Pennsylvania Cooking is now on YouTube!

Well, guys, after suggestions from several people, including my other half, friends and family, I have entered the YouTube foray with my own channel where you can come along with me while I make my family's favorites along with specializing in PA Dutch and Coal Region recipes. Now, you'll also get to come along with me to the local festivals and fairs, farm, garden and whatever else goes along with all this, LOL. Cooking wild game will also be included. One video will be on PA MEATS alone, featuring scrapple, soupies, hog maw (stuffed pig's stomach), city chicken (hint--contains no chicken), etc. Another will be on Pot Pie vs Meat Pie.

If you are looking for super perky rainbows and unicorn farts like those terrible Skittles commercials, or high end food (which I do love) like a nice ceviche or a stunning amuse bouche, this isn't the channel for you. If you are looking for a glimpse of the food and history of Central and Northeastern PA and how to make them along with some snarky and at times somewhat sarcastic commentary, this may be more your speed. I am not a chef or professional cook. I have my own ideas and hacks, but learn something new everyday in technique and execution. I have been cooking and baking since I was 7 and now I am.....let's just leave it at middle aged, LOL.  Of course, the first rule is, it has to taste good!

To those that have read this blog for a while, if you want to see some of the recipes demonstrated, just let me know. I'll be doing a vid also on condiments and salad dressings. As always, I try to keep to local sourced produce and proteins and advocate for organic, heirloom, heritage foods and small farm sustainability.

Check out my channel, and please subscribe! Helga's Pennsylvania Cooking on YouTube and also on Facebook. I check all comments and answer as well. Thanks to all who have read over the years for your support, and also to some of the YoutTube mechanics who helped light a fire under my sizable rear to make this project and idea a reality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf8qtzwyOzE

DANDELION with Hot Bacon Dressing

                                          DANDELION with Hot Bacon Dressing

I know, I know. I have been woefully absent. Unbelievably, I've been missed! So, to get us back on track, here is a traditional spring dish here.

Springtime means dandelion greens with hot bacon dressing! We often do these as ham and dandelion suppers, making it with ham and boiled potatoes. Some people don't care for the greens and use lettuce, but dandelion greens are yummy and very good for you, a natural detoxifer.

Hot Bacon Dressing

Cook 1 pound of bacon, set aside

1 tbs flour
1 egg
a little water
(mix those 3)

Save bacon fat and mix in 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
3 tbs dark vinegar
Then add 1st mix above.

Heat the cup of water and slowly mix in with cooked crumbled bacon.

Shoofly Cake

Shoofly Cake and Pie are about PA Dutch as you can get. The cake is easy to make and nice because it's also eggless. 

As to the name and where it came from, how did these pies/cakes get their name? The most logical explanation seems to be that the sweet ingredients attracted flies when the pies were cooling. The cooks had to "shoo" the flies away, hence the name shoofly pie.

Another story claims that this is really a French recipe, and that the crumb topping of the pie resembled the surface of the cauliflower, which is "cheux-fleur" in French. This was eventually pronounced as shoofly. Locals have a little problem with that explanation, and most of us have never seen this pie served up in the fine restaurants of Paris.

No less an authority on things Pennsylvania Dutch than John Joseph Stoudt states clearly that shoofly pies "are soundly Pennsylvanian, made in the earlier days with sorghum, later with molasses, and with brown rather than granulated sugar." Phyllis Pellman Good, in her book Amish Cooking, feels that these pies may have been common because "this hybrid cake within a pie shell" faired better in the old style bake ovens after the bread had been baked. With modern kitchen stoves, temperatures could be controlled and the more standard, lighter pies developed.

Warm shoofly cake right from the oven....mmmmm.

Shoofly Cake-

Crumbs--
4 C Flour
2 C sugar
1 C shortening
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon

Take one cup and set aside for top of cake.

Mix-

2 C hot water
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 C baking molasses

Mix together and add the crumbs. Mix well and pour into greased and floured 9 x 11 pan Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top and bake for 45 minutes at 350.

Shoofly Pie-

Mix for crumbs: (reserving ½ cup for topping)

2/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon solid shortening
1 cup flour

Filling:

1 cup molasses (good and thick)
¾ cup boiling water
1 egg beaten
1 Teaspoon baking soda

Combine soda with boiling water, then add egg and syrup. Add crumb mixture (this will be lumpy). Pour into unbaked pie crust and cover with reserved crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes (until firm). When cut into, the bottom may be "wet." This is okay, and is called a "wet bottom shoo fly pie."

The Chicken Chick

One of the blogs I like following is The Chicken Chick. Take a visit, especially if you fancy all thing chickens and eggs! It's worth the visit and so are the blog hops!

