The Joy of the Joy of Cooking

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (p. 769)

2020-02-21T23:10:00.000-05:00

I'm already failing at keeping the blog up again. I'm two months behind but that's fine, I've decided I'm not going to stress over it and I'm not going to backdate posts. I still have a lot of blog work to do--I have to finish the indexes, change all the side copy, and fix the keywords (to start).

Cookie baking! This is our new tradition, started in 2018. On Christmas Eve Eve (the 23rd) we bake cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. The goal is so we have those cookies when people stop by, which they do. I love holiday visits. Do you bake cookies for the holidays? What do you make?

I didn't get a final picture of these cookies because...well, because were attempting to make ten types of cookies and it got hard to photograph. I'm not back in the swing of things yet. We use a planning board whenever we cook big meals to stay on task. Guests have gotten good at walking into the house and going over to the board to see what's on the menu.

The planning board--you will see this a lot

Double-chocolate peppermint cookies (p.769) use the same base as Soft and chewy sugar cookies (p. 768).

Flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt were sifted into a bowl. Remember, measure and then sift.

In another bowl sugar and butter were mixed until light and fluffy.

Spin spin spin

This takes longer than you think it's going to take. Don't rush it. I added peppermint extract and then an egg. I know peppermint extract might not be something that everyone has in their pantry but you really need it if you want to bake a lot. I love the smell of mint so it was nice and invigorating. Side note: If you get the opportunity to go to the Celestial Seasoning tea plant, I highly recommend it. The room where they store the mints is awesome--clears your sinuses it's so strong. The most interesting thing I learned there is they clean with air because if you cleaned with water you make tea.

The flour mixture was added in. Of course at this point I divvied up the dough into balls, completely forgetting the chocolate chips. I had to add all the balls back into the bowl, add the chocolate chips, and do it all over again.

The dough was rolled into balls, then broken in half and rolled into balls again.

We sprinkled turbinado sugar on top. (What? You don't have a selection of sugars to use at home?? Plain brown or white sugar would have been fine). They were cooked for about ten minutes.

Remember, I forgot to take a final picture but they essentially looked like this, just cooked. The cookies were extremely chocolaty and very, very minty. The phrase "an Andes mint on steroids" was mentioned. If you like chocolate/mint combos, make these. You will love them and they aren't very difficult.

Random facts:

Peppermint is a hybrid of watermint (wtf is watermint?) and spearmint.
Peppermint is considered an invasive species in much of the world. It's extremely fast growing.

Nora's Chocolate Chip Cookies (p. 770), Applesauce Cake (p. 732), and Quick Butterscotch (Penuche) Icing (p. 799)

2020-02-01T23:31:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love chocolate chip cookies? I have to admit, I don't turn to The Joy of Cooking for cookie recipes at all. Do you? I tend to go to dedicated cookie cookbooks and I have historically not loved the TJOC chocolate chip cookie recipes but I was hopeful for this one because it's new to the 2019 Edition. Readers, I didn't love it. It was certainly easy enough (but not nearly as easy--or as good--as the recipe on the Crisco container).

I love my house and I love my kitchen but I do not love the lighting. It's absolutely terrible and it will be improved at some point. Fortunately, terrible pictures have always been a hallmark of TJOTJOC.

Dry ingredients were mixed:

Ugh, these shadows

Butter was creamed with white and brown sugar (if you don't know what that means, google is your friend). Vanilla, an egg, and an egg yolk were added:

OMG I did not make this in complete darkness

The flour mixture was added in and then the chocolate chips. We had two different types of chocolate chips left over from Christmas Eve Eve (otherwise known as "cookie baking day") so I just used those. I got out the cookie scoop. We have a lot of cookie scoops and they are all terrible except the one my bestie Rachel gave me. I picked out "Amazon Choice" scoops. I read a story online right after that about a terrible lady who takes money from companies that make garbage that they pay people to "review" on Amazon and that regularly become "Amazon Choice" and that really irritates me because I formerly trusted the rating. It explains why I have had so many terrible purchases recently. Scoops that don't scoop fall into that. Rant over. I had to scoop them twice because I used the wrong size.

I never know how much they are going to spread so I always put them too far apart.

After:

Toooooo crispy. I don't like my chocolate chip cookies that crispy which is why I tend to use Crisco. I love Crisco. I could work for Crisco. The recipe lies. It calls these chewy, thick cookies--they were not.These will not be made in the future.

The Joy of Cooking Applesauce Cake came next. The other day I looked in the refrigerator to find a freaking enormous jar of applesauce. To the best of my knowledge nobody in this house is a big applesauce fan so it was odd. Jeff said that it was really cheap so obviously he bought it. Obviously (eye roll). So I looked in TJOC for a recipe that would use some applesauce and found Applesauce cake (p. 732).

Gwen helped me mix sifted flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt, allspice, and nutmeg. Two points here:

1. EDUCATION! If it's "sifted flour" you measure after sifting. If it's "flour, sifted" you measure and then sift. I'm not sure everyone knows that and it's super important.

2. I have Gwen taste all the ingredients as we are cooking including all the spices. I'll be damned if she's one of those people on a cooking show who fail the tasting challenge--they should all be ashamed of themselves. Let your kids taste things when they cook with you!

Butter is beaten and sugar is added. I used brown sugar but you can use white or a combination. An egg is cracked in and then the flour mixture and the applesauce are alternately added. I was optimistic about this recipe. It smelled good and wasn't too sweet. You can add nuts or dried fruit. I'm always going to opt in to nuts and dried fruit so I added walnuts and dried cranberries.

The whole thing as cooked for about a half hour. I decided to use the square pan rather than the loaf pan option.

After cooking:

It popped out extremely easily, which makes sense, as I used about a stick of butter on the pan.

I'm always going to opt in to icing. I lllloooovvvveeee penuche so I was happy to see Quick Butterscotch (Penuche) Icing (p. 799). It was easy because all icing is easy. Butter, brown sugar, evaporated milk, and salt were mixed over heat until they were combined and let cool in a bowl:

Powdered sugar and vanilla were added:

Tell me you don't want to reach into this picture for a taste...

I liked both these recipes! The applesauce cake was not very sweet and reminded me of the zucchini cake we made every summer to get rid of the huge excess of zucchini. The icing was absolutely amazing--smooth, brown sugary, fantastic. Next time I will make the cake in a loaf but I will make it again. Possibly with the same giant jar of applesauce. Fast and good.

But I had extra icing so what to do with it...

Sandwich it between cookies!!! It was amazing. Penuche icing belongs between cookies.

Even though I didn't like these cookies I do think they would make fantastic ice cream sandwiches. For Gwen's second birthday we made homemade ice cream sandwiches and they were really popular. You have to be careful with the cookie that you pick because they can get way too hard and I think these would have been sturdy enough while soaking up some of the moisture from the ice cream to soften.

What kind of chocolate chip cookies do you like? Does the rest of your household agree or is it an argument every time? Tell me below!

Note: All three recipes are vegetarian, the icing is GF.

Holy moly, it's almost 2020

2019-12-20T12:45:00.000-05:00

I started the project of cooking through The Joy of Cooking over a decade ago. I was a graduate student who wanted to learn to cook. I'm a methodical thinker and the idea of cooking all the way through a cookbook to learn really appealed to me. It was a category of blog in the...what do you call the first decade of the 21st century? Well, during that time. I really should have taken a look at the size of the book before committing. That being said, I really think I could have finished it before the new edition came out had I not taken almost a decade off. During that decade I moved to DC, lived near fantastic fish and shellfish, continued cooking out of TJOC, and didn't blog about it at all. I'm not going to bother writing up any of those recipes---if they are in the new edition I will talk about them when I make them again, if they aren't then no big loss (although I did make an aspic--I'm not sure that recipe made it into the 2019 edition!). So, when I lived at high altitude in Colorado, I didn't finish the high-altitude recipes, and when I lived on the coast I didn't finish the shellfish and fish recipes and I'll be kicking myself about both of those things as I try to knock them out.

There have been some big life changes. Since the last major time blogging, I have been divorced and remarried. I have 2 small children. And I've moved back to Des Moines, IA where we could buy a house with a yard and have a big kitchen for cooking and an open concept for entertaining. We entertain quite a bit which will help with finishing!

As you should know by now, the new edition of TJOC came out in November 2019. This both filled me with regret (why the heck didn't I finish this years ago?) and renewed excitement (why don't I finish it now!).

