Coffee Fluff

 Coffee Fluff

    Another  Milk....The Way to Health & Beauty (published by the New York State Bureau of Milk Publicity in 1939) recipe. As a dessert, this was alright. The morning after I made it, I scooped a little bit on to my morning coffee.  When I made this, there was a thicker fluffy layer and a thin an almost pudding-y coffee colored layer. Notes in italics. Try this and let me know if you like it. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 lb marshmallows

1 cup hot coffee

1 tsp vanilla (I used maple flavoring)

1 cup heavy cream

1/8 tsp salt

Extra whipped cream for topping (optional)

Crushed graham cracker crumbs for topping (optional) (you can use whichever flavor you like)

Directions:

Add hot coffee into a medium sized pan. Stir in marshmallows and salt. On low, cook and stir until marshmallows are melted and smooth. Pour into a bowl and chill until the fluff starts to set. Whip cream until stiff. Fold in whipped cream and add vanilla. Chill until "the mixture will mound". Serve in sherbet glasses or small dessert bowls. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed graham crackers. Serves about six. 

Coffee Fluff

Pie Number Nine - Barbara Frietchie Pie

The Year of Pie

Pie #9 - Barbara Frietchie Pie

    Who is Barbara Frietchie? What I learned about Barbara Frietchie (Frietchie), December 3, 1776 - December 18, 1862, is that she lived in Frederick, Maryland in 1862. Frietchie, also known as Barbara Fritchie and Barbara Frietschie, is the subject of a poem "Barbara Frietchie" by John Greenleaf Whittier. Frietchie is alleged to have shaken a Union flag and hurled insults at Confederate troops who were marching through Frederick. There are conflicting stories, but it is said that she did at least wave a Union flag at and cheered for Union General Ambrose Burnside's troops as they marched through. 

    I've seen other blog posts/articles on versions of this pie and it seems that mine did not turn out like some of those. For example, while the flavor sounds like it was the same, mine did not turn out to have two layers. Mine turned out thin and with a chewy consistency. It was a bit hard to cut with it destroying some of the pie crust edge, but that didn't matter, because overall, I really liked it. Served very, cold like the recipe suggested, it was delicious and surprisingly not oversweet. I would definitely make this again.

    The recipe I used comes from 250 Superb Pies And Pastries, published in 1950 by the Culinary Arts Institute and in fact, the black & white photo of the pie, does show what looks like two layers. 

Ingredients:

1 - 9 inch pie crust

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk (I used what I had, which was heavy whipping cream)

2 egg yolks (beaten)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 eggs whites (beaten) 

Sprinkle of nutmeg

Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

Prepare pie crust and line a 9-inch pan with crust. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Cook the sugar, brown sugar, cream/milk, egg yolks and butter in the top of a double boiler if you have one (I used a regular pan and heated on medium-low heat) until thickened. I forgot the "until thickened" part and cooked until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt and egg whites. Pour into pie shell and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 425 degrees for  ten minutes, then reduce temperature to 300 degrees and bake for forty-five more minutes. Generally if you insert a knife in the center and it comes out clean, you're done. Cool on a rack. Once cool, place in the refrigerator and serve very, cold with a dollop of whipped cream. Serves between six and eight slices.  

Barbara Frietchie Pie

Slice of Barbara Frietchie Pie

Week 13 - Big Bertha

 Big Bertha

Recipe 13 - 52 in 2022

Vegetarian Entree #2

    Big Bertha comes to us from the 1967 era, Favorite Recipes From Southern Kitchens - Casseroles.  The Big Bertha recipe was submitted for inclusion in this cookbook, by Mrs. Josephine Lunt of Clifton, Arizona. I'd love to know how she came by the name "Big Bertha". This vegetarian recipe was good. However, it is made with corn chips and if/when I make it again, I would swap that for macaroni. Macaroni would be great in this recipe. Of note in this recipe, it calls for a .39 cent package of corn chips and I um, don't know what size that is, so I got a 9 1/4 oz bag that was $3.00. The recipe also calls for 1 No. 2 can of tomatoes; not diced or stewed, just "tomatoes". I decided I'd buy diced, but I forgot to look at conversion for what size the No. 2 can is equal to. I used a large 28 oz can of diced tomatoes in tomato juice. It also called for 2 cans of chopped green chilies. I used two 7 oz cans of diced green chilies. 

