The Other Woman Cooks

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...

Why work so hard on your Thanksgiving turkey and skimp on the most delightful side of all? Fresh cranberry sauce is as easy as it is impressive to serve. Not to mention, fresh cranberries are good for you. Cranberries are an under appreciated fruit. Northeast Native Americans swore by the health benefits of the cranberry as a dietary staple. Early New England sailors packed the little wild berries, rich in Vitamin C, in their ship larders to prevent scurvy. Research has since validated the old adage that drinking cranberry juice will reduce or eliminate instances of urinary tract infection, but other, more recent studies have also linked the lowly cranberry with increased benefits in fighting heart disease and cancer. A luscious cranberry sauce is one of the easier ways to wow your holiday guests. Go for it! GINGER ORANGE CRANBERRY SAUCE 3/4 cup water 3/4 cup sugar dash salt 4 cups fresh cranberries 1 tablespoon orange zest 1 teaspoon crystallized ginger, finely grated 2 t...