Great Food! Easy Recipes! Maybe.

A few years ago I lived in Knoxville, Tennessee, and frequented a place called McKay Used Books & CDs. It was a rundown jewel of a place, and I spent hours rummaging around. 


Then they moved. 


The new location didn't have the dilapalated funkiness of the old place, but the space increased significantly. Picture two side-by-side basketball courts packed full of books.


And the cookbook aisle? 


Let's just say I spent a lot of time in that cookbook aisle. So very, very much time. 



One of the cookbooks I picked up at McKay's was The Working Stiff Cookbook: Great Food! Easy Recipes! written by Bob Sloan with illustrations by Michael Klein. I never really used the book much, but kept in in my collection. And finally decided to do something with it.


The book is a visual feast, with a vintage feel: pastel orange, green, blue, yellow. The design is carried throughout the book, and -to me- it's what makes this a special cookbook. Even if I rarely cook from it. 


I tried the Pork Chops with Orange Glaze and that worked out A-OK. Beautiful. But I'm not a good judge of when meat passes that magical place of being just right and moves into desert dry territory. Thank goodness there was orange sauce and rice pilaf. 

Pork Chops with Orange Glaze and Rice Pilaf

The premise of the book is simple: you've been working all day. It's 8pm and you just walked in the house and are famished - now what? The cookbook offers many suggestions for quick and easy sustenance, plus clever writing. To wit:

Whack the [chicken] breasts with the flat side of a meat pounder, invoking the names of any personal or professional nemeses that might fuel your strength. (p. 38)

Sometimes I'm sitting at my desk in the late afternoon trying to straighten a paper clip and then restore it to its original shape (a metaphor for the existential dilemma all of us live with) when I have a surge of a panic about what to make for dinner. Then I remember--it's pork chop night--and my worries cease. (p. 58.)

I also made the Mexican Lasagna which was colorful, but didn't measure up in the taste department. Besides, I kept thinking of an old recipe I got in the '90s for a similar dish that's much better.  

Mexican Lasagna with Red Sauce and Cheese

While I appreciate the premise and humor throughout the book, the pale orange page numbers are a challenge to read against the dark green background. 


If you don't already know it, I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I always look for a dessert section. There isn't one. Instead, a handful of desserts are weaved through the book. 


I planned to try another recipe, but then it was time for Christmas. Then it was quickly back to work and wondering what to cook for dinner after a busy day. Can't say I'll reach for this cookbook again. 

Sweet & Sour Turkey: A Family Tradition

I have waxed poetic about this recipe more than once because, frankly, it's one of those never-fail, long-lasting recipes that I don't know if I could live without. 


Mom got the recipe from a friend of hers, and made it for us sometime back in the 1970s. It passed the "will kids it it" test, and has been a staple in the family ever since. I dare you to not like this. 


It's called Sweet and Sour Turkey, but I usually make it with chicken. In fact, I went out and bought a supermarket rotisserie chicken just for this, although I've also made it with leftover Sunday roast chicken, too. Not recently mind, you, but it has happened in the past.


This is what it looks like:

Sauce ingredients

Stir-frying in progress

Sauce cooked and thickened

Sweet & Sour Turkey Over Rice

And this is how you make 7-8 servings:


FOR THE SAUCE
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup turkey stock
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegard
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup catsup
Combine these and cook and stir until thick and clear. Set aside.


FOR THE STIR-FRY
2 T vegetable oil
3/4 cup pineapple chunks, drained
3/4 cup carrots, sliced diagonally
3/4 cup green pepper, chopped
4 cups turkey, cooked, cubed
Stir fry carrots in oil for 1 minute. Add pepper, fruit, turkey, and cook until heated through. Add sauce. Stir and heat for a few minutes. Serve over hot rice. 


Here are some notes from Mom over the years:

• Make with chicken instead of turkey (use chicken stock, too.)
• Use mandarin oranges, apples, sweet baby gherkin pickles.
• Use the microwave to make the sauce.
• Use 2 cups meat, which makes enough for two dinner servings and a little left over for lunch.
• Use whatever you want for carrots and pineapple, about a cup each.
• Substitute chili sauce (mom makes her own) for the catsup.

