The Other Woman Cooks

2013 is only a day away and already the calender is crowding up with things to do, places to be, and people to see.  January will see me hooting and hollering as we celebrate the second term inauguration of President Barack Obama.  February will be a frenzy of activity between Groundhog Day, Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day prior to the winter doldrums setting in and I get serious about using that time to plan this year's work projects.   Before you know it, March and St. Patrick's Day will be here. And anyone who lives in western Massachusetts knows what that means...the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day parade! Here's a challenge for my friends of irish ancestry: If you can manage to convince me there's better St. Patrick's Day parade than the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade , I will bake and overnight my version of Irish soda bread to your door in plenty of time to accompany your traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner.  Or bet...

It all started with an impulse purchase of a Southern Living Almost Homemade magazine. Pictured on the cover was Lemonade Pie and the promise of the recipe on page 77 was too irresistable. Up to now, I balked at the temptation to create an “almost homemade” recipe of my own and hate to admit giving in. Once you try my Berry Streusel Ginger Muffins I think you’ll agree, there might be something to this lazy cooking style rage. No berries on hand? No problem. Substitute dried cranberries instead of fresh raspberries in the recipe. If you are a ginger fan, these are the best muffins ever. By the way, I haven’t tried Lemonade Pie yet. But on page 15 -- OMG! There’s a heavenly recipe for Blackberry Mojito Punch. The issue is on sale until July 13, 2012. BERRY STREUSEL GINGER MUFFINS Batter: One 14 ounce boxed gingerbread mix 1 cup orange or apple juice 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Topping: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or margarine 2 tablespoons biscuit mix 2 tablesp...

Shoot, who doesn't love a perfect golden crusted grilled cheese sandwich? There's even a Baltimore based  restaurant chain  dedicated to the joys of every mom's fall back dinner special. With a big flavor boost from homemade lightly herbed bread sliced thick, the classic grilled cheese sandwich is still the perfect partner for a bowl of homemade tomato soup . Both recipes below are easy and delish. HERBED GRILLED CHEESE BREAD 3 cups bread flour 1/4 cup non-fat dry milk powder 1 tablespoon finely grated cheddar 1 teaspoons fresh ground sea salt 1/2 teaspoon dried winter savory (or oregano) 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon very warm tap water 1 quarter ounce package quick rise dry yeast 1 teaspoon honey Combine flour, milk powder, cheese, salt and herbs in food processor with a dough blade attachment. In a small bowl mix warm water honey and dry yeast. Allow yeast mix to sit 3-5 minutes. Using 1 tablespoon oil, grease ...

One of the best things about summer days at my great aunt Nina's dairy farm was her cooking. She made everything from scratch, mostly farm fresh. There are no words to describe the difference between the canned veggies too many of us grew up on and corn on the cob picked fresh from the garden. Or the milk from the cows that same morning. Best of all, one of my favorite foods to this day, was her homemade butter biscuits. F laky , delicious biscuits topped by sweet tart refrigerator jam made with whatever fruit happened to be ready to harvest that week. Sadly, my great aunt has since passed on and the farm sold off as a horse riders haven. But my memories of Auntie Nina's biscuits will last forever. I tried many, many times, often with limited success, to recreate the exact taste of those biscuits. Even if I had her exact recipe, using store bought ingredients will never quite get there. After repeated experimenting, th...

The whole idea of afternoon tea is to slow down. What goes better with a nice hot cuppa than good old fashioned crumpets? Easy to make and very, very yummy -- a cross between a pancake and an English muffin. A pat of butter and a spoonful of sugar-free jam make for a healthier way to recharge those midday batteries than a chocolate bar. And you can make a batch then freeze them for convenience -- just pop them in your toaster until they are warm and crispy. CRUMPETS 1/2 cup warm water (105° - 115°) 2 teaspoons honey 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour or bread flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 cups warmed milk (warm not hot) In a large bowl, stir the honey into the warm water. Sprinkle the active dry yeast over the top and let it sit until it bubbles, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and let it sit for about half an hour in a warm place. Lightly grease a griddle or frying pan and the crumpet rings (I use two eg...

I promised Memere's brown bread recipe and I always try to keep my promises. Tomorrow I'll toast up a few slices of yummy steam-baked molasses loaf for breakfast with scrambled eggs. Add a pot of butter rum flavored decaf made in the French press to sip on while reading the newspaper at the table and Sunday morning doesn't get much better! And I'll be saving the coffee can for the next time I mix up this brown bread recipe -- I have a feeling it won't be long. MEMERE'S MOLASSES LOAF 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats 1 cup cornmeal 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses 1 cup milk 2 teaspoons white vinegar 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine 1/2 cup raisins, optional In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add oats and cornmeal. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the dry mixture into a small mixing bowl. Stir molasses, butter, vinegar and milk into the dry ingredients. Mix...

Queen Victoria must have loved Christmas to have declared the following day as yet another holiday. Boxing Day, celebrated on The Feast of St Stephen, is an English tradition -- the one day of the year when household help was given a bonus and a full day off as a reward for providing good service throughout the year. For upper class Victorian families it meant the kitchen help would prepare foods in advance that the mistress of the house could manage without much fuss. For modern Brits, the day of goodwill has evolved into a banker's holiday encouraging the search for post-Christmas shopping bargains. Either way what's needed is a good breakfast, easy to prepare and this amazing brunch treat can be refrigerated up to twenty-four hours before baking. FRENCH TOAST BRUNCH BAKE 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/8 cup orange favored liqueur 1 tablespoon maple syrup 8 slices Portugese sweet bread, approx. 3/4 inch thick 2 cups half anf half 3 large eggs, slightly beaten 1...

Food historians generally agree that popovers were created here in the colonies by English housewives who missed their Yorkshire puddings but needed a shortcut and fewer ingredients for a less fussy version of the original. According to Wikipedia, the first cookbook to print a recipe for popovers was M. N. Henderson, Practical Cooking, in 1876. Roasted beef or pork drippings made the little puffs more savory than the popovers most folks like these days. Today's recipes lend themselves to strawberry jam for breakfast or tea as much as for a bread substitute for holiday dinner. The higher they rise, the better they taste is my motto and this recipe is one I have been using for over thirty years. It has never let me down. EYE POPPING POPOVERS 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 3 eggs 1 1/2 cups 1% milk dash of salt Preheat over to 425 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl and using a whisk, beat the eggs until slightly frothy. Add the milk and again, using the whisk, beat until mixture is slig...