A PAEAN TO POP POP AND HIS CHILI SAUCE

In a recent posting explaining why I am the Scrapple King I made mention of a chili sauce made by my Uncle Joe which is an excellent topping to scrapple made according to my recipe. I indicated that if enough inquiries for the recipe were made I would ask my Uncle Joe to send me his recipe. Well, enough requests were made so, true to my word, I asked Uncle Joe for his recipe and he sent it to me. The recipe can be found at the end of this post.

But before I get to the recipe I must write about the man who created the chili sauce in the first place. That individual was my grandfather Joe Janson. My uncle (his son) was obviously named after him. In a unique twist of blessings, both my wife and I each had a grandfather named Joseph so our son is named Joseph in honor of both men.

Pop Pop, as I called him, was a blacksmith who had a shop along Front Street in Philadelphia back in the early years of the twentieth century.

Image via Wikipedia

For those familiar with the City of Brotherly Love, picture Interstate 95 running along Penn’s Landing, close your eyes and try to visualize what that area would have been like before the monster highway was built. His shop would be right there in the center of your thoughts. Pop, a college trained artist, left the ironwork field to run a successful food delivery business in the city. I have fond memories of helping him load up his truck with perishables from his refrigerated storehouse and delivering them door to door in the Manayunk neighborhood community of Philadelphia, the city of my birth.

When Pop retired and eventually moved to Doylestown to live with my aunt, he spent his golden years gardening, baking and watching the Phillies on television (as well as being a second father to myself and my eight cousins -they lived in the same house with him). A trip to Pop’s always began with a tour of his garden, which included the best tomatoes available in that beautiful land founded by William Penn. As Pop got older the size of his garden grew smaller as did his ability to maintain it. But he kept at, even when he was well into his nineties. His energy and enthusiasm was an inspiration for the entire family.

Pop Pop was a great baker as well. A visit to his home always ended with either a slice of homemade chocolate pie with whipped cream on top, or perhaps a slice of yellow cake with homemade frosting (and another large slice wrapped in plastic to take home with you). Never did a birthday pass without a handmade marble cake with deliciously thick icing on top to help celebrate the event.

I could write about Pop for pages on end but do realize that chili sauce was the main reason for this posting. When he shared the recipe with me, Uncle Joe told me that it was originally written by my maternal great- grandmother, but the copy he has was written in Pop Pop’s hand:

UNCLE JOE’S CHILI SAUCE

(IN MEMORY OF JOE “POP POP “JANSON)

4 qts. (8 lbs.) chopped, peeled tomatoes

2-1/2 cups chopped onions

2-1/2 cups chopped green peppers

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 tblsp. salt

1 qt. cider vinegar

about 4 tblsp. pickling spice in a cheesecloth bag. Add pepper if desired.

Simmer slowly uncovered for 10 to 12 hours or until mixture thickens. Follow usual canning procedure.

To make things easier Uncle Joe advises that he now uses canned diced tomatoes because it does not seem to make any difference in the taste of the final product. To echo my Uncle Joe’s wish of “bon appétit” to all who make his chili sauce, I bid you well as you serve it with anything you desire, but don’t forget the scrapple. Habbersett, of course, is “Philadelphia's Favorite” and will always get my endorsement.

Sushi & Homeschooling

My love for good cuisine has been the catalyst for many articles over the years. I am an unabashed lover of the food that I enjoyed in my childhood (think Spaghettios and Cap’n Crunch). Does anything made by Franco American count as “good cuisine”? I would argue in the affirmative. Anyway, since the start of this blog I’ve been trying to think how I can tie food and homeschooling together. I am sure that I am not the only home school dad that loves to share food with his kids so hopefully other guys can relate.

As I mentioned in "Totally Outrageous Homeschool" blog No Such Thing as a “One-Size Fits All” Curriculum I believe that home education starts from the moment our children enter this world and should be a thing we just do as we go about our daily lives. While not every moment is a “teachable moment,” it is amazing how many moments in a day can be. From my kids’ earliest years we have had a Saturday morning pancake ritual which included the making of the breakfast dish and the eating of the same while watching Gerbert, Gospel Bill or Davey & Goliath. While the years have changed the routine in some ways, the memories of those mornings live on (as do variations on the theme).

