Recipes for Remembering: An Annenberg Innovation Lab Holiday Food Zine

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RECIPES FOR

I MED CIVIC

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REMEMBERING

INTRODUCTION Nothing brings people together more than food. Everyone needs to eat, so food is always a popular tool and an easy point of entry for building community. When you’re sharing a meal with folks in an informal setting, you’re more likely to let your guard down, look at people in the eyes, and most importantly share laughter and stories. So much can happen when you break bread with folks.

Because of the current global pandemic, we’ve been unable connect, whether it’s on video, by delivery or a wave from more than 6 feet apart. In that spirit, we asked our civic meals memorable, not just the food, but the people, places and settings too.

Please enjoy this small collection of stories and recipes for the holidays, in the hopes that we’ll get to make new memories soon. Maybe they’ll give you inspiration for making something delicious for your loved ones.

ERIK’S BANANA WAFFLES...1

JAMEL - BUSTER DICKEN’S SUPER SECRET STUFFING...3

MAGALIS - COQUITO...5

MEGAN (AND DARCY’S) SALMON...6

MICHELLE’S MAZAPAN...9

SANGITA’S FAMILY CHICKEN MOMOS...11

Erik’s Banana Waffles In 1991 I was an undergraduate at USC, living just north of campus in a shared apartment right across the hall from my then-girlfriend. My parents when I left home for college, and so in true college guy fashion, I decided I would try to impress my girlfriend by strawberries, and chocolate syrup. By grown-up standards it didn't go so well. For some reason, I thought I needed to use up all of the batter before on top of the last while my girlfriend patiently waited. Of course, this meant that by the time all of the batter was teenage kids we're talking about, though, so we actually Hershey's chocolate syrup, and vanilla ice cream (not to mention each other's company) is pretty amazing, and the two, for my roommates, for her roommates... and I'm still making them for her today, often for our Monday morning breakfast, having been married now for nearly 25 years, and with two wonderful kids about to head into the world who've years, our recipes have changed as we have changed, and this banana version is a favorite of the many variations we've tried.

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Erik’s Banana Waffles

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JAMEL: BUSTER DICKENS SUPER SECRET STUFFING RECIPE Every year around the holidays, I have fond memories of my grandfather, Henry "Buster" Dickens Jim Crow era North Carolina, living in Washington DC, this was a coscook for a German family in Washington making traditional meals like turkey itself as the centerpiece of the meal - almost like a

ly- I've only made it together with my mother, and each year

“Buste

r” Dick

3

ens

JAMEL: BUSTER DICKENS SUPER SECRET STUFFING RECIPE 1 bag turkey giblets

1 cup sour cream

whole onions

2/3 cup milk

green pepper

2 large eggs

whole stalk of celery

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 tablespoon sage 1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon thyme

PREP: chop up celery, onions and green pepper STEP ONE: GIBLETS Sautee turkey giblets with onion and celery, salt, pepper and thyme over medium heat for an hour until giblets are tender. add chicken stock intermittently so that reduction does not dry out.

STEP TWO: CORNBREAD Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, and eggs. in with a wooden spoon. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden.

STEP THREE: MIX IT UP Break up the cornbread into a large mixing bowl and combine the turkey giblet mixture. Add in chicken stock, golden raisins and season to taste adding salt and pepper, fresh sage and thyme. Mixture should be moist with consistency thicker than batter but not quite dough. Pour the mixture into a pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

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MAGALIS - COQUITO (Puerto Rican Eggnog) **no intro here, enjoy your coquito!

dark spiced rum cinnamon sticks sweetened condensed milk cream of coconut (use the Coco Lopez brand) coconut milk evaporated milk ground nutmeg – freshly grated if possible ground cinnamon vanilla extract ( just a splash)

1. In a large pitcher with a lid (or two large jars with lids - this will make about 56 oz of liquid) add dark rum and cinnamon sticks.

Let sit for 1 hour.

2. In a blender, puree all the other ingredients. Pour into the bottle and shake well to combine with rum/raisins mixture.

3. Chill for at least 4 hours.

4. You have to shake vigorously before pouring. ***recipe note: cream of coconut is commonly made by Goya or Coco Lopez. It is a very thick, sweetened coconut milk with chunks of shredded coconut in it. This is not the same as coconut cream that only has coconut listed on the ingredients.

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MEGAN (AND DARCY’S) SALMON My dad was my middle school principal. If you have not had the pleasure of going through puberty while your parent oversees school governance, yay you :). I was often locked in my locker by the kids he busted for smoking pot, which ruined weed for me for years and I think we all know that’s the real tragedy here.

The year after I left for college, my chemistry teacher walked ministrative board. I am so lucky that my dad survived that day, but it doesn’t mean we’re not still haunted. He left Michigan shortly thereafter and moved to Kodiak Island, Alaska. He built had to learn how to weld. He overnight-ships 50lb boxes of frozen salmon to me in Chicago whenever I run low. He is frusgets that I don’t have a separate chest freezer in the garage. He forgets that I don’t have a garage.

Salmon is my favorite food and I have eaten it every single possible way, but the best is still the simplest: wrap in foil so it cooks in its own juice. You can do this on the grill, in the oven, or bonk it (whack it with a bat. This is a real term) bleed it, and gut it. Hella messy; still delicious.

