The Treasury of White Trash Cooking

It's been awhile since I posted about the culinary arts. Naturally this cookbook by Ernest Matthew Mickler and Tricia Mickler came to mind. With recipes for Roast Christmas Possum, Rump Dump Cake and Squirrels a La King , it's a cornucopia of gustatory heaven.

Okay, snarky non-p.c. remarks aside, this is a really fun little cookbook. Looking up recipes for animals most of us would consider road-kill is only half the fun. Between chapters are short stories from the folks who supplied the recipes. Reading them, I honestly laughed until my shoulders were shaking.

To quote the book cover, "Interspersed with fantastic photographs , town gossip, and true yarns detailing the everyday, life and times of the folks in Mickler country , this truly is a treasury of all things white trash."

The Treasury of White Trash cooking reads a bit like the Foxfire books which chronicle the life and wisdom of folks from Applachia and similar places.

Not surprisingly , there are some truly delicious edibles in this collection. Listen, country folks may eat some things that make us shudder, but they have cornered the market on pies, cakes, and other baked goods.

There is also a practical and frugal element to many of the main dish offerings. Foods like hotdogs, spam and Velveeta are cleverly fashioned into tasty entrees. If my family gets so poor we are forced into a regular diet of bologna and ballpark franks, I for one will be glad for this book.
-E

St. Patrick's Day

We tend to be traditionalist around here when it comes to holidays. So of course our St. Paddy's meal was corned beef and cabbage. But it doesn't feel complete without Irish Soda Bread.

Problem is, it was only 15 minutes til dinner time. There was no time to bake an entire loaf. I thought , "Why not make it in muffin tins?" It worked, and it was great.

What the heck is Salt Pork?

Salt pork is one of those foodstuffs I've read about, but thought was now extinct. I assumed it had gracefully exited the culinary world once tastier and less emergency-ration style foods became the vogue.

In fact, Phil and I had just finished reading a pioneer days sort of book to Max that mentions salt pork frequently. So, imagine my tangible surprise when I discovered it on the shelves of the Grocery Outlet. ( fondly known in my house as Grocery Outhouse or The Used Food Store) On impulse I snatched up 3 packages of the stuff. Now what do I do with it?

Other than it's Paul Bunyan aesthetic, salt pork has real uses and a solid fan following. A Google search turned up recipes for salt pork in the form of gravies, breads and simple fried-goodness. Interesting, to say the least.

Even stranger, this stuff doesn't freeze! Salt Pork comes out of the freezer semi-soft and 'squidgy' to the touch. I thought the freezer was on the fritz and ran back downstairs to see if everything else in it was in a semi-solid state. To the contrary, everything was fine.

Is it good? I don't know.........yet. We'll try it soon just for grins. If your feeling super adventurous, try it first and let me know. In fact, I'll get you started with your very own recipe.
Below, my gift to you:

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GRANDMA LESZCZEWICZ SALT PORK AND DUMPLINGS
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Cut salt pork into square pieces and fry very slowly. Pour off all the grease, make dumplings and pour melted butter over them. Fry chopped onion and add to the dumpling; add the drained salt pork. Mix some sour cream into a container of creamed cottage cheese or 1 package of Farmer's press cheese. Mix all together.