Our Hobbies

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Golf

Pool

Guitar

Fishing in my backyard

Grandma Edna's Secrets and Recipes

Stuffed Cabbage & Onions

Oven Baked Vegetables

Oven Baked Chicken

MealQueen's Recipes

Linguini Samono

Lobster Rollups

Everything Good Crab Cakes

Home-made Seafood Dressing

Other Kitchen Tips

Favorite Cookbooks

 

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Grandma’s Secrets

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Edna Parianous

October 20, 1910-June 24, 2001

 

We have to call them Secrets, because there is no chance that we can achieve that special taste. With the exception of rice, all foods can be improved by stirring, smelling, tasting, and looking at them constantly. More about cooking rice later. Grandmas could wear out a pan and wooden spoon while imparting that secret flavor to dishes.

 

Favorite Savory Ingredients that improve all dishes: Oregano, Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper, Tomatoes, and Garlic. If you were lucky, when Grandma would give a recipe, she would give you the regular ingredients and include amounts if she had paid attention to the amount. Otherwise, she would say, “Add some….” When asked if you should add an item such as oregano, she would say, “Oh, but of course!” Therefore, it was always understood. It was still fun to ask, so that you could hear her say it! Grandma really enjoyed butter, the real thing. The same goes for Philadelphia cream cheese and Maxwell House coffee. Grandma was a loyal customer to her favorite brands, and the answer to a marketer’s prayer. I said, “Marketer.” She would accept no imitation or low fat substitutes. Also, when asked about using kosher salt, she said that she really liked it and was always in favor of using some salt. Her approval of ingredients was important. Grandmas are wonderful for sharing and listening to your ideas. This is one of the biggest joys in life.

 

Here are some of our favorites…

Stuffed Cabbage and Onions

1 Head Cabbage

2 Large Onions

1 Lb. Ground Meat

1 Cup “Uncle Ben’s” Regular Rice

1 15 Oz. Can Tomato Sauce

1 Cup of Water

About ¼ Cup Olive Oil

Few Sprigs of Fresh Dill

Add “Some” Salt and Pepper

 

Mix ground meat, rice, olive oil, seasonings, and ½ the can of tomato sauce. Place in the refrigerator while cooking the cabbage. Core the cabbage and insert a fork in the cavity. Place cabbage with the cooking fork up, in a pan with steaming water to cover the cabbage head. As the leaves begin to steam, hold the cabbage by the fork, and begin to pull off the leaves. Grandma would make this look easy, but if you wait until the leaves steam and become soft, you can begin to remove them easily. Place on baking sheets to cool. Slice off the ends of the onions. Then, make one cut through the onion from the top, to the bottom. This makes giant split rings. Steam and set aside to cool.

 

Place a spoonful of mixture on the end of each cooled cabbage leave. Fold the left side, then the right side into the middle, and roll like a burrito. For onions, place a spoonful of mixture on the end of each piece of onion and roll.

 

Place rolls in baking pan. Mix water and remaining ½ can tomato sauce and pour over rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 325° for one hour and fifteen minutes. Resist looking for at least one hour, as the rolls must steam to cook the rice. You can smell when they are cooked, as the house will fill with a wonderful aroma.

 

Grandma was a cabbage-rolling whiz. You had to slow her down so that you could watch to get the hang of it. She was probably adding more secret flavors with her hands. She loved the fact that everyone enjoyed her stuffed cabbage and usually didn’t criticize this dish. This was very unusual for her.

 

Granddaddy made a lemon sauce for cabbage rolls. Nobody seemed to like it, and some of us don’t remember it. Grandma said, “I only use Uncle Ben’s, not instant.” She would repeat this for emphasis. Once, I bought the wrong rice twice. We could not begin making stuffed cabbage until I had made three trips to the store.

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Oven Baked Vegetables

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

5 Lbs. Potatoes: Yukon Gold are good

Few Each of Assorted Vegetables such as: Carrots, Small Onions

Fresh Garlic

Seasoning

Some Kosher Salt (Use less than table salt)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Place in baking pan. Bake at 375° for one hour. This is a great accompaniment for big family dinners.

 

Aunt Loretta thought that this sounded like a lot of olive oil, but everyone likes the dish.

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Oven Baked Chicken

Chicken Pieces

Seasoning

Some Salt

Olive Oil

Season chicken. Sauté chicken in frying pan until golden. Place in baking pan, cover with foil, and bake for one hour 325°.

