Roger's View of the World, Love and Seafood Gumbo!
Seize the Day! Put no trust in the morrow! — Horace
Without a family, one seldom thinks long term
My mother-in-law June Sievers passed away after her latest mercifully short bout with Cancer. She did enjoy our “Seafood quiche” most of all…. which is how I will remember her.
I hope that her future epicurean delights will be many.
Roger Freberg
When I think of distinctively American Foods, I always come back to the “Noodles with Cheese” Casserole! It’s hard to find a recipe book or a listing in a family’s epicurean collection of 3 by 5 cards that does not reference this dish!
History tells us that this bit of yummy Americana can be traced to before Thomas Jefferson’s time (circa 1800)… however, something always was missing in this dish for me… I always asked,”where’s the beef?” Somewhere in time, possibly to make it more appealing to young boys, chefs added a bit of hot dog or such to raise the male interest… which worked.
So, I decided to put a recipe together, that contained the traditional three ingredients: cheese, noodles and butter… but added some needed refinements: cream, various sausages, Mirepoix and complementary fresh herbs and spices. I think it turned out wonderfully.
So, here is my recipe for a “Mighty, Meaty Noodles with Cheese Casserole”.
Enjoy!
Roger Freberg
Everyone in our little family enjoys expressing themselves in the arts: music, paint, sculpture and — of course — cooking. However, with Karen planning a conference presentation in China, it has unleashed the budding artist in all of us!
Most travelers who plan to be in China for any time are encouraged to adopt a “Chinese name” to aid in the cultural transition, which is a good thing. Some names sound easier to the western ears than others. Fortunately, I think ours sound fairly nice.
Here’s an interesting site which allows for some translation of your name and will even present your first name as a Calligraphy on one of a few paintings. A bit of fun!
Have fun!
Roger Freberg
Back in the 1950’s, new booming American families were struggling to meet their families dietary expectations, in a shorter amount of time and economically. Thus came the grandest invention in the kitchen , the birth of the casserole!
In many cultures, the name for the a popular dish is derived from the pot in which it is made. The name for the Spanish dish “Paella” descends from the type of pan used in creating it! The Romans and many European cultures had foods named after their ‘pots.’
The name was often the only thing that the many dishes had in common, so too, are an entire group of foods called ‘casseroles.’ The casserole is traditionally a ceramic pot with a lid that is now-a-days glass.
My wife threw down a challenge! Why not try to make something better from the dish that virtually every American has tried at one time or another… the Tuna Casserole. I had a few ideas, but I wanted to survey the field as to what ingredients were being used and there seemed to be some themes.
Basically, each had some commonalities: cheese, peas, mushrooms in some form or another, and a variety of fillers ( versions of mirepoix, potato chips and bread crumbs made many interesting). The more ‘upscale recipes substituted albacore for tuna, added wine, better and more spices, and butter and olive oil.
Stay tuned… recipe to follow.
Roger Freberg
ps. by the way, the above cookbook is the classic cookbook on the American Casserole phenomenon
Part of the joy of cooking is in finding the best way to please yourself and those important to you!
A real meat lasagna is one way to appease the carnivore as well as the pasta lover. My daughters always loved a lasagna chock full of: olives, mushrooms, sausage in a lovely modified Marinara sauce with ground beef! Of course, plenty of cheese all around including Mozzarella, Romano, Parmesan, Ricotta and a few surprises!
Our secret to a great lasagna cheese layer is just the right mixture: 7 eggs, 2 lb. Ricotta, 1/2 cup, Parmesan, 1/2 cup Romano, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder and fresh herbs: parsley &/or dill. Chef Kristin has this mastered! (She’s probably smiling now because Kristin knows we add much more cheese than we show in our recipe).
However, it helps if you start with a great tomato based sauce… like our our “5 Chefs Marinara!” You can always build around something great! We also like to add a dollup or so of sour cream to smooth it out! (sssshhh… that’s a secret!)
So, are you curious?
Here’s our Recipe for our delicious “Meatsa Lasagna!”
Roger Freberg