Vintage Baked Carrot Casserole

Once, for a dinner party, I searched everywhere for a unique carrot recipe. I wanted that orange color to go with the rest of what I had prepared without a lot of prep or extra fanciness. I finally found this one in my grandmother’s old cookbook. Each time I serve it for guests, they request the recipe.

I'm not sure what "shredded" meant, so I used a thin, matchstick slice on my mandolin, a bit thinner than the matchstick carrots you'd find already done in the supermarket. If you buy the already-prepared ones from the grocery store, just saute a bit longer before baking.

Considering the time period, "shredded" may have meant to use the box "grater"???  I don't know. Try to use minimally processed or organic carrots. The wive's tale is that the sweeter ones have a rounded, not pointed tip.

For years I worked in Produce Departments at grocery stores. A good grocery will ship in boxes of bulk carrots. At best, they are washed. That's it. Those were always the best sellers.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cups peeled, shredded carrots
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Melt butter in saucepan. Add onions and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and stir, coating with butter and onion mixture.

Place in a baking dish (about 1 quart) Sprinkle with the salt and sugar. Sprinkle the water over them. Cover and bake at 350 F until they are tender (about 30 minutes or so).

This recipe shines alongside my recipe for creamed onions--two dishes one rarely sees anymore. I once brought both to a dinner party where people's skepticism was eased on their first forkful. One guest looked at me and said "You've been holding out on us." LOL. 

These are really good.

Vintage Hershey Bar Fudge

This is a super-old recipe when Baker's Chocolate was just about the only option one had when baking. And when one could actually find a 13-ounce Hershey's chocolate bar.

Chocolate has come a long way.

As a teacher, I often made this fudge as a reward for students. And I made it for Christmas Open Houses when I owned an art studio. It adapts easily to additions, such as black walnuts. Because I don’t like it too sweet, I add an extra 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate and then 2 ounces less milk chocolate. The original recipe calls for 13 ounces each of semi-sweet chocolate and Hershey's chocolate bar. You do you.

I found a few similar recipes on line but they use evaporated milk. I have not tried that. Below is a similar recipe from the blog "Real Life Dinner" that uses the evaporated milk and mini marshmallows instead of large. Many others use Fluff. Again, I have not tried that nor do I know how many marshmallows is equivalent to one jar of Fluff. 

Evaporated milk has had the water "evaporated" from milk; hence, it's creamier. "Real Life Dinner" uses 2/3 cup evaporated milk for 1/2 of this recipe. If you double it, that would be 1 1/3 cup evaporated milk with the four cups of sugar.

Have everything measured, chopped, and ready to go. Line your pan with parchment paper and then lightly butter it. I've made this without lining the pan and it's a nightmare to remove. And do not use tin foil.

Use whole milk. Not 2 percent milk.

Avoid scraping the sides of the pot--it will make your fudge "grainy." Again, after you pour it into your pan, do not scrape the sides clean--it will make you fudge grainy. Instead, just scrape it into a separate bowl for kids to dig into.

If you half this recipe, use an 8 x 8 pan.

In a large pot, mix the following ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup real butter

Stirring, bring to a boil and boil for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add:

• 25 large marshmallows

Stir until melted.

Add:

• 2 oz. Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate

Stir until melted and smooth.

Add:

• 13 oz. Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Stir until melted and smooth.

Add:

• 11 oz. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate

Stir until melted and smooth. Add nuts if desired.

Pour into a parchment-lined 12 x 16 metal sheet pan. Chill until set. Carefully remove from pan and remove paper. Cut using a heavy knife or bench scraper. 

Photo taken from hershey-bar-fudge

How to Grocery Shop During a Recession

A good cook will never starve. A bad one will.

The days of inexpensive food are over. The global demand has caught up with us and in the midst of a worsening economic crisis. Already it's changing our shopping and eating habits.

For example, canned meat production, such as SPAM, has never been greater. It’s exactly what a bad cook will eat, but not a good one. For about the same price, the good cook would have bought chicken or turkey parts (back, necks, gizzards) and prepared a lovely soup with veggies. (Never throw away scraps from onions, carrots, etc. Freeze in a bag and use when you make a soup stock.)

