David Ross

This is a small booklet I found at a vintage shop. A real find. Produced by the Ford Motor Company. The cover is missing somewhere, but I think it dates to the early 1950's when car companies were promoting the highway system. I shared some of these restaurants with a friend in New York and a few of them are still around. This is one restaurant from Connecticut that gives you an example of the format of the booklet.

I remember I only saw peanut butter, but I'll look again. I bet there are many versions on peanut butter.

I remember I only saw peanut butter, but I'll look again. I bet there are many versions on peanut butter.

Wow I guess they were eating a lot of sandwiches back in 1909...

Nice thanks.

I love quail and those look like nice big birds, bigger than farm-raised. I'm having quail next week for New Year's instead of a big roast.

Getting ready to make this dish again for the holiday week ahead.

I was getting tired of the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, and the boring dishes I was making. But then I remembered my chicken salad sandwich recipe and realized turkey would be delicious in this sandwich. And of course, homemade mayonnaise makes the difference. Slivered almonds and sliced grapes are also delicious in this sandwich. 4 cups chopped, cold roast turkey or chicken meat 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tbsp. capers, chopped 2 tbsp. caper juice 2 tbsp. dill relish 3/4 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped green onions salt and pepper to taste 6 tbsp. soft butter 8 thick slices of crusty bread 1 cup thinly sliced red radishes butter lettuce leaves Pull the meat off the chilled roasted chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Place the meat in a food processor and quickly pulse to finely chop the chicken meat. Place the chopped chicken in a large bowl and add the mayonnaise, capers, caper juice, dill relish, celery and greens onions and mix to combine. Add additional mayonnaise as needed to make a creamy chicken salad. Season with salt and pepper. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast the bread, butter side down, until golden, about two minutes. To assemble the sandwiches, place one piece of bread, buttered side down for the bottom layer. Add some butter lettuce, then a layer of sliced radishes. Spoon some chicken salad on top of the radishes, then top with a slice of bread, toasted side up. Serve with chips and fresh radishes or pickles. For mayonnaise I like to use Greek olive oil, but some may not like the bold flavor, so I sometimes use grapeseed oil or avocado oil. Homemade mayonnaise- 2 large eggs 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1-1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste 2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano Place the eggs, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste in a blender. Process just until ingredients are combined, about 20 seconds. With blender running at low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil in a slow steady stream. Continue to add enough oil until the mayonnaise thickens. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Refrigerate the mayonnaise at least one hour before using to allow it to cool and the oil to set.

That's perfect and in line with what I've been looking for. This project may take me some time to get right, but I'll have a good recipe during the cold winter months, maybe just not during this holiday season.

Going through this wonderful topic in a search for a terrine to make for the holidays. I have a recipe I saved from the program New Scandanavian Cooking on PBS for "Pressed Pork with Christmas Spices" that I've wanted to do for a few years. But after looking at the recipe again I'm not so sure this is the one I'll do this season. Looking for something that is easier to make than this recipe which basically calls for a press/mold for the terrine. I'm thinking of pork, pistachios, and possibly chicken livers and/or adding a duck breast down the middle. But I'm open to suggestions and photos.

For the Rum Raisin Sauce-makes 4 cups of sauce 4 cups heavy whipping cream 2 cups packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup butter 1 stick of butter 1/2 cup currants substitute golden raisins 1/3 cup dark rum For the Sticky Toffee Pudding- 1 1/2 cups water 1 cup chopped, pitted dates 2 tsp. baking soda 1 cup butter, softened 2 sticks of butter 2/3 cup sugar 4 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup brandy substitute dark rum 2 tbsp. dark molasses 2/3 cup chopped candied pineapple substitute regular raisins 1 cup golden raisins 2 tbsp. chopped candied ginger 1 cup chopped walnuts 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt whipped cream for garnish Make the Rum Raisin Sauce- Pour the whipping cream into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and butter and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook until the sauce is reduced and thickens about 10 minutes. Stir in the rum. Pour half of the sauce into a bowl. This is the sauce we'll pour over the sticky toffee pudding. In the other half of the sauce, stir in the raisins. This is the sauce we'll use to pour over the baked sticky toffee pudding and serve on the side. Cover and refrigerate the two sauces until ready to use. Make the Sticky Toffee Pudding and Serve- Preheat the oven to 350. Spray the mold pan or bundt pan with non-stick spray. Place the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Pour the water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir in the chopped dates and baking soda. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir the mixture. The dates will start to melt and thicken, creating a sticky date paste. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until it's creamed and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, brandy, and molasses and continue to beat until the mixture is combined. Add the pineapple, raisins, candied ginger and walnuts to the batter and mix again until the batter is combined. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and then the date mixture. Continue to mix until all the ingredients are combined. Spoon 1/2 cup of the rum sauce (without the currants), in the bottom of the mold pan. Then pour the batter on top of the rum sauce. Leave about 1" from the top of the pan for the cake to rise. Jiggle the pan so that the batter is evenly distributed. Bake the sticky toffee pudding for 30 minutes. At this point, the pudding is only partially baked. Carefully pour 1 cup of the rum sauce (without the currants), on top of the pudding. Continue to bake the sticky toffee pudding for another 20 minutes, or until it's dark golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pudding from the oven and let it rest on a cookie rack for 5 minutes. Gently run the point of a paring knife around the edge of the mold. Place a cookie rack over the top of the mold and invert, turning the sticky toffee pudding over on top of another cookie rack. Tap the mold and gently release the sticky toffee pudding. Let the pudding cool for 5 minutes before serving. Place the warm sticky toffee pudding on a serving plate. Pour some of the rum raisin sauce (with the currants), over the top of the sticky toffee pudding and around the sides. Serve additional rum raisin sauce on the side. Serve whipped cream on the side.

