Easter Sausage and Barrel Sauerkraut

I was fond of Smokies sausages when I was a child. It was the lunch treat my Mother, the Polka Queen, brought home every Saturday from the supermarket. They disappeared for a bit but Oscar Mayer recently started making them again.

If you are fond of traditional smokehouse flavor and are food additive conscious, I suggest you shop at Czerw's Kielbasy and Polish Provisions. Their home made products contain no by-products, artificial color, fillers, or added water.

Shop early in the week, especially on Easter. You will find that lines of people go around the block on Easter. Poles take Easter seriously. 

I buy barrel Sauerkraut, smoked Cajun Kielbasa which my children love, and Kabanosy, a sort of hot Polish Slim Jim. We have lots of assimilation in Foody Nation Philadelphia. You can get directions, history of the shop, and a list of their products at their website.

Jan Czerw, Grandfather of the current owners, emigrated from Mislsi, Poland. In 1938, Jan Czerw converted a horse stable into a shop. He built the brick ovens meat is smoked in himself. Czerw's Kielbasa still stands in that original spot, using the same brick ovens built almost 70 years ago.

Wesolych Swiat i dobre jedzenie!

Note: There are about 600,000 Folks in Philadelphia who think of themselves as Polish. All those good Folks like to eat good Polish Food. I am going to tell you where I find it. There many excellent Polish shops and food purveyors in Philadelphia. I do not pretend this is a thorough list of every single Polish shop in Philadelphia or nearby. It is where I shop. Maybe you know a good place? Leave a comment and I will go there and give it a try. And write about it. 

Be my Valentine? - Pasta with Smoked Salmon

Italians make this pasta on Valentine's Day but it is too good to confine to one day of the year.

Pasta with Smoked Salmon

1/2 pound of Pasta, linguine or penne
1/4 to 1/3 of a pound of Smoked Salmon, thinly sliced and cut into shreds
1 Shallot, slice thin
2 tablespoons Butter, preferably unsalted
1/2 cup of heavy Cream
1 tablespoon minced Parsley
1 tablespoon Whiskey, Brandy, Vodka
Salt and Pepper

This is how I do it. Cook pasta according to the directions on the box. This sauce is speedy (about 5-7 minutes) so do the preparation work first and do not overcook the sauce or the pasta. Start the sauce after you put the pasta in the boiling water.

Saute the Shallot in Butter until it is transparent. Do not brown. Add the shreds of Salmon, cook a moment until the Salmon changes color, add the liquor and saute until the liquor evaporates. Very gently stir in the cream. Check the seasoning. Add the Parsley. Add the drained pasta to the pan sauce and gently turn the contents until the sauce covers all the pasta. Serve promptly. Ideally diners are already seated and salivating. This is Italian fast food. Whole operation takes 25 minutes start to finish.

Serves two to four depending upon whether you serve as dinner or a first course. Yes, I put grated cheese on the table for those who like it on all pasta. Like me.

Gumbo Verde Louisiana

This Gumbo works nicely in a crockpot. Serve in soup bowls with Rice and Louisiana style Hot Sauce. Easy to do and tastes fine. Nearly impossible to overcook it. Just gets thicker and richer. 

Throw it together and let it simmer for hours. Yes, you can do it on the top of the stove, but why? This is more you-have-to-cook-dinner-365-days-a-year cooking. EASY to do. Tastes good. 

Forgive the brevity and lack of direction - sometimes I get these recipes written down on the backs of envelopes. The Greens are the best part of this Gumbo for my taste. I double the amount.  

Gumbo Verde

1 pound smoked or garlic Sausage, sliced in bite size pieces

2 cans of Navy Beans

1 can Beef Consomme with 2 cups Water

1 package frozen chopped Mustard Greens (10 ounces)

1 Onion, chopped

1 Bell Pepper, chopped

2 clove Garlic, chopped (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Saute the Sausage with Onion, Bell Pepper and Garlic. Combine Sausage mixture with the Consomme and Water, Beans, Greens. Add Salt and Pepper to taste. Simmer slowly until the Beans become very soft and the Gumbo is thickened thereby.

Feel free to substitute cannellini or pink beans. You can use turnip greens or collards. I like frozen Turnip or Mustard Greens. I can only find them frozen in ethnic markets. So worth searching for. 

Poor Man's Turkey

“People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.” ― Abraham Lincoln

This recipe comes from Karen Rock and Recipes of the Liberty Bell Chapter #266 - Vietnam Veterans of America.

