The Accidental Fried Chicken Salad

It all started with my trying to improve on the proven. Family gathering coming up, and I wanted to make the ULTIMATE fried chicken--being the matriarch and all. Surely the recipe from one of the top Food Network chefs would be the ticket! SO---I bought a large cast iron chicken fryer from "you know where," bought just the right sizes of Organic Chickens to the tune of $3.00+ per pound along with a large amount of Crisco, buttermilk, and fresh flour. (Flour gets stale if you don't cook anymore than I do, and you forget to put it in the freezer.)  The instructions read to be sure to keep the cooking fat at a steady temperature. Borrowed a cooking thermometer and  I was ready.

After work on Saturday I began the process of making this perfect fried chicken. I learned from my grandmother that chicken needs to be put in salty water--brining, it's called now. Buttermilk, salt, some 

seasonings  All set for the first step toward perfection. Place chicken pieces in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Done.

The next day all the ingredients were assembled:  Crisco melting in the pan, thermometer clipped to the side of the fryer, chicken drained and dipped in the flavored flour. When the Crisco reached the appropriate temperature, I strategically placed the chicken into the frying pan. Temperature watched carefully to be sure it is steady, letting brown, turning (h-m-m--seems to be getting a little TOO brown at that temp, but must follow directions.)

Eventually, all the chicken had been fried, and after it had cooled, I took a bite--Yum? NO-O-O! Yuck! TOO SALTY!!!!! We had to order TAKE-OUT. But I couldn't throw all of that expensive chicken into the trash. SO--Strip off the skin and crust, debone, boil in fresh water three times, shred, add chopped hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped celery, dill relish, mayonnaise and a few red grapes, and, believe it or not, just a little salt. Delicious! Just what I had in mind in the first place.

Thus my recipe for Accidental Chicken Salad. Enjoy! But as for fried chicken, I'll go back to doing it the way I 've done it for 60+ years.

The Devil in Deviled Eggs and How to Exorcise Them

 Deviled Eggs, it seems to me, are THE most popular item at a picnic or a cocktail party. At Eastertime we all start making them because of so many dyed hen eggs. This past Easter I began to think about "The Deviled Egg." (My grandson observed that at Eastertime, perhaps they should be call angel eggs.) Why the name "deviled"? Wikipedia connects this dish to deviled ham, and maybe that is true. However, after much contemplation (at least 30 minutes) I think the name derives from the fact that, unless certain procedures are followed, the are the "devil" to prepare. And that leads me to the real intent of this blog: How to Take the Devil Out of Deviled Eggs.

Many people contributed to these instructions. And here are the "secrets."
1. Do not start with fresh eggs.
2..Make a small hole in the larger end of the eggs.
3. Place eggs in a sauce pan and cover with tap water.
4. Add salt. Just a tablespoon, may be two.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Remove from  heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes--or 12 or 13--just not too long..
7. Drain quickly and shake pan to crack shells.
8. Put eggs in a bowl or pan of ice and water and allow to cool.
With any luck the devil will have been exorcised and the shells will just peel right off.
This blogger does not guarantee smoothly peeled eggs, but if you do all of the above, at least you will know you have done your very best.

I am more confident about what to do next:
Cut in half either lengthwise or crosswise (if crosswise, cut a little of the white from each end so that the egg half will sit straight).
Remove yolks, mash and mix something really yummy with the yolks and refills the halves. I like mayonnaise--real--dill, a little vinegar or dill pickle juice and celery seed.

Some other suggestions for the yummy "stuff" as in stuffed:
From JOY OF COOKING--2006 Edition:
Mayonnaise or cream or sour cream or butter with vinegar and sugar or pickle juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, mustard, red pepper, curry powder, jalopenos or other peppers.
Other additions: anchovy, caviar, curry powder, crumbled bleu cheese, chopped chive, tarragon,  parsley or, basil, salsa,  etc,
And more specifically, two recipes from "Bon Appetit."

Chipotle Deviled Eggs
12 large eggs
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 to 3 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chiles*
24 fresh cilantro leaves

PREPARATION
Place eggs in large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover. Bring to simmer over high heat. Reduce hear to low; simmer gently 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand  10 minutes. Drain eggs; cover with ice and water and let stand until cold.

Peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Spoon yolks into small bowl; arrange whites on platter. finely grate yolks on small holes of of box grater into medium bowl. Mix in mayonnaise, the 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chilies. Add more chopped chilies, if desired, for more hear. Season filling to taste with salt, if desired. Using pastry bag fitted with 1/2 inch-diameter star tip, pipe filling into egg whites. Cover and Chill eggs at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Press l cilantro leaf into filling each egg and serve.
www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2006/chipotle_deviled_eggs

* Substitute the Homestead Chipotle Mayonnaise available at Gourmet Gallery.

Eggs Stuffed with Smoked Salmon and Caviar


3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 fresh lemon juice
12 ounces thinly sliced cold-smoked salmon, finely chopped
1/4 cup salmon caviar
12 hard-boiled eggs, shelled,  halved, whites and yolks separated

Additional chopped chives
Lemon wedges
Assorted fresh herb sprigs

Line rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Blend 3 tablespoons chives, oil and lemon juice in medium bowl. Mix insmoked salmon. Fold in caviar. Chop four egg yolks (reserve remainder for another use) and stir into salmon mixture. Season to taste with ground pepper. Pile 1 generous tablespoon salmon mixture in cavity of each egg-white. Arrange eggs on prepared sheet. Cover with plastic; refrigerate up to 8 hours.

Place eggs on platter. Sprinkle with additional chives. Garnish with lemon wedges and herb sprigs.
"Bon Appetit". August 2004. p.83

A Cemetery Picnic

THE MAPLE GROVE CEMETERY PICNIC

(from Picnics I Remember by Jo Ann Miller)

On the fourth Saturday in June, which was always seemed to be the hottest day of the year, we went to the Maple Grove Picnic. All of my Orr relatives were there, too—dead and alive. What I have attended and endured all of my life is the outgrowth of an old tradition to honor ancestors. In the old days in the country in East Texas graveyards were “worked” in the summer after the crops were Laid By. (I don’t remember when we started calling graveyards “cemeteries”.) Initially the clean-up was done on Friday or Saturday with everyone taking a piece of fried ham, a hunk of cold cornbread and a watermelon to share with the other people who came with their rakes and hoes to clear the grass and weeds that had grown up during the spring.

Eventually, full-blown picnics evolved. The work was done on Friday or Saturday, and picnics were held the following day—from about 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. or so if on Saturday, or after preaching if on Sunday. The girls got new dresses and shoes. (Once my cousin, Susie, sat in the car all the day of the picnic because she didn’t like the shoes Aunt Esther had bought for her.)We looked forward to the “all-day singing and dinner on the ground” or on the picnic tables. If the event was held on Sunday, nothing was sold, but any other day there was a STAND with sody water, lemonade and homemade ice cream. Children spent their nickels and dimes there and their quarters to have their pictures taken. During an election the game was to see how many different candidates’ cards one could get.

My families have ancestors buried at Pine Grove, the oldest church in Rusk County, at Concord Cemetery and at Maple Grove. One of the largest cemeteries in our part of the county is at Shiloh, a church and cemetery on SH 315 between Carthage and Mount Enterprise. People from our community who had moved to Texas from South Carolina began using this burial ground in the 19^th century. The tradition in the community was to go to Shiloh on July 4^th   At one church there was Gospel Singing, requiring a piano and in the other church Sacred Harp singing, no musical instrument required.

However, all that said, the FOOD was the main event. I checked with friends and relatives to see what they remembered their mothers and grandmothers taking to the cemetery on that special day. Here are some of the good foods that we remembered:

Fried chicken                                                           Chicken pie

Fried ham                                                                 Pork sausage

Chicken and dumplings                                        Butter beans

Macaroni and cheese                                            Pimiento cheese sandwiches

Sliced fresh tomatoes                                           Pickled peaches

Sweet cucumber pickles                                      “Light bread”

Watermelon rind pickles                                      Iced tea                                            

Raisin pies                                                                 Fried peach and apple pies

Chocolate pies                                                         Pineapple cake

Coconut pies                                                            Fresh berry cobbler

Peach cobbler

These gathering have changed through the years. This year we’ll gather at Maple Grove on the first Sunday in October. No stands to sell soda, ice cream, no political candidates, no new dresses and hats, no singing, no day before to clear grass and weeds, but the food remains much the same although the ones who prepare it are children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren or even great-great grandchildren of those who once prepared the feasts or brought from Bob’s Barbecue or Chicken on the Run. 

