Custom Search

2008

TODAY's CASES:

Pear Brandy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "marcelle " 
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 12:19 PM
Sbject: recipe request


> Hello- I am looking for the recipe/procedure for making pear 
> schnapps/brandy from the pears from my tree.  Without added bought booze- 
> i saw your other recipe for pear brandy-  I want to start with the 
> pears... and then?  I understand I will need to figure out the 
> distillation process too... any Ideas ??? I have searched the internet but 
> found lots of recipes that add store bought liquor to pears - I am looking 
> for "old world" eau de vie as it is sometimes called.  Thank you so much 
> Marcelle
>

Hello Marcelle,

Those "brandies" made by adding fruit to commercial booze should be called "liqueurs" rather than "brandies." Real brandies are made by distilling fermented fruit products. True brandy is made from distilled wine. Apple brandy is made by distilling apple cider, and pear brandy is made by distilling pear cider. It's a two step process. First you make the fermented fruit product such as hard cider or wine, and then you distill that to make a brandy. There are links and information on these sites about distilling:

Home Distiller

Ethanol

Pear Brandy

Phaed


Potato Peel Pie

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: martha 
  To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
  Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 6:56 PM
  Subject: Recipe for Potato Peel Pie

  Hi Phaedrus, I just read a wildly popular new book, called "The Guernsey Literary and Potato 
Peel Pie Society". It is a novel based on the German occupation of the Channel Islands during 
WWII, and the hardships suffered by the inhabitants. The book club did manage to have refreshments 
at their meetings, and they describe their favorite as Potato Peel Pie, but don't give a recipe. 
Potato peels form the crust, mashed potato sweetened with beets makes the filling, but no details 
beyond that. Did the author make this up, or is it an actual wartime cuisine? I can find nothing 
on the internet. Thank you, Martha

Hello Martha,

I could not find anything about potato peel pie outside of reviews of that book. You might try some books on the history of Guernsey, Jersey, and the channel islands. If you go to Amazon and do a search on "channel islands at war", you'll find several books that are about life on the Channel Islands during the Nazi occupation. The first book that I'd try would be "Jersey Under the Jackboot" by Reginald Charles Fulke Maugham, since that is the book that inspired Mary Ann Shaffer to write "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."

Phaed

Update:

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Sharon 
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 2:19 PM
Subject: Update on recipe for Potato Peel Pie

Dear Uncle Phaedrus,

I sent you an email about this recipe earlier today, but I forgot to mention that the link I 
provided also quotes from one of the authors and the publisher about the recipe.

Sharon
P.S. Here is my previous email:
Dear Uncle Phaedrus,
Below is an entry from your website about potato peel pie.  I am writing you to give you a link 
to a fun discussion about various recipes for the pie, and of course the discussion is also about 
the book.  Perhaps you would like to add this link to your website, for future aficiandos of the 
book, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." These posters at Recipezaar began by 
experimenting with making up some recipes which met the book's description, and then improving 
on their ideas.  The discussion got better as it went along (now I want to read the book, too), 
with their recipes gradually becoming both tastier and closer to the book's recipe.  It is current, 
with new ideas still being posted;  I counted seven new posts today describing life on Guernsey 
during WWII.  Here is the link:

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel 
Pie Society" discussion

I hope you or your readers might enjoy reading or participating in the discussion.  (They quote you, 
by the way.)

Yours truly,
Sharon

Hamilton Beach Donut Maker

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Pamela 
  To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
  Sent: Friday, September 19, 2008 6:25 PM
  Subject: cinnamon donut

  Hello, 
I have the same request someone else asked you but your answer was wrong. Not your fault...
they didn't tell the donut maker doesn't fry the domuts... it bakes them. 
I lost my recipe book also and they no longer make the product. (Hamilton Beach Donut 
Maker model 200 or any other model.) I checked their web site and it isn't listed as a product 
they make anymore. I need the cinnamon donut recipe which was my husbands favorite. He is no 
longer allowed fried donuts because of his health. If hope you can help since I am running out 
of options.
  Sincerely,
  Pamela

