What can you expect in the Food Thread on PF?

[nismaratwork]

I don't have yellow peas and there is a snowstormj, so Nismar wins this round with navy beans.

I am making the famous Senate Bean Soup.

The Famous Senate Restaurant Bean Soup Recipe

2 pounds dried navy beans

four quarts hot water

1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

Wash the navy beans and run hot water through them until they are slightly whitened. Place beans into pot with hot water. Add ham hocks and simmer approximately three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Dice meat and return to soup. Lightly brown the onion in butter. Add to soup. Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/bean_soup.htm

Mmmmm... a fine choice, wisely made by nature! I'd feel more victorious if it didn't sound like you'd be in it for yellow beans if the storm weren't a factor...

 

[turbo]

My mother never made pea soup with split peas, only whole yellow peas. It makes all the difference. Depending on how flush the food-budget was, she made it with a ham-bone, ham-hock, bacon, or salt port, but there was always a bit of pig-meat in there. Carrots and onions were a given, and if celery was available, that would go in, too, along with some minced garlic and basic seasonings. Whole yellow peas were cheap and a good way to feed a big family. Traditionally, French-Canadians would serve up pea soup with johnny-cake (lightly-sweetened corn-bread) though we had light flaky pastry biscuits or yeast-rolls more often.

 

[DaveC426913]

Split pea soup.

Blegh. If I wanted a bowlful of sand, I'd go make a mudpie.

 

[dlgoff]

I don't have yellow peas and there is a snowstorm, so Nismar wins this round with navy beans.

I am making the famous Senate Bean Soup.

The Famous Senate Restaurant Bean Soup Recipe

2 pounds dried navy beans

four quarts hot water

1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks

1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

Wash the navy beans and run hot water through them until they are slightly whitened. Place beans into pot with hot water. Add ham hocks and simmer approximately three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally. Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool. Dice meat and return to soup. Lightly brown the onion in butter. Add to soup. Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Serves 8.

http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/bean_soup.htm

Dang snow storm. It's keeping me from coming there for some of that.

 

[Evo]

Dang snow storm. It's keeping me from coming there for some of that.

I made cornbread too! As Evo Child would say if she was here "mommy! what smells so good?".

You bring the beer and I'll cook dl.

How much snow have you gotten, a few hours ago the weather service said we had over 6 inches here.

 

[dlgoff]

I've shoveled snow twice today and it's ready for another round. It looks like I had about 6-8 inches.

Cornbread too? :!)

 

[turbo]

I've shoveled snow twice today and it's ready for another round. It looks like I had about 6-8 inches.

Cornbread too? :!)

When I was a kid I often heard "pea soup and johnny cake make a Frenchman's belly ache". It was a standard pairing. I preferred biscuits or yeast rolls to the corn bread, but we got the "johnny cake" from time to time. The French-Canadians in my family typically added carrots, onions, and a few other vegetables to the pea soup, along with some form of pork, even if it was only a few slices of salt pork. Depression-era foods served us well.

 

[nismaratwork]

When I was a kid I often heard "pea soup and johnny cake make a Frenchman's belly ache". It was a standard pairing. I preferred biscuits or yeast rolls to the corn bread, but we got the "johnny cake" from time to time. The French-Canadians in my family typically added carrots, onions, and a few other vegetables to the pea soup, along with some form of pork, even if it was only a few slices of salt pork. Depression-era foods served us well.

I love 'em... but you know, a Johnny Cake is really of Native American origin... think a very rough maize pancake. Needless to say the french do NOT leave culinary matters, "rough," and that goes for Canadians as well in my experience. Now I'd have to say "hoe cake" in particular to conjure the image of what I described... I love culinary evolution... we lose little and gain so much!

For the record, I'd rather eat your version more often, but do yourself a favor, make a few of these and bust out the maple syrup! BAM! Sorry... carried away...

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-johnny-cake.htm (describes the hoe cake simply as cornmeal, water, salt... I sometimes add a bit of fresh corn off the cob for texture and moisture. Fry on a griddle... drench in maple syrup and make happy sounds.

I stumbled across this as well...

Johnny Cake
----- Original Message -----
From: "Camille"
To: Phaedrus
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2003 9:30 PM
Subject: Johnny Cake

> The term Johnny cake was used in a class I am taking. It was referred to
as a term used to describe corn bread by people who live in the Boston
area. This was news to me as Johnny CAke is a term I heard used by people in
the Carribean to describe a delicious bread. It does not contain any corn
meal at all.
>
> Any insight on this one is appreciated?


