Going Retro with Tamale Pie

 

You know those days you think you know everything? You read a cool article online or you learned a new tip on a food blog, then you feel like such a hipster because you are WAY ahead of the curve. Well, after discovering this recipe, I felt the opposite of that. I found this recipe in an old set of cookbooks that my grandma received as a sort of rewards program from a grocery store (move over scanned bonus cards and ambiguous "points," I want a set of awesome cookbooks!) While flipping through the pages, I found out these cookbooks, published in 1968, contained some recipes I that I thought were novel 21st century ideas. I found recipes for avocado ice cream, gloriously delectable cakes and probably about a hundred creative cookies. There was even a detailed section on nutrition that advised people to eat small meals throughout the day (and I thought that was a new revolution in the dietary world...). I decided that instead of striving for hipster and new, I'm going to indulge and retro and classic. There is certainly something to be said for age-old wisdom and technique. Instead of wasting time looking for the newest fad, I think I'll spend a little time with some good old cookbooks and discover deliciousness that is time-tested.

 



 This tamale pie was part of the American Cooking section of the Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery. It was listed under the New Mexico section and instantly attracted me. I had been wanting to try a recipe I saw online where a mason jar was filled with fresh chili, topped with cornbread batter and baked until golden. When I saw that this recipe contained two layers of cornmeal crust filled with a Mexican-spiced tomato and meat center, I was intrigued. Without the fancy mason jars, this recipe was a simplified version of the recipe I had hoped to try (written about 45 years ago).

 

The recipe was absolutely delicious. It took a bit of time (about an hour and a half total, 45 min. prep and 45 min. baking), but the bubbling filling peaking out from the golden crust was a welcome sight after pulling it from the oven. With a little added Mexican spice, the filling adopted a tangy, tomato-y Tex Mex flavor. The top crust remained crisp and buttery while the bottom crust, soaked beneath the filling was moist and gooey (a perfect texture combination).

 

 

Tamale Pie

Adapted from Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery

 

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 1 green pepper, chopped

- 2 Tbs. olive oil

- 1 lb. ground chicken (the original recipe called for beef)

- 3 1/2 cups (one 1-lb 12 oz. can) tomatoes

- 1 dozen ripe olives, pitted and sliced

- 1 tsp. ground coriander

- 1-2 Tbs. chili powder

- Mexican seasoning, to taste

- 1 cup yellow cornmeal

- 1 cup cold water

- 1 quart seasoned chicken broth, hot

- butter\

 

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Saute onions until transparent and glossy. Add peppers and cook until tender. Saute garlic with peppers and onions for 30 seconds to a minute. Add chicken and allow to cook through. Add tomatoes, salt, seasonings and olive oil and allow to cook for 20 minutes on low.

 

While the filling is cooking, mix cornmeal and water in the top of a double boiler. Add hot broth and cook over double boiler. Allow to thicken. ( I followed the instructions for "cornmeal mush" on my polenta bag and mixed the cornmeal and cold water. Then, I added 2 cups of boiling broth and cooked it over medium low heat until thick. I thought this method seemed easier) Line an oiled 2-quart casserole with half of the cornmeal mixture. Add meat mixture and top with remaining cornmeal mixture. Let cool slightly and dot with butter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Serves 6.



 

Sourdough Makes Everything Sweeter

While watching Food Network recently (my guilty pleasure), I heard about a pizza company somewhere in California that uses 500 year old yeast. That is some over-the-hill stuff. I mean, that stuff was old when George Washington was alive and its still working today. I'd say, if we decide we want to live forever and start searching for the elixir of youth, we should consult that particular batch of yeast.

Obviously, I don't know the details, but I assume that the yeast operates somewhat like a sourdough starter. It's probably fed a hearty diet of flour and water daily and kept at a warm and comfortable temperature at all times. Basically, it is some thoroughly pampered yeast. And why not? It's been producing delicious dough for five centuries. I think it deserves some serious TLC.

I love the idea of sourdough and sourdough starters, but I don't really have 500 years. In fact, I'm not even patient enough to wait a whole week. So, I searched the internet for an easy and relatively quick starter. I found one on What's Cooking America that only took me two days. I cheated a little by adding some yeast and sugar to start, but the starter smelled lovely after just two days sitting (covered, of course) out in the garage.

Then, I had to find some recipes to showcase my new creation.

