The Frugal Poet

Mules and Fairy Godmothers

2012-02-26T09:58:00.000-08:00

If you’re fortunate enough to have an apple tree then you know that its bounty usually ripens pretty much all at once. Sure, you might have to pick the fruit in a few successive rounds, but one can hardly eat so many apples before they begin to soften and rot. Now imagine that you are responsible for several apple trees since you far too enthusiastically planted a small grove of them several years ago with your father. And their ripening occurs like an avalanche does - suddenly and a bit overwhelmingly. If you live in an area with an agrarian culture you quickly learn that, no, thank you very much, your neighbors and friends do not need or want the fruit you have to share as they all have their own apple trees. Local food pantries to help the underprivileged in our midst will seldom accept fresh fruit citing storage and handling difficulties. What to do with all of the apples?

Though I would never personally employ such stealth tactics, I’ve noticed in my own rural corner of the world that late summer finds few public waiting rooms barren of recycled shopping bags full of fruit - tucked by the magazine stand at the dentist’s office, or by the receptionist’s desk at the doctor’s office. Really! I once saw an entire box of them sitting by a vending machine at the local laundry. The most effective distribution method was, however, when I saw bags of fruit perched atop half the cars in a grocer’s parking lot. Really? Who would traipse the village like a fairy-apple-godmother? The ingenious nerve of some people!

Despite the difficulty of finding homes for several varieties of surplus apples every year, I find myself missing their fresh sweetness in winter’s depth. I have only to open a jar of home-made apple butter to slather on a biscuit or a slice of toast to enjoy a tasty, economical breakfast. Home canning is quite simple and offers an extremely frugal way to stretch food dollars. Apples that quickly cook down without holding their form are best for making apple butter and any variety (or combination) works as well as the next as long as you avoid firm Granny Smiths. For those wishing to avoid the use of granulated sugar altogether, be sure to choose apples which are naturally quite sweet. I use a 6-quart electric slow cooker (or several of them at once) to execute the following recipe.

Apple Butter

Fill large slow cooker with apples which have been peeled and sliced. Cook on high until apples have cooked down and are soft. Add 4 cups of granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves and continue to cook on a low setting for 8-10 hours. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract during the last half of cooking time. Meanwhile sterilize jars and keep them hot until apple butter is done (I keep jars hot in a 200-degree F oven). Pour apple butter into hot jars and seal with hot canning rings and lids which have been kept in simmering water on your stovetop. Invert jars and place on a clean kitchen cloth until cool. Jars should seal successfully but, if not, process in a boiling water bath for 15-20 minutes. (Don’t forget to inhale deeply several times during the process - your kitchen will smell heavenly!)

In My Da’s Time...

...it was made outside
in a cast iron pot,
wood-fired,
mule tied to a roundabout
to do the stirring.
Apples, molasses, spices...
and that wonderful
smoky aroma wafting
across crisp November air.
The mule stirred
the whole mix until
it turned into a thick, amber paste.
The flavor
a bite of summer
in winter.

Chili and Two Arts

2012-02-19T02:14:00.000-08:00

An acquaintance who is not a poet recently asked, “Are you working on any projects?” I replied that a friend and I had started working on an anthology of poems that would include frugal recipes, good inexpensive meals designed to stretch those food dollars. He was curious, asked a few questions then said, “How do you plan to bridge culinary art with the art of poetry?”

Admittedly, I had not considered his question and I said as much to him. I told him that I did not think a bridge was necessary to span the two arts; I know a number of poets who enjoy cooking and a cook or two that have been known to pen a poem. I had envisioned that the recipes and poems that will be published in The Frugal Poet: Recipes and Poems for Lean Times would complement each other in much the same manner that a haiku complements the prose in a haibun.

And yet, his question set the cogs and gears turning in my brain. Could I bridge or link the two art forms in fewer steps or degrees than it takes to connect every actor (living and deceased) in Hollywood to Kevin Bacon?

Never one to shun a challenge, I sat down with a pen, pad and a healthy dose of determination and penned these four tenets.

The Tenets of a Culinary Poet

1. Immerse yourself in the arts. The gift to create should be appreciated and nurtured at every opportunity.

2. Read and write regularly, for this is directly related to the first tenet.

3. Enjoy the culinary arts for, without sustenance, the first two tenets cannot happen.

4. Make your home warm and inviting; it is the foundation of the first three tenets. Be forever thankful for the harmony of your home.

There. The two art forms are linked and, in this humble poet’s opinion, not too loosely. Methinks I’d enjoy having these tenets framed on a wall here at Poet’s Cottage.

I mentioned in a recent post that I’m a chili fanatic. The recipe below is what I call my base recipe. According to a friend, a recipe is nothing more than a suggestion...and she’s right. Feel free to adopt and alter to your taste.

A Frugal Poet’s Black Bean Chili

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
1 diced large onion
1 diced bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (Or, to your heat preference. I usually add ½ tablespoon, but I like it spicy!)
4 cups beef, chicken or vegetable broth (Add more if needed. There should be enough liquid in the pot to allow everything to cook down to a chili consistency. You’ve got to blend those flavors!)
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans
1.5 to 2 lbs ground turkey or beef
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
seasoned salt to taste (during and near the end of cooking)

Sauté onion, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil until onion becomes translucent. I usually sauté the aforementioned ingredients in the pot I’ll use for the chili.

Brown meat in a separate frying pan; drain off excess grease. Toss the meat over into the pot with the onion, garlic and bell pepper.

Add the broth and crushed tomatoes.

Drain one can of beans and add it to the pot. Pour the other can of beans into the pot (juice and beans).

Drain the can of corn; add the corn to the pot.

Add the chili, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.

Figuring in the frugal factor, use whatever ingredients you have on hand. For example, I’ve used petite tomatoes or tomato sauce when I didn’t have crushed tomatoes. No black beans? Use pinto or kidney beans.

Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, let the pot simmer for an hour or two, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Taste frequently, add seasoned salt as needed but don’t over do it.

Serve in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips or cornbread.

