500 Treasured Country Recipes from Martha Storey and Friends: Mouthwatering, Time-Honored, Tried-And-True, Handed-Down, Soul-Satisfying Dishes
544
500 Treasured Country Recipes from Martha Storey and Friends: Mouthwatering, Time-Honored, Tried-And-True, Handed-Down, Soul-Satisfying Dishes
544eBook
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Overview
Bring farmhouse favorites to your kitchen with this heirloom cookbook, featuring more than 500 recipes for mouthwatering country classics. Martha Storey presents easy-to-follow recipes for comforting family favorites like apple pie, roast chicken, blueberry pancakes, strawberry shortcake, sourdough bread, and hand-churned ice cream. Storey also provides simple instructions for the old-fashioned arts of making your own cheese, yogurt, pickles, and cordials. You’re sure to hear calls for seconds when serving these time-tested crowd-pleasers.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781612122229 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Storey Publishing, LLC |
| Publication date: | 11/02/2012 |
| Sold by: | Hachette Digital, Inc. |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 544 |
| Sales rank: | 899,444 |
| File size: | 45 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Kitchen Know-How
My mother was a good cook but an even better teacher. She was so patient with me as I experimented in her country kitchen, learning the basics of cooking: baking bread, frying chicken, mashing potatoes, and making meat loaf. I also had an inspiring teacher for high-school home economics, a course that one doesn't easily find these days. Cooking came naturally to me, but learning some of the science behind what makes food taste good was illuminating. I hope that this chapter will become dog-eared, a sign that it has become a trusted reference in your kitchen — almost like having your mom at your elbow.
Measurements & Metrics
Equivalents & Substitutions
Techniques & Terms
MEASUREMENTS & METRICS
Many early recipe collections relied on the cook's experience to judge quantities in the kitchen. Such terms as "a pinch," "a wineglass," "a goodly handful," "until just right," and "a lump the size of a walnut" were as specific as it got. For some recipes you can "eyeball" amounts — do you know anyone who measures how many cups of tomato or lettuce go into the salad bowl? But in many recipes, measuring accurately is essential to ensure consistent quality and reliable results.
To Measure Accurately and Easily
Dry ingredients. Use a metal or plastic measuring cup that fills to the top. Dip the cup into the dry ingredient (but not if you're measuring flour) or fill the cup by using a spoon. You should not dip the cup into flour, because you could pack it down and get too much flour, which could affect the success of a recipe. Spoon the flour lightly into the cup instead. Do not pack unless the recipe specifies that you should. Set the cup on a level surface and smooth off the excess with a knife so that the top is level. For measuring out less than 1 cup, use the size of cup appropriate to the amount specified or fill to the correct mark in a larger cup and shake slightly to level.
Liquid ingredients. Use a glass measuring cup with a pouring spout and clearly marked lines indicating cup increments. Check measurements at eye level; ideally, you should set the cup on a flat surface and bend down so that your eye is level with the mark.
Solid ingredients. To measure solid ingredients in a liquid measuring cup, fill the cup with an amount of water equal to the amount of the solid ingredient your recipe calls for. Then add the dry ingredient until the water measures twice the amount. For example, to measure ½ cup shortening, pour in ½ cup water, then add shortening until the water reaches the 1-cup mark.
Metric Conversion
Unless you have finely calibrated measuring equipment, conversions between U.S. and metric measurements will be inexact. It's important to convert the measurements for all of the ingredients in a recipe to maintain the same proportions as in the original. With these caveats, we provide the following tables as a convenience to our readers.
EQUIVALENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS
How many times have you wanted to make a recipe and found that you are short an ingredient? Often, you can successfully substitute something you do have on hand. Keep in mind, however, that the result may not be exactly the same, especially if you are substituting a dried or packaged ingredient for a fresh or homemade one. Still, these guidelines are handy in a pinch.
About Baking Lighter Side
Following are some health-related tips to make your baked goods just a little lighter.
* Use low-fat or skim milk.
