The Recipe Books of Donna Michels

The recipe books of Donna Michels. All six books, all 895 pages are available as PDFs and each one has a table of contents.

Taste of Home, Mom's Italian Bread

This is a recipe from Donna Michels. Donna's mom was Mafalda Andreini Michels.

Here is the link to a PDF of the recipe.

Strongbow Inn: turkey always and all ways

If you've browsed the Hinko Family Recipes collection you may have found some recipes from Strongbow Inn. Strongbow was a favorite restaurant among family members. For several decades we shared memorable meals there.

The link below leads to a booklet compiled by Jean Komaiko and Eleanor Waldschmidt for Strongbow Inn - also known as Strongbow Turkey Inn - Route 30, Valparaiso, Indiana. The pages contain a brief history of the restaurant, turkey lore, quizzes, sketches and, of course, Strongbow's recipes. 

Strongbow Inn closed in 2015.

Enjoy.

turkey always and all ways

Gramma Hanson’s Pot Roast

Submitted to the blog by Marsha Hinko Pedersen

Ella Fahrmann Hanson’s Pot Roast

A Note from Marsha Hinko Pedersen

Aunt Jeanie (Shirley Jean Hanson Petrie, daughter of Ella Hanson) sent a whole list of recipes from the Hanson side of our family but the pot roast is the only one I made. To complete the Hanson tradition, I served with rutabaga. Substituted little steamed potatoes for the mashed.

“Mom's Pot Roast” by Merva Hanson

This is a verbal recipe from Mom (Ella Hanson) as Merva (Hanson) remembers it.

Brown the meat on high heat until it gets real brown.  Watch that the fat doesn't burn.  Turn the heat down a little.  The browner the meat, the better the gravy.  Add a cut up onion, and, if you like, a bay leaf or garlic.  Don't add salt until the meat is nearly done. It draws out the juices.  After the meat is brown, turn the heat very low and let simmer until well done.  Add only a quarter cup of water and add more if needed during the cooking.  Too much water spoils the gravy. (Pa [Herbert Hanson] and Ma's [Ella Hanson] favorite dinner was pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy and rutabega.)

A Discussion between Marsha Hinko Pedersen and Cousin Karen Regarding Cooking Time

Cousin Karen (Marsha Hinko Pedersen’s cousin) offered advice while I was making the pot roast

MP: How long to simmer? 

K: I’d give it a good 3 hours. “You know it’s done when you can shred the meat between two forks.” But I cooked for a half hour after it shredded to get it tender.

I never needed to add more liquid after the original 1/4 cup. I cooked onions in the pot and one bay leaf.

My 2.8# roast took 3 1/2 hrs.

Provenance

Merva Hanson was Ella Hanson’s daughter. One of Merva’s sisters was Dolores Hanson Hinko. One of Dolores Hanson Hinko’s daughters is Marsha Hinko Pedersen.

Ella Fahrmann Hanson, May 1972

The Blackhawk Creamed Spinach

 The Blackhawk Creamed Spinach

Berghoff Creamed Spinach

 

Berghoff Creamed Spinach

Strongbow Inn Bleu Cheese and Garlic Dressing

A Box of Matches from Strongbow Inn

Strongbow Inn Bleu Cheese and Garlic Dressing

Makes 5 cups

1 cup cider vinegar

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon oregano

4 cloves garlic, peeled

3 cups vegetable oil

Cheesecloth and string

1 cup crumbled bleu cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare a piece of cheesecloth cut into a small square.

2. Combine salt, pepper, sugar, oregano and garlic, wrap in cheesecloth, fasten, and tie. Use a

mallet or rolling pin to slightly pound the contents of the tied cheesecloth.

3. Place the cheesecloth bundle in a large quart-canning jar. Pour 1 cup of the cider vinegar

over the spice bundle, seal jar and allow spices to steep overnight on kitchen counter.

4. Remove spice bundle, squeezing out excess liquid before discarding bundle.

5. Add three cups vegetable oil to vinegar mixture to fill jar and drop in the crumbled bleu

cheese.

6. Store dressing in refrigerator and stir well before serving.

Submitted to the blog by Marsha Hinko Pedersen

Grandma Hinko's Borscht (or as close as I've gotten to recreating her masterpiece)

Let me tell you a little about my Grandmother. Sabina Sklar and John Hinko came over separately from the Ukraine. They met in New Jersey and married in 1913:

Sabina and John Hinko Wedding

In the Ukraine, the Sklar family worked as caterers; if there was going to be a big occasion, like a royal wedding, the Sklar family would arrive on the site weeks ahead to prepare the feast. So, Sabina is from a family of cooks.

Ask anyone whoever ate her cooking, they will roll their eyes and joyfully sigh as they describe their favorite dishes. When I invited family members to voice over old Hinko family movies and the topic of Grandma's cooking came up, there was spontaneous tribute to her culinary mastery. This is fifty years after the last forkful of her cuisine crossed anyone's palette.

