Food and Recipes while under Coronavirus quarantine #3

[BetteDavisEyes]

Speaking of bread and starters, has anyone ever participated in an Amish Friendship Bread exchange? Many years ago, a neighbor gave my mom a "starter" for the bread. Mom was probably 80 then and didn't do much cooking or baking. so she passed the starter along to me so she didn't break the chain. I baked one loaf and gave the starter to a neighbor. Never did find out if she kept the bread exchange going. What is Amish Friendship Bread? A Recipe and 101 (friendshipbreadkitchen.com)

We had takeout from Jet's last night - a small hand tossed pizza and small antipasto salad. DH ate most of the pizza, while I ate most of the salad. Dinner tonight will be simple - sliced polenta topped with fresh mozzarella, marinara sauce, and fresh basil. DH went swimming and will drop off some cabbage soup for my brother. There is still a lot left

 

[IceIce9]

Speaking of bread and starters, has anyone ever participated in an Amish Friendship Bread exchange? Many years ago, a neighbor gave my mom a "starter" for the bread. Mom was probably 80 then and didn't do much cooking or baking. so she passed the starter along to me so she didn't break the chain. I baked one loaf and gave the starter to a neighbor. Never did find out if she kept the bread exchange going. What is Amish Friendship Bread? A Recipe and 101 (friendshipbreadkitchen.com)

We had takeout from Jet's last night - a small hand tossed pizza and small antipasto salad. DH ate most of the pizza, while I ate most of the salad. Dinner tonight will be simple - sliced polenta topped with fresh mozzarella, marinara sauce, and fresh basil. DH went swimming and will drop off some cabbage soup for my brother. There is still a lot left

My daughter got into the Friendship Bread thing when she was 14 or 15. After a few months she ran out of friends to give the starter to, and we had a freezer full of Friendship Bread.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Speaking of bread and starters, has anyone ever participated in an Amish Friendship Bread exchange? Many years ago, a neighbor gave my mom a "starter" for the bread. Mom was probably 80 then and didn't do much cooking or baking. so she passed the starter along to me so she didn't break the chain. I baked one loaf and gave the starter to a neighbor. Never did find out if she kept the bread exchange going. What is Amish Friendship Bread? A Recipe and 101 (friendshipbreadkitchen.com)

We had takeout from Jet's last night - a small hand tossed pizza and small antipasto salad. DH ate most of the pizza, while I ate most of the salad. Dinner tonight will be simple - sliced polenta topped with fresh mozzarella, marinara sauce, and fresh basil. DH went swimming and will drop off some cabbage soup for my brother. There is still a lot left

When I was home with my kiddos in the late 90s my friend circle did the Amish Friendship Bread. We all had 2-3 kids and husbands so plenty of people to eat it. We lived in east TN at the time. It was very popular.

 

[IceIce9]

I’ve lived in several states and it is interesting to see the things that are popular in different areas.

I remember when I moved to northwest Ohio and a very popular dessert shortcut involved boiling a can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk in a deep pan of water on the stove. This results in a very thick, creamy caramel that can be used as cake filling, spread on top of brownies, or for a dip for cookies or fruit.

It seemed that at every get together or potluck someone brought this caramel to use as a dip or spread. Often kids spread it between graham crackers, for a snack or their school lunches.

People were amazed that I had never heard of boiling a can of Eagle Brand. You had to boil it in a covered pan for at least an hour, the longer you boiled it the thicker it would be. The can had to be completely covered with water the entire time.

After boiling you had to let it cool slightly then open the can with a can opener.

This method only works with Eagle Brand. Store brand sweetened condensed milk didn’t work. You could boil it all day and it never got thick.

After I moved away from that area I never saw boiled Eagle Brand again.

Eagle Brand Caramel (aka Dulce de Leche) Recipe | CDKitchen.com

 

[MimosaMornings]

I’ve lived in several states and it is interesting to see the things that are popular in different areas.

I remember when I moved to northwest Ohio and a very popular dessert shortcut involved boiling a can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk in a deep pan of water on the stove. This results in a very thick, creamy caramel that can be used as cake filling, spread on top of brownies, or for a dip for cookies or fruit.

It seemed that at every get together or potluck someone brought this caramel to use as a dip or spread. Often kids spread it between graham crackers, for a snack or their school lunches.

People were amazed that I had never heard of boiling a can of Eagle Brand. You had to boil it in a covered pan for at least an hour, the longer you boiled it the thicker it would be. The can had to be completely covered with water the entire time.

After boiling you had to let it cool slightly then open the can with a can opener.

This method only works with Eagle Brand. Store brand sweetened condensed milk didn’t work. You could boil it all day and it never got thick.

After I moved away from that area I never saw boiled Eagle Brand again.

Eagle Brand Caramel (aka Dulce de Leche) Recipe | CDKitchen.com

I have never heard of it! Interesting....

 

[IceIce9]

I have never heard of it! Interesting....

