Kids' Picks

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Rainbow Butter Cake

Three colors of batter—what’s not to love?

After I volunteered to make a favorite little friend a birthday cake, I, who love color and art in my food, was told that he prefers white cake with white icing. Rainbow Butter Cake has saved the day—what 11 year-old boy wouldn’t like a multi-colored version of a white cake?

I found this in one of my mother’s favorite’s, the 1961 edition of The New Antoinette Pope School Cookbook:

Rainbow Butter Cake

  • 1-1/2 c. butter (room temp.)
  • 2-1/4 c. sugar
  • 4 large eggs (room temp.)
  • 1-1/2 tsp. lemon zest
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 5-1/2 c. sifted cake flour
  • 4-1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 c. + 2 Tbs. milk

Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat for several minutes. Add extracts, then flour sifted with baking powder, about 1 cup at a time, alternately with milk, beating after each addition only until smooth.

To 3-1/2 c. batter add red food coloring, to 2-3/4 c. add green coloring, to remainder (2-1/4 c.) add yellow coloring.

Grease and flour a 10 x 4 tube pan with a removable bottom. First pour in pink batter carefully with a spoon and spread it gently; then with spoon pour in green batter, and lastly yellow batter.

Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour; then about 20 minutes more at 375 degrees or until done.

The first time I tried this cake I cut it into layers—this was a mistake. The cake crumbled. Keep it whole until it’s time to slice!

First spoon in the red batter and top with the green batter.

Lastly, top the green batter with the yellow batter.

A slice through the cake—layer 1.

A slice through the cake—layer 2.

Fresh Strawberry or Raspberry Fluff Icing

This is the freshest, lightest, truly amazing icing. It beats up like a meringue.

  • 1 c. fresh strawberries
  • 1-1/4 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • a few drops red food coloring

Beat all together at high speed until light and quite stiff, about 5-10 minutes.

Garnish with fresh berries.

 

Joe on his 14th birthday, ready to enjoy his cake.

 

 

 

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Chicken Parmesan served on a bed of Garlic Linguini

This was exceptionally delicious, and quick and simple to prepare.

Chicken Parmesan

  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • bread crumbs or Panko crumbs, Italian style
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • 6 slices mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh basil leaves or parsley (optional)

Dip the chicken in the egg, coat in the bread crumbs and saute in olive oil until brown, then turn and brown the other side. Pour about 1 cup of sauce to cover the bottom of a 13″ x 9″ pan. Place the chicken on top of the sauce. Top each breast with 1 slice of cheese. Spoon on the remainder of the sauce, and garnish with fresh basil and/or parsley, if you like. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Garlic Linguine

  • 1 pound linguine
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbs. butter, or a combination of butter and olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
  • a little chopped parsley

Cook the linguine al dente. Drain. Add butter and/or oil to pan, add garlic, then toss in the drained pasta and finally the parsley. Serve in a heated bowl.

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Six Pies

This free-form leaf motif top crust is my antidote to a lattice top. Shown here on a rhubarb-custard pie. Custard pies don't freeze well, so we ate this one while still warm.

There aren’t many things that get me as excited as when someone brings me a bag of fresh seasonal fruit. Just consider the possibilities! Jam, conserve, chutney, crisp, crumble, marmalade, muffins, pie? So when 26 cups of rhubarb found its way into my kitchen this morning (thank you, Lori Day), I eliminated the other options, and all I could think about was pies.

This traditional strawberry rhubarb pie is headed to the freezer.

Try different shapes to decorate the top of the pie. Just lay them over the filling before placing the pie in the oven.

A fluted wheel cutter easily creates leaf shapes.

Why stick with round? This double-recipe pie was made in a 13" x 9" pan, and is for an event at the Shavuot Confirmation service at Temple. The ten commandments is the theme for the confirmation class's speeches.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Custard Pie

  • 3 eggs
  • 3 Tbs. milk
  • 1/4 c. flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1-3/4 c. sugar
  • 2 c. chopped rhubarb
  • 2 c. sliced strawberries
  • pastry for a 2-crust pie

Mix together egg and milk, stir in dry ingredients, and then stir in strawberries and rhubarb. Pour into pie crust, top with second crust in either a lattice-style or a covered top crust with vent holes. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes, until crust is browned and the filling is set.

Liz’s Lemony Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

  • 1/4 c. flour
  • 1-1/4 c. sugar
  • zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 3 c. chopped rhubarb
  • 2 c. sliced strawberries

Mix together flour and sugar, then toss with lemon zest and fruit. Pour into pie crust, top with second crust in either a lattice-style or a covered top crust with vent holes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40-50 minutes, or until crust is brown and the pie is bubbly.

Pastry for a 2-crust pie

  • 1-3/4 c. white flour
  • 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2/3 c. shortening (can use half Crisco and half butter)
  • 1/2 cold water

By the way, in case you’ve been keeping track, pie #6 wasn’t very photogenic. We’ll eat that one tomorrow.

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Boundary Water biscuits: the time I took Doug camping.

 

I learned a lot from Doug on this camping trip. Who knew that one could bake in a camp fire?

