ENCHILADA CASSEROLE ...p74

Despite a massive lunch buffet at the critic's favorite Chinese restaurant,  her insistence she couldn't eat a bit of dinner, and her blessing upon my sister to proxy as critic for this meal, Nana couldn't resist asking for "just a little" after hearing Lee's "oh, this is a Yum for sure!"

The critic then echoed that verdict.

Product of USA

I really enjoyed making this casserole - it was very easy, despite tearing into bite-size pieces 20 tortillas, which I think can be tapered down into halves or quarters without sacrificing texture.  I've noticed many recipes don't clarify the can size to use - if you're authoring a recipe, be sure to include these little details.  I initially thought, "sheesh, that's not much liquid....the tortillas are going to be tough...am I supposed to use the large can of enchilada sauce?"  I opted for the 10 oz. can of sauce and the 4 oz. chilies - in fact, the casserole's consistency was perfect, loaded with lots of cheese!  Top it off with some sour cream, diced avocados and some pico de gallo and you have a fiesta!

Hardy Appetit!

ITALIAN BEEF ...p42

Well imagine my disappointment when the critic thumbed her nose at my very favorite company recipe that I made for our special Valentines dinner!  Perhaps this is due to the fact that I did not make it in the microwave as called for, nor did I use a clay pot (which, if you have one, is definitely my preferred method.  My broken clay pot now houses flowers in my garden...) but chose to slow cook it all day in the oven.  I did find the meat not quite as tender - which was not expected. Perhaps I just got a particularly tough cut of rump roast. 

Here's a little teaching moment:  My husband and I always struggle with cutting a roast - we know that you should cut across the grain, but we always debate the direction of the grain.  On a rump roast, it's pretty easy to see, so I thought I'd show you new chefs.

The chunk of beef (LT) shows the grain (long fibers) running parallel to the cutting board. 

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The picture below shows the actual slice.  Notice there are no long fibers, just irregularly shaped cells.  If when you slice, you see long cells, you know you've cut with the grain as opposed to against.  Does it make a difference?  Yes, it does.  Chewing through the long fibers is difficult - cutting against the grain breaks these fibers down into tender bites.  

It's too bad that these little fibers were indeed still too tough for the critic.  The pictures above are depicting the slicing that takes place prior to the beef's second cooking called for in the recipe. The only redeeming factor was that the men in my life devoured it, commenting how delicious it was.  Were they just being polite?  Though I did find it different from times past, I still found it yummy as well. 

So, you try it - and be sure to register your comments here!  Should you decide to try, please take note that the recipe in the actual book has a critical error - the onions, green peppers, and mushrooms are NOT cooked 45 minutes in the microwave or you'll find these tough as leather...this should read 4 to 5 minutes.  As well, you should use 1/2 cup hot pepper rings.

Hardy Appetit! 

Chasens Chili ...p27

At the end of the day, it boils down to this.  The critic doesn't really like chili.  Oh, I know we all think she loves chili, but she really only likes one kind of chili - the one her mother taught her how to make.  All said and done, that is my favorite too.  Just the crunch of crisp celery, combined with the other flavors and textures of mom's chili spells "home".  The kind of texture reminiscent of eating a handful of peanuts with dad, then taking that first swig of Pepsi out of the bottle to swish around the remains.  I know all my siblings can relate!  Remember, we never wanted another drink out of the bottle after that first one!

The critic's initial reaction was a half-hearted snicker, though when queried as to "why? we all loved it!" she admitted it's just...not...like...hers.   The rest of us did love it.

The flavors are well-blended, with just enough kick.  In fact, I was afraid when adding 1/3 cup of chili powder it would be too much, but Bill actually asked if it had any chili powder in it.  I also left out the MSG.


As far as the instructions go, I had to fish out my handy scale to weigh in what one pound of green peppers translated to,

and one & a half pounds of onion...

 I'm not used to measuring those in that manner.  I've saved you the trouble.


There are five chili recipes in our cookbook.  Try 'em all.  See which is your favorite and let Nana know *wink wink.
 Why, we might just have ourselves a ..... CHILI COOK OFF!

Hardy Appetit!

Homemade Sausage ...p47

This is one recipe where I'll have to agree with the critic.  Maybe it's just cause we're so used to the spiciness of Texas now (think Elgin sausages:  Southside or Meyer's; or Chappell Hill), that the impact of cloves and cinnamon alone didn't fire us up.  No one seemed quite sure if I was trying to make hamburgers or some other bun-satisfying filler, so if you decide to try it yourself, be sure to follow the directions, and roll the sausage! 

