OK, so I guess I have to admit to it--my mom and gram were right about a lot of things. As I get older, I see how much they were right. I remember when I was a little girl and how I thought they knew every thing and then something happened during the teenage years, 20s and even 30's, hey what can I say I guess I'm a late bloomer.
Grams advice: don't sit while cooking
Moms advice: make sure you have enough room when cooking
Rachael Rays advise: have all the correct tools and ingredients out before you start cooking
Grams and Moms advise: don't try to do things at the last minute
Old German saying that used to be on Grams wall "haste makes waste"
I have a regular schedule in the morning that's been forced on me by my labby puppy---ok ok I know he's not a baby or puppy (5 years old) but come on once a puppy always a puppy. Almost every morning around 6:30am he starts crying. Once you start to move around in bed, he gets more persistent with his needs. He gets louder. If I don't get up right away he comes over to my face and stares. If I have moved or made the mistake of opening my eyes, he immediately jumps up on the side of the bed, usually onto my chest with his hind legs still on the floor---image now you're barely away a 90 something pound dog jumps on your chest or stomach. If I wasn't awake by than I certainly am now. If you don't up right away he gets very indignant and he cries louder and starts to "yell" at me (barks---for those non dog people out there) and he stomps his feet--click click goes his nails on the hard floor.
After I get out of bed he rushes behind me and starts to herd me in the direction in which he wants me to go--as if I didn't already know. Of course it's to his dish----oh no potty is not as important as the food---food is the only thing that's important in life. I use the bathroom and than I put the leash on the dog that's by now jumping around and clicking, clicking around. We go outside to potty. Instead of going right away he just stands there and smells the air and than walks so slowly and smells the grass maybe eats some. Than with much reminding he finally pees. Than he thinks he's ready to come in a eat---nope he than needs more reminding to do you know.....than finally his food time---clicking again, now it's the happy dance, he even spins around
This morning nothing was new with pups schedule. But Dan had to be out of the house by 8am. By the time I could get to make his breakfast was around 7:15 and what was on the menu? Of course nothing simple---I made up my mind that I was going to make Eggs Benedict
Eggs Benedict requires poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. The hollandaise sauce recipe required a double boiler--I don't have one so I just got a quart pot with water and place a large metal bowl on top of it---apparently the bowl got too hot or I put too much lemon in (I didn't have time to measure the lemon) because the sauce started to look like scrambled eggs---the sauce should look like nice smooth. So I started to get a bit anxious---oh my heck I just used 1/2 butter and 4 egg yolks and I wasted it--I thought quick that maybe there was a way to still rescue the recipe, yep add just a little milk to the mixture and mix it quick with a whisk until it's smooth.
The poached eggs didn't look perfect but as long as the yolk are still intact it's ok with me--did it.
Now what happened next isn't my fault honestly---I did worn Dan. While I was putting the eggs, sauce on some wheat rolls and ham--looking exceptionally beautiful if I don't say so myself--I had to place the plate that I was putting the food on on the burner that I had used for making the sauce. The burner was still hot. You maybe wonder why some one would ever put a plate on a hot burner??? Well we live in a very small trailer 60 feet by 12 feet. Every thing in it is small including the kitchen. The kitchen doesn't have a great deal of cupboard space, so where do you put a plate that you're try to place poached eggs and sauce on??? Naturally the burner, where there is room.
After making the beautiful breakfast I said to Dan be careful the plate is hot. Dan says to me "how am I supposed to bring that with me?" I said "You don't just sit down and eat it quickly" so Dan didn't want to sit I guess because next thing I know he's screaming "ohhh that's hot" as he spills my beautiful master piece onto the table and runs to the sink.
To add insult to injury, Dan after cooling down his finger says "why didn't you tell me it was hot?" After I reminded him that I had and told him why it was hot he says "why did you put the plate on a hot burner?" No room in the Inn, hahaha. OK than after eating the eggs that I helped to salvage off the table he says "I don't really like the lemon flavor" Great! All of that rushing for what? Oh well after he left I enjoyed my eggs.
Now as I look at the recipe that I didn't really read well before doing I see a couple of mistakes that I did---1) not reading the recipe completely, 2) it says to keep the sauce warm over hot water (not boiling), hahaha
Lets chalk this up to a learning experience, hahaha---
Friday, August 27, 2010
HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
My comment: this sauce is great over poached eggs but it's also great over vegetable dishes
From the Pillsbury Cookbook p. 191, copy right 1989, given to me as a Christmas gift from my Gram in 1991
3 egg yolks
1/8 tsp salt and pepper
4 tsp lemon juice (squeeze your own, don't use the lemon juice you get in the store that's sold in a bottle or plastic looking lemon)
1/2 cup butter, softened
In small saucepan or top of double boiler, slightly beat egg yolks. Add salt, pepper, lemon, and 1/4 cup of the butter; blend well. Cook over low heat or over hot water (not boiling) until butter melts stirring constantly. Gradually add remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until mixture is smooth and thickened. remove from heat; serve immediately or keep warm over hot (not boiling) water.
