Thursday, April 29, 2010

Huckleberry Jam Recipe, historical trivia

Vintage Recipe Thursday is meant to preserve your own original vintage family recipes, or out-of-print, copyright-free recipes from old cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, and postcards. You're invited! Get the details by clicking to the Vintage Recipe Thursday Homepage. I post recipes from the Household Searchlight Recipe Book, first published in 1931. My 16th printing is from 1943. What will you post?

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Who was born 175 years ago, died 100 years ago, and wrote the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 125 years ago? Did you say Samuel Langhorne Clemens? You're still right even if you said Mark Twain, which was his pen name.

There will be celebrations all through 2010 and all through the country, although Twain might not have approved, since he said, "What ought to be done to the man who invented the celebrating of anniversaries? Mere killing would be too light. Anniversaries are very well up to a certain point."

I'm offering up a vintage huckleberry jam recipe in just such a celebration, so round up Tom, Huck, Jim, Becky, Aunt Polly, the Yankee, Arthur, and all the neighborhood children. There are jams and pies to eat while the tales take us down the river, and even to King Arthur's Court in Camelot.





Huckleberry Jam Recipe
4 1/2 cups huckleberries
7 cups sugar
1 lemon
1 bottle fruit pectin

Wash fruit thoroughly.  Crush .  Add lemon juice.  Add grated rind of 1/2 lemon.  Add sugar.  Mix thoroughly. Heat rapidly to full rolling boil.  Stir constantly before and while boiling.  Boil hard 2 minutes.  Remove from fire and stir in fruit pectin.  Skim.



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Thursday, April 22, 2010

April showers, almond shower cake recipe

Vintage Recipe Thursday is meant to preserve your own original vintage family recipes, or out-of-print, copyright-free recipes from old cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, and postcards. You're invited! Get the details by clicking to the Vintage Recipe Thursday Homepage. I post recipes from the Household Searchlight Recipe Book, first published in 1931. My 16th printing is from 1943. What will you post?

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We've been having lots of April showers all up and down the state of California.  All the better for beautiful May flowers.

The current weather and the anticipation of beautiful flowers had me looking for a shower cake to share with you.

The Household Searchlight Recipe Book suggests an almond cake for such joyous occasions.  Just perfect for me who loves all almond desserts.

Don't miss out on my latest giveaway.  Be sure to check it out and enter.  Just the fact that you are participating with a recipe for Vintage Recipe Thursday gives you 3 chances!  There's several other easy ways to enter, including a simple comment on the giveaway post.

Almond Shower Cake Recipe
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 egg whites

Cream butter.  Add sugar.  Cream until smooth.  Sift flour, measure, and sift with baking powder and salt.  Add alternately with milk to first mixture.  Beat thoroughly.  Add flavoring.  Carefully fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.  Pour into well-oiled layer cake pans.  Bake in moderate oven (375 F.) about 20 minutes.  Cool.  Cover with white butter icing.  Decorate as desired.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Use fresh eggs in your desserts? Don't miss this!

Use fresh eggs in your desserts?

Don't miss these talks (dates/times at bottom of post) by whistle blower and chicken farmer Carole Morison, featured in the "Food Inc." documentary, if you are in the Greater SF Bay Area.  And if you're elsewhere, then read on and get informed!

By talking to the creators of the Academy-Award nominated documentary "Food Inc.," Morison risked and lost her Maryland poultry farm’s contract for taking on an industrial Goliath.

Alexis Koefoed, proud owner of Soul Farm, one of the Bay Area’s few pastured chicken farms, nearly lost it to an arson fire, yet persists despite struggles to make ends meet.

Two feisty women. Opposite sides of the country. Incompatible farming methods. What convinces them to join forces to advocate for sustainable local food systems? Let’s just say the formidable opposition didn’t get the memo on how tough women are.

Author and journalist Michael Pollan ("In Defense of Food," "Omnivore’s Dilemma") credits Carole Morison as being a courageous advocate for healing the food system. "She has worked in the belly of the agribusiness beast and had the courage to speak out about it," said Pollan, who will introduce Morison’s talk tonight in San Francisco's Ferry Building.

"Alexis and Carole are in an ideal position to take lessons from the fields to help reshape America’s kitchen table values," he said.

"After 23 years raising chickens, Soul Food Farm is the first place I saw chickens raised on large pastures without cages, antibiotics or environmental damage,” said Morison. "Just as inspiring was seeing the surrounding urban area participate in the success of a farm through programs like Soul Food Farm’s CSA; it gives me hope that the benefits of sustainable farming can be enjoyed by more consumers, workers and communities."

