Tonight I had a super-hearty dinner with Martha’s Corned Beef and Cabbage from the Northeast on page 99.

Corned beef and cabbage is always a popular dish for Saint Patrick’s Day, but why wait until March to enjoy it?  Martha had a recipe for curing your own brisket in brine for two weeks if you wanted to truly make this from scratch.  Well, I took the easy way out and bought a corned beef!  But I must say it was a truly delicious corned beef that turned out so tender and melt-in-your mouth good!

I’m not generally a big fan of boiling meat.  When I was in culinary school we did a boiled beef stew called pot-au-feu and I can’t say I liked it very much, in fact I found it kinda gross!  But corned beef is an exception; you need to put it in a big pot of water to cook it right.  The trick to getting it right is patience, because it usually needs at least 3 hours to simmer before it’s just right and if you pull it too soon it can be tough and chewy.

In addition to the cabbage I added red potatoes, carrots and celery to the sides, and of course some spicy brown mustard for flavor.  Martha’s recipe had baby turnips but unfortunately I couldn’t find any at the market.  If you look at my picture compared to hers, my vegetables are clearly not as cute and dainty — but what can I say, it sure was delicious!  I liked how this recipe had you cook the veggies in the water the corned beef cooked in because it gave them a wonderful hint of flavor that made this a truly harmonious meal.

I’d like to use the leftovers to make Martha’s corned beef and root vegetable hash for brunch tomorrow.  I’m going to take a trip to the store and see if I can find some turnips and/or parsnips to add, but I’m also pretty sure it will be fine with just the potatoes and the carrots.  After all, the corned beef is always going to make itself the star of the show.

for more jeff & rose creations!

Tonight I traveled to the West, specifically Hollywood, California with Martha’s Orange Chiffon Cake from page 397.

I used clementines to make this cake, which is a variety of the mandarin orange.  They’re in season now and their juice is very sweet and perfect for this batter.  The chiffon cake gets its light and airy texture by separating the egg yolks and whites and folding whipped egg whites into the batter.  This makes it a little more complicated to make than your standard cake but it’s certainly worth the effort.

I don’t have angel food cake pan so I used my Bundt pan instead.  Various websites warned me that the results would be disastrous and I would never be able to remove the cake from the pan in one piece.  I decided to take my chances and it turned out fine.  I buttered the pan well and put a thin layer of flour over it to avoid sticking and when I inverted the pan it slid right out in one piece.  It probably would have been taller had I used the correct pan, but the taste was still terrific and it definitely had the correct texture for a chiffon cake.  I always believe that when it comes to cooking you need to work with what you have and try to make the best of it.  One of these days when I get an angel food cake pan I’ll try this again and compare the results.

This cake was extra good with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and some candied orange zest.  There’s something about the sweet and tart taste of an orange that goes particularly well with cream.  Martha’s orange chiffon cake would be great for entertaining — but don’t expect leftovers for the next day because it’s sure to disappear fast!

Tonight I indulged in a Tex-Mex specialty, a Tamale Pie from page 309 of the Southwest section.

I’ve pointed out the cultural significance of Martha’s American Food so much during this project that it’s probably getting to be tedious by now.  Yes, America is a melting pot of many immigrants who have settled here over the years and this is reflected in our cuisine.  But until you take a journey like the one I’ve been on in doing over 100 recipes from this cookbook it’s easy to take this for granted.  The U.S. is a world superpower, and being that, it’s not easy to see that we’re a relatively young nation that has been heavily influenced by so many different cultural traditions.  I personally find a meal like this tamale pie to be the personification of what American food is all about.  It’s a dish that takes the tamale, one of Mexico’s most popular treats, and in a way conforms it to an American sensibility by turning it into a casserole.  The casserole didn’t originate in America — the word “casserole” is French for saucepan and it’s said they first appeared in the 18th century — but since the 1950s it’s been an extremely popular dinner staple in American homes.