Through the years the meaning of the gathering has remained the same—to honor those men and women who gave us life and who deserve our respect and devotion. We still do that with gusto.

Recipe for AUNT GENE’S MACARONI AND CHEESE*

1 pkg (7  oz) elbow macaroni

½ stick real butter

1 egg, beaten

½ tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

3 cups milk(1 large can Pet evaporated and about 1 ½  cups regular milk, warmed

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cook pasta. Add melted butter, beaten egg, salt & pepper. Add milk and cheese and stir. Pour into casserole, about 2 qt. and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Put more cheese on top before it is done and let it melt.

*This recipe was always a hit at the picnic as well as at our family gatherings. Aunt Gene was blinded by a tear gas bomb lost from a car that had been parked at Uncle Arlen’s store. A little boy found the fountain pen-like device, and as she examined it, the thing exploded, blinding her. She regained partial sight from a plastic cornea transplant many years later. In the meantime she re-taught herself to cook by feel and smell. Her daughter, Carolyn says, “Everything she made was good and I think it got better after she was blinded. She loved to cook—it was her passion—and Daddy loved to eat.”

Looking at the Wild Northwest

This Spring  (June 18-25) Gourmet Gallery is sponsoring a Wine, Food and Sightseeing Tour to Washington and Oregon. Not since Lewis and Clark who travelled there as representatives of the United States government has there been so much excitement about going there.  Our transportation to the area will be faster. Consequently, we'll  be able to cover much more territory. Landing in Seattle, Washington on June 18, we will have an orientation tour of the city including the waterfront, the downtown financial district, the Pioneer Square Historic Distrist and the Seattle Center. After checking into the hotel, the rest of the day is free. Downtown hotels are within walking distance of Pioneer Historial Center and other attractions. If we stay at a hotel on 5th Street, we will be about 4 blocks from Pike's Pub. I'm sure there are other fun places around, too. When I googled (the new verb) this pub, I found a map showing hotels, sight-seeing, and restaurants.  Google Red Lion Hotel and see the map.

Three nights in Seattle will allow time for several wonderful experiences. We'll taste wines at Chateau Ste. Michelle, visit Pikes Place Market and go up in the Space Needle for wonderful view of the city, and have a dinner at a local restaurant. All of these are included in the tour.

And on the third day-- we will drive along the shores of Puget Sound to Olympia, the capital of Washington. Next stop is the Mt. St. Helen's Visitors Center to learn about the May, 1980 eruption. We'll spend the night in Portland, Oregon's largest city. Portland is  the city of roses. Our tour of the city will highlight the waterfront, and the International  Rose Test Gardens. On the fourth day we will  drive through the beautiful Oregon coastal Range to visit the town of Tillamook, home of Tillamook Cheese. We'll travel along the scenic coast and arrive in Newport, Oregon, in time for a Clam Bake.

And on the fifth day--Two exciting adventures awair--We will be immersed in the mystery of the ocean at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and in the afternoon we board giant dune buggies to travel over miles of sandy terrain.

The sixth day--Visit wineries in the wonderful heart of pinot noir area, and return to Portland. This evening is free. Let's see what we can find to do! I don't know where we will be staying, but I have found a website that lists things to do in Portland. Let me see if I can--Well, just type in "Farm to Table Dining." You'll find a plethora of wonderful-sounding places for dining. Surely we be able to find some innteresting and delicious food there.

Day seven will take us to Mt. Hood. We will go to the Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark, on the south side of the mountain, We will have an elegant lunch in the Cascade Dining Room. From there we will drive northward to the Hood river Valley and Columbia River, visit a winery and arrive back in Portland.

Last day--Breakfast at the "Original Pancake House" (if available). Check out at the hotel and have a motorcoach ride to the airport for the flight back to DFW.

What a week!!

We'll wish you were there.

Why Taste Wine at a Wine-Tasting?

"Drink and be merry, for our time on earth is short, and death is forever." A Toast.

 Gourmet Gallery is planning a week's tour of Washington and Oregon in June, and there are seven wineries on the planned itinerary. What can we learn in that beautiful setting? When tasting, does one learn the language of wine? Will I be able to identify different flavors--is it peppery, fruity, buttery, full-bodied? If food and wine enhance each other, how is food paired with wine? I am setting out to learn  these things.

