Happy Halloween!

Just take a golden pumpkin

Of quite the largest size,

Cut all 'round the stem, just so

Scrape out the inside below

And cut two holes for eyes.

Now, fix a nose beneath,

And such a great big mouth with teeth,

And there you have a jack-o-lantern!

Then place a candle

Just big enough to light,

And when it flickers, see him blink,

And when it flares up, see him wink,

And smile so broad and bright.

This is the jolliest fellow,

With cheery face so round and yellow,

This funny jack-o-lantern!

Halloween Greetings to one and all!

Cookbook Book Club, Vol. 2, Issue 10 - Chili!

Member Barbara was set to host October

But she's ill and so Rita took the baton . . . 

She decided that she'd make a big pot of chili

And we'd bring an appetizer, bread or dessert

Rita made the chili -- two pots

And it was delicious.

I had intended to go around the table and ask everyone how they make their chili.

I did find out that Michelle and I eat chili the same -- put some on a cracker and eat, put more on that cracker and eat . . . until you're out of cracker and you start again.

So we quietly put the dish of crackers between us . . . 

For we eat a lot of crackers with our chili!

No one noticed!!!

Appetizers:

Member Angela brought two.    Considering she's moved and is redoing her kitchen,

she brought two fabulous appetizers.   I didn't get the name but the roll up was very good (and I've had more bad ones than good ones).     Angela's was good and I would even make them!

Bread:

Sweet and savory Corn Cookies

From Valerie Bertenelli

They were good and I will make them again!

And they're a perfect go with to chili!

Appetizer (Angela's)

Bread (Mine)

Dessert (Michelle)

The chili's on the table

The appetizers are ready

And the bread is about to be passed.

We all liked Rita's chili

And she told us the secret . . . 

But the best secret was that she had a package of one of the Socorro mixes for each of us!

I scored big -- I got the chili

(and we always have chili on Halloween so I'm happy!)

Desserts:

A trio of desserts,

but was -- there's more!

Liz brought the Snickers Salad -- it was a great dessert, especially when topped with the caramel sauce that she brought as well.

Donna brought Pecan Pie Bars

Michelle brought Cinabon Cinnamon Rolls

They were yummy!    

Michelle brought cinnamon rolls because she always serves cinnamon rolls when she has chili!

But, because it was the cookbook club, it was a new recipe!

Donna also brought a spice cake.     She makes a spice cake every fall.    So she decided that that would be a good choice for our October dessert but because it was the Cookbook Book Club, she used a different recipe.

We all loved it!

We always skip November (Thanksgiving after all)

and December we'll take a trip to the city to a restaurant for lunch.

And then we'll plan for Vol. 3 of the club as we start our third year.

It's been a lot of fun and we so enjoy each other's company!

And a thank you to Rita for hosting this month's club.

Sweet and Savory Cornbread Cookies

One 8.5-ounce box corn muffin mix, plus ingredients called for on the box
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon honey
About 1 teaspoon Mexican chile lime seasoning, such as Tajin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the corn muffin mix as directed on the box, then stir in the butter, jalapenos, flour and honey. Use a 2-inch ice cream scoop or 1/4-cup measure to scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each scoop. Sprinkle with the chile lime seasoning.
Bake the cookies until puffed, light golden on top and golden brown on the underside, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve warm.
NOTE:   I couldn't find the Tajin seasoning and so I sprinkled the top of my cookies with chili powder and freshly grated lime peel.

Roasted Meatballs and Cheese Polenta . . . An Ina Recipe

Ina Garten is my culinary hero

And she has been since 2001

When I bought her first cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, at Costco

and shortly thereafter her, Barefoot Contessa Parties

I was smitten!

Shortly, thereafter in 2002, I got her Barefoot Contessa Family Style

and faithfully, every two years she publishes another

And every two years, I either order them from Amazon

so that they will arrive on the release date

or

I trek north to the city and buy them at Costco!

I've seen in her person twice

And I was elated!

On Monday, her tenth cookbook is released

Alas, it has not been preordered on Amazon

Alas, I will not be making a trip north to buy my copy

I have to wait patiently  for November 10

When I'll be in Minnesota

to see Ina live!

And get her cookbook!

I found her television show  shortly after I found her cookbooks

And as smitten as I was with her cookbooks, I was equally smitten with her television show

After a lengthy absence of new shows, last Sunday, there was finally a new episode

As everyone who watches knows, Jeffrey is adorable

And a book written about cooking for him, is perfect for us Ina groupies!

Sunday, she made a birthday dinner for Jeffrey

which included an appetizer of bruschetta with sautéed kale,

roasted meatballs and cheesy polenta

and a green salad

Ina's recipes never fail . . . 

