Light As a Feather Frosting

Mema always was baking cakes.  The rolodex contains about 30 frosting recipes.  The thing I loved best about being at her house when she made frosting was being able to lick the spatula.  

This frosting is a combination of taste of whipped cream meets marshmallows.

2-1/2 cups of sugar
6 egg whites at room temperature
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp of cream of tartar
1 tablespoon of vanilla

In the bowl of an electric mixer combine, sugar, egg whites, water, and cream of tartar.  Whisk until foamy.  

Set the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch.  This takes about 3 to 5 minutes.  

Transfer bowl to stand mixer with a whisk attachment.

Beat on high speed until the frosting forms stiff peaks, about 12 to 16 minutes.  

Add vanilla and beat until combined.

Happy Cooking!

Mema's Simple Cooking Tips

Most people don't know that Mema was my Grandfather's bookeeper by day in addition in my opinion one of the most greatest cooks I have ever known.  As I have mentioned in previous blogs, she loved to collect recipes and try them.

Mema working the books at Albany Concrete Products

She had her classics that everyone wanted on Sunday such as her famous meatloaf, her cornbread dressing at Thanksgiving, her famous apricot nectar pound cake.  The list could go on and on.  She also, was one to collect ideas and tips about cooking.  Here are a few

Mema with Evelyn Nelson in the kitchen

Tips about Meat

If you want a piece of meat grilled to taste like you have been to the restaurant, then you need to sit it out and bring it to room temperature before cooking.  It will never brown evenly if you remove it from the refrigerator and place it directly on the grill.  What happens is it will steam before it sears.

There is nothing like salting the meat before and after you cook it.  This will bring out the flavor.  Make sure that your meat rest before you slice it.  This allows the juices to mill about the meat and make it even better than you wanted.

Don't overload your oven or skillet for that matter.....

Yes everyone is clamoring for dinner and you are tired, but don't feel rush when it comes to cooking with your skillet or in your oven.  Do not add just one more piece thinking that you are saving time.  You will never getting the brown crust texture that you want to achieve.  What you need to do is cook in small batches and for goodness sake do not rush the process.

In order for you to get that dark caramelization, which will yield a complex of flavors, you need to allow some space and old fashioned T-I-M-E.

The same is true when you are trying to roast vegetables.  Need I mention that when you are baking those double chocolate chip cookies, or italian cream cakes, that you need to give those pans some space.  I only recommend a maximum of two in the oven at once.

Cooking Ben's Carrots

Now Ben normally likes to shred his carrots and cabbage and serve them will a healthy serving of Olive Oil.  However, every now and then I will cook them.  For tender and glossy carrots, simmer them in water and butter.  Let the liquid evaporate so that the carrots glaze in the butter.

Mama always said Sift...but I say Whisk

If you are in a hurry and really don't want to use the sifter (bad idea according to my Mama, Lena), then simply whisk together the flour, leaveners, and spices in a bowl.  This will remove any lumps and will aerates things well enough for your basic cakes and cookies.

However, I do grab my sifter off the shelf when I really want to cook seriously.

Well there you go!  Some quick tips right out of the Rolodex....

Happy Cooking!

Aunt Edith's Dump Cake

My grandmother had many friends, but one friend that she had was a lifelong friend from childhood.  These two were just as bad as Lucy and Ethel.  In this case it was Edith and Frances.  Edith Weldon (better known in our family as Aunt Edith) was my grandmother's best friend.  The both grew up in Columbus, Georgia.

Both of these girls were independent souls, and nothing or no one was going to get in their way.  My Grandmother's parents owned a small grocery store adjacent to their home.  Aunt Edith was older than Mema, and my great-grandmother would give Aunt Edith a candy bar if she would walk my grandmother to and from school each day.  Aunt Edith agreed according to my Grandmother with such joy.  According to my Grandmother they would leave my great-grandparent's home holding hands smiling at each other, and acting like two loving school girls.  They would get just out of eyesight and earshot of my great-grandmother, and go their seperate ways because my grandmother thought that she did not need anybody to take her to school.  They would meet back each afternoon, and return back to the house like two good little girls, and Aunt Edith would get her candy.

As a child I can remember going to Aunt Edith and Uncle Tommy's house, and it was an experience.  It was the rare ocassion that I could see a different side of my Grandmother.  I saw a bond of friendship that would never be broken.  I think they traded and bought everything two women could buy without driving their husbands insane.  Actually I think Uncle Tommy and my Grandfather earned the status of sainthood when they entered heaven because if they only knew what these two characters did when they were not looking.
We would all be so lucky to have a friendship of this magnitude. 

So how could the rolodex be complete without a recipe from Aunt Edith

1 (21 oz) can of cherry pie filling
1 (15 oz) can of crushed pineapple
1 boxed yellow cake mix
8 oz chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter

In a 9x13 pan mix cherries and pineapple.  Sprinkle dry cake mix over pineapple, and cherry mixture stir until just combined.  Then sprinkle walnuts over the top.  Drizzle top with melted butter.  Baked at 350 degrees or until golden brown.

Happy Cooking!

Apricot Nectar Pound Cake

This is a classic Mema's Rolodex recipe....

Okay this is a classic cake that Mema would bake every Christmas.  Starting the first of November she would drag my grandfather to the grocery store and they would begin buying supplies for her annual Christmas Cake Cooking Ritual.  She would bake up to 20 to 30 cakes for people during Christmas.  Her house during this time would always smell so wonderful!

1 package of Lemon Jello (Small)
3/4 cup of Wesson Oil
4 eggs
1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup apricot nectar
2 tsp. lemon extract



Mix cake mix, jello and cooking oil and mix well; then add apricot nectar and mix;  then eggs one at a time then lemon extract.  Pour into tube pan and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Frost with 1/2 cup XXX sugar mixed with lemon juice (mixed to soft consistency).  Put on cake while cake is hot.

Happy Cooking!