|
----- Original Message -----
From: Melvyn
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 8:54 AM
Subject: coffee
Dear Phaedrus:
I'm trying to find the currently available coffee that most tastes like the
Horn & Hardart coffee I grew up with. I'm now 70, and spent most of my life
in the Philadelphia area, dining in both the automats and waitress service
H & H restaurants. I've yet to find a coffee to match the one served at Horn & Hardart.
Thanks for your help, if possible.
Mel
Hi Melvyn
I had heard that Horn & Hardart had re-opened as a few coffee shops, and I found
these two locations on the Internet. I'm not sure if these locations are open, but
since H & H closed in 1991, I don't see how they could be advertised on the Internet
if they hadn't been open since then. Maybe they'll sell you some coffee, if indeed
their coffee is still as good as the old H & H's coffee. It can't hurt to give them
a call:
Horn & Hardart Coffee Comp Tabernacle New Jersey USA 888-550-8020
Horn & Hardart Coffee Co.
(215) 988-9922
Logan Square
1650 Arch St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
There is a 3-page article here that describes the old H & H coffee and tells some
of the reasons why it may have been so good:
Urbanspoon
Other than that, I am at a loss as to how I can help. I cannot find an exact decription
of H & H's coffee - what kind of beans they used or the brand of coffeemaker they used.
I cannot tell you which brand, if any, might taste like H & H coffee because I never
had H & H coffee, and I found no comparisons on the web that might help. Sorry
We like good coffee, too, and we buy our coffee beans from Starbuck's and grind them
fresh before every pot. Have you tried that? Starbuck's sells many different varieties
of beans, and you might find one to your liking there. They also sell small bean grinders.
Phaed
----- Original Message -----
From: ART
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Sent: Thursday, December 10, 2009 12:21 AM
Subject: Egg dumpling in potato soup
As a child, my mother made potato soup with something extra. They were little firm,
chewy bits of various sizes none bigger than a teaspoon. They were sort of a pale
yellow and were mixed all through the soup. As far as I was concerned, it was the
best part of the potato soup. She was making this in the 1940's when I would have
been old enough to remember things..preschool days. As we grew up,my mother stopped
making the soup, and could not remember what or how she did it. It is something I have
remembered all my life and from time to time have ask people about and no one seems to
know anything about it. I suspect it was some kind of unleavened egg dumpling. (egg,
flour,etc,etc) They were not fluffy, but firm little lumps that did not float on top,
but were mixed all through the soup. I did mention it to a pharmacist one time who
thought it might be something his German grandmother would make. He was going to try
to get a recipe for me, but it did not happen. The term dumpling might not be the
correct name for it, and might send people thinking off in the wrong direction. Does
this ring any bells for you?
From time to time, I have attempted to improvise a formula just using eggs and flour
and making lumps that I would drop into soup. It just never seemed to be right. I
suspect that my mother was trying to give us protein in the potato soup during the
hard world war II years. Potatoes were plentiful but I think a lot of things were
rationed, so an egg based addition to the potato soup provided the needed protein
for the meal.
It would be quite special if you were able to provide an answer to my life long mystery.
I am 68 now and I was perhaps 4 to 6 years of age when I remembered that special potato
soup. I suppose that I could even be wrong about it being egg based, but what ever it
was, it really stuck with me all these years! See what you can do and
THANKS.
ARTHUR
Hello Art,
Potato soup recipes with dumplings are rather common. However, the dumplings are usually
spoon-sized "drop" dumplings. Below are three recipes for potato soup with smaller dumplings.
The first one is German. All of the dumplings that I saw used in this type of recipe have
basically the same ingredients as these recipes.
Phaed
German Knoephle Soup
2 to 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pt. water or chicken broth
1 sm. onion, diced
3 to 4 celery stalks and tops, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
Slices carrots (optional)
Pepper to taste
Prepare your own recipe of chicken soup as for chicken and dumplings or noodles or
make this German soup. Cook until the potatoes are tender.
Knoephle:
2 c. flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. baking powder
Mix the above ingredients together to form a stiff dough. Take ropes of the dough and
cut with clean kitchen shears in pieces about the length of the end joint of your little
finger and drop into the boiling soup. Boil about 5 minutes or until the dumplings rise
to the top. Some people like to add a little milk just as this is served in the bowls.
----------------------------------------
Grandma's Potato Soup
3 to 4 lg. potatoes, diced
Cover with water and cook until tender. Salt to taste. Mix 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons
baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs until mixture resembles moist dough. Drop by
small bits into boiling potatoes. Cook 10 to 15 minutes or until dumplings are well done.
---------------------------------
Potato Soup With Small Dumplings
4 potatoes, cut in sm. chunks
2 onions, chopped
3 c. milk
1 carrot
Salt & pepper to taste
Boil vegetables until tender. Drain. Add milk. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Add dumplings.
Cook 20 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch (2 tablespoons).
LITTLE DUMPLINGS:
1 egg
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
Mix all ingredients. Spoon into potato soup, boiling beef broth or chicken broth, using
1/4 teaspoon at a time. Cook 2-3 minutes.
-------------------------------------
Thank you! for the 3 recipes. The last one looks most interesting with the dumplings
made without the baking powder. Seems most like my memory. I will try that one first.
The other two have the baking powder which sounds like fluffy dumplings,not part of
my criteria, but which never the less are probably quite tasty and I will try those also.
By now, you probably got my second email to you about what I found a day later, where
the unleavened dumplings are cooked apart from the recipe and added afterwards. I actually
tried that and it was pretty good except the teaspoon sized drops did expand to form larger
dumplings which I later cut up smaller. If I do that one again, I think 1/4 teaspoon size
drops will be better.