As a young boy, I stood in her kitchen and watched her cook. She'd give me little odd jobs. If I had been four or five years older I would have been cooking with her. But it didn't work that way, she died and her recipes mostly died with her. That didn't keep family members from pooling scraps of information they had gathered from her in an effort to save the recipes. The borscht recipe is one of two or three that Hinko family members salvaged. And I'm happy to share it with you.

There are a couple of ingredients that will take some doing; one is the veal neck bones, very difficult to find (go directly to a specialty butcher) and if/when you do find them, they cost a small fortune. While making inquiries at the butcher, ask his or her advice on something you may use as a substitute. The point is to make a delicious stock. Second thing is the dried mushrooms. Some of those imported from Poland have the right flavor. Go with your most trusted source. If you can't find a high quality Polish import, do some research to find a high quality accessible source of dried mushrooms. Others preparing this recipe have had good results with dried porcini.

Stock

One pound veal neck bones, cook in 3 quarts of water and skim after water boils.

Add: 

One onion

1/2 Cup celery

1 carrot

Dried mushrooms

Cook for one hour or until bones fall apart.

OK, those are the 1971 instructions for the stock. I'll tell you what I did; I made more stock and then reduced it so I had a rich tasting stock. I strained, chilled and skimmed it. Then put it back in the pot and resumed the 1971 recipe:

Strain (already did that) and to the stock add 2 cans of beets, slivered or coarsely grate fresh beets.

Again, time out. I never once saw my Grandma use fresh beets. For good reason; you can't count on them. The flavor is all over the place and could ruin the soup. So I would definitely go with the canned, but if you are generally considered by your friends to be an exceptionally lucky person and you are determined to use fresh beets, go for it. If you roll snake eyes, it has the same effect that rancid pine nuts have on pesto--throw it down the drain.

Simmer about one hour.

There are two more steps:

--Sour Cream Thickening

--Dumplings

In the 1971 recipe, Sour Cream Thickening comes first, then it says further on down the page you should first do the dumplings. That's pretty funny. So I'm going to save you that dark comedic moment when you realize you've ruined the soup and run through the dumplings first.

Dumplings

Scrape meat off bones (if not enough meat, grind up boiling beef). 

Grind all meat in Food Chopper

Another note: The dumpling texture was a point of contention for years after the 1971 recipe was distributed. We all remembered the original and there was something about the methodology spelled out in the 1971 recipe that wasn't quite hitting it. Here is what I did; I scraped the meat off the bones, I added some additional meat. I pulled the meat apart with a couple of forks and then chopped it with a very sharp knife. I think this came closer to Grandma's dumpling texture.

Resuming recipe.

Add:

3/4 Cup flour

1 egg

1 Tablespoon water

1 Tablespoon oil

Salt

Mix: form into dumplings with hands, add to borscht  BEFORE sour cream mixture (now you tell me)

And then my mother hand-wrote on the flip-side of the recipe sheet, New Improved Borscht Dumplings

Pick meat from bones, grind with coarse blade of Food Chopper, pick mushrooms from stock strainings (I agree 100% with this, I'm certain my grandma used the mushrooms in the dumplings), Also grind one-half pound fresh mushrooms, mix with one pound fresh ground veal, 1 and a 1/2 cups flour, 2 eggs, 2 Tablespoons of oil, 2 Tablespoons of water, salt and pepper. Form into Dumplings with hands, cook in borscht for 10 minutes.

I know why my Mom is extending the yield; everyone always wants more of these dumplings in their bowl.

Sour Cream Thickening

1 Pint Sour Cream (the real 100% stuff, you do not want to cut calories with a variation, this is not a diet soup)

About one cup of water

1/4 Cup flour

Add flour to water, using enough water so it does not lump, beat in sour cream and add to rapidly boiling borscht. Stir until it thickens and remove from heat--do not continue to boil.

And then you eat it.

And then you eat pierogi, kielbasa, kapusta, cabbage rolls, potato pancakes, roast loin of pork, freshly baked bread, a minimum of six other dishes, followed by kolaczki and poppy seed roll and then Grandma fixes you a bag of leftovers to take home.

John and Sabina Hinko in their kitchen, 1957

Don Curto's Tomato Basil Cream Soup

Don Curto's Tomato Basil Cream Soup

3 12oz. cans diced tomatoes

2 pt. whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

salt to taste

Heat oil in stock pot, add garlic and sauté 1 - 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, cream, basil and salt. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Serve with Italian bread.

Don Curto had a restaurant in Marquette, Michigan. We'd stop there whenever we were in town. Donna loved this soup. And it is easy to understand why; six cloves of garlic and a quart of heavy cream! It is a very good soup, easy to make. 

Recipe courtesy Sue Blomgren

Cypress Point Carrot Cake à la Kate Dufresne

Posted by Mike Hinko, with Kate's permission.

I wish Kate had personally posted this. She'd have stories to go along with the recipe. Kate tells me she has been baking this cake since 1989 and has made some tweaks to it through the years.

