Oh how those women could cook!
By Cynthia Bowan
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Some of my best memories are the times I have spent in a kitchen with family members, especially the women in my life.
As a child, I learned from both sides of my family how wonderful homemade food was (I like to think that perhaps it was the love that went into the preparation that made the difference). From my sturdy Wisconsin Yankee Grandmother Dorothy Manthey Bacon (she lived to be 108), I learned how to make yeast dough, and hearty dishes suited more to the colder climate. From my genteel South Carolina Grandmother Mitchell, came the gift of the wonders of vegetables, true fried chicken and more. Both women strongly believed in herbs and spices that were used to compliment but not overpower delicate flavors.
My maternal aunts also contributed a great deal to my love of cooking; and in later years, my mother-in-law, my sister and my two sisters-in-law. Strangely enough, though, my Dad and my husband were the only men who influenced my cooking, until my sons started!
I never knew Sarah, the oldest Mitchell girl, who died from asthma a short time after her marriage. But the others - oh, the stories I could tell and the memories I have of Vivian, Freddie, Annie, Eleanor and their baby sister Nell (my Momma). (If you have ever seen The YaYa Sisterhood, you will have a little bit of insight into my Momma's family.)
Vivian should have been a chef, for she was the best cook of them all. I can almost taste her chicken and dumplings, made with chopped fresh parsley, fresh rosemary and green onions. She was flamboyant, to say the least, making fruitcake with a lot of liqueurs, spinach soufflé, and seafood dishes any top restaurant would be proud of.
But then, there is Mammy's pound cake and her macaroni and cheese, Freddie's Strawberry Bavarian cake, Annie's Batesburg Cake, Eleanor's salads, my Momma's strawberry cake, or Southern dishes they all made along with their sister-in-law, Evelyn, who is still married to my Uncle Buddy - black eyed peas, greens and rice, fried chicken. Oh how those women could cook!
Grandma Bacon's fish chowder, cloverleaf rolls, chocolate icebox cake; my Dad's pineapple upside down cake - and Momma's lemon meringue pie, which Dad improved on...all these things and more are memories that help me to keep my family close to me, now that all but Bud and Evelyn are gone.
But all of that aside, food has always been a way to connect with family and friends. My parents and in-law's generations made recipes that their families had passed down. I do this as well, and my children have made sure that they have copies of the recipes.
All too often, I get mail or a phone call asking me if I have a certain recipe. Someone in the writer or caller's family died without anyone knowing the recipe, and now, it was gone.
I think in some ways, we can see that the decrease in family relationships, especially extended families, directly correlates with the decrease in cooking at home. Our lives are such that families are scattered, both parents work or the single parent does, and children's lives are scheduled as much or even more so than the parents.
We need to make time, time to relax, time to connect with each other. We cannot let our heritage disappear. If you read through my other columns here, you will see recipes from these people I love and have loved, relatives and friends. In various cultures, aunts play a large role in a person's life. My husband is Carpatho-Rusyn, and aunts have specific titles. Strina is an aunt by marriage (in-law) while Teta is an aunt by blood. Kuma is a godmother, either by title or by being married to an uncle who is a godfather. There are other nationalities where aunts even play a part in wedding ceremonies and other significant family areas.
I miss my parents, in-laws, grandparents, aunts and uncles. But sharing their recipes with my children and now, grandchildren, and with all of you, keep them alive in a sense. They are always in my heart and memories, but cooking their dishes is a tangible essence of their love.
Today's trends in food and cooking disturb me, not only because of the decrease in the number of people who cook at home, but the increase in eating out or take-out, especially fast foods. People are eating more and more prepared foods when they do eat at home. This is a loss not only of our ethnic and personal heritage of who we are as people, but also of quality food and healthy ingredient.
But even more importantly, in many cases today, folks do not take their children into the kitchen and teach them HOW to cook. So that further weakens the family link. Even the SIMS computer game requires you to learn to cook, in order to get out of the house!
Well, I am doing my part, hopefully, in keeping the chain going. I am sharing with you a few more recipes from the Aunts in my life - my own, and my extended family. I hope you will Enjoy! these recipes (and please remember to check out more of their gifts on my past columns). I sincerely hope you will take the time to appreciate your own family members, and to not let your family's treasured recipes disappear. CYH - consider yourself hugged!
Nan's Cran-Raspberry Goodie
Sister-in-law Nancy Raymer Bowan
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 container Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry Relish
Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together; fold in Cool Whip well and repack in suitable container. Refrigerate several hours.
Turn out on serving dish, and top with Cran-Raspberry Relish. Serve with assorted crackers.
Sue's Stuffed Italian Mushrooms
My sister, Susan Bacon Holowaty
16 lg. fresh mushrooms
6 oz. sweet Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 T. olive oil, divided
2 T. minced parsley
1/4 c. grated Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese
1/4 c. water
Wipe off mushrooms, removing stems and shopping them fine. Reserve caps.
Remove casing from sausage if necessary; place sausage in skillet with chopped mushroom stems, garlic and 1 T. oil. Cook until lightly browned, stirring to break up meat. Add another T. of oil, parsley and cheese; mix well.
Fill mushroom cavities with filling, rounding tops. Place in shallow baking pan. Put remaining oil and water in bottom of pan. Bake at 350F, 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Nan's Tomato Soup
Another delicious recipe from my SIL...