 

Alternative: Prepare as indicated. Cover with can of tomatoes. Diced tomatoes are new. Whole canned tomatoes used to be smashed with a wooden spoon before using. This could be a secret tip.

 

This could be called twice cooked. Grandma followed the same method for cooking pork chops. After seasoning, both could be lightly floured first. Both come out very tender this way.

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Future

Lasagna

Spaghetti

Green Beans

Spinach and Rice

Coffee Milk

Sweet Potatoes…

 

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Meal Queen’s Recipes

Each Christmas Eve, I started making a seafood dish as an appetizer. It always goes quickly.

Linguine Samono

We had a family gathering Christmas 1997, and had so much food that we did not eat the snacks and smoked salmon. I decided to make a creamy tomato sauce for a salmon pasta dinner the next night. Sam said that I should write it down—to keep the recipe. Here goes,

1 Lb. Linguine

¼ Cup Butter

½ Cup Chopped Onion

1 Six Oz. Can Tomato Paste

2 Cups Water

1 Can Quartered Artichoke Hearts Drained

½ Lb. Sliced Smoked Salmon

¼ Cup Romano or Parmesan Cheese

2 Tbs. Cognac or Vodka

½ Cup Sour Cream

Dill Weed

Italian Seasoning

Paprika

Capers

 

Start water for linguine. Sauté onion in butter. Stir in tomato paste and water on low heat. Add artichoke hearts and salmon. Heat only until linguine is done (approx. 7 minutes). Add cognac, sour cream, dill weed, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle on cheese, paprika, and capers as garnish. Serves 4 to 6.

 

Alternatives: Use other seafood such as shrimp or crab. Leave out whiskey, but it’s just enough for a little flavor and goes great with the cream.

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Lobster Rollups

From Christmas 1998.

Steam fresh lobster or buy it steamed! Mince, and add to softened cream cheese (enough to hold together). Season with dill weed and a little salt. Spread on thin/wrap bread, roll up, and slice. These are very “Edna” directions.

 

Alternatives: Use other seafood such as shrimp or crab. I like the lobster.

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Everything Good Crab Cakes

These were new in 1999. They are made of everything good.

1 Lb. Crab Meat (A Pasteurized can keeps in the refrigerator a year unopened. I didn’t test this theory. Great to buy ahead and make the day before).

1 Egg

2 tsp. Worcestershire

2 tsp. Lemon or lime Juice

1 tsp. Dry Mustard (can omit)

2 Tbs. Mayonnaise

1 Tbs. Prepared Mustard

1 Tbs. Melted Butter

2 tsp. “Old Bay” Seafood Seasoning

1 Cup Regular Toasted Bread Crumbs

 

Combine all ingredients. Shape into 16 cakes for appetizers (8 for dinner). Pan fry in canola oil until golden. These stay together very well. Serve with bottled chili sauce or homemade seafood dressing.

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Homemade Seafood Dressing

2 Tbs. Mayonnaise

¼ Cup Chili Sauce

1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp. Onion or Pickle Relish

 

Combine all ingredients.

The cayenne gives it a little kick.

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Other Kitchen Tips

Alphabetize your seasonings, so that you can find them.

When baking a cake, keep the oven door closed most of the baking time.

Favorite Cookbooks

1950’s

Culinary Arts Institute Series. Mom had the entire series. They used to be sold in the grocery store for about half a dollar. Looking at those illustrations gave me my love of sweets. Especially, desserts. This summer, I found them in antique shops at Amelia Island and Madeira Beach, FL!

 

Betty Crocker

This is where I learned to make fudge.

 

Both have wonderful comments and the best ingredients and promote the sharing of food.

As a young girl in Craddock, VA, I was always in the kitchen. I used to watch our neighbor Mary Lois make fudge. There is only one way to make this. Use the softball test by dropping a smidgen into a pyrex measuring cup of cold water, then when you pick up the smidgen, it should form a soft ball on your finger. Then, beat with a wooden spoon after the sweet butter melts and it cools. When beating it with the spoon, it turns from a shiny elixir to a soft, smooth, and chocolatey mass. This can only be improved by adding nuts at the end. I believe that I have achieved the wooden spoon mystique when it comes to fudge.

 

Golf

 Golf Notes from my "work in progress" manuscript titled

"Golf Reality -- Amateur Lessons for Amateur Golfers"  (click for Intro)