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Introduction: Cook without Measure

Introduction: Cook without Measure

Nonie (my mother) followed recipes to a "t" (which, by the way, means something other than a "T"). She needed to know exact amounts; she measured each item, sliding a knife across the top of a quarter-teaspoon measure to be sure her measurement was precise. If she adjusted a recipe, she recorded her adjustments in great detail, even including the date and event for which she was cooking. No wonder then, she was frustrated when cooking with me. I started cooking with her in my youth even saying, "One cup of milk," as I held a jug of milk over the bowl, pouring more-or-less a cup into a bowl that held the other ingredients, pacing my speech to match my perception of the correct amount -- or an amount that would do. I'd even raise and lower the jug with a flourish, just to annoy her. I sprinkled spices, adding nutmeg whenever cinnamon was added (because, I reckoned, I was from Connecticut and wanted to support the state of my happy youth.) I enjoyed...
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CwM: Caramel Overnight Buns

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 Ingredients:  1/2 package (about a dozen) frozen dinner rolls. More if you like the bread portion, fewer if you want them with more gooey caramel. I used 9 of these small frozen balls and they grew overnight.  1 package vanilla pudding mix ("cook" kind) as a powder. 1 stick butter, 3/4 C brown sugar, or more of both for those of us with a more serious sweet tooth. 1/2 C nuts (walnuts or pecans)  Sprinkling of cinnamon The night before, remove the balls of frozen dinner rolls from the freezer.  Line a pan with parchment paper and layer the nuts at the bottom, then place the frozen dinner rolls in the bottom of the pan. The bread will rise, so be sure this is a deep enough pan. Sprinkle the rolls with the vanilla pudding mix.  In a separate bowl, melt the butter and add the brown sugar and cinnamon.  Pour this mixture --when hot -- over the balls of dough covered in powdered pudding mix.  Let sit on the counter overnight.  In the morning, the ...
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CwM: Sticky Buns

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  This recipe is from Alex Haley's parents; Alex played soccer for UNM with Liza.   Sticky Buns.  350 degrees. 1-2 loaves of frozen bread dough (original recipe calls for 2, I use 1 because I love proportionately more sticky sweet goop)  I'm betting you could also use your favorite yeast dough -- see my video/recipe in this blog.  1/2 C plus a couple tablespoons of butter 1 3 oz or 4.5 oz package of vanilla pudding mix (NOT INSTANT, not cooked, just dump the powder from the box) Original recipe is for 3 oz, I use 4.5 oz 1T milk (I use a little more) 1t cinnamon (a sprinkle) a splash of vanilla 1C brown sugar. Nuts to stir in or sprinkle on top. (In the video below, I added about a cup of chopped walnuts) Thaw bread dough.  Slice into small pieces (large is also ok) and assemble in a greased 13x9x2 pan (I use parchment paper in the pan instead of grease) Original recipe says to place half the bread in the pan.  Melt butter and mile, add brown sugar...
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CwM: Nonie's Blueberry Pudding

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  My berries were picked on the shores of the lake by my family cottage and on the hillside overlooking the lake  Crusty sugary crust on top, cake-like topping with a thick and flavorful deep blue base of blueberries in a rich syrup, this is a favorite on our cove of the lake. Often served hot with ice cream, it's also delicious cold.  I find it's perfect to put into the oven just as we are all sitting down to dinner; it comes out of the oven one hour later -- perfect timing!  Basic Recipe:  2 C blueberries  (though it works well with apples and with strawberries!  Sprinkles of cinnamon  (if strawberries, use almond extract instead) Dribbles of lemon juice 2 cups Sugar, divided into 2x 1 C 1 C flour 3T butter 1/2 C milk Sprinkling of salt 1 large t of baking powder 1 large t of cornstarch (but I didn't use this... the result is simply some runny blueberry sauce) 1 Cup rolling boiling water Directions:  Place cleaned and sorted blueberries int...
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CwM: New England Clams Meet New Mexico Green Chile

 Clam Chowder with Green Chile and Adobo!  I made the mistake of leaving out green chile from my traditional New England Clam Chowder recipe and Liza would not eat it. She is usually the biggest fan of the clam chowder. My roots in New England have me make a simple clam chowder with onions, potatoes, clams, a few seasonings, and a couple tilapia filets thrown in for added thickness into the basic white sauce foundation.  Additional flavor comes from a chicken broth made from Costco's rotisserie chicken (after we've picked off the meat, I boil the bones for a couple hours to produce a really flavorful broth.  ) To make this flavorful Southwestern Clam Chowder, melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a couple tablespoons of olive oil.  Then add a diced onion and at least that much diced potatoes.  Cook until soft. Add salt, pepper, thyme, adobo powder, and green chile powder.  I use very, very finely ground spices.  Be sure there's still some butter/...
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CwM: Shepherd's Pie

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  Leftovers are my comfort foods!  After Thanksgiving, there are only so many turkey sandwiches you can eat.  Having something other than the standard Turkey Tetrazini (turkey, cooked pasta, a can of cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas) is a nice thing.   In the video, I start with putting the diced potatoes into a pot of water to boil.  We will work on the innards while these cook.   To cook the inside of the pie, you'll prepare the veggies: I start with butter and olive oil heated in a large pot.  Add diced onions and celery, then diced carrots.   Those take a little longer to cook, so you need to put them in first.  Then add the veggies that take less long to cook: broccoli, frozen peas, mushrooms and whatever other veggies you'd like. You'll want at least 2 C of veggies.  Then sprinkle some flour over the top, making sure that you have enough oil/moisture in the pot.  Stir so all the veggies are covered in the flo...
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CwM: Granola Brickle

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  My mother used to make granola in our oven; my sister keeps a cast-iron casserole dish full of home-made granola on her kitchen counter.  While I'm new to making granola, I am enamored with the fact that I can control what's in it and how chewy it is! The ratio of 7 (or 8) to 1 refers to the ratio of the dry ingredients to the wet.  Start by mixing about 4 C oatmeal (any kind of uncooked) with a mostly equal quantity of whatever nuts you like. In the video , I use sliced almonds, pecans, and walnuts. I throw these dry ingredients into a large bowl or pan, sometimes adding about a half bag or a couple cups of shredded (and sweetened) coconut to these dry ingredients.  I use coconut oil (about 3/4 C), melted if it's solid, and some honey as the "1" in the 7 to 1 ratio.  Mix the wet and dry ingredients thoroughly -- sprinkle some cinnamon over the top if you'd like that. My brother has used cocoa powder to give the granola a yummy chocolate flavor.   Sp...
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CwM: Butternut Squash and Quinoa Stew

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  Sweet and salty, this is a healthy and hardy stew. It can be vegan or it can be made with butter and chicken broth and topped with mozzarella cheese.  Here's a link to the video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3c0_BE1Tr0&ab_channel=JeanMariner  Saute a diced onion, and diced butternut squash in olive oil until soft (I like adding potatoes, too.) Sprinkle with tumeric, curry, and salt to taste. When it's soft, add about 4 cups of either water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth.  Simmer until the squash and potatoes are really soft and mash-able with a potato masher.  Then, mash away!  Add 1/4-1/2 C of uncooked quinoa and simmer until the quinoa opens into little spirals.  Add a cup or so of coconut milk for added creaminess.   That's it!  With butternut squash and potatoes so inexpensive, this becomes a great option for family meals.  Have over rice for added heartiness. 
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