Mom... How do You...?

Introduction and Dedication

The idea for this book came from many conversations with my grown children who would call me up or send me a message online and ask me… Mom, how do you…? Well, sometimes the answer was at hand or deep in the recesses of memory, but other times I would have to go searching for a recipe or an answer. So, it is for that reason that I dedicate this book to my children, Amanda and Alex. So, sometimes they will have the answer at hand. But I will always be there to search out or answer new questions or just to chat.

I also dedicate this book to my husband, Bob, whose gentle nagging and willingness to sample new ideas, have allowed this book to have taken shape.

One thing that will be a little different in this book compared to most cookbooks and household hint books is that with many, there is a story that goes along with it. I also have included a short story at the beginning of chapters, just for fun and to share, mostly for my kids. Now, if you are like me, sometimes you buy cookbooks, not for the recipes, but to read! I know I have. Even for those that I have bought for recipes, I often first read through the recipes, skimming for ‘must try’ ones or thinking others ‘just don’t seem right’. It is for those people that I also write this book. I hope that you enjoy the stories as much as the recipes. Some of them you also see labelled as Lillian’s – those are my Mom’s recipes, recipes she collected and used over the years. Many were written in her own hand into spaces in other cookbooks she used. Some are Sophie’s – my Baba or maternal grandmother and those were rarely written down, but handed down as we worked, side by side and finally written by me from my memories.

Finally, and most importantly, to my mom and my paternal grandmother (Баба) who taught me how to cook, how to bake, and above, all, the importance of family and of sharing our traditions and our recipes. They are as much part of our history and our culture as is language and the arts.

Irene

Table of Contents

Introduction and Dedication

Table of Contents

Foreword

Appetizers, Beverages, and Candies

Breads and Quick Breads

Cakes

Canning

Cookies

Desserts

Meats and Casseroles

Miscellaneous and Household Tips

Muffins and Loaves

Pies and Tarts

Sauces, Salads, and Dressings

Soups

Squares

Vegetables

Ukrainian Specialties

Conclusion

Copyright and Disclaimer

Mom… How do You…?

Introduction and Dedication

Table of Contents

Foreword

Quantities would help…

Measurements and Other Information

With love… to those who taught us to cook and to bake

Appetizers, Beverages, and Candies

Goal Setting (2008)

Cheese Ball

Cherry Liqueur and Drunken Cherries

Crab apple Liqueur

Dill Dip

Mojitos

Nibbles and Bits

Popcorn Balls

Poppycock (Charlene)

Salted Caramels

Stuffed Mushrooms

Shrimp Mousse (Lillian)

Spinach Dip (Baked)

Spinach Dip

Layered Taco Dip

Breads and Quick Breads

Lose that Recipe!

Air Buns (Aunty Natalia)

Baking Powder Dumplings or Biscuits

Bagels

Doughnuts or Cinnamon Buns or Cinnamon Knots

Hot Cross Buns

Lemon Scones (Amanda)

Pancakes or Waffles

Raspberry Braid

Raspberry Rose Scones

Seven Grain Bread

Sweet Scones

Tuck Shop Cinnamon Buns

My Recipe for:

Cakes

On Getting Older... (2008)

Almond Angel Food Cake

Apple Cake

Best Cupcakes (Lillian)

Black Forest Cake

Chiffon Cake (Lillian)

Christmas Cake (Dark Fruit Cake)

Jell-O Poke Cake

Seven Minute Frosting

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake (Lillian)

Canning

Song for my Father!

