Jaymes

Well, there is something to be said for the familiar comfort of ritual. Isn't 'home' and what you expect to receive there and what you do receive there the difference between being 'home' and being somewhere else, in unfamiliar and strange circumstance? I remember one Thanksgiving long ago. I had run myself ragged that month with work and other committments. Just couldn't face those long hours in the kitchen whipping up that familiar comfort for my family of five. So I talked them into going out. We went to a fabulous buffet at a local upscale restaurant. It really was very good. But as I looked around our unfamiliar restaurant table laden with all the Thanksgiving bounty a fancy commercial kitchen could produce, I saw four glum faces. "Isn't this good?" I asked, cheerily, trying to whip up a little holiday spirit. "Yes, Mom," sighed Mark, my precocious 9-year-old. "This is good. But this is not the stuff of which tradition is made." I never tried that again. I had figured out that although it was good, it wasn't ours. My family looks forward to Thanksgiving all year. They are not looking forward to "Thanksgiving." They are looking forward to our Thanksgiving. And, personally, I think that's something worth giving thanks for.

A good fish pie is a thing of beauty.I usually make mine with smoked haddock, but sometimes use normal fish (In which case I like to use a mixture). Some fish pie pointers and suggestions... - When making your bechamel fry some leeks first before adding the flour for the roux, adds a touch of sweetness (And some colour - although a big handful of parsley helps here too) - You want to be rigorous in removing every scrap of skin and bone, this is the sort of dish you want to be able to eat with a spoon and not have to worry. - Some fried quartered button mushrooms can stretch out the fish, and I like them anyway - nothing too fancy or stongly flavoured though. - A rosti type topping makes a nice change, but to be honest is not quite as good. Trying variations on the potato topping like you might do on a shepherds pie (mix in parsnips/celeriac/sweet potato or use mashed white beans) just doesn't seem to work, but there may be a magic combination I haven't tried. - Putting somewhat too much butter on top of the mash creates a lovely buttery crust - to hell with calories! - Mussels are fine addition, steam them open in a little white wine. The good thing is you can then use the juices in the sauce. This does make the whole thing hopless for re-heating though, the mussels turn into rubber. - I do not own a piping bag and have no desire to buy one so I just pile on the mash, spread it on and fork across the create ridges. These are very important as they produce the delicious crust - epscially when some of the filling bubbles up over the sides. I want to thank you 'fish pie' people for taking the time to post this. Fish pie sounds absolutely delicious. We eat a lot of fish, and I'm always looking for good ideas to prepare it. I'll be making this very soon. Thanks again.

This reminds me of a very good casserole that is in MFK Fisher's book, With Bold Knife and Fork. She calls it St. Helena Zalaveri, I think (my book is in storage, so can't confirm). It has noodles in it, and is covered with a tomato sauce.Not familiar with that one, but can tell you that the Busy Mother thing has several terrific qualities. Not only will it fill up ravenous teenaged boys, but since you don't precook anything, it goes together quickly and you wind up with rice, meat, corn -- three courses -- and only one dish to wash. Haven't made it in years. Haven't even thought about it until this thread. Funny, isn't it, how priorities change.

It sounds even better than my version, Jaymes. Please definitely post it if you come across it. . . Okay, found it. Keep in mind that I KNOW this is nobody's idea of haute cuisine. But when I had three hungry teenagers, it did fill them up. Now that I reread the recipe, I note it calls for tomato sauce. And some water. It's been many years since I made it (my hungry 'teenagers' are now in their 30's), so I've kinda forgotten, but because I like pieces of tomatoes, I think I substituted cans of whole tomatoes & liquid for the tomato sauce and water. Busy Mother Casserole In a 2qt baking dish with a tightly-fitting lid, place the following ingredients in the following order. Do not precook anything. 1 C uncooked rice (not minute rice) 1 C corn (if you're using canned, drain it) sprinkle of salt and pepper 1 9-oz can tomato sauce 1/2 C water 1/2 C each chopped onion and green pepper 1 lb uncooked ground beef sprinkle of salt and pepper 1 more can tomato sauce 1/4 C water cover top of hamburger meat with bacon strips Cover casserole tightly and bake at 350 for one hour. Uncover and bake about 30 minutes longer or until bacon is crisp. Note -- seems to me that I added some herbs of some sort, probably a little garlic, and, because we liked Mexican flavors, maybe some green chiles rather than the bell peppers.

I think I've made it twice since I've grown up (if indeed, that could be said to be true) and it was before I became a professional, so it is hazy but yes, you are right the tomatoes are not drained. What I seem to remember (which of course is not in the recipe but that's how she wrote it ) is that they may have been canned "stewed tomatoes" (you know, the ones cooked with celery and peppers and onions that used to be served as a side dish some places?). I'll try it sometime soon and let you know better. Because I am also a bit worried that she might have used "Minute Rice" because that's the only variety that was ever in her cupboard. When my three children were young, I often made a recipe that called for rice, corn, hamburger meat, large can of stewed tomatoes. You didn't drain it, and you didn't precook the rice, and I never used minute rice. The one I had also called for strips of bacon to be put across the top. It was surely 'comfort food,' not fancy, but my kids and hubby loved it. It was called "Busy Mother Casserole" or some such something. If anybody really cares, I'll see if I can dig up the exact recipe.

