Chocolate Pots de Crème

From The Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library, Card 13 of International Favorites: Rich Chocolate Desserts

I chose this card while sitting in bed, tired and reading by a poor light source. I was choosing based on the picture alone, not the recipe on the back. I thought I was choosing a hot chocolate drink. I thought that would be a delicious and comforting winter beverage. Truth told, I thought it would be an easy undertaking. When I did look at the recipe more carefully, I decided to go along with it, even though it would be none of those things.

 
This is another recipe card with multiple recipes on the back -- pots de crème and chocolate crème. I chose pots de crème for two reasons:

1. I don't want to buy brandy for one recipe and then have a whole bottle sitting around. I don't drink many Brandy Alexanders.

2. I had made pots de crème before with sweet success using another recipe. Like the first successful soufflé, I had not made the pots de crème since.

I dug out the ramekins, gave them a wash, and began. I've picked up bits of culinary knowledge here and there over the years, mostly from watching cooking shows and rarely from personal experience. However, in addition to the ramekins, I also dug out (of my brain, this time, not the pantry) my experience making chocolate candies in ninth grade home-ec class. I remembered something about using a double-boiler to melt the chocolate more evenly and reduce the chance of scorching. As it happened, I had a double-boiler, brand new with tags on, sitting around. This was another good deal my mother found, presumably at Meijer. And lo! It worked! (For anyone keeping track, I did remove the tags and wash the pots, first.) Smooth and creamy melted chocolate with no scorching. I also remembered (this time from cooking shows) to temper the yolks very slowly. The recipe instructs to gradually beat the chocolate into the egg yolks, but I remembered to start with just a couple tablespoons or so, whisk it up, add a couple more, and so forth. And lo! No scrambled eggs! Victory was almost mine. Almost.

I had a vague recollection (as I often do) that when I made them before, I used a bains-marie and put them in the oven. Maybe Betty's method was a faster, easier way. I'm totes fine with that! Next, Betty says to pour into demitasse cups. However, the mixture was very thick and there would be no pouring. Dolloping, sure. Scraping messily while my hand cramped up holding the glass bowl over the ramekin, definitely. But there would be no pouring. In regards to those demitasse cups: if you want the 6-8 servings the recipe says it yields, you must need to use espresso sized cups, not small ramekins. I was only able to fill four ramekins to the half-way mark. After a few hand stretches to loosen the cramp, I moved the little pots of chocolate into the fridge, as per instructions. 

While we wait for them to cool, I'll tell you some other things I remember about home-ec class. I was in ninth grade, and while I had no real plans to pursue the domestic arts as a form of self-expression, I didn't want to take Spanish or shop or art. I might have liked art, but I didn't like that teacher. I opted not to go with Spanish because my dream was to learn French and that wasn't available until sophomore year. They called shop something else, I can't remember what, but it was basically shop, so whatever. I had taken a quarter long version of it in seventh or eighth grade, and still have the wooden key holder I carved. While I did like making it, particularly the sanding element, I didn't see myself liking it so much for an entire year. 

Wooden key holder, shaped like a key, made in "shop" class in 1988. Look how finely sanded!

So home-ec it was! I had a natural talent for making eggs, it turned out. This was a bit weird, as I really, really didn't like to eat eggs back then. In fact, I'm still only so-so about them. I was also good a baking cakes, as I recall. And the candy making! That was pure joy. I liked it so much I asked my mother if we could get candy molds and make some candy at home, too. What I don't remember is why I enjoyed it so much. Was it the novelty of having a chocolate lollipop in the shape of a Christmas tree? Was it because what I made was so beautiful, wrapped in colored cellophane and tied with a red ribbon? Was it the mere act of engaging in something creative that was so satisfying? I don't know. And if even now, some thirty years later, I remember how happy I was making those, why did I never make them again after that?

That loose-ended existential crisis gets us up to speed, so now for the tasting of the pots de crème.  More fudge-like in consistency than custard. A bit bitter. The recipe called for cooking chocolate and I failed to see where it said sweet cooking chocolate. In fact, I failed in that regard so poorly, it is only as I was writing this post and referring to the recipe that I finally saw it.

Lessons for Suz to Learn: don't just look at the picture, read the recipe, read the recipe again very slowly. That accounts for the bitterness. The consistency is another matter.

I looked up the recipe I made before, Claire Robinson's Chocolate Pots de Crème with Cherry Whip. You can find it here:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/chocolate-pots-de-creme-with-cherry-whip-recipe-1948610

Immediately, I see Claire has called for more cream (and it will be pourable!) and there will be a bains-marie and oven time, as I thought. Nothing to do but go ahead and make Claire's recipe, too. Texturally, night and day. Of course, sweeter, too, but that was my own fault, not Betty's. Claire's was more pudding like, custard-y, if you will. Smoother and creamier and all around better.  More work, but most of it was inactive time, so not too problematic. Sorry, Betty, but this round goes to Claire. 

