Old-Fashioned Fruitcake

A true family favorite here! This is "Aunt Stella's Fruit Cake," and it's delicious (and labor intensive). As with many old-fashioned recipes, you'll have to use some intuition and general cooking know how. I can find many of these ingredients in my local grocery's bulk section, so I "eyeball" some of the amounts. Photos of some of the steps follow the main recipe. It's also part of The Recipe Box Project.

Old-Fashioned Fruitcake

• 1 pound butter
• 1 pound sugar
• 1 dozen eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 pounds flour
• 1 t. nutmeg
• 1 t. cloves
• 1-2 t. cinnamon (we use 2)
• 1 t. allspice
• ~12-oz. raisins
• 1 pound candied cherries (we like a mix of green and red)*
• 1 1/2 pounds mixed candied fruit (pineapple, citron, lemon, and orange peel)*
• 1 "package" currants, optional (~6 ounces?)
• 1 "package" dried figs (~6 ounces?) or small jar fig preserves
• ~6-7 ounces dates, preferably chopped
• 1 pound nuts (we like pecans), preferably chopped
• cheesecloth
• bourbon

*you will need 2 1/2 pounds, total, of candied fruit. The more you can find already chopped, the better. Mixed fruit containers are fine, but you will want at least one small container of whole cherries if you want to use some to decorate the top.

Directions:

1. Prepare pans: line with parchment paper and spray thoroughly. We use aluminum loaf pans in various sizes. Preheat oven to 200-250 degrees (aim for the middle if you don't know your oven well).
2. Sift flour and spices together. Set aside.
3. Chop all fruit and nuts that aren't already chopped. You can combine them all in the same (large) bowl. Set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar together.
5. Beat eggs and gradually add to butter/sugar mixture, beating thoroughly as you go.
6. Gradually add in flour/spices mixture, beating thoroughly after each addition.
7. Add in preserves, if using.
8. Pour batter over fruit/nut mixture. Stir well with a giant, wooden spoon, or go ahead and use your hands! (This is what we do.)
9. Scoop batter into prepared pans.
10. Bake for around 3 hours in a "very low oven." Check after 2 1/2. You're looking for a clean toothpick, but also that the top looks done. 
11. Remove cakes from pans and let cool. When completely cooled, pour some bourbon over (you can poke a few holes in the top of the cakes with a toothpick for even more bourbon flavor).
12. Wrap cakes in cheesecloth. Place each cheesecloth-covered cake in a tin with a lid and let "cure" for a few weeks. It will taste best after a few weeks of this "curing" stage.
13. Fruitcakes may be frozen before the bourbon/cheesecloth stage. 

~Makes 3 standard loaf-pans.

Directions with some photos:

• Prepare pans: line with parchment paper and spray thoroughly. We use aluminum loaf pans in various sizes. Preheat oven to 200-250 degrees (aim for the middle if you don't know your oven well).
• Sift flour and spices together. Set aside.
• Chop all fruit and nuts that aren't already chopped. You can combine them all in the same (large) bowl. Set aside.

• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Beat eggs and gradually add to butter/sugar mixture, beating thoroughly as you go.
• Gradually add in flour/spices mixture, beating thoroughly after each addition.
• Add in preserves, if using.
• Pour batter over fruit/nut mixture. Stir well with a giant, wooden spoon, or go ahead and use your hands! (This is what we do.)

• Scoop batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for around 3 hours in a "very low oven." Check after 2 1/2. You're looking for a clean toothpick, but also that the top looks done. 

• Remove cakes from pans and let cool. When completely cooled, pour some bourbon over (you can poke a few holes in the top of the cakes with a toothpick for even more bourbon flavor).

• Wrap cakes in cheesecloth. Place each cheesecloth-covered cake in a tin with a lid and let "cure" for a few weeks. It will taste best after a few weeks of this "curing" stage.
• Fruitcakes may be frozen before the bourbon/cheesecloth stage. 

