BISQUITES & GRAVY -- COOKING

[creekbend]

Never heard of putting sugar in biscuits. Otherwise, that recipe sounds pretty good. My mother always used sweet milk only because we never had buttermilk on hand; it all went to the hogs and chickens as soon as the butter was made. And now . . . we buy the packages of frozen biscuits at the grocery store, so we can bake as many, or as few, at a time as we wish.:laughing: For the gravy, we usually don't measure ingredients either, but if amounts to one heaping tablespoonful of flour per cup of milk, plus salt & pepper to taste.

And as much as I love either bacon or sausage with a couple of scrambled eggs and a couple of biscuits and gravy, I almost never do that anymore because of my weight.

Just curious? I use a tad of sugar in both my biscuits and cornbread mix. Do you use sugar in your cornbread mix? I do this because my Mother did.

 

[creekbend]

On biscuit making , I was always taught to not kneed the biscuit dough...rather just mix it around gently with your fingers until just mixed and coming together and NEVER...EVER use a roller...just lightly pat out the dough to a 3/4 inch thick or so and then use a can or drinking glass to cut out the biscuits....

Be gentle is the guiding word and you will have light and fluffy biscuits...also try brushing melted butter on the tops before putting them in the oven....they come out golden !

In East Tennessee where I was raised, everyone that I knew used a rolling pin. That includes my Mother, Grandmother, Aunts, Cousins, Sister, numerous friends and acquaintances. Could this possibly be a local or regional adaptation? just wondering. BTW, what do you cut your biscuits with? We use a cut out Carnation milk can.

 

[creekbend]

That old roller is what makes yours special, I have some old pots that were my Grandpas.

My Wife and I have been married 40 years. When we were married, one of my Aunts-my Father's sister gave us a set of cast iron pots, pans, skillets; etc. The cast iron was over 80 years old back then. That is 120+years. Even now, there are no pits. I have used them camping, immersed them in salt water, left them out in the weather, and they are much better than what you buy today. Lodge cast iron from Tennessee is also quality cast iron. I apologize for rambling, but has anyone put homemade apple butter, homemade peach butter, or molasses on a fresh made biscuit?:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[crash325]

Lumpy Gravy coming Up.
I know some folks can only make lumpy gravy.
Now that I have said that is not one of my problems, You guessed it, I will now make mine lumpy.

I normally just use any old spoon, egg turner or what ever to stir with. I"think" by spreading the flour around and constant stirring is the "Secret".

"ED" none of us can cook like or as good as mom or grandma, but we do try.

Plain biscuits are good, even if made with bis-quick. But adding a little sugar, salt or bacon grease, butter is not a big deal.

Never tried the frozen biscuits. Have tried the canned ones and they are OK.

 

[Bird]

Just curious? I use a tad of sugar in both my biscuits and cornbread mix. Do you use sugar in your cornbread mix? I do this because my Mother did.

My mother never put any sugar in biscuits or cornbread. After I was grown and doing my own cooking, I was quite surprised to find a recipe that included sugar for cornbread. I tried it and thought it was pretty good. In fact, if you use a little too much, pretty good dessert cake.:laughing: But now, we use the Jiffy corn muffin mix, so all we have to add is egg and milk, but the list of ingredients on the box does include sugar.

 

[Bird]

I apologize for rambling, but has anyone put homemade apple butter, homemade peach butter, or molasses on a fresh made biscuit?

I don't believe I've ever seen any peach butter or "homemade" molasses, but my mother used to make apple butter. Personally, I always liked apple butter better than applesauce and awhile back I got to looking for apple butter in the grocery stores and couldn't find any. But then I discovered that the Cracker Barrel has it in their store, and it's very good. I also like molasses on biscuits, pancakes, or waffles, but my wife doesn't; too strong a flavor to suit her.

