At Marie's Table: Turkey Pot Pie

At Marie's Table: Turkey Pot Pie: History of Pot Pie: Primary evidence suggests recipes for chicken pot pie (in concept, but not name) were known in England as far back as t...

Turkey Pot Pie

History of Pot Pie:
Primary evidence suggests recipes for chicken pot pie (in concept, but not name) were known in England as far back as the Middle Ages. As one would expect, these early meat pies were quite different from ones we know today. Robert May's Accomplist Cook [1685] lists several recipes for poultry pies (chicken, turkey, pheasant etc.). These generally still relied on Medieval flavors: pepper, salt, nutmeg, orange juice, lemon, chestnuts, mace, sugar, gooseberries, barberries, grapes etc. Vegetables were sometimes employed:
"Potpie....A crusted pie made with poultry or meat, and, usually chopped vegetables. The term, which first appeared in American print in 1785, probably refers to the deep pie pans or pots used to bake pies in, and it has remained primarily an Americanism. The most popular pot pies have been chicken, Beef, and pork. The first frozen pot pie was made with chicken in 1951 by the C. A. Swanson Company."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 254)
Pot pies are as old as pastry-making itself. In the royal households of France and England, savory tarts were among a chef's most elaborate dishes...Sad to say, pot pies seem a relic of an age of family restaurants where a cook actually took his time to make such items--before such restaurants were conglomerated and homogenized. The last steamy gasp of the traditional pot pie may well have been the arrival of the frozen pot pie in supermarkets of the early 1950s, which made the idea of making one at home or in a restaurant obsolete, despite the lack of fresh flavor...Pot pies are as old as pastry making itself. And in the royal households of France and England, savory tarts were often among the most elaborate of dishes in a chef's repertoire, especially during the Elizabethan era, when the crusts would be decorated with heraldic devices, flowers, and curlicues of painstaking skill. Inside might be anything at all, including the famous "four-and-twenty blackbirds" or even a small child (unbaked and uneaten, I assure you). In America, where far more households had baking ovens than in Europe, the tart became known as the pot pie by the end of the 18th century, and was a fixture of American kitchens. In most cases it referred to a casserole dish topped with a pastry crust rather than to a mixture of ingredients baked in a pastry crust, so that the casserole could easily be hung above the fire or set on a grid to be baked by indirect heat. They were particularly welcome at church suppers because they were so easy to transport and were very festive at any family table.

Redress Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a (10 inch) double Pie Crust or Store Package 
• 2 stick cold Butter, diced
• 2 Tablespoon or Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, minced
• 3 stalks Celery, chopped
• 3 Carrots,  peeled and diced
• 1 Teaspoons dried Parsley
• 1/2 Teaspoon dried Oregano
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• 2  cups leftover, Gravy
• 1 Egg, beaten
• pinch, Kosher Salt top pie crust
• 2  large Red Skin Potatoes, cubed and cook
• 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked Turkey
• 2 cups all-purpose Flour
• 1 cup  ice cold Water
• pinch Kosher Salt, pasrty
• 2 Garlic Cloves, chopped 
• 1 cup Corn
• 1 Teaspoon Thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) . Pie crust, pour flour snd salt into cold glass bowl, cut butter into flor not with fingers or hand. heat from your hand will melt the butter.Flour should look like pea size balls. Next pour cold water in; little at a time. Make sure you are mixing as you are pouring and may use just 1/2 cup or just under 1 cup of the cold water. After flour is mix well, knead for no more then 2 minutes. Let rest  cover with plastic wrap in the fridge for 5 minutes. Flour a flat surface and roll out bottom pie crust, press into a 10 inch casserole bowl, and set aside.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, parsley, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the gravy. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the potatoes, turkey and corn cook on low heat for 15 minutes.
3. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges, and make 4 slits in the top crust to let out steam. Brush pie crust with beaten egg and add punch salt.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

GIve us a call for your holiday get together; Call 804-422-6313, Email sweetsbymj@aol.com or visit our web site http://www.richmondvacaterer.com/ We do Cheese Cake Too! 

At Marie's Table: Brown Sugar & Mustard Glazed Ham with Mac and Chee...

At Marie's Table: Brown Sugar & Mustard Glazed Ham with Mac and Chee...: History of the Macaroni and Cheese Homemade macaroni and cheese can be a simple layering of cooked macaroni, shredded (or sliced) cheese an...

