Great Grandmother's Kitchen

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36460710659361482632012-01-22T14:35:41.544-08:00Great Grandmother's KitchenOld enough to be new again: steampunk, retro, and antique wisdom at an unconventional kitchen hearth.Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-26279835427799117902012-01-20T11:38:00.000-08:002012-01-20T11:38:57.375-08:00Midwinter stock...or what I did with the goose

It was interesting to figure out what to put in with the goose for stock. The things that worked best(unsurprisingly) were the savory and sweet favors that worked bes then roasting. Still not a fan of pairing it with prunes, personally. Goose Stock Bones of one goose (a lot of smaller, finer bones then turkey...make sure you don't loose them or flip them out when straining) Usual: carrot

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-74249169603184787932011-12-30T07:35:00.000-08:002011-12-30T07:37:38.083-08:00December 13th, St. Lucy's Day

Night walks with a heavy step Round yard and hearth, As the sun departs from earth, Shadows are brooding. There in our dark house, Walking with lit candles, Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia! Night walks grand, yet silent, Now hear its gentle wings, In every room so hushed, Whispering like wings. Look, at our threshold stands, White-clad with light in her hair, Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia! Darkness shall

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-80629663831490097022011-12-23T10:13:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:34:59.125-08:00There Never Was Such a Goose!

Such a bustle ensued that you might have thought a goose the rarest of all birds; a feathered phenomenon, to which a black swan was a matter of course -- and in truth it was something very like it in that house. Mrs Cratchit made the gravy (ready beforehand in a little saucepan) hissing hot; Master Peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour; Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple-sauce;

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-41323001390169998372011-11-16T11:43:00.000-08:002011-11-16T19:31:25.784-08:00Apples, Pumpkins, and Turkey Stock

Starting to feel better...thank you everyone who has sent well-wishes, thoughts, prayers, etc, my way! Normally, I'd break this up into three or four posts, but this is all fall-pertinent stuff, and now we're heading into winter, so I'm going to do one big post today on what's been going on in my kitchen. Wild Gathering I've had some very interesting experiences this fall. Since I currently

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-83114916405316435802011-10-24T12:49:00.000-07:002011-10-24T12:50:10.169-07:00There Will be Savor Cakes!

This post was delayed, but I'm pleased to share an update. Elizabeth Marek successfully raised the money to build her Steampunk Savor Cakes cart in Portland! Back in July I was lucky enough to do an interview with her, asking her about the cart. The race between deadline and funds was close, which was a very big deal, since if she hadn't made the amount, Kickstarter rules she wouldn't have

The ModVic Stove, via Steampunk Home I am, again, very sorry for how slow the blog is...I've mentioned it elsewhere, but I've been having some rather intense health issues recently. Fortunately, we are starting to get some answers, so from here on, it's just figure out what to do. The Alternative Living Expo in Philadelphia I've been developing a rather large collection of links lately to

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-9531961165925907052011-10-08T09:28:00.000-07:002011-10-22T11:56:44.668-07:00Ashmead's Kernel and Cox's Orange Pippin; Why Choose Heirloom, Apple Edition

Harmony Orchards, in Washington When I was 15, I had a part-time job weeding for the nursery business of a family friend. Her home was on land that had once been a part of the family farm, and included oddities like walking onions, red wheat still sprouting up in odd corners, and the most strange apple tree I had ever seen. This gnarled old tree had small apples (before it started getting

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-76363633052171724072011-10-04T12:54:00.000-07:002011-10-04T12:54:12.797-07:00"Cajun" Ham Stock This Week

Ham bone from a Sunday baked ham (as well as all the drippings in the bottom of the pan) Chicken bones from hot wings Carrots, garlic, onion, celery Tops of fresh and roasted peppers Corn cobs Tomato tops A few whole peppercorns Thyme Parsley Bay leaves

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-27231428855040027052011-09-27T20:53:00.000-07:002011-10-22T11:57:01.551-07:00Book Review: Last Dinner on the Titanic

