The biggest favorite was biscotti...
By Cynthia Bowan
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I have just come back from three weeks in North Carolina, visiting our oldest son, Doug.
Doug worked most of the time, but certainly enjoyed coming home in the evening to dinner on the table. I enjoyed cooking for him, and baking for the folks in his office. Twice, I drove to Burlington to have lunch with Doug and some of his co-workers/friends. On those occasions, I made a special dessert to take in for everyone to share.
Although I baked several types of cookies, the biggest favorite was biscotti. I made so many varieties that I lost track! My own favorite is made with cinnamon chips and chopped walnuts...but the ginger-almond-honey combination went over big time with the folks there, as was the toasted coconut bars.
The highlight of my time away was the four-day trip Doug and I took to coastal North Carolina, to see my youngest, Bethany, who is stationed at Camp Lejeune with the Marines. Our motel room on base had a complete kitchenette, with microwave oven, two stove burners, refrigerator, coffee pot (and coffee with fixings) and dishes enough for four people plus pots and pans.
I did not cook there. After all, what is a vacation for?
We ate out - what a luxury! No planning, shopping, putting groceries away, cooking and cleaning up. One breakfast was traditional Southern - biscuits and country ham were part of that meal. We did have one meal at a chain restaurant - Chili's. The nachos were loaded with everything and excellent...but the rest of the food was standard. The fajitas could not compare to those my #2 son, Mark David, makes.
For our first dinner, Doug decided we should go to a place called The Crab Shack. After all, the review in the local newspaper's restaurant list read ""fresh seafood anyway you like, but locals come here for the steamed crab. The huge dining room has plenty of windows overlooking Bogue Sound."
Traveling to the Crab Shack meant about a twenty-minute ride, through some small towns and onto a large bridge, which took us first to the small town of Emerald Isle. Both Salter Path and Emerald Isle were bordered on one side by the Atlantic and on the other by the Sound. We had fun looking at all the shops, and street names, and of course, the scenery.
The Shack was not a fancy place, but the food certainly was good. Our one disappointment was that we couldn't have local oysters. Our waitress, Michele, was very friendly and helpful, and said that pollution had created a major problem as far as local oysters were concerned.
The menu is not huge, but certainly caused a problem - everything sounded wonderful. Doug decided on King Crab legs, mainly because it had been a long time since he had eaten any. His dinner came with a baked potato and salad. Beth had deep fried clams, French fries and Cole slaw. I ordered a half dozen steamed crabs and Cole slaw.
Michele returned with newspaper to spread on the table between Doug and I, a pitcher of water for Beth, unsweetened tea with lemon for me, and typical Southern Sweetened tea for Doug. She also placed a basket of steaming hot hush puppies in front of our starving group.
Now, if you have never traveled down South, then you cannot understand that unless you specifically ask for unsweetened iced tea, all iced tea comes sweet - very, very, very sweet. It was in self-defense that I asked for unsweetened.
The hush puppies were piping hot and wonderful. We had to hold back, or we would have filled up on those alone. While we were eating, we casually watched the water, as well as "the locals" who also were having dinner. One table next to us held eight Southern ladies, who carried on conversations that we could not help but hear. It was like being at a Ya Ya Sisterhood convention. After they left, Beth and I had to giggle a bit...as for me, it also brought back memories of being at my grandparents' home outside Myrtle Beach, with all my Momma's family going full tilt...
My Momma was the youngest of six girls, and had two brothers following her. Every summer, when we would get together with as many family members as possible, the noise level between the sisters and sisters-in-law rivaled the group that we saw that night. The overheard conversations were also poignant in a way, because all the Mitchell girls are gone now, and only my Uncle Bud and his wife Evelyn are left...
When our food arrived, I couldn't believe how high Doug and Beth's plates and my bowl of steamed crabs were heaped. Our waitress noted my amazement and said that I had extra crabs, because "a couple of them had been small".
There was one other thing - as I looked around the dining room, I noticed that we were the only ones with steamed crabs and crab legs. Everyone else had combination plates of various seafood, salads and potatoes. But I didn't care, and obviously, Doug didn't either.
We sat and talked about family and friends, jobs, and planning for the next couple days. The best part was being together.
As I write this, I have an intense urge to grab my purse and head out to one of the great fish markets in Pittsburgh's Strip District (several blocks outside the city, where retail and wholesale markets abound, along with ethnic and specialty food shops, restaurants and night clubs can be found). I want fresh fish, dipped in corn meal and deep fried in oil. I want hush puppies and Cole slaw.
I want my family. I want to relive some of those wonderful memories. I want to hear my aunts and Momma say things like this once more: "Well, I declare! Why on earth would she evah do sumthin' like that?" "Oh, bless yo' little heart, sugah...how would I know?" I want my Aunt Annie Gene to pass around slices of her lemon chiffon cake or Freddie to make her strawberry cake (see my column August 2001 here)...and yes, even a glass or two of sweetened tea.
But time goes on, and we cannot go back. So instead, I am going to pull out some old scrapbooks and look through the pages this afternoon. I have one of my Momma's favorite desserts that I am going to make - the ingredients are set out on the counter, waiting for me to be a good person and finish this column. <GBG> I'm making the orange version...
And so, I offer you the following recipes from my writings today. May you Enjoy! them all, and may you Enjoy! your families as well. CYH - consider yourself hugged!
Blessings,
Cynthia
Nell's Dessert
vanilla wafer crumbs
1 can evaporated milk
3/4 c. sugar
1 small pkg. orange gelatin
1 c. hot water
1 can crushed pineapple, crushed
Pour milk into a small mixer bowl. Place the bowl and beaters for mixer in freezer.