Since we are going to PINOR NOIR country, I have chosen to start with that wine. According to WINE LOVER'S COMPANION, the pinot noir grape is the red grape of Burgundy. It is genetically unstable which makes consistency in this vine extremely difficult. Oregon's long, cool growing season is conducive to the production of some acclaimed Pinot Noir wines. Kevin Zraly writes, "Pinot Noir is a white wine masquerading as a red wine....My favorite wine for lunch is Pinot Noir. Since most of us have to go to work after lunch, the light, easy-drinking style of a Pinot Noir will not overpower the usual luncheon fare of soup, salad and sandwiches. It is a user-friendly wine." Thanks, Jill, for this info about your favorite wine.

The Chateau Ste. Michelle winery in Woodenville, Washington has a good website that helps with food and wine pairing. Some suggestions for Pinot Noir are grilled salmon and tuna, smoked duck with a cherry sauce, smoked salmon, and because of the tannins and slight pepperiness of this wine, Asian foods such as Chinese barbecued pork ribs.

  Maybe I'll learn the answer to all my questions. Maybe I won't, but I plan to enjoy the journey.

Karyn suggested her recipe to go with the aforesaid wine. Let me know how you like this pairing.

GRILLED PORK CHOP WITH RED ONION MARMALADE

2 tsp coarse salt
3/4 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
4 loin pork chops, about 1 1/4-inch thick

Marmalade:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. red onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 sweet red pepper, cut in julienne strips
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into julienne strips
2 tbsp. julienned orange zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

In a small bowl, stir together 1 1/2 tsp. of the salt with the sugar, thyme, allspice and pepper. Rub into pork chops.

For the marmalade, heat oil in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add onions, sprinkle with the sugar and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.  Add red pepper, carrot, and orange zest; cook about 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add orange juice and remaining salt and cook until liquid has evaporated and onion are glossy. Remove from heat.

Rub a grill with oil; gill chops about 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve with onion marmalade.
Serves 4.

Blog assembled by Jo Ann Miller.

Bed and Breakfasts That I Have Met

       In my limited travels I have met some good Bed and Breakfast Inns. On a short vacation to the coast of Maine my husband and I stayed in a lovely home, not luxurious, but lovely, near the town of York.We ate the obligatory lobster and waded in the cold Atlantic while the temperature in Texas was 100+, toured the town's old jail, put our heads and hands in the stocks that were meant to humiliate the law-breaker. Breakfast times provided good food and interesting conversations with a mix of people. Some were interested in our "take" on the U. S. Civil War since we were from the "South." The War gets fought over and over! The tour book had proclaimed this B&B breakfast an event. It was!  The most memorial dish was the ORANGE-THYME PANCAKES. I cannot remember the name of the inn, The travel book is packed away. The best I can do is to provide the recipe for the pancakes.

      Another good  B&B was The Hale House in Jefferson, Texas. Jill and Vaughan, our B&B lover friends, met us there for a mystery weekend in town. The dinner-mystery theatre was so-so, but the house had it's own ghost which added a nice dimension to our stay. AND for breakfast we were served FRUIT SOUP. That recipe is included.

        Good stops in Waco include Pam and Rick Allen's COLCORD HOUSE and the JUDGE BAYLOR HOUSE  owned and operated by Bruce and Dorothy Dyer. Both of these hosts/owners are gracious, accommodating, and the houses have ample room for eating and visiting.

        In my limited B&B experience I've met only one bad one. We were trying to save money. We didn't. My husband went out for breakfast every morning. The breakfast at the inn consisted of cereal in a bowl whose sanitation was suspect or toast, coffee and maybe orange juice from a carton. The rooms were unbearably cold. I have forgotten the name. I haven't even tried to remember. I just remember the adage--"You get what you pay for."

Orange Thyme Pancakes
Recipe modified from several sources on the internet.
2 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 salt
1/4 c sugar
1/2 t  ground thyme (or 1 t dried thyme)
1 3/4 c orange juice
2 eggs
1/4 melted butter

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat eggs in a separate bowl. Add orange juice and melted butter and mix well. Stir liquids into the dry ingredients. If batter seems stiff, add a little more orange juice. Do not over mix. Drop batter on griddle by spoonfuls. Turn when bubbles start to form on top. Serve with maple syrup or try with the Maple and Orange Pancake Sauce.