"I well remember that last meal on the Titanic.We had a big vase of beautiful daffodils on the table, as fresh as if they had just been picked. Everybody was gay, and people were making bets on the probable time of this record-breaking voyage." --First-class passenger Lady Duff-Gordon I have owned this book for about ten years now,

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-6260649978784295942011-09-27T20:47:00.000-07:002011-09-27T20:47:14.872-07:00Stock

The usual: Onion and garlic peels, carrot tops, celery. Chicken bones Pork neck bones from the butcher's Skins and seeds from roasted red peppers More sweet potato peels Apple peels Leftover caramelized onions Tomato tops Cauliflower ends

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-62984388842342925412011-09-18T17:21:00.000-07:002011-10-22T11:57:18.099-07:00Oh My God, They Killed Locutus!

Locutus v3.0 is no more. A year ago I detailed the defeat of the original Locutus...it's multicellular colony devastated by bad planning, early morning, and the hint of chlorine in our tap water. Locutus 2.0 and 2.5 were both dispatched by negligence rather then wonton cruelty. Yes...two in a row. The first molded, the second I dried out while trying to prevent my previous mistake. This is

Starting to get hints of early fall flavors in the stock pot this week.Yay! I adore fall flavors, and have been looking forward to them. Beef bones The usual (carrots, celery, onion, garlic) Green pepper tops Sweet potato peels Corn cobs Spinach stems Tomato tops Used lemon halves Zucchini ends

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-74274760129533202792011-09-10T08:58:00.000-07:002011-09-10T08:59:17.422-07:005 Reasons Every Vintage Foodie Should Try Bountiful Baskets

5) It's easy. If you aren't familiar with Bountiful Baskets, here's the deal: it's a co-op. Every Monday, you sign in on the website, and place an order. There's a small charge the first time you do it, so that they can buy a new pair of baskets. Other then that, though, it's the same every week--$15 plus a small handling fee for a regular basket, $25 for organic. There are sometimes

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-43684623011737821632011-09-08T09:09:00.000-07:002011-10-22T11:57:46.461-07:00Who is this Escoffier Guy Anyway?

It is almost impossible to discuss late Nineteenth Century food without talking about George Auguste Escoffier. But why? Unless specifically looking for a recipe for Peaches Melba, it is almost impossible to find specific recipes tied to his name. The reason lies in organization. Escoffier began his career at 13, as an apprentice in his Uncle's restaurant in Nice, France. At the time,

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-58155850594690243312011-08-29T07:42:00.000-07:002011-08-29T07:42:29.183-07:00This Week's Stock

Bones from two roast chickens The usual: garlic and onion peels, carrot ends, celery Basil and cilantro stalks Hot pepper tops Green and red pepper tops, and seeds Summer Squash ends and peels Bay leaves from the roast chicken Tomato ends Chard stems Green onion ends and tops

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-30999978002279044592011-08-26T09:22:00.000-07:002011-10-22T11:58:02.647-07:00Why Choose Heirloom? Zapotec Tomatoes, Baby!

Zapotec from White Flower Farm We are at the end of tomato season, so hurry and get your favorites before the weather turns cold and they go back to being mostly cellulose and water. What to choose? Heirloom is a huge buzzword in certain circles, but for a good reason! Before the Beefsteak was king due to size and shippable structure, there were hundreds of different types of tomatoes in

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-21166734689494680832011-08-21T08:09:00.000-07:002011-10-22T12:00:17.443-07:00Huckleberries!

