The subject this week isn’t books, libraries, or adventures in public book-readings.
It’s cooking. And it asks the question: What do you do with Cornish game hens when the recipe you wanted to use involves a shrimp stuffing, and your S.O. is currently suffering from a gout attack? (Shrimp is a no-no when gout is an issue.)Surprised that I’m writing about cooking? You shouldn’t be. I’ve had nine cookbooks published, and if you know that, then cooking will seem like a logical topic for me. As indeed it is.
In addition to typical recipe books, I have two that fall outside that realm—both published by Roundtable. One does contain a goodly number of recipes but, even more, is chock full of information for the new cook. If you (or someone you know) is barely able to boil water, Lost in the Kitchen? is the book for you (or them). It’s written with a sense of humor and is very informative on a plethora of culinary topics, from how long a pork roast, chicken, or other meat needs to cook to how long it’s safe to store food to what herbs will best enhance the flavors of what foods to what foods go best together.
The other, a slim volume with no recipes, is all about how to devise your own recipes. “Develop” is actually the preferred term—develop your own recipes.
And that brings us back to those Cornish game hens I was planning to stuff with shrimp.
In case you’re not familiar with Cornish game hens, they look like mini-chickens (and indeed are birds, “cousins” to chicken but much smaller—one game hen typically feeds one person). My friend Lars, who calls them “mini-turkeys,” serves them at the holidays instead of the traditional turkey.
My friend Marie bought some Cornish game hens but ran into resistance from her roommate. Jamie won’t eat any food that’s a “baby,” like lamb or veal. And while, to the best of my knowledge and belief, Cornish game hens are fully grown, they look like baby chickens. And Jamie just couldn’t deal with that. So Marie gifted me with the two birds.
I got hold of a scrumptious-sounding recipe for Cornish game hens with a shrimp stuffing (thank you, Jesse!) and made a plan to prepare them for dinner later this week.
Then my S.O. came down with a bout of the gout.
As I said earlier, shrimp is a no-no when you’re fighting gout. He probably shouldn’t eat it at all ever, but he loves shrimp, and in between gout attacks he indulges in shrimp in moderation. So I had the birds and the shrimp on hand—and then BOOM!, gout.
Jesse had given me another recipe for the hens as well, with no shrimp involved, but after careful consideration I decided my S.O. wouldn’t like that one so much. So I decided to get creative.
I’m planning on something involving wild rice and mushrooms and herbs and chicken stock and garlic. I’m sure I’m not the first person to think of such a thing—I’m sure I’m reinventing the wheel—but after all, many recipes are inherently similar.
I think creative cookery is some of the most fun you can have in the kitchen. I love developing new recipes.
Here are two examples of recipes of my own:
This one is a favorite at church whenever I bring it for Fellowship:
Dilled Pork Meatballs in Cream Sauce
For the sauce
Roughly half of an 8-oz. container of cream cheese with chives
1 Tbs snipped FRESH dill (DO NOT SUB DRIED!)
3 splashes Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp beef broth base*
1/2 tsp dried savory
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup water
* Beef broth base comes in a jar. Penzey’s and Minor’s are good brands, available by mail order via website or catalog.
For the Meatballs
1 lb ground pork
Roughly half of an 8-oz. container of cream cheese with chives
1/4 cup snipped FRESH dill (DO NOT SUB DRIED!)
2 splashes Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp dried savory
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
In blender or processor add all sauce ingredients and blend or process till well mixed. Pour into a large skillet and turn heat to medium. Allow to warm while you make the meatballs. (You will not have a large quantity of sauce. A large quantity is not needed.)
To make the meatballs, in a large mixing bowl add all meatball ingredients and blend well with your fingers, then form into medium-size meatballs and place in sauce in skillet. Cover skillet. Allow to cook till cooked through, about 25 minutes. Turn the meatballs once during cooking process. Serve hot with sauce. Serves 4-6.
And this one’s going to church with me the first week in June. The combination of ingredients may sound odd, but trust me, it’s a winner:
TWILIGHT PORK
1 lb. pork cut in strips, as if for stir fry
2 tablespoons peanut oil or other oil
1 onion, diced
1 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1/2 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock/broth
1/2 cup peanut butter*
2 cans (15 oz. each) ready-to-eat Cuban-style black beans
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped small
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 heaping teaspoon curry powder
*preferably organic, with no additives
In a large skillet over moderate heat, heat the oil. When it’s hot, add the onion and garlic, cooking till the onion is a golden color. Add the paprika, then the pork, cooking till the pork begins to brown.
Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well. When pork is cooked through and ingredients are well blended, it’s done. Serves 4.
Want to learn to develop recipes yourself? Buy a copy of Develop Your Own Recipes. I’m telling you, short of making love on the kitchen floor, developing your own recipes is the most fun you can have in the kitchen!