~Makes 3 standard loaf-pans. If you did it right, your kitchen will look something like this ;-) :

And, just for fun, a little peek into the recipe box archives:

Butterfudge Cooky Pie

In honor of Pi Day (March 14), we make a pie, naturally. This year's recipe was chosen from the Recipe Box. The spelling of this recipe title is what is on the card!

Full disclosure: there are a LOT of luscious looking pie recipes in that box. I forbid anyone choosing any fruit-based recipes because now is not the season for delicious fresh strawberries, peaches, and so forth. The kids chose this simple pie out of all the non-fruity ones. We could make a pie every week and it would be fall before we ran out of new recipes from the box! Sounds like a tasty problem to me.

Note: This is essentially a giant, richly chocolatey cookie as the crust with ice cream on top. The texture is reminiscent of shortbread, but not quite that crumbly. If you're not a butter pecan fan, other ice cream flavors that work with chocolate would be delicious (especially something like mint chocolate chip or a dark cherry).

Butterfudge Cooky Pie
~from my grandmother

• 1/2 c. soft butter
• 1/4 c. sifted powdered sugar
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1 c. flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2-oz. melted semi sweet chocolate and cooled slightly
• 1 quart butter pecan ice cream (or other of your choosing)
• hot fudge topping

Directions

1. Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla thoroughly. Sift flour and salt together. Add to butter mixture and blend. Add melted chocolate and blend well. Chill 30 to 40 minutes (it's helpful if it's in a ball or flattened round--any stray bits will be hard to reincorporate). This step is important. I didn't chill mine enough, and the crust sank a little as it cooked, so you can't see a "fluted edge" or anything in my pictures.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pat dough in a 9-inch ungreased pie pan. Flute edge, prick, and bake 10-12 minutes. Cool.
3. Add softened ice cream and fudge sauce right before serving.

Serves 8

Recipe card in my grandmother's handwriting pictured below. 

Simple Slaw

Need a quick, lightly dressed slaw for a side dish? This one is simple, but delicious. The dressing isn't overpowering, the cabbage stays crisp for at least a day after it's made, and there are no complicated ingredients. 

There's a mystery behind this recipe from my grandmother's recipe box, though. It was placed in the "vegetables" category instead of the "salads" category, but the really interesting thing is this: no one seems to know who wrote the original recipe (the women of my family don't recognize the handwriting--and we're all old enough to have seen and used actual handwriting enough to know whose is whose. My grandmother's usual slaw recipe was a creamy style.)

Even stranger is the recipe on the back of this little slip of paper: it's for fried catfish, but the directions are downright intimidating. Since I live in the Northwest, I'm not likely to wrangle any fresh catfish anytime soon, so that means I'm a'gonna pass on this here gem. See the card pictured below if you're curious--would YOU try this recipe? ;-)

Simple Slaw

2 bags slaw mix

1 bell pepper, chopped (any color; original calls for green)

1 onion, chopped

Dressing

1/2 c. neutral oil (canola, vegetable, etc.)

1/2 c. white vinegar

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. water

Combine dressing ingredients in jar with a lid; shake to combine. Mix slaw ingredients together. Make a "well" or hole in the middle and pour the dressing in. When ready to serve, toss together. Add salt and pepper at the table as needed.

Makes about 8-10 cups slaw

Recipe from the Recipe Box pictured below. Handwriting/origin is a mystery!

Asparagus Dressing

This is a simple Hollandaise-style dressing to serve with cooked asparagus. I roasted my asparagus at 425 degrees (tossed with olive oil and salt, pepper, and garlic salt first) for about 10 minutes. Older/thicker asparagus would need a bit more time. Asparagus can be served at room temperature when prepared like this. Recipe is from The Recipe Box Project and was typed on an old typewriter by PW (I think).

Asparagus Dressing

~from my grandmother's recipe box

1 T. vinegar
3 T. vegetable or canola or other neutral oil
yolk of one hard-boiled egg, mashed
1 t. Dijon mustard
Roasted asparagus

Mix dressing ingredients together, whisking until emulsified. Drizzle over cooked asparagus.

~Makes almost half a cup, enough for a couple pounds of asparagus.

