Eggs Baked in Whole Tomatoes -- a recipe from the The Egg Basket of the World

In 1879 Lyman Byce and Isaac Dias invented the first reliably working incubator for hatching eggs in Petaluma, California.  This sparked the creation of egg ranches in the area and, by 1917, Petaluma was considered the "undisputed" world leader of the chicken and egg industry.

The town embraced this and unabashedly promoted itself and its industry as "The Egg Basket of the World", offering a National Egg Day which included a parade with an Egg Queen and her court of attendant chicks, and decorating the town with giant plaster egg baskets and roosters.  In 1918, Petaluma reported producing 16 million dozen eggs.

In 1927, the Petaluma High School Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) published The Egg Basket Cook Book to help finance the PTA activities as well as promote the industry and share their egg-cooking knowledge.

The book is basically what I call a "ladies' group" cookbook because most (if not all) the recipes were submitted by Petaluma locals.  I value these recipes because no one is going to submit a recipe that they think is subpar, knowing their neighbors might try them.  The recipes are tried and true.

I chose the "Eggs Baked in Whole Tomatoes" recipe in the "From the Egg Basket" section on page 27.  This section also addresses the food value of eggs and methods of cooking them.  What is amusing about the entire book is that no recipe has "eggs" in them -- the word is always written as "EGGS".

Eggs Baked in Whole Tomatoes  -- M.P.

3 tomatoes

3 EGGS

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons buttered crumbs

3 slices of bacon

Breakfast!

Scoop out centers of large ripe tomatoes.  Break an EGG into each, season and cover with crumbs and lay a slice of bacon on each.  Bake in a moderate oven.  Turn bacon once while cooking.  Place under broiler to brown bacon.

My Notes

I noticed the pattern of one egg and one slice of bacon per tomato.  I only needed two servings, so I reduced everything down to enough for two.

The oven was set to 350 degrees F.  

I sliced the top of the tomatoes off with a knife then used a spoon to scoop out the centers.

Each tomato was set in a glass baking dish before I put the egg inside.

I didn't bother with buttered crumbs as I figured the bacon would drop grease onto them.  I cut the bacon slice in half and put the pieces as an "X" over the top.

I baked the tomatoes for 25 minutes.  See comments below.

Halfway through.  Time to turn the bacon.

Done. (Almost)

The Verdict

I served it with toast and juice.

A tidy breakfast.

Twenty-five mintues was not enough time.  The tomato was somewhat cooked, but the egg was raw.  

So I tried again, turning the temperature down to 325 degrees and cooking for 45 minutes.  The tomatoes were cooked through (skin split and the rest was soft) and the eggs were cooked.  But the yolks were solid, and I really wanted runny yolks.

I kept trying through several attempts.  I kept getting either raw eggs (325 degrees and 35 minutes) or solid yolks.

My observation is that the timing depends on the thickness of the tomato.  If the walls are thin, everything cooks quickly.  Thick walls take more time for the heat to get to the egg.  Don't be fooled by the top of the egg looking cooked!

Success, but it took a while.  The last time I tried it was with thick-walled tomatoes.  They cooked for 45 minutes at 325 degrees.  This gave basically soft-cooked eggs.  The whites were cooked but not hard and the yolks were soft but not runny.  The tomato was cooked through and soft.

I served it in bowls because the tomato released a lot of juice when it was cut.  Tasty!

It is not necessary to turn the bacon.  Just broil it for a minute or two at the end of the cooking cycle and it is done.  (I like chewy bacon.)

A large tomato can be scooped out so much that two eggs will fit inside it.  This takes longer to cook.

Make sure the tomato is shaped to stand upright when the stem end is removed.  Roma tomatoes are not very good for this.

If you want to read more about the history of Petaluma, see this book:

Heig, Adair.  History of Petaluma:  A California River Town.  Scottwall Associates.  Petaluma. 1982,

which you can access online by clicking here:  Heig.

Salsa á la española -- Spanish Sauce, a Pinedo recipe

Today I opened Pinedo's book to a random page and picked a recipe from that page.  I was happy to find a main dish, and my guest taster was happy it involved beef.

On page 241, I chose Spanish Sauce for pieces or slices of beef.  

Pinedo's recipe

My Translation

Spanish sauce.

(For pieces or slices of beef.)

         After the meat slices are fried in the pan, they are removed and in that fat, which must be very little, two chopped onions will be fried, leaving them to brown. To these, three tomatoes and as many finely chopped green chiles, garlic, a tablespoon of butter, oregano, pepper and salt are added. The sauce is allowed to cook over a low heat to make it juicy.

         Place the meat slices in the serving dish, covering them with the sauce and surrounding it with fried potatoes.

My Redaction

1.6 pounds thinly sliced beef steak

2 onions, medium sized

3 tomatoes

3 jalapeño chiles

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Heat a fry pan to medium heat and fry the steaks for 2 minutes or less on one side, 1 minute or less on the other.  Adjust timing to suit the thickness of the steak.  Add a little olive oil to the pan as needed if the steaks are very lean.

Set the cooked steaks aside into the serving dish.  Arrange them nicely on the dish but don't overlap them too much.  

Peel, core, and chop the onions while the beef is cooking.  Once the steaks are done, brown the onions in the remaining fat.  Add a little olive oil if necessary.  Medium heat is fine and stir them occasionally.

While the onions are cooking, remove the stem ends of the tomatoes then chop them.  Remove the stem, seeds, and veins of the jalapeños, then finely chop them.  Strip the oregano leaves from the stems and chop them finely.

Once the onions are browned, add the tomatoes, chiles, oregano, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper.  Mix them well and turn the heat to low (2 or 3 out of 10).  Let the sauce simmer.  Cook until all the vegetables are soft and the flavors are melded; for me that was 15 to 20 minutes.

Spoon the hot sauce over the top of the meat, until the surfaces are completely covered.  If desired, place fried potatoes around the meat.  Serve immediately.

My Notes

Some of my steaks were very thin and cooked quickly.  I cooked one at a time.

I was being careful not to make the dish too spicy chile hot, so I made sure the seeds and veins were removed.  

I added the rest of the ingredients when the onions were somewhat cooked and a little brown.  Perhaps I should have taken them to carmelized.

My choice of fried potatoes was not available to Señorita Pinedo:  I baked frozen french fries in my oven.  

I arranged them better after this picture.  

I called this browned.

To give you a feel for their relative sizes.

All ingredients in the pan.

Well-mixed and starting to cook.

Done!

The Verdict

The sauce wasn't particularly "juicy" but it was very moist, which I liked.  The sauce was not runny.

I spooned most of it over the top of the steaks, which were cool but the sauce was hot enough to warm them back up again.  The steaks were completely hidden from view.

Then I placed the fried potatoes on the sides of the platter, where they would fit.  I noticed they started soaking up the released juices from the steaks.

A delightful presentation!

It was easy to pick up a piece of steak with sauce piled on it using a wide serving fork.  I successfully transfered each piece to a plate.  Then I used the fork to put potatoes on the plate.  That was dinner, along with some cabernet wine.

And wine!

The combination of sauce with beef was good!  Each bite was meaty with the tender vegetables' flavors included.  It was not a robust sauce -- not strongly flavored.  But I enjoyed the onions, tomatoes, and the unique flavor the chiles added.  In a way, I am glad the sauce did not dominate the meat as I wanted to taste both.  Overall, a very pleasant main dish.

I kept getting a "ratatouille" vibe from the sauce, but with chiles instead of squash.  I liked it and so did my guest taster.  We both felt the pepper quantity was just right.  I liked the salt level but he added more salt to his food.  (We both salted the potatoes.)

I think I would add more oregano next time, to make the sauce just a little more interesting.  But not much. 

The sauce was also good spooned over the potatoes.  

Success!

I look forward to trying the leftovers.  Hopefully the flavors developed even more.

Indian Cake, a frugal recipe from 1800s US

I own a reprint of Lydia Maria Child's The American Frugal Housewife, 12th edition, originally published in 1833.  You can view a digital copy of the 1832 edition through Project Gutenberg by clicking here. What's impressive is that the book was originally published in 1828 - yes, it was that popular.  I also found the 27th edition, published in 1841 at archive.org.

ISBN 978-0-918222-98-5

Mrs. Child was, according to Wikipedia, "an American abolitionist, women's rights activist, Native American rights activist, novelist, journalist, and opponent of American expansionism."  She was a prolific author and kept busy until the end of her life in 1880.  Truly an accomplished woman, especially for that century.

I recently participated in a Civil War Reenactment where I was cooking period-appropriate recipes from both the North and the South.  Mrs. Child's book was a valuable resource for me, considering that wartime often requires frugality.  I had several of her receipts (recipes) ready to prepare if the timing allowed.

One that I had hoped to do but didn't get to (this happens often in historical cooking -- I always overprepare just in case) was from page 75:

Indian meal is corn meal, and the first recipe is frugal in that it does not call for eggs, milk, or leavening of any sort.  In my mind, not having eggs or milk could be expected when you are traveling with the armies as it is hard to keep eggs whole during bumpy travels and keep milk fresh without refrigeration.  

At first glance, the frugal version looks like it could be cornbread.  However, since it doesn't have leavening, you can't expect it to be puffed and soft like a typical cornbread.  Also, in the South, white corn meal is preferred, and yellow in the North.  I couldn't acquire white corn meal.

My Frugal Redaction

4 cups cornmeal

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons solid shortening

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup cooked pumpkin (from a can)

3 cups boiling water

The water was boiling while the picture was taken.

Put all the ingredients except the water in a bowl.  Add the boiling water and stir until well-blended, especially watch to have the shortening melted and mixed thoroughly.  I found it easiest to stir with a spoon.  

You might need to adjust the amount of water depending on how the cornmeal absorbs it.  My mix was moist but not wet or runny.  

At the reenactment, I had planned on cooking the cake in a frypan over the fire or frying it in small patties.  At home I baked half of it in the oven and the fried the rest as patties.

Just add boiling water, and stir.

The batter:  moist but still thick, not runny.

Method 1 - In the oven.

The oven was preheated to 350 degrees F.  I greased a cast iron skillet with shortening.  Half of the batter was spread in the skillet and baked for 20 minutes, uncovered.  I noticed that the layer was about 1/2 inch thick or a little less.  After 20 minutes, it looked baked on the top and was firm to the touch.

Ready to bake.

Baked.

Method 2 - Fried patties

I preheated the greased cast iron skillet over medium heat (4 or 5 out of 10).  I spooned enough batter to spread into a patty about 3 to 4 inches in diameter and patted it to about 1/2 inch thickness or less.  After about 5 minutes of cooking on one side, I flipped it to brown the other side.  I removed the patty when it looked toasted, was a golden yellow (not bright yellow like the meal), and was firm to the touch.  I cooked them in batches, regreasing the pan as needed to keep them from sticking.

You can see the color difference between cooked and raw.

The Verdict

The baked didn't get toasted golden but it was cooked all the way through.  It easily came out of the pan to be served on a plate.  I cut it in wedges to serve.  

Wedge on edge to show that it is cooked through.

The patties were served as a pile on a plate.  They were cooked all the way through, too.

Visually more interesting than the baked version.

Also cooked through.

Both types were thin, dense pieces of bread, but not too chewy or hard.  I saw moisture in the middle of both.

My guest taster and I liked both versions.  The flavor was mild, which didn't conflict with the sausage and veggie stew I served with them.  In fact, they were a good accompaniment to the stew, both plain and buttered.  We also had a piece with butter and mulberry jam on it for dessert.

I could not taste the pumpkin but my guest taster thought he could.  There was a slight bitter flavor, not unpleasant, which I attributed to the molasses.  It had enough salt, was only mildly sweet, and the corn flavor was pleasing.  

My guest taster liked them both equally.  I preferred the fried patties because they had a bit of cornmeal crunch that the baked version didn't offer.  

Success!

It felt like the fried patties were cornmeal pancakes or something from my childhood, fried mush.  This was a good thing!  I used to put butter and maple syrup on the fried mush, which would be good here, too.

Keep in mind that if you do this and bake the entire amount of batter, you will get a thicker cake that will take longer to bake.  You will want to add more boiling water to make a pourable batter.  Adjust accordingly.

Mrs. Child suggested ways to be less frugal by adding milk or buttermilk, eggs, more sweetener, leavening, and spices.  I would suggest adding bacon bits, chives, or maybe topping it with shredded cheese once it is cooked. 

I have since found that the leftovers are good reheated.  Once I broke up a patty into pieces and mixed them into the stew.  That was good, too.

Jamoncillo de coco -- Coconut Jamoncillo, a sweet Pinedo recipe

My Latina friend, who grew up in Puebla, mentioned that she loves coconut.  I showed her this recipe and learned that she did not know what jamoncillo was.  That is when I decided to make it.  It is fun to share with friends!

So what is jamoncillo?  A stroll around the internet reveals one candy company claiming it is a traditional sweet from the Juquila region of Oaxaca.  Larousse Cocina, a site I learn a lot from, states jamoncillo is a category of sweets that are firm and soft, often cut into blocks or bars.  It gives a very thorough description of typical preparations from locations all around Mexico -- a fascinating read that you can see by clicking here:  Larousse Cocina - Jamoncillo.  I find myself intrigued with the ideas of using roasted sugar and smoked milk in the future.

I would equate jamoncillo with fudge or pralines as a more familiar sweets category.

Recall that Encarnación Pinedo published her book, El cocinero español, in 1898.  Her recipes show influence from a wide variety of regions in Mexico.  On page 139-140, she offers Jamoncillo de coco or Coconut Jamoncillo.  Larousse mentions that making jamoncillo with coconut is from the Juquila region and includes piloncillo.  Piloncillo, a dark brown sugar product, is purchased in cones that you grate or chop before using.  

Pinedo's recipe

My Translation

Coconut jamoncillo.

         With two pounds of sugar, make clarified syrup that forms a thread between the fingers, and it is set aside.  When it is removed from the fire it is mixed with ground coconut, and it is returned to boil until the syrup recovers the point it had before. It is removed a second time and is beaten only on one side so that it does not become cloudy; emptying it before it thickens into white wafers on the table.

         While the paste is on the fire, it will be necessary not to stop stirring it continuously, if you want it to be very white. If you want yellow, let it toast a little or roast the sugar before making it syrup.

My Redaction

1 whole coconut 

2 lbs sugar (about 4 1/2 cups)

2 1/2 cups water

And water.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Poke open the eyes of the coconut by using a clean screwdriver pounded in with a hammer; drain the liquid into a bowl.  Set the liquid aside.

Pound on the sides of the coconut with the hammer until a crack forms.  Use the screwdriver to hold the crack open, then twist it to expand the crack.  Move the screwdriver to the edge of the crack and keep going until the whole coconut breaks into two pieces.

Put the halves into the oven for about 10 minutes.  This dries the meat a little and makes it easier to remove it from the shell.  It will have a brown liner.  

Put the water and sugar into a saucepan, stir to mix a little, then heat it without stirring until it reaches thread stage, about 230 degrees F.  I used a candy thermometer so I didn't get too impatient.  : )

While the syrup is cooking, break or cut the coconut meat into small pieces.  Grate the white part into a bowl.  The brown part is edible so don't worry if some gets into the white.  

When you've gotten all the white you will get from the pieces, pour the liquid into the grated coconut and stir.  Let it sit while the syrup cooks.

Once the syrup is at temperature, remove it from the heat.  Stir in the coconut with its liquid.  Put it back on the heat with the candy thermometer.  

Stir the mixture continuously while it is cooking.  I found that the cooking process seemed to go the fastest when the mixture was foaming, but I had to be careful that it didn't overflow the pan.  It also seemed to help to stir slowly, just enough to keep the mixture moving.

When it reaches temperature, pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl to stop the cooking.  Beat it vigorously while it cools.  It will turn white and get thick.

When the mixture is no longer runny and seems to stick mostly to itself, spoon out portions onto lightly greased cookie sheets, spreading them with the spoon to an even thickness.  Let cool.

My Notes

This recipe only uses sugar, water, and coconut.  Some jamoncillo recipes use milk as part of the base and often include nuts or seeds.  Pinedo did not mention piloncillo.  

Beating the hot mixture ensures that only small sugar crystals form when it cools, making the final result softer and with a shiny surface.  

Did you notice she mentioned roasting the sugar?

It was a lot of work to grate all the coconut by hand.  I still had white left over because I was trying to avoid most of the brown liner.

Mostly white.

Leftovers.  Good to munch on.

I ended up with about 7+ ounces grated white and 3/4 cup liquid.

The nice thing about stirring it while it is cooking the second time is that I could watch the mixture closely and adjust the heat as needed to keep it foaming at just the right height.  Patience is a virture here, though.

Pinedo did not say to transfer to a cooler pan or bowl, but it was easier to beat when I didn't worry about touching a hot saucepan.  I think it cooled faster, too.  That was a bonus after all the stirring while it cooked.

Let it foam about this much.

When to stop beating is a judgement call.  The mixture seemed to be setting up, so I grabbed two spoons and used them to scoop and scrape the mixture into wafers.  I made some big (3 to 4 inches in diameter) and some small (about 2 inches) and spread them so they were not too thick.  

At temperature and ready to beat.

Beaten just right.  Looks like thick oatmeal.

I was pleased that I had gotten the jamoncillos so white and that the surfaces were shiny.

The Verdict

I'm not sure why we had to be concerned about it becoming cloudy, since the final result was white from beating a lot of air into it.  Visually, it was appealing because you can see the coconut texture.

Make it smaller.

My guest taster and I both liked the coconut flavor.  We noted it was definitely sweet - I think it is a sugar bomb.  One is enough!  Because of that, I would recommend making each wafer small, like 1 inch in diameter.  That would make more of them and not overwhelm the eater with too much sugar.

I wanted more coconut in each bite.  In the future, I would use purchased shredded coconut (and I don't think it matters if it is sweetened or not) and use at least 10 ounces for the amount of syrup I had.

If you didn't want to make wafers, you could spread the entire mixture into a pan -- keep it thin -- and then cut squares of them to serve.  But I liked the look of the wafers.

So what did my Latina friend think of it?

She thought it was the "perfect candy".  That was a quote!  The coconut flavor was just right for her and she described it as "yummy."  I'm so glad it made her happy.

Success, in more ways than one.  

Another Latina friend realized that this was very similar to a candy she loved as a child in Mexico:  alfajor de coco.  I looked up the recipe and found that really, the only differences were that the candy was cast as a slab and cut into bars for serving, and that the top surface was dyed red.  An interesting connection!

BBQ Ribs -- a recipe from my family

In the early 1990s, my family put on a big reunion.  It was fun to meet cousins for the first time, to see what my grandfather's generation produced, and to just have a good time with nice people.  I decided I wanted to contribute to our gathering by producing a family cookbook.  A few months in advance I sent out a request for recipes and any stories behind them that anyone wanted to share.  I got a good response!

After sorting and typing them up, I added some cute graphics, an introduction, and a contributors list which documented the relationships we all had to my grandfather's generation.  I could afford to print up and have bound enough copies to share without asking anyone for payment.  I liked that part.  People took them and seemed to enjoy having them.

One recipe was given by my mom, MS, about her dad (my grandfather), BP.  

I loved the comment about the "BBQ/incinerator"!  I enjoyed the graphics of the dark pig and the light pig, thinking that the dark one was the incinerated one.  : )

I decided to try it, but use my propane gas grill instead of a homemade, backyard BBQ pit.

Here is the recipe for easier reading:

BBQ Ribs

2 1/2 to 3 lb pkg. spare ribs

1 tsp. celery seed

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. salt or 1 tsp. seasoned salt

1 tsp. paprika

Just add meat!

Mix seasoning thoroughly and rub into both sides of the ribs.  Let stand a minimum of 15 minutes.  Cook over hot coals for 45 minutes to an hour.

My Notes

I had a 2 1/2 pound package of spare ribs.  I chose to use regular salt and chile flakes instead of powder.

Unmixed

Well mixed

After I mixed the seasoning, I rubbed it on both sides and on the edges.  The ribs then sat at room temperature for 30 minutes.  During this time I noticed that the juices were drawn from the meat, dissolving the sugar and salt and creating puddles on the upper surface of the ribs.

Not long after the rub was rubbed in.

After 30 minutes of resting.

I heated my grill for 10 minutes, reaching between 350 and 400 degrees F.  I placed the ribs on the grill rack, using indirect heat, and set the timer for 22 minutes so I could see if they needed turning.

Beee-you-ti-ful!

When the timer went off, I discovered that at some point - I know not when - the grill had run out of propane gas.  Grrrrr.  The meat did not look like it had cooked much.  I had no extra propane on hand, so I put the meat on a pan and put it in the oven at 350 degrees.

Baking is like indirect heat, right?

After 20 minutes, it looked good and it smelled good.  The internal temperature was 170 degrees.  I figured it was cooked enough.

I did broil it for a few minutes on each side to brown it well, being careful not to burn the sugar.

Grilled, baked, and broiled.

The Verdict

I cut the individual ribs from the slab, making sure there was meat on each bone.  Then I served about half of them with some good cole slaw (KFC style!) and sourdough bread.

What I noticed is that the rub had turned into a sauce, which I did not expect.  (I had wondered why the recipe said, "Mother made the sauce".  Now I know!)  It made the meat moist and slightly glazed.

The meat was cooked just right, and was tender and flavorful.  I loved the rub/sauce and how it was slightly sweet as well as a little bit spicy.  I was originally worried about the amount of celery seed because I am not a big fan of that on barbeques, but it was just fine.

I thought including chili powder was a daring thing to do for a family in the midwest during the 1930s and 1940s -- my general impression of that time and place is that spices were not commonly used other than, for example, garlic salt as an alternative to salt and pepper.  I could be quite wrong!  

Daring or not, this is a good recipe.  I would do it again, either baking/broiling or grilling.  Or both, if I run out of propane again.

Success!

The second half of the ribs were also excellent the next day.