POLISH KIELBASA EGG MUFFIN BREAKFAST SANDWICH---A GRAND RAPIDS FIRE FIGHTER'S SPECIAL

The Westside of Grand Rapids is so fortunate to still have family run butcher shops where all the sausages, wieners, and bacon are homemade. The quality of the meat they sell is not something you get in a supermarket, but far superior. The clerks are knowledgeable and always have the answer to your questions on cooking or the correct cut or whatever.

Back in the 1970's when I lived in Missouri and families drove big station wagons, I had a very big cooler that I would fill with bratwurst, fresh and smoked Polish sausage, kiszka, German wieners, and whatever the market was featuring at that time.  I always hoped I would get back to Michigan before my freezer in Missouri ran out of Westsider meat.

Frank's Market is on West Fulton St.  It was established in 1933 so the business is older than I am.  A couple of years ago Tom and I were in the store and we were shown fresh Kielbasa patties that Frank's makes for the fire stations' kitchens.  A Polish egg muffin is one the fireman's favorite breakfast sandwiches.  Of course, Tom and I had to bring some patties home and try the breakfast of the fire-fighting heroes.

After trying these sandwiches, I will be serving fresh Polish sausage for breakfast sausage to give breakfast or brunch a different zing and to break the old habit of always serving breakfast sausage with eggs.


FIREMAN'S POLISH SAUSAGE EGG MCMUFFINS


Soft English muffins, Thomas-brand don't work well
Fresh Polish sausage, cooked
Sliced cheese
Eggs

Ingredients:  Fresh Polish sausage, patties or ring, eggs, cheese slices, and English muffins.

Cook sausage patties by browning on each side, adding a little water to skillet, cover, and steam until done.  Turn oven to its lowest setting.  Put English muffin bottoms in a baking pan.  Top bottoms with a cheese slice.  Put tops of muffins in a pan.  Put pans in the oven while sausage is cooking. When sausage is done, drain if necessary.  Put sauage on top of the cheese.  Wipe excess grease out of pan, if necessary.  Break eggs into pan.  Add some water into the pan.  Cover pan and cook eggs to desire doneness.  Put cooked eggs on top of sausage.  Top eggs with muffin tops.  Wrap sandwiches in waxed paper, aluminum foil, or other oven-proof wrapping.  Put wrapped sandwiches back into baking pan and allow the flavors to meld while the sandwich bonds together.

Frank's Kielbasa in pattie form instead of ring form.

 Leftover cooked ring form Kielbasa sliced to make sandwich.  See:  http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/12/kiszka-how-to-cook-it.html for how to cook Polish Sausage.

Brown each side of the Kielbasa patties.  Add a little water to the skillet.

Cover skillet and let the patties cook until 160° F.

Meanwhile heat oven to its lowest setting.

I am making three muffins, so I put the bottom of three muffins in a baking dish.

Top bottoms of muffins with cheese.  Put the tops of the muffins in the pan.  Put the pan in the oven.

When the patties are cooked, put them on top of the cheese slices.

I had warmed-up left-over ring-style Polish, sliced, so I put it on the third muffin.

Remove and extra grease from the frying pan.  Break eggs into the pan.

Add a little water to the pan.

Cover the pan and cook eggs to desired doneness.

Eggs are ready.

Top sausage with eggs.

Top the eggs with warmed English muffin tops.

Now to make the sandwiches taste like the breakfast sandwiches you buy at a fast food restaurant.

To make them taste like fast food only better, wrap each muffin in waxed paper, aluminum foil, or other oven-proof wrapping.

Put wrapped muffins back in the baking pan and return the pan to the warm oven.  Let rest to meld the flavors and allow the muffins to become soft and part of the sausage and egg.

Unwrapped and serve.

Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!!

JAN HENRI ENGBERT BUDDE MISSED THE BOAT---THE TITANIC BOAT THAT IS.

One hundred years ago this month, my Grandfather, Jan Henri Engbert Budde, from the City of Almelo Provience of Overijssel. left the Netherlands for the "streets of gold" in the United States of America.  He left by himself.  As with so many immigrants, the man left first and sent for his family after he was established.

Family portrait taken before my Grandpa left for the United States.  My Dad is the boy on the right.

Grandpa had a ticket on the Titanic.  He missed the boat.  Because the Dutch are known for being thrifty, I like to think Grandpa scalped his ticket because everyone wanted to sail on the Titanic maiden voyage and all Grandpa wanted to do was get to the States. 


He ended up sailing on the Mauretania.  The change was made at the very last minute.  Because he had no smart phone or other way to contact his family when the Titanic went down, my Grandma thought that Grandpa was on it. 

Picture of the Mauretania taken from a family purchased post card.

The rest is family history.  Because he missed the boat, my Dad came to America in October of 1912.  The Buddes have now been in the USA for 100 years.  A family of four has become a family of many.  My Dad has 15 direct descents.  That number is sure to grow as my Dad's great-children start to have children.