Hello Camille,

Well, both of these breads are believed to have been originally called "journey-cakes" because they could be taken with a traveler to be eaten as needed. New England Johnny-cakes are more like a cornmeal pancake, whereas Caribbean johnny-cakes are more like a flour dumpling or fritter. You can't really say that one contains only cornmeal and one contains only flour, though. I found that some New England recipes are mostly cornmeal but with some flour, and I found some Caribbean recipes that were mostly flour but contain a little cornmeal.. The early settlers of New England were taught to make cornmeal johnny-cakes by the native Americans of the area as far back as the 17th century. So, Native Americans were likely making johnny-cakes (although they didn't call them that) before Columbus discovered America. I could not find an exact origin for Caribbean johnny-cakes. Being made with flour, it's not likely that they pre-existed colonial days, at least not in America.

However, it's also possible that the name "journey cake" originally referred to something that the English settlers knew back in England. Perhaps they just transferred the name to the Indian cornmal cakes in New England.

Phaed


West Indies JOHNNY CAKE or FRIED DUMPLINGS
(Journey Cakes)
INGREDIENTS
8 oz Wholemeal flour
11/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 oz unsalted soy margarine
Cold water
Vegetable oil for frying

METHOD
1. Sift the flour and baking powder together.
2. Rub in the margarine until well blended.
3. Gradually add cold water to the mixture the ingredients bind to form a
stiff dough.
4. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth.
5. Divide the mixture, shape into balls and flatten slightly.
6. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy frying pan and fry the dumplings until
brown on both sides.
Makes approximately 8
-------------------------------------
New England Johnny Cakes

(Flat Cornbread Pancake)

Ingredients
2 cup white fine ground corn meal
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
2 cup boiling water or hot milk
butter or oil


Mix the cornmeal and salt in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the
cornmeal and stir. Let the mixture stand for about five minutes. If the
mixture is too thick to spread in the pan, add one to two tablespoons of
water.
Heat a lightly greased skillet or griddle. Pour the mixture into the
skillet. You can cook the entire recipe at once or you can make small cakes.

Cook at medium heat for about 5 minutes.

@http://hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m1024F03.htm#2

 

[dlgoff]

When it comes to ham and beans with cornbread, this goes right over the cornbread:

That does it. I'm soaking some beans tonight.

 

[Evo]

When it comes to ham and beans with cornbread, this goes right over the cornbread:

That does it. I'm soaking some beans tonight.

That looks like my beans.

 

[nismaratwork]

Yeah... I've never been so in the mood for beans! I think I have some kidney beans in my pantry, and I always keep salt-pork... what the hell. PF is going to be a very stinky place tomorrow with all of this legume-love.

 

[lisab]

When it comes to ham and beans with cornbread, this goes right over the cornbread:

That does it. I'm soaking some beans tonight.

*lisab thinks: if i leave tonight (speed limit X 1.15), i think i can be at Don's by dinnertime tomorrow...*

*lisab thinks some more: and drop by Evo's for left overs...*

 

[Evo]

*lisab thinks: if i leave tonight (speed limit X 1.15), i think i can be at Don's by dinnertime tomorrow...*

*lisab thinks some more: and drop by Evo's for left overs...*

Come on over lisab, there's way more than the fruit bat and I can eat!

 

[nismaratwork]

*lisab thinks: if i leave tonight (speed limit X 1.15), i think i can be at Don's by dinnertime tomorrow...*

*lisab thinks some more: and drop by Evo's for left overs...*

Right?!

*Looks at beans*
:!):!):!)

edit: 1.15x speed limit?! Beans to that... try 10% c.

 

[HeLiXe]

I'm having some delicious beans now I should take a pic

 

[Borek]

I'm having some delicious beans now I should take a pic

And not a sound recording?

 

[Evo]

And not a sound recording?

Just think if we could harness that power.

 

[nismaratwork]

Just think if we could harness that power.

Well... this IS Physics Forums... let's harness those poots and fly into the skyyyyyyy...

 

[HeLiXe]

And not a sound recording?

I actually did take a pic, I'll have to post it later :)

 

[turbo]

Well... this IS Physics Forums... let's harness those poots and fly into the skyyyyyyy...

No beans here, but I had pea soup for breakfast and should be able to contribute.

 

[nismaratwork]

No beans here, but I had pea soup for breakfast and should be able to contribute.

Heh... and to reference myself in another thread (lame jokes), tonight you'll... pee soup.

