A COOK BOOK LIKE NO OTHER - SOMETHINGS ARE DIFFERENT

Something old - something new.  There's no rime nor reason to this cook book but it's interesting.  It is filled with some delicious finds and intriguing tales.
I'll be adding more and more to this over time.  For those of you who remember Joe Froggers, I have the recipe but can't put my hands on it at this moment.  I will and when I do it will find its way onto this blog along with some other wonderful old tried and true old favorites.  The chowder recipe contained here was my recipe from LOCKERBIE'S on Darling Street.  By the way, that sign is now living in the Old Sign Museum in the basement of Abbot Hall.  Lee Smith painted all the Lockerbie signs.  Lee was a Marblehead artist who passed away at a very young age.  I hope you will enjoy reading and trying some of these recipes.

FISH CHOWDER

Dice one large potato and one onion.  Place in four quart pan with cover.  Barely cover potato and onion with water.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to boil; turn heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are almost fork tender. 

When potatoes test properly, place about 1 pound of haddock or cusk on top of vegetables; cover pan and simmer just a few minutes until fish flakes easily.

Meanwhile, cut about 1-1/2” salt pork into small pieces and fry to render the fat.  When crisp, remove from pan, drain on paper towels and reserve fat.  To this fat add some finely diced onion and cook until onions are brown, but not burned. 

After the fish/potato/onion is cooked, add enough light cream and milk to get the proper consistency for your chowder.  To the chowder, add the fat and diced-browned onions to the chowder.  For best results, chowder should be kept on low heat for a while in order to develop flavors.  Refrigerate for use the next day.  Chowders always taste much better after sitting awhile.  Absolutely never use flour to thicken chowder; that is not authentic New England chowder if it has been thickened.  This same method is used with clams.  Always cook the fish/clams for the shortest time necessary in order for it to be done.  It only takes minutes after the potatoes are finished and before the milk/cream is added.  ENJOY.

 Here’s a gem I found in Grandma’s recipe box.  It is a folded piece of paper which is the PATRIOTIC FOOD EXHIBIT Special Aid Society Canteen Menu, Thursday, April 4th Boston, Branch.  Sad to say, there is no year marked on this menu but here is what it says.

 Corn Chowder                                                                        Maize Crackers

                                   Baked Gingerbread with Apples

                                        Recipe for Corn Chowder

1 can corn                                                                   2 cups potatoes sliced

1 onion sliced                                                             1 qt. skimmed milk

4 tablespoons fat                                                        salt & pepper

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until nearly done.  Brown onion in fat and add to potatoes.  Heat milk and corn in double boiler and mix with potatoes and onion.  If necessary thicken chowder with corn starch.

                                   Baked Gingerbread with Apples

 Cut 5 large apples each in 8 pieces, remove skin and seeds.  Cook in a thin syrup of ½ cup sugar and ¼ cup water until half done.  Drain off syrup and put apples in earthen baking dish.  Pour over apples the gingerbread and bake until firm.  Serve with sauce.

                                                 Gingerbread

 Cream ¼ cup oleomargarine; add 1 cup molasses, 1 egg well beaten, ¼ cup sour milk mixed with 2 teaspoons soda and 2 cups rye flour mixed with 1 teaspoon ginger.

 In our canteen menus during this exhibit we shall use no beef, no pork and no white flour.  In the cafeteria of the Food Administration in Washington they have eliminated wheat.  Why should we not do likewise?

 So there you go folks.  If you are interested in trying any of these I don’t think you will have a problem finding rye flour but I don’t think oleomargarine is a great idea.  I always go for the real deal.  And I don’t believe in thickening my chowders with anything; just use cream not skimmed milk.  I also like creamed corn but you could also use whole corn as well and for fat there is nothing like salt pork.  Go for it!

 No recipe given for Maize crackers.  I don’t believe I’ve ever seen them in the grocery stores either.

 Grammas’ Bladder

 I have a recipe box which belonged to my Grandmother whom I was named after.  My Grandma Amy has some really funny things in this box which I want to include along the way in the little cook book as it contains a bit of family and local history and some humor such as the following.  This little piece was written in the most beautiful handwriting and you will never find anything like it in schools today.  Here it is verbatim: Receipt For "Inflamation of the Blader" ½ Pound of White Pine Bark, ½ Pound of Juniper Berries steeped to a Syrup, add a little Whiskey after Straining.  No more instructions as to how to use this product.  This was not my Grandmother’s handwriting.  I never knew her to touch whiskey.

