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2001

TODAY's CASES:

Barley Soup

----- Original Message -----
From: Terry
To: 
Sent: Monday, December 11, 2000 17:50
Subject: Barley Soup


> Can you find a low fat Barley Soup recipe?
>
> Thank you
>
>Terry

Hi Terry,

The first one below is highly recommended on the fat-free site, although I haven't tried it myself. The others sound pretty good, too.

Phaed

Barley Soup

3/4 cup or so precooked barley
2-3 kinds of mushrooms - lots! (The 'ordinary' kind are great, plus
 portobello cut thin and nice and those black Chinese mushrooms.
1 carrot (chopped up fairly well)
1 medium onion (chopped up fairly well)
2 ribs of celery (chopped well)
2-3 cloves of garlic
some really good veggie broth (about 4-6 cups or so)
any spice you want. Good ones: oregano, some basil, pepper, sage and 
some dill. tamari soy sauce, if desired

Put onion in 1/2 broth and saute.  Add garlic after 5 minutes or so.
Add the rest of mushrooms & veggies plus 1/2 cup more broth.  Let cook
for 10-20 minutes or so and add the barley, more broth and spices as
appropriately.
----------------------------------
Barley and Vegetable Soup

3/4 cup medium pearl barley
11 cups vegetable stock
2 T. saute liquid (stock/wine/water)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
salt to taste
1/2 bunch parsley

* In a saucepan, combine the barley and
  3 cups of vegetable stock. Bring to a
  boil over medium heat, cover, and
  simmer for 1 hour, or until the
  liquid is absorbed.
* Meanwhile, heat the saute liquid in a
  large pot and add the onion, carrots,
  celery, and mushrooms. Cover and
  sweat the vegetables for about 5
  minutes, until they begin to soften.
* Add the remaining vegetable stock and
  simmer 30 minutes, covered.
* Add the barley and simmer 5 minutes
  more. Add salt to taste and ladle
  into bowls. Serve garnished with some
  chopped fresh parsley.
-----------------------------------------------
This recipe is for a very warming thick soup that is great on a cold winter
night:

1)Saute 4 large onions in some good oil with a little butter, too, until
wilted and slightly browned.
2)Add 7-9 cups of hot and clear vegetable stock and 1/2 cup of uncooked
barley, and 1 tbl. sea salt.
3)Bring to boil. Simmer for one hour.
4)Serve with a salad and a good crusty bread. It is almost like a stew.

HINT:  The more stock the more liquidy.  Less stock or more barley, the more
it becomes like stew.  You can add a little white miso to the individual
bowls before serving.
 

The Case of the Strangled Priest

----- Original Message ----- 
  From: rosalu 
  To: phaedrus 
  Cc: HAC 
  Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2000 15:55
  Subject: Find recipe


  Hi!  So happy to meet you.  I am looking for an Italian
  recipe-Strozzapettrealaboscioala 
  (I am not sure of the spelling)-translation:
  Strangled Priest with mushrooms.  Can you help?

  Thank you and Happy Holidays.

  Rosalu
  

Hi Rosalu

I have a recipe for Strangled Priest (below), but it is not "alla boscaiolo", which means "woodsman's style". Boscaiolo is a sauce made with wild mushrooms and tomatoes.

This site has a strangled priest recipe that you can request by e-mail: https://www.mayas.com/emailrecipes/
The recipe is listed in "Recipes S through Z " on that site.

You might also try:
https://italianfood.about.com

Phaed

  Strangled  Priest 

Ingredients : 
4 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 1/2 lbs. fresh spinach or 20 oz. frozen spinach, thoroughly defrosted, cooked, squeezed of excess water & chopped
3/4 c. ricotta cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
6 tbsp. flour
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper & nutmeg

Preparation : 
Melt butter over moderate heat.  Add chopped spinach and cook,
stirring occasionally for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add ricotta and cook,
stirring 3 to 4 minutes longer.  Transfer the spinach-ricotta
mixture to a large bowl and mix eggs, flour, Parmesan, salt, pepper
and nutmeg.  Place in refrigerator at least 1 hour or until quite
firm.  Bring water and salt to simmer over moderate heat.  Flour
hands lightly, pick up about 1 tablespoon of Gnocchi mixture and
shape into a small ball.  Gently drop into simmering water, cook
uncovered for about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and cover with butter
sauce or tomato sauce.  Add a lot of Parmesan cheese.  Serves 4 to
6.  Supposedly, an Italian priest was so fond of this recipe that
one fateful day he ate so many of these Gnocchi that he choked to
death, thus the name, "Strangled Priest"!  

12/13/2012

This dish, "Strozzapreti alla boscaiolo," is also called "Strozzapreti ai funghi" and "Strozzapreti con funghi." There is a recipe in English here as "Strozzapreti ai funghi":
Petitchef

There are recipes in Italian as "Strozzapreti alla boscaiolo" on these sites:

Cookaround

Diredonna

Hotel Diamond

Ascuolaconlochef


Homemade Vinegar

 ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jon 
  To: phaedrus 
  Sent: Monday, December 11, 2000 15:27
  Subject: fruit vinegars


  Dear Uncle Phaedus,
Do you have access to an Heirloom, "Antique" or old recipe for making fruit vinegars?
A friend gave me a recipe for tomato wine to use as a base, but I am afraid the 
winemakers' yeast may actually retard the wine turning into vinegar.
I would prefer an older farm-type recipe if possible.

