Tag: food

Coney Sauce

Coney Sauce

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Barbecues and Picnics (1963)

About the Recipe

It’s barbecue season, and my husband invited his oldest friends over to our house to enjoy some outdoor dining on our deck. I needed something to go with hot dogs and hamburgers, and this sauce was perfect for these native New Yorkers! It’s a simple version of a chili sauce, and while it was created to go on frankfurters or Coneys, it did very well on the hamburgers as well. And I think I won a few points with the crew:

Some quick notes about the recipe – while you can certainly make it as is, I would take a little bit of time to brown the onions and garlic before adding the ground beef, just to get a little more flavor out of the whole thing. This is also super versatile, so feel free to substitute your ground meat. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, try adding a little cocoa to get closer to the Cincinnati favorite Coney Sauce. And don’t be too scared of the MSG. I’m not sure what magic it is, but it does add a little bit of punch. I use Accent whenever called for.

About the book

I’ve been absolutely chomping at the bit to use this book and haven’t had the right occasion. It’s broken into different sections, and this recipe falls in the “hobo” section. The hobos in question are, of course, small children sitting in trees and enjoying an outdoor treat.

About the glassware

It’s not often I get to make good use of this milk glass measuring cup. It’s difficult to see through, which kind of defeats the purpose. But it’s absolutely lovely, and I was excited to give it an opportunity to shine this weekend.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground beef  
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 8-oz can (1 cup) seasoned tomato sauce
1/2 to 3/4 chili powder
1/2 t monosodium glutamate
1/2 t salt

Directions:

Brown beef slowly but thoroughly, breaking with a fork till fine. Add remaining ingredients; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Makes sauce for 12 Coneys (hot dogs).

Baked Breast of Chicken

Baked Breast of Chicken

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Something Different for Passover (1986)

About the Recipe

It’s Passover, and I’m at Becky’s house again! We usually go a bit crazy with the cooking, but definitely had a new challenge working within our confines. We pulled this chicken recipe out of a book that would have been from our childhood. It was the kind of thing that was going to be really good, or really not (I even had a matzah pizza recipe on standby in case this didn’t work).

Y’all… this is freaking delicious. So good that I’m working on adapting it for regular around the year eating. That said, there were a lot of things that we kind of had to work out in order to make this recipe work. I’m going to go ahead and note the changes in italics so that you also have a successful chicken bake. Bon appetit!

About the book

I’m usually pretty wary of books from the ’80’s, but this one is so sweet! It goes through all of the traditions of the Passover seder. There are menus for the first and second seders, and everything is neatly sectioned out for easy reference throughout the holiday. There’s nothing particularly special about it, but it did feel like childhood paging through it.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

4 whole chicken breasts, boned
1 cup soup nut crumbs (We used matzah panko, which was perfect! Regular panko/breadcrumbs should also work but would render the recipe not kosher for Passover)
1 t ground ginger
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t white pepper
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup white wine
2 T pareve margarine (Butter also works fine, as would a neutral oil in a crunch)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Cut chicken breasts in half (We did not cut the breasts, and they turned out fine. You could cut them crosswise into two big halves, which also should work if you want smaller pieces). Rinse with cold water and dry well with paper towels.

2. Combine soup nut crumbs, ginger, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.

3. Dip each chicken part in beaten egg, then in crumb mixture. Arrange in a single layer in a baking pan.

4. Combine preserves, wine, and margarine. Microwave on high setting for 5 minutes, or bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over the chicken breasts and bake for 1 hour (We baked our HUGE chicken breasts for about 40 minutes, and they were perfect. Absolutely do not wait an hour before checking your chicken. Use a meat thermometer and cook until the thickest part measures 165*F).

Corn-Frankfurter Soup

Corn-Frankfurter Soup

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cooking Vol. 11 (1966)

About the Recipe

It’s cold in the northeastern United States which means one thing – soup season! I was in the mood to try something new, so I pulled out this horrifyingly delightful mid-century concoction. I looked at my husband, read him the recipe, and said, “it’s either going to be delicious… or it’s going to be terrible!”

Spoiler alert – it’s so, so good. The creamy base and sweet corn is the perfect counterpoint to the salty franks. I used Sabrett’s for that authentic ball park flavor, sliced super thinly. I also went for fire-roasted, diced tomatoes from Muir Glen. I’m not usually a brand queen, but sometimes a little extra flavor infused into an MCM dish is never a bad thing.

All in all, this soup grew on us! The first few sips were okay, but the more we got into the bowl, the better it got. And, like many good soups, it was even better on the second day.

About the book

This book is one of a full set that came from my grandma. There are little handwritten notes and envelopes tucked into pages throughout the set. She was a doctor’s wife, and I imagine that she used these books to try new recipes for dinner guests over the years.

The book is part of a set of 22 books published in 1966. They literally start at A and end at Z with recipes in alphabetical order in between. The soup section here, is in volume 11, along with the Spaghetti Cook Book, souffles, stews, South American Cookery… and so much more. Each section or book starts with a mini essay considering the cuisine, methodology, history, culture, etc. They’re gems, and I can’t wait to cook more out of them.

About the glassware

I don’t have words to express how delightful this little Hazel Atlas cereal bowl is. It’s part of a circus animal set that also includes a milk glass mug, though they’re rarely found together at this point. I found it tucked away in a corner of a small antique store upstate, and couldn’t wait to take it home. As it’s from the 1950’s, it’s entirely possible that this bowl has seen this soup before!

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 onion, minced
1/3 cup diced celery
1 bay leaf
1/2 t crumbled dried basil
2 T shortening
1 cup boiling water
2 cups cream-style corn
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup canned tomatoes
1 lb frankfurters, sliced
2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 cup shredded process American cheese
Chopped parsley

Directions:

Cook onion, celery, bay leaf, and basil in shortening for 5 minutes. Add water and corn; cook, covered, for a few minutes longer. Remove bay leaf. Add remaining ingredients except parsley; heat until cheese melts, stirring constantly. Garnish with parsley. Makes about 2 quarts.