HAPPY EASTER

I have some good pictures of flowering trees plus a great way to use any left-over Kielbasa; however, the computer I use for blogging that has all the pictures and recipes on it is not working. Hopefully it will be up soon!!

EASTER GOODIES--PERFECT "BOILED" EGGS, TWO GREAT COFFEECAKES, LAMB SHANKS, ROASTED NEW POTATOES, CARROTS AND BEETS

EASY HARD COOKED EGGS PERFECT EVERY TIME.

For families, Easter frequently starts on the Saturday before Easter with cooking and dying the eggs for the Easter Bunny to hide on Saturday night when he makes his visit.  This method of cooking the eggs guarantees a perfect egg every time and is so easy to do.  For the method, click on this link or copy and paste to your address bar.

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/03/easy-hard-cooked-eggs-perfect-every.html

COFFEECAKES FOR AN EASTER BRUNCH

Easter is not only an important religious holiday, it is an end to the fasting of Lent.  Rich and wonderful spring foods find their way to the Easter feast.  For Easter brunch try one or both of these delicious and easy coffeecakes.

Ricotta cheese is frequently found in Easter dishes.  The coffeecake with ricotta cheese is scrumptious, you will want to eat the whole thing by yourself.

BLUEBERRY RICOTTA CHEESE COFFEECAKE

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/04/blueberry-ricotta-cheese-coffeecake.html

This big, fantastic coffeecake goes together so easily you won't want to buy a commercial coffeecake again after trying it.

CINDY'S CHURCH CAMP COFFEECAKE WITH THREE DIFFERENT FILLINGS.

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/03/cindys-church-camp-coffee-cake-with_26.html

Lamb is a traditional meat to fix for the Easter dinner.  As wonderful as a leg of lamb is, when there are just two or three of you for dinner so much meat seems a waste.  Lamb shanks are the bottom part of the leg and have all the same wonderful flavor.  Plan on one shank per person.

LAMB SHANKS WITH SCHNITZELBANK GRAVY.

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2010/04/easter-lamb-shanks.html


Little potatoes, beets, and carrots are some of the earliest vegetables found at the farmer's markets in the spring.  This recipe goes with lamb or ham for Easter dinner. 

ROASTED POTATOES, CARROTS, BEETS AND ONIONS.

http://michigancottagecook.blogspot.com/2011/07/roasted-beets-with-carrots-potatoes-and.html

EASTER 3-D LAMB CAKE

EASTER LAMB CAKES

When I was growing up the store window of Buttercup Bakery at Easter time was filled with 3-dimensional lamb cakes frosted with white icing, sprinkled with coconut and decorated with blue ribbons tied around their necks. A lamb cake was a must on our Easter table. When I was a teenager my Mom bought me an aluminum lamb cake mold for my hope chest.

I never saw the cakes in a bakery when my children were growing up so I made my own with the mold Mom had given me. When my first Grandson was three, I went to Los Angeles to visit him during the Easter holiday. I put the lamb cake mold in my suitcase to take to him. Matthew, my son, happened to see the mold in my case and said, "You better bring that back." Oh, so I better buy two more lamb molds so each of my children will have one! I called a supplier only to find that the mold had been discontinued. I scoured junk shops to find two more and then discovered that kitchen shops still sell the heavier cast aluminum lamb mold.

Lamb cake.

Bob, my son-in-law, likes to tease Christy and I about all our family customs and the lamb cake took its share of jest. It was with delight I made him eat his words when I found out that the custom for lamb cakes originated in the same country as his ancestors, Czechoslovakia. There it is called "Beranek" and is traditionally baked on what is called "Green Thursday", the holy day that commemorates Jesus washing the disciples' feet. The white cake is made to serve on Easter Sunday where it is given a place of honor on the table and symbolizes the Lamb of God. Tradition dictates that a blue satin ribbon with a small bell be tied around the neck of the cake. It often isn't frosted just dusted with powdered sugar with raisins used for the eyes and nose.

BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS BEST TWO EGG CAKE FOR CAKE, CUPCAKES AND LAMB CAKE MOLD

My old cookbook where I found this recipe.

This recipe makes an excellent basic cake or cupcakes. I've used this classic recipe for over 50 years to make a 3-dimensional LAMB CAKE in a two piece cake mold. Cakes baked in a mold need to be firm and compact. If using a cake mix with a mold, use one that is just a plain cake mix not a super-moist one.

To bake a cake in a mold, the mold must first be heavily greased with shortening, then well dusted with flour or heavily sprayed with non-stick cooking spray with flour. Areas like the nose of the lamb can be reinforced by putting toothpicks in the batter. Be careful when serving to remove the toothpicks. Fill the side of the mold without steam vents; fill to the rim. Put top on the mold and wire or tie the mold closed.

