Zucchini Casserole

This turned out very well.


3 small zucchini, grated (my hand grater and Mr. Zucchini did not get along well so I used a chopper to chop it up.)

3 eggs

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup grated cheddar

1/2 cup flour

pinch of salt

4 tbsp. butter or oil

pinch cayenne pepper

Mix zucchini, eggs, onion, parsley, and cheeses. Add flour, pouring slowly, mixing well. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Grease 9 inch pan with 1 tablespoon butter.

Pour mixture in pan. Dot with remaining butter. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees until well browned. Cut into squares. Serve hot or cold. 6 to 8 servings.

A Dark Chocolate a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

I admit that this post has little to do with southern cooking, but I think that many people from every geographic region are looking for reasons why they can ingest chocolate and red wine and still remain guilt-free. This article might provide one rung on that ladder.


----------------------------------------------------------------

Daily Dark Chocolate Good for the Heart, Loaded With Flavinoids

By Daniel DeNoon

Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
on Tuesday, June 01, 2004
WebMD Medical News


Here's news that's hard not to like. Eating a small, 1.6-ounce bar of dark chocolate every day is good for you. Very good for you, find Mary Engler, PhD, RN, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues.


Now here is a medical experiment you would love to volunteer for. Engler's team divided 21 healthy adults into two groups. One group got a Dove Dark Chocolate bar every day for two weeks. Like other dark chocolate bars with high-cocoa content, this one is loaded with something called epicatechin. Epicatechin is a particularly active member of a group of compounds called plant flavonoids. flavonoids keep cholesterol from gathering in blood vessels, reduce the risk of blood clots, and slow down the immune responses that lead to clogged arteries.


The second group that didn't get Dove bars wasn't totally left out. They, too, got dark chocolate bars. But their treats had the flavonoids taken out.


All subjects underwent high-tech evaluation of how well the blood vessels dilate and relax -- an indictor of healthy blood vessel function. Blood vessel stiffness indicates diseased vessels and possible atherosclerosis. Those who got the full-flavonoid chocolate did significantly better. Why? Blood tests showed that high levels of epicatechin were coursing through their arteries.


"This is the longest clinical trial to date to show improvement in blood vessel function from consuming flavonoid-rich dark chocolate daily over an extended period of time," Engler says in a news release. "It is likely that the elevated blood levels of epicatechin triggered the release of active substances that ... increase blood flow in the artery. Better blood flow is good for your heart."


Why Dark Chocolate Is Different


Not all chocolate is created equal. Dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other forms of chocolate. And standard chocolate manufacturing destroys up to half of the flavonoids. But chocolate companies have now learned to make dark chocolate that keeps up to 95% of its flavonoids.


Sure, this seems like a scam. Can't you get more and better flavonoids from other foods? Surprisingly, the answer is "not really." Engler says that dark chocolate contains more flavonoids than any other food -- including green tea, black tea, red wine, and blueberries.


"Many people don't realize that chocolate is plant-derived, as are the fruits and vegetables recommended for a healthy heart," Engler says.


While a little dark chocolate is good, a lot is not better. Chocolate still is loaded with calories. If you're going to eat more chocolate, you'll have to cut back somewhere else. And remember that a balanced diet -- and plenty of exercise -- is still the key to heart health.


Engler's study was funded by the University of California, San Francisco, School of Nursing. The American Cocoa Research Institute, a nonprofit group funded by the chocolate industry, provided the chocolate used in the study.


The findings appear in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Engler previously reported the findings at the 2002 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association and at the Experimental Biology 2003 meeting.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOURCES: Engler, M.B. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, June 2004; vol 23: pp 197-204. News release, University of California, San Francisco.

More Cornbread

Another recipe from my sister, Nan, in Wisconsin.
Haven't made this one yet, but since it has no
sugar in it, I will.

There are probably as many recipes for cornbread as
there are for chili, so if it sounds promising, go for it.

Ingredients:

2 cups cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup margarine, melted
4 cups buttermilk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix together the corn meal, flour, salt, and baking powder.

2. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, butter, and buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.

