Mom's Home Cooking is DONE!

When Dad was on the road, Mom typed up the recipes she didn't want to be without and put them in a small ring binder. This was her personal cookbook. It went with her everywhere. When I left home, I typed my own copy of that book. Over the years I've added many recipes to it. After Mom died in 2000, I realized I wanted to share those recipes with my daughter Jen.

I had inherited Mom's and Grandma Hull's recipe files, cookbooks and the ever faithful ring binder. I didn't want those recipes to be lost. In the late 70s the Bethell cousins had shared recipes with me so I could preserve Grandma Bethell's recipes. Now it was time to do it for the Hull side. 

I purchased cookbook writing software and got to work. By 2004 the first pass was printed for Jen and I, but there were lots of recipes I hadn't even started to key into the computer. Fast forward to 2014. Three or four software programs, several computer OS upgrades and computer crashes later, I have finally come to a place where I can say "Stop." Not "Done." Just stop. All the files that had been keyed in over the last 14 years had to be rekeyed this year because Windows 7 doesn't talk to that older software. I started last fall and have worked at it steadily. There are close to 450 recipes in the book now, and over 200 pages. This is a good start.

It was good that no one was coming to my house today, Christmas Day. I was still formatting the chapters and printing them. By 5:30 when I went to Jen and Steve's for Christmas Dinner, the books were finished. I printed seven copies and put them in ring binders. A master copy, a working copy for me, and presents for Jen, Lala, Lisa, Marsha and Roseanna. I will be sharing the book with cousin, in-laws, and outlaws via email as a .pdf file. The ones that want a hard copy can print it for themselves.

I am so proud of this book! Most chapters have about 30 recipes in them, even the canning chapter!

We come from a long line of country cooks and gardeners. Canning is a strong family tradition. You could see a set up like the one in the picture in any cousin's kitchen during tomato season. 

Mom would be proud of the large section on bread making. She enjoyed making bread. Grandma Hull once told Mom when she was a new wife that Grandma was proud of her. Most modern cooks had

given up bread making, but Mom hadn't. Grandma would be glad to know that Jen and I are bread makers, too. The line continues. I haven't tried every recipe in the bread section of the cookbook, but I can vouch for most of them!

There is one point. The cookbook isn't final. I anticipate adding more recipes every year. I've asked the people who got copies to share their favorite recipes with me in the coming year. I'll key them in and send out "update pages" at Christmas next year. The book will keep growing and truly reflect the favorite foods of our extended family.

   Mom's gift to the family was her genealogical research. My gift may be Mom's Home Cooking. Hm... I don't think that will be a bad thing.

Aunt Erma's Dinner Rolls

My Mom was the youngest of three sisters. This is my favorite photo of the three of them. You can feel the love, just looking at it. Aunt Erma (left) and Aunt Myrna (right) each had her specialty. 

When Mom and Dad married the older sisters wanted to share with their baby sister the most important one thing in their kitchens, the one thing each sister could not live without. Myrna, the gardener, who wasn't really interested in cooking, gave Mom the 1944 edition of the Boston Cooking School Cookbook. It was her cooking bible. (The book, by the way is still in print. It's now called the Fannie Farmer Cookbook.) Erma, the cook, gave Mom a cast-iron Dutch skillet (i.e. chicken fryer). Mom said both of those presents stood her in good stead through her 55 years of marriage. (And yes, I still have both the cookbook and the skillet. I hope to pass them along to my daughter and granddaughter someday. -- Iris)

Aunt Erma’s dinner rolls have been a family favorite for years. I used the recipe recently to make a harvest loaf. It was delicious! I share it here for others to enjoy.

Aunt Erma's Dinner Rolls

Dinner rolls

Yield: 3 ½ dozen rolls

1 cake (2 ½ tsp.) active dry yeast

1 cup lukewarm water (not more than 120^o F.)

6 Tbs. sugar

1 cup milk

1 ½ tsp. salt

6 Tbs. shortening

1 egg

6 cups unbleached flour (approx.)

Soften yeast in water with sugar. Let work until yeast is bubbly. Set aside.

Scald milk with shortening and salt. Cool to 120^o  F. Add 1 cup flour. Beat thoroughly. Add egg and yeast. Beat well. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. (I stirred in the rest of the 6 cups of flour, then sprinkled more flour into the bowl, stirring it in, until the dough was not sticky and could be kneaded.)  Turn out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny (about 10 minutes).

Place in oiled bowl and let rise in warm place until doubled. Knead down. Shape rolls and let rise until doubled again. Bake at 425^o F. 15-20 minutes.

Harvest Loaf

I really liked the way this came out

Divide dough into 1/3s.  Shape first 1/3 into round loaf and place in the center of greased baking pan.
(ungreased baking stone). Divide second third into six parts. Roll ropes about ½” thick from each piece. Take three sections about 12” long and braid them. Place around left side of round loaf. Repeat for right side. Roll one section of rope into ¼” thick rope. Divide into three parts and place stems for wheat onto round loaf. Roll another ¼” rope. Divide into threes and braid. Separate three pieces to become wheat heads. Place on stems. Roll a round of dough (about the size of a small dinner roll) into a flat. With sharp knife, cut a grape leaf shape. Place over the join of the two braids at the bottom of the loaf. Shape several small balls of dough. Place over grape leaf in roughly triangular shape to form bunch of grapes. Roll one last thin rope to form grape stem. Place at top of bunch of grapes. Use leftover dough for rolls.

You can see it got overdone

Brush top of loaf with beaten egg white. Place aluminum foil around edges to keep them from browning too fast. Bake at 425^o F. 10 minutes. Check darkness. Remove foil if loaf appears about half-way cooked. Bake another 10 minutes. If bread is browned to suit you, knock on the loaf to see if it sounds hollow. If it does, it is done.

This doesn't take as long to bake as a regular loaf of bread but may take longer than rolls. Watch it closely after the 10 minute mark because it will get done quickly.