eG Foodblog: tejon - Pepper Steak and Power Tools

[Susan in FL]

The boys begged me for cookies, so I pulled out a recipe that I've been making since I was ten years old. The card is a little older than that, but bears many notes from me from way back when. It's in horrible shape, but I love the feel of the now frayed edges and looking at my earliest attempts at baking.

By the way, these are the best chocolate chip cookies, bar none. You are entitled to a differing opinion, but you'd be wrong  . They come out chewy inside, crisp around the edges, and rich and full of chocolatey goodness. I've been working on the recipe for twenty-seven years now, and I think the cookies finally come out just right. I'll share some with everyone later on.

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I've been busy each time I've caught up on reading your blog, so as much as I've enjoyed it, I didn't take any time to comment. However, I must now. This post is awesome! Thanks for blogging.

[Toliver]

Alberto's Carnitas Burritos. It's a Mexican fast food chain from North San Diego, but they opened one in Pomona (I think on Garey)

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Oh yeah ... I have been informed by long-time San Diegans that the original sorta-kinda-legendary local taco shop chain was called Roberto's, and that it got popular enough that a small cadre of copycat chains sprang up, all of whose names end in "-berto" (I've spotted Alberto's and Aliberto's so far). I didn't realize they'd spread as far north as Pomona (assuming, of course, that this is part of the same "-berto" phenomenon ... )

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We now have an Alberto's here in Bakersfield so they are making their way north!

Tejon,

That recipe card is wonderful. Reminds me of a lot of my mom's recipes from over the years. Is it just the one card that looks its age or do you have more? Since Cusina's food blog here on eGullet, I've been intrigued by "Grandma's Recipe Box" or similar recipes that have survived the years.

[tejon]

Toliver and Susan - glad I'm not alone in warm feelings over old recipes . I will have more pictures of my Grandma's recipe box and my Great-Grandmother's cooking notebook in a little bit. I feel more than honored to be the keeper of the family recipes.

Meanwhile, breakfast. I'm fighting something respiratory (I have asthma, so I'm a bit prone to stuff in the lungs in general), so this morning it's just herbal tea followed with a healthy swig of elderberry syrup ("your mother was a hamster and your father smells of elderberries!" ). I think lunch will be soup of some kind - hot and steamy sounds just right.

[andiesenji]

I'll give them a try (and also inquire about a few other items while I'm at it) - thanks!

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If they can't help you, let me know the model number and the exact size - and a photo would help, and I will check with my small appliance repair guy. He has been able to find some of the most obscure parts for some of my antique appliances- I think he is a wizard or something - He found an insert for a hot fudge heater made in the early '50s (the kind that was in every coffee shop or cafe).

[I_call_the_duck]

Kathy,

I haven't had a chance to respond to your blog, but I'm loving it. Your kids are gorgeous, and your meals look delicious.

Sounds like a big bowl of pho is in store for you. Hope you're feeling better soon.

[tejon]

I have been truly blessed when it comes to heirloom recipes. My Grandma had a series of strokes over a decade ago and stopped being able to cook. This was a real tragedy, as she has always been an amazing cook, and was my inspiration to start messing around in the kitchen in the first place. When it came time to divy up belongings when my Grandparents moved to an assisted living facility, they decided that I should get whatever I wanted from the kitchen, and that I should be the caretaker for all of the family recipes. Such a responsibility! I was humbled and honored. Here is my Grandma's recipe box:

Notice the "zucchini" section? My Grandpa has a serious green thumb and had a garden overflowing with good things (my mouth is watering just thinking of the peaches he grew). Needless to say, this resulted in an over abundance at times! They usually had frozen peaches, home canned goods of all kinds, dried herbs, etc.

The recipe cards themselves are fascinating, and say a lot about my Grandma. She hand typed each one, then made notes as she changed things here and there. Most compelling to read are the backs of the cards which detail every time the dish was made, the date, who ate it, whether they enjoyed it or not, and what was served with it. When a card got full on the back, she'd copy the recipe onto another card and start over again, so there aren't any recipe cards that are more than perhaps 20 years old in the box. Still, it makes for fascinating reading, especially seeing what I liked and didn't like when I was younger!

