Food and Family

Recipes from my grandmother"s kitchen to yours By [Josh Perilo] No disrespect to my wonderful, sweet mother, but my passion for cooking did not come from her. No, I would describe my mother"s relationship with cooking more like a daily wrestling match in which she choke-slammed it into submission. With five kids (four of them boys), there was little room for creativity or improvisation's it was all about what would fill us up as quickly as possible while still trying to stay somewhat healthy (although I"ll never forgive her for the canned green beans). It was on my once-a-year, week-long trips to my grandmother"s house in Kansas City that I became obsessed with cooking, because my grandmother was the single greatest cook I have ever known. Everything she made was unbelievable. When most boys might beg for their grandparents to take them to a Royals game or visit the awesome train museum, I would arrive in KC with a shopping list's an actual shopping list for groceries, because I was there to learn from the master, as far as I was concerned. And we made everything. Triple-layer chocolate cheesecake. Sauerkraut-braised pheasant. Chicken gumbo. It gave me the confidence, later in life, to experiment. To not be afraid to try something new. To know that the right way to make something is to do it all yourself, from absolute scratch. Or so I thought. After my grandmother passed away three years ago, I was entrusted with one of the most coveted items in her home: her recipe box. It was given to me on the condition that I was responsible for compiling all of the recipes into book form to give to our relatives. Well, it"s going to be quite a while before I have that kind of time on my hands (sorry, Aunt Sheryl!), but I have begun to go back to the box for reference and inspiration. In doing so, I"ve made a startling discovery. My grandmother did not cook from scratch! With the exception of a handful of signature recipes, almost every single dish on those cards had some kind of â??helper ingredient, like cake mix, French onion soup packets or Bisquick. There was even a recipe for something called â??Pork Risotto to be made with Minute Rice. Am I a snob for being taken aback by this discovery? Yes. Are these recipes probably all wonderful? Of course. Maybe this was my grandmother"s way to humble me from beyond the grave with a little â??don"t get too big for your britches, Jean-Georges. So, to honor my grandmother, I"d like to pass on a couple of her not-from-scratch recipes that are just as authentic as if they were, and are guaranteed delicious.   Apricot Bundt Cakeˆ  Drain 1 (17-oz.) can of apricots, saving the liquid in a large mixing bowl. Cut the apricots into quarters and add to the bowl. Add 1 package of lemon cake mix and 2 large eggs. Blend with a mixer on medium speed for three to four minutes, at least. Pour into a very well-greased bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes. After removing from the oven, let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. For the frosting, bring 1 cup of orange juice in a saucepan to a simmer. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of butter and the grated peel of 1 orange. Mix until combined. Let cool slightly, but frost while still warm.   Country-Fried Pork Chops In a large skillet, brown four small pork chops over medium to medium-high heat in a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add 1 (2-oz.) can of sliced mushrooms, one can of cream of celery soup, 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme, 6 pearl onions and 1 cup of sliced carrots. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. Serve with noodles.   Potato Bake Mix together 1 (16-oz.) package of frozen hash browns, 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 16 ounces of sour cream, 2 tablespoons of chopped onion and 5 ounces of grated cheddar cheese in a casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Serve hot.