I've had this cake several times, and I believe it hits all the flavor and texture points you want from a piece of carrot cake.

Here's the recipe.

Cypress Point Carrot Cake

1 ½- Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2- Cup Soy Flour (or use regular flour) 

2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 Cups grated Carrots (about 4-5 large) (I like to add a little more) ☺
1 Cup Crushed Pineapple (slightly drained)
1/2 Cup chopped Nuts (Any variety to make it different than the frosting)
1/2 Cup Sesame Seeds (I use a mixture of roasted black and white)
3 1/2 Ounces Shredded Coconut (About 1 ½ Cups)

3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Oil 
3/4 Cup Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Honey or 1 Cup Brown Sugar (I use honey) Moister!

1 tsp vanilla extract

Set Oven to 350 degrees

Combine flours, cinnamon, and baking soda in small bowl. 

In another bowl, mix carrots, pineapple, nuts, sesame seeds, and coconut. 

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, buttermilk and honey.  

Add carrot mixture to egg mixture, and then add flour.  

Bake in greased Tube, Bundt or Angel food cake pan 50 minutes to 1 hour. 

Check for doneness at 50 minutes with a toothpick.  Do not over bake!

Loosen all edges with knife.  Put onto round serving platter keeping topside up if angel pan.

Cool completely before frosting.  

Frosting:

1/2 Cup Butter
1 8 Ounce Package Cream Cheese
1# (16 ounce) Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
1 Cup Flaked or Grated Coconut

Combine butter and cream cheese.  Cream until light and fluffy.  

Add sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Stir in pecans and coconut.  

Frost cooled cake and top with several half Pecans if desired.

Store tightly covered.

Basil Pesto

 

Here's the basic pesto recipe.

1.5 cups fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

0.25 cup pine nuts

approx 0.75 cup thinly grated parmesan cheese

approx 0.5 cup olive oil

We double up this list of ingredients and make it in a blender. Some people will tell you the only way to make pesto is with a mortar and pestle. I've made it this way and gotten blisters on my hand. So, I'll leave this decision to you.

In the blender, you first add the basil leaves and olive oil. How much oil to use depends on how juicy the basil leaves are. Blend together, then add the garlic and pine nuts. Blend together, then add in the cheese. That's it. We put it into jars and store it in the freezer, making about eight jars of it at a time. You don't ever add pesto to something and then cook it (except maybe soup). You always put the pesto on cooked stuff right before you serve. 

Now, here's the real secret to the whole deal: ingredients. The success of your pesto is only as good as the individual ingredients you put into it. So ...

Go right out to a farm and clip off the tops of basil plants that have yet to go to seed. If you don't do this, go to a farm stand and get the freshest basil available.

Get good garlic. Lots of places are selling freshly harvested garlic braids right now. Good time to buy. Hang it in your kitchen and you'll have nice garlic all year and no vampires.

Pine nuts. Get the wrong ones and you'll ruin your recipe. I mean, inedible. I would purchase online from nuts.com

Colavita extra virgin olive oil (first cold press) and Parmesan Reggiano. Go over to Joseph Food Mart, 8235 W. Irving Park Road for these. Go on a Saturday between 11am and 2 pm to hear all the local Italian-Americans gossiping around the butcher counter. A truly delightful experience. Phone 773-625-0118. [Note 10-23-2021: This place has been closed for several years You’ll have to find an alternate source for your Colavita and Parmesan Reggiano]

A couple of notes.

• If you are planning to freeze the pesto, freeze it without the Parmesan Reggiano, then add that in after you defrost and prepare to use your pesto.

• A family member suggests that the pine nuts be lightly toasted in a cast iron pan, to accentuate the flavor of the nuts. I haven’t tried this - not for use in the pesto itself. I have used some lightly toasted pine nuts on top of the pasta pesto as a finish.

OK, there you have it.

Donna Michels selects basil for pesto.

Donna Michels combines basil pesto ingredients.

Donna's basil pesto.

Tito Mattera's Hot Zucchini Appetizer

 

Dolores Hinko Recipe Collection

 -- Click Here for a PDF of the Dolores Hinko Recipe Collection

    -- Table of Contents

Kate's Chewy Brownies

This recipe was submitted by Donna's daughter, Kate Dufresne. Click here to download a PDF of the recipe.

Aunt Mary's Bread Rolls

 These bread rolls are delicious. A family recipe from Donna's Aunt Mary Pierini, South Range, Michigan. Here's the link to the recipe: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HyPJ7K5m2iYwQ4AJklBhBGJAtrFPuQj1/view?usp=sharing

Danish Rice Dessert

Danish Rice Dessert
A Carol Christianson recipe by way of Marsha Pedersen.
This recipe comes with Marsha's caveat, "Sandra and I disagree on the amount of milk for the recipe. Mom noted a pint, Sandra thinks a quart. Try at your own risk."

So there you have it; try at your own risk.