3. Heat a dry 12 inch cast iron skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Add corn
oil to skillet, swirl oil around to coat bottom and sides. Leave remaining oil
in pan. Return to high heat for 1 minute.

4. Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet and cook on high heat until
bubbles start to form in the center. Remove from stove.

5. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F (200 degree C) oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

DVD: The 39 Steps

This B/W DVD is a remaster of an Alfred Hitchcock film made in Great Britain in 1935.

It is a good murder mystery that stands on its own, but it is also fascinating to see that Hitchcock loved certain themes and developed them in many films throughout his long career. I did not know that he started making films in the 1920s.

In The 39 Steps, Hitchcock gives us a clue at the beginning as to what will lead to the solving of the mystery, but it was too subtle for me and I missed it.

The DVD also contains an interesting documentary of Hitchcock's early films.

One Version of Southern Cornbread

Another recipe from my sister, Nan. I like cornbread, but even though
it has few ingredients normally, it is not always easy to come up
with a good result. Only in the last few years have I been able to make
cornbread that approaches that my mother seemed to turn out effortlessly.

Some people make cornbread with sugar in it. I don't like that.

Here is what Nan sent:

--------------------------------

Thought this sounded really good! A little chopped onion in it would be good, too. Let me know if you try it. Nan

From: AHPraises@aol.com

Southern Corn bread

2-cups corn meal
1-small carton of sour cream
1-bag of frozen broccoli
2-cups of cheddar cheese
2-eggs

Chop broccoli up very fine; mix all ingredients together and bake in
350 degree oven until brown.

------------------

I made this today.

It was pretty good.

As you can see the recipe is a little short on details.

I did add a little chopped onion.

Used a 6 X 9 glass pan sprayed with Pam. Cooked it about 45 minutes, but you can watch it and see when your oven gets it to the color you like.

Tomato Spice Cake

This recipe is from my sister, Daphne, in Orlando. Here is what she had to say:

Mo, here is a recipe you might like to use. I'm making it this week.

It's from my old yellowed May, 1962, B H and G, Recipes of the Century.

It dates to about 1935, with the then intriguing title, Tomato Spice Cake. I'm sending the easy version, made with a Box Mix. You were supposed to ask your guests to name the surprise ingredient, Tomato Soup. It was noted that few people had an electric mixer at this time. (I believe Mother did not have her Mix-Master until about 1950.)

Prepare batter from 1 package spice-cake mix according to directions but using one can condensed tomato soup plus 1/4 cup water in place of the liquid called for. Add a half-cup each of seedless raisins and chopped nuts. Follow directions for pan preparation and size on the box, preheating oven to 350. Cool and frost with purchased cream cheese frosting.

I have made this and it is very good.

Love,

Daph

Rhubarb Cheesecake

This recipe is from my sister, Nan, who lives in Wisconsin, but it does not look too Yankeefied. I am a little cautious when it comes to approaching a rhubard, but the recipe seems to contain an ample amount of nutrious white sugar which should be able to calm down even a rowdy ruhbard.

Rhubarb Cheesecake

This pie combines the velvety richness of cheesecake with fresh rhubarb for a
delicious pie that everyone, including the kids, will love. No doubt you will be sharing this recipe with your family and friends also.
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

3 cups chopped fresh rhubarb

1/2 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, toss the rhubarb with 1/2 cup of sugar and the flour. Pour into the pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove, and allow to cool. Lower the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and 1/2 cup of sugar until
smooth. Stir in the eggs one at a time until each is blended. Pour this mixture over the rhubarb in the crust.

4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until set. Remove from the
oven, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, 2
tablespoons of sugar, and vanilla. Spread over the top of the pie while it is
hot. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled before serving.

Texas Iced Tea

Texas Iced Tea

Texans and lots of other Southerners love iced tea. Huge glasses of it
are served with practically every meal. It is the universal drink in
Texas. Dr. Pepper and Kool-Aid are close runners up, but can't
compete with iced tea in popularity.