Brown Sugar & Mustard Glazed Ham with Mac and Cheese

$39 for a Home Cooked Meal for 4 People, Including Groceries from MJ Creations Sweets and Treats ($80 Value) http://www.dealfind.com/richmond/mjcreationssweetsandtreats

History of the Macaroni and Cheese
Homemade macaroni and cheese can be a simple layering of cooked macaroni, shredded (or sliced) cheese and salt and pepper, or it can be made with a white sauce-cheese base, topped with more cheese and buttered crumbs before baking. This ever-so-humble dish is delicious and satisfying as is, but you can jazz it up (homemade or package version) with the addition of chopped vegetables, meat, fish or poultry, or your favorite herbs or spices adding your own special touch!
Some believe the dish was created by founding father Thomas Jefferson, known for his great interest in food, and in a 1996 "Restaurants & Institutions" article, Barbara Bell Matuszewski wrote that Jefferson served the dish in the White House in 1802. However, noted food historian Karen Hess claims Jefferson did not invent the dish, though he did return from a trip to Paris with a macaroni mold. In the recipes below, you'll find a recipe for a  old fashioned macaroni and cheese adapted from Mary Randolph's (Jefferson's cousin) "The Virginia Housewife," first published in 1824.

According to John Mariani, author of "The Dictionary of American Food and Drink," macaroni and cheese was first made in the nineteenth century, but it took on a even greater popularity when Kraft Foods introduced the Kraft Dinner (macaroni and cheese) in 1937. According to a company spokesperson, Kraft now sells more than one million boxes of the dinners every day! The Kraft dinners are so popular, in fact, that children and some adults have been known to turn up their noses when offered a rich and delicious homemade version.

Not My Mother's Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 - 16oz box uncooked Elbow Macaroni
• 6 cups shredded Sharp, Mild, Cheddar and Fiesta Blend Cheeses
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 cup Evaporated Milk
• 2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/2 cup Butter or Margarine
• 4 Eggs, beat
• Kosher Salt for pasta water
• Black Pepper to taste
• 1 pinch Nutmeg

Directions

1. Cook macaroni according to the package directions- but no more then 5 minutes. Drain.
2. In a large bowl beat eggs, sour cream, whipping cream, evaporated milk, and milk together well. Sir in soft butter or margarine. Add  cook macaroni, black peper, nutmeg stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses, pour macaroni in large casserole dish topped with cheese and butter. 
3. Melt butter or margarine 2 tablespoons in a skillet over medium heat. Add  Italian breadcrumbs 1 cup and brown. Let cool add parmesan cheese Spread over the macaroni and cheese to cover. This step is optional 
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 - 45 minutes. Serve.

Brown Sugar and Mustard Glazed Ham

Ingredients

• 1 (6 pound) bone-in Ham
• 2 cups Brown Sugar, packed  
• pinch, ground Cloves
• 1 Tablespoon Coarse Ground Mustard
• 1/3 cup Yellow Mustard
• 1/3 cup Honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place the ham, cut side down, into a roasting pan.
2. In a lage mixing bowl add brown sugar, honey,clover, and mustards the mixture will be slightly thick. 
3. Pour about 1/3 cups of glaze evenly over the ham bake about 15 mintues, repeat bake 30 minutes and repeat again for 20 minutes before the end of baking; pour the rest over the ham about 10 minutes before the end of baking.

History of the Sweet Potato Pie:
Sweet potatoes were introduced to West Africa soon thereafter. They were similar to yams ("Old World" foods) and quickly incorporated into the local cuisine. Sweet potato pie seems to have converged in the American South from very early colonial days. It quickly became a staple of the region. Today this fine pie is considered by some to be a cornerstone of soul food 
"Africans in the South knew the yam...from their homeland and the two tubers have become virtually interchangeable in Southern cooking. Most Southern sweet potato recipes have been developed by black from their traditional cuisine..."
Why are sweet potatoes pies sometimes served with marshmallows?
During the late 19th/early 20th century marshmallows were very trendy. Mass-manufactured, plentiful and inexpensive, they were agressively promoted by food companies. Campfire Brand is one of the oldest. Marshmallows were incorporated into cakes, pies, gelatin desserts, hot chocolate, candies, and the like. Marshmallows were promoted as a moden whipped cream substitute.  The earliest recipes we find combining sweet potatoes (& to a lesser extent, yams) with marshmallows date to the 1920s. According to these recipes, marshmallows were layered casserole-style or placed on top of the finished dish for decoration. Candied yams were sometimes served with marshmallows. Coincidentally, many signature dishes of the 1920s were exceptionally sweet. Some food historians hypothesize this was a tasteful reaction to Prohibition.
1753]
"A Potato Pye.Having made your Crust, lay a Layer of Butter in the Bottom, and having boiled your Potatoes tender, lay them in, and upon them may Marrow, Yoks of hard Eggs, whole Spice, blanched Almonds, Dates, Pistachoes, Orange, lemon, and Citron -peel candy'd; then lay in a Layer of Butter over all, close up your Pye, bake it; and when it comes out of the Oven, cut up the Lid, and pour in melted Butter, Sutagr, Wine, and the Yolks of Eggs."
---The Lady's Companion, Sixth Edition, Volume II [J. Hodges:London] 1753 (p. 161)

