That is perhaps one of the beauties of making your own family cookbook – you have control over favorite heirloom recipes, as well as a time capsule of all the people in your family.

If you haven’t started your family cookbook yet, no worries, there is still time to complete one for a sure-to-be-favorite Christmas gift. Meanwhile, below is interesting information about some old favorites:

Favorite Ancient Egyptian Breakfast
Ham and eggs (in 1500 B.C.)

America’s Favorite Fruits
1951 = Bananas, apples, seedless grapes, and oranges.
2008 = Strawberries, bananas, grapes, apples, and oranges.

Favorite Yuletide Treats
In Norway, the favorite sweet treat is Julekaka (Christmas Bread), a sweet bread flavored with cardamom, citron and raisins.

Mark Twain’s Favorite Meal
Pan fried porterhouse steak with mushrooms and peas.

Favorite Tangy Fruit in Old China
Lemons are big in China, dating back to the Chinese Emperors, who liked lemonade. Lemons were brought to the Americas by Catholic Missionaries, and lemon trees were subsequently planted in California and Arizona.

French Monk’s Favorite Meal
In France, monks favored rabbit as a meal because it was considered “fish” and could be eaten as a meat substitute on “abstinence” days.

Cleopatra’s Favorite Fruit
As long as 6,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians enjoyed eating figs, both fresh and dried. They were a favorite of Cleopatra, and figs were said to be grown in the lush Hanging Gardens of Babylon (in present day Iraq).

Favorite Dessert in 1951
A survey of the U.S. armed forces in 1951 showed that banana cream pie was tops on the list for servicemen. However, their least favorite dessert was rice pudding.

Happy Cookbooking,
Matilda

I have a few recipes for homemade gifts from the kitchen in a special section of my family cookbook. Whenever I need an idea for a quick gift, this “Homemade Gifts” section of my family cookbook never fails to inspire me or solve my immediate gift need. 

Even if I don’t have all the ingredients for a quick homemade gift from the kitchen, it is usually very easy to shop for the missing items since most recipes are made with standard measurements and readily-available package sizes.

My favorite homemade gifts from the kitchen are recipes for hot beverages that are great for the cold winter months. I usually give them in a Snapware or plastic storage container that provides use long after the beverage ingredients are gone. Here are three recipes for my most popular homemade gifts from the kitchen:

SPICED TEA
A wonderfully soothing and warming mixture to make individual cups or whole pots on chilly evenings.

1-1/2 cups instant tea powder
2 cups orange flavored instant breakfast powder
1 (3-ounce) package lemonade mix
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
Place 2 teaspoons of tea mix in a cup, add boiling water, stir and enjoy!

MEXICAN COCOA
A tasty south-of-the-border beverage that even Montezuma would love!

2 cups powdered milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup amaretto flavored non-dairy creamer powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground
1/4 tsp almond powder
Add 2 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 cup water to make cocoa.

CHAI TEA MIX
An exotic blend reminiscent of the lovely chai tea served in Indian restaurants.

1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 cup French vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon white pepper (for zip, optional)

Blend 1 cup at a time in a blender or food processor until mixture is the consistency of fine powder.
To serve: Stir 2 heaping tablespoons into a mug of hot water.

One of the great things about these gifts from the kitchen recipes is that they can be enjoyed hot or cold (if dissolved first and blended with ice). When you purchase the ingredients in bulk, you will be able to make several gifts from the kitchen at once. They are a great way to stay connected with friends and family well beyond the holidays. 

Happy Cookbooking,

Matilda

Yes, as I’ve mentioned before, I love cheese. My arteries probably have something to say about that, but, we’ll worry about that later….Meanwhile, it is time to stock up on some of the most favored cheeses in the U.S. for making holiday party spreads and holiday party snacking trays.

GREAT CHEESES FOR PARTY SPREADS
These softer cheeses may be eaten as is from the wrapper or container, or blended with other soft cheeses and flavoring ingredients to create a smooth party dip or party spread.
- Blue and Blue-veined
- Boursin
- Brie
- Camembert
- Chevre
- Cottage cheese
- Cream cheese
- Feta
- Mascarpone
- Ricotta

GREAT CHEESES FOR PARTY SNACKING TRAYS
These firmer cheeses are great sliced into cracker-sized pieces or cut into cubes or chunks to create toothsome toothpick munchies for party snacking trays.
- American
- Brick
- Cheddar
- Colby
- Edam
- Emmentaler
- Gouda
- Gruyere
- Havarti
- Monterey Jack
- Mozzarella
- Muenster
- Provolone
- Swiss

Let’s face it, having a great cheese list like this in your family cookbook could be worthwhile, so feel free to adapt it as you wish, adding your own favorite cheeses and recipes, of course.

