Kitchen Gadget Girl Cooks

 From my recipe box, I pulled this treasure, from my Great-grandmother on my Dad’s side, Grandmother’s Tea Cookies. She was English, although spent many years in Shanghai, China, where my Grandmother was born, but from the looks of the recipe, it sounds like she took her Englishness with her over the ocean.

For this week’s Vintage Recipe Thursday, I offer:

Grandmother’s Tea Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of flour
• 2 small teaspoons of baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Mix all together and add any kinds of raisins, dates and nuts or just coconut (typed exactly as it appears on the card!)

No baking instructions, I might guess 350F for 8-10 minutes.

Several months ago, I was asked to review the Bagel Biter, the original Bagel Guillotine, a kitchen tool designed to make slicing morning bagels easier and pain free. Last month, while relaxing after a post-birthday ride, I coaxed my friends into trying out the Guillotine and helping me with testing.

Jim Dodge of Larian Products, the manufacturer of the Bagel Guillotine, contacted me after I posted my 100th Post – 100 Kitchen Gadgets. I had mentioned a Bagel Slicer in my list, which I think might have been on our wedding registry. 

Around a table filled with bagels, cream cheese, juice and coffee, we tried out the Bagel Guillotine on many bagels, with mixed results:

Pros:

• Made in the U.S.
• Contained high-carbon stainless blade, safe to use
• Top rack dishwasher safe

Cons:

• Squishes the over-sized bagels so common nowadays
• Not a smooth cut on the interior, could be a problem for toasted bagels
• Is it really that hard to use a knife?

Recommendation:

Bagel slicing cuts are one of the largest source of Emergency Room visits on Sunday mornings, which already gives this kitchen tool a head start. If you are a power bagel eater, or have kids that eat loads of bagels, this might be the tool for you. You could probably also use it to slice other round foods, such as English muffins and rolls. And, it is ergonomically designed, which is beneficial for many folks with hand and wrist issues.

At $24.95, it will not break the bank, but it is another single-use kitchen tool that needs to be stored. And really, a knife is going to be quite fine for most users.

With three days in this weekend, I am taking advantage of the extra time by preparing a couple dishes that are new. Also, in our Two Small Farms CSA box this week, I scored over 2 pounds of fava beans, so I am looking for new recipes to use the bounty.

In our box this week we received Fava Beans, Zucchini, Strawberries, Bok Choy, Chantenay Carrots, Purplette Onions, and Bacon Avocados. Here is my menu plan for this week:

Monday: Grilled Chicken, Fava Bean and Orzo Salad (from Simply Organic by Jesse Ziff Cool), Grilled Purplette Onions, bread

Tuesday: Zucchini Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Salmon, sautéed Bok Choy, Guacamole (Avocado) Rice Salad (from my new Vegetarian Cooking Under Pressure by Lorna Sass)

Friday: TGIF Mini-block party

Be sure to check out Org Junkie for other good Menu Plan Monday ideas!

Last week, I made the first harvest from my vegetable garden – beautiful French breakfast radishes (and no, I don’t think you are supposed to eat them for breakfast, although I may be wrong!). 

The radishes were so lovely, and tasty, that I decided to create a simple appetizer to share with my friends Sue and Suzy at our weekly lunch.

Following Ina Garten’s suggestion, I served the radishes with their tops, along with a bowl of salt and fresh, high quality butter. I also sliced up a baguette, and to assemble, we spread butter on the baguette, sprinkled with a little salt, then a radish. Hold the whole thing together and take a bite. Absolute heaven!

What is growing in your garden these days?

Grow Your Own #28 is hosted this month by the Daily Tiffin. Be sure to stop by and see all the amazing home grown goodies!

One of the things I love about looking through my recipe box is the validation that I come from a long line of cooks. And how do I know this? Well, for one thing, the recipes are from my Mom, my Grandmother, my Great Aunts (her sisters) and Great Great Aunts (way far back, late 1800’s). 

The other way I know? The brevity of some recipes. The two below definitely fall into that camp, with just ingredients listed and no instructions. Or instructions that are incomplete. There is a basic assumption that the reader knows how to cook, and that what is written down is just a reminder. If I had a scanner, I could show you exactly what I mean, but for now, here are my two vintage family cookie recipes that I would like to share today:

Spice Cookies
from Millicent (a Great Aunt)

• 1 cup fat
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tsp soda dissolved
• 1/2 TBS boiling water
• 1 package dates
• 1 cup walnuts

Makes 75

Bake 375F

That would be the brief one; here is the incomplete one.

Boston Cookies
from Aunt Ida (Great Great Aunt)

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2+ cup butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sour milk
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup nut meats
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• Spices of all kinds
• Pinch salt

Bake in dripping pan by spreading dough 1/2″ thick.

