Hola Kossacks and friends! Welcome to another edition of the Depressed Kitchen where your friend MaKettle tries to do more with less, utilizing my huge collection of cook books which dates back as far as 1916, and of course Grandma Kettle, a bonfide child of the Great Depression.
This week was no different than any other week for the Kettle's and most Americans. We are all still fighting against fear and ambiguity in an effort to provide stability for our families and our future. I think it would be best if I just quit reading Krugman, I usually come away from his articles feeling pretty low, and this week was no exception. Basically he told us that the economy is still going down the toilet, we are just circling the bowl a little more slowly. Everybody raise your arms and yell YIPPEE! Does it feel like a rollercoaster yet?
Bondad has a great diary about what Krugman was forcing us to face. Hell, we know what the stakes are, and how bad it is, and how much worse it could get. I don't need Krugman or Bondad to tell me, all I have to do is look at my checkbook (imagine a moth flies out of it). Yeah, we are all broke, but hey next week I might be able to afford two new tires for Pa's ride, so at least the necessities are mostly covered for now. I have no clue what will happen this summer when my part time job ends. I have 10 applications out there, and next week I will try to get ten more out. Seems like teachers always get the wrong end of the lollipop.
Leftovers: love them or hate them, we save money when we eat them. Some folks will not eat left overs, so the home cook must disguise them. Personally, if I set it on the table, they will eat it or they can have a bowl of cereal. Usually I don't have much of a problem, because there are some surefire leftover dishes that I know they will eat. Here is one of them
Beef Pot Pie
1 cup or more of diced left over beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
any amount of mushrooms diced (optional)
1/2 cup other vegetable you like (nothing cruciferous but parsnips or turnips would be ok)
1/2 cup small diced potato (optional)
1 clove of garlic crushed
1 cup brown gravy (make your own or use a mix or even that jarred stuff (ick))
Your favorite seasonings.
1/2 recipe of your favorite pie crust.
Throw all of the veggies and sesonings in a saute pan with a little oil or butter. When they are soft throw in the beef. When everything is heated through add the gravy and simmer on low while you bake the pie crust. Spread the crust out on a baking sheet and cut out a circle for each person. Bake at 350 until light brown and crispy. Crumble some pie crst into the bottom of each bowl, top with filling, and finally top with crust circles. You could also top this with mashed potatoes. HOORAY FOR LEFTOVERS!
Spring has definately sprung here in central California. My backyard is alive with the sounds of birds and the smell of blooms. I can already tell that we will have a bumper crop of grapes in the arbor, peaches, onions and figs. This makes me feel good. I like knowing that for the veggie component of some meals will come from my own place. How is that for local. I am already planning peach preserves and cobbler. For now I have to make do with what I have, and today I have brown bananas. This recipe came to me from a woman who came here from Yemen. She was a nice lady with five kids who knew a lot about not spending money.
Banana Bread Pudding
1 loaf hawaiian or brioche bread (any bread will do really)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1cup milk
1tbs cinnamon
1/2tsp nutmeg
1 tbs vanilla
1tbs rum
1-2 squashed brown bananas
1/2 cup raisins or craisins (optional)
Mix everything but the bread in a large bowl. Tear the bread into bite sized pieces and put into the mixture. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Pour into a greased 8x8 pan, and place that pan in a larger pan and fill the larger pan about 1/2 way with water. Bake at 350 until a knife comes out clean. Serve warm or cold, with hard sauce or whipped cream. Refrigerate the left overs (what left overs?).
Have you ever come to the end of a pack of sausages and had maybe two or three left? Not enough for everybody, but too much to just toss out. You could fry them up for the dog, JaneDoe is a lucky dog, or you could make what the 1943 Health for Victory Club called
Milk Gravy and Fried Salt Pork
1 lb or about salt pork (or a combo of bacon and those left over sausages)
1/3 cup drippings
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp salt (you may not need this if using salt pork or salty bacon)
1/4 tsp pepper
Fry up the sausage, pork or bacon. Fish it out and brown the flour in the drippings. Gradually add the milk and water and seasonings. Add seasonings and cook until thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over: biscuits, toast, cornbread, fresh bread, grits, polenta, etc.
I was digging through my freezer for odds and ends and found a smoked turkey wing. I also found some frozen chicken stock and figured the kitchen muse was telling me beans and corn bread. I have dry navy, pinto, and black eyes. It doesn't get much cheaper than this.
Boiled Beans and Smoked Turkey Wings
Soak a lb of beans overnight.
Bring about 6 cups of chicken stock to simmer and throw in the smoked wings. I like to add some tobasco, chilli flakes, and garlic. Simmer for about 1-2 hours, we want to infuse the broth and get the meat to fall from the bone. Pick the meat off and remove bones. Put in the beans you had soaked and simmer another hour or two, then put in some diced onion, more tobasco, salt, pepper. Serve this with corn bread and a spinach salad.
I have definately begun to notice some deflation happening in the supermarket. Definately some cuts of meat are getting cheaper. I got a deep pit roast for a buck a pound this week. I also found a chicken for 3 dollars and some london broil for 1.88 per lb. I haven't seen stuff this cheap in awhile. I am not sure if it is producers pulling back production, or store managers not selling enough of certain items, but even canned and frozen goods have started to decline. I have never seen such in my lifetime and don't quite know what to make of it. Is it happening where you live too? I am not complaining, I am just wondering what this bodes for the future.
A Kettle Classic, this recipe actually comes from America Cooks 1940. We can all recognize the basic use up leftoverness of this recipe. I like it the way it's presented, with chicken, but would add some cheese and green chilis to the filling. You could, of course use ground or shredded beef, or pork.
Chicken Tamale Pie
1 quart masa
Gravy from chicken, (some tomato sauce would work too)
2 tsp chilli powder
1 crushed garlic clove
2 cups cooked diced small or shredded chicken
sliced black olives
Line a baking dish with the masa, mix the gravy, chilli powder salt and garlic. Spread meat over the masa, sprinkle with olives, top with gravy, and then another layer of masa. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Ok friends, tell me how you are using up your leftovers this week!