  Thanks a bushel
  jon
  

Hi Jon,

Jon, let's talk about vinegar..... Do you want to make vinegar from fruit? Or do you want to make fruit-flavored vinegar?

The first is not much fun, and you may not be happy with the results. If that's really what you want to do, go to this site:
https://www.vinegarman.com/VinegarMaking.html
This site tells you how to make vinegar from scratch using fruit juice and unpasteurized vinegar as a "starter". You might also try to locate a "vinegar mother" for use as a starter.
I searched through several books that have old-fashioned recipes, and none had any vinegar recipes that were much different from the one on VinegarMan's site. All of them used regular vinegar and added fruit to it to make fruit-flavored vinegars.

On the other hand, if you want to make fruit-flavored vinegar, that's pretty easy, and it's been done the same way for hundreds of years:

1) You take your ordinary vinegar: apple cider vinegar, or wine vinegar, or plain old white vinegar,

and

2)You add fruit to it for flavor, let it absorb the flavor, and then strain it. Flavored vinegars have been made this way for centuries. We have an 1824 cookbook that makes raspberry vinegar this way. Below are a couple of good links to sites with recipes for making flavored vinegars, and below them are several recipes.

Phaed

https://soar.berkeley.edu/recipes/vinegars/

https://www.qvctc.commnet.edu/student/eleanorcote/herbbu.html

  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  Fruit Vinegar (2 cups)
  Adapted from Making and Using Flavored Vinegars by Glenn Andrews

  2 cups wine vinegar
  2- 2 1/2 cups organic raspberries*, lightly mashed
  2 Tbs. sugar or honey


  *You can also use other fruit. Peel and chop large fruits before mashing.

  Combine all ingredients in the top portion of a non-aluminum double 
  boiler. Cook over barely simmering water, uncovered, for 10 minutes. 
  Let cool a few minutes and pour into a large screwtop jar and store 
  for 3 weeks, then strain to separate the vinegar from the berries, 
  pressing all the juice from the berries. Run through a coffee filter 
  to remove sediment, if desired. Pour into bottles and add a few fresh 
  berries. 
 -------------------------------------------------------
  Cherry Vinegar 

  Category: Vinegar

  Prep: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 galCook: 0 
  Portion Size: 1 fl oz  Finish: 4 weeks
  Num Portions: 128 Shelf: 3 months  
  Tools: China Cap, Mixing Bowl 

  Quantity  Unit Ingredient  
  1  gal red wine vinegar  
  4  lb bing cherries, stems removed  
  1  cup peeled and chopped fresh ginger  


  Procedure: Remove the stems of the cherries and place in a 
  large bowl. Crush the cherries enough to allow some of the 
  juices to begin to flow. Pour these into a jar and mix with 
  the ginger. Add the vinegar and cover tightly. Store in a cool 
  place away from sunlight for 4 weeks. After the 4 weeks, strain 
  the vinegar through the muslin. Bring up the corners of the muslin 
  and squeeze to extract all of the juices from the cherries. 
  Recap the vinegar and again store in a cool, dark place. 

  Prepared By: CSS
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Fruit Vinegar 

  Prep: 15 minutes
  Yield: 1 gal
  Portion Size: 1 fl oz  Finish: 4 weeks
  Num Portions: 128 Shelf: 3 months  
  Tools: French Knife

  Quantity  Unit Ingredient  
  1  gal champagne vinegar  
  4  lb mixed fruit, one type or combinations  

  Procedure: Fruit vinegars are divided into 2 categories, 
  berry and stone fruit. To prepare berries for vinegar, wash, 
  stem and sort the fruit. Remove any that do not look good. 
  Mash the berries with your hands or a potato masher. 
  Put the fruit in the jar and continue with the recipe. 
  To prepare stone fruit, wash, stem, and sort the fruit. 
  For fruit with small pits such as cherries, plums, and apricots, 
  you may leave them in. For fruit with larger pits, remove them first. 
  In either case, cut the fruit into 1 inch pieces and mash with the 
  bottom of a heavy pot or in the food processor. 
  Continue with the recipe. After the fruit has been prepared, 
  divide it among the jars and fill with the vinegar. 
  Cover tightly and store in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks, 
  shaking or stirring every other day. After the 4 weeks, 
  strain the vinegar through muslin. Gather the corners of the 
  muslin and squeeze out the excess vinegar from the fruit. 
  Discard the fruit. 
  --------------------------------------------------------------
  Peach Ginger Vinegar 

  Prep: 45 minutes
Yield: 1 galCook: 15 minutes
  Portion Size: 1 fl oz  Finish: 4 weeks
  Num Portions: 128 Shelf: 3 months  
  Tools: China Cap, Sauce Pan

