Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Tuesday Pancakes

Remember my children’s “Oh, Mom, not again,” upon hearing that cheese soufflĂ© was on the dinner menu? (November 25, 2009 blog) Tuesday Pancakes was an entirely different story. Their response was most often “Yippee!” Maybe it was the strangeness and allure of having breakfast for dinner. Maybe it was the way the fat and batter puffed up magically in the hot oven. Maybe it was the powdered sugar and jam accompaniments. I don’t know, but the enthusiasm was genuine.


























A few months ago, my former husband was clearing out some papers from his house in Chapel Hill and ran across some of my old cooking notes, recipe clippings, and a 1976 kids’ cookbook by The Youth Publications of The Saturday Evening Post called Holiday Cookbook. He bundled them up and shipped them to me in California. Flipping through the splattered and raggedy cookbook, I spotted the recipe for Tuesday Pancakes. I thanked him for sending me the box and told him of my discovery. He responded, “Could I have a copy of it?” Franz and Ben (the children, now 38 and 35) echoed his response, with smiles and a far-away look in their eyes, clearly remembering the wonder and the taste of them.

The page from the cookbook reveals that the Tuesday refers to Shrove Tuesday. I must admit that when I was making Tuesday Pancakes for my family back in the 80s, I didn’t pay the slightest attention to that fact. For me it was simply an easy way to feed my family and could have just as easily been called Monday Pancakes or Wednesday Pancakes.

Now that I am a member of First Congregational Church of Berkeley (FCCB), I have considerably more insight into Shrove Tuesday. It is the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. It is also known as Marti Gras or, in translation, Fat Tuesday. FCCB hosts an annual pancake supper. Pancakes became the custom on Fat Tuesday because they use fat, sugar, and eggs, three luxuries which one might give up for Lent. A blowout dinner in which you stuff yourself with the soon-to-be-forbidden foodstuffs seems entirely appropriate the night before you begin your fast. The celebrating at the FCCB includes, besides the supper, a parade with adults and kids around the room and then outside to bury the Alleluia banner which is dug up on Easter. For Lent, no one is allowed to say “Alleluia.” There is no Lenten rule at FCCB about fat, sugar, and eggs, I’m relieved to say.

Below you’ll find the recipe for Tuesday Pancakes which the Kunst family ate without paying one bit of attention to the liturgical calendar. They can be eaten any day of the year but on Tuesday, February 16, 2010, you will have the chance to celebrate Shrove Tuesday with pancakes and with whatever kind of carrying-on you desire. And who’s to stop you from trying them on February 18 or 20?

Tuesday Pancakes

You can have this pancake on the table in 30 minutes.












3 tablespoons butter
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup sifted powdered sugar
Lemon juice, optional
Orange marmalade or other preserves, optional

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Beat together the flour, milk, salt, nutmeg, and eggs. Don’t worry about the lumps.
3. Melt butter in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet.
4. Pour the mixture into the very hot skillet.
5. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pancake has puffed up.
6. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Serve immediately before the pancake deflates.
7. At the table, encourage your table mates to squeeze lemon over the top and/or spread with marmalade or other preserves, if desired.

Makes 1 pancake. It will serve more than 1, but less than 3.
For 3 people, make 2 pancakes. Double the recipe and use two pans or skillets. Can bake at the same time.
For 4 people, make 3 pancakes. Triple the recipe and use two pans or skillets. Bake in two batches.
Adapted from Youth Publications/The Saturday Evening Post Company’s Holiday Cookbook. Text by Peg Rogers.

The photo shows Blueberry Preserves. Just excellent.

im too procrastinated

AGh! I felt like tortured mentally. Too much fun in my holiday turn out to the ignorement of the assignment. Haha. OMG i havent even continue my research yet @.@ what the hell with me! Geeez.
Someone push me please. Im so lost and so santai one @.@
FYI, this Valentine Day and CNY i planned to go back Indonesia because i got my 1week holiday. Of course to meet my sayang, but its cancelled for the sake of my assignment. Palopo and Makassar nowadays always stick with the stupid BLACKOUT! Im afraid i cant finish the assignment.. =(
So I have my CNY holiday on my aunty's house. And one more thing, too many fun things to do and made me abuse the assignment LOL. >.<


I hope i can finish it successfully. 

Emilia-Romagna and Sicily

February 16

Emilia-Romagna and Sicily tied in this blog's latest poll, which asked readers to pick their favorite Italian region for food.

You can read the full results at nrn.com.

Lamb Tagine with Chickpeas and Golden Raisins

  
  
Many Moroccan dishes that that work with sweet broths of saffron and cinnamon such as lemon chicken or chicken, apricot and almond tagine will not also include cumin.  This recipe does both and carries it off beautifully.  That may be because its meat is lamb and not chicken.  Moroccan cooks may learn such rules at a young age, if such a rule does exist, but I learned of its ability last night and now I want to share with you.  The original recipe called for including potatoes and carrots and there is nothing to say you shouldn't, I just didn't feel like going there when I prepared this dish.  Maybe tagines in my mind are more restricted.  I also used golden raisins instead of traditional raisins.  They have a more delicate flavor.  As always, prepare the dish as you would like, starting with this base.  Serves 2
    
Ingredients:
1 lb lamb, in 1 inch cubes
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
3 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 tsp honey
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp cilantro
2 shallots sliced
1 tbsp tomato paste
salt/pepper
2 cups chicken stock
pinch saffron
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 can chickpeas
1 cup cooked rice
    
Descriptions:
Mix together in a bowl the lamb, paprika, cumin, garlic, honey, 2 tbsp olive oil, and cilantro.  Allow to marinate from half an hour to overnight if desired.  Heat olive oil in a tagine or Dutch oven over low and cook shallots a few minutes to start softening.  Raise the heat to medium.  Add the lamb mixture and cook a few minutes to brown.  Stir in the tomato paste and salt and pepper to taste.  Add the chicken stock and stir in the saffron.  Add the cinnamon stick, raisins and chickpeas and bring to a simmer.  Turn the heat down to simmer and cover.  After 30 minutes, uncover and if a thicker broth is desired, raise the heat and boil down to desired consistency.  Adjust the salt and pepper if desired and serve over rice.
    

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Imagine a great baked potato with all the toppings, but in a creamy soup. This recipe is a simple and yet so good. It is also from the Cooking Light Cookbook, so you don't have to feel bad about eating it!
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Loaded Baked Potato Soup
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4 large baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 lbs.)
2/3 cup all purpose flour
6 cups 2% milk
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
3/4 cup green onions
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean potatoes, pierce with a fork. Bake for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes; coursely mash. Discard the skins.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; leve with a knife. Place flour in a large soup pan, gradually add milk; stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 min). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup green onions. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Garnish with sprinkles of cheese, green onion and bacon. Serves 8 (1 1/2 cup) servings. Fat 10.8 g; calories 329.
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*I find that it is a little easier to make the soup thicker if a typical roux is made using a little bit of butter and the flour (about 1/4 cup of butter). I always add more salt and pepper and cheese, but I wanted to do it the way it was published first so that the people who have kept their New Year's Resolution to eat healthier will know "the numbers." Another way to keep the numbers down is to use Turkey Bacon instead of pork bacon. I hope you enjoy this on a cold day!
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Recipe credits: The Best of Cooking Light Cookbook, Baked Potato Soup, pg. 329