Make Jell-O with 1 c. water and refrigerate until soupy and starting to set. When ice crystals form around milk, remove from freezer and whip stiff. Then whip Jell-O. Fold Jell-O and pineapple into the whipped milk.
Place a thick layer of crumbs on bottom of a 13x9" pan. Spoon mixture in, top with a thin layer of crumbs. Refrigerate several hours. This can be made with other mixtures, such as strawberries and strawberry Jell-O, etc.
Cyn's Basic Biscotti
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 lg. eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 c. your choice additions (see below)
egg wash - set aside 1 T. beaten eggs
Mix ingredients. Add ingredients of your choice - chopped nuts, dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, etc., rehydrated, drained and dried with paper towels), chocolate or other flavor chips, baking M&M's...(You do not want to add so much of the extra stuff that you are unable to slice the biscotti without its breaking up.)
Shape into 2 logs, 13" long, 2" wide, 3" apart. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush with egg wash before baking. Bake in preheated 350F.oven, 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Slice logs into 3/4" slices, bake again, 10 minutes each side. (Can also stand slices up and bake about 15 minutes instead.)
Watch so they do not overbake or burn. Cool completely before storing in tightly covered tins or resealable plastic bags.
Honey Almond Ginger Biscotti
From Gourmet Oct.'94
3/4 c. blanched whole almonds
1 stick (1/2 c.) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. honey
3/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. pure vanilla
1/3 c. chopped crystallized (candied) ginger
Preheat oven to 400F. Spread almonds on baking sheet and toast in middle of oven until golden brown (7-8 minutes). (Watch!!!). Cool and chop coarse.
Reduce temperature to 350F.and lightly grease cookie sheet (I use the paper from the butter). With electric beater, mix eggs and sugars till light and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well. Add vanilla.
Stir flour, salt and baking soda together. Mix with egg mixture. Stir in almonds and ginger.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times (dough should still be very soft and slightly sticky. It may stick to your fingers). Divide dough into thirds. With floured fingers, pat into flattish log, 10x2", at least 3" apart on pan.
Bake 20 minutes till golden. Cool 10 minutes. Cut into 3/4" slices and arrange biscotti, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes on each side. Cool. Store in airtight container.
Note: I do not toast the almonds (do not like them toasted).
Toasted Coconut Bars
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 sticks chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Preheat oven to 325F. Mix flour and sugar in processor. Add butter, pulse off and on till mixture begins to come together. Press the dough evenly over bottom of 13x9" pan. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown, about 25 min. Cool. Reduce oven heat to 300F.
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 T. cream of coconut
1 T. milk
1 T. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
3 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 c. sweetened shredded coconut
For topping, combine sugars, eggs, cream of coconut (canned, such as Coco Lopez, found in grocery stores in bar supplies), milk, flour and vanilla in large bowl. Whisk just until blended. Fold in melted butter. Sprinkle coconut over crust. Pour mixture over crust evenly. Bake until topping is set and golden brown, about 45 min. Transfer to rack and cool. Cut in squares. Store in airtight container. Can be doubled and baked on 15" baking sheet.
Hush Puppies
2 c. yellow corn meal
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 lg. finely chopped onion
2 eggs, well beaten
4 T. vegetable oil
Milk
Vegetable oil or other fat
To prepare, sift twice the corn meal, salt, black pepper and baking powder, second sifting into a medium bowl. Now add the eggs and oil; blend well with enough milk to make a stiff dough. Shape into small "fingers" about 3" long and less than 1" thick, or in small balls, about 1 to 1 1/2" in diameter.
Have the fat hot in your cast iron skillet; drop the hush puppies into it and let them cook till golden brown. Drain well and serve hot.
Mark David's Fajitas
(shared just as he wrote it for me. <GBG>)
1c. each Soy sauce and Water
1 Can Coke--- (BEST IF YOU USE COKE, NOT PEPSI)
Garlic to taste
Peppers
Onions
Mix all but veggies together. Keep number two son (Micah) away from raw meat in bowl. Fry peppers and onions; put in a bowl and keep warm. Fry meat on medium heat in skillet. Ditto the bowl.
Serve as usual, with whatever your little itty bitty heart desires. We like shredded lettuce, grated Cheddar, chopped tomatoes (keep number one son - Will away from these), sour cream and salsa.
Annie Gene's Lemon Chiffon Cake
2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. vegetable oil
6 egg yolks
3/4 c. cold-water
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon rind
6 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Sift flour. Add sugar, baking powder and salt; sift 3 more times, last time into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture, and pour in oil, lightly beaten egg yolks, lemon juice and rind. Beat all this thoroughly.
In another bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until very stiff. Gently fold flour mixture into egg whites. Pour into greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325F for 1 hr. and 10 min. Test with straw or cake tester to see if done. Invert over bottle and let set on table. Let cool completely. Frost the cooled cake with Lemon frosting. Serves 12-16 easily.
Lemon Frosting
2 c. confectioner's sugar
1/4 c. soft butter
1 tsp. milk, more if necessary
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
Grate lemon rid and wrap in piece of cheesecloth. Wring the oils into the sugar before it is blended, or gently blend with the sugar. Let set 15 min. or more to allow the flavors to blend. Then cream sugar and butter, add juice and enough milk to make icing. Frost cake.
By Cynthia Bowan
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Nell's Dessert | Cyn's Basic Biscotti | Honey Almond Ginger Biscotti | Hush Puppies
Toasted Coconut Bars | Mark David's Fajitas | Annie Gene's Lemon Chiffon Cake
