A Pound of Bacon, Slice by Slice

Taken from a recipe clipping from The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Here's how to undercook bacon by the pound in the oven, then freeze it to finish and enjoy a slice or two at a time.

• 1 pound bacon

Preheat oven to 400°. Arrange bacon slices in single layer in large baking pan and bake 4 minutes. Turn with tongs or broad spatula and continue baking another 4 to 6 minutes, or until bacon is not quite crisp.

Cool bacon on paper towels to blot excess fat, then arrange in single layer on large cookie sheet and freeze until bacon is stiff. Transfer to resealable plastic bag and freezer-store up to 3 months.

To serve: Loosely wrap 1-2 slices of frozen bacon in paper towel and microwave on high 1 minute. Cool briefly in paper towl to soak up fat, then unwrap and serve.

Per slice, based on 20 slices a pound: 36 calories; 3 g fat, including
1 g saturated fat; 5 mg cholesterol; 101 mg sodium; 0 carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 0 dietary fiber.

Exchanges: 1/2 fat

Courtesy of Frances Price, a registered dietician and chef living in Maryland.

A Perfectly Poached Egg

Taken from a Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper clipping.

Prep and cook times: Less than 5 minutes.

• 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 fresh egg

Fill a small skillet with water to a depth of about 2 inches. Add vinegar or lemon juice and bring quickly to a boil. Reduce heat to lowest setting and break the egg carefully into a custard cup. With a large spoon, carefully stir simmering water in one direction to create a small whirlpool, then gently slide the egg into the center of the whirlpool.

Cook 2-3 minutes, or until white is firm and yolk is barely set. Makes 1 serving.

Per egg: 75 calories; 5 g fat, including 1.6 g
saturated fat; 213 mg cholesterol; 63 mg sodium; 06 g total carbohydrate; 6 g
protein; 0 dietary fiber.

Exchanges: 1 meat; 1/2 fat.

Courtesy Frances Price, registered dietician and chef living in Maryland.

Drain Cleaner

Taken from a page torn out of a personal phone directory.

To unclog drains:

1 cup Clorox

Pour in sink.

Add 2 cups hot water.

Let stand all night.

Irish Stew

Taken from an old newspaper clipping.

• 1 1/2 pounds lamb or beef, cubed
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 pounds peeled, cubed potatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups boiling beef broth
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Make layers of the meat, onions, and potatoes in oven-proof casserole. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Add bay leaf. Pour broth over the layers and top with parsley.

Simmer, covered, in pre-heated 300° oven for 2-3 hours, or until meat is tender and potatoes have absorbed some of the broth.

Note: I sometimes add a clove of minced garlic for added flavor.

Barbeque Sauce

This recipe was typed on the back of a torn postcard and taped in Aunt Loraine's recipe book.

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1 cup catsup
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4-5 drops hot red pepper sauce

In a saucepan, melt butter; saute onion until tender. Blend in sugar, salt, chili powder, and mustard. Stir in pineapple and lime juices, catsup, chili sauce, soy sauce, and red pepper sauce. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Joan Pol's Best Corn Bread

Taken from an unidentified newspaper clipping.

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1 cup white self-rising cornmeal
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled (do not use margarine)
• 1 (8.5 ounce) can cream corn
• 2 large or extra large eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat over to 350°.

Stir together Bisquick, cornmeal, and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix. (Batter will be somewhat lumpy.)

Grease 9 X 13" baking pan and pour in batter. Bake in pre-heated over 30-40 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into squares.

Measuring Garlic, Onion, Parsley

Taken from a weathered unidentified newspaper clipping. Apparently, this is a listing showing equivalencies for various forms of garlic, onion, and parsley.

Garlic

1/8 teaspoon instant garlic powder =
1 medium sized clove garlic =
1/4 teaspoon instant minced garlic =
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt =
1 medium-sized garlic clove

Onion

1 tablespoon instant mixed onion=
1 medium-sized fresh onion=
1 teaspoon instant onion powder =
1 medium-sized onion =
1 teaspoon onion salt =
2 teaspoons salted minced fresh onion =
Onion Flakes - use same measure as for thinly sliced fresh onion
1 teaspoon minced green onion =
1 teaspoon fresh minced green onion

Parsley

1 tablespoon parsley flakes =
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Mock Filet Mignon

Taken from a weathered newspaper clipping.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 pounds ground beef with 1 jar (2 1/2 ounces) mushrooms, drained; 1 teaspoon each salt, chopped onion, and original Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Shape meat mixture into 6 patties about 3/4-inch thick. Wrap 1 slice bacon around edge of each patty; secure with a toothpick. Broil to desired doneness.

Yield: 6 portions

Mrs. Markley's Apple Pie

Taken from a newspaper clipping pasted to the back of an address card.

Crumb Mixture:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Other Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pastry shell
• Sliced apples (see directions)

Make a crumb mixture of sugar, flour, margarine. Sprinkle half on bottom of an unbaked pie shell. Fill shell with apple slices heaped high. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over apples. Have oven preheated to 375° F. Cover pie with inverted pie pan and bake until apples are tender -- about 45 minutes. Serve with ice cream and milk.

Pat's Cheesecake

Taken from a hand-printed recipe card.

Crust: Put into 10" spring pan

• 10 graham crackers
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 stick butter

Filling

• 3 - 8 oz. packages Philadelphia cream cheese
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Bake at 375° for 35-45 minutes. Let cool and prepare topping.

Topping

• 1 pint sour cream (16 oz.)
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Pour topping onto cheesecake and bake at 500° for 5 minutes.

St. Bernard Fireman's Bean Soup

From a recipe clipping from a Cincinnati newspaper.