  Quantity  Unit Ingredient  
  4  lb fresh peaches, stones removed  
  1/2  lb fresh ginger, peeled and sliced  
  1  gal champagne vinegar  
  1/2  cup sugar  

  Procedure: After you remove the pits from the peaches, cut 
  them into 1" pieces. Mash the peaches and put in the jar 
  with the ginger. Pour the champagne vinegar over the fruit, 
  cover, and let rest 4 weeks to infuse the flavor of the peaches 
  and ginger. Shake or stir the contents of the jar every other day. 
  After the 4 weeks have passed, strain the vinegar through the muslin. 
  Gather the corners of the muslin and squeeze out the excess vinegar 
  from the fruit. Put the vinegar in a sauce pan and warm through. 
  Add the sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved. 
  Remove from the heat and allow to cool at room temperature. 
  Cover and store in a cool, dark place. ????
  For a unique taste,replace the champagne vinegar with seasoned 
  rice vinegar and delete the sugar.????
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Spiced Vinegar 

  Prep: 15 minutes
Yield: 1 galCook: 0 
  Portion Size: 1 fl oz  Finish: 4 weeks
  Num Portions: 128 Shelf: 3 months  
  Tools: China Cap, French Knife

  Quantity  Unit Ingredient  
  1  gal red wine vinegar  
  1/2  cup allspice berries  
  1/2  cup whole cloves  
  1/2  cup white whole peppercorn  
  6  ea cinnamon stick  
  2  oz fresh ginger, peeled and sliced  

  Procedure: Combine the vinegar with all of the spices in a 
  glass jar and cover tightly. Allow the vinegar to rest for 
  at least 4 weeks for the flavors to infuse the vinegar. 
  When the 4 weeks have expired, strain the vinegar through the 
  muslin and return it to a clean jar. Alternately, if you are in 
  a hurry for the vinegar, pour the vinegar into a noncorrosive pan 
  and heat to a bare simmer. Add the spices and cover. 
  Allow to cool to room temperature. Cover this tightly and allow 
  to rest for 5 - 7 days. At this time you may strain the vinegar 
  or let rest until you are ready. 
  You may also use fruit vinegars such as raspberry, apple cider, 
  or pear when preparing this recipe.
 

Sugar Plums Candy

----- Original Message -----
From: Hazel in Florida
To: phaedrus
Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2000 04:14
Subject: Sugar plum candy

> Good morning,
> Year back, Cost Plus in California carried a jellied candy called sugar
> plums.  Alas, no longer carried. Any idea where I can find a recipe?
>
> Thanks so much,
> Hazel in Florida

Hi Hazel,

Well, there's just not a recipe for jellied sugar plums to be found.

"Sugar Plums" has meant different things at different times. Originally, it meant a dried fruit & nut mixture that had been coated with sugar. Plums were one of the fruits used, so ,,,, "sugar plums". One source says that chocolate covered fruits and cremes were once called "sugar plums."

Since the sugar plums you are seeking were a commercial product, then it's difficult for me to find a recipe with limited information. You can buy REAL sugar plums here:

https://alpha.nornet.on.ca/~beatrice/index.html

And, there's a recipe for "sugar plums" below, although I'm sure it's not the one you want.

I think that perhaps the "sugar plums" that you want are like gum drops. If so, there's a recipe here:
Taste of Home
and here:
Tablespoon

Phaed

 Sugar  Plums

 Ingredients :
 1 c. chopped dried apricots
 1 c. dark raisins
 1 c. light raisins
 1 c. chopped dates
 1 c. finely chopped pecans or walnuts
 1/4 - 1/2 c. Crabtree & Evelyn Honey
 & Ginger Sauce
 1 - 1 1/4 c. unsweetened coconut

 Preparation :
 Combine first 4 ingredients and mix well with hands.  Add nuts
 and sauce.  Shape into balls 1 teaspoon at a time, roll in coconut.
 Keep in air tight container in refrigerator.  May also be made with
 2 packages fruit bits, 1 package chopped dates and 1/2 cup nuts.

Late Bloomers

----- Original Message -----
From: "Computer Lab" 
To: phaedrus
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 09:00
Subject: late bloomers


> Hello, Unc..
>
> Here is another question for you. We are trying to find a site or
> listing of famous late bloomers, people who may have had a difficult
> time during their childhood only to become great leaders, teachers, etc.
> Examples are Einstein and Winston Churchill but we would like to know
> about more.
>
> Thanks
> RM

Hi RM,

You might want to have your students check the library for this book:

Brendan Gill has been on the staff of the New Yorker magazine for sixty years. In his book "Late Bloomers" he tells the stories of several high achievers who didn't come into their own until late in life.

Famous High School drop-outs (from the "Book of Lists"):

Photographer Richard Avedon
Actress Ellen Burstyn
George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury
Newsman John Chancellor
Newsman Peter Jennings
Actor Cary Grant
Billy Joel, singer & Composer
British Prime Minister John Major
Herman Melville, author of "Moby Dick"
Author Leon Uris

Phaed

""


Copyright (c) 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 Phaedrus