It only took a year from my first efforts and previous post, but I finally was able to go berrying yesterday! I have the family of Kjerstin, my friend (and regular commentator on here) to thank for having such a great experience: her mother has been going regularly ever since she was a little girl, and believes in sharing the experience with others. It was a delightful experience, and, as

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-87495232402790560212011-08-16T21:29:00.000-07:002011-10-22T12:00:34.006-07:00Plastics Are Ruining my Look

From CarveWright.com There are all sorts of good environmental reasons to cut back on plastic: The fact that it's made from petroleum (and all ensuing complications) are the biggest ones. Cut down on plastic consumption, and you cut down on the amount of oil you use. There are also some scary health reasons (phthalates, DEHA, and BPA, I'm looking at YOU). Sadly none of these have led to me

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-27433211813301903852011-08-12T09:03:00.000-07:002011-08-12T09:03:11.653-07:00This Morning's Stock Pot

Since I save bits and scraps for the stockpot all week long, sometimes remembering what is going in there is a bit of an adventure. Today, for example, I have the frozen baggy sitting here next to me, trying to remember what in the world that purple-ish vegetable skin is, or the yellow seeds... Bones from bone-in pork chops. It would have been too messy to remove the bones first, so I saved

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-44797363927328514582011-08-09T06:21:00.000-07:002011-10-22T12:00:54.845-07:005 Mad Scientist Kitchen Gadgets I'm Still Waiting to See Steampunked

Antique Gallery here. We owe a lot of our modern kitchen appliances to the Industrial Revolution. Stoves that could change temperature by the twist of a knob, potato peelers, canned foods, and cookie cutters are all products of Victorian or Edwardian ingenuity. So why isn't there more Steampunking of the kitchen going on? Sure, Steampunk Home and Kitchens.com have some great ideas for

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-34786375822771003592011-07-31T22:26:00.000-07:002011-10-22T12:01:13.552-07:00Lammas, Lughnasadh or Freyfaxi--Harvest's Start is Here!

There were three men came out of the West Their fortunes for to try And these three men made a solemn vow John Barleycorn must die. They ploughed, they sowed, they harrowed him in Threw clods all upon his head And these three men made a solemn vow John Barleycorn was Dead.--Traditional Image from DruidNetwork.org In Northern Europe, the summer months were often difficult. While stores

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-66262285921670333502011-07-29T08:33:00.000-07:002011-07-29T08:33:16.773-07:00Stock Pot--very simple today

It's the end of the month, and I don't have much in the house, but I'm using what I do have: Bones from pork loin chops and pork rib chops. Carrot peels, celery ends, garlic hulls Corn cobs Zucchini ends Pea Pods A bit of leftover squash. Cabbage ends. Since I have some green things in there, I'm going to keep this on a really low and gentle bubble, and add them in half-way through to avoid

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-20891164693271430642011-07-22T09:32:00.000-07:002011-10-22T12:01:30.473-07:00Steampunk and Portland Food Carts: an Interview With Elizabeth Marek

Already the owner of the Artisan Cake Company, Elizabeth Marek has a new venture on her mind: to start a Steampunk food cart in Portland, Oregon. So what is she going to serve from this cart? This past week I was able to chat with Ms. Marek about her upcoming venture. Well, first off, I was wondering what your original background is...have you always done food? “No not at all. If you would

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-35821087659284503252011-07-19T11:04:00.000-07:002011-07-19T11:04:59.371-07:00Yesterday's Stock Pot

Since I was busy writing about cookies yesterday, here you go! Chicken Bones (including some that were buffalo wings in the previous life) The Usual: onion and garlic peels, carrot ends and peels, celery ends Eggplant skins Zucchini ends (going to be seeing a lot of those for the next little bit) The peels and seeds from the catsup I made. Pepper tops and seeds The whole house smelled like

From Paulette in San Francisco I'll be honest right up front...this is one of those pure, unadulterated, food porn posts. The cupcake trend that I gushed over last fall got moving back in 2005. Now, it's everywhere: Food Network shows, catering companies, entire blogs devoted to cupcakes. What is next on the horizon? More then one expert is saying that the next dessert "it girl" is going

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-10459648627567646292011-07-16T10:29:00.000-07:002011-07-20T07:24:10.437-07:00Real Tomatoes in Every Bottle!

I tried my hand at ketchup making for the first time this past week and the results were interesting. Two recipes: The first was one of the first recorded recipes for tomato catsup (yes, there are other kinds...more on that in a moment) from Mrs. Mary Randolf's The Virginia Housewife: Or, Methodical Cook. TOMATO CATSUP.GATHER a peck of tomatos, pick out the stems, and wash them; put them on

Updated my sidebar today. Removed or fixed some broken links, added some fun new ones, etc, etc. Take a look! Any additional food, historical or steampunk additions anyone would like to suggest?