And they're simple which fit this time in my life.

I like really good food but I don't like to spend a really long time in the kitchen!

It was a busy Saturday which included planting my tubs of daffodils

(I always order way too many -- a dozen of this, a dozen of that doesn't seem like much,

but when they arrive and there are hundreds, sigh!)

Dinner came together quickly, even after all that bulb planting

And we ate at a decent hour

Roasted meatballs in marinara sauce

(she used jarred -- so did I --

there are good ready made products out there -- use them!)

The meatballs and marinara served with the cheesy polenta

sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

I've neglected Jim and dinner the last week . . . 

canned soup or a sandwich or even take out

for I had way too many evening meetings

And they seem to be always at 6 p.m.

(We can eat at 4:30 or we can eat after -- we chose after.

But after sitting in a long meeting, I don't feel like preparing dinner)

I got out a bottle of Chianti

And lit the candles in the breakfast room

And added a salad to the menu as Ina did . . . 

No appetizer, though, although it looked good!

We ate, talked about our day

And planned which Netflix movie we'd watch tonight after dinner.

Ina's recipes:

ROASTED MEATBALLS AND CHEESY POLENTA

1 pound ground sirloin
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1 3/4 cups dry seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly ground Italian Pecorino cheese (2 ounces)
1/2 cup freshly ground Italian Parmesan cheese (2 ounces), plus extra for serving
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dry red wine, such as Chianti
1/4 cup good olive oil
2 (32-ounce) jars good marinara sauce, such as Rao's
Creamy Parmesan Polenta (recipe follows) or cooked spaghetti, for serving
Creamy Parmesan Polenta:
4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup creme fraiche
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
Place the sirloin, pork, and veal in a large mixing bowl and lightly break up the meats with a fork and your fingertips. Add the bread crumbs, Pecorino, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the eggs, wine, and 3/4 cup water and combine lightly but thoroughly.
Measure out 2-ounce portions of the mixture (I use a rounded 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop) and roll each lightly into a ball. Place one inch apart on the prepared sheet pans. Brush the meatballs with the olive oil.
Bake the meatballs for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Pour the marinara into a large pot and bring to a simmer. Carefully add the meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes, until heated through.
To serve with polenta, spoon a puddle of creamy Parmesan polenta on one side of each dinner plate. Spoon 1 or 2 meatballs plus a puddle of tomato sauce on the other side, allowing them to combine in the center of the plate. To serve with spaghetti, distribute among shallow pasta bowls. Spoon the meatballs and sauce onto the pasta. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and serve hot.
Creamy Parmesan Polenta:
Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon, add the salt and pepper, and simmer, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you're stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, creme fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings and serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.
Yield: 6 servings

NOTE:    I must admit that I've baked meatballs "forever".    I don't think I've fried a meatball in 25 years or more.    But I've never roasted them.     They were good, had more of a crust than a baked meatball and take no more time.    I think roasting will be my preferred method of meatball cooking.

Also, you cannot find ground veal here.    EVER!    You can't even find ANY kind of veal!    So I used equal amounts of ground pork and ground sirloin.     The meatballs were very tasty!

Branson . . . Here We Come Again!

Branson, Missouri

A destination/vacation spot

for the Midwest

But not limited to the midwest for travelers from all over the country come to Branson

It was a quiet sleepy town in the area known as the Ozarks known for fishing because  first of all for the White River and then for

Lake Taneycomo which was built early in the last century for power

A snake of a lake, Branson is one of the towns that dot this lake made from damming up the White River

It is bookended by Corps of Engineer Lakes

Table Rock to the west

And Bull Shoals to the west and down into Arkansas

The Shepherd of the Hills attraction has been here a long time

For in the 70s it had a different sign

"Old Matt's cabin" and other things from the book written by Harold Bell Wright about this area of the Ozarks, brought tourists to the area.

And "Shepherd of the Hills Farm" was born.

They have a gift shop (of course) and nightly do a Shepherd of the Hills Play

and have for almost 50 years!

The most famous attraction, however is . . . 

Silver Dollar City

It's been entertaining folks for 56 years

And to think it all started because of

Marvel Cave

The third largest cave in the United States

To entertain those who were waiting to go through the cave,

they built a street and would have gunfights . . . 

It wasn't long before Silver Dollar City was more of an attraction than the Cave

that started it all.

Like Vegas, Branson has a Strip

76 Highway runs through Branson and into the Ozark hills and on to Silver Dollar City

Also known as "76 Country Boulevard"

for years, it was the only way to get from Branson to Silver Dollar City

And along "The Strip", artists opened theaters, motels were built to house the tourists who came to the shows and restaurants were built to feed those tourist.