Spices of all kinds, eh? Cinnamon and nutmeg were probably what they had in mind, but how about Chinese Five Spice or Cayenne? Pepper? Dripping Pan? Isn’t that what goes under a roast? And what temperature oven and for how long? Might be fun to experiment.

Do you have an old family favorite that puzzles you?

This past weekend, the temperatures were in the high 90’s both days, so I am looking forward to a week with cool, easy to prepare food. Last night, we had cold soba noodles with sliced peppers and carrots, a dish that I know from Japanese restaurants. My friend Atsuko brought something similar to our TGIF block party, and I realized I could make it at home too!

For the rest of the week, I headed over to a post I did last year, Thirteen Dinners for a Hot Night for inspiration. In the Two Small Farms CSA box this week, we found Little Gem Lettuces (I traded those, too much lettuce from last week), Radishes, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Spinach, Chard, Carrots, and Baby Broccoli. So my menu plan for this week is:

Monday: Dinner out after Swim Practice

Tuesday: Thai peanut noodles with cold, sliced pork tenderloin, Broccoli salad with asian dressing (I will use the Radishes too)

Wednesday: Cheesy Beef-and-Rice Casserole (see recipe below)

Thursday: Leftovers, Spinach and Strawberry salad, sautéed Chard

Friday: TGIF Mini-block party (last week, I took a bunch of Little Gem Lettuce leaves and a tub of dip and called that an appetizer. I don’t think my neighbors were fooled!)

Cheesy Beef-and-Rice Casserole
based on recipe from CookingLight 2002

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 4.5 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
• 3 cups cooked brown rice (2 scoops of dry in my rice cooker)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese

If you do not have leftover brown rice, cook the brown rice and set aside. Remember, you only need 3 cups of cooked rice, which is about 1 1/2 cups dried.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Sauté meat, with onions and bell pepper, stirring to crumble meat, until meat is browned. Add water and next 7 ingredients (through green chiles); bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Combine rice, sour cream, green onions, and milk in bowl. Spoon into a 9-inch baking dish (it sounds small, but it works). Top will beef mixture and sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake at 375F for 10 minutes until heated through. 

If you want to make this in advance, refrigerate until ready to bake, and add 10-15 minutes to baking time, or until cheese is melty and casserole is bubbly. We usually enjoy this with tortillas on the side, black beans, and a salad.

For this week’s Vintage Recipe Thursday, I offer you a maternal family favorite, although it is also one of my Dad’s favorites: Date Nut Bars. The note on the card says this recipe is from 1935 when my Mom and her family lived in San Luis Obispo, California.

Even those among us who are not date fans will find something to love in this bar cookie – dense, sticky bar, with a crispy top and enough powdered sugar to cause a coughing fit. My favorite part are the corners, naturally, and next time I make them, I think I will put them in my new Brownie Edges Pan. 

Date Nut Bars

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 10 Tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chopped dates (about 20 medjools)
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 3 egg whites

Beat egg whites until stiff; add remaining ingredients. Bake in greased square pan, 8×8, at 350F for 35 minutes. Cut while hot and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Last week I had the opportunity to test drive the new Lunchbots, stainless steel containers with lids for packing lunch or snacks. Jacqueline Linder, the founder of Lunchbots, responded to my request right away and sent over a Lunchbot Duo for my evaluation.

On their site, Jacqueline explains that she started the company after learning more about the harmful effects of plastics and the desire to remove plastics from her household. Everything about the Lunchbots is manufactured from food-safe stainless steel, even the lids and dividers. 

Using my test subjects (my two kids!), I packed lunches in the Lunchbot several days last week. My first thought was that the Lunchbot is too small. When I was packing lunches, I had trouble fitting food in, and especially for my son, ensuring that there was enough food. My daughter loved the compact size, and her lunch fit in very nicely. 

The pictures above show my daughter’s usual bento-box, compared to the Lunchbot, which is almost the same size. The other picture is the box I use for my son’s lunch, which is quite a bit larger. On the day I packed my son’s lunch in the Lunchbot, I only packed 1/2 of what I normally do. However, with the use of silicon muffin cups, I was able to stack food and squeeze in a little more.

My friend Deborah writes a great blog, Lunch In a Box, and this bento-style Lunchbot would be perfect for her method of lunch packing. Bento packing is a special art, involving filler foods and creative shapes, which the Lunchbot is great for. And bento-boxes come in specific sizes, based on the age of the child and caloric needs. 

Pros:

• Easy to clean, dishwasher safe
• Lid is easy to remove, but fits snug
• Reasonably priced ($14.99 retail)
• Fun colors

Cons:

• Not water tight
• No insulated bag, and stainless steel will get hot in the summer
• Divider in Duo model is fixed, limiting packing possibilities
• Small, most suitable for young kids

Recommendation:

If you are concerned about plastics, this could be the box for you. The size is nice for most grade school children, and would be the perfect snack box for anyone. The stainless steel is attractive, durable and easy to clean, and the price is reasonable. For summer use, I would recommend an insulated bag to keep the lunch cool.

