Old time school lunches, comfort food, and today

When I was a child, going off to school and being confronted with school lunches was an eye opening experience.  For one thing, we were forced to eat our entire lunch, something that would never happen today.  But, for me, the food was just different.  Most of it was not different in a good way, either.  Even so, some things that stayed the same through several school systems have remained with me, as well as having been passed on to my daughter, as comfort foods.

It’s funny that my two favorites are both “desserts”, after a fashion.  They are both very simple and familiar foods, just served as a sweet in an unexpected sort of way.

The first is just corn bread, served with maple syrup.  I don’t know who decided that that was the only way cornbread was going to be served, but that is the only way it was served at school–as a dessert topped with maple flavored syrup.  I still love fresh, hot cornbread topped with butter and maple syrup.  My daughter, on the other hand, wants stale cornbread (seriously dried out and practically crunchy!) to have with her maple syrup.

My other secret comfort food comes from the gummy, overcooked rice we were served with a topping of syrupy boiled raisins.  I still love the combination, sort of like rice pudding without the pudding!  Instead of overcooked gummy rice, I prefer jasmine or brown jasmine rice today.  I make a raisin sauce too–but have had that “grow up” over the years.  It’s one of those things that I don’t measure to make, it’s all sort of approximated!

To make the raisin sauce, simply start off with some water (or apple juice) in a small saucepan (about a cup is all I normally use.)  Add a healthy amount of cinnamon (about a teaspoon) to the water, along with about 3/4 c. raisins.  Bring the mixture to a boil, and then simmer it until the raisins are nice and plump.  (about 10-20 minutes)  Add about 3/4 c. white or brown sugar, and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Next, mix about a tablespoon of cornstarch with about 1/4 c. of cool water in a small bowl, then stir the cornstarch mixture, a little at a time, (this allows you to stop adding the cornstarch when it gets as thick as you want it to be) into the raisins and stir continuously as you continue cooking the mixture.  Return mixture to a boil and boil for about a minute before removing from heat.  Serve it with rice, hot or cold.  This same mixture can also be made with dried apples or a mixture of dried apples and raisins, and is as good on ice cream as it is on rice.

In a sense, this rice and sauce dessert is as old time and “country” as it could be.  It’s also economical, tasty, and appeals to almost everyone (if they like raisins, rice and cinnamon anyhow!)  To make it look “fancier” and more appealing, the rice can be packed into an ice cream scoop (spray it with non-stick spray for easy removal) and the shaped rice can be placed in ice cream or sundae dishes.  Drizzle the raisin sauce over the rice, ala sundae style, give a small squirt of whipped cream and a cherry…and voila!  A “sundae” that won’t melt!

Serving this combo in winter as a hot dessert and summer as a cold one makes it adaptable.  Other fruit sauces, using fresh fruits, can be made in a similar manner, and served the same way.  Simply prepare the fruit for cooking in the normal manner for that particular fruit, cut it into bite-size pieces, and cook it in a small amount of liquid on the stove, adding sugar and spice as desired, and then thickening it in much the same way with corn starch.  These fruit sauces or compotes can be used with rice, ice cream, frozen yogurt, pound cake, angel food cake, or even short cake.  Get creative with your choices…how about peach-melba (peaches & raspberries) over something?  Strawberry rhubarb?  Strawberry banana?  (I’d suggest adding banana after the strawberries are cooked into the compote!)

I’m wondering about blueberry lemonade sauce now…using frozen lemonade for the water and sweetener…

Moroccan chicken

Chicken is an economical meal choice, but sometimes…we seem to get into a rut when it comes to our chicken recipes, sticking to our tried-and-true favorites.  Moroccan chicken uses McCormick’s new “Moroccan Seasoning” and a recipe to really switch things up.  Raisins add a touch of sweetness, and the coarsely chopped olives add textural interest as well.  This recipe also uses the least expensive portions: chicken hindquarters are cut into just legs and thighs.  Served alongside couscous or rice, it’s filling as well as economical.  It can also be cooked in a slow cooker, perfect for those days when you’d rather be doing something else other than hovering over the stove.

