A bowl of summer

This is the third blog post in a series on food traditions.

Rule number one of my dad’s food facts of life: never, EVER forget a good meal.


And if it was really outstanding, you should reminisce about it as much as possible, recounting every bite down to the last morsel on the plate.

In the spirit of not forgetting a great food experience, I bring you one of my favorite food memories.

I will n-e-v-e-r forget the peach cobbler that my mother-in-law made the summer of 2009. She brought the delicious concoction to us just days after the birth of our son.  If I try hard enough, I can still taste the crumbly topping full of brown sugar, buttery goodness and the sweetness of the first peaches of summer. I fondly remember losing myself in a bowl filled with the best summer had to offer.

And what a lovely retreat it was. It says something about the peach cobbler being that I still remember it vividly although the cobbler arrived in my kitchen days after the arrival of my son. Those days were a blur as my husband and I tried to be the best parents we could be and figure out what each cry meant coming from the tiny person in our apartment.

If you are a parent, you probably remember those early days of your child’s life. When your newborn finally goes off into a peaceful slumber, you are on the clock to make sleep happen for yourself. I remember choosing between literally running to my bed to sleep or making decisions such as:

Shower (and make yourself presentable for visitors) or sleep?

Laundry or sleep (and forego feeling badly that your household is running out of clothes)?

Eat peach cobbler or sleep?

All I can say is the cobbler was that good.  Presented with the option, I chose cobbler over sleep.

I recently attempted to recreate the peach goodness of that summer and it did not disappoint. If you are a peach cobbler fiend, your window to make the dessert is narrow. This is not a dessert that can be made in winter. You really must make it during peak peach season in July or August when the peaches are soft and sweet. This dessert will disappoint if made with the sad looking peaches gracing the store’s produce section in winter that are mealy and hard.

Carpe diem, people! Get yourself to the kitchen and cook up this cobbler.

I took a bit of care to recreate the recipe. If you’ve been following the blog, you know I love any dessert with a crumble topping. Hence, I turned to my favorite “crumbly” topping which I use on my apple cobbler. The ingredients in the peach filling take into account that you may have a rogue not-so-sweet peach in your cobbler and the sugar and brown sugar takes care of that nicely.

As you read the ingredient list for this cobbler, you may feel your arteries hardening but I promise this is one dessert to eat when you need to indulge. It is a bowl of summer.

Though there are some things about the summer of 2011 we might like to forget such as the humidity in the swampland of DC or the ongoing debt ceiling drama, you will miss this dessert when you can’t make it in the cold of winter.

So follow the rules, make this dessert and spend all winter talking about how divine it was, making yourself drool at the prospect of eating it again.

Peach Cobbler

Filling
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 pounds peaches
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon butter

Details
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together sugars, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add peaches and gently toss to coat. Mix together cornstarch slurry and lemon juice and stir into peaches to incorporate. Butter a 12 by 8-inch oval dish and add peach mixture.

Crumble topping
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup rolled oats or quick cooking oats

Details
Melt the butter.

Remove the butter from heat and stir in the brown sugar and kosher salt. Add the flour and oatmeal and stir until incorporated.

Crumble the mixture over the peach filling. Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and bake until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling for 50 to 60 minutes.

**Weekend Gourmet's note: You can make the filling 6 to 8 hours in advance but do not crumble the topping over the filling until ready to bake.

Recipes adapted from Bride & Groom Cookbook and Guy Fieri

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree

*This is the second blog in a series on food traditions

After nine months (not counting the nine days after his due date that he decided to hang out in the womb) and 27 hours of labor, our sweet little boy, Davis, entered this world at 3:42 am two years ago on July 17.


I like to think that he acquired his budding foodie tendencies during his nine month-plus stay inside me. I tried my best to eat healthy but I was pleased to sample the amazing food of Paris and of course engage in some sinful cooking during my pregnancy. I remember that whenever I ate something divine or cooked something that both my husband and I enjoyed, I wondered, “Will Davis love this dish as much as we do one day?” I gleefully interpreted every kick from the little person inside me as a sign of approval after a bowl of risotto or a particularly good crème brulee.

