Sassy Lassie's Retro Kitchen and more.......

Meatballs in Buttermilk circa 1968

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:55:00 +0000

Last week we were invited to a winter party at my friend Brian's house. He is an amazing host whose parties are always full of great food and wine. This photo was taken at one of his summer parties, where the evening ended around his amazing and warm fire pit.

He usually makes a delicious soup or stew and a ham or turkey and asks his guests to bring either a dessert or appetizer. Because most of the guests are "foodies", there is always a great assortment of wonderful offerings. The party was the day after Valentines day which was a Monday evening. Not the usual night for a party, but for us, many of whom work in restaurants, it was our Friday. Being the day after both Valentines day and President's Day weekend we were all exhausted from the busy nights at the restaurant. When asked, I kept telling Brian I was not going to the party. I just wanted to be home in my jammies watching the Olympics, but hubby wanted to go, so we did.

I live over 20 minutes from the nearest grocery store, so was looking to make something from ingredients on hand. I had some fresh ground turkey and went in search through my vintage collection of cookbooks for a meatball recipe and found a recipe for Meatballs in Buttermilk. I happened to have some buttermilk on hand that needed to be used up as well so thought this the perfect recipe to try. I especially loved that there was a "blue ribbon" symbol next to the recipe. Must be good!! How thoroughly retro, I thought.

When I was recently married in 1979 at the age of 19, I found a cookbook for .50 in the bargain basement of a bookstore. It was called "Favorite Recipes of American-Meats". At the time, I was a vegetarian cooking for my then husband who was a meat eater. Somehow I still have this cookbook in my collection and this is where the recipe came from. The copyright on the book is 1968.

As I went through the ingredients the only thing I did not have enough of was some dried mustard, but I did have mustard seed and so I put it in my grinder and made some of my own.

Meatballs browning on the stove top.

Buttermilk sauce simmering. At first the sauce curdled a bit and I thought, "oh no another vintage recipe disaster". But soon enough it all came together
in a delightful sauce perfect to add the meatballs to.

And the finished product with just a "touch" of smoked paprika added
(not part of the recipe, but I could not help myself).

Somehow I forgot to bring my camera to the party, so do not have a photo of it at the party. I presented the meatballs in a wonderful 1970's chafing dish with a wooden handle and totally 70's design. I was pleased and all the party goers thought they were delicious.

Where does time go?

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:18:00 +0000

I have been immersed in my very first sewing project in over 20 years. A wonderful summer halter dress Advance 6435.

I bought some great fabric for $2.00 at our local thrift store and thought it would be a not too expensive way to try my hand at sewing again.

I am also using my new sewing machine for the first time so there are quite a few firsts here. I don't know why I did not photograph the dress in construction, but I didn't. Maybe I am shy at my beginner techniques. I only had a small clue as to what I was doing. It did not help that the pattern I chose for my first attempt at a dress is unprinted. All I had were small holes to tell me what to do. Here is my pooch Pabu cheering me on as I cut out the pieces. I also did not have exactly the correct amount of fabric to lay it out as indicated on the pattern so I fudged it. There was a lot of fudging going on, but somehow I have almost completed it.

Fudge #2:
When it came to the peter pan collar, no matter how I looked at the directions I could not figure out what they wanted me to do. SO I made it up.

Fudge #3:
When the bodice was finished, the bust was too large. Come on people 34" and it is still too big! So I cut the side seams and resewed them. How I wish I had a dress form. It is Christmas yet?

Fudge #4:
Because I made the bodice smaller, the lower part of the dress no longer matched up. So I put in a slight gather in the stomach area to accommodate the extra fabric.

All of this with very little sewing know how. I am pretty proud of myself. I still need to put the zipper in (totally scared about doing this). I think I may have put one in years ago. But for the moment I do not have the proper size or color in my vintage stash, so that will have to wait. The pocket seems a bit askew too so that will need to be redone as well.

Will get pictures up soon.

A Snow Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:57:00 +0000

The forecast for today was 10"to 15" of snow. It was supposed to snow all day and into the night, but time and again I looked out the window and not a flake to be seen. So I decided to just forget about it and bake some cookies and blog. I started looking through my basket of recipes and then a picture of this cookbook that I had upstairs popped into my head. It is copyrighted 1955. Perfect.

