Welcome to the Kitchen Korner

I am always hoping more people will submit recipes. A few years ago Hazel Hill, Great Village would send me several recipes two or three times a year. However, since her passing incoming recipes are scarce. I encourage people to look through some of the family cook books and send along some entries. Photo copy and drop in the mail, or copy and submit by email to: maurice@theshorelinejournal.com

If you have a favourite family recipe and would like it published in the February 2025 issue, please send on or before February 10th. Send to: The Shoreline Journal, Box 41, Bass River, NS B0M 1B0; Fax: 902-647-2194 or email: maurice@theshorelinejournal.com

PLEASE NOTE: Hoping you will want to use some of the older recipes uploaded to the Nova Scotia Archives. Reading and interpreting the old recipes can be challenging. For example, the ingredients are given by weight and not by cups, tablespoons, imperial or metric measure. Ingredients were also known by different names. For example, baking powder was called pearl ash and gelatin was called isinglass. Today's equivalents for several of the recipes tried by archives' staff are found in the modern methods section.

What's Cooking is the latest addition in a continuing series of digital products developed and released by the archives. For more information about archives' offerings, go to https://archives.novascotia.ca/


Kitchen Korner - Archives 2023

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February 2025 - Chicken Curry with Vegetables

We were awaiting Christmas at time of last writing. Now that’s long past, decorations are all put away and for some the bills for Christmas spending are starting to arrive. Don’t know about you, but my presents were paid before they were wrapped.

Again this year was celebrated in non-traditional way – no festive parties, or dinners; mostly alone due to wanting not to travel or assemble in groups not normally in your "close bubble". This is the second solitary Christmas, hope there is not a third. But in saying that, far better to be safe and in good health, rather than feel sorry for ourselves, go out and get infected.

While we are on the subject of Christmas and family events around special times, we might as well accept that CoVid in smaller quantities is going to be around us for many years. Do not be surprised, if you are encouraged to avoid large crowds and have a mask at the ready for two or three years.

Not what any of us want to hear, but we can save ourselves a lot of anxiety and stress, if we accept those possibilities and be ready to adjust our lifestyle. Look at it this way. Prior to CoVid, if you were going to visit friends or family, and just before your visit you learned they were "sick with the flu", did you visit anyway, or did you stay home? Operate on the same premise and you will be safer, healthier and less stressed.

Normally, the week between Christmas and New Years is a time to visit relatives or friends.

Didn’t even get to Saint John to visit two eldest sons. When there a trip to to the Saint John City Market, the oldest one in North America, is a must do.. It is surprising what products from Nova Scotia are available at the market. At one of the stalls was surprised to find a lobster chowder powder mix produced by a company from Port Williams. Then at another stall he got real interested in frozen Chicken Vegetable Curry. It would serve six people and was priced around $25.00. Barely back home and it was time on the computer to find a similar recipe.

Here is one picked out at his favourite.

Chicken Curry with Vegetables

  • 2 tblspns Vegetable Oil
  • 2 12/ tbspns Curry Powder
  • 1 yellow onion, sliced with grain
  • 2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups broccoli florets
  • 1 ½ cups chopped carrots
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Zest of ½ lime
  • 1 ¼ cups coconut milk
  • ¼ cup chicken stock
  • 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • Lime Wedges, for squeezing.

Cook 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, curry powder and onions in a large sauté pan on medium heat, constantly stirring, but let it sizzle, for 5-6 minutes. Pat chicken dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper and add the remaining oil. Cook the chicken in the onion-curry mixture until golden brown on all sides. Add the broccoli, carrots, basil, garlic and lime zest and cook, stirring until the vegetables are coated, about 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Let the chicken simmer until cooked through and the sauce begins to thicken – about 20 minutes. Squeeze with lime juice before serving over rice, egg noodles, or your favourite pasta.

Should serve 4-6 people. Prep time is 10 minutes and about 35 minutes cooking for total time of 45 minutes.


January 2025 - "Made in Canada" solution possible?

To me it is hard to believe the flow of negative news and events is constant. Very day there is another major undesirable event. The world is most nervous about what president-elect Donald Trump will do with all the upheaval he has threatened to do. promised whether it be mass deportations, withdrawing from NATO, or imposing 25% tariffs on anything imported into the USA. One would think it would be an unwise choice to target Mexico and Canada – closest neighbours and two of his largest trading partners.

Naturally Canadian officials and most of the 40+-Million Canadian residents, who are paying attention, are very nervous. Prime Minister Trudeau is actively consulting with the premiers to organize a unified voice and plan of action. USA population might be 9-times the size of Canada’s but we have the resources, strong will and will never agree to become USA’s 51st state. I trust our leaders to develop a "Made in Canada" response should 25% tariff be imposed.

