To fuck or to cook?

[viet_mom]

Originally posted by Fugee
I don't know if city people do this, but in the country when someone dies the neighbors and friends bring over all kinds of food so the bereaved don't have to cook for awhile.

A friend's mom just died suddenly and I'm going to bring her family a hotdish (casserole for the nonproles) with chicken, french style green beans, Uncle Bens long grain & wild rice, sliced water chestnuts, cream of chicken soup (this is Minnesota -- cream of something soup is a requisite) and lots of cheese. And I'm making a pan of brownies (from a box -- gasp!)

I thought of making a bread pudding because that was one of the most comforting things the neighbors brought over when my Dad died. But I don't know if everyone loves bread puding as much as my family does.

In the past year I've had friends undergoing chemo, back surgery, etc. and need to expand my repetoire of meals and other foods that can be frozen and reheated so the recipient can keep them until they are needed. Any ideas?

tmdiva, I seem to recall you talking about MO funeral potatoes.

Sorry so late but maybe you can try these to add to your repetoire. I love make ahead meals. I always keep some in the freezer downstairs b/c sometimes friends end up staying late in the afternoon and all of a sudden it's dinnertime. How nice that you bring friends food when they are probably tired and too busy to cook. We give my grandmother small freezer containers filled with meals for her to put in the oven for grandpa.

Italian Style Meatloaf (stuffed with cheese)

1 egg
1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup of your marinara, homemade or jar (Barilla is good)
1 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped basil (if you can get it fresh it's much better)
3/4 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb hot italian sausage
1 cup cubed mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large bowl, stir together egg, garlic, breadcrumbs, and the 1/2 cup pasta sauce until well-mixed. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put into large loaf pan, top/garnish with some more marinara sauce - anywhere from a few tablespoons to 1/2 cup.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Jumbo Vegetable Pasta Shells

You can put put some of these in different freezer containers for a small family or one person (for individual meals) or put them all in one big container to freeze as a casserole.

24 jumbo pasta shells
1 14 ounce can of vegetable broth
1 minced carrot
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
28-oz. jar (or homeade) marinara sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse, drain, and let cool.

In large saucepan, heat broth to boiling. Stir in carrots, potatoes and onions and cook 3-4 minutes until vegetables are tender. Drain vegetables well. Combine with ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Stir in Italian seasoning. Fill each shell with this cheese mixture.

Pour 1/2 cup of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan. Arrange stuffed shells in a single layer on the sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

[viet_mom]

I have 15 adults and 17 kids coming over to my (little!!) house this weekend for a brunch (families with kids from Viet Nam) and people are bringing doughnuts, cold cuts, bagels and such but I want to serve one at least one warm yummy dish. I'd like it to be fluffy and egg-based and you bake it in the oven. The thing is, I don't want to add too much stuff to it (though spices are fine) because I've seen them when they are overladen with sausage and other things and it gets greasy and some people don't eat pork. Is there a simple dish I can scramble up the night before and pop in the oven that will give me something warm and tasty (that some kids might eat also?) Thank you so much!

[Fugee]

Originally posted by viet_mom
I have 15 adults and 17 kids coming over to my (little!!) house this weekend for a brunch (families with kids from Viet Nam) and people are bringing doughnuts, cold cuts, bagels and such but I want to serve one at least one warm yummy dish. I'd like it to be fluffy and egg-based and you bake it in the oven. The thing is, I don't want to add too much stuff to it (though spices are fine) because I've seen them when they are overladen with sausage and other things and it gets greasy and some people don't eat pork. Is there a simple dish I can scramble up the night before and pop in the oven that will give me something warm and tasty (that some kids might eat also?) Thank you so much!

Depends o whether you want it to be sweet or savory.

For savory, a basic egg bake or strata would be excellent. I prefer them with ham but I suppose you could make one with just the bread, egg mixture and cheese. This web site has a bunch of recipes for breakfast/brunch casseroles from B&Bs.

Epicurious.com has recipes from Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines. Here are the results from a search for egg strata or casserole recipes.

For sweet, I am always a fan of bread pudding. Fine Cooking Magazine had an article in the January 2008 issue on bread puddings. There was a master recipe and then all kinds of variations with different breads, spices and additions. I made a banana chocolate chip bread pudding with challah bread for book club in January and it was a big hit. The recipe isn't in their free files so if you are interested and don't have that issue, let me know and I'll PM it to you.

Generally you can make either a strata or bread pudding the night before and put them in the fridge.

Hope some of these are helpful.

ETA: Also for sweet, I like to make rice pudding (baked, not cooked). My cousin's husband grew up in Vietnam and they were at a family picnic this past summer. Scandinavians are quite fond of rice pudding. I asked him if it was odd to see rice in a sweet dish and he said they had eaten sweet rice dishes when he was growing up.