Shown here is the Claire Robinson recipe, though the Betty Crocker recipe actually looked the same from the top. Either way, it isn't much to photograph, though in retrospect, I could have added some little flowers for color or even put it on a more colorful background. Instead, here you find the chocolate pot de crème atop a copy of The Little Prince, French edition. Yes, I made sure the dish was super clean, and no, I don't normally put food on my books. I was quite desperate to get some kind of picture, my previous attempts having been even worse!

Betty Crocker's recipe: 2 Red Spoons

Claire Robinson's recipe: 4 Red Spoons

Blushing Pink Soda

The Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library is divided into several sections. Seasonal Favorites, American Classics, Entertaining on a Shoestring, International Favorites and so many more. One such category is called Recipes Children Can Make, and I had initially thought to start with that section. If it was a recipe meant for a child to make, surely I could have success, too. I had, after all, taken a home-ec class, albeit some thirty years ago. I had, after all, cooked and prepared foods to some extent. I had, after all, watched a lot of cooking shows. That's knowledge and experience gained, friends.

Card number one isn't a recipe, but rather some useful general kitchen tips about measuring, safety, and good manners in the kitchen. It provides excellent tips such as wear an apron, wash your hands, and read the recipe all the way through (good call, lesson learned the hard way here). It also says to ask you mother when you can try these recipes and to be sure your mother is in the kitchen when you cook. We can leave this gender stereotype in the past, but generally speaking, having an adult around is probably a pretty good idea.

When I first lived on my own and had culinary questions, I'd call my own mother or my aunt or my cousin asking random things like, "How exactly do you make mashed potatoes?" or "Do you use milk or water in tomato soup and which is best?" or "Can you please just make me some cookies?" They were all very kind and obliging. I had a few cookbooks, sure, but no computer or internet access at home. One of my cookbooks contained recipes all based on pre-packaged ramen noodles, one was a tome of vegetarian recipes often requiring kitchen tools I didn't have such as an expensive food processor (I didn't even have a cheap blender), and another vegetarian one with ingredient lists a mile long with specialty items I couldn't find in the local grocery store.

So, yes, whether a mother, father, aunt, grandpa, your bestie, or Tyrion Lannister, having someone around who knows things is very helpful.

I learned a few things through trial and error, though. For example, I learned a few things about choosing cookbooks:
1. Look for ones (as a single lady) with recipes not geared for a family of six.
2. Look at the ingredients for several different recipes from several sections. Could I get those at the grocery store I frequented or would I have to go across town to the specialty market every time I wanted to make something from the book?
3. Are there twelve million ingredients in each recipe? And of those twelve million, how many would I use for other things going forward? I'm all for trying new things and buying some items outside my wheelhouse, but I was collecting a lot of things I had no idea how to use in anything else. It was a lot of money and material wasted.

(PS one of the first cookbooks I had multiple successes with was
Claire Robinson's Five Ingredient Fix: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/8266754-5-ingredient-fix
You can find this online or at your local bookstore. I got mine at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Rookwood. https://www.josephbeth.com/
I measure success not only in how a finished product tastes, but also in if the mental and physical energy required was proportionate to those results. With Claire's recipes, I didn't ever feel exhausted or confused and any amount of work put in was absolutely worth it in the end. Usually, these recipes are approachable with limited, generally accessible ingredients and clear instructions. Would recommend.)

I learned a few other things, too.

I learned that a sharp knife is critical to easy preparation.

I learned about keeping a few pantry staples on hand.

I learned that opening a window is useful for letting the smoke out of the apartment.

I learned that my friend Amy is a really good cook. Like, she doesn't even need recipes. She has a genuine culinary gift. She can imagine something and bring it to fruition. And it's tasty. Back when we lived closer and worked together, she was so nice to give me food. She once made me a breakfast sandwich using veggie sausage, and for the life of me, I had never even considered that I could make a breakfast sandwich until she gave me that one. Thanks, Amy! I still make these sometimes!

I also learned that I mostly liked to eat out.

And so I find myself here, in my forties, debating on if I can make recipes geared for children to prepare.
Card number 2: Chicken drumsticks, oven fried. What kind of kid makes chicken drumsticks oven fried!
Card number 3: Cranberry pancake supper. Pancakes, in my experience, also not easy. Also, not a big fan of pancakes.
Card number 4: Cube Steak Haystacks. Steak! I once tried to boil some beef for my ailing dog and failed. Meat is hard to cut, and apparently thick pieces will cook on the outside pretty quickly and remain raw on the inside. Boiled beef will stink up the house for days, too, apparently. Friends, I really love my dog.

I did not start with Recipes for Children. If you've been following from the beginning, you may recall I started with a salad. I needed to have some success right out of the gate to bolster my self-esteem and motivation.

