Recipes and Food Stories
Periodically, Ninepatch proposes various themes for contributors letters. Here are the letters we received in response to the 'Recipes and Food Stories' theme...
Dear Friends,
A brass, key-wound clock stood in dignity on Grandpa Pappy's desk. It ticked at one end of an open "L" that formed the sitting room, living room and dining room. Some afternoons Grandma Elizabeth's house was very quiet. In the kitchen, just off the living area "L", I could hear that clock ticking. It's no wonder Grandma could hear me lift the lid on her ceramic cookie jar--a bunch of yellow bananas that held treasures.
My early history with Grandma is sketchy, but I do recall that once Mother went back to work, Grandma "kept" me some. I remember I stayed there on Saturdays because that was the day Grandma made special food for her turn with auction bridge parties. One dish she made in the summer was potato salad. She topped it with green peppers. Often I'd steal and eat those crunchy slices off her salad, waiting in the icebox.
Most days I passed contentedly playing with my dolls in the corner of Grandma's pantry. That dim pantry had one small window up high and felt like home when Grandma walked over the dark linoleum floor that squeaked when she stepped in just the right place. Tired of playing, some afternoons I'd try to quietly get into the cookie jar.
Inside that treasure-trove lay stacks of cookies, all white, soft and evenly baked. Sprinkled with sugar, those mounds of flour, eggs and sugar crunched a little when I bit into them. Mmm!
Grandma always gave me those cookies with milk in the middle of the afternoon. Sometimes, though, the clock ticked on and on. It was not OK to have more cookies so I had to turn into a sneak thief to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Quiet as I could, I'd pull a chrome kitchen chair from under the table. Silently, I'd climb on its yellow vinyl seat Then, I'd wait and listen. If I heard nothing, I would lean over to the cookie jar that stood on a decorated tea-towel in the center of the yellow, plastic-topped kitchen table. I'd grasp that banana- jar lid and s-l-o-w-l-y lift it - trying not to slide it. (Sliding always grrrrrrated.)
If I were successful, I 'd reach in and nab a cookie before I ever so carefully replaced the lid. Sometimes, though, Grandma's voice would suddenly arise from the other part of the house, "Liebchen? Is that you in the cookie jar?"
I'd look up, pause, and consider my choices. Should I be honest, and say, "Yes, Grandma!" Or was it better to just be silent and hope she'd think she was hearing things." Usually, it didn't matter, because the next thing I'd hear from that unseen area where the clock ticked was, "No more cookies now. It'll spoil your supper."
When I was just twelve, Grandma Elizabeth had a stroke and died a few months later. I was not old enough then to ask for anything to remember her by. However, I was in my twenties, married and pregnant with my first child when Grandpa left us. Then, I asked for Grandma's little wooden, recipe box made with dove-tailed corners. It held her recipes.
Never a cook, I still had hopes of becoming domestic. I typed a few recipes I might someday be able to follow. Over the years, after several cookie failures, I gave up on both of her sugar cookie recipes. They list only ingredients -- no mixing or baking information. Worse, neither tells how MUCH flour, stating only, "Flour enough to stiffen."
Dear Grandma Elizabeth,
How I wish you'd written a little more for your only grand daughter who learned too late, to ask for lessons on baking sugar cookies. I miss you and the wisdom you might have shared if you'd given me those lessons.
Liebchen
Frances Fritzie
Frances, Editor adds, "Here are the recipes I typed 36 years ago."
| 3 eggs |
2 eggs |
Dear Fritz,
I don't have any recipes at this time. Nor do I have any of my own food stories. But, I do have one on my husband.
After we were married, his son told me, "Never let Dad cook for you, " then he explained this advice. He said, "Once when Mom was sick and in the hospital, Dad cooked for us. He made soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. The soup was fine -- it was out of a can -- but the sandwich was awful. He took two pieces of bread, buttered them and fried them. Then he put cheese slices between them. Talk about dripping in grease! They were terrible. What's so bad is he ate them. My sister and I lost our appetites. We were so glad when Mom came home."
My husband said his son exaggerates…the sandwiches were good. I, for one, believe his son.
Patricia adds, "I just don't have a favorite nor do I use recipes per se."