Recipe card typed on an old typewriter

Fresh Spinach Salad

A fairly standard fresh spinach salad recipe, this came from my grandmother's recipe box! I used green onions instead of red, and they worked fine. The dressing makes quite a bit (2 cups!), so be prepared for leftovers!

Fresh Spinach Salad

~from my grandmother's recipe box

1 pound fresh spinach

1 small red onion, sliced

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

6 slices bacon, cooked, chopped

1 small onion, minced

1 c. vegetable oil

1/3 c. vinegar

1/3 c. sugar (or less)

1 T. Dijon mustard

1 t. celery seed

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

Directions:

1. Wash and tear spinach. 
2. Combine dressing ingredients in a lidded jar: minced onion, oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Shake and chill. 
3. Arrange spinach, eggs, bacon, and eggs on plates and drizzle with dressing.

Recipe card in my grandmother's handwriting

Fresh Fruit Salad

This simple, delicious fruit salad can be made ahead of time and uses fruit that is readily available year round. Fruit amounts are flexible; I added a few more grapes. Note: this is very similar to Aunt Elsie's Fruit Salad, but it uses more natural ingredients and isn't quite as sweet.

Fresh Fruit Salad
~from my grandmother's recipe box

2 small bananas, sliced
2 small apples, diced
1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
1/2 c. seedless red grapes
1/2 c. seedless green grapes
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. water
3 T. orange juice
1 1/2 T. lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine all fruit ingredients in medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
2. Combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Gradually whisk in 1/2 cup water, orange juice, and lemon juice until blended. Bring sugar mixture to a boil, whisking constantly, over medium heat. Boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Pour mixture over fruit, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 4 hours.

~Makes 6-8 servings

Recipe card from my grandmother's recipe box--in her handwriting

The Recipe Box Project

It's been TEN years since I started this little food blog.

When I started full tummies, I envisioned it an "interactive cookbook" rather than a fancy food blog loaded with images and lots of text. I still envision it that way. And so, it's time to begin a new project: testing out the recipes in my grandmother's recipe box!

I inherited her recipe boxes when she left this world for heaven. After weeding out the obvious rejects and the duplicates (um, how many tomato aspic recipes are really necessary?), I'm left with an interesting collection of family favorites. Sweets and side dishes dominate. Ordinary, old-fashioned fruits and vegetables are plentiful; there is nary a single recipe for kale.

I'll post a photo of the recipe card along with a new typed recipe as I try each recipe. I'll also post a picture, but I am NOT a "photographer." Initials with the recipes will help family members know the source of the recipe. I do not plan to explain them more fully.

Food Books: Annual Round-Up!

I really enjoy reading books about food, and once a year or so, I post a round-up of several food-related titles that were fun, interesting reads. This year's round-up is quite diverse and covers a range of topics. (I will add 2 more in the coming days, so check back.) Here are the 2012 round-up and 2013 round-up.

The Dorito Effect: the Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor by Mark Schatzger. Simon & Schuster, 2015.

Ever wonder what makes Doritos taste like, well, Doritos? In this truly fascinating read, Schatzger outlines the lengths that big food companies go to in order to sell us their products. A shortage of vanilla beans caused companies to figure out just what panoply of flavors are required for a person to be convinced by artificial vanilla. Making chips taste analogous to tacos really can launch a new national craze. Schatzger doesn't end with any surprising recommendations for those of us in the Western world who are faced with tasty non-food substances other than to eat... real food. But it was eye opening to read nonetheless and begins to explain a bit of why lesser known varieties of, say, tomatoes really do taste better from a local friend's garden than the big box variety at the local supermarket (hint: it's not just that they're fresher).



Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan. Three Rivers Press, 2015.*

In a sea of serious, often alarmist food-related titles, Gaffigan sets sail in a rowboat of laughter. With titles like "An Eatie, Not a Foodie," "Doughnuts: The Circle of Life," and "Pastrami Playdate," commedian Gaffigan applies all his snarky, funny sense of humor to the stuff we eat and consume on a regular basis as Americans. Unapologetically unhealthy in his food interests and habits, Gaffigan brings the "real us" out in public, the "us" who likes to "eat our feelings" (because they taste good!), the "us" who are victims of changing food trends on basic commodities such as milk, and the "us" who--like Gaffigan--just might view ketchup as the universal condiment. Gaffigan offers up his food geography of the U.S., comments on his frequent travels and culinary experiences, and is consistently funny. The book is broken up into very short chapters which is helpful as Gaffigan is a bit long-winded at times. It's easy to skip around and read the chapters that pique your interest most.

Doritos Effect image from amazon; Food cover image from publisher
*I received Food: a Love Story from blogging for books in return for a fair review.

Cool Weather Menu Rotation

I've done basic menu rotations for YEARS. They free me up both to think creatively within boundaries and to plan my grocery runs for the basics when times get busy. Before I share this year's cold weather menu rotation, let me share how I plan/what I take into account:

• what day is grocery day? 
• which day is busiest?
• which day has the most time?
• which is our early morning?
• dietary needs
• budget
• family faves

I'm used more rigid guidelines in the past. One year, I had a starch rotation and that worked well: Monday night was rice night, Tuesday was tortillas, etc. But this is what's working well for us this year with busy school age kids (and hungry boys!) and a busy momma and dad.

Cool Weather Menu Rotation: Breakfasts

All breakfasts have fruit on the side.... My hungry kids also often have some plain yogurt with honey in it as a side. Growing kids are blessings even if they do eat us out of house and home!

• Monday: eggs + starch (toast, biscuits, tortillas, etc.); this is often breakfast burrito day with random leftovers from Saturday night if applicable
• Tuesday: Muffins (from mix or from scratch) + protein (eggs, yogurt, cheese, etc.)
• Wednesday: Oatmeal (my grocery day; even if we're out of milk and eggs, I can still make oatmeal! Also my early morning day, and oatmeal is predictable) + whatever protein I have on hand
• Thursday: eggs + starch (toast, biscuits, etc.)
• Friday: "Fun" Friday (apple pancake, etc.)
• Saturday: whatever...
• Sunday: coffee cake + eggs

Cool Weather Menu Rotation: Dinners

• Monday: Meatless Monday (cliche by now, but it works!)
• Tuesday: Traditional (my extra time afternoon; think: meat and three, chicken pot pie, etc. In other words, this is the main day I cook!)
• Wednesday: Chili and Cornbread (we just rotate chili recipes; many chili recipes are crock pot friendly or can be put in a Dutch oven in the oven at 250 degrees for several hours)
• Thursday: Picnic Night*
• Friday: Family Fun Night: something everyone likes; veggies are often in scant supply on this night. Everything from store bought lasagna to Chicken Bog to apple dumplings makes an appearance.
• Saturday: Burritos or Stir-Fry
• Sunday: varies

*Picnic Night is something I started when I had grad classes in the evening for a few years running: one night a week, we plan ahead for sandwiches, chips, cookies--anything that's quick, easy, and can be made ahead. Lunchmeat, pb&j, tuna, hot dogs, whatever. I keep the little bags of chips on hand for easy portion control, pull out paper plates, etc. It's a kid-pleaser and a boon on the busiest day of the week, especially for those nights when mom is rushing off somewhere and leaving dad in charge of clean-up after his own busy day! 

image credit

Soaked Oat Porridge

This has become my go to recipe for oatmeal. Mmmm.... The best of both steel cut oats and regular old-fashioned oats. It's a bit more work, but not much.

Soaked Oat Porridge
~Bowl + Spoon

• 1 c. steel-cut oats
• 2 c. milk (nondairy is fine)
• 2 c. water
• 1 c. rolled grain flakes*
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• maple syrup or honey, for serving
• milk or cream or creme fraiche, for serving
• 2 c. sliced fresh fruit or berries (or some raisins/Craisins)

*I use a mix of several rolled grains or just straight up oats; official recipe calls for wheat or rye or a combination

1. The night before: combine steel-cut oats with water to cover by 2 inches. Cover. You can do this in the same pot you plan to cook in, but it will take some strategy in the morning. I use a separate bowl.
2. In the morning: drain oats. Warm milk and 2 c. water in medium pot until little bubbles appear on the sides. Add oats, rolled grains, salt, and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until desired consistency.
3. Serve with above mentioned toppings or others of your choice.

