Jennifer Jones' Sour Cream Molasses Cake

Jennifer Jones' Sour Cream Molasses Cake

1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg, beaten
1 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream

Cream shortening and sugar. Add molasses; mix well. Add egg; mix well. Mix and sift flour, allspice, salt and baking soda; add alternately with sour cream to molasses mixture. Bake in two greased and floured 8-inch layer cake pans at 350 degrees F. for 25-30 mins.

Sugarless Frosting:
2 egg whites
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup light molasses

Put egg whites, corn syrup and molasses in top of double boiler. Set over boiling water. Cook, beating constantly with rotary egg beater for 7-9 minutes, or until frosting will stand in soft peaks. Makes enough frosting to fill and frost two 8-inch cake layers.

Recipes by Carolyn Jones: Baked Filet of Sole; Low Calorie Roast Chicken

Baked Filet of Sole a la Carolyn Jones

1 1/2 pounds filet of sole (or flounder), sliced
4-ounce can Pacific bay shrimp (or small fresh New Orleans shrimp)
4-ounce can sliced mushrooms (or 8 cleaned fresh mushrooms, sliced, lightly browned in a little olive oil)
1/4 of a 10-ounce can condensed mushroom soup
1/2 bottle dry while wine (Pinot Blanc)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Half of a 4-ounce can of pimentos

Combine half the amount of mushroom soup in mixing bowl with the shrimp and mushrooms. Mix gently to coat with soup mixture

Spread mixture on one side of filets. Roll each filet into a "mop," fasten with a toothpick. Place in shallow baking pan (or dish).

Blend remaining amount of soup with wine over low heat, stirring. Add garlic powder, blend, spoon over filets. Garnish with thin pimento strips. Bake in preheated 350 degree F. oven about 15 mins. Run under broiler to lightly brown. Serve at once with broiled tomatoes and crisp green salad. Serves 2-3.

Low Calorie Roast Chicken a la Carolyn Jones

2 1/2 pounds broiling chicken
About 2 tablespoons low calorie Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2 teaspoon tarragon (or rosemary)
No. 2 can baby onions (or cooked fresh pearl onions)
Freshly ground pepper

Rub chicken with salad dressing and salt; brown on top of stove in heavy cast-iron skillet.

Heat water to boiling and dissolve bouillon in water. Add tarragon. Drain onions, stuff body cavity with onions, tie legs to keep onions from falling out.

Place chicken, breast side down, on rack in roasting pan. Roast in preheated 325 degree F. oven for 1 1/2 hrs. (or until tender), basting several times. Let stand a few minutes before carving. Serve with carrots and a green vegetable. Or serve onions in a nest of cooked nutmeg-seasoned spinach. Serves 4. 

Recipes by Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson: Barbecue Sauce; Homemade Table Peach Preserves; Spoon Bread

Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson's Barbecue Sauce

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter
2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir in garlic. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients. Raise heat to medium-high; heat to a boil. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat.

Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson's Homemade Table Peach Preserves

4 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon extract
6 pounds peaches (about 24), peeled and sliced

In a very large saucepan, dissolve sugar in water over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, cooking for 5 minutes or until it appears as a clear syrup. Skim off any froth. Add vanilla and lemon extracts and stir in peaches and return to a boil. Watch pot carefully, stirring to prevent boiling over. Boil for 5 minutes and remove from heat and skim off any froth. Pour hot preserves into hot, sterilized, glass canning jars and affix lids and rings, which will create a seal, suction after cooling and naturally thickened for storing. Serve with hot biscuits. Makes 7 pint jars.

(This is an old recipe. Heat processing jelly for 5 to 15 minutes is now recommended for safety. The heat processing gives a better seal, and destroys mold that may be present on the top surface of the product.)

Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson's Spoon Bread

3 cups milk
3 eggs
1 cup cornmeal
Butter (the size of a walnut)
3 level teaspoons baking powder
1 level teaspoon salt

Stir cornmeal into 2 cups of milk and let mixture come to a boil, making a mush. Remove from heat and add balance of milk and well-beaten eggs. Stir in salt, baking powder and melted butter. Bake in 2-quart greased casserole for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Serves 8.

Recipes by Ben Johnson: Buttermilk Biscuits; Rainbow Trout a la Johnson

Ben Johnson's Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 heaping tsps. baking powder
Good pinch of baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
About 1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsps. shortening (or bacon fat)

Mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Quickly stir in buttermilk until dough holds together, but is not too sticky. Turn out dough on lightly floured board. Pat down dough. Knead lightly, handle very gently. Roll dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut biscuits into rounds, using biscuit cutter (or glass dipped in flour). Melt shortening on baking sheet. Turn biscuits on both sides in melted shortening. Bake in preheated 450 degrees oven 12-15 minutes. Serve at once split and topped with pan gravy and steak. Makes about 12 biscuits.

Thoughts: Ben says, "I make mine a little different from anyone else. I put my grease in the pan, rather than in the biscuit. That way you don't get too much grease inside your biscuits."

