Suburban Belle

This is possibly the best steak marinade ever. Let me tell you how good it was: we used it according to the directions…marinated the meat, then used extra to pour over the steak after it was cooked…and there was still a little left over. As I was cleaning up the kitchen after our meal, I couldn’t help myself. I was dipping my finger in it for another taste. Then I switched to bread and used the marinade as a dipping sauce. So delicious. Try this at your early possible convenience.

Here is the recipe as given to us from our friend Danny, with his notes. I don’t think it’s his original recipe, but he didn’t cite a source.

Danny’s Steak Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (use fresh garlic)
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Combine Soy, Oil, Sugar, Worcestershire, Garlic, Chives, and Pepper in medium bowl. Remove 1/4 cup marinade and combine with Vinegar in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Place remaining marinade and steaks in ziplock bag or dish. Make sure meat is covered most of the way in marinade. Refrigerate for an hour and flip steaks half way through.

3. Remove steaks from marinade and grill as desired. Make sure to discard the marinade that the raw meat was in.

4. Transfer cooked steaks to a pan and poured the reserved marinade that was put aside over the top. Cover dish with aluminum foil and let sit for at least 10 min.

(I usually double or tripple the batch to actually get enough marinade. The given amount is only enough for a small portion of steak. Also instead of removing the 1/4 cup and setting it aside, I usually just make another batch with the balsamic vinegar in it.)

I love these donuts. My mom used to make them for us on cold winter nights. Tonight it was sorta cold which seemed like a good occassion to break out this recipe again. Plus my mom is visiting and it’s fun to cook with her.

First we fried a potato in the oil to remove some of the smell from when we fried Pioneer Woman’s onion straws the other day. [yummy!] Doesn’t this fried potato look delicious? We even salted it in case someone wanted to eat it. Knowing how much I love fried food, that will probably be me. My husband says I would eat a deep fried butter stick if I could make one. He is probably right.

it worked, too

And while we are looking at the picture of the fryer, can I just say I LOVE this appliance? We have only had it for a few weeks, but it has made my life so happy. I can fry all sorts of things without making my kitchen nasty, PLUS I don’t have to mess with an annoying candy thermometer to figure out the temp (or worse yet, burn a bunch of food trying to guess at the temp.)

I used my Great Grandma Gertie’s donut cutter.

Using my ancestors' tools makes me feel connected to my past. Is that cheesy?

I don’t have time to waste cleaning up before I start cooking the next thing.

mmm, dishwater.

Rolled in cinnamon sugar. All they need. Plain is also good.

fried & ready to eat. Notice the Sweet Nectar of Life in the pic, too.

As we were finishing up the process, my mom & I realized we have no idea how these will taste in the morning. I don’t think we ever made a batch that lasted long enough to even cool off. They are just that good. Plus, even if they weren’t, with 6 kids in the house, it would hardly matter.

Recipe from Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1969 ed.

Favorite Donuts

Tender and light–a favorite with everyone. And don’t forget to fry the “holes” as a special treat for the children. [children-schmildlren...I ate 'em all.]

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg [THE essential ingredient for flavor, IMO.]
2 tablespoons of shortening [no, I don't know a substitute. Just go buy some Crisco already.]
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk

Heat fat or oil (3 to 4 inches) to 375° in deep fat fryer or kettle. Measure 1 1/2 cups flour and the remaining ingredients into large mixer bowl. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour

Turn dough onto well-floured cloth-covered board; roll around lightly to coat with flour. Roll dough gently to 3/8″ thick. Cut with floured doughnut cutter

With wide spatula, slide doughnuts into hot fat. [doesn't that just sound yummy? hot fat?] Turn doughnuts as they rise to surface.* Fry 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Carefully remove from fat; to not prick the surface. Drain. Serve plain, sugared, or frosted.

*while we were making these tonight, mom mom told me that when she was in the hospital after giving birth to one of my brothers, she roomed with a girl whose family owned the doughnut shop in town. She heard them talking about how they turned the donuts twice during frying because they thought it helped them rise more. Who knows. I just thought it was interesting and entertaining to picture my postpartum mom laying there in bed, eavesdropping on donut makers’ conversations about their craft.