WEEKLY MENU 09.11.22
We’re hitting the archives during the Weekly Menu 09.11.22 and bringing up some oldies but some goodies for dinner.
We’re heading for Grandma Schultz’s recipe box to help with dinner ideas for the Weekly Menu 09.11.22. The oldies but goodies are still awesome, and it’s beyond time to include them in the plan.
Grandma Schultz was, from all accounts, quite a cook. (The Rum Balls are a Christmas treat that is her recipe.) My Mom was also an exceptional cook. Because I always loved cooking, I was the lucky recipient of Grandma Schultz’s Recipe Box when it was handed down. Mom had made it hers and added a fair amount to it. Never one to waste space, Mom often put her favorite recipes on the back of Grandma Schultz’s, so they’re often a twofer.
Spoiler alert: you have to read (flowery) cursive to explore.
I mentioned in the Weekly Menu 08.21.22 that I was planning on making Grandma Schultz’s Chili Sauce. And I did! This is Mom’s writing – she transcribed the recipe years ago.
I’m not going to lie to you here. It was a labor of love. I would heartily recommend a partner in this endeavor. Mostly because spending time with Mom was what I remembered most when I was making the Chili Sauce. But also? Peeling, seeding and chopping a full basket of tomatoes is exhausting. This grinder, which was also passed down to me, was the biggest time suck.
I tried to make it work. And tried, and tried… I finally threw in the towel (literally) after I realized it was simply smushing the peppers and tomatoes. FAIL! I turned to my trusty Misen Chefs Knife (Affiliate links precede and follow. See Disclaimer Page for Details) and cut the hell out of the peppers, onions and tomatoes.
And then the cooking began.
This sauce cooked for about 2 1/2 hours, with constant attention. I had a huge pot (also passed down) and bought a big wooden paddle to stir. The sauce has six cups of sugar, so it sticks (and burns) if you (or your partner) isn’t constantly vigilant. Those little black flakes aren’t supposed to be part of the final process.
One adjustment I needed to make was for the seasoning. I use kosher salt almost exclusively when I cook. (Pick it up the grocery store – the prices on Amazon are high, probably to cover shipping.) (Table salt is for putting on corn on the cob and for baking recipes that specifically call for it like the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies.) Kosher salt is not nearly as salinic. And the salt is really important in this recipe. Tomatoes need plenty – it completely changes the flavor if there isn’t enough in there. This is a condiment – we’re not drinking it like soup. (Well, except for the OG Baby Boy. But that’s a story for a different day.) This recipe is not the time to watch your salt intake.
Even starting out with 5 tablespoons, I added another tablespoon of kosher salt later in the cooking after I had tasted (and tasted some more.) And that’s one of the issues with older recipes – they often need some tweaking to bring them up to date. Plus sometimes you need an interpreter. What was oleo anyway?
We went back to the box for these goodies for the Weekly Menu 09.10.22~
There is actually nothing better than a little Hot Fudge on some good vanilla ice cream. Everyone should have this recipe in their back pocket.
I found this when I was looking through the box (a true pleasure, but another time suck) and decided to include it with dinner on Sunday. I’ve never made it before, but it looks a little like a Wedge Salad precursor. And there isn’t any lettuce listed, but I’m assuming that Iceberg is the go-to here, as it was probably the only one she could find at the grocery store back in the day. I’ll take pictures.
Weekly Menu 09.11.22
On Sunday, we’re having a take on another classic: Salisbury Steak. It’s ground meat with chopped onions in it, formed into a big oblong patty. Normally it has a brown gravy. Not this week. Bert’s going to grill them, then we’ll add some sauce – made with about a cup of Chili Sauce (you can use store bought too) and 2 tablespoons of butter melted in a little saucepan. Delightful!
We’re having plain chicken on Wednesday. Why, yes. It is simply a vehicle for more Chili Sauce.
WEEKLY MENU 09.11.22