What will stay the same: I'm still going to post pictures. TJOC still doesn't have pictures. I'm still not going to post the recipes so quit asking. Go buy the book or download it on your phone. I'm clearly a fan and I'm not going to help you steal from them. I will still post my honest experience cooking the recipe. If the fish catches on fire, I'll take a picture of the disaster.

What will be different: I'm married to a chef now so my cooking has gotten far more professional looking. My knife cuts are better. I still can't plate worth a damn. My photography skills have also improved, which will probably disappoint some of you! But don't worry, this is still a no-food styling blog.

I'm reindexing. The original indexes will stay exactly where they are and the new indexes will start as November 1, 2019. I'm going through all the old posts and adding a "Round 1" tag to them as well. Everything new will have a "2019 edition" tag added. Some of you have been around since the beginning and that's crazy and awesome. Some of you are new and that's exciting, too! So let's keep going along this journey, together.

Vegetables Index: 2019 Edition

2019-11-01T17:11:00.000-04:00

The Index is a vital part of this project. Since I started this project with the 2006 edition, some of the blogs linked are from that edition and I'm not guaranteeing that there have been no changes at all. You can ask, though, and I probably know the answer. Starred items are new in the 2019 edition (or at least they weren't in the 2006 version) and ^ are recipes that have a visible change--some have a more descriptive name, some are combined, fairly minor changes.

Look for the "Index 2019" keyword to get to the newer version, "Round 1" to get the original version of the index.

**DISCLAIMER** IF THESE ARE RECIPES THAT WERE IN BOTH THE 2006 EDITION AND THE 2019 EDITION AND I MADE THEM IN ROUND 1, IT'S POSSIBLE THERE ARE MINOR DIFFERENCES.

If you found this page on Google because you were searching for a specific recipe that isn't linked, make sure to search for it. I'm usually several months behind updating the indexes.

My thoughts on the update at the bottom.

Vegetables dishes:
Number of recipes: 246
Number of recipes in the 2019 edition previously made: 54 or 22%

*Basic vegetable stir-fry
*Vegetable breakfast hash
Glazed root vegetables
Root vegetable puree
Root vegetable braise
*Battered and deep fried vegetables I: Pakora
**Battered and deep fried vegetables II: Tempura
*Battered and deep fried vegetables III: Beer-battered
Vegetables ala Grecque
Ratatouille provencale
*Vegetable Tian
^Vegetable tagine (formerly "Moroccan-style vegetable stew")
*Steamed artichokes I: whole
*Steamed artichokes II: halved or quartered
*Garlic braised artichokes I: halved
*Garlic braised artichokes II: trimmed, store-bought artichoke
*Stuffed artichokes alla Romana
*Fried artichokes I: Artichoke hearts and baby artichokes
*Fried artichokes II: Roman Jewish-style fried artichokes
Braised baby artichokes and peas
^Asparagus I (three recipes are now combined into one)
Roasted asparagus
Stir-fried asparagus
Asparagus with orange and hazelnuts
^Steamed or boiled green beans (formerly "green beans")
*Roasted green beans
^Green bean casserole II (used to be in two recipes, now combined)
^Braised green beans I: with pork and potatoes (was Green beans, potatoes, and smoked meat)
^Braised green beans II: with onions, tomatoes, and dill (was Green beans with onions, tomatoes, and dill)
*Sichuan-style dry-fried beans
*Braised lima beans
*Wanda's stewed cranberry beans
*Baghali Ghatogh (Iranian fava bean stew with eggs)
^Roman style fava beans (reworded in new edition)
*Frijoles de la olla
Tuscan beans
*Ful medames (simmered fava beans)
*Falafel: fried (these were in the sandwich chapter in the 2006 edition, I think)
*Falafel: baked
*Feijoada (Brazilian black bean stew)
Refried beans (frijoles refritos)
*Jamaican stew peas
*Baked beans: dried beans
*Baked beans II: canned beans
*Cassoulet
Red beans and rice
Black-eyed peas and greens
*Chana masala (tomato-chickpea curry)
^Simmered lentils (combined three recipes into one)
^Dal (Indian lentil stew) I
Dal (Indian lentil stew) II: Dal tadka (with fried spices)
Braised lentils with sausage
^Steamed or boiled beets (now it's steamed or simmered beets)
Baked or roasted beets
Megan's beets with goat cheese
Beets with their greens
Steamed broccoli
*Roasted broccoli
*Broccoli cakes
Broccoli cheese casserole
Garlic-braised broccoli rabe
*Roasted Brussels sprouts
^Braised Brussels sprouts with chestnuts (slight name change)
Becker brussels sprouts
*Brussels sprouts gratin
*Kinpira Gobo (Japanese braised burdock and carrots)
*Sauteed cabbage I with bacon and herbs
*Sauteed cabbage II with chiles and fried spices
^Cabbage with potatoes and ham (renamed from Cabbage, potatoes, and ham)
Stir-fried bok choy with mushrooms
*Roasted cabbage wedges with yogurt sauce
*Cabbage gratin
Braised red cabbage
*Braised sauerkraut
*Sauerkraut fritters
*Okonomiyaki (Japanese cabbage pancakes)
Stuffed cabbage rolls I: Hearty meat-rice filling
*Stuffed cabbage rolls II: Vegetarian filling
Roasted cactus pad salad
*Simmered cardoons
Glazed carrots
Roasted carrots
*Charred carrots
*Roasted cauliflower wedges
*Roasted cauliflower with green olives and lemon
*Tandoori cauliflower
*Cauliflower with brown butter bread crumbs
^Creamy mashed cauliflower (previously Mashed cauliflower)
Scalloped cauliflower
*Aloo Gobi (curried cauliflower and potatoes)
*Gobi Manchurian (Indian-Chinese fried cauliflower))
*Stir-fried celery
Baked celery root
^Boiled chestnut (combined from two recipes to one)
*Chestnut compote
Belgian endive au gratin
*Grilled treviso with sauce gribiche
*Utica greens (spicy baked escarole)
Braised radicchio

Corn on the cob

Grilled or roasted corn

Elotes (Mexican grilled corn)

Sauteed corn
Creamed corn
Corn pudding
Cheese-chili corn squares
Succotash
Fresh corn fritters

Roasted whole eggplant

*Roasted eggplant II: Halves or slices

*Miso-glazed eggplant
Fried eggplant
Eggplant parmigiana
*Rolled stuffed eggplant
Moussaka

*Braised fennel

*Grilled fennel and tomatoes with olives and basil

Roasted garlic I: whole oven-roasted heads

*Roasted garlic II: quick pan-roasted garlic cloves

*Garlic confit

*Garlic chips

Southern-style greens
*Wilted tender greens
*Creamed Spinach
*Spinach with pine nuts and raisins
^Braised greens with garlic (formerly sauteed greens with garlic
*Gumbo z'herbes
*Spinach pakoras
*Sauteed shredded collard greens
*Palak paneer (curried spinach with fresh cheese)
Braised leeks
^Melted leeks (formerly Creamy leeks)
Leeks vinaigrette
*Leek gratin
*Grilled leeks with Romesco sauce
*Glamorgan sausages (Vegetarian leek and cheese "sausages")
Sauteed mushrooms
Creamed mushrooms
*Champignones al ajillo (garlicky Spanish-style mushrooms)
Mushroom ragout

*Roasted mushrooms

*Mushroom bacon

Grilled mushrooms

Duxelles
*Mushroom confit
*Okra and tomato stew
Fried okra
*Bhindi kurkuri (crispy Indian-style fried okra)
Sauteed onions
Caramelized onions I: Traditional
*Caramelized onions II: Quick
Creamed pearl onions
*Onion rings I: Battered
*Onion rings II: Breaded
*Crispy fried shallots
Grilled sweet onions
Oven- or fire-baked whole onions I
Oven- or fire-baked whole onions II
*Roasted shallots
^Baked onions stuffed with spinach and sausage (slightly different name)
*Korean green onion pancake
*Parsnip-cheese gratin
^Braised garden peas (formerly Green peas)
Stir-fried snow peas
Peas with prosciutto and onions
*Pea and ricotta toasts
Roasted peppers I: Broiled or grilled
*Roasted peppers II: Pan-roasted
*Roasted peppers III: Torched
Stuffed bell peppers
*Rajas con crema (creamy roasted poblano strips)
*Charred shishito or padron peppers
^Chiles rellenos (formerly Baked chiles rellenos with cheese)
*Roasted plantains
Fried plantains I: Tostones
^Fried plantains II: Pan-fried (formerly "Golden sauteed plantain slices"
Boiled potatoes (pommes anglaise)
Mashed potatoes
^Colcannon (Mashed potatoes with cabbage and scallions)
*Mashed potato casserole for a crowd
*Pan-fried mashed potato cakes
*Potatoes au gratin (scalloped potatoes)
Baked potatoes
Twice-baked potatoes
Duchess potatoes
*Roasted potatoes
*Hasselback potatoes
*Creamy smashed potatoes
Pommes Anna
*Potato kugel
Panfried or lyonnaise potatoes