Finally, here's the real treasure - my Great-Great Grandmother's cooking notebook. She had a real sweet tooth, so about half the recipes are for cakes, cookies, and pies .

[tejon]

If they can't help you, let me know the model number and the exact size - and a photo would help, and I will check with my small appliance repair guy.  He has been able to find some of the most obscure parts for some of my antique appliances- I think he is a wizard or something - He found an insert for a hot fudge heater made in the early '50s (the kind that was in every coffee shop or cafe).

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Andie, I called them and was told that they don't handle parts for the National brand. Worth the try, though. The cooker we have is a National, model number SR-EA10N. It holds up to 5 cups of rice. Here's a picture. Thanks for your help on this - we really love the cooker and hate to give it up just because the bowl needs replacement.

[Megan Blocker]

What an amazing heirloom, Kathy...I made a similar find while helping to clean out my grandparents' CT house when it sold last fall. My grandmother's recipe box was such a treat - the one I found seemed to date from the '60's, and was full of casseroles (LOTS of cream of mushroom) and salads...not a lot that I'll actually use from that batch, but such a neat slice of her life.

[tejon]

I got to Arden's preschool a little early and hung around while they all finished lunch. Arden eagerly showed me his peanut butter sandwich....which he has stuck on top of a plastic kiwi knife. Crazy boy - wonder where he gets it?

Here's a group shot of everyone. The lunches range from sandwiches of all kinds to evil Lunchables to one little boy who gets a Bento box every day. The rule is, "main dish first, then you can have your sides." Smart - they end up eating sandwiches and protein and then the extras, instead of filling up on fruit roll-ups or crackers.

Soup for me. I made up some Sapporo Ichiban, "Original" flavor, with some grated ginger, Shanghai bok choy, and green onions. Really hit the spot.

Now I'm off to pick up Ryan and set up snack for the boys.

[tejon]

On to chocolate chip cookies. Here's how I make them:

First, cream 1 cup butter until light and fluffy. Then add 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar, packed and stir to combine. Add two eggs and one teaspoon vanilla and mix until all ingredients are combined well.

Next, mix 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 cups oatmeal (quick) in a separate bowl. The oatmeal is the secret to a chewy cookie. Oddly enough, most people can't tell that there's oatmeal in them at all, and I've even had oatmeal haters go crazy over these cookies.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well. Finally, add 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, stirring to evenly distribute. Place plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour. This trick I learned when I worked at Mrs. Field's way back when. Chilling the cookie dough helps them to bake much more evenly and helps give a much better texture as well.

(by the way, Ling - this cookie dough is really, really good raw )

[tejon]

After a good long chill in the refrigerator, the dough is ready to scoop. I preheat the oven to 350 degrees beforehand, then get out my cookie sheets and Silpats. Parchment paper would work as well, but I don't like the thought of wasting all that paper when Silpat works just fine. I use a 1 ounce scoop that my Dad procured for me after I worked at Mrs. Field's. When I complained to him that I really would love to have a scoop like they use in the cookie shops, he went to his local Mrs. Field's and asked if he could buy a scoop. The employee explained that the scoops weren't for sale. Then my Dad offered her a dollar if she'd just part with the scoop. He left with a cookie scoop in his pocket, and she ended up a dollar richer .

I pack the dough firmly into the scoop, scraping off the excess on the edge of the bowl. This helps keep a consistant shape (though I wasn't very diligent this time, so the cookies aren't as round as they should be).

I place the scoops on the cookie sheet, then press down just a little on the top of each scoop to help with spread when they bake.

I bake until the edges are barely golden and the centers are almost set, then let them sit on the sheet for a couple of minutes to firm up completely. Then they get transferred to a cooling rack.

