My Vintage Kitchen

Food or Dirt?

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It's been a short while since out last post...we've been busy with that uhhh Christmas thing. Anyway I hope you all had a fantastic holiday! I was able to get to New Jersey to see my sister/co-vintage kitchen blogger Robin and she whipped up some fantastic food! Some excellent standards a la turkey, green beans, warm spinach salad, potato's, stuffing....oh and yes a black forest cake to die for. Don't worry we will be posting this wonderful cake! But, today I wanted to talk to you a bit about something I have tried to do the last few years. That is trying new foods. If you can believe it I had never in my life eaten a beet! Well, except for some beet root chips but those hardly count as none of the beet flavor is retained. Awhile back I read this great book that a friend of mine recommended called Jitterbug Perfume. In the book there is a whole thing with beets, so this got me thinking I need to give those a whirl. After asking a few beet lovers I know what to do with them I cooked them up, popped a bite in my mouth, and then resisted the urge to spit them out. I read somewhere that you have to try something 12 times before you acquire a taste. So again I thought I would try beets. This time I thought I would use an actual recipe and add some spice or something. This is where the "spiced beets" came from. So, I cooked them up, popped a bite in my mouth and again resisted the urge to spit them out.

2 tries down 10 to go.

I will probably try again. I can honestly say my list of foods I really don't like is pretty short. I'm still working on olives, as I just can't get past the taste of all that salt. I also have a freak thing where I can't stand fresh peaches.... I know I should have my foodie license revoked.

-Shelly

Just in case you are a fan of the "earthy" beet. Here is the spiced beet recipe.

      

We have our Winners!

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Thanks to everyone who participated in our "little" contest! Out of all the entries only 3 people got it right. The food is in fact fake....and Parker was the only one to guess that it was also miniature!

Congratulations to Heather, Parker, and Jessica! Check your email ladies! And thanks again for playing!

-Shelly & Robin

It's Contest Time Again!

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Don't you just love the Holiday Season. Parties and gatherings full of amazing food! Look at these tasty treats above, could you not just devour everything in site! Errr. could you??? Well maybe this one looks better..it has wine!

But wait...something is not quite right here. What seems to be the problem? If you can figure it out shoot us an email at [email protected]. Remember don't give it away in the comments! The first 5 people to guess correctly will win a gift from the My Vintage Kitchen Shop!

Good Luck! You have 24 hours before this post self destructs.

My Personal Journey

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It has been 21 minutes since the vicious ice storm paralyzed our digital cable, internet, and phone. I don't know what to do. Think dammit, think! I have to do something. I'm going to the kitchen.

Hour 2
I found some frozen okra that I forgot to put in a gumbo.

Hour 3
I'm frying okra. I have never done this before. It makes me want to pack my house up and follow a caravan of carnival folk.

Hour 4
I'm packing

Hour 5
Cable has returned. Can't talk. Dr. Phil is on.

Now, I didn't really think much of my fried skills, so I am going to just pretend it didn't happen. If you want a good recipe I would use a little something that we like to call "google". Thank you.

-Robin

Great Moments in American Cinema

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Here we are with our second installment of "Great Moments in American Cinema". If you would like to see our first installment here it is. Today it's a tribute to the man who can make giant pancakes, John Candy, otherwise known as "Moley Russell's Wart" or "Uncle Buck".

There are so many wonderful things about the following scene.

A. Who does not love Tone-Locs "Wild Thing"?

B. Who does not love large men trying to pee in tiny urinals?

C. Who does not love a "Melanoma Head"?

Ah yes, truly a great moment in American Cinema. In honor of Uncle Buck, here is a recipe for one of my favorite holiday treats. Buckeyes.

-Shelly

Buckeyes

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners sugar

6 ounces dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet

2 tablespoons shortening

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners sugar till a smooth stiff dough forms. Shape into balls using a tablespoon of dough for each buckeye. Place on prepared pan and refrigerate. Melt shortening and chocolate together in a double boiler. Once chocolate and shortening are melted and smooth remove the refrigerated dough and insert a wooden toothpick and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

The French Really Have a Way With Words

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I love how you can say anything in French and it sounds posh.                                                          

For instance:"We are the young, hello my name is pencil"

Sounds like: " Nous sommes les jeunes, bonjour mon nom est le crayon"

But in German....uhhh not so much "Wir sind die junge, hallo ist mein name bliestift".

And then there is "Shrimp Etouffee"                                                                                                    

In French: "Etouffee de Crevette"

In German: "Garnele Etoufee".

See what I mean? Anyway, lets quit talking about how Etouffee sounds and get down to it. This is a variation on a Crawfish Etouffee that was in the December issue of Gourmet Magazine...the variation being my grocer did not have crawfish and I used shrimp.

Also I have a Disclaimer : All translations are courtesy of some free translator I found on line and I have no clue if they are actually correct. Yes I am of German decent, no I do not speak German. Yes I took French in High School, no I do not speak French...sorry Madame Price.

-Shelly

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter 

3 cups minced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 lb shrimp ( cleaned )

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Melt butter in medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and flour, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, paprika and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in shrimp. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Stir in green onions and parseley. Serve with steamed rice.

       

Crazy for Cutlery

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I must say.....you know every time I say "I must say" I think of Ed Grimly. ANYWAY...I must say I am completely in love with our little cutlery set....how cute is that face and the little bun on this chickies hair? We try not to really plug the stuff we sell to much as really the main focus of this blog is cooking, but I just had to show you all how cute this little sweet pea is. Her partner is pretty charming too. Anyway, they are back in stock as is the very popular Penguin Thermos ( if you're still looking for last minute gifts.) 

Check back with us tomorrow as I will be posting the BEST Etouffee I have ever had in my entire life! You know it's good when the recipe calls for a whole stick of butter....lord have mercy on our arteries!

-Shelly

Is that a Fried Egg on your Salad?!

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I know what your thinking...did two Bob Evans waiters collide...one with a breakfast bowl, and one with a salad? No my friends, they did not....and yes that is a fried egg on top of that spinach salad. I was flipping through the pages of Everyday Food and found this little recipe. Really the only reason I thought about making it was because I had all the ingredients, that by the way is never a good reason to cook something as it should probably sound good to you first. So the fried egg thing did not sound so good to me, because A. I thought I don't want a runny yoke all over my spinach and B. It's a fried egg, boiled egg seems OK but fried? hmmm. Well I must have felt adventurous because I went ahead and trusted the editors of Everyday Food and I must say this was excellent! The salad needs the yoke, it gives a rich lovely flavor to the salad and balances out the bitterness of vinegar and spinach.

   

Serves 4

2 bundles fresh spinach washed

3 med Yukon Golds (small dice)

1 shallot ( fine dice)

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

4 eggs

Cook your potatoes in a bit of olive oil until golden brown. In a separate bowl mix the shallot with the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt & pepper.  Put your spinach in the bowl but don't mix in the dressing yet. Grate desired amount of Parmesan cheese on top of spinach. Top with your hot potatoes and start mixing together...till spinach wilts. Fry your egg over medium. Plate your salad and top with egg.