Is Corned Beef really Irish?

3/16/11 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

Is corned beef really Irish?

I can tell that St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner by walking down the aisle of the meat market. Corned beef briskets — that normally occupy a small area of the shelves — are piled high in a display that screams, “Buy me! Buy me!”

Here in the United States it has become tradition to eat a version of a New England boiled dinner on March 17 and proclaim it to be traditionally Irish. But is it really? The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no.’

The Irish are known to have figured out a way to salt-cure beef sometime in the first millennium A.D. so obviously they have eaten corned beef for a long time. They just didn’t eat much of it. Cattle were an indicator of wealth and prized as a medium for barter. They were only slaughtered when they were no longer good for milking or breeding. In other words, they were worth more alive than dead.

Pork and lamb were the meats served on special occasions. Beef, a rare delicacy, was eaten fresh. Even during the potato famine they shipped corned beef to other markets. not corned. So most of the corned beef eaten in Ireland on March 17, will be served to tourists, not locals. The Irish tend to look upon corned beef as a reminder of their days of poverty and famine. Some commentators suggest that it’s just too plain, boring or old-fashioned for modern Irish tastes.

Personally, I love corned beef and that’s what we’ll be eating tomorrow. Today’s first recipe is from an old cookbook that adds an unexpected finishing touch of whole cloves and maple sugar. It’s fork tender and delicious.

An Irish lamb stew is probably more traditional for the Irish than corned beef. It’s a little more time consuming to put together than corned beef but it can be made the day before, refrigerated overnight and reheated for dinner. Recipe number two is easily doubled, nicely feeds a crowd and is almost as inexpensive as corned beef.

Be sure and serve Irish Soda Bread with either recipe. It is traditional. In Ireland, soda bread is baked daily. It is a basic quick bread made from flour, salt, baking soda and sour milk; meant to be eaten that day and not held over. A traditional soda bread does not contain yeast, honey, sugar, eggs, sour cream or fruit. We Americans tend to get carried away and make it more cake or scone-like. My recipe has been ever so slightly Americanized. Enjoy!

VERMONT CORNED BEEF

Serves 8 as adapted from

“The Yankee Cookbook”

4-5 pounds corned beef
1 large onion cut in 8 pieces
1 head cabbage, halved, cored and quartered
8 small whole carrots
8 small potatoes, pared
1 white turnip, pared and quartered
Whole Cloves
1/2 cup maple syrup
Pot Liquor:
2 cups cooking liquid
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons butter

Cover corned beef with water and bring to boiling point. Drain, cover with hot water and let simmer until nearly done (4 hours). Add the vegetables and simmer until done. Remove the vegetables to a pan, cover and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Place meat on a rack in an open roasting pan. Stick with whole cloves in diagonal design. Pour maple syrup over meat and put in oven to brown and glaze. Baste occasionally with maple syrup.

Meanwhile, make pot liquor: skim off excess oil from the cooking liquid. Stir in butter and parsley. To serve, slice meat on the diagonal against the grain. Spoon juices over meat and vegetables.

IRISH LAMB STEW

1-1/4 pounds thickly sliced bacon, diced
5 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup hot water
3-1/2 cups beef stock
2 teaspoons sugar
3-1/2 cups carrots, sliced
1-1/2 large onions, cut bite size
3 large potatoes, large dice
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Optional: 1 cup white wine or 1 can dark beer

Fry bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat until brown. Remove from skillet, drain, crumble and set aside. Reserve bacon drippings.

Put flour, salt and pepper in large bowl. Toss lamb cubes in flour to coat evenly. Re-heat bacon drippings and brown meat in frying pan.

Place meat into stock pot, leaving 1/4 cup of fat in frying pan. Add the minced garlic and onion. Sauté until onion begins to brown. Deglaze frying pan with 1/2 cup water and put garlic, onions and liquid in stock pot. Add the bacon pieces, beef stock and sugar. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours.