Another piece of paper, which is very interesting tucked in there and I know not why, was a SHOPPING LIST written in my mother’s hand . . . this included the approximate cost of each item on the list . . . which is as follows: Roast $5. ; coffee .59; oleo .80; c/m soup .20; can peas .20; salad dressing .80; juice .50; ½ lb cheese .40;  Ritz crackers .50; potatoes .75; sugar .50; bread .40; cream .40; Pep??? .45; beer 1.20; wine 1.00.  for a Total of $13.69

 Here’s another funny recipe in my Grandmother Amy’s handwriting.  How are we supposed to make out what to do with this one for SCALLOPED OYSTERS?

Actually there are two recipes she wrote on file cards both with green ink; one is for a smaller dish, perhaps for two and the other maybe for four.  There were no details about oven temperature or length of cooking time is given, so this one is trial and error for the daring who just love oysters.  However, as it is fish, do not cook it very long.  I suggest a shallow baking dish and maybe 375 degree oven.  Check in 15 minutes.  It ay take 30 minutes, for the larger dish.  It should be golden brown and bubbly.

   small version                                                           larger size

1 pint oysters                                                  1 quart oysters

10 crackers (?)                                                            20 crackers (?)

1 egg                                                               1 egg

½ cup melted butter                                       1 cup melted butter

1 cup milk                                                       1 cup milk *

*a note here suggests she uses ½ cup milk.  Why on the larger one is possibly from trial and error. 

 As for the crackers, she may have used Saltines since there is no mention of adding any salt to this recipe.  Of course, Ritz is always a favorite.  I think I’d go with Saltines though.

 Gay’s * haven’t found the other recipe of Gay’s yet.

 Here is another of Gay’s money-saving a SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL everybody ends up loving.  You can really stretch a pound of hamburger with this one and feed a bunch of last minute guests.

 Sauté one pound of hamburger until all the pink is gone, with one large onion which you have chopped fairly fine.  Drain the fat and return to the pan.  To this you want to add one large can have drained red kidney beans and one large can of baked pea beans.  To this add 1 tablespoon mustard and 3 tablespoons of ketchup.  Mix well and heat through.  This is ready to serve with a nice crusty bread, corn bread or maybe fried brown bread from a can which is a wonderful combination.  But I have another treasure in my Grandma’s recipe box, a recipe from the Hotel Lenox-Hotel Brunswick in Boston - L. C. Prior, Manager . . . the following you may want to try instead.  I’ll give you the instructions exactly as they appear on the card and you take it from there.

 CORN MUFFINS NO.1

1 LB Corn Meal                                              1 LB. Rice Flour

½ lb Sugar                                                      2 Eggs

6 oz. Shortening                                             1 oz Salt

4 Teaspoons Baking Powder                          Milk enough to make a Medium Batter

 As I go through my Grandma’s recipes I am finding many incomplete recipes.  They just leave you dangling . . . you are on your own.  Most of us experienced cooks will be able to figure it out, but a newlywed may be very much intimidated and turned off when reading these as compared to the recipes of today. 

I would suggest an oven of 350 degrees and using greased muffin tins without papers.   Butter is my preference for the shortening or Pam is great and easy to spray on the pans.  Give it a try and they will be delicious with the beans as well as a wonderful grilled breakfast treat.

 Or how about PEPPERY WHITE CHEDDAR BISCUITS?

4 cups flour                 2 Tbsp Baking Powder           ½ cup shortening        ¼ cup butter

½ tsp salt                    1 ½ cup shredded white cheddar cheese (6 oz)         1 egg

1 ½ cup milk               2-3 tsp coarse gr black pepper                                               ½ tsp water

Pre-heat oven 400 degrees.  Lightly grease baking sheet.  Mix together, flour, baking powder & salt.  Cut in shortening & butter until coarse crumbs.  Add cheese and pepper.  Mix well.  Make a well in center & add milk all at once; stir until just moistened.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 12 X’s or so until smooth.  Divide in half.  Make 6” square 1” thick.  With ruler or sharp knife, cut both squares into 2” squares. Brush with egg/water mixture.  Bake13-15 minutes until golden brown.

A sign outside a nursery read:  “It’s spring!  We’re so excited, we wet our plants!”

