Ode to a peanut butter sandwich

God bless George Washington Carver, that African-American marvel that invented peanut butter. I love that guy so much, I did a book report on him in sixth grade. I love him simply because he created one of the most comforting of comfort foods.
As a kid, in my house, if you turned your nose up at anything Mom made, you could replace it with a peanut butter sandwich. Peanut butter is good paired with anything. Some combinations I have tried and loved include peanut butter and jelly, of course, raisins, cinnamon-sugar, marshmallow fluff, and even pickles. Don't knock it til you've tried it.
If you slept over at my grandparents' house, not only would you be awakened by my Grampa sticking his finger in your ear, but after the cows were milked, Grampa would come up and make his specialty breakfast, Cream of Wheat, or Coco Wheat, your choice. But no bowl of this was complete unless you slather a slice of toast with peanut butter and then topped it with this hot cooked cereal.
My brother and I used to come home from school in search of snacks. Mom never really stocked up on prepared foods, opting for the homemade cookie instead. The cookie jar was not always full, more often than not, with five kids in the house, it was emptied quite quickly. So my brother came up with his favorite afternoon snack called the candy bar. He would start off with a spoon of peanut butter, some powdered milk, and some honey and mix it up til it got kinda hard. Then he would shape it into a log and find other things in the pantry to adorn it with. I am thinking raisins, chocolate chips, Nestle Quik, that kind of thing. Extra points for creativity. Some days it was goopier than others so he would freeze it first and then we would dig in! Disgustingly good. Nowadays, he has his wife to make delicious peanut butter balls, which are a chocolate covered melty peanut butter delight!
My favorite way to eat a peanut butter sandwich is with chicken noodle soup with a slight variation. I make my sandwich on pita bread and cut it with scissors into little crouton like shapes which I put in my soup. The peanut butter melts under the heat of the broth and the bread gets soft and noodly. It is good.
What's your favorite way to eat peanut butter?

Mujadarra - What would you do for a mess of pottage?

Way back before television, before there was such a thing as Klondike bars, people were making deals in exchange for treats that tantalize the taste buds. As the story goes, Esau exchanged his birthright to his fraternal twin Jacob for a mess of pottage, or what is known in Arabic as mujadarra. Mujadarra is made of the simplest ingredients, rice, lentils, and onions, things you probably have in your cupboard right now. If ever you don't know what to cook, or your cupboards are getting bare, it's time to make mujadarra.
A few days ago I made it for my family, adding "a ton of cumin" at a friend's suggestion. I don't normally play around with my mother in law's recipes, but I decided to take a walk on the wild side, throw caution to the wind and in went a heaping tablespoon of cumin. I was totally prepared to feed my husband something different. He doesn't like my getting creative with Arabic food. I must make it the way his mom makes it.
We set the table as we always do. I filled his plate. He took a bite. His eyes got big. Then he said "What did you do to this?" I had a split second of suppressing my urge to defend myself before he went on to say, "It's delicious!" Everyone at the table agreed and I believe we all ate seconds. Last night they fought over who finished the leftovers. It didn't end well, so I promised to make it for lunch again today. Again, I made it and again, they ate seconds. Fortunately Rod was born twenty minutes after Petra or I do believe he may try what Esau did. It's that good.
Here is my new and improved version of my mother in law's recipe:

1 and 1/2 cups brown lentils

6 cups water

2 large onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 and 1/2 cups rice

Add water and lentils to a large saucepan and boil for 20 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, dice one onion and fry in olive oil. The onions should be cooked until they caramelize and get dark. I add bits of water as the pan gets dry to avoid using too much oil. This takes time but is what gives the dish it's amazing flavor.

Once the onions are done, add the cumin, salt, and pepper to the pan and saute for a minute to release the flavors.

Add the onions to the lentils and water.

After the lentils have cooked for 20 minutes, add the rice and cook for another 20 minutes.

Slice the next onion into thin slivers and repeat the caramelizing. Set aside for a garnish.

Serve with yogurt and the fried onions. Make sure you make plenty to avoid future inheritance issues.

Kaak, the Jordanian Breakfast of Champions

How do I love thee? Let me count the sesame seeds.