Hello Pamela,

See here for the only recipes that I have been able to find for that specific brand of donut maker:

Hamilton Beach Donut Maker

The other thing you can do is try some of the recipes for other electric donut makers such as the Master Chef, Super 6, and Dazey Donut Maker that are on my site. See: Donut Machine Donuts

There is a cinnamon donuts recipe for the Master Chef at:
Master Chef

There is an apple pie spice donut recipe for an electric donut maker here:
Apple Pie Spice Donuts

Phaed

---------------------------------------

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Pamela 
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 10:27 AM
Subject: Re: cinnamon donut


Hi, Thank you...I went to ebay and emailed the seller who nicely scanned the recipe and emailed 
it to me along with a couple of others. I will send them to you for your records and maybe you 
could pass it on to the other person with the same problem. 
Thank you for your time and effort,
Pam 
----------------------------------------
 Hamilton Beach Donut Maker Recipes

Good Morning Donut

2 cups sifted flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup oil
2 tablespoons grated orange rind

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat eggs slightly, add sugar, and beat 
at medium speed until mixture is lemon-colored and well-blended (about 2 minutes). Combine Milk, 
orange juice, and rind. Add milk-juice mixture, oil, and dry ingredients alternately to egg-sugar 
mixture. Beat well after each addition. Add batter to each donut mold in pre-heated oiled donut 
maker. Bake until browned. YIELD: 10-12

For Ambrosia Donuts:

Add 2 tablespoons grated coconut to batter along with grated orange rind.
YIELD: 10-12
-------------------------------------
Donut Maker Donuts

2 cups sifted flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat eggs slightly, add sugar, and beat 
at medium speed until mixture is lemon-colored and well-blended (about 2 minutes). Add milk, oil, 
and dry ingredients alternately to egg-sugar mixture. Beat well after each addition. Add batter 
to each donut mold in pre-heated oiled donut maker. Bake until browned. YIELD: 10-12
------------------------------------------
Whole Wheat Raisin Donuts

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
dash nutmeg
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup raisins

Sift flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat eggs slightly, add sugar, and beat 
at medium speed until mixture is lemon-colored and well-blended (about 2 minutes). Add milk, oil, 
raisins, and dry ingredients alternately to egg-sugar mixture. Beat well after each addition. 
Add batter to each donut mold in pre-heated oiled donut maker. Bake until browned. YIELD: 10-12

Sorghum Molasses Cake

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: sharon 
  To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com 
  Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2008 5:32 PM
  Subject: Old Fashion Cake

   I have been looking for an Old Fashion Molasses/Sorghum Cake. Not a stack cake. It looks like a one
layer type cake and no icing. Thanks again...Sharon 

Hello Sharon,

See below for three recipes.

Phaed

  Sorghum  Molasses  Cake

  1/2 c. shortening
  1/2 c. milk
  1 c. molasses
  1/2 c. sugar
  1 tsp. soda
  1 tsp. vanilla
  3 c. flour
  1 egg
  1 tsp. cinnamon
  1 tsp. nutmeg

    Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Pour in greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake 30 minutes at 300 degrees. 
  ---------------------------------
  Sorghum  Cake

  2 1/2 c. flour
  1 1/2 tsp. soda
  1/2 tsp. salt
  1 tsp. cinnamon
  1/2 tsp. cloves
  1 tsp. ginger
  1/2 c. Crisco
  1/2 c. sorghum
  1/2 c. sugar
  1 egg
  1 c. boiling water

    Mix dry ingredients then add Crisco and egg; add sugar and sorghum.  Last add boiling water.  
Mix well.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
  --------------------------
  Sorghum  Cake

  1 c. sugar
  1/2 c. butter
  1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  1/4 tsp. allspice
  1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  2 c. flour
  1 tsp. vanilla
  1 c. raisins
  3/4 c. sorghum
  2 eggs
  1/4 tsp. cloves
  1/2 tsp. soda
  1 tsp. baking powder
  1/4 tsp. salt
  3/4 c. buttermilk
  1/2 c. nuts

Cream butter and sugar.  Add sorghum and beat again.  Add eggs.  Sift flour, salt, soda, spices, 
and baking powder,  keeping enough flour back to coat raisins and nuts.  Add vanilla, nuts, and 
raisins.  Pour into well greased pan. Bake at 300 degrees until done.

