The Cookbook

Soda Bread

4 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg beaten
some combination of 4 tablespoons of cold butter and shortening (I like 2+2)
2 cups buttermilk


Cut fat into dry ingredients to look like course meal.

Make a well in the mixture and add egg and buttermilk, stir with a spoon until mixed; should be a sticky stiff dough. Knead slightly to a ball; treat the dough like a biscuit DO NOT over knead.

Bake at 425* 35-45 minutes in a cast iron pan or a baking sheet. Can be checked like a cake for doneness. Skewer in the center - if it comes out clean you're done.

sangersteve

Squash Carbonara

Before you ask, yes every recipe does start with bacon grease.

Choose any pasta shape you like and start the water for it; this recipe goes very fast.

Recipe size for two

8 oz pasta
1 lb yellow and zucchini squash chopped rough
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder or fresh equivalent
3 or 4 strips bacon
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg plus 1 yolk
1/2 half cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Chop 3 or 4 slices of bacon and fry till crisp. Add squash, seasoning, and garlic to pan with bacon. Saute squash till slightly firm.

Mix eggs, cream and cheese together in a bowl.

Add al dente pasta to pan plus a 1/2 cup pasta water, remove from heat add egg mixture and toss till your sauce is creamy.

Top with a good drizzle of olive oil.

sangersteve

Sanger Steve's Beans

Dice 4 slices of Wright's pepper bacon, toss in a heavy pan, brown the bacon. Throw in a whole diced onion, cook till soft. Chunk in a pound of dry pintos, stir the pintos around in the bacon grease and onion mixture. Add one can of chicken stock and deglaze pan. Cover with water. Boil the crap out of them while watching the water level. They will be done in three hours.

Pour on top of cornbread.

Take a nap.

sangersteve

sangersteve's Blackeyed Peas

Several folks coming over Monday night won't eat blackeyed peas, no matter how much good luck they bring. So since everybody needs a little extra luck I tried this today.


2 cans blackeyes or cook your own
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dry cilantro
1 tsp fresh garlic
1 or 2 chopped fine chopped japalenos (no seeds) suit your taste buds
1 slice pepper bacon
1/2 onion chopped
1 tsp butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup flour

Chop bacon into coarse dice fry till almost crisp, add butter, onion, japalenos,and garlic, saute till onion is soft.

Add in blackeyes and dry spices, simmer till peas are heated thru.

Drain peas, retain liquid.

Mash peas to course texture add liquid if needed.

Make into golf ball size patties, drop into flour mixture and coat/mix in flour and flatten pattie, deep fry till golden. Top with sour cream and fresh cilantro.

I am already feelin' lucky, them sum good stuff. And thus you have snuck in the blackeyes and nobody knows it.

Sangersteve's Carnitas Seasoning

1 onion
1 T ground pepper
1 T paprika
1 T cayenne pepper
1 t oregano
2 bay leaves
2 cloves chopped garlic

Dry rubbed the meat and let it sit for a while, seared it first then into to the hot tub for about three hours.

Squirrel Croquettes

8 small squirrels
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup spicey seafood breading
1 cup milk
oil

In a large pot, cook the squirrels in salt water until the meat starts to fall off the bone.

Remove the squirrels and allow to cool.

When cool, remove the meat from the bones and shred.

In a large bowl, combine the meat, onion, celery, salt, pepper, breading and milk. Mix well.

Place in refrigerator for one hour.

Remove from the frig and shape into patties.

Add some oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until light brown. Flip when half done.

Serve and enjoy.

sangersteve