Finally, I have returned to Recipes for Children with Card #27, Sparkling Sodas. It had three recipes listed and I chose the Blushing Pink Soda.

To kid me, this would be absolutely magical. Strawberry soda with fresh strawberries and pineapple and ice cream and more soda and more ice cream. Sign little Suz up right now!
Adult Suz says this was a fun little treat tasting of nostalgia in the form of fruit flavored soda, which actually tastes nothing like the fruit it claims to represent but is somehow still delightful.
From a visual perspective, I liked the different textural elements which could be seen through the glass goblet. It's fun to drink out of goblets on any occasion, and I highly recommend it.
I followed the recipe as shown, but where it says crushed pineapple and crushed strawberries, I really didn't know what that meant so I wazzed them up in my NutriNinja blender. I think my biggest issue with this wasn't a taste issue, but rather a textural issue. You know how when you get a strawberry milkshake, there are chunks of semi-frozen strawberry jamming up the straw? And then the bits that go through interfere with the smooth creaminess you have become accustomed to? It's like that. The strawberries were fresh, but I took a fair amount of time taking the picture, so I think they froze up a little being on the ice cream. Maybe a little better if I had consumed it right away.

Little Suz would give this 5 Red Spoons because Little Suz really liked junk food and sweets a whole lot.
Adult Suz says 3 Red Spoons for her personal taste, but 4 Red Spoons overall. It was fun and tasty, and I can see where others, especially children, might really enjoy it. Little Suz is evidently a lot more generous with the Red Spoons!

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Welcome to 2021!

May this year be filled with happiness, good health, and prosperity for all of us.

The New Year often signals a time to reflect on lessons learned in the old year and focus on hopes for the new. I have a few goals for this year. Pertaining to this blog, I have two:
1. Continue learning how to cook by experimenting with recipes from the Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library
2. Improve my food photography.

I worked predominantly as a photographer for almost fifteen years, and then part-time for another five. I still do portrait photography but have cut back significantly on event photography and commercial work. Food photography was never my area of expertise, but I did pick up a few tricks and tips tangentially. The food in photography is rarely cooked as it would be if you were to eat it, and there is good reason for that. For example, in this stew, Betty Crocker shows vibrant orange carrots and green peppers. I can tell by looking at those peppers that they are only slightly cooked and have likely been hand-placed in the bowl. If they were cooked to recipe instructions, they would not have that vibrant color or maintain that shape.

In commercial food photography, the goal is to present the food as it "might" look at its best. It doesn't need to be made according to recipe. It doesn't need to be edible. It doesn't even need to be made of the same ingredients. As long as the shot represents the best version of what the consumer might get, anything goes. For example, a fast-food burger can be staged with a garden-perfect red tomato, dewy lettuce, crisp bacon, and a fluffy bun. The burger you get will contain those ingredients, but the tomato might be pale pink, the lettuce wilted from the heat of the burger, and the bacon, a limp, fatty strip. However, all the components will be there. That beautiful scoop of ice cream might be made of vegetable shortening, but it looks like the ice cream you will eat and holds up longer under photo lights. Fries are never fully cooked and have likely been sprayed with hairspray for a nice sheen. All those hearty vegetables in the soup have risen to the top because there are marbles in the bottom of the bowl.

But I am making these Betty Crocker recipes to eat and I don't want to waste food just so I can get a better picture for my blog. I do want the food to look good, though, so I hope that learning more about lighting and staging for food will help compensate.

Meanwhile, here is my less than stellar looking "beef" stew. I don't have a soup tureen. I will sometimes go up to St. Vincent to see what dishware I can find, but a soup tureen takes up a lot of space for something I may or may not ever use again. So here are my mismatched dishes and utensils. That's not even a ladle. It's just a long-handled spoon.

I subbed button and shiitake mushrooms for the beef, but I did prepare the mushrooms in the same way as the recipe, coating them with flour, salt and pepper and browning them before adding the other ingredients. I did this only because I thought the flour might be in part a thickening agent for the stew. In addition to this flour coating, I added garlic for flavor. I once heard Jamie Oliver say that mushrooms and garlic were best friends and have remembered that tidbit for years. If I were to make this again, I would skip the flour coating here and simply sauté the mushrooms in avocado oil, garlic, salt and pepper and then add a little butter to finish. The next step calls for simmering the meat for two hours. Naturally, mushrooms don't need to be simmered in the same way meat does, so being a vegetarian can save you some time, it turns out. I did add the slurry at the end because at the last minute I decided I wanted a thick stew to pour over rice. I used three tablespoons and were I to make it again, I would use two. I think even without the flour from the coating of the mushrooms, two would be plenty. It's easier to add more than to take away. I would also reduce the tablespoon of salt (the additional salt the recipe calls for, not the salt for sautéing the mushrooms) and instead add just a teaspoon of salt and other herbs such as rosemary.

