Cuban Corn, a World War II U.S. rationing recipe

I've been exploring World War II cooking ideas, especially those relating to food rationing and the ration coupons that went along with it.

One interesting book is titled Coupon Cookery by Prudence Penny.  The subtitle is "The New Book of Ration-Revised Recipes and Menus Including a Handy Changeable Table of Point-Values For All Foods..."  Yes, the book includes a table that helped a family plan how to track their coupons and use them efficiently before they expired.  It is in the chapter called "How to S-T-R-E-T-C-H A POINT."

Published in 1943, so no ISBN.

There are all sorts of tips for shopping with ration stamps (coupons), how to calculate your family's budget.  Throughout the book are cute and sometimes silly cartoons and poems along with the chapters that emphasize the need to be frugal, avoid waste and hoarding, while still feeding your family a healthy diet.  There are "Penny Tips" that point out, for example, ways to achieve speed or better flavor.

On page 72, there is a recipe for "Cuban Corn," basically a casserole that can be a side dish or, as the Penny Tip notes, be "a good main dish for meatless days."

Cuban Corn

2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Dash cayenne
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups canned or fresh corn
1 chopped onion
1 tablespoon fat
1 dozen chopped ripe olives
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup grated cheese

 Add flour and seasonings to corn.  Brown onion in fat and add.  Add olives and thoroughly combine all ingredients.  Put mixture in a casserole; pour hot tomato sauce and the grated cheese over the corn.

Place in 350 degree oven until mixture is well heated and the cheese is melted.  If fresh corn is used, cook slightly before combining with other ingredients.

My Notes

I think it is the use of chili powder and cayenne that makes this "Cuban."  My experience with reading recipes from the 1940s is that savory seasoning use was often limited salt, pepper, garlic powder or salt, and not much else.  Anything beyond that was pretty exotic!  People's palettes were accustomed to what I might consider "bland."  (This could be my biased opinion, but I don't see much evidence to think otherwise.)

First I started the oven preheating.

I used olive oil for the fat.  

Since I chose to use canned corn and my cans were 15 1/4 ounces each, I used one full can (1 1/2 cups) and topped off to two cups with the other can.  These were drained before measuring.

I mixed the corn with the flour and seasonings in a big bowl, then browned the onion and chopped the olives, and mixed everything in the bowl.

Corn, flour, and seasonings combined.

With onions and olives, too.

Once the mixture was poured into the 7" x 11" glass casserole - so I had set the oven to 325 degrees F, -  I heated the tomato sauce for 1 minute in the microwave and poured it over.  

Spread it throughout the dish.

 

Distribute the tomato sauce throughout, too.

I chose to use a mixture of cheeses: asiago, parmesan, provolone, and fontina, which were already shredded and mixed.  My impulse was to just put on a lot, which would have been more than one cup, but I restrained myself and followed the recipe.

Okay, that should be enough cheese!

It heated in the oven for 15 minutes; at this point the tomato sauce was bubbling and the cheese was melted.  I could smell the chili powder as it baked.

Bubbly, melted, and done!

Then I took it to a family event and reheated it in the microwave for a few minutes before serving.

The Verdict

It certainly was easy to assemble.  Perfect for that busy day when you want a hot dish but have little spare time. 

In general, everyone thought it was fine as a side dish.  It went well with the beef main course and garlic mashed potatoes side.  

I think we all agreed that it wasn't overspiced or too spicy at all; in fact, I think it could have used more spicing.  Not just more chili powder but more salt and pepper.  It had bothered me to pour straight tomato sauce from the can onto the dish.  I had really wanted to add some seasoning to it, too.  

I'm not sure if that "dash" of cayenne made a difference.  A couple of shakes of Tabasco sauce would have been an improvement.

The one person who really dislikes olives (that was my mistake for picking a recipe that included them) said she couldn't taste them.  That was a relief on my part.

The cheese added a nice chewy and flavorful aspect to the dish.

So while it was a fine side dish, it wasn't spectacular.  I would do it again but I would increase the spices.

The leftovers were good as a side dish with raviolis and then as a filling in an omelette.

Unsurprisingly, the leftovers look just like they did on the first day!

Success, especially if you like mildly-spiced food.  

 

Cooking Chicos, a Pinedo recipe

Previously I wrote about making chicos on my other food blog, The California Food Project, in which I described first roasting ears of corn in the oven then hanging them to dry for about a month.  These dried kernels are able to be stored for months, then are rehydrated and cooked.  Click here to see the previous post.  (If you are not familiar with my collection of Pinedo recipes, search on both this blog and the CA Food Project using the keyword Pinedo to see them all.)

Miss Pinedo gives this recipe in her book:

My translation:

I needed some help on how to cook them, so I turned back to Edible New Mexico.    Visit this site to see their work.

They suggest using 2 cups of chicos, which are soaked overnight in 10 cups of cold water.  Then they are cooked all day in a slow-cooker on low, or for three hours at a simmer on the stove.

I chose to use the slow-cooker.

My Redaction

Cooking:

2 cups chicos

10 cups water

About 3 1/2 cups of chicos

Place chicos in the water in a slow-cooker and allow to soak overnight.  Then set the slow-cooker to low and allow to cook all day.

Beginning of the soaking time

End of the soaking time

After the chicos are cooked, I chose to stew them with green chiles (not red).  I used canned Ortega chiles, and included Cotija cheese which was crumbled.  Some of the cheese went into the chicos and some was reserved to sprinkle over the top.

I just added the chiles and cheese to the corn and heated them all together.  

Soaked and cooked chicos

With the addition of chiles and cheese

After heating

The cotija cheese is robust enough that it didn't melt quickly.  There was a certain point where it melted, which I did not like because it was clumping and sticking to the bottom of the pan.  I think heating the chicos with just the chiles first would be better, then adding the cheese at the end and letting it warm up from there.  That way the chicos and chiles would blend their flavors.

Use a slotted serving spoon.

The Verdict

The dried chicos in the container smelled so good!  I love the smell of corn and this was excellent.  Not strong, but the scent was there.

Before soaking, an individual kernel was hard.  After soaking, it was soft, easily squished by my fingers.  It still smelled good.

The cooked chicos with the chiles and cheese also smelled enticing.

I served the result with a piece of baked chicken -- and wine! -- for a simple dinner.

Don't forget the wine.

The flavor was surprisingly good.  I expected it to taste good but I was pleased at how the chiles and chicos blended their flavors and supported each other.  The corn offered a deeper, richer corn flavor than you would get with canned kernels.  The chiles added a more acidic note as well as their distinct flavor.  The cotija cheese added a slight salty kick, a little umami, and a change in texture.

In fact, both my guest taster and I found the dish rather addictive.  We loved the flavor and wanted to have more.  We had several servings each!  The second time I served it, I put a dish of crumbled cotija cheese on the table and we could add more as we felt like it.  I even took a batch that was made without the cheese in it to a potluck, and saw that people liked it, especially the vegetarians.  Again, I put a dish of crumbled cheese nearby for people to use as they pleased.

Success!

I want to try it again using dried red chiles.  I have enough dried chicos left to do this again, and I think it is worthwhile continuing to dry corn for this as a kitchen pantry staple.  I could see using them in stews, soups, and other side dishes.  

I also think that 10 cups of water to 2 cups of chicos is too much water.  I would try it again using 8 cups.  I also would remove a lot of the cooking liquid before mixing in the cheese if I were to serve it as a side dish.  The liquid would probably be good as a soup or stew base.

Corn Pudding

My friend AD shared this family favorite recipe with me as part of a "send me one of yours and I'll send you one of mine" recipe swap.  She says, "This a new family favorite dish that has become a fall/Thanksgiving staple for us."

When someone raves about a recipe and recognizes that it is so good the family wants to have it every year for a holiday special, I know it needs to be put into my blog to keep it available for years to come.  Also, I love corn in many forms, so I knew I had to do this.

It is made with fresh corn, scraped off the cob on a grater, and I have no idea if it will be good with canned corn.  I waited to make it until I had fresh corn.  

Corn Pudding (4 to 6 servings)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

5 large eggs

I think I should have husked and cleaned the corn before putting the buttered pan in the oven.

Cut butter into an 8 x 8 glass baking dish.  Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F with the dish inside to melt the butter.

Use a box grater to grate the corn kernels into a large mixing bowl.  Combine the corn with sugar, cream, flour, and salt.  Lightly beat the eggs and add to the corn mixture.

