Some Special Side
Dishes
Aunt Claire’s Mashed
Potatoes
Claire has
always made the best mashed potatoes in the family. She generously shared the
recipe with me, and although they never taste quite as good as hers, they're
still pretty darned good. These mashed potatoes are cooked with the skins left
on, and mashed by hand with butter, sour cream and cream cheese. Make them as
smooth or lumpy as you wish!
8 to 10
8 ounces
sour cream
8
tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 ounces
cream cheese
salt and pepper
In a large
covered pot, cook the potatoes in boiling water for 25 minutes or until very
tender. Drain and return to the pot. (The secret to these potatoes is to let
them sit in the pot at this point for a few minutes to dry out a bit. Then they
can soak up more of the other ingredients.)
Mash the
potatoes with a hand masher, working out most of the lumps. Add the sour cream,
butter and cream cheese. Mash until smooth and creamy.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
These
potatoes may be prepared ahead of time. Put them into a buttered Pyrex dish and
cook them in a 350 degree F oven for about 30 minutes. They'll get a
little browned and crusty around the edges. 8 to 10 servings.
Old-Fashioned Pan Gravy
Drippings
from roast or turkey pan
1 to 1 1/2
cups beef or chicken stock/broth
¼ cup flour
salt
freshly ground black pepper
Strain the
pan juices into a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Let it settle for a few minutes
until the fat rises to the top. Pour the fat into another container. Add enough
beef or chicken stock to the remaining juices to make 2 cups of liquid.
Measure out
¼ cup of the fat and pour it back into the roasting pan. Discard the rest of
the fat. Put the roasting pan over medium heat on the burner. With a whisk,
blend in ¼ cup flour. Stir it constantly until the flour is mixed in and
smooth.
Slowly add
the stock mixture, stirring constantly with the whisk, until thickened and
smooth. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Makes 2 cups.
P.S. If you
inadvertently end up with lumpy gravy, simply strain it through a sieve and
reheat it.
1 cup
yellow cornmeal
1 cup
canned cream-style corn
1 cup sour
cream
2 teaspoons
baking powder
1 teaspoon
salt
1/2 cup
vegetable oil
2 eggs,
lightly beaten
2 cups
cheddar cheese, shredded
4 to 5
jalapeno peppers, chopped
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large
bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Bake in a hot, greased cast iron
skillet for one hour. Cut in pieces and serve.