I was disappointed in the results in terms of how it looked, but it tasted fine. It wasn't anything special, but it was fine. I've learned an important lesson over the past few recipes, though. Halving a recipe when testing it for the first time might be the way to go. There was way too much stew here, even after I gave some away.

Rating: 3 Red Spoons: A basic stew, good for cold winter days.

Irish Coffee

The year was 2019. Astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir completed the first all-woman spacewalk in NASA’s history, Rami Malek won the Oscar for Best Actor, Joy Harjo became the US poet laureate, and everyday folks like me could safely eat in restaurants and travel abroad. I did both.

My first ever European adventure began at a Chinese restaurant in Kentucky. After almost a full year of planning a trip to Ireland with friends, the day had finally arrived for me to set foot on European soil. We headed to the airport and planned to arrive 2 hours early, the recommendation for international travel. We got to the airport and what did we find but our flight had been canceled due to poor weather in Chicago. We weren't even going to Chicago to fly out, but apparently, our plane was coming to us from the windy city. Long story short: we suggested every alternate possibility we could think of, the agent tried everything she could think of, but Dublin was going to have to wait one more day. The only thing to do was drown our sorrows in mai tais and martinis at the Oriental Wok.

And so the trip to Ireland began.

We did eventually make it to Ireland, our first stop being in Dublin. We got settled in to our lodgings and casually walked around they city with no real agenda. We took in some sights and eventually crossed the River Liffey to an area which looked less crowded. We decided it was time to drink our first Guinness, and we looked for a pub which felt more local than tourist. We settled on a hole-in-the-wall place with a few patrons at the bar. At the end of our trip, we would recount this stop to our taxi driver who absolutely could not believe we went into that establishment and enjoyed it. We were astounded that he was astounded and pressed him to tell us why. He said it would be like if he went to America and stopped at our most unreputable bar. We laughed and joked that if he came to the most unreputable bar in our hometown, he'd probably find us there, too. The pub didn't seem that bad to me, so I don't know what that says about America or about me, but there you have it.

We thoroughly enjoyed many great stops on our trip, reputable or not, but I think my favorite town we stayed in was Doolin.

A quaint building in Doolin near the restaurant where Larry got the best Irish Coffee he had ever had

Doolin felt more laid back (and to be fair, all of the Ireland I experienced was friendly and relaxed,) or maybe all that fresh Atlantic air made me more laid back, or maybe both. It was during the time in Doolin that I visited the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren which were two of my favorite natural areas. It was in Doolin where we stayed at an estate overlooking the ocean and in which the kitten snuck into our dwelling repeatedly and tried to eat the cheese. It was in Doolin where we ate at a low-key French restaurant with amazing food and drinks and where we listened to Irish music two nights in a row at one of the local pubs. I'd go back to Doolin in a heartbeat.

I could go on about Ireland for hours but this is a food blog, not a travel blog. If you would like to see a small handful of my photos from Ireland, you can find them here:
https://studiosuz.wixsite.com/mysite/ireland

When I was choosing the next recipe card from the Betty box, I came across the Coffee Dessert Duo, Card #24 from the section Snacks Around the Clock.

One of the recipes listed is Irish Coffee. Images of Ireland began to dance in my head. It has been just over a year since the trip. Diane and I recently discussed going back and all the new places we would visit, as well as a return to Doolin. It might not be until 2022, though. We feel lucky we went when we did and grateful for all the wonderful experiences. Though we might not get back for a while, until then, I can have a little taste of Ireland in my own home.

This recipe isn't complicated. You make coffee, pour in some whiskey, and top with whipped cream. Betty has you make the whipped cream from scratch, but you could use Reddi-Whip if you wanted. She also suggests topping with instant coffee grounds, but I topped with nutmeg instead. I did make the whipped cream as per the recipe and it was absolutely delightful. It was thick and had just the right amount of sweet to balance the bitterness of the coffee. The Irish whiskey I like for mixing is Jameson Caskmates, Stout Edition. For drinking neat, I like Green Spot.
https://www.spotwhiskey.com/en-US
And certainly, you could omit the whiskey and have a coffee enhanced with flavorful homemade whipped cream if you wanted. You could add a little bit of hot chocolate instead of whiskey for a different flavor combo. That could be quite tasty, too.

Rating: 5 Red Spoons! Go ahead and make the whipped cream from scratch. It isn't difficult and provides a quick and easy sense of accomplishment.

As we head into the new year, I want to thank everyone who has been reading about my Betty Crocker adventures. I'll have many more to come in the new year. Thank you for leaving your comments here and on Facebook. Your engagement makes me feel supported. Thank you for your kindness. I want to leave you today with this traditional Irish Blessing:

MAY PEACE AND PLENTY BE THE FIRST TO LIFT THE LATCH TO YOUR DOOR AND HAPPINESS BE YOUR GUEST TODAY AND EVERMORE.

