Sinepuxent Receipts – Spaghetti & Meatballs

The weather’s getting cooler so I thought that it was time for some old fashioned comfort food. 

SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS

 

Spaghetti Sauce: (double recipe)

8 cloves garlic, peeled (cut in half length-wise, remove center stem on each side, put thru press or mash with pinch of salt)

1/2 large Vidalia onion, minced fine

4 tablespoons olive oil

Place in large saucepan over extremely low heat; continue to cook for 10 minutes.  You should barely hear a sizzle when cooking - do not brown onion or garlic.  Cook until onion is clear.
 
Then, add:

2 - 28 oz. cans plain crushed tomatoes

2 cans plain tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 shake red cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar (I used agave nectar)

Morton Salt's Nature Seasoning - pour all over top - about 1/2 teaspoon

Rinse cans with 1/2 cup of water by pouring from can to can.  Add to sauce and blend well and increase heat to low; continue to cook for at least one-hour.  Now, make meatballs.

Meatballs:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
 
1 lb. ground each: turkey breast, beef, (lean) pork - let sit out on counter for 45 minutes to an hour.  Then place in large bowl. 

Add:

1 tablespoon sea salt

3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3 slices Italian bread into plain breadcrumbs (app.. 1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons ground pecorino cheese

4 tablespoons ground parmeggiano regain or groan piano or 1/2 cup Kraft parmesan

3 jumbo eggs

4 tablespoons dried parsley

Mix together well; roll in hand and make golf ball size meatballs (I used a medium ice cream scoop)

Place on foil or oiled casserole/baking sheet.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes.  Remove from heat and add to sauce.  If you used a large casserole dish to cook some or all of the meatballs, loosen the meatballs and add the sauce.  Can return to oven to keep warm while heating water for angel hair, capellini or favorite pasta.

Turn oven off and add a baguette wrapped in foil.  Do not overcook pasta.  When done, remove from heat, pour in colander.  If it sticks together, just rinse in hot water.  Let's eat!

 

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”.  Tom lives in Hebron.  When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.  All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

Sinepuxent Receipts – Deviled Crab

DEVILED CRAB

1 egg, well beaten

3 tbsp. Hellmann’s mayonnaise

1 tsp. prepared mustard

1 tsp. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. minced pimiento

1 tbsp. minced green pepper

8 saltines, finely crushed

1 lb. jumbo lump crab

Cayenne pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425°; butter clam or scallop shells or ramekins or a casserole dish. In a large bowl beat egg then add mayonnaise, mustard and Worcestershire sauce and blend well. Add pimiento and green pepper and blend well. Place crushed saltines on top of sauce then add lump crab, checking for shell but at the same time keeping the lumps of crab together. Sprinkle one or two shakes of cayenne pepper on top of crab and then carefully fold all ingredients together. Place in shells or ramekins. If desired, tops may be coated with 1 cup of mayonnaise blended with two egg yolks. Bake until browned.

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”. Tom lives in Hebron. When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

Sinepuxent Receipts – Banana Tea Cake

It seems every time I get a good deal on bananas I forget to eat them. I prefer them just before they turn yellow – which is a very small window of time no matter how green they are when purchased. Once they have yellowed and become freckled with brown spots I usually make banana nut bread. I have a terrific recipe that is a terrific variation. Marry this with the Custard Sauce receipt in Sinepuxent Receipts and this makes a first class tea cake.

Banana Tea Cake 

Butter and flour an 11” x 14” glass baking dish, or equivalent; preheat oven to 325°

2 sticks Butter, room temperature

2 cups Sugar

4 Eggs, Jumbo

6 well-ripened Bananas

3 cups Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 tbsp. Baking Powder

1 cup Half & Half

Walnuts

Butter and flour an 11” x 14” glass baking dish, or equivalent; preheat oven to 325°.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Peel and cut bananas into chunks and add to batter and continue beating well. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Alternate the addition of the flour mixture and the Half & Half. Beat all ingredients together well and pour into prepared baking dish. Add walnuts on top and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”.  Tom lives in Hebron.  When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.  All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

Sinepuxent Receipts – Joe Davis’s Peanut Brittle

Makes 1 lb. 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Davis’s Peanut Brittle  

1 cup Sugar

½ cup Light Corn Syrup

1 cup Salted Peanuts

1 tsp. Butter

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 tsp. Baking Soda

Mix Sugar and Corn Syrup together.  Microwave 4 minutes on high.

