Straw and Hay from the Frugal Gourmet
If you want to celebrate simplicity around your table this time of year, you may like breaking bread with The Magi, The Camel and the Little Lamb. I’m browsing “The Frugal Gourmet Celebrates Christmas.” Though I don’t own this cookbook (it’s currently on loan from the Austin Public Library) and never really knew much of […]
Don’t call him Santa
His name’s not Santa, but the jolly man in our family did it again. Pa’s Famous Fudge arrived yesterday. Six pounds of chocolate temptation. This is a Christmas present we can’t wait to open early. We don’t make our own fudge here in the cookery because Pa’s fudge always finds us. The kids love this family tradition, packaged […]
Counter Point
Can you sustain yourself (and others) by preparing edible food without spacious counters and expensive gadgets? Read Mark Bittman’s point on the issue: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/weekinreview/14bittman.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Mark%20Bittman%2012/14/08&st=cse
Ladle this soup for supper
Soup Supper If you’ve ever tried Sancocho, a hearty stew known to please palates in Columbia, this may look like a distant cousin. Savor your meat and potatoes, but add a splash of broth to justify this affordable meal. Don’t have all these ingredients on hand? Run an inventory of what you do have […]
Warm Up With Latkes
What’s so wonderful about potato latkes? If you can overlook the starch, they warm you right up in cool weather. We sampled a fantastic homemade version (Sharon’s recipe) in our Austin neighborhood and tried to duplicate them here in the cookery. Served with apple sauce, they’re a treat. Try this recipe from epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-Latkes-104406
Ring in Cookie Season
It’s high season for cookie baking and the real treats often roll out in December. If you’re looking for an oatmeal-cranberry take on cookies, sample this recipe. Cookie cheers to Cookie Madness for exactness in preparation–fantastic batch served up in Austin! Drop by Cookie Madness http://www.cookiemadness.net/ and from there, skip on over to Oatmeal Cookie Guy’s […]
Time to refresh those pantry shelves
Are your pantry items beginning to look a little tired? Maybe it’s time to clean off those shelves. Join me in December and get honest with expired canned goods, dated spices and vintage herbs.
Happy? Try this ending with your next feast.
This Texas Two-Step will bring any meal to a happy ending. Adorn that pumpkin pie with a scoop of Blue Bell Ice Cream: Homemade Vanilla, right out of Benham, Texas. www.bluebell.com
On a roll
Kids love rolling dough. As long as we keep the rolling to a minimum, we turn out great pie crusts. For your single layer crust that I hope you’ll be serving up pumpkin-style, stick with the basics: 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup lard 3 tablespoons icy cold water Mix dry ingredients and […]
Just Plain Flaky
The masters at preparing pie crust know the secret of keeping the crust flaky: handle with care. If there’s time for pie baking around this cookery, it’s Thanksgiving time. I’m testing pie crust recipes this week in preparation for an early celebration with guests on their way soon.