I'VE SPENT part of my life teaching college-level nutrition classes and taste-testing for a federal research lab. But my fondest food-related memories center on my mother's kitchen.
My mom, Sarah C., taught school for a short time before I was born. From then on, she was devoted full-time to caring for her family—me; my brother, Donald; and our dad, Frehn, who was a chemical engineer.
There weren't a lot of convenience foods back then, so Mom made everything from scratch. I liked to help her, and I learned to cook in the process. I learned other things, too—I remember her reciting poetry while we washed dishes.
Memorable Menu
On Sundays, our big meal was served at noon, and Mom often cooked a roast. Her best was Pork Tenderloin with Stuffing, served with fresh peas, Zucchini Apple Salad, Parsnip
Pancakes and Gelatin Dessert Squares.
Pork Tenderloin with Stuffing was so special-looking that Mom served
it for company, too. (If you like, prepare it with her stuffing
recipe or use one of your own.)
I think she came up with her refreshing Zucchini Apple Salad because
the colors looked so pretty in a glass bowl.
Mom liked parsnips, so at times she substituted them in her potato
pancake recipe to make Parsnip Pancakes. Parsnips, rutabaga and
other root vegetables were plentiful in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where
we lived at the time.
A friend gave my mother the gelatin dessert recipe. She'd
make it when neighbors came to play bridge.
It was the Depression era, so Mom made the most of the food we
had. She'd grind up leftover roast from Sunday dinner with
gravy for sandwiches.
Homemade Pudding
She also made simple but delicious desserts with common ingredients.
At lunchtime, my brother and I looked forward to rice pudding with
raisins and brown sugar or bread pudding topped with meringue.
Dad was Pennsylvania Dutch and liked shoofly pie for breakfast.
In the winter, Mom made scrapple and served it with homemade applesauce
or apple butter.
Our parents made sure that my brother and I went to college. I
got a master’s degree in nutrition and taught at UCLA before
working at an FDA research lab when the first frozen vegetables
were being developed.
I inherited Mom's love of cooking and still enjoy preparing
meals when my own children visit. I have two daughters, a son and
five grandchildren.
I hope you and your family will enjoy my mom's menu as much
as we have.