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Thread: Planning the menus---of comfort food

  1. 12-29-2021, 11:48 AM #1
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    Planning the menus---of comfort food

    I don't have the final guest list yet (my preliminary planning is expecting 10-14) but on New Years eve I am making beef vegetable soup with homemade bread---actually the soup will begin tomorrow and age outside overnight.

    I had looked at many options, mostly seafood stews, but in the end had to set them aside since most all of my recipes for that family contains wine and one guest is a recovering alcoholic (many years) and avoids even the taste of anything alcoholic.

    Then on Saturday we will have another dinner, that will be in keeping with our PA Dutch heritage. That will be roast pork in sauerkraut with mashed potatoes. A feast I have enjoyed ever since I could take on solid food

    It is a tradition to honor and copy the pig---who always roots forward, never backing up. For many years I have had homemade sauerkraut, but this year in an absence of that option I am serving "Buddies" which I found to be the top rated commercial sauerkraut and carried by my local grocery.

    The mashed potatoes will be "enlivened" by all the more normal additives, including roast garlic and bacon plus a few dashes of Tabasco sauce, the same of Worchester sauce, a generous amount of diced green onions and topped with fresh parsley.

    Many of the guests will join us for both but our middle son and daughter are both working New Years eve, they will both join us on New Years day. Our SIL, who was on his way to Hawaii on Christmas day (it is a 4 day round trip from Newark NJ), is scheduled to be off and will be here for both.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  2. 12-29-2021, 09:14 PM #2
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    I was just thinking of one year I left for Rome on new years day, after having been in Germany during that Thanksgiving.
    I was both richly rewarded by the experiences of my travels, while I missed time with family and friends I can never replace.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  3. 12-29-2021, 09:59 PM #3
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    What stood out for me, Dave, was the part about Sauerkraut.

    I had a German friend die several years ago who loved Sauerkraut. I'd never paid much attention to it until I ate his creation, which was incredible. I've paid more attention to German food since that time. The only ones I avoid are the German foods made with blood. This guy even had some dishes made with fish blood. I'm obviously too squeamish to venture into those foods, regardless of how they may taste.

    May your time with family and friends be memorable. And, may your New Year be everything you've hoped for.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead
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  4. 12-29-2021, 11:10 PM #4
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    Thank you, and all the best to you and your family.

    Regarding blood, when we killed pigs they cut the jugular vein and would catch the blood, first in a enameled metal cup and then into pans to be made into blood sausage.

    Then the cup was passed around by the men as a toast. I'm not sure how old I was when I was first offered to share in that tradition but I felt like a king when I did.

    I still get blood sausage from my butcher.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  5. 12-30-2021, 04:46 PM #5
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    The soup is on for tomorrow night's dinner. It is still under construction with the meat, bones and veggies mostly in with the herbs soon to be added.

    Five hours construction time, it will now simmer all night since it is only going down to 44 F tonight. I'll check it often over night.

    By morning I should be able to adjust the seasoning.

    The good news is for both of these parties I don't have to be in the kitchen, I can enjoy our guests while dinner takes care of itself.
    Last edited by Dave Grubb; 12-30-2021 at 07:34 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  6. 12-30-2021, 09:36 PM #6
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    Man, we're down in the teens for temperature, with a low of 9 degrees F on Saturday.

    May the dinner go well, Dave.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead
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  7. 12-30-2021, 09:38 PM #7
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    79 degrees here today. The record was 82 in 1951. Must be global warming.
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke
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  8. 12-31-2021, 08:34 AM #8
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    It's soup

    Click image for larger version.  Name: 2021-12-31 08.14.24 a.jpg  Views: 7  Size: 485.1 KB  ID: 38488

    About 4 gal of it

    I had a test bowl for breakfast.

    I'd love to brag about how good it is---but in all honesty I think it very difficult to mess up vegetable soup---somehow the vegetables, meat, herbs and spices seem to understand their mission.