From Better Living Through Breakfast I do not remember a single day my grandmother did not have a package of graham crackers in her kitchen. If you were hungry between meals, the choices were that or a banana. I remember asking her once why she always had graham crackers, and her response was that "they were good for children". Click here to read about how they're made. Once I had

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-38821849604828224472011-07-01T13:02:00.000-07:002011-07-01T15:41:41.845-07:00The Lovecraftian Kitchen: Organ Meat.

Three months ago, I decided it was time to try a new sort of personal challenge. Like I mentioned back in May, I think one of the problems with a lot of "back to nature" diets that include meat is the insistence on just eating the prime cuts of animal muscle that are popular in the regular American diet. What about everything else that we don't normally eat? All the "gross" bits that most

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-26825731019544270682011-06-30T19:16:00.000-07:002011-06-30T19:16:21.077-07:00Today's Stock Pot

Chicken bones Carrots, onions, celery, garlic ends and peels (the usual) Corn cobs Bunch cilantro stems Cucumber ends and peels Tomato ends and seeds Pepperocini tops Red pepper tops and cores Lime and lemon halfs (will fish out after 30 minutes or so, so they won't make the stock bitter) Eggplant peels and ends

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-87609854207423730682011-06-20T11:49:00.000-07:002011-06-20T11:49:57.427-07:00Gyoza 201

I am having all sorts of success with the dandelion experiment underway around here at the moment. Enough time has passed for my thumb to no longer be dyed brown/purple, the cookie recipe was a huge hit with my kids, the syrup tastes very much like flower honey, buds are pickling their little hearts out on my counter...the one big error was the lemonade recipe. I made the mistake of leaving

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-41282292452872864022011-06-17T07:28:00.000-07:002011-06-17T07:28:21.574-07:00Stock Pot This Week

Hey everyone! Sorry for the break in posting...it's been a bit busy around here. I have pictures of what I've been up to, though, so expect a rush of posts as soon as I find my card reader. Jicama ends Onion and garlic skins Green onion ends Jalapeno ends Corn cob Dandelion stems Ginger shavings lime peel peach and nectarine skins the last strawberry stems Chicken bones and shrimp shells

Meat Stock for SouthWest food. Meat: Beef bones, chicken bones from thighs last week, one split pig foot (made menudo yesterday...story and pictures on Saturday). Vegetable matter: celery, onion and garlic peels, carrot tops (the usual) Sweet potato ends Thick stems from mustard greens Woody asparagus stalks Tomato stem-ends and seeds The peels and ends from roasting some Anaheim peppers

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-52663490510664713772011-06-01T19:58:00.000-07:002011-06-01T20:04:26.180-07:00Dandelions Are Up and Blooming

Dandelion Wine. The words were summer on the tongue. The wine was summer caught and stoppered...Hold summer in your hand, pour summer in a glass, a tiny glass of course, the smallest tingling sip for children; change the season in your veins by raising glass to lip and tilting summer in. --Ray Bradbury Yes, they come late here in Idaho...the past week

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-45416851991805916812011-05-30T22:21:00.000-07:002011-05-30T22:23:49.357-07:00Great Grandmothers to the Power of 42--What did they eat?

From JoJoNinja I was recently introduced by a friend to the concept of the Paleo Diet. It's a fascinating idea, one that takes (or at least, attempts to take) what is consumed back as far as possible, via educated guess work. Rather then early Industral Age, or Pre-Industrial/Medieval, which I usually discuss (which would be within the past, say 10-20 generations of human existence), fans of

FOODS IN SEASON NOWVEGETABLESartichoke, arugula, asparagus, corn, cucumber, fava beans, kohlrabi, peas, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, zucchini FRUIT & NUTS apricots, cherries, grapefruit, lemons, limes, passion fruit, pineapple, plums, strawberries MEAT duck, lamb FISH & SEAFOODmackerel List from Eat The Seasons, North America , a quick way to check in on what's in season, with

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-90514621069372144712011-05-18T19:19:00.000-07:002011-05-18T21:29:46.833-07:00Blog Award...how fun is this?

