mystery of the day

I kind of have a weird hobby that no one knows about. I like to go to old used bookstores and get really old recipe books from long ago, or from church organizations, family cookbooks, you name it. I don't really know why. Anyway, this recipe is from a book I got called Recipes With A History from the Mason Street School in San Diego.

Elephant Stew

1 medium elephant
2 rabbits
Flour
salt and pepper
water

Cut elephant meat into bite-size pieces (this will take 2 months). Flour the pieces; salt and pepper to taste and water to make brown gravy. Cook over kerosene fire for about 4 weeks, 450°. This serves 3,812 persons. If more expected, add the rabbits (only if necessary, however, as most people don't like to find hare in their stew).

????

After I got over my initial confusion, the first thing I thought was that some nerd cook included this recipe for a "chuckle". They could've at least put it in a "food humor" section of the cookbook so people like me wouldn't be so weirded out and confused. Does anyone think this is funny? Maybe I'll start putting it in to a group recipe compilation every time I have the opportunity.

tuesday treats

photo: muginohousa.com

If you live anywhere near a beard papa's (Los Angeles), go and see what it's all about then tell me. If you can't get to a beard papa's, make your own.

joy of baking

custard-filled cream puffs with blueberry sauce at kitchen link

angel cloud cream puffs at land o' lakes

cream puffs with pastry cream at cream puffs in venice

Other tasty treat finds:

key lime pie cupcakes at culinary concoctions by peabody. I want these right now.

ice cream

[photo]: recipes.howstuffworks.com

I can't find our ice cream machine. And there's never a better time than summer time to make homemade ice cream. One of the best presents I got for our wedding was an ice cream maker and the recipe for peppermint ice cream. So good.

My mom only made a citrus one that had pineapple chunks and various juices in it and I remember gagging whenever I tried it. So I am excited to find ones that I do love.

Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream from Simply Recipes. I LOVE the fact that she uses mint leaves to flavor the ice cream and not the artificial flavoring. Makes such a difference in the taste. She also has a link at the end of the recipe to make ice cream without using a machine. Tips from a chocolate/dessert pro, David Lebovitz. He also has some amazing dessert recipes on his site as well like Salted Butter Caramel ice cream. Pretty cool stuff.

Ice cream in a bag at Kaboose. Fun for kids to make.

Fresh Strawberry ice cream at the food network. I like that this uses a vanilla bean. Another taste difference that I appreciate.

Vanilla Bean ice cream and Chocolate ice cream from the food network.

And from my husband cooks, Blackberry ice cream and Uneven Pavement ice cream.