Remove from oven and add peanuts.

Mix and microwave 5 minutes on high.

Remove from oven and add Butter and Vanilla Extract

Mix and microwave 1 minute on high.

Remove from oven and add Baking Soda.

Mixture will foam. Pour onto greased (I use Pam) cookie sheet and allow to cool. Crack it and put it into airtight container.

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”.  Tom lives in Hebron.  When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.  All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

Sinepuxent Receipts – White Peach Ice Cream

The first weeks in August are typically when Delmarva’s white peaches are perfect for picking. As a child, I remember going to Vessey’s Orchard in Rehobeth, MD to pick white peaches. The Pocomoke River always looked so inviting on a hot summer day. I usually found the best peaches on the ground – these were the ripest ones and the sweetest. Of course a sampling of the fallen peach had to be done to make sure they were alright. After filling our baskets and toting them to the car, we would stop to settle-up with the Vessey family. Being hot, sweaty and sticky from picking, I would race to the windmill and drink the cold, refreshing and sweet well water. What could be better? Some of the best things in life are the simplest.

White peaches make far better ice cream that yellow peaches. Not only do they make the ice cream more eye appealing, but also they add a tartness that yellow peaches do not have.

White Peach Ice Cream

(Makes 1 Gallon)

Juice of 1 lemon

4 cups white peaches, sliced

6 scrapes of fresh nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. flour

1 ½ cups sugar

2 quarts half & half

1 tbsp. vanilla

Rock salt

Ice

In a large saucepan squeeze juice from lemon. Peel and slice fresh ripe white peaches into lemon juice, stirring occasionally. Add nutmeg and stir again. Combine salt, flour and sugar very well and then add to peaches. Cook peaches until soft, about 5 minutes. Cooking will kill bacteria, if any, alleviate a flour taste and cause the mixture to thicken slightly. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Ready the ice cream maker. When peaches are cool, add to freezer. Add half & half and vanilla. Mixture should not reach top of freezer to allow ice cream to expand. Insert paddle and secure lid. Add ice and salt around freezer and either crank or turn on the machine. Continue until cranking becomes very stiff or machine has turned off. Remove lid and paddle, cover with waxed paper and replace lid. Keep in ice bath for about 45 minutes to an hour to allow ice cream to harden. Serve.

Another great white peach recipe is White Peach Fluff which can be found in Sinepuxent Receipts. Order your copy today at www.sinepuxent.com.

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”. Tom lives in Hebron. When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

Sinepuxent Receipts – Corn and Crab Stew Delmarva

August is a time of harvesting some of the best of Delmarva’s bounty. My offering to Salisbury News for this week is one of my favorites. When I think of hot summer time I think of Delmarva’s white sweet corn and Eastern Shore blue crabs. In a summer stew the two marry well together and the lump crab adds a special sweetness to the pot.

Corn and Crab Stew Delmarva

(Serves 12)

6 slices thick-sliced bacon

8 cups chicken broth

1 tsp. Old Bay

1/8 tsp. cayenne

5 large or 18 small new red potatoes

6 ears of local white sweet corn

Sea salt to taste

Black pepper

¾ cup heavy cream

½ tsp. yellow mustard

½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 lb. jumbo lump blue crab (check for shell)

Begin husking corn by cutting stem end of the cob with a sharp knife to expose corn kernel. Make slit through the husk from one end to the other, cutting deep enough to also cut the corn. Then remove husk. Grab all silk at once and remove. Continue to pull off stray silk and cut out any brown spots, but do not wash corn. In a large kettle, bring water up to bottom of steam rack. Set heat to medium-high and bring water to a boil. Place cobs on steam rack, cover with lid and steam corn for 11 minutes. Remove from heat, placing cobs on large platter to cool.

