Favorite Cook Book

 

 

I cook a lot, but I'm not good at it. I don't like the chore. Did I tell you I hate chopping veggies? No? Well, I do. 

I once cut a deep gash in my finger and the doctor had to sew it up. I did that on a can opener, but I also cut myself when I chop stuff.

Multiple cookbooks adorn a large cabinet in my kitchen. I love to read the recipes. I'll examine one and think, "that sounds good, but I don't have all the ingredients."

Why do all these journals call for odd things?

Here are a few examples:

Fresh minced oregano.

Ground turmeric.

Grated fresh ginger.

Fresh dill.

Fresh thyme.

One bunch of arugula.

Frozen artichoke hearts.

My organic farmer daughter has all the above mentioned herbs growing fresh. I do not. Every now and then, I will purchase a can of artichoke hearts. I don't like arugula, so it can't be found here in my refrigerator. On to the next recipe.

 

My go-to cookbook is this green one. It was published by the Houston Junior Forum, first printing in 1980, second one in 1981.  We once had a secretary who belonged to the Houston Junior Forum, and she gave me this handy little ditty.

I use it often and write a date on the recipe when I try it. I also give the dish a review. (I am an author, you know, and writers like reviews, although the cooks will never see them in this book. If you read my books, please leave a reiew.)

Some of the dishes are repeaters, others, not so much. The best banana nut bread of all time is in this volume, and I've made it too many times to count.

I'll share a recipe I amended from this versatile little tome. If I change a recipe, it's my own, right? After trying it various ways, including the way it was written, I think my amended way is better.

Gay's Easy Bake Chicken

Ingredients

Thick bacon slices. Don't use thin sliced.

Sliced potato rounds from two potatoes (about ¼ inch thick)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 large cans of condensed milk

6 to 8 Chicken tenders

Salt and pepper.

In a medium Pyrex baking dish, place the bacon strips to cover the bottom. Place potato rounds on top of the bacon. (I use two medium sized russets) Mix soup and milk together. Pour over bacon and potatoes. Save a portion. Place chicken trips on top and add remaining mixture. Cover tight and bake at 325 degrees. It takes about 3 hours. I pull the pan from the oven, hold it up, and check the bottom to make sure the bacon is done.

Most of the recipes in my green book have normal stuff.  Yay! Did you see the date? Early 80's. Food was more normal back then. Our organic farmer, Lanissa, will inherit this green cookbook. She loves kitchen duties and uses all fresh ingredients from her garden. She won't need the one pictured below.

 

Authors write books for dummies. You'll find dozens of them at booksellers. I bought a diabetes cookbook for dummies years ago. I also bought one for computers. I haven't read or used either one.

I thought the cookbook for dummies would be easy and healthy. It probably is healthy, but it isn't easy. Every recipe calls for fresh herbs and a dedicated amount of time. 

Herbs are expensive, and if you buy a bunch and use a teaspoon, you've lost money. I suppose you can substitute dried herbs, but you must keep a lot of bottles on hand.

I decided to sub one herb in a recipe. I checked the date on my dried thyme—1995. Well, so much for that.

I need to clean out that spice rack.

What are you planning for dinner tonight? Uber Eats? Door Dash? That sounds like a plan.

Gay's Author Page