Cookin’ for a Livin’

Sunday, June 15, 2008

There is really nothing worse than being jobless in the summertime, except perhaps being jobless in the winter during a snow storm in Cook County. News reports about the economy are of little consolation to those who are unemployed. It is a hopeless felling when you are jobless in the heart of a recession.

What is a jobless person to do? Cook. Can’t Cook? Learn.

Think about your God given natural talents. This summer I had the opportunity to me some wonderful folks who work as Personal Chefs. They are perhaps some of the hardest workers, committed to preparing delicious, healthy foods for their clients.

Their journey did not just happen, it took planning and a desire to think and work outside the box; creating a lifestyle that not only met their needs but the needs of their customers. Since you must work, this may be career option for you?

I worked as a personal chef, long before it was popular or even called “personal chef.” I was a cook for a number of folks in Detroit, Michigan. It is probably one of the few jobs I ever held that I really enjoyed and looked forward to going to everyday. It is an honorable and honest way to make a fairly decent living. No, you won’t get rich, unless you are discovered and invited to be on Food TV Network. The job can lead you into some interesting directions however. As a professional cook, I learned to style food, create recipes, and cook for large groups of people. I had to start small, keep it simple and be creative. If you truly love to cook and don’t mind cooking for others this is one of the most rewarding jobs you will ever encounter. Let’s face it, people love to eat and if you can create a master piece out of just about any cut of meat or develop mouth watering magic from eggplant, you may be on to something.

There are many personal chef’s who also work as personal caterers working in the host home to create wonderful buffets of food. You can hire yourself out as a Private Cook for Hire at local Bread and Breakfast locations or Executive Apartment Complexes that house traveling executives. Everyone in town for business does not want to eat at restaurants everyday, particularly when they are in town for 4-6 weeks.

Do you make the best chocolate truffles in town? A bridal shop might allow you to put your flyer in their shop. Brides are always looking for tasty little gifts for their guest. Everyone loves good food and there is bound to be something that you can cook or learn to cook in relatively little time. Do you make a great barbecue sauce? Do you grind your own blend of coffee and make heavenly Danishes?

Don’t stop looking for a permanent position, keep that resume circulating if a conventional job is what you really want; but in the mean time, while between jobs think about cooking for a living. Folks rarely have time to prepare a healthy meal anymore; so visit community groups and organizations and get out there and meet people. This is the time to become a social butterfly. Everyone needs to develop streams of income. Relying on one job for your livelihood today is unrealistic. Look at your joblessness or your desire to remove yourself from the conventional workplace as an opportunity to use your community as your source of income. Remember everybody loves a good cook!

LATCHKEY TEENS…Cooking for the family? Say what?

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

I am going to flip the switch here a bit and talk about a subject that is near and dear to my heart. A growing concern with many parents today is what to do with their latchkey teens. Yes, they are old enough to stay home alone, but should they be home alone with “nothing” to do? Of course the issue has always been a concern, but today with so much exposure to online porn, drugs, and violence what’s a parent to do? Most teens are hardly interested in after-school programs and not all teens are into sports activities or after-school clubs. Let’s get real; at times talking to teens is sometimes like talking to a brick wall. You deal with attitude, snarls, rolling eyes, and that unconscionable silence.

It is unfortunate that by the time children become teens or even tweens, the things that mean the most to us, as parents, means the least to them. Who should be watching our teens when parents are off trying to make a living; grandparents, nannies, babysitters? Is it reasonable to think that our children can and will stay home for the one, two or three hours while we complete the work day and tackle the interstate home?