I want to thank Roy over at Rockingham Update. Due to his generosity, The Frugal Poets (Susan and yours truly) have a column under his Life/Travel section. Please take time to peruse the Rockingham Update web site.

And for non-poets who happen upon The Frugal Poet website, you may notice that haiku here are rarely written in a 5-7-5 syllable format. There is a freer, less syllable stringent, one breath style of haiku that’s written by poets today. Here’s an Intro to Haiku I penned a few months ago that explains contemporary haiku.

I'll close with this prose poem:

Southern Legitimacy Statement #4

My Granny Stephens cooked on a woodstove: pinto beans and turnip greens seasoned in fatback, fried potatoes, cornbread, biscuits and gravy served with fresh out of the barn yard fried chicken. Occasionally, I was sent down into the cellar to retrieve jars of canned tomatoes, chow chow, or icicle pickles. We'd have southern-style tea and lemonade, sweet, succulent, better than store-bought soda pop. And if you could discipline yourself and not overeat, you'd save room for peach cobbler or fried apple pie. Granny knew her woodstove inside-out, top to bottom, and was a master at creating a large delicious meal out of very little food…sort of like what Jesus did with a few fish and a loaf of bread. You had the feeling that something holy had been conjured-up when you sat down at Granny's table, which is another reason we said grace before every meal.

Originally published in the July 2010 issue of The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature.

Creamy Rosemary Onions

2012-02-11T18:05:00.000-08:00

Only after my daughters reached a certain culinary maturity could I freely use onions in cooking. In their youth I was forced to employ covert operations to include them - a mince so fine Julia Child would have rhapsodized my skill with a chef’s knife, the inclusion of dehydrated onions which cooked to mush and became unrecognizable in a finished dish - they simply detested them and refused all dishes where onions were detected. Their eventual declaration that onions were, in fact, pretty tasty made me almost as happy as the last time I had to pay university tuition.

Robert Courtine, French writer and gourmand, is credited with saying “The onion is the truffle of the poor.” Indeed! Onions are among the most inexpensive items found in our pantries. There are several types available to suit specific dishes without wild cost variations. They will stay fresh for up to two weeks at room temperature, for up to two months in the refrigerator and for up to a year in a freezer. Roasting onions, as in the recipe below, allows their mellow, nutty flavor to take center stage. Either white, yellow or Vidalia onions are suitable for this dish. I strongly suggest that you have a fresh loaf of crusty bread on hand to best enjoy the reduced sauce. You might even want to double up on the amounts of stock, seasonings and cream for dipping.

6 large onions, unpeeled
2 cups chicken stock
3-4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
leaves from 3-4 branches of fresh rosemary
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 F. Slice roughly ¼ inch off the bottoms and tops of the onions so they’ll sit upright, then slice in half cross-wise. Arrange the onions skin side down in a baking dish. (Leaving the onion skins intact assists in the onions keeping their shape during roasting.)

Pour chicken stock over and around onions in the baking dish. Drizzle olive oil over onions and liberally season with salt and pepper. Scatter rosemary leaves over onions and into stock. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake, basting often with the stock, until onions are soft when pierced with the tip of a paring knife and stock has been reduced by about three-quarters, roughly 1 - 1 ½ hours.

Remove baking dish from oven and pour cream over onions. Return dish to the oven and bake until pan juices have thickened slightly and the tops of the onions have browned, 20-30 minutes more.

tears

she wonders what
her life would have been
had she not
run arms open
to youthful daydreams
turning them into
a reality
she never saw coming

she wonders now
about that girl
who made such rash choices
on her behalf
what she’s doing
now that dinner
needs cooking
babies
need feeding

she thinks about
the time
she let pass
staying busy
but not being
who
she could have been

she reaches
for a knife
watches the skin
peel away
from an onion

Call for Submissions

2012-02-09T11:09:00.000-08:00

The Frugal Poet: Recipes and Poems for Lean Times, a collection of recipes and poems with a theme of frugal living during lean or tough economic times, will be released in Kindle digital e-book format during the latter part of 2012 or early 2013. Please send one tried and true family recipe, a main dish, side dish, appetizer, dessert, drink or snack and an accompanying poem. Emphasis will be given to recipes that have been in your family for generations. Please do not copy and paste a recipe from the Internet unless, of course, you have published your recipe elsewhere online. Consideration will be given to recipes that have been modified with ingredients or seasonings to make them your own. The editors will consider all poetic forms, including free verse, haiku, tanka, prose poem etc. We would like a good mix of diverse voices and styles.

Why Kindle format? The Kindle software is freely available to people who have PCs and Macs. Purchasing a Kindle is unnecessary. E-book format is cheaper to produce, thus lowering the cost for contributors who would like to purchase the book.

Please submit your poem and recipe, including a summary about the recipe (its history, what it means to you) and a brief bio to the appropriate editor:

Susan Nelson Myers (susan@frugalpoet.com) is the editor for main dishes, desserts, snacks

Curtis Dunlap (curtis@frugalpoet.com) is the editor for side dishes, appetizers, drinks

Paste your recipe and poem in the body of an email. No attachments please. We look forward to trying your recipes and reading your poems!

The last date to submit is October 31, 2012.

A Sandwich Fit For A King

2012-02-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

Plato is credited for having said, “Necessity, who is the mother of invention.” Often misquoted as Necessity is the mother of invention, I've discovered that the kitchen is an excellent place to put Plato’s maxim into practice. There have been times when a trip to the grocery store was long overdue, moments when I've had to assess my situation and create something tasty with whatever foods I had on hand. Flour, canned foods, bread, rice, pasta, beans, potatoes are items that remain on my grocery list.

A few years ago, I was foraging in my kitchen, looking for a quick meal, something to curb my appetite until suppertime. I had bread, bananas and peanut butter. A peanut butter and banana sandwich would make a quick and easy snack and silence my growling stomach. While preparing my sandwich it occurred to me that adding another item into the mix would give me all the essential ingredients to make a sandwich that the King, Elvis Aaron Presley, was fond of eating: a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich.