When the oven is heated, carefully pour the melted butter into the corn mixture and combine with a few swift strokes.

Pour the mixture into the buttered baking dish and bake at 350 degrees F for 60 - 70 minutes.  It is done when a golden crust forms and the interior has set.

My Notes

I don't have an 8 x 8 glass baking dish, so I used my 6 x 10 1/2 dish, whose volume is very close to the 8 x 8's.  

I do not own a box grater so I used my flat grater.  Now I appreciate the value of the box grater, because the corn spattered a lot while grating.  After some practice, I managed to keep it off my shirt (mostly) and in the bowl (mostly).  

I estimate about 2 cups of juicy corn gratings, but I didn't measure it.

Sprinkling the sugar and the flour across the top seemed to minimize clumping.

Corn, salt, sugar, flour, cream

I had salted butter only so I used 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the mixture.

The butter was browned and a sizzling when the pan came out of the oven.  It took more than a "few" swift strokes, but I think I incorporated the hot butter into the batter well.

It smelled so good while it was baking!

The Verdict

It baked for 60 minutes.  A golden crust had formed and the middle had set.

After it cooled for about 10 minutes, I served it up.

The butter did a good job of keeping the pudding from sticking to the pan.

The pudding was very delicate and light in texture.  Very much like custard, but a bit heavier.  The crust was a little chewy, particularly on the edges.  It held together well and I ate it with a spoon.

The corn flavor came shining through.  I loved it!  The salt quantity was just right.  It was not too sweet, so that was also just right.

My guest taster and I both had a some in a bowl as dinner, as it was too hot of an evening to eat much more.  He had two servings.

This would be a perfect side dish for any roast meat or hearty stew.  

If it were bumped up with bacon bits and caramelized onions, it could be a main dish.  You would need to use a bigger pan.

Success!  I can see why AD's family wants it as a regular holiday special dish.  It is easy enough to make that I could see it being made more often than that, especially in the summer when fresh corn is abundant.

Thanks, AD!

Corn Pie - A Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe

My occasional forays into family history and genealogy helped me learn that one branch of the family was Pennsylvania Dutch, which tickled me because I have always found their foodstuffs and techniques appealing.  I have several cookbooks with their recipes in my collection, and today's recipe came from J. George Frederick's Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book.

ISBN 0-486-22676-X

It was published by Dover Publications in 1971 and is described as "an unabridged republication of Part II, 'Cookery', of The Pennsylvania Dutch and their Cookery, as originally published ... in 1935."

I found the cover charming, and the various categories include the usual soups, salads, vegetable dishes, etc., but also more intriguing ones like "Various Dutch Oddities", "The Dutch 'Seven Sweets and Seven Sours'" (a reference to the tradition of loading the table with precisely seven sweets and seven sours of preserves, canned good, pickles, etc.), and "Ways with Philadelphia Scrapple."

This recipe is found in the "Pennsylvania Dutch Pies" section, on page 114.  I was tempted to try it because it was a savory dish and uses one of my favorite ingredients, corn.

Dutch Corn Pie

Line a casserole with pastry (not quite as rich as for a pie).  Into this put a can of corn (not crushed) mixed with four or five chopped hard boiled eggs and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Scatter a good tablespoon of flour over the top.  Put dabs of butter around and enough milk to almost cover the corn and then cover with an upper crust.

Bake in a hot oven for about an hour.

My Ingredients

enough pastry for a two-crust pie

2 cans (15.25 ounces each) sweet corn

5 hard boiled eggs, shelled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

about 1 1/2 tablespoon flour

butter (1 to 2 tablespoons)

about 2/3 cup milk (I used 1/3 cup evaporated milk and 1/3 cup water, mixed)

My Notes

I used my go-to pie crust recipe, as found here in a previous post.  Since I needed as "less rich" crust, I used equal parts butter and vegetable shortening.  It hydrated and chilled in the refrigerator for several hours before I rolled it out.

I wasn't sure how many cans of corn I would need, which is why there are four cans in the picture.  Two turned out to be enough.  

I mixed the corn, eggs, salt, and pepper in a bowl and then put them into the crust.  That quantity seemed to fill the 9 inch wide pie crust just right.