Moroccan Chicken with couscous

Moroccan Chicken

• 4 hindquarters, cut into leg & thigh
• 3 tsp. McCormick’s Moroccan Seasoning
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 6 oz. can small ripe olives, drained, & stick a knife into the can, running it back and forth until the olives are about half the volume of the can
• 1/2 c. raisins
• 2 medium onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 1/4 c. water
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• salt & pepper (if desired)

In a large bowl, combine 2 tbsp. olive oil with Moroccan seasoning and ginger.  Dip each piece of chicken in the spice & oil mixture, coating evenly  and set aside.  With remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil placed in large dutch oven, heat pan over medium heat and add chicken, a few pieces at a time.  Cook without moving chicken until brown and turn.  Remove from pan and set aside on a plate.  Repeat until all of the chicken has been browned.

Add onions to skillet and saute until soft, scraping chicken bits away from pan.  Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, and remove garlic-onion mixture from pan.  Place chicken thighs on the bottom, then legs, and sprinkle with raisins and lemon zest.  Add about 2 c. water.  Cook over low heat for 45-1 hour or until chicken is done and tender.  Remove chicken from pan and add olives and lemon juice.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

Stir in 2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1/4 c. water and continue stirring until mixture returns to a boil.  Remove from heat.

To serve: place chicken piece alongside rice or couscous, ladling sauce over both.

To use slow cooker: Cook chicken as directed in skillet.  Cook onions and garlic as directed in skillet.  Add chicken to slow cooker, placing onion mixture on top.  Add raisins and 2 c. water.   Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours, until chicken is done.  Remove chicken from sauce and set aside.  Add olives and lemon juice, return mixture to a boil.  Combine cornstarch and 1/4 c. water, then add to sauce mixture.  Stirring continuously, return to a boil.  Serve as directed.

Carne picada?

If you shop at the Pascagoula Walmart, you’ll see a package of meat in the beef section labeled “carne picada.”  The name is in Spanish, but what is it really?

It’s plain beef, cut in fine strips or very coarsely ground–depending on your point of view.

What is it good for?

It’s good for a lot of things that you would like finely cut beef in.  It is typically made from cheaper cuts of beef, which means it can have gristle and fat, but if you don’t overcook it…it works great for even stir fries.  I love the speedy way I can saute it with mushrooms and onions to toss with some sour cream and egg noodles for a quick beef stroganoff that is jam packed with flavor.  It’s great for chili, stews and even curry too.

So why do I prefer it over stew meat?  

In my opinion, the stew meat typically sold from meat counters is about four times too large, and I still have to cut it up to make it truly “bite sized.”  Carne picada isn’t…it’s in a convenient thin strip that doesn’t require anything more than being separated from the other pieces in the package.  No cutting, no fussing, and it cooks quicker too.  The included fat and even gristle, as long is it isn’t too high of a percentage of the meat in the package, even adds additional flavor to the dish, making it much more “home cooked” tasting than using the leaner stew meat or meat prepared for stir fries.

How do I use the carne picada?

My favorite is to simply put the seasonings into a zip lock bag, including a bit of vegetable or olive oil, worcestershire, and anything else I am going to use (like garlic, pepper, etc.) and put the desired amount of carne picada into the bag with it.  Squish the meat and seasonings all together, which helps make it easier to separate the individual pieces of meat from each other.

If it is being used in a stir fry or other quickly cooked dish, I simply separate the pieces as I add them to the skillet or wok, stirring as I do so, and cooking the minimum amount of time possible.  For moist dishes such as chilies, stews, and curries, simply add it and cook until tender.  It takes less time usually than sliced carrots do.  I normally allot at least thirty minutes at a simmer to cook the meat to tender, although I will cook it for as much as an hour on occasion.

To package it in smaller portions and freeze: simply separate out the typical amount used in a recipe in a freezer bag.  Adding a small amount of oil may make it easier to separate while still semi-frozen to use in recipes.  Freeze for up to one month.  Most of our recipes for a dinner-for-two use about 1 cup of thinly sliced meat.

