Making Scandinavian or Finnish-Style Cinnamon Toast The method and ingredients for making baked cinnamon toast are simple,  and can be adjusted to your taste.  I soak some day-old home-made bread in milk,  cream , a dash of salt, cinnamon and sweetener for a half-minute, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then bake it on a buttered baking sheet in a low oven (250*) until lightly browned and dry. Let it sit overnight in the oven for a real crunch. Optionally, you can remove the toast after baking it for an hour, and re-coat it in the milk, cream and cinnamon batter, sprinkle it again with cinnamon and sugar, then bake again for as long as you believe necessary. This toast is usually dunked into coffee, as it is meant to be very crunchy. ©M-J de Mesterton 2010 Photos Copyright M-J de Mesterton

Ingredients for Making Scandinavian or Finnish-Style Cinnamon Toast The method and ingredients for making baked cinnamon toast are simple,  and can be adjusted to your taste.  I soak some day-old home-made bread in milk, cream , a dash of salt, cinnamon and sweetener for a half-minute, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, then bake it on a buttered baking sheet in a low oven (250*) until lightly browned and dry. Let it sit overnight in the oven for a real crunch. Optionally, you can remove the toast after baking it for an hour, and re-coat it in the milk, cream and cinnamon batter, sprinkle it again with cinnamon and sugar, then bake again for as long as you believe necessary. This toast is usually dunked into coffee, as it is meant to be very crunchy. ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

M-J de Mesterton’s Cornish Pasties OCTOBER 3, 2009 Home-Gardens Yield lots of Turnips, onions and potatoes in Autumn: Use Them the Traditional Cornish Way for a Nutritious, Easy-to-Serve, Elegant Luncheon tags: Cornish Pasty Recipe, Elegant Meat Dishes, How to Make Cornish Pasties, M-J de Mesterton Original, M-J de Mesterton's Cornish Pasties, Pasty, Pasty of the Copper Country by M-J de Mesterton Devon-Style Pasty Made by M-J de Mesterton (Pasties Crimped on Top) I’ve been making Cornish pasties since the age of 20. My mother wrote a book about the pasty and its history which was published in 1990, but my method and ingredients differ from hers. The following is  my pasty (pronounced “pass-tee”) recipe:  I will not formally transcribe my recipe and method for making pasties, because  I never use measurements. I can tell you, however, that they are made with a short crust containing both butter and lard, water, a teaspoon of malt vinegar, and unbleached, plain white flour. Since s

M-J's Elegant Autumn Potato Salad Like the potato salad that my Swedish grandmother used to make for me, this dish relies upon some bacon, vinegar, and an onion. Peel, quarter and boil eight medium sized potatoes, or ten small ones. Salt the boiling water. Alternatively, add some Maggi or Knorr chicken bouillon powder. Boil the potato chunks for fifteen minutes. Drain but do not rinse them. In your cooking pot, sauté eight strips of bacon, finely chopped. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon. and reserve in a small bowl or cup. Empty out  half of the bacon fat. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil (I use peanut oil) and two tablespoons of vinegar (I use malt vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar). If you have it, a tablespoon of concentrated apple juice can be added to this dressing mixture. You will adjust the vinegar and oil to your taste after the initial mixing of all ingredients. Add the potatoes, one finely diced small onion (red, white or yellow), and one dice

Make Your Own Finnish-Style Cheese: Leipäjuusto SEPTEMBER 29, 2008 by M-J de Mesterton Leipäjuusto and Cloudberry Jam: Photo by Teemu Rajala Click Image to Enlarge Recipe My mother gave me a booklet in 1985, when it was published:  Kitsi  Finnish Foodways, a publication of Suomi College (now called Finlandia University) for  FinnFest 1985 . My copy of Kitsi is yellowed. I don’t think my dear, departed mother ever made squeaky cheese, but, working at Suomi College’s Finnish-American Heritage Center, she  did  draw the illustrations on Kitsi’s cover. Leipäjuusto is an unusual creation that I really like with rye bread, when in Finland. Here is the recipe for making your own Finnish Squeaky Cheese. Update: I’ve just found my mother’s friend,  Beatrice Ojakangas’ blog , where she hosts a richer recipe for leipäjuusto.