* Replace 1 egg with 2 egg whites or cup egg substitute.
* Replace part (not all!) of the butter or oil with an equal amount of plain yogurt or applesauce.
* Replace 1 cup of sour cream with 1 cup whole milk plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice (let stand 5 minutes before using).
* Replace 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate with 3 tablespoons cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon light oil.
TECHNIQUES & TERMS
Every cook needs to know the basic techniques covered in this section. Most are not complicated, but it is important to understand the difference between stir and fold, or sauté and braise. The list is divided into three main sections: preparing and mixing, stovetop techniques, and oven techniques. Master these concepts, and you'll be ready to cook almost anything.
Preparing and Mixing
Beat. To stir rapidly with a spoon, fork, wire whisk or electric mixer to add air to a mixture and to get all the ingredients evenly distributed. When beating, be sure to reach all parts of the bowl, scraping up from the bottom in a circular motion.
Blanch. To dip fruits, vegetables, or nuts into boiling water briefly so that you can peel them easily. (For another meaning of blanch, see the Stovetop Techniques section below.)
Blend. To mix two or more ingredients together so that they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Sometimes this is accomplished by stirring, sometimes by beating or folding. Sometimes an electric blender or food processor is used for this purpose.
Bread. To coat with cracker or bread crumbs. Sometimes the food is first dipped in milk or a beaten egg.
Butter. (See Grease) To smear or spread with butter.
Chiffonade. A cutting term reserved for greens and herbs. Stack leaves, roll them up, and slice them to make uniform thin ribbons or shreds.
Chop. To cut into pieces, usually to allow uniform, faster cooking time. Chopping often produces randomly shaped, small pieces. (See also Cube, Dice, and Mince)
Cream. To soften butter or shortening by pressing it against the side of a bowl, preferably with a wooden spoon, until it is soft and smooth. Sometimes the butter is worked with sugar, as in making a cake. An electric mixer set on very low speed may also be used.
Crisp.
1. To make vegetables crunchy by soaking them briefly in ice water and refrigerating them. Such vegetables as carrot strips and celery respond well to this process.
2. To create a crunchy outer shell on food by heating it in the oven or under the broiler.
Cube. To cut into cubes that are uniformly about 1 inch to a side.
Cut.
1. To separate food into pieces by using scissors or a knife.
2. To combine butter or shortening with dry ingredients by working with two knives or a pastry blender. The action is basically a cutting action, but the purpose is to mix the ingredients evenly and finely.
Degrease. To remove fat from the surface of liquids. The best way to degrease is to chill the dish until the fat solidifies on top and can be lifted off. With this method, you can save the fat for later use, if desired. Another method is to drop in a couple of ice cubes, then remove them immediately; the fat will congeal on them. Brush a lettuce leaf or paper towel across the surface; the fat will adhere to it. Or, since fat always floats on top of liquid, you can remove it by just skimming the surface.
Devil. To mix a food — for example, hard-cooked egg yolks — with mustard or another hot seasoning.
Diagonal Cut. To cut with the knife held at an angle to the food; this maximizes the cut surface for quicker cooking. It also looks attractive.
Dice. To cut into cubes that are about ½ inch on a side.
Dot. To put small dabs of butter here and there over the top of the food before baking or broiling it. As the butter melts, it keeps the surface of the food from drying out.
Dredge. To coat something with flour, cornmeal, finely ground nuts, or the like. An easy method is to put the food and the dredging material into a bag and shake. (See also Bread)
Dust. To sprinkle flour, sugar, or any powdered ingredient lightly over the surface of food.
Eggs, beaten. Sometimes recipes will call for eggs beaten in various ways. It is usually important to beat them in the specified manner.
* Lightly beaten. Beat just enough to blend the yolks and whites.
* Well beaten. As you continue from the lightly beaten stage, the eggs will become frothy and full of air.
