Category: Grandpa’s Use Only

These recipes are for Grandpa and his family. This category includes recipes from magazines, TV shows, newspapers, and other sources where I don’t have permission to republish the recipes, but still feels they are recipes that he may want to cook for himself at a later time.

Whenever Baking with Mushrooms

Cleaning mushrooms: The common wisdom is don't wash mushrooms, just use a dry paper towel. Also, don't wash them until you are ready to use them. That being said: Do not wash them if they are being used in a dry application, such as a salad. You can, however, give them a quick rinse underwater if you are immediately baking with them or using them immediately in some sort of soup or other wet application. The towel cleaning should be a suggestion rather than a rule, but when in doubt, just use a dry paper towel.

Brine your mushrooms

  1. Put 2 QT of water in a large bowl
  2. Add 2 TBL salt
  3. Cut mushrooms all the same size
  4. Put shrooms in the water
  5. Top with a plate to hold them down
  6. After 10 minutes drain and pat dry
  7. Let completely dry for another 10 minute
  8. Toss in 2 TBL EVOO
  9. Roast at 450º for about 30 minutes on the bottom rack
  10. Take out and toss them, then cook 10 more minutes
  11. Take out and toss with 2 TBL butter and 1 tsp lemon juice
  12. They are ready to use or serve
  • A mushroom acts like a vegetable, in that vegetables get soft when cooked.
  • Mushrooms also have Chitin in them, which acts more like meat – and toughens up
  • The brine will allow it to hold onto the moisture during cooking

 

Boiled Bacon ?!?

This is a tip from America’s Test Kitchen

Rather than cooking bacon in a hot skillet, where some pieces are overcooked and others are rubbery, try this:

  • Put bacon in the bottom of your skillet
  • Add water just to cover
  • Turn the heat up to high
  • When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium
  • Boil off all of the water
  • When the water is gone, reduce the heat to medium low
  • When the bacon is fully cooked you will see your bacon in just a bit of grease
  • Remove and blot the bacon
  • This should have a nice bite to it, be crisp yet chewy

 

 

Yogurt Brûlée

Spoon Greek yogurt into a fire-ready ramekin
Sprinkle Turbinado sugar over the top
Use your torch to caramelize the sugar
Top with a bit of fresh fruit
Serve quickly, cause it will not stay as crispy for as long as custard will.

Easier way – similar flavor

Pour honey on top of your yogurt

Weights and Measures

Cooking Abbreviations

This is what Grandpa uses, anyway

1 gm = 1 gram
1 cc = 1 cubic centimeter
1 tsp = 1 teaspoon
1 TBL = 1 tablespoon
1 oz = 1 ounce
1 C = 1 cup
1 LB = 1 pound
1 pt = 1 pint
1 qt = 1 quart

Conversions provided by Google

CLICK HERE for a weight converter
CLICK HERE for a volume converter
CLICK HERE for a length converter
CLICK HERE for a height converter
CLICK HERE for a currency converter
CLICK HERE for a long URL shortener converter
CLICK HERE for YouTube direct positioning
CLICK HERE for an area converter
CLICK HERE for a language converter
CLICK HERE for a converter

Frequently Used Conversions

Liquid: From smallest to largest

1 milligram  =  0.015 grain = A teeny tiny ant, or a mosquito that has not yet eaten
1 grain  =  64.8 milligrams =  1/7,000 pound  =  1/437.5 ounce = 1 single grain of barley or long grained rice
1 CC = about 5 drops = ABOUT 1 gram (just barely under)
1 CC = 1 milliliter
1 CC = 1 gram = use just the tip of your measuring spoon
1 tsp = 5 cc = ABOUT 5 gm = the weight of a single nickle
1 TBL = 3 tsp = 1/2 oz = 15 cc
1 ounce  =  2 TBL =  1/128 U.S. gallon  =  1/16 U.S. pint
1/4 C = 2 oz = 4 TBL
1 deciliter  =  1/10 liter = 100 milliliters
1/2 C = 4 oz = 1 gill = 119 cc
1 C = 16 TBL = 8 oz = 238 gm
1 PT = 2 C = 16 oz =  1/2 quart =  1/8 gallon
1 QT = 2 PT = 32 oz = .946 liter = 1/4 gallon
1 liter = 1,000 CC = 1 qt + 3 TBL =  1.06 U.S. quarts
1 gallon = 4 qts = 128 oz = 3.78 liter

