Our taste buds often change through the years
Published 4:01 pm Friday, December 12, 2008
By Staff
Have you ever noticed how your taste buds change over the years? I truly believe I rather bypassed that youth to age generation; but I have certainly made up for it as an adult. A classic example would be my introduction to Cappuccino many, many years ago. This took place in another country and the experience was anything but pleasing. I mentally graded it as one of the most vile liquids that ever passed between my lips. Being a guest in the home where it was served, I had no alternative but to hold my breath and swallow. Unfortunately, my thoughtful hostess quickly mistook this gesture as an approval and proceeded to refill my glass to the brim. Needless to say, for many, many years thereafter; I managed to keep a respectful distance from this beverage that I regarded as having contaminated my taste buds. Whatever provoked me to allow this beverage back into my life, I honestly don't know; unless it could be my stubbornness to accept defeat on any level.
How can a mere beverage exert such control over my life? With this thought in mind I stepped up to the food bar at a local grocer, plunked down my money and ordered a cappuccino to go. Now, for the first time in my life I am beginning to understand the meaning of the word addiction; for if I would allow myself, I could easily down several of these refreshing drinks daily. It is important to bear in mind just how drastically our taste buds can change over a period of years; and of great importance that we be adult enough to realize that your bodies need a wide variety of fruits and vegetables despite whether or not they be our particular food preference. Were I to be fortunate enough to be granted just one wish, I already know what it would be: Let some genius come along and invent a cappuccino that exactly duplicates today's variety in taste and price; and appears as a number one on our health chart.
Today's first recipes will be in reply to the reader who has requested suggestions for homemade bread pudding and also old fashioned bread dressing:
Bread Pudding
4-6 slices white bread
3 eggs
1 quart milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
dash nutmeg
Beat eggs with milk; then add sugar and extract. Mix thoroughly as you stir in the pieces of bread. Place into casserole, sprinkle with desired amount of nutmeg, then bake for 50-60 minutes in a 400 degree oven.
Bread Pudding No. 2
6 slices white bread
softened butter or oleo
4 eggs
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash salt
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 – 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
Butter the bread, then cut into one inch squares. Place these portions into a lightly greased 11 x 7 x 1 baking pan. Beat just three of the eggs slightly, then add 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla and salt and mix together well. Heat the milk, then begin very slowly adding to the egg mixture and mix this together well. Pour over the bread and sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Then, combine the cream cheese and 1/2 cup of the sugar and blend until smooth. Add one egg, beating well; spread this mixture evenly over the soaked bread. Bake for 45 minutes or until firm in a 350 degree oven. Cool slightly.
Homemaker's Hint: When folding laundry, try to fold your towels lengthwise first, so you don't have to re-fold them to place them on a towel bar.
Timely Trivia: In 1962 the first modern running shoe, with the comfortable wide front, rippled sole and a shock absorbing wedge was marketed.
Bread Pudding No. 3
3 cups toasted bread cubes
4 eggs
4 cups milk, scalded
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup raspberry jam
1/3 cup melted butter
Place the bread cubes into a two quart casserole. Beat two eggs with two egg yolks, reserving the two egg whites for the meringue. Gradually beat the scalded milk into your eggs. Beat in one half cup of sugar, the salt, vanilla and butter. Pour this milk mixture over your bread cubes, then slide casserole into a preheated 350 degree oven for just 25 minutes. Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the pudding. Beat your egg whites until they become stiff, but not dry. Beat in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the meringue becomes stiff and glossy. Pile this meringue over the jam, spreading to all edges of the dish. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Homemaker's Hint: Did you know that bacteria love to lurk in the cracks and the little knife nicks on your cutting board. Use a brush to scrub the board vigorously with hot soapy water after each use. Never allow meat, fish or poultry, either raw or cooked, to sit on the board for more than just a few moments.
Timely Trivia: It's that time of year where it is not at all uncommon to find that the lock on your car door has frozen. Never ever try to force it open. Heat the key with a match or cigarette lighter, then keep inserting it into the lock again and again until the lock breaks free. Also know that superficial frostbite can develop very rapidly in a cold wind. The skin turns whitish or mottled and feels firm to the touch. Warm the skin directly against the body and get indoors immediately. Should the flesh feel hard and cold and the skin turn grayish yellow to a grayish blue, GET MEDICAL HELP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Never rub frostbitten tissue or try to rewarm it or even place pressure on it. Should your child's tongue ever stick to a flagpole on a dare, immediately attempt to calm him down and inhale through his nose and exhale through his mouth. His warm breath should melt the connection, and if he is too upset to comply … then YOU breathe your warm breath against the connection!