This might taste awfully good on those days when you are sick of leftover Turkey and you have some stuffing left. I never have any stuffing left. And I hate Turkey. Might have to improvise.

I suppose you could make some stuffing just for this dish. Might be yummy. I like the whole idea.

Poor Man's Turkey

1 pound Ground Beef
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
1 small Onion, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 cup cooked Stuffing
1 slice raw Bacon (optional)

Combine first five ingredients and form into one loaf. Cut in half lengthwise and insert Stuffing into the middle of the loaf. Put back into shape and bake one hour at 375 degrees. Place strip of Bacon on top of meatloaf to keep it from drying out. Serves 4.

Sauce for Roast Beast or Ducking the Turkey

We are having Thanksgiving Roast Duck. I know I am out of step. I just do not like Turkey all that much.  The children love it, so I have dutifully served it for years. The Viper Girls have become a little less traditional now in their Terrible Thirties. So I am ducking the Turkey. I love puns.

I decided I would try a new Relish to complement the richness of Roast Duck. I went looking in some of my regional cookbooks and found the recipe below. I reproduce it here in case you want to do something NEW too.

Pickle Nut Salad

2 packets Knox Gelatin
2 cups cold Water
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Vinegar
1 and 1/2 cups cubed sweet midget Pickles
1 cup chopped English Walnuts

Dissolve Knox gelatin in cold water. Boil sugar and vinegar to 250 degrees or until it spins a thread. Pour sugar syrup into gelatin water, stir. Pour into 9 inch square container and add pickles and nuts, stir. Serve when set.

Art Deco and More at the New York Public Library

I found the New York Public Library Digital Collections. What a great resource for everyone. 

"The site is a living database with new materials added every day, featuring prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, streaming video, and more."

The images come from the Collections for Designers - Ornament and Pattern:
Pre Victorian to Art Deco. 

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Art & Architecture Collection, The New York Public Library. "1. Foliage; 2. Foliage; 3. Flowers and foliage" The New York Public Library Digital Collections.

The material in the collections is a treasure chest of graphic and abstract design. I spent a long time just poking about and I have not exhausted the resource yet.

The provenance of the abstract Tulips.

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Art & Architecture Collection, The New York Public Library. "[Multicolor tulip shapes; on purple field.]" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1930.

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Art & Architecture Collection, The New York Public Library. "Cretonne imprimée." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1926. http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-ae3e-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Scary Spiders and Chocolate Mice

Spider Queenby Mistiqarts

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love to decorate. And every year I search for inexpensive dramatic decorations that cost next to nothing. Every year I find new creations on the Net. 

Spiders are a theme. One year, chicken wire Ghosts were all the rage. I think Spiders are really scary and that, after all, is the point. 

I am making a Giant Spider Web out of trash bags for my door.
Sure you can pay $12.00 and get a web ready made but where is the fun in that? Why shop when you have the makings of giant spiders at home already.

Last but not least, make Spider Web Cupcakes. You can find a recipe for them and Chocolate Mice at Food and Wine's Halloween Desserts. Scroll down...

BOO CAT BOO!

Click Me to Learn Halloween Animal MakeUp

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! See pet costumes HERE. 

Warning - some of the costumes at the linked site seem less than dignified and a bit cruel. However, most are funny and make you go AWWWW! Take your silly pictures, laugh if you must and get that damn costume off your long suffering pet ASAP. 

SHARKNADO!

Happy Belated Birthday Lord Ganesh

I am so happy to have found a fine blog Simple Indian Recipes.

I was looking for Pumpkin recipes. Fall And Winter are the seasons to eat Squash and Pumpkin. I share my find with you, cher Reader.

I found an entire page of Pumpkin recipes that truly go from Soup to Nuts. You want to go there if you cook for Vegans and Vegetarians at Holiday time. I plan to make a Curry. See a recipe for Pumpkin Burfi below.

I am so happy to share Lord Ganesh made in Pumpkins for your enjoyment. This year Diwali falls on October 24.

Sweets are part of the annual Diwali Festival of Lights. Pumpkin burfi made out of vari tandul and boiled pumpkin, sugar, ghee. I will be back when I know what the English equivalent of the Indian ingredients is to translate.

Ingedients:
1 cup Red pumpkin boiled and smashed
1/2 cup Vari tandul
1/2 cup Grated coconut
1/2 cup Sugar ( +/- as required by you)
1 cup Water
1 pinch Kesari colour
2 drops Vanilla essence
3 tbsp Ghee + little for geasing the plate
1/4 tsp Cardamom (elaichi) powder
2-3 pinch Nutmeg (jaifal) powder
1 tsp each Charoli and Charmagaz
1/2 Cashew (kaju) pieces for garnishing.

