Ruth Anne Benziger's Blog, page 35

Galantine of Turkey

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package frozen English peas, thawed

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons whipping cream or milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (3-pound) boneless turkey breast

1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into 3/8-inch strips

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can chicken broth, undiluted

2 bay leaves

1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 large carrot, sliced

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

White Aspic Coating

2 whole canned pimientos

1 green onion fan

Fresh Italian or regular parsley sprigs

Directions

Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add peas to processor bowl, and process 30 seconds or until pureed. Add flour, whipping cream, eggs, onions, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to peas; process 1 minute or until smooth, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Pour mixture in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook pea mixture, stirring frequently, 12 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat, and let cool.

Lay turkey breast flat on waxed paper or aluminum foil, skin side up. Carefully slice away skin, tendons, and excess fat, keeping meat intact. Turn turkey breast over. From center of turkey breast, slice horizontally through thickest part of each side of breast almost to outer edge; flip the cut piece and breast fillets over to enlarge breast and make a more even thickness.

To fill in shallow area between breast halves, slice meat from thicker parts of breast, and lay slices in shallow area. Pound breast to 1/2-inch thickness.

Spread half o pea mixture over turkey breast, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border at sides. Lay strips of ham lengthwise down turkey breast, about 1 inch apart, and spoon remaining pea mixture over ham, spreading evenly. Fold in short sides of of turkey 1/2 to 1 inch, to make ends even. Roll turkey breast jellyroll fashion over filling, starting at long side. (Roll will be about 12 inches long) Secure seam with wooden picks.

Wrap turkey breast securely in several thickness of cheesecloth; tie ends tightly with twine. Place turkey in a large oval Dutch oven or fish poacher, seam side down. Add broth and enough water to cover two-thirds of the turkey.

Add bay leaves, celery, carrot, and peppercorns. Bring mixture to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until turkey is just firm to the touch. Cool slightly in broth. Remove, cool to lukewarm, and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill 8 hours or overnight.

Carefully remove plastic wrap, cheesecloth, and wooden picks. Place turkey on a wire rack, seam side down. Working as quickly as possible, spoon or pour about half the White Aspic Coating over turkey. (Coating mixture dries quickly, so do not stop spooning until entire turkey is covered, or coating may not be smooth. The first coating will not be very smooth; the second coating should be smoother and more even.) Refrigerate 5 minutes for coating to set thoroughly.

Spoon remaining coating mixture over turkey roll; refrigerate 5 minutes. Trim aspic drippings from turkey base with knife, if necessary; transfer turkey roll to serving platter.

Cut four triangles from pimientos, and dry on paper towels; arrange pimientos on turkey. Slice green onion fan into 1 1/2-inch lengths, making curly, thin strips; sprinkle green onion strips over each pimiento triangle. Chill until aspic is firm. Then cover loosely with plastic wrap; chill until serving.

Arrange parsely sprigs around galantine before serving.

Yield: 10-12 servings

White Aspic Coating

1/3 cup cold water

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/4 teaspoon chicken-flavored bouillon granules

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 cup mayonnaise

Combine water, vinegar, and bouillon granules in a small saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin over vinegar mixture; let stand 5 minutes. Cook over low heat until gelatin dissolves, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; stir in mayonnaise with a wire whisk until the mixture is smooth. Tap pan lightly on surface to remove air bubbles. Use immediately. (If mixture stands too long before using, it will cool and become too thick to spoon properly. To soften, reheat mixture slightly over low heat.)

Yield: 1 1/4 cups

Mocha Brownie Torte

Ingredients

1 (15.5-ounce) package fudge brownie mix

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup whipping cream

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

Additional flavored whipped cream for pipping (optional)

Shaved chocolate (optional)

Chocolate curls (optional)

Directions

Grease two 8-inch round baking pans, and line with waxed paper; grease waxed paper. Set aside.

Combine brownie mix, eggs, and water; mix well. Stir in pecans. Spread batter into pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes; remove cake from pans, and cool completely.

Beat whipping cream until foamy; gradually add sugar and coffee granules, beating until stiff peaks form.

Spread whipping cream mixture between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with piped whipped cream mixture, shaved chocolate, and chocolate curls, if desired. Chill until serving time.

Yield: one 8-inch torte

Peggy Blackburn, Winston-Salem, North Carolina’s Recipe

Hot Bacon and Black-Eyed Salad

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) package frozen black-eyed peas

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup water

8 slices bacon

1 small head cauliflower

1/2 cup diced celery

4 green onions with tops, chopped

1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Cook peas according to package directions, omitting bacon and salt; drain well. Combine peas and next 3 ingredients; stir well. Cover; chill 3 hours.

