My grandmother taught me to cook and bake. When I was a little girl in the 60s, I would sit in her tiny kitchen and watch her make pies and stuff. She always had a supply of what she called "shells". They were pastry like shortbread made in muffin tins. Except they weren't really muffin tins, they were "shell" pans. Some of them were plain and round and shaped like muffins but much smaller. Some had fancy grooved and rounded bottoms. I don't know for the life of me what they are called (except for "shells") You would take a shell, put some jam or preserves or marmelade in it, and then some cream (Nan used Dream Whip). Nan moved to the city and worked as a servant when she was 14, so that would have been 1929 or thereabouts. One of the ladies she worked for, had a pet project and that was making shortbread. So here is the recipe: 2 cups of white flour 2 Tablespoons sugar I can't remember the amount of butter to use - if it's 1/2 cup or a cup... Nan didn't use recipes very often. Anyway, you will know when it's enough butter when the dough is like shortbread dough. (If you've never made shortbread before, don't try this at home) Bake in the oven. I forget for how long. (Aren't I informative?) This makes extremely dry shortbread but it is my favourite. Nan would put a piece of glace cherry in the middle of each one, and she shaped the cookies into a diamond shape. Deb
Here's a family favorite. My grandmother first made it when my mother and aunts and uncles were kids in the 1950s. (so, a vintage easy post war recipe using "what you've got"! We call it Mud Cake and it has been my favorite since i was very very young. The real name is chocolate pudding cake. Take a packet of Jello or your Favorite brand Cook and Serve Pudding. Make it just like the directions state for stove top preperation. When you are finished, take 1 cake regular chocolate cake mix - no fancy mixes, just plain chocolate cake. Add the chocolate cake mix (the mix itself, no other ingredients despite what it says on the box.) Stir it in with the pudding so it is evenly mixed. Poor the result into a cake pan and bake. You will have one of the easiest, most delicious and moist chocolate cakes ever. If you intend to put it in a sealed container, or if you are baking and mailing it to a relative, you must sprinkle powdered sugar on top to absorb some of the moisture, as it is an extremely moist cake so it doesn't go bad and it will stay good much longer. Chris
I guess that's where the cake companies eventually got the idea of "pudding in the mix". Sounds good, although I'm on a low carb diet myself :P Deb
Actually, the pudding in the mix cakes are not as moist. You make the cake with the egg, etc, and then the pudding is also there. I reversed it once by accident, made the cake with the ingredients, and then put the pudding mix in....it does not work the same at all. it was very bad. But i am sure the pudding in the mix ones are a little more foolproof (though they still taste a bit different) My grandmother should not have relied on me to listen carefully over the phone, and then make the cake the opposite of what she told me because i got disctracted right after her phone call and didn't write it down.
I have to tell you, Deb. Last night I started laughing because i was thinking of your "interpretive" recipe. heres a party recipe. Teriyaki Chicken Wings 1/3 cup fresh or resonstituted lemon juice 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup veg. oil 3 T chili sauce 2 gloves garlic finely chopped 1/4 T celery seed (IMPORTANT! you can get it in the spice aisle.) Dash dry mustard 3 lbs chicken wings (i can imagine you could use tofu, and shrimp might come out interesting but i never tried) Combine all except the chicken. stir well and set aside. Place wings in a seperate dish. Pour marinade over wings. COver and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or better yet overnight, turning occassionally. Drain and broil about ten minutes for each side with a cookie tray 7 inches from heating element. brush occassionally with marinade/ obviuously if you tried with shrimp or soy, cooking time would differ.
Linda I don't think they were cast iron... I don't *think* they were that heavy, but you know, it's been a long time since I've seen them so they might have been. They probably got thrown out. I like to take traditional dinners and try to make them taste like Nan's. She used to make Yorkshire pudding except it was more like... a very coarse pudding, not batter. I have no idea what the recipe is so I always guess, and each year it gets better! I have Nan's old carving knife from the 1930's I think. Pop bought it for her soon after they got married. He paid $1.50 for it and she had a fit, but he said it was mother of pearl on the handles. One year we were laughing at that because 50 years later she was still using it, so she figured they got their $1.50 worth out of it. Whatever was on the handle is all rubbed off now, I think it was just plastic myself. But it carves PERFECTLY! It has a perfect curve in the blade, so that if you carve with your right hand, you always get perfect slices of turkey or roast. I could never do that with any other knife. Deb
OK, here is something I make only a few times a year and usually at the holidays... Chocolate Pate' with Raspberry sauce and Chantilly cream This is SO rich, I actually do not like chocolate at all but will eat a sliver of this as it is so decadent and yummy... You can make this ahead of time as it freezes nicely 1/2 pound or so of semisweet chocolate (chop it up in small chunks) 4 tablespoons brandy 1/2 pound of soft butter 2 tablespoon fine sugar (I actually use powder suger but it can be refined white) three eggs (seperate them off) 1 1/2 - 2 cups toasted hazelnuts (they don't HAVE to be toasted but I have done it with and without and the toast REALLY brings out the hazelnut flavor (just put the nuts on a cookie sheet in one layer and toast for 30 minutes at 275 or 250 for a convection oven then roll the hot hazelnuts in a rough towel to get rid of the skins) 1 Melt the chocolate in a double boil pan (one pan with the chocolate inside another pan of boiling water) 2 When it is melted remove from heat and add the brandy 3 BY HAND cream the butter and suger (you want to keep it room tempature and an electric beater will warm the ingredients, you do not want that) 4 By HAND beat the egg yokes into the butter/sugar mix 5 Then beat in the hazelnuts and cooling chocolate 6 Whip up the eggwhites into submission (sorry bad joke) until you arrive at soft peaks and fold into the chocolate mixture (a bit at a time is best) until you see no more white 7 Spray veggie oil into a loaf pan (or use a spray, it should be a VERY fine layer) 8 Put the batter in the loafpan and refridgerator overnight 9 The next day dip the bottom of the pan in warm water to loosen the pate and it should pop right out. For the Raspberry sauce you need: 1 pint of raspberrys sugar to taste (I personally use none) 1 teaspoon lemon juice Mix the raspberrys and sugar (if you are using it) and let it sit for about 20 minutes or so to melt the sugar and release the raspberry juices Puree them in a blender or some such thing Then add the lemon juice Chantilly Cream whipping cream powder suger (2 teaspoons per cup of cream or to taste) vanilla (1/2 teaspoon per cup of cream) Whip until peaks form You slice the pate to your desired width, serve on a chilled desert place and top with sause and a ribbon of chantilly cream Yummy Michelle
Michelle, I bet you are one of "THOSE PEOPLE" who can make things that look just like the picture on the recipe card/photo!
Michelle is a frickin gourmet! :mad: I like the "bung and bake" method myself, nothing fancy, just plain old peasant food! (Of course, I love to EAT the fancy schmancy gourmet stuff!!!! :P) Deb
