Mom’s Recipe Box (a portrait)
by Miles Boone
Introduction As far back as I can remember the kitchen has been at the center of my home. My parents still live in the house where I was raised, and when I visit it’s where I stop first. Frequently, I know what’s happening before I even get there. The smells give it away and pull me in. In the rare case when the kitchen is empty, images of disaster fill my mind, until I find someone napping on the couch or working in the yard. My earliest memory takes place in my grandma’s kitchen. I’m sitting in a highchair, looking out the window at a snowy morning, holding something I pretend to be a steering wheel. Behind me, Mom and Nanny (what we called my grandma) are bustling about, cleaning up after breakfast. Throughout my childhood I helped them both in the kitchen, and I attribute that to my love of cooking today. But the kitchen is much more than a utilitarian room. It’s not just an oven and stovetop, it’s a place where everyone gathers. Issues are discussed. Punishment is served (the paddle still hangs there). Jokes are told, and stories are shared. At the center of it all, quietly creating the aromas that originally beckoned, is Mom. And on the counter is her recipe box. Occasionally I’ll see her go through it, as a reminder of the ingredients in a seldom-made dish. But more often than not, she cooks from memory. In fact, if she were to use a recipe, the result would probably be different from what I’m accustomed. On the next few pages are some of my favorite things: delicious recipes from Mom’s Recipe Box.
Gingersnaps
3/4 c. margarine or butter flavored Crisco 1 c. sugar 1 egg 1/4 c. sorghum (you can use molasses, but sorghum is better) 2 c. flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. ginger Chill dough. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place 2 inches apart on a cookie pan. Bake in 375째 oven for about 9 minutes or until the edges are set. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from pan. Makes about 48 cookies.
Cookies definitely dominate Mom’s kitchen, and the king of that mountain is the gingersnap. Gingersnaps seem to be an unlikely hero. They’re kind of old school. They aren’t as warm and cuddly as a chocolate chip cookie, and you’d think that kids wouldn’t like them. However, if Mom shows up with a plate full of gingersnaps, everyone drops what they’re doing and a couple dozen will be gone in an afternoon. One of my kids (I’m not naming names) even hoards them in her room, so she is assured of “getting her share”.
Potato Chip Cookies
1 c. butter 1 c. sugar 2 tsp. vanilla 3 1/2 c. flour 25 ¢ bag of Jays Potato chips (That’s right, a 25¢ bag of Jays! It has taken a team of historians and economists to research, but that roughly translates into 1 1/2 c. crushed Jays Potato chips.) Cream softened butter with sugar. Stir in flour and vanilla. Crush potato chips in bag and add to mixture. Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes @ 350°. Frost with chocolate frosting if desired...
Potato chip cookies are one of those things that don’t necessarily sound good, and that’s fine. If you want to believe that these aren’t good, then go ahead and eat a brownie, that just leaves more for me. They come with or without chocolate frosting, and to this day, I can’t decide which I like better. Sometimes I eat one with the frosting, and that is definitely the way to eat them. Other days, it’s the ones without the chocolate. Potato chip cookies actually help define how I look at the world. Let’s say you’re buying a car. You know what make and model that you want, but you just can’t decide on the color, that’s potato chip cookies. Blue car, red car, plain or with frosting, there isn’t a right answer. You just have to make a decision. However, with the cookies you can always have two. That’s hard to do with cars.
Sugar Cookies (Grandma Goetsch’s)
1 c. sugar 1 c. butter 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 3 c. flour 3 tsp. cream of tartar 1 tsp. baking soda Chill dough well. Roll out and cut cookies to desired shape. Bake 375° for 5 minutes or so - watch! Makes approximately 48 cookies. Butter Cream Frosting 1 lb. powdered sugar 1/8 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla 1/4 c. milk 1/3 c. butter (softened) After mixing first several ingredients well - add butter. Add more milk if necessary.
Sugar cookies are another staple of Mom’s. She makes these throughout the year, in shapes and colors of the nearest season or holiday. She bakes red hearts for Valentine’s Day, and green shamrocks for St. Patrick’s. Crosses and chicks with pastel frosting show up for Easter. Christmas brings angels, Santas, snowmen, stars, and trees, all decorated with bright frosting and sprinkles.
Raisin-Cinnamon Coffee Cake 1 pkg hot roll mix melted butter raisins Crumble Topping: 1 c. sugar 1tsp. flour 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 Tbsp. soft butter Make dough according to hot roll recipe on package. After first rise, divide into three parts. Spread each part into a 7” x 11” pan. Push raisins into dough. Let rise second time, then coat with melted butter. Sprinkle with crumble topping. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.
