July Foodie Holidays: Week 3

July 15: Tapioca Pudding Day
July 16: Corn Fritters Day, Fresh Spinach Day
July 17: Peach Ice Cream Day
July 18: Caviar Day, Hot Dog Day
July 19: Daiquiri Day
July 20: Fortune Cookie Day
July 21: Junk Food Day

No family recipes for this week, but as an historical aside, did you know that fortune cookies are not Chinese at all? There is a similar Japanese tea cookie (complete with fortune) that has been around since the 1800s, and competing stories over who invented the modern version in California in the late 1890s/1900s. They remained something that was largely seen as Japanese until WWII, when Japanese discrimination and resentment was strong, and those immigrants were placed in internment camps. It was then Chinese immigrants took over production of the cookies.

July Foodie Holidays: Week 2

July 8: Chocolate with Almonds Day
July 9: Sugar Cookie Day
July 10: Piña Colada Day
July 11: Blueberry Muffin Day, Mojito Day
July 12: Pecan Pie Day
July 13: Beans n' Franks Day, French Fries Day
July 14: Macaroni Day, Grand Marnier Day

You will likely receive more than one "best" recipe – below is one such example for the "best" sugar cookie recipe, one my father-in-law favored, that his mother made. I have two other "best" sugar cookie recipes. It's probably a good idea to just call all of them simply Sugar Cookies (or whatever your duplicate recipes are), to avoid any family arguments... (After all, you will know the truth.)

Sugar Cookies

1 C. shortening

2 C. sugar

3 eggs

flavoring (such as vanilla, lemon, almond, etc.)

1 tsp. soda

4 1/2 C. sifted measured flour

1 tsp. salt

Directions: Cream together the shortening, sugar, eggs, salt, flavoring and soda. Add flour and shape dough into an oval and wrap in wax paper or place into a plastic bag. Chill at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Use a pastry canvas and covered rolling pin. Flour both lightly. Take out 1/4 or less of the dough. Keep remaining dough chilled. Roll dough into 1/4" or 3/8" thickness. With flour cutter, place cutter on dough and press down firmly with fingers all around the edges to make sure the entire image is cut. With spatula, lift cutter and dough. With thumb, rub cutting edge clean of dough. Then, using thumb, gently press dough into design of the cutter. Be careful never to press closer than 1/4" from the edge of the cutter. SLAP cutter down on table or cookie sheet and dough will come right out. Flour cutter before cutting the next cookie. Bake cookies 12-15 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Cool thoroughly before decorating.

July Foodie Holidays: Week 1

July is National Baked Bean Month, Bison Month, Culinary Arts Month, Grilling Month, Hot Dog Month, and Ice Cream Month.

July 1: Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day, Gingersnap Day
July 2: Anisette Day
July 3: Chocolate Wafer Day, Eat Beans Day
July 4: Barbecued Spareribs Day, Caesar Salad Day
July 5: Graham Cracker Day, Apple Turnover Day
July 6: Fried Chicken Day
July 7: World Chocolate Day, Strawberry Sundae Day

This comes from my mom. I can't vouch for it because I am strictly bean-free (the texture totally squicks me out), but it's the only recipe I have that fits the bill for this week. Enjoy, I guess?

Bean Casserole

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can butter beans, drained

1 can baby lima beans, drained

1 can pork and beans

1/2 lb. turkey bacon

2 large onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 C. vinegar

3/4 C. brown sugar

Directions: Combine beans in a large casserole. Chop the bacon into 1” pieces and fry until crispy. Add the onion and garlic and fry until brown. Add sugar, mustard and vinegar; simmer 20 minutes. Pour over beans and mix. Bake 1 hour at 350ºF.

________

Hey! See what I did up there? That is an example of what NOT to do in your family cookbook! You will almost certainly receive recipes from family members for things you don't like (maybe even despise). Doesn't matter. As a historian, your job isn't to edit history and censor it because it's icky or unhealthy (unless a healthy cookbook is specifically your theme). My advice to you is to gather everything you can, unselfishly and judgement-free. The people who are giving their time and recipes (and hopefully stories, too) are doing just that, and should expect nothing less from the person compiling it. So keep the "ew, gross" editorials to yourself when you're putting it all together. Future generations don't need that kind of color commentary, they can figure out what they like (or don't), the same way everyone else has – by tasting it!

June Foodie Holidays: Week 4

June 22: Chocolate Éclair Day, Onion Rings Day
June 23: Pecan Sandy Day
June 24: Pralines Day
June 25: Catfish Day, Strawberry Parfait Day
June 26: Chocolate Pudding Day
June 27: Indian Pudding Day, Orange Blossom Day
June 28: Tapioca Day, Ceviche Day
June 29: Almond Butter Crunch Day
June 30: Ice Cream Soda Day, Mai Tai Day

The first edition of my compiled cookbook contained no recipes from my older brother, because... well... he couldn't quite make my deadline. As it was, our mom had to travel to California to get the handful of recipes I have from him and my sis-in-law now (that will go into the 2nd edition, eventually).