Beets with Horseradish (Sophie)

Bread and Butter Pickles (Lillian)

Canned Fruit

Chow-Chow (Mustard Pickles)

Dill Pickles (Lillian)

Cold Water Dill Pickles (Sophie)

Gooseberry Jam

Kalyna Jelly (High Bush Cranberry) (Lillian)

Pickled Beets

Sauerkraut (Sophie)

Sour Cabbage Leaves (Sophie)

Cookies

Of Friends... and daughters (2008)

Anzac Biscuits (Amanda)

Applesauce Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Butter horn Cookies

Chocolate Brownie Cookie

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coconut Macaroons

Ginger Sparklers (Lillian)

Jumbo Raisin Cookies (Lillian)

Kitsilano Cookies

Mexican Wedding Cookies (Russian Teacakes)

No-Bake Cookies (Lillian)

Peanut Butter Cookies (gluten free)

Peanut Butter Cookies

Rocket Ships (Lillian)

Rosemary Butter Cookies

Angel Shortbread

Cinnamon Shortbread

Whipped Shortbread

Spritz Cookies (Lillian)

Thimble Cookies

My Recipe for:

Desserts

Get up and Dust Yourself Off!

Cappuccino Mousse

Cherry Cheesecake

Chocolate Log

Coconut Bread Pudding

Cream Puffs or Eclairs (Choux Pastry)

Crème Brûlée

Crème Caramel

Crêpes

Crêpes Suzette

Jell-O Layer Dessert

Jelly Roll (Lillian)

Pavlova (Michael)

Pink Stuff (Merran)

Pistachio Dessert (aka Better than Sex, in a pan) (Lillian)

Plum Buckle

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Raspberry Halo Mold

Rice Pudding (Lillian)

Tiramisu

Easy Trifle

Washington Pudding (Lillian)

Meats and Casseroles

On Family (2008)

Baked Beans

Baked Stuffed Peppers

Beef Stroganoff

Chili Con Carne

Marinate Barbeque Sauce (Lillian)

Shepherd’s Pie

Sweet and Sour Spareribs (Lillian)

Tuna Casserole

My Recipe for:

Miscellaneous and Household Tips

Spend Time with your Children

Browned Flour

Buy a Toolbox – and Fill it! – a Household Hint

Cream Cheese Frosting

Dill – freezing

Eggs (Hard Cooked – NOT hard boiled!)

Fish Fritter Batter (Lillian)

French Toast

Hot Buttered Rum (Carl)

Hummingbird Feeder

Play Dough

Whipping Egg Whites and Cream

Yorkshire Pudding

Muffins and Loaves

A Song for my Mother

Banana Muffins (Aunty Eva)

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Cornmeal Muffins

Pina Colada Muffins (Aunty Eva)

Rise and Shine Muffins (Aunty Eva)

Sunshine Muffins (Aunty Eva)

Three Thumbs Up Strawberry Muffins

Pies and Tarts

My Athletics Obsession

Butter Tarts

Coconut Pecan German Chocolate Pie

Flapper Pie

Fresh Fruit Pie – Double Crust

Impossible Pie

Key Lime Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Supreme Pie

Mincemeat (all fruit)

Pear and Custard Tart

Pie Crust (No Fail)

Pie Crust (Sweet)

Pumpkin Pie - Traditional

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (Lillian)

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

My Recipe for:

Sauces, Salads, and Dressings

Sense of Smell and Memories

Chinese or Japanese Coleslaw

Clotted Cream

Cranberry Sauce

Crème Anglaise

French Vanilla Cream Filling

Mexican Bean Salad (Lillian)

Raspberry Coulis

Ribbon Salad (Lillian)

My Recipe for:

Soups

Comfort Food

Chicken or Turkey Soup Stock

Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden take off!)

Easy Cream Soup

Hamburger Soup

Pea Soup

My Recipe for:

Squares

Early Science Experiment

Best Fudge Brownies

Chocodiles

Corn Flake Squares

Graham Wafer Dessert (Sophie)

Mars Bar Slice (Amanda)

Marshmallow Log (Lillian)

Nanaimo Bars

Pineapple Squares (Lillian)

Poppy Seed Sheet Cake (Lillian)

Rice Krispies Squares

Puffed Wheat Squares

My Recipe for:

Vegetables

Lifetime Friends

Baby Potatoes in Cream

Bean Salad

Hash Brown Casserole

Honey Ginger Carrots

Marinated Carrots (Lillian)