    This recipe really doesn't have any seasoning besides salt and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, so I would suggest that if you like more seasoning, try Italian, garlic, red pepper chili flakes, or even chipotle. There are so many options.  This recipe called for a 2-quart casserole dish and I have several 1 1/2 quart, but I couldn't find a 2-quart, so I used a giant 3-quart dish and I'm glad I did, because this recipe would have overflowed a 2-quart dish. According to the recipe, the yield is 6 servings. You definitely could get 6. Maybe 7 or 8 if you give smaller servings.  And finally, although it is a vegetarian entree, you could mix in up to a 1lb of browned ground beef.

    Serve with a salad and maybe cornbread or french bread.

    I like casseroles and I would make this again, just as I said, I'd like to try it with macaroni. Modifications will be in italics.

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped (I used one pretty large onion)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used canola)

1 No. 2 can tomatoes (I used a 28oz can of diced tomatoes, drained)

2 cans chopped green chilies (I used two 7oz cans)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 .39-cent package corn chips (I used a 9 1/4 oz bag of lower salt Fritos brand chips)

1 lb Longhorn cheese, grated (I used about 3/4 of a lb of my favorite Colby Jack cheese, shredded)

1/2 pint heavy cream (I forgot to buy the heavy cream, so I looked up emergency substitutions for heavy cream {1 tablespoon butter and 7/8 cup of milk})

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop onion and add to a heated skillet. "Glaze" onion (I cooked and stirred until they were soft and almost translucent).  Stir in your tomatoes, green chilies, salt and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Starting with the tomatoes, layer corn chips (or macaroni), tomatoes and cheese in a 3-quart casserole dish (greased/sprayed with cooking spray). Pop into your oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until browned on top. I baked mine for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool a bit before serving. Serve with a salad and bread or cornbread and extra seasonings if you'd like. 

Big Bertha

Big Ol' Beautiful Bertha

Tomatoes, Chili Peppers & Onion Layer

Corn Chips Layer

Capellini d'angelo al Limone

 Capellini d'angelo al Limone

    This recipe is adapted from Sophia Loren's recipe for Spaghetti al Limone in her 1998 Sophia Loren's Recipes & Memories cookbook. The most obvious change I made, was that I used angel hair (capellini d'angelo) pasta. The rest of the ingredients I used were the same as the recipe, but modified to use what I had. I also used a sprinkle of red chili pepper flakes when I served and gasp! I used jarred Parmesan cheese instead of fresh Parmesan (The recipe calls for Parmigiano cheese). I used 8 small lemons instead of 2 to 3 lemons, and I used a zester instead of mincing the lemon zest. I also used 3 cloves of garlic, instead of 2 cloves. You can Google "Sophia Loren's Spaghetti al Limone" and find other versions of her recipe. 

    I have the actual cookbook, but due copyright matters, I am not going to be copying her recipe or directions, word for word. I like the book and want to try some other recipes. Search estate sales, flea markets, antique stores, used book stores for her book, so you can enjoy her recipes, personal photos and stories.  I got my copy for $2.50 at an estate sale/antique store/flea market years ago (I left the tag on it) and this is the first time I've actually used it. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds Angel hair pasta (Capellini d'angelo) or you can use Spaghetti or Fettuccine (I actually used a little more than 1 pound; the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 pounds)

3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 small or two to three lemons, zested

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt

Pepper

Parmesan/Parmigiano cheese (Fresh would be best; but if you have the powdered kind like I do, it was fine)

Red chili pepper flakes

Parsley flakes

    

    Melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan on medium heat.  Add your garlic and saute until golden (this does not take very, long at all), add your lemon zest and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Turn to low heat. While you are making your sauce, cook your pasta to al dente in boiling water. Drain your pasta and add  to your skillet/saucepan. Toss the pasta to coat with the sauce.  The sauce was not "saucy", if that makes sense (picture below).  I like more sauce, so if/when I make this again, I would double the sauce recipe. Remove from heat, transfer the pasta in a serving dish and pass the Parmesan/Parmigiano cheese at the table. Sprinkle with red chili pepper flakes or parsley if desired.

Capellini d'angelo al Limone with asparagus and sourdough bread

Chopped Garlic

Lemon zest

Butter and garlic (mmmmmm)

The finished sauce

Capellini d'angelo al Limone