Teaching kids how to measure out flour, milk and crack an egg without getting pieces of shell into the batter are all simple skills that they can master at an early age. Depending on maturity pouring pancake batter into a hot pan and flipping a pancake are all abilities our kids can master. We all know that chemistry is involved in the baking process but do we talk about it? Why do those bubbles form on the top of a pancake? Why does a pancake taste bad if it is cooked too long (i.e. burned)? All of these little things are practical, real-life questions and answers that will help our kids to no end. Who knows, with enough encouragement we may be laying the foundation for developing the next Bobby Flay or Rachael Ray.

By now you are probably wondering where sushi fits into all of this. As a kid I had no clue what sushi was. When I did learn what it was I wanted no part of it. It was not until I was an adult that I even ventured to try sushi; to my surprise, I was delighted by this delicacy.

As a parent I wanted to make sure my kids had exposure to sushi. Whether or not they enjoyed it did not matter, the key thing was that they would try it. All did. Poet at Heart likes so-called “veggie” sushi while Animal Lover has come to love all types of sushi whether it be nigiri or sashimi. My little boy, The Energizer, has tried it and does not like. I give him credit for giving it a shot.

Sushi is even more than just a food, however. It is an opportunity to learn. We watch Unwrapped and The Secret Life of… on the Food Network all the time. Both the Travel Channel and the Discovery Channel also have good shows regarding food, history and preparation. The kids have seen how the fish are caught and how sushi grade fish are inspected at a higher level than regular fish. I’ve taken them to a local sushi market so they can see sushi being prepared by a sushi chef. My wife even purchased a sushi kit and taught the kids how to make sushi at home.

We were all very impressed when Poet at Heart found a recipe for "candy sushi" in Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals for Kids and created the awesome plate shown below. Made of marshmallows, puffed rice, various sweets and fruit roll-ups (in lieu of the nori) she single-handedly made sushi that even The Energizer would eat.

Of course one does not have to like sushi to get the kids involved with food. Homemade pizza, homemade pasta or just plain barbecuing on the grill all afford opportunities for us to share with our children our own experiences with food as well as teaching them basic cooking skills. Whether we are explaining why pizza dough rises or how fire can heat the inside of a chicken breast we are filling curious minds with useful information that they will one day apply. There will come a time when our children will flip pancakes in their own kitchens and we won’t be there to help them. Lets grab the chance to teach them now so they will be prepared for that day when they are on their own, perhaps teaching their own kids why bubbles form on the top of pancakes as they cook. (or why sushi grade fish is different than the fish you buy at Wal-mart).

NOTE: In case you have never heard of Gerbert, Gospel Bill or Davey & Goliath, feel free to whip up a batch of pancakes and watch the videos below. I guarantee the flapjacks will taste even better because of them.

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He Who Made Cooking Cool

We did it!! Holly and I made the pilgrimage to Atlanta to see the great hero of all culinary minded nerds. Alton was the same delight in person that he is on television.



When contemplating a new cooking show, AB sought to combine Monty Python, Julia Child and Mr. Wizard. Ten years and a packed theater later, it has proved a winning formula. The night was a rambling medley of favorite recipes, puppets, costumes, and guest appearances while Alton reminisced about the last decade. There was some good natured poking of other Food Network personalities: Rachael and her sammies and Giada and her...'characters'. Yes, you know what I'm talking about.
The best story had to be The Tale of the Haggis. Clad in their manly skirts, Alton and his assistant were supposedly rockin it true "Scottish style" and had the misfortune to build their little camp over a hornets' nest. He also admitted that his performance was one of the worst accents in not only Good Eats but possibly television history. All the more hilarious.



For one of the night's highlights, Alton was challenged to transform the kitchen's only UniTasker. The fire extinguisher, a water cooler and a tennis racket were employed to create a literal explosion of freeze-dried fruit. Whatever bits weren't sprayed all over the stage and the poncho-clad audience went for a spin in the blender and the resulting umm....smoothie?...was consumed by a triumphant AB.



