The 80th anniversary of the Saskatchewan 4-H was celebrated in 1997 with the publication of a cookbook. That cookbook has travelled across the city and now resides in our house. Just paging through the recipes brings back so many delightful memories of my association with some of the local 4-H clubs.
It was always a treat to be invited to attend achievement days where a highlight was the potluck meal set out on tables that reached from one end of the venue to another — sometimes in a barn, other times in a quinset hut cleaned out for the occasion. Or sometimes the leader welcomed the members, their families and guests into the basement of her home.
While members were judged on record books, grooming, showmanship and other topics, I was grading the quality and variety of food to be devoured in a short time — a true compliment to the cooks.
A peewee member, who had obviously been told to be nice to strangers, asked what I had brought for supper. I told him his leader said I was just to attend and didn’t need to bring anything. His response: “That’s good.”
This week’s recipes come from some of those contributed to the cookbook by District 8 members.
• • •
Japanese Chicken Wings
3 lbs. chicken wings
1 egg, beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup butter
Sauce:
3 tbsps. soya sauce
3 tbsps. water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp. Accent
1/2 tsp. salt or garlic powder
Cut wings in half. Dip in beaten egg and then in flour. Fry in butter until wings are brown and crisp. Place in shallow roasting pan.
Mix sauce ingredients and spoon over the wings in the roasting pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes. Continue to spoon sauce over wings while they cook. Leftover wings may be warmed up.
• • •
Hawaiian Meat Balls
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup bread crumbs or
1 1/2 cups cracker crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup ketchup
2 tsps. vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 can pork and beans, optional
2 tsps. dry mustard
1 can pineapple tidbits
Mix together ground beef, chopped onions, bread crumbs, salt and egg. Form into small balls and brown in vegetable oil in a frying pan. Move meat balls to a roasting pan.
Mix all remaining ingredients. Pour over meat balls.
Bake for two hours at 350 degrees F.
• • •
Hot Apple Cider
7 cups apple juice
4 cups cranberry juice
2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
18 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
Simmer all ingredients for two hours. Serve warm or chilled.
Joyce Walter can be reached at [email protected]
