I'm not swaying too far from my weekly regimen. My other choice was some fried catfish muffaletta's, which really looked great but I certainly can do with out the heavy French bread and the fried fish. I am making some red beans and rice to go with the fish, and I promise I'll limit my rice intake and eat lots of beans. So it won't be a Fatter Wednesday for me this year, but a Fartier one instead. I like to toot my own horn. Happy Mardi Gras, ya'll!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
1 large garlic clove, pressed through garlic press
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 teaspoon creole seasoning
4 catfish fillets (approximately 6 oz each)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In skillet, saute onion, celery, pepper, and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Place the catfish in an 13 x 9 baking dish, sprayed with cooking spray. Top with vegetable mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flake easily with a fork.

Experiment Recipe #1- HOMINY CROQUETTES

My plan was to begin this project with what [I thought] looked like a pretty simple recipe. My plan marginally backfired. As seemingly basic as it read, this recipe was just that, albeit a little time consuming. It was my own fault for not reading the recipe all the way through. Things like "bake for 1 hour" are pretty important factors to consider if you'd like to have your weeknight meal before 9:00 pm. Oops- my bad. And not knowing what to serve with it, it just so happened we had chicken tacos in mind for dinner this evening anyway, so this was a welcome change from the Spanish rice which I typically have along with my tacos.

That being said, the time and effort was worth it. I know I'll make this again, my husband quite enjoyed it. It makes a lot, and as I was pouring the batter into my casserole dish I thought it would have been best that I halved the recipe! Incidentally, the leftovers are great warmed through the next morning and served with fried eggs.

I guess that's what I like about "experiment" cooking- you learn from your mistakes!

Here are a couple pointers if you decide to make Hominy Croquettes:

This recipe is not for little, individual cakes, as I assumed by the mentioning of "croquettes." (I likened it to salmon croquettes.) The recipe calls for instant grits, which made the recipe a little confusing because I had quick-cooking grits. I can't say specifically that I used the right amount, since the way instant and quick-cooking grits are prepared varies. I do think I prepared to much, so I didn't use all the grits I cooked.

Speaking of GRITS- make them ahead if at all possible. Because you're working with raw eggs in this recipe, combining hot prepared grits and eggs will cause the eggs to be scrambled. I had to let my grits cool for a good 20 minutes or so in the fridge, which again ate into my prep time. Also, I had to carefully temper the eggs as the grits were still warm, which takes a little time and finesse. (Both of which I lack considerably.) SO much easier to do if your grits are prepared sufficiently in advance and already cooled. My egg whites had already been whipped while I waited for the grits to cool, and I think they may have deflated a little in the interim. This led to a "not so puffy" final result, which was disappointing. And, since I have an unhealthy addiction to cheese, I decided to make this recipe using the addition of Cheddar as the post-recipe variation suggests.

Besides accidentally dumping all my melted butter on the counter top and saturating the upper edge of my precious cookbook, the process went relatively smoothly.

I intend on taking pictures of my experiments as well, but we dug into the dish before I could get a shot of it "whole." Here's my result in an individual serving, garnished with cilantro for fun.
1 1/4 cups instant grits
1 1/2 cups water
1 3/4 cups canned hominy, drained (one 14.5 oz. can is just enough; I used white hominy)
3 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk ( I used about 1 3/4 cups- 2 was just too much)
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook instant grits in water over medium heat in covered saucepan for about 4 minutes. Chop hominy in food processor. In large bowl, lightly beat egg yolks with a fork. In separate bowl, whip egg whites until they form soft peaks. Mix (cooled) grits, hominy, butter, sugar, salt, and beaten egg eggs yolks together until well blended. Gradually add milk and mix until smooth. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into buttered (I just sprayed mine with cooking spray) 2 to 2 1/2-quart casserole dish. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. Yield 6 servings.

VARIATIONS:

Add 1 cup of grated Cheddar cheese to mixture before baking.

Add 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to mixture before adding egg whites. Serve with poached fruit.

The Skinny on Fat Tuesday

It's Mardi Gras, ya'll!

But what exactly is Fat Tuesday? The question was bugging me. I know I'm always whipping up some New Orleans-esque fare on this day, just so's I can feel like I's at Mardi Gras. (that's my poor imitation of Cajun-speak.) Oh, and Mardi Gras is on my bucket list.

So I did a little surfing. Mardi Gras literally means Fat Tuesday in French. It's rooted in the Christian faith, ironically enough. Can't imagine what exposing ones, ahem- boobs- has to do with Christianity, but let's roll with it, or Laissez les bons temps rouler, if you know what I mean. Oh, those Cajuns know how to party!

Fat Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday [40 days before Easter], which is the beginning of Lent in the Catholic faith. What Lent meant to me growing up was "we will be eating fish every Friday until Easter Sunday", thanks to my Mother who was raised in the Catholic faith. The purpose of this relates to fasting for spiritual discipline, not necessary that you MUST eat fish (as I believed until I was much older) but rather you abstain from eating meat on Friday, as was mandated by the 1966 Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, Paenitemini. Oh, rules, rules, rules. This is one of the many reasons I believe in non-denominational Christianity.

In essence, Lent is the period of the liturgical year [pertaining to public worship] leading up to Easter. Lent is a time of sacrifice for Jesus. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer, through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus.

So what does this have to do with Mardi Gras? It essentially boils down to one thing- party hard the day before Ash Wednesday, so that you will have time for reflection, and seek forgiveness for all the sinning you manage to do in for one whole day. Eat, drink and be merry. And flash your boobs if you are so moved.