That recipe will haunt me all my days here. And it sure doesn't fit the "no Campbell's soup" bit. Although man is it good. I think I'll cook up some next week. The weather is cooling here in Central Missouri, where I currently am living. King Ranch Chicken is shore a little taste o' my Texas home.

Here's a recipe that has served me well for several decades. Even through the 'Cream of Soup' years. It's one that I often take as a 'covered dish,' and to neighbors going through some sort of emergency. It's kind of unusual in that instead of the more typical beef, chicken, tuna, etc., it calls for ham (although you can sub). The result is a 'ham, potatoes and green peas in a white sauce' kinda dish. Ham & Potato Casserole 1/2 t salt 1 C chopped celery 1 1/2 C boiling water 1 1/2 C cubed potatoes evaporated whole milk 1/4 C butter 1 C white or yellow onion, chopped 1/4 C flour 2 C cooked ham, cut into bite-sized pieces (or chicken or tuna) 2 T chopped parsley 1 C green peas, cooked and drained 1/2 C grated cheese, or more to taste (I use mild cheddar, but you can use whatever you like) Add salt and celery to boiling water. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Add potatoes and cook 15 minutes longer. Drain and measure liquid. Add enough milk to make 1 1/2 cups and set aside. Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and cook until soft. Add flour and blend well. Stir until flour is bubbling and no longer 'raw.' Gradually add reserved liquid, stirring constantly, and cook until sauce thickens and boils for 1 minute. Add ham, parsley and vegetables. Spoon into buttered 1 quart casserole and top with grated cheese. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes or until bubbly. Can refrigerate before baking. If you do, then add another 15 minutes to baking time.

That would be great to do.. I would really love to... Um, yes. That would be lovely.

Congratulations, Kim. Great topic. I know I've got some Cream of Soupless recipes. I'll start digging.

Or so you've been told?

It's all coming back... the "dip" began life as somebody's maiden Aunt Helen's "Fluffy Cloud Potato Casserole." It was mashed Irish potatoes, with melted butter, sour cream, chives, and a few other things I can't remember. It was poured into a casserole, covered with grated cheddar cheese and baked. Only it didn't turn out so much like "Fluffy Clouds" as it did the rain that falls from them. It was runny as gravy and when you dished yourself up a serving, it immediately created a pool that spread quickly across your plate. I think that's when the off-color jokes about Aunt Helen started. You've heard of folks referring to their "Salad Days of Youth." In our case, I don't recall a lot of salad. They were more like "Daquiri Days." We all had at least two (usually more) blenders lined up on our kitchen counters standing at attention like sturdy soldiers waiting to be called to duty. So we poured Aunt Helen's Soggy Clouds into one of the blenders, added more cheese to firm things up a little, and hit "frappe." Voila. Dip.

Do you have this recipe still? It sounds extremely yummy and I would greatly appreciate it!Found it. And actually, the more I think about it, I'm pretty certain that that silly Thanksgiving was where I got this delicious recipe. In order for any of us to have made Pumpkin Flan, we would have needed 'more' -- more time, effort, skill and knowledge of world cuisine -- than any of us possessed. This recipe, on the other hand, is easily put together. Although I should add that while it is simple, I dazzled friends and family with it for the next couple of decades: Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie Crust: 1 Pkg cinnamon crisp graham crackers 1/3 C melted butter Grind crackers into crumbs. Mix with butter and press into a deep pie dish. Soften 1 qt best-quality vanilla ice cream. Snip ½ jar (and we all bought McCormick) candied, crystallized ginger into small pieces. Combine ginger and vanilla ice cream and pour into crust and freeze. Combine 1 C canned pumpkin, 1 C sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, ¼ t powdered ginger, 1 t ground cinnamon. Mix well. Whip 1 C cream to soft peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into pumpkin mix. Pour over frozen ice cream. Dust top with pumpkin pie spice. Freeze until firm.

Do you have this recipe still? It sounds extremely yummy and I would greatly appreciate it! It IS extremely yummy. And I think I still have it, as I made it for several years afterward. I'll dig around and see if I can recover it. I'm hoping so, as I'd kind of 'forgotten' about it until I was writing that. And if I can find it, not only will I post it here, I'm making it this holiday season, too.

Was going to offer my condolences. But then I read this bit: Certainly that worked out for the best. You have wonderful memories of New Orleans. And, Lockhart is still there. You can visit any time. New Orleans, on the other hand.....

So, I repeat, did you get to Lockhart?

Yeah, like the way olden days when one was told that the place to go in Hong Kong was the San Francisco Steak House. Although I will add that at the time, I was living in Hong Kong. When one lives in a place, it's a little different than what one eats when one is traveling in search of an authentic experience. I did go to the San Francisco Steak House on occasion, and was glad to get a taste of 'home.' And a break from Chinese food. Much like, I suppose, Chinese folks living in Omaha. Doubt they eat only US certified beef, just because that's where they happen to be planted at the time.