The finished product is rich and creamy.

We used to make a “poke” cake, just use your favorite cake recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 pan. Poke holes in the cake with a fork and then spread the cooked caramel on the top. Super easy and really delicious.

 

[Mo Thuairim]

I’ve lived in several states and it is interesting to see the things that are popular in different areas.

I remember when I moved to northwest Ohio and a very popular dessert shortcut involved boiling a can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk in a deep pan of water on the stove. This results in a very thick, creamy caramel that can be used as cake filling, spread on top of brownies, or for a dip for cookies or fruit.

It seemed that at every get together or potluck someone brought this caramel to use as a dip or spread. Often kids spread it between graham crackers, for a snack or their school lunches.

People were amazed that I had never heard of boiling a can of Eagle Brand. You had to boil it in a covered pan for at least an hour, the longer you boiled it the thicker it would be. The can had to be completely covered with water the entire time.

After boiling you had to let it cool slightly then open the can with a can opener.

This method only works with Eagle Brand. Store brand sweetened condensed milk didn’t work. You could boil it all day and it never got thick.

After I moved away from that area I never saw boiled Eagle Brand again.

Eagle Brand Caramel (aka Dulce de Leche) Recipe | CDKitchen.com

That's an amazing way to make dulce de leche. I've never made it but I ate a lot of it when I lived in Spain. Spaniards just adored it. Interesting that it's so popular in Ohio too. It is absolutely delicious but I had kind of forgotten about it.

 

[agilbe]

Where I am we do a "tres leches" cake. Cake soaked in heavy cream or whole milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk. One of my favorites, but VERY rich. We are going to be a bit rainy this evening so I think it's going to be albondigas for dinner. Tortillas on the side. Soup made with a light broth, mostly tomatoes and onion, meatballs and browned white rice. A lot of people will put a little bit of mint in the meatballs.
Tres Leches Cake

 

[IceIce9]

That's an amazing way to make dulce de leche. I've never made it but I ate a lot of it when I lived in Spain. Spaniards just adored it. Interesting that it's so popular in Ohio too. It is absolutely delicious but I had kind of forgotten about it.

Regional cooking favorites have always been interesting to me. My favorite cookbooks were always the collaborative cookbooks sold as fundraisers by ladies aid groups, schools, etc. you find a lot of good regional recipes in those cookbooks.

During the time I lived in Ohio cooking contests sponsored by local newspapers were very popular. After the contest the newspapers would print a cookbook of all the recipes entered, with a special section for the winning recipes.

I entered a couple of those contests every year, and some of my favorite recipes are from those cookbooks. All the contestants enter their favorite recipes, and some of them have become my favorites too.

Back before the internet was in existence we had to get our recipes from cookbooks. I was a frequent visitor at our local library, and I knew the cookbook section by heart. I couldn’t afford to buy many cookbooks unless I found them at garage sales, but I copied many recipes from the books in the library.

 

[Mo Thuairim]

Regional cooking favorites have always been interesting to me. My favorite cookbooks were always the collaborative cookbooks sold as fundraisers by ladies aid groups, schools, etc. you find a lot of good regional recipes in those cookbooks.

During the time I lived in Ohio cooking contests sponsored by local newspapers were very popular. After the contest the newspapers would print a cookbook of all the recipes entered, with a special section for the winning recipes.

I entered a couple of those contests every year, and some of my favorite recipes are from those cookbooks. All the contestants enter their favorite recipes, and some of them have become my favorites too.

Back before the internet was in existence we had to get our recipes from cookbooks. I was a frequent visitor at our local library, and I knew the cookbook section by heart. I couldn’t afford to buy many cookbooks unless I found them at garage sales, but I copied many recipes from the books in the library.

That's so lovely. There's a real memory bank of local and regional cooking traditions that should be cherished. I moved back to the area where I grew up a few years ago and since then I've rediscovered so many local recipes handed down through the years and also discovered many traditional regional recipes for the first time.

My mother doesn't use the internet and she still has all her recipe books from when she was first married, with all her handwritten notes and substitutions, and she still uses them to this day. I love taking them and adapting them to my tastes.

There are some recipes from school that I still make today. There is an apple crumble recipe that I learned in secondary (high) school that I've never improved upon (except for adding a little bit of cinnamon - fancy!). I studied home economics in the 1990s but the textbook was published in the 1970s I think. Really old-fashioned (Irish cooking back then was very limited in the ingredients available - spices and certain fruits and veg were hard to get and considered very exotic! Garlic was banned from many households as it was so strong-flavoured and alien. And chilli was practically unknown.) But I still love so many of those recipes with their simple ingredients and I barely need to adapt them. They are the taste of pure nostalgia!

 

[IceIce9]

Chili is an interesting example of regional cooking. When I lived in Ohio people either made Cincinnati-style chili (a thick chili served over a plate of spaghetti, topped with diced onions and a mound of shredded cheddar) or chili soup.