 

[brin]

In East Tennessee where I was raised, everyone that I knew used a rolling pin. That includes my Mother, Grandmother, Aunts, Cousins, Sister, numerous friends and acquaintances. Could this possibly be a local or regional adaptation? just wondering. BTW, what do you cut your biscuits with? We use a cut out Carnation milk can.[/QUOTE

I'm sure many folks here in Georgia use a roller....I guess it is what you get used to....I have used a roller just to see and , at least for me, the biscuits were heavy...not light or fluffy as when a roller was not used...the idea for me is to just gently cut in the shortening with the flour, salt, baking powder and then the milk..or buttermilk ...all very gently just with the fingers...no kneading or mashing down...then I use a can like you or a drinking glass to cut the biscuits...then on the tray and I brush the tops with melted butter before they go in the over.

 

[Bird]

My mother had a wooden roller, and we still have one ourselves. They were used for pie crust, cookies, some kinds of noodles, etc., but never for biscuits.

And yep, a can of some kind was always used to cut out biscuits, and we still have one of those, too.

 

[LD1]

Our recipe is pretty simple.

For the biscuits, bisquick. Just mix it up and drop them on a pan. They are actually pretty good biscuits.

For the gravy, brown the sausage. Add milk and a little butter. Bring that to boil. Then slowly stir in thickener. (cornstarch mixed with water or milk). It dont take much thickener. Also like a good dash of red-pepper seasoning to spice it up a bit.

 

[creekbend]

I don't believe I've ever seen any peach butter or "homemade" molasses, but my mother used to make apple butter. Personally, I always liked apple butter better than applesauce and awhile back I got to looking for apple butter in the grocery stores and couldn't find any. But then I discovered that the Cracker Barrel has it in their store, and it's very good. I also like molasses on biscuits, pancakes, or waffles, but my wife doesn't; too strong a flavor to suit her.

www.life123.com/food/cooking-tips/butter/peach-butter-recipe.shtml BTW, we alaways leave the peelings on our apples and peaches, and we don't use a crockpot, only a large kettle. I'm sure you have put crumbled up baked cornbread in a glass of "Sweet Milk". We always call regular milk-Sweet Milk.

 

[creekbend]

www.life123.com/food/cooking-tips/butter/peach-butter-recipe.shtml BTW, we always leave the peelings on our apples and peaches, and we don't use a Crockpot, only a large kettle. I'm sure you have put crumbled up baked cornbread in a glass of "Sweet Milk". We always call regular milk-Sweet Milk.

How to Make Molasses | eHow.com BTW, there are various types of molasses. The darker version is cooked less and is stronger. Just the opposite with the lighter version. Before you skim the top, the whole mess looks alot like a recently used tobacco spittoon.

 

[jinman]

I'm sure you have put crumbled up baked cornbread in a glass of "Sweet Milk". We always call regular milk-Sweet Milk.

I did that lots as a kid, but haven't done it years. My dad used to L-O-V-E cornbread and buttermilk, but it did not like him and he would suffer horrible gas and indigestion.

 

[EE_Bota]

Recently, I was in the hospital for surgery, and for some reason when I got out 9 days later, I had a craving for cornbread. I tried to shake it off since I didn't really know how to make good cornbread. But the craving wouldn't go away. So my first time leaving the house post surgery was to track down a good iron skillet and buy all the ingredients necessary to make cornbread, biscuits, and loaves of bread in my bread maker.

All I have made so far is the cornbread, and I have had some available almost every day since. I no longer crave it, but I sure like it.

I just finished the best cake of cornbread yet yesterday. I'm not a big milk drinker, so I was using reconstituted powdered milk for all the previous batches. But the last batch, I used real milk, and put in a whole chopped onion. I think it was better because the real milk worked better than the powdered, and the onion helped preserve moisture in the cake, and not only added an onion taste, but a bit of sweetness too since cooked onions often will develop a sweet taste.