I substituted red pepper for green, and added sliced zucchini plus chopped baby corn...and some celery, too: I prefer more vegetables than meat in stir-fry meals. The recipe freezes well, though you'll be lucky if there are any leftovers to freeze. 


Now go get the ingredients and prepare it very soon. You will love it, and you will thank me for it over and over and over. Thoroughly enjoy!

Two For The Road, Cooking For One

I recently explored The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones. I understand now why she was recognized by the James Beard Foundation with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and I sure wish I would have had this book earlier in my life. 


I had a small pork tenderloin in the freezer, so decided to try the recipe for same on page 42. It's a simple enough recipe, yet, when push came to shove, I didn't bother with the marinade. I hadn't thought about it early enough - like in the  morning before work - and wasn't interested in waiting around for the marination. 


I seasoned the meat with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, and placed the meat in a pan for roasting along side parsnips, turnip, and a itty bitty winter squash. 

Small Squash

Small Roasted Pork Tenderloin

The result was one boring dinner. The pork tenderloin was perfect, but the vegetables could have roasted longer. 


The next night I moved on to one of two "recipe two" choices that Jones offers: Pork Stir-Fry With Vegetables. I confess I didn't add as much ginger as the recipe called for. I don't think I added the full amount of freshly minced garlic either. I also confess that that's probably why the sauce wasn't so flavorful.


Even with my personal failings, by adding sugar-snap peas, bell pepper, mushrooms, cashews, and a few shakes of sesame oil, this was a winning recipe. 

And it was the perfect amount for one person (who wanted leftovers for tomorrow.)


The chapter on cheese is indispensable. The advice on nine ways to use turkey is fabulous advice for the holiday season; Jones suggests soup, tettrazini, pilaf, strata, salad, croquette, sandwich, crepe, and finally hash - all with suggested accompaniments and spices. The book is packed with little nuggets of information to savor.

Opening pages of the cheese chapter

Honestly, none of recipes that I tried blew me away. What they did, though, was give me confidence, and a certain sense of home. A comfort zone. 


It's as if you're in the kitchen with Jones, and she's passing on her knowledge to you - and only you. About her Vermont garden's never-ending supply of zucchini, Jones writes...

'Anyone who has a garden knows about the pressure to eat up the zucchini you've planted. You hate to see it go to waste. But the advantage to growing your own is that you can harvest the zucchini while they are still very young and have a more intense flavor (and you can use the male blossoms, too.)"

While I was reading and cooking from the book, more than once I thought to myself (or said aloud to the cats,)  "wish I would have known this when I was..."  


So if you've got to buy a gift for someone just learning to cook, consider The Pleasures of Cooking for One. It's the type of gift that will certainly reverberate through the years. It will definitely not be leaving my crowded cookbook shelves. 

Green Hairball & Egg, No Ham

I'm exploring a few recipes from The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones.

Looking for something simple a cozy dinner in tonight? Try the Baked Eggs recipe on page 98-99. Don't be daunted by the fact that the recipe stretches between two pages. This is a 6"x8" book, and the recipe is short.

Plus, this is cooking for one person, so the list of ingredients is very small: one zucchini, a little butter, 3 mushrooms, one scallion, a tablespoon or so of heavy cream, and an egg. Salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese are optional.

First, I grated the zucchini, mixed in a little salt, and let it set over a bowl to drain.

I'd forgotten to get scallions, so opted for chopped onion. The mushrooms followed next and seriously - it was perhaps 1/4 cup onion and a small (by comparison) mountain of mushrooms.

When you're cooking for one person, the hardest thing to get used to has to be the smaller amounts. Cooking for four - no problem. Many recipes are writen for four or more people. But cooking for one? Humph and bah humbug..unless you're a leftover lover.

Can't think of anyone who'd like to eat the same thing for six days straight. Not by choice anyway.

