Summer Fun: Cooking with Mama

Mama has done it again:  she has had a glorious day helping the kids to make some of their favorite foods.   About a year ago, it was linguine with clam sauce and chicken marsala.  Today, Bud made beer-steamed mussels with bacon and garlic, while Sis made fried chicken.  Mercy, they eat well!  And they have such fun and pride doing it.

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Beer-Steamed Mussels with Bacon and Garlic
(from a NYTimes recipe for clams)

100 littleneck clams (Mama substituted 2 lbs mussels)1 tablespoon unsalted butter¼ cup diced chorizo or bacon, optional2 cups beer, approximately 1 can or bottle

1. Carefully scrub the clams under cold running water to remove sand and grit, then set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large pot set over medium heat, and when it foams, add the chorizo or bacon, and allow it to crisp, stirring occasionally, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add the beer to the pot (use just 1 cup if cooking 50 or fewer clams), and allow to heat through, then carefully add the clams in layers. Cover the pot, and allow the clams to steam and open, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Serve in the pot, or use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove clams to a platter, and serve alongside a bowl of the remaining clam broth and melted butter.

Fried Chicken from Southern Living a la the NYTimes

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
1 chicken with skin, about 2 1/2 pounds, cut up into 8 pieces (see note)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups vegetable oil, like grapeseed, peanut or canola (do not use olive oil)
¼ cup bacon drippings (or use more oil)

1. Combine 1 tablespoon salt with 3 quarts water in a large bowl or container. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse with cold water and pat dry. 
2. Stir together remaining 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Sprinkle half the mixture evenly over chicken. 
3. In a large sealable plastic bag, combine remaining pepper mixture and flour. Add 2 pieces chicken to bag and shake well to coat. Remove chicken pieces, shaking off extra flour, and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken. 
4. Take a large (10- or 12-inch) cast-iron skillet or chicken fryer, for which you have a lid, and fit with a candy or deep-frying thermometer. Add oil and bacon drippings and heat to 360 degrees over medium heat; the oil will ripple and possibly give off a few wisps of smoke. 
5. Using tongs, immediately add chicken pieces, skin side down (work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding pan). The oil will drop to about 325 degrees, where it should stay; adjust heat so that oil is bubbling gently around the pieces. Cover and cook 6 minutes; uncover and cook 9 minutes. Turn chicken pieces; cover and cook 6 minutes. Uncover and cook another 5 to 9 minutes, depending on size of pieces. If necessary for even browning, turn pieces over a few times toward the end. 
6. Drain on paper towels or paper bags. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving. 

Tip

• If chicken is larger than 2 1/2 pounds, use a large heavy knife to cut each breast half in half again, making 10 pieces in total.

Mommy's in the Kitchen . . .

It's that time of year again: teacher gifts. This morning, the kiddos delivered four pounds of Italian butter cookies (from a bakery) to school to thank all their specials teachers, aides, consultants, staff, and administrators.

Next week, they'll deliver gifts (actually, gift cards) to their own classroom teachers to thank them for a wonderful year.

And today they worked on their class gift. Both classes are making recipe scrapbooks for the teachers, with each child in charge of a two-sided page. One side has a recipe, the other a note to the teacher. There can be pictures, decorations, whatever else. Sis opted to include her favorite chocolate crinkle cookie recipe, while Bud wanted to include the recipe for chicken and dumplings. While both of them could've written out their version of how to make it, they chose to use the actual recipes, which I printed out, saying they didn't know the exact directions. Sis wrote, "I like this cookie. I hope you do too." Bud noted, "This is my favorite meal." Well, his favorite meal is probably sushi, but I don't have a recipe for that! But still, he chose it himself. The glued down pictures of them in the kitchen and Sis stamped some images of food.

On the other side, they both wrote "I love you!" and included stamped images of their favorite things, mainly bunnies and penguins.

Helping them do this--and I did help some, or, well, I helped Babysitter, who helped--was wonderful on many levels. First, I got to spend some real quality time with them, instead of a kiss or hug here and there (though, I have read to them every night). Second, I was being useful, which is a rare thing these days and is probably the biggest factor in my recurring ennui--I can amuse myself all day but it doesn't mean much unless I'm contributing somehow, which I haven't been much. Third, for the 45-60 minutes I was downstairs, I didn't notice my foot at all and only my back intermittently. Yay!!!!!

