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photo: macon street books
Following is a video interview I did with my father concerning his memory of what I consider the staples of his early life, bread and soup. Below the interview you will see a recipe from my Mom for her French Bread and one of my Fathers simple soups. More to come.
CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD - Gloria Alvarez
2 cups warm water 1 package active dry yeast 1 tbsp. Sugar 2 tsp. Salt Flour about 5-1/2 cups 1 egg white beaten Pour water into large warm bowl. Add yeast and stir until dissolved. Add sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Stir to mix, then beat until smooth and shiny. Stir in 2 cups additional flour. If sticky, add more flour gradually. Turn dough out on board and knead until satiny and smooth, 5 - 7 minutes. Shape in a smooth ball. Clean bowl with warm water, dry and spray with Pam. Press top of dough into bowl then turn over. Cover top of bowl with Saran Warp and towel. I always place the dough in a cold oven to keep out of drafts. Let raise for one hour. After double in bulk, punch dough down and let rest for 5 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with Pam. Pull about a little less than the size of a tennis ball and shape into a ball, place on baking sheet, when all rolls are shaped cut a cross in the top of them with scissors. The size of the rolls are up to the baker, I usually get approximately 15 rolls.. Bake at 425 degrees in GAS oven, 400 degrees in an ELECTRIC oven. Baking time 23 minutes, brush top of rolls with egg white after baking return to oven for approximately 1 to 2 minutes to dry the egg white. BREAD This can also be made into two loaves of French Bread. Divide dough in half, roll each half into a foot-long loaf cut slits across the top with scissors. Bake as for rolls The recipe freezes well but on a day-to-day basis becomes hard :-) |
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DAD'S SIMPLE CHICKEN SOUP
PLACE A LARGE CHICKEN IN A LARGE POT OF WATER OR - 8-10 THIGHS, You can also add a back, wings or necks - USING WHOLE CHICKEN LEAVE SKIN ON....Add 1 cup diced yellow onions. START WITH CHICKEN, SALT (2 teaspoons, and some fresh black pepper) AND WATER, CONTINUALLY SKIM TOP FOR CURDLED BLOOD, KEEP WATER AT A SLOW BOIL. WHEN BROTH IS CLEAN - ADD chopped, thinly sliced TOMATOES, CELERY, CARROTS. Enough to add about 1/3 volume to pot. ADD 4 CHICKEN BOUILLON CUBES COOK SEVERAL HOURS, THEN REMOVE CHICKEN AND CLEAN AWAY MEAT AND SKIN FROM BONES, CUBE MEAT AND PUT BACK IN THE POT. COOK ADDITIONAL 1-1/2 HOURS LOW GAS. SEPARATELY COOK PASTA, PASTINE, ORZO OR RICE (RICE DOES NOT FREEZE WELL). and add to soup. Add additional salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. ENJOY! |
photo: Macon Street Books
Following is a video interview Rafael did on 4/24/18 with my father covering his memories and recipe for his famous hot dogs and beans. Below the interview you will see the recipe.
Dad's Baked Beans: This recipe serves 6-8, for parties double the recipe
Ingredients:
2- 15 ounce cans of Hanover pork and beans or comparable product
4 Strips of cured bacon
1- Large sweet green bell pepper
1- Large yellow onion
1/2 Pound (4) all beef or any quality hot dog
1 1/2 Cups tomato ketchup
1/2 Cup pancake syrup (King syrup works well)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
In nonstick or stew pot cook bacon over medium heat until oil is present 5-7 minutes, turn when needed.
Dice onions and peppers thin and add.
Slice all hot dogs thin and add.
Continue to cook and stir over medium heat until bacon is fully cooked, about another 10 minutes.
Remove bacon and chop into pieces, put back into pot.
Add both cans of beans, about a half teaspoon of salt and about a teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper.
Reduce heat to simmer and stir for another 10 minutes.
Add ketchup and syrup, stir and simmer another 10-15 minutes.
Taste for salt and pepper, Manuel also adds a teaspoon of crushed red pepper if folks would like to have a little kick.
This does well transferred into a crock pot for transport and serving, it can continue to cook on low or warm in the crock pot for another 30 minutes to an hour.
Easy Crock Pot Pulled Pork
Marinade a whole pork Shoulder or Boston Butt roast (BEST) and cook on medium for 8-10 hours or until falling off the bone. Overnight is fine. After cooked drain off marinade and remove any bones, chop up with metal Spatula and add bbq sauce. Server over fresh potato or King Hawaiian rolls.
Marinade:
1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup Cheap Red Wine
1/2 cup Sugar (white or brown)
1 cup water
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp seasoned salt
BBQ Sauce:
Melt red onion, fresh garlic and olive oil in pan
Add:
1 -16 oz bottles Kraft or any Honey BBQ
2 Cups Ketchup
1/2 cup spicy or your favorite mustard
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce
2 tbsp celery seed
1 tbsp crushed red pepper
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp black pepper…1 tbsp seasoned salt
4 tbsp brown sugar