 

One of our first dates was a week-long trip to the Boundary Waters in upper Minnesota. By then we had a pretty good idea that we liked each other, but this was still an important step in our courtship. This would be my fourth trip to the wilderness canoe area, and I wanted to impress Doug with my mastery of all things outdoors: handling a canoe, putting a worm on a hook, starting a fire with one match, reading a wilderness map—I wanted to take him camping. It’s hard to clearly remember, but I don’t think I had yet grasped the depth of Doug’s mastery of the outdoors. Here was a man who, aside from being an Eagle Scout, had been a back country guide in New Mexico, a white-water canoe guide in Maine, had run Colorado’s rivers as a rafting guide, had earned his EMT in his spare time so that he’d feel better prepared during rock climbing emergencies, and possessed copies of his mother’s best recipes.

We had an idyllic week. Mysteriously, there were no black flies or mosquitoes. On one golden evening as we sat on a rock edge over looking the water, watching the sunset, the sky became darker and we were captivated with the brilliance of the Northern lights. Really, it was magical.

As for showing off my mastery of the outdoors, I gave up map duty on day one after getting us quite lost. Only by asking some fisherman did we find out that we were in the lake named, aptly, Lake of Confusion. Yet, I was a good sport in the middle of a down pour and impressed Doug by saying how fun it was. I made a passable camp fire, and was able to successfully feign indifference while putting a worm on a hook.

However, nothing could compare to Doug’s expertise with camp-cooking. He nursed the fire until the coals were evenly hot, mixed up some brownie batter from a homemade, dry mix we had concocted in his apartment in Chicago, then poured it into an aluminum pan which he then placed inside a dutch oven. Doug then buried the entire thing in the coals, creating a campfire baking oven. What a delicacy to have fresh, hot brownies on a wilderness trip!

And on one chilly morning, once again I was amazed by Doug’s camp-cooking ability. Using the dutch oven, he baked up some of his mom’s flaky biscuits.

I guess we each passed each other’s wilderness test. This morning, over 20 years later, using our regular stove, Doug mixed up a batch of biscuits in our kitchen. If you ask any of our kids, they’ll tell you, “Dad makes the best biscuits.”

 

Doug had everything covered: brownies in the oven; coffee on top.

 

 

Doug and Dori, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota, August 1989.

 

 

Here's a picture of the brownies, just coming out of the camp fire. (I was taking pictures of food, 20 years ago, while camping?)

 

Dorothy’s Soft Crumb Biscuits

  • 2 c. flour (Doug uses 1/3 whole wheat flour)
  • 1 Tbs. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 5 Tbs. shortening (Crisco)
  • 2/3-3/4 c. milk

Cut shortening into dry ingredients. Add milk all at once. Stir until just mixed. Turn out onto floured board. Knead about 20 times. Pat out on a floured board, about 3/4″ thick. Cut and bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 mins. Makes 12-14 biscuits.

 

You can see how flaky these are.

 

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Caramelized Banana Pancakes with Toasted Pecans

I woke up entirely too early and decided to treat the kids to some Thursday morning pancakes. These are a bit of a fuss to prepare, as you have to hand-place banana slices on each pancake right after the first flip. However, the caramelized bananas and crunchy toasted pecans make them worth the effort.

Caramelized Banana Pancakes with Toasted Pecans

Toss together and set aside:

  • 2 bananas, on the firm side, sliced thin
  • 1 Tbs. sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Set in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove to cool:

  • 1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans

Prepare the batter:

  • 1-1/4 c. whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 c. quick oats
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 c. milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbs. oil

Using a non-stick pan, pour batter as usual. When bubbly, arrange a layer of banana slices on the top of each pancake and then flip to cook the other side. Serve topped with extra banana slices and toasted pecans.

Before flipping the pancakes over, after they are bubbly, top with a layer of the sugared banana slices.

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Quick Fruit Tart

I grabbed a bag of apples from the IGA today and they turned out to be mushy. There’s nothing more disappointing than a mushy apple, but I didn’t want to throw out an entire bag, so I decided to put together this quick dessert. This is just a simple pastry, filled with apple slices, a little sugar and cinnamon. Nothing fancy, but very elegant for a Wednesday night.

In my quest to pack more vitamins into my growing children, I used 100% whole wheat pastry flour. I’m a big fan of whole wheat pastry flour. It can be substituted 1-to-1 for white flour, bakes up a little browner, but is every bit as light and flaky.

Quick Fruit Tart

Blend together the following, as you would for a pie crust:

  • 1-1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1-1/2 sticks butter
  • 1/3 c. ice water

Roll it out on parchment paper, into an oval or a rectangle. Sprinkle with the following, blended together:

  • 1 Tbs. flour
  • 1 Tbs. sugar
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

Layer on thin slices of fruit (apples, peaches, plums or pears), and top with berries if you like. Sprinkle with some additional sugar or cinnamon-sugar. Fold over the edges of the crust and crimp.

Slip the parchment onto a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until nicely browned. Serve hot. Scoop on some vanilla ice cream for a treat!

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Sister dinner: Chicken Jubilee and Fresh Garden Asparagus

Dori, Richard, Aaron and Maralee. Glencoe, Illinois, 1962.