In Indiana “Hoosier chili” is popular. It is like chili soup but contains pasta. Most people use spaghetti in it but sometimes you find elbow macaroni instead.

In Texas it’s chili con carne.

When I lived in Illinois I noticed different varieties of chili being served but it was often served with a bowl of sour cream on the side. People would spoon sour cream on top of their chili, usually at least a couple of tablespoons. Sometimes an entire layer of sour cream on top of their bowl of chili.

 

[agilbe]

Chili is an interesting example of regional cooking. When I lived in Ohio people either made Cincinnati-style chili (a thick chili served over a plate of spaghetti, topped with diced onions and a mound of shredded cheddar) or chili soup.

In Indiana “Hoosier chili” is popular. It is like chili soup but contains pasta. Most people use spaghetti in it but sometimes you find elbow macaroni instead.

In Texas it’s chili con carne.

When I lived in Illinois I noticed different varieties of chili being served but it was often served with a bowl of sour cream on the side. People would spoon sour cream on top of their chili, usually at least a couple of tablespoons. Sometimes an entire layer of sour cream on top of their bowl of chili.

We do ours with a wedge of mexican cornbread . Jalapeno peppers, cheese and sometimes canned corn as well. Whole corn not creamed. The chili itself is beans, hamburger, chili powder and spices.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Chili is an interesting example of regional cooking. When I lived in Ohio people either made Cincinnati-style chili (a thick chili served over a plate of spaghetti, topped with diced onions and a mound of shredded cheddar) or chili soup.

In Indiana “Hoosier chili” is popular. It is like chili soup but contains pasta. Most people use spaghetti in it but sometimes you find elbow macaroni instead.

In Texas it’s chili con carne.

When I lived in Illinois I noticed different varieties of chili being served but it was often served with a bowl of sour cream on the side. People would spoon sour cream on top of their chili, usually at least a couple of tablespoons. Sometimes an entire layer of sour cream on top of their bowl of chili.

We always have a spoon of sour cream on ours, with grated cheddar just to up the calories even more.

 

[IceIce9]

We always have a spoon of sour cream on ours, with grated cheddar just to up the calories even more.

I like mine topped with diced onions and a pile of very thinly shredded cheddar. I grate it fresh off the block.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I found a bag of frozen turkey meatballs. I want to make the cocktail meatballs with jelly. I think someone mentioned current jelly. I couldn't find that at Publix. Online it says grape jelly is fine. However, the only grape jelly I have is in a squirt bottle. Is it too watery to make the sauce? I have to buy Chili Sauce according to 1 recipe and another recipe uses BBQ sauce. I have no idea which is better. I don't like super spicy food. Maybe half of each??

 

[killarney rose]

Ive made it both ways- with chili sauce or bbq sauce. Not much difference.

 

[EGirl]

Fish is yummy. Fingers crossed for a keeper red for you. Don’t usually keep catfish - not sure if you get hard heads or gafftops in the River?

Yes we do. Not a fan of either one lol. Gaftops are so dang slimy! They are just up from the mouth of the river, near the bay so the water is brackish. We get all kinds of fresh and salt water fish

Eta: got 2 reds and a nice blue cat. A couple of blue crabs too but we threw them back.

 

[EGirl]

Ive made it both ways- with chili sauce or bbq sauce. Not much difference.

Same here, I generally prefer bbq and grape jelly (I use the squeeze bottle) because I can usually get them both for a dollar each.

 

[PayrollNerd]

This morning I made biscuits and gravy. I used the McCormick packet, 2 cups whole milk and 4 frozen Jimmy Dean turkey sausage patties. I cut up the sausage and started it in the pan to warm it up. Then added the mix and stirred it up, slowly adding the milk. I let it slowly come to a boil while stirring a lot so it didn't stick or clump.

I baked off Pillsbury frozen biscuits. It turned out pretty good. Last time I used a different brand packet and added water. It was so peppery! But someone said to use milk to make it thicker. I think the milk also reduced the pepper flavor. I ate 2 full biscuits. I am so full, I am ready for a nap! LOL!

 

[EGirl]

This morning I made biscuits and gravy. I used the McCormick packet, 2 cups whole milk and 4 frozen Jimmy Dean turkey sausage patties. I cut up the sausage and started it in the pan to warm it up. Then added the mix and stirred it up, slowly adding the milk. I let it slowly come to a boil while stirring a lot so it didn't stick or clump.

I baked off Pillsbury frozen biscuits. It turned out pretty good. Last time I used a different brand packet and added water. It was so peppery! But someone said to use milk to make it thicker. I think the milk also reduced the pepper flavor. I ate 2 full biscuits. I am so full, I am ready for a nap! LOL!

Yummmmmmmmmm that sounds so dang good right now.

Think I'll do cubed steak in brown gravy with mashed potatoes or rice. Fresh green beans on the side for dinner.