And lastly, I was reminded of something from my own kindergarten year. It wasn't a teacher's gift but a Mother's Day gift. My beloved old teacher (and she probably was "old," and not just an adult, at least in her 60s, which was ancient to a five year old) Mrs. Felch, went around to each student and had them describe their favorite recipe. She then compiled them all and mimeographed them on long sheets--can you just smell that smudgy purple ink?? And we gave the cookbook to our moms. I remember reading it some years later and laughing at descriptions of how to make "psghetti" or "cake." But I actually got my recipe fairly correct--boil a chicken for a long time and add dumplings.

Yep, I had chosen chicken and dumplings too.

The Next Food Network Stars

Yesterday, out in the snow, Sis stood in the window of her little house, making a chocolate dessert with dirt, snow, berries, water, and sand. As she made each addition, she narrated her activities--"and now I'll add the cocoa." In the end, she presented a chocolate-berry pie.

Later that day, after watching her favorite "All Star Chocolate" tv show, she asked a question, "Is Nutella Lawson a real person?" I think Nigella would be tickled.

Earlier this week, as we started to make cookies (and since I always make it a "teachable moment"), I asked what we usually do first when making cookies. And Bud answered without missing a beat, "Cream the butter and sugar."

Watch out, Spatulatta sisters, here come the Kitchen Twins!

Snack Cake

"Mom, let's make an everyday cake. Not a birthday cake. A regular everyday cake," Sis implored.

"You mean a snack cake?"

"Yes, chocolate snack cake."

Visions of boxed mix from my childhood danced in my head--you know the kind, the one that came with this little cardboard baking pan that you prepared the mix in and then baked. I can't even remember what it tasted like, just that we liked the idea of an easy snack (not that I think we ever baked these after school, probably more of a weekend/sleepover kinda thing).

So there I am, googling "chocolate snack cake" and finding numerous different options (did I check the zillion cookbooks I have? No, of course not). I chose the "mix-in-the-pan" one, since it reminded me of the ones we used to make. And they loved that part! They noticed right away that we weren't using a mixer. And then they realized we didn't add eggs. As always, sniffing the vanilla and licking the spoon were their favorite parts. This time, they also really liked carefully stirring the mix in the pan. Well, that and then playing with the leftover baking soda and vinegar to make bubble explosions in the sink while the cake baked.

And for once, they actually ate the cake that we made!

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Mix-In-The-Pan Chocolate Snack Cake


1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons powdered sugar


In an ungreased 8-inch square pan mix together flour, brown sugar, unsweetened baking cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir in water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.


Bake at 350*F for 35 to 40 minutes or until the center is set. Dust with powdered sugar.
Makes 8 servings.



Cooksrecipes.com

Not Instant Success

We made chocolate pudding yesterday. From a box of instant. Which I remember as being perfectly acceptable pudding.

Eh.

While the kids inhaled it, I didn't think it was that great (I only had a spoon, that was more than enough). Too sweet, not very chocolate-y, kinda gelatinous without being creamy.

Ugh.

I realized then that, while childhood favorites are just that, I should make more of a concerted effort to make some of these from scratch. Like the applesauce we made the other day. It's just better than the jarred stuff. No doubt, homemade pudding will be better too. And lots of things (like homemade frosting and sugar cookies). Perhaps only McDonald's french fries and Dunkin' Donuts doughnuts should remain store-bought.

So, when I buy the cream and gelatin for that homemade orange ice cream, I'm also picking up ingredients from Martha Stewart's recipe for pudding. It's a good thing.

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Vanilla or Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients
Serves 4.
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (if making chocolate pudding)
2 1/2 cups milk
4 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. If making chocolate pudding, add cocoa powder. Very gradually (a few tablespoons at a time) whisk in milk, taking care to dissolve cornstarch. Whisk in egg yolks.
Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters. Reduce heat to low; still whisking, cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; immediately pour through sieve into bowl. Stir butter and vanilla into hot pudding.
Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding (to prevent skin from forming); chill at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Before serving, whisk pudding until smooth; divide among four serving dishes.

Martha Stewart, Everyday Food (see links for numerous variations on the pudding, including Chai-Cinnamon!)