Ed’s Recipe Page
Most people like food, and the art of preparing delicious food is one of the mainstays of Portland. My passion for great food is one of the things that I love about Portland. I hope you enjoy these thoughts on food and recipes.
The central Gulf Coast of Florida, specifically Tampa, has been a culinary “hot spot” for over a century. The texture of it’s varied peoples, Caribbean Islanders, mixed with Southerners, Greeks,Italians, Spanish, Italians, all contributed to it’s own brand of“Fusion” cooking, long before the concept was coined.
Anyone who everattended one of the New Year’s Pig Roasts at the Garren house quickly learned that everyone in this family loves to cook. Mother Edna, an accomplished baker of cakes and cookies, as well as her famous Holiday Fruitcake soaked in Cognac for two months, loved to create in the kitchen.
“Miss Edna” made her own Guava Jelly, Orange and Kumquat Marmalade (from trees in the yard), as well as Boleche Asado (a roasted flank steak with a Chorizo inside to flavor it), Ropa Vieja (shredded flank steak simmered in “sofrito”, a spicy sauce), as well as traditional southern favorites like cornbread and sweet potato pie.
My father was a skilled “Camp Chef”, a talent fostered from cooking on camping trips, and backyard barbecues. His smoked Mullet (adelicately flavored vegetarian fish found in the brackish waters ofthe Florida West coast) was legendary. An invitation to come to the Garren home for smoked Mullet, cornbread and other delights was never passed up, with guests coming from as far away as 50 miles to partake. Always health conscious, Pappa Ed would make lemonade with brown sugar, and corn bread with whole-wheat flour.
My older brother Gene moved to San Francisco in the 1970s, where he learned Asian lifestyles and cuisine. Gene’s abilities with soybeansand squid, as well as his own renderings of smoked fish, are always a delight. At our holiday pig roasts, he held court carving the pig with his hunting knife and a large spoon.
I took all of this in, and embellished it with skills learned from the bayous of the northern Gulf Coast, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Haiti, all of which have made their way into the lexicon of a Florida chef. In todays times, we tend to place so much emphasis on the latest fashion in food. All of it is good, but holidays, particularly like Thanksgiving, tend to be the days we revert to what is most familiar.
There are few identified “southerners” in the west outside of African American neighborhoods. Most white southerners in the west tend to quickly shed any attributes that are overtly southern. While it is possible to find this cusine at barbecue places, it isvirtually impossible to find Florida cuisine in the region. It’s sort of like crossing Pambiche’ with Yam Yam’s. That is the essence of Florida cooking.
So, in the spirit of “Sharing a good thing”, I offer these recipes. They are some of the best examples of regional cuisine that I’ve found, and I hope you enjoy them. The stuffing recipe and the sweet potato pie recipe have received particular multiple accolades from persons as diverse as Korean to African American, all of whom agree that they are outstanding.
If you are roasting the turkey this year, do it in a paper bag (yes,it really works, no the bag does not catch on fire or even smolder). Turn the bag flat side down, make sure to use full sized bag (some stores now use smaller bags).
You can roast the turkey this way stuffed or not stuffed, it works every time. Get two “virgin” bags from the grocery store. Coat the bird (stuffed or unstuffed) with butter, margarine, oil, etc. then sprinkle it with paprika (lightly, this gives it a magnificent color), then put it in a bag (grocery store brown paper), flat side down, in a pan at least three inches deep. Then cut the bottom 8″of the other bag to make a “cap” for the open end. Put this into a preheated oven, 350 f, and roast for however many minutes per pound (instructions usually on the turkey). THAT’S IT!!!
No basting, no turning, no worrying, just pull it out (about 30minutes before time to serve) let it cool some in the bag, then cut off the bag and enjoy a marvelouslyroasted turkey with moist breast meat and a beautiful color. I havecooked about 45 turkeys this way and they have all come out perfect. (from Kay Jackson of Miami Beach)
I also discovered that “brining” the turkey for about 12 hours before really makes for a great turkey. There are many recipes, do a “Google” search on “Turkey Brining” to find a recipe that you like.
That said, enjoy!!!