My sweet friend and fellow mama blogger Thalassa over at Musings of a Kitchen Witch nominated me for this. Apparently, I am supposed to list seven things that readers probably wouldn't know about me, followed by five other blogs that I love. So, about me; 1) I'm an avid gardener(when I have soil). Some of my favorite memories growing up are of helping my mother in her flower garden,

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-6017183167539691052011-04-07T15:27:00.000-07:002011-04-07T15:27:23.244-07:00What is going in my stock pot right now

Peelings and seeds from the last of winter's squash Apple peels Potato, rutabega, and turnip ends and skins The eternal leftover bits of celery, onions, and carrots Strawberry stems Asparagus stalks too thick to eat

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-5589673894020574272011-03-16T11:30:00.000-07:002011-03-16T11:30:24.348-07:00Soda Bread and Colcannon...St. Patrick's Day!

I'm sure most Americans are somewhat familiar with St. Patrick, so I'm not going to get into his story, like I did with St.David of Wales, as the average American schoolchild has surely been told the story about St. Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland, whether they see it as a veiled reference to earlier pagan practices or not. What I do want to talk about, is the food...corned beef

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-38286333472508399172011-03-03T09:40:00.000-08:002011-05-24T11:33:07.218-07:00...and orangutans, a breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and large chunks of oatmeal, and bananas, and raisins, and koalas, and blueberries...

It's always fascinating to see how the Industrial Revolution changed even the most basic aspects of our modern life. Before, I've mentioned the affect it had on when we had our meals...leading to the creation of teatime, to fill the gap that was created. Today, though, I'd like to discuss how it has affected what we eat for a given meal, specifically breakfast. Because until 200 years ago,

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-40515747567833604272011-02-24T11:23:00.000-08:002011-03-16T11:12:28.896-07:00Leeks and Daffodils--Happy Early Saint David's Day!

"Be joyful, and keep your faith and your creed. Do the little things that you have seen me do and heard about. I will walk the path that our fathers have trod before us."--Saint David If you're American, chances are that March equals St. Patrick's Day. Did you know, though, that each of the portions of the United Kingdom have a patron saint, and a local celebration of their unique culture and

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-61375981728012498172011-02-21T07:56:00.000-08:002011-02-21T08:00:14.447-08:00Two Chicken Week--Part 2, Pies and Casseroles

Two Chicken Week Part 1 here. As long as there have been ovens, somebody, somewhere, has tried to invent something that would let them A) reuse leftovers that their family didn't want to eat, and B) make the evening meal and then walk away. Meat pies and casseroles fit the bill. Victorian Christmas Pie from the excellent Historicfood.com Day 2--Casserole Most casseroles have a formula

Just had my first success with this, this past week, and I must say, I'm hooked. I almost want to describe lemon curd as what would happen if you made a hollandaise sauce sweet, instead of savory, but worry that would discourage someone who would otherwise love it from trying it out. Lemon curd is a dessert spread, used on bread at tea-time, or as a filling for cakes and tarts. It is

So many new projects I've been trying over the past few weeks with all the fresh citrus getting shipped up from Florida and Southern California. The big winner so far? The sweet, tangy, and pleasantly bitter Three Citrus Marmalade from the Blog, Food in Jars. I've never made marmalade before, so the pictures were very helpful. I was shocked by how easy it was. As you can see, the oranges

From 1heckofaguy.com The blog is slow right now, this is due to a combination of things, including slower internet at my new home. As soon as possible, the next installment of the Two Chicken Week will be up (it's already in the works). In the meantime, with Yuletide on the way, I wanted to point readers in the direction of an old tradition that is gaining some new attention: Sugarplums.

