Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - March 12, 1977, Winnipeg, Manitoba Food by Glenna James there is no Short Cut to a perfect pie crust however practice does indeed help to make perfect. A Cardinal error is Over handling the dough. This will result in a Tough pastry. Handle the dough lightly shape it into a Ball and Roll from the Centre out lifting the rolling pin at the Edge. Don t stretch the dough. This causes blisters and shrinking during baking. Use As Little flour As possible to avoid toughness. Add Only enough liquid to it Lota of practice to make a Good crust. A Farewell to Boney by Ellis Boney Culvert has died Boney was the first real Butcher i Ever knew and was a different Breed from any around today. Boney must have been the Butcher who posed for tin stereotype cartoon caricature big Strong pleasant sleeves held up with Black rubber bands Flat Straw hat the works. That was Boney. Like most butchers those Days he knew the business from top to Bottom and inside out. Boney went out in the country and bought it from local Farmers. Beef walked to the Market behind the Wagon Only pork and poultry got to ride. After unloading at the locker Plant it was Boney who either performed or personally supervised the Slaughter the scalding the scraping made Sau Sage and headcheese and souse salted hams and Bacon then carried the quarters of beef across the Street to the Market on his shoulder and Hung them on Hooks in the cooler to age. All that before he went to have breakfast then opened the store. Ask the in Thor times have changed. Even by the time i Yot into the business most of the work that butchers like Boney did was done for us at the packing House. Beef still came in carcass form and carried it into the cooler in quarters but somebody else did the slaughtering somebody else made sausage the headcheese the souse and some other somebody made Bacon and hams. All we had to do was wait on customers and Cut meat. They even started calling us we divided the carcasses into their primal cuts in the jargon of the Trade that s called breaking we Hung the loins and ribs to age Cut steaks rolled Rumps boned out necks and plates and ground hamburger. We even made an occasional Crown roast at Christmas not All that Boney used to do. I la agree but much much More than the average meat Cul tar does today. These Days in a Good Many markets a meat Cutler never sees a carcass of beef and could t break one to save his Best customer. Beef these Days comes in boxes boxed a the breaking is done in the slaughterhouse or adjacent to it and the primal cuts the loins and ribs and rounds Are divided into primal cuts like top rounds and Bot Tom rounds top loins and tenderloins and oven ready ribs. These mib Prinus arc vacuum sealed in plastic packed in boxes and sold to the markets where they sell Best. No longer does a Butcher or Mca Culter or whatever you care to Call him need to worry about Selling the whole his steer if be chooses can be All steaks. He can order Only those cuts which the major Ity of his customers want and the rest can go someplace else for somebody else. The advantages of boxed beef to the meat Industry Are Many obvious and economical. If most of the work is done on an Assembly line at the slaughterhouse there is no need for butchers like Boney and less need for butchers like me at the retail end. Another advantage to the meat Industry is the savings on transportation costs. If most of the fat and Bones can be left behind it s bound to Cost less to ship what s left to the Market. The advantages to the consumer of boxed if. Fact there Are any Are anything but obvious at least to me. If there is a savings to the Industry As it would seem there should be with fewer butchers lower transportation costs and All i have yet to see that savings passed on to the consumer. Just the opposite is often the Case. Before boxed beef butchers like Boney had to sell the whole steer and if he got Hung up on Chuck Chuck roasts Well on Sale. If he was Long on plates and brisket corned beef and ground beef were on special for a week. With boxed beef there is no need for get the cooler cleaned out markets just Don t order what they have a hard time Selling. Thai Means in Many markets some cuts and much service just Plain Don t exist. I went looking for beef Shanks a week or so ago when the we Allier warranted a Good pot of soup. In three markets ringing