Word of advice: always separate the pieces before adding to hot liquids or the skillet or it will cook together into a mass that reminds me more of a lump of hamburger meat than of strips of beef.

Shopping note: While this meat is readily available at the Pascagoula Walmart, it isn’t necessarily available at other Walmarts in the area.  Lucedale and Wiggins do not carry it.  Other area grocery stores also do not carry it, although many stores may be willing to cut meat for you in this manner, upon request.  Ask!  It’s always free to ask!   If it is being cut by request, select meat yourself such as a London broil for lean meat or boneless chuck for a mixture of meat with some fat & gristle.  Any inexpensive cut may be used, as long as it does not have too much fat, gristle or bone.  They may also cut pork for you in this manner, and it can be used in many dishes too.

In search of carrot cake

I used to have a fantastic recipe for carrot cake, and unlike many recipes, mine included not only the shredded carrots, but also crushed pineapple and raisins.  I thought I had found one that closely resembled my original recipe.

I was wrong.

Not that it was awful, but while it was very moist, it was also very oily and a bit too “heavy” and nearly custard-like.  It was good…but not a proper cake, really.

I was disappointed.

The carrot cake I used to make was intensely moist, but while it was heavier than many other cakes, it wasn’t anything close to custard-like, and certainly shouldn’t leave an oily coating on your fingers if  you indulged in the child-like pleasure of eating a square of it out-of-hand.

Baking, unlike some forms of cooking, is really a practical application of chemistry.  It all has to balance, the sugar, the fats, the moisture, and the starches…to create a cake that rises without cracking or being too dry or crumbling…yet avoids the custard-like fate of my latest excursion into Carrot Cake Corner.  That means I need to look at the raw ingredients and their proportions for the reasons it is heavy and oily.

The recipe called for 1 full cup of oil, as well as 2 c. of shredded carrots, plus crushed pineapple, raisins, sour cream, AND sour milk.  While the proportions of chemical leavening, (which was baking soda in this case, due to the highly acidic sour milk and sour cream,) was appropriate, it was quite obvious that only 2 cups of flour, the same quantity as the amount of carrots, was inadequate for that much moisture and that much oil.

Do I want to revamp the recipe and play Mad Scientist of the Oven?

It’s already getting hot here on the Gulf Coast…too hot to turn on the oven if I don’t want to run the air conditioner.  Slaving away in a hot kitchen isn’t appealing, especially when the weather is so inviting outdoors.

I think I’ll peruse more recipes, searching both online and in my cookbooks, hoping to find the recipe that I used to use.  (I suspect that it came from a cookbook in my mother’s custody though!)  Maybe someone has a recipe to share with me for a non-oily, slightly lighter version of carrot cake.

Seriously, I do enjoy a moist carrot cake, which is the reason for the carrots and fruit in the cake…but I definitely didn’t like the incredible oily texture that this recipe delivered.

So the search is on…for the perfect carrot cake recipe!

Buttermilk Fudge

For years, I had heard my mother mention a candy from her youth called buttermilk fudge.  She always said it was a simple recipe, but she had been unable to find it, and the one she had used as a young girl was long since lost.

I think I may have found it.

In a visit to our local branch of the Jackson-George County Library, I discovered a book called “Candymaking for Beginners.”  That’s definitely me–candymaking is a mysterious art and the only one I make with anything resembling confidence is toffee, and even that can be a huge challenge in our humid climate along the coast.  Old fashioned fudge, no matter where I attempted it, was usually not a real success.

This recipe is called “Nutty Buttermilk Fudge” and it sounds easy enough that even I, the most candymaking challenged cook in America, can safely attempt it.  I think you will enjoy it as well.

This buttermilk fudge, especially accompanied by other treats, whether candy or cookies, would also make an excellent holiday gift.  Try packing them on an attractive serving plate or dish, wrapped in colored plastic wrap.  This candy, unlike some others, is not really suited to being shipped, so skip this recipe if you are in search of one to ship to loved ones away at college or in the Armed Services.