As I was retrieving butter from the fridge, I happened to notice a container of chocolate syrup and that’s when I started getting creative with The King’s signature sandwich. My kids and I fondly call this sandwich an “Elvis” and it is wickedly delicious!

Spread peanut butter on a slice of bread. Slice a banana on top of the peanut butter. Drizzle chocolate syrup on top of the banana. Top with another slice of bread.

Melt butter in a skillet and grill the sandwich. When the sandwich is grilled to a golden brown, plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Slice and serve.

Today's poem is by my good friend, Carlos Colón, aka Haiku Elvis.

molasses moon
a peanut butter
and 'nanner sammich

And here's Haiku Elvis reading a few short poems.

Fourteen Day Icicle Pickles

2012-01-29T16:50:00.000-08:00

Quite a few years ago I passed a few hours sifting through my mama’s recipe box. There were recipes carefully printed on elaborate index cards bearing the name of the cook who had gifted her with their own take on this or that dish. There were crumpled bits of recipes torn from magazines. There were snatched kitchen notepad papers with handwritten notes on how to prepare everything from appetizers to entrees.

It was easy to spot the best ones. I had only to look for the most creased, stained and tattered paper - sure signs of frequent use. I counted myself twice as lucky if mama had penciled in her own suggestions on how to improve a dish. Then I hit the motherlode...my paternal grandmother’s Icicle Pickle recipe. Handwritten. Memory-laden. Whoa.

Icicle pickles regularly masquerade as another region’s “bread and butter pickles” and are even called, by the southern US pickle aficionado, “sweet pickles” now and then. They’re crisp enough to rattle your teeth when you crunch into one eaten straight from the jar and add a special nuance when diced and thrown into a dish needing something sweet and spicy. But pickle-making ain’t for sissies. It’s heavy work if you make enough of them in one go, and it requires daily attention for a full 2 weeks if you want to do it right. It helps to have someone with a strong back on hand for lifting the crock. Having jars of pickles lined up in your pantry is worth every minute spent in their preparation.

At the end of the day, any good recipe is nothing more than a suggestion. Any cook worth his or her salt actively seeks ways to improve or tweak a dish to better suit their palettes. So it was with serious purpose and a healthy dose of trepidation that I decided to try my hand at granny’s pickle recipe. I knew one certain thing - that I wanted to preserve the integrity of the pickles so that my own grandchildren would one day experience their own endorphin response when opening a jar of them! Taking no short cuts and only reducing the amount of sugar used in the original recipe, I was extremely pleased with the results. The recipe doubles (triples and quadruples!) easily so adjust quantities as necessary for the number of cucumbers you have on hand.

Rona’s Icicle Pickles

Cut 2 gallons of fresh cucumbers lengthwise into a crock. You’ll quarter larger pickles and cut in half the slimmer ones.

Dissolve one pint of non-iodized salt in one gallon of boiling water. Pour the brine over cucumbers. Ensure that all cucumbers are fully immersed by weighting them down with an inverted dinner plate. Cover with a kitchen cloth and let stand for one week, stirring them every day. Drain off brine water.

Cover cucumbers with clear boiling water, weight them down and cover again with kitchen cloth. Let stand 24 hours. Drain.

Boil one gallon of water with 2 tablespoons of powdered alum. Pour over cucumbers, cover again and let stand another 24 hours. Drain.

Boil 2 quarts of cider vinegar and 4 pints of granulated sugar until sugar dissolves. Pour over cucumbers. Cover with kitchen cloth. Drain, reserve and reheat vinegar/sugar mixture four consecutive mornings, pouring back over crocked cucumbers.

Next morning, drain and reserve vinegar/sugar mixture. Heat canning lids and rings in a pan of water on your stove top. Put cucumbers into hot, sterilized jars and add 1 tablespoon of pickling spice to each jar. Heat reserved vinegar/sugar mixture to a boiling point and pour over jarred cucumbers. Seal with lids and rings. Invert on a clean kitchen towel to help seal. Once cool all jars should have sealed properly. If not, put unsuccessfully sealed jars into a 10-minute boiling water bath to seal.

Fourteen days I reply
when he asks how long it takes to make my sweet icicle pickles, syrupy juice trickling from the corner of his mouth, glistening, sticky pickle between his fingers, waving away my offer of a damp cloth to lick his hand clean.

The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature (March 2011)

Pickled Perfection!

Ellen Compton - Eggplant Casserole

2012-01-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

Susan Nelson Myers has agreed to help with The Frugal Poet web site. Not only is she a gifted poet, but she's a fabulous cook and an expert at stretching food dollars. Thanks to Susan's willingness to teach me how to can foods and her father's garden, my pantry has jars of icicle pickles, dill pickles, marinara sauce, tomato bisque soup and various jams and jellies. Read more about Susan by clicking the About link on the right side of the page.

The Frugal Poet web site and its readers will benefit from her knowledge and expertise.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Ellen Compton a few times over the years. Ellen is our guest poet today with a recipe and a poem:

Eggplant Casserole

Good served alone or over rice or couscous. I also like to serve the leftovers cold, sometimes on good, crusty bread. For variety, I might stir in freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or add canned (drained) pinto beans. You might try your favorite herbs, a few capers, Greek olives—any or all of these. Or use 3 or 4 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped, instead of the canned ones.

1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium eggplant (unpeeled), cut in small cubes
1 bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, sliced
1 14.5-oz can diced, pealed tomatoes
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Coat all sides of a heavy pot with 1 Tbsp olive oil.

Add remaining ingredients and mix.

Cover tightly and cook over moderate heat until vegetables are tender (1/2 hour or longer), occasionally stirring or shaking the pot to keep from sticking.

tomato summer
the sun
on my tongue

[published in Modern Haiku 40:2, summer 2009]

A quick update

2012-01-21T18:44:00.000-08:00

Great news! Susan Nelson Myers will help with The Frugal Poet web site. Find out more about Susan by clicking "About" on the right side of the page.

