Sourdough Sunday

Just a couple of days after Valentine's day and really enjoying this 83 degree weather in El Paso, Texas.  I have started on a rather lengthy project for a blog and realized that I needed to write something in the mean time.

This blog is about a sourdough biscuit recipe.  The recipe I have included is one I duplicated from my long time friend Glenn Benson from Del Rio, Texas.  For those who do not know, he was my 8th grade Industrial Arts (shop) Teacher .  It was one time in Del Rio that I had gone to help him out a little after some surgery when I noticed a recipe in his kitchen window. I thought it was pretty cool since one of the recipes was mine and one belonged to our friend Billy Foster.  I noticed that it was written on the back of a shooting target.  I looked around and found the same targets and replicated the recipes just as Glenn had written them.   Well anyway, one morning I asked Glenn if he wanted some biscuits and of course he responed with a "why hell yes". I think I made them a couple of times and they were sure fine.

I have had several sourdough starters in the refrigerator over the years, some lasting a couple of years or so. The last starter died a couple of weeks ago for some unknown reason.  So I had to make some more.  Now those of you who know all about this sort of stuff--don't get your danderuf up--just bear with me cause there are a bunch of folks that might find this useful.  To start a new batch of sourdough starter you need to find some sort of ceramic or crock container that has a lid.  The one I use is about two quarts.  Add three cups of flour, three cups of warm water, about a tablespoon+ of sugar and about 1/2 pack of instant dry yeast.  Just set it back uncovered of a couple of three days and check on it ever now and then and stir it. You will see that it has bubbled and frothed up quite nicely.  The pan of biscuits I made after the dough had been on the kitchen counter for about three days.  I think the sourdough gets more potent after sitting longer.You can then cover your starter and put it  in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it again.  Just set it out on the counter the night before you plan to make something with it.

Now this morning I used nearly two cups of starter and when you take out two cups of starter you must add back the same....ie....two cups of flour and two cups of water....a little sugar and a little sprinkle of yeast.  Now here is something to know......with patience you can skip the adding of the instant yeast and the dough will begin to bubble  because it will get  the natural yeast from the air......it just takes longer.

I thought I would experiment with the cutting of the biscuits using the twist method and the straight pressure down method.  Of course you all know that if you twist the biscuit, it will not rise as tall and have a somewhat stunted rise on the side of the biscuit.  You can't tell from the picture but the twisted ones are about 1/4 shorter than the straight down cut.

You can follow the recipe or change it up according to your tastes.  I sometimes have to cook them about 15 minutes and sometimes 20 minutes plus.  Just keep an eye on them and if you want them browner.....well you know.  The thing to do to get the bottom and tops to crust real good is to put a goodly amount of oil in the bottom of a heavy pan and sop the top of the biscuit and turn it over.  They will be real pretty.  Oh, and of course if you will put some homemade pear preserves on them like your mother use to make then ...well ....they will be scrumptious.

The recipe is special and so was my friend.  If you will allow me to expound on our friendship--After taking his class I guess I retained a lot from his teachings.  I went on to study and teach Industrial Arts myself....then went in to public school administration.  I guess you could say much of this was because of Glenn.  Anyway we remained friends over the years...actually over 50 before he passed away.  So it is easy to remember someone special when there are so many things you do on a daily basis that are attributed to a friend.

Raising a sourdough biscuit..............Here's to you Glenn!!

Music of the Stars......us!

Back when these wild, cantankerous old mossey horned critters were roaming south Texas they had never heard a word from many humans, much less a discouraging word.  So when the trail drives started heading north these critters were pretty skittish.  To keep them somewhat comforted at night at least two cowboys rode in opposite directions around the herd singing to soothe the cattle and give them a sense of security that there was someone nearby who was not going to hurt them.  So began the era of the American cowboy and the great cattle drives, in which cattle were rounded up in Texas and herded north into Kansas, Missouri, Wyoming, South Dokota. There they met the railroad lines that would carry their cattle to the demanding markets on the East Coast.  The first trail that was widely used for these long drives was layed out by Jesse Chisholm and called the Chisholm Trail.