Do you think those little green moon men had a great cheese list like this to work with? Maybe that’s why they moved the moon’s cheese and we can’t find it. Maybe the real cheese is on the dark side of the moon. (Tee hee.)

Happy Cheese Eating & Cookbook Making,

Matilda

There really is no reason to whine about wine.  Over the years, I’ve found that most people (aka guests) enjoy whatever a host or hostess chooses to serve (or they bring their own!).

Here are some useful food groupings and compatible wines for setting up those holiday food and wine tables for open houses, parties, and personal gatherings. Choose a bottle of each of red, white, and blush if you want to cover all your bases, but it really isn’t necessary. Your tastes may vary, so when in doubt, always pick what you prefer. And remember, it isn’t necessary to whine about wine.

REDS

Beef, Lamb, Pastas with Red Sauce, Soups, Stews, Chili, Hard Cheeses (Romano) go with:
CABERNET SAUVIGNON (Rich wine with flavors of blackberry, brown spice and vanilla).

Beef, Pork, Stews, Chili, Italian Dishes with Red Sauce, Pizzas, Hard Cheeses (Romano) go with:
HEARTY BURGUNDY (medium-bodied wine with flavors of red raspberries and hints of vanilla).

Beef, Pork, Lamb, Pizzas, Pastas with Red Sauce, Asian, Mexican, BBQ, Rich Chocolate Desserts go with:
MERLOT (balanced wine with bright fruit flavors of raspberry jam and juicy red berries.)

Beef, Poultry, Lamb, Pork, Pastas with Red Sauce, Soups, Stews, Chili, Pizzas, Asian, Mexican, BBQ go with:
PINOT NOIR (a medium-bodied wine with a fresh cherry aroma, red fruit flavor, and a soft finish).

WHITES

Spicy Asian Entrees, Mexican, BBQ, Soft Cheeses (Ricotta, Brie), Creamy Desserts, Rich Chocolate Desserts, Fruit Desserts go with:
MOSCATO (delightfully sweet medium-bodied wine with flavors of peach, apricot, and hints of citrus).

Poultry, Seafood, Pastas with White Sauce, Vegetarian Entrees & Salads, Soups, Stews, Chili go with:
CHARDONNAY (softly balanced with citrus, ripe tree-fruit flavors, and hints of oak).

Seafood, Vegetarian Entrees & Salads, Pasta Dishes with White Sauce, Pesto or Tomato Sauces, Soft Cheeses (Ricotta, Brie) go with:
SAUVIGNON BLANC (medium-bodied wine with fresh citrus and melon flavors).

Poultry, Seafood, Pastas with White Sauce, Vegetarian Entrees & Salads, Soft Cheeses (Ricotta, Brie) go with:
PINOT GRIGIO (light-bodied wine with green apple and citrus flavors and a crisp finish).

Most Any Food goes with:
CHAMPAGNE (lovely sparkling wine ranging from the sweeter Extra Dry to less-sweet Brut styles more common in the U.S.)

BLUSH

Poultry, Asian, Mexican, BBQ, Vegetarian Entrees & Salads, Rich Chocolate Desserts, Creamy Desserts, Fruit Desserts go with:
WHITE ZINFANDEL (refreshingly sweet with the taste of strawberries, watermelon, and aromas of raspberry and cherry).

Asian, Mexican, BBQ, Creamy Desserts, Fruit Desserts go with:
WHITE MERLOT (medium-bodied wine with aromas of blackberry, raspberry and bing cherry).

Of course, many of the food suggestions above are based on how well the food counters the flavor and quality of the wine.  Sweeter wines with spicier foods, for example, offer a pleasant counterpoint to one another, creating a melodic whole. See? Nothing to whine about wine, really.