Bake the filled mold on a cookie sheet at 350° F. for about an hour. Check for doneness by sticking a toothpick into a steam vent. Cool mold on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully remove top mold. Cool another 15 minutes. Put mold back together and turn over and remove bottom mold. An alternate way of cooling, my favorite way, is to take the cake from the oven, place on a wire rack and immediately with gentle care remove top mold. After 10 minutes replace top mold, turn to other side and remove bottom mold. Repeat until cool.

Do not try to stand cake up until it is completely cool.

1/2 c shortening

1 1/2 c sugar

1 t vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 c cake flour*

2 1/2 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 c plus 2 T milk


*(A substitute for cake flour is a cup of all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons of flour taken out of the cup.  Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the cup of flour to make up for the 2 tablespoons taken out of the cup.)

Ingredients:  Cake flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, shortening, eggs, vanilla, and milk.

Ingredients for baking:  Baker's Joy or Crisco cooking spray with flour, lamb mold, wire, and cupcake pan.

Toothpicks for support, if desired.  I usually forget to use them.

Ingredients for decorating:  Frosting or powdered sugar, canned icing for attaching eyes, nose, and mouth, blue ribbon, bell, waxed paper, raisins, blue candy, optional, and cherries.



TO MAKE THE CAKE
Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into a sifter or a sieve, sift or sieve the mixture a couple of times.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, or 8-cup glass measuring cup, cream shortening.  Gradually add the sugar and beat the shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add vanilla and beat well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add some of the flour mixture to creamed mixture. Beat until mixed.  Add some of the milk and beat until mixed.  Alternate adding the flour and the milk, a little at a time, beat after each addition till smooth. Begin and end with the flour when mixing.  Bake in 2 greased 9-inch round pans at 375° F. for about 25 minutes or follow instructions for Lamb Cake which bakes at 350° F.

What a cutie!


HOW TO FROST LAMB CAKE

DOROTHEA WILZ'S CREAMY ICING FOR EASTER LAMB CAKE

Marcia Wilz of Ohio lost her Mom, Dorothea, in 1969 when she was 11 years old. She remembers her Mom as a wonderful cook, but it wasn’t until 1993 that she discovered her Aunt Hilda had some of her Mom's "receipts". Seeing her Mom's receipts brought back all the memories of her Mom making Christmas candy, Easter lamb cakes and just beef stew. Memories made in the kitchen touch all our senses and are forever.

1/2 stick butter or margarine

1 1/2 oz. cream cheese

Milk

1 box (1 lb.) powdered sugar

Blend butter, cream cheese, several drops of milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar with an electric mixer until very creamy and smooth. Add alternately sugar and milk until proper consistency and amount desired is attained.


Lamb cake is more easily frosted when frozen. Frost head first, then back, the sides last. Sprinkle with coconut, if desired. Add raisins for the eyes and nose; a slice of maraschino cherry or piece of dried cherry for the mouth.

For the cake:  Put flour, baking powder, and salt in a sifter or sieve.  Sift or sieve a couple of times.

Set aside the dry ingredients.

Heavily spray the lamb mold with floured cooking spray.

Put the shortening in a mixing bowl and cream until fluffy.

Gradually add sugar, beating well, until mixture is fluffy and light.

Add vanilla and mix well.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Second egg goes in, beat well.

Gradually add flour and milk alternately.  Start and end with flour.  Beat until smooth after each addition.

Add some of the milk.  Beat until smooth.

Add more of the flour, beat until smooth.

Add some milk.  Continue until all the flour and milk are in the batter.

Check the mold and make sure all of it is well sprayed with floured cooking spray.  Re-spray any spots that need it.  Put the mold on a cookie sheet.

Fill the side of the mold, without steam vents, with batter up to the rim.

Reinforce ears and nose with toothpicks, if desired.

Put the top on the mold.

Wire or tie the mold tightly together.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for an hour or until toothpick put in steam vent comes out clean.

Make cupcakes with additional batter.

Baked cake.  Remove wires and put the mold on a wire rack to cool.

Very carefully remove top of mold.  Let the cake cool for 10 minutes.  Put the mold back together.  Turn over and carefully take the other side of the mold off.

Let cool for 10 minutes.  Put the mold back together.

Turn the mold over, remove the top of mold and let cool for 10 minutes.  Continue to do this until cake is cool.

DO NOT TRY TO STAND THE CAKE UP UNTIL IS COMPLETELY COOLED.

To decorate:  Put pieces of waxed paper around the lamb to keep serving dish clean.

Frost head of cake, then back and finally sides OR put powdered sugar is a sieve.

Dust cake with powdered sugar.

Put a squirt of frosting on a piece of waxed paper.

Dip one side of blue candy or pieces of raisins in the frosting.  Attach the eyes.  Use a piece of raisin for the nose.  Attach it with frosting.  Use a piece of cherry for the mouth attached with frosting.

Decorate around the Lamb with colored eggs, chocolate eggs, Easter basket grass, or whatever you would like.

Even though the cake is compact and sturdy, it is still light and fluffy.  I like to serve the powdered sugared cake with crushed, slightly sweetened fresh berries, and whipped cream.  Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!!!