A major perk of driving the kids to school is the opportunity to get fresh, and I mean FRESH, bread for my breakfast and sometimes sandwiches for the kids' lunches. What better way than to pull over and have it made for you. My favorite place to stop is at the second circle where the service is friendly and fast. What would you like on your kaak today? Falafel? Hard boiled egg? Zaatar? Cheese?

Kaak, it's fast, it's fresh and it's fabulous!

Froggy ate a corn dog, he did cry "Mmmmm, mmmm!"

I recently went to a potluck with my newly famous corn dogs. Corn dogs were one food we were missing from back home, and I decided to find myself a recipe. I tried a couple that I found online and then I found this one. It's definitely a keeper.
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/a-plus-fair-corn-dogs/Detail.aspx
I did make a slight variation to the recipe. I used 1/2 yogurt 1/2 milk instead of the buttermilk and I added 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder and 2 tablespoons ofartificial bacon bits. It would be just fine without these. Next time, if I put the bacon bits in I will cut down on the salt, I think it was too salty.
For the hot dogs I used cocktail sized chicken franks, but you could easily cut a full size hot dog in thirds. For the sticks, I used toothpicks which I dropped into the oil with the hot dogs. I thought I might have to replace them with new toothpicks afterwards, but in the end they worked just fine. Just make sure to drain those little suckers on plenty of paper towels to absorb the extra oil.
When I find myself with extra batter, I drop teaspoonfuls in the hot oil for yummy hush puppies!

Potluck Friday

Who doesn't love a good potluck? I mean, everyone can cook at least one thing good. And if you aren't into cooking there is always chips, dip, and drinks. For all of its appeal, it has never made it big in Jordanian society, except among the expatriates and transplants. I attend at least one potluck a week. It's a great way to invite yourself to someone else's house, no pressure for the host to do much of anything. Just make sure your bathrooms are clean and the coffee pot is always full.
Today, my husband invited our family to his sister's house for dinner. I'm sure it started with "What's cookin'?" and when he liked that she was making fish, a dish I could never make often enough for him, he said that we would be coming and bringing whatever it is I was going to make. It turned out quite well in the end. I brought some leftover mloukhia, a fresh pot of rice and the prettiest shepherd's pie I ever made. My sister in law made a pot of lentil and rice soup, a beautiful potato and beet salad, fries and of course the fish. We actually stayed long enough to have another round of lentil soup, this time served in mugs as we all watched Slumdog Millionaire with both Arabic and English subtitles.
It was great company and great food. I could do that more often. I hope my in-laws do the same and I will look forward to a fancy free feast at my house.

Kissin' wears out . . . cookin' don't!

So goes the famous Pennsylvania Dutch saying. Growing up German (Deutsch) in Pennsylvania, I was exposed to the culture through our food and some language, although I must say most of the language I heard required my grandfather to put a nickel in a jar for using words he should not utter. My grandmother enforced that, and probably was able to buy herself something nice from time to time as a result.
We did have some similarities to the German and Dutch who settled in the southern part of Pennsylvania. My grandfather was born on a farm and lived there his entire life. His family aptly named it Greenwald Farm, as it was walled in by mountains of greenery. The women in the family were into canning and quilting. We ate schnitzels and knadles and sauerkraut, as well as scrapple, fritters and shoo-fly pie.
Shoo-fly pie is one of my favorite desserts. I love to make it because it requires a little kitchen chemistry when you mix the baking soda, hot water and molasses. It foams right up and you pour it in the crust, top it with a streusel topping and pop it in the oven.
Necessity is the mother of invention and shoo-fly pie is an example of this. The settlers, who loved their pie and would eat it at any time of the day, traveled to America by boat and the ladies were able to make this pie out of the long lasting staples they took along on their journey. While the origin of the name has been debated for years, it is most likely because they had to shoo the flies away from this sweet treat. This dessert has actually a day, May 14th, designated in Pennsylvania to honor it. But you most certainly don't need to wait until then to enjoy it.
So . . .
When you come over - come out. (When you're in the area, drop by.)
I'll make you some dippy eggs. (I'll make you some eggs overeasy.)
Don't eat yourself full. (Don't fill yourself up.)
After I red the table, (After I clear the dishes from the table,)
there's shoo-fly pie back yet. (there is leftover shoo-fly pie.)
Or you can make it yourself using my mom's recipe:
Shoo-Fly Pie
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 8-inch pie shell
Preheat oven to 450 degrees (230 Celcius). Combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside. Mix together molasses, hot water, and baking soda. Pour into pie shell. Top with crumbly mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees (180 Celcius) and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.

