Recipe Converter
From: Tori Sent: Monday, July 29, 2013 1:59 AMTo: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com Subject: Recipe converter linkI found this page a while back, and I found it very helpful in making restaurant recipes reasonable for a small crowd: Recipe Converter I just wanted to share it with you, and all your readers.Hope you had a great weekend!-Tori
Hi Tori,
That converter looks great. Thanks!
Phaed
See also: Cooking for a Crowd
Buttermilk Sherbet
From: FranSent: Saturday, July 27, 2013 4:31 PMTo: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com Subject: Buttermilk SherbetHi, Can you help me. My mother was a fabulous cook. People came from everywhere to eat her recipes. Her most famous ones was Buttermilk Sherbet and Lemon Meringue Pie. I want to know how to make her buttermilk sherbet. Unfortunately, she died back in 1970, suddenly, before I could ask for her recipes. As near as I can remember, she cooked it on the stove before freezing in the ice cream maker. It contained buttermilk and pineapple , maybe cream, sugar and eggs, but all Im sure of is buttermilk and pineapple. I have been looking for the recipe for over 40 years. The ones I found do not sound like the recipe Mama made. Maybe its because my mama made it, but that was the best sherbet ever and I miss sitting on the porch making it and then all of us eating it together. Thank you very much for your kind attention to my most important request and God bless you for your service.Fran Mobile, AL.
Hi Fran,
I wish you had told me what was wrong with the recipes that youve already found. It helps me to narrow down the search.
Heres what you are giving me:
1. Certain: Contained buttermilk and pineapple
2. Near as you can remember, which I take as probably, but not for sure: Cooked before freezing
3. Maybe it contained: Contained cream, sugar and eggs.
I worked in the ice cream business for a few years in my younger days, so lets talk about definitions:
Sherbet must contain 1-2% butterfat. This butterfat can be from a tiny bit of cream, but its usually just from milk. Sherbet doesn't have any whole eggs in it, but it may contain a little egg white as a stabilizer.
Ice Cream has to contain at least 10% butterfat. Since whole milk only contains 3 1/2% butterfat, this is usually from cream or a mixture of milk and cream. Buttermilk contains less than 1/2% butterfat.
Frozen Custard ice cream must contain at least 10% butterfat, but must also have at least 1.4% egg yolks.
I know that home cooks are not bound by federal regulations, and a home cook might make ice cream and call it sherbet or vice versa. A home cook might make frozen custard and call it ice cream or sherbet, etc.
All of these products are cooked when theyre made by ice cream companies, ecause by law they must be pasteurized. However, home cooks might not cook sherbet or ice cream. Due to the egg content, custard ice cream is usually cooked. Homemade ice cream may or may not contain eggs according to the recipe, but if it does, then its basically a custard ice cream and should be cooked before freezing.
Looking back at your description, if your mothers buttermilk sherbet contained only the ingredients that you are certain of, plus a little milk and sugar and maybe an egg white for texture, then it was a sherbet like the first two recipes below. However, if it contained cream and whole eggs, then it was not really a sherbet. Also, sherbets are not usually cooked unless they're made with raw milk that needs pasteurizing.
If your mother used all of the ingredients that you mention and cooked the mixture, then was technically making a buttermilk custard ice cream and was just calling it buttermilk sherbet. I did not find anything called buttermilk sherbet that contained eggs and was cooked, nor did I find a buttermilk ice cream recipe that was cooked.
See below for a sampling of the recipes that I found.
Phaed
Pineapple Buttermilk Sherbet2 c. buttermilk2 c. undrained canned crushed pineapple (20 oz. can)2/3 c. sugarIn a bowl, stir together the buttermilk, pineapple, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. After about an hour, when the mixture has begun to harden, stir it with a fork until it becomes slushy. Cover and return to the freezer for another hour or two, until it is very stiff but not frozen solid. Stir it again with a fork and serve. If the sherbet has frozen hard, remove it from the freezer to soften for about 30 minutes before serving or whirl it in a food processor, scraping down the sides several times, for about 2 minutes, until well-blended and smooth.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Buttermilk Sherbet2 c. buttermilk1/2 c. sugar1 c. crushed pineapple in juice1 pasteurized egg white, slightly beaten1 1/2 tsp. vanilla Combine first three ingredients and freeze until slushy. Place in a chilled bowl, adding egg white and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Return to freezer in covered mold or foil refrigerator trays. Beat again twice at 30 minute intervals. Remove from freezer to refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Buttermilk Ice Cream2 c. buttermilk1 c. crushed pineapple1 tsp. vanilla1 egg white1/4 tsp. salt2/3 c. sugar Mix buttermilk and sugar. Add salt, pineapple and vanilla. Freeze to a mush. Add stiffly beaten egg white. Mix. Freeze.