I was in the mood for oatmeal cookies and searched the book to find a recipe and found one for Orange Oatmeal Cookies. I especially liked the fact that the previous owner had checked the recipe. Must have been a favorite. I got this cookbook at a tag sale this summer. I was out and about looking for just something like this and was WAY out in the middle of nowhere and saw a sign for a tag sale. Low and behold I hit the jackpot and think I paid $2.00 plus a Big-Y Silver Coin (no lie) for about 10 cooking pamphlets and books.

The one thing about many of the vintage recipes is that they used many ingredients that today are deemed harmful or at the least not very good for you. I use organic baking products where ever possible and was able to make these cookies using almost 100% organic ingredients.

Shortening 1/2 cup

Organic quick cook oats 1 cup

I egg (although not organic) they are local

Into the oven

Into the cookie jar

They turned out delicious and were just the thing to cheer up my husband. He loves cookies and said they will be gone by tomorrow. The only thing disappointing about this recipe is that it only made 24 cookies. I will have to double it next time. It was simple as could be and they are almost healthy.

Here are some illustrations from the book.
I just adore them.

My Sisters Home Economics Project-1967

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:03:00 +0000

On Sunday my siblings and I went to my parents house to celebrate my fathers 83 birthday. My older sister Karen was there and I gave her a cookbook that she used to have when she was younger (I bought it for her on ebay) . She is the oldest of 5 and we all remember when she made this gigantic hamburger for dinner when she was 13 years old. Somewhere, there is a photo of her proudly sitting in front of it ready to cut it up for all of us to eat. When I asked her about it this summer, she mentioned that she had cooked it from The Seventeen Cookbook, but she no longer had the cookbook. Thus the reason I bought it for her. I had planned on giving it to her at Christmas, but forgot. So brought it along with me on Sunday to give to her.

This got her thinking. She knew (I did not) that our mother had kept some old school projects of ours. Karen rummaged through a closet and exclaimed, "Here they are". In a pile were some of each childs school projects and Karen searched for the one she wanted to show me.

When Karen was in 8th grade, she was required for a Home Economic class to cook dinner for our family for the entire month of November

It is snapshot into our lives back then. It must have been hard for my mother and sister to come up with meals that she (my mother) knew were relatively easy to prepare and that we would all like.

Tiny Pizzas
Steak
Macaroni and Cheese
Pot Roast
Stuffed Hot Dogs
Glori-Fried Chicken
Spaghetti
Tuna Tetrazzini
Meatloaf
Chicken Breast
Hamburgers
Fried Ham
Swordfish (must have been Friday)
Turkey Pies & Spam -I love this one. The turkey pies were frozen and Spam...she must have been getting weary of cooking dinner each night.
Pork Roast with Sauerkraut AND Nesselrode Pie-This was a BIG hit.
Hot Dogs, Pizza
Hidden Dill Hamburger. Not a Hit. See Below.

My mother was asked to critique each meal. The critique for the Hidden Dill Hamburger reads:
Karen's younger brothers and sisters weren't very happy with the Hidden Dill Hamburgers. She is learning it is difficult to please everyone.

Glad to see my mother helped with Thanksgiving!

The final critique for the entire project shows hints of my mothers disdain for preparing meals for seven each night! Thankless task!!!

The year was 1967 and as I stated in the beginning of this post, it remains clear that a girl or boy would NEVER be asked to do something like this today. I went to the same junior high school as my sister 6 years later and although I took Home Ec, this was not a requirement for me. I would have enjoyed it though. Too bad.

Getting Ready to Sew

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:11:00 +0000

January 25th
I have to admit, I am a little scared to start sewing. I guess I am afraid my technique will not meet my expectation. I remember when I used to cater and I had a particularly difficult new recipe to prepare, I would get this same feeling. It always worked out one way or another and at the very least I learned something new about cooking. I'm sure it will be the same for this dress.

So procrastination...be gone!

January 26th
Today I took the plunge and started cutting out the test pattern. I feel as though I have forgotten everything there is to know about sewing. Mrs. Pitt where are you (7th grade home economics teacher)? As you can see in the photo, I had a furry friend to help support the cutting.

Once the cutting was done, Dalai thought the
bunches of material made for a nice place to take a nap.

Out came the directions and I was stumped right off the bat. The directions asked me to "gather". In times gone by I would have gone to my mother, grandmother, aunt or older friend to teach me, but today all you need is a computer hooked up to the internet. Gather. Still feeling unsure about all of this, as it took me hours to get my stitches on the machine to be just right and now I am being asked to fool around with the stitch length. I guess this will be a learning experience for sure. Be back in a minute.

I did it. I gathered, created darts and sewed the seams together. Biggest news is: It fits!!! Although there is no room for weight gain in the hip area. All the more reason to get exercising and toning a bit more.