Add carrots, onions, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves and wine/beer to pot. Reduce heat and simmer covered until vegetables are tender.

EASY IRISH SODA BREAD

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients with margarine, 1/2 cup buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter with remaining buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an ‘X’ into the top of the loaf.

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean — about 30 to 45 min. Continue to brush the loaf with butter mixture while it bakes. Serves 6-8.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

How to write an obituary

3/9/11 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser

How to write an obituary

Okay, today’s subject sounds rather morbid but it’s really not. In fact, if you live long enough, you will find that it is an invaluable life-affirming skill. Eventually, a dear family member is going to pass on and you are going to be given the responsibility of summing up their lifetime in a few short sentences. To do so, you’ll need both writing skills and rock solid facts.

All newspapers and funeral homes have forms for you to fill out regarding your deceased loved one. This is an important document. It is a formal public farewell to the deceased and an important genealogical resource for current and future generations. There’s just one problem with those forms — they call for lots of statistics. And many times we don’t have enough information about the deceased to accurately fill them out.

I discovered this when asked to write my mother’s obituary. I was not the keeper of the family tree. Mother was. And she had kept all of that information in her head. Somehow, it never occurred to me that she was going to die without leaving behind a tidy little binder of vital statistics. Well, she did.

It became my lot to make phone calls all around the country to aging relatives and reconstruct her early life. She was born an only child and died at the age of 94, having outlived most of her cousins, making the job that much more difficult. It would have been so much easier if I had asked those questions when she was alive but her generation was reluctant to discuss such things.

My advice is to interview your parents and grandparents — ASAP. None of us are going to live forever and if we keep putting it off, it may be too late. Schedule it. Put it on the calendar. Make an appointment with the folks for afternoon tea (or a beer!) and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. If you don’t do it now, then when will you?

To save time, prepare in advance a basic questionnaire: name, date and place of birth; parent’s and siblings’ names; education and marriage information; careers, etc. It’s best to write the basic questions and send a copy in advance of the interview. That way they can think about it, fill it out and you’ll save time. If you need a guideline pick up an obit form at the newspaper to use as a guide.

Make the interview fun. Don’t be morbid about it. Tell your loved ones that this is their 15 minutes of fame and “let’s get this done right.” The awkward part is getting started. Go over spelling and dates to be sure they’re correct. Once someone starts reminiscing about where he or she was born and how times have changed, the ice is broken.

Next, ask some questions to give life to the person’s personality. Sure, Aunt Mabel liked to play Bingo and loved being a homemaker but she was more than that. Maybe she was a Rosie the Riveter in WWII, volunteered with the USO or taught in a one-room school. Uncle Joe may have been a decorated veteran, sung in a barbershop quartet or traveled every year with a missions group to Mexico. Make it sound interesting not mundane.

During the interview, be sure and throw in a few questions about family in general. This isn’t for publication. But it will be the perfect opportunity for you to learn about family history and share it with your kids and grandkids.

Finally, comes the hard part: burial and memorial service arrangements. It’s not easy to talk about death and dying. My mother would not discuss anything about the possibility of her own death. We knew she wanted to be buried by my father but that was it. We could only go by previous family arrangements in terms of planning her memorial service.

If I had been wise, I would have discussed with mom other funerals and memorials that she had attended. I thought I knew what she liked but I didn’t know what she disliked. Perhaps you could take note of this approach and apply it to your situation.

One final thought — pictures are important. File individual current photos of your loved ones with the printed information. Be sure they are either dressed in their Sunday best or something appropriate for publication. Notice, I said ‘individual.’ Don’t publish a picture of the person cut out of a group photo with someone’s arm hanging over their shoulder. Personally, I like it best when photos are published of folks in both mid-life and older years, giving the reader a perspective of their whole lifespan.

