Excellent idea! I think I'll make the blueberry cake for tomorrow. Miss Lewis always reminded me of my Grandmother - just looking at her cookbooks will instantly transport me back to the '50's on Gram's farm. In addition to the integrity of farm grown foods Miss Lewis also reminds us of the mindfulness of preparing the foods. They always taste better when cooked with love.
Marcella Hazan uses both Bechamel and Bolognese meat sauce in her baked green lasagne recipe - you might have gotten it from her. I've never tried it,it always sounded like too much extra work, but now I might have to experiment.
I say fudgy, light frosting and nuts in the frosting.
Costco meat is consistently great. I buy organic beef by the half for my freezer - but Costco is my next choice. It doesn't taste like grocery store beef. It's nicely marbled and doesn't have that feedlot taste.
'High Altitude Baking' by the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension is a great little cookbook. The extension is also a great place to call or email with specific problems. Also - the local flour is a bit heartier than in other places, so your wife might like to experiment with different brands.
I always had my sons in the kitchen as they were growing up. Now they are home again and dinner time is a truly a family event with everyone cooking and eating and laughing together. Everyone has their specialties, but it all works as a harmonious whole.
My earliest food memory is being in my Grandfather's garden as a toddler - 'helping' him. He took his pocket knife out and peeled a turnip, sharing slices. i still think food tastes the best fresh from the soil.
My mother in law wanted a Veg-o-matic for Christmas to replace her old one that had finally broken. Amazingly they are still being made, and I had a great time on the 'As seen on TV' web site looking at all the other offerings. Whenever I get tempted by amazing offer I just remind myself it will be half the price at the discount stores in a few months if I just wait.
How funny! I've enjoyed hearing everyone's horror stories, and they made me remember eating at my favorite Aunt's house. She made bad Italian and fried her steak like Calichef's Gran.. But the worst dish was her attempt at tacos (still a rarity in the 50's). She would fry corn tortillas in oil until soggy, then smear them with canned tomato paste - add browned (or greyed) hamburger, shredded velveeta and lettuce. Yum.
Hello -
I am a filmmaker in Atlanta. I read your latest blog with the mention of Edna Lewis and her recipes.
I just wanted to let you know I produced a 21 minute documentary about Miss Edna Lewis and its viewable in its entirety on Internet at a Gourmet Magazine website:
http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/video/2008/01/Edna
and at a Georgia Public Broadcasting website:
http://www.cforty7.com/film/theater?film_test=16
My documentary is called Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Pie.
My website, http://bbarash.com/bb_friedchicken.htm has more information about the film and the story of Miss Lewis.
Sincerely,
Bailey Barash
This story and these delicious, old-fashioned recipes are the perfect way to celebrate the 4th of July. I agree with OldHippie that mindfulness and the integrity of Miss Lewis' ingredients is an honorable look back at a time when food was "cooked with love."
What a wonderful post! Thanks to Robin Bellinger for sharing this with us today.
I like your write-up, especially the nod to Laura Ingalls Wilder, who has always been one of my favorites, too. Gourmet's January issue did a big spot on her, and I instantly formed a culinary crush on the woman. Her passion for her food made me unable to doubt that it would be wonderful, and I'm glad she left a way for people to experience it!
Don't know where you live, but if it is a high altitude, that is probably the reason. Try a pressure cooker.
A couple of my favorite lasagna/lasagna roll recipes come from Emeril and Giada on the Food Network. Spinach and mushrooms are two of my favorite ingredients and the recipes included those and bechamel and I think all but one also had tomato sauce. Most also had ground beef, pork or pancetta. All had (or I added) ricotta, parm & mozzarella.
If you've never made lasagna rolls - they are great for freezing and having on hand for quick, easy meals.
Like Cassaendra's husband, I make Greek pastitisio and moussaka with bechamel. Haven't put it in lasagna. Yet. Though, I heard recently that most lasagna in Italy is made with bechamel. Guess it varies by region?
once in paris my friend got lasagna by mistake -- his waiter brought the wrong thing, but he decided to eat it anyway. he offered me a taste. it was made with a bechamel, the first time i'd ever eaten it that way. i thought it was one of the most delicious things i'd ever tasted. it was a lovely november day on the rue mouffetard, i was with two friends whom i adore and who live on the other side of the country, and it suddenly occurred to me that we were eating a magnificent lunch together in paris and that i'd rarely been so happy.
The description from Otabenga is how I learned to make lasagne when I worked in a food shop. My mom did the ricotta and mozzarella thing, and I was really surprised the first time I saw the bechamel version. But I now much prefer it. I am not a big fan of ricotta in hot preparations, generally. I think the bechamel is definitely better for lasagne made from fresh pasta.
I've encountered it in many sources since, and I am under the impression that it's the most traditional way.
I made "Lasagne Bolognese al Forno" from Molto Italiano in which Mario B uses both meat sauce and "besciamella" and no cheese other than sprinklings of parmagiano as you layer. Everyone seemed to like it, but I missed the mozzarella and ricotta myself. I'd like to find a good mushroom lasagne recipe using bechamel, as Liberal Lady mentions. Fresh pasta might also be in order!
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