Dear Frances,
About twenty years ago I received an invitation to a bridal shower for a good friend's oldest daughter. Included in the initiation was a blank recipe card, with a request to write out a favorite recipe for the bride-to-be. At the shower, a recipe box containing recipes from shower guests was given as a gift.
I thought this was a charming way to pass on traditions of family and friends. I made sure I did the same when both of my daughters were to be married. They now have handwritten recipe cards from relatives and friends. Hopefully, someday they will pass these on to their children.
I thought this was a charming way to pass on traditions of family and friends. I made sure I did the same when both of my daughters were to be married. They now have handwritten recipe cards from relatives and friends. Hopefully, someday they will pass these on to their children.
RECIPES
Recipes are treasures passed down.
Many bring a smile, or maybe a frown.
Whose favorite dish was that?
You may say!
You may have to change it,
make it your own way.
A pinch of this, a spoon of that.
Don't forget to watch the fat!
It says to mix and bake,
Be sure to beat, do not shake.
Remember all the steps to do.
Then serve with lots of love
This treasure made by you.
Joan adds, "Here is the recipe I probably gave to the bride-to-be.
Selden Junior High Vegetable Soup
1/2 Lb. chopped meat
1 chopped onion
2 cups cut up carrots
2 stalks of cut up celery
1 can of peeled tomatoes
Seasonings: 1tsp salt,1 tsp.Kitchen Bouquet, 1 bay leaf, pinch of pepper.
Directions:1. Sauté onion, brown meat, drain fat.
2..Add vegetables and seasonings to meat mix.
3.Add tomatoes simmer 10 min. or until vegetables are tender.
This is a dish my daughter made in Home Ec. class. It was a family favorite and easy to make."
Fritzie -
I found your recent email so refreshing. You talked about day-to-day stuff. I think we learn a lot about each other just by knowing how we spend our time. It is also important to express our deeper side, but chit-chat reveals a lot, too. Here's my day so far - I wonder if you'll learn anything about me.
It is Sunday morning. My husband and my stepson made bacon and eggs before I got up. I made myself some strawberry pancakes, using every low-fat item in the frig. We reviewed the specials from the supermarket flyer and completed the shopping list.
Last night we had watched, "Scent of a Woman" on video. The guys were to return it on their way to the market this morning. Since I couldn't get the movie out of my mind, I quickly fast- forwarded the video to the scene where Al Pacino speaks on Charlie's behalf at the school assembly. My husband sat with me as we watched the scene, again, with awe. That scene speaks to me. Maybe it is about the person I would like to be…
Then the men went food shopping (I almost never go) while I went about weekend chores -- laundry, vacuuming, and deck sweeping, making decisions about just how thorough this housework was or wasn't going to be.
Reminding myself that I can't just be about work, I picked up my lap top and headed for the deck. This little machine keeps me connected to people, I think. My day to day is so much about getting things done and not so much about interacting qualitatively with people.
So there I am, in part. What do you say?
Love you, my friend. Elaine
Elaine says "When I was first married, I shunned any--thing made from a mix. Later, when short cuts became important, I remembered Bisquick and the wonderful things my mother could do with it. Here's Low-fat Strawberry Pancakes a la Bisquick:
One cup low-fat Bisquick,
1/2 cup soy milk,
1/4 cup Egg Beaters,
4 or 5 large strawberries, thinly sliced.
Directions: Gently mix ingredients and then make the pancakes in the conventional way, using no more fat than necessary in a nonstick pan.
Yield: 4 large pancakes
Dear Frances,
We had a good time on our first vacation of the summer. My husband is full of surprises. He had said, "… even if we don't go any-where, we need the space …just nice not to have to get up at 6:00 AM…"
I had been looking forward to going somewhere. Mother's Day was near and I was missing hearing from my kids. My mother is gone. My husband's mother is gone, our grandmothers are gone. The family wasn't getting along. Nothing to look for-ward to except working all day, then going home tired and sore. All I thought about those days was going to bed. When I got home the night before my vacation, it was late. I was tired and angry.
Then my husband surprised me with a family gathering at a motel where we spent our wed-ding night! Everyone enjoyed the pool and pizza he had delivered. We had the next night there, alone, too!
Then Sunday, he drove me to a bed-and-breakfast near a well-known Amish area. There we shopped, took a buggy ride and tried homemade root beer.
In the end, our vacation wasn't exactly going somewhere, - as he had said-- but it was a glorious time of family, relaxation and visiting here and there.