I think I will also do a mock of the top, just to be sure it all fits. See you tomorrow.

I probably am the only person on Earth

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:31:00 +0000

Who could get excited about this!

I went to the thrift store to get a sheet so I could cut out my vintage dress pattern and give it a try on something inexpensive before actually taking the dive and cutting into the expensive fabric. I found just what I was looking for. A huge sheet or tablecloth that is plenty big enough to trial run the whole dress. It was only $1.00.

I was heading out to a hair appointment next door when I spotted this in the corner.

Oh Happy Day~Joy~Girlish Giggles

I just could not believe my eyes. Is that what I THINK it is? I undid the buckles and opened this gem up. I got even more giggly inside. It was too good to be true.

I looked around hoping no one else was eyeing it and planning to swoop it out from under me. It had a price tag of $2.50 on it. I wondered if it worked. I closed the lid, but not before noticing it had the directions still with it. It was pristine. I ran up to the register while trying to conceal my delight. "Excuse me Miss, could you plug this in and see if it works?". The sales lady looked at me with a slight smile and said, "sure".

She plugged it in and voila hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. It purred like a kitten and heated up just fine. I closed it down and said, "I'll take it". Walking out the door with a grin the size of Mt Rushmore I thought to myself, "How am I going to hide this from hubby? He will kill me if I bring one more thing into this house." Well I was too darn pleased with myself to worry about it today.

I think it might be a great way to dry my pooches after their bath. Holding them and a hand held dryer AND combing them is difficult.

I will figure that out anther day. Now where the heck are my curlers so I can try this baby out. Stay tuned. :)

Bohemian Chicken with Spazel. Oy!

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:00:00 +0000

Today I searched through this mega-cookbook to find the perfect recipe for dinner tonight. Something that was not too complicated and fairly quick to make. I settled on Bohemian Chicken with Spazel. It sounded good enough and was straight forward in the directions. At least until I went to start cooking it.

The first thing I cheated on was using my food processor. The recipe asked for the onion, pepper and garlic to be finely chopped. I started chopping it by hand and then said no~Food Processor.
Then I noticed that the recipe asked for paprika, but no where in the recipe did it tell when to add it, or for that matter ever talk about it again. It was only listed as an ingredient. Hmph. I sprinkled some on the chicken and added it to the broth. A little paprika never hurt anyone. I got the chicken and vegetables simmering on the stove and set out to make the spaetzle, something I have never cooked before. Although I DID watch Tyler Florence make it once on his show.

The spaetzle was a catastrophe. The recipe called for mixing 3 eggs with 4 1/2 Tablespoons of flour and some salt. When I read that I scratched my head thinking there was way too much liquid for that amount of flour, but decided to follow the recipe. What I got was a slithering mess of floury egg. I ran upstairs and kicked dear hubby off the computer and quickly googled spaetzle. Up came guess who? Tyler Florence. Eghads. His recipe called for 2 eggs to 1 cup flour and some milk. What to do? I went down and added more flour until it formed a lump. Truly a lump. The recipe in the mother book said to cut it into 1 inch pieces and so I did. Here is the result.

The recipe also called for boiling it in water. I still had chicken stock left over so I boiled it in that. Meanwhile I cooked up some nice brown butter. What doesn't taste good in brown butter?

Right?

These spaetzle were like miniature hockey pucks. They could be used as weapons. I was still not ready to give up on them though, so I chopped up some garlic and added it to the brown butter and the spaetzle. What doesn't taste good in brown butter and garlic? Eh-ummm. Right.

By this time I almost convinced myself they were, "not that bad". All that butter and garlic had to be good for something. I called for hubby and told him, "Vintage dinner is ready". What a good sport. He chuckled as I stood photographing this creation and said it looked good! Wow and thanks. It DID look good. Don't you think? But was it good? Well on a scale of 1-10 I would give the chicken a 6. It was not horrible but it will not be made again by me. The sauce was tasty soaked up with some chibbata.

The spaetzle on the other hand were horrible and we joked about them all through dinner. Some day I will get a real recipe and try these again. OhTyler, I need you. All in all, the chicken was tender and delicious and we just won't talk about the spaetzle ever again. I do get a funny feeling though that this may be a source of laughs between us for many years.