And a word to the wise, if you're gonna make the critic sausage, she wants it rolled-fashion, not patty-wack.

Since I'd already made a ton, the next day I took what I'd patted once already, dumped it in a big bowl and added bucketloads of salt and crushed red peppers to "kick it up a notch" as Emeril says.  We all decided next time, we'd skip the beef and stick to pork.

Hardy Appetit!

Beer Pot Roast ...p43

Pot roast reminds me so much of my mother, so I decided to sneak this one up on her and see what her reaction was.  Of course the variable of me cooking it might prompt a snicker!  You know we all like to say, "oh, it tastes so much better when someone else makes it!", but when they do, we say, "sure doesn't taste like mine!"  Case in point, Beer Pot Roast. 

And I do admit, the beef disappointed me - seemed way too fatty, so check your chuck roast for too much fat....  BUT, everyone devoured the brown sugar carrots so make lots!  I used this recipe from food network.


When I served mom and told her it was her recipe, she responded with, "oh, that was Elsie's and I never did really like it!"  Oh well.  Bottom line is it is a simple recipe that you can doctor up if you like - just be sure to make a lot of brown sugar carrots.


Hardy Appetit!

Hungarian Goulash ...p42

Four beef goulashes grace our cookbook, so which one to choose?  This one comes from Les, and while we all thought it was tasty, it was the first recipe that I wished I had a middle rating, something like Yumk! or Yukem! ... as our critic was middle of the road on this one.  We have a policy that Nana cannot know whose recipe it is before tasting lest it influence her buds.... Of course, she knew right away it wasn't her recipe because this one lacked green peppers and tomatoes and that is the goulash she prefers.

The men thought this was a little too sweet; my men like everything spicy. We women didn't mind the sweet.  If you do,  just cut the sugar in half or eliminate it.

Hardy Appetit!

Louisiana Round Steak ...p41

Well, this is a bummer.  I just made this recipe and realized the critic is not here to taste the entree!  I do hope my imaginary audience (haha!  are you there?) will forgive me if the yum or yukka comes tonight from my husband; you see, it was supposed to be made the night we were having family to dinner - when Nana was here...but alas, family means barbecue to my husband and my recipe was bumped!  Tonight he, therefore, becomes the critic!

Hardy Appetit!

Ashton's Cornbread Dinner ...p45

Admittedly, I have been suckered by "boxed" dinners occasionally and, in reading this recipe, it reminded me of one of my favorites from many plenty years ago.  My mother-in-law used to make it - boxed Taco Casserole; she would fancify it (is that a word?) by using her self-made chunky Mexican-style clay rectangular dish that was a favorite of all of ours.  Our taste buds were just awakening to flavors across the border, but this was a first adapted into American convenience foods....Topped with avocado chunks, salsa and sour cream, we were transported to the Long Bar in days of old....

But back to cornbread dinner.  No chips included in this recipe, but cornbread does a nice job of serving as the foundation.  Perhaps this is more Tex-Mex, esp. since it calls for picante sauce instead of salsa.  What defines Tex-Mex?  Let me know!  I do know that I cooked it a bit too long and it was dryer than I would have liked.  But overall, the family loved this quick and easy meal. 

The casserole in the foreground is Ashton's Cornbread Dinner, the middle is Poblano Corn Pudding - check out my next blog for Nana's reaction to that one!

Hardy Appetit!

Meatball Minestrone Soup ...p29

A quick, head out the door in the morning without a nourishing breakfast to stimulate our appetites and jumpstart our metabolisms, another quick lunch because we just don't have time to cook anymore, a heavy dinner after we arrive home at night just in time to head for bed, have left us with more pounds then we want, more pills than we should take, and more heartburn than we can handle.  OK, so this time we're serious.  Our house is going to try to eat that healthy breakfast, make time for lunch and go easy on the evening delectables.

Soup?  It's not just for lunch anymore.

Katie's Meatball Minestrone recipe caught my eye because of the "dinner" quality of meatballs.  (Gotta ease my way to more broth!)  Served with a baguette and red wine, this one is fabulous.  Everyone one of us, including my visiting 4-yr old grandson, loved, loved it.  My husband's reaction was "fabulous!", "I could eat this every night," and about an hour after dinner, ate another bowl....  Hard to keep the appetite in check on this one.   

Only Nana had a different opinion.  She didn't like the idea of meatballs in a soup, whose broth  and other ingredients were better left consumed without that addition.  Incidentally, the broth is a chicken base - not beef, making it lighter and milder tasting.  So, I guess if you're not into meatballs, leave them out!

Hardy Appetit!