Hash brown potatoes

^Latkes (Potato pancakes)
*Potatoes rosti
Souffleed or puffed potatoes
French fries I: Double-fried
French fries II: Cold start
French fries III: Shoestring
*Jojos (fried potato wedges)
Oven "French-fried" potatoes
^Radishes with green onion (formerly "Red radishes with scallions")
*Peas and radishes with miso butter
Salsify with herbs
Sauteed summer squash
Summer squash casserole
*Baked stuffed zucchini
*Louisiana-style chayote
*Zucchini fans
Baked or roasted winter squash I: Whole
Baked or roasted winter squash II: Large pieces (formerly "Baked winter squash II")
Baked or roasted winter squash III: Slices and small chunks
Mashed winter squash
Baked butternut squash stuffed with sausage and apples
*Pumpkin curry
Squash blossoms stuffed with cheese and herbs
*Sunchokes in garlic butter
*Crispy roasted sunchokes
Mashed sweet potatoes
*Sweet potato pudding
Twice-baked sweet potatoes I
Candied sweet potatoes
^Sweet potatoes fries (formerly Deep-fried sweet potatoes)
Sweet potato and peanut stew
Poi
Stewed tomatoes or tomatoes Creole
Fried green tomatoes
Tomatoes provencale
Broiled tomatoes
Slow-roasted tomatoes
Scalloped tomatoes
Hot stuffed tomatoes
*Braised turnips with leeks and bacon
Yuca with citrus and garlic
*Mapo dofu (Sichuan-style tofu)
*Tofu scramble
*Agedashi tofu
*Crispy panfried tofo
*Baked marinated tofu
*Sambal goreng tempeh
*Seasoned tempeh crumbles
*Caramelized tamarind tempeh
^Meatless dinner loaf (formerly "Tex-mex style dinner loaf")
*Seitan
*Kung pao seitan
*Pecan and cheddar "sausage" patties

Uncored artichokes
Artichoke hearts I
Artichoke hearts II
Stuffed artichokes
Green beans with an addition
Green bean casserole I
Stir-fried yard-long beans
Lima beans I
Lima beans II
Lima beans and mushrooms
Stir-fried bean sprouts
Boiled beans
Vegetarian chili
Caribbean red bean stew with pork
Baked beans
Baked beans with bacon
Mashed fava beans
Brazilian black beans
Curried chickpeas with vegetables
Oven-roasted chickpeas --moved to Appetizers
Sweet-and-sour (Harvard) beets
Beets in sour cream
Breadfruit I
Breadfruit II
Breadfruit III
Deep-fried broccoli
Broccoli stir-fry
Sauteed cabbage
Burdock
Cabbage
Creamed cabbage
Stir-fried napa cabbage and carrots
Sauerkraut
Cardoons
Carrots
Carrot puree
Carrots vichy
Braised carrots
Steamed cauliflower
Cauliflower and potato curry
Celery
Steamed celery root
Mashed celery root
Boiled chayote
Louisiana-style chayote
Souffleed corn pudding
Dee's corn and tomato salad--moved to Salads chapter
Cooked cucumbers
Baked eggplant slices
Eggplant relish (caponata)--moved to Appetizer chapter
Roasted fennel
Boiled spinach
Creamed spinach I
Creamed spinach II
Wilted spinach
Panned or Sicilian spinach
Saag paneer
Kale and potato gratin
Beet greens
Sauteed milkweed pods
Kohlrabi I
Kohlrabi II
Braised lettuce
Stir-fried lotus root
Becker portobello pizzas
Deep-fried mushrooms
Broiled stuffed mushroom caps
Becker duxelles
Stewed okra
Steamed onions
Scalloped onions with cheese
French-fried onion rings
Deep-fried parsley
Oven-braised parsnips
French parsnips
Glazed parsnips
Parsnip puree
Puree of peas
Peas and carrots
Peas and mushrooms
Green peppers and onions
Bell peppers stuffed with rice
Plantains I
Plantains II
Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
Boiled new potatoes
Riced potatoes (potato snow)
Leftover potato cakes
Chantilly potatoes
Creamed potatoes
Scalloped potatoes I
Scalloped potatoes II
Au gratin potatoes
Browned or franconia potatoes
Pan-broiled grated potatoes
Never-fail french fries
Shoestring potatoes
Potato croquettes
Leftover German-fried potatoes
Leftover potatoes o'brien
Leftover au gratin potatoes
Boiled rutabaga
Rutabaga puree
Steamed summer squash
Stuffed baked summer squash
Deep-fried zucchini
Mashed winter squash I
Mashed winter squash II
Baked acorn squash with pear and apple
Boiled sweet potatoes
Baked sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes and apples
Taro cakes
Tomatoes creole
Cooked turnips
Braised turnips
Turnip puree
Stir-fried water chestnuts
Tofu or soybean curd
Tofu burgers
Tofu salad
Moo shu tempeh
Szechuan-style "hacked" tempeh
Seitan
Root vegetable and seitan stew

Thoughts on changes: Mostly, makes sense. A lot of them were worked into the introduction. Only a few of the cut recipes were really good although the milkweed recipe blog is one of my favorites.

Shellfish Index: 2019 Edition

2019-11-01T15:43:00.000-04:00

^Shellfish with mushrooms and greens (used to include "stew")

*Deep-fried shellfish I: Floured or breaded

*Deep-fried shellfish II: Battered

*Pan-fried shellfish

Broiled oysters
Grilled oysters

Baked oysters on the half-shell

*Oyster mosca

Scalloped oysters
Creamed oysters
Steamed mussels I: Moules mariniere (mussels steamed in wine)

Steamed mussels II: Thai style
Steamed mussels III: Italian style
Steamed mussels IV: Mussels with cider and cream
Buttered baked mussels
Steamed clams
Baked soft-shell clams
*Baked stuffed clams (stuffies)
Clambake I
Clambake II
Stir-fried clams or mussels with oyster sauce
Thai clam pot
Scallop ceviche
Scallops meuniere
Sea scallop gratin (coquilles St. Jacques au gratin)
*Seared sea scallops
Sauteed abalone
Deep-fried soft-shell crabs
^Grilled or broiled soft-shell crabs (previously also included "roasted")
^Steamed or boiled blue crabs (added "or boiled")
^Poached (or boiled) crabs (removed "hard-shell")
Crab cakes
*Singaporean chilli crab
Steamed lobster
Boiled lobsters (removed "poached")
Grilled or broiled lobster
Lobster Americaine (or armoricaine)
Baked stuffed lobster
Lobster thermidor
Lobster newburg
*Quick skillet shrimp
*Blackened shrimp
*Salt and pepper shrimp or squid
*Poached or "boiled" shrimp
Becker barbecued shrimp
*Shrimp and grits
*Camarones a la diabla (spicy simmered shrimp")
*Shrimp Creole
*Camarones all mojo de ajo (shrimp in a garlic citrus sauce)
*Coconut shrimp
Shrimp scampi
^Grilled or broiled shrimp or scallops I: Basic (redefined as "basic")
*Grilled or broiled shrimp or scallops II: Glazed
*Shrimp fajitas
Baked stuffed jumbo shrimp
*Thai shrimp curry
Shrimp or crayfish etoufee
Boiled crayfish
*Cajun-style crayfish boil
^Grilled or charred squid (added "or charred")
Stuffed squid
*Grilled marinated octopus
*Tako poke (Korean-style octopus poke)
Conch (or whelk) salad
Turtle soup
^Snails
*Baked buttered snails
Braised frog legs (why is this in the shellfish section?)
Deep-fried frog legs

Recipes from 2006 edition not in 2019 edition:

