Another year of keepin’ it alive and real

It seems as if there’s a constant parade through The Cookery, which keeps the place lively, but the parade to top all was the march of these little penguins.

Marching Through The Cookery

Under the direction of our sweet cousin, Kathie, the kids made these edible marchers (with inspiration from allrecipes.com) out of olives, cream cheese, carrots, and peppers. With festive fun, we’re marking another year of keepin’ it alive and real around the table. Today mark’s The Cookery’s fourth anniversary, and it’s been a great year to share. Hitting the road proved challenging at times, but throughout the course of our travels and cooking out of the chuck box for several months, we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to break bread with many friends and family members over the last year. Our kids even had a chance to mind their table manners with two grandmas and grandpas and two great-grandmas. Not always easy when we live so far apart. Cheers to life and peace and keeping it real.

New Year Gumbo from My New Orleans

New Year Gumbo

If you’re looking for real cooking from a solid chef, you’ll appreciate the recipes in My New Orleans from Chef John Besh. The colossal cook book landed on our new doorstep in October and flashed a familiar return address – our former residence in Austin that we left behind in 2011. The new owners hail from Louisiana and made the move from New Orleans. We enjoyed our convenient kitchen in Austin, and a comfortable backyard setting for grilling and dining, and wondered if the place would serve the new family as well as it served us. From the looks of their taste in cook books, we’re certain that they’re enjoying dining in as much as dining out in the ever-palatable Austin.

I have no idea when gumbo season begins or ends, if it has a cycle, but we served it up in The Cookery to welcome this new year despite our unseasonable warm temperatures. I’m grateful for the inspiration to prepare gumbo here in New York. With the help of my cousin who knows her way around a roux, we prepared Besh’s seafood gumbo and served it over rice. Beautiful meal from a choice cook book. We’re extending praises all around for the easy to follow recipes in My New Orleans, stellar photography, and engaging storytelling that John Besh weaves throughout.

Mr. and Mrs. Louisiana . . . we appreciate your gift of cook book cuisine, and look forward to experimenting with the traditions of your cooking. Enjoy Austin and know that we’ll be enjoying a little taste of your New Orleans.

93-year-old grandma cooks up happy holiday gram

With love from Grandma

We won’t mention any names, lest we spoil the surprise of those who may find one of these recipe grams in their Christmas stockings this year. The Cookery likes this gift idea created by a 93-year-old grandmother who boasts dozens of grandchildren and great-grands. She’s sure to bring out the spirit of giving with this personal gift. Want to send a little love this time of year? Share your favorites in a mini collection of recipes. Too late to create a bound book? Send a digital assortment or hand-write a recipe and tuck it into an envelope. Special thanks to this Grandma for sharing her gift.

Ridiculously rich recipe

Jane Manaster shares a little festive fudge with us at The Cookery. Here’s a word from Jane . . .

In England ‘fudge’ doesn’t imply chocolate. Here’s a ridiculously rich recipe known variously as ‘Grandma’s Fudge’ and Auntie Lily’s Fudge – they were sisters!

1/2 lb. butter (not margarine)

2 lbs. (4 C) white sugar

2 cans (standard size) condensed milk

1 c. water

vanilla

Dissolve sugar in water. Add butter and, when thoroughly melted, stir in condensed milk. Stir for 20-25 minutes until temperature reaches 245 degrees.

The mixture will become much darker with burnt-looking flakes in it. Test a little in a cup of cold water to see that it sets immediately. Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon. Add vanilla. Pour into a buttered 9″ x 9″ tin (or thereabouts) and cut into squares as it cools.

© 2011 Jane Manaster. All Rights Reserved.

Jane Manaster is the author Pecans: The Story in a Nutshell, available at Amazon online or locally at BookPeople in Austin.

Never let gifts of food be returned to sender

Have you moved during the past year? Friends and family may be trying to send greetings in the way of festive food packages. I encourage you to update your address for their benefit and yours. We’re a little remiss in updating ours, but we’re rejoicing this week as our favorite gift of food found us. Pa’s Famous Fudge has arrived. Make your own with this fudge recipe.

Best bet – sample two pieces of fudge with a glass of milk. A perfect happy ending to any day. Peace.

Get fresh around the table

If you can’t walk the woods and gather fresh pine cones to get fresh around the table, freshen it up with cranberries. Add berries to candle holders, glass compotes, or your favorite crystal stemware. Get really fresh and embellish with a spray of evergreen, oranges and cloves.

Berry good grits

Cranberries earn their place at the table in November, but don’t restrict them to the Thanksgiving bird. Dress up grits instead and savor a sweet-tart burst over a mountain of cheesy bliss. Boost your intake of fruit for the day with a healthy antioxidant kick. Here’s what you’ll need to showcase your cranberries with grits:

Cranberry Sauce

Two cups fresh cranberries

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup orange juice

two tablespoons sugar

Heat all ingredients in saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously. Bring to a low boil, stir, lower heat, and simmer five minutes.

Mounds of grits

4 cups old fashioned grits

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded Asiago cheese

Bring water to a full boil. Stir in grits and salt. Reduce heat, stir occasionally, and cook over low heat up to 20 minutes, until grits are firm. Gently fold in cheese.

Serve mounds of grits over a bed of baby greens. Dress with cranberry sauce. Yield: four generous servings.

Berry good grits

Pumpkin-spittin’ image

It’s quick and easy to spit out those pumpkin seeds once you’ve carved up the pumpkins, but keep your pumpkin-spittin’ image in check. Roast on and repurpose those pumpkin seeds. Test The Cookery’s best pumpkin seed tip.

Packin’ up the chuck box

Welcome to The Cookery, a space to digest life, explore food and keep it real, to read, and to write. I’m writing from another new kitchen, and our family has made the way from Texas to New York. After packing up May 31, we bounced around the country and lived out of suitcases for four months. We’ve moved into our new home, and the household goods were delivered with little damage. I’m packing up my chuck box and breaking out my favorite pots and pans and enjoying the capacity to be able to call a place home. It’s been a long summer preparing healthy meals from my portable chuck box, but it’s doable, and just about anyone can put some chuck together with a few simple tools. What’s in your chuck box?

Dodge cholesterol and keep a distance

Designating a month for causes must be getting someone’s attention, and if that’s what it takes to turn heads to healthy living, I’m flying the flag for Cholesterol Awareness Month. Give yourself or someone you love some space from bad cholesterol and keep the distance. It seems as if we should all know by now that it’s better to reach for an apple than a fatty food, yet many munching Americans are still measuring disappointing cholesterol levels. Want a closer look at what’s good and not so good in your lunch box? Capture product barcodes with your phone camera and review nutritional details with an app from Fooducate.