In the spirit of disclosure, I must tell you that because of this column, I decided to ‘outline’ my own obituary. Not wanting to be one of those “Do as I say not as I do” advice givers, I took my own advice and put together a couple of pages of basic obit information for my family. It only took me about 30 minutes and I must say that on paper I look really boring. My kids will have to work hard to spice up my life!

Now, the ball is in your court. What are you going to do with it? I hope that you take up this task with enthusiasm. Practice by interviewing yourself and then move on to the family elders. Then pat yourself on the back and file the information. You will be glad that you did.

P.S. Finn John, my long-time editor, mentor and friend, asked me to write this column a long time ago. As usual, I procrastinated. So, Finn, this is for you. I hope I covered all the bases.

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart.

Read her columns in the Oregon Cottage Grove Sentinel

March Meal Malaise

3/2/11 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

March meal malaise

Welcome to March! Otherwise known as the “in-like-a-lion, out-like-a -lamb” month. This familiar old saying reminds us that the month usually begins with cold, unpleasant weather and ends mild and pleasant. Is that true? Well, we won’t know for another 30 days!

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, weather in the Pacific Northwest this March is going to start off fair but unsettled. It will be mild along the Pacific Coast with gales for both Oregon and Washington coastal areas. Later in the month there will be both showers and gales along the Pacific Coast. Idaho, Oregon and Washington will see some clearing. Mother Nature will finish us off with clearing and cold.

As spring weather forecasts go, that’s pretty normal. How it will play out on a daily basis is a roll of the dice. Every day will be different. Personally, I’m thinking that we’re going to pay for all those bright, sunny and dry days that we enjoyed in February.

Right now, there are a few harbingers of spring in my garden. The daffodils are about 6-inches tall, the tulips are just poking their heads out of the ground while the camellias, rhodies and azaleas are budded out. My biggest fear is that (like last year) we will have a freeze and lose all of those beautiful buds.

Fortunately, winter vegetable gardening is not my thing so I don’t have to worry about losing a crop of peas, broccoli or cauliflower.

I do have to worry about “meal malaise.” As winter dwindles down and the selection of fresh meat and local veggies becomes sparse, I tend to lose interest in meal planning. Right now I’m leaning heavily on all those fruits and vegetables that I canned last fall to brighten up dinner. Our jars of green beans, peaches and pears are meal savers.

Buying fresh fish is difficult at this time of year. IQF (individually quick frozen) halibut or salmon is one way to insure a quality product. Less expensive fish can be used in fish cakes. Today’s first recipe is an interesting variation on traditional fish cakes. The recipe is simple so don’t let the instructions for cooking the fish deter you.

I like to serve salmon patties with mashed potatoes, buttered peas and coleslaw. French fries (baked in the oven) or new potatoes are a traditional alternative. Any dark green vegetable or romaine salad is also good. Look for seasonal asparagus, broccoli, green beans or spinach as veggie choices. And if you’re not fond of coleslaw, try some tomato and mozzarella slices drizzled with Italian dressing.

A bit of chopped parsley makes a nice garnish. You could also top them with a relish of finely diced avocado, tomato, cilantro, onion and peppers mixed with Italian dressing.

FYI: I frequently use a good quality canned salmon for fish cakes. Last week the can of Icy Point Salmon that I picked up had some great ideas for using their product. I have listed them at the bottom of the column. Check a couple of these out when you’re in hurry to prepare a quick dinner. Enjoy!

FISH CAKES

Adapted from “A Glorious Harvest”

Henrietta Green

1-1/4 cups milk
1 small onion, sliced
2 whole black peppercorns
3/4 cup fresh cod (or any fish that flakes well)
1/2 pound russet potatoes, peeled
2 teaspoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 large egg, hard boiled, shelled and chopped
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of cayenne
Salt and pepper
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 cup flour, more if needed
Corn oil for frying
1 lemon, sliced to serve

Put the milk, onion and peppercorns in saucepan and place over medium heat until almost boiling. Turn the heat down, add the fish, cover and poach very gently 10-15 min., until the flesh just begins to break apart when tested with a fork. Strain the fish, reserving the milk and set aside; let cool.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and mash them, adding the butter, parsley and about 1 tablespoon of the poaching milk. Use more if needed. However, do not overdo it: If the mash is too wet and sloppy, the fish cakes will not hold together while being fried.

