Taste of Home Newsletter - January 2002 Dear $$firstname$$, Happy New Year from the Taste of Home Test Kitchens! We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter, which includes a complete meal menu for two, a warming recollection, some handy hints and more. Read on and you'll discover... > Win a Free Subscription! > Just the Two of Us > Served with Love > Soups Are Sure to Satisfy > Shortcuts Worth Sharing > Bulletin Board Brings Answers Fast > Turn Your Computer into a Cookbook ********** Win a Free Subscription! AS a reader of this E-mail Newsletter, you're eligible for a daily drawing to win a FREE 1-year subscription (or renewal) to Taste of Home magazine. It's easy--just visit our Web site at: http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=38 and click on the "Personal Preferences" link directly below the "FREE E-Mail Newsletter" link. Then update your personal preferences so we can easily contact you. This contest started December 1, 2001 and ends February 28, 2002. No purchase is necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. You must update your preferences only once to be eligible for all daily drawings--the earlier you update, the more chances you have to win. See complete rules at: http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=38. Good luck! ********** Just the Two of Us IT'S SAID that "good things come in twos"...but finding good recipes like these that work well for just two people isn't always easy. Small-Batch Potato Salad comes from June S. of Saukville, Wisconsin, who's been cooking for just herself and her husband since their kids left home. Sylvia M. of Lees Summit, Missouri shares a recipe for fluffy Biscuits for Two she got from a friend. Lorraine C. of Seattle, Washington sends her recipe for Ham Steak with Lemon, a favorite of her husband, John. To view a photo, visit: http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=33 SMALL-BATCH POTATO SALAD 4 bacon strips 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 can (15 ounces) sliced potatoes, drained Minced fresh parsley In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. Add cornstarch and sugar to drippings; stir until smooth. Add water, vinegar, salt and pepper; cook and stir over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in potatoes and bacon. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Serve warm or at room temperature. Garnish with parsley. Yield: 2 servings. BISCUITS FOR TWO 1 cup all-purpose flour 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/4 cup shortening 1/2 cup milk In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk. Turn onto a floured board; knead 1 minute. Roll or pat dough to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Yield: 4 biscuits. HAM STEAK WITH LEMON 2 slices fully cooked ham (1/2 inch thick) 1 lemon, halved 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 teaspoons prepared mustard Broil ham slices 5 in. from the heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, slice one lemon half; set aside. Grate peel from the other half and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice into a bowl. Add peel, brown sugar and mustard to juice. Turn ham over; brush with the lemon mixture. Top with lemon slices. Broil 3-4 minutes more or until ham is heated through. Yield: 2 servings. To view a photo, visit: http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=33 ********** Served with Love "MOTHER was a no-nonsense woman with a twinkle in her eyes," relates Evelyn J. of Moreno Valley, California. "On cold mornings, we kids would wake to the sweet aromas of hot chocolate and fresh corn bread. Six pairs of feet would race down the stairs to be first in line for a mug of homemade hot cocoa and a slab of corn bread with honey. "'Oh,' Mom would say, 'the corn bread isn't quite ready. You'll just have time to eat a bowl of oatmeal first.' We ate it gladly because the first four to finish got a coveted corner piece of bread. "I was a mother myself before I realized the sneaky logic of those winter mornings. Hot cocoa, oatmeal and corn bread is still my favorite breakfast." ********** Soups Are Sure to Satisfy SAVORY SOUPS from these reader-recommended recipes can provide new tastes for your tureen, set mugs a-steaming or spark a lunch to go. To view a photo, visit: http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=35 BEST BROCCOLI SOUP "Here's a creamy combination that showcases broccoli," says field editor Carolyn W. of Custer, Montana. 2 cups water 4 cups chopped fresh broccoli (about 1-1/2 pounds) 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped onion 6 tablespoons butter or margarine 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 cups chicken broth 2 cups milk 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley 1 teaspoon onion salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, celery and carrots; boil 2-3 minutes. Drain; set vegetables aside. In the same kettle, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour to form a smooth paste. Gradually add the broth and milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 1 minute. Add vegetables and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Yield: 6-8 servings (2 quarts). CREAMY VEGETABLE SOUP "This blended soup makes a great first course for a special meal," says field editor Valerie J. of Portland, Maine. 3 cups thinly sliced carrots 1 cup chopped onion 2/3 cup chopped celery 1-1/2 cups diced peeled potatoes 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoons cooking oil 4 cups chicken broth Dash ground nutmeg Pepper to taste In a Dutch oven or soup kettle over medium-low heat, saute carrots, onion, celery, potatoes, garlic and sugar in oil for 5 minutes. Add broth, nutmeg and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to the kettle and heat through. Yield: 4 servings (1-1/2 quarts). VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP "When we come in from playing in the snow, I serve this hearty soup," says Nancy S. of Roseville, Minnesota. 