2 tsp. chopped green onion
1 T. margarine
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. crushed dried basil
1/8 tsp. crushed dried thyme
dash pepper
1 c. water
1 tsp. instant chicken bouillon granules
2 T. sherry (opt.)
In a 4 c. glass measure, cook margarine and onion uncovered at 100% (HIGH), for 1 to 1 1/2 min., or until onion is tender. Stir in sauce and spices. Cook at 50% for 4-5 min, or just until boiling. Stir in water. Cook at 100% (HIGH) for 2-3 min. or heated through. Pour into two bowls and add 1 T. sherry to each if desired.
Betty's Chipped Ham BBQ Sandwiches
Sister-in-law Betty Sapovchak Bowan
2 lb. chipped ham, cut in shreds (or any thinly
sliced deli ham, just make sure it is very thin)
1 c. Heinz catsup
1 c. water
2 T. brown sugar (or more to taste)
1 T. Worcestershire sauce (sorry, prefer Lee & Perrins)
1 T. Heinz vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (this DOES make a difference,
if you leave it out, the taste will not be the
same.)
My family's additions (optional):
1 tsp. liquid smoke
4 T. or so Heinz sweet pickle relish
Place all the sauce ingredients in a large saucepan. Simmer over medium to low heat, about 10-15 minutes. Add meat and simmer another 10 minutes. Serve on good buns. Makes about 16 sandwiches. And it will freeze well.
Vivian's Zucchini Casserole
Aunt Vivian Mitchell Rogers
A woman who, like Auntie Mame, "knew how to live"
3 c. grated squash
1 sm. onion, finely chopped
1 sm. jar chopped pimentos
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 pkg. Pepperidge Farm stuffing
Grate squash, or cut in very small pieces. Lightly cook in small amount of water until tender, drain well. Mix stuffing and butter, set aside. Mix squash with remaining ingredients, add half of the stuffing. Mix well, place in 13x9" baking dish, and top with remaining stuffing. Bake at 350F, 25 minutes or until brown and bubbly.
Aunt Betty's Favorite Cake
My husband's aunt and godmother, Betty Capp Pyle
This recipe was found in a collection of my late MIL, Mary Capp Bowan...this explains the directions. Since she made it often, she knew exactly how to do it! The recipe originally came from a family friend, Mrs. Hlista, but it was Aunt Betty's favorite. Aunt Betty was Mom's only sister.
Sour Milk Cake from Mrs. Hlista
2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. Crisco
3/4 c. sour milk
2 sq. chocolate, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
3 egg yolks
1/4 c. milk
3 egg whites
Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add Crisco and sour milk; beat mixture for 2 minutes. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla, blending in. Add egg yolks and milk; beat mixture 1 more minute.
Next, the recipe says "fold egg whites in last". To me, that means you need to beat the egg whites separately with clean beaters and bowl, until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the cake batter.
No idea of cake pans, would assume a 13x9 or 2 8 or 9" round.
Recipe ends by saying "Bake 350 - 30-35 min."
Kuma's Old Tyme Spice Cake
Kuma Mary was from my husband's family, and we are not sure whose godmother she was. This cake is my husband's choice for his birthday cake!
2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 c. sour milk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. raisins
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
In a large bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs and spices. Add flour and soda alternately with sour milk. (You can use buttermilk, or add 1 tsp. vinegar to regular milk to sour.) Mix well. Fold in raisins and nuts. Pour into greased Bundt or angel food cake pan. Bake at 350F 30 min. or more. Length of time depends on cake pan type and size. Cool completely before slicing. Needs no icing, but should be kept covered, since it is so moist.
Susan's Cherries Jubilee
(This is my sister's invention, but the variations are mine.)
French vanilla ice cream, or good chocolate ice cream
1 can cherry pie filling (NOT generic or store brand)
1-2 T. orange juice, or orange liqueur, or sweet wine
Slowly heat pie filling over moderate heat. Stir in liquor, heat and spoon some over servings of ice cream. Serve immediately.
Variations:
*raisin pie filling with rum flavoring/liquor over vanilla ice cream
*pineapple pie filling, rum, vanilla ice cream
*blueberry pie filling, blueberry schnapps, vanilla ice cream
*apricot pie filling, apricot brandy, vanilla ice cream
* peach pie filling, peach schnapps or Southern Comfort, vanilla ice cream
*peach, apricot, pineapple, sherry/etc. over sherbet
* hot fudge sauce with liqueur flavorings, over butter pecan ice cream...
*hot fudge sauce with crème de menthe over chocolate or vanilla
Viv's Harvey Wallbanger Cake
This was my Aunt Viv's favorite recipe,
passed on to my mother who also loved it...
Cake:
1 orange cake mix (or yellow) for 2 layers
1 3-oz. pkg. vanilla pudding
4 eggs
3/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. Galliano Liqueur
1/2 c. cooking oil
2 T. vodka
In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix and dry pudding; add eggs, oil, juice and liqueurs. Beat on low speed for 1 minute, then beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, scraping the bowl frequently. Pour into a greased and floured 10-inch tube or angel food pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove and place on a rack. Pour glaze over while cake is still warm.
Glaze:
1 c. confectioner's sugar
1 T. orange juice
1 T. vodka
1 T. Galliano
Mix all ingredients together.
Note: Be sure to go by this recipe and not the amount called for on the folder in the Galliano box (if they are still publishing recipes.
By Cynthia Bowan
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Nan's Cran-Raspberry Goodie | Sue's Stuffed Italian Mushrooms | Nan's Tomato Soup
Betty's Chipped Ham BBQ Sandwiches | Vivian's Zucchini Casserole | Aunt Betty's Favorite Cake
Kuma's Old Tyme Spice Cake | Susan's Cherries Jubilee | Viv's Harvey Wallbanger Cake