"In truth, there are two traditional iced teas in Texas, as different to
their partisans as bourbon and milk. The only variation between them --
sugar -- may seem to outsiders like a matter of personal preference,
but in Texas the choice approaches a statement on moral character.
The sweetening set usually adds sugar -- a lot of it -- before serving
tea, leaving you little option about how you want it, and the
non sweeteners will avert their eyes if you reach for sugar, as though
you might pick your nose next."
----- "Texas Home Cooking" by Cheryl and Bill Jamison

Traditional Texas Tea

6 teaspoons loose black tea or 6 tea bags
1 quart cold water
ice
sugar -- optional
lemon wedge -- for garnish


Place the loose tea or tea bags in a large teapot. Pour the water into a
tea kettle or saucepan (always use fresh cold water for best results).
Bring the water to a vigorous boil, and, at once, pour it over the tea.
Don't allow the water to boil more than a minute or two, or the tea
could become clouded by mineral deposits in the water. Top the teapot
with lid, and allow the tea to steep about 5 minutes. The tea should get
good and dark since it will be diluted by the ice. Discard the tea bags,
or, if you are working with loose tea, plan to strain it through a small
strainer before serving.

Let the tea stand at room temperature until it is needed. When you pour
it, use a good number of ice cubes, but don't overdo it the way
fast-food franchises always seem to do. Serve the tea in a barrel-size
plastic glass or 1-quart Mason jar for an authentic touch. Add sugar, if
you like, and a hefty wedge of lemon. Always offer refills. Iced tea
tastes best the day it's made.

Serves 1 Texan

Variation: On hot summer days, make "sun tea" outside. Put the tea and
cold water in a jar, and set it out to soak up some rays. You'll have
tea in a couple of hours, but give it twice that long for full flavor.

Hot tea has always been rare in Texas, except for a variety made from
sassafras root. Sassafras tea was a traditional beverage in East Texas,
used in the spring to "thin the blood", and it's still as good a way to
fight a cold as any we know.

Garry's Home Cookin'

Flapper Pudding

I got this recipe from my sister, Daphne, who lives in Orlando. I made it too. Even had to buy a sifter as I did not have one.

Here is what Daphne had to say:

Our neighbor, Mrs. MacNamara was first to get an electric refrigerator.  She made this wonderful dessert. I thought it was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted. Mother got tired of me talking about it. Years later I discovered it in a 1962 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, "The most popular recipes of the century." It was called Flapper Pudding, "so simple even a flapper could make it." I made it, just as delicious as I remembered. I also made it for a potluck at work. The next time we had a potluck all the secretaries came to me and said, "Please bring Flapper pudding again."
   
Here it is:

1 c. graham cracker crumbs (or vanilla wafer crumbs)
3/4 c. soft butter
2 c. sifted confectioners sugar
2 egg yolks ( room temp)
1 9 oz. can crushed pineapple, well drained.
2 stiff beaten egg whites   (room temp)
1/2 cup chopped California walnuts

Spread 1/2 crumbs on 10x6x1/1/2" baking dish. Cream butter. Add sugar, beating till light and fluffy. Add yolks one at a time. beating well. Beat another minute. Fold in egg whites. Beat at medium speed a few seconds until smooth. Fold in pineapple and nuts. Spread carefully over crumbs. Top with remaining crumbs. Chill till firm, 5 hours or over night.

DVD - "Runaway Jury"

Based on a Grisham best seller, this one is well
acted by some big name stars.

Lots of action and plot twists. Those of us who have
spent a little time in New Orleans will see many
familiar sights as some of the film was made there.

I think if you are a fan of Hackman and/or Hoffman, then
you will enjoy this one.

There are also a lot of "extra" features on this
DVD. I have grown to like these additional looks
behind the scenes.

Baked Potato Schools of Thought

A few posts ago, I wrote about grilling steaks.

Now, what goes well with a steak? If you are on a
low carb program, then you might select a
watercress salad and some fried butter. Many
more, however, would opt for a Baked Potato.

My research has revealed that there are many schools of
thought on how to prepare Mr. Baked Spud.

No one temperature is universally accepted. Some cookers
suggest you go as high as 500 degrees.

Then there is the foil - no foil debate. The no foil group
seems to have an edge here. They suggest that a potato
in foil is, in fact, not baked, but steamed.

In the matter of whether or not to poke holes in the tater,
those in favor of poking seem to be the majority.