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/12/clever-chicks-blog-hop-118-with-3.html

Apple Dumplings and Peanut Brittle for Christmas

Apples are always plentiful this time of year, and this is a favorite way to eat them. Apples differ in variety in that some are better suited to eating fresh, others for cooking and baking, cider, and others for preserving. My #1 favorite apple for pies and dumplings is a Macintosh. Excellent flavor, and it cooks/bakes up tender without being mushy or too crunchy. Winesaps come in for a close second.

If you are interested in learning about apples and the best for each purpose, there is a whole science behind it. http://pocketchangegourmet.com/the-definitive-guide-to-apples-and-their-uses/

                                                                           Apple Dumplings

 Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

1/3 cup cold water

8 medium tart apples, peeled and cored

8 teaspoons butter

9 teaspoons cinnamon-sugar, divided

SAUCE:

1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter, cubed

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide into eight portions. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350°. Roll each portion of dough between two lightly floured sheets of waxed paper into a 7-in. square. Place an apple on each square. Place 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon cinnamon-sugar in the center of each apple.

Gently bring up corners of pastry to each center; pinch edges to seal. If desired, cut out apple leaves and stems from dough scraps; attach to dumplings with water. Place in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar.

In a large saucepan, combine sauce ingredients. Bring just to a boil, stirring until blended. Pour over apples.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until apples are tender and pastry is golden brown, basting occasionally with sauce. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream a la mode, my favorite!

Another holiday favorite is peanut brittle and this is so easy, you'll wonder why you didn't make it before. All done in the microwave.

                                                                      Peanut Brittle

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 cup salted peanuts

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Butter a cookie sheet. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a 2 quart glass bowl and microwave on high 4 minutes. Stir in peanuts and microwave on high 3 1/2 minutes more, then stir in butter and vanilla and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.

Stir in baking soda until light and foamy. Pour onto cookie sheet and spread thin. Cool completely and break into pieces and serve.

Hanukkah!

This week is the Festival of Lights. While I don't have much time to devote to it this year while working, we still observe and celebrate. For those that would like to know more about this special week and why it is important,

visit http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/What-Is-Hanukkah.htm

My silver tree of life menorah had an untimely accident so this piece above acted in its place this year. I always want lamb for this celebration, as I do Passover. So, Hanukkah dinner this year was Montreal seasoned lamb shank chops with mint jelly, latkes, red beets, spinach with a pinch of vinegar and salt, cinnamon applesauce, and a bottle of Bully Hill's Sweet Walter Red wine. Red velvet cheesecake served as dessert. If you look back through the archives, you will find numerous Hanukkah recipes I've posted for this time of year. Sadly, I didn't have time to make my apple cake or kugel this year.

 Tomorrow I will make matzo ball soup, which I think should just be a staple for the season, period. Nothing spells comfort food like matzo ball soup!

                                                             Matzo Ball Soup!

Ingredients

Chicken Soup:

1 (5 or 6 pound) hen

2 large celery stalks with leaves, chopped

2 large carrots, sliced in big chunks

1 onion, quartered

3 sprigs parsley

3 sprigs fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Matzoh Balls:

4 eggs, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons chicken fat (from the above soup)

1 cup matzoh meal

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup hot water

12 cups salted water

Directions

Wash the chicken with water and place in pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off bubbling foam as it forms. Add celery, carrots, onion, herbs, salt and pepper and simmer, half-covered at lower heat, for at least 45 minutes, until the chicken seems done. The chicken will come away easily from the bone. Pour soup through strainer to get a clear broth. Let cool. When broth has completely cooled, skim off the fat and save for the matzoh balls.

In a mixing bowl, mix together 4 eggs and 4 tablespoons chicken fat. Stir in the matzoh meal and salt. Add 1/4 hot water. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Form the matzoh dough into balls the size of walnuts. Bring the salted water to a boil. Add the matzoh balls, cover, and cook for 20 minutes (don't even peek!). Bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Remove matzoh balls from hot water with a slotted spoon and add to the simmering chicken broth just a few minutes before serving.

Note: If you are concerned if the oils or other ingredients in these recipes are suitable for Passover, seek non-dairy substitutes or ingredients that are certified kosher for Passover.

Catching up for the Holidays!

I've been AWOL again. Work/life balance isn't the best at this time of year but I still love and enjoy it.  As some of you know, I love to decorate for the holidays, although I didn't have time to go all out this year. So here is a small tour. This is one of the nicest trees I've had in a long time, a nice concolor fir tree. The smell is amazing! While no fancy tablescapes this year, at least it feels like home.

 My poor Nativity set is hiding underneath the coffee table due to rambunctious dogs!

 The angel topper is special to me this year as I found her for $3 at a flea market shop and she is just the very angel I have been searching for for years. I wanted an angel but thought most looked so cheesy. But this one is perfect for me!

 Many thanks to my best friend for gifting me with this lovely Morgan horse garden stake. I love it so much, I worked it into my porch decorating!

 I decorate my dining room chandelier every year as well, it's too good of an opportunity to miss!