~Serves 4

All-Purpose Muffin Mix

Many cookbooks have all-purpose muffin recipes plus a number of variations. I use Bittman's basic recipe all the time (from How to Cook Everything). But it's nice to have a healthy muffin mix on hand, especially when I'm turning the cooking over to the kids! This is one my friend Alondra concocted several years ago. It's low fat, full of whole grains, and adaptable to lots of variations.

All-Purpose Muffin Mix

• 8 c. flour (we use 3 c. oats, 2 c. white flour, 3 c. white whole wheat)
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. baking powder
• 1 T. salt
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. shortening or butter*

*You can use either; I prefer butter, but this means during the warmer months, when my house is warmer, I have to store the mixes in the freezer.

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in butter. If you do this in a food processor, your oats will become oat flour. Divide into storage containers or ziplock bags. Makes 4 batches (~2.5 cups mix each).

For baking, add:

• 1/2 c. applesauce or mashed banana
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 c. milk
• other ingredients as you wish (nuts, raisins, blueberries, etc.)

Spoon batter in 12 greased or lined muffin cups. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon and sugar if desired. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Cookbook Review: Bowl + Spoon

Bowl + Spoon
Sara Forte and Hugh Forte
Ten Speed Press, 2015

Flipping through cookbooks and "reading" them is something I do to gain new inspiration and just plain pass the time. It's fun. When a cookbook is about something I already enjoy, even better! I've talked about our "bowl" approach to meals before, so when I saw a cookbook that promised mea-in-a-bowl recipes, I sensed a perfect fit.

Sara Forte comes up with new recipes on her blog, Sprouted Kitchen, and her husband Hugh turns them into delectable photographs. With their background, this new cookbook promised to be inventive and beautiful. In that sense, it fully succeeds. On a first "flip through," I dog-eared several recipes that sounded especially delicious. Coffee table book success.

But for a "simple," weekday approach to meals, it doesn't work as well. Forte may believe these are simple, ordinary meals, but for me (and most of my friends), they are too complex for a simple weeknight dinner. I love vegetables, and I'm certainly not averse to the chopping and prepping a reasonably healthy and fresh meal takes. But when a recipe calls for multiple ("simple") steps, it's still multiple steps. Add in multiple dishes to wash, and I'll keep flipping the pages. I think of "bowl" meals as simple fair.

My goal is to try at least 3 recipes before rating/reviewing a cookbook. However, even though I've had this cookbook for a couple of months, I have only tried two. Both were delicious, and the oatmeal has changed the way I cook oatmeal! (Forte combines both steel cut oats and regular, old-fashioned oats for a delightfully creamy, hearty concoction.) I'm sure the rest of the recipes will be just as delicious when I get around to them. For now, though, I find myself trying new things from The Great Big Pressure Cooker Cookbook and others on my shelf.

Thanks to blogging for books for a review copy of this book in return for my fair review.

Cookbook Review: The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book

The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book: 500 Easy Recipes for Every Machine, Both Stovetop and Electric
Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
Clarkston Potter, 2015

If you've never tried one of the modern, electric pressure cookers, you're missing out! I got an Instant Pot for Christmas (2013), and it quickly became a workhorse in my kitchen. Brown rice is perfect every time, frozen chicken breasts become pulled chicken in a matter of minutes, and I can even program it to cook while we're out.

Not all pressure cookers are the same, so I was skeptical about a cookbook that could work for every machine. But The Great Big Pressure Cooker Book has worked like a charm for me every time so far!  Contents include Breakfast, Soups, Meat, Poultry, Fish/Shellfish, Vegetables/Beans/Grains, and Desserts sections. Some, like the Vegetables/Beans/Grains chapter are broken down into subsections.