Nutty Buttermilk Fudge

• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-2 c. pecans or walnuts, chopped (I’m going to leave these out–I’m not a fan of nuts in fudge)

Butter an 8″ pan and set aside.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, buttermilk,baking soda and salt in a very large heavy saucepan.  (This is to accommodate the foaming of buttermilk and soda.)

Cook and stir over medium heat, washing down sides of pan frequently with a pastry brush dipped in hot water to remove sugar crystals.  Cook until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil.  Add the butter and a candy thermometer.

Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring often, until candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees F.  (soft ball stage)  Remove from heat.

Cool without stirring until lukewarm.  (110 degrees F.)

Add vanilla extract and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture begins to thicken and lose its gloss.

Stir in nuts (if using) and spread in prepared pan.

Cool until firm and cut into 1″ squares.  Store in refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.

 

Southern Buffet opens in Moss Point

Southern Buffet had their Grand Opening on Wednesday, April 4th, 2012 despite being faced with some challenges in completion of their renovations.  The restrooms hadn’t been quite finished, nor had the carpet been laid in their smoking section, but overall, it was a vast improvement over the prior Barnhill’s Buffet.

Prices were higher too, but it still qualifies as a “budget” restaurant, with a price tag under $10 per adult for the buffet.  Southern Buffet also has prices for seniors and children.  The menu has been revamped, and the new manager, Ricky Raines, told us that the kitchen staff has all been retrained to meet the new owners’ standards.  According to what he told us, Southern Buffet owns three restaurants, including an all-you-can-eat catfish restaurant in Gulfport.

Ricky Raines isn’t a physically imposing man, but he does give the impression of high energy.  He also comes to Southern Buffet with considerable restaurant experience on the Gulf Coast.  We watched him busily tending to numerous issues while we were visiting the restaurant, just before the main dinner hours.  He is obviously a manager that pays attention to details, from the restrooms to the dessert bar.

He told us about some continued changes that would be coming to the restaurant, including things like theme nights, seafood buffets, adding upscaled menu add-ons to the buffet such as butterfly shrimp, and new dessert items.  My personal hope is that they get better coffee though–the coffee that was served was tasteless and weak.  That was my sole “complaint” about our visit, mostly because I was so impressed with the improvements that had already been put into place.

Southern Buffet managed to do their upgrades while the restaurant was open, without closing down.  That’s an art in itself, and these improvements included repairing the bathrooms, new carpet, painting the exterior, new signs, and installation of a tiled floor in the buffet area.  Many new staff members were hired and trained as well, bringing a fresh new attitude to the business.  Staff today seemed efficient and happy, which is another credit to the new manager.

While there are still kinks that will have to be worked out as the staff adapts to the new format, overall their grand opening boded well for the restaurant.  While no one likes to pay more, that old adage about “you get what you pay for” is very true.  The new Southern Buffet offers a lot more, including fresh food, clean facilities, courteous staff in clean uniforms, and a broader upscaled menu.

Southern Buffet is open Tuesday through Thursday 10:30-8:30 p.m.  Friday and Saturdays, they offer breakfast from 7:30-10:00 a.m.  Fridays and Saturdays, regular menu is served from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.  They will also be open for Easter, although information about a special menu or alternate pricing was not available today.

Today, their menu included shrimp, fried chicken, baked chicken, smoked sausage, baked ham, and roast beef, as well as traditional favorites such as yeast rolls, mashed potatoes, rice, white gravy, brown gravy, green beans, corn, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, meatballs in sauce, tortilla chips, cheese sauce, and a variety of salads and toppings.  Their dessert bar had soft serve ice cream, carrot cake, almond flavored sugar cookies, cherry cobbler, coconut pie, cherry cobbler, strawberry sauce, white cake, and lemon pie.  (I may have missed listing a few things, but there is a wide variety of foods available.)