Perhaps you might think I’ve become lazy but sometimes it is a good idea to reflect on something positive from the past rather than clutter our mind with some of the more negative things in today’s society. Here’s your chance to review some of the more famous recipes previously published in Kitchen Korner. The first was from the late Chris Urquhart who submitted Cowboy Casserole.

Cowboy Casserole

  • 1 lb hamburger 4 potatoes
  • 3 to 5 carrots 1 large onion
  • 1 can baked beans in pork & molasses 1 can tomato soup

Place a layer of potatoes sliced thin, with a few dabs of butter in the bottom of a casserole dish. Next place a layer of carrots sliced thin. Then add a layer of onions, sliced thin. Cover with hamburger using your choice of spices. Then cover with baked beans. Last, cover the whole lot with tomato soup. Cover dish and bake in a 350’F oven for about 1 hour, until potatoes are cooked through.

  • One week, John MacLean sent along a recipe which Jeanette Bartlett had sent to his family, with the following note: "Some expressed interest in the icing used on your Dad's birthday cake - here is the recipe".

                                            Corner Brook’s Mystery Icing
     
    1 c. boiling water

  • 1 Tbsp. white sugar
    2 rounded Tbsp. custard powder (e.g. Bird’s) mixed with a little cold water
    Lemon or orange flavouring
    1 c. butter
  • ½ c. white sugar

Procedure:

  1. In a small saucepan, dissolve 1 Tbsp. sugar in the boiling water.
    Add dissolved custard powder to water-sugar mixture & cook until colour changes, stirring constantly. Let cool. Add flavouring.
  2. Cream butter well; add  ½ c. sugar a small amount at a time, beating until very creamy.
    Add custard mixture, a teaspoon or two at a time, beating well after each addition.

The recipe can be found in the 4th edition of "Corner Brook’s Favorite Recipes", Bentley Club, First United Church. 1960.

Before I close off, I would like to wish all Shoreline Journal subscribers, families and readers a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and Happy New Year filled with good health and prosperity in 2025.


December 2014 -  Two more great recipes

The last few months it has been nothing but political antics before and since the American presidential election, I am glad I don’t live south of the border. This fall here in Canada, we have been bombarded with election activities. First there was the Municipal election on October 19th, which resulted in six new councillors taking a seat around the eleven seat Colchester council table and Cathy Hinton acclaimed as mayor for Truro replacing Bill Mills, who did not re-offer after deciding nearly 30 years in municipal politics was enough.

To finish the fall and get electioneering out of our system, Premier Tim Houston called a snap election for November 26. It will be interesting to see if the difficult road for incumbent governments trickles down to Nova Scotia to any degree.

This fall, the weather has been on the warmer side, but recently the strong winds took care of the leaves which appeared to be hanging on longer than normal. In thinking back to last fall, I seem to remember part of November and December was reasonably warm. We’ve even had a couple of days when spitting moisture was a bit of snow rather than rain.

Now its time to stop gabbing and think about the kitchen. I’ve decided to choose provide two recipes. Nothing special as we work our way towards for Christmas. Just two favourite cookie recipes, Grandma’s Molasses Cookies and Brad’s Snicker Doodles that are desirable any day.

Grandma’s Molasses Cookies

  • ½ cup shortening
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup molasses
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ cup raisins

Cream together Shortening and brown Sugar. Add egg. Mix together molasses and warm water. Add to mixture. Add dry ingredients. Mix well.

Drop by spoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 380 oven for about 15 minutes.

Brad’s Snicker Doodles

  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup margarine, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 ¾ cups flour
  • 1 tsp cream of tarter
  • ½ tsp soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp cinnamon

Heat oven to 400. In large bowl combine first four ingredients, blend well. Stir in flour, cream of tarter, soda, salt, blend well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Combine 2 tbsp sugar and cinnamon, roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture.

Place balls two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Makes 48 cookies.


November 2024 - Off to the polls on November 26th

I hope you exercised your right and got out to vote in the province wide municipal election on October 19th. We can’t rest or get ready for Christmas. Premier Tim Houston has just pulled the plug and we are off to the polls for a provincial election on November 26th. That’s eight months earlier than Houston enacted "fixed-date" legislation not long after he was elected premier, which had set Nova Scotia’s election date for 2025.

It more or less proves that regardless of political affiliation, all politicians are opportunists and will do whatever they want when it suits them. On would think, we would receive better governance from a ruling party if a "fixed date" election could only be changed and an election was held earlier if they were defeated on a "non-confidence" vote in the Legislature.

Going to the polls now is not a surprise. Houston had signaled months ago he might go to the polls this fall. Since then his government has been doling out money like there was no tomorrow.

