Salmon Chowder

"Salmon chowder is a traditional chowder in Maine. It harks back to days when meat was not always on hand and fresh fish not available. This recipe has filled a need in Maine since olden days. It might be a good idea for you to have a can of salmon in your cupboard, just for an emergency." Marjorie Standish


Salmon Chowder... I've never heard of this until reading this book. In fact I've never worked with canned salmon until I started cooking my way through this cookbook. The recipe was simple and came together like all of the other chowder recipes.

I'm told it's delicious and a hearty winter soup. You will definitely want to come in to the Blue Elephant and give this one a try!

Do you have an experience with Salmon Chowder? Or perhaps canned salmon? Is it a part of your childhood? Let me know I'm very curious!

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Custard Sauce

What an easy custard recipe. I remember when I was in baking class at school and we had to make custard for eclairs and pies and many other baked goods. It was fun but it was a longer, more difficult process than this custard was. This was simply mixing two dry ingredients, adding a couple mixed wet ingredients then stirring over a double boiler until thickened.


My biggest dilemma with this was how to serve it. Marjorie suggested mixed berries. Which sounded great, but I didn't have time to run to the store this morning so that was out of the question. I decided maybe popovers would be good so that is what I made.

We will be serving this delicious custard sauce over fresh homemade popovers. 1.75 each. You don't want to miss this so come in and give it a try!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

Lemon Delicacy

Lemon Delicacy... a light and fluffy dessert; simply described as a cake batter with egg whites folded into it. I followed this recipe to the "T" as per usual. It is delicious in its basic form, and when it is done baking it has the texture similar to that of a custard or meringue.  If I were to make this recipe again I would be sure to add more lemon for a stronger flavor.

It has more steps in it than some of the other desserts. Still very simple and only takes about 20 minutes to pull together and then 45 minutes in the oven. Come in to the Blue Elephant Cafe today to give this recipe a try. You might just like it!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

Favorite Chicken Casserole

"This recipe happens to be my favorite chicken casserole. It has a special sort of flavor and is easily prepared, even a day or so ahead, if you wish." Marjorie Standish

I have conquered two major hurdles in the last couple of weeks. First and foremost, it has officially been one year since starting to cook my way through the Cooking Down East cook book. While I had hopes of wrapping the project up in a year it wasn't necessarily a goal. I'm still chipping away at it, and by my calculations I have less than 100 recipes to go!

The second hurdle is that, as of today, I have completed another section in the cook book. The poultry section is now... finis! Looking back, this was a good section. A lot of delicious recipes came out of it. If I had to choose a favorite I think I would have to go with the Imperial Chicken. Not only is it easy to pull together but it is also versatile. It can be served as a sandwich or stand alone with some sides. It is a recipe that has not let me down! Perhaps the worst recipe so far, though, has also come out of this section! Does anyone remember the Pressed Chicken Salad?! This is definitely one that I will not be revisiting (unless a practical joke is needed!)

Today's dish completes "Poultry," and by a stroke of luck it happened to be Marjorie's favorite chicken casserole. Which is probably where it got its title: Favorite Chicken Casserole. It reminds me a lot of Chicken a la King. The casserole consists of layers of rice, chicken, and gravy all topped with delicious buttered crumbs.

We will be serving Favorite Chicken Casserole today with a side of greens and toast. You won't want to miss this yummy dish, so come on in to the Blue Elephant Cafe and give it a try!

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Easiest Chicken Casserole

I thoroughly enjoyed making this recipe. Every time I read this recipe it makes me smile. It goes a little something like this: 5oz jar chicken, 1 NO. 2 can Chinese noodles, 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, 1 can chicken and rice soup, and 1 cup diced celery.

No wonder this is the easiest chicken casserole! Everything is in a can! I have never heard of jarred chicken, though, and I was unable to find it at the store. Also I was unable to find the can of Chinese noodles. Therefore I had to cook some chicken and boil some noodles. Because of this I'm sure I put more effort into this recipe than Marjorie Standish did.

Everything is mixed together and baked in the oven. Today it will be served warm with a delicious side salad for 4.99.

Blue Elephant Cafe

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Oatmeal Muffins

I needed an easy recipe this morning, and then I came across this one. The only thing I wasn't sure of was the length of time that it was going to take for the oats to soak in the milk - 2 hours. In the end, though, it ended up not being that bad, because I was able to prepare the other ingredients. At the end of the 2 hours I was able to whip everything together and pour it in the muffin tins. 

It took a mere 20 minutes in the oven, and I had a couple dozen delicious oatmeal muffins. They were not your typical muffin. They were not sweet but rather savory. I would recommend this muffin for a brunch or a tea. They were surprisingly delicious! 

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square 

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3

Bean Pot Chicken Breasts

Every time I turn to the "poultry" section of this cook book I think, "There can't possibly be any more in this section to do!" I have marked off dates next to almost all of the recipes. However, they must multiply while I sleep, because I always seem to have two left to do.

I decided to make Bean Pot Chicken Breasts last week. I can officially say that I only have two more recipes in the poultry section! I've checked, and double checked, and yes - only two more, and I'll have a whole section down!

But back to the Bean Pot Chicken Breasts. I really liked this recipe. It was sooo easy! The bean pot is kind of like an old fashioned version of a crockpot. Simply place butter, onions and chicken breasts into a bean pot, and place the pot in the oven to bake. Marjorie suggests serving the dish with rice. I decided salad would be a good option for serving it here at the cafe.

It only took about an hour and a half in the oven (which is a much shorter cooking time than Marjorie suggests). Every time I lifted the lid and smelled the dish, memories of childhood dinners at my Grandmother's house flooded back. It was very cool.

Give this recipe a try sometime if you're in a time crunch and looking for something delicious for dinner. You won't be disappointed!

Blue Elephant Cafe 

12 Pepperell Square

Saco, Maine 04072

207-281-3070

www.blueelephantcatering.com

https://www.facebook.com/blueelephantevents

http://twitter.com/#!/BlueElephant3