When the shows got out in the evening,

it was bumper to bumper traffic

creeping along back to your motel

Branson realized the problem and because of better technology was able to build

roads around Branson -- called the "Green Loop", "Red Loop" or "Blue Loop"

Whichever loop you take, it allows you to go from Silver Dollar City to Branson without inching along!

And, of course, growth with more theaters, restaurants and hotels along these

routes.

And then there is old fashioned Downtown Branson

Dicks 5  & 10

A must see downtown

An old fashioned "dime store"

full of an odd assortment of merchandise

And I don't see how they ever do inventory --

the store is that packed!

A normal downtown with "tourist" shops --

not T shirt shops but stores filled with merchandise that tourists

would like.

At one time, Branson was the "Craft Hub" of the Midwest

but on this visit I noticed that the craft part was not as prominent as it had been on

earlier visits.

It's still there, but just not as much!

In order to lure more upscale visitors, they built

Branson Landing

Full of tonier shops and restaurants

Stores that you see in most metropolitan areas

anchored by Missouri's own, Bass Pro Shops

Branson Landing

used to be just shoreline along the Taneycomo

Forty-three years ago!

Not far from Branson is the small village of Hollister

 I'm not sure why, but they decided to make Hollister an English village

and their main street looks like a village in England

For years, it was Branson's poor relation but on this visit,

I noticed that more store fronts were filled.

Branson is known for it's food

For years, it was "home cooking" Mom and Pop type of restaurants

with a McDonalds being the only chain

Biscuits and gravy and chicken fried steak were on almost every menu.

But Branson is more upscale now and more restaurants are chains

than Mom and Pops.

On the way down, we stopped at Smith's in Bolivar.

We've been eating at Smith's for years in Collins, Mo.

but the realignment of Highway 13 caused the restaurant to move to Bolivar

 One breakfast

And we shared!

We were so full from breakfast that for lunch we decided on a bowl of diner chili

Billy Bob's a Branson tradition

Their hamburgers are good but we were too full to even have a burger!

And a visit to Branson isn't complete without fudge!

There are fudge shops everywhere!

A throwback to early Branson tourism

This morning we had breakfast at

Billy Gail's in Reed's Springs

And yes, this, too, is one breakfast

And yes, indeed, we shared

Look at those pancakes!

When Branson got more touristy and those outer roads were built

to enable traffic to move more freely, three "Outlet Malls" opened

One has closed, one is partly open and the third seems to be booming

With the number of tourists and half of them women, outlet malls to me made a lot of sense

But it didn't work!

We did hit the one that is booming and I found a Vera Bradley store

With a great sale

I felt that I needed a new tote

It's really a good size for an overnight bag

but I'm going to use it for my needlepoint

For whenever I'm in the car, that's what I do . . . 

My newest canvas

Cherries from Cleopatra's Needle

Jim and I have been coming to Branson since our honeymoon

(although it was closed since it was November)

but we went back the following year and have made many trips.

It is fun to see how it's grown

And to remember 

Montauk Daisies

On Monday, friend Cass (from That Old House)

posted this picture

And this:

So, Montauk Daisies. Three years ago, I planted two gallon-sized Montauk Daisy plants that I bought from a local grower. I'd grown nice Montauk Daisies at our last house, but I didn't buy them at a greenhouse; I dug them up from my parents' Long Island beach house. 

The legend is that a shipwrecked Japanese vessel deposited some of these native-to-Japan plants on Montauk many years ago, and the hardy little devils naturalized along the beaches there, picking up a new name in the process. In the Fall, Montauk Daisies are blooming everywhere on eastern Long Island -- really, everywhere. They are a spectacular last hurrah of brilliant bloom before winter. 

The Montauks I planted at our last house grew, as Montauks do, into lovely big piles of thick succulent foliage and late blooming pure white daisies. But then, our last house sat alongside a river. Water. The Montauks seem to like that.

I expected the Montauks that I planted three years ago to be big monsters of fabulous bloom by now. Well. Best laid plans and all that. One never had a chance. The landscape dudes yanked it out as a weed a couple of years ago. The remaining one is struggling along, apparently quite aggravated about not being in the Hamptons vicinity. It is slumming, and doesn't like it. Sigh. ... 

The glorious picture below is of Montauks in their now-natural habitat, without any care at all except what Mother Nature gives them. The other picture is the poor wee little fella in our Prison Yard. Maybe when we move to a coastal area when we retire, we can once again enjoy the glory of those late-blooming Montauks.

The picture above, of course, is the coastal Montauks.

I had never ever before heard of this particular plant.

They're not big on the prairie

For you, see, we have no coast!

Tuesday, I went to the Farmer's Market to buy a pumpkin . . . 