I haven't found the recipe Mom and I shared. It was one I brought home from high school Home Ec. Class. I didn't think I would ever forget it. We made it for every family gathering: Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, Fathers' Day, Fourth of July, and birthdays. I must have left it be-hind when I married and left home.
LindaSue (June'02) adds,"I found the following recipe in a recipe book my dad gave me. It is pretty close (to the lost one), but ours had shredded coconut in it. Some of the girls I know also add small marshmallows. It is called, Ambrosia Salad:
1 lg. Can pineapple tidbits ( drained)
2 cans mandarin oranges ( drained)
18-oz pkg. cream cheese
1 12-oz carton CoolWhip
4 oz. sour cream
Beat cream cheese until soft. Add. CoolWhip and sour cream. Gently stir in fruit (and coconut). Cover and chill several hours or overnight.
Our family loved it!"
BACHELOR STEW
My family had a simple recipe for satisfying the late night hunger of teen-agers. I never gave it a name until years later. After my son's wife died, and he was learning to cook, I passed along the quick and easy directions:
1 pound of ground beef
1 large chopped onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large can of pork and beans
Directions: Brown the beef and onion in a large skillet. Season, then drain off the fat thoroughly. Stir in the pork and beans. Serve with saltine crackers.
This is easier than chili, and just as satisfying.
June says, "After I sent you the article about Bachelor Stew, I got thinking about the family dynamic around Thanksgiving and Christmas. My mother took great pride in her cooking. NOBODY was supposed to outdo her in the kitchen. I never took much interest in cooking because I didn't want to compete with her.
YORKSHIRE PUDDING
I remember being a kid, sitting down to special dinners of roast beef or turkey with all the trimmings … especially York-shire Pudding. My father, who'd never gotten used to wearing his false teeth, was particularly fond of these little biscuits, which he could dip in gravy to soften.
"My mother used to make these," he'd say, holding the biscuit up to examine its golden brown fluffiness, "She'd use the fat from the meat to grease the tins because we couldn't afford real butter…"
And he'd go on to regale us with stories of how they'd gotten by during the Great Depression as we shared our meal. Sometimes, I admit, I felt that we weren't much better off money-wise than our parents or theirs had been. I knew that Mom made the puddings as much for their ability to fill empty tummies as for their taste, but I enjoyed the biscuits and the stories that came with them.
Our grandparents, we were told, came from Yorkshire, in England. Grandma moved to Canada when she was a girl, in the '20's, and while she didn't bring much of material value with her, she did bring some of her family's traditions and recipes.
"At New Years," Dad said, "your grandmother would load the table down with all the food she could get her hands on. And if we didn't have beef, it'd be squirrel or rabbit if we had to… because she believed that if you had a full table at New Years, you'd have enough food to eat for the rest of the year."
When my father had grown and married my mother, they lived across the street from Grandma, and at Christmas and other special times we'd have meals together. Mom continued to make some of Grandma's special foods, especially Yorkshire Puddings, even after we kids came along and we'd moved far from Grandma.
Later, when I'd grown and gotten married, it became my turn to put on the big meals, though sadly by then, Grandma and Dad weren't around to share them. I remember calling Mom and asking her how to make Yorkshire Pudding. "I don't know," I said, when she asked why I HAD to have the recipe … but in truth, I'd wanted to make something special to re-mind me of family.
How she laughed when she tried to tell me 'it's so simple'… and then couldn't remember the measurements because she'd been doing it by habit for so long. And though it didn't al-ways 'work out' at first, I eventually got the hang of it just like she and Grandma had when they were young mothers, discovering just the right way to make them turn out 'perfect'.
Eventually, Mom dug through her old recipes and found the little 3x5 cards she had the recipe on. It was all aged and browned from use, but she gave it to me to keep in the shoebox full of recipes I use, just like she did. And some day, I suppose, I'll hand that card on to my daughter so she can share it with her family in turn.
Yorkshire Pudding
¾ cup flour ¾ cup milk
2 eggs [or 1 whole egg and 1 egg white]
(sprinkle of baking powder = optional)
Dirctions: Bake in greased muffin tin 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
TROR says, "It's an odd little quirk of mine, I suppose, but I never really feel I've made a new 'friend' until I've taken the time to 'beak bread' with a person. (Coffee and doughnuts don't count!) Eating together is something that implies a certain level of comfort to me, a degree of trust or acceptance. When I do get to the point when I want to have a new friend eat with me though, it's often something special like turkey and Yorkshire Pudding that I make… my way of saying, Welcome to the family."