QE3JHGA47MHF

Home and Bread Machines

2012-01-14T06:16:00.000-08:00

I enjoy my weekends here at Poet’s Cottage. I’m usually awake by 5 AM, showered and sipping coffee by 5:30. I value this time of easing into the day, when I can read a few poems written by a friend or tweak a few things I’ve penned during the week.

Quiet time. A time of gathering thoughts and introspection. And yet, as I type these words, I’m suddenly aware of

the soft drone
of the refrigerator,
a percolating
coffee pot,
the soothing
swoooooosh
of heat passing
through air ducts,
a home
exhaling,
inhaling,
intermittent
popping
of walls
settling back
into
place

Our homes possess characteristics that make them seem alive. They are a reflection of our inner selves. Maybe I’m a candidate for adding a rubber room, but I’ve walked into my home after a long day at work and said, “Hello, nice clean home!” We become attune to the needs of our homes as poet Susan Nelson Myers accurately captures in this senryu:

empty winter nest -
discovering a new drip
in an old faucet

Prune Juice; Issue 6, Summer 2011

Stop and listen to your home. What do you hear? What does your home tell you? Walk through each room. Do you see a reflection of your personality, your creativity in your home?

We can live in many locations throughout our lives, but how many places can we truly call home? When I arrived at Poet’s Cottage, I texted a friend and said simply, “I’m home.” Today, I feel that I, too, have slipped into the rhythmic hum of the place that shelters me from the elements and keeps me warm.

One of the coolest gifts I received in recent months is a bread machine. The manual/recipe book had been lost but, thanks to the Internet, I found a free manual after a bit of googling. Having a fresh loaf of bread really is as easy as tossing a few ingredients into the machine and setting a timer for two or three hours. I’ve saved a few dollars by baking loaves of wheat, country white, carrot and cinnamon bread. Here are a few pictures of my bread machine and a loaf of homemade fresh bread.

Ingredients tossed into the bread machine

Front view of the bread machine

Timer set for 2 hours and 30 minutes

Fresh cinnamon bread from the bread machine

“Your home smells like fresh bread,” commented a friend, who stopped by for a visit. For those of us gifted with sensitive olfactories, the benefits of a bread machine exceed the taste of fresh baked bread and dollars saved.

Paula Fisher - War Cake & Hard Sauce

2012-01-08T05:04:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest gifts we can give our descendants are those family recipes that have stood the test of time, old favorites that tantalize our taste buds and olfactories. What we prepare in our kitchens today could very well become a fond memory for a family member or loved one long after we are gone.

I have a friend who is in the process of compiling two handwritten recipe books for her daughters. Sure, she could hand write one book and photocopy the other, but is it the same? No. A time will come when those girls will prepare a meal from those recipe books and think, "That's my momma's handwriting."

Paula Fisher offers this family recipe. She writes:

This was made during WWI when there was a shortage of eggs and milk. Our family tradition has been to have it for Christmas, Fourth of July picnics and special gatherings.

Great-Grandma Goodman's War Cake

Combine the following ingredients and cook on low in a large saucepan on the stove-top until raisins are plump.

2 C coffee
1 C sugar
1/4 C margarine
2 C large seedless raisins (Muscat are best, Sun Maid sells in 5lb bulk boxes, use some, share/freeze the rest or use "Baking" or "Golden" raisins)
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon

Remove and set aside to cool.

Sift the following ingredients together then mix with the cooled coffee/raisin mixture. Stir evenly to mix all ingredients and pour into greased and floured oblong (13x9x2) pan. Bake at 350 until done (about 45 minutes).

2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Serve squares of cake with Hard Sauce.

Hard Sauce (Also called Whiskey or Brandy Butter)

1 C butter, softened (not mushy or microwaved)
1 C confectioners sugar
1/4 C dark rum (or Irish Whiskey or Brandy)
1 tsp vanilla extract
A dash of nutmeg

Beat butter until fluffy (2 minutes), sift in sugar, continue beating, add rum, vanilla and nutmeg, beat on high for 5 minutes. Serve at room temp over warm cake. Can be covered and refrigerated for days...it will harden there so bring back to room temp before use.

Paula also sent the following haibun:

We had much needed rain during the night and a change in temperature that announced the coming winter. Walking around the house this morning, I moved many of the potted plants into the sun porch to keep them warm. With the drought that has plagued south Texas leaving so many trees in critical shape, it's hard to tell without being up close, which ones are naturally losing leaves. Around my yard there are several crepe myrtles and a few will not be coming back.

day moon
the sun lights up
a weathered face

As we placed yellow ribbons in the old oaks around the church today, I realized just how badly they've been damaged. Before brunch, we raised the flag for Veteran's Day and gave thanks to the men of our community who have served. In my family, five generations of military service, all came home alive but not all unscathed.

grandma's war cake
a little girl sighs
"no candy?"

paula

Making use of potatoes

2012-01-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

Our first Christmas tree in our new home is beautiful in its simplicity. A few ornaments, candy canes and Christmas cards adorn the branches of a six foot Fraser Fir purchased for a few dollars at a roadside stand. Three hundred lights strung around the tree give it a magical glow visible through the living room window at night. And thanks to the thoughtfulness of a special young lady, a large red bow perched atop the tree has given it character that no glowing star could achieve.

Is it a perfect tree? No. There is an area to the left of the tree where the branches are bent slightly, giving it the illusion of a gap in its side. But the tree has been the perfect addition to Poet’s Cottage during this holiday season. The tree’s scent, vibrant green branches and, yes, its imperfections have endeared it to my daughter and me.

I will be saddened to remove it in a few days.

Stewed Potatoes

I recently purchased two bags of potatoes, a buy one get one free deal at the local grocery store. There are a lot of ways to make use of potatoes. My father’s specialty go to meal was stew beef, cornbread and stewed potatoes (that’s what he called them). He followed no recipe. Basically, he diced a few potatoes then tossed them into a pot coated with a little vegetable oil. He then filled the pot with enough water that left about two to three inches between the surface of the water and the potatoes. Boiling the potatoes slowly on a medium high setting was necessary to deter sticking. Finally, he seasoned his stewed potatoes with a stick of butter, salt and pepper prior to serving.