CORNBREAD ALMOND STUFFING (from the Gasparilla Cookbook)3.5 cups chopped celery 8 cups white bread cubes5 Tbs minced onion 4 cups whole wheat bread cubes1.5 cups butter 4 cups corn bread cubes1 Tbs poultry seasoning 2 eggs, lightly beaten2 tsps savor salt 1 cup slivered toasted almonds1/2 tsps salt 4 chicken bouillon cubes1/2 tsps black pepper 2 cups water(2 cups of chicken broth may be substituted for the water andbouillon cubes)
Saute celery and onion in butter. Sprinkle poultry dressing, savorsalt, salt and pepper over bread cubes. To celery and onion mixtureadd eggs and almonds. Toss this mixture.Dissolve bouillon cubes in water and pour over bread mixture, tossinglightly until blended. Stuff bird and put remaining stuffing incasserole and bake, covered, at 300 for 40 minutes. Remove cover andlet brown. Stuffs 10 to 12 pound turkey plus extra casserole.
COLD CRANBERRY RELISH (Ed Garren)1 package cranberries 3/4 cup sugar1 can crushed pineapple (juice pack) 1 (small) package lemon =gelatin3/4 cup water 1 cup walnuts
Grind cranberries; let sit overnight in sugar. Add nuts and pineapple.Dissolve gelatin in hot water and mix in thoroughly. Refrigerate andallow eight hours to set.
Cranberry SauceBoil two bags of cranberries and one bag of chopped dried apricots in twoquarts of canned apple juice, sweeten to taste with sugar. Let it cook down.You can add some Walnuts or Pecans to it after it is cooked and cooled.
SWEET POTATO PIE Makes 2 nine inch pies (from Taste of Georgia)This is absolutely the best sweet potato pie recipe ever, and I’ve tried many.Everyone who has made it agrees with me on this, try it, you will too.*(You can reduce the sugar and butter if you want a “lighter” pie, use theamounts in parenthesis)
1.5 cups sugar *(or 1 cup) 1 stick butter, melted *(or 3/4 cup)3 eggs 1/2 cup milk1.5 cups cooked sweet potatoes or canned yams mashed1 tsps of Vanilla extract* 2 regular 9 inch pie shell(s), unbaked
* Captain Morgan Spiced rum, Amaretto or bourbon may be substitutedBeat together sugar and eggs, add potatoes/yams, vanilla extract andmelted butter. Mix, then add milk. Pour into pie shell(s) and bake at350 for about an hour.DO NOT USE ANY SPICES
VARIATION: Put pecans on top, plain, or sauted in butter and sugar.
GOLDEN BAKED MACARONI & CHEESE (Morrison’s Cafeteria’s recipe, from the Gasparilla Cookbook)1/2 pound macaroni 1 tablespoon butter3 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon dry mustard (or to taste)1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)1 cup milk3 cups grated cheese (Monterey Jack, Gouda, Sharp Cheddar or anycombination of hard cheeses)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Boil macaroni until tender; drain. Add butter tomacaroni and stir to melt butter and coat macaroni. In separate bowl, mixmustard, salt, pepper, milk and eggs, add to macaroni/butter mixture. Addmost of the cheese and mix well. Pour into lightly greased casserole dish,sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake until the custard is set and crusty,about 45 minutes. Make eight servings**The secret of this recipe is the use of the mustard, which givesthe zip. You can use prepared mustard if necessary, use to taste.
Miss Edna’s CORN PUDDING (side dish, NOT a dessert) (Edna Garren)1 (16 ounce) can of cream style corn 2 Tablespoons cornstarch2 Tablespoons butter, melted 2 Tablespoons sugar1 Cup of whole milk 1/2 Teaspoon salt3 eggs, beaten Dash of nutmeg
Preheat oven to 300 F. Combine dry ingredients, add milk and beat togetheruntil completely dissolved. Add eggs, corn and butter. Mix well, pour into atwo quart casserole and bake at 300 until the custard sets, about 45 - 60 minutes.
