Cooking

Speaking of Frozen Frog

Yesterday so many read my “Frozen Fog” post as “Frozen Frog” and I had to go digging through my photos to find this one.

Around Thanksgiving when we were up at the meat market where we got our turkey, I noticed in the cooler that they had frozen frog legs.  I love fried frog legs and I was just fixing to grab a box and I noticed it said “Product of China”.  WHAT?  Can’t they even get frog legs from Louisiana?   Not to be gross but . . in Louisiana, the guys would go out gigging for frogs, bring them home and clean them and we’d have fantastic fried frog legs but . . there’s something about frog legs from China that as much as I would love a big plate full of them, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

So . . frozen fog . . frozen frog . . you name it and I can blog about it! :)

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Update on Cheesemaking Supplies

Remember I complained about the shipping costs from the cheesemaking supplies?  They sent me a check to refund the shipping that I paid over and above the actual shipping costs.   While I’m still not pleased that the person I talked to on the phone basically said . . too bad . . that’s what happens when you order over the internet . . I just wanted to let you all know that they had made things right after I emailed the owner.

And, on their website is the recipe/method with pictures for the recipe they provided and I used for making mozzarella.

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Raspberry Pomegranate Yogurt

On Lime Green Kitchen:

Iowa Chowder – it’s a hearty, cream based soup . . perfect for this type of weather!  Before you ask . . I do not know why it’s called Iowa Chowder . . that’s just the name that was on it when I was given the recipe.


If you’re a yogurt lover, and if you already have a crockpot, it’s worth a try to make your own and see what you think.

For those who have read my blog for a while, you know we love homemade yogurt.  This morning I had a crockpot full of yogurt waiting to be spooned into containers.  This batch has a big spoonful of raspberry-pomegranate  jam in the bottom.  From one batch, I got 8  small containers and 1 large container.  One small container is left unflavored to be used as the starter for the next batch of yogurt.  The large (green lid) container is plain, unflavored and we will use it in place of sour cream for baked potatoes and other items needing sour cream.

See the empty glass?  We buy interesting jams and jellies at T. J. Maxx when we can find them.  I’m real picky about the glass I use for my Dr. Pepper.  I love the plastic glasses but I also love these little round jelly glasses.  Finding good jelly in these particular glasses always makes me so happy!

The recipe I use for homemade yogurt is here.

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Curds & Whey

Yesterday I set out to make mozzarella and it was quick and it was easy and it is good!  It’s a lot like making bread in that you have to get the “feel” for when it’s right.  The first batch I made, I must’ve pulled it a bit too long because it was a bit hard.  The recipe called for 1 T. of salt and I felt like that was too much so didn’t use that much and it tasted like it needed salt.  The second batch I didn’t pull as long, added the full tablespoon of salt and it was perfect.

Here you can see where I cut through the curds.

Starting to look like mozzarella, right?

The end product!  I got 1-1/2 pounds of cheese from each gallon of milk.

I saved the whey.  Hard to believe there’s 1-1/2 pounds of cheese and almost a full gallon of whey.

Some of the whey went into making this Italian bread.

I cut up some of the cheese, marinated it in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, crushed red peppers and we had this with lettuce for a salad at dinner.

One gallon of milk is left and I saved it to make cheese when Vince is home so he can play too.  I want to make cheddar but it’s going to be a while before I’m home long enough (weeks in a row) to deal with it so it will just have to wait.

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Trip to the Dairy

The dairy where I wanted to buy raw milk is about 5o miles away.  Someone is at the dairy milking the cows and selling milk every day from 6 – 8 a.m. and 6 – 8 p.m.  The original plan was to go today but then I wanted to make the cheese today so I decided to go yesterday afternoon.  The thought crossed my mind to drive to the dairy by myself but since Vince was home, I thought he might like to go too.