My father discarded the nutrient laden potato skins and, admittedly, I used to discard the skins too. Figuring in the frugal factor, I now bake the skins whenever a recipe calls for me to peel a potato. Here’s the recipe I use for baked potato skins:

Tater Skins

Baked Potato Skins

1 stick of butter
2 garlic cloves (pressed or minced)
potato skins
black pepper & salt to taste

- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- When the butter is hot and bubbling, add the garlic.
- Saute the garlic until softened and fragrant (about 2 to 3 minutes).
- Place the potato skins in a large bowl.
- Pour the garlic butter over the skins and toss in the bowl until coated evenly.
- Place each potato skin, skin side down, on a shallow baking sheet.
- Sprinkle generously with pepper.
- Sprinkle lightly with salt to taste.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake the skins for 30-45 minutes or until hot, crisp and golden.

Here’s one of my poems, a scene I observed a few years ago; an old couple, very much in love, living frugally.

Diner

They sit in a booth made for two,
thin, frail, toothless. . .
he, in bib overalls and a tattered flannel shirt,
she, in a faded blue dress and yellowed sweater,
dining on grilled cheese sandwiches and hush puppies,
drinking sweet iced tea out of styrofoam cups,
surrounded by a lunch crowd
feasting
on platefuls of Carolina pork barbecue
(the scent of hickory-smoked meat thick in the air).

She takes a paper napkin, reaches across the table,
wipes a spot of ketchup
from the corner of his mouth;
he smiles, winks,
stops the waitress,
orders two spoons
and a single-serving of banana pudding.
Their hands, spotted with age,
join in the center of the table;
their backs
curved by time
into a perfect bow.

Sketchbook - August 31, 2008, Vol. 3, No. 8

Comfort Food - Cornbread

2011-12-29T04:47:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like a bowl of soup or chili on a cold winter day to warm you from the inside out. I'm a chili fanatic. I like veggie chili, chicken chili, chili beans and just plain ordinary chili flavored with ground turkey, beef and/or pork.

I also enjoy a fresh out of the oven slice of cornbread to go with my chili. Requested by my good friend, Howard Lee Kilby, here's a cornbread recipe that's super easy to make.

Bacon Buttermilk Cornbread

Fry five or six pieces of bacon, reserve bacon fat.

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk

Combine dry ingredients; add beaten egg and buttermilk, mixing well. Pour into greased (reserved bacon fat) heated 8-inch or 9-inch iron skillet. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

There should be nearly a quarter inch of bacon grease in the bottom of the heated skillet prior to adding the cornbread batter. You can also stir a few other ingredients into the batter. I added chopped bacon, a chopped jalapeno pepper, eight ounces of cream style corn, and a little shredded cheddar cheese to my batter yesterday.

To serve, flip the cornbread out onto a dinner plate, slice and slather with butter. :)

Here's one of my poems that seems appropriate for this post:

Belle

I sat with Belle today,
on a blanket,
under a pine tree.
She told me about her new recipe
for cracklin’ cornbread.
My eye lids became heavy,
I could smell cornbread baking;
I grew warm inside.
I asked questions
to prolong her stay,
how much jalapeno did you say?
drunk again,
under a Virginia pine
on that sweet Georgia accent.

The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature - October 2010 edition

Colin Stewart Jones - Tequila Shots

2011-12-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

What a pleasant surprise to wake up to the sound of rain on the roof of Poet’s Cottage this morning. Methinks it’ll be a good day to hibernate on the couch to read, write and maybe catch another Harry Potter movie with my daughter. I may even stay in my jam jams today. I have no place to be, no appointments looming on the horizon.

Of course I’ll have to cook something; I love to dabble in my kitchen. Perhaps chicken noodle soup or a loaf of fresh baked bread, rum raisin oatmeal cookies are certainly a possibility. Part of what makes a home special are the inviting smells that greet you at the door. I want people to walk into my home and feel as if they are home.

I posted the following about my grandmother on Facebook recently. Originally published in The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, I think it best surmises why it’s important for me to give my children fond memories of a warm home with tasty foods and delectable odors.

Southern Legitimacy Statement #4

My pal Colin Stewart Jones has a recipe and a poem to share.

Tequila Shots

Ingredients:

1 - 2 bottles of tequila

6 - 8 limes

salt

and add some friends

As with all recipes the quality of the ingredients is paramount:

Gold tequila is best; Cuervo is a very good reasonably priced option and for this recipe two bottles are better.

Limes should be unwaxed; washing the limes is not mandatory as the alcohol should take care of any germs or bugs the limes may harbour.

The salt can be any old salt you have around the house; sea salt is good for flavour but not essential and does increase the preparation time as it must be crushed first . . .

Preparation:

Halve each lime along its length and then cut into slices.

Fill your salt shaker.

Ensure you have enough clean shot glasses for each of your friends.

* If you are drinking alone have at least two glasses to cut down on the preparation time.

Unscrew your bottle of tequila and fill each shot glasses with around 50 ml of tequila.

Method:

Lick the back of your hand and sprinkle some salt on it.
The more salt the better as this will increase your blood pressure.
Lick the salt from the back of your hand

Neck a shot of tequila

Pick up a slice of lime and sink your teeth into it making sure you are squeezing all the juice from the lime in the one fluid movement.

Repeat the process as and when required.

Cooking Time:

Depends on your capacity for alcohol but is usually instantaneous.

The effects can last into the next day.

salt and lime

gimme salt and lime every time
‘cause it keeps the scurvy away,
you see
it’s the only fruit I eat
but oh how I love to drink
Tequila all of the time

if ever a drink was mine
then Mescal does just fine
I love the worm
for protein of course
…it tastes like peanuts
and a little Mexican earth

dos tequila por favor
keep ‘em coming
I want more

Cookies - Peanut Butter Delight and Thank you

2011-12-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

Life has a way of throwing you an unexpected curve. Who among us are in the place, the circumstances imagined decades or even months ago? Having surgery last July and becoming a single parent two months later was certainly not on my to-do list. I must confess that I’ve had moments when I thought to myself, This is not the way it was supposed to be.

But life is about growth. We glean lessons from our experiences and move on. I’ve not dwelled too much on making a better home for my daughter and myself. The most difficult part in making that transition was taking that initial step. I took that step and was surprised to see an outpouring of love and support from good people here in this small southern town, that extended to friends in other states and beyond to my poetry brothers and sisters (and cousins!) from around the world. The greatest gift any of us will receive during this time or any other time throughout the year is a sincere, caring friend. Friends are the buffers who cushion the unexpected bumps on life’s road.

So, a sincere “Thank you” to all who have gifted me with friendship. And a heartfelt “Thank you” to those of you who donated items to my daughter, Alana, and me for our new home.

We hope your holiday season will be a joyous one. Merry Christmas!

The local grocery stores sells these cookies at an outrageous price. It's much cheaper and fun to make these tasty morsels from scratch.

Peanut Butter Delight

2 ½ cups quick oatmeal
8 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa

Put oatmeal and peanut butter into a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a pot. Add sugar, milk, and cocoa and boil for 1 ½ minutes. Remove from heat and quickly add oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Drop spoonfuls onto wax paper or pour into a buttered pan. Let cool and cut into squares (if you poured the mix into a buttered pan).

I apologize for not posting Colin Stewart Jones's recipe in a timely manner. I've had a busy week. Colin's recipe will be posted next.

Christmas Eve –
my children pretend
to snore

The Heron's Nest V:3, 2003

Pizza Dough

2011-12-15T13:21:00.000-08:00

I never buy pizza dough now that I know how to make my own. It's really not that difficult a chore. The satisfaction of creating pizza from scratch, one that your family and friends will enjoy is priceless. Roll up your sleeves and grab the flour. We've got pizza to make.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup wheat flour (or skip this and the above measurement and use 4 cups all purpose flour)

1 cup water

1 package active dry yeast

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil, but canola and vegetable will work)

Pour sugar and yeast (magic fairy dust) into a container large enough to hold 1 cup of water.

Add 1 cup of warm water. Warm water and sugar activates the yeast. Be sure the water is not too hot; 100 degrees is a good temperature for the yeast.

Stir the yeast and sugar in the water and allow it to sit for about 8 minutes. A foam will form (it's alive! alive!).

While the yeast is activating, whisk flour and salt together until it's well blended.

Push the middle of the flour out to the side, creating a small hole in the middle of the flour.

Pour the yeast, sugar, water mixture into the middle of the bowl.

Add the oil and stir the ingredients of the bowl thoroughly (I use two wooden spoons). Continue stirring until the consistency of a dough is formed.

Put the dough onto a floured surface.

Cover your fingers in flour and knead the dough thoroughly for 6 to 8 minutes. This video will show you how to knead dough.

Coat a bowl with olive oil. Add the dough ball, turning it a few times to coat thoroughly with the olive oil.

Cover the bowl of dough with a dish towel and sit it in a warm place. A temperature of about 70 degrees works well.

Wait for an hour (allowing the dough to rise). Remove the dish towel and punch the dough, working it back down to nearly its original size. The picture below is prior to slugging the dough.

Wait an additional 30 to 45 minutes, then divide the dough (we're making two pizzas!). Sprinkle a 12 inch pizza pan with corn meal then push or press the dough out until it covers the entire surface of the pan.

You're ready to add your toppings. Bake your pizza in a 450 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottom of the pizza becomes a golden brown color.

Here are a few pizzas I've made.

Pepperoni

Pineapple, jalapeno, red onion

Chicken pizza with mushrooms

Taco pizza (prior to going into the oven)

Two slices of taco pizza with diced tomatoes, lettuce and sour cream

My pal, Alexis Rotella, penned this splendid tanka about food:

Before he arrives

I run out to buy

his favorite flowers

and every food

he said he loved.

I'll post a recipe and poem by Colin Stewart Jones tomorrow.

Paul David Mena - "homebrew"

2011-12-08T02:52:00.001-08:00

After you have your supplies, brewing your own beer can be much cheaper than store-bought beer. I should know. I brewed a batch of Old Mayodan back in the 80s. (Now where did I put that beer making kit?)

Paul David Mena shares a beer recipe and a poem with us today. He writes:

I brewed this recipe on Father's Day this year, knowing that the beer would be ready in time for my birthday in August. The ingredients and recipe came from Strange Brew Beer & Winemaking Supplies in Marlborough, MA, although I made a number of substitutions when it came to the selection of hops and the yeast. Sadly, I'm down to the final half-gallon growler.

I wrote the poem "homebrew" for a good friend and fellow home brewer (he gave me a homemade mash tun as a wedding gift) and had the privilege of reading it at his wedding a few years later.

Cheers!

Paul

INGREDIENTS:
Malt Base: 4 lb (can) Mountmellick LIGHT Liquid, 2 lb. English EXTRA-LIGHT DME Specialty Grains (crushed): 1 lb. Rye, 8 oz. Light Crystal, 4 oz. Wheat Hops: 1 oz. Nugget (bittering), 1 oz. Chinook (flavor), 1 oz. Citra (aroma) Yeast: Wyeast Liquid #1056 American Ale, Irish Moss, Gypsum, Priming Sugar

EQUIPMENT:
Brewing kettle
Mesh bag (for grains)
Glass carboy (fermentation vessel)
rubber or plastic stopper
air lock
siphoning cane
plastic tubing
long-handled wooden spoon
bottles (I use half-gallon "growlers")
bottle caps
sanitizer (I use B-Brite)
thrermometer
bottling bucket

PREP:

One of the basic chores of brewing beer involves not just cleaning, but sanitizing everything that will come into contact with the beer while it's fermenting. During this period, home brew is highly susceptible to infection by bacteria, which can produce off flavors or even make you sick! I use B-Brite, a powerful cleanser used by commercial breweries and available at any brewing supply store. I sanitize my 5-gallon carboy, which will house the unfermented beer (called "wort") until it's time to be bottled. I also sanitize the rubber stopper, the air lock, and any plastic tubing and funnels I might use. When ready to bottle, take the same precautions with bottles, caps, the bottling bucket, siphoning cane and any tubing.