Size 12 Vintage = Size 4 Today

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:11:00 +0000

In preparation for sewing after almost 20 years, I went to a local sewing center to pick up supplies. Needles, bobbins, thread, tape measure and a lovely new "needle tomato". The next day I set about cleaning my office to make room for my sewing and whilst organizing I found all of my old sewing supplies. Here is my old tomato next to my new tomato. Which shall I use? In the end I will probably use both. I tend to work all over the place when I am creating. I am like a whirling dervish when I am in the process, so the more the merrier when it comes to supplies.

My one goal for yesterday was to lay out and cut the pieces for the dress. Unfortuntely I did not accomplish this. I took out all the pieces to make sure they were all accounted for. Which they were. Then I ironed the wrinkles and creases out of them. What I love about working with vintage patterns is that some other person long ago, used and created with the same pattern. You can find out a lot about that other person when sifting through old patterns. What I found out about this pattern is that whoever had it first created view 1. All of view 2 pieces (the dress I am making) are still uncut.

Back to why I did not cut the fabric. While pressing the paper pattern I looked with horror at the pieces for the skirt of the dress. Can you say straight and tiny? Oh dear. In general I am a fairly small person, but I am wondering if I am THAT small. I went and got my tape measure to tape my measurements against the pattern. Oy. The measurements DO NOT add up. However when I place the pattern piece against my body it feels like there might be just enough room. But then there are the darts.

I used to sew for my children and can honestly say that this dress is the most daring and complicated pattern I have sewn. I don't think I ever made myself a dress before and I want to do this one right. So I have decided to go to the thrift store and pick up a cheap sheet and cut the skirt out of and see if it will fit. I wish I had a dress form but this will have to do for now. Either that or I diet. Which might not be a bad idea anyway. Touche.

Sewing: A modern women tackles a vintage pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:21:00 +0000

Today is the day I start this new project. Sewing a dress from a vintage pattern from the 1950's. I am in love with this dress. Excited to start sewing it and anxious that my sewing skills will not be up to snuff to make this into the dress of my dreams. I purchased some wonderful material from a shop on Etsy. I chose two complimenting fabrics. I will sew the dress in the fabric on top. If you look close you will see dragonflys. The over skirt will be in the other fabric show at the bottom. There are bunnies on this fabric, although the photo does not show them. Recently on the Today Show they did a segment on mixing patterns in clothing and that it is a new trend. So I thought, why not mix the old with the new and see what transpires.

My goal for today is to lay the pattern out on the fabric and (gasp) cut it. It has been many, many years since I have sewn, but I am always one for a creative challenge and with fingers crossed I am praying for a wonderful new dress. Tag along as I blog about this new found passion and help me with ideas on where I might wear this. I have a perfect pair of gloves and pearls to complete the outfit. I say a garden tea party. Any thoughts?

Ready to Rumble?

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:36:00 +0000

It all started this spring when I went out one Sat. in search of vintage cooking ephemera to use on a cooking show my sister and I were in the process of doing. At one particular tag sale I hit the mother load. A box filled with over 50 pairs of vintage leather ladies gloves, silk slips, cookbooks, muffin warmer, toaster, and the amazing 1960's GE electric can opener below. My husband almost flipped his lid when I came home (and not in a good way). "Where are we going to put all of this stuff?" says he. "I'll find a spot", says me batting my eyelashes.

1960's GE electric can opener

When I first acquired this can opener it was dirty and needed a little TLC. I scrubbed a bit of the grime off and plugged it in. Zipppppppppp. Around it went and opened the can faster than any can opener I had ever used. It was magic and I loved it. Not the hubby though. He does not share my fascination with this household objet d'art. So it was put away in a closet till I pulled it out this morning to blog about it.

It seems so "Jetsonion" to me and I love the way the legs splay out beneath it. I have searched the internet, but have been unable to find out the year it was produced. I am guessing early 1960's. I did find out that GE developed the first electric can opener in 1958 and back in June I do believe I found a little more about this one on the internet, but today the information is gone. Sigh.

But with that, my can opener is plugged in and ready to start opening some cans. Will have to look for a recipe in the cookbook that uses cans.

Who is Margaret Mary McBride?

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:41:00 +0000

You've got to love a smiley face of raisins on your hot cereal in the morning.

As I looked through the cookbook last evening to make dinner, even though there are 1500 pages, I could not find a recipe that I wanted to cook AND I had the all the ingredients on hand to make. (In actuality I probably did, but nothing was appealing to me. I could have made an egg dish or something along those lines, or a breakfast dish, but ended up making mac and cheese with sausages baked in it) . I live 20 miles or more from a grocery store so if I don't have it on hand, I don't make a special trip. Next week I will make a list and start creating some of these wonders and highlight sections of the cookbook.