Vince and I are so different.  They say opposites attract . . the one thing I can say for sure is that in so many ways, we’re alike and in so many ways, we’re so different.  If I get lost . . I always get found!  I try to know where I’m going but I never seem to get anywhere without getting lost at least once.  Of all the times I’ve gone to Louisiana, even with GPS, there’s hardly ever a time I don’t make at least one wrong turn and I never seem to go the same way twice.  Something little turn here or there is always different and I see new scenery.  It doesn’t matter to me .. I get there eventually.   Heck, as many times as Elaine and I have been to Paducah, last year we were talking and I was driving and all of a sudden, I looked up and saw a bridge I had never seen before.  We were lost!  We had gone about 50 miles the wrong way.  We laughed and laughed and turned around and drove 50 miles back to where we were supposed to be and thought it was just the funniest thing!

We start out about 5 p.m. to get to the dairy by 6 p.m.  Vince said “Do you know how to get there?”  Oh yes!  I have my directions right here in my hand, along with my camera, my knitting and my cell phone.

We went south on 71.  We knew we would do that.  We take the exit my directions say to take.  My directions (which I had written, straight off the computer I thought) said turn left on M Highway but M Highway only goes right.  N Highway goes left.  You would have thought the whole world was coming to an end.  We only had to go 3.9 miles on that highway so what difference did it really make?  Go 3.9 miles and if we’re not at the right road, we went the wrong way . . turn around and go the other way.  How hard is that?

I looked at the map and I said . . We have to go left, no matter what they call the highway.  Just punch the button and if we go 3.9 miles and aren’t at the other road, we’ll turn around and come back.”  He huffs and puffs and thank goodness, left was correct.

The back roads were in terrible shape with the snow and ice (grumble, grumble) and it was getting foggy (grumble, grumble) but we made it to the dairy, got the milk and got directions that took us a couple of miles out of the way but we were on state roads except for one mile.  We made it home and you can bet when I go back to the dairy, I’ll be going alone!

Anyway, 3 gallons of fresh from the cow milk.  I drank some — the first milk I’ve had in probably 35 years.  I love it!

Oh, another little glitch in the trip .. Vince said he’d take the ice chest.  He said “do you want me to put ice in it?”  I was thinking . . why bring the cooler if you’re not going to put ice in it? but I just said “yes”.  We’re driving to the middle of nowhere, with the ice chest in the SUV and I said “did you put ice in it?” and he said “NO!  We’ll buy some ice.”  I’m thinking where on earth are you going to buy ice?” but I didn’t say anything.  Then I suggested we just scoop up some snow . . there’s plenty of that around.  And Vince said “That will be kind of cold.”  Never fear .. we’re in my vehicle and I have everything in here . . including a 2 quart pitcher that’s perfect for scooping up snow!

You’d think with the shipping problems on the ingredients and this trip to get milk, maybe cheesemaking is something I should give up before starting!  Nope, that is not in my makeup!  Today I’ll make my first batch of mozzarella.

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So Small But So Exciting

It doesn’t take much to excite me . . really!  This afternoon I could not stay awake.  I was contemplating taking a nap.  Earlier in the afternoon, a Hungarian reader had written me about my Chicken Paprikash recipe and offered to send me a traditional Hungarian Chicken Paprikash recipe.

The decision was made to take the nap but just before I left the computer, I checked email and she had sent me a whole collection of traditional Hungarian recipes.  I was so excited . . could not even think of taking a nap.  I’ve read all the recipes and am so excited to try some of them.

Being from southwest Louisiana, there are several things we love that a lot of people will not eat.  There are some Hungarian recipes I will not try too. One of these recipes is for Sour Pig Soup.  Here’s the ingredient that kinda got me:  Wash and cut up the nails, feet, liver and lungs of six – eight week pigs. No, thanks!  I’ll pass on that one!  There are recipes that call for things I’ve never heard of and no doubt, can’t get here in my tiny little town. I’ll google some of the items and see what I can substitute.  I’ve never heard of spawn  or lebbencs.

I probably will not follow this recipe for fried chicken.  Here’s one of the steps:  Buy a live chicken and kill two hours before
preparing it.

But, there are so many good recipes here.  If I didn’t already have dinner cooked for tonight, there are several recipes I’d make this very nite!

Zita, you’ve made my day!  Thank you so very much for these old traditional recipes!

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