Wanderlust ......... France

I have a serious case of wanderlust today: a nostalgic feeling for some beautiful places I’ve seen and an overwhelming desire to go back.

That’s not how the day started, however.  I actually woke up today with a very strong sense of regret.  Ever wake up and out of the clear blue you just start thinking back to a time in your life or a thing that you did that makes you feel really bad?   Why do we do that to ourselves?

I started thinking about what I did for love 10 years ago.

And it was all wrapped up in a place: La Belle France. 

Ever since I was a child, I’ve had a serious love affair with France.  I had a French provincial style bedroom set a la Sears and Roebuck, a French phone, a penchant for Impressionism and French design – like fleur de lis, toile, and matelasse coverlets.  I've had a love of the beautiful French language ever since fifth grade. 


My mother and I watched the French Chef religiously.  I remember my mother making French Onion Soup.  She made it the "right way", making a stock from beef bones.  Julia Child impressed upon me that there were standards for cooking, and the standards were set by the French.  One birthday, I gave my mother a gift of Julia Child's The Art of French Cooking.  When my mother passed away, those volumes were some of her things that I wanted to claim as my own.   


Of course, Gus lauded the praises of Maison Robert on his show.  A mon avis (in my opinion), Gus's approval lent a certain cachet to a restaurant whose merits were already well-established.


In my twenties, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet a woman with dual citizenship who introduced me to her life and joys across the pond.  Her first-hand accounts of shopping at the markets in the Dordogne region and her descriptions of walking through steep, winding paths to her medieval home in Sarlat, illustrated how beautiful daily life could be.

Since then, I’ve had the chance to live in France. In Paris, I studied French at the Alliance Francaise and completed a Wine and Spirits program at Le Cordon Bleu.  I’ve explored many beautiful regions of France and have so many memories of beautiful things I've seen - the open air markets, lavender fields, charming shops, provincial tablecloths - and things that I've done - like dining in a special place for hours with wine that perfectly enhances the experience and melds with the food.  I miss France and long to go back again. 

 Olives

Marzipan figures

Sausages

Boutique

Tarte tatin

Birthday Cakes

It's that time of year when my three sons move up in age.  My middle guy - Justin - is turning 16 this month.  Here he is with his first birthday cake back in 1996.

He reminded me a bit of Linus from Peanuts, so I made him a Linus cake.

I've always been into cakes.

One of my favorite cakes is the One-Two-Three-Four Cake - a recipe given to me by my sister Dottie.  It's a delicious, dense, three layer, vanilla cake.

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One-Two-Three-Four Cake

1 c. butter or shortening (or 1/2 c. each)

2 c. sugar

4 eggs, separated

3 c. flour

1/4 ts. salt

3 ts. baking powder 

1 c. milk

1 ts. vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with milk & vanilla to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.  Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.  Pour into 3 9-inch round greased and floured cake pans.  Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.  Let cool a bit on racks, remove cake, and cool completely.

This cake is nice with a basic buttercream frosting or...

Seven Minute White Icing

2 unbeaten egg whites

1 ½ c. sugar

5 TB cold water

1 ¼ ts. cream of tartar

1 ½ TB light corn syrup

1 ts. vanilla

Place first 5 ingredients in the top of a double boiler.  Over boiling water, beat ingredients with an electric mixer or a wire whisk for 7 minutes until peaks form.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in vanilla.

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Here's another favorite cake of mine from my sister Marcia. She sent me this recipe, along with a note that I've kept from her since June of '92.  In it, Marcia wrote:

"I plan to tune into Gus some afternoon - but I'm hesitant about doing so.  I know how contagious this sort of thing can become.  I'd have recipes galore which I'd probably never get around to making."

And your point is...?

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Spumoni Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Yankee Kitchen Favorites

I wrote "EXCELLENT!" on the top of each one of these recipes.  I’ve seen requests for Yankee Kitchen recipes on several web forums.  Perhaps these old favorites are some of the ones you’ve been seeking.

Callers frequently asked Gus Saunders to repeat his recipe for roast beef.  Here is his no-fail recipe for a perfectly cooked roast beef.

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Roast Beef

Gus Saunders - Yankee Kitchen

Preheat oven to 500 F.  Make sure that beef is at room temperature.

Cook beef 5 minutes per pound.  Turn oven off.  Leave roast in oven for 2 hours for medium rare, 15 minutes less for rare, or 15 minutes more for well-done.

DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR until cooking time is up.

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I do not have the name of the contributor on this one.  Someone was looking for a favorite meatloaf recipe from Boozie Nickerson.  Perhaps it's this one.

