Aunt Pauline's Honey Cake

My favorite aunt, my mother’s youngest sister and the last of  five siblings,  passed away last month leaving behind her children, grandkids, a few nieces and nephews and her favorite nephew – me! She was a simple woman whose life revolved around her family. She was far more interested in giving than in getting.  At one point in my childhood, I lived with my grandparents and Aunt Pauline, who was 13 years my senior. We spent quality time together. Growing up with Aunt Pauline, we shared a mutual love for cooking. Over the years, she would send me recipes I asked for which were the “family” recipes that many of us remember.  These recipes were usually quite simple with just a few ingredients. The measures were approximate since measuring spoons and cups were a luxury.

          Among Aunt Pauline earthly possessions were the usual pictures, some letters and cards we saved, a piece of jewelry that had special meaning to her daughter and in my case a few recipes written in her hand with personal commentary in the instructions.

          So today, in memory of this wonderful woman, I made her version of honey cake, one of my favorites. Since it is close to Passover, I substituted Matzoh flour instead of all-purpose flour, an act which changed the taste and texture significantly. But as the cake baked in the oven and the aroma filled my kitchen, my dear Aunt Pauline was with me once again.

          Be sure to gather and save those family recipes to hand down to future generations. It is said that the sense of smell is the best to recall memories. When you think about it, you will detect a scent which will immediately evoke a memory, be it perfume or food. 

          Please say “thanks” to my Aunt Pauline as you try this recipe.

Ingredients:

·        3 eggs

·        2 tsp baking powder

·        1 tsp baking soda

·        Grated rind from one orange

·        1 cup sugar

·        1 cup honey

·        2/3 cup strong coffee

·        ½ cup oil (vegetable or canola)

·        3 cups flour

·        ½ cup plump raisins (optional)

Directions:

1.     Grease and flour a loaf pan.  Preheat oven to 350°.

2.     Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda.  Set aside.

3.     Beat sugar and oil and add eggs one at a time.  Beat well.

4.     Add grated orange rind.  Add honey and coffee.

5.     Add flour mixture and mix well.

6.     Pour batter in loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes.

7.     Let cake cool in the pan!!! (Emphasis by Aunt Pauline)

8.     Enjoy.

Scaloppini al Marsala

Let’s face it – sometimes we don’t have the exact ingredients called for in a recipe. There are those who only feel comfortable following directions exactly and they miss a lot of fun in cooking. There are many recipes that can be modified with just some handy substitutes. Don’t shy away from recipes that call for hard-to-find ingredients or ingredients that your family doesn’t like. I don’t care for foods like cabbage, brussel sprouts or cooked green peppers. So I eliminate these when called for in a recipe and find substitutes. Red, yellow or orange peppers work just as well as green ones and add interesting colors and flavor which appeal to me. And there are many easy substitutes for ingredients that you may not have on hand or prefer to limit due to dietary needs. Here are some examples: 

       Original Ingredient          Substitute

           1 cup butter milk          1 cup yogurt

                   1 cup butter          7/8 cup corn oil or vegetable shortening

                            Cream          Ice cream (vanilla)

                Crème Fraiche          Equal sour cream

        Orange peel, grated          Equal amount of orange marmalade

                      Fish stock          ½ cup bottled clam juice & ½ cup water

   Tomato paste (1tbsp)          1tbsp ketchup & ½ cup tomato sauce

     Dried mustard (1tsp)          1 tbsp prepared mustard

                          Shallots          ½ clove garlic & equal amt minced onion

                        Molasses          ¾ cup brown or white sugar + ¼ cup water

          Here’s a nice recipe that allows for some creative substitutes and gives your pantry a chance to help.

Scaloppini al Marsala

          Normally, scaloppini, a thinly sliced cut of meat, served in a restaurant will use veal. This is an expensive meat and the thought of killing those sweet baby calves is not very appetizing to me.

Ingredients

·        1 lb meat scallops – I use turkey or chicken breast pounded thin to 3/8”.  Use veal if you choose.

·        1 tsp salt

·        1 tsp pepper

·        1 cup flour – if you only have cake flour, use 1 cup plus 2 tbsp

·        2 tbsp butter or 1 ½ tbsp corn oil or vegetable shortening or equal amount of margarine

·        3 tbsp olive oil

·        1 small box mushrooms, sliced (8 ounces)

·        1 cup Marsala wine or substitute 1 cup dry white wine plus 4 tbsp brandy

·        1 cup chicken stock or equal amount of beef stock or bullion cubes dissolved in hot water

·        2 tbsp butter

To Prepare:

1.     Pound chicken breasts to 3/8” thickness. Put breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with mallet (or large empty soda bottle).

2.     Season with salt and pepper.

3.     Dredge in flour and shake off excess.

4.     Heat 2 tbsp butter and oil (or substitute) in heavy 10-12” skillet.

5.     When butter foam subsides, sauté meat, 3-4 slices at a time, about three minutes per side. Don’t crowd the meat.

6.     Transfer to a warm plate or keep warm in oven.

7.     Add mushrooms to pan and sauté until brown (about 5 minutes); add Marsala wine and ½ cup stock. Boil over high heat for 2-3 minutes.

8.     Return meat to skillet, cover and cook over low heat for an additional 2-4 minutes.

9.     Remove meat scallops and mushrooms and keep warm.

10. Add 1/3 cup stock to empty sauté pan and boil over high heat, scraping brown bits from bottom the pan.

11.   When sauce becomes a syrupy glaze, add last 2 tbsp butter. Stir and spoon over scallops.

Remember, most good chefs are creative in their cooking, using unusual ingredients and substitutes to change the usual to the unusual. If you have any questions or comments, please write to me at chefricklevy@hotmail.com. I hope to hear from you.