Saturday, March 5, 2011

Cooking For a Crowd?

The scratchings at the end of the recipe are mine. I found it works better to split into two pans for this first step. This is from "Tasteful Traditions", a cookbook published for our town's Sesquicentennial Birthday in 2004, which is 150 years from the founding day-and I know how to spell that from my participation during the sesqui celebration. I can not however spell easy things like anything ending in "le" or double "l". Must have missed school that day.
The recipe was submitted by Julia Tait-she is known in town for her great pies also.
This is a recipe that I use if making something for a double, triple meal for freezing or a crowd of people. You can substitute ground turkey or chicken or use 1/2 and 1/2 with beef-make it your own. We prefer it on rolls like egg or potato rolls. Add a salad like cole slaw or mixed greens, applesauce or fresh fruit and you are done. If you are making fresh fruit, you can just mix 2 lemon yogurt with a small amount (1/2 cup) sour cream and stir carefully. How very nice. You must add a dessert, brownies or a fruit pie.
I read a novel about 30 years ago when SDaughter was a terror, excuse me, I mean a behavior challenged toddler, about pioneers and their struggles-and the woman in the story soaked 1/2 cup of raisins in precious red wine overnight-enough to cover, and she covered it with a cloth to keep the bugs out, yikes-I hate bugs. I would not have done well in those days, outside plumbing-bathroom and water from the creek, dirt and dust-unlike my home when I have gotten behind in my cleaning-this is the real dust and dirt, straight from the prairie, no Tim Hortons Coffee mule-drive through, and no computer, well you get my point-I would not have done well. We all would have survived, and maybe if I did not know what I was missing, it would have been fine. But still-bugs?
Back to my story, I almost never have had wine in the house, so I just use any kind of juice-grape is best, soak as directed (not refrigerated) and then add it to your regular apple pie recipe-it really gives it a nice flavor. I have even sunk so low as to add it to canned apple pie filling. Still was a nice touch.
Hope you have a special group of people that you share a meal with, and maybe some of you are at a place in your lives, that what you have are memories of shared meals. That is all it takes sometimes, a life well-lived, full of memories that you can draw on whenever needed. Thanks to Matka, I and my family have a purse full of precious family times to pull out and examine.
Here are "Julia's Girls", named for SGrandma Viviani, a wonderfully dedicated, family, Italian cook: SCooks, SCousins, SSisters and SMoms all.

2 comments:

Margaret Hall said...

First of all, thanks for the recipe, but I want to address the smiles, the joy, the LOVE that is in the picture of "Julia's Girls"~!! What a wonderful group of souls, Sally! Thanks for sharing your love and memories with us....

sally said...

And thank you Margaret for all your kind comments. You are so supportive of all the blogs you read.