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MEGAN (AND DARCY’S) SALMON When you’re buying salmon, go for wild-caught (sockeye or you meet my dad he’ll give you a full-on TEDtalk about the eco-

longer allowed to deliver this lecture to waiters in restaurants in Chicago when they’re just trying to take our order.

fried).

Remove the pin bones. They’re teeny-tiny, like sharp pieces of

don’t take them out - they’re too small to hurt you - but they might annoy you and eating should be about joy and sustenance and not irritation.

coat of olive oil on mine but you do you; cooking spray, whatever.

and learned a lot from our chef about the little things that make-or-break). You can put all sorts of fresh herbs on it, if you

snob there, too. Lemon slices are good. Garlic cloves are good.

So’s pesto.

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MEGAN (AND DARCY’S) SALMON When it’s done, I pop it under the broiler for 3 minutes. Get it a little crispy. But you don’t have to do this. It’s delicious either way.

How long you leave it in depends on how thick it is. General rule is 5 minutes per half-inch thickness. Wild salmon is typically thinner than farm-raised, and needs less time. If you’re cooking a bigger piece, say 2lbs, you want a lower temperature; 15-20 they’re usually sold), you can go hotter: 400 or 425. That’s a good starting place but really you have to stick a fork in it and see if it’s done. Please hear that last line in my dad’s voice: “Megan. Stick a fork in it.” He says that to me all the time.

Just this morning, on the phone: “How you doing, kid?”

He calls me Kid still.

Stick

! k in it a for

“Stick a fork in it,” he said.

Think about the projects you’re working on right now, the ones

Stick a fork in them. :)

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Michelle’s Mazapan Recipie (Easy to make + yummy Pilipinx candies) I grew up in a huge Filipino family, with multiple families living under one roof brothers and sisters and my dad has -

stance, my mom catered on the weekends and on her lunch

Anyway, her and her sisters each had their own specialty dishes that they sold by word of mouth to other families in the

regularly to make them for me until one day she got over it and

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Michelle’s Mazapan Recipie (Easy to make + yummy Pilipinx candies) 1 can condensed milk (14 oz) 3 tablespoons butter 4 heaping spoonfuls of crunchy peanut butter 4 egg yolks 5 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1. Combine egg yolks and condensed milk. Mix well.

2. Add chopped walnuts. Whisk until well blended.

3. Melt butter in a cooking pot or pan. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the pan and slowly mix in the peanut butter.

4. Continue to cook until the consistency becomes very thick to the point that it can easily form a shape when molded.

5. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Let it cool down.

6. Cut the cellophane into 3x3 inch pieces. Scoop 1 tablespoon of mixture and place it in the middle of the cellophane. Wrap the mazapan while molding to form a pyramid shape piece. Continue to wrap the mazapan until all the mixture is gone.

7. Serve. Share and enjoy.

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SANGITA’S FAMILY CHICKEN MOMOS The memory that comes to mind is connected to the momo recipe I shared. It was years ago, a night time, but now, takes on new meanings as it fades into the past.

It was an evening in Kathmandu and I had come home. At that time - my parents still lived there. We were invited to my aunt (and cousin's house) for a momo making party. These sorts of events are pretty common in Nepali communities. The host prepares pers and the achar. Everyone then participates in making the momos together. I think there were 12 or 15 or so of us there, the closest family members. We spent the evening steamer to let them cook.

The evening wore on, lots of momos were eaten, drinks were consumed. It was just a simple unpretentious evening. tween unexpected illnesses, cross-continental moves, and just life paths taking people in unexpected directions, this momo party has become a unrepeatable experience. I don't often give into nostalgia - but I am overcome with powerful emotions when I think about it. I am both grateful for the connections I have, a just a little sad that this is now a time passed and it is upon me to create (and sustain) these traditions.

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SANGITA’S FAMILY CHICKEN MOMOS If I were to invite someone to a momo party, I would ironically tell them to bring some snacks to hold them over, along with a generally relaxed attitude. Momos are not for those who want to eat right away. Making momos, steaming them and distributing them to everyone takes time and if you are extremely hungry then this will not be a fun party. I also sugwant in your kitchen. People will be everywhere and you want to ensure that everyone feels comfortable with that.

Good music, snacks, the basics ready and patience are the key ingredients here.

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SANGITA’S FAMILY CHICKEN MOMOS Filing: 700g. meat 2-3 small chopped red onions

Nepali Tomato Achar: Fry onions Add garlic ginger paste (home made) Tomatoes

2tbs - garam masala 1-2tbs turmeric

Salt and peas Salt

3tbs garlic/ginger paste 2 tbs oil Wrapper: Flour, Water, Salt

together (may need to add some water)

1. Mix everything together, mix well. Let sit while you prepare wrappers

knead until your hands literally hurt. The dough will eventually become soft, pliable.

3. Everyone - Make small ball. Flatten the balls in palm of hand.

4. Heat up water in steamer, place dumplings in steamer (bamboo, metal, all will work). Leave enough space between dumpling! Steam for 11 minutes.

5. Repeat for all dumplings.

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