Cook bacon until crisp; drain well, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

Break cauliflower into flowerets; place in steaming rack. Cover; steam 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Drain peas; add cauliflower, celery, onions, pimiento, and bacon. Combine 2 tablespoons bacon drippings, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and salt in a saucepan. Cook over low heat until thoroughly heated; pour over vegetables, tossing gently.

Yield: 6 servings

Jellyroll Layer Cake

Ingredients

6 eggs

1 2/3 cups sugar

2 cups self-rising flour

2/3 cup water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Powdered sugar

English Toffee Frosting

Chocolate curls (optional)

Directions

Grease two 15- x 10- x 1-inch jellyroll pans, and line with waxed paper; grease and flour waxed paper. Set aside.

Beat eggs at high speed of an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add 1 2/3 cups sugar, beating until mixture is thick and lemon colored (about 5 to 6 minutes). Fold flour, water, vanilla, and spices into egg mixture. Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

Sift powdered sugar in a 15- x 10- rectangle on each of 2 towels. When cakes are done, immediately loosen from sides of pan, and turn each out on a sugared towel. Peel off waxed paper. Trim 1/8 inch from edges of each cake using a long serrated knife. Roll up towel; chill.

Carefully unroll chilled cakes; cut each cake lengthwise into 3 equal strips. Spread each cake strip with English Toffee Frosting; set aside remaining frosting. Gently roll up one cake strip jellyroll fashion starting at short end. Set roll upright in center of serving plate. Starting where roll ends, wind second cake strip around first roll. Repeat until all 6 strips are used.

Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Arrange chocolate curls on top of cake, if desired. Chill cake several hours before serving.

Yield: one 8-inch cake.

English Toffee Frosting

5 (1 1/8-ounce) English toffee-flavored candy bars, crushed

1 1/2 tablespoons amaretto or other almond-flavored liqueur

3 tablespoons flaked coconut, toasted

1 (12-ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

Gently fold crushed candy bars, amaretto, and coconut into whipped topping.

Yield: 4 1/2 cups

Creole Black-Eyes and Rice

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package dried black-eyed peas

1/2 pound salt pork

3 cups chopped onion

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup chopped green pepper

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon red pepper

1 teaspoon pepper

3 dashes of hot sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon dried whole oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

Hot cooked rice

Green onion fan (optional)

Directions

Sort and wash peas; place in a Dutch oven. Cover with water, and soak overnight. Drain peas. Add pork to peas; cover with water. Cover and cook over low heat 45 minutes. Add next 13 ingredients; cover and cook over low heat 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add sausage; cook, uncovered, over low heat 45 minutes. Serve over rice, and garnish with a green onion fan, if desired.

Yield: 10 servings

Chocolate Triangle Cake

Ingredients

4 eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Satiny Chocolate Frosting

Crystallized violets (optional)

Directions

Grease two 15- x 10- x 1-inch jellyroll pans, and line with waxed paper; grease and flour waxed paper. Set aside.

Beat egg yolks at medium speed of an electric mixer until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating constantly. Beat in vanilla.

Beat egg whites (at room temperature) at high speed of electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold egg yolk mixture into egg whites. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gently fold flour mixture. Spread batter evenly into prepared pans; bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes. When cake is done, immediately loosen from sides of pans, and turn out onto wire racks to cool. Peel off waxed paper.

Stack the two layers on top of each other to allow even slicing. Using a long serrated knife, slice layers crosswise into strips of the following widths: 3 1/2 inches, 3 inches, 2 1/2 inches, 2 inches, 1 1/2 inches, 1 inch, and 1/2 inch.

Spread one side of both of the 3 1/2-inch strips with a thin layer of Satiny Chocolate Frosting. Top each with a 3-inch strip, keeping edges even on one lengthwise side. Forming two stacks, repeat spreading thin layers of frosting and topping with successively smaller cake strips, keeping edges even, until all cake strips are used. (Stacks will be slanted on one side, with layers running horizontal; each stack represents half of the triangle).

Turn stacks onto jellyroll pan, even edges down. (Layers now run vertical) Cover cake stacks with aluminum foil, and place a weight (packages of cake or pancake mix work well) on the slanted side of the each stack. Refrigerate cake stacks about 1 hour.

Remove weights and foil. Spread a thin layer of frosting against the 3 1/2-inch side of one of the stacks, and join stacks to make a triangle.

Carefully transfer cake to Platter, using wide spatulas. Spread remaining frosting over cake. Arrange crystallized violets down sides and peak of cake, if desired

Yield: 12 to 15 servings

Satiny Chocolate Frosting

3 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

3 3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until chocolate melts. Remove from heat, and cool.