An Experiment. A Challenge. An Unoriginal Idea.

I got the coolest present from my brother Dave this past Christmas. He gave me this cookbook- Classic Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking. I've been given a lot of really awesome presents, but this one in particular was something pretty darn special.

Since watching Julie and Julia this past summer, I've occasionally been reading Julie Powell's original blog from 2002 which inspired the movie. The blog is wonderful. Funny, too. A good read, if you're into food 'n stuff.

Well, the aforementioned cookbook and the aforementioned movie/blog have motivated me to work my way through this cookbook.

My project will have a few variations, however. Firstly, I'll likely only try 1 to 2 recipes a week. Some I will not even bother with, as being familiar with a lot of PA Dutch cooking doesn't necessitate making every recipe. I grew up eating this stuff, folks. But other recipes (can you say Schnitz Und Knepp? Me neither.) intrigue me.

So there's no deadline. No pressure. Just the thrill of opening the book, choosing something new, and hopping to it. Another difference is I will post the recipe on my blog. No copyright infringement there, you know. Recipes aren't copyright protected, as my research concludes. In fact, my blogs may prompt others to buy the book. So here's some free marketing for the folks at Cookbook Resources LLC. It's available on Amazon, or if you're really interested I could probably find the book locally and mail you a copy.

Lastly, similar to heavy sauce-laden French recipes, a great deal of this style cooking is heavy with butter, creams and high-carb nightmares. So I'll have to be choosy, and not make a lot of rich foods all at once. Sadly, I've come to accept the fact that I'll likely never be a size 5 again, but that doesn't mean I must balloon into a size 14 just for the sake of this project.

I'd like to commit to posting at least once a week on my progress, I think I can handle at least that much. It's actually kind of fun having this mission, I can see why Julie Powell did it.

With that I bid you adieu- stay tuned. This week, look for Hominy Croquettes and Swiss Steak, although likely not to be in the same meal.

Recipe of the Week; ALMOND SUGAR COOKIE CUT-OUTS

Any holiday, no matter how big or small, warrants some sort of baked confection in my house. The level of difficulty for such confections depends on (A) time; and (B) my mood during the holiday in question. This year I was (A) pressed for time, and (B) only somewhat in the mood.

Valentine's Day is synonymous with anything sweet. Your sweetheart, for example (mine can be super sweet and mouth-puckeringly sour all at once.) So it makes perfect sense that I take at least a little time to make some sweets with my littlest sweetheart.

Christmas, as you very well know- I bake like Otis Spunkmeyer. I always make cut-out sugar cookies. I'll make a whole big batch of dough, but I only use half of it. The rest I wrap up tightly in plastic, then seal in a freezer bag. The remainder of the dough lies in wait for Valentine's Day, were I'll make little hearts, cupids, lips, X's and O's and such.

This year I chose to make only hearts, and paint them with pretty pastels mimicking conversation hearts. As one heart always reads- TOO CUTE! And the pretty glitter plate and charger was a freecycle find-even cuter!!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING

2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon milk (more or less to adjust for consistency)

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

food coloring

In large bowl, combine butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

In another bowl, combine flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture until well blended.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silpat. (Helps prevent bottoms from browning.) Lightly flour surface and roll out dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough using cookie cutters.

Place cookies 2 inches apart, bake 4-6 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, mix confectioners sugar with milk and almond extract until desired consistency. Divide into separate bowls and add food coloring to each. Frosting should be thick, but thinned enough to "paint" the cookies without running.

Allow to set before storing or writing on the surface of the cookies. Once it has set, I used canned whipped frosting to write on the hearts. If you are using sprinkles or colored sugar, sprinkle just after frosting the cookies.

Celebrating Valentine's With Kate Greenaway

For years I have loved browsing through card boxes at antique stores. Occasionally I happen across some beloved Valentine's Day cards with illustrations by Kate Greenaway. Ms. Greenaway was a children's book illustrator during Victorians times. I have her Apple Pie Alphabet Book, and I adore it.

As it usually occurs during the first two weeks of February, I will find myself drifting off- staring at the images of old Victorian Valentine's Day cards. I long for simpler times, wishing for a young Lord to come a-courtin' with a simple Valentine's card and a hand-picked daisy.

Then I bolt back to reality, stare at the two feet of snow on the ground (no daisies there!) and grouchily remember that my husband is no more a Lord than I a young maiden. Bah. If my hubby really wants to impress me this year, he'll forgo the Hallmark card and predictable Whitmans Sampler. He'll replace those dozen red roses from the supermarket with a bouquet of pansies, daisies, forget-me-nots or even jasmine. Ask any girl- a guy who goes out of his way to spend hours online looking for vintage Valentine's Day cards is a keeper. (Hint hint... hell-oooo are you reading this?) Because I'm asked every year "What do you want for Valentine's Day"? Not exactly the most romantic moment, I'll say.

I'm a sucker for romance, what girl isn't? The last several years my Valentine's Day consisted of making treats and cards with my special little Valentine, but darn it I'm in the mood for some grown-up celebrating for once. So this year, when the formidable "What do you want" question is posed, I shall say- "I want an afternoon with you spent antiquing. Let's browse through card boxes and hunt for old Valentine's Day cards. Then let's visit a florist and let me design my own floral bouquet. I don't want any chocolate. I want dinner, but not in some crowded restaurant. You can cook." How do you think that will go? I'll let you know! In the meantime, enjoy some of Kate Greenaway's beautiful Valentine's Day card images!