Time of baking is another area where little agreement can be
found; sixty minutes seems to be the average.

Microwavers are also a vocal group, but again they are sometimes
rudely put down, once again for producing a steamed potato.

All that said, I will now give my suggestions.

1. Pick the right spud. I suggest Russett or Yukon Gold.

2. Wash real well with a veggie brush.

3. Don't poke holes in that tater. Pokers suggest that this
is done to keep the potato from exploding. I have never seen
that happen.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put potato in (no foil) the oven and cook
for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and cook 30 more
minutes. The beauty of this method is that the tater can stay in the
oven for a lot longer than 30 minutes and it will still be just right
when you are ready to have it join the other dinner items.

***One disclaimer here. I use this method to cook average size bakers.
My supermarket sometimes has baking potatoes for sale that are the
size of a paving stone. I don't know if my method would work with these.

Your comments are welcome.

DVD: "The Missing"

"The Missing" is a first rate Western.

Tommy Lee Jones can act and Ron Howard can direct,
so this should be no surprise.

No stereotypical cowboys and indians are to be found,
and the story surprises you.

Starts off a little slow, but gains momentum
quickly.

"The Missing" gets a big R for violence, so if that bothers
you, you might want to take a pass on this one.

Film - "The Day After Tomorrow"

Most of my viewing of films is by way of
renting DVDs via Netflix.

Sunday, however, I bucked that trend and did something
I have not done in a long, long time. I saw a movie
on the first weekend it was available.

The film, "The Day After Tomorrow," is one that you might
want to see on the big screen. This is a disaster movie from
the folks who brought you "Independence Day." This time the
threat is from global warming, not aliens.

Oddly enough, global warming leads to almost instant ice
age, but real world science backs up this movie premise.

The special effects are first rate. I don't think the writing
or acting will attract attention from Oscar, but I liked it, and
you like this genre, you will too. The theatre was packed and no
one seemed bored. In fact, several scenes that depicted the
after effects of the huge storm evoked considerable laughter.

I would have liked to have seen more of the story's attention
aimed at the science and politics of global warming, but liked
it nonetheless.

Grilling Steaks

Like many, I make steaks on the grill once or twice a month.

You can make a good steak in the broiler and it is
pretty easy, but there is something about the ritual nature
of cooking on a fire that may take us back to the days
of our tribal ancestors.

It is especially nice if you have a friend to hang out
with you and maybe share a beverage while you execute your
grill plan.

I make no claim to being a grilling expert, but I have
made many a steak that was well received.

For every tip that I offer, there is probably someone
smarter than me who will tell you to do it a different
way, but that is fine and I hope you use the "comment"
feature to add your suggestions.

1. The best way to achieve success is to pick good meat.
Strip, porterhouse, filet, t-bone, and sirloin all work
well. I have tried ribeyes lately and they are good too
with lots of flavor.

2. Let the steaks come to room temperature. There is not a
hard and fast rule. I have cooked frozen steaks and they
came out fine too.

3. Cut off extra fat. Notch the fat you leave every couple
of inches. This will keep the steak from curling up.

4. Seasoning options are many. Sometimes we marinate. Sometimes
we don't. If you do marinate, don't poke holes in the steak
with a fork. Also, don't put salt on the steak til right before
you cook or wait til it goes to the table. We often just brush
a little olive oil on and add cracked pepper and garlic. Some
of our friends say no to that and just want the meat pure.

5. I use charcoal, and am partial to Kingsford rather than
store brands. My nephew, Paul, uses wood and many friends
use gas grills.

6. If you use charcoal, create a single layer of ashy white coals
and position the grate three to four inches from the grate. When
you place you hand close to the grate and cannot hold it there
for more than a second or two, the fire is about right.

7. Let the grate get hot before you put the meat on. You also might
want to rub it with some of the fat you trimmed off the steak.

8. We have satellite radio out at our grilling place. This is nice in
that there are no commercials. I find that putting the steak on
and letting it cook for two songs and them turning the steaks
and cooking for two more songs works most times. Of course, there are
a lot of variables to be considered. If one of the songs is
"Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie then it is best to turn to
your watch, clock, or timer. Also, an extra thick steak could
not respond well to my song timing technique.