After exposing the food, labor and environmental damages exacted by industrial farming in the Academy Award-nominated film "Food Inc.," Morison lost her contract and no longer farms. Currently an activist for the rights of family farmers, she co-founded the Delmarva Poultry Justice Alliance, is on the steering committee of the National Poultry Justice Alliance, and now works as an agricultural consultant specializing in local food systems.

If you're going:
  • April 20, 6:30 p.m. –“Inside the Hen House,” a panel discussion introduced by Michael Pollan, ("In Defense of Food"), moderated by Anya Fernald (organizer of inaugural Slow Food Nation, 2007). Participants: Carole Morison, Norman and Aimee Gunsell of Mountain Ranch Organically Grown. SF Ferry Building. Reservations.
  • April 21, 7:30 p.m. – An Evening with Extraordinary Farmers Panel discussion, moderated by author Lisa Hamilton (Deeply Rooted). Participants: Carole Morison; Tony Malmberg, from Union, Oregon; and farmer Jered Lawson, founder of Pie Ranch. UC Berkeley Campus, 101 Morgan Hall. $5 donation. Reservations.
  • Earth Day, April 22, 4 to 6 p.m., Benecia High School, Hayley Horn Auditorium, 1101 Military West Rd., Benicia. Come one, come all.
  • April 24, 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – "Developing Local Farm Systems," a talk by Carole Morison, sponsored by Slow Food, Solano County Chapter, Winters Community Center. Reservations.

    Monday, April 19, 2010

    Book Giveaway: 101 Things I Learned in Culinary School

    Here's another giveaway sponsored by the good folks at Hachette Book Group and Grand Central Publishing.  They are generously providing the readers of Joy of Desserts the chance to win 101 Things I Learned in Culinary School by Louis Eguaras with Matthew Frederick.


    There will be 3 winners.  Enter through May 19, 2010 at midnight.
    U.S. and Canada addresses only.


    *********************************
    GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
    Don't miss this giveaway!
    101 THINGS I LEARNED™
    IN CULINARY SCHOOL
    by Louis Eguaras with Matthew Frederick.
    *********************************

    From the publisher:

    "Louis Eguaras, a renowned chef at the Le Cordon Bleu Program at the California School of Culinary Arts, provides readers with a terrific overview of what is truly involved in the preparation, cooking, and presentation of meals. He also provides invaluable insights into just what is involved in making this one's chosen profession.

    "His 20-plus years of experience includes responsibilities as Staff Chef at the White House and Camp David, and Executive Chef and Marketing Manager in several other settings.

    "The book will feature a wide range of illustrated lessons, from how to properly hold a knife... to the history of food... from food preparation and presentation... to restaurant hospitality and management, and much more.

    "The book will be presented in the distinctive and highly-attractive packaged style of 101 THINGS I LEARNED IN ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL, and will be the perfect gift for anyone who is thinking about entering culinary school, is already enrolled, or even just the casual chef."


    Title: 101 THINGS I LEARNED™ IN CULINARY SCHOOL
    Authors: Louis Eguaras with Matthew Frederick
    Publisher: Hachette Book Group/Grand Central Publishing
    Category: BUSINESS & ECONOMICS, REFERENCE
    Format: Hardcover Book
    Publish Date: May 20, 2010
    Price: $15.00
    ISBN: 9780446550307
    Pages: 212
    Size: 7" x 5"

    HOW TO ENTER:
    • Just leave a comment letting me know why you would like to win this book (other than it is free). It's that's easy!
    Bonus Chances:
    • Write a blog post about this giveaway and get 3 more chances (leave your post link -- leave 3 comments);
    • Follow this blog via Blogger/Google Friend Connect and get 3 more chances (leave 3 comments);
    • Participate in Vintage Recipe Thursday and get 3 more chances (leave your post link -- leave 3 comments)
    •  Tweet about this giveaway linking to this post on Twitter (leave each tweet link in a separate comment);
    •  Follow @JoyOfDesserts on Twitter and get 1 more chance (leave 1 comment).
    There will be 3 winners.  Enter through May 19, 2010 at midnight.
    U.S. and Canada addresses only.

    Thursday, April 15, 2010

    Tea party tax day tea cakes recipe, butter icing recipe

    Vintage Recipe Thursday is meant to preserve your own original vintage family recipes, or out-of-print, copyright-free recipes from old cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, and postcards. You're invited! Get the details by clicking to the Vintage Recipe Thursday Homepage. I post recipes from the Household Searchlight Recipe Book, first published in 1931. My 16th printing is from 1943. What will you post?