Teens today may tolerate caregivers who are hip, cool and in the know about the things that are of interest to them, i.e. their music, fashion, technology and current events that suit their fancy. If you must select someone to supervise your young teen consider the following:

• Involve your teen in the selection process
  
• Look for some who has experience with teenagers
  
• Look for some who like teenagers
  
• Be honest about the job description, if you need a drive to football practice, or someone to help with homework, state that
  
• Seek someone interest and familiar with the teen culture and who is informed about sports, computer, music and those things that interest your teen
  
• Seek some one who is willing intellectually to go toe-to-toe with your teen
  
• Set ground rules on how your should will behave toward the caregiver
  
• Set ground rules on how the caregiver will behave toward your child and include conversations about discipline
  
• Explain how you want to be told about those “naughty” little behaviors, i.e. getting caught looking at porn on the computer, or visiting chat rooms that are off limits
  

I know this suggestion is probably more appropriate for a parent with young teens, so don’t jump down my throat, it’s just a suggestion. Parents with older teens may want to consider getting their teens involved in starting dinner. I know, they only want pizza, hot pockets and hanging out with their friends. Looks, they live in your house, use your electricity, water and air-conditioning; the least they can do is be responsible for cooking one or two meals per week. Try it! Ask! You might even get an Okay! Look I will even give them a recipe to start with below…remember nothing beats a failure, but a try.

Homemade Smoked Turkey and Cheese Hot Pockets

Serves 12 (These freeze beautifully, place in small freezer bags)

You may already be familiar with this recipe, but this is my version of "hot pockets." Make sure you store the pockets in freezer bags after baking and reheat in a toaster over for about 6-7 minutes or microwave for 8 seconds or a bit longer, if frozen. I do not like to microwave food so you may have to experiment with the microwave time. If you allow the pockets to get room temperature, 5-6 seconds in the microwave should be good, but start at the lowest time first. These are great with soup or a side salad.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound frozen bread dough, thawed (in frozen food section of your grocery store)

• 3 cups loosely chopped smoked turkey or ham (you may also substitute cooked sausage, cooked hamburger or cooked chopped chicken)

• 12 slices American cheese (you may substitute Swiss, Provolone or cheddar)

1. Don't forget to allow time for the dough to thaw out!

2. Divide thawed dough into 12 pieces.

3. On floured surface, roll each piece into 5 or 6 inch circle.

4. Place 1/4 cup ham and one piece of cheese on the circle

5. Fold dough over filling and seal edges with a fork.

6. Place on greased cookie sheet.

7. Bake at 350°F degrees for 10-15 minutes.

8. After 10 minutes, check pockets - remove when they begin to brown.

Allow to cool a few minutes before serving

Bringing Back Homemade

Monday, May 26, 2008

It has been oven fifteen years since I came up with the idea that a home bakery produces the best and tastiest baked goods. Years ago there were many women who could bake an excellent apple pie, or heavenly pound cake. Today most women are too busy to bake anything, and the few that do have a smidgen of time are to busy to bake anything. The idea that there are no real bakers around to bake and even fewer real down home bakeries got me thinking; a paradigm shift needs to occur now, right now. We need bakers, really great bakers, not folks who are going to prepare those God awful pastries sold at Panera and Au Bon Pain. I mean good old fashioned pastry, the sort that goes stale tomorrow and must be used in bread pudding because they are no longer good for anything else.

What would it take to get people baking again? Food prices are skyrocketing. Gas prices are just sinful. Bosses aren’t hiring and people are stressed and frustrated. Yeap, it’s time to bake. Baking relieves stress, baking gives a persona a sense of accomplishment and baking feeds the body and the soul. Several weeks ago I went right to work designing a course that would teach the home baker how to start a little baking business.

The course I created is titled, How to operate a successful home-based bakery. I currently have seven participants and we are having a blast. I have no doubt that a few have cold feet, but all see the potential in baking from home and selling their goods to the public. People are hungry for good down-home baked goods. I venture to say many of us don’t even remember what a cake from scratch taste like anymore.

It’s no secret small home-based businesses have been surviving and even thriving since the beginning of time. How many remember Tupperware? Anyone remember Watkins products that were sold door to door? Today there have been many changes that have occurred around how information is used and disseminated and the advancement in telecommunication technologies has both helped and hindered micro-businesses. The new technologies now make it possible for producers and consumers to connect in a more timely and efficient manner. This is a key element for the micro-business owner operating out of his/her home. Business owners can now contact customers at the click of a mouse and promote their products and services via the Web and email adverting.