Article about Cruciferous Vegetables in  The World's Healthiest Foods The elegant radish can be eaten spread with a little butter, French style, usually as a breakfast component; as a fresh snack with a little salt and pepper, or sliced thinly in a tea-sandwich.  Radishes are an effective liver-tonic the morning after a dinner party. Red or purple cabbage is a health-promoting, cancer-inhibiting, cruciferous vegetable. Green cabbage can be marinated in a salad European-style, stuffed as c houx farcí, or stir-fried with other vegetables the Chinese way. Cauliflower can be sautéed, steamed or baked. Popular methods of preparation include as a component of  casseroles, blanched on vegetable platters with dips,  and served in chunks with tahini sauce. ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

Article about Cruciferous Vegetables in  The World's Healthiest Foods The elegant radish can be eaten spread with a little butter, French style, usually as a breakfast component; as a fresh snack with a little salt and pepper, or sliced thinly in a tea-sandwich.  Radishes are an effective liver-tonic the morning after a dinner party. Red or purple cabbage is a health-promoting, cancer-inhibiting, cruciferous vegetable. Green cabbage can be marinated in a salad European-style, stuffed as c houx farcí, or stir-fried with other vegetables the Chinese way. Cauliflower can be sautéed, steamed or baked. Popular methods of preparation include as a component of  casseroles, blanched on vegetable platters with dips,  and served in chunks with tahini sauce. ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

Sauce Velouté for an Elegant Dinner Dish Made with Poached Chicken Breasts M-J's Sauce Velouté Recipe Save the broth from  poaching chicken breasts as shown in a previous post , and make elegant sauce velouté, a classic feature of French cuisine. For this recipe, I would prefer the chicken poaching liquid to contain just salt, white wine, water, and a spoonful of lemon juice. Make a roux with about two tablespoons each of butter and flour. Stir it until light tan and bubbly. Add about two cups of chicken broth or poaching liquid, stirring it in quickly. Cook the ingredients until smooth. When the sauce is very thick, slowly add a half-cup of cream and incorporate it well, cooking on low heat for another minute. I like to use bamboo tools, because they do not scratch my cookware. Elegant Sauce Velouté, a French Classic with Many Applications If you don't plan to use it right away, it is perfectly acceptable to store your  sauce velouté  in a jar, and refrigerate or freeze until

Sauce Velouté for an Elegant Dinner Dish Made with Poached Chicken Breasts M-J's Sauce Velouté Recipe Save the broth from  poaching chicken breasts as shown in a previous post , and make elegant sauce velouté, a classic feature of French cuisine. For this recipe, I would prefer the chicken poaching liquid to contain just salt, white wine, water, and a spoonful of lemon juice. Make a roux with about two tablespoons each of butter and flour. Stir it until light tan and bubbly. Add about two cups of chicken broth or poaching liquid, stirring it in quickly. Cook the ingredients until smooth. When the sauce is very thick, slowly add a half-cup of cream and incorporate it well, cooking on low heat for another minute. I like to use bamboo tools, because they do not scratch my cookware. Elegant Sauce Velouté, a French Classic with Many Applications If you don't plan to use it right away, it is perfectly acceptable to store your  sauce velouté  in a jar, and refrigerate or freez

MAKE YOUR OWN ELEGANT TORTILLA CHIPS You don't have to throw out your tortillas if they are past their prime. Make them into tortilla chips, which will be very popular with your family and guests, as they are pleasingly different from those bought in the store. Take a stack of tortillas and dust between the layers with salt, pressing it into them. Then, pressing into it with a large knife, cut the stack of tortillas into quarters. Lower a handful-at-a-time of the uncooked chips into bubbling hot oil. For this light and crispy batch, I used a combination of soy oil, which is now sold as "vegetable oil", and lard. Peanut or corn oil are also good for deep-frying tortillas. When the chips themselves have developed bubbles and are slightly brown, it's time to remove them from the pot with a runsible or slotted spoon. Drain them on paper towels, and dust with more salt if desired. The cooking oil may be strained, refrigerated and re-used for French fries, yams or potato ch

MAKE YOUR OWN ELEGANT TORTILLA CHIPS You don't have to throw out your tortillas if they are past their prime. Make them into tortilla chips, which will be very popular with your family and guests, as they are pleasingly different from those bought in the store. Take a stack of tortillas and dust between the layers with salt, pressing it into them. Then, pressing into it with a large knife, cut the stack of tortillas into quarters. Lower a handful-at-a-time of the uncooked chips into bubbling hot oil. For this light and crispy batch, I used a combination of soy oil, which is now sold as "vegetable oil", and lard. Peanut or corn oil are also good for deep-frying tortillas. When the chips themselves have developed bubbles and are slightly brown, it's time to remove them from the pot with a runsible or slotted spoon. Drain them on paper towels, and dust with more salt if desired. The cooking oil may be strained, refrigerated and re-used for French fries, yams or potato c

