Peach Kuchen  (if you follow the original recipe)

Time to pass along a recipe from Ruth's family

9x13 baking dish
Oven preheated to 425 degrees

Ingredients
1/2 Cup butter
2 Cups flour
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Cup Sugar  minus 2 TBL spoon reserved for flour mixture
12 Peach halves (we prefer peach slices, we use the large 29 ounce can) Drain juice off.
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 egg yolks
1 Cup Sour Cream

CRUST
Whisk together Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Sugar (  the 2 TBL spoons reserved)
Cut in butter until your flour mixture resembles cornmeal.'Press the resulting mixture into your baking dish using your hands, making sure to press mixture up the sides of the dish.

In THE MIDDLE
Arrange peaches in the crust.  Mix together the Cinnamon and the Cup of Sugar,  Spread this over the peaches.

BAKE
Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes

TOPPING IT OFF
Whisk together the Sour Cream and the 2 Egg Yolks.  Pour this mixture over top of the peaches.
REDUCE OVEN TO 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool at lease 30 minutes before serving, we enjoy this just as much cold from the fridg. as much warm from the oven.

NOW the above is the starting recipe, passed to Ruth by her Mom. However else I might joke about my mother-in-law, this lady knew how to cook.
After all a recipe is just a suggested starting point.
First alteration came about as I recall because we only had a small can of peaches, using what was on hand we added a can of sweet dark cherries, and then a can of chucked pineapple.  Next time around we used the large can of peaches and still added cherries and pineapple.  That gave us the amount of fruit we desired.
The final change we made was to accommodate me, I wanted more of the sour cream/egg custard topping.  So we doubled this portion of the recipe as well.

The only problem to overcome now is that there are only four corners in my baking dish.

Drawback of reducing salt in your diet.

Went and got carryout from our favorite Chinese Restaurant, Splendid China.  Ordered our favorite meal, Crab meat Won Ton, egg roll, and Sesame Chicken.  Won Ton was great, egg roll good, I enjoy the without  Soy.  The Sesame Chicken , had a bit more garlic than we remembered and more salt than we could enjoy.

So I have to try and figure out if they changed cooks, or the cook had a bad day.  Or I have been eating less salt long enough that I may have to learn how to make Sesame  Chicken.

Hummingbird Cake

Believe it or not I only made two deviations from the Recipe in Cooks's Country   http://www.cookscountry.com/ Humming Bird cake recipe and it may not even qualify as a deviation.  I substituted  Coconut oil for cooking oil. and I used 10 inch pans .  The cake has been tested, bit as of this entry, not by me.  Yep I need to watch the sugar intake, does not take much sugar to make my tummy into an acid pool.

INGREDIENTS

• CAKE

• 2(8-ounce) cans crushed pineapple in juice
• 3cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2teaspoons baking powder
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1teaspoon salt
• 2cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
• 3large eggs
• 1cup vegetable oil
• 4very ripe large bananas, peeled and mashed (2 cups)
• 1 1/2cups pecans, toasted and chopped
• 2teaspoons vanilla extract

• FROSTING

• 20tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 5cups (20 ounces) confectioners' sugar
• 2 1/2teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 20ounces cream cheese, chilled and cut into 20 equal pieces
• 1/2cup pecans, toasted and chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 light-colored 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Drain pineapple in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing to remove juice. Pour juice into small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes; set aside.

   2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in bowl. Whisk sugar and eggs together in separate large bowl; whisk in oil. Stir in bananas, pecans, vanilla, drained pineapple, and reduced pineapple juice. Stir in flour mixture until just combined.

   3. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until dark golden brown on top and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours.

   4. FOR THE FROSTING: Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt together on low speed until smooth; continue to mix for 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-low, add cream cheese 1 piece at a time, and mix until smooth; continue to mix for 2 minutes.

   5. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 2 cups frosting evenly over top, right to edge of cake. Top with second cake layer, press lightly to adhere, then spread 2 cups frosting evenly over top. Spread remaining frosting evenly over sides of cake. To smooth frosting, run edge of offset spatula around cake sides and over top. Sprinkle top of cake with pecans. Refrigerate cake for at least 1 hour before serving. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
2. Now I have to find some friends to share this cake with.

Layered Casserole

Took inspiration from Country's Cook for a layered casserole, but reasons created by time, what was in the pantry and Ruth's inability to handle spicy.
First I started to brown a pound of ground beef I added in mushrooms, onion, salt pepper, coriander and cumin. While the beef was browning I started on the rice. They wanted Long Grain rice, which needed to be pan fried to assist in the cooking of the rice in the casserole.  I had rice in a boil bag.  Taking the hint that I did not want the rice a mushy glop.  I brought the bag of rice up to a boil and then promptly removed it from water and drained it, then scattered  in the bottom of 9x13 baking dish. I decided a few spoons of mild salsa was called for  After draining the ground beef , I layered that on top of  on top of the rice.  The recipe was calling for Rotel tomatoes, but had to be changed out to reduce heat.  Rotel was replaced by fire roasted chopped tomatoes accompanied by dices green chilies.  This I covered with a light sprinkle on grated mozzarella , this I covered with a sharp cheddar cheese.  And topped it all off with a layer of frozen corn.

baked covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.

9x13 pan seems to create three full meals for the two of us.

Ruth has been feeling poorly for the past few days, So I am eating leftover and she is dinning on buttered noodles.

Baking tonight :  Muffins for Ruth and something new for me

Turned a crumb cake into muffins for Ruth.  Used the heat to warm the kitchen so my bread dough would rise. Yes I said I needed to warm up the house.  If you have ever visited, you either like it cold or know to wear a sweater when visiting.

Anadama Bread ( Recipe in Cook's Country, April/May 2014 edition )
I've never heard of this but the article is titled REDISCOVERING ANADAMA BREAD.
This as it turns out is a dark dense sweet bread.  I was attracted to this not just because I like to bake bread, but because it brought in two of my favorites,  corn meal and molasses.
I am about the only one I know who likes molasses.  I have it on my peanut butter sandwiches, and I like it on my pancakes.  And of the molasses flavor option I prefer the "full flavor" option.
If you are interested in the research and tinkering that went into this recipe, you will need to get a copy and read the article.
But here is the stuff you bakers need to know.

prepare two loaf pans, grease and dust with corn meal
grease a large bowl, to hold dough while it rises

1 Cup corn meal
5 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1Tbl spoon or 1 package instant/rapid rise yeast
2 1/2 tsp salt ( did as it called for , and may not decide to reduce salt, this taste good.)

Combine all the above in in a large bowl and whisk together.

2 Cups warm water (110 degrees)
1/2 Cup Molasses
5 TBL spoon unsalted butter MELTED

Whisk these together

Add wet ingredients to dry a bit at a time, stirring to incorporate.  ( Sorry I still do this by hand, recipe calls for new newfangled thing to mix ingredients using a dough hook.  What ever that is.)
Dough will be dense and heavy and I did have to work at it to get all the dry mixed in.
Turn dough out into the greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise at room temperature till double in size. About and hour and a half.
Gently deflate and divide dough in half.
Pat first half into a 8x18 rectangle, and then roll the dough starting at the narrow end into your loaf. Place in bread pan, cover with plastic wrap.  Repeat process to make second loaf.  Set these aside to double in size. Again about an hour and a half.
Heat oven to 425 degrees and turn down to 375 as soon as you put the bread in.  Bake 35 to 45 minutes.  Mine was ready at 35 minutes.
Turn bread out onto wire rack and cool for 2 hours before serving.
Tasted bread unadorned, this was the end peace with all that nice crust. Tasted a slice  buttered and another with butter and honey.  This bread does not require honey.

Potato Soup  (Note to self: find ideas for what to do with leftover potato soup)

Potato Soup requires cooking up your spuds in two way for one delicious meal. When I first started making Potato Soup I did not even look for a recipe.  It was cold outside, we were in the mood for a warming soup and Spuds were what was on hand.  So the first, was boiled potatoes cooked, drained milk added, seasoned and then coarsely mashed.   And cooked back down so what I made thickened a bit.

But time has passed and as with most meals in the kitchen I can not help but "improve".


I select enough potatoes (my preference is russets but I use what is at hand) to serve what would be a double serving of spuds to each person and one guest.  Half of these I cut up chunky for boiling.  The other half I take the time to cube up, in mouth friendly size.

Chunky potatoes go into a pot of water and I cook just as I would if I was making mash potatoes.

 While mashed potatoes are cooking I get out a 10 inch skillet, burner is turned up to medium, in goes 1 Tbl spoon of butter and 2 Tbl spoon oil.  Once the oil is heated I add two cloves of minced garlic a pinch of salt and two pinches of pepper.  The object is to flavor the oil. Then I add the cubed potatoes.  I am preparing theses as you would home fries for breakfast.  I want the cubes to brown/crisp up lightly.  Once the potatoes have browned on one side and are stirred/flipped, I dice up onion. ( And you are going to ask how much aren't you?  As much onion as you like to have in your home fries).  I also add 1 Tbl spoon dry celery seasoning and 2 Tbl spoon dried parsley.  Now I am cooking to brown the potatoes more evenly and to caramelize the onions.  Just before these are done two things need to happen, if you are adding chopped ham or already cooked and chopped bacon, you add that now.  Ham I use is already cooked, so it does not need to cook, not even heat thoroughly at this point.  Last and importantly not to be forgotten,  turn diced potato mixture out onto a paper towel lined plate and get some of that access excess oil off, then return to skillet to keep warm.

Drain water from boiling potatoes, season and mash just as you would for serving.  Now to liquefy the potatoes.  Half and half works, so does cream, I even enjoy using condensed milk.  I add and stir in milk until what I am looking at resembles a milk shake.  Now add in contents of the skillet.  At this point I add milk to thin mixture just a bit, and then I mash up and down in just one are of the pan. My objective is mash just enough to bring the fried potato taste stronger into the soup.you :do want to retain a good amount of the fried cubed potatoes.

Taste salt and pepper as needed.

NOTE TO SELF: come up with ideas to use leftover potato soup.
#1  portion out into individual baking dishes and slowly bake soup - turned out sort of like twice baked potatoes.

There are many correct variations to potato soup, test , adjust and derive at your own.  My daughter Elizabeth's potato soup is not the same as mine, but it is something I look forward to having when she is the one in the kitchen.

Another cold weather note:  You have not tasted Hot Chocolate, until your milk mixture is 1/2 milk and 1/2 condensed milk, and then chocolate flavored to your taste....found we need less chocolate syrup to reach a well loved hot drink.

Fast Food Night.
  Seems to catch me about once a month.  Most of the time I simply do not schedule the day correctly and leave no time for meal preparation.  Here also we compromise.  We both love JOE'S CRAB SHACK located up by the ball park.  But it is a bit pricey and honestly does not qualify as fast. MACARONI GRILL and OLIVE GARDEN are reasonable close but also not fast.  PIZZA always an option for me, but Ruth not so much.  We have several burger places around, Ruth's favorite is BURGER KING, mine is not.  Again several options for chicken,  KFC would be default, her option is crispy and I am an original sort of guy.
Tonight, Macaroni Grill.  For Ruth Shrimp and Fettuccine  Alfredo, while I found an Italian Sausage in a spicy tomato sauce, we do agree on the Tiramisu .