Ingredients

• 2  pound Sweet Potato
• 2 stick Butter, softened
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
• 1 cup Evaporated Milk
• 6 Eggs
• 1/2 Taspoon ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground Cloves
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• punch, Kosher Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Tablespoon Flour  
• 2 (9 inch) unbaked Pie Crust

• Directions

  1. Oven roast sweet potato with skin on for 40 to 50 minutes, or until tender. Let cool to touch and remove the skin.
  2. Mashed the sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in white, brown sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, flour and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.
• We here at Mj. Creations Sweets and Treats wish all of our reader an Happy Thanksgiving! don't forget to visit our web site www.richmondvacaterer.com , call us 804-422-6313 or email us sweetsbymj@aol.com   We are BBB Member

At Marie's Table: Cornish Hen Stuffed with Leeks, Onions and Bacon- ...

At Marie's Table: Cornish Hen Stuffed with Leeks, Onions and Bacon- ...: History of Cornish Hens: Cornish hen or Cornish chicken, breed of poultry that originated in Cornwall, England, but gained prominence on...

Cornish Hen Stuffed with Leeks, Onions and Bacon- Served with Berry Sauce

History of Cornish Hens:

Cornish hen or Cornish chicken, breed of  poultry that originated in Cornwall, England, but gained prominence only after it was established in the United States. Its body shape is quite different from that of other chickens. Both males and females have short legs and broad muscular breasts. Although relatively slow-growing, the Cornish hen has excellent meat qualities and is used extensively in breeding programs today. Its cross with the fast-growing  plymouth rock chicken is responsible for most of the broiler and frier types currently on the market today. An increasingly popular form of Cornish poultry, marketed for its delicious meat, is the Rock Cornish game hen. This is actually a standard meat-type chicken packaged at a smaller size.

The breeding and cross-breeding of chickens has a long and quite possibly glorious history, extending over continents and centuries. The Rock Cornish hen or Rock Cornish game hen is a cross between the Cornish Game and Plymouth or White Rock breeds of chicken. The leading attribute of the breed is that it develops a relatively large breast in a short period of time. By the time the chickens are slaughtered at 4 to 6 weeks, they weigh around 2.5 pounds, and provide about one serving of meat each.

*The Cornish Game Hen, often called the “Rock Cornish Game Hen,” was originally bred by Jacques and Alphonsine Murkowski in Connecticut in 1950. 

Ingredients

• 2 Leek stalks, wash and chopped
• 3 large Onions, chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Bacon fat
• 4 slices Bacon, fried and chopped 
• 12 oz Pine Nuts *optional
• 2 cups Water
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 - 1/2 cups fresh Strawberries, chopped
• 1 cup fresh Black Berries
• 1 cup fresh Raspberries
• 1 cup fresh Blueberries
• 4 tablespoons Orange Juice
• Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• 4-5 Cornish Hens
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Directions

