Shirley's Pasta Salad

In yesterday’s post, that you can read here, I told you about my mother’s recipe box, adding that I had planned on sharing many recipes from this lifetime collection.  The first recipe came from her best childhood friend and maid of honor at her wedding. Her name was Shirley Fick, and she was quite an accomplished and experimental cook. 

My parents’ wedding picture.  Shirley is on the left, my parents are on the right.  Norbert Cook was the best man.  I have no idea as to his culinary prowess.

This dish made a big impression on me back in the seventies. It was the first time that I had ever eaten cold spaghetti.  Boy, did I think this was exotic. Tender crisp vegetables, Parmesan cheese, and al dente pasta, when combined makes for one delicious dish!  

Here is the recipe straight from the recipe box.

Light and refreshing, a tempting appetizer, or satisfying summer meal, it seems to be a hit with everyone who tastes it.  The first time I made it, years ago, I thought it was a lot of work. My organizational and knife skills have improved greatly since then, and I can pretty much have it chilling in the fridge in around 40 minutes. I think it is delicious hot or cold. 

This post is linked to:

Wow Us Wednesdays 

My Mother's Recipes

 This is my mother's recipe box. Or, rather, this was my mother's recipe box. It is still very difficult for me to think of her in the past tense. This is the one thing, more than anything else, that I most wanted after she passed away. It is no ordinary recipe box. My father made it, I painted it, and my mother filled it with decades of culinary history. I had considered cleaning it up, and touching up the paint, but thought that I would leave it exactly as it was when it sat on her counter now that it has taken up permanent residence on mine. 

This box was just one of the many craft items that my mother and I made to sell at our annual holiday bazaars, a tradition that began in the seventies and lasted for two decades. We always enjoyed doing crafts. She was the seamstress, I was the stitcher and painter, and for a while, my aunt joined us contributing her extensive designs of dough ornaments. As we became more experienced and mature, so did our offerings. Looking back at the early pictures makes me wonder how we managed to sell anything, much less sell out in the course of mere hours.

Here was are, ca. 1977, l-r me, my mom, my aunt.

Here is an assortment of our handmade items.

 In addition to selling our handmade wares, we spent two days prior to the sale (always held the first weekend in December) baking cookies, candies, cakes, pies, breads and sweet rolls. When I look back on these energetic and productive days, I wonder how we ever did it. 

The secrets to a lot of our sought after baked goods are contained within this box. One day I invited my aunt and cousin over for lunch and to sort through the recipes.  It was like taking a walk back in time as each of us had own our memories of different recipes and how and when the prepared dish had been served. 

I'm going to share both recipes and memories with you here on the blog beginning tomorrow. Tell me about the recipes from your past that have the most meaning for you.

This post is linked to: 

 Mosaic Monday

My Favorite Things
Martha's Favorites
Tablescape Thursday
Good Life Wednesdays

Be Inspired Friday

Show and Tell Friday

Strawberry Mango Spinach Salad

It’s strawberry season!  Does that excite anyone else as much as it does me?  There is just nothing like a good, fresh, local strawberry.  In celebration of this welcome, but brief season, here is a recipe for a colorful and delicious springtime salad.

Strawberry Mango Spinach Salad

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup canola oil

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon poppy seeds

4 cups fresh spinach

¼ pound fresh strawberries, quartered

½ Melissa’s organic mango - peeled, seeded, and cubed

¼ cup sliced red onion

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

Place the sugar, oil, salt, poppy seeds, and vinegar in a jar with a lid. Seal jar, and shake vigorously to mix.

In a large bowl, mix together spinach, strawberries, mango, and onion. To serve, toss with dressing and sprinkle with almonds.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Seasonal Sundays

Brown Sugar Zucchini Bread

I know that it’s not zucchini season, so you haven't yet been overwhelmed by the glut of summer zucchini and the recipes in which to use it. This is where I come in. I want to catch you before the Great Zucchini Panic of 2013 to give you this recipe that seriously puts to shame all others when it comes to zucchini bread. In fact, so as not to be confused during the panic, go get those recipes and throw them away right now, I'll wait. 

This recipe is moist and delicious with a lightly spicy, complex taste thanks to the combination of cinnamon and cardamom (and if the latter isn't a staple in your pantry, resolve to change that right now), and light crunch of brown sugar that glistens on the top. It is wonderful all by itself, but equally good alongside a summery bowl of bisque, or spread with a sweet or savory cream cheese.  Welcome at any meal or as a snack with an icy glass of freshly brewed tea, try it once and it will be your go-to recipe for all time.

Brown Sugar Zucchini Bread

1 extra-large egg
1/2 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup grated, unpeeled zucchini (about 1 medium)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (for top)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with vegetable spray. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar in pan, and rotate to cover bottom and sides. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg well. Add oil, sugar, and zucchini; mix thoroughly. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, soda, and spices.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until combined. Fold in chopped nuts. 

