maggiethecat

If it's purpose was to smoke and smear up my kitchen so that I'll have to call in a cleaning crew before your birthday party, the mission is accomplished. Apart from that, perhaps it was to kill surface bacteria? Give a nice black crust? Or maybe Nigella doesn't get slow-cooked pork butt. I try to follow recipe directions (almost) to the letter the first time I try it. I'll let you know about the results. Dinnertime? Er, probably 9:30.

Check out the eG recipe archive; I finally got it done.

Last night it was decided that we'd try Nigella's recipe for slow-cooked pork butt. The butt in question weighed about eight pounds. After rubbing it with the usual suspects, the meat was seared at 500 for about forty minutes, then (when the smoke in the kitchen cleared) the heat was reduced to 225. The Goddess said we should simply leave it there for twenty-four hours. We started it at 7:00 pm CDT. Hot damn, dinner would be ready tomorrow before our usual 9:30 mealtime! It was bubbling and smelling wonderful at 1:30 am when I sought my couch, after watching 301/302, a brilliant Korean movie about food --and other stuff--that made me never want to eat again. (For at least four hours.) I went down to start coffee at 8:00 am. No aroma. The oven had gone out sometime during the night, and it was room temp within. The instant read said 100 degrees. The Handsome One simply turned the oven back on, and it's cooking away again. Are we going to die? I'll enjoy my pulled pork so much less if I'm afraid that it will be my last meal.

That's great, Matthew. I hate that stuck- in- a- cooking- rut thing. My standard solution has always been to buy a new cookbook, but in future I think I'll follow your example and ask eGulls for suggestions. Terrific idea. (And a fabulous-sounding dinner.)

Tomato Soup Cake This '50s classic was usually frosted with either Cream Cheese Frosting or a very simple Buttercream of the butter/icing sugar/milk/vanilla variety. It's alternative name was "Mystery Cake" because of the color and the fact that no one ever guessed what the magic ingredient was. Please, do not skin, seed and generally expend time and effort making your own artisanal tomato soup! Go for the canned. I compared my smeary recipe card version with "Joy of Cooking" (1975) It's essentially the same cake, differing only in the spicing and fruit/nut proportions. Oven: 350 Pan: Tube pan, greased Tomato Soup Cake 2 T. soft butter 2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 t. salt 1 t. baking soda 1 t. cinnamon 1/2 t. each dry ginger, cloves and nutmeg 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup raisins 1/2 cup walnuts 1 10 1/2 oz. can condensed tomato soup. Sift together the dry ingredients. (except for the sugar) Cream together the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the tomato soup and the flour mixture alternately in three turns, stirring well between each addition. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Bake for approx. 45 minutes. You know your oven better than I do! Keywords: Dessert, Easy, Cake, American ( RG611 )

Yes. Oh Lordy!

Damn, that's good! (In Dark Lady Mode) My mother is one of the two or three best cooks I know. She shops for ingredients on an average of four times a day, she's adventurous, her knives are sharp, her pots and pans are top of the line. We usually spend half our weekly phone call talking about food. My brother and sister in law are caterers. When they catered my mother's 70th, Ian commented: "Gee, this is the only place I know where people are disappointed when they find out we're cooking." And yes, she has homemade fresh, dry, fine amd medium breadcrumbs lined up in labelled containers in her freezer. Ditto chicken, beef, veal and seafood stock. Man, is is a pleasure to cook in her house!

Sad, isn't it? I have it on good authority that she's never had grits, either. We're gonna fix this when she gets to North Carolina in October. I intend to hold you to that, Archie.

Welcome, chateaubien!. I am making the assumption that you're Canadian, like me, both from your name and your acquaintance with Tomato Soup Cake. I'll try to remember to post a recipe within the next couple of days. If not, nag me.

Actually, My Muse can hardly work under any other conditions!

Go ahead. Rub it in, you Big Meanie!

Or, remove 2 T. of AP from the cup, and substitute 2 T. cornstarch.

Thanks, Holly. It does look as I'd imagined it: Kind of grey and gluey and lumpy. (Not that it's a bad thing, or anything.)

This is still really, really Funny Stuff, and I'm plugging this round shamelessly. C'mon...I'll extend the deadline until Sunday, September 21st, midnight. I know a couple of minds who would excel at this kind of wordplay. ( Not that I'm putting any pressure on you or anything, Lady T. ) And those are only the folks I know personally.

Stone is a much better candidate for Real Live Southerner than I, obviously. I always imagined a sausage patty on the biscuit. Apparently, that's not so. It's white sauce made from pan drippings, crumbled sausage added, served (over? in?) a biscuit? Is that the correct visual?

44,976. Thanks, Chad and hannah. And one for me: Joyce White's Brown Sugar. 44,977. By the way, if that figure is divided by the 6,000 odd current eGullet members, it works out to about 7 ookbooks apiece, one more than my sister-in-law owns. (I checked out her shelves on Thursday.)

I'm N and C too.! Welcome to eGullet and thanks for this intelligent post. How quickly we forget.

Well, it's a Chicago Burb thing too. I gave up counting them yesterday, there were so many.

Still being hammered out. I will let you know when I know. And ASAP.

I need these! Should you make them, Tell All.

Girls and boys, ladies and gents: Check this out: "The Name Game" Entries Be astounded at the cleverness of your fellow eGulls. Laugh your hocks off. And lick your pencil--or mouse! This round of the Smackdown is a hoot and a half. It is also a blast to write.

Wha hoo! Is the lovely Batgrrl coming too? HH and I will be attending. Last I checked our back set was to contain Lady T and the Mod with the Mostest.

Welcome to eGullet and to the Heartland Forum, Zac.

Dear Matthew: The brisket's fine. Really. But if you are doubtful now, you'll avoid cooking it later. And a brisket is a terrible thing to waste. Go with G's grill suggestion. and smoke a brisket along with the duck. Yum.

Gee, Marlene, what a judge of character you are! My bosom's heaving --with laughter. (Admit I was right. It was fun!)