1. In a large saucepan cook bacon; after the bacon done place onto paper towel and set aside. Keeping 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat add onions and leeks( cut leeks stalk lengthwise and chop then put into cold water to remove all dirt) drain and add to onion add cook until tender. Stir; cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in the chopped bacon and pine nuts. Turn off heat and cover
2. BERRY SAUCE:  In a large sauce pot place pot on medium heat; add 1 cup water and 1 cup of sugar stir; cook until sugar is dissolved. Add all clean berries to water and sugar cook until tender. Blend berries in a blender and place back into pot on low heat Cook for 5- 8 minutes or until reduce and get thick.
3. STUFFING HENS: Place in a shallow roasting pan add 1 cup water at the bottom. Next using a spoon or hand take onions and leeks mixture placing into hens filling it and then you will need to tie the legs together for better cooking.  Rub down the hens with olive oil  salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted into stuffing reads 165 degrees F.  Let rest for 5 minutes cut each hen in half lengthwise to serve with the berry sauce.. 
4. *Let Mj. Creations Sweets & Treats do your holiday cooking, Contact us by phone 804-422-6313, Email sweetsbymj@aol.com or Visit our site http://www.richmondvacaterer.com/.   When you are there do forget to look at our Cheese Cake Menu link.  This meal: Stuffed Cornish Hen, Greens Beans with garlic and Mashed Potatoes. We are BBB Member......

At Marie's Table: Fried Fish Fillets

At Marie's Table: Fried Fish Fillets: History Frying fish is as old a tradition as fishing itself. In the United Kingdom fish and chips is a commonly served fried fish dis...

Fried Fish Fillets

History

• Frying fish is as old a tradition as fishing itself. In the United Kingdom fish and chips is a commonly served fried fish dish consisting of haddock or cod, and most often served in pubs. In the Southern United States deep fried catfish is the dish of choice for social gatherings. Many differenct cultures enjoy the versatile flavors of frying fish. The French have Sole Meuniere, another delicious fried cuisine served with brown butter sauce and lemon. In the Midwestern and Northeastern portions of the United States, the fish fry is a common social gathering where families and neighbors gather for a potluck dinner consisting of many fried fish dishes.

Features

• In order to fry fish, there are several basic ingredients you will need. First, you need flour or cornmeal for the breading to give your fried fish a crispy coating. Sometimes batter is used, such as for fish and chips to give it a unique crispy breading. Next you should have any herbs and seasoning you want to use to flavor your fish. You will have to add different ingredients such as beer or hot sauce, depending on the type of fried fish you want to make

 Marie's Fried Fish

Ingredients

• 1 -1/2 Cups Corn Meal
• 1/4  Cup Corn Starch
• 1 Cup Flour
• oil for frying
• 2 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
• 2 Tablespoon Onion Powder
• Kosher Salt and Black Pepper, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Oregano, dried 
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika
• 1 Tablespoon Parsley Flakes
• 2 Tablespoon Old Bay
• 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper *optional
• 3 Cups Buttermilk *optional
• 6-8 White Meat Fish Fillets
• 2 Tablespoon Hot Sauce * optional
• Paper Bag

Directions

1. Place buttermilk and fish in large glass bowl, seasoning to taste with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper and hot sauce- stir around to make sure seasoning are well mix onto fillets . Let stand for 15 minutes in the fridge.  Meantime add all dry ingredients, seasonings and herbs into paper bag and shake. Remove fillets from buttermilk, dip into corn meal mixture one at a time. Let rest for 5 minutes place fish into baking sheet pan not on top of each other. Repeat dipping and let rest for 2 minutes.










2. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Fry fillets, a few at a time, for 2-4 minutes on each side or until fish is golden brown and flakes easily with a fork. Drain on paper towels. In a small bowl.  This meal was served with Collard Greens and Fried Apples.  For your next catering needs call Mj Creations Sweets and Treats 804-422-6313 or Email Us at sweetsbymj@aol.com   visit our site http://www.richmondvacaterer.com/   We are BBB Member

At Marie's Table: Chicken Vegetable with Dumpling

At Marie's Table: Chicken Vegetable with Dumplings: History Of The Dumpling: "Dumpling. A ball of dough, originally savoury and served as an accompaniment to meat or as a dessert...A simple, ...