The onion and mushroom were sauteed with butter and then I added the zucchini hairball.

Seriously.

The drained and squeezed zucchini shreddings looked suspiciously like a cat's hairball - except green. I stirred the mixture around, but was still quite concerned. Green hairballs with chunks, so NOT appetizing. I was worried.

The recipe suggests using heavy cream; I had none and used just a wee bit of chicken broth to add flavor. I mushed the green hairball mixture into into a small gratin dish,and made a dent...

then added a sprinkling of that parmesan cheese from a green bottle. I cracked an egg into the center and placed the dish into a 350 oven.

I checked back in 15 minutes and the egg had not settled, so let it go just a bit longer and removed. I sprinkled on some salt and pepper, then added a couple strips of Grand Pandama cheese.

Sous Chef (err, Meow Chef?) Ivan volunteered to look glamorous while I snapped a picture.

And then I ate the green hairballs and egg.

And you know what? I liked it. I more than liked it: it was yummy. Adding the heavy cream would make this scintillating, a private decadance.

Here's the thing: if you nuked this in your microwave, it would be ready in minutes. Fast, sexy, satisfying. What could be wrong with that?

Oh.

Perhaps the image of green hairballs?

At the end of the recipe, Jones suggests trying other items to create a cushion for the egg: cooked greens, broccoli, or mashed root vegetables. I'll have to try at least one of those some day.

Sage Me From Disaster

I tried the Cooking Light app recently and was pleasantly surprised with my first selection of recipes, so decided to try another combination: Chicken with Sage Butter, Garlic-Roasted Kale, and Herb Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Like recipes in Cooking Light magazine, the app give details. For example, here's the delectable screenshot of the Herb Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

Screenshot of Herb Mashed Sweet Potatoes

The lower four windows provide menu accompaniment suggestions. In the upper right corner, you can save the recipe and retrieve at a later date, or build your own menu. There is also a dropdown menu in the upper left corner to select the type of food you're looking for: entree, side, dessert, and so on.

Tapping "See Recipe" in the upper right corner shows you something like this:

List of ingredients

Note that each recipe has an Overview (the picture,) Ingredients, and Directions. The ingredients are detailed, easy to follow. So are the directions - and each ends with calorie, fat, protein, carb, fiber, and more counted and displayed in bold:

Calorie Display

All good, right?

Then I started cooking, and the app was not to blame for what followed.

Cooking is a study in second-by-second mindfulness. You must be attentive to what you are cooking and to what you are doing at all times. If you fail to pay attention, something's bound to happen.

I had an extraordinary amount of kale in the house - both from the last weeks of my CSA membership, as well as from the local store. I washed it up and blanched with the intention of freezing immediately. And then I lost my concentration.

In emptying the large pot of boiling hot water, I dumped a sizeable portion on my left hand. I cussed, dropped the hot pan, then picked it up and finished pouring the water. I saved as much the kale as I could, started cooled water running on my hand. This happened in a matter of a minute or so, and my fingers felt like they were on fire.

After the burning subsided, I headed to the computer to ensure I'd treated the burn correctly. I had, and there was no need to call friends with medical experience or rush to the ER. I returned to the kitchen and kept running cool water on the burn. I watched for signs of blistering, and was relieved there was none.

Once again, I didn't bring my iPod Touch into the kitchen. My kitchen's just to small the the potential for water-induced damage too high. I wrote out the bare minimum instructions for the recipes and got started.

I minced shallots, threw them in a pan with some olive oil and brown sugar, and set others aside for a sauce. I set a peeled potato on another burner to boil. I pounded the chicken thin, dredged with salt, pepper, and flour.

I also prepped the kale. Or rather, I didn't use kale, but instead chose Tatsoi. This is another dark, leafy green, and has a mild taste. I don't like the sharper tasting greens, so this is a wonderful find. I figured I could mix it with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic, and roast quickly in the oven for about the time suggested in the recipe.

The chicken went into the pan, and I drained the sweet potatoes. I returned to the oven, stirred the tatsoi, and mashed the sweet potatoes with the shallot and brown sugar mix.