the Bell got the same response Shanks we Haven t had any for years. We re into boxed Good Bye Boney. We re going to miss you Ctm int co. Hold the dough together. Since shorten Ings and flours cause this to be a variable Factor add it slowly at first. Too much liquid will cause crust to be soggy. A pastry cloth with a Sto Kinet cover is the Best kind of rolling pin. Always bake in a preheated oven at the temperature called for when making a filled pie. Bake at 475 degrees f. For unfilled pastry shells. On these shells prick the dough generously with a Fork after placing it in the pan particularly at the edges. This keeps bubbles from forming in the baking. Baking fruit pies such As Blackberry Cherry peach and Apple used to be a put off Job due to bubbling Over and burning in the oven. Cutting ventilating slits in the top crust allows sufficient escape of steam during baking but some juices always run Over from a Juicy pie. Pie pans with catch rims Are available today in most Hou Sewares departments. To put final touches on Pic tops Brush lightly with Cream or canned milk. This gives the Golden Brown gloss of a truly old fashioned Home made pie the surest Way to a Man s heart. Here is a Standard recipe for pie crust for an eight or nine Inch pan. Two crust pie pastry 2 cups flour l Teaspoon Salt cup plus 2 Tablespoons shortening if lard pc used cup 4 or 5 Tablespoons cold water measure flour and Salt into medium mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender. Pour water slowly into a Well and mix with a Fork until thoroughly moistened and dough cleans the form a Ball turn out on slightly floured cloth. Roll evenly to two inches larger than pan. Fold dough in half and gently Transfer to pan. Fill with desired nil ing. Repeat for top crust. Cut ventilating slits with knife of pastry trimmer. Trim overhanging crust to one Inch from rim of pan. Roll top Edge Over rim of pan and press to Seal fluting by pinching Between Index Finger and thumb. This step May be done by pressing evenly around rim with tines of dinner Fork. Brush top with Cream dipped into with a soft pastry Brush. Bake As directed. Remember with Hectric stored heat you May turn the oven off the final 15 minutes of baking time. Chem tart Ifo Nitor tasty tomatoes with Chicken this excellent recipe which was known in Philadelphia circa resembles in some ways the Chicken dishes served often in Provence France where Chicken dishes with garlic and herbs Are typical. It is especially delicious if made with fresh Ripe tomatoes. Tomato Chicken i Large roasting Chicken quartered l Lemon halved v medium slices Ham diced to 10 Large tomatoes peeled i onion sliced 1 Clove garlic crushed 2 Teaspoons chopped fresh Basil or 1 Teaspoon dried Basil 1 Good sized fresh Green Pepper 2 Tablespoons butter roiled in flour Teaspoon Mace l Tablespoon Salt 1 Teaspoon freshly ground Pepper Teaspoon Tabasco 1 cup water cooked Rice chopped Parsley Peel and seed tomatoes seed and chop Pepper. Rub Chicken Well with Lemon. Combine All other ingredients except Rice and Parsley and place Over Low heat in a Saucepan or braising pan. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes to blend flavors. Remove cover add Chicken and continue simmering until Chicken is cooked bul not overcooked. Correct seasonings. Serve on a bed of Rice with sauce spooned Over it. Gar Nish with Parsley. Drink mixes help create flavorful milk when children refuse to drink their milk mothers have to doctor it us a Bil rather than mix milk with chocolate which is higher priced these Days try a less expensive fruit Flavoured drink mix. Flavor possibilities include Cherry Strawberry Raspberry or grape. The following milk shake recipe Calls for milk ice Cream and a Cherry Flavoured soft drink mix Cherry Flavoured Milkshake 2 tame spoons to Btry sugar sweetened soft drink Nix cup Vaun ice Cream Combine an ingredients in electric blender Container. Blend about one minute or until smooth and Frothy. Makes about two cups or me or two Servings. Lenten food need t be lean dismal by William Rico in England during the Middle Ages descriptive term lenten faced ame into the language. It could be interpreted As being lean and dismal f countenance. The 40-Day period before the Cele ration of easier is a time of Peni ence and fasting. It comes at a loom season in Northern Europe and North America a time of year Hen supplies of Winter foods had run us