 

Since the lazy days of summer are in full swing (and I only have about two weeks until I'm living the dorm life again), I decided to indulge in a homemade pancake breakfast. Even though the batter has to sit overnight, the sourdough pancake recipe I found on Joy the Baker is super easy and super satisfying.  Just be warned, the recipe creates A LOT of batter, way too much for just my mom and I to consume. I ended up with about 20 decent-sized pancakes and, since I don't have a griddle and have to cook them one at a time, it took me about 40 minutes to transform the voluminous batter into more appetizing, buttery pancakes. I didn't feel like using oil in the recipe so I substituted pumpkin that I had on hand for the two tablespoons of oil in the original recipe. Also, because I was going with the slight pumpkin theme and I love the smell of hot cinnamon, I added a generous sprinkling of ground cinnamon to the batter. The pumpkin flavor did not come through in the final pancakes beneath the prominent sourdough taste, but the cinnamon sure did! YUM! Overall, this recipe was easy, delicious and a great first use for my starter!

 

Sourdough Pancakes

 

Overnight Soaker:

1 cup starter (mine was fed)

1.5 cups warm water

2.5 cups flour ( I used 1.5 cups wheat and 1 cup AP)

 

Mix the starter, flour and water in a non-metal bowl. Cover and allow to sit in a warm place overnight.

 

Batter:

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

1 tsp. baking soda

dash of salt

2 Tbs. brown sugar

2 Tbs. pumpkin puree

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

All of the starter mixture

butter or benecol for the pan

 

Whisk together egg, milk, sugar, puree and cinnamon in a small bowl. Combine with the starter mixture and whisk again. Heat a griddle or pan on medium-low heat and melt some butter for the pancakes. Scoop batter onto the pan/ griddle to desired size. Cook until you see the edges start to turn doughy and the large bubbles on the surface begin to pop, flip and cook the other side. Place the finished pancakes on a plate and enjoy your bountiful breakfast made from your own delicious sourdough starter!

 



This is the HUGE pile of pancakes that the recipe produced! Even though I didn't add butter/oil to the batter, I sure made up for it in the pan. You can tell by the brown edges that the outside of these pancakes were crisp and buttery while the insides were moist and gooey. (My favorite pancake textures!)

 

After being woken up by the smell of pancakes, my mom enjoyed her stack with a hot cup of coffee and a generous layer of maple syrup. I, not being the biggest fan of maple syrup, opted for some homemade strawberry balsamic vinegar jam instead. Either way, the delicious sourdough flavor was the true star of this pancake breakfast.

 

It seems as though sourdough and homemade starters can be kind of an addiction (Really, it's no wonder some people have used the same one for 500 years.) Once, I made the pancakes, I new I had to try my hand at some real, sourdough bread. This recipe from Key Ingredient was perfect. It was soft, airy and chewy on the outside with a crisp crust on the outside. It, like the pancake batter above, also produced plenty of product (meaning two generous sized loaves). I enjoyed my first slice as a PBJ with some chocolate peanut butter and more of my homemade jam. The sourdough flavor was still prominent, but a little less pronounced in this recipe. So, if you would like to try sourdough but aren't a huge fan of the super tart flavor, I recommend this sandwich bread.

 

*Note: The flowers in the background are the bouquet that I got for my 20th birthday! Aren't they pretty? I'd say your never too old for a little bright color in your life!

* Warning: This dough requires a lot of rising time! It's definitely worth the wait, but make sure you give yourself and the bread plenty of time!

 

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

 

2	cups active starter
1	cup milk
½	cup water
¼	cup oil or melted butter
¼	cup honey
2½	cup whole wheat flour
3	cup white flour
3	tsp salt



Mix all ingredients except salt for 2-3 minutes. Allow the dough to rest for about 20 minutes. After rest, add salt and knead dough for about five minutes. If dough is too sticky, add slightly more flour but dough should be soft and not dry and stiff. Place in oiled bowl and allow dough to rise for 3-4 hours or until nearly doubled in size. Divide dough into two pieces and shape into loaves and place in two greased bread pans. If a free form loaf is desired, place on greased baking sheet. Spray with oil and cover with plastic wrap to keep from drying out. Allow to rise for 2-3 hours. When dough has risen, slash the top of the loaf. If baking a free form loaf, you can use the roasting pan method for added humidity while baking. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. For even browning, turn loaves halfway through baking time. Variations: We really like this doughs for a multipurpose dough. Some of the ways we've enjoyed it were as cinnamon raisin bread and dinner rolls.