Oysters on the half-shell
Fried breaded oysters
Grilled mussels
Broiled clams on the half-shell
Fried shellfish with flour coating
Fried clams, shrimp, or oysters with cornmeal coating
Fried clams, oysters, shrimp, or scallops with bread crumb or cracker coating
Shrimp, scallops, squid, clams, or oysters tempura
Poached scallops
Shrimp seviche
Shellfish cocktail
Crab coconut cocktail
Lobster avocado cocktail
South Carolina skillet shrimp
No-fail boiled shrimp
Grilled or broiled shrimp or scallops with chili paste
Grilled or broiled shrimp or scallops basque-style
Broiled shrimp or scallops with persillade
Grilled or broiled shrimp or scallops with hoisin or barbecue sauce
Deep-fried shrimp
Shrimp fried in batter
Shrimp tempura
Vanilla coconut shrimp

Fish Index: 2019 Edition

2019-11-01T15:23:00.000-04:00

High-heat roasted fish fillets
^Paupiettes (stuffed fish filled) (formerly "Molded filled fish fillets (paupiettes)")
Fish en papillote (fish baked in parchment)
*Oven-fried fish fillets
*Veracruz-style snapper
^Fish boulangere (baked fish with potatoes and pearl onion) (was Cod boulangere)
Fish baked in salt
Poached fish
Poached fish quenelles
Gefilte fish
*Braised fish fillets with lemon and capers
*Chinese steamed fish
*Butter or olive oil-poached fish
*Fish curry
Microwaved fish fillets
Grilled or broiled whole fish
^Grilled or broiled whole trout with bacon (was fish, now trout)
*Grilled whole stuffed trout
*Spice-rubbed grilled or broiled fish
^Grilled fish steaks (formerly gave the option of broiling)
*Fish kebabs with vinaigrette
Teriyaki-grilled fish steaks
^Planked fish (was "plank roasted fish")
*Grilled or broiled fish fillets
^Grilled or broiled fish fillets with herbs (added "or broiled")
^Broiled fish fillets with seasoned bread crumbs (removed the word "seasoned")
*Black cod misozuke
Panfried fish fillets or steaks
^Breaded panfried fish fillets (now "breaded pan-fried fish")
*Sauteed smelts or anchovies
Brook trout meuniere
Panfried skate with black butter

^Sauteed pepper-crusted fish steaks (was "seared")

Blackened fish steaks or fillets
*Pan-fried salmon cakes
*Pan-fried shad roe
Fried fish I--deep fried
*Fried fish II--shallow fried
^Southern-style deep-fried catfish (was the more general "fish")
*Pla raad prik (Thai fried fish with tamarind-garlic sauce)
Fish and chips
Thai fish cakes
^Escabeche (Spanish marinated fried fish) (was "Pickled fish (escabeche)")
*Fried tiny fish (I could probably count one of the previous recipes but it's just enough different)
^Gravlax (cured salmon) (was "Cured salmon (gravlax)")
*Hot smoked salmon
*Smoked salmon hash
Salt herring and potatoes
Kedgeree

Recipes from 2006 edition not in 2019 edition:
Fish baked in a covered dish
Fish baked in foil
Fish steaks poached in white wine
Braised whole fish with red wine sauce
Fillets of sole florentine
Grilled whole red snapper with ginger-soy vinaigrette
Grilled whole trout stuffed with pesto
Broiled fish fillets with lemon
Barbecue-rubbed grilled bluefish
Grilled fish steaks with tomato-olive relish
Grilled tuna with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi
Broiled shad roe
Fish kebabs
Broiled fish fillets with tomatoes and herbs
Grilled salmon fillets with mayonnaise
Panfried whole fish
Panfried spice-crusted fish fillets
Marinated flounder fillets
Breaded smelts
Marinated deep-fried fish
Whitebait or smelts
Codfish balls or cakes
Creamed finnian haddie
Herring and apples
Sardine toast
Roasted whole fish
Roasted stuffed whole fish
Roasted whole salmon
Baked fish fillets in white wine
Sole duglere
Slow-roasted fish fillets

Thoughts: Good changes and they removed a whole lot of things I didn't want to make!

Egg Dishes Index: 2019 Edition

2019-11-01T03:30:00.000-04:00

^Soft-boiled eggs I
*Soft-boiled eggs II
^Hard-boiled eggs I
*Hard-boiled eggs II (steamed options added)
Deviled or stuffed eggs
*Pickled eggs
*Beet pickled eggs
*Curry pickled eggs
*Son-in-law eggs
Scotch eggs
Poached eggs
Coddled eggs
*Slow poached eggs
Eggs florentine
Eggs benedict
*Latkes benedict
^ Oeufs en meurette (poached eggs in red wine sauce) (updated name)
*Shakshouka (eggs poached in tomato-pepper sauce)
*Eggs in purgatory
Creamed eggs au gratin
Curried eggs
Creamed eggs with asparagus tips cockaigne
^Baked eggs I
^Baked eggs II (there used to be three)
*Lost eggs
Fried eggs
*Frico eggs
*Breadcrumb fried eggs
Eggs in a basket
Huevos rancheros
*Breakfast chilaquiles
Scrambled eggs I
Scrambled eggs II
*Additions I
*Additions II
*Additions III
*Tex-Mex migas
Matzo brei
*Egg foo young
French omelet (rolled or folded)
^Firm omelet Diner-style (name changed)
Frittata
*Kuku Sabzi (Persian herbed omelet)
Hangtown fry
Artichoke frittata for a crowd
^Tortilla Espanola (Spanish potato omelet) (renamed from Potato omelet (tortilla espanola))
Souffled omelet
Cheese souffle cockaigne
*Vegetable souffle
Goat cheese and walnut souffle
*Vegetable timbale
^Quiche Lorraine (all the following recipes were previously in Brunch Lunch and Supper)
^Cheese quiche
^Tomato and goat cheese quiche
^Leek tart
^Basic strata
Sausage and mushroom strata
*Asparagus strata
Crab strata

Recipes from 2006 edition not in 2019 edition:

Pop's deviled eggs
Poached eggs mornay
Poached eggs blackstone
Eggs with smoked salmon
Scotch woodcock
Eggs baked in a muffin tin I
Eggs baked in a muffin tin II
Eggs in a nest
Spanish omelet
Egg white omelet
Western or Denver omelet
Jam-filled souffled omelet
Grand Marnier souffled omelet
Apple-filled souffled omelet
Savory cheese-and-herb filled souffled omelet
Ham and cheese souffle
Blue cheese-parmesan souffle
Spinach souffle
Mushroom souffle
Broccoli or cauliflower souffle
Carrot souffle
Corn souffle
Sweet potato souffle
Crab or tuna souffle
Basic timbale custard
Spinach, broccoli, or cauliflower timbales
Mushroom timbales
Asparagus timbales
Roasted garlic flan
Natural dye
Food coloring dye
Ham and vegetable strata (originally from BLS but I suspect it would have ended up here)

Thoughts on the update: Man, did omelets and souffles get smacked down! But I do feel this is a modern update.

Appetizers and Hors D'oeuvres Index: 2019 Edition

2019-11-01T01:30:00.000-04:00

Look for the "Index 2019" keyword to get to the newer version, "Round 1" to get the original version of the index.

If you found this page on Google because you were searching for a specific recipe that isn't linked, make sure to search for it. I'm usually several months behind updating the indexes.

**Disclaimer! The recipes cooked in Round 1 might be mildly different--I don't know. You can let me know in the comments if you catch one that is significantly different. How will you know the difference? If it's labeled "Round 1" or the post was written about ten years ago**

My thoughts on the update at the bottom.