Once the fish is cool enough to handle, skin it and flake the flesh into a bowl with your fingers, taking care to remove all bones. Mash it lightly with a fork and stir in the hard-boiled egg, lemon zest and cayenne. Season to taste. Gently fold the fish into the potatoes, adding the beaten egg white to bind the mixture. Let rest 30 min.

Divide the fish mixture into 8 equal portions and roll each into a ball between the palms of your hands. Press gently to flatten them. Sprinkle the flour over a board and roll the fish cakes in it until they are lightly covered. Fry the fish cakes in fairly hot oil for a couple minutes on each side or until they start to turn a golden brown. Serve immediately with lemon.

Canned Salmon Serving Ideas

Icy Point Salmon

1. At breakfast: Mix salmon with cream cheese and serve on a toasted bagel.
2. At lunch: Mix canned salmon with celery, onions and mayonnaise and serve in a whole wheat pita pocket.
3. At lunch or dinner: Toss canned salmon with rotini noodles and seasonal vegetables for an easy pasta salad

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.

Like it or not, the (generations) they are a-changin'!

2/23/11 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser

Like it or not, the times they are a-changin’!

Come mothers and fathers

Throughout the land

And don't criticize

What you can't understand

Your sons and your daughters

Are beyond your command

Your old road is

Rapidly agin'

Please get out of the new one

If you can't lend your hand

For the times they are a-changin'.

Bob Dylan

I usually don’t pay much attention to talk about the so-called generation gap. I mean, what’s to talk about? As Dylan says, the old road is aging and a new one is at hand. It’s all part of life’s cycle. Of course there’s a generation gap. The question is: How big is the gap?

In 2009 the Pew Research Center released a study that found Americans of different ages to be increasingly at odds over social and technological issues. People aged 18 to 29 reported disagreeing about lifestyle, views on family, relationships and dating. Those in the middle group pointed to a difference in manners, while older people cited differences in a sense of entitlement.

This year’s 53rd Grammy Awards certainly highlighted some of those differences. It was billed as a night to bridge the gap from young and old. The huge crowd responded to the performers and the musical extravaganza with enthusiasm. But to me, the entire event was a study in excess, arrogance and self-promotion.

As an “older” viewer, very little was appealing to me. There was more skin than classic clothing on display. There was more noise and less musical talent than one would expect from such an event. Some performers were more crass than classy. i.e. Cee Lo’s “F --- You.” And who could forget Lady Gaga performing “Born This Way” after arriving on stage in a pearlescent egg carried like royalty. She emerged wearing a flesh-colored skirt and bra a la Madonna. A sensational conversation piece to be sure.

Neither my husband nor I found the show entertaining so we resumed channel surfing. In this instance, we didn’t think this was entertainment. It was more like a gap in a great cultural divide.

The next day, I was still reeling from the Grammy production when radio host Dan Patrick interviewed Charlie Sheen. Charlie stars as a hedonistic bachelor in the comedy “Two and a Half Men” and evidently he lives a similar lifestyle off-stage. He keeps the tabloids busy with his escapades that allegedly involve drugs, drinking, prostitutes, porn actresses and arrests for domestic violence.

As a fan of Sheen’s earlier shows, I hoped in the interview that he would say he was turning his life around. Instead he bluntly intimated that he has no intention of changing his lifestyle. “I was sober five years … and was just bored out of my tree,” he said. “Crack cocaine is bad but not for everyone. I say stay off the crack … unless you can manage it socially.”

Those of my generation would say that public figures (whatever their industry) should act and speak responsibly. Sheen is not alone in his brazenness. We constantly see evidence of moral and financial irresponsibility displayed by our elected officials. Is this just another indication of the generation gap? Or is it something deeper?