If you’re like a millions others, you no longer just whiz to the grocery store to fill up your basket with favorite brands without even looking at the price. While most generic brands are quite acceptable, some aren’t. Be wary of generic rice and grains. They can be old and have a certain “musty” taste. Always shop with store’s flyer of items on sale.

A simple loaf of a decent white bread is now as much as an artisan loaf baked at your grocery store! But a bag of bread flour is only four dollars and from it you can make your own. Trust me, your family will worship you and it's easier than you think, especially if you have a bread machine.

The variety of meat at many local grocery stores dwindles since people can’t afford the rising prices. Sales of ground beef have increased. Beef stew meat, too. Both have never been better since they use good cuts no one can afford to buy before they expire.

Many stores now have an “expiration bin.” Meats half-priced because they expire that day or very soon. Not a bad deal. As in Asian cuisine, meats need to be used for flavoring. Think chop suey.

One of the best bargains around are smoked ham shanks and ham hocks. They pack a lot of taste for soups and stews. Begin a collection of casserole recipes. They are nutritious and filling.

If you live in a rural area, shopping options are at a minimum. Ask friends who are members of big-box stores to pick up items for you and to even share. A half-gallon of olive oil, for example, is a bargain and can easily be split with another person. The same is true for dry goods and meat and poultry in bulk.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a grocery gift card for your birthday or Christmas. You can use it to “splurge” on things you normally wouldn’t purchase, such as shrimp, cheese and wine.

Be wary of purchasing food from dollar stores. But that is where you should buy cleaning supplies, laundry products, wax paper, etc.

Plastic grocery bags make great garbage bags, are perfect to use for flouring chicken and meats. Place one on a counter to easily catch vegetable peelings. Use them instead of saran wrap to cover leftovers. Try to be selective and use your re-usable grocery bag as often as possible.

Cooking takes time. Do prep work at night so it’s easier to begin the next day. Involve the family. As my great-aunt used to say, “Many hands lighten the load.”

Meat & Potato Casserole

Inexpensive, easy, hearty and tasty: what more could one want in a casserole? Make two and freeze one! Serve with green beans, corn or mixed veggies. Look for soup, mushrooms and cheese on sale.

Serves 2-4

• 8-ounces (1/2 pound), ground chuck
• 8-ounces peeled, thinly sliced potatoes (about 1 large)
• 1/2-can condensed, cream of mushroom soup
• 1, 7-ounce can mushroom pieces and stems, drained, liquid preserved
• 1/2-cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2-teaspoon dried thyme flakes, crushed
• Pinch or two dried red pepper flakes
• Milk, or any of the following: cream, half-and-half or evaporated milk
• 4 slices American cheese or 1/2 - 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Lightly spray a one-quart, glass baking dish, one that has a lid. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

A mandolin works best to slice the potatoes. You want them about as thick as a nickel, but no thinner.

Put the mushroom juice in a measuring cup and add milk until it measures 3/4 cup. In a small bowl, combine the cream of mushroom soup and the mushroom liquid.

In a medium skillet, brown the ground chuck. Just as it begins to brown, add the onion and garlic. Cook just until meat is no longer pink.

Add the mushroom soup mixture, the thyme and red pepper flakes to taste. Bring to a slow simmer, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasonings. If too dry, add a bit more liquid or mushroom soup.

Place a few tablespoons of the meat mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish just to cover. Place a layer of potatoes on top and continue to alternate layers of potatoes and meat mixture, being sure to finish with the meat mixture. (Sometimes I add a bit more milk.)

Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until you notice it begins to bubble and the potatoes are soft. Remove from oven. Place cheese slices or cheese on top and return to oven, uncovered, just until the cheese is melted.

Notes: regular ground hamburger is pretty fatty, so I avoid it. Ground sirloin works well, too. You could use ground round, but I think ground chuck has much more flavor. It would be interesting to use ground lamb. If you don’t like thyme, go ahead and use a different seasoning. I never add salt to this since the cheese and soup have enough already.