Lettuce, Feta Cheese Chunks, Olives, Olive Oil, Vinegar, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Cilantro Make an Elegant, Refreshing Luncheon Salad

Lettuce, Feta Cheese Chunks, Olives, Olive Oil, Vinegar, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Cilantro Make an Elegant, Refreshing Luncheon Salad

Pineapple Chunks are likely to make your stir-fried dishes and pizzas soggy, if used directly from a can. I soaked pineapple in soy sauce for a couple of minutes, drained and then baked it until the chunks had a caramel-colour. Now the pineapple chunks can be added to any dish and contribute rich flavour and texture. ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

Pineapple Chunks are likely to make your stir-fried dishes and pizzas soggy, if used directly from a can. I soaked pineapple in soy sauce for a couple of minutes, drained and then baked it until the chunks had a caramel-colour. Now the pineapple chunks can be added to any dish and contribute rich flavour and texture. ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

My Original Recipe: Low-Carbohydrate Celery Soup Potage de Céleri Wash a whole head of celery, by cutting the bottom off and bathing the stalks in a sinkful of water. With French chef’s knife, chop finely. Include the celery leaves, which are packed with flavour. In a large pot, melt two tablespoons of butter. Put the chopped celery in, and add a teaspooon of  salt , one half-teaspoon of cumin, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Saute until bright green and almost soft. Stir in a tablespoon of cornstarch (cornflour), which has seven grams of carbs. Saute for two more minutes, and then add one cup of cream and two cups of water. Simmer for ten minutes. Serves six. This soup is a good accompaniment to  croques monsieurs  for luncheon. ~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, February 2007

My Original Recipe: Low-Carbohydrate Celery Soup Potage de Céleri Wash a whole head of celery, by cutting the bottom off and bathing the stalks in a sinkful of water. With French chef’s knife, chop finely. Include the celery leaves, which are packed with flavour. In a large pot, melt two tablespoons of butter. Put the chopped celery in, and add a teaspooon of  salt , one half-teaspoon of cumin, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Saute until bright green and almost soft. Stir in a tablespoon of cornstarch (cornflour), which has seven grams of carbs. Saute for two more minutes, and then add one cup of cream and two cups of water. Simmer for ten minutes. Serves six. This soup is a good accompaniment to  croques monsieurs  for luncheon. ~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton, February 2007

Once a week, I make a large quantity of my favourite bread-dough, and freeze several balls of it in plastic bags. On Baking Day, I make one or two loaves for immediate use. Taken out of the freezer the night before it is needed, the other balls of dough will be ready to knead one more time and rise again for freshly-baked bread during the week. I use my extra dough for pizzas, hamburger buns, and baguettes. Rather than baking all the dough on Baking Day, which would only guarantee two-and-three day-old loaves, I expend the energy producing the dough in bulk on one day, and bake it whenever I need to during the week. ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

Once a week, I make a large quantity of my favourite bread-dough, and freeze several balls of it in plastic bags. On Baking Day, I make one or two loaves for immediate use. Taken out of the freezer the night before it is needed, the other balls of dough will be ready to knead one more time and rise again for freshly-baked bread during the week. I use my extra dough for pizzas, hamburger buns, and baguettes. Rather than baking all the dough on Baking Day, which would only guarantee two-and-three day-old loaves, I expend the energy producing the dough in bulk on one day, and bake it whenever I need to during the week. ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

Wine isn't used just for drinking in France; it is used in cookery, including the famous braised-beef dish boeuf bourguignon . Marinating and cooking meat  in Burgundy wine makes it very tender, with a robust flavour. In the U.S., you may wish to keep a five-litre box of Almaden Mountain Burgundy (available at Sam's and elsewhere for between 12 and 15 USD) in the kitchen for cooking. This way, a whole bottle of Burgundy, which can be expensive, doesn't need to be opened when you just wish to add a half-cup of it to your dish. The wine is protected in an air-free vessel  inside the box, and is always at-hand for occasional use in cookery. Wine on-tap on top of the refrigerator is a great boon to any creative home-cook.  ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