1 U.S. gallon (basic unit of liquid capacity in the United States)  =  231 cubic inches of water
1 imperial gallon = 1.2 US gallons  =  277.4 cubic inches

Dry Measures: From smallest to largest

1 cubic centimeter  =  0.06 cubic inch
1 cubic inch  =  16.4 cubic centimeters
1 dry pint  =  1/64 bushel  =  1/2 dry quart
1 dry quart  =  1/32 bushel  =  1/8 peck
1 peck  =  1/4 bushel
1 U.S. bushel (basic unit of dry capacity in the United States)  =  2,150.4 cubic inches
1 imperial bushel (basic unit of dry capacity in some Commonwealth nations)  =  2,219.4 cubic inches
1 cubic yard  =  0.765 cubic meter
1 cubic meter  =  1.3 cubic yards
1 U.S. bushel  =  0.97 imperial bushel  =  3.5 dekaliters

Weight: From lightest to heaviest

1 milligram  =  0.015 grain = A teeny tiny ant, or a mosquito that has not yet eaten
1 grain  =  64.8 milligrams = 0.0648 gm
1 gram  =  0.035 avoirdupois ounce
1 pennyweight  =  24 grains  =  1/20 troy ounce
1 dram  =  1/256 pound  =  1/16 ounce = .0625 ounces = 1.77 gram
5 gm = the exact weight of one nickle
1 oz =  1/16 pound = 12 dimes = 28.5 gm
1 pound =  0.454 kilogram = Typical 16 oz canned goods
1 kilogram (basic unit of weight or mass) = 2.205 pounds
1 metric ton  =  1,000 kilograms =  1.1 short tons
1 short ton  =  2,000 pounds =  0.9 metric ton
1 long ton  =  2,240 pounds

Length: From shortest to longest

1 millimeter  =  1/1,000 meter = The diameter across this zero º
1 centimeter  =  1/100 meter =  0.39 inch
1 inch  =  2.54 centimeters =  1/36 yard  =  1/12 foot
1 foot  =  1/3 yard =  0.305 meter
1 yard (basic unit of length) =  0.914 meter
1 meter (basic unit of length) = just more than a yardstick = 39.37 inches =  3.28 feet =  1.094 yards
1 fathom  =  6 feet
1 rod  =  5 1/2 yards
1 furlong  =  220 yards  =  40 rods
1 kilometer  =  1,000 meters =  0.62 mile
1 mile  =  1,760 yards  =  5,280 feet  =  1.609 kilometers
1 nautical mile  =  6,076.1 feet

Area

Liquid: From smallest to largest

1 square centimeter  =  1/10,000 square meter =  0.155 square inch
1 square inch  =  1/1,296 square yard  =  1/144 square foot =  6.45 square centimeters
1 square decimeter  =  1/100 square meter
1 square foot  =  1/9 square yard
1 square yard (basic unit of area)
1 square meter (basic unit of area)
1 square rod  =  30 1/4 square yards
1 are  =  100 square meters
1 acre  =  4,840 square yards  =  160 square rods  =  0.405 hectare
1 hectare  =  10,000 square meters  =  100 ares =  2.47 acres
1 square kilometer  =  1,000,000 square meters =  0.386 square mile
1 square mile  =  3,097,600 square yards  =  640 acres =  2.59 square kilometers

Volume

Length, Width, Height: From smallest to largest

1 cc = 1 cubic centimeter  =  0.06 cubic inch =  1/1,000,000 cubic meter
1 cc = 1 milliliter  =  1/1,000 liter
1 cubic inch  =  1/46,656 cubic yard  =  1/1,728 cubic foot  =  16.4 cubic centimeters
1 cubic foot  =  1/27 cubic yard
1 cubic yard (basic unit of volume) =  0.765 cubic meter
1 cubic meter  =  1 stere (basic unit of volume)  =  1.3 cubic yards
1 centiliter  =  1/100 liter
1 deciliter  =  1/10 liter
1 liter  =  1 cubic decimeter (basic unit of capacity)
1 dekaliter  =  10 liters
1 hectoliter  =  100 liters  =  1/10 cubic meter

Carrot Cake

carrotIngredients

  • 1-1/2 C canola oil
  • 2 C sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 C carrots (about 1-1/2 LB
  • 1 C chopped almonds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 TBL cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 C flour

