Tag: Sauce

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).

Basic Red Sauce

Basic Red Sauce

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 2 Comments

A Recipe from The New York Times Cookbook (1961)

About the Recipe

When I was gifted this cookbook, I did what I always do when I get a clearly well-loved tome – I let it fall open to see where it landed. And it landed on this sauce.

As with most oft made recipes, this one has a ton of notes around it, and they’re all phenomenal. Here’s a close-up of it:

I made it fairly close to as written with the notes adjustments. I also threw in some fresh basil, and I did add a little extra salt.

All in all – if you’re looking for a good red sauce recipe, you can’t miss with this one. I used it to make this Eggplant Parmesan from the Italian Cookbook (1956) pictured above – YUM!

About the Book

I was gifted this book by someone close to me. It belonged to their grandmother, and was one an every day cookbook. And in all honesty, I completely understand why. Even today, the New York Times recipes are wonderful, so it’s no surprise that this book delights at every turn.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T olive oil
3 1/2 cups canned Italian-style plum tomatoes, undrained (lg. can)
2 small cans tomato paste
2 cups water or meat broth, approximately
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt (no added salt per note)
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t oregano, or 1/4 t each oregano and basil

Directions:

Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until brown, stirring often. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, about two hours. Add more water as necessary.

Add the oregano and continue cooking about fifteen minutes. Remove the bay leaf. The sauce should be thick. Serve over cooked spaghetti or use as an ingredient in such dishes as eggplant parmigiana, meat loaf, soups and stews.

Cumberland Sauce

Cumberland Sauce

by Andi Cohen-Rabiner ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

A Recipe from Wilson’s Meat Cookery (1941)

About the Recipe

At the start of the quarantine, my husband and I were stocking up at the grocery store, and I said “I’m going to try to cook duck!” Because – why not? It was a long road ahead and duck is something that we usually only get now and then in China-town. So I grabbed two duck breasts and started getting excited.

But then I discovered – there aren’t a ton of duck recipes. Modern or vintage, there are really only a handful of ways to cook a duck, and the easiest and tastiest is just to sear it. Score the skin side of the breast, and then put it skin side down in a hot pan over medium flame. Let the fat render and drain it off as it starts to spatter. Once the fat’s rendered and the skin is crispy (5-7 minutes) flip it over and sear the other side. And that’s it! Done!

So how do we make it vintage – with the sauce! This light, citrus-y sauce is the perfect accompaniment to the seared duck. I poured it over and let it soak briefly. Perfection.

There was plenty left over, so it’s saved to try some other ways. It should make a great dressing for a spinach salad, and I’m actually betting that it’s pretty good swirled in some yogurt or over vanilla ice cream.

About the book

This book came in the mail today and it was total kismet. The duck breasts were sitting, thawing on the counter and I opened the book right to the sauce. It came as part of a box from Bonnie Slotnick’s Cookbooks, a small cookbook shop in NYC’s East Village. If you’re ever in town, I highly recommend checking it out. Bonnie is delightful and her cookbook knowledge is encyclopedic. I can’t wait to dig into this book for more meat dishes in the future!

About the glassware

I love pulling out this Butterfly Gold Corelle platter. It was a gift from a friend who would have enjoyed this duck very much. It’s not super old, but it makes me smile.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

3 T red currant jelly
2 T port wine
2 T orange juice
1 T lemon juice
1 t mixed mustard
1 t paprika
1/2 t ground ginger
3 T orange rind, finely shredded

Directions:

Melt jelly over low fire until liquid. Cool, add port wine, orange juice, lemon juice and spices. Cover orange rind with cold water, bring to boil and drain. Add blanched orange rind to first mixture and serve.