Cut bacon in ¼ to ½ inch and sauté in a small stew kettle until just done. Remove bacon and add chicken broth, Old Bay, cayenne and potatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Undercook potatoes by about 5 minutes. While potatoes are cooking, remove corn from cob. Hold corn stem end down and slice corn from cob. After slicing, be sure to run the back of your knife down the cob and all the way around to remove all of the corn. Repeat on remaining cobs. Season the corn with sea salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste, mixing well. After potatoes have cooked about 15 minutes, add bacon, corn, cream, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Blend together well. Add jumbo lump last and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring gently to maintain lump.

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”. Tom lives in Hebron. When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

Sinepuxent Receipts – Crab Salad Stretch

On the Fourth of July I was invited to my niece’s for an afternoon party with grilled burgers and hotdogs. I would need to make something with about 24 servings. Since I only had 2 lbs. or about 12 servings of jumbo lump I decided to add small pasta bowties. A box of mini pasta bowties makes 8 servings, ½ cup each, so I used two boxes. Not only did it turn out delicious but we wound up with leftovers for all. The following receipt is for 14 servings, or half of the amount described above.

Crab Salad Stretch 

1 cup mayonnaise

Juice of ½ lemon

3 tbsp. catsup

1 ½ tsp. sugar

½ tsp. mustard

½ tsp. sea salt

1/8 tsp. paprika

1 cup celery, chopped very fine

2 tbsp. green pepper, chopped very fine

1 lb. jumbo lump

1 box pasta bowties, small, cooked, cooled

Make dressing with first 7 ingredients, and then add celery, green pepper and pasta, blending well. Add crab meat and toss together being careful not to break the lump. Chill until serving time. 

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”.  Tom lives in Hebron.  When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.  All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

Sinepuxent Receipts – Lemon Tea Cake w/ Cherry Topping

This past spring a member of my church, Peggy Tibbitt,  passed away.  No matter how bad Peggy felt, she always had a smile for me and a hug to go with it. Though she may no longer walk this earth, the memory of her will never fade with me. This past Fourth of July I wanted to fix something different and I remembered her receipt for Lemon Tea Cake.  It’s a dense cake with a wonderful butter flavor and blueberries.  I iced it with no-sugar-added cherry pie filling blended with lemon juice. I was so surprised at the number of comments about this simple little desert and decided to share it with you.

Lemon Tea Cake with Cherry Topping 

1 stick of butter, salted, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

½ cup milk

1 tbsp. lemon zest

1 ½ cups bread flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. sea salt

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 can no-sugar-added cherry pie filling

Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees; grease and flour a 9” x 12” glass dish. In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together then add eggs one at a time blending well after each. Mix in the milk and lemon zest. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together and then add to wet mixture, blending well. Remove from mixer and fold in blueberries. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with foil and place in freezer. Two hours before serving, remove from freezer. Blend cherry pie filling with lemon juice and spread over cake.

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”.  Tom lives in Hebron.  When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.  All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

Price of Dinner Foods Up Almost 5% in One Year

The "Food at Home" component of the recent consumer prices report surged almost 5% on an annual basis as grocers passed on to consumers the 12-month jump in corn, rice, sugar and oats.

The measure, defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as "total expenditures for food at grocery stores," rose 4.8% during the 12 months ending in June. That's up from a 4.4% annual increase from May's report. Plus, not counting the temporary spike in inflation during the aftermath of the credit crisis, this is the biggest price increase by grocers since 2004.

Prices for corn, rice, and sugar are up more than 60% in the last 12 months. Part of this is because of growing demand in emerging markets, but many investors also say the Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates essentially negative for so long is largely to blame for the price spike.

READ MORE …

Sinepuxent Receipts – Eastern Shore Biscuits

Thanks Salisbury News for giving me this opportunity to share recipes, or “receipts”, and the stories that go with them. I am always looking for ways to take recipes and embellish or make them my own.

Many times my Mother would take leftover cold biscuits and turn them into scrumptious warm morning treats; a wonderful memory from my childhood. My favorite was when she would use plain butter, until the day she used extra-sharp Vermont white cheddar. Oh how delicious! I improved that by topping the cheese with strawberry jam. The bite of the cheese against the sweet strawberry flavor was the best. One day I discovered a similar treat by broiling sweet potato biscuit halves with the same cheese. The strawberry jam was replaced with the comfort of a sweet potato. To this end the following recipe was born.