Strongbow Bess' Turkey Salad Bowl

4 cups white meat of turkey cut into 3/4" cubes
2 cups sliced celery (not too fine

Marinate the above in the following:

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small clove of garlic, slightly smashed

This is better marinated overnight, but at least 4 hours. Stir once while marinating.

To serve: Line 4 large individual salad bowls or plates with lettuce leaves.

Divide this into four servings and mound on lettuce leaves.

Garnish each salad with 2 pieces quartered hard boiled egg, 2 wedges tomato, 1 tsp. mayonnaise on top of salad. Sprinkle toasted slivered almonds over top. Tuck a piece of parsley or watercress at the side.

Serve with warm biscuit or toast.

Recipe from the Strongbow Inn cookbook.

Strongbow Inn Turkey Bone Soup

The best part of Thanksgiving leftovers after the delicious turkey sandwiches is the turkey soup. This recipe is from the Strongbow Inn cookbook which is comprised of fourteen sheets of 8 1/2 X 11 pale blue paper stapled together and containing many of the recipes for food served at that family favorite restaurant. The restaurant was sold in 2013 and closed, except for banquets and limited holiday brunches, in 2015. This link provides a bit of its history and a photo of a delicious turkey dinner.
http://www.inportercounty.org/PhotoPages/Valparaiso/Restaurants/Valparaiso-Restaurants027.html

Turkey Bone Soup

Broken bones and skin from turkey carcass
3 stalks of celery
2 carrots, quartered
1 onion, quartered
6 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste

Place all in a LARGE kettle. Cover with water. Bring to boil, and then simmer for two hours.

Cool slightly, strain, and return any chopped turkey meat scraps to stock. Chill thoroughly so that hardened layer of fat may be removed. Remove this before reheating stock.

Many varieties of turkey soup may be made. One follows:

For each QUART of stock, melt 2 T. butter in a skillet. Add 2 T. flour, cook about one minute to blend and brown slightly. Pour some hot stock into browned mixture. Stir and cook until slightly thickened. Pour this into remaining stock. Simmer 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Strongbow Turkey Soup

4 cups diced celery
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup rice or noodles (cooked previously)
8 cups turkey broth
2 cups finely chopped turkey meat
1/2 tsp. chopped parsley for each bowl

Cook celery and onion in butter until transparent and soft, but not brown. Remove from heat and add broth, chopped turkey, and rice or noodles. Sprinkle parsley in each bowl to garnish.

Note: The recipe does not mention heating all together, but cold turkey soup wouldn't taste very good.

Ukranian Style Beets with Horseradish

This recipe is from Aunt Marie.

12 medium beets
1 cup freshly grated horseradish
2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger

Scrub beets clean; leave roots and one inch of stem on. Cover with water and boil until tender. Cut off stems, roots, and remove skin. Grate on course grater. Add horseradish and spices. Mix thoroughly. Bring vinegar, sugar and salt to boil (whole spice in cloth may be added). Pour over beet mixture. Stir well. Pack in jars. Let stand a day in cool place before using.

Sandra's note:
This tastes great on hard boiled eggs. Gramma Hinko would serve this at Easter.

O. K. Christiansen's Holiday Glogg

While this is a Swedish recipe, Dad (Mike Hinko) made this. He and Mom would have Glogg parties.  The Glogg parties stemmed from those that his good friend, the late Jim Christiansen, would have at Christmastime.

This drink is potent! One small cup will produce a buzz. Two will make you slur your words. If you have a Glogg party, have designated drivers to take people home. Or, set up cots for overnight guests.

O. K. Christiansen's Holiday Glogg

8 cinnamon sticks
12 whole cloves
112 sugar loaves
Almond extract
Cheese cloth bags
2 gallon kettle with cover
Small frying pan
Wooden spoon
1 pound seeded raisins
60 cardamom seeds
1/5 190-proof grain alcohol
1 gallon California port wine
1 pint Hennessy brandy

Place in cooking vessel with spices and raisins in bags:
1 pound seeded raisins
12 whole cloves
60 cardamom seeds (open shells and put both shells and kernels in mixture)
8 cinnamon sticks (broken)
80 sugar loaves

Procedure:
Pour in enough water to barely cover the above ingredients. Allow to simmer (with cover on) for 1 hour to extract flavor from spices. Pour in 1 gallon port wine, 1/5 190-proof grain alcohol, and 1 pint brandy. Replace cover and raise flame. Let come to a boil. While this is coming to a boil, take small frying pan, and in it slowly burn 32 loaves of white loaf sugar until a dark brown. By this time the mixture should be boiling; add the burnt sugar and stir with wooden spoon until there is no more sugar coating on the spoon.

Turn off the fire, take cover off and light the mixture, allowing it to burn for about 6 seconds. Then put the cover back on to extinguish; add 2 teaspoons of almond extract.

Let cool. Strain through cheese cloth. Squeeze out juices thoroughly.

Skal!!!

Sandra's Note:
As I recall, you warm the Glogg before serving it. Put 1 blanched almond and a few raisins in the bottom of a small cup and pour the Glogg over these.