Appetizers and Hors D'Oeuvres:
Number of recipes: 112
Number of recipes in the 2019 edition previously made: 32 or 28.6%

Roasted nuts
Curried nuts
Rosemary and brown sugar nuts
Crisp spicy pecans
*Thai-spiced peanuts
*Boiled peanuts
Roasted chestnuts
Toasted pumpkin or squash seeds
*Roasted chickpeas
*Edamame
Toasted sunflower seeds
Popcorn
Savory additions to popcorn
*Kale chips
*Party mix
Spanish style marinated olives
Potato or root vegetable chips
Tortilla chips (fried)
*Tortilla chips (baked)
^Bagel or pita chips
*Crostini
Soda crackers
*Olive oil or flatbread crackers
*Brown butter-hazelnut crackers
*Rye crackers
Becker sour cream dip
Red onion dip
Guacamole
^Spinach dip(formerly in a bread bowl)
^Beer cheese dip in a bread bowl (formerly in a bread bowl)
^Queso fundido (hot chorizo and cheese dip) (formerly: Hot chorizo and cheese dip)
Hot crab dip
Baked artichoke dip
Seven-layer dip
Texas caviar
Hummus
White bean dip with rosemary and garlic
*Tangy black bean dip
*Any bean dip
Baba ghanoush (roasted eggplant dip) (description was added)
*Muhammara (roasted red pepper and walnut dip)
^Caponata (eggplant relish) formerly Eggplant caviar
^Tapenade (olive caper spread) (description was added)
*Anchoiade (anchovy dip)
*Brandade de Morue (creamy salt cod dip)
*Smoked salmon or trout spread
Cream cheese ball
Cheddar cheese ball
*Treva's pimiento cheese
*Fromage fort (strong cheese)
Blue cheese spread with walnuts
Roasted garlic and parmesan spread
*Marinated cheese
Fried mozzarella sticks
*Fried halloumi with honey and walnuts
Brie baked in pastry
*Cheese fondue
Nachos
^Quesadillas (formerly "cheese quesadillas")
*Bacon-wrapped dates
*Melon and prosciutto
*Watermelon and goat cheese
Bagna cauda
^Marinated vegetables (formerly separated)
Broiled stuffed mushrooms cockaigne
^Stuffed raw vegetables (formerly "Stuffed raw vegetables 1-5)
New potatoes stuffed with sour cream and caviar
Crispy potato skins
*Patatas or papas bravas (Spanish fried potatoes)
*Jalapeno poppers
^Buffalo chicken wings (fried) (separated into fried and baked)
^Buffalo chicken wings (baked)
*Thai-style chicken wings
Lemon rosemary chicken or skewers
Five-spice ribs
*Satay skewers
^Deviled ham (switched chapters so I'll make it again)
*Chicken liver pate
Cocktail meatballs
*Keftedes (Greek meatballs)
*Pork and mushroom lettuce wraps
^Dolmas (Stuffed grape leaves) (description added)
^Pot stickers or gyoza (description added)
Steak tartare
Rumaki
^Negimaki (Beef and scallion rolls) (description added)
Grilled or broiled shrimp cockaigne
Baked honey shrimp
Cajun popcorn shrimp
*Pickled shrimp
Angels on horseback
Oysters Rockefeller
Clams casino
Canapes
Tea sandwiches
Benedictine sandwiches
^Bruschetta (formerly bruschetta with tomatoes and basil)
Cheese puff canapes
Ham biscuits
*Spinach or mushroom phyllo triangles
*Quick phyllo samosas with potatoes and peas
^Miniature turnovers or tartlets I (turnovers) (I made these but now that they are combined, I'll make them again)
^Miniature turnovers or tartlets II (tartlets)
Miniature quiches
Stuffed choux puffs
^Gougeres (Cheese puffs) (added the fancy name!)
Pigs in a blanket
Puff pastry cheese straws
Quick cheese straws or wafers
Summer rolls
Egg rolls
Fried wontons

Recipes from 2006 edition not in 2019 edition:
Roasted sunflower seeds
Sour cream dip
Clam dip
Shrimp dip
Half moon hummus
Taramasalata
Roquefort cheese balls
Liptauer cheese spread
Chutney cheese spread
Garlic cheese spread
Pesto cheesecake
Marinated goat cheese with fresh thyme
Marinated mozzarella
Honey yogurt dip
Crudites
Marinated green beans
Marinated mushrooms
Chicken fingers
Chicken liver mousse
Beef satay with peanut sauce
Salami rolls
Smoked turkey and arugula rolls
Beer-batter shrimp
Coconut shrimp
Salmon pate
Salmon Mousse
Smoked salmon rolls
Smoked trout on cucumber rounds
Marinated herring on toast
Smoked salmon canapes
Anchovy toasts
Beef or pork tenderloin canapes
Turkey biscuits with chutney butter
Mushroom triangles
Spinach and feta triangles
Party piroshki
Samosas with potatoes and peas
Samosas with ground beef
Miniature tartlet shells or turnovers
Cocktail tartlets
Miniature turnovers with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto
Miniature turnovers with caramelized onions and blue cheese

Thoughts on the update: People are a lot more adventurous with flavors than they were. I'm glad they removed most of the fish and shellfish appetizers, they were extremely dated. Actually, most of the removed recipes were either bland or dated.

Cocktails, Wine, and Beer: 2019 Edition

2019-11-01T01:00:00.000-04:00

Beverages Index: 2019 Edition

2019-11-01T00:30:00.000-04:00

Cranberry-mango punch

Pineapple punch
Fruit punch
^Simple syrup (Sugar syrup)
Fruit syrup
*Citrus syrup
Herb syrup I
Herb syrup II
Spiced syrup
*Grenadine
*Fruit shrub

Recipes from 2006 edition not in 2019 edition:

French press pot coffee
Instant coffee
Jamaican coffee
Irish coffee
Cafe Diablo
Iced coffee Viennese
Spiced tea
Flavored iced tea I
Flavored iced tea II
Flavored iced tea III
Herbal tea
Iced hibiscus tea
Tomato juice I
Orange-tomato juice
Orange-lime juice
Broth on the rocks
Fruit juice combination
Pineapple grapefruit juice
Raspberry or blackberry shrub
Hot cranberry juice
Mulled cider
Beet-carrot-grape juice
Celery-apple-watermelon splash
Pineapple juice
Orange-melon juice
Pineapple-cucumber cocktail
Tropical juice
Ice cream soda
Flying mocha monkey
Strawberry smoothie
Tropical smoothie
papaya coconut smoothie
Breakfast smoothie
Herbed lemonade or limeade I
Herbed lemonade or limeade II
Pink lemonade
Quick lemonade or limeade I
Quick lemonade or limeade II
Quick lemonade or limeade III
Pomegranate sunburst punch
Lemonade for 100 people
Fruit punch for 50 people
Strawberry fruit punch
Gala tomato punch
Cocomoka hot
Cocomoka cold
Berry syrup
Lemon or lime syrup

Thoughts: I think there are some recipes that were just renamed but I'm not entirely sure. I think this was a good modernization.

Did you miss me?

2017-11-05T14:36:00.000-05:00

We are going to do this in a list format.

1. I missed you! I've been cooking for the blog this entire time but not writing about it, which means I have to make the things again. I have gone back and forth on this issue--should I just count them done or do I have to redo them? And I think I have to redo them. This is essentially a diary for me and I really miss having it. I don't miss writing the blog but it's gotten easier as I've been ignoring it.

2. I've had huge life changes in the meantime! My life is nearly 100% different than it was when I started this blog. New state, new husband, new family size, new everything (other than my beloved dog!).

3. I can't believe you all are still reading this. I really can't. My blog stats are fantastic. Better than people who blog regularly. And that's thanks to you.

4. Blog add-ons and such have drastically shifted since I've been ignoring the blog. This is going to force the redesign that should have happened long ago.

5. That fear I had of the new edition of TJOC coming out? We are in crunch time I suspect.

6. WHY THE EFF DID I NOT FINISH ALL THE HIGH ALTITUDE RECIPES WHILE I LIVED IN COLORADO?

7. On the other hand, I live near cheap and tasty seafood now.

8. I just brainstormed the idea of monthly "happy hour" style parties at my house so that I can knock off recipes. I want to be more social (introverts unite!) but it's hard and I think this would be a good way to see my friends more often which is hard with the baby.

9. I need to update my Washingtonian list because I've been kicking ass in that regard.

10. My photography skills have improved in the last couple of years so I'm pleased that my pictures won't be quite the dumpster fires they have been in the past.

Skymall: Summer 2014

2014-07-23T23:46:00.001-04:00

I've decided to start a new column dedicated to the wonders of the best catalog in the world: Skymall. I travel often for work and have regularly threatened my friends with the idea of an all Skymall Christmas. As I'm currently stuck on the Tarmac, ready for a 6 hr flight, it seems the perfect time to start this column. The pictures aren't great as I'm literally on a plane.

Sadly, this Skymall isn't as insane as most! But there are still some gems:

1. A wine sippy cup. Who exactly is this for? The person who is to drunk to work a cup? A toddler with a drinking problem? I guess the fake stem is just there to keep it classy.