On Julia and Julia

#1 Bestseller? Sure. I can see how this book would be a best-seller merely by the concept alone. A writer and avid foodie takes on Julia Child's cookbook in a yearlong project. 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen. This whole project covered through her blog. I really wanted to like it. I love cooking. I love writing about cooking. I love reading about cooking. I just didn't care all that much about Julie.
Putting down this book that everyone seemed to be reading was a difficult decision, but I was getting so little enjoyment out of it. Another thing that kept me going was that Meryl Streep acted and Nora Ephron directed this book turned movie. Those two endorsements alone made me doubt my gut instincts. Yet I could not get past page 68. I finally pulled out the bookmark, put the book in my purse and returned it to the friend who lent it to me.
Today, I watched the movie with my little kitchen helper, Layali. Here is the review through her eyes. This movie is kind of like Ratatouille. There is a lot of kissing. She didn't not like that, but she liked my having put my hand over her eyes until it was time to watch again. She watched in the same anticipation as I the scene with the boiling of the lobsters. She thought the aspic that fell from the mold eventually to the floor was "poop" because it kind of looked like it and because Julie yelled "Shit!" when it happened. Layali finally fell asleep in the middle of the boeuf bourguignonepisode.
So the movie was a far cry better than what I read of the book. I enjoyed it alot actually. To Julie's credit, she did take on a big project and for that I can admire her. I have gone maybe a week tops writing a daily blog before disappearing into my life for awhile. I never was a fan of Julia Child before, only having experienced her cooking show and that voice of hers at an age where anything different I would ridicule.
Please, skip the book, go straight to the movie. Go out and buy Mastering the Art of French Cooking instead. I might even buy The Joy of Cooking as well, although Julia would not be pleased with that decision.

Cari's Cravetastic Coffee Cake and the Hostess with the Mostess (plates to serve, that is)

One big benefit to the numerous coffee mornings I go to with friends is the ability to sample new and exciting treats. My friend, Cari, made the most wonderful coffee cake recently and I have been spreading the word about it. It was the most perfect coffee cake in texture in flavor that I have ever had. With a ribbon of fruit filling and a crunchy streusel topping as well as that hint of glaze, you will be craving it as well.

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Let them eat cake!

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I have made it twice already in the week and a half that she gave me the recipe. She made it with apple pie filling, but I could only get my hands on strawberry. It was darn tasty too, but the apples, oh! The second time I made it, I went to recipezaar and found a really easy recipe for apple pie fillingwhich I cooked up just for this cake. The variations are endless. Next time, I am going to make it with my homemade banana marmalade .

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Fruits on a plate

Tea on a tray

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Jordanians tend to go for a less sweet cake and I think this fills the bill quite well. I served it for my in-laws this week . It went along nicely with the coffee, tea, fruits, bizzer (seeds and nuts), and chocolates. But sadly, they all left before the last cup of coffee was served. I love playing hostess, but my timing is always off for my Arab guests. Inshallah, they feel welcome at my house. I shall keep trying!

Cari's Apple Nut Coffee Cake

Cake

1/2 cup butter softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

3 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup milk

1 can apple pie filling

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 tbs butter melted

Glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3/4 tsp vanilla
2-3 tsp water
In large bowl cream butter and sugar. Beat eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Pour half into a greased 13x 9 in. baking dish. Combine pie filling and cinnamon; spoon over batter (She adds a little sugar and dash of nutmeg). Drop remaining batter over filling. Spread gently.
Combine topping ingredients. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 min. or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on rack.
Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.

People are People Wherever You Go. . .

even when it comes to making a good cup of joe!