Happy Cookbooking,

Matilda

Talk about truth in food labeling!  Seems like we’ve all been duped in the U.S.A. for a very long time by our food marketing folks. Everywhere you look in supermarkets, sweet potatoes are called yams, and “yams” are called yams even when they are sweet potatoes.

How in the heck can we tell what we’re buying when most of us have never seen a real yam next to a sweet potato, and wouldn’t know a yam even if we got slapped in the face with marshmallow cream?

So here goes my feeble attempt to clarify the difference between a real yam and a sweet potato:

Yams
- Tend to have rough scaly skin
- Brown or black skin that looks like tree bark
- Off-white, purple or red flesh
- Long & cylindrical shape
- Related to lilies and grasses
- Native to Africa and Asia; popular in Latin America & Caribbean
- Over 600 varieties
- Starchier and drier than sweet potatoes
- Naturally sweeter flesh than the U.S. sweet potato (although African grown yams are starchier and less sweet than real U.S. grown yams)
- First recorded reference to yam in North America was in 1676
- Grow easily in tropical climates like South America, Africa, and the Caribbean

Sweet Potatoes
- Ends taper to a point (or it can look like a potato)
- Low in calories; have no fat
- Native to North America
- Thin skin ranging from white to yellow, red, purple or brown
- Sweeter yellow, orange, or orange-red colored flesh
- Rich in beta-carotene
- Related to the Morning Glory family
- Labeled firm or soft:
- Firm varieties keep their shape when cooked
- Soft varieties are easily whipped or mashed after cooking

Further internet research tells us that the sweet potatoes originally grown in the U.S. were a firm variety, which held their shape when cooked.  Pretty soon, a softer variety was developed commercially, and there was a need to distinguish the “firm” kind from the “soft” kind. As the story goes, many people of African origin in the South remembered African yams, which looked remarkably similar to the U.S. sweet potato. They began calling the soft sweet potatoes “nyami,” the African word for the starchy, edible root used as a staple in African diets. The shortened term “yam” took on a life of its own, and became widely popular for the softer variety of sweet potato. (Product branding by default, I suppose.)

To sum it all up, unless you’re shopping in an international market (or happen to be eating in Africa), you are probably eating a sweet potato. Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that the label “yam” always be accompanied by the term “sweet potato.” (I’m going to check that out next time I buy a box of Red Garnet yams.)

Still confused?
Think of it this way. Yam Pie just doesn’t have the same ring as Sweet Potato Pie, a real American invention.

So as you do your holiday shopping, be aware that the “yams” you think you are buying are really sweet potatoes.

As for me, I’ll still call ‘em Yams. Closer to YUM, if you know what I mean.

Happy Cookbooking,

Matilda

Went to a cooking show last night and it was so much fun. The cooking demonstrator onstage created 10 different recipes over two hours, including appetizers, entrees and desserts:

APPETIZERS
Fall Harvest Salad
Smoked Salmon & Chives Cheesecake (also great as a party food)

PARTY FOODS & MUNCHIES
Snickerdoodle Chex® mix
Fresh fruit centerpiece

ENTREES
Cheesy Vegetable Chowder (smaller portions make a good appetizer, too)
Stuffed Manicotti with Spicy Sausage & Fresh Marinara Sauce
Mini Kentucky Hot Browns (can also be party food)
Stuffed Flank Steak Santa Fe

DESSERTS
Caramel Apple Twist (also great for breakfast)
Harlequin Cake

10 GREAT COOKING TIPS
The cooking demonstrator also offered several helpful tips that I am passing along to you:

1. Use 7-Up beverage instead of lemon juice to keep chopped apples from browning. (It has to be 7-Up; other lemon-lime drinks don’t do as well.)

2. Snip fresh herbs inside a plastic cup with kitchen shears to hasten clean-up.

3. Use stretchable silicone bands instead of string to truss a bird or stuffed steak.

4. Use slow cooker liners to avoid scrubbing. They are found on the plastic wrap aisle in the supermarket.

5. A wet paper towel underneath a thin flexible plastic cutting surface will help keep the cutting board from sliding on a polished counter.

6. Decorate food with chocolate leaves for fall; paint melted chocolate over washed fresh leaves and put in refrigerator. Peel chocolate off when leaves are cold. Use as garnish.