 

[Lacy33]

*lisab thinks: if i leave tonight (speed limit X 1.15), i think i can be at Don's by dinnertime tomorrow...*

*lisab thinks some more: and drop by Evo's for left overs...*

And Lacy visites the food thread for the first time and rushes the computer moniter out into the hallway, down the elevator and out into the street!

We do actually make something similar called cholent with chicken or beef. It cooks over night so one can have hot food on days one might not be cooking.

 

[nismaratwork]

And Lacy visites the food thread for the first time and rushes the computer moniter out into the hallway, down the elevator and out into the street!

We do actually make something similar called cholent with chicken or beef. It cooks over night so one can have hot food on days one might not be cooking.

Cholent... um... You're Kosher then!... and strictly so from your first sentence.

What a welcome to the food thread! Here's a more salutary image for the Kosher soul.

 

[mugaliens]

Cholent... um... You're Kosher then!... and strictly so from your first sentence.

What a welcome to the food thread! Here's a more salutary image for the Kosher soul.

You know, I don't really know what to think about that spread, as it doesn't look very appetizing.

However! I would most certainly dig in! It's just what a guest is expected to do. :)

Are those olives?

 

[nismaratwork]

You know, I don't really know what to think about that spread, as it doesn't look very appetizing.

However! I would most certainly dig in! It's just what a guest is expected to do. :)

Are those olives?

Well, I know what religion you were NOT raised in. I had a lovely girlfriend many years ago who was Jewish, and this dish (in a more appetizing form... bad picture hastily obtained sorry!) 'Carrot Tzimmes' (sp?) was served on some holidays. I got hooked on the things, and um... not olives, but prunes. I realize that for some, that's six of one and a half dozen of the other as far as eating is concerned, but it taste GREAT!

I've never eaten better chicken either, but boy did that relationship fail. *wince* (not for religious reasons, obviously, with my atheist behind)

 

[Lacy33]

Well, I know what religion you were NOT raised in. I had a lovely girlfriend many years ago who was Jewish, and this dish (in a more appetizing form... bad picture hastily obtained sorry!) 'Carrot Tzimmes' (sp?) was served on some holidays. I got hooked on the things, and um... not olives, but prunes. I realize that for some, that's six of one and a half dozen of the other as far as eating is concerned, but it taste GREAT!

I've never eaten better chicken either, but boy did that relationship fail. *wince* (not for religious reasons, obviously, with my atheist behind)

Thank you for the welcome. That really is a nice picture of Tzimmes and I love it too. Hubby who joined the tribe later in life hated it in the beginning and now I better make myself a dish before bringing it to the table or I will not even get a bite. I have seen him set the serving dish by himself and serve the guests and not because he wants to be so helpful! Pit bull at the table!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzimmes"

The photo of the ham and beans looked so much like how our cholent looks like when it first starts off on Friday after noon. We make it in a crockpot and seal it with foil. After that it just does what it does and we open it the next day late morning to prepare for lunch. Having the Ashkenazi cholent all my life, I stared to hate it so when Hubby started making it, (which is the tradition that the man of the house makes the cholent) he began looking at the Sephardi cholent. We love it and it's always delicious and always different. Very exciting and spicy.
Cholent:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholent"

 

[HeLiXe]

Here are the beans from yesterday I shall be having some again today :)

 

[nismaratwork]

Thank you for the welcome. That really is a nice picture of Tzimmes and I love it too. Hubby who joined the tribe later in life hated it in the beginning and now I better make myself a dish before bringing it to the table or I will not even get a bite. I have seen him set the serving dish by himself and serve the guests and not because he wants to be so helpful! Pit bull at the table!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzimmes"

The photo of the ham and beans looked so much like how our cholent looks like when it first starts off on Friday after noon. We make it in a crockpot and seal it with foil. After that it just does what it does and we open it the next day late morning to prepare for lunch. Having the Ashkenazi cholent all my life, I stared to hate it so when Hubby started making it, (which is the tradition that the man of the house makes the cholent) he began looking at the Sephardi cholent. We love it and it's always delicious and always different. Very exciting and spicy.
Cholent:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholent"

I just learned more about practical Jewish tradition in your post than I have in the last 10 years! Cholent... it seems a lot of food in Jewish tradition has great symbolic value, even if it's not a 'holiday'. Thanks very much, and I'm glad you have delicious cholent now... spicy... sounds good to me!

 

[nismaratwork]

Here are the beans from yesterday I shall be having some again today :)

How can I say this without sounding like a pervert or being banned...

...
...
...

I WANT YER BEANS! Gimme yer beans!
...

nah... wrong tone.