This morning, while searching for a chocolate zucchini cake recipe, I came across a list of hints from Heloise that were once copied by my grandmother in her looseleaf binder slash recipe book. Her children and grandchildren each have a copy shop bound 8 1/2 x 11 book of her recipes in her handwriting. My father and brother put it together so that there would be no squabbles among the womenfolk in our family; everyone treasured Gramma's recipes.
The tip that stood out to me today was this:

Secret of Instant Coffee: Bring water to boil. Then put instant coffee into water. Bring water to boil again. Let coffee sit for a minute or two. Then pour.

Interestingly, that is the same way you make Turkish coffee. My mother in law taught me some sixteen years ago in the same manner. Turkish coffee is a finely ground blend of medium and dark roasts mixed with some ground cardamom for flavor. However, it is not instant; you end up with those fine grounds settling like dregs in the bottom of your demitasse cup. In polite society, you can hold your saucer in one hand, cup in the other with your pinky raised to the heavens. Small sips from small cups, big flavor. If you are a smoker, like a large percentage of the population here in Jordan, it is ritual, a moment to be savored.
An interesting fact about coffee is that it is an Arabic invention. According to1001inventions.com:

The earliest cup of coffee was made in Yemen by a group of Sufis, who boiled the beans and drunk it to help them stay awake all night in prayers and remembrance of God (Allah) as early as 9th century. A group of their students took it to Cairo using it in their study circles at the al-Azhar university. From there the habit of drinking coffee took off in most Middle Eastern countries and by 13th century it reached Turkey.
Europe did not taste coffee until the 16th century first landing at Italy imported by Venetian merchants, who traded with Muslims in North Africa, Egypt and the East. The merchants first introduce the drink as a luxurious beverage destined for Venetian rich, charging them a considerable amount of money. This is how coffee first appeared in 1570 in Venetian ports quickly spreading to Venetian markets.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEx-bLgG8Ds]
Now if you go out to a restaurant here and order an American coffee, you better specify that you want it brewed or you might end up with the double the amount of the worst brand of instant which could only be consumed with large amounts of sugar and milk. Don't be fooled by the beautiful cup in which it is most likely to be served. If you like black coffee, you may as well forget it.
The lack of great brewed coffee at ordinary prices is why gatherings among my mostly American friends here in Jordan would not be complete without American coffee. Personally I prefer instant, in my case it truly is. I have a water cooler with constantly hot water available at all times. I have a coffee pot reserved for the special times that my friends come over. This week, though, my friends caught me off guard with an impromptu surprise birthday party at my house. They were forced to drink instant. Yesterday, I also had some friends over, but still no coffee.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_Gtb1kElRk]
If this keeps up, it looks like I will have to use Heloise's tip and force them to take the Folger's challenge. I really need to get to the grocery store more, I can't leave important decisions like coffee up to supermarket delivery. Well, the cake is ready. You better hurry on over if you want a piece. I'll make you a cup of coffee to go with it. It'll be ready in an instant. Really.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup yogurt or sour milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
6 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated or pureed zucchini

Beat eggs. Whisk in sugar. Add oil, yogurt and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together. Add to egg mixture. Fold in zucchini, mixing well. Pour into greased and floured tube pan. (I do not take responsibility if you decide to use a Bundt pan.) Bake for 50-60 minutes in 350 degree oven. Let cool 10 minutes. Remove from tube pan. Enjoy!