RECIPE LEGACIES
Ninepatch also ran a Recipe Legacy Survey and several readers sent responses to it. Reading each one opened a little window into knowing that person. Following are responses received ...
Two readers found popcorn their favorite comfort food. First, Cat (May '02) says," My favorite comfort food is popcorn with lotsa' butter." Cat goes on, "I always felt loved when Grandma made her special applesauce. Our Thanksgiving meal wouldn't have been complete without stuffing. When I come home after a hard day at work, the supper I most hope to smell cooking is beef soup/stew. My first recollections of helping in the kitchen are with my Gramma making applesauce. My favorite family recipe is Friatata and I am most well known for my recipe of homemade apple pie."
Then, Helen B. (May '02) agrees with Cat, stating her favorite comfort food is, "popcorn." Helen goes on, "I always felt loved when Grandma made her special cookies. Our Thanksgiving meal wouldn't have been complete without pumpkin pie. On my birthday I always asked Mom to make white cake. When I come home after a hard day at work, the supper I most hope to smell cooking is roast beef. "
Helen is the only person in the returned surveys who cooks when angry. She says, "To get rid of my anger, I always pull out ingredients to make fudge." Helen continues, " My first recollections of helping in the kitchen are with my mother making bread. My favorite family recipe is Ginger Cookies and I am most well known for my recipe of George Washington Cake.
New reader, Dottie is a widow who has a grown son and daughter. She still works (recently just part time) and is beginning to consider what she will do with her new "free time." She opens a window onto herself, "My favorite comfort food is frozen pecan yogurt (like ice-cream). I always felt loved when grandma made her special blood soup." Dottie echoes Linda Sue (in this issue), when she lists "fresh fruit salad" as the irreplaceable component of her Thanksgiving meal. She continues, "When I come home after a hard day at work, the supper I most hope to smell cooking is stewed chicken. My favorite family recipe is barbecued chicken sauce and I am most well known for my recipe of carrot cake."
Julie B. (Apr. '01) shares some of her family history," My favorite comfort food is ice-cream. Our Thanksgiving meal wouldn't have been complete without turkey with oyster dressing. As a child, when I come home from school, the supper I most hope to smell cooking is homemade Parker House rolls. My first recollections of helping in the kitchen are with my mother, baking cakes. My favorite family recipe is corn casserole and I am most well known for my recipe of whipped potato casserole.
Like Julie, another of our readers, MM (June '02) lists a corn recipe among her favorite: corn dumplings! She says, "Our Thanksgiving meal wouldn't have been complete without chicken and corn dumplings. In her survey she says, "My favorite comfort food is tomato soup. About her grandmother she wrote a note: " My grandma wasn't your typical grandma. I don't even remember her cooking. I'm sure she did, but my grandfather died the year before I was born and she was a widow. She did have one redeeming quality, though. She had a guava tree and I had my fill of them and even brought them inside her house. Mom wouldn't let them in our house because of the odor!" She finishes her survey with, " My first recollections of helping in the kitchen are with my mom making Oatmeal Cookies. My favorite family recipe is Mom's fried chicken ( Healthy-Ha!) I am most well-known for my recipe of Breakfast Bake. This is an "old" recipe of my friend's grandmother and can be made ahead of time!"
Brunch Egg Bake
21/2 c. Pepperidge Farm Seasoned Stuffing,
1 3/4 c, milk,
8 eggs,
6 T butter,
8 slices bacon,
¾# sliced cheese (Cheddar, Swiss or Provolone)
Salt and pepper.
Directions: Soak 2c. stuffing in milk. Drain, but reserve milk . Beat eggs. Combine with reserved milk, salt and pepper. Melt 4T butter in skillet. Add eggs. Cook until runny. Add stuffing. Spread over cheese. Crumble 8 slices bacon on top. Prepare the day before using. Day of use, bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes.