9. The 'pressure' method of testing for checking steak: Use your finger
or something flat (not a fork) to press on the steak. A rare steak
will be soft. A medium steak will be firm but yielding. A well steak
will be firm.

10. Let the steak rest for one or two minutes. During this time,
the steak will continue to cook and the tasty juice in the center
will flow to the rest of the steak.

Be sure to leave comments if you have them.

DVD: "And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself"

I watched this DVD last night and enjoyed it very much.

It is an HBO movie, and like most of their works, the
film making value is quite high. I subscribed to HBO for quite
a while; only gave up on them because they would repeat the
same films about a million times. Now, I am pleased to use
Netflix.

Despite being an amateur history buff, I admit that I did not
know much about Pancho Villa. I remembered from high school or
college that he was some kind of bandit running around Mexico
and the Southwest who even had some run-ins with the U.S. Military.

This film is not only entertaining, but provides us with a
fascinating story of Pancho Villa, played well by Antonio Banderas,
as he makes a connection with the U.S. film industry in
order to promote himself and the cause of revolution in Mexico.

The movie makes us reflect on how news, image, advertising, big
business, and all the flavors of what we call the "media" swirl together
to form our opinions which are, at best, muddied, if we do not
explore and probe for the facts.

This DVD is well worth a look.

DVD - "Holes"

I liked this DVD.

It is hard to describe what this story is about,
but I guess you could say it is a treasure hunt
adventure that deals with young men in a stressful situation.

Put out by Disney, it is, as you might expect, a
"feel good" film, but I like those.

You'll also see some well known actors that
have not been getting much screen time of late.

I think "Holes" is worth a view.

Sunshine Carrots

This is a recipe from my sister, Nan, in Wisconsin.
She and my sister, Daphne, in Orlando, are both great
cooks as I have stated before.

Nan says she likes this one a great deal even though she
is not a big carrot fan.

Looking at the recipe, I think that Nan may have been
influenced by living in Yankee land so long. I am sure that
those carrots need to cook at least two hours to make sure
all vitamins are dissolved. But, I will try it her way.

BTW, did you know that sometimes when you go to the store
and get those nice looking "baby" carrots, they may not be
"babies" at all, but rather tough old "bull" carrots that
have been machine whittled to look like a babes.

SUNSHINE CARROTS

5 medium carrots
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Cut carrots on the bias in 1-inch chunks. Cook, covered, in boiling salted water till just tender, about 20 minutes, drain. In saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch, ginger and salt. Add juice, cook and stir till thick and bubbly. Boil 1 minute. Stir in butter. Toss with carrots. Serves 4.

Very Special Spinach

As a child, I was no fan of veggies. This lasted a long time.

About the only veg I would eat was cooked carrots slathered
in butter. I was lucky that I had a mother who would indulge
me. (I don't count taters as veggies.)

I think this is a trait in some parts of my family tree. I
don't think my nephew, Paul, had a veggie til he went away
to college. He survived his early years on a diet of Wonder Bread.

But now, we both love our veggies. I made this recipe for the first time this week and took it to a party. It was well received.
The vegetarian hosts were specially pleased.

The source I got this recipe from attributed it to
Jeanette Oberholtzer of Manheim, PA.

------------------------------------------------

Very Special Spinach

makes 8 servings (if nobody likes it)

3 10 oz. boxes frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups cottage cheese

1.5 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

3 eggs

.25 cup flour

1 tsp salt

.5 cup butter

----------------------------------

1. Mix all ingredients together

2. Pour into slow cooker

3. Cook on High 1 hour. Reduce heat to low and cook
four more hours.

I don't think this will pass for an entree, but it is
a yummy side dish.

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DVD Reviews

"Something's Gotta Give"

I thoroughly enjoyed this above average romantic comedy.

Niece Martha said that after she got through the rather
implausible premise, she liked it too.

I think Keaton and Nicholson are both great. One of my
friends said that she did not think Keaton was all that
attractive. I think she looks nice.

Also saw "lost in Translation" recently and enjoyed that
too. Bill Murray has become quite versatile.