[viet_mom]

Originally posted by Fugee
Depends o whether you want it to be sweet or savory.

For savory, a basic egg bake or strata would be excellent. I prefer them with ham but I suppose you could make one with just the bread, egg mixture and cheese. This web site has a bunch of recipes for breakfast/brunch casseroles from B&Bs.

Epicurious.com has recipes from Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines. Here are the results from a search for egg strata or casserole recipes.

For sweet, I am always a fan of bread pudding. Fine Cooking Magazine had an article in the January 2008 issue on bread puddings. There was a master recipe and then all kinds of variations with different breads, spices and additions. I made a banana chocolate chip bread pudding with challah bread for book club in January and it was a big hit. The recipe isn't in their free files so if you are interested and don't have that issue, let me know and I'll PM it to you.

Generally you can make either a strata or bread pudding the night before and put them in the fridge.

Hope some of these are helpful.

ETA: Also for sweet, I like to make rice pudding (baked, not cooked). My cousin's husband grew up in Vietnam and they were at a family picnic this past summer. Scandinavians are quite fond of rice pudding. I asked him if it was odd to see rice in a sweet dish and he said they had eaten sweet rice dishes when he was growing up.

Fugee -- thank you so much! I did a scan of one of those links and chose "Cheddar Cheese and Red Bell Pepper Strata". I would like ham or sausage in it but some of the families are Jewish and I'm not sure if they would eat it. I am going with savory b/c I just got an email that one of the families is bringing Baked French Toast. Oh, yum! You post made me hungry. Yes, Asians use rice in their desserts. My favorite dessert is a perfumed jasmine rice with Thai mangos covered in pungent coconut milk sauce. Interesting your cousin married a Vietnamese man. I love to see couples where the man is Asian. I just picked up Vietbabe to bring her little friend over and the hubby is from China and the wife is Irish. I saw their wedding picture and oh my he was handsome in his day.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by Fugee
Depends o whether you want it to be sweet or savory.

For savory, a basic egg bake or strata would be excellent. I prefer them with ham but I suppose you could make one with just the bread, egg mixture and cheese. This web site has a bunch of recipes for breakfast/brunch casseroles from B&Bs.

Epicurious.com has recipes from Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines. Here are the results from a search for egg strata or casserole recipes.

For sweet, I am always a fan of bread pudding. Fine Cooking Magazine had an article in the January 2008 issue on bread puddings. There was a master recipe and then all kinds of variations with different breads, spices and additions. I made a banana chocolate chip bread pudding with challah bread for book club in January and it was a big hit. The recipe isn't in their free files so if you are interested and don't have that issue, let me know and I'll PM it to you.

Generally you can make either a strata or bread pudding the night before and put them in the fridge.

Hope some of these are helpful.

ETA: Also for sweet, I like to make rice pudding (baked, not cooked). My cousin's husband grew up in Vietnam and they were at a family picnic this past summer. Scandinavians are quite fond of rice pudding. I asked him if it was odd to see rice in a sweet dish and he said they had eaten sweet rice dishes when he was growing up.

Neither strata nor bread pudding will be half as good if you don't make them the night before and refrigerate overnight.

[viet_mom]

Originally posted by taxwonk
Neither strata nor bread pudding will be half as good if you don't make them the night before and refrigerate overnight.

Okay, does this mean I should completely make the strata today (cook it and all) and then refrigerate the cooked strata, to reheat it tomorrow morning (day of the party)? Thank you.

[taxwonk]

Originally posted by viet_mom
Okay, does this mean I should completely make the strata today (cook it and all) and then refrigerate the cooked strata, to reheat it tomorrow morning (day of the party)? Thank you.

No. What you want to do is assemble the strata today and refrigerates it overnight so the egg can completely integrate itself into the bread, then you bake it in the morning. Most things where you mix flour with egg, including things like crepe and pancake batter, work better if they sit over night. It has to do with the proteins and the cell walls of the starch molecules, but that's about as far as my knowledge of kitchen chemistry goes.

[Fugee]

Originally posted by taxwonk
No. What you want to do is assemble the strata today and refrigerates it overnight so the egg can completely integrate itself into the bread, then you bake it in the morning.

Concur. Put it together this evening and then cover it in the pan or casserole dish with plastic wrap** and put it in the fridge. A lot of the recipes specify that you put it together and let it sit in the fridge for several hours or overnight. If the recipe you are using doesn't call for refrigerating it overnight, then you will have to plan on a little extra baking time because it will start out colder than if it was just put together.

I never thought about the science part, but it does give the egg mixture time to really soak into the bread and that makes it good.

**I like to do a couple layers. One that is pressed down onto the bread mixture so it doesn't dry out and then another over the top of the pan.