Let me get off politics and give you an outline of something that made me happy when suddenly a recipe arrived in the mail from an unidentified subscriber. It’s always nice to get good new surprises at any time, but by mail seems extra special. Even though unsigned, I’ve decided to print for your consideration and use.

Frozen Cucumber Pickles

(NOTE: The writer added this note to the mailing: I brought this recipe home from a relative living in another province)

  • 3 Quarts cucumbers, sliced thin
  • 1 bunch celery – cut up
  • 1 ½ lbs onions – cut up
  • 2 Green, 2 Red peppers – sliced in small strips
  • ¼ cup salt
  • 6 cups white sugar
  • 4 cups white vinegar

Method: Heat salt, sugar and vinegar till hot. (Do not boil). Pour over pickles, let stand overnight.

In the morning put in plastic containers. Thaw out before use.

I used empty used 1 cup size small containers.

Notes: These pickles can be made year round, as ingredients can be purchased or grown.


October 2024 Kitchen Korner

It is about three weeks until the Municipal elections on October 19th. It won’t be long until the leaves will turn to their multi-coloured brilliance and not long after that we will be wearing our Remembrance Day Poppies and going to the services on November 11th. Time will pass by so quickly in two months from today when you are reading this this column on September 25th and to our horror three months from today is Christmas Day.

Most certainly don’t want to see or hear anything about Christmas until the ghosts and goblins come visit on Hallowe’en. It won’t happen, but would be nice to celebrate Remembrance Day services before the Christmas rush is on.

I’m not going to back myself in the corner by commenting on the election result forecasts or showing preference. However I will say thank you and congratulations to all the candidate who put their name forward to run to be a councillor or mayor. It is a mammoth decision and takes a great commitment of personal sacrifice, but you do get paid.

A warning or piece of advice to the electors (taxpayers). If you don’t vote on October 19th, you do not have the taxpayer’s right to complain who is councillor or decisions they are making during the next four years.

GET OUT AND VOTE ON OCTOBER 19!

I’m constantly looking through cookbooks to see what might appeal to me. The other day I was looking in the "low calorie" section and the following recipe caught my eye.

Sausages with Apple and raisins

  • 1 onion
  • 2 tblspns butter or margarine
  • 2 large German sausages or 4 large pork sausages
  • 1 cooking apple
  • 3 tblspns raisins
  • 3 tblspns clear honey
  • 1 tsp paprika pepper
  • 1 tsp sale
  • ½ tsp white pepper

Peel and thinly slice the onion. Melt the butter or margarine in a frying pan and fry the onion for 5 minutes, then push to one side.

Add the sausages to the pan and fry until well browned on all sides. Meanwhile peel and core the apple and cut into thick slices.

Remove the sausages from the pan and slice. Keep warm. Add the apple slices to the pan and cook until very soft. Strain off the excess fat. Stir in the raisins, honey, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix with the onions.

Return the sausage slices to the pan and heat through before serving.

Serves 2: (about 540 caleries per serving.

Variation: Add ½ - ¾ cup drained sauerkraut to the apple mixture.


September 2024 Kitchen Korner

Summer is over, produce aplenty

t’s hard to believe summer is over and kids going back to school within 10 days. Here we are with produce aplenty from gardens; roadside stands, or the many produce shops. It is canning and preserving time for late fall and next winter, A great way to reduce the food bill and eat higher quality vegetables that you will find at the supermarket. The family pride that you grew it yourself, plus invested time to preserve or freeze is a bonus to family joy.

Before you know it October will be here and the leaves will be turning. Not to wish time away, but by October we will be about a month ahead of the USA election . (What a mess they have on their hands)

Some time ago, a friend called leaving a voice mail for me to call her back as soon as possible. Thinking something tragic happened I called back as soon as I could, only to find out she was in a panic wondering what to do with all the green tomatoes, she had picked to get ahead of Jack Frost.

She mentioned she had already made several batches of green tomato chow, and had enough to give as Christmas gifts to family and friends, but she wondered what she could do to use up some more of her abundant crop.

I scurried around and came up with a great recipe for "Green Tomato Mincemeat". With the high cost of meat right now, about 50% more than this time last year, green tomato mincemeat is great way to get the texture, smell and flavour, and still be able to serve to those to refuse to eat meat. I’ll share it with you in case you have a surplus of green tomatoes:

Green Tomato Mincemeat

Makes about 6 X 500 ml jars Green Tomato Mincemeat is a savvy and delicious way to use green tomatoes at the end of the harvest season: excellent for gift giving during the holidays

Ingredients

 

Maurice Rees, Publisher
The Shoreline Journal
Box 41, Bass River, NS B0M 1B0
PH: 902-647-2968; Cell: 902-890-9850
E-mail: maurice@theshorelinejournal.com