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Juicy Meatloaf

Mix 1 lb. hamburg with 1/3 c. rolled oats or toasted breadcrumbs.  Add ¼ c. finely chopped onions, 1 c. canned tomatoes or ½ tomatoes and ½ ketchup or chili sauce.  Add ½ c. instant non-fat dry milk, salt and pepper, 1 TB Worcestershire sauce, and  1c. crushed croutons (optional).  Mix all and shape into loaf and place in a lightly greased, shallow baking dish.  Bake at 350 F for 1 hour.  Instead of shaping into a loaf, you can layer in a dish with mashed potatoes or bread stuffing.

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Candice was a frequent contributor of the Yankee Kitchen.  Here is a nice autumn favorite!

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Cranberry Chicken

2 ½-3 lbs. chicken pieces

¼ c. oil

½ c. chopped celery

8 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce

½ c. ketchup

2 ts. lemon juice

1 ts.  brown sugar

1 ts. worcestershire sauce

1 ts. mustard

1 ts. vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, brown chicken in oil.   Add salt and pepper.  Remove chicken from pan and place in a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan.  In the same skillet, cook onions and celery until tender but not brown.  Add remaining ingredients.  Skim off fat.  Pour over chicken.  Bake uncovered at 325 F for 1 hr. and 15 minutes.  Baste with sauce.  (My own notation is “double the sauce”.)

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Kathleen's Oatmeal Cookies

In response to Ann’s request for Oatmeal Cookies I’d like to share this one that comes with a story, of course.

Alright, I know you’re thinking “I’d just like the recipe, thank you.”

This recipe comes from Kathleen - a wiry, elderly, English lady with a great sense of humor.  She was one of a cast of characters that we got to know during our first ten years of marriage living in a Quaker community.

Kathleen was a hoot! While tending her lovely flower garden, she liked to do a little two-step and sing out, “Whoopie!” Sometimes when she was leaving our house, she would open the closet door instead of the exit.  Sometimes I’d just open the closet door for her!  She and I had a good laugh over that!  Anytime she was getting ready to leave but would linger a bit, she’d say, “Well, as Cromwell says, ‘If you’re going, for God’s sake, GO!’”

Kathleen not only gave me this recipe for Oatmeal Cookies, but she gave me her cookie sheet, too.  Actually, she was just letting me borrow the cookie sheet, but when I returned it to her she said that I might as well keep it because it had become completely ruined!  Well, I’m pretty sure that I returned it to her in the same condition as when I got it! Oh well! That was crazy Kathleen for you!

This might be the standard recipe on the back of an oatmeal box, but it’s good!

           

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Kathleen's Oatmeal Cookies

 3/4 c. shortening

1 c. firmly packed-brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

1/4 c. water

1 ts. vanilla

1 c. sifted all-purpose flour

1 ts. salt

1/2 ts. baking soda

3 cups regular oats

Beat shortening, sugars, egg, water & vanilla together until creamy.  Sift together flour, salt & soda, add to creamed mixture; blend well.  Stir in oats.  Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake in a 350° oven for 12-15 minutes.  For variety, add chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips or coconut.  Makes 5 dozen.

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When did eating get so complicated?

Between having to choose foods low in cholesterol ... worrying about good and bad fats ...avoiding “farmed” fish ... avoiding potatoes, rice, and bread ... getting enough calcium and vitamin D without ingesting too many calories ... deciphering the plethora of yogurt options ... and trying to stick to locally grown foods ...

I’m “fed’' up!

I’m either eating nothing or everything.  Right now I’m into my eating-everything phase.  And that’s not good.

Of course my obsession with the Food Network isn’t helping me any.  There is no shortage of good stuff to watch on that channel, and, what's more, no limit to the things I've been eating! 

Talk about Food Wars! I’ve been waging one of my own for years.  Quite frankly, I’m about ready to raise the White Flag.  I give up! 

I can hear my mother right now saying to me, “Everything in moderation.”  And I can hear my mother quoting her mother, “If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself!”

Are you food obsessed?

Are you a label reader?

Do you have a handle on food and can share your secrets with me on this “weighty” issue?

Memories of the Yankee Kitchen take me back to a simpler time - the good ol' days of enjoying life and food - a time when we didn’t know so much about how bad the good could be!  To quote George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, “I want to live again!  Please God, let me live again!”  Living the Yankee Kitchen way. :)

I will leave you with this seasonal recipe - Apple Spice Cake - that I mentioned in my first posting.  Leslie from Lawrence requested it from me. 


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Apple Spice Cake

Greased 9 x 13 pan; 350 for 45-50 min.