Sweet Dreams of Fudge

Today my kids enjoyed the last day of their holiday with friends. This was a first for me and I could really get used to a quiet house. My oldest is fifteen and has never had a babysitter outside of after school care when she was five. My youngest does not start school until next year, which means that I have never had a moment's real peace in all that time.
The twins were invited to go play with their cousins and the oldest took the youngest along with her to play with her friend's sister. The first thing I did when I returned from dropping them off was put on a playlist of MY favorite music. The music streamed through the house as I cleaned the bathrooms and kitchen. The smell of lemon Ajax wafted through the house.
My original plan was to sit down with a mug of coffee and a good book but with the couch all mine and no kids thinking I was the cushiest cushion to sit on, I stretched out my legs and relaxed. The coffee could wait and my eyes were getting heavy on the pages of my novel. I set it aside and curled up under a fuzzy blanket for a nap.
My dreams are often as amusing as any book I've read and today's was no different. I dreamt of making creamy chocolate fudge just like the kind my aunt makes and gives to her loved ones including me! Every year she makes batch after batch of fudge: chocolate, chocolate walnut, chocolate peanut butter, peanut butter and butterscotch. No one makes better fudge. Here is her recipe from the back of the marshmallow creme jar.
Fantasy Fudge
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup (6 oz. can) evaporated milk
1/4 cup margarine (or butter)
2 - 6 oz. packages semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 jar Kraft marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts
Combine sugar, milk, margarine in a large saucepan. Cook to soft ball stage (238 degrees F), stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, vanilla and nuts. Beat until well blended. Pour into greased 13"x9"x2" pan. Cool and cut.

A Well Seasoned Greeting

One thing about holidays worth looking forward to is the traditional baking and cooking that goes along with it. I married into a family of great cooks, but I was born into a family of great bakers! Certain members of the family perfected certain recipes, and we would all come together during Christmas to share our goodies. Gramma B. made amazing sugar cookies with frosting, decorated by her grandchildren. Gramma C. made rock candy, covered in powdered sugar. Aunt Helen is most famous for her fudge, Aunt Marilyn for her holiday Chex Mix and Mexican wedding cakes, Aunt Bonnie for her pumpkin roll. The cookie creations done under our roof included chocolate crinkles, thumbprints, and other cookies from my mother's recipe file.
My husband is convinced that good cooks are a sign of a generous person. One such person that I know, if the converse of this motto rings true, must be the best baker ever. I've been keeping track of her long list of cookies, cakes and pies by way of her facebook status updates. Here it is in alphabetical order, no less, so as not to favor one sweet over another: Apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate crinkles, lemonade cookies, magic middles, Mexican Wedding balls, peanut butter, peanut butter chip, pecan swirl cookies, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin rolls, and sugar cookies. She starts her baking in November right on up to Christmas. She was also generous enough to share her recipe for Magic Middles, a chocolate peanut butter cookie on the outside, and a surprise blast of peanut butter on the inside. I am planning on making these very soon. Here is her recipe:

Magic Peanut Butter Middles
1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 egg
1/2 cup margarine, softened 3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup peanut butter 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/s cup sugar

Mix flour, baking cocoa and baking soda in small bowl. Cream margarine, 1/4 cup peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and egg. Add dry ingredients; mix well and set aside. Blend 3/4 cup peanut butter and confectioners' sugar in small bowl. Shape into thirty 1-inch balls. Shape reserved dough by tablespoonfuls around balls, enclosing completely. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press with bottom of glass dipped in additional sugar to flatten. Bake @ 375' until set with slight cracks. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen.

**I take about a tablespoon of the chocolate dough and flatten it in the palm of my hand and then put the ball in the center and wrap the dough around it, pinching off any extra dough.

**** And we have found with our Oven that our baking time is 8 minutes.

the more you toot the better you feel . . .

That word toot reminds me of a little ditty we used to sing as children:

Beans, beans, the musical fruit.
The more you eat them, the more you toot.
The more you toot the better you feel,
So let's eat beans for every meal.

So, in honor of this auspicious occasion I am reposting my blog on beans:
A friend of mine passed this along and I am still chuckling when I think about it. I was planning on writing about food today, so today's topic will be baked beans.
Baked Beans - This is hilarious!

