Knit & Nosh

white trash cooking, and netty irene's macaroni & cheese recipe

I was clicking around on some website and this popped up.

I laughed out loud. Not because the title and cover are pretty funny, which they are, but because this proclaims to be a 25th Anniversary Edition. If you have never heard of this book, you are probably surprised that something like this has persevered for 25plus years. But if you happen to own the original printing, as I do, you are pleased as punch.

My copy is much used and well loved. I was newly married when this cookbook was given to me, and it is from these pages that I learned to make succotash (still a favorite), and baked beans, and onion pie. As someone who grew up in Southern California, these dishes were as foreign to me as if they had come from a distant country across the ocean.

Just in case you think I might be off my rocker for loving a book of White Trash Cooking, know that I am not alone. The book was reviewed and loved by Roy Blount Jr., James Hunt Jr., J. William Fulbright, William Least Heat Moon, Helen Hayes, and Harper Lee. Yes, you read that right, Harper Lee wrote, "I have never seen a sociological document of such beauty - the photographs alone are shattering. I shall treasure it always...Now that it's harder than ever to identify the genuine article on sight - with two generations of prosperity white trash looks like gentry - we've long needed something other that the ballot box to remind us of their presence: WHITE TRASH COOKING is a beautiful testament to a stubborn people of proud and poignant heritage."

Ms. Lee is right, the photos are amazing. It is nice to think that there are parts of this great country that Starbucks has not touched.

 

This is a recipe for Netty Irene's Macaroni & Cheese. I have made mac & cheese with all manner of fancy cheeses and pastas and seasonings, with whole cream, half cream, and Irish butter, but I have never covered it with bacon. Totally making this, exactly as written, on Saturday.

 

Netty Irene's Macaroni & Cheese

 

4 cups cooked elbow macaroni

1 cup grated or chunked yellow cheese

3 eggs

1 cup Carnation evaporated milk (no substitute, please)

10 bacon strips

salt and pepper

 

Blend the eggs and milk together and pour into macaroni already in a flat pyrex baking dish. Put in the cheese and poke it around until thoroughly mixed. Salt to taste. Then put enough black pepper to coat it all real good. Place on bacon slices and cook in a 350-degree oven until it gets a good crust on top and has hardened a little. About 30-40 minutes. Don't cook it too long, you want it runny in between the elbows.

"This recipe is from Miss Myrtle Talmadge's Home-Ec class and I made it for the Senior Prom Dinner. It was so good I been makin' it ever since," Netty told me.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

chocolate caramel mason jar lid tarts

I want to share a sweet dessert recipe I found yesterday. Chocolate Caramel Mason Jar Lid Tarts. It is an except from the book Dessert for Two by Christina Laine, and the finished tart is shown on the book's cover. The author says that many of the recipes in the book use mason jar lids because they work the same way as a tart pan with removable sides. Brilliant. I do intend to give this a try, using gluten free graham crackers. A copy of the book is on the way to me, and I will write up a review, but I wanted to alert you to this recipe in time for Valentine's Day.

One note about using mason jar lids, flip the lids over. If you can a lot, you may have the new BPA free lids, but chances are the lids sitting in your drawer are not the new variety. Just flip them over so that the white part is facing away from your food and you will have nothing to worry about.

Maybe you are not a canner and do not have a drawer or cupard full of jar lids? I suppose it is possible. You can purchase a box of a dozen lids and rings at your local grocery store for around $5.00. I can not wait to see the rest of the recipes in this book.

Do you have a Valentine's Day plan yet?

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

noro lace

If you have been knitting for any length of time you have encountered Noro yarn. A google image search brings up pages and pages of beautiful colors that are worthy of their cult status. The company behind Noro has put out a number of books and their newest edition, Noro Lace is full of inspiration.

The book was released just a few days ago and is already #1 in it's catagory on Amazon. Kniters are carzy for Noro. This is a big, hardcover book with lots of beautiful photos. Unlike many pattern books, you get photos of projects from multiple angles, I love that. The book moves right on to the patterns, no filler or fluff.

There are patterns for items both big and small and each set of instructions suggests a skill level. Most of the projects are listed in the mid-range of difficulty, but I think the author erred on the side of caution, and that most of the patterns could be knit by a new lace knitter. And you do not get just one pattern for each item. There are a selection of mittens, gloves, scarves, cowls, wraps, hats, sweaters..all showing off pretty yarn using elegant stitchwork.

Using just two skeins of Noro Taiyo Lace you can knit an airy scarf.

 

Two seins of Noro Silk Garden become a jaunty hat.

If you are a bobble fan, this one is for you.

 

There is an interesting shrug AKA bed jacket that begins with a square and includes some origami type folding.

 

The square really shows off the beautiful yarn.

An Infinity Scarf is a classic and you can never have enough of them.

I love this blanket. Customized to coordinate with the your own interior, it would be beautiful in any house.

 

My absolute favorite! I would love it even if there were no pink. It is listed as a shawl, but I can also see it as a throw that lives on the couch, begging to be wrapped around you.

Just stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

**This book was provided to me by the publisher. No money changed hands and my opinions are my own.**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

dinner, brought to us from the nytimes cooking newsletter

photo by Karsten Moran for the New York Times

 

Pork Chops With Apples and CIder

I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. Sort of a Steak Diane for pork, with apples. The recipe calls for dusting the pork chops with flour before cooking. I did not do that and it was just fine, making this recipe gluten and grain free. I served the pork chops with some scalloped potatoes, and green beans, for a very tasty dinner. Give it a try.

Do you know that the New York Times offers a cooking newsletter? It is pretty terrific and they have given me many good dinner ideas. You can sign up for it, and lots of other interesting newsletters, here.

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

i'm a little teapot

Over the past couple weeks I have been doing little things to prepare for Oldest Daughter's homecoming. I am excited to have her home, and anxious about her health, and doing little things keeps me from going crazy.

I have cleaned out her closet and dresser. We had been using them for storage. I bought new sheets and made up her bed, I have stocked her room with new books and cross stitch supplies, and I picked up some of her favorite candy.

 

And I knit a cozy for her tea pot. In Holland they call them tea hats and I just love that.

I began the project with red yarn, broke two needles, bought new needles, and finally finished the first half of the tea hat. A trip to the scale told me that I did not have enough yarn for the second half. Because my stash was all organized it was easy to pick out yarn that matched her tea pot and get to work.

The pattern can be found here and I highly recommend it. Well written and produces the cutest cozy around. I will be making more.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy