Welcome to my Polish kitchen. I've included many recipes and stories from my Polish family from the 1950s and 60s in the Detroit, Michigan area. Some of the recipes go forward to my adult life as a world traveller! Everything you find here has been, and always will be, important to me and I am happy to share my recipes and stories with you! Enjoy! Please feel free to leave me a comment. I love to hear from folks who have been to my site.
Monday, April 10, 2017
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Yummy Baked Chicken Thighs
I have chickens on my mind. Chicken was a staple on our table when I was growing up, though rarely fried chicken. I don't even think my mother even owned an iron skillet. Today, I have a skillet, but, like my mother, rarely make pan-fried chicken.
I remember mom cleaning dead chickens that had been raised on the farm. There were times that I was forced to help her remove pin feathers, either plucking them by hand or burning them off with alcohol, which gagged me unbearably. Mom would save the formed eggs that were still in the chicken, but had not yet grown hard shells.
When I think back to the "golden years" of the 50s and 60s, I am sure that my mother didn't miss leaving the killing of chickens and plucking their feathers behind. I surely don’t.
I also remember my grandmother retrieving errant chicks that had fled the chicken coop in the spring. My grandmother wore long cotton shirts and skirts, a “babushka” (a triangular piece of cloth) on her head, and usually a long apron. She would gather the ends of the apron together, and scoop up errant chicks and return them to the coop.
Dad got chicks from the feed store in Willis in the spring. We kept them in the basement with a light on that would give the chicks enough warmth to survive. He fed the chicks chopped hard-boiled eggs. I found it a bit strange—chicks eating their potential brothers and sisters. I kept my concerns to myself.
-----
I made this chicken recipe recently using a number of sources for ideas and ended up making baked chicken thighs that were absolutely delish! The crust was crispy and the chicken was juicy and the flavors melded together well.
I think were my best chicken thighs ever and I would love to hear from you if you decide to make them!
Serve with green beans and store-bought potato salad for a delicious and easy weekday dinner.
I remember mom cleaning dead chickens that had been raised on the farm. There were times that I was forced to help her remove pin feathers, either plucking them by hand or burning them off with alcohol, which gagged me unbearably. Mom would save the formed eggs that were still in the chicken, but had not yet grown hard shells.
When I think back to the "golden years" of the 50s and 60s, I am sure that my mother didn't miss leaving the killing of chickens and plucking their feathers behind. I surely don’t.
I also remember my grandmother retrieving errant chicks that had fled the chicken coop in the spring. My grandmother wore long cotton shirts and skirts, a “babushka” (a triangular piece of cloth) on her head, and usually a long apron. She would gather the ends of the apron together, and scoop up errant chicks and return them to the coop.
Dad got chicks from the feed store in Willis in the spring. We kept them in the basement with a light on that would give the chicks enough warmth to survive. He fed the chicks chopped hard-boiled eggs. I found it a bit strange—chicks eating their potential brothers and sisters. I kept my concerns to myself.
-----
I made this chicken recipe recently using a number of sources for ideas and ended up making baked chicken thighs that were absolutely delish! The crust was crispy and the chicken was juicy and the flavors melded together well.
I think were my best chicken thighs ever and I would love to hear from you if you decide to make them!
Serve with green beans and store-bought potato salad for a delicious and easy weekday dinner.
Roasted Chicken Thighs
INGREDIENTS
6 whole Bone-In, Skin-On Chicken
Thighs
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups Panko
1 cup finely shredded Parmesan
cheese
2 teaspoons McCormick Grill Mates
Montreal Chicken seasoning
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon fresh ground black
pepper
Butter-flavored baking spray
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Line cookie sheet with tinfoil. Spray
foil with butter-flavored baking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk
together eggs, mustard, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Place chicken thighs in
bowl and mix together until chicken is completely coated with mixture.
In another large mixing bowl,
stir together, Panko, Parmesan cheese, and spices.
Remove chicken thighs, one piece
at a time, draining well, then dipping piece into bread crumb mixture. Pat
crumbs to chicken to adhere.
Place thighs on cookie sheet,
skin-side down.
When all thighs have been coated
with bread crumbs, spray each generously with baking spray.
Bake thighs for 50 to sixty
minutes, turning once after 30 minutes.
Serve with green beans and
potato salad for a delicious weekday dinner. Leftover chicken is great either
cold or gently warmed in the microwave.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Christmas on Florida Street and other Stories: Our Interview with NPR StoryCorp
Florida Street in Detroit, Michigan. The neighborhood was almost exclusively Polish in the 1950s. |
In January, 2017, my husband, John Rush and I recorded my stories of growing up in a Polish American family near Detroit, Michigan during the 1950s and 1960s. We were recorded by folks from StoryCorps at the StoryCorps van, which was visiting Fort Myers.
Click on the StoryCorps van above to access my stories of growing up in Detroit. |
Many of the stories that were recorded have companion pieces in the written stories that appear on this blog. I thought it would be a nice idea for folks and family to be able to hear the stories in my own voice. Please feel free to send us comments.
John, me, and my sister, Barbara at a surprise Shrimp Dinner at her house in Michigan. |
Labels:
1950s,
1960s,
Detroit Michigan,
Michigan,
Polish,
StoryCorps
Monday, January 23, 2017
National Pie Day 2017 - Adam's Coffee Toffee Chocolate Pie
January 23 is National Pie Day so I decided to make a wonderful pie I have made before. The original recipe was called Blum's Coffee Toffee Pie and was taken from a restaurant that no longer exists in San Francisco, California. The Wives with Knives site has the original recipe along with more information about the restaurant and the pie
Unfortunately the recipe calls for raw eggs so that sent me on a hunt throughout markets in Fort Myers looking for pasteurized eggs--I didn't want anyone to get sick from raw eggs. Pasteurized eggs no longer exist in Fort Myers! I might have to check health food stores in the area, but I gave up after two hours of searching.
My recipe is similar, but not the same, but it sure makes a good pie and it is fairly easy to make! Enjoy!
Adam's Coffee Toffee Chocolate Pie - Finished product! |
Rolling in the brown sugar and chopped nuts. |
Pie shell ready for oven. Use a pie weight to keep crust uniform. |
Adam’s Coffee-Toffee Chocolate Pie
Crust:
1 refrigerated pie crust
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Filling
1 package cook and serve chocolate pudding
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee
2 tablespoons butter
Topping
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled
6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered instant coffee
1 tablespoon Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon grated semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate curls
Preheat the oven to 425° F.
Crust:
Unroll pie crust. Sprinkle with brown sugar and walnuts. Use rolling pin to lightly press brown sugar and walntus into dough. Line a 9-inch pie pan with the rolled-out dough, prick all over with a fork, then press a piece of heavy-duty foil snugly into the pie shell. Bake for 6 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for about 10 minutes more, until dry and crisp. Sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Return to oven for 1 minute. Then use back of tablespoon to spread chocolate over bottom of crust.
Filling:
Combine powdered chocolate pudding mix and instant coffee granules. Add milk and cook as directed. After pudding is cooked quickly stir in 1 tablespoon butter until combined. Pour into pie shell.
Topping:
Combine the
cream, confectioners’ sugar, and instant coffee in a large mixing bowl of an
electric mixer. Beat until the mixture is stiff. Spread the topping in swirls
over the chilled pie and sprinkle with the grated chocolate or chocolate curls.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
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