One day I met a sweet gentleman and fell in love. When it became apparent that we would marry, I made the supreme sacrifice and gave up beans. Some months later, on my birthday, my car broke down on the way home from work. Since I lived in the countryside I called my husband and told him that I would be late because I had to walk home.
On my way, I passed by a small diner and the odor of baked beans was more than I could stand. With miles to walk, I figured that I would walk off any ill effects by the time I reached home, so I stopped at the diner and before I knew it, I had consumed
three large orders of baked beans. All the way home, I made sure that I released ALL the gas.
Upon my arrival, my husband seemed excited to see me and exclaimed delightedly: "Darling I have a surprise for dinner tonight!" He then blindfolded me and led me to my chair at the dinner table. I took a seat and just as he was about to remove my blindfold, the telephone rang. He made me promise not to touch the blindfold until he returned and went to answer the call. The baked beans I had consumed were still affecting me and the pressure was becoming most unbearable, so while my husband was out of the room I seized the opportunity, shifted my weight to one leg and let one go. It was not only loud, but it smelled like a fertilizer truck running over a skunk in front of a pulpwood mill. I took my napkin from my lap and fanned the air around me vigorously. Then, shifting to the other cheek, I ripped off three more.
The stink was worse than cooked cabbage!!!
Keeping my ears carefully tuned to the conversation in the other room, I went on like this for another few minutes. The pleasure was indescribable. When eventually the telephone farewells signaled the end of my freedom, I quickly fanned the air a few more times with my napkin, placed it on my lap and folded my hands back on it feeling very relieved and pleased with myself. My face must have been the picture of innocence when my husband returned, apologizing for taking so long. He asked me if I had peeked through the blindfold, and I assured him I had not.
At this point, he removed the blindfold, and twelve dinner guests seated around the table chorused: "Happy Birthday!" I fainted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, I still can't stop laughing at the thought. I could never give up beans. Living in Jordan, we eat hummus and falafel constantly. My kids couldn't be happier than the days when lunch is hot dogs and baked beans. Neither could I because it is the easiest to prepare! Never do we eat them just out of the can. Although in the states you can find great canned baked beans, like Bush's vegetarian, if you were to find them here you would pay dearly. Spicing them up is quite easy. Just add a nice spoon of brown sugar, and a squirt of mustard. I always add a small container of tomato paste to to make it saucier. Sopping up fresh bread in the sauce is so tasty. Sometimes I add barbecue sauce or liquid smoke.

Fasoolya Bayda

Another no fail meal at my house is an Arabic stew called Fasoolya Bayda, or white beans. If you have a pressure cooker, it is a very fast meal to prepare. Here is the recipe:
1 lb. stew beef (you can always adjust this amount to your liking. We have been using 1/2 these days)
2 tablespoons corn oil
1 small can or box of tomato paste
2 teaspoons bharrat (mixed spices, you could simply add cumin, cinnamon, coriander, a tiny bit of cloves)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (more or less to taste, but don't leave it out!)
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large can crushed tomatoes, or about 6 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 cups water
2 cans your choice of white bean (cannellini, navy, Great Northern beans) I prefer the biggest I can find, they are so creamy and soothing especially on a cold winter day
Heat oil in large pot. Sear beef by cooking a few minutes before stirring. Stir and sear other side. Add tomato paste and spices and stir well. Add chopped tomatoes and water. Simmer for a couple of hours until meat is very tender, or if using a pressure cooker, cook for 10 minutes after the pressure has risen. Drain beans and add to stew. Heat through. Serve over rice.

Makin' The Mansaf Illustrated

Some time ago, I told my sister that my husband asked some people over for mansaf. She asked, "Mansaf? What is that? A dish? A holiday?" I can say a bit of both. It is definitely an occasion when you make or are invited for mansaf. So I thought I would illustrate it through photos.

Skimmin' the scum, as long as there's some - 

a clear broth is a tasty broth!

Simmerin' the meat, four hours on low heat - 

lamb on the bone simmered til mistawee (soft)

Gratin' the jameed, a smooth texture we need - 

Jameed is basically dried yogurt balls.

Losin' count of the steps that it takes for food prep - 

soak the rice, soak the jameed, fry the pine nuts and almonds

Strainin' the broth and cleanin' the lamb will make your guests' 

tastebuds happy as a clam - This is really the difference between 

great mansaf and mansaf.

Two pots for rice should hopefully suffice - there WILL be leftovers, 

on that you can be sure, but presentation is everything, 

less is definitely not more. The short grained rice is cooked 

with salt, a little oil, and turmeric to make them think 

you put that fatty semneh (clarified butter), and the lamb broth.