I did a search on the Internet to find out more about this cookbook and its author. Who she was and cooking don't seem to go hand in hand and there seems to be a disconnect. Here is Mary Margaret McBride's Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Margaret_McBride and here is a photo of her along with more info:
http://www.shemadeit.org/meet/summary.aspx?m=143

The book was published by the Homemakers Research Institute and it feels to me like they put her name on it to help sell the cookbook, but I can't be sure about that. In doing research I found that it also came in a 12 volume set that could be purchased at the grocery store. There are 12 color pages in the book at the beginning of each volume. I will take photos of these and post them at a later date.

The Vintage "Mother of all Cookbooks"

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:07:00 +0000

This past month, my husbands family home was sold and with that came much cleaning out of stuff that had been there for years and years. Just before Christmas he came home with a cookbook which I am calling the "Mother of all Cookbooks". I am just getting around to looking through it. It is a behemoth of a cookbook with over 1500 pages. The title of the book is Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking. The copyright on the book is 1959 and my husband believes it may have been a wedding present, as that was the year his parents married.

This past spring I started collecting vintage cooking pamphlets and cookbooks from the 1940's, 50's and 60's. Had I known such a wonder as this existed I may not have been so inclined to keep purchasing more. This has EVERYTHING in it for a 1950's homemaker. From how to tackle a recipe and measure correctly, to choosing wine and how to breastfeed a baby. It has a diet menu for relief of "ordinary constipation" as well as how to un-mold the ubiquitous gelatin mold. There is even a section on how to build an outdoor barbecue.

Imagine if Julie Powell of "Julia and Julie" fame decided to tackle this cookbook. It would be years before she finished. I think it would take me years just to count how many recipes are in it.

Each page of this enormous book is filled with black and white photographs as well as wonderful vintage graphics. Oh I am more than in love with this cookbook. I could yell from the top of a mountain about the wonders of it. I keep flipping through the pages as I am writing this and am finding more and more gems. I just love this little snowman image.

So what shall I do with this new found love that has crossed my path? Published in the year I was born I feel as though some kizmet has brought us together. Well, one thing I know for sure is this is not the last you will see or read about this cookbook. It is enough to make me change the name of my blog, but sassy lassie is just too perfect for who I am and what this is about.

Tonight I am going to search out a recipe and make it for dinner. Scott is not feeling so great, so I may look under the heading of "comfort food". Not sure if there IS one, but I would not put it past this book. There is probably a whole section on soft, porridge like food for when you are feeling down. Stay tuned and see what comes of this nights search.

Adios for now.

It has been months...

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:22:00 +0000

When I posted my last post in September, I was working on writing a post a day. That IS how blogs should work. Not this here and there stuff. What happened? It has been so long ago that now I can't even remember. But let my try to remember, which will be good for this aging peri-menopausal brain.

There was the garden and bounty of vegetables that needed tending.
There was our trip to Maine to visit my daughter.
hmmmmmm
Oh then there were the holidays.
The knitting.

Darn, It seems I have no excuse. At least no good excuse. So I won't try anymore excuses. I will just work on the blog.

I do have to say that my love of knitting did take me off course. I knit many gifts for Christmas. Knit, Knit, knit....that was all I did. No cooking, no cleaning. Just knitting and I loved it.

I have also become enamored with vintage sewing patterns. What can I say? I love the styles. I want to create each one I see. My head starts twirling and spinning in magical thoughts of crinoline, cotton and satin ribbons. I want to be 15 and going to a party with my beau, who waits outside in his '57 Chevy with sweaty palms and too much brill cream in his hair. I yearn for those days, which I never actually lived through. But then again, I love the age of the computer, so I want this grand mixture of then and now. Of youth and maturity. Of puppy love and secure, comfortable old love. I want it all. But for now I will just blog.

Bon Appetit

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:39:00 +0000

Was reading through the September Bon Appetit and trying to relax before heading out to work today and came across a couple of things I loved in the magazine.

First off in the travel section which is about the Bahamas it gave reference and pictures to Tippy's which is on the Island of Eluethera and right next door to Betty's house. Betty is our neighbor, well she is more than that, but let's just leave it at that for today's blog post. In the aerial photo you can see Betty's house to the left of Tippy's. She also owns the property that is vacant in the upper left of the photo. I believe it is two acres and it is for sale if there are any interested buyers out there. Scott and I spent a lovely 2 weeks there this past March. It is paradise.

