Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Nouveau Appalachian Cuisine


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Originally uploaded by Contrary Goddess.

Food. What an experience. What an opportunity for creativity, and health, and hedonistic pleasure.

I always save broths and often they inspire one-of-a-kind soups. In this fridge I had a pint of a salt pork broth. Last time I had a salt pork broth I was inspired to make an ear mushroom soup that also featured tofu -- very thin and very simple.

But this time I not only didn't have any ear mushrooms, I did have these wonderful mashed parsnips and mashed potatoes. So I took the highly concentrated broth, put it in a pot on the stove, and diluted it with a pint of water. After bringing it to an open boil, I moved it to a much cooler part of the stove and added the mashed parnips and mashed potatoes. And a little extra garlic because garlic is in everything I cook. These veggies were hand mashed (with the new SS "s" type potato masher!) and so had a few lumps. I could have pureed the soup but I was thinking lumps would be fine.

Oh, and they were. Anyway, I let that heat slowly which also let the broth incorporate the veggies. About a half hour before we were ready to eat, when we started to fry the corn bread cakes, I added a quart of cream. After a taste, which was even then good, I decided to also add curry, because I love curry.

Heat through, with a side of a plain vinegar style of slaw (just cabbage, vinegar, a touch of olive oil, salt and pepper, a good dose of pepper -- thanks to my friend Linda), and a corn cake (aka fried corn bread) -- mmmmmm.

And a fridge ready to start leftovers again tomorrow!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

i wish all of my cooking experiments turned out so well.

laura said...

there is nothing better than taking your amazing leftovers that are pretty good on their own and putting them together to make something even more amazing..nothing lost, everything gained.

Dramaw said...

Do you make quilts? I am starting one and would love some tips if you have any. I love reading your posts. I log in every day looking for your next adventure! You are awesome. What was in the small containers. Cheese, butter???

CG said...

dragonfly -- when daughter asked me what I was fixing that morning, I said, it is either supper or pig food. I can usually taste in my head how things will (or how I want them to) turn out, but this, with all those strong and contrasting flavors, I was unsure I was tasting correctly. But I was.

Yeah, la, we COOK for leftovers, huh? <3

dramaw, try madcap for the quilts. I don't sew all that much, although right now the sewing area is being put into a configuration I can work in as I have several, uh, assignments. If you click on the photo you will go to that photo on my flickr site and it has notes on it that tell you what is in the containers! Good to "see" you again! Let me know what is happening in your life!

Ren Allen said...

Mmmm...sounds heavenly. I just adore hot soup and bread this time of year. It would taste even better with that lovely, creamy raw milk of yours.
**insert wistful sigh**

Anonymous said...

mmmm - I grew up in southeastern North Carolina, where we always fried our cornbread.