Welcome to February, friends. It is February-fitting that we begin today with a “loves” story – yes, love in the plural. Today we are searching for Chocolate Mousse Pie, Italian Cream Cake and other sweet memories of loves gone by. “On a Roll” is the storyteller.
“In the late ’70s, Mom’s Italian Villa was featured in an article in the Free Press. Patrons were encouraged to make reservations for the weekends. There were few restaurants in Chattanooga that took reservations, so my curiosity was piqued.
“This began a love affair that lasted until Mom’s closed a couple years ago.” [Editor’s note: The last day was Oct. 30, 2015, after 54 years in business.]
“Every month during the 20-plus years of my first marriage, we dined at Mom’s,” our storyteller continues. “The marriage did not last, but my love for Mom’s continued. For close to another 20 years, my eternal fiancé and I would celebrate Valentine’s Day and my birthday there in addition to our monthly dinners.
“The servers there were incredible, the food was superb and the recipes guarded. Once when Mom (Ollie Parker) was busy cooking, a patron asked in a rather loud voice if Mom ‘would will her spaghetti sauce recipe’ to her when Mom died. One word was all that was necessary.”
“‘No.’
“While I am not asking for the spaghetti sauce recipe, I would love to have the recipe for the Chocolate Mousse Pie and the Italian Cream Cake. The Mousse had a graham cracker crust with an incredible chocolate filling that was anointed with whipped cream before being placed in front of you. The Italian Cream Cake was two or three white layers of pure bliss with icing.
“Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Ditch the heart-shaped candy box. I would like to celebrate with a whole Chocolate Mousse Pie – for me and me alone. I am hoping Randy [Shuford], Ollie Parker’s grandson, will respond with these recipes.”
FRUIT SALAD
And now, answers. Cathy, just Cathy, “almost 50 years ago was the new teacher in my beloved North Lee Elementary School in Cleveland. There were so many experienced faculty members who were not just wonderful educators but also cooks. We stapled together our family favorite recipes, our school secretary typed them up, and one of our eighth-grade boys penned a picture on the front of our yellow construction paper “masterpiece.”
“I still use this fruit salad recipe when I deliver brunch to a family who has experienced a death. My mother taught me that bereaved families need food right away as they gather to make plans for a funeral. This salad and a tray of sandwiches is my standard way to minister to a family, so I keep these ingredients (except for the banana) in my pantry.”
Quick, Easy and Delicious Fruit Salad
2 cans fruit cocktail (juice and all)
1 box dry instant lemon Jell-O pudding (5.1-ounce size)
2 cans chunky pineapple
2 sliced bananas
1 carton Cool Whip
1 jar maraschino cherries
Mix together fruit cocktail, pudding mix and pineapple. When you take this for someone else’s kitchen, deliver with the bananas to be added when it’s ready to eat, and Cool Whip and cherries may be added according to the family’s taste.
TWO SOUPS
Jean Moore’s repertoire includes both simple and elaborate recipes. Today she offered a simple taco soup, and a “a more time-consuming soup that is worth every minute: mushroom soup. It tastes as good as it smells.”
Taco Soup
1 pound ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1 can hot chili beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies
1 can corn
1 large (28 ounce) can tomatoes, preferably diced tomatoes
1 package McCormick taco seasoning
1 package Hidden Valley ranch dressing mix
Cook ground beef, and drain fat. Cook onion in same vessel. Add all ingredients; do not drain canned items. Simmer until well mixed and heated through.
Serve with cheese and tortilla chips or cornbread if desired.
Mushroom Soup
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 teaspoons chopped thyme, divided
1/2 cup Marsala wine (or any dry red or white wine)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 to 2 teaspoons salt, adjusted to your taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon black cracked pepper or white pepper, adjusted to your taste
2 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled
1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
Chopped fresh parsley and thyme to serve
Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until melted. Sauté onion for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Cook garlic until fragrant (about 1 minute).
Add mushrooms and 2 teaspoons thyme, and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in wine, and allow to cook for 3 minutes.
Sprinkle mushrooms with flour; mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock, mix again and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium heat; season with salt, pepper and crumbled bouillon cubes.
Cover and allow to simmer 10 minutes while occasionally stirring, until thickened.
Reduce heat to low, and stir in cream or half-and-half. Allow to gently simmer; do not boil. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste.
Mix in parsley and remaining thyme. Serve warm.
HEALTHFUL FOOD
Last week we reported a conversation with a reader about what comprises healthful food – and from that came the question, “Are we, the many who actually compose Fare Exchange, eating healthfully?”
Leave it to Mr. and Mrs. Sunday to put things in their perspective. This is the telling line from them: “Healthful, like beauty, is very much in the eye of the beholder.” They continued: What makes healthful food? What makes food healthful?
“When someone says that a dish isn’t healthy, they’re usually talking about some idealized one-size-fits-all diet plan, often the dietary fad of the moment.
“When we cook for guests, we make it a point to honor their dietary needs, both real and imaginary (‘I can’t eat blue foods’ was one example).
“People coping with disease have many restrictions, and a variety of recipes can really help in cooking for them. To know which foods have what nutrients, we turn to the USDA data. You can search by product or component of over 350,000 foods at fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/.
“We know a very social man in his 90s with heart issues who is so despondent about COVID-19 isolation that he doesn’t eat and is losing weight. Healthy for him is anything that will tempt him to ingest calories.
“Cost is also a factor; feeding a large family on a small budget forces you to make trade-offs.
“Finally, diet is just one component of a healthy lifestyle. The dietary needs of people who work hard are different from desk jockeys.”
OK, do you agree or disagree? I hope you will comment.
To Reach Us:
Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send.
Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
E-mail: chattfare@gmail.com
Jane Henegar