I flipped the chicken and returned to the oven. And was greeted with a wave of smoke - the tastoi was burned, mostly. I blinked my eyes, pulled the pan out, and set it aside.

Burnt Tatsoi

I pulled the chicken out of the pan and set it on a cutting board to rest. A pat of butter went into the pan, along with sage leaves, followed quickly by the remaining shallots, salt, pepper, and fresh-squeezed lemon. I used a whisk to stir the whole thing up, and the sauce was ready in no time.

I centered the herb mashed sweet potatoes on the plate, added chicken and sauce. I put some beautiful sage leaves on the side for pictures. Looks good, right?

Chicken with Sage Butter. Herb Mashed Sweet Potatoes

After picture taking, I decided to taste the tastoi, and was pleasantly surprised. While the vast majority was burnt and crispy, some was salvageable - and had a roasty autumn flavor.

The meal was prepared in little over an hour that floated by quickly. And, despite the burns to my fingers and tatsoi, the meal tasted delicious. I can honestly say that I've rarely prepared a bad recipe from the Cooking Light group.

I do not, however, recommend the app. For me it's just too cumbersome to operate while cooking. I can't see using a wet finger to tap on the screen to move from ingredients to directions, or from recipe to recipe. If it was all shown on one screen - maybe. Do yourself a favor, save money on the app and buy the magazine.

Halibuloo, Green Beans, Baked Apples

So as you probably know (or at least you've heard,) there's an "app" for everything.

An app is a small application to install on your iPhone that helps you organize your life. There is an app to  helps you (and your pet birds) destroy mean pigs - or perhaps save your virtual home from zombie invasion? I confess to enjoying both - and the Osho Zen Tarot Deck, too.

But don't even get me started trying to count the number and variety of apps out there to help you in the kitchen. I tried the Cooking Light app recently.

I used to subscribe to Cooking Light years ago, when one would actually subscribe to a magazine. With the internet, that doesn't happen much anymore. I can Google for just about anything, and most recipes from magazines are available online either before or shortly after publication. Still, I always liked most recipes I tried from Cooking Light, so I figured it was worth testing.

Despite being challenging to navigate on an iPod touch, browsing on an iPad would be no trouble as with a simple swish of a finger you see one glorious mouth-watering photo after another. I was entranced by the Halibut with tomato relish. I selected Brown-Butter Green Beans and Baked Apples with Chai Syrup as accompaniments.

Screenshot of Halibut with Tomato Relish

There was no halibut in my local grocery store, so I substituted fresh cod. While at the grocery store, I figured I would receive a tomato or two in this week's CSA package, so didn't buy any. But after I got home, I decided to make the fish immediately so improvised with avacado, shallot, lemon, pepper, garlic, cumin, olive oil, and a little sesame oil.

I reviewed the recipes, decided to not have the iPod on the counter while prepping and quickly wrote vague directions for all recipes. I taped them to the overhead cupboard, and winged the rest of the meal.

Hand-written vague directions

With the app, it's nearly impossible to know what needs to be prepped unless you've got all of the recipes in front of you.

With an archaic piece of paper, though, I could easily see that I needed to have the apples in the oven first, then prep the green beans, followed by the avocado mix for the fish. Only after those were prepped and the apple was in the oven did I begin to cook the fish and beans.

And while there is a menu feature, the app doesn't give suggestions for preparing a meal in a timely and efficient manner. And that is one huge strike against the app as time and efficiency are crucial for the modern cook. I stuck to my piece of paper and carried on.

The water came to boil, I dropped the green beans in, and the fish went into the pan to saute. A short while later the green beans were drained, shocked in cold water, and combined with browned butter, lemon, lemon zest, and salt and pepper. The fish finished shortly, flaking apart perfectly in the pan, and onto the plate they both went. About that time the apples were coming out of the oven, and I was ready to eat.