Add powdered sugar and milk to chocolate mixture; beat at low speed of an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Yield: 2 cups

Hunter's Stew

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless venison, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes, undrained and chopped

1 (12-ounce) can beer

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried whole basil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 carrots, diced

2 medium potatoes, cubed

Directions

Brown venison and sausage in hot oil in a large Dutch oven. Add onion and celery; cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients except carrots and potatoes; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Add carrots; cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add potatoes, and cook an additional 30 minutes or until done.

Yield: 2 quarts

Mrs. Edward F. Blassy, Burke Virginia’s recipe

Pretty Garnishes

Cucumber Pinwheel Sandwiches



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Ingredients

1 medium cucumber, unpeeled

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 teaspoon dried whole dillweed

1 (1-pound) loaf unsliced sandwich bread

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 small cucumber

Directions

Shred cucumber; pat shredded cucumber between absorbent paper towels to remove excess moisture. Combine cucumber, cream cheese, blue cheese, milk, and dillweed, mixing well.

Trim crust from loaf of bread, making an even rectangle. Slice bread horizontally into 6 even slices. Roll each slice with a rolling pin to flatten. Spread one side of each slice with 1 teaspoon butter, and spread cucumber filling evenly over butter. Roll up tightly, jellyroll fashion, beginning at short end.

Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, cut chilled rolls into 1/2-inch slices.

Score small cucumber with the tines of a fork. Cut 9 (1/4-inch) slices from cucumber, and cut slices into quarters. Reserve remaining cucumber for other uses. Insert a cucumber wedge, point side down, in top center of each sandwich for garnish.

Yield: 3 dozen

Chicken-Salad Finger Sandwiches



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Ingredients

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery

2 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 (1-pound) loaf unsliced sandwich bread

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 (4-ounce) container whipped cream cheese, softened

8 tomato roses made from large cherry tomatoes

Sprigs of fresh dill

8 small green onion fans

8 strips of pimiento

3 whole canned pimientos

Green onion tops

Directions

Combine chicken, celery, eggs, relish, salt, and pepper, tossing well. Stir in mayonnaise; cover and chill.

Trim crust from loaf of bread, making bread an even rectangle. Slice loaf horizontally into 8 (3 1/3-inch) slices. Lightly spread softened butter on one side of each slice. Spread chicken salad evenly over butter on 4 slices; top with remaining slices of bread, buttered side down.

Spread cream cheese evenly on tops of sandwiches. Slice each large sandwich rectangle into 6 finger sandwiches. Cover with a damp paper towel, then plastic wrap; chill sandwiches until ready to serve.

Just before serving, garnish tops of 8 sandwiches with cherry tomato roses and sprigs of fresh dill; top of 8 with small green onion fans and strips of pimiento; and tops of remaining 8 pimiento flowers cut from whole pimiento using canape cutters. (use green onion tops for stems and leaves).

Yield: 2 dozen

Almond Tea Tarts



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Ingredients

1 egg

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons orange juice

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Tea Tart Shells

3 tablespoons sliced almonds, lightly toasted

3 tablespoons apricot preserves

About 5 maraschino cherries, quartered

Directions

Beat egg at medium speed of an electric mixer until thick and lemon colored. Add sugar, orange rind, juice, and almond extract, mixing until blended.

Spoon mixture into prepared Tea Tart Shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until top is firm. Let cool in tart pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans.

Arrange sliced almonds in a ring, flower fashion, on top of filling.

Heat apricot preserves over low heat until melted, stirring often; press preserves through a sieve to remove large pieces. Spoon warm preserves evenly over almonds. Top each with a cherry quarter.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen tarts

Tea Tart Shells

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cold water

Combine flour and salt; cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle cold water (1 tablespoon at a time) evenly over surface; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Shape into a ball; chill.

Divide dough into 18 equal portions. Gently press dough into 1 3/4-inch tart pans. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool 5 minutes.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen

Snow-Capped Madeleines



Ingredients

3 eggs

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

Powdered sugar

Directions

Beat eggs and salt until foamy. Gradually add sugar, and beat 15 minutes at high speed of an electric mixer or until thick and lemon colored. Gently fold in flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, and orange rind. Fold in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Spoon butter evenly into greased and floured madeleine molds. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from molds, and cool on a wire rack, flat side down. Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Yield: 2 dozen

Buddy Read with Iseult Murphy: The Rust Maidens

Buddy Read with Iseult Murphy : The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste

You Can find Iseult’s Buddy Read Post: Here

Iseult Murphy reached out to me about doing a buddy read and I was thrilled to say yes. I loved the idea of diving deeper into a book and asking thought provoking questions.

I met Iseult about a year ago on the Writing Community of Twitter. We’ve been in a writing group where we discuss the craft, opinions, and provide help and support to one another.

We have also been in a book club, where we read and discuss amazing books. I love her thought process and she always has a different perspective which adds to my experience.

