Cookbook Book Club -- August -- What's Old is New Again!

Donna was hostess this month

Her choice

Any Cookbook Before 1940!

We had a great meal

But we always do

And I do collect cookbooks from the 20s and 30s

(because Linderhof was built in the 20s)

So I thought it was a fun choice

The food, as always, was fantastic!

Donna's entree was pan broiled pork with gravy

from the original Fannie Farmer

(which is simply called The Boston Cooking School Cook Book!)

Barbara brought a salad

Cream cheese ring with fruit

from Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book

(can't you just see it on a ladies lunch table in the 30s or 40s)

Salads today don't come like that!

Fannie makes a reappearance

From Sara's grandmother

And Sara's vegetable choice was peas with lemon mint butter

It's not chocolate pie -- it's coffee cream pie!

From the Modern Priscilla Cook Book

which I got in Minnesota in February

It was the oldest book last night published in 1924

And my favorite story

Michelle's husband's aunt's cookbook

Everyday Foods

her home-ec text book from high school

It has her name, date, locker number written on the inside cover

What a treasure that is

And it was published in 1927!

Lots of text, lots of illustration and then recipes

So that every high school girl could learn things properly

And have recipes to make a husband happy!

The recipes:

From The Boston Cooking School Cook Book by Fannie Farmer

Donna used pork instead of beef

The Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book

yielded the recipe for this dish

Barbara used canned fruit for the garnish

A newer version of Fannie Farmer

(named Fannie Farmer -- not Boston Cooking School)

provided Sara's peas with lemon-mint butter

The Modern Priscilla Cook Book

provided the recipe for Coffee Cream Pie

(I did serve it with big dollops of whipped cream)

I've never head of coffee pie and so I was intrigued

(the book also had a recipe for cantaloupe pie and I almost made that!)

Michelle makes lemon meringue pie a lot

But not with this recipe

which she, like me, found daunting in using a double boiler

And she, like me, felt that it took longer than forever for the mixture to thicken!

But we all felt that it was a really good lemon pie!

We had a grand time and are looking forward to our next adventure

which will be with Ree Drummond

The Pioneer Woman

for we're hoping that sometime next year we can do a road trip

to Oklahoma and visit both her restaurant and her lodge.

Two For Lunch

Friend Shirley Ann had her cousin Sharon visiting from Missouri

They decided that a day "out" in Fort Scott would be fun

And so I invited them to lunch

Even though there is just three of us, I still set the table in the dining room

With lace mats instead of a tablecloth, however

 The Aynsley Pembroke, Jim's grandmother's cutlery, my mother's iced tea goblets,

"new" damask napkins in Estate Sale rings

It was a simple lunch

Much as my mother would have served her church ladies

With a definite southern flare as my guests were southerners!

Mrs. Sullivan's Hot Chicken Salad, Pickles Peaches and Sister Shubert's Rolls (why bake when you can buy Sister Shubert's Rolls!)

Lemon Chess Pie

(I adore regular chess pie and I make a mean chocolate version -- the lemon version is absolutely amazing!)

Slices of pie await serving

Lemon Chess Pie

A great lemon dessert

Both Shirley Ann and Sharon asked for the recipes

What better way to share them

than on this blog.

So I can also share them with you.

They're all easy and their presentation on the plate far outweighs

the effort put into the meal!

Lunch for Shirley Ann and Sharon -- The Recipes:

MRS. SULLIVAN'S HOT CHICKEN SALAD

THIS ISN'T MY MOTHER'S RECIPE BUT WHEN THE CHURCH LADIES CAME FOR LUNCH SHE DID SERVE A CHICKEN CASSEROLE DISH THAT SHE CALLED "HOT CHICKEN SALAD" -- I'M NOT SURE OF HER RECIPE BUT THIS IS REALLY GOOD AND OH, SO EASY!

2 c. chopped cooked chicken (you could use a rotisserie one -- a nice size one would probably

                                                 yield 2 cups out of the breast meat)

2 c. chopped celery

1 c. mayonnaise (I like Duke's)

1/2 c. grated Cheddar Cheese

2 t. lemon juice

1/2 c. slivered aldons

salt and pepper to taste

1 c. crushed potato chips

Stir together all ingredients except potato chips.     Top with chips.     Bake in a 2 quart casserole (I used a 9 x 13 pan -- and yes -- you could call it "thin") at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly.     Serves 4 (But I think it serves closer to 6)

PICKLED PEACHES

IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME OR INCLINATION TO PICKLE FRESH PEACHES IN THE SUMMER, THIS WORKS REALLY WELL.   AND IT'S A MAKE AHEAD DISH!

1 can (1 lb. 13 oz.) peach halves, in syrup

1/4 c. cider vinegar

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 t. whole allspice

1/2 t. whole cloves

1/2 stick cinnamon

Drain peaches.    Reserve syrup.    Add vinegar, sugar and spices to syrup.     Boil 5 minutes.    Add peaches.    Simmer 5 minutes.    Chill fruit overnight in syrup.     Keeps well left in syrup mixture and refrigerated.