Raisin coffee cake is more of a thing from Nanny’s house. I spent a lot of Friday nights over there, and would wake up to this. Cut into strips, it’s a buttery, sugary dream. If there’s any left, and it gets a little stale, then brew up a pot of coffee and dunk it (same goes for the gingersnaps). However, don’t count on the leftovers.
Rum Cake (Patsy’s recipe) 1 pkg yellow cake mix 1 (3 oz.) pkg instant vanilla pudding 4 eggs (can use egg substitute or egg whites) 1/2 c. salad oil 1/2 c. rum 1/2 c. chopped nuts Mix all above ingredients except nuts for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle bottom of greased Bundt pan with nuts. Pour in batter and bake at 350° for about 1 hour. Remove from oven and thoroughly pierce top of cake with fork. Immediately pour glaze over cake while still in the pan. Cool completely before removing from pan. Cake can be frozen. Glaze 1 stick butter 1 c. sugar 1/2 c. water 1 oz. rum Boil first three ingredients for 1 minute, and then add rum.
Rum cake isn’t a family recipe, so to keep the lawyers at bay, “Thanks Patsy.” (Don’t ask who Patsy is. It’s too long of a story, and I’m not sure my answer would even be that accurate.) However, Mom has definitely made it hers. It’s delicious, moist, and rummy. Around my house, it’s the most requested cake for birthdays. And when my kids were young, they thought that by eating a cake with the word “rum” in the name, they were getting away with something.
Macaroni and Cheese 8 oz. uncooked macaroni 6 Tbsp. butter 6 Tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 3 c. milk 1 1/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese Cook Macaroni. Melt butter and remove from heat. Slowly add flour. Return to heat and slowly add milk. Bring to boil and continue stirring. Sauce will thicken. Add cheese and stir until melted. If too thick, add more milk. Add macaroni to sauce and stir. Move to 12”x7”, greased baking dish and bake at 350° for 40 minutes.
Mac and cheese is the classic example that you can have the recipe, but it won’t be as good as Mom’s. A few years ago, I decided to forego the boxed stuff and make it myself. How hard could it be? Well, after a few disastrous recipes from the internet, I asked Mom for hers. She gave it to me over the phone. Then called back about 5 times with “adjustments” that she makes. “The recipe says sharp cheddar, but sometimes I use American cheese.” – that sort of thing. So I made it, and we ate it, but everyone politely agreed that Mom’s was better. I talked to her, adapted the recipe, and made it again. Same result. I tried over and over again, testing Einstein’s theory about insanity (you know, "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."), but no luck. I’m convinced that there’s an ingredient missing, but why? Did she leave it out intentionally, or was it an innocent mistake? Who knows, maybe I’m just a bad cook.
Poor Boys
6 large French rolls 1/2 c. butter (1 stick) softened 2 Tbsp. yellow mustard 6 slices bologna 12 small slices salami 6 slices ham or turkey 6 slices sharp cheddar cheese Split rolls. Blend butter and mustard, and spread on roll halves. Put on meat and cheese. Wrap sandwiches tightly in aluminum foil and place in hot oven - 450째 for 20 minutes. Makes 6 sandwiches.
Poor boys are just plain great. I’ve been eating them since I was a kid, and I can’t remember anyone that I’ve introduced them to, not loving them. I always double the recipe because you can make these up ahead of time, freeze, and heat as needed. And don’t forget the hot sauce. The meats in the recipe are the standards, but you can substitute with what you have. You can’t really screw these up. Anyway, how bad can cheese melted over warm meat on a Kaiser roll be?
Rhubarb Sauce 3 or 4 rhubarb stalks sugar or maple syrup Cut Rhubarb into small chunks. Cook down with a little water. Sweeten to taste, but go easy, you don’t want this too sweet.
Kind of like applesauce, but with rhubarb. I know that’s stating the obvious, but this is really good. Ever since I can remember, this was on the table, especially at lunch. Nanny made it. Mom makes it, and now I do. I’ve even started growing rhubarb, but I’m a little freaked out by the bit about their leaves being poisonous. Wish me luck.
There you have it. Really, I could keep going. Like last night, my parents came over for a barbecue. Mom brought a plate of apricot bars: delicious little meringue covered, apricot filled desserts. Or I could create a whole book on Christmas Cookies, and maybe I will. But for now, this is it. I hope you enjoy, and thanks Mom.
Disclaimer: To the best of my knowledge, these recipes are accurate and will combine into the yumminess that you see here. If they don’t, you can talk to my mom.
Copyright Š 2015 Miles Boone All rights reserved.
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