Cornbread Cush
From: FranSent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 2:11 PMTo: 'Phaedrus' Subject: RE: Buttermilk SherbetDear Phaed, Thank you very much for your effort in looking for a recipe like Mamas Buttermilk sherbet. Come to think of it, Im pretty sure it had cream also, and she cooked it on the stove before putting it in the ice cream freezer. It definitely had the look, feel, and taste of sherbet. I am greedy, mama made a dish with crumbled corn bread, onions, I cant remember what else, and fried it. Im not sure of the spelling, but it was really Southern, called Cous Cous, not the Middle Eastern pasta. Do you know the spelling and what it has in it?Your grateful Southern friend and again, God bless you for this service,Also thank you for the fast service and personal e-mail. I thought I would have to wait for ages and then check your website to find the answer,Fran
Hi Fran,
I dont think most people would call it sherbet if it had cream and was cooked.
I cannot find anything made of fried corn bread crumbs and onions. There are plenty of things made with cornmeal batter and onions that are fried like hushpuppies. Cornbread dressing and cornbread stuffing are made with crumbled cornbread and onions. There are some Mexican and South American breads called cous cous, but they are made with cornmeal batter, not crumbled cornbread. I was born in the South and lived there for over 60 years, but Ive never heard of such a thing made with crumbled cornbread. If you find this, let me know.
Phaed
From: FranSent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 10:01 PMTo: 'Phaedrus' Subject: RE: fried crumbled cornbreadHi again, Im getting to be a regular worry wart, arent I? I remembered the name of the corn bread recipe. It is Cush-Cush and evidently a Southern dish. The Cajuns called it Couche Couche, but the Southern Civil War soldiers called it Cush-Cush. Momma made it a lot when we were young, it was cheap, filling, and my Daddy loved cornbread. The way the Cajuns made it was with corn meal as a breakfast cereal. The way the soldiers made it was cooked in a pot with possibly bacon grease but most likely any kind of grease they could get. My mother altered the recipe or someone in the family did because I cant find it as a recipe. She made it with leftover cooked cornbread, onions and bacon grease & it is a delicious cousin of the Cajun Couche-Couche or the Civil War soldiers Cush. I remember also that in a book about my great-grandfather Calvin Ezells Civil War military unit, they mentioned they ate Cush-Cush as part of their diet. My grandfather was in the same company as his 3 brothers and all 4 came home from the war. One of the web sites about the Civil War is Civil War foodways. But, you can find other references under Cush Cush.Thank you.Fran
Hi Fran,
No problem, especially when you lead me to something I didnt know.
I found recipes for cush, cush-cush, and for couche-couche. All of the recipes that I can find for cush-cush, coush-coush, and couche-couche are made with cornmeal, not crumbled cornbread, which is why I couldnt find it right off. That includes the civil war reference that you give, which is linked to this recipe: Coush-Coush
I found recipes called just cush that are more like your description, using crumbled cornbread. Note that many (but not all) of these cush recipes are not exactly fried. You just saute the onions, then add the cornbread crumbs and a little water and sort of stew or steam the mixture. See below. There are cush-cush recipes below them.
One reference said that this dish began with the Indians, who passed it on to the Cajuns in Louisiana.
