Eastern North Carolina Barbecue Sauce

I almost always have a batch of the hot and sharp Eastern North Carolina barbeque sauce on hand because my husband loves it so much. It is best served with smoked pulled pork, of course, the traditional way, but it also enhances other meats, including the pork loin I recently oven roasted.

Eastern North Carolina Barbeque Sauce
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. (up to 1 Tbsp.) cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco or Texas Pete
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake very well to combine, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using, shaking every now and then.

Carrots

Carrots are a subject I'm afraid I could go on and on about half the day, or maybe longer. I am a fan of the carrot, as anyone who knows me can attest. I like raw, unadorned carrots to munch on. I like raw carrots in garden salads and in salads such as carrot-raisin and copper pennies--remember those? I like to use them in all kinds of soups and to add sweetness and nutrition in pasta sauces. Carrot cake, cream of carrot soup, carrot souffle, carrot chutney, you get the picture.

I am not going to say anything about those little bags of "baby carrots", which are NOT any such thing, nor about that sickly white coating that forms on them. Anyone who cares to know the truth can easily find out. I love to peel carrots! I once went on a quest for the perfect carrot peeler. Peeling carrots is so soothing to me and I can, and have, stood and happily peeled 25 pounds at a time. I know 101 ways to chop, dice, and slice carrots.

I also like to look at carrots. I'm always drawn to the carrot motif on dishes and other objects. I have a few, shall I call them, carefully selected (or gifted) carrot icons? A few books, a mouse pad, a paperweight, a spoon rest, a mug, a pair of wooden salad servers with carved carrots for handles. Not so much as to be kitschy. A casual acquaintance or visitor in my home would never notice.


Glazed Carrots
(adapted from a Alex Guarnaschelli recipe)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. thin, young carrots, with tops if possible
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. molasses
1/2 cup to 1 cup water
2 Tbsp. butter
1 sprig rosemary

Cut off the carrot tops and reserve a few sprigs, which have a parsley-like flavor, for garnish if desired. (Buying carrots with tops assures their freshness.) Half or quarter the carrots, lengthwise, if necessary to have them a similar size.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the carrots, salt and pepper. Stir the carrots around to coat them well. Add the brown sugar and molasses and stir to melt and coat the carrots. Add some water and cook, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes, until the carrots are just tender, adding more water if necessary. As the water reduces, a syrup will form.

When the carrots are tender, add the rosemary sprig and butter. When the butter is melted, remove and discard the rosemary sprig. Garnish with chopped carrot tops.



A carrot-bunny paper weight my daughter gave me for Mother's Day a few years ago. Talk about "you are what you eat"!

This little cutie is only about 3 inches long and very handy to keep my papers put.

A dear friend sent me this postcard years ago from her vacation but I don't remember where she was. Wherever it was, she was browsing in a shop and spotted a series of Swiss Fantasy postcards, circa 1917, reprinted, of course. This one is called "Romeo Carrot".

On the postcard she wrote,

R----
Of course my thoughts turned to you upon seeing the carrot romancing the woman. The card was certainly meant for you.
Love, S----

Baked Cabbage and Apples

This is a super simple and delicious side dish. I've made it many, many times, and people always enjoy it. Its Autumnal flavors can be modified endlessly. If you use a tart apple, such as Granny Smith, you may want to use some kind of sweetener -- sugar, brown sugar, honey, maple syrup. This time, I used Honey Crisp apples that were plenty sweet, so I didn't add anything sweeter. You could also add cinnamon and/or nutmeg, but I never do. I have used dashes of cayenne pepper, however.


Baked Cabbage and Apples
1 small head cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 or 2 apples, depending on size, sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)
1 cup dried bread crumbs (store bought work fine)
1/2 cup melted butter


Plunge the chopped cabbage into boiling water for 5 minutes only. Drain very well. Place one third of the cabbage into a 2 quart baking dish. Top with half the apples and sprinkle with sugar if using, then bread crumbs. Repeat layers, ending with cabbage, then a layer of bread crumbs. Pour melted butter all over. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 15 minutes.

Borscht

I am no authority on Borscht, don't have Russian or Ukraine ancestry, have never seen it being made, in fact, I've never even eaten the soup except when I've made it. I did once see a co-worker eating it for lunch in the breakroom, but that is as close as I have gotten to it, other than my own. But we love beets and I find making soup very soothing and comforting when the weather is bad like it was when I made this one. We had three straight days of rain from the storm named Ida, and it was very gloomy.

I believe the real deal Borscht should be started with beef bones but I find that a little disconcerting, so I use already butchered stew beef. Roasting the beets and carrots, before adding to the soup makes them incredibly sweet.

If anyone has any advice or tips for making this soup more authentic, I welcome your comments.


Borscht
1 lb. beef stew meat in bite size pieces
1 - 1 1/2 quarts beef broth
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 - 4 plump cloves garlic, minced
1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed
4 large beets
4 carrots
1 small head cabbage, sliced
16 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped, fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil for cooking
Sour cream for garnish

Heat a little olive oil in a large soup pot, then sear and brown the beef cubes on all sides very well. Remove from pan and set aside. Add a little more oil if needed and cook the onions until they are beginning to turn golden, stirring often. Add the celery, garlic, and potatoes, cooking and stirring a few more minutes. Add 1 quart beef broth, cover and simmer until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, roast the beets and carrots. Scrub the beets well with a vetable brush. Peel the carrots. Make 2 foil packets, add the vegetables, separately to each, drizzle with a little olive oil, then salt and pepper, to taste. Seal the packets, place them on a sheet pan, then into a 400 degree over for about an hour.


Slice the cabbage and add to the pot along with the tomatoes and vinegar. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the cabbage is tender. Peel and slice the beets, slice the carrots, and add them in. Add more beef broth if needed. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, stir in the dill, and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Cook and Tell Vintage Recipe Redux

When I read, on Serious Eats this week, about the Weekend Cook and Tell calling for vintage recipes from the 1960's I immediately thought of a book in my collection. It's a church cookbook, published in 1967, from my home town of Opelika, Alabama.

I have always been fascinated (and a little grossed out) by the salad section of this book--lots of congealed concoctions and aspics, lots of mayonnaise, odd combining of flavors. One recipe has lime jello, pickle relish, canned peach slices, and celery!


One very popular ingredient, in this salad chapter, is Durkee Sauce. I was vaguely aware of such an item but had never had it before and wasn't really sure it was still available. Was I ever surprised when I did an internet search. This stuff is alive and well! I saw it described in a Chow Hound article as, "An American Cult Classic since 1857".

If you can't find it locally, don't worry, there are plenty of copy-cat recipes available. Or you can order it by the case at Amazon.

My grocery store did have the "famous sauce" and I am reporting that I have now purchased my first and last jar.

The cook and tell retro challenge gave me a perfect excuse to try one of these oddball recipes. I chose a recipe called, Vegetable Salad. I really did have hope for it with its canned asparagus and canned peas, because it also had fresh green bell pepper, celery, onion, and cream cheese. The Durkee sauce has an odd mustardy flavor that ruined the recipe, in my opinion, as well as my husband's. In fact, he tried to warn me away from it before I even bought it. Sometimes I just won't listen!

I am not elaborating on the recipe because I really don't recommend that you try it. But if you really, really, want to and can't read the recipe above, just email me and I'll gladly send you the recipe. Along with the rest of the salad.

1967 Vegetable Salad