When I was young and living away from home, a single gal in the big city, at Thanksgiving we would usually get together with several other singletons also living away from home. We would all bring something to share. One Thanksgiving in particular, because none of us were particularly traditional cooks (or much good at it either), we decided the theme should be pretty much what you said -- traditional "Thanksgiving ingredients" prepared in untraditional ways. It's been a very long time ago, so I don't recall much. (Actually, I didn't really recall all that much the next day, either.) I do recall an absolutely fabulous warm cranberry sauce served over vanilla ice cream. I think maybe it was flamed, and seems like there were crepes involved, a riff on Cherries Jubilee. (And I think that's what I brought, but I wouldn't bet on it. For one thing, I'm not sure I knew how to make crepes. Hell, maybe there weren't any crepes.) Also for dessert, there was a pumpkin flan. (Or maybe that's where I got the recipe for the pumpkin ice cream pie made with little flecks of crystallized ginger.) One thing I remember for certain is that the guy in charge of the turkey completely wimped out and just brought turkey legs, one for each of us, which he sprinkled with chili powder and roasted. And we all sat around the fireplace eating and waving our turkey legs like a bunch of Barbarians and throwing the bones into the fire and laughing our asses off. I think the traditional green beans turned into a cold 3-bean salad and the ubiquitous onion rings from a can morphed into real, deep-fried onion rings. We dipped the onion rings into an interesting sauce of some importance and connection to the holiday (and an off-color slam at someone's maiden Aunt Helen), but I cannot remember exactly what it was. The turkey dressing was more like sage dressing croquettes or fried patties of some sort. They were good...fried in butter. Warm and aromatic and flavorful on the inside. And hot and crusty on the out. Regarding the Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallow Topping, I kind of remember the sweet potatoes being whipped into a cold frothy drink made with sugar and heavy cream and laced with cinnamon and nutmeg. And if I were a bettin' woman, I'd bet there was some rum in it, too. Or some sort of alcohol. In homage to the marshmallow topping, we roasted marshmallows in the fireplace and ate those along with our frosty sweet potato shakes. And instead of real hot apple pie, we had a drink made with hot spiced apple cider and Tuaca, topped with whipped cream, called a "Hot Apple Pie." Many of the details of this hilarious evening have been lost to memory. But I still make those Hot Apple Pies with the spiced cider and Tuaca. Yum. Warming and delicious. And you know how good fruit is for you.

Here are some of the 'older' (from England) garnishes she mentions: heavy cream fine sugar to dredge over the pie good Port wine in a dcanter to pour over the pie Cheddar or Cheshire cheese toasted hazelnuts blanched almonds melted quincy jelly diced candied orange peel sweetened whipped cream plum conserve (damson plum jelly in Mystic) dried currants raisins cinnamon sugar Another New England custom was to have pie for breakfast (a custom that I gladly keep up): I think this may be one of my all time most favorite eGullet posts ever.Wow, thanks Jaymes; glad you enjoyed the quotes. I like the rather baroque listing of toppings! In fact, I've hardcopied that list of toppings and tucked it in with my recipe for apple pie. Can hardly wait to work my merry way down that list.

So okay. I got one of these gizmos. Actually, I like it. I really like it. But we eat a lot of mangos. And this thing does help.

So are you still in Austin? Gonna get to Lockhart, I hope.

Here are some of the 'older' (from England) garnishes she mentions: heavy cream fine sugar to dredge over the pie good Port wine in a dcanter to pour over the pie Cheddar or Cheshire cheese toasted hazelnuts blanched almonds melted quincy jelly diced candied orange peel sweetened whipped cream plum conserve (damson plum jelly in Mystic) dried currants raisins cinnamon sugar Another New England custom was to have pie for breakfast (a custom that I gladly keep up): I think this may be one of my all time most favorite eGullet posts ever.

I've lived all over the US, so don't know where many of the things I was accustomed to as a child came from. But in our house, when apple pie was served, you were always asked if you wanted it "hot or not." "Not" was served with ice cream. "Hot" was served with a generous slice of cheddar cheese melting over the top.

I like to use Wondra with fish.

What I buy from my butcher is called the 'whole brisket.' It has a nice layer of fat, which you want to leave on when you smoke it. I am currently not living in Texas, and all of my stuff, including my BBQ smoker, is packed up in storage in Texas. So when I go back to Texas, I buy whole smoked brisket from my favorite BBQ place. It can weigh as much as 20 pounds, but usually more like 8-15. It's not trimmed. It's got the point/deckle and all the fat still on it. I never trim it off until AFTER it's cooked. I'd suggest that you simply ask your butcher for a smaller one, rather than trying to trim up a large one. Here is an excellent site: Brisket 101. Note: On that site, he refers to a 'packer cut.' It's possible that when I tell my butcher I want a 'whole brisket,' what he gives me is a 'packer cut' and I just don't know it.

And frankly, since 'bruschetta' is the BREAD, and not the now-ubiquitous American-style tomato topping, that makes it even worse; ie, that Sandra, a so-called cooking and food expert, doesn't even seem to know what bruschetta is.