Quark

Found on a message board:

Quark –

German Cottage Cheese - Quark
by ruthiecat on Sat Nov 12, 2005 7:54 pm 
German Cottage Cheese (Quark)

Before going to bed pour a half gallon buttermilk into an oven proof dish and put the lid on. Then place 
it in the oven and set the oven temperature on 150 degrees Fahrenheit, (NOT HIGHER). By morning you'll 
see that the whey has separated. Take a piece of linen a 20x20-inches square and place it in a colander.
Carefully pour the curdled mixture into it. Grab the four corners and tie them together and let it drain
into the sink or in a bowl for about 5-7 hours. 
When drained put the dry Quark into a food processor and either some milk, half and half, or heavy cream
until it reaches the desired consistency. 

Note: I make mine in a Roaster Oven because I can't set my regular oven on such low temperature.

For a more tangy Quark version you could just drain several non-fat yogurts over night. But the one above
taste much better.
--------------------------------------
Quark

Category: Dairy & Cheese

Preparation Time:

Servings:

Ingredients:
Quark:

Ingredients:
1 gallon of milk
1 pkg of setmilk or 1 quart of buttermilk (or less, if you want a
sweeter tasting quark)
1/4 cup of water (cold)
1/4 tablet of Junket Rennet

Directions:
Quark is basically a pureed cottage cheese minus the addition of salt.
(commercial cottage cheese has a lot of salt). But you weren't far off thinking about Creme fraiche. 
Creme fraiche goes through the same process.
But you add buttermilk to cream and then let it sit at room temp until thickend. Quark is made with 
milk and buttermilk or setmilk culture. So lower in fat. We Germans use it for everything, including 
in my opinion the best cheese cake.If you do not want to make your own Quark, you can use cottage cheese
(drained and pureed) to try a German cheesecake. I can send you a recipe if you are interested.

Directions:
if you use the setmilk, heat the milk to 88 F and add set milk starter, let sit at room temp overnight 
if you use the buttermilk, pour milk and buttermilk into a big pot and let stand overnight next morning:
dissolve the 1/4 of the junket rennet tablet in the 1/4 cup of water stir the water with dissolved junket
rennet tablet into the milk/buttermilk combination and let stand until the milk sets (8-12 hours)
line a large colander (sieve) with a cheese cloth spoon the set milk into this and let the whey run out
into some container this takes about 8 - 20 hours as well.
That's all, a long process but not much work.

By the way if you have access to raw milk you don't need to all of these steps, just pour the raw milk 
in a container and let sit at room temp until milk sets. My great grandmother was from Hungary and I
remember her making Quark exactly like this..... I also remember when I was a kid, that she complained 
at one point that milk doesn't go bad in a good way anymore.....
well that was exactly when the Germans started pasteurizing milk. I live close to Amish people and they 
are the only people I know of that would be willing to sell you raw milk. We use it a lot as we also make
hard cheeses.

I like the flavor of the Quark better when using setmilk. Buttermilk gives it a more buttermilky taste.

In case you wonder: Junket rennet is sold in local supermarkets . My local Kroger store carries it, if 
they don't have it they might be able to order it for you. It's not crucial for making Quark but you get 
a better yield and a better curd that way.

Setmilk I ordered online. One package was 1 dollar and it sort of is like a mother culture. One package
makes one liter of setmilk. I take the liter and freeze it in icecube trays and then I add three icecubes
to a gallon of milk.

Here is a link to the place where I purchased the setmilk:
Danlac

Thanks to Tanja for posting this on a message board.

""


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