Martha’s tamale pie recipe is far easier than making tamales!  I’ve made authentic tamales and it’s an all-day affair that involves many steps.  I actually found it to be a lot of fun, but the reality is that most of us don’t have that much free time on our hands.  A tamale pie gives you the tastes and textures of a tamale without all the work.  This is also a recipe you can play around with depending on your personal taste.  I added red peppers and a touch of brown sugar.  I liked Martha’s suggestion of adding fresh veggies like lettuce and tomato to the final product.  The crisp produce was a nice contrast to the warm, spicy pie.

This tamale pie was too much meal for Jeff and me to get through in one sitting.  But with a great tasting dish like this one, leftovers won’t be boring at all!

Today I had an old fashioned Midwestern favorite with Martha’s Caramel Corn Ice Cream from page 276.

This was the most complicated ice cream I’ve made so far.  First I needed to make some fresh caramel corn.  I also needed to infuse the custard with fresh corn kernels and cut up cobbs to get that sweet corn flavor right into the ice cream.  Finally, the most complicated step was making the caramel sauce.  My first batch was too bitter.  My second batch went even more wrong when the sugar hardened and simply shattered into pieces after I added the cream.  The third batch was still a tiny bit bitter, but it was much better and very rich and creamy, just like a good caramel sauce should be.  On Friday, I attempted to churn the ice cream but was thwarted by my freezer bowl not being frozen enough to get the job done!  Sigh…finally, last night the ice cream came together just fine and I let it sit in the freezer overnight to get just the right consistency.

So was it worth all that work just for some ice cream?  Yep, it sure was!  I loved the delicate corn flavor of the ice cream and with the crunchy bits of sweet caramel corn and sugary peanuts.  The slight bitterness of the caramel sauce actually offset the sweetness of the ice cream well, creating a lovely contrast.

Until I finally got my new ice cream maker, I hadn’t realized how many ice cream recipes are in Martha’s American Food.  So far I’ve done Vanilla, Malted Milk Ball, and now Caramel Corn ice cream.  There’s still a Butter Pecan and even a Butter Pecan Pie to go.  That’s a lot of ice cream, but hey, somebody’s gotta do it and it might as well be me!

After my healthy tofu dinner it was time to reward my virtue with a yummy dessert, so I made Martha’s Date Shake from the West on page 347.

I used some homemade vanilla ice cream to make this shake and I added just a touch of fresh ginger to give it a little hint of spice.  I also scraped a fresh madagascar vanilla bean into the shake which gave it kick of extra flavor.  Then I topped it with freshly whipped vanilla whipped cream and put a piece of date on top instead of the standard cherry.

I considered putting my pitted dates into the food processor to chop them but I decided to just cut ’em up myself.  I’m very glad I did because two of them were NOT pitted and little pieces of hard pit in your shake is definitely not a good thing!  But aside from that not-so-pleasant surprise, this was very simple to make.  And yes, you can always use store bought ice cream for a shake, but as you know I just love making my own.  I can be a big nag over the issue of making things by scratch when I know it will be a lot better that way, but there are plenty of fantastic ice cream brands out there like Ben & Jerry’s and Häagen-Dazs that you’ll never go wrong with.

Coming from the East coast, I wasn’t familiar with the date shake.  The shakes I grew up with were mainly chocolate and vanilla.  Dates are naturally sweet and make a great addition to a shake!  I’m sure most of the West coast already knew this, but it was quite a revelation to me.  Once again, Martha’s American Food has showed me a terrific new way to enjoy one of my all time favorite desserts!

Hello again Martha fans!  No, I haven’t given up on The Me n’ Martha Project, I’ve just been juggling a lot these days.  I’m trying to do justice to an American Icon and her American Cookbook masterpiece, and I can’t just phone it in.  That wouldn’t be fair to either Martha or America!  As a Martha fan and a patriot, I’ve decided it’s better to go slow when I need to so I can always strive to get the best results.

After indulging in many ice cream desserts, tonight I made just about the healthiest Martha meal yet — Marinated Tofu With Cold Peanut Noodles from the West on page 371.