The forms of advertising now available are both inexpensive and expensive depending on if you want the bells, whistles and search engine optimization and keyword analysis. Home-based business owners now have access to market research to enhance business success. Micro-owners can investigate how competing businesses are positioning their products and capturing customers in multiple markets. The economic field is expanding and that means home-based business owners must narrow their niche market and target customers outside their traditional market areas. No matter what the product, you still must offer impeccable service, a quality product and the right price; this fact is true whether you are Benny’s Home-Baked Breads or Au Bon Pain.

The manner by which we eat baked goods is going to change. My prediction is we are heading toward the way of the European. The portions of food will get smaller and smaller, but with that the quality will go higher and higher. This will not be known for several years, but life in America is changing and it is changing at neck snapping speeds. If you are fortunately enough to live in a rural area, where the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will inspect your kitchen and allow you to operate a home-based bakery, go for it. Bakers take heed however, you will need to research the market and make sure there is a need for your services; test the waters so you don’t drown.

If the prospects look promising research what it would take to run a micro-bakery in your home. You may want to operate it on the weekends, selling at your local farmer’s market or at a local farmer’s vegetable and fruit stand. Consider contacting some of the local restaurants or coffee shops and see if they would be interested in carrying your products. Talk to the Department of Agriculture or Food Safety about any kitchen inspections, licenses, and the liability insurance you will need; better safe than sorry. You may also want to supply your products to another bakery, i.e. miniature pastry shells that can be filled with lemon curd, pecan pie filling, or minced apples and cinnamon. Don’t jump in with both feet, give this some thought and let’s read about your home-based bakery in the next issue of Southern Living.

Clinton Louisiana Tea Cookies

Makes about 8 dozen small cookies

This is a simple little recipe I named after my grandmother’s home town.

3 cups sugar

2 cups shortening (i.e. Crisco)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract*

½ teaspoon maple flavor

4 eggs

5 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons cream of tartar

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup almonds, finely chopped (substitute pecans)

powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F

1. Beat sugar, shortening and vanilla and maple flavor with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth.
2. Stir flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add nuts. Stir into shortening mixture until well blended.
3. Shape dough into walnut-size balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until lightly brown around edged.
4. Cook 2 hours on wire rakes. Dust cookies with powdered sugar.

Stocking Up

Monday, May 19, 2008

In 1982 I was returning from Okinawa, Japan after serving in the United States Navy and on the way to Detroit decided to stop in Oakland California to visit my daughter's Great Aunt Edith. Great Aunt Edith was a true victory gardener, a southern-belle, gracious, kind, with a heart of gold. I admired her self-preservation skills and her ability to give knowledge and wisdom so effortlessly.

I received from my daughter's great-aunt one of the best gifts, I had probably ever received in my young life. It was a little red book titled Stocking Up, by the staff of Organic Gardening and Farming copyrighted 1977. The book introduced me to food preservation and why it is not only important but essential.

You see when I first went into Aunt Edith's apartment, I knew this woman was a survivalist of sorts since she was just starting the seedlings for her garden. This was someone I could learn from and someone willing to teach; and although we were only there for a brief time, she left a lasting impression.

What did I gain from my encounter with great-aunt Edith?

1. You don't have to have a back yard to garden

2. Fruit trees are essential, even if they are growing in a gigantic pot on the patio.

3. Everyone should know how to garden and can (preserve) food

4. It's good to be frugal

5. Understanding numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 will help you survive lean times.

I come from a long line of gardeners, my mother, grandmothers and great-grandmothers. These were southern women who could make a dollar out of a dime and a delicious pie out of vinegar or buttermilk. Today I cannot stress enough the need to grow your own, even if it is just green onions and lettuce. It is the wise homemaker (male or female) who can "put up" fruits, vegetables, jams and pickles for a rainy day.