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    Don't forget about your taxes!  If you are a fan of Cinnabon and have one near you, they are giving away cupcake bites tonight only from 6 to 8 o'clock, because as they say, "Tax day bites - 2 free cupcake bites to make it less taxing." They also have a Tax Day Bites contest for a chance to win a $100 gift card, but hurry, it ends at midnight!

    In keeping with the theme of taxes, I'm sharing my Household Searchlight's recipe for Tea Cakes for the enjoyment of any Patriots participating in Tea Parties.  The link to the one-egg cake batter, below, also has 9 tasty variations!

    Tea Cakes Recipe
    Prepare one-egg cake batter, and bake in small muffin tins.  Ice with butter icing.  Food coloring in a number of the pastel shades may be added to portions of the butter icing.

    Butter Icing Recipe
    3 cups powdered sugar
    1/3 cup melted butter
    2 tablespoons of milk
    2 2/3 tablespoons lemon juice
    1/8 teaspoon salt
    Sift sugar.  Combine with melted butter, lemon juice, salt and milk.  Beat until creamy.


    More Vintage Recipes from Participants:

    Pueblo Corn Dish


    Boiled Asparagus and Baked Asparagus Loaf
    Vintage Coffee Cake

    Thursday, April 8, 2010

    Vintage Recipe Thursday: custard pie recipe

    Vintage Recipe Thursday is meant to preserve your own original vintage family recipes, or out-of-print, copyright-free recipes from old cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, and postcards. You're invited! Get the details by clicking to the Vintage Recipe Thursday Homepage. I post recipes from the Household Searchlight Recipe Book, first published in 1931. My 16th printing is from 1943. What will you post?

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    Custard Pie Recipe
    2 cups milk, scalded
    5 tablespoons sugar
    1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
    3 eggs
    1/8 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Beat eggs until yolks and whites are blended.  Add sugar, salt, nutmeg, and extract.  Mix thoroughly.  Add milk slowly, stirring constantly.  Pour into pastry-lined pie pan.  Bake in hot oven (425 F.) until an inserted knife comes out clean. 

    More Vintage Recipes from Participants:

    Apple Salad with Craisins
    Slow Cooked Meat Balls
    Dandelion Salad

    Thursday, April 1, 2010

    Holy Friday hot cross bun tradition and vintage recipe

    Vintage Recipe Thursday is meant to preserve your own original vintage family recipes, or out-of-print, copyright-free recipes from old cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, and postcards. You're invited! Get the details by clicking to the Vintage Recipe Thursday Homepage. I post recipes from the Household Searchlight Recipe Book, first published in 1931. My 16th printing is from 1943. What will you post?

    *******************
    It's April Fool's Day, but as it is also Holy Thursday for those of us who are Christian, I will refrain from having fun and playing any practical jokes on you.  Instead, I am sharing just a bit of religious tradition about Hot Cross Buns and the vintage recipe from my old cookbook.

    Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten for breakfast on Holy Friday (the day Christ died on the cross, and the Friday before the glorious Easter season begins on Sunday), and for some are about the only luxury during this time of fasting and mourning. Many people eat them all through Lent as well.

    According to tradition, the monks at St. Alban's Abbey in Hertfordshire began giving hot cross buns to the poor on Good Friday in 1361.

    Because of the religious significance of the cross, it is customary to kiss the buns before eating them.  Some people also have the tradition to share a Hot Cross Bun with someone, reciting these words:

        Half for you and half for me,
        Between us two shall goodwill be.

    Wishing all of you a Holy Tridium and a most Happy Easter!
    (and I hope our Jewish friends had a great Passover, too!)





    Below are the typical ingredients for Hot Cross Buns, and further down is the vintage recipe in my Household Searchlight Recipe Book:

    Hot Cross Buns Ingredients

    Buns:
    1 cup milk
    2 tbsp. yeast
    1/2 cup sugar
    2 tsp. salt
    1/3 cup butter, melted, cooled
    1 tsp. cinnamon
    1/2 tsp. nutmeg
    4 eggs
    5 cups flour
    1 1/3 cups currants or raisins
    1 egg white

    Glaze:
    1 1/3 cups confectioner's sugar
    1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
    1/2 tsp. lemon extract
    1- 2 tbsp. milk


    Hot Cross Buns Vintage Recipe

    Prepare a dough from any roll recipes.  When ready to be formed into rolls turn onto lightly floured board and roll in sheet 1 inch thick.  Cut into rounds with a floured cutter.  Place on well-oiled pan.  Cover and let rise until treble in bulk.  Cut a cross on the top of each bun with a sharp knife.  Bake in hot oven (450 F.) 12-15 minutes.  Brush the surface of the freshly baked buns with sugar and water.  Fill the cross with a plain frosting.



    More Vintage Recipes from Participants:
    A Lovely Easter Brunch