My family saw the movie
”
Radio
”
last weekend. And, while I don’t want to give away the movie, I
can say I laughed, cried and rooted for a spotty football team. The
audience loved the movie. I could tell.
And don’t forget to pledge a pie for the needy who attend the Lord’s Table dinner
My family saw the movie “Radio” last weekend. And, while I don’t want to give away the movie, I can say I laughed, cried and rooted for a spotty football team. The audience loved the movie. I could tell.
There were cheers when things were good and dead silence when events took a nasty turn.
It was heartwarming in a way that few movies are. And that feeling could be shared by all ages. If there was a bad word in the movie, I didn’t hear it. There was no budding romance to speak of, though you definitely got the feeling the coach and his wife loved each other.
The movie focused on the difference between selfishness and selflessness, love for neighbors even when they disagree, love for those less fortunate, and being open to the gift of learning from other people. Which makes it an especially appropriate movie for around Thanksgiving.
If, after you see it, you’re inspired to bake a pie for the folks at The Lord’s Table, so be it.
I have been counting blessings this week: 23 pies have been pledged so far for The Lord’s Table. We need about 100. This year, we are moving the pie collection site to the Lord’s Table, in the gym of St. Mary School at 11 First Street. Pies will be accepted from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 26.
Thank you to all who have responded so far to Pledge-a-Pie: Lois Thorne, Judy Mikrut, Barbara Orth, Jean Lance, Stephanie Chisolm, Lanora Bousfield, Chris Bevilacqua, Cynthia Walker, Judy Lazarus, Joan Hill, Donna Pray, Kathy Goldsmith and Sharon Ransom.
If you would like to make a pledge, please e-mail jd****@****ic.com or call me at (408) 842-9028. We like to get as accurate a count as possible before the collection night, so we know if we will need to purchase any pies. Thanks to all of you!
• Share a sweet dessert: The day after Thanksgiving is especially wonderful.
The meeting and greeting is over and it’s time to settle down in an easy chair for a nice, long time. If you’ve got a few apples leftover, make some apple turnovers which are great with a big glass of milk after a turkey sandwich.
Apple Turnovers
4 tart apples, peeled and cored
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. minced or grated lemon zest
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar, or more to taste, plus more for dusting work surface and for
sprinkling
1 package puff pastry
Grate the apples in a food processor or on the coarse side of a box grater. Toss with lemon juice immediately. Add cornstarch, lemon zest, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste. Taste, add more lemon zest or cinnamon if you like.
Use sugar to coat a work surface. Cut 4-inch squares of puff pastry, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Put 2 T. of apple filling in the center of each square; brush the edges of the pastry very lightly with water, then fold over the corners to form a triangle.
Seal gently with your fingers, then slash the top of the turnover with a sharp knife once or twice so that steam can escape. Place turnovers on ungreased baking sheet and chill while you preheat the oven.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush tops of turnovers with a little water and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 40 minutes or until the turnovers are golden brown.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes a dozen small turnovers.
• The rest of the weekend: And if, perchance, you’re out getting a tree in the nippy air, you might want to come home to this comforting, delicious potato soup. It takes just 30 minutes. You can also make it ahead of time and just reheat when you trudge in the door, adding a little more broth if it’s too thick.
Basque Potato Soup
1 lb. sausage, cut into rounds
1 onion, 1/2-inch chunks
2 lbs. tomatoes, 1-inch chunks
4 potatoes, 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup sliced celery
2 T. celery tops
4 cups beef or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown sausages for 5 minutes. Add onions and stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until translucent and browned.
Add remaining ingredients except salt and pepper. Stir, cover and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer for 30 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 4.
• Slimmer salad: Do you ever feel after Thanksgiving like you just need some vegetables? This will fill the bill. It’s called a Christmas Salad, but only because I made it up one December when we needed a last-minute side dish.
Also, it’s red and green. I like to eat it plain, but you can also toss it with some lettuce if you want some more greens.
Christmas Salad
1 cucumber (English) sliced
3 green onions, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
Dressing:
2 shallots, peeled and minced
3/4 cup bloody Mary mix
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp. Tabasco, or to taste
Salt and pepper
2 T. chopped dill
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Marinate all for at least half an hour in the refrigerator.
Tip of the Week:
Storing plastic wrap in the freezer will keep it from sticking to itself. Good uses for plastic wrap: Put sheets between layers of cookies before freezing. Place a spoonful of ground beef mixture between two pieces of plastic wrap and shape into a patty – your hands will be clean.
Notes from Jenny’s Kitchen
• Ladies Auxiliary, VFW Post 6309, has an excellent cook book for sale at only $13 dollars each. The cookbook is a collection of local recipes and the proceeds support the work of this great group of women. They work hard to provide food and snacks at weekly Bingo each Friday night at the War Memorial Building, which, by the way, is available for rent to the membership and general public at a reasonable fee. For information on the cookbook or renting the hall, contact Sue Fullington at (408) 848-0229.
• Do you know which tastes stronger, curly-leaf parsley or flat-leaf (Italian) parsley? The Italian is the more pungent herb. When chopping parsley, dry the herb thoroughly before beginning. It makes the job much easier.
• Whether buying fresh or dried pasta, read the label and only buy brands made with durum wheat (also called Semolina). This is the preferred pasta because it absorbs less water, has a mellow flavor and retains a pleasant bite when cooked.
• Are you trying to drink more tomato juice or V-8? Seems a lot of people are, after the highly publicized study which linked tomatoes to decreased cancer risk. Try these ways to liven up your daily dose: Put a swizzle stick in it, made out of a long slice of cucumber. Throw a little Bloody Mary mix into it. Squeeze a lemon. Add garlic powder and pepper. Shake in some hot sauce (peppers are good for circulation).
• Instead of using milk in your pancake batter, try substituting some orange juice. The pancakes are delicious.
• Cutting into a piece of steak to see if it’s done can let the juices out. With practice, you can tell when a steak’s done. Press the meat with your finger. If it’s soft, the meat is rare. If it pokes in but then bounces back, it’s medium. If it is quite firm, it’s well done.
• End notes: “Use the talents you possess – for the woods would be silent if no birds sang but the best.”
~ Henry Jackson van Dyke
Happy cooking!