As he has moved from breast milk to formula to pureed food to the milestone cheerio experience and then beyond into the great foodie frontier of non-pureed foods, it is clear my son loves food.

THANK GOODNESS!

Hence, Davis’ request for his current favorite meal, noo noo’s and meatballs (translation: spaghetti and meatballs), for his birthday made me smile from ear to ear.

But I am realizing it is not just the food that Davis loves.

Over Davis’ birthday dinner, I was observing how he thoroughly enjoys eating with people and holding court while doing so. Generally, he likes to discuss the many diggers, dump trucks and garbage trucks he encountered during his day. Sometimes he will recount how he helped me cook the meal we are eating.

Davis becomes even more animated when he discovers he can draw a reaction from his dinner partners. In recent months, even a trip to the bagel store becomes a social experience as Davis eagerly visits with customers entering the store and the employees, who know him by name.

In my family, it is as much about the social aspect that accompanies our food consumption as it is the food itself.

Whether it is shopping for our food or eating it, even the best grocery store/market or the most fantastic meal is only average without good company.

As we ate our dinner of spaghetti and meatballs on Davis’ birthday and as I watch him grow, I think often about how much my dad would have enjoyed Davis. Although Dad passed away before Davis was born, it is remarkable the qualities they share. I’ve written quite a bit on this blog about Dad’s love of food and cooking and how for him, eating was a social experience.

The apple didn’t fall far from the tree with his grandson who is embracing the social aspect of all things food-related.

Davis’ enthusiasm for the social side of food is reminiscent of Dad’s trips to an Italian grocery store in Milwaukee where after frequent visits, everyone knew him by name and vice versa. The family that owns the store still speaks of him fondly many years after his passing. Dad also frequented a small diner for breakfast on his way to work in Milwaukee. He grew to know the employees and the regulars at the counter where he sat and discussed sports and why the Packers were God’s gift to the world. Yes, it was good to “take nourishment” as Dad liked to say, but he loved the visiting while eating his plate full of eggs and bacon.

With my little family of three, it is likely that just as food played an important role in helping form memories from my childhood, it is just as important today in making new memories for Davis and for me in my role as a wife and mother.

After putting a very tired and satiated Davis to bed on his birthday, I was reminded that each day with my son is another beautiful reminder of the circle of life. While some people are taken from us sooner than we hoped, we are blessed to be given new life. It is through wonderful little people who carry on traits of those who have passed, that we are reminded of treasured memories, while at the same time helping create new memories to last the rest of our days.

Homemade Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce
Recipe note: I found that by sautéing garlic and onion in olive oil and then adding it to the well-seasoned ground beef (kosher salt, pepper, oregano, Italian bread crumbs and plenty of grated parmesan cheese) made the meatballs full of flavor and less dry.

For the spaghetti sauce, I have found that you really must taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. I recommend using San Marzano crushed tomatoes when possible. But, you really should add a tablespoon of sugar to the sauce to help bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes. It made all the difference. I also add a healthy amount of grated parmesan cheese to the sauce and on occasion, let the sauce simmer with parmesan rinds in it when I have them handy.

Homemade Meatballs Ingredients
Makes 6-10 meatballs depending on size

1 ½ lbs ground beef (I use 90 or 93% lean ground beef)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ yellow onion, chopped
2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
Oregano
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Details
Saute the garlic and onion in olive oil until the onion in soft. Stir frequently to keep the garlic from burning. Once done sautéing, remove from pan using a slotted spoon and set aside the garlic and onion in a small bowl.

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and season generously with kosher salt, pepper and oregano. Mix well (using your hands or even a fork) and season a bit more to ensure all the meat gets an even coat of this seasoning.

Next, add the onion and garlic to the ground beef and mix well to incorporate. Add bread crumbs, mix well and then the parmesan cheese. Mix well to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.