 Vegetable #1

 This is a delicious vegetable dish I have been making for years.  I can’t remember where I found it originally but it is very nice and makes a lovely presentation if prepared in the proper baking dish.  BROCCOLI POTATO BAKE

3 Cups mashed potatoes         3 oz cream cheese      ¼ cup milk      2 Tbsp butter

Mix together until smooth.  Fold in ½ large can of fried onions.  Spread in the bottom of a greased baking dish and bake 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven until nicely brown.  I like to use the baby broccoli heads from the frozen food department which I defrost and press out excess water.  Arrange the broccoli on top of the baked potato shell, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and remaining onion rings.  Bake about five minutes more or until the cheese in melted and onions are lightly browned.  Don’t over bake.  Even folks that don’t care for broccoli seem to like this dish.

Here’s Gay’s other contribution - Another contribution from Gay.  Now doesn’t this sound appealing?  GARBAGE SOUP!  Actually it is very good, and a nice winter meal.

1 ¼ pound hamburger            1 onion, chopped        3 garlic cloves, chopped

3 beef bullion cubes               1 can kidney beans     drained, rinsed

1 can green beans                   1 can corn                   1can tomato sauce

½ cup dry lentils                     salt & pepper              6 cups water   

1Tbsp Worcestershire   Brown and scramble beef with onion and garlic.  Drain excess fat.  Add all other items.  Cook very slowly over low heat about 3 hours or in a crock pot over night.  Add any fresh vegetables or leftover vegetables.  Freezes well.  Great  reheated.

Now sauerkraut would never win a prize as a favorite in the vegetable department but let me tell you when you make ANN’S SAUERKRAUT SALAD this is one time you will change your mind about this cabbage combo.  You want to bring a boil ½ cup of vinegar, ½ cup canola oil, and ½ cup sugar.  Drain the juice from a large can of sauerkraut.  Grate a large carrot.  Chop fine, one onion and one cup celery.  Mix all vegetables with the sauerkraut and add the vinegar/sugar mixture.  To this add one teaspoon of caraway seeds.  If you can resist, keep in the frig for a few days before serving.  This is yummy and it keeps well.  I have used this same dressing with fresh cabbage slaw and it works just great.  The nice thing is no mayonnaise involved.

How about trying this idea for slaw salad . . . mix a small amount of red cabbage with the green.  Add chopped a Granny Smith, one unpeeled red apple, one grated carrot, ½ cup finely diced red pepper and 2 green onions finely chopped.  I would use the same dressing as above since that is my favorite slaw dressing but if you prefer you may want to try this one; mix 1 ½ oz sour cream, ½ oz yogurt, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 oz of any fruit nectar of your choice.  Again, this would be a nice choice if you want to forgo mayonnaise.

Try it you’ll like it.  A nice change and a delicious salad.  I would go a little easy on the sugar, however.  I love this way to use sauerkraut, but it tends to be a little to sweet for me.

1-2-3 Hors d’oeuvres

 1 lb. Hot sausage meat

2 cups sharp cheddar, finely grated

3 cups biscuit mix

 Combine all ingredients.  Roll into marble size balls.  Bake in shallow pan 350, 15-20 minutes.  May be frozen.  These little balls are a good as they are easy.  This recipe came from Mom’s friend Lore.

CAPE COD TIMES RECIPE FOR CHILI - Brown 2-lbs. Hamburger in a large deep pot.  Add ¾ cup chopped onions.  While sizzling add 1 Tbsp. good quality cocoa, salt and pepper to taste and 2-3 tbsp. chili powder.  Sauté until well blended and cooked.  Add 2-tbsp. flour mix well.  Add 4 cans drained kidney beans.  To this add one large can of tomato juice and simmer one hour.

AMY’S CHILI- Finely dice sweet green peppers and onions until tender.  Add about 1 – 2 Tbsp. chili powder and sauté for a minute.  Add one small can of tomatoes and chop them somewhat.  Add one 11. 1/2 oz can of V8 juice and a few sprinkles of hot sauce to taste. Rinse thoroughly one 15-oz can of black beans and add to tomato mixture.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.  I then add some finely chopped cooked chicken or turkey.  The flavors develop better if served the next day.  It’s good with rice or Pilot Crackers.  Quick, easy and I like the small beans better than kidneys. This is a little unusual for chili but it is a nice change and healthy.