Step by Step

  1. Blend oil and sugar in large bowl
  2. Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg as you go
  3. Blend thoroughly
  4. Peel and grate the carrots, or use a food processor
  5. Pulse almonds to break them apart
  6. Add carrots and almonds
  7. Pour into well greased ten inch cake pan
    – or use four inch rings to make individual cakes – Drop baking time to 1 hour
    – or use two pans to create thin layers – Drop baking time to 1 hour
  8. Bake at 325º for 1-1/2 hours
  9. Cool and frost

Traditional Frosting

  1. Mix 1 8 oz package of cream cheese (room temperature) with 1/2 C melted butter
  2. Add 1 LB confectioner sugar, 2 TBL vanilla and mix well
  3. Spread while still room temperature

Glaze Frosting

  1. Mix 1 C confectioner sugar with 4 TBL lemon juice

Decoration

  1. For carrot use confectioner sugar and food coloring.  Use parsley sprig for the carrot top

RECIPE TWO

  1. Preheat oven to 350º
  2. Butter cake pan
  3. Sprinkle and spread flour
  4. Grate 12 oz carrots
    • Batter
  5. Mix dry, then wet, then combine
    • DRY INGREDIENTS
    • 12 oz ap flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • baking soda
    • 1/4 each alspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg
    • scant salt
  6. Toss with grated carrots to coat
    • WET INGREDIENTS
    • 10 oz granulated white sugar
    • 2 oz dark brown sugar
    • 3 eggs
    • 6 oz yogurt
    • DRIZZLE in 6 oz vegetable oil while mixing
  7. Pour wet over dry and mix barely to combine
  8. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes
  9. Reduce heat to 325º and bake for another 20 minutes
    • 205-210º internal temperature
  10. Create your cream cheese topping
    • 8 oz cream cheese
    • 2 oz softened butter
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 9 oz confectioner sugar
    • chill 5 minutes
  11. Spread topping

Orange Cream Layer Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 C granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • zest and juice from one lemon
  • zest and juice from 1 orange
  • 1 sponge cake
  • 1 C Dream Whip (or make your own)
  1. Blend sugar in food processor about a minute to break down the granules
  2. Add eggs and juices
  3. Cook together just until it comes to a boil
  4. Cover and set aside off heat
  5. Mix in zest from lemon and orange
  6. Gently fold whipped cream into orange mixture
  7. Carefully cut sponge layers in half, creating two half circles
  8. Laying the flat side down (creating two arches)  cut into layers
  9. Spread topping on layers, tops and sides
  10. Refrigerate
  11. Make in the morning to serve in the evening, or in the evening to serve at lunch the following day
    – That is:  refrigerate at least eight hours
  12. Serve cold

 

Cold Cucumber Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 TBL butter
  • 1/4 C chopped onion
  • 1/2 C diced raw potato
  • 2 C cucumber (peeled and seeded) diced
  • 3 C chicken broth
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard or wasabi
  • 1 C medium cream
  1. Saute onion in butter
  2. Add potato, broth, cumber and seasonings
  3. Simmer about 20 minutes, or until potato is soft
  4. Blend at high speed until smooth
  5. Pour about 1/2 C of the soup into a baggie, and put in freezer on a metal try
  6. Chill remaining soup for 4-8 hours
  7. When ready to serve, put soup into chilled bowls
  8. Break flat frozen soup into shards and place into served soup
  9. Garnish with cream, sliced cucumber and chives

 

Summer Borscht

  • 16 oz (2 C) beef stock
  • 2 medium sized beets (or 1 can)
  • 1 C beet juice
  • zest and juice from one lemon
  • 2 medium diced onions
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 C sour cream
  • 1 tsp Karo or simple syrup (or to taste)
  1. Put everything in a blender and puree
  2. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours
  3. Serve icy cold with a dollop of sour cream and a few shreds of dill on top

Lemon Soup

  • 16 oz chicken stock
  • 1/4 C chicken meat
  • 1 piece of white bread
  • Juice from four lemons (of 1/2 C)
  • 2 TBL Karo or simple syrup
  • 2 C light cream
  • 4 TBL chopped mint
  1. Blend chicken and bread with 1 C chicken stock
  2. Add remaining ingredients
  3. Blend to mix
  4. Chill
  5. Serve topped with a thin slice of lemon
  6. Top with a sprig of mint

 

Shuck Corn Easily

Oh my God…. I tried this and it works! I was amazed. Here is the video of this really cool Life Hack. Below are some other corn tips and tricks.