Wine isn't used just for drinking in France; it is used in cookery, including the famous braised-beef dish boeuf bourguignon . Marinating and cooking meat  in Burgundy wine makes it very tender, with a robust flavour. In the U.S., you may wish to keep a five-litre box of Almaden Mountain Burgundy (available at Sam's and elsewhere for between 12 and 15 USD) in the kitchen for cooking. This way, a whole bottle of Burgundy, which can be expensive, doesn't need to be opened when you just wish to add a half-cup of it to your dish. The wine is protected in an air-free vessel  inside the box, and is always at-hand for occasional use in cookery. Wine on-tap on top of the refrigerator is a great boon to any creative home-cook.  ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

Oneida The Oneida Pictorial Table-Setting Guide

Oneida The Oneida Pictorial Table-Setting Guide

Red or purple cabbage, sliced thinly and mixed with feta cheese, yellow tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, cilantro and salt makes an elegant salad. I grew this purple cabbage and the yellow pear tomatoes. It is best to let this dressed salad sit at room temperature for at least an hour, so that the cabbage softens a little. ©M-J de Mesterton

Red or purple cabbage, sliced thinly and mixed with feta cheese, yellow tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, cilantro and salt makes an elegant salad. I grew this purple cabbage and the yellow pear tomatoes. It is best to let this dressed salad sit at room temperature for at least an hour, so that the cabbage softens a little. ©M-J de Mesterton

See the Elegant Cook Main Page, for M-J's Elegant Bread Recipes

See the Elegant Cook Main Page, for M-J's Elegant Bread Recipes

Yield: 8 Pitas Ingredients 3 cups of unbleached white flour 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt 1 tablespoon of sugar 2 teaspoons of yeast 11/2 cups of warm water 2 tablespoons of butter or your favorite vegetable/peanut oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add oil/butter and water. Knead for ten minutes. Form the dough into a ball and coat with oil, set into a bowl, and let rise for 90 minutes. Punch down your dough-ball, then divide it into 8 balls. Dust them with flour on both sides and, using  a rolling-pin, flatten them into discs. Bake the pitas in your 400* oven on a stone or heavy, flat pan for approximately 5 minutes. ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

Yield: 8 Pitas Ingredients 3 cups of unbleached white flour 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt 1 tablespoon of sugar 2 teaspoons of yeast 11/2 cups of warm water 2 tablespoons of butter or your favorite vegetable/peanut oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add oil/butter and water. Knead for ten minutes. Form the dough into a ball and coat with oil, set into a bowl, and let rise for 90 minutes. Punch down your dough-ball, then divide it into 8 balls. Dust them with flour on both sides and, using  a rolling-pin, flatten them into discs. Bake the pitas in your 400* oven on a stone or heavy, flat pan for approximately 5 minutes. ©M-J de Mesterton 2010

M-J's elegant recipe for hommos bi tahini, hummus bi tahine, tahina or whichever way you prefer to spell chickpea and sesame dip: mash the chickpeas and add sesame paste, preferably a very liquid one with lots of natural oil in it, and squeeze into this mixture the juice of a lemon, add salt, red pepper and olive oil to your taste. Mix until almost smooth. Serve hummus bi tahini with warm pita bread, Moroccan olives, shawarma , and whatever else you have on your meze table. Hummus is a perfect dip for summer entertaining. And without the addition of raw garlic, which no one will miss, this dip is more socially acceptable. The lemon component is very refreshing, the sesame paste is tasty, and the garbanzos (chick-peas) are light and airy. Combining these simple ingredients results in a magical dish that is very popular at parties. ©M-J de Mesterton

M-J's elegant recipe for hommos bi tahini, hummus bi tahine, tahina or whichever way you prefer to spell chickpea and sesame dip: mash the chickpeas and add sesame paste, preferably a very liquid one with lots of natural oil in it, and squeeze into this mixture the juice of a lemon, add salt, red pepper and olive oil to your taste. Mix until almost smooth. Serve hummus bi tahini with warm pita bread, Moroccan olives, shawarma , and whatever else you have on your meze table. Hummus is a perfect dip for summer entertaining. And without the addition of raw garlic, which no one will miss, this dip is more socially acceptable. The lemon component is very refreshing, the sesame paste is tasty, and the garbanzos (chick-peas) are light and airy. Combining these simple ingredients results in a magical dish that is very popular at parties. ©M-J de Mesterton

See M-J's Sauce Ragú M-J's Original, Slow-Cooked Meat Sauce A French and Italian Hybrid