Red Plaid Recipe Box ...Recipe 1.

We're getting close to Halloween and it got me to thinking about Holiday Cooking. So I got out my mom's red plaid recipe box. I think I have mentioned it before. It's one of those"if the house was on fire what would you grab" kinda things. I treasure it. So as I was going through the box...I am thinking...all these recipes look so good..and what I really liked about them was that each recipe seemed to have a history behind it and told a story. Who's recipe was it? Where did it come from? A relative? A neighbor? An old friend? I love old recipe boxes . Each one so different...each one someone's own private treasure box.

Alot of the recipes were from Bessie. The lady that introduced me to "The Treasury Of Great recipes" by Mary and Vincent Price. My other "house is burning" grab. Bessie came every afternoon when my little brother was a baby and got supper started. Alot of the recipes are from relatives too. Since we are getting into the Holidays and winter, I thought it would be fun to work my way through the box and share the recipes with you...my friends.

The other day I wanted to make a lasagna. Not one of those all day make your own pasta affairs... I just wanted something simple and easy. So I tried the recipe for spaghetti sauce from the recipe file of Enide Allison. What a way to start. I don't know Enide.I have never heard of her. Ever. She must have been a real person..her recipe card has her name engraved right next to the little pot bellied stove.She must have taken her cooking pretty seriously to have her name engraved on the card.

So I made the the spaghetti sauce. And it was good. I just layered it with lasagna pasta and cheese. That was it. Simple.


from the recipe file of --- Enide Allison

1 onion, diced
1 large can whole peeled tomatoes (I'm on a San Marzano kick)
1 teaspoon oregano
Chopped italian flat leaf parsely (I used about 1/2 cup)
Salt and pepper

Saute the onion in olive oil till soft
Add tomatoes
Add oregano and parsley
Salt and pepper to taste. (to be perfectly honest, I just add salt, it's just a personal thing I have going on)
Simmer for about 40 to 50 minutes

Layer in a casserole dish lasagna and cheese with the sauce

Baker 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes till bubbly and hot

The Door To Gopher Glen In October

I looked North yesterday afternoon and saw the sky turning a dark blue black color. The sun was gone. And I was cold. It has been in the 90's here the past few days, so every morning we get up, put on our shorts and t - shirts, slip into our flip flops and head out the door. So yesterday was no different. I just figured we were in Indian Summer around here...even though, secretly I don't like it. Everyone else seems to like it. So I just smile and say, "Oh, yes, we are so lucky." So as the temperature sank and my mood rose, I knew a trip to See Canyon was the goal of the day. John and I got Buddy and loaded up in the car. We made our way through See Canyon, watching the yellow leaves of the apple trees swirl in the cold October sun. The air was damp and smelled of apples and leaves.

When we got to Gophen Glen .... we were greeted with rain. As the rain began we ran inside to check the board for the "Apples of the Day." Heavenscent, Turley Winesap and Limbertwig were the ones we got. We got back into the car the conversation turned to one of my favorite topics...Thanksgiving Pie. Should we make pumpkin or pecan or apple. Definelty apple..if for nothing else than an excuse to go to Gopher Glen on Thanksgiving Eve.

Some Things Never Change

I'm REALLY lucky. We have an old bakery that is about a 20 minute drive from the house. It is called Carlock's and it is just up Los Osos Valley Road. And the best part is ...in the Fall you drive right past Mary's Pumpkin Patch.I wanted to see if Mary survived the BIG STORM. And as I had feared, she had not. She was closed. It was sad to see. But it looked like she might have dodged a bullet. It didn't look as bad as I thought it would. I'm sure she is back up and running by now. I'll be stopping by soon to check. But on my way to my doomed fishing expediton I made a side stop to Carlocks. It is the kind of bakery that is frozen in time. If you stepped inside you would not know it was 2009. Old men sit at the tables in the back drinking coffee, eating donuts and reading the newspaper. The tables are formica and the chairs are aluminum. Crumbs are on the floor and the place smells of burnt coffee and cinnamon. You don't see anyone on a laptop, no one is sipping an espresso or a latte. No one has a tatoo or pink hair. It is just old fashion. Down home. Farmy. Comforting. It makes you happy. I really like going there on any given holiday. And they do it right. No, it's not like the pastry shops you see in San Francisco or Los Angeles.Not like the ones that have french tarts. There are no pear tart tartin. No pumpkin creme brulee.No panforte with candied quince. Nothing is garnished with a rose petal or mint.There are no croissants. Nope. Not here.It's donuts.