The pressure cooker really shines in cooking whole grains (like the aforementioned brown rice), dried beans, and meats that benefit from long, slow cooking. So I eagerly tried some of those recipes; they worked well. And then I ventured into unknown territory: hard-boiled eggs (amazing!), ground turkey ziti casserole (kids loved it!), and mashed potatoes (yum!).

Each recipe comes with clear, specific directions for both stovetop and electric pressure cookers and testers' notes for possible substitutions, go withs, and tips. My biggest complaint is the binding of the book: it doesn't hold up well which is frustrating in a "working book" that needs to be able to hold its place and stand up to wear and tear.

All in all, if you're beginning to dabble in the vast pressure cooker trend, this is a worthy book to check out.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review

Chicken Coconut Soup with Lemongrass

Back when we lived in the same city (many years ago!), my sister and I attended a cooking class at our local Williams-Sonoma store. Such fun! We came away with a few great recipes, one of which has been on this blog for a while (Chipotle Cheddar Chicken Cakes). It's time to put the other one I still make on this site so I won't lose it. The lemongrass in this is KEY. We serve this with sticky rice. If you want to pin this, head on over to the Williams-Sonoma site and pin theirs because they have a lovely photo of it.

Chicken Coconut Soup with Lemongrass

~Williams Sonoma

• 4 c. chicken broth
• 8 large slices peeled fresh galangal or 4 slices peeled fresh ginger*
• 1 large lemongrass stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces and crushed
• 16 fresh kaffir lime leaves, torn in half, or grated zest of 1 large lime*
• 2 (14-oz.) cans coconut milk
• 1/4 c. lime juice
• 2-3 T. Thai fish sauce**
• 2 T. light brown sugar
• 1 T. red chili paste
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced (I don't use)
• 5 small fresh red or green chilies, sliced cross-wise paper-thin
• fresh cilantro for garnish

*I use the more ordinary of these ingredients

**a strong taste--if you're new to this, use the smaller amount

1. Cook chicken in water to cover (season with salt and pepper) just until it's barely done (a step our instructor added).
2. Bring broth, galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute.
3. Reduce heat to low, stir in coconut milk, and bring to a simmer. Add lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and chili paste; mix well and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces and simmer until tender (a few minutes). Add mushrooms, if using, and simmer for 1 more minute.
4. Float chili slices and cilantro leaves on top of each serving.

Serves 4-6

Sausage Tortellini Soup

Another recipe from YEARS ago (10!), so no picture for pinning. This is delicious!

Sausage Tortellini Soup

~my friend Betsy K.

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 3 (14.5-oz) cans beef broth
• 2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 c. dry red wine
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 T. sugar
• 2 t. Italian seasoning
• 2 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 (9-oz.) package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
• 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Discard sausage casings.
2. Brown sausage over medium high heat along with onion and garlic. Drain and return to pot.
3. Stir in broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, wine, carrots, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off fat if desired.
4. Stir in zucchini and tortellini; simmer 10 minutes.
5. Top each serving with cheese.

Makes 10 cups (~6 servings)

Spicy Chicken Soup

A recipe from the days before I took photos of my finished meals. No pinning this recipe anytime soon! It's a tasty, hearty soup that makes a lot. Low-sodium products are recommended since there are a lot of canned/processed ingredients (salsa, canned tomatoes, etc). Note: this is a great recipe for a mountain cabin vacation. The few spices can easily be brought along and everything else is readily available even in smaller stores.

Spicy Chicken Soup

~adapted years ago from this top rated allrecipes recipe

• 2 quarts water**
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves*
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. ground pepper
• 1 t. garlic powder
• 2 T. dried parsley
• 5 cubes chicken bouillon**
• 1 T. onion powder
• 3 T. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (16-oz.) jar chunky, medium salsa
• 1 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato soup**
• 2 c. frozen corn 
• 4 c. cooked beans: seasoned black beans, pinto beans, etc.**
• sour cream to top bowls

*use less if you have LARGE chicken breasts (which so many are these days!)