7. Try Head Chef cooking utensils for kids. They are adorable.

8. When oil and vinegar don’t stay mixed, use an emulsifier (such as cream) to blend and bind the two together so they won’t separate. Use equal parts oil and vinegar (1/4 cup each) and add twice the half-and-half (1/2 cup). Shake.

9. To make buttermilk when you don’t have any, measure one tablespoon vinegar and then fill up the same measuring cup with enough milk to equal one cup. Refrigerate. You should have homemade buttermilk in about 15 minutes.

10. Freeze cake lightly to cut down on crumbs getting mixed up in the frosting.
Wouldn’t you know it. Ruth came with me to the cooking show and was so enthralled by the onstage cooking production that she neglected to visit the ladies room until it was almost too late.  She was in a bit of a hurry once inside the single restroom, but got sidetracked by a puzzling development: she had no place to put her purse! (Oh my, never on the dirty floor!!)    There was a large pedestal sink, no hooks anywhere, and no drop-down panel for packages. What to do?

Nearly desperate for relief, Ruth flung her purse into the sink and proceeded about her business. All of a sudden, the automatic water faucet cheerily filled her purse with several measures of water.

Shall we say Ruth certainly made a splash?

Happy cookbooking,

Matilda

Kitty Litter Cake is a concoction of demented minds, yet it garnered lots of laughs and marvels at how it actually mimics “the real thing,” even down to the tormented Tootsie Rolls used to imitate cat poop.

I just had to share this frightful Kitty Litter Cake marvel of modern culinary arts with you as soon as possible. I understand that you MUST use a new (never used)  plastic cat litter box and new (never used) pooper scooper to gain the full effect. Whew!

Kitty Litter Cake for Halloween

1 spice cake mix (or German chocolate cake mix)
1 white cake mix
2 large packages vanilla instant pudding mix, prepared
1 large package vanilla sandwich cookies, crumbled
Green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Roll candies

1 new kitty litter pan
1 new kitty litter pan liner (optional)
1 new pooper scooper 

Getting Ready
1.  Prepare cake mixes according to package directions and set aside to cool when baked.
2.  Prepare pudding mix and chill.
3.  Crumble vanilla sandwich cookies in food processor, scraping often. Remove about 1/4 cup of cookie crumbs from the whole batch. Mix a few drops of green food coloring into this ¼ cup of cookie crumbs. Make sure they are completely colored. (Note: You will have a small amount of colored crumbs and a larger amount of uncolored crumbs.)

Assembly
4. After cakes have cooled to room temperature, crumble them together into a large bowl. Gently combine with the chilled pudding and half of the uncolored cookie crumbs. (Mix in just enough pudding to moisten, but not soak).

5. Line a new, clean kitty litter box. Spoon the Kitty Litter Cake/pudding/cookie mixture into the kitty litter box.

6. Unwrap 6 small Tootsie rolls and heat a few seconds in microwave until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Bury them in the  cake/pudding mixture. Be creative on placements.

7. Sprinkle the remaining half of cookie crumbs over the top of the Kitty Litter Cake. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly on top of everything. (These are supposed to look like the “odor-eating chlorophyll” granules in real kitty litter).

8. Heat 2 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them up and place on top of Kitty Litter Cake. Sprinkle with a few cookie crumbs.

9. Microwave remaining 4 Tootsie Rolls until pliable and spead strategically over the top of the cake. For the ultimate shocker, take one Tootsie Roll and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs. Yuck!

Serving
10. Place the cake-laden Kitty Litter Cake box on a newspaper on the Halloween party food table.

11. Sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around the outside of the Kitty Litter Cake box for a truly disgusting effect.

12. Serve Kitty Litter Cake with the kitty litter scoop. Watch unsuspecting party guests maneuver around this dish. They will inspect the glistening misshapen Tootsie Rolls suspiciously. Don’t be surprised if many guests pass on it; it really is that disgusting. But good!

Aren’t you glad you now have a Kitty Litter Cake recipe to include in your family cookbook for a Halloween treat, (or is it trickery)?

Happy Cookbooking,
Matilda

Often called international street food or peasant ethnic food (I hope because of its basic close-to-the-earth goodness), many of these savory simple food dishes are made of common staples such as grains, root vegetables, and tough scraps of meat that do well with patience.