Ben Johnson's Rainbow Trout a la Johnson

4 rainbow trout (1 lb. each), heads and tails on or off, as preferred, cleaned and washed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 stick of butter
Juice of 1 lemon

Wash and dry fish. Season it well inside and out. Melt butter in heavy skillet. Pan-fry (or broil), browning fish 10 minutes on one side, turn, fry 5 minutes longer (or until golden). Squeeze fresh lemon juice over fish to serve. Serves 4.

Thoughts: Trout can be oven-broiled. It's very tasty when broiled and served with a fresh herb sauce.

4 trout fillets (about 1 pound each)

For sauce:
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (reserve 2 tablespoons), 6 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, 3 tablespoons fresh basil, 3 tablespoons fresh chives, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a food processor or blender combine and puree the fresh spices, lemon juice, and only 6 tablespoons of olive oil. Set the puree aside.

Preheat your broiler. Cut the trout fillets into serving-sized pieces. Coat the trout fillets with the reserved 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Broil the trout fillets for 5 minutes per side. Remove when the fillets flake easily with a fork. Transfer the fillets to a serving plate and spoon the pureed herb sauce on top of the fillets. Serves 4.

Recipes by Norman Jewison: Apple Pie; Butter Tarts; Pastry Dough

Norman Jewison's Apple Pie

Prepared two-crust pastry (see recipe below)
Scant 1 cup sugar (or 2/3 cup white sugar and 1/3 cup light brown sugar)
1 tbsp. flour
2 qts. apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or mace)
1/2 tsp. lemon rind
About 1 tbsp. lemon juice
Few tbsps. light cream
Few tbsps. butter

Line 9-inch pie dish with lower crust. Combine remaining ingredients except cream and butter. Heap layer of apples in bottom of pie dish; dot well with soft butter and drizzle small amount of cream over apples. Complete filling shell, heaping apples high into shell. Use generous amounts of butter and small amount of cream to moisten filling. Top with upper crust that has been gashed in several places; secure bottom and top layers, pressing firmly. Flute edges. Bake in preheated 450 degrees F. oven for 10 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake 30-35 minutes longer (or until done). Serve warm or at room temperature, alone or with wedge of aged cheddar or topped with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6.

Thoughts: For an American innovation, use cheese-flavored crust. Use recipe below for pastry but use only 1 2/3 cups flour and 1/2 cup shortening. Work 1 cup grated aged cheddar into flour-salt mixture before adding shortening.

Norman Jewison's Butter Tarts

Prepared two-crust pastry (see recipe below)
1 egg
Scant 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup currants (or seedless raisins)
3/4 cup chopped pecans (or toasted almond slivers)

Line 12 small fluted tart shells with pastry; chill. Beat egg, add sugar and remaining ingredients; divide evenly filling the 12 tart shells. Bake in preheated 375 degrees F. oven about 20 minutes (or until filling has set and crust is brown and crisp). Allow 2 tarts per person. Makes 12 tarts.

Thoughts: Oven toast almonds by scattering almonds evenly in ungreased shallow baking dish. Bake in a slow oven, mixing occasionally, until evenly brown and crisp. Or barely crispen and brown almonds by slowly sauteing them in clarified butter. Use almond extract in lieu of vanilla.

Norman Jewison's Pastry Dough

For the pastry:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening (or lard)
About 1/3 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt together in mixing bowl; cut in shortening with pastry blender (or two knives) until texture of cornmeal. Gradually add ice water, tossing lightly with fork until pastry forms ball. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. Sufficient for Norman Jewison's butter tarts or apple pie. Serves 6.

George Jessel's Eggs and Matzos

George Jessel's Eggs and Matzos

6 tea matzos (unsalted)
3 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
Sweet butter or schmaltz (chicken fat)

1. Crumble matzos into cold water; soak until soft. Press out excess moisture.

2. Add eggs and salt to softened matzos.

3. Pour batter into hot buttered skillet. Cook slowly until crisp and brown on both sides. Turn once. Serve hot with jelly, applesauce or honey, or accompanied with grilled bacon or sausage. Serves two.

Western-style: Prepare matzos as directed above. To softened matzos add 2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons minced onion, and two chopped, skinned tomatoes. Cook as directed above.

Thomas Jefferson's Jambalaya

Thomas Jefferson's Jambalaya

1 tablespoon shortening
1 pound ham or pork sausage
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
3 cups shrimp, peeled, cleaned and cooked
1 large onion, sliced
3 cups tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons parsley
2 cups long grained rice
4 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper

Melt shortening in a large fry pan. Cut ham or pork into 1/2 inch cubes and add to shortening, stir for 1 minute and add green pepper ; cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in flour until smooth and cook 1 to 2 minutes.

Add shrimp, onion, tomatoes, garlic and parsley. Cook until it starts to boil, stir in rice and 4 cups water, salt, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper; cover tightly and cook for 30 minutes or until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.