MOTHERS' BEAUTIFUL SOUL FOOD

The first and main job for all mothers is to supply nourishment. And, for humans, this is a lifetime career. It moves from feeding a fetus, to milk, to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And, even after the human offspring has left the nest, any mothers still send host holidays and send home care packages whenever possible. Of course there’s emotional and spiritual nourishment too. Often, all forms of nourishment converge and leave deep imprints on our humanity. It is soul food.

On Mother’s Day, I think about mom, of course, and her own forms of beautiful soul food.

 

I didn’t love everything my mother cooked. But she had a few priceless treasures. She’s almost 91 now, and hasn’t seriously cooked in decades. So, it’s been a long time since I’ve tasted my very favorite thing, the thing that I’ve never been able to replicate or find anywhere else, the thing that makes me long for her in her kitchen: her cheese blintzes. Eating them, takes me back to being seven, warms my heart, makes my mouth happy, and hugs me from the inside out. And they are perfect to make right now when both fruits are in season.

 

Mom’s Cheese Blintzes

 

Crepes

½ Cup Flour

¾ Cup Milk

2 Eggs

¼ Tsp. Salt

¼ Tsp. Baking Powder

 

Mix all ingredients together to form a slightly lumpy batter. Heat an 8” crepe or fry pan. Lightly coat with butter. (I sometimes melt about 1 Tbsp butter and mix it into the batter. That eliminates greasing the pan for each crepe.)

 

Pour a small amount of batter into the pan (about 2 Tbsp -- enough to coat the pan). Fry until batter is dry on top. Flip out of the pan and onto waxed paper (with uncooked side face down on the paper.)

 

 

Filling

 

16 oz Pot Cheese

1 egg

Sugar to taste (1/8 to ¼ cup)

 

Mix together. Mixture should not be loose and runny. Fill each crepe: place 1 heaping Tbsp filling mixture along center of crepe. Fold  one third of the crepe over top of the filling. fold the sides of the crepe in, then roll to seal package with the last one-third of the crepe.

 

Melt butter to coat pan. Fry crepe packages on both sides until golden brown. Serve with sour cream and fresh strawberries. BeautifulNow intern, Dan Sun, gets a faraway look in his eyes when we talks about recent and distant memories of his mother's tradtional Korean cooking.

 

 

Dan's Mother’s Sundubu Jjigae

Photo: Courtesy of Wikipedia

 

I really only starting eating sundubu jjigae the first time I went back to Korea when I was fourteen because I couldn’t handle the spiciness before then. After a couple times, I was hooked: the soft, bland tofu complemented the sharp, spicy broth perfectly, and I especially loved the fresh scent of seafood.

 

Sundubu jjigae (순두부찌개) is a hot and spicy stew with a medley of textures playing together in the pot. Brimming with silken tofu, mussels, clam, squid, shrimp, small octopus, and vegetables, and heated with chili paste, it comforts you from the second you smell it until long after you feel its warmth in your belly. My mom uses special red pepper flakes that my grandmother sends us from Korea. It kind of burns on the way down. Half-way through, I’m sweating and panting but I love it! Sundubu is often served with a raw egg, which you crack on top of the bubbling hot pot as soon as it lands in front of you at the table. The egg poaches in the spicy liquid and adds to the earthy creaminess of the stew.  We eat it with steamed white rice and banchan on the side.

 

Sundubu Jjigae

 

Ingredients

 

3 Tbsp sesame oil

1 cup (1/2 pounds) beef or pork (thinly sliced)

1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped

2 Tbsp red pepper flakes or cayenne powder

3 cups anchovy stock

3 cups soft tofu

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 lb unshucked clams, rinsed

½ cup shrimp

½ cup baby octopus

½ cup shelled mussels

4 scallions, sliced, (white and green parts)

4 raw eggs

 

 

Directions

 

Stir fry the beef, garlic, and red pepper flakes or cayenne powder in the sesame oil for about five minutes. Add the anchovy stock and soy sauce into the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the tofu and return to a simmer. Add the seafood and let it cook until the clams open, the shrimp are pink, and everything is tender. Add the scallions and turn off the heat. Crack the raw eggs on top of the stew immediately after it is served, while it is still bubbling hot.

 

Serves 4, just enough for the whole family!

 

 

My Son’s Mom’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Photo: Alicia

 

If you were to ask my son to name the dish he most loves from his mama’s kitchen, there would be no contest: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.

 

We inherited a rhubarb patch when we acquired the family farm, a few decades ago. It just grows on its own, quite vigorously, without anyone tending it. The deer and birds leave it alone. So each spring, on into the summer, we have more rhubarb than we know what to do with. We’ve made lots of things with our free bounty. But strawberry rhubarb pie, is by far, the must-have (at least a few times a season).

 

The crust is the perfect flaky lattice that comes from all-butter and cold marble slab. Light layers, like translucent shards, gently crackle against the tart juicy silky fruit inside. I always use less sugar than most recipes call for because I like to push the edges on the sour side and taste true rhubarb essence. Crunchy sugar on top adds a sweet note. Then vanilla ice cream just ties it all together in a perfect present for your mouth.

 

Flaky Butter Crust

 

2 1/2 cups (315 grams) flour

1 tablespoon (15 grams) sugar

1 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt

2 sticks (8 ounces, 225 grams tablespoons or 1 cup) unsalted butter, super-cold

ice water

 

Dump it all into a food processor and process until you get small pea size clumps of flour-coated butter bits. While machine is running, drizzle in a little ice water at a time just until everything starts to form a loose ball. Divide dough in halves. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

 

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Filling

3 1/2 cups (about 1 1/2 pounds, untrimmed) rhubarb, in 1/2-inch thick slices

3 1/2 cups (about 1 pound) strawberries, hulled and sliced thickly

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

 

Mix all ingredients together.

 

 

Assemble pie:

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

Remove one half of dough from fridge. Roll it out onto a floured board to form an 11” circle. Place circle into pie dish. Pour in filling.

 

Remove other half of dough from fridge. Roll out to form another 11” circle. Cut this dough into ½” strips. Weave lattice on top of filled pie with pastry strips. Place pie dish on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

 

Transfer pie to wire rack to cool. Service with the best vanilla ice cream you can find (or make).

 

 

Mama’s Chicken and Waffles

Photo: Arnold Gatilao

 

This is my mama’s best “soul food.” I crave the crispy, salty chicken, the eggy tender waffle bed upon which it lies, and the drizzle of maple syrup to tie it all together. This is not a quick dish to make. It is made with time and skill and love.

 

Mama's Chicken and Waffles

 

Chicken:

 

1 (3 1/2 pound) fryer chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 cup all purpose flour

½ tsp dried thyme

Salt, pepper, to taste

Pinch of cayenne

Vegetable oil, for frying

 

 

Buttermilk Waffles:

 

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Unsalted butter, topping

Maple Syrup

 

Directions

 

Chicken:

 

Heat enough vegetable oil to come about 1-inch up the sides of a large, deep cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F.

 

Rinse the chicken under cold running water and do not dry; leave wet. In a large sealable bag, combine the dry ingredients. Add the chicken pieces 1 at a time, seal, and shake to coat evenly. Remove and place on a wire rack over a baking sheet and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.

 

Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and fry, turning once, until golden brown and the meat is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes (the thighs and legs will take longest to cook). Remove and drain on paper towels.

 

 

Waffles:

 

Preheat a waffle iron and lightly grease. Into a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.

 

In another bowl, beat the eggs, add the butter and buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix well.

 

Pour the batter into the hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown and lightly crisp. Remove and if desired, top with a slice of butter, and serve with the chicken and maple syrup