Potatoes Extraordinaire

Potato Pancakes

Potato Salad

Potato Wedges

Scalloped Potatoes

Ukrainian Specialties

Memories of Grandparents

Beet Leaf Rolls

Borscht (George and Sophie)

Cabbage Rolls (Holopchi) (Sophie)

Lazy Cabbage Rolls (Sophie)

Cheese Buns (Perishke) (Lillian)

Chrustyki (Ears)

Chrustyki (Ears) II

Easter Babka

Easter Paska

Fasoli (Mashed Beans) (Sophie)

Kutia (Boiled Wheat) (Sophie)

Makivnyk (Poppy Seed Roll)

Nachynka (Baked Cornmeal) (Sophie)

Nalysnyky (Crepes) (Lillian)

Neglie (Ukrainian Gnocchi)

Pampushky (Filled Buns) (Lillian)

Pyrohy (Perogies) (Sophie & Lillian)

Gido’s Spareribs and Sauerkraut (George)

Gido’s Studynets (Jellied Pigs Feet and Hocks) (George and Sophie)

Thickened Cream

My Recipe for:

Conclusion

Flights of Fancy or Realism?

Never be afraid to say, I love you!

Copyright and Disclaimer

Foreword

Quantities would help…

It’s a line you hear a lot in our family when recipes are exchanged. Let me give you the context. Several years ago, Amanda moved to Australia to live. We talk often over Skype and message often. Early on, I got the following message, Mom, how do you make your potato salad? Well frankly, I never much thought about it, so I just replied, I don’t know, potatoes, eggs, mayonnaise with a little mustard. The answer I got back was, Quantities would help! Now, maybe it sounds odd, but for someone who is used to baking and using exact measurements, this fly by the seat of your pants, taste it and see if it’s right just doesn’t seem to work.

But then I thought back. What happened when I first learnt to make bread? At home, Mom always made the bread, often while we were away. Baba always made bread, usually on Saturdays. So, as a young bride, I went over to Baba’s one Saturday to learn how to make bread. To my dismay, there were no measurements. She said to me (in Ukrainian of course, to remind me of my roots) a little water, a little yeast, some sugar, some flour… But how about measurements? Her answer? It just feels right. In vain, I tried to write down measurements as she mixed her bread. Quantities would help! Guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree after all.

Eventually, I got out my trusty Five Roses cookbook and found a recipe. How many of us still have our copies? Or copies handed down from our moms or our grandmothers. Or copies of another standard, the Purity cookbook? These cookbooks produced by the flour companies were the staple of many kitchens in Canada. Have you adapted those recipes to your taste, perhaps with notes in the margins or crossed out measurements with your own notations added? How many of us also have various church and community group cookbooks in our collections? And the spaces on the pages were useful to add your own favourite recipes as well! This is where I found many of my mom’s treasured recipes.

And me? Yes, I learnt how to bake bread and is still one of my favourite types of baking. Yes, quantities help, but for some things, you need to go with your gut and let your taste buds be your guide!

Measurements and Other Information

For the recipes, I have used the following abbreviations:

Tablespoon – Tbsp

Teaspoon – tsp

Pound – lb

Gram – g

Dash – usually liquid, a few drops

Pinch – usually spices, just a few grains, pick up and hold between your fingers, just that much!

You may also note that in the recipes, I don’t say preheat the oven to… I think that goes without saying if you are baking. Unless otherwise stated, warm up that oven before you slide in your baking! I’ve also used butter and margarine interchangeably in most recipes. For most cakes, cookies, etc. that can be done (except shortbread… always use butter except when using half butter and half margarine in some recipes)

Pan sizes are approximate. Sometimes, you just need to go with what you have! If you are using glass (Pyrex) baking dishes, remember that baking times tend to increase with those.

Where I have made attribution, those are recipes passed on from my mom (Lillian), my baba (Sophie), my dad (George) or other family or friends. Some of these came from who knows where over the years. Handed down, some cookbook, some newspaper clipping. But they have been tried, tested, and loved.

With love… to those who taught us to cook and to bake

If you love to bake,