and Spring s Bounty could t yet lapped. The Virit fasting bus of Lent for roman catholics were dispensed with during the second world War and Only Ash wednesday and Good Friday arc still kept As fast Days. But change in saws began far earlier during the Middle Ages As cities grew up and food became More plentiful. The one meal allowed during a Len Len Day could t be served before vespers the evening mass. By the Irith Century vespers was being held at noon during Lent. A Light meal was allowed in thu evening As Well. In our time when the seasonal variances in food Supply Are almost unnoticed by the supermarket shop per there no longer is a practical need to reduce food consumption at Winter s end. As fur the religious aspect Arthur Michael Ramsey a former archbishop of Canterbury once observed i often think the doctrines of fasting in Lent and having meatless Days arc old fashioned. It might be better to give up television. That would be a More meaningful self denial in this Day and while that probably is True for the greater number of British and North american families a growing number of people Are practising some of the strictures of Lent now and year round for a variety of reasons. They fee we should eat less red meat and less of everything in general for the Sake of personal health and As a first step toward a fairer distribution of the world s food Supply. By eliminating what once was for Bidden during fish eggs and moves toward a diet that vegetarians and a growing number of nutritionists have been endorsing. Even stopping Short of that cutting out a meal cutting Down on portions or reducing the intake of red meat protein and sugar based carbohydrates might be a worthwhile Experiment during this season. One illusion that surely should be erased by increasing exposure to veg etarian and Oriental recipes is that a meatless lenten menu must be Dull and monotonous. Here Are some Reci Pes utilizing vegetables eggs cheese or flour that should brighten the countenance of even the most lenten faced of family or friends. If the others fail the last is for hot Cross buns a Symbol of Good Friday and the end of Lent. Celery Root with anchovies 1 Large celery Root i Tablespoon Salt i Tablespoon Lemon juice 1 Tablespoon Dijon style Mustard 2 Tablespoons White nine vinegar 1% cup Oil Peanut or Olive preferred ii to 12 Flat Anchovy fillets drained Salt freshly ground Pepper. Peel celery Root and Wash it Cut the Root into thin slices then into thin Long Julienne strips. Place strips in a Glass bowl. Add one Tablespoon Salt and Lemon juice. Mix let rest for 30 minutes. Drain bowl and dry strips with paper Towel. Mix Mustard a few drops of Vin Egar Salt and Pepper in a warm bowl. Drop by drop whisk in Oil until us mixture whisk in remaining Oil in thin Stream to form sauce of Mayonnaise consistency. Whisk in remaining vinegar and adjust seasoning As desired. Toss celery Root in this sauce and let rest several hours or overnight in the refrigerator covered. Allow to return to room temperature Transfer to a serv ing plate or bowl and decorate with anchovies laying them on top to form a Grill pattern. Serve As an Appetiser first course. Serves six. Italian vegetable casserole it Tablespoons butter or nug Arine cup Chat Ppd onion 114 pounds Zucchini washed and Cut in slices 1 Mem Mem Olive Oil 2 pounds Long Grain Rice 4 x cups vegetable Broth heated i wed mushrooms thinly sliced i Box if ounces Frozen peas de Frost Naif Reserve Ibe rest Salt and freshly ground Pepper in taste 1 Tablespoons freshly chopped pars Fey y4 cup Parmesan cheese. Heal four Tablespoons Butler in heavy pan with Light filling lid. Add onion and Cook until it softens about five minutes. Add Zucchini and saute until slices begin to Brown lightly. Add Oil. Pour in Rice and stir to coat each Grain. Add hot Broth stir briefly to be sure no Rice is stuck to Bottom then cover pan and place in preheated 400-degree f. Oven. Cook for 20 min utes. While Rice is cooking or before hand melt two Tablespoons Butler in another pan. Add mushrooms and saute until they begin to give off liquid. Add peas and loss for three or four minutes. Season with sail and Pepper mix in Parsley. When Rice is done remove lid and stir in vegetables plus half the cheese and remaining butter. Keep warm and just before serving Sprinkle on remaining cheese. Serves 2. This dish May be prepared with a wide variety of vegetables. Color