Method:
1. Heat ghee in a kadai, add the vari tandul and roast the same as you roast for the sheera.
2. When it changes the colour to brown slightly, add 1 cup of water. Cover and cook till the water is dried up in slow flame.
3. Add the sugar, boiled and smashed pumpkin, grated coconut, and kesari colour. Keep stirring and cooking till it leaves the kadai.
4. Add elaichi powder, vanilla essence, charoli, charmagaz and mix well for another two minutes.
5. Transfer it into a greased plate. Allow it to cool. Cut into desired shape. Garnish with cashewnuts and serve.

Variation: with mango pulp, apple pulp, papaya pulp.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45-60 minutes
Serves: 5-6

My Dad's Long Drive in the Country Car Songs

My Mom and Dad loved to take long car trips. We all sang on long car drives. Sometimes we had a radio and sometimes we did not. We sang these songs anyway. Con brio.

We always stopped at an ice cream stand that looked like an ice cream cone. Roadside attractions in the 50s tended to look like what they were selling.

We would drive down the Delaware River sometimes. At the end of one bridge you could get charcoal broiled hot dogs and real root beer from the window of an old frame house that edged the road. 

Everytime I hear one of these songs, I am transported to happy. Love you, Dad. Miss you every day.

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE ~ Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers (1945) (live recording). Words by: Johnny Mercer - Music by: Harold Arlen - copyright: 1944

Minnie the Moocher is a jazz song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, selling over a million copies,

St. James Infirmary Blues, sometimes known as Gambler's Blues, is an American folksong of anonymous origin, though sometimes credited to the songwriter Joe Primrose (a pseudonym for Irving Mills). Louis Armstrong made it famous in his influential 1928 recording.

Louis Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an Italian-American singer, actor, songwriter, and trumpeter. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with his seven-piece New Orleans style jazz band in the late 1920s, then leading a swing combo in the 1930s, a big band in the 1940s, a Vegas lounge act in the 1950s, and a pop-rock band in the 1960s.

Merry Christmas Cat

cat haiku

You never feed me.  Perhaps I'll sleep on your face.  That will sure show you. You must scratch me there!  Yes, above my tail!  Behold, elevator butt. The rule for today:  Touch my tail, I shred your hand.  New rule tomorrow. In deep sleep hear sound  cat vomit hairball somewhere  will find in morning. Grace personified.  I leap into the window.  I meant to do that. Blur of motion, then --  silence, me, a paper bag.  What is so funny? The mighty hunter  Returns with gifts of plump birds --  your foot just squashed one. You're always typing.  Well, let's see you ignore my  sitting on your hands. My small cardboard box.  You cannot see me if I  can just hide my head. Terrible battle.  I fought for hours. Come and see!  What's a 'term paper?' Small brave carnivores  Kill pine cones and mosquitoes,  Fear vacuum cleaner I want to be close  to you. Can I fit my head  inside your armpit? Wanna go outside.  Oh, poop! Help! I got outside!  Let me back inside! Oh no! Big One  has been trapped by newspaper!  Cat to the rescue! Humans are so strange.  Mine lies still in bed, then screams;  My claws are not that sharp.

mail welcome: admin @ strangeplaces.net

Trashcan Potatoes - Guest Author La Motocycliste

Over the weekend, I tipped over the trashcan, and harvested enough French Fingerling potatoes for a good meal for two.

Growing potatoes in a trashcan is fun and easy. In case you think, "Potatoes are cheap, why do all this work?" price heirloom varieties at Whole Paycheck sometime.

A lot of communities have gone to high tech trashcans that can be emptied by an automated garbage truck. This leaves the householder with old trashcans, which can be used for low tech urban potato farming.

The first step is to locate a sunny spot. Potatoes are not really choosy, but they do like sun and water. If your sunny spot is over a patch of dirt, cut the bottom off the trashcan with a Sawzall or a hacksaw. If your sunny spot is over concrete, drill drainage holes in the bottom of the trashcan. If the trashcan is really disgusting, clean it up a bit.

Next, put your trashcan on your chosen spot and fill it with four inches of cheap potting soil with a handful of bone meal mixed in. Head off to choose your potatoes. You need about a quarter pound organic potatoes per trashcan. Look for potatoes with nice big prominent eyes. If you have potatoes that have started growing in your pantry, use those.