[viet_mom]

Originally posted by Fugee
Concur. Put it together this evening and then cover it in the pan or casserole dish with plastic wrap** and put it in the fridge. A lot of the recipes specify that you put it together and let it sit in the fridge for several hours or overnight. If the recipe you are using doesn't call for refrigerating it overnight, then you will have to plan on a little extra baking time because it will start out colder than if it was just put together.

I never thought about the science part, but it does give the egg mixture time to really soak into the bread and that makes it good.

**I like to do a couple layers. One that is pressed down onto the bread mixture so it doesn't dry out and then another over the top of the pan.

Thank you so much Fugee and Taxwonk. I made it today (doubled the recipe). The recipe called for one glass dish that is 8 1/2 by 8 1/2 by 2 inches. Instead I used a glass dish that is 13 by 9 by 3 inches (and because I doubled the recipe I put a bit in a small pie pan separately). I hope that works. Here's the recipe I used from Epicurious:

*****************
Cheddar Cheese and Red Bell Pepper Strata

3 tablespoons butter, room temp.
1 medium-size red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped green onions
5 slices white bread
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper to skillet and sauté until just tender, about 4 minutes. Mix in green onions; sauté 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons butter thinly on bread. Cut bread into 1/2-inch pieces. Layer half of bread in 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with half of cheese, then half of bell pepper mixture. Repeat layering with bread, cheese and bell pepper mixture. Beat milk, eggs, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Pour over strata.

Bake strata until lightly browned on top and set in center, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes; cut into squares.

*************
.....except I added some yellow and green pepper too and a 1/2 handful of brocolli. You know, the recipe says to slice the bread in "1/2 inch pieces". I didn't know if that meant to keep the full length of the bread and have long slices of 1/2 inch thick...or to make then 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. I went with 1/2 inch by approx. 1 1/2 inch. I hope it turns out okay!!!!!!! I'm letting it soak overnight and Fugee - good point about increase in cook time b/c the recipe doesn't call for overnight chilling. Thanks again for your help!!

[viet_mom]

Result: the strata was great. Next time, I would eliminate salt. I guess the dry mustard, regular mustard and/or onions made it salty. It was very colorful and yummy. Thanks so much! Okay, here is a recipe for baked french toast that someone made today. It is so delicious - when you scoop it out, you turn it over onto your plate and it's smothered in a blueberry goo. Fabulous.

Baked Blueberry French Toast

Yield: Serves 6
1 loaf Italian bread
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Slice the bread on the diagonal to create eight 3/4-inch thick slices, heels removed. Arrange bread slices in 10x15-inch baking dish.

To make batter, whip together eggs, milk, baking powder, and vanilla in medium bowl. Slowly pour mixture over bread, turning over each slice to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.

In the morning: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat another 10x15-inch baking dish with vegetable spray. Sprinkle blueberries over bottom of pan. Mix together sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch and pour evenly over berries. Tightly wedge the bread slices over the blueberries, wettest side up. Brush the bread with melted butter. Bake the french toast in the center of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. To serve, place the toast berry side down on warmed plates. Stir the remaining berry mixture in the baking dish, then scoop over the toast. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

[ltl/fb]

Who decided to reshape sticks of butter? The new sticks do not fit in my butter dishes. Fuckers. I am starting to buy butter based not on preferred brand, or price, but on shape.

[dtb]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Who decided to reshape sticks of butter? The new sticks do not fit in my butter dishes. Fuckers. I am starting to buy butter based not on preferred brand, or price, but on shape.

That was me. I did that.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Who decided to reshape sticks of butter? The new sticks do not fit in my butter dishes. Fuckers. I am starting to buy butter based not on preferred brand, or price, but on shape.

why not just gnaw it into shape? remember like when your chocolate bunny got caught in the toaster?

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Who decided to reshape sticks of butter? The new sticks do not fit in my butter dishes. Fuckers. I am starting to buy butter based not on preferred brand, or price, but on shape.

Did you somehow move to a home straddling the Continental Divide? The shape of butter sticks is supposed to be geographically determined, so you must be buying in some kind of fancy boutique grocery where they ship in Connecticut butter.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Did you somehow move to a home straddling the Continental Divide? The shape of butter sticks is supposed to be geographically determined, so you must be buying in some kind of fancy boutique grocery where they ship in Connecticut butter.

"Both sticks contain the same amount of butter, although most butter dishes are designed for Elgin-style butter sticks."

You can get both here, and I could swear that e.g. Land O'Lakes was Elgin (longer/skinnier) when I moved here. A butter dish I bought here is Elgin.

Land O'Lakes is now Wester, or whatever.

I shop at Safeway and Kroger (uh, I mean, Vons and Ralphs).