As we wind down High Season at Boar Lodge, there are only a few more guests on the books for this year.
A big one (physically and literally) is JoEllen’s oldest brother, John and his wife Debbe, who arrive tomorrow.
This is the typical sibling portrait of JoEllen and her brothers as the "honky" version of Gladys Knight and the Pips, btw. (John is far right. We are in Cancun for the wedding of his older daughter.)
Although their visit is only a short two days, Jo is determined to make them feel at home. And impressed, of course!
Knowing some of his (if she remembers correctly) gastronomical hot buttons, Jo is cooking up a storm for her brother.
First, she has assembled four chicken Kiev filets today. She faithfully follows the Cooks Illustrated recipe that calls for ‘high quality white sandwich bread’ for the bread crumb coating. Therefore, she insists upon baking her own Cooks Illustrated recipe for “American sandwich bread.”
While Scott is allowed to enjoy a slice or two of the loaf after it’s cooled, much of it (four to five slices) goes toward the bread crumbs on the Kiev.
JoEllen has learned how to beat the breasts into flat, tortilla-like shapes in order to fold them around butter that will not leak until it’s cut into at the dinner table. (She has had mixed success on this, but mostly good.)
The four Kiev filets are assembled and resting gently in the deep freeze for Monday evening’s repast. Jo will serve Cook’s Illustrated’s “perfect rice” recipe along with some steamed baby spinach (we couldn’t find haricots verts, dammit).
JoEllen also knows that her brother likes his PB&J (peanut butter and jelly) sandwiches; so of course she is baking another Cooks Illustrated “American Sandwich Bread” in time to serve lunch when John and Debbe arrive. She will share her coveted Jif Super Crunch peanut butter (we can’t get it here – the best we can find is Skippy at Julius Meinel in Vienna). The Jif arrived as a much-loved gift from her cousins Carol and Nancy. We do, luckily, have really good potato chips and fruit jams here. You can’t have a good PB&J sandwich without chips on the plate!
One last thing Jo will bake and assemble in the morning: a German chocolate cake from scratch. You can guess that it’s a Cooks Illustrated recipe, yes?
It cannot possibly be as difficult as the cherry pie she made earlier this year.
Time will tell.
We are sorry there are so few photos for this post.
If all goes well, then the fruits of Chef JoEllen – or Yoshka – as they would call her here (a Slovak diminutive of Josefina where the J sounds like a Y) will be duly photographed and posted.
If not, well then: think that all the efforts paid off no matter how awful they look! Her brother will enjoy them anyway, we hope!
A penultimate note: we are sorry we have not posted in such a long time. We’ve been busy trying to get the chata back into shape after one third of the year spent with construction, and making it guest-friendly for all our guests.
A final note: although this post sounds like a blatant advertisement / endorsement of Cooks Illustrated, we have not been paid by them. We just really like their recipes!
Wow, now I know where I get my love for PB&J. I'm happy my parents finally get to make the visit and I hope that I may get to visit one day too.... xoxoxo Tori
Posted by: Tori Cain | 09/25/2011 at 09:58 PM
Moja mila Manzelka - l'ubim t'a ako kon...
Posted by: TB | 09/25/2011 at 10:58 PM
Tori! You and Rick come any time!
Posted by: JoEllen Zumberge | 09/26/2011 at 07:37 AM
Moj stary diviak: ditto.
Posted by: JoEllen Zumberge | 09/26/2011 at 07:38 AM
The picture of the loaf of bread almost made me weep. There is no such delicacy to be found in bakeries here anymore. Mother Helen was the best bread-maker I ever knew, only I didn't know it at the time. But PJ&J (JIFFY) is still available in abundance and I have switched to cracked-wheat bread for decent flavor. Have you ever served jelly and summer sausage sandwiches? I would love to visit you too. Love, Auntie Florence
Posted by: FLorence M Peterson | 09/27/2011 at 12:34 AM
There is much to love about Cook's Illustrated. I've never made the bread and perhaps I should. It looks wonderful.
Posted by: Vicki | 09/27/2011 at 03:27 AM
Auntie Florence: you will be very pleased to know that both your daughter, Nancy, AND your nephew John, ate sausage and jelly sandwiches on slices from my home made bread. They were both very pleased.
What you should ALSO know: my husband has a recipe that will make your knees weak: a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It is un-be-lieveable.
xxxxx your niece, JoEllen.
Posted by: JoEllen Zumberge | 09/29/2011 at 06:51 PM
Sometimes I have a pj&j sandwich for desert. What's the recipe for this fried thing? ... Kristine had a hard time today--they were trying to adjust her medicine to better alleviate her pain and it made her sick. Clark is there all the time. Leg is healing well. Still a lot of pain.
Posted by: FLorence M Peterson | 10/01/2011 at 05:17 AM