Our next reader, and her husband, are slated to travel out of state to stay with their newlywed son and his wife in their efficiency apartment for the holidays. She has complied with their request to make homemade stuffing to accompany the large ham they will be baking, but worries they will not have enough oven space. This next recipe can be prepared in your slow cooker.
Holiday Herb Dressing
1 loaf sourdough bread
1/2 cup butter
3 onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 1/4 tablespoon fresh sage
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
I find it best to use some rather stale sourdough bread and tear it into cube sized portions. Saute the onions and celery together in the butter for about 10 minutes. Then, as soon as you remove this from the burner, stir it into your fresh herbs and seasonings. Set aside while you tear your bread up into small portions and place it into a good sized mixing bowl. Now, add the herb/onion mixture plus just enough broth to moisten the mixture. Be sure to mix this together well, then you are ready to place it into your greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for one hour, then reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 3 to 4 hours.
Food Facts: Look for soft tub or liquid margarine. Remember the softer it is the less saturated fat it contains.
Baked Ham &Broccoli
4 cups cooked ham, cubed
20 ounces frozen broccoli spears
1 cup uncooked regular rice
6 tablespoons butter
4 slices bread
2-2 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
dash pepper
8 ounces American cheese, sliced
Cook your rice as you normally do, then spoon it into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch refrigerated baking dish. Cook your broccoli, then drain and place in a single layer over the rice. Melt butter in a large pan, then measure out two tablespoons of butter and sprinkle this over the bread crumbs in a small bowl. Set aside. Stir the chopped onions into the butter that is remaining in the frying pan and then saute them until soft. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper; then cook this mixture stirring constantly until it becomes bubbly. Stir in the milk and continue cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens, then let it boil for 1 minute. Stir in the cubed ham, heat again until just bubbly. Then pour it over the layers in your baking dish. Place the cheese slices over the sauce. Then sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs over all. Chill. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until it is bubbly and the toping is golden in color.
Homemaker's Hint: Looking for something to snack on? Try placing (well scrubbed) potato skins in the oven and baking just until they become crispy!
Food Facts: Did you know that broccoli has an abundance of essential vitamins and minerals? Just one cup has only 40 calories, yet provides almost twice the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C and 1/3 or more of the recommended allowance for vitamin A and foliate.
**Good character is like good soup, usually homemade!
If you use fresh sweet potatoes treat them very gently. Sweet potato skins are very thin. If peeling is necessary, it is wise to do so after they are cooked. To prevent spoiling, always store these potatoes in a cool place; but definitely not in the refrigerator as this tends to give them a hard core and affects their "off" taste.
Sweet Potato Balls
2 1/2 cups mashed canned or cooked sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup honey
1 cup chopped pecans
dash pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon butter
Combine your mashed sweet potatoes with the butter, the salt and pepper. Place into the refrigerator and chill for easier handling. Once chilled, shape the mashed potatoes into eight balls. Place the honey and just one tablespoon of butter into a heavy skillet over a high heat. When this syrup becomes hot, remove it from the heat, then add the potato balls one at a time. Proceed to gently spoon the glaze over them, making certain that they are all coated completely. Then, remove from the pan and roll them in the chopped nuts. Arrange in a greased shallow baking pan, with none of them touching. Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Homemaker's hint: Next time you find a recipe that calls for sliced mushrooms, put your egg slicer to work.
Timely trivia: Did you know that scientists seem to have proven that humans preference for sweet tastes are evident in the womb and simply considered to be a part of human evolution?
Processed foods contain lots of secret salt. Make it a point to always read labels. When you're cooking, try to minimize salt by heightening flavors in other ways. Fresh herbs are a wonderful replacement to salt.
Oriental Omelet
4 eggs, separated
dash white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
dash salt
1/4 cups soy sauce
butter
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup green pea pods, thawed and drained
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup water chestnuts, cut into strips
1/4 cup green pepper strips
1/4 cup red pepper strips
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar
1/4 cup brown sugar, well packed
Beat egg yolks with pepper in a mixing bowl until they become thick and lemony colored. Next, beat the whites together with the 1/4 cup of water, the salt and cream of tartar in another bowl until they become stiff. Fold the beaten yolks into the beaten egg whites. Melt just two tablespoons of butter into a 10 inch skillet, preferably with a heatproof handle until just hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Turn the egg mixture into the skillet. Cook over a low heat until puffy and browned on the bottom. This normally takes about 5 minutes. Then, transfer to a preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Note: try inserting a knife into the center and it should come out clean. Heat the cup of water, soy, brown sugar, cornstarch vinegar and dry mustard in a 1 quart saucepan. Heat over medium, while stirring constantly, until thickened. Then, cook two minutes longer. Remove from the heat, and stir in two tablespoons of butter until melted. Add the pea pods, water chestnuts and strips of pepper and keep warm. Remove your omelet to a heated platter. Score the omelet down the center with a sharp knife. Spread just one cup of cheese on the bottom half of the omelet, then fold in half. Top with your remaining cheese. Spoon one half cup of sauce over the omelet, then serve the remainder of the sauce separately.