Suz

Cornish Pasties

From the Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library, International Favorites, Card #14, Cornish Pasties

I was curious about the origins of the Cornish pasty and this delightful article offered great insights:

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Cornish-Pasty/

If you aren't inclined to read the whole article, highlights include:
•the shape of the pasty was useful for avoiding arsenic poisoning and
•initials were carved into the dough so when the crusts were left for the "Knockers," spritely folk, they would know who left food offerings and who didn't.

I didn't carve out initials into my dough, but I would have, had I read the above article sooner. The instructions say to poke holes in the pastry dough for ventilation, so there would be a practical reason for carving them, too. About the dough: the recipe calls for the ready-made Betty Crocker brand pie crust mix. Wondering if it was even still manufactured, I poked around the internet a bit. I found that long-time users of the product were unhappy with a relatively recent recipe change. I didn't even know boxed pie crust mixes existed, having only ever purchased the pre-made frozen crusts. So...It seemed logical enough that since I had never made pie crusts at all and the box mix was apparently unsatisfactory, I should definitely make a crust from scratch. Good, sound logic.

In wanting to keep with the Betty Crocker tradition, I went to the Betty Crocker website and found the recipe for pie crust dough. You can find that here:
https://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/baking-tips/how-to-make-pie-crust#02
scroll down to the 2-Crust Pie and if using it for the Cornish Pasties recipe, double it

My mom, in pre-pandemic years, loved to peruse the sale aisles of the grocery/super store. I am often the recipient of many "good deals" including kabob skewers which were purchased for a quarter, reduced price printer paper, discounted paring knives and more. One such bargain was a pastry blender. I vaguely recall using this once before, although I couldn't tell you what for. At any rate, it sits unused most of the time, so I imagine when I dug it out from the depths of the baking drawer, it felt like it had been called down as a contestant on the Price is Right. The rolling pin must have felt this way, too. It lives in the dank, bottom drawer for miscellaneous "big" things. Remember when contestants on the Price is Right would get so giddy with excitement they would freeze at bidding time and Bob Barker would scold them? That was the rolling pin.

Having my rarely used kitchen tools in hand and having wiped the counters thoroughly, the dough making began. Dough making is not for the weak. I mean this in the most literal way. Strong hands required. Strong forearms helpful. Do not cry, I told myself. This was your choice, I told myself. When the recipe calls for salt, it doesn't mean the salt of your tears, I told myself.

Once the dough has been made, the recipe says to let it rest. I understood this to mean let myself rest for 45 minutes, too.

Upon returning to the dough, it was time to roll it out into twelve inch rounds, and try as my weak little hands would allow, I could not get twelve inch rounds. This mattered only because there was filling leftover after the rounds had been stuffed. It's fine to just put those leftovers in the Betty Crocker Beef Stew which I planned on making next, anyway. In making this recipe vegetarian friendly, I used some Boca protein crumbles and button mushrooms in place of the beef. I typically prefer foods like this veg heavy rather than meat substitute heavy. I would have left the crumbles out entirely if I hadn't already had a little bit left in the freezer. I was skeptical about serving this with pickles as the photo shows, but the pickles add a nice contrast of cool, crispness to the hot, baked pasty. The recipe also says you can serve it with chili sauce, but it doesn't give a recipe for that. I made an aioli by combining mayo and sriracha. I put a dollop on top and then spread it out while eating. I think it would be perfectly fine without the sauce. Maybe, for variety, just a couple sprinkles of Frank's hot sauce would be nice. Frank's hot sauce enhances so many foods.

Not a great photo of the inside. I almost completely forgot to take a pic of the inside, though, so this is it.

Cornish pasties are a lot of work in terms of prepartion, and I need to work on my dough fluting skills, but overall rating:
4 Red Spoons. Tasty, but labor intensive.

Luau Lunch

Featuring Betty Crocker Recipe Cards #19 and #18 of Entertaining on a Shoestring, Polynesian Kabobs and Waikiki Meatballs

What better to do in the middle of a midwest winter than to have a lunchtime luau? Put on your muʻu muʻu, aloha shirts, and slippers and play some Keola Beamer on the record player. It's time to get our aloha spirit on!