Another video by PDX Traveler

Tips and Tricks

  • Corn on the cob should be cooked and eaten as soon as possible.  Definitely within 48 hours of being picked, or the sugars will turn to starch, and the corn will become tough as time passes.
  • When buying corn ASK when it was picked.  If it has been anything other than “this morning” don’t get it – or at least know that you are buying inferior tasting corn.
  • When not using the tip above, use a steamer (10 minutes) or a pot of boiling salted water (5 minutes)   Actually, the microwave idea is pretty cool, but does not cook the corn as nicely as steam or boiling water.
  • Yellow kernel corn has a more fully developed flavor, but white kernel corn tends to be sweeter.

MEXICAN CORN ON THE COB

  1. Grill the corn off the husk and on sticks
  2. Coat the cooked corn with sour cream or mayo
  3. Sprinkle with Tajin and salt – If you can’t find Tajin, use ground cayenne
  4. Roll in grated cotijo cheese or queso fresco
  5. Serve with wedges of lime for squeezing.

Easy Dinner Rolls – with video

Good Basic Information

  • Rapid Rise Yeast: Fermented granules of living yeast.  Ready to go.
  • Active Dry Yeast: Sugar and fat needed to reconstitute and proof
  • Basic Rolls: Flour, water, yeast and salt
  • Modifiers: milk, butter, sugar and eggs
  1. Mix, rest (proof) then knead
  2. Rise, punch and then shape
  3. Proof, bake and cool

Recipe for four Dinner Rolls

Adjusted recipe for 16 Dinner Rolls in (parenthesis)

Recipe for 16 Dinner Rolls

  • 2 oz (8 oz) milk @ 100º
  • 2 TBL (1/3 C) sugar
  • 1 (3) TBL honey
  • 1.5 (4 tsp) yeast (proof if Active Dry)
  • 1 (2) eggs
  • (1) 2 TBL melted butter
  • 5 oz (16 oz) (by weight) of AP flour
  • 1 (3 tsp salt
  1. Mix first four ingredients and let sit 10 minutes
  2. Paddle mix above ingredients just to incorporate ingredients
  3. Rest for 15 minutes to let liquid absorb
  4. Add 2 oz room temperature butter
  5. Use dough hook on low for 2 minutes
  6. Switch to medium and go for 8-10 more minutes
  7. Knead and form on LIGHTLY floured counter top
  8. Rise for 1 hour
  9. Flatten and shape into final form or portion

Parker House Dinner Rolls

  1. Roll into a thick rope and cut in half
  2. Cut in half again, then again, then again.  You will end up with 16 pieces.
  3. Form balls and flatten to about 3 inch diameter
  4. Put 1 tsp butter in the center and fold over into an empanada shape
  5. Press lightly to secure.
  6. Put on baking tray and brush with butter
  7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  8. Bake 8-10 minutes @ 400º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 200º
  9. Rest 10 minutes before serving

Braided Rolls

  1. Flatten dough into a 24×6 sheet
  2. Use a pizza cutter and cut in six strips
  3. Cut six strips into six inch pieces, then form into ropes
  4. Braid three strands at a time
  5. Put on baking tray and brush with butter
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  7. Bake 8-10 minutes @ 400º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 200º
  8. Rest 10 minutes before serving

Monkey Bread Rolls

  1. Flatten dough into a 24×6 sheet
  2. Use a pizza cutter and cut in six strips
  3. Cut these into two inch pieces and roll each roughly into a ball
  4. Toss in melted butter, then put into a pan
  5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  6. Bake 10-12 minutes @ 375º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 200º
  7. Rest 10 minutes before serving

Brown and Serve Freezer Rolls

  1. Roll into a thick rope and cut in half
    – This starts the same as the Parker House Roll Recipe
  2. Cut in half again, then again, then again.  You will end up with 16 pieces.
  3. Form balls and flatten to about 3 inch diameter
  4. Put 1 tsp butter in the center and fold over into an empanada shape
  5. Press lightly to secure.
  6. Put on baking tray and brush with butter
  7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  8. Bake 30 minutes @ 275º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 185
  9. Cool 10 minutes, the remove to a rack and cool for 40 more minutes
  10. Bag and refrigerate for up to two weeks, or freeze for up to two months
    WHEN READY TO COOK
  11. Thaw for 60-90 minutes on the counter
  12. Bake 10-12 minutes @ 400º or until browned

Another video by PDX Traveler

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