5 large apples peeled, cored, sliced (recipe says chopped, but I like sliced)

6 TB brandy, applejack, rum or bourbon

1 ½ c. sugar

½ c. veg. oil

2 eggs

2 c. unsifted flour

2 ts. Cinnamon

2 ts. Baking soda

1 ts. Nutmeg

1 ts. Salt

¼ ts. Ground cloves

1 c. chopped walnuts

1 c. raisins ( I use1/2 golden/1/2 regular) 

Place apples, raisins and brandy in bowl.  Set aside.  Mix together sugar, oil, eggs and beat.  Sift together dry ingredients.  Combine apples, raisins and brandy with flour mixture and sugar mixture.  Stir to mix.  Add walnuts, mix to combine.  Bake at 350 for 45-50 min.   Serve warm or room temp with whipped cream, ice cream or sour cream.  Cut in squares.

Best when made a day ahead!

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I’m going to make this Apple Spice Cake this week and have a piece or two…

If there's anyone out there looking for a particular recipe, send me an e-mail and I'll put the word out. 

Got a recipe you'd like to share?  Offer it!  

Send your requests, offers, comments, and responses to my weighty issues to ykconnection@gmail.com.

Let’s see how it goes ye olde Yankee Kitchen fans.

 

What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam?

Ever had someone recommend a place to you that they were so crazy about that you felt that you just had to go?  That happened to me recently during a trip to Washington DC.  Two of my sons and I spent a few days over the Fourth in DC touring the sites.  During a visit to the Capitol, a fellow tourist recommended to me, that, if I had the time, I should not miss a tour of Gettysburg.  He’s been there five times.  He just loves it!  So, we ventured off to the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center in Pennsylvania since this was the second recommendation we had received for the place - my son’s history teacher being the first.  Well, it was nice and all, but, you’ve really got to be a Civil War buff to get a charge out of it!  

As George from Seinfeld says, “How do you get to be a buff?”  J

Well, I guess we’re just born with certain propensities for one thing or another and we have no choice but to just go with it!

So that’s what we did.  We went to something that had to do with food.

The new exhibit at the National Archives - What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam – had everything that interested me and, I think, interested my kids, too.  The exhibit focuses on America’s relationship with food:  how and when we began to plant the particular varieties of crops that we grow in the US; the government’s regulation of food production; USDA’s dietary recommendations; promotional food campaigns during war time; the culinary favorites of our Presidents; the school lunch program … everything from soup to nuts! 

You should go!

Oh, and don’t miss the gift shop with items related to the exhibit, and of course, lunch at the Smithsonian Castle, a walk through Union Station, the Hirshorn sculpture garden …

(images are extracted from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/whats-cooking/)

Dottie and Ken

My sister Dottie was married when I was just a wee thing.  Dottie is a wonderful person and a lovely sister who means the world to me. Everything that Dottie does, everything she's interested in, and everything she has seems to me to be the best!  When I was in my early teens, I spent a lot of time at Dottie's house and even rode my bike many, many miles just to see her and her husband, Ken.  Ken has always made me feel welcome and what's more, he's been known to do a fantastic Donald Duck voice!

Ken is a very good artist and has done fabulous pieces with very fine, detailed brushwork.  He's always enjoyed the outdoors - especially gardening and bird watching - so his paintings focus on nature scenes. The thing about Ken is that he always keeps a conversation going.  He's interested in everything you have to say, and has such a gentle, calm way about him.  He makes you feel special.  He is completely absorbed in whatever you're talking about, well-rounded in literally every subject, understands your feelings, and knows just the right thing to say.  He's sensitive without being mushy and has always made me feel welcome in his home.  I've always enjoyed being with him.

Being at Dottie and Ken's house IS like being home only better.  It's extremely comfortable, there are always pretty things to see, interesting magazines to read, funny poems and photos on the refrigerator to spark your interest, and tasty treats in fancy glass dishes set on Dottie's crocheted doilies that adorn the coffee table.  Without a doubt, there's always a nice meal in store for me even if I just happened to stop by! Dottie and I have always shared recipes and she is well aware of my Gus-fixation. Ken is quite a good cook himself.  He's of Lithuanian descent and turned me on to some black bread that he and Dottie bought in a little out-of-the-way place in the Lithuanian village of a small nearby city.  I ventured off many times to this special store just to buy these slices of black bread goodness.

