I'm sitting in a pool of warm morning sunlight, enjoying my favorite breakfast...

Lightly toasted dill rye with a thick slice of aged cheddar, warmed in the microwave til the cheese slightly melts.
And a steaming hot cup of malty Assam tea with milk and sugar.

Savory, fragrant, chewy, silky, delicious, and utterly satisfying. <Sigh> Give me toast, cheese, and tea and I'm happy. It's good to be a peasant.

What's your simple tasty pleasure?

Sounds like a lovely breakfast, BlueCedar! I'd describe most of the meals I make as simple, tasty pleasures. Some current favorites: bowl of rice with edamame, and tahini and soy sauce drizzled on top; bowl of rice with melted cheese and a sprinkle of a serviceable seasoning mix; making a fairly runny batch of Oriental curry sauce and cooking big hunks of carrot in it (retrieving and eating the carrot pieces is pure joy); canned refried beans on rice with green onion, chipotle salsa and cheese.

Ahhhh BlueCedar your dill rye with melting aged cheddar and tea sounds heavenly. Truly!
I've just had a bowl of my homemade coleslaw with saltine crackers on the side. Most excellent.

Does my bowl of puffed wheat with skim milk and Splenda count?

Why not? Splenda is really just sugar right? Cozy up to the hearthfire, babe.

Lmatchgrl, I love coleslaw. Now I've got to try it with saltines. Do you have an actual recipe or do you just wing it?

Eprise, "refried beans on rice with green onion". Fabulous! And how do you make your Oriental curry sauce?

(gosh, you're all making me hungry)

It's a cole slaw recipe I found in a 1930's cookbook. Rough chopped cabbage, chopped celery and carrot, LOTS of hard boiled eggs chopped fine (at least 3), a little mayonaise enough to moisten but not coat, salt, pepper, sugar, cider vineger (just a touch-I have used dill pickle juice too), a dusting of smokey paprika over top. Let sit in the fridge for an hour or so before serving.
The secret is the eggs. A rich tasting slaw.

Could you give an idea of amounts, please? this sounds like a perfect lunch to take to work - mostly vegetables with adequate protein, all in one dish.

Soft boiled eggs with salt.
Room temperature cheeses.

Bread and cheese. Or olives and bread. Or even better yet, olives and cheese and bread. Oh yeah.

1 lb bagged rough cut slaw mix (with bits of carrots) I'm not crazy about "angel hair" cut bagged slaw.
1 finely chopped celery rib
4 hard boiled eggs finely chopped
3-4 heaping tablespoons Helmonds mayo (I used 3)
1-2 tbs sugar (I used 2)
1-2 tbs dill pickle juice or cider vinegar
1/8 C sweet pickle relish
salt (to taste)
pepper (I used liberally 1/4 tsp)
1/4 tsp paprika

Mix all ingredients till everything is incorporated. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of smokey paprika over top. Place in refrigerator for an hour to allow juices to form and ingredients to chill. serve

As you know I love this solo with saltines for lunch. Bon appitite!

slaw mix and eggs on the shopping list. I have the rest. thank you.

Mine? Anything having to do with cabbage, I'll confess. (And that puts me right in the coleslaw camp).

My favorite simple pleasure it to have a cup of the hot broth that a pork butt, cabbage, and potato has been boiling in. Hot soup in a coffee cup with plenty of salt and cracked pepper. I've called in "cabbage soup" since I was a kid, but only my father and I really enjoy it.

The other thing I enjoy? The thick, crisp, hard crunchy skin from a roast pork shoulder, pulled off, salted, and eaten hot.

My mum used to do a boiled dinner consisting of smoked various pig parts ( shoulders , trotters) with cabbage , potatoes and carrots , turnips optional , and for me the best bit was the broth.

I could eat the skin from an entire roaster and leave the actual bird behind.

Also , a slap of any good cheese , stilton , aged cheddar or five counites with a snoutful of Port.

That coleslaw sounds yummy, lmatchgrl..... thanks for sharing!



Oooooh, me too!

BlueCedar, my breakfast looks a lot like yours with a couple of slight differences: rye bread Hungarian style, with butter and some paprika sprinkled on top. Instead of Assam with milk, my tea will be Darjeeling with milk.

Why FiveO, what excellent taste you have!

Lemon Curd.

This is a thing which can save plain boring white cake , or can make a lemon pound cake even more decadent ( I never say no to the prospect of double or triple lemon anything) , simply from the spoon it is pure bliss , in a tart or on a flakey pastry , the possibilties are endless.

Not sure about the peasant bit.

I like my toast with mayo on it. Oh - here's a weird snack I love: saltines spread with mayo and then topped with a generous dill pickle slice. Wonderful.

A cuppa cheap strongish PG Tips tea with sugar and a piece of toast with strawberry preserves.