The Pew Research Center study also addressed the subject of religion. It seems that religion is a far bigger part of the lives of older adults. Two-thirds of older adults (65+) said religion is very important to them and becoming more important over the course of their lives.
In contrast, only 44% of young adults (18-29) found religion important and about 50% of adults in the 30-49-age bracket found it important.

This gap doesn’t surprise me. After all, everyone knows that youngsters think they’re immortal. Nothing bad will happen to them. Or so they think. Older adults have experienced loss. They know that a spiritual side is essential to cope.

Technology was revealed to be another area of differences between the generations. Younger people have always embraced technology. At the time of Pew study about 75-percent of computer savvy adults aged 18- 30 went online daily compared with 40-percent of people 65-74 vs only about 16-percent for those 75 and older. (Some of us might contest those figures!)

The age gap really widened over cell phones and text messaging. Only about 6-percent of those 65 and older used a cell phone for most or all of their calls; 11-percent of those sent or received text messages. A whopping 64-percent of adults under 30 use cell phones daily and 87-percent of them text.

And here’s an FYI for the pollsters: There’s a reason why many of us don’t use our cell phones as our primary telephone. It’s a matter of manners. We prefer to keep our private conversations private. Unlike the lady I encountered talking about ‘personal issues’ while doing her ‘business' in a public restroom. I wanted to flush her phone!

And that brings us to morality, work ethic and manners. Across the board there seems to be a general set of moral values for each age group but tolerance is greater among younger people on cultural issues such as gay marriage and interracial relationships.

On a lighter note, Americans also disagree on when old age begins. People under 30 believe it begins at 60 while those 65 and older push it up to 74. But almost everyone agrees that they want to live to 89 years of age. Finally, we have something to agree on in which there is no generation gap!

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. 

Read her weekly columns in the Cottage Grove Sentinel.

Eat like a president!

2/16/11 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

Eat like a president!

There are many stories and myths about presidential eating habits. White House cuisine has inspired countless books and discussions about the diversity of the formal dinners served to visiting dignitaries. From the beginning, the public has been fascinated by what the president particularly serves at state and other official dinners.

Personally, I always wonder what the president and his family are eating when no one else is around. Certainly they must get tired of haute cuisine and hunger for a PBJ sandwich once in awhile. So I checked it out and sure enough, our presidents don’t always tuck into caviar. Sometimes they enjoy their own version of comfort food.

President Ulysses Grant liked cucumbers soaked in vinegar for breakfast. One of the Roosevelt’s liked scrambled eggs, codfish balls, fried liver and seafood but seldom ate dessert. Richard Nixon was fond of cottage cheese smothered in ketchup. Jimmy Carter loved grits baked with cheese at a breakfast. Jan. 2009, all five presidents (past, present and future) attended a pre-inaugural a la carte luncheon for Barrack Obama. Incumbent George Bush (43) enjoyed a grilled cheese sandwich. No word on what the guest of honor ate.

When my children were growing up, I celebrated holidays with special meals. On President George Washington’s birthday I always baked a cherry pie to honor him for telling the truth when he disobeyed his father and cut down a cherry tree as a child. Today we know that story probably isn’t true but it’s still a good reason to eat cherry pie.

Following are some presidential preferences recipes that I have gleaned from several sources. One source is “Obama Foodarama,” a food blog begun when Michelle Obama geared up to plant a White House vegetable garden and launched her “Let’s Move” initiative.

It seems only fitting to start today’s recipes off with some vegetables from our current president’s garden — a green salad and a vegetable dip. Next we’ll check out a version of New England Clam Chowder that John F. Kennedy was reported to enjoy paired with corn muffins. We’ll follow that with a Ronald Reagan macaroni and cheese recipe that I clipped out of the L.A. Times in 1988. And finally, a super simple cherry parfait in honor of good old George Washington. Enjoy!

