August, 2008

  1. Cheese Deviled Eggs

    August 26, 2008 by Tarrant Figlio

    The strangest thing has happened since we have moved. The dozen eggs we routinely bought every few weeks…just sits. We are childfree except when the younger kids are here and one of them is strongly anti-egg. The girl child who made scrambled eggs on a regular basis–has her own place now. I can’t seem to remember to boil eggs for egg salad so it is cold by lunch time. In any case, we have a dozen eggs that has not moved since it came to this house. Maybe deviled eggs will break the eggs back in.

    I am considering these, because one of the kids LOVES cheese nips. LOVES them. I will use less mayo though…but do note the interesting method with the breading of one end of the egg.

    Cheese Deviled Eggs

    6 hard-cooked eggs
    1 tsp mustard
    1 tbsp chopped parsley
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp pepper
    1/2 c. finely crushed cheese crackers
    1/2 c. mayonnaise
    paprika

    Halve eggs lengthwise; remove yolks. Press yolks through a fine sieve; (oh just smush them with a fork); add mustard, parsley, salt, pepper, and 1/2 of the crumbs and mayonnaise. Refill centers of whites with yolk mixture; press two halves together.. Dip one end of each egg into remaining mayonnaise and into crumbs. Sprinkle with paprika. Yield: 6 servings. From Favorite Salad Recipes of America.

    Category Appetizers, Eggs | Tags: ,, | 5 Comments

  2. Marzipan-Jell-o Style

    August 13, 2008 by Tarrant Figlio

    Jell-o MarzipanMarzipan is hot these days. After years of being a creepy, foreign seeming thing (though my father loved it and my mother made real marzipan for him every other year or so), marzipan is popping up all over…even in some of our new grocery stores.
    This recipe though is from long ago and is an easy-to-make marzipan that doesn’t require almond paste! If you are making this mainly for the pretty decoration and don’t like the heavy almond flavor you can even cut down or eliminate the almond extract or use vanilla instead. (oh the Marzipan purists will be horrified)

    Marzipan

    1 package Baker’s fine grated coconut
    1 package (3 oz) Jell-0 Gelatin (any fruit flavor)
    1 cup grated blanched almonds
    2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
    1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
    1 teaspoon almond extract

    Thoroughly mix all ingredients. Shape as small fruits, vegetables, hearts, Easter eggs or other forms. If desired, use food coloring to paint details on fruit and add stems of whole cloves or angelica. Chill until dry. Store, covered, at room temperature. Makes 2 to 3 dozen candies. From Joys of Jell-0, ~1960

    For fruits use:

    strawberry – strawberry gelatin
    bananas, pears, lemons-lemon gelatin
    green apples, leaves-green gelatin (err lemon-lime/lime)
    oranges-orange gelatin
    Cherries-cherry or black cherry gelatin

    Category Candy, Desserts, Recipes, retro food, Salads | Tags: ,, | 4 Comments

  3. Cucumber Salad and Menus

    August 12, 2008 by Tarrant Figlio

    Yes, I did make a menu…well really a fake flexi-menu. I made a hashbrown casserole on Sunday. I created a rice salad with garbanzo beans on the fly on Sunday as well. I also baked a chicken, made a cucumber salad (but not this cucumber salad) and a tomato salad. Oh, roasted potatoes too. This will last us until pay day as lunches/dinners with bits and pieces of cheese, bread, crackers, etc.

    Ok, I will tell you how to make the cucumber salad I grew up requesting:

    Grab a few cucumbers, I use pickling cucumbers because I like them better, but you can use salad cucumbers. I don’t mind. I did peel them this week, but sometimes just score them for prettiness or leave the skins on for laziness. Slice them thin. Add some thin slices of onion, probably a one slice of onion to 2 parts cucumber ratio. Sprinkle with salt (I sort of over salted this week, oops.) and some dill. Then add a dollop of sour cream. NOT TOO MUCH, just barely enough to touch each cucumber. Why? Because then magic happens. You throw the salad in the fridge for an hour or two or overnight and the cucumbers sweat like crazy leaving you with a thin creamy dressing. You can adjust the salt/dill/add a bit of sugar/vinegar/whatever tickles your fancy just before serving. Though now that I think about it, if you think you might want a bit of sugar in it, do it when you add salt and dill before refrigerating.

    Super simple and with a plate of sun ripened tomatoes on the side, you convince me it is  summer in the dead of winter.

    Category Recipes, retro food, Salads, Vegetables | Tags: | 5 Comments

  4. Pecanburgers

    August 7, 2008 by Tarrant Figlio

    We are broke. Really, really, really broke. Moving is expensive and so is setting up house. (and kids in college, and kids who aren’t in college) I know we aren’t the only ones and I know there are folks out there much worse off. It will get better for us (and hopefully for everyone else). Just right now, the bills are flying in and there is no money to fly them out. I hate that. It has hit the point where I am rummaging my brain for the filling, thrifty meals that I do know how to make. Unfortunately, bills just cause the specter of Spam and Macaroni and Cheese to rise up in my brain…my mother’s special version. (substitute mayo for the margarine, add a tablespoon or so of yellow mustard)

    Now, this is not the reality in our house. A good friend sent us a 50 buck Trader Joe’s gift card as a thank you and housewarming present, so we are eating pretty fancy bits and pieces. The farmer’s market has some good deals.

    I am working on a plan though. Really. I am going to sit down and work out a menu and get back in my pre-move habits. Tomorrow! Really. Hold me to it.

    In the meantime, I rummaged through my grandmother’s recipe box for ideas on what to post here tonight. This recipe won’t fly with my tight budget now that I live in the north. However, down south, where pecans are cheap (or free!) this makes a good substitute for hamburgers, veggie burgers or crab/fish cakes. I tend to add some Old Bay (1/2 the salt, 1/2 Old Bay) if I am pretending they are crabcakes.

    Pecanburgers

    1 1/2 cups ground pecans
    1 egg, well-beaten
    2 tablespoons parsley, minced
    1 cup milk
    1 cup soft bread crumbs
    1 teaspoon onion, minced
    1 1/2 teaspoons salt

    Mix together pecans, soft bread crumbs, well beaten egg, minced onion, minced parsley, salt and milk. Chill for two hours. Drop spoonfuls into hot fat in skillet. Brown about 5 minutes on each side. (You can broil if you prefer) Serve with hot mushroom sauce (my grandmother generally did a diluted, then thickened cream of mushroom for this…I skip this and serve them ala crabcakes or veggie burgers)

    Category Recipes, retro food | Tags: ,, | 12 Comments

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