Another shout out in Bon Appetit was for Hungry Mother's which is in Cambridge, Massachusetts and whose pastry chef is a Norfolkian and school-mate friend of my daughter Molly's. Her name is Heather Tirrell and here is a link to her new blog. I also love that their logo is a Cardinal, which is a very significant bird in my life.

I was inspired by the magazine and with only a few minutes left before heading to work, I pulled up the Bon Appetit website to have a look around and there before me was an article stating that Portland, Maine is this year's Foodiest Small Town in America. Wow again. Molly lives in Portland and we are heading for a visit toward the end of the month.

Food is such a big part of my life. I love everything about it.
It made my day seeing places I know and love highlighted in a national cooking magazine. Thanks Bon Appetit for the many years of enjoyment and recipes I have garnered from your pages.

Well that was fun!!

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Patti and I had a wonderful time doing another segment for Connecticut Style yesterday morning. I arrived at her house to pick her up at 7:15 and we managed to get on the road by 7:30 with food in tow and ready to go. Oh dear, now I am a poet!

When you arrive at the station you need to call them so they can let you into the locked doors, however Patti forgot Connie's phone number so we just hoped an angel would help us out and we were not disappointed. Within less than a minute there was someone to help us into the station, coolers, plates, cookbooks and aprons in hand.

We were then able to set up completely for the shoot in a very quite studio. Quiet except for Big Daddy, Moody and a few camera robots lurking around. We love all of them!

With everything set and ready to go we went to the "ladies room" to polish our unkempt hair and put on a "dab" Huh! more makeup! As we opened the door out of the studio who was standing there ready to walk into the studio but none other than the star of the show, Miss Sonia. Lots of hugs and kisses.

Hair and makeup fixed we went back to the studio to get ready to shoot.
I wore the apron I highlighted in the previous blog post and Miss Patricia wore a VERY SPECIAL apron signed by the grand dame of cooking herself, Julia Child.

5..4..3..2 "we're ready to shoot?", I exclaim.

Yup..1...and off we went. No time to fret or prepare thoughts, just off and taping...and then it was over.

Patti and I are preparing our next segment so stay tuned.

Vintage Aprons

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:43:00 +0000

Last spring when we were first asked to do a segment on Connecticut Style, Patti and I thought of bringing back a time when life was slower paced and food was home cooked (not packaged in a cardboard box ready for the microwave). We wanted to hear stories and memories of yesteryear and the food that brought families together. We still would love to hear those stories and hope through this blog, more stories and recipes will be shared.

I have been known to go a bit over the top when I get "into" something. I research it and want to be true and accurate. It can be a little annoying to some. Sorry. This was my approach a few months ago when Patti and I started Meals~Memories and Messages. I started searching out at tag sales, thrift shops and eBay, items and cookbooks that were from eras gone by. I love reading the pamphlets that came with refrigerators and other appliances and I will share them with you in the days ahead. Some of them are true gems.

The other item I started collecting was vintage aprons. How glorious it feels to wear one and bake a pie. I had rarely worn one in the past while cooking, instead ruining a fair amount of clothes over the years with stains and even burns. But now I have seen the light.

I have hostess aprons (not REALLY meant for serious cooking) and aprons that wrap all around by body and even have pockets. I have a few workhorse aprons that I know were tenderly used by a women I will never know to make delicious meals. They are hand-sewn and smell like Crisco and all things wonderful even after some washings.

This beauty above was given to me recently by my daughter for my 50th birthday.

I love these aprons and will share more of them in future posts. Do you have a favorite apron? Share it with me here.

Connecticut Style. Hope you will watch.

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:41:00 +0000

Yesterday, I received a phone call from the producer of Connecticut Style asking Patti and me to be on the show this coming Friday. Sure I said, completely unsure as to how we could pull off a segment with just a couple of days notice.

Patti and I brainstormed and thought of doing a segment on school lunches that were prepared with love my mothers and fathers of days gone by. But we could find little inspiration or recipes, for that matter. PB &J, bologna and american cheese or tuna sandwiches did little to inspire a segment worth watching. ( If you have a favorite school lunch meal, memory or recipe please do share).

Hmmmmmmmmm.

Having just blogged about Julia Child as an inspiration for my passion for cooking, I gave Patti a call and left her a message suggesting some of Julia’s recipes. She called back loving the idea and so that is where we will go with the segment.

This morning I pulled out my cookbook The Way to Cook to look for inspiration and a recipe or recipes that we could do in a matter of minutes on a television segment. I think I have found them, but I need to check with Miss Patti and see what she thinks. You my friends will have to watch the segment to see. See you there.