Since I have been making cornbread, my milk consumption has picked up a bit, and it has lead to me eating breakfast cereal again for the first time in many years. During my bread material buying binge, I bought Raisin Bran with the idea of making Raisin Bran Muffins, but now that I keep milk around, I just eat it as cereal instead. But some day soon I will make those muffins...they are great buttered and chased with orange juice.

 

[Bird]

www.life123.com/food/cooking-tips/butter/peach-butter-recipe.shtml BTW, we alaways leave the peelings on our apples and peaches, and we don't use a crockpot, only a large kettle. I'm sure you have put crumbled up baked cornbread in a glass of "Sweet Milk". We always call regular milk-Sweet Milk.

That peach butter recipe certainly sounds good. And I still like cornbread crumbled in a glass of sweet milk. My paternal grandmother was the only member of the family who claimed to like buttermilk. All the rest of the family preferred sweet milk. There were times in the heat of the summer when cornbread in sweet milk was the whole supper. Mother would make a big pan of cornbread and we'd sit outside on the porch or steps to eat when it was too hot in the house. Now-a-days, it's just a snack at night when we have leftover cornbread, but I'd still have no problem with that being the whole meal.

 

[Bird]

How to Make Molasses | eHow.com BTW, there are various types of molasses. The darker version is cooked less and is stronger. Just the opposite with the lighter version. Before you skim the top, the whole mess looks alot like a recently used tobacco spittoon.

Never had any experience with making molasses and never seen it made, but I like that old strong, dark sorghum molasses.

 

[vwnotrunning]

I usually make the gravy, my wife can never quite get it right (it is soup or pudding). I remember an Andy Capp funny from the paper when I was a kid. The jest of it was the wife yelling about Andy for complaining about her cooking. She said if he complained any more she would never cook again. He said "I'm sorry Pet, could you pass me another slice of gravy". My wife doesn't find that as humorous has I do!

 

[crash325]

No biscuits here for a few days.

Started off as a "Normal" day. Copper line on propane tank had a leak. No big deal, picked up a new line & fitting yesterday. Pipe fitting in regulator really tight. Gather up my weapons & go to work. Snap on tubing wrench, it rounds fitting off, large Vice Grips, thigh as possible, just slip and round it off some more. Trusty 14" Pipe Wrench. AH! got that sucker moving, make a few turns. OOPPS! Copper tubing turning into a cork screw. Not a big deal, just take if off the tank. Old fitting in tank in bad shape, be careful, been like that for a long time. More of my normal luck, fitting shatters. Try a coal chisel, just gets worse. Hopefully the propane co has a new tank valve.

One thing about this place. The fun never stops.

 

[Bob77064]

My Wife and I have been married 40 years. When we were married, one of my Aunts-my Father's sister gave us a set of cast iron pots, pans, skillets; etc. The cast iron was over 80 years old back then. That is 120+years. Even now, there are no pits. I have used them camping, immersed them in salt water, left them out in the weather, and they are much better than what you buy today. Lodge cast iron from Tennessee is also quality cast iron. I apologize for rambling, but has anyone put homemade apple butter, homemade peach butter, or molasses on a fresh made biscuit?:thumbsup::thumbsup:

The way those were made they will last forever.

 

[crash325]

The way those were made they will last forever.

I have a fair collection of cast iron, 3 skillets, 2 old, ( have another I currently feed the dogs out of. Could be save but is pitted pretty bad.) an Indoor Dutch Oven & and old pancake griddle.

Next trip to Tombstone plan on picking up my Granddad's "Out Door Dutch Ovens".

 

[dave1949]

I have a couple of the newer Lodge cast iron skillets. They are "pre-seasoned". As near as I can tell, the skillet cooking surface is left with an un-ground cast surface, very fine bumps. Then they season it with soybean oil in an oven. My old cast iron skillets that were my Dad's have the cooking surface ground flat. There is just no comparison between the new and old for non-stick cooking, the new is 20 times better and a lot easier to keep seasoned as long as you follow the directions and keep the soap away from it.