Layerin' it on a silver platter so your guests can all get fatter! - 

The rice is layered over very thin bread and covered with a smidgen of broth 

that has been cooked with jameed. Next comes the lamb pieces,

the fried pine nuts and almonds and more of the jameed.

After fulfillin' their stomachs' wishes, all that's left is the dishes.

Cleanin' up after mansaf, soap is not enough. 

You need lemons to get out that lamby smellin' stuff.

When it comes to eatin' mansaf, you gotta eat it with your hands. 

It's what separates the womans from the mans. 

- Rod eating his first mensaf when he was just two

Eight Ball Zucchini - How Darling

I came across this recipe for stuffed zucchini (cousa) and was struck by the shape of the squash. I sure wish we could find this in Jordan, maybe I would find myself making this cherished Jordanian dish more often.
I recently posted a recipe for stuffed cousa on recipezaar. I got my first rating on that dish. Sadly, I only got 3 stars out of five because I cooked it in tomato sauce, the only way I eat it. The reviewer left out the turmeric so as not to yellow her fingers, a big mistake, as I imagine a bland stuffed cousa would be like eating a dirty dishrag.
I have been wondering ever since, how do other families prepare their cousa mashi? In tomato sauce? In broth? In jameed? I would love to hear how you eat yours. And if you happen to look at my recipe, and it looks like yours, would you kindly rate it for me? 3 stars just will not do for my mother in law's famous stuffed cousa.

Introduction to baking, recipe cards and wacky cakes

I have been baking since I was just a young girl. My mother inspired me then as she always would with the love of baking. It must have started the Christmas that I decided Santa should bring me an EasyBake oven. Never did get the thing, but my mom shrugged it off with a "Who needs one of those, when you can bake with the REAL thing."
She then got out her recipe box which held index cards categorized by dish and organized alphabetically. They were all in her neat handwriting. My mother would redo all the recipes after the cards got tattered at the edges, sprinkled with too much flour, or occasionally spattered by oil. Her organization was a real blessing. She gave me her old ones which I use to this day, in my own recipe box. I have no plans on replacing them.
She pulled out a recipe for Wacky Cake, the first cake I baked myself. I still make it today as the ultimate in comfort food for more reasons than one! It is about the moistest cake you will taste, even the crumbs are moist. Also, it is chocolate! Need I say more!
What gives Wacky Cake it's name? It could be the fact that it has no eggs, or because you only need a square cake pan, a fork and some measuring utensils. The directions themselves are a bit wacky. Wacky enough that I pretty much committed it to memory all those years ago.
Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon vinegar
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water, cold
Put the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in an 8x8x2 square baking pan and stir til well blended with a fork.
Make three holes in the flour mixture. One small, one medium, one big.
In the small hole, put the vanilla.
In the medium hole, put the vinegar.
In the large hole, put the oil.
Pour the water on top of it all.
Mix well with fork.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Eat it hot, eat it cold, eat it the next day, if you are lucky enough to have any left.

Gramma's Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

This is definitely a tried and true recipe. My grandmother made double and triple batches of these every year for hunting season and Christmas time. We would always plan a sleepover for this occasion, making the cookie dough at night and baking them the next day. The decorating was a chore that had to be done for my grandmother, but for her grandchildren it was more like four dozen canvases awaiting adornment. After frosting them, you will want to let the frosting dry a bit before storing them. They freeze nicely and make a nice treat for a guest if you can keep yourself from eating them all!

During hunting season, men from Pennsylvania and even surrounding states would come to our sleepy little town during hunting season. They would hunt for deer, buck or doe, depending on the season. So many hunters would come that there would literally be no room at the inn to house them all. So enterprising housewives and their husbands would put them up for room and board. The ladies would ready their spare bedrooms, attics, basements with beds for their yearly boarders. During the hunters' stay, the ladies would wake up way before sunrise to fix them a hearty breakfast and pack each of them a brown bag lunch to take along with them on their excursion into the woods.