My late lunch of a few minutes ago - a BLT on white bread (I did use whole wheat white) with a freshly picked Jersey tomato. Bliss.

Sharp cheddar with apples slices.

beans please!!! in chilli, cassoulet, salad, soup, dips, spreads, yum.

Inner peasant, huh? Since I'm often a royal pain, I may have to dig deep.

Here goes:

Bubble and squeak: sausage, cabbage and potatoes all pretty much fried together.

Mincemeat pie (the non-meat version) - but only my grandmother's recipe. All else is dreck. I know. I've tried it.

Cheddar cheese on a saltine cracker. Add a dollop of French's yellow mustard and freshly ground black pepper. (I have been using a better cheddar than just that block of Kraft at the supermarket, so that's not too peasanty.)

White toast and peanut butter.

Home fried potatoes: thinly sliced potatoes, hot oil, and a little salt.

Probably a bunch of others too. But those tend to be my big ones.

Me, too, Hoos! I wouldn't have thought about the mustard and pepper. I do love thick mustard pretzels, though.

Try it with just a dab of mustard and a little pepper. Honestly, it's one of those "cheap" snacks that tastes really high falootin!

All that salt/mustard actually works well together and the pepper just breaks it up enough. It sounds overbearing, but really isn't.

Thank you for digging, yer Highness! You have certainly reached your inner peasant.

Bubble and squeak, eh? I've made that glorious mess, but didn't know it had a name. And why does it have this fabulous name, I ask you?

And would you be in a position to share your Grandmother's mincemeat recipe?

Sharon,

Glad to know I'm not alone in the Bubble & Squeak room. From what someone (mom, maybe?) told me, it got that name from the sounds it makes when cooking it up. I can't wait for the weather to cool down, now. I'm wanting a big plate of it.

My grandmother's mincemeat recipe is imminently shareable. I didn't have her original recipe, but recreated it successfully. She did use suet in her recipe so included that, I remember that, but I substituted butter. This does not contain any meat (other than the suet or other animal fat) and doesn't taste anything like the canned or frozen mincemeat products out there. It's definitely on the spicy side though. Ingredients are flexible (hard, tart apples work best; you could substitute apricots or other dried fruit for the raisins if you like, etc.). I tried using molasses one year, instead of the brown sugar. It was really nice, as well, but a little dark for my taste. I forget how much I used, though.

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (peeled and cored, skin-on is best)
3/4 cup citron (roughly chopped)
3 cups golden raisins
3 cups raisins
3 cups currants
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mace
2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
3 cups brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons salt
1 quart apple cider
1/2 pound beef suet, minced
1/2 cup brandy

All you do is combine all the ingredients, except for the brandy, in a large pot (8 quarts or larger), stirring them and mixing them together very thoroughly. Mix well, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat (so it simmers) and cook, uncovered, until apples are soft, stirring frequently. When softened, cook for 30 minutes, partially covered. When the mincemeat has cooled, stir well again, adding the brandy. You can either go ahead and add it to pie crusts and bake as you would any fruit pie, or make tarts with it. Alternatively, you can pack in jars that have been sterilized. This stores well (especially if canned). It's great to make ahead, put it in the fridge (I use the plastic quart containers with lids), and then bake the pies a day or two before you want to serve. It gives everything a chance to mix.

My grandmother used to make a batch, let it age for a year in her cellar, and then make pies with it. Which really does give it a depth and character that is lovely. This recipe is still delicious without the aging. But if you're a canner with a cool, dark cellar, you can give that a try too.

Warning: This smells wonderful when it’s cooking and baking. But it’s powerful. You’ll be tired of mincemeat for a full year after making a batch and having a little piece. It’s a great holiday gift though. Folks love getting the pies. This recipe will yield enough for about 10 pies.

Enjoy!

^^ Ohhh, yum. Now I want a mincemeat pie. Thanks guvnah!

Adding granny smiths and beef suet to shopping list (guess I'm going to have to visit a real butcher to get the suet)...

Lmatchgrl's slaw recipe is a winner. I'll add even more egg next time for a heartier work lunch. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks, Hoos, will try this!
By the way, do you have any Grey Poupon?

mac and cheese
rice pudding
tuna casserole

I'm tickled pink that you like the slaw Colonia!

Instant light meal - tinned mackrel or sardines on toast.

Cheap and cheerful dinner - lentil and bacon soap. Usually just fry onions, garlic and bacon - add lentils and stock, possibly a tin of tomatoes or some carrots. A little chili and cumin for seasoning.

I do this, too. In fact, you inspired me to do it today for a few meals for the rest of the week. I used another variation and threw in chopped spinach instead of the tomotoes since I will be using them with basil, olive oil, and garlic with some thin spaghetti as an alternative choice for the rest of the week.