This may sound simplistic, and folks cannot survive on canned fruits and vegetables alone, but ever dime saved by canning and baking from scratch can be spent towards meat, fish and fowl. Every little bit helps and that is no exaggeration.

When was the last time you were at a Farmer's Market? When was the last time you stopped by a road side stand to pick up strawberries or peaches? I can honestly tell you there is nothing better than buying fresh and preserving fresh fruits and vegetables. I am aware that everyone lives busy lives but with food cost skyrocketing, floods destroying American soil and gas prices going through the roof we must "think smart" and pay attention to how we spend our nickels and dimes since money really can disappear like snow in a furnace.

This fall I will be introducing a series of classes to the folks living in the Raleigh/Durham area. I will teach canning and how to make homemade bread. There was a time when the most inexpensive food you could purchase was a loaf of bread. Today "good" bread can cost you upwards of $3 to $5 dollars or more depending on where you live. Good whole wheat bread is a wonderful source of fiber and the perfect accompaniment to any meal.

Why learn these skills? Why not? Learning to preserve, and learning to bake is like learning to ride a bicycle, once you know how, you never forget. Canning and baking are two survival skills ever human, young or old should have. Years ago, little girls learned to canned at the hip of their mother or grandmother. Now, we rely on pre-prepared foods loaded with sodium, additives and preservatives. Ages ago, bakers made their own bread, because they did not have the five cents or twenty-five cents to purchase a loaf. Today all the loaves are pre-sliced and filled with all sorts of things I'd rather not list.

If you think you cannot bake, or you think you do not have time to can, please reconsider. These are skills you can teach your children or grandchildren. This is an activity that can become a late summer, early fall family affair.

Learn more about the Canning and Baking classes in the Raleigh/Durham area this fall by visiting www.cookingwithdenay.com

You Live What You Learn

Monday, May 12, 2008

Recently I corresponded with Dr. LuAnn Soliah of Baylor University about an article she wrote some years ago with a colleague titled “Current Home Baking Practices.” I believe the article was written in 2004. Well, to make a long story short the paper concluded that we just don’t bake the way we use to and our fast paced lives have lead parents and children down a dangerous path. Parents manage to provide food for their children and teenagers; however they don’t teach them about food preparation and nutrition which is now being referred to by Quist, J., Toth, K.S. and Green, K. (1998) as “shopping, cooking and eating” viewing the knowledge associated with nutrition as nothing more than common daily acts. What is the world coming to?

According to Dr. LuAnn Soliah “parents need to recognize that home food preparation is a teaching opportunity as well as a parental responsibility;” and we all know that parents are a child’s first teacher, right? Where do we begin? We can first start by learning how to cook, bake, can and preserve healthy foods ourselves. This may sound simple, but you would be surprised the number of adults who do not know how to do anything more than open a can or microwave a frozen dinner. I am by no means an alarmist but to put all of your faith in large food conglomerates who are in business to make money and not really supply healthy nutritious food is just plain foolish.

I am a cooking instructor. I teach folks how to cook, how to build sustainable home food processing systems that put control over food selection and preparation back into the hands of those who should have it. Everyone lives busy lives, and has work, school, family and community responsibilities, but having direct control of what you eat and how it is prepared is going to be paramount in the coming years. We are all doing more with less, and that includes attempting to feed the masses. When the population increases and people are forced to work longer hours, for less pay, with less training and this is happening; even the Center for Disease Control has admitted that foodborne infections are on the rise and changing.

In approximately two weeks I will be teaching a Micro business course titled "How to operate a successful home-based bakery." Fortunately I live in a state that allows folks to operate home-based bakeries. This is not as unusual as you might think. In some third world countries, there are village or town bakers who own and operate large hearths; this baker is responsible for baking the bread brought to him by the villagers. Each loaf is marked to indicate ownership and the villager drops off their loaf/loaves and returns in a few hours to retrieve it, baked and ready for consumption. How cool is that?