Biggest Loser White House Salad

1 head of fresh lettuce, washed, dried, cut into bite size pieces
1 cucumber peeled, and cut into bite sized pieces
2 fresh tomatoes, washed and cut into bite size pieces
¼ red onion, peeled and cut as thinly as possible
1 bunch fresh basil, washed and chopped into big pieces
4 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions in large mixing bowl. In sealable container, combine oil, lemon juice, honey and salt and pepper. Cover container and shake vigorously. Add dressing to salad and serve immediately.

Yogurt Vegetable Dip

Adapted from White House kitchen

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups nonfat Greek yogurt
1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
½ cup finely diced onion
Salt to taste

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic with the yogurt and mix well. Stir in the cucumber and onion. Chill for at least an hour, overnight if desired. Serve with cherry tomatoes and cut-up raw vegetables like broccoli or fennel.

Simple Clam Chowder

4 bacon slices, diced
2 cups chopped onion
1-1/4 cups chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 (6-1/2 ounce) cans chopped clams, un-drained
5 cups diced peeled baking potato (about 1 pound)
4 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
1 bay leaf
3 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2-1/4 ounces)

Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside; reserve 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Add onion, celery, salt, thyme, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook and stir 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Drain clams, reserving liquid. Add clam liquid, potato, clam juice, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Discard bay leaf.

Combine flour with 1 cup milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth; add remaining 2 cups milk mixing well. Add milk and flour mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 12 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add clams; cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon.

President Reagan’s Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

Adapted from Los Angeles Times, Mar. 3, 1988

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 cups sharp American cheese, grated (set aside 1 cup)
1 cup milk (use more if needed)

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Butter 8-inch round or square casserole

Bring water to boil with dash of salt in large pan. Cook macaroni until tender and drain thoroughly. Return to pan. Stir in butter and egg. Mix mustard and salt with 1 tablespoon hot water. Add to milk. Mix 2 cups cheese with macaroni. Pour into buttered casserole. Add milk and sprinkle with reserved cheese.

Bake 45 min. or until custard is set and top is crusty. Serves 4

Cherry Parfait

1 can light cherry pie filling
1 quart light vanilla ice cream
Light whipped cream in a spray can
8 tablespoons nuts, toasted or candied
Shaved chocolate

In tall serving glasses alternate pie filling with ice cream two times, finishing with pie filling. Top with a squirt of whipped cream, sprinkle with nuts and shaved chocolate to serve.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare. Read her weekly columns 

in the Cottage Grove Sentinel.

President's Day Trivia

2/9/11 Chatterbox
Betty Kaiser

President’s Day is coming up! The third Monday in February we Americans celebrate the 44 men who have served as presidents of the United States over the past 234 years. Beginning in 1789 with George Washington, right through the 21st century and our current president Barrack Obama, it’s been a fascinating ride.

But wait a minute. Let’s back up. Our country was established in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. Who was governing the colonies between then and George in1789? I had forgotten, so I looked it up.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Continental Congress (with elected presidents) was the body of delegates who spoke for the colony-states during the period of 1774-89. During the Revolution, under the Articles of Confederation, the presidents of that body played a large part in developing our colonies into a nation.

Therefore there was no United States of America until after the Revolutionary War was fought and independence from England was won. Depending on who’s counting, there were 7-14 pre-USA presidents beginning with Peyton Randolph, a Virginian revolutionary, Henry Middleton and John Hancock (signer of the Declaration of Independence).

George Washington was the first president under the Constitution of the United States. Setting aside his obvious reputation as a four-star general; commander-in-chief of the American Revolutionary Forces; founder and first president of our country, he was an interesting guy. Check out these bits of trivia about him:

*•He was born into a wealthy, well-connected plantation family.
•He was home-schooled and great things were expected of him.
•He began his career as a soldier fighting for the British.
•He delivered the shortest 2nd inaugural address ever — 135 words.
•He was the only founding father to free his slaves.
•He was the only president who did not live in Washington D.C.
•As a farmer he introduced mules to America.
•He grew marijuana on his farm but mainly for its industrial value.
•Cutting down a cherry tree was a myth to show his honesty.
•At the time of his inauguration he only had one tooth in his mouth.
•His ill-fitting dentures were ivory not wooden.
•His favorite six white horse’s teeth were brushed daily.
•He left no direct descendants.