Eastern Shore Biscuits

1 28 oz. canned sweet potatoes

½ cup oil

¾ cup sugar

3 cups bread flour

5 tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese, diced small

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In an electric mixer, combine sweet potatoes, oil and sugar and beat until smooth, removing any strings from the beater(s). Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Blend until just combined and then fold in cheese. Bake until lightly browned – 12 to 14 minutes.

Tom Clarke is the author of “Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking”.  Tom lives in Hebron.  When not cooking for friends or developing new recipes (“receipts”), Tom sings in the choir at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.  All profits from the sale of “Sinepuxent Receipts” go to the St. Peter’s Church Organ Fund.

“Sinepuxent Receipts” – A New Feature on SBYNews

Beginning tomorrow at noon, Salisbury News will be hosting Sinepuxent Receipts – a weekly column about cooking and recipes from the Eastern Shore.

Sinepuxent Receipts is written by Tom Clarke. Tom lives in Hebron. When not working or cooking for friends, Tom collects recipes and sings in his church choir.

Tom recently published his first cookbook - Sinepuxent Receipts, A Personal Collection of Eastern Shore Cooking. You may remember reading about him in the Daily Times when the book was published. They published an article in their Sunday edition discussing the cookbook and Tom’s donation of the profits to help restore the organ at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

We hope that you’ll enjoy Tom’s great recipes (sorry, receipts) and the wonderful stories that go with them.

One Mom’s Crusade For Cleaner Playgrounds At Fast Food Joints

Anyone who thinks playgrounds are clean either doesn't remember being a kid or is seriously deluding themselves. But one Arizona mom is so fed up with the crap-tastic conditions at the playgrounds found at fast food restaurants that she's turned her summer vacation into a research project.

The mom, who is also a developmental psychologist, first came face to face with the pathogen farm that was her local McDonald's a few months ago when, after stopping for an emergency potty break, her kid asked to play on the big plastic slide.

Horrified by the unsanitary conditions at the McDonald's, she says she made several fruitless attempts to contact management. It wasn't until she posted a video (see below) detailing the horrors — complete with lab results showing all sorts of bad stuff — that McDonald's HQ responded.

READ MORE …

Meat From Radioactive Cows Sold In Japan

Four months following the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan and caused a disaster at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, the Japanese government has confirmed that a bit of cesium-contaminated beef from that region has made its way to groceries and likely to the dinner plates of consumers.

But, reports CNN, the state minister in charge of consumer affairs and food-safety is trying to downplay any potential harm the tainted meat, which came from a farm only 18 miles from the damaged reactor, could pose.

"If we were to eat the meat everyday, then it would probably be dangerous," he said at a news conference earlier today. "But if it is consumed only in small portions, I don't think it would have any long-lasting effects on the human body."

READ MORE …

New Ad Campaign Promotes Milk as Cure for PMS

It supposed to be the latest humorous ad promoting milk, but not everyone is laughing.

The California milk processor behind the famous "Got milk?" ad campaign is raising a few eyebrows after it launched a site promoting milk as a cure for menstrual problems.

The site, called "Everything I Do Is Wrong," touts itself as "Your Home for PMS Management" -- and includes a picture of a a cowering-looking man holding several milk cartons with the headline "I apologize for letting you misinterpret was I was saying."

The site, which appears to poke fun at the symptoms of PMS, includes a feature that tracks the "global PMS level" and another that allows men to create apology pictures using the "Puppy Dog-Eye-Zer."

"Give yourself a face that's hard to stay mad at," the feature says.

READ MORE …

Crab Bangers Win “Taste of Cambridge” Cook-Off

Although he has been noted for blending French and upscale California cuisine, mastered Middle Eastern fare at postings including Dubai and introduced innovative Italian cuisine to the menus of the Hyatt restaurants he oversees here, his roots in the United Kingdom inspired the crab bangers that won the specialty category in the Crab Cook Off at Saturday's Taste of Cambridge.

A recipe from Tony Breeze, executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, also won the crab cake category.

Executive Sous Chef Vincent Savignano claimed the prize awarded to Hyatt's Water's Edge Grille for the crab bangers. Savignano has recently been able to exercise his interest in barbecue, at Vinnie's Family BBQ, located in the Eagle's Nest golf clubhouse, operating Thursdays through Mondays this summer.

