Author Archives: Mom Mom's Apron

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About Mom Mom's Apron

For years, I have kept my favorite recipes in a binder so that my family could access them just in case I met an untimely end. I have decided to document my tried and true favorites (and maybe some occasional experimentation) on this blog. I always wear aprons, and my favorite is a dish towel apron which belonged to my beloved grandmother, Mom Mom Dee Dee. Mom Mom was not much of a hostess or entertainer, but when I wear her apron, I feel her spirit with me. The apron is not pretty and has seen better days, but it is the one I still reach for the most. I think there is a metaphor somewhere in there.

Review: Sumo Oranges

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I am fortunate to shop at Wegmans, a grocery store which makes the chore of shopping a real joy. Wegmans is one of my favorite places in the world, and the words “cult following” seem to describe the store often. I know some of the uninitiated my friends like to mock my passion for Wegmans, but I don’t care. I have hard evidence to back me up: Consumer Reports named it the best grocery store in the country (out of 50) and it has been on the Forbes “Best Places to Work” list every year since 1998. The quality of the food is second to none, the prices are not usually unreasonable, but the real wow factor for me is the selection. I always find something new or different there. Like today, for example.

Have you heard of the Japanese Sumo orange? Until I stepped into Wegmans, I had not. I was immediately intrigued by its giant size, unique shape and weird name. But at $2.50 per orange, I had my reservations. What sane person spends $2.50 for one single orange? Hello.

This truly was the best orange I’ve ever eaten in my life. It has the perfect texture, the perfect sweetness, and the perfect amount of juiciness. It’s easy to peel and not the least bit messy. The Japanese took over thirty years to develop this orange, a seedless tangerine-orange hybrid, and it was worth the wait. They are now grown in California, in the San Joaquin Valley, and available in the US from February until May. If you’re lucky enough to come across one, you should try it. I only wish I bought more!

sumo

Dawn’s Ninja Ginger Dressing

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Our family has been hit hard with illness this month, but we are finally emerging from the fog of norovirus, flu, bronchitis and pneumonia. It feels so good not to feel bad! I tend to be a tad melodramatic and channel Emily from Thornton Wilder’s classic American play Our Town whenever I’m very sick, proclaiming my love and appreciation for all the ordinary things in life from beyond my imaginary grave: Mama’s sunflowers, food and coffee, new ironed dresses and hot baths….and sleeping and waking up! (Not that I’ve seen an iron or a dress in many years myself). Even the little mundane tasks like dishes, laundry and grocery shopping felt wonderful to accomplish once my energy returned.

As I languished in my sick bed, I made a commitment to healthier living. More salads, less cookies. I made this dressing for the first time last month in an effort to replicate the ginger dressing served at our favorite sushi place. Even though I didn’t hit the mark exactly, I’m still very pleased with the results. I made some again today and tweaked it a bit further. The peanut oil really gives it a nice richness and body, but there is only a 1/4 cup of it, so it’s not too unhealthy — especially compared to bottled dressings.

ginger

Dawn’s Ninja Ginger Dressing, yields 1 1/2 cups

2 inch piece of fresh ginger

1/2 medium onion

1 whole carrot

one clove of garlic, peeled

juice of half a lemon

1/4 cup peanut oil

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon Sriracha

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

In a heavy duty blender or food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth.

gingerdressing

To My Valentine

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Mom Mom loved my husband Ed. She was rather cranky in general, but if she liked you, you were set. She took to Ed immediately, as did my whole family, and he was quickly granted Saint Status. This both pleases me and alarms me. Not that it’s a contest, but their loyalty and devotion are firmly in Ed’s corner. I bet that if I turn up dead under suspicious circumstances, they will all whisper, “I’m sure he had good reasons.”

One thing Mom Mom warned me about was not to “brag” about my marriage unless I want some village hussy setting her sights on my man, and even though that strikes me as old country crazy superstitious voodoo, I do try to tone it down most days. Plus, have Frank and Kathie Lee taught me nothing? You just don’t go around dispensing unsolicited marriage advice; that never ends well.