*seriously, that looks so good, I can practically feel the texture of the cooked beans... mmmm*

 

[Lacy33]

I just learned more about practical Jewish tradition in your post than I have in the last 10 years! Cholent... it seems a lot of food in Jewish tradition has great symbolic value, even if it's not a 'holiday'. Thanks very much, and I'm glad you have delicious cholent now... spicy... sounds good to me!

 

[HeLiXe]

How can I say this without sounding like a pervert or being banned...

...
...
...

I WANT YER BEANS! Gimme yer beans!
...

nah... wrong tone.

*seriously, that looks so good, I can practically feel the texture of the cooked beans... mmmm*

C'mon Nismar...You're not asking me for cookies

The meat is lamb...it are really good

 

[Evo]

Here are the beans from yesterday I shall be having some again today :)

Those look yummy!

 

[Evo]

Thank you for the welcome. That really is a nice picture of Tzimmes and I love it too. Hubby who joined the tribe later in life hated it in the beginning and now I better make myself a dish before bringing it to the table or I will not even get a bite. I have seen him set the serving dish by himself and serve the guests and not because he wants to be so helpful! Pit bull at the table!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzimmes"

The photo of the ham and beans looked so much like how our cholent looks like when it first starts off on Friday after noon. We make it in a crockpot and seal it with foil. After that it just does what it does and we open it the next day late morning to prepare for lunch. Having the Ashkenazi cholent all my life, I stared to hate it so when Hubby started making it, (which is the tradition that the man of the house makes the cholent) he began looking at the Sephardi cholent. We love it and it's always delicious and always different. Very exciting and spicy.
Cholent:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholent"

I knew about cholent, and decided it was very much like my "glop", a stew that started out with meat, and either barley, beans rice, etc... and hours later was unrecognizable, but oddly tasty and filling. I need to make a real traditional cholent though. Do you have a recipe you recommend?

My step mother-in-law was Jewish, from NY. That woman could cook! We went to my then husband's parent's house to eat at least once a week. I learned to make the world's best coleslaw from her. And the chopped chicken livers, "to die for". I loved my in-laws. That was the hardest part of my divorce, it destroyed his dad, we were so close. My ex decided my punishment was to not talk to his parents.

 

[HeLiXe]

Those look yummy!

Thx Evo!

 

[turbo]

I lived my childhood eating dishes made of dried peas, dried beans, rice, potatoes, canned tomatoes, and other cheap staples. Some were traditional, some were family favorites, but all were meant to keep body and soul together. Often, the dishes incorporated salt pork, salted leeks, salted scallions. If you trekked down to our cellar when I was a kid, you'd see rough cupboards full of canned or pickled foods, and jars of salted vegetables.

When we had a bad potato crop due to blight, things could get a bit bleaker. Man! I hated shoveling rotting potatoes out of our large storage bin and hauling them outside. Worse, you had to toss them because composting them would inoculate your garden-soil with blight to poison your tomatoes, potatoes, and other crops for the next year.

 

[nismaratwork]

C'mon Nismar...You're not asking me for cookies

The meat is lamb...it are really good

Pervy!... and I love lamb.


turbo-1: I won't lie, that sounds very hard. Self made man indeed!

 

[dlgoff]

I lived my childhood eating dishes made of dried peas, dried beans, rice, potatoes, canned tomatoes, and other cheap staples...

I was born in the south where purple hull peas grew very well. I don't think I've heard of them up here in Kansas, but I sure remember how good they taste. They're a lot like black eye peas.

 

[nismaratwork]

I don't think I've ever seen those, never mind eaten them. I must try them... time to google.

 

[turbo]

turbo-1: I won't lie, that sounds very hard. Self made man indeed!

Not so hard. My mother and I worked in our garden and tried to lay up enough food to keep us all fed for the next year (along with harvesting seasonal wild vegetables, berries, etc). We often think of processing, freezing, and canning as "preservation", but 50+ years ago, salting down meats and vegetables was still prominent. We had to use salting to preserve herbs and vegetables that might only be used a bit at a time. Our family had to keep using salted foods to keep cooking our favorite foods.

 

[Evo]

I was born in the south where purple hull peas grew very well. I don't think I've heard of them up here in Kansas, but I sure remember how good they taste. They're a lot like black eye peas.

I've seen them in places I've lived, but don't remember seeing them here.

 

[dlgoff]

... 50+ years ago, salting down meats and vegetables was still prominent.

I may have mentioned this before. :seniormoment:

Back then there were lots of places that didn't have the luxury of refrigerators, hence the salt. Dad tells me how he would take a hog and salt it down to preserve it. But there were iceboxes, albeit not big enough for a hog. My grandfather worked in the ice business and delivered ice from the time he was 14 until he retired at 65.