Sandra's Note:
You can find sugar loaves from Domino Sugar. They are called sugar tablets. According to the Domino website, each rectangular tablet contains 1 teaspoon of sugar. So, you can do the math and use granulated sugar if needed. However, part of the fun in making the Glogg is counting out the sugar loaves.

Sauerkraut and Sausage

This is the recipe Dolores Hinko used. It may seem odd to have split peas included, but they do make the sauerkraut creamy.

Sauerkraut and Sausage

2 quarts sauerkraut drained and washed, saving the juice
1/4 pound bacon, minced.
2 medium yellow onions
1/2 cup yellow split peas
1/2 cup water
1/4 pound butter or margarine
1/2 cup flour

Soak peas in water according to package directions. Cook until mushy. Set aside.

Sauté bacon until crisp, remove from fat and set aside.

Chop onions and sauté until transparent in bacon drippings. Add butter or margarine and flour to make a roux. Stir roux until it is lightly colored. Add sauerkraut, split peas and bacon. Add reserved sauerkraut juice to taste. Add water if too thick and cook until kraut is tender. (If too sour add a small amount of honey to taste).

Sausage

If using pre-cooked Polish sausage, cut into bite sized pieces and steam or microwave until hot. Do not boil or you will lose flavor. Arrange on perimeter of hot kraut and serve.

Will serve 8 as a main dish.

Sandra's Notes

Note: I do not add any kraut juice; it really makes the dish too sour. Also, I add the sausage on top of the sauerkraut mixture after all is combined, and let it cook in the pot.

Note: If it is a cold winter day, I will make this in an enameled cast iron Dutch oven. After the sauerkraut mixture is all combined, I'll put the sausage on top, cover and bake in a 350 degree oven until the kraut is tender. Do not do this in a regular cast iron pot; acidic foods and cast iron do not play nicely with each other.

Kolachki

This recipe is from Aunt Marie, and would likely turn out similar to Gramma Hinko's.

Kolachki
(Dough must chill overnight)

1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 pound lard
6 cups flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Prepared (canned) Solo fillings (Note: Yes! The company is still in business. If you can't find the product at your grocery, you can order it online from the company.)

Prepare 1 package dry yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water and let stand while preparing rest of recipe. Beat eggs slightly and add 1/2 cup milk. Measure 6 cups flour into large mixing bowl. Add 4 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Work into this (as for pie dough) 1 pound lard until pea sized. Add egg and milk mixture, then yeast mixture mixing well until dough leaves sides of bowl. Store overnight in refrigerator.

When ready to use, break off small portions of dough and roll out on slightly floured board to about 1/4 inch thick or less if flakier cakes are desired. Cut with round biscuit or cookie cutter and fill each round with filling. Roll up and place on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 15 minutes in 375 degree oven, or until slightly brown. Remove to brown paper and let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Dolores Hinko's Western Baked Beans

Mom, Dolores Hinko, would make these baked beans for parties and picnics. They are so very good!

Western Baked Beans
8 slices of bacon
4 large onions, sliced and separated into rings
1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cider vinegar
Tabasco sauce to taste
Rinse and drain the following three beans:
15 ounce can green lima beans
15 ounce can butter beans
1 pound can dark red kidney beans
2 1-pound 11 ounce cans pork and beans - do not rinse!

Cut bacon into 1-inch pieces and cook until crispy. Remove bacon from fat. Set aside.

Sauté onion rings in bacon fat until clear.

Add rest of ingredients, except beans and bacon, stir and simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Put all beans and bacon into oven-proof, covered casserole or bean pot. Pour sauce over and mix well.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes covered. Bake an additional 30 minutes uncovered.

Double recipe for a crowd.

Apple Slices

I have fond memories of Gramma Hinko's baked goods. She always had an assortment of treats with which to tempt us. Cakes, pies, and Bismarck donuts filled with raspberry jelly. One of my favorite treats was her apple slices. I don't have Gramma Hinko's recipe for them, but I did come into possession of a little cookbook put together by the Electa Circle Women's Society of Christian Service of the Pullman United Methodist Church in 1969. Aunt Marie was a member, and submitted a recipe for apple slices that I believe are the same as the ones Gramma made.

Apple Slices

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup lard
1/3 cup cold water

Add salt and baking powder to flour and sift. Add lard and blend until size of small peas. Add water and combine. Divide dough and roll out to pan size ( 10" x 15").

Filling

8 to 10 (or more, depending on size) pared and sliced apples
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon flour (or cornstarch)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

Mix together dry ingredients and pour over apples. Note: the recipe in the booklet does not say this, but I imagine one would mix the dry ingredients with the apples and then spread the apple mixture over the bottom crust.

Roll remaining dough to form top cover. Note: no mention is made, but I think it would be a good idea to prick the top crust to allow steam to escape. I think the women of that time just assumed one would know to do this.