**one of the nice things about this soup is that you can mix and match your leftovers: leftover tomato soup, homemade chicken stock, leftover chili, ... just adjust liquid measurements accordingly (and remember that canned tomato soup is usually thinned on the stove--your homemade version might be much thinner already)

1. Combine water through onion powder in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked (up to an hour). Remove chicken and shred; reserve 5 cups broth. (This step can be done well in advance of the next one--just refrigerate until needed.)
2. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large pot. Add all the remaining ingredients (including chicken/broth and NOT including sour cream). Simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Top individual bowls with a spoonful of sour cream.

Serves 8

Cookbook Review: The Pizza Bible

The Pizza Bible 
Tony Gemignani
with Susie Heller and Steve Siegelman
Ten Speed Press, 2014

I'm no stranger to homemade pizza. We've been making it off and on for years, and I've been known to put such things as greens, squash, and all manner of ingredients on top. The Pizza Bible intrigued me; what is the secret to awesome crust? What's the perfect balance of crust to topping?

I confess: for the first time ever, I'm reviewing a cookbook without trying a single recipe. Nary a one. Why, you ask? If I'm such a pizza fan?

Simple: we're trying to simplify, and this cookbook--while it looks like an awesome tome on the subject of making pizza--requires too many special ingredients/steps for our stage of life right now.

That being said, let me tell you about this lovely looking book. It's very well organized, contains great photography, and really does look like a good resource for those wanting to perfect their at-home pizzas. The chapters are broken down by regional styles and types of pizza (Chicago, Sicilian, California Style, Grilled, Focaccia, and more). There is also an opening chapter titled "The Master Class" in which Gemignani goes into great detail about methods and ingredients for making good pizza crust. One of his secrets? A slow rise for the dough (and by slow, I mean a good 24 hours).

The recipes don't look unnecessarily complicated, but for a family who somewhat abruptly moved across country into a house half the size of their previous one, homemade pizza by the rules in this bible are not going to happen anytime soon. Still, if you're a homemade pizza fan, I encourage you to check this book out sometime. And we might try a few soon, too--just without the pizza peels and specialty flours.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review

full tummies transition!

The few of you who actually read full tummies on a regular basis will no doubt have noticed a dearth of new posts in recent months. There's good reason for this. The full tummies household has moved across our great, wide country: from East Tennessee to South-Eastern Washington! How does this transition affect this little cooking/blogging hobby of mine?

• time! As in, NO time. We spun into a whirlwind of home improvement, house listing, packing, etc. all right before the holidays. Good times, good times. I think we went a month without eating veggies. As of this writing, we've been a month without our "stuff," and we hope to move into a rental within the week (including the delivery of our worldly goods). More transition!
• CSA: obviously, the Colvins do not deliver 2400 miles away. At this point, I don't know if we'll join a local CSA or just patronize one of the (many) farmer's markets in our new community. We're right in the heart of WA wine country and apple territory. Needless to say, fresh produce abounds during the growing season in this fertile part of the state. Can't wait to see what's the same and what's different from East TN!
• space: I'm going from a large kitchen (with some 25 linear feet of counter space and nice pantry!) to a much smaller establishment...with no real pantry. Simplifying? Why, yes, yes, we are.
• simplicity: see previous bullet. With less time/space to contribute to my little cooking/blogging hobby, you can expect fewer posts (a lot!), less complicated recipes and suggestions, and know that we're enjoying all the recipes I've posted along the years!
• grocery stores: I have totally different stores available to me (no Aldi!). I need to figure out a new routine and everything.

One possible new feature is "vacation-friendly" recipes--those recipes you can make with minimal supplies on hand, both edible and equipment-related. As in, you are at a beach house that is minimally equipped, you have no spices/baking powder/flour/etc., and want to cook at home instead of eating out every night. Or, hypothetically speaking, you've just moved across country, are in temporary corporate housing, and all your own stuff is in boxes....