Browned-Butter Green Beans with Lemon

Cod with Sesame-Avocado Relish

Baked Apples with Chai Syrup

These recipes didn't disappoint; they were fast and easy to prepare, and quite tasty. But frankly, I didn't use the app while cooking.

With all of the potential liquids to invade the delicate interworkings, I just didn't want to chance an iPod disaster in the kitchen. And besides, have you tried to read and follow a detailed recipe from an iPod? It's a tiny screen. No way. Maybe on an iPad with a stand...and waterproofing.

There was, however, one app I did use while cooking - and I use it often when preparing multiple dishes. Kitchen Pad Timer kept track of cooking times for all items; in fact, it can manage up to four items on the stove top and four items in the oven. I wonder if the Cooking Light app will improve with a second use? We'll see soon.

Okonomatopoeia?

Onomatopoeia is the term that an English major (me) uses for a word that imitates or suggests the source of the sound: think "hiccup" or "zoom" or even "quack." This Japanese street food is called Okonomiyaki, and onomatopoeiacally, I'd call it "yummy" as the basic meaning of the word is "what you like, grilled." And it reminds me of potato pancakes. Kind of.

I first learned of Okonomiyaki viewing the collection of Chow.com videos on YouTube. Then, being a fervent reseacher, I googled my brains off and found Okonomiyaki World - which told me everything I needed to know, and then some. I couldn't wait to try it out at home.

Unfortunately, it's been ridiculously hot since my return from Denver, and I haven't felt like being in the kitchen turning the heat up even higher. But we got a break in the heat wave recently, so I headed to the hottest room in the house: the kitchen. First I mixed up the okonomi sauce:

Catsup, Worcestershire, Soy

In another bowl, I mixed flour, water, and eggs to form a pancake-like batter.

Then I added veggies, meat, and stirred to combine. The very last addition was Rice Krispies for some crunchiness. Part of the reason I wanted to make this recipe was so I had a good excuse to buy a huge package of Rice Krispies and make a pan of Rice Krispie Treats - all for myself! (OK, perhaps I'll take them into work...maybe...or not.)

Veggies added to the batter

I prepared my pan with oil, and dropped a well-packed one cup measurement onto the heated pan. The batter started sizzling immediately. I shaped the pancake into a circular shape and pressed down until it was about 5" across - close to size of my palm. I've read that these are traditionally 12" across, but I don't have that big of a griddle.

Cooking before the first flip - bacon on top.

I placed bacon on top of the pancake and waited roughly three minutes, then flipped the pancake so the bacon was on the griddle. The sizzling continued.

After a few more minutes, I flipped the pancake back over to complete the cooking. I repeated these steps until I'd used all of the batter, which gave me three good size okonomiyaki's. I added Okonomi sauce and mayonnaise, and dug in.

I've got to say, these are really tasty. This was my first time making okonomiyaki, so I wasn't sure what to expect, perhaps a potato pancake thingie?

This was a lot better than potato pancakes, though, and far more filling. I used a little grated ginger in lieu of the pickled ginger; next time I'll definitely spring for authentic pickled ginger (love the stuff anyway.) I'll also add salt and pepper to the batter. I think these would freeze well, too.

I really like the potential for variation with Okonomiyaki. I can imagine using a wide variety of in season vegetables that are quick to cook: kale, carrot, parsnip, radish...anything that can be cut into long, thin strips or thinly diced. The next time I make these, I'll also experiment more with the meats, perhaps adding shrimp or another seafood.

Okonomiyaki are good for any meal of the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, or an in-between snack. And do not omit the Okonomi sauce. Yummy!

BEST OKONOMIYAKI RECIPE
Adapted from okonomiyakiworld.com

FOR THE PANCAKE
1 cup flour
2/3 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
2 scallions, diced
1/4 cup Rice Krispies
6 strips bacon
1/2 cup chicken, cooked
ginger shavings (or 1 oz pickled ginger)
1 ear corn, shucked
1/4 cup roasted red pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

TOPPINGS:
The sky's the limit here, but traditional toppings can be bonito flakes, seafood flakes, and a variety of sauces. I used a combination of mayonnaise and Okonomi Sauce.

