It's all about the gravy and let's talk SOS!

Ah yes Gravy! it's the food of Gods, Liquid gold, a sauce to dip just about anything in!

Growing up in CA we had gravy every Sunday morning. We had either, waffles or pancakes, bacon, sausage or salt pork, eggs and gravy.

Daddy would always cook Sunday breakfast, with my help of course. His thing was the gravy and to this day as I make gravy I feel his presence as I slowly brown the flour.

Yesterday I went out to breakfast, and the place will remain nameless for fear of a law suit, and I asked for a side of gravy. I took one taste and thought. OMG, someone has just given me paper mache' paste! It was soooo thick I could have stood a spoon straight up in that mess. This is what I find in most restaurant's when I order gravy. They all taste of uncooked flour and no seasoning. Yuk! If I could jar my gravy and sell it I would or better yet teach the cooks around town how to make gravy... It is not hard.

So what is the secret to good gravy? GREASE! Yes good ole' grease. Bacon, Sausage, or chicken grease. NO package stuff for me. Grease has flavor. For those of you who live in LA and make gumbo I am quite sure you make good gravy because making gravy is like making a good rue. So here is how I make Daddy's gravy.

Grease in the pan. Not cup fulls, unless you are going to feed a large group, but a tablespoon or so. Heat should be med-low.

Add flour and stir. You do not want a ball of four and grease. Just add enough flour so you can stir it around and it absorbs all the grease. Now you must stir and slowly brown the flour. Do not burn it! There is nothing worse than burned flour... Yuk!

You want to cook the flour and get a really nice brown color. This should take 5-10 minutes.

Next pour in some milk and stir. I use whole milk. (I have also used can milk with water, but it does not taste the same. I had to use this at a friends when there was no milk)
Add salt and pepper. Be careful of the salt because if you are using bacon grease, it will be salty. Keep an eye on this and stir often. Heat should be on low. This must cook for at least 30 minutes. If it gets too thick add milk and don't forget to taste.

When done I like to pour into a bowl and crumble crisp bacon or sausage on top.

How do I eat my gravy? With a spoon... :-) I pour it over biscuits, rice, toast and I love to dip my French fries in gray. Oh Yum! But I really like gravy on my pancakes. yes I said pancakes! You put gravy on biscuits don't you? Well it is sort of the same. So try it sometime. very Yummy!

SOS

No this is not a call for help, but you folks in the military know what this is huh?

I like to make SOS on a nice cold winter day for breakfast or lunch or even dinner. It is perfect anytime of the day or really any season of the year. I don't use chipped beef but sausage or hamburger.

Brown a pound of meat and break into Small pieces as you fry it.

Add Salt and pepper

When meat is nice and brown and crumbly add milk and pour a slurry of flour and milk into the meat to thicken. Or you can add flour to the meat, stir then add milk.

Let this cook for at least 30 minutes. You want all the flavors to come together and cook out any flour taste.

Serve this over anything or eat it straight out of the bowl!

So now you know my Daddy's secret, GREASE!!

Keep cooking with love and don't throw away your grease.... use it!

Kitchen Cutie

Something for your sweet tooth

Back in 2000 I needed a special cake for a special celebration. So I began to look through my many cook books and food magazines. In my autographed "Home Cooking with Amy Coleman" book Pg 134, I found the perfect recipe, "Crowned Apple Cake." This is originally from the "Fast and Festive Meals for the Jewish Holidays (William Morrow and Company)

This cake is very much like a moist pound cake but with honey-drenched apples. The circle of caramelized apples sink into the top to look very much like a crown.

When this cake is presented on your very best cake plate, you will receive may oohhhs and ahhhhhs! Not only is it delicious but beautiful to look at.

4 large green apples (about 2 1/2 pounds)such as Granny Smith or Pippin
1/3 cup honey
3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons baking powder
3 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
About 1/2 cup walnut or pecan HALVES (optional)

* Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 350F. Grease or spray a 10 inch tube pan with a removal bottom.

*Peel, quarter, core and slice the apples 1/4 inch thick. Place in a medium bowl with the honey and cinnamon. Toss to coat and set aside.

* Combine the flour, sugar, oil, eggs, orange juice, baking powder, vanilla and salt in a large mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on low speed, mix until combined. Increase to moderately high speed and mix until well blended, about 2 minutes.

Pour one-third of the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange one-third of the apple slices over batter and sprinkle with chopped nuts, if using.

Cover with one-half of the remaining batter. Arrange one-half of the remaining apple slices over the batter and top with the remaining batter. spreading the top evenly. Overlap the remaining apple slices around the tube of the pan, extending them out like petals. Pour any juices that remain in the bowl over the apples. If desired, arrange the nut halves along the outer edge to encircle the top of the cake.

* Place the cake on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 80 to 90 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top gets too brown, cover it loosely with foil. Remove the cake from the own and cool 10 minutes. Go around the inside edges of the pan with a knife and remove the sides of the pan. Cool the cake to room temperature. Cut around the tube and bottom, and with a spatula, lift the cake from the pan to a serving plate. The cake may be stored, covered, at room temperature up to 2 days or frozen.

Even if you don't have a special occasion, make this one for your family. Serve it with a nice rich vanilla ice cream or better yet whip up some flavored whip cream. I like to add Kalua or Bailey's. Oh yum!!