My sister Maralee was on my mind today. At Joe’s piano lesson, I was sure I smelled Chicken Jubilee coming from Mrs. Todd’s kitchen. Our mother prepared the legendary Chicken Jubilee for Maralee’s Bat Mitzvah dinner, cooking and freezing chickens weeks ahead of the event, so as to feed the congregation and invited guests. I was only three at the time and I don’t remember the chickens. My earliest memory of my older siblings was sitting (kneeling, actually, on a piano bench in our living room) for this photograph, which was taken the following year. I remember how ridiculous it was to pose with my hands on my brother’s shoulder.

Everyone should be lucky enough to have a big sister like mine. Maralee is generous and thoughtful. She brings me gifts like my very own box of See’s chocolates, big red mixing bowls for my little red kitchen, silver earrings from Israel, a colorful lizard-shaped door bell, and fresh asparagus from her garden. She is selfless, and loves me more than anything. And this week, when I was sick with a chest cold and didn’t want to think about food, Maralee made enough soup and lasagna to feed our family for three days. I so appreciate the loving gift of a meal, of a soup over-flowing with vegetables and a lasagna thick with spinach and cheese. Perhaps that’s why, today, my head imagined the aroma of her Bat Mitzvah dinner, which I then made for our dinner.

The last time I made this dish for my kids, they turned up their noses at chicken with cherries in the name. So tonight I called it barbecued chicken and it became delicious to them. It’s all in the advertising. But I was sure to tell them, “this was the chicken that Grandma made for Aunt Maralee’s Bat Mitzvah dinner.”

Chicken Jubilee, topped with cherries, raisins and onions, hot out of the oven.

We enjoyed asparagus fresh from Maralee’s garden.

Chicken Jubilee

  • 2 Chickens, cut up
  • 1 c. water
  • 2 med. onions, sliced
  • 1/2 c. raisins
  • 1 12-oz. jar chili sauce
  • 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 c. sherry
  • 1 can bing cherries

Season the chicken, brown in a little oil. Combine all ingredients except for sherry and cherries, pour over chicken, and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Pour sherry and cherries over wine, bake an additional 15 minutes. Serve hot over rice.

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Mom’s Baked Chicken (with Matzo Meal), and Rosemary Potatoes

Mom’s baked chicken, served with rosemary potatoes, broccoli and strawberries.

Chicken and potatoes ready for the oven. Bake them together.

I just put this chicken and potatoes in the oven. It only took 5 minutes to prepare this crisp, flavorful and succulent chicken, and now I can sit back and wait for dinner. I’ll add some fresh steamed broccoli, and will enjoy a superb meal with less than 10 minutes of total prep time—does it get any easier than this?

If you’d enjoy the recipe, please visit the Apple iTunes store to download my app, iNosh. Here’s the link for that:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/inosh/id777362589?ls=1&mt=8

I’m donating half of the proceeds to Mazon, A Jewish Response to Hunger.

And here’s a preview of some of the content on the app. For now, it’s only available for iPad users.

iNosh blog ad v2

 

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French Toast on a Warm Plate, Topped with Plum Jam

Challah french toast topped with homemade plum jam.

My dad  will carefully touch a finger to his plate to see if it’s been heated. He’s not a complainer, but give him a cold dinner plate and you’ll hear about it with a soft murmur of “not hot.” His caregivers each have their own method for warming the plate. They put it in the oven or the microwave, or run it under hot water, and our boldest nurse places it directly over an open flame on the stove top so that when the eggs hit the plate they sizzle and continue to cook.

This morning I decided to heat everyone’s plates. I wanted everyone to enjoy their french toast piping hot, and to sit down together to eat. I kept a platter going in the oven, and put the plates all around.

My grandmother, Mollye, taught me how to make plum jam. If you’re not lucky enough to have homemade, go out and buy some plum jam. It’s fantastic on french toast.

French Toast (serves 4)

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 c. milk
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • butter for the pan
  • 8 slices bread (I use left-over challah)

Whisk up the eggs, and mix in the remaining ingredients. Melt 1-2 Tbs. butter in a large pan. When the butter is very hot, dip each slice of bread, first one side and then the other, and place immediately into the hot pan. Brown well on each side. Keep warm in oven, cover with a clean kitchen towel if the platter will be in the oven more than 10 minutes. Serve with lightly warmed plum jam.

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From generation to generation

Molly, my daughter, is named after Mollye, my grandmother.

Mollye taught be everything I know about the art of food. I learned how to run the fork down the side of the cucumber before slicing it, to crinkle cut melons, to make radish florets and soak them in ice water so they expand. Mollye taught me how to curl butter into roses for fancy parties, how to slice and turn the edge of a coffee cake, how to arrange cookies, and fruit, and how to decorate a fish to look like, well, a fish.

So it was with great pleasure that, tonight, when Molly made herself a strawberry smoothie for a snack, she reached for the aesthetic of the moment. She saved out one strawberry, sliced it in half and then made careful grooves in each half so that she could carefully, and with great intention, garnish her glass. All for herself. For the sheer beauty and pleasure of the experience.

L’dor v’dor