As in the other seasons of transition, I recommend you subscribe to the full tummies email list if you want to see new posts show up in your inbox; this will spare you needless effort "checking in" only to find there's nothing new....

Washington state image from tri-city.com

Pasta with Sausage and Spinach

I love discovering kid-friendly, husband-pleasing workhorse recipes like this one! I've made this a LOT this fall and have doubled and tripled it on a couple of occasions. It works well straight from the pot (without being baked), but it also travels well in a 13x9-inch pan and reheats in the oven like a casserole. One of my go to recipes now when I bring food to people (as in the picture above), this is now in our permanent repertoire. It reminds me of the Mock Ravioli casserole I grew up eating. I've tweaked it just slightly from the original recipe over at Budget Bytes. She also has some terrific pictures of her method if you need the step-by-step type of directions (and you can print her recipe easily). So hop on over there and check it out. I'm posting it here partly so I can have it more readily available (although I nearly have it memorized). Oh--it also freezes well!

Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
~Budget Bytes

• 1 (12-16-oz.) box chunky cut pasta (rotini, penne, macaroni, whole wheat, veggie, ...)
• 12-oz. Italian sausage, squeezed out of casings and crumbed 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes (or two 14.5-oz cans), undrained
• 1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 t. basil
• 3/4 t. salt
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 T. brown sugar
• 8-oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 2-oz. crumbled feta cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
2. Brown sausage with garlic and onions in a large skillet (use a big soup pot if you're doubling or tripling). Drain and return meat mixture to skillet.
3. Add tomato products and seasonings, stirring to incorporate. Bring to a slight simmer.
4. Add in drained noodles and spinach. Stir well.
5. Add in feta cheese and stir.
6. Pasta dish may be eaten as is or spooned into a baking pan for reheating in the over later.

~Serves 6-8

Cookbook Review: My Perfect Pantry

My Perfect Pantry: 150 Easy Recipes from 50 Essential Ingredients
Geoffrey Zakarian with Amy Stevenson and Margaret Zakarian
Clarkson/Potter Publishers, 2014

I'm thoroughly enjoying being part of the Blogging for Books program through which I get some truly interesting (and tasty!) cookbooks to preview and tell my readers about. Today's cookbook is such a one.

I cook just like this book's premise: keep essential ingredients on hand and buy the fresh ingredients that look good and/or are on sale (or come in the CSA box!) each week as I need them. Zakarian's 50 essentials comprise a solid list that is surprisingly ordinary. Anchovies and espresso powder are perhaps on the exotic end (although certainly not hard to obtain) and flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder on the more mundane end.

The book is organized around these pantry stars, so it essentially has 50 short chapters: one per key pantry staple. Chapters are organized alphabetically. Zakarian showcases each pantry staple's particular strengths in three recipes which cover a range of functions (appetizers, entrees, side dishes, desserts, breakfast). In addition to the three recipes in each short chapter are an introduction describing the unique qualities of the ingredient and a gorgeous page of photos of the three recipes.

Are the recipes tasty? Good question! No cookbook can be truly rated without a sampling of its cuisine. According to my usual pattern, I set out to try three recipes: Sweet and Spicy Popcorn (from the "Popcorn" chapter), Cast Iron Burgers with Secret Sauce (from the "BBQ" chapter), and the Almond-Crusted Pork Chops with Apples (from the "Almonds" chapter). Um, yum!! I had planned to sample a few recipes, rate the cookbook, and loan it to a friend. The night I made the burgers, I called her and told her no such luck. I'm hangin' onto this bad boy a bit longer. The recipes aren't complicated or even truly innovative-sounding; just goes to show that perfect technique and blending of flavors makes the difference from ordinary to extraordinary.

This is not an all-purpose cookbook, so it won't hold that function in a small cookbook library. But for folks who enjoy cooking and are curious to see some new recipes using ordinary ingredients, this is one to check out. An index that included recipes listed by course/meal would be helpful as would page numbers on the photo pages, but as the chef becomes more familiar with the cookbook, these organizational details will seem less necessary.

Further information:

• More Info
• Author Bio

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review