1 beef chuck roast (2-1/2 to 3 pounds) 4 quarts water 1 cup pearl barley 1-1/2 cups chopped onion 1-1/2 cups chopped celery 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes with liquid, cut up 1-1/2 cups chopped carrots 1 bag (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt Place roast in a large Dutch oven or soup kettle. Add water, barley, onion, celery, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until meat is tender. Remove meat; cool. Cut into bite-size pieces. Skim fat from broth. Add beef and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Yield: 15-20 servings (6 quarts). To view a photo, visit: http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=35 ********** Shortcuts Worth Sharing THIS regular feature gives readers a chance to share their favorite kitchen tips, household hints and "home remedies". > To clean a stained coffee cup, wet the cup and sprinkle in some table salt. Scrub the salt around with a cloth, then rinse the cup. Repeat if needed. --Martha M., Morrisville, Vermont > Remove celery from the store bag it comes in and wrap it in paper towel, then in aluminum foil. Store in the refrigerator. When you need some, break off what your recipe calls for, re-wrap the rest and return to fridge. Celery stored like this stays crisp a very long time. --Louise J., Milner, Georgia > Instead of frying bacon, lay strips on a jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Prepared this way, bacon comes out crisp and flat. Plus, the pan cleans easily, and there's no stove-top spattering. --Lou H., Mobridge, South Dakota > To get cooking odors out of the kitchen, boil some red-hot candies and a few cinnamon sticks in water for several minutes. Soon a delicious aroma will fill your kitchen and the rest of your home. --Lorraine H., Upland, California > To dot a casserole or pie with butter, use a coarse grater to shred cold butter over the dish. It's quick and effective. --Lois F., Nelson, Wisconsin ********** Bulletin Board Brings Answers Fast THE Taste of Home Bulletin Board is a perfect place to ask questions and share recipes and cooking tips on-line! Friendly, helpful readers quickly respond to queries about recipes, ingredients, cooking techniques and more in this practical, easy-to-use service. (See the example below!) To access the Taste of Home Bulletin Board, visit http://bbs.reimanpub.com/RD.asp?ID=9 Here's a recent conversation from our Bulletin Board: Subject: freezing apples Posted by: jnellie I have many winesap apples I need to freeze. I was told I can use a fruit preservative to prevent them from browning. Are frozen apples good for pies? What else can I make with them? RE: freezing apples Posted by: augustagirl_GA There are many commercial products, such as Fruit Fresh, to prevent browning. You can also use lemon or citrus juices. Slice apples into foil-lined baking dish or pie plate and sprinkle with Fruit Fresh, a bit of sugar and some spices. Freeze, then remove from dish, wrap and return to freezer. When you need a pie or apple dish, pop out the frozen apples, put in a pastry crust and bake as usual. RE: freezing apples Posted by: Teeb I peel, core and slice apples, put enough for one pie in freezer bag and freeze. The apples get a little brown, but it is never noticed in pies or puddings. I just take a bag out of the freezer when needed. I don't even thaw them first. RE: freezing apples Posted by: myrtlehelen I use frozen apples for apple crisp. I make up bags of the crunch topping and freeze them too, so when needed, I can dump frozen apples in a pan, dump topping over them and bake. Really fast method. ********** Turn Your Computer into a Cookbook NEW Cook'n with Taste of Home computer software puts 600 delicious Taste of Home recipes and 500 full-color food photos on your PC, instantly giving you more creativity, flexibility and control over all your menus. At the click of your mouse, you can: > Search hundreds of recipes > Adjust recipes for any number of servings > Create weekly menus > E-mail recipes to friends > Add your own favorite recipes > Make grocery shopping lists > Watch demonstrations of handy kitchen shortcuts Turn your PC into an electronic Taste of Home cookbook--for just a nickel a recipe--with Cook'n with Taste of Home! System requirements: Pentium processor or better, Windows 9X/2000/ME/NT/XP, 8MB of RAM, 2X CD-ROM drive and 16 MB of hard disk space. To order Cook'n with Taste of Home computer software from Country Store On-line, visit http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/rd.asp?id=47 ********** It's Winter Clearance Time! Many Country Store items are now on sale to help clear our warehouse--you can save up to 60%! All sale merchandise is still backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. To view sale items, visit http://www.countrystorecatalog.com/rd.asp?id=45 ********** HAVE A FRIEND who enjoys good home cooking? Feel free to forward this newsletter! If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up for yourself at http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=17 ********** TO CANCEL your newsletter at any time, visit http://www.reimanpub.com/rd.asp?id=1 TO UPDATE your e-mail address and other information, please visit http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=17 and click on the "Maintain Your Personal Preferences" link next to the "Free Newsletters" link. You'll need your current e-mail address and password to log-in. If you've forgotten your password or never selected one, there is a link to have it e-mailed to you. HAVING PROBLEMS linking to our Web site? If clicking a link doesn't work, you can simply highlight and copy the link, then paste it into your browser's address field. ********** THIS NEWSLETTER is from the editors of America's most popular food magazines... Taste of Home magazine takes a commonsense approach to family-pleasing meals with over 85 practical recipes in every issue. It's America's No. 1 cooking magazine! To subscribe or give a gift on-line, visit http://www.tasteofhome.com/rd.asp?id=28 Quick Cooking features speedy recipes (over 100 in each issue!) that help you put nutritious and tasty meals on the table FAST! Plus you'll get proven cooking hints, kitchen shortcuts and more! To subscribe or give a gift on-line, visit http://www.quickcooking.com/rd.asp?id=5 Light & Tasty is a completely different kind of magazine that lets you enjoy all the foods you love--lighter! Every luscious recipe (75 or more!) is lower in fat, salt, calories or cholesterol. Plus, each scrumptious, slimmed-down dish has been approved by a Registered Dietitian. You'll be amazed that low-fat food can taste so good! To subscribe or give a gift on-line, visit http://www.lightandtasty.com/rd.asp?id=5 ********** BYE for now from the Taste of Home staff...see you next month! ********** Copyright 2002 Reiman Publications. All rights reserved. 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