But in honor of Valentine’s Day, I will say this: My almost twenty year marriage is hands-down the best thing in my life. It is a daily source of joy, comfort and strength. I wake up every day feeling happy, lucky and grateful. Sure, that feeling usually disappears most days by 10 am, but I greet each day thinking I am the luckiest person in the world to wake up next to this wonderful man. Life hasn’t always been easy, it hasn’t always been fun, but it has always been good. What’s our secret?

Our secret is we have no secret. Sometimes we call it divine intervention, sometimes we call it dumb luck, but the truth is there is nothing that we do or don’t do other than being ourselves. I could never sell a marriage book or be a paid speaker. I have no tips or helpful hints. I just happened to have married someone who, against all odds and evidence to the contrary, still thinks I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread. Still thinks I’m beautiful even though there is much, much more of me to love than in 1991. Still thinks I’m smart and funny and good, even though I am rarely any of those things very often at once.

And I married the smartest man in the world. He will argue that he isn’t, since he’s humble, too, but he is to me. But more importantly than being smart, hardworking, and successful, he is good. He is a really good person in a world where there just aren’t that many really good people. He has a pure and generous heart and always does the right thing, even when no one is looking. He can fix almost everything and create almost anything and handle chemistry and calculus like it’s nothing. (If I was more entrepreneurial, I could rent him out). He is my number one sous chef when I cook, but he knows his way around the kitchen well enough to earn Executive Chef status sometimes, too. He is still as handsome and strong as ever, and he still fits into the same sized pants as when we met. There is so much more I could say, but one needs to keep the village hussies at bay.

So maybe the secret is to marry someone you truly admire and who admires you in equal measure? Or maybe it’s all a big roulette game, and we blindly lucked into the exact right combination at the exact right time? I’ve learned not to question it too much and simply enjoy the ride.

Sometimes a girl just gets lucky.

roses

Coconut Butter Cream Easter Eggs

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As I mentioned in a post from last year, I have a thing for Zitner’s Butter Krak eggs. Zitner’s makes a large variety of chocolate Easter eggs, but my favorite by a mile are the rich, coconuty, weirdly named Butter Krak eggs. I still remember being very, very pregnant in 1996 and sending a co-worker out into the cold, slushy streets of Philadelphia with a dollar to fetch mama a Butter Krak egg, and he has the audacity to come back and plunk down a marshmallow egg on my desk. MARSHMALLOW? I bellowed, DOES THIS LOOK LIKE BUTTER KRAK TO YOU? THIS IS NOT BUTTER KRAK! I SAID BUTTER KRAK! IF I WASN’T NINE MONTHS PREGNANT I WOULD THROW THIS EGG AT YOUR GIANT HEAD INSTEAD OF EATING IT ANYWAY! Let’s just blame pregnancy hormones, shall we?

Today, many years later, I had the great idea of making some coconut butter cream eggs myself. This is definitely one of the easier desserts I’ve ever made. Messy? Yes. But not difficult. Well, not difficult once I quickly abandoned the idea of dipping in chocolate once, sprinkling more coconut on top, and then dipping a second time. Gravity, it turns out, can be kind of mean and very messy. But that’s okay! Nothing a few shakes of rainbow sprinkles couldn’t fix right up. I’m quite pleased with how well these turned out.

Coconut Butter Cream Eggs

1 stick (1/4 pound) unsalted butter, softened

16 ounces powdered (confectioner) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 – 2 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut. Please obey me about the unsweetened part. It will truly be too sickeningly sweet of you use sweetened coconut. I don’t want to be responsible for you developing diabetes; I’m skating on thin ice as it is.

Rainbow sprinkles (optional)

2 to 3 cups of high quality semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted per package instructions

Directions:

In a heavy duty mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until combined. Add vanilla and milk, one tablespoon at a time, and continue until very smooth. Add coconut and mix 30 to 60 seconds more, scraping down sides.

Shape 16 to 18 eggs and place on wax paper on a plate. Refrigerate for a few minutes until chilled and very firm.

Melt chocolate chips per package instructions or method of choice. Line a large cutting board with wax paper. Using a fork, dip and coat each egg in chocolate, then place on board. Apply sprinkles, if using.