When I was a little girl and we lived in Los Gatos there was "The Cream Puff". I think I told you about it. It's not there anymore. When I was in high school here in San Luis Obispo there was "Delight". It too. Gone. What has happened to all the old fashion bakeries. Now it is either Vons or Safeway..or those real fancy ones. I guess when you get right down to it...they really do have to be old in order to be good and have the charm. Even these new bakeries like "Magnolia" and "Sprinkles" that go for the old fashion feel..well, they just are lacking because they aren't old. There is something about time standing still in these places. And the desserts that are offered are stuck back in time too. And therein lies the charm. Halloween at Carlocks ...what can I say. I love it. Did you see those cakes and cookies? I can feel my heart race when I enter the door..the little bell rings and the ladies run to the counter to help you. They assemble the bakery boxes, line them with waxed paper and load your goodies. And tie it with a string. I miss those days. I wish all my boxes were tied with string .

Great Pumpkin Contest - Mission Plaza

I went to the Great Pumpkin Contest in San Luis Obispo at the farmers market yesterday. The pumpkins were so large they took my breath away. I have grown pumpkins all my life... I've never had anything that even came close to these though.I took pictures so you could see them, but to be honest...they really are more spectacular in person.

Halloween Witch

I have to give credit where credit is due. My new header is a plate that was given to me as a gift for my birthday from my dear friend, Julie Whitmore.

Two Time Loser

I'm going to keep this short cause I'd rather forget it. I went to Morro Bay. That part was good. Made it to the fish market. But after that it was all downhill. They didn't have any Dover Sole or Petrale Sole, which is what I really wanted. So I got some calamari. The baby clams looked good, the sign said they were from Washington. The guy even said they were good. So I got calamari and clams. Both were losers. I made the worst dinner. The clams were weird. They tasted sweet. Almost like candy. We were both like, Huh? Has anybody ever had clams like that? And I don't even want to talk about the calamari. I have made this recipe before and it was always good. I pounded it out. Sauteed it in olive oil and butter. Added some lemon, parsley and capers. I mean, really, what could go wrong? It's simple. It was bad. I cut it up and put it out for a stray cat or racoon. Figured if we couldn't eat it...at least some wild creature would have a nice supper. Came downstairs this morning. 3 hungry stray cats staring at me. And a bowl full of calamari.

Take Me To Fisherman's Wharf

Well, we got hit hard by the Big Storm yesterday. It was windy and it poured. But we made it through...and it was cozy last night. We built a fire but my dinner plans had to be scraped because John was late...Highway One was slow going...so we veered off into Macaroni and Cheese territory. And not homemade either. I keep alot of food in my pantry that I call "emergency food", "storm food", "sick day food" and as a friend of mine calls "Do-Go-Mar day".. translation....Don't go to the market.And last night I was into the pantry. Found a box of macaroni and cheese...you know the one, the blue box..the one we've all had at one time or another...so that was it...

The storm looks like it's letting up so now I am pretending I am in San Francisco at the Wharf. I got out my old Fisherman's Wharf cookbook...The vintage date on this one is 1971. I have had it since before we were married. We've been married 29 years.
I never left the house yesterday so today I think I'll venture out. Feel like seafood. Maybe Petrale or Dover sole. But I don't know if it is in season..or maybe it can't be caught with the seas so stormy. I'll go see. I am going to go to either Old Port Seafood in Avila at the end of the pier or go to Morro Bay.If they don't have sole, I'll be happy with scallops or baby clams. I'll let ya know what I get.