Abraham Lincoln is perhaps one of our most beloved presidents. On Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009, there were many celebrations of his 200th birthday. Not many presidents are remembered on the bicentennial of their birth! But, as you know, Lincoln was special. His life and example continue to touch hearts today.

Lincoln was the polar opposite of Washington. From his humble beginnings, no one could have predicted the important place that he would have in history. He was born in a log cabin in extreme poverty; lost his mother at age nine, had a terrible home life and minimal education. He was highly ambitious and known as Honest Abe

Ultimately, Lincoln guided the U.S. through the Civil War, signed the Emancipation Proclamation and delivered his famous Gettysburg address. Before that, he had a checkered career. He was postmaster of the New Salem, Illinois post office. He worked as a surveyor and fought as a captain in the Blackhawk War. He became a lawyer in the manner of that era by reading law books, observing court procedures and taking an oath to support the government.

He ran for several political offices and lost. Finally he won and served eight years in the Illinois legislature. Later he earned a national reputation for his debates on slavery against Stephen A. Douglas, candidate for U.S. Senator. In 1860 he won the Republican nomination for president and then the presidency.

Lincoln’s assassination at the age of 56 made him the first American president to die in this manner. James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy would be killed in a similar manner. Two other presidents were injured in attempted assassinations: former President Theodore Roosevelt and then President Ronald Reagan.

Being president is serious business but there are many humorous stories about presidents and their opponents. Two of my favorite anecdotes supposedly revolve around the losing end of presidential elections: Lincoln’s famous stovepipe hat and a Nixon comment.

Abraham Lincoln arrived at his presidential inauguration rostrum holding, in addition to a copy of his speech, his trademark black stovepipe hat and cane. When, after laying down the cane, he was dismayed to find no room for his hat, Senator Stephen Douglas (his chief electoral opponent) dutifully came forward and took it from him. “If I can’t be president,” Douglas remarked as Lincoln sat down, “I can at least hold his hat.”

Shortly after JFK’s inaugural address, Richard Nixon (his Republican opponent) generously told Ted Sorenson (Kennedy’s aide) that there were certain things in the address that he himself would like to have said. “Do you mean the part about ‘Ask not what your country can do for you’…?” Sorenson asked. “No,” Nixon replied, “the part beginning ‘I do solemnly swear’…

And finally, this quip by President Ronald Reagan, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this month, was heard by many of us.

Despite concern over Ronald Reagan’s age (69) when he ran for the presidency in 1980, he won by a wide margin, becoming the oldest president ever elected. Four years later, during a televised debate with Walter Mondale in the next election, Reagan was asked whether he was too old to serve another term. “I’m not going to inject the issue of age into this campaign,” he astutely replied. “I am not going to exploit, for political gain, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. 

Read her weekly columns in the Cottage Grove Sentinel.

Teens tackle hunger at Souper Bowl of Caring

2/2/11 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

This Sunday millions of football fans are going to be tuned in to Super Bowl XLV to watch the championship competition between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. The winners of this 45th annual edition of knocking, blocking and tackling will receive super size paychecks, rings, a team trophy and (of course) bragging rights.

Meanwhile, local teens from nearby churches and others around the country are going to be working on the Souper Bowl of Caring. Locally, before the football game, some teens are going to be tackling hunger by collecting cans of soup and monetary donations for the food pantry at Community Sharing.

I learned of this project and the impact it has across the nation from Tracy Durfee who works with the youth at First Presbyterian Church.