I came home with this!

Yes, if you guessed this is a Montauk Daisy you would be right.

One of our nurseries, Redbud,  sells at the Farmer's Market and they brought some of these to the market.

I COULD NOT believe it.

And it was only $4.50!

And they told me about the big barrels of the daisies that were there.

Huge, she said.

Thursday, I went to the Chamber Coffee at Redbud.

And I saw the Montauks

Huge!

Each mound is ONE plant!

One mostly neglected plant, she told me.

They water but not all that often.

They just leave them be!

So I did some research on Montauks and this was what I found . . . 

Nipponanthemum nipponicum, common names "Nippon daisy" or "Montauk daisy," is a plant species native to coastal regions of Japan but cultivated as an ornamental in other regions.^[3][4] It is now naturalized as an escape along seashores in New York and New Jersey.^[5][6] It is the only species in the genus Nipponanthemum, formerly considered part of Chrysanthemum.^[7][8]

Nipponanthemum nipponicum is a shrub up to 100 cm (40 inches) tall. Most of the alternate leaves are clustered near the top of the stem. Flower heads are up to 8 cm (3 inches)across and are borne singly. Ray flowers are white, disc flowers usually yellow but sometimes red or purple.

I like Cass's story, although this does allude to the "escape"!

And yesterday I planted my new little plant in the garden

Because it likes seashores, I thought it might thrive at Linderhof's Pond Shore!

Thanks, Cass --

I'll think of you everytime I see the blooming Montauk!

And if you want one for yourself, Redbud still has some . . . 

That is if Randy and Karen don't buy them all --

for you see they've just come back from that area

And were smitten by the Montauks!

Prost! A German Program!

I am proud of my German heritage

I have always been proud of my German heritage

Grandfather Meinsen immigrated to the United States in 1885

My Grandmother Lydia's father immigrated to the United States 40 years earlier.

I was flattered to be asked to give a program on German food

at a great museum in the county just south of us:

We've loaned some of our German things for the exhibit.

After doing prep yesterday, I loaded the car

and headed south to do my program.

The 14 people who signed up by Thursday swelled to sixty on Sunday.

There were a few seats vacant but not many!

Oh, and to help,

Donna and Rita (Cookbook Book Club Members)

joined me to do the "hard work"

plating the food to make sure that each attendee got a plate . . . 

I talked about and demonstrated

Bratwurst

(plain, Johnsonville, boiled first in bill before sautéing or grilling)

(beer brand doesn't really matter)

(No fancy beer brats or cheese brats for us -- just the original plain brats)

Grandmother's Coleslaw

A recipe I've made hundreds of times

A recipe that has been at most of our family celebrations 

A recipe that mother made a lot for Sunday Dinner when I was a child

Grandmother's Hot German Potato Salad

Traditional hot potato salad which I've updated --

using small red potatoes and not peeling them

Using packaged real bacon bits instead of bacon

making the recipe less fat.

And no "meal" is complete without dessert

So I made a German Apple Cake

In mini muffin pans because they're easier to serve.

I so appreciated Donna and Rita coming with me

I could not have done it without them

They plated the food while I visited with those who attended.

It was a fun program from my point of view.

I always love to share food

I want to thank Jason and the Board of Directors at The Miner's Hall Museum

for inviting me to do this program.

I will be back in December (December 18, actually) to talk about German holiday traditions.

And I cannot wait.

And even though it is holiday traditions, part of the traditions are cookies!

I'll be bringing a nice assortment to share!
German ones, of course!

It was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

The recipes:

GRANDMOTHER'S POTATO SALAD

4 medium round red or white potatoes (about 1 1/3 pound)

3 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 c. chopped onion (white or yellow)

1 T. flour

1 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. celery seed

dash pepper

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. cider vinegar

Place potatoes in saucepan; add enough water just to cover potatoes.     Cover; heat to boiling.   Reduce heat and cook until potatoes are tender; drain.     Let stand until cool enough to handle.    Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch slices (do not peel!)

In skillet cook bacon over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp.   Remove from skillet.    Cook onion  in bacon fat until tender.    Stir in flour, sugar, salt, celery seed and pepper.     Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat.

Stir water and vinegar into onion mixture.    Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.    Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat.    Stir in potatoes and bacon.    Heat over medium heat, stirring gently to coat potato slices, until hot and bubbly.    Serve warm.

GRANDMOTHER’S COLESLAW

1 head cabbage, shredded

1 onion, sliced thinly

Boil together:

2/3 c. sugar

1 t. salt

1 c. vinegar

1/2 t. celery seed

1 t. mustard

Then add 1 cup salad oil and boil again.    Pour over cabbage and onion mixture.