FOR THE OKONOMI SAUCE
3 T catsup
1 T Worcestershire
1 t soy
Mix and set aside. Try it with a drop or two of liquid smoke, too.

MAKE THE PANCAKE
1. Mix the flour, water, and eggs into a batter.
2. Add cabbage, scallions, chicken, ginger, corn, red pepper and stir to combine.
3. Get the grill heated up, then -and only then- add the Rice Krispies and stir to combine.
4. Add oil to the griddle and drop about 1 cup of the okonmiyaki mixture onto the sizzling griddle. Shape into a circular pancake.
5. Add bacon to cover, and let cook three or more minutes.
6. Flip so that the bacon is on the griddle, and cook four minutes longer.
7. Flip the pancake again, and cook until firm and well browned.
8. Remove to plate, cover with sauces and toppings and devour.

Or, as the recipe at Okonmiyaki says, "Eat quickly before someone near you takes your portion."

Neither A Meatloaf Song, Nor Meat Loaf Himself

This week I'm exploring recipes from Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families - Even Yours!Kitchen Life: Real Food For Real Families -- Even Yours! by Art Smith. The Roasted Asparagus and Roasted Beets with Walnuts really impressed me, so I looked forward to trying other recipes.

The Salmon on Cabbage and Dill on page 208 is a keeper for me.  It went from fridge to table in about 30 minutes and was really easy to prepare - so easy, in fact, that I didn't take pictures of the preparation or cooking. You simply saute a small package of coleslaw mix and 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped dill in a little butter until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, and remove to a platter and cover. Add chicken broth to the same pan, boil, add salmon and more dill; cover and cook 7-8 minutes or until the salmon is cooked through then transfer to the platter with the cabbage. Whisk some sour cream and cornstarch into the remaining broth and heat until thickened; pour over the salmon and cabbage and serve. I particularly liked the fresh dill that really shined in this recipe.

Salmon on Cabbage and Dill

Another night I tried out the Quick Vegetable Chili Tostada on page 244 and was truly disappointed. It almost worked...until the sour cream was added to the sauteed vegetables. And I did have my hopes up that the freshly squeezed lime juice would rescue the whole endeavor, but alas, my wishing was in vain. The tostada part was not crunchy (undercooked?) and the chili part was missing (not enough spices or heat? Me? Never!) Regardless, this recipe didn't work for me and I sure won't be making it again.

Quick Vegetable Chili Tostada

I have a thing for bar cookies so the Butterscotch Blondies on page 301 piqued my curiousity. I was particularly wondering how the butterscotch bits sprinkled on top, melted, and spread over the bar would taste. I mixed the ingredients up in no time on a very hot Saturday morning and threw them into the oven.

The buzzer sounded, I removed the Blondies from the oven and sprinkled the butterscotch bits around. Then I walked away for, maybe 15 minutes? Anyone who's ever melted chocolate knows that is far too long. The chips refused to spread and were completely beyond their ability to spread. Not a problem for me. I got some vanilla ice cream, a little dab or ten of Smucker's Butterscotch sauce, and dug in for a delicious Butterscotch Blondie Sundae!

There you have it, three recipes with three different results. Two out of three ain't bad, so I believe I may dip into this cookbook again sometime. I'm sure Meat Loaf would agree.

Satay Sashay

I'm exploring some recipes from Food Editor's Favorites: Treasured Recipes. When selecting recipes from a cookbook for the blog, I'm looking for a mix that shows off the best of the cookbook (or recipe book as my mom says.) I'm also looking for what will feed me. The Pork Satay on page 81 fit the bill nicely.

I thawed pork overnight in the fridge, then snipped into bite-size chunks. I find that a good pair of kitchen scissors makes chopping meats into small pieces for stir-frys and such much easier than using a knife. It's not as precise, certainly, but also not something I'm worried about for this recipe. No perfection necessary.