My grandmother had a variety of cookies, wrapped in wax paper, stapled shut, prepared weeks in advance stashed in the freezer for this whirlwind week of food preparation. Always the stand-bys were pineapple drop cookies, chocolate chip and sugar cookies. You know, if no deer were caught that year, they at least had the consolation of having my Gramma's homemade cookies to ease their discontent.

For a new twist on an old recipe, I made these with my kids a couple weeks ago as cookie pizzas like the kind you make on Club Penguin. Don't know what Club Penguin is? Ask any computer savvy kid and they will tell you.

Petra and Layali showing off their pizzas

Yesterday, a few friends came over and I served cookies in the shape of hearts, mittens and circles. The kids loved the shapes, but my personal favorite is the round circle that I cut with a biscuit cutter. The shape makes the perfect texture of crisp at the edges and soft, just sink your teeth in. They asked for the recipe so here it is, before I forget! I must forewarn you, once you make these, you will be getting requests to make them and often. As my sister and I always lament, a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.

Sugar Cookies

1 cup margarine or butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

5 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup canned milk (I have substituted regular milk with no problems)

Cream margarine and sugar in mixing bowl. Add eggs, one at a time. Sift dry ingredients in separate bowl. Add flour to egg mixture alternating with milk. Chill dough overnight. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes before they turn golden. Remove immediately from cookie sheet. Frost when completely cool.

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 pound of powdered sugar

dash of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-4 tablespoons milk

Cream butter in mixing bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with vanilla and milk. Add as much milk as necessary to get desired consistency.

just a trifle

See the Happy Housewife - notice NO Bundt pans.

Yesterday afternoon, as my husband was heading out for his swim before going to work, we got a call from relatives from out of town who wanted to visit. Nothing like unexpected company! As my husband walked out the door, he said "Why don't you whip something up for tonight?" which meant something sweet, baked and homemade, set to dazzle their taste buds.

My mind was still scattered from being around my rowdy kids all day so I turned to the help of my friends via facebook status update. The tricky part to this dilemma was that I am due to making some serious grocery shopping to restock my shelves. The only "special" if you can call it that ingredient I had was brown sugar. Their suggestions were slow in coming but I got this: peanut brittle (no peanuts), baklava (only if hubby would spring for it, and he prefers to show off my culinary talents), spice cake and jello (impressing them with my jiggle isn't what I had in mind, I do that without trying!)

So I whipped out my favorite all-around cake recipe that I got from recipezaar. It's called sand cake, and there must be a story behind that, although I don't yet know why. This recipe has unlimited variations based on what you have on hand. As for the spices, I have a rack full of them, so I made a combination of cardamom, cloves, allspice, and ginger. I also threw in some apricot preserves for added pizazz. I am a bowl-licker and it was tasting good already.

When selecting the pan, I turned to my teenage daughter and gave her a choice of springform-tube pan (sensible choice) and the Bundt pan. She chose the Bundt pan. Needless to say, after finishing this fine cake, waiting ten minutes for it to cool a bit, running a knife along the edges, the best I could, I flipped it while uttering a little prayer. It fell. I lifted the pan up and Aaaarrgh! No this can't be happening! The entire outside of the cake is still in the pan!

I remembered a little dish called a trifle. I didn't make it, actually we scrapped our plans for sweets in the end and my husband brought something. But it made me wonder about the origin of such a dish. This is by no means factual, but I will google it later to get to the bottom of this dish (no pun intended). I am imagining that another frazzled but trying to be amazing wife made a cake in a Bundt pan for her husband and his relatives. The Bundt pan, by the way, I have renamed the Pan from Hell. The pan let her down as well. She had no alternative but to salvage this dessert, so she whipped up a little sauce, whipped up a little cream and adorned it with nuts and chocolate shavings.

When serving her guests, she had no name for it other than "a little something I whipped up". Her guests were leary and held out their plates saying "just a trifle" for the amount of their serving, hence the name trifle. Luckily, the wife amazed them in the end, and the dessert was made on purpose, not by mistake by thousands, millions, maybe billions to follow her lead. And she lived happily ever after, or at least until her husband sprung surprise guests upon her again.

The End!

Note: Try googling Bundt pan and you will not find a disastrous picture in the bunch. I sense a conspiracy.