David Eyre's Pancake

David Eyre's "Hawaiian" Pancake 

A while back, the New York Times Food section asked readers for their all time favorite recipes.  The response was overwhelming, and this was one of the best.  We lived in Illinois at the time, but got the Sunday Times.  I made it immediately, as apparently did many others.  The next week, there came a retraction.  4 Tablespoons, not 8 of butter. The following week, more comments, mostly to the effect that 8 T. of butter was just fine, thank  you.  This is cheap to make but today for 4 people, I made three.  Two regular size, and a small half-size (2 T. of butter).  Please use real butter--stock up when it's on sale and freeze.  Freshly grated nutmeg is best, and for heaven's sake use an honest-to-god lemon, not store-bought lemon juice.  Yuck!  I just use  generous squeeze of lemon, and also, maybe somewhat less powdered sugar.  Experiment until you find the exact right proportion for your family.  Cast iron works best.  Flour, milk, and eggs.  What could be simpler?  

Here is the link to the recipe and some of the history, etc.  Life is good.  David Eyre's Pancake

Good and Simple Chocolate Cookies

Made these last week.  Gave some to the neighbors and froze the rest.  I am sorry to say that we kept defrosting a few at a time and eating them.  I had some chocolate leftover from Christmas baking.  This is a recipe that would lend itself well to half-butter, half-shortening.  I would use those bars of Crisco that are shaped like quarter pounds of butter.  Half and half will yield a nice crisp cookie.  If you're not into crisp, use all butter. 


You can leave the dough in the fridge for a few days and bake the cookies as needed.  These are really good.    I don't know why they're called chocolate "macaroons," but that's their name.  Do not expect a standard macaroon.  I think the recipe is an old one from The New York Times.  I daresay that I'm an old fogey, because the older recipes are the best.  


Chocolate Macaroons


1/2 cup shortening
4 squares (ounces) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt


Confectioners' sugar. 

1.  Melt shortening and chocolate in top of double boiler. 
2.  Stir in the sugar.  Transfer to a bowl and beat until the sugar is no longer grainy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Note:  This is a good workout for your arm.
3.  Fold in the flour sifted with the baking powder and salt.  Chill the dough at least three hours.
4.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. 

5.  Shape teaspoons of dough into balls.  Roll balls in the confectioners' sugar.  Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake 10 minutes.  The cookies will be soft when taken from the oven.  Cool on a rack 

About 5 dozen  
I used parchment paper on the cookie sheet and that worked, too.  I'm sure this recipe predates parchment paper for home cooks.  


Bon Appetit!

Leveraging Leftovers

Last night we ate at a new Chinese place in the neighborhood, and ordered too much, which is to say we brought most of one vegetarian fried rice and a chicken/shrimp/pork fried rice home. 
But it wasn't enough for the (this week) four of us.  I dug out my recipe file and found the recently made yakisoba with pork and cabbage.  I needed to buy the good Chinese noodles, a pork chop and cabbage.  Not too pricey for four.  We reheated the (copious) fried rice and I  divided the yakisoba into vegetarian (no pork) and meat.  We had a delicious dinner for just a few dollars.

Yakisoba with Pork and Cabbage

Tomorrow I'm cooking the world's best macaroni and cheese, so I bought mild cheddar and condensed milk.  There's going to be a kickass dessert.  Chocolate Pecan Pie.  How do you like them apples?  I have a gigantic bag of pecans in the freezer, and so tomorrow's dinner will be good, good, good.  By the way, we're having broccoli and salad, too, so it won't just be a cheese/chocolate frenzy, although there is nothing the matter with that.

Here is Emeril's recipe.  Not the one I am using (an old New York Times Sunday Magazine one), but Emeril's recipe's rock. Chocolate Pecan Pie from Emeril

Yours in frugality, 

The Cheeseparer  

Oatmeal Pancakes with Ham and Two Syrups

Pancakes in various stages of grilling

Tonight between the football games, we tried the healthy oatmeal pancakes from the New York Times.  They were easy to make (tended to fall apart a bit) and I cut up a ham steak and served it along with the pancakes and apricot and maple syrups instead of honey.  Quite tasty and filling and there's enough left for tomorrow morning, always a bonus.  Here is how they looked on the table, and they kinda sorta matched the tablecloth.  Who knew?

Ready, Set, Eat!

Oatmeal Pancakes Deluxe  

For delicious apricot syrup and dried apricots and other goodies, order at 

The Apricot King