Cut up the potatoes so you have one or two eyes per piece. Many people leave the potatoes out overnight to skin over, but I have never bothered. Put the pieces about six inches apart on top of the dirt in the trashcan, then cover with another couple of inches of potting soil and another handful of bonemeal. Don't bother to tamp down. Water so that the dirt is as wet as a wrung out sponge. Cover the trashcan with a piece of chicken wire or an old screen to keep critters out.

Keep the dirt moist, and in 2-3 weeks you should see sprouts. Potatoes grow along the stems, so when the sprouts are 8 or nine inches tall and have nice glossy leaves, shake some more dirt along the stems. The plants will grow towards the light, so keep covering the stems as they grow. Keep them watered and the potato plants will grow for about three months. Eventually they will die down. Stop watering. When the plants are deceased, knock over the garbage can and pick out your potatoes.

Note: Reposted from dkos. For those who learn more easily from seeing than reading:

California Marrow Bones

I do not eat a lot of Beef or any meat these days. I occasionally am overcome with a desire for some and I indulge myself.

I love marrow. It never occurred to me it could be a whole course. I just always hung over the stockpot and ate marrow before anyone else could get to it. It was my own dirty little secret.

The beauty of vintage community cookbooks is that an odd recipe you find will open a new frontier. This Appetizer recipe comes from Los Angeles and the Farmers Market Cookbook by Florine Sikking published in 1975. Each stall in the market contibuted a recipe. This recipe is from Tunstall's Gift Shop,

La Brea Tarpits Marrow Bones

4 Marrow Bones (have the Butcher cut them in half lengthwise)
1/4 pound Margarine, unsalted
4 cloves Garlic, crushed
1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine Margarine and Garlic and make into a paste. Spread the paste over the marrow side of the bone. Sprinkle Bread Crumbs, Paprika and Salt on each bone. Place Bones on cookie sheets and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the Marrow has turned creamy in color. Makes 8 servings.

Green Revolution - Food is Politics and Vice Versa

Sometimes I am "seized by a rebellion so sickening" that I will not write. The chilly Spring rain outside is making music on my window and I seem, like my garden, to have thawed a bit.

I have an ongoing interest in feeding the children and myself good food. I must be interested in the economics of farming in America to that end. I have discovered a new source for GREEN information. Meet the American Farm Bureau. 

I was drawn to the site by an article Monarch Habitat Restoration Benefits Farmers and the Environment by Robert Giblin. I plan to make my garden Monarch friendly. I stayed for the informative articles about Farm Policy. No food without happy and prosperous Farmers. Photograph by C Watts.

The Monarch Butterfly is in trouble. Find out how to be a guardian of the Monarch Butterfly HERE. 

'No matter who you are or where you live, you can make a difference and help conserve the monarch butterfly. From a small pot on your front steps to a backyard pollinator garden, there are many ways individuals can provide essential habitat. We provide support to local communities, NGOs and private landowners through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program with technical assistance and funding support for improving pollinator habitats.'

Java Sweet and Hot

Coffee is good and good for you. Hallelujah! I am celebrating with a cup of Poor Richard's blend coffee from Reading Terminal Market. Life is good.

I was so happy to read this article. How much do we love coffee? We love coffee so much that we write songs about coffee. Coffee songs below.

Good to know that our love for that first cup in the morning is not in vain. And that drinking another two or three cups may have health benefits.

The illustration is a vintage tin sign. You can find more signs of this type HERE.

Why Coffee Is Good for You
Kris Gunnars, Authority Nutrition

It is more than just dark-colored liquid with caffeine. Coffee actually contains hundreds of different compounds, some of which have important health benefits.

Several massive studies have now shown that the people who drink the most coffee live longer and have a reduced risk of diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Read more ..

Rain Gardens with Music

Spring is here. I am ordering Herb Seeds and plotting Flowers. I am planting Milkweed for the Monarch Butterflies this year. I am getting that Happy Green Feeling in spite of the cold outside.

I have learned you can make that boggy place in your yard a thing of beauty and help clean and conserve water by planting a Rain Garden. 

Once planted, such a garden is maintained with little to no effort. And that is good news. Gardening can be hard work.

The woman in the photograph below is teaching a class in Rain Gardens and you can see the perfect sort of location. Find out all the particulars at this link.

"To select a location for a rain garden, begin by observing your yard during a good rainfall. Notice where water is flowing. Rain gardens should ideally be located between the source of runoff (roofs and driveways) and the runoff destination (drains, streams, low spots, etc.)."

