America I AM Pass It Down Cookbook (36 page)

Pass It Down variation:
Substitute 1 pint of low-fat frozen yogurt. Yogurt is enjoying renewed popularity because many brands are low-fat and contain healthy bacteria.

Ambrosia or Five-Cup Salad

Trenton, New Jersey

SERVES 4 TO 6

“I am not sure where this recipe originated, but I have a vague recollection that it might have been passed on to my mother at a Dodson-Hairston reunion as early as the 1960s in Charleston, West Virginia or Columbus, Ohio,” writes Angela Dodson of her Ambrosia or “5-cup salad,” so named for the 1 cup of each of its five ingredients.

In fact, the name of the dish is often a source of debate among Ms. Dodson’s friends. “I have seen it or variations of it in cookbooks, but have never seen anyone else serve it. It appears to be linked to Appalachian cooking, centered in West Virginia, southern Ohio, and Kentucky,” she says. “I learned to make it from the time I was about 12, and was designated to prepare it for holidays. I taught it to my four sons when they were little (now adults), and it is considered a requirement for winter holiday dinners, especially Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other gatherings. It is best made ahead of time and left to sit a few hours or overnight so the marshmallows can absorb the juices and plump up.”

1 cup (8 ounces) canned mandarin oranges
1 cup (8 ounces) canned pineapple
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup small marshmallows

Drain the canned oranges and pineapple and place them in a large bowl.

Fold in the sour cream, coconut, and marshmallows.

Chill before serving. It can be made a day ahead and is best when chilled for at least two hours. It also keeps a couple of days, properly refrigerated.

Pass It Down Variation:
Angela Dodson says she has found variations in cookbooks for 6-Cup Salad and 7-Cup Salad, and so on by adding 1 cup of nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, or almonds, and 1 cup maraschino cherries. If you use cherries, she says to drain them well and add just before serving, or the whole salad will turn pink.

Barbadian Coconut Flapjacks

Washington, DC

MAKES 8 TO 12

Marguerite Pridgen’s grandparents came to the United States from Barbados in the early 1900s, settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Barbadian (or Bajan) style cooking was a way for them to pass down their West Indian pride to their children. “My mother told me stories about how, when she was a child, neighbors would visit their home just for a taste of my grandmother’s cuckoo or rice and peas. My grandfather became known for his baked breads, pastries, and other sweets,” she says.

“One of the baked dishes my mother fondly remembers is her father’s coconut f lapjacks—which are not like pancakes at all—they are more like oat cookie bars with coconut,” Ms. Pridgen says. “Her father would bake these special treats when he had some rare spare time, and the smell would permeate the multifamily house. To this day, if you mention her father and coconut f lapjacks in the same sentence, she smiles and recounts the taste of her childhood.”

2 cups rolled outs
1 cup desiccated (unsweetened) coconut
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
4 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons golden syrup (or mix 2 tablespoons light corn syrup,
    1 tablespoon molasses, or 1 tablespoon honey)

Preheat oven to 350
^o
F. Grease an 8 x 8 baking pan and set aside.

Put the oats, coconut, salt, and sugars into a bowl and mix well.

Place butter in a small saucepan, add golden syrup, and warm on very low heat until syrup slides right off a wooden spoon.

When butter mixture is ready, pour over oats and mix well. Press mixture into the buttered baking dish and smooth the top. Score into 8 to 12 rectangles.

Bake 15–20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes and cut along score lines.

CHAPTER
9
Extras
Pickles, Condiments,
Spices & Sauces

Mrs. Kathryn Brookshire’s Bread & Butter Pickles

Atlanta, Georgia

MAKES 12 PINT JARS

Why these pickled cucumbers are called “bread and butter” no one is quite sure. Some sources say that they were so cheap and easy to prepare they became a staple on Depression-era tables— just like bread and butter. Whatever the origin of the name, these pickles are tasty at picnics, with a sandwich, or just as a condiment with supper.

5 pounds Kirby cucumbers
8 medium onions
½ cup salt
5 cups sugar
5 cups vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon whole cloves

Slice the cucumbers and onions into ¼ inch slices.

Place the cucumbers and onions in a large bowl and add salt. Add just enough cold water to cover. Soak for 3 hours.

Bring the sugar, vinegar, mustard seed, turmeric, and clove to a boil in a large stock pot. Add the cucumbers and onions. Bring back to a boil

Pack the pickles in mason jars with their pickling liquid and seal tightly. Process the jars in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and allow them to cool.

Lula Momma’s Chow Chow

St. Louis, Missouri

MAKES 20 PINTS PICKLES

When folks put up pickles they don’t do it in small batches. Felicia Pearson remembers her grandmother making this recipe and giving it out as gifts to her family and friends. “I give you this recipe in dedication to my Lula Momma,” she says. “I remember everyone looking forward to this special treat to put on greens, sandwiches, and various other vegetables.”

4 quarts green tomatoes, cut into large pieces
1 large cabbage, cored and shredded
10 medium white onions, chopped
4 cucumbers, washed and sliced
5 green bell peppers, chopped
3 red bell peppers, chopped
2 orange bell peppers, chopped
2 yellow bell peppers, chopped
1½ tablespoons salt
15 gallons white vinegar
5 cups sugar
3 tablespoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon paprika
4 tablespoons mustard seeds
4 tablespoons celery seed
1 tablespoon pickling spice
3 red chili peppers
6-inch square of cheese cloth or cheesecloth bag

In large stockpot, mix green tomatoes, cabbage, onions, cucumbers, green peppers, red bell peppers, orange peppers, and salt. Mix well and let stand at room temperature overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and set aside.

Combine vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, ginger, turmeric, and paprika in large pot. Put mustard seed, celery seed, and pickling spices in a 6-inch square of cheesecloth or cheesecloth bag. Tie ends and add to the pot. Add chili peppers to the pot.