For a splendid finale, beloved "sister" Marsha produced a 20 foot stack of pancakes which were blasted with glow in the dark icing by AB and Ted Allen with devices akin to flame throwers. The summit was set aflame to create a gigantic birthday candle. I'm afraid samples were not available. We did get an autographed postcard however, and I finally got to see my best Food Network buddy. I can't wait for the 20th anniversary special!



What fun would any of this be without having great friends to share it with? Thanks Holly!

Why I am the Scrapple King

I was watching "Guilty Witness" on “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” a week or two back and to my delight one of the characters was served a plate of scrapple, one of my all-time favorite foods (my mom’s homemade cheese blintzes and my wife’s home-made split pea soup are right up there at the top of the list too). It reminded me that I needed to fulfill a promise to foodie blogger extraordinaire Jessica Porter, to explain my rather elegant title of “The Scrapple King” to this blog’s readers.

I know that the countless readers of this excellent blog wonder why I chose that moniker rather than, say the “Meister of Meatloaf” or "Baron of Bacon" (both of which, by the way, I wouldn’t mind owning as well). I chose “The Scrapple King” because it best describes my love for this wonderfully unique Pennsylvania Dutch meat product. It is a royal designation that admittedly I have bestowed upon myself, although my paternal grandmother was descended from the original Pennsylvania Dutch settlers who made a new life in Southeastern Pennsylvania over two hundred years ago. Perhaps my claim to a royal title is not that far-fetched, is it?

A couple of years back I had the joy of sharing my love for scrapple with the readers of Every Day With Rachael Ray. With such an iconic figure of modern cooking recognizing my love of scrapple it serves only as an endorsement, at least in my mind, that I do deserve the title of “The Scrapple King.” So I will wear the badge with honor as I go about the world extolling the virtues of this creative, affordable and ultimately delicious food.

If there is a true royal name in the world of scrapple it is Habbersett. This Pennsylvania-based company makes the best scrapple in the civilized world. I was born in Philadelphia but spent most of my childhood in nearby Bucks County, not too far from Chester County, the true seat of scrapple’s origins. While my grandmother’s ancestors no doubt made home-made scrapple as was the practice in the 1800’s, I truly believe I inherited the genetic predisposition to love and adore this food, but not the desire to make it myself. To me Habbersett, going strong since 1863, is the epitome of scrapple production so there is no need to compete with it. If one can’t locate Habbersett in your nearest grocery store, Jones Dairy Farm out of Wisconsin makes a passable substitute but it is well worth the effort to track down the red, white and blue packaging of Habbersett. Here is an order form to get it directly from Habbersett.

"What is scrapple?"you may be asking. Well, don’t ask. Be content in knowing that scrapple is a pork-based product that efficiently leaves no parts of pork wasted. Just as the early colonial settlers were conscious of making every penny stretch, we should, in these challenging economic times, also be conscious of making our food budget stretch as well. Scrapple is an affordable and tasty way to feed family and friends without making much of a dent in your wallet. Be satisfied in knowing that scrapple is a wonderful mixture of meat and spices that make it an excellent breakfast meat, although I could eat it at any time of the day or night (and have been known to do so).

Scrapple is a very easy product to make. It comes in one pound bricks that take but a few minutes to prepare and eat. The brick should be sliced while it is cool but not too cold. With a sharp kitchen knife the brick should be sliced into thin pieces roughly ½ inches thick. Too thin and the slice will probably break apart. Too thick and you will find it difficult to adequately ensure that the center of the slice will be properly heated without burning the outside. Once cut, coat the slices with plain white flour and place on a preheated frying pan at medium temperatures. Non-stick pans do not need any prior treatment but skillets or other non-treated pans would benefit from a light coating of PAM cooking spray or shortening (this to keep the slices from sticking when flipped.)