“The first ever Souper Bowl of Caring was started in 1990,” Durfee said. “A simple prayer from a single youth group began this event, ‘Lord, as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us to be mindful of those without even a bowl of soup to eat.’ Since that day, more than $60 million has been raised for local charities across the country through what is now known as the Souper Bowl of Caring.

“Through this mission, young people learn what it's like to make a positive difference in the world - as they collect food, raise money, and volunteer to work in charities that provide shelter for the homeless, food to the hungry and compassion to those in need.

“Last year our youth collected 116 cans and $178. I posted the information on Facebook and we had some people leave soup sacks at the front gate of the church! This year (in addition to collecting food) the youth plan to go to Community Sharing Feb. 4 and donate time there to work in the pantry.”

This is a great idea. Soup is a relatively inexpensive item that warms body and soul. All of us can afford to contribute a few cans of soup. Check out the sales, pick up some hearty varieties and either take them to your participating church or directly to Community Sharing.

By the way, while you’re at the market, you might also pick up a few cans of tomatoes. Almost any canned condensed soup (but not cream style) will benefit from adding the usual can of water plus a can of whole tomatoes and a dash of Italian spices.

Homemade soup is a wonderful meal for Sunday suppers. I have made a zillion variations on this first chicken soup recipe. The key to a tasty chicken soup is to first have a meal of roast chicken. Yum. Then, use the leftover chicken in the soup. The flavor and texture of the meat is fabulous. If you have a well-stocked kitchen, you can make the stock from pantry staples of onions, celery, canned broth, tomatoes, beans and corn. You just can’t go wrong

The final soup recipe in today’s column is from “100 Best Fresh Soups” a cookbook given to me by my daughter-in-law Betsy. The “Fennel & Tomato Soup with Shrimp.” It would make a great ladies luncheon dish with bread, green salad and pie for dessert!

Betty’s Company-good Chicken Soup

Saute together in saucepan:
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon oil
Add and bring to a boil:
2 cans chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cube chicken broth seasoning
1-2 carrots, shredded
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1-2 cans pinto or chili beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
2 teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1 small can diced green chilis, drained
3 cups cooked chicken or turkey, diced (add last hour of cooking)
Reserve: 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Place mixture in slow cooker and cook on low. If the broth is too thin, mix cornstarch with water; add to soup and bring to boil. Just before serving, add a dash of hot sauce.

Garnish with your choice:
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Sour cream
Red onion, finely diced
Black olives, sliced
Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Notes:
a. I double this for ‘company’ and sometimes add a can of cream of chicken soup and additional water if needed.
b. A couple of tablespoons of dry taco seasoning mix adds extra zip.

FENNEL and TOMATO SOUP with SHRIMP

“100 Best Fresh Soups”

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 large fennel bulbs, halved and sliced
1 small potato, diced
3-3/4 cups water
1-2/3 cups tomato juice (extra if needed)
1 bay leaf
4-1/2 ounces small shrimp, peeled
2 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon snipped fresh dill (1 teaspoon dried is okay)
Salt and pepper
Garnish: Dill sprigs or fennel fronds

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and fennel; cook 3-4 min., stirring occasionally until the onion is softened.

Add the potato, water, tomato juice and bay leaf with a large pinch of salt. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer about 25 min., stirring once or twice, until vegetables are soft.

Allow soup to cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor or blender and process until smooth, working in batches if necessary. (If using a food processor, strain off the cooking liquid and reserve. Puree the soup solids with enough cooking liquid to moisten them; combine with remaining liquids).

Return soup to the saucepan and add shrimp. Simmer gently about 10 min. to reheat the soup and allow it to absorb the shrimp flavor.

Stir in the tomatoes and dill. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Thin the soup with a little more tomato juice if desired. Ladle into warmed bowls, garnish with dill or fennel fronts and serve.

Betty Kaiser’s Chatterbox is about people, places, family, and other matters of the heart. 

Read her columns weekly in the Cottage Grove Sentinel.