For the marinade I combined peanut butter, cayenne, garlic, onion, brown sugar, lemon juice, and soy sauce. I didn't have any ground coriander or fresh cilantro in the house because I'd forgotten to buy it. People either love or hate cilantro; add my name to the list of those who love it. It's light and fresh, and adds a spark of spring to any dish it's added to. The difference between coriander and cilantro is explained well at What's Cooking America.

Marinade Ingredients

So, lacking in any fresh cilantro or dried coriander, I opted to use the remaining parsley from the boring mushroom dish. Parsley isn't a particularly great substitute for cilantro; it doesn't have anywhere near the flavor, but it's OK in a pinch.  I chopped the parsley up and added to the marinade, then stirred to combine.

Completed Marinade

I poured the marinade into a plastic bag added the chopped pork, and squished the bag around. Then I let it sit in the fridge overnight.

Pork Marinade

The  next day, I removed the bag from the fridge and placed the pork on a baking rack and broiled. As suggested in the recipe, I basted with a combination of olive oil and butter.

Pork Satay with Broccoli

Even though I kept my eye on these, I cooked them too long. The first bites of pork were moist and peanuty, but the leftovers the next day and the next were dried out. I can really see this recipe shining as an addition to the ubiquitous backyard barbecue this summer. It's easy to fix, fast to cook, and would work very well on skewers.

I'm In A Casserole State of Mind

It must be the late spring we're having in the Midwest. It's the middle of May, and we've only seen a few days above 70; personally, I've only had one day where I didn't have to wear an extra shirt or sweater to take the chill away. With the lingering chill, I've been in the mood for comfort food.

Browsing through Cook and Tell, the best candidate seemed to be the Scalloped Salmon. I picked up the ingredients with the rest of the groceries, came home, unpacked, and put them away. Not too long later, I looked at my recipes for the week and examined the ingredients closer.

And I should have stopped when one recipe failed that day. You remember what I said about my delightful time with liquid sherbet? One can of canned red salmon was about to go down a similar road.

I've had experience with canned salmon before, and I didn't like it because frankly, the bones remaining in the fish freak me out. Like a banana in recognizeable banana form, or like that stringy stuff on oranges or green beans. Those things don't freak you out? I go out of my way to avoid them.

I pitched the whole can after realizing the extent of the boneage. I definitely felt guilty on a starving-children-of-Africa (or Michigan) and there-goes-money-down-the-drain way, but couldn't bear to think about picking the minute bones out of the canned salmon. And eating the bones as I've heard others do? Ewwwwwwwww.

The next day I went to the store and picked up about a pound of salmon. I brought it home, cooked it up in the pan just like I learned from Tupelo Honey Cafe. It was sublime.

I ate it with some leftover Corn and Blueberry Salad, also from Cook & Tell. Do check out the recipe (and others) from the nicely portioned preview at Google Books. It's beautiful, tasty, and really easy to make. I added a few Craisins.

I mixed leftover, cooked and boneless salmon, celery, cheddar cheese, onion, and prepared stuffing mix together.

Then I added beaten eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, and chicken stock, and poured it over the solids. I stirred to combine and poured the whole thing into a prepared 2 quart pan. The recipe recommends a 9" pie pan, which I don't have, so a 2 quart pan worked really well for me.

The whole thing went into the oven for 45 minutes. While I waited, I prepared the Curried Cole Slaw with Peanuts and Bacon (also available in the Google Books preview) and the Tupelo Honey Glazed Carrots from a few weeks ago. The casserole came out of the oven and I topped it with some chopped tomato.

 In then end, I enjoyed this casserole but it didn't blow me away. It reminded me of dense Thanksgiving stuffing with salmon. It does not resemble scalloped potatoes in any way whatsoever, so I'm not sure what the whole "scalloped" thing was supposed to be about; perhaps baking this in a pie plate would have made that more apparent. It wasn't particularly cheesy either, despite having 2 cups of shredded cheddar. We had a warm surge shortly after I cooked this, so I didn't finish it completely. But if it was winter? And maybe not so bready? Yeah, that would work nicely. With leftover salmon, not canned salmon - of course.