While Southern Buffet is a new name, with a new manager and new owners, it does have the same familiar location as the previous buffet, making it easy to find.  It’s well worth a stop for some local budget dining, and it’s not somewhere that you’d be embarrassed to take your parents to either.  It’s got a great family atmosphere, suitable for the entire family from toddler to senior.  The varied menu means that even a frequent diner will find some variety, and the theme nights will be something worth checking out too.

For visitors unfamiliar with the area, Southern Buffet can be found at 6706 Highway 63, Moss Point, MS.  If you are exiting from I-10, it’s exit 69, and found south of the interstate on the east side of Highway 63.  It’s a very convenient location in relation to the interstate for travelers, and  is located between Hardee’s and a motel, and near gas stations as well.

Paula Deen’s Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake gets “Gia-fied”!

I am married to a devout chocolaholic.  He loves chocolate.  He will do anything for more chocolate.

It’s also spring time, and the honey-do list is very long this time of year too.  There are a lot of things I can’t really help him with, nor can I just do them myself.  So, a guy needs some kind of reward for his efforts, right?

I know he likes gooey butter cakes, even if they aren’t really good for him.  What better solution to a special treat than a CHOCOLATE gooey butter cake, right?  Besides, on my side of the equation, it calls for few ingredients, is quick and easy to make, and it’s best made the day before you intend to serve it.

I had one problem though.  I had no recipe for it, and wasn’t sure about just using a chocolate cake mix and stirring in some cocoa powder and calling it good.  I really wanted a recipe someone else had tried first.

Who better to hold up to the test than Paula Deen, right?

Okay, I know there has been this big fuss over her not telling the world she had diabetes, while she was simultaneously cooking food high in fat and sugar, which is really not-so-very-healthy for us.  I really doubt that’s what she ate every day though.  I know that when I was cooking professionally, the LAST thing I wanted to eat was one of the things I had prepared over and over again for someone else to eat.  I didn’t want to see that stuff at all.  I wanted something different than what I had been looking at all day.

Regardless of health problems, it’s up to the individual to choose healthy meals and snacks.  There isn’t anything wrong with occasionally indulging in something not-so-healthy either.  It’s the habit of doing so too often that gets us.

There is a strong link between diabetes and obesity, but it’s not JUST obesity that causes diabetes either.  There is a long list of factors that can influence whether or not a particular person will develop diabetes.

So, while I have put up a lot of recipes for desserts and other things that may make a dietitian cringe…that’s not what we eat every single day either.  We eat a variety of foods, and are currently planting a garden to ensure we spend the summer with plenty of fresh vegetables, from carrots to beets to Swiss chard to squash to onions and don’t forget the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant either.

I might even share my green eggs and ham recipe soon–it’s been a family favorite ever since the days when my daughter was young and I was reading Dr. Seuss to her ten times a day.  She’s long past Dr. Seuss herself, although my granddaughter is almost old enough to be enthralled with it, but she still likes green eggs and ham, with or without cheese.

But…right now, it’s about a chocolate gooey butter cake from Paula Deen via the Food Network.  I didn’t change a lot, other than choosing to use Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder and omitting nuts, including chocolate chips instead.  I also added the instant coffee and yogurt.   In addition, I baked it in a large spring form pan rather than the 9×13″ pan, which makes it more cake or cheesecake-like rather than bars.  It’s still very rich, so serve it in narrow slivers.

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
(original was a Paula Deen recipe)

• 1 c. butter, melted
• 1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp. dark cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. instant coffee granules
• 1/4 c. plain yogurt
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan or a large springform pan.  (You can also use 2 pie pans or 8″ round cake pans, dividing the “crust” and the “filling in half, and using half in each pan.  This gives you one to stash in the freezer, and one for now!)

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 1 stick melted butter, and stir until well blended. Press mixture into prepared pan and set aside.

With a mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in plain yogurt until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the remaining 2 eggs, instant coffee, and the cocoa powder, beating well. With mixer on low, add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 1 stick of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  (It will take longer in a spring form pan because it is not as thin.)  Be careful not to overcook the cake–the center should still be a little gooey when finished baking. Cool cake on rack before cutting.