LEMON CHESS PIE

THIS LEMON VERSION IS ESPECIALLY YUMMY.    IF YOU LIKE LEMON PIE AND DON'T LIKE MERINGUE -- THIS IS THE PIE FOR YOU!

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 T. flour

1 T. cornmeal

pinch of salt

4 eggs, beaten slightly

1/4 c. milk

1/2 c. lemon juice

grated rind of 1 lemon

1 t. vanilla

1/4 c. melted butter

9 inch unbaked pie shell

Mix dry ingredients.    Add remaining ingredients.    Mix well.    Pour into pie shell.    Bake until set. Bake in a preheated  375 oven for about 45 minutes.

Celebrating a Birthday

Friend Shirley Ann and I have been celebrating birthdays a long time

In fact, the first birthday we celebrated together was her 27th

When we worked, the birthday girl got taken out to lunch

(on our lunch hour)

After we retired, our birthday lunch became an adventure

We've traveled all over

Way east into Missouri, the Lake of the Ozarks, Carthage, Greenwood,

Harrisonville, Joplin, Springfield, and Kansas City

We look for tea rooms

We try to seek out new tea rooms to try

Old ones are closing

And there are few new ones to replace them

But friend Bernideen had been to Ozark

and Spring Creek Tea Room

And she recommended it

We've never been to Ozark for birthdays

Although we've both been to Ozark 

for there are antique malls there

But it's been a long time for either of us

(in fact the black sideboard in my breakfast room came from Ozark --

and that was the last time I've been there!)

And so our adventure began

It's "downtown" -- not out by 65 Highway with the rest of

the antique malls

(which are fewer than the last time we were there)

It's a tea room and antiques

What more could we want

A delightful tea room in the front of the store

A tea room as in my Mother's Day --

which means a place for ladies to lunch

We were told to get there early

(when it opened in fact -- and with instructions of no breakfast for Shirley Ann,

we did get there at 10:30 -- we were seated immediately but as we  sat there

we saw that the tables filled, some tables were turned, and yes --

if you don't want to wait -- 10:30 is the perfect time to arrive)

Typical "tea room" fare

Ladies food

(and they do serve quiche -- but only on Fridays)

We both chose the chicken salad on croissant 

served with chips and we both chose their salad

with homemade poppy seed dressing

(the serving size was perfect, the salad "divine" and the dressing superb!)

And, of course, since it was birthday

Dessert was in order!

We both chose coconut cream pie

We favor meringue instead of cream on the top

(and after getting a few too many pieces with cream instead of meringue,

we always ask.

In our world, it is meringue and only meringue and it must be at Spring Creek as well

for the waitress gave us a "why did you ask that question -- it's supposed to be meringue"

kind of a look)

We didn't dawdle 

(there were people waiting -- lots of people waiting)

We'll be back

(even though it is a 2+ hour drive)

It was that good!

Oh, and the antique part

was a wonderful mall

Shirley Ann found nothing

(although we admired several things)

Me, I found my sixth wee Waterford vase

My limit has always been under $20

and I was thrilled that this one was a mere $6!

(they're nice for individual flowers at a table setting --

or for wee bouquets of pansies or violets in the spring)

We visited the other antique malls in Ozark

and had a grand time

As one should for one's birthday!

Company for Lunch

I love to have company

and today six ladies from Nevada came for lunch

I love when the house is all ready . . . 

to welcome company

the table is set

Lace tablecloth, damask napkins in silver rings, a centerpiece of garden hydrangeas

My Aynsley Pembroke (this is the 100 year old plate)

and Jim's grandmother's cutlery

First course is a favorite salad --

romaine, red onion slices, sliced strawberries and pecans

with a poppyseed dressing

Entree is chicken baked in butter and cream

Because it is!!!!

Served with white and wild rice

And a hot roll

Dessert I found in the September issue of Victoria

Orange Buttermilk Tart

Garnished as they did with orange slices and fresh raspberries

It was a wonderful dessert.

And one that won't be made just this once!

It will be a great winter tart

The orange flavor is wonderful!

The guests had a great time visiting, eating, drinking coffee and peeking into Linderhof's kitchen

all with the remark

"it's so small"!

(And it is for it's a 20s kitchen -- made to be a food factory

without an army of servants)

The tart recipe:

ORANGE BUTTERMILK TART

1 package Pillsbury refrigerated piecrust

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 T. flour

3/4 c. butter, melted

4 large eggs

1 c. whole buttermilk

1 T. vanilla

1 t. orange extract

grated rind of 1 orange

Garnish:    orange sections, raspberries 

Preheat oven to 400.    Spray a 10 inch tart pan with removal bottom with baking spray with flour.

On a lightly floured surface, unroll and stack both piecrust.    Roll into a 12 inch circle.    Press into bottom and up sides of prepared pan.    Line with parchment paper, letting ends extend over edges of pan.    Add pie weights (I use dried beans).

Bake for 15 minutes.     Carefully remove parchment and pie weights.

Reduce oven temperature to 350.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, melted butter, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and orange extract until smooth.    Pour into prepared crust.

Bake until center is set and top of tart is light golden brown, about 25 minutes.     Let cool completely at room temperature.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.    Garnish with orange sections and raspberries.