Martha’s American Food pays tribute to the multicultural roots that give our cuisine its diverse personality.  This dish comes from Japanese immigrants and uses soba noodles tossed in a dreamy coconut peanut sauce.  Soba noodles are made with buckwheat and they’re not only delicious but a great deal healthier than noodles made with white flour.  Buckwheat contains twice as much protein as rice and is rich in B vitamins.  It’s said to promote lower cholesterol and blood pressure.  It’s also good for the metabolism, which makes it great for those who are concerned about their weight but don’t want to sacrifice taste.

I know a lot of people don’t like tofu because they find it bland.  Tofu on its own is pretty bland, but it soaks up marinate like a sponge and I’ve always enjoyed it’s silky, luxurious texture.  I made a few changes to the recipe because I couldn’t find fresh radishes and jícama.  Instead I added green onions, bean sprouts, radicchio, and sprinkled some toasted sesame seeds on top.  It really complimented this dish beautifully!

This was the first time in over 15 years of marriage that I fed Jeff, my avowed carnivore of a husband, a vegetarian meal for dinner.  I’m thrilled to report that he loved it!  It’s not hard to understand why — with the creamy coconut peanut sauce, the hearty noodles, the tangy tofu and the fresh, crisp veggies this was healthy eating at its finest.

As you might know, I’ve been on an ice cream making kick lately.  I had every intention of making Martha’s Caramel Corn Ice Cream for the Me n’ Martha Project.  But avocados were on sale at the market today.  And not just any avocados — beautiful, perfectly ripe Haas avocados!  I couldn’t resist bringing some home with me, especially at nearly half off their usual price.  And so I was overcome with inspiration to deviate from my plans and do an amazing and exotic Avocado Ice Cream with a Maple Walnut Topping.

Here in the U.S. we tend to use avocados as a savory ingredient.  But around the world, especially in Asia, they’re often used as a dessert.  To many Americans avocados in sweet dishes sounds weird but it’s really not.  Their creamy texture lends itself to treats like ice cream and milk shakes.  I got the idea from my friend and culinary school classmate, Sarah Lynn, who is from the Philippines.  She said that anyone who loves avocados would love avocado ice cream and boy was she ever right!

I added some spices to the custard like cinnamon and nutmeg.  I also added a tablespoon of brandy to the mix.  Then I smashed up an avocado and after I put it in my custard I used an immersion blender to make sure it was completely smooth and evenly distributed.  One warning I have for this kind of dessert is to make sure your avocado is at the peak of ripeness but not overripe.  You don’t want any bitterness or stringy pieces — it needs to be as smooth as butter.

I topped my ice cream with some walnuts I added to pure maple syrup.  I didn’t tell Jeff what he was eating until I had him taste a spoonful.  “Wow!  This is delicious!  What is it?” he asked.  And when I told him it was avocado ice cream he didn’t react with horror.  This is because he already had tasted it and loved it, and also because he’s come to expect strange kitchen experiments from me!

When it comes to cuisine, I always consider it best to be open minded to different cultures and new ways of enjoying our favorite foods.  You never know when you might find yourself loving something you never even thought about trying.  Eat outside the box!

I bet when you think about Barbecued Ribs you think of the South, but tonight I made Martha’s Kansas City-style ribs from her Midwest section on page 246.

Actually, I made oven cooked pork ribs with a rich barbecue sauce.  In other words, I faked it!  But what these ribs were lacking in authenticity they more than made up for in flavor!  I loved the sweet and smoky rub and the thick and spicy barbecue sauce they were topped with.  I cooked them low and slow so the meat was falling off the bone and oh-so-tender.

Occasionally I use store-bought barbecue sauce, and I’ll admit that some of them are very good.  Still, I enjoy making my sauce from scratch because it brings a complexity and richness to the mix that you can find on the shelf.  I loved Martha’s Kansas City Barbecue Sauce recipe, and I added just a tablespoon of whiskey for an extra note of distinction.  Not only is homemade sauce better, but it’s so easy and takes only a few minutes to make.

Nothing beats the taste of a real outdoor smoky barbecue, but even if you’re just cooking up some delicious ribs in the oven, Martha’s recipe is the next best thing!