Inspired by Julia?

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:40:00 +0000

For those that know me, cooking is a passion that has been with me for over 30 years. As mentioned in the previous post, I kind of understand where it came from, but that only hints at how it developed. I have never really questioned my inner self about it until this moment. Right here, right now. So bear with me as I ponder and question my inner self, before your very eyes.

As I mentioned, my mom saw cooking as a chore, and although her mother, who was Italian, could cook, she did not influence me. I don’t remember eating too many of her dishes other than her famous (within our family) fried dough. My other grandmother was Irish and I don’t recall ever having a meal that she cooked. She baked for us once in awhile, but was not known for her cooking skills. No aunts or uncles to pass this down to me. Sorry Karen, but no big sister to teach me. Could it have been Home Economics in seventh grade with Mrs Pitt? Maybe a little bit, and sewing for sure, but that is another story.

Hmmmm, I just can’t come up with a family member or other person who I had contact with other than “the Welz girls and Grammy Thompson”. But there was Julia. I would watch her on TV and giggle as she cooked in her beloved effervescent way. She taught me that cooking was fun and not intimidating. I saw it as an extension to who I was. Nothing was too hard for me to try. And try I did.

In today’s school system, there is no doubt that I would have been labeled and possibly drugged for ADD (Attention Deficit Delight). I refuse to call it a “disorder”. How dare they. I am inquisitive, and quick minded and move fast from subject to subject. I can multi-task with the best of them and this is a trait often needed in the kitchen. I can move in many directions (in my mind) at once, I love to follow directions and this is how I came to REALLY understand the world of cooking and food. I read cookbooks and followed the directions to a T. I collected and collected cookbooks, comparing one recipe with another for the same dish.

The first cookbook I owned was given to me for a bridal shower present in 1979 and written by Julia Child. I was just 19 years old. It was Julia Child & Company (1978). Unfortunately I no longer have it. But I do have, and use often , The Way to Cook.

As I come to the end of my musing, I’m not sure if I have come to a firm conclusion on where I learned my love of cooking. I guess it has just been a journey. One meal and recipe at a time.

Grandma Bishop’s Fried Dough (not really fried at all)

Dough recipe courtesy of Cooks.com

4 cups bread or all purpose flour (white)
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 packet active dry yeast, or 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons olive oil (any good brand), but extra virgin is best
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar, or 1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup milk or 1/4 cup water

Preheat oven 450°F.

I prefer using milk for the liquid in this recipe. It adds flavor to your dough. But if you don’t have it, use water.

Using a large ceramic mixing bowl, or any suitable food safe bowl, add the flour, make a “well” in middle, and put in 1 teaspoon salt, stir to combine well. Set aside.

Prepare the starter: In a liquid measuring cup pour in 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water, 1 teaspoon sugar or honey, and one package of active dry yeast. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes. Allow to foam up (or proof).

Next, mix the starter (yeast water) and the milk in the bowl containing the flour with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir together using a wooden spoon or clean hands.

Note: You will need additional flour to knead on the surface that you’re working on. Knead for about 8 minutes or until you get a smooth elastic rubbery dough ball.

Set aside in bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil to keep the dough from drying out. Let dough sit covered lightly with plastic wrap or use a plate or damp clean towel to cover it.

Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes to an hour.

Grandma Bishop’s preparation

Take a handful of dough and form into small ball. Bigger than a golf ball, smaller than a tennis ball. Place on oiled cookie sheet (6 to a sheet) and flatten slightly with palm of hand to shape of disc. Cover with towel and let rise for 1 hour.

Heat 1/2 cup of good olive oil in bottom of large skillet on medium heat. You do not want it getting to a smoking level. Carefully place 3-4 pieces of dough into pan and let brown. Flip dough and brown other side. Turn down heat if it is browning too fast. The inside needs to cook as well. If you feel the dough has browned too fast and the inside needs more cooking. Place dough on sheet pan into 350 degree oven to finish cooking.

Top with your favorite sauce and plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetit!

A Dedication to the Welz Girls and Grammy Thompson

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 13:38:00 +0000

The summer bounty from our garden is in full bloom and with that lots of cooking to make use of these wonderful gifts from God. I just love the process of seeing food go from seeds, to seedlings, to plants, to vegetables and finally to either a simple or complex meal on the table.