Yield: 16 to 18 eggs

naked eggs

Eggs

chocolate egg

German Pear Pancake

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All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow. — Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

February is a rather dreary month here in Pennsylvania. Our national treasure, Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog, did not see his shadow yesterday, which is good news for those of us hoping for an early spring. The bad news is that Phil is only correct about 39% of the time. But one way or another, spring will come, and I am trying to enjoy the beauty of winter while it’s still here. That, of course, includes more carbs and less salads. See? Winter isn’t so awful. Light and shadow, people. Light and shadow.

Traditional German pancakes are made with apples, but this recipe caught my eye. There is something comforting about the alliterative pear pancake; it sounds warm and appealing, doesn’t it? Add in the fact that it’s prepared with a cast iron skillet, and I knew I’d be making this the first chance I got.

Fine Cooking says this recipe serves four to six, but a word of warning: Unless you are serving six anorexic models, don’t plan on serving this to more than four people. Also, inform your children that it’s not like a “normal” pancake; I have learned so much of life is about managing expectations. This almost has a bread pudding quality to it. Pleasantly sweet, but not overly so. Pairs very well with bacon or sausage on a cold winter’s day.

GermanPearPancake

German Pear Pancake, Fine Cooking, original recipe here

Ingredients

1 large firm-ripe Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
1 large lemon, finely grated to yield 1/2 Tbs. zest, squeezed to yield 2 Tbs. juice
4 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 oz. (2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 3 slices
3 to 4 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar, for garnish
Crème fraîche (optional)

Directions:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.

In a medium bowl, toss the pear slices with the lemon juice and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric hand mixer on high speed until thick and frothy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix on low speed until combined. Sift in the flour and mix on low speed until combined (don’t worry if there are lumps).

Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add the butter, and when it begins to foam, add the pear slices, quickly turning them to coat with the butter, and arranging them in a single layer. Pour the batter evenly over the pears  and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the pancake is set in the middle, the sides have risen, and the bottom is nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the pancake with the confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately with a dollop of crème fraîche, if using.

Giada’s Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup

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Come back! Don’t run away! I know this sounds way too healthy to be exciting, but trust me. This is really, really good. A dear friend emailed me this recipe, saying it was one of the best things she’s ever made. I don’t know about you, but when I hear language like that, I stop and pay attention — especially if it’s coming from someone with pretty discriminating taste. In addition, the recipe has a five star rating from over 100 people. I followed the directions exactly, except I eliminated the parsley, as it seemed superfluous to me. Hello, SAT word.

We have had a tough week here with illness. Norovirus and pneumonia for Nate; fever, cough, and God-knows-what-else for Andrew, and general insanity for me. I have not been feeling so hot but bravely soldiering on, as a good nurse should. Sometimes all you can do is make a nice pot of soup and hope for the best.

Giada’s Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup, original recipe here

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 to 6 large shallots, chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/3 cups)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 8 ounces ground white turkey meat, broken into small chunks
  • 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
  • One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 small bunch kale, coarsely chopped (about 4 packed cups)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots and bell pepper and saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ground turkey and stir until the meat turns white and begins to color very slightly around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the herbes de Provence and stir, 1 minute. Add 4 cups broth, tomatoes and rice. Bring to a boil. Stir in the kale and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and Parmesan, if using, and serve.

turkeykalesoup

 

The Secret to a Perfect French Vinaigrette

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Of all the things I loved in Paris, the salads ranked high up there. I know it sounds ridiculous and faux-virtuous to claim you love salad — salad! — of all things in Paris. That sounds as far-fetched as saying I watch Bravo for the political commentary or love book club for the book discussions. But it’s true; the salads were all quite magnifique despite their simplicity. Mais pourquois? The answer lies in the elusive French vinaigrette.

After considerable research that only a person with too much time on her hands can devote, I have concluded that there are a few key secrets to a classic French vinaigrette: shallots, real Dijon mustard made in France, and sherry vinegar. Shallots and sherry vinegar are easy enough to find, but real French Dijon is another story altogether. Before you go any further, let me say that this recipe certainly WILL work with US made Grey Poupon, and it will be respectably good. But it won’t be perfect.