Update: I just exchanged email with Jacqueline and she explains that she uses two boxes for her son’s lunch – one Lunchbot Uno with a sandwich, wrap, or sushi, and then a Lunchbot Duo with fruit and snacks. Both of these go into his lunchbag along with a reusable water bottle. Great plan and gets around my concern about not having enough space for my son’s lunch!

Silverado Mansion

Uptake is having a contest – along with Silverado Resort in Napa, they are giving away a Spa Girl Package for Four, including spa treatments, wine tasting and breakfast. I thought it would be fun to enter, since goodness knows I need a spa break, but I was having trouble coming up with my “angle”.

First I thought I would sing a song with my Ukulele (from Palo Alto Freecycle!) and make a video. I was going to rewrite the lyrics to Somewhere Over the Rainbow. It would have gone something like this:

Somewhere, north of the City
There’s a spa
It’s a spa that I’d like to
Visit with my three friends.
Somewhere, in Napa Valley
Green, green, grass.
There’s a chance to relax,
While enjoying wines by the glass
Some day I wish upon a spa
A place to visit with my friends
That’s far away…
Where, cellulite melts like chocolate drops
Away among the vineyard trucks
That’s where I want to be
Somewhere far from my worries
Lies Silverado Resort
A place where no body scurries
Everything is calm, cool and short

 
Clearly, my creative juices ran dry. Oh, and I don’t actually know how to play my Ukulele. Oh well.

So, then I asked the kids what they thought. They came up with 10 reasons I should have a spa weekend, and I wrote them down verbatim:

1. Because you are beautiful
2. Because you are really nice
3. Because you make cookies
4. Because you let me play the Wii
5. Because you are really good
6. Because you deserve it
7. Because you let us have fun block parties on Friday night
8. Because you stick your hands in the trash can at school for compost
9. Because you bike with us to school
10. Woof, woof, woof (that is from the dog Molly)

 
But those reasons did not seem so compelling either, especially when entering this Girl’s Getaway Spa contest. So I still needed to come up with a real reason. And here it is:

Everyday, my life is about planning what my family is going to do, from eating breakfast, to getting to school, to appointments, to sports, to vacation planning. I think about everyone’s needs and desires for these plans, all with a eye towards what will make everyone happy. How nice would it be for me to have a weekend away with my girlfriends? One in which my desires and needs were at the forefront? That would be thrilling. Exciting. Unbelievable.

For my entry, I would like to let the judges know that winning this contest would be outstanding and something I would treasure. The chance to rejuveinate my mind and body at Silverado Resort would be a treat – I would come back to my life with renewed energy and creativity. Selecting the friends who would accompany me would be tricky, but I am sure I could manage. And my husband would be thrilled to have a weekend with the kids.

Winning this would make my day.

Well, between what I have left over from last week, and what I received this week in my Two Small Farms CSA box, I have a lot of lettuce! Loads of it. 5 heads of mini-romaine and two big hulking heads of red leaf. Gorgeous lettuce, just not sure how we get through it all. Thank goodness for worms!

Also last week, since I could not wait, I bought two new cookbooks – Local Flavors by Deborah Madison and Whole Grains Every Day Every Way by Lorna Sass, my personal cookbook hero. I plan to try out a couple recipes in the next few weeks before rendering my recommendation. 

In our box this week, I found: Agretti, Purple Scallions, Baby Red Chard, Green Garlic (frankly, scallions, green garlic and young shallots all kind of look the same to me!), Lettuce, Strawberries and Yellow Summer Squash. My menu plan for this week is:

Sunday: Mother’s Day Dinner – Chicken Scaloppine with Sugar Snap Peas and Asparagus, from Cooking Light May 2009. Great recipe, easy and fresh! 

Monday: Leftovers

Tuesday: Quinoa with Summer Squash and basil (from Whole Grains), grilled chicken, Salad 

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Brown Rice Salad and flank steak with asian flavors (from Whole Grains), Agretti Salad, sautéed Baby Red Chard

Friday: TGIF Mini-block party (maybe I will bring a salad)

For more Menu Plan Monday ideas, check out Org Junkie.

——–

Apron Winners

And now the moment you have all been waiting for! Thank you to everyone who commented and participated in the cute kitchen apron contest, and a big shout out to my friend Erika for letting her entire Facebook network know about the contest. You rock!

The winners are:

Comment #1 Jenny of Making Lemonade

Comment #7 Maris of In Good Taste

For those of you who did not win, and if you live in the Bay Area, I would be happy to host an apron making party, complete with sewing machines and snacks. These kitchen aprons are easy and fun and customizing your own might be the way to go.

Hope you all had a Happy Mother’s Day!