Phaed
CushOld cornbreadBlack pepperSaltOnionsWater Crumble cornbread. Add water to right consistency. Black pepper to taste. Salt to taste. Onions to your taste. Combine together for right juiciness. Serves 3 to 4. --------------------------------------------CushCornbread can be made with 2 packages of Jiffy corn muffin mix, baked in square pan. 1 pkg. chopped onions Salt & pepper to taste In large frying pan saute onions, crumble in corn bread, adding water to keep it from sticking. Lower heat, cover and let steam. Stir occasionally. May need to add more water. Cook until fairly dry. If you want it browned, put in greased baking dish and bake. --------------------------------------------Cush Cush2 c. cornmeal1 tsp. baking powderSalt to taste1 1/2 c. water1/2 c. shortening or oilMix the cornmeal, baking powder, salt and water thoroughly in a bowl. Heat shortening until hot in heavy skillet or iron pot. Add cornmeal mixture to hot shortening. Place skillet over high heat and stir to fry the mush. Lower heat and keep stirring until it looks like cornmeal again. Cook about 15 minutes. Serve with milk--------------------------------------------Cush-Cush1/4 c. cooking oil1 c. yellow or white corn meal3 tbsp. all-purpose flour1 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. salt2 tsp. sugar2/3 c. water1/4 c. milk1 tbsp. butterCombine corn meal, flour, and baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well; gradually add water. In a heavy bottom pot, add oil and corn meal mixture. Cover with a tight fitting lid and place over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes. Uncover and stir. Cover; cook again, reduce heat to low, cook 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Then add milk and butter. Cover for a minute or two. Serve hot with Louisiana cane syrup, or as a cereal with milk. =====================================================From: FranSent: Monday, July 29, 2013 2:43 PMTo: 'Phaedrus' Subject: RE: cornbread cushThank you Phaed, You are such a comfort. I really enjoyed corresponding with you and am very appreciative of all you have done. Im glad I found your web site. You are one person that does this, arent you? It seems better when I think you are a dedicated servant of the people searching out old recipes that are all mixed up in their happy family life. When you reach my age, those happy memories of family meeting over really delicious meals is a special joy, especially nowadays with both parents working and latchkey children. My mother stayed home and was always singing and raised her children, instilling in them a sense of decency and a love of God and nature. She said a guilty conscience is Gods way of telling us we have done wrong And I always hear her voice whenever I say an idle word or talk about someone. She never met a bad person. One of her big things was theres a little bit of good in the worse of us and a little bit of bad in the best of us & she always saw the good in everyone. Man, am I ever rambling, sorry, I can only chalk it up to living alone mostly and never talking to anyone much.Keep up the good work and God bless you,Fran-------------------------------------------------------------------Subject: Re: cushFrom: elzieDate: 5/10/2019, 7:52 PMTo: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.comOn 5/10/2019 4:44 PM, elzie wrote: my mother was part indian she made indian cush all time ingredients is crumbled cornbread chicken broth onion salt sugar sage water milk egg brown in 9x9 cake dish GLASS brown in bacon grease turn and brown all through till chopped onions are done turn and brown turn and brownHi Elzie,I found the below recipe on the web. It's pretty close to your description, but it uses butter and is cooked in a skillet.PhaedCushIngredients1/2 stick butter1/2 C. onion, small dice1/4 C. celery, small dice4 C. cornbread, cut into small pieces1/2 tsp. thyme1/8 tsp. sageSalt and pepper to taste3/4 C. chicken brothDirectionsMelt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and celery. Cook until just soft. In a separate bowl, toss together the cornbread, herbs and broth.Add to the skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the bottom begins to brown.Yield: 6 servings
Fall River Coney Dogs
From: daveSent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 4:09 PMTo: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com Subject: Fall River Coney Dogs I've found many recipes for "Coney Dogs" that come from Michigan, Coney Island etc. In Fall River MA there are several little hot dog shops that sell "Coney Dogs" using a meat sauce that doesn't match any of the recipes I've found. These small shops date back to the 1920's and the Coney sauces are addicting. Each is slightly different and the recipes are guarded like the KFC recipe. The historical shops are called "Nick's Original Coney Island Hot Dogs" and "George's King Of Hot Dogs" both dating from the 1920's and the decor hasn't really changed since.Can you find the secret recipe?Dave Swansea MA
Hello Dave,
You are correct about the recipes being closely guarded secrets. They arent available. Sorry.
Georges has a small web presence here:
Georges King of Hot Dogs
Nicks has a much bigger web presence:
Nick's Original Coney Island Hot Dogs
You can buy a spice packet to make Nicks sauce at home from their website:
Nick's Coney Sauce
A couple of people have tried to make sauce like Nicks. Try these:
Phaed
Hi Phaedrus,In regards to the Fall River Coney Island sauce, Ive eaten at Nicks and their sauce is pretty much the same as the New York System hot dog recipe I found on your site. Hope this helps.John