Cooking has been a passion of mine since I was a small girl. In my home growing up we had five children of which I was the fourth. Although my mother cooked for the whole family every night, my mom did not enjoy cooking. It was just another chore for this thoroughly modern women of the 60’s and 70’s, and she used prepared food often.

One of my best friends in grammar school, Karen Welz, also came from a family of five, where she too was number four. We went to kindergarten together in Norfolk, Conn and then onto Catholic school in a town thirty minutes away for first and second grade. I don’t really remember the reason, but for third grade my parents sent me and my brother to another Catholic school and Karen changed to the elementary school in the town of Norfolk, Center School. I disliked my new school immensely and cried almost every day on the way to school begging my father not to make me go. It was so traumatic that they finally sent be to a counselor. Actually I think it was a psychiatrist. I was miserable. Again, I don’t remember if it was my ranting or what, but for fourth grade I was finally put in Center School where I reunited with not only Karen, but other friends from town. I was happy again although still somewhat traumatized, and would not spend the night at any friends house until a fateful summer night when I was invited over to the Welzes.

All five girls fawned over me and made it so much fun to spend the night that I stayed for a week. With (I think) brief visits to my home which was walking distance away. Or maybe I saw my mother at our local beach and that was enough to satisfy me that all was well at home. I worried a lot as a child. Which is why latter in life I developed the website www.isurrenderthis.com.

I digress. The Welz’s had a house full of girls and I loved it. The oldest daughter Ann loved to bake and often times (it felt like every day to me) there was a lovely cake or cookies for us to eat. These were not the boxed cakes that I was familiar from in my home, they were sifted and measured and made from fresh ingredients. I thought this was fantastic. It was beyond my imagination and soon I asked my mother if I could bake a cake from “scratch”.

My mom was agreeable and we set to finding the perfect cake. My dad loved bananas and I chose a banana spice cake. The only thing I remember about making this cake was making a “special” list of ingredients to set out for the milkman. Cream, cream cheese and extra eggs.

The next thing I tried to bake was a cheesecake. I must have been about eleven years old. I felt fairly confident in my ability and don’t remember asking for help…thus…I put 3 Tablespoon of salt instead if 3 teaspoons and it was a disaster and had to be thrown away. That was an expensive mistake.

Another best friend of mine was Caryn O’Brien or OB for short. She was an only child and lived with her mom and grandparents. Her home was another, completely different from my own. Here they at “formal” dinners at the expansive dining room table…and they ate late. Most nights I spent there, Caryn and I ate in the enormous eat-in kitchen well before the adults. This was so exotic and wonderful. Her grandmother, Grammy, was a wonderful cook. Straight out of the pages of Julia Childs. I remember watching her make “Chicken Croquettes” and being amazed. I could not believe people ate this way, but for Caryn, it was just the way things were. I was inspired again.

I know for a fact that having these two girls as friends changed my feelings about food forever. I wanted to be able to make anything and know how to do it. As a very young bride of 19, I invited my whole family and by husband at the time’s family over for our first Thanksgiving. My grandparents even flew northeast to share in this event. I made EVERYTHING from scratch. From Boston Brown Bread, Sally Lunn Rolls and pies to ordering a real Smithfield Ham from Virginia to go with the turkey. It still amazes me today.

So cheers to you my friends Caryn and Karen…who I might add are both amazing cooks…for inviting me over and sharing your wonderful homes with me.

Here we are today

A Toast Party

noreply@blogger.com (Lassie Sullivan) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:36:00 +0000

Recently I picked one of these up at a tag sale. It is a chrome wonder! When I researched it on the web I found out that MY toaster was made sometime between March 1946 and June 1947 and it STILL works.

It came with its own toast cutter and prongs for removing the toast. Upon further research I happily discovered that it was part of a “toaster set” called a “Toastmaster Hospitality Tray”. So with that swell news I think I am up for hosting a ‘toast party’. Who wants to come?

Ad reads: When you own a Toastmaster Hospitality Set, your cocktail parties are an assured success. Your guests don’t have to juggle as they handle a glass, canape, a napkin or a cigarette. They use the roomy, different Toastmaster Lap Tray. And you too “Join the Party” because your time is not taken up preparing hors d’oeuvres. Let the guests make their own. They simply help themselves to toast and to the tasty spreads contained in the beautiful Duncan glass dishes, and go on their way praising your good taste and good providing.

Gosh, I just love the simplicity and yet formality of it all. I am going to check into this further and as sure as the day turns into night I am going to host a party. Why wouldn’t I? It sounds like it is a snap to prepare. Ladies and Gents get ready.