• 2 pounds dried great Northern beans
• Water to cover beans
• 2 pounds cottage ham
• 1 large onion
• 1/2 stalk celery
• 1/2 bottle (14 ounces) ketchup
• 3 medium potatoes, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight in enough water to cover by several inches.

Grind the cottage ham, onion, and celery together in a food processor.

Drain beans and put in a heavy pan or Dutch oven. Cover again with water and add ham, celery, and onions. Add ketchup and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Add diced potatoes, salt, and pepper and continue cooking for another hour.

Makes 10 servings.

Old Fashioned Bean Soup

From a recipe clipping from a Cincinnati newspaper.

• 10 cups water
• 1 pount navy beans
• 1 ham bone
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup

Wash and sort beans. In a large pot, bring water to a boil; add beans and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand overnight. Add ham bone (or ham hocks) and the next 6 ingredients.

Cover; simmer 2 1/2-3 hours or until beans are tender. Remove bay leaf and ham bone or hocks from soup; cut meat from bones and return meat to soup. Stir in ketchup and heat to blend flavors.

Serves 10.

Bean Soup

By Rutie Day
From a recipe clipping from an unidentified newspaper.

• 4 quarts water
• 1 large onion, minced or chopped
• 1 large can tomatoes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Hambone
• 1 pound navy beans
• 2 chopped carrots
• 3 pieces celery with greens
• 1 potato, cut up

Soak beans in pan overnight.

Salt and pepper to taste with hambone and navy beans. Cook covered 3 to 4 hours on medium heat, stirring often. Let sit for 2 more hours with lid on.

Cook again for 3 more hours, with chopped carrots, celery, and potato. Add extra water if needed.

New World Irish Stew

From a recipe clipping cut from The Cincinnati Post.

• 1 pound beef stew cubes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or bacon drippings
• 2 cups water plus 1 tablespoon beef flavor instant bouillon (or beef broth)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 medium carrots, pared, chunked
• 2 medium potatoes, pared, chunked
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 6 small green cabbage wedges

Yield: about 2 quarts

Prep time: 35 minutes

Simmering: 2 hours

In a large kettle or Dutch oven, brown meat in fat. Don't crowd the pan; brown slowly, turning meat occasionally. Add water, bouillon, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat immediately so as not to toughen the meat. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Add remaining ingredients except the cabbage; cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add cabbage; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning, adding a bit of salt or Worcestershire if desired.

Recipe from Borden.

Charcoal Know-How

From an unidentified magazine article.

For carefree barbecuing, you'll want to brush up on how to build and control a charcoal fire. Here are some hints that will help your outdoor cooking keep pace with your indoor culinary sills.

• Before you heap charcoal into the firebox, read the directions that come with the barbecue unit. It may need a base of pea gravel, coarse grit, or special insulating pellets.

• A lining of heavy-duty foil under the gravel base or in the ashpit will aid in protecting the barbecue unit.

• Use only the amount of charcoal needed for the cooking job at hand--a small quantity of coals if you're barbecuing just a few chops; more charcoal for large steaks.

• Pile charcoal in a pyramid in firebox. Sprinkle liquid lighter or jelly fire starter over charcoal. Wait a minute, then light. Don't use gasoline or kerosene.

• Allow about 45 minutes before cooking on lighted coals. For faster starting, use an electric fire starter--it does the job in 15 minutes. Some barbecue units now come equipped with a built-in starter.

Ripening Tomatoes

From an unidentified newspaper clipping.

Use fully ripe tomatoes quickly. Tomatoes ripen at room temperature, not in the refrigerator. To hasten ripening, put them in a paper bag with a banana or an apple; the fruit gives off ethylene gas, which speeds ripening. If you must refrigerate tomatoes, bring them back to room temperature before eating, to restore flavor.

It makes sense to add tomatoes to sandwiches made with nitrate-cured meats, such as hot dogs, ham, bacon, and cold cuts. Tomatoes' vitamin C as well as chlorogenic acid and p-coumaric acid, may block formation of carcinogens for the nitrate, according to Cornell University tests.

Creamy Fettucine with Molly McButter

From the Molly McButter carton my Aunt Loraine cut apart.

• 4 oz. fettucine, uncooked
• 4 oz. Neufchatel cheese (lighter style or cream cheese)
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1 1/2 teaspoon flour
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Molly McButter
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting the oil and salt. Menawhile in a non-stick saucepan, heat the Neufchatel cheese and milk over low heat to melt the cheese. Mix until smooth. Add mushrooms, onions, pepper, and flour. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until mushrooms are cooked. Toss hot noodles with sauce. Sprinkle on Molly McButter. Toss lightly and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4.

Per Serving:

220 calories
8 g. fat
25mg cholesterol
530mg sodium
28g carbohydrate
8g protein

Marinade for Pike (or Any Fish)

Typed on the back of a page torn out of a daily planner calendar.

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Marinade 3 hours covered and turn frequently.

Thank bake or braise.

Green Bean Salad

Typed on a partial sheet of typing paper.

• 1 can each, drained well:

French style green beans

Cut wax beans

Red kidney beans

• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onions (may be left in "rings")

Put vegetables in large bowl. Pour dressing (below) over vegetables and let stand in refrigerator over night.

Dressing

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Coffee Cake

Cut from an unidentified magazine article.

• 1 cup Bisquick Mix
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Topping

Put all ingredients, except Topping, in a large bowl of electric mixer. Beat at low speed to blend, then beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Scrape bowl, then beat 2 minutes longer. Put in a greased 8-inch layer cake pan and sprinkle with Topping (recipe below). Bake in preheated 375° oven for about 20 minutes.

Topping

With fingers, mix 1 teaspoon each butter and flour, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.