It was difficult to sprinkle the big spoonful of flour evenly across the top of the corn.  I think I would use a small sifter next time.  I ended up putting on another small spoonful after my first attempt, and I did a slightly better job sprinkling it on the bare spots.

I didn't measure the butter, I just took little bits (maybe 1/2 teaspoon each?) and put them around the top.

It turned out that 2/3 cup of milk was just right. It was a good guess!

After I put on the top crust and crimped the edges, I put it in the oven at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.  That is when the crust was a nice golden brown.

It cooled on the counter and then was put into the refrigerator for taste-testing the next day.  

The Verdict

The pie was cut when cold but the pieces to be eaten were heated in the microwave oven until steaming hot in the center.

What amazed me was how firm the filling was.  The milk, flour, and butter combined to make a filling that didn't fall apart when a piece was cut.  It was not runny at all, even after heating.

So how was it?

The filling had a creamy texture, although the corn remained crisp.  There was enough salt and pepper - the balance was good.

The eggs and corn were good complements, although the egg flavor was muted next to the corn flavor. (My guest taster appreciated the eggs as added protein.)

As I said, the filling was firm, but it was not dry.  It didn't need to be more juicy or wet.

As for the crust, there is a reason it is my go-to:  it was "just right"!  Fluffy, flaky, light, and cut easily with a fork.  And it is so easy to make!

Success!  If you love the taste of corn (and I do), give this a shot as either a main dish or a side dish to some roast meat.  

Or, if you want to match what we did, have it for breakfast!

Chippewa "Bannock" Bread

I have always thought of bannock bread as something from the British Isles.  A look around the 'net tells me I was right, because I found this tidbit when looking up "bannock history."

"Bannock" is a Northern English and Scottish word of Celtic origin.  The Oxford English Dictionary states the term stems from panicium, a Latin word for "baked dough", or from panis, meaning bread.  Its first cited use was in 1000, and its first cited definition in 1562.

But I also found, in "Bannock:  a brief history",   

The Inuit call it 'palauga,' it's 'luskinikn' to the Mi'kmaq, while the Ojibway call it 'ba `wezhiganag.'  Whatever they call it, from north to south and coast to coast, just about every indigenous nation across North America has some version of bannock.

Other sites make the point that "bannock" could refer to the cooking style (frying or baking next to the fire) or the loaf itself:  "Bannock is a variety of flat quick bread or any large, round article baked or cooked from grain."  (Wikipedia)  Native American bannocks are often called "frybreads."

In the book, Spirit of the Harvest,

ISBN 1-55670-186-1

the recipe for Chippewa Bannock brings up this point:

Chippewa bannock is closely related to cornmeal johnny-cakes, ash cakes, and corn pones.  All of these cakes, though best when eaten hot, were a practical food to take along when the tribe was on the move or warriors were out hunting.

 Chippewa Bannock (page 74)

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons hazelnut oil, melted butter, or bacon drippings.
4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 to 4 tablespoons cooking oil for frying

And water.

In a mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, water, hazelnut oil, syrup, and salt.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.  Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into hot oil.  Flatten with spatula and fry cakes until crisp and browned on both sides.  Add more oil as needed.  Serves 4 to 6.

My Notes

I used melted butter and maple syrup and the salt.

This was very easy to mix together and I fried it in my cast iron skillet in several batches so as not to crowd them.

Pretty easy!

I wanted to make the cakes thick enough to be more than just fried crisps but not too thick that the middle wouldn't cook through.  I noticed that pressing them with the spatula pushed out the gaps and dents to make it a patty.  When they were brown on one side, I flipped them.

After the flip.

The batch was a good size.  I had three for dinner and it was plenty along with giving me left overs.



The Verdict

As mentioned in the previous post, I served this with Salmon Chowder.  It was a good accompaniment.

The flavor was slightly sweet (hooray for maple syrup!) with a lovely corn flavor.  The outside was crunchy and the inside was soft (but thoroughly cooked).  I am glad I put in the salt and it did not need any more.

It was fun to pick it up with my fingers!  It was not greasy or oily to the touch but the butter flavor shown through.

I think the thickness I picked was just right:

At most 1/2 inch thick.

Success!  I would love to have it again.  I think it would be good with other foods mixed in, like fresh corn, currants, or pine nuts.  And I would always recommend the maple syrup.  

I will confirm that they were better hot but still tasty cold.