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-13563134654627048762010-11-10T09:37:00.000-08:002011-02-24T11:10:20.242-08:00The Two Chicken Week--Part 1

Need a go-to menu for a week when money's tight? Back in the day, before modern food preservation, you didn't really have recipes that called for, say, 5 chicken breasts. What would happen is that you'd roast an entire chicken or cut of meat (or make it into a dish). If there were leftovers, they'd get made into a pie, what was left after that became soup or stock. Whole poultry or cut used,

First of all, check out The Old Foodie--here is a great post on Soulmass Bread today. In Catholocism (in response to the pagan roots of Halloween) November first has become All Saints Day, and the second has become All Souls Day, a time to remember first, all the saints, and second, those who might be trapped in purgatory. My favorite incarnation of this practice is by far the art and

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-75462766425777843132010-10-19T17:32:00.000-07:002010-10-19T17:34:06.774-07:00There is Steam in My Kitchen!

If you are unfamiliar with the concept of Steampunk, Scifipedia explains it rather succinctly as something that, "is set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of HG Wells

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-48761939082012345002010-10-13T07:49:00.000-07:002010-10-13T07:49:56.919-07:00Gerald, the Cast Iron Skillet

Why yes...I name my cookware, not just actually living things, like a sourdough start...why ever do you ask? Our move is, for the most part, done, and I'm shocked again about what in my kitchen really shines when I have limited resources. So long as I have a soup pot, and my cast iron pan, I'm ok. I think the same held true for many of our ancestors, given the popularity, still, of dutch oven

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-41365331826231458562010-10-05T12:46:00.000-07:002010-10-06T12:04:22.398-07:00Cake in a Cup

Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake from our local spot, The Cocoa Bean. They're super, super trendy right now. Even my little town has bakery that only does cupcakes, and sells them for insane prices(although they're fantastic...I have to admit). The concept of little, individual baked cakes has been around for a very long time, and so I personally don't buy the concept of cupcakes as an

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-12496067922580364862010-09-27T14:48:00.000-07:002011-08-29T08:43:22.669-07:00The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent

I'll be honest, here...there are rumors in my family that there was once a miner married to a Native American woman. But those remain unconfirmed. I'm white. Fishbelly, burns in ten minutes of sun, goth is default merely because I rather like black, white. And I'm in love with this cookbook. It's not the food of my grandmothers, in any way, shape, or form. It's about as foreign to me as a

Now the Harvest is in, Grain is in the bin. Through hard work and God's aid The year's rent has been paid. With Pennies to spare We're off to the Michaelmas Fair! Today is the Fall Equinox, the day in Autumn when day and night are perfectly even. In Europe, many places celebrated this day as the harvest coming in, and under Catholicism, it was also linked to the Archangel Michael. As one

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-1480888185974213442010-09-19T08:31:00.000-07:002010-09-19T08:34:11.361-07:00The Gallery of Regrettable Food

As much as I love the old and retro, all of us have some meals that we look back on with a mixture of amusement and downright horror. I remember eating a concoction of ground meat, catsup, mustard, and bread dough, rolled and cut like cinnamon rolls and then baked, which my father served with pride--his own invention. He in turn told wild tales of the terror of 60's casseroles with soggy

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-7506911000399577232010-09-18T07:20:00.000-07:002010-09-18T07:22:36.621-07:00Bento, the Obscenely Adorable Lunch

Cookingcute.com, a great resource, although no longer live. As the mother of a preschooler, I watch the increasing popularity of bento with a new interest this back to school season. For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, a bento is a Japanese lunch box, containing little bits and bites of different foods, often in a multi-tired container(also referred to as a bento). The

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-43108058049263193042010-09-13T10:59:00.000-07:002011-05-24T11:30:13.205-07:00Onions, Fish, and Barley; Anglo-Saxon Food

From the Cornell Library It probably comes as no surprise that I have at least one Medieval cookbook. Pleyn Delit is a personal favorite, particularly since it includes a reprinting of the original recipe, not just their version. For a cookbook from an era before standard measurements is no small thing, since it allows the cook to interpret the recipe based on their own intuition. Most

