Just the other day I was speaking to my daughter about the freezing weather and cold winters past. She recalled one winter in particular. She was seven or eight, when we had one of the worst winters ever. At the time, we lived in South Orange, New Jersey in a large house that sat high on a hill in an area called Newsted. The roads here wound around the mountainous terrain and were treacherous in good weather, so bad weather often rendered them impassable. The children loved this area because of the hills and the outstanding sledding they provided...a good snowstorm always meant a trip over to Flood'sHill where sledding was optimum!
...and our own front lawn also provided an excellent sledding experience...
...but I digress...The particular winter my daughter was remembering was a real humdinger. It had been freezing cold for days and both of my sons were suffering with the flu. My daughter returned from school laden with the boy's assignments and her own, and my husband came home from his business early (a most unusual happening in those years!) to beat the predicted storm. We ate dinner together (again...unusual) and hunkered down to watch the news as they reported on the coming storm. My husband moved his car to the bottom of our hill knowing how difficult it would be in the ice and snow and we readied the salt, shovels, snow-blower and kitty litter (great to put under car wheels on icy days to gain traction), and I made a last dash to the market to load up for a few extra days. We were ready...so we thought. Homework assignments completed, chores done, we sat together to watch a TV program...the five of us snuggled together as we heard the storm begin to blow outside...we had a fire blazing in the fireplace and popcorn popping over the flames. We we heard the sleet smacking into the side of the house, but we were warm...content...sipping hot chocolate and eating popcorn, watching our program...and suddenly... everything got dark! The TV went black...the lights flickered and died...the comforting humming sound of the furnace stopped...and there we sat in darkness...silence. A look outside was at once beautiful and frightening. Everything shone like glass in the light of the gas lamps (all of South Orange streets are lit by gas lights!)
The tree limbs were already encased in.a thick coating of ice and the streets were glassy. The flickering gaslight danced on our icy lawn.
"Cooool", said my son
."Not so much", I thought!
We waited and waited but the power did not return, so we got the sleeping bags and quilts down and put them in front of the fireplace. My husband, unable to sleep, stoked the fire all night long. And there we slept...with the sounds of coughing and sneezing from the boys, the whooosh of the fire as my husband added logs, and the snoring of our dog, Shaina. As soon as he heard the plows, my husband dressed and left so he could follow them down the mountain in their wake of new salt and sand...and I was alone with two sick kids and no power...and no way for my daughter to get to school...no call had come, I just assumed that there was none!...and the nanny couldn't return from her day off!!!
The house was freezing cold so we set up headquarters in front of the fireplace. I had the boys bundled up, but the little one was feverish and flushed. I went to call the pediatrician...no phone! (Now I understood why I had not gotten the school closing call) You could see the ice on the wires outside...and cell phones were at least a decade away! I was able to cook because I had a gas stove...but that kitchen was cold! I did the best I could but by the time lunch was cleared I could feel that scratchy throat and heavy-headed feeling that announces that a cold is imminent! I wanted my husband to stop and get a few things...to call the pediatrician for antibiotics for the boys and to let my always concerned parents know that we were OK...but how? As I stared out of the window I noticed that the neighbors across the street had lights on...that side had POWER!!! Only one person was well enough to go... so...I bundled my daughter up...covered her beautiful little face with a scarf, put plastic bags over her sox before she put her boots on, placed her heavy parka hood over her wool hat and a pair of mittens over her wool gloves and sent her across the street to make the calls. The Jacobsons were gracious and generous and allowed her to make her calls. Coming home was harder for her as she climbed up the icy hill, but she was indeed the heroine of the day. We remained without power for another 24 hours, but we had medicine for the boys, appeased grandparents and one sick mommy.
At last, the roads were made passable, Loretta was able to come back from her day off, the lights and power returned,school re-opened and the boys were well enough to returnl, I could nurse my cold in a warm bed...but wait...did I hear someone moaning? My daughter! That poor, sweet child had the worst stomach virus ever...and to this day I nurse that guilt!
The meals that got us through that winter and many others are simple and hearty. Here are some favorites...
3-4 packages of flanken or short ribs
4 packages of Manechewitz or Horowitz vegetable soup with flavor packet (look in ethnic food aisle or the kosher section)
1 whole onion peeled
3-4 carrots, sliced into bite sized pieces
salt and pepper to taste
water... I use a bit less than suggested on the package for thicker soup
1- Place meat in a soup pot, add 4 packages of soup mix reserving the flavor packets and add the water...add carrots and whole, peeled onion.
2- Bring to a boil and add about 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 tsp. of pepper and lower to a simmer.
3- Let soup simmer for about an hour and add the 4 flavor packets which will thicken the soup. Simmer another 1/2 hour to 45 minutes...meat should be falling off the bones and very tender. Discard the onion. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Usually needs a lot of salt!
I usually let it cool, place in a large bowl or individual smaller containers and refrigerate overnight to let it further thicken...heat and serve with a nice crusty bread and a hearty red wine.
A wonderful, easy, stick to the bones clam chowder is courtesy of adorable, talented Food Network chef, Dave Leiberman...We love it on a cold night with hot rolls and a nice white wine...or with lobstah!!!
Dave Leiberman's New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients
·
2 tablespoons unsalted
butter
·
1 medium onion, finely
diced
·
2 celery stalks (reserve
tender leaves) trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
·
2 (10-ounce) cans
chopped clams in juice
·
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Pan Toasted Croutons:
·
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Directions
Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high
heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, mixing often. Stir in
the flour to distribute evenly. Add the stock, juice from 2 cans of chopped
clams (reserve clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine.
Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then
reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the
potatoes are nice and tender. Then add clams and season to taste with salt and
pepper, cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes.
For the Pan Toasted Croutons:
Melt the butter in a large skillet and toss the
bread cubes in the butter until browned and toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add
parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Copyright 2012 Television Food Network G.P.
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Other delicious, hearty winter friendly recipes appear in some of my earlier posts...see:
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Other delicious, hearty winter friendly recipes appear in some of my earlier posts...see:
http://elsrecipiecollection.blogspot.com/2011/09/when-bad-things-happen-to-good.html for a wonderful beef stew
http://elsrecipiecollection.blogspot.com/2011/09/high-holy-daysfood-and-my-mother.html My Mother's chicken soup with matzo balls
http://elsrecipiecollection.blogspot.com/2011/10/discoveringthe-paris-of-my-heart.htmlfor a real French Onion Soup
Stay warm!!!!
http://elsrecipiecollection.blogspot.com/2011/09/high-holy-daysfood-and-my-mother.html My Mother's chicken soup with matzo balls
http://elsrecipiecollection.blogspot.com/2011/10/discoveringthe-paris-of-my-heart.htmlfor a real French Onion Soup
Stay warm!!!!
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