Here are some of my favorite international simple foods:

Italian
Pasta with chopped tomatoes, chopped basil, olive oil, & freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Mexican
Beans & rice with cilantro and salsa.

Thai
Pad Thai noodles fragrant with lime juice, garlic, chiles, tamarind, and chopped peanuts.

Indian
Grilled chicken legs marinated with yogurt and at least seven spices.

Chinese
Hot Pot, a shared soup made with meats, seafood, tofu, greens, other vegetables, and condiments chosen by each person at your table.

Vietnamese
Bahn Mi sandwiches of cold cuts, pate, cilantro, shredded carrot & Daikon radish slaw, on crusty baguettes.

Arabic
Hummus sprinkled with sumac on pita bread.

Some of these simple food dishes are stunningly good and deserve a spot in your family cookbook. They were developed by budget-conscious cooks with inventive culinary skills passed down through many generations, and are indeed worthy of remembering. (I know I do at every opportunty!)

Happy simple food cookbooking,

Matilda

I use any excuse in the book to eat garlic, especially garlic mashed potatoes. So be it if I reek after eating a fine bowl of garlic mashed potatoes. 

Some Things to Know About Garlic
- One finely minced raw garlic clove releases more flavor and aroma because more surfaces are exposed
- A good garlic press is an important kitchen gadget
- Always refrigerate jars of garlic in oil to avoid deadly bacteria
- Use garlic powder, garlic extract, or garlic salt only if fresh garlic is not available

Garlic keeps vampires away, doesn’t it?
Bram Stoker’s classic gothic novel Dracula popularized the idea that garlic protected anyone from vampires. Stands to reason, since garlic is known in folklore as a natural mosquito repellent that wards off the little blood suckers by tainting the blood for awhile. Why not repel the big bloodsuckers, too?

Here’s a thought: If Garlic keeps vampires away, how about H1N1? Stands to reason that if people stay away because you stink like garlic means that you probably won’t pick up their swine flu germs either.  Yes! That’s another good reason to eat garlic mashed potatoes!

This Halloween, arm yourself against vampires with my good garlic mashed potatoes:

My Good Garlic Mashed Potatoes (aka vampire repeller)
6 medium cloves fresh garlic (or to taste)
Olive oil
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley, crumbled
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1 Tablespoon minced chives

Toss unpeeled garlic cloves with a bit of olive oil and roast in 400 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes. While garlic is roasting, boil potatoes until tender. Drain and place in medium bowl. Add butter and let it melt over potatoes. When garlic is roasted, let cool.  Squeeze soft garlic pulp onto the cooked and buttered potatoes. Add milk, salt, pepper, and herbs. Mash all together until smooth (lumps are okay), adding more milk if needed. Makes 6-8 servings.

Happy Halloween Cookbooking,
Matilda

As the weather becomes cooler and leaves begin to turn amber and red, it is time to pull out a favorite family recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies that my family has been making for many decades.

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are plump, cakelike cookies that have a moist and delicious pumpkin flavor accented by chocolate pieces throughout.  I don’t know why, but they have a haunting flavor that draws me to them around Halloween time.  The ghosts of ancestors past perhaps, who baked these cookies in the embers of burned witches … (just kidding!).

These pumpkin chocolate chip cookies have just the right blend of flavors. They can also be a bit on the healthier side if you use whole wheat flour and substitute applesauce for the butter or oil.

I like to eat these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with a cup of coffee or a mug of ice cold milk. They are quite satisfying, and one cookie can be quite filling. Sometimes I get really decadent and warm them up in the microwave for 20 seconds to get a gooey melted chocolate taste.

Here is the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe that my family has made for many years. Adapt as needed for your family and family cookbook:

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each ground cloves, ginger and nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (or buy some chocolate bars and chop them up to make chunks)

DIRECTIONS
Combine dry ingredients: flour, sugars, baking powder, ground cinnamon, other spices, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, stir together pumpkin, oil, egg, and vanilla. Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees F for 13-15 minutes or until firm and lightly brown.  Cool slightly before removing to a wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen good-sized cookies.

Other Great Taste Tricks for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies:
- Add 3 – 4 drops of red food coloring to boost the pumpkin color
- Frost with either caramel or orange butter cream icing
- Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or raisins

Happy Cookbooking,

Matilda