My mother grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. Most of my maternal family still live there. I've been there several times over the course of my life, and each time I've been, I've experienced something new. Hawaii can offer you great hikes with waterfall rewards or panaromic ocean views. You can snorkel, surf, visit the only palace on US soil, go on foodie adventures and take in so many cultural experiences...including the luau. There are a variety of luau experiences, from what I've read in travel guides. I've only been to one that I can remember. About fifteen years ago I went with the family to the one hosted by the Hale Koa. (To be noted, the Hale Koa serves people who are retired or are currently serving in the US military. I was able to go because my parents were present, and my dad is a retired veteran of the US Navy.)
Guests were invited to learn about the imu pit where the kalua pork was cooking, poi was served, there was lomi salmon, a range of vegetables, and the meal ended with haupia, a coconut dessert which I love. Haupia is often called a "pudding" but to me is more similar to a custard or flan. Haupia cake, that's even better, in my opinion. Layers of cake and haupia combined into one melt-in-your-mouth drool worthy dessert. Ono. (Hawaiian word for delicious.)

snapshot of Hale Koa Luau imu pit

Check out this link to learn more about haupia:
https://onolicioushawaii.com/haupia/
And check out the full Hale Koa luau menu here:
https://www.halekoa.com/experiences/events/luau
Due to Covid 19, they are not currently hosting the luau experience. Also to be noted, they have options for vegetarians, which is what I got, I'm sure. It's been so long ago, I really only remember some of the entertainment and the haupia.

According to the travel guides, the foods listed in the Hale Koa menu are the kinds you should seek out when considering which luau to attend. Otherwise, you might end up with a buffet of foods you could get anywhere, some pineapple, and a hula show.

I don't know the origins of these two Betty Crocker recipes. Were foods like this served at luaus in the 70s? I could kinda see that. I can see hotels trying to cater to a midwest palate while trying to make foods a little more "exotic" (insert pineapple here.)

I imagine a conversation about menu planning that went like this:
What foods are economically savvy? What do people in Ohio like to eat? What do people in Ohio associate with Hawaii?
And the answers were meatballs and pineapple and thus was born the Waikiki Meatball. Whatever the origin, I'm going to cut to the chase and tell you the meatless meatballs were onolicious. The kabobs were pretty good, too.

I started with the kabobs since they had to marinate for a while and cutting all the components would take time. I did not carefully read the instructions so I ended up discarding some of the pineapple juice. As I was draining the pineapple, I stopped while I had about half the juice left because I wondered if pineapple juice might enhance the marinade. So, I checked the recipe card to see if the flavors would be complementary. This was when I read that I was actually supposed to reserve the juice for the dipping sauce. Alas! At least I still had some left! I added some lemon juice which I hoped would make up for the missing pineapple juice. It turned out just fine. Whew! Tofu was substituted for the ham/turkey the recipe calls for. I used extra firm tofu rather than firm or silken as it holds up best when using as a meat substitute. The marinade was delicious and I would highly recommend it whether you want to marinate tofu, chicken, or ham. All in all, a success.
Then I started in on the Waikiki Meatballs. This recipe called for a lot of ingredients present in the kabobs. Since I was serving them together, I chose to make the meatballs as a standalone. The green pepper and pineapple would be present in the kabob. The pineapple sauce from the kabobs could be used for the meatballs as a dipping sauce, too. If I were serving the Waikiki Meatballs without the kabobs, I would make it as the card suggests. Otherwise, it's just meatballs, not Waikiki Meatballs. I used protein crumbles instead of meat. This is the one I used:
https://www.bocaburger.com/products/00759283601045
I lightly thawed the crumbles in a skillet with avocado oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, then followed the recipe as outlined. Sort of. I would guess that when a 1970s recipe calls for crackers, they mean saltines or Ritz, but I was fresh out, so I used 1/3 cup of crumbled Wasa crackers and 1/3 cup of Panko. I also added a little bit of flour in hopes that it would help the mixture hold together. At first, the crumbles weren't holding the spherical shape. The flour seemed to do the trick. I used butter where it calls for shortening, and there was no small amount of butter used, either. Beef has fat which crumbles don't have. Thus, the crumbles were soaking up the butter and no new fat was being rendered (I think that's what I mean. Like when fat comes out of a food and you continue to cook in that liquid fat. Chime in in the comments if you know more accurately.) So, add more butter. I did add some avocado oil, too, as my arteries were hardening just taking in all that butter with my eyes.
These meatless meatballs were delicious. I'm going to make them again in their full Waikiki glory. I'm going to make them again as-is as a meatball appetizer with frilled toothpicks in each one. I'm going to make them again to use in a meatball sub. The possibilites are many.

my kabobs and meatless meatballs

So, while these recipes may or may not be the traditional Hawaiian experience, they were successful in their own right.

And if you ever find yourself in Hawaii, go to a luau at least once. Allow yourself to enjoy being in a group of complete strangers, eating food you'll likely not have anywhere else on the mainland. Enjoy that simple pleasure of sipping on a cold beverage, be it a frou-frou cocktail or an iced tea with a giant wedge of pineapple, while the tradewinds gently tussle your hair. Don't be above it. It's 2020 aka Pandemic Year and we aren't supposed to be dining with the masses in any kind of gathering, be it Thanksgiving, an indoor restaurant or anything else. Remember that when deciding whether or not to hit the luau. Remember what a privlege it is to be able to sit with so many strangers in one place, all, like you, having come for a taste of paradise.