Unfortunately, there is no baking information in the recipe in the booklet. I did find a recipe online that directed one to bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes until crust is brown and apples are tender. It suggested covering the crust loosely with foil if it becomes too brown before the apples are done. This recipe also had a recipe for the glaze, which Gramma Hinko put on hers.

Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk

Combine milk, confectioners sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth. When slices are cool, spread the glaze over it. Allow to harden.

If this glaze doesn't do it for you, make your favorite confectioner sugar glaze.

Bacon Rice Salad

Pickles

Ukrainian Nut Roll

Donna Michels bakes Ukrainian Nut Roll.

Pasty

From Donna Michels. There are endless variations of pasty recipes. This is one. It was in an email, a forwarded conversation from people of Cornish ancestry.

Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 01:14:33 +0000

Hi Paul,


Sorry I missed your call.  Hope you have enjoyed your new setting and that the holidays will be happy for you.

Now, as to this pasty recipe.  I use my mother's for the crust but following it is a bit of a challenge.  The original recipe went like this:  less than a half a pound of lard, 3 to 3 and 1/2 cups of flour, a palm of salt, and enough water so that it feels right.

Translation:  about 1/3 of a Cup of lard (be a bit generous).  Cut that into 3 to 3 and 1/2 cups of flour.  Add 1 teaspoon of salt.  Add about 3/4 C. water.  This makes enough crust for about 5 large pasties.  Roll each crust out on a floured rolling board

For each pasty, you need 1/4 to 1/3 cup of beef.  You can use round steak or anything better.  I often use sirloin.  Cut it into pieces that are about half the size of stew meat.

My guess is that you use 2 medium sized potatoes for three pasties and a large onion for four or five.  I have no really good description of the size of rutabaga.

Slice the potatoes and rutabaga (about the size of American fries). Layer the potatoes, then rutabaga, then meat, and then onion.  Use salt and pepper to taste.  Repeat layers.  Add about a teaspoon of butter or oleo, cut in two or three pieces.

I usually crimp the crust on the side but that's a matter of preference.  With a paring knife, poke air holes in the top of the crust.  Place on a baking sheet.  (You can cheat and seal the crust with water if you want to).

Put the baking sheet into the over at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 45 minutes.

Hope it works well.  Let me know how they turn out.

Jean Ellis

Inviting all the Cornish Cousins to attend the 14th Gathering, Far from 'Ome", July 25-29, 2007

Fresh Tomato Sauce

From Donna Michels.

4 tomatoes, cored, juiced and seeded     I used 8 small ones.

5 cloves garlic, cut large   I used 3 since it was very spicy.

8 leaves fresh basil

1/4 cup olive oil

In the cuisinart, I whirled the garlic first to mince it.  

Added squeezed tomatoes and basil.  

Pulsed it a couple of times, while adding oil.

Let it sit covered at room temperature about 5 hours.

BUTTERSCOTCH PECAN ROLLS

From Donna Michels.

Here is the recipe for BUTTERSCOTCH PECAN ROLLS  (Read through entire
recipe before starting, to get ingredients ready, etc.)


Basic Sweet Roll Dough (makes about 3 dozen rolls---I fill two 9-inch
round cake pans and one 9-inch square pan)

In a large (about 6 qt) bowl
Measure
1/2 cup warm water
Add and mix till smooth
2 pkgs. dry yeast

Stir in
11/2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil (I think salad oil is meant, but I've used olive oil if
it's not too strong)

To this mixture, gradually add flour (You need at least 7 cups
altogether;  about 5 or 6 just to get the dough out of the bowl and
I'm not sure how much I add while kneading.)  Knead on a
flour-sprinkled surface until dough is smooth---about 10 minutes.

Put about a tsp. of oil in the bottom of the bowl (you don't have to
wash the bowl first), swirl the ball of dough to coat its bottom with
oil, then turn dough over and repeat, so dough is slightly oiled all
over, then cover bowl with cloth and let rise.  (You don't need a very
warm place for dough to rise.  It goes faster if warmer, but it will
rise slowly anyway, and some say it tastes better if it rises cool.)

It takes about 1 1/2 hours to rise till double, sometimes longer,
depending on temperature.  If using a 6 qt bowl, the dough will rise
to the top. It took over 2 hours to do this at room temp. The test is
to stick a finger into it and if the hole from your finger remains in
the dough, it's risen enough.  But you can tell when it's double by
looking at it.

Punch it down and let it rise till almost double again.  This rising
is about 1/2 hour.

While the dough is rising the last time, you can get the pans ready.
In each pan, melt
3 Tbs. butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/2 cup (or as many as you want) pecans
Melt and mingle over the surface of each pan and keep warm so it stays soft.

Cut the dough in half and use a rolling pin to make two rectangles
(about 16 x 9) on a lightly floured surface.

Presoften a stick of butter, spread each piece generously, and coat
with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. (This is easiest if you mix
ahead of time in a bowl---about 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon to 1/2 cup
sugar---and put this in a shaker.)  Then roll up like a jelly roll, so
each is a long (15-18 in. long) tube about 2 inches or so in diameter.
 Try to end with the free side on the bottom to keep from unravelling.
 Then use a sharp knife to make 11/2 in slices.  You end up with about
3 dozen coiled rounds.

