But as I leathered into grand-old-man authenticity, I discovered that cooking gave me a certain sense of satisfaction …. a sense of self nurturing ….. and a great regret that I had waited for half a century to discover that.
Today, whenever I am asked about the numerous professions that I have been involved in; be it a miner, newpaperman, trapper, office worker. I often add, that given my druthers, I think I would have enjoyed a career as a chef.
My Favorite Sweet Potato Pie
1 Unbaked pastry shell, 9-inch
3 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Preparation
Combine hot potatoes and butter in a large mixing bowl; mix well. Add sugar and eggs; blend with mixer on low speed until smooth. Add milk and spices. Blend well and pour into pastry-lined pie shell. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes, or until firm.
Rice Pudding
2 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 c. scalded milk
2/3 c. white or brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. raisins
3 tbsp. soft butter
Combine all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased crock pot. Cook on high 1 to 2 hours. Stir during first 30 minutes.
Blind River Fish Batter
3/8 cup Flour
1/8 cup Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Baking Soda
1 Egg White
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Water
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Parsley
1/2 tsp Paprika
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well blended. Dip fish fillets in flour and coat each side, then dip in fish in batter and fry in oil until golden brown. Place fried fish on paper towels to drain off excess oil.
Goes well with pike, salmon, halibut and catfish.
Sensational Bread Pudding From The Crock Pot
3 eggs, beaten
3 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread cubes or soft torn bread
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
Combine all ingredients, gently stirring until bread crumbs or cubes are thoroughly moistened. Place mixture in a greased slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Crock Pot Baked Beans
2 pounds navy beans (softened in water overnight)
1 small chopped onion
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup syrop
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 pound salted pork cut into small cubes
Mix all incredients together in greased crock pot. Low heat for 8 hours.
Pulled Beef
beef roast
¼ water
1 ½ cups barbeque sauce
chopped garlic
black pepper
Place roast in a crock pot with 1/4 cup of water and cook on high until the meat separates from the bone and fat easily.
Remove roast from crock pot and pull meat away from fat and bone with a fork, discarding the fat and bone.
Leave at least 1/2 cup of the beef broth in the pot and ad 1 – 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce, chopped garlic and black pepper.
Return the meat to the pot and stir into sauce. Let simmer on low for 1/2 hour.
You could serve this over noodles or with baked potatoes but I think the best is on a bakery fresh bun.
Quebec Sugar Pie
2 cups brown sugar
5 tablespoons flour
I can condensed milk
I teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vanilla
Mix first three incedients together. Bring to boil. Add remaining ingredients. Pour in pie shell. Place in pregheated oven 400 for 5 minutes. Then about 30 minutes at 350.
Shoo-fly Pie
Line two 9-inch pie pans with homemade crust and chill. (Or chill store-bought unbaked pie crusts- which is the approach I take.)
Bottom:
1 cup molasses
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup warm water
Stir baking soda into warm water. Add molasses. Stir until foamy.
Crumbs:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 to 1/3 cup butter
Mix flour, sugar and baking soda. Cut shortening into flour mixture until it makes very fine crumbs.
Pour molasses mixture into chilled piecrusts. Sprinkle crumbs over the top. Bake in oven at 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. And bake until crust is browned and the filling is set, about 35 minutes.
My Apple Pandowdy
Topping
1 1/4 C butter
2/3 C sugar
1 egg
1 C milk
2 1/2 C flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 C peeled, sliced apples
1/3 C brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
Butter a 9" square baking dish. Place sliced apples in buttered baking dish and sprinkle with a mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in egg. Add flour mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture to make a stiff batter.
Spread batter evenly over apples and bake for about 50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for at least ten minutes before serving. You can serve it right out of the pan, or invert it onto a serving plate like an upside-down cake, warm or at room temperature.
Some History Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pandowdy
Shoo Fly Pie is a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch dessert. Brown sugar, molasses, shortening, salt, and spices were all non-perishable ingredients that could survive the long ocean's crossing to America made by German immigrants. The pie's unusual name is said to be due to the fact that pies were traditionally set to cool on windowsills, and because of the sweet ingredients, the cook would constantly have to shoo the flies away.
Apple Pandowdy is type of cobblers (also known as duffs, grunts and slumps) .
I haven’t been able to find the exact origin of the name Pandowdy, but some have said that it refers to the dessert's plain or "dowdy" appearance. But looks can be deceiving, apple pandowdy is delicious, especially topped with a bit of ice cream ( my personal favorite) or whipped cream.
If you are around the age that I am, you may recall hearing "Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy" sung by Dinah Shore. Actually it was first performed by June Christy singing with Stan Kenton and his orchestra. A cover version performed by Dinah Shore in 1946 was her first top-ten hit. It was also recorded by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, and by Ella Fitzgerald. The song was written by songwriter Guy Wood. As a side note the present-day rights to the song are held by Paul McCartney.
The recording by Dinah Shore was released by Columbia Records and it reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on April 4, 1946 and lasted 2 weeks on the chart, peaking at #7. The recording by Stan Kenton/June Christy was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 235. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on March 14, 1946 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #8.
Shoo Fly Pie And Apple Pan Dowdy
Dinah Shore
If you wanna do right by your appetite,
If you're fussy about your food,
Take a choo-choo today, head New England way,
And we'll put you in the happiest mood. with:
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
Makes your eyes light up,
Your tummy say "Howdy."
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
I never get enough of that wonderful stuff.
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan dowdy makes the sun come out
When Heavens are cloudy,
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy,
I never get enough of that wonderful stuff!
Mama! When you bake,
Mama! I don't want cake;
Mama! For my sake
Go to the oven and make some ever lovin' Sh,
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
Makes your eyes light up,
Your tummy say "Howdy,"
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
I never get enough of that wonderful stuff!