There is nothing more basic than baking, whether it is bread, cake, pie or cookies; the art of baking has been around since the beginning of time, but it is an art we must preserve, cultivate and pass on to future generations. There are children who have never tasted homemade bread or cookies. Would you believe there are adults who have never eaten a homemade cake because their mother only used Duncan Hines boxed cake mix? I once had a young women tell me, “Why would I ever bake a cake from scratch when I can just buy a box of mix for a couple dollars?”

I neglected to tell her, because she could avoid consuming:
Sugar, enriched bleached wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine moninitrate, riboflavin, folic acid). Vegetable oil shortening (partially hydrogenated soybean oil, propylene glycol mono-and diesters of fats, mono-AND diglcerides, leavening (sodium bi-carbonate, dicalcium phosphate, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), dextrose, wheat startch, contains 2% or less of salt, polyglycerol esters of fatty acids maltodextrin, natural and artificial flavors, gum Arabic, partially hydrogentated soybean oil, cellulose gum, citric acid, xanthan gum, colored with (yellow 5 lake) Contains: wheat

I just think it’s easier to say the cake was made with flour, eggs, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, butter (cream), milk, vanilla bean and sugar or honey.

Look, I’m no purist. I occasionally purchase store bought pie shells and mayo off the shelf; but I do know how to make a pie shell from scratch and mayo using fresh egg yolks, canola oil, vinegar, salt, and a little dry mustard. I’m just saying before you through the baby out with the bath water, at least teach the little tike to swim. Our children will grow up to be young adults and how they function, live and take care of their own families will be a direct reflection of what we do or do not teach them. They don’t learn through osmosis so the next time your child says “What are we having for dinner”? Say, come here, let’s fix dinner together tonight. They may or may not like it now, but they will truly thank you in about ten years.

Below is my favorite morning bread. It is moist, flavorful and great with that first cup of java. I have cut out the egg yolk and reduced the sugar, however if you use ripe fresh fruit you won’t even miss it. This is definitely one of those loaves you could take to work and know that inside of 10 minutes there would be nothing left but crumbs. Enjoy!

Morning Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup canola oil
  
• 1 egg white
  
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• ¼ teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1 cup apple, chopped
  
• ½ cup walnuts, chopped
  
• ½ cup cranraisins or raisins
  
• 3 ½ tablespoons sugar
  
• 1 cup flour
  
• 1 cup ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
  * super ripe bananas are perfect for this bread
  
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  
  INSTRUCTIONS
  

1. Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nuts and cranraisins, set aside
   
2. In a medium bowl, mix oil, egg white, sugar, stir to blend
   
3. Add to the oil/egg mixture; flour mixture, bananas, apple, and lemon juice
   Stir until just combine
   
4. Batter will be thick
   
5. Pour batter into a greased 9-inch by 4-inch loaf pan
   
6. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes
   
7. Allow to set for 15 minutes
   
8. Serve warm or at room temperature
   
9. Refrigerate any leftovers

Quick, Fast and in a Hurry

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Everyone knows that I am a big advocate for teaching folks how to cook. Look, there aren't many things you have control over, young or old, but when given the opportunity you should attempt to have control over what goes in your stomach; since you are what you eat. I spent Easter Sunday with my daughter who is seriously interested in learning to cook. She said she wants to be a “good cook.” I think she now understands that anyone can throw water in a pot and boil an egg or spread butter, cinnamon and sugar on bread to make cinnamon toast, but not everyone can cook greens and cornbread from scratch or roast a bird.

I can’t really remember when folks stopped cooking like my grandma Lula Simpson who could make a possum sing; but I think it was somewhere around the early 1960s or a bit before. It was when Mr. Kentucky Fried, Mickey D’, and charbroiled burgers came into being. People were so impressed with getting what they wanted “quick” that the idea of waiting for food became a nuisance, a pain, throwing patience and pressure cookers aside. I say this, because as my daughter was cooking and growing hungrier by the minute, I saw what most folks felt back in the day, impatience and a strong desire to have the food "quick, fast and in a hurry."

