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2008

TODAY's CASES:

I Had But Fifty Cents

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Colleen 
To: phaedrus
  Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 3:55 PM
  Subject: old song about crab, asparagus, etc.

 My mother use to sing this song during the 50s ...
 All I can remember is

 Applesass, asparagrass, soft-shelled crab on toast,
 And when she asked for pie
 I thought I'd die
 For I had but fifty cents.

 Nowhere in my music web searches have I been able to find all the words to this song.
 Your help would be greatfully appreciated! 

  Colleen 

Hello Colleen,

See below for two versions of the song.

Phaed

  I Had but Fifty Cents

  I took my girl to a fancy ball;
  It was a social hop.
  We waited till the folks got out,
  And the music it did stop.
  Then to a restaurant we went,
  The best one on the street.
  She said she wasn't hungry
  But this is what she ate.

  A dozen raw, a plate of slaw,
  A chicken and a roast,
  Some applesauce and asparagus,
  And soft-shell crabs on toast.
  A big box stew, and crackers too;
  Her appetite was immense!
  When she called for pie,
  I thought I'd die,
  For in my pocket I had but fifty cents.

  She said she wasn't hungry
  And didn't care to eat,
  But I've money in my clothes 
  To bet she can't be beat.
  She took it in so cozy,
  She had an awful tank.

  She said she wasn't thirsty
  But this is what she drank.
  A whisky skin, a glass of gin,
  Which made me shake with fear,
  A ginger pop, with rum on top,
  A schooner then of beer,
  A glass of ale, a gin cocktail.
  She should have had more sense.
  When she called for more 
  I fell on the floor
  For in my pocket I had but fifty cents.

  Of course I wasn't hungry
  And didn't care to eat,
  Expecting every moment
  To be kicked into the street.
  She said she'd fetch her family round,
  And some night we'd have fun
  But in my pocket I had but fifty cents.

  When I gave the man the fifty cents,
  This is what he done:
  He tore my clothes,
  He smashed my nose,
  He hit me on the jaw,
  He gave me a prize
  Of a pair of black eyes
  And with me swept the floor.
  He took me where my pants hung loose,
  And threw me over the fence.
  Now take my advice, don't try it twice
  If in your pocket you've got but fifty cents.
------------------------------------------
  Original version as published by Sam Devere in 1885.

  If you could see the gal I took to a fancy ball, 
  You could span a-round her little waist so neat and very small.
  I thought about two oysters sure would fill her up complete.
  Such a dainty delicate little thing but this is what she eat.
  A dozen raw, with a plate of slaw, and a fancy Boston roast.
  A big beef stew, with crackers too, and a soft crab on toast.
  Then next she tried some oysters fried.
  Her appetite was immense, when she yelled for pie
  I thought I'd die for I had but fifty cents.
  Then after putting all this away, she smiled so very sweet.
  She said she wasn't hungry a bit, she wished that she could eat.
  For a little gal you bet she had a terrible tank.
  She was only a little thing too, but this is what she drank.
  A brandy, a gin, and a big hot rum, and a schooner of lager beer,
  Three whiskey skins and a couple of gins did quickly disappear.
  With a bottle of ale and a gin cocktail she astonished all the gents.
  I fell on the floor when she called for more, for I had but fifty cents.
  To finish it up this delicate gal cleaned out an ice cream can.
  She said, "Sam I'll tell mama you're such a real nice man."
  She said she'd bring her sisters along next time she went for fun.
  I showed the man my fifty cents, why this is what he done.
  He broke my nose, he tore my clothes, he shook me out of breath,
  I took the prize for two black eyes, he crushed me half to death.
  Gave me no chance, but made me dance, and he fired me over the fence.
  Take my advice, don't try this twice when you have but fifty cents.

Saffron Sauce

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Krishna " 
To: "Phaedrus" >
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2008 11:15 PM
Subject: re: saffron sauce

>
> Dear Phaedrus,
>
> Greetings from India.
>
> Well, we're having an unseasonably rainy weather these days! Although it 
> makes everything in the village I live in muddy, no one is really 
> complaining because it takes the temperature down from 120 to 87!
>
> Last summer while on a visit to my family in America mother dragged me to 
> see the film "No Reservations". Although the film was a bit predictible, the 
> secret to Kate's famous saffron sauce wasn't...Kefir lime leaves.
>
> Can you come across a similar saffron sauce, with kefir lime leaves in the 
> ingredients?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Krishna 

Hi Krishna,

Rainy here, too, but the temp is only in the low 90s as yet.

See below for recipes.

