Comfort Foods - Wisconsin Style

We all look for comfort sometimes, and often we find it in special foods.  Here are recipes for some of Wisconsin's favorite comfort foods:

Henry Sinkus, author of The Northwoods Table, has a recipe for Applesauce Carrot Cake.  He writes, "The combined vegetable and fruit flavors team-up in this rich and moist cake.  The best comfort food treat west of The Pemigewasset Wilderness."

Applesauce Carrot Cake

• 1 cup butter
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups shredded carrots (1/2 pound)

Frosting:

• 3 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• dash of salt
• 1/2 pound confectioner's sugar

Beat together eggs, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Add to egg mixture.  Fold in applesauce, walnuts, and carrots.  Pour into ungreased bundt pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Combine the ingredients for the frosting.  Add heavy cream as needed to bring to the consistency of a glaze.

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Noodles, beer, and beef spell comfort.  Another former Madison restaurant, The Ovens of Brittany, combined all three. Here's the recipe from Terese Allen's, The Ovens of Brittany Cookbook.  She introduces her recipe for Belgian Beef Carbonnade by writing:

'Get ready for the heady aroma which will fill the room as you prepare this hearty peasant stew that partners beef, beer and onions.  An initial searing of the meat in hot oil or bacon fat and a long, slow simmering process ensures achingly-tender meat.  Dark beer and carmelized onions provide robust color and richness, while just a little brown sugar and vinegar produce a sweet-and-sour accent.  Buttered noodles tossed with poppy seeds will help soak up every drop of this deeply delicious Belgian Beef Carbonnade.  With brussels sprouts and plenty of cold, dark beer, it's the perfect antidote to winter's bluster.'

Belgian Beef Carbonnade

• 3 pounds beef stew meat, cubed
• 4-6 Tablespoons vegetable oil or bacon fat
• 6 cups thickly sliced onions
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 cup beef or chicken stock
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) dark beer
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and additional pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Heat a little oil or bacon fat until very hot in heavy frying pan.  Brown beef in batches over high heat, taking care not to crowd the pan and removing browned pieces to a Dutch oven or other heavy, lidded casserole dish.  Add more oil as you cook if required.

When all the meat is browned, reduce heat to moderate, and add a little more oil if necessary.  Add onions; cook about 15 minutes, stirring often, until onions are golden brown and tender.  Stir in garlic; cook 2-3 minutes longer, then add onion/garlic mixture to pot with beef.

Pour stock into frying pan, bring to boil and scrape up any bits stuck to bottom of pan. Pour this, along with the beer, pepper, sugar, parsley, thyme and bay leaves over the beef/onion mixture. Stir and bring to a boil on top of the stove. Turn off heat, cover pot tightly and bake in oven until meat is very tender, 1-2 hours.

Remove casserole from oven and skim fat from the surface. Return to simmer on top of stove. Combine cornstarch and vinegar; stir into simmering stew to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be served immediately, but tastes best the second day.

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Macaroni and Cheese Casserole

This recipe comes from The Cancer Survival Cookbook

• 10 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
• 3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 8 ounces fat-free processed American cheese
• 1 teaspoon grated onion (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard or paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
• 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large casserole dish. Cook macaroni in a large pot of water until barely tender. Drain. Set aside. In a heavy saucepan melt 2 Tablespoons butter. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for at least 5 minutes. Add milk; bring to a boil and cook until mixture thickens. Stir in the shredded cheese gradually. Add onion and seasonings to taste. Mix with the cooked macaroni. Spoon into the casserole dish. For topping, combine bread crumbs with 1 Tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle bread crumbs, parsley, and Parmesan cheese on top of macaroni. Bake for 20 minutes.

Try this recipe with half cheddar and half Swiss cheese too!

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Quivey's Grove is a popular restaurant located in a 19th century, converted barn outside of Madison, WI.  In her book, The Quivey's Grove Heritage Cookbook, Margaret Guthrie writes:

'Mashed potatoes are a major comfort food for pretty nearly everyone.  Memories of them accompanying grandmother's southern fried chicken, or a superlative meat loaf, or a roast of some kind are ones many of us carry with us.  Quivey's has taken that memory and added a little kick.  It makes us feel more grown-up when eating them.  But these mashed potatoes still have the power to comfort and soothe.'

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 3 pounds potatoes, peeled
• 2 Tablespoons fresh garlic, peeled
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup sour half-and-half
• 4 ounces butter, softened
• 3 green onions, trimmed and chopped
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until very tender.  Combine garlic, cheese, sour cream, butter, and green onions in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until combined.  Drain the potatoes and put in a large bowl.  Add the processed mixture and cream the potatoes, using an electric mixer or by hand, until the potatoes are smooth.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.  Serves 4-6.

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Sauerbraten - German Pot Roast

Three days before serving, have the butcher cut 3 1/4 pounds of round steak 1 1/2 inches thick. Place the round steak in a shallow enamel or glass dish. Combine:

• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 4 whole cloves
• 8 peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, sliced
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 4 cups cold water

Pour these over the meat. Cover and refrigerate for three days. (After 1 1/2 days turn the meat over to expose all of it to the marinade.)

About 3 1/2 hours before serving:

1. Remove steak from marinade, and dry with paper towel. Reserve marinade.
2. In a large Dutch oven (big pot with lid), heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil. Add the meat and brown it well on both sides then remove.
3. To the drippings in the Dutch oven, add
   • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
   • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
4. Brown the flour and sugar in the drippings, scraping the bottom of the pot well.
5. Stir in the reserved marinade, and bring to a boil while stirring.
6. Add the steak and simmer, covered, over a low heat for 3 hours or until fork-tender.

Ten minutes before serving, remove the steak to a platter. Carefully remove the surface fat from the cooked marinade. Stir in 10 crushed ginger snap cookies. Simmer the gravy until the cookies are dissolved - about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile cut the meat into 1/2" thick slices and arrange on a serving dish.

Pour part of the gravy over the meat, and serve the rest in a gravy boat.

Serves 4 - 5.

Sauerbraten is especially good with potato pancakes, mashed potates, parsley potates, noodles, or dumplings. I always accompany it with cooked red cabbage.

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