Remember: cooking with love will make up for any mistakes in the kitchen.... well maybe.

Happy cooking from Kitchencutie!

Are you Hungry?

Are you hungry? I bet not. I am one of millions, who have never missed a meal, but did you know that here in Texas we lead the nation with children who are hungry. 1 in 5 children live in households that are "food insecure". meaning they do not have access to adequate, nutritious meals on a regular basis. Research shows that hungry children have poorer mental health and overall health, miss more days of school, suffer greater rates of behavioral disorders and are less prepared to learn when they are in school. Summer is the hungriest season for children because school feeding programs end for the summer.

As I sit here planning my next meal I offer you a challenge. The next time you are at Kroger, or Safeway, pick up a few extra goodies for your local food pantry. Or better yet, when you have your next party, tell your guests that the price of their meal is at least one can food item. Such an easy way to give back to your communitty and help the hungry.

For more information check out http://feedingamerica.org and for my Texas friends go to http://ntfb.org


Thanks for listing,

Tarrragon and shrimp tea sandwiches

It has been awhile since I posted, but I am now back in the swing of things or should I say back in the kitchen.

Do you need a new idea for something to bring to a summer get together? Tired of making potato salad or those damn small tiny hotdogs in BBQ sauce? I have a tea sandwich for you that is so easy to make and so yummy! The will be gone in a flash!

I was looking through all my cookbooks and Martha spoke to me, she often does you know. Anyway I found this receipe using shrimp and Tarragon. Tarragon is a great herb with a very distinctive flavor. You have to be careful how you use it.

This will make about 2 dozen tea sandwiches.

24 slices of very thin white bread, I cut the crust off but you don't have too.
1 small bunch of baby lettuce, torn into small pieces
1 pound of medium shrimp cooked, cooled and devein
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 cup Mayo plus 3 tablespoons
2 tablespoons Dijon mujstard
1/4 fresh finely chopped tarragon. It must be fresh!
Freshly ground black pepper

I doubled the mayo recipe because I wanted to be sure there was enough for spreading on both sides of the bread and there is nothing worse than a dry sandwich. If you have any left over, great! Use it on any sandwich!

In your food processor, combine the 1/4 cup mayo, mustard and Tarragon. Process until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and place in refrigerate until ready to use. You do not have to use the food procesor. I do this my hand. Mayo will be somewhat green if you use the food processer not so much when done by hand.

When shrimp are cooled, cut in small 1/4 size pieces and toss in bowl with the 3 tablespoons of the reserved mayo. If you feel this is not moist enough add a bit more mayo.

Spread 12 of the bread slices with the mayo then top with shrimp mixture. Add lettuce, spread more mayo on the other 12 slices and place on top. Cut on the diagonal. Enjoy.


I have made this with Salmon as well. I used fresh dill with this one.

You can also use this as a luncheon salad. Spoon the shrimp mixture on a bed of baby lettuce, a few slices of nice tomatoes and serve with crackers or warm bread. Nice glass of wine and you are all set.

This delicious sandwich was found in Matha Stewart's Hors D'oeuvres Handbook. I use this book all the time!

Until next post, "Even burnt, if you cook with love it will taste good". Well maybe.

Peanut butter, pickles and toast Oh MY!

Traditions! Most of us have some type of family traditions, Sunday dinner at Grandma's house, Christmas eve to church, then back home to open just one gift.. yea right! We always seemed to open at least 5 or 6. Big spring cleaning which meant for me was washing the walls, cleaning out every drawer in the house. And we didn't forget the garage. I dreaded spring...

In my home we had a few food traditions as well. My grandmother, lived with us for a time and she loved, and I mean really loved onion sandwiches. She would take white bread and spread it with mayo and put slices of red onion on it. YUK! Never could do that. And of course we didn't get within 10 feet of her after she ate that.She also made a killer bread pudding. I am trying to find just the right recipe to recreate hers.

One of my mom's favorite sandwich was peanut butter on toast with crisp dill pickles. Now I know what you are thinking.... "Oh my Gawd! that is awful." Don't knock it till ya try it.

Sometimes we crave something different right? Don't you get tired of eating the same old oatmeal or ham sandwich? Sure you do. So here is something new and exciting to try. Give your taste buds a treat!

Take 2 slices of white bread and toast them. I am sure you can use your favorite bread but I like good old white.

When hot from the toaster, spread your favorite peanut butter on both pieces of toast. The peanut butter will melt so nice and yummy!

Next,slice a nice crisp dill pickle real thin. Pat it dry with a paper towel. Place pickle slices on one side of toast, yes, right on top of peanut butter. Place the other piece of toast on top and enjoy! As a kid my sandwich was always sliced in quarters. I still like to do that today. I guess I am still a kid at heart.

I prefer Clausens dill pickles. They are in the refrigerator section of your store. These pickles are really crisp and have a great crunch. I have tried this with bread and butter pickles but for some reason the sweetness of these pickles don't seem to go with the peanut butter. Each of us have different palate, so be brave and step outside the box, try something new and different.

Are you ready to start a new sandwich tradition? I hope so. Please give this a try and let me know what you think.

Have a great week and happy cooking!