Melba....Melba...how do you know that name, and why is it tied to food? While not a familiar name unless you're a history or music geek these days, Dame Nellie Melba was one of the most influential singers of her day . Not much is known about Melba's early life. She was born Helen Porter Mitchell, in Richmond, now a suburb of Melbourne Australia (the source of her stage name Melba). From

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-49122242293445467312010-09-03T15:26:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:04:59.010-07:00Five Reasons I Have a Love-Hate Relationship with Martha Stewart

As the aliens eyed the seating arrangements with suspicion...all hope of the embassy dinner's success evaporated. I don't think there is an adult middle-class American woman alive who doesn't have an opinion about Martha Stewart. Some would say you either love her or you hate her, pointing to the dichotomy of her massive empire, and the sheer volume of assistance available online to

I usually talk about very women-oriented stuff on here...today is an exception. One of my favorite sites these days is The Art of Manliness. No, it's not geared towards me, by any stretch of the imagination. Instead, this site generates a feeling that is the online equivalent of the now extinct Men's Lodge, the place everyone who could afford to used to spend a night or two a week once the

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-3929210796413223592010-08-27T08:46:00.000-07:002011-08-21T07:43:06.325-07:00In Search of The Wild Huckleberry

Image compliments of Eutopos Farm Website I first noticed huckleberry syrups, jams, and treats during a trip to the Museum of Idaho shortly after we moved up here. Hmm...looks good, but what's a huckleberry? Like Huckleberry Finn? Apparently, there are several species of berries, ranging in color from blue to purple and red, that grow on short bushes and taste similar to blueberries.

Yep...I know...it's a couple of months still. But it's one of my favorite holidays, so it's going up early. Thanks to Scrappin' Blogs for providing such awesome backgrounds totally free!

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-88586778414800910392010-08-25T10:58:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:06:00.676-07:005 Leftovers Not To Throw Away

This great list showed up on CNN's Food Blog, Eatocracy yesterday, in an interview with Chef Russell Moore. I thought these were great examples of not only using everything, but eating cheaper and tastier! Five Cooking Leftovers Not to Throw Away: Russell Moore 1. Outer leaves "Fennel tops, carrot tops, outer leaves of Brussels sprouts, chicories, lettuces and all types of herbs can be

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-4123233110067201182010-08-23T15:18:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:06:29.507-07:00Trying to investigate my personal past

This will most likely be a slow journey, but one that I'd like to update on as I go. Since reading A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove, back in July, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about my own culinary heritage. I know nothing about cooking on my father's side of the family, but on my mother's I'm the descendant of Swiss, German, and Danish immigrants who were Western pioneers and

If you haven't seen this site, it's pretty awesome. I believe that the original owner no longer runs it, having been overtaken by the Cheez Burger Blog Conglomerate, however, it's daily edible eye candy of the highest order.

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-767847159359037972010-07-10T20:45:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:07:15.712-07:00A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove

It's hardly surprising that I've had my eye on this book for a while now. Laura Schenone does an excellent job of giving an overview of Americans' lives in the kitchen while avoiding reading like a text book. It's not hard to forget, however, that Schenone is not a historian. While I believe that her passion more then makes up for her occasional fuzzy scholarship, it might be hard for an

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-71985012440987257292010-07-03T15:22:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:07:29.811-07:00Remember to Keep Your Picnics Safe!