Kathryn (Nov-Dec.'01) responded to the survey thus: " My favorite comfort food is whatever I can find to eat in the refrigerator or cupboard." About cooking with grand-mothers, she says, "One grandma was an invalid. The other grandma would have my family for Thanksgiving dinner. Any Thanksgiving meal would not have been complete without pie enough for dinner and lunch later -- always more than one kind." She goes on, " It never occurred to me I might hope to smell something cooking when I came home from work. That's when I started cooking." She says, " I really can't remember that I asked my mother to make something special for my birthday. Whatever she made was wonderful. She was an excellent cook." Like Helen B., Kathryn comments on anger but not with a dish, " If I am angry-look out-absolutely nothing is going to be made." On recollections, she writes, "My first recollections of helping my mother in the kitchen was drying the dishes for food I did not help make. I think she sensed I lacked 'making' skills." Continuing, she says, "My favorite family recipe was scalloped potatoes with pork chops on top. It was put in the oven Sunday morning when we left for church and was ready when we came home. So delicious. " She concludes the survey, " I am most well-known-I think-for my brownies which I make from scratch."
Several readers included recipes with their surveys. One was Lynn (Dec. '96) who included her well-known-for recipe at the end. Her survey follows, " My favorite comfort food is canned peas. I always felt loved when Grandma made her special "coffee" which was milk and sugar with a little coffee in it. On my birthday I always asked Mom to make pork chops. When I come home after a hard day at work, the supper I most hope to smell cooking is roast beef. Lynn agrees with Kathryn saying, "I don't cook when I'm angry." She goes on," My first recollections of helping in the kitchen are with my mother making cherry jam. My favorite family recipe is red-eye gravy and I am most well known for my recipe of Monster Cookies.
MONSTER COOKIES
1/2lb. butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1 lb. brown sugar ( 2 ¼ C.)
6 eggs
3cups peanut butter
11/2 tsp. Vanilla
1 ½ tsp. Karo syrup (white)
4 tsp. baking soda
9 cups oatmeal
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup M&Ms
Optional: chopped nuts, coconut, raisins
DIRECTIONS: Cream butter, sugar, eggs, p. butter, vanilla and Karo. Add Baking soda and oatmeal. Add other ingredients. Drop by TBS. On cookie sheet and bake at 350 12 min. Do not over-bake. Yield: 10 doz.
GinnyLee, (Jan. '02) de-signed and penned this survey. She tells us: "My favorite comfort food is mashed potatoes with brown butter: Mashed Potatoes with Brown Butter Make real mashed potatoes with half and half .2) Slowly brown BUTTER ( not margarine) Make little wells in potatoes and used browned butter in place of gravy. Note: This is an extended family recipe!
I always felt loved when Grandma made her special Ranger Cookies. Our Thanks-giving meal wouldn't have been complete without Dad carving the turkey. On my birthday, I always asked Mom to make grilled chicken. When I come home after a hard day at work, the supper I most hope to smell cooking is ANYTHING! My first recollections of helping in the kitchen are with my sister making chocolate chip cookies. My favorite family recipe is peach cream pie and I am most well known for my recipes of rhubarb cream pie and apple cream pie." Two of GinnyLee's pie recipes follow. She says, "Pies are not hard! Here's a pat-a-crust recipe you mix in a pie pan and shape with fingers. Anyone can do this in less than five minutes!
PAT-A-PIE-CRUST
Place following ingredients in 9" pie pan. 2)1 ½ c. flour, ½ c. veg. oil, 1tsp. Sugar, 2Tbls. Milk, 1tsp. Salt. 3) Mix in pan and form a crust using both hands. Add a little more oil if too crumbly to form. If recipe calls for a top crust, decrease sugar in pie filling by ½ c. then mix these "crumbs" together and sprinkle to top of filling before baking in place of pie crust: 1) 3/4c. flour, 1/2c. sugar, 1/3 c. margarine or butter.
She goes on, " Now, here's a pie filling recipe that's sure to please!"
APPLE CREAM OF (FRESH) PEACH CREAM PIE
Mix 3Tbls. (rounded) flour and 11/4c.sugar. 2) Add: ¾ c. half 'n'.half, then mix. 3) Place 21/2 c. diced or sliced peeled tart apples (like Granny Smith) in bottom of unbaked pie crust. Pour liquid mixture over apples. Liberally sprinkle cinnamon over top of apples. Bake 375 for 15 min, then 325 for 25 min or 'til "set."
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