To say I am a bit obsessed with my acquisition of Maille mustard made in France is a bit of an understatement. Since the mustard from the tap I purchased from the Maille store in Paris is unpasteurized, I have accepted that I can only obtain that through another visit to the Paris store or I’ll need a hired mustard mule to smuggle some through customs. However, the next best thing is jarred French Dijon, which I figured should be easy enough to find. Wrong! I have searched Amazon. I have searched eBay. I have combed foodie message boards. I have emailed food bloggers. I have, in short, gone a little nutty trying to find this mustard. Of course, to a French person, this probably sounds like someone saying they have searched the world for a bottle of Heinz ketchup.

I finally found a reputable online source which won’t break the bank here. I am sure there may be others, so feel free to pass on your US suppliers if you’ve got them. Here is a picture of two jars of Maille. The one on the left is made in France, and the one on the right is made in Canada. The French version is almost twice as strong and concentrated as the Canadian version (which we can all find easily in almost every US grocery store). They may look the same, but they are not the same.

deux Mailles

Of all the recipes I’ve tried, this simple little recipe from David Lebovitz comes the closest to replicating the many wonderful vinaigrettes I enjoyed in Paris. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

French Vinaigrette by David Lebovitz, original recipe worth reading for yourself here

Makes about 1/4 cup

1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
1/2 small shallot, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3T to 4T (45 ml to 60 ml) olive oil

fresh herbs, if desired

1. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, vinegar, and shallot. Let stand for about ten minutes.

2. Mix in the Dijon mustard. (Note: ff you are using a US or Canadian manufactured mustard, you will need at least 1 heaping teaspoon to start, possibly a bit more. If you are using French Dijon, a mere 1/2 teaspoon will actually be enough.) Add 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of olive oil. Stir well, then taste. If too sharp, add the additional olive oil and more salt, if necessary.

If using fresh herbs, mix them in shortly before serving so they retain their flavor. This dressing will keep for about eight hours at room temperature.

 

The Waiting Place

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When I was in high school. I worked at a Hallmark card store. I learned so much from that job. Much of what I learned was how NOT to treat people, but that’s a tale for another day. As a young, impressionable girl raised on Dynasty and Danielle Steele, I loved a good story.

One of my coworkers, an older lady named Betsy, told me a story that I still think about sometimes. (Let’s note that I’m now the age of Betsy, “the older lady.”) The summer after high school, Betsy was at the beach for the weekend with her girlfriends. She was planning to attend Vanderbilt University that fall. Before she packed up to leave, Betsy decided to take one last walk on the beach, and on that spontaneous walk, Betsy met the man who would be her husband for the next fifty years. She started dating him and decided to ditch Vanderbilt and get married shortly after their beach rendezvous.

As a snotty and know-it-all child of the 80s, I was appalled that she would abandon her plan of attending a prestigious university for some strange guy she just met on the beach. And for what? To become a wife and mother working part-time in a Hallmark store with high school students? How could she even be smart enough to have gotten into Vanderbilt in the first place if those were the kind of choices she made? But Betsy seemed very happy and was a sweet lady with a good life. I liked her a lot.

There have been times in my life that I think about that story and the seemingly random events that change the course of our lives forever. What if Betsy didn’t go to the beach that weekend? What if she decided to pack up and leave instead of taking one last walk? It often feels like our insignificant decisions (a spontaneous walk) can have way more of an impact than our Big Life Decisions (choosing a college). As an over-thinker, I find this notion simultaneously comforting and unsettling. Nothing matters. Everything matters.

I am at a crossroads right now, slightly stuck in The Waiting Place, as wise Dr. Seuss called it.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

— Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go

Eventually I will get unstuck and choose a direction, but for now, I’m sticking it out right here. My friend introduced me to a phrase that’s often used in the recovery community, and when my head is spinning with options and I’m overwhelmed about what to do next and how things will turn out, I find that it helps me get back on track: Just keep doing the next right thing. I can do that. And eventually, I believe, the right walk will lead me in the right direction, probably when I’m least expecting it.