Polynesian Kabobs: marinade: 5 red spoons! overall: 4 red spoons, good, but kind of a lot of work skewering everything.

Waikiki Meatballs: 5 red spoons! So delish! Much versatility!

Orange Baked Alaskas

According to Wikipedia, a Baked Alaska is a dessert consisting of ice cream and cake topped with browned meringue. This recipe calls for the ice cream and browned meringue, but instead of cake, it uses oranges. First of all, this is Recipe Card #2 from the section Seasonal Favorites -- Winter of the Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library.

Second of all, I don't know why oranges filled with ice cream fall under the category of winter favorites. My only association with oranges and winter together is that sometimes oranges are found in the toe of Christmas stockings. I don't know where this originates either, but I can tell you that the 10th Doctor of Doctor Who, in the Christmas special, "The Christmas Invasion," used a Satsuma to save himself when under attack from the Sycorax.

I'm not so curious about these things that I'm going to do more than a quick internet search, but I am a little curious, so here is what a quick search reveals:

from the site: www.countrysidecitrus.com
"People can buy navel oranges nearly any time of year, but true navel orange lovers will be best to buy oranges between November and January when the taste is at perfection. The fruit will be fine during other times, but this is the season when natural growers release their best treats."

and from the Smithsonian Magazine article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-we-should-bring-back-tradition-christmas-orange-180971101/
The story seems to begin with three women whom St. Nicholas saved from slavery when he provided them with a dowry of a bag of gold. It seems as though our jolly friend, who was perhaps actually the Bishop of Myra, chucked three sacks of gold down the chimney of the house where the three women lived. The gold landed in the stockings the women had hung up to dry by the fire. From there, it seems that the tradition evolved, and as a nod to the "Miracle of the Dowries," gold was replaced with the affodable alternative, the orange. This is actually a fascinating article which I would recommend.

That answers the question about oranges being a winter favorite, and I'm just going to shrug it off and say that perhaps it is warm enough in some parts of the country during the winter for ice cream to be seasonally fitting.

Back to the Baked Alaska. In regards to the photo of the recipe, another highly misleading image. Betty's image looks like at least 3/4 of an orange, if not essentially a whole one. It is unlikely the orange in this photo contains any ice cream, and I would venture to say that it hasn't had the fruit removed and replaced as the recipe instructs. I'm ok with it not containing the ice cream or having been prepared according to instructions. I am not ok with it depicting a whole orange when the recipe states each serving as half an orange. I am also not okay with the extraordinary amount of meringue shown. If this were a stand alone foodie Instagram shot, no worries. BUT THIS IS A RECIPE. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO ACTUALLY EXPECT. After topping one of my orange halves, I could see that there was not going to be enough meringue for the other five halves if I continued at this rate.

Important lessons learned: if I want the photos of the food to be as much a part of this blog experience as anything else, I need to plan the photo first. Everything needs to be laid out in such a manner that when the food is complete, I simply place it, turn on the lights, and start shooting. Any good food photographer knows this. I knew this. I got so wrapped up in the recipes, I forgot. Also, the hunger need often overpowers the photo need. I knew this. I forgot.

Here it is, my Orange Baked Alaska.

Rating 4 red spoons
Like the recipe card says, this dessert takes time, but it was refreshing and delicious. Would make again under the right circumstances. I wouldn't say this was a dinner party dessert. While you can prepare the oranges and ice cream ahead of time, provided you have space in your fridge and freezer, the meringue needs to be fresh, I would think. The meringue takes time, so you would be stuck in the kitchen while your guests wondered where you were. UNLESS you have a stand mixer. Oh, how I do want a stand mixer. HOWEVER, I could see chilling out with my friend Margie one weekend, and while she prepared the oranges, I could prepare the meringue. It's good to have friends you can cook with.