is important so try to use at least one Green vegetable. Use leftovers. Spinach with Orange slices 2 packages fresh or Frozen spinach 3 Tablespoons butter cup heavy Cream Salt Pepper and Nutmeg to taste 1 can it ounces mandarin Orange sections. Cook Frozen spinach by package directions or clean fresh spinach Ami Cook in boiling water until just tender four to five minutes. Plunge in cold water to Slop cooking. Drain Ihen squeeze balls of spinach Between the hands to Force out More water. Chop. Melt butter in Saucepan. When bub bling add spinach Cream and season Ings and stir until mixed and heated through. At the same time separately warm Orange sections in their juice. Spread spinach on a serving dish be make a bed. Lift Orange sections with a slotted spoon and arrange around Edge of spinach. Keep warm until served. Serves four to six. Red cauliflower 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil c Small White onions minced or scallions Cut into Inch pieces. 2 cloves garlic peeled and Cut in half 5 canned tomatoes chopped 2 beads cauliflower separated into florets 2 Teaspoons Salt and Pinch of freshly Teaspoon Spanish Saffron 4 Large or c medium sized potatoes heat Olive Oil in heavy bottomed pan and saute onions and garlic for three minutes. Add tomatoes and Cook Over High heat until they begin to Bubble. Add cauliflower and lower the flame. Add Salt Pepper and Saffron crush Between your fingers and Cook uncovered Over Low heat for about it minutes. Add about half cup water if dish becomes dry. Add Pota toes and Cook uncovered for 25 min utes adding More water if necessary until potatoes Are just cooked. Check seasoning and serve. Serves six from the cuisine of the Sun. By Mireille Johnson. Muffin Melet 2 butter or Margarine 2 Tablespoons Almond slivers or slices Tablespoon chopped chives Teaspoon Curry powder i English muffin or i slice stale bread Cut into thin strips or cubes 3 eggs Mell Butler in an Melet or seasoned frying pan Ami heal until it begins to Brown. Saute almonds in Butler Over Low heal for three or four minutes. Add chives and Curry powder and Cook one minute. Add bread and Szulc briefly. Add More Buller if Bottom of pan is dry. Beat eggs with one table spoon water. Pour into pan and stir until curds form. To i Over Melet fashion and turn on to plate. Serves one or two Arno Schmidt s roquefort mousse 2 cups crumbled roquefort cheese j cup Cream cheese 4 Tablespoons unsalted Butler i Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Pinch Cayenne Pepper 1 cup heavy Cream slightly whipped. Combine All ingredients except whipped Cream in blender or food processor and work until smooth. Put mixture in stainless Elcel bowl Sci on ice and fold in Cream carefully. Transfer to a Mold and chill the mousse is quite soft so before unfolding it put Mold in Freezer for about 20 minutes. Dip into very hot water and invert on a serving Platter. Shake to loosen mousse if necessary. Remove Mold and smooth surface with a Spaicia or Abie knife. Serves six in eight. Stella Standard s hot Cross buns 2 envelopes yeast cup lukewarm water 1 Tablespoon Light Brown sugar cups scalded milk cup Sweet butter v4 cup Brown sugar 1% Teaspoons Salt 2 eggs beaten 4 or More cups sifted flour 2 train your. Ground 1 Teaspoon ground cloves Teaspoon ground Nutmeg v4 cup currants 1% cup finely died Citron for the frosting 2 Tablespoons hot milk powdered sugar grated Rind of 1 Lemon dissolve yeast in lukewarm water with one Tablespoon Brown sugar until Frothy. Scald milk and add Butler sugar and Salt. Beat eggs until Light and Combine with milk mixture and yeast. Sift three cups of flour Wilh spices into mixing bowl add yeast mixture. Beal for four minutes. Toss currants and Citron with half cup flour and mix with the sponge. If necessary add More flour to make a firm dough. Beat Well and set the dough bowl in a pan of warm water to Rise covered with a Towel. When dough is Light beat it Down Well and form into two dozen balls. Put them in a Long Well greased pan loosely covered with Towel to Rise again. This will take about 45 minutes. Bake them about 20 minutes at 400 degrees f. If baking too fast turn heat Down to 325 degrees. When they come from the oven Brush with melted butter. For icing mix hot milk with As much powdered sugar As it will take and not run add Lemon Rind. When Rolls Are Cool make a Cross Over tops with King. Makes two dozen. Antt ;