Receipts..

I’ll pause a moment here to let you google that word (hopefully some will know what it means)..

Through one of the plethora of food magazines I receive (almost daily it seems) I was offered a cookbook from one of them for only $4.95.  What the hell, send it out.  Well, I got it the other day and was somewhat taken by the note at the bottom

That is one heck of a lot of recipes.  That got me to pondering about recipes.  A smattering of the publications I get

Each one containing what, at least fifty more?  Probably conservative. Then, look at (one side of) our “foodie cart” from the kitchen

Also packed with cookbooks and compendiums (note favorites: Sauces, Larousse, CIA New Professional Chef, James Beard, Betty Crocker and Joy…must haves) which would add God knows how many more.  And although MFO will be mortified, here’s my (unorganized, junky) bookcase up on the loft

Which contains more cookbooks, odds and ends, historical ones, little comb bound gems from the book sale, this and that, along with some wine references, cheese books and so on.  Even my sensibility forbids showing you a picture of the bins and bins of old food magazines (like Gourmet back to ’95 or so) that I keep for comfort, seldom referring to them.

I forget my probability here (FOJTE would know), but there’s some formula for “n” things taken “n” at a time results in “x” combinations.  I don’t really care, because “n” in the case of ingredients, while finite, would be a huge number.  Anyway, my point is that I personally must have thousands if not tens of thousands recipes right here in my house.  Who dreams these up?  Sure, there are some that grew with our culture and are reflective of the varied ethnicity in our country and those are probably genuine.  Seafood in the northeast and northwest, BBQ in the south, beef in the Midwest.  Remember those tried and true family dishes from your mother’s (and her mother’s) little tin box of 3 x 5 cards (beef and bean hot pot – remember those?).   How wonderful.

With the recent explosion of the “chef as celebrity” phenomenon, modern recipes are not so simple.  A random smattering just from my “700+ recipes” book (from the yellow stickies):

Pork Confit Tacos and Grilled Pineapple Salsa

Crispy Chicken Thighs with Golden Raisin Compote
Gin (alright!) and Orange Juice Braised Endives
Gingered Salmon with Grilled Corn and Watercress Salad
Chile-Rubbed Tofu with Fried Potatoes and Tomato Sauce
Crispy Pork Belly Sandwiches with Meyer Lemon Relish.

I’m not saying they are bad but are probably the result of all the chefs trying to be creative in a time when most things have been done.  Don’t see too many recipes for “pot roast”.  And the “new” ones are all probably pretty good if you have the time and can find the ingredients (how many times have you seen that odd ingredient you may not have heard of with the asterisk leading you to “available in some specialty stores”?).  Probably reflective of our desire to “cook like a chef”.  Okay fine, I maybe will try one of them sometime. 

But then, oddly enough, even those complicated, many ingredient recipes are what we go to high end restaurants to eat are always dumbed down, presumably for the poor consumer who is trying to juggle feeding a family while supporting soccer practices, little league, dance class and so forth.  How many magazine covers have the words “easy, quick, fast, simple, 10 minute cooking” and so forth.  And yes, usually my favorite “best” is in there someplace.   This little gem was bundled with the 700+ book at no extra charge

I seriouly doubt my 25 mintue effort would look like that... maybe a food stylist from hockey practice?  And as further illustration, this month’s issue of Food & Wine is their annual “chef” issue.

Our favorite words all over the place.  I just don’t understand why they pick talented chefs who are (presumably) accomplished at their art (even the "legendary" ones - and sorry Bobby you're not legendary along with your buddy Mario)  and then publish the “simplest” thing they do for us ignoramuses.  "Boiling Water Made Simple"

Well, I sort of rambled all over the map here, but these things cross my demented mind. So as a little reward for sticking with me, here’s MFO’s recipe for Cheese Crispies which is always a home run (as they say) at any pot luck, or for your own cocktail hour.. enjoy

Cheese Krispies

¼ Lb. butter, softened

1 Lb. (sharp) cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups flour
2 cups (Gotta be Kellogg’s ) Rice Krispies
Salt and pepper

 re-heat oven to 350°

Mix together butter and cheese. Add salt and pepper.  Blend in flour and rice krispies.  Form into balls the size of walnuts and place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Dip a fork in warm water and flatten each ball. Refrigerate until chilled (Note 1).  Bake for 10 – 12 minutes (Note 2).  Do not brown.  Serve warm or store in a tightly covered tin.

Dough can be made up and frozen for a ready cheese cracker.  If doing this bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

 Makes around two dozen depending on the size.. experiment.

Chef Notes:

1.      Requires a little planning for efficiency.  Make up a pan, refrigerate, turn on oven, when hot put in cold pan.  Make another pan refrigerate ~15 minutes, bake, etc., get a good rotation going.

2.     If crackers are larger, it may take a little longer, maybe 20 minutes.

San Francisco a la Carte Junior League

MFO

Last step:

DFD