eggsfried is Moving

I'm moving this blog to a Wordpress version which allows categories, searching and more themes.

Find all of the old blog plus new additions at Egg Fried Blog

I'm still working some of the kinks out, but think this will be a better version.

Homemade Mayonnaise

One of the joys of getting a Cuisinart in 1975 was making mayonnaise. Hellman's is fine and often preferred, but the magic of the swirling blade was irresistible.

This is a good standard recipe. The quality and taste of the oil makes all the difference.

Ingredients:

1 whole egg
1 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups oil

Blend the egg, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and pepper in the food processor for a few seconds. With the blade still whirring, gradually add the oil through the feed tube, slowly at first. The mixture will thicken to a normal mayonnaise consistency. Taste and add more vinegar, salt and pepper if necessary.

Tomata Honey (Second Version)

While reading Elizabeth David's An omelet and a Glass of Wine, I found a second recipe for Tomato (or tomata as the recipe is called) Honey which she says she found "excellent". This recipe comes from Miss Leslie's Complete Cookery, Philadelphia, 1837 and is American rather than English.

The recipe is as follows:

"To each pound of tomatoes, allow the grated peel of a lemon and six fresh peach leaves. Boil them slowly till they are all to pieces; then squeeze and strain them through a bag. To each pint of liquid allow a pound of loaf-sugar, and the juice of one lemon. boil them together half an hour, or till they become a thick jelly. Then put it into glasses, and lay double tissue paper closely over the top. It will be scarcely distinguishable from real honey."

David recommends using very juicy tomatoes to get enough yield of the juice. She substituted a few drops of almond extract for the peach leaves.

Tomato Honey

One of the books I found in the Cutchogue Library was Janet McKenzie Hill's 1927 edition of Canning, Preserving and Jelly Making. It has great recipes for all sorts of fruits and vegetables including varieties that we think of as designer or heirloom today. This one sounds interesting:

Tomato Honey

To each pound of ripe tomatoes, allow the grated rind of a lemon. Cut the tomatoes in small pieces, add the rind, and let cook rapidly till the water is evaporated, then strain through a fine sieve. Measure the pulp and for each pint take a pound of sugar (two cups) and the juice of a lemon. Let all cook together very quickly until quite thick, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Apples or pears may be prepared by this recipe.

Anyone like to try it?

More Interesting Relatives - The Mayflower

I came across another interesting relative - Edward Winslow- in this book review:
'Mayflower,' by Nathaniel Philbrick - The New York Times - Book Review - New York Times

Edward gets higher marks than William Bringhurst in terms of good relations with the Indians.

From Quaker to Mormon - William Bringhurst

We had always heard that one of the Bringhursts had gone out to Utah with Brigham Young. I don't know how he is related to Papa (Frederick Bringhurst), but William Bringhurst is the one. See The First 100 Persons Who Shaped Southern Nevada for a photo and some details.

His father was Joseph Bringhurst and his mother was Elizabeth Evans. Presumably they were all originally Quakers. However, in looking at where people were buried, it seems as though William brought his mother out west along with his sisters and some brothers.

I'm sure that there is an interesting story behind it all.

Emergency Desserts - Chocolate Mousse

I was in great need of an very fast dessert and remembered making chocolate mousse in 15 minutes. I couldn't find that recipe immediately, so used the Raspberry Pie recipe in the Family Cookbook which looks awful but tastes just fine.

However, with a little more time to look, found what I had used in the past:

Chocolate Mousse

1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 6-oz. package semisweet chocolate bits
3 tablespooons dark rum
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup toasted almonds

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and boil for 3 minutes. Using the metal blade of the Cuisinart, add cream and process uninterrupted until a very thick whipped cream forms, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. Without washing the bowl, reinsert the metal blade and add chocolate bits. Process on pulse for 15 to 20 seconds. Contiue processing and gradually pour in hot s yrup, run and egg yolks. Add almonds (optional) Process, turning on and off until
almonds are coarsely chopped and evenly distributed, about 20 seconds. Fold mixture into whipped cream and freeze or chill. Makes 6 servings.

This comes from a cookbook that came with my very exciting new Cuisinart in 1976 - "New Recipes for the Cuisinart Food Processor" by James Beard and Carl Jerome.

Looking for an even earlier recipe, I discovered that this was almost identical to a recipe I had used from the "New York Times Cookbook" (1961) which uses whipped egg whites in place of the cream for a very light mousse. Use the same recipe and methods above, but omit the sugar and cream, use 5 ounces of water and 4 eggs, separated.

Devilled Almonds - 1927

From the Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, 1927 edition:

Ingredients
2 ounces blanched and shredded almonds
Butter
1 tablespoons Chutney
2 tablespoons chopped pickles
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
few grains cayenne

Fry almonds until well browned, using enough butter to prevent almonds from burning. Mix remaining ingredients, pour over nuts, and serve as soon as thoroughly heated.

Must have been quite the thing in the 1920's.

Toffee Cookies - Mabel Platts

I found this recipe card, minus a large corner, inside The Boston Cooking School Cook Book. By Fannie Farmer, this edition has a copyright of 1927 with the date of December 18, 1941 written on the bookend and the signatures of Wendell H. Gordon, Natalie Jane Gordon, Brant Rock 1941 and Mercedes Prudence Budd Gordon. Perhaps a present for Wowie from Aunt Mercedes?

The Toffee Cookies card is in Wowie's handwriting and goes as follows:

Cream 1 cup shortening with
1 cup brown sugar
Add 1 unbeaten egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift 2 cups flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Add to first mixture and blend.

Pat into 1/4 inch thickness on a well greased cookie sheet. Spread top with unbeaten egg white and sprinkle with 1/2 cup ground nuts.

Mark in squares with silver knife before baking at 275 degrees for 30 minutes.
Cool. Remove with spatula.

Since this is from Mabel, it must be good.