    I did not get a soup bone to my liking so I used a chuck roast, marrow bones and two shanks cross cut through the bone. Over night (based on tasting) I added a jar of tomato Sofrito, parsnips and a green bell pepper that I had missed.

    All that is needed to be ready for tonight is to make the bread

    As to temperatures---near 60 for highs today and tomorrow, then a high of 30 on Monday---then back to highs in the 50's.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  9. 12-31-2021, 09:13 AM #9
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    I have 30 some odd tamales ready for tonight, forecast is clear with a high of 49 and a low of 32. We will be inside with the heater on.
    "The only thing that we learn from torture is the depths of our own moral depravity"
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  10. 12-31-2021, 09:36 AM #10
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    Isn't that a bit cold for you?

    It is 46 and raining here now and while that is warm for the last day of the year we will sup on soup indoors as well. I expect the party will be over well before midnight.

    My wife, as well as three other of tonight's guests did the Times Square thing a few years ago---they were unable to get any of the husbands to join in their folly. They had dinner inside the "red zone"----for only $1000.00 for the table

    That provided a secure vantage point to see the ball drop as well as unlimited use of the facilities. The pour souls standing outside commonly wear adult diapers

    They had a grand time so that is what counts.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  11. 12-31-2021, 04:03 PM #11
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    I don't want to muck up Eric's tamale thread any more than it is now with talk of sauerkraut (on tomorrow's menu) but I took this from a link Joe posted:

    Head to parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio and other nearby regions, and you’ll find that many enjoy pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day.

    The dish is said to bring good luck and progress because pigs are known to root forward — or move ahead, according to History.com. Sauerkraut is made with cabbage, which is linked to symbolic riches, prosperity and long life due to its long strands.

    The history website says this dish was a Germanic tradition was brought to America by the Pennsylvania Dutch.

    "Fresh pork was the star of Christmas and New Year's meals for early settlers because of its timing with winter hog butchering, and sauerkraut was served as a side dish because winter was also cabbage harvesting season," it says.
    There is some accuracy in that but we butchered in January and harvested cabbage in September/October. Since cabbage was one of those vegetables that stored well in our ground cellar we did not make sauerkraut until field work was done for the year. It was put in 3 gal. pottery crocks to ferment and mature and then stored in the ground celler until use.

    The sauerkraut we made was unadorned, made of only cabbage and salt, then left to ferment and "make goot once--say"!

    The making of sauerkraut was a one day affair and then taken over by mother nature. Butchering on the other hand took longer. We slaughtered the beef early in the week. The hide was removed and the carcass split, then hung in the top of the barn to age. On Friday we killed the hogs and butchering began in earnest. Over Friday and Saturday we would do all the break down and making of sausage, scrapple, and souse and begin the process of making ham, bacon smoked sausage, and dried beef.

    The Sunday following the butchering began the annual feast. Sunday morning our breakfast after milking was done was always fried brains (beef) and scrambled eggs. Soon to come would be the beef heart, blood sausage and beef tongue The heart was cut open by my Mother and the chambers opened to make a cavity. Then she would stuff it with bread stuffing and bake it-----wonderful
    Last edited by Dave Grubb; 12-31-2021 at 05:07 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  12. 01-01-2022, 10:43 AM #12
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    New year's eve went well, everyone loved the soup---and I had a bowl for breakfast

    Now to tonight's dinner
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  13. 01-01-2022, 01:37 PM #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Grubb View Post
    New year's eve went well, everyone loved the soup---and I had a bowl for breakfast

    Now to tonight's dinner

    Making chicken noodle soup for tonight's dinner. I just finished making the noodles, they are hanging on the drying rack.
    "The only thing that we learn from torture is the depths of our own moral depravity"
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  14. 01-01-2022, 02:04 PM #14
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    Do you ever make matzo balls?
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis
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  15. 01-01-2022, 02:17 PM #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Grubb View Post
    Do you ever make matzo balls?
    Nope, but Grandma made the best along with cheese blintzes, kreplach, and Latkes
    "The only thing that we learn from torture is the depths of our own moral depravity"
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