In a small bowl, beat the egg thoroughly and then add slowly to the ground beef mixture, mixing as you go to ensure the egg is evenly distributed throughout the ground beef.

Form ground beef mixture into medium-sized balls. In a large, deep sauté pan,over medium-high heat a generous amount of olive oil (enough to coat bottom of the pan thoroughly plus a little extra, make sure it is about ½ inch deep in pan) until you can see it smoking.

Place meatballs in the hot oil and turn during cooking to allow them to cook thoroughly and brown on each side. The cooking time will depend on the size of the meatballs. It can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. I generally reduce the heat to medium while cooking. This also seems to allow the meatballs to not dry out while cooking though it takes a bit more time. I recommend cutting open one meatball to see how it is cooking. Once it is no longer pink, it’s ready to eat!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Ingredients
Recipe note: I can’t emphasize how important it is to taste the sauce while it cooks and season as you go. Taste it here and there and add salt, pepper and oregano as needed. I would go easy on the pepper. Occasionally, I sprinkle in some garlic salt as well if the sauce needs a bit more flavor.

2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano brand recommended)
½ yellow onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (more if you like the taste in your sauce)
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt
Pepper (use sparingly)
Oregano
Garlic salt (if needed … it never hurts to add a few shakes)
Olive oil

DetailsIn a large stock pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Cook until onion is soft.

Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and parmesan cheese.

Season with salt, pepper and oregano to taste. I add a ton of oregano because I love the flavor.

Cook on low heat for 30 minutes to an hour.

Creating food traditions: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Blogger's note: This blog post is the first in a series of recipes that I think will be part of my family of three's food traditions. 

One of the many things I have enjoyed about being married and now being a mom is creating food traditions for my family of three.

By food tradition, I mean the favorite dish you ate growing up that your mom or dad made and no one else could make it quite the same.  Didn't it make you feel special when they made it for you?

I have come to realize that not only is it special when you are on the receiving end of the food but it is incredibly fulfilling when you are on the delivering end as well.

This post is the first in a series of recipes I will be posting on the blog that I have found are a home run for my family.  I imagine these recipes will be staples in my cooking repertoire over the hopefully many years ahead that I have to cook for my family.

As my toddler becomes more willing to expand his food horizons, cooking is becoming more fun than ever.

My son recently discovered raisins.  And, he is obsessed.  Add to that an oatmeal fixation and I decided that oatmeal raisin cookies were a needed addition to our family recipes.  I took a standard oatmeal raisin cookie recipe and tweaked it after two rounds of experimentation in pursuit of the perfect cookie.  In the end, what resulted in the best cookie cutting in half the amounts of sugar and brown sugar used, added an extra teaspoon of cinnamon, and added half a teaspoon of cloves.  (On a side note, I credit my mother-in-law with the ingenious idea of cutting the sugar which results in cookies that are not flat and end up somewhat healthier as well.)

My husband isn't in love with raisins nor are my niece or nephew who were over visiting recently.  In case of an anti-raisin faction in your family, add milk chocolate chips.  The cookies are still divine though I might admit the cloves if you are going the chocolate route.

Upon finding the cookies waiting for him when he awoke from his nap, my son quickly ate the cookie and announced "More mommy cookies!"

With that, "Mommy Cookies" were added to the can't-live-without Turrentine family recipe repertoire.

I can't wait to send these as a treat with Davis when he goes to kindergarten, then off to college and eventually to send home a batch with him to share with his own children.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (a.k.a. Mommy Cookies)

Ingredients
*2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
*1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
*1/2 cup granulated sugar
*2 large eggs at room temperature
*2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*2 teaspoons cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon cloves
*1 teaspoon kosher salt
*3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
*1 1/2 cup raisins

Details
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.  With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together into a medium bowl.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.  Add the oats and raisins and mix just until combined.

Using a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto the baking sheets (line either with parchment or using a silpat mat).  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.  Transfer to a baking rack and cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.