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Foods of the World: America


As I mentioned in another post, I've collected most (I have THREE left) of the Time Life Foods of the World cookbooks published in the late 60s/early 70s. Each one focuses on a different cuisine. There are 27 descriptive volumes and each one has a recipe booklet (I'm missing one volume and two booklets). I've frequently flipped through them, but I've finally dedicated myself to reading them and actually cooking from them.

So I started my adventure at home with the American cookbook. There are 7 additional volumes for America - Southern, Creole, New England, etc. but I started with the general one that gives an overview of the development of the cuisine of the entire country.

I put together 4 meals from the recipes:

Black Bean Soup
Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Stuffed Pork Chops
Popovers

Cheddar Cheese Soup
Fried Onion Rings
Caesar Salad

Grits and Cheese Casserole
Boston Baked Beans

I did fill in with some green side dishes (there just weren't very many vegetable side dish recipes). All in all, I'd say the food was excellent. The black bean soup, pork chops and baked beans are certainly going to be made again...though the baked beans take about 7 hours! emoticon

I've finished the next book too - Italy - and am putting together some meals, nearly 12 it looks like. I'll be taking pictures and starting a new thread for that one. I only have one picture of something from one of these meals - the drop biscuits!

This was my snack the day after. Biscuit with locally made grapefruit marmalade (fruits from the valley too!) and tomme crayeuse cheese. YUM!

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Saijen SilverWolf1 Profile
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Re: Foods of the World: America


Looks wonderful....and all but the grapefruit marmalade sounds good. Don't care for grapefruit....and can't have it anyway...LOL.

I'd love it if you'd share the Boston Baked Beans recipe.

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TexasMadness Profile
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Re: Foods of the World: America


Sure thing! Warning: this recipe takes about 7 hours!

Boston Baked Beans
serves 6 to 8

4 cups dried pea or Great Northern beans*
3 medium whole onions, peeled
2 tsp salt
4 whole cloves
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp black pepper
2 cups water
1/2 lb salt pork, scored

Put the beans in a large saucepan and pour in cold water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, then removed from heat and let the beans soak for an hour. Return to a boil, add 1 of the onions and 1 tsp salt. Half cover the pan and simmer as slowly as possible for 30 minutes. Drain the beans and discard the onion and bean water.

Preheat the oven to 250F. To bake the beans, use a 2.5 quart bean pot or a heavy casserole with a tight fitting cover. Place 2 onions, each stuck with 2 cloves, in the bottom of the bean pot and cover with beans. In a small bowl, combine the molasses, 3/4 cup brown sugar, mustard and 1 tsp each salt and pepper. Slowly stirring with a large spoon, pour in the 2 cups water. Pour this mixture over the beans and push the salt pork just below the surface.

Cover tightly and bake in the center of the oven for 5 hours, basting/stirring occasionally. Then remove the cover and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Bake uncovered for anther 1/2 hour and serve.


*(I could only find Navy, but they are just small Great Northerns)
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Re: Foods of the World: America


Turns out I did take a picture of one of the meals! ( I frequently do when it's an involved cooking process).

Here's the cheese soup, onion rings and caesar salad. The croutons were even homemade!

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Re: Foods of the World: America


I don't see why you couldn't do those baked beans in a crock pot on low heat. You could do the quick soak the night before (the boiling then letting them sit for an hour) then the next morning, do as the recipe says, only in a crock pot. I may have to try the recipe, but try it in the crock pot. Thank you for posting it!

And the cheese soup, onion rings and salad look mighty good!! I love homemade croutons. When I worked in the bakery, we made our own croutons from loaves of bread we made, but the bread may have gotten a bubble in it, which left a whole. We wouldn't sell that loaf, but didn't want to waste it, so we'd make croutons. We'd do garlic butter croutons and Italian seasoned croutons. Good stuff!



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TexasMadness Profile
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Re: Foods of the World: America


I bet you could do it in a crock pot (still on my list of things to get!). I saw another recipe for them in a book my mom gave me for Christmas and it has it in the oven too, but probably just because EVERYONE has an oven. Give it a try!

I'd never done homemade croutons before. I don't think I will ever used store bought ones again! Not only were they easy but super delicious. These were fried in olive oil with some garlic added at the end. YUM!
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Re: Foods of the World: America


I love the taste of homemade croutons. Did you cut the bread before, or after you toasted it? It's easier to cut after, but you don't get them as evenly toasted all the way around. If you use butter at all, melt the butter, add any oil and flavoring to it. Put your bread cubes into a ziplock bag, pour your oil/butter and spices into the bag, shake well till all cubes are well coated. Spread them on a cookie sheet, bake till nice and toasted.
You can even do this...lightly toast your bread before you cut it....do as I suggested above, and still retoast after tossing them in the seasoned oil. If you want some cheese, try adding some grated Paremesian...sprinkle on top AFTER you spread them out on the cookie sheet.
To keep mess at a minimum, line the cookie sheet with aluminum foil...especially if you do the cheese/Parmesian on top. yummy stuff!!!!

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Firlefanz Profile
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Re: Foods of the World: America


Mhm, I like beans but I didn't know one is supposed to boil them before soaking. I only learned that it's a good idea to throw out the soaking water, too, especially if you use kidney beans or pinto beans. They contain a lot of the chemical that causes gas when eaten, but it seeps into the water while soaking, so ditching the water reduces the gas problem.

  emoticon emoticon

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Saijen SilverWolf1 Profile
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Re: Foods of the World: America


Yep, Firle. It's called a quick soak and if you don't get your beans started until later in the day, it makes them easier to get fully cooked by supper time. And yes...always drain off your soak water!! Although it won't totally stop the gas, it does help.
I reheated some leftover soup beans I had fixed a few nights ago, for supper tonight. Reheated some left over cornbread from night before last, and fried some cabbage for supper tonight. That's not just American..it's COUNTRY American! LOL

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