Phaed

Saffron sauce

1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup finely minced shallots
1 pinch saffron threads
1 fresh kaffir lime leaf, lightly crushed (optional)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt, pepper

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed sauté pan, combine the white wine and shallots 
over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce until about 2 
tablespoons of liquid remain, several minutes.

2. Add the saffron and optional kaffir lime leaf. Reduce the heat to medium 
and add the heavy cream, whisking to combine. Add the butter, a few cubes at 
a time, whisking to incorporate it into the sauce. Add a few more cubes as 
each batch is incorporated, and watch that the sauce never comes to a boil. 
When all of the butter is incorporated, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh 
strainer into a small sauté pan over low heat.

3. Add the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and small pinch of pepper. Taste and 
adjust seasoning if necessary. If the consistency is a little thick, thin it 
out with a little water, 1 teaspoon at a time, whisking to incorporate. 
Remove from the heat and set aside in a warm place. (Makes about 1 cup.)
--------------------------------
Saffron Sauce

1/2 cup shallots, finely minced
4 – 5 Makrut (Kaffir or Wild) lime leaves, chiffonade fine
1/2 cup Sauvignon blanc
1 pinch of Saffron Threads
2 TB Heavy Cream
12 TB unsalted cold Butter, cut into 1 TB sized pieces
2 TB Fresh Lemon juice
Kosher Salt
Finely ground white pepper to taste (Do not use black pepper or you will 
have little black flecks in your sauce)

Fill a saucepan with water and set to simmer
In a heavy saucepan, combine shallots, lime leaves and white wine; reduce to 
2 TB of liquid.
Reduce heat to low
Add Saffron threads and heavy cream; Stir until desired color is reached.
Strain into a clean stainless steal bowl, place bowl over simmering water.
Begin whisking in the butter one piece at a time, adding the next just 
before the previous one melts completely; don’t stop whisking or the 
emulsion might break.
Also, work WITH the simmering water, you may not need to leave it there, 
just keep placing it over as the sauce cools from the cold butter, then 
remove again once the sauce is rewarmed.
You want the butter to melt, but you want it to do so very slowly as to not 
flood the emulsion taking place.
After all the butter has been incorporated, add the lemon juice and the salt 
and pepper.
-------------------------------------
Scallops with saffron sauce

(Serves 4)

For the scallops:

1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
16 sea scallops or bay scallops, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil or more, if needed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the saffron sauce:

1/2 cup very finely chopped shallots
4 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces
Pinch of saffron threads, toasted and crushed
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and white pepper to taste
Prepare the scallops: In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, oregano, 
thyme and pepper. Roll scallops in flour mixture until lightly coated on all 
sides.

In a large skillet heat the olive oil over high heat. Add 4 scallops to the 
pan at a time and sear on all sides (about 2-3 minutes for each side). 
Remove scallops from pan and place on a plate in the oven to keep warm until 
ready to serve. Repeat 3 times until remaining scallops are cooked. Toss 
with parsley and lemon juice.

Make the saffron sauce: In a heavy saucepan combine shallots, lime leaves, 
and wine. Over medium high heat reduce to 2 tablespoons.

Add saffron threads and cream to pan and place over medium high heat. Whisk 
in butter, a piece at a time, adding the next piece before the last one has 
completely melted, stirring constantly. Do not allow mixture to boil. Add 
lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Pour sauce over scallops before serving.

Raclette

----- Original Message ----- 
From: ethika 
To: phaedrus
Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2008 5:19 AM
Subject: recipe search

About 38 years ago I lived in Geneva, Switzerland. At that time a recipe was served in several 
restaurants called 'bouef stek au fromage' (beef steak from cheese), this was served as two 
squares of cheese with boiled new potatoes and salad. The cheese was about 2.5 inches square by 
about 1/2 inch thick and had, I believe, been fried on both sides - no beef was incuded. Not long 
after this a law was passed in Geneva that if a dish had beef in its name it had to include beef. 
This was to stop a practice in many restaurants of serving beef fondue in which the meat ingredient 
was horsemeat, not beef. I have looked for this cheese recipe for many years I wanted whether it 
would be possible for you to find it for me.
thanks
ethika

Hello Ethika,

I'm sorry, Ethika, I had no success looking for 'bouef stek au fromage' or any variation thereof, including "steak de bouef au fromage," nor did I find any Swiss recipes for "fried cheese." However, I did find an interesting Swiss dish called "maienfeld raclette". This cheese dish is said to have originated in the canton of Valais with mountaineers who roasted cheese on bonfires for their dinner. This dish is mentioned in the book "Heidi" by Johanna Spyri. Raclette began as a country dish, but soon became known all over Switzerland. "Raclette" comes from the French "racler", meaning "to scrape. " As the cheese began to melt from the heat of the fire, it would be scraped onto a plate and eaten, thus "raclette." It is traditionally eaten with boiled potatoes in their skins and pickled onions, gherkins, and ground pepper. In restaurants, raclette is made in a special electric grill rather than over an open fire. The preferred cheeses to use are semi-firm, easy to melt cheeses from Valais and are usually those known as Gomser, Bagnes, or one known simply as "raclette."