Scrapple should be fried for several minutes on each side. The best way to know when to flip the slice over is when the flour coating the top of the slice appears melted or translucent. A quick flip is required because scrapple has been known to break-up if the flip is done too slowly. An equal amount of heating on the second side and the scrapple is ready to be served. I prefer it dipped in ketchup, my mom and wife prefer it with a side home-made Pennsylvania Dutch chili sauce, once lovingly prepared by my late-grandfather, now fashioned by my Uncle Joe (perhaps if I get enough requests for his recipe, Uncle Joe will share it with me and I with you). Some prefer it plain. No matter how you eat it the key is to savor each delicious, spicy bite. Before you know it the one pound brick will be gone and you’ll be rushing back to the store for more. To avoid this scenario purchase several bricks at once. Trust me, all you scrapple-newbies, your life will be forever changed once you have savored your first bite of Habbersett’s well-earned slogan: “Philadelphia’s Favorite.”

A new day in Food

Well, with various job and family obligations, obviously it's been ages since Adventures in Food was updated. I would like to apologize for that. I haven't given up a passion for fine or funky cuisine, just never seemed to have time to write about it. However, His Royal Majesty Greg and the ever marvelous Alton Brown have inspired me to start afresh. A new foodie friend (say hi to Holly everybody!) and I are traveling to Atlanta later this month to be a part of history - Alton's 10th anniversary Good Eats live episode. It's the kind of thing you dream about..or at least I do.

We've been promised cast members, props, puppets and a "Good Eats musical interlude." I can't wait.
Naturally we'll be sampling the local cuisine. So far on the testing list is the funky Flying Biscuit Cafe. http://www.flyingbiscuit.com A small chain apparently, but with a name like that, who can resist?
And short of the Bonnie Blue flag, what could be more regionally appropriate than Sautéed Shrimp & Scallops over creamy stone-ground grits with garlic gravy or Buttermilk Fried Chicken and buttermilk whipped potatoes overflowing with bourbon gravy. South City Kitchen sounds like a definite stop. http://www.southcitykitchen.com/midtown/
Also, I think we'll try to spend some time at the Dekalb Farmer's Market (there is a bakery, yay!). Any Atlanta natives or frequent visitors have any culinary suggestions for us?
Oh Atlanta! I hear you calling...I'm coming back to you one fine day...

The Food, Glorious Food of My Youth

By Greg Giordano, The Scrapple King

I just heated up a can of Spaghetti-O's for lunch. I know that this sort of food would be something that my kids like to eat, but for a parent of three who is getting a little gray around the temples? Nah. But, I confess, I still eat the little pasta rings with meatballs, although I do like the ones with sliced franks as well. When I share the fact that I like Spaghetti-O's for breakfast I usually get "uugh" sounds and faces contorted into grimaces from my peers. Most also dismiss my enjoyment of cold pizza as my morning meal as "weird."

As we discuss the subject of munchies I must, of course, reveal that I still like Cap'N Crunch cereal and Froot Loops for breakfast. Although I admit I do try to eat more Shredded Wheat and Raisin Bran in recognition of the fact that those foods do serve a more practical purpose for one of advancing years (I have not conceded the need to eat Grape Nuts, though, and probably never will). Speaking of breakfast cereals, does anyone remember Quisp? I have found but one person in my age group who recalls this unique spaceship-shaped delight from the early 1970's. Please let me know. Perhaps we can start a fan club.

Moving on to snacks, I like Oreo's and Nutter Butter cookies, yet another joy from my childhood. I still like Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers, especially the pizza flavored ones. One thing that I have not been able to stomach, however, is Gummi Bears nor their various incarnations such as Gummi Worms. My kids have a taste for those delicacies so I suppose that will help to perpetuate their existence into the next generation.

Having just laid out for all the world to see what sort of culinary delights I enjoy I can only hope my children will make better diet choices than I. One only knows how much my wife has tried to introduce me to more healthy foods, which I usually rebel against (I really do like Spam). Not all is lost, however. I eat more fresh vegetables than ever before. I love no-fat Snyder's pretzels and could dine on sushi every day of the week if I could afford to do so.

I expect there will always be a place in my life for the not-so-good foods of my youth. If nothing else they remind me of a simpler time before worries of cholesterol levels and body fat ratios were in mind. Boy, all this talk of food has made me hungry again. I think I'll pop open another can of those round little pastas and start munching!

Thanks to http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinprick/ for the photo / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0