GRANDMOTHER,DONNA, and GRANDMA JANE

         
     This is meant to be a family sort of blog, passing along recipes.  I've been having fun with Amy this year, finding recipes from the family that had something to do with American History.  We were in luck, because our predecessors on both sides have been in the country long enough to have good records of life in those early times.  Whether the recipes I found were actually from our family, only Amy and I know, and we aren't telling.
     But in that spirit, I want to offer two recipes for cake, one from each of my grandmothers.  But first a little about these women:
     My dad's mom, was known to us as "Grandmother," not grandma or grammy or any other term of what you might call endearment.  This lady, a graduate of the U of Nebraska in "elocution,", a Chi Omega, I think . . . was cut from serious cloth.  We never saw much of her or our grandfather, who died before I could form much of a memory of him, and I don't know what we would have called him.  However, we have letters from both these worthies to our dad, and from them, I know that my Grandpa Charlie had a great sense of humor, of which Grandmother showed not the slightest trace.  They lived in Boise, by the time my sisters and I came along, in a large white house on a very large lot.  They flooded this lot in the summer, as a way to water it, and I remember being there and finding an entire city block as a wading pool.   As my sisters and I were pretty much free range children, we knew what to do with such an opportunity.
     As an old woman, Grandmother was brought to Tigard to live next to Mom and Dad's house in King City, where she entertained herself knitting vast pink scarves, blankets, whatever.  In my memory, at least they were all pink, surely some bargain yarn found somewhere by my thrifty parents.  I said she wasn't funny, but she did torment Mom by scolding Dad about "that woman in your house, and why on earth was she there?"
     I don't know where the first recipe has come from, but it surely is a relic from my parents' kitchen.  Poor Man's Cake, and you may wonder why it's called that.  So did I.  Because, it seems, it doesn't call for eggs.  This makes me think it may not be Grandmother's recipe, but if my sisters read this, maybe they will know and we can correct the record.
     The other recipe is called Donna's Spice Cake, so that settles that!  Donna was my mom's mom, and she did not insist on formality from her grandchildren.  She was called "Donna," because our grandfather was a doctor, hence, "Doc."  Unfortunately, Doc died before I was born, so I have nothing to report about him.  And Donna lived in Ohio, which meant I have a history of just two visits with her, but my impression is of a loving, gentle woman, who did like to laugh.   We don't have the rich record of letters from Donna, but we do get an insight from my mom's diaries, which were brief, but sometimes telling.  I know that Doc and Donna did not have a happy marriage, due, it seems to Doc's problems with alcohol.  Not much to go on, but the recipe is really good!

POOR MAN'S CAKE

1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups water 1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix water, sugar, raisins, butter, spices, and salt in sauce pan.  Boil 3 minutes.  When cool, add flour and soda sifted together.  Add nuts, if.  Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
My favorite frosting for this cake follows, but some people like it with a lemon sauce spooned over.

Fudge Frosting:
Note:  this amount will frost top and sides.  I usually make 1/2 recipe and just frost the top.
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir together the cocoa, sugar, butter and milk.  Boil 1 minute.
Stir in vanilla.
Beat until spreading consistency.

DONNA'S SPICE CAKE
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 egg yolks
2 1/3 cups cake flour, sifted
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and brown sugar until light.  Beat in egg yolks.  Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk and vanilla, beating well after each addition.  Pour into greased 9 X 13 inch baking pan.  Cover with brown sugar meringue before baking:

Brown Sugar Meringue
2 egg whites, beaten until stiff
1 cup light brown sugar.

Slowly add sugar to egg whites, beating steadily.

When cake batter is covered with meringue, bake at 325 for 50 minutes.

Okay Amy, next time you need a history project, you're good to go.  Charlie, take note, your day may come, too!

With love from Grandma Jane!

OKAY, THE DIET'S OVER, LET'S COOK SOMETHING YUMMY

     There went January!  Apropos of nothing, I've been able to complete a journal of a year only one time in my life out of countless attempts.  So what am I doing trying again?
     Something about a new year, as we in this part of the world measure time, and my early January birthday has sent me down the road paved with good intentions (I actually think good intentions count for something).  It seemed that "two-thousand twelve" had such a good ring to it, and if I'm supposed to be some kind of writer, I should be able to write small accounts of each day that will amuse my future self.  Each day, thought I, must have some material in it that is worth remembering.  And perhaps the year won't fly by so fast if I pay good attention to each small part of it.
     So I made it through January, looking for something special in each day, and on many days, that turned out to have something to do with food and cooking.
     As was the case yesterday.  At this point, I'll turn you over to a guest columnist. Daughter Jenny sent me the following recipe.   Because it came in the form of an e-mail, I can't be sure what part of the note is her writing, but I'm pretty sure she did NOT write the following:  "Yes!  The once lowly flank steak has come into its own.  You will be delighted with this recipe for its ease of preparation and yet quite sophisticated flavors."  Boilerplate Jr. League cookbookese, from one of which, the recipe came.
     I think we'd all agree that today's title sounds more like Jenny.
     Anyway, here's the recipe:

Flank Steak with Mustard Caper Sauce

4 TBS butter
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 flank steak, about 1 1/2 pounds
3 TBS dry vermouth
1 TBS Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp Worcestershire Saouce
1 1/2 tsp capers
Watercress (I have never used this)

In a large heavy skillet, melt 1 TBS butter with the oil over medium heat.  Place the meat in the pan and brown, turning once, about 5-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak.  It should be pink in the center when done.  Transfer to a carving board and cover with foil to keep warm.
In the same pan, over low heat, melt remaining 3 TBS butter in the pan dripping.  With a flat whisk, briskly stir in the vermouth, mustard, Worcestershire, and capers.  Set aside to keep warm.
Cut the meat in thin slices across the grain at a 45 degree angle.  Spoon sauce over all and garnish with watercress.

Serves 4.  (two adults and two kids -- our family ate every last bite)

Enjoy!

Notes:  From Jenny.  "I salted and peppered the meat before browning -- may have overdone it with the salt -- or maybe I should have rinsed the capers.  It was delicious but a little too salty."
           From me:  I made the recipe here in my test kitchen (joke), and did not see the need for adding the extra 3 TBS butter, and our family also ate every last bite.  However, I was only serving 2 adults, using something less than a pound of meat.  Once again, use your own judgment.
   
Thanks, Jenny!  To everyone: I would love to have recipes from you, having, as I do, plenty of room in my blog for guests!  Just e-mail me, phone, fax, hand-deliver . . .