How It Began

Ages ago, aka, earlier this year, I was in an antique store in Indiana. Most of the shops on this street were quaint houses, converted to shops. This street was probably the main thoroughfare at one time, but now, it's more prone to foot traffic on weekend afternoons. This particular antique shop was going out of business, not only on that day, but within that half-hour I was there. I'd only gone in to pass the time. I didn’t really NEED anything. However, there were deals to be had and maybe I could find my sister a Christmas present. She appreciates the antique aesthetic. I looked at jewelry and artwork and knick-knacks and dishware. Nothing in the main room on floor one sang out to me, for either myself or my sister. Then it was on to the hallway to access the stairs to the upper level. And, lo, there it was, on a side table in the crowded hallway-- a square box of sunshine, its yellow color like a canary flying straight out of the crayon box. This vibrant yellow color was once so popular you’d have thought the 1970’s invented it. With its hinged lid open revealing a series of commercially printed recipe cards, this Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library sang out. It was organized into categories such as Seasonal Favorites, Gifts from the Kitchen, Fondues, Budget Casseroles, and, friends, I kid you not…Men’s Favorites. (No, there was not a Women’s Favorites! It was the first thing I looked for after seeing Men’s Favorites!) I laughed and held gratitude for how things have changed. Out of curiosity, I looked at the price tag. With the discount it would be somewhere between $5-$7. I have a ton of cookbooks, though, and I wouldn’t say I was known to be a cook. (This is a post for another time, as this whole post is already a tangent of epic proportions.) That price was a great deal, but my inner Marie Kondo said to leave it in on the table and go browse upstairs. I was supposed to be looking for a gift for my sister, remember? As I perused the books and dishware and artwork on the upper level, I kept thinking about that yellow box in the hallway. The recipe cards within showed slight wear, so I began imagining the household it came from, the weeknight budget casseroles and the showy Sunday dinners. I started thinking about the photos on the recipe cards, the telltale limited color reproduction giving the images not quite true to life hues. I started thinking about my mother's cookbooks. She had a spiral notebook with handwritten recipes and newspaper clippings. She also had The Joy of Cooking and one by Betty Crocker, hardbound with a red cover. I started thinking about the kitchen of my childhood home, with the wooden bread box next to the yellow stove, the orange and brown floral and swirl lineoleum floor my parents only recently replaced. There was now no doubt of the pull that yellow box had on me. I tried to talk myself out of it one more time, to no avail. It was already mine in spirit, and a few dollars later, it was actually mine to take home.

I organized every single card according to category and number within each category. I tracked how many were missing (only a couple!) and how many of the recipes I might actually attempt. It didn’t matter, though. I purchased this for the novelty of it. I purchased this knowing I would need to get rid of at least two – three cookbooks to make room for it. I purchased this knowing I had no real use for recipes from the 70s with their Hamburger Helper and gender stereotypes.

Fast forward: November rolls along and the pandemic rages on. I’m struggling emotionally. I make myself put on clothes I didn’t sleep in as part of my mental health routine, even though there is no real need to do so, otherwise. I work from home exclusively now. I can no longer responsibly go to stores just to browse and be caught up in a whirlwind of nostalgia. I can't go inside my friends house to drink wine. I can’t watch most movies and tv shows because they all trigger me in some way. Except cooking shows. Cooking shows I can watch. My favorite is the Great British Baking Show. I like the baking, but I also very much enjoy the antics of Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas. Other shows I frequent are Triple G and Triple D (both of which, historically, I didn’t favor, but now can’t get enough of), Iron Chef (any iteration of Iron Chef will do, but bonus if it’s an original Japanese episode), and Beat Bobby Flay. I’ve also stumbled on a newbie (new to me, anyway) Molly Yeh, and she is basically the most delightful person, and I want to be friends with her.

I found some inspiration and motivation in these shows, made a make-shift photo studio in the butler’s pantry, and started taking pictures of the food I was making.
I started with cupcakes from a mix which had been in the pantry for months. I experimented with it by swapping tea for water and butter for oil. It was something I had seen on Pinterest. The commercial icing had a hole in the foil and was thus inedible, so I had to make an icing from scratch. Only, the powdered sugar was rancid making my first batch of scratch icing also inedible. I had to make one which called for granulated sugar and flour. It was not horrible. It was not something I would repeat, but it was not horrible. I piped it on to the cakes with some piping tips and bags I bought years ago and topped them with a cherry. The cuppies looked cute.

I made jazzed up ramen with enoki mushrooms, arugula, and a soft boiled egg.

I made French Onion soup inspired by an episode of Beat Bobby Flay in which the challenger did BEAT BOBBY FLAY.

I made a plate of Snoopy’s Thanksgiving meal.

While photographing these foods in my make-shift studio, there behind me stood the cookbooks. One day, Betty in her yellow box called out. I answered, "Hey there, Betty. What’s going on?" We shared some small talk and remembered that day she came home with me. Then she suggested I should make all the recipes in that yellow box (most of the recipes) reminiscent of Julie and Julia. Suz and Betty. Only I should make them my way, vegetarian. And start a blog about it.

Who am I to argue with the ghost of Betty Crocker who lives in a yellow recipe box in my house?
Not to be neglected, Amy Vanderbilt politely chimed in from her spot on the shelf. Years ago, she, too, came home with me from an antique store. (I like vintage cookbooks; this has been established.) The Amy Vanderbilt cookbook has illustrations by Andrew Warhol !ANDY WARHOL! and now you know why I had to have it. (side note: I did make a soufflé and vichyssoise from that book shortly after purchasing it. Both were good.)

So that’s the beginning of this journey, and, yes, I still need to get my sister a gift for the holidays.

Next up: Winter Salad Variety via Betty Crocker.