That's what I say too! My Father would sneak more and more hard sauce for his plum pudding.

Now I put them in a cardboard box and keep the top open. I put the "fake snow," aka, cotton, on top for some protection, and put it on a top shelf in a closet. It does pretty good structurally, although each year I have a few candies I need to replace/repair. What happened with the really nice gingerbread house is I put it in one of those large plastic storage tubs and put on the top, but stored it in the garage. We get very cold weather in the winters, hot in the summers, so I think the poor thing just wilted and collapsed.

The annual Sticky Toffee Pudding that I'll make for New Year's Eve. I'm not sure what the original source of the recipe was, probably one of my many holiday food and cooking magazines, then tinkered with until I got it just right last year. Served with Rum Raisin Sauce, but if my Father was still with us, he'd have a huge scoop of the hard sauce Mother made. You know, just butter and powdered sugar and maybe a few spoons of brandy. We always bought a Plum Pudding and made the hard sauce, but I like the softer texture of the Sticky Toffee Pudding and all that gooey, warm caramel.

Wow what a beauty Chris and obviously the work was well worth it.

I never thought of that but I would try it, might be delicious.

One of the best fruitcakes I ever had was made by the Monks at the Monastery at Mt. Angel in the Williamette Valley of Oregon. We lived in Salem and used to drive thru there every Sunday to visit friends that had a horse farm. The monks also made delicious fudge and penuche.

This is the recipe with my notes to the side.

I guess it's because I got behind in recent years with my fruitcake stocks, so I've been on the binge so far this season. The tropical fruitcake was a new entry into the fruitcake stocks, and it's been delicious. And social distancing has done something unusual, I've found how many of my friends love, and want, a fruitcake, so I've been making them fruitcakes in exchange for treats. All done by leaving goodie bags at the back door. Here are three using my traditional recipe from the Great Northern Railroad. I add some brown sugar to the recipe to get the cake a little darker, and other than that it's pretty much the same as the original, but you can vary it to your liking. These won't be eaten this year but age for at least one, maybe go to about 5 years with the brandy fruitcake.

I think it's the season for cheese fondue. I bought some white asparagus at the local German market, so I think along with ham, bread and maybe a few pickles that sounds like a good fondue feast.

That top one I made sadly didn't survive one winter. I didn't store it properly and humidity got to it and the darn thing fell apart. But I've got a new one I built three years ago I'm still adding on to and will post it here when I get some photos.

oops! Here is the revised recipe: For the Filling- 1/4 cup butter, softened 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans For the Cookies- 1 cup butter, softened 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 egg yolks 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. cardamom 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tbsp. chopped pistachios 1 tbsp. chopped pecans Make the Filling- In a mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla and cream until blended. With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar to make a creamy frosting, then add the chopped pecans. You can make the filling ahead of time and keep covered in the fridge. Make the Cookies- Heat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, salt and cardamom and beat until thoroughly combined. Slowly add the flour and beat until the dough is blended. Shape 1” balls of dough, then gently flatten. Toss the cookie in the chopped pistachios. Press your thumb down in the center of each cookie. Bake for 12-14minutes until slightly browned. Press your thumb down again in the center of each cookie. Let the cookies cool on a rack. Spoon the filling into a piping bag with a star tip and fill the center of the thumbprint cookies. Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans.

Certainly not my Mother's Christmas thumbprint cookies, (which were delicious), but a newer take on this favorite. These are really rich so I eat only one at a time. For the Filling- 1/4 cup butter, softened 4 oz. cream cheese, softened 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans For the Cookies- 1 cup butter, softened 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 egg yolks 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. cardamom 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tbsp. chopped pistachios 1 tbsp. chopped pecans Make the Filling- In a mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla and cream until blended. With the mixer on low, slowly add the powdered sugar to make a creamy frosting, then add the chopped pecans. You can make the filling ahead of time and keep covered in the fridge. Heat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, salt and cardamom and beat until thoroughly combined. Slowly add the flour and beat until the dough is blended. Shape 1” balls of dough, then gently flatten. Toss the cookie in the chopped pistachios. Press your thumb down in the center of each cookie. Bake for 12-14minutes until slightly browned. Press your thumb down again in the center of each cookie. Let the cookies cool on a rack. Spoon the filling into a piping bag with a star tip and fill the center of the thumbprint cookies. Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans.

Thanks I was just thinking about that recipe yesterday. So incredibly delicious, sweet, smoky and savory.

Today I start the baking of the fruitcake recipe I've used for years. It comes from the Great Northern Railroad who every holiday season served fruitcakes onboard their passenger trains, most notably the Empire Builder. Passengers could actually buy fruitcakes at ticket offices and onboard the trains. What a different world. It's more the traditional style rather than the tropical fruitcake I posted earlier. The tropical fruitcake used dried fruits and this one, the "train" version uses the traditional candied fruits.