2. On top, they are advertising what is essentially a Segway without the top. You just stand and it wheels you where you are going. And it's almost a grand. So you can not walk. Walking is free. I recommend walking. On the bottom is an amazing contraption that is half skateboard, half inline skates. Once, when I was about 7, I decided to try my hand (foot?) at skateboarding and promptly fell off and almost broke my wrist. I suspect my clumsy ass would not fare well in the Orbitwheel. Although it's a bargain at a mere $99.99.

3. No lying--I need this jacket. I will go to events where nobody else gets a single bug bite and I'll have dozens. Over the years I've tried every type of spray. I don't wear perfumes or scented anything and I never wear bright colors but I still get bit like mad. Need to know if you have fleas? I'll walk through your house and come out with ankles looking like I'm 9 months pregnant. This jacket might be the best invention in the world.

4. I would only buy this for someone as a joke. What kind of person buys a singing gondolier for their pool? Who buys this???

5. On the other hand--if I didn't live in an apartment I would not only have this climbing squirrel but that zombie dog?? Totally would be in my yard. In fact, that's possibly my mom's Christmas present.

6. Doesn't everyone feel their shower could be improved if it looked more like a rave? I've been to a lot of spas (okay, like 2 spas) and I don't remember multicolored showers! Obviously I wasn't involved in the " pure fun"!

7. Don't lie. You'd buy everything on this page if you could. Everybody wants a body of armor or an Egyptian coffin in their house. I'd use it to scare the dogs and pull "Home Alone" style pranks but I'm sure there are many uses. And most of the options offer curbside delivery! So you don't have to go pick it up like a filthy heathen.

8. I love this page. In the middle, they offer his and her fake tattoo shirts--there is nothing more badass than committing to wearing a shirt with printed tattoos. So realistic! I like the shirts in the lower left because I was just sitting waiting for this plane with a set of young lovers wearing matching shirts that said "I love my southern wife" and "I love my southern husband" over gigantic confederate flags. Ah, young love.

But the real winner is the box in the lower right corner. It appears that the box exists to give you daily affirmations, but only if your name is Bob. Wouldn't your day improve if a box complimented you every time you opened it? I am looking good today, box, thanks for noticing!

9. You think I'm going to talk about the hideous dholes but no--that bag freaking winks as you wear it!!! What kind of black magic is that??? Burn the witch!!

All in all, I'm disappointed in the summer 2014 issue of Skymall. It doesn't have nearly the WTFeryof previous editions. I'm going to have to rate this one a 3/10 because there aren't nearly enough items you'd have to be low on oxygen to buy.

The RELAUNCH!

2014-05-22T22:09:00.002-04:00

What an exciting day this is going to be for everyone! This is my relaunch of TJOTJOC! Just what you've all been waiting for!

So, here's the rundown.

Schedule from now on: I'm going to post at least a post a week. It's very possible I'm going to write these all at once but I'm going to schedule them so they come out periodically.

Why the break? I have had a lot of personal issues but on top of that, I just lost my passion for blogging. I still was cooking but I managed to get so spectacularly behind I couldn't even imagine how I would ever catch up. And that bogged me down. And then I just gave up. I had an entire Thanksgiving's worth of recipes on a phone that was stolen. I was downtrodden.

So what changed? My cousin, Erica, made the point that I could do whatever I want to catch up because it's my blog. I can just summarize the recipes, I can post them in detail, I can cook them again. I can do whatever I want because this blog is totally mine. And that was empowering! So I'm just going to start blogging about what I'm cooking and do exactly that to catch up--write up some old posts, summarize other, and just totally recook a few.

AND WHAT'S NEW? Much like some of you, I've fallen in love with subscription boxes. I actually switched out my bar budget for a subscription box budget (much healthier in the long run!). I'm going to post about them. If you like this, great! If you hate it, skip them! Simple. The first week is going to be subscription box heavy but don't worry--the food will come back and be about 75% of the posts.

What else is new? I've updated all the pages up top! Make sure to comment and let me know what you think of the changes. I'm excited and I hope you are too.

I love you all! Thank you for sticking with me through the years!

Thanksgiving 2012 Post 1: Brussels sprouts with chestnuts (p. 261), Root vegetable puree (p. 245), and Creamed cabbage (p. 263)

2012-12-12T22:59:00.001-05:00

So, I realize I've been the worst blogger ever and I greatly apologize! I will catch up on old blog posts (I'm over a year behind--honestly, I haven't even blogged about Thanksgiving 2011 but I will!). I thought I would post new posts while sprinkling in the old posts. And I'm going to schedule these to post in a row, even if I write them all in the same day, so check back.

As most of you know, I'm running out of "normal" Thanksgiving foods to cook because I've already made them. So I've taken to only making the side dishes, the stuffing, and the bread out of TJOC. This years I made three vegetable side dishes.

Brussels sprouts (and yep, there is an s at the end of Brussels) are something most people are sure they hate, even if they've never eaten one. They really aren't as bad as people think--they are cabbagey but not as strong and are absolutely amazing with butter and a little garlic and salt. So, strangely, it wasn't the Brussels sprouts that were my problem with Brussels sprouts with chestnuts (p. 261), it was the chestnuts. I had never eaten a chestnut before and had no idea if I was going to like them or not.

The recipe was simple. I melted butter and added 4 halved shallots (that seemed strange to me--I mean, you usually chop or slice them but only halving them? And if you are going to half them, don't you think you'd use more?) and peeled chestnuts (I used the vacuum packaged ones, I didn't want to go through the trouble of peeling fresh chestnuts).

I added the Brussels sprouts, chicken broth, a bay leaf, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper and cooked it all for about 15 minutes:

So it turns out I don't like chestnuts, nor did anybody else at this Thanksgiving dinner. They were mealy and tasteless and an expensive waste. Does anyone out there like chestnuts? What are they supposed to taste like? The Brussels sprouts were absolutely delicious though so I would make this recipe again without the chestnuts.

I've meant to make Root vegetable puree (p. 245) for quite awhile. I knew it would be a winner because it's essentially mashed potatoes with other stuff and I love mashed potatoes. I mean, who doesn't love mashed potatoes? And every time I make them I wonder why I don't make them more often because they are so easy.

So this recipe was also easy. I boiled potatoes, added carrots to boil, and waited until they were super tender.

When they were fork tender, I mashed them with a potato masher and mixed in cream, butter, salt, and pepper:

Delicious! Make sure you add LOTS of salt though, it really needed it. This was creamy, delicious, heated up wonderfully the next day, and was beloved by all. The best part was that the carrots made it seem more healthy than regular mashed potatoes and gave a little more flavor. I really recommend this! You can also use any other root veggie and I suspect that parsnips would give it a nice little peppery flavor.

My mother was in charge of the turkey this year. She gave me a timeline of how long the turkey would take to cook. Several of these dishes (the rolls [post forthcoming], the cabbage, the root veggie puree, the gravy, and the Creamed cabbage (p. 263)) needed to be done in the last hour and a half or so. All of a sudden, way before expected, the turkey was done. So I had to pound out all of these dishes while the turkey was sitting. It was extremely stressful but I got it done!

Creamed cabbage isn't that popular anymore but, the few times I've had it, I've liked it. The recipe was simple. I boiled milk in a pan and added shredded cabbage. TJOC recommends the cabbage is finely shredded, which it wasn't when I made the recipe, because I couldn't get it shredded finely. If I was at home it wouldn't have been a problem (hooray for the salad shooter!) but I was at mom's house so I just did my best.

After a couple of minutes I dropped it into a white sauce and seasoned it with horseradish, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Caraway was sprinkled on top:

I expected this dish to be unpopular and it was but it was really good! Because I was hurrying (or maybe because the cabbage wasn't actually shredded finely enough) it was pretty crisp still but I think that made it even better. It wasn't particularly creamy, which is exactly the way I like it, and the caraway gave it a nice German flavor.

There will only be 3 blog posts for the 2012 Thanksgiving festivities but there was actually quite a bit of food. We seem to have settled on a menu of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, 2 types of cranberries, 2 types of stuffing, green bean casserole, the 3 veggie dishes, and rolls. And that's for about 6 people!

What did everybody else enjoy? Do you keep it traditional?

