Where good food, books & art come together in Texomaland
Where good food, books & art come together in Texomaland
In the past, I based my opinion of Hungarian cuisine on a cookbook purchased at a flea market. This was some years ago. And, I thought the food from that country to be limited to meats and vegetables served in sour cream and paprika. …
In the fall of 2019, we traveled to Nocona, Texas as tourists from a neighboring county. A two hour visit at The Tails N’ Trails History Museum left me with an idea that would solve a dilemma I had been struggling with. Sitting …
Also, in Africa and many European countries. There are dozens of species of basil. The most popular in the United States is the large-leaved sweet Italian variety. The dominant flavor of this culinary plant is a licorice taste which complements many foods.
But, if fresh is not available, dried will impart the unique flavor we all enjoy.
Use to flavor tomato, orange and lemon juices.
Flavor vinegar to be used in making salad dressings and marinades.
Include in soups, especially tomato-based soups and broth.
This is one of the key ingredients in tomato-based sauces for pasta and other Italian dishes.
Season orange-based sauces and glazes for meats and vegetables, whether sweet or savory.
Excellent in fruit dishes
Sprinkle over sliced tomatoes along with a drizzle of oil and a splash of vinegar.
Stir into cream cheese, cottage cheese, cheese dips and sandwich spreads.
Add an herbal taste to chicken salad, egg salad and deviled eggs.
Fish sauces and broiled fish respond to the licorice flavors of basil.
No matter how they are prepared, use to season any vegetable.
Blend with chopped meats and sausage.
Stir into butter sauces for fish and vegetables.
Anyone who knows me knows that I cannot go into a grocery store and not peruse the spice section. This is especially true of specialty and ethnic markets. So, I was delighted to find Chilli and Lemongrass Mix Salt at my local Asian grocer, …
Turmeric is the root of a perennial plant belonging to the ginger family of plants. Native to China and Indonesia, it is produced today in China, Indonesia, Haiti and Jamaica. Most recipes call for powdered turmeric. It’s medicinal taste mellows with the addition of …
Like many people these days, I am ordering far more by mail and delivery than I was just six months ago. All I do these days is stay home and work on the new website and a couple of books. I have also started an all-out effort to track down old friends as well as stay in touch with all my friends; more than I have in the past several years.
When it came time to blog about books and art, I searched out sources for information to pass along as well as sources for the purchase of vintage, out-of-print books. For years, I have relied on whatever I was lucky enough to find in used book stores. Sometimes I spent years scouring store shelves for titles logged into a notebook always carried with me. No matter what you are hunting, when you bag something, the sense of accomplishment is overpowering.
Also, since moving away from the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex, there are no longer numbers of used book stores to visit. So, into my life came Thrift Books. This is an online bookstore with warehouses all over the U. S. There is so much to see on the site. Shipping is expeditious and reasonable.
Classics can be found as well as children’s books. They have themed collections to choose from, such as a Shakespeare Festival. For the homebound student, everything from math and science to language arts are available to make learning from home productive. Material is broken down by grade. For children pre-K to high school, there is literature, activity books and school supplies.
Parents of home schooled children have titles to aid in teaching their children. How about Homeschooling for Dummies, or better yet, Homeschooling and Working? These are just two titles to help you as a parent-turned-school teacher.
Although you won’t find the unending list of titles as you would on Amazon, it is still worth a look when there is something on your shopping list. Scan their selections from time to time to see what might be available. They do offer a waiting list for both DVD’s and books, so you could receive a notice when a copy came into one of their many warehouses.
Try some games, or replace your dog-eared deck of cards with new ones sporting the theme of your choice: Day of the Dead, Parks and Recreation, Great Outdoors, Andy Warhol; I could keep on going. These decks will give poker, bridge, solitaire and go-fishing a fresh new look.
My interests for collecting these days focuses on cookbooks and illustrated books. I have been lucky enough to find some titles with both interests combined in the same book. I was able to go straight to the search button to see if anything by Clementine Paddleford or Susan Branch was in stock. Well, yes there was. A biography of Clementine Paddleford and her famous book, How America Eats were available and now part of my library. More on her in a future post. Susan Branch’s books are just delightful and a break from my usual reading. Thanks to Thrift Books, I will be purchasing more of her titles in the future.
See if there is anything in the vast inventory offered that will take the sting out of being sequestered away from the usual interface with your world. But, as your library grows, just remember to give a friend a phone call or send a message. We all appreciate a little human contact.
There are some of us out there who cannot resist sifting through piles of old papers and documents when strolling through a flea market or attending an estate sale or garage sale. These boxes of paper and cardboard are a treasure trove of unusual items …
Garden-fresh produce is about to come to an end in about 6 weeks here in North Texas. So, here is a recipe for gazpacho to take advantage of the fleeting fresh flavors from the garden. The quality of ingredients is what will make this …
Probably at the top of the list is the wonderful tomato which takes us through the heat of summer, only taking a break when the temps become extreme. Tying for second place for me would be the cucumber and summer squash. Old fashioned yellow crookneck is my longtime favorite. I’ll be just as happy, though, with a basket of yellow straight neck or zucchini. Farmers markets and health food stores usually feature locally-sourced produce. You will probably find an extensive selection of heirloom squashes that are mighty tasty, and also offer a variety of color patterns on their skins.
Eat it raw in salads or with dips. Stew for long periods with other ingredients such as tomatoes, peppers and onions. They can be skewered and grilled, or worked up nicely in a stir-fry with a selection of Asian vegetables. Summer squash is so prolific when climate and rainfall cooperate with the gardener’s efforts. I’ve been told of people in small towns where locking the car and house is not common practice. However, it becomes routine when squash is ripening quicker than people can eat it up or put it up. After the freezer is full and the pantry can hold no more jars of pickled squash, neighbors lock their cars and screen doors to utility porches so their well-meaning friends cannot secretly unload any more squash on them.
This I put up in the freezer. These containers of stewed vegetables come in handy at later dates for soups, stews, beans and spaghetti sauce.
I’ve even heard of people who cook and mince them up to mix in with Fido’s canned dog food and kibble. This just shows how versatile the squash can be. Or, how creative people can get when faced with a surplus.
Here are some recipes to help with the feast. Maybe a late summer squash-tasting might bring the neighborhood together for a cookout. Enjoy with the other fleeting moments of the summer garden, and look forward to next year’s crop.
*Serve with rice or buttered noodles.
*Great for buffets along side cold roasted ham, pork or beef.For more recipes to take advantage of the fleeting days of fresh garden produce, click this link:
Are you ready for something really good that is easy to prepare? Try Frontier Soup Mixes from Anderson House Foods. A Good selection is available for you to choose from. There’s something for everybody in their lineup of products. Vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, vegetable hater; …
