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PUTNAM NEWS
Chris Summers: A recipe solution to create a perfect meal
Good morning! Pour yourself a cup of coffee, sit down for a second, and take a breather.
I find inspiration for my writing in the strangest places, and it never leads me where I think it will.
Take this week, for instance, when a friend and I stopped for lunch at Jewel City Seafood in Huntington. The place has been in business for a few years now, but this was the first time I had stopped by.
I ordinarily wouldn't mention a restaurant outside of Putnam County -- I like to send my readers to local places -- but honestly, the food here is worth the drive, maybe even worth the walk. Also, I would also ordinarily give a place like Jewel City a review of its own, but this time, the succulent-inside, crispy-outside frog legs got me thinking:
We always remember the great meals (like this one). But for every outstanding meal in our lives, there is one that is, shall we say, just standing?
My worst meal came at a West Virginia college that will remain nameless. During my stay there -- for a summer conference -- we were subjected to numerous fairly terrifying things, but the most despicable was easily "turkey dinner with all the trimmings."
Indeed it was. I'm pretty sure whatever got trimmed off that turkey went straight into the pot with it. And yes, I did say pot, not pan -- the turkey was chopped into hash and sunk in about two inches of gray water.
This was served with a ladle, and all the other side dishes floated in it, circling the plate.
"Like swans," a tablemate said.
Every home-cooked Thanksgiving meal I have had since has tasted all the better for it.
My own kitchen's Hall of Shame includes:
- Homemade Cheese Nips (ever tried eating the tiles from a Scrabble game?)
- Mamie Eisenhower's Million Dollar Fudge (proof of why Ike did all the cooking)
- Homemade Low-Fat Brownies (in their defense, they made a dandy featherbed for my mattress)
- Dr Pepper Chocolate Nut Cookies (tasted stale when they were fresh)
- ...and last, but certainly not least... Horseradish Mustard (in the grand tradition of inedible condiments, still in the refrigerator, and still untouched).
The point, here, is that in case of awful meals like this, one should always have a standby recipe, one that always works and is ridiculously quick and easy to prepare. Something that can make you feel warm and cozy inside, and make you forget completely about what you ate before.
One of my standbys is a classic recipe for muffins, one that has been in my family since my mom received it from a friend as a wedding present (yes, she gave her more than a muffin recipe. It was PART of the gift.)
These are not the cakey, sweet, oily muffins you are used to from hotel breakfasts. These have almost no oil or, really, anything at all bad for you except for the whole milk -- which gives you an excuse to load on more butter once they are done. They are not all that sweet, which means you can use them as a side dish with dinner, like a roll or biscuit.
Best of all, there are no real secrets, so you aren't likely to wind up with another bad meal. Be sure to stir the flour before you measure it, only mix the batter until the dry ingredients are moistened (leave a few lumps), and don't overbake the muffins, and you will be fine.
Just don't serve them with boiled turkey.
THE MUFFIN RECIPE (makes about a dozen)
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (honestly, I never sift it -- stir the flour with a fork before measuring and you're fine)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar with a whisk or large fork until combined.
In a medium bowl, beat the milk, oil, and egg until foamy. Add to the dry ingredients and mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened -- a few lumps are OK. Overmixing the muffins will make them tough and full of large holes.
Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Immediately slip a table knife under each muffin and turn it sideways in its cup. Cool about 5 minutes before enjoying -- with lots of butter and honey, jam, maple syrup or fried apples.
Chris Summers recommends Jewel City Seafood to strangers on the street. You may contact him at cordhaven@hotmail.com.