Thanksgiving 2011 Post 1: Rumaki (p. 83) and Clam dip (p. 72)

2012-09-19T20:16:00.001-04:00

Thanksgiving! And, yes, I realize this just shows how amazingly behind I am but, hey, I'm catching up! Thanksgiving has started becoming a problem but I will get to that in future post. (Note from Future Jessica in 2019: I never finished this set of blog posts but I remember what the problem was. I had made every normal Thanksgiving recipe in the book and I was starting to have to branch out into stranger recipes nobody was excited about. Taking a break for a decade really helped with that).

Those of you who have read the blog for a while know that for Thanksgiving at our house, I cook an appetizer-style lunch. This has been getting more difficult because I have made so many of the TJOC appetizer recipes already.

Rumaki (p. 83) is not one of my favorite things. That's likely because I really don't like liver. TJOC pointed out that I could use whole water chestnuts instead of chicken livers, so that's what I decided to do for half the rumaki. I thought it was a decent compromise.

I needed to grate ginger so I used the world's tiniest shredder. I put it next to the water chestnuts so that you could see how truly tiny the shredder really was.

I mixed together soy sauce, dry sherry, the grated ginger, and brown sugar:

The whole chestnuts went into half the marinade and the livers went into the other half (I didn't want the livery flavors to go into the water chestnuts), where they sat for a few hours:

I made some of the rumaki the real way and some of them without liver. If the rumaki included liver, I used just a slice of water chestnut and a quarter of a chicken liver. For the rumaki without liver, I used a whole water chestnut. I wrapped them in a half slice of bacon and skewered them with a toothpick:

They went in to the over for about ten minutes:

Rumaki is (are? I'm not sure if we are talking singular or plural here) super common appetizers, so it was fun to try my hand at making it. Super easy. And strangely delicious--it has bacon so it's hard to go wrong. People who don't have my hatred of liver thought they were both equally good. And the toothpick made them easy to handle and easy to eat.

I love, love, love my modified version of the Becker sour cream dip, so I was confident that Clam dip (p. 72) would also be delicious (since it's essentially the exact same thing, with clams). That's exactly what it was--the sour cream dip with Worcestershire sauce and canned clams:

You almost can't go wrong with that dip recipe, it's that good, so, although I don't think the clams added anything, they didn't subtract either.

The easiest way to feel popular?

Cook. All of a sudden everyone wants to be hanging around with you!

Panfried fish fillets or steaks (p. 407)

2012-09-19T18:51:00.002-04:00

There are a lot of fairly easy fish recipes that I need to knock out and haven't for some reason. One of these is Panfried fish fillets or steaks (p. 407). I make salmon all the time but never made this exact recipe.

I took skin-on salmon, seasoned it with olive oil (and, obviously, other stuff--salt, pepper, garlic), and started it skin side down in the pan. I cooked it undisturbed until the skin was brown and the flesh became opaque:

I turned it over and cooked it for a couple more minutes and done:

The finished product:

This was a delicious recipe but a really easy one. There isn't a whole lot to say about it, other than if you like fish, this is an easy, fast way to make it with minimal fuss. If you don't like fish, this recipe isn't going to change your mind.

What is your favorite way to cook fish?

November party post 9: Liquor-soaked pound cake (p. 716) and Gingerbread (p. 724)

2012-08-25T20:47:00.000-04:00

Final party post! My final thoughts on this party--I cooked sooooo much! It was really fun, I had a great time, and it was a great last (and only) party in Fort Collins. The best part is that I knocked out probably a solid 25 recipes! I'll try to get the opinions of the people who were at the party--if they remember what the food tasted like, considering it was 9 months ago!

Go through all the past posts and comment!

Even though the guests were warned that the whole point of this particular party was to make a bunch of the strange TJOC recipes and get them knocked out, I wanted to make a couple desserts that I was confident would turn out well and reward them for showing up. I know I make a great pound cake, so I decided to make Liquor-soaked pound cake (p. 716).

The recipe was simple. First, I made pound cake and poured the batter into loaf pans and cooked it like that. I combined sugar, water, and corn syrup over heat until the sugar was dissolved. Once that had occurred, I added some good quality brandy (although you could use almost any type of liquor):

I used a skewer and poked holes in the pound cakes:

The sugar mixture was poured over the cake:

The liquid slowly soaked in to the pound cake. Believe it or not, over a few hours, all of it soaked in. This pound cake was DELICIOUS. The extra liquid meant that the pound cake was ultra-moist and lasted forever--it essentially didn't stale. And, remember, the alcohol doesn't cook out in recipes like this, so...be careful! And use good quality alcohol--the flavor is really important.

I also decided to make Gingerbread (p. 724). Everybody thinks they like gingerbread, even though most people have never actually eaten it. Or am I wrong about that?

I mixed melted butter, egg, and sugar:

I whisked together flour, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon:

In a third container I whisked hot water, molasses, and honey together:

Eventually, added the dry and liquid ingredients alternately to the butter mixture and poured it in to a pan:

Sadly, I have no final picture of this one either but it looked like gingerbread, nice and dark. It was delicious. Moist, spicy, delicious. And the absolute perfect dessert for a holiday party. If you haven't made gingerbread before, do it.

And with that, I will tell one of my favorite stories about my father. One year, my dad decided that we would make gingerbread houses together. I was probably 7 years old or so. He made a bunch of gingerbread. We cut it into pieces and tried building a house. After about an hour of no progress at all no matter how hard we tried, we gave up and just ate the gingerbread. Turns out, you make gingerbread houses with a totally different type of gingerbread--not this type, a more cardboardy type. But nobody got mad that it was failing and it was so much fun. It was one of my first lessons in the concept that sometimes even if your plan turns in to a disaster, it can still be a fun amazing memory.

November party post 8: Ricotta cheesecake (p. 745)

2012-08-25T20:22:00.001-04:00

Almost done with these November party posts! Wow, I really did cook a ton for that party!

I made the pat in the pan crust, which I've made a million times in the past--it's my favorite crust recipe because it's really easy and I don't have to roll it out (my least favorite part). I don't know if you all own pie weights but they really are nice for keeping crusts from bubbling--I know you can just use rice but the weights are easy to wash and it seems less wasteful.

Pie weights

I decided to make Ricotta cheesecake (p. 745) for some reason. I can't really explain why that recipe jumped out at me.

I mixed toasted pine nuts, chopped almonds, chocolate chips, and flour:

I thought that was a promising start, I really like all those ingredients. In another bowl I beat egg with sugar and vanilla for a couple minutes, finally stirring in ricotta cheese:

The crust pre-cooking:

The nut mixture was mixed into the egg mixture:

The crust post-cooking:

The cheesecake mixture was poured into the baked crust:

And it was baked. You will have to imagine the "after", I didn't get a picture of this one either, but it looked pretty much exactly the same. I didn't like this recipe. I don't like savory cheesecakes. The pesto cheesecake that I made a couple New Year's Eves ago was much better than this recipe and this one was actually in the "cakes and cupcakes" section. I love ricotta, I don't have a sweet tooth, and this recipe wasn't sweet enough for even me. It wasn't popular.

November party post 7: Party piroshki (p. 89)

2012-08-25T20:08:00.001-04:00

Every now and then I have to make something that is totally mysterious to me. Party piroshki (p. 89) was one of these items. I had no idea what a piroshki even was and what made it "party"? Confetti and balloons? I was hopeful.

I sauteed onion in oil and added beef and salt. After the meat started to brown, I added beef broth, pepper, sugar, and rice. That was covered and allowed to cook:

I rolled out puff pastry (even TJOC says not to bother making your own puff pastry--just buy it. And it's a bazillion times easier to work with than phyllo, so don't be scared). I dumped the filling in the middle (actually, the recipe makes two, so the filling was halved):

The dough was rolled in to a pocked:

They were brushed with an egg wash:

And popped in the oven:

The rolls were then sliced:

These were great for a party! They were the perfect size for an easy appetizer. That being said, the piroshki were bland. Which isn't a surprise because spices weren't added at all other than salt and pepper, which isn't enough for me. I think it need at least garlic--at the very minimum. Any other ideas? I've never had a piroshki so I'm not sure if the recipe was accurate or not. The pictures on Wikipedia are pretty similar to what I made--anyone had one before? I imagine they were "party" because they were big, sadly, there were no balloons or banners involved.

November party post 6: Crisp spicy pecans (p. 70), bagel chips (p. 93), and Anchovy toasts (p. 87)

2012-08-24T22:26:00.002-04:00

I am still blogging my way through the November party! It's truly amazing I cooked so much for it! Start with Post 1. I honestly think that 3 more posts should finish this out.