Sauteed zucchini and onions mixed with a couple of scrambled eggs. Yum! And my husband hates zucchini so I seldom get to eat this anymore.

Yum. I like this thread!

I just discovered the Saltines and Mayo thing - Sharilstuff - thanks for the pickle idea!


A grilled cheese sandwich. Could be Aged Cheddar on German rye or Havarti on French bread or Velveeta on Wonder ...

Plaintain fried in butter

A tin of smoked oysters

Smoked sprats on Saltine crackers.

A cup of Salada tea with a side of buttered toast and Wellesley's Apple Butter.

mmmmm , mackerel , now that is one underloved fish , but thats ok , more for me

Well, there's Tuscan peasant (which is what olive oil and crusty bread sounds like)... then there's South Texas peasant which is pretty much what I am. I love a bologna sandwich on white bread... I love chorizo and egg on a flour tortilla..... I love spinach with hot salsa on it.... and I adore Coca-Cola.


In his very wicked book, CLASS, Paul Fussell says that, in the 1967 movie BONNIE & CLYDE, set in the Great Depression, the Barrow gang immediately reveal themselves to be dyed-in-the-wool Texas peasants when they go to EVA'S ICE CREAM PARLOUR..... and order PEACH. Fussell says peach ice cream is VERY plebeian. It just...is. Low-class people like "flavors", says Fussell. If they were classier people, they would've ordered VANILLA. Or so opines Mr. Fussell. I can never get his pronouncement out of my mind completely when I am standing at frozen foods in the WAL-MART, trying to decide between BLUEBELL PEACH or BLUEBELL HOMEMADE VANILLA.

Vanilla is Klassay ?

who knew ?


how does one determine classy flavours ?

I am seriously stymied over this one

I like bologna sandwiches with mayonnaise or miracle whip, plain potato chips, cottage cheese, and pork and beans. I use the chips to dip the cottage cheese and pork and beans. I had this a lot for lunch as a kid so I guess it is a comfort food.

Ya gotta read his book.


http://www.amazon.com/Class-Through-Americ...m/dp/0671792253


He splits some awfully fine hairs in his effort to categorize Americans by their unwitting tastes and habits.

Hey , I loved the Jilly Cooper one about her countrymen , I am sure this is going to be a hoot to read.

A "nervous" hoot. It's funny-- until he pins you down like a butterfly as to where exactly you stand in the hierarchy.

I am convinced I am a true peasant , is this book going to reveal that I am in fact not human but a slug I wonder?
now I am nervous <<<gulp>>>

As I mentioned in another thread, the only place for vanilla is in ice cream. Heavily dosed with chocolate dope (as we called it back home).

But then I'm so classy that I'll point out others faults, do my best to belittle them with a haughty tone of voice, and then smirk ever so gently to myself as I saunter ever so elegantly to my Lamborghini Murcielago, in my tailored Armani suit, trailing vast amounts of Clive Christian No. 1, knowing that I've helped (in my own small way) to adjust the world view of another human being with my ever-so elegant wit and unique and unperturbable outlook on the world. Sounds like Mr. Fussell and I have much in common. Wonder if he was ever nicknamed Fussy?

Oh. Sorry. I didn't see the "cl" in the front of that word. Never mind.

It took a moment for the penny to drop but when it did .....

oh my sides !

Dave, I almost wish I'd never read Fussell's book. There are just too many occasions where his axe falls on my head or on someone else's. For instance, I was served homemade peach ice cream recently at someone's house, and I thought judgementally, "Hmmmmmmm.....peach......." Isn't that awful? And I do love peach ice cream, so who am I to be thinking, "Hmmmmmmm......peach....."? But (puffing self up), my favorite IS vanilla.

Because of Fussell, I notice the 'prole gap' around the neck of a man's jacket. I can't stand to see it.

I'm relieved not to live on nearby Deborah Drive.

Me? My family and friends range from low prole to top-out-of-sights. Maybe that's the way it should be.

I thought Jilly Cooper's book was a hoot, too. But you're right: read Fussell's book at your peril. You will not escape unscathed.

Well if this thread is any indicator I am already marked by my boredom with vanilla anything , esp ice cream.*


*the upper classes would do well to remember that it is not a flavour but a wonderful base for "stuff" lots of other stuff

boxy, I am very much as you describe. That book also stunned me for awhile. And my family is a real fruitbasket of classes, too. Ranging from "serious Arkansas hillbilly" to "toniest European aristocrat/heirs". And everything in between.

I would like to wave my hand and say, "Pshaw... class doesn't matter! Only people do!" but I'm sure Mr. Fussell would retort with : "Only someone ashamed or doubtful of his class origins would ever feel moved to make such a statement."

And the reason anyone should pay any attention to his opinion is.........?