[Sca-cooks] Cold weather foods

[Sue Clemenger]

Stuck inside because of weather is pretty relative, here, as you'd probably
remember from your years in Montana, Papa.... Unless it's 30 or 40 below,
I'm only a 10 min. walk to the grocery store, too, so it's generally
laziness or illness that keeps me indoors.
In weather like this (cold, clear, windy), I like to make things in the
oven, so that end of the house gets heated up (not just a cheap mentality,
so much as piss-poor placement of the heating stove).  Casseroles that I can
eat on all week, that sort of thing.  My favorite is an Auld One handed down
from my Grandma that has hamburger, bell pepper, tomatoes, macaroni, cheese,
and Lutheran Binder in it.  Oh, and durkee's fried onions.
I also make soup--been thinking of a big pot of navy-bean-and-ham.  Or maybe
jambalaya, that I'll share with my neighbors.  I use Zateran's mix for it,
but add in shrimp and chicken and andouille.  Apparently, I pass my neighbor
Nancy's brother's test for okay jambalaya (even if I am a Yankee through and
through) because I simmer the chicken first, and use the broth for the rice.
(Nancy's from N.O.)
A friend made a tasty-sounding stew with beef, numerous winter root veggies,
lots of merlot, and a bunch of olives, and invited me over this weekend, but
I passed, since I can't have the merlot.  She said it was very good,
though...
I made mushroom soup in my crockpot last weekend, using every kind of
mushroom I could find.  Yummers, although it *needed* just a touch of sherry
to finish it....
I'm also getting a hankering for peanut curry, although I'm out of coconut
milk....mmmmm.....
I don't have a human person of the appropriate gender to cuddle with, but
four cats do quite nicely hogging most of the bed.  Although, I've noticed
that we're generally one big lump, the five of us, on really cold nights....
--Maire

----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Gunter" <countgunthar at hotmail.com>
To: <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 9:56 AM
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Cold weather foods


> Texas and Oklahoma got socked with a huge winter ice
> storm that had everyone huddled in their homes all weekend.
> So, in such a situation, what do you do other than cuddle
> together and make hearty meals?
>
> Elizabeth and I did just that and it was a lot of fun, both
> the cuddling and the cooking. But we made some wonderful
> hearty dishes to stave off winter starvation.
>
> Elizabeth made a wonderful milk bread that is dense, golden
> and a little sweet. It's terrific just slathered with butter. She
> will have to provide the details on this.
>
> She, being the good little New Orleans girl she is, made a huge
> pot of red beans and rice that was supplemented by me with
> some bbq'd ribs and hot wings.
>
> Finally we made a spaghetti and meatballs. It was pretty standard
> other than I tried a little trick I found in the Williams-Sonoma
> cataloge. I placed a small piece of fresh mozzerella in the center
> of each meatball. Browned them and then let them simmer in
> the gravy for around 20 minutes. They were very good although
> I'm not a huge cheese fan so they were a little cheesy for me.
> I think I'd do the same with a pinch of shredded parmesian or
> something. Maybe even a small spoon of pesto.
> Still, it was a fun experiment and would definately be a happy
> surprise for any cheese lover.
>
> So cold weather brings out the stuff to make us sleep.
> I also love making a huge pot of chicken  noodle soup or
> chicken and dumplings or beef stew.
>
> Did y'all make anything special when you are stuck inside?
>
> Gunthar