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.  Crumble dark brown sugar over the top to cover.  Bake for 1 hour. Remove to wire rack and let rest for 5 minutes. Invert onto rack to cool completely. 

This post is linked to:

Wow Us Wednesdays

Foodie Friday

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

Last week I told you about Magpie Restaurant on Historic Main and their delicious Asparagus Soup.  If you missed out on that post, you can read it here.  This week I am featuring another charming eatery in Saint Charles, Missouri called Miss Aimee B’s Tea Room and Marketplace.  Every time I go I find at least one thing, oh, who am I kidding?  More like ten things that I want to buy.  I am still thinking about the French flower bucket that really called my name so I may just have to go back this week, but I digress.  The restaurant and shops are contained within the walls of the wonderful Marten/Becker House, a Historic Home built in1865 by Francis Marten, now on the National Register of Historic Places.  Their food is tasty, the desserts divine.

Now, as you know, if you’re paying attention, until recently I was a rhubarb virgin.  Yep.  True, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.  But since then everything has changed.  First I made this jam; secondly I tasted Miss Aimee B’s Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler.  Why did I wait so long to fall in love with rhubarb?  Fortunately for you Miss Aimee B’s has a cookbook, in fact, THREE of them, all with recipes for customer’s favorites, including the cobbler, so I am sharing this recipe with you.  It is very easy and enormously delicious.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

5 cups frozen rhubarb, chopped

2 cups sliced strawberries, half fresh & half frozen

1 ½ cups self-rising flour

2 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 ½ cups milk

1 ½ tsp. almond extract

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a 13” x 9” pan with PAM.  Place the rhubarb in the bottom of the pan, topped with the strawberries.  Combine flour, sugar, milk, and almond extract.  The dough will be lumpy.  Pour over the fruit.  DO NOT STIR.  Pour the melted margarine over the dough.  Use a tooth pick to swirl margarine into the dough.  Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.  Serve warm or cool with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dollop of whipped cream or vanilla yogurt.

Yield:  12 to 16 servings.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Portobello Market

  Shopping and sightseeing are two of my favorite things to do when traveling.  I love it when I can combine the two as in the case when I visit Portobello Market, the world’s largest antiques market, and a beloved London landmark.  Here you will find over 1,000 dealers selling every kind of antique and collectible, plus food, fashion, the works! It attracts visitors from all over the world who come to shop the most extensive selection of antiques in Britain.  We do not go to London without making a stop here, and always come away with as much as we can carry.

My dad had a birthday coming up when we visited.  He’s been a trumpet player since his youth, so we bought him the pocket trumpet (far left) for his birthday. 

I love culinary antiques (naturally!), so at this stall I treated myself to a set of Apostle Spoons.

This colorful shop was one of my favorites.  

 We both fell in love with a Didgeridoo.

It was unbelievably difficult to carry home with us.  I am convinced that it was this cumbersome and unusual piece of art that bumped us from coach to First Class.  I don’t think the airline people had any idea just what to do with it (or us!).

This post is linked to:

“Oh, the PLACES I’ve been!”

Mosaic Monday

   

Baked Banana French Toast with Ginger-Maple Syrup

It you are unfamiliar with Sam Hoffer and her wonderful blog, My Carolina Kitchen, you need to hop on over (when you're finished reading here, of course) and check it out. It was here that I learned that Lilly Pulitzer, who recently passed away, published two delightful books on cooking and entertaining. Within minutes of having read this post, I headed out to locate them.  Fluffy and fun, just reading them made me feel like I was on vacation in Palm Beach, inhaling the salty air and sipping cocktails with friends.  Both photos and text will make you smile, the recipes will have you salivating. I have a long list of those I hope to try, and if they are all as good as this one, I will be a happy camper.

Just in time for Mother's Day...

Baked Banana French Toast

with Ginger-Maple Syrup

From Essentially Lilly by Lilly Pulitzer and Jay Mulvaney

Put this dish together the night before; the next morning it will be ready to serve after only half an hour of baking. Lightly toasting the challah makes stuffing it easier; skip the toasting step if using a day-old loaf.

Serves 2

1 to 1-1/2-inch-thick slices challah

1 large banana, cut on diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon minced candied ginger

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Powdered sugar

Butter small baking dish (9x9x2-inch square cake pan or similar).  Lightly toast challah. Using small sharp knife, cut slit in bottom edge of each slice of bread to form pocket; insert 3 to 4 slices of banana in each. Place stuffed bread in single layer in prepared dish.

Whisk eggs in medium bowl to blend. Add milk, cream, and vanilla, and whisk to blend well. Pour mixture over bread slices in dish, basting to coat well. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Combine syrup and ginger in small saucepan; cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Uncover French toast and bake until puffed and just beginning to brown on top, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat syrup-ginger mixture over low heat.

Sprinkle baked French toast with toasted almonds and powdered sugar, and serve warm with syrup.

This post is linked to:

Sweets for a Saturday

Sugar and Spice

Sunday Sweeties

Seasonal Sundays