The photograph on the right is a rain garden in Philadelphia, designed by Edgar David.

"Rainwater that flows from the house roof to the stone cistern is used to irrigate an intimate collection of woodland plants."

The Philadelphia Water Department has some excellent information about making Rain Gardens. The PWD also has a rain barrel program for those of us who do not have a boggy spot and still want to utilize and help manage rain water runoff. And now it is time for a Spring song by The Velvet Fog.

Tutti Frutti Pie

My Aunt Carrie (rest in peace you Great Cook) made Tutti Frutti Pie often. I was so happy when I found this old recipe in a community cookbook Simpson-Fletcher's Soul Food Recipes.

This pie is delicious and inexpensive. Best of all there is no need for fresh fruit. Pie in the Winter. Pie from the pantry.

Miss Maxie Gaine's Tutti Frutti Cream Pie

1 cup Sugar
2 cups Milk
1 tablespoon Corn Starch
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon Butter
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon Flour
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 cup canned Fruit Cocktail, well drained

Heat one cup Sugar, Milk and Butter together. Make a smooth paste of Flour, Salt and Corn Starch with a little Water. Add this gradually to the heated Milk. Separate Eggs. Beat Yolks well; blend into the Milk mixtures, stirring constantly to keep smooth; cook 5 minutes over low heat until mixture becomes thick. Remove from heat and fold in well drained Fruit Cocktail. Pour into a baked Pie Shell. Beat the Egg Whites until stiff and blend in two tablespoons of Sugar until very smooth. Spoon onto the Pie filling. Place in a 300 degree oven until light brown.

Never Fail Pie Crust
(makes 4 single crusts)

4 cups Flour
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 3/4 cup Vegetable Shortening
1 tablespoon Vinegar
1 Egg
1/2 cup Water

Mix Flour, Sugar, and Salt. Cut in the Shortening with a fork or cutting tool (or you could give it a whirl in your food processor for a bit).

In a separate bowl mix Vinegar, Egg, and Water. Add it to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork until moistened. Use your hands to mold into 4 equal balls. The dough may be frozen and thawed for future use. Four frozen homemade pie crusts and four cans of fruit and you do not have to go out in the snow all Winter. 

First Day of Spring 2018

“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”
- Percy Bysshe Shelley, Ode to the West Wind

Today is the official First Day of Spring. The United Nations declared today is official International Happiness Day.

Humbug! We have a 24 hour Winter Storm Warning In Philadelphia today. Happy Spring all the same. I am planning my garden. It must be Spring.

Jeffrey Koterba is the cartoonist. His blog is HERE.

Polish Dill Pickles

Is there a difference between a Polish Dill Pickle and a Kosher Dill Pickle? No difference, although I think a Polish pickle has much more garlic. I am sure pickle enthusiasts will disagree.

A Kosher or Polish pickle is made without using vinegar, uses a crock or glass jar (with a weight if necessary) to keep the cucumbers submerged in the liquid, and involves lactic acid producing fermentation. 

I was going to type the recipe and then I discovered Danny Mac's Kitchen video. Lots of good suggestions in the comments. Seeing is believing. Making Pickles is easy and you can do it even if you think you cannot cook. After four days of fermentation, you can make Pickle Soup.

There is more than one way to sour a Pickle. A charming Russian Lady gives us her system which includes Lemon and Apple Cider Vinegar. So yummy.

In my house old fashioned winter preparation starts with pickling cucumbers. So enjoy my grandmothers old fashioned Naturally Fermented Kosher Dill Pickles - Рцепт Малосольных Огурцов.

Crochet and the Impatient Woman or Xmas is Coming Sooner than You Think.

I crochet. It is a very soothing occupation. What beginning and/or impatient crocheters (like me) need is simple patterns that work up fast. This impatient crocheter sticks with hats and slippers. These free patterns are the best. I am going to make the Yoda Hat for my son-in-law. Yes, there is a pattern for Baby Yoda hat at the link as well.

This is the easiest fastest slipper pattern I have encountered. And the video is a great tutorial for beginning crocheters. Who does not need cozy TV socks. Warning: No running in slipper socks on slippery floors. I think I will look for a tutorial on how to add nonslip soles. Note: 7 terrific suggestions for making your slippers slip free HERE.

The newest fashion trend is Dog Hats. This video will teach you how to make a small dog hat. Same teacher has tutorials for large/medium dogs as well. Be kind. Some dogs love their new hats. Some dogs hate them. Do not force your dog to wear a hat.