Peach Jello Mold

My first Jell-O mold!

Oh, we're all "acquainted" with Jell-O. Notice I didn't say we're all on friendly terms. Or even best friends. Jell-O is something that has quite literally "slipped" into our lives and down our childhood mouths. And memory.

Mothers use it as a medicine.

Grandmothers and aunts arrived at holidays burdened and armed with "the mold" precariously but sacredly balanced. Everyone gathered around for the "unmolding" holding their breath and hoping it didn't stick.

My family still serves green pear mold every Thanksgiving. And somewhere in my 1960's mind, I remember chopped carrots and pineapple suspended in a green gel. I actually liked it.

To a child's fancy, Jell-O is magical. Layered with rainbow colors, it's like eating crayons. It moves and jiggles like a toy. It plays with light, like glass marbles. It's cold and melts in your mouth (kind of) like ice cream. You can suspend just about it anything in it, including olives which I always kind of found fascinating, like Martian eyeballs or something.

Vintage Jell-O ads are wonderful. It's always portrayed as elegant, nutritional fare. Glamorous and "hostess worthy."

But we all grow up. Unlike peanut-butter-and jelly or grilled cheese, Jell-O is that kind of fond food we quietly leave behind, like training wheels. Away we go never to look back.

But Jell-O has a zombie life. It never dies. Never. Instead, it re-invents itself constantly. Like that pear mold. And I had many a Jell-O cake in the teacher's lounge when I taught school. I enjoyed them all. It's even become an art form. I've seen creations with Barbie-doll heads suspended in it all fetus-like. Yuck!

But I think Jell-O's biggest reinvention was simply to grow up. Go to college. Where it was introduced to booze. The friend of fraternity and sorority alike. Jell-O shots were born and the rest is history.

Jell-O was suddenly re-discovered. Blogs were written. Books published. It was no longer your mother's or grandmother's Jell-O. It was back.

Armed with my flea-market, one-dollar, vintage "copper" molds, I embarked on the Jell-O journey. The recipe below was cut in half to fit my 3.5-cup mold. The original recipe can be found here: Peaches & Cream Jello.

The following recipe called for peach schnapps. I didn't have any so I simply flavored the  milk layer with a bit of almond extract and fresh-grated nutmeg. Rum would have been a nice addition. Following recipes will most likely have the booze. Stay tuned. In the meantime, give this a try. It really wasn't difficult and will take the angst out of making a Jell-O mold if you've never tried.

I unmolded this on a hot day (Jell-O is tough to photograph). I found it refreshing and cool. The almond layer gave it a grown-up taste. Will I make it again. You betcha. With the booze!

• 1, 14-oz peach slices, drained, syrup reserved
• 1, 3-oz. package peach-flavored Jell-O
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup cold water

• 1 pkg. Knox Gelatin
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk (1/2 can)
• 6 tablespoons peach schnapps
• 1/2 the drained peach syrup (if not using liquor, add all the syrup)
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract (omit if using liquor)
• Several grates fresh nutmeg (omit if using liquor)

• 1, 3.5-cup mold

Drain peaches and reserve the juice.

In a small bowl, dissolve the Jell-O in the 1 cup of boiling water. When fully dissolved, add the cold water. Stir and place in refrigerator until custardy thick. If you leave it in too long, nuke a bit in microwave. 

Place about six sliced peaces in the bottom of your mold. Spoon the thickened gelatin over the peaches. Refrigerate until set but not firm (your finger should leave an imprint when you touch the gelatin). If you allow it to set too much, the next layer may slide off when unmolded.

Dissolve the unflavored gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Then add the 3/4 cup boiling water. Continue to stir until powder is fully dissolved. Add the 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk, peach syrup and/or liquor and, if using, almond extract and nutmeg. Stir. Taste. Adjust flavorings as needed. 

Refrigerate until a bit thick. It will kind of resemble cooked egg whites. Spoon over the peach layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To unmold, place mold in warm water for a few seconds (don't overdo it). Wet a plate and put plate on top of mold. Flip. The mold should slide out easily. If not, repeat the process.

Slice and serve.

Orecchiette with Bacon and Peas

Pasta is wonderful meal by itself or as a side. And it's usually easy to prepare, not to mention inexpensive.

If you have children, they may just love this dish because of the pasta shape. "Orecchiette" means "little ears." It's the perfect shape for holding peas. Here, they are paired with a straightforward cheese sauce along with everyone's favorite, bacon. Traditionally, it would be pancetta. Leftover ham would work, too.