Place each round flat into the prepared pans and let rise 1/2 hour.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes so they are browned and the innermost
roll looks flaky, not doughy, when separated with a couple of forks.

Place a large platter over the pan while still hot and invert the
whole thing, so the pan is upsidedown over the platter, and the nuts
and syrup are now on top when you slowly lift the pan off.

Sometimes I make the recipe as far as cutting the dough and placing
the sliced dough in the pans, and then I cover them with plastic wrap
and refrigerate to bake later.  You're supposed to let the rolls come
to room temperature before baking. but I don't know how necessary this
is.  The rolls seem to do their last rising right in the refrigerator.

Donna Michels with her Butterscotch Pecan Rolls.

Kapusta

From Marsha Hinko Pedersen 

This recipe tastes similar to what I remember as what Gramma Hinko called "kapusta." "Kapusta" means "cabbage" in Polish. It is a crock-pot recipe, although I think it would work as well if all the ingredients were just plopped into a big pot and simmered on the stove for several hours.

 

Sauerkraut Soup

 

- 1 lb. smoked Polish sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces

- 5 medium potatoes, cubed (I did 1/4" cubes; maybe smaller would be better if you want them to remain anonymous in the soup)

- 2 lg. onions, chopped (Bob cut one of those big yellow onions into 1/2" dice, but I think I would make it smaller next time)

- 2 lg. carrots, cut into 1/4" slices (again, I'd like them smaller)

- 3 cans lo-salt chicken broth (there's enough salt in the sausage and kraut)

- 32 oz. can or bag sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

- 6 oz. can tomato paste

 

Combine all ingredients in a LARGE slow cooker. (Mine is 4 qt., and it was filled to the brim.) Stir to combine. Cover and cook on high 2 hrs, and then on low 8 hrs. (It had been on overnight for 9 hrs on low, and I still turned it back up to high for a couple of hours this morning. Maybe with a bigger crock pot it wouldn't take as long.)

 

Serve with a light rye bread with seeds.

Tzatziki

Tzatziki
Recipe Courtesy Molyvos Restaurant


2 cups Mediterranean-style yogurt, (may substitute with conventional yogurt)
1 large English cucumber (peeled, shredded and drained)
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon mint, chopped
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
1 ounces lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
To Prepare the Yogurt: Line strainer with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Bowl should support strainer so it does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Put the yogurt in the strainer loosely covered, and let it drain overnight in the refrigerator.Discard the liquid and use the strained yogurt as directed.
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate overnight before serving. Serve with pita.

Mafalda's Casserole Rye Bread

Mafalda's Casserole Rye Batter Bread

 

--l cup milk, scalded                                      

--2 pkg. dry yeast

--1 cup warm water

--2 tbsp. caraway seeds (optional)

--3 cups white flour

--2 cups rye flour

--1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

--2 tsp. salt

--1/4 cup butter, melted (or veg. oil)

  In the large bowl of electric mixer pour scalded milk over brown sugar, salt and butter; cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water; add to milk mixture. Add caraway seeds and about half of each flour.  Beat at medium speed until smooth---2 minutes. Add remaining flour and beat until well blended...1 and 1/2.  Cover bowl and let rise in warm place until doubled--about 1 hour.  Stir batter vigorously for 1/2 minute.  Turn into large bowl, greased 2 quart (or 2 smaller bowls with straight sides). Brush top with milk , and sprinkle with seeds, optional.  Let rise about 20 minutes, OR bake immediately in moderate oven===350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Turn out on rack to cool.

  Donna's note:  "I skipped second (20 minute ) rising altogether with no difference in results. Remember....batter is sticky as heck,  hard stirring  and mixing at one point...very stiff.  I have much better time with spoon than with beaters.'    D."

Mafalda Michels

Dressing for Mr. DiFrank's lettuce

When we lived at 10448 S. Calumet, Mr. DiFrank, an elderly man, lived on the corner. He grew enough leaf lettuce to share large bags of it with our family. Following is a salad dressing Mom used on it. Nothing else was added to the salad...just the very fresh leaf lettuce and the dressing.

1/2 C sugar
1/3 C vinegar
1/2 C evaporated milk
1/2 t salt

Add sugar to vinegar; stir until dissolved. Beat in milk until thick. Add salt. Pour over greens

Pickled Beets

From Marsha Hinko Pedersen

From Betty Crocker’s International Cookbook
This was Mom’s book, and she has many handwritten notes and other recipes added to it.

Makes 3 ½ C

I guess I could embellish this recipe by starting it as I did: purchase a packet of Detroit Red beet seeds, sow in your garden as directed, harvest beets when 1 ½” diameter, wash greens and steam them to use as a side dish, and then cook the beets.

Mom noted that one could also use 3 cans sliced beets.