Maple and Orange Pancake Sauce
1/2 c maple syrup
1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 c butter
Juice and grated peel of 2 oranges

Put the maple syrup into a small, heavy-based sauce pan. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir over low hear until smoothly blended and warm. Serve immediately.

Tropical Fruit Soup
Recipe from the Hale House
1 large can crushed or tidbit pineapple, with juice
1 can Coco Lopez 1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup water
Bananas, kiwi and/or strawberries
1/2 c toasted almonds for garnish and crunch

Combine first four ingredients in a blender. Blend 15-20 seconds. Chill overnight. When ready to serve, add sliced fruit. (I think some fresh blueberries and peaches would be good, too)

Please leave me a note and let me know of a good B&B--anywhere!!!

Recipe for a Wonderful, Unexpected Vacation

by Jo Ann Miller (The Grandmother)

The following is a new recipe that I found over the weekend:

Gather a bunch of family (Your own mixture will work))
Mix together one State Mock Trial Competition for one day. (Almost any activity to bring you together)
The following cannot be changed:
Add at least 2 members not willing to go home after one day.
Mix in a spirit of adventure.
Stir up enthusiasm for finding an unbeaten path.
Results: A wonderful weekend.

All of this started with two grandsons participating in Mock Trial at Waco High. The team advanced to the State finals in Dallas. The Miller family, minus a few who had other things to do, went to Big D for the finals. By Friday Night we had all arrived and some of us found the way to Pappadeaux for a Mardi Gras dinner. (We choose to go there often when in "the city.") Mardi Gras celebration was in full swing. Lots of beads and lots of people. After a l-o-n-g wait we had crawfish etouffe, bacon-wrapped grilled shrimp stuffed with jalapena served over dirty rice, and  different desserts--turtle cheesecake and key lime pie.

To bed late and up early for the trial. Shivering we drove downtown, parked at the old Dallas County Court House and walked the George Allen Court House. Grandsons performed well and placed eighth in the state. Good work, David and Matthew, aka Buckeye Pawpaw.

Next stop--the free parking at Neiman-Marcus's valet lot and a visit to the Zodiak Room for a early lunch. We were treated to delicious chicken broth with a tiny cheese biscuit*, beautiful popovers with strawberry butter, shrimp and corn chowder, sliced chicken sandwich on ciabata and tiny shell pasta with a light alfredo sauce. Yum. Granddaughter tried on hats in Millinery, and then we were ready to head home.

BUT WAIT! Two of us wanted to delay that. And we did. We started searching at Waxahachie where we encountered a Mardi Gras parade and caught beads and doubloons, for a bed and breakfast. The Mother (the Final Decider) nixed the regular type hotel. All the way to Hillsboro we searched via cell phone,and took  a chance on finding a B&B at Whitney and Meridian. No luck. Undeterred the Grandmother suggested Glen Rose. Viola. Not a B&B but a hotel with a warmer atmosphere and better rates than the big city hotel.
So Glen Rose it was on a Saturday Night. We could have gone to a rodeo, but chose instead to go to the Texas Beer Garden and The Green Pickle. We had a surprisingly good Bleu Cheese Hamburger and, of course, fried pickles. And, of course, we drank beer and sat shivering in the Garden to hear some country music.That wasn't all! Next day we giggled our way through the Fossil Rim Wildlife Preserve where we fed emus, zebras, many different types of deer and giraffees.

Hopeful that we could have a light supper at Red Caboose Winery in Clifton, we stopped. Alas, no food, but a nice glass of one of their great reds and a close and delightful encounter with a Wire-haired Pointing Griffon named Bear Hug. We fell in love with him. And after that--home.

Thanks to the small towns in Central Texas for exciting adventures. There may not be a Mardi Gras Parade or a rodeo, but I would bet that with a little research, you will find great adventures  not too far away.

*Helen Corbitt's** Cheese Biscuit Recipe:

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup grated sharp cheese
3/4 cup milk

Sift flour, baking powder, and slat together; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir grated cheese into mixture. Ad all milk and mix to smooth dough. Turn out on lightly floured board. Knead lightly. Roll or pat 1/2 inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake  in very hot oven at 450 degrees F. for 12 to 15 minutes.
Note: For small biscuits cut with doughnut hole cutter.
**Helen Corbitt  was in charge of food service at Neiman Marcus for a number of years.