I'd been meaning to make Crisp spicy pecans (p. 70) for a long time. Honestly, they have been on my list to make at least 25 times and I've never gotten around to making them for some reason (probably because I needed to whip egg whites and I balk at doing that most of the time). So I whipped an egg white with salt until foamy. I added sugar and beat until the soft peaks formed:

I mixed melted butter, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and ground red pepper together:

I folded the butter mixture into the egg mixture along with the nuts:

And they were baked for about a half hour. They went from this:

To this:

It's hard to explain these strange little nuts. They were really good and amazingly addictive. Totally savory. The paprika and hot pepper gave them a surprisingly little kick and the egg helped the spice mixture stick to the nuts. I noticed myself going back for more and more of these.

Another recipe I had meant to make FOREVER were bagel chips (p. 93). I don't have a full complement of pictures for this one, which shouldn't surprise you, because I made SO MANY things for this party. Frankly, it's amazing I kept up on the pictures as well as I did!

I sliced a bagel (realizing that I probably shouldn't have used pre-sliced bagels much too late). I brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled salt and garlic powder over them:

I only have a before picture, no after, but imagine all the bagel chips you've ever seen and that's what they were like. They were good! They were pretty much like every other bagel chip, which I consider a good thing. This is a perfect recipe to make if you have too many bagels and you know you aren't going to get through them all before they start to stale. This is also a good recipe for a group because almost everybody likes them. Plus they were cheap and easy and you could customize them easily by switching toppings.

I was concerned about making Anchovy toasts (p. 87) for a party. Almost everyone out there lists anchovies at the top of the list of foods they hate and I didn't think the group coming to my party was any different. Regardless, I had warned the group that I would be making strange foods so they were prepared.

I soaked the anchovies in cold water for ten minutes:

I toasted some baguette slices (you don't have a picture of that because it wasn't very interesting). I minced the anchovies and combined the fish with olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, garlic cloves, and pepper. The toast was spread with the fish mixture and broiled until warm.

I was actually really, really proud of myself with the night of cooking. I managed to get every single thing done within ten minutes of the last guest showing up, so I wasn't in the kitchen cooking almost at all. I pulled these out and served them right away. They were actually a really big hit! The anchovies were salty and the garlic and vinegar cut through the fishy flavor. I honestly think almost everybody ate one and was pleasantly surprised!

November party post 5: Miniature quiches (p. 90), Cream cheese dough (p. 666), Miniature tartlet shells or turnovers (p. 90), and Miniature turnovers with caramelized onions and blue cheese (p. 91)

2012-08-24T21:49:00.001-04:00

I recommend starting with my November party post 1. Essentially, I had a big party, cooked a ton of stuff, and need to get the posting on the party finished (especially considering it's nine months later!).

What's better for a party than Miniature quiches (p. 90) made with Miniature tartlet shells or turnovers (p. 90)? The dough was really easy to make. I prepared the Cream cheese dough (p. 666). First, I whisked together flour and salt and then added butter and cream cheese.

It went from this:

To this:

I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and left it overnight. This is one of those recipes that you need to think about the night before since the dough takes a night to cure:

The next day I formed some of the dough into little balls (they look like cookies!):

I didn't have a mini muffin pan (I do now but I didn't back then) so these quiches had to be muffin sized (which is still pretty small). I spread the dough into the cup, which was much more difficult than it seems like it would be:

I baked the shells (as you can see, they got a little overcooked):

I filled the shells with a mixture of eggs, heavy cream, Parmesan, shallot, salt, pepper, and ham. My thinking was that ham is one of those things that almost everyone likes so it would be a good choice. I think ham and broccoli would have been even better!

The quiches were popped in the oven:

These were absolutely delicious! They were also surprisingly filling. I think these would be a great item to make and eat for breakfast on the go. Even so, with a lighter hand, these could be interesting and elegant and perfect for any appetizer meal.

I used that same dough to make Miniature turnovers with caramelized onions and blue cheese (p. 91). I love blue cheese but I hate caramelized onions so I thought this would good to make when I had other people to feed. I sauteed onion, olive oil, and salt in a skillet, and added it to blue cheese, walnuts, and rosemary:

I rolled out the dough and cut it in to circles. I filled each circle with some of the filling and folded them in half.

After they went through the oven, they looked like this:

These were a HUGE hit. There is something very fancy about the combination of rosemary, caramelized onions, and blue cheese and the sweetness of the onions cut through the strength of the blue cheese. These turnovers were actually really easy to make--I really recommend making them.

The dough was tasty, too! The cream cheese gave the dough a little acidic kick that I really liked and the dough came together much easier than the dough made with only butter. Has anyone else made both these doughs? What did you think?

Scallion and mushroom soup (p. 145)

2012-08-16T20:29:00.000-04:00

Scallion and mushroom soup (p. 145) is a challenge to write about because it wasn't very interesting.

TI beat butter until it was fluffy and added scallions:

Seemed like a strange step

I added salt and pepper and cooked it for about ten minutes (so, really, just cooking the scallions in a ton of butter):

I removed the pot from the heat and added flour and chicken stock:

It was simmered for about ten minutes:

I added thinly sliced mushrooms:

I used the immersion blender and blended the whole thing (sooooo much easier than using the sieve that TJOC recommends). I also added some cream (making it a "cream of" soup). The soup was not an attractive color:

I added some more of the thinly sliced mushrooms:

It was okay. It required a TON of salt to bring out the flavors, and, even then, was pretty bland. I like cream of mushroom soup quite a bit but button mushrooms are not the most delicious and scallions don't really add that much. Maybe with more black pepper and salt and a ton of garlic, the soup could be improved. Then again, it's possible that not everybody is as obsessive as I am about soup. Has anyone else made this recipe? How do you feel about cream soups?

Vanilla coconut shrimp (p. 388)

2012-08-16T19:54:00.004-04:00

Okay, so Vanilla coconut shrimp (p. 388) just sounded horrible but I was optimistic that, with an open mind, it would be surprisingly good. Also, I can't believe I'm over a year behind on blog posts--that will be rectified and will never happen again!

I sauteed some shallots in olive oil. Quite a bit of olive oil, actually. I added white wine and a vanilla bean with the guts scraped out (the guts of the vanilla bean are the little dots you see in vanilla bean ice cream). I really hoped this was going to be an amazing recipe because vanilla beans are expensive.

The vanilla bean

Shallots, wine, and the bean

Once that concoction was reduced by half, I added chicken stock, coconut milk, fresh ginger, salt, and pepper:

This simmered until it was reduced by half again. At this point I added the shrimp:

Hmmmm....not looking so delicious:

Why is the coconut milk separating?

I added some chopped basil to the top and ate it over rice:

Just as horrifying as I expected it to be. The coconut milk and shrimp are a delicious tried and true combination but the vanilla bean just added a horrible, desserty flavor that I detested. A total waste of a delicious vanilla bean, although the recipe was ultra-easy.

Random facts:

Vanilla comes from a type of orchid (Wikipedia)
It wasn't until a 12 year old slave figured out how to hand-pollinate the vanilla flower than the spice could be globally cultivated (Wikipedia)
The word "vanilla" comes from the word vaina from the Latin "vagina". Yes, that's right. Now you have a great piece of trivia to dazzle your friends (Wikipedia)

Pita salad (Fattoush) (p. 159)

2012-08-11T23:38:00.002-04:00

I had a good feeling about Pita salad (Fattoush) (p. 159) because I really like pita bread. I'm not a big salad eater. I want to be. I really want to love salad. But I don't.

I started by tossing cucumber and salt in a colander and leaving it to drain for a half hour:

I also split some pitas and baked them until crisp:

I whisked together olive oil, lemon juice, a crushed garlic clove, salt, and black pepper. The dressing was good, nicely spiced. I'm sure I used more garlic than I was supposed to, I always do.

I mixed tomatoes, romaine lettuce, scallions, parsley, cilantro, and mint in a bowl:

And tossed it with the dressing. The pita chips were added to the top and it was done!

The salad was easy and very tasty. I like a crunch in a salad (I notice that they really care about texture on the cooking shows but I don't usually pay a whole lot of attention to that--even so, the crunch is nice in salad). The dressing was perfect, although I would have liked to add some olives or feta or something briny. I've never had fattoush before this--anyone have any experience with the dish? Does this seem similar?

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