Homemade, scratch, “dump” cooking has never been prepared “quick, fast and in a hurry.” Years ago, we did not live in a quick, fast and in a hurry type world. I wanted so badly to tell my daughter, what you want to do is just not in your genetic make-up. She was born to the “quick, fast and in a hurry” generation and trying to perform like the slow and easy tortoise who as we all know wins the race. Unfortunately my daughter was not really in the mood to hear this and just gave me a disturbing look that let me know that if that damn bird had to stay in the oven one more minute; or if that dressing was not ready to leap out of the oven onto her plate in the next 30 seconds, there would be trouble, serious trouble. Luckily the timer had four minutes on it and I just got up and headed to pull everything out of the oven, ready or not. Fortunately for the bird and the dressing they were both ready for lift-off.

It was strange as I watched my daughter cook and sat explaining what and why this or that had to be done, I never really paid much attention to how I worked my culinary magic. I just worked it. How did I know to add a pinch of this or another egg to the dressing to get just the right consistency? It was all due to experience; and I reminded myself and my daughter that the only way you become a good cook is by doing. There are books, classes, television programs and online lessons; nothing replaces good old fashion practice; or should I say that four letter word, WORK! Anyone, everyone becomes a good cook by working at it, plain and simple.

For those who were wondering what we had for dinner, the menu included:

Homemade Yeast Rolls
Roasted Cornish Hens
Collard-Cabbage Green (a hybrid cross between collards and cabbage common in North Carolina)
Cornbread Dressing
Cranberry Sauce
Southern Pecan Pie

My daughter was so proud of her accomplishments (and she had a right to be) she photographed everything and put it up on her social networking page to taunt her friends and other family members; and I am certain that this will not be the last homemade meal she will prepare. If given the opportunity I will attempt to put photos of her delicious delicacies on my blog for all to see.

Everyone knows I do not end a blog without a recipe unless I am running out of time. I am sharing my favorite Southern Pecan Pie recipe. Let me first tell you though, I use only Ronald Reginald Melipone Mexican Vanilla, it is my signature vanilla and makes all the difference in anything you bake or cook that calls for vanilla. If you use another brand and don’t like the pie, shame on you.

Southern Pecan Pie
Serves 6-8

1 9-inch pie shell

¾ cup sugar
¾ cup dark corn syrup
3 eggs, (large) beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (Ronald Reginald Melipone Mexican Vanilla)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F

In a large bowl, combine sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla, salt and mix with electric mixer until opaque, about 5 minutes. Stir in pecans and pour into pie shell.

Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes, if crust is browning too fast cover with aluminum foil. When the pie is done, it may be a bit loose* in the center, but will set as it cools; do not over-bake.

*When I say loose in the middle, the pie should not still be liquid, just a bit loose, it will firm up as it cools.

Refrigerate any leftovers and serve at room temperature or warm.

COMING SOON.........

Monday, March 17, 2008

The Great Recession of 2008: Recipes to Live By

An excerpt:

A “Recession” as described in macroeconomics is a decline in a country's gross domestic product (GDP), or negative real economic growth, for two or more successive quarters of a year. The United State of America is in a depression, but for the sake of inciting pandemonium I will continue to call it a recession. No one will admit it and the government officials skirt around the issue, but those who are working or not working know that disaster is just around the corner. You can feel it, you can smell it, and you can taste it. Let there be no misunderstanding, life is going to get a tad worse before it gets any better.

I can remember my father saying “there will come a time when you will have money and you will not be able to spend it; it will be worth absolutely nothing.” This book cannot help your family make more money or get out of debt. This is a survival cookbook that will show you how to prepare affordable meals using inexpensive foodstuffs.

I am writing this book because a dear friend said it was necessary and would benefit the masses. Its sole purpose is to enlighten and educate. It matters not how much food you have, if you do not know how to stock, preserve and prepare (SP&P).

The Great Recession of 2008 – Recipes to Live By is divided into three parts.