The first trail that was widely used for these long drives was called the Chisholm Trail. By the time the trail fell into disuse in 1882, hundreds of cowboys had driven tens of thousands of cattle up the trail, inventing and singing countless verses to Old Chisholm Trail.which  is believed to have at least 143 verses and the author is unknown.  

Cowboys at Austin, Texas cook off

Old Chisholm Trail
Words and Music Adapted by Woody Guthrie

Come along boys and listen to my tale
Tell you of my trouble on the old Chisholm Trail
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Glenn Moreland Trio

Well, I started up the trail October twenty-third 
Started up the trail with a 2-U herd
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Ten dollar horse and a forty dollar saddle 
I'm going cut them Texas cattle
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Woke up one morning on the old Chisholm Trail
My rope in my hand and a cow by the tail
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Rex Allen Jr. at Lubbock cook off (RAJ stock photo)

Cloudy in the west, looking like rain
My danged old slicker's in the wagon again
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Jumped in the saddle and I grabbed that horn
The best blamed cowboy ever was born
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Don't give a damn if I never do stop
Ride just as long as an eight day flop
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Foot in the stirrup and a hand on the horn 
The best danged cowboy ever was born
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Stray in the herd and the boss said, "Kill it," 
Hit him in the rump with the handle of a skillet
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Bacon and beans most every day
Soon to be eating that prairie hay
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 

Courtney Kattner at Host Wagon..Ruidoso, New Mexico

Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Best dang horse, going on a run
Quickest shooting cowboy ever pulled a gun
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Well, I went to the wagon to get my roll
Had had me figured nine dollars in the hole
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Well, sell my outfit quick as I can
And I won't punch cattle for no damn man
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Going to town to draw my money 

K R Wood at Ruisoso Cook off

Going to town to see my honey
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Knees in the saddle and a seat in the sky
Quit my boss and say goodbye
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yi yippee yay 
Come a ki yi yippee yippee yay

Random picker in Austin

Eddy Harrison at Ft. Seldon, New Mexico

 In Ruidoso

I know that there are a number of singing cowboys out among the STARS and there are a goodly number of musicians out amony us that are STARS.....some shining brightly and others sort of have a satin finish if you know what I mean.......  Here are a few picutes that serve as testimony that there are STARS among us. Rex Allen Jr. played with several pickers in the Holiday Inn lobby after the Lubbock competition.  Of course, Glenn Moreland plays all the time and can be seen with his fiddle in multiple locations at

one time.  Anywhere you find a chuck wagon you will undoubtedly find some cowboys and cowgirls singing and playing some instruments.  Glenn Moreland has some sounds down on CD's as do a number of others. There is another fiddle player from San Angelo, Texas by the name of Dorothy Douthit that plays a mean fiddle and is also a chuck wagon cook.  She and many, many others play, sing, record and have fun....BUT I don't have their pictures.  Of course, the big event venues have big name entertainers that perform before,

during, and after the chuck wagon compettions.  If you are new to this kind of entertainment maybe you should attend one of these events---chuck wagon cook offs--that are held all over the country.  And while you are at it, drag along your musical instrument--look for the fire---'cause that is where we will be having fun, then just jump in and let's jam a while.   We may not sing the Old Chisholm Trail tune, but we have a lot of fun doing just about whatever happens to come to mind.  Now the story about the young fiddle player who

happens to be Ty Robertson from Granbury, Texas and the son of chuck wagon cooker Homer Robertson. There were a bunch of us, including my nephew Mike Carr,  sitting around the campfire in Austin the night before the cookoff and this young man comes up to the fire as says, "Do y'all mind it I sit in?".  All of us were surprised and we looked at each other and Mike says, "well absolutely, what do you want to play?".  Ty says " Twinkle Twinkle".  We all smiled and Mike says "You kick it off and we will fall in.".  So Ty does just that and so the song went....Twinkle twinkle little star..........this was a pretty cool moment in the annals of music by the campfire.

Mke Carr and Wayne Calk at Hondo Cook Off

Eddie Sandoval and Clayton Calk

Jerry Baird ...Austin, Texas

I wish I had more pictures of all the talented musicians I have seen by the fireside and beyond, but hopefully this will give you some idea of what happens when we aren't cooking.  Somewhere along the trail I hope you got to enjoy some of this Music Under the Stars by the Stars.........US!  See you on down the trail......