RICH EGG NOG (from the Gasparilla Cookbook)1 pint heavy cream 3/4 cup whiskey1.25 cups sugar 1/3 cup light rum6 eggs, separated 1 quart milk
Whip cream until stiff, adding 1/4 cup sugar. Separate eggs, whip whites very stiff, adding 1/2 cup sugar. Whip yolks until creamy, adding 1/2 cupsugar; continue beating until all sugar is dissolved. Add the liquors to theyolk-sugar mixture, mix well. Stir in the milk, fold in the egg whites thoroughly,then the whipped cream. Makes 2 to 3 quarts. This recipe can be doubled,but it becomes unwieldy if you try to triple or more.
The ingredients can be mixed the day before and folded in together just before serving. The taste is smoother if you let the liquor soak the egg yolks for a while before adding the milk.
It can also be made without the liquor and/or sugar, just soak the eggs in vanilla extract, use about a half cup, and/or substitute Splenda for the sugar, sweeten to taste.
BLACK EYED PEAS (for New Years Day) (Ed Garren)2 pounds of dried Black Eyed Peas (soak overnight) 1 pound of bacon3 large yellow onions, peeled and diced 3 Green Peppers, dittoApproximately a teaspoon each of Salt, Oregano, Basil, Rosemary3-5 Bay leavesCayenne Pepper or Tabasco to taste.
Take bacon, cut it into little squares, fry it in the pot. Cut up onions and green peppersand fry them in the bacon grease. Pour off the excess grease. Put in the soaked orfrozen or fresh or canned (if you’re in a real hurry) black eyed peas. Fill with water tocover peas (unless using canned peas). Add, Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, Bay Leaf,Salt, a dash of Cayenne Pepper or Tabasco. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer,cover and cook until soft.
May be eaten solo or over Steamed Rice.
CORN WAFFLES (From Sunset Magazine, March 1929) 2 cups flour 1 cup whole milk 3 1/2 tsps baking powder 2 eggs, separate and beat the whites stiff1/2 tsps salt 1 cup corn kernels1/4 cup butter, melted
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Stir in milk and egg yolks. Addcorn and butter, fold in egg whites. Bake in in a hot waffle iron.Makes about 4 large waffles.
Note: Thawed frozen corn, or canned corn without liquid such as Nibblets may be used.
Miss Edna’s “Hermits” (Edna Garren, those wonderful cookies that my mother has made for years, chewy and good) Pre Heat the oven to 375 F, start with regular beaters in your mixer:
2 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Syrup
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
2/3 cup Oil
2 Tablespoons Orange Marmalade
Cream the eggs, sugar and oil, add the syrup and Marmalade,
then add
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon Allspice
1/2 Teaspoon Ginger
1 Cup seedless Raisins
1 Cup chopped nuts (Walnuts/Pecans, can be mixed)
1 Teaspoon Baking SODA dissolved in 1 Tablespoon Water
Switch to a dough hook (on your mixer) and add 3 Cups Flour.
Mix this into a stiff dough. Drop with a teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets and bake at 375 F until medium brown.Yield 2 to 3 doz.
PUMPKIN PIE CAKE My friend John Burnett got this recipe from a neighbor, Mary Ellen Reed of SylmarCalifornia in 1979. It is stunningly delicious.
1 large can of Pumpkin pie mix 2 cups of chopped pecans1 box of Duncan Heinz Butter Recipe cake mix1 small Pkg of pecan halves 1 can of evaporated milk1 stick of butter or margarine (melted)
Prepare Pumpkin Pie Mix according to directions on can using evaporatedmilk. Grease or spray with Pam, a 9 X 11″ Pyrex rectangular glass dish orequivalent pan. Pour Pumpkin Mix into dish. Remove cake mix from box whilestill in its plastic wrap. Before opening mash out all lumps in the mix.Dribble cake mix (dry) over entire top of Pumpkin Mix. Spread evenly with afork. Next dribble chopped pecans on top of cake mix. Dribble meltedbutter over top. It will not cover every area — Just dribble it over as muchas possible. Reserve Pecan Halves and arrange them on top of the cake tenminutes before end of cooking time. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.This cake may also be done with sweet potato pie mix. Add spices if you prefer.
