Happy Hannukah!

Mazel Tov, dummies!
(30 Rock reference, has nothing to do with this blog, or the holiday. Just sounds funny.)

Tonight is the first night of Hannukah. Though this recipe isn't exactly traditional Jewish cooking, it's as close as we're gonna get.

A quick Google search on Jewish Apple Cake turned up that it has its own Wikipedia page. Kinda interesting, if you're into food history.

Jewish Apple Cake
 4 apples, pared and sliced
2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup oil
3 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice

-Pare and slice the apples. Mix with the cinnamon and 4 TB of the sugar. Set aside.
-Beat together remaining ingredients until smooth.
-Grease a 10" tube pan. Alternate layers of batter and apples 3 times.
-Bake 1hr 15 min at 350 degrees.

Dinner Idea List

No recipe this week - since we all just survived another successful Thanksgiving, we thought we'd take a break.

We did want to share this list, which might trigger some nostalgia for those who have been at Grammy's dinner table over the years. This was found in her recipe box, and is a list of some potential dinner ideas. It includes everything from Meat Roll Ups to Whittelsey Supper.

We just thought this was interesting. Many of the recipes are included in our recipe list to the right.

From all of the Treats, to all of you, have a happy holiday season!

Roast Turkey

Thanksgiving was Grammy Gertie's main event - a house full of family, kids running up and down the hall poking at the cooling pies. She used to serve a Thanksgiving feast for 15-20, with more food than any of us could handle. It was always a great time.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!





Roast Turkey
(this recipe calls for roasting the turkey on its side and then flipping it halfway... we're not endorsing that)

-Stuff, truss and place the turkey on rack in roasting pan.
-Brush with butter.
-Roast at 325, length of time depends on weight:
8-10 lb turkey = 20-25 min per pound
10-14 lb turkey = 18-20 min per pound
14-18 lb turkey = 15-18 min per pound
18-20 lb turkey = 13-15 min per pound

James Date Nut Cake

And, we're back!
I have a vague memory of eating this cake as a child. Cream cheese frosting... right?

James Date Nut Cake

1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 TB milk
2/3 cup flour
2 ts baking powder
1/4 ts salt
2 cups dates, chopped
2 cups nuts, chopped

-Dredge nuts and dates in milk
-Mix with other ingredients, mix well
-Pour into buttered pans (two layer cake pans)
-Bake at 325 for 30 to 40 minutes

Cappadocia, Turkey

Pardon the delay in posts.
I (webmaster extraordinaire) got stranded in Turkey because all the flights from Europe to Boston were cancelled due to the Hurricane.







If you recall, I seem to have quite the knack for getting delayed overseas by natural disasters.

Meanwhile, I was able to visit Cappadocia, which is one of Grammy Gertie's favorite places in the world.

Cappadocia has these odd volcanic rock formations (see the far right of this picture), which almost look like giant outdoor stalagmites. The people there have carved them out and live(d) inside of them. There are also 10 km of underground cities, and plenty of cave houses. I stayed in a cave hotel.

If you have a chance, ask Grammy Gertie about her visit to Turkey -- it was her favorite trip.

I'll be back with more recipes next week!

Rice Pudding

Grammy likes, at the very least, collecting rice pudding recipes.
I arranged all 5 of these rice pudding recipes on my floor, unsure of which one to use. Below is the one in her handwriting:

RICE PUDDING

1 cup minute rice
6 TB sugar
3 eggs
1/4 ts vanilla
1/4 ts nutmeg
4 cups milk
salt to taste

-Boil rice in 1/2 of the milk, then reduce to simmer. Cook until tender.
-Take remaining milk, and stir together sugar, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.
-Stir egg mixture into boiled rice, and simmer until thick and creamy.

Sheila's Chicken Casserole

This is a recipe that Grammy Gertie got from one of her friends at the Red Cross. For a chicken casserole, it has quite a bit of non-chicken meat in it... perhaps this was the inspiration for the Turducken.





Sheila's Chicken Casserole

5 1/2 oz dried beef
chicken breasts
bacon, enough strips to cover
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream

-Rinse dried beef in cold water, drain, and then spread on bottom of baking dish
-Layer chicken breasts on top of beef, then top with slices of bacon
-Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
-Mix cream of mushroom with sour cream, then pour over the meat
-Bake an additional 30 minutes