This is a forgiving recipe. If you have them on hand, use leeks or shallots. Any soft cheese will suffice, including Ricotta, even heavy cream. Cream cheese is what I had, so that's what I used. As always, just be sure to use a good Parmesan/Reggiano cheese. It's always the signature to any pasta dish.

Serves 1-3

• 4-6 oz. orecchiette
• 4-6 oz. bacon, chopped
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 medium garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
• Fresh thyme (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add pasta and return to the boil.

Rinse frozen peas under cold water to defrost. Drain and set aside until ready to use.

Add chopped bacon to a medium saucepan and fry just until it begins to turn color. You don't want it super crisp. Remove from pan to drain. Add a bit of butter/olive oil to the pan and add the onion. Cook until soft. Add the garlic and stir just until fragrant. If using, add a bit of thyme, just a few pinches.

Add the chicken stock and allow to simmer several minutes. Add the bacon and then the cream cheese. Taste for seasonings, adding more garlic if necessary, salt and pepper. Set aside. Add the peas.

Drain the pasta. Using a slotted spoon, begin transferring the pasta to the sauce in the pan, coating evenly. Some of the pasta will still be "wet" but that's okay. You want the "starchy" water to thicken the sauce. 

Grate fresh cheese over the mixture and taste for seasonings. 

Notes: I used 8 oz. of pasta but it was way too much. I also used the 4 oz. of bacon (four slices) but I felt it needed more. I added a splash of dry white wine along with the stock. If I had one, I would have grated a bit of lemon zest over the dish.

Stewed Tomatoes with Dumplings

A can and a pan. It's amazing what one can create with those two items!

I had intended to make a small pork roast with this dish, but the stewed tomatoes with the fluffy dumplings turned out to be a meal in itself. This could easily feed several adults. Next time, I may just add some white beans and more stock.

This is from my grandmother's old cook book. It is one of those recipes that is versatile and adaptable. A bit of spinach or kale? Go ahead. Perhaps some chopped bacon? Why not? And certainly a sprinkle of cheese.

Tomatoes and dumplings was a popular Depression-Era dish. Many people had their own garden. And they canned or "put up" their own tomatoes. I used store-bought, canned tomatoes and cut them up using kitchen shears. A mixture of summer-fresh, vine-ripened tomatoes is wonderful*--serve with grilled hot dogs ... no buns ... potato salad. 

Serve with a grating of yellow cheese or a pat of butter.

For the fluffiest dumplings, use White Lily Flour if you access to it; otherwise, use cake flour or a combination cake flour/all purpose flour. The recipe below made seven, light wonderful dumplings. It's important to remember that when making dumplings, they will absorb the juices from the stew, hence the importance of adding some stock.

The Tomato Stew

• 1, 28-ouce can whole tomatoes, chopped, with juice (about 3 cups)
• 1/4 cup butter (not oil or margarine)
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/3 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Pinch of allspice or 1-2 allspice berries, crushed (optional but recommended)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom pan. Add the onion, green pepper and celery. Cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the brown sugar and, if using, the allspice. Bring to a slow simmer and cook partially covered for about 30 minutes, adding stock as needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper (if you like things a bit spicy, add a bit of Tabasco Sauce)

The Dumplings

• 1 cup flour (White Lily or cake flour recommended)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cold butter
• 1 tablespoon cold lard
• Parsley, chopped (fresh or dried)
• 2/3 cup whole milk

(Before making the dumplings, cover the stewed tomatoes and make sure it is on a medium simmer. Dumplings cook by "steaming.")

In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Cut in the cold butter and lard using a pastry blender. It doesn't have to be perfect. Stir in the milk and mix just until blended. Add the parsley.

Uncover tomatoes and drop six to seven large spoonfuls of batter onto the surface of the stewed tomatoes. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes. They will almost double in size as they rise and puff out. They are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

This was even better the next day!

Fluffy dumplings and stewed tomatoes. Great by itself or a side to chicken,
beef or pork. The brown sugar turns the tomatoes a deep red.

Notes: I added a slice of smoked bacon to the stewed tomatoes as they cooked and then removed it before adding the dumpling batter. I also used Self-Rising, White Lily Flour but still added a bit more baking powder.

* If using fresh tomatoes, save the juice. If you need more juice, you have several options depending on pantry staples: use a bit of tomato juice or V8 Juice. To some tomato paste, blend water, or chicken, beef, ham, vegetable stock. To a few tablespoons water, shake in some flavored bouillon of your choice ... Best of all ... add some water to tomato powder.

Pizza with Shrimp

NOTE: Because I used a lot of mushrooms, the pizza was a bit more "watery" than I would have liked.

Next time I will saute them first.