Incredible Hulk Muffins

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Greetings from the height of flu hysteria here in the US, or Flusteria 2013, as I like to call it. We’ve managed to dodge the flu bullet so far, but between Ed’s airplane travel and three kids in three different schools, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before one of us falls. I’m a little scared. When I’m scared, I bake. (Note: I also bake when I am happy and sad and excited and disappointed.) Don’t ask me how that diet is coming along.

Believe it or not, for every recipe I post, there are ten more that don’t make the cut. I have gotten in the habit of taking pictures of everything I make, just in case it turns out to be THE BEST THING EVER, but usually I’m just left with a lot of (sometimes unidentifiable) food pictures on my iPhone. To be honest, I never expected this recipe to make the cut. I was reasonably certain my kids would hate these muffins and at best I’d have an amusing story to share about how disgusting they were. Wrong!

My boys are now 16, 11 and 9, and they come home from school starving every afternoon. Once the weekly ration of junk food is gone, it is gone, and I refuse to buy any more until my next scheduled shopping trip. We always have fruit, veggies and dip, peanut butter and jelly, etc. but things like pretzels and chips and cookies/cupcakes are purchased in limited weekly quantities. This does not always go over well, but I don’t think my kids benefit from eating crappy food before dinner seven days a week. They buy the school lunch and are able to purchase snack foods during lunchtime, so it’s not like they’re subsisting on organic apples alone. Don’t feel too sorry for them!

I decided to use after-school-feeding-frenzy time to my advantage yesterday, as hungry people are not always very particular about what they shove into their gullets. If there was ever a time they would willingly eat a green muffin, it would be after school. Not only did they eat it, they begged for more and asked me to make these every day. I’m still a little shocked about that, but I’m happy to ride this wave as long as possible.

These muffins are not exactly healthy, but they are better than a lot of processed alternatives. I used oat flour, which I made easily in my Vitamix, but you can certainly use all-purpose wheat flour if you prefer.

Incredible Hulk Muffins

WET INGREDIENTS
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup (or less) brown sugar
1 banana
1/2 cup walnuts
large handful of kale

DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups oat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 (or more) cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy duty blender, mix wet ingredients (including walnuts and kale) until completely smooth. This may take a couple minutes, depending on the blender, but we don’t want any walnut or kale pieces.

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients until well combined. Being careful not to over mix, pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Spray or oil a standard muffin tin and fill with about 1/2 cup of mixture per muffin. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Vitamix

HulkHUNGRY

Whiskey Crab Cakes

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We love crab cakes and are fortunate to have two very good local sources for them. I have tried to make them myself a couple times over the years, but they always seemed to turn out like expensive mistakes. Edible, sure, but I do try to aim higher.

Third time’s a charm, as they say. I combined elements of recipes from two old cookbooks (hear that, youngins? cookbooks with real gen-u-ine paper pages, just like Ma Ingalls used to use), and I think I came up with the perfect formula: flavorful but not overly packed with filler. And my personal secret ingredient designed to enhance the delicate sweetness of the crab? One tablespoon of Irish whiskey. Serve these with Bobby Flay’s cole slaw and some potato chips, and you have a delicious meal.

crab cake

Dawn’s Whiskey Crab Cakes

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red paper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Irish whiskey

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lemon, halved and juiced

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1 stick salted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Saute shallot and pepper about five minutes, until softened and fragrant. Cool and place in small bowl. In same bowl, mix together Worcestershire, Dijon, whiskey, salt, lemon juice and crushed red pepper.

In a large bowl, lightly beat two eggs. Add pepper mixture and panko crumbs. Gently fold in crab and combine without over mixing.

Using a one-half cup dry measuring cup, scoop up crab mixture and form into a ball. Place on buttered or sprayed baking sheet. You should have 6 to 8 crab cakes, depending on how generously you fill your cup.

Melt remaining butter in microwave or stove top. Spoon about one tablespoon of melted butter on top of each crab cake. Bake about 15 minutes. If you prefer a crispier top, they can be placed under the broiler for a minute or two once baked.