A home version can be prepared in the oven by: 1) preheat the oven to 450° 2) place a large piece of cheese or two or three thick slices of cheese in an ovenproof dish. When it begins to melt, scrape the cheese onto a plate.

I know that this is not precisely what you described, but perhaps it is similar.

Phaed


Butter Roll

From: Tanya 
To: phaedrus
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2008 2:25 PM
Subject: Butter Roll

I am looking for a recipe for old fashioned butter roll. It's almost like a
thick  pie crust in a sauce. Can you help me?  

Thank you,

Tanya

Hello Tanya,

See below.

Phaed

Butter  Roll       

Pie pastry
Sugar
Butter
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Water

Double Pastry - 2 Crust:
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c. cold water
3/4 c. shortening

  Combine flour and baking powder.  Cut in shortening.  Add water, mix. Roll
out on floured surface.  Make your favorite pie crust recipe or the one
provided above.  Take out enough dough to form a circle 5 or 6 inches in
diameter and 1/8 inch thick.  Place glob of butter, sugar, cinnamon and
nutmeg on dough circle.  Enclose mixture with pie dough to form a ball shape
and place in baking dish with enclosed side down.  Repeat until all dough
has been used or dish is full.  Sprinkle top with sugar and spices. Cover
with water.  Bake at 350 degrees until top is brown.  Serve hot.  
--------------------------------
Butter  Roll

1 double crust
Butter
Sugar
Vanilla

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Divide dough into 5 pieces.  Flour wax
paper. Roll out first piece of crust about 8 inches wide.  In the middle of
the crust put 3 pats butter side by side (3/4 tablespoons each pat), 1/4 cup
sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Take crust and fold up from each side and
overlap, press edge down.  Place in long glass baking dish.  Do all 5 pieces
the same way and lay the rolls side by side in the baking dish.  Bake in
oven until rolls are brown.  Take out of oven.  Mix together in a bowl: 1/4
c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla   Pour this mixture over the brown rolls and return
back to oven.  Cook about 30 minutes.  It will be thick and juicy.

Goats & Squabs

I did most of my growing up on the Coast, but I wasn't born there. I was born and lived my first eight years in a small town in a rural county in North Mississippi. Back then, Dad always kept some sort of animal or other. We had pheasants, rabbits, goats, turkeys, and pigeons, although not all at the same time. These weren't pets, we had dogs for pets. Dad raised these critters for food. He would take young goats to a barbecue place in the next town where they'd dress and smoke them. Quite tasty, as I recall, with a bit of barbecue sauce. I don't remember eating the rabbits or pheasants - I was very young when we had those - but I'm sure that we did. I've certainly eaten both since. I do remember eating young pigeons or "squabs". The pigeons were homing pigeons, and the flock got so big that dad was finally asked to get rid of them by the town.

Hunter's  Pigeon

3 pigeons
1 qt. white wine
2 whole peppercorns
1 tsp. salt
2 cloves
1/2 tsp. sage
Lemon peel
2 tbsp. olive oil

Place pigeons in a casserole with the white wine, peppercorns, salt, cloves, sage, lemon peel,
and the olives oil.  Cover casserole with aluminum foil and cook at 325 degrees for 3 hours.
Serves 3.
----------------------------
Broiled  Squab

Dress squab and wash thoroughly.  Split down center of back and flatten.  Rub with salt, pepper
and butter.  Broil under hot flame, turning frequently until tender.  If desired, strips of bacon
may be laid across breast of of squab.
--------------------------------------
Barbecued Kid Goat

You can also substitute lamb if you don't have a young goat.

Your favorite barbecue rub (optional)
1 12-pound young goat, cleaned 
Barbecue sauce of choice

Sprinkle the rub all over the goat and rub it in thoroughly. 

To smoke the goat place it on a rack in the smoker with the smoke from pecan, oak, or other wood
of your choice at 200 to 220 degrees F. Smoke for about 1 hour per pound, or until the internal
temperature reaches 180 degrees F.

To serve, slice thinly and top with barbecue sauce. 

Yield: 20 or more servings

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