A lot of food safety rules weren't around when our great-grandmothers were planning their summer picnics, but after having worked almost 6 years in various aspects of food service, keeping food safe is important to me, especially as the temperature climbs!!! Here's a quick refresher for the most important ways to keep everyone healthy this Fourth of July weekend. Avoid Cross-Contamination

It's time for me to get a new sourdough starter going. With my previous experiment, I've been shocked at how easy it is, given the right conditions. My MIL gave me a starter for Amish Friendship Bread that someone at church had given her. I eventually stopped giving it sugar, and instead fed it some extra flour and milk, letting it rise slowly in a jar in the kitchen. It made for some great

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-84975088048619974722010-06-10T12:06:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:08:07.470-07:00Bringing Home the Bacon

There is an odd juxtaposition about this blog, for me. Cooking, particularly the labor-intense work that our fore-mothers put into cooking daily from scratch, is to most a taxing symbol of a bygone age. Sayings like "barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen" show contempt for the traditional roles of women, and use humor as an acceptable platter for misogyny. Get up before dawn, milk the cows,

My husband's comment on the above picture: "Is that a threat or a promise?" Since last time we talked about alcohol substitutions in food, I thought it would be helpful and interesting to do one on what our tea-totaling great-grandmother's would have consumed. Before the Victorian Era, there really was no concept of avoiding alcohol. While it was safe to drink

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-80811707726595958382010-05-17T10:17:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:08:57.866-07:00But What About the Vodka? The Science of Alcohol Substitution

There are many reasons why someone might want to substitute alcohol in a recipe: while the one that comes to mind immediately for me is religious dietary restrictions, it may be as simple as not wanting alcohol in a dish which will be served to children. How, though, do you know what to substitute, particularly if you, like me, do not consume alcohol, and so do not have an idea of what flavors

The huge gap since my last post is due to a move, so my apologies. It's a little hard to believe in our modern era of brunch and flowers for Mother's Day, but having a day to honor mothers actually has a long history. The ancient Greeks and Romans honored mother goddesses such as Cybele and Juno during the spring. For our Medieval ancestors, this evolved into celebrating Lady Day on the

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-80751914021865940672010-02-11T17:30:00.000-08:002010-09-17T15:09:43.907-07:00February 11th--The Frugal Housewife

On this date in 1802 Lydia Maria Francis Child was born. We don't usually recognize her name now, but your great-great( in my case perhaps one more great) grandmother would have. Her book, printed in 1829, The Frugal Housewife made her the Julia Child of the 1830's-50's. Sometimes referred to as The American Frugal Housewife, to differentiate it from a British book by the same name by one

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-39512766048829161802010-01-06T13:21:00.000-08:002011-05-24T11:31:25.549-07:00January 10th--Tea, Spices, and the East India Company

Tea is one of those ubiquitous flavors that can change the world while being completely taken for granted. It has both changed and promoted tradition, acted as a political linchpin, had a role in wars, been used as medicine, and has been both consumed and avoided for religious reasons. It has also been a sign of culture and refinement in almost every culture it has touched. Although Americans

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-57624506662914664212010-01-06T12:00:00.000-08:002010-09-17T15:11:26.688-07:00Home-made frozen dinners--Gyoza 101

There are a lot of foods that are easy to make a double batch of and freeze the other half for later. This can also be done with half a recipe, or in single servings if there are only one or two people at home--more incentive to cook without worrying it will go to waste! I know many people who freeze casseroles or baked goods. I also do it with soup, or like I mentioned before, with stock in

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-36263892985318268952009-10-03T10:04:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:11:45.623-07:00Taking Stock of the Situation

Ok, no more bad puns from here on out, I promise...well, maybe a couple. One of my more recent experiments has been making my own stock. Almost any good savory dish contains stock, since it adds so much more flavor then water, and so a good stock is like a baseline for a good dish. Many pre-packaged stocks have ingredients or a high salt content to help preserve the stock, and can lead to too

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3646071065936148263.post-27601228053234698632009-09-30T16:16:00.000-07:002010-09-17T15:12:03.978-07:00An Introduction--Eat to Live or Live to Eat?

Greetings, friends and (perhaps, someday) readers. I have been a huge fan of food for most of my life. All of us have early memories tied to food--mine are of my mother's maraschino cherry bars at family picnics, and my dad making pigs in blankets by taking vienna sausages, wrapping them in biscuit dough, and giving them a good post-bake dunk in catchup. It was wonderful...but probably not as

Jesse (Great Grandmother's Kitchen)http://www.blogger.com/profile/12117442983915295489noreply@blogger.com0