BREWING:

1) Remove the crushed grains from the package and place in the mesh bag. Tie the bag at the end to allow for maximum circulation. Place the bag in 2 gallons of cold water, slowly heating to 160 degrees. Hold at steady temperature for 10 minutes, and then discard (or compost) the grains.

2) Add the malt extract and stir well to dissolve. Be careful. Don't let it scorch the bottom of the kettle. Once fully dissolved, bring the kettle to a rapid boil.

a) add the bittering hops and continue to boil for another 30 minutes.
b) add the flavor hops and continue to boil for another 20 minutes.
c) add the aroma hops and the Irish Moss and boil for an additional 5-10 minutes (total boil time 55-60 minutes)

3) Fill the fermentation vessel with 3 gallons of cold water. Slowly pour the unfermented beer (wort) into the fermentation vessel. Try to leave any hops or other residue in the bottom of the kettle. Add enough additional water to fill the fermentation vessel, if necessary.

4) Let the wort cool down to room temperature before adding yeast. Add the rubber stopper and airlock, filling the airlock halfway with water. Make sure the seal is tight - your wort will be in the vessel for 2 or 3 weeks. Active fermentation should begin within 24 to 48 hours and should last for about a week. If you have a secondary fermentation vessel, you may wish to transfer the wort to it once fermentation slows. Otherwise, your beer should be ready to bottle in 2 or 3 weeks.

BOTTLING:

5) When ready to bottle, boil 5 ounces of priming sugar in a cup of water for about a minute and add to the bottom of the bottling bucket. Remove the airlock from the fermentation vessel and use the siphoning cane and plastic tubing to siphon the beer into the bottling bucket. From the bottling bucket, fill each bottle to about one inch from the top and cap.

6) Store the beer at room temperature or cooler for two or three weeks to allow for carbonation. I waited over a month to try mine!

7) Drink. Repeat.

homebrew

most of the time

when you combine

a randomly selected set of ingredients

you get a mess!

there's nothing scientific about it.

on the other hand

there are those rare occasions

when the ingredients seemingly find one another

combining instinctively

with purpose and forethought

such that the whole is infinitely greater

than the sum of its parts.

the end result

is as refreshing as it is intoxicating

ideal in times of celebration

as well as quiet reflection.

this - and nothing else - is the true Holy Grail.

here, therefore, is a toast:

may your yields be high

may your carmelization be minimal

and may your tap never run dry.

Kirsty Karkow - Veggie/Vegan Bean Bourguignon

2011-12-06T03:07:00.001-08:00

Our recipe and poem for today comes from Kirsty Karkow. Veggie/Vegan Bean Bourguignon sounds like a deliciously quick and easy dish to make, a perfect meal for a single parent to cook on a weeknight.

Kirsty Karkow - Veggie/Vegan Bean Bourguignon

1 16 ounce can red or kidney beans, drained
8 ounces baby onions, thawed, if frozen
8 ounces carrots, cut into large chunks
1 1/4 cups red wine
2/3 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Heat 1/2 cup broth in a large saucepan.

Add the carrots, then cook for 3 minutes Stir in the beans with the wine, rest of broth, onions, tomato paste and herbs.

Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 15 mins, adding the mushrooms after 5 minutes.

Blend the cornstarch with the water, then stir into the mixture. Boil for 1 min, then season with salt, pepper to taste.

Serves 4. Very good with mashed potatoes, noodles or rice. This is delicious reheated later.

green tea
red plums and oranges
on blue china
even at breakfast time
this man colours my life

--Kirsty Karkow

--from Countless Leaves, edited by Gerald St. Maur, 2001

Dessert - Hershey Bar Pie

2011-12-04T05:57:00.001-08:00

My daughter and I are preparing for Christmas. We attended a concert last Friday where she sang with her school’s Christmas Chorus. I had planned to post a video of the concert for you to enjoy; however, after three years of faithful service, my Flip Camcorder decided to malfunction just as the singing was about to begin. Thankfully, I thought to take my digital camera and was able to take several pictures of Alana in her beautiful evening dress. The school had a bake sale to raise money for the dresses. Alana and I made Peanut Butter Delight Cookies, a recipe I’ll share with you soon.

Here is a clip of last year’s concert. Alana is on the left in the first row. My amazing daughter has grown considerably in the last year and is nearly as tall as her music teacher.

Yesterday was unseasonably warm for this time of year. Rather than spend my entire day in the kitchen (as I often do on weekends), I decided to get out and enjoy the weather. I visited two flea markets and three Goodwill stores in search of bargains, little treasures that are often overlooked. At my first stop, I purchased a 10 inch cast iron skillet. I paid $5.99 for the skillet, which is about a third of the cost for a new one. It needs cleaning and reseasoning, but should be ready for blackened catfish soon.

I also purchased a glass bowl for a mere $2. I enjoy having fresh fruit in my home. The bowl and fruit look nice on my kitchen table.

On my way home, I stopped at a produce stand. The proprietor had several fraser fir Christmas trees for sale. I paid $20 for a beautiful tall tree, which is $10 cheaper than the average price at other places in the area. Driving home with that tree on the back of my truck, Rockin Around the Christmas Tree playing on the radio, filled me with a sense of the season that I’ve not felt in a long time. Yes, I’ve been smitten by the Christmas Spirit. We’ve got a tree to decorate!

It occurs to me that I’ve not posted a dessert recipe. Here’s an easy one that I learned from Shannon Lindell. Warning, this pie could possibly turn you into a chocoholic.

Hershey Bar Pie

23 large Marshmallows
1/2 cup milk
6 Hershey Bars
2 (8 oz) tubs whipped topping
1 graham cracker or chocolate cookie crust

Break 5 1/2 Hershey bars into little squares.

Combine marshmallows, milk and candy bar pieces in a medium saucepan over low to medium-low heat. Slowly melt together, stirring often.