 

[turbo]

I may have mentioned this before. :seniormoment:

Back then there were lots of places that didn't have the luxury of refrigerators, hence the salt. Dad tells me how he would take a hog and salt it down to preserve it. But there were iceboxes, albeit not big enough for a hog. My grandfather worked in the ice business and delivered ice from the time he was 14 until he retired at 65.

We don't always appreciate the ways that our parents and grandparents had to use to preserve food.

Once upon a time, if you killed a hog, you needed to parcel out most of the meat, and salt or smoke the rest of it to avoid losing it. Want to slaughter a cow? Even bigger problem for fresh dispersal, and smoking/salting the remainder. My family had little wooden kegs of salt pork. We needed that fat for cooking and needed the flavorings for traditional foods.

 

[dlgoff]

We don't always appreciate the ways that our parents and grandparents had to use to preserve food.

Probably a little off topic but shows how important food was then.

The soil wasn't all that good in the garden, being a little rocky in the south, so what was grown was extra special. So if a mole got into the garden, grandmother would stand for hours waiting to see the Earth move then use a fork to eliminate the problem.

 

[nismaratwork]

Probably a little off topic but shows how important food was then.

The soil wasn't all that good in the garden, being a little rocky in the south, so what was grown was extra special. So if a mole got into the garden, grandmother would stand for hours waiting to see the Earth move then use a fork to eliminate the problem.

I don't think this can be considered off topic at all! I learned canning and preserving from my grandmother, and I still do it today! I think anyone with a garden of any type, or access to good fresh fruits and veggies should have those skills. Why pay more for less, and less quality?


Besides... it's FUN.

The 'Jerky-based stew/chilli' concept is still delicious, even if there are other options. True, I can have bacon, but salt pork or a hock is much better sometimes. Hell, where would we be as a people with oxtail! *yum*

 

[nismaratwork]

Not so hard. My mother and I worked in our garden and tried to lay up enough food to keep us all fed for the next year (along with harvesting seasonal wild vegetables, berries, etc). We often think of processing, freezing, and canning as "preservation", but 50+ years ago, salting down meats and vegetables was still prominent. We had to use salting to preserve herbs and vegetables that might only be used a bit at a time. Our family had to keep using salted foods to keep cooking our favorite foods.

I meant the potatoes... the only thing I'd wish to do LESS, would be to muck a stable after the barn was de-wormed, and promptly fed grass. Salting and curing is still a great way to keep quality meats in my view.

 

[Lacy33]

I knew about cholent, and decided it was very much like my "glop", a stew that started out with meat, and either barley, beans rice, etc... and hours later was unrecognizable, but oddly tasty and filling. I need to make a real traditional cholent though. Do you have a recipe you recommend?

My step mother-in-law was Jewish, from NY. That woman could cook! We went to my then husband's parent's house to eat at least once a week. I learned to make the world's best coleslaw from her. And the chopped chicken livers, "to die for". I loved my in-laws. That was the hardest part of my divorce, it destroyed his dad, we were so close. My ex decided my punishment was to not talk to his parents.

Yup! Evo's Glop, Lacy's Slop and Cholent. All the same thing.
In the last few years, before Hubby saved the day, I started turning it on high not caring how burnt it got, it had to taste better than it would have otherwise.
I can say a lot about making a good cholent now watching dh. Go for the Sephardi cholents and add 4 times the spices than you would think would make it good. mostly the onion and garlic. Leave off the barley. Unless your doing construction on your home, then you can use it as cement after the Sabbath is over.
The Sephardi's of which I am one from my dad's side, are very spice minded and that goes for the personalities as well.
There are a lot of members here living in the middle east who can give some great advice to us on spices to use.
There is a site that you will not be able to post on because you have to take a test to get in, but I found the site looking for recipes. Have fun:
http://imamother.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=33

 

[DaveC426913]

and Cholent.

It's made of people!

 

[lisab]

It's made of people!

 

[HeLiXe]

Pervy!

I was born in the south where purple hull peas grew very well. I don't think I've heard of them up here in Kansas, but I sure remember how good they taste. They're a lot like black eye peas.

These look so good. I had black eyed peas once before but I totally forgot what they taste like.

 

[Evo]

These look so good. I had black eyed peas once before but I totally forgot what they taste like.

Black eyed peas have a wonderful flavor. Cook some with either a smoked ham hock, bacon, or salt pork, abit of onion and some garlic could be added, but that's all you need with these flavorful peas.