Tip: If sauce curdles, add hot water 1 tsp at a time; beat until sauce is smooth
My adaptations: I used milk to make it smooth because mine curdled due to me not reading the recipe completely--too rushed
My recommendation: Don't rush with this recipe, take your time
From the Pillsbury Cookbook p. 191, copy right 1989, given to me as a Christmas gift from my Gram in 1991
3 egg yolks
1/8 tsp salt and pepper
4 tsp lemon juice (squeeze your own, don't use the lemon juice you get in the store that's sold in a bottle or plastic looking lemon)
1/2 cup butter, softened
In small saucepan or top of double boiler, slightly beat egg yolks. Add salt, pepper, lemon, and 1/4 cup of the butter; blend well. Cook over low heat or over hot water (not boiling) until butter melts stirring constantly. Gradually add remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until mixture is smooth and thickened. remove from heat; serve immediately or keep warm over hot (not boiling) water.
Tip: If sauce curdles, add hot water 1 tsp at a time; beat until sauce is smooth
My adaptations: I used milk to make it smooth because mine curdled due to me not reading the recipe completely--too rushed
My recommendation: Don't rush with this recipe, take your time
EGGS BENEDICT
From the Pillsbury Cookbook p. 191, copy right 1989, given to me as a Christmas gift from my Gram in 1991
Prepare Hollandaise Sauce. Keep warm over hot (not boiling) water. Broil of fry 6 slices canadian bacon. Split amd toast 3 English muffins while preparing Poached Eggs. Spread each toasted muffin half with butter; place on serving opklate. Top with slice of Canadian bacon, poached egg and hollandaise sauce
My adaptations: I used mini wheat rolls not toasted and left over ham (from last nights hangi)
Prepare Hollandaise Sauce. Keep warm over hot (not boiling) water. Broil of fry 6 slices canadian bacon. Split amd toast 3 English muffins while preparing Poached Eggs. Spread each toasted muffin half with butter; place on serving opklate. Top with slice of Canadian bacon, poached egg and hollandaise sauce
My adaptations: I used mini wheat rolls not toasted and left over ham (from last nights hangi)
POACHED EGGS
From the Pillsbury Cookbook p. 191, copy right 1989, given to me as a Christmas gift from my Gram in 1991
In deep, buttered or non-stick surface skillet, heat 2-3 inches water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar just to boiling. Break each egg into a shallow dish. Slip eggs gently into water. Quickly spoon hot water over each egg until film forms over yolk. reduces heat to keep water just simmering, simmer 3-4 minutes until eggs are to desired doneness. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon.
My adaptations: boil water place eggs gently one at a time into boiling water. Let water boil and cook the egg until the yolk looks done---my way is simpler but Pillsbury inspires me
In deep, buttered or non-stick surface skillet, heat 2-3 inches water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar just to boiling. Break each egg into a shallow dish. Slip eggs gently into water. Quickly spoon hot water over each egg until film forms over yolk. reduces heat to keep water just simmering, simmer 3-4 minutes until eggs are to desired doneness. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon.
My adaptations: boil water place eggs gently one at a time into boiling water. Let water boil and cook the egg until the yolk looks done---my way is simpler but Pillsbury inspires me
WHEAT BREAD WITH NO YEAST
This recipe is similar to a quick bread, but it's batter is very thick. The bread is nice and sweet due to the honey and corn meal. My husband loved this recipe with the soup I made. The soup had a nice tomato base--it would also taste very good with chili or anything
Makes 1-9 x 5 inch loaf
Grease pan with butter or shortening, even if you use a non stick pan
1 2/3 c. buttermilk
2 ½ c. whole wheat flour
½ c. corn meal
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ c. honey
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk the flour, corn meal, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Mix the honey and buttermilk together in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently just until combined. Pour the dough into the prepared pan. (The dough is pretty thick---it's thicker than a cake mixture). Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until bread is firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
Makes 1-9 x 5 inch loaf
Grease pan with butter or shortening, even if you use a non stick pan
1 2/3 c. buttermilk
2 ½ c. whole wheat flour
½ c. corn meal
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ c. honey
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk the flour, corn meal, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Mix the honey and buttermilk together in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently just until combined. Pour the dough into the prepared pan. (The dough is pretty thick---it's thicker than a cake mixture). Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until bread is firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
First Things First
A couple of years ago I created several blogs under a certain email address. When we moved to Canada I decided to change that email address. Appearantly I changed it to a non exsitent one. So now I have no access to my blogs. I can't edit or add anything to the blogs.
It's a brand new start with some good old recipes and now new ones
It's a brand new start with some good old recipes and now new ones
BEST LOVED RECIPES
My original blog that I no longer have access to due to a mistake: http://bestlovedrecipes.blogspot.com/
Recipes my friends and family have loved.
These are some of the recipes that my friends and family members have asked me to write down for them. My secret ingredient to make my recipes taste so good is LOVE. This is why they are Best Loved Recipes.
Recipes my friends and family have loved.
These are some of the recipes that my friends and family members have asked me to write down for them. My secret ingredient to make my recipes taste so good is LOVE. This is why they are Best Loved Recipes.
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