I have so many special memories of dining with Dottie, Ken and my husband, Mike, in the most glorious place in the world, the Center Lovell Inn in Center Lovell, Maine. During the years that we dined there, the Center Lovell Inn featured Northern Italian cuisine.  We would sit on the porch that overlooked the mountains, watch the sunset, enjoy wonderful meals and relax in this quaint, old inn.  Before the meal, they always featured a small dish of cottage cheese with an assortment of crackers, along with their signature dish of marinated chickpeas.  I came up with this simple recipe that's very similar to what we enjoyed while we were anticipating even more good things to come in our main meal.

Here is a little taste of heaven, Center Lovell Inn-style, from the 1980's era.

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Marinated Chickpeas

1 20-oz. can chickpeas, drained

2 TB chopped onion

4 TB lemon juice

6 TB olive oil

1 TB fresh basil, chopped

2 garlic cloves, mashed

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and marinate at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with a dish of cottage cheese and crackers before your meal.

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Growing up in the kitchen

The years that I spent with my mother in the kitchen listening to Gus Saunders and the Yankee Kitchen had an immense impact on my life. These were the formative years. My values were shaped during this time. From my mother, I learned that we should treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves. I learned that the there was only one God, but was worshipped in different ways by different people. This was the time when I felt a complete sense of security in my life. There were things that I could always count on.  My mother was always at home in the kitchen, 2:05 in the afternoon meant that Gus was just coming on the air, and from the dining room of the Copley Plaza Hotel, where Gus would broadcast his show, the sounds of wait staff removing dishes at the end of the lunch service could be heard. Day after day I listened to the show with my mother and wrote down recipes. We listened to the callers and got to know them. “I love Molly. She has such a sweet voice,” my mother would say. The days lingered, with one day rolling into the next, especially during the hot summer months. In the days of my youth, listening to Gus during the late 1960’s and throughout the 70’s, it seemed that we had all the time in the world. 

I learned patience and kindness from both Gus and my mother: Gus in the tactful way he treated each caller, and my mother in the way she guided me in learning the fundamentals of cooking and baking: how to measure and sift dry ingredients, separate an egg, fold in egg whites, make a flaky pastry, hold a knife, dice an onion, make a roux.

I developed an appreciation for the bounties of the New England seasons. In the summer, my mother and I picked raspberries and blackberries in our yard with suitable armor to protect us from the briars – a long-sleeved shirt and pants and a hat to protect from the sun. We picked strawberries and blueberries from nearby farms. In the fall, we picked apples and peaches from orchards. With all of our recipes from the Yankee Kitchen, there was no shortage of ideas for incorporating the fruits of our labor. The dining room table was always full of Yankee Kitchen delights since my mother was, as she would put it, “forever” baking. Gus often talked about how fruits in season were gifts. And since they were available to us for only a short time that made them even sweeter. My mother’s delicious creations that she made from Yankee Kitchen recipes - Double Good Blueberry Pie, Strawberry Shortcake and Apple Spice Cake - certainly convinced me to “get while the getting is good”.

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Double Good Blueberry Pie

9" baked shell

3/4 c. sugar

3 TB cornstarch

1/8 ts. salt

1/4 c. water

4 c. blueberries

1 TB butter

1 TB lemon juice

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in pan.  Add water and 2 cups blueberries.  Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil and becomes thick and clear.  Take off heat, stir in butter and lemon juice.  Let cool. Spread 2 cups berries in shell.  Pour cooked mixture over and chill.

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The Yankee Kitchen also gave me my first taste of diversity. The audience of listeners ran the gamut from young to old, new mothers, grandmothers, fathers, sight-impaired, housebound, and listeners of various cultural backgrounds. Food was our common bond. Middle Eastern, Irish, and Italian callers brought us into their worlds of family food traditions and we were able to share their enthusiasms through their favorite recipes. Gus recognized the vital role that food traditions played in families and emphasized the importance of recording family recipes and passing them along to future generations.

The individual callers with their unique personalities and recognizable voices made up our Yankee Kitchen family. Gus was the head of the family - a true “gentleman and a scholar” with high standards and rules for running the show, and always a consummate professional right up to his final broadcast. I respected him and felt that whatever he said was the honest truth, and that his dedicated advertisers, with products like King Arthur Flour and Carando Spiral Sliced Hams, had to be the best!

When I had a place of my own, I continued in my mother’s footsteps, listening to the Yankee Kitchen, cooking, and baking up a storm, too. I made a recipe, added my notations, and made it again. I entertained often, and still do. I’ve tried to pass along my love for cooking and pleasing others to my children who have experimented a bit in the kitchen themselves. I’m grateful for the years I spent in the kitchen with my mother and for Gus Saunders and the contributors to the Yankee Kitchen.