READ MORE …

Tequila-Spiked Smoothies Served Up to Three Kids at Colorado Chili’s

Someone at a Chili's in Colorado made a big oopsy over the holiday weekend by serving up three fruit smoothies loaded with tequila to a trio of youngsters.

The kids' mom noticed something was amiss when her 8-year-old daughter began singing a medley of David Allan Coe songs complaining of dizziness. Mom took a sip of the smoothie, which she tells the local NBC affiliate was "loaded full of tequila.... If I would have had one then I know that would have been strong for me, and I can't imagine how strong that was for them."

She notified restaurant management and EMTs were called. Thankfully, nobody had to go to the hospital, though mom says her daughter did pass out during the fireworks show later that evening.

READ MORE …

Taco Bell to Offer WiFi

Taco Bell apparently believes the secret eighth layer to its metaphorical burrito is free WiFi. Perhaps looking to edge in on the foot traffic coffee shops and bookstores draw in with the service, Taco Bell announced plans to set up 5,600 restaurants over the next four years for wireless internet.

In a press release, Taco Bell and partner IndoorDirect estimate 48 million customers will eventually use the service each month. That's a lot of iPads being used as burrito supreme placemats.

Where is your favorite place to score free WiFi?

Taco Bell and indoorDIRECT To Bring The Restaurant Entertainment Network to all 5,600 Taco Bell Restaurants[IndoorDirect via Engadget]

from Phil Villarreal @ The Consumerist

How Nasty Is Your Bottled Water?

Does your bottled water taste funny? It's not just that it's probably only tap water. Environmental Working Group rated 173 brands of bottled water based on their sourcing information, purification, testing, and how transparent the information on their label and website was. Turns out, some of the biggest brands in bottled water are, well, a little murky.

Only three brands took high marks, the most well-known of which is Nestle Pure Life Purified Water. On a scale of A to F, where F is failing, the Nestle water got a B. Fiji only got a C, and both Dasani and Poland Spring got a D.

Better work on including more sources in your papers next time, guys! Your bibliography is too skinny.

Find your brand - Ratings for 173 bottled waters [Environmental Working Group]

from Ben Popken @ The Consumerist

Four Tips for Storing Bread

The days when no kitchen was complete without a breadbox are long gone. But storing bread in a way that doesn’t leave it too crusty, chewy, or dry is no less of a challenge. Follow these tips to make your loaves stay fresh longer.

Pass on the plastic and skip the fridge.

Plastic bags hold in moisture, which means fresh, crusty bread will soon turn unappealingly soft and chewy and will become moldy before long. In the refrigerator, the opposite will happen and the cold temperatures will cause the bread to dry out. The exception to this rule is store-bought, pre-sliced bread, which can be stored in its bag unrefrigerated for 5-7 days.

Swaddle it.

Stored in a paper bag alone, bread will quickly dry out. Wrapping fresh bread in a cloth napkin or tea towel and then storing it in a paper bag will help prevent it from drying too much. Many kitchen stores also sell linen bread bags, which serve the same purpose and look attractive on your counter while taking up less real estate than a breadbox.

READ MORE …

Organic Meat May Have More Preservatives Than You Think

If you avoid standard processed meats because of labels indicating they're packed with potentially damaging preservatives including nitrate and nitrite, your efforts may be in vain. The "organic" and "natural" alternatives may include similar chemicals, despite what their labels say.

The New York Times reports USDA labeling requirements go astoundingly easy on organic products that derive nitrate and nitrite from natural sources, requiring them to misleadingly state on packaging that the meat, which is cured and may contain nitrate or nitrite, is "uncured" with "no nitrates or nitrites added." Some food manufacturers, the story says, are pushing for rules that allow them to be more clear about the content of the hot dogs, bacon, lunch meat and other products.

Studies have linked processed meats to colon cancer. Consumer advocates including Consumerist-affiliated Consumers Union place the blame for the labeling confusion on the USDA and not the manufacturers.

What foods and chemicals do you avoid for safety reasons?

What's Inside the Bun? [The New York Times]

from Phil Villarreal @ The Consumerist