The result?

[monavano]

Gosh those cookies look good. I am so going to make them, tommorow hopefully!!

[Toliver]

Those cookies and your photos totally rock!

Your recipe box is wonderful. What a great treasure to have inherited.

[TongoRad]

Round, schmound! Those are what real homemade cookies are supposed to look like- they look great!

[Lori in PA]

The power of suggestion strikes again -- I took one look at your cookies and abandoned the computer for the mixer. We're almost out of chocolate chips, so I made do with peanut butter cookies instead. Now I've cleaned up all the evidence and have packets of three cookies each freezing for "when did you make cookies?" lunch treats. :-)

[Shaya]

Hi Kathy,

I'm really enjoying your blog. Seeing your heirloom treasure really touched my heart. I also became drawn to the kitchen by watching my grandmother spend hours at the stove. She is nearly 87 and still cooks for herself although I notice she has been slowing down lately because she finds it difficult to stand up. I always tell her I hope I can be so inspired when I'm her age.

Unfortunately all her treasures are stored in her head, and for the most part my sister and I have little bits scribbled here and there. What a nice legacy your grandmother is leaving you.

[Rebecca263]

The boys begged me for cookies, so I pulled out a recipe that I've been making since I was ten years old. The card is a little older than that, but bears many notes from me from way back when...

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This post alone is priceless. Your blog is wonderful! Thank you!

[tejon]

Tonight I felt like something light, so I made rice bowls with chicken and a bit of Chinese sausage. The chicken marinated in soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, oyster sauce, Shaoshang wine, and salt. Then I put cooked rice into bowls, covering it with the chicken, some chopped sausage, and green onion. The bowls were pretty tall and I didn't have a steamer that would fit them, so I jury rigged. I put one bowl on the bottom of a large pot, added water for steaming, covered it with my bamboo steamer cover, then placed the second bowl on top of that. Funny looking, but it worked.

Meanwhile, I stir fried some asparagus and garlic. Looks like asparagus is starting to come into season, and this bunch was slender and gorgeous. I love Spring - time to gorge myself on as much asparagus as I can stand, which is quite a lot, as a matter of fact.

The bowl with more sausage is for Dan. There are only two bowls because it's Wednesday, the day my mother in law comes by in the afternoon and takes the boys to the park and then dinner (usually an extremely healthy choice like McDonald's ). They all came back just as we were finishing dinner, and Ryan decided it all smelled really good and asked if he could try some .

Dan decided there should be a picture of me somewhere in here, so here's where you're most likely to find me right before dinner:

[Susan in FL]

Nice kitchen picture, and you're so pretty! I'm glad Dan decided you should post the photo!

[tejon]

Thank you! Now I'm all veklempt .

[rjwong]

Dan has chosen ... wisely ...

The librarian within me must ask: Have you photocopied your grandmother's card file? Pardon my anxiousness ...

[tejon]

Dan has chosen ... wisely ... 

The librarian within me must ask: Have you photocopied your grandmother's card file? Pardon my anxiousness ...

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Why yes I have! That's the first thing I did, just in case something happened to the box. The rest of the family wanted access to the recipes as well, so I put together a cookbook:

[Dejah]

Kathy,

Your chicken/Chinese sausage/rice bowls look delicious.

Next time, try layering the marinated chicken and sliced sausages on top of uncooked rice for a one pot meal: gai/lapcheung fan. The juices and flavours will cook into the rice. I do this often in a pot on the stove. It should also work with your super national rice cooker.

I'll be making your chocolate chip cookies this weekend when my grandson comes to visit. he loves chocolate chips.

[tejon]

Dejah, I will try that next time. I would imagine the rice ends up even more flavorful.

I hope your grandson enjoys the cookies!

[tejon]

How did it get to be the last day of the blog already? Here's my final food picture - a bed-time cup of tea in my favorite mug, the one I got when Dan and I stayed at The Jabberwock bed and breakfast on our honeymoon .