Pecan Pralines (Krista Bryars)While visiting the Bryars in Mobile, Krista gave us this wonderful recipe for PecanPralines, and a bag full for the road. They were wonderful, hope you enjoy the recipe.It was a little tricky the first time, depending on the speed of your microwave. I’msure it can be made on top of the stove as well.
3/4 Cup Buttermilk2 Cups Sugar2 Cups Pecan Halves1/8 teaspoon Salt2 tablespoons Butter1 teaspoon (Baking) Soda1 teaspoon Vanilla
In a large microwave safe bowl, stir together Buttermilk, Sugar, Pecans, Salt and Butter.Cook on high 10 1/2 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Stir in Baking Soda until foamy.Cook 1 minute. Add Vanilla. Beat until tacky and drop on foil to cool.
Marti Kolker’s Brisket & Beans Martha Lynn Beirnbaum-Kolker (Marti) was a wonderful friend in Miami. Her fatherwas in the hotel business after WWII on Miami Beach, at one point owning more hotelrooms than Conrad Hilton. He made his fortune on Miami Beach, and received anaward from the Miami Jewish Federation for libertating hotels (opening them up toJewish guests) on Miami Beach. Her mother was from Macon Georgia, from a Jewishfamily in Georgia that came before the Revolutionary War (and helped finance it).Many have asked for this recipe, here it is.
1 small package of dried Baby Lima Beans1 Brisket (up to 6 Pound)2 onions, chopped1 Pint Barbecue Sauce (best to use Marti & Amelia’s sauce recipe, which is next).
Soak the Lima Beans overnight until they swell up. Boil them about 15 minutes,until they start to get tender, but not soft (sort of “aldente”). Drain off excess water.Place the Brisket in an enamel roasting pan (or similar that can be covered tightly).Pour the wet (but drained) beans on top. Add the chopped onion and the Barbecue Sauce.
Cover tightly and roast at 350 F for 30 minutes per pound of brisket. If the Brisket islarger than 6 pounds, pre roast it for 30 minutes per pound over 6. The beans cookin about 2 hours, so a 4 - 5 pound brisket works best. You can also add a small can ofbaby carrots (drained) the last 45 minutes of cooking for both extra flavor and color.
Marti & Amelia’s Barbecue Sauce After years of experimentation, Marti and her mother came up with this recipe, whichis perhaps the best tomato based barbecue sauce I’ve ever had.
2 large (barrel) bottles of Ketchup2 large bottles of A-1 Sauce1 Bottle of Wostershire Sauce1 bottle of barbecue sauce, regular size, for spice blend.1 jar of molasses1/2 bottle of “Liquid Smoke”1/2 bottle of sesame seed oil (optional)1/2 bottle of vinegar1 cup of Olive Oil1/2 cup of Lemon Juice4 onions, chopped3 (or more) cloves of garlic, choppedpepper to tastehot sauce (or cayanne pepper) to taste.
Makes a large kettle of sauce. Simmer all day, with the top off so that it cooks downto proper consistency. May be thickened with an additional bottle of ketchup, orcorn starch. Cook until thick, about 4 hours.
MAURY CALVERT’S BARBECUE SAUCE (from=Tampa Treasures cookbook)This is the finest Mustard based barbecue sauce I’ve ever tasted.
1 pound butter or margarine
1 (10 ounce) bottle Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Tabasco
1 cup prepared mustard
1 pint vinegar
3 lemons (include juice and grated rind)
salt, black pepper to tastecayenne or red pepper to taste.
Melt butter; add remaining ingredients; cook until blended thoroughly.
USE THIS SAUCE WHILE COOKING/BARBECUING. It has no sugar, so it won’t burn like other red sauces. You can also use it after, but it’s power is while you are cooking the meat. Keep the meat wet with this, cook is slow, and it comes out incredibly moist and flavorful.
This Sauce is great if you are roasting pork or ham. You can slow roast themeat by covering it in this sauce, wrapping it tightly in foil and roasting it at275 for about double the usual time. Serve with rolls for mini sandwiches.Have extra sauce as a side to the meat on the table.