Chicken Vegetable with Dumplings

History Of The Dumplings:
"Dumpling. A ball of dough, originally savoury and served as an accompaniment to meat or as a dessert...A simple, satisfying food, dumplings were boiled and served to extend small amounts of meat. Originally made by shaping small portions from a batch of bread dough before specific mixtures were developed using flour, cereals, pulses, stale bread, potatoes or cheese, sometimes with a raising agent added or enriched with fat in the form of suet, were developed. Local ingredients and method are used across Europe to make a variety of large or small dumplings, plain or flavoured with herbs, vegetables, spices or other ingredients...Dumplings are closely related to pasta. Italian gnocchi are good examples of small dumplings usually grouped with pasta and the spatzle of German and Austria, made from batter simmered until set in finger noodles, also hover between the two descriptions. Polish plain or filled dumplings are also very similar to gnocchi or filled pasta...The name dumpling is also used for Oriental specialties, such as the small filled dumplings of Chinese cookery, related more closely to pasta than European-style dumplings."
Dumpling. A term of uncertain origin which first appeared in print at the beginning of the 17th century, although the object it denotes--a small and usually globular mass of boiled or steamed dough--no doubt existed long before that. A dumpling is a food with few, indeed no, social pretentions, and of such simplicity that it may plausibly be supposed to have evoloved independently in the peasant cuisines of various parts of Europe and probably in other parts of the world too. Such cuisines feature soups and stews, in which vegetables may be enhanced by a little meat. Dumplings, added to the soup or stew, are still, as they were centuries ago, a simple and economical way of extending such dishes. The dough for most dumplings has always been based either on cereal, whichever was the staple in a given region (oats, wheat, maize, etc.), or on one of vegetables from which bread dough can be made...(potato, pulses, etc.)...However, despite its simplicity, the humble dumpling, or anyway the range of foods to which the name  is applied, has evolved in the course of time from the prototypes into something more complex. A first step was provided by the filled dumpling, in which the dough encloses something.
In the region of Bavaria...Austria and Bohemia...the common material of dumplings is stale bread. This is broken into small pieces and soaked in water or milk, and combined with any available enriching ingredients: bacon, eggs, cheese, chopped liver, or herbs. There are several sweet types stuffed with fruit...Another kind is the Nockerl, made from a softer dough of flour with butter, milk and egg (or leftover noodle dough...) Because the dough is soft, it is not rolled into balls to make the dumplings; small pieces are picked off with the fingers and throw into the boiling water...Another related dumpling, made in a similar manner,, is the Spatzle...most common in the Alsace and S. Germany...The Dampfnudel ('steamed noodle') is...a medium-sized German dumpling made of yeast dough, cooked in a shallow bath of milk in a tightly lidded pan...Potato dumpling tupes are exemplified by Kartoffelkloss...Other potato dumplings include the Russian Pampuska..."

Chicken Vegetable with Dumplings

Ingredients

• 5 Chicken Breasts, Boneless or Bone In 
• 1 Large Onion, chopped
• 3 Celery stalks, chopped
•  Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• 3 cups Cold Water
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/2 Teaspoon Poultry Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon Rosemary, fresh or dried 
• 2 cups all-purpose Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Parsley Flakes
• 1 can Corn, ( drain)15.25 oz 
• 1 can  Dice Tomatoes, 14.5 oz
• 1 Package Cut Carrots, 16 oz
• 1 Box Chicken Broth
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• punch, Poultry Seasonong
• 1/4 Teaspoon Onion Powder

• Directions

  1. In a heavy pot with a lid place the chicken, salt, pepper, water, bay leaf and poultry seasoning. Simmer all over low heat until tender, about 1 hour.
  2. Let chicken cool slightly in pot, then remove and take the meat off of the bones. Discard the bones and skin and skim excess fat off the broth if desired. Add onion, celery, 1/2 teaspoon parlsey flakes, garlic powder, carrots, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, can corn (drain), can tomatoes, 4 cups broth, salt and pepper if needed . Turn heat from low to medium cook vegetable for 10 minutes.  Return diced chicken pieces to the pot, Simmer over low heat while making the dumplings.
  3. To Make Dumplings: In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, black pepper (to taste), 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, punch poultry seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder.. Stir in 1/4 cup soup broth (more or less if needed and don't worry if you get some vegetable)  form a soft dough. Roll out dough in your  floured hands or you can roll out onto flour surface with a rolling bin until very thin. Cut into 1 inch wide strips using a pizza cutter or knife or ball no larger then 25 cent.. Tear off 1 inch long pieces from these strips or balls and drop into simmering broth, vegetable and chicken . Simmer for 20 minutes with the lid off, then 10 minutes more with the lid on.
  4. Let Mj. Creations Sweets and Treats do your holiday cooking, we got you covered! Try our sweet or savory cheese cakes - 6", 9" or 12" Email, Call or Visit our Web Site  sweetsbymj@aol.com                804-422-6313                 http://www.richmondvacaterer.com/     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  5.                                                We Are BBB Member