Here's his recipe for Mai Tais.

Mai Tai

Whaler's Dark Rum (do not substitute)

Triple Sec

Amaretto di Saronno

Pineapple juice

Grenadine (optional)

Ice

Directions: Fill a glass with ice cubes. Add equal parts of Whaler's Dark Rum (use this specifically), Triple Sec and amaretto until the glass is 3/4 full. Top with pineapple juice, and float a layer of grenadine on top.

June Foodie Holidays: Week 3

June 15: Lobster Day, Cannoli Day, Gin Day
June 16: Fudge Day
June 17: Eat-All-Your-Veggies Day, Apple Strudel Day
June 18: Cherry Tart Day, Sushi Day, Picnic Day
June 19: Dry Martini Day
June 20: Vanilla Milkshake Day
June 21: Peaches & Cream Day, Smoothie Day

Father's Day is the 15th! Chat up your dad if you can. Ask him about the things he likes to cook!

Fudge is one of those things that I associate with Christmastime, because that's when my mother makes it. It's odd to think of it in June, but here's the recipe she always uses for chocolate fudge.

Phudge

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate

6 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

1 lb. sifted powdered sugar

1 C. chopped nuts

Directions: Melt chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Set aside. Stir cream cheese until soft and smooth. Add vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in sugar; add chocolate and beat until smooth. Mix in nuts. Line a 8” square pan with waxed paper and press fudge into the pan. Wrap and refrigerate until firm. Cut into square and store airtight.

June Foodie Holidays: Week 2

June 8: Jelly-Filled Doughnut Day, World Oceans Day (Sustainable Seafood)

June 9: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day

June 10: Herbs & Spices Day, Iced Tea Day, Black Cow Day (root beer float w/ chocolate ice cream)

June 11: German Chocolate Cake Day

June 12: Peanut Butter Cookie Day, Jerky Day, International Falafel Day

June 13: Cucumber Day

June 14:  Strawberry Shortcake Day

Need a gluten-free cookie recipe? These flourless peanut butter cookies are so good, you will never even guess they're "specialty" cookies for people who have to follow a strict diet.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

1 C. creamy peanut butter

1 C. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 egg

Directions: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in baking powder, and add the egg. Mix until well-combined. Roll dough into balls, roll balls in sugar (optional) and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake about 10 minutes – wait at least 5 min. before removing from the cookie sheet. Optional: Melt milk chocolate chips and drizzle over the cooled cookies.

Notes: These are so good, and so easy, and disappear so fast that I usually treble the recipe.

Red Sonjas Variant: Add candied ginger, chopped very fine, to the dough, about a tablespoon (or to taste), and a dash of red pepper (a little goes a long way). Place the dough balls on the baking sheet, stick the end of a steak knife into the dough (the oil from the peanut butter will make the sugar stick to the blade), dip it in red sugar and press the flat tip of the blade into the ball to flatten it slightly, leaving the red sugar in the impression. Flatten remaining balls, and bake as above.

June Foodie Holidays: Week 1

June is National Candy Month, Dairy Month, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, Iced Tea Month, Papaya Month, Mango Month, Seafood Month, Turkey Lover's Month (?!), and Steakhouse Month.

June 1: Olive Day, Hazelnut Cake Day
June 2: Rocky Road Ice Cream Day
June 3: Egg Day
June 4: Cheese Day, Frozen Yogurt Day, Cognac Day
June 5: Moonshine Day, Gingerbread Day
June 6: Applesauce Cake Day
June 7: Chocolate Ice Cream Day, Doughnut Day (first Friday)

Father's Day is June 15th this year. Don't forget to include Dad, if you can, when you're compiling recipes for the cookbook. Maybe your father is the primary cook, or maybe he's just a pinch hitter, either way, you don't want to leave him out. (And if he cooks like my dad does, you'll probably need to stand with him while he's cooking to measure things as he goes or at least guestimate how much of that ingredient he just threw in the pot...)

I have a particular fondness for Applesauce Cake. This recipe is my maternal grandmother's.

Applesauce Cake                                                                

1/2 C. shortening

1 1/2 C. sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 C. applesauce

1 C. chopped raisins

2 C. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Directions: Thoroughly cream shortening with sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add applesauce, then sift dry ingredients together and add gradually. Beat until smooth; add raisins. Bake in a greased and floured 13x9” pan at 350ºF for 30-45 minutes. Frost with easy penuche frosting.

Easy Penuche Frosting

1/2 C. butter or margarine

1 C. brown sugar, packed

1/4 C. milk

2 C. powdered sugar

Directions: Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; stir and boil over low heat for 2 minutes. Stir in milk, return to boil and remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm and gradually stir in powdered sugar. Let cool; beat to spreading consistency. If the frosting gets too stiff, heat, stirring constantly. Frosts 1 13x9” cake or 2 9” layers.