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Sunday, November 9, 2014

Ms. Mary Walker's Garlic Pate

Never enough Garlic.

GARLIC PATE

18 large Garlic cloves
3 slices fresh whole wheat Bread (crumbled)
6 ounces Cottage Cheese or Ricotta Cheese
1/4 tsp Salt
1 'pinch' ground Black Pepper
1 tbsp Olive Oil

Peel and quarter garlic cloves and put into food processor with half the breadcrumbs.
Chop/blend well.
Add rest of breadcrumbs and cheese and continue to blend.
Add salt and pepper and blend again.
Dribble the olive oil into the mix - and blend again.

Note - If you want to eliminate the 'bite' in the raw garlic - just begin the recipe by covering the raw garlic with water and microwave for (on high) for a couple of minutes, then drain and discard the water. Freezes well in small amounts! I like it made with 'raw' garlic!

Editor's Note - Ms. Walker started with a recipe from Bloomsbury Kitchen Library and then messed with it. I like a small amount of olive oil poured over and some chopped parsley for garnish. Good bread. Some crudites. Olives perhaps. Heaven for garlic lovers.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Lady Bird Johnson and Burning Love

One way to love a Texas garden is to burn it. Encourages the growth of wild AbutiIon. I learned that from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

The Wild Flower Center at Texas State University seems a fitting memorial to a First Lady who was a committed environmentalist. I found my way to the Wildflower Center because I was doing some research at the National Archives. 

This is a photograph of the Texas Indian Mallow or Abutilon fruticosum

Lady Bird Johnson left us her recipe for Texas Style Chili. Now that is some burning love because her recipe was “almost as popular as the government pamphlet on the care and feeding of children.” I love the National Archives. Send them some burning love.







Sunday, August 24, 2014

Ms. Mary Walker's Green Tomato Chutney

I know that I am not the only gardener in Pennsylvania gazing at a bumper crop of tomatoes. Ms. Walker has been kind enough to share her recipe for Green Tomato Chutney with me.

You can learn more about Ms. Walker, British expatriate HERE. 
Unconditional surrender of Europe occurred on my 11th birthday and, in the evening my dad suggested that we ‘go for a walk’. My sister warned that we would be late for the curfew. My Dad simply answered – “It’s such a nice evening, I don’t think we’re going to worry about that tonight”. Cat’s Whisker receivers WORKED! 
Mi casa su casa. So I am sharing it with you, Cher Reader. I give it to you as she gave it to me. Stay tuned for her recipe for Garlic Jam. When Ms. Mary said Garlic Jam, I began to salivate immediately.

GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY

5 lbs chopped green tomatoes
1 lb chopped onions
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 tsp salt
1 lb sugar
1-1/2 cups vinegar (I use either white wine vinegar or cider vinegar)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup sultanas

Mix tomatoes, onions and peppercorns in a large bowl and let sit overnight (covered)
Bring vinegar and sugar to a boil (until sugar is melted) 
Add sultanas and raisins and simmer for 5 minutes
Add tomatoes and onion mixture and simmer till thick (about 40 to 45 minutes).
Put into 8 oz jars - leaving about 1/4inch head-space - and can for 15 minutes.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Portagee Joe's Cafe Shrimp Bisque

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This recipe comes from Eggs I Have Known by Corinne Griffith. It was Miss Griffith's Coconut Bars that so delighted Clark Gable. I write about those elsewhere. Of course, this cookbook is out of print.

I have not yet made this bisque. I am going down to the Italian Market to get the shrimp today. I expect this dish to be delicious. I give it to you verbatim. Old cookbooks are low on directions. And I do not think this movie star actually ever cooked anything. We shall see. Nip and tuck.

Portagee Joe's Cafe was one of the small cafes which could be found along Fisherman's Wharf in 1950's Monterey California.

Portagee Joe's Shrimp Bisque

1 tablespoon Celery (chopped fine)
3 tablespoons Butter
2 cups Milk
1 cup cooked Shrimp (mashed fine)
1 wineglass Sherry
1 tablespoon Onion (chopped fine)
3 tablespoons Flour
3 cups Cream
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Paprika

Cook Celery and Onion in Butter over a slow fire for 5 minutes. Place in a double boiler and cook over hot water. Add flour. Add Milk, 2 cups Cream and put remaining 1 cup of Cream aside. Cook mixture until thickened. Add Shrimp, Salt and one drop of Tabasco Sauce (approximately) and reheat. Now whip remaining cup of Cream, add Sherry to Cream and Paprika. Remove soup from stove. Add whipped Cream and stir. Serves Six.