About Iseult



[image error]Iseult Murphy

Iseult Murphy lives on the east coast of Ireland and is owned by five dogs, two cats, and a tiny parrot. When she isn’t tending to her furry (and feathery) overlords, she is usually scribbling something horrible into the walls, and occasionally her laptop. Magic and science are usually involved too. Her short stories have been published in over two dozen venues.

Iseult is the author of Zoo of the Dead and other horrific tales. You can get her book on amazon here $3.99 for eBook and $6.00 for paperback. She also has another book. Return to Hades and Other Adventures. You can get her book on amazon here $4.00 for eBook and $10.00 for paperback.

I love her writing and have both her books on my bookshelf at home. It’s an honor to support an author like Iseult.

Book Description

Something’s happening to the girls on Denton Street.

It’s the summer of 1980 in Cleveland, Ohio, and Phoebe Shaw and her best friend Jacqueline have just graduated high school, only to confront an ugly, uncertain future. Across the city, abandoned factories populate the skyline; meanwhile at the shore, one strong spark, and the Cuyahoga River might catch fire. But none of that compares to what’s happening in their own west side neighborhood. The girls Phoebe and Jacqueline have grown up with are changing. It starts with footprints of dark water on the sidewalk. Then, one by one, the girls’ bodies wither away, their fingernails turning to broken glass, and their bones exposed like corroded metal beneath their flesh.

As rumors spread about the grotesque transformations, soon everyone from nosy tourists to clinic doctors and government men start arriving on Denton Street, eager to catch sight of “the Rust Maidens” in metamorphosis. But even with all the onlookers, nobody can explain what’s happening or why—except perhaps the Rust Maidens themselves. Whispering in secret, they know more than they’re telling, and Phoebe realizes her former friends are quietly preparing for something that will tear their neighborhood apart.

Alternating between past and present, Phoebe struggles to unravel the mystery of the Rust Maidens—and her own unwitting role in the transformations—before she loses everything she’s held dear: her home, her best friend, and even perhaps her own body.

Ruth Anne’s Questions to Iseult



What is your opinion on where the author chose to start the story and the pacing of it?

When I started the book, I liked that the author introduced Phoebe nearly three decades after the main events of the story. It provided instant mystery, grabbed my interest and kept me reading to find out what happened next. For the first half of the book, the dual time line narrative really worked for me. I liked how the character development and plot information were leaked out at a steady pace. Unfortunately, the second half of the book didn’t deliver on the first half’s promise. The pace slowed to a stand still, and the withholding of certain information felt like a cheat rather than a genuine reason to delay. I also wondered at the ultimate reason for the time jump, as present day Phoebe didn’t seem to have changed over the intervening years or come to any realizations that justified her presence. .

Was the content of the story enough to classify the Horror genre?

I can see why this is classified as horror. There is an atmosphere of pervading despair throughout the book that compliments the physical transformations of the girls and the mental changes of the townsfolk. Everything is just a bit off, which is an element in most horror books. For my personal tastes, I would have liked the horror elements to have been emphasized more and been more visceral, more literal than the dream like metaphorical depiction of the Rust Maidens. I love body horror, and was expecting this to be a large element of the book, but the Rust Maidens didn’t seem to mind their transformation. They were too beautiful and fragile to illicit any fear response in me, and I struggled to understand why the community turned against them beyond the symbolic value of the narrative. Tl;dr: I liked the dream like quality of physical decay and failial rejection, but it never progressed beyond a metaphor to hit the horror notes I was looking for. 

What elements of the story i.e. Descriptions of the Rust Maidens did you find creative?

I loved the descriptions of their fingernails like glass and discarding their skin like some fantastic steampunk corset creation. My favourite element was how the Rust Maidens could move through metal, which is actually a big part of the story, now that I think of it. 

Did the peripheral characters add or detract from the story? Why do you think the author chose to include them?

Adrian didn’t work for me. I thought his relationship with Phoebe was inappropriate and unrealistic. I understand the desire for impotent authority, but the government men angle didn’t add anything to the book.

What emotions did the story present to you when reading the relationship between the characters?

Sadness, overall, at how the Rust Maidens were betrayed and neglected by their families and friends both before and after their transformation. Anger that all of Pheobe’s early promise of rebellion and intellectual interest in insects seemed to go into suspended animation for thirty years. 

Thank you, Iseult for reading this book with me and collaborating on this awesome buddy read.

Beefy Black-Eyed Soup

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 quarts water

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained

1 (16-ounce) package frozen black-eyed peas

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup chopped celery

2 tablespoons beef-flavored bouillon granules

1 tablespoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Cook beef and green pepper until beef is browned; stir to crumble. Drain.

Melt butter in a Dutch oven; add flour, stirring constantly. Gradually add water; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Stir in beef mixture and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Yield: 4 1/2 quarts