* Egg whites, very stiff. Separate the whites from the yolks. A simple way to do this is to carefully break the egg in half over the edge of a custard cup. Do not break the yolk; whites will not beat if there is even a drop of yolk in them. Pass the yolk back and forth from shell half to shell half over the cup, letting the white drip down into the cup. Let the whites warm to room temperature and beat with a whisk or electric mixer until they stand up in peaks. The points of the peaks should not droop when the beater is removed. The surface of the whipped whites should look glossy but not dry. Use beaten egg whites right away, or they will liquefy and you will have to start over again with new egg whites.
* Yolks, well beaten. Separate from the whites as directed above. Beat the yolks until they are slightly thickened and paler yellow.
Fold. To incorporate two or more ingredients by gently lifting and turning. This method is used to combine fragile ingredients, such as egg whites or whipped cream. If you simply stir, the mixture will collapse. Put the more fragile ingredient on top of the sturdier ingredient; then, using a spoon or rubber spatula, gently cut down through the mixture and bring up some of the bottom ingredient over the top. Repeat this folding action until the ingredients are well blended.
Grate. To shred food into particles with a grater. Graters come in various gauges for finer or coarser results.
Grease. To rub a pan or grill with butter, oil, or other fat so that food will not stick to it and it will be easier to clean. To grease a pan rapidly and keep your hands clean, put the butter or oil in the pan and rub it around with a piece of wax paper.
Grind.
1. To crush into very small particles or powder by using a mortar and pestle, a food processor, or a grinder.
2. To reduce meat or fowl into crumbled shreds for hamburger, meat loaf, or the like.
Julienne. To cut into thin strips like matchsticks, about inch on each side.
Knead. To make dough elastic by pressing into it with the heel of your hand until it is stretched and smooth. This is accomplished by repeatedly lifting the dough, folding it over, and pressing it down. Kneading is essential to most bread making.
Leavening. A substance, such as yeast or baking powder, that expands and aerates dough and causes it to rise.
Lyonnaise. To have added chopped onions to a dish, as in "potatoes Lyonnaise," for instance.
Marinate. To soak food in a seasoned liquid (such as oil, vinegar, lemon juice, or wine), usually for several hours to overnight. The marinade flavors and tenderizes whatever is in it. Tough cuts of meat and some vegetables respond well to marinating.
Mince. To cut into very fine pieces. Foods are often minced for sprinkling or so that they will be well distributed throughout a dish.
Pare. To use a knife or vegetable peeler to remove the outer skin or covering of a vegetable or fruit.
Punch down. To flatten raised dough by punching it with your fist. This action allows gas that has been formed by yeast to escape and allows a fresh supply of oxygen to reach the yeast.
Purée. To mash into a very smooth consistency. A blender is good for puréeing, or you can press soft food through a sieve. Many vegetables and fruits must be cooked before they can be puréed.
Rise. To let leavened dough sit in a warm place so that the yeast can work to increase the volume of the dough mass, usually to double its bulk.
Roll cut. To cut food on a diagonal, then roll it a half turn, or 90 degrees, so that the next diagonal is at a right angle to the first, making a triangle-shaped piece of food.
Scallop. To arrange food in layers in a casserole dish, then cover with sauce and flour or bread crumbs and bake.
Shred. To tear, cut, or grate into long, flat, narrow pieces by using a knife, grater, or shredder. Shredded foods cook faster than chopped foods because they are thinner.
Skim. To remove the top surface, such as the fat from chicken soup, the foam from boiling jelly, or the cream from raw milk.
Stock. The strained liquid in which anything has been cooked, such as meat or vegetables. Seasoned vegetable, meat, chicken, and fish stocks can be used as bases for many soups, stews, and casseroles.
Toss. To mix by lifting the bottom ingredients to the top. Tossing should be done by using two large spoons or a large spoon and a large fork; take care not to bruise the ingredients.
Whip. To beat air into ingredients so that they increase in volume and become light or fluffy. Heavy cream should be cold when it is whipped, whereas egg whites should be at room temperature.