Homemaker's Hint: Did you know you can freeze strong coffee in your ice cube trays? Then when you have the urge for a cup, place a couple of cubes in a cup, top with some water and zap it in the microwave.
Timely Trivia: With these recent snowy days and freezing temperatures, it is important that your pets be kept warm also. Let your dogs out more frequently, but avoid leaving him out for any length of time. It does not take but a matter of minutes for ice to form on the pads of his feet.
Bread
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or oleo
1 teaspoon salt
1 envelope active dry yeast
3 eggs, well beaten
1/4 cup very warm water (105-115 degrees)
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
4 cups sifted all purpose flour
dash ground mace
confectioner's sugar
Scald the milk along with the sugar, salt and butter. Let it cool to a lukewarm. Sprinkle your yeast into very warm water in a good sized bowl. Stir well until the yeast dissolves. Stir in cooled milk mixture, eggs, lemon rind and mace. Stir in the flour until it is well blended, then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon … all the time scraping the sides of the bowl frequently. Continue this until the dough becomes shiny and elastic; then cover with a towel. Allow to rise in a warm area, free from drafts, for a good hour or until it doubles in bulk. Stir the dough down; spoon it into a greased 12 cup tube pan; cover and allow to rise for an hour; or until it becomes not quite double in bulk. Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. The bread should be golden in color and emit a hollow sound when tapped. Remove it from the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle lightly with confectioner's sugar.
*Over many, many centuries; each society has developed their own unique types of bread. The popularity of bread is not new. Since prehistoric times, bread has been a staple food in one form or another in virtually every society.
Food facts: Before storing parsnips in the refrigerator, clip the greens off the top – they may draw moisture and nutrients out of the root.
Readers are welcome to send recipe contributions and requests, helpful hints and timely trivia by calling Lou at (269) 683-7266 or mailing them to 527 Philip Road, Niles.
Spicy Apple Loaf
1-14 ounce jar spiced apple rings
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped black walnuts
Peel the apple rings, then mash with a fork. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Set aside. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together then beat in the eggs and extract. Thoroughly stir the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add this alternately to the creamed mixture with milk. Very carefully, fold in the nuts; then spread just a third of this batter into a greased and floured 9 x 5 x 2 inch loaf pan. Layer a third of the apple mixture onto the batter. Repeat the layers to make three layers of each, ending with the apple mixture. Bake for 60 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove it carefully from the pan and continue to cool on a rack. Once completely cooled, slice.
Timely Trivia: There is reported to be 2,500 varieties of apple sin the United States alone.
I read an article about a study done in the Netherlands. Tit stated that they found that men eating an apple a day, in addition to two tablespoons of onions and four cups of tea had a 32 per cent lower risk of heart attack than those who consumed fewer apples.
*Someone mailed me an (obviously) old yellowed clipping the other day, and I wish to thank the individual who sent it. It contained the following:
Walnut Cheesecake
1 cup Zwieback crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped black walnuts
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoons sugar
Combine the Zwieback crumbs with two tablespoons sugar, two tablespoons walnuts and the butter. Press this mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of your eight inch spring form pan. Place immediately into the refrigerator to chill. Beat the cream cheese with your electric mixer at medium speed. Beat until fluffy. Gradually beat in the sugar and one teaspoon of the extract. Next, beat in the eggs one third at a time. Place this mixture into your prepared pan, and proceed to bake for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. The center should be firm once done. Place on a wire rack for five minutes in a draft-free area. Next, combine the sour cream with the remainder of the sugar plus the extract. Spread this mixture on top of the cake, then sprinkle with the remainder of the walnuts. Return it to the oven for 5 minutes until the topping is set. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan, on a wire rack, free from drafts. Remove the sides of the pan, then chill for several hours before serving.
Food Facts: I was surprised to read an article that said it was wise to look for varieties of apples that brown easily for they contained the most health benefits. This article mentioned Granny Smith varieties which are bred to be low in protein compounds that make them quick to brown when you peel them.
Homemaker's Hint: For saucepans that have a bit of food stuck to the inside of the pan, boil a bit of vinegar inside them for just a few moments and you will eliminate the need to scrub them.