I am anxious to try your #3 recipe with the little dumplings made with oil and no water.
I just have a hunch that might be "the one".
Many thanks to you for finding my OLD recipe.
Thanks Art
----- Original Message -----
From: Teresa
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 11:24 AM
Subject: recipe
Phaed,
I've lost a recipe for mashed potatoes that has a layer of sautéed onions and
mushrooms in the middle. These are place in a 9X13 in. pan. Some sautéed
onions and mushrooms are also stirred into the mashed potatoes before layering
potatoes on the bottom, sautéed mushrooms and onions in the middle, and more
mashed pots on top.
If you have similar version of this recipe, I'd appreciate your sending it to me.
I think the recipe might have called for 'yellow/gold' potatoes. It was from our
Food Day section of our local paper the Oregonian. They have not been helpful with
my search. They use to have a column which dealt with lost recipes, but not any more,
and it was a popular column!
Thanks!
Teresa
Hello Teresa,
Sorry, I could not find such a recipe. I found a few mashed potoes recipes that
mentioned The Oregonian, but none that had those ingredients. If the dish had a
unique name, there would be a better chance.
Phaed
Timm sent this recipe, but it lacks the mushrooms and has cheese.
I have a similar recipe, but I am not sure it came from the Oregonian. Timm in Oregon
Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients:
For the Onions:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups of sweet onions, such as Walla Walla or Vidalia
Sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup chicken or beef stock
Black pepper, freshly ground to taste
For the Potatoes:
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into even sized chunks
3/4 cup buttermilk, warmed
1/4 cup butter, melted
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper, freshly ground to taste
1/2 cup Asiago cheese, grated or more to taste
Instructions:
Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until the butter sizzles.
Add the onions and salt; sauté for 3 minutes or until the onions start to soften.
Sprinkle with sugar, turn heat to medium low and continue to cook while stirring
occasionally until the onions turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in the
vinegar and stock. Raise the heat to high and reduce until the stock almost completely
disappears. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
While the onions are cooking, place the potatoes in cold salted water to cover and
bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes or until taters are tender. Drain well and return
to the turned off burner for a few minutes to dry off.
Mash the potatoes with a potato masher and beat in the warmed buttermilk and butter;
season well with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Butter a large gratin dish; layer in 1/3 of the potatoes
and then 1/2 of the onions. Repeat the layering, finishing with a layer of potato.
Sprinkle with the grated Asiago cheese and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until top is
browned and potatoes are hot.
------------------------------------------
Phaed,
I finally got the Oregonian newspaper to help me with this lost recipe! The public
doesn’t have access to their archives, but if you can get hold of them, they will
help you!! Thanks for the other version of this recipe. I will try it out soon!
Timm in Oregon might want to try this recipe…
~Teresa, Oregon
Mashed Potato Casserole With Mushrooms
Makes 6 servings
This is a family favorite that my mother often prepared for Thanksgiving.
We love the layer of sautéed mushrooms and onions hiding inside. --Faye Levy
2 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, unpeeled and left whole
Salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, vegetable oil or butter
2 medium onions, chopped
8 ounces small fresh mushrooms, quartered
Pepper
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth, milk or whipping cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Put potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover and a pinch of salt and
bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 35 minutes or until very
tender. Drain and leave until cool enough to handle.
In a large skillet, heat oil or butter, add onion and sauté over medium heat
until light golden. Add mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste, and sauté over
medium-high heat for 7 minutes or until brown.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel potatoes while still fairly hot. Put in large bowl, cut each in a few pieces
and beat with a mixer at low speed until coarsely mashed. Beat in broth, milk or
cream, then eggs, just until blended. With a spoon, stir in 1/2 cup of sautéed
mushroom mixture. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.
Grease a 6- or 7-cup casserole and add half of potato mixture. Top with remaining
sautéed mushroom mixture, then with remaining potato mixture. Smooth top and sprinkle
with paprika. Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes, or until top is firm and light golden
at the edges.
From Faye Levy, published in FOODday November 14, 2006
----- Original Message -----
From: Elaine
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 09, 2009 11:51 AM
Subject: NCL Bread Pudding
Uncle Phaedrus,
We have just returned from a Norweigan Crusie on the Spirit and my husband really,
really like the bread pudding served on the buffet line, 12th deck. It was more like
an egg custard with a small amount of bread on top rather than a lot of bread and very
little pudding. He did not care for the sauce with it just the pudding. Any chance
you have the receipe or can find it for me.
Elaine
Hello Elaine,
Sorry, I had no success locating a bread pudding recipe from Norwegian Cruise Lines.
Phaed
----- Original Message -----
From: Michelle
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Sent: Saturday, December 12, 2009 4:47 PM
Subject: Cornbread Stuffing
Hi, I used to make this delicious cornbread stuffing for my turkey but in the wake of
several moves I seem to misplaced it. It took me years to get the recipe from a friend
of the "Ludwig" family, which has since deceased. This was not your run of the mill
cornbread stuffing.
What made this stuffing so unique were the ingredients; I'm just not sure if I remember
everything. The recipe call for baked cornbread, of course, and then several types of
nuts, i.e., brazil nuts, pecans, roasted cashews and I think roasted chestnuts. The spice
"cumin" and shallots were also used.
I have searched the Internet but have not had any luck. Maybe you will.
Thanks and good luck.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
I was not able to find this recipe either in our files or on the web. I'll post your
request on the site so that perhaps a reader can help.
Phaed
|