Stovetop Techniques
Blanch. To cook something in boiling water for a very short time to merely soften it a little. (For another meaning of blanch, see the Preparing and Mixing section.)
Boil. To cook liquid food, usually over high heat, until bubbles break the surface.
* Racing boil. Water is bubbling as fast as it can.
* Slow boil. Bubbles break the surface in a regular sort of pattern.
Braise. To cook food in a small amount of butter, oil, or stock. The pot is kept tightly closed so that the food is continually basted with the juices that condense on the lid.
Brown. To cook food rapidly in a small amount of hot fat until the outside begins to darken and turn brown. The inside is not cooked through at this point. Browning adds caramelized flavor to vegetables and seals in the juices of meat or fowl.
Clarify. To remove solids or food particles from liquid so that it becomes clear.
* To clarify stock. Add egg white, egg shells, or raw hamburger and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes. Strain.
* To clarify butter. Melt and heat until foamy. Spoon off the foam and carefully pour the clear yellow butter into a container, being careful not to include the white solids at the bottom. Clarified butter can be heated to a much higher temperature without burning and is therefore better for sautéing than regular butter.
Deep-fat frying. Also called French frying. (See Fry)
Deglaze. To remove solids that are stuck to the bottom of a skillet or roasting pan by adding wine, water, or other liquid and simmering while scraping up the loosened bits with a wooden spoon. It cleans the pan and provides an intensely flavored liquid for sauce or gravy.
Fry. To cook in hot fat in a pan on top of the stove. If you use no oil or very little, you are grilling or pan-broiling. If you use a little oil or butter, you are sautéing. If you use a lot of oil in a deep pan, you are deep-fat frying or French frying.
In all frying methods, it is important to get the oil hot enough so that the food will cook quickly, forming a crisp outer crust and absorbing as little oil as possible.
If you are frying with butter, it is hot enough for cooking when the foam begins to subside. After that, the butter will brown and then burn if food is not added.
When pan-broiling fatty meats, keep pouring off excess fat or the food will be greasy.
Nonreactive. Cookware made of or coated with metals that are not sensitive to the acids in foods. Porcelain-clad cast iron, flameproof glass, Teflon, enamel, stainless steel, silver, and tin are nonreactive surfaces. Reactive cookware, such as copper, aluminum and cast iron, can affect the color and flavor of food. Some food acids can also discolor aluminum.
Poach. To cook pieces of food in gently simmering liquid. Poaching is generally used to cook foods that would break up under rougher treatment (such as fish or eggs). Sometimes food must be wrapped in parchment or cheesecloth to keep it whole.
Reduce. To decrease the volume of food by simmering or boiling. Reducing lessens the amount of liquid and intensifies its flavor.
Render. To melt fat into liquid. Use very low heat and strain out the solids.
Sauté. See Fry.
Scald.
1. To heat (usually milk) to just below the boiling point, until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pot. Milk can easily be scalded in the microwave if you have a temperature probe; set it for 180°F. When scalding milk in a saucepan, rinse the pan first in cold water for easier cleanup.
2. To dip in boiling water. (SeeBlanch)
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "500 Treasured Country Recipes"
by .
Copyright © 2000 Storey Publishing, LLC.
Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Part One: The Well-Stocked Country Kitchen
Kitchen Know-How
Tools for the Country Cook
In the Pantry
Part Two: Country Cooking
Great Starts: Breakfasts
Soups and Starters
Breads and Muffins
Salads
Entrees
Vegetable Dishes
Flavorful Fruits
Sweets and Treats
Sauces and Condiments
Beverages
Herbs and Spices
Part Three: Country Occasions
Country Carryouts
Country Holidays
Entertaining
Part Four: Arts of the Country Kitchen
From the Milk Pail
Preserving the Harvest
All About Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Sausage
Barrel, Bottle, and Jug
From Field and Forest
Gifts from Your Country Kitchen
Part Five: Arts of the Country Home
Home Sweet Home
Crafts from Your Country Home
Your Kitchen Garden
Contributors
Bibliography
Credits
Index