MARSHALL'S MARINATED MUSHROOMS

 This recipe was a favorite of actor and singer Ken Curtis who played Festus on the old TV series Gunsmoke, and his wife Torrie.

1 hard boiled egg yolk, mashed
1/2 cup malt vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 pound fresh mushrooms (small or medium)

Combine all ingredients except mushrooms in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Add mushrooms.  Cover and let boil for exactly 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat immediately and put in a quart jar.  When cool, refrigerate overnight.

Makes 1 quart.

TEN OLD-TIME TIPS FROM THE BACK OF AN OLD COOKBOOK

 

1. When baking a milk pudding, place the dish in a pan of water in the oven. This prevents the pudding from burning or boiling over.

2. A well-beaten white of egg added to mashed potatoes will add to the looks and taste of the dish.

3. When bread is baking, a small dish of water in the oven will help to keep the crust from getting too hard.

4. To draw out the salt from salted fish, add a glass of vinegar to the water in which the fish is soaking.

5. Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to cranberries while cooking and they will not require much sugar.

6. To keep milk or cream from souring in hot weather, stir in a small quantity of bicarbonate of soda.

7. All seasonings should be added gradually to soup, or the flavor may be too strong.

8. A little finely grated cheese added to thin soup improves the taste immensely.

9. If parsley is washed with hot water, instead of cold, it retains its flavor and is easier to chop.

10. To prevent the odor of boiling ham or cabbage permeating the house, add a little vinegar to the water in which they are boiled.

There you have it, folks. Ten more tips for everyday use. I especially like #6. But I'm sure that was very important to folks many years ago. Anyway, it is fun to share these tips with you.

WISHING YOU AND YOURS A HAPPY NEW YEAR

COOKIE TYPES AND WISDOM FROM A 1970 COOKIE COOKBOOK

I love things like this from old cookbooks!

Click on picture to enlarge for reading.

REMEMBER THESE?

Are you old enough to remember these calendars?  I remember my grandpa did everything according to the Farmer's Almanac and he lived by these calendars.  I was going through some old recipe clippings when I turned the recipe over and found this.  Brought back lots of memories!

CLEANING AND SEASONING A CAST IRON PAN FROM SOUTHERN MAMA

Living the country life

I got a request for some advice on how to clean and season a cast iron pan so here it is ~~Southern Mama



1. Put about 4-5 heaping tablespoons of salt into the pan along with an equal amount of vegetable oil
...
2 Using a paper towel spread the salt and oil mixture throughout the entire inside of the pan taking care to cover every part of the inside of the pan

3 Let the pan sit and soak in the mixture (we let ours sit for about five minutes). In the meantime let the oven heat up to 250 degrees F

4. Next wash the pan with hot water and soap, using your hands or a paper towel. Be sure to not use a brush or towel

5 After thoroughly drying the skillet…

6. Coat the inside of the skillet entirely with a thin coat of vegetable oil

7 After your oven has heated, place the skillet in the oven for half an hour at 250 degrees. After half an hour take the skillet out (it will be hot!) and re-coat the pan again with a thin layer of vegetable oil

8. Once the skillet has heated let it cool thoroughly and sop up extra oil with a paper towel

To ensure that your pan stays in tip-top shape be sure to not clean it with soap after each use. Typically you can get away with just rinsing your skillet well with hot water. If there are still leftover food on the skillet you can repeat this process with salt and oil again. Always dry the pan completely (over heat if possible) before storing it!See More

ROLLED BUTTERMILK DUMPLINGS

Another recipe from the 1955 Marshall Township PTA cookbook.  This recipe was submitted by Mrs. Ray Fry.

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk

Sift flour, measure and sift 3 times with baking powder, soda, and salt.  Add buttermilk and mix ligtly with a fork.  Turn out on a floured board, knead lightly 4 or 5 times and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut into rectangular 1 x 3 inch pieces with floured knife.  Drop into boiling broth, cover and gently boil for 12 minutes.  Do not uncover during cooking.  Serve immediately.  Makes about 12 dumplings, or 4 servings.

Interesting item below is on the bottom of the "dumpling" page!

Click on picture for easier reading.



I Love Stoneware Bakers

I absolutely love baking in stoneware.  I found this great deal on 2 very nice stoneware bakers for $19.99 for the set.  I have posted the link in the left-hand column of this page for anyone interested.  After clicking on the link, scroll down on the page and you will find them there.  But hurry if you are interested.  This is a short time offer ending at the end of the year.  By the way, they are available in other colors.

OLD FASHION TIPS FOR COOKING CHICKEN

I ran across these old fashion tips for cooking chicken and thought you might enjoy reading them.

• For extra-crisp fried chicken, dip each piece in buttermilk before coating with flour.
• When time permits, let coated chicken stand for 30 minutes until dry, then sprinkle any moist spots with more coating before frying.  Moisture creates steam, which causes breading to fall off.
• For a moister whole chicken, place breast side down for the first half of cooking time so the juices run down into the breast.  Turn breast side up for the last half of cooking time to get a nice browned chicken.

CAN-CAN STIFFNER

Does anyone else remember the days when we girls wore the stiff mesh slips that made our dresses stand out like crazy? I remember being caught up in that craze as a preteen and hating myself everytime I sat down in one of those crazy things! In going through a box of my mother's old hand-written recipes, I found her recipe for the rinse she used to dip these "petticoats" in when she laundered them for me and my sister. Her notes say she copied this from a caller on a local radio show called, "The Backyard Fence," where friends and neighbors called in to share recipes, items they wanted to sell, giveaway, etc. Here is the famous recipe:

3/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons turpentine
2 tablespoons borax
1 quart cold water
Stir up.
Dip in & iron dry

Lord, have mercy. We must have been crazy!!

ARGO CORNSTARCH LIGHT BATTER FOR FRYING MEAT AND VEGETABLES

This old newspaper advertisement says to "Let the natural flavor of your fried vegetables come through with the light touch of Argo and Kingsford's. And try these easy and delicious recipes. You'll agree that for light and crispy fried vegetables or chicken, it really is the batter that matters."

LIGHT BATTER

3/4 cup Argo or Kingford's Corn Starch
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
1 egg, slightly beaten

In bowl, stir together first 5 ingredients. Add water and egg; stir until smooth. Pour 1 qt (about) corn oil into large skillet to depth of 1/2", filling no more than 1/3 full. Heat over medium heat to 375 degrees. Dip 4 cups cutup vegetables, such as zucchini, carrots, onion, and mushrooms, or 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes, a few at a time, into batter. (Stir batter occasionally.) Carefully add vegetables or chicken to hot oil, a few pieces at a time. Fry 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serves 4 to 6.
HERB BATTER: Follow basic recipe. Add 1 tsp dried basil leaves and 1 clove garlic, minced.
BEER BATTER: Follow basic recipe. Omit water. Add 1/3 cup cold beer.