When I made these, I did not use the vinegar and sale for cooking the beets…I just simmered them in water until cooked through. However, here’s what the book says:

5 medium beets (about 1 ¼ lbs) (I think I used 7 beets, but the marinade was sufficient for all I had.)
6 C water
1 T vinegar
1 t salt

Cut off all but 2” of beet tops. Leave beets whole with root ends attached. Heat above ingredients to boiling, add beets, heat to boil again and then reduce heat. Cook 35-45 minutes, until tender.

Here’s where I started following the recipe:

Run cold water over beets, slip off skins and remove root ends. Slice beets and place with 1 small sliced onion in glass or plastic bowl.

Marinade:
½ C vinegar (I use cider vinegar)
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C water
1 t salt
¼ t ground cloves
1/8 t fresh ground black pepper

Put these ingredients in a small pot, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 2 min. Pour over beets and onion. Cover and refrigerate, spooning marinade over beets occasionally, at least 12 hours.

Pizza Crust

From Marsha Hinko Pedersen

Adapted from “Freeze with Ease” cookbook, Marian Fox Burros and Lois Levine, 1965.

1 pk. dry yeast
2 T warm water

Dissolve yeast in water.

Add 1 C warm water and 2 T olive oil.

Mix in 3 cups all-purpose flour (sometimes less, depending on humidity).
Recipe calls for 1 ½ t. salt, but I don’t use it.

This makes two 14” pizzas, but I divide it into four 8” non-stick cake pans. I assemble all of the pizzas, and freeze the uncooked ones for another time. Just cover the cake pans with foil for freezing.

Bake at 450 or 500 degrees until top of pizza is browned and cheese is bubbly.

I also use this recipe for making pizza margherita, which I make on a pizza stone. I use half the dough, and pat the other half into a disc, which I freeze. When ready to use the frozen dough, just put it in an oiled bowl for several hours at room temperature.

Another Turkey Stuffing Recipe. This one has cornbread in it.

Not sure which sibling told this stuffing story.

Here is the original recipe for the stuffing. I know you wouldn't
make it per this as it is too full of butter.

One batch of cornbread (8 or 9 inch square pan), minus one piece
someone gets to eat. This one piece is only held back because
everyone loves just out of the oven cornbread. Make it the day
before TG.

3 loaves of white bread. Dry the bread in the oven, turning the
pieces at least once, and then pile it up in a big, industrial
sized bowl purchased at that restaurant supply store in South
Holland. I have the bowl down here in Lakeland. Do this the night
before and let it sit out overnight to really get dried out. If you
do it days before, wait until it is aired out, then repackage in
the bread wrappers and place on top of the refrigerator to free up
counter space.

Dice one bunch of celery. This can be done ahead of time and
packaged in a Ziploc.

Dice 6 - 8 onions. Also can be done ahead ala above. Doing it ahead
is a good idea so that you don't have red-rimmed and puffy eyes on TG.

One bunch of parsley, snipped with kitchen shears into fine pieces.
Do this the morning of TG, as if done ahead it will just be green
paste by the time you need to use it.

Sage, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.

3 large eggs

TG morning:
The cook's helper is set up with a bowl of water, the dry bread,
and a clean bowl or pot for a repository. Goosh the bread and throw
the bread balls into the repository.

Now that the big, industrial bowl is empty, use it for mixing the
stuffing.

Sauté the onions and celery in one pound of butter.

Crumble the cornbread and combine with the bread balls, sautéed
veggies, parsley and seasonings. Taste to see if more seasoning is
needed. Mom always used more sage than normal folk do. Once the
taste is right, add the eggs and goosh it all with your hands.
>

Stuff the turkey, and place the rest in a Corningware casserole
dish to bake.

Send kids out with Dad to get them out of the house because you
have only two nerves left and those two are frayed. Dad takes kids
to White Castle because they are whining that they are STARVING!
When kids and Dad arrive home, serve the dinner you have spent
hours creating. When kids pick at food, ask why they aren't
scarfing it up since they were whining all day about being hungry.
Kids are mute, and Dad doesn't make eye contact. Finally get the
truth out and explode.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

PS. I use this recipe, but use only one stick of butter and add
chicken broth for moisture.

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Donna Michels recipe.

First you have to roast a turkey, make turkey stock, and make 3 cups of wild rice.

CREAM OF TURKEY AND WILD RICE SOUP

2 cups cooked turkey, chopped

3 cups wild rice, cooked to pkg directions and drained

8 cups turkey stock

1 sm onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

4 celery ribs, finely diced 

1 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup whipping cream

Saute onion, carrot, and celery in butter until soft. Add flour, a little at a time, and cook till you form a rue, taking care not to burn. Cooking slowly until thick and blended should take about 5 minutes, which gets rid of the raw flour taste.) 

Add broth, a little at a time, and blend.

Add rice and turkey. (If these are already warmed in the microwave, so much the better.)

Salt to taste. (It takes lots.)

Add cream and reheat without boiling.