Remove from heat after ingredients are completely melted; let cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

After the mixture is cool to the touch, fold in one tub of whipped topping. Pour into a pie crust and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

Top with remaining tub of whipped topping and grate remaining half of Hershey bar on top.

~ ~ ~

White Christmases are rare in this section of The Old North State. I’ve seen two in my life, the most recent was last year. The odds of a Christmas with snow are slim here, but we can hope...we can always hope...

school closings —
the snowmen arrive
flake by flake

The Heron's Nest Volume XII, Number 2: June, 2010

Aurora Antonovic - Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Green Chili Sauce

2011-12-01T05:44:00.001-08:00

Our guest poet recipe and poem for today comes from Aurora Antonovic. Aurora's recipe is timely for me. A local grocery store, Food Lion, has a buy one, get one free special this week for frozen chicken tenders and chicken breast. I'm having Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Green Chili Sauce on Saturday!

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Green Chili Sauce

10 soft taco shells (either corn or flour)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I cooked a whole chicken in the crockpot all day)
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (I used Tex Mex cheese)
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth (I used the broth from the crockpot chicken)
1 cup sour cream
1 4-oz can diced green chilies

1.) Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13" pan.
2.) Mix chicken with 1 cup of cheese. Divide evenly among the 10 tortillas. Roll up.
3.) In sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in flour. Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking until smooth and bubbly.
4.) Remove from heat. Gently stir in sour cream and diced green chilies. Do not place back on heat.
5.) Immediately pour over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese.
6.) Bake for 22 minutes, then broil the remaining 3 minutes, to brown the cheese.

Living On Love

You say you love my cooking,
But you don’t let me do it often enough for you;
Tonight I have won,
And you keep coming into the kitchen,
To lift lids off pots,
Inhale the aroma of the simmering roast,
And say, in almost a bewildered tone,
“Who knew you could cook like this?”
Playfully, I smack you with a pot holder,
And tell you to be patient while I mix and stir,
Dice and mash,
Baste and brown.
Finally, we take our places,
And I fill your plate with
Thinly sliced beef, glazed carrots,
Mashed potatoes, swimming in lots of rich, brown gravy,
And crisp, steamed green beans with sesame seeds.
You start to ask me “How”, stop and say “Why,”
And next thing I know, you have a real tear in one of your eyes.
Alarmed, I get up and come to your side of the table,
And ask you what is wrong.
You say, “The thought of your small hands
Making all of this for me….”
Relieved, I sit on your lap,
Kiss away your one escaped tear,
And proceed to feed you your dinner,
Then hurry off to rescue
The bubbling apple pie,
That is singing for me to come get it
Out of the oven;
I serve it with a dollop
Of real whipped cream,
And all my love.

Aurora Antonovic
(first published in AGT)

Appetizer - Sausage Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers

2011-11-29T02:44:00.001-08:00

The response to me starting The Frugal Poet was overwhelming. My sincere thanks to everyone for your kind words, for the poems and recipes you've sent. I will start a guest poet section soon, a place for you to share your frugal tips, tasty goodies and poems.

With one holiday behind us and another on the horizon there will be ample opportunity to attend pot lucks and parties. I pride myself on finding finger foods that folks enjoy. There's no greater feeling in the kitchen than preparing food that's been deemed a hit, something that's requested time and again. Sausage Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers is one such appealing food and does not have to be overpowering in the heat department if prepared properly.

Figuring in the frugal factor here, I'm fortunate to have a neighbor and a couple of coworkers who grow peppers in their gardens and generously share for free. I've also grown peppers, but now that I've moved to a new location, container gardening will likely be the means by which I grow my veggies in the spring.

Okay, grab some latex gloves to protect your hands from the oils of the pepper. Chemical burns from a pepper are no fun, especially if you inadvertently touch your eyes.

Sausage Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground pork sausage
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the stuff you sprinkle on pizza)
1 pound large fresh jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded (20 peppers will make 40!)

One quick tip: Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and the inner fleshy membrane of the pepper. The more of the inner membrane you remove, the less heat. I tend to leave a fair amount of the insides (just removing the seeds). I like them hot!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Place sausage in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease.

3. In a bowl, mix the sausage, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Spoon sausage mixture into each jalapeño half. Arrange stuffed halves in baking dishes.

4. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

I'll close with a tanka I penned recently.

fresh compost
for the pepper plant
i call “peppy”
nourishment for a life
that nourishes me

Peace and prosperity to you all,

Curtis

Homemade Southern Biscuits

2011-11-27T07:30:00.001-08:00

As a single parent, I’m constantly looking for ways to save money, especially in the kitchen. Eating out is something that my daughter and I do occasionally now. A significant amount of money can be wasted via drive thrus and, frankly, fast foods can quickly become monotonous and boring.

One comfort food that my daughter and I thoroughly enjoy are biscuits and gravy. Thanks to the generosity and recipe of my good friend, Susan, I’ve mastered homemade buttermilk biscuits. I make these delectable goodies at least once a week, sometimes twice. I buy flour at Dollar General for (as of this writing) $1.95 a bag. That’s cheap!

Roll up your sleeves and have fun in the kitchen. Here’s Susan’s recipe:

Susan’s Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 rounded ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter = 8 tablespoons or ½ cup
1 ½ cup buttermilk

* Mix dry ingredients

* Cut in butter til the mixture resembles coarse meal (I use a pastry blender to blend the butter into the flour.)

* Stir in buttermilk; mix thoroughly

* Empty onto a floured surface and roll out to desired thickness (I sometimes have to sprinkle a little flour on top to keep from sticking)

* I use a glass or a mason jar lid to cut the biscuit dough into the shape of a biscuit

* Put on ungreased cooking sheet

* Bake at 425 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes

* A few minutes prior to pulling the biscuits out of the oven, brush the biscuits with butter and put them back in the oven until they are done. (I added this little step.)

I will endeavor to close each blog post with a poem about food. Here is one of my poems, a tanka, published in Magnapoets:

bread, wine, cheese, the gentle patter of rain on a new tin roof... come, read love sonnets to me and I'll read you Neruda

Magnapoets – Issue 7, January 2011

Peace and prosperity to you all.